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soaringwide · 7 months ago

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Pick a Card - What is you Persona?

Today we're going to look at your persona, or as the definition goes:

"an individual's social facade or front that, especially in the analytical psychology of Carl Gustav Jung, reflects the role in life the individual is playing"

So this reading won't be about who you are from your point of view, but the role you play socially and lean into, and that others perceive you as. It's especially important for people in the public eye, but I think everyone can gain from being more aware of the mask they wear in society, whether you want to craft a mask of your choosing or desire to be more authentic.

If we're being technical, everyone has different persona depending on the social context (work vs friends, etc), but we'll look at one of them/the main one only.

As always, this is a general reading meant for multiple people so it might not apply to you 100%. Take what resonates and leave out the rest.

PILE 1

Cards: The Gem, The Thread, The Prayer, The Moon, 3 of Wands, the Empress, King of Cups, 8 of Pentacles, Justice, Knight of Pentacles, 4 of Wands, Ace of Pentacles, 2 of Wands

Let's start with a description of your persona, as in, the role you take on in society.

You role in society seems to be of someone who prioritize actions that assist and improve others, embodying the role of a helper. You are a path-maker and actively encourage people to follow along, and they do, because they sense that there is something you see or know that they don't. They see you as someone who has accumulated a lot of wisdom in their field of interest, that makes them some type of refined diamond that shines among common rocks. You are respected and admired for your abilities and people go to you for your specialized advice. They see you as a trailblazer, someone who is not afraid to take the lead and who people come to for their advice and knowledge.

The first impression people get from you is that you appear rather withdrawn and mysterious, secretive even. You don't seem to share a lot about yourself and they don't really get what's going on inside of your head. You might even come off as moody to some because they don't see the inner emotional tides that affect your behavior. This makes total sense after the last paragraph that highlighted that your role is someone who takes action, what you are on the inside you keep somewhat hidden and probably show that to only a few selected people. I'm getting internet persona for some, for others it has to do with work.

For the perceived qualities, people can see that you're someone who is a visionary, someone who has a higher perspective on things. They see you as driven, ambitious and a force to be reckoned with. You are able to communicate your energetic curiosity to others, which makes you a great team leader. Someone who's able to plan ahead and make the right decisions at the right time.

As for your flaws, they see you as someone who has a hard time enjoying the simple pleasures of life, because you're so dedicated to your cause. All work and no play, so to speak. You are very action-oriented and the drawback of that is that you seem rather unreachable, someone who is affected by nothing and that people have a hard time connecting with on a deeper level. They have a hard time getting to know you on a friend or romantic level because you are so focused on your own path that you don't let people in easily.

What others think drive you in life is your desire to be a positive influence on people around you and your dedication to whatever career or cause you are involved with. To lead with compassion and fairness with your greater understanding of things. They also see you as driven by the desire to better your craft and work for your community tirelessly and almost egolessly. So I think despite your withdrawn nature, you still come off as empathetic, it's just very neutral and it doesn't seem to affect you personally.

Above all, as someone who values integrity, you seem to fear unfairness and facing unjust repercussions. There is a fear of being attacked for the wrong reason or by the wrong people and not being able to defend yourself or the people you protect. I'm getting that in our world, things are not always just, in social settings, or even and especially on the political and executive level of things, which makes you very wary of that and you do your best to shield yourself or others from that. There is also a fear of losing control over the situation, again for reasons that would be unjust and outside of your control.

Now getting back to you, your persona has developed within you with the goal of being a link to your community, to bring you together and create a fairer and happier society for you and the people you care about. To bring forward the ideas and values you hold dear to your heart. It allows you to be someone people can rely on to have a positive impact on them. A solid foundation people can go back to when they need to. I'm also getting the word armor, as in, your persona protects yourself.

And it seems its quite aligned with your relationship with your persona, which I intended as a way to see its level of healthiness in your psyche's landscape. I think you're quite happy with the way you work in society. You persona does allow you to grab greater opportunities and makes things happen for you and your community. It's also a way to protect yourself by giving you some type of distance between your core-self and the way you are among others. It brings you a sense of control and security (which I was getting in the previous section), which is the goal of the persona.

I would say, however, that it might feel a bit lonely at time, so make sure you do share who you are on the inside with your chosen people and don't stay trapped in your persona at all times. I really think you're a great person who does amazing things, but don't forget that you also need deep connection and authentic exchanges to remain balanced and happy. You just need to find the right context to allow yourself to do that.

PILE 2

Cards: The Vow, The Lover, The High Priestess, 5 of Swords, 6 of Wands, 4 of Swords, 6 of Swords, Death, the Magician, the Chariot, Judgement, 7 of Swords, the Fool

First let's look at the description of your persona, as in, the role you take in society and how you appear.

You're someone who appears to others as having a rich inner world that they can't quite understand, as if they could sense the ties that bind you to the realm of the mind and the spirit. On the outside, they can tell that you seek living things deeply and experiencing reality with all senses, but that it's not superficial but rather a way for you to reach the meaning of life, in the way of the poet. But there's also some type of almost ascetic vibe to you, as if you indulged in excess in a serious manner. I don't think you appear very grounded or emotional, as if you explored your social settings in an almost disembodied, experimental way; gathering information for a purpose people cannot comprehend because you just don't talk about it and keep it to yourself. They can tell you have secrets and they might not dare asking. You also appear fully committed to your individuality and unapologetic about who you are. It's like you are not grounded in reality/society but rather grounded in your inner world. I will develop more further but I just wanted to give a heads up that this persona is quite complex and layered.

The first impression you make on people is of someone who is proud of the battle they fought and openly talks about their past struggles. They can sense that you are strong and confident even if you haven't exchanged any words yet. They can sense you are a very resilient person who will not let anyone belittle them. You might come off a bit strong though for those who do not resonate with your vibe. However I do think you are aware of that but just don't care.

For your perceived qualities, you appear rather calm and composed, as if nothing and no one could break your peace. They see you as easy going and not someone who will create needless drama with others. You keep to yourself and if there's mayhem around you, you just don't engage. There is again this idea that you're very connected to your inner self and have a lot of personal integrity and always try to align your words and actions.

For your perceived flaws, people can sense you still have some baggage you are dragging with you. You may have had your heart or mind broken a few times and it's making you lacking trust in social interactions and it's blocking you from forming deep connection. You have a vibe of someone who's always a foot in the door, as if you were just passing by. It's like, they can sense your authenticity and you do share who you are on some level, but you're also metaphorically facing away from others, not letting anyone close to your heart. There are no cups in this reading at all, so, again, you don't really show any emotions publicly and would rather show the way you think and your philosophy of the world rather than being emotionally vulnerable. You are very guarded in that sense.

As to what you show as driving you in life, you display the fact that you are here to keep changing and evolving, mastering your self completely and not letting any setbacks get in your way of doing so. You take the saying that one must change themselves in order to change the world at heart and make it a core principle. I keep getting this feeling that you're always pushing and pushing forward without rest, all consumed that you are by your what you desire to transmute.

So it makes sense that your fear would show up as the fear of losing control. Sometimes, it's like the mask of your persona slips for a second and that people see you are terrified of losing agency over your own world. You are afraid of getting lost or trapped in a situation that you do not like and it can make you quite rebellious in sudden outburst, when that mask slips. You don't like when people put into question your way of living and are very protective of your life choices and your personality. You may snap back at people who try to break your balance by attacking your personality, or at least that's what you perceive it as.

Your persona developed as a way to help you communicate the deep and intense person that you are on the outside. I also get the idea of showcasing some aspects of your personality in a way that is intentional and powerful. I think you may have been rather shy and withdrawn in the past, or even as a child, and this persona allows a safe way for you to exist in society with as much authenticity as possible. You have a very soft heat on the inside and you want to protect it.

Finally, for what's your relationship with your persona, which one could also read as how healthy it is, I'm getting that you are fully aware of the mask you wear or the trick you play on people so to speak. Not that you are lying, but you're forging a very specific image and I think you're stealing yourself a bit here because you are not communicating the full depth of your feelings to anyone unless you are 100% sure of their intentions, and it's shooting yourself in the foot because some people will just not connect to you at all because they feel that they can't since you won't allow them in.

However, I do get that your persona is prone to evolving and shifting easily, so I don't think you are stuck in that, at all. I think your persona will naturally evolve as you transmute things within yourself and feel safer expressing other facets of yourself. You do have a deep poetic heart and it would be a shame to hide it behind a wall of spikes at all times.

PILE 3

Cards: the Tear, the Prayer, 3 of Cups rx, 2 of Pentacles, the Tower, Knight of Pentacles, the High Priestess, Page of Pentacles, 8 of Pentacles, 9 of Swords, the Devil, 10 of Swords, King of Cups, the Hanged Man, 8 of Wands, 4 of Cups, Page of Wands rx

Right off the bat I get the sense that you are quite young or at least not fully developed yet and that your persona is not fully formed and is some type of unintentional byproduct of what happens on the inside of yourself. You are probably struggling with mental health issues which may also be why you are appearing in such state, because you got pulled back a bit.

But let's start by describing your persona, of the role you take on and how you appear to others.

You appear as rather closed-off, quite disconnected from the people around you. You may be shy, reserved or even socially anxious. People get the sense that you are quite vulnerable and easily overwhelmed and not at ease at all in social settings. A bit of an antisocial personality as well that make you withdraw and dislike connecting with others, perhaps because you just don't have the spoons although it's hard for other people to understand.

The first impression you make on people is that you are quite unbalanced in the way you behave and react. I get the sense of a past traumatic event that affects your personality greatly and that you're trying to balance by trying to be composed and grounded but it's like you keep shifting between those two opposite sides of the scale. You might appear erratic and unpredictable or the complete opposite depending on the day. But on the good days people can tell you are trying to move forward steadily and carefully.

For your perceived qualities, people can tell that you have gained some type of inner knowledge on life and its pain and that you are committed to rebuilding yourself with hope and dedicated, even if it's in its state of infancy. They can tell you hold some wisdom about human nature and you might be quite intuitive. It's like you're holding this treasure close to your heart and you sometimes show it to others very briefly.

For your perceived flaws, the idea of being disconnected from others show up again, this time to show you are not invested in your community and are very centered on yourself. Can't blame you as I think you have your reasons, but that's definitely something people see. I really think you're just very focused on rebuilding yourself and you don't have the energy to invest in others.

As to what people think drives you in life, it seems you are dead set on overcoming your deep anxiety and just get better and get out of the hole you are in currently. You have your own demons to fight and you are determined to slay them, so to speak. Again, I think you are definitely struggling with mental health issues or substance abuse, perhaps you're even hospitalized (or have been), or are in a time of recovery and that's what's being shown out: this desire to get better and to break the chains that hold you mentally and emotionally.

So it's interesting that for your perceived fear, getting worse and losing mastery of your emotions come forward. You are afraid of losing your stability and not being able to ask or reach out for help. There is a deep rooted fear of further isolation and losing grasp of anything good in life.

Why you developed this persona is because, well, it seems you just didn't have a choice and it happened as a way to survive in some way. You felt stuck as a result of your past struggles and it got pushed outside of you for others to see, so that you could communicate your inner issues and perhaps communicate your need for support in an indirect way. It all came with a sense of urgency like you suddenly had to shift the way you appeared to others in an emergency reaction of sorts.

As I said in the very beginning, you persona appears as an underdeveloped defense mechanism and I don't think it's in a healthy state at all. It's definitely not intentional and right now you're just living in it because that's all you can do. I think you have a very passionate and adventurous core to you that got somewhat pushed back but that will totally emerge again once the crisis is over. Keep hanging on, try to communicate with others more directly and have faith that things will get better because they will!

#pick a card #pac reading #tarot reading #pick a picture #pick a pile #tarot #tarotblr #divination #tarot community #soaringwide tarot reading #soaringwide #persona #know yourself

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milf--adjacent · 18 days ago

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Something that convinced me that transmysoginy exists more than any other argument was how immediate and violent the reaction from TMEs and adjacent folks was. As soon as you bring up the very idea of queer groups having power dynamics it's a flood of "You're intersexist" "You're transandrophobic" "You have no idea what's going on" "you hate gnc people", etc. etc. without ever trying to debunk the argument, and often resorting to character assassinations.

To 'debunk' the argument would mean they would have to address it which means facing their possibly hidden biases upon which they build their own narrative of superiority. They wanna say "you're a bunch of baddel bigot transfem supremacists" when in reality we're chipping away at their own supremacist values simply by mentioning that we are whole people who are consistently forgotten and undervalued by queer communities at large. They think we "want on top" when all we want is an end to veiled hate and dismissal of our thoughts, feelings, and experiences because we were forced to walk through life with a big 'M' on our records and somehow that means we lived the good life until we started "pretending" to be women. All we want is to be considered and included.

Like there was this gushing outporing of support for that post that told trans women to stay alive then told trans men to stay alive, and a bunch of TME people were like "I've never heard it phrased for trans men before!" and while I can respect their experience 1. We curate our own experiences here, so maybe follow some more positive trans men and you'll see plenty of transmasc positivity (I see plenty and I'm not even looking for it!) and 2. Which part of the community has a long, lingering, often unreported suicide issue? Which types of trans people are ostracized from the groups and communities that are supposed to help them and care for them? Which group of trans people makes up the bulk of the trans suicide stats?

Trans women are dying of lonliness and despair every day, and some TME people want to turn it into a "both sides" issue of "balance" and "fairness." I think one side lacks proper balance and fairness since one side has entire stores and clothing lines dedicated to their needs, but when I want a bra or shoes in my size, I have to wade through listings labeled "CROSSDRESSER SISSY BOTTOM TRANSEXUAL CLOTHING FOR MEN" to find something. I go to the queer support group and I am the only transfem in the room and the whole organization is run by TME people. I go to pride and there's so much fanfare for the drag queens who live their lives as gay men and only adopt womanhood as a performance, but even for the fucking TRANS MARCH, only one transfem is given space to speak on stage, and she is quickly bustled from the stage so a TME DJ can spin a super mid remix of I Feel Love (should have just played the extended dance mix for fucks sake) and yet another drag queen can perform.

It's not just me noticing these things, and many transfems aren't half as brave as me because of histories of abuse and neglect.

To even validate the argument that transfems are overlooked and neglected would be to address one's role in making that happen so consistently, so it's easier for that type of TME person to cast individual trans women as some sort of monster than to address their own internalized transmisogyny. No one likes to be told they're hurting someone, but no one goes full hater as quickly as a white queer person who is told their lack of empathy empowers transmisogyny.

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leiascully · 21 days ago

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I wish you wrote a little something about one of them kinda gettin pleasantly lost in the haze a day or two after their first time together and having to have their attention called back to the task at hand 🥰

It hits her in flashes: Mulder's lips on her neck, trailing up under her ear. Mulder's big hands on her bare waist. Mulder's jaw brushing her thigh. Mulder's grin, his teeth flashing white in the dim. Mulder's tongue, oh God, Mulder's tongue.

"Agent Scully?" Skinner's voice has some edge to it. She wonders how many times he spoke to her before she came back from her dreamland.

"Sir?" His mouth is a straight line of disappointment. She's supposed to be the one who pays attention.

"Can you walk us through your profile?"

"Yes, sir," she says, turning to the appropriate page in the file. She reads from their profile, as if the others aren't perfectly capable of doing the same. The perpetrator is likely a highly-resourced white male with a difficult childhood, although presumably not Mulder, because she can guarantee he was busy at the time. Very, very busy.

She glances at Mulder, sitting at the end of the table, just cattycorner from her. He won't look at her, which is probably for the best. There's just the faintest flush on his face. She can just barely see the edge of the hickey she left on his neck last night above the stark white collar of his shirt. She's luckier: hers are hidden under her clothes, in much more intimate places. She squeezes her thighs together, relishing the ache in her hips.

"And how did you and Agent Mulder arrive at this conclusion?"

She patiently walks the table through their process, citing each piece of evidence. The perpetrator has access to multiple vehicles, all imported. The perpetrator is highly educated and probably respected in their community, based on the access they have to various institutions. She toes off her shoe and slides her toes under the cuff of Mulder's trousers. The perpetrator focuses their efforts on women in their late twenties and early thirties. She reaches a logical limit and removes her foot from Mulder's trousers. The perpetrator has a preference for brunettes with longer hair and a traditionally feminine presentation, i.e. makeup and skirts or dresses. Her foot slides up Mulder's calf. The perpetrator lies to their victims about professional opportunities, encouraging them to invest in specious workshops that will supposedly lead to job interviews. Her foot reaches Mulder's knee; his hand catches hold of it and he applies his thumb to her arch. She catches her breath.

"Agent Scully?" Skinner raises one eyebrow.

"Paper cut," she says, and puts her fingertip in her mouth.

The perpetrator has thus far contented themself with the money and attention of their victims, but she and Mulder suspect the recruitment process will escalate, potentially to violence. Blackmail is more lucrative and doesn't require creating flyers for made-up conferences. They're following up with the shop that printed the flyers, but it's likely to be a dead end. Mulder's thumb rolls back and forth across the arch of her foot with a lazy, self-assured grace that's somehow suggestive of the things his hips did last night and she's very glad to have reached the end of their part of the briefing.

Except that ten minutes later, when she's trying not to moan at the way Mulder's touch makes her feel ticklish and turned on all at once, Skinner's talking to her again.

"Agent Scully?" he says, and this time he's almost snapping. She must have drifted off again.

"Yes?" Her voice comes out higher than anticipated.

"I want you and Agent Mulder to go to the university campus," he says. "Dress to blend. Agents Silver and Reisgraf will go to the print shop."

"Am I given to understand we're setting Agent Scully up as bait?" Mulder asks.

"No," Skinner says. "But I have every faith in your ability to fit in with a crowd of overeducated professionals who lecture for hours and acknowledge little to no supervision or hierarchy."

Mulder ducks his head, acknowledging the point. Scully takes the opportunity to retrieve her foot and slip it back into her shoe. She's sure she's pink in the cheeks. She steadies her breathing carefully. Mulder's lucky she couldn't get her foot all the way into his lap. Maybe that's the next meeting.

"Are you all right?" Skinner asks her in a low voice as she steps past him. "You look a little feverish." He does this, since her illness, and she's both grateful and annoyed.

"I'm fine, sir," she says. "It's a little warm in here."

"Drink some water," Skinner advises.

"I'll make sure she gets what she needs," Mulder assures him, putting one hand on her back. Skinner knows, Scully's sure of it, but he just lets them pass without another word.

"I guess we'll have to go home and change," Mulder murmurs in her ear as they walk to the elevator.

"Your place or mine?" she asks, equally quietly. They've had clothes stashed at each other's apartments for years in case of emergency. Maybe she can get him into jeans and a blazer. She'll definitely enjoy taking those off later.

"Yours," he says decisively. "And if we end up making out in the stacks of university library, nobody has to know."

"Agent Mulder, you're a dream come true," she says lightly.

"Are you sure I'm not a nightmare?" he asks as they enter the elevator. No one else joins them. Everyone knows better at this point, and no one else is going down. "I seem to recall some screaming last night."

"Maybe I dream about opera," she teases.

"Maybe you do," he says, and takes her hand, swinging it gently between them. She looks at their twined fingers and smiles. Maybe it was all inevitable, but it took so long to get here. She'll take a hundred scoldings from Skinner if she has to. This is worth it.

#xfiles octoberficfest #my fic #leiascully fic

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jesncin · 11 months ago

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The Potential of Asian Lois Lane. Pt 1: Girl Taking Over and American Alien, a comparative analysis

Lois Lane has had many iterations over the years. But specifically in the last decade, Lois has been reimagined as an Asian American woman in both the comics and recently in the animated show My Adventures with Superman.

I believe making Lois Asian is a very inspired choice for the Superman mythos! I would like to take a moment to analyze these versions of Lois from an Asian perspective, seeing what works, what doesn't, and what I'd like to see more of. We'll start with the comics first, as MAWS is going to need its own post.

Usual disclaimers: I'm just one Asian perspective, I do not and never will claim to cover every Asian person's opinion on a thing ever. We're not a monolith, we come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. I'm simply a fan who enjoys media analysis and believes it's valuable to have my perspective in this topic. Secondly, this discussion covers the comic run American Alien, which is written by Max Landis. He's an ultra creep and while I think the comic is worth a read for what it is, I leave it up to you whether you'd like to buy the comic. You can always arg-arg-ahoy otherwise.

I'd like to start with Girl Taking Over: A Lois Lane Story written by Sarah Kuhn with art by Arielle Jovellanos. This is a self contained YA graphic novel about a young Japanese American Lois dealing with the ups and downs of breaking into journalism as a career in National City. When her dream internship at Catco gets a corporate take over, Lois seizes an opportunity to write an exposé on a shady art director. But when her story is turned down, Lois does some out of the box things to get the story of marginalized performers shared with the world.

Girl Taking Over is a fantastic story and I happily recommend it to anyone looking for how an Asian American Lois could be reimagined (with fabulous art by Arielle! The fashion especially is on-point). This story isn't just a diverse coat of paint on a Lois Lane story, being Asian informs Lois' experiences and choices. Both she and her frenemy roommate Miki, are ambitious Asian women yet have hidden insecurities where they still made themselves small to their respective white male bosses. They played into model minority in different ways, and it's only by working together that they're able to foster a community for their stories to be told.

Lois and Miki don't just "have a diverse friend group", that friend group is actively being taken advantage of and suppressed by white gatekeepers. By extension, Lois' friends from work find solidarity in each other. Lois looks up to Cat Grant, a Filipina-American journalist, because seeing Cat succeed made Lois feel like her dream as a journalist is possible. I love how Lois' mom (a character so rarely expanded on in DC canon) acts as a voice of comfort for Lois in the story. All these characters feel holistic and whole, going through their own unique struggles.

It's clear from interviews with both the writer and artist that they care for the history of Lois, and saw an opportunity to reimagine her in a way that aligns with her character but also revitalizes her for new readers of color who aren't used to seeing themselves reflected in media. It's taking Lois' ambition and fearlessness and channeling them into the need to be a model minority, and the insecurities that can come from the desire to succeed constantly. It's taking a character historically frustrated by sexism and disrespected by her male peers- including Clark Kent (who got better treatment than her as a man), and expanding her to be a Lois that has to deal with both sexism and racism in the workplace. It's humanizing Lois' excellence into something painfully specific and relatable for many Asian women.

The only thing I feel I want from this version of Lois is... honestly more of her! I want to see what Japanese Lois does when she moves to Metropolis and works at the Daily Planet. I want to see how her experiences in National City informs her adulthood. Girl Taking Over sets up an incredible groundwork for stories to be told in the Superman mythos. How would Lois react to Superman, a fellow immigrant? Would Superman see himself in Lois? Since she's someone who, in the American context, is perceived as the perpetual foreigner? What would their relationship be like? Out of all the Asian Lois' in media we have so far, this Asian Lois' story has the most rich potential in my opinion.

Up next, we have American Alien written by Max Landis. This 7 issue series swaps artists for each issue, as a means of reflecting different milestones in Clark's life. I will be focusing on issues #4, 5, and 7 since those have the most prominent Lois appearances. With that, I'd like to celebrate the artists for those issues: Jae Lee (issue 4), Francis Manapul (issue 5), and Jock (issue 7). All these artists did a fantastic job, their art styles are energetic and fun to look at. Lee and Manapul are both Asian artists (Korean and Filipino respectively) and I love how they draw Lois- who looks undeniably Asian in their art styles.

American Alien is a modern take on the Superman tale. It expands Clark's story to be connected to Batman, Green Lanterns, Green Arrow, and more. We see Clark grow from his days in Smallville to a city boy in Metropolis, coming into his own as Superman. It's a bold and pretty divisive take with some standout story moments. From what I know, this is likely the first time Lois has been reimagined as Asian- and continues to influence Superman media like MAWS (the producer specifically calls out this comic as inspiration).

In issue #4, Clark moves in to his Metropolis apartment and talks on the phone to his mom about "some bigshot guy named Louis Lane". The reader, likely familiar with the Superman mythos, knows Clark is coming in with biases and a preconceived notion of who he considers a promising student reporter. Once we meet Lois Lane however, the comic turns the reader's expectations on their head:

Lois Lane is an Asian American woman (it's not specified what her exact ethnicity is)! This is a fun moment where the comic metatextually challenged the reader's own biases, showing it's not just Clark who had a different idea of who Lois Lane could be.

Lois' introductory panel is my personal favorite part of her characterization in American Alien. Lois proudly stands as a wall of text behind her recounts how she was considered as a winner for the Daily Planet's Charlton Memorial Laureate Program. When asked why she deserves a place on the program, Lois snaps back that the very question itself is loaded. She's listed her credentials and looks professional- so she's either already been rejected and is just being made to "at least had my say" or she's been accepted and is "meant to garnish my success with eloquent affirmation" to which Lois refuses to do either.

This is a great defiant introduction to Lois, showcasing how jaded she is with the way the world perceives her- but is very confident in her self worth as a journalist. By the end of the issue she reaches out to Clark to combine their exclusive interviews into one story to make a big impression on the news. Her words inspire Clark to seize an opportunity to make a big change in the world as Superman.

Afterwards, the comic plays the classic Superman and Lois dynamic straight. Lois is initially suspicious of Superman, but eventually comes around and is inspired to hope through him. There's a great back and forth between the two where Lois' words initially inspire Clark to be Superman, then Clark assures Lois that Superman is probably just a good guy, and when Clark loses hope from a bad day of heroism, Lois gives him hope again. In the end, Lois realizes her love for Clark Kent over Superman and they share a passionate ending kiss.

Overall American Alien nails the Clark and Lois dynamic and understands their relationship. I consider this Asian Lois "just okay". I like that we get to see an adult jaded Asian Lois meet Clark Kent and Superman, and see them get together. Similarly to Girl Taking Over, I'd like to see how this Lois and Clark would play out. My only issue with American Alien's Lois is a sense of missed opportunities.

The writing overall leaves room for plausible deniability over Lois' Asian identity. The artists (particularly Lee and Manapul) are doing the heavy lifting delivering Asian Lois. If she was drawn as a white woman, none of the writing would need adjustment. Sure her introductory panel implies that people judge her based on her appearance- but that could be just sexism instead of the intersectional experience of Asian Lois going through racism and sexism. Clark did assume she was a man after all- it's never specified if he assumed she was a white man. The only thing you'd lose is the metatextual shock value of Lois Being Asian This Time. That's really what this Lois boils down to, initial shock value with no specific writing to follow through. Her marginalization and identity is written broadly enough that it could be attributed to general sexism and womanhood. It's not specific to being an Asian American woman.

However, because of its broadness, there's room for Lois' Asian identity to be built on in the world of American Alien. The story centers Clark's experiences, but I can easily imagine a continuation of the story expanding on Lois'. The basic groundwork is there. I think it's telling that in a comic called American Alien, we get a more diverse Superman cast system. Jimmy Olsen is Black, Lois Lane is Asian- when Clark moves to the city it feels expansive compared to Smallville. It's a world that feels ready to tackle themes of racism if it was ever to continue (and probably in the hands of a writer with that kind of life experience!). In the end, there's room for this Asian Lois to be something special. Clark isn't the only American Alien in American Alien, if you catch my drift.

You can see how Girl Taking Over has a huge piece of what American Alien is missing. The characters aren't just diverse for shock value, they're not an aesthetic change over historically white characters. They have a story to tell that is inseparable from their identities. Whereas in American Alien, the art is doing the heavy lifting with the reimagined diverse characters- Girl Taking Over has both the writing and art carry the representation. Lois can't be changed into being white in Girl Taking Over.

Both of these stories have potential- but if I had the choice to pick which story should continue, it would easily be Girl Taking Over. This graphic novel works for what it is: it makes sense that this is a younger and idealistic Lois that hasn't met Clark or Superman yet. It's a YA book and Lois can absolutely carry a story on her own. What I want as an Asian fan, is for the potential of Asian Lois Lane to be seen through to the point it's considered the definitive version. As of right now, Girl Taking Over is a fun twist on the Lois Lane story. Not something that is seen as inseparable from the Superman mythos. However! If those themes of marginalization and immigrant identity are tapped into for both Superman and Lois Lane? I feel that has the potential to radically strengthen the overall themes of Superman. It's certainly been touched on before.

(TW/CW: racial slur mention in below image)

Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Yang with art by Gurihiru is a retelling of the Clan of the Fiery Cross arc in the classic radio show The Adventures of Superman where Superman faces off with the Klan who had been terrorizing a Chinese American family. The graphic novel adapts the story to center the Chinese American characters, and makes it a point to show that Superman relates to them. If that dynamic was applied to Asian Lois, that feels like a definitive love story waiting to happen.

The classic two person love triangle with Clark and Lois is that Lois loves Superman and is indifferent to Clark Kent. She thinks Superman is this ideal macho man and Clark is a cowardly fumbling guy at work who rivals her. What happens when you take that dynamic and made it so Lois identified with Superman- the more othering identity? How complicated would that make Clark Kent feel? How would he navigate that when his marginalization isn't always visible? That's a whole new depth to the love triangle we're not used to seeing. I feel so far, none of these versions of Lois have touched upon this potential dynamic. The perpetual foreigner, Lois Lane and the ultimate alien foreigner that is Superman. The jaded city girl meets the alien farm boy who gives her hope. They inspire each other to be more of themselves in a world not ready to accept either of them.

Up next, we'll be discussing My Adventures with Superman's Korean Lois Lane in pt 2. It's well. You can probably guess how I feel about it from what I wrote here but welp. We'll talk about it.

#ramblings #media criticism #lois lane #once again please be nice!!#i have many many feelings about asian lois lane so i may as well write it down and share it with you #jesncin talks maws #(a little bit anyway! like a precursor)#jesncin dc meta

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tonydaddingham · 1 year ago

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i did not break my own heart last night thinking about the missing 1941 scene and have it sat in my brain all of today spinning around like a fucking microwave in order to not make you lot suffer with me. and i somehow feel i may be right about this so buckle up and lets break it down.

so yes, following on from this post, i think that there is going to be a third 1941 scene. twice is a coincidence, three times is a pattern. it's been literally set up like that by even bringing back 1941 into s2 in the first place. but we're missing a crucial detail because it does not - at all, really - explain how they went from evading danger from hell and having a cosy candlelit bottle of red to celebrate, to the bastard 1967 scene. we all know this, this is nothing new.

the symbolism of nightingales is probably going to cast a shadow on this. these two excellent analyses look at the meaning of nightingales in the context of R&J, and the relation that the song has to this point in time, respectively. in summary; it's a song that should be around in 1941 courtesy of vera lynn and others, and the nightingale itself carries the meaning of love being hidden and forbidden by way of it singing under the cover of darkness, before being replaced with reality and soberness - represented by the lark. the Dinner of '41 scene is set in the bookshop at night; this would parallel - that they are safe and concealed, and truths can be shared, but the writing is on the wall that stepping outside would be to shatter the illusion, so to speak. it might be that the song itself gets miracled up onto the record player, or a wireless lying about - whatever. note: i don't think they'll dance though, not given crowley in ep5, "you don't dance"... but then again, if there ISNT a kiss in s3-1941, an aborted dance seems like the next best option... the cowardly one, but i'll take it

this would also track with aziraphale having his epiphany after the church in s1-1941; specifically, in my eyes, that he doesn't necessarily just realise he loves crowley, but that crowley by way of saving his books loves him too. this is only supported by the whole of the s2-1941 scene of trusting in each other as the only way to pull off the trick, the subterfuge. this is then, again, also important in the context of what i think happens in s3-1941.

i do think aziraphale is going to bring the books up again, and what crowley did, because it needs to be addressed. the Nazis/furfur confrontation has scared him, regardless of whether he saved them both, more than he realised. its put things into startling perspective. i think he's going to bring up the books, and actually question crowley a little more as to why he did it. the repeated use of, and subsequent weird reaction crowley has to, the use of the term "friend" in s2-1941 would indicate that this is going to be a focal point in s3-1941. are they just friends? is crowley disappointed that aziraphale is still referring to him as that, after what he did? 'saving' aziraphale in the church, and then saving his books? or is aziraphale just saying 'friends' so hesitantly in both instances because he's not completely sure where crowley stands?

we as the audience know the answer to this, but they obviously do not. if one of the crucial themes of s3 is going to be resolving miscommunication, it makes sense for this scene to be the first, and last, time they communicate properly... at least, until they sort out the issues that culminated in the Final Fifteen.

so let's say they start getting into a very roundabout way of discussing what they mean to each other. there will need to be the sobering, ice-water-over-the-head realisation however, as s2-1941 demonstrated, that they cannot belong to each other, because they manifestly belong to heaven and hell respectively. crowley is still being spied on, and it firmly places aziraphale in their line of sight too. it's going to bring up the holy water discussion; why crowley asked for it - to protect himself, whether by taking out demons or taking out himself, as long as it means he - and most importantly, aziraphale - does not get hurt.

they actively confess that they want to be together, in a way that is more than they are now. aziraphale wants to, but says that they can't, because it's too dangerous. crowley suggests that no one ever has to know, they can hide it (there, in the bookshop, whilst the nightingale is singing), and even if they are found out, they can run. "hell won't just be angry; they'll destroy you..." // "no one ever has to know".

aziraphale doesn't want to have to hide it, doesn't want a halfway measure- is still thinking in black and white. crowley however thinks that something is better than nothing - thinking in the grey. but ultimately, as long as they are still shackled, they cannot do what they want, and it puts the other in danger. "surely the great thing about being a demon is that you can do whatever you want" // "you sound jealous, angel...". instead, aziraphale promises that the day that they are no longer tied to heaven or hell, they can be together; crowley scoffs, thinking that that will never happen, so they will never happen, "you're so clever! how can someone as clever as you be so stupid?!"

the reason they can't right now is because they could be caught. they would have to skulk around, be ashamed, feel guilty - and aziraphale is tired of feeling like that. because only having crowley in secret would hurt more. not being able hold his hand, or dance with him, or kiss him, unless it was in the bookshop. if hell were to find out, crowley would be killed, true, but if heaven were to find out, aziraphale could be cast out. and if crowley survived hell long enough to see aziraphale fall - he'd never forgive himself, and in a way, i don't think he'd ever forgive aziraphale either.

it's tearing them to pieces, but they have to stop whatever is happening between them in its tracks. it's acknowledged, but it's not named. this gives them plausible deniability; if they called it 'love', it would be undeniable. so, aziraphale asks for crowley to go; asks him to leave before they do something they can't come back from. crowley doesn't listen - crowds him, gets in close, and aziraphale is powerless to stop it. doesn't want to stop it. he's selfish by nature, a selfless kind of selfishness, but he wants this with all his being. and then - "this is too fast, crowley, please don't..." // "im sorry, angel. please... please, forgive me". aziraphale never gets to answer, to grant him that, because boom - the actual first kiss.

so. now that i've had to make you read that, i'm going in for the kill. let's look at everything that follows - and look at how the above might recontextualise it.

1967: the offer of the picnic, the Ritz? ie. the literal lyrics of berkeley square? aziraphale has caved in the interest of giving crowley a weapon to use if all else fails, to protect him, but that's as far as he's willing to progress. everything else is still too painful; he's on the brink of tears, promising that one day they'll be able to do what they want, to be open about how they feel, but not yet. they can't. crowley tries to push, "ill give you a lift, anywhere you want to go..." (him offering again to run away? a second chance to leg it?), and aziraphale reminding him that they can't, he can't... don't make him go too fast again, it's not fair. it also sets up perfectly that aziraphale and crowley don't speak for the next 40 or so years (as far as we're aware) until armageddon is threatened.

bandstand: mostly this is still centred around the apocalypse contextually, but i think with the above hypothetical scene in mind (the offer to hide, to run away, to be together), aziraphale is sent back to remembering their mutual confession that they've nonverbally agreed not to bring up, because it's not safe, and it's too painful. they've skirted around it, and returned instead to a tentative kind of friendship at the beginning of s1, but they're still not safe to address why seeing each other again, being so close to each other and not being able to touch is so painful. anyway - aziraphale refuses their side, but the above scene would re-view this as 'our side can't exist yet, you know this! you know why it can't!', and crowley leaves, again after pushing a bit more than aziraphale can stand.

alpha centauri: basically a facsimile of the above; same steps, same dance. but this time, crowley harks back to aziraphale's foolish (?) hope that they will be together, without having to run away, when the day comes that they don't have to answer to heaven or hell. and aziraphale smacks him right back, echoing crowley asking for aziraphale's forgiveness in kissing him, "i forgive you." crowley knows exactly what aziraphale is getting at, there - he's answering crowley's whispered plea to forgive him for pushing, for trying to force him, for acting in desperation. but he's also not answering that - he's skirting around that very thing, forgiving him like a knife would, slicing back at crowley for not only insulting aziraphale on something that is likely a genuine insecurity of his, but also putting him back in his place, for their safeties, because them being together just cannot happen. not yet.

and "please forgive me" in 1941 might seem out of character, but idk if it is; crowley knows that doing what he's about to do will hurt aziraphale, aziraphale has (hypothetically) told him as much, but he needs to do it - and seeks not benevolence or forgiveness as crowley-the-demon, but actually seems aziraphale's forgiveness, as crowley-the-person. the echo would certainly match the tone given here, in multiple ways:

the ritz: i mean, what is there to say? yes, their song is literally playing on the piano, and heralds the shift in their being out from heaven and hell, the day has finally come where they can - again, going by this entirely hypothetical scene that ive concocted - actually be together as they want to. and the nightingale literally singing outside, but as @shoemakerobstetrician beautifully pointed out, god remarks that it's covered up by traffic. so actually, if we again refer back to R&J interpretation of the nightingale, the love is still hidden, still somewhat under wraps, but can only just about be heard over the noise of the streets outside. the prohibition of them being together, of loving each other, is dwindling. and one day, it'll stop singing altogether. that day is coming, it will come, and then they can do what they please. so whilst the ritz scene may well be a mark of them starting the next chapter, it's slow to take hold, there's still hesitancy - which absolutely makes sense when we see that they are still very tentative with each other come the beginning of s2.

s2 general: aziraphale realises their freedom first; he gets excited by the dance, and being able to show his love to crowley, completely and without barriers, in the form of the ball - what he has read to be the best way to do so. he touches crowley more. he shares his bookshop with him, gifts it to crowley as being his as well as aziraphale's, this safe space that is so wholly theirs that crowley has the power to grant entry. the same with the bentley - aziraphale sees it as theirs, and crowley silently agrees, granting aziraphale the same power. crowley is comfortable in the bookshop to remove his glasses, has a place for them. the bookshop becomes tidier, more minimalist, to make crowley more comfortable in it (it is more cluttered in s1, im certain of it). it might just be the grading between s1 and s2, and lack of clutter, but the yellow is more prominent - his literal favourite colour. everything just screams that aziraphale is ready to make good on his promise from s3-1941.

crowley... for once, is the one not quite catching up. not realising the little dates here and there are literally poses them as a couple (although yes, the coffee shop one is to prep crowley for the goob jumpscare), that aziraphale has granted him the power to grant entry. aziraphale literally asking, practically begging, crowley to help him hide goob. the mf colour of the walls. the colour of the bentley. it's not until nina outright asks him if they are together that he realises how careless they've been - but wait, is it careless if they have nothing to be careful of? well, arguably crowley does, hell are still hanging around him like a bad smell... but this is what he wanted! this is what he was pushing aziraphale for! so, does he risk it? he's not sure, but he's certainly realising that aziraphale is ready, if nothing else. and by the time the ladies stage their little intervention, crowley finally realises that the confession he started in 1941 now can be fully aired, can come out into the open.

the Feral Domestic: *fingers at temples* i know i have been fairly vocal about my interpretation of this scene, and frankly - until we get this hypothetical s3-1941 scene, i stand by it - but let's say this speculation about the scene is true, and re-examine the key points in the Final Fifteen that would completely turn on their heads in terms of meaning:

literally, harking back full circle to what aziraphale promised in 1967 as what they would do when they could fully acknowledge their love, and what they did as soon as - on paper - they were free at the end of s1. this is however before he's spoken to by nina and maggie, so maybe this is what crowley was planning in terms of confessing fully to aziraphale, but after their meddling he realised that yes, they need to actually talk about it again. he doesn't understand why they're telling him what they are - because he's existed so long in gestures and gifts and not talking, literally dismissed it now as a viable option, that it doesn't even occur to him to try talking again.

which is why he does something brave, and tries to tell aziraphale instead (say it out loud, make it undeniable, put a name to it, "i love you", something that i think was crowley's actual intention before aziraphale interrupts him) when he comes back to the shop... he's so nervous, because it's vulnerable, and because the last time he did, they ended up hiding for 50-ish years.

next up:

now, im reluctant to think that aziraphale lied in the Feral Domestic, because i do think the key thing at work is his paramount need to do the Right Thing (ie. make a difference in heaven). whilst metatron obviously manipulates him, im not entirely convinced that aziraphale wholly sees through it. i don't think he knew that metatron was up to something, i think the shaking off of this naivety is going to be part of his s3 character development. but this sentence - again, especially in context of the hypothetical s3-1941 scene - must on some level frighten him. especially if you take this meta into account, aziraphale must realise at least that they were never safe, even when they were denying what they were and how they felt, it didn't make a bit of difference. now, metatron could have just been talking about the arrangement, not referring to any romantic elements of any kind, but the threat of it? no wonder he pushes for crowley to join him in heaven; he could keep crowley safe there. they could be together, and heaven - in his eyes - would be able to say a word against it.

then:

the fear sets in; crowley was too late in telling him, acknowledging that they could be together, realising what aziraphale was saying to him without words, and now heaven has come for him. plonked them right back where they were in s2-1941, but perversely mirrored; instead of hell coming for crowley with violence, heaven came for aziraphale with kindness. crowley doesn't have a magic trick he can just do on the fly, perform it perfectly when the need for it is greatest, and has to cling to the hope that aziraphale still sees them as the barrier to them, the reason they can't be together. and in true miscommunication fashion, i think aziraphale does see it, but what metatron said lingers, and in addition to being inside the institution, changing it from the inside out, in order to make a difference... he knows that whilst it's exactly the opposite of what they wanted, he needs to make them safe. better to be inside the tent pissing out, than outside the tent pissing in.

but aziraphale doesn't tell crowley what metatron said, because instead he either deliberately tries to deny the implications of it (cognitive dissonance king behaviour), or he doesn't want to panic crowley and is trying to convey to crowley that he can't speak his concerns, not when the metatron could still be watching, and instead just needs crowley to trust him, take his hand, and join him in heaven where they can be safe. doesn't tell crowley that heaven hasn't captured him in shackles again, but he's willingly held out his wrists because it's the safest thing for him, and them, to do.

so it's one thing to look at what crowley's saying, but aziraphale's reaction? before, i just found it to be out of confusion, him not really understanding what crowley was saying, but tbh i never paid much attention to it (david stole this bit of the scene - not to put down my beloved michael here, but he did). and i know others have remarked here that aziraphale is flitting his eyes to the window and looks scared and stressed, but i don't completely think that its because he's scared that metatron is watching (although, now, i will accept with the rug thing and hypothetical s3-1941 in context it is definitely playing a part), but also because he's just starting to recognise that this is a repeat of the s3-1941 scene, "this sounds familiar, we've been here before... oh, we've definitely been here before... oh shit. i still can't do this, not unless he comes with me. we still can't be together, not in the way crowley wants. the way he's trying again, now, to ask for."

but the issue is: crowley wants to run away together. again. and i totally get why, but once again, going back to 1941: it's exactly the solution that will not work. they cannot run from this. heaven, and hell, will find them. they will come for them. it wasn't an option in 1941, it wasn't an option in 2019, and it isn't an option in 2023. aziraphale begins shaking his head - crowley is confessing, but a) aziraphale doesn't run from things, it isnt in his character, and b) it's just putting them back where they started - something that they have to hide. it defeats the purpose.

and this? yeah, im sure on neither side it was meant the way im about to interpret it, more of an unspoken thing, idk... but if the bookshop is indeed their place of safety, and is where they (as far as crowley sees it) can speak and keep their love, it makes sense that crowley is telling aziraphale he needs to stay. the bookshop can be interpreted so many ways - it represents their relationship, or that crowley means him, himself - but what if we looked at it like crowley is trying now to covet it, because it's protecting them? what if he's saying, "well, if you won't run away with me, we can't be free to have our relationship as we wanted it, not unless we stay here... heaven has come for you, has come for us, and whilst they're here we can't move. so what other option is left remain in this bookshop? to never leave it, and what we have inside it, because there's no other option in which we can be together if you won't run with me."

and what if aziraphale is saying, "no, i have an option, and that's to be together in heaven! they won't be able to do anything, not when im in the position the metatron has offered me, that can be our new bookshop... nothing lasts forever - this bookshop won't last forever, it's compromised, and we can't continue to secret away what we feel inside it, it's time to move forward."

welcome to the line that breaks my heart the most in this whole goddamn scene - and tbh i think is fairly self-explanatory in the hypothetical s3-1941 context. that aziraphale is trying, once again, to tell crowley that he is offering himself, letting them be an 'us', as crowley says shortly after - that before he couldnt do it, and these arent the best of circumstances, but they can finally do it and not have to hide in the bookshop. but crowley reminds him, "hey, i was in your shoes, remember. i wanted us to be together then, and you told me you couldn't, didn't want a halfway measure - well, now i don't either. and this will be a halfway measure, because i don't think us being together in heaven is going to go the way you hope it will. i understand a whole lot better than you do." in any case, it would explain why aziraphale choses this moment to look so devastated. this is what he promised crowley, but now crowley - to his mind, in the things left Unsaid - doesn't want it... him.

and then... back to the nightingales. they're not singing at all, not even under the rumble of traffic, like they were at the Ritz. they're completely absent - day has broken, the things unspoken have now been said, and there's no denying them anymore. from crowley's point of view, there was nothing to stop them this time, but if aziraphale won't run with him, then they have to go separate ways, because there is no other way. aziraphale knows there's the possibility that the only place they could actually be safe is heaven itself, that the bookshop was never as safe as they hoped it had been, but that crowley might actually come to see that. but the fact that crowley is resigned to just... returning to 'reality', to a world that's still turning where they aren't together? despite everything they've just said? "we could've been... us." well, that hurts.

and then... the kiss. now. im still of the mind that the kiss was an Issue. i definitely think it was meant out of love and desperation, and out of possibly being a goodbye. this would echo the hypothetical s3-1941 kiss... but it was hurtful. it was abrupt, and harsh, and not at all romantic (imo). it was possessive, and almost cruel. i do think still it was a last ditch attempt, a temptation, to get aziraphale to change his mind, before crowley leaves the shop and returns to the 'real world'. but it hurts aziraphale in many different ways - but with 1941 put in there, too? crowley is just testing his resolve, trying to push him, come around to giving in. crowley asked him to forgive him the last time he kissed aziraphale, and this time - this time, aziraphale is giving him what he asked for.

#did i just do a whole ass meta based off of a completely hypothetical non-existent hc of the third part of 1941?#yes - yes i did #but the Implications would not leave my brain #make of this what you will if you even got to the end and if you did frankly congratulations #good omens

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ctrl-altgr · 1 year ago

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When does Omori take place?

[Content Warning: Spoilers for Omori, character death, weapons.]

This is a very long post, grab some popcorn.

[EDIT: Thanks for the addition by @basil-daisy, given the in-game dates and mention of a weekend in the photo album, it's more likely that headspace and the real world take place in 1996 and 2000 respectively, this actually adds on to the console idea. Though, I think the Dial-Up thing was probably more of a joke from Omocat, since it doesn't fit with the time-frame as well]

One of the main questions we dont get answers for in omori is when the game takes place, neither from the real world or sunny's headspace. However, it can be narrowed down to a decent margin of error.

Month Mentions?

We learn from Kel that Hero is coming home from college during the "Three days remaining" chapter of the game. This can be assumed to be the very beginning of the summer vacation. This would be arround May or June for colleges in the USA, which is likely where the game is set judging by the USA-style housing. This means the game takes place at least a month before Sunny's birthday, either in May or June, but what year is it?

[ID: A quote from Kel to Sunny, "Actually... Since we're here, I should probably get a gift for HERO. He's in college right now, but he should be coming back sometime tomorrow." He and Sunny are stood by the entrance of a hobby shop, Hobbeez. Kel is grinning.]

Headspace Hints?

Headspace is by far the largest part of the game in terms of playtime, so there should be one or two clues hidden in there right? Well, inferring from the environments and one specific line of text, we can narrow it down to the decade.

In the Foe Facts journal, it is stated that the Dial-Up and Mixtape enemies are "Ancient," and "A relic of the past," giving us a large timeframe.

[ID: A description of the Dial-Up enemy. To the left, there is a drawing of what it looks like. It appears to be an old CRT monitor showing a character similar to the old AOL logo, the monitor stands on a computer placed on its side, both of which are placed next to a telephone modem representing the Dial-Up. The description of the enemy to the right says, "An ancient form of accessing communication networks. Makes a horrible ear-piercing noise when used. - OMORI," Hero adds on to this by stating "Ah, this sound reminds me of the good old days..."]

This description of Dial-Up suggests Hero, being the oldest of the group, was old enough to fondly remember Dial-Up internet, but Sunny, in the form of Omori, does not. Hero is stated to be 15 by Sprout Mole Mike in headspace, and Omori is approximately 12, as Mari dies two months after Sunny's 12th birthday. Meaning Sunny and Hero are apart in age by 3 years.

In a recent patch of the game, and in all of the console versions of the game, one specific line of text gives the exact decade the headspace takes place in, which could be inferred either way.

If you talk to Mr. Jawsum post-Humphrey fight, he hands over the Last Resort to Hero, which adds a portrait of him to the hallway following up to an elevator that leads to a waiting room. The desciption of this portrait tells us the year that Headspace takes place in, 199X, where the last digit of the year is hidden from us.

[ID: A hallway in the Last Resort. Portraits line the wall, each of the previous and current owners of the Last Resort. All previous owners, shown to the left, are sharks (the last anthropomorphised). The most recent owner, to the right, Hero, whom the portrait description says began managing the establishment starting year "199X," where supposedly the final digit of the year is obfuscated.]

However, there is a slight contradiction in the years here. Broadband had a surgance and overtook Dial-Up as the main internet provider post-2000, and so Sunny may be misremembering things, unless Hero's family had access to broadband internet in the 90s. Which is unlikely. (There is also not much information that I could find on the popularity of different internet providers between 1990 and 2000)

So then, it is likely that headspace takes place between this shift, towards the end of the 90s.

Town Tips?

From the real world, we don't get many clues to the placement of the story time-wise. So, what can we infer?

Well, a large amount of the households in Faraway do not have computers, and if they do, they are usually in the parents' room, as a work computer. And, all of the computers and televisions use CRT rather than LED/LCD, with most people having CRT monitors up to 2007.

Using the merch produced by Omocat, we can also see that the hooligans as a group have been around since 20XX, with the final two digits of the year hidden. However, we know that Sunny has not been outside for 4 years, meaning we can narrow it down to 2004 or prior.

[ID: Official Omori merch. A black bomber jacket showing depictions of nail-bats, flowers, pinwheels, a statue of a gate, and two road signs, one showing a bicycle, the other showing three scooters. The text across the bomber jacket reads "Faraway Town - The future belongs to the dreamers - Since 20XX - Ride or die - Hooligans"]

Hobbeez also has a few gaming consoles in stock, with the newest one in there having cartridge games. It appears to resemble a SNES, however it is unlikely that is what is, since they discontinued production in 1999 in North America.

[ID: A zoomed in screenshot of the "Brand new console system" found in hobbeez. Sunny, seen to the right, is looking at the console.]

What is more likely for this to be is something similar to a N64, which released after the SNES but also sold its games as cartridges. The first nintendo console to start using compact discs was the GameCube, as such, this gives a narrow window for the placement of the game. So, when did each of these consoles start and stop production?

The N64 was discontinued in April 2002 worldwide, with the GameCube being released in North America November 2001. This gives us an approximate window for when the real world of Omori takes place, as it is unlikely that a small hobby shop like Hobbeez would be selling many of the brand new consoles day one of the GC's release.

Conclusion?

Well, with headspace being Sunny's memories, it is unlikely for complete consistancy with the timeframe of the story, but headspace most likely takes place in the years surrounding 1998, four years prior to the real world timeline.

Faraway however most likely takes place May 2002. Though Kel takes notice to the price of the console, which would be much lower than its release price, it would still be a lot of money for a 16 year old. It is also unclear if the description "brand new console system," refers to the specific console in Hobbeez, or the system as a whole.

Wow, we're done. What do you think? If you have any other ideas of to what year this could take place, feel free to mention it to me!! :D

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kaymarie-bell · 2 years ago

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Diasomnia spoilers (7-3 / 7-19) but it's a mess

because the update dropped at midnight for me and and I haven't sleep much since Friday hahaha 🌻

I translated 7-1 and 7-2 fully so I'm skipping that for now

Lilia spent the previous night playing games with his online friend, he overslept and was running towards the apprenticeship orientation meeting because he was late

He scolds Silver for not waking him up, but Silver says that he did try. 3 times. But Lilia is too hard to wake up in the mornings.

Malleus and Lilia have to go to the orientation, Malleus tells Yuu that they can visit him to ask more about Maleficent. The NPCs wonder why he even bothered to attend NRC since he doesn't need it, they're afraid of him.

The Third years are all assembled to discuss their options/chosen apprenticeships

Trey: something related to agriculture

Cater: entertainment field

Vil: he's interested in alchemy, but will prioritize his acting career

Rook: something related to archeology. He wants to work at the Isle of Lamentation since he found it beautiful and wanted to discover more hidden beauties

Leona: he's already talked about it with Crowley, he wants to work with his country's mining industry (he pretends that is only because they won't expect much of the second prince, nobody believes him)

Idia: he's going to his practice/apprenticeship on his own because Ortho is an official student now. He'll be working with Olympus, but it's more like a punishment his parents gave him after the whole Chapter 6 mess (😭)

Malleus: he's also interested on the same field as Rook

Lilia: a dropout (seriously)

(first glimpse of trouble 👀) Lilia is not going to any practice because he's leaving NRC altogether. He's been losing his magic (to be continued)

Yuu finally gets to have the communal braincell and shows Mickey's picture to the rest of the first years

speedrun of this scene because I can't do it justice in this format (I love my sons, they deserve better)

The only one with a helpful idea is Ortho (shocker), he thinks the mirror at Ramshackle might be made of a special stone (?) that's normally used to capture radio frequencies. They find an example of this in a textbook: Belle's handheld mirror fron Beauty and the Beast

Ortho concludes that Mickey is not in Twisted Wonderland. He says that they might be able to find a way home for Yuu if they study the mirror further (uh oh)

We're ignoring the implications of that

Ortho asks if Yuu knows anyone from the fae folk that might be of help. Sebek is screaming again before the thought of asking Malleus is fully formed

Back to Lilia. He break the news to Sebek and Silver. He's leaving NRC and wants to move to the land of the red Long (🐉) instead of returning to the Valley of Thorns

He asks them to help him pack. Malleus says that they must respect Lilia's choice.

The three of them go away. Malleus is upset. (oh no)

another speedrun. Lilia's room.

Sebek and Silver are helping him pack, and they go through all the weird stuff Lilia has. Silver finds a box with a ring in it. He thinks is kind of familiar (hint: looks like Aurora's crown) and suddenly feels very sleepy

Lilia confesses that the ring actually does belong to Silver. He had it on him when he was found as a baby. He wanted to give it to him once he became an adult

(the math is mathing fellas)

we also ignore the implications of that (for now) because Sebek found a really cool and legendary weapon. Silver isn't impressed because Lilia uses it to chop wood (😭)

Back to Ramshackle. The first years are staying with Yuu to perform a seance to see if they can contact Mickey

ADeuce convinced Riddle to let them stay by telling him it was a group study session (like I used to do with my mom)

Grim: he can't punish me if I don't study, I'm not from Heartslabyul

Deuce: he made personalized study plans for everyone here (note: not actual lines, just the vibes). The exam season is near

Grim finally starts to ask what Yuu leaving would mean for him. Would he even be allowed to take exams? Would he be alone at Ramshackle? (😭😭😭)

Ace: let's ignore the implications of that

They go to sleep, but it starts snowing and Yuu goes outside

It's Malleus, it's snowing because he's upset

*sad childhood flashbacks feat. Long Haired Lilia silhouette*

Yeah Malleus is definitely going to overblot due to abandonment issues

Yuu breaks the news of the possibility of going back to their world

Malleus *definitely having a mental breakdown internally* :) do you want me to help with the mirror?

Yuu leaves after saying goodbye

Malleus thinks about the Chapter 6 conversation with Lilia

Malleus:...someone to invite me...there is no one left...

#twisted wonderland #twst #diasomnia chapter spoilers #twst spoilers #Diasomnia #wow I love suffering #kay shouts into the void

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girlfriendsofthegalaxy · 9 months ago

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tuesday again 2/20/2024

i don't usually use these writeups as a memory aid, but this week it's good bc most of last week was a blur of applying to jobs and playing breath of the wild

listening

i have several playlists that are several hours long with a couple different flavors of the really specific kind of instrumental music i need to do mass quantities of data entry. these are now all poisoned by horrible memories of my last two jobs so i'm slowly building new ones. a great candidate is OASIS, off the REDLINE soundtrack. REDLINE (2009, dir. Koike) is an extremely horny anime movie about driving really fast, being true to yourself in spite of corporate overlords, sports betting, and fucking.

youtube

i think this was a scene with background club or cafe music? electronica instrumental with a little bit of a groove and a very particular mid-aughts sound. you know when powder coating is extremely matte but also extremely sparkly? spotify.

reading

Samantha Cole (previously Vice, co-founder of 404 Media) has a beat that's focused on sex tech, sex work, deplatforming of sex work, and kink community beefs that manages to be both detached and very, very kind. i trust her to write about any kink community in a respectful and fair way, and even when she visibly doesn't understand the appeal of a kink she writes about them in a respectful and fair way. a great example of this is the furry adult baby diaper community being deplatformed by patreon.

but her most recent investigation, "can this shitty vibrator actually give you malware?" is fascinating. any job that can legitimately claim vibrators as a buisness expense and perform a teardown is fascinating to me.

what a tremendous and endlessly fascinating world we live in.

watching

there are many movies on tubi that i have like. name recognition of but have never actually seen, so i'm starting to work my way through things that aren't noir or obscure westerns. like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000, dir. Lee).

youtube

the practial effects in this movie are insane. the wirework is insane. wirework insane. this is the dreamiest and most beautiful chase/fight scene i've ever seen and they're zipping around a bamboo forest.

we're going to have to live with this imperfect screenshot ok this laptop is Extremely old. the interior sets often look like theater sets (complimentary). just a stunningly beautiful movie with the sickest action scenes you’ve ever seen. plot a little choppy but forgivable imo. i know this is regarded as one of the finest movies of all time, not just one of the finest martial arts movies of all times, so saying anything feels a little like giving it a dollar store plastic trophy. i liked it and i had fun. watching a critically acclaimed non-american good movie is good for the brain steeped in lackluster american westerns, i think.

playing

much like in real life, in breath of the wild i am refusing to do much towards the main quest and am mostly puttering around looking for shit to upgrade my outfits.

unlocked rudania, did not go inside.

what's with this little. sword graveyard??? on the northeastern edge of the caldera??? the only thing on that island is an octorok?? did it kill like eight guys???

finished richard scarey's tarreytown :) including that horrible rich guy who wanted me to kill some guardians for ??? reasons. i am pretty confident about killing hinox (is the plural of hinox, hinox?), wizzrobes, and most lizalfos if i can get the drop on em but i am Not confident about killing actively moving guardians without guardian arrows, which is an expensive way of doing business. due to reliably one-shotting the wizzrobes with revali's bow, i am running into the interesting problem of always having a glut of magical weapons. which leads me to go fuck around the extreme hot and cold areas those magic weapons are good for. and less fucking around the normie areas i actually want to fuck around.

got the good sword at thirteen hearts, i stopped short at twelve hearts gone and the deku tree called me a pussy. i unfontunately did not screenshot that. hey did you know there's a korok on the deku tree's head whose life's purpose seems to be riddles?

and now for quite a lot of horse talk.

dodged like four lynels taking Ganon's horse up the northern edge of the map to get a pic of the leviathan.

caught the white horse, we are such pretty pretty princesses together. i think it's very funny that the gerudo fanciest weapons and hylian royal regalia look so similar. purple and gold eternal.

did you know if you feed your horse an endura carrot you get extra spurs???

i was looking for a 5 star speed horse but after catching and releasing four different solid black horses this is the best one (4 str, 4 speed, 5 stamina) i found. maybe I’ll shoot for a bright chestnut with lots of chrome for my speedy horse, the equine equivalent of a red convertible.

very funky conincidence on the grasslands behind the lord of the mountain's spring. not identical, bc the lead horse doesn't have facial markings, but what are the odds of that huh. i wish grays in this game didn't look so chalky and washed out, i love a gray horse in real life.

i think it's some bullshit that you have to fight your way into this spring, get told "go get a dragon scale", deal with all that, fight your way BACK into the spring, and then be presented with a Major Test of Strength shrine. c'mon just give it to me!!!

game continues to be very bad at spitting out riders next to horses or donkeys EXCEPT!!! for this doctor. i didn't know hyrule had traveling doctors! i quite honestly didn't think they had the techonology, given that the state of medicine in hyrule is very mortar and pestle based!

the game gave me a tooltip like "make friends with dogs! they'll lead you to treasure!" and i was like What but it does actually work, you just have to target them in the camera first and then feed them several hunks of meat. bonkers game. how many other goddamn mechanics are there that i've missed???

next steps: shrine hunting. i have like 50 out of 120 which is wild to me. i played this game two years ago, got to about a hundred shrines, and managed to forget where they all fucking are. yes my shrine sensor is always on. there's probably at least twenty in central hyrule, which is not a place i touched much on my list playthrough, also the last two memories i need are in there. i have filled out a good chunk of the compendium (completely filled the materials pages) but idk if i will be a completionist about it. there are so so so so so many weapons variants. i am cheating a bit and looking up the animals i missed (mostly a lot of bugs and fish) but one of the entries is for patricia, the royal sand seal. i would not have ever thought to take a picture of the named sand seal, i'm sorry game but that's a bit obtuse.

making

not much progress on the cross stitch or job fronts, but since i finally have a balcony, i planted peas and beans from @shiny-good-rock and basil from @morrak than have been languishing in a box for several years, the basil had an okay germination rate so my fingers are crossed re: peas and beans.

i am a bit annoyed about marigolds. maybe it's a bit too early for them here, or maybe they're not as popular as they were in the northeast? i tried like five different big box stores and indie nurseries, only one indie nursery had any and they were very pest-ridden. i would like marigolds, as friends for my tomatoes.

it is currently 11:40 PM CST as i type this so tomorrow i'll add something with a garden layout and what varieties i planted.

#tuesday again #tuesday again no problem

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yearnstarved · 1 month ago

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─── ⋆ HALLOWEEN/SPOOKY SEASON PLOT WISHLIST?

(open to mutuals)

GENERAL PLOTS: we can rework these in anyway, create AUs/crossovers as needed

CABIN IN THE WOODS/UNTIL DAWN: nix the wendigo thing but give me a plot/thread of homies hanging out for the weekend and things going HORRIBLY wrong. possession. slasher on their tails. revenge plan.

SURVIVING SUMMER CAMP: possibilities: our muses survived a terrifying serial killing at camp as teens and now as adults we've returned to pay our respects for the nth anniversary. only for us to find that there's a copy cat killer.

or maybe one of our muses is a journalist and the other a survivor.

MURDER HOUSE: we just moved into a new home and foolishly staked all of our savings into it. surprise! it's haunted beyond belief. how are we going to turn this house into a home?

alternatively one of our muses inherited the house from some distant relative. they just didn't know they'd inherit the ghost living within it too.

GHOSTS: anything ghost related i beg. haunt MY narrative.

PLAYTHINGS FOR THE RICH: you know those movies where rich people gather people for a dinner and then they're like "surprise, we're hunting you!" or it's like Ready or Not where the family tries to hunt their new bride in a hide and seek game. yeah that.

CLUE: just a murder mystery party!!

STRANDED IN SPACE: think sunshine (2007), wild blue yonder (doctor who), aliens. the ship momentarily stops functioning. there's something creepy onboard lurking in the shadows

HUNTER VS. THE HUNTED: a supernatural creatures plot! enemies to lovers is the vibe, i fear dsjdkssd

GENERAL VIBES:

taken from this post.

if it’s dark, don’t shine your flashlight into the trees.

if a child approaches and asks you a question, don’t tell the truth.\

if you wish to communicate with the spirits, do not do it alone. cast a protection circle. only ask polite questions.

some beings may not want you to leave. should you come into contact with one of these beings, leave immediately.

MUSE-SPECIFIC AU IDEAS: these are more tied to my muses available

Clara: CAME BACK WRONG. my favorite trope. the doctor pulled her out of her timeline and she cheated death, except... something isn't right about her. her body and mind were pulled out of time but there's a hollowness in her chest. she fears that she's lost her soul in the process.

Clara: NEVERMORE. she wasn't able to stop the doctor in time. he made good on his threats and called in every force of terror onto the hidden street that ashildr had been guarding. she's still living with the chronolock perpetually frozen and with the quantum shade following her—a raven constantly reminding her of the lives lost and how that guilt will transform her into someone... something she can't recognize.

Iris: THE SIGHT. a 1990s AU where she survived a near death event and is now able to see through the veil between life and death. she also works as a journalist with a penchant to investigate cold cases.

Josie: DEMON PORTRAITS. josie is a grandaughter of a powerful shaman. she's gifted with the ability to imprison ghosts and more malicious entities into paintings.

Orpheus: MY LIFE FOR HERS. (supernatural TM verse) eurydice made a deal with a demon but orpheus offered his life and skills to the demon instead. very southern gothic and devil went down to georgia inspired.

#this specific blog has most of my scifi muses #but my 2nd love is definitely horror #plot wishlist

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afternoonblues · 11 days ago

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finally after almost 2 weeks, i've finished re-watching the raven of inner palace anime, re-read the first 5 volumes of the LN & completed the last and final 2 volumes. thus, concluding the whole series. (now, spoilers ahead!)

this is gonna be a long, a very much selfish ramble because i have so many things to say and so many feelings to feel so i just want to take things slowly and try to as carefully as possible articulate, for me to look back. i will probably talk about many characters along with the ones i had already mentioned during my first read of the vol. 1-5 during march of this year.

first of all, i didn't really expect that the inevitable sadness i felt while reading this story for the first time would resurface again. i almost deluded myself into thinking that i would easily skim through the 5 vols without much hesitations but...i was wrong. every single feelings rose up like steam from the hidden corners of my memory. but not just that, i could also additionally learn more about certain characters like senri, shiki, yozetsu and even eisei.

at certain parts of the story, i felt like i was reading again for the first time, feeling conflicted about certain characters like hakurai, shiki, banka (for example, why would she do that? why would she tell her father about jusetsu's secret even after all that knowing contemplations?) and her brothers but later as more pages were turned and we move along with the story, i understand her perspective and later, in the last two vols, her brothers too. it was serene how everything wrapped up at the end for these four siblings. they sort of became free of as ko jokingly said the curse put by their own father.

because we're on the topic of the ending, i'm gonna be honest, i was genuinely scared because i didn't want it to be too heartwrenching. i don't think i would've loved that feeling in my heart and soul. i am actually genuinely happy with how all the strings tied up at the end. all characters get their sufficient ending, albeit not all so satisfactory as we would all want but still there's not much of a tinge of utter sadness. except for, i guess, shin. but i will write about that a bit later.

the last paragraphs of the ending put such a big smile on my face. it was bittersweet, yes, but still an honest one. nothing out of ordinary and as i would expect of our main two protagonists. i liked that koshun and jusetsu never said any words of eternal parting during their last physical encounter (while they were still young). koshun said, "that's enough for today" after each of them placed their individual go stones. they kept communicating through sumaru, the star raven, the raven's original apparatus. i liked that their one common connection was the game of go. you know, i was washing my face this afternoon after finishing the final volume and realized something.

the go stones are black and white. remember how koshun said something along the lines - the moon has both shade and light. but koshun and jusetsu is both shade and light as well. they're not just two things respectively. both of them are inevitably a single thing - the moon. two halves of single entity. go stones are black and white. the moon too is both black and white, when in shade and when in light. therefore, this playing of go is the only thing that keeps them as one. this is that auspicious thing of their that they carry while on this journey of a relationship they have, regardless of how vast and distant it might be. i just...couldn't stop thinking about it. i really don't know if this is what it is supposed to mean but it is simply just my wishful interpretation. i will not enforce this theory upon anyone to agree with me.

i'm just glad that the hope and perhaps a dream that koshun had which is them still playing go even when they're elderly came true, after all. especially when he was not the emperor anymore and tied down by the shackles of the imperial ground. at the end of their lives, they were finally free. perhaps in next lives, they will become more closer and nothing will seperate them.

i was also glad that the story simply didn't end with jusetsu becoming free of the raven. i was worried that she would end up becoming a lone wanderer and go onto living a solitary life without at least a few people she made meaningful connections with. the absolute delight for me was when i read how not just onkei and tankai but jiujiu herself ending up tagging along with jusetsu on her path in becoming a sea merchant under the teachings of chitoku, kajo's father. i liked it very much when jiujiu was so adamant at joining her niangniang when she was embarking on the journey to find the other half of raven at je island. jiujiu knew that if she didn't, she would never be able to see her again. so good job on that, jiujiu!

as for tankai and onkei, i kind of expected them to tag along with jusetsu even when she would be free of all the shackles. this part was very much clear to me during the golden goblet chapter, involving tankai. the air changed after that time. the perfect found family to ever exist, i would say.

also the development of onkei's emotional openness with jusetsu was a nice thing to watch. he was practically distraught when jusetsu's soul drifted away. his realisation that at time of her imminent danger, he couldn't do anything. this never changed. he became overly conscious with the outmost safety and well being of jusetsu. things shifted in him after this incident and it continued till the end of the story. his feelings reflected more on his face and he became more open to talk and not just guard her out of liability. i think tankai remained almost the same. the only thing was that he was more honest and straightforward with jusetsu. his dynamic with jiujiu balanced out the reserved nature of both jusetsu and onkei, creating the perfect equilibrium.

as for kajo, i also believe that her ending was perfect too. that last encounter between kajo and jusetsu though....man, i teared up. also our girl told kajo that her father keeps her childhood shoes with him as an auspicious item while travelling on sea waters. for kajo who always thought that her father didn't think much of her, this must have come like a whirlwind for her along with the imminent departure of her beloved amei, jusetsu who finally...finally!!!! called her aje as she said her farewell.

oh, kajo, i cried with you. but i was so happy that koshun never abandoned her, which i knew he would never. and, i simply knew no one could've been a better empress than her. her taking in banka's child and adoring him is something i expected from her. even banka herself knows her son was in better hands. kajo has always been one of my favourite female characters in this story. since day one i haven't had a single conflicting thought about her. she was always so dignified and well-defined. truly the best aje jusetsu could ever ask for and i too agree that there's no way she could ever repay her back. it's a good feeling that it was kajo's father who took jusetsu under his wing, therefore, i would like to believe that the thread between kajo and jusetsu never severed or thinned. she sort of became a part of her family, her real amei.

while talking about conflicting, i can never ignore banka. now...look, i love this girl too. her character development was wonderful in my eyes. i was so goddamn happy when she lashed out at her father...which sort of ignited something in both shin and ryo. at this point, i had no idea about ko but oh dear....i had no idea what was in store. now...before that, i have said how i didn't like how even though banka knew what her father was like, she still gave away jusetsu's secret, all while she herself had opened up to jusetsu about her family curse and about her adopted younger sister. it was just...idk i was so taken aback by it all. but then i understood why did what she did. she was simply just a gaslighted seventeen year old girl, daughter of an absentee father, who simply wanted a bit of love and attention from him considering her mother was also no more. and later this also became evident in both shin and ko too as the story progress considering their mother too never looked at them and stayed cooped up in her room till her death. banka was simply...or i would say, the whole saname siblings are such a pitiful bunch. all because of that piece of shit of a father, choyo. he definitely did not get the death he should've deserved.

because what was that fucking logic again? just because jusetsu was not in existence to destroy that dusk jewel when he was having his rendezvous with his own younger sister, yo, who because of the saname clan curse would die eventually at fifteen. shouldn't her death have been resulted from multiple factors like her not knowing why a girl younger than her was adopted? what was this girl's purpose and the supposed curse in their family? also, the fact that not only a naive girl died on behalf of her, she had to also carry a child conceived through an incestuous relationship with choyo himself? we never really get her perspective on what her thoughts were on her relationship with her elder brother, choyo. i'm sure these two things multiplied way too much and became detrimental to her mental health and thus led her to death. where the hell does jusetsu's non-existence self come into play in all these? i have never in my life seen such bullshit logic for someone to literally do anything and everything to hate and kill someone.

and in all these, i would say it was shin suffering the most. the traumatizing truth of his origin just made me stunned. i never in my life expected this to ever happen. i always thought shin to be the better of the three brothers, especially considering how he had his own lil crush on jusetsu. i'm just glad he got to stand up against his father one last time, leave that godforsaken family, regardless of how much ryo resents him internally and live a new life, with a new name given by koshun. and most importantly, jusetsu was the one to console him. she is just such a good listener, a safe haven without any internalized prejudices. (she has done this countless times, with onkei, ishiha, tankai and even koshun.) anyway, i don't really think shin ever healed completely. his was the only ending that made me feel sad and incomplete.

as for ko, i had not much of an inkling of his personality...and considering the rumours that he might become the actual heir to choyo...i was like oh, i have an idea of what he might be like but that is what it is - just an idea, nothing more and nothing less. even with the way his first interaction with shin went as shin landed on ga province kept up with my idea of him but....then things started going downhill. the rumours were exponentially far from the truth and ko was just the most complicated sibling out of all the saname siblings, also afflicted with same things banka and his brothers were which at least i would say in his case, he got his saving through yozetsu jikei.

ko left me perplexed at times. neither did i like him nor did i dislike him. sometimes i feel empathetic towards and other times, i just absolutely don't like the things he says out of that mouth. his mind and his physical self were never in one place. this man was in a battle of his own. even though jikei fills up that father shaped hole in his chest, i still feel conflicted by what happened to jo after being verbally influenced by ko. while he got his saving, another got banished. kind of mirrors to what happened to him and shin, i believe. although for shin, it was self-inflicted out of external influence, kind of like self-exile. keeping his siblings at arm's length but jo's life gets eventually over. at least before ko came into the picture, he was doing something he was genuinely good at.

among the elderly people, i definitely love love love senri and jikei. these two are just so much of a favourite of mine. the best uncles i could ever ask for. i am also very glad that senri came into jusetsu's life at such a turnover point in her life, helping her, guiding her. somehow i feel like reijo and senri stands quite close to each other in jusetsu's heart. senri was the father she never had. plus both jikei and senri were fun characters too. they were elderly and far more experienced with life and the dealings of the world but still they carried a softness in their hearts even after facing their own trials and tribulations. unlike someone we know like choyo. the most detestable elderly character in this whole story. even i think gyoei perspective-wise had some legit reasons to dislike jusetsu. i personally find it unreasonable but i can excuse his extremely old age and long connection with reijo. at least hakurai too had his own redemption arc while fighting the ao god but choyo? nah, that man was just....ugh.

i'm just glad that senri and jusetsu kept communicating through letters even after he retired and she got freed and talked about her to others. jikei too, after his daughter's death, at least now he has a granddaughter to whom he's going to pour all his love that he wish he could give to his late daughter. especially without any regrets this time.

what surprised me the most apart from all these was the raven's unregulated emotional disposition. raven was truly one curious entity. her antics and personality were something i wasn’t anticipating at all. i had always assumed her to be a mysterious character with a heavy presence after all, with all the pretence that was set for thousands of years in association with the winter sovereign and eventually, with the raven consorts…especially contrasting to the menacing ao god. she was, you know what...a fun one actually. kinda badass too. and she is definitely not the bad guy people make her out to be. how sweet that even after the raven left jusetsu's body, she still kept her apparatus, sumaru to jusetsu so that she can communicate with koshun considering shogetsu, the owl's apparatus was there with him.

like that was her little thank you gift. for keeping her trust and freeing her to her true complete self.

oh another one, how can i forget? kosho. man....that whole interaction between jusetsu and kosho when her soul was drifting. ran yu kind of had every right to be scared of her. i too would be the same. i can never fathom how horrendous her obsession was...the curse and shackles she placed for every raven consorts to come after her. jusetsu was right. for kosho, ran yu was her tunnel vision. no lives ever mattered to her other than that.....not even her own. what a twisted character she was. but somehow idk i want a side story of how ran yu and kosho came to such point in their individual lives and then at last merged into one until again getting separated by death, that too in a horrible way.

additionally, i would like to say cho, even though was a minor character in the whole of the story was such a fun addition. cho was such a interesting fellow too, going into anti-existential crisis out of no where while witnessing the gods fight and randomly jumping into the sea all the while senri stood there flabbergasted, i let out a chuckle during that part for real…& then him washing up on the shore, all alive saying how “nah i don’t think the sea god likes me very much” to which senri absolutely disagrees saying how he couldn't have been any more farther away from the truth…what a silly guy. i love him.

shiki was one interesting fellow too. a grey one i would say. i don't have much to say about him because there wasn't much impact of him in my heart. he's just someone fighting his own demons. he has his own justifications for it and i guess, we all have our own too. good thing is at least, the final confrontation between hakurai and shiki let shomei's soul to pass over. i simply felt sympathetic for her more than anything.

random but now i wonder how koshun was like as a father? as he never really had a present relationship with his father and his mother's death has marked him for life. he had both a son from banka and a daughter from koei. i'm sure he was as gentle as ever. i can just not think of him anything other than that.

finally, as for eisei, what a lovely and bittersweet scene it was. the very last encounter we read between jusetsu and eisei where she asked eisei for his handkerchief while he was returning hers because it's auspicious to carry your relative's belonging while at sea. oh man. by this time, i was already sad with kajo & jusetsu's interaction so this just made me feel so devastated. her teasing at the end by calling him, brother or honorable elder brother....

in senri's words, "you never know where and how you're going to meet someone or whether they'll be able to help you. it's so curious how one single person can lead to another, and then another and another..."[....] "it applies to the dead as well."

overall, i would say i am just so exceptionally glad that shirakawa-sensei didn't leave all the loose ends untied for us readers to conjure up events in our heads but rather took it upon herself to close the chapters on each of the characters, regardless of how much painful their individual lives have been. all lives eventually end. we all become something unknown after our death. i'm just happy that our protagonists might not have gotten the usual romantic ending as anyone would expect but i think they had enough love between them for them to suffice till old age. such thoughts were presented by eisei and kojo multiple times during their individual internal monologues throughput the story.

koshun and jusetsu were more than lovers, family and friends, perhaps they were something we are yet to discover, you know.

P. S apparently, ishiha ends up as the winter minister, raven's oracles were from hatan clan after all (how interesting is it not that a raven consort herself, the final one ever taught ishina to read, write and speak who will not continue her legacy more or less) and i'm assuming ayura becomes the ritual coordinator. you can find some easter eggs here. i hope we get more of shirakawa-sensei's works in english. i just really love the way she builds her characters.

( + i would've completed reading the whole series much faster if kali puja & deepavali hasn't fallen inbetween. 2-3 days literally went by because i was busy with festivities responsibilities at the end of october.)

#wow...looks like i had a lot of thoughts #i took such a good decision to read from the start bc it really helped in keeping me emerged in the storyline's ambience #idk why but i have a special bond with stories where not just the protagonists but the supporting chars get their own stage to shine too #especially in stories like this with extensive world building #i will definitely think of some of these characters & scenes from this story #at probably random times of the day #for now...i am just glad i got the closure i was praying for #the last two vols were really crucial...waiting since march was so painful but at least now i'm free!!!#the raven of the inner palace #koukyuu no karasu #p.s waiting for the day when i'll grab all the hardcopies of this series

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blackaleycatt · 9 months ago

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Wild Hearts: Creature Chemistry

Dabio finally has enough and leaves Donita and the villain lifestyle behind him. Based off the episode "Mystery of the North Pole Penguins?"

youtube

Written by me and my friends at 3 am. Not meant to be taken too seriously lol.

Chapter 1: Enough

Fandom: Wild Kratts

Pairing: Dabio x Jimmy

Other Stuff: Implied ableism (not much), Dabio redemption arc, Dabio is a brony.

AO3 link

“We're gonna come over and hang out with you. We can play tennis together, and then have lunch, and then go to the movies and we'll have lots and lots of fun together.“

Dabio was still thinking about the phone call he and Donita had with the Wild Kratts earlier. He would never tell Donita but he really wanted the Wild Kratts to come over and hang out with them. He and Donita rarely hung out so he knew that Donita would never want to hang out with the Wild Kratts.

Donita would always call the Wild Kratts weird.

He'd never seen Donita hang out with anyone besides the other villains, and she didn't even really like being around them that much. She spent all day designing clothes for her fashion lines, shopping, going to the spa, and other stuff by herself.

He didn't know if she ever even had friends before.

Regardless of what Donita thought of them, Dabio kind of liked the Wild Kratts team even if they were on opposite sides. Despite everything, every time he and the Kratts came in contact they would still treat him and Donita with respect, though sometimes they liked to mess around with them.

He sometimes imagined what it would be like to be their friend or even be part of the team.

Even if he was disappointed that the Wild Kratts couldn't come over, he knew that their presence would put Donita in a bad mood, and he DID NOT want Donita to be in a bad mood for what he was planning on asking her later.

Nobody knew this but Dabio loved the TV show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic with all of his heart. He had been a fan since he was very young. He kept My Little Pony figurines in his room but had them hidden extremely well fearing that Donita would throw them out if she saw them. He also had a My Little Pony blanket that Donita had seen but surprisingly had allowed him to keep on his bed. The first time she saw it she just rolled her eyes and scoffed.

Dabio would go on My Little Pony forums to talk to fellow bronies because he didn’t know anyone in real life who was a My Little Pony fan. Well, technically the only people he knew were Donita and the other villains.

While he was scrolling on a forum one day he saw that a pegasisters convention was being held in the place where he and Donita were currently. For this particular convention though any bronies or male attendees would have to be accompanied by a woman as a precaution to prevent any weirdos from showing up. There were, unfortunately, a lot of weird men in certain parts of the My Little Pony community.

If he wanted to attend the convention he had no choice but to have Donita take him.

Donita was currently taking a nap as she claimed talking to the Wild Kratts had drained all of her energy, while Dabio was stressing about how he was going to ask Donita if he could go to the convention.

He had everything planned out already. He had bought the tickets with his own money, had a costume planned, and found a hotel near the convention where he could spend the night if he needed to.

The hardest part was getting Donita’s approval…

[A few hours later]

Donita had woken up and was working as usual. Dabio decided that he needed to ask her now or never.

“Uh…uh D-Donita? I have question” Dabio stumbled over his words as he nervously approached Donita at her work desk. She had her head down, most likely working on some new designs. He knew that Donita hated it when he asked her for literally anything but this was just too important for him not to take a chance.

He must have been standing behind her twiddling his fingers for too long because he hadn't noticed Donita turn around in her chair. “DABIO!! WHAT DO YOU WANT!” Donita yelled as she struck him on the side of his chiseled face. If his head wasn't so thick he might have felt it.

“Um well you know my favorite show is My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic right?”

“You mean that children's show with the stupid horses?” Donita said with clear disinterest as she turned back around at her desk. Donita had heard Dabio obsessing over the show many times before and she was growing sick of hearing about it. He shouldn't be getting that excited about colorful horses at his big age.

Dabio felt very offended at Donita’s description of the best show to ever exist and could tell by her response that she was already agitated with his existence. “They are not stupid horses, they are ponies.” Dabio loudly corrected her but flinched in fear that she would strike him again. Luckily she just rolled her eyes.

“Ponies. Horses. Who cares it's still just a stupid kids show that you are far too old to still be watching” Donita basically shrieked.

Dabio wanted to defend himself and his beloved ponies but he knew fighting with her would lower the chances of him getting permission to go to the convention.

“I- I know you think it's just a stupid horse show but it means a lot to me. I was wondering if you would let me go to the convention here. Pretty please Donita?” Dabio had his fingers crossed behind his back. Donita just stared at Dabio. Her eyes went wide.

Dabio spoke again. “We can even go together. I saved up enough for two tickets.” Dabio said as he pulled out two small slips of paper from the pockets of his way-too-tight jeans.

“Please?”

Donita tapped her pen against the table in a rhythmic fashion before finally answering.

“No Dabio.” She held up a paper with graphite smudges, “Besides you're going to be too busy collecting animals and modeling for my spring collection to go anyways! Now leave me alone. I have a lot of work to do.”

“Okey dokey Don-”

Dabio paused

Why was he going to take this treatment again? The Wild Kratts never spoke to him like this. Hell, the other villains didn't even speak to him this way, but Donita did. Even after capturing hundreds of animals for her to turn into fashion statements. Even after being her personal bodyguard, driver, chef, you name it. Even after all he had done for her, she still treated him like gum on the bottom of her little kitten heels. All he wanted to do was attend a gathering where he would meet fellow My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic lovers like himself. Maybe he could even make some real friends. But Donita never cared about him or what he wanted. She only cared about herself and what she wanted to do.

He knew that it was because of his disability.

Dabio felt so discouraged and embarrassed he wanted to just run to his room and cry, but he knew Donita would make fun of him for doing that too.

Dabio stared at the back of Donita’s head for a few seconds before taking a deep breath.

“Actually Donita. I have something else to say.”

Donita groaned as she turned around in her chair once more “What is it Dabio? It better not be about those damn horses again!”

“I think sometimes you are a meanie. I don’t like the way you treat me.”

Donita looked at Dabio in disbelief “You don't like the way that I treat you? Well, darling, you don’t have to like anything that I do. You just have to do it. Do you think I honestly care about what YOU want to do!”

“No Donita. How you treat me is not right. You act just like Gilda the Griffin. Always bossing around every pony no matter how much they do for you.”

Donita didn’t know who the hell Gilda the Griffin was but she was growing more and more irritated with Dabio’s disobedience.

“If you don’t like how I treat you go ahead and leave. See how long you make it in the real world without me to hold your hand like a toddler. You’re more of an overgrown man-child than Zach.”

With that Dabio was done.

“Fine. I will!”

Donita didn’t even care. She just turned right around in her seat again and got back to work. What she didn't know was that Dabio was completely serious about leaving.

Dabio went to his room to pack a bag. He packed his most valuable possessions:

His rare MLP figurines

His Fluttershy blanket

His tuxedo print t-shirt

His champagne toast bath and body works body mist

His Tamagotchi

A life supply of pizza Lunchables (in case he needed a snack during his journey)

As Dabio was looking for more stuff to pack he stumbled across a photo of him and Donita that he had in a bedazzled pink frame. Well, to be honest, it was a photo Dabio took of himself and then photoshopped Donita into, but the photo still had sentimental value for him so against his better judgment he packed it with him.

Time: 4:30 am Location: Donita’s Private Jet Day: Friday

Dabio heard Donita go to bed about 5 hours ago. He sat on his twin-sized bed tapping his foot anxiously on the floor. He still was contemplating running away but he was terrified. He hadn't been by himself in years and didn’t know if he was capable of surviving on his own

He checked his phone. He knew the private jet was parked about 30 minutes from the city. He was hoping that when he got into the city he could find a hotel. Somewhere Donita wouldn't find him.

Eventually, Dabio decided that he needed to do this now or risk Donita finding him awake at this hour. He got off of the bed, suitcase in hand, and headed for the door as quietly as he could.

Dabio was actually quite graceful for his size and was able to sneak out the door (which was still slightly busted from Chris ripping it off in the Sloth Bear episode) and down the stairs while making minimal noise. It's probably the first time Dabio has been able to walk freely without hauling around Donita like a sled dog!

As soon as Dabio was outside the made a run for it just in case Donita had heard anything.

And with that Dabio made his trek towards the city. The song “work” by Iggy Azalea was blasting in his off brand Temu AirPods

This song was very special to Dabio because the lyrics captured his current predicament and the artist is an immigrant such as Dabio is.

Walk a mile in these Louboutins But they don't wear these shits where I'm from I'm not hating, I'm just telling you I'm tryna let you know what the fuck that I've been through Two feet in the red dirt, school skirt Sugar cane, back lanes Three jobs, took years to save But I got a ticket on that plane People got a lot to say But don't know shit about where I was made Or how many floors that I had to scrub Just to make it past where I am from No money, no family Sixteen in the middle of Miami

Thank you for reading this mess. Critique is welcome.

Updates coming soon!

#wild kratts #fanfic #jimmy z #dabio wild kratts #donita donata #dabio x jimmy z #mlm #wild kratts jimmy #Youtube #Spotify #Wild Hearts: Creature Chemistry #wild kratts fanfic #wild kratts au

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9800sblog · 1 year ago

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weekly tarot reading for each zodiac sign

june 26 - july 1

you should read about your:

• ascendant/rising sign - for the events happening in your life and your patterns of behavior this week. • moon sign - for your personal perspectives and introspection. • sun sign - for how you might react to all of it.

ARIES

so this is the start of cancer season, you're not very comfortable in this energy, you may feel defensive and offended oftenly, depressed, misunderstood and powerless. creativity is a great outlet!

picture to burn - taylor swift

key words: introspection, considering, eyes closed, microphone, offers, choices, unfair, sleep, cold.

★☆★☆★☆★★☆★☆★

TAURUS

you're very comfortable this week, this may be a time when being possessive over your material goods pays off well to enjoy a nice future. not emotionally fulfilling, maybe lonely.

barbie tingz - nicki minaj

key words: loose clothes, hair down, investing, planning, fruits of your labor, selfishness, stubborn, stars.

★☆★☆★☆★★☆★☆★

GEMINI

financially great time, maybe you'll get your salary this week, you're very fulfilled materially. however, you're in a minute of insecurity, you have everything, so pay attention only to the good!

talking body - tove lo

key words: imbalance, sunlight, late night conversations, rain, flowers, award, thin, exchange, family business.

★☆★☆★☆★★☆★☆★

CANCER

your intuition is at an all time high and it is saying you may have neglected your mental and emotional well-being for material stability. with your intelligence, as long as you're attentive to those areas, you'll be ok! rest well, you're on the right track!

want u back - cher lloyd

key words: patience, self respect, inner confidence, perceived competition, tired, suspicious, attentive, support.

★☆★☆★☆★★☆★☆★

LEO

you refuse to conform, your friends, family, job, society, spiritual beliefs might be saying one thing to you but it's not your truth and you won't settle. you're powerful when standing your ground, everyone respects you.

primadonna - marina

key words: royalty, metal, inner thoughts, imagination, the unseen, waiting, boss, confidence.

★☆★☆★☆★★☆★☆★

VIRGO

your work hasn't been paying off and you're looking for different ways to increase wealth. teamwork is the key, rely on those you trust the most to help you grow! it'll work out, the cards say opportunities may fall from the sky!

misery business - paramore

key words: shiny things, mediocre, frustration, house, family, community, a helping hand, relaxing.

★☆★☆★☆★★☆★☆★

LIBRA

you're coming out of a dark patch, you're not used to something this good happening but balance is sure to follow you. it is not a new idea or someone else's thoughts, this is where your soul feels at home ^^ "we're halfway there!"

love on top - beyoncé

key words: inner peace, music, beauty, power, healing, stronger, hardworking, self centered, consequences.

★☆★☆★☆★★☆★☆★

SCORPIO

a time of celebration and learning, you have a lot going for you physically and, internally, you're full of introspection and a thirst for knowledge - it may cause you some anxiety if you think your outer world doesn't match with you, find ways to be who you are when you're alone while with others, talk to your walls.

i write sins not tragedies - panic! at the disco

key words: house, money, options, rethinking, family talk, dark room, cats, holding hands, secret, hidden.

★☆★☆★☆★★☆★☆★

SAGITTARIUS

you may have great conversations this week, which will help get you out of a very difficult moment. you may have felt betrayed, but someone will make you think the world is not as bad as you think and you may seriously consider quitting an unfavorable job.

i kissed a girl - katy perry

key words: intoxicated, rose-colored glasses, support, healing, surprise, bored, typical, annoyed.

★☆★☆★☆★★☆★☆★

CAPRICORN

waiting for something that will make you really happy is making you sad, focus on the lovely people around you and try to start a new project for distraction, fulfillment is sure to follow soon.

heartbreak girl - 5 seconds of summer

key words: happy family, pets, money, self induced heartbreak, decision, savings, prepared, working out, closing doors.

★☆★☆★☆★★☆★☆★

AQUARIUS

good news may come this week and people will try to shut your excitement down, you'll feel betrayed but you know they are right, it is not the time to move yet, hold that thought and contemplate your next moves. it's a coming of age scene.

dilemma - nelly (ft. kelly rowland)

key words: rite of passage, hit the breaks, nap, newspaper, boat, pretty clothes, closing a faucet.

★☆★☆★☆★★☆★☆★

PISCES

you're bringing a good idea you had a long time ago into reality, this is something you're passionate about and it's taking you out of pain. so much fulfillment, try not to be too egotistical or do too many things at once and this will be a great week!!!

rude - magic!

key words: potions, tea, headband, excitement, delicacy, forever, much water, working out, fire party, rainbow.

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