#when will people understand that its beauty lies in the fact that it was animated!!

[maybe-boys-do-love]

Was thinking today about Cherry Magic Thailand, and all respect to the writing (which deftly navigated the challenging task of adapting a full-on classic) and the rest of the cast and crew, but has any QL series' success hinged so much on a single actor going above and beyond in a performance as Cherry Magic Thailand does on Tay Tawan's portrayal of Karan???

That character could have fallen so detrimentally flat. He is perfection personified. Even after Achi discovers his so-called 'imperfections' (which are just that he sings bad and is crushing extra hard on Achi), the writing doesn't ever let Karan come off his pedestal. He remains put together, impossibly patient, and admirably righteous. His stress in life is that people don't respect his hard work because he's so beautiful! This character, in theory, should not really strike an audience as likeable. The writers could have used the one facet of his family-drama that emerges in the penultimate episode to build a deeper character in the writing, but elect not to even hint at it any earlier in the series.

So much heavy lifting is left to Tay, and the performance is a wonder to behold. Tay Tawan is certainly attractive in the way Karan is supposed to be attractive--fit, tall, handsome--but Tay's face and earnest dorky demeanor are unique in a way that seem far too rare in the influencer era. The breadth of his nose, the goofy joy in his smile, the clownish clumsiness, the nerdiness of his interests (the GMMTV actor most likely to be reposting a popular science article or rare animal sighting): Tay brings all of these elements of himself to bear on the poised idol of Karan, playing all the parts of the romantic hero while letting his own characteristics distill onto it so that the character actually contains valuable tension for the audience between his faultlessness and the slow reveal of his sincerity. That dynamic lies at the core of the show, and it's a less explored one in media, so all the more challenging to do.

But Tay understands the assignment. He goes full-in when Achi hears Karan's inner voice, squealing and talking manically fast (a real-life Tay Tawanism as well as a wonderful connection to Japanese performance styles). Once the characters begin their romance, so much effort is put in to have Karan looking at Achi, not just with love, but with the deepest gratitude. That's what most often had me crying. In fact, it often looked like Karan was on the verge of happy tears, overwhelmed by the fortune to love and be allowed to love Achi.

Being able to appreciate Karan's sincerity opens up an avenue for the audience to care about his challenges that on the surface seem so superficial. Tay is able to take this character's struggle to be taken seriously and make it as worthy and pitiable as any narrative about women in the workplace struggling with that issue, and that's not an easy feat in this day and age. Whether in Karan's affections or disappointments, Tay exhibits such humility and unabashedness in his performance throughout the series, it renders the otherwise familiar messages about the value of the small unappreciated things in the world as enchanted and life-changing.

And incredibly amongst all this, the series REQUIRES by its very title for Karan to have a sex drive, and even that desire threads through Tay's portrayal of the character as he interacts with Achi, maintaining an incredible balance between a fun and dorky excitement about sex and a potent sensuality (it's such a great sex scene when it finally comes).

Tay took a paragon and made him such a fully fleshed-out and realized character. I just can't imagine the series working without such a masterfully crafted performance. The whole cast did great work, don't get me wrong. Tay's is just one of those magical reminders about what the art of acting can achieve.

[girlbloggen]

school tips from a top student

hello angels ! i've always been a top student and this school year i'm going to be a senior so i think i've gained enough school experience to give y'all some tips in case you need them 𔘓ㅤ

★ procrastinating is your biggest enemy

this is pretty much self explanatory but I wanted to include it because it's the reason most people don't do well at school. every minute that you waste procrastinating ruins everything because you won't be able to study/do the assignments at all or they won't end up being good because of your stress. don't do this to yourself.

★ get enough sleep

a good student always gets at least 8+ hours of sleep every night & especially during the exam season. i disagree with some people that think that its ok to not study at all for the rest of the school year and to just pull all nighters during the exam season to study the things they missed. sleep is very important because if you don't sleep you simply can't concentrate so you should never skip sleeping.

★ don't be late

don't be late in the morning and don't skip classes randomly & without a reason. even if you don't get a detention the teachers won't respect you because you are the one not respecting them in the first place.

★ lying to your teacher = lying to yourself

now if you lie about the reason that you're late or the reason that you didn't do the assignments you're disrespecting your own self. also sometimes teachers don't react when a student lies to them but that doesn't mean that they don't understand it. stop thinking that you're an evil genius and that you're capable of manipulating the teachers into thinking that you're innocent. you're not, stop being delusional.

★ be two steps ahead, when it's possible

that's hard and of course it's not always possible but it's a good idea because that way you will be informed about the topic that you're going to learn so you'll be able to participate more actively in class & it will be easier for you to memorize the info.

★ look good to feel good

it's a fact that if you look neat & pretty you will be more motivated to do well in school because you'll be more confident, so take some time to pick a nice outfit, take a shower & even try a cute hairstyle.

★ but beauty shouldn't be your #1 priority rn

yes it's important to look & feel pretty but that's not the reason you're in school so it shouldn't distract you. I know girls that put too much effort in the way they look that they completely forget about their assignments.

★ discover how your brain works

if you already haven't, I suggest you to discover the way your brain memorizes faster info. some people have to write down things to learn them while others memorize easier things they hear. whatever it is it can help you to find a studying method that works for you.

★ find yourself a few productive distractions

distractions should be avoided in general but a boring schedule is bad for you too. to avoid a boring repetitive schedule find some productive things you can do other than studying for school. like practice some kind of sport or an art or learn foreign languages. keep in mind that ivy league schools appreciate people that are good students at school but at the same time they have more interests like sports or art. so bonus points if you want to get into an ivy league.

★ avoid drama at all costs

please, whatever you do, avoid drama. this is already a very stressful period of your life because you're a teenager & a student so stay away from things that can ruin your mental health and sabotage you. don't get into fights.

★ wrong (!!) time to party

I know that partying is fun but rn it's a wrong time of your life to party. partying can lead to procrastination & it can also ruin both your mental and your physical health. also most parties are full of drama and that can distract you. I know so many top students whose school performance went downhill when they magically transformed into party animals.

★ you simply don't care about other people

you shouldn't care about what your parents, your friends, your teachers, your school's mean girls etc think. you have goals to chase and that's what should concern you rn. other people don't exist to you. it's only you & your goals. be self-centered & goal-oriented. it sounds mean but it can save you.

★ treat yourself

you don't need others to congratulate you for your achievements. be the first one who does. every time you achieve something treat yourself by doing something you love. like buy a lipgloss, do your selfcare routine, eat your fav snack. you deserve it.

★ keep your standards high

don't let the society gaslight you into thinking that your standards are too high. I'm pretty sure that every person can achieve great things in their lifetime. even if you can't get something don't feel bad about it & be proud of yourself because at least you tried. don't be negative. there's a greater possibility to reach your goals if you give them a try. you can do it !

I really hope this was helpful ! If you need to ask me something my ask box & my dms are open <3

xoxo, a

[animebw]

Short Reflection: Oshi no Ko Season 2

In case you're new around these parts, let me just pull a Kendrick Lamar and say that I'm Oshi no Ko's biggest hater. I staked my claim on this show being crap twenty minutes into the first episode and I've stuck by that assertion ever since. It's a shallow, insincere, cynical piece of crap masquerading as a Serious Examination of the entertainment industry, claiming to portray the true nature of working in this business while being just as plastic and pandering as the very attitudes it pretends to critique. No matter how many self-important speeches it puts into its characters' mouths, it can't hide the fact that at heart, it's a juvenile power fantasy about an self-insert edgelord who boringly broods and cringes his way through a half-baked murder mystery while amassing a harem of teenage girls, sister included. As I said in my season 1 review, if lies are the highest form of love, then Oshi no Ko must be the greatest lover of all.

So imagine how infuriating it was when I put on season 2 and realized it was actually really good.

Listen, I didn't want to believe it. How was this show getting me so invested? How was this show making me pump my fist and cheer with triumph? But the facts are the facts: for the first time this season, I saw Oshi no Ko rise to become the best possible version of itself. After all the garbage it put me through, I suddenly found myself watching a show that was propulsive, beautiful, earnest, and filled with genuine insight into what drives people to throw their lives into art against all better judgement. This is the kind of show Oshi no Ko was always promising to be but never lived up to before. This was a show at least a little worthy of the tsunami of hype it crested into the anime world on.

Unfortunately, it was also proof that this show is never going to be truly great.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves. The first two thirds or so of season 2 are taken up by the Lala Lai arc, in which Aqua, Kana, Akane, and a smattering of new and old faces get together to put on a 2.5D stage play adaptation of a long-running shonen action manga. On concept alone, that's a pretty novel direction to take things; we don't really have 2.5D plays in the West, so seeing all the technical stagecraft necessary to translate manga into a theatrical performance was fascinating. Ditto the insight into the complicated process of adaptation, how communication can break down between parties and the conflict between keeping a work's original soul and adjusting to fit the demands of the new medium. I've long been an advocate of adaptations making big changes when it makes the work better, and watching those conflicts and conversations play out made me much more appreciative of how difficult that process can be. For the first time, it felt like all the industry info-dumping was actually enriching my understanding of how this business works, and how it informed the characters' place within it.

Speaking of those characters, what makes the Lala Lai arc really shine is in broadening the spotlight. This is no longer the Aqua and Ruby show; this is a full-on ensemble piece, where pretty much every member of the production has a moment to shine. It bobs and weaves between countless little stories playing out both during the rehearsal process and during the first performance of the play itself, flashing back and forth as it digs into the heart of each individual passion that drives these actors to shine so brightly. And watching those passions collide and cascade makes that performance absolutely riveting. Seriously, I can't count the number of times I just about leaped out of my seat and yelled "Fuck yes!" at someone reaching their full potential on stage and seizing the spotlight in a brilliant display of emotion (and animation; the swooping camera and surreal colorscapes that take over this part of the show are the best Oshi no Ko has ever looked). Natural genius, amateur, it doesn't matter; on the stage of Tokyo Blade, everyone is a star.

And no one's served better by this kaleidoscopic focus than Kana and Akane, who are probably the true protagonists of this arc. I'm still annoyed at how dumb and retconny Akane's backstory has been treated- I swear, season 1 gave us three different conflicting backstories for her- but her rivalry with Kana over the years is the best stuff in all of Oshi no Ko. They've admired each other from afar for so long, but resent each other for their incompatible acting styles. They're determined to outshine each other but never believe they can measure up. They can't stand each other, but they're entwined by fate so deeply they know they'll never be truly alive without each other. That push and pull of wanting to live up to someone while wanting to surpass them, hating and loving them at the same time, is the singularity that makes this entire arc resonate. It's gripping and heartbreaking and beautiful, and if Aka Akasaka has any self-respect, he'll end the manga with the two of them collectively realizing Aqua isn't worth their time and marrying each other instead.

But of course, that's not gonna happen. Because Aqua is the one albatross Oshi no Ko will never be able to untangle from around its neck.

And this is why for as excellent as the Lala Lai arc is, it can't save Oshi no No. It's why nothing can save Oshi no Ko. On a fundamental level, it will never be able to shake the fact that it's saddled itself with one of the worst protagonists in all of modern anime. Or at least, one of the worst not to come out of your average seasonal isekai slop, but I don't watch enough of those to know how hellishly low the bar truly is, and I intend to keep it that way, thank you very much.

The point is, Aqua sucks. He's always sucked, he always will suck, and his mere presence in this story makes even its best ideas turn sour and ugly by the end. Even if you took out the fact he's technically a grown man involved in romantic subplots with three underage girls, he's the worst kind of edgy self-insert Light Yagami wannabe, and he forces the whole story to bend around him and suck his dick at the expense of what it's supposedly trying to say. Gut-wrenching portrayal of online hate mobs driving a young talent to suicide? Nope, it's all so he can save the day and add Akane to his harem with no further repercussions. Showing the difficulties of new idol groups struggling for attention in the modern age? Nope, just another chance for him to show off at Kana's concert and save her emotional state for her. Hell, even Kana and Akane's rivalry is tainted by the knowledge that they're ultimately fighting over this reincarnated pedophile's dick as much as for each other's respect. No matter what ideas this show tries to explore or how earnestly it tries to grapple with the realities of the entertainment industry, it always ends up coming back to "Yeah, but isn't Aqua such an edgy chad badass saving the day and getting all the bitches? Damn, what a cool brooding dude!"

In other words, the real reason the Lala Lai arc works as well as it does isn't the focus on the stagecraft process, or the expanded cast, or Kana and Akane. It's because turning into an ensemble piece means Aqua gets at little screen time as humanly possible, so he's mostly not around to fuck everyone's great moments up for a change. And even then, every time he does show up in that arc feels like all the air being let out of a balloon. And he's probably at his best during the play! At least dealing with the lasting trauma of Ai's death gives him some actual internal conflict to play with! But even that's not enough to keep the protagonist of this fucking show from feeling like a sickening, blemish on his own supposed series. And once that arc's over and the focus returns to Aqua and Ruby in the season's final third? Hooooooo boy does it immediately go to shit again. All the masturbatory chauvinism I ripped into season 1 for is back like it never left, no lessons learned from how much better Lala Lai was charting an entirely different path. Hell, it's arguably even worse, because it ends up reminding us that Ruby's just as irredeemably broken a character as Aqua at this point. I know, the teenage girl trying to marry her adult doctor who is secretly her reincarnated brother also makes this show worse? I'm shocked, I say! Shocked!

Speaking of, can we acknowledge at this point that the whole reincarnation aspect of Oshi no Ko just should not have existed? There's nothing in this story that couldn't work just as well if Aqua was just a normal edgy teen who watched his mom die as a kid and developed PTSD/a desire for vengeance from that. It's only just become even somewhat plot relevant, it's barely present in any character interactions or relationships (even between Aqua and Ruby, they almost never talk about it!), none of its themes have any reliance on their past lives to get the point across... Really, its only contribution is making every potential romantic subplot with Aqua a five-alarm emergency siren while the show limply tries to pretend he totally counts as a normal teenage boy for dating purposes, honest! It's a ten ton weight dragging the entire story down for no goddamn reason and you'd barely have to edit the earliest chapters at all to get rid of it entirely. That wouldn't fix all its problems, but it would at least make it salvageable. Which currently, despite how shockingly good this season started, it is not.

So where do we go from here? Who fucking knows. I'd like to think Oshi no Ko could somehow learn from its successes with Lala Lai and continue shooting for greater heights, but everything I've heard from my friends who've read the manga suggests that was the high point and it's all downhill from here. All I know is that for better or worse, I'm on this train to the end. If only to continue rubbing in everyone's faces that I was right from the start about what a turd this would turn out to be. But I'll save that gloating for when it's truly deserved, and god knows, it will be deserved later on based on some of the spoilers I've picked up. For now, though, I'll have to settle with giving Oshi no Ko's season season a score of:

6/10

Sayonara for now. Let's see what the future brings.

[justanotherwriter140]

Kung Fu Panda 2 Scene Analysis + Discussion Post

Hey, all! Here's a KFP2 scene analysis because I felt like it. 🤷‍♀️

I have an itch to scratch and I'm going to make all of you read about it. I've been revisiting KFP2's remarkable storytelling methods—namely for conveying strong emotions without relying on dialogue and putting more faith in the narrative—and when I got to the harbor scene, I couldn't help but write something up on it. In general, writing short essays on scenes/sequences is a great writing exercise that I would recommend for fellow writers because it's a big help when you're trying to emulate a certain style or feel in your work. KFP2 is a great movie and I love it, so I often refer back to it when I'm struggling.

In short, this is me gushing. I know as a fandom we've talked this part of the movie to death a hundred times over, but it's a scene that deserves it. I'm going to be focusing on the aspects of it that interest me most, but the final battle following this scene is just as worthy of being fawned over. I am a KFP fan through-and-through and every scene (in this film especially) deserves its own discussion post. Unfortunately, I'm employed.

I've never done a dedicated sequence analysis before, but I've been delving back into studying animation and that paired with my long-time love for storytelling is more than enough to make me want to do a Tumblr deep dive on this 20~ second master-class in storytelling.

To begin, let's take a look at what's happening here:

Po swims to Tigress to make sure that she's okay. He holds her hand and gets close to her, which is something we can assume he would never do otherwise. I'll cite the attack-hug; we witnessed his (albeit completely understandable) reaction to Tigress initiating physical contact, and his instinct was to freeze in place. It tells us that physical contact is uncommon and maybe even a little awkward for them, and yet, he grabs her hand without hesitation.

My heart...ugh. I was little when this came out and I was STUPEFIED. I also realized I wanted to make movies, though, so I guess it worked out. 🤷‍♀️

Plus the little thumb-hold from Tigress. I'm nauseous. Kill me.

It's also worth mentioning that despite the fact that Po audibly says her name, she doesn't respond to hearing him. She responds to feeling him. She doesn't start to lift her head until he touches her.

Earlier in the film, it had been made a point that she "feels nothing," which was intended to refer to both her hands and her emotions. She physically and mentally beat herself up for 20 years until she couldn't feel the hurt anymore.

Even so, it only takes Po to unravel that. This is the movie further cementing the franchise-long theme of Po bringing inner peace to the valley. On a more personal note, it's also the movie telling us that Tigress's jadedness only goes as far as she lets it. She is capable of recovery, capable of feeling—it only matters that she allows herself to have those moments.

She looks up. She's relieved. She couldn't save China, but she saved Po. She didn't fail in protecting him this time. She did her job. There's a beautiful contrast between what she's feeling and what he's feeling but they share a point—kind of like a venn diagram. Both feel some kind of relief, however brief. As for their differences, Tigress's defiance is weakened and Po's is ignited. He takes on that weight for her.

The way her head slowly falls back down makes me think she's too exhausted to keep her head up any longer. She had used all of her strength to hold onto Po and look fully at him, face to face, to be sure he was alright. Tigress is the most capable member of the group, but where her most important strength lies is revealed here as well as in the rest of KFP2: in her compassion and care for others.

Po looks at Shen with scathing, genuine contempt. He's taken away too many people Po loves, and Po won't let him take away another. He's thinking about the valley, about his friends, Mr. Ping, and his duty to defend China and bring evil-doers to justice. We see the resolve in his eyes. He'll do what he has to.

The angle of the image is also worth mentioning. With the way the "camera" is tilted—now at a direct eye-level as opposed to a few shots before when Po was almost slouching below mid-frame—Po looks bigger in this shot. He's being framed as a protector. Defender of China. The Dragon Warrior. He's really, truly stepping into this role.

Tigress bows her head and Po takes on the weight, which is a huge contrast to the rest of the film. Before this scene, Tigress is the one being strong, being smart, taking charge, and leading the group. Throughout the mission, Po was consistently reckless, stubborn, and distracted. We know why. This bit is his amendment. This is him saying and meaning, "I've got this."

And then he pushes Tigress away. The little look I caught in this screenshot lingers for only two~ seconds, but what I love about animation is that everything is intentional. He watches her float away for an extra few seconds because it meant something to someone that he did.

AND THEN SHE REACHES FOR HIM. Whose idea was this? We need to have some words. You guys were evil and I love it.

She's exhausted, hurt, and is likely carrying the crushing weight of China's defeat on her shoulders, and yet, she reaches for him. It wouldn't even be for her own comfort, either, but because she still has the urge to save him. Even in her state of being borderline unconscious, she still has that instinct—that care. She can't watch her friend be killed.

I pause on this whenever I watch this scene over. To me, this frame perfectly encapsulates Po as a character. We see him facing impending doom in the form of a massive ship with a monstrous-looking cannon strapped to the front, harboring a psychotic peacock fully intending to kill him—just like he killed Po's mother—when he gets the shot.

Despite this, Po only pushes Tigress—a loved one, and while it's far more impactful to the story that it was her, it could have been anyone and the point still stands—out of the way. He moves her out of the line of fire and lures the danger away. That simple action of pushing her away is the epitome of "show, don't tell" used correctly and tells the audience everything we need to know.

And then he goes and stands on a floating chunk of fallen ship (not even solid ground!) and fights solo against an entire fleet of weaponized ships. And then he wins in what's arguably the coolest, most badass way possible.

This—this frame, not the fight itself—is easily his most heroic and selfless moment and it's my favorite frame in the KFP trilogy.

Thanks to all who read this through for indulging my intense love for this specific sequence! This analysis isn't objective, obviously, so if there are any disagreements, I'd really like to talk about them! I'm always looking for different perspectives and ideas, and I'm sure there's a fan somewhere who interpreted this scene wildly differently. I'd also just really love to hear any additional thoughts if there's something I missed. And if another scene gets you super excited like this one does for me, tell me all about it!

An update for my readers: Chapter 6 of The Days is well on its way and I can't wait to share it with you—there's some fun stuff in there and I'm really excited to post it. Thanks for reading, guys! :)

[hlficlibrary]

✤ Crime Fics ✤

A series of posts with the top five fics of each category by kudos plus five more hidden gems from that category! Remember to leave kudos and a comment on the fics you enjoyed to show your appreciation! You can find our other recs here.

- Top 5 H/L Fics -

1️⃣ my heart, in deadly rhythm by orphan_account (M, 42k)

There exists somewhere a very, very small list containing the names of people who don’t want Louis Tomlinson dead. Harry Styles may or may not be one of those people.

(or a Spies!AU in which Liam is the Wade to Louis' Kim Possible, Zayn seduces people for intel, Niall is an expert at blowing things up, and Harry is more than a bit famous in his particular field... or infamous, actually. And Louis? Well, Louis just wishes people would quit trying so bloody hard to kill him all the time.)

2️⃣ A Rose, By Any Other Name by iwillpaintasongforlou / @canonlarry (E, 10k)

“I don’t understand, Mr. Tomlinson,” Harry says quietly.

“You don’t have to understand, sweetheart.” Louis reaches over and runs his thumb across Harry’s cheekbone, watching the boy’s breathing pause as he dares not move beneath the touch of this strange, imposing man. “All you need to know is that you work for me now, and that I’m going to keep you safe from all the bad people in this city, you hear?”

Louis Tomlinson is the head of New York City's mafia, and Harry is the beautiful boy from Texas who falls in with the wrong crowd (which turns out to be the right crowd).

3️⃣ Little Cub by aace1234 (NR, 68k)

Harry is head of the underground, he's ruthless, possessive, feared and powerful.

Louis is a student, his dad works for Harry but Louis has no idea about the underground world.

What happens when Louis Dad causes trouble and Harry kidnaps Louis for revenge.

4️⃣ we've got the world in our hands by sarcasticfluentry (E, 54k)

A mutants/superpowers AU. Louis and his friends attend the Cowell Institute for General Education and Mutant Training in London; when Louis meets Harry, the newest student at the Cowell Institute, he immediately recruits Harry to help play matchmaker for his friend Zayn. Harry and Louis are so caught up in meddling in Zayn's love life, though, that they don't notice that their own friendship is progressing into something more. Meanwhile, an ominous threat up north grows slowly until suddenly, no mutant - or human - is safe.

5️⃣ Watch Him As He Goes by LoadedGunn (M, 14k)

It's why Harry loves assignments with Louis; they're thrilling in a way. It's like he never rests. He's this animated, gorgeous guy who's all over the place and Harry actually has to work hard just to catch up to him.

It kind of reminds him of trying to stalk a predator stalking its prey, with his old 70-300 mm lens. Only the predator is a cheeky arsehole. "Come along Harold, I know you usually wait for your zebras to pose for you but here you've got to think on your feet," Louis yelled one time, before disappearing to interview Detective Payne. Never mind the fact Harry was slow in the first place because of Louis' tight jeans.

Or, the AU where Louis' the best police reporter in the country, Harry's the new photographer who is more used to penguins than human subjects, and also there are superheroes.

HIDDEN GEMS:

💎 this charade (was never going to last) by @scrunchyharry (E, 68k)

On the surface, CitizenX, an international caritative nonprofit, looked like any other nonprofit, funding humanitarian missions worldwide and striving to make the world a better place, one donation at a time.

At least, that was what Harry thought, until he was hired as a computer specialist for a spinoff agency called carish, whose true purpose was to reveal CitizenX’s tangled web of lies.

As if the whole ‘industrial spy’ business was not stressful enough, Harry found himself in a hatred-at-first-sight relationship with one of his new coworkers, Louis, a man intent on detesting Harry.

When the worst happened and Harry and Louis found themselves thrown together in hiding, with only each other to rely on, Harry never could have predicted the turn their relationship would take.

Nor could he anticipate that it would all be taken away from him and he would have to decide how far he was willing to go to get Louis back.

💎 All My Roads Lead to You by @dandelionfairies (M, 41k)

Harry’s stuck in a life he didn’t choose after leaving home at eighteen. Bartending and running drugs were never on his list. Louis is an undercover cop sent in to figure out exactly what’s going on inside of the bar. Neither could have known they’d be drawn to each other.

It’s obvious to Louis that Harry isn’t aware of everything that happens in the backroom. It’s obvious that Nick [Grimshaw] has used Harry’s vulnerability, insecurities, and naivety to keep the man exactly where he wants him.

Harry has never admitted to anyone who he is. They wouldn’t accept him. In fact, he has no doubt that if anyone found out he’s gay, he’d be dead. He doesn’t want to let that wall down for Louis. Because no one can know. But that’s easier said than done. Louis is everything Harry could have ever pictured.

💎 Cowboy Like Me by Rearviewdreamer / @all-these-larrythings (M, 29k)

Going legit and starting over in a small town was supposed to solve all of Harry’s problems. That was until a string of robberies in wealthy towns brings him face-to-face with his rouge ex-partner and their dicey, unresolved past.

💎 Tonight's the Night by @jaerie (E, 24k)

Tonight’s the night. The night Harry has been waiting for. Everything has been carefully planned, nothing left to chance, the scene set and waiting for their arrival. It’s time.

Harry lives a double life. During the day he's Harry- trusty blood spatter analyst, at night his darkness comes out to play. So far he's been able to act his way through a normal life without drawing attention. What happens when that is no longer the case?

Or a Dexter AU where Harry is Dexter, Liam is Doakes, Niall is Masuka and Gemma is Deb.

💎 Harry, That Kills People by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup (T, 2k)

If there’s one thing that Harry hates, it’s getting his clothes dirty.

If there’s one other thing that Harry hates, it’s murder.

Unfortunately, right here and right now, Harry’s clothes are dirty, and he’s murdered someone. So. It’s not a great day.

“Ugh,” says Harry. “Yeargh. Bleh.”

[alicent-vi-britannia]

Let's talk about the endings of Code Geass and Attack on Titan

I've been watching an episode of Code Geass every week since June of last year. This week I have to watch the end and I couldn't help but think about the end of AOT. An anime that I was finally able to watch in 2024. You all already know that when the final chapter of the AOT manga was published, fans began to compare The Rumbling and the Eren's arc with the Zero Requiem and the Lelouch's arc. I'm not going to compare The Rumbling and Zero Requiem because others have done it and you can do it perfectly without my help. I don't think it needs to be demonstrated that The Rumbling is an imperfect plan. Eren is neither a genius nor a strategist. He also doesn't have a great understanding of human nature, unlike Lelouch, whose plan did take that into account and was the key to achieving peace in the world of Code Geass.

Instead, I'll compare AOT and CG as tragedies. I see that there are important similarities between both endings and I find it intriguing that one ending was universally loved, while the other ending had a mixed reception. And I think studying it from the point of view of tragic composition can reveal why.

I clarify that these are my reflections on both endings. Talking about the endings of CG and AOT is complicated and I feel that a thorough analysis would require me to go into more depth. Additionally, I watched AOT once and although I visited some videos on Youtube to improve my understanding a little, there may be some important variable that I didn't consider. Anyway, this is my perception.

To begin with, both series analyze the same problem, but reach diametrically opposite conclusions. That is to say, the difference lies in the focus of the discourse and the cathartic effect that is well achieved in CG and that is unsuccessful in AOT (catharsis is the emotional effect that seeks to awaken fear and compassion in the public). I explain…

CG and AOT are tragedies that tell the story of a civilization that lost its identity at the hands of a power and seeks its freedom. Both emphasize the will to live, despite that there is misery and suffering in the world. In fact, the final message that both series transmit is similar. We can feel fear in the two endings since both animes stated that war is endless because humanity is prone to falling into conflicts and repeating the same mistakes (from there derives Schneizel and Charles' contempt for the human condition and its decision to impose eternal peace through the Damocles and the Ragnarök Connection respectively).

AOT highlights violence and hatred as inherent traits of being human. From here arises the emblematic phrase "the world is cruel", to which another is soon added: "but it is also beautiful", because, as Zeke and Armin explain in the talk they have, life is full of seemingly insignificant moments, which, in reality, give meaning to life and for that reason it is worth fighting for. However, the hopeful message is diluted by the conversation between Armin and Eren and the epilogue as they demonstrate that the Titans weren't the problem, but human nature. Human beings are fundamentally self-destructive and only survive on impulse. That absurd thing called the "will to live." So it's like people don't learn anything and only get what they deserve. As a consequence, a feeling worse than fear remains: horror.

On the other hand, CG maintains that it is worth fighting for since people will never stop seeking happiness. The world is constantly changing and always manages to move forward. So, even if things are bad now, they will get better in the end. Therein lies the importance of the future and, by extension, hope, which is Lelouch's philosophy and one of the pillars of the Zero Requiem. So it doesn't matter if people forget the Zero Requiem and go to war again. It's in their nature to learn to be better and make the world a better place. So humanity isn't only the problem, it's also the solution. It's a more optimistic approach that sheds a light on the human race, which becomes worthy of compassion.

Something similar happens with Lelouch and Eren. They're both tragic heroes. The ignorant think that a tragic hero is one who gives his life for a cause or humanity itself and that definition is incorrect. A tragic hero is a virtuous hero who is above average, but suffers as a result of his mistakes and shortcomings, becoming the author of his own downfall. Eren possesses the two most powerful titans and Lelouch is the prince of the oppressive empire with a genius intellect (and later acquires a magical eye). They're even characterized by having unwavering determination and clear convictions. That's why they stand out among other humans. Ironically, Lelouch and Eren turn out to be a contrast character for each other due to a substantial difference that is in line with the message that both series want to convey.

Eren is a boy who became a monster. He terrifies us and we are supposed to sympathy with him since he is a monster spawned by war. He's a bit like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein's monster (he is a creature that society transformed into a monster). But instead, we feel pity for him, at best, or disgust, at worst; since Eren really used selfless reasons (ensuring a happy life for his friends) to carry out a selfish plan (imposing his own vision of the world). In the end, Eren became an instrument of destiny and a slave to his freedom.

Instead, Lelouch is a monster who learned to be a man. We are afraid and we sympathy with Lelouch because he imposed the punishment of death on himself so as not to allow himself to enjoy the new world with his loved ones and thus atone for all the atrocities he committed. Let's say that, unlike Eren, Lelouch used selfish reasons (punish himself) to carry out a selfless plan (save the world). At last, he always acted on his own will, had control through Geass and political power, and abandoned all of that because it was the right thing to do.

If I have to compare the feeling that these animes left me with tragedies, I would say that CG left me like Sophocles' Oedipus while AOT left me like Seneca's Oedipus. With this I don't mean that AOT is a retelling or a copy of CG. What I mean is this: in essence, Seneca's Oedipus and Sophocles' Oedipus tell the same story (the tragedy of Oedipus), but in different ways and Seneca's Oedipus has a very dark tone, so when the resolution that we all know there is no catharsis. It's simply "what had to happen happened."

AOT definitely has a darker tone while CG has a brighter tone. I hate the word "realism" since whenever we use it to describe a story it is to refer to unsatisfactory situations and I believe that reality is much more complex than that. However, I seem to remember reading that Isayama said that he wanted a realistic ending to his work. And, indeed, it is consistent with the tone of the story, but it is not the most appropriate way to end such a gloomy tragedy (AOT needed a cathartic effect). On the contrary, CG has a romantic tone (in the sense of romanticism). It doesn't make it any less realistic than the ending of AOT, but prefers to focus on other parts.

In the end, AOT and CG are two sides of the same coin and I don't consider it a negative. The same stories need to be told again because humanity forgets easily. And anyway, AOT and CG have different approaches and I think their messages can complement each other.

Additionally, I'm aware that some extracted a much more positive reflection of the human condition with AOT and I won't deny that there are certain moments in Isayama's work that rescue the virtues of human nature. For example, without going any further, the baby scene makes it clear that people can bring out their best version in the darkest times. However, I have to disagree with them. Given the epilogue and the resolution of his protagonist's arc, the message Isayama communicated to me is that there is a predisposition to evil and destruction in human nature that we should be concerned about. The lesson I learned from Zeke and Armin's conversation is that we should look for beauty in the midst of the horror of the world by enjoying the simple things in life.

In comparison, the resolution of Lelouch's arc and the ending of CG is completely cathartic and its message is even more powerful and emotional. That beauty is in us.

PS: For the record, I don't believe nor have I said that the ending of AOT is bad.

[cheesecakeyuri]

@maopll @venusandsaturnsrings @yandere-daydreams @blackopals-world hey! I admire your writing work and fic on tumblr. I wrote this piece for a literature assignment not too long ago so I wanna know what you think as more active authors.

236,000 humans drowned this year. Do you mourn one? … I mourn all.

I’m responsible, named on the grave, cause of death: The harsh of the wave.

Is Poseidon to blame? No, it’s his wife! Amphitrite! Take note! This water is called she!

For millennia those men brave our rouges and our storms.

Millions lost yet billions borne.

Rán trawls her net over their boat thus yanking them into their final bed of rock and sand.

Ganga and Marina cry, their tears; typhoons

Eingana watches with mixed expression as she sees all her creation fight forces they can’t understand.

Mazu protects what’s hers, leaving the sanctity of her lagoon to do so.

Praised for beauty and poetry yet feared for the fact we she are of the few things one can’t command.

Those dead in deep water can’t be found.

The ocean leaves no trace, nor nothing that can save its face.

Families left, no peace for ones gone, unable to rest, it lingers in minds, a burden one cannot heal.

A wish to not be helpless, nights spent under the waves accompanied only by fish.

Over time it was a slaughter, bodies lost, souls gone, left to the sea.

What do they feel? The grains of sand or the teeth of a fish, The scales of an eel?

A body of death becomes a feature of new life.

A reef on the bones of the deceased.

The creatures do not know or care, It’s home now.

Their Thieves of remains, they desecrate the dead yet provide them purpose.

Perhaps they deserved to die? Men are not sinless creatures after all.

Especially considering how they treat us, isn’t that right Magwayen? they treat us with more than just spite!

How can they assume us to be kind when for centuries they’ve used us?

Sending fleet after fleet onto our surface and tipping their waist into our swash!

They have no right to treat us this way when the tears we cry are of the same pain

They doom our icecaps we so graciously froze just so they could come to fruition, I refuse to accept this!

How half of them refuse to take the blame while others drown

How they make shallow promises of prevention and change

yet you find those same mouths wet by lies of the above line

And those sinking cry why!

Hypocrites! all of them!

Notice how they call their most powerful, important, and feared things she!

Yet they call upon the husbands for safe passage through OUR waters!

They boast their achievements of deep-found treasure, but they turn coy at the mention of how they got there!

People are left to rot when the stem of their problems is of their own kind.

The lot of them are savage! Acting as gods pretending as if they too are not animals.

Everything in the universe is made from the same dust, and yet the humans audaciously claim they are of the most importance!

People beg us for mercy, to save them from their self-inflicted fate

They do this so much so, they forget they are the ones to blame!

We should send our rain and waves to condemn all for their ignorance!

Humans call the ocean treacherous and harsh! The foam of the waves is a sign of rough sea!

We will send raging storms, floods, tsunamis and even cause droughts!

All to make them fear us and come to terms with the fact they are ultimately powerless in the face of Mother Nature!

Mother! Not father! We will prevail in the face of man. We will leave them no time to even attend to the damage!

We will cull those who seek to conquer our home and make all who come after fear us!

Caging them inside a trap-like purgatory

They deserve it for all they’ve done to us!

The end of men! We will bring forth a matriarchy like no other!

No longer will we desire for respect and fame

Sing in Joy for the day of our redemption has come!

[tfyoulookingatgiuxs]

I'm back again. Yes, I know, I said I would slowly bring all my opinions to the Hazbin Hotel series. I've been a little rusty lately and I'm trying to finish some of my issues. But there's nothing to worry about, I'm back. Today I would like to talk to you about the relationship between Vox and Alastor. And also about redemption at the Hazbin Hotel. which I will most likely post after I finish this post.

So, we know that both are bitter enemies, they represent the old and the new, therefore parallel lines destined to never meet, right? Well no. We know that both were once friends, Vox had most likely just died (1950s), and therefore perhaps at the moment when television began to come to life, becoming a great innovative discovery for society, work activities and much more. In Alastor's eyes, knowing a new invention like TV, perhaps at the beginning he didn't see it as a useless thing, maybe he was even happy to interact with a new invention like television, so as to also improve his broadcasts by transforming them into podcasts and so on.

Do we have proof of this strange friendship? Yes, we have confirmation of this in the song "Stayed Gone" where Alastor confesses that he met Vox but then after he asked to join his group he refused, and this unleashed Vox's anger which he most likely didn't expect this response and they both ended up becoming enemies. Another proof is in the last episode of Hazbin Hotel in the song "The show must go on" in the part where Vox sings and ends up stabbing a photo of Alastor. But looking carefully, we can glimpse another figure, most likely Vox with a different style of TV to how we see it today.

Looking at the photo, the two had perhaps started to do some type of work together, obviously this is my theory, so nothing canonical. I think that perhaps both of them had started working together, that Alastor was intent on wanting to update himself to also grow his power, but that Vox was slowly exaggerating. We all know those stereotypes where TV brainwashes you, that it hurts, that everything they show on TV is pure lies or something like that. In short, everything we know about TV today. In fact, in the Vox series he can hypnotize people with his eyes, a clear criticism of society, and which I appreciated, because I like it when an artist or animator speaks or shows criticism towards our society, because it makes us understand the world we live in and that not everything is as beautiful as we think. TV is what makes us understand what kind of person Vox is, for whom he does everything to have viewers and money, but above all power. Thanks to Alastor we know a very interesting gossip, he says that Vox is nothing without his other companions (Valentino and Velvette) also known as the three Vs. Vox is an Overlord and works together with Velvette and Valentino because in this way he manages to spread the technology and therefore make himself more powerful on a par with the other Overlords. There were those who theorized this in the past (including me) and they were right!

Vox may not have as many souls as the two undersigned, but it is precisely thanks to them that Vox has the possession of some souls, perhaps its employees who at the same time work with Valentino, given that he makes a red light television program. Maybe even with people who in hell invest in some type of business who want to be recognized even by an Overlord like him with some type of advertising.

But what I wonder is whether the team Alastor was talking about was really Velvette and Valentino, or another type of group that maybe he ended up with and then met the two. Too many questions and we still wouldn't have the necessary answers. What do you think? What are your opinions on these two characters? What are your theories, let me know!

Sorry for my english!!

[muninnhuginn]

Hi again.....If you don't mind me asking, can I ask, what are your top 7 favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series/etc) and your top 7 favorite (fictional) characters from any media? Why do you love them all? Sorry if you've answered this questions before......

Hi! Sorry for taking so long on this. Thought of waaaay too many options here, but think I've mostly narrowed it down now.

If you want me to expand on any/if I've been confusing about any of them, feel free to ask

Fave Media

Nirvana in Fire (cdrama): One terminally ill guy taking the capital by storm as he trolls and schemes his way to the truth of the case that got his family and comrades killed. There are so many moving parts at any one time that you need to have your brain on, but the payoff and the slowburn on some of the plots is beautiful

Stranger/Forest of Secrets (kdrama): Plot that keeps you guessing all the way through with super strong character development in the background. In theory it's a standard kdrama about tackling corruption, but the execution entirely won me over and both of the main characters are so charming to watch. They're coming from such different places but are able to reach across the divide to understand and trust each other

Spy x Family (manganime): It's the genre blending, okay. A family defined by lies and yet still their true selves with each other against the backdrop of a Cold War-esque setup. Most of the time it's fairly light-hearted and comedic, but it does not pull its punches at all when it comes to topics of war and propaganda and how they impact *everyone*.

The Locked Tomb (book): Lowkey surprised myself with putting this one here, but it has so many *layers*. Ridiculous levels of foreshadowing that would take so many rereads to fully untangle. The characters at first glance may not be the most relatable, but once you get further through you realise there's still a lot to unpick about what makes them *tick*

Puella Magi Madoka Magica (anime): Recontexualisation central. I love how first watch gives a different story to second watch and so on. How the themes are still ultimately *hopeful* despite all odds. And the directing/music/designs of witches/labyrinths all come together to tell the best version of the story

Link Click (donghua): This also has some pretty solid recontextualisation (I'm a big fan of that if you can't tell, same with time travel). But my favourite aspects are the individual stories of average people. And the intertwining of that with the time travel aspects to create a story that works both on the client level but also resonates strongly with the main characters. Season two also has some very strong mystery elements and is big on parallels between different characters.

Joy of Life (cdrama): This was lowkey a 'free space' option because I was torn between Arcane (the art/animation alone is so gorgeous even before you get into the intergenerational parallels)/Severance (it's like a workplace psychological horror with shades of religious cultism and some amazing humour)/Skip and Loafer (it's simultaneously so soft and so heartbreaking). So, I went for this instead. And yes, I'm biased because I'm watching JoL s2 rn, but I had missed the comedy so badly. This show is like a cdrama isekai complete with scheming and anime references. Also, Fan Xian's mum fascinates me in a similar way to Rose Quartz. The implications that she was so like him that she also lowkey spawned a harem and modernised ancient China in ridiculous ways? She was *the* og isekai protag. The fact that her death is still an omen over Fan Xian's life about why he needs to be careful who he trusts?

Fave Characters

Murderbot (Murderbot Diaries): I don't think I can explain this any better than I do here

Shen Wei (Guardian cdrama): See above, but also, he's just generally hilarious in how he goes for blatant lies. At one point, I was just watching the series for him and Zhao Yunlan alone ngl

Yan Wei (Couple of Mirrors): She's an assassin with war trauma who has decided she has imprinted on Xu Youyi and will protect her by... committing more crimes? She comes off aloof and she's not big on words, but her actions speak for themselves and they are loud. Also, she uses a helmet as a shower head which gives her many points in my book.

Cheating here but Pearl and/or Steven (Steven Universe/Future) (Also Rose entirely fascinates me from what we do know about her): Pearl in the main series and Steven in Future. So, Pearl in the main series starts as this grief-ridden wreck who's trying to keep it together and barely succeeding, projecting her issues onto Steven and Connie, etc. But over time, she's able to work through a lot of it. Not everything, of course, but by the time of Future she's doing well enough to consider dating again which for her is such a huge step. Meanwhile Steven is the chronic helper type, so over the course of the main series, he's the one who acts as therapist to try to solve everyone else's problems. And by the time Future rolls around, that's lowkey how he defines himself. His whole identity is what purpose he holds to others. So when he ends up in the situation where there's no one left *to* help, he crashes and burns in the most spectacular way

Li Lianhua (Mysterious Lotus Casebook cdrama): One of my favourite lying liars who lie and cough up blood (alongside Shen Wei and Mei Changsu). At the same time, his whole conflict between who he "was" and who he "is" is so juicy and the way he tries to avoid attachment and yet cannot help himself? He's constantly running after and chasing his past in different ways and for the most part he is both hilarious and heartbreaking in the process

Himemiya Anthy (Revolutionary Girl Utena): It's really hard for me to explain what I like best about Anthy, but her writing is impeccable. She's a character who has been stuck in stasis for the longest time with no escape in sight. And within the box she's stuck in, she acts out in the ways she's able, bitterness and pettiness and everything else. She thinks she's past the point of caring, but it turns out that that's not the case. She's also a character that a lot of people in and out of universe try to limit to an archetype, but there's no single box she *can* be contained in. Also! She's a great troll. Very entertaining to watch her pranks

Miles Edgeworth (Ace Attorney): He has such a great character arc across the main trilogy and investigations games. Even though he largely settles down by the later games, it's still so fun seeing his interactions with Wright. He's got this history with him that colours everything. Also, he's got this whole thing where he comes off as though he's glaring at everyone in the world whilst clearly just being socially uncomfortable half the time. He *is* genuinely rude at times (rip Gumshoe especially) but he's such a well-rounded character, from his traumas to his later fond bickering with Wright that the end result is just charming. I think the games themselves trained me to miss him too by drawing out the times between his appearances

[sniffanimal]

also minecraft

[cracks knuckles as my eyes begin to glow]

an ode to everything i love about minecraft

I'm going to try and keep this essay away from stuff like "crafting table go brrr" autism mode stuff. I'm going to try and keep it relatable, tangible, and wholly positive

What drew me in first was the procedural generation. I don't think I really had ever encountered that in a video game before (I honestly wasn't even into playing video games to begin with, just like, some pokemon and animal crossing). Ever since day one one of my relaxing activities I do is load up a new seed, grab some empty maps, and just fly around filling out maps in creative, or just zoom around and look at the scenery. Even pre-caves and cliffs, I just really liked looking around caves and such. I found it so soothing and I was in awe of the fact that I'd probably never see the same thing twice. Every structure was surrounded by different things every time. Different biomes are up against each other. Its always so fascinating to just go around and look at.

When I started playing, I was playing on xbox 360 edition. I guess I had touched java edition a few years prior, but I didn't really 'get' it at the time, I think I had spawned on an empty island, or maybe I was playing classic or infdev? I don't remember. But when I started playing proper, I was playing on Xbox 360, the update right before woodland mansions were added. I found it so fun to follow an update cycle for a game, and have followed each one since then! I like how transparent Mojang is about their development, and I think that's something fans take for granted.

I like that there's a lot to memorize about it. Like yeah, that's a little to the autism go brr aspect but really, I like that there's an internal logic with easy flow to it. all numbers are factors of 2, usually. All wood goes into planks goes into wood objects. All tools follow the same upgrade pattern, etc. There's stuff to memorize with locations, mobs, potions, tactics, etc.

I love that there's a lot of flexibility in how you play the game! I prefer peaceful survival, but harder survival levels are also still fun in their own right! I like playing creative a lot too! I like that you can make superflat worlds, especially with like how the legacy editions let you make customizable superflats. I like that you can access game rules to fine tune things like daylight cycle or fire spreading. It is a sandbox game after all.

I think the voxel art style is consistent and charming! Everything feels like its at a good scale, and I actually really like the clunky animations that older mobs have (like the cow and pig). I think hostile mobs are scary based on the threat they pose, but not scary with how they look. Like it's not a horror game really. I think that's great! I like the updated textures but I do also understand the nostalgia for the old ones. I also like that you can try out different textures! i just like playing on vanilla but there's a lot of other really awesome ones, including the ones that work with RTX shaders and make the game look beautiful.

I'm always in awe of the things other people can do in the game. Map art, insane builds, redstone, farms, etc. I can usually understand the mechanics behind things, but I'm not really good at some of the more technical things, but I find them inspiring! I love that there's so much to the game that there's always something to find and use.

I like stuff the community does outside of just playing the game themselves! I like youtubers (mostly just hermitcraft), I like art people make (like clay dioramas or perler art or keychains or paintings), I like the board games! I like that it's such a popular game that it's usually a pretty universal conversational point with kids and young adults.

I like that Mojang has been working to distance themselves from the game's creator. I like that they've been branching out to using the game as more of an engine, or trying different game styles like Dungeons or Legends. I like the experimenting! I think its fun!

Lastly, I like that it's always there to go back to. Nothing about the game feels time sensitive, old worlds are just like you left them. There's always new updates coming out every 6 months or so, so even if it starts to feel stale, there's something new to try right around the corner.

I could go on but most of the time im like haha crafting bench like there's never cohesive thoughts about it

[batbeato]

deeply fascinated by media with incredible concepts that have fatal flaws that prevent it from fully exploring said concepts.

today's media is yuuki yuuna is a hero (the anime adaptation) which has the idea of magical girls being sacrifices to the gods, tying back into the idea of virginal sacrifice and also going into how tapping into divine powers is too much for humans to take. having these magical girls be objects of religious worship. and yet it also tying into how fighting, even for an incredible cause (saving the world, in this case) can lead to physical damage that prevents you from living the same way you did before (creating many potential parallels with real life soldiers who come back from war with loss of hearing, loss of limbs/use of limbs, loss of an eye/sight, etc. etc.). especially with how the magical girls are lied to by the religious/government officials the same way soldiers that sign up for wars are fed propaganda.

the section of the story where tougo realizes that outside the divine tree, the world is like hell itself, is another moment that can be laden with metaphor: once you are stripped of the shiny propaganda, you realize that the world is actually a terrible corrupt place. or, perhaps, that without the propaganda, war and dying for a cause isn't a beautiful thing, but a terrible one, a cycle with no end where people are sacrificed for ideals and because there is "no other way", but you are always promised that the end is in sight (it will never come). various ways you can interpret it.

...and then yuuki yuuna ends with the divine tree deciding that it no longer needs sacrifices (because the girls almost destroyed the tree? potentially? though this is never actually confirmed to be the reason why) and the girls are cured of any and all disabilities/injuries that they have obtained over the course of the story. hooray.

this ending not only ignores various points set up by nogi (that she will use her fairies to stop magical girls who go berserk, that the tree demands sacrifices, etc.) but ignores nogi's existence entirely. the anime gives her one silent shot (which can be difficult to tell is her, even, given that we have never seen nogi when not bedbound) and tougou never acknowledges nogi in the finale either, despite having 2 years of fighting alongside her returned (this fact is also not mentioned).

the final battle has yuuna telling tougou that as long as they are fighting together, she doesn't care what happens to herself, and she won't forget tougou. and then this entire point becomes moot because the fighting ends completely for an arbitrary reason (yes, you can make logical arguments as to why, but thematically it comes out of nowhere).

(...I also don't even know what to say about disabilities being magically cured. I don't think I have the tools needed to unpack that.)

But yuuki yuuna has these incredible concepts - divine sacrifice, the losses of war, dealing with newfound disabilities, child soldiers - that it executes well up until this point. It's like wonder egg priority's twin, separated at birth (both have incredible concepts and execution up until an ending that seems abrupt and out of place, though in WEP's case this is due to production issues).

Maybe this ending comes off differently from how it did in the original light novel. Maybe some key details were left out. However, it is the job of an anime adaptation to adapt the source material in such a way that viewers new to the material can understand and follow along without needing to consult the original source for explanations, especially about the ending of the show.

(Yes, I am aware that there's a sequel. However, I feel that the anime tries to wrap itself up in a nice little bow, without saying "the adventure continues in the next season!" so it is not important for my point.)

...Another thing is that, if we assume that the intention is that somehow, Yuuna's heroism inspired the divine tree to change its mind (when, somehow, the original magical girl trio... didn't?) this changes a lot about yuuki yuuna. It means that yuuki yuuna isn't a magical girl deconstruction, and all that entails/implies (psychological horror, exploration of trauma, etc.). Yuuki Yuuna is a magical girl reconstruction. It is "despite the horrors, girlhood and friendship prevail!".

To me, this is infinitely less interesting. Yes, that's nice. They prevail for Yuuna because she is the special chosen hero. And for the rest of the magical girls - they suffer until Magical Girl Messiah comes. (Where was this prevailing when Nogi was bedbound, when her friend died, when Tougou lost her memories?)

...Anyway. Yuuki Yuuna has nice concepts. It deals with them well for most of its run. I like that. And I will eventually find a way to will the ending out of my mind, or interpret it in a satisfying way that seems thematically coherent.

[dontbestingybaby]

“The creation of an experience—which is what a work of art involves—when it is new, is new as an experience and not necessarily as a basic idea. For example we all know fear, a universal experience. When an artist creates a new experience of fear, he shares the universality of the basic emotion and gives a new view of it which refreshes your sense of it and which illuminates once more that first principle. The fact that it is new as an experience—that is, immediately recognized and identifiable in detail—has led people to assume that it is subjective on the part of the artist. An artist uses his own experience—what other could he use? The fact that it is subjective does not mean personally subjective. For every one of us has a subjective. There is a collective subjective: communication of art between those elements common to all people. As children we all had a box which we kept hidden; it contained a butterfly wing, a beetle, a lucky penny. For each, that box was private, intimate and secret; and yet we all (most of us) had it. Communication of art is between those boxes, between subjectives, the secret that we all share, each privately. If it is something that we share, what is the basis of the difficulty...in trying to pretend there is no problem of communication between art and audience...if universally shared? Partly because we are products of a scientific era, one which has taught us to suspect the appearance of things, we have learned scientific analysis: things are not what they seem to be, we must discard appearances to arrive at true composition. We have come to suspect the aspect and believe that the real meaning of things lies somehow beyond it and we must almost destroy the aspect to arrive at the true meaning. This is quite valid for natural phenomena. We see a small animal create its shell. To understand the structure of shell and animal, we have almost to deny the beauty of it and go beyond that aspect of it to understand the animal and how he builds. Art consists of this aspect. A sculptor uses stone because it seems massive. He is not concerned, as we might know, about a table that is not solid. He uses stone for its aspect of solidity, aluminum for its aspect of lightness and fragility. Art consists in this aspect which is a meaning. If one applies the principle of penetration, ignoring aspect, then one has simply gone through the door that leads nowhere and the work of art is left behind. One understands other things, but in the work of art the problem is to create a material object with sensory existence, which is a manifestation of emotions, ideas, which are themselves non-material. So art is the manifestation in material terms of non-material things. That is real meaning, not to be penetrated and left behind.”

from New Directions in Film Art by Maya Deren 

(1951 lecture delivered at The Cincinnati Museum of Art, printed in Film Culture #29, 1963)

[twstheadcanons]

Self-Indulgent TWST Geography

A long post of generalised geography headcanons for the world of TWST complete with continents for my own personal needs.  The post divides locations by Continent.

Anyway why is there a homeland whose name is just the definition of a desert.

Continents (and ocean)

Errant - a western continent in Twisted Wonderland. Mzunguko - the second largest continent in Twisted Wonderland.   Yalmae - the largest continent in Twisted Wonderland.   Abíní - a continent West of Errant. Tridente Ocean - the largest ocean in Twisted Wonderland.

Errant

Rose Kingdom – a country in the western region of Errant. It isn’t a particularly large country, and traveling from it to its neighbouring countries is possible via buses or car. Crownsshire – a county in Rose Kingdom Crowns – the capital  of Crownsshire. It is the town Riddle, Trey, and Che’nya live in.  

Land of Pyroxene – a large country in Errant.  Known for its cold, snowy winters and history with legends pertaining to five of the Great Seven. Waldburg – province Vil’s family is from.  Largely influenced by another country within Errant. Argent – a province in Land of Pyroxene.   Verre – a city in Argent.  Trein and Cater are from here.  Félicité Cosmetics originates here. Miroir – a province in Land of Pyroxene.  Has a large outlet mall popular with fashion-lovers and shopaholics.  The Ténèbres brand originates here. Enchantée – a town in Miroir. Jack and Vargas live here, whilst Vil and his father move here. Scharlachrot - a province in Land of Pyroxene. Epel’s Village of Harvest resides here, and is famous for its widespread organic produce.

Isle of Lamentation – island country, its popularised global name is a translation from the isle’s original Nísos Thrínos.  It has robust technological advancements and is the homeland of the popular idol group On the Edge, known for having concerts with elaborate imagery and visual effects from some of the best technicians available.  Due to legends of the God of the Underworld,  dogs are extremely popular on the Isle of Lamentation. Kapnós – capital of the Isle of Lamentations where the Shroud family resides.  

Valley of Thorns – an isolated country small in population, largely consisting of a large mountain range.  The closer one is to where its Queen resides, the colder it gets.  It is said the Valley of Thorns can go weeks with nothing but moonlight. Geimhreadh - technically the name of the forest near the Valley of Thorns’ mountain range, where the Queen makes her home at its peak.  Its name spread to the residential areas nearby.

Mzunguko

Afterglow Savannah – country in Mzunguko,  ‘Afterglow’ acts as a loose translation of its name, Baadaye.  It lies in eastern Mzunguko.  Famous for its royal guards and leading role in nature conservation. Kiburi – a county in the east of the Afterglow Savannah. Mwamba – capital of Kiburi, where the Kingscholar royal family lives. Maisha – a county in Afterglow Savannah, with its capital sharing the same name.   Jioni – a town in Maisha.  Ruggie and his family live here.

Manyoya – county in Afterglow Savannah.  Well-known for a famously expansive library and a high population of avian beastfolk. Uzuri  – a city in Manyoya, where Rook is from.

Yalmae

Land of Hot Sands – one of many countries in the continent of Yalmae,.  Within the country, it’s referred to as Aldif’.  Rich with its magical history and origins of astrology, Aldif’ nurtures Magicians skilled in divination.  It has a vivid musical scene as well. Misbah - governate of Aldif’. Yatamanaa – capital of Misbah, a largely lucrative city within Aldif’ and city where Kalim and Jamil live.

Abíní

Port of Jubilee - a diverse nation where Sam’s family lives, owning an extensive emporium.  A vast amount of cultures reside in Port of Jubilee, many sharing common ancestors and languages with one another. Nanm - province in Port of Jubilee. Sekrè - port town in Nanm that Sam is from.  His family owns an impressive emporium popular with locals.

Tridente Ocean

Coral Sea - a sea within the Tridente Ocean.  Many of coastlines range across countries within Errant, Mzunguko, and Yalmae.  Beneath its waters lies a kingdom sharing the same name as the sea.  

Name Trivia

Continents (and ocean)

Errant - the continent of Errant has the homelands based off movies such as Alice in Wonderland, Snow White, Hercules, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, and Cinderella.  The name stems from certain scenes in the movie marking a particular moment the protagonists feel out of place or stray off the expected course.

Alice in Wonderland: Alice’s misadventures begin when she makes the decision to follow a strange rabbit, straying off the course of simply reading and studying as her sister wished, where the curious and at worst annoying strange creatures and nature of Wonderland take a turn when she meets the Caterpillar, who questions Alice’s place and identity, and the stress of her situation and being unable to return home overwhelms her emotionally.

Snow White - the horrific moment Snow White, in a state of panic, rushes through a dark forest, where her fears envision hidden horrors within the trees and wildlife.

Hercules - after refusing to listen to Phil’s warnings about Megara being in cahoots with Hades, Hercules faces the devastating fact that Megara (reluctantly) deceived him, and loses his superhuman strength and faith in himself.

Sleeping Beauty - shortly after meeting a man she falls for, Aurora becomes devastated and resigned to her fate being betrothed to a complete stranger out of responsibility for her future and country.

Beauty and the Beast - Maurice’s ventures through a mysterious forest consequently leads him to the Beast’s castle in a desperate attempt to escape cold, only to be imprisoned by the Beast for intruding, ultimately putting the story into motion.  After Belle makes a deal to swap places with her father and free him, Belle starts off terrified and in over her head despite saving her father’s life.

Cinderella - after the mice’s hard work creating a fitting ballgown for Cinderella to enjoy the ball, her stepsisters ruin the dress and Cinderella’s chances of leaving her oppressive family’s home.  Her distress and tears lead her to meeting the Fairy Godmother.

Mzunguko - “circle” in Swahili, the language prominent in Lion King’s names, lyrics, and Rafiki’s dialogue, as well as the official language of Kenya, where much of the movie’s settings take inspiration and blatantly feature.  Taken from the iconic “Circle of Life” song.

Tridente Ocean - “trident” in Italian.  Yes, I hear you.  The author is from Denmark.  The statue is in Denmark.  The movie references the statue in Denmark.  However the surname Ashengrotto and Azul’s mother running a ristorante screams Italian and there’s the overall edgy mafia vibe the Octatrio has going on.  I win this one.

Yalmae -  “shine” in Arabic (يلمع).  I wanted a name that illustrated the vibrant, lively diversity of the continent’s many countries, cultures, flora, and fauna.  Something akin to a name that inspires a welcoming feeling.

Abíní - “morning” in Navajo.  I wanted a name that inspires energy and enthusiasm, like a sunrise in summer.  

Homelands

Rose Kingdom

Crownsshire - just the most painfully English name I could think of.  “Crown” refers to, naturally, the crown of the Queen of Hearts.  Also decided to make the Rose Kingdom its own, smaller, more limited country, instead of allowing its apparent monarchy to leech off 20+ different countries Crowns - do you have any idea how genuinely shocking it is we don’t actually have a town here named this.

Afterglow Savannah

Baadaye - “afterglow” in Swahili.  The official and native name of the Afterglow Savannah.  Interestingly, my findings found translations of it meaning “future” as well, which I consider fitting. Kiburi - “pride” in Swahili, can refer to a ‘pride of lions’ or confidence (often overconfidence). Mwamba - “rock” in Swahili, alluding to the Pride Rock that Mufasa’s pride resides in. Maisha - “life” in Swahili. Jioni - “evening” in Swahili.  This refers to where anywhere the sun doesn’t reach, Simba shouldn’t wander, because it’s too dangerous. Originally, I wanted to go with “Kivuri”, which means “shadow”.  However when I went to double check that ‘shadowland’ was a thing in Lion King, referring to where the Elephant Graveyard is, it’s actually a song from the Broadway musica called “Shadowland”, sung by Nala (Heather Headley). It both mourns the desolate state of the Pridelands under Scar’s tyranny, and narrates Nala’s resolve to leave and find a way to save her people and their land.  The song is absolutely gorgeous, solemn, and powerful, and contributes more than any live-action CGI Disney movie could ever come up with.  Its instrumental composition features the melody lei-motif prominent in the animated film (yes, That song.  the heartbreaking one).  It’s one of my favourites in Lion King alongside “He Lives in You” and “Not One of Us” because I like the ones where the chorus goes off. Please just listen to the Lion King Broadway soundtrack it makes me cry with how gorgeous and heartfelt it is.   Anyway in their money-grubbing ways I hope Disney puts the Broadway on Disney+ so some brave soul takes one for the team to pirate it Manyoya - intended to mean “feather”, but to my understanding it also encompasses “fur”. Uzuri - “beauty” in Swahili.  Nothing too deep here, just something pertaining to Rook.

Land of Hot Sand

Aldif’ - “warmth” in Arabic (الدفء).  Meant to allude to a comforting warmth, kind of hinting that the popularisation of “Land of Hot Sand” more or less leaves the official name lost in translation. Misbah - “lamp/light” in Arabic (مصباح), naturally referencing the magical lamp sought after throughout the movie. Yatamanaa - “wish” in Arabic (يتمنى).  Meant to be bit a bit of a cheeky play on words.  The “wish” inside the “lamp”.

Land of Pyroxene

Waldburg - Wald is "forest” in German.   References the forest that Snow White runs away into after being warned of the Evil Queen’s intentions. Argent - “silver” in French.  References Cinderella’s silver dress. Verre - “glass” in French.  References Cinderella’s glass slipper. Miroir - “mirror” in French.  References both the Mirror of Snow White and the enchanted mirror Beast gives Belle. Enchantée - “enchanted” in French.  Ties into the theme of enchantments, curses, and charms prominent in French fairy tales, and specifically makes me think of the Enchanted Rose from Beauty and the Beast.   Scharlachrot - “scarlet” in German.  References the red colour that hides the infamous green of the poison apple’s true nature.

Isle of Lamentation

Nísos Thrínos - Greek for the isle’s name. Kapnós - “smoke” in Greek.  References Hades’ iconic appearance surrounded by black smoke.

Valley of Thorns

Geimhreadh - “winter” in Irish.  References the winter court of Unseelie fae in Celtic folklore.

Port of Jubilee

Nanm - "soul” in Haiitan Creole.  References the importance of determination and drive prominent in Princess and the Frog.

Sekrè - “secret” in Haitian Creole.  References Dr Facilier’s ulterior motives.

[cheekygreenty]

I Know You part 2 - The Darkling x Reader

I knowwwww I took my time writing this but I think it deserves another part? Let me know 🥰

Read part 1 here.

You missed the warmth of the Little Palace and you hated that you missed Aleksander's warm embraces even more. As the tracker led you further up north, Alina and Mal reminisced on old memories and ultimately you stopped listening and kept to yourself, leaving you at the mercy of your own thoughts which were solely devoted to your intense betrayal. How could I of been so blind? You loved this man with your whole being and up until a week ago you would've gone to the ends of the earth for him and he had the audacity to lie to you. My Aleksander never existed, he was a figment of my imagination.

'Let's set up camp here.' Mal said putting his pack down with a wince. His shoulder was still badly wounded, your poor patching up did little to soften the pain. You pulled out your provisions and shared them with the others, thinking back as to whether selling the horse was a wise decision for mere hardtack.

'What do you think the General will do once he finds you with me?'' Alina never mentioned Aleksander's name and you guessed it was to avoid being questioned by Mal.

'Probably brand me a traitor and kill me.' You faced the truth head-on 'He was about to lock me away before I escaped and I'm guessing he's even angrier now.' You blurted as you chewed on the flavorless biscuit.

'Why are you here then? You can get away from Ravka, go to Ketterdam and never look back.'

'He'll find me, Alina. I might as well do something meaningful before I die.'

'What if he won't kill you?' Mal spoke up.

'I'd rather he did.' The thought of being Aleksander's prisoner struck a somber note in you and not for the reason they assumed. You didn't trust yourself enough to keep up your broken heart in Aleksander's presence for too long, that kind of love doesn't fade and around him, you were a slave to that emotion.

'We'll find the Stag and I can defeat him Y/N.' Alina sounded hopeful but at her words, you recoiled. Firstly, you knew she would fail, possibly killing Mal in the process but secondly, her statement ignited a brief spark of anger in you, a feeling of protectiveness for the man that was willing to take your life away from you. Stop being foolish. The man has killed countless times and will continue to commit atrocities in the name of power. You're better than that.

The rest of the night carried on as usual, Alina applying a salve to Mal's wound and you sitting against a tree, contemplating your life. Perhaps you should go to Ketterdam. You have connections there that would hopefully prevent you from becoming an indenture, but those connections could be used against you, a way for Aleksander to find you. Perhaps Novyi Zem would work for you. Alina and Mal had spoken about escaping there if she failed to defeat the Darkling, but you knew it was pointless. You had been by his side long enough to know there was truly no way you could hide and survive.

You know the parts of me that I showed you. His words echoed in your head as you tried to settle to sleep. Although you had uncovered his true face, you clung to his words like a lifeline. He showed you his loving side, he told you his name and his complicated relationship with Baghra, his mother. He trusted you with those things and he loved you, so he said. I do love you.

The tears came once again like they did every night. You had quickly come to understand that Alina and Mal were blind to your waterworks and were under the impression you hated Aleksander and wanted him dead as much as they did. If only they knew you fell asleep dreaming of his arms around you, whispering sweet nothings like he always did.

The snow was a thick blanket now as you approached the Fjerdan border. Mal was certain the Stag would be found any day now and with each passing moment spent dredging through the snow, you cursed your decision of coming with them. You haven't been of much use to the pair on the journey anyway, except letting the wind carry the smoke away when the fire was burning or blowing snow out from the trees when you settled for camp, but Alina insisted you were necessary. From Mal's behavior, you gathered he felt uneasy around two Grisha, so maybe Alina wanted you here to know she wasn't alone and her powers weren't strange.

You listening half-heartedly as she explained to Mal she was the one who needed to kill the animal but stopped when you heard a rustling in the distance.

'That way' Mal noticed too

'Hang on'

'What are you doing'

'I need to get closer to it' You blocked them out, your senses wholely devoted to watching the magnificent Stag. Saints, it's even more beautiful than I imagined it.

You saw her reach out and touch its snout, a light dome so bright erupting from their contact you shielded your eyes away. In doing so, you noticed the faint outline of a blue kefta in the trees, quickly heading for you.

'NO' you tried to block the shot but it was too late, the dome fell apart.

'The animal is not meant for you' Zoya bellowed as she fought to secure the stag.

You fought her in return, desperately attempting to knock her and the others off their feet but two strong hands caught you, restricting your movement.

'Take her' You heard his voice before you saw the contrast of his black attire against the snow. You fought against the soldier keeping you trapped, thrashing and kicking with all you could muster, completely ignoring the screams and shouts erupting from Mal and Alina.

He came to face you, eyeing you up and down, as if searching for any injuries. Even in the dark, you noticed the tiredness evident in his eyes with a hint of desperation. But no relief or love directed to you.

'Ivan, subdue her' was the last thing you registered before your eyes closed shut and deep sleep came over you.

***

You woke with a start, having felt no time pass in your dream-lacking slumber. The snow from earlier was replaced by lavish silks and drapes in a warm tent, his tent. You would recognize the eclipse sign from a mile away, especially on the embroidered cushion beneath your head or on the buttons of the coat you were donning. His kefta. He must’ve put it in you while you were passed out.

There were no cuffs around your wrists or restraints around your ankles as you lay in his comfortable cot surrounded by the sound of a crackling fire in the stove that always brought some level of comfort to you.

There was nobody in the tent with you, but you suspected a guard was posted by the entrance flap to ensure you didn't try anything stupid. You hesitated to get up. Will he be waiting for me? You didn't want to face him or fight him. The thoughts of a civil conversation with him withered away the more you reflected on your throbbing feeling of betrayal, but there was still that small voice in the back of your head, or rather your heart, that wanted to forget about everything and just lay with him like you did every night. The conflict caused you to cry yet again that night for exactly the same reasons as before.

You finally got up once the last tears dropped, your light footsteps carrying you over to the small fruit bowl sitting by the lamps. It was rewarding to taste the sweetness of a grape after so much time spent eating hardtack and hard cheese, all Saints willing, you'd never have to look at those things again. You heard the tent flap open and slowly, you turned to face Aleksander.

'You've been crying.' He observed and took off his heavy cape, laying it carelessly on the cot you had just slept in and standing away from you, keeping his distance although his own heart dropped to see you in such a state.

'Do you blame me?' Your voice was strong despite your appearance,

'I hope you are well-rested. The journey here mustn't've been very kind to you.'

'It was better than being your prisoner and rotting away in a cell in the Little Palace.'

'Do you really think so lowly of me Y/N?'

'I don't know what to think Aleksander.' You hugged his huge kefta closer to your body, enjoying being enveloped by his scent. Another thing that brought you comfort.

'I never lied when I said I love you.' His voice grew softer but you willed yourself to ignore it. The small voice told you to run up to him, kiss him, hold him and tell him you loved him too, but the logical part kept you firmly planted in your place.

'If I recall correctly, you said 'I love you but'...'

'You never stuck around to what I wanted to say next.'

'I doubt it would have fixed this.' You gestured to the lengthy space between your bodies and he took it as an opportunity to walk closer to you.

'Is there anything we can do to fix this?' He asked desperately and your heart leaped in your chest but it didn't last long as his hand caught your attention, The Stag.

The realization flooded over you with a jolt of pain for the second time in two weeks. Unable to hold it back, a bone-shattering sob erupted from you at the impending doom he was about to unleash on Ravka.

His eyes followed your own with anguish so obvious it hurt him, but he had to avert them fearing if he watched your pained expression any longer, he would rip out the amplifier himself without a second thought just to stop the heart-breaking sobs shaking your body. He reached out for you but stopped himself, the last thing she needed was his comfort of all people, he thought.

But you yearned for him despite the situation, so when he stepped closer once again, you rested your head on his chest still uncontrollably crying.

‘Why are you doing this’ your hands now held a deathly grip on his shirt, but all he could think about was the fact that you sought his touch out first, maybe there is some hope left.

‘For Ravka, for all Grisha.’ The answer felt automated and scripted but it was all that remained of his goal. There was nothing else, no one else, that would benefit from this except him and her.

He wrapped one arm around you and when you didn’t pull away, his other arm went to your waist, pulling you close and pressing his lips to the top of your head in an attempt to soothe you. Ironically, it had the exact opposite effect as you cried even harder because despite everything he’d done and everything he was about to do, you didn’t want to leave his side.

The conflict was rampant in your head and part of the shed tears were in an effort to calm your mind.

‘I’m going on a skiff journey across to Novokribirsk in a couple days. I wish for you to go back to the Little Palace.’ He spoke but didn’t loosen his comforting hold on you.

‘Why?’ You managed to croak out.

‘You want to come with me?’

‘I don’t know’

‘Let’s sleep. You’ve had a long day.’ He only briefly let you go to take off the kefta he placed on you earlier, but he was right back at your side as you settled against his chest on the cot. Although you had only just woken up from Ivan's induced sleep, your mind was tired from the self-hate your logical side spewed at you.

‘This is wrong. They’ll hate me for this.’ I hate myself for this.

‘If it is so wrong then tell me to go away. I’ll listen.’ You knew he would but you wanted him here with you.

‘Were you ever going to tell me?’

‘Yes. But I stopped myself after seeing how happy you were. I couldn’t bring myself to stop that.’

‘And look where it brought us. Look at me now.’ You raised your head from his chest and looked him in his onyx eyes. They radiated affection and forgiveness, both of which you were ready to give him. I’m a fool for this.

‘And I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy Y/N.’ The determination in his voice pulled at your heart, for the next thing you knew your lips were on his, kissing him as if there was no tomorrow.

-----

Taglist (tell me if you want to be added !!)

@aleksanderwh0r3 @theonelittleone @searching-for-gallifrey @lostysworld @0-artemis @exo-1204 @staradorned @bookfrog242 @simp-for-ben-barners @keepdaydreamingbb @acciorudolphx @pansysgirlfriend @pansysgirlfriend @justmesadgirl @theriveroftruth

[cheesecakeyuri]

The reports are out by now so here is the monologue/poem:

236,000 humans drowned this year. Do you mourn one? … I mourn all.

I’m responsible, named on the grave, cause of death: The harsh of the wave.

Is Poseidon to blame? No, it’s his wife! Amphitrite! Take note! This water is called she!

For millennia those men brave our rouges and our storms.

Millions lost yet billions borne.

Rán trawls her net over their boat thus yanking them into their final bed of rock and sand.

Ganga and Marina cry, their tears; typhoons

Eingana watches with mixed expression as she sees all her creation fight forces they can’t understand.

Mazu protects what’s hers, leaving the sanctity of her lagoon to do so.

Praised for beauty and poetry yet feared for the fact we she are of the few things one can’t command.

Those dead in deep water can’t be found.

The ocean leaves no trace, nor nothing that can save its face.

Families left, no peace for ones gone, unable to rest, it lingers in minds, a burden one cannot heal.

A wish to not be helpless, nights spent under the waves accompanied only by fish.

Over time it was a slaughter, bodies lost, souls gone, left to the sea.

What do they feel? The grains of sand or the teeth of a fish, The scales of an eel?

A body of death becomes a feature of new life.

A reef on the bones of the deceased.

The creatures do not know or care, It’s home now.

Their Thieves of remains, they desecrate the dead yet provide them purpose.

Perhaps they deserved to die? Men are not sinless creatures after all.

Especially considering how they treat us, isn’t that right Magwayen? they treat us with more than just spite!

How can they assume us to be kind when for centuries they’ve used us?

Sending fleet after fleet onto our surface and tipping their waist into our swash!

They have no right to treat us this way when the tears we cry are of the same pain

They doom our icecaps we so graciously froze just so they could come to fruition, I refuse to accept this!

How half of them refuse to take the blame while others drown

How they make shallow promises of prevention and change

yet you find those same mouths wet by lies of the above line

And those sinking cry why!

Hypocrites! all of them!

Notice how they call their most powerful, important, and feared things she!

Yet they call upon the husbands for safe passage through OUR waters!

They boast their achievements of deep-found treasure, but they turn coy at the mention of how they got there!

People are left to rot when the stem of their problems is of their own kind.

The lot of them are savage! Acting as gods pretending as if they too are not animals.

Everything in the universe is made from the same dust, and yet the humans audaciously claim they are of the most importance!

People beg us for mercy, to save them from their self-inflicted fate

They do this so much so, they forget they are the ones to blame!

We should send our rain and waves to condemn all for their ignorance!

Humans call the ocean treacherous and harsh! The foam of the waves is a sign of rough sea!

We will send raging storms, floods, tsunamis and even cause droughts!

All to make them fear us and come to terms with the fact they are ultimately powerless in the face of Mother Nature!

Mother! Not father! We will prevail in the face of man. We will leave them no time to even attend to the damage!

We will cull those who seek to conquer our home and make all who come after fear us!

Caging them inside a trap-like purgatory

They deserve it for all they’ve done to us!

The end of men! We will bring forth a matriarchy like no other!

No longer will we desire for respect and fame

Sing in Joy for the day of our redemption has come!

I NEED YOUR HELP 🫵

(Reblog for bigger sample size pls)

Im writing a poem for my literature assignment and I need as many water Goddesses as you can find.

Any and every culture is welcome though I already have Greek, Norse, Indian, Chinese and Aboriginal (indigenous Australian)

ANY AND EVERY ONE COUNTS EVEN IF THEY WONT MAKE IT TO THE FINALE COPY

(I’m a huge mythology nerd so I’ll read into them anyway)

IF THIS POST WORKS AND DOES WELL I’LL ADD THE POEM ONCE THE ASSIGNMENT IS DONE

[gliklofhameln]

The key to the story of the first humans lies in a sequence of three sentences at the end, whose juxtaposition seems to make no sense at all. They begin with Adam’s curse for having eaten the forbidden fruit:

‘By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.’

The man named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.

The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

(Genesis 3:19-21)

What is the connection between mortality (’to dust you will return’) and the man giving a new name to his wife? And what is the connection between that and God making the couple garments of skin, as if he were giving them a gift as they left the garden?

To understand the passage we have first to realise that it is not a myth but a philosophical parable about language and relationships, the difference between species and individuals, nouns and names, and about what lifts the relationship between husband and wife from the biological to the anthropological, from animal reproduction to human relationship and love.

The story of the first humans in Genesis 2 begins with God giving Adam the ability to use language to classify things. He names the animal: ‘Whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.’ He sorts and labels them as species. But human beings do not function at the level of species. They are conscious of themselves as unique individuals. They are not merely alone, a physical state. They can also feel lonely, a psychological state. So, ‘for the man no suitable helper was found’. He is not alone, but he is lonely. Animals form species; humans are individuals.

God then creates a partner for man. But if we listen carefully to the poem he speaks on seeing her for the first time, we note something odd: ‘She shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man.’ He names the woman as he named the animals. He uses a generic noun. She is ‘woman’, not a person but a type. She is ‘taken out of man’, ���helper to man’, but not an individual with her own fears and feelings. Adam does not understand her otherness. She is, for him, merely his mirror image: ‘bone of my bones, flesh of my flesh’.

Eve rebels against this by striking out on her own. The conversation she has with the serpent is the first conversation she has. Adam has spoken about her but not to her. She eats the forbidden fruit. She gives some to her husband, who also eats. She has become the prime mover in the relationship, but still they have not spoken.

Then comes the discovery of their sin. God confronts them both. Each responds by denying responsibility. Adam blames the woman. The woman blames the serpent. Still they are talking about self and other as if they are not free and choosing individuals, but mere things caught up in the forces that operate on things.

Then Adam suddenly hears that he is mortal. Dust he is, and to dust he will return. Suddenly Adam understands the difference between individual and species. Species live on; individuals die. There was a world before we were born, there will be a world after we die, but we will not be here to see it. In the knowledge of our mortality we discover our individuality.

But if Adam is an individual, so is the woman. And God has said to the woman, ‘With pain you will birth to children.’ Within the curse is a blessing. Humans may be mortal, but something of them survives their death, namely children. But children are born only when man and woman are joined in a bond of love. That is when Adam gives his wife the name Chavah, Eve, meaning ‘mother of all life’. The point is not which name, but the fact that it is a name, not a noun. Species have nouns, individuals have names. The woman is now, for the man, not ‘woman’, but Eve. Adam has discovered personhood, uniqueness, individuality, and thus the difference between biology and anthropology. Animals form species, humans are individuals. Animals mate, humans relate. Animals reproduce, humans beget. Animals have sex, humans have love.

The rabbis said that Adam became the first penitent and was forgiven. God then shows kindness to the couple by making them garments of skin. The rabbis said that they were made of snakeskin, as if to say: The very thing that led you to sin (the serpent) will now protect you. Your physicality, which first caused you embarrassment, can be made holy when transmuted into love and sanctified by a bond of trust. Far from ending on a note of condemnation, it ends on a note of divine grace.

The story teaches us about language and love, and about the difference between biological reproduction — a property of the species — and the human family, which is always made up of individuals who are more and other than their similarities. Even clothing, which God endorses with his gift, signals that we are not naked and transparent to one another. There is a part of each of us that always remain hidden. In Hebrew the word chavah, Eve, also has the meaning of ‘hidden’.

There are two subtle hints in the narrative that this is what the story is about. The first, often confused in translation, is that the text speaks throughout of ha-adam, ‘the man’, not adam, ‘Adam’, which is, like Eve, a proper name. ‘The man’ becomes Adam only when ‘the woman’ becomes Eve.

The second is that the name of God changes too. In Genesis I, God is called Elohim, a noun meaning roughly ‘the totality of forces operative in the universe’. In Genesis 2 — 3, he is called Hashem-Elokim, and in Genesis 4, immediately after the Adam-Eve story, he is called Hashem alone. Hashem is God’s proper name, just as Adam is Adam’s and Eve, Eve’s. Our experience of God mirrors our experience of other people. When we relate to other people as persons, we relate to God as a person. Or, to put it differently, God as Hashem is the transcendental reality of interpersonal relations. We love God through loving other people. That is the only way.

The story of the forbidden fruit and the Garden of Eden is less a story about sin, guilt and punishment and more about the essential connection between mortality, individuality and personhood. In one sense it is a pre-emptive refutation of the neo-Darwinism argument that we are all just animals, selfish replicators. We are precisely not animals, not because we are biologically unique — they and we are mere dust of the earth; nor because we have immortal souls — we may, but they are wholly absent from the narrative. We are not animals because we are self-conscious, because we are aware of each other as individuals, and because we are capable of forming relationships of trust. We have culture, not just nature; anthropology, not just biology.

It is also a parable about otherness. Adam’s poem about ‘bone of my bones, flesh of my flesh’ sounds beautiful, but it leads to moral failure because it fails to acknowledge the otherness of the other. Until Eve is Eve, not merely ‘woman’, the man does not know who she is.

The biblical word da’at, ‘knowledge’, does not mean in Hebrew what it is normally taken to mean in the West, namely knowledge of facts, theories, systems and truths. It means interpersonal knowledge, intimacy, empathy. The ‘tree of knowledge’ is about this kind of knowledge. True knowledge that the other is not a mirror image of me, that he or she has wants and needs of her own that may clash with mine, is the source of all love and all pain. To know that I am known makes me want to hide: that is the couple’s first response after eating the fruit. The turning point comes when the man gives Eve a proper name. Love is born when we recognise the integrity of otherness. That is the meaning of love between people. It is the meaning of love between us and God. Only when we make space for the human other do we make space for the divine Other.

God created the world to make space for the otherness that is us.

     — Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks zt”l, in The Great Partnership: God, Science and the Search for Meaning