#wouldn't it be interesting to see how someone can reform without it?

[razzle-n-dazzle]

Could you possibly write some yummy dating headcanons for Lucifer 👀

ᯓ★ "They see right through me, can you see right through me?" Lucifer Morningstar / Reader | Headcanons

ᯓ Lucifer Morningstar, king of hell himself, the bringer of sin upon the mortal plan!- Was not exactly how you expected him to be. You had expected to be greeted by this tall, looming figure that took up the room like poisonous gas and made his presence known. This looming figure who could crush any sinner, or even Deadly sin, under his fist without remorse. Lucifer; someone who strikes fear where ever he goes. Yet, now he stood in front of you, not looming or crushing down the hotel, rather simply standing and having issues with Alastor for protecting his daughter.

ᯓ The king of hell himself was not as all as you pictured, even after seeing photos of him littered around the hotel from Charlie.

ᯓ Well, for one, he was short, much shorter than you had thought. And secondly he gave off this vibe that was not threatening in the least, if it weren't for his name and status you were sure no one would afraid of such a small man. He stunk of insecurity and anxiety, and a hint of depression, and you were sure he was going to break down any moment while he toured the hotel with his daughter.

ᯓ And yet, you found that oddly compelling.

ᯓ Who wouldn't be interested in the king of hell himself, and even more so when he appeared as least threatening as possible? You weren't sure if it was a facade or some sort of spell just to appear as 'human' as possible, maybe to keep from scaring people, but you had to find out. The curiosity just itched at you, and Husk pointed it out rather rudely as he noticed you were staring at the demon lord himself: "Don't fucking tell me you're falling for the king of hell!" Husk whisper-shouted to me as Charlie lead Vaggie, Lucifer, and a (reluctant) Alastor towards the rooms of the hotel. You would jump in your seat, quickly whipping your head around to stare at Husk. Embarrassed, you would whisper-yell back, "What? No! I just expected him to be more-" You paused, trying to find the words that seemed just at the tip of your tongue. "Threatening?" Angel Dust tried to finish your thought. "More of a Bad boy?" Nifty came in quickly after. "Your type?" Husky amused himself. "Yes, no, and ew!" You responded properly, glaring at Husk at his suggestion. He would simply shrug and walk off, going to grab some cheap beer from below the counter; his personal stash.

ᯓ What you hadn't known at that time was your curiosity was the beginning of a start of chain reactions. Isn't it so silly how one small interaction can completely change your life, forever?

ᯓ You didn't get to talk to Lucifer that day, he left before you even got the chance; Either way, you were sure he wouldn't give you much attention even if you attempted to. He was there to help his daughter, not talk to the souls that were trying to 'reform' and escape 'hell'... which now you think about could be a little insulting to the king of hell himself.

ᯓ The second time you would meet Lucifer is when he was helping Charlie rebuild the hotel after the Cleansing; Something you hadn't been apart of due to having to deal with personal business. To say you were shocked to see the hotel in ruins while being built up from basically nothing, would be an understatement.

ᯓ You were baffled.

ᯓ "Hey, up here!" Charlie would call to you from atop the hotel, helping her dad fix up some lights since the rest of the hotel was being worked on by Alastor and the others. "Glad to see you made it through the cleansing." "Charlie.. what the fuck happened?!" You would shout back, glancing around at the rubble from the old hotel that laid in rot. Your eyes would find their way back up to her, and subsequently her father. Charlie would only laugh softly, rubbing the back of her neck. She shouted something about what had happened, a brief summary, before asking if you wanted to help rebuild the hotel. Specifically adding how they could, "Use and extra pair of wings." Which seemed to make Lucifer stop in his tracks. At least, a little, you didn't fail to miss the way he jutted back a bit due to his wings from, what seemed like, shock. "Uh! I'll help down here, Charlie, if you don't mind." Nerves kicked up in you as she suggested such a thing. You hoped you wouldn't upset Charlie by offering to work down with Husk and Angel, yet she only grinned and gave you a thumbs up before handing Lucifer another light bub.

ᯓ You were quick to scamper away after that, attempting to cover your face with your hand as you did so. Though, even as you entered the hotel, you could feel Lucifer's eyes burning down at you.

ᯓ Sure, he piqued your interest and you wanted some of his attention, but his stare was something else and it made you want to sink and die into the floor. It was that intense.

ᯓ Luckily, you were able to help Angel and Husk on the lower levels in peace for quite a while. It was only when the Hotel was completely done did you run into Lucifer again. Actually, you quite literally bumped into him as you turned to go check on Charlie and he just happened to be right there. Right behind you. Standing there like he wanted to talk to you but didn't know how and wow did that make it awkward when you met his eye.

ᯓ And wow how Husk and Angel did not make the situation any better as they stared, before shuffling off like it was some sort of private moment between couples. You saw how Lucifer's eyes stuck to you, the slight panic that wrapped around his pupil as he tried to put on a confident front with a grin. Though no amount of smiling would ever over up the fact you were sure he hasn't socialized with anyone for a good few years. "Lucifer!.. Sir how can I help you?" You tried to act smooth, and somewhat calm for the both of you; Hoping to get this conversation either moving and over with, or at least started so you didn't have to sit in the awkward and tense atmosphere. Lucifer would stare at you in silence, and you were sure he was chewing over multiple wild thoughts in his head. Though the minutes dragged on and as you attempted to address him again, to get some sort of cog working in his brain, he would blurt out: "Did you fall from heaven?"

ᯓ Shit well that was personal and right to the fucking point!

ᯓ While you could lie to the King of Hell himself, you thought it would be best not to risk your life right now. Especially not when Lucifer was staring at you both like a curious kid and a murderous overlord.

ᯓ "Yes...?"

ᯓ For some reason, that was your common link. A shared experience of falling out of heaven, falling down from grace and into a world pooled with Sin, that set off Lucifer wanting to know you more. So small meeting at the hotel turned to longer meetings, turned to small meeting outside the hotel to longer meetings, and you weren't sure when or how it all happened at first. Yet, sooner or later, all you knew was that brisk, nervous hand touches turned to hand holding, turned to small and brief hugs, turned to longer hugs of longing, turned to you kissed Lucifer on the cheek one night as a goodbye...

ᯓ Eventually turned to him being, willingly, pushed up against your bed on the floor as you straddled him, kissing his lips with such passion you were sure Asmodeus would be jealous.

ᯓ And the events that followed such a kiss surely made the situationship a little more awkward in the morning. Especially since you woke up naked, covered in the dozens of blankets that were stacked on your bed, cuddled up to Lucifer. And it was even more awkward when he had woken up as well to your shared position.

ᯓ Upon catching Lucifer's eye for a short while, you were quick to let out a shocked sound and shuffle away from him quickly, raising the blanket up with you as you sat up on the bed. You noticed the way it squeaked, signaling a few springs had been loosened or the bedframe had became weaker. "Fuck.." You would mutter, raising a hand to your forehead as you stared down in conflicted parrel at your bedsheets. You could hear the bed squeak as Lucifer slowly sat up, and you were sure he was looking at you with their brilliant eyes; Those eyes you so very much adore but know couldn't be yours. It wouldn't be right. Charlie was helping you redeem yourself and you couldn't go and stab her in the back by sleeping and getting with her dad! Panic rose in you as you turned to Lucifer, keeping your blanket over your naked form, "Lucifer, please tell me we didn't!- We couldn't have..." You couldn't fail to notice the way Lucifer's eyes widened, shock mixing with the concern he had. The concern that had made him start to reach out for you, to ask if you were alright, yet the hand that also stopped short as you looked oh so terrified at him. Did he hurt you somehow and didn't know? Such a thought shattered his heart. "I.." Lucifer tried to find the words in his head, but they dropped short. He glanced away from you as a frown slowly inched on his face, and he really couldn't meet your eyes. "I'm sorry..."

ᯓ You would sit there, staring as Lucifer with complete horror as your eyes slowly shifted down to the bed and then the blankets again as you realized what you had done. You had hooked up with Charlie's father after everything she had done for you. You had been, quiet literally, going out on dates with him and falling in love with the King of Hell himself behind Charlie's back! How could you do such a thing to Charlie?! How could you be so stupid in meeting Lucifer more than what was required to explain that you had fell from the grace of Heaven and ended down here? How fucking stupid, how idiotic, how much of a cretin do you have to be to do something like that to Charlie?! You didn't notice how the tears began to form in your eyes until you felt Lucifer's hand upon your cheek. The feeling of his thumb brushing to clear your hot tears as he slowly turned your face towards him. Slowly made you look at your mistake. And yet, he didn't seem fearful at this moment. Even while you choked back your sobs, he simply only cupped your other cheek and drew your face to him to connect your foreheads. You would shake your head, placing your hands on Lucifer's wrists in an attempt to draw away from him in shame.

ᯓ And his insecurities inside him screamed at him to let you do so; They bombarded him with the fact that he had done something wrong and made you cry, something he swore he would never do. Yet why, even while his mind was screaming at him to let you go, did he still hold you to him?

ᯓ "Hey, hey.. it's okay," The whisper feel out of his mouth before he realized what he was saying, "We're in this together okay? I'm... sorry if I hurt you, but I can't help you fix this if you don't talk to me..."

ᯓ And his gentleness made you crack, a sob escaping your lips no matter how much you tried to choke them down. Your hands slowly slid down, away from his wrists, and held onto where his arms bent. It was oh so every hard for Lucifer to watch you sob in front of him, devastated by something he couldn't fix. Yet he was patient until you were ready to tell him; He held you close and cuddled you, not wanting you to feel alone.

ᯓ Not like he had.

ᯓ It was an awkward conversation, yet a much needed one that allowed for the two of you to start the process of becoming official. You both agreed upon telling Charlie everything before you went on with anything else. So, after clearing both your tears, and putting on proper clothes, Lucifer when to go grab Charlie and take her to a more secluded section of the Hotel to chat.

ᯓ Lucifer, as her parent, agreed to tell her everything and you stood right besides him for support; knowing this couldn't be easy for him. You would feel uncomfortable in his shoes too. Charlie would listen, confused at first, but then surprisingly became rather relived and esthetic.

ᯓ "Oh my Lucifer! Finally!! You know, I noticed you two had a thing for each other and I'm really happy you finally came and told me and that you're making it official!"

ᯓ Safe to say neither of you expected Charlie to be so open to the idea, and she noticed. She would explain how we was happy that you were making each other happy, and while she was kind of sad her parents weren't together anymore she was glad her father could find love again and be happy. She would give Lucifer a hug before giving you one, whispering a quiet "thank you" into your year. A thank you that you knew carried a lot of emotions, some being a mixture of heartbreak, gratitude, and acceptance. You nearly teared up again and squeezed her back.

ᯓ With Charlie's acceptance you and Lucifer began to officially date. Yet, kept it on the downlow as not to attract attention from any of the Sinners in hell, or god forbid anyone else from the Hotel that wasn't Charlie and Vaggie. But honestly, it made you both happy to have each other, public or not.

ᯓ You would move in with Lucifer six months into the relationship, and had to make up a fib story to the other hotel residents how you were going to try and travel Hell; just to see what it had to offer before you went. Only Charlie and Vaggie knew you went to move in with Lucifer and his collection of ducks. And god, did it take a while to help Lucifer clean up and organize his pile; Especially considering that he wanted to stop every 2 minutes when he found a special duck to rant to you all about it. But, you couldn't deny the fact that it was adorable to see him all excited about a rubber duck that was oh so common in the human world.

ᯓ Honestly, Dating Lucifer will be one of the most odd yet fulfilling and loving experiences you have ever had. He's quirky and not exactly in the right mind space, but neither are you, so you both help each other whenever you can. Even if it took a while for Lucifer to truly let you in, and let you see him at his lowest. He was always scared that if you saw him like that, it was cause you to panic and run away and leave him; And that he would never you again and... he just couldn't handle such heartbreak. He wants to keep you safe and protected from everything and anything, and he didn't want you to be forced to see him as someone who needed protecting because of an episode that got bad.

ᯓ Lucifer take a lot of careful work, peeling back the layers of himself that has been cocooned tightly, before you can see the true and raw Lucifer. And yet, you love him all the same, broken or together and whole. And honestly, when that day comes when you do see Lucifer like that and you stick by his side throughout the whole thing, being the shoulder and the rock he needed...

ᯓ That was the day Lucifer knew he wanted no one else as a partner in this immortal life other than you. Because he would be your rock if you are his, and he appreciates you more than anything in this world (maybe expect for Charlie, but you're close!). But honestly, he's so grateful that he manages to be able to go to sleep and wake up to someone like you. Half the time he believes it's some sort of dream that he'll wake up from when he falls asleep... and yet he gets to see your face every morning.

ᯓ It... fills him with hope that the rest of his days in hell won't be lived in a depressive isolation from everyone and everything else. And your presence alone comforts him more than anything.

ᯓ★ A little extra!

ᯓ Lucifer is 100% a cuddle bug, expect him to be around you constantly. Man will be trying to hold your hand, hold your waist, nuzzle into your neck, literally anything to be near and next to you. (Just so he knows you're there, and you're real.)

ᯓ Lucifer defends you with his literal life, like man has no chill when it comes to you and with Charlie. He got a call one day and heard your panicked shouting and was there in literal seconds. Scared the shit out of whoever was trying to fuck with you. Then he picked you up and took you home, literally pampered you for the rest of the day.

ᯓ 100% spoils you. After physical touch and quality time, his next love language is gifting. So expect little trinkets that Lucifer has made to appear somewhere you can see, or given to you by Lucifer himself. He'll also, at times, buy you gifts (expensive and not) if he goes out and sees something you've been saying you wanted for a while or something that just reminds him of you.

ᯓ Charlie begins to see you as a second mother. Of course no one could ever replace her actual mother, but she's glad she had you to go to for girl troubles or gossip tea times.

ᯓ Literally this is the sweetest man ever and he just wants to be love, LOVE HIM. PLEASE!! He will get so flustered and dopey if you sit on his lap and pepper kisses all over his face. He literally will think he's in heaven for a second like, he just loves your fucking attention and is a little bit of a whore for it.

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ᯓ★ All posts/fanfictions posted under this blog is owned by @razzle-n-dazzle. Please do not steal, copy, or plagiarize the works! Likes, reblogs, and comments are always appreciated.

[thekeeperof-thefandoms]

TW: sensitive topics

Adam slowly becomes more tolerate and less misogynistic over time via osmosis but won't admit it and instead hides it.

Adam thinks women bitch too much about the pink tax until he's sent out to get period products for Reader and Lute, only to realise that his cost of his shopping just doubled in price from just one pack.

Adam thinks women bitch too much about not being welcomed to normally male occupied spaces until he's playing late night online and hears a woman join only to leave after five minutes because everyone kept harassing them.

Adam hounds a girl for her number, thinking that he's so smooth for getting it in the end, but then decided to lose it after watching a film with Reader and Lute where it showed a girl terrified of what would happen if she didn't give a guy her number and hears Reader and Lute, two very capable women, talk about how they've been in similar positions.

Adam has done a lot of thinking lately.

Personally, I'd like to think that Heaven, while flawed, is above some of the nonsense like the pink tax. I do still think catcalling and being harassed happens, probably mainly in result to a lot of men modeling Adam's behavior.

But once he gets with you and you start calling him on his shit, and therefore Lute gets more comfortable calling him out, and especially after the period simulator, he's more aware of certain things.

I feel like eventually he'd ask you if this is how bad it is now, what did you do when you were alive? When you had to work constantly, sometimes 2 jobs at a time, just to afford basics. That's when you tell him you didn't really have a choice but to suck it up. That you weren't allowed to get a hysterectomy, you couldn't take sick days just for a period, and that most doctors wouldn't believe you anyway.

Especially if you're a trans person this is a big foot in the door to explaining how poorly women and queer people are treated. Hit em with the fact that religious nuts use Adam and God as examples for their behavior and he's going to feel physically sick. I think he'd have to take a few days to just be by himself and really think about how he acts and how people interpret that.

From there it's a slow build up to correcting his behavior. And it's not always gonna be easy. He's going to be defensive, he'll tell you that you're overreacting and that him persistently following a girl around to ask her for her number repeatedly isn't bad, it shows he's interested. He's a nice guy.

Tell him that's what other men thought too until "insert any woman you can think of who was assualted".

Lute's more direct, she sits his ass down and has him watch as many true crime stories of women getting kidnapped, SA, tortured, and murdered as she can find. Usually she picks ones based off the names you drop. He really only has to hear 4 or 5 before it sinks in. (Tiktok reminded me of the girl who was tortured to death for 45 days and assualted with lit fireworks so, have that fresh horror in your minds).

Tell him about any personal experiences you had and how terrifying it is to be a woman or queer. Show him the responses to the man or the bear question. Let him fully realize how many people, people he knows as strong and capable, would rather face the bear because "the worst the bear can do is kill me". Or "Nobody accuses me of liking being attacked by a bear"

"No one asked me what I was wearing when the bear attacked"

"People would actually believe me if I said I was attacked by a bear."

"The bear sees me as a person."

"The bear lives in the woods, the man probably followed me."

Each answer is gonna send a new shiver down his spine.

Reforming Adam isn't an easy or fast process but it's fully possible because I don't think he's bad or a fullblown narcissist. I think he's been told his entire existence that he's a good guy, a pinnacle of creation, someone to be admired and obeyed without question.

You could argue he may be a bit controlling and narcissistic because of how he treated Lillith and requested a submissive wife with Eve. And I don't think he's ever not going to be full of himself and expect his ideal partner to be a bit more traditional in the sense that they're a housewife/domestic type. But he also likes people who go out and have fun, can get wild, and he definitely thinks it's hot if you can defend yourself even if it strokes his ego if you let him do it.

But overall, I think with enough time, patience, and exposure Adam could become a better person. Probably the type who would throw hands with himself if he could. Definitely becomes the type to start borderline hating other men.

[torgawl]

all this time i had headcanoned that neuvi kept an eye on younger wrio with the intention to take care of him and you're telling me it's true? sobbing.

i can't stop thinking about how it probably hurt neuvi so much to issue that sentence to someone so young and so hurt. even furina left the trial and was unable to keep her act. how gut-wrenching it must have been, especially with wrio admitting his crime and accepting punishment so easily. that ammount of resignation in, basically, a kid... it can only come from a place of so much pain. the chance to rewrite his own story and making the fortress his home truly meant so much to wrio. but i also think for someone like neuvillette, who is characterised for his immense love and compassion towards others, it must have been cause for great turmoil to know what was to come, and that the sentence he was issuing was just an extension of that kid's already hard life. the ammount of guilt in his heart versus the impartiality required of him as a tool of justice; in a way, a reiteration of the question that has haunted him throughout his long journey as fontaine's iudex: "is this what justice means to you? answer me, neuvillette!".

no wonder wrio is so fond of the melusines, too. we already knew from his own character story that they were the ones helping him when he spent time in the streets, but to know he wouldn't have made it without that help... of course he cherishes them so much, of course he holds sigewinne in such good esteem - who was likely the closest to a familiar embrace during those harsh days. i find it rather wholesome that wrio doesn't know it was neuvi's doing, too. neuvi was almost his guardian angel, and i'm sure the melusines were also happy to finally be able to do something for a human in need.

i had always wondered if neuvillete's help with giving wriothesley his duke title came from a place of wanting to fix what felt wrong so long ago during that trial because it felt deliberate, like the good deed of someone who intentionally kept an eye for the other and was proud of their journey. having sigewinne confirm neuvi's concern and curiosity with wrio's experience in the fortress is very dear to me. it reminds me of how genuinely happy neuvillette was when he noticed wrio's vision the day he gave wriothesley his title, like a silent aknowledgement of how far wrio had come and the good man he had become. you cannot tell me neuvi wasn't filled with pride seeing that former small hurt kid become someone so genuinely good-hearted, doing something as great as reforming meropide. maybe even relief, seeing things had turned out well for him despite his disturbing past and neuvi's own hand in his fate, in such a heartbreaking way.

their relationship has always been so intriguing to me because there's so many layers of complex feelings throughout their timeline. i find that most people ignore neuvi's struggles with his own 'humanity' and the constant theme of heart versus judgement, and how it likely played a role in his interest in wrio as well as their later nurtured friendship. but i also find wrio's reluctance in accepting neuvi's concern for him quite telling. he's reserved and we don't really get any insight besides what he tells sigewinne and his almost dismissive response, but i am so sure he feels grateful for neuvillette's unconditional support. neuvillette almost filled the empty place wrio's family left behind. not in a literal way, but how he kept an eye out for wrio is akin to how he keeps an eye out for the melusines. and can we talk about how neuvi was likely the first 'human' (in his own perception at the time) or older adult to be consistent in his life? i cannot imagine the weight such 'simple' things like consistency and unconditional love - and i mean this in an all-encompassing way - have for someone with the family-related trauma wriothesley has. wriothesley says it himself, his childhood has left permanent wounds in him, one of which is not being able to trust others. but to be able to find such reliability in someone else, that may also be healing to his inner child. they're very dear to me!!

[brucewaynehater101]

Love the blog! I have been thinking about what would be interesting ways for Jason to slowly adopt a 'no killing' philosophy. I want it to do nothing with Bruce Wayne or the Batfam (the self realisation is so so so much better,, plus I don't want it to be like... him forsaking his philosophy for... just family stuff, it has to be more) and I've been loving reading ur blog for the past few days so I was wondering if u have any thoughts on it.

I really liked Beast World's approach on it 😭😭, smth like that!! I also like the approach of how killing is actually vvv hard on Jason, and how he maybe uses it as sh sometimes. Interesting stuff methinks !!!!

Hi 👋 Thank you ^^ Very interesting premise!

Tw: Death, purposefully giving someone permanent disability, torture (?), let me know if I need to add more

I do think this depends on Jason's characterizing, but the main problem with Jason switching over to not killing is his main ideology with it:

The prison system is not adequately preventing hardcore repeat offenders from committing heinous crimes

It feels... Disingenuous if Jason just stops killing without this major flaw being fixed. Yes, maybe you could go, "It is not your job to harm yourself like that for everyone else," but he is a Bat. Giving their entire being to the cause is what they do.

In order for Jason to stop killing, he would need proof that other methods are working. Here's a few suggestions:

Blackgate/Arkham reform [and no one escapes for over a year]

Inhumane procedures/failsafes against high-risk criminals (such as bomb in the head, loss of limb, impairment, heavy medication use, brainwashing, etc.) [Wouldn't be killing, though]

Legal system fixing [would take years to implement, though]

Dangerous criminals shipped off to the Phantom Zone or some other virtually inescapable place

Some of these methods are impossible without the batfam, though :/

There is one ideology I can see Jason adapting in the meantime, however.

If they die, they stop suffering.

As long as someone puts the little notion into his brain, it will get the ball rolling. He would start to morph from killing shots to permanent injuries. Not only would this affect their quality of life, but their medical bills will become expensive. It's also a permanent reminder of what they've done (I'm not arguing for this method. This is a reflection of what might change his mind to refrain from killing).

As he slows or stops killing, he may find this to be preferable (lessens the blood staining his hands).

I also think the Outlaws could help him with these realizations. They may kill as well, but that would allow Jason to have open and honest communication about the costs.

Jason could also use his tactical prowess for designing personal hells for every person he deems worthy of it (like the real disgusting jerks out there).

In the end, he would refrain from killing unless he deems it necessary for his, his teammates, or civilians' safety.

As far as using killing being a form of SH, I can agree with that idea depending on the circumstances/how it's interpreted.

We could see how killing takes a literal tax on his soul, but I'd prefer to analyze how killing harms his relationships/support system (not talking about his friends. We stan them and their unwavering support).

The Bats, his family, are actively against killing. This is not an argument of whether they should or not. This is a statement about their boundaries. Jason knows that the Bats are against killing and that maintaining a relationship with them while killing would be extremely arduous, or, in some iterations, impossible.

We could argue whether or not Jason should even be part of the Batfam (for his own sake) or how he may have hoped they'd love him in spite of that. We could debate on how much Jason's independent actions should affect the Bats considering their vigilante status vs their family status.

Those are all separate but vital arguments.

Bottom line, Jason knew/knows that killing is a HUGE point of contention. How the others react (and, in some cases, they react horribly) is besides the point.

So, if Jason is trying to play nice with his family by not murdering anyone, he could easily jeopardize himself/his relationships by killing again (this is not a discussion about how the Bats react/what Jason deserves). In one action, he would destroy everything.

I've seen a lot of fics where Jason renegades his agreement due to one of his family members being hurt. He ends up killing again due to the severity of the perpetrator's actions against his loved one(s). This is fabulous angst.

However, I haven't really seen one analyzing Jason killing again because of his low self-esteem. After months of not killing, he relapses in an effort to push everyone away from him with the eventual goal of impersonating a dumpster fire.

In this scenario, Jason kills again to scream, "Look! Can't you see? I am the monster I think I am. I don't deserve love/kindness. I don't deserve you."

Thus, him killing in these circumstances is actively harming himself and fucking up his life. A good batfam would communicate and help him through this. A bad batfam would allow Jason to distance himself or, worse, provide the punishment he feels he deserves (i.e. being banished from Gotham, being locked up, etc).

But, overall, I agree. Jason shouldn't change his methods just for his family. It's an important piece of his identity as a vigilante. He, as a murder victim, believes that death is justice for those wronged. While not all victims would agree to this, it is how Jason feels. He no doubt would be relieved and less fearful if the Joker was dead.

[yfirengill]

GETOU SUGURU HEADCANONS

[based on his birth chart]

First of all, he is a special grade shaman. Suguru is a great character because, in principle, he showed a great ethical aspect about the world and how shamans functioned with respect to humans. Since he comes from a family of non-shamans, Suguru ends up killing his parents after his emotional breakdown. INTJ.

if you have any doubts, i have used his birth date (feb 3rd, 1990), place: tokyo, japan and if you dont know the exact hour they were bron, you can put midnight.

i was asked to make some headcanon by getou's birth chart so enjoy it :)

dominant element: earth (practical and realistic)

dominant polarity: negative (introspection and receiver)

dominant mode: cardinal (independent and hardworking) & fixed (constant and stubborn)

stellium in capricorn (mercury, mars, saturn, uranus, neptune, venus retrograde)

he's too serious when he talks

this man is ruled by saturn!!!! the one who ate his children…

I always say that Capricorn is death in the tarot

Although he is an idealist given his other positions, he is practical and realistic when it comes to putting his goals into practice (like… yk)

The great presence of Capricorn in his life gives him the strength and ferocity necessary to overcome all the problems that other positions bring him.

capricorn gives suguru great pride in customs and traditions, the established order (this is seen at the beginning, before this system collided)

Capricorn is exalted in Mars, this means that suguru will always seek professional recognition. He tends to use people to achieve his objectives, this is because values and ethics are displaced by exaltation on Mars.

basically this man lives stressed

I have the feeling that he seeks relationships that last over time but he will always be condemned to undergo transformations throughout his life and to modify his values

This man... likes to take his time in bed, prepare everything just for you. He sees sex with great dedication!!!

He has a lot of self-control, you wouldn't realize he has an erection.

remove silent in bed yk

he lasts a long time in bed… and he likes to torture you tbh

Uranus in Capricorn facilitates the disruption of the status quo; he respects the past, but decides to transform it → maybe this relates to his parents

Saturn is at home! which gives him a lot of ambition. Although he tends to use others, he is someone who does everything on his own.

this man strives for security

His love language is granting security, this man would give you a home, financial stability, a family!! He believes in those traditional values, but he has to be mutual

He probably likes older or very experienced people!!

Since he has Venus retrograde, he could marry out of interest or convenience

represses everything he feels, he would have an internal fight for his love for you

he probably has a hard time finding a partner or dealing with his feelings.

stellium in 3rd house (sun, mercury, saturn) + sun in aquarius

First of all, the sun is detrimental. This means that Aquarius does not feel comfortable on this planet!!

Let's start with the fact that Aquarius is known zodiacally as the rebel. Everything related to society attracts him greatly. Aquarius has always been dedicated to questioning the social order and treating everyone equally. he is an idealist. he knows whats best for society.

Aquarius has a problem and it is that he is a person who is governed by independence, “I don't want friends”, but he cannot tolerate living alone “but I need them”. An aquarius without friends is like a fish out of water.

Being in detriment/exile, the influence of Aquarius on the person will take time. Since the identity of suguru (the sun) is ruled by Aquarius (ruled by Uranus or Saturn) this means that his nature will always be directed by a reforming idea. Uranus and Saturn both represent deities from old abolished belief systems (both destroyed by their children).

he is a natural eccentric. He is original, the type that sets trends, and does not need to copy anyone to stand out. he knows he's different.

This is probably linked to his father. He expected his father to be a rebellious person who opposes society, but we find that his father is a traditionalist who is governed by a system that suguru does not agree with (Saturn in Capricorn).

However, his relationship with his father is very close (Saturn in the 3rd house) he even sees him as a brother or a friend. They have a somewhat complicated relationship where, although they got along well and his father let him adopt his own ideologies, Suguru could have demonized his father a little for having instilled certain things in him. (he has Saturn –the father– in Capricorn –the father sign– and that is his stellium, he has a lot of influence from his father on him even if he doesn't realize it).

His stellium in Mercury – 3rd house – tells us that he is a person who sees those around him as his family, his companions. He is in constant mental movement because he likes to learn and share what he learns.

Being ruled by Mercury and, particularly the 3rd house, he tells us about short and quick processes. suguru is not intended for prolonged situations. He is someone who changes all the time and gets bored easily. Friends don't last long. nothing is eternal. that is what suguru will learn in this life.

Contrary to what one might believe, Saturn in the 3rd house makes him introverted and someone of few words. It is very difficult for him to leave his comfort bubble, even though he is someone very curious.

He has very good writing. He writes with capital letters and periods. Like this. And he's very good with numbers.

He has a very good memory, especially if you hurt him…

I always say that people with the presence of Aquarius in their chart tend to fall in love with a best friend.

moon in taurus 7th house

It is an exalted position, this means that there is a lot of influence on this planet. Comfort and safety is very important to keep you calm. Although he is a rebel by nature, the reality is that big changes would make him uncomfortable. Taurus is a stable land and, if an external force were to disturb it, it loses its stability.

he is the “rational voice” of others

he doesn't like surprises

he likes to eat well and stays in good shape

He would love for you to cook for him, he would eat everything

He is a type of person who inspires calm, someone with whom you can be calm and in complete silence and no one will be bothered.

I believe that Suguru has an unstable moon because there was an abrupt change in his beliefs and experiences → the moon in Taurus tends to be clinging to the past (its counterpart is Scorpio) this can also be affected by the presence of the 7th house, which returns to suguru someone who craves company

He is someone who tends to seek emotional support → validation of his emotions. Although he may be quiet and not tell about his life or thoughts, when he has a doubt or feels unstable, he falls back on social relationships to maintain stability. Without them, he is not calm

scorpio rising

The first idea that comes to mind about Suguru when seeing him is contrary and opposite to what he really is like.

we see someone reserved and observant, who does not like to stand out too much

prone to paranoia

Your first impression of him may not be very pleasant (Pluto – god of the dead), but that changes when you meet him.

KNOW HOW TO READ PEOPLE he knows your deepest secrets with a single look

pluto: changes and reforms from abroad seriously affect him

He lives a constant transformation even though the inside of him always remains the same.

gossip, he wants to know everything!!!!

jupiter in cancer 8th house + chiron in cancer 9th house

Jupiter is exalted and in opposition to his entire stellium

Basically his values were learned from the family (perhaps from the mother, especially) and these ideas were not practical, bordering on the utopian.

That is why when Suguru faces life in society and moves away from home, his ideas learned by Jupiter in Cancer and the Moon in Taurus look broken and unstable because he faces a transformative change in relationships (Scorpio ascendant and stellium in Capricorn, in the personal and social)

basically his childhood beliefs instilled within the home were doomed to find an end

His fears come from feeling out of place and that he is not loved. He feels that he will never find a “proper” philosophy, that he has no moral compass. He feels that he doesn't belong anywhere, that he is an outsider.

Jupiter 8th house and Chiron 9th house speak of two processes: the “death” of a belief system and the big question that comes after that: what is the best belief system

Suguru then considers that the belief system instilled in his home, where humans had to be protected because they were weak, he sees as indoctrination and blind faith, justice is very important to him.

pluto in scorpio + vesta in pisces + eros in aquarius

Suguru has a big conflict: what is his purpose in this world? He is a person who seeks the meaning of life. he wants to improve life and society. There is a great connection with ethics, injustice and philosophy. This problem arose in adolescence (17 years old)

The fact that he follows a specific social cause makes him lose focus on love, so I think his ideal type of partner should be someone who shares his thoughts and helps him pursue it.

The person he like must be “eccentric” and “different”

HE LIKES THE FORBIDDEN AND KEEPING THINGS SECRET. although I think (bc Venus in Capricorn) he would love to take you out to fancy restaurants where there are good food (Taurus moon). specially after you two become a couple

big dick energy. very proud.

has great acting and writing skills

[housewarningparty]

What's your top 5 impactful artists? Impactful is up to interpretation here. Or top 5 impactful albums. You get to pick 😁

ooh i think i'll go chronologically here

linkin park - i was like? 12 when meteora came out? it was a life changing record. that was the age i was truly starting to get into music and meteora was the first CD i picked out for myself that i became properly obsessed with. i had a burned copy of hybrid theory i got from one of my friends but though i loved it, nothing compared to the blissful angst of laying in bed listening to "somewhere i belong" on repeat

nevermore - this whole band but specifically the album dead heart in a dead world really were life-defining albums. they were my favorite band for many years. this band made me a metalhead. i grew up listening to them (my dad was always a big fan) but that never made them feel any less like a life changing discovery i made for myself. i used to listen to their music and read the lyric booklets with a pocket dictionary in my lap so i could look up the words i didn't understand. i got one of my cousins around my age really into them at the same time and that became this massive thing we bonded over for years. i feel like i owe every good thing in my life that came out of my relationship to metal to this band specifically. hugely, hugely important.

american football - the next biggest band to mark a massive change in my life and my music taste was probably these guys. they were my jumping off point into emo, which marked a major expansion of my music taste and interests after a solid few yeas of just being a metal guy. THE record would be the self titled, of course. nothing since they've reformed has hit quite as well. there are other emo bands that had a huge impact on me, but the fact is i wouldn't have gotten into braid or rainer maria or whoever else if amfootball hadn't opened that door for me first, so they're the band that gets to go on this list.

amanda palmer/dresden dolls - trust me i'm well aware of the problems associated with these guys but it doesn't change the fact that they were, at a time when i really needed a reason to live, artists with a life-saving impact on me. if that's a hyperbolic statement, then it's only barely so. i was truly obsessed. went to every show i could. went to coachella for the AFP set, met amanda after, teared up telling her how much her music meant to me when i was struggling with the aftermath of coming out to my family and her kindness to me in that interaction helped motivate me to come out on the drive home to the person i went to the festival with. sometimes the right band at the right time in your life can really be a life preserver. despite everything else, i'll always feel grateful for that. so glad i didn't get the tattoo i was contemplating at one time, though

screaming females - in terms of impact i couldn't write this list without including this band. literally, tangibly changed my life to be a fan of theirs. back in 2015 i posted some fanfic for this video game i liked, got a nice message from someone complimenting my work, clicked through to their blog and immediately see a photoset of marissa paternoster playing a bloody guitar and immediately messaged them back to talk about music and life is strange. we had an immediate, profound, and powerful connection. 8 years on @holdsteady is STILL my best friend. i wrote a story with her. we've been to shows together. we ate street hot dogs together. i taught her to make potato wedges. she introduced me to some of my favorite bands. i made chili for her dad. i lived in her basement for a month. i literally don't know what kind of person i would be or what my life would look like if we never met. and we owe it all to the fact that we both fuckin love tiny lesbians that shred on guitar.

this was such a great ask! i'd love to hear your answers. actually, i'd love to hear from a bunch of different people. soooo

@necrotic-biotic, @angrypedestrian, @holdsteady, @nataliving, @uneasyhearts33, @gothprentiss, @100percentdirtball, @shewhosleepsalotincemeteries, @morhdd, @chaseprice if any of you guys wanna do this too i'd love to see it (but no pressure)

[team7-headquarter]

I'm reading Sakura Hidden because I was curious about a few things and I must say, I was not expecting what I found.

I know people hate on her constantly for being "useless". It's also not surprising they find her annoying, since Kishimoto really wrote her in the classic to be irritating. But the beginning of her novel has me blinking because it's an amazing angle of what happened after the Fourth Great Ninja War.

First of all, I'm one to complain about the lack of change that happened in Konoha after the war. Hiruzen left behind a lot of dark corrupted points and Tsunade mitigated them well enough, but it wasn't enough. I was expecting a great reform, new policies, something to avoid future tragedies.

So when I read about the Kids Hospital for Mental Health, I thought "THIS is what I'm talking about". That is the type of change that should prevent the story from repeating itself (I have my issues with Boruto regarding this, you see).

Of course, it first has to be taken seriously. Think of Tsunade when she established that every team should have a medic nin— and how we don't see it in practice during Naruto classic. There were no medical nins among the Konoha 12 and no one shown interest in educating them on that regard. It was not until Tsunade that three of them were taught (Sakura, Ino and Hinata), which altered the course of the story for good.

Going back to their genin days, think about one single member of Konoha 12 that wouldn't have benefited from the Children Hospital for Mental Health. It wouldn't have erased their problems, I know that, but I bet Sasuke or Naruto or Neji or Hinata would have like to have someone there for them, willing to listen and not judge, willing to support them. Not their clans, parents or tutors, support them.

And the fact Sakura got the idea because she watched Kurenai with her baby— fuck, it messes with me. Sakura saw pass the physical injuries and saw the children suffering.

Old Konoha? They would have live saying that was a consequence of war, nothing to be done.

Sakura? Ino? They made a plan.

And it makes me think of how lucky they are to have them. Strength, skills and chakra reserves can only take you so far. What Sakura and Ino have to offer is something every shinobi dreams about: a way of dealing with the stress of their profession without it eating you away.

And they first offered it to the kids.

I'm not even a page in and the novel already has me in shambles.

[firstumcschenectady]

“Shorts!?” based on James 2:8-13 and Mark 7:14-23

It was really hot, sort of like this past week, when I went to visit some parishioners in my first church. I was in my mid-20s, and very aware of my pastoral role, so I'd carefully purchased only knee length shorts. I wore them, because they were modest and it was hot out.

The couple I visited was in their 80s, kind and thoughtful, passionate gardeners with great stories to tell. Without malice or judgement one of them remarked on my shorts to the other, something along the lines of “I never thought I'd see the day that a pastor would wear shorts.”

It had not occurred to me until that exact moment that I was violating an expectation. It was HOT OUT, and they were LONG, and someone had told me not to be too frilly or people wouldn't trust me and.... most of all, I just didn't know that pastors were expected not to wear shorts.

As an FYI this also applied to sandals and sleeveless tops, where there were expectations of some that I didn't know about. Oddly enough, I'm willing to violate your expectations if you think I shouldn't show my toes or my upper arms, but I haven't gone visiting in shorts since that day!

Our passages today land us smack dab in the middle of purity conversations, and my experience of wearing shorts on a hot day seem like a decent example of how purity expectations change with time. There was a 60 year difference in ages between the faithful members of the church and the new pastor in that story, and we didn't have the same understanding of what “appropriate” attire was for a pastor in the summer. That's not exactly shocking. I have not experienced a time when women wore hats, gloves, and dresses to church while men wore suits, ties, and had handkerchiefs but I've heard about those times. I've heard about the transitions to making space for women to wear pants. For that couple, those transitions had happened during their live-times, and I was unfathomably casual. For me, finding shorts that were long enough to be “appropriate” was seriously challenging work – I was going against the grain of what I wanted to wear and what my friends wore for the sake of adapting to expectations, and I was embarrassed to learn it wasn't enough.

As I read the Gospel this week, and listened to a story about Jesus condemning kosher dietary laws, I thought to myself, “well, that's not likely to go back to Jesus. The decision to forego Jewish purity laws happened much later in Christian history. Jesus was Jewish, and he wouldn't have condemned a faithful expression of his own tradition.” So, I went to the Jesus Seminar so they could tell me how brilliant I am.

They didn't.

Instead, they said, “The aphorism – it's not what goes in but what comes out that defiles – is a categorical challenge to the laws governing pollution and purity. … As a simple aphorism, it may well go back to Jesus: it challenges the everyday, the inherited, the established, and erases social boundaries taken to be sacrosanct. If Jesus taught that there is nothing taken into the mouth that can defile, he was undermining a whole way of life. That, in the judgement of the Fellows, sounds like Jesus.”1 They did think the later explanation of all the sins was likely a creation of Mark, for what it is worth, which is pretty much nothing.

I am not exactly sure what to do with this now, because it has a problematic anti-Semitic feel to it, but also Jesus was Jewish and I think people within a group get to see its reform. I just think that we, as Christians, better be very careful about how we speak about such things.

So I'm going to move away from the kosher conversation, and further into the purity conversation. The Social Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels makes this really interesting. They say, “Purity practices are a form of group boundary markers. They define who is in and who is out. They draw lines between those who are loyal to a group and those who are not.... Redefinition of purity rules such as Mark describes here and in the preceding passage can thus be construed as a redefinition of group and its boundaries.”2

I hadn't even thought of that. I've been too busy being upset about the way that purity movements in my life-time are anti-sex, anti-female, homophobic, transphobic, and small-minded. I missed that they had a purpose.

If purity laws about defining the boundaries of who is in and who is out, well, first of all, a lot of things suddenly make more sense. Because that indicates that by drawing a line somewhere and thus excluding someone you can feel good about yourself and your self-righteousness, and well, I've seen that trick.

But also, if purity laws are about who is in and who is out then a whole lot of the Bible makes more sense. Because it turns out the word “neighbor” is also about who is in and who is out. Back to the Commentary, “Persons interacting positively with each other in in-group ways, even when not actual kin, become “neighbors.” The term refers to a social role with rights and obligations that derive simply from living socially close to others and interacting with them – the same village or neighborhood or party or faction. Neighbors of this sort are an extension of one's kin group.”3

OK, so the ancient world was obsessed with in group and out group thinking – not so different from how we are now. And the first level of in group was family, everything else balanced on family. So as the in-group expanded outward, it became about thinking about who counted as being “family like,” and neighbors were family-like, in no small part because their well-being was tied up with one's own.

But this is weird I fall in love with the Jesus movement all over again. Because we've got this purity thing going on, this drawing lines in the sand and excluding people from it, right? But then it turns out we include our families. And we include our neighbors. And then we have this Jesus who teaches centering on the question “Who is my neighbor?” and the answer ends up being the expected enemy, and that means everyone is your neighbor and there isn't an out group after all, just one big in-group and everyone's well being is interconnected.

This concept is why I use the language “kin-dom of God” where many others have used “kingdom of God.” Part of my decision there is to reject the idea that God is like an overbearing earthly king, interested in power and obedience. That part of my decision is ironic because the whole idea of “kingdom of God” is meant to be a counter to the idea of earthly power, but it seems to me we've gotten confused along the way, and it hasn't worked. The positive piece though, is that we are moving towards the kin-dom of God when all people are treated as kin, as family, as members of the in-group, as people whose well-being is interconnected.

Now, there is a challenge in this. One of the best ways to bind a group of people together in an identity is to define an us by defining a “them.” It is engaging to be “in” and we create an “in” by creating an out. It is harder to be without those purity boundaries. But it is worth it.

When I think about being a person of faith, the way I think about it is to be about moving with God towards the kindom, and hopefully inviting others with me along the way. Or, in similar language, I'm told one of my predecessors in this pulpit, J. Edward Carothers, talked about the purpose of church being “to establish and maintain connections of mutual support in an ever widening circle of concern.”

Ever widening circle of concern. Which might, even, be a circle of mercy. Our James reading ends with “mercy shouts victory over judgment.” I always have to remember that mercy is compassion shown to someone who it would be in one's power to punish or harm. In this phrasing it seems like the opposite of judgment. Judgment would be using one's power to punish or harm. But “Mercy shouts victory over judgment.” James is making a point common to the Bible – the ways we act and judge are the ways we will be treated and the ways we will be judged. Be merciful, he says, so you will receive mercy. Be merciful so mercy shouts victory over judgment.

May mercy be the way forward.

Compassion, when one holds the power over another.

Compassion.

Mercy.

Mercy shouts victory over judgment.

Ever widening circles of mercy.

Until the kindom comes.

Yes, God, yes, let's do it! Amen

1Robert W. Funk, Roy W. Hoover and the Jesus Seminar, The Five Gospels: What Did Jesus Really Say? (USA: HarperOne, 1993) 69.

2Bruce J. Malina and Richard L. Rohrbaugh Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003) “Textual Notes: Luke 16:1-16” p. 176.

3Malina and Rohrbaugh, 373.

Rev. Sara E. Baron 

First United Methodist Church of Schenectady 

603 State St. Schenectady, NY 12305 

Pronouns: she/her/hers 

http://fumcschenectady.org/  https://www.facebook.com/FUMCSchenectady

September 10, 2023

[discountdyke]

*wakes up* and what was even the narrative purpose of killing off akechi? I can only assume it was an extremely half assed attempt at redemption - reveal sad backstory and then sacrifice life thus indebting the team to him - but like. it would have been SO much more meaningful to have him join the team, esp since u have a full scene of nearly every member begging him to join them, and atone that way. it could have been SUCH an interesting take on the justice system and what it really means to atone and not earn forgiveness, exactly, but to grow in spite of the horrible things you've done. dying in what was quite frankly not even a life threatening situation is not only pointless for the story as a whole but it also like... is not redeeming in any sense? he literally did not have to do any of that. it just feels like the writers didn't know what to do with him at that point so they were like fuck it just kill him off.

[laulink]

Something I found really interesting in Three Houses and Three Hopes is the insight we get on Edelgard and Dimitri's viewpoints on reforms and how to do them.

In her C support with Dorothea, to the question "can you really do that ?" (only keep the useful nobles and get rid of the useless ones, making people able to rise in station based on their merits instead of their family name), Edelgard answers "it's not a matter of can or cannot, it's a matter of doing it and doing it right".

In Three Hopes, when news reach Dimitri of Edelgard's declaration of war on the Central Church, he says he admires her reforms, but that it isn't wise to rush them so much because "if you force reforms down people's throats, they will revolt".

Their viewpoints are educated ones, based on their experiences and how their countries work : Edelgard saw her father lose all his power to the seven main noble families because they managed to do their coup "right" and basically overtake the country, so if she does her own thing "right", she can also achieve her goals, no matter what they are. Dimitri, however, was traumatised by the Tragedy of Duscur, which was orchestrated by outside forces, yes, but was still the revolt of a population against a ruler, which led to the ruler's death and the population being massacred, not to mention the coup against him when it is time for him to take the throne and his uncle doesn't agree, which, to my understanding, basically led to a civil war (I haven't gotten to that part in AM and haven't played AG yet, so I don't really know about the details).

Both of them are right : Edelgard accused the Central Church of corruption and having too much power, which was also part of the official reason behind the Insurrection of the Seven, while also reviving the Southern Church so the believers in the Empire would still have a higher power to look up to for guidance. She did her thing right and from what we know of the two games and their future, it seems like it works out for her. But Dimitri is also right in that implementing big reforms against the population's desires can lead to revolt, and though it's very unlikely to be a real threat without outside influence to organise and weaponise it, like we see in Three Hopes with the revolts in Hrym and Ordelia territory, it's still going to cause casualties Dimitri wants to avoid.

So even if Dimitri wanted to implement the same reforms as Edelgard (which isn't the case, let's be clear about that, he admires her policies but that doesn't mean he wants to put an end to noble houses and inheritance since he and the other Faerghus nobles firmly believe in the necessity for people wielding Crests and Heroes' relics to be in charge to protect their country), he wouldn't actually do it, or at least not immediately, but waiting for the right time to implement reforms is opening yourself up to the risk of never having the chance to do it, leaving it to the next generation who might also never find the right time, etc, etc, and things will never change, or not as much as you want, not to mention the risk of someone with different values than yours taking power and making things worse. Dimitri's way is more peaceful, but at a pretty high risk of failing, while Edelgard's way has more chances of success but necessitates to sacrifice countless lives in war.

[n1kolaiz]

"You want to know what death is? I'll tell you. Death is the loss of life. Despite everything doctors like me attempt... a patient's life can still fall through our fingers. You think death lies in the apex of science? Anyone with such little regard for life will die by my hand."

Character Analysis: Yosano Akiko

Age: 25 || Ability: Thou Shalt Not Die

BSD CHAPTER CHAPTER 65-66 SPOILERS

table of contents:

1. Author counterpart.

2. Yosano's history.

3. 'Angel of Death' defined.

4. Yosano and Atsushi.

YOSANO BRAINROT!*(#&!*@#($

1. Author counterpart.

Having been given the “Sho Ho” at birth, Yosano Akiko’s counterpart—the real-life author—was known for her zealous take on both feminism and pacifism.

Side note: Once again, to avoid confusion, I will use the name Sho Ho in reference to the real-life author, and Yosano in reference to the BSD character.

Sho Ho's writings were pretty much out-of-the-ordinary in her time, and despite being suppressed by the social norms of gender hierarchy, she sought to reform society’s view on the cultural perspectives of women and their sexuality (She expressed her love for a woman in one of her poems, but many still argued on whether she identified herself as queer or not.)

"Thou Shalt Not Die," Yosano's ability, is actually named after one of Sho Ho's most famous, controversial poems. She wrote it for her brother, who was a soldier in the war between Russia and Japan (1904-1905). In her poem, she expressed her general distaste for war and how her brother was a part of it.

O my young brother, I cry for you Don't you understand you must not die! You who were born the last of all Command a special store of parents' love

Would parents place a blade in children's hands

Teaching them to murder other men Teaching them to kill and then to die? Have you so learned and grown to twenty-four?

- excerpt from Sho Ho's poem, "Kimi Shinitamou Koto Nakare"

Her words were blunt enough to inflict guilt on her brother's conscience, as she wasn't afraid to express her disapproval over how her brother took part in the typical violent bloodshed and manslaughter of war. Such opinions perturbed the authorities, and her work was eventually banned from the public for a period of time. Later on, it was used as an anti-war statement.

2. Yosano's history.

Now, as for the character in BSD, Yosano is seen to be generally strong-willed, and later on, we see that she is terrifyingly compassionately ambitious in the way she treats her patients. She treasured life itself, and hated the thought of losing a patient.

Yosano had developed her relations with Mori Ougai back in the Great War, when she was just 11 years old. Her ability was a great benefactor in saving lives. Realistically speaking, she was used for her ability to heal injured soldiers and diminish the effect of any casualty acquired.

Initially, she wasn't aware of this, until one of her close friends pointed it out by subtly accusing Mori of manipulating her to participate in the War under the close-to false pretence of 'saving lives.'

As much as her ability did save lives, it also forced soldiers to return to the frontlines and suffer injuries over and over again. The soldiers were never given the opportunity to return to their families because of her ability. This obliged them to carry on in the war without any excuse, inserting them into a vicious cycle they had no escape out of.

Metaphorically speaking, Yosano's hatred for Mori sort of mirrors Sho Ho's disdain for war and fighting, don't you think? The way Kafka materialised Yosano's past was quite interesting because he used chapters 65 and 66 to explain Yosano's dislike for Mori, reflecting how Sho Ho used her poem to explain why she condemned the idea of war and how her brother was part of it.

Before the effect of her ability was fully understood, however, every soldier praised and thanked her for what an angel she was. One of the soldiers she had befriended and gotten close to even kept a tally of the number of times she had saved him. He was the one who gifted her the butterfly hairpin she wore all the time.

The weight of the truth that her ability was a curse rather than a blessing fully dawned on her when her soldier friend ultimately committed suicide, because the fact of being indefinitely trapped in the throes of war agonised him until his spirit gave out. This drove Yosano to loathe her ability, or rather, how it was used.

In the time she participated in the War, Yosano was given the alias 'angel of death' due to the control she retained over the battlefield, but I thought that perhaps Kafka had a reason behind giving her this title, so I did my research.

3. 'Angel of Death' defined.

Side note: I wouldn't want to disrespect any culture or religion, so if my citations are inaccurate and/or disrespectful, do feel free to correct me/let me know! I did research out of pure curiosity, and I don't intend to twist the significance of any of the interpretations.

I had to grow up learning about the basics of religious stuff, so it's kind of nice to study something out of the box, and very much against my father's rigid belief system :D

ARCHANGEL ARIEL

(archangel: an angel of higher rank)

I came across the few characteristics of angels/goddesses and their roles, and the one which really caught my attention was the female archangel, Ariel, the angel of nature.

[ source ]

In Hebrew, the name Ariel means 'altar' or 'lioness of God,' and her role is to heal. In addition to that, she is also recognised as a helper to another one of the seven main archangels, Raphael, whose role is to provide physical and emotional healing, too.

She is the protecter of the environment and the animals therein, and is bestowed with the duty to oversee the order of heavenly bodies as well as earth's natural resources. She assures the sustenance of food, water, shelter, and supplies of human beings, much like how a nurse is to a patient I suppose.

In relation to Yosano, I think this part is pretty self-explanatory, or perhaps this is blown out of proportion HA, so take this as a suggestion rather than a fact, because I'd like to believe that Kafka had a reason for giving Yosano a title as such.

In the past, I've come across the angel of death only to perceive it as a female grim reaper of some sort, so it was pretty cool to find that the word 'angel' and 'death' made up a title of a someone like Ariel, one of the purest forms of humility and compassion.

GREEK GODDESS PANAKEIA

For my beloved (wannabe/or not) students of Greek mythology (much like myself, let's make a cult!), you've probably heard of Panakeia, the goddess of healing. Medicine finds most of its vital significance in Greek history, and in its mythology, Panakeia is actually known for her ability to heal any kind of sickness.

[ source ]

Her name means 'panacea,' which is actually defined as a remedy for all diseases. Terminal diseases and injuries lead to death, right? This would bring us back to Yosano's ability to nullify any injury's effects on a person, keeping them from death itself.

Now, we know that in order for Yosano's ability to work, her patient, or victim, has to be in a near-death condition in order for her treatment to take effect. This can't exactly fit into the description of resurrection, but it can be described as some sort of rebirth.

GREEK GODDESS PERSEPHONE

So another goddess which reminds me of Sho Ho/Yosano, is Persephone, the goddess of spring and rebirth. Before Hades, the god of the underworld, fell in love with Persephone to take her to live with him, Persephone lived a happy life.

Hades, with his nature of darkness and the like, was captivated by how pure Persephone was, and stole her away from her former life to live in an environment which differed sharply from her natural aura of purity.

[ source ]

Remember when Yosano's friend left a note behind before he killed himself? The note said nothing except for, "You are too righteous." Take that as you will, but figuratively speaking, you could say Mori takes the role of Hades in the story, while Yosano can be portrayed as Persephone.

Sho Ho can also be a parallel of Persephone, in that she had to adapt to the realities of war and disharmony, while Persephone had to adapt to the raw darkness of the underworld with Hades.

Sho Ho stood against society's norms and decided to reform it, making her one of the most well-known feministic pacifist in history, while Persephone managed to escape from the underworld to return to her former position, earning the title the 'Bringer of Life,' or the 'Destroyer of Death.'

Furthermore, the way Sho Ho's anti-war poem took its effect later on, reflects the way Persephone restored balance in the world after returning from the underworld.

4. Yosano and Atsushi.

chapter 66; Yosano: "It's my fault that those close to me died... Is there some place where it's okay for me to live?"

chapter 8; Atsushi: "If I have any chance of saving them all, of returning them home safely, would that mean it's okay for me to keep on living?"

I couldn't help but think of Dazai and Atsushi back when I was reading through these panels. Ranpo (my beloved), along with Fukuzawa, accepted Yosano as she was, despite how her ability was a cause of despair and misfortune.

Ranpo looked past her mistakes and the entirety of how dark her past was to welcome her into the Armed Detective Agency. Dazai, on the other hand, knew who Atsushi was and what his ability had made him do before anyone else, and still decided to provide a safe place for Atsushi to find his sense of belonging, journeying with him as he learned to use his ability properly.

For more info about Dazai and Atsushi's dynamic, you can check out the analysis I did for Dazai :D

Atsushi desired to save people to prove his right to live, while Yosano made her wish to achieve the recovery of all her patients the reason for her existence.

Others would prefer to accuse both Yosano and Atsushi of having a saviour complex, but the reason why they pursued to save people with utmost dedication, stems from the nature of what their past was like. You know the saying 'from broken to beautiful?' Yeah, it's something like that.

The way their pasts were written out gave them a desire to change, which was, I daresay, initiated by the people who took them in: Ranpo and Dazai. Their abilities were demonised because of how they were used, but once they broke from their abilities' effect over their lives, they honed their skills to control them for the right cause instead.

In a less cynical point of view, I believe both Yosano and Atsushi stood for what was right, and wanted nothing but to achieve peace and harmony in whatever way they could, even if it meant risking their own lives to save others.

So yeah, that's it for my rants today. Thank you for reading, and if you have anything to add, go ahead! I'm open to discussions ;)

[smolstarthief]

Persona 5/Persona 5 Strikers: Pro-Police or Anti-Police?

Hoo boy... So this honestly has been a LONG time coming on my end because I have seen so much of that debate on social media (Twitter namely) and I can see the points of BOTH sides but there have been moments where it just got out of hand... Especially whenever people tried to put in a more grey/nuanced take only to be slammed and taken out of context. Even repeatedly mentioning the interrogation at the beginning of P5 which, I will admit has gotten tiresome. At least for me, I do still feel for Joker and I wished the game acknowledged his trauma more but there's a thing called, "beating a dead horse" and this is one along with "Haru says ACAB" in Strikers (which was done THREE TIMES in the same arc and it got annoying fast, like shut up already! We get it!). So, let's dive in a little bit:

MAJOR SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT!!!

Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal

Now let me just say I know! Police in Japan are just as bad if not worse than the West and I STILL hate the idea of Makoto wanting to become a cop for such naive reasons (especially with what happened to Sae, her own sister!)... But there are at least some of form of nuances sometimes and by that I mean, I can see what they were trying to do? I do agree that P5/P5S backpedaled SEVERELY by deciding to sweep issues under the rug after addressing them and not continuing from such. In fact I feel like it could have been a hell of a lot better. But P5 did something different compared to previous games and addresses the issues DIRECTLY right at the beginning of said game! It was tense and horrifying, but needed. Of course... They then sweep it under the rug and act like nothing traumatic happened to our protag which is NOT a good look at all and I'm still pissed off about it. In the main game's case, it's portrayed as more black and white with only a SMALL amount of nuance like that cop that was trying to help Futaba when she went out by herself and got lost (which people ignore entirely by the way). So I CAN see where people got the "anti-police" message from... But that's only the tip of the iceberg as it's ACTUALLY more about Systematic Corruption, not exactly or JUST police corruption. Namely in politics with Shido and the Conspiracy (which is apparently still somewhat around in Strikers until Owada's downfall) controlling everything all the way to law enforcement. The force had been basically under his payroll (including the corrupt SIU Director before his death) whether by force or not (mostly not in this case though). Now honestly, the police depicted there are undoubtedly rotten to the core save for a VERY SMALL handful (the cop that was trying to help Futaba which, again, gets ignored by several). Look at the interrogators who ruthlessly beat and drug a minor without any second thought or remorse for example. But again, the black and white narrative the game kept unwittingly doing ended up being to its detriment in a way. I'm not defending those assholes AT ALL! They deserved every punishment given to them! But for a game that goes on about grey morality... It doesn't quite deliver on that. Still though, it does emphasize that it's more of the fault of the whole corrupt system, not just one part of it. There needs to be change and reform which is what our MCs were trying to do in a way (more like inspiring change but still). In the end, it's all about the following:

Corruption and abuse of power.

Again the police depicted in this game were incompetent at best, corrupt at worse with very few silver linings. But it's not just them but rather the one person responsible for the whole mess. Who had them under his payroll? Who controlled them and by extension all of Tokyo? Who was willing to dispose of anyone who "outlives their usefulness" or is perceived as a threat to what he wants (including his own family)?

SHIDO AND BY EXTENSION THE CONSPIRACY

Bottom line: They are definitely a problem but it's not just them.

"But, Joker and his trauma?"

I definitely understand that and still do. I fully believe he has and still has trauma with the police. Easy! But... I do feel like people go too far with it sometimes. It's hard to explain but there have been moments where people either use it as a justification/argument against someone trying to provide a more nuanced view of things or... Dare I say, depict him like a "uwu soft traumatized boi." Like I said, it's hard to explain on my end so feel free to ignore it. Everyone deals with trauma differently so there is STRONG chance that I'm overanalyzing it. I just remember moments where I just feel a little, I guess annoyed? I'm not sure exactly but final thing: I understand what he went through and I can't imagine how long it would take to recover but I hope he DOES overcome it.

"Sae? Akechi?"

Yep, even though their jobs are different, they are by and large members of law enforcement no matter how you spin it. Both were broken in a way. Akechi is pretty easy to explain with how Shido negatively impacted his life but not much about Sae, who dealt with sexism/misogyny at her workplace along with the trauma of her father's (also a cop) death. She no doubt had some idealism only to be hit with the fact that she's gonna have to use underhanded/downright illegal tactics to get by and even rise up the ranks. She, therefore ended up (well, nearly) corrupted herself before coming to her senses. That's honestly one of the BIGGEST REASONS why I felt like Makoto joining the force to become a police commissioner isn't a good, even a downright naïve, idea. I honestly would have been somewhat fine with it if it weren't for that fact among other things. Regardless of her willpower, it will go south fast.

Now... Onto Strikers!

Persona 5 Strikers

Since the game came out and I started playing it, I still feel like the system is still beyond saving, especially when attempting to do it from the inside. But I don't mind the added nuances that P5 didn't do much of. It's still continuing the critiques, just shows more of what does happen within said system and even has an ACTUAL officer (Zenkichi) say, "Yeah, my job sucks, everyone's corrupt, there are much better ways to do things and make a change but not this. I'm only staying because I have a daughter to take care of and it's all I know. I'm no different from them." Was it all handled well? I wouldn't say "yes" (Joker's trauma is BARELY addressed at all of course) but a little better than what P5's narrative did which only addressed the issues but not exactly follow up on them. Now to be fair... In the system, regardless of where you live, any one within it who remotely tries to do something or speak against it either lose their jobs or even go "missing" irl. Those have happened and it's more proof that yeah, it's rotten to the core. There's no denying it but regardless, that's NOT what the game is about at all. At least that's what I feel about it as it's only PART of the narrative. I think Zenkichi puts it best here:

Speaking of Zenkichi... Oh boy... Now I definitely understand some of the criticisms with him but honestly, he was the best written (PT) character I've ever encountered! He was honestly the perfect representation of those that genuinely want to help and do good, only to be held back by an extremely harsh reality. It was already hinted at with Sae but here? It 100 percent confirms just how harsh and even cutthroat it can be if it could break someone's idealism so badly. Even Kaburagi of all people thinks the same thing Zenkichi said:

Then there's his past and it's a tragic one! But let's look more at the decisions he ended up making:

While it was no doubt done to protect his daughter, he ended making a selfish decision along with a selfless one (which was brilliant!) with not only allowing the cover up of his wife's death and denying justice for her, but also ruining an innocent person and their family's lives.

It's horrible, but also... There's a grey area/nuance as with the rest of his character. It was both understandable, but also wrong as he, as Akane's Shadow puts it:

He sacrificed his values, his morals, all for the sake of having a peace of mind. Speaking of Akane, she's also an interesting case in a way that she more or less perfectly represents the more "black and white" views on justice in general. Namely the more toxic/biased kind. Her reasons are also understandable but she was also acting selfishly by only focusing on how SHE was effected by Aoi's death and not even considering those that were also grieving her death and/or that people grieve/handle grief differently than her. But back on topic.

Her own views and beliefs that law enforcement basically SHOULD be dismantled (mostly out of said childish bias and black & white views) and it's framed as WRONG and it's very much correct on that. Chaos and order are two sides of the same coin, one can't exist without the other. When I say ACAB, I'm calling for reform, defund, have the corrupt held accountable for EVERYTHING and even face jail time for their crimes! Defund the police, have the ones that arrest, harm, and even murder out of bias (race, gender, etc.), lose their badges/jobs and locked up, make improvements! It's saying that there IS still corruption out there and there's no denying it. But fully eliminating the law in general will just lead to more problems. Now granted, she's young and clearly doesn't fully understand why those views are ultimately wrong but still... It was a very interesting subject to tackle and I feel like they handled it well.

Now back to Zenkichi, he was at first in denial about his decisions ultimately being the wrong ones too and even tries to justify it. Of course, his Shadow said otherwise and that was when he finally admitted that he really did act no different from the criminals he despised. But it also doesn't mean he can't redeem himself and that's what ultimately leads to his new resolve:

That right there along with everything else! There's the nuance! And ultimately despite some hiccups, Strikers handled the grey morality and nuance beautifully! Especially regarding law enforcement! Dare I say, even better than the base game! It continues the critiques with no problem but also showing different sides and areas of it! There is good and evil, but what about in-between? What about the more greyer area? It still says that there IS corruption, sometimes even beyond saving but... Sometimes a small silver lining is hidden somewhere.

Now, the ultimate question:

Is P5 & P5S (namely the latter) Pro-Police or Anti-Police?

Personally, my answer is this: Neither.

Why? What theme do they both have in common?

JUSTICE

Someone puts it best on Twitter that the games are more pro-justice and I fully agree!

P5/P5S gives the idea about following your OWN justice, your OWN moral code and rules, paving your OWN path and not let others dictate it! That's what the MCs ultimately start to learn in both games. Therefore it's pro-justice. Again, do I agree that the system is beyond saving? Yeah. Do I at least acknowledge and understand what the narratives are trying to say and nuances regardless even if I don't agree with some writing decisions (ex: Makoto wanting to become a commissioner despite everything)? Also yes. But at the same time, don't judge a book by its cover for other people (not just law enforcement and politics mind you). Especially some that genuinely DO want to help at best. That there is nuance and greyness, just have to look closely. Some of the MCs are still TERRIBLY written and executed (even annoying) but the message was still somewhat there.

Final Thoughts

Now I fully understand how you all feel of course! I still believe in ACAB and even I agree that maybe I'm one to talk and have a lot more to learn about the world... This is just my own attempt at putting my own two cents in. If you disagree, that's fine! This is just what I've felt should be at least talked about more often. And I tried to phrase it as best as I can without coming off as insensitive or ignorant and if I did, I sincerely apologize for that! I'm not trying to say, come off as a "bootlicker" or any of the sort. I'm just trying show discuss more of the grey areas and nuances that are, more often than not, constantly overlooked. How one interprets both games is ultimately up to them. You, the player. And this is my own interpretation. Simple as that. I hope you all have a good day/afternoon/evening!

[rosemary-is-in-pesterquest]

Terezi seriously deserves so much better... post canon would've been the perfect place to revive her friendship with both Dave and Karkat. but also, her and Vriska's relationship got totally shafted in post canon. for self proclaimed Vriska fans, they don't really seem to be including her? like they basically just replaced her with a bland teen version? what the hell was the point of that? to go off a bit: the most interesting parts of Vriska's story are centered around her traumatic upbringing, which she deals with in ways that make her difficult to love, and Terezi is tied to her through repeated attempts to love her anyway, in spite of how hard it can be.

the trolls actually have a lot of relationships where one person has to decide when to stick by someone, and when to give up. Sollux ends up in a kind of limbo state with Aradia... he still likes who she was, but she's not that anymore when we first meet her as a ghost. Kanaya is interested in Vriska for a bit, but eventually feels unappreciated and used after spending probably longer than she should've trying to become interesting to her. Feferi has to figure out how to give up on Eridan without it resulting in widespread destruction, and that threat is why their relationship is exhausting to her in the first place. and Terezi has probably the most complex conundrum of all with Vriska. the two of them grew up together, and spent a long time killing a lot of their peers. for Vriska, it was essential to her survival and she had no choice, while for Terezi, it was just a recreational activity... and this is why Terezi eventually feels more guilt over it, and is able to realize that she should try to reform herself. meanwhile, Vriska built so much of her identity and self worth around taking pride in her ruthless persona, that it seems inextricable from who she is.

Vriska can't give up her kill-or-be-killed ways, even when she doesn't need to appease her lusus anymore, because this is the metric by which she judges people, and she can't stand to see herself as a victim. to her, weakness makes you killable... the way her lusus threatened her taught her that. failure results in death. and that's what bothers her so much about Tavros. by the standards she grew up under, he shouldn't have even made it as far as he did. but he also didn't even grow up by the same standards as Vriska to begin with. his lusus is tiny and cute, and he's clearly never even been asked to do anything violent before. even the fact that he had a choice is a novel concept. he didn't earn the right to live... not the way Vriska had to. to her, that's not fair. he even wanders into a game called "fatal live action roleplaying" like... the word "fatal" is in the name, looking for a fun adventure. as if Vriska hadn't been using this game to hunt her peers all this time. and she's probably killed a ton of more capable trolls than Tavros. what gives him a pass compared to them? the basic existence of someone like Tavros is like a wound that Vriska can't stop picking at, even while she's too prideful to admit she would've wanted a better life than what she got. instead, she has to hold others to this ruthless standard. if she doesn't, she might have to admit that her struggle was optional, or that it might not have made any sense to demand that much murder from a child. she didn't have to be raised like that. but like hell she's gonna play the victim. and it's alienating to be hated because of the one thing you feel like you've really accomplished. nobody could ever stomach being proud of Vriska, so she does it herself. she only has herself to rely on anyway.

all of this signifies a person who is damaged. she's in survival mode all the time, and it prevents her from forming connections with people. and Terezi sees this. Vriska's connection to Tavros is unhealthy, not just because Tavros is being bullied, but because Vriska isn't moving on. she's still all wrapped up in the idealized superiority of power, and won't admit that she even needs anyone or anything, even though she's genuinely not okay with losing so many of her friends over the Scourge/Charge debacle. so many of them consider this a step too far, but Vriska has genuine trouble discerning what the difference is between this, and her whole lifetime's worth of behavior. this is what she's had to do, and they're all more horrified at her, than they are at the things that made it necessary for her to turn out this way. and they don't have any solutions either. none of her friends can say "oh, well you should've handled it this way. then we could accept you" because the morally responsible thing to do would've been to die. Vriska not existing could've technically saved a lot of lives... if Vriska isn't proud of her strength, she might have to actually start feeling guilty for what she's done. and if Vriska felt a level of guilt that others think is appropriate for what she's done, she'd basically be ruined. people consider her unsalvageable, and she knows they see her that way. it breeds mistrust, and leads to her making all her decisions on her own, without asking anyone's advice or permission. they won't forgive her for even being alive, so screw them anyway. it drives a deeper wedge.

and Terezi is the one who actually understands all of this. she gets it... she was there. but she also knows that it would be healthier for Vriska to admit that she doesn't have to, or want to, live that way anymore. pride be damned, the things they did were awful, and their behavior should change. Terezi always had less riding on her adherence to these standards, so she was able to discard them easier. and now that she's on the other side of it, she knows that the longer you spend acting like that, the more the shame stacks up in hindsight. Vriska is digging herself a hole, and it's painful to watch, because Vriska is still basically Terezi's best friend. it's a hard position... if Vriska is never held accountable for anything, and never suffers consequences, then she may never change. but Terezi also irrationally wants to forgive her. because Terezi also wants to forgive herself. she doesn't want to believe that either of them are irredeemable, but when she kills Vriska, it seems as though they both were. it feels like they were both ruined. from the very beginning, as kids growing up in a fucked up environment, they never stood a chance. it's why they needed each other.

I just really wish post canon could focus on these two healing. they're both so well written, and so complex and interesting... and I was even really liking the hints of John and Terezi picking on each other. let Terezi have low stakes contention with someone! shenanigans that don't result in death would be good for both her and Vriska tbh. and it'd be so funny cuz like, Vriska is fond of John, and Terezi is so peeved by him. I think Vriska really started healing by knowing John, cuz as a human, she has a blank slate with him, and he couldn't have been raised ruthless, even if he would've been adept at being that way. to Vriska, John is an alien and doesn't work on the same scale as her. it leaves the point of survivability pretty moot, so Vriska isn't viewing everything in terms of that with him. and it's nice. she has fun. she gets to feel like a kid in a way that she never got to, because everything really is so simple. what I wouldn't give for the three of them to be able to pal around on earth C, that'd be so interesting!

(I’m not gonna add anything bc this is just, so good)

[galeslament]

💝 // from Sunburst

Send 💝 and my Muse will ramble on about how they presently feel about yours. || Accepting!

"How I-I feel about Sunburst?" Gale was someone who, unless explicitly told to-- wouldn't think about his emotions towards another that deeply. Especially when they were positive. It was a subconscious aversion, because if he thought about it... they were made more real.

"Well, at first-- I-I was terrified of him. As I am of most most ponies. Only more so, when I learned of who he was connected to. I-I had taken a chance, that day in the library. As the days passed, and nothing happened... I-- I-I came to realize, for the first time-- a pony had kept their word when I revealed myself to them. They hadn't tried to kill me, hadn't tried to lure me into a trap, hadn't tried to... Ah-- I-I'm getting off topic--"

"I was still weary of them, though. I-It was habit at this point. I needed to see them again to... Well-- see i-if he'd treat me differently-- now that they'd had time to process who-- what-- I am." A soft-- fond-- smile had slowly crept it's way onto his face. Eyes somewhere else, as he went on. Voice... relieved. It had been all through this, but it became more so as Gale processed his own emotions. "... He didn't. He seemed... happy to see me-- but maybe that's simply me reading too much i-into it. Nonetheless, it was a positive reception. I-I was happy-- that I could help him again. Not to mention, it was for that reformed Changeling's sake-- Thorax, was i-it? It... It gives me hope-- that one day I'll be... ah-- sorry-- off topic again--"

"... Admittedly-- I-I brought him to my archive without thinking it all the way through. It just-- it just felt okay-- safe-- to take him there? I-I'd just been so eager to help, and I-I wanted to do so as soon as possible. I-I hadn't thought about the possibility that he'd like it there-- be interested in what I'd collected-- what I'd written. It... I-It seemed just-- so impossible... Foolish, in hindsight-- he seems to be a rather accomplished sorcerer. Especially i-if he has ties to the princesses. Of course he'd want to read what I have... Although, even knowing all that-- i-it still just feels... shocking? I-In a good way?"

"I-I... I wonder sometimes--" Looking down at his hooves, he raised one, as if to examine it. "If I was born a Unicorn, if I-I lived in this era, if I was lucky enough... would I meet him, and be able to be friends with him...? Or even more than that?" He was not going to question why that was a thought-- "... Or would all of that be out of my reach, as i-it is now? Though, surely-- it'd all be... easier." A shake of the head, as he set his hoof down. "No point i-in those impossible thoughts. After all, even if the view he has of me right now is positive... I-It won't remain that way. I'll... I'll mess it up somehow. I-I've speculated that, perhaps-- he doesn't fully grip the situation. Perhaps, after he sees what lays beneath..."

"... I think-- I-I think for now, I'll just try to... prevent that... For as long as I can." Downcast eyes, flickered-- reverting to something more true. "... It... I-I'm not looking forward to how much it'll hurt..."

@pastelponyparade

[miss-sleepdeprived]

Im gonna level with you the vast majority of this was written at 3 in the morning and I’m too tired to deal with it any more so let’s hope for the best

Also this is the first part of the prologue \/

“Ah Welcome! How can I help you little lady?”

Alana just about jumped out of her skin, the people here were so friendlier than the ones at her kingdom despite the cold. It was odd.

The smith was an older man with a round face and body, he appeared a jolly fellow who she imagined wouldn't question her specifics.

“I need a sword, something that can cut through bone.” she said pulling her cloak tight around her shoulders.

“ Well alright I have something or did you have plans for it?”

“ I had plans but if it's not possible I understand.”

“ Well let me see ‘em before we say that.”

Alana smiled before pulling out her book, it was dark brown leather bound with a scarlet A on the front as her initials. Flipping to the correct page she handed the book to the smith who took it with surprising gentleness handling it with care looking over the plans before handing it back.

“Well I can do it for sure but its gonna be a hefty price little lady.”

She jumped “Right.” pulling the bad of gems and gold from her belt. “Would this be enough? I can get more if it’s not this is just what I brought with me.”

Handing it to the man he took it with the same gentleness he took her note book, opening it carefully to examine it’s contents.

“Hunny this is perfect, I imagine I can have it done sometime next month butif that works for you, just drop by anytime and have a chat if you want as well, I love the company.”

Alana smiled nodding her head before replying. “Next month is perfect, and if I have the time I may come for a visit thank you.”

“Any time little lady, now you be careful out there I think a storm is a brewin.”

The weeks passed and when she had the time Alana did come to the smithery and visit even well after her sword was made. While there she learned the name of the smith Arther and that Arther had a daughter by the name of Layla whom she met about her 3rd visit to the smithery and was now well acquainted with and could reliably consider her a friend.

Putting her trust in this new friend she told Layla of her plan and who exactly she was, Layla had been less then surprised as she had heard the horror that was king Reed understanding Alana's wish to rid the country of the tirant.

“Hey Lana?” Layla asked, grabbing the blonds attention.

Alana made a noise of acknowledgement moving her head towards her friend. “What is the hierarchy like in Iceland? Cuz here the oldest and second had to fight it out to figure out who’s the heir but I imagine it’s different where your from,”

Alana thought on the topic before giving her decision as it had never crossed her mind. “Well it’s mostly circumstantial, so let’s say that the current ruler died of natural causes then in their will whoever was stated would become ruler in my case my sister despite me being older. However let’s say that he were to get killed via assation then whoever killed him would be dubbed the new ruler despite the people's opinion.”

“Why is that?”

“Because of the crown.” Alana started. “I’ve spent my entire life learning about my country and by far the most interesting thing is the crown of the royals, it is made with a frame of black stone with three pillars in the front, the two on the sides used to have glow stone imbedded in them however the current king had them removed and replaced with coal. And the one in the middle has a good sized netheright that is enchanted to stay on the head of the royal regardless of force if the royal doesn’t want it off it won’t be coming off. The only exception being if they died.”

“Okay so let’s say that someone that wasn’t in the bloodline killed them, what would the crown do?”

“It would attach to the person who killed them although it isn’t normal for that to happen because of security precautions, we are called the most war efficient country for a reason. The people there are rough, ready to fight at any moment. It’s kind of sad if I’m honest.”

“Really?”

“Yes, think about it, wouldn't you be sad if all the time you had to keep a solid face always preparing for the worst because who knows when your king is going to declare war on a country and you're going to have to leave everything to help. I’m sorry I fell down quite the rabbit hole didn’t I?” Alana said with a shy smile

Layla put her hand on Alanas arm.” No no it’s okay that’s how you feel things are you see things from the villagers perspective it’s a sign of a great ruler! And why I thought Willbur would have been a better one.”

Layla mumbled the last but tho it was clear Aruther heard her as he was quick to scold her.

“Layla, you know it’s none of our business what goes on at the capital. And besides, Technoblade still has a time to mature all those boys do and will with time just like you, I remember you once tried to “storm the capital” because you didn’t like the color of banners they put up.”

“GREEN IS THE WORST COLOR TO PUT IN AN ENTIRELY WHITE AND BLUE AREA!”

Arther simply laughed at his daughter's childishness shaking his head as he went back to cleaning and sharpening tools.

Huffing and falling back into her chair Layla noticed something under Alana's cloak.

“Hey Lana?”

“Humm?”

“Come out back with me for a sec?”

“Sure.”

The two girls walked around to the back of the store where it was much warmer then the rest of the outside considering the walls meant to keep the wind out and the active fire that Arther used to reform tools.

“Okay cutting right to the chase do you have wings?”

“Uh..”

“YOU DO!? CAN YOU FLY!? CAN YOU TAKE ME FLYING!?”

“That’s what your wondering?”

“Uh duh, I mean come on I find out my best friend has wings and you think I’m not gonna want a ride?” she gasped before continuing. “ CAN I SEE THEM!!!??”

Alana jumped before putting her hands on Layla’s shoulders and covering her mouth to keep her quiet.

“Okay okay you can see them if you promise to be quiet.”

The brunette nodded frantically before watching Alana move her cloak allowing the massive white wings to stretch and the bones to pop from being stuck under the cloak for so long, ruffling the feathers to put them back the their place before turning back to Layla rolling her eyes slightly to see her practically jumping in her spot before nodding and allowing her friend to run her hands threw the small feathers along her back all the way down to the big ones that allow her to fly all the while checking with Alana to make sure it was okay.

“Why do you keep them under your cloak?” Layla asked with a quizzing look in her face.

“Well my parents don’t like them too much I’m not sure why but they truly just don’t want to look at them if they can help it. I think mother would cut them off if she could if I’m being honest.”

Layla stood still before opening her mouth again.

“That’s bullshit! Your wings are beautiful if I’m being honest it’s hard to see you without them now they are just so you anyone that says any different need to pull their head out of their own ass and I have half a mind to give that king of yours a piece of my mind from that!”

Layla had now moved to Alana's front. Alana simply looked at her stunned before pulling her into a hug burying her face in her shoulder.

Layla hesitated for no more than a fraction of a second before returning the hug to a bone crushing degree as if trying to desperately reassure Alana that she wasn’t going anywhere.

A moment later Alana pulled away covering her wings once again and smiled at Layla.

“If I accomplish this, would you be willing to be my advisor? Because I’ll be damned if Regionald is going to tell me what to do.”

“Always just let me know what to do.”

The two had another hug before parting once more.

“I need to head home, come on.”

Alana said pulling her friend back inside, saying goodbye to Arther, and walking out with wishes of good travel.

Getting to the edge of the dock where none ever sailed she spread her large wings allowing the large mussels to pull her into the air and lead her back to her home.

Have a nice night folks get some sleep

[wintersettled]

So I just read the new mononokean chapter

And I've decided to be a crack head theorist so get ready for that.

I have 3 theories regarding Ashiya and his parentage.

The first theory is about Sakae becoming an employee of the mononokean. This isnt so much a theory as it is speculation. In the new chapter Sakae is shown as kind to yokai as he gave tougen words of encouragement to help her not disappear after the avalanche in this exchange:

Sakae: so you were that quiet voice

Tougen: ...

Sakae: dont disappear...

I personally believe he may have gotten Tougen not to disappear with a more positive use of influence but I dont know. So we can assume that this interaction happened after Sakae became an employee of the mononokean and met Aoi. Seeing as how Aoi had mourned Sakaes loss of course. Ashiya assumes this interaction was just Aoi pretending to be Sakae once again to which Abeno replys that if that were true Tougen wouldn't have mistake him for the person she met so long ago. This begs the question that Ashiya himself asks at the end of the chapter: how can the same person who killed yokai using influence also be someone who encourages them and helps them not disappear? So now I ask you, how can this be the same person who possesed Ashiya and used influence to kill yokai, and if memory serves me, saying this wasnt the first time hes done this, meaning it was not in fact a one off to protect his son. How can a human even posses another.... which brings me to my second theory:

Is Sakae really Ashiyas parent? I mean really? There have been theories in the past about Ashiyas father actually being Aoi, and I mean... despite all of the Sakae content... they still make alot of sense. Even Abeno had no clue why Aoi visited Ashiya in the form of Sakae. Why would Aoi do that? And was the kind person who helped Tougen really Sakae? Or was Ashiyas theory right? The only way that Ashiyas theory would be correct, is if what Abeno said correlates to it... if Ashiya was related to Aoi. Of course yokai cant use influence.... and I doubt Aoi would be the one possessing Ashiya or something of the sort.... or be approving of killing a yokai so quickly... in fact, if Sakae was "reformed" as an employee of the mononokean before death and Aoi is dead dead then... how would either of them actually possess Ashiya? Sure, after Manjiro we can assume that humans become yokai after death but.... I have another idea about Ashiyas possession.

My third theory being: Was Ashiya even actually possessed? This probably sounds dumb but I just thought his whole going bonkers and using influence thing.... doesnt seem odd for him. Ashiya is the sweetest human being alive of course but... he isnt normal by any standards. The 3 powers of the underworld acted a bit shocked and as if it was an even rarer than seeing yokai ability to be able to use influence. Adding onto that Abenos reaction to Ashiya using influence on Yahiko may not have been a big WHOA but Abeno isnt that type of guy. Abeno DID tell Ashiya he needed to take some time to clear his head and organize his thoughts before they could talk about it though so... that's pretty telling.

But lets look back at the times Ashiya has used influence.

The first time, though nobody realised at the time, was with the capybara who had thought Ashiya had stolen from him.

Yall have got to admit though yes Ashiya had good intentions.... he was about to rip this dude apart. Even after Abeno intervened, Ashiya was zoned out for a few seconds until he 'woke up' again and ran to the then bleeding, Fuzzy.

Another instance, with Yahiko:

Ashiya had become compleately mindless once again, and had almost killed Yahiko after being scared by him, had Abeno not interfered sooner. Yahiko had literally thought he was going to die, not to mention even Fuzzy was cowering in the corner. Then afterwards it took Ashiya a moment to realize what had happened. If it wasnt for the others in the room I doubt he would have ever really thought it to be anything more than an odd dream.

Looking at these two instances we can see when Ashiya uses influence, his eyes turn gold and he doesnt remember what happened properly as anything more than a dream unless prompted to think otherwise.

Let's move on to the instance of all instances: During the spiders and then Sakaes possession.

When it sees Ashiya not to be normal the spider yokai says "how can a normal human like you have golden eyes!?".

Ashiyas eyes are golden.

Ashiya is using influence dangerously.

Ashiya is using influence unconsciously.

Ashiya will later think it was a very odd dream.

How is this any different than what has happened with him before? The only difference is that afterwards Ashiya continues to get dreams of killing yokai using influence. Ashiya using influence in his sleep.

This being so worrisome that Abeno ends up staying the rest of the night with Ashiya. Though I might remind you, when Ashiya was being awakened by Abeno, this time when using influence Abenos hand went through Ashiyas arm. Ashiya couldn't touch Abeno. At first I was going to simply theorize that it was just Ashiya using influence himself on the spider without influence but this begs some more questions: Is Ashiya still possesed? If so, how long has he been possessed? Is it really Sakae possessing him? Are there remanants of Sakae left behind in Ashiya? And... how human in Ashiya really, seeing his differences in influence to Abeno?

Lastly-- this isn't a theory just me pointing something out-- I found it interesting all those chapters ago when Ashiya was able to hear Kinako when she was fading when nobody else could. Yahiko only heard Kinako after Ashiya pointed it out. Then Tougen mentions Sakae being able to hear her, much like Ashiya now and how this is a similarity among them.

I just think its interesting.

For such a loud person, Ashiya seems to be a surprisingly good listener.