#Do you know what he must have learned in order to adapt? To grow? To be as good as everything else and then even better?

[fallen-goldfishcracker]

Love how the entirety of the Hunter fandom heard of the whole mountain challenge and immediately said: Hunter crushed that challenge. Hunter did that challenge as a child and he absolutely killed it. Hunter, the magicless half- a- witch, took the record that Lilith Clawthorne made, Lilith Clawthorne, head of the Emperor's coven, one of the most powerful witches alive, and snapped that record in half, because he had to and because he was stronger than everyone thought and because he didn't take no for an answer.

And I love everyone for that.

[zoeykallus]

How've you been doing? Love how amazing your writing always is btw. I was wondering, if you wanted to, if you could make something for the batchers (post order 66) finding out their kid has the force / is force sensitive. I don't remember seeing if you'd done something like that before so sorry if you have. I just love your headcannons for the boys reactions to stuff with their kid. Only if you want to do this though. Hope you have a good day / night!

Aloha! Nice to read you again 😊 Interesting thought, it's probably angsty for them, considering the empire hunts down force sensitive beings. Let me see what my mind comes up with 😁

The Bad Batch HCs - Force-Sensitive Offspring

Warnings: Angsty

___________

Hunter

When he notices it for the first time, he looks around hastily. Hunter fears someone may have seen his child just levitate the toy. He vacillates between pride and panic, not really knowing how to handle it at first.

One thing is for sure, he must keep the child hidden, away from strange, prying eyes. He will tell his brothers, but no one else. Protecting his child is his main mission now, he will not compromise that mission at all, no matter what may come.

Hunter is a loving Dad through and through, he'd die to keep his kid safe and sound.

There are moments when he feels so proud and fascinated, while watching his kid growing up, but his deeply worried and scared moments are probably just as often and intense.

One thing is for sure, his child can always be assured of Hunter's love and protection, no matter what.

Echo

He panics, very much so. For the sake of the child, however, Echo keeps his wits together. His first impulse is to seek help and advice. His first thought in this regard, is Rex, an old friend he has always looked up to and trusted. He may be with CF99 now, but Rex is still his first port of call in such a situation.

Of course Rex, along with Gregor and Wolffe would immediately offer shelter and protection. Since CF99 in a way always moves in the focal point, Echo would probably be urged to accept just by his concern for the child. It would not be an easy decision, as he now has a close relationship with the guys from the batch.

Should he accept the offer, Uncle Gregor will probably be the favorite uncle who regularly makes the child giggle.

Rex will also contact Ahsoka, who agrees to help the child with the Force side of his/her existence.

Wrecker

He is so incredibly proud. However, Wrecker is also well aware of the dangers. He talks openly with his brothers about the matter, including his worries and fears. He can be sure that Hunter, Tech, Echo and even Crosshair are ready to adapt and protect the child.

Omega will have her true joy in taking care of the little one, the two will have a close relationship in the future. Omega is smart and kind-hearted, a great role model for the growing child.

Wrecker is a force of nature when it comes to protecting his family. He does everything to ensure that his child grows up safe and in a loving environment. He doesn't have to worry about that with his brothers, each one of them is willing to give everything to ensure that.

Worry or not, Wrecker is a lively, loving guy, he will be a very good, loving father and adapt to the circumstances as best he can and do everything to make sure his child has a decent childhood.

Tech

He is extremely fascinated, of course, with the awareness of the dangers of this development. Tech will tap every source of information at his disposal to learn everything about the Force in minute detail.

So he knows about the dangers that emanate not only from the Empire, but also from the Force and its abuse. So Tech is also focused on protecting his child from themselves, and not only from outside influences.

It is important to him that his offspring is decent and kind-hearted. Tech knows that Rex has contact with Ahsoka and will put out feelers in that direction, hoping Ahsoka is willing to help.

Tech is a very loving, protective father, but he is always fully aware of all circumstances and takes them on to help his child on the right path. His mind is extraordinary, but even he has his mental limits, and he is not too shy to ask his brothers for help and advice when he is at a loss.

This child is lucky to have Tech as a father.

Crosshair

He is desperate. Crosshair remembers all too well how willingly, loyal to his position, he condemned the Jedi. Here and now he is ashamed of it, plagued by nightmares, coming to terms with all his past decisions that are eating away at his existence. Now there is this child, his child, his flesh and blood.

He will try not to let it show, but he is in agony. He loves his child, wants to do the right thing, and at the same time he is plagued by a deep guilt. Crosshair needs his brothers, now more than ever. Fortunately for him, Hunter, Tech, Werecker, Echo and Omega, too, willingly and resolutely reach under his shoulders to support him.

He is never alone, with any of his worries, when he needs someone, there is always someone there.

"You're family, Crosshair, no matter what happened in the past," Hunter says firmly, reaching for his brother's shoulder, "We'll protect and care for your child together."

A nod goes around, his brothers agree, all for one and one for all. This child has a very protective father, one who will never neglect his duties and is willing to put his heart and soul into ensuring their safety.

Ko-Fi (If you feel like giving me some coffee)

@rintheemolion

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[queenbananya]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks....

Hi! Thanks for the ask!

I always find these types of questions difficult to answer because I don't have a set list of characters ranked somewhere, especially if we're talking about all types of media, but I'm going to cheat a bit and look at my favorites from Mal. So, this will focus mostly on anime characters as that is the type of media I consume the most, with some others thrown in there as I remember. Not particularly in order:

1. ZURA. from Gintama

He's also the one from my profile icon. I love this guy. He's a fucking idiot. And he is absolutely hilarious he never fails to crack me up no matter what mood I'm in. I have a lot of characters from Gintama I love, but I tried to stick to just one from the entire series or they would take up all ten spots here, and from the entire cast, I have to give it to Zura. He's a terrorist, and comes up with the stupidest of plans, like flipping the toilet paper of his sworn enemy, LOL. He can go on and on about a story while he's driving a car and doesn't realize he is crashing in the meantime. And hence why he can't get a license (and the only reason he needs a license in the first place is so that he can get an ID to be able to rent DVDs of outdated dramas he thinks are trending [they're not]). I have to give praise to Sorachi, the mangaka. He must have been on crack while writing Zura scenes xD

2. Griffith from Berserk

Griffith. Beautiful Griffith.

Griffith gets a lot of hate and deservedly so, and there's a lot of Griffith apologists out there, but I love him. I fucking love him. He's such a well-written character. The best unreliable of narrators, though for most of the story we don't actually get into his head and only that of his archnemesis, his friend, the object of his dreams and desires, his ultimate source of failure, and success, later, I guess - Guts. So we only see how Guts sees him, and it's such a tragic story because the assumptions that Guts makes about him, the way he adores him and grows to hate him, they make sense, but to us as the viewers who know these two just loved each other so much to the point they threw away what they cared about the most - it's such a good story. I mourn for Miura and the story he never finished telling.

3. Joe from Ashita no Joe and Megalo box

Yabuki Joe.

This poor boy. I mention both Ashita no Joe and Megalo box because Megalo box was an anniversary special project based off of Ashita no Joe. Not another adaptation precisely, but more of a modern cyberpunk approach to the classic with more mature themes. I love both versions of Joe. In the older classic, you have this orphan boy that is happy roaming around doing nothing with his life, until he meets this drunk man that shoves boxing down his throat. It's your typical sports plot of stacking up win after win, until it isn't. The difference is in the characters, and their suffering, their growth. You learn to love Joe. He's an annoying little brat that wins your heart gradually, and towards the end, when it's over, you feel as though you've lost a friend.

In Megalo box, Joe is a bit older, and is dealing with things that are very real and that the og Joe would have also had to deal with, had things turned out differently. It's a great complement to the original. An AU of sorts.

4. The Fool from the Elderling series by Robin Hobb

The Fool. Beloved. Amber. They have many names and aliases, from Robin Hobbs' fantasy series The Elderlings.

Beloved is such an interesting character, not defined by any societal expectations and always confusing everyone with their words. We watch them grow throughout the series, from the king's creepy little jester that unsettles others, to an adult that is admittedly treated very harshly by the author (the story) but I still love to death. Here are some of my favorite quotes by the Fool:

"You are confusing plumbing and love again."

“As for what it means, how should I know? I’m a fool, not an interpreter of dreams. Good day.”

"Tomorrow owes you the sum of your yesterdays. No more than that. And no less."

“I have never been wise”

“Don’t do what you can’t undo, until you’ve considered what you can’t do once you’ve done it.”

5. Yang Wenli from LOTGH

Yang Wenli from the Legend of the galactic heros. A classic anime series and one of my favorites. Again, I struggled to only choose one character from the series, because I really love Reinhard as well- the other main character, but from the two I had to to with Yang Wenli.

LOTGH is a space war epic between two different states, the old galactic empire, and the newer, democratic planets alliance that broke free. Yang Wenli belongs to the latter. And while it may sound like the better choice-and he thinks so, as well-it's only the better choice from a theoretical standpoint. Because the one he's up against from the empire, Reinhard, is a wonderful leader. The kind that comes around only once in a century. Meanwhile the so called democracy is corrupt and ugly. Heading downhill while the empire is only getting better. And that's where the two collide. I love Yang Wenli for his idealism, his self awareness of his flaws, and those of others. He once says, 'if I was born in the empire I'd be flocking to join Reinhard's ranks'.

He's a realist, and a damn genius. And that's where the tragedy and irony strikes- because of the badly led and structured democracy he's in, he doesn't have full command of the army. He doesn't have any real power. All the corruption and red tape don't allow him to do much, to use his full potential, so he's always a step behind.

And yet. All he wants in life is to retire peacefully. He didn't even want to be a soldier, but he's dragged there by others, a bit of a pushover that he is. He's a tragic character really. Full of contradictions that he himself is aware of, and you can't help but love him for it.

6. Zhou Zishu from tian ya ke/word of honor

Zhou Zishu.

He is just. So. Relatable.

A burnt out man in his early 30s/late 20s who only wanted to live his last few years in peace. Essentially committed slow suicide to get the fuck out of his job because he couldn't take it anymore. We've all been there. Not that I'd take such drastic measures but. Who hasn't fantasized getting into an accident on their way to work to, you know, not go to work? Just me? OK. Moving on lol (according to reddit it's actually quite common. Sad that we live like this. Kudos to zishu for doing something about it).

The novel (tian ya ke) is quite different from the drama (word of honor), where the gif is from. The characterization is also a bit different, and I have to say I prefer novel! Zishu over drama! Zishu. He's more free, more shameless, learns to live without shackles and is not your typical protagonist. In fact, he's no protagonist at all. He's really just a side character, despite being the narrator of the story. Like many of us. But the man learns to be happy. Learns to fly free.

7. Wen Kexing from tian ya ke/word of honor

I broke my own rule about one character per series because there is no way I can have A'Xu (Zhou Zishu from above) listed anywhere without his Lao Wen. They come as a package anywhere they go. Anywhere. So here is my favorite malewife Wen Kexing. A beautiful, eerie man that looks more like a ghost. Knows how to cook. Knows how to clean. Knows how to split your throat in half with his bare fingertips.

He's terrifying. The king of all "ghosts"- the most brutal criminals. He's also someone that learns how to lower his defenses for the first time in his life. How to be a little bit selfless for once. To care for another. He's the one that teaches Zishu how to he shameless. He's fucking hilarious, a flirt, an unashamedly gay man that takes pride in all the men he's fucked and yet will cry crocodile tears to Zishu to let him get it on, and then he'll thank his dead sister for it later. I love these idiots. They're perfect for each other.

Also prefer the novel version of Wen Kexing, but the drama has a perfect cast and beautiful robes. I've got two replicas of them!

8. Nodame from Nodame Cantabile

Idiotic Nodame. Love this girl. She's hilarious and silly and isn't embarrassed to go after what she wants, even if she makes a fool of herself.

She's an aspiring pianist. A piano student to be precise, on the older side compared to her peers. But she's really great at it. Not in the traditional way, because she does things in her own way-- she's with the teacher designated for the worst students and spends an entire semester (or years? It's been a bit, I don't remember) composing a song about farts LOL.

She's a really likeable character, and what I really love about her is her stubbornness and grit to stick to what she wants. It's not something easy to do, and oftentimes we have to make decisions against our own wishes, especially when it comes to our careers. Nodame tries, but all she wants is to be a kindergarten piano teacher, but everyone tells her she shouldn't do that. In the end, her choices are hers and hers only.

9. Balsa from Moribito

I recently finished this anime and fell in love with the MC, Balsa.

It's not often we see strong female leads in anime, that are not only well written but stand on their own without relying on romance or other characters. She's an incredibly strong woman, both physically and emotionally. The series focuses on her growth and her bond with the little burden she's tasked to care for.

She is a little selfish, perhaps a bit too cold. Plain looking, and very much an adult at 30. And she looks like it! Not something you see often in anime. She's a great fighter, and through her journey with this child that she has to care for, she learns of a different kind of strength. And yet, towards the end, she's still the same lone woman we meet at the beginning. Someone simply just... living.

10. Renge from Non Non Biyorin

Little Renge. I adore her. She's adorable and so, so funny.

From Non Non Biyorin, which I also love to bits because I grew up in the country and the country life humor just sends me.

She's a 6 yo child that is smarter than the 8th graders, and always so serious about everything she does, even the cold corner store owner has a soft spot for her. She's like a cat. Really cute, really funny, and really mean, even unintentionally.

Ugh. I miss this show. I wish we had more seasons!

[shisekibo]

[Event Story] Chapter Seven - In Order to Live

↫ previous story | story list | next story ↬

- Some Time Later -

Bastien:

 “Hmph. Aren’t you glad the owner forgave you?”

Child:

 “...”

Bastien:

 “Don’t steal from that shop ever again...”

Bastien:

 “He’s very generous, forgiving you after a simple apology...”

Bastien:

 “Not everyone in this world is that kind.”

Bastien:

 “If you steal from the wrong person, who knows what’ll happen...”

Child:

 “I’m... sorry...”

Bastien:

 “Where are your parents?”

Child:

 “I don’t have any... They were taken by Angels... two years ago.”

Bastien:

 “I see... That’s a shame...”

Bastien:

 “How old are you?”

Child:

 “Nine...”

Bastien:

 “Have you been stealing since your parents passed?”

Child:

 “Um...”

Child:

 “...”

Bastien:

 “Have you been living alone?”

Child:

 “There are a few other kids in the same situation as me...”

Bastien:

 “Hm... That sounds hard.”

Child:

 “Well... Yes.”

Bastien:

 “You’re strong.”

Child:

 “Huh...?”

Bastien:

 “You didn’t give up on life... You did everything you could to keep going.”

Bastien:

 “Kids your age usually depend on their parents for everything.”

Bastien:

 “But... You don’t have a choice. Your parents are dead.”

Bastien:

 “Hard times like this force kids to grow up way too fast.”

Child:

 “Huh? Grow up?”

Bastien:

 “You remind me of myself as a child.”

Child:

 “You too?”

Bastien:

 “I guess so...”

Bastien:

 “Listen, son.”

Bastien:

 “I just called you strong...”

Bastien:

 “I’m sure you know you can’t eat if you don’t work...”

Bastien:

 “That means you can’t take from others without paying the price.”

Child:

 “Okay...”

Bastien:

 “You need to learn a different kind of strength.”

Child:

 “A different kind of strength?”

Bastien:

 “Yes... You need this kind of strength to make it in this world.”

Bastien:

 “You can’t steal forever.”

Bastien:

 “Or one day you’ll be caught and thrown in jail.”

Bastien:

 “You need to find your place in this world...”

Child:

 “My place...?”

Bastien:

 “Yes, that’s right.”

Bastien:

 “Sadly, it won’t be easy to change the world you live in...”

Bastien:

 “So first, you need to adapt.”

Child:

 “Adapt?”

Bastien:

 “If you’re good at exercise, learn how to use a sword and join the army.”

Bastien:

 “If you like reading, look for a job where you can expand your knowledge.”

Bastien:

 “It doesn’t matter what.”

Bastien:

 “Learn a skill the world needs.”

Bastien:

 “I learnt how to use a sword.”

Bastien:

 “In order to live... In order to find my place...”

Child:

 “But...”

Bastien:

 “You meeting me here today has brought you to a crossroads.”

Bastien:

 “I know it’s difficult, but you can’t change the fact your parents are dead.”

Bastien:

 “However, you can’t ruin the rest of your life just because of your hard past.”

Bastien:

 “It must be conflicting to hear something like this, considering how you’ve lived so far...”

Bastien:

 “Do your best with a new strength now.”

Child:

 “...”

Bastien:

 “It must be hard for you now...”

Bastien:

 “But I know someone as strong as you will be okay.”

Bastien:

 “If you work as hard as you can on your new strength...”

Bastien:

 “You’ll reap the benefits eventually...”

Bastien:

 “Probably...”

Child:

 “Sir...”

Bastien:

 “Hm... I spoke way too much.”

Bastien:

 “Oi, do you want this?”

Bastien handed some of the food he’d just bought over to the child.

Child:

 “Huh? A-are you sure?”

Bastien:

 “Have this too.”

Bastien:

 “And this and this... I’ll give you all of these.”

Child:

 “All of this?! Wh-why are you giving me this...?”

Bastien:

 “Eat it.”

Bastien:

 “And cheer up, study and get a job...”

Bastien:

 “You need to work in order to live. That’s what everyone does.”

Child:

 “Sir...”

Bastien:

 “Don’t worry.”

Bastien:

 “If I could do it...”

Bastien:

 “Someone as strong as you definitely can.”

Bastien:

 “Change your own future.”

Child:

 “...”

Bastien:

 “Hurry up and eat.”

Child:

 “Th-thank you.”

Child:

 “They’re delicious...”

Bastien:

 “Really? I’m glad.”

Bastien:

 “See you.”

Child:

 “W-wait! I need to thank you...!”

Bastien:

 “I don’t need anything.”

Bastien:

 “I’m sorry for the wait, Master. Let’s go...”

Choices:

“Huh...? O-okay...”

“S-sure...”

- Some Time Later -

Muu:

 “Mr. Bastien... Is it really okay to leave that child?”

Bastien:

 “That’s all I can do.”

Bastien:

 “They need to decide the rest for themselves.”

Choices:

“You’re so kind, Bastien.”

Muu:

 “Mr. Bastien...”

Bastien:

 “rumble~... I-I’m hungry...”

Choices:

“Huh?”

Bastien:

 “I’m sorry, Master. I’m going back to the stall.”

Bastien:

 “Look after the Master for me, Muu...”

Muu:

 “Ah, wait, Mr. Bastien!”

Bastien:

 “Xiaolongbao... Shuumai.... Nikuman... rumble~...”

Choices:

“He’s not listening...”

Muu:

 “Haha...”

Muu:

 “But that’s so like Mr. Bastien, isn’t it?!”

Choices:

“You’re right.”

[thegreatandpowerfulversy]

A Jewish Reading of Elden Ring

This certainly isn’t the common interpretation as far as I’ve seen, and I doubt it’s really the intended reading either, but it really does fit remarkably well. Some of my opinions conflict heavily with the rapidly established fanon, but as far as I know nothing actually contradicts given canon, and that’s what matters. The author is dead and the loretubers and wiki-commenters are even deader. I’ve included footnotes for my citations to both Elden Ring and Jewish sources.

First, for full disclosure, I am converting Reform but lean Conservative on some matters, and I play a Golden Order Fundamentalist. Personally, I think the Golden Order gets a lot of undeserved shit from the fandom, but by now I’m very well used to being in the minority as far as Fromsoft morality goes. My Chosen Undead link the Fire and cast away the Dark.

1. On the subject of the divine

The Greater Will, for convenience in this essay, can be referred to simply as G-d. Their will is demonstrably greater than any of the so-called “outer gods” that people like to lump them in with, through the evidence of grace and its guidance. G-d can create and act upon destiny itself, and ensure that the right people meet in the right place at the right time, all through a subtle and intensely personal touch that people are even free to ignore if they choose.[1]

Astel and the like could never. Even the Frenzied Flame, similarly noncorporeal, can only broadcast a “come this way” signal to the most maddened minds, and only for a short time after one consumes a concentrated dose of their influence.[2] They may be powerful but they’re not even close to being on the same level.

As a Jewish Tarnished, I aim to worship G-d directly, and reject false idols like the “demigods”. As the noble Goldmask saw, the demigods are no better than men,[3] and it is this fickleness which prolonged the Shattering and its devastation. No Lord arose and yet they continued to fight, driven onward by the flames of their ambition.

(On a side note, Morgott did nothing wrong. He comes across as a bit of a dick, but he’s just trying to make sure that any Tarnished who would claim the throne is doing so for the right reasons, and not just for personal power. And his use of the phrase “flames of ambition”[4] is brilliant as well. One, it’s poetic, and that can be reason enough, but also fire in Elden Ring has a completely opposite connotation from what we’re used to in Dark Souls. Here, it is the “flame of ruin”,[5] which destroys rather than preserves life, just as excessive ambition does.)

But returning to the subject of demigods, G-d even gives this same order to reject them to the player directly – or at least, as directly as ever when the message goes through their angel the Two Fingers, then to Enia, then to you: “Tarnished, show no mercy. Have their heads. Take all they have left.”[6] Through their war, the demigods lost G-d’s favor and were deemed unfit to rule. In a way, we can almost call the Shattering analogous to the biblical flood, wiping away an earlier, flawed world and then rebuilding to try again for a more righteous path. The Tarnished are guided by grace now; it is their turn to try.

And what of the Erdtree? Is it too a false idol to be rejected? No, it is more akin to the Temple instead, inextricably linked to G-d and their Order. The Erdtree is not meant to be worshiped in itself (despite some doing so anyway). It is not meant to be a direct representation of G-d, but rather it is a symbol of G-d’s majesty and omnipresence, as it reaches in all directions and can be seen from every part of the Lands Between.

And like the Temple, it can be destroyed, but G-d’s people will persist. Even if they must adapt their traditions to a new age, the Jewish people survive and learn to thrive again. And even still, there is a constant hope for a new Temple to grow, in the Minor Erdtrees scattered about the lands. Perhaps when one reaches the size and splendor of the original, the world will be repaired and the Lands Between will enter its messianic age. Or perhaps they will not grow until people put in the effort to repair the world themselves and usher in that age.

2. On Marika, rulership, and chosenness

What exactly is Marika? She’s referred to in some of the in-game text as a god, but then in other parts it says she’s a Numen, a descendant of people from a place outside the Lands Between.[7] She is the bearer of the Elden Ring, and mother of most of those called demigods. But we’re monotheists here.[8] The only true god around is G-d, the Greater Will themself, and it would be most accurate to say that Marika is G-d’s prophet.

After all, the Elden Ring is G-d’s direct gift to mankind, the focus and symbol of their will, and it brings with it the Golden Order: a set of commandments and guidelines for how to lead a noble life, effectively this world’s equivalent of the Torah. The Golden Order shines through Marika first and then out to the rest of the world. She accepted the covenant and the instruction to lead.

But Marika is not the only prophet around, or at least, not the only potential prophet. Empyreans are designated by G-d [9] as those who, under the right circumstances, could later be chosen to become Marika’s equal or her replacement. But no one rules alone in this world. An Empyrean must have a consort, who will be called Lord.[10]

To take a slight non-Jewish detour, we can compare the Empyrean to Plato’s concept of the philosopher-king as the ideal ruler.[11] But instead of being set in opposition to the warrior-king, here a balance is desired: the Lands Between must have both together. G-d chooses one to rule in philosophical and spiritual matters, and leaves it up to that person to choose their Lord who will rule in political and military matters, or even simply serve as a mediator or interpreter between the Empyrean and the general populace. For example, Moses the prophet and Aaron the spokesman, conveying G-d’s word to those who cannot hear it directly.[12]

The player Tarnished is a warrior. They must be, in order to survive in a post-Shattering world. So they may become Elden Lord, if selected as consort by a prophet, but they only see and follow the grace of G-d; it does not flow directly through them. And there are many Empyreans in the Lands Between now, as if G-d is offering the Torah to all the nations of the world to find one who will accept it.

Unfortunately, none seem very keen to take on the task. Ranni clearly will not, as despite her potential she has declared G-d her enemy.[13] Miquella has also turned away from the Golden Order as it could not cure her sister’s affliction.[14] Malenia herself is content to follow Miquella. And while Marika is also still an option, she has lost faith in the very order she embodies. A covenant must be accepted on both ends, so if the current stalemate is to end, something has to change.

3. On culture and ethics

Even independently of any specific people or historical events, there are a lot of similarities between the Golden Order and modern Judaism. It is canon that “Fundamentalism is scholarship in all but name”,[15] and scholarship is highly valued in Jewish culture. The entire rabbinic tradition stretching back two thousand years is founded on the principle that study and debate will lead to a greater understanding of G-d and of the ways of being righteous in the world.

The Golden Order sets out two basic principles by which it seeks to describe the world: regression and causality. Regression is described as “the pull of meaning; that all things yearn eternally to converge”.[16] Causality, on the other hand, is “the pull between meanings; that which links all things”,[17] and together the two encapsulate mankind’s relation to the divine.

The essence of G-d is within each one of us, as we are made in G-d’s image.[18] That divine spark is shared by everyone, everywhere; it is the one thing we all have in common. Meanwhile, Judaism places a strong emphasis on community and coming together: for example, the gathering of ten adults to pray in a minyan, or the communal atonement on Yom Kippur. Even more than G-d is within us, G-d is between us,[19] in all our interactions with each other and with the world.

We also have the paired concepts of kavannah and keva. The former is the personal intent behind a prayer or action, the private aspect that exists only between a person and G-d. The latter is the outward ritual component of the same act, the common traditions that unite a community through shared practice passed down through the generations. Together the two map well onto the Laws of Regression and Causality, respectively.

Furthermore, the in-game effect of using the Law of Causality incantation perfectly reflects the idea that “What is hateful to you, do not do to another. That is the whole of the Torah, the rest is commentary.”[20] If you get hit five times while the effect is active, it automatically retaliates upon your attacker and tells them in no uncertain terms that if that effect is hateful to them, then they shouldn’t have been doing it to you.

But as many parallels as the two laws have to Jewish practice and thought, they are not the only similarity. Take the concept of teshuva, often translated as redemption or atonement but literally closer related to the word for return. Elden Ring has at least two examples where people attempted such a process, in direct opposition to the more Christian doctrine of redemption through sacrifice and death.

Long ago, the dragon Gransax assaulted Leyndell and successfully broke through its walls, but was repelled by a human counterattack which became a full-fledged War Against The Dragons.[21] We can assume it was in the course of this war that Godwyn the Golden defeated the dragon Fortissax in battle. However, Godwyn chose to spare his life and ultimately the two came to be friends.[22] Fortissax was offered a chance for redemption and chose to take it, vowing to live and to do better instead of nullifying all accountability through death. He even took this so far as to fight for Godwyn against the effects of Destined Death, though he was unsuccessful in reversing it.[23]

Then, some time later, Radagon led an army down from Altus to conquer Liurnia, and defeated Queen Rennala. However, he then repented his territorial ambitions and swore to set right what he had done. He ritually cleansed himself at the Church of Vows and set out on the path of teshuva, ultimately marrying Rennala and bringing about a lasting peace between Leyndell and the Carian House.[24] Unfortunately, he later broke those vows and hurt Rennala again by suddenly leaving her, and he has not performed teshuva for this later act.

(Don’t even get me started on the other Radagon issue. I think fanon completely misinterprets that too, but it’s not really relevant to the Jewish theme. Suffice it to say, “is” does not equal “was always”, and the Law of Regression is a very real thing that Marika could have weaponized against him for her own ends.)

Conclusion

So, as a person who has come to Judaism by choice, you can see why I find the Golden Order appealing. The structure as a whole already fits, the ethics and way of viewing the world match in so many ways, and both of these things are part of what drew me toward conversion in the first place. I want a society in which scholarship and debate are valued, in which redemption is offered to all, in which it is known that the world can be repaired and its wrongs can be righted, and I will gladly accept G-d’s covenant toward this end.

It’s rare to see a game of this genre even offer the option of monotheism, much less to reinforce it time and again – the demigods are no better than men, because their so-called divinity is solely by fiat, bestowed as a title at Marika’s whims. It’s rare to see even the possibility of a Jewish interpretation, however unintended, for even works designed to take no particular stance tend to inherit the dominant cultural value system of their creator’s society.

And so, it is refreshing to see something I value so highly reflected in Elden Ring. Despite the issues I have with certain mandatory story beats and the overall consistency of the lore, I do find myself wanting to push through the obscene and frankly unreasonable difficulty in order to advance my Jewish Tarnished’s cause. I will assist the noble Goldmask in his quest for wisdom, I will cast down the demigods in my path and seek an audience with Marika the prophet, and when the time comes, I will use the Mending Rune of Perfect Order to repair not just the Elden Ring, but this entire fractured world.

References

[1] Dialogue from White Mask Varré [2] Hyetta’s questline [3] Mending Rune of Perfect Order [4] Dialogue from Margit the Fell [5] Surge, O Flame! [6] Dialogue from Enia after first Great Rune [7] Numen’s Rune [8] The Shema (Deuteronomy 6) [9] Black Flame Ritual [10] Dark Moon Ring [11] Republic [12] Exodus 4:10-16 [13] Ranni’s entire questline [14] Radagon’s Rings of Light [15] Golden Order Seal [16] Law of Regression [17] Law of Causality [18] B’tzelem Elohim [19] My local rabbi [20] Rabbi Hillel [21] Bolt of Gransax [22] Electrify Armament [23] Remembrance of the Lichdragon [24] Dialogue from Miriel

[daviddshiki]

The Adventures of David Dashiki- Stories of an African American Hero-The CHARISMATIC MAN

Daddy Dashiki Has the Last Word for Black History Month

I speak to educate and uplift young Black men and... in America. I speak with a love you will understand. MY WORDS, I HOPE WILL TOUCH YOUR HEART, PRICK YOUR BRAIN AND MOTIVATE YOUR BODY TOWARD ACTION. My desire is that you will transform your mind, change your existence and improve your current condition I want you to excel. I want you to live extraordinary lives. I want you to be in command of your own destiny. I want you to be proud of your heritage. I want you to know how smart you are and that you can use that brilliance to move the Earth. I want...I want... I want...But, you are the ones who must do the work The fruit is here, eat of it.

IT'S YOU!... Are you

Are you in your twenties, late twenties, and still living at home? It's You. Are you unhappy at work? It's You. Do you have a vision that doesn't include you? It's You !!! Broke, sad, and feeling hopeless? It's You! Got an idea for a book or film, but, after several years, it is still in the idea stage? It's You! Do you have the sensation nothing changes around and about you? It's You! Won several Karaoke contests, however that is where it ends? It's You !

You can do better. Look and attack that problem of inactivity. Here come the insights for which you were hoping. Learn, the same way I was taught by J. J. Here is the fruit. Eat of it.

CHARISMATIC...

MANAGERIAL: You cannot provide leadership for others when you are not in control your own affairs. You must manage things. You must be able to see things in order. If they are not, put them into a system or formula. If you have little talent in this area of your life, GET SOME. Otherwise , you are just blowing smoke up someone's armpit. A friend constantly needs assistance. You try often to help with whatever the problem might be. Then, you discover that your problemed colleague can 't lift the toilet seat to ...sgffe . Start there. Explain what it is and how it functions.. THEN , You are half way there. I would love to be more graphic, but, I have the sensation that you are getting the message. Believe me, no matter how much you try to help, if you do not explain that it is a toilet bowl and you siuyiy in it, your friend will end up in it. Johnny always believed in organizing things. It was amazing how even his friends who were as thick as leftover beans endured the message, embarrassing as it was. All left the talk renewed. You are charismatic when you can help others manage their life in a manner that is clear, sometimes painful but meaningful. This was Johnny's most outstanding trait...making the managerial discussion palatable.

AWARE/ALERT: I want you David, to learn from Johnny that the world is constantly changing. A charismatic person/leader is aware of that and is continuously adapting to the those changes so that he does not become lost in himself and the prospects and possibilities of his own ego. It is the world to which we must adapt. Johhny always seemed to be ahead of the curve. His keenness in this area helped him avoid many disasters. Losing his scholarship could have been a catastrophe. However, when the rumor mill started about the termination of the football team, all of his friends rushed to tell him. They soon discovered that Johnny already had his ear to the ground. He was in conversation with alumni, friends and professors about his future. It was his determination and personality that secured a place for him in the same university that dissolved his team. Stay alert. It will save you much agony.

TIME: Use it wisely. Employ every second of your life in skill enhancement. Time lost is rarely if ever retrieved. Time waits for no man. Never leave for tomorrow...You know the drill. Build for what you want. Let not the day and time catch you wanting. Press on. Seize the time. Grow your skills. Then you can help others.

INVESTED: Set a goal that you will be totally involved. You are putting all your chips into the effort to change yourself so that you can better serve others. You will use all your assets and your efforts to serve. We don't need pretenders to the throne, We need doers. Make the declaration and then the dedication. You will be completely and fully invested in making yourself the fully charismatic man.

CHEAP/CRUSH: Neither lender or borrower be. Do not lend anyone any DINERO. Encourage him to seek employment. Direct him to a bank. Invite him to seek a loan but not from you. You, the charismatic man, has to be the cheapest man on the planet. You never want to be in the 'When am I going to get my money back contest' .People avoid those to whom they are in debt. You, charismatic man, begin to hate your protege. In short, the relationship fails because you did not have the courage to say that you are not a loan shark. Trust your Daddy, Do not borrow or lend. It turns to feces in the end.

CRUSH: Enter the arena of skill enhancement willingly and joyfully. Your goal is to not merely start it, but to CRUSH IT. Let the world know that you are in it to win it. There is no middle ground...Just CRUSH IT !

[maacwanowrie]

What abilities are required of motion graphics designers?

During your time at the MAAC Pune design institute, you will acquire the fundamentals of design and essential techniques. You will learn about color theory, typography, and many other elements used to create eye-catching artwork as you develop your skills.

 We polled motion graphic designers to find out what they felt were the most crucial technical and soft abilities for their position today.

 3-D rendering

Calligraphy and two-dimensional art are still relevant, according to Joseph. But 3-D modeling, which is a major component of the future of graphics, is now the foundation for the majority of motion graphics. Working with modeling software, according to Joseph, is the key to comprehending points in three-dimensional space, the lines that connect them, and the polygons formed by those lines.

 Animation viewpoint

"A good 3-D designer understands motion and timelines," claims Joseph. 'Things can move. Light sources can also. The audience's view is provided by the camera, which can also move. One element at a time, the choreographer can create intricate movements that can branch out in numerous directions.

 Organization

Andres asserts that both independent contractors and team members must be organized. The bigger your projects get, the more important it is to maintain a tidy file with organized assets, dependencies, layers, etc., according to Andres.

 According to Avola, "organization and the ability to multitask are critical qualities we look for in new motion designers." You'll be handling numerous levels and components at once. Keep your files organized; failing to do so could cost you later.

 routine animation

The fact that making motion graphics might take a lot of time is one of the main difficulties. Using procedural animation can help reduce that.

 According to Avola, "the word 'procedural' has had a revival in recent years, and this tendency is projected to explode over the next ten years. "Procedurally generated, entire animations can be produced in a fraction of the time using basic and complicated algorithms. Automated methods make it easy to adjust, adapt, and revise work.

 Avola claims that in order to speed up the creative process, motion design software is increasingly using scripts, expressions, and code. Procedural animation, for instance, enables designers to apply predetermined physics to 3D objects; for instance, if two objects clash in an animation at a specific speed, the outcomes are foreseeable and may be modelled correctly.

 Lighting and texture effects

"The audience doesn't see the model, they see the shapes and the images," claims Joseph. He underlines how surfacing contributes to the appearance of photo-realistic 3D visuals. Surfaces may be glossy, reflective, translucent, rough, or refractive. They can also show moving pictures or simulate textures. The possibilities are endless.

 recognizing the overall context

"A good designer knows what their designs will be used for," Joseph asserts. He underlines the growing potential for motion graphics artists in the fields of video, multimedia, game design, and virtual reality. However, every application is unique and requires a unique strategy. Recognize each of these uses and how to prepare for them.

 Adaptability

Avola explains that professional motion designers must be prepared to modify their original vision in order to take customer feedback into account. "Plans change, as do project scope and goals," she says. "Remain humble and take the blows as they come."

 Timing

According to Avola, timing is one of the hardest and most crucial talents for a motion graphics designer. The best tales have a natural flow and rhythm, and motion design is a technique that is heavily influenced by storytelling.

 A graphic that is incredibly detailed and generally attractive is ineffective if the pacing is off or doesn't blend well with other components, such as sound. The greatest motion designers and animators develop the ability to modify their work and incorporate rhythm and tempo into their workflow.

[themovieblogonline]

Gears of War Movie: Dave Bautista Still Waiting

We all remember that a Gears of War movie was announced a while back. We're all very excited and we're patiently waiting for updates regarding the Gears of War movie. And so is Dave Bautista. The actor is still the spitting image of the videogame protagonist Marcus Fenix. So much so that Dave took notice and even recorded a fun video of him in character for the videogame: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91EW-_Mf__0 Looks good, right? I think so too and so do a lot of other people. Oddly enough it seems that Dave Bautista has not been contacted for the Gears of War movie. I know, right? We're learning this from the fine folks at Variety who caught up with the actor to discuss his movie Knock At The Cabin: But the one role that Bautista really has his eye on is Marcus Fenix, the lead character in Netflix’s “Gears of War” video game adaptation. After Netflix announced its upcoming film based on the brutally violent video games, Bautista posted a video of himself wearing the same “Gears of War” armor as Marcus, with whom he shares a striking resemblance. So far, unfortunately, Netflix hasn’t reached out to him about the movie. “I really hope they will,” he said. “It’s a part that I’ve sought after for years and I feel like I could bring a lot of heart to Marcus Fenix. I really would. I think I would do that part justice. I feel confident in it, so hopefully it’ll come my way and we’ll be having this conversation in a different way sometime.” I hope Netflix is just waiting to get a script and director first. A lot of times you don't want to do things in a certain order and getting the script and director first is a must. The last thing we want to see is what happened with Ben Affleck and Matt Reeves with The Batman movie. If, for some reason, a director is hired that doesn't cast Dave Bautista then they will have to face the ire of a ton of fans. There's already a growing sentiment that this role is Bautista's to lose so we'll see how it goes. But until then, Dave is waiting... and so are we... That's all for this one...   Read the full article

[iincantatorum]

xxsacrificiumxx : Visiting Mama [devlin/rosie] | continued from (X)

Ah, she knows that voice. Somewhere long ago in her mind rings the memory of a boy fascinated by her magic. When she was still an old god.

Confusion crosses her face first, brows knitting tightly til age shows in the wrinkles that crease into her forehead. Rosie turns her head towards him, ears tilted high on alert, and she studies the boy carefully like a dangerous stranger. Youth had not been taken from him, despite the passing time. Not in the way stress had aged her. Still a handsome young man, broad in build and inquisitive in the eyes, yet maturity and growth had found its way into him... If not physically in the body, its in his presentation of himself. There before her eyes, the image flickers to a scruffy boy still dawning his leotard of ancient times in place of the jeans and tight fitted shirt he wears now. The old angel narrows her eyes, doubting her own mind, til at last his name resurfaces from the Abyss.

" Devlin..." She breathes it quietly, curious for his response. But its truthful enough, feels right on the tongue and raises in volume with a growing confidence. Suspicion fades into recognition, her posture straightening as delightful emotions flood her old being. Soon enough, A soft nostalgic smile pulls at her lips, with a confirming snap of her fingers,

" Devlin, my sweet boy.. I hardly recognized you like that. How big of a Man you've grown into..."

@xxsacrificiumxx​

There was a time when Devlin thought he had changed for good, even adapting a different name to go along with his different identity. He would have chosen a life of violence and mindless combat, as his father Hades ordained for him to do. But if it was one thing that can bring him back from the self-sentence, it was Rosie. The woman who took him in as a lost child and actually raised him, along with his other siblings. He blended right into the family, and grew up happy and satisfied. He did his chores, helped out and took part in family activities, and in turn trained his little siblings that were Rosie’s own blood so they can protect themselves, especially Thursday. He was ever so grateful for her presence, which is why he had something other demigods lacked, a strong conscience and willingness to do the right thing because they personally wanted to- not because of fear of what their godly parents ordered them to do. 

Perhaps that is why he let Ulysses go. It was his toughest quest, when he was already a full-fledged demigod. He had to take down the sea monster who wreaked havoc as the kraken, but after getting to know him and learn how he was wronged, how Ulysses was simply giving payback for how his mother, Medusa, was treated unfairly by the gods, he thought of his own mother. Because he put himself in Ulysses’s shoes, and questioned what the gods thought was right, he was banished to the underworld. Not just for a few years, but an entire decade. 

Coming out of the underworld, he thought first about his family, and how they must be worried sick. Last he’d seen them, he said he’d be back after he was done proving his worth to Hades. He didn’t know what to make of Rosie’s expression, but given how she raised him, he had a feeling she might take offence to it. That Devlin still had something to prove. But being back home now, taking in his surroundings, he felt nostalgia hit him like a powerful gust of wind, only to be in the loving embrace of his mother.

“It’s been a long time,” he admitted, holding both her hands and staring at his petite mother. “I’ve missed you terribly, more than words can bear. Have I changed so much? Perhaps. Look ma.” He pointed at his left eye, where the iris turned red. “It’s because of the rigorous training. I’ve been infected by either a hellion or a rusty blade and it has not healed since then. Mama I am so hungry.”

[justoneacatperson]

First Date

This is reupload from my old blog!

request by @therealpotatobish

TodoDeku x Fem! Reader

Date with Todoroki and Midoriya is, to put it mildly - chaos. Where do I start?

First we have Todoroki. Very handsome young man with two-tone hair and eyes. We all know that Shoto is not familiar with many things, his childhood was not very colorful and rosy, not at all.

He has not seen his parents take care of each other or behave like a couple, so he is not very familiar with how to treat a person he likes.

He didn’t even realize he liked Midoriya when he was still a student at U.A. It was good that there were his sister to explain to him what those feelings were.

We have already seen that he takes things seriously and does not understand jokes or metaphors, so it takes time to work with him.

Certainly his relationship with Izuku helped him a lot. He showed him what love, care and empathy are, but for him things are complicated again. He and Izuku will date a woman, a woman they have been in love with since their school years in the U.A. Shoto doesn’t know how to treat a woman and what they would like.

We also have the next one, namely Midoriya. Our broccoli boy has remained the same shy young man, despite his fame as the new No.1 hero, this part of him has not changed.

He would certainly do better than Todoroki, but his still shy nature worries him that he won’t be able to talk to you.

They are both worried about your reaction to everything. They have never heard that you like someone, nor have there been rumors that you are with someone, they didn’t even know if you like boys !? Nevertheless, you accepted their invitation to a date, at least they managed to make it clear that they were inviting you to a date, a DATE, and you were fine with that.

Now was the date where they would know if they had a chance with you, and here they were, sitting at the reserved table, waiting for you to come.

21:27p.m

Deku kept a close eye on his watch, looking at every minute. They had arrived about ten minutes ago and were sitting nervously at the table, well, Izuku was moving nervously, and Shoto was sitting meekly, staring at one dot, trying to keep his mind tidy and clear.

-“She will come, Midoriya, our dateis at 9:30p.m.” Todoroki exclaimed, grabbing his boyfriend’s hand under the table to reassure him.

-“Ah, I know, Shoto-san, but that doesn’t make me any less nervous.” the green-haired man replied, smiling at his partner. -“We have been waiting for a long time for the chance to invite her and the fact that she agreed and now we will have a date makes me feel surreal. It’s as if I’ve finally reached a goal that I thought was impossible. It’s very strange that happens, I still consider it unrealistic.”

The two-colored man looked at him with surprised heterochromic eyes. Despite their years together, the things they went through could not be compared to that. And the fact that Deku feels that way surprises him. He is also surprised that he was able to describe how he felt too.

It felt like he was 17 again in his 2nd year at U.A. When he shared his feelings to Midoriya. Confused, scared, excited. He never believed that he would fall in love or be able to be a partner, the love of someone else.

A small smile crept across his face. Todoroki leaned over to his partner, leaning his head on his shoulder. Their physique has changed and evolved over the years. Already in his mid-twenties, Deku had grown much taller than his school years. He was now towering over Shoto.

Midoriya smiled, leaning against Shoto, planting a kiss on his white and red hair.  The two parted, looking up at a door that could be heard opening and closing. 20:30, you arrived just in time.

You looked around the restaurant in confusion, looking for your table. Midoriya instinctively raised his hand, waving at you and shouting. -“(Y/n)-chan!” you looked up at them, a wide smile appeared on your face, bringing butterflies into the stomachs of both heroes.

-“Hey, Deku, Sho!” you replied, going to them.

Midoriya wanted to make a good impression by taking your jacket and pulling your chair backward to sit, but you came like a whirlwind, sitting hastily in the seat in front of them. Obviously there will be no good first impression.

-“Oh, I was in such a hurry so as not to be late.” you started, removing your jacket, leaving it on the back of the chair. - “I was nervous not to be late because there was a traffic jam on the road. After I managed to park it took me time to find the restaurant and…”

Deku waved his arms in front of him, trying to reassure you that you weren’t late, sharing his own worries about not being late. So you two became a muttering mess, and Todoroki rested his chin on his hand, happily watching the scene in front of him. Cute.

-“You are not late, you have nothing to worry about.” the two-colored man called out of nowhere, stopping you and Izuku.

-“It’s good to know.” you said calmly, leaving your hands on the table. -“Long time no see.”

-“Since our graduation in the U.A.” added the green-haired man, rubbing the back of his head.

-“What’s happen with you? I last heard you joined Selkie’s agency.” you nodded in agreement to Shoto.

-“Yes, my quirk would be very welcome in sea battles.”

-“Are you adapting fast?” Deku asked cheerfully.

-“Yes, the hero Manual is there too. We have some pretty similar quirks, so he was so kind to help me adapt.” you replied, controlling the water in your glass with your quirk, making it take the shape of a snake and move along the walls of your glass in a circle.

-“This is very good.” exclaimed the hero, tying his hands on the table.

They both felt a little awkward, not knowing how to continue the conversation, fortunately the waitress saved them by giving them the menus. You opened the menu of hard leather covers, looking at the variety of foods.

-“Oh, hey, Sho, they have a cold soba.” you said excitedly, showing him the menu on the first page.

-“So I’ll order a cold soba.” the two-colored man replied before receiving muttering from Midoriya.

-“But, Sho, we have a whole pot full of soba!” you laughed at their interaction, attracting their attention.

-“What?” they both asked at the same time.

-“Nothing, you just haven’t changed since we graduated from the U.A.” you said with a laugh. Deku giggled too, smiling at you.

-“What do you mean? We look the same way we did 7 years ago?” Todoroki asked confusedly, looking at himself and his boyfriend and again to himself. You and Izuku looked at each other and almost fell from your seats with your boisterous laughter. -“Ah?”

-“O-oh…. Sho!” tears formed in the corners of your eyes, wiping them with your hand. -“You’re still funny!”

-“Funny?”

-“Yes.” the green-haired man replied, leaning his head on his partner’s shoulder.

The three of you ordered a teishoku, receiving it in about 30 minutes. Everyone enjoy their food before Todoroki calls.

-“(Y/n), do you see our old class?” you swallowed your food before answering.

-“Yes, even with some very often.” you said, playing with your chopsticks, twisting them between your fingers and doing tricks with them. -“Most often I go out with Kaminari, by some chance it turned out that we work in the same agency.”

-“Kaminari-san?” Deku exclaimed, looking at you in astonishment. You nodded, uttering a little “Uhm.”

-“All right, that’s nice! We haven’t heard from Denki.”

-“Are you close to each other?” Shoto asked, taking another bite of his meal.

-“I’d say yes. We go out often, we message to each other, he’s very cute. He’s also grown a lot from UA, he’s become more responsible and he controls his quirk much better. We have a lot of fun together. We have dinners for us, in which we are on the couch at my or his home and eating popcorn while watching scary movies. "you said with a smile on your face.

-"Oh, I understand…” Todoroki replied, bowing his head over his food, hiding his face through his hair, which he had left to grow for reaching a length where he could tie it in a bun.

Izuku reached under the table, gripping his boyfriend’s thigh, rubbing it lightly to offer support. He knew his boyfriend’s lack of confidence in relationships. He has always worried about whether he is doing well as a partner and doing everything right.

Talking about a boy (and you’re not the person who talks a lot or often about people, especially boys), who is the opposite of his personality and sees that you’re really having fun with him, feels like someone hit him with wet rag across the face.

-“And you guys…” you called, bringing them both back to reality. -“How are you? The press is very interested in your relationship.” you smiled slyly.

-“So… After we graduated from UA, Shoto and I went to Endeavor’s agency, as his partners in catching villains. That was until we turned 22, All Might offered to take his agency… And I took it.” he replied, scratching the back of his head where his undercut was. -“The press found out about my relationship with Todoroki when I took the agency and there were hundreds of news stories that said, ‘Hero No.1 is in a relationship with Endeavor’s son’.”

-”O!?”

-“Yes, and still receives dozens of emails a day, invitations for interviews about our relationship.”

-“It’s too much for you. The press hasn’t learned for so many years that the heroes have a private life that they usually keep to themselves and don’t want to make it public. The personal space of the heroes must be respected.” you said and turned to Todoroki. -“And for so many years as a pro-hero, people have kept leading you the 'son of Endeavor,’ and that’s all you’re known for.”

-“It’s annoying.” Todoroki replied, making you and Deku giggle a little.

-“Well, those are just words from older people in Japan.” the green-haired man exclaimed, rubbing his boyfriend’s thigh. -“I am sure that the young generation will remember you with your name and your deeds.”

-“You’re right.” said his partner.

-“Ah, (Y/n)-san, do you happen to be in a relationship or dating someone?” Midoriya asked you. Shoto immediately ran one hand under the table, squeezing his thigh - too early, Midoriya.

-“O!?” you opened your eyes wide to them from the sudden question. -“No, I’m not in a relationship, I’m not dating anyone. Why do you ask?”

-“Uhhh…” and now was the scariest part of this meeting - to tell you. Shoto looked at Izuku out of the corner of his eye, looking for an answer as to what to do. -“With Shoto we wanted to ask you something…”

-“Yes…” you said under your breath.

-“Would you like to be with us?” Todoroki asked suddenly, leaning back in his chair.

You and Deku looked shocked at the two-colored man. You dropped your chopsticks as you watched Sho like you saw a ghost. Izuku immediately started waving his arms, trying to reassure you, saying that they were not forcing you to be in relationship with them, that they would not be in a hurry, that they would not be angry if you refused, and ect.

It just took you a moment to process Shoto’s question. They wanted to date you? Really? You were like close friends during your school years, but you didn’t think they had any other than platonic feelings about you. They were both open and comfortable, both shy and anxious around you or when talking to you. You wouldn’t be lying if you said you didn’t have feelings for them in the U.A., but once you found out they were in a relationship, it discouraged you a lot.

-“So?” Todoroki called again.

-“Sho, calm down, give her ti…”

-“Yes.” you replied, getting “Uh!?” from them. - “I accept, I would like to date you.”

-“Really?” Midoriya asked in surprise.

-“Yes…” you said, tying your hands on the table. -“I would just ask for time to get used to, as this will be my first relationship in my life, especially with more than one person.”

-“We’ll give you all the time you need.” Todoroki said, taking your hand in his. Where did you get this confidence? - Izuku wondered.

-”Thanks.”

-“So… should we continue our dinner to celebrate our relationship?” the green-haired man asked cheerfully.

-“Yes!” you and Shoto answered at the same time.

[wearepaladin]

i really like what you do with this blog :D so let me ask your advice: my oath of ancients paladin is experiencing a crisis of faith so to speak - in our setting, all of the gods are dead, so it's more of a crisis of ideals. he's sworn to protect nature and kindle the light, and has a personal drive to fight against monsters; vampires in particular, for they killed his family. in the course of play, he's encountered and taken actions to protect a group of peaceful monsters - now including, in one of our recent sessions, a vampire who knows he's a monster hunter. how can he reconcile his (in many ways well founded) trauma with the fact that there are creatures out there who may need his protection, despite how he feels?

Thank you for the compliment, I appreciate it very much.

As for your question, the easiest way to resolve the problem is to define what it means to be a monster. In a godless world, one must find their own answers, and ideals and virtue are things that grow stronger when tested with reality, and the reality of monsters is that they can be as mundane and simple as the banality of evil itself. In order to best adapt to that reality is recognizing monsters first for what they do and are and not what they appear to be.

The paladin can learn that and realize that the world is both more beautiful and terrible than they thought, for those they once thought monsters have the potential for good, and that evil can wear many masks. With truth and action as the divider, it’s the only way to know who is worthy of our protection.

That’s as true in any world as well as this one.

[raya-rhaenyra-ahsoka]

Why Daenerys Should've Stayed Longer in the North Than Attack Cersei Too Soon (Which is a dick move, really) PART 1

I have said this before and I will say it again, D&D f*cked up Season 8. Honestly, there were a lot of missed opportunities with regards to plotlines. And don't even get me started on why they boycotted the Reeds, that's another story.

Also, we're gonna be talking about the possible strategies against an invasion army that has actual people in it, not ice zombies with super-speed and pyrophobia. We're way past that. The stabbiest of the Starks had already defeated Ice Darth Maul, so let's move on.

Anyway, I still think that Dany should've stayed in the North. Not permanently though, just until she has enough allies and armies to scare the living daylights out of Cersei's ass. And here's why:

WINTERFELL IS IN A STRATEGIC LOCATION.

Defense. In Max Brooks' The Zombie Survival Guide, Winterfell falls under the fortress category under the types of defense. Technically, it's a castle rather than a fortress. It is an impregnable structure with all the facilities to supply probably the whole population of the North. It has a greenhouse to grow food, which is appropriate for Westeros' long winters. According to Ned Stark, the castle can withstand a siege with only 500 men manning it against an army of 10,000. Plus, Dany's remaining dragons could easily barbecue an invading army what she did with the Lannister army in the Reach after defeating the Tyrells and taking Highgarden.

Here's a map of the North for reference: (You can pretty much see where Winterfell is, right?)

Source: awoiaf.westeros.org

Terrain. Winterfell is easily accessible since its location is in the heart of the North both literally and figuratively. It has its advantages as well. The North is the largest of Westeros' 7 Kingdoms. It is vast (it takes weeks to travel from the Neck to Winterfell, wtf?!). With regards to Sun Tzu's Art of War, Winterfell's strategic location can easily spot an approaching enemy, and if they come unprepared, its forces can easily defeat them. Thus, a Southron army wouldn't know how to navigate the lands they're not familiar with (let alone get into the North itself and past its defenses, but that'll be discussed later). Let's take into account Stannis Baratheon's failed siege on Winterfell, and how easily Ramsay Bolton's army defeated them down to the last man.

Climate. The North, in general, has a cold and temperate climate. They even get snowfalls in the summer. A Southron army wouldn't be accustomed to its climate, let alone the dangers of the wolves that roam the kingdom. Plus, if they run out of supplies, like food, there aren't many crops because most of its lands are barren due to the cold and snow. (So yeah, good luck with that!)

So yeah, Daenerys is technically at a place where it's appropriate to say:

AN ASSAULT BY LAND IS A DEATH SENTENCE.

The Riverlands. If Cersei orders her army to march North, they would have to pass the Riverlands. Like literally, here's a map:

Blue lines are the borders of the Riverlands, while the Red line is the Kingsroad. (Source: pinterest.com)

And everyone pretty sure remembers that the Great House or the Overlords of the Riverlands are the Tullys of Riverrun.

Now, this is where it gets interesting. The remaining Starks in Winterfell namely, Sansa, Arya, and Bran, have Tully blood through their mother, Catelyn. So technically, because of their family ties, they're likely already allies.

Debts of Gratitude. With Arya massacring the Freys of the Crossing, she had supposedly freed her uncle, Catelyn's brother, Edmure Tully from their grasp. Now, I don't know how that scene would've gone, (because D&D decided to focus on other things), but it would go something like: Hi Uncle! I killed the Freys, you're free now. Go back to Riverrun, call your banners or something and tell them you're back!

Edmure to his bannermen:

Because of that, I think Edmure would have this huge debt of gratitude towards his sister's children. And with the Tully words being family, duty, honor, Edmure wouldn't hesitate to gather an army. So if the Starks go, Hey, Uncle! Cersei is harassing us, send help!

Edmure's response would be:

The Vale of Arryn. I think the Vale would've joined the Starks as well, the same way they aided Jon Snow in the Battle of the Bastards. Because again, they have family ties. The current lord of the Vale is Robin Arryn, and his mother, Lysa Arryn, was of the Tully family-she was Catelyn and Edmure's sister. With the Starks killing that annoyimg smooth-talker, Littlefinger, they had basically saved Robin from his manipulating ways. With Yohn Royce as the witness on Littlefinger's trial, he would eventually tell Robin the truth about who really killed his mother. So if the Starks will ask for his help to join their cause, Robin will very much likely help his cousins.

So once they march up North, Edmure with the Tully and Vale Armies will be waiting at the Trident.

SWAMPS + CRANNOGMEN + MOAT CAILIN = IT'S A TRAP!

The Neck. Let's face it, if Cersei's army managed to get past the Rivermen and Valemen, there's no way they'll get past the Neck. This southernmost region in the North is known for its swampy terrain, with lizard-lions (basically crocodiles/alligators) lurking in the murky waters.

Here's a map of the Neck for reference:

The Green areas are the swamps, the Red line is the Kingsroad, while the Yellow line passing through the Green area is the Causeway. (Source: awoiaf.westeros.org)

The Crannogmen. Call them what you will, frog-eaters (yes, they do eat frogs), mudmen, bog-devils, but you must never underestimate the swamp people because you'll never know what'll hit you. They are called such because of their habit of living in small villages formed from reeds and thatches and that sit atop floating islands. And despite their short stature, the Crannogmen are talented hunters and warriors. Thus, they have adapted to the harsh environment and have learned to use it to their advantage.They use guerilla tactics and apparently a notoriously difficult people to conquer. In other words, they are the perfect example of the small but terrible type of people. The Crannogmen are ruled by House Reed with its current lord, who is none other Ned Stark’s bff, Howland Reed, a.k.a. Meera, and Jojen’s Dad, who holds court in their floating castle (yes, you read that right. A castle that floats.), Greywater Watch. Yep, the one who delivered the fatal blow to Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning was a f*cking Crannogman, this guy:

Since Ned’s children (Bran and Rickon) and Howland’s children (Meera and Jojen) are also good friends, there’s no doubt that they’ll definitely back them up when they have to. The Reeds are their bannermen after all. Though I think Meera would have to push Bran out of his chair to get even, but still.

The Causeway. The only road that connects the North to the other kingdoms is the Kingsroad. The causeway is the only dry road, the only navigable passage, and the only safe route for armies to travel through the swamps of the Neck. (Refer back to the map) It is also narrow. In the Art of War, narrow passes can be used to your advantage. With the Crannogmen familiar with the terrain, all they have to do is garrison it and wait. You can imagine being ambushed by short people hiding in the trees with poison darts or step on the traps they placed on the road and drag the horses and men into the murky waters to be eaten by the lizard-lions. If they have steel armor on, they’d have lower chances of survival. They might not get eaten, but they’d drown, so yeah, good luck!

Moat Cailin. Still, if they get past the wrath of the Crannogmen, they’ll meet their end at Moat Cailin. These ruins of an ancient stronghold command the Causeway as it passes through it. So anyone who travels North by land has to go through the causeway and Moat Cailin. It is an effective natural chokepoint that had protected the North from southern invaders for thousands of years. Its three remaining towers are usually manned with bowmen who’s ready to shoot a rain of arrows to enemies who will dare pass. And with the Starks back at Winterfell, it is most likely garrisoned by the Crannogmen. 

A Southron army would have no chance at all and would never get past the Neck, thanks to the small but terrible and lovable crannogmen of the swamps. Also, only two women were known to ever kill a White Walker and one of them lives in the Neck.

I’d watch out for her too. Shout out to our girl, Meera Reed! Because all she got from Bran was a lousy thank you after she dragged his Stark ass across the frozen tundra.

That's it for Part 1, you guys. This turned out to be longer than expected. The link for Part 2 is here.

[swissmissficrecs]

Favorite Sherlock Holmes fics from 2020

Usually I put a bunch of explanations and disclaimers on these lists but you know what, it was a weird year and I’m not going to try to justify or apologize for what I read or didn’t read so here are my favorites that were completed last year, in descending order of length:

and your very flesh shall be a great poem by CaitlinFairchild (151K, E, Johnlock) After a tragic confrontation with terrible consequences, Sherlock and John follow Mary as she flees to America.

Drawn to Stars by Silvergirl (107K, E, Johnlock, Sherlock/OMC) After the Culverton Smith case Sherlock is clean, working, and looking for a romantic partner—since John has told him that’s what he needs. Shame John didn’t mention he was interested in that role himself, before Sherlock went off to Rome with a gorgeous Italian copper to try to fall in love and become a complete human being. (This one is very slightly cheating because it was finished on 30 Dec 2019, but it didn't make it onto my 2019 list because I didn't read it until after I'd made the list. And it deserves to be on a Best Of list, so here it is.)

Thermocline by J_Baillier (83K, M, Johnlock) John "Five Oceans" Watson — technical dive instructor, dive accident analyst and weapon of mass seduction — meets recluse professor of maritime archaeology Holmes. As they head out to a remote archipelago off the coast of Guatemala to study and film its shipwrecks for a documentary, will sparks fly or fizzle out?

Do No Harm by Calais_Reno (79K, T, Johnlock) In 1923, Dr John Watson is on trial for the murder of his lover, Mary Morstan, a writer of popular mysteries. If convicted, he will hang. Sherlock Holmes sets out to prove his innocence, but finds himself more and more infatuated with the handsome doctor, and deeper and deeper inside the bohemian world of London's painters, playwrights, and poets. Will he uncover the evidence needed to acquit him in time?

To Be Human by ohlooktheresabee (78K, NR, Johnlock) There is a serial killer on the loose with a penchant for collecting the brains of his victims. Sherlock, John and Scotland Yard are on the case, but something about the chosen victims has Sherlock on edge. While they piece together the clues that will lead to the killer, John begins to realize that the way his best friend thinks may sometimes be more a hindrance than a help….

immediate and inglorious by simplyclockwork (72K, E, Johnlock) Bodies are showing up in back alleys, with no sign of a struggle, no trace of drugs. If not for the strangulation bruises on their necks and the scythe carved into their left shoulders, they could have died peacefully, in their sleep. With New Scotland Yard dumbfounded by the Grim Reaper Killer case, Sherlock is called in to consult. The more he investigates, the deeper Sherlock finds himself drawn into the work of London's newest serial killer. As his views of good and bad begin to blur, he risks losing himself to a darkness he never imagined. And, even more pressing: where does John Watson, grieving ex-boyfriend of the Grim Reaper's latest victim, fit into all of this?

Curtain Rising by tiger_in_the_flightdeck (61K, E, Johnlock) A disgraced television star is the target of a series of death threats just after a theatre production’s adaptation of The Sound of Music is announced with her as the lead. The suspect list is a mile long and growing, Rosie Watson is in the spotlight, and Sherlock might be getting too fond of his time on stage to focus on the case. With opening night approaching, can he and John figure out who wants their client dead before her final curtain rises?

The Fire Finds a Home by fearfully_beautifully_made (61K, E, Johnlock) After Sherlock and John decide to give having a relationship a go, this is how their relationship starts to develop. There a little bit of plot, if you squint, but it was mostly an excuse to write John and Sherlock having sex in a lot of different ways and learning to love each other.

Borrowed Ghosts by DiscordantWords (57K, M, Johnlock) In the aftermath of the Culverton Smith case, John spent one painfully stilted afternoon hanging out with Sherlock. He counted the minutes, finished his tea, and left for home without ever clearing the air between them. And once he'd left, he found it very hard to go back.

You Might Just as Well Be Blind by ArwaMachine (56K, E, Johnlock) When a serial killer starts targeting couples, Sherlock and John must do what they have to do in order to get to the bottom of things. Unfortunately, John already has a girlfriend. Surely pretending to be in a relationship with Sherlock won't pose any problems with his relationship, will it?

The Broken Tether by J_Baillier (54K, M, Johnlock) Maybe he thinks that you only enjoy his company because of the Work, because of the way his dazzling intellect shines when he's in his element, but the truth is this: it is when he is at his most human, most bare, that you feel closest to him.

how the light gets in by subtext-is-my-division (Quill_A)  (54K, E, Johnlock) Red wine always makes him tipsier than usual and he finds himself saying, the words slurring a bit. “You know, I’ve got to ask. Do you always shoot cabbies for people you barely you know?” John meets his gaze over the rim of his glass, and there’s something there that Sherlock can’t pin down. “Not for everyone,” he says, meaningfully, pointedly, his smile all teeth.

Erosion by saintscully (53K, E, Johnlock) Sherlock’s father falls ill, leaving the surviving family members broken and rudderless. James Sholto shows up in London unexpectedly, his intentions unclear. John has to navigate the consequences of crime, illness and death and their impact on his frayed relationship with Sherlock.

Hold You Like a Weapon by MissDavis (52K, E, Johnlock) Eurus shows up at 221B Baker Street in labour. Things go downhill from there.

Chances Are by Berty (51K, M, Johnlock) Sherlock is spending some time in his mind palace - so far, so normal. But why is John there, why do things keep changing and why are there only two exits from the sitting room at 221B, neither of which seem to go anywhere useful? It's a case like no other for Sherlock Holmes and John Watson.

Sine Nomine by SilentAuror (45K, E, Johnlock) As Mycroft reviews the footage from Culverton Smith's morgue, he revisits his original question: whether John Watson would be the making of his brother, or make him worse than ever. He's come to a conclusion, but decides to give John one last chance. So he gives him a choice.

Cockaigne by HollyShadow88 (38K, E, Johnlock) When John’s contacted by an old uni friend about problems in his new art exhibition, he doesn’t think it will be worth Sherlock’s time. After a glance of the crime scene, however, they’re both pulled into the project in ways John didn’t expect. Will a week of erotic performance art finally be enough to bring them together in the way they both secretly hope? (Spoiler: it’s a tropey fic, of course it will)

Written in Ashes by 88thParallel (37K, M, Johnlock) Sherlock becomes the prime suspect in a homicide case, and recently unearthed memories of his childhood are complicating matters. It's up to John to track down answers — can he help Sherlock before it's too late?

A Desperate Indulgence by LollipopCop (34K, M, Johnlock) John thinks it's 2012 after waking up with amnesia, having no memory of Mary. Sherlock, exhausted from years of tension and hiding his love, pretends they got married instead.

Inhale With Ease by Vulpesmellifera (25K, E, Johnlock) In the years after Vivian Norbury's capture, life seems to work out just as John planned. He's got that respectable job at the surgery and goes home to his wife and child. He joins Sherlock on cases a couple times per week. It's a rhythm he can live with - just enough adrenaline highs to balance out the drudgery of a normal bloke's life. Until a pandemic, and Victor Trevor, arrive in London.

The House on Rue des Boulangers by Berty (24K, M, Johnlock) After being invalided out of the army and without any other prospects, John Watson has relocated to a small town in northern France. Now he has to decide what to do for the rest of his life. One morning there's a mad stranger in his garden chasing a swarm of bees, and it seems John's decision is made.

High Mountain Tea Leaves by disfictional (23K, E, Johnlock) A mountaintop robbery on a Japanese-occupation-era train where the only item stolen was a small case of mysterious tea leaves in a backpack? An ideal Christmas gift, two days late. Sherlock convinces John to travel for tea.

Detours by saintscully (22K, M, Johnlock, Sherlock/OMC) During the better part of the first year following Mary's death and the events at Sherrinford, Sherlock and John are slowly rebuilding their lives and their friendship. All seems (relatively) well and John takes comfort in once again being a father, a doctor and a friend. An unexplained shift in Sherlock's behaviour catches John by surprise, and he begins to worry about his place in his friend's life. John has to examine everything he thought he knew about Sherlock, himself and their relationship in order to win his rightful place yet again.

hands full of matter by simplyclockwork (21K, E, Johnlock) When Sherlock is captured in Serbia, Mycroft cannot afford to involve the British government in his rescue. Instead, he sends John. After two years spent thinking Sherlock was dead, John finds himself navigating not only Sherlock’s rescue but their fractured friendship as well.

The Victim Experience by J_Baillier (16K, T, Gen) A case takes Sherlock and John deep into the seedy underbelly of the haunted attractions industry. With audiences craving more and more intense experiences, is a real murder the next logical step?

On the Fence by BeautifulFiction (13K, T, Johnlock) The murder of the King's College fencing champion leads to revelations about Sherlock's past. Will it be the point that tips them from friends to lovers, or will they remain on the fence?

Plus bonus ACD era:

"Baker Street: The Sleep of Reason": A Memoir by John H. Watson, M.D. by Gaedhal (98K, M, Johnlock, Johniarty) This is a Victorian Era story in the "Sherlock Holmes" (2009) Ritchie-verse. The main characters are Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson and is from the doctor's memoirs. It was written before "A Game of Shadows" so there are differences in this story and film canon, mainly in the person and backstory of one particular character.

The Taste of Truth by sanguinity (25K, T, Johnlock) Two and a half years after Reichenbach, John Watson discovers the magical tree that caused Holmes to fake his death.

The Adventure of the Vatican Cameos by Garonne (18K, E, Johnlock) How should one behave when waking for the first time in the bed of one's dearest friend? Holmes and Watson solve a case in Catholic London while navigating the turbid waters of their new relationship.

Hot Water by wordybirdy (13K, E, Johnlock, Watson/Gregson) Dr. John Watson's libidinous affair with a respected Scotland Yard inspector abruptly judders to a halt when the former meets a certain Mr. Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective, for the very first time. The attraction between the two is strongly mutual, but misunderstandings only multiply and tensions abound, as all three men attempt to deal with the new situation.

[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 ;)

[elamarth-calmagol]

What actually is LACE? (an informal essay)

What’s LACE?

Laws and Customs among the Eldar, or LACE, is the most popular section of the History of Middle Earth books.  It's available online as a PDF here: http://faculty.smu.edu/bwheeler/tolkien/online_reader/T-LawsandCustoms.pdf .  There’s a lot of LACE analysis in the fandom, Silmarillion smut fics are usually labeled “LACE compliant” or “not LACE compliant”, and I’ve been seeing the document itself show up in actual fics, meaning that the characters themselves are discussing it.

LACE is an unfinished, non-canonical essay split into several parts.  It covers the sexuality of elves, which is mostly what people talk about.  It also covers elvish naming (which I want to make a whole different post about), the speed at which elves grow up, changes that happen throughout their lives, their death and rebirth, and finally the legal and moral issues of Finwe remarrying after Miriel’s death.  The discussion about rebirth conflicts with Tolkien’s later writings about Glorfindel’s re-embodiment, but to the best of my knowledge, LACE is the best or only source for most of the topics it covers.

However, LACE is not canon since it doesn’t show up in the Silmarillion.  Counting all of the History of Middle Earth as canon is literally impossible, considering Tolkien contradicts himself all over the place.  It is only useful because it has so much information that is never discussed in the actual canon.  Many people consider it canon out of convenience.

Another important thing to remember is that, other than presumably the discussion of the growth of elvish children, the information is only supposed to apply to the Eldar (meaning the Vanyar, Noldor, Teleri, and Sindar) and not the dark-elves such as the Silvan elves and Avari.

The rest is behind the cut to avoid clogging your feeds.

Problems with LACE interpretations

But because it’s hidden in the History of Middle Earth (volume 10, Morgoth’s Ring), barely anyone actually gets the opportunity to read it.  I don’t think most people are aware that you can get it online, so it doesn't get read much.

I feel like this leads to a handful of people saying something about LACE and everyone else going along with it.  I definitely did this.  I was amazed by all the things that were in the actual essay that nobody had ever told me about, or had told me incorrectly.  For example, most people seem to believe that elves become married at the completion of sexual intercourse (whatever that means to the fic author).  In fact, LACE explicitly says that elves must take an oath using the name of Eru in order to be legally married.  Specifically: 

It was the act of bodily union that achieved marriage, and after which the indissoluble bond was complete… [I]t was at all times lawful for any of the Eldar, being both unwed, to marry thus of free consent one to another without ceremony or witness (save blessings exchanged and the naming of the Name); and the union so joined was alike indissoluble.

I’ve seen a marriage oath being included in a few stories recently, but most writers leave out the oath entirely and just have sex be automatically equivalent to marriage.  What would happen if elves had sex without swearing an oath?  I don’t know, but I’d love to see it explored.

Then there’s a footnote that might explicitly deny the existence of transgender elves... or not, but I’ve literally only seen it mentioned once or twice.  Overall, I feel like all of LACE is filtered through the handful of people who read it, and we’re missing out on a lot of metanalysis and interpretations that we could have because most fans never see the actual document.

Who wrote LACE?

I mean within the mythology of Middle Earth, of course.  Since LACE appears in the History of Middle Earth and not the Silmarillion, we can be pretty sure that J.R.R. Tolkien himself wrote it and it wasn’t added to by Christopher Tolkien.  But that’s not the question here.  Remember that Tolkien’s frame narrative for all of his Middle Earth work is that he is a scholar of ancient times and is translating documents from Westron and Sindarin for modern audiences to read and understand.  The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings come from the Red Book of Westmarch, and I believe The Silmarillion is meant to be Tolkien’s own writings based on his research (though it might also be an adaption of Bilbo’s “Translations from the Elvish”, but I haven't looked into that).  So what does LACE come from?

Christopher Tolkien admits in his notes that he doesn’t know.  He says, “It is clear in any case that this is presented as the work, not of one of the Eldar, but of a Man,” and I agree, because of the way it seems to be written as an ethnographic study rather than by someone who lives in the culture.  Honestly, it talks too much about how elves are seen by Men (e.g. speculating that elf-children might look like the children of Men) to be written by an elf.  This changes once it gets to the Doom of Finwe and Miriel, but that could be, and probably is, a story told to the writer by an elf who was there at the time.

Tolkien actually references Aelfwine in the second version of the text.  The original story behind The Lost Tales, which was the abandoned first version of the Silmarillion, was that a man from the Viking period named Aelfwine/Eriol stumbled onto the Straight Road and found himself on Tol Eressea.  He spoke to the elves and brought back their stories to England with him.  So it makes a lot of sense that Aelfwine would also write about the lives and customs of the elves for an audience of his own people.

Does LACE exist in Middle Earth?

I keep finding fics where first age elves discuss “the Laws and Customs” openly, as if it’s a text in their own world.  I usually get the impression that it was brought by the Noldor from Valinor.  But did the document actually exist in that time period?  For me, the answer is definitely not.

First of all, LACE was probably written by a Man, meaning it could not have dated back to Valinor in the years of the Trees, because Men hadn’t awaked yet.  In fact, the closest thing to an established frame narrative for it is that it was written by Aelfwine, who comes from the time period around 1000 CE (though Tolkien doesn’t seem to have pinned him down).  This is at least the fifth age, if not later.

But what if you don’t believe that it was written by a Man?  It still couldn’t have been written in the First Age, because it discusses the way the relationship between elves’ bodies and souls changes as ages go by.  For example:

As ages passed the dominance of their fear ever increased, ‘consuming’ their bodies... The end of this process is their ‘fading’, as Men have called it.

A lot of time has to go by in order for elves to get to the point of fading.  As a bonus, here’s another reference to the perspective of Men. LACE also discusses the dangers that “houseless feas”, which are souls of elves who do not go to Mandos after their bodies died, pose to Men.  How would they have known about that in the First Age?  It further says that “more than one rebirth is seldom recorded” (which isn’t contradicted anywhere I know of), and that’s not something you would know during your life of joy in Valinor, where almost nobody dies.  That’s something you learn after millennia of war.  This has to be a document written well after the Silmarillion ends.

So what about the sex part?  That’s all we care about, right?  Well, it is entirely possible that this was written down by the elves and Aelfwine translated it (though my impression is that he mostly recorded stories told orally to him and that elves were not very much into writing, at least in Valinor where you could get stories directly from someone who experienced them).  However, why would the elves write this down?  They know how quickly their children grow up.  They’ve seen actual marriages.  They don’t need that described to them.  And if they did have a specific document or story explaining the expectations of them when it comes to sex and marriage, why would they call it “Laws and Customs”?  That’s a very strange name for a set of rules for conduct.  I’m sure they had a list of laws written out somewhere in great detail, like our own state or national laws (that seems very in character for the Noldor, at least).  But I seriously doubt that those laws are what we’ve been given to read. LACE is not an elvish or Valinoran document.

Is LACE prescriptive or descriptive?

Here’s the other big question I’m interested in.  Prescriptive means that the document describes the way people should behave.  Descriptive means that it describes how people do behave.  And the more I worldbuild for Middle Earth and the culture of elves, the more I want to say that LACE is prescriptive in its discussion of sex, marriage, and gender roles.

But wait.  I’ve been saying for paragraphs that I think LACE is Aelfwine or another Man’s ethnographic study of elvish culture.  Then it has to be descriptive, right?

Does it?  How long do we think Aelfwine stayed with the elves?  Did he wait fifty years to see a child grow up?  Did he get to witness a wedding ceremony?  Did he meet houseless fea?  I don’t think he could have done all of that.  Maybe a different Man who spent his entire life with the elves could, but then when was this written?  When the elves were still marrying and having children in Middle Earth or when so much time had gone by that they had begun to fade already?

Whoever wrote this was told a lot of information by elves instead of experiencing it firsthand, the same way he heard the stories from the First Age from the elves instead of being there.  Maybe it was one elf who talked to him, maybe several different ones.  But did those elves accurately describe their society the way it was, give him the easiest description, or explain the way it was supposed to be?  If I was describing modern-day America, would I discuss premarital sex or just our dating and marriage customs?  Maybe people would come away from a talk with me thinking that moving in together equated to marriage for Americans in the early 21st century.  And I don’t even have an agenda to show America in a certain way, I'm just bad at explaining.  Did the elves talking to what may have been the first Man they had seen in millennia have an agenda in the way they presented themselves?

Or did the writer himself have an agenda?  Imagine going to see these beautiful, mythical, perfect beings, and you find out that they behave in the same immoral ways Men do.  Do you want to share the truth back home?  Or do you leave out things that don't match your worldview? Did Aelfwine come back wanting to tell people what elves were really like?  Or did he want to say “this is how you can be holy and perfect like an elf”?

Anyone studying the Age of Exploration will tell you that Europeans neber wrote about new cultures objectively, and often things were made up to fit the writer’s idea of what savages looked like. For example, my Native American history teacher in college told a story of how explorers described one tribe who (sensibly) didn't wear clothes as cannibals, because cannibalism and going around naked went together in their minds and not because of any actual incident.  Unbiased scholarship barely existed yet. Even Tolkien was extremely biased and tended to be imperialistic, as we all know.  There’s absolutely no reason to think that Aelfwine wasn’t biased in his own way.  (Of course, now we have to consider what biases a Danish or English man from the centuries around 1000 would have when it comes to things like gender roles. I assume he would have been more into divorce and female warriors than the elves are said to be.)

But is that what Tolkien intended? Probably not. He probably wanted LACE to be descriptive. But he also never got much of a chance to analyse the essay after the fact, which might have led to him discussing its accuracy and even the exact issues I just pointed out about explorers. Anyway, we know he's biased, and honestly, what he intended has never slowed down the fandom before.

Conclusion

In short, I take LACE to be a prescriptive document describing the way elvish culture is supposed to be, not a blueprint I have to stick to in order to correctly portray elves.  I also don’t believe the document that’s available for us to read existed even in the early Fourth Age, where The Lord of the Rings leaves off.  There maybe have been some document outlining the moral behavior of elves, as a set of laws, but thats not the Laws and Customs we have.

Of course, canon is up to you to interpret.  If you want Feanor discussing LACE with someone back in Valinor, go ahead.  If you want to throw out LACE entirely, go ahead.  It’s not even a canonical essay.  All of this analysis is honestly useless when you consider the fact that no part of LACE exists in any canonical book.

But that’s Tolkien analysis for you.