#ITS WAAAY TOO ACCURATE

[cryptidghostgirl]

Hello hi- back to my shenanigans again (the one with the fake dating + lobby portal + frozen half the pentagram surely not an OC ahahah anonymous asker) - anyway- heres some MORE angst.

Reader's past lover- died waaay before reader back in their teens because readers mother found out about their not so heterosexual relationship and decided to shoot them both but only killed one- reader escaping and killing her mom in return (let’s name her Charlotte- with mane wolf features- so wolf+fox+deer features a combination! ) and barely moved on after meeting Alastor like years later, yet still haunted by Charlottes dead eyes reader saw when she woke up from some sleepy poison. Now Charlotte is in heaven and reader in hell alongside their radio-lover lover!

Yet somehow- maybe though a very uncanonical accurate meeting where angels go down to see the new hotel after hearing sinners can get redeemed Charlotte (not to be confused with Charlie) is one of said angels and suddenly all those waves of emotions come rushing back and reader can do nothing but stare.

but oh wait! Angels/Winner dont remember their past life so reader goes to her- and shes just “Oh hello! Whats your name? :3” (shes an angel and loves the stars and plants and everything nice can do no wrong) “I-… I guess you dont know me in this lifetime” (AND DOESNT TELL HER THEYVE MET BEFORE because what good would that bring?)

But alastor is also there lurking in the back. watching them- he knew someone was in readers life before him but reader never said more than that. Will readers feelings for Charlotte come back? Will reader stay to the infatuation of murderous acts that Alastor bought them? Will reader choose the pure love that might not spring again?

The infamous blizzard demon overlord! that never dropped their mask around others that always seemed to have the upper hand in any situation, the cold- charismatic- brutal and ruthless overlord- suddenly speechless at the reappearance of someone they used to know. How will everyone react?! “Sweet as a pea, but sharp as a knife- now shocked like the stars have fallen”

GAAAH MY BRAIN IS TOO BIG ANF FULL OF ANGST!!!!! Heres some kisses too: maybe next fic its me x you pookie 😘😘🥰🥰😘😘😘😘

A/N What a wild way to close off a request, I honestly got so much respect for that. I don't do OCs but for the sign off comment, I'll make an exception. Also I am assuming you want this as a part two to Frostbite because she's still a blizzard demon?? Apologies in advance if I got that wrong. Also,, not you quoting something else I've written in your request. That's crazy, thank you so much for the love.

Day Lilies (Alastor x Blizzard demon!Reader x Angel!OC)

Pairing: Alastor x Reader

Part One: Frostbite (Alastor x Reader)

Warnings: Homophobia (from other people and internalized) and murder. Smoking/cigarettes and angst. Always angst. I think that is it, please correct me if I am wrong.

Word Count: 2,969

Master Lists:

Master Lists 

Hazbin Hotel Master List 

Alastor Master List

Click here and leave a comment if you want to be added to any taglists or send me an ask about it.

The best thing about the Hazbin Hotel, according to some, was the fact that not one but two overlords who had found a home there. The Radio Demon and the Frost. Feared, revered, respected, and making an appearance for the first time in seven long years.

Without Alastor and Y/n's help, Charlie would not have been able to achieve all she had and she was eternally grateful to the pair, even if they were a tad confrontational and violent at times. Deeply in love, indebted to one another in a billion and five different ways, Alastor and Y/n had worked hard for their life in the underworld. As the angel stepped gently out of the portal, following her superior, Y/n felt the pressure of that life as it began to crash down around her.

When Charlie had struck the deal with Heaven to have an angel come down to the hotel to track its progress and assess if any of its inhabitants were worthy of redemption, Y/n had thought nothing of it. Sure, it was a bit irritating but if anything, the deal seemed ripe for entertainment and thats really all she and Alastor were after at the end of the day. She had figured the angel would be some low ranking nobody. She had thought it would be amusing, that they would torture the poor creature, that things would stay roughly the same. Never in her wildest dreams had the notion ever crossed Y/n's mind that the angel might be Charlotte.

Of course, Y/n had known Charlotte must be in Heaven. The girl had always been so kind, so good to her very core. It had just all seemed so far away and now, somehow, there she was, peeking timidly out from behind the seraphim's back.

Charlotte looked different, having taken on some animalistic, wolfish features since her death. Sharp ears sprouted from the untamed mess of her hair, fangs peeked their way out from the corners of her lips but Y/n was sure. It was Charlotte. It was all in the eyes.

"Welcome, Sera." Charlie politely began, taking a step forward.

Normally, such a show of self restraint from the young demon princess would have caused curiosity to spark a fire in Y/n's chest. Now, she just stood beside Angel as Charlie had requested, eyes wide and mind reeling.

"Is this who we will be working with?"

Sera looked at the shy wolf of a girl behind her and nodded her head, gesturing for the girl to step forward.

"Yes." she replied, her voice cold and haughty, "This is Charlotte, she has been with us for a while and we trust her judgment on matters such as this."

"Oh how funny!" Charlie brightly exclaimed, "My full name is Charlotte too but, I go by Charlie. Do you have a nickname you'd prefer?"

"Just Charlotte is fine." the angel softly replied and Y/n's breath caught in her throat.

The girls voice was honeysuckle, it was sticky sweet teen love.

"Why her?" Husk asked and Charlie shot him a glare, "She just seems a little..."

Sera laughed lightly, a caring smile sneaking on to her face.

"She's a little shy, but she is smart. Even when she was alive, she had an ability to read people, to see right through to the essence of their beings."

Charlotte blushed slightly at the compliment, turning away.

The southern sun beat down over head, long grass whipping at their legs as Charlotte, running, dragged Y/n to the center of the field.

"Lottie!" Y/n exclaimed, half laughing, "Where on earth are you taking me?"

Charlotte glanced back at her companion, a mischievous smirk painting her lips that sent bolts of red hot fire through to Y/n's fingertips.

"You'll see."

After a few more paces, they came to a panting halt. Charlotte turned to Y/n, placing a hand gently over the other girl's eyes. With a guiding hand, she lead the blinded girl to a spot a little ways off where she had snuck off to earlier and set up a picnic. There was fresh fruit, Georgia peaches from her family's own orchard, and home made lemonade. Slowly, Charlotte gifted Y/n with sight.

Y/n's mouth fell slightly open as she surveyed the scene before her. Sixteen and in love, she turned to Charlotte, taking both the girl's hands in her own.

"When... how..."

"I know things have been rough at home lately. I wanted to do something to make you smile."

"How did you know? I never..." Y/n cleared her throat, "I never said anything... I nev-"

"You didn't have to. I know you, love. You never have to say a word."

Alastor watched his lover silently from the other side of the group. Charlie had insisted they flank the guests, dragging Y/n away from his side just as the portal had opened. She didn't show it, not obviously, but he knew something was wrong. From the second the portal had opened and the angels had stepped through, she had gone tense, her eyes fixed on the one called Charlotte, the tips of her frostbite blackened fingers tapped against one another in wild thought.

"Well," Sera sighed, looking around at the ragtag group of sinners and demons, "I had best be on my way. I will be back in a few days to pick Charlotte up, please be kind to her over the course of her stay."

With those parting words and a reassuring pat on the angel's shoulder, Sera stepped back through the portal which closed behind her.

"Well," Charlie began brightly, clapping her hands together, "let's do introductions! I am Charlie Morningstar and I run the Hazbin Hotel with my girlfriend, Vaggie."

Vaggie sent Charlotte a wave which she timidly returned. With a deep breath, Charlotte stepped towards the line of sinners before her.

"Alastor." Alastor hummed, grabbing Charlottes hand and shaking it harshly, "A pleasure to be meeting you my dear, quite the pleasure."

It struck Charlie as a bit odd he said and did nothing else but, she made no mention of it. In her mind, Alastor was simply on his best behavior as requested. In reality, he was far too focused on the way a slight flurry of snow had begun to settle on Y/n's sharp shoulders.

"Nice to meet you too." Charlotte replied, extracting her hand from his grip and moving down the line.

Y/n's heart pounded wildly against her chest as Charlotte grew closer. Her tail twitched behind her, flicking back and forth gently, and her breaths grew slightly heavy. Although he noticed the odd behavior, it was impossible not to from his place beside her, Angel said nothing. At long last, Charlotte came to a stop before her.

"Disgusting!" Y/n's mother's voice rang out through the yard, "You are both complete and utter disgraces!"

They hadn't meant to be found out. As far as Y/n's mother had known, Y/n and Charlotte were best friends. Charlotte had come over to help Y/n with her chores, they had been doing laundry out in the yard when Charlotte had playfully flicked water towards her beloved. One thing had lead to another and before long, they had been wrapped up in one another, planting a singular, soft kiss on each other's lips. Y/n felt Charlotte's hand tighten around her own, she took a step forward.

"Don't you dare speak to her that way!" Y/n yelled back, anger burning brightly in her eyes and adrenaline shaking her limbs with wild courage, "Don't you dare!"

Her mother scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"She is a bad influence on you! The devil sent to curse me!"

Y/n's mother stepped forward, grabbing Y/n and wrenching her from Charlotte's grip. Charlotte tugged at Y/n's mother's dress as she dragged her girlfriend harshly into the small house.

"Let her go!" Charlotte cried, "Stop it! We weren't doing anything wrong!"

With a harsh slap to her face, Charlotte was sent to the ground. Her mother threw Y/n through the door, the unfinished wood of the floor sending splinters deep into Y/n's knees as she struggled to get to her feet. Her head had hit the corner of the table in her fall, the world was spinning. Y/n's mother grabbed the shot gun from where it lay beside the door. Just as Y/n managed to stumble to her feet, holding her swaying body up with a hand on the table she had hit, her mother stepped outside and slammed the door behind her, locking it.

Y/n rushed over, trying desperately to wrench it open to no avail. The anger had turned to panic as she heard her mother cock the gun.

"What are you doing!" she heard Charlotte yell and Y/n rushed to the window.

From her vantage point, Y/n watched her mother train the gun on Charlotte who had her hands raised and was stumbling backwards.

"Run!" she yelled, banging her fists on the glass, "Lottie, run!"

"Please." Charlotte was pleading, tears wetting her cheeks, "I promise I wont ever come here again, I wont ever come near her again. Please!"

"Lottie!" Y/n yelled again.

With no regard for her own safety, Y/n punched the glass of the window. The pane shattered around her hand, puncturing her soft skin. Blood, hot and wet, ran down her arm as she pulled her hand back to her side.

"Yeah, you sure as hell wont!" Y/n's mother yelled, her voice thick and low with rage, "You'll be dead!"

Y/n flung her leg over the window sill, shards of glass digging into her as she pulled herself through the hole she had created.

"Lottie!" she yelled again, "Run!"

Her screams were drowned out by the sound of a gunshot. Charlotte held her hands to her stomach, blood pouring from between her fingers. Their eyes met.

"Lottie!"

"And you are?" Charlotte asked expectently.

Y/n shook her head slightly, pulling herself from the depths of her memories. Everyone was staring at her, she had no idea how long the angel had been standing before her. She cleared her throat.

Alastor didn't know what was going on but, whatever it was, he knew he didn't like it. Using his shadows, he appeared behind Y/n and placed a protective hand on the top of her head between her horns. Her hair was damp from freshly fallen snow and Charlotte gasped slightly in surprise at his appearance.

"My dear," he grinned, leaning down to Y/n's ear, "you're snowing."

"I..."

Y/n looked up, her cheeks flushing pink and the heart on the tip of her tail puffing up as she realized what he said.

"O-oh." she stuttered, brushing his hand from her head and the snow from her shoulders as she regained control of her powers again, "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."

The other members of the hotel watched in a mixture of shock and confusion. They had always known Y/n to be cold, to be harsh. They had always seen her devotion to the man behind her as infallible. No one had any idea what was going on but, the presence of the angel stopped them all in their tracks.

"It's quite all right, what's your name?" Charlotte asked again, her voice honey sweet.

Y/n took a deep breath, morphing her features into the closest thing to a kind smile she could muster.

"Y/n." she firmly replied, "I'm Y/n."

Her eyes scanned Charlotte's face intently as their hands made contact. She waited for the shock of recognition, for the tears her Lottie had always been so prone to. There was nothing.

"That's a very pretty name." Charlotte replied, "It sounds like it is from the same era as mine."

That raised some small hope in Y/n's chest. She took a step forward, bringing herself closer to the angel.

"Which is?"

"Oh, I don't know." Charlotte replied, her cheeks flushing pink with embarrassment, "Angels don't get to remember their lives on earth unless they are pretty high in the ranks. I've been told I was from Georgia though, that I died in the early 1900s."

Y/n froze, her breath trapped in her chest, a knife buried deep within her heart.

"Oh." she mumbled out in a broken whisper, "I guess you... you don't know me in this lifetime."

"What was that?" Charlotte asked, leaning in a bit.

Y/n shook her head, letting go of Charlotte's hand.

"Nothing. I... I need some fresh air, I think. If you would all excuse me."

It didn't take Alastor long to find Y/n once Charlie had let him return to his duties in favor of showing Charlotte around the hotel. She stood out in back of the hotel, her back pressed firmly against the wall and a cigarette crushed between her fingers. Shakily, she took a drag.

"What was that about?" Alastor asked, leaning up against the wall beside her and folding his arms across his chest.

"What was what about." Y/n cooly replied.

"Y/n, don't play dumb."

"I knew her back when we were alive, thats all."

"Is that all?" Alastor asked after a moment, "You seemed..."

He trailed off. Alastor was angry. He had always been the jealous type, protective to a fault. He could see how shaken up Y/n was however and so, running a finger over the ring he wore, Alastor took a deep breath.

"That angel, Charlotte..." her name lingered poisonously on his tongue, "it seemed there was something a lot more than just you knowing her."

"I picked these for you." Y/n bashfully stated, shoving a bouquet tied with a rough bit of twine towards the pretty girl beside her, "Here."

Tentatively, Charlotte took the bouquet from Y/n's hand. She held it gently, watching the way the breeze played with the petals.

"Georgia asters?" Charlotte hummed thoughtfully, "And yarrow?"

"My momma didn't used to be poor. She grew up in a rich family, gave it up when she married my dad. Her momma taught her floriography." Y/n's words came out in a big rush, they chased after one another in a breathless flurry of nerves, "It was big in the victorian era for fancy people, all about talking through flowers. She taught me asters symbolized wisdom, faith, and valor and that yarrow was for healing and... and love... besides, I know you like them. You're always staring at them when were out."

Charlotte looked over at Y/n who's cheeks were bright red. She smiled, her eyes shining.

"I love you too." she said, nudging Y/n gently with her elbow.

"Yeah, but..." Y/n sighed, running a hand through her messy hair, "I... god, Lottie! I don't just love you like a sister. Its... I understand if you don't wanna talk to me anymore I just couldn't... I couldn't keep it in anymore."

Y/n looked away, tears pressing hotly at the backs of her eyes. Charlotte's eyes went wide.

"I understand... I won't be mad... I just... I'll leave."

Charlotte's hand shot out, grabbing Y/n's wrist as she pushed herself from the fence they were leaning against. Slowly, Y/n turned to face her. Charlotte was blushing now too and looked away, still holding Y/n tightly.

"I don't..." she took a deep breath, "I don't love you like a sister either."

"It's wrong... it's so wrong... what would my mother say... what would your mother say, I-"

Charlotte cut Y/n off, standing on her toes to press a soft kiss to the slightly taller girl's lips. It was clumsy and foreign. Y/n trembled, her eyes fluttered shut.

"I don't care." Charlotte said, "I don't care."

"Yeah." Y/n sighed, taking a final drag from her cigarette before stamping it out beneath her heel, "Yeah."

"Do I have anything to worry about?" Alastor asked and Y/n's eyes met his.

He had known her long enough, he could see the conflict.

"She was my first love, Al." Y/n admitted, "We were girls together."

"You're my wife."

"It's different."

"Do I have anything to worry about?" Alastor asked again and Y/n looked back out at the sky.

"She doesn't remember me."

"But you remember her."

"But I remember her." Y/n confirmed, her voice cracking, "I couldn't forget if I tried. She haunts me, Al. She has always haunted me, since long before I even met you. Lottie died in my arms, Al. My mother killed her, shot her right in the stomach. I...."

Y/n trailed off into silence. It was more about her life before she had met him than she had ever revealed before. Alastor took a deep breath, conflicting emotions battling behind his eyes.

"What are you thinking about?"

He was trying to keep his cool, to save face. He was failing, anger and a secret fear ate away at the edges of his words.

"Day lilies."

"Day lilies?" Alastor repeated and Y/n nodded, meeting his eyes once again.

"A floriography thing again?"

Alastor knew of Y/n's interest in the symbolic properties of plants. It was one of the only things she ever spoke about concerning her mother and her shadowed past before that night in Mimzy's bar.

"Yes."

"What do they mean?" Alastor sighed, resigning himself to his fate because god, if Alastor knew anything he knew his fate was Y/n. She held his heart in the palms of her hands.

"Love for lovers. Love for mothers..."

"And?"

His heart pounded against his chest.

"And loss of memory."

----

TAGS:

the ones in red are ones I am not sure worked/having trouble linking.

@willowshadenox @i-love-jafar @elfyeet @reader3 @lazygirlfanfic0-0@kahlan170@wendyphan01203-blog @fairyv-ice @clarakainda @lunaramune @mcueveryday @luxky-aish @peterpankat @corvid007

[mini-leafster]

woah smol leafy

Wait

Are you my sister since I assume ure leafys daughter-???

-🔥(but bloo)

I guess so. Also, hi Firey Jr!!

Hang on a second, I forgot to make an intro.

AHEM.

Hi everyone! I'm Leafy Jr, and I'm here to make an ask blog. Uh, sorry if you expected a grand entrance, I'm not very prepared this time around.

REF SHEET!

[Keep in mind, this might change as the blog progresses.]

[Currently the most accurate aside from likes and info.]

[Kind of up-to-date ver!!]

BETTER REF SHEET!

RULES!

- Ships are... okay-ish, but keep in mind relations and how old the characters are. The juniors are kids, don't be weirdoes.

- NO HATE! I get being angry about something, but if if you send hateful asks I won't answer.

- Magic anon asks have a cap on them depending on how they vary using the stopsign list;

GOOD MAGIC [does smth positive for leafy jr]: Can last up to 15 asks.

NEUTRAL MAGIC [not bad or good, like color swaps]: Can last up to 10 asks.

NEGATIVE MAGIC [bad evildoers do this]: Can last up to 5 asks and few exceptions.

- Also, if I feel an M!A either throws off any plans I have or is waaay too much, I will likely deny it.

- Since Maple is a thing, evil, switching, switched. If Maple is speaking often, this can also be for Leafior commenting. Maple and Leafy Jr. share a body. Kinda like a system.

- RULES MIGHT NOT STAY THE SAME!! CHECK BACK BEFORE YOU ASK, I MIGHT'VE SHIFTED THINGS.

- Have fun! This blog is often serious, but it doesn't have to be that way forever! Go ahead and be silly.

[This blog is run by @s1arrite! Thanks for reading!]

[ooc = 🔥-hi guys its me the mod woah]

[Now an AU kinda!] (i accidentally strayed super far from canon ((whoopsies)) so this now qualifies as an AU 🤯)

TEXT KEY

[Leafy Jr: White text.]

[Maple: Red text.]

[Pin Jr: Pink text.]

[Poinsettia: Pink text.] (Up for asks when around!)

[Shroomy: GREEN TEXT.]

[Claritin: Purple text.] (Appears only occasionally!)

[Ship: Blue text.]

[Spyglass: Purple text.]

[And many more! If you ever get confused, ask which characters speaking and I'll gladly tell.]

[gemsofgreece]

What was women's position in the Byzantine Empire? I haven't searched that much, but it seems like her position wasn't any different from Ancient Greece, where they were expected to be modest, silent and it was generally preferable not to be heard (at least, women from aristocratic families).

Well you won’t find easily a medieval state which did not want women to be modest and quiet.

In spite of that, no that’s not true. The place of the woman in the society improved considerably in Byzantine times compared to the Classical era. As a sidenote, perhaps we should not generalize about Classical Greece either, especially when we apply the reality of Athens to all the Greek world without enough evidence that this is historically accurate, at a time when Athens was extremely obsessed with ¨male perfection¨.

Based on our view of things nowadays, it might seem counterintuitive, however Christianity played a huge role in this improvement. You see, the Bible through its scriptures and also the very example of Virgin Mary, whom the Byzantines (and later the Modern Greeks too) worshipped almost equally to Christ, as well as the church’s acknowledgement and veneration of women martyrs indiscriminately from men martyrs, made it clear that women were spiritually equally capable of achieving “théosis”, meaning resemble the image of God, in other words; sainthood. It was thus deemed important that women would be able to read and study the scriptures. As a result the Byzantine empire had the highest literacy rate of women in the Middle Ages.

Intercepting for those who might wonder: "But the Ancient Greek religion had gods and goddesses alike, so why wouldn't that improve the social status of women?". The answer is because in the Ancient Greek religion there was no concept of théosis, meaning any human's strive to achieve a moral perfection to resemble the image of God. The dynamics of gods and godesses were separate from those of the people, where women were left to be evaluated by and versus men alone.

Women were nowhere as confined as the women of classical Greece. Of course they should be good wives and mothers catering to their household first and foremost but they could participate in social events, festivals, go shopping, lather in the baths and have fun like men did. As wives, their status was also better, as according to Christianity all god-fearing men were supposed to be loyal to their wives and have no concubines. So, if a man really had no intention to be faithful at all, neither to his wife nor to the Christian teachings, he at least did it discreetly, and if he did not do even that, then he did not escape the judgement of the society. Divorce was hard for either spouse to ask, of course waaay more for women, but for example Justinian enforced an iconic law that if a couple wanted to take a divorce then BOTH spouses should go to monasteries and be celibate for life lol So you know, be cruel, but at least be indiscriminately cruel! 😂

Financially, dowries and inheritance remained a woman’s property after marriage unlike in classical times. If the husband died, it was the widow’s choice whether she would marry again or not and she was in charge of her children on her own whereas in classical times women had to marry their husband’s closest relative (to “protect” them and the property that had now passed on their own family). So, really no contest there. Women owned and ran businesses and signed contracts. They were employed in a wide range of professions.

As for the aristocrats, they had it much better than classical aristocrats. They did not work like lower class women, obviously, so they filled all that extra time by being pampered by their servants (female and male, sometimes eunuchs), who were usually exclusive to them. Depending on the lady’s interests, the servants would keep her entertained by playing music, reading to her, gossiping, grooming her etc Some women hired teachers to improve on their education on their own accord. Wives of important men were usually involved in political and diplomatic affairs and they were very interested in such matters. Educated women could be doctors (for women).

Nuns, who did not have the burden of taking care of the children and a husband, often became studious and pretty educated, with artistic concerns, like Kassiani. And to go back to the ask, there are accounts of Byzantine princesses being perceived in West Europe as “too talkative” and “too concerned with themselves”, so apparently Byzantium gave its aristocratic women a lot more liberty than, say, Classical Athens and also more than Western Europe did.

And then of course the Byzantine Empire was the only medieval state to have ever been reigned by four women on their own, and some of them were very consciously and ambitiously pursuing the throne. But even the empresses consorts, meaning the wives of the emperors, were also expected to be well acquainted with all the matters of the empire in case something happened to the emperor because they had to stand in his place temporarily or even serve as regents. From the 22 pages in Wikipedia about Byzantine regents, the 7 are about women, so one third, at least from the well known ones.

Women were also interested in their appearances and really took matters in their hands. Rich women would have special gardens cultivating flowers and spices to create their own perfumes. Michael Psellos writes about how Empress Zoe had essentially turned herself into a chemist, making the basements of the imperial palace a lab for perfumes and elixirs to maintain her youthful appearance.

And let’s end this with some quotes from Anna Komnene’s Alexiad (inspired by the Iliad she so loved), the chronicles of her father’s Emperor Alexius exploits in war.

12th-century manuscript of the Alexiad

The Alexiad is invaluable because it remains one of the richest sources of information historians possess about the military, social and imperial history of the Byzantine Empire.

Ah I had written before about that stuff and I meant to write something short this time but I just can’t do it when it’s about Byzantium my love adefefajdhhajhf

[valberryventi]

guys im too obsessed with diluc... its 6am...

anyway archer diluc where he's actually not a good shot as a kid because his eyes are a lil blurry so crepus just makes the target a bit bigger

archer diluc where he gets bruises on his arms because the string would hit it when he releases (totally not projecting here sorry)

archer diluc where he feels better about his skills after he takes out a hilichurl with a headshot because his sword wasn't available to him at that time

archer diluc who, as his teen years kick in, treats archery as a hobby than a weapon he'd actually use because he liked close combat more. he would have very accurate aim and the bow wasn't heavy in his hands anymore (claymores are waaay heavier)

archer diluc who hasn't picked up a bow in a really long while as he rose in the ranks of favonius. he only picks it up a few times in snezhnaya as warning for the fatui

archer diluc treating his bow like an old friend, using it as a form of focus, release, and clarity. after all, he wouldn't dare lose his target.

bonus under the cut

archer diluc teaching you how to shoot for the first time and while you're not flimsy with it, he puts you against his chest and holds the bow with you. you can feel his breathing against you

archer diluc who kisses your forehead (or pats your head for platonic diluc likers) whenever you hit on or near the bullseye

archer diluc who's happy and eager to teach you one of his first combat trainings. and if you're better than him, he just admires you more

[vampirealpaca]

My thoughts on the pjo show (now that the season is over) (this is going to run long) Overall Rating: 8/10 :

Ok first of all, I actually LOVED the show and the cast is literally awesome; I do have some thoughts and feelings tho.

The GOOD :D

The visuals were eating ngl

THE CAST!!!! they literally were amazing cannot stress this enough

I think a lot of the changes were handled super well, especially Medusa (although I don't love all of the changes...see below in the next section lol)

I LOVED the set design for pretty much all of the scenes!!! Like the set & costuming was literally so good; sometimes it looked a little Volume-y but I think it's ok since they also clearly did a bunch of on-location stuff

Driving scene was literally so funny like no notes on that + the acting was On Point pretty much All of the Time.

I actually think they slayed with the special effects

Pretty accurate! (overall a waaaaaay better adaptation than the movies)

BLUE FOOD!!!!

More Sally content was awesome!! And I cannot stress this enough the ACTORS WERE SO GOOD in their roles!! Like I think they were the perfect choices ngl and I hope to see more of them in season 2 (if we get one, idk if its greenlit yet)

I also liked how they focused on Grover's character more (lowkey my fav now)

Genuinely had a great time watching the scenes from the books I've loved since Forever come to life onscreen!

The character dynamics were GIVING

Loved getting more info about Percy's backstory

The way they showed the Mist was honestly so cool!! This might be filed under Visuals but still...it was so cool

Fight choreo fluctuated, but I liked the Percy vs Luke fight (altho the scorpion erasure ;-;)

Again the chemistry with the actors like adkjhfdkjdfkjhdfjkhk I think the acting may have been my fav part honestly lol

All of the easter eggs for the fans!!

Rick's subtle rewriting of the story was sometimes very cool! (Like with the water grabbing Percy etc) --- you can definitely tell that he's thinking about how he'd change the story if he were to write it today

...HOWEVER i have gripes :(

THE LIGHTING WAS TOO DARK IN NIGHT SCENES!!!! HATE THAT TROPE WHY CANT I SEEEEEEEE (looking at u medusa scene)

I feel like they should've fallen into like…at least one trap without Knowing Everything about it. Like, I get the Medusa change and am pretty on board with it, but I feel like a few of the other changes weren't really necessary & messed with the stakes. A lot of the time it felt like I was watching them explain "Oh you're THIS person so you will do THIS so I will do THIS" instead of like...showing me.

Not enough blood (this is prob a Disney problem, not the show creators fault but like...cmon Disney...they have swords, let the children get More Injured...they are Fighting for their Lives)

Felt kinda...dryer than the books? idk how to explain it...like it felt like there wasn't the same Vibes in some parts if that makes sense, like they switched out a lot of funny moments (esp with how they changed Charon and the Crusty scenes lowkey im bitter)

the tone was definitely sometimes waaay different from the books (like it was way more serious I think, which is good sometimes and less good other times)

Idk if this is 100% true bc my last reread was a few months ago, but I think they separated the main trio more than in the book (?), it felt like they were duo-ed with diff members for a lot rather than building off of their main dynamic -- they had some trio moments but ig i just wanted more (again, I could be wrong on this one tho)

Lotus Casino not really being as Fun (the pumping lotus flowers in the air was a cool detail tho!)

It generally felt like they took a lot of the funny parts in favor of talking more about how messed up the gods are (which I liked sometimes!! but the kids are 12 let them have more funny moments too yaknow) (Rip the Died in the Bathtub line...gone but not forgotten)

I really didn't love the changes that made the story feel more Cliche and Basic (the ones that annoyed me were changing the entire DOA to just Some Standard Death Eater Looking Fellow & Annabeth's interactions with Cerebus being completely changed)

Mixed feelings on Gabe...I wanted him to be more evil at the beginning but I get why they changed it ig. Plus he was literally so funny when he (spoilers?) got murdered by opening someone else's mail. That's what happens when you commit a federal crime ig.

General Character Thoughts:

PERCY: Walker Scobell was such a good casting call... like you can tell he really cares about the books & getting the character right. Acting was on point, sass was on point (but I do wish he got to be sassy a bit More); Really gives off the energy of Percy Jackson and definitely was AMAZING in this role!

ANNABETH: She was spectacular in this role!! Leah got literally all of Annabeth down to a T --- her kindness, her pride, her wisdom, etc etc without resorting to any kind of "stock smart girl" vibe. She was literally SO GOOD! I loved seeing her talk about her dad, and the detail about her not having seen a movie is such a mood and so in-character lowkey. Leah really nailed Annabeth's dry humor and general vibe like dfajkhfdjhkfdhjk

GROVER: He was my favorite! Like, his acting was AMAZING fr!!! They brought a lot of newer things into his character that I think worked really well & it definitely strengthened his characterization --- he was also really funny & so sincere I just loved his portrayal of Grover!

HOWEVER I think some of the arcs are shakier since the characters didn't struggle as much, since they were figuring out a Lot of things

Overall, I took 2 points from the rating because the Spirit and Humor weren't fully there and I felt some of the changes made it feel less like the OG and more cliche (looking at u Charon). However, the great acting, pretty slay writing (except for the tone stuff), Vibes, and all the other stuff I think they did right pulled through to get it ranked a little higher lol. Plus, I liked it, even if I didn't like all of it.

No hate if u loved the show adaptation tho!! Feel free to disagree, these are just my thoughts lol. I really genuinely hope there's going to be a season 2, although I would like if they fix a few of these problems in that potential season (please...let me see what's happening in the dark scenes...please...)

[splatoon-confession-box]

I understand that the Splatoon manga is aimed at young children and meant to be silly and goofy and not to be taken seriously but like. That isn't an excuse for bad writing lol. Like being a lighthearted comedy aimed at kids doesn't excuse bad/lazy writing.

Bluey is a lighthearted children's show but it's still well written. You can like Coroika, I like Coroika, but it is not well written in the slightest like you just have to accept that. It's painfully unfunny, I don't care that it's aimed at grade school boys the humor just ain't it. I don't really "like" it actually I'm more of an "I can fix it" kind of fanatic.

The potty humor is. Bad. And you can do potty humor well!! Captain Underpant's potty humor works because that's its whole gimmick. Coroika is based on an existing property that is not nearly as immature which is why it's so disliked I think. It clashes heavily against the more all-ages appeal of the game series (I don't wanna say "mature" because that isn't accurate).

It's almost insulting how much missed potential this manga has. I could go on criticizing it more but this confession is already getting waaay too long.

[deadgrantaires]

ALSO THAT RECIPE IS FNE TO RB i jsut didnt want it showing up in the tags dfvhjbfdj hoard it and use it please its one of my absolute favorite things we make. one day ill fix up the peppersteak recipei and post that too lol (but that one is WAAAY less accurate since the measurements are all just. follow yr heart (since its my own recipie and i dont measure stuff when cooking whoops))

[crowning-art]

TGCF SPOILERS!

------------------------------------------

He really was just a poor little dude

“His Highness said to himself, ‘It’s okay, I had expected it, no one would stay after I’ve become like this. I can go on on my own. I understand now, I’ve always been alone!!! I DON’T NEED ANYONE!!!’

He's my poor little scrunkly boi, my little meow meow 🥺

I couldn't stop laughing at this, lmaooo just the image in my head is so funnyyy

But I didn’t immediately die, and when he started to act up, my three friends all started screaming from his face. As if they’d done something to him, he started yelling from an agonizing headache, and I was also screaming. The five of us were all screaming wildly, yelling in madness, like we had all gone crazy.

AWWWWW THEY ALL WERE GOUSHIS FOR XIE LIAN! MY HEART!!

Guoshi replied, “It’s them. So, I suppose you are also the disciple of my three friends.

There was something so terrifying about this passage:

“Finding ways to communicate with the friends who had become mountain spirits took me a long time, but after I succeeded, I learned many things. Turns out, the previous dynasty of heavenly officials didn’t fade away naturally. Instead, they were killed slowly, one by one, by him.

He…slaughtered the entire Heavenly Court, leaving no one behind!

As for the corpses and ashes of the heavenly officials of the previous dynasty, they’re all mixed into the foundation of this Heavenly Capital, trampled and stepped on by him each and every day. Right now, perhaps there’s also someone beneath your feet.

Especially when u compare it to the image of pristine white, gold, jade and the grand majesty of the whole realm and suddenly....it's not marble or jade you're staring at but rather the bones of the murdered and the blood seeping out of every crevice....how macabre...

I know it's just a translation thing, but the way the goushi's response was translated just feels so accurate, like yes, this is probably EXACTLY what he said lol I love it

Xie Lian suddenly recalled the strange attitude Guoshi had when he saw Shi Qingxuan. “Master!Lord Wind Master…the skilled fortune-telling master who told Shi Qingxuan’s fortune back then, the one who told his family not to host feasts, was that you?”

“Duh,” Guoshi said.

THE WAY HUA CHENG WAS JUST SMILING AND WATCHING XIE LIAN THE WHOLE TIME GOUSHI WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW SIMILAR JUN WU AND XIE LIAN WERE BUT HOW THEY WERENT BECAUSE HE ALWAYS CHOSE THE PATH OF GOODNESS AND HUA CHENG WAS JUST SO PROUD 😭😭

OK NVM I TAKE IT BACK I HATE JUN WU!! HOW DARE HE MESS WITH THE SHI BROTHERS!! HOW DARE HE??? UNFORGIVABLE!

Ummm....yaaa...about that....😅

“Since the existence of Wuyong could no longer be hidden, anyone who saw the Crown Prince of Xianle and the Crown Prince of Wuyong would think the two were very alike, so it was the perfect solution in leading it all back to you.

I...uhhhh...(thinking back to my theory that Xie Lian was an incarnation of Wuyong prince...)

I HAD THIS EXACT HEADCANON OF GOUSHI REPRIMANDING XIE LIAN FOR LIKING HUA CHENG WAAAY BACK AND I CANT BELIEVE ITS TRUE!! I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!

Guoshi was doubtful. “Then…could it be…a trait from birth? Well…I never noticed. Hm…alright, this part of you certainly isn’t like him…”

And this part too!!

Guoshi leaned over to argue. "You cunning young man, don't think I can't tell. Aren't you exactly using the fact that His Highness isn't too learned in this aspect? Why don't you tell me right now, to my face, how spiritual power is lent? How many ways can it be lent, and how do you lend it?

What did you tell His Highness?

GUZIII!!!! AWWW I MISSED HIM!!!! lmaooo Qi Rong was such a mood, writing 'I was here' on all the walls and proceeding to get scolded by everyone and then having to clean everything up in a sulky manner lol

Oh my God, all the Goushi confronting Xie Lian about Hua Cheng were GOLDEN LMAOO

Guoshi was puzzled. "Your Highness, how can you say something like that? Your calligraphy was taught by world-class masters, how can you not tell the difference between beautiful and hideous? That writing is totally the worst of the three realms, not even the best teachers could salvage it. What exactly do you like about it? Did your taste fall apart?"

Xie Lian said, "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAMASTER, PLEASE DON'T SAY ANY MORE!!!

Gosh this part is so interesting to me

Suddenly, he remembered a long time ago, he asked Hua Cheng what Jun Wu was like. At the time, Hua Cheng's response was, Jun Wu must really hate him.

Like even back in the beginning, Jun Wu did treat him well and with kindness, but I guess it kinda makes sense cuz u wouldn't do what Jun Wu ever did to someone you love...

The absolute chaos in Pei Ming's palace was so funny thoooo, everyone just attacking everyone and Pei Ming is just FED UP lol literal party in his house

Xie Lian felt endless sympathy. In some sense, this was probably considered the misfortune of over-popularity.

Oh shoot....with Pei Ming going down to break the array...I think things are gonna start going down hill now officially

[grokebaby]

Hiiii Me again <3 Could we have crumbs of Grandefel maybe 🥺👉👈 would love to know more about herrrrr. Angle of all time. Id like to know anything tbh but just as a prompt to get you started, how did you come up with her design ?? Its super interesting and I really love the colorssz

Hiiiii<3 (twirls my halo) she is so THE. My poor.. Intended protagonist girlboss..

Oh boy her design? Let's say she really grew into it. Like the earliest art of her I have is sso ugly I'm sorry Grande but I did not have a handle on that thang. She had such Pug vibes. I think this'll be an interesting post?

This is the beginning of it all. Unfortunately I don't have a super insightful answer to how I came up wi her, bc the Og* angels were literally me going HeeHoo with a pencil. (*Certain specific angels I designed in relative succession to each other before I had a handle on how I want to design angels. The so called Ogs are Lamera, ZZZ, J'aimekiel, Grandefel, Kxxxtr, Ngah and Combfa. Everyone after this was designed a notable amount of time later and with much more "process" to them)

I have some thoughts but it's fuzzy and vague? Okay. So I thought I should definitely do one lion (esque?) at least bc *points at old religious art of angels* and they just have those Vibes to me, ykno? I associate angels with certain things that I try to employ in the story's characters (to an extent). Grandefels vibes were.. Guardian, maybe a tad like a sphynx, just ykno, a huge feline statue like entity who guards something and is like a scary immovable force ig? I wanted some ethereal aspects to it, and lots of teeth (hers aren't visible here but the whole underside of her body opens up to a huge ass mouth with teeth everywhere). Now, initially I was gonna have her hair be lilac but turn bright blue in some situations but I WAAAY preferred the blue on her. She's supposed to have Blue flames mixed with galaxy vibes. Like if blue flames were a puddle and that puddle was a lion's mane. And it was all. Cool and semi-physical

Onto how her design adjusted overtime.

I think most firstly I stopped drawing the grooves on her body that would open up to reveal the Teeth, I mean I do still allude to them vaguely but I figured the way I was doing it at first looked kinda.. Eugh? Another thing I quickly started changing was her hair texture. Originally I wanted it to be completely straight and smooth and flowing but it looked way more interesting and more galaxy esque with it being bubbly and cloudy. I guess my initial thought was that I wanted it to look like it was flowing out of her head? Like some water?

^water vibes

Getting there

Galaxy vibes^

(This anthro drawing also demonstrates the way I nowadays moreso "allude" to her hidden mouth but the anthro version here isn't too close to Canon otherwise since I gave her face an actual normal mouth too lol)

Oh yes, and the crown is another major change!

I think my first notable adjustment was made here (note also the flowy hair). If gotten an amino commission (No money, just amino coins lol) of her and really liked the way the artist drew her crown so I took after that and started slowly changing it. It took me a while to be satisfied with, though. In the very beta version, it was supposed to be like a ring/circle. If you look at the older drawings up there, you can see that one horn is meant to be drawn on the "front" and the other behind. It's like if you looked at her from straight up, you'd see the three dimensionality of it, being more like an actual halo instead of one solid headgarment. I do still really like this idea, however I just think it looks better as it is now. I also had a fair bit of finagling with the side horns, frankly I always found them ugly so I'm finally happy with how they look (just realising I haven't drawn her in a bit, so, the anthro pic is the most accurate to her current design if we ignore the uh.. Anthro-ness lol)

One more thing! You don't see her halo too often in these, but it's intended to be drawn tilted. It's not straight (just like her), and tilts a bit down on one side. In universe this is kinda viewed as an imperfection and she used to be ashamed of it. The irl explanation for it was that it couldn't fit straight between the horns, with the way I'd formed the crown, and so I kept it that her halo just is that way! It fits oddly between her crown and I think that's neat!

Apparently on that last picture I decided to draw the halo straight, though? Cringe... :/

Now if you'll excuse me this post made me want to make more art of her

[ink-fireplace-coffee]

[watch me ramble about psych language things]

----

my psychology of language class is now making spiral into the abyss of how capturing the identity of something in its name is no use.

the quote from r&j "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet" kind of is the perfect exmaple for this hmm

taking into account that we have three different things in a term: the meaning, the significant and the symbol. the meaning is what this thing is, the word we use to refer to it (rose, or tree or bird), the significant is what we use to identify that thing (a rose is a flower that -usually- is red and is an specific way and has thorns, a tree is this nature thing that has a bark and then it has some sort of leaves, a bird is an animal that has feathers and wings), and the symbol is the object we use to picture it in our heads (if I saiy tree, you would probably imagine one since we cannot read a word of something we know and not imagine it, or using the terms i've said before, we cannot read a meaning and not see the symbol of said meaning if we know it)

but of course it gets waaay more complex than that, as you can guess, because different symbols and objects have the same word or the same meaning, although their significant is different and their symbol is too. And using a significant for two things does not mean they share meaning. Picture for example the story about Plato, defining a man as a "featherless biped". A man IS a featherless biped, but, as Diogenes proved, a chicken plucked of its wings also shares that significant.

But what about the identity? Because we sure love to use that term and yet, do we know how to define it? The identity is the description of something, the significant; and yet is it? Significants do not change, they are definitions of something, descriptions. The identity is something that, to some point, allows change.

For example, if you take me, Carmen (meaning) and you describe me as a white caucasian young adult girl with ashy blonde hair and grey eyes (significant), you might get more or less a picture of me in your head (symbol. probs not an accurate one since the significant is vague, but a representation of what i described you, nonetheless). Therefore, if I dyed my hair purple and tattoed my whole body and used colored lenses, the description and the symbol you have of me would change.

But not my meaning. Cause I'm still Carmen.

If I decided to change my name, my meaning would change.

But not my behaviour, not my likes and dislikes, not my identity. I would, to some point, still be me.

I guess there's some comfort in knowing that, even if everything about you changes on way or another, you would still be you on the inside.

[umichenginabroad]

An In-Seine Trip to Paris!

Week 7

As you can tell from the title, the big mystery as to where I went this weekend is now revealed! Woah! To those of you who guessed correctly from last week, unfortunately I don't have any fun prizes to send you...bummer I know. However, I do have a LOT to share from this lovely excursion which is completely free to read and quite priceless. Without further ado, this is the City of Light experienced from an Emily near (or far from) you.

Day 1: Triumphing the Arc

Right off the bat we were off to a great start waking up in the early hours of 3:30 am for our bus to the Bilbao Airport. Surprisingly, I wasn't very tired but rather a bit delirious on the ride there and talked Deidra's ear off the entire time. Luckily it was a pretty speedy boarding process and the flight itself was super short so in a blip of time we were in PARIS! Ubered to our hotel where the traffic really felt like that of New Jersey and big props to our driver because he looked really fed up. Since the hotel was really close to the Arc de Triomphe, we decided to make this our first stop. We took the underground tunnel to get to the base since trying to cross the street would've ended up as us becoming roadkill after less than an hour of being in the city. It truly was a sight to see and worth what everyone says! The amount of detail in the statues was very impressive, along with seeing the eternal flame for the unknown soldier.

From there, we took a stroll down the famous Champs-Élysées which featured a bunch of different stores and strangely enough...a treasure chest? It was for some sort of Louis Vuitton promotion to cover the front of the building but we had fun speculating what they were hiding inside of it. What I really liked about this area were the window displays. For many of the high-end shops these displays were immaculate with the clear precision put into them. For example, in the pic below you can see that this was made entirely out of seashells!

We reached the Seine and took a stroll to observe the sights and sounds, slowly making our way to the one and only Eiffel Tower. This was definitely Izzy's favorite part of Paris; her love for that tower is truly unmatched. Does it live up to the hype? In my opinion it absolutely does. No picture is really able to capture how it feels to experience this in person. We were able to visit the tower during the day and at night, and I have to say that at night it was even prettier. There are three different viewings that are a must to see, one at 11, 12, and then 1 am. The 11 and 12 ones are when the tower sparkles for five minutes, and then for the 1 am it's almost the same except all the lights turn off and its just the sparkles. As a tried and true tourist, I took an atrocious amount of Eiffel Tower photos. For one of the most iconic landmarks in the world, I just had to give in a little.

If you've been here for a while you'll remember my travel buddy, Eggdar! After living it up in Barcelona I had to bring him to Paris too

Since it was the 4th of July when we arrived, to pay homage to the homeland here's Izzy and Deidra square dancing (we swear that the guy singing sounded much better in person):

Day 2: The not so Petit Palais and venturing the Catacombs

It was Izzy's dream to visit a museum known as the Petit Palais, which is actually located right across from the Grand Palais. Despite its name, this art museum was waaay bigger than it looked packed full of sculptures, paintings, artifacts, furniture, and a garden! We even got to a see a Monet and Cézanne alongside some modern artwork which I found really cool. The ornate ceilings were beautiful, and I would 100% recommend going here (also was free admission!).

Tower of Babel! And also accurate representation of what it's like to read my enlightening and entertaining blog posts :)

Mission complete: Petit Palais conquered ✅

I feel like I can't really say this for being in a city like Paris with so many highlights, but the next two things really made my day. We were walking around some of the streets looking for lunch when I saw this shop called Amorino that caught my eye. Out front was a picture of their signature gelato macaron icecream flower and to no surprise, their advertisement worked on me. I was easily enabled by Izzy to try it and was so moved by this heavenly combination of flavors that nearly brought a tear to my eye. When I first ordered, I thought that I could only pick a few flavors, but oh no no, I was told that I could pick as many as a I wanted which opened up a world of opportunities for me. I ended up choosing mango, chocolate, hazelnut, and stracciatella, topped with a cutesy raspberry macaron. 11/10 in taste, look, and savorability. I await the day when me and this icecream can be reunited once again.

Before going on this trip, I had been looking up art stores around San Sebastián since I've been running out of supplies to use. Out of curiosity, I looked for some in Paris to find that it houses the oldest art store which Picasso, Degas, and Cézanne had all stepped foot in. Naturally, I knew that I had to be there. Located right on the Seine and across from the Louvre, Magasin Sennelier was everything I ever wanted and more. With two floors, this place was packed to the brim and even featured a wall where visitors could draw or write something which was really cute. Whenever I'm in an art store, I like to take my time and test out literally every product before I decide what I want to get. I told my friends to just leave me there, stayed till my heart's content, and left with a dent in my bank account like no other.

Je t'aime Sennelier <3

At this point, we split up where Izzy and Deidra went to the Louvre and Jayashree and I to the Catacombs. Prior to that, we took a nice sightseeing journey of the Lovure pyramid and surrounding architecture. Even though I wasn't able to get tickets, seeing the outside was still super incredible!

Getting to the catacombs is a whole story in itself. Since we were at the Louvre and our destination was about a 40 minute walk away, we decided to wait for the bus. Figured it would be no problem, right? Wrong. The bus zoomed past the stop so we figured that we would just hold out until the next one. 15-20 minutes pass, other buses, come and go, but the one we're supposed to take never shows up. Jayashree looks at me and says "we gotta run, but we can make it in 20 minutes if we do." With a time crunch on our hands and no other options, I begrudgingly agreed. I'm not a runner or a trackstar by any means, so this was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad run for me. I made it a decent distance until I was winded and hailed the first taxi that I saw dripping in sweat and wanting to die. Jayashree insists that I could've made it further but I would've become a subterranean Parisian ghost if I did. Five minutes before our buffer window was up, we made it to the entrance...

Mysteries of the Paris Underground

If you're not a fan of the spooks, feel free to skip past this part. Our tour of the catacombs was self-guided, but had an audio component which explained the significance of things we saw down there. The spiral stairs took us to an astounding 65 feet in the depths, where we walked through passageways, old aqueducts, quarries, and the ossuary which houses all the skulls and bones of centuries of the dead. The oldest that I saw were from 1787, along with tombs of important figures during the French Revolution. The ossuary was the largest part of the catacombs, which makes sense since one of the main purposes was due to a lack of space in cemeteries. Walking through, it's hard to describe how I felt seeing lines upon lines of remains from people of all ages. Many of them could have also been very prominent in society, such as scientists, writers, or even nobility since there's not a way to clearly identify who is who. It really provokes a sense of morbidity and I definitely felt a bit existential at times. There was a room with a well that we walked past and learned how an experiment was done there with goldfish. Basically, some goldfish were placed in the well and left for 2-3 years, and when the researchers came back they found that the fish were blind. After performing some experiments, they concluded that the fish could predict the weather, but today that theory has been debunked. It was very interesting to hear and also imagine from the fish's perspective. Imagine being put underground, you become blind, and then you're hailed as an oracle? That would be some crazy lore to add to your backstory for sure. Another fact from the catacombs is that at one point in time there was a party thrown there. Yes, an actual party. There was someone who invited 100 guests and a 45-person orchestra for a bumpin party in the underground. I don't know how they did it but I also don't know how you get chosen for something like this either? Something to ponder...

Day 3: Rats, snails, and your friendly neighborhood wall man

For our last (so sad!) full day in Paris we decided to take a stroll up to Montmartre to see the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, Moulin Rouge, and last but most certainly not least the sculpture of Le Passe-Muraille. Deidra told us the story behind this which is about a guy who discovers he can walk through walls, becomes a professional bank robber with his newfound power, trolls his boss, falls in love, and then ends up stuck in a wall when he loses his power. He's kind of a creep though but we got some cool pictures with the guy. Montmartre also had a very picturesque view of the entire city, a wall dedicated to 250 "I love you's" in different languages, and an amazing restaurant with fire blueberry pancakes.

Jayashree and Deidra slapping palms with the wall man (maybe it brings you good luck? Or he could be cursed who knows)

Later on for dinner, Jayashree and I wanted to get the full traditional French meal experience so we went to a place called Le Hameau. Our goal was to try escargot and eat a meal that would leave us FULL! She got a seafood pasta and I got a ribeye steak, both of which were delish. The escargot was an interesting eat since it came with a two-pronged fork to get the snail out and a snail shell grabber so your hands don't get messy when you eat. Pretty ingenious really. Surprisingly, we both really liked it. The snail itself wasn't slimy at all and very tender, with a butter/pesto/parsley sauce which tasted divine. For dessert, we ordered a roasted fig crumble with icecream. This was another thing we didn't expect since we thought the crumble would be similar to an apple crumble but it was actually the whole fig fruit. Still a good eat. Overall, we did in fact leave feeling full and with love in our hearts for escargot.

For our last hurrah, we decided to go see the 1 am viewing of the Eiffel Tower. On our way to the metro, we had an encounter with a furry friend: a rat. Now, it had been Jayashree's mission this entire trip to see a rat, so when I saw it first and she missed it, we searched around the trash cans and around bushes to try and find it again. We eventually did see it scurry off, but that wouldn't be our last sighting. As we were sitting by the Seine in the grass waiting for Ms. Eiffel to sparkle for the last time, we heard a squeak and saw the shadow of another rat in the bushes! Jayashree immediately took off and was using her flashlight to find it, all while the lightshow had started. She had more important things to see than the lights, pshh. By the end of the night, we had accomplished both goals of seeing the legendary sparkle and not one, not two, but four rats in the flesh.

In three days, we saw and did a lot! Paris is a city that deserves more time to be in, and for that I want to come back sometime in my life and explore more of it. This was a very long-winded post but with quality content as always for my dearest readers.

Emily in Paris -> Emily in Spain once again. Until next time!

Emily Dobao

Biomedical Engineering

IPE San Sebastian, Spain

July 8th, 2024

[wirefiish]

ask thingy? - thanks for the tag @softerhaze 💗

five songs you’ve been listening to on repeat recently?

they can't take that away from me - ella fitzgerald, louis armstrong water - ra ra riot, rostam pretty savage - blackpink late night feelings - mark ronson, lykke li why not? - loona

last movie you watched?

spirited away

currently watching?

too much youtube

currently reading?

adjustment day by chuck palahniuk

passing this on to @pinksrs @tartiish @fakeplasticsims @orchidagogo @maxismade @robertpancakes @simscatalog

[astaroth1357]

Hello!! Congratulations on your 1,500 followers!!! I was wondering if you could write hc's with the Demon brothers reacting or helping MC with daddy issues(if possible specifically the kinds with an absent father). If possible please make the female MC, but if you would prefer to make it Gender Natural than its awesome as well!! Thank you very much for your awesome work!!💖💖

A F!MC has an Absent Father (Mammon, Beel, Asmo, and Lucifer)

Okay, so this was a pretty tough request (part of the reason why I'm getting to it so late). Having an absent father can lead to a lot of different (very sensitive) issues for their daughters and I always want to try and be as respectful as possible while still producing accurate content… So instead of my usual 7 brothers format, I'll be shortening this to the brothers that I think could best handle the situation at hand. As always, I will try my best to be respectful to those who may be experiencing these struggles, but if anything I say comes across as harmful or triggering please let me know right away. I'll take down/edit the post if need be. Thank you.

Warnings: Absent Fathers, Eating Disorders, Body Image Problems, Depression, Abandonment, Divorce

Mammon

What kind of Dad wants nothing to do with his kids?? From Day One, Mammon just couldn't understand it...

Admittedly, he might have been a little biased. Ever since he watched his baby brothers grow up, he'd always had a little soft spot for anklebiters in general… They made for pretty sweet kids compared to their rude, spitfire-y current selves (even Satan had his moments). Mammon could see that same innocence in a lot of kids, human, angel, or demon.

So when the MC revealed to him that her own father walked out on her mother before she was born, he was just slightly (incredibly) outraged.

Though he'd like to believe the guy had his reasons for leaving, it just didn't sit right with him… Especially after getting to know the MC so well and seeing that she was such a great person! 

Hadn't the guy been curious about her at all? Didn't he care?? What was stopping him now?? (You know, aside from being on a completely different plane of existence and all that. Like that would stop Marlin from finding Nemo… Yeah, he likes Pixar. What of it?)

Some people might have gone as far as to say that Mammon was waaay more upset about it than she was herself, which was nice but well… his heart was in the right place.

It was around the time when he offered to track the guy down, hogtie him, then leave him to drown in the 4th Circle that she had to take him aside and explain that, though she appreciated his anger on her behalf, she didn't need him to crusade for her… 

She ultimately told him that if he really wanted to help, he could love her and be there for her. Words that he not only took it to heart, but he took very seriously.

She’d never had anyone be as reliable or faithful as Mammon was after that point. As far as he was concerned, he could be what her father never was for her: loving, caring, and present for no other reason than because he loved her!

You know, like you're supposed to be for the people you hold dear...

True, he didn’t always say the right things nor did he always manage to solve every problem for her when he tried to help but he never stopped trying to make her feel loved. He'd spend every Grimm he'd ever had if he had to. She deserved it.

Beelzebub

When you love someone, you usually want to get to know more about them. Things like their past… So it wasn’t unusual for Beel to ask the MC about her home back in the human world, especially after he shared his own past with Lilith and his brothers.

Unfortunately (or fortunately he'd suppose, depending on how you look at it), the intricacies of divorce were a little new to him... Sure, he knew what marriage was and that relationships can fail, but to be frank, he grew up in a very different sort of situation than that of humans. 

He didn't even have a mother, much less and traditional father-son relationship. Lucifer filled in that spot for him like he had for everyone else and they left their father of their own accord...

But something about the way the MC talked about how her father left felt… upsetting. She seemed to use different sorts of tones when talking about the whole thing... At first, she spoke it with blank apathy, but then it changed to bitterness, then lastly… sadness. Like she was regretful about something that, for as far as he could tell, was completely out of her control…

He didn't want to pry into her past much more for that reason... Though he could tell something about it had hurt her, probably deeply, he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable so he just waited for her to come to him instead...

And in time, she did.

And ever the patient listener, Beel let her get it all off her chest. He could tell that she felt a lot of different ways about it, and most of them weren’t positive, but he was never one to tell people how to feel about anything. Thinking back on it, he supposed that he’d feel pretty bad too if Lucifer just left the family one day, but even that wasn’t quite the same thing… 

What he knew for certain was that it hurt him to see her so upset and, for once, he wasn’t really sure how to fix it… Can you even “fix” these things? Since he didn’t know the answers he just made a simple promise to himself in order to help make things better...

He probably couldn’t bring her father back, nor could he make his absence hurt any less, but he could be there for her instead. Not like a father, obviously, but as someone who could always love her whether or not she felt she needed it...

And from then on, he let his actions so the talking.

If she was upset and needed comfort, Beel was there. If she was feeling lonely or unloved, he’d be the first to notice and hold her close. Even if she tried to push him away to protect herself from any pain, he wouldn't just abandon her. He'd wait patiently for her to be ready to let him in.

He might not have known all the answers for her, but he wasn't going to let her feel all alone… He made sure of that.

Asmodeus

If he were telling the truth, Asmo was already pretty familiar with this sort of thing. Everybody has "Daddy Issues," himself included, and affects people in a lot of different ways in or outside the bedroom.

Which is why he found it particularly disheartening when he noticed some signs in his beloved MC…

The MC had once confided in him that her relationship with her father was… distant. Though he was physically in the family, she never felt like she could talk to him or get to know him… In a sense, he was never as involved in her life as he probably should have been.

That alone wasn't very uncommon for human families, or so he's heard, heck between his Heavenly-but-Distant Father and his Not-as-Distant-but-Always-Busy Brotherly Surrogate, he could even relate… but it was how she seemed to cope that concerned him…

Something about her self-esteem just wasn't where it needed to be… 

Of course, Asmo's not one to get on a high horse and preach that looks don't actually mean anything (he's a demon, not a hypocrite) but there's a big difference between practicing self-love and falling victim to self-critique… There’s wanting to look your best because it brings you personal joy to do so, then there’s constantly worrying about rejection when you don't look so nice… He's seen it all before.

Truthfully, it was a painful cycle to witness… the eating and then the starving… the hours she’d spend in front of the mirror or her bitter tears after a "bad" selfie… It made his heart ache uncontrollably just to think about it…

So of course he intervened, he simply had to. Not only was it unhealthy for her but it could have brought his darling so much lasting pain in the long run...

When he finally spoke to the MC, he tried to be as gentle as he could while still expressing his concerns… He told her that he noticed the way she had been acting and that he was worried about her…  He genuinely believed that she indeed deserved love with no strings attached. She didn’t need to “prove herself” worthy of it for him or any of his brothers because they would be there for her regardless of what she looked like.

It wasn’t a cure-all. obviously, but never thought it would be. It would take her time to learn how to express love for herself or feel secure that he wouldn’t just start ignoring her one day… but Asmo was nothing if not a caring and patient lover. 

He tracked down places and people who could help her with her struggles and what they couldn’t offer he picked up on himself through perseverance, persistence, and a lot of research. He had his heart set on helping her and that was exactly what he planned to do.

Asmo wasn’t going to stop until she believed that she was honestly, genuinely loved... And that was a promise.

Lucifer

Lucifer picked up that there was something a little different about the human early on, even before he was ever told that her father passed away when she was young. She seemed… particularly fond of him.

He didn’t think much of it at first, but over time it started getting more and more apparent that she gravitated to him for one reason or another… She’d hover around him, bring him things while he worked, or act out like she wanted his attention (not completely unlike Satan or Belphie in that regard).

If he were being honest, it flattered him some, but the more he began to think about it the more… uncomfortable it made him for reasons he couldn’t quite place…

Eventually he gave in and had to run the problem by Barbatos just for a little clarity (he figured the butler could be discreet about it) and that’s when the connection between him and the MC’s deceased father finally came to light. 

There was no real way to sugarcoat it other than to say that she seemed to think of him as… a surrogate Dad of sorts… Which didn’t exactly ease his concerns at all. 

Though he was probably the most “fatherly” person in the House (having more or less become the unofficial father figure to his brothers for centuries), those were still his brothers. He had a large part in actually raising them. The MC was not only a human, but patently not his child. He truly had grown to love her over their time together but that was a very different kind of love…

Something about the situation rubbed him the wrong way… Would he be taking advantage of the MC’s past if he were to try and be with her like he wanted…? Sure, he may be demonic, but he’s not heartless. He only wanted what was best for her and he wasn’t quite sure that was him for once…

While he was still mulling over his feelings, the MC finally jumped the gun and asked him if they could start dating. He knew that it would hurt her (and him) if he said no but he also couldn’t pretend that there wasn’t a problem here…

So he compromised. He agreed to the relationship, but told her that he wanted to take things slow… He was open about his concerns that she may not love him for the reasons she thought she did, which wasn’t the most pleasant conversation to have but it seemed like the one she needed to hear.

It encouraged him that she didn’t appear to reject him outright when he brought it up, nor was she completely broken up about the pace he wanted to set for them, which was a good sign. 

He offered to find her people to talk to about her concerns, particularly around her upbringing, at no cost to her. He thinks humans call them… therapists? Whatever they were, he didn’t doubt that they were better equipped to help than he was.

He tried his best to make it clear that he was only concerned because he loved her so deeply that he wanted to make sure that he wasn’t using her trauma for his own ends... She deserved better than that and he wasn’t afraid to tell her such.

It ended up being a slow process to love for them both, but he’d never regret putting the MC’s wellbeing first. No matter what.

[primaveravenus]

idk if u agree but I saw u posting abt killing eve and have been thinking for a whilw? i feel likr the s2 finale is also actually kinda overwhelming? Like overall s2 was a mess. But also like I feel like that coulf have been such an impactful and intimate moment. But it feels so lile... idk if its just the way it's shot? But also like Villanelle suddenly enacting violence, in anger and haste and like... w the stabbing thats such a well done, exciting scene. Its emotional and exciting and you don't know where it will go? I feel like the shooting at the end of s2 was waaay less intimate than the scene in s1 where Villanelle aims the gun at Eve after kissing it. Like yoi FEEL something. Sry i just keep thinking of that moment and wishimg it was more😭

It’s been like two years since I watched s2 so I fear my opinions on it will not be very accurate hgkshs I actually had to google what happened just now to remember. But thinking back,, I thought it made sense for that moment - like the quick, impulsive, impersonal nature of shooting with a gun works because it’s a panicked means to an end. Knives are always more intimate, but also, part of the intimacy comes from how conflicted Eve is. She could kiss or kill her but goes through with the stabbing, only to immediately try to help V bandage the wound. God, that scene is so good !! It’s such classic Phoebe Waller-Bridge humor too.

I think Villanelle getting Eve to experience killing for her is great - but to follow it with Eve trailing behind Villanelle unquestioningly until the gun is revealed... idk. A lot of the faults with s2 and s3 come from the loss of Eve’s character, she gets sidelined and what makes her a compelling equal to Villanelle is lost. In that way, V is lost too - like I get that she’s always been kind of childish and possessive, but the s2 finale is a bit too on the nose with that. The gun works for the set-up, but the set-up itself is disappointing. And even then - you’re right, it could have been more. Again, haven’t watched in forever, so who knows lol but yeah I miss the energy of her blowing Eve a kiss with a gun in s1

[nanami-says]

Part IV (3/5): Chapters 40~44

 Chapter 40

[Mai to Miwa]

“Maki? She’s worthless”

She actually calls her “just a small fry” here. Which imo is more dismissive than just outright derogatory like in the official release.

“An iai technique huh? That’s strange. I have the advantage in terms of reach. She’s probably looking to disarm my cursed tool and create an opening.”

⇒”An iai [technique], huh? On top of that there seems to be some trick to it. With our difference in reach… rather than myself, she’s probably looking(...)”

Not mistranslated per se other than the “there seems to be a trick to it” line, which imo shouldn’t have been simplified to just “that’s strange”. But the original showed Maki’s thought process better.

“She broke it with her leg? Why is she negating her reach advantage.”

⇒ ”She broke it?? With her thigh?? You’re getting rid of your reach advantage here??”

Again, the meaning was all there but some of the characterisation was lost. Miwa sounded so frantic and full of disbelief here, haha.

[After Mei states that Maki should get promoted at least 2 ranks ASAP]

“I agree but her family seems to be getting in the way”

⇒ “I think so too, but you know, the Zen’ins keep getting in the way. It stinks, right”

More casual speech overall in the original, also Gojou’s more colourful language got a cut again.

MM:“Heh… I don’t understand connections not based on money” 

G:“And you’ll always be a cheapskate.”

I get why they went with “cheapskate” here, as the word Gojou originally uses would be accurately translated as “miser”, which’s the kind of word most people would have to check in the dictionary. (I know I had to.) Nevertheless it’s interesting to me how Gojou basically alternates between super casual speech and much less common terms like this one. He seems to like wordplays in general?

“Anyway, I can’t help but notice the video feed around Yuji seems to be a little inconsistent”

⇒ “Leaving that aside, the video around Yuuji keeps on cutting off for a while now, no?”

Again, meaning is there, the characterisation - sort of I suppose? But he was being more casual/straight to the point in the original.

[In reply to Gojou’s question whose side she’s on]

“Whose side? I’m on the side with money, of course. There’s no value in something that can’t be bought since you can’t exchange it for money.”

“Which side? I’m an ally of money, of course. Because there’s no value in things that cannot be exchanged for money. For you see, it cannot be exchanged for money."

I know it sounds like she’s repeating herself but that’s because she actually is. She’s literally saying that there’s no value in something that can’t be turned into money PRECISELY BECAUSE it can’t be turned into money lol. Also, imo “on the side with money” kind of muddled the nuance a bit. Other possible translations for "exchange" include "replace", ”turn into”.

Gojou in reply to above.

“I wonder how much!”

Actually closer to, “[I wonder] how much did you pile up”. The actual phrase is just “just how much did (...) pile up/stock”, so you have to supply the subject by yourself.

“I’m not sure what you guys have planned but Yuji’s different now”

⇒ “I don’t know what you’re scheming but Yuuji won’t be killed so easily anymore”

Again, the basic meaning is there but a lot of subtler nuance got lost.

(jp)

[Explanation on how the school can tell which side exorcised which curses during the competition]

“Talismans are placed on curses released in the area. When a curse is exorcised, the corresponding talisman also disappears. Using cursed energy, we’ve made arrangements for the following -- exorcisms made by the Tokyo school will be indicated with a red flame, while Kyoto’s will be blue. Maki is also participating, so we’ve made sure her exorcisms are marked red as well.”

When I read this for the first time in English, I found this explanation rather unclear. No wonder I did, as it omits vital details such as the original mentioning "recording cursed energy in advance" which imo seems to be pointing to them registering samples of all students' energy.

And then the Maki line adds that since Maki is there too, exorcisms performed by UNRECORDED forces will be marked red as well. And that's why later on the teachers weren't able to immediately discern whether the sudden destruction of curses was done by an outsider or not.

“All those one-on-ones. Did they forget the main objective?”

⇒“(...) Everyone’s waaay too disinterested in the game.”

“Main objective” sounds kinda formal and imo that wasn’t the nuance for the line.

[Nobara to Nishimiya]

“Got down here, you stupid witch!!”

Actually “you shitty witch”. Nanami would be proud ;;

“How dare you hit my sacred face.”

I like their take on this but it’s hilarious in the original because the word she uses literally means “your countenance”, as in you’d normally use it to respectfully refer to someone else’s face, definitely not about your own. And then she adds a “go-” prefix, which further ups the level of reverence haha. 

“A scar on the face can be a good thing for guys. But not for girls.”

Not really a mistranslation, but I love the original wording with its juxtaposition of a scar on the face being likened to an "order" for a man and a "blemish"/"defect" for a woman. It adds so much more depth to the line.

[Nishimiya after she points out how unfair the jujutsu world is towards women compared to men]

“And Mai has to deal with even more discrimination than that”

Actually something closer to ”irrationality”, “unreasonableness”, “unfairness”, “derision”. Discrimination was the translators’ interpretation of that, I suppose.

Chapter 41

[About Inumaki’s technique]

“Cursed speech is words with spirit. Essentially, it’s infusing sound with cursed energy”

...They translated it the other way around (“the spirit of words”) in ch. 33… Needless to say, this is still the same technique and still the very same term being used. I’d be leaning towards the more commonly used translation of “the spirit of language”.

“However if you’re not sure it’s coming… you’ll be in a constant state of unease. Protecting your head is difficult as it is”

⇒ “On the other hand, if you don’t know if it’s coming or not, you’re constantly distracted. Even though protecting the inside of my head is already something I’m not used to doing”

Not really mistranslated but I wanted to propose an alternate translation, especially for the second part.

“Inheriting the Zen’in family cursed technique is reserved for the privileged. Every other jujutsu sorcerer starts at a level much further below. And even within their family, some women aren’t treated equally.”

⇒ “Unless you inherit the Zen'in family's cursed technique, you start out as a sorcerer from a losing position. And for women, some of them are not even allowed to stand on that starting line"

Just an overall different meaning for the whole fragment. After all, it’s not like you can control who will inherit what technique, even if you’re from one of the three big families. Also it was about women being discriminated on a more fundamental level.

“Can someone who thinks that curse Yuji is an ally really understand?”

⇒ “How about you try thinking hard with that head of yours that can even mistake [that] curse for a comrade?”

Written with “Itadori-kun”, read as “[the] curse” - there’s no reason for Nishimiya to call him “Yuji”. Also she actually says 仲間/nakama here, which, as I stated before, I personally prefer to translate as “comrade” in the context of jjk. The official release seems to alternate between “ally” and “friend”, which are rather distant terms imo. I’m not sure either what’s their basis for when they go with “ally” because they also used it when Gojou was talking about raising a future generation of strong and bright comrades in ch. 11 (refer to part II).

[Nobara in response to above]

“Does that mean we have to forgive the unfortunate no matter the circumstances? And if someone is blessed with a fortunate life, do they deserve to be ridiculed?”

⇒ ”So if someone’s unfortunate, they’re free to do whatever they want? Then what? If in turn a person is [more] fortunate, you’re not gonna be satisfied unless you can talk behind their back?”

In the original Nobara speaks in shorter sentences and uses rather simple language, which imo really conveys how angry she is about Nishimiya’s words. It wasn’t really a philosophical conversation. 

“Have any of you ever stopped to consider the person behind the curse you’ve condemned?”

⇒ “And have you people even thought what kind of a person the idiot that you’re trying to curse [from now] is?”

Not “condemn as a curse” but “that you people are cursing”! Huge distinction imo.

“What do I care about whether someone’s perfect or if something’s fair? Is your life just a job?”

⇒ “Are you obliged to stand up to [things like] ‘perfection’ or ‘unfairness’? (...)”

Lit. “where’s the obligation to live up to”. Emphasis mine! Nobara wasn’t saying she doesn’t care whether someone is perfect or not, imo the nuance was more that there’s no need to force yourself to try and meet people’s expectations/standards. 

“Boys versus girls? Give me a break! Just shut the hell up! I love dressing up and being beautiful! I love being strong!”

⇒ “Boys this, girls that? I don’t give a damn! Just do it all by yourselves if you wish! I love myself who dresses up beautifully! I love myself who [always] strives to be strong!”

I know fandom loves the “I love being beautiful! I love being strong” line - it definitely is short and impactful! But I actually really like the nuance that “strive to be/remain strong” has because it implies Nobara’s constantly putting in effort to improve herself and get stronger. Also the nuance of “I love myself who’s all those things [and more]” (emphasis mine) rather than simply “I love being those things”/“I love the act of”, even though to an English speaker the former may sound a bit awkward. 

[Mai saying she can’t contact Mechamaru after his fight]

“It’s not a good sign if he was forced to use his finishing move and this is the end result.”

⇒ “If it’s like that [that we can’t contact him] despite him being forced into a corner to the point of having to use his finishing move, then he’s probably lost”

This was Mai speculating Mechamaru has most likely lost if they can’t contact him despite him having used his special move.

“I need you”

⇒ “If you’re not here, we’re in trouble”

Rather than Mai needing her personally, this was her reiterating Nishimiya’s importance to the team. (Same phrasing as in ch. 35.)

Chapter 42

[About Maki and her family]

Y:“But why wouldn’t they want someone so strong?”

N:“They don’t wanna accept someone they’ve already rejected. They’re stupid that way”

⇒Y: “Wouldn’t a jujutsu family welcome a strong sorcerer with open arms?”

N:“(...) Because they’re stupid/idiots.”

Slightly more informative for Yuuji’s line in the original imo. Let’s not forget that Yuuji’s still super new to the jujutsu world, so he’s not really familiar with its inner workings. Imo this line had such a nuance.

“So we have to win this event. You better put your life on the line!”

Not incorrect as much as it's just so much funnier in the original because she tells him to put enough effort to die one more time lol (emphasis mine).

[Maki to Tokyo team, telling them to focus on the competition rather trying to make her look good]

“Don't’ worry about me”

⇒ “Don’t think about unnecessary stuff”

Imo this showed Maki’s personality better.

[Mai to Maki, in her head]

“You thought you could get the jump on me? While keeping your distance as well?”

⇒ “So what if you’re in my blind spot. Aren’t you dumb to put distance between us”

This was more about it being advantageous for Mai, a gun being her weapon, if Maki gets farther away from her.

“I knew it! Maki has something I don’t”

⇒ “I knew it… Maki has a talent I don’t have”

How a single exclamation mark can completely change the meaning of a whole line. Yes, it is “I knew it” but as in “I understood it”, “I felt it”. It’s not some revelation about the fight itself, it’s the beginning to Mai’s retrospection about herself and Maki and their approaches to life that follows after. Also, it literally says “talent” there, not to mention the line gets repeated word for word at the end of the same chapter for emphasis before the conclusion is given to Mai’s musings. (Gege seems to like this particular trick a lot, huh?)

”Did you hear about the daughter of the Ougi?"

Hmm, I tried googling the phrase with “Ougi” in it just to check if it can have some hidden meaning but found out even Japanese fans weren’t sure about the exact meaning of the word. Probably a name, either of a person or of a place.

[Mai thinking about Maki]

“You were always so carefree. I hated it. You just kept moving fearlessly forward into the future”

⇒ “I hated how you were always boldly pushing your way towards the future as if you had no worries/unease”

Imo a slightly different nuance for this line (which’s just a single sentence). “I hated how” could also be “I hated you for” and other translations for “pushing your way to” include “plunging forward”, “pushing on”. 

(jp)

[About Mai’s cursed technique]

“Unlike creating an object inside a domain, objects created with cursed technique: construction will not disappear after the spell is finished. However, an immense amount of cursed energy is used, which has a harsh effect on the body”

⇒ “Unlike materialisation of an innate domain within the barrier that occurs in ‘domain expansion’, objects once created with Construction Technique will not disappear even after the technique has finished. That’s why(...)”

Ever wondered why domain and domain expansion related stuff is impossible to understand? Well, here’s why. They only left “inside a domain” out of the whole explanation... “Materialisation” was actually “realisation” but I thought the former would be easier to understand. Also it literally says only “realisation of an innate domain” but imo it could be also interpreted as “inner domain and things within in”.

(jp)

“Maki has something I don’t. Kinda like Mechamaru’s Heavenly Restriction but the opposite. You were supposed to be born with a cursed technique but you traded that in for superhuman physical abilities. This skill was shunned by the Zen’in family. And it’s an ability I don’t have.”

⇒ “Maki has a talent I don’t have. (...) A talent which didn’t get appreciated in the Zen’in family and which I didn’t possess”

Like I pointed out earlier, this is the conclusion to Mai’s retrospection about herself and Maki and some of its effect was, in the original, achieved by repeating the line about Maki’s talent that Mai didn’t have, and by further expanding on it here.

Chapter 43

[About Kamo’s attack]

“A trace of blood on the arrow fletching. Like I thought, Kamo’s technique defies physics”

⇒  "The physics defying trajectory [of the arrow] was because of Kamo-san's cursed technique after all"

More informative in the original, I’d say. The arrows themselves are (and look) normal, hence double the wham i suppose?

[Megumi about Kamo’s Blood Manipulation Technique]

“The ability to control whatever touches his blood”

⇒ "The ability to control his own blood and whatever is stained with it" 

Why would they skip the "the blood itself" bit…

[Kamo about Megumi’s Ten Shadows Technique”

“A cursed technique passed down in the Zen’in family”

Just to be clear, it’s actually specified here that it’s “one of the techniques”.

[Kamo about his technique]

“I can manipulate blood beyond its form or motion”

Once again sounds a bit like a more general explanation. “To manipulate blood means (...)”.

[After Megumi calls him out on doping]

“Very good. Although I don’t appreciate the negative connotation”

⇒ “But I’d prefer if you stopped with the vulgar phrasing”

Simpler, more direct language here.

[After Maki’s taken off with Miwa’s sword in tow]

“Mai’s sister is gone. Well, that makes sense. I’m useless without my sword”

⇒ “Mai’s older sister has gone somewhere. Well, it was a correct call as I can’t fight without my sword”

The phrase used here that got translated as “I’m useless” while can indeed mean something similar has the nuance of “to not be useful [in battle]” . So although it’s not incorrect per se, I’m not sure if I’d go with “useless” myself, especially because it comes with tandem with “correct call”/”good decision” wording.  She DOES literally say she’s useless later on though.

“We’re a little disorganized after all”

Not incorrect per se but imo the original line might’ve had the nuance of “we’re not monolithic [as an organisation]”.

“Use this scent and whistle to control it. If you can, make it kill Itadori”

⇒ “This scent and whistle were used to train him [this cursed spirit]. If a chance arises, use it well and kill Itadori”

I’m not sure if this can be interpreted as it being JUST the curse itself that’ll do all the work.

Chapter 44

“- Why does everyone torment mother?

 - Because she’s a broken mistress”

Closer to “dissolute”, I think. Also the word used for “mistress” can also mean “concubine” and “kept woman” but it’s apparently also an old expression for “close female servant”. It’s hard to say which it could have been without more context but it’d actually make a lot of sense if it was the last one, especially given the fact how Kamo is one of the olden jujutsu families, and very traditional at that. 

“Then why do you favour me? Why did you deceive me into becoming a heir”

⇒ “(...)Then why did you take me in and lie about me being a heir”

I may be wrong but it doesn’t sound like they deceived Kamo himself but rather, everyone else. The word used also means “falsify”. “Favour” here is the same word as for “patronage”, btw.

“Then as the heir to the head of the Kamo family(...)”

It’s just “the next head” here, possibly an allusion to his plans for /after/ he becomes the clan head.

[After Kamo praises his growth as a sorcerer]

“Why are you acting all familiar with me?’

⇒ “What’s with this sense of comradeship you keep on showing?”

Not incorrect per se but I found the phrase he used interesting. Also means “fellowship”.

“I intend to kill Yuji Itadori”

“By principal Gakuganji’s order?”

“No, this is my decision.”

⇒ (...) “No, this is my personal/individual judgement.”

Emphasis Gege’s. The word does mean “decision” as well but imo “judgement” (as in “call”) fits better here.

“As a member of the Kamo and the big three families, I believe it is the right decision. You should also understand it. (I must play the part of the heir to the Kamo family)”

⇒ “(...) I consider it a correct call. It’s something you should be able to understand as well. (I must conduct myself as is appropriate for the heir of the Kamo family)

Lit. “think it’s(...)” for the first bit. Imo “you should also understand” could imply that Kamo’s trying to convince Megumi here but in the original it’s more him appealing to the common understanding he feels must already exist between them because of their similar positions within their respective families. Also, wording his inner thoughts as “must play the part” was imo giving off a wrong impression. 

Cont. from above

“You and I are the same”

Not wrong but the original has the connotation of “the same kind”.

“He’s saying some scary stuff”

Skipped “all of sudden" here.

(jp)

“(I’ve never thought of myself as doing the right thing.) Actually, I’m sorry. I don’t care if I’m right or wrong. I only believe in my conscience. I will follow my conscience and save people. If you disagree with that then, let’s agree to curse each other.”

⇒ ”(...) No, I’m sorry, that is incorrect. It’s just that I believe/have faith in my own conscience. I will help/save people the way my conscience tells me. So if you’ve denied that, then there’s nothing left but to curse each other.”

Again, like in ch. 9 (refer to part I), the nuance here was actually that Megumi will save people BASED on his conscience. Here it’s literally “I will save people according to my conscience” (emphasis mine), which imo heavily implies that he will choose which people to save, as had already been indicated in ch. 9 as well. This is a huge distinction from the way he’s been (mis)portrayed in the official release as just wanting to save people because that’s what his conscience says or because he thinks that’s the right thing to do. (That’s Yuuji). Also, the way they phrased it as basically “let’s agree to disagree” was imo way too mild.  And it wasn’t just “if you disagree” but “if you contradict/negate/renounce”.

“A shikigami! It was still around?!”

Not sure but given the context it might’ve meant “so he still had some left” instead.

Cont. on next page

“He used a wounded shikigami as a decoy!”

⇒ “He used a shikigami at the verge of being called off as a decoy!” 

“This uses too much cursed energy, so I can only summon it once”

⇒ “This eats a lot of cursed energy so I can only summon it solo”

Lit. “a shikigami before the release/dissolution” for the first one. Coupled with Megumi’s reply, which was “as a stand alone” instead of “only once”, imo the whole thing meant that Megumi called the frog off intentionally.

[Megumi about the elephant shikigami]

“It only recently surrendered to me.”

⇒ “I’ve only exorcised it very recently”

Seems like they confused “to exorcise” (調伏)  for “to surrender” (降伏)...The word he uses here is the former, it also means “to unwish”!

Btw, “surrender” is actually used later in the manga when Getou’s curse manipulation is discussed in the Gojou’s Past arc (ch. 73).. So to me there definitely seems to be a distinction between those two terms and which techniques they apply to.

[to part iv (4/5)]

[miraculouscontent]

Askplosion #12 1/4:

.:Asks Referring to Previous Miraculous Posts:.

Anonymous said:

I think that story with Delmar, Sabrina and Alya is only type of Alya demonization you accept.

(the post this anon is referring to)

Absolutely.

I also accept “demonization” for like--comedic purposes. For example, if they had Alya be all in on the love square and all no Marinette you’re not allowed to give up on Adrien if it’s Lukanette endgame and Alya’s (and possibly the rest of the girl squad) “demonization” is for the sake of their dramatic reactions to the mere idea that Marinette would be both not into Adrien anymore and also into someone else.

I just think the idea of turning things on its head by making the people around Marinette the subject of jokes instead of it being Marinette herself.

Anonymous said:

Alya going "Need Some Help?" reminds me of Karma and Nagisa from Assassination Classroom(I said it right this time!). Obviously Alya is Karma and Sabrina is Nagisa(and now Karma's jazzy motif is playing in my head). And Delmar is probably(and by probably I mean almost fucking definitely) Kayano. For real though, I didn't even know Delmar's name until I read that ask/response now. I mean, like, that's how forgettable and underutilized he was. And no, Ms. Bustier isn't worthy of being Koro-sensei.

(the post this anon is referring to)

Still not familiar with Assassination Classroom so I will let the other anons who are familiar with the series silently judge for themselves. ;P

As for Delmar, don’t feel bad; his name actually isn’t mentioned in the special to my knowledge, and it was a tweet that confirmed his name.

Anonymous said:

Oh yeah, the "Astruc gets hit with a washboard" was SUPPOSED to be a shout-out to Koro-Sensei Quest, in which Karma gets hit with a washboard(don't ask where it came from or where they go when they hit the ground, the world may never know) every time he acts like a smug-ass little bitch. You know, like Astruc. Often, the washboard will ricochet off his head and hit a red button, which then opens up a pit which Karma then falls in. In other words, Karma getting Karma! If only Astruc could too.

(the post this anon is referring to)

khfjdgdg ahhh, yeah, thanks for explaining! I’ve always said that I’m not very media-savvy so sometimes I don’t know about more popular shows.

Anonymous said:

Eventually Salty Decadent Court

(the post this anon is referring to)

lol we just slowly upgrade our way through the salt ranks

Anonymous said:

I was thinking about your edit of Desperada, and how I would definitely love to edit the ATLA finale to cut out Kat/aang and Mai/ko stuff lol.

(the post this anon is referring to)

Oh yeah, that’d be amazing! I imagine it’d be difficult, but not impossible. Sometimes it might be better to sacrifice good shots or move scenes around for the sake of making things cohesive.

Anonymous said:

Kagami when adrien its back from NY: I'm sorry adrien, but I have feelings for two blueberries, we have to broke up

Adrien: eh? Broke up? We were dating?

(the post this anon is referring to)

I like how this ask doesn’t specify whether the joke is that Adrien might’ve just been way too “friendly” with Kagami and gave her the impression that they were dating, or a joke on the fact that the show itself doesn’t specify that they’re dating, or both.

A+ 10/10

Anonymous said:

If Adrien does get akumatised because of jealousy about Marinette, I hope someone (Kagami would be great) points out that Marinette was never akumatised for that reason even though she had waaay more scenarios that could have turned out that way. So don't blame yourself, Marinette!! (I also hope Kagami yells at anyone else *cough*Alya*cough* who tries to blame Marinette.

(the “Didn’t Need Burrow” that this anon is referring to)

We just want someone unambiguously on Marinette’s side, is that too much to ask?

Anonymous said:

"It's difficult to animate" hasn't stopped others before (Lord Shen, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, etc). You may do it as a hobby, but this are professionals who should have done more than the bare minimun.

(the post this anon is referring to)

I agree. I’m just trying to keep things like budget in mind. A bunch of free-flowing clothing is fine but I’m basically like--okay, but you don’t NEED the stuff that would hamper the budget to make things look good.

Anonymous said:

I don't know why, but I'm picturing Ladybug confronting Chat Noir after he gets back from New York like a mother scolding her teenage daughter for sneaking out at night.

(the post this anon is referring to)

Honestly? Accurate.

Anonymous said:

Clara Nightengale: I sensed Marinette was in trouble, so I came to this school on the doub-- Jagged Stone: It's okay, I already got her.

(the post this anon is referring to)

jdhgdjkfgkjfg Jagged and Clara walking down the street together all cool, Jagged still having Marinette slung over his shoulder, and everyone watching is just, “??????”

passivedecept said:

Honestly

After reading your last bit i feel cheated that Jagged isnt included more

But it may be better that he isnt like luka's dad.

Can you imagion?

Luka: dad. I like someone.

Jagged: who?

Luka: a real nice and talented girl name marinette and- who are you calling?

Jagged: penny because we need a place for your wedding STAT!

Because i firmly believe if jagged had a son who was dating marinette he would do everything to get mari as his daughter in law.

Okay that was it. Love every fic and small bit you make. And i was wondering if you had your own fav. Like. What have your written so far that you like the best yourself?

(the post this anon is referring to)

Do you mean it’d be better because love square is endgame so it’d be messy? Because otherwise, not gonna lie, Jagged meddling and being super supportive sounds fun. :P I’m not here for love square meddling but Lukanette meddling is cute because both parties would be mutually aware of it and also be into it.

As for my favorite fic I’ve written? That’s probably too tough to answer, ahaha. For sure, it’s something Lukanette-based, but I know that doesn’t narrow it down much at all. It would also probably be one of my fix-its/canon divergences because I’m crazy for multiverse/alternate timeline stuff (I hate time travel, but I’m all about multiverse, I adore that stuff).

Anonymous said:

In one of your Didn't Need Burrow masterposts, when someone said that Marinette and Adrien had kids and a hamster who'll get Miraculouses, I somehow misread that as "the kids as well as the hamster itself will all get Miraculouses".

(the post this anon is referring to)

I’m sure at least one of my anons would snap back at that with a joke like, “well, with the standards set for who gets a miraculous, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

rogueinthedigitalworld said:

Would like to pop in for a second to say that yes, Maribat *did* start out as a spite ship, because the original creator was a heavy Adrien salter and wanted someone to replace him… and chose Damian Wayne, for some reason. Since then, Marinette has been shipped with all the Robins (and from I can tell, they’re all warped into actuallynice!Adrien with two gimmicks added from the *actual* characters). I’m pretty sure I’m forgetting something, but that’s the gist of it.

(the post this person is referring to)

Thank you for the response! Yeah, I didn’t know if it was like Spider-man and Ladybug - which I don’t think is a spite ship but I might be wrong - so I didn’t want to say that it was a spite ship without being sure (and obviously, some shippers of it could be just genuine shippers, who knows).

Anonymous said:

Okay, but seriously, when I first joined the ml fandom I was so confused about the maribat. I'm not really a big fan of either romance or comics (except for sandman lol) so I kind of filtered them out but it's kind of an experience tbh. I'm pretty sure it started on tumblr though- everyone sites it as the ozmav au

(the post this person is referring to)

Thank you for the extra clarification, anon! Yeah, I have that ship blacklisted (so I don’t see it around) but not really out of hatred for it; I tend to blacklist names/people/ships that I’m either indifferent to or don’t like (I immediately blacklist people who write angst, people who cross tag, and people who do onesided-Lukanette and don’t tag it that, even if it’s just one offense; I don’t play games, lol, if anyone does something I don’t like, I filter it out because I filter everything).

Anonymous said:

Your images of Luka and Marinette kissing are so super kyute! What program do you use to render them?

(the post this person is referring to)

Thank you! I made them myself!

The program I use is MikuMikuDance, using an edited version of the shader “GreenerShader 1.14″