#Sacrificing everything that you are for achieving that greater good

[mintytrifecta]

Anyway Parallax is so Rebellion Homura Akemi-coded

[coolcatsodalite]

Forgive me for posting something entirely unrelated to dolls but i don't really have a fandom blog so bear with me but-

Look at me. Look me in the eyes. Shanks is not evil. Nor is he purely good. He simply is a pirate. Just like Roger, he will fight and even kill anyone if needed. Listen. He knows something. He didn't go for the One Piece until now because it wasn't time. With Luffy getting close, the time is now. He knows the person who reaches there has to be worthy. He thinks Luffy is worthy. But listen. I'm holding you so gently. You need to listen. Consider. Luffy has to prove he's worthy. He has to fight Shanks. Shanks knows this. Of course he knows this. But he also knows Luffy will not go all out because he cares about him. So he needs Luffy to be angry at him. He needs to hurt Luffy so he doesn't hold back. He needs to see his full and true power and he's sacrificing himself (and others) to get that. Luffy must defeat him. Whether Roger entrusted Shanks with this task or it's self imposed, that is his goal. Shanks isn't evil. He's a pirate and he'll do anything to achieve his goal, which is to make sure Luffy is the king. No matter what it takes. If he has to hurt some people; If Luffy has to hate him. So be it. If we are to take anything from Film:Red it's that Shanks is not afraid to damage his own reputation for [what he thinks is] the greater good. Don't be small minded while watching his actions. Look. Think. There is another path between good and evil.

If i'm wrong, I'm wrong. But what if i'm right? I'm grasping your hands tenderly in mine. Don't look away. I have not been shown a man who does evil deeds. I've been shown a man who was raised by good men and done good. I've been shown a man that protects those weaker than him yet gains nothing in return. A man who doesn't actively seek out conflict or battle, and only attacks after being provoked himself. A man who saves annoying little boys and loses limbs in the process, then gives away his prized possession-his only memento of his beloved Captain- to said annoying little boy, and made him promise to grow up and surpass him. I've been shown a man who drinks and parties because that is what he grew up with and feels most comfortable doing. Yes, evil can rise even while surrounded by only good, but i've not been shown an evil man. I've not even been shown a man jaded and twisted by the injustice around him. I see a man who seems to have decided to live for others and stay alive only as a means to an end. He is not the king. He knows this. But he will make sure the king is worthy. He will make sure the king holds Roger's ideals and strength and everything in between. Even at the cost of himself. Because Roger was his everything, and he'll be damned if anyone but Roger, or the person that most closely resembles him in all ways that matter, is the king.

I believe that Shanks is a pinnacle. A pillar. A martyr, a deity. A BEING. A being that was born only to be sacrificed for this exact reason and this reason alone, and he knows this. And he is ready.

[inflatablebonecentral]

I love Chinese cultivation novels

Most of the are power fantasy nonsense where a generic mc with generic features goes from being the scorned trash to the ever victorious demigod

Those are fine and some of them are even good.

This is not about those

This is about the philosophy of it all

OH HOW I ADORE IT

You cultivated a martial art based on how rivers flow and now your attacks cannot miss since "the river always finds the sea"?

Absolute storytelling gold

Consider this however my nameless shadow movement technique evades your inescapable strike since I am nothing and I have no name. My belief in this is so strong that I have cut off all emotion and even the memories of my past just to gain a greater edge in the endless race towards divinity.

Have I sacrificed everything but my body in this never ending competition? Some would say yes but I have sacrificed so much in the pursuit of power that my very identity and humanity seemed like a small price to pay in return for this power.

The sentence "the river always finds the sea" contains many more truths than just "I can't miss". You could interpret many truths from it. It could also mean that I will always achieve my goal or that life always ends up where it is supposed to.

The whole letting go of who you are could be used to "heal" injuries by disassociating so hard the injuries have nothing to stick to anymore.

You could cultivate the dao of destruction and instead of destroying your enemies you destroy the path their weapon takes to hit you to become the ultimate defender.

My point being that combat isn't about how hard I hit but rather how hard the truth I believe hits or how I approach battles philosophically

I love that shit

[eisenartworks]

On Genos asking Saitama if he got stronger...

Initially, I was a bit confused on why Genos is asking Saitama this again. It's already been addressed in the previous arc, and you'd think it's all well and done, but ONE makes a point on bringing it up again, and that Saitama's answer is different.

But that's because he's referring to two different things!

To recap:

A lot of people assume Saitama is talking about his core...

But that I wholeheartedly disagree. Genos asked on whether or not he got stronger. Saitama answered he has. Except Saitama wasn't talking about in terms of power, he's talking about in terms of spirit.

And Genos has! There's a distinct difference between sacrificing your life to taking any chance to blow yourself up just because you're passively suicidal. The story doesn't spell it out for us, but for all of Genos's great penchant to somehow survive despite barely cutting it, he doesn't exactly value his own life and happiness. This is the first time he's been put into a corner with little chance of escaping and deliberately chose not to blow himself up, because he started to not only to value the lives of his comrades, but his own too. And Saitama acknowledges that it's a good thing! That he's not wrong or immoral to feel that way! Because Saitama knows what it's like to be suicidal. Choosing to live another day is a brave feat of strength indeed.

If you're gonna argue Saitama is just being dumb and Genos was being dumb because he was misinterpreting things again because what Saitama actually meant his core got stronger - here's the thing: Saitama has never cared about power. It's always been about character with him.

The only time he'd care about someone's power level is when it's getting absurdly destructive that it may destroy his or other people's property (Psykorochi, Tatsumaki) or when it's obvious it's about to kill or has killed people (Boros's CSRC, Cosmic Garou). He didn't care that Mumen Rider is weaker than DSK, but he cared about his strength of character to protect people against all odds didn't he?

Even then, how the heck would Saitama even judge if Genos's core actually did get stronger? He doesn't have any basis for it. He hasn't seen the enemies Genos fought. He hasn't seen what the core could do. Hell, he hasn't even seen Genos since he has a broken up body during hotpot night to even know what his feats are. All he knew is that Genos is now limbless and that he lost. But that he had enough strength in spirit to hold on and protect Tatsumaki without fully giving into despair that he'd blow he and Tatsumaki up all thanks to King telling him what happened.

This... was a TERRIBLE answer.

So why was it so ass? Because this time, Genos is clearly asking not if he got stronger in spirit but stronger in terms of power.

Saitama is the last person you should be asking these things, since you might as well ask someone who is lightyears away from earth that you changed the engine in your car so now it could go greater distance and last longer on the road, he'd say "sweet!" but he won't ever be able to tell the difference even if you pop your car hood open nor show the number miles you traveled. To him it's all the same: he's too far away to make an accurate judgement.

Heartbreaking thing is, there's a fairly good reason why it's to important to Genos to be acknowledged he'd grown stronger in power and why he pursues power to begin with: it's not just vengeance nor justice for everything he lost, it's also to make sure he never experiences those loss again. Nor for anyone to experience the same things he did. Saitama's casual "dismissal" just affirms Genos's worst insecurities and fear - that he's still the same weak and helpless 15 year old that couldn't save his town nor protect his family, but survived anyway. Genos has achieved the height of power he previously thought impossible, but heartbreakingly he's so in his head he can't or doesn't even acknowledge it. For all he knows, he still doesn't have the power to not just beat enemies, but to protect people.

They really need to have a proper discussion, but ONE is never one for simple and straightforward journeys.

[chewbokachoi]

"You have to let go." geras and liu kang 👀

Inspiration struck me and wouldn't let go.

From this list of prompt starters!

Liu Kang watched as once again the threads of his grand tapestry fell to the floor. They glowed like hot coals, and every time Liu Kang knelt down to pick them up, they writhed like angry vipers, the stings of their frayed ends filling his mind with the images of what had happened. Kung Lao's neck always snapped and broken. Raiden always giving into his rage. Sonya dying on her a mission with Cassie. Rain abusing his power as a half-god. Mileena never once knowing a proper family. Kenshi losing his eyesight. Scorpion losing everything. Bi-Han becoming the wraith. Shang Tsung and Quan Chi…

But he was better than Kronika. He had once been mortal, and he could still remember what it had been like. With this knowledge, surely he could create a better life for everyone. It was the least he could do to undo the harm she had done.

"You have already done more than enough," Geras said, the ticking accompanying his footsteps. He knelt down next to Liu Kang and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You have given me free will. Surely you don't think that's some small gesture?"

Liu Kang's shoulders sagged. "It is not," he conceded. "I admit, I did not think it would be so easy to break something that seemed so integral to how Kronika had created you."

Geras reached down and began to gather the threads. They seemed to relax in his presence and grow slack. Their venomous glow faded and a pressure in Liu Kang's head began to fade. "Because of how easy it was to break me of Kronika's design, you must think it would be easy to guide the lives of everyone else." Geras observed. 

Liu Kang couldn't help but feel ashamed. "I guess I let myself be blinded by yet another arrogance."

"You defeated the Titan of Time, Liu Kang. As a mortal. It is not unreasonable to think you can do so much more than Kronika because of that. But it is because of that you must be more careful, and since you have made it so I can speak my mind, I will be doing that." Geras said firmly, but there was never judgment in his tone.

All he had done from the start was choose to help Liu Kang and guide him through the process rather than take over or walk away. Despite that, Liu Kang still felt he had to brace himself for whatever it was Geras was going to say. He felt like he was with Lord Raiden once again, before everything fell apart as it always did.

"You cannot force things to be how you want them to be," Geras said. "That is how Kronika lost sight of things. She was desperate for her Golden Balance. But you cannot achieve that. You cannot make good and evil be perfectly balanced for there will always be something you overlook to tip the scales one way or the other. And consider that you fought from the side of what you considered good. Do you feel you could intentionally harm your friends in the name of this greater good?"

Liu Kang winced. The idea of killing those he had known or innocents who would always be ignorant in the name of saving Kung Lao…would the Kung Lao he had known allow for that? Liu Kang picked up a thread and saw a future of Kung Lao intentionally sacrificing himself upon learning what was done to keep him alive. He began to gather the threads again, forcing them to accept Kung Lao living a long life. A life where he and Raiden would grow old with the rest, where Earthrealm was the one to guide the other realms into a world of peace. He caught a glimpse of that. He held onto the guiding thread tight, knowing if he followed it he could make that happen. Whatever it took–

Geras took the thread in Liu Kang's fingers. "You have to let go," Geras said.

But if he could just see where it came from…

"Liu Kang." There was a tiredness in Geras's voice. 

There was a tug. Liu Kang felt the thread slip from his fingers and the tapestry fell to the floor once more.

[canmom]

arguing about whether Aaron Bushnell was mentally ill or not is besides the point. I'm mentally ill, chances are you're mentally ill too, but we're still part of the world and have to make our way in it. that world is crazymaking by nature; true, "sane" people do not generally set themselves on fire but anyone who manages to be "sane" in this world is not someone i trust very much.

the impulse towards a grand gesture of self sacrifice is something I've felt many times even before the current horrors. the logic to it is quite simple. you take as the premises: the legal means of objecting to the current world order (in this case, a genocide with your government's support) are inadequate to effect meaningful change. you know the lives of Palestinians are valued very little, but you suppose your life as a citizen, white person, in this case member of the military etc, might be valued more. you think, Palestinians are risking their lives daily to try to save people in Gaza, shouldn't I do the same?

i think it is important, if you're going to persuade people that it's worth trying to live rather than die, to actually face up to that impulse and not write it off as a mysterious crazy person thing.

there is some inkling of truth that our society, news media etc. cares more about a white man and military pilot than, say, a Palestinian person doing the same thing. but only so much. it's newsworthy because it's novel. it does not mean the US government will actually change their policy even slightly. the script is very easy: it is tragic, mental illness, if only they could have gotten help, etc etc. the actual political content of the gesture can be carefully ignored.

(and on some level they must take this approach: they don't want to expose 'kill yourself' as a lever to move them. it's the same for us - if some terf self immolated over the lack of bathroom genital inspections, I'm not about to suddenly detrans. the suicide of an enemy is easily treated as laughable.)

why would it seem tempting to think suicide or suicide by cop is especially significant and powerful? the logic of religious sacrifice is that the thing sacrificed must be valuable to you. the more you are willing to display your commitment, the greater the reward - the value of the sacrifice is transferred to the thing it's sacrificed to. a similar logic is suggested whenever we are told about all the soldiers who died in wars for our nation. in fiction, we are given hundreds of stories of heroic deaths, and told again and again that the really important things are worth putting your life on the line for.

so it is a tempting pattern of thought to assume that this logic applies equally to political action - the more severe the sacrifice or risk, the greater the results that can be achieved. but riskier political action is not more effective political action. you can die or go to prison and accomplish absolutely nothing by it.

this is probably obvious, so why still the impulse? the main thing a self sacrifice reaches for is relief to the sense of guilt, shame and complicity - it is a symbolic move of making a decisive break. this is imo extremely understandable - both the world at large and the current situation generate feelings of guilt and complicity constantly. we are told frequently of horrible things that we benefit from, done in our name. something feels grotesque in watching Americans or Britons having a good time without a care while, half a world away, American and British missiles are rained on a defenseless civilian population. so by burning everything you have on a big decisive gesture, it may seem you can prove once and for all that you are not like that.

unfortunately it's not that easy. people who watch and feel wretched and suicidal are not changing the situation any more than people who shut it out.

if it can be viewed as a strategy, a public suicide simply aims to shame the enemy into changing their behaviour, and shame the public into action, by making a big show of what you're willing to sacrifice. however, states and capital have absolutely no shame, and the general public will only follow the display of martyrdom so far as it's a novelty. you might inspire a few copycat suicides. but it's not generative.

if we actually want to win, and change the way the world works, then the members of our movement are not pawns to be sacrificed. the toolkit of the anarchist movement used to include methods of anonymity like the black bloc, and protective tactics like dearresting comrades. these have severe limits, and can often devolve into radical spectacle with no more significance than football. however, in the present era, in the wake of shitshows like Extinction Rebellion, it is sadly much more common for actions to end in intentional arrest. being willing to risk arrest may be necessary for effective direct actions, since very few are legal, but the aim must always be to get away with it. in a simple battle of attrition the state will always win.

this goes even harder when death is on the line. if someone is in a desperate state of mind, placing little value in their own life, they may be tempted to prove their commitment to the cause by dying for it. this is every time an absolute failure of our movement - both to not provide a better avenue for action, and to fail to notice the person's situation and provide them support and space to recover from the constant psychic assaults of this era.

what use is a cause fertilised by the bodies of everyone who ever gives a shit?

anarchists, leftists, whatever - we are all in a pathetic position currently, and have been for decades. essentially a sideshow. nobody cares what we think and we can't force them to care. in a situation of desperation, desperate measures become tempting. but it doesn't make them actually effective, and i still believe that is what matters.

it may be that you cannot substantially change the course of events in Gaza. while groups like Palestine Action have done admirable work in interfering with the Israeli arms industry, i don't have any vision for how to bring forward a halt to the genocide in Palestine in the near term. everyone is desperate for something that they can concretely do about it.

but there is no balance where you can sacrifice yourself to save >1 Palestinians. there is no trade to be made. if you die, you just die.

don't die futilely.

[guess-that-ship]

S9 Semifinals

The Sea and The Sky

In a past life they were soldiers tasked with protecting the kingdom, positioned in different stations so their only means of communication were through calls, still they slowly fell in love. After a catastrophe wipes their kingdom clean, they get a second chance at life as normal girls. However, that doesn't last for long as they're soon called to protect the planet once again.

The Sea fell in love with the Sky first, but couldn't chase that love as she was plagued by visions of the apocalypse. Though she yearned for her destined partner to be by her side, she couldn't bring herself to condemn the Sky to carry the same heavy burden. Still, the Sky couldn't stand to see the Sea suffer alone so she goes against her own wishes to be as free as the wind and joins the Sea in protecting the world no matter what it takes.

The Sea always makes the Sky promise that should one of them get hurt, the other should move on and prioritize the greater good over everything else. Little does the Sky know that the Sea would throw herself in the face of danger and risk dooming the entire world if it means saving the Sky. Little does the Sea know that her stubborn Sky wouldn't uphold her end of the promise either.

the sun and the moon

They've been together for nine thousand years, they've been ~together~ for two hundred years, and they only went on their first real date a few days ago~

Sun is an all-powerful ruler, who was once radiant and beloved. Moon is his closest, most trusted servant, who is bound to Sun with a magical contract and has been by his side for thousands of years. No worries, though, Moon is very happy with this contract and even asked for it back when it broke. You see, Moon is OBSESSED and fanatically in love with Sun from beginning to end.

Even when Sun became a cold and heartless villain, sacrificing countless lives to achieve his goals, Moon remained hopelessly devoted to him, though for a time, his method of showing his love became twisted and cruel. Later after the truth came out, Moon regretted these actions and stopped his cruelty, and also somehow became EVEN MORE OBSESSED and dramatic about it. His life is entirely devoted to Sun, and if Sun ever stops existing or no longer wants him, Moon no longer has a reason to exist either~

And through it all, despite Sun insisting that he has no emotions and doesn't know how to love, he puts up with all of it. Even though it should be impossible for Moon to overpower Sun and have his way with him, Sun lets him do what he wants and indulges in his whims. He's quick to comfort Moon or assuage his worries when he's upset, and he's extremely possessive of Moon and misses him dearly when they're separated. Moon is a wildly overdramatic and fanatically obsessed guy, but he's SUN's wildly dramatic and fanatically obsessed guy, thank you very much.

P.S. they also raised Sun's child together~ (and somehow, that kid even turned out pretty okay)

[aruanimess]

I was reading @diam-etrical's inspired by The Hunger Games AU (which by the way is amazing and you should go read it if you haven't already) and had some thoughts on Peeta and Armin as mirror characters, mostly in terms of what this comparison brings to Armin's characterization (since I obsess over aot at the moment), which I decided to share with y'all.

So Armin is and isn't Peeta Mellark. They're both highly intelligent, skilled orators and perceptive. They have the ability to read people and to sway them in their favor. Also, especially in comparison to their more self-centered love interests, they both have a strong sense of morality.

However Peeta's thesis in the beginning of THG (which follows him throughout the story and shapes his character arc) is the line "If I'm going to die, I want to still be me," which is fundamentally antithetical to Armin's maxim "someone who can't sacrifice anything, can't change anything" (in the context of Erwin losing his own humanity for the greater good). What's more, Peeta's story proves Armin's philosophy wrong. Peeta very clearly defines the outcome of the games by his commitment to his beliefs and principles, by preserving what makes him human and when that is lost (in mockingjay), we as readers but also katniss as a character in the story, mourn this side of him and understand it to be a loss too great.

The thing is though, Armin's story also kind of proves him wrong (to a degree). On one hand, Armin is incapable of letting go of Eren and the image of him he remembers from his childhood: the strong, brave Eren who fought for justice. Ultimately, this inability to accept that Eren has changed is what clouds his judgment concerning Eren's motivation until it's too late. On the other hand, Armin ends up disagreeing with Eren that the Rumbling was for the better (I'm disregarding the "thank you for becoming a mass murderer" line because I interpret it to be for Eren's benefit--meaning that Armin was trying to comfort his best friend at that point). His last actions in the story are about him being opposed to Eren who deemed  the outside world worthy of sacrificing for the greater good of the Paradisians. Therefore, even Armin himself by the conclusion of the story is not willing to sacrifice everything.

And yet, Armin is not entirely wrong. Armin makes great sacrifices to achieve peace and to do the right thing. He is willing to risk his life, his friend's lives, the chance to be with the woman he loves, Eren (both in the sense of Eren's life and in the sense of Armin's idea of Eren). Armin is even willing to besmirch his own reputation (in his eyes) by naming himself Eren's killer; it is a burden he's willing to bear for Mikasa, but also to pacify the Marleyans. These sacrifices are crucial in order to prevent perpetual conflict.

In the end, Armin's quote is more about compromising than about giving up your humanity and empathy.

So the main takeaway from paralleling these to characters, at least for me, is that there are things that are worth sacrificing (toxic beliefs, your personal comfort, an oppressive status quo) and things worth preserving (ideals, life, love). Violence may be necessary to enact change, but in order to maintain the positive impact you created, you need to be able to drop your weapons and find common ground.

[leggypuppy]

I feel like the Cultist feels unhappy because they are, well, hurling themselves into the hidden world and in doing so they stop caring about the world they live in.

It... Reminds me of Theresa and Christopher. While she loved the Glory to the point of sacrificing every other love she had, the new Book of Hours lore shows that Christopher kept going after her! He studied music, he traveled the world, but he still visited the Orchard at times, so he lived in both worlds! The Cultist is trying so hard to enter the Mansus and see the beauty there that they forgot everything else.

To the Cultist everything is a catalyst. All those incredible things they gathers have incredibly narrow uses! They drops the books after reading them because they're now useless as he already absorbed the knowledgr, he can't use the Kingskin Bodhrán to play music like it's MEANT to. They likely don't even THINK of it. And they treat everyone as tools to be discarded at their leisure! Even relationships can be abandoned at the drop of a hat.

The Exile can use the things he gathered in his journey, for passing through doors, to defeat challenges. His friends aren't simply tossed into a dungeon, he goes in there and fights against Percussigants and Younger Sisters by their side!

And even when the Cultist is a literal Long it's still not enough to make them happy. Even when they achieve what they seek there's still that itch. "Perhaps I shall rise even higher." In the very moment of their triumph they're still unsatisfied.

And obviously we have the Librarian. So in the retrospect, the Cultist needs to touch grass.

That's a really good take on it, I think, and it's kind of adjacent to the way I've always interpreted the characters.

To me, it's never seemed so much that the Cultist stopped caring about the world they live in so much as they couldn't find anything to care about in the first place. I think there's a reason the minor endings (Ever After, the one where you get a fancy house, generally the ones where the Cultist stays in the mortal world) are considered minor by the game- there's clearly enough in them to theoretically keep the Cultist grounded, but compared to what they could achieve, well...

playing as the Cultist is about striving for something Higher, hunting out the ends of reality to instantiate yourself in. As the aim becomes greater, so do the costs. Happiness isn't even really a concern. Contrast that with Illopoly, who can strike something of a balance, or wants to and tries to, and as a result, can never go too far in either direction, achieving breadth of experience, but not the kind of depth that ends up eating you. But it seperates him from Theresa- in the end, he can only visit.

And that's one of the fundemental tensions that runs through the Secret Histories world as a whole, I think. Depth and intensity of one type of experience comes at the cost of being able to experience or be anything else. Breadth and balance allow you to retain your centre, but you will never follow others that go further, and the gulf between yourself and them will only get wider. How far along each axis are you willing to go?

[resolutepath]

ELIO & WHAT HE DOESN'T TALK ABOUT.

"If we had Elio's eyes, the world would not appear as it does to you and I. There are myriad possibilities overlapping one another, representing the consequences of different choices." - Kafka

You have to understand Elio sees everything. He sees what will be, what might be, what could be and what has potential to pass. A constellation of possibilities spread out like a choose your own adventure challenge held in a sea of stars. And sometimes those things that are seen are not things that can be shared. Elio filters information viewed into relevant to his mission and irrelevant to the mission. This is the only way they can manage handling the sheer amount of information seen.

But sometimes those parts that filter into of relevance are not fun. Sometimes Elio sees that the ONLY way to achieve the best outcome is to let one of the Stellaron Hunters (past not current line up) die. Sometimes he sees that there is a whole planet that MUST be foresaken in order for one that will be needed to survive. Other times it will see the suffering that HAS to be endured for one to rise to the person they NEED to be.

Elio is cursed to see this. They are Destiny's Slave. It is not a gift but a curse, obliged to watch no matter what may be seen. I've emphasised this elsewhere but it's so important to me that this is understood because it also explains Elio's choice to leave a lot unsaid and only give the actions necessary for the script to progress.

Because when you have foreseen the horrible and know it must happen to thwart the Ruin Author and THEIR attempts at universal destruction, there MUST be a sense of dettachment. Some of this Elio already had from being a Memokeeper formerly - record don't interfere - but it's heightened since his gaze has turned from the past to the future.

When Elio does foresee these events it is not a simple decision made. It will spend hours testing the limits of its powers - much to Kafka's chagrin - seeing if this is one of the best possibilities or the only one. It is important all routes are tried. But if there is no other option then the script it written and privately they will mourn that which is lost. Sometimes there are things that change the situation - the Nameless interference can change a script, the Trailblazer particularly, and so can non-physical things - but ultimately Elio has become accustom to accepting the sacrifice of something for the greater good and living with that.

The consequences are Elio's to bear and there will be times when even the Stellaron Hunters cannot rouse Elio from its gazing, gone to a place far beyond their reach as it studies the paths in hope the choice made will not be for nothing. Other times Elio will be found drinking a cup of tea, another poured next to it though seemingly for no one, and other times still creating a memory bubble, one that is stored so that all that was sacrificed is remembered. Sometimes these are left on Herta's Space Station along with the others found there so that it is not the only witness to what has come to pass, but only after events unfold and nothing can change them.

Elio never tells the Stellaron Hunters what is to come for them in the future beyond the script and the deals they have made. It is important to Elio that the only structure given is that which MUST occur. The rest is a freedom. Even if it maybe is not.

[girl4music]

NICOLE: “Waverly! Waverly!”

*groaning in pain*

DARK ANGEL WAVERLY: “Go home, Nicole Haught. This is none of your concern.”

NICOLE: “None of my concern? You're gonna be my wife.”

DARK ANGEL WAVERLY: “The gate must close, once and for all. And I must be the one to do it.”

NICOLE: “I got left behind before, and I'm not doing that again. Where you go, I go, remember?”

DARK ANGEL WAVERLY: “The Garden is not for your kind. Human.”

NICOLE: “No.”

DARK ANGEL WAVERLY: “I am the Guardian. I am the fail-safe. I must protect the Ghost River Triangle.”

NICOLE: “What about Wynonna?”

DARK ANGEL WAVERLY: “The Champion. The only one who can wield the sword. But she has served enough.”

NICOLE: “Okay, okay, let’s figure this out. I am the Sheriff of Purgatory. Let me extend my watch over all the Ghost River Triangle, in every realm. Let me be the Guardian for all of us, supernatural and human.”

DARK ANGEL WAVERLY: “You’d sacrifice your life to become the Shield?”

NICOLE: “Every day until the end of eternity if it meant keeping you safe.”

DARK ANGEL WAVERLY: “Well, I have already broken the rules once… for John Henry Holliday.”

NICOLE: “Yeah, see? It feels kind of good now and then, right? So what’s one more? Look in the book. Your story is my story.”

DARK ANGEL WAVERLY: “The book was ill begotten. It belongs to the Garden, as do I.”

NICOLE: “Please, just look.

*Dark Angel Waverly looks in the book and gasps*

Am I in there? Are we?”

DARK ANGEL WAVERLY: “It would be a steep price to pay. You’d be bound to the Ghost River Triangle. You could never leave.”

NICOLE: “Everything I love is already here.

*Nicole gets zapped*

I swear to be bound to the Ghost River Triangle for all of my days. I swear to be patient and just, for there is no other way. I swear my life to protecting the Ghost River Triangle. I am the Angel’s Shield.”

*Nicole gets zapped away and falls hard to the ground. Dark Angel Waverly transforms into Waverly and throws the book into the gate to the Garden*

WAVERLY: “NICOLE!

*rushes to her*

Nicole! Baby. Nicole. Come on, Nicole, please. Hey.

*Waverly kisses her. Nicole awakens to kiss her back. Suddenly feels a searing pain in the back of her neck*

What’s wrong?

*checks her neck and sees the mark of the Angel’s Shield branded on her skin like an unhealed tattoo*

Oh, sweetheart. You sacrificed yourself for me.”

NICOLE: “Don’t oversell it, baby. I only committed to a permanent staycation with my girl.”

*they kiss*

I am literally bawling my eyes out right now. That was so beautiful and powerful and just exceptional writing. I don’t even know what to say to express myself but I know one thing’s for sure… This is the greatest WLW relationship that I have seen since Xena and Gabrielle. The declarations of love were just as strong and substantial. The chemistry was off the fucking charts. The emotional connection was really significant. And because Xena and Gabrielle weren’t allowed to be physically intimate - I dare to say that this would be what I would see between them if they were. Because I have never seen any other two actresses depict such a strong, realistic and raw dynamic between them since. But I guess I can’t truly say that anymore because DomKat are really something special.

This was a really beautiful moment between them. I’d take emotional intimacy any day over sexual intimacy. But it’s certainly an achievement that they have both because Xena and Gabrielle didn’t and couldn’t have it even though you could feel the passion between them. Therefore knew that it was right for them to be lovers.

And I never ever want to see Dark Angel Waverly again. She was fucking terrifying as a celestial being. And it wasn’t like Dark Willow. It wasn’t born out of grief or loss or death (thank god) but it was disturbing. This… thing… had absolutely no empathy in her/it. All she/it cared about was her/its responsibility to Guard. But yeah, fuck destiny if the humanity is destroyed. For the greater good or for the greater evil. Fuck off. Dark Willow might have been a villain but least you could still tell that it was Willow under that costume. Someone that could be reached because there was still humanity in her. Still somebody that felt emotion. With Dark Angel Waverly it was like Waverly’s entire personality had been wiped over. All we love about her. It actually took Nicole sacrificing herself to bring her back. To make her get off those stairs and care again.

I suppose that is the price you pay for being an angel and an angel’s lover. Where Waverly goes, Nicole goes.

I am so glad that I decided to take a chance on this show. I have found WLW representation worth my time and attention. And now my undying support.

Consider me part of the WayHaught shipper fandom from this point onwards and WayHaught an additional OTP along with Xabrielle, Tillow and Calliette. And if you know anymore supernatural genre shows with significant WLW representation in them where they last for the whole or a majority of the show - tell me. I don’t mind if it’s not maintext. Subtext is more my thing anyway. But if it’s subtext - no queerbaiting! Don’t recommend non-canon ships like the overrated SuperCorp or SwanQueen. I am really not interested!

Until then, I will consume as much WayHaught and DomKat official media or fan creations as possible.

Please excuse me. I now have a wedding to watch.

[writingrosesonneptune]

Character Inverse Tag

🦉Thank you to @tabswrites for the tag!🦉

Rules: Describe the opposite of your OCs

Gently tagging: @cowboybrunch @chauceryfairytales @mysticstarlightduck @rhikasa @literarynecromancy and anyone else who wants to join in!

Doing this for the PQ cast!

Sadira: Laidback and not in a hurry to make any moves, always thinks everything through before making a decision. Has no problem sacrificing others' happiness or wellbeing in order to achieve her goals. Weak convictions. Doesn't care what others think of her and would never feel bad for speaking out of turn.

Yanna: Outspoken and outgoing, rushes in without thinking of the consequences. The bold leader of her group of friends, she has no patience for research or doing things the safe way. Hates secrecy and thinks writing in code is stupid. Doesn't snoop around. Would confess to her crush as soon as the thought occurred to her.

The Huntsman (L): Also hates secrecy, hates stealth even more, and would never pull a longcon to get even with someone. If he got upset about something, he would just let it go. No need to dwell on it. He doesn't have any special interests, either, no ill-advised collections. Just a hobbyless guy with a well-adjusted outlook. He probably doesn't even have a signature outfit.

Ghost-Hand: Real pleasant guy, very neighborly. If you messed up, he probably wouldn't have anything to say about it. Loud. Colorful wardrobe, maximilist decor. Thinks everyone has inherent worth and would never suggest sacrificing anyone for the greater good. Hates the military. The one thing is he acts kind of irrationally and holds onto grudges for a long time?

Bonus Characters under the cut.

Stryn: The best listener. Has uncanny perception both of time passing and when people are hiding something. Dispassionate; doesn't get fixated on his goals at all. Understands places are more than names on a map. Hates wolves and the theatre. Has no respect for spirits and is fine letting other people take charge.

Han: A total pessimist. Thinks things will never get better and lets opportunities pass him by. Doesn't worry about seeming useful and has no abandonment issues whatsoever. Quiet. Isn't nosy. Hates gossiping and window-shopping. Has no desire to read or go anywhere new.

E: Not one to overthink. Terrible at bluffing and is always honest about her feelings. Doesn't have a weird reaction to receiving gifts. Self-preserving law-abider. Has no sense of humor or impulse control. Never makes stupid bets with her husband to see who can get more information out of people.

Z: Cold, thinks what happens to others is no problem of his. Sharp dresser. Price gouges and takes sellers licenses very seriously. Loves the military. Plans everything five steps ahead and never avoids his problems. Terrible at reading people and keeping secrets.

Giuliana: Very well-adjusted to grief. Doesn't jump to conclusions, have a victim-complex, or blame people for things outside of their control. Not protective in the slightest. Laidback approach to parenting and governing. Is upfront about everything and respects authority outside of her own. No sense of fashion, could never be a trend-setter.

Alyssa: Meek, unadventurous. Doesn't like reading or working with others, and she doesn't have hangups about handling responsibility. Hates horses. Never gossips or makes a first move. Practical clothes only. Incapable of setting aside her feelings and won't compromise on anything.

[stuckinapatriarchalbullshitland]

The Sacrificed Lion 🦁//ft. Kaylor

Disclaimer: I'm not openly a Kaylor shipper, but I followed Taylor and Karlie's relationship story for a while so even though I'm not that familiar with the actual history of the girls, this post is purely for recreation purposes

I'm going to start by saying that I don't think this "theory" in my head is something new, because I'm sure that the Kaylor shippers of a lifetime already know about this or at least they have speculated about it.

And it's a theory about the breakup of the Kaylor relationship.

The official story tells that there was a specific reason why Kaylor broke off their relationship. For a betrayal

A betrayal of Karlie towards Taylor where it is said that Karlie leaked information that helped Scooter Braun sell BMR and incidentally also Taylor's entire catalog, from her self-titled album to Reputation. Six eras that SB managed to have thanks to her affiliation with Karlie's "husband" Joshua K and obviously Karlie herself.

With this, Karlie Kloss became the number one enemy of Taylor and therefore also of the Swifties. Which obviously makes all the sense in the world, but…

What if that was what Taylor needed to do to get to where she is right now? Not for nothing Taylor is a Mastermind. A mastermind in the music industry.

Business, folks.

I'm going back in time. To the Reputation era or, dare I say, before that. When Taylor got caught up in her drama with Kanye and where she ended up branded as a snake. I know it could have been much earlier, but I don't have exact dates because I wasn't in any music fandom at the time. I was an ordinary woman who believed every narrative the industry sold, including the one about Taylor being the villain in the story. Time where the hate towards Taylor was frightening, especially influenced by all her public relations.

What happened to Taylor after her debacle with Kanye?

She appropriated the symbol of the viper and made it her own.

What happened to Taylor after her debacle with Scooter B and the sale of her music catalogue?

I think you already know where this post is going.

Taylor's drama with SB left Taylor Swift as the winner. She made re-recordings of her music catalog a hit and in my wild theory I think Karlie was actually an ally of Taylor, not an enemy. But to achieve that purpose someone would have to sacrifice. The lion had to be sacrificed to the beasts.

What did the lion do?

She MARRIED one of the beasts.

Karlie was there, folks. On the enemy side. She was always there, doing her business with the beasts, but she did it for the greater good. It has always been said that to survive in the industry you have to learn to swim with sharks and Taylor Swift gives a lecture on that because we have already seen it. There's a reason why she also seems like someone powerful in the industry.

I've been around these music fandoms long enough to understand that most (if not all) artists are governed by long- or short-term narratives and plans that always end in a new album, concert, debut, music.

Of course, not all narratives have that goal, but most do. Shake up the hornet's nest a bit, create controversy for the fans to talk about because it all gets so boring.

An artist has more than one face, one facet. An artist is what he/she is in front of the public and his/her art and what he/she is when the concert lights go out and they go home to live their real lives that they protect with everything they have even if many times they also filter a minimum of that life to give life to art.

I know all this verbiage may sound a bit confusing, but after analyzing all this drama it still strikes me that the timing between Taylor's fight for her masters and Kaylor's breakup coincided with the marriage of the lion and the beast. All in a couple of years. Coincidence? I don't believe it.

Especially considering that Taylor had been wanting to own her Masters for years. Years in which she had the support of who was even the first to listen to the 1989 album.

Karlie appearing at Taylor's concert was a surprise to me at first, but then I thought about everything I knew about the girls and analyzed how Karlie had come to that concert. The lion in the middle of the subjects, not next to the archer/queen. Her being like another audience knowing that she would be seen and not only seen but disowned.

Karlie knew it, folks. After all this time and all that standing water under the bridge. Karlie knew her risk and took it. And then another curious detail of that apparition.

The fall from grace of the Trumpet and quite possibly of all his accomplices. The K beasts. A freaking nice timing…

This timing has brought me back to the Kaylor fandom that, although I never followed, was fun to know. Just like Camren.

Finally, a video. From Karlie, I think it could have been an advertisement? But in the video, there is a phone call that says "Lover". Then a woman appears who approaches Karlie while Karlie has a knife with which she threatens her Lover, but then Karlie leaves the knife on the table.

I don't know if that video reflects this entire post, but as I have told my great friend @nikcolmaravi, no one will get it out of my head that a large percentage of everything that happened to Taylor related to the drama of her musical catalog had to happen from that way. I think if it didn't happen like this, she wouldn't be at the goal she has achieved so far.

Thanks for reading and I apologize for any mistakes or things I have left behind.

I was about to translate and edit this post when I remembered another detail. Dear John. My friend Nikco told me about Dear John about the song that goes to John Mayer. He told me that Taylor had asked her fans not to send hate to John for that song because it was not something she would like. And one more time. Business. You sign or are in any kind of relationship with Taylor and you literally have a bullseye on your head. That may also apply to Karlie.

And last and most important. This post never tried and never will try to minimize the real suffering of Taylor Swift regarding her legal battle for the authorship of her masters. To no degree or under any circumstances. I know very well that the industry has been a bitch to Taylor and all the artists that try to survive within it and I have no doubt that Taylor had to learn the hard way. And suffer to get to where she is. Did she have help? Of course. I know who her father is and what he did for her when she first started, I won't deny it. Taylor was born with privileges and she knew how to use them to her advantage, not just being daddy's girl.

I may not like her music that much, nor am I a big fan of hers. But I can know a good music entrepreneur when I see one and I think her numbers with this Eras concert says it all.

Beasts, lion, archer figuratively.

[cosmicjoke]

Hi cos, I'm wondering if you have answered a similar question and if you don't want to write, you don't have to answer. In 136 why do you think Levi didn't include himself when he talks about the dreams of the comrades in an idealized world without titans? Didn't he devote his heart like the rest of his comrades to destroy the titans for the sake of humanity and its future? I mean, instead of saying "when we devoted ourselves" he says "when you guys devoted yourselves" which separates himself from the common dream of his comrades.

Even in the analyses I read after this chapter came out, based on this dialog, they say that he does not share the same dream with them, that he has difficulty believing in a world where there are no titans and humanity is free, and that the reason he is in Sc is more because it is a suitable place to use his power and because he likes the fresh air outside.

I don't know, maybe I misunderstood his dialog because he also says "when WE dreamed of a world without titans" where he seems to be joining himself in the same common dream with his comrades.

Hi there,

Well, I've gone over this a few times, more in a generalized sense in terms of how I think Levi relates to the Survey Corps goals and how he himself has always worked more to help others accomplish their own dreams, rather than being driven by any personal, self-serving dream himself. Here's one of many posts I've written talking about this: https://www.tumblr.com/cosmicjoke/663156938876534784/levi-the-reluctant-hero?source=share

But basically, I think Levi refers to it as "their" dream because that's what it was, it was a dream they fully believed in and which they sacrificed their lives for. But for Levi, I do think, due to his life experiences and his intimate awareness of the world's brutal and cruel nature, that he always had difficulty himself believing that dream was attainable or possible. That isn't to say at all that he didn't dedicate himself just as much, and more, to achieving that dream as anyone else, because he did. He gave everything to achieve that dream. Levi's a person who basically gives himself over to others. He lives and dedicates himself to helping others, in whatever ways that manifests. That's what really makes him a hero. What defines him as a hero. That's why I have to shake my head any time someone accuses Levi of not caring about humanity or other people, because that's all Levi cares about. He isn't fighting for some ideal or for "the greater good" or for some utopian world that isn't actually possible. He's fighting for people. He's fighting to give people the freedom to choose for themselves, he's fighting to give people's sacrifices meaning, he's fighting to give people a brighter future, even if he knows that ideal of a world completely free of violence or misery isn't actually possible, he's fighting for other people's dreams. Levi lends his strength to support others, in whatever ways he can. That's why I always say that he's the most selfless character in the story, because he is. He doesn't fight for himself, or for some personal belief or wish. He fights for the personal beliefs and wishes of others, and to make sure that their sacrifices weren't in vain, that their lives and deaths meant something, that they had value.

Anyway, yeah, I'll just leave it there for now. But I've talked about this a lot, if you want to search around my blog for more in depth analysis.

[tobiasdrake]

Watching a video essay on the Madoka Magica series and something just clicked for me. I am officially changing sides. Put me down for Team Homura in the post-Rebellion discourse.

The essayist was talking about Madoka as a metaphor for capitalism, and my friend and I were joking about Madoka seizing the means of production. And then I realized something.

See. The thing is, when Homura splits Madokami and breaks Madoka off from her? That is a thing I do in my career a lot. It's my bread and butter.

Homura looked at the system Madoka had made and went, "This is good, but can't we automate this? I don't think it needs to be a manual process."

The original series ends with Madoka making a beautiful sacrifice for the greater good of all Magical Girls everywhere. But Homura makes a compelling counterargument: Maybe sacrifice isn't beautiful, and that's just warped Christian values getting the better of you. Maybe "beautiful" is when people get to live and be happy with the people who love them, and the good thing they would have achieved with their sacrifice can still exist.

Maybe it's just cynical to think that someone should have to suffer for everyone else to benefit. Madoka sacrificed everything to become a law of physics, but maybe a law of physics doesn't have to be a conscious person.

Maybe, just maybe, instead of Madoka becoming Madokami, she can be proud of building Madokami instead.

Can't we automate this?

[elenauaurs]

hate and midnight foooor vanes and amin :)

THANK YOU!!!

I've been neglecting Amin because I lost interest in him for a while BUT WHEN IT COMES BACK I WILL POST!!

hate: What does your OC hate? Why? How do they act towards the object of their hatred?

AMIN

Amin hates troublemakers or people who cause trouble in general, which is quite ironic given the fact that she acts exactly like a person who makes a lot of trouble

In fact, this hatred of Amin is a way for him to cope with who he was in the past and the mistakes he made. She firmly believes that if she punishes troublemakers, they will be disciplined so they don't have to suffer a much greater punishment from someone else.

VANES

Azul/j

It's easy to say that Vanes is an envious person and stuff, but why is he like this?

Vanes is not just a mere attention-seeker, in fact he's actually a person who have great ambitions, works very hard to achieve his goals and is incredibly determined, but he blindly believes that he's not good enough to achieve what he wants

This thought of Vanes arose in his childhood, where his dreams were unmotivated and prohibited by his mother, in addition to the fact that whenever Vanes tried to do something he loved he was outshined by a person more skilled than him

Vanes was never supported when disappointment hit him, he was never taught that it was okay to not be the best and every time he failed, the people he truly cared about just responded with: "see? I told you so" or "you're not good enough".

All these words and the lack of support made him obsessed with being the best in everything he did, becoming increasingly frustrated as he realized that no matter how much he sacrificed to be the best he would never achieve it—this frustration soon turned to hatred for people who were better than him. "I always try so hard, so why do they always get what I want?". Vanes is a person who has very intense feelings to the point that having slight lower grades than he expected on tests leaves him extremely depressed for days

He hates his mom, he hates prince Rielle and he hates Azul

Vanes' relationship with Azul is somewhat complicated, he loves/hates blue for several reasons. He hates Azul because he is a skilled, intelligent, powerful person and the best at what he does—Vanes knows he can't surpass Azul's ability and is extremely jealous of that, but he also really likes Azul for being one of the only people who supported his dream.

Basically, he hates anyone who is better than him for fear of being outshined, he hates the fact that he can never be good enough and he hates how much of a failure he is.

midnight: What keeps your OC up at night? Do they have nightmares? Fears? Anxieties? What do they do in the small hours of the morning when they should be sleeping?

Insomnia

The only time Vanes and Amin have time to be alone and reflect on life is at night and it's kind of depressing