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aichi-division · 2 months

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Eiji's Memoirs

Narrated by Eiji Mizoguchi

The truth is that this memoir thing is something that is very strange to me, but at Shōta-san insistence, I'll do my best to tell you some things about myself.

I lived most of my life in L.A. I grew up in the subs. I learned to live in a system that, despite constantly discriminating against POC, we were armed with music and rap, especially. Lamar, Wu-Tang Clan, Dr Dre... I grew up with them. I had a group of homies with whom we survived and hung out on the streets... good times.

Until I had to move to Japan.

I never had any interest in leaving L.A in a first place; but I also understood that the decision was because of the work of my father, Haruto Mizoguchi. He is a researcher and professor of sciencie. Without my sis, we moved to Japan with anything but a lot of dreams.

But the change was very hard, especially in the first few months.

When my classmates realized that I was, as they call me, a hafu freak, they simply wouldn't leave me alone never again. Since then, I really HATED Japan, its culture and everything related to it very much. I had hope that living from zero in an unknown country would -somehow- help me to out of the shadows of my big sis, but it was the opposite.

Yeah, I was very naive. But okay, you have to assume that from now on, the context boils down to the following: a japanese afroamerican being literally bullied by his peers, single handedly. I really don't want to elaborate too much on this, I mean, I think it might be uncomfortable for anyone reading this. But it wasn't all so terrible, well... at that time I didn't realize it, but as soon as I stepped foot in that school, I caught the attention of a very… special dude.

Issey really was like a light in that hole. Well, the truth is that it came like a thunderbolt, thunderous and painful. He was a popular guy, literally, very popular. But not one of those arrogant popular ones, but on the contrary, he was a very sweet, friendly and even annoying person at times. For me he was very annoying, mostly because he was OBSESSED with trying to get to know me and get some small talk topic out of me about the USA and I don't know what else bullshit.

You have to understand that at that time, I didn't trust absolutely no one and, well, trusting a talkative and colorful Japanese guy just didn't make sense to me. I tried to ignore him many times and other times I simply told him to go fuck himself. But he never stopped.

Nah, he never stopped.

It took him a whole afternoon to catch me and almost kidnap me to try to be my friend.

The moment he held me in his arms, smiling like a maniacal psychopath, I knew that maybe my life in Japan wouldn't be so miserable and that this guy really was a… nice guy. Never in my life has someone been so interested in me, so genuinely. I think it was inevitable that I would be attracted to him…. I mean, in a friendly way, of course.

Out of courtesy, I accepted his invitation to be his friend and later his division partner. Actually, participating in D.B.R. came as a genuine surprise to me. I never saw myself competing in an area that has historically been my big sister's territory. Rapping, composing… it was something that was in my blood. And curiously Issey was able to detect it in me.

I really hope that idiot isn't reading this, because he'd be bugging me for the rest of the week. But the truth is, I'm very grateful to be his friend. I don't know what I would be without that jerk.

Well, anyway, I ended up in the Aichi division, along with Shouta-san, our designated leader from Issey. The truth… is that I didn't have much confidence in Shouta's ability to rap or… well, to do whatever. When we met him, he was really high. VERY high. I always felt a little sorry for him and I really regret treating him badly in the beginning.

Our leader is a rather self-conscious man but with a resilience that you don't often see and I admire that about him. Despite his addictions and his actions that lead him to self-sabotage, he always tried to teach us to follow our dreams and does his best to accompany us in that. He literally does more than my own parents, no joke.

I don't like it when other people try to take advantage of him, sometimes he can be a very good person or, on the contrary, be very vulnerable.

Shouta-san, if you read this, please take care of yourself. The division would not be the same without you. Issey admires you, even if he doesn't say so openly. I believe that deep down, he is afraid to put more weight on your shoulders. You're a good guy.

I really don't know how to end this, but I really just want to say that I am very grateful for what I have now and I really hope we can win the D.B.R., not for the money, but for others to take us seriously, you know what I mean? I know there are several competitors that maybe see us in less, you know, because we are common, ordinary and losers. Well maybe Issey is the exception… but the truth is, we shouldn't be underestimated.

Who knows, at some point we might surprise them and eliminate them from the competition.

#hypmic oc #aichi division #eiji mizoguchi #hypnosis microphone oc #hypnosis microphone #cloud 9 #hypnosis mic #hypmic #issey nishizawa #shouta takeda

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one-half-guy · 1 year

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Headcanons about the Egg Bosses because I want see more of them.

Axel's arms have more cybernetic implants than what he uses, he prefers to not rely on them to Eggman not stop seeing value on him

He's the first one to warn the other Egg Bosses of the risks when they reveal intent to betray the Egg Army... But he's not actively stopping them.

Tundra hides a LOT of scars under his parka, the oldman has faced many battles already...

He also hides a locket with a photo of his deceased wife and, to everyone's surprise, an updated photo of Rotor under there.

Akhlut was the first one to find out about the previous fact and uses that to tease his rivals everytime he can... He wouldn't reveal it to Eggman, though.

Besides Tundra, Akhlut hates work with Abyss because he doesn't think she takes that work or even the risk of being paralyzed for whole decades seriously.

When Eggman said to Maw he had to choice a cybernetic implant, he asked a few options, put them in a roulette wheel and drew...

He is the Egg Boss who shows more respect for the other Egg Bosses' cultures and traditions, what makes almost all of them look at him with suspicion.

Thunderbolt is actually more powerful and effective in battle without her mechsuit... But Eggman isn't complaing because he thinks he can measure how loyal she remains through the appreciation she shows to the suit.

She hates particularly Shadow... Even more than Sonic, Mighty or any hero who really got in her way.

Nephtys started to use masks out of shame to hide her face, but it eventually turned into a hobby and she has a collection of them now.

She is the one who most tries to convince the other Egg Bosses to give up when they show intent to betray the Egg Army.

Conquering Storm frequently points out defects and errors in Eggman's strategies as well as more effective takes, she's not afraid of what he can do because she knows he'll see she's right.

Nobody knows what's her birth name, it was long lost before even of her bow down to the Egg Army.

Clove's boots aren't only fancy parts of her attire, they are her cybernetics, literally her legs...

But she refuses to use their functions because Cassia would get starstruck and want something akin, plus she herself abhors these new legs

Cassia won't grow up any more because both her illness and cybernetics messed with the development of her body

Her cybernetics also covers communication functions, so she can call Clove or the Northamer Egg Army any time, this was the first thing Clove asked to Eggman after he had assured Cassia's condition was stabilized.

Battle Lord's cybernetics are all internal, they're to substitute some of his old organs that were failing after so many battles

His division of the army is the most well coordinated.

Abyss' Egg Army division is the most effective one, what surprises about half of other Egg Bosses given her relaxed positioning

Also, she omits a lot of locations of Eggman because she wants to explore these places without Eggman rushing her, thus enjoying the treasure hunting

Mordred hadn't legs or arms before join to the Egg Army, that are his cybernetics

Also, he is actually the last of his kind, the last of the mobian snakes...

#archie sonic the hedgehog #archie sonic post reboot #egg bosses #axel the water buffalo #tundra the walrus #akhlut the orca #maw the thylacine #thunderbolt the chinchilla #nephtys the vulture #Conquering Storm #clove the pronghorn #cassia the pronghorn #Battle Lord Kuku XV #(I am not sure of his numeral)#abyss the squid #mordred hood

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deathlessathanasia · 11 months

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"Many epithets link Poseidon closely with the earth; a plausible etymology would make him the lord or husband of the earth. Certainly the authority he exerts on earth is not unlimited; his powers are clearly defined, as befits a god of his generation. He manifests himself most often as the "earth shaker"; he is the author of earthquakes and their rumblings, just as, in the sky, Zeus is the source of lightning and thunder: the adjective baruktupos applies to both of them. Perhaps the myths which make him a builder of walls signify the protective action expected of someone whose anger destroys human constructions by earthquakes. But Poseidon has other links with the earth as well; though he is not exactly a god of vegetation, he is no stranger to the fertility of the soil. Sometimes called Phytalmius, he is associated with several agricultural festivals. He is also closely associated with horses; he fathers several horselike creatures, and is invoked as Hippius, the protector of horsemen. The horse and the earth are related—Earth gave birth to Sciphius, the very first horse, when she was impregnated by the seed of Poseidon. According to the ancient myths, the god Hippius fell in love with the earthly Demeter; in order to escape him, she metamorphosed herself into a mare. He in turn took the form of a stallion, coupled with her, and gave her two children—the horse Areion and a daughter whose true name may not be spoken. This daughter is honored with her mother in several mystery cults in Arcadia. The union of Poseidon and Demeter thus mirrors the union of Zeus and Demeter; the Arcadian daughter of Poseidon resembles the Eleusinian Persephone, and is called Despoina, "Mistress" or "Young Lady," just as Persephone's common name is Kore, "Young Woman."

These different characteristics are coherent. They fit one of the Kronides, the brother of Zeus, to whom Poseidon bears a certain resemblance. According to minor traditions, Poseidon escapes the voracity of his father thanks to a substitute that Kronos swallowed; the well-known substitute for Zeus was a swaddled stone; for Poseidon it was a colt. According to other, later traditions, he was raised by the Telchines, as Zeus was raised by the Curetes. As an adult he brandishes a trident, while Zeus has a thunderbolt. Poseidon retains certain virtues inherited from his ancestor Gaea, while Ouranian virtues predominate in Zeus, but the two brothers have many characteristics in common: notably, their father's ambition and his will to dominate. This is why conflicts can put the two brothers on opposite sides; Poseidon has difficulty in accepting the authority of Zeus; he is often hostile to him; once he even tries to put him in chains. How is it, then, that Zeus predominates and that the earthly Poseidon also becomes a sea god?

The heritage of Kronos included sovereignty. Although his role in the battle of the Titans may have prepared Zeus to rule among the gods, the transmission of this heritage posed a problem. The great division of the earth mentioned in the Iliad and several other texts resolved it. Three different domains were assigned to the sons of Kronos: the sky to Zeus, the infernal world to Hades, and the sea to Poseidon; the earth and Olympus, however, remained common to the gods. One must not misunderstand the significance of this division: it does not define all the powers of the three gods, nor does it put them at the same level. The Kronides and the other gods had distinct personalities and traits before it took place. We know which affinities united Poseidon with the earth; those that connected Zeus to the sky were especially attested by the thunderbolt that he received from the Cyclopes, at the beginning of the battle with the Titans. The division of space between the three Kronides did not alter the qualities and functions which already defined them; it was simply a distribution of the sovereign power previously held by Kronos, or, more precisely, a delimitation of the areas where each god would exercise that sovereign power in an immediate way. In addition, contrary to what Poseidon insinuates in a moment of revolt according to the Iliad, the division was not equal. There is a strong link between the sky and sovereignty, which is transmitted in the lineage of Ouranos; celestial lightning is a symbol and the instrument of power. He who receives sovereignty over the sky receives by that very fact an authority superior to that of all the other gods. Zeus took the initiative in the revolt against Kronos and received the definitive weapon in the form of lightning; after their victory, the gods recognized his preeminence. Though Hades and Poseidon are masters of their own domains, they nonetheless owe Zeus their obedience. Olympus remains common to the gods, as they participate in the Olympian assembly, but Zeus presides."

- Deities of Water in Greek Mythology, in Y. Bonnefoy (ed), Greek and Egyptian Mythologies

#poseidon #zeus #greek mythology #greek gods #quotes #excerpts #I kinda hate this book tbh #such a struggle to go through #after I'm done with it I'll have to take a break from anything written by French classicists #a looong break

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friedbaekhyunandeggso · 2 years

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Reason ~ ch. 22

pairing: female oc (devon alba) x levi ackerman

tropes: instructor x cadet, strangers to lovers, male mc falls first

warnings: angst/slow-burn, strong language, upcoming smut(18+ readers only for those chapters pls 🙈), mentions of physical assault/violence, mentions of scars, heavy sexual tension

brief summary: This story takes place a few years after the Fall of Shiganshina. Devon Alba is in her final year of the 101st Training Corps (844-847), due to her success as a cadet she gets the chance to meet Captain Levi. She doesn’t think too much of him until he catches her in the midst of doing something that she isn’t entirely supposed to be doing. But surprisingly, this leads to something unexpected...

ch. 1 [...] ch. 21 | chapter 22 | ch. 23

Devon jolted awake. She knew what she heard—someone had just entered the apartment.

And only one other person could do that.

She sat up.

It’d been a month since she’d seen him last. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t starting to feel a bit lonely at times.

She thought about her friends often. What were they upto? Where were they? Is Keith an MP now? What division did Imada and Monty pick? She never got to know…

Then-surprisingly-she’d find herself thinking about Levi. She’d wonder what he was doing… Is he safe? Is he at Scout Headquarters? Is he outside the walls? Is he hurt?

The last question always left her feeling unsettled–so much so that she’d freeze up whenever she thought about it.

Her co-worker had caught her once…

She’d been putting books back on the shelf and stopped mid-way when she saw that the book was about different kinds of tea leaves and their benefits. The first thing her mind had gone to was him. It didn’t take her long to start growing concerned about his whereabouts and… his well-being.

The thunderbolt of fear that encapsulated her body shocked her. The book slipped from her fingers and hit the ground with a low thud.

“Hey, you okay?”

She turned to see Piper staring at her with a concerned expression.

Devon immediately bent down to pick up the book, “Y-yeah.”

Piper’s hand was suddenly at her shoulder, “Hey, if you need a break I can cover you.”

Piper was only a little older than her–probably in her mid-twenties but she knew Piper was skeptical of her. She theorized it was because she didn’t socialize much at work but luckily Piper never treated her differently because of it.

Devon attempted to smile as convincingly as she could, “That’s alright! Thank you.”

She hadn’t told her co-workers that Levi was a Scout because she didn’t want to hear the entourage of questions it was certain to bring about. She just mentioned that he was in the Military–which sector was up to their interpretation.

Luckily, Piper had left after that but she had stood still for a long moment after that.

It threw her off–just how fearful she’d gotten in merely seconds.

She knew it was ridiculous. He was more than capable of taking care of himself but it made no difference. It gnawed at her–a constant nag in the back of her mind that would render her utterly frozen when brought to the forefront of her mind.

It scared her that if something happened to him she wouldn’t find out until it was too late. It scared her that there was even a chance that he wouldn’t come back to the apartment.

It scared her much more than she would like to admit.

She stood up and walked out of her room. She glanced over to see a low light coming through the small space underneath the bathroom door.

She walked up to the door and knocked.

There was a moment of silence before she heard a soft-spoken, “It’s unlocked.”

She hesitated for half a second before entering the bathroom.

Her lips pursed at the sight before her. It was just as she thought..

He sat on the edge of the bathtub. He was shirtless. His dark hair was slovenly—bits and pieces of dirt could be seen strewn within its black strands. Even though he wasn’t looking at her, she could tell that his eye bags had gotten darker. His jaw was clenched as he stared down at his feet.

Her heart lurched.

Her eyes zoned in on the jagged, deep red cut marking his collarbone. Out of all the thin cuts and scabs running along his body, it was clear that that one needed attention the most.

He was hurt.

She walked over and grabbed the gauze pad out of his hand and got to work.

She bent down slightly as she slowly wiped away the blood coating the wound. The wound had clearly not been cared for for a while.

She wondered if he’d came straight back from the expedition here..

She noticed him lean back slightly. She blushed furiously when she realized her chest had nearly grazed his face. She felt her hand go unsteady when she realized she was standing in between his legs.

She quickly turned around towards the sink. Forcing herself to even out her breathing as she disposed of the used gauze pad and grabbed another.

When she turned around she was careful not to touch him as she stepped between his legs. She bent down slightly once more, her hand trembling as she dabbed at the wound. She hated how aware she was of her chest being in his face.

He shifted slightly and her over-attuned self jolted at the action. She hadn’t expected him to move.

Her hand went to his bare shoulder to steady herself. She felt his shoulder flex underneath her hand.

“S-sorry.” she mumbled.

Just as she lifted her hand she was suddenly pulled down to his lap. His arm was around her back, holding her upright on his thigh. She couldn’t help but notice how firm his lean thighs felt underneath her bottom.

She met his unwavering dark gray eyes and almost stopped breathing.

Up-close she could see just how haggard he was. His face was smeared with dirt. And his eyes…there was a certain emptiness to them that she couldn’t comprehend. The typical harshness in his gaze remained-even if it was fainter than before, it still made him appear withdrawn. His jaw was tight with tension.

She couldn’t explain the trickle of fear that swept through her body.

What happened out there?

She wanted to ask but bit her tongue. She couldn't break the rules he had set..

She blinked, lowering her gaze to remember the task at hand. Her hand continued to shake slightly as she dabbed at the wound. Her arm brushing against his bare chest with each movement.

His eyes never left her. She knew it because she felt it. His gaze was like an added weight, making her skin go warm and body feel present. His gaze created this inexplicable knot within her–the kind of knot that only he could elicit.

It was different from the kind of knot she typically experienced before a nerve-wracking moment. Like before completing her first ODM gear training assessment or right before receiving a score from an educational exam.

She didn’t understand how or why it existed. She only knew how it made her feel…

His hand slowly slid down the curve of her waist to her hip.

They were too close. Too close.

She felt like he could hear her erratic breathing. her pounding heartbeat. her ceaseless thoughts.

What is going on with you?! She mentally scolded herself.

She was drawn back to reality when she realized the gauze pad had caught most of the blood and the wound appeared to have stopped bleeding. She glanced towards the sink, spotting the bandage tape on the counter.

Just as she got up to grab it, his hand on her hip pulled her back down. He kept a firm grip on her hip as he reached over to grab the bandage tape himself. He handed it to her.

She took it-a bit reluctant-before glancing down to see that he’d given her scissors as well–which she appreciated because she didn’t think she had it in her to ask him to rip it apart with his teeth like last time. She cut the tape to the needed length and slowly pressed it to his wound.

She felt him tense slightly but he appeared otherwise unaffected.

She used a bit of the excess tape to bandage a couple of his smaller wounds.

“Done.” she murmured.

He took the roll of bandage tape from her hands and placed it on the tub’s ledge. He made no move to release her.

She finally met his gaze only to see him turn his face elsewhere. Had she caught his gaze a second earlier she would’ve seen him staring at the bit of revealed skin at the neckline of her shirt. She wasn’t as broad as him so the neckline of his shirts tended to dip a bit lower on her narrower frame.

It was absolutely humiliating to him how he drank in even a morsel of her skin.

“Levi,”

He faced her.

He went still when she leaned forward slightly and blew at his eye. His brows furrowed when she swiped at something on his cheek.

He looked down to see her peering at an eyelash in her hand. His eyelash.

She glanced at him, “Make a wish.”

“You believe that shit.” he muttered dismally.

She rolled her eyes, “If you won’t, I will.”

“Go ahead.”

She closed her eyes for a moment. Her face expressionless before she re-opened her eyes and blew away the eyelash.

“Done.”

She felt his hand on her hip twitch.

“What’d you wish for.” he asked quietly.

She stared into his gray-blue eyes. Maybe it was just the dim lighting but it made his eyes appear to have a tinge of indigo blue.

“I wish you slept more.”

“Tch, you don’t think I try?”

“I don’t know,” she frowned, “All I know is that you look more tired.”

He didn’t respond.

Her subtle frown deepened. She figured he wouldn’t respond because he never discussed himself but it hurt her slightly regardless.

“I’ve had trouble sleeping for years,” his pensive tone suddenly turned bitter, “You’d think it’d be the opposite.”

Her eyes widened slightly–she hadn’t expected him to explain. But she couldn’t help but agree with the latter. It would take her merely seconds to close her eyes and fall asleep during the training corps. The physical exhaustion of training always made her eager to sleep.

She could only imagine how physically exhausted the scouts were after their Expeditions. Using ODM gear for long periods of time took a strenuous toll on the body.

She remembered in the beginning of training she could only utilize ODM gear for half an hour before running out of stamina but overtime her endurance grew–as well as her strength. Now she could use ODM gear for hours on end and it would feel as natural as walking; but even achieving that took three years of training.

She could only imagine that the scouts had it exponentially worse–atop of the mental stress of being outside the walls and facing titans, they had various missions to complete. They couldn’t afford any imperfect ODM gear usage; not when it could cost your life.

“Is it because I stole your bed?” she blurted.

The second the question escaped her lips she felt idiotic. She hadn’t meant to spit that out so impulsively.

Her mind had gone back to her time at the training corps so she’d suddenly remembered that the other cadets hated the beds at the barracks. She wondered if it was the same for the scouts at Scout HQ. But she knew there had to be more to it–she doubted the scouts got any sleep during their expeditions.

To her surprise, he let out a laugh. It was a short, deep chuckle that made her eyes widen.

He wished it was that simple.

“No. It’s because my shitty brain refuses to shut the fuck up.”

She paused–lost in the fact that he just laughed. It felt like an insurmountable feat somehow.

As she scrambled to find her thoughts to continue the conversation she hadn’t realized she’d taken too long to respond.

He glanced over at her. His dark gray eyes scanning her distracted expression as he asked, “That ever happen to you?”

She blinked, “Um-yes… when I’m worried about something.”

When she was homeless she barely slept. Not because she couldn’t but because she was scared. Sleeping on the streets at night was dangerous so she’d always have to try to find places to hide. And most of the time the hiding spots weren’t exactly comfortable nor safe.

She subtly shook her head–trying to rid herself of the memory before asking him, “Are you worried?”

“Always.” he murmured–but he didn’t sound entirely too focused.

He was staring down at her legs over his lap. Her breath hitched when his hand went to her inner thigh. His thumb ran over the sliver of skin peeking through a tear in her soft pants.

“What happened here.”

She quickly covered the tear with her hand. His touch was entirely too distracting. His open touches were mixing up all of her thoughts.

He stared at her inquisitively.

She blushed, “Uh–I dropped my knife when I was cooking.”

The knife had cut a small hole in her pants in the process but since she liked the material too much she didn’t have the heart to dispose of them. She convinced herself that the tear was subtle anyway. Of course, his watchful eye had caught it.

“You dropped your knife.” he deadpanned.

Her eyes widened at his sarcasm, “It’s not my fault that the newspaper boy always knocks before sliding the paper under the door! He scared me.”

“Tch, and you wanted to be a Scout.”

Her brows furrowed, “Excuse m-” before she could finish her words an obvious yawn left her mouth. Her body wasn’t used to staying up this late.

“Shit,” he’d completely lost track of time, “You need to sleep.”

He tensed when he realized that she was still on his lap. He hadn’t let go of her when she’d finished bandaging him. He hadn’t wanted to…

He reluctantly dropped his hand from her side and she shot up. She was beet red–as if her sitting on him had been her fault somehow.

He almost yanked her back down. His thigh already ached from her missing warmth.

“Um-are you gonna shower?” she asked.

He raised a brow, “Yes.”

She didn’t meet his eyes as she slowly walked backwards to the door, “Well..you should know that your soap ran out so I bought another.”

“Okay?”

She opened the bathroom door, “It’s strawberry scented.”

Before he could express his displeasure she was out of the bathroom in a flash. By the time he got up to chase her, she was already in her room with the door locked.

He banged his fist on her door, “Devon!” he bellowed.

He heard her muffled laughs through the door. “Sorry!”

“This woman..”

Devon walked out of her bedroom, fully dressed and freshly ready for her day at work.

She yawned as she made her way to the kitchen. She wasn’t used to sleeping too late but–thanks to Levi–last night she had.

She stopped mid-step when she saw that he was laying on the couch–deep asleep.

No way.

He rarely slept over at the apartment. She wondered what had made him stay..

She frowned when she realized he didn’t have a pillow.

Dammit.

She knew from experience that sleeping on your arm for long periods of time could get more than a little uncomfortable. Her arm would go numb and tingly at times.

She briskly ran to her room and retrieved a pillow.

She slowly approached him.

I’m not going to wake him up this time. She promised to herself.

When she saw him sleeping she felt something inside her melt. It was ridiculous-she knew it was-but she liked watching him sleep.

He looked so utterly at peace, she couldn’t help but wish he always looked like that. It also made him look like he aged backwards a couple years.

He looked clean–all the dirt in his hair and face last night was completely gone. A thin crack amongst the curtains let out a sliver of light that reflected on his face, making his poreless skin glow on one side. He was wearing a plain white tee under the blanket but-even through the sheets-she could still see the faint outline of his defined chest.

When she leaned down to gently pull his arm away from underneath his head, she caught a faint whiff of a strawberry scent. She froze before biting down on her lower lip-hard-to keep from laughing.

Don’t wake him. She scolded herself and-luckily-that thought quickly sobered her.

To her surprise, she managed to successfully slip her hand underneath his head after removing his arm. Her heart thudded with nerves.

He must really be dead asleep.

She was sure-had he even been a little conscious right now-she would’ve gotten caught. Especially after almost bursting out in laughter a second ago.

She couldn’t help but notice how soft his hair was. She’d be lying if she said never wanted to touch his hair before but she didn’t dare risk running her hands through it.

Instead she lifted his head slightly–moving at a snail’s pace in order to not wake him. Once there was enough space, she briskly stuffed the pillow underneath his head.

Once she withdrew her hand, she sighed in relief. That felt like mission impossible.

She had to pry her eyes away from him–not wanting to let herself get too hung up. She supposed she only wanted to stare because she wasn’t sure if he’d still be there when she came back from work.

She sighed. Don’t count on it.

“This book is something else.”

Devon glanced over to see Iris giggling while holding the book open for Piper to see. Iris caught Devon’s glance and waved her over.

Devon set down the book she was holding before reluctantly walking over. They had just received a new shipment of books so there was plenty of work to do but-Iris being Iris-loved to fool around.

“Wow.” Piper complimented as she stared at the page in awe.

Devon looked at the page and immediately wished she hadn’t. On the page was a rather large image of a naked man. It was clearly a painting but his lower regions were more than sufficient.

“This book really is about art, huh.” Iris giggled.

“Why doesn’t my husband look like that?” Piper complained.

Devon chuckled slightly at that.

Just as Iris turned another page-showcasing another naked man with a glorious package-Devon glanced around. She was nervous that Larsa-their manager-would walk in at any second and reprimand them.

“He kinda looks like my husband.” Iris commented.

“You wish.” Piper rebutted.

Piper and Iris were both married. Piper had been married for two years now with a childhood friend. Iris was only a year older than her but she was also married as well. It wasn’t uncommon for women to marry young. Even so, Devon would find herself getting thrown off whenever they mentioned their husbands.

They flipped to another page.

“Now if my husband looked like that he could get it every night.” Piper spoke.

Iris let out another girlish giggle.

Devon was already back at her cart–picking up another new book to organize when Piper spoke.

“Wow, looks like Devon’s man must be good cuz she ain’t even interested in looking at these pics.”

Devon immediately flushed, “It’s not that, I just don’t want Larsa-”

Iris was suddenly at her side, “Oh my god, how big is he? Your fiance?”

Devon reddened some more, “What-”

“I know you guys have done it.” Iris said, “Right? Me and Piper were tryna guess.”

“You guys were trying to guess?” Devon repeated, astonished.

Piper shrugged, “I don’t know. I heard military men know how to get it on.”

“Piper thinks you're waiting till marriage.” Iris added, her eyes glowing with curiosity.

“Erm..” Devon had no clue how to navigate this and she knew if she lied they were both bound to ask further questions–which was a conversation she was absolutely not prepared for.

“No, we haven’t done that.” she muttered.

“Ha! I knew it.” Piper exclaimed, “Give me my money, Iris.”

“Damn, seriously? You guys are patient.” Iris replied.

“Pft. No, she’s definitely the one making him patient.” Piper added.

“What are you saying?” Devon raised a brow.

“Girl, are you serious? I only needed to see him for a second to know that he’s frustrated as hell.”

Devon’s eyes widened.

Iris crossed her arms, “And how can you tell?”

Piper rolled her eyes, “It’s the same look my husband gives me when it’s been a while.”

“Same look…?” Devon muttered–completely lost.

“Y’know, the look that gets you all hot and bothered. Makes you feel like you two are the only people in the room. Like he’s undressing you with his eyes…” at Devon’s clueless expression she trailed off before asking, “You seriously don’t know?”

“I don’t think she does.” Iris giggled, “Have you seen him naked?”

Piper snorted.

“N-no, just shirtless.” Devon didn’t like talking about this. For the first time, she was embarrassed of her inexperience.

It wasn’t her fault that she had trust issues. Imada, Monty and Keith had only recently taught her that friends were even a possibility for her. And Levi.. she still didn’t know what to think of him. He wasn’t her Captain anymore but it wasn’t like how they were saying either…right?

“Shirtless? Ooh, Is he fit?” Iris pried.

An image of his shirtless frame filled her mind. Even when his body was dirt stained, scarred and bleeding, it was impossible to ignore his tightly muscular frame. She’d have to force herself not to stare at his abs protruding whenever he tensed underneath her hands. Even sitting on his lap last night, she still felt the imprint of the compact muscle his thigh was made of.

“Yes.” she choked out. It felt weird to admit out loud. Especially when she actively avoided thinking of Levi in that light.

“Ooh!” Iris squealed excitedly. “You guys live together right?”

“Yes.” Devon raised a brow, failing to see how that was relevant.

Iris and Piper shared a look before breaking out in shameless grins.

“What?” Devon frowned–she felt like she was missing something.

Iris broke out in a fit of giggles just as Piper shook her head.

Piper responded, “Girl, you are a tease.”

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marveltournaments · 9 months

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ignis-cain · 10 months

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"Aristophanes professed to open another vein of discourse; he had a mind to praise Love in another way, unlike that either of Pausanias or Eryximachus. Mankind; he said, judging by their neglect of him, have never, as I think, at all understood the power of Love. For if they had understood him they would surely have built noble temples and altars, and offered solemn sacrifices in his honour; but this is not done, and most certainly ought to be done: since of all the gods he is the best friend of men, the helper and the healer of the ills which are the great impediment to the happiness of the race. I will try to describe his power to you, and you shall teach the rest of the world what I am teaching you. In the first place, let me treat of the nature of man and what has happened to it; for the original human nature was not like the present, but different. The sexes were not two as they are now, but originally three in number; there was man, woman, and the union of the two, having a name corresponding to this double nature, which had once a real existence, but is now lost, and the word "Androgynous" is only preserved as a term of reproach. In the second place, the primeval man was round, his back and sides forming a circle; and he had four hands and four feet, one head with two faces, looking opposite ways, set on a round neck and precisely alike; also four ears, two privy members, and the remainder to correspond. He could walk upright as men now do, backwards or forwards as he pleased, and he could also roll over and over at a great pace, turning on his four hands and four feet, eight in all, like tumblers going over and over with their legs in the air; this was when he wanted to run fast. Now the sexes were three, and such as I have described them; because the sun, moon, and earth are three;-and the man was originally the child of the sun, the woman of the earth, and the man-woman of the moon, which is made up of sun and earth, and they were all round and moved round and round: like their parents. Terrible was their might and strength, and the thoughts of their hearts were great, and they made an attack upon the gods; of them is told the tale of Otys and Ephialtes who, as Homer says, dared to scale heaven, and would have laid hands upon the gods. Doubt reigned in the celestial councils. Should they kill them and annihilate the race with thunderbolts, as they had done the giants, then there would be an end of the sacrifices and worship which men offered to them; but, on the other hand, the gods could not suffer their insolence to be unrestrained."

"At last, after a good deal of reflection, Zeus discovered a way. He said: "Methinks I have a plan which will humble their pride and improve their manners; men shall continue to exist, but I will cut them in two and then they will be diminished in strength and increased in numbers; this will have the advantage of making them more profitable to us. They shall walk upright on two legs, and if they continue insolent and will not be quiet, I will split them again and they shall hop about on a single leg." He spoke and cut men in two, like a sorb-apple which is halved for pickling, or as you might divide an egg with a hair; and as he cut them one after another, he bade Apollo give the face and the half of the neck a turn in order that the man might contemplate the section of himself: he would thus learn a lesson of humility. Apollo was also bidden to heal their wounds and compose their forms. So he gave a turn to the face and pulled the skin from the sides all over that which in our language is called the belly, like the purses which draw in, and he made one mouth at the centre, which he fastened in a knot (the same which is called the navel); he also moulded the breast and took out most of the wrinkles, much as a shoemaker might smooth leather upon a last; he left a few, however, in the region of the belly and navel, as a memorial of the primeval state. After the division the two parts of man, each desiring his other half, came together, and throwing their arms about one another, entwined in mutual embraces, longing to grow into one, they were on the point of dying from hunger and self-neglect, because they did not like to do anything apart; and when one of the halves died and the other survived, the survivor sought another mate, man or woman as we call them, being the sections of entire men or women, and clung to that. They were being destroyed, when Zeus in pity of them invented a new plan: he turned the parts of generation round to the front, for this had not been always their position and they sowed the seed no longer as hitherto like grasshoppers in the ground, but in one another; and after the transposition the male generated in the female in order that by the mutual embraces of man and woman they might breed, and the race might continue; or if man came to man they might be satisfied, and rest, and go their ways to the business of life: so ancient is the desire of one another which is implanted in us, reuniting our original nature, making one of two, and healing the state of man."

"Each of us when separated, having one side only, like a flat fish, is but the indenture of a man, and he is always looking for his other half. Men who are a section of that double nature which was once called Androgynous are lovers of women; adulterers are generally of this breed, and also adulterous women who lust after men: the women who are a section of the woman do not care for men, but have female attachments; the female companions are of this sort. But they who are a section of the male follow the male, and while they are young, being slices of the original man, they hang about men and embrace them, and they are themselves the best of boys and youths, because they have the most manly nature. Some indeed assert that they are shameless, but this is not true; for they do not act thus from any want of shame, but because they are valiant and manly, and have a manly countenance, and they embrace that which is like them. And these when they grow up become our statesmen, and these only, which is a great proof of the truth of what I am saving. When they reach manhood they are loves of youth, and are not naturally inclined to marry or beget children,-if at all, they do so only in obedience to the law; but they are satisfied if they may be allowed to live with one another unwedded; and such a nature is prone to love and ready to return love, always embracing that which is akin to him. And when one of them meets with his other half, the actual half of himself, whether he be a lover of youth or a lover of another sort, the pair are lost in an amazement of love and friendship and intimacy, and would not be out of the other's sight, as I may say, even for a moment: these are the people who pass their whole lives together; yet they could not explain what they desire of one another. For the intense yearning which each of them has towards the other does not appear to be the desire of lover's intercourse, but of something else which the soul of either evidently desires and cannot tell, and of which she has only a dark and doubtful presentiment. Suppose Hephaestus, with his instruments, to come to the pair who are lying side, by side and to say to them, "What do you people want of one another?" they would be unable to explain. And suppose further, that when he saw their perplexity he said: "Do you desire to be wholly one; always day and night to be in one another's company? for if this is what you desire, I am ready to melt you into one and let you grow together, so that being two you shall become one, and while you live a common life as if you were a single man, and after your death in the world below still be one departed soul instead of two-I ask whether this is what you lovingly desire, and whether you are satisfied to attain this?"-there is not a man of them who when he heard the proposal would deny or would not acknowledge that this meeting and melting into one another, this becoming one instead of two, was the very expression of his ancient need. And the reason is that human nature was originally one and we were a whole, and the desire and pursuit of the whole is called love. There was a time, I say, when we were one, but now because of the wickedness of mankind God has dispersed us, as the Arcadians were dispersed into villages by the Lacedaemonians. And if we are not obedient to the gods, there is a danger that we shall be split up again and go about in basso-relievo, like the profile figures having only half a nose which are sculptured on monuments, and that we shall be like tallies."

"Wherefore let us exhort all men to piety, that we may avoid evil, and obtain the good, of which Love is to us the lord and minister; and let no one oppose him-he is the enemy of the gods who oppose him. For if we are friends of the God and at peace with him we shall find our own true loves, which rarely happens in this world at present. I am serious, and therefore I must beg Eryximachus not to make fun or to find any allusion in what I am saying to Pausanias and Agathon, who, as I suspect, are both of the manly nature, and belong to the class which I have been describing. But my words have a wider application-they include men and women everywhere; and I believe that if our loves were perfectly accomplished, and each one returning to his primeval nature had his original true love, then our race would be happy. And if this would be best of all, the best in the next degree and under present circumstances must be the nearest approach to such an union; and that will be the attainment of a congenial love. Wherefore, if we would praise him who has given to us the benefit, we must praise the god Love, who is our greatest benefactor, both leading us in this life back to our own nature, and giving us high hopes for the future, for he promises that if we are pious, he will restore us to our original state, and heal us and make us happy and blessed. This, Eryximachus, is my discourse of love, which, although different to yours, I must beg you to leave unassailed by the shafts of your ridicule, in order that each may have his turn; each, or rather either, for Agathon and Socrates are the only ones left."

Plato, Symposium. Translation by Benjamin Jowett

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archer3-13 · 1 year

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Two gundam characters I feel have a tendency to be misunderstood would be daryl lorenz and io flemming from thunderbolt. and thats understandable, its manga in the west isn't particularly wide spread [especially when we're talkin the less legal side of things] and its animated adaptations stalled out waiting for the manga to finish up [among health complications for the author as well].

in essence though id say they're two characters with very deceptive first appearances. io comes off as a very yazan like character, a skilled pilot out of raw natural talent and a bloodthirsty/battle hungry edge to him. someone who says to have been possessed by the demon of the battlefield. daryl lorenz on the other hand comes across as soft spoken and gentle, much more in the mold of your pacifistic type leading man ya see relatively often in gundam with the added bonus of newtype rumors [that are absolutely true of course] spiraling around him to boot.

once ya start getting into the individual characters especially as the story gets on ya start to see how those first impressions were, i would fairly confidently say, misdirects on the characters actual nature. io for all of his brutality on the battlefield is in essence incredibly fucking childish, and not even just in the sense of being immature but arguably in every sense of the word. hes easily excitable, he gets upset to the point of throwing tantrums, hes got that childish inflated ego that takes criticism poorly, and in the manga, he just makes the goofiest faces out of almost anyone else. and in that manner his initial demeanor reveals itself for the facade it actually is; an act to help handle the stress and tragedy going on in his life better [the loss of his home, his friends and their dreams falling apart, his fathers suicide] by effectively ignoring it and pretending everything's fine. its also why as a character he goes through a lot more development in terms of his identity as one then his comparative foil daryl, criticism from his teammates and commanders who try and help bring him past that childishness so his abilities as a pilot and asset can flourish, suffers a lot more setbacks and obstacles to overcome and develop around compared to the numerous successes daryl enjoys in the stories later half, until he finally gets that snap realization of 'i get it now' that lets him grow as a character after hitting his lowest point [the 'all is lost moment' as it were if ya wanna get cheeky].

daryl by comparison for all his outward nobility especially in the early parts of the story, is once ya move past that misdirection a character far more consumed by the battlefield then his comparative rival is I would say. we can see this in the literal sense, he loses his legs and one of his hands to the battlefield before deciding to willingly remove his last hand for the opportunity to be a better pilot on the battlefield, in the later parts of the story he suffers a number of lapses to his fight with io in the thunderbolt sector in later fights to the point of entering a warrior berserker like trance, and the reuse psycho-p device itself being his effective signature a device that connects you on a biological level to your mobile suit so you can pilot better [*cough* ibo *cough*] but i'd say you can also see that on a more thematic sense as well. daryl being the star pilot of the living dead division is arguably rather apt in the manner that as a character daryl could be said to be of the 'living dead' variety himself. he doesnt really have much of an interest in the zeonic cause all things considered, he only joins up to help earn citizenship for his family and he only joins up with the zeon remnants to care for karla [and cause they're using her as a barganing chip but shshshshhhh]. yet in man instances he still displays a strong sense of patriotisms towards the nation of zeon despite his own experiences, and i'd say the reason for that is that daryls something of an empty vessel for ideology at the end of the day who takes up these causes because of a lack of any strong personal beliefs. he shares a childish excitement for the battlefield with io at the end of the day certainly, the only time hes arguably ever actually alive even is on the battlefield, but he has a tendency to bounce between beliefs and ideologies rather easily taking them up passionately as his own and inspiring others to do the same without thinking for himself on any particulars. theres an argument to be made with the levan fu stuff that hes just doing and going what and where karla wants to go, but noticeably he becomes a much more genuine fan and believer of levan fus professed ideology then karla ever does [who correctly pegs that fu's just out for revenge more then an actual grand visionary], with others around him placing him in the position of an ideologue and successor to fu then strictly taking that up for himself. as well theres the whole matter of becoming more the mobile then your own person, being consumed by its power, cutting away so much of yourself that your only able to truly move [in daryls case feel like he has limbs again anyways] in a powerful machine of death etc, but thats all ground that also gets covered in ibo so i'll assume when i point to mikazuki and barbatos and say 'its kinda like that thematically', ya'll can get me.

with that all in mind its why i'd say the script ultimately gets flipped in a manner once it comes to the final battle [in setup anyways] in terms of the general strokes of the players at action. thunderbolt begins with the zealous unpalatably presented moore brotherhood using unsavory tactics in pursuit of a noble cause [reclaiming their destroyed stolen homeland] going up against the palatably presented living dead zeon division who are under orders to hold side 4s smoking ruins to protect their own homeland [and also be guinepigs but hey ho]. come to the final battle and you have the sketch as hell presented south seas alliance using unsavory tactics in pursuit of a noble cause [blowing up anaheim] going up against a more nobly presented spartan division of the federation who are under orders to stop the terrorists from challenging the federations authority [and blowing shit up, like anaheim].

cause as characters io and daryl themselves have gone in rather opposite directions all things told.

#gundam #gundam ibo #gundam thunderbolt #some rather broad thoughts #so im sure im getting things wrong #or over generalizing #just wanted to write it down

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