#also people misinterpreting your actions

[thrumbolt]

I saw someone like 'is it a red flag that I identify with Nesta?' and I'm over here, sweating, identifying with Tamlin.

[eenochian]

it’s very funny how this fandom suddenly cares so much about sensitivity, meanwhile no one was up in arms about folks calling valeria shit like “cartel mommy” and simping for her. and, if you point this out, you get told that it’s “less important” or incomparable. way to tell victims of cartel violence that they don’t matter. y’all can’t preach about sensitivity and mindfulness while doing the exact opposite of that.

sensitivity is something that needed to be brought up a long time ago. people need to be mindful about the content they’re engaging with and producing. COD and its characters are based on very real issues and very real situations, mindfulness is needed for every single character.

seeing this only be brought up in the context of makarov and graves is honestly so, so frustrating. they’re not the only problematic characters that you need to consider when making content. western militaries like the US and UK are incredibly controversial and have devastated vulnerable people and their countries. price, ghost, soap, gaz— any member of the military, especially the special forces, is problematic. they’re not good people and should not be treated like saints, nor should they be idolized for what they do.

that all being said, the concepts of “be mindful and sensitive when making content” and “let people enjoy problematic media” can absolutely, 100%, co-exist. art is not meant to be a paradigm of moral goodness, it has always been a medium for people to explore things that are considered "taboo" in a safe space. there's a reason why "dead dove: do not eat" exists as a genre – with proper warning and precautions put in place, people can explore darker topics. for some, it's morbid interest. for others, it's a way of coping with trauma and experiences they've had in real life.

i want to repeat this just to make it very clear: be mindful and sensitive with the content you're producing. do not romanticize topics that should not be painted in a good light. don't minimize the impact of characters' actions or act like people are in the wrong for being uncomfortable with them. in this fandom especially, people treat atrocities like jokes because we're becoming desensitized to them. it's up to every individual to ensure that they don't forget how impactful a lot of this stuff is in real life. war is not a joke. terrorism is not a joke. people dying is not a joke. do not romanticize any of these things in your content, even if you're exploring the different sides of the people behind these things.

humanize the characters all you want. horrible people are still people, after all. humans are not one-dimensional beings. humanize them, but do not romanticize them.

be kind to victims, be sensitive, and be mindful about what you engage with. no one is perfect, no thing is perfect, but we can always do better. we need to approach every topic through this lens instead of picking and choosing who to support. everyone is deserving of it, everyone is entitled to basic respect. we don't need to compete and argue over who has it worse, we just need to be better across the board. support real victims. don't let media warp your perceptions of reality. be conscious of the content you make and consume.

[caffeinatedopossum]

I don't understand why it's generally not socially acceptable to recognize your good qualities. Like I don't understand why it's bad to be a show-off or a know-it-all or to brag. Like I think most people know "those things = bad" but not why.

It also seems like people are always either waaaaay into one end of the scale where they are just so unbearably full of themselves and have preposterously high self esteem (and most people act like this is fine too? Like a lot of celebrities and white men specifically seem to be like this) and I don't understand why so many people respect them then. Or they're the complete opposite with self esteem way too low despite the fact that they have redeeming qualities.

I feel like maybe the reason it's considered bad to brag is because you might 'make' other people feel inadequate but see that seems like a stupid reason to me because the problem then is not that you stated an opinion of your own self worth but is actually that everyone else is conditioned to compare themselves to each other in a very unhealthy way. And I think instead of discouraging people from opening up about what they take pride in, what they like about themselves, what makes them feel happy or content or confident, maybe we could just be discouraging people from viewing those things as personal threats? Idk just trying to formulate some thoughts on this

[dangerliesbeforeyou]

i kinda hate the current culture around how a lot of left leaning people online will say to influencers or celebs who 'get cancelled' (saying something bigoted for example) that the only REAL way they can make amends is by paying money to a charity dedicated to the community that they hurt with their words

and the reason i hate it is because it kinda denies the person any means to take real accountability for their past actions... people saying that an apology is only worthy if you 'put your money where your mouth is' ignores that a) someone can donate to a charity and not actually give a shit about it (ESPECIALLY if they're wealthy!) and b) that that isn't the only, or even the best (imo), way to express support for a community! showing solidarity with the community, taking accountability for your own actions and admitting fault (not making excuses etc), fighting against the groups of people trying to harm minorities, etcetc... there are plenty of ways to prove that you have grown without having to throw a whole load of money at the issue imo

yes, donating to charities is an important thing and if an influencer has done bigoted things in the past and they want to make up for that by donating i think that is a good thing, but i don't want this to become the 'expected' course of action for people that say bigoted stuff because to ME it is giving them a kind of pass and now letting them actually grow or show that they have changed!

idk... this just kinda bugs me that so many left leaning people push this without really acknowledging that donating to charity isn't some magical fix-all that makes people reflect on their past actions and is actually mostly just a way that wealthy people with bigoted views can show face...

[samuraisharkie]

did I SERIOUSLY get called an “absolute walnut” from a tumblr checkmark blog. AIEJGKWJGKDNGM. if I saw sainamoonshine irl I would maul their ableist condescending ass within an inch of their life. not worth it to fight with them bc they clearly don’t care about anyone else’s perspective but jesus fucking CHRIST what a piss poor refutation of me calling them ableist. And in three paragraphs no less!

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

A fun question your opinion: In each arc, what do you think is the theme of each arc? ( It can be a motif, messages, subject)

These are a mix of jokes and serious thoughts ^^ just to avoid the post from being too heavy overall!

The Rose-Red Tyrant:

Breaking free from perpetuating a cycle of abuse

You are your own person, not a puppet controlled by your parent/guardian

At the same time, you have to take accountability for your own actions (your background can explain your poor behavior toward others but it does not excuse that behavior)

Control that is too constrictive will only push away potential connections and experiences, keeping you isolated and complacent

Anger management classes are good for you, guys

The Usurper from the Wilds:

Let’s play fairly and be good sports!

Judging people for their merits rather than by titles or birth

What makes someone worthy to lead is noble behavior and attiude

Standing up for what’s morally right, even if everyone else seems to be against you

You have value, worth, and hope in spite of what others may tell you and put you down for

It’s totally okay to get revenge on the asshole that tripped you that one time/j

It’s technically not a crime if you don’t get caught (except Leona did, in fact, get caught)

The Merchant from the Depths:

Don’t be ashamed of your past self—embrace it, accept it, and use it as a point of reference for self growth

Be the bigger person rather than becoming a bully yourself

Let your accomplishments speak for themselves

There is no “easy way out” or shortcut; be prepared to face the consequences of your actions

Not everything is as it may seem (think about the “trick” with Azul’s contracts)

… Read the terms and conditions very carefully and think things over before you sign a contract 💀

Schemer of the Scalding Sands:

Wow, this baby can fit so much generational trauma!!

Sometimes you just miss each other’s messages or greatly misinterpret the other’s intentions (Kalim giving Jamil the benefit of the doubt, Jamil obviously being the Bad Guy and everyone else has to point that out to Kalim)

There’s a very complicated relationship between those in power and those without power; this can breed hatred for those at the top

Talent and skill left unacknowledged can fester into resentment

Institutions of higher education can and will accept monetary bribes, what are you gonna do about it?

Not everyone wants to reconcile and make friends; this is okay and should be more normalized

A Beautiful Tyrant:

You can try your best and work hard, but life doesn’t owe you anything (depressing thought, but unfortunately true)

Beauty is not limited to just one’s looks; beauty can also extend to one’s character and actions

Your worth shouldn’t come from external forces; if you are satisfied with yourself, you will always be “beautiful” no matter how you look or what losses you may experience

Public opinion and the entertainment industry are brutal af

Screw gender norms 😤

The Watchman of the Underworld:

The grieving process in general

Moving on from the past instead of fixating on it and letting the past consume your present and hold you back from a future

Learning to forgive yourself

Reaching out and making new support systems/opening up to others to help you cope

Bearing the sins of your ancestors (Shroud family curse)

The Lord of Malevolence:

Change is inevitable, all good things must come to an end; we must learn to accept them and bravely move toward the future

Love endures, transcending race (Sebek), blood (Silver), and time (Lilia)

Self-sacrificial love (Maleanor for Malleus, Lilia for the other Diasomnia boys, Dawn Knight for his own family, etc.)

Is it “true” happiness if it is a fake reality, a convenient dream?

We hate and fear what we do not understand, even though we have the capacity to

You cannot live forever in a happy fantasy world where none of your loved ones/favorite characters leave you, your trauma doesn’t exist, and everything conveniently pans out how you want it to; sooner or later, you must “wake up” and face reality (this point is particularly meta; it applies both in-game and in the real world, speaking to us players and our relationship with the escapist fictional content we consume)

Prologue: Welcome to the Villains’ World and Overall Main Story:

The power of friendship :))

Revisionist history (cuz… y’know… Great Seven and all)

We’re stronger together than alone

It’s okay to rely on others

We may be very different people from very different backgrounds, but it is still possible for us to understand one another

[fushiglow]

Gojo cares a lot, actually

Perspective and empathy in Jujutsu Kaisen

Once again, I see accusations that Gojo only cared about people in relation to their strength. I can't believe that 236 and 261 haven't put this idea to bed already, but let's go over it again for the class. Here are some thoughts on the importance of perspective and empathy in JJK. Spoilers for chapter 266 ahead!

In 236, Gojo tells Geto he loves everyone. This single line, direct from the man's mouth, should be enough. However, moments later, Nanami says, "You never cared about protecting people". So why do some readers only take one of these perspectives at face value?

Perspective matters in JJK. Often, characters and even the narrator state things that are only true from their perspective in a given moment. What you choose to believe says more about you than it does about them — an idea I explored in my analysis of 236.

This is particularly important when it comes to Gojo and Megumi, because the moment they meet is the only (?) scene in the whole of JJK that we get to see from two perspectives.

The second time, the reader understands the emotional weight of it for Gojo — but Megumi doesn't. He's kept in the dark, so of course he thinks about their meeting in different terms.

Once again, whose perspective are we going to take at face value? From Megumi's point of view, he wasn't offered a choice. From Gojo's point of view, he extended to a child the little agency available to him.

Offering a choice is something Gojo does consistently throughout JJK — pick your hell. It's one of the ways he shows care for others that goes unrecognised, so it's ironic that readers and characters alike misinterpret it for a lack of empathy. However, this is no coincidence.

For much of the series, Gege keeps Gojo at a narrative distance from the reader. Most of what we know about Gojo comes from what other characters tell us, and our view of him is therefore coloured by their perspective.

However, while Gojo laments the distance between himself and others, he fails to recognise that he's the one maintaining it — and not because of his strength or his technique. He has admirable goals, but he chooses to work towards them alone.

There are many occasions where characters reach for Gojo, but he refuses to let them past his metaphorical Infinity out of a sense of duty and perhaps misplaced belief that he alone can or should bear this heavy burden.

All of Gojo's actions are about preserving the humanity of others at the expense of his own. That's precisely why he chooses to become the "monster" alone. In this way, Gojo is flawed but he isn't uncaring. Again, it's a matter of perspective.

Gojo sees strength as the solution because it's all he's ever known. However, recognising the strength of others doesn't mean that's all he sees — because Gojo knows that dehumanisation acutely. What's more, 261 also suggests he thinks of "strength" in different terms to others.

When they meet, Gojo tells Megumi not to get left behind. However, he later says he was "left behind" when Geto defected. We know Gojo's physical strength eclipsed Geto's, yet Gojo only refers to himself as "the strongest" alone after Geto dies.

Before that point, there's nothing in the text to suggest that Gojo ever stopped thinking of the pair of them as "the strongest" — as a unit, as a duo. This suggests that strength, for Gojo, is something much more intangible, much more sympathetic, and much more human too.

What do the strongest characters in JJK all have in common? Indomitable will, courage in their convictions, an overwhelming sense of self. Looking at strength through this lens shines a new light on Gojo's goal of raising "strong" allies.

When he forces a third option in Shibuya, Gojo proves that strength doesn't have to come at the expense of compassion. In the later chapters of the Shinjuku Showdown arc, Yuta, Yuji, and the rest of Gojo's allies reinforce that idea ten times over, and I have every belief that Megumi will soon do the same.

To suggest Gojo only saved Megumi for his technique is unfair when he has consistently proven himself committed to protecting the futures of others, even "weak" non-sorcerers who have nothing to offer him. Once again, it's all a matter of perspective.

Gojo's way of caring is still caring, even if it doesn't look familiar to you. His only flaw was closing himself off from others and choosing to care from afar. However, just like Gojo never stopped reaching for Geto after he left, Gojo's allies never stopped reaching for him.

There's a phrase we use to describe looking at things from another perspective: putting yourself in someone else's shoes. I think it's very telling that Gojo's allies have taken that literally — Yuta by stepping into his skin, and Yuji by standing in his place in 266.

TL;DR: Gojo cares a lot, actually. If Gojo talking about his innermost feelings can't make you empathise, and the students he supposedly "doesn't care about" recognising his burdens can't make you empathise?

Well, that says far more about you than it does about him.

Come read my fics about this!

In His Shadow explores the ways Gojo keeps his distance from Megumi, who isn't equipped with the tools he needs to reach him but finds his own ways to show he cares, born from ten years of history together.

Rivers Crossed, Mountains Scaled explores Gojo and Megumi's relationship through the vehicle of SatoSugu — why Gojo took him in, whether Gojo really gave him a choice, how Gojo sees him.

Hope you enjoyed the post! I love you, Gege Akutami ♥️

[honeytonedhottie]

lessons in protecting ur peace⋆.ೃ࿔*:･🛍️

after reading the book pyscho cybernetics something that rly stuck out to me was that literally EVERYTHING IS UR MIND. and duh, thats what i've primarily based my blog on…💬🎀

but i wanted to talk about the idea that everything that u experience is because of ur mind and that goes into how you interpret things as well. so lets talk about how u can protect ur peace through ur reactions.

CAN WE NOT? ;

first, lets remember that everyone experiences the world differently and reacts to things differently from each other. based on subconscious belief, self concept, upbringing, trauma etc. therefore everyones perception of things is shaped by their own unique brain.

for example lets imagine that theres a rly pretty girl and shes rly sweet. the people around her have an idea in their mind that pretty girls are stuck up and mean, so they look for reasons to categorize her and prove themselves right. they look for ways to make her fit into the narrative that they've fed themselves…💬🎀

i give this example to show that peoples judgement of u is based more on them and their subconscious beliefs more then it is about you. period. someone else's problem with u isnt ur business. when u persist in a belief whether its consciously or subconsciously your reality will prove you right. your literally manifesting a belief that doesnt serve you so can we not?

PROTECT UR PEACE BY NOT TAKING THINGS PERSONALLY ;

taking things personally means, misinterpreting someone's thoughts/actions and believing them to be targeted toward us personally…💬🎀

this is particularly dangerous to our peace because when u take things personally you'll start to adopt what other people tell u about urself as fact. if someone calls u dumb then ur gonna believe them and think that something is wrong with you when that isnt the case.

if u know that ur actually rly intelligent and someone tells u that ur dumb, you won't care because you know that ur smart and you know that they're just projecting their beliefs unto you. you make the facts about you. not others.

YOU DECIDE THE FACTS ;

for a fun journal exercise i want you to write down the facts about yourself (u can also write down new traits that you'd like to manifest and make fact about urself) so open ur diary to a fresh page and write an about-me page. fill the page with positive facts about urself and who you are. these are the facts and if someone tells u otherwise, fact check em.

BE GENEROUS ;

people spew some crazy shit when they dont like you or are envious of you and the best way to respond is to first, not respond at all because they dont even deserve to get a reaction out of you. but if ur lowkey petty, add onto their accusations to make them look dumber.

like if they try to clock you about something and accuse u of something, make the accusation WORSE. ofc with nuance but have some fun with it sometimes.

people can't shame you for made up accusations if u dont care and if ur living in ur truth and therefore their agenda to try and bring u down to make themselves feel better is ultimately squashed. dont waste ur energy arguing with people and just keep that peace protected.

[astroismypassion]

Astrology observations 🏕🚐⛺️

Credit goes to @astroismypassion

🚐🏕 Pisces Juno can outlive their committed partner, marriage spouse.

⛺️🚐 Libra MC might be well-known for promoting self-love, wellness and well-being. These are the natives that remind those around them to take care of themselves in a caring, compassionate way.

🏕🚐 Wherever there is Gemini over your Natal chart is very duality is present. If you have Gemini over the 5th house, you could crush or develop a romantic interest on two people. If you have Gemini over the 7th house, you could feel tempted to be in a partnership with two people. If you have Gemini over the 4th house, you could have two mothers or mother figures. If you have Gemini over the 3rd house, you may not be able to choose between two best friends to make one your true best friend, so you could have two best friends instead. If you have Gemini over the 9th house you could have 2 marriage partners in your life. If you have Gemini over the 1st house, you could be consciously or not put in situations in your life where you are the second person in some scenario. If you have Gemini over the 8th house, you could have 2 people you are physically intimate with or/and you share a deep trusted bond. If you have Gemini over the 11th house you could belong to two friend groups. If you have Gemini over the 2nd house, you attract people that could date two people at once.

🏕🚐 Libra Chiron or Chiron in the 7th house, even some Venus Chiron aspects are sometimes trying to “buy” love by overextending themselves, such as doing acts of service, giving gifts in attempt to win a romantic interest over.

🚐⛺️ Sagittarius Ascendant either is overdoing it in a romantic partnership or »underperforming«. These natives either give a lof attention, affection, care, gifts to their partner or they are withdrawing that energy and not doing enough.

🏕🚐 Based on real life patterns, I noticed that often you make fun of your Jupiter sign, house, degree, even Jupiter aspects to other planets. So if you have Jupiter in the 2nd house, you may try to mimic words, gestures, actions in a humorous manner and make fun of Taurus Sun.

🚐⛺️ If you have Taurus Juno, you could attract a committed partner, spouse that collects things just in case they will use it later. Huge »hoarder spouse« placement.

🏕🚐 I mentioned before in answers to mailbox questions, but 4th house Synastry really is much more clingy than 12th house. With 12th house Synastry there is occasional ghosting, you're ignoring each other due to misinterpreted actions or words, you forget to answer the other person or you pretend you didn't see them or you are just a bit oblivious or unaware. But with 4th house is non-stop clingy energy. People you have 4th house Synastry will want you attention, be in your energy or around you daily. So it can really get tiring, much more than it is with 12th house Synastry.

⛺️🚐 I think it's not talked enough how Libra Chiron people attract a lot of people who abuse substances or/and narcissistic romantic partners.

🚐🏕 Gemini Juno people get very, very quickly embarassed by something their partner did or said. But to be fair, Gemini Juno natives quite often do or say something to embarass themselves too.

⛺️🚐 Pisces North Node and North Node in the 12th house people often sacrifice their own health and well-being by being dedicated to something, which can in the long run cause them ilness or health issue, condition.

🚐🏕 In Composite charts, the woman and how she feels about the connection, acts is represented by the Moon placement. The man, the more masculine energy is represented by the Sun placement. But the second thing I noticed interpreting Composite charts is also that Venus placement serves as »a second Composite Moon« which also shows further the traits of the woman, feminine in the connection. And Mars placement is »the second Composite Sun« which shows the traits of the man more in-depth.

🚐⛺️ I think Juno house really shows more the location of meeting your partner rather than their traits. Juno house shows circumstances, where you meet them, what was happening around. So Juno in the 6th house would point to meeting at work. I would say Juno sign more so indicates traits rather than getting along with person who has planets in that sign. For example, you could have Gemini Juno and wish for a talkative partner who is active and present in conversations, but you may prefer more stability than person with Gemini placements can offer. Most often I think people don't really like the typically personality of their Juno sign, but more so just bits of it. So if you have Gemini Juno, you may not like someone who gossips, but more so you like that they are able to keep the conversation going with stimulating topics.

Credit goes to @astroismypassion

[createserenity]

Aziraphale and Crowley's relationship dynamic fascinates me and what fascinates me even more is how people perceive them, partly because I seem to have a much more optimistic view of their dynamic than a lot of what I read suggests they do.

With that in mind I started trying to unpick how I see their dynamic and why and what I ended up with was a series of rambles on various aspects, including confidence, trust, silliness and what they ask of each other. This one is about what they ask of each other and why their relationship isn't some weird one-sided thing where Crowley gives Aziraphale everything he could possibly want or ask for.

I see a lot of posts and things suggesting Crowley always rolls over and does anything Aziraphale asks of him. I don’t know to what extent most people really believe this or if it’s just a fun joke (and I’m not saying that’s bad, I think it’s a fun joke too, I love reading all that stuff and it makes me laugh). The point I wanted to make here though is that I don’t think it’s true and also why I don’t think it’s true.

Everything from here on out is my opinion, but I won’t keep stating that in order to make it more easily readable, just take it as a given. If your opinion is different that’s absolutely fine, I love that we can all see this stuff in different ways depending on our experiences and personalities, it’s why the fandom is so fun. (It’s also why my opinion on so many things in season two ricochets wildly from one theory to another).

So back to Crowley and Aziraphale – I don’t think Aziraphale walks all over Crowley, or certainly not to the extent that people sometimes think he does. Also Crowley doesn’t and wouldn’t allow himself to be walked all over anyway. Why is this even relevant? Because I’ve seen people say that in the final 15 minutes Aziraphale finally asked Crowley to do something that pushed him over the edge and that Aziraphale was shocked when Crowley didn’t roll over and do it because Crowley always does what Aziraphale asks. This isn’t at all true for a start, but also this view tends to include a second assumption, which is that their relationship is one-sided and Aziraphale never does anything for Crowley, that he dismisses him and takes him for granted, which also is not true in a lot of ways. I think it’s a fundamental misinterpretation of their relationship dynamic.  

First of all why can Crowley’s actions be interpreted as just rolling over and doing whatever Aziraphale wants? Well, the answer to that is three-fold – firstly Crowley is a genuinely unselfish in many ways, he does things for people because that’s the way he is, it doesn’t make him a pushover, it just makes him nice. Secondly he loves Aziraphale deeply. Whether he knows it or not doesn’t matter, he cares for Aziraphale and wants him to be happy. This isn’t the same as being a complete doormat, it’s simply compromising with the person you are in a relationship with and occasionally prioritising them over yourself. Both these things come together in the third thing, which is that Crowley’s love language is acts of service – he enjoys doing nice things for Aziraphale, he enjoys rescuing him, or going along with him and letting him have his own way, so why not do it? The point is he’s never railroaded into it by Aziraphale, it’s always a deliberate choice. He is literally saying, I will do this thing for you because I love you and I enjoy making you happy and this is something I feel I can give to you.

How does Aziraphale see this behaviour?

Well that’s a tricky one, because in many ways Aziraphale is the more complex character, not least because he changes the most over the course of their history together. Is there a slight element of him taking Crowley for granted in some of their interactions, especially in season two? Possibly, but mostly I don’t think that’s it at all. When someone gives you things because their love language is acts of service you develop a (mostly sub-conscious) confidence in that relationship dynamic and if you also have confidence in yourself (which Aziraphale absolutely does – I’ll write more on this another time) then when you want something you ask for things. You ask not because you learn to expect, but because you think you’re worthy of asking and you think that your relationship is strong enough to stand up to the ask. I ask my husband for things all the time, sometimes they’re things I know he’ll give me – these are easy asks (I don’t just mean physical objects, I also mean acts of service such as helping me with something), sometimes though I’ll ask for things knowing he probably won’t give me that thing or without having a clue what his answer will be – these are harder asks, the sort you don’t do early on in relationships because they might break it either in one go or over time. Sometimes a hard ask results in me getting what I want, sometimes it results in a bit of back and forth before I get what I want, sometimes I get a no and I’m temporarily annoyed or upset, sometimes I get a no and I accept it because I knew it was the most likely outcome.

The point is that I ask, and so does Aziraphale. You ask because you have confidence that you are worthy of the ask and also that your relationship is strong enough to bear the request, even if the answer is no. Can a no still be annoying or upsetting? Yes absolutely. Can a no still be wrong on the part of the other person? Also yes. The point is that sometimes the no isn’t wrong and it doesn’t necessarily break the relationship. By the time season two comes along Aziraphale is confident enough in his relationship with Crowley to feel it can bear the weight of him asking.

So what happens when he asks? Does Crowley roll over?

Well no, he doesn’t. One big example of this is right at the beginning of the series, in episode one. Here Aziraphale makes a massive ask of Crowley and he knows it’s a big ask. Even before he tells Crowley what the problem is he’s aware of the possibility of a no. “Is it something I can help you with?” Crowley sayss, and Aziraphale merely shrugs. It’s not because Nina is there, she’s gone by that point. It’s also not because he doesn’t have faith in Crowley’s ability to help him, he always has faith in Crowley’s abilities (this is a whole other thing on trust). What he’s doubting is whether Crowley will help him. It’s why they’re meeting in the café, not the bookshop. He wants to break this one to Crowley a bit at a time – there’s a problem and I need help. I want your help, it’s why I called you, but you aren’t going to like it and I’m not even sure whether you will help so I’m establishing that I need help first, rather than showing you Gabriel immediately, so that you aren’t completely surprised when I present the whole problem to you.

Once they go to the bookshop and Crowley is confronted with Gabriel he offers the help he feels able to give by saying that he’ll drive Gabriel somewhere and dump him. He’s stating his willingness to help (which is important later), but for now he’ll only help in one specific way. What he isn’t willing to do is any more than that, not even for Aziraphale.

Help me take care of Gabriel. Help me sort this mess out, Aziraphale says, and what does Crowley say? No. Absolutely not. You’re on your own with this one. Even after Aziraphale practically begs him for help, complete with puppy dog eyes and the magic word, “I’d love you to help me,” Crowley still says no. That is not the reply of someone who lets themselves be walked all over or who rolls over every time the angel they’re in love with flutters their eyelashes.

Okay so what about the fact that he returns? Well, the stakes have been raised: for a start Aziraphale is now directly in danger, which alters the balance in favour of helping him, and remember he was already willing to help, he said as much, but he was previously only willing to help in one way. Now that’s changed. Doing things you wouldn’t normally do for someone you love when the stakes are raised is a perfectly normal rection in a relationship and does not indicate an unhealthy dynamic. Crowley has now realised that getting rid of Gabriel is no longer an option - his preferred plan (dumping Gabriel somewhere) will no longer work, so the only choice is now Aziraphale’s plan of keeping him in the bookshop and taking care of him.

This is why he returns.

A quick note on the call

Just backtracking a bit here – when Aziraphale calls Crowley to ask him for help Crowley agrees to be over in two minutes. It’s instant, no questions asked and at first glance looks like Aziraphale calls and Crowley comes running just because. But nope. Later we are very clearly told that Crowley knows something is wrong the moment he picks up the phone and Aziraphale starts speaking, “This was your ‘Something’s Wrong’ voice.” Crowley already knows there’s a problem and what do you do when your closest friend calls you and tells you about a problem? You try to help. Whether that’s advice, comfort, physically going around to help out or whatever the situation calls for. Of course Crowley says he’ll be there in two minutes, he doesn’t exactly have anything else on and his friend has just indirectly told him something is wrong. He’d be a pretty shitty person/entity if he didn’t agree to drop round and try to help.

So what about the 'I was wrong' dance?

This whole interaction, that many people say indicates how under the thumb he is actually shows us the exact opposite. What’s the first thing Crowley says when Aziraphale asks him to do the dance? “I don’t do the dance.” This tells us a hell of a lot about their relationship dynamic up to this point – for a start Aziraphale has clearly done the dance before, at Crowley’s request, and he lists off the occasions. The dance is silly and slightly demeaning and Aziraphale has done it several times for Crowley, whilst Crowley has never done it, yet somehow we read this whole scene as Crowley being the whipped one? Um. No. Also heavily implied in Crowley’s, “I don’t do the dance” statement is, You’ve asked me to do this before, I’ve always said no because I don’t want to. You’ve always accepted my no before and I want (expect!) you to accept it this time.

But this time Aziraphale doesn’t accept the no. Just like Crowley wouldn’t go along with his plan earlier, Aziraphale now won’t go along with Crowley’s no. Clearly he has done so in the past, but this time their dynamics are different. They’ve been much more open about their friendship for the past four years, they’ve both accepted that they are at least close friends, if not more. They’ve saved the world together and saved each other. They both acknowledge they “carved (this existence) out for ourselves” and that brings strength to their relationship. Now that Aziraphale has more confidence in what they are to each other, he takes that confidence and tests the limits of what Crowley will do for him, to push them more towards equality. Why should he always be the one to do the dance? Crowley responds by acquiescing not because he would just roll over and do anything for Aziraphale but because he recognises three things. Firstly that Aziraphale is pushing and that this is new and that this means something to him in the context of their relationship, secondly because he reluctantly accepts Aziraphale’s point that it isn’t really fair that he never does it, and finally because the request for him to do the dance isn’t about him refusing to help (Aziraphale was never certain he would), it’s about the fact that he’s broken Aziraphale’s trust by refusing to help (which is a slightly and very subtly different thing). To illustrate this, right before Crowley does the dance, just after he says “fine,” he gets this very brief, soft look on his face – this is him acknowledging to himself that Aziraphale deserves this dance, that he loves the angel and that he’s doing this because of both those things – he could have continued to insist on a no, he clearly has before, but this time he chooses not to.

I will do this thing for you because I love you and I enjoy making you happy and this is something I feel I can give to you.

All right, what about the car thing?

What about it? Lending your car to the person you love is very normal. Ok so the car means more to Crowley than a normal car does to us, but the point still stands. Aziraphale is making a reasonable request here. Does he expect a yes? Absolutely, because he also knows it’s a reasonable request given where their relationship is. Does he flirt to get his own way? Hell, yes. Does Crowley know exactly what Aziraphale is playing at? Also a hell yes. And Crowley totally plays up to it, he’s not as opposed to it as he claims. He’s playing up his “no” and his grumpiness for effect, to encourage Aziraphale’s silly flirtiness. Look at the difference between this no and the no he gave Aziraphale earlier. There’s no anger here, there’s no real sense that he thinks Aziraphale is asking too much, he’s playing a role in their relationship and they’ve both played this game before. Look at that little slap of the hand, which Aziraphale responds to equally playfully. The game even continues after Muriel turns up at the shop, when it’s already quite clear that Crowley is going to let Aziraphale use the car (he’s already taking the plants out). Even in the back-room Crowley still teasingly grumbles about trains whilst Aziraphale smiles flirtily, and Crowley playfully withholds the car keys when Muriel interrupts them. They both know Aziraphale is going to end up with them, there’s no point to him not directly handing them over in spite of the interruption, it’s just an excuse to tease Aziraphale back. I mean, look at him – he spends the rest of the conversation wiggling his hips, grinning smugly and confidently handling the Muriel problem by talking about love. Aziraphale’s very overt reaction tells you all you need to know about the dynamic of this one.

Two can play at this flirting game, angel.

But he follows him around like a little puppy!

Well, yes and no. Sure he follows him around whilst he goes around asking all the shopkeepers to the meeting, but he does that because it’s fun for him. He’s curious, Aziraphale is acting oddly, doing something he’s never done before and Crowley wants to know what it is. He’s always found him fascinating – what silly and ridiculous thing is the angel up to now?

Also wanting to hang out with the person you are in love with isn’t at all strange or a sign you are in some sort of weird relationship where only one of you calls the shots. It’s normal. Crowley knows Aziraphale has a tendency to be silly or do unexpected things and he wants to watch him do them and also flirt with him whilst he’s doing them. Looking grumpy and reacting to Aziraphale’s silliness with disbelief is how Crowley flirts-without-flirting. Both of them know, understand and like that dynamic, and he has that role not because he’s unhealthy levels enthralled with everything Aziraphale does but because of the levels of trust they have spent millennia establishing.

What Crowley doesn’t do is wait around for Aziraphale. Look at the scene where Aziraphale daydreams about Job. In that scene he’s aware Aziraphale has something else to show him (the record clue), but he doesn’t stick around whilst Aziraphale ignores him. He could have sat down somewhere in the shop and waited – he’s got an eternity, waiting an hour or so is no big deal, but waiting around like that would suggest he really is a doormat, just waiting for the next time Aziraphale shows him any attention. He doesn’t do that, instead he goes off and does… well, something. There’s a lot of speculation over what it is, but whether he goes off to read Pride and Prejudice or just wanders off to find something more interesting to look at than the back of Aziraphale’s head, he’s clearly saying here that he has a life outside of whatever Aziraphale wants to do.

Also side note - you know what else he doesn’t do for Aziraphale? Adjust his driving style. Aziraphale clearly hates it, it makes him nervous and he even asks Crowley to change several times whilst they’re in the car together, but Crowley never does. This is how I am angel, accept it or don’t, but this is the line and I’m not changing this for you. Related to this is his refusal to accept Aziraphale altering the Bentley. Aziraphale tries to persuade him, “But it’s pretty,” and Crowley really isn’t having it. It’s another hard line and he’s not going to let Aziraphale cross it.

Anything else?

There’s a few other examples that I’ve seen listed in the, “Crowley does whatever Aziraphale says/wants” evidence piles. Things like Aziraphale assuming he’s going to get the drinks in the pub. Well, someone has to get them, and it makes perfect sense that they both assume it’s Crowley here because he’s the one more comfortable with pubs. Having a role that you take on within certain situations in a relationship is healthy and normal, imagine how exhausting it would be to debate who is going to do every little thing all of the time.

In the first series the coat cleaning is another example often cited, but this is something Crowley is perfectly happy to do. Aziraphale is flirting, which is delightful, and he’s not being asked to do anything difficult or dangerous. I will do this thing for you because I love you and I enjoy making you happy and this is something I feel I can give to you, which is totally different from, you always ask, I always give, and you always take.

What about Aziraphale. When does he give?

All the damn time. We just don’t notice it as much because Crowley asks different things of him. His love language is acts of service towards others, but he doesn’t really ask or require them in return. Sometimes he gets them from Aziraphale anyway (Holy water anyone?) Also notably in the Globe Theatre when he’s clearly the one pushing the Arrangement, and Aziraphale more or less agrees to do his work for him (“That doesn’t sound like hard work”) even before he’s asked, before they’ve gone through their little dance of Crowley pushing and Aziraphale supposedly-reluctantly agreeing.

The other things Aziraphale gives Crowley are much more nuanced, and much less measurable to us as the audience, but he gives them constantly, or more or less constantly, throughout their relationship. He gives him acceptance (although he occasionally partially withdraws it, such as in the bandstand scene), his silliness (which is more important than it first appears), a safe space (not just the bookshop, but also a safe space for Crowley to air his real views without fear of consequence, which is important irrespective of whether or not he persuades Aziraphale to agree with him), his physicality (by 1826 he’s really in Crowley’s space so much of the time) and most importantly he gives Crowley himself. Crowley constantly pushes Aziraphale to grow as a person, it’s one of the original reasons he entertains developing a friendship with him. What he asks of Aziraphale is for Aziraphale to think – really think – about what he believes. And Aziraphale does so, but only for Crowley. Humans have constantly questioned religious beliefs throughout history, they’ve written books, made speeches and even had wars over religious doctrine and the problems, inconsistencies and absurdities within it. Crowley is saying nothing to Aziraphale that he won’t already have indirectly heard from humans and dismissed or ignored. But when Crowley says it, he thinks and he changes. That’s what Crowley asks of Aziraphale and it’s what Aziraphale gives him.

What was the point of all this waffle?

Well, honestly there isn’t much of one. Only that their relationship is much more balanced than some suggest and I think I just wanted to spell that out. It also has an implication for the final 15 minutes. There’s no way Aziraphale goes into that with some sort of fake confidence that he can persuade Crowley to follow him to heaven simply because Crowley always follows him – Crowley doesn’t, he has very clear limits that he enforces with Aziraphale and Aziraphale knows this. He might feel confident for other reasons (such as thinking Crowley will be happy to be an angel again) or something else entirely different might be happening (so many theories!) but I’m pretty sure it’s nothing to do with thinking Crowley always does what he asks, because he very clearly doesn’t.

It's also why Crowley waits around afterwards to watch Aziraphale leave. It’s a way indirectly of saying one final time, I love you and I enjoy making you happy… but this is something I cannot give to you.

[arcaneauthor]

Can you do cute things seungmin does as your boyfriend?

Cute things Seungmin does as your bf

Pairing: Kim Seungmin x reader

Tags: established relationship, just really fluffy, seungmin being puppy personified,

Warnings: mentioned mask kisses?? I’m never really sure what to count as warnings in fluffy stuff like this

Author’s note: Honestly Seungmin is such an underrated member and as someone who has also been known to be seen as being a bit “cold” I hate that so many people misinterpret his personality :( Anyway hope you guys enjoy and be ready cause I’ve already got 3 more members versions in the making!

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Gently bullies you. not in a way that makes you feel self conscious or attacked just soft enough to make you laugh about it with him.

Likes to show you off to the others by sharing pictures and stories and such. Not in a possessive way but like your his pride and joy and he wants to show others how amazing you are.

Seungmin isn’t the best at outwardly expressing his emotions to you so he’d show that he loved you through his actions: cleaning, cooking, preparing relaxing baths, buying you stuff you want without having to ask, etc

And he won’t even acknowledge that he did it or try to get praise for doing it. Will just like casually walk in and lay something you’ve been wanting to buy right in front of you and walk out without even saying anything (but he would secretly light up if you thanked him and told him how much you appreciated it so make sure to do that)

Low key gets worried that him not always verbally expressing how much he loves you makes you feel uncared for so he’ll sometimes talk about it with you and makes sure you know how much you mean to him even if he doesn’t always come out and directly say it.

He’s a lot more emotionally intelligent then people give him credit for though so he’ll be the first to notice if something is off with you. Big sad puppy dog eyes while he tries to figure out what’s wrong.

If you’re just feeling a bit down or nervous he’ll try to cheer you up by cracking some of his typical dry humor jokes. THE biggest smile when he finally gets you to loosen up and laugh.

Likes to give very very subtle pda

Like he has ahold of your hand, interlocked fingers, 24/7. Like he’ll just reach over and snatch it up without even looking or saying anything lol.

The best listener. Like when you spill your problems or worries to him he normally doesn’t even try to advise you on any of it but it’s almost better that way. Just a comforting source to verbalize your issues to and get them off your chest. Even while staying quiet you can tell he’s genuinely listening and cares about what you’re saying. Although he doesn’t normally say much he’ll be holding your hand running a soothing thumb over your knuckles.

Not to say he wouldn’t help you work though them if you wanted him to, but you’d have to ask for it. He personally thinks it’s better to not say anything unless asked in case it seems like he’s forcing his opinions on you

As it’s been mentioned by the members before he has really good manners so he’s always opening your door, carrying your stuff, etc.

Also always enforces the sidewalk rule at all times.

Gives lots of mask kisses

[genericpuff]

hey gen p! i was reading a post of yours where you mentioned LO's age rating and briefly mentioned that minthe was verbally abusive during sex which surprised me bc i didnt really remember her being accused of doing so outside of the slap/havent come across any other accusation since, so i've been defending her against abuse allegations, maybe mistakenly, bc i stopped reading the comic at some point. is it too much to ask for some instances where she *was* abusive so i can correct my outlook?? thx! :3

oh so it's really just one scene and it's waaay back in Episode 8-

like i'm gonna assume this isn't a consensual kink play thing LOL but also like. I wanna make it clear also that people don't necessarily defend Minthe as not being abusive, many people who defend her are well aware that she's done abusive shit. They defend Minthe because 1.) she has a lot more potential for well-written character development than Hades and Persephone (as she's actually genuinely flawed as per the narrative vs. Hades and Persephone who are flawed but we're still expected to believe they're perfect, so unlike H x P Minthe actually has potential to do better and grow like characters should!) and 2.) a lot of Minthe's abuse towards Hades isn't necessarily justified but is a lot more understandable when you really analyze Hades and realize that he is, in fact, a piece of shit LOL

like don't get me wrong, I don't think Minthe was in the right by treating Hades like shit and escalating it to the slap, there are FAR better things she should have done... but I and many others defend her on the basis that she doesn't have the self-respect or resources necessary to look out for herself in a more productive way, much of which was facilitated by Hades trapping her in a financially abusive relationship. When you're worried not only about losing your partner, but also your house and your job with it, that's gonna turn into some unhealthy coping mechanisms and responses like physical and verbal abuse as we see in Minthe. She's someone who's not in control of her situation but is trying to maintain her control through unhealthy means.

Hades, on the flipside, has no excuse when he assaults people or acts like an asshole - he's just able to get away with it through the narrative, its characters, and the readers, because he's the rich and powerful main protagonist.

Minthe is an incredibly flawed person who was self-aware enough to understand what she was doing wasn't right but not equipped enough to do better. She's lower class (according to Rachel, all the nymphs are considered lower class compared to the gods) and was originally written as someone with untreated BPD, which Rachel later retconned (note: the episode where Minthe slaps Hades is literally called Splitting, which is a symptom of BPD, like it's not some assumption or misinterpretation, Rachel literally wrote BPD into the script and then tried to quietly backpedal on it later through Discord.) Hades is an incredibly flawed person who is self-aware of what he's doing, but doesn't see it as wrong and therefore doesn't see any reason to do better. But we're expected to root against the former as an irredeemable villain who can't do better and root for the latter who is an actual monster whose actions are justified and excused by the narrative and its creator.

So yeah, that's why a lot of us defend Minthe. She's not perfect, she's done abusive shit, but unlike Hades and Persephone, she has the capacity to grow and change for the better.

[makingspiritualityreal]

The Path of Evolution of Nakshatra Yonis

In traditional Vedic Astrology, every Nakshatra is attributed an animal, that explains its primal, instinctive nature. Yoni, besides its sexual connotations literally means "nature" and "origin", implying that our human nature is going to be similar to that given animal, indicating a level of similarity in fate, spiritually. Yoni energy, in collective consciousness, is what originated people saying that "a Tiger cannot change its stripes", just like we can't change our natural instincts.

The fate of Yoni energies, however, is not stagnant, as it indicates a certain path of evolution. The animal characteristics point to changing one's roles within the species. They are symbolic as to the instinctual nature that we take among other people, and how that evolved over time.

The best, brief description of Animal Yonis, translated by a native Indian can be found here, and after years of my own study and analysing the work of other astrologers also, I find this explanation to be very congruent with the reality of people's behaviors, coming from their Nakshatras.

Below, I will give an explanation of how each yoni grows over time using Nakshatra pairs.

Sheep Yoni - Krittika, Pushya

The name of the Yoni is in fact translated more to "Herder" or "Shepherd" rather than Sheep, another entry even translating Mesh to "The Best Guidance". That showcases the gentle, caring form of leadership that this Yoni is supposed to embody. It also shows the path of being born as one of the masses to becoming a leader of the flock. That contrast occurs through a simple truth in the Universe, that there are those who start waves, who "herd", those that initiate, or those who blindly follow, thus becoming "sheep". These Nakshatras are very strict, even black and white in embodying a simple truth, that if you don't dictate the current of your own life well, you will end up being swept away in the current dictated by somebody else. We all make decisions all the time, and if our actions are self destructive in face of opportunity, we won't ultimately arrive at the right place. The Universe at large is of course more complex than that, but for these natives, this idea is what charts their spiritual path. These natives karma is to undergo an evolution from being a "blind sheep", having an energetic poverty mentality and obsessing over feeling wanted through other people's approval to proudly showcasing oneself into a nurturing, guiding figure that cares about the well being of its people and cares for their sensitivity, as sheep are very delicate animals, get spooked easily, and herding them requires quite a skill, yet they still respond to natural confidence. It also shows this Yoni's attachment to working with common people in simple communities with a grass roots philosophy. The struggle for this Yoni is believing in themselves, their correct path and their own leadership power, as their emotional association and attachment with the masses and the common man can give them quite an inferiority complex early on in life and cause them to try to follow and imitate rather than lead, and their leadership is something they must create themselves, not something given to them or encouraged from birth. They key is to be a leader not out of ego, but out of love and service.

2. Snake Yoni - Rohini, Mrigashira

The Snake, just like the wildly misinterpreted biblical symbol, referred to in this Yoni is symbolic for a Kundalini awakening. Rather than the animal itself, which is associated more with Ashlesha Nakshatra, this Yoni relates purely to the awakening of our life force through passage of time and surviving certain events. The Yoni name in sanskrit translates to performance of gentle, cautious movements, slowly over time to the point of testing its subjects and bringing them to the point of torture. This test is necessary, as Kundalini awakenings and working with one's spiritual progress does not happen overnight, and without merit. These natives feel a significant pressure to awaken their energy, which initially can manifest as flightiness and careless, scattered romantic and sexual behavior. That happens on a subconscious level, as this Yoni tries to apply pressure to their kundalini energy from different angles in different forms through other people, and some of that experience has to be physical. They are naturally talented at accessing other people's kundalini points too, which can make them seem manipulative, but they in fact have the power to trigger a spiritual awakening not only in themselves but in others, which also will manifest as physical abundance. Often they have to go through very intense experiences for their kundalini to burst through. Their evolution has a deeply spiritual dimension, that transforms their energy from restless to rhythmic. As their consciousness is rising, the Kundalini is recoiling into purpose of energy mastery through transformation of both material and spiritual. The dharmic nature of this Yoni shows the importance of righteousness for these natives without looking out for merit, which arrives at its own designated time.

3. Dog Yoni - Ardra, Mula

The direct translation of this Yoni indicates the concept of being "easily attracted or captivated" or "easily attracting due to emitting an attractive sounding noise". Thus, these natives have issues with bondage to other people since their early lives. The challenge set before this Yoni is discipline and dignity, and finding their winning place in hierarchy. They have a pack mentality, and they tend to be picky but unwavering in support. However, that also makes them very frantic in earlier life, as their loyalty often gets the better of them and they are generous even to their own detriment, not looking where the pack leads them, because the concept of being "packless" scares them. As a result, they "bind" themselves to people not worthy of their loyalty, instead of embracing their power to control worthy others in an organized fashion. Their evolution is meant to go from Loyal to Steady, as they become more self assured and less reactive, and as a result, they attract their own tribe. The spiritual understanding here, is that one will always naturally attract their own tribe, and you are never truly alone, and you should not be afraid of restraint and self-focus leading to loneliness, as ultimately, your people will find you. These natives have an inbred discernment of who really is loyal to them and to their cause, as they know that a pack can only survive and function if its built on solid ground.

4. Cat Yoni - Punarvasu, Ashlesha

Anyone who has ever owned a cat knows, that these animals not only love to clean themselves constantly, but they also love laying down on you, whenever you are ill or unwell, and their natural frequency has a healing vibration. Sadly for these natives, early on in life that means attracting a lot of damaged people, or being the one that has to energetically clean up situations, even if it's just friends and family. In their youth, they are born or forced into environments that are not good for them, because of their burden of erasing destructive karmas. Such is the original karma of this yoni, as they are sent to clean up messes and "gather and purify" energies in places and environments, where they are needed to balance out stagnant situations, that no-one else can or wants to help with. Over time, this scenario gets old, as the natives themselves get blamed and pegged for the difficult situations they came into to help, as the people they work with are too low spiritually to acknowledge the truth of their own destructive actions, which is why they were targeted for this Yoni's "karma cleaning" force field to begin with. In reality, this Yoni natives suffer a lot of damage and can build up a lot of distrust towards people, just like cats don't immediately show love until you gain their trust. Their lives only get better once they place themselves in a healing profession, so they can channel their karma clearing energy productively, since they can't hold back their instinct of "constantly cleaning up", just like cats constantly clean themselves. Punarvasu is more responsible for emotional, spiritual healing and environmental causes, Ashlesha is more of a physical healer/doctor figure in modern society, because of its links to the caduceus, used in medical science, and its links to poison, as the right dose of poison is medicine. The challenge for these natives is to evolve from absorbing negativity and cleaning up other people's messes endlessly without merit to finding a good environment, and remaining so Pure, that they radiate it and they can contribute to cleaning up world problems on a larger scale, and get fairly recognized for it.

5. Rat Yoni - Magha, Purva Phalguni

The literal translation of this Yoni indicates not only a small rodent, mouse or a rat, but also a thief, and one's ability to gain entry into difficult to enter places sneakily. All of these abilities pertain to how socially skillful this Yoni is, being able to charm its way into various circles and thus "gain entry" into places way above their stature of birth, places one technically shouldn't have the right to be in. The instinctual nature of this Yoni is to cast a wide social net, and charm every single person for their benefit. However, there is a difficulty in settling into place, which can come at one's detriment. This yoni has a challenge of transforming from running around between meaningless people restlessly to circulating intelligently and with purpose. They have an inborn skill of social grace and are able to benefit through wise navigation, but they struggle with choosing and contributing to and moving consciously between meaningful alliances. Often, they manage to charm their interlocutor, only to get to know them better, lose interest and move on. This cycle can continue futilely, until this yoni learns discernment in networking, as their fickle-mindedness can cost them valuable partnerships. Just because one can enter into many places, doesn't mean one should. The other party can sense, that this Yoni isn't fully "settled" into the interaction long term, as they're still keeping their eye out for the next best thing, and as a result, they don't inspire loyalty or trust, which are necessary even if in small amounts for social benefit. In its matured state, this Yoni is able to build a meaningful network over time, being able to convince each of their allies that they are also indispensable to them and make their way up, climbing the social ladder. However, it is also necessary to contribute more than charm to partnerships, as the veneer of pleasantry fades over time, and one is likely to make enemies if not cautious. Thus, learning multiple, substantial skills and building actual character is necessary for this yoni to function well.

6. Cow Yoni - Uttara Phalguni, Uttara Bhadrapada

The literal meaning of this Yoni is translated to "boundless", showing one's energetic ability to provide to all generously, and a heavy quality of pure, positive energy. That is done by associating this name with all possible metaphors for abundance, such as flowing milk, boundless sky, beaming rays of light. The Cow Yoni needs to be understood from the perspective of Hindu culture, where it is a sacred animal. This Yoni refers to a particular purity and grandiosity, mixed with gentleness of nature. However, as we in the Western Society know, cows tend to get mass butchered for the benefit of men, and this Yoni's fate is a mix of approach from both cultures. That reflects the path of this Yoni, that faces a challenge from being taken advantage of to being given a safe space, creating and participating in an organized system and being worshipped for its merit. As they settle into the space that is right for them, they begin naturally spreading their abundance, which leads to getting respect for a wide scope of provision and protection, that their aura provides. They attract people either way, but with status comes ability to control ones worshippers and maintain their safety as opposed to getting taken advantage of. The ultimate goal of this Yoni is to find satisfaction in achievement through abundant sharing while remaining in their secured position, as they are sort of a Universal parent of humanity, meaning to guide, provide for, and control it, rather than being controlled. They need to create a system to "get milked" in a way that's healthy for them, not butchered.

7. Buffalo Yoni - Hasta, Swati

This Yoni possesses within itself an interesting contrast, as the translation has a dual signification. One of them indicates "a person of a lower origin", with specific pointers towards women needing to sell their bodies to survive, and then transformed into "a wife of a king" or "a god on Earth". This duality relates to this Yoni's earthly task, to purify false currents and blow in the winds of true wisdom. Roaming is the word best described to define this Nakshatras nature. Their path is one of dynamic, responsible grace. They are freedom loving and boundless, they don't like to be limited and as a result, early on in life they make mistakes of trampling over people just to rebel and avoid feeling tied down. In another scenario, they themselves get trampled on by others. That takes away their best trump card, which is positively inspiring others, as the truth they carry needs to be heard. Over time, the course they chart becomes more conscious and inspiring to people, as they deep down want to use their freedom for a good reason, and their flair and spirit attract others, who want to feel the fresh breath of wind of manifested spiritual reality with them. Their mission is to go from childish and avoiding of facts and responsibility or struggling, to becoming a unique, genuine freedom fighter with a good cause, a spiritual scientist that has the power to influence crowds yet still remain free spirited. In their refined form, these natives, every time they fly by, bring blessings to their surroundings with a gust of energy current, that they leave behind them, purifying and correcting falsehoods plaguing humanity. They have to be very responsible for the quality of the energy they carry, as what they scatter, will be left behind, and they will be judged and remembered for the fruits of their effort, and their truth. Thus, their natural ability to spread the energy far and wide has to come in pair with integrity, assuring, that what they share is worth spreading.

8. Tiger Yoni - Chitra, Vishakha

The meaning of this Yoni is directly translated to potency and readiness. More than a tiger itself, the name translates to "A Vibration that Causes Manifestation", but also "restless, agitated" and "exposed to dangers". The energy here is purely rajasic, concentrated on one's ability to obtain and manifest one's desires, but it also talks about the fact, that there will always be those, who are against you fulfilling your desires because people don't always want our good, and getting what you want is contingent on overcoming opposition. The goal of this Yoni is to discover its immense inner power on the path from prey to predator. As another catlike Yoni, they are rarely born into circumstances fitting them, and they have to fight for their position in the Jungle of life. Their road develops from being hunted to hunting after their goals, from stumbling to graceful and intimidating. The power here is to go for what you want, regardless of opposition. Deep down these natives are powerfully sneaky, being able to influence or intimidate people to get what they want and elevate themselves out of difficult circumstances. They face the challenge of overcoming negative attachment and betrayal of people who question their authority, which is exactly what pushes them to embrace their power. Side note, please watch Katy Perry's "Roar" music video, it is so cliché of this Yoni it borderlines on hilarity.

9. Deer Yoni - Anuradha, Jyeshta

The main characteristic of this yoni, is that they are always in motion. They rarely pause, and they are very cautious and weary of enemies. This Yoni is not actually associated with the Deer itself, but with hunting, and chasing, Sanskrit even giving referrals to hyenas, showing the ruthlessness of their pursuits. The key element here is conquering fear of opposition, as this Yoni is closely linked to the Sacral Chakra, which cannot be expressed in a state of fear. The name of the Yoni also means relentless, which indicates that to achieve one's goal, one must have continuous persistence in face of opposition, until no-one dares to challenge them. Their path is one of developing merit and achievements over time stemming from their relentless pursuit of a worthy goal. They are supposed to move forward from blind ambition towards meaningful contribution and protecting their work for their work's sake. It is very important for them to have an outlet, as they become attacking and destructive when lost and not contributing to anything meaningful, just to deal with their inner restlessness and their desire to hunt or chase for something. They need to have an external endeavor to obtain, something to seek or strive after, as they delight more in the hunt than the tasting of the reward.

10. Alien Yoni - Purva Ashadha, Shravana

The traditional name of this Yoni is associated with a Monkey, but it is due to a lack of precision in understanding the nature of these natives. It is true, that they have to learn how to navigate and exist among humanity through imitation, just like Monkeys navigate the jungle, but that is a gross understatement of their higher nature, as deep down, they are "not from here". The confusion with the monkey also comes from calling these natives "a mysterious creature that appeared in the forest" in Sanskrit. The evolution path of this Yoni is marked with their eccentric nature, as they are the most unique of all the Yonis, possessing a high level of depth due to their connection with otherworldly realms, being literally, not of this world. As a result of their uniqueness, they often feel separated from the rest of humanity in early years. Human beings initially have an impossible time grasping their higher nature, calling them "weird creatures of the forest" and frowning upon them, often abusing them as a result, as what we can't control, we fear. As these natives learn to harness the special gifts they are born with, they become a visionary, which leads them to gathering a following of people who finally appreciate, even worship their irreplaceable contribution, and pure heart that bursts forth through their creations.

11. Mongoose Yoni - Uttara Ashadha

The interesting part of translating the Yoni name for these natives, is that minus the obvious animal connotation, this Yoni can be translated to something akin to "A Spiritual Weapon". The struggle of this Yoni, that is well known is that it exists in a solitary form, possessing its equal only amongst the stars. Yoni matching here is not of interest, as these animals tend to travel in organized packs of their own. There is an element of being misunderstood and ostracized from the rest of the world, which leads them sometimes to questionable means, that they need in order to survive in early life. These means however, never last because these people possess a higher spiritual vibration, that seeks to purify itself. Their path is one from solitude, fear, lack, being hunted and outcast to surrender, enlightenment and brotherhood. They have a unique ability to establish a higher connection to the entire universe through equating people with nature. As much as they are without a consort, they can instinctively smell the nature of all other yonis. These natives are of such an advanced nature, that they understand our human selves are ultimately only tools in ascension and freeing your energy, which is their true goal, and their only real interest on this planet, since they operate mostly from the higher chakras.

12. Lion Yoni - Dhanishta, Purva Bhadrapada

The aspect of the Lion, coming from this Yoni's name comes from its dignified, steady posture, emitting calmness and pride, much like the dignified, yogic, lotus position, pertaining to the spiritual dignity of steadiness in form. The theme of saving face is very strong with this Yoni, as they are taught not to show weakness and preserve their stance since birth. They tend to get angry easily in earlier life, as they are naturally rebellious, independent, touchy, reactive and territorial. However, even if they are not born into status, they are born into a family that put an emphasis of making an impression and maintaining a certain position, even among obstacles. The key is to learn how to make being authentically oneself look good, and maintain one's dignity even as people oppose their natural, chosen path. Their path is one from laziness and reactivity to pride and dignity in face of adversity. Developing nobility of spirit is essential, as they need to be unflinching on their way up. If they develop a mix of internal integrity and an ability to present a good façade and a strong posture, they become very charismatic and inspiring, as their courage and determination is a guiding light for the world. They embody the spiritual meaning of appearances.

13. Horse Yoni - Shatabhisha, Ashwini

The biggest challenge of these natives is to be able to charter a long-term course, which in human life usually has a form of a complex, long term project. That is why both Shatabhisha and Ashwini are linked to the concept of inventing and developing miraculous cures, as this process can sometimes take decades. The other reason for this power they have, is that the name of the Yoni can also be associated with "revitalization". Think of the process of taming a wild horse. Initially, they put up a lot of resistance and they tend to scatter, and run without purpose. But with the right guidance, they can carry enormous burdens and have a lot of stamina, which allows them to traverse huge distances and bridge gaps, leading to novelty. Their path is one of moving from variety mindless pursuits to actually being able to hone in and finish a meaningful task, as they tame their own kundalini spark, that has the power to initiate breakthroughs for all mankind.

14. Elephant Yoni - Bharani, Revati

There is an element of subconscious fear of being consumed in this yoni, as they have an acute awareness of death, mixed with the consciousness of carrying a precious heritage. On their track, as contradictory emotions often go in tandem, they move on from initial timidness to reckless fearlessness, as if to taunt the world. As they mature, they grow into careful judgment and investment, thinking about what they will leave after death. Their path is to grow from being anxious about their fate to trusting in and performing divine judgment and working on their legacy. The challenge to overcome here is to develop an understanding, that death will ultimately come for us all, but our achievements and energetic contribution, as well as really strong, authentic bonds, can transcend that, and so one should be neither reckless nor fearful in the face of one's own mortality. These natives have the power to pour all of their wisdom and enormous energy body to nourish very wide projects, and they also have an inherent spiritual control to accessing huge bodies of energy, as they grow into being able to transcend their own limitations. In that way, they can become a measuring stick for others or even society at large. They are concerned with offspring, as they want to pass their heritage to them as a way of transcending death itself.

[illym]

Hi, hello, if you like reading about localization choices be sure to check below the cut because I Had Fun Here (not being sarcastic. It was enjoyable learning about vinegar in Japan).

Translation Assistance: @masked-and-doomed + @solradguy

ID in alt.

Cleaned and original comics below the cut.

Specific Assistance:

@.masked-and-doomed: transcribed what I couldn't pick up.

@.solradguy: Verified the translation of what the npc was saying in panel 4, offered a line for it.

Fun fact: The Japanese department of a college all got together to work on this one.

I hated redrawing the back of Ky's head. I'm glad I was able to hide most of it behind the text (lol).

Anyway, let's get on with the localization (and process) discussion!

In the original text of this comic, Ky was drinking vinegar.

"But Illym," you ask, face twisted in confusion, "Huh? Who drinks vinegar as a drink for fun? Is the joke that being compared to Robo-Ky made him go mad and believe that vinegar is delicious? Did you change the joke? Why are you writing me to be so verbose?"

I'm a very verbose person. To answer the rest of your questions, here's what DeepL gave me when I put the transcript in.

[

npc:

Captain… it's only the body that gets soft from drinking vinegar.

ky:

I… This is for your health!

npc:

If you drink it without diluting it, you'll get a stomach ache.

]

At first, I assumed that DeepL has misinterpreted some other drink as vinegar, such as cider, sake, or general alcohol. In this example, even, it translated Ky as saying "For your health" when within context he should obviously be saying "For my health".

I went to [ https://jpdb.io/ ] to check the line. Lo and behold, it still translated as vinegar. Hm. By this point, I'm fairly sure it's a cultural thing that I'll have to localize, but I try to be thorough in these things as, again, I don't understand the language and rely on machine translation. I search up vinegar in English in jpdb and find the Japanese character there immediately. So it's obviously the same word, not a messy translation.

My next course of action is to look up "drinking vinegar japan".

To summarize, according to the articles/blog posts I read, the process of making vinegar is just adding an extra step to the process of making sake. After that, if it's to be drinking vinegar, it's blended with sweeteners such as honey or fruit.

It's an extremely old drink in Japan, and it's seen as a health drink there (along with, I assume, being pretty tasty). You should go read up on it yourself.

But in the western world, drinking vinegar is... Not a big thing. While I could leave it as is and just write a translators note explaining the drink, I decided that given that Ky is French and Japan has been exploded for ~100 years, it would be more lore accurate to have him drink something else. If it was Anji or Baiken, I would have left it.

Also, it's more enjoyable and easier to understand to make it ambiguously alcohol instead of requiring a 4 paragraph explanation.

So to localize, I removed mention of vinegar and made the joke into Ky drinking too much alcohol. The NPC's worries apply to alcohol as well as drinking vinegar (drinking it makes you soft, it affects your body poorly, drinking too much is Seen as bad for your health) so it made for the smoothest change.

As I write this, I'm debating whether to add a translators note between panels saying that the bottle reads 'vinegar'... It'll get people curious, at least!

Original translation of the comic below.

[nav-i-nav]

Actually, while we are at it, can we talk about how awful a lot of the fanbase treats Basil? My man can’t catch a break because almost everyone misinterprets him one way or another.

Where do I even start? Literally everything he does is taken the wrong way. There’s the people who characterize him as an obsessive yandere who only cares about Sunny and did everything in his power to isolate him. On the other hand, we have people who just remove one of the basic core aspects of him as a whole and make him an empty husk with no real personality.

Headacanon him however you want, but also try to understand him? I don’t know how people can say he only cares about Sunny when it’s clear he deeply appreciates his friends. He has a stronger bond with Sunny, but that doesn’t mean he’s a possessive and obsessed person who is toxic.

He definitely fucked up along the way, but his actions were never intended to hurt Sunny intentionally. He was in a panic and all he wanted was to keep his best friend safe. People constantly treat him as he’s a disgusting person for simple fact he shows mental illness signs, which is incredibly disheartening because there IS people in real life who act this way and can’t help it! What a relief it is to know people will treat me or my friends like this if we dare show an ounce of distress or panic!

Being mentally ill does not justify your actions, but this also doesn’t mean you are allowed to treat people who suffer from them like scum. People like Basil deserve to get help, to have people who support them so they can start healing. Basil clearly didn’t have that support, the only person that was there for him being his bedridden grandmother who he eventually lost.

And on the other hand, we have people who just choose to get rid of Basil’s personality altogether and characterise him as this character who is all suffering and trauma based off things that are NOT canon. It’s true that Basil’s life doesn’t exactly fit a “normal” childhood (having to live with his grandmother for unknown reasons) but that doesn’t immediately mean he is beyond traumatized? Basil is a little shy, sure, but a lot of people are. Basil used to be a smart and lively kid who loved his friends dearly. It wasn’t until AFTER the incident that he spiralled to the point he is where we see him in game.

People either disregard his trauma and paint him as a villain (let’s make one thing clear, there are NO villains in OMORI), or try to give him even more trauma for no apparent reason. All we know is that his parents aren’t really present in his life, and while that may bring some issues, from what we can see in cutscenes and the photo album, Basil lived a comfortable life surrounded by a loving family member and friends who cared about him.

You are free to explore Basil’s character however you like, but there’s a point where it no longer feels like Basil.

There is nothing wrong with showing his gentle side, just as how there’s nothing wrong to explore his unhealthy behaviour. But focusing on only one of the aspects of his entire self just turns him into a one-dimensional character with no redeemable qualities.

In my opinion, Basil is one of the best examples of a person struggling with mentally illness in media, yet people choose to ignore the complexity of his character to have either a selfish and dangerous yandere or a cute and shy femboy who’s only there to look pretty.

Write him like the mess he is. He is unstable. He is resentful, he is paranoid. That’s what makes Basil’s character so loved. That’s what makes him feel so relatable and human. Ignoring one side of his self takes away all of that. OMORI is a game about acceptance and forgiving. Why shouldn’t we apply those terms to their characters? It’s rather hypocritical for the fanbase to treat Sunny as a poor boy who only did what he did due to stress and trauma and then mark Basil as a psychopath with no redeemable features as if he wasn’t also a scared child who witnessed his very best friend push his sister down the stairs.

[sysmedsaresexist]

Not so gentle reminder

Myths and Facts

- fictives, introjects, comfort characters, NPCs are signs of faking - these are all normal, recognized things in DID. These alters can come on suddenly or gradually. See the next point.

- alters only form during times of high stress or (re-)traumatization, they don't appear out of nowhere - while there is some truth to this, it's not that simple and is certainly not a form of faking. Alters can take years to show up after an event, and they might not know why they formed. It can be very hard to pinpoint an alter's reason/time frame for creation, leading many to misinterpret an alters origin. It's also common for some systems to split fragments very easily, and for reasons that can be boiled down to minor inconveniences. These fragments can and do take identity from media.

- people use systemhood to avoid accountability - while there are people who do this, please be cognizant that the point of DID is dissociation-- the disownment of one's actions, emotions, and memories. There is a good chance that the person you're accusing of faking is actually in an extremely bad situation mentally and is doing the exact thing people with DID do. System accountability is a learned behaviour that comes with healing and system communication. For some, it comes easy, for others, it's a sign of being in a bad mental state and trained reactions to confrontation. Please note: it's not your job to help them. Say your piece and move on, you're not going to fix anything there.

- only the worst of the worst forms of abuse can cause DID - repeated and longterm emotional neglect is the leading cause of DID, and is theorized to be more damaging than physical and sexual abuse combined.

Relevant articles because I'm lazy

Remember to be kind to others. We're all struggling in our own ways.