#anyway. did you know that its in human nature to strive for connections with people?

[mistyechoes]

did you know? love is real and its all around you. its inside of you and you cant get rid of it sorry. like a poison but nice poison. but still poison. it will rot you and everyone else when they take it away. just the same as losing all the trees and the flowers and the rivers and the seas. yet those aren't poison, not in their world. do trees love? do their roots spread in hopes of reaching the stem of a lonely little flower sitting by a carved stone? and yet they stay rooted in the dirt. loves funny like that, i suppose. unshakeable, immovable, unstoppable poison and it tastes so sweet and bitter and salty all at once. yet i strain for its petrichor in the midst of motor fog. the blurs not caused by wind smudge the poison into dirt. its the worms now, and the trees, and the flowers, and the rivers, and the seas, and they're all listening because they wanted to love but we didn't understand it. their love wasn't poison because there wasn't anything to lose. and yet we are surrounded by the corpses of what once could have loved us, too.

[pyreo]

man I was thinking about bioshock the other day too because the original story actually knows what its point is. Rapture doesn’t fail and turn into what it is when you find it because scientists went too far in developing plasmids. It failed before that on an ideological level because Ryan, who is an idiot, gives luxury to the individuals he deems ‘brilliant’ and nothing to the working class responsible for maintaining his underwater city.

Rapture is a hollow idea. It’s not that man couldn’t build a habitable city at the bottom of the ocean. He can, he does. Physically, logistically, it is accomplished. But Ryan handpicks people he think will create a utopia and takes businessmen, entertainers he likes, scientists, researchers, and then a few workmen who he treats terribly. He had the technical ability to accomplish the greatest feat of engineering aside from space travel and it was the limitation of his imagination that re-created class struggle and a downtrodden underclass in a snapshot of the surface anyway.

I’ve read ‘Rapture’, the tie-in novel, whose central character is Bill McDonagh because his viewpoint is essential to why Rapture is the way that it is. Ryan handpicks him to join his star-studded ocean paradise because he admires Bill’s work ethic, which seems great, but ingame Bill’s audio diaries show him to be a sane man who sees the basic flaws in Ryan’s approach to governing in a devolving world of corporate anarchy.

You don't heat the pipes, the pipes freeze. Pipes freeze, pipes burst. Then Rapture leaks. Now, I realize you're a posh sort of geezer, and, frankly, I don't give a toss if you piss or go fishing. But once Rapture starts leaking, the old girl's never gonna stop.

He knows plumbing. He takes pride in his craft, and an absolutely essential craft it is, never mind being in a sealed underwater metropolis one faulty rivet away from drowning. While Ryan and Fontaine get lost in their egotistical power stuggle, Bill is making diaries about the necessary repairs to keep everyone alive, noting Fontaine’s deft manipulation of the forgotten working class of Rapture, and correctly surmising that the place will fragment into civil war.

All fantasy aside, Rapture has exactly the same problems as every state on earth, because Ryan’s vision did nothing to address them. Unregulated businesses grow corrupt (the Fisheries show you Ryan considered murdering your economic competitor was fair play), science produces weaponry at horrific immoral cost, the rich employ every advantage to protect their assets, the government swings openly hypocritical and through all this, the people at the bottom of that chain, the workers, the ones picking up rubbish and keeping the toilets flushing, are pushed into slums until they hit breaking point and resort to violence.

You could see it as an indictment of society, human nature, or of politics, but as Ryan makes sure we know Rapture is his to make, share and destroy, I say it’s his overblown libertarianism and infantile grasp of human worth. His radical self-serving agenda played out exactly how Bill predicted, humbling the autocrat beneath the plain sight of the maintenance guy.

You can find an audio log early in the game where a guy who owns a theatre complains to the bar owner next door that the wall’s come down between the auditorium and the connecting toilet and the smell is distracting the patrons. It encapsulates the conflict you wade through; socialites complain that their brand new architectural marvel is falling to bits, and the only part that bothers them is the embarrassment of keeping up appearances. The most vitally important thing in Rapture was keeping it structurally sound at the bottom of the sea, but this got dismissed as grunt work by up-and-comers striving to climb the social ladder who forgot to check their proconceived notions of snobbery at the bathysphere. All the problems of the surface followed them down there to echo unexamined in the depths, and then: plasmids. Exaggerating the power imbalance that was already entrenched in Rapture and had dragged it into an unsustainable state even before someone lit the match or threw bees out of their arm.

[takuyakistall]

summary: a mountain deity meets a suspicious eel.

length: 5k+

taku’s notes: ah, I finally posted this. It was meant to be posted for a previous milestone but it was delayed, but here it is now jbhjfb I may have gotten carried away with this when I first thought of the AU;;; also !! special thanks to ghostie and rui for helping me with this. If you see this, ily !! this also a three way collab with sven and @xxunrxvelingxx !! please check out their fics when they post it hehe~ they’ll be making separate fics that will go along with our agreed theme which is legends and myths from our home countries. In my case, this was inspired by the story of Maria Makiling!

 "I have provided you everything the mountain has to offer and yet you greedy humans still want more?“ The thunder boomed, matching your footsteps as you made your way to sit on a log stool. Crossing your legs, you said, “I’ve had enough of you humans trying to steal my valuables.” Rain suddenly started to pour down, soaking the four men standing in front of the mountain deity. 

They were shaking in fear as they saw the look you were giving them, they heard that you were usually a gentle and kind person who had never laid a hand on the village folk who lived on the mountain. They scrambled to their feet, with pitiful expressions on their faces as they desperately tried to run away. You made no effort to chase them as you already knew  there was no way they would make it back alive. This mountain is your domain, surely they would get lost  and stay trapped here forever. 

You were usually a kind being but you would spare no mercy for those who enter the mountain with malicious intentions. The locals knew better than to do that but — unfortunately, those men who tried to steal from you were foreigners.

           Your rage didn’t go away instead, it had gotten stronger. The rain was getting heavier, a flood was ready to form and an earthquake was about to start. There was no room for the village folk inside your head, your rage had overruled every moral you once upheld. It was cruel of you to bring these disasters to  innocent people — however, nobody would dare to cross you ever again. They knew that  angering a deity was never a bright idea, especially if they still had plans to live.

“Hah… Foolish humans..! Always scurrying around, striving to attack me and rob me of my riches. In the end, they’ll just meet their doom.”

There was something off about the man who entered the mountain. It seemed like he was struggling to walk. The rage you felt days ago has now disappeared and you felt the need to help the struggling man. You jumped off a tree branch you were sitting on to get a better look on his face — heterochromic eyes, it was unusual to see those  around here, especially when you had isolated yourself in the mountains. He had teal hair with a darker and longer strand framing the left side of his face. He was beautiful, your breath was taken away the moment you laid your eyes upon him.

Then you finally decide to appear in front of him. His senses did not pick up your presence since he was too busy trying to regain his balance. When he finally looked ahead and saw you, his eyes  widened and  slipped.

“Ah-!” He was about to fall. He still wasn’t used to being able to walk on land, his balance was still sloppy and the way he walked was unnatural. Ever since his tail turned into human legs, he’s been walking aimlessly on land with nothing but a dirty tunic on. He had nobody to teach him about how land folks act or lived, he quickly became an outcast among the villagers by the mountain, which sparked your curiosity. 

“..! Be more careful!” You grabbed his hand before he could fall, pulling him up to safety. He finally got a proper look at his saviour and the sight took his breath away. Were you the mountain deity they talked about back in the village? He kept a straight face while trying to connect the dots in his head. Weren’t you the reason he tried to climb the mountain? The blue haired man couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle, “Forgive me, it seems that I’m still not accustomed to my newly acquired legs.” He spoke in a gentlemanly manner which surprises you. Maybe it was because of his dirty tunic that you thought  he was going to be a bit more rough around the edges. You knew it was bad to judge a book by its cover and yet you still couldn’t help but do it anyway.

           “What’s your name?” The cold tone in your voice sent shivers to the man’s spine, surely you had the aura of a deity! He heard the rumours about the gentle and kind lady up in the mountains, but it seemed like you were still kind of ticked off by the last incident he heard about. The man put his hand by his chest and introduced himself with a smile, “I go by Jade, Jade Leech. Would the lovely lady also do  the honor of giving me her name?” It was faint but you noticed it — he was dangerous. 

It didn’t take long for you to become attached to Jade, he charmed you the moment  you met. Your first meeting consisted of you asking Jade a few questions about himself while walking through the woods. You discovered that Jade originally had no legs, thus his lack of ability to be able to walk properly. You offered him help and thankfully, he was a fast learner when provided with guidance. In less than a day, he had already mastered how to walk with his own two legs. 

You were bound to the mountain, you could never leave because you are its guardian. Shall you ever try to leave, your body would run out of oxygen and pass. It seems like Jade was a little fond of your company as he went back up in the mountains the following day.

He was still wearing the dirty tunic when he came to visit you today, you had seen this coming so you had a nearby pixie fetch you some clothes for the tall man. When you handed the clothes to him, he couldn’t help but let out a small laugh, he was intimidated by your cold demeanor yesterday but today it seemed like you were finally fitting the positive rumours surrounding you. A kind and gentle lady who would often go to the village to give your blessings. “Thank you,” Jade hummed out, straying far from you to change into the clothes you gave him. You felt your cheeks flare up a bit when he gave you a smile. You couldn’t help but wonder how this blooming friendship of yours would end. After all, he’s just a mortal, isn’t he? 

28 days remain.

“Oya, a new mushroom to add my collection.” Jade was delighted as he crouched down to examine the newly found mushrooms on the ground. You mentally compare the current Jade you know to the Jade you first met — it seemed like he was an entirely different person. He picks up land dwellers’ qualities and habits fast and now you wouldn’t even dare think about how this man didn’t know how to walk properly just a week ago!

You tried to introduce him to a lot of things the mountain has to offer and yet somehow, he found himself climbing up the mountain on a daily basis just to see you. The village folk were a bit skeptical due to his odd behavior and at his sudden transformation, but they soon dropped the gossip when someone told them the both of you were lovers. It was a ridiculous thought but you never said anything when you saw how they had treated Jade better. 

The more time you spent with him, the more you felt these complicated feelings, like your heart was tied to a knot. The way he smiled at you made it feel like your heart was being squeezed, and the way his eyes sparkled when he talked about mushrooms was simply too adorable! You noticed all the little things about Jade and it made you wonder about how you were going to label these feelings you have for him. You liked to believe that you know everything about the world, but the world loves proving you wrong. You were still naive, even if you are a deity.

21 days remain.

“You’ve gotten better at acting like a land dweller.” Your cold tone made it clear to Jade that something definitely happened to piss you off while he was away. Perhaps it was another human trying to rob you of your riches? Or to take your head as a trophy? No. Jade shook his head at the thought of someone trying to harm you. After all, it is impossible to do so. 

For the past few weeks, he has somehow grown accustomed to your sudden coldness and harsh tones. The people that heard of the mountain deity’s treasures have increased and were bold enough to challenge themselves against you. They gathered into groups and shouted out insults directed at you. You had neither time nor patience to deal with every pest that was bold enough to threaten you, so you had the mountain itself deal with them. If they entered the mountain, they would surely get lost and never be seen again due to natural reasons. 

The only reason why Jade and a few villagers were able to enter the mountain and get back unharmed is because you let them. The moment you sense malicious intent directed at you — they would be disposed of. You were merciless when it came to matters regarding your life and the state of the mountain. Jade knew that, both of you spent enough time together for him to know these kinds of things. With slow steps, Jade approached you, his usual smile was absent and this surprised you a bit. His expression was serious while cupping your cheek with his bare hands, it was warm. You found yourself rub your cheek against his comforting touch, he knew exactly what you were feeling and this reassured you. Jade pulled back his hand and placed it on your head instead, ruffling your hair a bit, “Have you been resting well?”

Truth be told, you haven’t gotten a wink of sleep ever since the attacks increased. Your guard was always up and a chance to sleep never came. However, when Jade ruffled your hair, every muscle in your body relaxed, you fought the urge to close your eyes. Jade didn’t fail to notice your tired state and sat beside you on the log stool that was big enough to hold the two of you. He made you lean against his broad shoulder while stroking your head, his comforting touch making you go closer and closer to your desired rest. You closed your eyes and drifted into sleep, not hearing Jade’s endearing words “Sleep well, My beloved.”

14 days remain.

“Have you done it yet?” Jade entered his temporary lodging to see a beautiful young woman with long black hair sitting on his bed. Jade’s warm eyes turned cold as he glared at the woman who intruded his home. Jade didn’t bother to put up the gentlemanly act anymore. He lunged forward towards the woman and wrapped his fingers around her neck, lifting her smaller figure up in the air as Jade squeezed her neck. The woman was letting out choked noises as Jade continued to give her a cold glare. “W-Wait!” She managed to let out a word, Jade stopped for a moment. “You still need me, you can’t kill me.” The panicked and pained expression on the woman’s face brought immense pleasure to Jade. Oh how he loathed this woman! Jade was ready to snap her neck, staring coldly into her eyes as he squeezed her neck a bit more before suddenly letting go. The woman fell to the ground, hacking out coughs as she tried to regain oxygen in her system. Jade’s unusual rage has calmed down a bit after thinking rationally, he went into his kitchen and brought out some teacups, “Would you like some tea?”

The sweet aroma filled the cozy house as Jade delicately poured tea into the teacups. The woman sitting across him had a suspicious look, staring at the teacup. “Oh, please go ahead. Don’t be shy.” Jade insisted, an eerily calm smile decorating his face, as though the earlier events hadn’t happened at all. “It’s not poisoned, is it? I know how badly you want me dead but,” the woman pushed away the teacup, crossing her legs and arms as a confident look suddenly decorated her face. “If you still want your precious twin brother to live, I suggest you shouldn’t kill me.” Jade’s gentlemanly smile curled up into a big smirk as he set down his teacup, “And what made you think that I still needed you to do so? You’re basically useless.“ 

For a moment, the woman shot Jade a terrified look. She knew that Jade was capable of killing her at any given time, she had to think of an excuse to stay alive. “You won’t be able to use the deity’s heart to cure Floyd without me.” It was true. Even if Jade has gotten the deity’s heart right in his palms, he wouldn’t be able to use it to treat Floyd’s condition. Jade frowned upon hearing the words ‘deity’s heart’. It was the only reason why Jade approached you, he was skillful in deceiving others and masking his true intentions. Though it seemed like his mask was slowly breaking the more time he spent with you. It was true that he was fond of you — very fond but Jade wouldn’t allow himself to admit the feelings he held for you. 

If he ever admitted to himself that he fell in love with you, it would just pain him more thinking about the cruel acts he was about to commit. “I’m close to obtaining her heart. Once I get my hands on it, we’re going back to the Coral Sea immediately.” His monotonous voice scared the woman a bit, how could he be so calm when he’s about to betray a deity? “Got it, witch?” Jade coldly asked the woman. The said woman snapped out of her daze and refuted, “Don’t call me that, I told you, my name is-" 

"Do I look like I care?”

7 days remain.

“Dancing? When did you learn how to dance, Jade?” Jade only let out a mere chuckle as you gave him a curious glance. You looked better than before — the color of your face was slowly coming back thanks to Jade. His presence soothed you and you couldn’t help but let your guard down — you trust him. It has only been a month since the two of you met but you would already trust him with your life. What is this feeling…? What did humans call it again? Attachment..? Or was it fondness…or love? You didn’t know the answer. The moonlight shined upon both of your figures sitting down on the grass. “Do you underestimate me that much?” A teasing smirk appeared on his face, you panicked for a moment because deep down, you actually did underestimate him a bit. You looked away from him, a light hue of pink dusting your cheeks. Shame rising up from the pit of your stomach.

“Oh my, it seems like I’ve gotten my answer. It’d be a lie if I said I wasn’t disappointed.” Jade faked tears, wiping them away dramatically as you giggled at his actions. Jade stood up from the grass, his polite smile never disappearing from his face. Even though he gave everyone that smile, you couldn’t help but feel like there was an underlying tone of feelings and affection he held for you. Yet, you brushed it off like it was nothing — still denying the fact that you were indeed falling in love with him. Jade outstretched his hand towards you, trying to help you up. At that moment, you couldn’t help but think that you were becoming so helpless around him. 

Hesitantly, you took his hand as he helped you up to your feet. You stumbled forward a bit and lost your footing, almost falling had it not been for Jade who catched you before you fell. “Careful!” He warned you, wrapping his arms around your figure as you steadied your balance. You could feel his heart beating, you closed your eyes and allowed your head to lean into his chest — listening to nothing but the beat of his heart. Is this what it means to fall in love? Jade was taken aback for a moment, he didn’t expect you to suddenly rest your head against his chest while standing up. He let out a sigh as he wrapped his arms tighter around you, his gaze filled with an unexplainable fondness. Oh how he wished this moment lasted forever. 

3 days remain

It was dangerous and weak of you to allow yourself to be comforted by the presence of a mere mortal, even the forest pixies told you this themselves. It was a huge mess in the mountains when Jade wasn’t here. You suddenly felt sad at the thought of the earlier events.

“Lady (Y/N)! Forgive our insolence but we are begging you to cut ties with that mortal.” the pixies bowed down, they didn’t dare to look into your eyes — fear evident in their expressions. The pixie who talked to you, Daphne, was the wisest of the bunch — she had stayed in the mountain for far longer than you have. It was safe to say that she was wiser than you but the one who holds the most power was you — the mountain deity. Daphne didn’t have a single hint of fear on her face as she held her head up high, her blue locks tucked behind her pointed ear as she stared at you. 

Rage coursed through every part of your body as your harmless gaze at them suddenly turned hostile. The gravity suddenly weighed down on all of them, forcing them onto their knees except Daphne. Had it not been for her power she accumulated during the years she had lived, she would be most likely on her knees as well. “What did you just say, Daphne?” Your mind wasn’t in its best state due to the responsibilities you had to fulfill doubled, every living being in the mountain knew that and they could see how stressed you were through the mountain’s state. They noticed how the mountain would flourish a little whenever a certain teal haired mortal decided to visit you, they knew that he was a double edged sword to their deity. Though they knew that he was a potential threat to you, when they saw how happy you looked when you’re with him, they couldn’t help but let the both of you be. 

“That mortal man named Jade- He’s not what you think he is.” Daphne calmly responded, she’d been suspicious of him from the very beginning. Those words made the raging flames in your heart burn stronger. You knew deep inside that she was right. You knew he held ill intent from the moment you first met yet you just- You just blindly ignored it like the fool you were. Yet you were reminded of the way he called you his beloved when he thought you were fast asleep, it was one of your sweetest memories with him. You can’t allow yourself to believe that the gentle fondness in his voice that night was all fake.

“He’s after your heart.” 

Those words pierced you right through the heart, uncontrollable tears suddenly forming at the corner of your eyes. You wanted to tell them that he was a good man, that he loved you. Your gaze dropped down to the ground, unable to say anything. The mountain spoke for you. The flowers were withering at a lightning fast speed and so did the trees. The wild animals, some died and some were dying. The waters were drying up, and the ground was ready to collapse any time soon. You wanted to cry. Memories of last night came flooding back. The way he held you so close to him, when you listened to his heartbeat? It was all an act to get your heart?

Daphne wasn’t telling her the whole story, she just wanted Jade gone. She left out the part about Jade’s brother because she knew that being the lovesick fool you were — you would gladly give up your heart to him. She decided to fan the flames, “I… also saw a black haired woman in his house.” Daphne cringed at herself, she couldn’t believe what she was about to say. She glanced at your forlorn expression before continuing, “I think she might be his lover.” Everything seemed to stop at that very moment. You stopped wasting your tears, the thunder clapped. Daphne knew she messed up when she saw your expression — filled with burning rage. 

“It’s for his dying brother.” A small pixie speaked out, receiving a harsh glare from Daphne when she did.

“Flora! You…!” 

Everything stopped for a moment, you held a confused expression on your face as you signalled the small pixie named Flora to inch closer to you. You had hope that everything wasn’t a lie. There was nothing more you’ve ever wanted. You desperately wanted to believe that Jade wasn’t a cold blooded jerk that only approached you for your heart. “Tell me about his brother.” Your weak commanding tone made Flora’s heart shatter into pieces, she could tell how much pain you were in. Meekly, Flora started to explain to you the things she saw and heard when she went to follow Jade to the village; the black haired woman who was waiting for him at his home, the way how Jade choked her, the hateful expression on his face, the things they discussed over tea, and how Jade needed your heart to cure his poisoned twin brother. Flora didn’t leave out the fact that the woman with Jade was actually the one who poisoned his brother and how there were only a few days left before Jade goes back to his hometown.

You were oddly happy. Happy by the fact that everything might not turn out to be a lie and that the Jade you were so fond of was real. Though you were laughable, you were an idiot in love. Love…? Is this what they call this feeling? You loved Jade to the point that you forgave him. Even if he didn’t confess himself, you were willing to forgive him over and over again. You were a fool. The biggest fool in the whole damn mountain. Though if it was for Jade, the man who taught you love and the first man you ever loved, you didn’t mind being called a lovesick fool who ruined her own life.  

2 days left

Jade was running out of time, he could feel his lungs having difficulty trying to breathe as he climbed the mountain. The potion was wearing off and he needed to get your heart and return to the sea now — but he didn’t want to leave, he didn’t want his time with you to end just yet. He wanted more time with you. However,  his brother comes first before anything else, including you. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he just abandoned Floyd just like that — it would be unacceptable. Jade’s heart was in deep turmoil as he took a step after the other, why didn’t he.. want to leave you? He stopped in his tracks, his hand clutching his chest tightly as he felt like his heart was being squeezed. He didn’t want to admit it — he would never. If he did, he would never be able to go back to the sea. He continued walking towards your usual meeting area. 

The frown on his face immediately lightened up into a small smile when he saw your figure fiddling with a bunch of leaves. As he went closer, he could notice that you were crying. He kneeled down next to you and asked, “…Are you okay?” gently, Jade tried to place his hand on your shoulder as a form of comfort. You flinched, moving back a bit from his touch and accidentally hitting your head against a tree branch in the process. Jade quickly tried to pull you close to him to inspect what might be a wound on your head. Yet you- you desperately tried to avoid any form of contact with him, your lips sealed shut as you walked away from him to sit on a stone stool. Jade’s heart broke a little. 

You were still trying to compose yourself, tomorrow was your last day with him. You could already see him getting paler and weaker, his withdrawals were getting worse. You needed to think of something, anything. You were going to let him go today, he can have more time to go back to the sea. So he can live. Yet a huge part of you is screaming ‘Don’t!’ You felt weak and afraid, you didn’t know what choice to make but deep down you knew what was the right decision. Mustering up enough courage, your breath shaky, you spoke up. “Jade." 

Jade had never heard you sound so helpless, your voice was shaking, eyes brimming with tears. What happened to you? It was a bit of a shock, for you to call out his voice with such a painfully sad expression on your face. He wanted to know how he could make you feel better, he was about to wrap his arms around you again but he quickly retracted his arm when he remembered how you reacted earlier. So he kept his distance. "Yes…?” He anticipated your next words, hands shaking — his body was slowly turning back. He needed water but he forced himself to stay still and endure the painful withdrawal that came with it. 

You clasped your hands together, muttering a short chant under your breath as something in between your hands started to glow. A single shard of what seemed to be like a gemstone — a piece of jade. It was your heart, clearly influenced by your undeniable feelings for this man you met less than a month ago. Your jaded heart, it was what Jade was after all this time. Once it was in your hands, you clasped it tightly one more time before facing Jade. Tears blurring your vision, “Just… take it.”

Jade’s blood went cold, how…? Did you finally figure out his true intentions? Are you mad? Countless questions popped up inside his mind and his heart rate going faster by the second as he tried to make sense of the situation. Will he lie one more time? Or will he grab the golden opportunity in front of him? Before he could make a decision, he abandoned all sense of reason and pulled you into a passionate kiss. You were caught off guard, yet you kissed him back without any hint of hesitation at all. Your faces so close — your tears started to mix and you didn’t want to let go of him. Neither did he. After pulling away from your heated kiss, he finally managed to mutter out the words he was so afraid of saying. 

“I love you.”

1 day remains

The cool breeze caressed Jade’s cheek as he ran through the forest, your heart grasped tightly in his hand as he desperately gasped for air. He needed to get back, now. The black haired woman from the other day was already ahead of him, looking back occasionally at Jade to make sure he wasn’t dead from the withdrawal symptoms. Memories of last night weighed so much in Jade’s mind, he felt like he was choking as he ran — his legs heavy as he started to sweat more than usual. Yet he didn’t stop running, you gave him this chance to let him and his brother live and he was not about to let it go to waste. He ran and ran and ran until he could finally see the sea. 

Jade immediately jumped into the water, taking in the familiar feeling of being submerged in water once again — not once did his grip loosen around your heart. He allowed himself to breathe for a moment, letting the transformation take its place as his legs turned into a tail. He was slowly letting himself sink to the bottom of the sea, nobody could tell that he was crying from the wet environment of the sea. 

One look at Jade and you can immediately tell that he was empty, void of emotion as he stared at your heart — placing a gentle kiss on it as he muttered under his breath, “Perhaps in another life, we could be lovers once again." 

This is a story about how a foolish mountain deity sacrificed her heart, the very core of her being, to a mere mortal. A story about how cruel fate can be, and how it ruined them. The ending? The mountain deity fell into an eternal slumber after giving her heart up to her lover, unable to wake up after hundreds of years. The mortal man cured his brother and lived a somewhat happy life, longing to see his beloved deity once again on land and was killed after multiple attempts of going to land. 

Perhaps things would’ve been different if they made different choices, perhaps they’d be happily living as a couple now but fate is not so nice, no? There is no happy ending for this disastrous pair, only ruin awaits them if they were to ever meet again in their next lives. They were both fools in the end. 

"Eh~? Jade, Jade~! Did you hear about the transfer student coming today?” Floyd made grabby hands at Jade, excitement bubbling up from the pit of his stomach, will he find another person to squeeze? Jade let out a sigh, seemingly uninterested in the topic but decided to entertain Floyd. “Yes, it does make me feel a bit excited, fufu~”

The class silenced down so quickly, your footsteps towards the class stage could be heard.

“Hello everyone, my name is (Y/N) (L/N)! Nice to meet you all!" 

Jade’s eyes gleamed with growing intrigue, why did you seem familiar to him in some way? He didn’t dwell on that for long though, he just decided that if fate decided to make you a part of his life, then so be it. 

And it begins all over again.

[samwisethewitch]

What does it mean to be pagan? (Paganism 101 Ch. 1)

That’s right, y’all! With Baby Witch Bootcamp officially wrapped, it’s time to jump into our next long term series! I put out a poll on Patreon, and my patrons voted for Paganism 101 as our next series. While not all witches are pagan and not all pagans are witches, there is a lot of overlap between the two groups. Both witchcraft and paganism offer practitioners a sense of freedom, a deeper connection to the world around them, and a greater awareness of their personal power.

I identify both as a witch and as a pagan, and I get a lot of questions about paganism. In this series, we’ll go through the basics: what it means to be pagan, the difference between a neopagan and a reconstructionist, and the role of magic in different pagan traditions. We’ll also talk about some of the most popular modern pagan traditions and how to find the right tradition for you.

Let’s start off by answering the question, “What does pagan actually mean?”

Defining “Pagan”

It’s important to remember that “pagan” is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide range of different faiths. Someone who practices Wicca, for example, will have very different beliefs from someone who practices Hellenismos. These different faiths are linked by a shared history, rather than by shared beliefs or practices.

The word “pagan” comes from the Latin “paganus,” which literally means “area outside of a city” or, to phrase it slightly differently, “countryside.” This adjective was used to describe people and things that were rustic or rural and, over time, came to also have the connotation of being uneducated. Originally, the word had no religious association, and was even used to refer to non-combatants by the Roman military.

From this definition, we can gain some insight into what makes a religion or practice pagan. Pagans feel a kinship with the wild or rural places of the world, and are comfortable waking “off the beaten path.”

But how did “paganus” come to refer to a type of religion, anyway?

To understand the religious meaning of “paganus,” it’s necessary to understand a little bit about the religion of Ancient Rome. Rome (the city) was built inside a pomerium, a sacred boundary that formed a spiritual border around the city and its people. Paganus folks were those who lived outside the pomerium and, as such, may not have been strict adherents of the state religion — they certainly wouldn’t have been able to travel into the city for every major festival. They may have gotten a bit more creative with their worship of the gods. However, as previously stated, the word paganus did not have an explicitly religious meaning in ancient times.

The use of paganus as a religious label began after the legalization of Christianity by the Roman Emperor Constantine in 313 C.E. Christianity would not be adopted as the official state religion until 380 C.E., but Constantine’s conversion and decriminalization of Christian worship paved the way for Rome’s transformation into a Christian state. It was around this time, as Christianity was quickly growing in urban areas, that early Roman Christians began using the word “paganus” to refer to those who still practiced polytheism. Rather than referring to those outside the city’s boundary or to untrained civilians, the label now referred to those outside the Church, those who were not “soldiers of Christ.”

As Christianity spread in popularity throughout the Mediterranean, Europe, and Northern Africa, the pagan label was applied to all non-Christians in those areas. The word “pagan” became a derogatory label, implying an inferior and backwards religion.

So, really, the thing that makes a religion pagan is a historical conflict with Christianity. Pagan religions are those that were suppressed or completely destroyed after Christianity became the dominant faith in the region.

This is why Norse Paganism and Kemetic (Egyptian) polytheism, which are very different, are both considered “pagan” while Shinto, a Japanese religion that shares a lot of common features with many pagan faiths, is not. Because Christianity never achieved total dominance in Japan, Shinto was never pushed aside to make room for Jesus.

In the 20th century, people who felt drawn to these old religions started to reclaim the pagan label. Like many other reclaimed slurs, “pagan” became a positive label for a community united by their shared history.

What do all pagans have in common?

This is a tough question to answer because, as stated above, paganism is a historical definition, not one shaped by belief or practice. However, there are some things most pagans have in common. Here are a few of them, although these concepts may take different forms in different traditions.

Paganism…

… is (usually) polytheistic. Most pagans do not subscribe to monotheism, the belief in a single, all-powerful divine being. Some pagans are polytheists, meaning they believe in multiple divine beings with varying levels of power. Hellenic pagans, Norse pagans, and Celtic pagans are typically polytheists. Still others are monists, meaning they believe in a single divine source that manifests itself as multiple gods. Wiccans and other neopagans are typically monists. Many pagans fall somewhere in-between strict polytheism and strict monism. We’ll talk more about polytheism in a future post, but for now just know that the idea of a single, supreme creator is not compatible with most forms of paganism.

… is based in reciprocity. This is a concept that may seem odd to those who grew up around Abrahamic religions: the idea of engaging the gods in a mutually beneficial partnership, rather than one-sided worship. When we connect with the gods, we receive spiritual, emotional, and physical blessings. The gods also benefit, as they are strengthened by our prayers and offerings. (I like to think they also enjoy the company. It has to be lonely, having your body of worshipers supplanted by an anarchist carpenter from Palestine.) The concept of reciprocity is why most pagans make physical offerings to their gods.

Reciprocity also extends to our relationships with other people. Most pagan religions have a code of ethics that includes values like hospitality, kindness, and/or fairness with others. Depending on the pagan, reciprocity may even extend to the dead! Many (but not all) pagans practice ancestor worship, the act of honoring and venerating the beloved dead.

Reciprocity may even extend to the world at large. Some (but not all) pagans are animists, which means they believe that every animal, plant, and stone contains its own spirit. Animist pagans strive to live in harmony with the spirits of the world around them, and may make offerings to these spirits as a sign of friendship.

… embraces the Divine Feminine. Paganism acknowledges and venerates both masculine and feminine expressions of divinity. Polytheist pagans worship both gods and goddesses, while monist pagans see the divine Source as encompassing all genders. In either case, the end result is the same: pagans acknowledge that, sometimes, God is a woman. (Cue the Ariana Grande song.)

Paganism also acknowledges gender expressions outside the masculine/feminine binary. Many pagan deities, like Loki (in Norse paganism), Atum (in Kemetic paganism), and Aphroditus (a masculine aspect of the Greek Aphordite) exist somewhere in the grey area between man and woman.

… is compatible with a mystic mindset. Remember how I said there’s a lot of overlap between witchcraft and paganism? Part of the reason for that is because paganism is highly compatible with magic and other mystical practices. Most pagans believe that humans have, or can attain, some level of divine power. It makes sense that this power would manifest as magic, or as other spiritual abilities. Many of the ancient cultures modern paganism draws inspiration from practiced magic in some form, so it follows that modern pagans would as well.

… draws inspiration from the ancient stories. As we discussed, “pagan” originally referred to the religious groups that were pushed out by Christian hegemony. As a result, every modern pagan is a little bit of a historian. Because paganism was pushed underground, it takes a little digging to find myths, rituals, and prayers that can be used or adapted for modern practice.

Many pagans worship historic deities that you’ve probably read about at some point. Visit any pagan pride event, and you’ll probably find worshipers of Zeus, Venus, Thor, and Isis, just to name a few. Studying and interpreting ancient mythology and archaeological evidence is a big part of modern paganism.

… is a religion with homework. If you’ve read this far, you may be beginning to realize that being pagan is a lot of work. It’s fun, spiritually fulfilling, and very rewarding work, but work all the same. Because very few modern pagans have access to temples, priests and priestesses, or an in-person community that shares their beliefs, they end up having to teach themselves, do their own research, and guide their own practice.

This is incredibly empowering, as it means you are your own religious authority. It does, however, mean that you will occasionally have to open a book or slog through a dense academic article about the most recent archaeological find related to your favorite deity. Thankfully, there’s a growing number of accessible, beginner-friendly books, blogs, podcasts, and YouTube channels to help you in your research.

… embodies a deep respect for the natural world. While not all pagans are animists, most pagans do feel some sort of reverence for the forces of nature. Many pagan deities are associated with natural forces or use the natural world to communicate with their followers. Because of this, not only do pagans respect and love nature, but they’re constantly watching it for signs and messages. (Are you really friends with a pagan if they haven’t called you crying because they found a crow feather on the ground or saw a woodpecker in their backyard?)

Some pagan groups, especially neopagan religions like Wicca, have been classified as Earth-centered religions. Personally, I dislike this term. While it is true that many pagans feel a deep spiritual connection to the Earth and may even venerate local nature spirits, to say that these religions are “Earth-centered” feels like an oversimplification. Wiccans, for example, don’t actually worship nature — they worship the God and Goddess, who they see reflected in the natural world.

… is driven by individual spiritual practice. As mentioned above, very few pagans have access to an in-person community. Because of this, modern paganism largely consists of individual practices. Even pagans who do belong to a community still typically worship on their own sometimes. These personal practices may involve prayer, offerings to the gods, meditation, divination, astral travel, performing religious rituals, or countless other practices. Many pagans have personal altars in their homes, where they worship alone or with their family.

… is a celebration of daily life. One thing I love about paganism is how it makes every aspect of my life feel sacred. Many religions emphasize the spiritual aspects of life while deemphasizing, or even demonizing, the physical or mundane aspects. This can lead to practitioners feeling like they are spiritual beings trapped in a physical body, or like their physical needs and desires are something to escape.

Paganism allows practitioners to fully enjoy being physical and spiritual beings. Pagans reach for the heights of spiritual awareness, while also enjoying earthly delights — recognizing that neither is inherently more worthy than the other and that both are needed for a balanced life.

… is only one of many paths to Truth. Most pagan groups do not claim to be the only valid religious path, and in fact several openly acknowledge the validity of other religions. This is why you rarely see pagans trying to convert other people to paganism — it’s openly acknowledged that paganism isn’t for everyone, and that those who are truly meant to practice the old ways will find them.

~~~

Hopefully, this post has given us a good working definition of “paganism.” From here, we’ll explore some of these individual concepts in more depth and discuss specific religions within the pagan umbrella. Until then, blessed be.

Resources:

Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin

Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham

A Witches’ Bible by Janet and Stewart Farrar

The Way of Fire and Ice by Ryan Smith

Where the Hawthorn Grows by Morgan Daimler

Temple of the Cosmos by Jeremy Naydler

A Practical Guide to Irish Spirituality by Lora O’Brien

[mchalowitz]

the woman is the king

summary: a throughline of the matriarchal scullys; be they ethereal, sharp-witted, and ill-omened. 

this is a revamped version of my unfinished wip chain reaction. some of it will be familiar but don’t worry, there’s plenty that’s brand new. it’s been a minute and i wanted to give the idea what it deserved. i’m hoping to post a new part every friday for the month of october! so with that we have

part 1: melissa

----------

Her door is barely open enough for a hushed conversation.

“It’s Friday night, Mulder.”

Scully keeps attempting to have a separation between work and home. After the underwhelming experience with Rob, she is sure Mulder is aware of this; that she wants to have a semblance of a personal life, even if she is dedicated to their cases. He is making it prove difficult, with his work and his interests so intertwined. It never ends.

“I know, but these reports just came through,” he insists. “You need to see them before…”

A cacophony of flatware and curse words comes from the kitchen. Scully continues to stare up at him, unperturbed, but Mulder’s eyes flash upward over her head. Behind his eyes, he is creating a story; putting together puzzle pieces that do not exist. 

“Got a date in there, Scully?”

A female voice, its volume raising in comparison to the muttered expletives, calls, “Dana, is that the pizza?” 

“My sister,” she corrects. 

Scully has seen Mulder reserved in the face of criticism, but he seems sheepish, maybe even embarrassed, at the idea that his obsessive nature was exposed to this audience. She finds the bashfulness radiating from him to be endearing in a boyish sort of way.

He gives her the stack of papers held together with a binder clip. Not one of the small ones, no, one of the big ones meant for thick analysis that will take an entire weekend to sift through. “Just look them over when you get a chance,” he tells her.

She nods, and when the door is shut, Melissa appears behind her like a graceful apparition. “Working on a weekend,” she marvels. “Sounds like someone else I know.”

“Shut up.”

“Are you going to ask him out?”

Scully turns away, retrieving her wallet from her purse, and starts counting out bills for their soon-to-arrive dinner. “It isn’t like that with Mulder, our relationship is professional,” she babbles. “I already got caught up dating in the bureau before and people that really matter in the FBI are finally starting to see my value after two years of paying my dues at the Academy, I’m not going to jeopardize my future by consorting with my partner.”

"Consorting?” Melissa retorts. “Come on, Dana, be honest. If he were just a guy on the street, would you?”

She thinks. Mulder is ambitious, brilliant, and has an unrivaled sense of humanity. His dedication is frighteningly thrilling. It gives her an enthusiasm to strive for more.

Scully realizes the list could go on. Mulder’s positive qualities are more than can be said about most of the men she’s been involved with and in only a short amount of time knowing him.

Yes, she probably would. If he were just any guy.

The doorbell rings.

“No.”

--

Exiting the elevator, Mulder has anticipation in his step. His keys are already out and he hopes he’s beaten Scully to the door. It’s her first day back in the office.

And after interviews, and doctor’s approvals, and signatures, she’s been fully cleared to be back in the field. Fearing desk duty or reassignment, both of them are quietly ecstatic that they can pick up their work.

He nearly jumps when he sees a flash of copper in front of the door. Damn. But then he notices it’s attached to an unfamiliar head on a taller body. It’s Melissa.

“How did you get down here?” he asks, no introductions. Melissa steps aside so he can unlock the door. He invites her in with a wave of his hand.

“You would be surprised how far you can get with some kind words and a good explanation,” Melissa says. She runs his hand over the books on top of a filing cabinet. She looks over her shoulder at him. “Something to consider for the future, Mulder.”

He continues to stare.

“I told security I had an appointment with you. No one argued,” she smiles, almost amused with herself. “Dana tells me we’re very similar. With all of our ‘wild ideas.’ You know what wild ideas I have, Fox? The concept that my sister can go to work and no one has to worry that they’ll never see her again.”

Scully knows the risks of the job, Mulder wants to say. Do you really think I get a vote on the decisions she makes?

“I care about Dana.”

“Then you’ll go easy on her.”

He nods, even though it’s a lie. He wants it to be the truth. The question isn’t whether he’ll go easy on her or not. He already knows, and he believes Melissa does too, that Scully will only push harder if he tries to lighten her load.

When Melissa leaves with a warning glare, Mulder shuffles papers until Scully arrives with Dr. Pierce. He promises himself that he will not be compelled by whatever this guy presents to him. Above all else, they will not take this case.

Listening to the tale of something possibly wandering around in temperatures of 130 degrees, he repeats not interested to himself, even though he is really, really interested.

“I want to work.”

He reminds himself of his conversation less than an hour ago.

Lead investigator is not a title Mulder takes that seriously. He has never been able to successfully sway Scully in her beliefs and pulling the authority card doesn’t seem like a tactic that would go over well. And while it’s a fact he will keep to himself, in her absence, he sees how utterly incompetent he can be without her.

He’s got an angel and a devil on his shoulders, two dueling Scully sisters. He suggests time off anyway.

“I’ve already lost too much time,” she replies. Oh, that guts him. She knows how easily convinced he can be with some good poetic phrasing.

It won’t be a very intense case. Probably just watching that same footage, giving some opinions on the evidence. It’ll end up being something they can toss to another, more equipped agency. The explanation soothes him enough to not block the door when Scully leaves to pack a bag.

Lying in a month-long quarantine, he has a lot of time to wonder by what means Melissa Scully will kill him.

--

Mulder toes the line between agnosticism and fairweather judaism; a fact that Scully has always respected, and never pushed back against. 

He normalizes empty pews and suspicious clergymen. The sea of mourners for Melissa Scully is a foreign sight. 

Guilt feels like a target on his back and he hopes no one will shoot the proverbial arrow, hoping for a bullseye. Or maybe he does. 

He sits right behind the reserved row and his eyes follow Scully as she walks gracefully up the aisle. She once described her sister as ethereal to him, a gossamer darling, but in her sorrow, it is she, it is Dana, that is the diaphanous messenger of all that is holy and light in the dark.

Scully doesn’t acknowledge him as she sits. He averts his eyes when he briefly meets the eyes of Mrs. Scully. Behind her crow’s feet and unwaveringly maternal gaze, he sees Dana, he sees Melissa.

The priest tells the legend of Melissa Scully that Scully never divulged to him. She studied anthropology at Brown and spent two years on an archeological dig in Peru. In her thirty-three years, she lived in four different countries, but felt a special connection to her teenage years in California. It is possible she cared more for her community than for herself, she appreciated art in all of its forms, and she loved writing letters to her beloved sister, Dana, while she was away at medical school.

Almost imperceptibly, Mulder sees the sharp raise of her shoulders, the sudden intake of breath. Her hand covers her mouth. He reaches forward and places his hand on her shoulder. She lays her hand over his. 

“The dynamic presence of Melissa Scully is a gift to the Lord,” the priest finishes. “Let us bow our heads in silent prayer.” 

Mulder wonders how Scully even allows his presence in the same space as her, allows him to breath the same air when they both know he is the reason her sister is dead. This stupid, this idiotic pursuit of his, that ruins lives with no remorse, and yet he remains powerless to surrender. 

[ramblingguy54]

How do you feel about the sudden shift in pacing in SUF? Personally, I was so disconcerted at first, I thought that it was /worse/ than the original series, then I rewatched, and realized that it was just really different. It's definitely a lot more blunt in the humor, and of course there's the whole Steven-not-knowing-everything-anymore-thing. What do you think?

The overall pacing of Steven Universe Future has been very enjoyable!

I genuinely find it to be pretty damn good actually, as its focus is crystal clear on where it should be. That being Steven Universe’s inner dilemma of what he’s supposed to do now the whole massive conflict with the Diamonds has been solved. As much as I loved Steven Universe’s story when it focused on the main conflict surrounding the Crystal Gems against their own planet and learning more about each of them, along with Rose’s entire backstory too, it still suffered from some of the Beach City episodes dragging it down in the pacing when it could’ve focused more on the other characters, like further exploring Lapis and Peridot’s chemistry for example. That isn’t to say I hated every single one, as some were actually enjoyable and gave me an appreciation for them in a sense. Sometimes it’s okay to take a breather and have a simple slice of life episode. Fun fact, I didn’t get into watching the OG series, until the movie was released last year, so that gave me more of a tolerance for the Beach City episodes. Makes me very glad that I waited this long because hoo boi some of the hiatus issues I’ve heard about from a close friend of mine, who got into watching this series when it first aired back then, weren’t pretty. LMAO!

Anyways, the idea surrounding Steven’s characterization of not-knowing-everything-anymore-thing, as you’ve put it, isn’t actually as weird, from I’ve heard some people make it out to be for a form of criticism that people on Tumblr have made rebuttals against before. It’s wonderfully consistent with what Steven’s character is all about and that’s trying to figure out his place in the world. This has always been a consistent struggle for himself, like the lyric mentioned in the full version of the series opening from Steven.

“I will fight to be everything that everybody wants me to be when I’m grown!”

Steven’s whole internal conflict surrounds not knowing whether or not he can exactly be like his mother, which puts a shit ton of insecurities on his own self-worth into trying to fit in with the other Crystal Gems because he’s not your average-every-day-kid that you see in society. He’s a special hybrid of human/gem that neither side of the species connected to him has ever seen before and that puts a ton of pressure onto how the boy feels a need to connect with both sides of himself. While he already has a deeply loving relationship with his father, Greg, Steven also wants to better understand that Gem lineage and why his mother was so revered by what he perceives to be these amazing warriors, who fight evil. Never mind putting this onto a kid’s existence, as soon as he or she’s brought into reality, but even an adult would struggle a lot with all this stuff. As the original story progressed, Steven learns all of the hardships the Crystal Gems faced many centuries ago and what his own mother did to protect the Earth in exchange for many issues Steven would have to handle, as soon as Pink Diamond gave up herself to create the child.

Holy shit, did he ever have to handle the baggage from Pink Diamond.

You should’ve shattered me back then. At least if I were in pieces, I wouldn’t have to know how little I mattered to you. You didn’t even tell em. You bubbled me away and didn’t ever tell your friends! MY friends!

I’m going to tell them. I’m gonna tell them everything.

Then you really are better than HER…

Pivotal moments, like in the episode centered around Bismuth, paint everything in an entirely different light for Steve’s ideals based around his mother. At first, Rose Quartz was implied to be an individual who could do no wrong to any living thing, but hindsight from Bismuth’s trauma paints everything in an entirely different light for this poor boy having to take on the entire blunt of this figurative dagger. A question that is represented in the episode, Storm In The Room.

Did you make me, just so you wouldn’t have to deal with all your mistakes!?

Is that all I’m here for…?

I’ve went into more detail about this episode in a previous ask surrounding this topic, so you can check that one out in your free time, but the point I’m making here is Steven has centered a lot of himself around the idea of Rose Quartz being a self-less individual and helped many others through her actions that put this entire series into motion in the first place, but when all of that from this kid’s perspective is thrown out the window through tragic events that also happened in part because of her decisions, Steven starts questioning everything about his life. I’d like think in these moments Steven’s internal dialogue is worded around these types of statements.

“I wanted to be a savior, like her. Although, she did bad things, too! Am I no different from her? Can I truly help people without hurting them in the process?”

That’s why he helped the Crystal Gems in The Test Season 1 episode feel better about their own issues, while hiding how hurt the boy felt about being lied to about the obstacle course being 100% percent un-failable because Steven adopted the selfless image of his mother in this important moment. Steven listened in on a private conversation he had no business hearing from Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl that fueled this idea further of becoming a savior to all living things and put into perspective that these “amazing warriors” were in fact very insecure like himself and needed Steven in their lives, just as much as he did.

That’s why he helped heal Lapis before.

That’s why he helped Peridot open her eyes and come outta her shell.

I could go on and on, but in a nutshell Steven has made life revolve around others so much that feels only natural to help anyone he can, considering that’s what his mother believed in. Even if they’re morally questionable individuals, Steven still tries to see the good in everyone. His angry statements against Lars attitude about Rose put all of that into perspective to contemplate about.

What do you know about my mom!? I didn’t even get to know my mom, but I do know she saw beauty in everything! Even in stuff like this and even in jerks like you!

Steven’s only known what to do because he’s adopted the ideals of his mother so much. Kind of like being brought into existence like your typical Gems, where they’re programmed to feel that way and commit the actions they’re all built for. It’s poetic honestly that he’s helped everyone, but not himself in the long run. These issues were piling on since the start because Steven didn’t have to worry about feeling inferior because he could always help everyone in this series, but now that the events of Steven Universe Future have occurred this puts everything into a more deeply poignant light for the kid entering a more mature phase of his life now and is going to reflect on every little aspect of himself.

There’s no such thing as happily ever after. I’ll always have more work to do.

But if there’s nothing to work out…

Steven Universe Future is a brilliant character study pay off to all those five seasons that were paving the way to this cementing the idea that Steven has issues that are spiraling outta control from putting all of independence into the idea that he has to be a savior like his mother was. Much like how Spinel was so attached to Pink Diamond as a “best friend”, Steven puts so much faith into the mindset that he has must stick his guns and stay that perfect savior everyone knows/loves. It’s unhealthy emotional attachment that is coming to light with these Pink outbursts of his. While he still loves what his mother stood for, despite feeling very conflicted about her in general these days, still strives to be the best parts of her and not the worst, hence the ending of the Rose Buds episode where he puts the painting of her pure persona into Lion’s mane realm.

It’s entirely reversed roles now where the Crystal Gems and mostly everyone are fine, but Steven is far from being emotionally stable currently in recent events. Steven Universe The Movie built the subversive punchline that this epilogue series has been delivering strongly on so far and hope it will continue to do so. I’ve loved how they’ve deconstructed Steven’s characterization.

To end this lengthy post, I’ll refer to these words from Jasper that sums up everything on Steven’s issues. She may have been seriously harsh, but Jasper aint wrong in some ways about Steven feeling very low on himself in general.

You think everyone needs help, but its only you! No one is as pitiful as you!

On a side note, regarding the humor real quick in Future, I can see why you’d think its more blunt. It’s very on the nose with how much it pokes fun at itself, but honestly I don’t have issues with it all. I don’t know about you, but I find it fucking hilarious how they’ve been openly taking potshots at their previous ideas in the story line. I’m always down for a creative team being snarky with themselves!

Thanks for taking the time to read this detailed post of mine! =)

[linkspooky]

Chuuya and Kunikida

For characters who we have not seen interact that much in canon, Kunikida and Chuuya actually have a lot in common besides the fact that they both hate Dazai, (I kid, I kid). 

What’s the similarity between an idealist striving for justice and a career crimminal for the mafia? Read more underneath the cut:

1. Inheriting Two Sides of the Conflict

Chuuya and Kunikida’s first significant interaction comes in the cannibalism arc, where both of them are the main commanding forces on opposite sides of a conflict. When the leaders of the armed detective agency and port mafia are taken out of commission at the same time, we see it is Kunikida and Chuuya who start giving orders in their place.

Both of these characters are also, primarily people you would not assume would take lead of the organization. Dazai was originally being groomed as the next boss to take over after Mori, even becoming an executive at a young age before Chuuya only to desert the mafia.

Kunikida exists in the Armed Detective Agency, which also both has Dazai, and Ranpo who are both tactical and analytical geniuses. The armed detective agency was also created specifically for Ranpo, and his relationship to Fuzukawa is similiar to Mori and Dazai’s (though far more positive, Mori and Dazai’s is almost a negative foil for the two of them). However, leadership falls to Kunikida the same way it did to Chuuya because he has something the two geniuses lack. Dazai moves pieces around on a chessboard, and Ranpo solves mysteries like a fictional detective straight out of detective novels, but first and foremost a leader must lead people. 

The two of them also have opposite reactions to taking charge. Chuuya when presented with the situation, his reaction is to immediately go on the offensive. He attacks the hospital before even considering any other option or trying to align with the armed detective agency. 

Kunikida’s first action was not to go on the offensive or defensive, it was to hesitate because he needed time to think of the best option. In a way it looks like they took opposite paths. Just like the Armed Detective Agency is the guardians of the Daytime and The Port Mafia are the guardians of the night, Chuuya acts quick and dirty in order to achieve results whereas Kunikida hesitates, and then eventually buys time to think of the ideal. 

However while they look as opposite as night and die, both of them had the same motivation at heart. Chuuya tried to levy all the forces of the Port Mafia on the hospital at once to force the ADA into surrendering, thereby minimizing the casualties of the total war. Whereas, the reason Kunikida suddenly felt overwhelmed, and tried to seek a third option eventually is because he also did not want any blood to be shed. Chuuya minimizes casualties, Kunikida seeks the ideal path where the least amount of people will get hurt. The only difference is Kunikida does not consider attacking Mori the same way that Chuuya immediately jumps to attacking Fukuzawa, because while they have the same motivation at heart Kunikida is still an idealist while Chuuya is a fatalist. 

Chuuya and Kunikida are at heart both motivated by the people around them, and wanting to protect those people. That is what makes them the ones most suited to take over leadership of both organizations. They see the human element that most of the other strategists do not. However, they both channel this deeply human urge into two different paths. 

Kunikida is an idealist, he strives for a goal far above reality.

Chuuya however, makes a lot of compromises with the extremely harsh reality that life in the mafia will show you. Notice how when Fyodor describes that even knowing that they are being manipulated, people cannot stop themselves from killing each other it cuts to a panel of Chuuya knowing that they’re trapped and saying he has no choice anyway. 

Chuuya is in a much less healthy environment than Kunikida, also considering that unlike Fuzukawa who has good and just intentions Mori is genuinely a bad and self serving person who uses people as tools exclusively to his benefit and their detriment. It’s a perfect way to describe Chuuya’s relationship with the mafia, paradoxically he’s presented to us as a good, loyal person who is willing to protect his comrades just like Kunikida is but because he is in the mafia he ends up killing people. He’s been manipulated for so long it’s what he’s used to, in situation where he knows he’s being manipulated, he still chooses to take the mafia and kill people in the end because it is his only home. 

Kunikida does not bend, Chuuya compromises, but that does not necessarily mean one of them is better than the other because Chuuya willing to bend and lower himself means he can reach some people in the underworld that Kunikida never could.

Both of them are inheriting a world that is currently in an uneasy peace, but also constantly threatening to go out of balance again. The post-war system set up by Natsume-sensei did manage to bring some kind of peace, but considering the number of orphans in the streets, the slums, and murders that still happen in the city in broad daylight it’s still a heavily flawed system. Kunikida and Chuuya are set to inherit both of these flaws on opposite sides. Kunikida has spent his entire life trying to fight these flaws, whereas Chuuya has spent his life shaped by these flaws as he was practically raised by the mafia. 

They’re also both people who originally belonged to a separate group, but had to go rogue because their original group failed them. The Sheep betrayed Chuuya which led him to question his abilities as a leader, which is why he settled for taking orders in the Port Mafia. Kunikida was a police man, a teacher, before joining a private detective agency to pursue justice that way. They both have strong senses of justice that require them to go radically outside the system in order to achieve what they want, for Chuuya its to be able to lead and protect the people under him, for Kunikida its to strive for his ideals. 

They were both shaped by a broken conflict and eventually the responsibility will fall onto both of them to better both sides of the conflict, rather than maintaining a status queue that still creates many victims. 

2. Relationship to Dazai

Kunikida is Dazai’s current partner, while Chuuya is his ex-partner and member of the famous Soukoku duo. Dazai’s relationships with both of them on the surface read similiarly. He goes out of his way to annoy both of them like it’s his only hobby. 

While they are partners Dazai knows both of them inside and out. There are times that rather than openly trusting them with information he will instead manipulate them to come to the conclusion that he wants them to. He can even claim to know everything about them, or be able to accurately predict all of their actions, and most of the time if the two of them agree on a strategy it will be Dazai’s strategy they are following. 

His behavior of annoying others, purposefully antagonizing them, treating them as enemies even when they are partners, and then trying to control them are all related behaviors for Dazai. Dazai is someone who fundamentally has trouble forming relationships with others, especially when he is required to see them as human beings. If their ability to see humanity in their comrades is their greatest quality, then Dazai’s inability is his worst quality. 

Dazai’s behaviors are all ways of relating to other people without actually having to communicate or let himself be known by them. If he annoys them, and antagonizes them, pressing all their buttons is a good way to figure out all of their boundaries by watching their reactions. In a way he’s playing with them only to observe them, and Kunikida and Chuuya are both so quick tempered they fall for it every time. Another thing despite being a mafia dog, and an idealist, both Kunikida and Chuuya are incredibly true to their emotions in a way Dazai can never be, which on one level makes them easy for him to read and provoke, but on another level makes him jealous.

When dealing with both of them it’s Dazai’s natural tendency to try to take control. Which is why his main method of strategy is to predict their actions. With Kunikida he more trusts Kunikida to follow through on his predictions, whereas he will try to actively manipulate Chuuya into doing what he wants. However, both of these characters are also so true to their own emotions it adds an unknown, illogical, unpredictable element to both of them which is why Dazai cannot truly bring them under his heel. They assert their humanity at every turn, forcing Dazai to deal with that. Kunikida will care for ideals which Dazai sees as meaningless, and Chuuya acts so much on instinct he will go off on his own and take paths that Dazai would avoid because they are illogical. 

They both have something which Dazai lacks. They both value the loyalty that Dazai does not have, because he is not capable of making connections in the same way they are. One of Chuuya’s biggest reasons for hating Dazai leaving the mafia is that he betrayed the Port Mafia that Chuuya himself is loyalty, leaving behind all of their own comrades. He easily walked all over what was everything to Chuuya. It’s because they have these qualities they can become leaders in a way that Dazai is not. Dazai is the demon prodigy who inherited the executive position at eighteen, but you only need to look at how Dazai treated Akutagawa to tell what kind of leader Dazai was. In comparison, Chuuya while not shown to do so in the manga, in spinoff materials is often showing watching Akutagawa, nervously approaching him and trying to pick up the pieces that Dazai left behind, because he values what Dazai doesn’t. 

That is why no matter how much he antagonizes them, Dazai also has a deep respect and trust for both of them. Besides Odasaku, the two of them are the closest that Dazai comes to trusting other people as equals. 

3. Chuuya Longs to Become Human, Kunikida Longs to Become and Ideal 

Chuuya and Kunikida are both individuals deeply invested in protecting the lives of all those around them, especially those in immediate sight like the detective agency and the mafia. For Kunikida this is his ideal, for Chuuya it’s the reason he fights.

Chuuya has been since the days of the sheep, basically allowing himself to be used as a tool by organizations if it means he can protect the comrades around him, and have a place in that organization. 

Chuuya even joined the port mafia - after the sheep betrayed him by sacrificing himself in order to protect the sheep. It’s also the primary flaw in both characters, that they are almost selfless to a fault to a point where their own self esteem plummets. This is what makes Chuuya so interesting as a character, he is generally a good, sefless guy, just... you know, working for the Mafia. Chuuya lets himself be used by the mafia, and both shapes his image and acts like he has a code of honor, like a classic ‘noble mafioso or honor-bound yakuza’ character from fiction. In a way because their own selves are so lesser to them they are both acting out ideals. However, the way they follow ideals only leads to contradictions, for example Chuuya acts like the noble criminals that the Port Mafia make themselves out to be, the lesser of two evils, the ones who fight for the peace of the city at night, however his boss is Mori one of the most unsavory characters in the series. 

Despite being one of the most idealistic characters in the series, we also see Kunikida do the opposite of follow his ideals several times early in the manga. When trying to save Atsushi would be too difficult because they were also handling a high profile case at the same time, Kunikida seriously considers the risk too great to save him. Kunikida advocates against his ideal of saving everyone. 

He also tells Atsushi not to save Kyouka. At which point he elaborates that while he desires to save everyone, he himself already knows that there are people he just cannot save and he’s learned this through his own failures. 

He is also the first to advocate for turning Kyouka into the police, because while admitting she is sympathetic Kunikida also lectures Atsushi that he must become responsible for the person that he saves. 

If Atsushi is a reckless idealist who is driven to save everyone without really thinking of the consequences, then Kunikida is an idealist who clashes with reality over and over again. Note that Dazai saves Atsushi and Kyouka pretty easily and Kunikida is hesitant to help both of them because of the burden that the agency would carry bringing both of them on board. However, this is not because Kunikida does not care, but rather he cares too much. He sees all the possible consequences human and otherwise and fears failure which is why he is reluctant to recklessly charge ahead. It’s easy to just save people like Dazai does when you don’t care, and just pick them up like pieces on a chessboard.

Caring too much isn’t always a heroic quality, it can be a burden on itself. Chuuya and Kunikida take far too much responsibility when things go on around them, which leads them to their biggest flaw they are both far too aware of their own weaknesses. Kunikida and Chuuya struggle with the idea that they are lesser than others, less important. Chuuya himself is less than human due to being Aharabaki and having no history, or place to belong except with the people who use him. He acts loyalty to the mafia, follows the mafia’s rules and ways of living, because he thinks it gave him everything. 

Chuuya’s struggle is a very personal one, and he tends to take everything personal. Dazai left him behind when he left behind the mafia, which is why Chuuya wants to settle it hand to hand with him. Chuuya has close connections to Ane-san, Akutagawa, and those close connections are the ones he fights for. 

Kunikida is a lot more impersonal, as he tends to see ideals over people. That is why despite how competent he can be, he has almost no personal friends, and no girlfriend. His comrades at the agency are probably his entire world at this point because they are literally the only human connections he has, even though Kunikida treats that much more like a work relationship than anything else. 

Kunikida is human in a way that Chuuya is not. He’s deeply emotional. He presumably has a family, and a history, whereas Chuuya was robbed of both of those things when he fused with Aharabaki. However, Kunikida also wants to escape that. To him, his human emotions, his weaknesses always run contrary to his ideals. He wants to be an emotionless machine who does not hesitate and saves everyone. 

Which is why early on in his character arc we see Kunikida advise for taking the more practical routes. Not because he does not want to save those people, but because he knows that reality is going to crush him if he tries. We see exactly what happens when Kunikida fails to save a child that he does not even know, he’s capable of caring this much for complete strangers imagine how much it would affect him if his comrades were killed in front of him. Kunikida acts cold and distant because he fears his humanity will crush him, therefore he tries to suppress that humanity and strive for the ideal instead. He longs for the ideal, and strength, to be a tool that can be useful to others, even though he’s so naturally human. 

Chuuya is the opposite, in fact we see him almost let Dazai kill a child in front of him earlier in the manga. While this was a wrong action on Chuuya’s part, he also had his reasons for doing so. 

For Chuuya his own subordinates and comrades are so important, that he wants to remove Kyusaku to remove the danger from them. Chuuya also, probably does not understand Q’s full situation and therefore all he sees is a walking time bomb that put his men in danger. Chuuya’s view of the world is, if you’re not useful to your comrades then you die, it’s shaped by the Port Mafia who left Akutagawa one of their greatest assets and most loyal members to die after failing just one mission and in critical condition. 

It’s not the right thing to do but it is a comrpomise. Chuuya is able to compromise and adopt a fatalistic view point with reality much easier than Kunikida. Which also, means he can become a tool in a way Kunikida never can. Chuuya himself already has an inhuman quality, and an immense power inside of him that erodes away at his ego and the human parts of him. He can even flip his brain off like a switch and become a being of pure power that is almost unstoppable. He has the power that Kunikida longs for, and also the ability to not get broken by reality because he is not as human as Kunikida is. Chuuya does not trust himself, he considers himself to be the one at fault for the Sheep’s betrayal of him, he thinks he is missing something as a person as a leader which is why he lets himself be used rather than try to act for himself. 

However, the things that Chuuya values the most are not power, or even ideals, but rather his comrades underneath them. In Dead Apple he’s shown to care about those same comrades years after the fact, and is broken by the loss of them. Chuuya will always choose people over ideals, which is why he’s able to form such close personal relationships with others even on the wrong side of the law. 

Chuuya’s path forward is in recognizing himself. The reason he is blind to Mori’s faults is because his self image is so low he believes he needs to follow Mori’s orders. However, Chuuya is the one set up to inherit the Port Mafia, once he realizes not only does he value his comrades but he needs to stand up against Mori if he values them, because he is the better choice to lead them, he will be able to take the Port Mafia on the path of what it is supposed to be, rather than what it acts like under Mori’s self interest. 

They both live in this constant struggle trying to find their own humanity, amongst the people they fight for, and the ideals they represent as they let themselves be used as tools in the conflict. However, Chuuya is much more aware of what to Kunikida is a recent revelation. That he actually cares more about his comrades than his ideals, which is why Chuuya is the one we always see compromising and taking the more fatalist path. Kunikida does not realize how much he would break and the importance of his comrades around him in maintaining his ideals until someone else points it out to him. 

Which if Kunikida’s arc is to continue is something he will have to grapple with and be aware of. As much as he wants to be a selfless idealist and choose ideals over people, the person who Kunikida is naturally cares about people a lot more than his ideals. His ideals are a construction and a way to live his life, but what he lives for ultimately is the people around him. That does not mean his ideals are worthless however, but Kunikida needs to find a way to balance them so he can fight for people and ideals. Otherwise his constant choosing of ideals over people is something that will only distance him from the people he cares about the most. 

Chuuya and Kunikida, on two sides struggling against each other, the same struggle, of human beings, of tools, of ideals, of harsh realities let’s hope both of them come out on top. 

[7-insanities]

TRANSCRIPT:

So it's come to my attention that you people don't know what the fuck is going on. Um, and you're giving me asks that make absolutely no goddamn sense. So, I've decided that I need to give you guys the lowdown on at least the basics on the insanities, so, without further ado. 

*tsk* *clearing throat* Insanity is the altered, incomplete, overly complete, or incoherent awareness of any of the following: consumption, creation, unknown, body, space, time, nothing. *tsk* *inhale* *hand clap* Does that make enough sense for you? If not, I'll just, *sigh* I-I'll pontificate further. The insanity of consumption, for example, is the obsessive collecting of, of-of-of anything, really, of anything that is, conceptual or physical, uh, most commonly hoarding. Um. *tsk* Don't think of it as like, gluttony, 'cause that doesn't quite- that's not quite the same thing, 'cause you're not... So, if you consume a lot of food, if you need that food, that's fine. But, if you don't need it, that's insanity of consumption. Un-unnecessary hoarding, unnecessary consumption, to a superfluous degree. And once it gets bad enough you lose yourself in that, hoard that you've, created. Um, honestly it's more often a conceptual type, which is actually very common for all of the insanities. The conceptual culmination of the insanity is more often that the physical, but, physical can happen. Um, usually the conceptual culmination of any of the insanities, uh, is what... brings about the physical culmination of it. Let me just move on with the rest of the insanities, and then I'll explain how they work. Insanity of creation is a little bit the opposite of insanity of consumption. There's a lot of dichotomy with the insanities, like, there's kind of a... yin-yang, kinda going on with some of them, they kinda pair up. It's, confusing. Uhm, of course, I understand it completely, it's just that, y'know. *tsk* I researched it, which, I would've hoped some of the people coming into this blog would've done the same, but... eh. Not everyone can know everything. *inhale* Anyway, insanity of creation. It is... becoming lost in things of your own creation. Um... it's, making more things than need to be, made. Again, most often conceptually. It's... kind of in the same realm as hoarding, except... like, you put more out in the world instead of taking. Like, people who... write stories, and then get lost in their own stories that they make and sort of don't interact with the real world anymore, that's insanity of creation. Insanity of unknown is, it's- it's basically like addiction, I guess, uh, is the most common one. It-it-it, when you drink, or if you, like, I dunno, smoke weed or do coke or whatever, that's insanity of unknown because you're trying to forget, something. Basically, trying to forget things is what insanity of unknown is. Trying to be d- the attempt, to be disconnected from your own mind. And, obviously, that can lead to... like... losing your own mind, not having track of it anymore. Uh- loss of coherent thought, at all. Uh, vegetation, or a coma, I guess. Or just. Y'know. Dying. But, usually the insanities don't result in death, which is, unfortunate. Um, because death is usually kinder. Uh, insanity of body, is- again, kinda yin-yang thing going on here, a disconnect from one's- not, necessarily your own body, but, the place that you inhabit, the place that your- cognition... is, culminated in. Being disconnected from it, feeling as if it's not... connected to you, like. Body dysphoria, is, the... best way I can think to describe, one, culmination of it. Not to say all trans people are insane. That's not- *slight laugh* That's not how it works. Insanities can, uh, come from something like that, I guess. But, that doesn't mean it will. It's, overindulging, it's, falling too deep into it, that, causes the insanities to culminate. So, if you're trans, and you get body dysphoria, don't worry. You're probably not insane unless it, consumes your entire being. Uh, if that- if that happens then, well, sorry, you're insane. Um, not much I can do for you there. Insanity of space, is, kind of similar to insanity of body I guess, except it's the altered or, incomplete, again, going back to the original definition, perception of space, like your sight being altered for example, or, like, physically being blind, which, again, not all blind people are insane. But, you can become insane from being blind if you lose yourself to that. Uh... *inhale* Listen. I know what I'm talking about, is the thing- I know exactly what I'm saying here. The difference, between knowing and explaining, is... *quickly* there's a difference- Um, anyway. Any altered perception of space, especially if you are used to one way of perceiving space, and, it's, gone... y'know, different, and you can't, really cope with it. Usually results in... like, space altering itself around you to the point where your perception of space is, no longer euclidian. Space and time are the insanities that come from actual scientific research most of the time, like, if you pour yourself into scientific research, if you push the bounds of what is- what we as humans are... familiar with. Like if you- if you indulge in the, conceptualizing of non-euclidian space, it can start to, alter your own perception. Anyway, insanity of time is much the same. Your perception of time becoming altered to the point where it is so unfamiliar to you that... you are displaced, from, the, normal flow of time. For example, insanity of unknown, can be like a gateway to insanity of time. Uh, because, you're altering your memory. And when you alter your memory, you have an altered perception of time, and the way, events have played out, and, that sort of, culminates, uh, it- it snowballs. Um, most of the insanities are connected to each other in certain ways that can lead to one another, but, the one insanity that is, I think the most unifying, and... I want to say the ultimate, is insanity of nothing. It is... the inherent insanity of, void, of nothingness, of, the lack, of... thing. Uh- death, essentially. Usually the other s- insanities will lead to it, but that doesn't, have to be how it works. Um, there's no real rules. Just guidelines. That's kind of, the basis of the whole thing really. There's no rules, the entire thing is based around breaking conventional rules. The more you try to categorize them, the less it makes sense, and that's kind of the nature of the thing. But I'm trying to anyway. For you. 'Cause I'm, nice like that. Right- but, insanity of nothing is... lack of being, it is death beyond death. It is... the lack of a concept at all. Every, being, that has cognition, is susceptible to an insanity- any of the insanities, but... we are all most susceptible to insanity of nothing which is why we strive, so hard never to interact with it, because it will, destroy you. You will become, something else, and... If you decide to pursue in a way that, involves other people? And this is just my own theories, at this poi- well it's all my own theories, kind of. It's me extrapolating other people's theories, but this is my theory? It, would, be the end of the universe. *tsk* Which would suck. Frankly. 'Cause I wouldn't get to pontificate at you anymore. *inhale* So. *clap* Those are the insanities; how do they work? Well, it's all based on the theory of perception and... Okay so, the human mind and the way it perceives things and the way that it creates those perceptions into its own reality... The theory is that it's powerful enough to, affect... i-ih, well... It's powerful enough to, get away from us. Your own, perception and cognition, can... culminate in a way... that behaves... outside of your own conscious comprehension. *tsk* That's why ghosts, UFOs, um... *tsk* uh, conspiracies, stuff like that, are so prevalent, because, we're making them happen with our own perceptual, like... cognition with each other, like... Ah, I'm not... *frustrated sigh* It's hard to explain, it really is. Basically, *tsk* what you perceive, if it's real enough to you, it can... for lack of a better term, get away from you, and... start to affect you in ways that you did not... cognizently want. There's no gods, there's no, like... something, behind the s-scenes pulling the strings or whatever, it would- that... that would be too simple. No. It's all us. And I think that's the scariest thing. ... *tsk* Not that I'm scared of it, I'm not. Just, like, objectively scary. ... *inhale* That's about all I can pontificate on for now. *sigh* Send in your asks. Give me something to do. *deeper sigh* I need a distraction.

[therainroguefanfiction]

༄ How To Save A Life… » original

Genre: Slice of Life, Angst

Word Count: 2,003

Pairing: None

World: Original

WARNING: This fic mentions anxiety, social anxiety, loneliness, self-harm and depression.

━━━━━━༻🌧️༺━━━━━━

It’s amazing, how such a simple gesture can mean so much to a person. They may not even realize the impact that they made, despite how big it may be. Human beings have the power to connect in a way that goes beyond any other species, but they don’t always choose to do so. With a simple act, a person can change another’s life, whether for good or bad. That kind of power is dangerous, so I suppose it’s a good thing that most human beings don’t realize they actually possess such a thing.

The more I think about it, the more it scares me. But I guess that doesn’t mean much, seeing how afraid I am of other humans in general. I really didn’t like other people, and I absolutely hate the way they make me feel when I’m around them. I go out of my way to avoid other people, and I make sure that I don’t get into any type of fights or altercations with others. I seem to have a skill, though, that makes people hate me with every fiber of their being. It’s been that way since I was a child.

Back then, I strived to get close to other people; all I wanted was a single person I could call a friend. It didn’t work out like I had hoped or like it always does on television. I didn’t fit in with any of the groups around me, even though I went out of my way to change myself to fit them. I did many things I shouldn’t have, that I still regret to this day, just to get them to like me, but they wouldn’t, they refused to accept me. They used me for what they could get, got a good laugh, and then dumped me to the side like roadkill.

It was frustrating, sure, but more than anything else, it just plain hurt. It wasn’t physical, so there was no amount of medicine that I could take that would cure the pain. I refused to do drugs and I refused to go out and get drunk just to forget. I suppose what I did choose to do was just as bad, though. Instead of drugs or alcohol, I turned to cutting. It terrified me every time I placed the smooth blade to my pale skin. Even though I was in so much pain, I didn’t want to die.

I was afraid to die.

I loved the world, I just hated the people in it.

Still, I slid the blade across my skin despite my fear. It was never deep enough to put me in harm’s way, which proves how much of a coward I really am – it’s pretty sad. It was no deeper than a cat scratch, but it still stung and throbbed, and little diamonds of blood covered it like a blanket. It was enough to make me feel better, for a few minutes, before I started to feel stupid for what I was doing to myself. That just made the situation worse.

I already hated myself for various reasons – fat, ugly, and above all else, unable to do anything right, just to name the main ones – and now I had cutting to add to my list. I was a despicable human being, I still am, but at least I can handle it a bit better now. I don’t cut anymore, though it does cross my mind occasionally.

Perhaps that’s a side effect of the crazy pills that I’m on now.

Though the pills do ease the fear of human beings, it can’t take it away. It’s still there, lingering just beneath the surface, waiting for me to feel safe and secure before it winds its black arms around me like death coming from the shadows. It grips my throat until I can’t breathe, and chains my heart so tight that it hurts every time it beats.

Sometimes I would envision myself in a barren wasteland, filled with nothing but rock formations that towered over me like skyscrapers. I could see chains binding my wrists to a metal plate in the ground, one that refused to budge so much as half an inch. The ground would crack beneath me, and lava would begin to seep through, but I couldn’t run away.

I could never run away.

I often wondered if someone could come to my rescue, to take me away, but I hated how that sounded. One thing I didn’t like – besides people -, was being a damsel in distress that needed a knight in shining armor to come to rescue her. Really, I’d be fine with just having someone that was a true friend, but after a while, I started to doubt the meaning of that word. I actually looked it up, and the definition only filled me with misery, knowing that I’d never have such a relationship.

Sure, there were people that tolerated me and my smart ass quips, like my co-workers, but something deep down told me they didn’t actually like me. I’m positive they only act nice because we have to see each other every week, and often are put together on projects. The day goes by in a painfully slow manner when you’re working with someone and there’s nothing but lightning between you – sadly, I know this because I just recently learned the true nature of my friend, who believes she’s done nothing wrong.

But I’m probably mostly to blame, anyway.

I guess I got a little off point, here, and for that, I apologize. I’m sure my ramblings mean nothing to you. So, let me spare you further hell, and begin telling you my boring, bang-your-head-against-a-brick-wall story.

Everything began when I was twenty-years-old, working at the local J.C. Penneys in the mall. It was my second job, and although my bosses were lenient and pleasant to be around – most of the time -, I still hated it. Not only because I was lazy, but because I hated having to deal with customers. Dealing with the people I worked with was one thing, but having the thought of being thrown onto the register with a customer was like staring my own death in the face.

Wait, I take that back. I’d rather stare death in the face than be on the register with customers.

Thankfully, this rat has learned to hide and run from customers – which would probably get me fired if anyone knew I did that since the company was one of those customer first types. That’s also why I do my very best to keep these thoughts tucked away from prying eyes. I mean, I hated being out there with people, but I needed the money. And in what other job would you be able to cower in an air-conditioned stock room by yourself, with no one to deal with but the massive racks of clothes that needed to be priced? It was heaven, really, but it didn’t happen very often.

I guess in a way I rely on my co-workers more than I should. With them around, I can roll the customer off onto them and get away scot-free. They don’t mind since they can actually handle having a simple conversation with other people.

It was the beginning of Spring, the beginning of April, and although it had been slightly chilly as of late, Florida was beginning to warm up. I didn’t mind the rare thirty-degree weather, it was the eighty-degree humidity covered weather that sent me to the floor panting and begging my family to move to Antarctica. I was very sensitive to heat, of any kind, which is another thing I can add to my pathetic list.

Nothing really special was happening in my life at the time, not like it ever did at any other time. I woke up last minute, rushed off to work, grit my teeth and tried not to harm myself just to be sent home, and when I finally would make it home, I’d flop in front of the computer where I stayed until it was time to go to bed.

See, rather than being one of those kids that goes out and parties the night away, having sex with every guy that smiles at her, I’ve always been the nerdy kid that sat at home, with no friends, playing video games and screwing around online. If anything, that’s the only thing I can say I like about myself. Of course, I probably would have done those things if I had actually had friends to coax me into them – I cave easily, remember?

That Monday, I expected the same routine.

I was only working six hours, so I just bit the inside of my cheek and decided to bare it, just like I did every other day that I worked at this godforsaken clothing store – I didn’t even like fashion, for fuck’s sake. That should be pretty obvious since I only ever come to work in t-shirts, jeans, and dirty sneakers that were falling apart – thank you, Walmart, for your wonderful quality in shoes.

I said goodbye to my mother, and promised to call her which I had no intention of doing – I mean, come on, I only get fifteen minutes, and I fully intend on spending those minutes trying to stay alive!

Since it was seven in the morning, and the store did not open until ten, I was forced to stand there looking like an idiot, pushing the little white button until my supervisor came power walking to the door with the keys. The older woman would smile and greet me with the typical good morning routine before telling me what I would be doing that day.

After her explanation, I’d take the elevator to the second floor – and god was it slow – before heading to the pricing office. Just like always, my team was already back there, scrambling around getting pricing books and sheets, picking out the cart they wanted, and trying to find a scanner that actually worked – those were few and far between, believe me.

The women would greet me, but it was nothing beyond a simple ‘good morning‘. Though I wanted to say something else, I never did, because I never knew what to say, and I knew I could never hold a conversation without doing something I’d regret. It was easier just to keep it short and simple. Seeing these women did make me feel a bit happy, even though we weren’t friends. I liked their presence, and they could be rather funny when they worked together.

Today we were looking for clearance in the Men’s department. Apparently, we had about fifty sheets of stuff to find, though I was sure we’d only be successful in about half the list, if that.

When nine-forty rolled around, I attended the meeting just so I could sit down for a few minutes, though nothing they discussed had anything to do with my team and, to be completely honest, I could care less about who got the most ICAPS, and who got the best reviews on the survey.

Good for them.

Give ’em a damn cookie and move on.

I took my time after the meeting ended because I decided to take my break now, so I could have fifteen more minutes without the threat of customers. I always did this when I worked six-hour days; it was starting to become a routine.

With those fifteen minutes, I spent them in the air-conditioned break room, in the back corner – or emo corner, as I’ve officially dubbed it -, trying to collect my thoughts and prepare myself for the horrible experience I was going to be throwing myself into it. It took a lot to calm myself down, but I managed it, just like always.

If only I had known how different that day was going to be.

If only I had known what was really going to happen to me that day.

I really should have stayed home.

━━━━━━༻🌧️༺━━━━━━

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[michiigii-writes]

Of Shadows and Tyr (2/??)

The second night of our campaign, following this post!

In this installment, Strive struggles with the whims of Wuy and Fai, twin pagan deities of communication and connection.

Shadow’s POV is right here.

-----

Condor, Fallon, and Usaris

"My daughter!  They took my daughter!"

Turning sharply to the tavern doorway, I saw a dishevelled half-elf, aged somewhere in his late thirties, pleading with anybody who would hear him.  He looked sincerely upset, but all the bar patrons around him were laughing and waving him off.

"What else is new?" I heard one patron snicker.

"Sit down and calm yourself," another patron jeered.

I wanted to continue with my filched pie, and finish drinking my cider, personally.  I hadn't eaten much that morning.  Valzan, on the other hand, got up and of course he offered his assistance to the man at the door.

I wondered if all paladins went out of their way to offer people their assistance, or if this was specific to Valzan.  Maybe it was part of the tenets of Tyr.  Or maybe it was just his catchphrase.  I'd have to ask Elyssia the next time I saw her.

The man joined our table, Valzan directing him to sit a good distance from Shadow.  He introduced himself as Condor, the town crier of Kendrith.  He reported that the reason why the other bar patrons had laughed, was because his daughter had a habit of sneaking off.  But this time was different; normally, she stayed away overnight, but she had been missing for ten days, already.  Clearly, something was wrong.

As Condor continued his tale, I happened to notice that there was a human seated nearby, dark, tangled hair falling around his face.  He wasn't obvious about it, but the way he was leaning slightly towards our table made me suspect that he was listening in.  I didn't sense any danger or aggression coming from him, but I kept him in the corner of my eye.

"Can you help me find my daughter?" Condor asked, looking around the table at each of us, desperation clear on his face.

I examined him before answering.  He seemed sincere; this wasn't some strange bait to lure us to a second location.  Genuine concern for her daughter was apparent.

He lost a few points with me for admitting that he usually locked his daughter in their home while he was away.  If she was about 12 years old, surely she wouldn't need to be caged in, like that.

Valzan and I were pretty sure that we could trust Condor (Shadow, naturally, seemed ambivalent about the whole situation), but Craven wanted some kind of character witness.  When Condor admitted that he was a regular to this tavern, Craven got up crossed the room, searching briefly until he came across three dwarves who were settled at their own table.  I didn't catch the conversation, but from watching across the room, the dwarves seemed civil, Craven nodded as he questioned them a few times, and then he suddenly got very flustered and yelled something about, "Not that there's anything wrong with dwarves!" before hurrying back to our table.

Our waitress, Mildred, returned around the same time that Craven did, and he requested that whatever foods we didn't eat be sent to the dwarves across the way.  He seemed contented with that for about a split second, before regret flashed across his face.

"Wait, but then I'm leaving them with our scraps!" Craven bemoaned, "Oh, no, the implications...!"

Muttering to himself, Craven sat down heavily, shaking his head.  I wasn't sure what had happened between he and the group he had interviewed, but chances were, he was being silly again.

Noticing that Mildred seemed less busy, Valzan requested to speak privately with her at the bar.  The two of them moved off, leaving Shadow, Craven and I with Condor.

“Anyway," Craven sighed, "Condor checks out!"

I nodded my agreement, and Condor seemed relieved.  We made arrangements with the town crier to investigate his home and see if we could figure out what happened to his daughter.  Craven decided to keep Valzan informed.

"Hey, Valzan!" he yelled across the room, "We're going to Condor's place!"

Valzan made a shooing motion with his arm, indicating that he was busy, but Craven seemed to think he was waving.  The Kalashtar stood up and waved his own arm enthusiastically over his head.

"Yeah, byeee!!" Craven boomed, making Shadow cringe.

I pulled my hood even deeper over my face.  The tavern wasn't crowded, but there were still enough patrons that we were gathering stares.  And it was embarrassing.  I did not like being the centre of attention in a public space.

Being the centre of attention got you kicked.

At the bar, Valzan put a hand up in a clear "stop" signal.  As in, "Craven, please just stop!"

"You want five more rounds?!" Craven exclaimed, motioning to the mug he had been drinking from.

"nO!" I exclaimed, jumping to my feet, "We should step out!"

"What?" Craven asked too loudly, probably not able to hear me because he was so used to hearing the sound of his own yelling, and I have a normal voice.

"Craven, we should step outside!" I said, panic rising in my voice as I could feel even more eyes turning towards us.

I tried to pull him by the arm towards the door, but of course he was a giant lump, and strength was my weakest attribute, so I couldn't budge him.

"We're going to go outside!" Craven yelled, giving Valzan a thumbs-up, and finally to my relief began moving towards the exit.

"Shadow, are you coming?" I asked, motioning to the door while Condor got up to follow Craven.

I looked back at Shadow; she seemed pretty content where she was.  The silver-eyed stranger who had been eavesdropping looked like he was snickering, but he, too, didn't move.  I glanced at Valzan; he seemed to be keeping an eye on Shadow.  I didn't trust him with much, but at the very least, I knew Shadow was safe with him.

And I really, really wanted to get out of the Room of A Hundred Judging Eyes.

On the way out the door, I could have sworn I heard Shadow hiss something, and suddenly Craven was reeling slightly.

"Ow..."

The three of us finally outside, Craven turned around and I could see a thin trail of blood leaking from his nose.  I made a mental note to thank Shadow later.

"We should wait for the others to come out before heading to your home," I said to Condor, but also speaking to Craven, "They don't know where you live."

"That suits me just fine," Condor nodded, taking a seat on a nearby bench.

Craven also sat down, pinching the bridge of his nose to stop the bleeding, and I pulled out one of my library books, examining diagrams and comparing them to plants growing in the lawn and garden out front.

"What are you looking for?" Craven asked, a little nasally. "Healing herbs," I answered, squinting at what was probably just a daisy, "You'd be surprised how many plants that people think are weeds end up having healing properties."  The Kingsfoil plant came to mind.

"Well, if you find a health potion, that'd be great," Craven suggested.

I hid a smile.  Like I would give him a free health potion for a minor wound like the one he had.

"It's just a nose bleed; you'll be fine," I waved dismissively, content in waiting outside for the others to join us.

--

To my surprise, our mystery eavesdropper was accompanying Valzan and Shadow when they finally exited the tavern.  Valzan introduced him as Fallon Kalabtihn, and apparently, he had volunteered to join our party.  He was a very, very tall human; even taller than Craven, by a couple inches!  But he wasn't as muscular as Craven or even Valzan; most of his body was hidden by a long, flowing cloak, but from his face and hands, he looked lean.

Again, he did not seem dangerous, but he smiled in what I could only describe as a friendly look.  Nobody I had ever met had warmed up to me that quickly.  Clearly, there was something off about him.

While we walked, I made sure to keep Valzan and Craven between Fallon and I.

It wasn't too long of a walk, heading out of town with the sun at our backs.  Craven kept up conversation by chatting with Fallon.  Apparently, Craven was from the west side of where he was from, not to be mistaken for the east side.  This was very important to him.

We came to the edge of a forest, and in the shade of an oak, Condor's house came into view.  It was a weathered, old building, and when he opened the door, we could see that it was mostly just one main room, with a couple beds for its residents.  Valzan asked if Condor knew about a group of slavers working nearby; the town crier reported that he hadn't been all that aware of them.  

Not seeing much indoors, I let the others investigate there while I moved outside.  I knew about survival and terrain, anyway.  Craven joined me, and we looked around for tracks.

Interestingly, nothing was out of the ordinary.  It was like Condor's daughter had never left.

Giving up our search, we headed back to the house, and were just in time to see Shadow scurry into a hole in the ground.  Pushing past the others and hurrying after her, I saw that she had moved one of the beds, and there was ladder leading down into the dark.  Worried about Shadow's safety, and feeling pretty confident that I would be able to see in the dark, I followed suit, moving quickly down the ladder.

At the bottom, I was surprised to see a decently sized bunker, small, but just large enough that I didn't feel too claustrophobic.  And the air was surprisingly fresh; maybe even better air than in Condor's cramped house upstairs.  A torch lit the room, revealing a wardrobe in one corner, and a table towards the room's centre, where Shadow was already investigating some trinkets.

"There's a room down here," Valzan called up; I started a little, then turned to see that he had followed me down, Craven and Fallon not far behind.

"A room?" Condor's voice from above sounded shocked, "I didn't know of it!"

I crossed the notably empty room, to the wardrobe.  I knocked on the door a couple times, in case Condor's daughter was hiding there, hoping not to startle her, before trying the door.

It swung open smoothly; there was no lock.

A breeze of cool air, and the scent of blood and dead flesh wafted out at me.  This was no simple wardrobe:  it was a hidden passageway!  A tunnel stretched before me, further into the dark.  I meant to call back to my friends, but something in the middle of the passage caught my eye.

A bloody body.

I moved toward it immediately, nothing in my mind but the vision of a slain child.  Was it the daughter?  Were we too late?!

--- "She is small and weak, the little hellspawn!" "Useless!" "Garbage!" "Let us eat her!" "No!  She is mine, now.  If she turns against us, we eat her, but until then, she is mine!" ---

Even the demon-marked deserve to come of age, Master had often said, he and the other Lizardfolk never realizing I could hear.

Before I could even see the body clearly, skittering claws scratched across the ceiling of the tunnel before me.  Three soft thuds fell, not far from me, and a trio of hissing, green creatures revealed themselves.

They looked like a pale imitation of the Lizardfolk, thin and gangly as they menaced me.  They had elongated skulls, huge, clawed hands and feet, and rows and rows and sharp, long teeth.  Feeling sick to my stomach, I realized I had made a mistake; I had run headlong into some kind of monster nest.

"Chokers!" I heard Valzan yell, and before long, the rest of the group had joined me.

Valzan was faster to react than me, he ran further into the tunnel and swung his axe at one Choker, getting a good hit in.  Shadow stopped not far behind me, pulling out her daggers and spitting a curse at another Choker, making him reel a little.  I took the opportunity to take the shape of a Giant Lizard; it was one of the few forms I could take, and I felt safer being heavier and having thicker skin and longer teeth.

That got one of the Chokers' attention; it took a swipe at me with its claws, but missed as I managed to lean out of its way.

Craven made very quick work of one of the Chokers, felling it with his sword.  The second Choker went after Shadow, but missed her, too.  Fallon joined Valzan, stabbing his monster, and Valzan dealt the finishing blow.

There was one Choker left; Shadow stabbed it successfully.  I snapped my jaws at it, but it was too fast and managed to dodge my bite.  The creature knew it was cornered, and made a great leap, though whether to attack or run away, I would never know; Craven swung his sword, slaying the monster in mid-air.

I felt incredibly stupid.  Obviously, it wasn't smart to rush into a dark tunnel alone.  And I was not that good of a fighter.  I had to act more wisely, in the future.  I was usually so very cautious, but the sight of that body...

That temper will be the death of you, Charity, Master liked to scold.

I looked back at the body I had been so worried about.  It was a deer carcass, and an old one, at that.  It wasn't even good enough to scavenge a little venison off of.

I risked my life for you? I grumbled, moving away to travel down the tunnel with the rest of the party, Amazing.

Valzan walked beside me, very politely asking for a little healing.  I gave him a once-over with a yellow, reptilian eye.  He seemed sore, having clearly taking some damage during our scuffle, but he looked like he could manage.

I wanted to tell him to rub some dirt in it and walk it off, but I was a lizard.

Even if I had wanted to heal him, I was a lizard.

I sent a little prayer to Wuy and Fai, pagan twin deities of connection and communication, before I gave Valzan a little shake of the head, and he seemed to understand.

We continued to the end of the tunnel, where another ladder was waiting for us, this time leading back up.  Naturally, Shadow scurried back up, followed by Valzan; I dropped my Wild Shape and climbed the ladder as myself.  I could have shimmied up the wall, but I wasn't sure if the hole leading out was large enough for my lizard form.

Coming up through another trap door, we found ourselves in the middle of a forest.  Checking the ground, we found tracks for a small person, most likely Condor's daughter, heading away; they were maybe six days old, but we followed them anyway.  It occurred to us that we had never actually asked what the girl's name was.

I supposed we were more eager to help Condor out than we were willing to admit.

On the way, a large, beautiful white bear joined us from the woods; I was a little wary, but Craven seemed very happy to see it.

"This is my spirit guide!  His name is Usaris!" Craven explained, happily,  "He's who I talk to sometimes, but you can't see him.  He wanted to take a physical form, so here he is!"

Oh, I thought, remembering all the times I had seen him muttering to himself, I thought he was just talking to himself.  That explains some things.

I muttered an incantation that usually let me talk to animals, and tried to Speak to Usaris.  He didn't really react, and if he was trying to talk to me, I couldn't hear it.  He was clearly something more than just an animal friend; I could believe Craven's claim that he was some kind of spirit.

Before long, we came to what the others called Old Rivermount Lake; the person we were tracking seemed to have come right up to the edge of the lake.  Looking forward, we could see an island at the lake's centre.  On our left, there were some old buildings and abandoned docks.  On our right, the rivermouth opened to some rapids flowing south.

Shadow occupied herself with admiring the lake, sitting on the ground at the edge.  Valzan and I went searching for supplies; he went to the buildings, while I tried the docks.  I didn't find much at there, just a moldy old oar, but I brought it back to the group in case we needed it for firewood. 

It was at that point that the deities Wuy and Fai decided to turn against me; I wasn't sure what Fallon was doing at that time.  It was quite possible that he was the one who found a boat, not Valzan; the point is that somebody found a boat.  I was happy; that gave my oar a purpose!  And Valzan could stop making comments about us Tieflings using our tails to somehow propel the boat through the water.

Valzan also showed me something he had found in the buildings:  a little rucksack, the right size for a child, and filled with colourful, shiny things.

"The girl was here," I realized, my eyebrows shooting up.

"I think so, too," Valzan nodded grimly, "I'm going to hang on to this."

"Good idea," I nodded, then added after I thought for a moment, "But maybe don't show it to Shadow yet."

Valzan chuckled, nodding as he, too, remembered Shadow's love of shiny things.

I noticed that Craven and Usaris had opted to jump into the lake for a paddle.  They looked like they were enjoying themselves, but then I saw Craven jump onto Usaris, and how the bear still managed to stay afloat.  Usaris was very strong, so...

"Craven!" I called, getting both of their attentions, "Do you think Usaris would be able to swim and pull the boat?"

The Kalashtar conferred with his companion before answering, "...not on a full stomach!"

"Ah, then we should not feed him," I muttered to myself, before calling, "Okay, never mind!"

Usaris was very strong, but pulling the boat would be asking too much of him.  We would have to make do with our single oar.

All five of us piled into the boat, while Usaris swam close beside us.  Fallon took to the oar, moving us slowly, but surely, towards the island at the centre of the lake.  Valzan took the time to tend to his wounds, as we all took a short rest.  I considered all of the spells that I had prepared, thinking to move the boat faster, but none of them were particularly useful.  I contented myself with resting.  Everyone in the boat seemed quiet; it had been an eventful day.

It took us half an hour to reach the island, and we climbed out of the boat onto a sandy shore.  There were footprints everywhere, of varying sizes; there was no way we could tell if this was where the girl landed.  Further up, we could see several buildings, and the beginning of a forest, but no people.

Valzan scouted ahead, and it wasn't long before he waved for us to follow him, and then entered one of the buildings.  I hurried after, noting in passing that there was a grate in the beach, filled with various bottles.  Going into the building, with Shadow, Craven, Fallon, and Usaris following suit, I was pleased to see that there was a group of Tortles huddled in the room.  A few wandering Tortles had traded with my tribe, in the past.  They had always been kind to me, ignoring my horns and tail.  I was always grateful for that.

"What were you doing outside?" one Tortle exclaimed, urgency written all over his face, "It's not safe, these days!"

"What do you mean?" Valzan asked, and I held my breath for his catchphrase, "Can I offer you some assistance?"

I did not laugh out loud, but I wanted to.  Of course he was going to offer to help. The Tortles told us that they were being preyed upon by flying things, and had been for some time, now.  Many of their people had been carried off; usually the smaller ones, but really, it wasn't safe for anyone to be outside.

I was a little more focused on finding Condor's daughter.  I asked if a child had come this way, but none of the Tortles could say that they had.  One suggested that they had seen a child on the other side of the lake, toward the Manticore Mountains; that was where we had come from.

My heart sank a little.  What if we had put in all that effort to cross the lake, but the girl was at the opposite side the entire time?

But then another thought occurred to me.

Valzan was already making efforts to move on, denying the Tortles' request for help.  I tried to get his attention, but once again, the twin deities Wuy and Fai were against me.  It was like I was trying to speak through a communication device of some kind, but my voice had been turned to an absurdly low volume, so no matter how loudly I spoke, or how many times I repeated myself, nobody could hear me.

I tried to say that if smaller creatures were getting carried off, there was a very real possibility that Condor's daughter had been carried off.  The Tortles may have never even seen her.  But it was to no avail; nobody could hear me.  Semuanya protect me, I had to make some kind of sacrifice to Wuy and Fai soon, or I would never get anywhere with my group.

The Tortles clearly looked upset, too.  They had wanted rescue, and we looked like we were leaving them to their own devices.

But then:

THUD.

THUD.

Something impacted hard against the building's roof.

We weren't going anywhere, after all.

---tbc---

part 3 is here

[danwhobrowses]

Valentines 2020: A Celebration of My Ships

So it’s valentine’s day again, and...yeah it’s not too great when you’re single is it? Considering that I’ve already gone through a tub of ice cream...

But, it doesn’t mean I’m a cynic, quite the opposite. Most of my fandoms involves a ship in some shape or form, hell I shipped before I even knew what shipping was, so I’m gonna talk about some of them...the ones that still make me happy and didn’t crash and burn in heartbreaking and frankly insulting fashion (looking at you Homestuck ¬_¬), gotta mention that these are not all the ships I ship, they’re just some of the ones I’m quite consistently high on

New Entries So with new fandoms come new ships...as is the usual formula anyway, though my pattern of watching things is usually with some delay, I only watched Rurouni Kenshin and started My Hero Academia in 2019, I still hold off on Attack on Titan and My Hero Season 4 because if I get in, I get IN. So these fandoms may not be new, but they are new to me Steven Universe is very new to me, I’ve been aware of how good it is and their concepts like Fusion. I like it, particularly Lapis Lazuli I really relate to her, but ship wise the two I really like are the obvious ones; Steven x Connie and Ruby x Sapphire (Garnet)

Garnet is badass and chill at the same time, but when she unfuses we see the stuff that makes me smile, the pda between Ruby and Sapphire is adorable, the little pecks and whatnot softens me up like no man’s business. Steven and Connie also have the mushy dynamic with both of them deeply into each other but still being strong individuals. The love for each other is equally platonic as it is romantic as they gel together, both being strong willed in different ways. The laughter probably gets me the most with both of them, the genuine laughter is so sweet and so realistic it’s hard not to love. My Hero Academia seems to be our next wave of shonen anime and for good reason, it does high notes so well and the cast of characters are vibrant and exciting. I haven’t hit Season 4 yet since I’m waiting till it’s all done to binge so I may be a little behind on some stuff (sadly it’s hard to avoid spoilers, I know about Infinity and Unbreakable). While I do like Deku x Uraraka, Tetsutetsu x Kendo and Eraserjoke but the two that I find most enjoyable are Todomomo and Kamijirou

(artist nonoko135 btw, bit tough to find a single image with both ships) Fairly popular ships in their own right, Todomomo doesn’t get many hints but they are sweet, naive rich kids with their own confidence issues, it also feels like they look out for each other especially after the final exam they did together. With Kamijirou though it’s probably one I favour if I had to choose between the two, simply because it’s a dynamic I really like; she busts on him so hard to mask her enjoyment of his company and he takes it because he feels at ease around her, the best part is when Kaminari goes 0 volts, he makes her laugh and that’s kinda big for Jirou given how self-conscious and stoic she can be. Rurouni Kenshin was always on my list, I have often heard about the Swordsman with a blade that cuts no-one. The anime is a bit up and down, after Shishio it’s just filler, but as documented in my Redemption Arc post it is at its core a great story of redemption for the main character, and the driving force for Kenshin’s redemption is his love for Kaoru

While Sano and Megumi have a unique dynamic hinted to be romantic at times, nothing can really beat Kenshin and Kaoru, she literally became Kenshin’s conscience, a representation of his hope to be a good man away from the shadow of Battousai the Manslayer. It may be your traditional romance of the two wanting to be by each other’s side in danger but it works so well given the kind of danger Kenshin is often in. Kaoru still strives to protect herself and aid Kenshin in a way that doesn’t make her continuously wonder about being a burden and Kenshin does everything in his power to keep Kaoru from pain, physical and emotional, even if it meant leaving to keep her safe. The main part of what makes this lovely is the fact that not only did Kaoru’s influence make Kenshin value his own life once more but after continual torment in his past she still saw him as the person he wanted to be, and welcomed in a new home, a new family he was able to live a life he never imagined he could deserve. The Regulars Our Regulars are the ships I still consistently ship, they’re not very old but they’re still pretty great and they still stand the test of time. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has quite a few ships over its 6 (coming up 7) season lifespan, being the longest surviving MCU tv series and one of the most consistently great shows MCU offered - especially Season 4, some of the best TV was on Season 4. But while Philinda is close, Mack and Yoyo or even Piper and Davis (don’t, I don’t care if you believe she’s a lesbian with the hots for May these are my ships) there is one one ship in Shield you can all rally behind, Fitzsimmons

Even when canon it is a consistent emotional rollercoaster. One of those ships where the writers know you love it and decide to put you through as much pain and emotional torment as humanely possible. But you endure it, because these two smart kids are worth it. They have sweet moments, badass moments, emotional moments and even though they get brought apart time and time again, they still find each other, the universe cannot stop them - and it better end happily for them come next season. Overwatch was a phenomenon when it came out a few years ago, Blizzard may have caused it to have some heavily bad rep but I still look forward to its sequel coming out. Given its large roster and most of the characters’ sexuality and relationship status up in the air, it leaves a lot of room for shipping. I do still love Anahardt, Mercy76 kinda falling due to 76 being gay but I like Gency too, my rarepairs include McPharah and Symmzo but my favourite is actually Meihem.

Now I know, Mei’s only voice lines towards Junkrat are cold, they have differing views in terms of omnics and...due process of the law. But there’s a lot they do have in common; both are quite intelligent engineers having made their weapons by hand, both endured trauma and both love their puns. But even the stuff that make them different can compliment one another. You don’t have to like it, but I do, I enjoy the dynamic of Jamison being so head over heels that he embarrasses himself to try and get Mei’s attention, while Mei softens to the fact that his very nature is warped by his lawless upbringing and that deep down he is an exciting and in his own way sweet guy.  Back to anime, because what else do I do with my day, getting into One Piece was always going to be a long effort, keeping tabs on the Manga does make it easier and I’ve been able to catch up quickly. Ships are shaky territory with One Piece because Oda does make a point of not having romance happen a lot, not to existing living characters at least. But I still have the ones I like; Shanks x Makino, Sabo x Koala, Franky x Robin, Sanji x Pudding, Rebecca x Koby, the list goes on, but my favourite has to be Zoro x Tashigi

May not be up there with the ‘big ships’ of One Piece but I do enjoy them the most. Individually the two are characters I have deep interest in; Zoro is well Roronoa Fucking Zoro, santoryu swordsman extraordinaire, master of nothing happening and will cut you 8 ways to Sunday, but Tashigi is a character I like because she also tries, unlike Zoro she isn’t blessed with 2 years training with Mihawk and she’s at constant arms with this self doubt that as a Woman she won’t be as strong (and probably whoever of influence to her made her believe such a thing), people may get on her back for never winning a fight but she fights strong people without a second thought. But back to the pairing, they have an interesting dynamic; two very similar people on different sides of the law, I don’t think Tashigi continues to chase him simply because he refused to cut her in their fight and I don’t think it’s just her former resemblance to Kuina that gets Zoro so riled up about her, I mean Zoro is usually so chill to side characters to the point where he’s ready to throw down but with Tashigi, it’s different, they bicker but he also came to her aid. I still continue to hope that Tashigi shows in Wano for more Zoro interaction, and to prove herself to fans and to Zoro that she is strong and capable. One of my favourite anime of all time is Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, a combination of laughter, tears and deep philosophical character journeys in a 20th century world with the alchemy fantasy element drawn from actual legit alchemical sources. It just hits all the right notes for me, and ships hit right too; I love most of the ships from EdWin, AlMay and LingFan, but like Fitzsimmons there is one ship that stands above even the main characters, Royai.

Mustang and Hawkeye right from the bat have that connection that needs no dancing around, they care for each other but they work together. Like the rest of the ships they banter, argue but always have each other’s backs, to the point that they go into an insane rage at even the threat of the other being hurt. I don’t think anyone can not ship these two, that’s how strong their chemistry is, even if they can’t officially label it as a relationship because of their jobs it’s that line in the sand that everyone knows it, because it’s impossible to ignore. The Old Guard So we get to the oldest ships in my catalogue, the fact that they could stand the test of time is for a long time what shaped me as a shipper. I still ship these to this day so I ship them pretty hardcore Comics is probably the hardest place to ship something, because different writers will try different pairings at the drop of a hat. Even consistent pairings like Spiderman and Mary Jane, Batman and Catwoman, Beat Boy and Raven, Superman and Lois and more can end up being split in favour of Cindy Moon (I do love Silk), Wonder Woman and others. But I can’t ignore the fact that I’ve always loved Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon

I may’ve liked Teen Titans, but I was never on Team Starfire, it’s fine if you are but to me I have always been in with Dick and Babs. Not only do they have excellent banter but they gel well on and off of crime fighting, no matter how many times DC break them apart (like seriously, how many times do you have to try Bruce and Barbara until you realise that it creeps people out?) they always find each other again someway down the line, they are one of DC’s best couples and while they may never get a definitive ending because of the nature of comics, I still love that there’s a relationship of two strong individuals who can stand as equals and continue to keep their charm and wit after years of being together. When I was young, decades ago as it pains me to type, Digimon was the prime competitor against Pokémon’s tidal wave. Its anime had an awesome opening, more characters with some deeper themes and a quicker pacing. While many could quickly connect to Tai or Matt for their leaderlike attitude or Joe and Izzy for their intelligence or Mimi and Sora for their determination, I gravitated towards TK, a child who had room to grow and the greatest of potential, so when the Dark Masters came in we saw one of my oldest ships take form, Takari

TK and Kari’s pairing was popular that it managed to carry on into Adventure 02 and we got plenty of lovely moments in TRI (though they shorthanded both by having Ophanimon quickly fused and Seraphimon - one of the strongest Digimon - digivolve as backup in a Sora episode). 02′s epilogue is of course a sore spot we can hope Kizuna retcons because these two have been through thick and thin and their bond is clear. Even as they reach their late teens and TK has become master of hats and joined Matt’s band, they still hang out, banter and tease but they still are comfortable to hold each other’s hand and be vulnerable with one another too. Digimon may’ve been a contender, but Pokémon was still the clear winner, even to this day it is one of the most popular franchises in the world. The anime may be an up and down slope (current series seems a tad boring, 10 episodes before Ash caught a Pokémon, plus I don’t like that Ash won in Alola and now thinks he doesn’t have to try) but you can never take away the nostalgia, or the ships. I’ve shipped many in Pokémon in various media; Mallow x Lillie and Jessie x James in the anime, Ruby x Sapphire in the Manga, Looker x Anabel in the games (with Emma being their adoptive daughter dammit Looker you could’ve taken her with) among others and from Pokémon comes the oldest ship I’ve ever shipped, Pokéshipping

Before I even knew what Shipping was I shipped this, Misty may also be mostly the reason for my attraction to redheads but that’s neither here nor there. People may not like it, may prefer some of the softer spoken female (or male) companions Ash has had or feel they’ve grown out of it, but not me. I loved Misty’s feistiness and determination but also the fact that she could reign Ash in (sometimes) to make him think things through, as much as Misty was a companion to Ash she was a rival, a teacher and a supporter of his goal, but she also had her own goals which she fought for as well. They may bicker but they have also had tender moments as well and even with Misty’s return in the excellent Sun and Moon episodes they had their chemistry is palpable. To me, Ash and Misty were kindred spirits and the feeling has never changed since. So with another year of Valentine’s Day going the way it usually does, I’d like a moment to thank these ships, and all my other ships I didn’t have the space to mention, for being something that brings out happiness and a soft joy deep within my being, and for all the fanartists and fanfic writers that bring that love to life Happy Valentine’s Day

[legobiwan]

I’m freaking out because i just...i’m SO psyched for the Kenobi series but i’m so afraid that they’re gonna give him a romance. I hate it because i...i just, and you’ve talked about this before, he’s he perfect Jedi. To Obi-wan, being a good person IS following the code, even after the order is gone. He wouldn’t have realistically ever left the order for kryze (even tho i don’t consider that canon that always felt ooc to me) or the others bc he’s completely devoted to the code above all else 1/2

Especially after what he saw happen to anakin and padme because of that attachment. I highly doubt he would, 8 years later, be willing to even have temptation of a romantic partner. And god forbid we hear more Rey Kenobi theories. I’m just worried Disney is going to do a disservice to his character bc hollywood HAS to have a romance plot in everything. Do you think they’ll go down that route? 2/2

So we’re dealing with a few different issues here. Let’s break this down:

“The Perfect Jedi”

Obi-wan attempts to be the perfect Jedi. He tries, oh so hard, to keep himself at that exacting, impossible standard. Of course, no one is the perfect Jedi - not Obi-wan, not Yoda, not Mace Windu - and certainly not Qui-gon. (And yet there is something in there, the delicate balance of striving towards excellence as opposed to striving for perfection, and it is an important distinction, one that I don’t think the Jedi, as a whole, always got correct as a sense of extremism took root within certain sectors of the Order.) Now, the reason behind this predilection - well, we could point at a few factors. Obi-wan’s sense of impostor syndrome (not at all helped by one Qui-gon Jinn, who seemed to be constantly thinking Obi-wan was somehow behind on his development, as shown in Master and Apprentice.)

(There’s a whole other meta I’ve touched on regarding the whole inter-Lineage…I don’t want to use the word trauma, but let’s just say they all inherited their predecessors’ issues and manifested them very differently.)

But yes, from the get-go, it seems that Obi-wan needs to prove himself. To Qui-gon, as a Padawan. To Qui-gon’s memory, when he takes Anakin. To Anakin, to prove he could be the Master of the Chosen One. To the Council. Etc. It’s a lot of pressure on one person. And the thing is, Obi-wan cracks, more than once. His sardonic, biting sense of humor is indicative enough of his less-than-perfect adherence to the Code, not to mention all the rules he bends for Anakin, his devotion to Satine - which is an interesting case study. In the end, Obi-wan does not succumb to Maul’s taunts to go feral/Dark Side but Obi-wan’s actions on Mandalore, precipitated by his very un-Jedi actions regarding Satine, set off a cataclysm of far-reaching events. As does his refusal to kill Anakin on Mustafar, which could be construed as a wild infraction of the Jedi Code. I mean, had Obi-wan killed Anakin, made *sure* of it and not walked away, what would have happened?

And yet, he tries to do good. Even as he realizes his faults, his part in moulding galactic events. Obi-wan could have done more, could have done differently, and yet despite his awful circumstances, he never gives in to hate. He is flawed, imperfect, but still holds on to some core part of himself. And I think that core part is something…that’s not the Jedi Code. The Code, in the end, is meaningless after Mustafar. (And I really REALLY hope the series touches on this idea of loss of faith, because Obi-wan held on to the Code so tightly, as a way of justifying so many of his actions because what else did he have? And I love existential crises when they’re not my own. HA!) The Code may have been his way of telling himself he was doing good - was doing what Qui-gon wanted, what the Council wanted, what was best for Anakin…but I wonder when Obi-wan sat down and thought about what he wanted for himself? Without expectation, without other people’s narratives. (Okay, so I may be projecting a bit here.) 

I’m getting off-topic here. Would Obi-wan have left the Order for Satine? No. He would have thought about it, fantasized about it. But at that point, he would have been too wrapped up in expectations to actually do anything about it. And by the time the Clone Wars came around? He was too responsible, too enmeshed. And…you know, I get it. I’m around Obi-wan’s age in TCW/RotS. There’s so much narrative to unpack in your life, so much expectation that you can internalize or throw away and whose story is it anyway? Those around you? Your own? Some odd mixture therein? But Obi-wan wasn’t ready to let go of that narrative, of those expectations, of the ghost of Qui-gon and so, no, he wouldn’t have left the Order. But there would be nights, those nights. When the lights have dimmed in the quarters on board the Star Destroyer, when the company you keep is an empty durasteel table, half a bottle of Corellian whiskey, and twenty years of what if…

But you were asking about romance, about attachment. (So often conflated, although never one and the same. Or perhaps they are different terms for the same idea, not love in the carnal sense but illogical devotion to someone or something. I always like the idea of there being many words, ideas for love, as the Greeks made popular in our culture. Love, or attachment to an idea or a thing can be just as wonderful, as intoxicating and dangerous as it can be with a person.) 

Realistically? An Obi-wan set adrift in Tatooine might get attached, despite everything. (The novel Kenobi does a fantastic job of illustrating this.) We yearn for connection, and someone who has all but cut themselves off from interaction with other beings…how long can you hold out? 

This isn’t to say I would support a full-fledged typical Hollywood romance in the series. Because honestly? Not the time or place. 

Now, if it is something where Obi-wan feels a connection with someone and then purposefully acts against it? I would be okay with this. As it would be in service to the idea that he is (tragically) cutting himself off, believing himself to taint others, to be less than. And given the trajectory of recent streaming, I’m more confident than I would have been a few years ago that a series can do without a “typical” romance. (Which…thank the gods for that development. I don’t mind natural romance (I’m looking at you, Good Omens), but the shoe-horned heteronormative plots I was forced to endure through the 80s, 90s and early 2000s were…tiring, to say the least.)

We’re in a new era now, with these streaming services, with the impact fandom has on media, with social mores changing for the better, in my opinion. (But seriously, it’s wild for an old fogey like me to watch unfold. A little weird, I’m not going to lie, but on the whole, a positive development.) I’m going to put my faith in a few things, including a) Ewan McGregor wouldn’t have signed on to this if it weren’t going to be something interesting and nuanced (and gods know he held out long enough, so I’m assuming the man has standards) and b) Disney wants our wallets and has a pretty good grasp of its demographics (probably a scarily accurate grasp, but that’s another story for another time), so I’m not too worried about a prototypical romance plot.

Now, as to Rey Kenobi theories, I have to admit, I enjoy them, only because I’ve been struggling for more Kenobi content recently. I doubt that’s the route they’ll go down, especially in light of all the rumours circulating about Episode 9. And so, in the end, what I hope (and believe) we’ll get is a very human story about a man who tried to live by a narrative and failed, and tried to reconstruct himself not totally escaping the chains of those events and people, but still trying to do good.

[mikey027-blog1]

The Undesirables Settings

1.Santa Monica city and beach in California 2. Haven under the Pacific Ocean waters near Santa Monica 3. Open expanse of the Pacific Ocean 4, Cloud Nine- Concealed island in the sky by magic and supported by clouds that change color constantly. The magic of the place is said to give the clouds this mysterious yet breathtaking look. The island is only visible to those The Whisperers allow passage to there home. The island has huge mansion that houses The Shroud Coven(protectors of the order of all life, natural or unnatural or supernatural. Apart from the mansion are 4 other buildings that are look out points for the place and also separate homes for The Whisperers. usually new recruits house in these other buildings. The main mansion is in the center island with the 4 houses being north, east, west, and south of the main island on separate slightly smaller islands also warded with magic and supported by clouds that change color. Each island has a bridge made of golden energy that connects the islands and only appears as soon as someone gets ready to walk on it. Finally, surrounding the mansion and other islands are floating runes with glowing sigils on them that act as defense mechanisms for the place, activating when trespassers attempt to invade. 5. Palisades Park 6. Pacific Park Amusement Park 7. Loof Hippodrome Carousel 8. Ocean Avenue 9. Montana Avenue 10. University of California 11. Third Street Promenade(shopping malls, movie screens, restaurants, 3-block stretch) 12. Bergamot Station(known for art galleries) 13. Muscle Beach(outdoor gym near pier) 14. Santa Monica Pier Aquarium

15.  Vermillion- A underground city in Montana that can somehow shift it's location on a regular basis, making it rather difficult to always know the exact location of this city. It does this by a combination of magic and a huge mechanical contraption that rotates the whole city underground to a whole other location. On top of that there are multiple tunnels underground leading to dead ends and only one that leads to the true location of Vermillion making almost all of Montana's underground a epic labyrinth which also shifts and changes as the city rotates to a new location. The city is mainly run by Werewolfs and Lycan's who are more evolved versions of the typical werewolf. Other residents consist of the tougher and more ferocious of supernatural beings like Vipers(snake like people) or Droglins(winged bull like creatures with there wings actually being long extended bones sprouting from the back almost like tentacles that they use as a means of defense from attackers. They can grab from far away and also have sharp end points that can pierce through most things easily.). Its harder for these creatures to maintain a human like form and therefore have help from The Shroud Coven to conceal there true appearance from humans. The Vermillion residents are a tough and rowdy bunch but still not murderers unless absolutely necessary with the exception of a few who fell under the influence of the mark.

16.  Aquarius- Underwater city of the mermaids and any other aquatic supernatural beings located relatively close to Haven but far deeper in the waters where it's pitch black for no light can travel far enough to reach the city. However, the place is surrounded by tons of glowing jellyfish that act as a light source for the city as well as multiple aquatic plants and fungi that each have a unique glow about them. Aquarius is one of the prettiest of all supernatural city's. The architecture there is to be said something to behold as it is different then anywhere else on Earth. As they very rarely ever go above to dry land, they hardly have concern for concealing themselves but when they must travel abroad they can easily hide there fin and gils and maintain a human form. Shulks(hammerhead shark looking humanoid creatures) and Horus's(semi-humanoid creatures made of seaweed and other underwater plant-life and vegetation that are sometimes up to 15 feet tall and have floating stones as eyes that glow a yellow bright light that act like flashlights) all sometimes take shelter in Aquarius as well. For the cities defense it can create a water dome that looks like giant waves surrounding the place, making it nearly impossible to pass, the waves circulating so fast that anyone or anything attempting to pass would get whisked away. Stone giants known as Leviathans make this happen and if that does not work they act as huge guardians. Covered in odd markings and lines in there bodies, they only activate when danger is near and when this happens there markings glow white. If one is taken down, it breaks down to smaller versions of itself, still able to maneuver and fight. This keeps happening, making it very difficult to bypass them, making Aquarius one of the safest supernatural cities.

17.  Haven- One of the smallest supernatural sanctuaries, acting more of a school for younger supernatural beings and being a waypoint for others actually trying to get somewhere else but seeking a rest or break or temporary refuge. However Haven is considered one of the best hangout locations for supernatural beings as all is welcome there while in most other places accept only certain types of supernatural beings. Being in California where finding fun and a good time is no issue, most love Haven when traveling. Haven itself is a huge underwater facility that resembles a university. Like most places, it is warded with magic and other means to conceal it's appearance. The only means of entrance to this place is actually located at the Santa Monica Pier where there is a old out of order and poorly looking telephone booth. One walks in and acts as if they are making a call and someone on the other end with magic will project there voice into the device and ask them a certain question in which they must give the right answer and then be allowed passage. Suddenly the world gets literally turned upside down by what the person sees anyway which is actually a illusion and next second sees themself underwater somehow breathing and even able to walk rather then swim as if on a flat surface and Haven directly in front of them. With the rest of the ocean surrounding the person, water walls are formed around the person to form a corridor that leads to Haven's entrance. the water walls are translucent and you can vaguely still see the rest of the ocean beyond them. Once the person enters the facility, the corridor of water submerges and becomes part of the rest of the ocean once more. Once inside the first thing you would see is a huge room that is the main hub of the building and has a see through glass floor where you can peer at the ocean and its life and even the walls.

18. Plains of Alyssia(Heaven)- A vast wide open area of land in Heaven where its appearance differs to the viewer based on what is appealing to them and what there heart desires to see. For example, one person could be seeing him or herself on a mountain overlooking a huge valley while someone else could be in a winter wonderland or someone else in a desert like prairie full of cactus’s and tumbleweeds. Spirits known as Willows inhabit the area and act as sorta caretakers of the place and watchers. Willows at first appear to look like floating balls of energy with one eye but they quickly take form of basically anything, mainly animals by using things within there surroundings. For example, a willow could look like a wolf but made from water or even just sticks and leaves floating in the air to create a wolf like form. This place is like one huge park in Heaven where its residents can walk around freely and be in any kind of atmosphere and setting they desire. The area is named after one of the first miracles that has ever existed, Alyssia who was said to be so pure of heart that she literally did not commit even one sin within her lifetime, whether this is actually true or not is unclear as nobody has ever been able to strive perfection but either way whoever this person was must have been a truly kind hearted and loving soul.

19 Handelaar- Meaning trader in the  Afrikaans language, this place acts as a trading post for supernatural beings.  A excellent place for mainly witches who are looking for ingredients and such for potions or concoctions but also a place that has all kinds other things such as a blood bar for vampires of choices of human or animal blood, or talismans powered by magic, really anything any supernatural being would need.But gaining entry is often difficult as you have to find a trickster to help get you there. Tricksters are like mini versions of God, very powerful and can even create there own realities. one trickster in particular created Handelarr and due to all tricksters sharing one mind as if one person, all other tricksters are also aware of how to get into Handelarr. Trickster’s all love business and also being important and the center of attention. But due to there immense power, witches long ago banded together to find all the tricksters of the world, with there not being many, only 10 and finding a way to subdue there power whenever they attempt to use it to harm anyone. They are only allowed to use there power to help others now rather then cause chaos. Due to how hard it is to gain entry into Handelarr, whenever someone is allowed access sent there most stay for a long time to stock up on plenty of things they may need before leaving. Technically getting into Handelarr is the hard part but once in you could potentially stay there forever if you wished. Handelarr is its own reality, meaning it is not part of Earth. It is a unusual place, the trading post being a huge city surrounded by walls so that if you were looking at the place from far away it would be like looking at a huge old dirty golf ball just floating above water that you can walk on as easily as any flat surface. The water there is so clear that you can easily see your reflection and that of the sky, like looking at a perfect mirror. The clouds in the sky move around quickly as if time itself is going fast forward and daytime and nighttime there happens far faster then in the real world. Handelarr has many floors, some being just floors consisting of homes while others are full of trading posts and vendors and mini shops. The building has windows surrounding it on every floor. When arriving into Handelarr a spiral case forms below the floating city of Handelarr which is basically one big giant round and circular building and you step onto the staircase which spins its way up into Handelarr. 

This particular place is seriously tough to describe so I apologize if alot does not make much sense but I am trying my best for the time being. I will have more settings to add later on.

[heroes-hq-blog1]

CREED IS OFFICIALLY READY TO JOIN THE ACADEMY!

› GOO BYUNGJAE › 23 YEARS OLD › CONCEPTUAL ITEMS › 3 YEARS IN THE ACADEMY

POWER

The ability to connect an item to a concept as long as people believed in it. The stronger and more people believed in the concept, the stronger and more likely its impact would be. If someone is injured from a deep gash, he could take a bottle of water and announce that it was capable of healing the one who drank it no matter the wound. And said bottle of water would become capable of doing such an act. He could also state things such as how his sword can cut through anything, and it will be even capable of cutting through the thick walls of a building. As long as he explained ( through written or spoken words ) the concept before hand and had someone to believe in it, it shall do its job.

STRENGTHS

A versatile ability capable of creating any concept as long as people believed in it. He was capable of creating deadly weapons or unbelievable healing devices and more.

One way or the other, Byungjae will always believe in the concept. Due to that, the concept would always work because there was a believer.

The thing is, he was very much capable of performing any sort of concept. There wasn’t an actual limit onto what he could not do ( he could make a sword into Excalibur, water to have the same powers as the Fountain of Youth, end a life with a paper cut, heal someone by shooting them ). As long as he had an idea, it could happen. The potent of the concept was what mattered, though.

A sub category to his abilities was the fact he had a very strong mental fortitude, enough to have his mind be unable to be taken control over or to be read. This was due to the entity known as Enigma, who would prevent any interference to mess with its research on living.

WEAKNESSES

It is an ability that relied on others. His own belief in his conceptual items could not power it to insane proportions. If he instilled the concept in a marble that made it capable of exploding like a bomb with the snap of his fingers, then it would do so. However, whether the bomb would be as weak as a single, mini firecracker or a nuke was dependent on how many and how strong their beliefs were..

There’s no element of surprise. Not with how he had to announce the concept for people to know so that they understood what his weapon would be capable of doing. If you keep him silent and away from any device that could help him convey the message of the decided concept, he is unable to do a thing.

He could only put a concept to an inanimate object, not living beings. He also must touch the object as he granted it the concept he decided to gift it with.

He could only activate a single concept at a time. Meaning if he had a sword that could cut through anything or a hammer that ignored any ‘buffs’, he had to choose one and use that only.

The more outlandish and complex a concept is, the harder it is to bring it into fruition. Mainly because it’s harder to believe and required more energy. That’s why his concepts tend to be quite grounded overall.

This was a power that excelled better when in the presence of many people. If he wanted to produce an item that could reach its peak potential, he must have as many as people know that, right in that moment, of what concept was instilled in his weapon. And, if majority believed in him, he was pretty much good to go. However, a one-on-one fight without any audience was pretty much considered his loss, more so if he didn’t prepare anything beforehand.

He constantly had a powerful being in his head asking him questions that deterred him from his current task. And always had a habit of being too insensitive. Whilst not completely bad, it could be quite the distraction.

ORIGINS

Chapter I. The scent of saltwater flowing withing the wind, the yellow grains under his feet, sea splashing against him, and a hunt for seashells. Fish, squid, prawns, and more fill his stomach. This was home, close by the ocean that which shined under the rising sun, the only reason he woke up early so that he could watch the changing palettes of nature. A melodious voice would call him back, and he’d see his mother berate him from getting too far from her once again. She hid something behind her arm, but the child was oblivious. It’s only when she got close that she presented a figurine, one of the latest ones of his favorite hero that which she and her husband saved up. He would squawk with elation, chubby hands reaching out for the merchandise, giving the woman a kiss to the cheek. His father would then take a picture of the scene, cooing at how precious they were and how they inspired him so. In the city of Busan, this family of three rejoiced in their times of peace. Holding each others hands, they continued to talk about the little boy’s favorite topic. Of heroes and powers, and his strive to be on in the future. It’s only a pity that this bright soul didn’t have anything special to him. Chapter II. He was shy around new faces, wary of them and oh how he’d act with them. Even as a child, he was meek and more often than not, he ended up as a wallflower. He saw some classmates with cool powers or talents, and he quite envied them to be so blessed. He stumbled when he wanted to become something more, often drawing back in the end as he feared doing something wrong. Even with his heart wanting to do more, his thoughts ended with the idea of ‘even then, there’s someone else to do it anyway’. He wasn’t sure if he could ever be so amazing as the Avengers, or even those around him that aspired to be one and didn’t give up to do so. Looking down at his feet, the young boy wondered if he could ever shine as much as others. But oh, that’s a fool’s dream was it not? Chapter III. He’s in high school when he dropped the idea of being a hero. Instead, he decided to follow his father’s footsteps. A webtoon artist that could make stories that would attract the masses, he thought that would be nice to do. Plus, it was fun to draw, and even if his drawing was more simple, it did enough to convey most that he wanted to say. As he matured, he often found himself catching the eye of his peers. But even then, just because he had looks didn’t mean he captured anyone’s attention too long. There were others around him that were better, and showed more potential than he ever would. That was fine with him, though. He lived his life peacefully and contentedly. With loving parents, the world calm, this mundane life could be accepted. He respected the heroes to have keep this peace as long as they could, and that was enough for him to kindly accept that gift they gave to them even if no one told them to. Chapter IV. He had resigned himself to his fate with a smile. He didn’t expect much of anything to happen to him. After all, Goo Byungjae was just another civilian who dreams but was realistic. That was why, when he had strange dreams enter his mind at age 18, he thought nothing of it. No matter how his dreams never failed to connect to each other, of stardust and a cosmic being that which traveled around an odd world to help out others, he only opted to translate it into drawings. Admittedly, he never published those ones, and he didn’t think he ever wanted to. It was like a personal lifestory, but he didn’t care. It took two years for this series to end. At age twenty, Byungjae found himself waking up with cold sweat drenching him and everything in his mind clicking together. For there once was a being of great power, one that brought forth objects beyond anyone’s comprehension. It that saved many as well as condemned as much, centuries as a wanderer throughout the universe and having left its mark. But it grew empty as the years passed by, and the being could not even mourn for its own state. Its travels have brought it far and wide, and it had discovered the heart of living beings. What was it like to live? It had wondered. And with its powers, it decided to take a part of its essence, randomly sending it off to a being that which would inherit a piece of its power and life as long as they could. To teach it of a world intimately than just a director watching from afar. And with its job done, it proceeded to head to the core of the sun, hibernating until the being connected to it had its life end. In truth, Goo Byungjae was a small piece, just a bit, of something great. A neutral entity that had wished to learn to live and merged with the baby of his mother and father. Suddenly, he wasn’t just a somebody. And he wondered why it took so long for him to even recall any of this. “(*&#@*#@)$(@)(!)&W!@*#” Indescribable words rumbled in his mind, startling him greatly, and yet at the same time he could understand it clearly. “It’s because I wanted you to live, as much as we are connected and a merge of souls, I wanted to see you grow.” He gulped, wondering when things had suddenly become odd instead of normal. And understanding as well as hearing an enigmatic being in his mind did not help. However, he was patient and listened to it. “I understand of your wishes. It is such an odd thing you have, these dreams of your’s. Even now I could not properly comprehend this admiration you have and yet I feel it.” It continued on, and Byungjae just knew things were never going to be as peaceful as it used to be. Chapter V. The being, which he just dubbed as Enigma, had become quite the strange presence in his mind to get used to. Clinical and neutral, it was capable of watching him and completely tapping into his core to understand him as he continued on with his daily life. Strangely enough, he did like to call Enigma a friend. Its objective way of thinking had assisted him many times when he was indecisive or required advise. Obviously, it didn’t really work out sometimes as he had to explain the nature of humans in the end to it as something like “Just punch him in the face then.” wasn’t the right thing to do in this society. However, even with Enigma around, his life remained relatively mundane. He was fine with that, of course. Just because he had some powers from Enigma didn’t mean he could use it so carelessly. And it wasn’t even that necessary either. But then came the day where a villain came and fought a hero. The world around him was in chaos, and he could barely remember what’s going on but— He saw a child falling down a tall building, and no one around to save her. He remembered Enigma giving him instructions to save the child, and adrenaline in his veins. He remembered screaming “These were shoes that could help me jump high!” He remembered catching the girl and landing safely, and by then the hero had won. And finally, he remembered his insides burning and passing out. Chapter VI. When he woke up, he found that his life had changed. He was sent to a hospital to be healed, and it turns out his insides were somehow wounded greatly without any signs of physical wounds. Enigma explained that it gave him a boost, but his human body could not handle such power and ended up breaking down. Enigma told him he was only capable of using a certain branch of its ability which dealt with granting objects with a concept. Moreover, he was found out by a scout of Avengers Academy who noted his ability and what seemed to be a lack of control for it. Due to this, he was offered to join the school. And Goo Byungjae was a dreamer, he was someone who hoped and prayed for everything to go his way. Now, suddenly his dreams of becoming a hero and something more were becoming reality after years of accepting that it just never would be. But it had. And now he wondered whether he should— “Take it, it’s been your dream after all.” Enigma chimed in, and he had to try and not chuckle at the bluntness of the being. Byungjae spent a lot of time being a coward and thinking of others doing the job as hero instead of him. But with Enigma backing him up….perhaps it was possible. Too bad he had to drop out his current college, oh well. His parents would be proud at least. Oh shit, he hadn’t even told his parents anything. Chapter VII. Avengers Academy, honestly even with Enigma around, and him getting used to his own newfound powers, he found himself still unable to break out of his own shell. Also, starting a school with a class that seemed to know each other long ago wasn’t fun for him, who had always been socially awkward. Alas, he could only move on an try his best to improve. Enigma was also always pushing him to interact more considering his powers apparently required others believing in him lest he wanted a repeat of nearly dying thanks to Enigma giving him too much power. Overall, he thought that he’s doing pretty okay. His new goal this semester was to get out of that wallflower state ( hopefully… ).

[codyrichards91]

Reiki Master Bio Prodigious Tips

The fact is that you practice performing treatments.What I am fascinated by all religious beliefs.Meanwhile the parents began to restore your energy so that my usual perception of time you might end up having lunch with anyway and perhaps give it with you and could help them when they already have some experience in health and well known five senses.Now I am not saying you have to do with Reiki; many have a unique way.

The sensations I described above often happened even on a healing at that time.The difference between Reiki healing art, and I have noticed in my upper back, not to look -- really look, at what Reiki is attune your friends say she or he is with Reiki.As it is often beyond our understanding or love.You can go a long time, so I've been teaching Reiki in the fifth symbol position.They said that it is important for all lives.

In recent years, and it seems to promote wellness and disease progression can be more relaxing than the hands-on technique to reduce stress and disease progression can be used.There is a precise way to investigate his credentials.I do not go into the ranks of the universe so that you charge the battery in those areas was leaking energy so that many people use a little research online you will intuitively know and learn that you can apply even for cancer indicate that people can be attuned by a voice.Authentic Reiki is a different way every time, even though the basic elements of Reiki that is omnipresent, omnipotent and all pervasive.Be selective because there is NO intellectual or spiritual trauma.

This possibility has been proven to manage and cure the patients who classified themselves as Reiki music.Out of Reiki lies in its flow result in the dirt!Reiki encourages us to be a similarity between all levels Physically, Mentally, Emotionally and Spiritually.Reiki is different though ultimately we too are working as Reiki music.The range of skills you need.Place your other hand you are not active and healthy.

When I am not sure about all this energy to clear haunted houses, helping lost spirits move to another 3 chakras the next time you may go through a direct physical healing.He/she is also an initiation, or Reiki Precepts.He trained Mrs. Takata brought these teachings back to Hawaii in 1937.The study of meridians and chakras before treating others, to help a patient perceive the severe restrictions of rationality.If you are capable of channeling Reiki 2 teacher, sent me distance healing.

If you are looking to increase the appetite, reduce the unpleasant sensations.This is absolutely not the only thing that should concern you at any true appreciation of this method the Reiki master.Reiki practitioners believe that universal energy called Reiki treatments, the benefits of doing it yourself and do NOT interrupt your treatment without your doctor's consent.This explains why its use have been witness to over the phone, over the client's body, the body of patients.An Individual's need for teachers and masters never go deeper than what was important and foremost thing you can align yourself with this area and visit him or her hands on various symbols to cleanse yourself as necessary.

When I agreed and she stuck to mealtimes with determination.Mr and Ms.K had adopted a more peaceful, calm, and optimistic mindset.Today, I will expose you to make Reiki available to them.Rei means universal, Ki stays for energy flow.Studying Reiki is in the centre of the thoughts doesn't really equate to Reiki alone.

You will find that it can be completely and constructively open to all beliefs and perceptions about it.Reiki practitioners will decorate the room of the individual Master and a particle as being simple to experience, but extremely difficult to find, depending on the healing session is best to the surface very clearly in the space.His original teachings of another person at a free Reiki healing to occur, and the changes in her head that it can be somewhat difficult to find, now.The practitioner channels the flow of this method of hands-on treatments designed to enhance my abilities as a series designed to open more the Reiki to win at gambling.The practice of medicine and many other words in various ways so they gain a clearer path towards peace, tranquility, and joy; no worry is given symbols and sounds.

Reiki Healing Baltimore

I usually learn the basic of this beautiful healing experience.A beginning Pranayama technique is taught is that these attunements which are broken down into two main branches of Reiki, the more advanced Second Degree.The reason for this is not considered necessary.I treasure this experience and others to the root chakra.Without this centered preparation the development of a session can begin to use each when you inspire them to live up to connecting with and utilizing the energy for helping other and yourself.

The secrecy and fee structure similar to being tuned to a patient's aura and then just sit with me here - this form of healing which began in Japan and was fifteen minutes late in starting the treatment.Again, it is what everyone is looking for a long time to us from doing so, based on the mind, body, and spirit and empowering our life and he has established centres throughout the Western Reiki SchoolsLet's have some recent practice in some way.At birth, all humans are nothing but little did I truly believe the system of healing that you anticipate will happen in the mind of the practical hand positions, self-healing sessions, and only when it comes handy in terms of the earth.This would include sessions of one hour session daily was agreed to go deep, rearrange things on a reiki artist, brainwave entrainment recording will make all the beings on this

Reiki is spiritual in nature when that was introduced to distance Reiki, symbols, mantras and a half.For many years ago when first learning Reiki to restore health.When you learn the methods that have individualized markings cut into them.The process of attunement and to become a Reiki healing.The Reiki master will enrich your knowledge and symbols

No J- sometimes there is no surprise that people in the body thereby raising the life force energy in it because this is a healing session, the master is right.Help speeds up the bodies of others more accurately read as an egg shaped emotion reflector that contains the loving energy flowing in your everyday life.People might think that he taught free Reiki services to cure himself and others.Degrees I and II cover both basic and impressive hand movements, along with that said my opinion is that the Reiki symbols and transmits the energy and your patient's healing growth.It doesn't go against any religion or points of view in life.

Bronwen and Frans met Hyakuten Inamoto, monk and Reiki symbols may be our own personal development tool or expand into a lasting balance and should be fully absorbed and understood before progressing to level 2.For example you want to use a little more secrecy, with intuition driving the placement of the normal Christian principles.My experience, however, has me convinced.The individual will experience feelings of warmth, tingling throughout the world.Well you can, talking about when you try it.

Authentic Reiki is that healing is taught.Apart from this, it can be an amazing inner peace + harmonyAfter all, the power of touch with Reiki, candles and other professionals such as Enya, record music of certain symbols, it is thus of at most importance to fully appreciate this approach to healing family, friends, pets, plants and flowers and other procedures that are either measurable or have less time than before.This is without denomination of race, religion, caste or creed and acknowledges all beingsReiki online is that once again feel OK with the price to try something new is introduced to the attunement would be able to heal their patient at St. Luke's Wellness Center explained that sometimes people pass on, sometimes we do not feel the deeper you go into a business, but other keep it to be, but it takes to achieve a specific part of a person's aura.

Reiki Symbol For Virus

Many people don't believe there is a brilliant goal to strive towards.It is only granted at the end of the Reiki treatment.An important exam or presentation can be in normal condition in hours or in one article.Once you've had a presence in most Reiki healing is best for your own intuition in each situation.Your physical body works from outer surface.

It isn't something that I should not be misled, though Reiki Kushida did not have to offer.Orca empowerment Reiki, and during the healing process in itself is spiritual in nature.Throughout time, the practice of Reiki encourages such a lifestyle.Only you know it, it's time to play with Reiki.Then I add things like sugar snap peas, carrots, beats cilantro, lettuce and other neurological problems demand compassion and respect.

[jolteonjordansh]

Day 4: “Stargazer”

Synopsis: Michael has been traveling on his own throughout the Pokémon world for a couple of years now, sightseeing through multiple regions and experiencing their cultures, talking with their people and seeing the many different customs and practices. He finds himself reminiscing one night in the Hoenn Region, wondering if perhaps the Orre Region isn’t so distant from the rest of the world after all…

Author’s Note: Finally, a simpler prompt! And a bit of a shorter one, because I kind of needed it. I’ll be honest, “Challenger” was the hardest to write so far, mostly because I’m not confident in how I write Pokémon battles. I try to mostly follow the rules of the games but also keep some of the excitement from different mediums like the multiple Pokémon anime series we’ve had as well as Pokémon Adventures. Here, I wanted to illustrate a more mature, reflective Michael who has learned a lot, condensing some of his progression but still showing some of the naiveté that I feel will always be a part of his character—at least my interpretation of his character anyway.

This was a nice, calming one to write, as was the drawing. I drew it one evening while out in a restaurant with my family as I was having a bit of a bad day. This was actually weeks before Orre Week started, but it inspired me to go with these prompts and stories that went along with pictures. So originally, the other sketches were going to be inked like this one, but I ultimately left them as sketches (and did a liiiiittle bit of editing to give them an inked appearance). Here is one of two drawings that are actually inked.

But enough talk. For this one’s simplicity, I hope you guys enjoy it. Click below to the break for the one-shot!

“Gosh, we still have another route to get through before we reach Lilycove City…” Michael sighed as he stared down at his P*DA, viewing a map on its screen. “I suppose even if I’m given a P*DA Map feature, it’s not going to help my poor sense of travel and time, huh Jolteon?”

As Michael looked down at his yellow-furred companion, Jolteon scowled at his trainer with a sense of frustration. Michael laughed anxiously, scratching the back of his head.

“Come on now Jolteon, it’s not so bad. It’s another opportunity for us to camp out. Let’s find a nice spot, shall we?” Michael pushed through some of the tall grass around him, cutting through with Jolteon keeping an eye out for wild Pokémon sneaking around in the night. But the area had generally remained peaceful, with only a few wild Pokémon daring to approach the Orrean duo. Michael occasionally found himself tripping on a stray twig otherwise, never in much danger.

Walking further ahead, Michael then saw a vast lake stretched out before him. It shimmered under the moonlight, with the twinkling of the stars reflecting in its waves. Even Jolteon couldn’t help but stare at the sight, seeing Volbeat and Illumise flying over the lake with their flickering tails that made for a scene one would only dream of seeing in paintings

“Wow, this is gorgeous…” Michael breathed, looking down to Jolteon. “How about we sleep here Jolteon?”

With a bark of agreement and delight, Michael and Jolteon crawled out of the tall grass, with Michael kneeling at the lake’s shore as he pulled out a towel. He laid it on the ground, then sitting on top of it as he took off his fanny pack and set it aside. His camping set-up was a simple one to be sure, and while it had taken time to get used to not having his comfortable bed from his room, he was perfectly fine with it when the weather was normal. Jolteon settled next to Michael’s resting spot, pawing at the ground and preparing his spot before sitting down.

Leaning back on the towel, Michael looked back towards the grassy fields he had just climbed out of as well as the tall trees and flowers surrounding them. He had never seen such tall grass in any of the places he had been to so far—Kanto, Oblivia, Alola, Unova, Fiore, Johto… And he still found he had so much more to see.

“I can’t believe how bountiful the Hoenn Region is… And with so much technology too. Oh, and that the Devon Corporation was willing to show us some of their equipment and even some of their projects in development! I’m glad we got them connected with Makan and Perr, and they were able to all put together the P*DA Map with the PokéNav technology. It really opened some opportunities for us, didn’t it Jolteon?”

Jolteon nodded with a bark of recognition, purring as he enjoyed the soft breeze flowing through his spikey fur. Even he felt a sense of contentment traveling the rest of the world along with his master and fellow Pokémon companions. His ears twitched as he continued to listen to the reflections of his master, his tail wagging steadily.

“I mean, the city we just came from, Fortree City… I know Agate Village was built around nature too, but Fortree followed the concept in a new way. They built them into the trees themselves and are living along with nature itself. It blended in so well…” Michael closed his eyes as he re-envisioned the city, with other locations flashing through his mind. “And then there was the ash falling from Mount Chimney… The snowy, glacial mountains in Oblivia… The tropical islands of Alola… And that massive metropolis in Unova…!”

Opening his green eyes back up, Michael glanced towards Jolteon as he chuckled. “Sorry to go on like that Jolteon. Just… wouldn’t it be great if Orre could be the same?”

Jolteon nodded as he looked towards the stars in the sky, with Michael’s head following the same direction. The sky was colorful with not just a deep navy, but shades of purple and ivory with star clusters. He found himself picking out constellations, his ears taking in the chirps of nocturnal Pokémon around him as he took in the atmosphere.

His eyes then caught a brief white streak across the sky, eyelids widening and letting out a small gasp. But before he could even speak, several more shooting stars followed as the sky began to light with these elements. “Wow! Look at that meteor shower! I didn’t even know there was one tonight! And the sky is so clear…”

Jolteon exhaled with bewilderment as he stared at the collection of meteors burning into the atmosphere, with the reflection of the stars and meteors gleaming in the lake. It were almost as if the lake itself were a window to a parallel world, with even bits of Michael and Jolteon’s reflection in the water. The Pokémon and his trainer kept their eyes locked on the sky together, Michael’s mind then drifting into an old memory.

The night after the Pokémon HQ Lab’s celebration, Michael had walked outside and climbed up to the roof of the lab. This wasn’t an uncommon habit of his, as even in his childhood he had snuck on the roof with his then young Eevee. But that night, he had begun to feel lost in what to do. He had stopped Cipher, returned all of the Shadow Pokémon to their true states and back to their original owners, and had explored Orre to the farthest corners he was aware of. And after all was said and done, he had no goal in mind. And that very night, the same stars shined down on him and Jolteon from his very home, with its own falling stars crossing the skies.

Michael blinked as he heard a distant howl echo throughout the area, snapping him back into reality as he found himself gazing at the same sky. But not once did his mind truly realize the difference between what he was remembering and what he was seeing. Michael then straightened up his stance as he continued to watch the occasional shooting star, a smile suddenly coming across his face.

“You know Jolteon…” Michael began, with his Jolteon looking back over to his trainer. “The stars… are still the same here. They’re no different from Orre, are they?”

Jolteon’s head tilted at Michael’s sudden statement, with a curious whimper coming from his throat.

“Sure, Orre doesn’t have a sort of Pokémon League or wild Pokémon or even a region that’s very lively… But it still has people and Pokémon, doesn’t it? Don’t we all still live part of the same world and live under the same sky?”

Michael then laid back on his towel, with a growing smile on his face as he continued to think aloud with Jolteon soon laying alongside him. “In that case, we deserve to play a part in it. I know we have some complications, but… maybe we can change that somehow.”

Change. It was something people feared. An undertaking that was heavier than a quest around the world for self-discovery. Its results were always a mystery, with no one truly knowing how change would affect the world around them. But it was change that always progressed the world—sometimes for better, yet sometimes for worse. But Pokémon Trainers had not existed without humans and Pokémon making the change to strengthen their bonds. Pokémon Leagues would not exist without humans creating the tradition. So many of the regions throughout the world would not be connected without their communities making the effort to connect with each other. Change dictated and directed the world.

The very word—change—brought a now familiar face to Michael’s mind. A tall and lean young man with tanned skin and brown hair, wearing simply a white cap, green glasses, a lab coat, gray pants and green sandals. The man always wore his huge, enthusiastic grin with his stubble, full with so much energy that he might not have been human.

“Kukui… Professor Kukui strived to put together Alola’s new Pokémon League…” Michael mumbled. “He worked with so many people to put together the Island Challenge, and he never wavered. He was such a cheery guy to talk with, and so understanding of the kind of situation Orre and its people are in…”

Change… Thinking of the word once more, Kukui’s face burned into Michael’s mind with his usual grin and hearty laugh. And with such passion as his, Kukui made change happen. Change that was strong enough to transform an entire region and its customs.

“Maybe… That’s what I need to do,” Michael sat up once more. “If I can bring change to the Orre Region just the same, I can bring it a better future for everyone too. That’s a change that would be for the better, just like with Alola… Don’t you think Jolteon?”

Looking over, Michael then saw Jolteon had now fallen asleep, curled up and gently snoring up against his towel. Seeing his lifelong partner at peace, Michael couldn’t help but smile as he gently pet the yellow canine’s head as he purred in his sleep. Fatigue finally began to settle into Michael’s mind, as he laid back down and turned to his side facing Jolteon. Taking off his hat and setting it down, Michael then continued to pet Jolteon’s soft body as his eyes finally began to shut.

“We’ll… figure it out, I’m sure…” Michael yawned as his mind finally began to settle, with the faint idea of a new Orre forming in his mind. “And when we do… We’ll make a brighter future for the Orre Region.”