#i have yet to find any other instance of him singing but if i do ill be the first to let yall know

[todayisafridaynight]

we heard of the tokugawa song sung by mine's va (shidou nakamura ii) but have we heard of the one where mine's va sings as saigo takamori cause i think thats just great

[lets-try-some-writing]

Hi! Longtime lurker here, I adore your writing and all the oneshots you publish. Do you have any cute headcanons about Optimus and Elita’s relationship (for instance, how they met, deciding to become Conjuxed, and other miscellaneous stuff)?

That I do! I love them very much your honor, so let me specify based on continuity. For now, lets stick to G1. I've had longer to think about them.

G1

Orion and Ariel met in a barfight. Orion decked someone for making nasty comments about Ariel and she in turn decked Orion thinking he was the one being gross.

They made up afterwards with a drink and proceeded to dance the night away, promptly exchanging communication lines.

Once Orion figured out where Ariel worked and after they had been talking for a while, he marched across Iacon in order to sign on at her depot.

Dion thought he was nuts but came along because he enjoyed the drama.

Orion made it a point to be a gentlemech even while working at the docks. He would carry anything heavier than a cat for Ariel's and would go out of his way to get her energon for her so she didn't have to stand in line for rations.

They began courting after Orion got into yet another fist fight in Ariel's defense. He got his face busted in, and while Ariel helped him get patched up, Orion blurted out that he couldn't just let other mechs touch her.

Ariel took that personally and proceeded to become just as devoted as Orion. This earned the duo many gags and amusing reactions from their fellows who referred to them as the "lovebirds".

Ariel and Orion never actually managed to be Conjunxed as dock workers. That came later when they met under the light of Luna 1 before the Exodus late into the war. Optimus brought Elita-One the last crystal rose he could find and asked her to be his Conjunx right there.

She agreed and they spent a mere three cycles together before having to go their separate ways. But Elita wore a simple pendant with contained a petal of that single rose. Optimus for his part carried the piece of Elita's antennae that had been torn off in combat.

During the war, when they were able, Optimus and Elita would call each other by their old names and dance under the stars, singing wild songs from the docks while playing music that didn't match the mood in the slightest.

When the war ended, Elita wept for Optimus during his many moments of death. But after each miraculous return, they would always reaffirm their oaths to each other. Usually with a few soft touches.

Post war, Elita and Optimus are the most sappy couple to have ever become a thing. They are constantly calling each other nicknames like "honey", "Sweetspark", "pooch" (that one is elita's and only for when she's feeling mischievous), "My forever", and Optimus's favorite, "My rose." (For obvious reasons).

They openly wear very obvious marks of their conjunxing now that they aren't being attacked left, right, and center. Elita keeps her pendant but also loves to have a little engraving of Optimus's pet name for her on her neck guard. Slightly scandalous, but she enjoys it, especially because Optimus has "pooch" written on his inner thigh where only she and the very observant can see.

They are also very good at being quiet about their activities as a couple. But when they feel like shooing mecha away, they love to get sappy and gross everyone out of the room.

They are also notoriously dramatic when the situation isn't serious. Put them in a war room and neither will so much as smile. But give them a minor issue, and they can and will make fun of those who are enduring some slight embarrassment.

Whenever Optimus takes on a new apprentice (adopts a child-), Elita has been known to mother them relentlessly in her own way. Some get beat around in training, others get homemade goodies. Others still may end up getting actually adopted.

Rodimus still has no idea that technically he's Optimus and Elita's on paper. Only Kup and Ultra Magnus know. Both think its hilarious and have no intention of telling poor Rodimus anytime soon.

[z0mbiefrank]

MCR5 Theory: Secretary Gerard is a character called The Widow

I'm unsure if everyone is thinking along the same lines, but I have yet to see anyone talk about it, so I've put together this post with evidence and links. (this will expand on the 9/11 theory. also special shout out to @autistme who made a spreadsheet with all the aus eagles lyrics) MCR performed Eagles at all six Australia shows this tour. At five of them, Gerard was dressed in a grey suit and skirt, commonly referred to as the secretary or office lady by fans.

(📷 Dough Peters) Here's a quick reference table for the things I will be talking about here. (Not necessary to read, I will explain it all)

At Brisbane, the drumheads read "everything under control" followed by "here comes the airplane". The planes have yet to hit the towers, but disaster is imminent. Eagles has evolved a lot over the tour but the Aus dates heard a new consistent change in the first verse.

All along the river bends All along with all my friends Yes, all around the river bends All together with my friends

There is minimal change for Brisbane 2. Notice how gerard is dressed as the secretary and says "my friends".

Next comes Melbourne 1. The drumhead reads "TErrOR". The plane has hit and there is a dramatic change to the first verse.

All night long the widow sends Valentines to bitter friends Yes, all night long the widow sends Valentines to all my friends

This character with friends now has a title, and it is The Widow. She has lost her husband in the attack. Her friends survived and she is sending them letters of love during this terrible time.

Melbourne 2, Gerard breaks the outfit chain. He is wearing jeans and a t-shirt, there is no hint of office wear, he is no longer playing the widow, he is playing himself. The drumhead also seems unrelated to 9/11 "BARK BARK BARK". They sing the same first verse as the previous night with minimal change, except for the last line

Valentines to all her friends

This is the only instance where Gerard does not refer to the friends as "my friends" at all during aus eagles, and it is because they weren't in the skirt suit that night, they were not the widow.

Next comes Sydney. The Widow is back and she's covered in blood! Something awful has happened to her, she's dying. But the drumhead reads "UNKILLAbLe". (This was written by Frank, an extremely powerful thing for him to do considering his accident in Sydney and PTSD. MCR has always used concept albums as a vessel to speak of things the band has been through.) The widow continues to write her letters during eagles despite the blood on her face.

(📷 Jess Gleeson) Sydney 2. The Widow again. She is in the exact same outfit, down to her boots (sports mode), but this time she is not only covered in blood but her eyes are WHITE. She is dead! The drumhead now reads "Unkillables", this is no longer specifically just one, but multiple people. It could be mcr as a band, mcr as individuals, or mcr fans themselves. In the context of a concept album, unkillables can take on a whole new meaning. It brings to mind the supernatural, ghouls, vampires, werewolves. How is it that the widow is dead, yet she is walking on stage right in front of us? Staring at us with blank eyes on the big screen? Is she a ghost, a zombie? I'm not sure. But she is still the widow. Even in death, she is searching for her husband.

(📷 ashymcr , expiiredglitter)

Which leads me to Summertime. The piece of evidence that drove me to write this long-ass post. As we know, it is a love song about Gerard's marital partner. Before they played, Gerard spoke in a breathy and musically haunting voice "I'll find you. I'll find you. come find me." Definitely something a lost and ghostly widow would say. They also bring out a white handkerchief, they do not have it in any other songs. Throughout the performance, Gerard clutched it to their chest repeatedly and held it lovingly in both hands.

In the third picture, he is looking down sadly at the handkerchief singing the line "If you stay, I would even wait all night." (video)

This is very clearly The Widow. She is mourning her husband, she is dead, lost and searching for him. Perhaps the handkerchief is all she has left of him, or it is simply to dry her tears, but she is clearly in mourning for her marital partner.

And finally, Eagles at Sydney 2. The first verse stays the same except for the third line. "Yes, all night long the widow sends" becomes

Yes, all day long the widow sends

She is writing night and day. She does not rest. Her outfits in Sydney are exactly the same. Every single other secretary's outfit is subtlely different, but now she is dead, she is stuck in the same clothing like a ghost. The Widow also makes an appearance later in the song.

We found the widow And hit her with a baseball bat

I have less ideas of what this could be about, but I think if some dead lady was walking about being unkillable, people would get freaked and attack her with a baseball bat. The concept of "unkillables" is something I could write a whole other post about but I'll spare you for now.

To conclude, I think The Widow as a concept album character would fit right in with MCR. They are no strangers to lovers separated by death. Others on here have spoken on how the feminine outfits Gerard has chosen this tour have often been of women scorned or living in the shadows of powerful men. I believe The Widow would fit right in. Even after her husband has died, she is only talked about in reference to him. She is The Widow, something that tells us more about her husband than herself.

[redphlox]

Are you feeling about Touya? I can't imagine Horikoshi it would be way too cruel, especially since him and Shouto need to eat soba together.

Feeling hopeful. I know the general consensus in the Dabi fandom right now is fear and despondency but when I look at the overall picture of the story, Touya dying doesn't make any sense and there's a lot of setup for him to survive.

The random guard/whoever saying Touya is heading toward a slow death means nothing to me. Not when Ujiko, the brilliant (but evil) doctor who saved Touya from certain death on Sekoto Peak, was wrong about Dabi's body not surviving a month after he woke up from the coma. The core of Touya's character is literally about survival and determination, going above and beyond to exceed expectations to live and be seen. I also feel that there might be something within Touya that allows him to survive, which is how he has any fire resistance at all. He was crying actual real tears this chapter instead of blood, which hints that his body is healing. I've seen other people theorize that Shouto's Phosphor has healing properties, which is promising and more in line with the stories' themes and messages than Touya dying again.

Overall, the tone of the Todoroki family arc is positive and hopeful. Yes, Fuyumi quit her teaching position, but one of the students' parents helped her find another one. This means that not only does this one parent believe in her, but so does this new employer. And those kindergarteners that Shouto connected with during the remedial license Arc have been supporting him this entire time. These instances show that society is changing their attitude towards the relatives of those who commit crimes and are willing to accept the Todorokis back into society and are literally cheering for them. This doesn't change the fact that some people will definitely hate them, but it's not all doom and gloom. And the soba thing - what a way to connect to someone who was born to replace you! That's a deep connection right there, and that's good. The story has focused a lot on connections and how life-saving and important those can be. Dying would rip that connection and go against the themes

Also, I feel like the Todoroki family would be much more worried and emotionally wrecked if they thought Touya was actually dying. Endeavor keeps talking to Touya about the future and visiting him. Unless all of them are in denial about what is happening, then why would they torture themselves talking about something that can't happen? All these conversations they want to have etc etc. It would be cruel, and Horikoshi is a sensitive guy. I don't think he could write something like that, and it doesn't fit what he's written so far.

To go further than Touya, I wouldn't be surprised if we see Toga and Spinner also on their deathbeds currently too, tbh. I'm thinking that mysterious new character (who is Tenko, no doubt), saved by his regeneration quirk, may help them. There's set up for it via Kurogiri telling Shigaraki his friends are waiting for him, and not to mention Shigaraki's always been the hero of the lov. He might not have saved them emotionally like the hero kids did, but he can save them physically. I'm not sure how exactly it'll all happen but I think they will all be okay in the end.

I know some readers have a different, more critical/negative opinion than I do, and that's fine. Ever since Shigiraki died, I've been saying that it's going to get worse before it gets better and that we're not going to see a resolution to that soon, and that's all been happening. I hate this saying, but, it's not over till the fat lady sings. I'm just going to keep on reading. I keep telling my friends this over and over again but it's kind of like reading the last Harry Potter (author is dead to me) book and stopping/rage quitting when Harry is killed by Voldemort in the forest. Keep reading. The story is not over yet, and a lot can change for the better. Let Horikoshi tell his story.

[project-sekai-facts]

Pspsppspspspsp…,. Any weird facts on how sekai works? Specifically wondershow if you can, but from what I know is that in general sekai will kick you out forcibly if your phone dies, school sekai has no daylight cycle, wondershow has a Victorian ages style library, empty sekai is so big you can get lost in it, and street sekai has a city

Okay I'm going 100% Wonderland SEKAI on this because I can and I have some stuff scheduled already about general SEKAI lore. And because holy shit Wonderland SEKAI is interesting.

Without further ado, 8 facts about Wonderland SEKAI...

Under the cut due to length

This doesn't display well on the desktop dashboard I apologise for that.

Wonderland SEKAI fact #1: KAITO might have been stabbed.

This is all the same magic show, just three different references to it (and a minor inconsistency that Tsukasa gets told about it twice). These are from an area conversation, Miku's Wonderland SEKAI 2* story 1, and KAITO's Wonderland SEKAI 2* story 1. Either KAITO really is that flexible or Virtual Singers cannot die. This probably applies to all SEKAI not just Wonderland but I just wanted everyone to know about KAITO getting stabbed.

Wonderland SEKAI fact #2: Miku seems to be younger than the members of WonderlandsxShowtime.

In an area conversation, KAITO says he thinks Emu would be the oldest if she and Miku were sisters. However, in this conversation he seems to be mainly referring to personality, so there is a possibility that Miku is still her standard age of 16 and just acts younger than she is. That said, the ages of Virtual Singers do vary through other SEKAI (particularly School), which adds a bit more evidence for this fact.

Wonderland SEKAI fact #3: Plants are sentient.

They're alive. They talk. They sing. They have conscious thought. Alice in Wonderland type shit. (Sources: KAITO's Troupe Positions Open 3* card stories, @/pjsekai_eng's translation of 4koma #72)

Wonderland SEKAI fact #4: Wonderland SEKAI is the only SEKAI with distinguishable inhabitants (not counting Virtual Singers)

While the Stage SEKAI has audiences that come and go, we don't know much about them and they don't seem to have any defined personalities or characteristics (it may be an instance of leaning on the 4th wall). Wonderland SEKAI is inhabited by plushies and puppets, all of which have their own individual personalities and free will. KAITO believes that these may be plushies that Tsukasa played with and performed shows with as a kid. You'll see this again in a bit.

Wonderland SEKAI fact #5: Since everything in the SEKAI is pulled from Tsukasa’s psyche, not all the plushies are based on shows he wrote as a kid

For example, Usa-chan. She seems to be based on a younger version of Saki, where she was more sensitive and would need cheering up a lot. Obviously connecting to Tsukasa's main drive being making people (specifically Saki) smile.

One more notable example is the cat and dog plushie from Full Power! Wonder Halloween!. The dog plushie is very obviously meant to be Tsukasa (it even has a star on it), and the cat is Rui (and it has cameoed in his cards a few times). In the event story, Tsukasa and Rui had an argument due to Rui holding himself back after a stunt gone wrong, and the cat and dog plushie have a very similar conflict, albeit the cat plushie representing Rui is much more aware of it's feelings.

KAITO's A Chat With The Lost 4* card story shows him making a different (although possibly the same, the story contradicts itself) pair of dog and cat plushies resolve a conflict and open up to each other. Yet again, the plushies very obviously represent Tsukasa and Rui.

TLDR: Tsukasa's feelings and experiences work their way into the SEKAI in real time through the form of plushies.

Wonderland SEKAI fact #6: Oh yeah literally everything in the SEKAI reflects some aspect of Tsukasa.

I find it interesting how KAITO tells Rui that he should go and talk to Tsukasa about it but then to Emu and Nene he gives a more confident answer. It's a nice little detail that ties into Rui's character (read: he didn't have a lot of friends at this point).

Linking this back to the previous fact, it does seem like the other members of WxS do have some influence in the SEKAI, specifically over their plushie equivalents (since the cat plushie has the exact same internal conflict as Rui that Tsukasa had zero knowledge about at the time). The power of friendship I guess.

Wonderland SEKAI fact #7: Wonderland SEKAI manifests as a response to Saki asking Tsukasa why he wants to be a star.

But that doesn't sound quite right, does it? It's stated constantly that SEKAI are created by strong feelings, and this is true in all other stories (Ichika thinking about how she had drifted apart from her friends, Minori reminding herself to never give up and keep aiming to be an idol, An's declaring her dream while Kohane wished she had one, Mafuyu's depression and longing to find herself). So it really sticks out that Tsukasa's SEKAI is formed by this:

Sorry about the wiki screenshots

There's not really any strong feelings here... In all other instances, the SEKAI are formed by a concious desire for something, and yeah okay, Tsukasa seems to want to remember why he wants to be a star, but at the same time it doesn't seem hugely important to him (not pictured but he drops the train of thought just after this) and the SEKAI isn't born from that anyway. The SEKAI is born from the feelings that he was trying to remember, which implies that the SEKAI was formed by his subconscious.

Further supported by Miku immediately picking out the correct reason for him wanting to be a star in chapter 3 of WxS' main story.

And in the Opening chapter of the same story where KAITO explicitly mentions that the SEKAI is nostalgic to Tsukasa, suggesting that he knows exactly what Tsukasa has forgotten. Tsukasa himself had noticed that it seemed nostalgic, although he denies it when KAITO brings it up.

Oh and then he somehow manages to remember everything by the end of the story and like I'm not a psych student but that doesn't seem right? Honestly from what I do know about psychology the situation sounds like a repressed memory but it doesn't sound 100% accurate either? I dunno, maybe it's just fantastical psychology coming into play (it probably is).

Regardless of all of that, it implies that you can somehow form a SEKAI through subconscious/repressed feelings which is really interesting actually.

Anyway they're probably never going to elaborate on any of that in the game because...

Wonderland SEKAI fact #8: the game goes out of its way to not tell you Wonderland SEKAI lore, and if it does tell you, it's usually not clear

For example, this area conversation. KAITO doesn't tell them directly and we never find out if they learnt the answer.

Or this area conversation (very abridged) where KAITO doesn't even know the answer.

Or the fact that Rui still hasn't had that talk with Tsukasa that he said he would have in KAITO's 2* card. Or that KAITO isn't 100% certain about the things he says about SEKAI. How do more plants grow in Spring? Does the Wonderland SEKAI have a plant lifecycle or do they just never die? How is Miku seemingly derived from Emu despite having existed before Tsukasa had ever encountered Emu? (I know Kohane and An hadn't met either but Kohane was at least watching An's performance. Miku actually mentions "others" in the Main Story Opening which means there's some more weird fate shit going on. The power of friendship I guess.)

The other SEKAI have their quirks explained (for the most part) but everything in Wonderland SEKAI kinda just exists and is never really explained beyond "it's something from Tsukasa's psyche". I mean there's stuff from other SEKAI that isn't explained but it just seems like there's a bit more here.

I mean you can infer a fair amount of stuff just from Tsukasa as a character but I want the game to talk about it to make my life easier I have a fact account to run I need evidence. Tsukasa please be less emotionally constipated, sincerely, mod.

If you made it this far I'm sorry.

Love is stored in the WxS KAITO <3

Bonus Wonderland SEKAI Fact #9: this is a mistranslation and KAITO should be calling Tsukasa the top star-to-be and not himself. Poor TLs aside KAITO does seem to be like, Tsukasa's "ideal self" for lack of a better description. Also Len takes traits from Rui while being a foil to him, MEIKO takes some traits from Emu, Rin is a foil to Nene, Miku seems to be a mirror character to Emu but don't ask how that works and Luka is derived from ???

[zukosdualdao]

Thoughts on what the Gaang would call Iroh post canon? Toph obviously would stick with Gramps, but I'm not sure about the others. I feel like just calling him Iroh might be too informal, but I don't know that any of them would feel close enough to call him Uncle for a good while yet. (Other than Zuko, of course.) There's always General Iroh, but I think that's a title he'd like to put behind him. I cannot remember for the life of me how any of them address him the few times they're all together.

ooh so what i remember of the instance in canon of the gaang referring to him:

sokka calls him iroh when detailing the plan to rescue katara and zuko and try to take down the dai li in tcod, and katara calls him general iroh in sozin’s comet. there might be some other instances (i feel like i remember at least one instance of aang referring to him by name but i could be wrong), but mostly i remember them calling him “your uncle” whenever zuko brought him up in the latter half of book three.

with that in mind:

sokka still definitely calls him iroh. onlookers might indeed find this too casual, but neither of them care, lmao. though he would do just do this anyway, part of it is because of iroh's history, and while i think sokka does trust by the end of canon and especially post-canon that he is a changed man, his pragmatism insists on that distance a little bit. but i also think they come to quite like, understand, and respect each, though sokka still just calls him iroh because he would prefer to just refer to people by their names in general. this works out for iroh, who would much rather people call him by his name or an affectionate moniker than any sort of official title these days.

i think katara might still refer to him as general iroh directly proceeding post-canon (she means, as i believe she did in sozin's comment, it as a reference of respect to iroh's actions trying to make up for his past wrongs, a la leading the battle to take back ba sing se with the white lotus.) he eventually tells her that she doesn't have to, though. it's a gradual switch, as she still catches herself doing it a lot, and though she wouldn't be the first one in the gaang to do so, she'd probably occasionally call him uncle iroh as they come to know each other, but mostly calls him iroh.

does toph call him gramps in canon? i don't remember, but if so, ADORABLE, and regardless, i can totally see it. he does not mind this at all, he gets that it's an Affectionate Nickname. if they're in a more formal setting that calls for something (like a summit or something) she might call him iroh, but really, it's mostly gramps.

i think aang might call him general or even prince iroh - mostly because it stood out to me that he called hakoda 'chief hakoda' when meeting him - but the second iroh says he doesn't have to, it's all uncle iroh all the time! (he is the first, outside of zuko, to call him that.)

i think suki would probably stick to iroh for a long time, mostly because she didn't know him very well in canon, but once she and iroh do grow to know each other well enough, she might use uncle iroh occasionally.

i have to include my buddy zuko, even though we know he mostly calls iroh 'uncle'. he does sometimes still call him uncle iroh, which we see a couple of times (esp in book one i think) in the show, but that's mostly just in casual settings. one notable thing is that NO ONE is allowed to call iroh just Uncle like zuko does. that's his uncle, excuse. (no one ask me or zuko to explain why it's different when they call him uncle iroh. it just is.) though this is entirely unspoken. aang tries this once and receives a glare from zuko so strong that he refers to him only as "zuko's uncle iroh" for a month straight, including to iroh's face. lmao.

[bookishwithathought]

ACOSF Bonus Chapter Breakdown Part VI - Azriel and Gwyn

Part I - Azriel and Elain

Part II - Azriel and Elain

Part III - Azriel and Rhys

Part IV - Azriel and Rhys

Part V - Azriel and Gwyn

**This is just me, analyzing the life out of the bonus chapter and all the possibilities. My thoughts and no one else's. If you agree, great. If you disagree, love it. If you want to share why you disagree, love it even more. If you are disrespectful while disagreeing, I kindly request that you move along and if you insist you will be left to argue with yourself**

Gwyn is inviting Azriel to banter with her.

Despite Azriel's intense emotions buried underneath, he finds himself having a moment of respite in Gwyn's presence.

Quite the fitting word for what is happening in this scene.

Azriel sleeps with many daggers. Possibilties:

He doesn't feel safe, even with enough killing power to require 7 siphons. Even with centuries of training, experience and enduring pain and suffering. It's as though he can never have enough options with which to protect himself, to cover any vulnerability.

2. He has been trained to always be prepared for any situation.

For most of the series so far, the shadows are either lingering around Az and not engaging with others or they are acting according to Azriel's emotions and reactions. I can only think of one instance where they interacted with another character directly:

From ACOMAF (emphasis mine):

The spymaster had waited in silence. I tried not to look too uncomfortable as he scooped me into his arms, those shadows that whispered to him stroking my neck, my cheek.

Even then, we don't know if they stroked her neck and cheek because of her proximity to Az or because the shadows sought her out of their own accord.

In this case, the shadows are choosing to engage with Gwyn.

{If the shadows are simply manifestations of Azriel's emotions as some claim them to be, then this shows Azriel is intrigued by or curious about Gwyn.}

The imagery of his shadow dancing with her breath: whimsical, a moment of reprieve, of contentedness. Adds a playful mood to the air.

"Like it heard some silent music"

Possibilities:

This is a hint of the mating bond the shadow is detecting

The shadow can sense Gwyn's unknown powers

Gwyn has a beautiful voice and the shadow can sense it in her breath

{For someone who claims to not need to resort to poetry, Az surely seems to be stumbling a bit here.}

He could have stopped the conversation at any point, yet he continues to engage with Gwyn, extending the moment by asking a question in return.

Gwyn is using the mention of the service as a segue to ask Azriel if he sings, not only continuing the conversation but also moving it into a more personal space. If I were to follow her line of thought, it would probably be:

"Yes, though the service was the main highlight."

The service > singing > Shadowsinger > "Do you sing?"

"She angled her head"

Head angling is also known as head tilt, which is considered a micropositive in body language.

Micropositive: the positive small nonverbal cues humans send to each other conveying engagement, rapport, curiosity, support, listening, attention.

This shows genuine engagement by Gwyn.

but...Gwyn managed to surprise Azriel with a personal question.

"I am a shadowsinger"

This statement leaves no room for doubt where Azriel's shadows are concerned. They are a permanent part of Az.

Azriel has come to expect a certain response or reaction to his position, title and abilities. Yet here Gwyn is reacting or responding to him as she would any other ordinary person, which is quite unfamiliar to Azriel and perhaps even refreshing.

Azriel diverts from Gwyn's question with that statement. Gwyn guides his focus back by repeating the question.

By insisting on the question, it's possible Gwyn is trying to find something they share in common. She might be trying to add positive layers to their connection since until now it's mostly been due to the events of Sangravah.

"Azriel couldn't help his soft chuckle"

I think Azriel is someone who feels deeply yet has learned to keep a tight control on his emotions because of all he's endured with his family and as an Illyrian. He is hesitant to even show when he is content, happy or amused. It's always encouraging to see small moments like this, where some of the control is loosened and he can just be in the moment.

Possibilties:

Azriel realizes the conversation is becoming too personal and he wants to keep it surface level

He's too embarrassed to sing in front of Gwyn (or anyone, since we've never read a hint of him singing)

He's still reeling from the night's events and wants to move onto neutral territory

He deflects by leading their encounter into an imprompu sword lesson.

Gwyn reacts in surprise that Azriel would want to watch her

A challenge presented, a challenge accepted: Instead of being embarrassed or afraid to fail in front of Azriel, Gwyn doesn't cower. She rises up to the challenge.

Just as Gwyn training at night gives her focus and distraction, this lesson is giving Azriel focus and distraction. A parallel between these characters.

There are rare moments where Azriel is this open and communicative. One other moment is when he is training Feyre on flying. Training and teaching gives Azriel focus and he seems to genuinely enjoy helping others grow and learn.

Gwyn has seen Azriel at his most merciless, his most ruthless, his most violent, when he arrived in Sangravah and killed every Hybern soldier as she watched it happen. And still, she is treating him as just another familiar person. This is encouraging for her story, that she isn't allowing her traumatic experience to forever inform her life or interactions with the opposite sex.

Gwyn blaming Cassian in a lighthearted manner brings an easiness to the moment, helping both of them relax and be disarmed around each other. We can see this by Azriel laughing openly and Gwyn smiling broadly in response.

The Duchenne smile comes to mind here

TO SETTLE:

Possibilities of "something restless settling in him"

Azriel came to the training ring with very strong emotions, wants and needs and the interaction with Gwyn allowed him time to calm down

Gwyn has the abilitiy, whether by her character or by magic, to make others around her comfortable and restful

Gwyn is his mate and the mating bond on his side has been chafing and restless within him, building in intensity overtime, but now that it has found its way to her it can calm down until it snaps into place. {If this is the case, it makes one wonder if the bond is a living thing. Not necessarily sentient, but rather a living thread pulling both mates together for their whole life, whether the mates accept the bond or reject it.}

The shadows calming, lounging and watching:

This is the first and only time we see the shadows so invested in an interaction between Azriel and another character. As though they want this interaction to happen, or to continue. Or to see how it develops.

Another example of Azriel being considerate.

We see Gwyn's determined nature highlighted here.

It's important to note Gwyn being labeled as a warrior sizing up an opponent through Azriel's POV. This is how he sees her.

I think the focus should be on courage here. Azriel saw Gwyn at her most fragile, then didn't see her for two years while she stayed exclusively in the library. Now here she is, training. That is courageous.

Later in the book, during the Blood Rite, we see her embody definition #1, as well as show vigor and aggressiveness.

Earlier in the passage Azriel notes Gwyn engaged with him irrevently, and now we can see he considers it charming, as a positive quality. In short, he appreciates that she treats him as an equal, as ordinary.

This reminds me of the compositional technique in music of Call and Response.

Link to the article

Possibilities:

Gwyn was singing as she trained, as she is prone to do, and the shadows responded positively to her singing, as they have been since their first interaction

The mating bond is awakening after being dormant, which is why Azriel heard it and the shadows answered.

Azriel is extremely tired and is hearing things

To be continued...

[jackoshadows]

Thinking of the parallels between Jaime/Brienne and Jon/Arya and the contrasts between Jaime/Cersei and Jon/Arya.

We start with the swords. I spy similarities in the writing where Jon gifts Arya a sword and Jaime does the same for Brienne.

First, it’s a gift.

“I have something for you to take with you, and it has to be packed very carefully.”  Her face lit up. “A present?” 

“You could call it that. Close the door.” - Jon, AGoT

“I have a gift for you.” He reached down under the Lord Commander’s chair and brought it out, wrapped in folds of crimson velvet. - Jaime, ASoS

Then there’s the unveiling.

By then Jon had pulled off the rags he’d wrapped it in. He held it out to her. Arya’s eyes went wide. Dark eyes, like his. “A sword,” she said in a small, hushed breath. The scabbard was soft grey leather, supple as sin. Jon drew out the blade slowly, so she could see the deep blue sheen of the steel. - Jon, AGoT

Brienne approached as if the bundle was like to bite her, reached out a huge freckled hand, and flipped back a fold of cloth. Rubies glimmered in the light. She picked the treasure up gingerly, curled her fingers around the leather grip, and slowly slid the sword free of its scabbard. Blood and black the ripples shone. A finger of reflected light ran red along the edge. “Is this Valyrian steel? I have never seen such colors.” - Jaime, ASoS

And then there’s the naming, where both Jon and Jaime name the sword, for Arya’s ‘love’ of sewing and Brienne finding Catelyn’s girls for the oaths promised.

“I almost forgot,” he told her. “All the best swords have names.” “Like Ice,” she said. She looked at the blade in her hand. “Does this have a name? Oh, tell me.” “Can’t you guess?” Jon teased. “Your very favorite thing.” Arya seemed puzzled at first. Then it came to her. She was that quick. They said it together: “Needle!” - Jon, AGoT

Before she could think to refuse, he went on. “A sword so fine must bear a name. It would please me if you would call this one Oathkeeper. ” - Jaime, ASoS

This then leads to the first instance of Jon/Arya (and Jaime/Brienne) being written as foils to Jaime/Cersei with Cersei’s anger at the difference between how she and Jaime were treated growing up as children.

"Yet even  so, when Jaime was given his first sword, there was none for me. 'What  do I get?' I remember asking. We were so much alike, I could never  understand why they treated us so differently. Jaime learned to fight  with sword and lance and mace, while I was taught to smile and sing and  please. He was heir to Casterly Rock, while I was to be sold to some  stranger like a horse, to be ridden whenever my new owner liked, beaten  whenever he liked, and cast aside in time for a younger filly. Jaime's  lot was to be glory and power, while mine was birth and moonblood."  - Cersei, AFfC 

And while Arya’s parents did treat her differently to her brothers, she did end up getting a sword because Jon Snow gifted her with one. Jon Snow who recognizes what it is that Arya is actually interested in, what it is that Arya wants, who understands the unfairness of the patriarchy where Arya is concerned and proceeds to try and fix in some small manner. 

And yet for as much as Jaime claims to love Cersei, giving up Casterly Rock and becoming a Kingsguard to be with her, he does not seem to either understand this side of her or acknowledge it any way. Given the constant reminders that Jaime and Cersei are very close to each other from birth, does Jaime even know of Cersei’s resentment and try to address it? Have conversations with her about it? Given what we know of pre - one hand Jaime and his initial interactions with Brienne, I doubt it. In fact Jaime is surprised at Brienne’s prowess and strength given that she’s a woman.

She is stronger than I am.The realization chilled him. Robert had been stronger than him, to be sure. The White Bull Gerold Hightower as well, in his heyday, and Ser Arthur Dayne. Amongst the living, Greatjon Umber was stronger, Strongboar of Crakehall most likely, both Cleganes for a certainty. The Mountain’s strength was like nothing human. It did not matter. With speed and skill, Jaime could beat them all. But this was a woman. A huge cow of a woman, to be sure, but even so … by rights, she should be the one wearing down. - Jaime, ASoS

And while Cersei resented that Jaime got Casterly Rock and the swords, there is understanding and empathy on both sides where Jon Snow and Arya Stark are concerned.

“Why aren’t you down in the yard?” Arya asked him. He gave her a half smile. “Bastards are not allowed to damage young princes,” he said. “Any bruises they take in the practice yard must come from trueborn swords.” “Oh.” Arya felt abashed. She should have realized. For the second time today, Arya reflected that life was not fair. - Arya, AGoT

Jaime only gets to this place of seeing Brienne as an equal in ASoS, after interacting with her, starting to respect her skill and accepting her as a fellow warrior and trusting in her to keep his oaths to Catelyn.

He swayed with the motion of his horse, wishing for a sword. Two swords would be even better. One for the wench and one for me. We’d die, but we’d take half of them down to hell with us. - Jaime, ASoS

With Jaime’s gradual change in feelings towards Cersei and Brienne, we get that final contrast between Jaime/Cersei and Jon/Arya - possibly also where Jaime/Cersei ends once and for all and where romantic Jon/Arya may start with a resurrected Jon reuniting with an older Arya. Yes, this is about the letters.

“Does my lord wish to answer?”

I love you. I love you. I love you. Come at once.

“No,” he said. “Put this in the fire.” - Jaime, AFfC

“What do you mean to do, crow?”

 I want my bride back … I want my bride back … I want my bride back …

“I think we had best change the plan,” Jon Snow said. - Jon, ADwD

Keep in mind that by laws and oaths sworn, as a sworn brother of the Kingsguard, Jaime can and most probably should defend the queen in a trial by combat and still Jaime refuses to help. Meanwhile, Jon Snow is prohibited by laws and sworn oaths to step in and help Arya and yet he decides to endanger the neutrality of the NW by going to war with Ramsay Bolton.

Jaime is as done with Cersei as Cersei was done with Jaime when he returned without a hand. Meanwhile Jon Snow is just getting started, breaking his sacrosanct NW oaths and rallying an army of Wildlings to go attack the Warden of the North for Arya.

And following through on here, I think there will be a very different reaction from Arya to a scarred Jon Snow - and yes, depending on how Jon is resurrected he may have a lot of scars or never healing injuries like Ladystoneheart and Beric Dondarrion - compared to Cersei’s revulsion at Jaime’s stump. Their bond and love for each other goes deeper than the lust and infatuation based on beauty and looks between Jaime and Cersei.

So yes, I think Braime makes for some nice parallels with Jonrya, while Jaime/Cersei work as foils to Jon/Arya.

[autisticempathydaemon]

hello everynyan :3 /ref

4 the redacted match-ups ! not sure if you're still doing these or not bc i'll be damned i'd give up after the first 3 🙌🙌🙌 power 2 ya ! (if you ARE, in fact, not doing these anymore pls ignore this. this never happened. kay.)

What song are you fixated on at the moment? What lyric or verse, and why?

this was the hardest question bc i LOVEEMUSIC so bad i can never really pick ONE fav bc it changes every 2 seconds but !!! gun to my head as of rn i'd say -- "but not kiss" - faye webster

'i want to see you in my dreams,

but then forget.

we're meant to be,

but not yet.

you're all that i have,

but can't get.'

i chose this song primarily because of the aesthetics & instrumental,, + the feels - i love how the piano carries and portrays every feeling (dread? maybe?) alongside the vocalist ugh sick to my stomach /pos

as for the verses i've chosen i just. really like the way she sings them HA i guess depending on my current mood i might relate to the lyrics for .5 seconds due to a past relationship of mine that had me fuckedd anyway.

Do you love gargantuan Youtube video essays, and if so, which is your favorite and why?

i WISH i could enjoy these as much as others but i have the attention spam of a fucking goldfish i need to be stimulated 24/7. i cannot stare at the same face and occasional photo/clip for over 10 mins.

i might watch more of em if they had like a satisfying slime video in the corner or smth. i find i only watch ones that have a topic/interest of mine that i am actively curious about/into????if that makes sense??

for instance, the only one that comes to mind rn is "in defense of chat noir" by toon ruins UGH ITS SO GOOD i used to be a huge fan of miraculous so that defffinitely takes part in why i rewatch it every few months.

What is your go-to way to fall asleep?

on my stomach. arms under pillows. one leg up. yo i bought these headphones made specifically for sleeping while listening to relaxing noises or smth & i kid you not i use them shits to listen to asmr/rp audios. sometimes it puts me to sleep other times i'm up all night tryna figure out what position the listener and 'character' are in. anyway!!!

If you had to change your name, what would it be, and why? (In tandem, if you have changed your name, why did you pick that one?)

first thing that comes 2 mindd for whatever reason is 'may' ?? possibly bc i really like my birth name already and 'may' is somewhat close to it already? also because i'd love writing it over and over in my handwriting . probably just an excuse to write the letter 'y' actually.

What is your favorite of Redacted’s audios, and why?

fav character changes ALLL THE TIMEE for no reason my fav is all of them rlly i just wanna love and be loved BUT when i reaaaally think about it ?? hudson. even though he's like. an easter egg. i cant have anything. wanna "D D D D DDDJJJ ANXIETY" into his pants. what. who said that. just got hacked wtff

What Redacted boy holds no appeal to you, and why? Like, not the one you hate but the one who you don’t get the hype for. (I won’t judge, I promise.)

a know a LOTT of ppl love david but i am sorry i just cannot. angel better than me idk how they do it. srry. my momma raised a bitch. i've never ever gotten to finishing any of his videos so maybe im the problem but from the get-go THIS BITCH IS SCARY BRO he's so damn intimidating . the fact that his voice is rlly deep doesn't help either :C ..& don't even get me started on early david.

Which Redacted boy are you platonically attracted to? Like- forget dating, which dude do you want to be your best friend?

this is such a good question rlly makin me think . hmm . OK I FEEL LIKE A BASIC BlTCH BC PPL HAVE BEEN SAYIN THIS ALREADY BUT . hux. we like this 🤞 . as for why?? i feel like i need and would . honestly really appreciate more,, warmth and positivity in my life - and i def get that sorta 'aura' from him. & i know damn well he'd give the best hugs. and we could go to the gym together. it'd be so fun. so precious.

Do you have a go-to thing you ramble about when you’re tired, and if so, what is it? (For example, my boyfriend knows I’m ready to sleep when I start talking about space.)

ok first of all #relationshipgoals that is so sweet awe :((

i wouldn't say i really 'ramble' per say -- i just talk. to myself. like a normal person. mhm. i struggle with sleep in general, so i'm usually up till like 5am. typically endlessly scrolling through my phone, or talking to the abyss about something personal that's been on my mind for a while. if it's really bad, i cry in my voice memos. if i just need to - refresh? get smth off my mind so i can sleep? i write songs.

...and then i record them on my $15 wireless headphones. onto that very same voice memos app.

Tell me your go-to gas station and drink combo.

if im being honest,, depends on my mood . but god could i fuck up some strawberry milk and mini oreos right about now. . mind you i've had strawberry milk like once but it changed my life u dont understand

Tell me about your favorite playlist at the moment.

i mean i don't listen to it 24/7 but man i outdid myself w this one. it's called "insanity" and every single song matches the vibe of . just straight up 'otherworldly' ?? if u catching what im throwin?? all songs r pretty 'out-there' - in terms of the vibes - at least i like to think so. for reference it has songs like "goth - sidewalks and skeletons" and "eternal youth - růde" . IDK i guess it makes me happy when songs from a playlist actually match up with one other

What’s your guilty pleasure media, and why?

i listen to this japanese-kawaii-metal-based group called BABYMETAL and i loveee them soso much. a few "metal enthusiasts" go out and call their work 'not real metal' , which is why i guess you can technically call their music a pleasure media -- as well as the fact that whenever i put on one of their songs mfs r like ... what is this - cause its three young japanese girls talking abt bubblegum with the the most insane guitar riff in the back. their newer stuff is incredible. womanhood at it's finest. give them a shot plspls /nf

ALL DONE !! ty 4 reading & have a lovely day/night, wherever you may be <3

Oh, this one is perfect and required, like, no thought. Vibes-wise? Given your energy? It’s just gotta be Guy.

Building on that, I love that you write songs and he writes screenplays(?). I think it’s so cute to pair writers together so that you might inspire one another and be each other's biggest fans. I also like Guy for you because he strikes me as one of those people who calls themselves “polyjamorous”, listening to basically anything and everything. He loves all your songs and all your playlists, vibing along to all of it even if there’s no words or words in another language. He doesn’t care: he’s with you, so he’s having a good time.

I would predict a fun, artistic life for the two of you like parallel-playing co-writing sessions with the two of you having individual headphones on, making funny faces at one another when you catch the other staring. You take turns showing each what you’ve created and hyping each other up, offering critique. When the writer's clock keeps y’all up till 3 AM, he’s got leftover pizza and any snacks you could possibly want. (He strikes me as the sort of guy who always has junk food caches.)

Song:

It was just two lovers/ Sittin' in the car, listening to Blonde/ Fallin' for each other/ Pink and orange skies, feelin' super childish/ No Donald Glover/ Missed call from my mother/ Like, "Where you at tonight?" Got no alibi/ I was all alone with the love of my life

Given your passion for music, I tried to pick a love song for y’all that was emotionally evocative to the mind and the ear. I chose this one because I thought the piano instrumental and how it evokes that mental imagery of sitting with someone during the golden hour might resonate with you. I also like it for y’all because this song got really popular on tiktok, and Guy would probably know it from there.

Runner-ups:

Obviously, we have to have Hudson as a runner-up. As a DJ, he’d be so loving and so supportive of your craft, hyping you up on air all the time and playing your work whenever he can. He’d also make you really bomb-ass playlists. A less obvious runner-up would be Anton, but I really like this one. You’d be more of an opposites attract sort of pair, but I think it’d be cute, and listening to music would remind Anton of you while he’s away~

Read this post and send me an ask if you’d like a match-up of your own! 💌

[twstgarden]

✰ ❝ match-up for @love-dazee ❞

━ match-up trades are open. for more information, please visit the catalogue and the rules. ━ a florist sorting through the flowers to find your perfect match. according to the red tulip's petals, your match is...

━ 𝙡𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖 𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙚 ━

➻ the youthful-looking old soul of diasomnia appears to be a great match! someone with a lot of experience ought to be helpful with your writing prompts and motivation, as the red tulips claim.

➻ your calm demeanour and creative spirit are some of the things that draw him in. your curiosity about several things is usually always quenched by the old bat's vast knowledge and experience; he loves sharing his stories with you just to see the extreme concentration and curiosity in your eyes as you listen to him with great interest.

➻ it seems you are the parent of your friend group as well! with him as your partner, you both would be doting on each other, making sure the other is safe and sound and ensuring none are in pain or about to stir up some trouble. however, there will always be instances where lilia tries to pull harmless pranks on you for the sole reason of seeing your shocked expression followed by a yelp.

➻ dear fellow writer, the retired general would find your creativity a wonder. he'd be enthusiastic upon discovering that you have a knack and passion for writing fanfictions and original works, and if given the chance, he would happily read them.

➻ if you ask him for it, he won't hesitate to give you ideas or share stories from his experiences to help you fuel your creative writing. if you ask for constructive criticism, he'd share it with you as he would support any and all of your endeavours with a proud smile on his face.

➻ a fan of several classic authors, i see. he would be interested to hear you talk about them, and he would even buy you the books that are not in your collection as of late. do you not have the fall of the house of usher by edgar allan poe in your collection yet? he'd buy them for you! oh, you have it? perhaps you don't have the setting sun by osamu dazai yet? he'd gladly buy the book for you! all in hardcovers, i might add.

➻ your paintings are masterpieces in his eyes. he likes how creative you are and would fuel your passions with relentless support! whether it's by hanging your paintings in his bedroom or giving you compliments, he would do it.

➻ your music taste varies from several genres as your listed artists comprise rock bands, k-pop groups, jazz artists, and 1990s to 2000s pop singers. he loves jamming to them with you, especially songs from your favourite rock bands. as part of the light music club, he would even play a song or two for you as you both sing along to the lyrics.

➻ overall, having lilia as your match means your relationship would grow to be rewarding and fulfilling for you both. due to both your desires for commitment, you will have a deep connection with one another. for your dynamics, trust and faithfulness are important factors to make your relationship work. there is a great level of affection and intellect, making it a seemingly balanced relationship.

━ possible matches: ➻ idia shroud (similar personalities and would click, but may struggle in the affectionate department. it will take a long time for both to eventually open up their hearts and pour it out on one another) ➻ rollo flamme (will make for a faithful and supportive partner, in his own way. however, problems may arise due to lack of proper communication as he tends to keep things to himself, similar to idia) ➻ azul ashengrotto (the perfect partner with great intellect and collaboration, but may face troubles when it comes to trust and honesty)

© twstgarden 2023 || please do not steal, translate without my permission, or use this to train a.i.

[rabbitenn]

Hello! Momo confessing/trying to woo his crush hcs?

RE: DATE ME?

Because there is no way you’d answer his endearing attempts with anything but a ‘yes’.

ft. Sunohara Momose x gn! reader

cw/genre: fluff, romance.

hello anon, dear ! I’m sorry it took me a while to get to your request, I still hope you like it <3

— There is no denying Momo is someone you’d love to spend your time with.

— Having known him since the days before he stepped on a stage, you’re very aware of how he can put a smile on the faces of those who hang around him. Momo is sweet, fun and incredibly perceptive when it comes to others’ feelings.

— How could you not want to hang out with him at any chance you got? After his concerts, shows, or on his days off, no matter what, you remember the moments you spend with Momo as the happiest you can recall.

— And while you can’t quite name this feeling yet, you wonder if he feels the same way.

— Turns out, you’d find out soon enough.

— With little gestures, from his hand brushing against yours as the sky tinted in dusk, to the way his fuchsia eyes were already on you every time you looked his way, Momo shows how his heart started singing your name long ago.

— He is not certain you’d ever come to accept, much less reciprocate, his feelings. However, because he is generally good at reading others’ emotions (and especially yours), a silver lining of hope shines through the clouds of uncertainty.

— And who would have thought, that for all his cheerful and bubbly on-stage persona, Momo would show his love in such tenderness and subtlety?

— Overcast mornings turned sunny when you were walking by his side, some location with nice scenery on his mind. Now, with the arrival of colder months, his hand fully grasps yours. He’s warm, the sunlight that today hid behind grey clouds.

— You like it. This duality he has, extroverted and colorful, but so intelligent and thoughtful. And you’d be lying if you didn’t admit you’ve started to think he feels happy with you too.

— There are other instances in which you two feel too exhausted after your respective jobs, so staying in sounds tempting enough.

— Which gives Momo another chance at wooing you.

— As you sit in his room, your palms over the table, your friend works diligently on your manicure. His deft hands hold your fingers delicately, as shades of pink dye your nails in the minimalist, yet very pretty, design the idol is painting on them.

— He’d love to hold your hands like this more often, while he looks at your lovely face… And the smile you give him after he’s finished doing your nails is worth more than anything he could ever ask for. Your eyes brim with light, a glow seemingly clinging to you when you hug him as thanks (after he had to refuse the first time because your nails weren’t dry yet, as much as declining pained him).

— Obviously, he’ll sing for you too. You’re always the first he tells about new songs or upcoming concerts of Re:vale.

— Yuki is mentally screaming at you two to ‘get together already’ because it’s obvious you’re completely infatuated with Momo. Yuki just can’t process how his groupmate hasn’t realized yet that you’d say yes if Momo simply confessed, seeing how he was usually pretty percetive.

— Yes, he totally makes it known to Momo.

— To which he decides he has to tell you how he really feels, before someone else sweeps you off your feet.

— Momo is quite shy when confessing, and has to exert self control so as to not drink anything alcoholic to gain courage. No, he has to be completely sober, he wants this to be your happiest memory.

— He takes you to the park you visited together at the start of autumn. You liked it there, your smile that day is engraved in his memory.

— And today, that smile doesn’t leave your lips as both Momo’s hands tenderly find yours, the blush on his cheeks matching the color of the vivid November leaves all around you.

— He’s just so cute. You think you want to kiss him.

— ‘I wish I could kiss you.’ Is the thought currently echoing in Momo's mind.

— “There’s something I… I want to… I need to tell you something, [Y/n].” The idol finally manages, cheeks burning in excitement, anticipation, and bashfulness.

— You look at him, expression soft, as you squeeze his hands, an indication to go on.

— He clears his throat. Then:

“I… uh… I thought maybe… hah I’m nervous…” He takes deep breaths, his sharp canines showing a little.

‘So cute’, you think.

— “I just wanted to ask you…” He finally continues. “If maybe… if you'd like to, you know, go out with me sometime… as in, a date… yeah…”

— “Yes.” You state, almost before he’s had time to finish his sentence.

— “You don’t have to reciprocate and it’s okay if you don’t want to… wait, you said yes?” Momo asks, those eyes that contained the colors of spring petals widening in awe.

— “I did.” You gently pat his head, ruffling his two-toned hair a little. “And you could ask me a million times over and I’d say yes every single one of them.”

— A couple of tears leave the corners of his eyes.

“I love you so much, [Y/n]! Thank you!” He exclaims, as he wraps his arms around you, his face buried in the crook of your neck.

— You let out a soft laugh, as you nuzzle into him.

Warm.

You hope you get to do this very often from now on.

— Falling leaves flutter in a warm hued rain when you two pull slightly away, gazes still linked.

— Inches of chilly air separate you.

And then they don’t.

— For, under an autumn morning sky, your answer to his confession is sealed with your first kiss.

[magistralucis]

Observations on the French version of The Infinite and the Divine

1.. I always thought if English has to be translated into anything, French is one of the top 3 most straightforward languages to do it in. At first glimpse this is a direct translation of the English text. Good for cross-referencing, but I'm not anticipating a great deal of unusual localizations or woolseyisms, not that such things are usually at the translator's liberty with novels like these.

2. That said, the Trazyn vs. aeldari farseer encounter is excellent. The warning she gives him is the same (including the planet's demand for 'le sang de Trazyn'), but there's something special about watching him receiving this warning, immediately paying for it with his bodily death, then springing back up with a deadpan 'bon sang!'. Hits a lot better than 'this world sings for the blood of Trazyn' / 'damn!' imo. A nice little linguistical coincidence.

3. When I first read 'le tétrarque' I was thinking tetrarch of... what exactly??? But no that's just the French translation for a necron overlord. 😅 The term of address is 'messire', directly equivalent to 'my lord'

4. Sannet addresses Trazyn formally, while Trazyn tutoyers Sannet. I've yet to find out if Trazyn addresses anyone else in Solemnace this way.

5. Orikan and Trazyn, on the other hand, vousvoyer each other religiously. They don't even drop formality when they're insulting each other as the lowest of the low, and I'm not finding any instances of them doing so while skimming the pages. There's a great deal of coldness between them, but they don't deliberately talk down to each other either. I'll have to come back to this point later when I have a better grasp of French!T/O's dynamic

6. Not sure if I like 'factionnaires' as a translation for 'lychguard'. From what I can tell the French is simply the word for a sentinel or a guardsman, whereas the English is a pun on 'lych (lich)' + 'guard' = 'corpse/undead-guard' = 'body-guard'... just feels like they could've come up with a more clever translation, you know? Or am I missing something? Let me know if you can.

7. Wait Phillias is a svelte stunner? ('La femme élancée') She's definitely tall and stunning, but I always thought she was more on the side of 'built like a goddamned brick wall' or something

8. 'Salopard' 😩👎💢

9. I have emotions towards dream-pipes and wish Zuberkar could've gotten his back

10. Actually Orikan does tutoyer something: the Mysterios. And Trazyn referred to the aeldari gem earlier with a 'tu' as well. This is normal 'tu' usage in French, but it's notable that in the original English Trazyn and Orikan were both specifically addressing those objects as if they were persons. They're not that different, cooing softly at the objects they hold dear.

11. Trazyn is not on familiar terms with his chief librarian ('et apportez-moi tout ce que vous avez sur la Guerre Céleste…') or presumably his copyist crypteks, but he does use 'tu' consistently with his main crypteks (Khybur, Sannet, Tekk-Nev). 'Mes chers fidèles'!

12. Not a French-specific thing but oh my god the vicarious embarrassment Trazyn must've felt over seeing Orikan crowing his supposed victory over Vishani always gets me jghfhhdhshs

13. La tête 😳 ordonna Orikan💫 à l’Immortel 🔫 Prends ton temps 🤯🤪

That's it for Act 1. Will add more in further reblogs.

Disclaimer: not a native French speaker, also have not previously read French WH40K articles/wikis/literature/etc. I'm likely missing out on many linguistical curiosities, so if anyone else has this edition of I&D, I'd love to hear your thoughts ✨

[hologramcowboy]

The Winchesters so Far...

Warning Spoilers Ahead

It's set in 1972...or the 60s...or 1978 or 90s. Seems none of the departments could really come together and decide or, you know, do actual research so you get all of them. Boom. 💥

In the instances where the show does attempt to nail the era appropriate vibe,  the characters look like they are dressed in cheap versions of wannabe 70s Halloween costumes.👹

John returned from the army with a full set of hair, in fact he even had it while serving. 💆

Samuel Campbell, Mary’s father is missing. Such Plot twist. Much wow. In case you forget, you’ll be reminded of this in just about every scene of TW so much so you’ll begin to hate him with the intensity of a thousand suns and, oh well, there goes your interest in the unfolding plot.

In true shocker fashion, John has barely met Mary but vows to help her find her missing dad. Did I mention he was missing? Because Mary and John do, in every scene of every episode and so does the rest of the cast. He’s missing y’all and we gotta get him back.

You know those clichè token characters that make you cringe? That's basically all the supporting cast of TW.

Big surprise, all the characters have daddy issues, so much so there's a reference to them every 5 seconds. This is totally not in attempt to copy SPN's formula, of course. 🤣

The Gang has a Mystery Machine, y’all. Not sure who the Scooby of the situation is but my money’s on John.

So far, Carlos is a crooner that sings off key and basically has no voice.  😒 Alas he’s the assigned Bard, y'all. He’s also the tragicomic relief. More tragic than comic.

Mary is a road disaster waiting to happen, she keeps focusing on her passenger rather than the road.

Mary is also petite and childlike to the point of not even remotely being believable as a hunter. She looks like the adopted child of the TW Scooby Gang.

It seems Velma, I mean Latika has no personality outside of being the book carrier. Whatever happened to creating diverse characters?

Ada seems like she teleported in from a different show due to the fact that her performance actually has layers despite her character being yet another clichè. #wastedtalent

Salt apparently traps demons now oh and demons are unkillable or so say Mary and John. How this lore is featured takes everything that made it captivating in SPN and reverses the effect. It's basically parody time.

The lines and storylines are so predictable and repetitive you can figure out what the characters are going to say before they even say it. Boom. Psychic.

John is tall, John is also stiff and often uses his body on screen as if he was a marionette or a model unsure of how to move next. In other words, the green ( green actor=newbie) in John comes out so much it’s very hard to suspend disbelief especially for those with a trained eye.

John also expresses his personal issues with the aplomb of a frozen ameoba, making the stakes of each scene very low and disengaging.

No SPN rip off would be complete without trying to recreate the "Saving people, hunting things" moment, trust John y'all, he was born for this, the lady Gaga way.

No monster featured looks even remotely realistic, in fact, it's like they purposefully sat down and asked themselves "how can we make this look as fake and as ridiculous as possible?" Mission accomplished, folks. Mission accomplished. This is a comedy, after all.

The editing, ah the editing, was it handled by a 14 year old with no previous experience? Or did Danneel decide to do it herself? That's it, isn't it? 😞

Instead of building the character arcs for John and Mary and slowly build up the chemistry this show has them oogling longingly yet vapidly at one another almost every scene, at the same time, their connection seems empty and devoid of any actual depth, feelings, commonalities due to the weak choices the actors make and the subpar writing.

The supposed big thing that connects them is that both dads are missing and both dads are hunters (John's is dead, I think?). So they didn't even bother researching and building a deep connection and just went for the clichè similarity as the basis of their "love story". That’s because they were to busy ripping off the SPN Pilot to care about actual storytelling.

Speaking of love story, though it's the selling point of the show and its theme, you won't really find it in anything within the show. The Meh glances exchanged between the lead actors ultimately communicate nothing. Did they model this couple after the Ackles dynamic? Is that what this is? Cringe. 🤨

Campy doesn't even begin to describe this prequel. It will defy your definition.

Carlos is the show's main attraction and yet he is not the lead.  That should tell you everything you need to know about TW's "diversity" casting.

You will be more scared by the musical numbers within this series than by its monsters or storyline.

This show is so confused on its genre and direction it will make your head spin.

Unsurprisingly, most of the performances on the Winchesters make it seem like the Actors were directly directed by none other Danneel Harris, oh sorry, Ackles, I forgot she is nothing without that last name. 🤡

The only believable chemistry I’ve seen on this show was between John and Latika, for a few seconds, when he told her they could be scared together in the Pilot. Major Awww moment, although the writing, once again, clichè and predictable. Which, I guess, are the actual main themes of this show, let’s be real. lol

Canon we lost you, no, canon, we buried you!! This series has nothing to to with our beloved SPN and saying otherwise is an insult to its legacy.

This whole series centers around a psychic bug empress lady and her insect like minions set on devouring the world. Yes, really.

If I missed anything it’s probably because my brains are fried from attempting to give this trainwreck a chance. Feel free to add to my list.

Verdict: The Winchesters is nothing more than a futile attempt to recreate key moments from the SPN Pilot in the hopes the audience would bite. No work or research went into this. They picked up the missing dad+ saving people hunting things spiel and tried to recreate it and did it so horribly I can’t even put it into words which is why I decided to try and make a light hearted post about it. They also copied every plot structure that worked but ended up parodying it to extremes without meaning to. The Winchesters is only sellable as an SPN parody and, even then, an extremely bad one.

For those who want to support my traumatized brain after watching TW, feel free to send me your favorite Jensen/Jared gifs or artwork to feed my art starved soul. Feed me. 💕

EDIT: Clarified one of the points.

[maya-matlin]

Hi! I'm just wondering if you see ant parallels between Peyton/Jake and Maya/Zig? I haven't seen Degrassi in ages, but I remember Zig as a goodhearted, fun-loving, relaxed kind of guy who finds trouble even when he doesn't ask for it, kind of like Jake - and they both sing :) Meanwhile, Maya and Peyton are both artsy and creative, tough yet sensitive. I could be totally off base here!

Hey 💕 Aw, I love that you've watched Degrassi! I like those comparisons but honestly, I never felt like there were that many parallels between Zaya and Jeyton. Jake was on another level maturity wise due to becoming a teen dad while Zig definitely acted more his age. He was much more prone to impulsive decisions and wasn't as careful with his words as he could have been in contrast to Jake, who always seemed wise. But, I do think the two couples had somewhat similar journeys in terms of being friends before they were a couple. It didn't take Jake and Peyton nearly as long as it took Zig and Maya, but both waited for the emotional connection to be there prior to dating. Story line wise, they both slept together pretty early into the relationship albeit under different circumstances. I see the Maya/Peyton similarities far more than I do ones between Zig/Jake. Both girls went through a lot of pain from a young age and spent years not really getting sufficient help in terms of mental health. Plus like you said, both were curly haired blondes with artsy vibes. But in all honesty, I feel like the Zaya relationship is more a Naley/Leyton mix? With LP, it's mainly them being each other's primary love interest from the characters' first episode on the show and at least one instance of cheating while Lucas and Zig were dating Peyton's and Maya's best friend at the time, Brooke/Tori. In both cases, they had a lot of back and forth before finally ending up together in the end. Zig's and Maya's other love interests consistently point out that their relationship isn't finished and that Zig/Maya still has feelings for the other. When it comes to Naley, I feel like some of the relationship details are more similar. Maya, like Haley, was a musician and serious about pursuing her dreams even if it came at the expense of the person she loved. Zig, similar to Nathan, was more dependent on the romantic relationship because he also wasn't living with his family by the time he was dating Maya. There's also a small moment in a later season where Zig admits when he's only sixteen that he believes he and Maya are going to get married. Lastly, there was a whole story line where Zig worried about Maya spending time with another musician because he was insecure she would leave him for the other guy. They also had a moment of cheating that I guess could parallel the Haley/Chris kiss, but in that case it was Zig rather than Maya.

Other notable Naley/Zaya parallels:

Both Haley and Maya struggled with depression towards the end of their respective shows and attempted suicide. Nathan and Zig each played some sort of role in saving them.

Much like Nathan with Haley, Zig will throw down with any guy that messes with or threatens Maya in more ways than one

Like Nathan, Zig is pretty consistent in regards to knowing Maya is it for him. He's not like Lucas where he has a new true love every other season and bounces back and forth.

Anyways, sorry this was so long LOL

[neomel]

Ehhmmm HI EVERYONE !!!! so this is very inspired by @kafus's Pokémon liveblogging n their various playthroughs and its been so fun to follow, and it gave me the inspiration to pick up a new playthrough - or TWO PLAYTHROUGHS !!!

i realized its been forever since ive actually played FireRed LeafGreen and that ive never done it w. the help of save editing to add eg. Rare Candies for grinding. but i also realized that ive never actually played the Gen 1 Pokémon games....so i decided to do both !!!!

im doing a kinda-sorta Nuzlocke too, just to try out different Pokémon and get myself to rotate between them, but I am also moreso trying to use funny stuff more than minmaxxing for strategy. Here's my Pokémon Red team for instance!!

Yes that's Marcel the traded Mr. Mimel!! I got an Abra as my first encounter and realized that using Alakazam would just be steamrolling people with a big Special number, so I boxed it for later to use Gen 1 Mr. Mime for a while. I've rotated some of these members in and out with others in the box, mostly because the movepools are so fascinatingly terrible ^^; Like - I wanted to use Nidoking because his Gen 1 sprites are absolutely incredible, and you can get him before even the second gym from Mt. Moon's Moon Stones, but........he doesn't get Double Kick unless you get Nidorino to like Level 47?? and Nidoking misses out on Thrash unless you level him up early.

Clefable has been the absolute QUEEN of the run though, like !!! i love her silly sprite in this game so so so much, and the well-rounded stats paired with Sing make them a really good Pokémon to use in pretty much any situation. its funny how the lack of many good moves means that mediocre moves like Growl or Water Gun end up feeling useful just for being options at all...I've had some fun with the mediocre TMs given out too, like giving Bide to my Ivysaur to utilize the Leech Seed draining effect as best as possible in a sort of quirky strategy. Though on the flipside I had to give up on using Mankey entirely after realizing it just gets NOTHING in terms of moves - before Yellow it literally doesn't learn any Fighting type moves by leveling up other than Seismic Toss (which doesnt count), and the only one it gets by TM is Submission which is.....nooot good :T

Anyhow - Here's a terrible img of my FRLG team! I'm out of Rock Tunnel and in Celadon in this playthrough wheras the RBY playthrough is still not through the tunnel yet :( BUT that means that I've gotten a lot more silly goobers in this run. Even though my Mankey died here before I could use it for anything funny.....i really like Primape's design so im kinda sad I've never gotten to use it lol

ANYWAY ANYWAY look at my fucking boy. look at my Fungler. look at my little man. he has 20 diseases and he sucks ass. i love him.

i played a Gen 3 fangame a while ago that gave you access to Fury Cutter as a TM and a Paras really early on, and the gears got grinding in my head to force sleep with Spore and then chain a Fury Cutter combo, and the affection for that silly strat has stuck with me and made me kind of adore Parasect by extension. look at my fucking guy he sucks so much!!! but he puts people to sleep really well and has cool bug claws. i love his terrible movepool and having to give him Secret Power to do any damage. lol .

it is funny to play these older games where the movepools sucked ass, even as deep in as Gen 3 . so you have to really stretch for ideas on how to use mons but it feels really fun when you make something sorta click? like this Doduo Rage -> Rest -> Chesto set, it doesn't get Swords Dance nor the infinitely funnier Acupressure but this is kinda just a shittier funnier version of that? also Tri Attack being physical feels like it was made just for Dodrio. i love my bird.

im still kinda miffed at how many things just sorta suck in Kanto though. like so many routes early on are just Rattata/Pidgey/Spearow/Ekans while the Safari Zone alone has like 7 Pokémon you can only find there, the distribution feels so strange. and of course the whole Game Corner garbage, i want to use Hyper Beam in Gen 1 because of how cool its Gen 1 exclusive quirks are but its a Game Corner exclusive reward >:((( im gonna have to see if i can save edit gambling coins into the game or what.

BUT im having a lot of fun !! its so silly seeing all the Gen 1 sprites ingame for the first time. the Gen 1iness of it all. not even being able to fuckin check how strong moves are or how much accuracy they have. or even sort the order of moves outside of battles. your battle items menu just opens up your entire bag. such a silly fuckin mess of a game. i love it .

(also feel free to ask about any of the nicknames i have answers for like half of them)

[amorsindestinatario]

36 Questions to Fall in Love

Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?

Would you like to be famous? In what way?

Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?

What would constitute a “perfect” day for you?

When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?

If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?

Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?

Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common.

For what in your life do you feel most grateful?

If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?

Take four minutes and tell your partner your life story in as much detail as possible.

If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?

If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?

Is there something that you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it?

What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?

What do you value most in a friendship?

What is your most treasured memory?

What is your most terrible memory?

If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why?

What does friendship mean to you?

What roles do love and affection play in your life?

Alternate sharing something you consider a positive characteristic of your partner. Share a total of five items.

How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most other people’s?

How do you feel about your relationship with your mother?

Make three true “we” statements each. For instance, “We are both in this room feeling ... “

Complete this sentence: “I wish I had someone with whom I could share ... “

If you were going to become a close friend with your partner, please share what would be important for him or her to know.

Tell your partner what you like about them; be very honest this time, saying things that you might not say to someone you’ve just met.

Share with your partner an embarrassing moment in your life.

When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?

Tell your partner something that you like about them already.

What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?

If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven’t you told them yet?

Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why?

Of all the people in your family, whose death would you find most disturbing? Why?

Share a personal problem and ask your partner’s advice on how he or she might handle it. Also, ask your partner to reflect back to you how you seem to be feeling about the problem you have chosen.

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