#i understand sacrifices and choices have to be made when it comes to animation

[idle-compy]

a bun. a bun solves all long hair issues

[cosmicjoke]

The alliance betrayed Eren. The whole world wanted Paradis killed and all Eren did was fight back. What else should he have done? It was genocide vs genocide. His friends are hypocrites and horrible characters that wanted to play moral police. Hanji and Levi were horrible mentors. Open your eyes.

If you genuinely believe any of the garbage that you just spewed, then you need mental help.

I shouldn't even take the time to point out to you what's wrong with your "argument", because honestly, anyone this stupid and lacking in self-awareness isn't worth mine or anybody's time.

But I'll just lay out a few, basic facts for your edification.

Eren betrayed his comrades, over and over, starting with his literal incitement of war in Liberio, through his purposeful elimination of any other course of action that Paradis could have taken to secure their future. War only came to Paradis in the first place, you total clown, because Eren and Zeke orchestrated it themselves. I don't know how many times this has to be pointed out to people like you before it gets through that sediment-thick rock you call a skull and into the mush you call a brain. Go read the manga again, or watch the anime, and maybe try paying attention this time past the masturbation session you engage in every time Eren comes on screen.

The Survey Corps' entire mission statement was to dedicate themselves to the salvation of humanity. Not "Paradis", humanity. And Eren betrayed that mission in the most fundamental way possible by committing mass genocide on a global scale. He literally spit on the legacy and sacrifices of every single one of his comrades, including those who had given their lives to protect his, because they believed he was essential to humanity's survival. Instead of honoring that sacrifice by doing everything in his power to save humanity, he did the exact opposite by deciding to wipe humanity out of existence because he was disappointed the world didn't look like the pictures in Armin's books. That's how shallow, pathetic, selfish and childish Eren is.

You call Levi and Hange "terrible mentors", when Eren literally did exactly the opposite of what they both tried to teach him. Levi specifically told Eren to make the choice he could live with, the one he wouldn't regret, and yet, in the end, we see Eren filled with nothing but regret, drowning in self-loathing, because he knows he made the choice which went against what he knew in his heart was right. He spurned Levi's guidance entirely. Eren knew what he did was wrong and not justifiable on any level. What Eren did didn't sit right in any way, shape or form with his own, moral understanding of the world. Nobody made Eren into what he was. Nobody made Eren do what he did. It was a situation entirely of his own making and choosing.

You call the other members of the alliance "horrible characters" because they couldn't and wouldn't stand by and allow literally billions of innocent people to be murdered in cold blood. Remind me to pray to God that no important decisions are ever left to you. The lack of self-awareness in your statement is shocking in its depth. You don't see how, if this is what you truly believe and support, that it's you who's the truly terrible and horrible person here. Frankly, you're a disgusting example of a human being.

By stopping Eren, Levi, Hange and the rest of the alliance were upholding everything the Survey Corps originally stood and fought for. You calling them traitors and hypocrites is repulsive in its stupidity.

And that's all I'll say on the matter. You can now go back to waiting in line with Floch to swallow Eren's cock, since that's clearly what you really want to spend your time doing. Try not to choke.

[theheirofthesharingan]

Hi,

There is a question I have in mind. I read a lot of posts arguing whether "Itachi is a good guy" was planned from the very beginning or the whole plot was just rectonned. I read your tumblr, and know your opinion about it. But later on I found this: 

https://otakuusamagazine.com/crispin-freeman-talks-anime-mythology-and-more/

https://youtu.be/BbusCrxCMoo?si=PD7Iw3q34XADfafj

Crispin Freeman (itachi's VA) said, “When I saw Itachi dealing with Sasuke and being so mean to him, I said, ‘I think he loves his brother.’ Everyone thought I was crazy. This was early in the series and everyone thought, ‘No, he’s just a bad, bad guy.’ I went, ‘No, no, no, you don’t understand. You don’t hate someone if you don’t care about them. If someone you don’t care about calls you, you just go, ‘Whatever, that’s annoying.’ The way Itachi was dealing with Sasuke, the only thing I could come up with was that Itachi loved him so much he was pushing him to do better.  Three years later I was vindicated.”

I’m impressed by his ability to perceive the hidden intentions behind Itachi’s behavior. I feel that approaching the character from a psychological perspective allows for a deeper understanding, which in turn opens up new ways to explore the issue more effectively. But it seems that very few people approach the issue this way.

Similarly, I’ve also heard many people say they can’t understand why Sasuke forgave Itachi so quickly—why he would even place his brother’s importance above that of their parents. After all, even if it was under duress, Itachi did kill their parents, and Sasuke loved them deeply. I believe it’s because Sasuke was the only one who could have a glimpse of what his brother had been through and begin to understand him. 

Even though he was deceived into killing Itachi—and even though, in a sense, Itachi died more from illness than by Sasuke’s hand—none of that erases the guilt and remorse Sasuke feels for killing his own brother.

Just imagine: killing even one family member under deception has caused Sasuke such pain. Then what kind of hell must his brother have endured all these years, having to make the decision to annihilate their whole clan—fully aware of the consequences, sacrifices, and weight of that choice? That’s why Sasuke understands Itachi’s suffering—and why he harbors such deep hatred for those who caused that suffering. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the psychological dimensions of Sasuke and Itachi. Thank you!

Very true.

To understand Itachi, it's important to grasp the minute details of his psychology. He acts in a certain way, not because he just feels like it, but because he was honed and shaped by his circumstances and the way those circumstances affected him made him who he was.

When you see war and violence at an age that's undoubtedly the age of a toddler, it will damage you. Itachi is said to be a sensitive child. And that sensitivity was targeted when he saw violence of such intensity. Then, we know he never finds the support of anyone in his life. His parents are mostly clueless and Shisui and Itachi are closer in the fanon version. We don't know much about them in canon.

When you are that lonely and you have the burden of the entire world on your shoulders, it's not easy.

Itachi displays this very well when he tries to communicate with his father. Not for a single moment does he seem happy or excited around his father. His opinions don't get accepted by his family. He's either on their side or the village's. Even Shisui's death leaves him alone.

These things are enough to mess anyone. If not, he's an Anbu, an assassin, and he doesn't like what he does.

Literally everything he does messes him up and inevitably pushes him towards violence. When he takes the mission of the massacre, that's the worst. Because, he has to kill people, and take lives. And since he doesn't like it, it would be have been painful.

There's a reason he spent God knows how long in the prison of his guilt while his illness ate him away.

I find all these aspects of Itachi very interesting to explore. It doesn't automatically absolve him of his crimes but it adds so many more layers to him that he's just tragic. Because he's carrying the additional burden and pain of taking the lives. He wants his death to happen at Sasuke's hands. And as selfish as that desire was, even worse that he pushes Sasuke towards the path of hate and revenge, it displays the extent of his guilt that it blinded his sense of righteousness and justice. He loved Sasuke way too much, but his guilt of killing the people was also so strong.

He would have been a better brother to Sasuke if he wasn't so heavily driven by his guilt. He might as well have left Sasuke to live his life and ensured Sasuke had friends and family after he was gone. But the fact that he chooses such a destructive path suggests he didn't really have a sense of that in himself. It had been destroyed, little by little, over the years.

Sasuke loves him too much, and his forgiveness is due to many reasons. The guilt was one of the biggest reasons for sure, and yes, no one other than Sasuke could have understood how painful it was for Itachi to do what he did.

The guilt of taking the lives of someone who loves you is brutal. Sasuke's guilt was multilayered too. He didn't get to save his family, his clan, and he felt responsible them. He directed all his rage towards Itachi, who was the main perpetrator in his world. But then he learns Itachi wasn't the bad guy here, it was Konoha. And they even made him kill their parents.

When Sasuke's talking to Team 7, he singles out Itachi and says "Konoha made Itachi kill his parents" because he understands the pain of taking his parents' lives must've been devastating.

He was angry with the world on Itachi's behalf. He didn't care about his own pain, because he just wanted Itachi to get justice somehow, no matter it killed him eventually. If he died avenging Itachi, it would be a better death than living in the world that lived in ignorance.

Both Itachi and Sasuke are quite similar. Their lives were parallel and so were their trauma. Despite the differences, they were like the mirror images of each other.

It's all fascinating.

As to the topic of Crispin Freeman getting Itachi right from the beginning, that's one of the reasons he managed to give Itachi some tenderness and fragility. Although it happens more in Shippuden, but the transition from one side to the other is still smooth.

[l-in-the-light]

The most embarrassing series of posts about Lawlu you will ever read: edition Punk Hazard (part 2)

We're still not done with the Punk Hazard! There's way too many interactions with them there and posts have apparently a restriction of 30 images, geez. Anyway, let's follow the tale further!

Law: Hey, I can hear that.

It's hilarious, because it turned out to be true in the end. Law wouldn't betray Luffy (as in backstab him), but he would finish the alliance early if that means keeping Luffy safe. But would it count as betrayal actually?

And then Luffy brags again. Wait, or doesn't he? It sounds kinda correct to me though lol. Also of course there's nothing to worry about, after all it will be Law's job from now on!

Law (thinking): Those people... how did they survive so long on their own?! They have no sense of danger!

Probably a moment later: Wait, so it will be my job to worry for them all the time?!

Law (thinking): It's nice of them to have brought the kids here, but they're pirates, I can't really expect Strawhats to actually want to help them, right? Damn, if I have to choose between keeping Mugiwara-ya safe and keeping the children safe, I guess the choice is only one to make...

Law (thinking): They actually want to help the children?... but why? They're not friends with them like with that fishman and mermaid on Sabaody... are they saying this just on a whim? Anyway, I can't lose the main goal from sight, keeping Mugiwara-ya safe is the priority.

To understand Law's odd reaction here we need to go back to his flashback:

Because when he told the nun and the children that he doesn't want to leave without Lammy, they just told him they will leave him behind on his own (but will return for him later on). That's why he expects that Nami wants to stay behind by herself. But Luffy's isn't having any of that, Luffy's like "no one is getting left behind on my watch". And no wonder really, because Luffy also knows how it's like. After all didn't Garp and Dragon leave him behind on his own as well, choosing to pursue their jobs instead? But Luffy does not want others to feel the same way he did.

Law's shocked "?!" there really says volumes. He probably didn't expect that option of "not leaving anyone behind" as even possible. We will see him struggling to accept it later on as well in this arc.

Law (thinking): Wait a second... How did that turn out this way?!

Because let's rewind a bit. Law's just reached his inner peace with the dificult decision that he's gonna sacrifice the children's fate in favour of keeping Strawhats safe. But here Luffy makes a 180 turn on him and tells him "Actually, we're saving the kids and there is this funny samurai as well, we also want to reassemble him". And Law is like TrafalgarLaw.exe stopped functioning, please reboot. He thought he made it clear this is not the time to be altruistic and has a difficult time to process this illogical conclusion. You were too lost in your own thoughts, that's why you missed it, Law.

Law (thinking): Friends?! What?! Whatever, put that thought aside for now, more importantly... those conditions for the alliance are ridiculous! Also it would totally be something I would want to do and make it a condition, if not for the fact I think it's impossible to pull that all off.

Usopp (thinking, surprised): Luffy was right, he's actually a good guy!

Luffy (thinking): I knew you would help us!

Law (thinking): You must be kidding me, what kind of pirates are so altruistic. Great, now I have even more troubles to deal with. And yet I can't refuse them.

Law (thinking): No, anything but this...!

I'm so sorry for him in this one, tbh. Can't make it look funny anymore, I'm sorry! (but if you really want to, then the classic "Am I a joke to you?" commentary is usually spot-on) At least it was Chopper and I think Law is okay with touching animals and minks.

Luffy (thinking): Torao, you come up with the best ideas! This sounds so fun!

Law (thinking): I'm actually not gonna allow you to rethink. You need to stick with me so I can keep you safe.

(my god Torao)

Luffy: No chance! Good luck getting rid of me now after you offered friendship to me!

(those two, I swear...)

Fun fact: he didn't, lol. Law trusted him with this, but Luffy told them all only after they boarded the Sunny lol. Ouch, Luffy!

Luffy's safety is constantly on his mind, isn't it... and he's taking the most work on himself as well. Also can you try to think of anything else for a change, Trafalgar Law?! I know you're super duper worried but, come on...

Yeah, I know Law, right? You try so hard to keep him safe, and he goes and does some ridiculous shit again. And so the neverending spiral of worrying and suffering because of it continues for Law, lol.

Luffy (thinking): I will make you proud, Torao! Just watch me kidnap that guy in a few secs!!

Robin (thinking): Luffy is so excited, not sure if it's because of the plan or that Trafalgar. Probably the latter, actually, he just ignored the plan after all...

He's adorable but omg, they miss the marks all the time when it comes to each other, don't they. It's pure romantic comedy!

The end result is to be expected haha. Law's eyes are like constantly on Luffy lol. At least Law's not so anxious and worried anymore, because fake cuffs are part of his backup plan, so things are going okay for now.

Luffy is instantly interested in Torao's connection to Joker. He just wants to know more about Law, circumenstances be damned, because who cares they're locked up, right.

Law (thinking): Really? You ask about it now?! Fine, whatever, I will tell you... it's not like I can hide it from you forever.

He's not really that great at lying to Luffy, is he? Unless he just sold him a half-truth, but it doesn't appear to be this way. Alliance is all about trust after all, right? (Law says that in Wano) And Law is a bit uncomfortable sharing his connection to Doflamingo, but he does it anyway.

Luffy is so easily impressed with Torao, and it makes it even funnier that it's for all the wrong things really lol. Though it's understandable because when Ace died he got a big hole in his chest and couldn't survive, so in Luffy's mind anyone who can actually live despite that might be like the strongest person ever in his mind (stronger than Ace even?!). It's ridiculous, cute and actually a bit touching. I doubt Law understood it right lol, he's just lying there in disgrace.

Law (thinking): You will pay for this! Especially for making me look so pathetic in front of Mugiwara-ya!

Also Luffy please stop staring at Law like this all the time and close your mouth. He's so infatuated with him.

Law's face here is kinda hilarious, listening to Robin's and Luffy's talk about Kinemon's legs. Is he thinking something like "Interesting, you like it that much? I could do it for you all the time actually... I can do so much more, in fact"

Please someone shut them up.

Change of tone. As soon as Luffy's so worried and stressed, Law becomes all serious and worried as well. You can't make this shit up.

Showing off in front of Luffy lol. You actually want him to think you're cool, don't you, Law?

Luffy: Omg you're so cool Torao! I thought we're goners fr!

And guess what, it's working like a charm. Oh, Luffy!

Luffy adoring Law again, his eyes are almost sparkling here :D he tries to show off a little as well there heh. It's like "Torao, I'm so impressed with you, so be impressed with me and my crew as well!!"

Law, when not ordering people around: "is there anyone in here who can do x or y?". He's really not used to this "equal alliance" thing either, isn't he? Because that's such an awkward thing to say. Is this first ever alliance for him as well? Perhaps all other arrangements he had was just Law giving people orders.

That would mean this is first alliance both for Luffy AND Law awww. Oda, stop, I'm cringing! There's no way Law did it just for Luffy, right?...

Law making Luffy laugh on purpose will never stop having a special place in my heart <3 because you know he said this just for that. He doesn't yet care much about the others, but he sure af cares for Luffy. Perhaps he joked a bit because he didn't want to see Luffy so anxious like before when worrying about his crew geezas stop.

Someone's showing off again and it works like a charm. Can you stop making it such a show ffs, Law. No you can't, you're just having too much fun seeing Luffy so obviously impressed.

I mean... anyone still doubting Law loves Luffy after this image would have to also doubt Law ever loved his little sister, you know?

Also he's really not very honest, is he. Still not gonna admit it openly, acting cold and keeping his distance, despite the fact Luffy is already holding a dear spot in his heart. I know Law has predisposition for being serious and secretive, like that's just legit part of his personality, but he also clearly doesn't want Luffy to know how he actually feels about him.

Damn, Punk Hazard is long. I wonder if I can finish it with the next post haha. To be continued!

[muchanmocha]

Have you seen the standees set with all the pairs, each with one of them dead and it's called "Love-Hate"? I can get how it applies to Ivantill and Hyunaluka, but how does it apply to Mizisua?

Wild timing haha, you somehow managed to send this in right after I finished reading a great breakdown of it by @/crustyfloor this morning. Definitely check it out if you haven't already, I'm going to try not to reiterate what's already covered there.

In the Sua's Protection post I elaborated on the inherent selfishness of self-sacrifice:

Self-sacrifice doesn't need the other party's consent.

It doesn't ask for their opinion.

It doesn't give them the right to choose, because the choice is already made for them.

Conversations are about communicating, but even moreso, conversations in a relationship are about respecting each other's thoughts and opinions. It's a way for two (or more) people to touch base, know where each other are at, and find solutions together for the sake of each other and making the relationship work.

Conversations are an outreached hand, and when another person grasps that hand, communication is established.

Self-sacrifice means turning your back on the conversation and making the choice without regard for your partner, thereby placing your own feelings and decisions, your own will above someone else's.

Relationships aren't about any one singular person.

Sua's actions are for Mizi's sake yes, but by doing what she did, Sua essentially chose "Mizi" over "Mizi&Sua" and... while we can empathize with Sua's actions, I think it's also understandable for Mizi to be deeply hurt and resentful about that. In the end it was Sua who ripped "Mizi&Sua" away from her.

Someone might pose the question: "But can "Mizi&Sua" really exist in a world where one of them needs to die in a death match?"

Honestly I think yes, because "Mizi&Sua" will exist for as long as both of them are still invested in this relationship and its future — as long as both of them are putting in the effort of keeping this relationship alive regardless of whatever frightful things to come.

But what happened in Round 1 is that Sua gave the lie, the illusion of "Mizi&Sua" (in on this together) when in actuality she has long since chosen "Mizi" (and deleted herself from the equation of this relationship without Mizi ever knowing).

The moment Sua chose death, she gave up on "Mizi&Sua."

Now that we've established some of the logistics of MiziSua love-hate, let's take a closer look at the art itself, which seems to reflect a very nuanced manifestation of love-hate in Mizi.

Hate is often seen as a harsh, violent emotion. It's an aggressive feeling that you need to put energy into to fuel.

Yet this scene is almost... tranquil.

Mizi is very docile here, curled into herself like a small animal.

Her expression is numb. The type of numb you only reach after breaking down and crying for hours upon hours until you can't cry anymore.

We see none of the raw rage she showed in Round 5. There's no lashing out, no screaming and no ferocity in this scene.

This artwork shows that Mizi's hate is tender. It is subdued. It is a hurt that festers in her chest.

Mizi's hate is a quiet, vulnerable, "Why?"

In their post, @/crustyfloor describes Sua here as "simply hovering over her and watching in an eerie, enigmatic way" which imo captures it perfectly.

Sua is an eerie ghost now to Mizi, an enigma in death.

Round 1 shattered Mizi's perception of the world and as a result, of Sua and the bond they shared as well. But she has nowhere to go, reeling in all of her newfound questions, because Sua is now no longer with her.

Here, Mizi looks up at the one she loved, the one she still loves, in askance.

And her hate is one of questions that will never receive answers.

[thecagedsong]

So one take on TOTK’s ending I’ve seen quite a bit of is the idea that it deprived all dramatic weight from Zelda’s sacrifice and that she should have suffered the consequences of her choice (I.e. stay a dragon forever or come back as a dragon human hybrid). This strikes me as a shallow reading of the text and another example of how some people think punishment (or in this case “dying for a cause”) is the only viable ending for someone who made the choice Zelda made. It really rubs me the wrong way given all the development and tragedy she faced in both games. What are your thoughts?

There is something beautiful and tragic and meaningful about the stories etched upon our skin by powers beyond our control. I don't think the people that wish for Amputee Link or Dragon Zelda think that 'dying for a cause' is the only reward for sacrifice. It comes from the truth that most of us don't get to recover from the consequences of our actions the way characters in a story can. Which I absolutely get (one of my earliest fics was written to call out anime fanservice). To escape with no scars or signs that anything awful happened can feel unrealistic or like cheating in a world where we must bear the consequences of our actions. But is that really what happened?

First off is the Doyalist framework the story has to exist within. This is a video game for a major franchise that, while they are excellent at re-writing and ignoring their own canon, still needs to be available for future stories to be told through it. After all the emphasis botw placed on the 'goddess bloodline', if they were to kill Zelda, or even render her sterile, that puts a huge shadow over any future games they could make. You don't kill Harry in the Order of the Phoenix. The stories of Hyrule are far from over, even if this would be a satisfying end point for the timeline. Heck, there's no guarantee Link's not going to wake up in his underwear in a damp cave a third time, tbh. That's the reality of why Zelda had to return to her old body.

But does that mean that totk is a bad story? Does it render Zelda's sacrifices meaningless? Do these sacrifices only have meaning if she came back visibly changed?

I don't think so. Because the sacrifice was never about her body, it was always about her sense of self. "To become an immortal dragon is to lose ones' self" was the sacrifice that was demanded and that Zelda offered.

Guess what? She did have to leave Link to face Ganondorf without her. Zelda did lose all sense of herself for uncountable years. Zelda's memories, her sense of self, was stripped away from her and scattered across all of Hyrule.

It was only because Link loved her enough to collect the pieces of who Zelda was, only because he was able to understand them through the gift of Rauru's arm, and only because both Sonia and Rauru consigned themselves to living as spirits for as long as Zelda was a dragon, that Zelda's sense of self was returned.

It may feel like cheating, or maybe unearned, that Zelda got her body and sense of self back with no visible changes. But how many times have other people stepped in to help shoulder the consequences of your actions? How many times did your parents step in when you made a mistake, to give you another chance?

You ever leave the fridge open as a kid, and accidentally spoil all your food? In a family where money is tight, Mom and Dad might have to sacrifice eating full meals for a while so that their children can eat. That sacrifice is a form of love. If the neighbor hears about it (thin walls) and brings over some casseroles they took from their food stores, that took a few hours to make, does that diminish the parent's sacrifice for their kids? The consequences of that sacrifice, going hungry, have gone away because someone else stepped in.

The mistake was Rauru and Sonia's, letting Ganondorf in and not being strong enough to stop him. The sacrifice was Zelda's, her mind/memories/self. The intercessors are Rauru, Sonia, and Link, unwilling to let Zelda bear the full weight of her sacrifice.

Yes, we live in a world where we often do not get to walk away from the consequences of our sacrifices/choices unscathed. But we also live in a world where, every once and a while, we do get to walk away with only internal changes. Almost always because other people were willing to sacrifice too. Your parents? your siblings? Your friends? Your god?

Zelda's hylian body is a reflection of the sense of self she regained. Of her agency as a character instead of as a mindless dragon/a living sacred site. Zelda's character arc ends with her accepting the sacrifice demanded of her by reclaiming her responsibility towards the people of her Hyrule, taking up the mantle of power and leadership once again. The fact that other people step in to blunt the weight of that sacrifice does not degrade how Zelda changed to get there or what she went through.

It's actually the conclusion of Rauru, Sonia's, and Link's arcs that they also sacrificed to support Zelda. Her arc pulls all the others to their conclusions. Zelda is the narrative gravity of totk. I can't call that bad writing.

[marshmallowprotection]

Mystictober Day 17

Mystictober 2024 | Day 17: Vampire/Elixir

"I'm sorry I left you without blood," Saeran's gentle voice was sincere as he spoke to you underneath the warm glow of the cabin's fireplace. "I know you can't go long without it to keep your strength up. But, the fact is... Saeran... he... that me... he was so afraid his blood was filled with something that could hurt you, like garlic or silver... or whatever it is you're vulnerable to. He didn't trust Rika not to taint his blood in the basement. He figured it was better to give you nothing instead of something that kill you."

"I began to understand his reasoning when I smelt the iron in your throat," you nuzzled your noise against his pulse point. "It wasn't a danger to feed me at that point. But, it would've been dangerous to take your blood when you needed it more. Your body was too weak for me to feast from, my dear. I would never take your blood if that blood was the only thing keeping you safe."

Saeran sighed. He cupped the back of your head and ran his fingers through your hair to ease his woes. He was taking a break from trying to lead the security team. The team was working fast, searching for the answers they needed from the documentation Jihyun had given them, but they could only move so fast. These things took time, even with only a few hours to spare.

Even with Saeran telling the team what to do and how to do it, so much of their hacking was a waiting game to see what to do next. The real challenge would come in the morning when they would have no choice but to dismantle the entire internet at large to get out their message as soon as possible. He was prepared for that, knowing the articles would spread like wildfire in the right places, but for now, he needed rest.

He needed to steel himself before the storm came for everyone. Frankly, if you could've found the strength to face the devil on your own, you certainly would have protected him and everyone else without too much trouble... forgoing this problem in the first place with teeth. However, you were in no place to fight like that with how weak you were. You hadn't been in perfect shape since Ray went into... that damned basement.

Saeran was truly no better off than you were, either!

"You need my blood," his embrace tightened and he held you much closer than before. "You won't be able to make it long without human blood, and once we're trapped in the city, you won't have easy access to it. Please, I'm stronger now... There's no need for you to hold back. My blood is yours."

And yet, he was thinking about you when he needed to be thinking about himself.

You purposefully sought out a few animals to feast upon in the forest while he was working with the RFA to satisfy your blood lust... and while animal blood was never enough to fill you up, it was enough to tide you over until you could breathe again. It did the job. You wouldn't feel great for a while, but you could maintain your composure. You didn't want to hurt him or the RFA because you were just too weak to be around humans... that would destroy the hard work they had put into this stand against Saejoong Choi. A frenzy from you would destroy all this good.

"Saeran, you know I can't... you're already exhausted. I can talk Jumin into giving me blood from a blood bank. He loves vampires, he made me invite one of my kind to the party. I'm sure he'll help me out once I'm honest with him."

And he...

His breath quivered. You felt his body come to a standstill. He gently pulled you away so he could meet your eyes. They sparkled with need and want. He needed you as much as you needed him. He wanted to give you his blood. He knew it might make him weaker, but he loved it. You could see that. You could see what nobody else could see. He loved the feeling of sharing his blood with you. There weren't too many people who were willing to sacrifice themselves for a vampire, and yet, he was the rare one in a million.

Ray and Saeran had both wanted it, too. They had wanted to help you survive the only way they knew how. Even if they'd gone about it in different ways, they did what they could to take care of your needs.

This man was no different than they were.

Tears began to brew in the corners of his eyes. "Please, I can feel it burning... I can feel your heart burning... you're so thirsty. I've felt it since I woke up this morning. I thought it was me... I thought it was the pain from the elixir catching up with me, but it's you. I know it's you."

You cupped his face in your hands. "Do you truly want to give your blood to me, my moonlight? Is it agonizing to go days without my fangs on your throat? Forgive me, dearest. I forgot... just how hard things can be for a vampire's mate. I don't want you to gift blood to me because you feel the sting of my appetite just as strongly as I... feel your exhaustion. We may feel each other's aches and pains intimately, but we can't spurn each other to hurt because of it. I won't die from a day or two without blood."

"I never want you to hurt," he whispered.

"Nor I, you."

"Can you take just enough to ease your pain...? You don't have to take it all. My pain is your pain. Isn't that what we agreed to when you promised Ray your fangs for eternity? That we would know the pain we shared alongside the joy?"

"Do you trust me?"

"I trust you with my life itself, [Y/N]."

"I'll only take enough to survive until I can speak to Jumin then, my moonlight... not a drop more than that. I don't want you to feel sick in the morning when you need to keep a brave face. Be a good boy for me, okay? Don't try and trick me into taking more so I feel better... I'll drink you down in a week once you've regained your strength... that's a promise."

His eyes fluttered close in relief as you did as you promised.

You drank your fill.

[irlmaeda]

just rewatched rebellion and god its so good. so so good. i want to talk a bit about the flower scene because its such a well done scene that i think really helps set up homura's transformation near the end. also it made me cry /silly

before i get into it i do want to preface it with this: i know the madoka in the labyrinth really is madoka, but what's important is that her memory is gone and being held by sayaka and bebe.

she's been reset to episode one madoka, and she hasn't gone through that same character growth that allowed her to confidently sacrifice herself to become the law of cycles. in a world full of nightmares, relatively harmless ceeatures compared to the witches, what motivation would she have to sacrifice herself?

its like the scene on the walkway in the anime, where homura asks her if she'd throw away everything, family, friends, to change her life. in its original context its purpose is simple: its code for whether madoka would become a magical girl. but when its called back to at the end of rebellion, it's about her becoming the law of cycles.

madoka without her memories, the one in the labyrinth, would have answered just the same as she did in the anime. but when she has her godhood back and is split in half by homura, she has enough awareness of her place in the universe to question her surroundings and what she's being asked.

anyways the point is that what madoka is saying in this scene isnt necessarily her 'true feelings' and instead a side-effect of her memory wipe and the labyrinth. ok? ok.

ok flower scene. the scene starts off with madoka walking with homura, bringing her to the spot they were at near the beginning of the movie: the flower field where they said they felt like they knew each other forever.

madoka says that homura can tell her anything, and that even if she cant help, she'll listen. when homura begins to speak, theyre on two opposite sides of the overhang.

homura, as she begins to realize the truth of this world, is isolated from madoka. homura is in the dark, in shadow, while madoka is completely and almost unnatturally illuminated.

homura says she had a terrible dream,¹ where madoka went far away, and everyone else forgot about her. as she says this, she runs away from madoka, through the flowers. she doesn't want to confront it at all.

she says no one could understand how she felt. she was so lonely. she thought she had just made madoka up, she began to doubt herself.²

at this, madoka comes in close, and hugs homura. she's closing the distance that homura has tried to put between the two of them, both metaphorically and physically. she's reaching out.

she reaffirms that yes, that's terrible, but it's okay now. because she would never do something like that. madoka says she was weak, and she would never do something that made someone as strong as homura cry.

homura is immediately receptive, the idea that madoka didnt actually want to sacrifice herself, it's tantalizing. maybe there's still a chance. maybe, just maybe, she can have madoka back.

madoka continues, she would never want to leave any of them. homura, sayaka, kyoko, or mami, her family, the people in her class, she'd never want to go somewhere she could never see them again.

and as she says this, she begins to re-braid homura's hair, the hair she took down as she became disillusioned and serious within the anime, and the hair she took down as she began to search for the truth in the movie.

while madoka comforts homura, she's drawing her deeper into the false reality. she's reinforcing the doubt in the back of homura's mind that maybe, just maybe, madoka's sacrifice wasn't what she really wanted.

while braiding her hair, she's symbolically trying to bring her back to the state she was in at the start of the movie: entirely an unquestioning part of the labyrinth.

and then madoka says that even if she had no other choice, she would never have the courage to do something like that.

a blimp shines a spotlight on homura, as she suddenly understands what she has to do. it's the moment she gets the idea to pull madoka down from the heavens to be by her side.

it even directly flashes back to the scene on the walkway, where at the beginning of the series, madoka says she wouldnt change anything. in her mind, this is what madoka really feels. this is the truth. this is what she needed to hear.

as she says it outloud, this is how she really feels, a darkness spreads from her. her motivation is established. she'd do anything to protect madoka, so why didn't she stop her? she has to do the second best thing: bring her back.

she turns to madoka. she has what it takes to make that hard decision, homura knows this, she's seen it before. she's far kinder and stronger than she knows. the flowers die, and turn to dandelions, floating in the wind.

but of course madoka doesnt remember. she returns to reality, the braid falling out of her hair. maybe she's an illusion, or a false copy someone else created. how else could they meet again?

but she says can tell, this is the real madoka. they could talk, just one more time, they could talk.³ and that's what homura's wanted for so long, she doesn't care that it could be fake. because in this moment it's real.

she knows what she needs to do now.

———————～ ♪ ～———————

¹ this is actually called back to later on, at least in the dub! when kyoko is talking to sayaka in the final battle she says she had a dream where sayaka died, "but that was real, wasn't it? this is the dream." felt like pointing it out but didnt want to break the flow of the paragraph

² this is just a personal note but ohhhhg god. this line made me start sobbing in real time. i get it.

³ homura did nothing wrong

(sorry that the screenshots are a little low quality, i got them from a clip on youtube from like 7 years ago. which is also why i paraphrased the dialogue instead of directly quoting it since i didnt have prime video up while writing this lmao)

[phoenixcatch7]

Wild how I never see anyone talking about that moment in the mdzs anime (donghua?) during the wen chaos torture scene, where wwx fights wzl and cores the man like an apple.

Not even that!! Not even that!!! He instantaneously removes a fully intact golden core with the skill and precision of a two day surgery bare handed. In battle.

I don't know if it was part of the book, or if it made it into the live action as well, but it was always a huge moment for me. I mean - he'd just lost his own core in a surgery meant to give someone else it, the volunteer victim taking implanting cores from theory to reality. All those months in the burial mounds were a matter of survival - learn or die. Learn or abandon the last pieces of his family. He mastered demonic cultivation, because there was no other path forward. He had no other option.

But in that moment, he's holding a perfectly intact (decently strong) golden core, just after escaping. He could have tucked it away, got his revenge, and gone back to wq to get it implanted in him. He could have kept it somewhere in stasis for however long while she worked on it, I don't know. He'd clearly developed the ability in the mounds, he'd clearly been thinking about it a lot.

He had that choice. He had the ability to put his demonic cultivation down and rejoin that well paved road, and no one would think twice. He could have rejoined the cultivation world with nary a blip. Lwj and jc would certainly have covered for him, even if they didn't understand.

But he didn't.

He held that little swirling core in his hand, looked at its glow of qi, its shining potential. And crushed it.

That, I've felt, is the true moment he committed to his path. Not in the mounds, not when he decided to hunt down and brutally torture the wen. Not when he decided to sacrifice his own core. That moment where he was granted this potential path out, a way back, a possible escape route. And he turns away.

Breaks it.

I wonder why it's never come up in fics or art or anything. Like, that's just such a visceral moment!! It was like 'oh he's serious serious'. And it has such angsty potential!! Wwx can just destroy the cultivation of anyone he pleases!! During the war everyone was petrified of wzl. There's no reason to think they'd be anything less than mortally terrified of wwx if it ever got out he could do the exact same thing. And he's even stronger! He crushed wzl like an ant!!! But who knows, it could have weird, fringe life saving uses like wq theorised.

But can you imagine all the possibilities!! Core assassin wwx. Chief cultivators husband wwx who gets called in for the worst criminals. Ylp wwx who cores a whole scouting group as a warning, leaving everyone too scared to touch him, letting him and the remnants live in semi peace. Time travel wwx who defangs the worst enemies in disguise, becoming the boogeyman of the jianghu. Lwjs core getting damaged or corrupted and wwx being forced or volunteering to remove it to save his life without subjecting him to the horrific surgery, revealing his secret. There's so many possibilities!!!

[thelunarfairy]

The melancholy love of the Yugi twins

I wonder why baby Tsukasa feels so rejected by Amane, hate is such a strong word especially for a child so young to have knowledge about her and believe that she is hated by someone she loves so much.

The love of twins is more intense than the love of ordinary brothers, there is a connection, a bond, born together and sharing the best and worst moments of life, discovering the world little by little, of course each of them in their own way. . It's like you were born with your best friend by your side. (Although unfortunately this is not always the case).

Their love transcends and surpasses death, "I will remember you as long as I breathe, no, beyond when I breathe"

A 4-year-old child who gives up her own life because her older twin will no longer be by her side, even though he tried so hard to give him the best he could, what does Amane like? I'll look for it, I'll give it to him! And the room was slowly filling up with toys, plants, animals and books that talked about the adventures of space, because Amane likes the stars, one day he will look for her and I want him to do it, even if I don't be here to see.

Seeing his brother in agony, always in bed, always so discouraged, he committed himself to changing that, he decided alone. And he did what he could, for such a small boy, his gestures were so tender, it's a shame he didn't realize something

Amane didn't want any of that, he wanted to be with Tsukasa.

Why did Tsukasa think he hated him? Just because Amane was sad and finally managed to say what he felt? That he wanted to be able to run and play around like him?

At what point did he feel so rejected by his brother that he decided it was okay to leave because Amane hated him, he would live happily without me. Why does such a little boy have to feel this way? Amane did her best to be with Tsukasa, whether reading the books he brought together, or being by his side even without having the strength to do so.

He felt that way… And he decided that he wanted to celebrate his birthday for the last time with his brother, he wanted to hear for the last time, even if it was perhaps the first, that his brother loved him. It was the last thing he wanted to hear before leaving, knowing for sure that he wouldn't come back.

How could he be sure that his departure would be more of a relief than a pain? He couldn't, he was just a child who felt rejected and did the best he could to show Amane that he loved him, even if Amane never knew the sacrifice he made for him.

He wouldn't know.

So, after making that choice he believed he had done the best, but then Nene and Kou appear and tell him that his older brother, the one he fought so hard to make happy, killed him and took his own life in followed.

It was there that Tsukasa received the first stab.

How could I? I did everything for him, I gave my life in exchange for his, and he took it from me again? Why?

Why?

Who was Amane truly? Did he really hate me?

Maybe this gave him the certainty of the truth he wanted so badly to escape.. Amane hates me, but does he really hate me? What if I bring him his favorite ball? What if I give you a new book? Will he still hate me? Perhaps these were his thoughts.

Then suddenly

"Amane Yugi died at the age of 13 before killing his younger brother"

He really hates me. You don't kill someone you love, even Tsukasa knows that.

He came back, and he came back to understand Amane, he didn't come back because he believed he needed Tsukasa, or because he loved him, he came back understanding that his sacrifice had been in vain. And by that time, Tsukasa had already been influenced enough by that creature inside the house. A little boy who is discovering the world now, and whoever introduces him to this world is a monster who enjoys the lives of living creatures at his pleasure.

"Let's go back, I want to see how Amane is going to kill me"

This phrase is more melancholic than disturbing, what many people say. A little boy who doesn't cry, but has strong resentments for the brother he fought so hard to have his love, and all he got was more rejection. The thing inside him just pushed him further and further, because maybe he was planning something and he clearly wanted to use the boy for it.

Then he comes back, but he's not the same anymore.

Who is Tsukasa now? He's still here, but why? He needs a reason to stay, to come back. He still wants to understand Amane, he still wants to feel loved by him.

There is no way of knowing what happened between them for a long time as it was not shown to us, but even though Tsukasa is sometimes so cruel, his innocence transcends. Because is it half Tsukasa who lives there, and the other half? Well, he doesn't have a name yet, but that other half is that monster that took him from his brother. He is always happy to meet Amane, hugs him whenever he can, and is still so tender with him sometimes.

But does Amane think about Tsukasa?

I tend to think that the Tsukasa with the seal is just his yorishiro, while the real one is that other one who appears to Nene every now and then, always with such a tender look. It's as if this is really that same little boy, he's there still looking out for his brother even after having gone through all this, still with that melancholy look.

Tsukasa's love transcends, it is visible and palpable, he was not made to be the monster they force us to think he is, he became what he found necessary to be.

Who is the person who cares about Tsukasa?

Maybe, all he needs is just a hug from Amane and the truth he wants to hear

"I love you Tsukasa, I want you to stay because you are the most important person to me, even if everything is destroyed, I want you by my side, as it should be"

Because none of this would have happened if Tsukasa felt loved by Amane

"I can't sacrifice myself, because he will be unhappy without me, because he will sacrifice himself with me, I want Amane to live and be happy, if he is happy with me around , so I stay"

[flilisskywalker]

I guess what keeps me up at night is asking what's the point of Sabine's search for Ezra, like... as an emotional arc.

(This text is an adaptation of the thread I wrote on Twitter)

Because when I rewatch the fourth season of Rebels, I get the impression that they are paired together in many episodes as a way to prepare us for a hurtful goodbye between the two at the end of the show, which is to me the same reason why they decided to go heavy on confirming Kanan and Hera's romance because they knew he was going to die.

I don't really know if the parallels between Sabezra and Kanera are intentional considering how Filoni talks about the former, but Ezra does become Kanan (even has a whole stretch arms sacrifice) and Sabine does become Hera (Deep grief for losing him) and not in a "The kid got this from his/her parent." sense, but in the sense of that the situation is really similar, which is interesting because it wasn't like this originally.

Ahsoka made Sabine's grief towards Ezra not being by her side all the time a thing.

Instead of simply letting Sabine's mission be about bringing Ezra home like in the original animated epilogue, Filoni complicates things a little bit by implying that Sabine is not doing this for Ezra, but for herself. Beyond that, almost every character notices how devoted she is to him and it even confuses some of them.

Thrawn, for example, has studied Sabine. He is well aware that Ezra is her compatriot and friend and yet... he is confused by her choice. Sabine states "You wouldn't understand." and then accepts to be stranded on Peridea just to see Ezra again. Once she found him and even after hearing he wants to get home, she did not say a word about Thrawn being his only ticket home. Instead, she simply enjoys time with him.

If you know Sabine Wren, you know that she would never ignore a huge Imperial threat and put in danger people like Hera, who is definitely an older sister type of role model to her, or feel that Ezra is the only family she has, so I do understand why people think she is very distant from the original show.

There might be a reason for all of this. A reason that I'm not sure Filoni wants to dive into, but the way he's been writing Sabine, the vagueness every time Ezra is the conversation's topic, feels like she has fallen in love with him during his absence and honestly? This makes far more sense than any other explanation.

We've seen in Star Wars before, fiction in general, that love is blind. Sabine's focus on finding Ezra is described by Baylan as something that blinds her. Not only this would justify her out of character attitude, but also the parallels with Kanan and Hera.

Star Wars live-action TV shows this year have been interesting to decode. In both The Mandalorian season 3 and Ahsoka season 1, there's a lot of subtle implications that characters want to build a life with somebody.

Mando does this in Chapter 22 - Guns For Hire, an episode surrounded by romantic love, where a droid bartender tells Din and Bo that human life is so short and then they look at each other. They want to be together, but that has not been verbalized yet. It is still very much in the subconscious.

Ahsoka does it in Part 7 - Dreams and Madness, by showing Sabine's lack of urgency regarding Thrawn and simply enjoying Ezra's company. It really implies that this was what her mission was all about: Be with Ezra. Her real desire is build a life with him, but that desire is still in the subconscious.

I believe Favreau knows all of that when it comes to Din and Bo.

BUT DOES FILONI KNOW THAT WHEN IT COMES TO SABINE AND EZRA?

[bomberqueen17]

have you watched sirens of the deep (new witcher animated movie on netflix)

i actually HAVE! I livewatched it with some friends. No spoilers above cut, spoilers below!

I went into this cold not having really even known it was coming out so i was not forewarned that it was Game Geralt's VA!!!!! which was awesome, and then Joey Batey and Anya Chalotra from Netflix doing Jaskier and Yen, that also ruled! It was the Best Geralt and the Best Jaskier Together At Last, with much-improved banter. Game Geralt's fighting grunts were totally different from in-game, which I thought was really funny and also I would not have known that I knew his game fighting noises that well if you'd asked, but as I was watching this movie (I was hand-quilting so my eyes weren't on the screen the whole time) I was like, hey that's the guy but these are different noises. (Also. The grunts being unaltered underwater, LOL forever.)

Also Geralt as a pretty almost-elfin anime hero was kind of funny. But the Anime Jaskier looked astonishingly ilke the real Joey Batey despite the proportions of his skull being different depending on the whim of the animator.

I had a *cough* somewhat illicit copy as I do not subscribe to any streaming services, and couldn't figure out how to get the subtitles to work, and I thought ah well I can get by without subs, but then a bunch of critical dialogue was in a made-up language and somehow the subtitles for that were all also in this exterior file. This is why it was good I was livewatching with friends, because they were all lightning-fast to transcribe for me. I was willing to just coast on vibes, I only ever understand half of what's going on in movies anyway, but my fellas had my back and I love them. "Love shows up" WHAT. Love it.

More spoilery discussion below

I read the short story "A Little Sacrifice" and thought it was kind of gross actually, so I was like well, this can only be so good. Changing Jaskier's backstory to be from Bremervoord so this was a hometown thing for him was, I initially thought, kind of a gratuitous sop to the Woobie!Jaskier fans, and oh my god giving flashbacks to his childhood was like, oh come on must we. But I did not expect the delicious homosexual tension with the childhood bully and it was actually a really good sudden reversal-toward-redemption-arc they did with Childhood Bully Hotboi, I was like omg please I need all the fic of Jaskier and Whatever His Name Was boning nasty.

Alas, they'll have to be fix-its.

Also lol the underwater physics. Nobody's hair floated and when whats-her-name broke the bead curtain all the beads just rolled around the floor. I sort of expected that to lead somewhere but no.

But the surface water animations were gorgeous and the artwork in general was very pretty, even if Geralt was wwaaaaayy too bishie, LOL.

AND!

IMAGINE MY DELIGHT at the ending!!!! That was the dumbest thing of "A Little Sacrifice", the mermaid was like 'he's got to make a little sacrifice too!' and then he fucking didn't.

Also in the short story, Geralt fucks Essie and then breaks her heart and she never gets over him, so I SUUUUUPER fucking appreciated this version where she was like "lol no i want kids and to live like a normal person so you can go ahead and go actually" THANK U

I mean I get the points Sapkowski was making, as all of his shit is on some level pastiche, but at some point the just verbatim repeating of sexist tropes doesn't really do anything to subvert them; plenty of works make those points just as clumsily without any subversive intention, so. Actually subverting them has a bit more impact nowadays. Alas that we have not progressed since these stories were published 30 years ago, but that's not really news.

Yeah, it was fundamentally a retelling of the same story as Disney's The Little Mermaid, and having the sea-witch villainess break out into a musical number during the temptation of the mermaid princess was an unfortunate choice because no matter what she was not going to be able to beat Divine-as-Ursula belting Poor Unfortunate Souls which is a perennial banger, but apart from that it was a good comparison with the tropes. (Just. Put the musical number somewhere else, right? Jeez.)

Anyway. It had a lot of great fodder for our Woobie!Jaskier girlies, I approve of how fat the mermaid princess's ass was as a plausible asethetic choice and also that they did not give the mermaids tits because they are not mammals (HUGE bonus points THANK YOU creature designers!!!!), Video Game Geralt as VA for every Geralt-related project ever PLEASE and THANK YOU (c'mon can we dub hemsworth chinese wuxia drama style? those guys all lipsynch why can't he) (no no i'll give him a chance it's fine), Joey Batey should sing on every soundtrack, etc. etc.

All in all, it was a fun fluffy little way to fill a couple hours and

SOMEONE WRITE ME SOME GAY FIX-IT SMUT with Jaskier and the Reformed Bully please!

[the-gateway-to-madness]

the writing of Jack Frost

(And why it works so well)

Jack Frost is one of the most notoriously well-known animated protagonists out there. I'm on Tumblr, so I don't even have to defend that stance, you all know it already.

Why is that?

The story he's placed in is entirely simple. It's a light vs. darkness conflict. There are all of seven characters who get real screentime. The main character has amnesia. This movie is almost Shadow of the Colossus in its simplicity.

It's the details and the context and the design of the world that make that simplicity work here. Each character is visually based on a color and a shape, but then details got worked in that made them intriguing to look at, and that "design with a center in mind, then make it feel complete" ideology succeeds in making each character feel grounded and rounded out personality-wise, too.

Jack is the main character, so we're privy to extra complexities with him- let's look at those.

That amnesia. This trope has been done to death; why does it work well here? Because his character has developed for so long in-universe without him even knowing he had amnesia. Sure, he doesn't know why he's here, but he's also not aware of what he is missing, so he's gone ahead and lived for 300 years as best he could.

He's confident in his powers; he's confident in his own body; he's confident in his control. The conflicts that are most common in both coming-of-age plotlines and amnesia plotlines are not there. Jack's natural upbeat attitude and the immaturity he chooses to nurture in himself make him seem like he's a teenager in his head, too, but he is not. He knows all his own patterns, he knows how the world around him works, and the audience is incapable of understanding how exactly he must think because of just how old he actually is, and how much he's done and seen.

Jack gets reduced for simplicity in a lot of fanworks, and I think that's because trying to put oneself in his head and trying to then see his world through the mindset of anything but a child or teen is like trying to comprehend something eldritch. He's not still human and relatable because of his innate humanity leftover from his mortal life, he's still human because he has chosen to be human. Heck, Jack doesn't remember his past life, his only reason to believe he's even a little human is his appearance.

And that idea that he chose humanity, that he chooses goodness, is compelling, because it means his human self and his incomprehensible circumstances have meshed into something cohesive.

Then the amnesia shows up! If you're watching this movie for the first time, you guessed he has amnesia because duh, but you're just as in the dark as he is as to what he's missing. You only know as much as Jack does on that first watch- you're as curious and even desperate as he is to know, if you're invested. Because what could create this man? What could cause such a strong connection to humanity in him despite 300 years trying to whittle it away?

Even after seeing his memories, it's! Still! Jack's! Choices!!! This movie sets him up to be a tragic character, but it's not a tragedy because he chooses to be happy and help other people and refuses to back down and stop trying to fix things, even when only one child believes. They take a tragic character premise and turn him into a walking feeling of triumph because the good, kind, happy person who fell in that pond survived- and he did it because he chose to.

And- people want to hate Manny for never talking to Jack except to drop in and tell him what to do, but that's not what he did! Jack asked him to tell him why he was put in the world, and he was put in the world to be a Guardian. After he had already spent both of his lives choosing to be one without the Moon's direction, all Manny did was formalize it. He let Jack make his own choices, already knowing from his sacrifice what he would choose to be. From that freedom, from never being told who to be and what to do by the Moon, Jack learned how to choose to be human, to be good, to be a Guardian- under any circumstances -because he wanted to, and not because Manny told him to.

Manny did Jack more good by letting him learn how to be himself than he ever could have done by explaining to him who he was and what he was meant to do.

Anyway, I'm realizing most of this as I'm writing it, back on topic now.

Most amnesia plots cannot make the concept of "the person you were pre-amnesia shines through after amnesia strikes" work like Rise of the Guardians does, and I believe that it's because of that 300 year gap. That's the key. Jack has been the pre-amnesia person for 300 years without knowing where that person came from. He's refined being that person without ever realizing that's what he was doing; he's given that person confidence in his powers and skills. He's been that same person the entire movie already. Jack wasn't chosen because he was a Guardian in his past life; he was chosen because he was and still is a Guardian.

... anyway I'm out of thoughts

[final-fantasy-as-literature]

I haven't had energy for a longer post lately, but I feel like Stamp in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Remake is pretty easily a symbol for what Cloud himself symbolizes while taking a Bloomian reading to them with Wu Cheng’en's Xiyouji as precursor. This post will not be diving into the six revisionary ratios because it is off-hand, and even Bloom gave those up over time.

Minor spoilers for Final Fantasy VII Remake below the split.

The first and easiest draw is that the name given to the Monkey by Patriarch Subodhi is Sun Wukong (孫悟空). The Sun (孫) itself comes from husun (猢猻), a word for a kind of monkey whose name comes from a noun for a foreign group. If you remove the animal radical, or dog radical, from 'sun' (猻), the monkey, you get 'Sun' (孫), the Monkey's surname. In this reading, the dog simply acts as a reference to one of the Monkey's names that wasn't drawn upon to give meaning in the 1997 release. The literal monkey is gone, but the dog has returned with all the meaning it gives. The Monkey has historically been used as both a symbol representative of the state's interests and a countercultural symbol of rebellion against that state in much of East Asia, and has even represented the interests of states in opposition.

Evidence towards this would be other occasions in which Cloud is now referred to with names, teases, and insults that call upon the Monkey's names and their meanings. Foremost that comes to mind would be Barret asking about Cloud's age and joking about Cloud being a one year old. Patriarch Subodhi gives Monkey the name "Sun" on page 115 of Volume 1 of Anthony C Yu's Revised Edition of Journey to the West, explaining,

If I drop the animal radical from this word, what we have left is the compound of zi and xi. Zi means a boy and xi means a baby, and that name exactly accords with the fundamental Doctrine of the Baby Boy. So your surname will be 'Sun.'

Hongmei Sun points out the importance of the "Doctrine of the Baby Boy" to Monkey's "multivalent" and "ambivalent" identity when she explains a reading of one of Monkey's most common self-referential titles on page 20 of her Transforming Monkey: Adaptation and Representation of a Chinese Epic:

The translation “Old Monkey” is a choice made based on the sacrifice of the other meanings of both sun and lao, and understandably so, owing to the lack of corresponding expressions in English. But without the meaning of “venerable” and “baby,” the nature of the oxymoron in the name is lost. “Old Monkey” can also mean “Old Baby” or “Venerable Monkey,” which reveal more of the ambivalent nature of the Monkey King.

Tying these readings together in Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth is as simple as noting that Cloud is referred to and compared to in-text with "Stamp." "Stamp" is actually the fourth observational title given to Cloud by the members of Avalanche, with the first being "merc," the second being "real joy to look at," and the third being "true believer." This is excluding both his name, Cloud, and his status in SOLDIER, as those are a "true" name and status rather than merely observational. Barret directly addresses Cloud as Stamp when he asks Cloud, "Stamp scared to bite the hand that fed him? Or is he a loyal little doggy?"

Something I believe many readings of Final Fantasy VII Remake miss is this exact moment, forgetting that this isn't a coincidence - the text itself was created, not a coincidence being observed. Barret isn't just making a metaphor within the text that can be understood by its characters, but a metaphor that can be understood by the readers of the text. That this metaphor of a dog as the ambivalent symbol of both a bureaucracy and its people is addressed to a blonde protagonist bound by piercing headaches and undergoing an arc of rebellion against a corrupt bureaucracy ought to be compared to the context of precursors in East Asia. Within this context, it isn't hard to find a precursor-text that offers easy comparison and enhanced meaning: Wu Cheng’en's Xiyouji, the story of Sun Wukong, the rebellious and loyal monkey, the reluctantly true believer, pressed and willing bodyguard, and handsome and horrific figure.

Cloud shares the multivalence of Monkey in a way that defies singular interpretation, which is why I believe the best isolated interpretation is to "reduce" the text to a precursor poem. This opens the door to more focused interpretation through lenses that already exist, such as the "multivalence" of Monkey and Cloud. This, even more, demystifies elements of the text for which little progress has been made in accepted fan-interpretation, such as in the "parallel worlds" (as some fans have called them) easily being expression of common folk beliefs within Buddhism. This also allows the reader to bring mechanical elements into cohesion with their reading, such as with the materia being akin to sarira as displayed in the text.

[short-black-diamond]

Hi, I read Toman and Muslim Reader a while ago and I like it So since Eid al-Adha is near, can you write a second part with the addition of Tenjiku and Yuzuha?

And I wonder what their reaction will be when they discover that a reader cannot marry a person who is not a Muslim unless he converts to Islam and performs all the religious duties as it should.(It was funny when reading Mitsuya and Draken's reaction when they found out that Muslims don't get tattoos 😂😂)

Of course love! Also please tell me how you want to be called. Someone claimed the 🍰nom as an anonymous, you can have a name too!

I think Imma convert to Islam to be honest 'cuz it's such a cool and peaceful and beautiful religion and I honestly hate anyone who thinks of them as terrorists or some other bad thing.

Is what you said 'Eid al-Adha' this festival where you kill/sacrifice a goat or sheep or something? My friend told me that she would do it this wednesday or thursday, as in the festival being two days long or something...? Also she said that she'd fast on the 27th...oh well

Anyways, I actually laughed my ass off when I thought about their shocked faces and then also thinking of each other like 'damn, Draken/Mitsuya has one too!' and then the first one calling the other and berating each other about getting their tattoos removed lol

Also, I'm going to write stuff which is sadly not happening canonly, and I'm only at chapter 139, so please bear with me. Also you didn't tell me which ones, so I just did these below plus your precious Yuzuha.

Also sorry for only posting it now...

Characters: Izana Kurokawa, Kakucho, Ran Haitani, Yuzuha Shiba

I did not proofread.

---

Tokyo revengers with a muslim friend :D , part two

part one , tr with a muslim wife

Izana Kurokawa

Nah bruh, that's not it.

he saw you for the first time when he craved some food in the convenience store

didn't really think much of you at first, but he didn't really see you before

you also didn't really look like a japanese woman, more like a foreigner

so, he just watched you for a bit

you were actually having a pretty good life, and he was a little jealous

but then, one day, you were quickly making your way to a bigger shop, while talking to somebody in a stressed manner, you were sweating and looking around fevereshly

over the time he watched you, he grew somwehat protective of you

and when he saw you like this? He didn't like it

he thought that somebody was after you, and what would be the best way to introduce himself to you?

After all, many people here knew him and also not to mess with him

"my name is Izana Kurokawa, and I noticed that you didn't look very well. Are you alright?"

and when you noticed him, like really staring into his eyes, he lost it

you were the most beautiful woman he's ever met actually, and he felt his breath hitch

"Huh? Oh no, it's alright love, just preparing for a festival is all!"

Festival? But there were no Japanese festivals announced yet-

"Oh, let me introcuce myself first. My name is ____ ______ and I'm from ______. I'm a muslim, as in my religion is Islam, and in a week, a day called Eid-Adha will come and there we will sacrifice a sheep/goat and share some meat with our aquaintances and eat it along with friends and families."

This was too much input, but he managed to understand

"Do you guys have a sheep yet?"

"Sadly no, we also can't buy slughtered meat from the meathouse because it's not halal."

"And what does that mean?"

"It means that the sheep is not slaughtered by a muslim."

"...and what if I bring you an alive sheep? would that be okay?"

"What? Oh, no. No no, please, you don't have to stress yourself, Kurokawa, it's alright!"

Nah, it was not. Your parents were in dire need of a sheep actually

And safe to say, you were secretely happy that the friend you made the day prior did not only help you with your groceries, he also brought you a sheep the next day

...but where did he get that animal from?

after your confrontation, Izana had no choice but to tell you the truth.

He told you about everything that happened and expected you to give him a scared expression and then run away

but you gave him a sad look.

"I can somewhat relate to what you're going through right now. But doing all this because you're holding a grudge against his little brother is not going to lift your spirit, you know?"

You poured him a cup of tea and he thanked you silently.

Izana was surprised that you still talked to him. He really expected you to run away

"would Shinichiro be okay with you trying to hurt his brother? You're Emma's brother, after all. Have you gotten in contact with her yet? I'm sure she'd love to see her sibling again."

Emma...?

Tears spilled from his eyes. His shoulders shook.

"Izana...it's okay. let it all out. God knows what you're going through. He is testing you."

"why..? Why is god doing that to me...?", the leader croaked, and you could see a spark in his eyes.

"Because he loves you. God loves every single living form in this planet. He created us, after all. And he is also the most forgiving of us all.

Talk to Mikey, talk to Emma. Talk to everyone you don't like and see what happens. Hope for the best, pray for the best thing to happen. Imagine how happy Shinichiro would be if he saw his two brothers getting along! Imagine how happy Emma would be to see you again!"

He thought about it, but he was not so sure.

But he tried.

He asked you to accompany him, and you said yes with a smile. you were glad to aid as emotional support.

What you didn't tell him though, was that you already knew Mikey and Toman.

Izana didn't.

And so, Izana met with Mikey, who firstly greeted you, and then also greeted Izana, but with a little less respect.

"Listen, Manjiro Sano, I'm sorry. Surely, you must've read my letters by now,", he started as he noticed a carton boy with opened letters that looked an awful lot like the ones he and Shin sent each other.

"I...was jealous of you. That you were his...real brother. I wanted to be his brother too, but well..."

Mikey understood. "then let's be brothers, Izana."

Izana looked at him with more widened eyes, then he looked at you. You smiled at him.

From that day on, Tenjiku and Toman were good with each other, thanks to a little help of yours.

Izana also felt closer to you. He felt at ease with you. He wanted to know more about you.

Izana wasn't really a religious person, so it gave him a little whiplash when you told him that you could only marry a muslim or a converted muslim.

He never knew that he'd want to try to become or do something for someone

but if it was you, then he'd for sure try.

and it was actually the best experience he had

praying fives times a day was no problem, as you and him frequented a mosque that wasn't too far away from you

he was a little sad by the fact that he couldn't pray with you, but the brothers on the other side welcomed him with open arms

Izana would've actually liked to stay there longer and listen to the men, but he remembered that he had to meet up with you in two minutes

like an excited puppy did he tell you about everything he knew, and only after a second did he realize that you knew most of it already

still, you gave him a smile and encouraged him to learn more

Kakucho

That guy is just as stupid as the others.

He also just noticed you recently, but he found you to be a pretty foreigner

He actually wanted to hang out with you, and so he also introduced himself

"Name's Kakucho, may I know your's, pretty lady?", he was actually quite the charmer (my headcannon)

you smiled, his heart pounded, and you said your name as well

still, you asked him about his scar, which was...very visible

"Ah, just a little accident!"

"Really? Poor you ...Oh, it's time for me to go, it was nice hanging out with you! See you soon!"

and with that, you left.

like Izana, Kakucho felt the strong need to look after you.

I mean, c'mon, who wouldn't want to protect a pretty girl like you?

Kakucho also hoped that he'd have a chance with you, but we'll come to that later

Safe to say, you two saw each other very soon

some nameless delinquents were cornering you and you had no other choice but to scream

Out of curiosity, Izana's "brother", looked at the source

and he saw red.

you were holding your purse close to your chest and pressed yourself against the wall, and in front of you were three guys with knifes in their hands

"give us you-" *CRUNCH*

the first one fell down, two more to go

You stared at the body on the ground, he must've given the guy a concussion

then you looked at your savior, who just punched the other two away and came to you

"Are you alright, ____?" "Yeah, I'm fine. But you didn't have to beat them up like that. but...but still, thank you."

he smiled and blushed and felt so happy that he saved you

"It was no big deal, but hey-; what were you doing at this hour? It's already past six!"

"I had to pick up my little brother from his friend's house. um, would you like to accompany me? I don't want to get attacked again, you know? I mean, if you're free at the moment...!"

Could this day get any better?

"Sure! You know where he lives?"

"Yup!"

and so, you two talked and laughed along the way here.

the topics lead to religion, and how you loved doing your prayers, spending money for charities, to your ideal type of husband,...somehow

"...and, well, my husband has to be a muslim as well!"

"Really? So...uh, if we're speaking of a friend, and he really likes that girl, but she is muslim, but they are close friends, and the guy thinks he has a chance with her...then...should he just-- convert to Islam?"

You felt your cheeks heat up. Why? guess we'll never know

"Uh, yeah! Y-yeah, sure! But! I-it shouldn't be taken lightly! Fulfilling the five prayers is not easy, or reading the Quran, or learning arabic, or doing your best at all times. Of course, the religion is beautiful and makes a better human out of you, but it is not to be taken lightly, and shouldn't be accepted because out of love to a person, but to Allah.

He created us after all. And the only thing he wants from us is to believe in him, to look for him when times get rough, to search assurements from him when you do not feel well, to thank him for having such a life as yours, even if it's bad. It could always get worse, so always be grateful for your creator."

Kakucho then started thinking more of the religion than of you

mans never had such a peaceful feeling when he was listening to podcasts of converted muslims and men or sheikhs talking about things that can or shouldn't be done

Kakucho thought that he'd never see heaven, but he prayed

"dear god, sorry for only talking to you now, but there's this girl I like-no, I love her! And well, it's kinda stupid of me to say this, because you know, 'cuz you created us and shit, but...could you maybe bring us together? I'll also try my best in becoming a muslim!"

He just hopes his prayers were heard

Eid-Adha came and you were busy as heck

you didn't have time to pick up kakucho's phone (let's imagine they have phones in that timeline) because of making all the food and cleaning up the house

boy did he get worried

he was already by your door and ready to know when his phone rang

it was you

he didn't even let it ring the second time and picked up the call

"Y-yeah?"

"Kakucho? Are you alright? Why did you call me so often? Did something happen?"

Again, he relished the fact that you were worried about him

"Ah, it's nothing, I was just asking you if you'd like to hang out with me today?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm still preparing the food for our holiday!"

"Oh! I'm sorry! I totally forgot about it-"

"Hey boy, stop standing in the way!", a male interrupted

the man was carrying a cut sheep

Kakucho thought about punching the man but started helping him when he remembered in front of who's house he stood

'if that guy is her father, then I have to leave the best first impressions!'

Kakucho. You were still in your gang uniform. YOU HAVE A SCAR ON YOUR FACE.

But the man didn't let a single emotion be noticed than hard work and fatigue, so he didn't really fight the delinquent who shockingly offered his help in a sweet tone and nice smile

"Dad, you're late- Kakucho?!", you yelped.

"You two know each other?", your mother chimed in as she examined the boy who was now standing with the cut sheep, your father let himself fall on a leathered chair

"Yeah, he's the one who saved me from the bad guys!"

'YOU TOLD THEM ABOUT ME?!?!?'

his day couldn't get any better

"Hello, my name is Kakucho, and I'm glad I could help, I'll be taking my leave now-"

"Stay."

Kakucho and you looked at your dad with surprised faces

"Who'll help me cut it into smaller pieces? My wife is tired and my daughter is not strong enough"

of course you objected because well, you're a girlboss/feminist

but eh

let the men do something for a change

and that's how kakucho ended up laughing at your parents stories of you being the clumsiest baby they had, with you dying out of embarrassment of course

your dad took him out for a moment

"Do you like me daughter?"

"Y-yes sir."

"You know that you have to be a muslim to marry her, right?"

"Yes sir."

"Tomorrow. 1. at this address, and don't you dare come late."

It was the address to a mosque

what could happen next?

Ran Haitani

That twisted mf

he actually couldn't have cared less about who you were

he actually was just strolling around Roppongi, looking for trouble to deal with

then he saw you

sweet, in your own little world, happily walking your way

bro nah

of course he followed you and made himself known

"Oh, hello? can I help you?"

"Yeah, uh...tell me. What's a sweet little thing like you doing here? And all alone?"

Please I'd punch that guy

"Well, I just had to do my groceries, and I just can't seem to find this store...do you know where it is? It's one of the only stores here that sell halal food"

he didn't know what halal meant but he'd for sure ask you later

And of course he knew every single shop here

he and Rindou owned Roppongi after all

when I tell you that he's been through the five stages of confusion

1. staring at the name, then the shop

2. then smiling reassuringly at you

3. looking at the shop's name again with a frown this time

4. calling one of his allies

5. telling you the truth

you being down, him feeling unwell

ran could've been a little dissappointed in himself for not knowing that shop, but oh well

"according to google maps, I should cross this road!"

'she has a phone? It looks rather new too-'

"Aw, man...there's so much traffic...how am I going to cross it?"

this 'gentleman' told you to follow him

all the damn cars stopped

you were shocked but also happy

ran's pride flared up

and you guys actually made it to the shop

this is the second part of five stages of confusion

1. why is there a different smell in every direction he breathes?

2. why is there such a wide variety of tea??

3. why are there sausages, onions and fish hanging from the ceiling?

4. why was there a cat on the cash register?

5. what did you need from here?

an elder man came to view and you bowed politely

ran felt somewhat out of place when you talked to the grandpa in a foreign language

the man studied your paper and put everything you needed in a bag

then he said something which made you mad

you quickly fished out your money and slammed it on the counter

the man yelled something

you yelled something

you pushed ran out of the shop

you ran out

but not before petting the sweet cat, which purred in return

and you sighed angrily

"uhm...what was that??"

"he didn't want to accept the money."

"so? good for you."

"wha- no! I was the first customer there. He had this shop only opened recently. and I felt pity on him, so I gave him thrice from the actual price I had to pay."

"why?"

"Because that's what people from my family do!"

He didn't understand you

but he wanted to get to know you more

so he tried to accompany you as much as possible

and well, you two became friends

and you talked about your religion a lot

ran liked that about you

that you were a kind young lady, who only wanted the best for everybody

but he froze when you once spilled the tea about one od your cousins from your dad's side

"and she wants to marry an American, I mean, can you believe it?!"

"wait, what's so special about it? I mean, if she loves him, then...you know...?"

"Yes, but he is not muslim. And he doesn't want to convert to Islam. That's the problem."

"...I don't- I don't understand-"

"A muslim woman has to marry a muslim man. This is tradition and religion."

"Oh.", that's when he froze.

Ran also came to terms that he really liked you from that moment.

Like, he really really liked you.

that...that might be a problem.

"So...marriages between a muslim woman and a non-muslim man are not allowed?"

"Nope."

"And what about you? would you marry a non-muslim man?"

And you laughed. Was this a joke to you?

"Why would I marry a non-muslim man? I don't need a person who hasn't got the same beliefs as I do. Also, I don't need a man even half as much as I need Allah, Ran."

'Huh'

Guess he'll convert to Islam then.

Yuzuha Shiba

This precious baby girl

She actually knew you from Emma and Hina (let's pretend they know each other)

she loves how modest you dress and how mature you act

she loves how you can cook sweet oriental food and also tell the craziest stories which you had with your cousins

this girl

however

doesn't get

why you don't have a boyfriend yet

like

the first option would be her brother, because Yuzuha thinks that you would be the best wife for him

and uh, well, she doesn't really know anybody else

but

she doesn't like that you have to marry a muslim guy

like c'mon

"why can't you just marry Hakkai, ____?"

"Aren't you christians? And Hakkai always freezes up when I'm near-"

"sheesh, he'll get over it. And he can convert."

"Yuzuha, no. I don't want him to accept another religion because of a girl. He has to accept it himself. and why are you so mad about the fact that I have to marry a muslim? I wouldn't want to marry any of these guys here. every single boy in our age is a delinquent."

"But...does that mean that you'll go back to your country? What if we never see each other again?"

"....Are you guilt-tripping me right now?"

"...is it working?"

You two cried after a few seconds while hugging each other

your precious holiday came near where you sadly had to kill one of your goats

you didn't kill, your father and his friends, but still

you cried when you saw the head

you wanted to irk your bestie out

"look what they did to him...!", you said over the phone.

"What do you- EEEEEWWWW, ____! Why'd you show me that?! Euehzfg....Heuvghghg, I think I'm gonna puke-"

You heard puking sounds and you gagged as well, but you also chuckled.

"I c r i e d when I saw the head. I don't wanna suffer alone, love."

"But why me though?!"

"Cuz you're my bestieeeee <3"

please just pretend they all have phones.

"Also do you wanna eat? I made food. It's our holiday after all!!!"

of course she came over

But she was mad surprised when she saw the amount of food there

she's never seen so different looking stuff

she wanted to eat something from every plate

and she did

little by little

you two gained at least two pounds

you two were not happy

but full.

and that's all that matters. :D

---

guys I wrote stuff that might not suit your expectations or what is not correct, because again, it is all from the knowledge my muslim friend gave me.

but also please feel free to correct me if I made a mistake!

[fullmetalfears]

Hoenheim is one of my favorite characters in the OG FMA manga and Brotherhood. He made me love the sad immortal that hates themself trope, and in general I find the combination of failed father figure, gentle kind person, and the violence he accidently did to his people make for a dynamic character.

But I do 100% think FMA made the other characters far too quick to forgive Hoenheim for leaving the boys.

In the manga, it was directly said that Hoenheim wrote back home but in the anime you get NOTHING. Either way, the man left for a decade, during the most important period of his children's lives as children... because he felt like a monster. Not because he was actually doing things to his kids, but HE wanted to live like a human.

It's shitty. It's awful. One of the people that Ed and Al were supposed to rely on most left because he couldn't get over his own misery. Instead of waiting even a few years to make sure they could even take care of themselves better before leaving, he left before they could even really remember him at all.

I say this not because I don't think it was a good character decision. In fact I think it's tragic in a way that the series needs. The lack of clear lines between monsters and people, where one of Hoenheim's worst decisions is leaving his wife and kids, something that any person can do.

Hoenheim's real flaw when it comes to his family is not valuing that people want him to be there.

Which makes his final offer to Ed to sacrifice himself take on a different light.

In canon, the manga/anime make it clear that Ed calling Hoenheim a shitty father was meant to be as much Ed chastising Hoenheim for not understanding they won't use philosopher stones as it is an acknowledge that Ed accepts him as his father.

But to me, it shows that Hoenheim still hasn't learned why leaving was such an awful blow to the family. Yes, Trisha died because he wasn't there but even if he came back ten years later, did he still expect it to be from a loving family? Did Hoenheim expect the world to stand still while he left?

Hoenheim is still sacrificing himself after all this damn time. He still doesn't see that being there for his kids could invaluable. Maybe they grew up without him, and hell, maybe he doesn't deserve a second chance after so long, but for the boys, making sure you live to the next day is their entire philosophy. And Hoenheim, is willing to give that next day up.

In context, he's giving himself up for his boys after all this time of putting his own feelings first, but he would still be gone. What's worse, in Ed's perspective it's an impossible choice. If Ed couldn't have thought of another way to get Al back, Hoenheim basically offered Ed a chance to kill him in exchange for his brother.

You know. Killing. The one thing that Ed will not fucking do.

Hoenheim doesn't understand Ed. He also even after all this time doesn't get that living for them and to move forward would be the best thing he could do.

So yeah. I adore Hoenheim but the manga/anime kinda does a clumsy job with him. It does such a good job of setting Hoenheim up as looming negative premise in the beginning and then the story overcorrects in trying to make you like him that it forgets that, yeah, leaving your wife and kids for a decade is kinda bad actually!!!

It doesn't help that no one else is angry at Hoenheim. Izumi knew the boys as small children, presumably orphans and yet greets Hoenheim warmly. In the manga the people of Risembol are baffled on his arrival but otherwise move on. Pinako WHO BASICALLY HELPED RAISED THEM is just sorta neutral towards him. Even Al isn't angry. He just wants his dad back which is fine, but it leaves Ed's anger as an outlier, like it's childish of him not to understand.

By the time of his death, Hoenheim doesn't really learn anything. He's forgiven because he really was a good dude and he felt really bad about leaving for a decade so he can totally be forgiven by everyone right?

Right.

So yeah. Hoenheim? Great character, but awful dad which is part of why he's a good character but the story really pulls its punches about him.

~Luna