#two sides of the same coin and whatnot

[tacticalhimbo]

—OCS as OBSCURE ASSOCIATIONS

tagged by @rolangf to fill this fun ass meme out <3

brain hurt so if you see this i’m automatically tagging you to do this for your blorbos ♡

since i was tagged twice.. i think? i lost count-- i'll just cramp two characters into this post. they're also both work in progress god of war ocs, but we don't talk about that <3

CHARACTER: Equinox; Sun Witch / Devotee of Freyr

ANIMAL: Barn Owl

COLORS: Gold, Green, Orange

MONTH: August

SONGS: City of Ashes // Jhariah | Dancing Queen // ABBA

NUMBER: 444 (Protection; Yes I'm assigning them angel numbers)

PLANTS: Starblush (GOW-canon plant), Osteospermum (irl-equivalent), Sunflowers

SMELLS: Warm Spices (Vanilla, Myrrh, Anise), Touches of Vetiver and Sandalwood

GEMSTONE: Amber, Carnelian, Jasper

TIME OF DAY: High Noon

SEASON: Peak Summer

PLACES: Vanaheim Forrests, Field of Flowers during High Noon, Edges of Cliffs as the Sun Settles

FOOD: Kale and White Bean Stew, Fresh Baked Bread, Oven-Braised Veal

DRINKS: Pink Grapefruit Punch, Fresh Orange Juice

ELEMENT: Light / Fire

ASTROLOGICAL SIGNS: Leo babeyyy

SEASONINGS: Star Anise, Allspice, and Cubeb

SKY: High Noon and Golden Hour

WEATHER: Clear Skies

MAGICAL POWER: Aethimancy (Aether Magic / Pure Elemental Magic), Solar Magic, Soul Guidance / Empathetic Casting

WEAPONS: None; If I had to choose… Some sort of spear. Something like Draupnir, but less… important? Notable.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram. I just know his ass is making boomerang-style stories and posting OOTDs and has his feed all curated and pretty with divider posts and all (and that format is plant photo, selfie, matching plant photo; he coordinates the plants to his outfit)

MAKEUP PRODUCT: Highlighter

CANDY: Honey-Flavored Hard Candy (Made with organic honey, ofc)

METHOD OF LONG DISTANCE TRAVEL: Flight

ART STYLE: Fauvism, Rococo

FEAR: Isolation, Disappointment

MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURE: Centaur (different mythos, but the Norse equivalent ain't quite right. But I can so see him being a horse-type)

PIECE OF STATIONARY: Ribbon / Twine (Do they count? I'm saying they do)

THREE EMOJIS: ✨ ☀️ 🌻

CELESTIAL BODY: The Sun, of course

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

CHARACTER: Hrebjorg the Kind; Seeress / Prophetic Witch / Devotee of Freya

ANIMAL: Alexandria's Birdwing Butterfly

COLORS: Green, Turquoise, Gold

MONTH: June

SONGS: The Painted Bird // Billy Vicente | Poet, Soldier, King // The Oh Hellos

NUMBER: 222 (Alignment)

PLANTS: Soulblossom (GOW-canon plant), Cuckoo Flower, Lotus

SMELLS: Floral Scents (Orange Blossoms, Jasmine), with touches of Warmer Spices (Vanilla, Myrrh)

GEMSTONE: Amazonite, Emerald, Moss Agate

TIME OF DAY: Daybreak / First Light

SEASON: Late Spring / Early Summer

PLACES: Vanaheim Forests, On the Edges of the Denser Jungle, Tucked away under the shade of a large, weeping tree as the sun rises overhead

FOOD: Strawberry Pancakes, Peach Salad, Mushroom Risotto

DRINKS: Mint Lemonade, Raspberry Juice

ELEMENT: Earth / Time

ASTROLOGICAL SIGNS: Capricorn

SEASONINGS: Basil, Cloves, Cinnamon

SKY: Clear Skies

WEATHER: Sun Shower (Raining while Sunny), or those moments after an intense storm where the sun begins to shine through the clouds and illuminate the very wet, very green grass

MAGICAL POWER: Organic Plant Magic, Animancy, Prophetic Divination

WEAPONS: Bow and Arrow

SOCIAL MEDIA: Pinterest, but also? Twitch. She's the type to do longer 'Just Chatting' streams that's just her going about her daily chores and such because it's a social activity (and she'd love helping younger seeress...es…? Find safe ways to practice)

MAKEUP PRODUCT: Lip Stain

CANDY: Sugared Berries

METHOD OF LONG DISTANCE TRAVEL: Walking

ART STYLE: Art Deco, Art Nouveau

FEAR: Imperfection, Failure, Ridicule

MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURE: Skogvættir / Huldufólk (Hidden people, with a particular emphasis on the Skogvættir demanding respect for the forest)

PIECE OF STATIONARY: Handmade Paper (eg., Plantable Seed Paper)

THREE EMOJIS: 🌿 🌈 ⌛

CELESTIAL BODY: Crab Nebula <3

[poptartmochi]

i NEED to get back into drawing omggg

[a-confused-spoon]

TDP s6: Soren, Viren and missing the point (2/2)

(jesus christ did I write a lot for this one...)

SPOILERS FOR THE DRAGON PRINCE S6!

*sigh*

I want to make a little disclaimer here: my feelings towards Viren were always a bit mixed- I loved the writing of him, but I loved to see him suffer more.

I would have been fine with him dying just as well as living, even if I didn’t love how quick his flip was in s4 (particularly ep2), the same way I’m not in love with how the most recent season seems to gloss over the weight of what the man did in book 1, 2 and 3, even in the scenes where he tries to take accountability: it’s not just the use of dark magic, misleading Claudia or the mistreatment Soren; he got 2 rulers killed, forced a fiery-transformation spell on thousands of soldiers who didn’t want to partake in it, was willing to put an egg before his son’s life, sealed the souls of people in coins etc.

Even if his redemption had continued (as in, had he kept breathing), I personally would have preferred for him to not get a happily forever after with his family, but something more of a "open ending" or whatnot.

However

I can't shake this feeling that The Mystery of Aaravos has a tendency of prioritizing very well-built and executed single scenes with intense emotion over overarching thematic consistency and overall character growth (the number of shenanigans that amounts to nothing in said two regards being exhibit A, but of course those two things don't exclude the other), and while it's a MASSIVE improvement over book 4 and 5, book 6 still has its issues.

While indeed apologizing to who he has hurt isn’t nearly enough for his journey to be (nor feel) “complete”, it’s also true that Viren isn’t given the possibility to do much else to begin with, despite being the first (and so far only) villain to do a complete 180 and check all the boxes of the ‘big no-no’ list the story presents us with when it comes to morality and/or ethics.

I want to explain my point of view the best way I possibly can, so stick with me for a minute:

The characters of the series (or, well, those who don’t belong to the cosmos) exist in a historical context led by a narrative of power that chains them to a never-ending cycle of violence; the use of dark magic plays a big role in said cycle, not only as an active part of it from the human side, but also because the very practice is on its own an incentive to use it more and more frequently, which is a very similar relationship people have with power in general.

What the “good guys” of the story do, as a matter of fact, is break the cycle by putting an end to the narrative of power and replacing it with one of love, ‘cause as we learn in book 2, real strength means being able to choose love, vulnerability and forgiveness, even if that’s not what they’ve been taught all their lives. Only then they can break free of the chains of history; additionally, for said history to not repeat itself, dark magic needs to be abandoned, even in tough circumstances (unless Sol Regem pulls up in Katolis, but I digress) given the detrimental effects on the long run- and with Xadia and humanity at peace with one another and ideally living in harmony, it wouldn’t be needed at all.

Therefore, the list of ‘big no-no’ here is: don’t do dark magic, don’t pursuit power as opposed to love, don’t let history define your perception of the world.

All the “bad guys” of the story are either unwilling or unable to do one or more of those things: Karim can’t for the life of him look past history, Claudia isn’t able to give up dark magic (for now, at least not without guidance), Finnegrin had no intention of giving up the power he held over his crew- and Aaravos deliberately chose to find purpose in the immediate anger he felt during Leola’s trial (consequently engaging in the centuries old cycle of violence in all its ugliness), instead of giving in to the love he has for his daughter and pass away alongside her, resulting in Leola being left alone and scared throughout the horrible process (and also the whole world going through some crazy shit).

Then there’s Viren, who used to rely on dark magic (unlike Karim), pursue power (unlike Claudia) and look at things through the lenses of history (unlike Finnegrin), so he was a bad guy in all possible aspects.

Eventually though, he manages to successfully give up dark magic and choose love over power and refuse the chains of history (as shown both in his relationship with Terry and his willingness to serve King Ezran), with no expectations of mercy or forgiveness... and literally nothing comes of it because the other characters don’t give him the possibility to act on any of said changes, aside from doing one thing that gets him killed.

So it’s “we gain nothing if we don’t give the chance to learn and grow” (or whatever Amaya said in s4) until...? It's "it's never too late if you quit" or whatever Rayla says in ep3 unless...?

I’d love to agree on the “it’s too late” argument, but aside it going against the very principle of the story, even the awful things he did that I mentioned don’t really matter by the time s6 ends: Lain and Tiadrin are happly together and got to say goodbye to their daughter, and she herself chose to save Runaan instead; the fiery-transformation turns out to be temporary, no one seems to even remember that Eveneere and Del Bar exist etc. The only thing that still has an effect is Lux Aurea becoming unhabitable, yet the only character who gives some weight to said tragedy is portrayed as an idiotic bitter nobody (aka Karim) who should just look past it and take a chance on the elven-human camp. So exactly how am I supposed to care? *

I already talked extensively about the theme of forgiveness in part 1 of this essay (if I can call it that), but the point is that the story shouldn't pick and choose who gets rewarded and understood when acting according to the moral of the story and who doesn't even get a chance at getting a second chance while trying to do the exact same thing, not when the very thematic premise of said story automatically puts EVERYONE into perspective- because if it's the lies of history that chain them to a narrative of power, misleading them, and those started way before the characters were even born, then the conversation unfortunately but necessarily needs to include the perpetrators of violence too; they too were misled, therefore they too can unlearn what they've been taught (which Viren does) and should get a chance to really live a life spent on being a better person, not because they may “deserve it” or because it might not be "too late", but simply because they have the CAPACITY to do good, if they choose to.

A show that really nails this point (to me) is She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, which frankly I'm not even that big of a fan of... speaking of which, if Viren was always meant to die sacrificing himself without no one's recognition, it probably would have been better for him to pull a Shadow Weaver ftom the beginning.

(I don't mean this as a comparison, it's just a way for me to lay down all the elements that I belive ultimately don't work or don't help)

For those who aren’t familiar (MAJOR SPOILERS), Shadow Weaver in She-Ra is for the most part what a lot of Viren haters think Viren is in The Dragon Prince: a magic user that loves power, traumatizing the children she grows and nothing else. She doesn’t even have a greater good she intensely believes in to explain her actions and behaviors like Viren does- she’s just a massive bitch. And she doesn’t really grow or learn during the series, it’s just that at some point hanging around the good guys becomes more convenient for her... if I’m not mistaken, she doesn’t even do much unless someone comes to her spontaneously, aside gardening. At no point in time she becomes really trust worthy or good, and it’s always looming in the air whether or not she’s even beginning to be, or will ever be for that matter.

This goes on for like, 3 seasons, until at the very end- and I mean the very end (like, last episode very end) she does one good thing, sacrificing herself to save the two girls she abused the most throughout the series, which leads to her death.

What really sells the scene (leaving out the music, the animation, the dialogue, the voice acting- all of it is just *chef’s kiss*), it’s the fact that:

Her final words to Catra, who she abused the most, really feel like they put a period at the end of a sentence; it feels like closure, you feel that both her and Adora can now move on;

It’s a deliberate choice, because she had the option of staying safe and not do it, and still did;

She dies at peace with herself, and seemingly proud of herself for making that good action too;

Her death isn't the conclusion of an arc nor it comes out of nowhere, because of the general uncertainty regarding her character that precedes that moment

I talked about closure and 'moving on' in the first part of this essay when talking about Soren (which I'm now realizing was a lot shorter, lol), so I’ll move on to everything else.

The point of him dying can’t be about being selfless, because Viren always was selfless for what he thought was right: he was willing to swap bodies with Harrow, he went back to fight Avazandum when the Queens of Duren went to face the dragon alone, when Aaravos tells him he might die going in Lux Aurea he went anyways etc. Not to mention how Soren, of all people, asks him to do dark magic, of all things, so that he can… help… people… mh, now where have I heard this before? I’m sorry- wasn’t using dark magic for the sake of protecting humanity literally what got most problems started? The source of so much conflict and pain and death? A practice that wasn’t worth doing due to the detrimental effects on the long run, even when if people were going through tough times? Literally what Viren did and received a lot of shit for when he was a full-on villain? By all means, if you find it poetic, that’s great! In my opinion it’s a bit weird: if the show wants to make a point, then it should stick to it;

Viren's literally a shell of his former self, from the very moment he steps into the castle. Sure, knowing about Claudia’s state and the part he played in it wouldn’t make anyone sleep at night, but to have him so desperate, unseen and unheard once he finally picks a path "of truth" as opposed to one of darkness really wasn’t... the best. Like, my own bias against the “redeemed character dying/character searching redemption dying before getting to the end of it” trope aside, not even while dying he seems to reach some kind of inner peace. And when Soren comes into his cell, even then, when it’s his chance to prove that he is committed to this new life path he’s still unsure and scared- Soren had to insist for Viren to step in and help. As if he didn’t really know what to do with himself;

I didn’t hope Viren could build a better life for himself because the idea felt right to me, but because for two whole seasons and a half that’s the direction his character was taking, and the fact that his journey ultimately doesn’t come to a proper end isn’t even drìirectly on him just pisses me off. So much time spent on showing Viren’s progress for what feels like nothing... if not setting up Claudia to be Aaravos's new daughter and giving Soren even more trauma to deal with :D

I didn't want Viren to receive a mere slap on the wrist of course, but I also didn't want his journey to be... this. It feels incomplete, partial, and we didn't even get the final conversation he has with Soren about sacrificing his own heart instead of his son's before saying goodbye- which may have single handedly fixed most of what I said (in part 1 more than here, but still).

[ edit: I’m adding this part because I’m only now thinking about this, and I believe it’s worth mentioning.

As I said at the beginning, I do take issue with how Viren’s journey only considers the damage he made on an interpersonal level as opposed to what he caused on a macro-scale. Had his progress continued only with what the second act of the show bothered to explore so far, I’d still have many complaints, just of different nature.

Because of what I mentioned here though (*) and, again, after two seasons and a half of giving all the impressions that there was a light at the end of the tunnel for him after all, I think that it would have been nice for said things to at least be acknowledged once he got back to Katolis, instead of just making a vague matter of deserving or not deserving mercy, as this is the very logic that keeps cycles of violence going. I do know that’s what they are referring to of course, but I still think it should have been an actual part of the conversation; I briefly mentioned this in part 1/2: I would’ve loved for Soren to be the one to call him out on it, especially the ‘leaving Claudia behind’ bit, in a “You can fool yourself into thinking that you’ve changed, but you can’t fool me, not anymore” fashion of sorts.

This still doesn’t mean that a redemption was impossible to begin with imo. I think that there might be a common assumption that redeeming a character means having them join the main team, which isn’t always the case, it just happens to be the most recurring one.

Idealistically, what I think could have been an ‘okay’ solution (I am talking only in utopistic terms here, though I don’t think it would’ve been impossible to pull off in the actual show- but it would have been admittedly very difficult considering the number of episodes per season) would have been for 2 episodes to be mostly focused on choosing how to go about it:

The first one having the main team arguing with each other before coming to the agreement of sticking to their principles despite not liking the situation one bit (but you know, had it been an easy choice then the efforts at peace would’ve started a lot sooner than the actual events of the show);

The second where the pentarchy, the Sunfire Queen and the Dragon Queen have a meeting, so that they can all have their say on the matter, given that they too were directly or indirectly affected by the man; the meeting is full of tension, there’s shouting, there’s calling each other ‘traitors’ and ‘hypocrites’- generally it really puts to the test how much of the world really is committed to the cause and how much of it isn’t ready to move on, but ultimately they begrudgingly come to the conclusion that there’s obviously a series of restrictions that need to be imposed on the man, while still not completely preventing him from doing his part if he truly means to prove his change. Things like: he cannot put foot into Xadia without the surveillance of dragons (preferably Phyrrah plus a couple more) and/or maybe the drake tamers of s4 lead by Rayla (who Viren is terrified by, so she’s perfect for the job), and when he’s in the human side of the land he still must be guarded 24/7 by at least 5 trained guards; he must find a spell to try to undo the corruption of Lux Aurea, but he’s not allowed to touch any source of magic without being openly granted the possibility to by Callum (who’s now in a higher position); anything he might suggest will be discussed among the council etc… how much of this changes in the course of time and how much people are willing to trust him can either change or not change, depending on whatever follows (even if this list is just hypothetical).

Also, in light of this very recent interview:

I want to be very clear: all I’m saying in these two posts is limited to the immediate effect of s6, and if the following season (or, hopefully, seasons) manages to handle things in such a way that it’ll make me eat my words, I’ll be unbelievably happy. This show means so much to me, and I’m only critical of it only because I feel like the second act of the story doesn’t do quite justice to all that the first one laid out: TDP used to be a hyper-fixation for me and it was the saving grace that got me out of the depression loop after Voltron’s ending, so anything that can get me back into that level on investment will make me cry happy tears.

This being said

I do wonder what the whole point of Viren’s journey of this season and the prior two was if the character is deemed irredeemable by the creators themselves, especially since Soren doesn’t get closure, Claudia only gets more trauma, and Viren doesn’t even die somewhat proud knowing that he did what he could manage to in the little time he had in Katolis after so long (as I said earlier), so no one gets much out of it if not more angst… which is always welcomed, if done with a valid point.

If said purpose was just so that his passing could influence his children’s arcs and therefore being there in function of other characters, the entire thing in retrospect feels like a bit of a waste of time, given that the same exact outcome could have been achieved without him being around in this last season at all: just have Claudia come back home to figure what to do next instead of seeing her dad again; she even has the Sunfire scepter thingie to do the spell from s3, so no one needs to die of poorly executed surgery. And then she can just, find the pearl and cave to Aaravos’s temptation, as he does claim he can revive him again anyways. That, plus I’m dying to have Claudia and her brother talk again after in s4 ☹.

…so yeah, like, on a scale from a VLD Lotor frustration to an MLB Chloe Bourgeois frustration, I’m sort of in the middle with Viren. But I do like that there’s a lot of conversation on the topic ]

CONCLUSION: Despite everything, s6 is the first season I actually enjoyed since s3, though it is still not quite at the same level to me, and while I have my problems with it and I'm very saddend that the Viren and Soren thing is among those, I'm acutally very happy that a lot of people enjoy it and that the fandom is ecstatic. It just wasn't for me- but I still had a fun time writing this two parter :)

Thanks to anyone who got 'till the end of this, I really appreciate it! <3

[mywitchyblog]

Adressing the Race-Changing Discourse

It seems that a debate has been stirred up within the Shiftblr community, and my recent posts might have unintentionally added fuel to the fire. So, let me clear up where I stand.

First off, do I race change? No, I don’t. It’s just not something I’ve felt the need to do in my shifting practice. But do I support others who choose to race change? Absolutely, as long as they’re doing it with respect and not for some fetishizing bullshit.

There are two things everyone needs to keep in mind when it comes to this whole controversy:

Respect for Opinions: Everyone is entitled to their own damn opinion. If someone doesn’t like the idea of race changing, that’s their business. But what we can’t stand for is bullying, harassing, or insulting someone just because they see things differently. Everyone’s perspective deserves respect, even if you don’t agree with it.

Diverse Preferences: Just like some people don’t like using face claims or prefer not to mess with certain Desired Realities (DRs), some people don’t like race changing. And that’s perfectly fine! It’s called freedom of speech and opinion, and it’s a fundamental right—only limited when you start screwing with someone else’s rights.

Now, here’s where things get real problematic:

If you’re cussing people out, insulting them, or harassing them because they disagree with you, you’ve crossed a line. No one has the right to attack others over their opinions. Period.

To those who oppose race changing: I get it. I understand that you might feel uncomfortable with it, and that’s completely within your rights. HOWEVER, it’s crucial to recognize that not everyone who shifts to a different race is doing it to fetishize or sexualize that race. That’s a fact that needs to be acknowledged, no ifs, ands, or buts.

Yes, there are people who misuse the practice of race changing, but you’ve also got to recognize the other side of the coin—the respectful and beneficial aspects of this practice within the shifting community. Here’s the thing: nothing in reality shifting is inherently good or bad, black or white. It’s all shades of grey, full of infinite nuances.

And let’s be real—some of you are being downright hypocritical.

Yeah, I said it. You can argue or debate in the comments all you want, but the truth is, some of you are cool with people shifting to become Mermaids, Animals, Aliens, Na’vi, and whatnot, but then you turn around and label anyone who changes their ethnicity as weird or wrong.

That, my friends, is the textbook definition of a hypocritical double standard. It’s the same damn thing.

If I were to ask why you shift to become a Na’vi, a dragon, a god, or an alien, I’m sure your reasons would be rooted in curiosity and exploration—not to sexualize or fetishize that race, right? The same logic applies to those who shift into a different human ethnicity.

You can’t claim that one side of the apple is bad while the other is perfectly fine. It doesn’t work that way. If one side’s rotten, the whole damn apple is.

Yet, while shifting to become a fictional or non-human race is often celebrated as a form of exploration and creativity, shifting to become a different human race is slapped with labels like wrong or offensive. This criticism completely ignores the potential for personal growth, empathy development, and deeper understanding that comes from experiencing life through the lens of a different racial identity. Just like with age changing, race changing in shifting can be a powerful tool for healing, exploration, and expanding your consciousness.

The hypocrisy here is glaring: the same people who criticize race changing as cultural appropriation or fetishization often have no problem with the idea of embodying entirely "fictional races", which can involve similar, if not greater, levels of stereotyping and romanticization. Keep in mind that in the context of reality shifting it is not fictional nothing is.

Imagine if someone discovered that you shifted to be their race and they are discriminated and persecuted and you shifted because of it (looking at you Avatar shifters that shift to be a Na Vi you are litterally shifting to be Native american but with a blue paint on top be fucking for real, you cannot ignore the fact that they litterally inspired at 99% by Native culture and their struggle against colonial forces The remaining 1% is the fictional setting, remove that and its just human history from this reality).

If the argument is that adopting another race’s identity is wrong because it involves stepping into experiences not your own, then the same damn logic should apply to any form of identity transformation in shifting. But it doesn’t—and that’s where the double standard lies.

This hypocritical double standard also reminds me of how teenage shifters react when they hear about adults aging themselves down to be minors. They immediately assume the worst—yet have no problem aging themselves up to 30-something parents in one DR and then being 16 in the next. This inconsistency shows a deeper misunderstanding of what shifting truly involves and how it allows us to explore different aspects of identity and experience with respect and intention.

[samuelcolon]

Thinking about. Parallels between Cujo and Valerie. Specifically the fact that they were both discarded by people who supposedly cared for them when they were no longer useful.

Cujo was put down by Axiom Labs after they got a new security system. They didn’t have any use for him, so they got rid of him.

Valerie was kicked out of the A-listers after her dad lost her job and they lost all their money. She didn’t fit into their group, so they got rid of her. They didn’t have any use for her, so they got rid of her.

They are the same!1!1 Two sides of the same coin and whatnot!!1!

If Valerie knew how similar they were, would she take pity on him? Or would that just make her hate him more? After all, he’s a symbol of everything that has gone wrong in her life. How could she stand to be near him knowing that they’re really not that different?

[some-pers0n]

Op what’s the ship you’re obsessed with? I’m curious now

These two idiots

Why? Short answer: their personalities reflect each other well and are really fun to watch interact

Long answer? Well... I guess you can read on

Engiemedic is something I still honestly struggle to describe. Funny considering the staggering amount of writing I've done in their name, but I suppose it's only natural to find it hard to define what you love.

I think one of the reasons they click well for me is that they're one in the same in many regards. I wouldn't say that they're "two halves of a whole", as both can exist and do fine without the other, but they flourish when together. They can properly be themselves.

They're two sides of the same coin in terms of presentation. Engie is more reserved and subtle about his nature and tries to keep up a good face. Medic doesn't care. Medic is brash and says exactly what he thinks, while Engie will oftentimes hide his emotions to try and win favour in a scenario. They're also obviously both scientists who study in fields that, while different, are very much similar. Something something...the flesh and the machine are not enemies but rather one in the same.

The enable each other, albeit in small ways at first. Medic influences Engie to get more in touch with his creative (i.e. maniacal mad scientist) side. He encourages him to indulge in every stray thought, whether it may be good or bad. Meanwhile, Engie gets Medic to lean more in-touch with his human side.

I don't think Medic has ever really been with another person, romantically or otherwise. Maybe that's just headcanons conflating with my thoughts (I like writing him as being a romance/sex-repulsed aroace)(cause projection ftw), but I never saw him as the type to get with anyone before Engie. Why would he? None of them understand him. Because he often comes off as rude, cold, and is generally pretty reclusive most people kept their distance. Good! He never cared for them either.

In Engie's case, I think he dated, but they never lasted long. Engie can't really keep up the facade of normalcy for too long. He's had boyfriends and girlfriends before, and while they were sweet, he never clicked with them. There was something fundamentally different about him that made them incompatible, despite being a pretty good boyfriend all things given. He never found a person who got him. Understood him, god complex and all.

It's why I think Medic and Engie work so well. I think them being together, doing experiments and whatnot, is what they love most. It's something they've craved. To be understood. To be seen, heard, and accepted. To be loved for who they are down to their very core.

I also just think they're fun lol. It's fun to watch these two pair up and do experiments. I love seeing them work on weird and wild projects, gossiping and chatting the entire time. I've mentioned before that I think they'd do parallel play sometimes, where they just work on separate projects.

I dunno. They click for me a lot more than, say, Heavymedic or Helmet Party. I think it's mainly due to how well they work with each other. They compliment one another perfectly. They're one in the same in many cases. They see each other as gods. Together, they create miracles. They defy the will of nature and physics. This spark, this feeling of innovation and creation, it is there when they work. When they share ideas. When they hole up in Medic's lab or Engie's shop for days, sustaining themselves on snacks, coffee, and beer, all to create some affront to mankind.

They make me think love is real. I don't know how else to describe it. I think of them and I think that, whatever they have, it is potent and strong. It's why I like the QPR angle a lot as well. It's something different. Something hard to define and unfathomable to a lot of people. Most look at them and see them as one thing or the other, but they themselves know the truth: they're partners, and by god do they love each other.

I dunno. I think every interpretation of them is valid and good, whether they be friends, romantic partners, or in a QPR. I just find myself gravitating towards the QPR one 'cause I think it's fun and, as previously mentioned, projection.

I just think they're great and perfectly flexible. You can make fluff, angst, humour, hurt/comfort, whump, etc and etc out of them so incredibly easily. I just also think they're cute and sweet and them holding hands makes me think that everything is going to be alright with the world.

There's a lot of nuances I could go on and on about, but honestly I think it's better to just glance over my silly goofy fics of them to get a better understanding of my perception of them. Speaking of which, man I need to get back to that...

[sothasil]

Any ideas on lgbt (mostly gay stuff) in khajiiti culture?

Canon sources of LGBT khajiit are rare from what I know of, encountered some gay NPCs when I was playing ESO which was never commented upon (this was before the Elsweyr expansion which I haven't played), and years ago, sex jokes from Daggerfall were often brought up as crumbs of representation but I believe they're less lore-y and more fantasy flavor takes on basic jokes. Gender is very important to the notions of what makes LGBT- khajiit culture, judging by the creation myth in Words of Clan Mother Ahnissi as well as by the honorifics they use in their naming conventions, seem to go for a male/female binary. There are no transgender or gender non-conforming khajiit mentioned that I know of, although I cannot name any culturally relevant sexism either, so it's fair to assume it's not much of a thing. Historically, the real life cultures I've read about that strictly see gender as male or female seem to inch for both sides of the same coin approaches, or seeing them as two separate things, and given khajiit motives of duality and seeing outside of it I would assume it's the first. I also believe people outside that strict biological binary have and will always exist, although in video games representation it is not fair to read much into their absence because those people are rarely if ever represented in mainstream media.

This being out of the way, here's the headcanons portion! I'll be referring to khajiit and elsweyri culture interchangeably (a can of worms for another day)

My main idea would be that khajiit are very lax about sex, do not consider it a taboo topic and in their culture, have a lot of freedom around it. Ostracizing someone for homosexual relationships would be considered an attack. The times it could be a big deal would be surrounding situations where someone wants biological children, should it be of their own desire or because of peer pressure, which would be niche situations more depending on individuals than culture as a whole. However, I also believe that in using our modern terms, the social norm would be bisexuality and that someone displaying exclusive preference should it be gay or het might raise a few eyebrows. Given this, I do not believe that the born and raised elsweyri have specific gay subcultures as is the case in our modern world. Same sex marriages would also happen (more in my marriage post).

Regarding transgender people, with the strong binary I mentioned above I think gender non-conformity and transgender identities would be understood closely to our modern world. It'd be easier to understand to a khajiit that someone would transition from male to female and the other way around, but more complex personal expressions of gender would be outsides of the social norm and broadly characterized as "third other" or by less gentle people, as a combination of traits of each, the basic "x soul y body" or whatnot phrases you sometimes hear. This could be both rejected and reclaimed by people! And contrary to gay stuff, it's likely that GNC individuals would group up to find in each other respite from the social norm.

But if you're to ask LBGT questions to a khajiit the most likely answer would be in the lines of "why is this your business?", or adjacent 😺

[kazumiwrites-fanfiction]

I'm Just a Recluse

REQUEST: Hi I saw that your requests were open so I decided to give this a go by the way I absolutely suck at doing requests but I seen almost nothing on this 'prompt' Yandere!idia shroud x reader who has a massive crush on him but thinks he doesn't feel the same way. This idea has been rotting in my mind for the longest time. (ps: I really hope that this was clear enough 😭😭😭 again I'm sorry I really suck at writing requests)

SUMMARY: Does he have feelings for you? WORD COUNT: 1.7k

WARNINGS: Maybe manipulative reader, yandere-ish Idia, Idia being possessive and jealous mostly, Azul just wants blackmail, most likely OOC, Idia getting flustered, written in less than 30 minutes so I can't guarantee the quality but this is how I write- A/N: Anon I love that you requested because I was unable to sleep, but at the same time it's nearing 3 AM as I write this authors note help 😭 (dw you're amazing and your request was perfect, I really suck at writing stuff that was requested so it's like we're two sides of a coin (if that doesn't make sense i'm sorry)) Anyways I'm like 90% sure I botched this because I don't think I know Idia that well (I am going off what I know of him so far, so there may be inconsistencies with canon and whatnot) and it ended up being less yandere?? Idk mostly because I was like "yes I'm writing a yandere but I got an idea that's not 100% yandere" (as one does) and then it went down a whole 'nother rabbit hole- so I'm so sorry if this is not what you were looking for (also the fact that I'm writing this late at night does not help either) Reading your request over I'm mostly sure that what you were looking for was something similar to "soft reader x yandere!Idia" and not whatever the thing I wrote is- but I wrote it so I might as well publish it- Also the fact that I added Azul and Floyd because I love them and my late night brain said "might as well" is uh- yeah- A/N: Also I'm really sorry Idia I suck at titles </3

© kazumiwrites - All rights reserved; please do not steal, edit, copy, repost (etc) my work without my express permission.

You always liked Idia. You weren’t really sure why, since you never really saw him much… He seemed to be always in his room, playing games. Mostly, you saw him while passing by the room that the board game club occupied. Other than the occasional passing by as you walked through the halls, that was the only thing.

Well, there was really nothing to go by, to explain your crush. You tried to dismiss it as just liking his aesthetics, or something like that - you didn’t know him well, after all. Or, rather, at all. And there was no way that he even knew about you.

Well, it was a good thought. Still, you joined the board game club, if only to up your chances of Idia noticing you.

The housewarden of Ignihyde had not registered you much at first. You were the person possibly isekai’d into this world (like a character from an anime), but other than that, you seemed like another regular person.

Or so he thought.

Once you had joined his club, things changed drastically.

You had been doing everything you could to try to spend some time with Idia, playing the same games as him and trying to talk to him.

The poor boy got flustered and he couldn’t do much. Here was a real person who seemed nice, talking to an otaku like him. It was unheard of.

Still, a game was enough to make him relax a bit, enough to have a semi-decent conversation.

He gradually found himself getting more and more interested in you. At first, he had asked Ortho for anything on you, but then he started to try more to connect with you. However, they were subtle.

Sometimes, a note placed in your desk, other times a flower in your room. Small, simple things, never signed, and without a trace of anyone.

Of course, he had Ortho do it - he didn’t want to get caught, that would make him want to die - but he still wished he could see your reactions.

Maybe you were happy, intrigued. But then again, perhaps you would be disgusted when you realized who had been the one sending those gifts. Perhaps you hated otakus. Weren’t they the people least likely to get into a relationship?

Still, he shook off those thoughts. He had to make sure you at least didn’t get grossed out and quit his club. That would make him so distressed that he wouldn’t come out of his room for at least ten years. He liked seeing your face, and didn’t want that light of happiness gone.

He should’ve known this was coming, though.

Unbeknownst to Idia, however, you had struck a deal with Azul. "Help me get Idia to fall in love with me by whatever means necessary," were your exact words. And Azul knew he could most likely blackmail both you and Idia later, however this turned out. So, being the benevolent person he was, he accepted. (And also? It would be interesting to see how this turned out in general, even without being able to get blackmail). As a show of trust, he didn't even force you to sign a contract with him. How truly benevolent he was.

So here you were, sitting a bit too close to Azul, leaning in slightly to him to discuss a game when you heard the door open. Your eyes flickered up slightly, meeting Idia's carefully composed gaze. "Hi, Idia-san."

Oh, how he longed to snatch you away from Azul… But no, he couldn't do that. Obviously Azul was better for you anyway… He was smart, and he could talk to people. And he had money. Obviously you'd like that more than a recluse.

But still… How he wanted you to drop the formal titles and call him just by name… Just like in all the romance anime he watched. "Oh, drop the -san and call me by name!" That's what he could've said, what he wanted to say - but he couldn't. What if you were grossed out?

He moved to the other side of the room, getting out one of the games and starting to set it up. His eyes flickered up as he met your gaze (and unwillingly, Azul's). He didn't miss how your hands were intertwined. Why were normal couples like this…

You tilted your head slightly to the side as you asked about playing the game with him. Idia was startled at first, but reluctantly agreed. He was irritated that Azul was here - didn't he hate luck-based games? Or was he so in love that he would do anything just to stay by your side? Oh, how it made him sick.

After a few rounds, he was done. He was tired of it all. The last straw was when he saw Azul wrap an arm around your shoulders.

Your eyes widened as Idia got up quickly, hitting the table in the process, the pieces scattering to the floor. He didn't seem to notice as he stepped toward you, pulling you from Azul's grasp.

Azul had been holding on lightly, barely even touching you, so there was no resistance. He just watched you and Idia quietly, thoughtfully, all the gears spinning in his head.

"You're not hanging out with a guy like him," Idia muttered quietly. "You're staying with me." He moved his grip to hold your wrist, tugging you out of the club room.

You followed without resisting. What else would you even do? Try to fight him? Of course not. Not when you were so close to getting what you wanted.

He cornered you in a deserted hallway, staring at you. You waited for a moment before tentatively speaking. "Idia…?"

Idia stayed quiet, the tips of his hair just gradually growing into a vibrant shade of pink. Finally, he got out, "…I shouldn't have done that…"

"Shouldn't have done what?" Your eyes were wide, so cute… But he shook the thought off.

"Shouldn't have dragged you away. Obviously you want a guy like him for a boyfriend and not me."

You paused. Your plan… Had it worked? Was he jealous? "Hey- I don't like Azul. Not in a romantic way anyway. The person I like is the person I'm talking to right now."

Idia froze. He had to be dreaming. This had to be some elaborate VR set that showed him what he wanted most in the world. Perhaps… It was so cheesy too. Like some scene from a romance anime. He met your gaze.

But still…

"Me? You have to be joking. I mean, who would like me? I'm just a recluse who stays in his room all day playing games-"

"But you're more than that," you cut him off, before smiling a little apologetically. "You're sweet, and kind, and I love the way your eyes light up when you're talking about your favorite anime or game."

Shit. No one had said that to him before. "W-well. I-" He cut himself off. He couldn't say it. He couldn't say something so embarrassing. Yeah, he had dragged you away from Azul in the heat of the moment, but that was because he wasn't thinking. He let the jealousy, the possessiveness, guide his actions.

And now he was paying for it.

"I-"

"C'mon, Idia-san, get it out." Your voice was so gentle, so soothing.

"I like you and I really wanted to get to know you better but I wasn't sure if you liked me so I sent all sorts of weird creepy stuff like notes and I bet you're disappointed because it was just me and not, y'know, some cool ikemen."

His words were so fast it was almost a blur. Before you could even process his words, he took a deep breath and continued.

"And I really want you to stop calling me -san and just by my name but I don't want to ask that of you because I'm just some random creep who is obsessed with you and wants to keep you to himself and-"

"Stop stop stop." You laughed a little. "Hey, I'm not disappointed that you were the one sending me the gifts - they were sweet. I was worried that Rook-san might have been the ones sending them, but I'm glad to get the confirmation that you were the one."

Why would you think it had been Rook? Perhaps you had a crush-

"And, you only needed to ask if you wanted me to drop the -san, Idia." You smiled sweetly at him.

Well, at least you hadn't caught the 'obsessed' and 'creep' part? That was embarrassing of him to say.

Idia looked more and more flustered before he just stepped closer to you, awkwardly wrapping his arms around you in an embrace. His face nuzzled in to the crook of your neck, heart beating too fast and his palms sweaty. Was this okay? Would you like it - perhaps he should've cleaned up a bit more-

Your arms wrapped around him, and he immediately relaxed. What he wouldn't do to have you hold him like that for the whole night - whole week, even.

Unfortunately, at that moment, Floyd had to come skipping through the halls. "Koebi-chan and Hotaruika-senpai? What're you doing here - Is Azul done with his boring club?"

Idia let out a soft huff, glaring at Floyd even as he held on to you. "One, the board game club is /not/ a boring club, and two, I'm hugging [Y/N]."

How bold of him to say.

"Ooh, can I hug Koebi-chan too? I bet I can squeeze them so tight~"

Idia somehow held you tighter, turning you away from Floyd. "No. Now go run off and find Azul or something." How he had managed to hold a full conversation with Floyd, he wasn't sure. At least he seemed bored enough to run off… He sighed softly. He'd have to spend more time with you in his dorm. He was still holding you tightly as he walked to his dorm.

~bonus~ Azul was just around the corner and listening in to your conversation, phone recording everything that had happened. He sighed as Floyd had come in - of course he had to ruin it. Still, he had gotten some good stuff. "Hmm? Azul, you're here… Spying on Koebi-chan and Hotaruika-senpai?" Floyd's head tilted slightly to the side. "Don't say something as crass as spying. I was merely gaining intelligence." "So, spying." "Gaining intelligence, Floyd." Azul let out a soft sigh. "That you got in the way of." "I did nothing." "Yes you did."

As always, reblogs and comments are always appreciated! ♡ Send your thoughts grr

Feel free to send requests! Check out this post for info ^^

[djarindykes]

after 7 years later here it is! enjoy!

im gonna start with anakin and din parallels. the most obvious being the N-1 star-fighter, as it’s presence in the mandalorian is clearly a callback to the sequels, as well as the phrase of “wizard.” now let’s get onto more touchy feely stuff. I see anakin as everything din could have been, while anakin is what din could never have become. din’s religion absolutely promotes attachment and the concept of holding allies close. the all consuming love that din possess will never be his downfall, example being— din, while he was upset about it, gave up his son in order to give him a better life.he is able to control his passion while staying true to his heart, because the choice of freely loving someone was never taken away from him. his role as a father figure is an opposite mirror to anakin’s role.

if anakin was given the tools din was given to freely attach himself to the ones that he loves, then he would have never fallen to the dark side. let’s imagine anakin is a mandalorian or whatever. sure he’s still gonna be pretty fucking weird bc… Thats anakin. but if the nature of his love was promoted and handled in a healthy manner, he would have been better off for sure. star wars shows that din and anakin are two sides of the same coin, not only showcasing the way fatherhood has transformed them but in general similarities from personalities and whatnot.

now for armorer and luke parallels.. im gonna lose a few of you because this is mostly my views on both the armorer and luke but what ever!!! so, we know virtually nothing about the armorer, but what we do know is that she’s a solid, somewhat detached teacher, almost a life coach. she is able to juggle the responsibilities of being a wise mentor all the while showing her care for her students…. from what we’ve seen about luke’s school…..ya the boot fits. now, this either makes them both GREAT or TERRIBLE teachers depending how u look at it, but the armorers religion will always come first, as well as lukes!!

luke ADORED grogu, and while he wanted to give him a choice in returning to din, it was through the rule of attachment that he gave him that choice. the armorer clearly cares for din almost like he is her own, but she was not about to let him slide for removing his helmet, despite their own close bond.

they are both tasked with caring for the sparse numbers of their people, appearing detached in order to make things right, doing what they see best.

Basically din’s mommy issues should be explored more and luke loves dads.

[taylortruther]

(I’m playing the devil’s advocate here)

I think people choose to use ‘retconning’ instead of ‘adjusting the lore’ because it is true what you said about feelings being complicated and mixed and us assuming things in the past, but the other side of the coin would be ‘Taylor lied in the past/is lying now’. A take that I read a lot since ttpd got released was that she hid her feelings behind fiction and that the truth was in ttpd (and the truth for these people is “she always loved, Joe was actually the ‘rebound’, the entirety of folkmore is about Matty, blah blah blah’) and whilst I don’t stand by that, I also understand why people would say this because if she said or hinted at something for years, is it absurd to say that she denied it all, factually contradicting herself, or as they say ‘retconning’, or is she just using the same themes and metaphors as many writers do?

i guess for me, having gone through similar things myself, seen other people go through it, i've read books that describe this phenomenon... i don't see it is either "contradicting herself" or "reusing the same themes." those aren't the only two explanations, that's so black and white. what about gaining a different perspective as she gets older? what about the fact that a human can love their partner, want to marry them and have kids with them, and still have a what-if in the back of their mind? what about the fact that she TOLD US she was writing fiction to avoid drama, but never what specific "drama" she was avoiding, so we filled in the blanks ourselves and we were simply wrong about some of the assumptions?

it feels like the "lie" taylor supposedly told is that she and joe were happily in love and never had problems, but why did some fans assume that in the first place? remember the renegade or hoax discourse, where people refused to think there were signs of trouble? the avoidance of that is partly why people struggle with ttpd.

sure, i'm sure sometimes taylor obfuscates or whatever for her own protection, or simply because she wants to. i get the sense that's what she did for the 1, or happiness. and obviously she's enjoying dipping in and out of her past work with the mashups and whatnot, so the different themes are absolutely present. but idk, this feels like such a black and white perspective of very gray, complex human emotions, which are often not logical.

[xmimi89er]

Two questions!! *gently hands you a cup of your preferred drink*

One, how do you draw clothes so well??? The creases, folds, sleeves, so much- so confusing! How???

Two! In My Baby, do Sun and Moon see each other as close friends? Or maybe more in the future? I just noticed one of the tags had the '/' with both of their names, indicating that they'll form a platonic/fluffy relationship? I was kinda curious!

As always, amazing job, Mimi! <3

Hello! I had no internet for the past week or so but I am here again! :D *Sips my sweet coffee*

Well, thank you! I kinda find it hard to shade clothes, but I am trying my best! Didn’t think anyone will notice the silly little clothes I draw hehe.

And, for the second question, Sun and Moon are two halves of the same coin in this story. They aren’t exactly… separate people. Not per se. It’s kinda how the left and right side of the brain works, technically why I made Moon left-handed while Sun is right-handed. They cannot be separated and one alone cannot die, but one can go dormant for a time if they sustained damage to their side of the brain, but they cannot die. If one so happened to “die”, then that means the whole brain is shutting down and will enter a state of brain death.

Not to mention (that I actually forgot to mention), Sun and Moon can merge into one being, as in hosting at the same time, creating Eclipse! They can’t for a while now (I wonder why *looks at the angst tag*), so we haven’t seen them merged as one before. Yet.

So, they aren’t technically twins, but they could be seen as such. The right way to describe them is two halves of the same coin, however. While, yes, they do have their own separate preferences and hobbies and whatnot, they still aren’t really two people. That is fine by them, of course!

And the… “/“ situation is a mistake (kinda). Sun and Moon aren’t shipped together because, well… that wouldn’t really make sense. Can you romantically love yourself? I think I heard something like that where someone is attracted to their own self. Like, not them loving themselves and having self-confidence, but actually, genuinely, loving themselves. That isn’t the case here, that tag was more of a small mistake on my part :O though, I had it tagged like that because I saw Sun and Moon as the same person, so tagging them separately would defy that whole thing, ya see. So, while I hadn’t intended for that tag to give the indication that they are shipped with each other, I did intend that they are one and the same, so tagging them together wouldn’t technically make a difference when it comes to the nature of their being!

Hoo boy. I am dumping information on you… oops—

Thank you so much for your questions! And drink :D have a nice day/night!

[watchyourdigits]

I think Deacon isn't romanceable because he knows far more about Sole than he lets on at any point in time.

Hear me out.

I am genuinely convinced he eventually puts two and two together regarding their son being Father and whatnot. There was an amazing video on this (I'll link if I can find it ), which extrapolates on this via what we know from the canon. Sure, it's a little bit beyond what IS canon, but I don't think any of it is a far leap from reality/possible by any stretch of the imagination.

As for why he wouldn't reveal this to Sole, Deacon's whole thing is kind of just... watching. He does intel/spying for the Railroad, duh. I think he holds the same morals as wildlife videographers when shooting wildlife documentaries. In a weird kind of way, of course. Besides, who is he to play God with his knowledge?

I don't think he's a believer in fate/destiny. I do, however, think he understands that if he were to intervene in such a huge manner, he'd utterly derail the entire momentum that Sole has going for them. Hell, who knows if they wouldn't just give up after learning all of that.

And that's IF Sole were to even believe a word that comes out of his mouth, which they have no reason to. He would definitely take that into account as well. AND It isn't logical for him to reveal/otherwise do anything with this information because who does it help?

On the other side of the coin, you have a man who possesses such in-depth knowledge of Sole before they even emerge from the vault (up to 4 years of research done beforehand, per the video I watched that compiled canon - WILL FIND, JUST REMIND ME). I don't think it's possible for him to be romanced because there's no way to write that without it being manipulative in one way or another, whether intentional or not. I wish I had better words to describe it, but there's something about that dynamic that doesn't sit right.

I wouldn't go so far as to say he's a stalker and THAT'S why it's bad, but there's something about having so much IMPACTFUL info about someone that they aren't aware of that makes them easy to take advantage of.

I LOVE Deacon, and I also wish he was romanceable because jfc I'm horribly down bad for that man and his sexy ginger eyebrows. And I don't think Bethesda even thought that much into it when deciding not to make him romanceable. Let's be real here, they do NOT get credit for that happy accident.

Anyway, this is a bit of mind-spew as to why I feel like it makes sense that he isn't romanceable. Have a nice day! :)

UPDATE: this is the video I was referring to

[ghost--girlfriend]

U SHIP WITH AN INSIDE OUT CHR /POS????????i love inside out SO much also envy is a familial fo of mine >u< (twin sis! my si is love bc theyre 2 sides of the same coin to me) idk if we're muts so im a lil shy to go off anon but i just wanted to send my support hehe

(dont tell her i told u but anxiety is currently pacing back and forth trying to come up with the best plan she can so she can kiss u without being awkward and too sudden and whatnot)

YEAH I DO :DDD!!!!! it's just been about a week n I haven't posted too much about Anxiety but I've got a lil comic about our confession out egehe

AHHH INSIDE OUT IS SO GOOODDDD it's been like the ONLY thing I've been thinking about lately!!! Because ohmygosh!!!!!!!!!! It's AMAZING <3 AND ENVY + LOVE THATS AWESOME LIKE!! PERFECT TWO SIDES TO THE SAME COIN YEAHH<33 she thinks you're the coolest sister ever and Envys been trying to emulate you a lil I hear...!

Aahgsjdhkfikahdndbdbdndbdnfndohmygoshhh she wouldd<33@@@!!!!! Anxiety sweetie pie you can just ask ya goober <3!

[woahtheredaze]

Disliking akechi is a rollercoaster and confusing asf HEAR ME OUT (MAJOR PERSONA 5 ROYAL SPOILERS!!!!!!!!)

Before the first akechi twist (oh noooo akechi is evil and works for shido), he was cocky and clearly full of himself, putting on an act on TV and whatnot (I feel like this part was somewhat visible before we found out he worked for shido, but it doesn't matter). So disliking him here was mildly valid--just casually not liking a normal character.

And then the twist happened, right? We discover he's a raging, selfish psychopath who doesn't care about anyone other than himself, and technically Joker, to which he only has intrigue towards (considering the whole two sides of the same coin thing). Cue raging hatred towards akechi complete with a series of "I NEVER LIKED HIM"s.

Then when we fight him in Shido's palace, he gives us his whole sob story and basically says that he and Joker are the same but went different ways, how he wants to be loved etc., right? He earns some pity, but the hatred is still there, even when reveals his true persona and dies.

BUT WAIT--Yaldaboath later tells us that he fueled Akechi's anger and used him as a puppet for his experiment, which illustrates that Akechi's actions and psychopathy weren't even his fault. That information changed almost EVERYTHING. Most of the reasons to hate him became invalid, just like that.

... And then he shows up alive during Christmas, and he's all like, "I'm gonna turn myself in for murdering all these people and using all of you as stepping stones because this is character development." And it's like, okay, cool... great, but still an asshole. Either way, we have to be done with you, right?

AND THEN HE COMES BACK FOR MARUKI'S PALACE. And even after destroying the god of control, aka giving akechi full control over himself again, AKECHI IS EVEN MORE OF AN ASSHOLE THAN HE EVER WAS! Sporting the psycho energy, of course (thank you, Nav Akechi). As such, the hatred towards him is pretty strong again. After this point, regardless of what happens to him, akechi is consistently disliked... And the reason is valid this time.

Anyways, the highs and lows of disliking akechi are... Something else. Sympathy towards akechi is so confusing.

I love questioning how much I don't like fictional characters with excessively long posts😭

[posletsvet]

You know, I read a theory that even makes sense that Kenjaku has an agreement with Geto and that Geto is conscious and knows what's going on, but I think Geto doesn't want to wake up because he has no motivation on earth, he lost his daughters and his Friend, I think he knows what's happening but he doesn't want to go back. What do you think of this theory? sorry for the text

Hi there, anon!!

Kenjaku having to enter a Binding Vow with a previous host (even if they manifest as no more than a lingering apparition in a form of muscle memory and whatnot) when changing bodies is quite an interesting suggestion! It somewhat ties neatly into the 'body vs. soul' discourse we've seen established in the manga. The two are repeatedly rendered inseperable within the story, two sides of the same coin, so whereas Kenjaku's Cursed Technique encompasses the physical body, something else may be needed to bind the soul. This would imply that Kenjaku's immortality is not entirely a product of their innate abilities, but a result of innovation and inventive application of those. How much experimentation did it require for them to figure out optimal conditions for that vow? That seems to be very much in Kenjaku's 'mess-around-and-find-out' fashion, if you ask me. And though I myself gravitate towards a different interpretation -- one that views this 'soul-binding' process as an organic, built-in effect of Kenjaku's CT -- since we don't know the exact mechanics of it, this theory has a right to exist!

Moving on to your next point, I strongly agree with your assessment that Geto has no motivation/desire to carry on with his life. Perhaps 'meaning' in this case would be a quite fitting word, too, because if he was to ever come back to life his resumed existence would lack, at least in his own view, that very thing -- meaning. Justifying past actions and past mistakes retroactively, trying to assign some greater meaning to what was rather an impulsive, emotionally driven reaction of someone who was struggling mentally for a long time with no one batting an eye, compartmentalizing complex reality into imaginary categories -- doing all that Geto essentially ran himself into a corner, a mental dead-end. In an attempt to validate himself and perhaps shut out the overwhelming sense of guilt that would otherwise eat him alive, Geto made delusional, twisted reasoning the core truth of his existence, a basis for his purpose.

What I find particularly interesting is that Geto, being himself the victim of the jujutsu society's dysfunctional system, clearly recognised its shortcomings, but attributed those to a factor only partially at fault. The telltale sign of that, as I see it, would be his confession that he never held any spite against those in Jujutsu High. This renders Geto's antagonism towards non-sorcerers misplaced. The system was put in place for a reason, it's true, but those in favour of whom that system was established should not be held accountable for its injustices. Instead of trying to improve the order, Geto opted for eliminating the reason it exists in the first place.

Where that leaves him is caught up in a struggle to achieve the impossible, breach that accursed gap between the ideal and reality. Even if Geto's goal wasn't impossible for anyone but one person alive, Gojo Satoru, his decade-long endeavour to wipe all non-sorcerers out of existence would still be in vain, meaningless. Because that simply would bear no fruit in regard to fixing the corrupt mentality that rules over the sorcerers' world.

And if it all was for nothing, just fumbling desperately for some solution, for some relief of the burden thrust upon his fellow sorcerers, futile in the end? What if what he put his life on the line for was never going to solve anything, what if he was not reaching anything with it? What if he was wrong all along? It is straight-up terrifying, to drown and erase yourself fully in pursuit of your goal and understand that all you've done, you've done in vain, misguided, wrong. And Geto couldn't undo what he'd done. He could not afford to look back, to slow down, to revaluate and reset, try to set things right. Acknowledging his fault would've been like staring into the sun. So he didn't. He kept pushing forward until he simply no more could. That's why, in my view, Geto's plan regarding the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons reads as low-key passively suicidal. He chose a meaningful way to end his life -- one that would entrust his legacy to his family, make his goals, his ideal, known to both sides. In that regard, his death is no different from Gojo's: he dies so that his dream could live on. Little did he know that this too, in fact, would be meaningless.

[lunatriense]

Should Pyrrha be able to fly with her semblance?

Okay, so Pyrrha calls her Semblance "polarity", and talks about magnetism for it, but then we see her using it on soda cans (which are aluminium) and her weapons (which appear to be some kind of copper alloy), which wouldn't be ferromagnetic. So, does she have actual magnetism control or does she have what amounts to metallokinesis?

If she has metallokinesis, then she should be able to "fly" via moving her armour (or holding/standing on her shield and moving that). If she has actual magnetism control, then things get much more interesting. See, everything has some reaction to magnetic fields, we just tend to think of things that are ferromagnetic as "magnetic" because they have a much more pronounced reaction — specifically attraction — than other, "non-magnetic" things. Buuuuut if you have a strong enough magnetic field, you can manipulate those other things too; you can, for example, levitate frogs or mice or whatnot because the water in their bodies is diamagnetic (repulsed by magnetic fields). So what does that mean for Pyrrha? Well, we've seen her fling around things that aren't ferromagnetic, so she has to be able to create some really strong magnetic fields. If they're strong enough, then she'd be able to fly via repulsing the diamagnetic water in her own body, but that's not all. At incredibly high strength — the kind that you can't ever find on earth, but some celestial bodies produce — magnetic effects get really nasty. As in, "shut down your nervous system" nasty. As in "rip you apart at the molecular level" nasty. But even at lower, terrestrially-possible levels, magnetic fields can blind people with light that only exists in their own retina, make then nauseous and/or vertiginous, and more. And on top of that, magnetism and electricity are two sides of the same coin, so if she can control the one she could generate and control the other.

Tl;dr — she should probably be able to fly, or simulate flight anyway, but if she can control actual magnetism she can probably do a lot more.