#and it was NEVER due to them being inferior in any way. they have some of the BEST dancers and vocalists of this gen theres no argument | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

some-pers0n · 2 months

Text

Turtle's arc is so subtle yet so good and I love it a lot, which sucks since I've seen a number of people write him off as just "socially awkward kid who is boring", which?? No??? Gimme a second just to ramble, okay?

Turtle has terrible self-esteem issues and an inferiority complex. He puts himself down, calling himself boring, stupid, and generally useless constantly in his internal dialogue. He's kind and sweet and really well meaning, but he's socially awkward and shy and can't exactly strike up a conversation.

He's like this in due part of being one of Queen Coral's many...many sons. Christ alive this woman had thirty-two sons-- but that's besides the point. He's just another dragon. He's not old enough to be a leader, but not young enough to exactly be any special. He's a middle child. He's a nobody. Just another SeaWing prince who's destined to either run away or to become a military general.

The one time Turtle was ever truly acknowledged was when the night happened with his father, Gill. Gill needed Turtle to fetch one of the royal guards so that they could protect Queen Coral's eggs. But, Turtle couldn't find them. He failed. Gill lashes out, snapping back at Turtle for his inability to do such a simple task and killing the eggs in the process. Turtle internalized this moment. He was useless. He's a nobody, and when he's forced to be somebody, he'll just fail and let everyone down.

Thus, he doesn't see himself as anything special. A fuck up if anything; which makes it all the more ironic that he's an animus dragon. He's literally got the most powerful, special ability in the entire continent, and more than anything he's self-conscious and terrified of it as he would then be pushed into the limelight over it. Because of it, Turtle has made some...rather selfish choices every now and then. The incident with Anemone was created solely because he was petrified of being put on a pedestal. He doesn't want to be some grand dragon. So, he diverted attention away from him and enchanted Anemone to have magic.

Turtle doesn't want to make choices or do anything out of fear of failure and letting others down. Worse is if he's discovered to be an animus, where he's then elevated to such high expectations that he is convinced he will never be able to accomplish. He's held back by his own perceived inadequacy. He doesn't think highly of himself. He doesn't want the spotlight as he's both afraid of being seen and afraid of what those people will say when he lets them down.

He blended into the background in Moon Rising. Moon herself was confused by not being able to read his thoughts, which turned out to be because of the Magic Plot Rock we all know and love as skyfire. However, as the rest of the Jade Winglet ran off when Moon revealed to have been a mind reader, Turtle stuck around. He related to that. He felt pity and understood Moon the most. They are most like one another anyways, with the both of them being ashamed of their own powers and fearing being rejected by their loved ones the most.

He's a deeply kind and considerate soul who wants nothing more than to help people. He cares for Moon and wants to comfort her when she's at her lowest. He is so sweet, but he does it in a quiet, deeply personal way. He doesn't like big gestures or calling attention upon himself. He just likes being close to another. I feel he connected most with Moon because he found his own insecurities and fears in her and related to that. He found another person like him.

The Jade Winglet helps Turtle a lot with his own issues. Slowly throughout the series, he grows a little more confident of himself. His kindness is shown yet again with him becoming friends with Peril. Again, relating and sharing experiences of having powers and abilities that others want to take advantage of and unwillingly push them into roles they wouldn't want. He laughs, jokes, and playfully banters with her. He's getting better and better.

And then...Darkstalker.

Darkstalker throws a wrench into everything. Turtle reverts instantly back to his scared, cowardly ways. He enchants a stick to hide himself from Darkstalker, instantly sensing that Darkstalker hated him. He feels powerless to stop Darkstalker. What could he do?? Well, he could try to use his magic, but that would mean he steps out into the spotlight! He's seen! But this is serious. Darkstalker is massive, has animus magic, can read minds, and can see into the future. Turtle is just a kid. He's a nobody. He can't do anything.

He's scared. He feels useless and afraid. He's no hero. He doesn't want to be a hero. He's nothing like the heroes from legend. He's nobody.

Over the course of his book, we see Turtle quietly observe and stand by as Darkstalker takes over Jade Mountain Academy. He's plotting and planning, feigning his kindness and basking in the praise and worship others are giving him. Darkstalker is the antithesis to Turtle. He freely uses his magic without care and, more than anything, wants to be seen and witnessed by others. He loved the attention that his magic brings him. If somebody doesn't like him, then he either kills them off or brainwashes them into liking him. He's the polar opposite of Turtle in every way.

And you know who else is like that? Anemone.

Anemone is corrupted and warped even more by Darkstalker. Before hand, she was a kid who had just been released from the suffocating life as Queen Coral's only daughter. Darkstalker saw her as a pawn he could exploit. He encouraged her to be more risky and daring with her magic. He whispered into her ear and tells her that she's able to do anything. He's grooming a child he's grooming a child--

Regardless, Turtle feels guilty for everything Anemone has been put through. He doesn't fully understand the extent to which she had suffered as being physically tied to her mother at all times and being trained as a living weapon, but he feels so much guilt over it. Because of his inability to take accountability and risk being seen, he made a selfish, half-formed enchantment that was supposed to be a quick fix. He did not fully think of the consequences, and yet here they are before him.

As the book goes on, we see Turtle slowly but steadily try to form a resistance movement against Darkstalker. He had been watching and eventually found himself alone with Qibli and Winter. Winter, who was still heavily under the "Darkstalker is good :))))" spell, refused to listen as Turtle told them about it. Qibli, who wasn't affected, understood. For one of the first times ever, Turtle used his magic for another. Well, he also enchanted Kinkajou's skyfire so that she would be almost invisible to Darkstalker, but that would require me spending two seconds thinking about where that scene leads to (the love spell) and I'd rather not.

Anywho, Turtle is still insecure and afraid, but he's slowly becoming more sure of himself. He knows Darkstalker is evil and he wants to take him down. He's deeply afraid of him though, as he knows Darkstalker will kill him. He still feels useless and scared.

Until finally he has to act.

Anemone, coaxed by Darkstalker into doing this, goes off to kill Queen Coral and her entire family. Anemone is convinced this is what she deserves after being a terrible mother. Suddenly, Turtle realizes that his little mistake of giving Anemone god powers now has consequences and his family is going to die.

The guilt he feels is immense, but he needs to stand up. He can't sit idly anymore and let the world pass him by. He needs to stop her. He's the only one who can match her power. He has to fight her. He has to warn everyone. He has to do something heroic and terrifying.

He confronts Anemone on the beach. For the first time, he stands up for himself. He doesn't back down when she barks at him and demands he leaves. She tries to kill him, only for him to finally reveal himself. He's admitting to his mistakes. His guilt. He knows that she's not going to have a good reaction. Yeah so Anemone then tries to kill him via animus magic. The pair fight, with Turtle wining in the end.

Yada yada the book ends with Turtle having his magic taken away, but over the course of the book (as well as bleeding into DOD), Turtle has grown significantly in terms of his fears and anxieties. He's able to make a stand for himself and actively try to make things better. He's scared and still socially awkward, but he's, well, a hero in some semblance. Something he thought was the most terrifying thing possible for him he does.

Turtle is a naturally kind and considerate soul. He wants to help others, and when he does hurt them it eats away at his heart. He's afraid of conflict and prefers to be a doormat if it means he can slip through the cracks and come out unscathed.

Through the books however, he grows into a more upstanding and confident character. He's less prone to self-deprecation and letting others take advantage of him. He doesn't let things pass by and get himself into terrible situations through in-action. Through the support of his friends (and going through traumatizing scenario after traumatizing scenario) he is marginally better. Not fixed, but good enough to be happy and still the same, socially awkward but incredibly kind Turtle.

He's a character who I think a lot of people can see themselves in, and his arc in particular is one I feel many should aspire to. To stand up for themselves. To mend and fix the mistakes they've made and try to do better. Problems can't be fixed by some other hero. You have to take initiative. Stand up. Be the hero you need.

#wof #wings of fire #sp-rambles #turtle wof #Hey WoF people I decided to think again

260 notes · View notes

kaladinkholins · 4 months

Text

Thinking about the crazy love triangle situation in Blue Eye Samurai and debating heavily with myself on how I'd like to see it conclude. And yeah this discussion can be thought of purely as shipping, headcanons, and fandom fun. But when analysing the show and engaging with it in a more in-depth, almost-literary level, it's impossible to dismiss who Mizu's potential love interests are and how different endgame romances would affect her character arc and the overall story and themes.

So in this post I'd like to look at the love triangle a bit more closely, and speculate on where the story will take this.

DISCLAIMER: It is my personal interpretation of the text that Mizu is non-binary—I use this as an umbrella term denoting any gender that does not adhere to the binary restrictions, norms, and expectations of what it means to be either a man or woman in a particular society; it's not just an androgynous "third gender" that exclusively uses they/them pronouns. Thus, while I personally believe Mizu is not strictly a cis woman, she does still identify with womanhood, despite definitely feeling a level of detachment from it due to living as a man for so long. With that being said, I will be using she/her pronouns for Mizu in this post, but please note that this is purely personal preference. Everyone is free to interpret the text the way they like. That's the fun of fiction. Now, without further ado, let's proceed.

Okay so, thinking about the pairings on a purely surface level, and even before i got into the show, I was pinning my hopes on some lesbianism going on between Mizu and Akemi, and the show does hint at this; in Ep1, during their first encounter in Kyoto, there is the famous slow-mo shot of their eyes meeting, Mizu's lips slightly parted as she is unable to tear her gaze away from Akemi, while sweet string music plays in the background. This is clear romantic framing, and a marker of attraction. If Mizu was a cishet man, there would be no question that this is a potential love interest.

But then, in the same episode, we meet Taigen, who is introduced to us firstly from hearing Akemi's father describe him as "a fierce and undefeated young samurai", the "best swordsman in the best school" and "a fisherman's son from Kohama [...] whose rise reminds [him] of [his] own."

In the next scene, we meet him in person as Akemi's fiance, and he seems sweet enough. He even gives her sweets! In exchange, Akemi gives him gold, and he feels a bit ashamed that he doesn't have anything better to offer her. But Akemi accepts him and his gift wholeheartedly and flirts with him a little, which makes him smile kinda shyly.

When Akemi confirms their engagement, Taigen is in disbelief because he has no status or noble background, but Akemi reassures him.

So from these first few scenes, we're introduced to Taigen as an honourable and strong samurai, but also as a man who is sweet and gentle with the woman he is about to marry, as well as aware of his own inferiority when compared to Akemi's high station.

Our view of him then changes as his true self is revealed: he is an arrogant and smug bastard among his peers, but more importantly, he is the terrible bully from Mizu's childhood.

And it is this side of Taigen--pompous jerk and unrepentant xenophobic bully--that we continue to see as the show goes on, and it's safe to say that this is his real self, sans any pretense of humility and modesty. Around anyone who isn't an outright superior in terms of class and power (ie. Akemi's father, the shogun), Taigen never hesitates to assert his own authority and "greatness."

But as the show goes on, he gets caught by Heiji Shindo's men, and then tortured. And that's when we see, okay, turns out he's not that bad. He's honourable; "honour" is not just meaningless and superficial pedantry for him, but an internalised, guiding principle.

He was a cruel asshat throughout Mizu's childhood, but in a prejudiced and xenophobic society, he was just playing by the rules. As a child, he knew he was at the bottom of society, but when met with someone even lower ranked than him (Mizu), he can project all those prejudices and insecurities onto someone else. This way of thinking--"if you can't beat 'em, join em"--is what allowed him to climb up the ranks despite being some dirt poor kid from an abusive household*.

*Well, that combined with his cismale privilege of course, because this would not be an option for a woman in similar circumstances.

Thus, his upholding of honour also exemplifies how Taigen embodies the ideals and rules of his society. His insistence on duelling Mizu is another more blatant example of this. He doesn't want revenge like Mizu does. He wants to be accepted by society, within the bounds that society has placed, and that means that his only two options following his defeat at the Shindo dojo were to either chase Mizu down and get his damn duel, or kill himself for his humiliating defeat.

Now! Moving on from Taigen, let's go back to the other end of this little love triangle: Akemi.

Mizu and Akemi only properly meet in Ep4. During their first meeting, when Akemi tries to poison Mizu in Madame Kaji's brothel, she compliments Mizu's eyes, calling them "beautiful."

This seems to genuinely take mizu off-guard for a second before she coolly plays along. We know that Mizu recognises Akemi from the get-go, and thus sees through Akemi's ploy from a mile away. It's also safe to assume she'd expected false flattery, because Mizu understands full well that this tactic is how women get what they want: by using their 'feminine wiles' and playing up their naivety and innocence. But even so, it's interesting that Mizu actually seems surprised by Akemi's compliment.

Then, after Mizu subtly taunts Akemi by lying about Taigen's death, she and Akemi have a bit of a scuffle, and then we get to Mizu saying this:

"Women in our world don't have a single good option. Except you, like some magical forest creature. You could have anything you want, but then you beg to eat trash."

(no screenshot because it's quite a long line but you get it)

Here we see Mizu's opinions on the marginalisation of (mostly poor and under-privileged) women stated outright, and underlying her words is also resentment. Because even though she and Akemi have shared experiences of female oppression, Mizu, unlike Akemi, was also poor, from a rural village, and is a racial minority. Mizu is triply oppressed, while Akemi only faces one primary form of oppression, and to someone as embittered by the world as Mizu is, to see Akemi "beg to eat trash" is a slap in the face, practically tone-deaf to the other injustices around her--injustices which Akemi has not shown much, or any, acknowledgement for at this point.

Then, after this scene, Mizu kills Kinuyo, and this unsettles her to a degree we've never seen from her before. She is visibly distraught, and the entire sequence hammers the theme of this episode (and arguably, a large portion of the show) into our heads: women in this world suffer. And even though Mizu is well aware of this fact, to commit this act is so visceral that is shakes her to her core, and it's what ultimately leads to the ambush of the Thousand Fangs.

But before the ambush, Mizu and Akemi talk a little again, and during this time Akemi taunts Mizu some more.

Right now, Mizu is exhausted to the point where (I believe) she even downs some sake, despite not usually drinking. Thus, worn down, she cuts Akemi's ropes and tells her, "Just go." Akemi recovers from her initial fear of Mizu's blade and taunts her some more, accurately seeing through Mizu's facade of coldness, recognising the raw anger there, and says this:

"I thought you had to be something special. Your face isn't even so scary. You're just... angry."

At this, Mizu is amused and compares Akemi to Taigen ("I see why he likes you. You're just like Taigen when we were children. A fucking brat.")

The reveal that Mizu and Taigen knew each other in childhood surprises Akemi, but before either of them can say more, everything goes to shit.

That's when we get to Ep5. This episode focuses primarily on Mizu, the central piece of this love triangle, and does the most out of all the episodes to shed some light on her character and goals, fleshing her out to be more than just the vengeful, highly proficient samurai we've seen thus far (symbolised by The Ronin), but also a person who is capable of love, domesticity and gentleness (symbolised by The Bride). But in the end, Mizu rejects both these ideals, instead becoming an Onryo, who is neither guided by pride/honour, nor love.

By 'reincarnating' into an Onryo, Mizu is able to win the day and save the women in the brothel. However, as she has now fully embraced her status as an Onryo, and is exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally, she lets the Tokunobu clansmen take Akemi away while Akemi's screams echo in her ear.

Mizu says this choice is for Akemi's own good, that Akemi's better off; because Mizu is jaded and weary, and cannot afford the luxury of idealism, and thus must always be strictly practical and realistic. So of course that's why, in her view, yes, Akemi should not be wasting her time in a brothel where women are exploited and abused, nor should Akemi be so naive to think that her marriage with Taigen is even still possible. However, regardless of Mizu's views, it is not for her to decide, because though Akemi is privileged in some sense, she is still trapped and voiceless, and deserves the right to choose her own destiny.

But as it happens, in the end, though Akemi did not choose who she gets to marry, she DOES get to choose her next move when Edo burns down.

"I want to be great."

This one line is the key to her entire arc, which is only just beginning. We see she quickly has acquired the affection and good graces of the shogun's son after their wedding night and consummation, and with Madame Kaji and the girls now serving her, Akemi will only grow to become a prominent political player.

NOW, only after analysing the characters as they are within this season, only can we speculate how their arcs will continue as the show progresses.

First and foremost, I will reassert the popular opinion that Mizu and Akemi are foils. The climax (pun intended) of Ep7 illustrates this as it parallels the turning points in both Mizu's and Akemi's arcs:

Mizu melts the steel of all her loves and shames, the people she's collected: the broken blade wielded by both Chiaki and Taigen, Akemi's knife, Ringo's bell, Master Eiji's tongs - this symbolises her beginning to accept herself, and in doing so, also accepting the help of others;

Akemi consummates her marriage with Takayoshi Itoh, gains his affection, and cements her position as a woman in the shogun's palace - this symbolises her taking charge of her situation, no longer playing the damsel, but using her position to her advantage, empowering both herself and the underprivileged women around her.

These are thus two directly contrasting, diverging journeys:

Mizu's arc moves inward (yin). It is an internal path of self-love and self-discovery, focused on finding peace and tranquility inside herself, and this involves allowing herself to let others into her life, opening herself up to friendship and empathy once more.

Akemi's arc moves outward (yang), it is an external path of growth, transforming from a naive, caged princess to a powerful woman and a force to be reckoned with.

Akemi is always dressed in red, even her eyes are a bit of a reddish-brown rather than brown-black like most other characters, and in her penultimate scene she stands against a backdrop of flames. She is fire: quick-tempered, passionate, full of energy. Red is powerful, authoritative, and in eastern cultures, it is associated with prosperity.

Mizu is blue: her eyes, her sword, her clothes. She is also named after water; it's where she goes to recover, reflect and meditate. Water is fluid like a brook weaving around a stone in its path, always changing and adapting, it is graceful, it is beautiful and ruthless, tranquil yet swift.

Thus, in the future, I expect we will see plenty of political manoeuvring and intrigue in Akemi's plotline, where she fully embraces control of her life, and begins to take action to help others as well, realising that her own oppression is just one piece in a much larger picture. Her main conflict is with society.

In direct contrast, Mizu's main conflict is with herself. She must realise that her desire for vengeance is a projection of her own deep-rooted self-hatred. Her arc must move towards unpacking her feelings and trauma so she can be at peace with herself and allow space for love in her heart. Because as we saw in Ep5, Mizu had come extremely close to achieving peace and joy, as she had not only loved Mikio, but also had briefly believed that Mikio had loved her (and accepted her for who she is) as well.

Thus, assuming the story is not planned as a tragedy, Mizu will likely end up getting her vengeance, but it will not satisfy her, because it is not what she needs. What she needs is to let go of the Onryo within her and to reconcile both The Ronin and The Bride within herself, as she is both a fighter and a lover, but not a monster.

(Edit: I recommend checking out this post by @stylographic-blue-rhapsody for a much clearer analysis about Mizu'a symbolism as Ronin, Bride and Onryo!)

And now that we've mostly covered each of the characters individually, we can finally get to the main point of this post: the love triangle.

Let's talk about Option A: Akemi.

As I covered extensively earlier, Mizu and Akemi are foils, a yin-yang pair. But while they play off each other very well in a thematic sense, I personally believe that a serious romance between them will be more complicated if they become endgame. This is because Akemi's natural resolution is to embrace a position of power and influence, where she has both freedom and control over herself and to make much-needed changes in a prejudiced society. Meanwhile, Mizu's natural resolution is the opposite; her happy ending would to find a peaceful life where she is safe and free from prying eyes, and able to be her true self.

Thus, it would make very little sense for Akemi to forfeit power and run away with Mizu and start a humble life together. Akemi wants to be great, and that is absolutely what she deserves. On the other end of the spectrum, it would also make little sense for Mizu to dedicate her life in service of Akemi, such as acting as a bodyguard or something similar, because a life in a palace full of court intrigue and conspiracies is far from what Mizu needs to be happy.

With that being said, if Mizu/Akemi is endgame, and assuming their overarching character arcs do not shift directions, their love story would likely be either tragic, doomed, or bittersweet. I do absolutely love this type of story because personally I'm a sucker for catharsis, so it would be very interesting if the writers do decide to take this route.

Also, as a note, please do not take this as me dunking on this pairing. This is just my personal opinion and analysis and I completely understand if you disagree!

Then, of course, we have Option B: Taigen.

Between Akemi and Mizu, Taigen is a bit of a free-floater here, because Season 1 leaves off at a point where his arc is very ambiguous as to where it's headed. While Akemi climbs for greatness and Mizu goes on a journey across the ocean to (presumably) discover more about her heritage, we have little clues about where Taigen is headed. And if I'm being honest, I'm sure he has no idea either! He still hasn't reclaimed his honour, so he would be unable to rejoin the Shindo Dojo; he's been rejected by Akemi; and while he showed loyalty to the shogun, the shogun is now dead, and all the shogun's men who had witnessed his "humiliating" death were left to die by Lady Itoh, who is now pulling the strings within the palace.

Therefore, Taigen has very few options here.

And when considering his role in the story is as Mizu's begrudging ally, his arc will undoubtedly be focused on unlearning his xenophobia and misogyny, the latter of which we have not seen yet, but is surely present. Now, whether he will do this in Mizu's presence or absence will be unknown until we see Season 2. Following the Season 1 finale, he might return to Kohama and wait for Mizu there as he learns humility and remorse over his past cruelty; or maybe he will follow Mizu to London, and the two of them will continue to butt heads until he finally admits to himself that he cares for Mizu more than he would like to admit. There is no room for doubt that his growing feelings for Mizu are more-than-platonic, because we all saw him get turned on by sparring with her in Ep7 lol. Thus, regardless of the exact choice he makes, I am sure that his overall arc will be focused on redeeming his character.

Now, when it comes go redeeming him, I know there are many who simply don't want him redeemed because he was such a jerk to Mizu, and while yes I agree he was awful, I do believe there is also nuance to his character.

Previously I've discussed in great detail the colour and elemental symbolism with Mizu and Akemi, but have yet to touch on how they relate to Taigen. So, let's talk about that for a second.

While Akemi is red and Mizu is blue, Taigen is green.

Green is a complementary colour to Akemi's red. Complementary colours are directly opposite each other in the colour wheel; when mixed, they neutralise each other, but when put side-by-side, they form a pleasing and impactful contrast that boosts the brightness and prominence of both colours. This mirrors Taigen and Akemi's relationship. They are an "ideal" pair because they complement each other very well, and bring out each other's most prominent traits. Mizu's comment about their similar "brattiness" comes to mind here.

Green is also an analogous colour with Mizu's blue. These colours are sitting right next to each other on the colour wheel; their natural similarity makes it easy for them to form a cohesive overall appearance, but using both in equal amounts will make a design overwhelming and too busy. Thus, the best way to use analogous colours is to make one the dominant colour, while the other will serve as an accent. I feel this also speaks to the dynamic in Taigen and Mizu's relationship. They came from the space place, both from nothing; they're both strong fighters who love the sport, and work well together when fighting side-by-side; however, they butt heads too easily, mirroring how analogous colours can be too overwhelming when used in equal amounts. Thus, to work together in harmony, one has to be the dominant colour, while the other serves as the accent. In this case, the dominant force would be Mizu, as she is the protagonist of the story, while the accent would be Taigen.

By fulfilling this role as an "accent" to Mizu, Taigen's character would easily be slotted in as a the love interest. This is in contrast with a Mizu/Akemi relationship, whereby Akemi is Mizu's foil before she is Mizu's love interest. This is because, by being a love interest, a character usually takes a backseat in the story, serving the plot and the themes by playing a purely supportive role, and this is not possible in Akemi's case because her character exists to parallel and contrast Mizu (red and blue), and not to support her.

It is possible to serve as a supporting love interest in Taigen's case however. And this is because he, unlike the other characters, does not currently have a definitive place within the story. He initially served the plot as an antagonistic force, but now as he is slowly unlearning his prejudices and becoming a better person, he can no longer serve the story by acting purely as a rival.

Instead, he will serve the story by literally supporting Mizu. And this relates to Taigen being earth, which is steady, firm and reliable, unwavering in loyalty and principles, hardworking and rooted in stability, which is seen in Taigen's staunch and inflexible obedience to the traditions and rules of society. These traits are what make him a perfect samurai, but not a good man. However, unlike most people in their world, Taigen is still capable of change and redemption, which is why Mizu says that he has the potential to be great. Not great by way of power or glory, but great in character. Already, he is honourable to a fault, and does not betray Mizu even after she technically robbed him of everything he was striving towards. And when he was shot by an arrow in the chasm, he did not hesitate a second to tell Mizu to use him as a human shield and save herself.

The trigger for his redemption is Mizu. If she had never beat him in that duel, Taigen would live on to become a man like Akemi's father. Cruel, power-hungry, controlling, conservative. But through Mizu, Taigen's sharp edges are ground down, much like water that wears down the stones in a river.

Where Mizu and Akemi's possible love story would be a clash of wills, full of passion and even heartbreak, a possible love story between Mizu and Taigen would be the wearing down of souls. Mizu would make Taigen a better person, and in turn Taigen would dedicate his full respect and support to Mizu as his equal, thus getting her to slowly open up and love herself. Already, Taigen has grown enough to admit (begrudgingly, and in his own Taigen way) that Mizu is better than him; though, clearly, he still has a long way to go, as he still calls Mizu a demon shortly after that.

But basically, Taigen is a very simple man (his main goal now is "to be happy"), and Mizu has great depths that he cannot yet fathom. For this love story to work, it has to begin with Taigen changing for the better. If he succeeds in that, and is able to accept Mizu for all her complexities, I believe that they will make a formidable pair. And though he'd likely still throw a jab or snarky remark at Mizu every now and then, I think he'd come tl wholeheartedly admire Mizu as a brilliant swordsman and a kind soul. Thus, should things work out and this be endgame, Taigen would be able to provide Mizu with what Mikio could not: an idyllic life that is not built on a lie, but mutual trust, respect, admiration, and equality.

Or hey, maybe they could both make their own dojo together! I don't know.

(Edit: This post by @rinandsketches does a great job at delving into Taigen's character and a potential Mizu/Taigen relationship if you'd like to read more about this angle!)

Now, as I move on from Taigen, there are a couple more options on how to resolve this love triangle and that includes Option C: Ringo.

In this option, Mizu does not have an endgame romance with either Akemi or Taigen. In this route, she finds peace and love through friendship, solidarity, and a found family between herself, Ringo and Master Eiji—a bunch of outcasts in society who make a strong trifecta of sword-makers.

Also, as an aside while I'm talking about Ringo, I'd like to point out that I believe his element is air and his colour is a neutral grey; he is talkative, easy-going, wise, curious, light on his feet (stealthy) and free-spirited, which are all traits linked to air, and traits that complement Mizu nicely, as he is capable of getting Mizu to open up and trust others again, while Mizu helps him reach his true potential for greatness.

And finally, there's Option D: Polyamory.

This is basically an "all of the above" option, in which everyone wins and it's a super duper happy ending. It would also be awesome to get some polyamorous representation, and seeing the dynamic between Akemi/Mizu/Taigen play out would be very entertaining and refreshing. So, you never know, this just might be the true endgame!

AAAAND with that, I close my extremely long analysis of what is essentially Mizu's love life. Whatever the final outcome of this love triangle though, I just hope it will be well-written and satisfying to all the characters' respective arcs. (Also I just want Mizu to be HAPPY goddamn it because she deserves the world and her coochie eaten out)

Now, I highly doubt anyone will read any of this (especially not until the end!) but that's fine. I just have so many thoughts and feelings about this show and I just needed to get this out of my system lol! But if by some miracle you did read this far, I wholeheartedly welcome any sharing of thoughts and ideas because man am I obsessed with this show! But of course, if we have an opposing opinions, please be respectful when letting me know; I am very open to friendly discussions.

#blue eye samurai #mizu x taigen #mizu x akemi #mizu blue eye samurai #mizu x akemi x taigen #blue eye samurai meta #also if you ask me PERSONALLY. based on my own analysis which you can read above. personally i'm placing my bets on option b (mizutaigen)#and this is simply bcs i think mizu deserves nice things and that includes getting dicked down and pampered and worshipped #whoops who said that #also mizu deserves to live a life where she can hand taigen's ass to him on a daily basis. ykwim.#BUT i am def open to a change of opinion regarding the mizuakemi rship as the story progresses #i just dont want the writers to reduce akemi into nothing but a love interest for mizu #the only way i can see a happy mizuakemi endgame scenario is if blue eye samurai becomes purely an angsty romance story #in which case then yes i fully endorse the akemi ending <3 #but that would probs require a whole genre overhaul? bcs currently the show is firstly an action-epic where the romance is just a subplot #but even tho i dont reeeeally want a mizuakemi endgame i still DEF want mizu & akemi to be romantically and/or sexually involved plsss <3 #like they cant have that slow-mo shot between the two of them as their first encounter and NOT DO ANYTHING W IT!!!#also i want mizu to be at LEAST a little sapphic plsplspls #shut up haydar #meta dissertations.pdf #haydar's fandom posts #i wrote this whole thing while delirious and covid positive

357 notes · View notes

crushedsweets · 9 months

Note

Can you draw or talk more about Toby and Eyeless Jack or even the X-Virus?

YESSSS i can. heres a lil doodle to get me started.

OKKKK the little concept in my head has slender's MAIN GOAL being to prevent any paranormal/supernatural stuff coming out to the general public. hence his proxies being made to get rid of tapes, evidence, and kill if Necessary. sometimes slender makes paranormal/supernatural ppl help out his human proxies "as payment for refuge" in his forest. SO that sorta explains how toby and jack know each other and why jack helps at all. he can't rlly go out to the public so he's stuck with these assholes. it's not really supposed to be a 'mansion' trope, moreso random cabins and shelters littered about the forest, but it could work in the mansion au too

Imma ramble abt toby n jacks friendship (in my head) under the cut + a random x virus doodle

as for toby and jack specifically. toby is impulsive, aggressive, can't feel pain, and doesn't know what's good for him, so he's forced to get help from jack a good bit. for a long while there was hella tension between them since, again, jack isn't helping these guys out of the goodness of his heart. he's helping them bc the forest their boss resides in is the only place he's relatively safe. jack has a weird mix of a inferiority and superiority complex, since he envies toby's humanity but also feels like he's 'better' due to toby's own . . violent habits. toby thinks jack is pretty cool from the get-go ('wooow ur grey..') but he gets pissed off with jack's questions and demands of 'DONT RIP UR FUCKING STITCHES' and 'u have a concussion don't fucking scroll on your phone for 5 hours a day'.

toby has no idea if these demands come from actual concern or annoyance, and frankly, neither does jack. regardless, toby's with jack a decent bit. partially since jack makes a lot of people really uncomfortable so it's easy to go hang out with jack when he doesnt wanna deal with anyone else but still wants company. eventually theyre capable of some decent banter and conversations. theyre both mamas boys so thats a very weird touchy topic that they kinda dance around but both feel very deeply and know the other relates. THEY MISS THEIR MOMS SO BADLY.. :( mayhaps one year toby helps drop off flowers to jack's moms house for mothers day. jacks way too ashamed to even get within a 10 mile radius of his mom. that's kinda the moment things really shift between them and they actually become friends.

toby also asks abt university. lyra was at community college until she passed, and toby never considered college as an option, so he gets curious on what he missed out on. he also likes to share stuff abt lyra and their old shenanigans. tim and brian have used his childhood against him multiple times before, and it's not like he's gonna trust ben or jeff with that information. jacks sort of like a void he could talk into. jack feels uneasy talking about his life before the sacrifice, since he misses it so unbelievably bad, but toby accidentally got him to talk about it while treating a burn before.

ok and to top this fucking essay off heres xvirus. i had no idea he existed until this year and someone sent me an ask about his updated design, so he's some scribbles for him :9 his concepts super cool tho so maybe ill get more into him later on

#THEYRE BEST FRIENDS UR HONOR...#but seriously thank u for the ask #i love getting to ramble. im still working on the confidence to just post headcanons unprompted LOL #ok i gotta go to class now byyeeeeeeee #eyeless jack #ticci toby #ticcijack #eyeless jack headcanon #ticci toby headcanon #creepypasta #creepypasta art #creepypasta headcanon #xvirus #toby rogers #jack nyras #sweetart #chatterbox #creeped

463 notes · View notes

delzinrowe · 3 months

Text

Love Letter - TAKUMA INO

WORD COUNT: ~5.1K WARNINGS: None. F!Reader SUMMARY: Y/N receives a love letter, sadly the sender wasn't very specific when he signed it. A/N: Silly little brainrot I had months ago. Took me ages to actually finish this. Feedback is always appreciated!! Let me know if you wanna be tagged. TAGGING @just-jordie-things CAUSE I GOT BACK INTO WRITING BECAUSE OF HER, SHE'S AMAZING ♡♡♡

Another day filled with lessons of an unusual kind passed by. Gojo-Sensei was a good and devoted teacher, but everyone agreed that his teaching methods sometimes were a little… unorthodox, for lack of a better word. He tends to throw students into dangerous situations to fend for themselves instead of preparing them for it beforehand.

Y/N was just happy that she had her student days behind her. Now she was a semi-grade 1 sorcerer. After graduating from Jujutsu High she slowly but surely worked her way up the ranks and earned the respect of her fellow sorcerers, one of which was Ino Takuma, who seemed to be just as impressed by her as he was by his mentor Nanami Kento.

Whenever she wasn’t on a mission Y/N used the time to train, either by herself, with Takuma or with some of the younger students. Which was exactly what happened right now. For the past hours she had exchanged blows with each of them, successfully winning every fight. Until Maki decided to challenge her. Without any ounce of cursed energy she was supposed to be an easy target, but exactly this made her all the more dangerous in close range.

She stood opposite of Maki, wearing a smile on her lips and chuckling a little. Even after losing their training fight there was not an ounce of bitterness within her. Maki was an astonishing fighter, she was more skilled and talented in hand-to-hand combat than any of the other students.

Due to her lack of cursed energy she focused entirely on close range combat, allowing her to win the fight swiftly. No doubt that Yuji would still smoke her in terms of raw strength, but Maki was no way inferior to any of them.

“You’re gonna raise hell some day, Maki.” Y/N never made a secret out of her adoration and pride for the young ostracized Zenin. If it had been anyone else Maki would have rolled her eyes and shrugged off the praising compliment, but Y/N was one of the few people she held in high regards, therefore her words meant a lot to the second year student.

Knowing that someone as strong as Y/N acknowledged her strength and even believed in her so strongly meant a lot to her, even if she would rather die a gruesome death than ever admit this to anyone.

“I’m working on it.”

Maki’s witty comeback earned another chuckle from Y/N. Truth be told, she was immensely proud of the young student. When she herself enrolled into Jujutsu High she was surrounded by all these amazing young sorcerers and even her teachers were fascinatingly strong. It often caused her to feel left out, as if she was merely a candle in the wind with everyone around her being raging wildfires, rapidly increasing with each passing day.

Back then Takuma was the only person who showed her acknowledgement, who openly told her that he believed she’d be destined for amazing and great things. Thinking back on it now, it might have been this exact moment her crush developed. She wanted to prove him right, that she was capable of whatever life as sorcerer threw at her.

Ultimately, she knew the pain of being left out, of not being believed in, of feeling far too weak. She wouldn’t allow anyone to feel like that, especially not someone like Maki, who was so willing and determined to prove herself.

Y/N only responded with a nod and a smile before turning around to gather her things. All too suddenly she halted her movements, her eyes squinting at the piece of white paper she spotted on the dark piece of clothing.

Right there, at the edge of the training grounds, in her lazily discarded jacket, stuck a letter, folded into a tiny rectangle. It certainly wasn’t there before. She would have remembered anyone messing with her clothes during the training. Whoever it was must have used the chance to leave the paper when she had her back turned. Or maybe when Maki successfully threw her onto her back…

However, that didn’t matter now, what mattered most to Y/N in this instant was the tiny rectangle.

Curiously, and with careful touches, she reached for the paper and slowly unfolded it. Her eyes scanned over the lines written on it. The first thing she noticed was the handwriting itself. It wasn’t neat, but it was far from messy. It seemed almost as if someone tried to conceal their handwriting. Something else she noticed was that it was a blank paper, no lines or squares, yet the short sentences made it seem as if there had been invisible lines.

Whoever wrote this note went through the trouble of using an undersheet to keep the perfect lines intact. The level of detail for one simple note was astonishing.

It took Y/N a few good moments of skimping over the words before she even realized what the letter said.

It was… a love letter.

Never in her life did Y/N think she’d receive one of those, let alone an anonymous one, only signed with initials, but there’s got to be a first time for everything, right?

Her gaze was fixated on the paper, as if it put a spell on her. The few lines were filled with sweet adoration, even bringing a smile to her lips until her eyes found the initials T.I..

Y/N still stood in the middle of the training grounds but she suddenly didn’t notice anything around her anymore. Her thoughts were now fully engulfed by the two letters that sent her mind into a haze. Who the hell was T.I.?

Bombs and missiles could have detonated right in front of her, nonetheless, nothing would have managed to tear her attention away from her thoughts going on a rampage.

Seconds passed, turning into minutes as Y/N kept on thinking about the initials but she couldn’t come up with anything. Even if she turned the letters around no one came to her mind. No one seemed to fit, until a certain image popped up in her thoughts. And suddenly the need for a written letter made much more sense to her.

<--With a suspicion now in mind, she set out to find her best friend, hoping to get a different perspective on the entire matter. Maybe he’d even have some advice ready for her to handle this entire situation. It surely would help her to at least get a male opinion on this. That is… if her best friend Takuma would even have an opinion on it at all. -->

“Do you have any idea who T.I. could be?”

Immediately after finding Takuma she spilled everything about the letter she received. It took him a good few minutes to get her to slow down but once he realized what she was on about his lips curled into a little smile, not too big to get caught but just enough to seem like his usual self. Even if he was a nervous bundle of anxiety inside.

“It’s obvious, isn’t it, ‘Kuma?” This was it. The moment he was waiting for.

He was the one who left the letter in her jacket during training. She’d confront him and after hearing his cheesy confession she’d admit to always having had a crush on him as well, and the two would kiss and be the dream couple everyone would envy.

…At least that’s how he pictured it in his head.

“It must be Toge Inumaki. I can’t think of anyone else, to be honest.” Y/N crossed her arms in front of her chest, the letter still clutched in between her thumb and her fingers, as she gave an expectant look towards her friend, not knowing that his heart secretly deflated at her words.

Takuma tried his hardest not to show his thoughts all too clearly on his face. Usually, he was the personification of bubbly, open and unfiltered, blurting out the first things on his mind without really thinking of his words first. But this time he had to bite his own tongue to stop himself from speaking too quickly.

Why did she not realize that it was him who wrote that note? Then again, why did he have to sign it with his initials only? Was he really that stupid? Of course, there were other people with the same initials as him, he should have thought of this beforehand.

Or perhaps the fact that she instantly assumed it to be someone else meant that maybe she wanted it to be someone else? Did she believe Toge wrote the note because she wished that it was from him? Had her heart already been snatched by someone?

The possibility of it felt like a gut punch to Takuma. A few minutes ago he felt happy, expecting this moment to turn into the sweetest one of his life. However, by now his chest felt tightened, as if someone had reached down his throat and crushed his heart with bare hands, while simultaneously smacking the air out of his lungs.

This had got to be one of the worst moments of his life. He got rejected, indirectly at least, and in one of the worst ways too.

“If you think it’s him, then ask him about it.” The words were followed by a shrug of his shoulders, he tried so desperately to seem indifferent enough towards this. Of course, he didn’t want her to think that this entire topic didn’t matter to him, it did. More than she even knew. But she was smart and if he acted out of character now then she’d be onto him instantly.

Y/N let out a deep sigh, uncrossing her arms and letting them drop to her sides. As calm as she seemed, her mind was a mess. Why did she have to receive a letter like this? Anonymous with only initials to make her guess.

“Yeah sure, and what do I even say to him?” She asked with a hint of hopelessness, shrugging her shoulders lightly.

“That depends on whether you like him or not.” Takuma kept his posture, speaking in a tone that was usual for him. Or wasn’t it? He tried way too hard to appear like his normal self that he started to overthink his actions, words and even the tone he used. Did he talk like this any other day?

“I guess so.” Her response, paired with the deep sigh she let out and her sinking shoulders were a clear sign of defeat. She didn’t seem suspicious of him. Good, he had played his role well. Now he just needed to keep it up a little longer.

Eventually Y/N’s chat with her best friend offered no real help or conclusion, besides the obvious ‘talk to him directly. It was a piece of advice she didn’t need, considering it was apparent inside her own mind ever since she successfully deciphered the sender of the note.

She dreaded the encounter with Toge. She didn’t want to break the young student’s heart. Why did it have to be so uncomfortable and painful when friends caught feelings? How she wished for the ground to simply swallow her whole right at this moment.

Alas, there was no way around it. No matter how much Y/N tried to think of a different solution, she had to be direct and honest with Toge. He deserved that much.

Seconds passed and neither Takuma nor Y/N said anything. For Takuma the heavy tension in the air seemed almost unbearable. His heart threatened to burst out of his chest, wanting so desperately to confess to being the real author of the note. But he figuratively bit his own tongue to stay silent. It felt obvious enough to him that she wasn’t reciprocating his feelings.

On the other hand, Y/N felt a thick tension for different reasons. She dreaded the encounter with Toge, no matter how much she knew that it was necessary to clear the air. A feeling of unease and anxiety spread through her stomach and she took a few deep breaths, releasing the last one as a deep sigh.

“I should talk to him right now.” For a moment she glanced at Takuma before her gaze shifted towards the letter she still held tightly. There was nothing else to say or do, anything she’d come up with now would only prolong the much needed conversation.

“Good luck.” Takuma’s short nod was met with a grimace from Y/N, followed by quiet short noise that could only be described as a whine.

Just for a fraction of a moment he forgot the aching pain in his chest. Goddamn, why did she look so cute right now? It took all his willpower to keep his mouth shut when inside him everything was screaming at him to just be honest.

“Thanks.”

Without any further ado she turned on her heel. Even if she didn’t know where to find Toge, she was sure that eventually she’d run into him. Maybe she could think of the right things to say until then.

Takuma’s gaze followed her until she was out of sight. The second grace sorcerer wasn’t a coward or shy by any means, he was brave and courageous. So why couldn’t he just walk up to her and confess, like he had thought about so many times? Why did he settle to write a letter and leave it in her jacket like some clumsy lovesick teenager?

In an instant he froze in place, his eyes wide in shock as the realization hit him like a jolt of electricity. As soon as Y/N confronted Toge she’d find out that the letter wasn’t actually from him. His heart had started pounding and he felt paralyzed when he realized the extensive consequences of her finding out. Their entire friendship would shift and become awkward. In the worst case it might even end he’d lose his best friend.

He had to follow Y/N and ‘accidentally’ interrupt her encounter with Toge before the blonde student could expose his secret crush on his best friend.

For an experienced high grade sorcerer Y/N was far too immersed in her thoughts to realize that for the past half hour she had been followed by Takuma. He didn’t even have to use any cursed energy to be as stealthy as possible. She was too occupied with her search for the blonde student to notice him either way.

Well, she didn’t actively search for Toge, no. She dreaded this upcoming conversation more than anything else. Instead, she simply wandered around the school grounds as casually as she could. Eventually she’d find him, wouldn’t she?

She had already given up on thinking of what to say, nothing seemed good or fitting. With a nervous feeling in her gut she decided to just wing it and come up with anything she’d say on the spot.

Just when Y/N was about to call it quits and chicken out of this entire situation she saw Toge walking a little bit further away from her current position. After suppressing another unmotivated whine she took deep breaths to calm her nerves before approaching him.

“Hey, Toge!” She tried not to sound too loud with her yell as she ran up to the blonde student, who turned around towards her and greeted her with a hand sign, as per usual paired with a quiet: “Kelp.”

“I wanted to talk to you about something.” Y/N’s head was tilted a little and a somewhat awkward smile appeared on her face. Damnit. She tried so hard to act normal but she had only ever been in this situation two or three times before. Rejecting someone was hard on its own, but even worse when it was a good friend. How would she even start?

Instead of saying any of his safe words Toge opted to not say anything as he only raised his eyebrows. A silent sign that she had his attention and a gesture for her to keep talking.

“The letter you sent me… it was really nice, but…” As much as Y/N tried to find the right words, it resulted in her sounding uncertain. Hopefully this wouldn’t cause their friendship to get awkward.

The more she tried to construct a coherent sentence, the less she was actually able to speak properly. The nervousness that surged through her body felt almost paralyzing, even more so than the uncomfortable silence that hung between them. But she had to say something. She couldn’t give Toge any false hope. He didn’t deserve that.

“I don’t like you like that, I’m sorry.”

If Y/N had the courage to look up right now she would have seen the confused expression on Toge’s face as he tried desperately to make sense of this whole situation. However, her gaze was just about anywhere else, focusing on invisible dots, as to not look at him directly.

He wasn’t entirely sure what she meant, but with the limited vocabulary available to him he decided to simply agree with it and call it a day. Whatever this was about would surely resolve on its own. For him there was no need to stress about something he didn’t fully grasp either way.

“Salmon.” With that Toge nodded his head, conveying his understanding, even if it was merely an act.

“I don’t wanna hurt you, and I hope we can stay friends.” Even though Y/N harbored no romantic feelings for the short blonde student, rejecting a friend was always a gut-wrenching experience. It was something she hated, even if it had thankfully only happened very few times. The anguish of having to turn down someone she was close with always hung above the friendship, similar to the damning dropping chandelier in Phantom of the Opera. At one point it might crash and reduce the remaining friendship to rubble and dust.

Although this didn’t seem to be the case with Toge, he took the rejection like a champ. If Y/N hadn’t been too overwhelmed by this situation she might have realized that Toge even seemed a little too chill about getting rejected. But her mind was elsewhere, involuntarily drifting to the young sorcerer who was now hiding behind a wall, listening in on their conversation.

Toge hadn’t exposed him, he took the rejection and went with it. Yet, for some reason it caused Takuma to feel twisted. Y/N didn’t even think of him when she received the letter, and now she had officially rejected ‘T.I.’, which made it practically impossible to send her another note. He should have just gathered his courage and confessed when he had the chance.

“Salmon Roe.” Two words was enough to pull Y/N and Takuma out of their thoughts and bring them back to the present. She only nodded in an effort to ease the awkward tension between them, even if she was the only one that felt it.

Toge pointed towards his dorm rooms, not even attempting to say anything else before lifting his hand in the air to wave goodbye as he left Y/N on her own. Her thoughts were racing and her heart pounded in her chest. The conversation had gone smooth (more or less) and Toge took the rejection well. Hopefully this wouldn’t have any awkward consequences in their friendship.

Meanwhile Takuma leaned against the wall he was hiding behind, nervousness filling his stomach. He should get out of here, leave before she noticed that he had followed her.

His palms were sweaty, his heart beating so fast and hard that it threatened to burst out of his chest. His head leaned against the surface of the concrete as his eyes were closed. If he already felt like this when he was just hiding behind a wall then how was he ever gonna face her and confess? He, the usually cool, calm and collected auspicious beasts’ user, was undoubtedly a coward.

“‘Kuma?” Y/N’s voice rang in his ears, instantly his eyes widened. Instantly he cursed himself for not disappearing sooner. Now it was too late for that, if he attempted to leave now she’d just follow and question him.

“What are you doing here?” Her voice was, understandably, laced with confusion. Had he listened to the entire conversation she had with Toge? Why would he even care about it?

“Hey.” It was the most awkward and stupidest he had ever sounded as he dragged out the one word greeting. He wanted to disappear right now, vanish into thin air never to be seen again.

When he didn’t say anything she lifted her head forward just a bit and raised her eyebrows expectantly, urging him to continue with her sharp gaze. Oh, how he scolded himself internally at this very moment.

“I’m just here for emotional support…” The way the words came out of his mouth seemed more like a question instead of an answer to her initial inquiry. If there was ever an award for the worst lie, Takuma would receive it without any close competition. Even without this dead giveaway Y/N would have known that something was foul.

“Would you just spit it out?” Gone was the nervousness she felt just moments ago during her conversation with Toge. Now she was aggravated and irritated at his unusual behavior. It must have been connected to the love note, but she couldn’t come up with any reason why.

As Y/N was still waiting for his response, Takuma felt the sinking realization that he wouldn’t be able to get out of this situation without coming clean about the love letter. The weight on his chest grew heavier, his heart pounded louder, the beating rang in his ears. He wiped his hands on his pants, rather pathetically as they kept on sweating. Had he ever been this fucking nervous prior to this moment? He couldn’t remember.

Even after facing curse users, as well as encountering and successfully exorcizing countless curses, and finding himself in the most dangerous situations, he couldn’t remember ever feeling this uneasy in his entire life.

The silence between them remained for what felt like an eternity, but actually had only been about two minutes. Y/N knew that he heard her question loud and clear, there was no need to repeat it. Especially considering how nervous he appeared. Something was definitely wrong, but no matter how irritated or aggravated she was with him, she’d never pressure him. That simply wasn’t how their friendship worked.

Seconds felt like hours for Takuma but he knew he had to say something, and eventually, after taking multiple deep breaths, he finally overcame his uneasiness and forced himself to speak up.

“I’m T.I.”, as little as his words seemed, it had taken him immense courage to say them out loud.

“The letter… it’s from me.”

Y/N simply stared at him as he dropped this bomb of information on her. The thought of “T.I.” actually standing for Takuma Ino had never seriously crossed her mind. Even if for a split second she might have hoped for it, she had immediately dismissed it.

For as long as she had been friends with him he was never the type to write letters, especially love letters. She had known him long enough to learn his character inside out. He was blunt, but not brutal, open and unfiltered but never hostile. In short; he wasn’t someone who would hide behind an anonymous letter.

Or so she thought at least, which caused her thoughts to go into overdrive.

“You wrote that? Why? Did you think it’d be a funny joke? Is that why you didn’t say anything before and just let me make a fool out of myself in front of Toge?” Y/N asked suddenly, completely overwhelmed with this situation and clearly overthinking it.

Takuma knew that tone all too well, he was the one to calm her down more than just a few times, and while he was still nervous about this whole ordeal, he couldn’t watch how she doubted herself so much that she didn’t take his love letter seriously.

“No, it wasn’t a joke. Listen…”, for a moment he paused, his might searching for words as she took a step forward to her. He let out a deep sigh before he spoke up once more.

“I like you. Like… a whole lot. I’ve pretty much had a crush on you since forever. I don’t know what made me write a damn letter. I guess I was too much of a coward to tell you face to face.” Even though he had taken a step forward, he couldn’t look into her eyes. His averted gaze focused on an invisible point a few feet away.

“It’s not a joke, alright? I’m serious.” His heart hammered against his ribcage. This was the moment he didn’t want to experience.

Y/N was far too shocked to construct a proper sentence, the confession had taken her by full surprise. Neither of them dared to say anything but as the moments passed her lips curled into a smile that she tried to suppress. It was slowly setting in that this wasn’t a joke or a prank. Takuma seemed to be genuinely nervous, even anxious. Something she wasn’t used to seeing.

Furthermore, she had known him for quite some time and while he was a bit of a goof who liked to pull pranks, he never would have gone for something that could end up emotionally scarring someone.

Her heart went from racing twice as fast to skipping a beat all the way to pounding heavily inside her chest. It felt as if a fuzzy blanket was wrapped around her, the realization that the boy she had a crush on liked her back.

“And you’re really really serious?” She questioned quietly, her voice now lacking the previous panicky tone.

“More than anything.”

When he finally lifted his head again Takuma saw the smile on her lips. It was like a drug to him, instantly he returned it with a smile on his own, the uneasiness fading away and being replaced by a warm feeling that spread through his limbs.

“Good, cause I like you too.”

“You really do?” His mind struggled to believe that it was real, but the way she smiled shyly with this faint blush on her cheeks was all the proof he needed. And suddenly he’s floating from happiness.

Suddenly the anxiety he felt died down, and all the uneasiness disappeared from his body.

Y/N had no time to brace herself when all of a sudden his arms wrapped tightly around her frame, pulling her right into his warm chest. The closeness, paired with his familiar scent, felt like a dream to her.

Takuma didn’t need to say it, it was obvious that he was happier than ever about this development, but so was Y/N.

The two of them didn’t know how much time passed, could have been an hour, could have been an eternity. In reality it was closer to a few minutes, when he eventually loosened his hold and leaned back just enough to look at her.

Y/N could have sworn she just fell much deeper for him when she saw his unusually flushed face. A sign so beautiful and handsome that she never wanted to look away. It was a sight she didn’t expect, and certainly something she never knew she needed to see until now.

“So… Can I kiss you?” Takuma asked, and Y/N swore he was still nervous, which caused her chest to feel even warmer. It was unlike him to not ooze confidence with every fiber of his being, however, knowing that she had this effect on him, even after both of them confessing, filled her with pride.

“I don’t know if you can, but you should.” She responded with a smirk, albeit with her cheeks so heated that she felt like a radiator. The chuckle that followed her words was cut short when his lips captured her own. Her giggle died down when she practically melted into the kiss.

It was a little messy and chaotic, but eventually they fell into a rhythm that felt just right in every way.

Her hands, which were still wrapped around his torso from their hug, grabbed his sweater tightly. Meanwhile her thoughts dissipated, leaving nothing else but the blissful happiness, and the fluttering butterflies in her stomach.

Everything was drowned out until a few seconds later when Takuma pulled away. As if she was magnetized by him she tried to follow his lips, leaning further into him just a few inches before regaining her composure. She opened her eyes but didn’t look at him right away. It was such a silly thing that she felt embarrassed for not wanting the kiss to end but at the same time she knew that from now on she could have kisses anytime she asked.

Her hands slowly let go of his sweater. A wave of uncertainty hit her but it was gone as quick as it arrived once she felt him reach for her wrist.

His hand found hers, and their fingers interlaced. Y/N couldn’t help but notice how natural and easy everything felt with him. Her heart might have raced like a sports car and rang in her ears like church bells but being with Takuma like this felt more natural and comfortable than she had ever imagined.

For a while it was quiet as the two of them simply started strolling around aimlessly on the school grounds. But there was one thing Y/N still wanted to address…

“You couldn’t come up with a better way to sign it then T.I.?”

“To be fair I didn’t think your first thought would be Riceball Guy.” He mumbled back and rolled his eyes, listening as her giggles turned into a short but warm laugh.

His eyes were glued to her, the corners of his lips subconsciously curling into the happiest grin he could possibly create.

They had no label yet but she was his girl, there was no doubt in his mind about it. She was hers even before he had even known it. And there was no way in hell that he’d ever let go of her.

257 notes · View notes

the-eeveekins · 7 months

Text

Time to get some things off my chest I've been holding onto for a while, especially with regards to the Gundam community and G-Witch.

A solid chunk of the complaints I see about the show boil down to: person/place/thing wasn't as developed or given as much screentime as it would have if the show was 50 episodes, and it's potential was wasted as a result. And it just feels like a chunk of Gundam fans cannot get over a show NOT being 50 episodes, and that things can only reach their full potential if they are 50 episodes.

There's almost no adjustment of expectations for what the level of development, detail and screentime would be for a 24-25 episode length series. Just the belief that because it's less than the amount you'd find in a 50 episode series, it's automatically inferior.

And the way some people describe what they expected out of certain things, you can absolutely tell that they've been spoiled by the UC and don't have even remotely realistic expectations for a fresh AU without any sequels or supplemental content. The UC has been around for 40+ years with so much content to the point that nearly every minute detail has been explained and even over-explained. And certain fans have gotten so used to having every little detail spoonfed to them about a series that anything less is lacking or a plot hole.

Like, I seriously recall someone complaining that G-Witch didn't explain the treaty or agreement that banned the use of physical ammunition in space and that it was a plot hole! Or that the show didn't explain where Peil was getting it's doubles from? Or what characters like Guel and Shaddiq were like growing up?

Yes, G-Witch undercooked some of it's elements, probably because they expected to get more episodes than they did and added enough side and background content to give them 50 episodes worth of stuff if it got extended. But wanting the show to explore the detailed background of every side character, faction and location isn't something you're going to get in most AUs. Especially one that was only 25 episodes and more focused on telling a Shakespearean tale of two families than a large political war drama like most series.

And lastly, most of the complaints about the character development can be boiled down to one thing: most anime fans are used to having a character's thoughts and emotions spoonfed to them. G-Witch never once gets into the heads of it's characters and lets your hear their thoughts or feelings, leaving up to the viewer to interpret them based on their actions, reactions and knowledge of the character. And in a medium dominated by battle shounen, where characters constantly explain their every action and you constantly see every thought, I think a lot of people have gotten terrible at understanding character development that doesn't rely on it.

It's why there's so many complaints about Suletta not developing at all until late S2 despite developing a TON over the course of the show, because the show doesn't slap you in the face explaining it to you. Her personality doesn't go through a major change in the show because it doesn't need to, and S1 clearly shows her gaining more confidence and stuttering less around others as the season progresses. It's honestly not that subtle at all, the show just doesn't spend time explaining to you that it's happening, it just shows it happening. And that goes for a LOT of elements in the show people claim were too subtle or not explained well enough.

It's also why so many people claim Guel has the most development in the show, because his personality has to change drastically due to how awful he was (and tbf, he still ends the series as a pretty awful guy), and since it's such a major change, people claim he has the most developed character arc in the show because it's not subtle in any way.

It's not like G-Witch is a perfect show or free from criticism, but holy shit so many of the complaints I see boil down to unrealistic expectations of a two cour series or poor media comprehension/literacy. And that's not even getting into the people just hating on the show because they're sexist or homophobic.

#sorry it's a long rant #but it's been heavy on my chest for a while #g witch #the witch from mercury #gundam the witch from mercury #gundam

93 notes · View notes

nat-20s · 4 months

Note

please elaborate on how Donna fundamentally changed the structure and DNA of doctor who. take no prisoners. i have to know more. I think i know how you feel but i can't articulate it. Donna was the first companion to actually have significant plot relevance. Like, series 4 depended on Donna's decisions to function as a story and no other series until series 4 relied on its companion the way Doctor Who relied on Donna (Amy Clara and Bill excluded, but you could argue that's because of Donna setting the foundation). Or how the entire bit with Clara is such a cruelly ironic thing to put 12 through because it mirrors Donna's fate so well. but there's more. Donna was a massive catalyst for so much of post-series 4 doctor who but i can't articulate it. Your point about Catherine and David hitting it off as actors with unparalleled chemistry has so much to do with it too, i think.

i know there's more.

ok ok ok so this isn't going to be even slightly cohesive because like. I don't think she changed the series in a way that I can point to and be like "Nuwho used to be this and then Donna happened and then immediately Nuwho became That" but I think she did massively influence some of the directions the show went for overall.

I mean the most obvious way she changed the show is that she changed The Doctor, so like yeah if you change the central character of the show. In a lot of ways, Nuwho is very much a war story. And I think in the first three seasons The Doctor feels more like a General- a leader of the army, the one who knows what's happening and where to direct people and how to shift the tides. He is the Central Figure of the war.

And then Donna's season happens, and to me he starts feeling like more like a foot solider, or perhaps more accurately, a floor nurse. Donna very much grounds him in the people around him, he feels less, well, alien. The message that he is not there to always be the Grand Savior of the Universe or the Grand Warrior of Time, but to be on the ground and help the people that he can. And this very much carries through the rest of Doctor Who despite Moffat's best efforts, I mean yeah 12 literally says as much in the show. So there's a big ol change.

I think the second way she changed the show was due to a:Catherine Tate's comedic background and b: Catherine and David being those two friends that cannot stop being Sillay around each other is that I think she did allow the show to take on more comedic elements/ allow The Doctor and The Companion to have more FUN on screen. That's not to say that Rose and Martha never have fun with The Doctor because that's straight up not true but I think Ten and Donna have probably the highest fun per adventure ratio of any pairing and it doesn't ever feel like. Oh why are they having this fun on screen yknow?

The third big shift that I think Donna had on the series as a whole was the role of the Companion(s). Again not that Martha or Rose had ever been like. Inferior to The Doctor but to me Donna is the companion that feels the most narratively equivalent to him. The companion has always served as audience surrogate: the one to be like hey. what?? and get things explained to them for the benefit of the viewers at home. And this also happens with Donna but sometimes she's also the one doing the explaining to The Doctor! I mean, it's the soulmatism of it all, right? While The Doctor is always The Doctor as a character, Ten and Donna swap back and forth in who is taking on The Companion and The Doctor as functional roles in the story. And this was before she Literally Became The DoctorDonna like long before that happens the best way I can describe it is like. There's a podcast i've been listening to where they talk about the most "doctory" moment of the episode and tbqh a lot of times it's like "well really the most doctory moment was done by Donna" (i think her realizing that by the ood having their brains in their hands they HAVE to trust everyone is like the Peak example of this). We see this sort of thing carry on (Especially with Clara, but fascinatingly enough it's in like. a negative way bc she's sooo like the doctor but in a way that makes both of them worse) through the series in a way I don't think would've happened if Donna's season wasn't there.

And then lastly I mean she came, she served for three episodes, and she changed the structure of the show AGAIN by doing something that no companion has ever been able to do: she was able to pull The Doctor OUT of the narrative. The Doctor is like SUCH a doomed by the narrative (and by the way the show works in general) character and she said Nope! I am going to kick the narrative in the shins until I save my best friend actually <3. And then she did!!!! Holy fuck!! I know these specials JUST came out so we haven't seen all the ripple effects yet but there's no WAY that won't result in a fundamental shift of Doctor Who overall. Like 15's personality feels so unburdened in a way that has never been possible before this point. I'm so excited.

Anyway TLDR Donna changed the show by being a friend and an equal in a way that hadn't really been part of the Companion role before and she fucks so so severely <3

#replies #anon #doctor who #donna noble #god this is. so fucking long. sorry (or not?) anon

62 notes · View notes

kanna-12r · 3 months

Note

Hi!! I wanna know and see your OCs! Tell me more about themmmmm- Lens/Birdie

Birdieee!! 💕

Sorry this took way too long! ;;;;;

I lost this draft a few times so I was about to make it its' own post, but thankfully I found it!

This is a post filled with several tidbits about all eight of my children! Beware, it is very long 💦

This sweetheart right here is S-2508, with gifted name "Lady" 🤍

She was a frontline medic, now mostly stays as the medbay's psychological nurse/caretaker and [redacted].

Considered 'defective' or valued less due to her being a non-combatant, her inability to disregard distinguish emotions, and unawareness towards danger long before an incident that renders her broken.

Post-incident, she regularly steams out smoke when experiencing negative emotions. This could lead to a full-blown glitches and seizure. (Reference: Barbara Shadow from Shadow House)

Her veil and vial necklace is inspired by Victorian mourning attire. The vial is a memorial piece of sort.

She tends to unconsciously avoid other agents out of habit.

Although it takes a toll on her, Lady spends most of her time watching the live broadcast, sometimes making notes in order to be able to care for injured agents straight after.

The arm cuff on her right arm is a gift from her 1st partner, Faerie.

This darling over here is C-0209, you may call her "Faerie".

She was a weaponsmith and a battle agent like any other, with a scythe as her preferred weapon of choice.

A polaroid camera-head. In contrast with her peers, she couldn't record or broadcast her views.

Her wings and headwings are her personal customization. You may pet them if you ask for permission.

Capable of at least carrying two people when flying up in the air.

Friendly, but considered as some sort of an airhead and unserious agent.

Has a massive crush towards both Lady and Mystic. She was the one who gifted them their current personal names!

Gave one of her arm cuffs to Lady when they got paired to be partners.

Considered dead non-active post-incident, due to her core energy being shattered. There's a chance for her to be revived, hence Lady's vial.

This woman right here is TV-1309 with personal name "Mystic"!

She's an supervisor / overseer and Lady's 2nd partner / guardian.

Rather monotone and harsh, only has a definite soft spot crush towards Lady.

The only one out of others that was created prior to the war (as a companion), has met and worked for humans before.

Prone to jealousy, considers herself as inferior against her TV peers due to her original nature.

Dislikes comparison in general.

The dogtag necklace has her serial number and personal names engraved onto it.

Acts rather indifferent towards the Alliance, despite her diligently working for them against the damned toilets. Reasons are [redacted].

If you have no business with her, please remember to never come near. For your own safety.

This man is a medic cam numbered C-1311, with personal name "Chevron".

The leader of Lady's team. Takes high pride in his job, and is very pressured by others' expectations.

Acted rather apathetic towards his members, adamant with his commands, and prioritized their performance on top of everything else despite the relentless shenanigans that they caused.

Does not acknowledge weaknesses and disregards anything that he deems untrue in his view. Your opinion does not matter, it's better to not fight him.

Similarly to Lady, he does not understand emotions. But in contrast with that, he is similar to Mystic in regards of harboring jealousy towards his comrades.

Post-incident, he lost his pride and swore to keep a closer eye to the surviving ones he has left.

Fought the higher-ups twice due to him refusing to let any of his surviving members being dismantled or thrown away.

This big guy is LS-1410, and was gifted the name "Ornate"!

The vice-leader, a big softie and gentle man who acts like the opposite of Chevron.

Still a pretty strong and relentless guy, a very good combatant despite his main job as a medic. Why is he even a medic if he has the capability necessary for fighting?

Acted as Lady's unofficial guardian before Mystic. Was valued similarly due to his meek personality.

Post-incident, he begged to be taken away with others for not being able to fulfill his role in the Alliance despite his fixable injuries. His wish was not granted.

He taught Lady on how to deal with her emotions and steaming habit.

Has similar cracks like Lady at the back of his head.

Usually tasked to take care of the non-surviving agents along with Lady. Mostly because they're the only ones who are seen as dedicated enough.

This sassy-ass guy is S-2110, you may refer to them with their gifted name, "Euphony"!

A speaker medic that thrives from causing chaos and shenanigans within the team, which commonly isn't seen from a medic. Nowadays, they're more melancholic though.

Has an infinite amount of energy that's more fitting to that of a battle agent.

A pretty good combatant. Others wonder why are they even a medic in the first place?

Elegy's lover. Loves dragging him to the crimes they're about to commit.

In contrast with the chaos, they like to sing in a very soft, elegant manner. The one who taught Lady to regulate her singing.

Lost half of their core and both legs during the incident. Their legs got fixed just fine, but now they have trouble staying active for a prolonged amount of time. (Reference: Padparadscha from Houseki no Kuni)

Still helps around as a medic in the medbay along with Lady. Don't piss them off though, they know what they are.

This guy right here is C-1310, he's gifted with the name "Elegy".

A laid-back cam that loves tinkering and fixing machinery, hence why he fits as a medic, yet also not.

Pretty calm and level-headed, but also an enabler to his lover chaos. Could go batshit insane if it's anything involving Euphony.

Was a battle agent before being sent to the medbay along with Euphony. Reasons are [redacted].

Has personal grudge towards Chevron due to the incident. Or maybe he's just a hater, who knows? Euphony knows.

Ornate is rather intimidated by him.

His favorite pastime is to listen to the speakerheads in his team sing.

Post-incident, he likes to spend his time sorting through the Alliance's collection of documents and records, acting as a librarian or some sort while still helping as a medic.

He could ruin anyone, figuratively or literally.

Lastly, this big baby right here is "Arete", a clock mimic that is based on the setting from our dearest Cosmica!

They spent their entire young phase alone, with no parents nor guardians, hence their lack of understanding about the world. They still do not have any friends, although they know other mimics exist.

Loves plushies and dolls. They love collecting them within their nest as a form of safe haven.

Their name is a piece of memorial. The necklace and bow were also part of it.

Was found by S-2508 (Lady) during her rare journey outside of the base.

Refuses to talk to anyone else besides Lady, and communicates mainly through acted out signs (usually using a plushy they carry at the time).

Has an irregular 'eating' habits, causing the life energy glow to be all over the place and prolonged sleeping cycle.

These ones are characters that are present in my fic series so far. They're not OCs since they are not intended to be specific individuals with their own backstories, but I'll drop these doodles here just because.

There are "you" or "y/n", the speaky-cam pair we met in the first chap, our worrywart Scientist Cam, Large Speaky, our big boi Strider Speaker, and our darling TVman (he's not pictured here cause I ran out of place, too much pics).

Idk if I'll actually post 'em anytime soon since most of them are nonsense scribbles, but yea!

#Ask and Answer #Skibidi Toilet #Skibidi Toilet OC #Kanna's OCs #Skibidi Mimic #oc

24 notes · View notes

blubushie · 2 months

Text

Weird as hell being told another man would hold you and rock you and getting emotional about it. Especially when you haven't been held by another bloke like that since you were a child. And that boy also stopped being your friend because he found out you liked boys and was cool with it until you liked him too and then you stopped being The Good Faggot and just became a faggot.

What the fuck do you mean I'm a human being with human emotions and it's ok to want to be held by another man without judgement or him thinking a certain way about me. No that's gay shit that's for those feminine gays that's not me. I don't want that I don't NEED that I don't need ANYONE actually and I'm fine being alone forever and never even looking at another man and wishing he'd hold me cuz that's gay.

But the thought persists and I think of men I've known and spent time around and if they act a certain way or look a certain way I inherently feel INFERIOR and it's a constant need to prove myself and my masculinity to them so they don't think I'm one of those other men. And there's nothing wrong with being one of those other men, it's just that that's NOT ME but everyone ASSUMES IT IS because of how I look. If a bloke is taller than me I can't be short girlfriend. If a bloke is taller than me I can't be the bottom during a root. If a bloke is taller or smarter or more masculine I constantly have to prove that I can compete, I can endure, I can be just like him and BETTER because if I DON'T I'm not man enough, I'm not male enough, my chromosomes betray me and I'm the girl I was genetically supposed to be before my anatomy fucked itself and I constantly have to PROVE. If I wasn't short if I wasn't intersex and I FAILED it would just be lack of skill or lack of a something else but it wouldn't be "because you were supposed to have been born a girl and your chromosomes and height reflect that."

But it means I miss out. I haven't been held by another man for 8 years. I've never danced with another man because I'd be the one holding onto him due to the height difference. And it enrages me. I want to I want to I want to but I CAN'T because more than I want to be held, more than I want to be danced with, more than I want to be kissed and assured and hugged and have fingers through my hair, more than anything I want to be seen as equal.

And I'll never be. And that really really sucks. And I wonder how many years are gonna keep going by where I don't let myself do things I want or need because despite my fear of how people perceive me I AM a man and my status is everything. I can't be lesser than and I don't want to be.

I HAVE to prove I'm better I HAVE to prove I'm more capable I have to prove it to myself or to the men around me or to the women or to GOD HERSELF that I am more than the sum of my parts I am more than the body she put me in I can rise above whatever fucking curse this is and be good. It's not enough to be good. I need to be BETTER. Better than I thought I could be, better than everyone around me, better than anyone ever thought I could be it's not enough to be good at something I have to excel I have to be THE BEST AT WHAT I DO or it's not enough. I don't want what they have I don't want to be them I wanna be better. I need to be better.

If I was tall I'd just be some bloke. If I was perisex I'd just be some bloke. But I'm not. I'm a short intersex man and so EVERYTHING is entwined, EVERYTHING is a catch, I am the short feminine bottom except that's NOT ME. That's all anyone ever assumes upon meeting me and trying to hook up and the amount of times I've gotten people ANGRY WITH ME for telling them that I don't bottom is insane. You wouldn't make that assumption if I wasn't short and androgynous!

So I just don't do things and it builds and it builds and it builds and then I'm told that yeah actually another man WOULD slow dance with me and hold me and press his face into my hair and he WOULDN'T think any different of me about it because I might like to be held sometimes I think that's pretty human but I'm also the bloke who hunts dangerous animals and is a fucking good shot and gets in pub fights and can sink piss better than anybody and can track anything that leaves a trail and can skin a rabbit in ten seconds and ties his own flies for fishing and I'm CAPABLE and my need for physical affection or the desire to just be HELD by another man doesn't change that.

And I'm left staring at my phone and crying and wondering why I'm so emotional and if maybe I really am just a faggot because men don't cry over just being held by someone. Even if it has been eight years. Even if he's desperate to just not feel alone for once. Even if.

But god, do I want to.

It's ok to reblog this but please DO NOT tag it with any trans tags. I love my trans siblings and I get that we might have similar experiences in some areas, but this is explicitly about my experience as an intersex man and homophobia I experienced growing up as a boy who was attracted to other boys, and how it's affected me as an adult man. I'd like that to be respected. You cannot separate this post from my experiences as an intersex man. Thank you.

#blu a fuse #intersex #homophobia #vent #i'm tagging it as that because i'm putting it in bigger tags

17 notes · View notes

letmereadinpeace4 · 4 months

Text

I have finally finished the first part of the second episode and have reached the actual family conference. I have a lot of thoughts about George/Shannon and Jessica/Kanon.

I cannot really bring myself to ship either couple. They do have cute moments together, but I feel like their romantic feelings are mostly due to the fact that the other is fulfilling a need or resolving an insecurity rather than an actual connection.

George loves Shannon, but his feelings seem to be mostly helped by the fact that her fawning over him and her being formerly interested in Battler helps his insecurities and his feelings of inferiority. In a perhaps even worse way, Jessica's feelings for Kanon seem to be mostly due to him being one of the few men her age she has around (even the narration acknowledges it). As for Shannon and Kanon, and by extensions Sayo, her feelings are a complicated mess between being envious of them, admiring them, being grateful for the attention and interest and looking for a way to escape their place as "furniture". Overall, neither character seems to have genuine appreciation for their love interest as an actual person.

Another thing that bothers me is that George and Jessica come from a place of immense privilege and are, in many although different ways, incredibly self-absorbed (yes Jessica, please tell the orphan who was raised as a charity case, cannot go to high school and works his ass off as sixteen that YOU were born under an unlucky star).

While the story shows us how they are negatively impacted by this position in terms of familial pressure, they are still in a place where, in one hand, they have some measure of freedom to determine the person they want to be or present themselves as, and on the other hand, they have never suffered any amount of actual grave consequences and trauma. Because of this, their speeches of love and their protests against Shannon and Kanon calling themselves furniture ring very hollow. They do not understand Sayo's trauma and are in no way equipped to handle it and while this is certainly not their faults, their reactions really show how much they do not have the proper tools and insight to get to the actual core of the problem.

Furthermore, the cynical part of myself wonders how much their feelings will last when faced with the backlash from their choice of partners. Sure, George talks about how he does not care about what anyone will say, but will he say the same thing when his parents refuse to support him financially and he has to work a difficult or boring job to support his family? When his wife is used to humiliate him ? When he constantly faces comments and jokes about his partners? When he has to handle Sayo's trauma and the way it impacts her and her self-esteem? Hell, when he has to handle that he will never have any biological children? It is easy to say "I don't care what anyone says, I am marrying you" but the biggest obstacle is not the actual opposition, it is the length of time and the constant little annoying things that happen every day.

However what I find most interesting in this romantic nonsense is that some of these criticisms can be applied to Battler and Beatrice. By understanding the weaknesses in George/Shannon and Jessica/Kanon, we are prepared to see where Battler messes up with Beatrice and where she messes up with him. Battler can also be pretty self-involved, engaging more in the how done it that the why done it (which will eventually cause Beatrice's death). Beatrice also seems to be using Battler as a mean to an end. However, where George/Shannon and Jessica/Kanon never had the chance to overcome these flaws, Beatrice and Battler eventually were forced to face these flaws and grow up.

#umineko no naku koro ni #umineko when they cry #umineko #ushiromiya george #ushiromiya jessica #battler ushiromiya #beatrice the golden witch #sayo yasuda #letmerantinpeace

30 notes · View notes

koogl001 · 2 years

Note

Oooh! pillarmen and the reader who has diction problems? she speaks fast, swallowing half the words and you can barely understand what she said. And if they ask her something, they see her thinking and thinking for a very long time, she freezes and looks into the void while thinking.

One-Shots and HCs Masterlist

Kars

For him, it is yet another example of the inferiority of human kind

And here he thought you humans can’t get any weaker

One of the simplest things to do and yet somehow you still can’t do it properly

He makes it his point to comment on your poor diction

At first, you paid his jabs no mind but the more he scolded you, the more you grew self-conscious

Him being condescending towards you is the last think you need

Slowly but surely, you stopped voicing your thought around him

He of course took notice of that, and he soon came to realisation that he missed your voice

Though he is too proud to admit it, of course

He thought about asking the others how to make you talk again, but ultimately decided against it

Coming to them for help would make them think lesser of him and, once more, he is TOO proud

When he started asking you about your day, you found it highly uncharacteristic, answering as shortly as possible

What was even weirder was when he demanded you elaborate

Thinking this was some kind of trap, you sticked to silence instead, swiftly leaving his presence

Not even a month later, you woke up to strong arms encircling you

“Why do you no longer talk to me, human?”

Was that a hint of desperation you heard in his tone?

Never seeing the all mighty being in such a state, you decided to stop with your silent treatment and went back to your old ways of nearly incomprehensible rambling

And as you went back, so did Kars

His reprimanding of your speech was back to normal

You weren’t too bothered by it though, now knowing you have the upper hand

Just a few days of silence and you could have him practically begging

Esidisi

Flustered or frustrated, he doesn’t care which one of these he makes you feel my making fun of you

Loves how your eyes flare up with annoyance when he finishes your words or corrects you

When you confront him about it, he feigns innocence to the best of his ability, but you see right thru him

He also loves how you blow your cheeks and pout, poking and squishing them to irk you even more

What he isn’t however going to admit is that he finds it extremely cute

He loves the way your eyes twinkle when you finally find the right word to express what you wanted to say

Sometimes he asks you what certain words mean just to see that look of concentration on your face

You quickly find a way to turn this against him

Painfully prolonging the silence as you supposedly “think” about the right words just to test his patience which, as you swiftly discovered, isn’t the best

He knows what you’re doing, but that doesn’t make it less vexing

“You’re so mean!”

He wails as the waterfalls begin

Esidisi was weeping like a new-born baby and you had absolutely no idea what to do

It’s true that Wamuu has disclosed to you that when overwhelmed, his master cries to calm his emotions in order to not act hastily but this was the first time you saw it in action

It took half an hour to calm the man down

Feeling guilty, you spent the rest of the day (or night, the windows were always boarded so you never knew what time it was) sitting on Esidisis’ lap, gently playing with his hair and repeatedly apologising for your taunting

Wamuu

Poor Wamuu was so sad

He believed that your strange way of speaking was a result of you fearing him

Due to that, he mostly kept his distance from you

You didn’t understand the man, he was the one that brought you here and now, he’s avoiding you like the plague

Did he lose his interest in you so soon? What did this mean for you and your stay here?

You went to Esidisi, seeing as it was easier for you to approach him rather than Kars, for help

You admitted to him your concerns and sadness over Wamuus’ actions

What you didn’t know was that your conversation was over-heard by none other than the prideful warrior

It moved his heart to know you cared for him and he cursed himself for making you feel unhappy

Still, if fear was not the reason for your poor diction, then what is it?

Your speech pattern was the same when talking to his superior, so he deduced it thankfully wasn’t his fault

Ever since then, it was a 180 turn

The gentle giant spent all of his free time with you, typically situating you on his lap, playing with your hair and talking about anything you wanted

Anytime he could, he would show affection

Typically thru physical touch

He came to you one day with explanation of his previous actions with an exquisite golden necklace with tanzanite stones adorning it (which reminded you of his eyes) as a bribe for your forgiveness

You reassured him that you were not cross with him and are very much ecstatic about how things are between you two now

Santana

Santana may be a quick learner, but sometimes he is just too clueless

When you first spoke to him, he was intrigued

Is this how humans normally speak?

But the Germans articulation was so different

Maybe it’s because you came from another place?

Maybe all primitives from where you came from spoke this way?

Just like with the Germans, he started mimicking your speech

You were upset, thinking he was mocking you and making fun of you

So, just like with Kars, you ceased your talking to him

This spiked the youngest pillar man's curiosity even more

Why were you suddenly so silent? Did something happen to your voice?

In his pursuit of inspecting if you were “broken” he educated himself in human anatomy, specifically their vocal cords

In one of the books containing the information, he soon learned about diction

Taking the book to your room, he motioned towards a specific page as if wanting you to read it

You did, soon realising he wasn’t mocking you if he didn’t even know what it was before

You cleared up why you spoke the way you did, him just silently nodding his head like a child would when their parents explained something new to them

It took you by surprise just how concentrated he was, taking every word into careful consideration

You also expressed how it was not nice when others pointed out this flaw, like his superior did many a time

The next day, when dining together Esidisi was just about to make fun of you, but before he could even finish his sentence, aggressive growling could be heard

All heads turned to Santana, who was holding you protectively while glaring daggers at him

Thankfully, this act was not noted as one of defiance, therefore there would be no punishment

In contrary, the King of Fire actually let out a hearty laugh who, who knows why, soon ceased all his teasing

When you asked the red-haired man why he did that, he simply enveloped you in a gentle hug

“Need to protect...”

466 notes · View notes

kingcunny · 4 months

Note

I do think Aegon has gender fuckery going on but it's not at all related to Aemond the way Viserys/Daemon are tied up, and is much more related to Alicent and the Alicent/Helaena mother-dyad (or the Viserys/Rhaenyra father-daughter dyad). Grass is greener on the other side asf, sort of mirroring Rhaenyra's "I will never be a son."

As for Aemond, I do think he's a "family man" but more so in the fucked up sense of fatherhood. He feels entitled to the benefits of the position of patriarch due to masculine merit (it sort of echoes Rhaenyra's "I had to work for my inheritance"). Much of this entitlement and grind for the top is born out of inferiority complexes and victimisation (by Aegon specifically in various instances, though one ought not ignore the failure and fault of the actual adults), and as with most endeavours toward the patriarchal peak, Aemond ends up victimising various people around him (which appears to be mostly by accident LOL)

i mean i think thats what me and that other anon were saying. if aegon does have some gender issues its disconnected from aemond. (unlike the gender nuclear meltdown of viserys/daemon/rhaenyra) the idea that rhaenyra wants to be a boy and aegon wants to be a girl is very funny though, “grass is greener” exactly. that sibling rivalry thing kids do were they each think the other is the parents favorite. and *if only* they were a boy/girl then all that attention would belong to Them instead. (and i do noottt think aemond has any issues with being a Man. he is very comfortable with the power and authority that comes with being a man and Very Comfortable with demeaning women for being “lesser”. while aegon i could see wishing he was a girl so he WOULDNT have the expectations that he does.)

when i say aemond isnt a “family man” i mean it more in the ‘hes not the good little loyal boy who loves his family and will do ANYTHING for them’ type way. he HATES those people. (“the crown looks better on me”, abandoning his family without a second thought) hes the third born and second son. hes just a spare, to both viserys and alicent, and they treat him like one. the only reason he wants to be the eldest is because he thinks itll get him the attention and power he thinks aegon has. personally i see it as less of a ‘fatherhood’ thing and more as just a Power thing. it just so happens that fathers are the head of power. (not that, with viserys as his father, he has any concept of that lol) i do not think aemond wants to be a father or would have any interest in his child(ren) had he lived to see them. because even though he would have power over them, thats not the kind of power he wants.

i also disagree that in aemonds reach for power hes ‘accidently’ victimizing those around him. lukes death mightve been an accident, but aemond did not accidentally repeatedly call rhaenyra a whore and imply that as a woman shes too weak to rule. his execution of the entirety of house strong over a grudge (excluding the one he wanted to fuck) was not an accident. he knows what hes doing.

#the inferiority #complex does come into play with aemonds Desire for Power #but thats most second sons who wish they were eldest #aegon ii targaryen #aemond targaryen #asks

21 notes · View notes

yandere-daze · 1 year

Note

I have a question? From emsemble stars and twst, which character (as a yandere) do you think is the most possessive? (I'm genuinely curious)

Hi cupid, it´s good to see you :D

Hm, I always have difficulties deciding when it comes to what character is the most *insert thing* but here are what came to mind when I read this ask ^^

For twst, I think Malleus, Leona and Jamil would be some of the most possessive yanderes. All of them actually for kind of similar reasons

Malleus has the "benefit" of being a dragon fae and dragons are known to be possessive creatures when it comes to their treasures so that´s one thing that would point me towards yandere Malleus being possessive. Then there´s also the fact that he´s probably very lonely. Because of who he is and what he looks like, most everyone at NRC is scared of him and that´s why Malleus has a lot of trouble making any friends at all, which probably makes him very sad.

And then you come along and suddenly there is someone that doesn´t fear him and cares about him. It´s no surprise that he wouldn´t be willing to ever let you go after all this time of being alone, right?

Leona for as long as he can remember has always been the second choice, his brother always getting all of the praise simply because he was born earlier. This by no doubt made Leona bitter and caused him to not want to give anything his best efforts, as it would still amount to nothing in his mind.

But then suddenly you come along and somehow manage to worm your way into his heart. And suddenly being second place in your heart is something that doesn´t satisfy Leona anymore. Just this once, he wants to be first. He wants to be the only person that gets to hold and touch you and he´s willing to fight dirty to achieve that. He´s not going to leave things up to chance and risk that someone else might sweep you away

Jamil, similar to Leona actually, always had to stay in the shadows his entire life. He was supposed to serve Kalim and raise him up while making sure that he himself was always inferior.

From book 4 we know how much this hurts Jamil so when his darling finally comes along and cares about him and not Kalim, his possessive side begins to show. He´s never had that kind of attention before and he fears that it isn´t going to last. What if you actually start to like Kalim more than him and leave him behind once more? He can´t let that happen.

Jamil decides that just this once, he wants to have something for himself

As for enstars, hoo boy there are so many characters that I´m probably going to forget someone that is shown to be really possessive in canon but for now some of my picks are:

Ritsu. I think you all saw this coming. Ritsu is the clingiest character I know ( “You know other clingy characters??”) and he´s shown to be very jealous and demanding when it comes to the people he loves. He doesn´t want to be separated from his darling for even a second and gets jealous when they´re spending time with someone else. Absolutely is the type to bite you just so others can see that you have been claimed by him.

This all stems from his abandonment issues that he developed due to Rei and the war so know you know who to thank for having this possessive vampire boy breathing down your neck 24/7

Another one I see as being very possessive as a yandere would be Natsume. I actually don´t really have like a very good reason for this but he just strikes me as the type? He definitely also is the type of boyfriend to get really jealous and agitated if someone else spends too much time with his darling.

Actually remember that time in Wonder Game where he was upset and scared because he thought Tsumugi was going to leave him so he like blackmailed a teacher so they would show him Tsumugi´s files where he wrote down what he wished to do after he was done with school? Normal behaviour

Shu I feel would get possessive once you´ve actually mentioned to break down his barriers and got to know him better. He´s not one to be open about his feelings and his rather.... harsh way of speaking to people that are “bothering” him don´t make it very easy to talk to him in the first place so it would take a lot of effort on your end to get closer to him.

But once you do manage to achieve that somehow? He gets very attached very easily and you probably don´t even notice the subtle changes to the way he treats you. Starts to try and drive off other people with his sharp tongue so they won´t take you away. Demands you to stay around while he sews because he likes your company.

Korka showed a screenshot of this before but literally the type of guy that gets offended when you say you have a life outside of him???

He would have been way worse if we were talking about past Shu and he has gotten way better by now but I still think some of that would remain if he really does love you. It moreso stems from a fear of being left behind than of a need to control you, though they do overlap at times

#twisted wonderland #twst #ensemble stars #enstars #malleus draconia #leona kingscholar #jamil viper #ritsu sakuma #natsume sakasaki #shu itsuki #yandere #yandere x reader #yandere twst #yandere ensemble stars #cupids-chamber

195 notes · View notes

cinnamonest · 1 year

Text

//cultural discrimination/xenophobia/some insult, forced cultural assimilation, pretend Teyvat nations speak different languages for me okay

-- This last post got me thinking more about the concept of forced cultural assimilation -- it's so degrading, but a powerful tool for completely stripping a darling of all sense of identity and independence. A darling that is from a very very different place, all the way across the continent, being dragged away to some new place you know nothing of.

Relocating is in and of itself a daunting experience, especially when it's not of your own free will. Being taken from home and to some place where you understand nothing... it forces you to rely on your captor to navigate daily life. Forces you to need him.

It's not just a matter of vales and other "big" things, but it's a lot of little, everyday things too. You don't know what this food is and what it contains, so you have to ask until you find something that sounds like something you'd like. Even then, half of the time you've never even heard of the components anyway, so you have to just learn by experience. Not only that, but apparently there's a certain way to eat this or that, and you apparently do so incorrectly.

The people here perhaps have pieces of furniture you're unfamiliar with, maybe doors that work differently than what you're familiar with, and you keep trying to open them the wrong way. The tools they use for everyday tasks are different. Your captor speaks your language, thankfully, for whatever reason. No one else does, though, none of the people you're allowed to interact with. Your nation is far away enough that almost no one here bothers to learn its language, as it's not really useful to them. Being constantly exposed to so much dialogue when you have no idea what any of it means is... frustrating. Occasionally, you catch people looking over at you when they speak. They can freely talk about you right in front of your face. It's frustrating. It's humiliating. Even to the extent that your captor allows you to be in the presence of others (depending on the boy, be it servants of some kind, maybe his family, maybe his acquaintances), you find yourself relinquishing it, preferring to isolate yourself alone in your own room.

You can't read anything, either. You want to understand how to use this product, but the packaging and instructions are illegible to you. You don't know which bottle is this and which is that, you can't read the instructions on the packaging to understand how to make the food you were instructed to make, and you end up getting it all wrong. You manage to secure a map in hopes of plotting some sort of escape, but when you look at it, you can't read a thing. You bitterly think to yourself that even if you got out, it's not like you could ask anyone for help.

But no worries. You'll learn.

Yes. You will learn. He's been nice enough to buy you these books. Nice enough to take time to tutor you. The least you can do is put some effort in. After a while, due to you being... less than cooperative, it seems the only way to get you to stop being so stubborn is by force. Eventually, the strategy he uses is that he just starts to refuse to respond to or speak to you in your tongue. He won't acknowledge anything you say, not until you stop being so immature and speak how you're supposed to. If you want anything at all, you'll just have to start learning. You have such a cute accent. Hope it sticks, even after you get better.

Besides, your language sounds so... unpleasant. No offense! It's just, you know, not all that pleasing to the ear, like his native language is. Your nation is kind of inferior in every way, really. The clothes, cultural mannerisms, food and all that... they really should do things more like the people here do. At least you specifically have the privilege of being exposed to a more sensible, enriched way of life. You'll adjust quickly, for sure.

Well, you'll adjust, but people also have to adjust to your presence. You often think it would almost be better to be blissfully unaware of how much you stick out, but you're not. You're acutely, painfully aware. It's true even if you don't do anything to stand out; different regions of the world, even across small distances, develop different features -- regardless of whether it's by a lot of visual differences or only a few more subtle ones, people around you can immediately tell you're not from this land just by looking at you.

Similarly, as humans tend to do when they see something that stands out from other things around them, their gazes often linger on you for a moment. The more lacking in self-awareness ones may even stare, gawk with a sort of curiosity, wondering why you're so far from home. You know it's innocent, that they mean well and have no ill intent... but it still makes you uncomfortable.

The clothes feel different. Perhaps this region is warmer, you're not used to wearing something that exposes so much skin, but you couldn't bear the sweltering heat otherwise. Or perhaps the inverse, it's so cold, but you're not used to having so many layers, it feels awkward and heavy. You don't wear it right either, so you soon find out. No, no, you're wearing it wrong. This thing is tied like this, this part goes on the other side, this goes in the back and not the front. He looks kind of amused as he fixes it. It makes you feel horribly embarrassed, you clench your jaw, but say nothing.

In fact, you feel like you're constantly embarrassing yourself. You keep doing things that earn puzzled looks from people, sometimes even judgemental glares. You're holding this wrong, wearing this wrong, eating this wrong, saying this word wrong. Your posture, your expression, your tone of voice, all wrong. You said something that's considered inappropriate or offensive without knowing. Depending on the mistake, sometimes people snicker, sometimes they get wide-eyed, or look offended. Sometimes, when you try to speak to others, they have a slight smile of amusement at your words, finding your pronunciation or sentence composition or substitute words to be endearingly bad. You end up closing yourself off, trying to not speak to anyone at all... only him. You get the sense he doesn't mind that.

Likewise, the way you're presented, or lack thereof, can become frustrating, humiliating. Perhaps you may be more used to a quiet, modest lifestyle. All of a sudden, now you're being paraded around, exposed for satisfaction and shown off like a sort of trophy. You hate feeling eyes on you.

Inversely, you may be from a much less restrictive place, and the rigid traditionalism here is foreign and confusing because you're never sure of what you're allowed to do without earning shock and judgement. You got a lot of raised eyebrows and even an audible gasp for visibly looking up at and making eye contact with some other guy, speaking out of turn, walking outside of a certain square foot radius from your captor.

He talks about you like you're an animal, as if you can't hear. Apologizes for you. Says you're just getting adjusted is all. Says you just don't know any better, like you're some stupid child that doesn't understand anything. Depending on the boy, he may sort of chuckle about it as he says it, making the shame you feel burn that much more.

But it's okay. Just keep clinging to him, and you'll be fine. Stay by his side and only talk to him. He'd never make fun of you. You'll be happy you were brought here. Just stop complaining. You're only getting yourself into negative thought patterns that way, and you'll never adjust. And you want to be happier here, make things easier, don't you?

And speaking of which... you know, maybe you should change your name. Of course, he already had you change your last name to match, but maybe the first one needs changing too. Would help you fit in better. Maybe it would help you forget about your life before. That tendency of yours to bring up your former life -- saying you didn't have to do this or that back home, saying your family loved you more than he does, saying you hate it here -- it's rather pesky and annoying after a while. If you had a new name, one that fit this place, one that made you feel more at home, one that made you dissociate the 'you' before and the 'you' now... maybe then, you'd be a little more appreciative.

#id kill a man for this irl ngl #i couldn't decide which boy this should be for so I ended up making it as vague as i could #maybe will make more later #but reqs first #scheduled post #yan.txt

159 notes · View notes