#but there's something about the disconnect between their beliefs

[bitchfitch]

just curious what people said about your art, in regard to your vibes and what artists youre reminiscent of- especially the contradictory stuff

for the similarities: H. R. Giger, Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, a few different Tumblr artists who I haven't had time to like, look into yet so I'm not going to tag them dbhdhrjd, and also the locked tomb series.

and the themes that were mentioned were dark drama, exploration of difficult themes, monstrosity being made mundane, and generally a sense of dread.

I think the contradictions mostly came from people who only interacted with the comedy stuff and art, vs people who interacted with the prose as well. the majority of my actual art trends towards the more lighthearted and pretty sides of things, while my writing gets into the like, edgelord gore and actually kinda fucked stories. so tldr it was "monstrosity as something warm and beautiful" vs "monsters being monsters to other monsters"

A few different people mentioned that I tend to be extremely experimental with both my art and writing. which on the art from I think that comes from the fact I regularly say "hmm hate this" and radically change my style bc I got bored with it. while on the writing I think it's because I change my narration style to suit the project and focus character so there's no stylistic consistentancy between any of the writing projects that are actually like. having effort put into them instead of being random drabbles. The drabbles have a wandering style that's just based on whatever I last put effort into.

#Thank you again to everyone who sent something dnndjdjdjjdjdndn #like. vermins angel is the project i think characterizes both contradictions #The actual posted story is of a man being maimed and kid napped by a monster who is completely disconnected from reality. #The art is of them like. kissing and smiling and being cute with eachother. #the rest of the story is about how a morally imperfect but still Reasonably good person can be pushed into an extremist belief #and involves the mc waking up in bed with the decapitated corpse of his best friend. #The style difference between Lino and Vincents chapters is also extremely intentional #Vincent fixates andntepeats concepts and loops back on himself. his narration involves no visual descriptions and spends a lot #more time on touch and the here and now. #Lino is more flighty and nervous his narration gives a lot more context to the wider situation because he's actually thinking #about more than his immediate surroundings

[writingwithcolor]

Depicting Real World Religions Alongside Constructed Religions

Maya asked:

Hi WWC! Thank you so much for this blog, it's an infinitely wonderful resource! Do you have any suggestions for how I can balance representation of real religions with fantasy religions, or should I avoid including these together? Does the fact that certain things bleed over from our world into the fantasy world help legitimize the appearance of real world religions? I feel like I can come up with respectful ways to integrate representation in ways that make sense for the worldbuilding. For instance, no Muslim characters would practice magic, and both Jewish and Muslim characters would conceive of magic in ways that fit their religion (rather than trying to adapt real religions to fit my worldbuilding). I also have some ideas for how these religions came about that fit between handwave and analogous history (though I realize the Qur'an is unchangeable, so I'm guessing Islam would have come about in the same way as IRL). BTW—I'm referring to humans, not other species coded as Muslim or Jewish. I may explore the concept of jinns more (particularly as how Muslims perceive fantastical beings), but I definitely need to do a lot more research before I go down that road! Finally, I saw a post somewhere (*but* it might have been someone else's commentary) suggesting to integrate certain aspects of Judaism (e.g., skullcaps in sacred places/while praying, counting days from sundown instead of sunset) into fantasy religions (monotheistic ones, of course) to normalize these customs, but as a non-Jewish person I feel this could easily  veer into appropriation-territory.  *One of the posts that I'm referring to in case you need a better reference of *my* reference: defining coding and islam-coded-fantasy

[This long ask was redacted to pull out the core questions asked]

"Both Jewish and Muslim characters would conceive of magic in ways that fit their religion (rather than trying to adapt real religions to fit my worldbuilding)."

Just a note that while having religion be part of magic is a legitimate way to write fantasy, I want to remind people that religious characters can also perform secular magic. Sometimes I feel like people forget about that particular worldbuilding option. (I feel this one personally because in my own books I chose to make magic secular so that my nonmagical heroine wouldn’t seem less close to God somehow than her wizard adoptive dad, who is an objectively shadier person.) I’m not saying either way is more or less correct or appropriate, just that they’re both options and I think sometimes people forget about the one I chose. But anyway moving on—

Your decision to make the water spirits not actual deities is a respectful decision given the various IRL monotheistic religions in your story, so, thank you for that choice. I can see why it gets messy though, since some people in-universe treat those powers as divine. I guess as long as your fantasy Jews aren’t being depicted as backwards and wrong and ignoring in-universe reality in favor of in-universe incorrect beliefs, then you’re fine…

"I saw a post somewhere (but it might have been someone else's commentary) suggesting to integrate certain aspects of Judaism (e.g., skullcaps in sacred places/while praying, counting days from sundown instead of sunset) into fantasy religions (monotheistic ones, of course) to normalize these customs, but as a non-Jewish person I feel this could easily veer into appropriation-territory."

That was probably us, as Meir and I both feel that way. What would make it appropriative is if these very Jewish IRL markers were used to represent something other than Judaism. It's not appropriative to show Jewish or Jewish-coded characters wearing yarmulkes or marking one day a week for a special evening with two candles or anything else we do if it's connected to Jewishness! To disconnect the markers of us from us is where appropriation starts to seep in.

–Shira

To bounce off what Shira said above, the source of the magic can be religious or secular--or put another way, it can be explicitly granted be a deity or through engagement with a specific religious practice, or it can be something that can be accessed with or without engaging with a certain set of beliefs or practices. It sounds like you’re proposing the second one: the magic is there for anyone to use, but the people in this specific religion engage with it through a framework of specific ideas and practices.

If you can transform into a “spirit” by engaging with this religion, and I can transform into a “spirit” through an analogous practice through the framework of Kabbalah, for example, and an atheist can transform through a course of secular technical study, then what makes yours a religion is the belief on your part that engaging in the process in your specific way, or choosing to engage in that process over other lifestyle choices, is in some way a spiritual good, not the mechanics of the transformation. If, on the other hand, humans can only access this transformative magic through the grace of the deities that religion worships, while practitioners of other religions lack the relationship with the only gods empowered to make that magic, that’s when I’d say you had crossed into doing more harm than good by seeking to include real-world religions.

Including a link below to a post you might have already seen that included the “religion in fantasy worldbuilding alignment chart.” It sounds like you’re in the center square, which is a fine place to be. The center top and bottom squares are where I typically have warned to leave real-world religions out of it.

More reading:

Jewish characters in a universe with author-created fictional pantheons

–Meir

#religion #magic #fantasy #Judaism #Islam #Worldbuilding #Jewish #asks #supernatural beings

[gjenkatarot]

PICK A CARD 🌌 A message that's meant for you to hear.

Masterlist | Paid readings | Exchange readings ⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂☆

☆ Pile one ☆

Get ready for a sudden change in your financial situation, and it could swing either positively or negatively. You might face some challenges and tough times during this period. The cards are advising you to spend more time connecting with yourself, taking care of your needs. This could also involve strengthening your bonds with family. It's crucial to strike a balance between financial stability and your overall well-being. If you're feeling disconnected, seek support from your loved ones. Remember, your value isn't just tied to material things.

Focus on self-care and healing during this time, and maintain faith in what lies ahead. Listen to your inner voice, be mindful of negative influences, and stay strong and guarded when facing obstacles.

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂☆

☆ Pile two ☆

You're going through some changes, and guess what? It's a good thing! You're actually on the right path, so keep going. Even though you'll face some challenges, the cards say you've got what it takes to overcome them. It might feel tough at times, but believe it or not, it's all for the best!

So, let's keep those spirits up! Have hope and optimism because there are plenty of opportunities headed your way. Trust that everything will fall into place eventually. You're not just going with the flow; you have the power to take charge and make decisions.

The cards are cheering you on to trust yourself, follow your dreams, and use your smarts and passion to reach your goals. You've got this!

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂☆

☆ Pile three ☆

It seems like you're holding onto something that's supposed to be let go. Whatever it is, it's not doing you any favors anymore. The cards are nudging you to let go of those old beliefs, habits, or patterns. Something old is wrapping up to make room for something new and exciting.

The cards want you to be open to change, seek stability, take good care of your emotions, and focus on your overall well-being. It's like finding that sweet spot between holding onto what's important and being ready for new adventures. This balance could lead you to a more fulfilling and abundant life.

So, embrace the change, pile three, and get ready for some positive shifts coming your way!

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂☆

☆ Pile four ☆

You might've had a tough time or some clashes with others lately. The cards say it's crucial to realize that not every battle is worth fighting. Sometimes, it's better to let things go and find peace. They encourage you to connect with your emotions and express them in a healthy and real way.

Stay true to yourself, be careful in your choices, and use your skills to achieve your goals. Think about the outcomes of your decisions and make sure you're acting with honesty. Remember, it's okay to let go of unnecessary conflicts and focus on what truly matters.

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂☆

#tarot #tarot reading #tarotcommunity #tarot cards #pick a card #free tarot #pac reading #pick a pile #general reading #tarot readings #tarot card reading #tarotblr #divination #divine messages #spirituality

[petr1kov]

i already made a video on the topic so i might be repeating myself, but the release of these recent silent hill projects make it impossible for me to not think about how much this franchise struggles with defining its identity. and for as much as i love silent hill 2, it's kinda its fault for muddying the waters on what a silent hill game was supposed to be 'about', since it is the one game that popularized this notion of the 'therapist town'.

twisted projections of the worst parts of someone's mind have been a cornerstone of the series since the first entry, where we are forced to experience alessa's nightmare, but it's a notably different approach than that of the second game, starting by the fact that it's a deep dive of someone else's mind, not the protagonist's - a formula that repeats itself most notably on silent hill 4, with walter's character being the sources of the projections, and even silent hill 3, where we are split between heather and claudia's versions of the otherworld.

in these games, we spend a good chunk of the game with our player characters as confused spectators of a horror that is connected to them, sure, but bigger than themselves. it is that contrast that made silent hill 2 stand out back when it came out, in fact. finding out that what we were experiencing stemmed from james himself instead of other characters around him was a genuine twist, not the forgone conclusion that it became these days.

in reality, what i believe has always been central to the identity of the silent hill games and that has been sorely neglected on basically every title that has been released after 4 (no doubt because of this belief that silent hill /needs/ to be about a tortured protagonist discovering hidden truths about their lives) is the occult. the genuine surreal supernatural elements that complement the metaphors. the cult and the gods and the otherworld and the psychic powers. and that's something that even silent hill 2, the game most disconnected of this aspect of the series out of the original four, still recognizes and approaches in direct ways. that's what makes maria such an intriguing character, especially on born from a wish, and there's even an ending where james tries to engages directly with elements of the cult of the original game, attempting to perform a ritual of rebirth on mary.

i feel that later silent hill titles feel almost ashamed to engage with these elements directly, preferring to lean heavily on the metaphorical aspects of it in order to downplay the weirdness of the occult in the series, but in doing it that, you end up stripping it of something that's essential to it, that gives the series its distinct flavor and, worse of all, end up with very samey, predictable stories that try and fail to recapture the magic of silent hill 2

#silent hill #like take sh1 and sh4... those are literally about some guy put in situations. nothing more. the weirdness and mystery sells it #and where's the mystery in a game where you know the protagonist is always projecting their trauma and etc etc #that's why i'm giving silent hill f the benefit of the doubt so far bc i think it's the one most likely to lean on the occult

[jellyjays]

transfem kuai liang headcanon

hi. as a precursor to this whole post, i'm going to give the forwarning that i am absolutely batshit insane about this. if one could call an avid fan of something 'down the rabbit hole', then i am in the core of the fucking planet of this. i am thinking about her at all hours of the day. i have a several thousand WC braindump doc that i still need to elaborate on. with that said, if you're willing to give a look-see, jump down the rabbit hole with me as i give you the rundown.

i have many, many, many words about her. many of them. but i'll try to summarize my reasoning for this particular headcanon because it's actually much much deeper than the initial vibes.

THE DEEPER REASONING

kuai as a character seems really closed-off and disconnected. especially when we first meet him. he's duty first, no-nonsense. he's quiet. and then we get to know him more, and to know bi-han more, and there's this... sense of unease, somewhat? like bi-han, we can see that he is standing on firm foundations of his ideals. we know what he wants. we know who he is. he stays true to these ideals, even by betraying his brothers to join the side of shang tsung and quan chi. he is a character who knows what he wants and we can predict his actions based on it. on the other hand, in contrast, kuai liang seems almost... unstable, in a sense, and adrift. we only really get to know the fact that he valued his father's teachings. and bi-hans betrayal seems to throw him even more adrift.

and being adrift and unstable on his foundations is a trait i see VERY often in my own experience and in the experience of my transfem friends (and here we hit my biggest point on why i headcanon kuai liang as transfem-- the sheer number of parallels between his story and trans experiences).

when bi-han betrays the lin kuei, and in turn, kuai and smoke, kuai has no issues taking down SEVERAL fighters along with general shao-- and you can sense the rage that fuels it (yet another parallel with trans experience). that feeling of 'i put faith in you, i trusted you,', and in this case, 'i followed you, i am who i am because of you, i changed myself for you, and you repay me with this?'

it's unbelievable pain and anger and betrayal, and though he eventually calms enough that he goes back to his quiet, calculative self, it's earth-shaking. this parallels a lot of the feeling, in the trans experience, of the betrayal you feel when your loved ones, the ones you trusted, you changed yourself for, turn to transphobia and terf rhetoric. turn to the beliefs you know hurt people (earthrealm, or your trans friends) and hurt you, and make you their new target.

i'm sad we don't get much focus on kuai liang after that chapter of the story-- i'd pay good money to get an expansion of his story. we know at the very least that he goes on with smoke to form the shirai ryu, and train the young hanzo hasashi, but that tells us nothing, so i don't have a lot to work with. but that gives a lot of wiggle room when making guesses at his character.

reviewing what we know, i reiterate that parallels make kuai liang's character incredibly readable as trans-coded. and i will say now that i know nothing about him screams 'fem!', but i see his character as transfem because of other things-- once again, parallels. kuai liang, as a character, is very clearly honor-driven. he values, above all, his family. his lost father, his bonds with his brothers. his clan. and on top of that, none of his character reads... as 'man' to me. kuai just doesn't read as someone who identifies with a man to me. by that, i mean that he does not seem... comfortable or confident in his masculinity. and that disconnect, once again, is a DIRECT parallel to trans experiences.

THE FUN STUFF

ok now that i've gotten that out of my system i can tell you about the more fun headcanons i have around her heheh

uses she/he pronouns

smoke gave her a golden scorpion-shaped hair claw and she uses it ALL THE TIME.

she likes to wear eyeliner in everyday life and do fancy eyeliner for battle

he and smoke have bonding time while smoke braids her hair. she very frequently falls asleep during braiding time.

smoke is also her biggest supporter, but hanzo is very frequently fighting for the title.

i will be adding more as i think about it. this is all for today. i hope you enjoyed this post. ok byeeeee

#fem kuai liang #i will tag all posts about this with that #mk1 kuai liang #mk1 art #mk1 #mk1 2023 #mk1 bi han #mk1 scorpion #mk1 headcanons #trans headcanon #connor is mk1posting again #kuai liang fanart #scorpion fanart

[communistkenobi]

in Whipping Girl, Serano grapples with "nature vs nurture" "biology vs society" and so on, and she seems to fall into a sort of centrism where both models are wrong (or rather, only partially correct). her argument is that on the one hand, gender is very obviously socially mediated and (re)produced, and on the other, there is something within people that precedes the social and determines our comfort level with the gender roles we must perform in our lives - she calls this subconscious sex, this thing that everyone has, including cis people, but in trans people it produces this feeling that we are not living our gendered life correctly, that there is some disconnect deep down, that our assigned gender is dissatisfying in some intangible way that can only be resolved via transition. and this subconscious sex is maybe biological or maybe psychological, but it's something that can remain unmoved by the gendered social pressures we are forced to navigate, and therefore there is something "true," or at least compelling, about a partially biological conception of gender. It's not classical gender essentialism but rather a retraction of the essential element of gender away from our genitals and into our brains.

and i find this nature vs nurture dichotomy she explores extremely frustrating. first, for the obvious fact that it assumes a very limited experience set for trans people (a lifelong struggle with gender dysphoria that begins in childhood and culminates in a binarist transition from "one sex to the other"). this model is correct for some people, but it is also the model that medical and psychiatric institutions rely on when "diagnosing" us as "real" transgender people, excluding the possibility of exiting the binary altogether, of rejecting it outright, or of even experiencing the binary in different ways.

two, I don't actually think gender essentialists are making biological claims about sex and gender when they talk about the inherent differences between men and women, because the scientific consensus on the biological components of sex are far more complex than genitals = gender, a fact that has no bearing on reactionary beliefs about gender and sex. Gender essentialists are making political claims using the rhetoric of the biological, the natural. These people have political platforms and goals that are not even remotely restricted to the realm of biology - gender segregated bathrooms and change rooms as well as sports and competitive games, banning transition care for trans people, the violent enforcement of patriarchal & white supremacist western gender norms, the attendant political beliefs about the criminalization of sex work, and frequently, the banning of abortion - these are claims about the built environment, about entertainment & play, about medical care, about labour, about law and the role of the state in producing gender. What is "biological" to transphobes & homophobes is what is natural and unchanging, but paradoxically must also be violently imposed upon people in every sphere of their life in order to be maintained. You see conservatives do this all the time - they talk about natural law, about the rule of man, "survival of the fittest" being used to gleefully explain social murder, "natural differences in men and women", biological claims about racial superiority, and so on. These are not biological claims because these claims do not bear out empirically, they are claims using the authority of tradition cloaked in the authority of biology. "It's always been this way" is not about biology, it is a call to return to a mythical past, a past closer to the imagined "natural state" of human beings prior to the intrusion of "society" and its attendant degenerate tendencies that corrupt "pure" human beings (almost invariably articulated as antisemitic conspiracies about who "orchestrates" this societal degeneracy). They use biological rhetoric because of the supposed apolitical, objective, empirical nature of the natural sciences - they refer not to the epistemic discipline of biology but to the claim of objective authority conferred upon biology. biology cannot be countered with the social because it is outside the social. "facts don't care about your feelings" is a dead meme phrase by this point, but it is probably the perfect distillation of these peoples' worldviews. They are correct not because their beliefs are empirically proven, but because their beliefs provide a rationalisation for the world they want to build. It is the modern version of the divine right of kings. There is nothing "biological" about any of these discussions other than the fact that they argue about how human bodies can or should be used - which, if that's our standard for biological, then everything is biological.

Are trans people biologically their gender? I think we need to reject the premise of this question. It is conceding too much ground; it pivots the discussion to "proving" transness in laboratories, to arguing about our genitals or our chromosomes instead of health care or housing or labour or public space. It accepts as valid the rhetorical sleight of hand that bigots do where they mean "unchangeable" when they say "biological" - something that nobody believes anyway unless you want to also object to like, the sterilization of medical equipment or heart surgery. We circumvent and alter biology every day. Reactionaries do not care about biology even a little bit and we do not need to humour them by pretending otherwise. We have scientific understandings of gender that do not adopt a biological lens because that lens is unequipped to deal with what is going on in front of us.

I'm sympathetic to Serano's desire to locate an origin for the dysphoria a lot of trans people feel, particularly because it allows us to more easily justify our existence. I'm also sympathetic to the fact that when she wrote this book, the public discourse on trans people was very different from what it is today; she's not even close to the first person to engage with this nature v nurture debate because it's the debate all trans people are at some point forced to reckon with. but ultimately I think this conception of transness is both politically a non-starter and a concession to our enemies that we do not need to give

#whipping girl #even old new york was once new amsterdam

[yui-kuromori]

One of the things I had to come to terms with, as a manga reader is that in order for me to fully enjoy the live action adaption of Alice in Borderland is for me to sepparate Manga Chishiya and Show Chishiya as two different characters.

Some things change during adaptions, that's inevitable, but AiB did such a remarkable job at keeping (and sometimes elevating) the core concepts of the source material, I fear I may have grown a bit spoiled.

Take Kuzuryuu for example. In the manga, Kuzuryuu was the dealer for the 4 of clubs (which Arisu and Usagi don't participate). He plays the part of the inured player who needs to stay in the bus, there he meets a kind woman who refuses to leave him behind and stays on the bus with him. In the show, he meets the 4 of clubs survivor, the guy Arisu saved, who in an effort to pass on Arisu's kindness, saves Kuzuryuu himself.

Even if these are altered scenarios, the core of it stays the same. Through the 4 of clubs, Kuzuryuu finds that kindness and altruism are possible even in the borderlands (something he believed to be impossible).

Chishiya on the other hand, has his core aspects changed.

One thing I have touched a lot on ever since season 1 came out was the decision they made to switch Arisu and Chishiya's specialties. Arisu is a hearts specialist who in the show becomes a diamonds player. Chishiya is a diamonds specialist who is changed into a hearts player.

This fundamentally changes both of their main arcs as well as the way they paralel each other. Chishiya suffering the most for it. In the manga, Chishiya is fully incapable of understanding hearts games. He doesn’t deal well with them to the point where he never actually solved the witch hunt. He was never part of the Jack of hearts in the first place.

Manga Chishiya was neglected from e very young age, to the point where he doesnt remember what it's like to properly emote or empathize with people. His own complicated relationship with his father causes him to view every relationship he has as transactions. He's cold, to the point of denying a dying man his last wish only because it was inconvenient for Chishiya to help him.

Show Chishiya used to be an empathetic person. He went into pediatrics. He cared for his patients. The medical industry had beaten it all out of him to the point he had been numbed to his own feelings. He's alone and scared to be alone.

Now, I don't particularly dislike this adaption of Chishiya. After the initial shock, I came to the conclusion that the show's writing team had been really smart about the way they went with his character.

Especially considering that Chishiya is a fan favorite, it makes sense that the show writers would want for him to remain desirable and lovable to the audience. Manga Chishiya as complex and fun as he is, is a really dislikable character. Choosing to give Chishiya that hearts speciality, that softer side, managed to keep him likable even as he acted like a anti-hero.

It's also my belief that this was a season 2 choice, as in season 1 he acts pretty similar to his manga self. Which is why you can see the disconnect in his characterizartion between both seasons.

So yeah, once I let go of the manga a little bit, I was able to fully appreciate the work they did for the character in the show. AiB is a wonderful adaption and it deserves a lot of love and praise.

#alice in borderland #ima wa no kuni no alice #aib #aib spoilers #chishiya shuntaro

[actual-changeling]

As bad as Joel is at talking about feelings, he tries for Ellie. They communicate non-verbally most of the time and it works just fine, with touches and little acts of service and gifts they hand to each other "just because", and it expresses all the things they do not have the words for.

But from time to time it's not the nightmares or memories of pain and death that get to her but the deep-seated beliefs FEDRA quite literally beat into her throughout her entire childhood.

A slight variation in Joel's tone or his mood being worse than usual after a bad night and her mind jumps to the conclusion that she is bothersome and annoying, a burden to put up with and that he secretly hates her. The first few times it happened, Ellie simply pulled back and isolated herself until the feelings passed, knowing that logically it makes no sense, but that doesn't change anything in the slightest.

Eventually, Joel nudges her into talking about it, in the same careful way he approaches anything emotional with her. With a movie she cannot remember playing in the background, eyes glued to the screen but not seeing a thing, she recites all the whisper writhing in the back of her mind. His arm stays wrapped around her waist the entire time and she presses herself back against his chest with her head resting on his biceps. Ellie can feel his lips brushing over her hair, the aimless anger over everything that has happened to her expressed in the kisses he peppers everywhere he can reach, gentle despite the tension radiating from him.

Annoying, a waste of space and rations, stupid and incapable of following orders, trash at the bottom of the food chain.

Unlovable.

There is nothing Joel could say that would take away those years of being treated like nothing but disposable potential ammunition, she knows that, yet she still finds herself craving exactly that, words that will smooth out the cracks and raised wounds in her mind and allow them to heal for good. She cannot ask for it, both because her throat closes up whenever she thinks about it and because he is not the kind of person that expresses himself with words, but she doesn't have to.

It starts that evening after a few minutes of quiet, her eyes only kept dry by the artificial light flickering in the dark living room, and she flinches lightly when he unexpectedly starts talking. His voice is a low rumble that vibrates through her and shakes loose the hurt lodged between her ribs.

"None of that is true, baby, and I know you know that, but I'll keep telling you anyway whenever you need to hear it."

The tears do come then, they always do when Joel's soft fondness cracks open the barriers pulled tight around her vulnerability, and she shifts in his arms to press her face against his chest so he can catch the pain dripping from her face and shoulder it for her. His fingers card through her hair, and feeling the hair tie around his wrist brushing over her temple causes a new wave of sobs to rise from the depths of her chest.

It says I care, it says you matter to me.

I carry you with me wherever I go.

Ellie drifts off not long after the tear tracks on her cheeks have dried, curled up and holding onto him even when she falls into the disconnected sea of fragments flowing together to form a dream. Joel remains awake into the early grey morning hours with his cheek resting on the side of her head, chewing on the urge to break something, someone, until he can spit it out and all that remains is a bitter taste on his tongue. Despite everything, Ellie is stronger than she should have ever had to be, and he cannot bear the thought of offering her more violence when he can paint her a brighter picture of life with gentleness instead.

#alex writes tlou #the last of us #tlou #joel and ellie #ellie williams #joel miller #fanfic

[centaurianthropology]

Why Spenser Starke is a Fantastic Horror GM (and the Core Fantasy in Candela Obscura)

So, I have seen some rancid takes about Spenser Starke online. Less so on this webbed site, largely because people around here are not in a pissing contest to prove who’s the most cynical, superior, and dickish. But there have still been some mind-blowing ones, from “he says UM too much” (guess who else does that? Brennan, but I don’t see these people criticizing him), or “he describes scenes like shots in a movie and that’s BAD WRONG” (while you might not stylistically enjoy it, I for one adore seeing a new interpretation of how to narrate while GMing, and think he’s doing great).

But the two that rub me the wrong way most are that he “controls the narrative too tightly” and doesn’t allow the characters to meander too long before throwing them back into the narrative, and that he’s “too harsh” in that even mixed successes tend to net characters damage of some sort. I saw accusations of “GM vs Player” mentality, but everyone was clearly enjoying themselves and the experience.

And that, I think, highlights the fundamental disconnect between these complainers and what’s actually happening on the screen: they don’t understand the core experience.

They have likely never played horror TTRPGs. They may have never played TTRPGs period, and instead are armchair DMs based purely on how Matt and Brennan DM, not really understanding that there are a thousand other ways to DM. But if they have played TTRPGs, I would guess that they’ve exclusively played D&D or its ilk. And I say that because there’s a very clear belief here that empowerment and ‘winning the game’, as well as wandering about freely to create your own narrative at your own pace are all fundamental parts of the TTRPG experience as a whole. But they aren’t. They’re fundamental to D&D, yes, but this is not what players come to a game like Candela Obscura for.

Each TTRPG has a central fantasy playing out. In D&D it’s heroic empowerment. D&D is mechanically built around getting more and more power and eventually defeating the big bad. A good GM in D&D, like Matt Mercer, focuses on giving out challenges, but always helping their players strive to overcome and grow and become better. This self-actualization is at the heart of the experience.

Horror games are not about that at all. The closest to that fantasy is something like ‘Vampire the Masqerade’ or other World of Darkness games, which do feature power growth, but the core fantasy is actually about learning that you are a monster. And embracing power will lead to even greater monstrousness. The horror in games like this is both political and personal, and the system is mechanically built to accommodate that horror.

And if you watch LA by Night or NY by Night, you’ll actually see that Jason Carl employs a fairly similar narrative tightness to his storytelling as that of Spenser Starke. Because a huge part of horror is about establishing and maintaining a mood. To do that, a DM has to keep a tighter rein on pacing, cutting from scene to scene and moment to moment in a way that is more directed than in D&D, because that helps establish and maintain the vibe being created.

Candela Obscura plays, thematically, a lot like one of my favorite games to run: ‘Call of Cthulhu’. CoC is a game all about disempowerment. The power differential between the players and the monsters is vast. Combat is vicious, short, and deadly, and direct combat almost always ends badly for an investigator. There is an entire chapter devoted to running away for a reason.

Both CoC and Candela are built on danger, vulnerability, and a constant sense of tension. And Spenser is fantastic at all of these. He keeps his narrative laser focused, moving between moments rapid-fire to keep up that tension, and to introduce new dangers. He is a ‘vicious’ DM only in so much as even mixed successes hurt. But this also keeps the tension up by keeping the characters and players on the edges of their seats. They are almost never safe. They are almost never well. They are constantly juggling dwindling resources. They are underpowered, vulnerable, and afraid.

And that’s the core fantasy here: exploring fear in a safe way. Being stressed out in a way you can leave behind as soon as the scene is done. Constantly living on the edge, fighting the odds, and knowing that you likely won’t succeed or will only do so at great cost. And he is masterfully keeping that intensity running through each session.

He gives characters time to talk about themselves, time for scenes to play out, until he feels the tension begin to flag, and then he pushes on. He never lets the air go entirely out of the narrative sails. He has a great sense of when a character needs a moment (his use of the red PTSD lighting exemplifies how closely he’s paying attention to his players and adjusting the setting to fit their moods). He sometimes pushes on, gets pushback from a player who wants another beat, and is always happy to give that to them. He keeps the pace up, but is always very careful to make sure his players have what they need to still enjoy this particular experience.

All this is to say that Spenser is absolutely killing it at being an exemplary horror GM. His sense of pacing and tension, his ability to direct action while still always embracing player autonomy, and using the mechanics of the system to never allow them to feel entirely safe are all great tools in a horror GM’s toolkit.

Horror games are not for everyone. Certainly there are plenty of people who only ever want the hero fantasy of D&D, but I think it’s important to recognize what the goal of a game is, and what constitutes success within those parameters, rather than parameters that only exist in an audience member’s mind, because they don’t really get how horror games work.

#candela obscura #spenser starke #I was frankly shocked at how many people were bitching about him #and all their whining mostly boiled down to him not GMing a horror game like one would DM D&D #it was just a fundamental misunderstanding of how horror stories sort of have to get told #in order to actually scare your players #and give them the core experience of HORROR that they came to the table to feel #I love running horror games #I think Spenser is not only doing great #but he’s got quite a few tricks I want to try out myself #This is not DM vs Player mentality #this is literally just how you play these sorts of games #constantly being close to death or running out of resources

[seriousbrat]

>>I mean mostly the fact that he never shows any real remorse for it. I'm not saying that he didn't feel guilty for hurting Remus, I think he did-- and I also think that academically, intellectually, he understood it was wrong. But in SWM we see it doesn't really change anything about his behaviour. And why would it? There weren't any real consequences for what amounts to attempted murder.

this this this. sirius is a fascinating character and imo a big part of what's so fascinating about him is the disconnect between the morals he academically and intellectually holds (judge a man by how he treats his inferiors, die rather than betray your friends, etc.) and the instincts he follows when he can't/doesn't check himself (...how he treats his inferiors, that one time he betrayed lupin's secret for a fun prank, etc). this sounds really anti-sirius lmao but it's not, he's such a good take on the "it's our choices not our nature that define us" thing and is possibly the first adult we see in text genuinely engaging with this theme in a real world-adjacent way rather than transforming into a feral ragemonster each month or having his evil boss growing out of the back of his head or something. i do love me some metaphors but the relative realism is nifty.

exactly!!!!! the girls that get it, get it. honestly i feel like a lot of analysis by people who genuinely love Sirius reads as anti-sirius just because my boy's got a lot of flaws and I think anyone who rly loves the character for who he is (same goes for Snape) actually loves him because of those flaws, not in spite of them. so we love to talk about them lol

it makes him so interesting! the kreacher thing, the way he directly contradicts his own advice from the previous book, is such a clear example of this. I mean, again Sirius has been conditioned to view house-elves as inferior, and not only that but Kreacher is the last living reminder of everything he suffered at home and everything he hates-- it's understandable why he'd react that way to Kreacher, but it's also what proves his undoing.

In a way there's something admirable about it, like Sirius has had to overcome MUCH more than someone like James in terms of challenging his own beliefs. is it any wonder that being thrown in azkaban at age 21 and then forced into a different kind of prison would stunt his growth and understanding about the world? despite that he was still able to be a great godfather to harry.

#sirius #replies

[loveandlive4eva]

HOW TO SHIFT TO VOID/DR/IMAGINATION (using yoga nidra!)

[ hi guys! I’ve been researching for ongoing shifting attempts I’ve been doing and I found out about a really interesting meditation/yoga method, yoga nidra, that looks like it could help a lot with visualizing our imaginations/4d and shifting to the void/dr! disclaimer- I’m like not at all an expert on this technique. yoga, or desi culture in general, I literally like just started researching it today, what I hope to do is introduce LOA methodology to some of this technique to help manifestors and shifters in their LOA journeys, if I get anything wrong, offend anyone or if theirs something you’d like to enlighten on, please comment, reblog, or send an ask! ♡ anyways let’s get onto the post ~ ]

so, what is yoga nidra?

[ from my (brief) research, yoga nidra is a yoga technique which allows for access to the states between sleep and waking consciousness, which is relevant to manifestors and shifters because this intermediary state allows for the brain to be more susceptible to allow our subconscious to manifest our dream live and wants. Yoga Nidra is an ancient practice vital to the Hindu religion for millenia, but the specific form of yoga nidra I’ll be discussing was established during the 1970s, and I am mostly going off of the teachings of Satyananda Saraswati (this figure is controversial and is tied to accusations of sexual abuse, I in no way am supporting his actions and only want to share the information he provided with my additions, his action are super, super, gross, don’t support him as a person or financially). The following brackets will be profiling the seven steps needed to achieve the yoga nidra state. Also, this method is greatly aided by the assistance of a guided meditation, which can be provided through audio form such as through youtube or spotify (which there are numerous resources) or irl through a yoga instructor or friend, but make sure this environment is safe, and research your yoga gurus. you can lets begin ♡ ]

HOW TO ACHIEVE YOGA NIDRA : STEP 1 - STARFISH / SAVASANA POSITION

[ the first position which is recommended for yoga nidra is to assume the shavasana position, more commonly known as the starfish position in western circles due to having all four limbs spread openly, similarly to the animal. We’ll be further using the effects of this technique during the course of the yoga nidra state. ]

STEP 2 - THINKING WITH INTENT

[ this step might be familiar to shifters and some manifestors, as we’re often instructed to think with intent to achieve your desired manifestations or reality. In this state, we will think with intents to fully relax our mind and body, and later, think with the intention that no matter what, you will achieve your desired state or want, think with the intent that all limiting beliefs have been discarded. ]

STEP 3 - ROTATION OF CONSCIOUSNESS

[ I think this is basically just body scanning, but can also be used as an oppurtunity to position your consciousness into that of the desired person, state, reality etc you want to achieve. Disconnect your body fully from the 3D world at this point, you should only be aware of the 4D world ]

STEP 4 - AWARNESS OF BREATH

[ it’s basically what it sounds like lol, so just do your preferred breathing excercises ]

STEP 5 - FEELINGS AND SENSATIONS

[ this is where you should start to visualize your inner world more vividly, invoking the ability to use your 5 senses in your inner world to further immerse your brain in this experience. I’ve already made a post (that no one read) about how to easily invoke your five senses to shift :) ]

STEP 6 - CREATIVE VISUALIZATIONS

[ this is an extension of the previous step, where you visualize your inner world. in this step, the focus is specifically on the sense of vision in the inner world, where intense mental traning and concentration is used to invision complex imagery. remember, visualizing (and vision in general) is a sequence of succeeding imagery, it’s not that complicated at all, and you’ll become better and better every time you try! ]

STEP 7 - INTENTIONAL THINKING - THE RE-UP

[ This final step invokes once again intentional thinking, but instead of easing you into the dream world, it eases you out, returning the mind to wakefullness. ]

conclusion ~

[ what originally drawn me into this method was that it provided the clearest instruction of how to bring ourselves to the inner world I’ve seen before, and I hope it was able to inspire you also~ you’re going to manifest your desires, it’s literally destiny, remember that, and byeee! ♡ ]

#law of assumption #loass #loa #manifesting #states #yoga

[nelliebachesneg]

About Wash's recovery after the Epsilon incident and his character arc from there through season 10:

It’s the refusing to accept your thoughts as your own. It’s the disconnect between what you’re doing and who you want yourself to be. It’s the fight for control when trying to tighten your grip only makes it slip. It’s the bargaining and little mental rules and walls and lines in the sand. It the recognizing that the neural pathways are there and there’s not much you can do but try to replace them one electrical signal at a time. It’s the coming to terms with yourself - who your actions, thoughts, and feelings have made you, both despite and because of the circumstances. It’s the knowing who you are, wondering why you’re here, and knowing that the why matters less than the what are you going to do about it. It’s the spite for the devil responsible that turns you cold. It’s the determination to live for something that gives you hope. It’s the belief that your life and death have to mean something that keeps you going. Its the turning into something you never thought you would be in the name of justice, in the name of revenge, in the name of healing, only to realize that it all meant nothing – or at least, it wouldn’t mean anything, if it weren’t for love. And it's about realizing that that’s where the healing truly begins. 

#rvb #red vs blue #agent washington #wash rvb #i have so many feelings #about him #hoo boy #its like someone said hey lets take Nellie's mental and emotional journey and copy paste it onto a character she'll latch onto like a magnet #*internal screaming* #brb gonna go stare at a wall for three hours

[esther-dot]

We should talk more about the fandom's love of violence as a response to the injustice.

Bcs i think they're (english isn't mother lenguaje 😅) being played by Grrm? He knows we like to escape to fantasy worlds and seeing the evil be defeated, but also he knows of our taste for blood, vengeance and retaliation.

I know what he said about he not being a strict pacifist believer. But is still contradicts his beliefs to burn alive someone for example, crucify a bunch of people, torture of innocent girls, or torture, simple torture.

One of the mayor problems of Grrm is the ethics and morals of his readers(and his).

Oh, I certainly agree that our acceptance of casual violence as a culture (I say this as an American, perhaps it is different elsewhere), has made a lot of fans miss how critical he is of violence in all forms. There’s a disconnect between what we believe the solution is (killing) and how he shows that to be ineffective. As in, Aerys starts killing people in an unjustified way which leads to a justified rebellion, but in that rebellion, innocents die (Elia, her children) and characters like Ned and Robert, who are victors, have their relationships changed, change as people, never recover what they lost--themselves or their loved ones. It's not a happy ending, not merely because both of those men die by the end of the first book, but because we also know that Aerys’ daughter is coming for revenge and will unleash devastation on Westeros in her effort to reclaim it.

Or we can look at Joffrey killing Ned (unjust), the North going to war (totally understandable), but we’re shown how the smallfolk suffer, that it doesn’t save the Starks from further suffering, and Robb and Cat die. Even when wars seem justified or necessary, Martin refuses to glamorize them the way the fandom wants and might expect. I’ve said before, depicting something isn’t condoning it, and we all land in very different places on certain subjects, “is this for a purpose or is this revealing a disturbing thing about the author”? But justice, mercy, war, peace…that all seems to have been of great interest to him from the get go which means we as readers should try to listen very carefully for that authorial guidance when determining what he is saying about it. Ned chose to save Jon (commit treason), he was ready to defy Robert over Dany, he warned Cersei in an attempt to save her children, and I think fro all his mistakes elsewhere, in these moments, we were meant to see that his was the moral choice:

What strange fit of madness led you to tell the queen that you had learned the truth of Joffrey's birth?" "The madness of mercy," Ned admitted. (AGOT, Eddard XV)

I understand how we get swept up in that feeling of power when a hero can easily kill the bad guy and guarantee a happy ending, but that isn't Martin's world, and in fact, he used Ned to show us how much he valued mercy instead. I recently watched The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die and Uhtred told someone that if you kill a man it only means three sons will rise up to kill you. It made me think of Ned's death, his children who want to kill Lannisters, of the North's loyalty to him, the reality of Dany returning, there is a cost to violence in Martin's story. Obviously, the good guys kill, you're right, he doesn't create a way to be a complete pacifist, and yet, I do think there may be a misalignment between his generation of hippies and our own which is also anti war but otherwise...shall I say, a little more open to violent means.

If we look at Ned's answer to a potential problem (whether that was Jon being a Targ who might grow to hate "the usurpers" for what they took from him a la Dany, or Jon being a bastard who might resent his trueborn "siblings"), he thought love would save them. That Jon growing up loving and being loved by his children would be the solution to a potential future problem. I've said before, I believe Jon will help in retaking Winterfell, will protect Ned's children when he failed to, because Ned, even if he is naive and people suffered for it, had the right ideals.

I believe this is why Sansa is so important because she has that ability to care and show mercy for enemies of her house and people who wrong her specifically, so it seems to me, that she would be someone who might strike compromises for peace rather than resort to further violence. War, death, that doesn’t seem to be Martin's preferred solution, and certainly, cruel deaths, torture, slavery, none of that is acceptable to him which feels like a silly thing to point out, but it is of course, an unpopular stance in the fandom, nonetheless true, and one we should keep discussing! I quite frequently see people act like those of us who write “anti Daenerys” (a tag we use out of consideration for her fans, a consideration that anti Sansa people have never given us) content are engaging in a ship war, but if one wants to understand what the author is saying, I don’t think you can avoid it? Is it really more reasonable to conclude Martin wants us to be fine with burning a slave alive than that we’re meant to be horrified? Tbh, if he didn’t want us to condemn it, doesn’t that demand we condemn his moral framework? It’s a different kind of fandom engagement, perhaps, but trying to understand what the author is saying is the basic form of engagement with a novel, shouldn’t be as offensive as people pretend.

I say this a lot but I always want to reiterate, I love that people who speak English as a second language still engage with the fandom. I know that English speakers are spoiled with content and ease of engagement, and that it can be intimidating to reach out for anyone, more so if there's anxiety about the language barrier, but I'm very happy you did it anyway, and hope you know how much I admire you for it!

#dot chat

[dreamsofanenbysapphic]

arospec

a poem(?), a collection of ideas, things i have been thinking about, about relationships and the platonic/romantic binary

some citations:

arospec wiki sources, amatonormativity, instructional manifesto for relationship anarchy, my favorite poem by alok vaid-menon, aromantic manifesto, amatopunk

full text below the cut:

screenshotted text from various sources over a galaxy background, spread across two images:

arospec, is an umbrella term

People on the aromantic spectrum may feel little to no romantic attraction, or feel romantic attraction differently, more rarely or

Loveless Aro describes someone who is some way disconnected from the concept of love, rejects the idea that they need to experience love

Quoiromantic (also called WTFromantic experiences may include:

Finding the concept of romance to be inaccessible, inapplicable, or nonsensical.

the questioning itself

becomes the identity

Disidentifying with the concept of romantic attraction - either as a social construct or as something potentially applicable to oneself.

a disidentification with the romantic/nonromantic binary,

They may consider themselves relationship anarchists.

Amatonormativity

to describe the widespread assumption that everyone is better off in an exclusive, romantic, long-term coupled relationship, and that everyone is seeking such a relationship.

[elizabeth brake]

Due to the ambiguous nature of romantic attraction, sometimes defined by the actions that one takes during a relationship, such as holding hands, kissing, or cuddling. However, none of these activities alone necessarily indicate romantic attraction.

The prefix nebula- comes from the Latin word nebulous, meaning "clouded" or "unclear".

Queerplatonic relationships (QPR) and queerplatonic partnerships (QPP) are committed intimate relationshisp which are not romantic

This way of thinking is also one that places certain relationships above others, such as Romantic relationships being viewed as 'above' or 'superior' to Platonic relationships. If two people are dating they are 'more than friends'. If they aren't dating then they're 'just friends'.

Amatonormativity prompts the sacrifice of other relationships to romantic love and marriage and relegates friendship and solitudinousness to cultural invisibility.

Amatopunk!

challenges amatonormativity, and how society views aspec people, polyamorous people, and others who do not fit into the "right" mold.

Relationship Anarchy (abbreviated RA) is the belief that relationships should not be bound by set rules, aside from the rules the individuals involved mutually agree upon.

sensualarians have relationships that are often "in between" typical relationships categories, whereas relationship anarchy completely breaks down all relationship categories

Relationship anarchy questions the idea that love is a limited resource

i want a world where friendship is appreciated as a form of romance. i want a world where when people ask if we are seeing anyone we can list the names of all of our best friends

[alok vaid-menon, friendship is romance]

queer liberation must abolish romance as its long term goal aromantics aspire to:

view queer intimacies as web-like counter-publics that reinforce rather than compete with and enervate each other.

transform queer intimacy into political solidarity and action.

[aromantic manifesto]

Relationship anarchy (sometimes abbreviated RA) is the application of anarchist principles to intimate relationships. Its values include autonomy, anti-hierarchical practices, anti-normativity, and community interdependence. RA is explicitly anti-amatonormative and anti-mononormative and is commonly, but not always, non-monogamous.

With one's relationships starting as a blank slate, the act of distributing physical intimacy, sexual intimacy, emotional intimacy, etc. is according to one's desires rather than preexisting "rules"

Queerness is a longing that propels us onward, beyond romances of the negative and toiling in the present. Queerness is that thing that lets us feel that this world is not enough, that indeed something is missing.

[josé estabon muñoz, cruising utopia]

#arospec #relationship anarchy #amatonormativity #queer poetry #napowrimo #nebula writes #or in this case nebula collects a bunch of screenshots of ideas that live rent free in their head #it was useful to me to organize the ideas a bit #everyone pretend i spelled cruising right in the image

[degreedummy]

Oppositions By Sign

Aries-Libra Opposition- Accepting the word no isn't an answer, and people push until they get a bigger response. This opposition is constantly provoked, reminded of what they can't do even when they're not trying to do it.

The opposition between Aries and Libra is one where people feel they can use our need to maintain peace against us, trying to push us over a line we keep redrawing for the comfort of people who are really only looking for a reaction. This opposition, rather than trying to create common ground, needs to set a standard that uncooperative people are excluded from. Turning back around fifty times to correct a single person only takes time away from the people who actually care about the work being done.

Taurus-Scorpio Opposition- This is the hand that doesn't know how to let go whose twin doesn't know how to stop giving everything away, slapping down those who betray their trust while refusing to limit their access to what we're giving.

This opposition is one who... depends on confirmation bias, living in preparation of being faced with their fears until it eventually happens, justifying every refusal to move forward with the result of them refusing to move forward. The Taurus-Scorpio opposition is one that will always have a reason not to do something, and it's that quickwitted comfort that will isolate them if they're not careful. We should always protect ourselves, but risk itself isn't always a life threat.

The Gemini-Sagittarius Opposition The need to know met by an unwillingness to truly hear what's being said, digging until we find answers that add credit to our story rather than exploring the idea that our story is only one perspective.

With this opposition, there is no "wrong", there's only learning-- but with such an optimistic approach, sometimes we blind ourselves to the truth we're digging for, that we were wrong. The Gemini-Sagittarius opposition is one that gets caught playing all sides, but the disconnect for them is that no lie told in an attempt to uncover the truth can be more damaging than the original lie told. Sometimes we double the damage done trying to destroy the first cause.

The Cancer-Capricorn Opposition- This is where true responsibility clashes with feelings of obligation, caring for other people before ourselves because we wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing we slept better than someone else.

This opposition is the harsh reality of unconditional love, the need to create a loving home being pushed to its limits by people who see that love as malleable. Being there for people no matter what sometimes leads to people expecting it. The Cancer-Capricorn opposition is one that outwardly appears to look past every flaw, because it's one who can't help but wish they could find someone to look past theirs, attempting to [earn] it through devout and unreciprocated loyalty.

The Leo-Aquarius Opposition- The need for change that keeps getting disrupted by a need to be the face of change. The marketing of progressive action that can't be taken until the press tour comes to an end.

This where we see people chasing their dreams, challenging their imagination to meld the world into a reality they already live in. It requires more self reflection than most, slowing down and reflecting on the effect of our work rather than marveling in the aesthetic of it. Innovation can take far steps, but selling ideas with no substance can have an equal and opposite effect, sending people flying off of a mountain they'd spent months building up under themselves. It tends to be the recognition we dont ask for that means the most.

The Virgo-Pisces Opposition- The belief that we know what people need better than they do themselves, holding our experience over the word of people themselves, and over our own refusal to deal with these problems in our own life.

This opposition is one that becomes more helpful the more they're attempting to avoid what's going on in their own life, and it's the quick and simple answers that signal a storm to come. This is where people attempt to replace their emotion with other peoples', but it's the consistent need to cover their own lives up that keeps them so busy in everyone else's, a stagnant personal issue receiving superficial treatment through the healing of other people.

#astrology #astrologer #opposition #oppositions #astro chart #aries #taurus #gemini #cancer #leo #virgo #libra #scorpio #sagittarius #capricorn #aquarius #pisces #natal chart

[mobumi]

Well, first I wanted to say that I love your analyzes and thank you for always answering our questions. You know, I wanted to know when Arajin's redemption will be, let's go to episode 9 and with no redemption I see a comment on Instagram saying that it wouldn't be bad if at the end of the anime Matakara and Arajin are no longer friends I would love it because I want Matakara recognize that your best friend is zabu. what do you think?

Thanks! No problem it's fun :)

I don't think Arajin needs a redemption arc to be honest, it would be too predictable anyway and there are only 4 or 5 episodes left. Yeah he's annoying and all but he didn't do much, at least to the point that he needs redemption cause for me it's for characters who are truly horrible at the beginning, like he's not a bully, but Arajin is just dumb, in his own Shojo anime and fails to function as a normal human being (I still think he was too insensitive and crossed the lines in ep 8 but that's besides the point). Sure, his attitude affects others but he's not a horrible person, selfish yes, pathetic yes, not horrible. We know he has a good heart and pretends not to care. Matakara believes it too. He only wears a mask and that is why a lot of people still like him.

I made a post a while ago about how Arajin and Matakara were the same, but Matakara was written better and I still stand by it. There's a connection between the two, an obvious parallel. Matakara has this idealized version of Arajin like Arajin as one for Mahoro and they act the same in some ways. The difference is that Matakara actually grew up with Arajin, he didn't invent what he saw in his friend. They made a promise when they were younger and Arajin gave him a friendship stone. He was actually kind and caring, Matakara didn't imagine that, he lived it, so it makes sense that he thinks Arajin is still like that years later. His vision of him is not coming out of nowhere. He got attached to this Arajin who was truly himself, but he didn't see him grow. That's the disconnection.

From the moment Arajin ghosted Matakara and went on with his life, their bond was broken, only Matakara didn't realize it at first because Arajin was part of his dream of becoming Honkibito and one of the people who gave him strength. He thought the reason Arajin didn't talk to him anymore was because he wasn't strong enough. Arajin doesn't think he's strong enough as well, he wants validation (from Mahoro) and he flees from his fear of being weak. When Matakara lost his belief, he lost his identity too and that made him terrified. I think he knew from the beginning that something seemed off with Arajin, but he didn't want to believe it because that would mean he's alone and his beliefs and dream would be gone. Who will he be without it? So I don't think that Mata is completely fooled by Arajin but mostly he's scared because if his role model is not who he thought he was, he has no hope left. Matakara needed this realization to let go of Arajin.

What I mean by all of this is that the same thing is going to happen to Arajin. It's not necessarily redemption he needs but the same realization Matakara had in episode 8. He needs to break out of the spell and accept the true Mahoro so he can let go of her too.

Both characters are going to come face to face with the truth, with reality, and either they're going to bond again over this or they're going to be their own person without each other and find peace. But I think with this parallelism, they also seem to be made for each other like they're one piece of each other if that makes sense? The universe (aka Utsumi) wants them together (as friends or allies, enemies, whatever defines them.)

They're not going to change completely, especially Arajin, but I can see them accepting who they are in the end. Their perspectives on each other are going to change, their views, their beliefs, but not their true identity. In the 1001 nights tale, and notably in the Disney movie "Aladdin", Jasmine and Aladdin hide their true identities. Aladdin pretends to be a prince to get Jasmine's attention and marry her. She met him before but doesn't recognize him. It's only at the end that Ali Ababwa disappears, his mask is gone and his true self is revealed to her. Meanwhile, she hides that she's a princess and dresses as a "commoner" so she can see the world. Shit keeps happening to them when they're not true to themselves just like Aladdin and Jasmine.

So yeah, I guess just like those characters they're going to be free from themselves and it's going to free Senya and Ichiya as well because they're trapped in their bodies. Senya thinks that he needs to merge with Arajin to see Ichiya again but the only way I think is for them to be themselves without Arajin and Matakara. It's interesting that the moment they are both linked to Senya and Ichiya was a moment where they were running away from fear, the genies came when they were hopeless, so I think there's this idea that they can't be themselves if the genies are still possessing them and using them. But if they overcome their fears, they will get their bodies back, more exactly their mind and heart 👀.

Moreover, in the original Aladdin story, "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp" which apparently takes place in China 👀, Aladdin is not perceived as a pure-hearted hero. He wants the princess but he's not interested in her personality or her feelings, so just like Arajin he's a flawed hero who gets what he wishes for...

So no, I don't expect a redemption for Arajin, especially with the tone of the show. Not because he's bad and he'll stay bad, but mostly because he's not the villain of the story, just a reflection of humanity. His character was intended to be like that and to be his true self he needs to let go of his fear, that's the only thing i can see for him. The real question is will his wish come true? He's supposed to get what he wants, get the girl. If it doesn't happen then something else waits for him and I really want to see what the resolution will be. I don't think that in the end Arajin and Matakara no longer being friends will be the answer, it's more than that. Although I imagined there is going to be a reconnection whether they're back being friends or not.

You know what? Maybe we were fooled as viewers. Matakara is actually Aladdin but with Jasmine's personality and Arajin is his Jasmine with Aladdin's personality. But because of their names we thought it was the other way around. Like one of his closest friends is literally Zabu= Abu. It's different than the original story but their dynamic is kinda the same. Idk, I can see it. They're interchangeable. But yeah, Aladdin gets what he wants, so all is going to end well for Arajin, but we have yet to see what will be Matakara's wish...

#bucchigiri?! #bucchigiri #sorry my answer ended up in a full analysis 😂 #but yeah i thought i'd share that with my answer 'cause i think it's linked to the subject #anyway i can be totally wrong but that would be interesting 🤔 #anonymous asks #answered asks