#it can be done it just takes effort...like training any animal does

[lackadaisycats]

Hey Tracy! Have you heard about the new Ai called Sora? Apparently it can now create 2D and 3D animations as well as hyper realistic videos. I’ve been getting into animation and trying to improve my art for years since I was 7, but now seeing that anyone can create animation/works in just a mare seconds by typing in a couple words, it’s such a huge slap in the face to people who actually put the time and effort into their works and it’s so discouraging! And it has me worried about what’s going to happen next for artists and many others, as-well. There’s already generated voices, generated works stolen from actual artists, generated music, and now this! It’s just so scary that it’s coming this far. 

Yeah, I've seen it. And yeah, it feels like the universe has taken on a 'fuck you in particular' attitude toward artists the past few years. A lot of damage has already been done, and there are plenty of reasons for concern, but bear in mind that we don't know how this will play out yet. Be astute, be justifiably angry, but don't let despair take over. --------

One would expect that the promo clips that have been dropping lately represent some of the best of the best-looking stuff they've been able to produce. And it's only good-looking on an extremely superficial level. It's still riddled with problems if you spend even a moment observing. And I rather suspect, prior to a whole lot of frustrated iteration, most prompts are still going to get you camera-sickness inducing, wibbly-wobbly nonsense with a side of body horror.

Will the tech ultimately get 'smarter' than that and address the array of typical AI giveaways? Maybe. Probably, even. Does that mean it'll be viable in quite the way it's being marketed, more or less as a human-replacer? Well…

A lot of this is hype, and hype is meant to drive up the perceived value of the tech. Executives will rush to be early adopters without a lot of due diligence or forethought because grabbing it first like a dazzled chimp and holding up like a prize ape-rock makes them look like bleeding-edge tech geniuses in their particular ecosystem. They do this because, in turn, that perceived value may make their company profile and valuations go up too, which makes shareholders short-term happy (the only kind of happy they know). The problem is how much actual functional value will it have? And how long does it last? Much of it is the same routine we were seeing with blockchain a few years ago: number go up. Number go up always! Unrealistic, unsustainable forever-growth must be guaranteed in this economic clime. If you can lay off all of your people and replace them with AI, number goes up big and never stops, right?

I have some doubts. ----------------------

The chips also haven't landed yet with regards to the legality of all of this. Will these adopters ultimately be able to copyright any of this output trained on datasets comprised of stolen work? Can computer-made art even be copyrighted at all? How much of a human touch will be required to make something copyright-able? I don't know yet. Neither do the hype team or the early adopters.

Does that mean the tech will be used but will have to be retrained on the adopter's proprietary data? Yeah, maybe. That'd be a somewhat better outcome, at least. It still means human artists make specific things for the machine to learn from. (Watch out for businesses that use 'ethical' as a buzzword to gloss over how many people they've let go from their jobs, though.)

Will it become industry standard practice to do things this way? Maybe. Will it still require an artist's sensbilities and oversignt to plan and curate and fix the results so that it doesn't come across like pure AI trash? Yeah, I think that's pretty likely.

If it becomes standard practice, will it become samey, and self-referential and ultimately an emblem of doing things the cookie-cutter way instead of enlisting real, human artists? Quite possibly.

If it becomes standard industry practice, will there still be an audience or a demand or a desire for art made by human artists? Yes, almost certainly. With every leap of technology, that has remained the case. ------------------ TL;DR Version:

I'm not saying with any certainty that this AI blitz is a passing fad. I think we're likely to experience a torrential amount of generative art, video, voice, music, programming, and text in the coming years, in fact, and it will probably irrevocably change the layout of the career terrain. But I wouldn't be surprised if it was being overhyped as a business strategy right now. And I don't think the immensity of its volume will ever overcome its inherent emptiness.

What I am certain of is that it will not eliminate the innate human impulse to create. Nor the desire to experience art made by a fellow soul. Keep doing your thing, Anon. It's precious. It's authentic. It will be all the more special because it will have come from you, a human.

#art #lackadaisy #technology

[tyrantchimera]

Just want to make my stance clear: I am anti-AI because these programs are being fed with author's or artist's works without the creator's consent. This is theft, because the writing/art is being used for a purpose not intended. Art and writing are shared, for free usually, with the intent for someone to read/see it and enjoy it. NOT feed it into an algorithm to make a product for someone else. It's unwritten social contract, sure, but that doesn't give anyone the right to use someone else's product like they own it.

This is especially true for art AIs, as there are often options to literally copy certain artist's styles. It's like you made stickers to sell using someone else's fanart. Sure, you made the sticker, but unless you bought the rights (or asked permission) for that artist's work to be used in that manner, it is theft. Or maybe you traced their images to sell your own versions of it. Technically you made the art, but it was only possible as a derivative of someone else's effort. And I can guarantee you that VERY few creators would be happy if someone traced their art and then touted it as being the property and efforts of the tracer.

This is also plagiarism in a sense, especially for writing AIs, as "content" that was made by someone else is being sourced into these things and spat out the other end without any proper accreditation, even if altered. Any monkey's uncle who has done a modicum of higher level science knows just how massive an issue proper accreditation is when writing academic papers. All information, except for common knowledge, MUST be given a source. If you read a paper saying that, for instance, the metabolism of a certain animal is increased by (x) factor for (y) reason, you cannot simply state this fact in your own paper. YOU MUST CREDIT THE SOURCE OF THIS INFORMATION. It is a legal issue if you do not.

The people who make these AIs do not make their own art to feed to these programs. They do not write their own books and stories to teach to these things. How could they? You need thousands to train such a program. So they take it from somewhere else. The program cannot be held accountable for what it does, as it is only doing what it is trained to do. But the people using them seem to think nothing of HOW these things were trained. And very often, the machines are used to replace trained writers or artists. Why pay someone to make something for you, who can only do so because of YEARS of experience, when you can use an AI at a fraction of the cost? An AI that was unethically trained on that artist's work, without their consent, to create an image similar to the artist's abilities? Can you not see the issue here!?

Therefore simply using them is extremely unethical in my eyes. To say that using AIs isn't outright plagiarism or theft is a brand of obtuse ignorance I cannot stand. That sort of entitlement, to use someone else's efforts and "products" to further your own ends, is utterly immoral. I will NOT be swayed from this stance either.

#psa #boost #art theft #anti ai

[georgieluz]

Alright this is the last one I promise 😂

For your OC Jessica Campbell could you answer these questions please.

☕️ ❤️ 🐶 📚 💔🎻 💯 🤍 (I’m sorry there are so many 😂)

YES I ABSOLUTELY CAN. LET'S GO JESS CAMPBELL AN ICON FOR THE AGES!!!!!!!

☕️ HOT BEVERAGE — does your oc prefer coffee, tea, hot chocolate, milk, water, or some other drink? how do they like to take this drink (ex. coffee with milk, hot chocolate with whipped cream, a specific kind of tea, etc)?

she's definitely a tea drinker!! but she also enjoys a hot chocolate

❤️ RED HEART — what are three of your oc’s positive traits?

she is absolutely the friend you want by yourself when you're going through something. she is steadfast in her support for her friends and family, and not just backing them no matter what, but also calling them out on their actions when needed. she'll 100% be there for you with love and compassion, even when she's kicking you up the arse to do and be better

she has a lot of love to give and doesn't try to hide behind walls or push people away, she wants the people she loves to know and feel her affections toward them

she never judges you. she'll keep your secrets and defend you, even when it's going against societal norms and expectations

🐶 DOG FACE — does your oc have any pets?

yesss! so as you know her family own a vet practice (that's basically attached to her family home due to the nature of the profession at the time being in quite a transformative phase) and so there was always animals in and out of her house, but they also have two family spaniels as well *wink wink nudge nudge*. she doesn't own a horse herself, but she does help out at the local stables, due to her parents work there, and is pretty bonded with one of their horses!

📚 BOOKS — what level of education has your oc most recently completed/is currently in (GED, undergraduate, grad school, phd, etc)?

she originally planned to fully train in animal care under her parents, but then the war broke out and she realised that she wanted to train as a nurse to help with the war effort, so her plans changed

💔 BROKEN HEART — what are three of your oc’s negative traits?

whilst she's very upfront and honest about her opinions with her friends, she can sometimes find it hard to express her feelings to people she's romantically interested in, at first at least. this isn't negative really, not imo, but it's something she views as wanting to be better at doing. especially with eugene heading off to war before she's even finished training as a nurse

sometimes she'll let josie run away with her, often well intentioned, but not so well executed, ideas, even though she knows it's probably gonna cause trouble for them all, rather than trying to stop it happening, because it's sometimes easier to let josie see for herself rather than trying to convince her because she knows josie can be difficult to deal with sometimes

she sometimes struggles when she can't solve something with kindness or help, and doesn't like having to accept that sometimes there's nothing that can be done to prevent something happening or that she just has to be with someone through their struggles, rather than coming up with a solution to help their situation

🎻 VIOLIN — does your oc play any instruments? what is their skill level (beginner/intermediate/advanced/virtuoso/etc)?

she plays a little piano. her and julian had joint lessons when they were kids together, but when julian moved away, she lost interest bc they promised to always learn together. she still plays occasionally though, and deep down, she misses it. julian encourages her to keep playing and maybe one day she'll pick it back up properly again

💯 HUNDRED POINTS SYMBOL — share three random facts about your oc that others may not know.

she has a great sense of humour

doesn't mind getting her hands dirty when it comes to working with animals and at the stables etc

she's very good at playing cards. in fact, the three j's have been known to hustle a few unsuspecting americans out of their cash because they never expect her skills to be as good as they are

🤍 WHITE HEART — what are three of your oc’s neutral/questionable traits?

uncertainty in other's feelings toward her

second-guessing herself even though she believes in her skills and abilities

thinking she's somehow not good enough for eugene (she 100% is!!!!), and thus, hiding her feelings from him

for this oc ask game!

#julian's inbox #julian's ocs #oc: jess campbell

[crehador]

brother crab's winter 2024 parting thoughts: dog signal

alright well yysy it's not much to look at, the animation/art style isn't exactly "modern" or exceptional (though personally i was quite charmed by it)

that aside, this was overall a really pleasant surprise to me!

tl;dr: fun cast with some surprisingly compelling and deep(ish) backstories, would recommend but with the disclaimers that a) it's episodic and b) there's quite a lot of animal mistreatment since each episode is about helping a dog whose person isn't treating it right (most if not all the cases have hopeful endings, but some parts may be hard to watch)

also niwa and samura have the most HILARIOUSLY classic toxic yaoi situationship without any of the fun parts (the actual yaoi), more on that later lmao

full review:

the series is for the most part episodic, with each episode dealing with a dog owner who comes to a certain dog trainer for help. i'm a fan of a good episodic series, even when the episodes can be hit or miss, so the structure was very enjoyable for me

the stories of the main cast were surprisingly compelling, too. it seemed like it would be just a very silly show—what with it starting with a guy (cv knb murasakibara) walking another guy (cv knb kuroko) around on a leash in public for two hours—but the character backstories that were revealed throughout the series did actually feel delightfully nuanced to me

(for example "yeah that old man did hit a dog and that's not great but the dog in question was biting the shit out of the kid he sees as a son so it's not... not understandable that he would react that way and while i'm not saying he should be proud of hitting a dog i guess i am saying it does suck for him that son guy hated him and went no contact for years for it")

one of my favorite episodes, ironically, barely involved the main cast at all. most of the episodes deal with this dog training business training dogs (shock!) but in this one episode, fairly late in the series, the owner was a struggling mangaka suffering from immense social anxiety, whose only friend was his dog who one day suddenly loses his hearing

that's such a tough thing that you really wouldn't explain anyone to know how to handle on their own without training. the mangaka even runs into the mc (trainee dog trainer) early in the episode and receives a business card for the dog training shop, but instead of taking his dog in, he does his best on his own to develop ways to communicate with his newly deaf dog

and it works! not only does he find a way to keep his dog comfortable with him, his efforts make him less concerned with what other people think of him as well. he managed to go to the dog training shop in the end, to see if there's anything he could be doing better for his dog, only to be told that they can't do anything for him—because he's already done everything right

(in establishing a way to communicate with his deaf dog, that is. there are other issues he gets chewed out for, which i really liked and found realistic)

i feel like it was just such a well-timed episode as a narrative device, because it shows that while the main dog trainer is great (the trainee dog trainer mc practically worships him) it's not that everyone in the world is helpless without him

but anyway

REGARDING THE SITUATIONSHIP WHAT THE FUCK LMAO first of all i love it

samura has just been dumped by an extremely shitty girlfriend when he meets niwa, while out walking the dog (or attempting to walk the dog) said shitty girlfriend dumped on him

he's doing a terrifically bad job, to the point where niwa (pro dog trainer) can't bear to watch. so what does he do well of course he has to reeducate samura by... putting him on a leash and walking him around the park, in public, for two hours. to show him just how wrong he's treating his dog

samura somehow gets a job out of this and they start working together. at one point he reveals he is GOING TO THE SALON and GETTING HIS HAIR PERMED so that it is curly because niwa has a poodle and seems to like curly hair (???)

jump cut to the final episode and we're finding out samura's tragic lore—parentified by a narcissistic mom, down with too much filial piety disease. when samura finally decides he's no longer sending money back home, his mom comes to the dog training shop to be like "sir uwu you have to give my son a raise so he can keep sending money home uwu he's such a good hard-working boy please pay him what he's worth"

and niwa is straight up like "actually he sucks and you suck get the fuck out of my shop" AND THEN LATER IN THE EPISODE samura's mom calls him (has been calling him repeatedly since meeting his freak of a boss) and NIWA ANSWERS THE PHONE and while she's complaining about the money situation and the freak boss (niwa) he basically tells her "you still suck and your son still sucks but i'm keeping him, fuck off"

like my god?? that woman is going to go away thinking her son has gotten into an extremely abusive relationship with his boss. i mean fuck her entirely, she does suck, but that is very much Not the situation (even though it does Very Much appear to be the situation)

anyway. ultimately this one lands in the :) category for me, originally picked it up for the cast (kuroko and mukkun and also KENN) and didn't have very high expectations but am thrilled to be pleasantly surprised

#crab watches #winter 2024 #parting thoughts #dog signal #one more tl;dr for the tags: #not visually GORGEOUS but overall a pretty good time + NIWA/SAMURA ONE OF THE MOST SITUATIONSHIPS OF ALL TIME LMAO

[beloveddawn-blog]

Teleri sat up suddenly, and Nathanial groaned next to her. "Wha tim iz ih?" He slurred, turning himself back into the pillow.

She smiled at him, charmed by his very human mannerisms. "Early." She replied. "Probably too early." She ruffled his hair softly. "Or we were up too late last night. Either way."

He curled around her waist somewhat, still half asleep. "Worth it." He muttered, kissing her spine. She laughed and slid out of bed. He pouted into the sheets. "Come back here." He tried to cajole, but she simply laughed again.

"Not happening." She replied, pulling her dress over her head and looking for her boots. "I think Roza might actually murder me if you're late for another morning inspection. It's apparently 'a bad example' when the Captain shows up halfway through and with his surcoat on backwards."

"That was one time." He protested, shooting into a sitting position himself in outrage.

Teleri smirked at him. "Only for the surcoat." She finished pulling on her gloves and gave her husband a quick kiss before reaching for her headphones. "I'm off. I've got things to do, and I wanna drop by Nel'Vari and give Sera that warming baby blanket I made. I'm gonna have to make more of an effort to go there, since she's getting a bit too far along in the pregnancy to be watching my animals for me." Her eyes grew slightly distant. "Maybe I'll ask Iris to check in on them for me. She's at the pastures all the time anyway, and I can offer the farm for her to work with her experiments on. Wesley's been a bit high strung from all of this and it's showing in his discomfort with her work. This should help both of them."

"It's too early for plotting." Her husband insisted, getting up to find his pants. "You need to wait until I'm at least fed if you want sensible feedback."

She laughed again, gave him another quick kiss, and headed for the door, headphones sliding into place as she went. Nathanial quickly finished dressing himself (making sure his surcoat was the right direction this time) and grabbed both a cup of coffee and a meal out of the fridge on his way to lean in the doorway and watch his wife work (fried fish is absolutely the breakfast of champions and no, he is not taking criticism).

There he watched a sight he would never tire of: his wife, the most powerful mage he's ever seen (don't tell Lucia. She'd skin him, all while crying about 'traitors' not appreciating all she does) call upon the forces of heaven and earth... To water the seedlings and till the soil. For all she hadn't been able to access it before Elios awoke her latent ability, Teleri used magic like she breathed. It was a part of everything she did in a day.

And that was all by design.

She saw him watching her and pulled her headphones down, a slightly quizzical look on her face. Finally, on this unspecial day that was just like any other, he decided to ask.

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" She replied, tilting her head in confusion. Cute was all his brain supplied for a moment, but soon enough he regained enough of his original train of thought to continue.

"Use magic for everything." He replied. "I know you used every trick in the book to gain the power you have, but everything you do with it could be done by hand almost as well. You're somehow both the laziest person I know, as well as the most productive."

She threw her head back and laughed, and laughed, and laughed. He felt his one eyebrow raise as she slowly got herself under control, even wiping away a tear. "Really, Beloved? All those years getting to know me and you still don't understand the nature of water?" She had been walking towards him before, and now she was close enough to slide one arm around his waist (and how he wished he wasn't in his armour...) and boop his nose with the other one. "Water always takes the easiest path. Always. And if there isn't one? It will cut through anything to make one." Her smile was back to sly and knowing, and he couldn't help dropping a soft kiss on it. "But it's also never still. Even contained, stagnant water has movement within it. It's not in my nature to stay in one place."

"But you will for me." He answered back, knowing the truth of this. It was what he held to while everyone around him fell for his beloved, and he knew it was true.

"I will for you." She replied, honesty shining through her eyes. She would outlive him, they both knew, and eventually move on. But for now she was his to love and cherish, and it was the greatest accomplishment of his life. Then she smirked again and drew out a whistle. "But not now. For now," She blew a short tune, then swung herself up on the owlbear that manifested and held a hand out to him, "You're going to be late if we don't get a move on. Come on, I will drop you off at the barracks."

Nathanial grabbed her hand and let himself be hauled onto the beast, the one greatest truth of his life ringing in his mind: I'm so in love with this woman.

#sun haven #Teleri #Nathanial #my oc #my writing

[artofzz]

Swordsmith Village Arc Review P1

Warning!!! Not spoiler free!!

Since the anime wrapped up, I thought I would do a long review on how I personally thought this arc was, mainly looking at the plot an not necessarily at the animation.

So, let’s be real here, the Swordsmith village arc, despite its conclusion, was not great at all. It could have been a lot better, had there been more efforts put into the writing.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not calling anyone out or insulting the creator I am just trying to give constructive criticism and nothing else.

A big issue here to me is Tanjiro. We spend a lot of time showing his skill set and power-up which is hardly believable. The arc starts after he has been in a 2-month coma. I don’t know how much time has passed until he goes to the village but that hardly can explain his insane amount of progress. His strength feels more plot convenient rather than well presented.

We spent little time on fleshing out and showing the skills of the hashira. Unlike in previous arcs, where we got lots of insight on how strong a hashira can be, with rengoku and Uzui, both Mitsuri and Muichiro are heavily sidelined. On top of that the upper moon Muichiro is battling is hardly any kind of threat, and more efforts went to the upper-moon Tanjiro was battling.

I don’t know what reason was behind the fast pacing, but because of that there was little time spent on a major foe. When all upper-moons are hyped up as hashira killer and being in their position for more than a 100 years then the writer should put some efforts into delivering.

In the end since Tanjiro is the protagonist, he needs the more fleshed out antagonist.

Inherited Memories:

This is another issue. While the idea and concept is actually very interesting it is only used on Tanjiro and conveniently enough he sees just the right ones.

Since Kotetsu can guess what he might be seeing it is safe to assume that it does happen to multiple people and therefore make it odd that only Tanjiro has them.

There are multiple characters with ancestors that knew and interacted with Yoriichi. So again, the inherited memories feel just convenient rather than a well thought out concept.

It is aside from this very ridiculous that Muichiro did not destroy Yoriichi Type 0. All he did was rip off an arm. We established that he is much stronger than Tanjiro, not only through his hashira title but also showing that he is physically stronger. We also know that he does not care about breaking it or not. Yes his sword breaks during training, but he must have still done a ton more damage to that thing.

(I don’t really see much for a reason in Kotetsu crying over this because Yoriichi type 0 is not going to be relevant after this arc, and since the nice kindhearted Tanjiro destroys it. It is fine.)

On a side note, I have watched lots of reactions to this season and I must say it is ridiculous how negatively people thought of Muichiro just because of his bland nature. Like to me Kotetsu was just annoying, you know the typical annoying children animes tend to present you as cute or likable whereas they just are not.

(Besides, I might be the only one but when Tanjiro tried to interject and be again that ‘amazingly’ nice person to stand up for Kotetsu and then got knocked down by Muichiro, it was very satisfying. Since this is the point where I am getting very tired of the endless ‘oh look how nice’ Tanjiro is that the series forces constantly on us.)

Furthermore, this arc while seemingly being about the two hashira is relatively little about them and much more about Tanjiro’s progress. Which is another big issue. Of course, he is the protag and all, but occasionally, focusing on others and giving them time and interest is not a bad idea. It adds a lot of depth to a story.

There is nothing wrong with taking your time and properly showing other characters and what they are like. Your Protag does not make a whole story!! All the characters and concepts added around him is what truly make a story.

Another big issue of this arc is the sword that Tanjiro will receive. It is Yoriichi’s sword but at this point, we don’t know much about him at all and why his sword would be so special. There is no connection that would make us understand why the sword would be so important.

Furthermore, Tanjiro was doing completely fine with the sword he had the whole time, making it even more questionable why he needed the other one. Had there been much more background on the sword one would understand the connection. And had Tanjiro struggled a lot more with the sword he already had one would understand why he needed the other one. In the end, I kept forgetting that he needed a sword at all.

Another issue of this arc is a common Shounen issue and that is writing the arc in a way that the protag finishes off the enemy. For most stories, it hardly makes much sense. there is always a lot of effort put into justifying why the stronger ones cannot do it and too much focus on the mc. This is the second upper moon he decapitates.

Please keep in mind that all this is my own opinion and how I feel a story would be more interesting if you don't agree with this it is completely fine and there is no need to be upset in case you don't like my opinion.^^

#demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer season 3 #muichiro tokito #kny tokitou #kimetsu tanjiro #tanjiro kamado #kny kotetsu #swordsmith village arc #demon slayer muichiro #demon slayer tanjiro #kny nezuko #kamado nezuko #kny yoriichi #yoriichi tsugikuni #kny mitsuri #mitsuri kanroji

[thepariahcontinuum]

For the Parahumans OC Cape thing:

Brute/Changer(?), except instead of turning into some kind of monster or whatever, when a limb is hit (including the head), it just pops off. It doesn’t take damage, instead only beInt susceptible to damage after it pops off—and even then, it can take a tremendous amount of punishment. The torso is just immune to damage to entirely, so only way to kill them is by destroying the head. They can be popped back on just as easily as they come off, with about the strength of a fairly high power magnet. Detached limbs may continue to move as directed by the head.

My initial thought is that this cape is a C53, like a porcelain human-sized Barbie doll person or even just an animate skeleton, in which case the detachment thing would extend to every single bone in the skeleton. Any ‘healing’ of damaged limbs would have to be done as if it was an object—a bio tinker would have a hard time doing anything in the first case, because the body isn’t organic, while the skeleton version would be more difficult than a normal body but not impossible. Panacea would be similar. Somebody like Armsmaster or Mannequin would have a field day, though.

A non-C53 would be cool in a very different way, if simply at the gory image where you’d be able to see inside of somebody’s body, yet without any actual damage—it doesn’t bleed, and it’s as if any blood or stuff that should rightfully be flowing out seems to just hit an invisible wall at the point where it should exit the body.

Thoughts?

I immediately thought of Lizardy/Setsuna Tokage from MHA tbh.

So yeah, Case 53 skin appears like porcelain but does not shatter, I'm thinking everything underneath is the right shape and colour, it's all in the right places but it's not really meat.... Despite needing to breathe and eat it's almost like most other bodily functions can happen "wirelessly" e.g a detached limb well not asphyxiate despite being removed from the circulatory system.

The Setsuna similarities make me want to commit to this being a Ward aged girl....Also fuck it, sharp teeth to make her look a little less human while we're at it and they've got a weird texture as well.

With the amnesia that comes from being a Case 53 there's no way of knowing who she was she's decided to go balls to the wall and make sure that she can never be forgotten by anybody with how bombastic and over the top she is as she tries to cram every day with more memorable moments. She lives life cranked up to eleven at all times in all regards and has a personality like a Boxer Dog Puppy on a sugar high.

That drive and full throttle commitment applies to training and the only real downside to her effort to come up with new and more effective ways to use her power is that most of what she's come up with is completely batshit crazy:

Popping her arms off before patrol and replacing them with weapon-filled Tinker-tech prosthetics (Approved conditionally)

Throwing detached fingers after getaway vehicles like the T-1000 to track criminals down (Approved)

The "Thing manoeuvre" (Approved)

Carrying swords/similar to more quickly detach her own limbs when needed as well as for combat (Denied, pending reconsideration when she's 18)

Wearing an explosive vest to scatter parts across target-rich areas (Denied and resulted in a trip to a therapist)

The costume has to be jarring, something that makes your eyes itch. I'm thinking orange white and purple, a multicoloured bodysuit that covers everything below the neck with more gear layered over it....Also she dyes her hair a lot and hides it with a wig, which is also dyed.

As for her name, how about: Unhinge

#wormblr #worm web serial #Parahumans #wildbow #worm oc #MHEmpire

[but-is-it-vegan]

hey! I should preface this with i’m vegan myself, but I’m just wondering if you would be willing to chat about your stance on pet ownership?

everyone’s reasons for going vegan are all a little bit different, but at the end of the day we all agree Exploiting Animals Bad. I’ve found pet ownership to be a bit divisive amongst vegans as the ‘exploitation’ status is a little muddy, I’m interested to see what others have to say as there’s certainly things I’ve failed to consider. where I live in Aus, a lot of people are against pets in general regardless of being vegan, as cats specifically pose a threat to native wildlife.

my personal opinion at the moment is that pet stores & backyard breeders are the worst & pet ownership in general I think is something we should move away from. if i were to own a pet myself, it would be through rescuing from a pound/shelter or taking in a stray. <— most people I’ve seen in my circles get pets have done this one

I admit this opinion does not include working animals for instance, medical alert dogs or emotional support animals.

would love to hear your thoughts!

Hello anon, I'm sorry for the late reply, it's been busy lately. This is an interesting question that vegans indeed may have different views about, although I agree with your opinion mostly.

I can't decide whether pet-ownership should or shouldn't be a thing at all, it would be hypocritical of me to be completely against pets while knowing how great it is to have a pet through my family's cat. I believe that people will never stop wanting pets, having some form of closeness with non-human animals is such an integral part of being human and some animals, like cats, seek human company by themself.

I'm for sure strictly against exotic pets and any kind of exploitation, like horse riding. People generally should only get a companion if they're capable of caring for them - enough space, entertainment, proper food, medication, attention etc. I also think most animals currently avaiable as pets shouldn't be kept as pets at all.

As far as I can tell from my country, basically no one here objects pet-ownership itself (besides perhaps some vegans). I agree with you that backyard breeders and pet stores are awful, they treat them like products and cause such an oversupply of homeless animals in shelters and on the streets that I definitely don't consider it wrong to take care of those who're already here (which is what every want-to-be pet-owner should do). Assistance and service animals are tricky since these pets are "used" but their humans really do need them. At the very least, those who train and offer them should do their best to not add to the already existing problems, vegans with service or assistance animals could probably give a better insight on this than me as I admittedly don't know enough about this topic.

Letting cats roam outside uncontrolled is what enables them to harm native wildlife, especially with them procreating in exponential growth. It's still considered normal and necessary in most places to give cats free access to outdoors while keeping every other pet inside or allow only controlled run, nearly every cat-owner I talked to in person reacted very allergic to the idea of not letting their cat out uncontrolled. Of course different animals have different needs, but what exactly justifies cats to get more freedom than other pets? It seems like a lazy excuse for the lack of enrichment at home. I would even argue it's socially accepted neglect of the cat's safety. Cats can have a satisfying life indoors, it just takes more effort to ensure that than to open the door and hope that they return alive and at best without parasites or wounds.

#anon #ask

[witchthewriter]

Hi! I'm participating in the ship game again, because it's an addiction.

So could I please have a male ship from Buffy, Twilight and the walking dead or merlin, whichever you prefer

I'm about 5 foot (if that) in height, I have long brown hair, quite pale skin with pretty prominent freckles, blue/grey eyes and a sort of curvy build. MBTI is INFP, Hogwarts house is a gryffindor and I go by she/her pronouns.

I'm the mum friend in my group, my bag is filled with everything someone might need of a day. Hand sanitizer, hand cream, lip balm, hairbands, pens, tissues, you name it I probably have it. I like to take care of people and when the people I love are happy, I am too. That also extends into buying gifts, christmas is a busy time because I spend so much time finding perfect gifts.

My dream is to be a novelist but I would also love to be a costume designer. I just love being creative. I'd love to have a place which is mine, with comfy chairs and shelves full of books and dvds. I love watching films, especially horrors and the like.

I am pretty shy at first and I'm not too rebellious, which means for some reason my brain comes hardwired to be attracted to every bad boy on the planet at any given moment. It's a real issue.

Some more miscellaneous information about me. My favourite animals are lemurs or red pandas, my favourite colours are pale yellow and turquoise, my favourite flower is a water lily, my birthstone is a ruby and my favourite food is a dominos pizza.

Thank you!!

Thanks for participating! 

𝐁𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫

𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

I ship you with Angel! His character is actually so much better in his tv series, so the Buffy version is ... kinda flat. But his character is very caring, protective and introverted. I can see you guys sitting on the couch, both reading, enjoying one another's company.

𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑠

・Calls you 'honey'. He's not overly into the pet name thing, but with you he made an exception

・Likes when you suggest dates and new things for you guys to do. Maybe he’s done them a million times, but he’s not done them with you

・Loves when you run your fingers through his hair. He often rests his head on your lap and listens to your heart beat

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈:

↬ Style by Ryan Adams

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

↬Tall Grumpy (Angel) x Short Unbothered Sunshine (You)

𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢

He loves your caring nature. Someone who cares just as much as others as he does, it takes the brunt of the effort off of him

𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑

Is Willow! I think she would love to be mummed by you - telling her to drink more water and always putting on her bandaids

𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

I ship you with Jacob Black! I think he would really appreciate your togetherness, and caring nature. In return, he would protect you with everything he has, no matter the cost.

𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑠

・Tried to keep his secret from you for the longest time. But your curiosity got the best of you, and you couldn’t help but snoop. You actually accidentally found out about the pack one night, and from then, you were the only stranger to see the wolves. (Well, human stranger...besides Bella.)

・He gives the warmest hugs, and he’s constantly warm. Cuddling next to him, especially in the winter, is the epitome of perfect

・Likes to hound you when you’re reading or writing or doing work. He loves having your attention

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈:

↬ The Train by James Newton Howard

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

↬ Troublemaker x WHY DO YOU KEEP GETTING IN TROUBLE!?

𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢

He loves that you dream of being a novelist. Well, he loves your dreams in general. And that a lot of them include him.

𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑

Is Alice Cullen, I think she would be such a fun friend. And you wouldn’t judge her like a lot of people do. Literally, anyone who comes in contact with her judges her a little, but not you

𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧

𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

I ship you with Gawaine or is it Gwaine? Either way, I ship you with him. I think you would be instantly attracted to him. And your relationship would follow the plot line of ‘you fell first but he fell harder.”

𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑠

・Calls you every single pet name. ‘Sweetheart,’ ‘love,’ ‘darling,’ ‘my love,’ ‘my world.’

・ He loves getting a rise out of you. Doing stupid things to make you worried about him. But then you show him that you’d care about him even if he didn’t do the most ridiculous things

・Always brings you a flower every time you see each other

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈:

↬ Flying with Mother by John Powell

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

↬ Dumbass x Oh God I Guess That’s My Dumbass

𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢

He loves that you truly care about his well-being. He’s been alone by himself for so long, and so reliant on only him, that having someone who wonders about him is overwhelming

𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑

Is Merlin! I think you guys would have so much banter and share so many sarcastic remarks. 

#match ups #ships

[rei-caldombra]

Dragon Ball Z and Super share a lot of the same issues - I'm tired of Z Worshippers

This one is more of a rant and vent post talking about Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Super and the Dragon Ball fanbase. I am going to be a bit harsh but please always remember to be civil and treat people with respect when disagreeing and calling out people’s behavior. With that said though, in my opinion DBZ worshippers are obnoxious hypocrites who are hyper fixated on an idealized version of DBZ. To be clear, loving Z does not make you a worshiper. A worshiper is someone who acts like Z is perfect, ignores Z’s flaws and refuses to not compare Z and Super every 5 seconds. I’ll be bringing up specific points of discourse around Super and giving my thoughts on how Super and Z actually share a lot of the same issues people bring up towards Super. This won’t be encompassing every little detail of the series. I also want to state that I love this series and do not dislike Z or Super. I just find they both have many issues, many of which are shared.

The reason why I bring this up is because these people have never stopped being annoying in my opinion. Even after over 5 years of the main Dragon Ball Super anime being over, people are still leaving the same tired “Super bad Z good” comments on clips from Z and Super. It’s inescapable and impossible to ignore. And after years of these same things, it is very tiring to be in the community sometimes. No matter how much time passes they are incapable of getting over the fact that Z ended and Super aired. 

My main argument is that many of the points people criticize Super over are done by Z as well. But because they romanticize Z so much, they don’t realize this and attribute it just to Super. 

Let’s talk about power scaling. No one complains about Goku and Vegeta going from completely outclassed by Buuhan to overpowering him after Potara fusion. But when Kale and Caulifla are completely outclassed by Goku then overpower him by potara fusion suddenly it's stupid that Potara has a ridiculous multiplier. Potara has always been a way for 2 people to turn the tides. This goes for the fusion dance too. Goten and Trunks cannot stand a semblance of a chance against Buu, but they fuse so they can at least be justified to put up a fight. Goku and Vegeta could not take down Janemba but after fusing effortlessly destroyed him. Zamasu and Goku Black were individually too weak to fight Goku and Vegeta, so they fused to get the upper hand. Then Goku and Vegeta do the same to turn the tides again. Fusion has always been used as a way for weaker characters to dramatically overcome their opponent. This is and always was bad and inconsistent from a power scaling perspective. It’s been like this since Z, Super did not change that. 

Super also did not ruin Super Saiyan forms, the impact of Super Saiyan was ruined long before Super. Many people are for some reason totally fine with Goten and Trunks not having any interesting or emotional reason to go Super Saiyan. It just randomly happens while they were casually training with Chi-Chi. But when Caulifla goes Super Saiyan without any interesting or emotional reason suddenly the hype of Super Saiyan is being ruined. Tingly back is dumb, yes. But are you seriously arguing that “idk it just happened lol” is good writing for Trunks and Goten? Both of these are unsatisfying uses of characters becoming Super Saiyans. Saiyans go Super Saiyan when the story demands Saiyans keep up with the most recent enemies. Goten and Trunks had to be able to go Super Saiyan so they could be relevant in the Buu Saga. Another point in a similar vein- Caulifla going Super Saiyan 2 fairly easily was also complained about. You know who else got a higher Super Saiyan form very easily in a way that undercuts the effort of the other character(s) who achieved it through hard work and/or emotional suffering? Gotenks going Super Saiyan 3 after seeing it done by Goku one time. Why? Because the people they have to fight are so strong that they need it to be relevant. Super Saiyan was downgraded from being a big deal long ago back in Z. Power ups that undercuts the impact of previous ones is not a Super problem, it's a Dragon Ball problem. 

Now to the inconsistent art point. Super has some fairly inconsistent and mediocre art over its run, with some frames in particular looking especially bad. But have y’all actually watched Z outside of the big hype moments you watch clips of on Youtube? Let’s look at some terrible art from Z. Please be aware that I am not an animation expert on the technical side so sorry if I use any terms incorrectly. 

Vegeta is ridiculously off model, to the point that it barely even looks like him. With this picture you could convince someone this is a different Saiyan like you’d see in the background of Namek flashbacks. There were various artists and teams handling DBZ over the show, and that resulted in things like this happening more often. This is bad, plain and simple. If people are going to pick out minor bad moments in Super, then we are allowed to do that for DBZ too. 

Here’s a mediocre looking frame from the Cell Saga. 

It even comes from Cell vs Goku, one of the best-looking fights in the series in my opinion. Look how crunchy that Cell the back is. Goku’s hair is pretty low detail compared to many of the other shots in this fight. This is a shot covering a lot of motion, which often can result in less detail. This is fairly normal, but yes it does look worse and is inconsistent. This is just like many frames people have criticized in Super. In this same fight there are single frames covering movement that look 10x better. Sorry, Z does not look perfect 100% of the time like a lot of people act. Super is the same way. For example, there are some very mediocre looking parts of the Future Saga, but there are also the parts directed by Naotoshi Shida that look really great. Z and Super were both long running anime that had inconsistent art that ranged from ugly to beautiful. Z and Super both had times where less skilled artists were working on the show. They both had times when the show was rushed, and the art suffered. Just like with Super we can pick out poor visuals in Z as well. There’s definitely worse than the above shot but this shot exists and was easy to find so I used it. Kinda like how people would criticize the same easy to find shots of Super for the last 9 years. 

Some of the criticisms of Super are just stupid and people are not paying attention to the details. The biggest one is people saying Goku endangered everyone by giving Zeno the idea for the Tournament of Power. But if you actually paid attention, you would know that Zeno was planning to erase all of the universes that ended up participating in the Tournament of Power before that idea came up. The Tournament of Power meant at least one universe would be saved and gave the chance for that universe to save the rest. Goku’s idea saved all the universes from destruction. It seems stupid in the moment but actually worked out in the end. You know what else did in a similar fashion? Goku gives Cell a senzu bean. If you want to argue that it being unintentional shouldn’t count in Goku’s favor for not being an idiot in Super, then you should consider Goku an idiot in Z for not killing Fat Buu when he could have. Besides, the argument of his perceived dangerous desire for the ToP being out of character is just incorrect in my opinion. 

Goku endangered people all of the time for his own desires. He let Vegeta go just so he could fight him again. He didn’t know that Vegeta wouldn’t go around destroying and/or conquering more planets in the meantime. He recognized that the Saiyans were conquerors and killers, and that Vegeta should’ve been killed. But his selfish desire (as he admits himself) to enjoy fighting him again won out. He also let Frieza go out of pity even though he truly believed Frieza was evil. Even if his spirit was broken, how’d he know he wouldn’t work out that misery by hurting more people? He did not want to kill him, so he initially gave Frieza the chance to change. For both Vegeta and Frieza he put the universe at risk to give them a chance to change. He believed in that capacity to change so he ignored their unlikelihood of doing so. He also the time Goku tells Vegeta that he could have defeated Fat Buu as a SSJ3 but chose not to so Goten and Trunks could have a chance. Yet again he puts the world at risk for his own desires. And unlike with Gohan and Cell, this did not work out according to plan. Goten and Trunks could not defeat Buu and his plan backfires. Goku is not a perfect paragon character who only acts in the best interest of the universe. Let’s argue that Goku believes in not dealing with threats efficiently so people can grow from combat. He wanted to fight Vegeta again to better himself and he wanted Goten and Trunks to fight Buu so they can better themselves. He believes in the growth that comes from combat. Does that not also work for the Tournament of Power? Does it not make sense for him to want to grow by encountering all these different fighters? Even if that brings some risk by whatever stakes come from the tournament? I feel that Goku wanting a universal tournament even though the gods recommended against it fits his character. Krillin said leaving Vegeta alive would be a bad idea. But Goku stuck to his desire anyway. Beerus and the others thought the ToP would be a bad idea. But Goku went for it anyway. King Kai warned Goku not to get in a fight with Beerus but he did it anyway. He has the drive to protect people but at his core he is a guy who loves to fight and grow from that experience. And he pushes that onto other people which often brings increased risk. This fits for the Cell saga too, where he gives Cell a senzu bean because he believes fighting Cell at full power will bring out Gohan’s potential. Even though healing Cell put everyone at greater risk he chose to do that because he wanted to see Gohan’s full potential. He does want to protect people from evil, but the forefront of his character is desiring to fight and grow as a fighter. And through the series we see this bring risk. To me this is who adult Goku is. In my opinion this is pretty consistent characterization from Z to Super. Goku’s character is up to personal interpretation, but this is how I see him. 

You can like Z better than Super. That’s fine. My problem is not people criticizing either show, or people making an argument that one anime is better than the other (I like the original Dragon Ball anime the best if you're curious). You can have issues with writing, power scaling, visuals etc. of either show. I am not arguing people’s issues with Super are invalid. The problem is pointing out the flaws of Super just to completely ignore those same flaws being present in Z in mostly the same way. It's hypocritical, plain and simple. Some people really need to take off their nostalgia goggles and look at all of Dragon Ball more comprehensively if they want to talk about the quality of the individual shows. In my opinion many of the problems people talk about in regard to Super are problems that all of Dragon Ball suffers from, not just Super. I am tired of hearing about these problems brought up against just Super for almost a decade now (crazy that Super started in 2015). I want the Z worshippers to move on with their lives and get over not enjoying Super as much as other people did. At the very least please properly watch Z and Super again if you are going to act like you are an expert on them. Come up with new material and/or criticize something new.

Thank you for reading! I think this really helped release this buildup of frustration out of my system lol.

#Dragon ball #Dragon Ball Z #Dragon Ball Super #DBZ #DBS #anime #Blog #vtuber

[destinyimage]

The Glory Mindset: How to Experience the Glory-Filled Life Daily

I’m slouched down a bit now as I have been writing since 3 a.m., and it is now 11 a.m.

One of the costs of a holy obsession, is that there is no rest day and night. Hopefully, you have that enthusiasm—that vigorous, cheerful offering for Him too. We’re getting ready to run without looking back. The spirit is activated, and we are participating. The glory mindset will change you.

Surely, it was big, that change that followed the glory side, and I knew it. God knew it. Everyone who knew me knew it. COVID however, provided a strange shelter for two years as a shield against the harsh realities of this new life. There I was standing whenever I could, throwing myself into His arms, trying to make sense of it all. Privileged to return, the blessing of the glory, yet the awkwardness of adjusting back. But I never got back onto that fast-moving train, and now I am trying to get you off. We’ve all been wondering how we can stop it or change the course of our days. I was changed from the inside out and found the Glory mindset.

When I was in the Great Hall of Heaven, I wanted to run on the streets of gold, as my boyhood youth and vigor were back. When one crosses over, you have already changed out of your mortal-like costumes and come to the grace of a Holy audience of One. I remind myself that I belong to this place, as it belongs to you. It’s in your bloodline. In Heaven, every column and surface seemed to be covered in gold with a fierce fiery glow. As I saw majestic mountains ascending the iridescent blueish canopy, I saw luscious hills green, vibrant, and living. I saw a river, as waterfalls were making their presence known cascading down gracefully, and majestically. God’s presence was everywhere as One who sets a calming hand on your shoulder, and you are struck by His glory, majesty, love, and warmth.

In addition to being the perfect, Holy Place, an unwavering admiration and worship is being directed by the ideal director, the Holy One, who is gently guiding all of Heaven in holy admiration. I was savoring every moment. Every moment was like one drop of rain that could nourish the earth.

What I desire for your pursuit of a glory mindset, requires intention with a heart of desperation. In Heaven, it’s easy because everything is supernaturally queued for Glory. On earth, it takes effort, desire, and discipline.

Looking Down from Heaven

Let me say that the world/earth is fascinating too. Earthly life doesn’t need to be boring, it can be Glory filled. It’s all what you choose to see, and what you don’t see. What is the focus of your attention on any day?

For instance, small things are great just as great things have greatness. Sure, the ant is not a symbol of lion-like power and prowess, but it is no less miraculous as the sea’s great Leviathan. One drop of rain is no less miraculous than a single snowflake, a mighty tempest, a gentle breeze. It all varies on our perspective, and the subject of our focus. If our lids turn upward, we will see the beauty in great things and small things. It’s one of the ways to feed the Glory mindset.

In Job 12:7-10 for instance, we are spurred on to have these inquiring minds. It tells us to:

Ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? For in his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.

In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land (Psalm 95:4-5).

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These simple acts cultivate the Glory mindset in us.

Watch something happen when the Spirit activates you for the Glory. The Spirit begins to animate your soul so that “whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, you do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). You come into a Glory mindset. The Bible reminds us that there are many glories to occupy our holy curiosity.

I See Something Else

Now let us turn ever so slightly while holding onto the Glory chorus that has been heard throughout this work. In the illumination of the Glory, shadows jump out everywhere. Every morning I go to the corner bagel store for my tea, only to see the same older men talking about the weather and congratulating each other on various perceived accomplishments. I see people entirely unaware of the times and the hour we live in. God’s people share the same disease.

They, too, speaking of God’s people, are scurrying to and fro, uptight, racing to the red light. No sooner than the light turns green, a horn blasts to move. Why has it only been a second. Perhaps the speed of a twinkling of an eye. As believers, we cannot be driven by the cultural stopwatch. The Glory and presence abhor it. Make no mistake, a harried life for God’s people is destructive. It’s one of the reasons I no longer wear a watch. I wear a compass on my wrist, always reminding me that position is more important than time. This harried culture pulls down upon the soul, keeping you so occupied and distracted so that there isn’t enough room for the Glory to move, because you are shoulder to shoulder with the world’s activities.

As previously noted, the Bible places a high value on rest and peaceful living. Even Yeshua escaped the busyness of the crowds to renew His strength many times. Mark 6:31 says, “Because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to [His disciples], ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’”

I remember when New York City was a ghost town during the COVID lockdown. People were home with loved ones. Neighborhoods were filled with people talking to each other. Family walks were ordinary. Everyone was discovering things that they had never noticed.

Dallas Willard said, “Among the practices that can help us attend to soul care at a basic level are solitude and silence. We practice these by finding ways to be alone and away from talk and noise. We rest, observe, and stop ‘smell the roses’—dare we say it?—we do nothing! God can use this discipline as a means of grace. We may even find another reminder of grace—that we are saved, justified by His redeeming power—not by our strivings and achievements.”

I hope my words have pulled on that deep thread. I see someone reading this, perhaps pausing to clear their throat as sighs are heard, “Tell me more.” You see, there is something in all of us of an eternal nature, we are imbued with it, and we need to understand more. So, hang on as we descend deeper!

Glory Mindset

Now if you haven’t caught my subtleties, one prerequisite for Dancing Past the Darkness: You must notice the beauty most people miss. IT’S THE WAY! And if you can become a holy admirer, YOU WILL SEE THE BEAUTY IN YOUR DAY.

Go beyond yourself—and get outside your daily world consciousness and pressures—get into a Heavenly consciousness—a Glory mindset!

For instance, most people hub around the darker happenings of daily life, the Glory mindset sees the beauty in a day and the blessings that fill it. Try to put a Kingdom-oriented spin on everything. When others see doom and gloom, fix your eyes on a discouraged soul and look to be God’s hand extended; experience the sick healed or a word of compassion to a needy soul. Step out of yourself and your schedule and pray for someone in your day. Incorporate stops in your day to tell someone that God loves them and that He has not forgotten them.

Seeing Differently

I know you might be wondering if it is possible to live this way; slowing down, praying for people, enjoying God’s creation, having inquiring minds, and searching eyes like an explorer. Once again from Proverbs 25:2 (NLT) says, “It is God’s privilege to conceal things and the king’s privilege to discover them.” So, go on a discovery. Be an adventurer!

If we slow down, and get into a Glory mindset, we dis- cover a kaleidoscope of treasures to be wide-eyed about. Start with the Bible which is also “The” book of nature revealing three leaves, Heaven, earth, and sea. Heaven is the first and the most glorious; and by its creation, we can see the beauties of the other two. Cloudy days remind you of the Glory that comes on the clouds. Look it up in Scripture. It’s there! Rainy days remind me of the water being dis- charged from Heaven to water the seed of the ground that there is bread for the eater—it is like His word that doesn’t return void. Nature needs a drink. You’ll find it in the Bible! Let your days greet you with eyes wide open to opportunities to see a lost soul come into the Kingdom.

Dare to be different. Slow down to hear and listen more. Every day Yeshua read people like a book to engage them for the Kingdom. He read a rich man’s thoughts who thought it was easy to follow Him. Today, its easy to meet someone visibly hardened by life with no apparent faith in their eyes, yet you can feel compassion for them.

The Bible calls the heavens plural for their variety, existing of the watery heavens with the solar heavens, and all the day’s glories, like the starry heavens with all their marvels of the night. Any part of creation has more instruction than the human mind will ever exhaust. No matter which way you turn, it is like a giant glorious jigsaw puzzle.

Before I end this chapter, I want to speak to the naysayers around every corner who are pushing impatiently, ready to tell you, “You cannot live this way in the presence and under the Glory.” They are a product of the culture. What slips into the crowd of our Christian culture lay the notion that our toilsome trek through life is one’s lot pending Heaven. Notice the two words: trek and toilsome. I prefer dance and pleasure. The naysayers are dead wrong. You can pull Heaven down daily, notwithstanding those pundits, traditionalists, and conventionalists. I hope my words offered some enticement to come closer, so you are not pensive. A lot hap- pens around here that will surprise you.

Conclusion

Friend, life’s bruising that sin brings can only be healed at the feet of Yeshua who hung on that crossbeam for you. The blood on the crossbeam proves today, two thousand years later, how I got to Heaven. Instantly His death opened the door to our eternal destiny.

Give your life to the Lord today, and don’t miss out on the most glorious place created for you, Heaven. In Heaven, there is no worry about anything. The order of things is pure, right, straight, and untouched by human hands. The glory is bright and blinding, yet it penetrates the atmosphere with a sweet rose fragrance. Did you ever think we should live more of our lives marked by a deeper heavenly mindset, and His presence in the here and now? The answer is yes! He loves sinners and cares for every soul.

Pray this prayer:

Lord, come into my life and be Lord of my life. For- give me for my sin and thank You for sending Your Son to die. I receive my Messiah, the Lamb of God who died for me. Fill me with Your Spirit and make me a new creation.

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[activatemarketing]

3 Signs You Should Invest In Promotions Agency Near Me

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9 Amazing Facts About Promotive

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O ur gratitude goes to you all. For voting us the best site style company, seo company, business identity, google Ad, Words management company & internet marketing business in South Africa - brand activations agency. In South Africa we have offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban. Abroad we have offices in New york city city (America), London (Uk, Harare (Zimbabwe) and Abuja (Nigeria) Hashtag99 online business is based in Johannesburg South Africa.

All Your Burning Promotive Questions Answered

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Isilumko Activate Johannesburg Is Out. Here’s What’s In

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[vsingers]

this is an outdoor cat owner hate zone. if your cat is an outdoor cat do not interact.

#if u want ur cat to have outdoor time heres an idea.....train it to use a harness #it can be done it just takes effort...like training any animal does #not to be like That Person but please for the love of god put effort into caring for your cat. why even get one if you're not gonna bother #doing research on how to keep them safe #just a hot take

[starburstfloat]

The Female Gaze in 2521: On Empowered Female Characters and Healthy Masculinity

Y’all I’m so excited to dive into this!

If you’re a kdrama fan, then by now you’ve probably caught on that kdramas often incorporate “the female gaze”. While it’s debated what’s considered the female gaze, we can all conclude that it is different from the omnipresent male gaze in media.

The male gaze describes the visual or aesthetic presentation of women in a way that depicts them as sexual objects, with personalities that tend to center towards men or their fantasies of how women "should" behave. That’s a bit of an oversimplification, but if you watch literally any popular show or movie, you’ll quickly notice the male gaze because it’s woven into the camerawork, the characterization, or body language of the characters on screen. See if you can catch it here.

Not so subtle, right? Kdramas are not free from it, either, but it is worth noting that kdramas do tend to pull an opposing card, namely the female gaze.

This tends to center female characters as being a spectator rather than an object, and typically holding more agency, meaning they lead their lives and choices. The male characters are often characterized as charming, sweet, polite, and romantic.

I see two forms of the female gaze in 2521: first, the empowered female characters and their depiction on screen; second, the portrayal of healthy masculinity in the leading male characters. 

Since this would actually become a literal essay if I tried to encompass every instance or relevant detail, I’m limiting it to just a few observations. But trust me, this show is abundant with many more. If you want to discuss it more, feel free to message me - I’m a nerd for this shit haha

Anyway, leggo~

Let’s start with our empowered protagonists (abbreviated to FC for Female Character from here on)!

Hee Do’s character is a take on the classic “I’m not like other girls” trope but thankfully the writers have spun it into a refreshingly animated and enlivened perspective. She is loud, sometimes adorably obnoxious, a little childish, and passionate. Contrary to the typical loud kdrama FC, she is innocent but not naive. Also contrary to other FCs, she does not seek a love interest. Her main goal is to improve her fencing and transfer to the school where her idol trains.

I like how Yi Jin’s presence in Hee Do’s life lifts her up and helps her accomplish her goals, but he’s not an absolute necessity. This kdrama could very well have orbited around the high school friend group and Hee Do would still succeed. This is pretty poignant, since Yi Jin being there merely enriches her life. She still ultimately has agency over her choices and dreams.

Also, let’s highlight how none of these FC are sexualized, be it their school uniforms, fencing gear, or the beach scene. Yes, Korea is much more conservative with these things, and yes, I think the writers and directors were cognizant of the thin line they were treading with the age gap and Hee Do being a minor for a while. But still! I think it’s worth celebrating and pointing out that they often show her wearing her red tracksuit pants under her skirt while no one else does. 

Seungwan is another FC who shines so well with the female gaze. She’s the one who makes an active effort to call out the abuse of the teachers at her school. She is an active participant in her life - she makes a clear stand that she will no longer tolerate witnessing abuse. Her agency is clear: she’s not backing down, and not stooping down to threats of being expelled.

Instead, she whips a reverse uno card and goes fuck this place, I’m leaving. That’s not to say empowerment comes without vulnerability and emotion. I think that’s what I enjoy so much about FCs done well in kdramas contrary to western media lately, because western media female empowerment these days seems to be “see, I’m a heartless bitch, watch me stand up for my beliefs and not even cry”. So when Seungwan explains the situation to her mom and says she’s sorry and starts crying in her mother’s embrace, it makes her moment of courage to leave and stand for her values that much stronger.

It’s brave because it has a toll. It’s brave because it’s an unfair situation to be put into. Crying about it makes that reality crash down on us much harder. Also, can we celebrate how this drama doesn’t attempt to give us beautiful crying scenes? A lot of male gaze centric media will make even women’s suffering an aesthetic viewing experience. But this? Not at all. We got runny noses, snot, creased eyebrows and sobbing breaths and shaking shoulders. Beauty isn’t the focus. It’s the feeling. 

This feels like a good transition into part 2: healthy masculinity! Because! Let me tell you!! We have plenty of kdramas with men crying, sure. But I’ve never seen performances like this where 1) male crying is filmed in such an intimate way and 2) where the female lead is framed as the dominant comfort - but not an emotionless hero, either.

Let’s talk about Jiwoong’s crying scene on the rooftop when he found out Seungwan was leaving.

The camerawork doesn’t shy away from showing the growing hurt and welling tears in his eyes. She comes over to hug him, swooping her arms over his shoulders even though he’s the taller one. We see him cover his face but not shy away from letting it out. She pats him on the back. It’s refreshing to see a male character cry without him having to throw things or break shit lmao like men can just stand there and cry and allow women to see them like this. 

Transition into Yi Jin’s crying scenes (oh man, Nam Joo Hyuk is my favorite actor for a reason: you can read his face so perfectly without him needing to speak). Yi Jin’s crying scenes are also devoid of being overly dramatic while still encompassing the intensity of his feelings and the weight of the moment. The scene that stands out the most to me is in episode 8 when he’s doing the live reporting via the hotel room but his computer crashes.

The deafening silence hits the audience hard. It’s meant to feel like a slap in the face because we’re meant to sit in his shock for a bit. The shock, denial, anger, and sadness washes over him as the camera centers a closeup of his face. He shakily puts down the phone, gets up, collapses next to the hotel bed, lifts up the sheets, and shouts - and I mean fucking shouts - into the duvet. This happens as the camera pans out so we all go from feeling caught up in his emotional turmoil to feeling the spaciousness of the room around him; how he’s so alone, how he has no one to rely on in this moment.

I fucking held my breath man. Because this felt so intimate. We don't normally see male characters on screen break down like this. And if so, it might be framed in an aesthetic or artistic way or even sexual way, like crying in the shower. This was just...plain hard truth. That shit was intense. Can I just say? Oscar worthy, my dude. 

The second moment that stands out combines the two observations! We get an empowered FC and a representation of healthy masculinity all in one! That’s right peeps, I’m talking the tunnel crying scene.

God, what a performance. Note how the camerawork highlights that he is collapsed and lower than her.

Hee Do is the one holding his face. She’s the one who caresses his tears away. And mind you, even though we’re talking the Very Handsome Baek Yi Jin here, he is still a snotty crying mess. In traditional media, this visual is very much a male-dominant gaze: a helpless woman being saved by a heroic male protagonist in her moment of vulnerability, held in his arms, her tears being wiped away. This scene flipped the script, though. It’s beautiful to see a female character in this role. And again, just like with Seungwan, it’s not to say that she, being the hero in this moment, is devoid of emotion either. No, she cries too. She cries because she sees him, sees his pain. She doesn’t let it eat away at her and let her spiral. It isn’t an overly dramatic moment of hysteria and tears. It’s an acknowledgement: I see you. I understand you. Which is why their romance is all the more special. These are two people who have now seen each other at their worst. And they still choose to be gentle and soft and caring because the world around them is cruel enough.

What are your thoughts? Overall, I keep finding ways to celebrate this kdrama. Be it the writing, the visual directing and color theory, the character development and character arcs…….there’s just nothing quite like it. And I don’t think there will be something like it for a while. Hopefully this sets the new standard.

Love you fam :) Thanks for reading!

Peace out~

#twenty five twenty one #2521 #스물다섯 스물하나 #character analysis #discourse #female gaze #kdramas #baek yi jin #na hee do #seungwan #jiwoong

[sarasapen]

Among the Blues and Greens

Another installation of the Little One series.

Summary: Meditation often allowed for Jedi to discover and learn about their thoughts and feelings, aiding them in solving their problems. This meditation session unfortunately reveals more than you’d like.

Or the one in which Obi-Wan’s Padawan realises she loves him.

Warnings: Language, meditation, slow dancing, yearning, revelations, forehead kisses, Past Obitine relationship mentions

Word Count: 3k

Star Wars Masterlist

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 You were a fraud.

 Whenever you felt particularly emotional, you meditated, as any good Jedi was supposed to do. Before daybreak, the gardens at the Sundari Royal Palace were relatively uninhabited, at least by people. You didn’t mind the plants and animals. Their energies were soothing, incorrupt, they just were. That’s how you find yourself there, for the third day in a row, trying desperately to calm the tempest that’s seen fit to take up permanent residence in your mind.

 Why were you a fraud? A fake? A poser?

 Because here you were, years of training under your belt, pretending to meditate. Fraud.

 It was an old ‘trick’ that young Padawans- very young Padawans, you added- resorted to when they were made to meditate. Sitting there with your eyes closed, trying to keep your breathing even. No actual self-exploration or deep diving into your mind, just putting up a facade that any force insensitive being wouldn’t see through.

 Unfortunately for you, Obi-Wan Kenobi was Force sensitive.

 “You’re pretending,” He muses, lowering himself beside you and crossing his legs, assuming the same position you were in. You keep your eyes closed, forcing your breaths to remain even as if he hadn’t even spoken. He sees right through it, amusement weaving into the deep blues that were his signature.

 Oftentimes you wondered what it was like, to be in the middle of all that was him. Observing one’s signature from the outside was very much different than actually experiencing it. Each individual’s signature was different, and his signature was always so wonderful… You wanted to learn more about it, about him. But you knew you wouldn’t ever dare to be brash enough to even brush your signature against his, let alone delve into him fully.

 His signature morphs, from the vibrant, rich hums to a gentle, soothing wave. He’s meditating.

 You scowl.

 He’s barely been sitting down for a minute, and he’s already accomplished what you’ve been trying to do for the past three days.

 “Focus your thoughts on something,” He suggests quietly, sending out a wash of calm over your prickling irritation. He’s guiding you, as he used to do years ago when you were a young and distractible little thing, and you let him.

 You’d let him do anything.

 You’re swept backwards into the deep abyss that’s your mind, and you fall freely, watching Obi-Wan’s signature withdraw slowly from yours. It’s like watching waves upon the shore, gently sweeping backwards and away, taking with it such tiny, essential parts of you while simultaneously shaping you into a thing to behold. It was always, before anything else, soothing.

 He didn’t like studying others’ energies too closely. It was a common trait amongst blue sabers, whilst reading people's energies were crucial for the Jedi, studying them at great lengths could often prove to be uncomfortable. But yours, he had said. He wouldn’t mind spending days traversing the inside of your mind if you’d let him.

 When you were younger, you’d asked him what your signature looked like to him. He said it was a mass of shades of green that were so beautiful he doubted the mere names of the colours or any other descriptive words would be able to do them any justice.

 Beautiful, was the word he’d always use.

 And he was…gentle, and kind, and smart. You exhale slowly, no longer stiff in your posture. He’s always been so patient with you, even with his occasional sarcastic comment. The perfect Jedi.

 Even as a youngling, you’d hear exaggerated stories from Padawans slightly older than you, or, at least, he insisted they were exaggerated. A few years into your training with him, you began to think that maybe the far-fetched stories weren’t so far-fetched after all.

 You’re so lucky, younglings would say shortly after you had become his Padawan. After all, Master Kenobi’s previous Padawan was the Chosen One. You’d have to be something special to attract his attention.

 And you were lucky. But not for the glory and the awe that sparkled in people’s eyes at the mention of his name. It was for his undivided attention on you, his genuine interest in the things you enjoyed, his efforts to shift your training to aid in what you wanted to specialise in, even if it was wildly different from what he was good at.

 Not that there was much he wasn’t good at.

 You loved the way he carried himself, not with arrogance or pride (both of which you thought would have been deserved), but with a humble sort of almost shyness. You loved that he pushed to do better, to be better, not for himself but for you and Anakin. You loved the way he conducted himself with people, even those considered to be the lowest of the lows, he treated them with so much respect and kindness.

 Perhaps it was just that he was a decent human being, but that didn’t mean you loved him any less.

 You loved the way he’d throw in a sharp remark when facing an adversary, or the way he’d stand tall even in the face of-

 Hold on.

 You loved him.

 You loved him. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck-

 “What are you thinking about?” Obi-Wan calls from beside you, his voice no louder than a low murmur, and it still makes you flinch. “You’ve grown tense.”

 Play dumb. You could do that. Just… blurt out something random and leave it at that, and then you can-

 “She seems nice.”

 FUCK. Not that fucking dumb oh stars above you were so fucking screwed-

 “She… The Duchess?”

 “Yeah, your Duchess.” Oh kriffing hells, if you could just. stop. talking.

 “Duchess Satine is not my Duchess,” His force signature dips suddenly, as if he’s reeled everything back into himself. It pulls you along with it, and you can no longer pretend that you’re meditating. Not with the way your Master turns to face you, studying your features with a concerned curiosity. You tense up again, keeping your eyes trained on a lone tree, a distance away. There’s a caterpillar crawling on one of the branches, and you focus on that. You can tell that he can tell. He’s always been so good at reading you.

 “You…” He starts, but stops himself, straightening and regarding you once again.

 “Sometimes I find myself having to meditate more than usual. Even up to a few times a day, if I’m…” Obi-Wan’s gaze flickers down from your eyes for just a split second, a movement so quick he doesn’t even realise he’s done it. “Distracted.”

 There’s a stutter in your signature, one you try to hide by slamming up your walls, but the brush of Obi-Wan’s hand against your arm has you faltering. The waves of him approach slowly once again, waiting patiently beside the storm that’s your signature.

 “What’s gotten you so tense?” He probes gently, the weight of his hand against your shoulder mirroring the gentle reassuring taps of his signature against yours.

 “Do you love her?”

 You know what. There’s a ledge. Right there. You could just jump off. If you were dead you wouldn’t be facing this amount of embarrassment.

 “...I used to,” Obi-Wan reveals, and his admission surprises himself more than it does you. Not that he wasn’t aware of what the extent of feelings for Satine used to be, but admitting it, out loud? It was something he had never done before.

 “Used to?”

 “It was a lifetime ago, when I was still a Padawan.”

 It’s strange. Neither of you want to continue talking, to keep delving into dark and murky uncharted territory, between the blurred depths of what’s allowed and what’s forbidden. It scares you. It scares him too. 

 “So… what? You decided to give her up?”

 He should say something about the way of the Jedi, that attachments were forbidden, and that had anyone else known, they would’ve expected him to leave Satine. If it were anyone else asking him this, he would’ve said it, accompanied by a deserved lecture on subtlety and manners.

 But you’re the exception.

 You’d always be his only exception.

 So, instead, Obi-Wan says, “The Duchess, while a remarkable woman, has a very different outlook on life than I do, even back then.”

 There's a stretch of silence that he feels like he needs to fill. “Besides, it gave me the chance to meet people even more remarkable.”

 “Not many people can compare to the Duchess of Mandalore,” You mutter, closing your eyes to block out the sight of him when he gets to his feet.

 “No,” Obi-Wan agrees. “Although the Duchess couldn’t come close to comparing to you.”

 And with that heart-stopping revelation, he leans down and presses a lingering kiss to your forehead.

 “Focus,” Obi-Wan whispers in your ear, and then he’s gone.

 Now you really couldn’t concentrate.

——

 “Breathe,” Obi-Wan had instructed you, sitting beside your fidgety body with his own long-since perfected form.

 It was the second week into your Padawan training, and it had taken Obi-Wan twenty three minutes to get you to sit still. Not including the sixteen minutes it took to get you past the normally three minute walk from library to your room, or the seven minutes it took for you to pad over to him and sit beside him. Not for your lack of trying, Obi-Wan mused, watching you fidget once again.

 Your eyes fly open at his words.

 “If I stop breathing during meditation will I die?”

 Yeah, okay, that one was on him. It takes a lot of control for Obi-Wan not to choke on his overwhelming surprise at your words.

 “Meditation can only occur when you stop speaking, little one,” He hints, keeping his posture straight. Thirty two minutes now, he’s been sitting in this position, not meditating, but focused on your wild little signature.

 “Oh, yeah,” You concede, shifting again and screwing your eyes shut.

 Master Kenobi, the whisper-shout in his head very nearly startles him, and Obi-Wan can’t keep pretending his focus is impeccable. He turns to regard you with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. If I stop breathing during meditation, will I die?

 Again, to your credit, you weren’t exactly… speaking.

 Perhaps that’s why, with a self-indulgent smile, he sends back a quick no.

 Okay, you accept happily, shifting again in your seat. Your early days were so much like Anakin’s. Both of you, filled with a curiosity and outlook on the world that only children could view, and it baffled him to no end that both of you viewed him in exactly the same way.

 You just accepted everything he said without much thought, readily eager to believe that your Master was always right, because what else could he ever be? It was perhaps that specific period of time during both his Padawans’ training that Obi-Wan was the most stressed. The first few years were the years he felt as though he could disappoint you the most, to fail to protect you and teach you and nurture you.

 He didn’t fail. He didn’t even come close. You’d tell him if you could. Anakin would tell him too. But it just wasn’t a conversation Jedis had.

 And…there.

 You’re not meditating. Obi-Wan opens his mouth to say something, but the words die in his throat when he feels you oh so carefully reach out your signature. He follows along at a distance, careful not to alert you, and he watches as your signature gingerly approaches the plant situated outside your apartment door.

 The plant. You were connecting with the plant.

 You’re calm, he realises. Nearly ridiculously so, if he didn’t know any better he’d think your signature was that of a fully trained knight. The spurts and bursts and branches that were usually your energy flutter gently down, acting obedient and serene.

 It’s… for lack of a better word, beautiful.

 So with your thoughts centered around that little plant outside, all Obi-Wan has to do is give you just a little nudge that blocks out all other distractions for you- maybe it’s cheating, but he wants to see what will happen.

 And then you’re meditating.

——

 “It’s the first time I’ve worn a dress!” Swishing the fabrics of the skirt around you, you’re easily entranced by the movement. It’s a pretty dress, courtesy of the Mandalorian court, floaty and airy with barely there off-the shoulder sleeves. It reveals more of you than Jedi robes would ever, but you’re so enraptured with such innocent curiosity that Obi-Wan doesn’t even try to suppress the affectionate smile he gives you.

 “You look lovely,” He responds honestly, pushing himself off the couch and taking slow steps towards you.

 “I feel like a… like a…” You pause, glancing up from your skirts to fix your eyes on him, mind racing.

 “Like a?” Obi-Wan prompts.

 “Like a cloud!” You settle for, twirling around as if to emphasise your floaty feeling.

 “A cloud?” He confirms, voice laced with amusement. He takes your hand, twirling you around once more through your giggles.

 “Yeah.”

 “Well, you’re the prettiest cloud I’ve ever seen,” Folding his hand over your own, he steps into your space mid-twirl, his other hand coming to press flat against your back. He doesn’t know what propelled him to do this, to press you against him and pull you into little steps around the room. The giggles he gets from you are enough to diminish any second thoughts he gets, so he hums softly, pressing his cheek to the top of your head.

 Your little impromptu dance session is made to end as quickly as it started, a knock on his door reminding the both of you the reason for such fanciful dressing.

 A dinner.

 It was exciting to you, as most off-world mission events were, so different from the usual routine of your life on Coruscant. Your excitement is blindingly obvious, and yet Obi-Wan, who’s long since tired of having to accept invitations lest the Jedi be perceived as discourteous, Obi-Wan says nothing at all. He gives you a warm smile and gestures for you to move towards the door.

 And oh, what a dinner it was. The food was marvelous, the company a little less so, but the moments you’d glance up at your Master to find him already watching you made up for it. If only he weren’t seated so far away… and so close to the Duchess. You don’t turn your head in their direction again.

 Apparently a royal dinner on Mandalore was not just dinner, so after an hour of sitting at a table several seats away from your Master and surrounded by boring politicians, you’re ushered into a ballroom. Several ask for your hand to dance, but you turn them down with a polite smile and even politer excuse. You want to dance, you do. Just… not with them.

 Then you see her.

 She had changed her dress, and she was gorgeous. Elegant and beautiful and carrying herself with such grace even on the dancefloor, she looked every bit the Duchess she was. You sort of hated her.

 “The prettiest, huh?” You mutter bitterly under your breath, taking a moment to try to calm yourself. You take another breath when you turn to face Obi-Wan, expecting his eyes to be on her. Everyone’s eyes were on her.

 He’s looking at you.

 You immediately curse yourself out for the snide comment, hating that you’ve revealed yourself, your insecurities, that he’s going to admonish you for a silly little comment that just slipped out.

 Instead, he holds his hand out towards you, and bends down a little in a bow.

 “If I may have this dance, my dear?” The words come out as a low murmur, and even with the loud applause of everyone around you signalling the end of the Duchess’ dance, you hear him perfectly. Your cheeks are flushed and you’re trying impossibly hard to keep your breathing even as you slide your hand into his, letting him lead you to the middle of the dance floor.

 It’s strange, you think.

 The two of you have been in arguably far closer quarters than you were in now, with a decent amount of space between your bodies, joined only by your hand in his and his other hand on your waist. You’ve trained together, sparred together, been forced into close confines in the middle of missions and on occasion even slept in the same bed together.

 Obi-Wan’s grip on your hand tightens, the tips of his fingers skimming up your back and brushing tantalisingly against the skin that’s uncovered by the dress.

 No, this… this, in front of a whole room of people from all over the galaxy, this was far more intimate than anything ever before. It’s almost as if you’ve been transported back in time just a couple of hours ago, when it was just him and you in the privacy of your quarters.

 “The prettiest,” he confirms, voice low in your ear. Your breath hitches at his statement and all its implications. “It’s not even a competition.”

 Good things, as all things do, must eventually come to an end. Obi-Wan guides a slightly tipsy and very giggly you back towards your room, laughing despite himself when you trip over your own two feet. The last thing he wants after a successful mission is for you to get concussed by falling.

 He bends and effortlessly sweeps you into your arms, letting you swing your legs in the air. It’s not the first time he’s been in this position with you. Perhaps he’s carried you like this a little too often. His thoughts don’t linger on that topic for long.

 You change out of your dress and sit cross-legged in front of him, letting him brush out your hair and pull it back into a braid for you to sleep in, actions so practised that they’re not even spoken about.

 And on the floor of your room, discarded almost carelessly at the end of the bed, lay two weapons beside each other, one green, and one blue.

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The next one will be Obi-Wan’s revelation ;)

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#obi wan fluff #little one #little one series #fluff #obi wan is in love but doesn’t realise it #slow dancing #meditation #obi wan kenobi #obi wan fic #obi wan fanfiction #reader #padawan reader #master x padawan #dancing #ewan mcgregor #Star Wars #Star Wars prequels

[tootiredmotel]

Electricity

Inspired by @ledzeppelinmixtape 's emoji prompt: ⛈

Read on ao3 or below / 2.3k words

It's 11pm and storming biblically when Dean and Cas's apartment goes dark.

"Great," Dean mutters under his breath. "Fan-freaking-tastic."

From somewhere else in the apartment, his roommate asks "did the power go out?"

"What do you think, sunshine?" Dean replies sarcastically.

He has a half-written essay in front of him, but he knows his old-ass computer won't last long unplugged, so he saves the document before shutting it off. He leans back in his chair, stretching for the first time in an hour and running a hand down his face. He actually needed a break from the screen, he realizes, feeling his eyes relax as he rubs them.

The steady rain and strong winds outside make an overwhelming white noise track, interrupted only by thunder that goes from faint and distant to deafening in volume. If Dean wasn't stressed out of his mind and completely exhausted right now, he might actually find this kind of nice.

"It's raining cats and mice out there," he hears Cas say, his voice now in the room.

Dean smiles, still rubbing his eyes with the backs of both his hands. "Cats and dogs, Cas."

"Right. Cats and dogs."

It’s really no use correcting him; the entire animal kingdom could be falling from the sky right now and there wouldn't be much of a difference. The winds are definitely knocking things over, and the streets will certainly be flooded come morning. Dean wonders for how long the university will cancel classes after this (if at all, the heartless bloodsuckers).

A particularly loud clap of thunder startles Dean. He drops his hands from his face and opens his eyes, expecting to see pitch black nothingness, but the room is faintly lit by the flashlight Cas is holding as he rummages through their kitchen drawers. He approaches a minute later and sets a candle down on the small table.

"Smart."

"Thank you, Dean," Cas says, sitting down opposite him. Dean smiles again, this time shaking his head.

If anyone ever asked him to mention one thing he likes about Cas, just one, he'd probably say how genuine Cas is, how he takes everything to heart and speaks from it as well. Dean said just one word, smart, a simple comment on the fact that it occurred to Cas to light a candle instead of wasting the battery of their one flashlight, and Cas genuinely thanked him for the compliment. He's just ridiculously cute in his earnestness.

Cas is trying to light the candle now, but their lighter is tricky. Despite living together in that apartment for a year and a half now Cas has never really gotten the hang of it.

"Here, let me."

Dean means to take the lighter from Cas and do it himself, he really does. That is 100% his intention as he reaches across the table. Except he sees an opportunity, and Dean Michael Winchester is nothing if not smooth.

He wraps his hand around Cas's, gently guiding his fingers until they’re placed just right, and the lighter clicks on with ease. Cas meets his eyes, smiling, and Dean can feel the slightest brush of Cas’s thumb against his hand. It’s a small gesture, but clearly deliberate, and it sends Dean’s heart into overdrive. Cas leans away, puts the lighter aside, and starts leafing through a book he brought. Dean’s heart is still racing as he watches him.

Scratch that first thing. If anyone ever asked him what’s one thing he likes about Cas? His hands. God. Neat nails, slightly calloused palms, and overall larger hands than you’d expect. Cas is an environmental science major and he wants to get a Ph.D. in botany, so of course, there’s a small garden on their fire escape. He tends to those plants every day with more gentleness and care than Dean has ever seen, and Dean loves to watch him, even though he has no idea what Cas is doing with them half the time. He just knows that not a single one of their plants have died under Cas’s care. He names them too.

His attentiveness. That’s another thing Dean might say if anyone ever asked. Cas left to visit his sister Anna last winter break. He left Dean in charge of the plants, three of which died inside the week. (For Dean’s birthday a couple of months later, Cas got him a book. How Not to Kill Your Houseplant. Dean keeps it on his nightstand.) Dean went out and bought new ones, but he knew Cas would notice the difference, and he did. He wasn’t mad at Dean though, and he appreciated the effort, and as Dean apologized profusely over and over again, Cas looked at him in the eyes oh-so-softly and told him he was forgiven.

How could Dean possibly forget? If anyone ever asked, he’d say that Cas’s eyes are one of his favorite things about him. One of his favorite things, period. Dean is absolutely mesmerized whenever Cas looks him in the eye, and the guy loves making eye contact, which means that Dean lives in a perpetual smitten daze. He has never seen that shade of blue anywhere else on this earth. Or maybe he just hasn’t been looking, content to get his fill of that blue by staring into Cas’s eyes as much as he gets to on a daily basis.

“Are you alright, Dean?”

Dean blinks himself back to reality. “Hm?”

“You seem… spaced.”

Dean is staring. He’s been staring this whole time. Shit. Crap.

“Yeah, um. Just tired.”

Mr. Smooth, everybody.

“Maybe you should go get some rest. I doubt the power will be back anytime soon.”

Castiel Milton, always looking out for you. It makes Dean melt.

“Yeah, maybe.” I wanna stay here with you, though, he thinks. Instead, because he’s pathetic, he asks “what’re you reading?”

Cas shows him the cover. How Not to Kill Your Houseplant. Dean breaks out in laughter.

“So you’re going into my room and stealing my shit now?”

“Don’t worry, I didn’t touch your Vonneguts.” Cas puts the book aside, an easy smile on his face. “Just wanted something light to pass the time.”

“You done with your homework?”

A soft yawn escapes Cas. “For now.”

“Dude, why not just go to sleep? You look exhausted.”

“Look who’s talking.”

Dean tries to deadpan him. He fails, because around Cas, it’s near impossible for him to not smile.

“Besides, I might be done but you weren’t.”

“And you wanted to keep me company.”

Cas shrugs as if to say I guess, but he does it with a knowing smile. The smile doesn’t falter as he meets Dean’s eyes, and he doesn’t look away when silence settles between them, the only sound being the stormy white noise.

Dean is sure he could drown in that blue and die happy.

Before that train of thought gets away from him again, Dean tears his gaze away and stretches. “We should really go to bed though, I’m not getting any more done tonight,” he says as he stands.

“Of course,” Cas says, but he grabs the book again.

“You not going?”

“I want to finish this chapter.”

The seriousness in his tone makes Dean smile. Again.

“Well, g’night, Cas.”

“Good night, Dean.”

Dean thinks he detects a bit of shakiness in Cas’s voice but decides that he’s probably just tired.

He gets to his room and changes into something comfortable, the first t-shirt and sweatpants he finds as he rummages in the dark. He goes to set his phone on his nightstand and crawl into bed, but in place of the book he keeps there and puts his phone on top of– the book Cas has at the moment– he finds something else.

It’s paper. It’s folded into the form of a book, like one of those youtube craft tutorials with bad music, and it's no bigger than his own palm. The cover is handwritten, and Dean immediately recognizes it as Cas's. He smiles, expecting a prank or joke of some sort, Cas knows how stressed Dean can get with the start of the semester. However, his smile falters as he reads the cover:

How to tell your best friend you’re in love with him.

With a shaky hand, Dean opens the small book. The first page is the only one with any more writing on it, and it reads:

You leave him a note and hope it’s enough.

Dean is storming out of his bedroom (no pun intended) before he knows it. He barely even feels his feet moving, too focused on the pounding in his ears and the dryness in his mouth. He doesn’t go into the living room, not yet; his feet stop at the end of the short hallway and he braces himself against the wall. The room is spinning and he can barely breathe.

“Cas?” He chokes out.

Cas puts the book back down on the table in front of him and interlocks his fingers in front of him. He doesn’t look at Dean– Cas, who makes too much eye contact – and takes a deep breath before saying “yes?”

He’s nervous.

Dean takes a step forward, still keeping one hand on the wall just in case, and holds up the note. “What is this?” he asks, because his brain is just not there with him yet.

Cas stands, still not facing Dean. “Dean, do you know what day it is?”

He’s asking this now???

“September firs–”

Oh. Oh shit.

“Cas isn’t today the–”

“The night we met. Two years ago.”

Dean feels his brain catching up now as the memory starts coming back to him. Cas helps, starting to recount that night.

“Two years ago tonight, I was leaving my night course at the university, and it was raining. Not as bad as this,” –Cas looks out the window and lightning strikes, as if on cue– “but pretty badly, and I was an inexperienced freshman without an umbrella.”

Dean remembers. He was walking Charlie to her dorm when it started drizzling, and it was pouring by the time he made it back to his car. Dean had a night shift at the gas station and was about to head there.

“Two years ago tonight,” Cas continues, “you invited me into your car to shelter me from the rain.”

Dean saw this guy running in the direction of the men’s dorms, which were on the other side of campus. He felt bad, and he had a car, so he opened the passenger door and let him in.

Turned out to be the most gorgeous guy he’d ever laid eyes on. He was a bit awkward, but he had no filter, which made him weirdly funny. He asked about the music playing in the car and listened intently to Dean's rambling. He laughed at his jokes too.

At the end of the five-minute drive, he said his name was Castiel, and Dean asked for his number and saved it as Cas with a thunderstorm emoji. Because even if he didn’t know it yet, Dean was already whipped.

“Two years ago,” Cas says, finally looking up at Dean. His eyes are wide and vulnerable and he looks terrified and Dean can barely stand it. “Two years ago tonight, I started to fall in love with you.”

Dean can’t breathe. His ears are hot and he can’t stop fidgeting with the note in his hand and he can’t breathe.

But his feet start moving again, out of their own volition. They move toward Cas.

“If you don’t feel–” Cas starts, but Dean swallows his words.

Again, Dean’s brain isn’t all there yet, and he doesn’t realize what he’s doing until he’s already in it. He’s grabbing Cas’s face, digging his fingertips into the back of his hair, and the note is forgotten on the table, and thunder rumbles not that far away. He’s darting out his tongue, begging to explore Cas’s mouth as he’s wanted to do since forever, and Cas lets him. He tastes like toothpaste and coffee and honey and Dean never wants to taste anyone else ever again.

Cas is wrapping his arms around Dean’s waist and pressing his entire body against him. It’s making Dean weak in the knees but it’s okay because Cas is almost holding him upright at this point. There’s another clap of thunder, much closer this time, and the lightning probably illuminated the apartment, but it wasn’t enough to make them part. They’re moving and grasping and exploring frantically, and Dean is afraid Cas is going to disappear, or that he’s going to wake up and this will all have been another dream. But no, it’s real, and they’re playing catchup on two years worth of desire and longing and love.

They eventually pull away, breathless and giddy. The only sounds are the rain and the wind. Dean opens his eyes first, needing to see Cas and make sure this is completely, definitely, unequivocally real. Cas is smiling and taking deep breaths, and a weight seems to be lifted off his shoulders. He opens his eyes a second later, and even in the darkness, even with just the faint candlelight, the blue in them seems to shine. And even though there's no power, it feels as if there's electricity crackling in the air around them. It might be the storm.

No. It's the moment. This moment with Cas is what feels electric.

“Come to bed?” Dean asks, feeling brave and going out on a limb. The only way Cas responds is by interlocking his hand into Dean’s and kissing him again.

And after tonight, for the rest of his life, if anyone ever asks him “what’s one thing you love about Cas?” Dean won’t be able to narrow down an answer.

He’ll just say: “Everything.”

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