#it’s what comic books do to show that something is being spoken

[codgod]

actual designs for that venom/symbiote au idea i had. mariana’s kinda just some guy lol

bonus doodles for people that care to open the readmore :p

#.png #qsmp #slimecicle #elmariana #slimeriana #fanart #symbiote au #the id for this one was so hard like how do u describe. that #also if u don’t know why i added the <triangle brackets> around what mari said in the doodles #it’s what comic books do to show that something is being spoken #in a language other than the one it was written in #so he’s speaking spanish there lol #there’s ur fun fact of the day

[benkyoutobentou]

How to study languages without studying

Whether you're just starting out and have had bad experiences with textbook learning in the past or are getting burnt out from prepping for the next proficiency test, it's never a bad idea to put the textbooks away for a time and just enjoy your target language. If you're new to the world of immersion, here are a few ways to get you started.

Follow along with the lyrics of a song. Spotify's not-so-new-anymore lyrics feature is great for this, especially since it has timed lyrics, but it doesn't have every song.

Expert mode: Write out the lyrics and underline/highlight/make note of all the words and grammar structures you don't know. Learn these unknowns until you can understand the whole song!

Extra challenge: Translate a song from your target language. I usually tend to stay away from translations in my study, but for those of you who aspire to be translators (or already are!), the poetic nature of song lyrics can be a fun challenge.

Watch a show or movie. Netflix has now introduced a feature where you can sort by language! If there's nothing made in your language that you're interested in, it also gives the option to sort by shows and movies that have the audio or subtitles available. Internet Archive also tends to have lots of foreign films that I'm looking for.

Easy mode: Watch with English or your native language subtitles. When doing this, try to still listen to what's being said and pick up on words and phrases that you know, or match new words with their translation in the subtitles. Note: reading one language and listening to another is a skill in and of itself! Don't be discouraged if you can't do both at the same time yet, you're brain is still making the connections in intonation and cadence of the language.

Hard mode: Watch with captions in your target language. This helps you connect listening and reading, especially in languages where the spelling isn't exactly phonetic, or it uses a different alphabet than what you're used to.

Expert mode: No captions or subtitles! But who knows, maybe you're better at listening comprehension than I am. Make sure you're getting comprehensible input here; some shows and movies are much harder than others. But above all else, watch what keeps your interest. A movie where you can catch half the dialogue but is super engaging is better for you than an "easy" movie that you're going to spend your time ignoring.

Polyglot mode?: Watch something in your target language with subtitles in a different target language. This adds just one too many layers of obfuscation for me, but if you're into the challenge, more power to you.

Watch YouTube. You can change your language preference on YouTube, and with that, the Explore section will give you recommendations in your target language. Going into the trending tab with your target language can give you a good idea about what people are interested in in the countries where your target language is spoken.

Read something. It can be a book, it can be a comic. There are plenty of webcomics out there in a number of languages! There's also probably an English language listicle with recommendations of easier to understand webcomics for learners, too.

If you're just getting started in immersion, you can choose whether you focus on intensive reading or extensive reading (this actually goes for all kinds of immersion, but is easiest to control with reading since it happens at your own pace). Intensive reading is reading with the goal of understanding everything 100%. If you don't understand a word, or a grammar point, or the reading of a character, look it up. Extensive reading is reading just to get the gist of things. Look up words and grammar points only if they stop you from understanding the general meaning of the sentence or section. And of course, the more you immerse, the less you'll have to look things up, but remember that difficulty varies between materials, even within books of the same age range, genre, and medium.

A small digression: If you decide that you never want to open a textbook on your language learning journey, more power to you! It can be done and I know people who have gotten to proficient levels of their target language without textbooks. If you want this to be you, extensive immersion is your best friend. You also might want to get comfortable with the flashcard program anki, because, if this is your goal, all those unknown grammar points and words will probably end up there. But at the end of the day, language learning is an intensely personal journey, and what works for others won't necessarily work for you. Finding what works for you is just part of learning a language.

Play a game. Lots of games are region locked (hint: Pokemon Sun/Moon isn't! If you start a new game, you can choose which language you want to play it in), but there are plenty of free online games still lurking in the corners of the internet. With a bit of googling, you can probably find something in your target language. Just the other day, I went out to find one of those hidden item games in Japanese and ended up finding an entire site dedicated to user made browser games.

If you're learning Japanese or Korean, picrew might be fun to look through as well. I noticed that plenty of picrews have basic anatomy vocabulary. I'm not super familiar with picrew myself, but the ones I've seen tend to be in Korean and Japanese

And lastly, don't fully give up on textbooks before trying them out. Don't be discouraged if textbooks truly aren't your thing, but studying a language on your own time can feel much different than studying for school. Don't put too much pressure on yourself and just have fun with your language. Additionally, if you'd rather learn in a video format, many languages have full courses uploaded to YouTube for you to try. Finding these can be difficult for some languages though, so don't hesitate to reach out to other learners and see what they recommend!

Got your materials ready? Great! Now go forth and immerse!

#inspired by someone's langblr intro post where they talked about hating studying #studying a language doesnt need to feel like studying #okay has anyone noticed that tumblr's post maker is broke as fuck right now #im having to rewrite so much because it keeps deleting my shit #langblr #language learning #polyglot #studyblr #studyspo #studying #benkyou posting #endangered and small language learners im sorry i got nothing youre stronger than me

[constantineshots]

as someone wit cancer (posting this anonymously because some ppl on the internet hear this and go fucking crazy) I’ve always found John Constantine is actually a really interesting rep In theory. I do think Delano like most things fumbles the bag when it comes to that topic but… it’s Delano what do you expect. I really like timelines where John gets treatment before it’s terminal (though usually that very idea seems out of character) or something it’s such a comfort hc. sorry for rambling. I was wondering how YOU interpreted johns cancer storylines as the John Constantine guy.

hey, you’re safe here, do what’s best for you! and I wish you the best. and never apologize for rambling! i love rambling. please keep rambling.

i’ll put this under a read more because i realized how long this is, but i hope it helps answer your question!

but as the john constantine girlie, it’s always been such an incredibly interesting plotline to me. he does take drastic measures to cure himself in the main vertigo timeline, and his interactions with other cancer patients and then realizing that this thing is terminal… it was intriguing. because it’s john. how he handles things is so much different than how others will. you’re never going to get the logical answer- “maybe he’ll get treatment.” “maybe he’ll go find healing magics that could help him.” “maybe he’ll go spend more time with his loved ones.” this is how most people would think to act. I can’t imagine what it’s like to have cancer, but if it were me, i feel like i’d be angry to be living on a timer, so i’d probably check a few things off my bucket list out of spite. not john constantine, though. instead he threatens a war in hell over his soul so everyone has to cure him.

john smokes cigarettes. we all know this to be a fact. however, he ends up getting terminal lung cancer as a result. it shows a very possible risk that most people aren’t willing to acknowledge until it’s too late.

i haven’t spoken to my mother in forever because our relationship was never good ( can’t you see why i like john constantine now? ), but in a way, it reminded me of her. she was a heavy smoker, and i, as a child who sometimes went over to her house begrudgingly, would be caught up in second hand smoke. as a result, these sorts of things were big worries of mine, and yet every time i told her she can’t do things like smoke inside the house and such, she’d just do it anyway. which put everyone at risk.

while, of course, cancer isn’t always caused by smoking, it can be, and she never took it seriously, not even when she was coughing badly and it was clearly dangerous for her health anyway. I don’t think she ever will.

within john’s character, though, we know he clearly didn’t care much. of course, he didn’t want to die because he knew he was going straight to hell at the time. so he concocted his little plan and ended up curing himself of cancer and not dying as a result… and then continuing with the bad habit. he’s a comic book character, so i guess it’s different, but i think it kind of sent the wrong message.

after a tale of john being distressed about having cancer and having to say goodbye to the people he cared about, or john meeting others who had cancer and being affected by the loss of someone who had died as a result of it, i think some expected him to put down the cigarettes. but alas, john has never been the kind of person to make good decisions.

so when i see him doing the smart thing in some storylines or aus that people write and so forth, i’m always stunned. like good on him, of course, handling his shit before it gets worse, but john has always liked to be a pain in the ass and wait until the worst possible moment. like the exact day he’s supposed to die for example. though i do enjoy these more, because it sends the right message…. john isn’t the kind of character you look to to give you the right message in most aspects. his political beliefs are good, but everything else is a dumpster fire.

but in my opinion, john constantine is a character- one of a rare few- who has cancer. there’s a described time of his struggles with it, some depression from it, the loss of someone he’d met who had it, and that was a journey. but then, in true john constantine fashion, the cornered rat idea he has, he cures himself of it- or, well, more forces some other beings to cure him of it, but hey.

that’s all i got, but feel free to explain further on anything you want to!

#asks #john constantine #hellblazer #tw: cancer

[the-brash-spud]

Honestly, if I ever got Isekaied into a DC universe I'd do so much silly stuff.

Start a podcast that swings between 'true heartfelt spoken letters to what makes a hero in my heart and what struggles they may have, but they continue for us' and conspiracy theories that are so incredibly incorrect the heroes publicly beg me to stop. And I mean stuff like claiming aliens aren't real, but Batman is a cryptid. I would do them at random with no way of telling, which is which until you listened in and found out for yourself.

Cause chaos in Gotham by openly talking shit about villains/companies/individuals who deserve it. Start with Joker just to hope mf will track me down just so I can show him the yee old fuck around and find out. If there happens to be one of the Riddlers plans that I remember, imma get my ass purposefully kidnapped and solve the whole bitch before he had any real fun and then if I know that bats can hear me snitch the location. If it happens to be in the current comic time, track Jason's ass down and flirt with him with the most unhinged pickup lines I can think of (he is in my age range, and oh lord, have you seen him? I don’t expect him to actually be interested in any romance back, but I'd still have a good time). Tell Bruce I know his secret then say that lowkey if Batman was my age I'd also sleep with him but don't make enough to be a sugar mama.

Refuse any interviews until the daily planet sends someone and then be like "me no likey that person 🥺👉👈" until they send Clark and then talk really ungodly things about Superman before the real interview, then say something like "honestly of you stood straighter and lost glasses you probably could be him but that would be just silly haha. Imagine if I just said all that right to Superman himself." All casually just to watch him try to laugh it off as he dies inside.

Say to Oliver that his beard reminds me of Green Arrow's beard. How they generally seem to have similar personalities in a way that would make them great bros if they ever got to meet. Tell Flash to stop fucking jumping between universes/timeliness and all other in between because there are Gods and one of them is surely in charge of that shit. Hal happens to flirt with me when I visit his city? Hell yeah time to fuck with him. Write down that "Batman says you have reports to write" and do his disappearing act. Look at all of the exhibision Diana was involved with. See what stuff she likes to work with. If I happen to meet her talk military history, if she knows it.

Avoid Martians at all cost. No offence to them, but I'm not giving them an existential crisis because I happened to think of their world in comic book terms.

If it's the universe in which Billy is homeless, try to adopt him like you would a street cat. Get him close by offering food and shelter. But if he does allow me to be his guardian, I will have to be straight with him that I know about Marvel and then say that I have meta-knowledge and hope he understands it as me being a meta that can just access random information.

The Justice League would probably be on my ass real fucking quick but I'd have a good time while they try to figure out what is up with me.

#dc #dcu #dc universe #dc comics #isekai #just being silly #random thoughts

[balanceoflightanddark]

Okay. I've already talked about how the comics...pretty extensively screwed over Azula both in my own posts and in reblogs to other posts on the website. So I'm gonna take a break from that and talk about how...the comics screwed over another character I'm fond of.

...I really need to think of other topics.

So anyways, Mai.

Again, I already touched on how Mai was handled in the comics with my post about how the entirety of the Fire Nation was whitewashed and Azula was used as a scapegoat. But I kinda want to dive into Mai a bit more since it damages her character in particular along with some other questionable narrative choices.

Starting with, obviously, her relationship with Azula. Again, I already went over how they tried to retcon her friendship as being something she was "forced into" and actually holding a grudge against Azula, so I'm not gonna go treading the same grounds again.

What I am going to go into is how freaking pathetic they make Mai look in trying to make this grudge out to be.

See, one of the incidents that apparently Mai hates Azula for is...stealing mochi from her mother's kitchen. Seriously. That's a reason.

Yes. Apparently one of the reasons Azula was a bad egg was she stole mochi the one time. Yep. Something stupid they did as a kid together. But we can discuss how the comics tried to demonize Azula as a child another time to focus on something...well...take a look.

Yeah...for some reason, they had Mai hold it over Azula's head about the time they stole mochi together.

...forgive me for stating the obvious, but how does Mai look better for seriously holding it against Azula for something that happened when they were literal toddlers? If nothing else, it makes her like a complete womanchild.

And womanchild is not something that should be ever uttered in reference to Mai ever.

Cause Mai's grudge against Azula? It's practically out of control in Smoke and Shadows. I know it's popular to assume Mai hates Azula, but she never actually held much of a grudge against her in the series proper outside of the Boiling Rock incident. But stuff like this:

This is too much.

But why am I harping on Mai's sudden hatred of Azula all of a sudden?

See...one of the things Smoke and Shadow seemed to do was to try and paint Azula as Mai's nemesis. The source of her childhood trauma or whatever. That overcoming her fear of Azula will make her a stronger person or whatever.

Except...no...no it's not.

Azula wasn't the source of Mai's issues growing up. You want to know what is?

Mai: What do you want from me? You want a teary confession about how hard my childhood was? Well, it wasn't. I was a rich only child who got anything I wanted ... as long as I behaved, and sat still, and didn't speak unless spoken to. My mother said I had to keep out of trouble. We had my dad's political career to think about.

Yeah...that's what Mai's problems came from.

She was passed over her younger brother by both her mother and father and was constantly conditioned to reign her emotions in and basically be a piece of furniture. Mai literally joined Azula's group just to get away from her toxic family.

Hell, guess who's one of the biggest obstacles in Smoke and Shadows?

Yeah. Ukano. Her own father.

This could've been something big for Mai. Finally standing up to her father for all the bullcrap he put her through, the real source of all her problems. You know, something that was actually hinted at in Rebound, the Free Comic Book Day issue.

Instead, it all gets scrapped. Mai actually defends her father while showing more hatred for Azula. To me, that's the equivalent of Zuko's tantrum of blaming Azula for everything in The Search while Ozai doesn't even get a mention. Mai would rather throw her friend under the bus while sticking her neck out for her traitorous, neglectful father.

As someone who actually enjoys Mai, this damages her character so much. It doesn't make her stronger. It just makes her look like a coward not standing up against those that put her through hell while projecting her issues onto somebody else. In this case, Azula. And since Ukano's been arrested, now there's no way to properly resolve Mai's issues that way.

That's why I hate what these comics did to Mai. She honestly deserves better than what she got. For a character with as much potential as her, she got a raw deal. Big time.

#mai #mai was not scared of azula #mai atla #mai deserved better #azula #ukano #atla comics critical #anti atla comics #anti smoke and shadows #mai meta

[georgieluz]

HBOWAR OC MASTERLIST

OLIVER HARDWICK

intelligence officer, easy company (band of brothers)

ship: lewis nixon | tag: #oc: oliver hardwick

"you'll never fumigate the demons, no matter how much you smoke"

new yorker. former literature and latin student at university. mischievous. wealthy. playful. rakish, maybe even roguish, some might say, in a pretty boy kind of way. think: old money with a rebellious streak. massive ballrooms contrasted with secret parties in tiny apartments. flowing champagne. screaming drunkenly from the deck of a yacht. rage rage and more rage, so much rage. the subtle glare of disapproval from a calculating parent. a disdain for authority and taking orders. winter scarves in every colour, but especially red. kissing older men. dancing until you can't remember your family name. the simultaneous fascination and disappointment your friends and peers feel toward you. running away as a child and nobody even noticing you're gone. picking oranges in the mediterranean. freezing cold new york winters. spinning around in the rain. being too smart for your own good. self-sabotage. self-loathing. self-destruction.

playlist: tell me i'm an angel

TOMMY MONET

private first class, easy company (band of brothers)

ship: joseph liebgott | tag: #oc: tommy monet

"the silence that you're hearing is turning into a deafening, painful, shameful roar"

bostoner. from the wrong side of the tracks. barely got a high school diploma. former teenage nuisance. poet. fuelled by coffee and homeric similes. friends with every cat in the neighbourhood. talks to his cat badger more than other people. think: scrappy. argumentative. observant. smart but wishes he wasn't. hot black coffee running through his veins. flannel shirts. a backpack full of books. a hardshell exterior and deep, deep repression. running races down the railroad tracks until you're completely breathless. smoking because you don't know what else to do with your hands. irritable, but usually with a smile and a hefty dose of sarcasm. fuck the elite. no one can hurt me if they can't get near me. insecurities? what are those? who needs a father anyway.

playlist: let down and hanging around

CHARLIE SCOTT

private first class, how company (the pacific)

ship: bill "hoosier" smith | tag: #oc: charlie scott

"come ease my slumber, sink me into sleep"

mornings spent next to the river. cigarettes for breakfast. brushing the sand out of dark hair. journals filled to the brim. training as a car mechanic. hands coated with oil. overalls tied around your waist. a sarcasm-filled whisper in your ear. a hand gripping yours through the barrage of bombs every night. eyes searching for you as you cross every battlefield. dramatic readings of your stream of conscious poetry until something hits. adopting the dog that you found in the middle of battle. missing the diners you always claimed to hate. wanting nothing more than to run back to the mountains you hiked growing up. realising you never want to visit a beach again. longing for the quiet peacefulness of a lake.

playlist: i once warmed my hands

RHYS LLEWYD

corpsman, king company (the pacific)

ship: eddie jones | tag: #oc: rhys llewyd

"torn down, full of aching, somehow our youth will take the blame"

welsh born, new hampshire raised. gentle hands, sharp eyes. soft-spoken. welsh-lilted american accent. the messiest bedhead you'll ever see. enjoys watching people mispronounce his surname. touch-starved for something more than bleeding guts and bullet wounds. sage green and lavender. realising you never wanted to study medicine in the first place. cloudgazing. comic books shoved into pockets. an impeccable dancer who will never show it. can't handle his alcohol but drinks anyway. misses trees, and grass, and greenery. hands touching beneath the library table. a pile of books next to your bed. the scent of sugar and honey contrasted with the blood dripping from your hands.

playlist: fade me away

MAX JACOBS

platoon scout sniper, bravo company (gen kill)

ship: brad colbert | tag: #oc: max jacobs

"there's nothing wrong with me, this is how i'm supposed to be, in a land of make believe, that don't believe in me"

deadly aim, with a smile to match. skate parks and 7-11s. worn out chuck taylors. suburban fuckery. sneaking out of your bedroom window at 2am. driving out as far as you can because you've got nothing better to do. desperately wanting to escape your town at any cost. sony walkman cd player attached to your belt at all times. fuck the system (but you're in the system). laughing in the face of everything and anything. empty red bull cans littered across the room. kissing boys in empty car parks. getting your fists bloody when the homophobes arrive. taking on the world with nothing but bruised knees and a stick of gum.

playlist: and when we go, don't blame us

MATTHEW "MATTY" CARTER

corporal, bravo company (gen kill)

ship: ray person | tag: #oc: matty carter

"tracksuits and red wine, movies for two, we'll take off our phones, and we'll turn off our shoes. we'll play nintendo, though i always lose, 'cause you watch the tv, while i'm watching you. dumb conversation, we lose track of time, have i told you lately, i'm grateful you're mine. there's nothing like doing nothing with you"

missouri summers. friends who fall somewhere between platonic and something more. pizza nights. staying up until 4am playing uno. laughing so hard your ribs hurt. realising you're a little bit in love with your best friend. following him to the marine corps. losing far too much money playing pool. camping in the rain. smiles so wide. watching the lost boys so many times you can quote every line. sharing hoodies. the colour orange. instant messaging into the early hours. the sunrise laughing as you fall asleep. promises of running away together. fingers in soft wavy hair. ice cold lemonade. the ghost of a confession.

playlist: do you think of me?

CALEB DAWSON

architecture student, hacker, archer (band of brothers zombie au)

ship: ron speirs | tag: #oc: caleb dawson

"yes, it's you i welcome death with, as the world caves in"

sketching buildings from the window of hotel rooms. mugs of cold coffee left on every surface. counting to ten before you open a door. endless recurve vs compound pettiness. the fucking audacity of life. talking with your hands. sarcasm as a first language. stubborn and unyielding, but fiercely protective. clinging to a pencil and paper as a lifeline. realising it's easier to push your buttons than you thought. jokes. lots of jokes. witty one liners. deep, deep inner conflict. bitterness coating your tongue with every word. being suspicious of newcomers but bound to your own sense of loyalties and vulnerabilities. trying desperately to hide every aspect of your gentleness, but feeling it leak through in every moment. being ashamed of your dreams and ambitions. feeling the cracks break open every day, but bottling it up all the same. waiting alone in hotel rooms wondering if your dad will come back for you this time. being taught to hack at twelve years old. finally escaping the only life you've ever really known only to find that a virus outbreak has mutated and changed the world forever. unravelling dreams.

playlist: one wink at a time

ARCHIE SULLIVAN

RAF pilot / lancaster bomber (masters of the air)

ship: bucky egan | tag: #oc: archie sullivan

"wild lovers never get the blues"

flying too close to the moon, "you look pretty in blue", piles of unopened letters thrown in a corner, easy laughs, easier smiles, falling asleep on the wing of your plane, cycling to the pub with your best friend in the pouring rain, turning annoyance into endearment, a pint and a ginger beer please, escaping to the beaches of east anglia on a weekend pass, puppy dog eyes the size of jupiter, pettiness, so so much pettiness, challenging just about everyone you've ever met, thinking you might just be the greatest darts player in all of england, a good ol' dose of the great british repression, yet accidentally flirting with almost everyone you meet, running so far away from home that you ended up in the clouds

playlist: to the top of the big night sky

if you want to read about the ocs from my hbo war f1 au please head over to this post. the ocs there are all platonic ocs, but have a lot of presence in the world and narrative, and if you'd like to see my ocs for top gun, then you can find them on my sideblog here

#yes i am massively fucking biased toward matty #he makes me all soft and melty inside #my hbo war ocs #i do have more ocs i need to add to this but it's 7am and i really really really need to go to sleep so have six to start #also this is mostly for my pinned post so ignoring is an option also #julian's masterlist #julian made a thing

[daystarvoyage]

HEY ANIMATION JUNKIES I HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE TO DROP DISCLAIMER THIS IS FOR THE POC REP, Any Hate, Or can't Face different opinions There's the Portal Door to outer space.

This Post is Called POC Representation Animation, We Need It More Than Ever.

It's time to debunk HERE I GO!!!

Hello To all the Lovely Stars & Space Voyagers, This is the Brown Sugar Queen Kyoko Cane Aka The Black Crystal Jem Of The Daystar Voyage, I am a Cosplayer, A Fabulous Blerd if you will who does Drag/perform, Making Creative content on platforms involving Family Entertainment Mostly with some variety in it.

I come to talk about something that's been buzzing in my mind about a topic needing to get debunked & spoken about, IS POC REPRESENTATION & HAIRSTYLES IN MEDIA.

GOD POC REP MATTERS IN MEDIA MATTERS ( STOP ACTING LIKE IT DOESNT)

As a black Person Growing Up Myself, It has been a beautiful journey road being a proud African American man coming out as genderqueer, I always Found Comfort & love In My own Skin & even my Hair of all textures, first time I saw the ever Strong lightning goddess storm in the xmen series on fox kids made a great impact in my life in the early days of the 80s & 90s along other favorite shows back then however,

POC representation in the Future of Anime & western animation even in today's media has been distorted Or even limited on how we as black people are drawn. from caricatures To Stereotypes, or to follow a certain trend to make a profit from viewers & fans be it from influencers & popular media or just to be made Fun Of & Mocked, do to make a profit out of our black origins & History.

Example black character such as Usopp One piece.

however there have been great anime that have made our features positive one is Sol Bianca and others

Pokemon, Michiko Hatchin, Naruto & Carole And Tuesday.

Just like In Real Life, We As black people come in so many textures and beautiful complexions as you see in all of animation, & black-owned magazines, such as essence and this one Called Jet in the 1920s through Now celebrating our great culture.

We As Blerds, Black Fans & Cosplayers should have good content in which we can express, & be uplifted by our skin Personality & meaning itself, No matter what background or environment to which we dress, or cosplay a character that's out of our skin tone.

we come so far to the point where we have great indie creators, cosplayers even compays from hair products blogs Manga & comic books.

I'm glad that we are coming into our own and doing better but there's still work to be done, on how Hollywood treats us, and until we see the next all-black piece of media that's when we make it

(Carole & Tuesday, afro samurai & Yusuke on netflix prime example)

NEXT SEGMENT

We need more Black Hairstyles in animation & we need it more than ever.

The Hair Style Topic, oh yes its no big surprise that hair controversy within media has sparked in outrage,or made in impact throughout, be it in and out of workplaces or in the entertainment industry, I do feel at times things could've been handled with care.

From what I've seen we have gotten 2 steps forward, 4 steps back situation of all the controversies coming from the killmonger haircut that's been sported, which is a limited stifled hairdo on how we are only presented and how our hair can be made into cause it's a following trend, Because this is not the only distinct hairsyle to have Iin animated media, A Half Cut Mop will Not do So Put some Soul Glo & Let It Grow.

NOW you may wonder why i decided to put this post of a Disney main character of afro Latina background, well Luz Noceda I feel has great growth coming out to her friends and chosen family, however doesn't change the fact they didn't do anything for her to show ethnic representation other than speak Spanish, Having to show that aggressive Spicy latina Archetype to a Degree, & have a black father mention in season 2, having given no origin story or closure.

throughout the show this showed has shown great lgbt representation even though at times flawed, in the relationship area. ( another topic for a video COmING SOON) however the owl house has fall flat on ethnic & hair representation, Gus is a great example of a character being sidelined a lot too.

for instance luz noceda has been stifled into nothing but that pokemon goh knockoff haircut,

even though there may have been open-minded viewers,who agree on luz hair being styled effectively, making many statements that hair shows so many emotions in animation, Down below

That all hair on poc characters is a good is how you pull it off, in the picture below there tons of great characters in many hairdos complementing them.

sometimes i wish luz character could have handled by poc staff, and have her own break out like the rest of the female characters, cause I kid you not, I met a lot of non-gender-conforming characters or people, who sport many hair designs. It infuriates me such a beautiful person Luz Batista find out the pilot that her character was somewhat sidelined due to the writing Problems & Shipping and I'm baffled how of course white staff members didn't do their research on Afro Latina her cause Luz is beautiful

Knowing other shows such as Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur Do an incredible job of Discussing on how black hair is powerful, magical & comes in many shapes and intricate designs if you know what your doing and I for one have a graceful mother who a beautician coming from her,

We are in an era where black people shouldn't exist or we arent amount to anything and I too had my fair share of my hair being talked about in a nasty way,

This concludes the story post of how black representation should matter support shows out of mainstream like indie projects, cause there paving the way also a video post of my channel and The owl house debunk series thanks.

Now this is has been another topic post , right now getting ready for my epic momocon outing meeting Disney creators, and everything animation, hope everyone has a good one and all the links on good hair and my video post is here below, Have a Have a Nice Cruise & Stay Shining.

#toh gus #tohhunter #toh skara #toh critical #toh critic #toh criticism #toh spoilers #the owl house is flawed ok #theres a lack of ethnic representation in the owl house open your eyes #luz noceda #luz x amity #moon girl magic #moon girl and devil dinosaur #moon girl season 2 #lunella lafayette #devil dinosaur #huntlow #lumity #black hair #black history month #amphibia #molly mcgee #disney has a white favortism problem #disney get better at being black come on #daystar voyage #kyoko cane #eda clawthorne #hooty #duolingo #toh cat

[maniacwatchestheworld]

So I have a sneaking suspicion that they might be making BruHarvey canon and that's why Harvey and Two-Face have been showing up in so much Batman media lately.

Like, everyone feels the BruHarvey vibes from a lot of the Batman stuff with Harvey in it that's been coming out recently. And it feels like he's been in a LOT more media than normal lately. I've spoken before how I'll be actually angry if they don't make BruHarvey canon in Batman: the Audio Adventures, Harvey's really out here talking about how Bruce is his only friend while Two-Face is out here saving Bruce's ass in Detective Comics, people were vetting the vibe from The Doom that Came to Gotham, and already people are getting the vibe from Gotham Knights. The people writing Gotham Knights have already hinted at Harvey being in an "unexpected romance" in the show, so that's certainly getting the BruHarvey fans curious.

But what's REALLY making me think this is this article that includes excerpts from an interview that a friend sent me a little bit ago. We were talking about Clark Kent and Lois Lane's engagement and marriage and just... In this interview they were discussing how they wanted to make an event out of Clark and Lois' wedding, but they wanted to save the wedding itself for the TV show that was coming out at the time. So this was a multimedia, multi-book event. Understandable as that was something that people wanted for quite a while and would change the status quo quite a bit! And so thinking about it... If they wanted to have Batman dating another man, that would warrant an equally as momentous event as Superman's wedding! If Batman not going down on women was able to make entertainment news headlines, you bet your fucking ass that Batman being gay/bi would make headlines! ESPECIALLY if he's going to be dating a high-profile supervillain of his like Two-Face! Let's be honest, no one has been convinced that Batman is straight since the creation of his character. But for DC to actually make that canon, especially since he is the company's biggest money maker would be HUGE!

And if you are going to have Batman date Two-Face... Well... It only makes sense that leading up to the reveal that you put Bruce's soon to be boyfriend in a lot of media so that any prospective readers drawn in by Bruce's new dating status would have things to watch and read that get them familiarized with his boyfriend! And hey! You might even draw in some new monthly readers for your books! And guess who's been in a TON of Batman media lately! More than usual that is. In fact, why not give Batman's shiny new boyfriend his own show that reveals his tragic backstory and why you should care about them getting together!?

So what I'm saying... It feels actually plausible that they might be trying to make BruHarvey canon and are just waiting for Gotham Knights to make the reveal so that we can get the floodgates open!

Like, I don't want to get my hopes up... But damn if my brain doesn't WANT this to happen and think that it could and that this would possibly be the best time to do so!

#bruharvey #twobats #batman #two-face #harvey dent #two face #twoface #bruce wayne

[alanfromrochester]

THG book 1 reread thoughts

THG rereads book 1

The TBOSAS movie inspired me to finally read that book and reread the originals

The start does well at setting the scene, but that might be helped by having first read knowledge to work off of.

"inside the woods is the only person with who I can be myself: Gale" is common Everthorne fodder but in context it comes right after who can be trusted with political rants. A child repeating what they shouldn't is I thought of with Posy but it's mentioned with Katniss and Prim. Tesserae did seem like part of divide and conquer within districts, and Katniss describes Gale saying just that.

There is much more to the story than the love triangle, of course, but I couldn't avoid thinking about Everlark shippers insisting it was set up already. I do see a lot of potential with Peeta and not much romantic about Gale however close they are otherwise. (At first I saw friends-to-lovers potential with Everthorne and figured Everlark happened because of shared experience with the Games)

I'm hardly starving but could still relate to the dumpster diving - the bins had just been emptied is frusting timing. I forgot the details of the all important Peeta giving Katniss bread. It was fresh but burnt, I had mentally assumed it was stale. Deliberately burnt to give away? Even if it's a lost sale rather than just giving away something that would be trashed anyway, she's still being cruel. Also note that Mr. Mellark will only trade for squirrels when she's not around. When Peeta didn't say anything to Katniss, I had assumed he was too much of a dork to talk to girls (I can relate to that too) but I got the clear impression he was scared of his mother.

Haymitch and Effie's appearances were refreshing - highlights there's more to him than a drunken idiot and more to her than being vapid about the show.

I wonder if Haymitch told Peeta about the forcefield around the tribute center because of the one at the edge of Haymitch's arena. Avoiding tributes escaping or being killed (note no fighting each other, with neutral sparring partners available) before the Games felt like a reaction to the haphazard early procedures in TBOSAS.

Katniss worrying about not helping Lavinia feels kinda like Coriolanus and the Sejanus situation from TBOSAS.

I had forgotten the beginning to middle Games because the finale was so dramatic.

I thought of Clove as the District 2 psycho, but Cato isn't the most mentally stable individual either, I had remembered him as more of a straight up meathead/jock. "I kill her in my own way" could be interpreted in a particularly sinister manner. It reminds me of the hero escaping because the villain takes his time, like monologuing to a captive James Bond. Maybe it's doubly personal because of not only his close call with the tracker jackers, but Glimmer's horrific death, a Cato/Glimmer hint perhaps.

I rmembered Rue helped Katniss by pointing out the tracker jacker nest, but I forgot how closely they worked together. Rue talking about 11 being even worse than 12 made me think of all things The Big Bang Theory - Stuart the comic book store owner is even more antisocial than the nerd main characters. Maybe dramatic contrast is part of the point. Katniss thinking that conversation might get censored made me think of how a Peeta interview in Mockingjay was quite interesting for the audience as no Victor had previously spoken publically about their experience in the arena.

Marvel killing Rue with Katniss immediately shooting him was hard to forget but I hadn't remembered he snared her first. The memorial wasn't as extensive as I recalled but perhaps that's because the movie really emphasized it.

Careers carrying minimal food and being vulnerable to disruptions was interesting as both a comment about starvation and Games strategy.

I also hadn't remembered the fire sequence. Perhaps Haymitch was able to save sponsor money for the burn ointment because Katniss is an experienced hunter and gatherer so the money didn't need to go to food.

I remembered Peeta was sick in the cave and the feast included his medicine but forgot just how dire the situation was. Blood poisoning used in the medical sense for infection complications (apparently when bacteria from the infection get into the blood) threw me for a loop because the xenophobic usage was in the news December 2023 (with Trump channeling Hitler about immigrants). "Remember, we're madly in love, so you can kiss me whenever you want" even when he's half dead I saw two ways - that crush is severe, and/or he still has the sense to play up the star crossed lovers act.

I do feel drugging Peeta when he said not to is acceptable because he's clearly not in his right mind, physical illness analogue to involuntary committment for mental illness.

In the cave she dreams about being snug at home, that seems telling.

Katniss thinking about the truth of Peeta's first day of school story is some "real or not real" already, I wonder if SC deliberately planned it that way or later decided to reference the earlier concept. I figured Peeta meant it, maybe played it up, even if Katniss didn't reciprocate.

Her not wanting to sing because it reminded her too much of her dead father is how I think I reacted to baseball for awhile.

The movie emphasized the Rue mutt if I recall correctly; the book highlighted Glimmer and Foxface. I recalled Katniss putting Cato out of his misery with the mutts but forgot that dragged on all night.

I wasn't surprised there was some sort of new victor interview, but I had forgotten about the highlight reel and the platforms and the stage being modified for two.

With a new appreciation for Everlark, the ending was heartbreaking where Peeta is shocked at it being at least partially an act/strategy on Katniss' part, highlighting how real it was for him at least. The book ending before the homecoming was an interesting dramatic choice.

#thg #the hunger games

[mortallyclearwonderland]

Epic 2013 - NAMES

In this post, I would like to talk about the meaning of the names of the characters from the movie Epic.

Either people think long and hard about how they are going to name their children (or anything for that matter), while others just pick a name that they like without looking any further.

Names are especially important in stories like books and movies.

While in the real world you can have 6 girls named Olivia in the classroom (something that really happened to me), writers can give every character in their story a different name to avoid confusion.

It can be as simple as ''This character is from Japan. Let's give him a Japanese name.'' or ''My movie takes place in the 80s in the US let's give characters names that were popular at the time.''

Sometimes names can give you an insight into what is character's personality, talent, etc. Some are more subtle than others. (Dr Evil or Dr Doom)

Let me start by saying this, names in Epic are all over the place. Let's get the simple ones out of the way.

Susan comes from Persian and it means lily flower. In modern Hebrew this also means rose and a flower in general. It's a standard name for the setting and the time period, modern times (the 2010s) somewhere in North America.

Professor Radcliffe Bomba, his title is supposed to explain how he knows all this ‘’scientific’’ stuff. Bomba means bomb in most Slavic languages. It's supposed to showcase how wacky, clumsy and does things that are detrimental to his own safety. Radcliffe derives from the place-name Radcliffe meaning “red cliff.” I didn't even know he had a name but fandom has spoken and it won't kill me to include it.

Mary Katherine is named after the daughter of the author of the book the movie is based on. Mary means Star of the sea/Drop of the sea ; Bitterness; Beloved. Meanwhile, Katherine means pure. Mary Catherine is a name that signifies a freedom-loving and free-spirited individual.  

Bufo is just an American bull frog. Bufo is a genus of true toads in the amphibian family Bufonidae. Bull + Frog = Bufo

Grub and Mub. I put them together because they're a comical duo and that's why their names rhyme. Common thing. Grub is the larva of an insect. To grub is to dig or poke about in the soil. I couldn't find what Mub means, just a bunch of acronyms to stuff. Their names are supposed to sound funny and disgusting.

Nim Galuu is weird. Nim is a game in which two players alternately take one or more objects from one of a number of heaps, each trying to take, or to compel the other to take, the last remaining object. Galuu means to enter and the main characters go into a tree to meet him and even deeper into the tree to see the scrolls. Also, Nim reminds me of The Secret of NIMH. It's probably just a coincidence.

Then there's a bunch of other characters that are just names of the species/plant they're based on. Dandelion, Pinecone, Stickman, Marigold Girl, etc.

Now we get to the interesting names!

Nod, in Biblical Names the meaning of the name Nod is: Vagabond, fugitive'. At first, I thought his name, Nod, is referring to the action of nodding, agreeing with someone. Because he's a rebel, his not doing what he's told, so he's not nodding. Irony! Him being a vagabond or fugitive shows in his concept art a lot more. In the movie, he deserts the army for like 5 minutes. I'm going to go into detail about it in another post.

Ronin, is  a wandering samurai who had no lord or master. This goes with the samurai-inspired design of the Leafman. Tara is the master that he lost. Again, not executed to its fullest potential. Also, there's a huge difference between a ronin and a samurai. Many times when movies portray samurais or cowboys they're more like ronins.

Tara, in South Asia, such as India and Nepal, Tara is a word originating from Sanskrit, meaning star, and it symbolizes the light of the soul. Tara is the soul of the forest.  

Mandrake, a Mediterranean plant of the nightshade family, with a forked fleshy root that supposedly resembles the human form and which was formerly used in herbal medicine and magic. It was alleged to shriek when pulled from the ground. Mandrake lets out a loud shriek to alarm his army.

Dagda, (Celtic: “Good God”) also called Eochaid Ollathair (“Eochaid the All-Father”), or In Ruad Ro-fhessa (“Red [or Mighty] One of Great Wisdom”), in Celtic religion, one of the leaders of a mythological Irish people, the Tuatha Dé Danann (“People of the Goddess Danu”). Highly skilled and wise beyond measure, he was not only the god of life and death, but of seasons, agriculture, fertility, magic, and druidry as well. There is so much lore behind this guy's name. He had so much potential! I'm going to rant about it in another post.

I think the naming system really shows the problems with this movie. It's all over the place and there's just too much.

Inspiration from the Bible, Slavic countries, Japan, India, Scotland, Ireland, and many more.

There are so many things that nothing gets enough focus. We got:

Romance

Tara and Ronin

MK and Nod

Mub has a crush on MK

Parent-child relationship

Ronin and Nod's father-son relationship

Mandrake and Dagda's father-son relationship

MK and her father's relationship

Deaths

Nod grieving over his dad

Mandrake grieving over his son

Ronin grieving Tara 

Ronin grieving Nod's father, his friend

MK grieving over her mother  

Magic

Plant manipulation

Shrinking and biggering people

The Rot

Anything involving this stupid bud

Resurrection?

Dark Prince?

Scrolls in the oldest tree 

Other stuff

Nod not following orders and not being part of the team

Bird racing  

Gambling? Some criminal stuff

Random song number

Shenanigans with the dog

MK's parents being divorced

MK running away from home

Believing in what you can't see

WAR!

Queen dying and finding her successor

Pointless fight with a mouse

Grub wants to become a Leafman 

The people behind this project wanted to make this movie awesome, deep and mature but they wanted too much too fast.

Nothing gets properly set up. The creators had all those cool backstories for the characters but we don't get to see them. The movie throws us into the middle of the action. It feels like we missed a previous movie. This movie should've been a trilogy and it shows.  

#Dagda #Mandrake #Tara #Ronin #Nod #Bufo #Nim Galuu #Mub #Grub #Professor Radcliffe Bomba #Susan Bomba #Mary Katherine #Epic 2013 #Epic #blue sky studios #blue sky

[kiatheinsomniac]

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐍𝐄'𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇-𝐔𝐏!*˚ .♡⋆ˊˎ -

𓆩♡𓆪 𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄!

❝Hiii I'm writing for the valentine's day post, I'm a female, bisexual. I'm mostly introverted but I believe I'm friendly and nice once you get to know. I mostly joke about everything and anything. I'm mostly quiet and I like listening to people speaking instead. My hobbies are drawing (I love it a lot), listening to music, reading and walking around the town. My likes are art,music,video games,some anime, comics,Racoons and cats,fish,ocean, Greek mythology ,books(I especially love Russian and Greek literature), learning languages and travelling. My dislikes are idk really but I guess being around mean people, being forced to do something and having awkward conversations. I'd like to get a character from Bungo stray dogs, thank you so much❞ @urlocalenglandkinnie

ੈ♡˳ 𝐍𝐈𝐊𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐈 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄!

♡ Nikolai is drawn to you in an 'opposites attract' sense. He personally sees the two of you having a magician and assistant sort of dynamic. You're quiet but you can open up when you get comfy and so the two of you can start to understand each other and click. This show wouldn't work without the both of you being present, even if his extroverted nature does seem to make him take the face of the show.

♡ he likes that you can joke and laugh about anything because a good sense of humour in a person is very important to him. You often have him in tears of laughter and it's something that's made him very fond of you. He almost can't believe you're the same quiet introvert he initially met.

♡ when he's not too sure how to contribute to your conversations about literature (he's a smart man, just not much of a reader unless he's picking up a book he knows he can talk about) so he'll go to Fyodor to learn about the Russian pieces you've mentioned so he can ask you engaging questions with a better understanding.

ੈ♡˳ 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐈𝐓 𝐀 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄?

♡ Nikolai takes you to a an aquarium! You've spoken so much about fish and the ocean that he thought it would be something you'd really enjoy. He also has a lot of fun learning from what you have to say about them. He also really can't help himself but laugh at the funny-looking ones. As well as looking at the exhibits, he'll also enjoy people-watching with you. It's a habit of his.

♡ after the aquarium, the two of you get a bite to eat at a gaming café and play some games together in the time slot he's paid for. He thought you'd enjoy being able to use all the consoles and PCs and stuff and he gets playfully competitive with you, trying to place bets. "I win and I get a kiss, yeah?"

♡ he gets you some of those typical Valnetine's snacks should you get a little peckish through the day besides lunch: candy floss, heart chocolates and gummy sweets all in reds and pinks, etc.

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒: I can def see you with Poe too! But I don't write for him unfortunately.

missed the match-up event? try ships instead! ☾ ⋆ ﾟlike my work? why not: ∘ buy me a coffee? ∘ comms. ∘ taglist ∘ follow/reblog

#— ꒰ 💌 ꒱ valentine's match-up 2024: ✎◞♡

[thevindicativevordan]

This might be a bit out of your wheelhouse, but you've spoken glowingly about Kenan before, and I wanted to hear some of your thoughts.

What do you think it would take for DC to give Kenan the spotlight again, either in the form of his own comic or a feature role in an animated series? And how much do you think the sociopolitical optics of China impact his editorial interest/popularity or lack thereof? If Kenan was, for instance, Korean instead (an East Asian country that is generally viewed more favorably by the American public than the Chinese), do you imagine he would have gained more traction and gotten more coverage considering his powerset is not generic Kryptonian? Or do you think the fact that as long as he's a 'foreign' character, he's forever doomed to take a backseat to Clark, Kara, Conner, and Jon who are built in the All-American mold?

Also, as an addendum, do you wish his appearances in more mainstream title (Action Comics, etc) would feature more of his mystical and yin & yang elements of his design? What kind of potential do you think those powers give him compared to the typical Kryptonian flying brick?

Actually have spent some time thinking about this! Short version: Yang was too good at his job.

Kenan is steeped in both Chinese mythology and modern Chinese culture. If you're not someone who has spent a lot time studying the present and past of China like Yang has, it's going to be tough to use Kenan to his full potential. Sure there's other appealing traits Kenan has that make him stand out, PKJ mentioned in an interview that one thing about Kenan which interested him is that unlike the rest of the Superfamily, Kenan starts off as an asshole. He doesn't intrinsically lean towards good, it's something he has to struggle with, and that appealed to PKJ because it was a trait he could hone in on and keep in mind when writing Superfamily interactions. For a team book that's enough to make Kenan stand out, but for a solo book? You need more than that.

Think of how Kenan struggles to be a hero because of how he's torn between his father's democratic ideals and his mother's loyalty to the CCP. He doesn't have an inbuilt love for democracy, what does democracy mean to a young Chinese man who is more concerned with money, women, or food? Asking those kinds of questions about protagonists who aren't from America leads to interesting stories. Or look at how Yang explored the concepts of Yin and Yang in New Super-Man, how he avoided going for simplifying them as good/bad. That's the kind of mistake that someone not knowledgeable about Chinese culture might have made.

Most Big 2 superheroes tend to be American because that's what most of the writers working for DC and Marvel are. If Kenan were Korean instead, I don't think he would have gotten more use, it's that he's not American that intimidates some writers. And there's also the problem of Kenan being a late addition to a franchise that DC typically has no clue what to do with. When you don't even know what to do with your lead character Clark, who is one of the top 3 most iconic superheroes of all time, and you can't seem to stop screwing up other long-time Family members like Kara or Kon, no surprise that DC didn't know how to handle the latest addition.

Plus they already decided that Jon was going to be their guy for 5G, so why waste time pushing Kenan? He wasn't getting a movie or a cartoon or an HBO MAX show. Plenty of other attempts at adding new Superfamily members had disappeared, some like Linda Danvers had much longer runs on solo titles. What's Kenan's measly 24 issues to Linda's 80? I'm glad he was spared that fate because damnit, he's a much more interesting character than Linda or Cir-El or Chris Kent or any of those other guys were. He should be getting adapted outside of comics. In the wake of Jon being completely wrecked, and Kon still a question mark, Kenan is the best "heir" to Superman.

For now I'm just happy to have Kenan in Action, cemented as part of the Superfamily. Would I like him to get more focus, to see greater exploration on how his powers differ from the Kents/Els? Absolutely. If Yang was up for it, I would love a backup from him that explores Kenan's power and relationships. PKJ is taking influence from manga for Clark's fight scenes, would be great to see some of that same influence applied to Kenan too. All kinds of cool ways that Kenan's qi manipulation powerset could be showcased, I mean c'mon the Dragon Ball route is patently obvious. Kenan as the Goku of the Superfamily is a low-hanging fruit but what the hell, I think it could be fun!

#kenan kong #new superman #gene yang #phillip kennedy johnson #rafa sandoval #dragon ball

[thenightling]

The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country: Glass House issue 3 Review:

I just read The Nightmare Country: The Glass House issue 3. I still occasionally mess up the title because there is a Witcher comic called House of Glass. Anyway, it's just kind of... unpleasant. I try to force myself to read it but I'm not enjoying it. It's not as bad as the first Nightmare Country but it's not a nice story. It's decidedly unpleasant. It has that edgy 90s style that got boring by 1998. The Corinthian is the only semi-likable character and that's saying something. That was sort of my problem with The House of Whispers back in 2018. The House of Whispers wasn't terrible but that one was kind of boring where the only points of interest were Anansi (the Spider trickster God) and The Corinthian and how The Corinthian handled those abusive parents. The portrayal of Lucien is just awful. Not only is it flat but the character "Voices" don't feel right. Though The Corinthian is enjoyable his language, his use of words, it doesn't match any previous version of the character. It's very articulate but it doesn't feel like there's a personality in the dialogue. Everyone talks the same. That was a complaint I had back when Caitlin R. Kiernan was writing The Dreaming (1996-2002). Except with her everyone spoke like a cheap 80s action movie character, tossing around the the f word and trying to sound edgy. They don't do that here. In here The Corinthian is relatively well spoken but no one has a truly unique voice, a individual's way of talking. Every character should have their own "voice" a chosen vocabulary, or style of speaking and I'm not seeing that here. It's hard to get into the story when everyone talks exactly the same way except Lucien who... comes off like a self-righteous jerk. It's a bit like Simon Spurrier's version of Lucien in The Dreaming (2018) but not really Lucien of The Sandman by Neil Gaiman. Lucien pretty much shows up just to tell The Corinthian that he asked Daniel what he do if The Corinthian steps out of line and Daniel apparently said he'd unmake him. That's great, you conspire to unmake the only character actually doing anything in this story. Thank you for being completely useless, Lucien. The Corinthian and Lucien both bring up some very good points. The dead girl whose ghost is now residing in the form of a cat (I couldn't be bothered to remember her name) The Corinthian tells Lucien "Did you know she doesn't even like cats?" and Lucien says something to the effect of "The Dream Lord would not have turned her into a cat if she didn't like cats." This does make a valid point. I know Daniel is different than Morpheus but Daniel does share a lot of his traits and memories and Morpheus would never create a raven from someone unless he knew that person would prefer to be a raven than the mortal they had been.

It feels like DC shamelessly tried to make an expansive story out of something that didn't really need or deserve it, such as bringing Thessaly in after the events of Dead Boy Detectives as if to go "See, i is a shared universe!" Yeah, that only works if the stories being connected are... you know... good... This is better than The Corinthian: Nightmare Country in regard to the pacing but it still has that ugly, sadistic, and weirdly dull "gritty" 90s comic book style. I don't know if I can continue reading it just to review it. It's that unpleasant for me. It's not the worst thing I've ever read but I have little reason to want to continue reading it.

#The Sandman #The Sandman Universe #Nightmare Country #The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country: Glass House #The Sandman Universe Nightmare Country Glass House #Nightmare Country: Glass House

[doctorstrangemetas]

Doctor Strange Powers Meta Compilation Part 2

Time Manipulation!

Originally posted by mas-sera-o-benedict

So, what is “time manipulation”? What extents does Doctor Strange’s power has? Along the movies so far, we’ve seen Stephen use the time stone in MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, so yeah, it’s not about “time travel”, it’s about something way more complex and it has everything to do with the multiverse theory and with the theory of non linear timelines. Since this will be complex, let’s divide the thing in topics to make it easier. Before we start, it’s important to have in mind Stephen consumes a lot of energy in order to use the stone. It’s tiring and difficult to do so and that’s something just him (and Agamotto) managed to do so far. (Thanos doesn’t count since he used the Gauntlet to “force” the stones to use their powers).

Control over the time stone

Witness temporal possibilities

Rewind, advance and freeze time

Time loop

Time travel

Control over the time stone

Time spells are activated while using the hand sign below. It’s also used to open the Eye and activate the time stone, but probably, time spells that do NOT use the time stone also can be executed that way!

Originally posted by phoenixnici-strange

When Stephen first used the Eye of Agamotto, which contains the Time Stone, Wong and Mordo were impressed, and there’s a reason for that. In the comics, there are many theories and versions of the story that only someone with a pure soul or with a huge potential for good can control the time stone and the Eye of Agamotto. Other theories claim only Agamotto himself could control the eye, what made the “Doctor Strange is Agamotto’s reincarnation” theory get strong among many fans. In the movie, it’s only subtext about how one must learn a lot in order to use the Eye. Strange still hadn’t read the entire book when he used the Eye for the first time but he already had a lot of knowledge considering the massive amount of books he had read. He also has the huge potential for goodness the Ancient One had spoken about so…everything matches, but so why didn’t other sorcerers manage to use the eye? I bet Wong and the Ancient One were good people and skilled sorcerers, so why didn’t they use the Eye before? That still is a mystery, it hints us there’s something special about Strange, and I personally believe it’s about his DETERMINATION. When Stephen started to study the Mystic Arts, he was the most determined fella out there and I’m not talking about being a genius. Stephen might be brilliant when it comes to learning and he has photographic memory, but still, that doesn’t make him a genius. What does so is how determined he was. He BELIEVED learning all those spells would make him recover his precise movements, he believed he would get his old life back (what was a great lie). That raw, pure, intense determination made his “mana”, his “mystic potential” grow strong enough so the Eye would listen to his will and obey (or accept him).

Originally posted by universedifferent

Doctor Strange’s willpower is what makes him the genius he is, he gets really good at whatever he WANTS to do and that’s his strong spot. Let’s not forget Strange was THE WORST STUDENT EVER, he couldn’t conjure the easiest of the spells and all the other students seemed to do easily what he would struggle a lot to accomplish. What did he do? He started to study day and night, he focused and eventually, surpassed them all. His willpower was unreachable. The Ancient One, when leaving Stephen on the Everest so he would get determined enough to conjure a portal showed us confidence, determination and focus are extremely important when it comes to magic, in other words, spells aren’t just about equations and formulas that must be said or pictured, it’s about emotions and spirit as well. In Infinity War, we also get to see how there seemed to be a strong bond between the Stone and Strange, maybe even a friendship bond considering the stones do have personality? In fact, Stephen never USED the stone, Stephen and the stone have WORKED TOGETHER to achieve noble goals so sure, there’s a huge bond between them, the stone allowed Stephen to control its power. Thanos needs a gauntlet to FORCE the stones to use their power while Strange can even hold he stone with his bare hand without getting hurt.

Witness temporal possibilities

Originally posted by sherlockspeare

Strange can use the stone to live possible outcomes, as he did in Infinity War. When he does that, the stone and himself become the “center” of time, so while it seems seconds to us, to Strange the events might last for YEARS. Stephen saw over 14 million different possible outcomes in Infinity War. Many calculated that for him this trip might have lasted between 500 and 1500 years, considering each outcome could have lasted from hours to entire days or weeks. While in this mode, considering himself and the stone become the center of time, he doesn’t age, but his thoughts, since thoughts are quantic, Strange gets to keep the memories of everything he witnessed since time doesn’t affect them directly. That’s the tactic he used to find the only way to defeat Thanos and bring everyone he killed back to life. According to this logic, Strange defeated Thanos the moment he got to see how to guide the heroes to fulfill the future he saw. So yeah, Stephen already defeated Thanos, we basically still didn’t get to see that yet, we’ll probably see it in Avengers Infinity War Part 2. This technique requires a really strong mind and willpower because well, anyone could easily go insane doing this. Imagine seeing your friends die or be tortured for years over and over again in different scenarios of the same thing, you the only one who knows and remembers how things went, like in the movie Groundhog Day.

Originally posted by charlesoberonn

Rewind, advance and freeze time

The spell activation causes a great impact on the atmosphere.

Originally posted by sirenja-and-the-stag

We saw Strange doing that to the apple he was eating and to Kaecilius and the entire Hong Kong area in which the battle took place. Using that technique, Strange brought back to life everyone who had died, including his fellow sorcerers and undid all the destruction. This spell only works under its range, in other words, all the cameras OUTSIDE the Eye’s range FILMED the entire battle and weren’t affected by the Time Stone. Strange doesn’t make existence rewind, he makes the RANGE he used the spell on rewind. To prove that point, there’s a teaser trailer in which Hong Kong’s News are broadcasting the battle, not understanding what’s going on while Strange and Kaecilius are fighting, like Breaking News! See the video below:

Another important thing about this spell is that sorcerers who know time is being manipulated around them and over them can get out of the spell, just like Kaecilius and the zealots did. Thanos probably would have been able to do that too if Strange tried to use the Time Stone against him, considering the titan had 3 stones to use against the sorcerer. We saw Strange move time backwards, forward and freeze time in the movie, so yeah, it’s pretty clear he can do that.

Time loop

Originally posted by supercanaries

The famous “SAVE GAME?” from videogames, Strange can use the stone to “lock” time in a fixed point and set conditions so time will be rewinded to that specific position all over again, in the movie, he used time loop against Dormammu and the condition for the loop to be activated was his own death. Strange locked himself and Dormammu inside the loop while all the rest of time was frozen around them, preventing Dormammu from escaping. As time is relative, everyone else didn’t realize they were frozen, so all they remember is to be living happily, in that case, Strange indeed could fight Dormammu forever while humanity lived safely from Dormammu. It was the most heroic thing Strange did in the first movie, what granted him the definitive title of Master of the Mystic Arts and his place as the New York Sanctum Guardian. (Until he died in Infinity War). Strange also can use the loop in specific targets to make someone relive the same moment over and over again, as well as he can do that to himself. He can also lock a place in a loop or a group of people. We know that because of Wong and Mordo’s warnings and scolding, in which they implied Strange could erase his own existence or live moments over and over again. Considering Stephen can choose the range and the targets of the time stone, he easily could trap anyone inside loops, except if they were a more experienced sorcerer or if they had another Infinity Stone to counter his own, like Thanos. That’s why using the time stone to BATTLE against Thanos was useless, but that didn’t stop Stephen from using the stone to win the war.

Originally posted by mollydobby

Time travel

Originally posted by carodanver

It’s the greatest question Infinity War left us. When witnessing the many different outcomes, it’s clear enough Strange LIVED them, one by one, considering his panic and despair after he came back from the trip. I don’t think it’s easy to give Stephen a panic attack but that use of the stone sure did. He can use the time stone not to just watch the future or the past, but he can also live those possibilities. Going to the past and changing things could erase someone else’s existence (like in Back to the Future) as warned by Mordo, however, going to the future and trying different things to solve a matter creates different outcomes. Considering Strange belong to the MCU reality, despite seeing many different outcomes, if he moves enough pieces he can GUIDE THE MCU REALITY INTO TURNING INTO THE REALITY HE WANTS, in other words HE CAN MANIPULATE THINGS SO ONE SPECIFIC FUTURE COMES TRUE, leaving the other possible futures for other realities, parallel ones, inevitable ones. It’s also a great question if Strange sent the time stone to the past or to the future in that moment. Well, we saw him hiding the stone in a star in the most poetic way possible, so well, I wouldn’t be surprised if Avengers 4 started with the time stone appearing in front of Tony in Titan, since it can only travel time, not space. Was he bluffing when he gave the time stone to Thanos? Did he activate the stone in a loop? Did he use the stone to make the gauntlet break or travel time? We’ll have to wait to find out, but the theories are amazing regardless. 

Originally posted by cumberbatchlives

Doctor Strange, a study in Mirror Dimension manipulation (before DS2)

The blast Thanos threw went into the Mirrored Dimension, vanishing from ours completely! This sure is some 4th dimension work! Just like we drawing a dot on a paper sheet would sound miraculous to the “beings who live in the 2nd dimension” on the paper sheet! To them, what we drew would just “appear from nowhere”. That’s exactly what Strange does what manipulating the Mirrored Dimension, but with 3 dimensions. It’s as if he could manipulate inter-dimensional paths in the space of the 4th dimension, in other words, reality bending!

Originally posted by brolinjosh

So far, we know a few things about the Mirrored Dimension (or Mirror Dimension). The first thing is that it’s a dimension that exists like a layer over our own dimension but a layer that doesn’t directly touches our dimension, despite being super close in the fourth dimension plane. Considering 4 dimensions, the Mirrored Dimension (according to my logic) would be in the same space as our dimension, however, they don’t interact because they aren’t in the same place on this 4th dimension. If we take that idea to 2 dimensions, that would be like two sheets of paper one over the other, their surfaces touch, however, their contents don’t interact, because in the 3rd dimension, they don’t occupy the same space. At the same time, if you placed these two sheets of paper together exactly side by side, making a drawn black line on one sheet of paper “continue” by joining with the other drawn black line on the other sheet, the “beings living in the 2nd dimension of the paper sheets would see the black line they knew becoming longer without explanation. It’s crazy, but it sort of makes sense. When we talk about dimension, we can’t just think about 3 dimension, specially in the MCU, where the Tesseract has been introduced and it represents the mathematic abstraction of how the 4th dimension would be if we could understand it, so yeah, Marvel is deep in the 4th dimension stuff. If you want to understand the concept better, there are many cool Youtube videos that explain it.

Originally posted by thelostsmiles

Anyway, another important thing we know about the Mirror Dimension is that whatever happens in there cannot affect out dimension (”the real world”). Actually, both our dimension and the Mirror Dimension are “real world”, however, as I mentioned, the Mirror one doesn’t interfere with whatever happens in our world, HOWEVER, that doesn’t mean sorcerers can’t open gateways to access the Mirror Dimension. They totally can open gateways to it because they can manipulate energy to distort THIS dimension by using the sling ring and once they’re in the Mirrored Dimension, they can use the sling ring to do the opposite and open a gateway back to our dimension. But we already saw sorcerers don’t need to use the sling ring to enter the Mirror Dimension, they just need it to get out. Maybe because sorcerers can affect THIS reality using their mind (Reality Bending) buuuuut they can’t use reality bending to manipulate the Mirrored Dimension into affecting our dimension because well, the mirrored dimension doesn’t affect our reality, remember? That’s why they need the sling ring to get out. It’s as if from our dimension, sorcerers could affect the Mirrored Dimension (like an one way road) but the opposite is invalid. Not even sorcerers can affect our dimension from the Mirrored Dimension, that’s why they can’t get out. Of course more powerful sorcerers might know how to escape the Mirrored Dimension in the Marvel Universe, even without a sling ring, but we haven’t seen that yet.

What does this mean? It means that even if Strange didn’t have his sling ring, he still would be able to trap himself and his enemies inside the Mirrored Dimension, and unless his enemies had a way to get out through magic or technology, they would be locked inside the Mirrored Dimension forever. They could still kill Strange, sure, but yeah, they would be stuck and starve to death, since time apparently still affects the Mirrored Dimension (we see people and cars moving normally).

A design representing how the 4th dimension works. It would be possible to move the entire planes where tridimensional objects exist, ignoring any kind of interaction. Someone in the 4th dimension would be able to take everything out from a box without opening it and even manipulate different planes to move everything in the 3rd dimension without affecting how everyone inside the 3rd dimension notices it. Just like we can move a sheet of paper up and down and the “beings who live in it, in the 2nd dimension” wouldn’t notice, because the 3rd dimension is unknown and imperceptible to them.

Originally posted by excellentexistence

So, if a hero or villain doesn’t have or know how to use a sling ring, if they can’t break through dimensions or travel through them, they are fated to lose to Doctor Strange, who can trap them inside said dimension until they starve or die of old age. Indeed, there are creepy things about the Mirror Dimension if you think about it. How many sorcerers must have gotten lost in there? Of course a sorcerer might be able to sense the presence of someone locked inside the Mirrored Dimension and rescue them (feel their presence because sorcerers are constantly opening gateways to the Mirror Dimension), but still, there might be many creatures or deceased sorcerers who got stuck there, as well as many objects from our reality that fell in there.

Doctor Strange can transport himself and others into the Mirror Dimension, he can leave it using his sling ring but he also can control the Mirrored Dimension WHILE BEING IN OUR DIMENSION and use it to push or to “swallow” enemies and objects/energy with it, like he did against Thanos. In the fight against the Titan, Strange apparently didn’t use the Mirror Dimension to reflect Thanos’ attack, but he used it to ABSORB IT, in other words, he sent Thanos’ blast to the Mirror Dimension and tried to swallow the Titan with it, but Thanos used the Power Stone and the Space or/and the Reality Stone to break the Mirrored Dimension wall Strange had “summoned” to our dimension.

The Mirror Dimension also seems to be “lighter” then our dimension, maybe that’s why it’s easier to bend reality INSIDE the Mirror Dimension, like Kaecilius and the Ancient One did, or even move walls of the Mirrored Dimension around, like Strange did. Reality Bending is a skill Doctor Strange has, still quite limited, but required for Stephen to move walls of the Mirror Dimension around. We can assume he’s powerful enough to do it, but still not powerful enough to bend OUR reality, like Kaecilius managed to do using Dormammu’s power.

Originally posted by byk23

Images Of Ikkon

The spell in which Doctor Strange divides his astral energy into making many copies of himself. In Infinity War we saw one of the extremes of the spell: he made A TON OF COPIES, but it’s easy to assume he could make just one or two is he wanted. That means that just like the other spells, it has levels of complexity, meaning making one or two copies might spend little or moderate energy while making a ton of copies might cost a lot of energy.

The technique is activated by a sequence of many different hand signs, which causes the arms to multiply first as each sign is made. Then, after the sorcerer determined how many copies they will create, they release the copies, which spread around as independent bodies.

Originally posted by dailymcugifs

In order to achieve that level of this technique, the minimum required has to be a very good control of the mystic potential, or mystic energy as to say. When Thanos hits Strange with the Power and the Soul stone, we can see his astral body was hit, meaning it has everything to do with the spell. The copies Stephen created weren’t empty souless dolls, but they were true copies of himself, with mind and will of their own, all controlled by Strange. Despite the name “Images of Ikkon”, the copies aren’t just images, they aren’t just illusion, the copies are REAL CLONES. 

The definitive proof the images are REAL CLONES is how they can conjure spells just like the original Stephen. The Eldritch Whip they conjured was pretty much the real thing, they hit and hurt Thanos, who had to use all the 3 stones he had in order to defeat Strange. He had to use the Soul Stone to locate and affect the real Stephen, he had to use the Power Stone to interrupt his spell and amplify the power of the Soul Stone and he had to use the Space Stone in order to pull Strange and grab him, preventing him from moving or teleporting. That technique sure gave Thanos some headache and from what he saw, the titan wouldn’t have been to handle it if it wasn’t for the Infinity Stones he had.

Originally posted by marvelheroes

Let’s also remember Strange isn’t using his own Time Stone to conjure the Images of Ikkon. He’s doing it all by himself, using his own mystic energy. If I had to classify this spell, I would say it’s a very advanced one. It requires focus and it spends a lot of energy. No wonder Stephen used this spell as his last resource in the battle against Thanos.

Originally posted by brolinjosh

When Thanos breaks the Images of Ikkon spell, you can see duplicates of Stephen returning to his body, meaning the copies “return” to Strange. If we follow the same logic as the one we see in Naruto, Stephen, once he receives all the copies back, he gets to learn and feel whatever his copies learned and felt, and that would explain a lot about how Strange barely could fight after that. If all his copies were violently hit by Thanos’ stones, when they returned to Stephen’s body, he felt all those impacts at once.

From what we quickly saw when the copies are destroyed by Thanos, they seem to be made from that orange energy that composes most of Stephen’s spells. We can get a few conclusions from that. One is that Stephen’s aura is orange. Other is that the copies are made from light, which is drawn from Eldritch Magic and Eldritch energy. This is interesting because while in the comics Strange’s aura and energy seems to be pink, in the movies his aura seems to be orange. It’s difficult to know however, if we can conclude that for sure since the other sorcerer’s spells also are orange when they use Eldritch magic, so yeah, Marvel still is quite undefined when it comes to that.

When controlling the copies Strange sure has to know what he’s doing, it requires a lot of focus to coordinate all those clones. Since Strange wanted to use the same technique against Thanos using all his clones (the whip), it was easier for him to give his copies the same command. However, what if each copy had to move differently? Would the original Strange have to control all of them at once or would each copy have their own mind and know what to do? I personally think the second option is the most logic one, but well, let’s hope we’ll learn more about this super awesome spell in the upcoming sequels!

#doctor strange #marvel #mcu #dr strange #stephen strange #iw #infinity war #spells #magic #meta #compilation #organized

[tavarillasgalen]

26 was a transformative year.

I finally had the courage to end a 7 year relationship. I'm so angry with myself for not doing it sooner, but I kept hoping and what-iffing, even as things continued to worsen. I was so bored, I was so stuck, I felt so taken for granted and unappreciated, I felt so held back, I felt like I was making myself small, I felt like I could never truly speak my mind, I could not trust him, etc, etc, etc. And literally, as soon as I broke up with him, I felt this overpowering sense of relief. I was so relieved, I was elated. It was like a "breath I didn't know i'd been holding" moment. And I have absolutely zero regrets about ending it, the only thing I regret is not ending it far, far sooner. I had lost myself, many of my hobbies, and since the breakup, I've started getting them back. The only thing I miss is someone to talk to/do things with, but I'll make friends. My life improved so much since ending it. I feel so much freer. I am so fucking happy.

I got a promotion at work. My boss admitted that he's been giving me more work than the others because he knows if he gives it to me, it'll be done right, it'll be good, and it'll be done in a timely fashion. And when he told other people about it, they were like, yeah, makes sense, she's been ready for this for a while.

I moved my horse to a new stable. The circumstances behind why are bad, so bad that some of the other owners at her old stable were talking about taking legal action against the stable owner. But I trust the people at the stable she is at now. And I can see her so much more now. It is so healing.

My family and I talk again. We haven't had a good relationship in literal years. I honestly don't know how long it's been. But now we talk, we do things together. I feel like I belong. It is so nice.

I lost 10 lbs! I gained 20 lbs during the pandemic, and could not lose it for the life of me. But this year, with a combination of daily exercise and eating better, I'm down 10 lbs. Just 10 more to go until I am back at my pre-pandemic weight. And the weight loss is incredibly slow, which on the one hand is frustrating, but on the other, is very good, because slow weight loss is sustainable weight loss.

I started eating so much healthier. This primarily after the breakup. My ex was very overweight because he was sedentary and pretty much exclusively ate out. I feel so much better and I have saved so much money. I can't remember the last time I ate out - it was probably with him. And making my own meals and knowing what I put into my body is good for it is SO nice.

I started baking again! I loved this as a kid. I forgot that not only is baking fun, but I'm a good baker. The family ravs about my cookies and pastries and breads and things.

I started embroidering again! It is so nice to put on a show or music or something and sew. My embroidered jean shorts are now my favorite pair of shorts.

I started being artistic again! With sketching, with painting, with trying digital art. I'm BEYOND rusty, but I'm having FUN. So I honestly don't mind that I'm so rusty, because I'm having fun making art again and experimenting with different mediums.

I finished my degree. I did all the classes except for 1 in the typical 4 years of uni, and I kept putting off the last one because it was math. It took me 4 tries thanks to how horrific my mental health was, but I did it, it's done. And I got a 99% on the final exam.

I did so many things I'd wanted to. Like comic con, like renn faires, like going to the ballet. I scheduled things for my future self to enjoy in 27, like a fantasy photoshoot and a mounted archery clinic.

I made my first cosplays! Keyleth, her comic book look and her mantle. I'd been cosplaying for months at that point, but those were the first things I actually made.

I picked up classes to learn new skills, like coding.

I started Duolingo again, and have a streak of over 100 days. I'm actually starting to understand it when spoken at a normal speed, not just slowed down.

I started going on walks outside in the neighborhood! Very weather-dependent, but God are the flowers and houses pretty. And so many little free libraries around. When I can't walk outside, I either go to the gym or use my aeroski or do pamela reif workouts. I workout more days than not and it does wonders for my mental health.

Lol, this may seem strange. But some of my clients are dentists, and since taking them on, my teeth have never been this well-cared for. I have flossed literally every single day in 2023 so far, started using straws for sodas and energy drinks, etc. I better not have any cavities when I see my dentist next month, just saying.

I had the courage to see doctors about various health issues that were bothering me, like excruciating shoulder pain, throwing up everything I eat or drink (not intentionally, like, literally could barely control it), etc. I'm still paying off the medical bills and I'm pissed that only 1 doctor took me seriously while the rest had the gall to tell me I was just stressed when that was not the case. But I'm proud of myself for having the courage to take care of myself like that, anyway.

I actually... Started to want to actually live. I feel so far behind everyone else my age in part because of being held back/stuck by my relationship, but mostly because I never planned to live this long. And my suicidal ideation was so severe, I was only ever going through the motions for so long. Mental illness stole a decade of my life from me. But now, I... Actually don't want to die. I actually want to live. When I feel like I want to die, I recognize the truth behind the feeling which is really needing something to change. And then I work towards that change however I can. Like, I don't have retirement accounts or investments or much of a savings or anything because I just saw no point, because I figured i'd be dead soon. But now? When you are actually seriously researching retirement accounts and investments and savings strategies and all this? Actually making plans for a life far beyond the next couple of days? Of course I still get stressed and depressed by the fact that I don't already have those things sorted out, but then I remember that the reason for that is because I wanted to die for so long. I never thought I would live to see my 20s, and every year until now, I didn't think I'd live to see the next. But now? I want to actively help my future self out. I want to do what I can to make my future self's life better and easier. I want to do what I can to set my future self up for success. And when you have someone who was as suicidal as I was for the past 10 years and who made multiple suicide attempts start thinking about saving for retirement? Holy shit, how much of a win is that?

There's a lot more I could say, I'm sure. I also read so many books, worked on my own books, etc. But I'll leave it there. I'm really pleased with all the personal progress i've made this year. While I'm nervous about 27 and going from mid-20s to late-20s, fearing aging is only ever shooting yourself in the foot. 27 is so young, still. Age is just a number, and I feel more myself than ever before.

#personal

[reira-layla]

Twin Flame

Plot: Akito and Shigure realize that their connection goes far deeper than that of a dog and its god.

Inspired by MGK's Twin Flame song. Lots of time jumps. Lyrics are italicized. I made a video on tiktok to go along with this: CLICK FOR VIDEO

It's been six days since the last time I saw your face

And you asked my sign

I told you mine, I questioned why

And you said, "Everything's aligned"

As per usual, the zodiac dog was sitting on the engawa, book in hand. It was a hot day and anyone with an ounce of sanity would've stayed indoors, but desperation filled the young boy's soul. At only eleven years of age, Shigure knew what he wanted most in life. Being near her, even just for a moment, was enough to calm his restless soul. So naturally, he'd hoped to encounter her that hot summer day. 

Although it wasn't usual to see Akito around the estate on a very hot day, Shigure felt as though the girl could sense when he was close by, the same way he could sense her presence. According to the maids, the heat of summer often made Akito sick and therefore, they'd always done their best to keep her indoors. God did whatever she wanted though and most days, she'd come out to play with the older kids, even if it meant that she'd be sick for several days following the outing. 

"Shigure, are you really the dog?" 

His head turned fast to see her standing there, hands on her hips. Although this information had previously been given to her, Shigure realized that she'd never seen him in his dog form. Patting the space beside him, he set down his book and gave her his full attention. Little feet moved towards him to take her place beside him. "I am. I thought you knew this…"

"I do! I just wanted to be sure. I've never seen you as a dog. My father says dogs are loyal to their master. Will you be loyal to me forever? I am your master, after all." A small smile spread across her lips although her tone was venomous. Shigure didn't quite understand how someone so young could have such fire inside of them. Akito was well spoken for a child her age despite being incredibly shy at times. 

"Of course I will. You're who I care about most." No truer words had ever left his lips. He didn’t even love his own parents the way he loved Akito. Judging by the smile on her face, he assumed that had been a good enough answer. They sat there together, not saying a word to each other for a moment. 

"I saw a dog once." Again, silence. Shigure had attempted to give her time to continue with her story but clearly that was all she'd wanted to say. It was almost comical, Shigure thought. Of course children her age enjoyed sharing random stories and thoughts that went nowhere. Out of fear that she'd get upset and leave, he did his best not to laugh.

"Maybe one day I'll get the chance to show you," he said as he tucked a strand of hair behind her tiny ear. As dumb it was, something about knowing that she'd someday she would see his other form made him feel vulnerable. The curse had never been something painful to him, but he was young and assumed that if his other form wasn't to her liking, she'd think less of him. 

"I'd like that." Again, she smiled and that smile was something he'd dreamed of since before she had been born. Without another word spoken between them, Akito leaned against Shigure. Picking up his book, he read to her as he often did when they were alone together. 

On the first day, you told me 

I was your twin flame from a past life

And tonight, the moon is full

So take me anywhere outside

They sat together on the engawa, her hand on his thigh while his arms were around her. In truth, he hadn't the faintest idea what he would've done had she not come to him that day. He'd laid his cards out on the table and wore his heart on his sleeve for her yet due to their history, he'd had no idea what to expect. 

His eyes never let his book, refusing to even look up at her despite wanting to see her wearing the gift he'd given her. If she rejected him, he wasn't sure he could stand it. When she spoke, it was like the dream all over again. It was real and she'd truly come to him, wanting him to be the one to love her. At long last, she was his and his alone. Their love was vocalized and he'd waited years to hear her say those three words. 

"Do you believe in other types of bonds?" Her words had confused him given that he was still replaying the first kiss as a couple in his mind. 

"Bonds?"

Akito sighed, looking down for a moment as if she was unsure of whether she wanted to continue this conversation or move on to something less embarrassing. "It's just that… all these years, I wanted so badly to believe that the bond would never break. When it did, I didn't know what to think. It was like being slapped in the face. I felt so alone until I started doing research on bonds. I learned about soulmates and twin flames, that kind of stuff." 

"I've heard of soulmates, but what is a twin flame? It sounds like some sort of candle." He laughed and she hated him for it. Regardless of the topic, he was always doing or saying something to make her regret even saying anything to him. It was as if he enjoyed making her angry.

"You're an idiot, you know? Twin flames are two souls that are bound together for eternity. Well, I guess one soul in two bodies. The love and connection is intense and unlike any other. One article I read even mentioned how twin flames are often in love before they're ever born. It made me think of you." A sigh escaped her lips as she moved her hand away from him and rested it on her own thigh. Something about sharing this information with him made her feel vulnerable in a way she never had before. 

"Eventually, after meeting and connecting so deeply, conflict of some sort happens. One person runs away from the connection while the other tries to chase after the one that ran. Fuck… this sounded a lot better in my head."

Rather than laughing as she likely expected him to, he wrapped his arms even tighter around her. Although this was a new concept for him, he could easily see how she could find their situation relatable to what she'd described. After all, he'd loved her since before she was born and although some would attribute his intense connection to her as being part of the curse, he'd always known deep down that there was more to the connection than anyone would ever believe. As a child, she'd always preferred him. There were many times when the two were content merely being in the other's presence. 

As for conflict, they'd had more than their fair share. Both had deeply wounded the other and for years, they'd played games with one another in an attempt to hurt each other. They were toxic yet their feelings for one another brought them back to each other time and time again. As for running and chasing, it was true that they'd done both. Akito had always been the runner whereas he'd been the chaser. Sure, there were times when he'd ruined things for himself but the belief he'd held that one day she'd come back to him had been all the motivation he needed to continue to chase after her. 

"What happens then? Do they just keep running and chasing?"

"No, eventually they surrender to the bond and work on healing what they've broken both within themselves and within the relationship." There was a hint of confidence in her voice now compared to before. Shigure assumed that it was because she sensed that he was genuinely interested in what she was saying. 

"So is that what this is? Would you call this sweet surrender?" 

"I'd say so," she said softly as she looked up at the sky. Day had turned to night so quickly that she hadn't noticed the full moon or the chill in the air. She shivered, moving closer to him. 

He kissed her forehead, afraid now that she'd get sick from the cold. "Perhaps we should go inside." Shigure already knew what her answer would be.

"No, I like looking up at the moon. You know, I'd sit here and watch the moon sometimes when I'd think of you. I remember being very young, probably five or six. Most days, we could only play together for a few hours because you had school the next day or something, always something stupid. I'd sit here, looking at the moon and wondering if you could see it from your house. Something about knowing that we were looking up at the same sky made me feel better about you not being there with me. Even after I kicked you out, I'd do this sometimes." 

Another sigh left her as she looked towards him, searching his face for any indication of how he felt after hearing this information. "I hated it. I hated that I'd miss you. This damn moon was always a reminder of you. Hatori would catch me out here every time you and I had an argument and I think he always knew the significance of the moon and how it correlated to you."

There was a pregnant pause before he stood up and made his way inside. She was about to lose it and get angry with him, assuming that he was walking away from the conversation, but he quickly returned with a blanket. Shigure draped the blanket over her shoulders and pulled her close once again.

"Had I known that, I would've started arguments with you more often so that you'd have no choice but to think of me." He smiled and winked at her, causing her to chuckle softly. "So about this twin flame thing, now that we've surrendered, what comes next?"

"Healing," she said before kissing his lips. The belief that their souls were bound to one another and had lived many lives together was something they both believed now. All that mattered now was the love they shared and the life they planned to build together. 

I cannot kiss you yet, you're magic

So I'll just stare at you instead

"Shigure?" Silence. "Shigure?" 

He quickly snapped out of his thoughts. "Akito?"

"Why are you staring at me? You're being really weird."

The boy hadn't meant to stare, but when he saw her walk towards him that day, it occurred to him just how special she was. Not many people could say that they were born to be loved, but she could. Shigure always thought back on the dream he'd had and how it had changed everything for him. 

"I was thinking about how special and loved you are. I've cared about you far longer than I've actually known you and I intend to care for you for the rest of my life." Although he was still very young, he already had a way with words the way a true novelist would. 

"I know that. You have no choice but to be loyal to me." The girl smirked, already knowing the power she possessed. Her father had told her many times that she was special and that all the zodiac members would love her and stay by her side forever. It was something she expected of all of them and Shigure was no different. 

He frowned, realizing that she hadn't quite understood what he'd meant. "I know that, but even if there wasn't a bond, I'd always be here for you." Shigure realized that she was too young to understand the weight of his words or the love he felt for her. They were still children but he found comfort in her presence, loved embracing her and would live solely for her. Although the others were obligated and bound to her, Shigure knew that he was the only one that loved her beyond the bond they all shared. 

Before he could grasp what was happening, he felt her little arms pull him close. He knew he wasn't the only one she'd done this with. There had been a few times where Shigure had seen her hug Hatori like this as well and had felt jealous of his best friend but the jealousy was always short-lived. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. 

"I love you, you big idiot. You're more annoying than Hatori but less annoying than Ayame so I guess that makes you one of my favorites." He couldn't help but smile and she smiled back. It was one of the most sincere moments they had ever shared together and he was sure it wouldn't be the last. It seemed as though the older she got, the more she needed the elder members of the zodiac. Oftentimes, Shigure would hold her as she cried or soothe her when her emotions became too much to bear. He'd been the one to comfort her the night her father died. 

Against his better judgment, he kissed her forehead. Akito's eyes went wide. It was something he'd never done before and clearly she hadn’t expected it. For a brief moment, their eyes met and he saw genuine happiness in her eyes, something he hadn't seen in quite a while. With the death of her father came many responsibilities that had weighed heavily upon her despite her young age. 

"Promise to always do that?" It was commanding yet he heard the hope in her voice. 

"Always." He'd always keep his promise to her no matter where life took them. Shigure didn't believe in magic and had always found the concept of it stupid. Ayame once put on a magic show for him and Hatori and although Shigure would never admit it, he found the whole thing comical. However, in that moment while they embraced, he realized that Akito was the only thing he considered to be true magic. She had been born to love and he loved her, always.

I get insecure and panic 'cause I know you're too pure for this

You're too good for me, I'm too bad to keep

I'm too sad, lonely

I want you only

It tore him apart when she'd chosen Kureno over him. Shigure had been her first everything and yet now he found himself at a loss knowing that she now shared her bed with Kureno. He'd made the mistake of bedding her mother in an attempt to hurt her for hurting him and it had only caused more damage between the two. Not only had she kicked him out of the compound but she had refused to see him whenever he'd stop by. 

Only Hatori knew how bad this whole ordeal had broken his friend. To most, Shigure was the most carefree guy they'd ever met. Even in the face of trouble, he'd remain cool and composed. That was the side of him that he wanted everyone to see. Hatori, however, had seen the broken man beneath the cool exterior, at least for those first few weeks. 

"Shigure, you need to stop this. Give her time. Obsessing over this is no good for anyone involved and honestly, I'm tired of hearing about this from the both of you." Hatori had been thrown into the middle of their drama. Not only had he been forced to hear Shigure's complaining but he'd had to listen to Akito as well. He'd spent sleepless nights listening to Akito cry and break things in her room over Shigure's betrayal and although this was something he didn't share with his friend, he knew that both parties were hurting. 

"I wanted her to reap what she sowed but I didn't expect this."

"Then what did you expect? You slept with the one person she hates most and then you went and told her about it like an idiot. You did it to hurt her and you wanted to rub it in. I'm not taking her side or yours because you both did wrong." 

Shigure couldn't help but notice that Hatori looked exhausted and he figured that it was because of the situation with him and Akito. "So you admit that she's in the wrong as well?" He already knew the answer to his question but wanted to hear it anyway. Of course they were both in the wrong and right now, it didn't seem like she'd ever want him around again. "Tell me, does she really hate me or do you think she'll get over it eventually? Honesty Haa-san, she was in the wrong first. I merely followed her lead."

"There's no justifying what either of you did but she wasn't your girlfriend, Shigure and you knew that she would always belong to everyone else just as we belong to her. I hate to be the one to say it, but she doesn’t belong to you and was never yours to lose. As long as we're bound by the curse, she'll never belong to you. As for her getting over it, I assume it'll take some time. She's just as upset as you are." Hatori stood in Shigure's kitchen, watching as his friend sat at the table with a long face.

"I doubt that. She's absolutely heartless. For years, she led me astray, making me believe that she loved me only to give herself to him. Let her be upset. Let her cry, scream and make herself look foolish. She's not my problem and never will be. She made sure of that." His words were cold but it was obvious that he was hurting. 

Hatori hadn't seen this side of Shigure since they were children and there was something unsettling about it. "She may not be your problem but I hope you're aware that your actions have caused problems for the rest of us. Being honest with her about your feelings would have spared you both some heartache."

Shigure laughed. "Heartache? How could she possibly be heartbroken when this is her fault? I bet he doesn't make her scream the way I do."

Taking a deep breath, Hatori attempted to wipe that mental image out of his mind. "I really didn't need to hear that. Don't come by the estate anymore unless she's ready to see you. Take this time to get settled into this house and to reflect on all that's happened. Maybe you'll finally decide to be honest with yourself and with Akito."

As much as Hatori wanted to support his best friend, there was only so much he could do and honestly, he was mentally exhausted from having to be a shoulder to cry on for both of them. Shigure would eventually get it together and Akito would eventually want to speak to him again. It was only a matter of time. Not wanting to deal with Shigure any longer, Hatori bid his friend farewell and went home. 

In the days that followed Hatori's visit, Shigure had tried his best to avoid calling her. He wanted to hear her voice more than anything but then he'd think about Kureno and would find himself hating Akito once again. It took weeks before she finally called him.

"Shigure," she said on the other line. 

"Akito, it's good to hear from you." His hands trembled as he held the phone to his ear. Only she was capable of evoking this kind of reaction in him. 

"I'm sure it is. Hatori said you cried about me." He could hear the amusement in her voice. Of course she had to be venomous; it added salt to the wound. Unbeknownst to her, Hatori had also told Shigure that she had cried about him every day since she'd thrown him out. Not wanting to give her the satisfaction of knowing how much she'd hurt him, he remained silent despite having so much to say to her. 

"I still hate you, but I want to see you."

"And why's that? I'm assuming you want to rub your relationship with Kureno in my face some more." Just saying the other man's name enraged him. 

"No, that's not it at all. I mean, I could do that but that's not what I want. It's not why I'm calling."

The embarrassment in her tone gave her intentions away. "What's the matter? He can't hit the right spot or is it that he doesn't know how to properly use his tongue to-..."

"Shut up. Can't you just be happy that I want to see you? Why do you have to always say things that make me want to punch you in the face? Just get your ass over here. Hatori will come pick you up." With that being said, she hung up on him.

As he got himself ready to see her, he reflected on their conversation. Shigure made sure he looked his best. He planned to show her just how stupid she was choosing Kureno over him. Deep down, he knew that his insecurity derived from the fact that she was god and would always be too good for him until he could figure out how to break the curse. 

By the time Hatori arrived, Shigure had thought of a million things he'd wanted to say to her but he knew that once he saw her, none of it would matter. He loved her more than he hated her and distance had made him hunger for her in a way that he never had before. With one more smug look in the mirror, Shigure left his new home and got into the car. Nothing mattered anymore, just her.

I got six ways to say that I fell in love with you at first sight

I wish that I could frame the way you look at me with those eyes

Her eyes had always stood out to him. The first night Shigure had ever seen Akito, her eyes had captivated him. Only hours old, her purple orbs made his heart skip a beat when they looked into his eyes, as if seeing something deep inside of his soul. That night had been ingrained into his memory, easily one of the best moments of his life. Although the dog spirit was crying out for its god, Shigure knew that the love he felt for her went beyond that. Those eyes felt like coming home and his world would never be the same. All he knew from that moment on was that he wanted to be by her side forever. 

As time passed, those eyes grew wider as they discovered more of the world around her. Shigure was only a few years older than her but something about seeing her curiosity about the world around her was exciting to him. On the days that she'd ask him to play with her, they'd dig for worms and shoot each other with water guns. He would do anything just to hear her laugh. Shigure took pride in knowing that she preferred to spend her time with him. 

"You're my favorite," she would say as she looked into his eyes. No matter how many years had passed since the night they'd met, her gaze had always been enough to make his heart skip a beat. He lived for those moments when he was her favorite. 

Years later, he was no longer her favorite. Kureno had taken his place and although she had requested that he visit her whenever possible, Shigure had been cast out of her hellish heaven. Like a fallen angel, he conspired against her but only because he knew that she belonged with him and he would make her see that. During this impossibly agonizing period in their relationship, the eyes he loved so much often looked upon him with disdain. It only fueled his determination to make her his. 

Then came the day that it all came crashing down. He was free yet bound to her by feelings that were all his own. He'd given her the option to come to him and when she did, he swore to her that he'd never let her go. Shigure saw true happiness in her eyes that day and he was sure she saw the same when she looked at him. At last, he was her and she was his just as it was always meant to be. 

The night he'd asked her to marry him, the moonlight reflected in her eyes as they filled with tears. Later, she would tell him that it had been the first time she'd ever shed happy tears. Her gaze went from the ring on her finger to his eyes and he could see all the love she'd had for him in that moment. On their wedding day, those eyes cried happy tears once again. Gazing at each other, the couple held hands and he'd vowed to love her beyond eternity. It shook him to his core to know that she was finally his. There would be no more competition to win her favor. The woman he'd loved for as long as he could remember was now his wife and that was all that mattered. 

Life came full circle when he held the tiny baby in his arms. Watching the woman he loved give birth to their baby had been like witnessing a miracle, as cliche as that sounded. The baby opened his eyes and gazed upon his father with the same eyes his mother had the night she'd been born. Throughout Akito's pregnancy, Shigure had hoped that their baby would have his mother's eyes. In fact, the baby looked like a whole glass of Akito with a shot of him mixed in. Everything they had been through had led up to their son being born and Shigure couldn't think of anything more poetic than that.

Freeze time, baby, rewind

Maybe ask you earlier, "be mine"

See, I didn't understand deja vu 'till I met you

"I wish life had been fair to us. We could've been in love like this for years." There was sadness in her voice. Shigure hated it when she dwelled on things given that she had a tendency to allow the most trivial things to consume her and steal her joy.

 Of course he knew she was right but neither of them could change the past. The important thing was that they were together now and nothing else mattered. "I've been in love with you for years and you always had love for me, or at least that's what you've said."  

"Of course I did. Do you really think I would've allowed you to be in my presence ever again after what you did if I didn't love you? That's not the point I'm trying to make. It's just shitty that-" 

He wrapped his arms around her waist, placing one hand upon her protruding belly. "Akito, listen to me. That's the ring I gave you that's on your finger. This is my child in your belly, our child. Nothing that came before all of this matters. We've made the choice to build a life together and this is what matters. It wouldn't be a twin flame connection without some conflict, right?" His lips grazed her neck, causing her to shiver. 

"No, it wouldn't. I hate when you're right because you love to rub it in. After all these years, you haven't changed a bit." He could hear the amusement in her voice. The only thing that had changed over the years was that his love for her had intensified. When he'd married her, his love had intensified. The day she'd announced that she was pregnant, he fell even more in love with her than he thought possible. It seemed as though with each new chapter of their lives, love just kept pouring out of him. 

"I never told you this but the night you were born, there was something in me that recognized you and it wasn't just the dog recognizing its god. It was my soul coming to the realization that the ties that bind us were ours alone, not those of what we'd been possessed with. I suppose it took quite a while for me to understand the magnitude of that realization. Based on what you've told me, I do believe you were correct in thinking that we have a twin flame connection." Unbeknownst to her, he had done his own research on twin flames. 

"I know," she said softly, turning around to face him. He pressed his forehead against hers as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I knew as soon as I heard about twin flames that you were mine. We destroyed each other over and over again and yet we still ended up together. Life did everything it could to seperate us but you wouldn't give up." Their eyes met and he could see the smile on her face. "I'm happy you didn't give up. Life wouldn't be the same without you."

#akito sohma #shigure sohma #fruits basket #akigure