#powerful agency

[ofswordsandpens]

thinking about how the (greek) big three swore to never sire any more demigod children because those children are just too powerful (dangerous) and also thinking about how the characters that, arguably, seem to have the greatest proclivity for cruelty in the name of justice or vengeance are also the (greek) big three children... there's something there, a connection to be made I'm sure of it

#and its not just cruelty... #its like this spiraling into... darkness? power? #for percy and nico at least #thalia we dont get to see as much and I need to reread ttc #but like... she's SO tempted by power #its like she has to actively fight against those base instincts to rule (like her father) #when she chooses the hunters #she removes her role (her power her agency) in the great prophecy #and idk I feel like there's subtext there that she's worried what she would have done had she been the prophecy child #but sincerely there's something about greek big three kids thats off kilter #and that aspect only gets more pronounced as time goes on and they get older #like not only are they scarily powerful #but their mental states are just... messy #almost like in comparison to other demigods #they're a little more god a little less mortal if that makes sense #and they have to fight to maintain that mortality (their humanity)

[marveltournaments]

#marvel #marvel comics #marvel 616 #laura kinney #anthony masters #wolverine #taskmaster #talon #x-23 #x-men #cape killers #wolverines #thunderbolts #avengers academy #power elite #x-force #agency x #new x-men #frightful four #polls #next queer character semi finals

[alexiethymia]

Boiling Hot Iron vs Lukewarm Water

Maomao's Way of Affection Part 2

[LN 12 spoilers]

I AM ACTUALLY FOAMING AT THE MOUTH. I mean I read it somewhere, but apparently yes, Maomao does initiate the kiss in the light novel. Even if she did accept his feelings, I always thought that it might have been too fast the way she was ready for a night visit already, but I always chalked it up to her upbringing in the pleasure district and her being fifty-fifty that Jinshi wouldn't actually try anything. But the fact that she is the one to actually instigate a kiss, and quite a sweet one at that, while Jinshi was sleeping. This scene in LN 12 really is in contrast to the scene in LN 5 where it was Jinshi who forced the kiss, and even to later on when Maomao ends up falling asleep and Jinshi restrains himself to a kiss on the forehead for replenishment.

It's hard to be coherent with my ramblings but one of the reasons why I love this series is the slow burn on Maomao's part which is really fulfilling, and the slight angst we get because of that, and not just on Jinshi's part.

Below is a translation from the Spanish translation of LN 12:

She just doesn't get it. He wants to step down from his position near the top of the country for a purpose. If that purpose was MaoMao himself, he would definitely have gone mad.

It's as hot as cast iron.

Maomao is not interested in such blazing heat. The only thing she can give back is a warm temperature.

Slowly puts his hand on Mr. Jinshi's cheek and feels his body temperature, which is the same as warm water. Her cheek was slightly colder. His eyelids were completely closed and he rubbed his cheek against my hand like a kitten to be pet. Looks like he sleeps, like he feels safe.

Maomao seems to struggle with the inequality of Jinshi's feelings and hers. She compares Jinshi's feelings to hot cast iron, and hers to warm water. And no wonder, to her, Jinshi willing to give up everything, including his position, for her, seems to be such a passionate love. As much as she snarks and would rather say that she could just do without all of Jinshi's gestures (*cough branding himself for example, this damn masochist cough*), she recognizes how much Jinshi has given up and is willing to give up for her, not to mention all that he has in fact given her.

She even goes to say, "I don't even have anything in return for you." When she says this line, I think that she isn't just referring to being unable to return the depth of Jinshi's feelings, but even their difference in position. As Suiren observes, despite Maomao's forthrightness, perhaps because of the environment they're in, she is very much aware of her station.

It's such a melancholic line coming from her. It seems to me as if she really is afraid of hurting Jinshi. She already doesn't like the thought of Jinshi being hurt like Luomen, but now she also doesn't want to be the one to hurt him. On top of that, for the normally aloof Maomao, it may be that she's starting to feel unconfident precisely because of the difference in position.

Maomao strikes me as a person who wants to be used. Even when she wasn't in love with Jinshi yet, she always seemed to want to be praised for doing a good job. So for her to think that it's just her who keeps receiving and receiving, while not being able to give anything back, the inequality (this time going in the reverse direction) must bother her a lot. She never used to care so for her to feel different from how she usually does because of Jinshi - caring about him, being unsure of herself because of him - oh she must hate how that feels so no wonder she wants to remove herself from the equation. But alas, it's too late.

Unlike Maomao though, I don't think that there's such a disparity between her feelings and Jinshi's despite that she describes his feelings as boiling hot and hers as warm. Yes definitely I feel that Jinshi's feelings may be stronger, but I feel that Maomao's is actually closer to his than she thinks. I think it may be because the nature of their feelings may be strongly influenced by their past.

Jinshi has always had the things he's loved taken from him. He wasn't allowed to prioritize a single thing or a single person because of the responsibilities he's had to assume from such a young age. Sure he's childish now but that may be because he had to grow up fast. Of course he would be desperate and slightly bit manic when it comes finally falling in love. He'll always feel that Maomao will be taken away from him unless he does something about it with his own hands.

Meanwhile, because of Maomao's complicated past with her birth parents, it's no wonder that Jinshi's passion unnerves her. Remember it was that same passion that caused her mother to hurt her. No wonder she doesn't want it. But when it comes to that feeling called love, that's the only version she recognizes because that's what she's been surrounded with in the pleasure district and even in the rear palace - lust imitating love, or even if it was love, a passionate and all-consuming love that destroys everything in its path.

But what does Jinshi make her feel? Trust. Safety. Even if her rational mind tells her that people's feelings change, Jinshi's constant proclamations that he will make everything be ok so that the both of them can be together may in fact actually reassure her. Heck, perhaps that was why Maomao goaded him to make that verbal confession a while back, precisely so she could have that assurance. She doesn't recognize it because she's never seen or had it, but perhaps this stability is something she's wanted her whole life. And I would say her feelings for Jinshi are nearly as strong as his for her, precisely because she feels for him the same way he makes her feel. Nothing passionate but also uncertain. But rather something warm and can be relied on. It's a feeling that pushes her to want to see him safe and healthy. It's a comforting and homey feeling that allows her to relax. And for Maomao who's always considered herself frigid, for her frozen heart to feel that warmth is also a tiny miracle in a way.

Jinshi is childish. Maomao is weird. But apart from their extremes, they're actually a lot alike - engrossed in their work, willful, but ultimately just. Apart from anything else, they're at ease when they can talk to each other. It's actually interesting for me to see how those emotions develop from Maomao's side since Jinshi is giving her space to take things at her own pace, another slow burn in a way. But while Jinshi's love is loud, Maomao's love is quiet. Even before this admission, it was always there, in the soft touches to the hair or cheeks, in being a refuge for rest and sleep, in her worry when he was overworking himself. The moment I would pinpoint that Maomao had actually already fallen in love with Jinshi was when she was contemplating Enen and Yao's relationship. She thinks to herself, "the more you cared for someone, the more you wanted a say in how they behaved - especially if that behavior involved hurting themselves." Now doesn't that sound familiar?

*Note - because I loved it and I'm impatient I'll share the translations for that particular scene in LN 12 in the comments section. One is translated from the Spanish version, while the other is translated from the Korean version. I got all of this from facebook. I'm quite interested to see how it'll come out in the English version.

#kusuriya no hitorigoto #the apothecary diaries #jinmao #maomao x jinshi #maomao #jinshi #knh #knh spoilers #I've reached the stage where I'm rambling about them #there are just so many layers in the ln #especially when you consider power dynamics and social constructs and agency

[roguedemonwatcher]

Gosh, the parallels between Lilliana and Laudna - delicious. Like both are aiding powers they claim to hate, trying to keep them at bay in their own way, and clinging to this idea that they don’t have a choice in the matter. Both necessary tools in Ludinus and Delilah’s schemes (that both Ludinus and Delilah resent on some level), both drawing power and respect from them, and both telling themselves this is the best way forward, that THEY are the ones using the other to protect those they hold dear. 

And what’s even MORE fascinating is that Imogen finally has seen this bullshit for what it is in Lilliana, even if she understands her mother loves her, but is still afraid to confront it in Laudna. Imogen is still her mother’s daughter and has that same naivety of thinking she can navigate through it all - the naive promise of a happy ending somewhere down the line.

#critical role #cr3 #bell’s hells #cr spoilers #to be clear this slaps #and i recognize there are moments where agency is stripped from these characters #but half of bell’s hells are proof that you can mitigate this #laudna has fought delilah’s influence before #and her stubborn weird existence can actually be a hilarious way to keep delilah from returning to power #she just needs to break out of her current line of thinking #(and actually if they could get there imogen would be someone who could help her with this!!!)

[cemeterything]

asuka and kaworu should've hung out sometime. it doesn't really fit with the themes of the show or the canon narrative at all but in my head kaworu showed up at the apartment one day expecting to meet shinji, only to be told in no uncertain terms by a thoroughly fed up and spiritually crushed asuka that shinji had been called over to do some tests at NERV last minute and she doesn't know when he'll be back, nor does she care. kaworu asks if he can come inside anyway; he doesn't mind waiting, however long it takes. asuka reiterates that she doesn't care, and leaves him standing there to do as he pleases as she turns back to where she was playing a video game on the tv in the living room. kaworu observes silently for a while before asuka tells him to sit down and come play with her because she's getting creeped out by him just standing there. she practically throws the controller at him when he sits beside her. after a few silent, tense rounds of multiplayer, she snaps at him that he doesn't have to let her win. he asks her with a small, strange smile on his face why she thinks that he would try to lose on purpose. asuka realizes that he's being serious, and expresses genuine derision at his lack of skills, berating him and belittling him with a spark of her old passion. she then insists on teaching him how to play properly, backseat gaming him excessively and at times snatching the controller out of his hands in a fit of frustration at his inability to follow what, to her, are simple instructions. by the end of the day he's passable enough to get soundly thrashed by her without offending her by losing, and, for a moment, it's almost normal. they're just two kids hanging out, playing games at the end of the world.

#🐉 #nge #i have so many thoughts about kaworu asuka and how they would have been so fascinating #to play off of each other given the chance #especially since theyre kind of spiritual rivals despite never getting to meet #forced to oppose each other by far more powerful than themselves and with no agency of their own

[reasonsforhope]

"The prospects of the world staying within the 1.5C limit on global heating have brightened owing to the “staggering” growth of renewable energy and green investment in the past two years, the chief of the world’s energy watchdog has said.

Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency, and the world’s foremost energy economist, said much more needed to be done but that the rapid uptake of solar power and electric vehicles were encouraging.

“Despite the scale of the challenges, I feel more optimistic than I felt two years ago,” he said in an interview. “Solar photovoltaic installations and electric vehicle sales are perfectly in line with what we said they should be, to be on track to reach net zero by 2050, and thus stay within 1.5C. Clean energy investments in the last two years have seen a staggering 40% increase.” ...

The IEA, in a report entitled Net Zero Roadmap, published on Tuesday morning, also called on developed countries with 2050 net zero targets, including the UK, to bring them forward by several years.

The report found “almost all countries must move forward their targeted net zero dates”, which for most developed countries are 2050. Some developed countries have earlier dates, such as Germany with 2045 and Austria and Iceland with 2040 and for many developing countries they are much later, 2060 in the case of China and 2070 for India.

Cop28, the UN climate summit to be held in Dubai this November and December, offered a key opportunity for countries to set out tougher emissions-cutting plans, Birol said.

He wants to see Cop28 agree a tripling of renewable energy by 2030, and a 75% cut in methane from the energy sector by the same date. The latter could be achieved at little cost, because high gas prices mean that plugging leaks from oil and gas wells can be profitable...

He also called for Cop28 to agree a doubling of energy efficiency. “To reduce fossil fuel emissions, we need to reduce demand for fossil fuels. This is a golden condition, if we are to reach our climate goals,” he said.

Birol stopped short of endorsing the call that some countries have made for a full phase-out of fossil fuels by 2050 to be agreed at Cop28, but he said all countries must work on reducing their fossil fuel use."

-via The Guardian, September 26, 2023

#climate change #sustainability #climate anxiety #climate and environment #climate crisis #climate news #climate emergency #global warming #environment #climate action #iea #international politics #international energy agency #cop28 #united nations #greenhouse gas emissions #fossil fuels #renewable energy #solar power #electric vehicles #ev #solar panels #climate tech #good news #hope #hope posting #hopepunk

[liyv]

is this what you wanted?

#bsd spoilers #bsd #dazai osamu #art tag #tw blood #tw injury #ohhhhhhhhhhhh 109 made me so crazy ive been chewing on bricks all month #like we have the old setup thats like: 1. dazai wants to die and 2. chuuya wants to kill him but in truth its now more like #1. dazai wants to live hes trying to live and 2. chuuya could never of his own volition harm dazai #& then 109 takes them at their worse & takes away all of their power & agency & story up until now #& gives them EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT #but its not true! we've moved past this ending! #so now we get 1. what they want(ed) isnt something they couldve ever achieved by their own will (SAD) & #2. maybe now they realize they want for smth else? (HOPEFUL) & their arc goes from there #<- completely delusional btw. #bungou stray dogs

[pratchettquotes]

A Personal Note: Celebrating 4,000 Followers*

Lord Vetinari walked out of the room and back into the main hall, with Vimes trailing behind. "However," he said, "in order to keep the peace, the golem will have to be destroyed."

"No, sir."

"Allow me to repeat my instruction."

"No, sir."

"I'm sure I just gave you an order, Commander. I distinctly felt my lips move."

"No, sir. He's alive, sir."

"He's just made out of clay, Vimes."

"Aren't we all, sir? According to them pamphlets Constable Visit keeps handing out. Anyway, he thinks he's alive, and that's good enough for me."

The Patrician waved a hand towards the stairs and his office full of paper. "Nevertheless, Commander, I've had no less than nine missives from leading religious figures declaring that he is an abomination."

"Yes, sir. I've given that viewpoint a lot of thought, sir, and reached the following conclusion: arseholes to the lot of 'em, sir."

The Patrician's hand covered his mouth for a moment. "Sir Samuel, you are a harsh negotiator. Surely you can give and take?"

"Couldn't say, sir."

Terry Pratchett, Feet of Clay

*A Rare Personal Note: This exchange comes after what may be one of the most famous Discworld moments of all time: the conversation where Vimes and Vetinari first discuss the age old question, "Who watches the Watch?", which becomes one of the central threads of Vimes' character progression. But the end of the conversation, which involves the fate of the newly christened Constable Dorfl, strikes me powerfully today. This marks one of the few times in canon that Vimes explicitly rejects one of Vetinari's commands on moral grounds. It also marks a rare moment when Vimes and Vetinari (who are often complex foils for each other) seem to agree on a fundamental point of morality: that a person must be treated as a person, whatever the cost, even if we do not understand them. On the last day of 2023, this seems more important to me than ever. We 4,000 Pratchett fans who share the quotes that fill this blog likely share very little else: If we met on the street we would not agree about politics, religion, the weather, or the correct storage of Battle Bread. But I think that Sir Terry would perhaps want us to remember that, even when we are at our most opposed, we are all made out of clay -- and that is something worth protecting. Happy New Year, my friends. May we all continue to learn what must be given, and what can never be taken.

#sam vimes #samuel vimes #havelock vetinari #dorfl #visit the infidel with explanatory pamphlets #the watch #feet of clay #discworld #terry pratchett #golems #human nature #humanity #value #human value #being alive #self awareness #power dynamics #politics #agency #negotiation #religion #philosophy #morality #made out of clay #aren't we all #footnotes for followers #tumblr milestone #long quote

[pinkeoni]

So obvious and so tragic upon rewatch that El’s arc has always been about exploring the world and discovering herself and not about using her powers to be a weapon. Every flashback she has regarding her powers are a nightmare for her. But she looks longingly at pictures of Nancy growing up as a normal girl and having a best friend. She explores small things like the La-Z-Boy and the phone and the TV as wistful music plays. When she sacrifices herself at the end to save her friends it’s supposed to be tragic. That isn’t the ending she’s supposed to have.

#but also not in favor of stripping her of her powers because that would be taking away her agency and identity #but instead giving her a roadmap of life and allowing her to choose what she wants #shes supposed to live and become the girl she wants to be #NOT die as a weapon #el hopper #stranger things

[the-biscuit-agreement]

Someone, and I am so sorry I do not remember who, once said that they didn't believe Lockwood was trained by Nigel Sykes because it sounds like a fake name and I love the implications that Lockwood was either A) trained at some other agency but doesn't think that is cool enough for the Legend of Lockwood or B) illegally trained himself. And I like B best because I just imagine Barnes walking in on the trio one time and saying 'Your agency needs adult supervision because you don't all have your grade 4s' and Lucy immediately thinks he is talking about hers but Barnes is like 'actually Lockwood does not have a single grade certificate that doesn't have a forged signature on it' and so Lockwood has to speed run the grade system while Barnes follows them around for like two weeks because Lockwood is officially still training.

#lockwood and co #anthony lockwood #lucy carlyle #george karim #save lockwood and co #save lockwood & co #montagu barnes #lockwood is allowed to be an agency head still #because you don't need to be qualified to do that #i mean actually impose restrictions on adults in positions of power? #during the ghost apocalypse? #are you mad?

[pearlcaddy]

LOCKWOOD & CO. 1.06

#lockwood & co #lockwood and co #lockwoodandcoedit #anthony lockwood #anthonylockwoodedit #lucy carlyle #lucycarlyleedit #locklyle #locklyleedit #filmtvcentral #smallscreensource #tvedit #userbelin #pearlcaddyedit #pearlcaddy l&co #500 #one of my favorite things about them is the way lockwood is constantly ensuring lucy's agency #which is such an important contrast to her last agency where she didn't choose to join and didn't reap the benefits and #didn't have power when she was in the field #he's always reassuring her that she can do this and that they have her back but doesn't pressure her into anything #and explicitly hands her the control #like in the scene after this where he lets her make the decision to go into the house alone #never mind that he's technically the boss--lucy will decide for lucy #relational healing my beloved

[collieii]

one line in trimax that's always stuck with me is from chapter 65, right after wolfwood's death. when vash is sticking the punisher by his grave and he says "it was part of his life". that phrasing is so interesting to me. the neutrality of it is one thing that gets me, i think. it was part of his life. for better or worse, whatever it was, the punisher was wolfwood's.

It's pretty easy to think that the punisher might represent violence, the eye of michael, the role of assassin that was forced onto wolfwood, the loss of childhood. but it's not really presented that way, not overtly anyways. we never see wolfwood shun the punisher, he's not conflicted by his use of it. he never considers abandoning it for some other weapon. it's his weapon. he doesn't discard it when he eventually decides to take a more vash-like approach and actually let people live. he pretty easily accepts it as his own, a tool he can use. (to be fair, at least part of that is probably because the punisher is a very good gun.)

the punisher can still represent the harsher aspects of wolfwood's character, the violence he's committed, that he's capable of. that's an important part of his life! and the idea of it as representative of his violent adolescence, childhood that was stripped away, goes along with this - it's literally a cross to bear. but besides showing his past as a burden, i think of the punisher as being a cross of responsibility. when you have a gun you have power, agency - you have a responsibility to make a choice. that's what wolfwood tells vash in chapter 4.

the ability to take a life, the burden of it, is literally his cross to bear. that ability - and that responsibility - was given to him by the eom, literally in terms of the gun, and in terms of his skills. but the eye doesn't think twice about killing people. for them it's not really a choice, a responsibility, it's just a given. but wolfwood can't accept that. he's constantly considering the choices he makes.

so the punisher isn't only a symbol of the eye of michael, of the path that he was forced onto. it's also a way of expressing autonomy. the eye gave wolfwood the gun, but he decides how to use it and what it means. for much of the story wolfwood struggles to decide what to do, he's a very conflicted character. but eventually he resolves to use it against chapel, against knives, to help vash, and protect the orphanage. the gun gives him agency.

so the punisher was part of his life. it was the tool that he used to commit acts of violence, acts that he was forced into, but also the tool he used to break free.

it's heavy for vash, too. he's not exempt from that idea, the idea of responsibility. as wolfwood said much earlier in the story, vash has always been able to sidestep the question of "what do i choose?", because he's only ever given himself one option - everybody lives. and he's always succeeded. but as wolfwood says, "the day will come when you'll have to choose". one day, it's not going to work.

and of course the story progresses, the stakes ramp up, and vash learns more, goes through more, and is pushed to his limits. i think by this point, by wolfwood's death, and maybe because of it, vash has realized that he might have to make that difficult choice in the near future. that's one reason why he wants to "do him proud". he has a lot of reasons to say this of course - to not let wolfwood's sacrifice go to waste, for example. but if we're thinking of the cross as responsibility, then vash is saying he doesn't want to forget the lessons he learned because of wolfwood. wolfwood has always grappled with responsibility, with what the right thing to do is. and the right thing is often not easy. vash hopes that when the times comes for him to make a choice, he'll make a good one, one that does right by wolfwood's memory.

#trigun #trigun maximum #vash the stampede #trigun meta #trigun analysis #i have another post in my drafts abt wolfwood and autonomy so theres some stuff im not getting into but stay tuned #i hope this makes sense...the whole it was part of his life thing...it gets me for some reason #this is just me trying to articulate why #hopefully what im saying isnt too obvious and is actually insightful #this whole post was inspired by one of my art history classes #we were talking abt some of betye saars works and my prof mentioned the idea of weapons as symbolic of power and agency #so ofc i had to apply that to trigun #at that point i was only thinking of the punisher as 'eom = bad' but that just didnt feel right #so then guns...agency...it all came together #seems obvious in hindsight but i just didnt realize #too hung up on guns as violence and violence is bad #but obviously it's more than that #.lieii #.lieii txt #nicholas d. wolfwood #i just realized how long this post is uh sorry guys #i may have repeated myself too much with this one hopefully it's still legible #take a shot everytime i use the word agency or choice in this post #trimax spoilers

[marveltournaments]

#marvel #marvel comics #marvel 616 #jubilation lee #anthony masters #jubilee #taskmaster #x-terminators #cape killers #excalibur #thunderbolts #x-men #power elite #department x #secret avengers #new warriors #agency x #x-corps #frightful four #generation x #polls

[zzztlk]

*Looks for you* :3c psst! Love the tiger! 🐯

Ah!! Thank you. he's my favorite guy I've made up so far

#asks #gonna start answering a bunch of q's again why not i have the power and agency to do so #ngl the hole is really getting to me #Just have to remember 😁 life is rich and beautiful 🙂 life is rich and beautiful 😃 life is rich and beautiful 😊 life is r

[inamagicalhallucination]

fic where atsushi is trapped in some machine using his ability and power to power up to destroy the world or something idk, essentially he's kidnapped and being used as a human battery and he's like stuck in a void, just staring blankly at nothing and the ada r rescuing him but uh oh they have to fight all the evil henchmen and atsushi is slowly becoming part of the machine until akutagawa (who's there from the task force mori sent per alliance) calls out 'damn it atsushi, you better not die' even tho he's not even close to atsushi yet, but atsushi hears him and then suddenly atsushi can hear everyone --- he hears kyouka vow to herself that she'll save atsushi, he hears junichiro ask him to hold on a little longer, kunikida urging him to continue fighting, fukuzawa saying that they won't leave him behind ---- and no one's in the room where he's being sucked into the machine, nor do they know that he can hear them, but he can and suddenly there's a shadow of a light in his eyes as the ada and allies continue to fight to reach him (or reach dazai to him to nullify or whatever) and atsushi hears everyone calling his name and then dazai finally gets to him and his worry starts to melt and he chuckles as he walks to atsushi, hands raised to catch him as atsushi continues to fight his way out of the machine and says 'atsushi-kun has been fighting so hard, hasn't he? come on now, let's go back' just as atsushi pushes himself out and passes out just in time for dazai to catch him

#vivid daydream i had tell me im cooking please #shin soukoku #sskk #<- the power of gay reopened his senses btw like everyone was calling him but then aku did and he started to hear it idk how clear that was #atsushi nakajima #nakajima atsushi #the ada #the armed detective agency #armed detective agency

[neo--queen--serenity]

I would 100% watch a spinoff of Kenji and Tetchou just running around doing normal things together.

#asagiri put them in separate organizations bc together they’d be too powerful #bungou stray dogs #bsd #kenji miyazawa #tetchou suehiro #miyazawa kenji #suehiro tetchou #tecchou suehiro #suehiro tecchou #tetchō suehiro #suehiro tetchō #neo queen serenity’s posts #the hunting dogs #armed detective agency #bungo stray dogs #bsd season 5 #bsd season five #bsd s5