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writingwithcolor · 4 months

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Any advice for handling race in reincarnation situations?

@swamp-spirit asked:

I'm writing a story that includes characters being reincarnated with completely different appearances. It's a fantasy world, and most of the characters are being reborn in the same region, but I still want a range of skin tones and features in the main cast (this is a comic). I have weird feelings about a character being 'reborn' with notably lighter or darker skin, but it also feels implausible and lazy for people to Just Happen to have a similar appearance when the theology of the story doesn't support it. Characters being reborn, and taking out things specific to real life groups, what are the major things you'd want an author to read up on or take into account? (Note: there is not a 'white' looking ethnic group in this story)

I don’t think it’s a problem as long as the skin tones don’t have any correlation to the circumstances that they’re reincarnated into.

- SK

It’s an interesting question, because in most religions where reincarnation/ transmigration of the soul is a feature of “what happens after death”, remembering one’s past life is not really part of the package deal. From what you’ve written, it’s not clear to me where the “memory” of these characters’ lives are held. Is there a 3rd person omniscient narrator telling the audience who each person is in their next life or do the characters themselves retain memory of past lives?

Assuming this is your typical reincarnation scenario where characters retain no memory of previous lives, it doesn’t much matter. The next life is the next life. Who a person was in their previous life and that identity, in theory, means nothing to them. This also means whatever personality, values, experiences and so on they had in their previous life no longer has meaning. They are, in effect, another person. However, you say you feel awkward about the above which makes me wonder if characters are remembering past lives, in which case…

If you study pretty much any major Asian religion where reincarnation is a part of the belief system, having no memory of the previous life is par for the course. In present-day religions like Jainism, Sikhism, Hinduism and Buddhism, only “special” (I’m using the term very casually here) entities like bodhisattvas, guru, arihant, buddhas, etc. usually get to keep their memories, while the rest of us (literal) mere mortals are supposed to lose our memories between lives as a part of Samsara. In Hinduism, even the gods often forget their previous lives, unless their reincarnation had a targeted purpose (Like being born to defeat an evil entity).

For most people, it is only through prayer, devotion, meditation and accumulated virtuous/ good/ compassionate deeds that humans are thought to deepen their understanding of the nature of the universe, and thus have the capacity to remember past lives (I’m, again, paraphrasing very loosely here from several years worth of university history+religion courses).

This is why the isekai genre in Japan is largely regarded as a “cheat”/ parody genre of fantasy. The protagonist, according to common Japanese cultural beliefs, which are quite heavily grounded in Buddhism, is definitively “cheating.” Not to get too ironically biblical, the character’s success often comes from the forbidden knowledge borne of their previous life.

Thus, there are two ways I look at your characters’ predicaments:

It’s not technically reincarnation - not by the way most major world religions define reincarnation, anyway. You have people who died now inhabiting other bodies, but that’s not the same as the transmigration of the soul. Also, you want to delve into the weirdness (and maybe heaviness) of “Wow, I went to sleep with one face and woke up with another.” There are certainly stories about people who have had dramatic cosmetic plastic surgery, weight loss surgery, HRT, etc. and then experienced the difference in the “before” versus “after” of how their altered physical appearance makes them feel, as well as how other people treat them. Even if the community your characters are born into now differs from their previous community (Which I guess would make this more a “I traveled between dimensions, and my appearance altered in the process” sci-fi adjacent affair), their new life will still have social environments with differing attitudes towards human physical appearance that will affect your characters’ emotional states.

Isekai it up and play with the ridiculous contradiction of having past lives and differing memories of one’s appearance. Isekai manga, manhwa and webtoons all make use of this trope heavily, especially with protagonists who experience a “glow-up” (Ex. Going from a Plain Jane OL to beautiful fantasy heroine) or, by contrast, protagonists who end up in very different forms from their original lives (Tensura, I’m a Spider, So What?). I’d be creative and go even more granular. Being able to tan after a lifetime of getting sunburns or no longer needing glasses might be nice, but what if the new body lacks the enzymes to process dairy or alcohol? What about dealing with differences in hair texture? Skincare routines? What about living life as a very tall person after being quite short or vice versa? What if you bumped into an acquaintance from your previous life, and one of you clearly got a more “coveted” reincarnation? See how far of an extreme you can take this idea until it feels too uncomfortable or ridiculous.

Marika.

#reincarnation #skin #skin tone #worldbuilding #religions #characters #ask #isekai #writeblr

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seren-knight01 · 9 months

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The dichotomy of Ganondorf thinking that his strength, power, authority, and identity comes from conquest versus Rauru’s identity and power coming from his willingness to lay down his life and soul to protect those Ganondorf deems too “weak” to deserve to live.

Ganondorf’s very masculinity coming from the dominion over others; his birthright to royal power being tied to said masculinity. Ganondorf, thinking that a harsh world is needed to produce powerful people with “fighting spirit” while Rauru nurtures and protects in order to grow greatness. Gentleness and compassion being mistaken for cowardice and weakness rather than true strength. Ganondorf’s masculinity is based on conquest, subjugation, and utter domination.

“Do not look away: you witness a king’s revival!”

And Rauru’s based on selflessness, sacrifice, and compassion. Rauru’s masculinity founded upon love, wisdom, and determination to protect those who needed him. Rauru knows exactly who he is and what he’s capable of, and what responsibly he bears to those who do not have such power as he does.

“We are the king and queen who founded Hyrule, or we were the last time I checked.”

They are such perfect foils for one another, and Link is Rauru’s true successor in that regard. The masculinity that is selfless, that is built upon integrity and kindness and the willingness to be helpful and protective instead of an all-powerful conqueror. Link (and Rauru) fight for Hyrule’s future, knowing that he is strongest with his friends by his side, and that he fights for the safety and happiness of those who are not as strong as he is. Both Link and Rauru know that they cannot succeed alone.

Oh, the poetry that gentle, kind, fierce Rauru is the one who wins in the end.

Tl;dr: Rauru and Link are pinnacles of masculinity and Ganondorf views them as a primal threat to his very identity and that’s why he resorts to such desperate measures throughout Hyrule’s history, right to the end.

#tears of the kingdom #loz rauru #legend of zelda #princess zelda #zelink #link #breath of the wild #zelda breath of the wild #ganondorf #mini rant

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probablyhuntersmom · 11 months

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The contrast is so poignant when it comes to Belos isolating Hunter for years and instilling the fear of wild magic, versus Hunter's future in carving palismen to connect with nature and with others.

We have his signature gloves as part of all his outfits before he went to the human realm, representative of that isolation and fear: Belos wanting to keep 'Caleb' to himself, wanting to prevent Hunter from forging connections and thus finding freedom. The gloves come off once Hunter has room to create and experiment and explore.

During the many many months in between him beginning to learn the palismen-carving craft and us seeing him mastering it in the epilogue, there would've been many setbacks. Many cuts and splinters via mistakes (thus, more wounds and scars...small, but numerous) and bandages on his hands, like what happened with the sewing needle. Thus, many times when he was reminded of what happened with his best friend. I can imagine that on the more difficult days of learning under Dell, remorse and horrible memories eating into him, he'd be more at risk of leaving more cuts because it would be harder to focus. There would've been days where he got close to giving up.

In his arc, this changed everything:

He was found by a free-spirited, strong-willed palisman.

This was when things began to be truly dangerous:

but by then he gathered enough courage to finally question Belos directly.

What a high price to pay. Recovery from trauma is certainly that way in real life too. But it led him on that path towards transformation, towards what he truly wanted.

In his old life, he'd point a staff at others to intimidate, to instill fear, and be Belos's instrument in furthering a cause that Hunter didn't truly support.

In the future, he generously gives palismen to others from the heart, via new creations made with his own hands, to bring more love, connection and wonder into the world. Letting others live out their truth via the bonds forged with their new palismen, the same kind of truth he himself had to fight so hard for.

If we rewind back to what the Bat Queen said in Hunting Palismen:

contrast that with this point in Hunter's arc:

Still blocked and numbed out from fully experiencing the worst thing he had ever been through: being possessed and in that process, slaying Flapjack.

Willow and Gus had just began to reach that vulnerability within him, moving him with their love and support (which is why the anger he had for around 2/3 of For the Future began to subside).

But it wasn't enough.

In the finale, he gets some temporary respite and relief:

But I believe the real gruelling work was to begin beyond this exact point:

More vulnerability ahead, to pave the way for healing.

Putting the scene of him looking at the old Flyer Derby photo (in For the Future) next to the scene where the Bat Queen sums up what palismen are all about...it indicates to me how steep the climb would be to connect with the full range of his emotions and memories, which parallels his development under Dell's mentorship. To bring some beauty out of that horror he has endured. To bring about the conviction that yes, he deserved Flapjack's gift, from Flapjack's sacrifice.

It would've been years before he would confidently and effortlessly rest in the truth of who he really is, and who he would like to be (remember his "Even if I'm not who I'm supposed to be, I like who I am right now" in front of the mirror, right before getting possessed?).

Liberating himself from enmeshment with his violent abuser and that old life, a process he'd have to repeat again and again even beyond Belos's death. Changing that narrative of "supposed to":

into freely choosing the person he would like to become after Flapjack granted him love and literal life. We receive the one clue that he wanted to freely choose, as early as this scene:

When it comes to palismen, we have "emotion" and "conviction" and also the deepest wishes that witches have in their hearts.

For emotion to flow freely, there must be vulnerability, generosity and love: Hunter integrating even the most difficult emotions into his story.

For him to grow into acceptance of his future major role, it would have involved wrestling with many questions to reach that place of conviction.

#whoops I got emotional. again. now you guys get this #the owl house #toh hunter #palismen #the bat queen #loz writes a meta

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girlactionfigure · 1 month

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🇮🇱💔 She was a ray of light in the world, kind hearted, gentle and loving. Her smile was something you could see from afar. It took 11 days before she was identified and the message reached her home. Her mother had a request to identify herself, but the man who delivered the message said "There is nothing to identify" and added "We have a piece of her spine and 3 teeth."

This is the story of Karin. On october 7, 2023 She went to the Nova event with her friends and didn't back down even though she was recovering from a broken leg. At 08:42 Karin called her mother and said: "Mom, we're being shot at, I'm scared to death." If anything happens to me, I love you. We are being shot at with live fire. " and she hung up.

But Karin couldn't run. She arrived at the designated ambulance parked in Nova, it was supposed to be a safe place, but the terrorists fired an RPG into it as soon as they discovered people inside. They were all burned alive. 137 days after that morning, a package arrived at her house, inside, what was left of a watch in her hand.

This is a story of a lifetime and dreams that were cut short. A story of absolute evil versus pure good. This is the story of the angel Karin who didn't return from the nova. She's smiling in heaven now. Her spirit is with us forever.

@noamagid The memorial page of the late Karin Durno @remember_karinjourno

melissaschapman

#Israel #October 7 #Hamas Massacre #Nova Music Festival #💔😢

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rainydetectiveglitter · 6 months

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Astrology Observations - Moon & Aspects

The Moon holds the delicate strings of our emotions, instincts, and innermost desires. When intertwined with other celestial players through aspects, the Moon's melody takes on unique harmonies and rhythms. Let's dive into the rich tapestry of Moon aspects, exploring how they color our emotional landscape.

Moon Square Mars - The Fiery Tempest: A Moon square Mars aspect ignites a passionate storm within. Emotions can surge like a roaring wildfire, often accompanied by a fierce determination. These individuals are unafraid to confront challenges head-on. However, this fiery intensity can also lead to impulsive reactions and occasional emotional clashes, akin to a tempestuous tango.

Moon Square Venus - The Dance of Sensuality: Moon square Venus creates a captivating dance of sensuality and emotional yearning. These souls crave deep, passionate connections, and their emotions are colored with a romantic brush. Yet, they may find themselves entangled in complex love affairs, where desires clash with emotional needs. This aspect weaves a tale of love's sweet agony.

Moon Trine Chiron - The Wounded Healer's Grace: In the Moon trine Chiron aspect, there's a profound understanding of emotional wounds and the gentle art of healing. These individuals possess a natural gift for offering solace to others, as their own emotional scars have nurtured empathy. The Moon's nurturing essence combines harmoniously with Chiron's healing touch, creating a soothing balm for their own and others' pain.

Moon Sextile Neptune - The Dreamer's Serenity: A Moon sextile Neptune aspect paints a dreamscape of serene emotions and boundless imagination. These individuals find solace in the ethereal realm of art, music, and creative expression. Their intuitive insights often lead to moments of tranquil clarity. However, they may need to ground their dreams in reality to avoid drifting too far into the realm of fantasy.

Moon Opposition Saturn - The Inner Struggle: Moon opposition Saturn sets the stage for an inner struggle between emotional needs and responsibilities. These individuals feel a profound sense of duty and may grapple with their own desires versus societal expectations. It's a cosmic tug-of-war between vulnerability and stoicism, where emotional growth often emerges from the tension.

Moon Conjunct Uranus - The Electrifying Heart: A Moon conjunct Uranus aspect electrifies the emotional landscape, infusing it with innovation and unpredictability. These individuals possess a unique, avant-garde approach to feelings, and they embrace change with open arms. Yet, this electrifying energy can also lead to emotional surprises and sudden shifts, akin to a lightning strike of insight.

Moon Trine Jupiter - The Heart's Abundance: In a Moon trine Jupiter aspect, the heart revels in a sense of abundance and optimism. These individuals possess a deep well of emotional generosity, often extending their warmth to others. Life's challenges are met with a buoyant spirit, and their emotional landscape blooms with gratitude and growth.

Moon Square Pluto - The Depths of Transformation: Moon square Pluto delves into the depths of emotional transformation. These individuals navigate intense emotional terrain, akin to a phoenix rising from its ashes. Their emotions are a crucible for change, but this intensity can also lead to power struggles and a relentless quest for emotional rebirth.

In the Moon aspects, each harmony and dissonance contributes to the symphony of our emotional lives. These observations offer but a glimpse into the complex interplay of planetary energies that shape our emotional landscape, reminding us that our astrological tapestry is as intricate as it is unique.

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veerybells · 8 months

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fucking LOVED the spirit bares it’s teeth. perfectly captured how it feels to be a trans man or trans masc- still being perceived as a woman, still facing sexism, understanding a woman’s experience in the way only one who’s lived it can. the feeling of neutrality about your body when you’re alone versus the disgust and sick feeling of it in public. wanting to peel your skin off. fantasizing about giving yourself a hysterectomy because it’s the only way you can truly free yourself from the dreaded takeover of your body that pregnancy would be. the struggle of identifying as a man/masc when you’ve been mistreated and abused by men your whole life- I GET THAT!! the simultaneous removal and understanding of womanhood.

and silas’s autism! it captured those feelings perfectly as well! resisting stimming so you’re taken seriously. the rabbit stuck in your ribs. how everything feels wrong when you’re overstimulated. the sensitivity to noises and light and sensations. i truly cannot get over the rabbit because it was SUCH an accurate way of showing everything.

i did want more about daphne’s experiences, and more fleshing-out of george and elsie, and isabella! especially isabella! there’s a lot of depth that could be added with more details about those characters.

but overall, the whole book was visceral and bloody and truth. loved it

#the spirit bares its teeth #tsbit #my post

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vesora · 1 year

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is law of assumption real? yeah

i have come across an individual vilifying the loa community and i find their statements kinda funny and stupid but i love having my beliefs challenged bc i can know why i believe in this. please also read my response to this other girl who thought loa ppl were crazy. it is ok to think if it’s crazy. ur welcome to criticize it. also, i am using aesthetic pictures bc of my ocd, i need things to be divided.

this is for the people who want to listen whether LOA is real from MY perspective:

firstly, i was primed for law of assumption from a young age. this means that i experienced many and i mean MANY spiritual things from a young age. i saw spirits (not hallucinations, it was my dead grandma who i had never seen and i described her down to her ring to my dad and he started crying because it was her), started speaking french at random points without ever having consciously learned the language, heard random piano compositions in my ear which i had never heard before, had visions which protected me/warned me about the future/informed me about the future and many manyyy more things. this proves to me the power of the subconscious mind.

the difference between someone who was born with their third eye awakened versus someone who has no spiritual experiences + is not open-minded to it, is that they will view spiritual phenomena from a materialistic practical sense.

this is saddening, because humans before being impacted by materialism were so spiritual and we were the ones who created the pyramids and all the structures you see on earth. we did that.

anyways,

is it real?

my opinion: yes.

no i am not in a cult waiting to pounce on the next vulnerable piece of meat. in fact, my future career is removing people out of cults and helping trafficking victims but anyways.

i have manifested things far beyond logic. you know how and why? because manifestation is the most basic human trait. and awakening to the fact that you are the creator of your reality is the most liberating amazing feeling and practice. i manifested one of my dying cats becoming free of cancer. that is not luck. that is manifestation. i manifested bad circumstances away. not luck, manifestation. i manifested all my exes leaving me the SAME way because i had assumed they would. not a coincidence, manifestation. there is definitely a lot we don’t know about the universe. i can’t say with certainty that all things are attributed to us which is also why i hate any form of victim blaming. but one thing is for sure is that humans have more control over our lives than we think. we don’t need a divine presence outside of us to dictate us the circumstances in OUR lives.

also, law of assumption is not law of attraction. law of attraction is “AHHH DONT THINK BAD THOUGHTS OR U WILL GET BAD JUJU” very fear-based, also seen in dogmatic religions. law of assumption uses a CBT based approach to change assumptions and therefore, influence reality. you have every right to not believe in this and even chastise me for it, i understand. however, i know this is real for me.

i was a victim of many racist attacks, however, as soon as i decided that the outside world is safe for me, i never had ONE negative experience. is this a coincidence? not for me, no. this is a human taking control of their life. this is a human not bound by societal expectations and leaning into divine energy and expressing the truest essence of one’s self. i am not blaming myself for being a victim, it is the racist’s fault. i am not blaming other victims, it is the perpetrators’ fault. however, if there is any fucking chance i can help a victim, i will take it, i do NOT care.

things i manifested regarding other people towards me:

1. no more racism towards me, family and friends.

2. parents being emotionally available with me

3. my friends expressing affection the way i want them to

4. my mum making me the exact food i visualised many times

5. my professor saying the exact words to me as i visualised

6. my friends saying to me the exact words i visualised

7. this guy flirting with me out of nowhere because i visualised it

8. and many more stuff this shit is too easy so

maybe i feel this strongly because i am a fighter for the working class. my main goal in life is to help liberate all oppressed people. if there is any chance that it can be done by mind, i would take it. would you not? would you not help people by the means you have helped yourself?

how can you so strongly and with such conviction without ever practising the law come to a conclusion that is a harmful new age ideology when the maxim prevalent in so many esoteric practices (yes, non-white too) have preached that reality is made by the mind? will we ignore the science behind it too? will we ignore the cia declassified documents? will we ignore ancient accounts of reality shifting? will we ignore hermes trismegistus? will we ignore rumi? will we ignore plato?

you can ignore this. i won’t, however. this is the liberation of the human soul. having said this, anyone is welcome to criticise the LOA community, look at us as vultures, think we are crazy. i value all opinions (even if they’re wrong HAHA sorry).

how is loa different from dogmatic religion?

well for one, there is evidence for conscious manifestation (e.g. dr joe dispenza’s books). i personally do not like religion. i have religious trauma so if you are religious, id advise you to not read this section. abrahamic religion is based on fear to oppress minorities, trap human potential and it also makes you rely on luck and wishful thinking (this view is only if the holy books were to be taken in the literal sense and abused by ministers etc) whereas the human is able to decide its own fate. law of assumption liberates the human by putting the human from an us vs them view to an us AND them view, meaning everyone is one and the same. this is not a christian thing, this is a well documented thing featured in asian philosophy. consciousness is the thing that unites us all. it is within you and it is within me. religion (abrahamic) forces you to look at the people who are not like you, aka dont believe what you do, as these other creatures who have defied the will of God and ahhh will face wrath. LOA instead empowers the individual and promotes free will. i understand if you think this is dangerous, the woo-woo stuff, just dont practise it.

how is loa not a cult?

loa CAN be misused in a cult but on its own it is not a cult. no one in the loa community is forcing the individual to join this practice which lowkey is just manifestation. however, i get your concerns and i advise you to read this reply: x

i wish i took pics of my cat when she was sick so i could provide u guys evidence but of course i didnt take any pics.

anyone is welcome to leave. anyone is welcome to adjust loa to their lives the way they see fit.

the void state

i doubt that so many people are lying about manifesting in the void state. i do think it’s not a big deal but i definitely don’t think it’s fake. besides, whats the harm in trying?

thing is right, if you are not garnering results or whatever, u dont need to stay. i stayed regardless of whether i manifested my shit instantly or not (which in the beginning was hard for me) because i believed in the philosophy, it resonated with me and it didn’t make me alienate my fellow man. however, if you feel you have a chance of being manipulated here or idk what, don’t join this practice. seriously, it’s okay. i am not being sarcastic or anything, because you are welcome to stay or leave. you are welcome to compliment me or insult me. i will love you either way for you are my fellow man.

also this is so random and a general thing but only psychoanalytic/psychodynamic psychologists use the subconsciously thing.

#loa #law of assumption #manifesting #manifestation #neville #neville goddard

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elizabethsnuts · 14 days

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winterwidows daughter having a full blown argument with Tony bcs only Tony would argue with a 3 year old

Toddler Showdown

WinterWidow x Daughter!Reader

Summary: You get into a fight with your Uncle Tony

———

The storm raged outside of the Avengers Tower, Tony and Y/N sat on the floor of the Avengers Lounge, drawing pictures and chatting. It didn’t take long for an argument to break out.

You stood her ground, hands on your hips, glaring up at Tony with all the determination you could muster. "No, Uncle Tony! I want the red crayon, not the blue one!" you declared, your tiny voice carrying surprising authority.

Tony raised an eyebrow, amused yet undeterred by the pint-sized challenger before him. "Well, Y/N, you see, the thing is, the blue crayon matches your eyes much better," he countered, his trademark smirk playing on his lips.

You scrunched up her face, unimpressed. "I don't care about my eyes, Mr. Fancy Pants. I want the red one!" you insisted with a yell, your tone dripping with sass.

Tony sighed, leaning down to your level and speaking with an irritated down. "Listen, kid, I've got a whole collection of Stark Industries crayons here, and trust me, the red one is so last season. You're better off with the blue. It's more... avant-garde."

You narrowed your eyes, unyielding. "Stop using big words, Uncle Tony! No one cares about your avo-garden!" she retorted, an annoyed and angry glint dancing in her eyes.

Tony shook his head, his huffing blending with the amused chuckles of nearby Avengers who had gathered to witness the spectacle. "Hey Y/N, that’s not nice, you can’t speak to me that way. I’m older and you are three therefore, you listen to me," he said in a tone that said he was done with the situation, he started taking her the red crayon with a gentle tug. "Mark my words, one day you'll appreciate the finer things in life."

You snatched back the crayon with a victorious grin, your triumph was evident on your face and proudly displayed as you showed your prize to your parents, who watched with equal parts amusement and pride.

Natasha and Bucky exchanged amused glances, impressed at their daughter's feisty spirit. "Looks like she takes after both of us," Natasha remarked, her eyes twinkling with affection.

Bucky chuckled and knelt down to your level. "Did you take that from Uncle Tony?" he asked nodding towards Tony, who was now standing up, shaking his head and crossing his arms.

You nodded your head with a proud smile. “Yes, Daddy! I got the red!” You cheered with an excitement only a toddler could have about a crayon.

You ran back over to Tony and stuck your tongue out at him. “I got the reddd! I got the reddd!” You said in a teasing voice and giggled as you sat back down at the table.

However, the arguments were far from over as you both engaged in a lively debate about the merits of finger painting versus crayon drawing.

As the argument raged on, Natasha and Bucky couldn't smirk from their spot on the couch, they knew it was just harmless arguments that wouldn’t affect each other's bond but they couldn’t help but admit they were always amusing to watch.

#daughter!reader #bucky barnes #natasha romanoff #winterwidow #bucky barnes x daughter!reader #buckynat #natasha romanoff x daughter!reader #winterwidow x daughter!reader #buckynat x daughter!reader #tony stark x child!reader #natasha romanoff x child!reader #bucky barnes x child!reader #winterwidow x child!reader #child!reader

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xruiiii-blog · 2 months

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Some ghouls come in pairs and they are giving heavy sidling vibes…

These are just for fun!!! Some hc my friends and I shared:)) forgive my English too…I tried🤷‍♀️!

Swiss & Rain-They are not blood siblings but they’ve been by each other’s side for as long as they can remember. There’s an age gap, they act completely different, into different things, but there are times where they look like each other’s reflection. The pit was a tough memory for both of them but luckily they had each other.

That being said, They will do stupid pranks to the other one and it’s only funny to themselves. No one beside them will understand what the hell is going on. They won’t even stop giggling during practices this sometimes pisses Copia off…but they are his ghouls so he can’t do anything about it. Usually Swiss’ the one who started them. Rain only pays back if he’s bored/got irritated, most of the time he lets it slide.

Ifrit & Zephyr-They are twins! They can be very handful sometimes…the intention was nice(ended badly bc one of them accidentally messed up or got too carried away, drag the other one with them). They are free spirit. Don’t even try n tell them to behave or what to do cuz they always end up doing their own thing. Follow the instructions was never an option. If you trust them on whatever they’re about to do then that’s a promise, they sure knows how to deliver. Usually Ifrit suggests an idea and comes up with a “plan” but then Zeph is the one who’s actually doing all the work…

Rare occasions they get time-out from Terzo. They will start behaving for a week at most. Ifrit has to spend a day or two convincing Zeph to be on his side again. They are the sweetest boys tho, always trying to cheer their papa up and lighten the mood. If papa didn’t like it, try something new. Terzo secretly enjoyed their company. It feels like home when these two hanging around(even if he had to cover his ears or screams “put that down!”) Terzo gets complaints from sisters about these two running down the hall all the time. Besides a disappointed gaze, Terzo never actually punish them, ever.

Aurora & Phantom-baby bat siblings! Aurora is probably minutes or seconds older than Phantom and she won’t ever let this go. There’re A LOT of pillow fights, back and forth arguments about nothing, constantly screaming each other’s name for no reason in the ghoul dorms right after they’re summoned. Copia had to sit both of them down for a chat but ending up realizing there’s nothing he can do from this point on. They’re fine, it’s a sibling thing. The ghouls are on their own now.

(Quick side explaining: our lore is that ghoulettes and ghouls are not coming from the same place. Ghoulettes are like witches?? Their community are tight, function more like merceners, papa had to go hire from the witches. Ghouls are…ghouls. They are from hell, the pit, they can be owned I guess?? Make a living in the pit it’s all on ur own. Doesn’t matter where u from, working with/for the clergy, next to papa is always a pleasure, an honor. A sacred chance for anyone. Exceptions always exist, Mist is a ghoulette but she’s from the pit. Phantom in this case, was adopted by the witches and lives among them, so this makes him a half-witch I guess…there are some ghoul behaviors he simply doesn’t understand, Aether prepared him after his summoning but there’re still alotttt to process. He’s an exchange student if u will. )

If Phantom ever felt frustrated, Aurora is the first person he goes to, and vises versus. Aurora will call Phantom her baby brother only when tommy is not around. They are still on the young side so everyone is looking out for them. They never been on Earth before so they are super hyped about everything. Blew up the kitchen couple times but they were forgiven after a sincere apology. Will you ever say no or stay mad towards a baby bat who love you with all their heart?? That’s right, I don’t think so.

I haven’t read much of the lores in the fandom if there’s similar ones oops!! We have similar tastes I guess! I don’t own any of these they are all just for fun. Thanks for reading and tolerating my on going struggle with writing! Hearts to all the writers out there, idk how y’all did this, it’s so damn hard💀.

u guys’ stuff actually makes sense, mines don’t lol

FYI my drawing always have them in these dynamic as well! These became canon to me…I just love seeing ghouls messing around…

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ellieclaireblack · 3 months

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sanctuaire | sanctuary

sanctuary | noun your safe and peaceful haven a comforting place of refuge and rest in a noisy, chaotic world

{brother's best friend | fem!reader x james potter} ⪼ warnings: mentions of abuse, panic attack, disorderd eating ⪼ word count: 2.6k

part three: quidditch playlist

story: sanctuaire | sanctuary

A week had passed since Sirius and I had our talk. Today was Saturday the 10th of January and it was quidditch day. The first game after the winter break and it would be Slytherin against Gryffindor. One of the most anticipated games of the season.

The excitement in the air was palpable as the day of the Quidditch match arrived. Slytherin versus Gryffindor, a rivalry that always sparked intense emotions and anticipation throughout the Hogwarts grounds. The Slytherin Royals, as our friend group was known, were particularly eager for this match, Adam and Theo both on the pitch and Flo and me in the stands rooting for them.

As we made our way to the Quidditch pitch, the atmosphere was electric. The cool January air bit at our skin, but the thrill of the upcoming game kept us warm. I could feel the eyes of my fellow students on me, their gazes filled with curiosity and perhaps a touch of speculation. The recent reconciliation with Sirius hadn't gone unnoticed, and people were bound to talk.

The stands were already buzzing with spectators, their cheers and jeers creating a lively backdrop to the upcoming clash. Florence, despite still recovering from being sick, joined us in the stands. She looked a bit pale, but her usual vivacious spirit shone through.

With the release of the Quaffle the game started and James on the Gryffindor and Adam on the Slytherin side shot to it. Slytherin gaining an advantage by getting the Quaffle first. Adam and Theo made their way to the goals passing the Quaffle back and forth. Gryffindor keeper Frank Longbottom was waiting for them. Theo aimed at the outer left goal, but Frank swerved and blocked the ball. Groans went through the Slytherin stands and all the other houses erupted in cheers.

The game continued and at 40:70 for Gryffindor I saw Reggie dash to the bottom, probably having spotted the Snitch. What he didn’t see was a bludger directly behind him. I noticed Sirius did, diving after his younger brother, but it was too late. As Reg closed his fingers around the Snitch making Slytherin the winner of the match the bludger hit him in the shoulder and he fell to the ground. Unmoving.

I jumped up in shock and sprinted down the stand making my way onto the pitch. The quidditch players got there before me, however when they saw me sprinting down they made way for me. I knelt down besides Regulus and could barely suppress my tears. James slightly touched my shoulder and I nearly broke down there and then. The coldness of the freezing January day seeped into my body more and more by the second.

Madam Pomfrey was summoned, and Regulus was brought to the hospital wing for treatment. I still couldn’t move. Only when hands made their way under my armpits and pulled me up I pulled myself together again. Sirius was steadying me.

I only know noticed Flo beside me. She grabbed my hand and we went up to the castle. Still in shock I couldn’t get out a word but my best friend just got me. We went back to our dorms and I bundled up in my bed until I was warm again, feeling incredibly exhausted all of a sudden.

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Suddenly a soft knock on my door could be heard. “Come in.”

The door opened but no one stepped in. Only steps could be heard. That damned Invisibility Cloak. “I’m not stupid. Pull the fucking cloak down.”

Suddenly James’ and Sirius’ heads were revealed. Both wearing a semi-happy expression. One I wasn’t used to. ”What’s going on? Were you in the infirmary already?” A slight nod confirmed my question and I was getting worried.

“Don’t worry. Reg will be fine, they just need the rest of the day and night, we can visit him tomorrow.” Relief washed over me. My baby brother being hurt was something that I could hardly bear to imagine.

“What are you doing here then?” I asked the guys, James having made himself comfortable on my bed. Taking up most of the space. Sirius was still hovering there, looking a bit uncomfortable. “I think James and you need to talk, so I’ll just leave the two of you for now. Okay?” I nodded growing warrier by the second. What was going on?

Sirius threw the Cloak over his shoulder again and the door was opened and closed again. James looked at me and I had trouble meeting his eyes. The whole thing felt like an intervention and I had no idea what I had done wrong.

“I had a talk with Sirius last week. I- need you to tell me what’s going on with you. Sirius won’t say a thing, repeating that it's not his story to tell. But I need to know. Since the holidays you haven’t been the same and I’m worried about you. You’re important to Sirius, important to me.” I swallowed my throat feeling incredibly dry all of a sudden.

“Okay, but promise you won’t tell anybody else. Nobody besides my family knows and nobody can get word of this.” A nod from James let me carry on, taking a deep breath. I was about to lay my deepest, darkest secret bare in front of him. Troublemaker, jokester James, who wasn’t known for being able to keep something to himself.

“As you already know my dearest mother is a horrid person. During the holidays, the night when Sirius … left. When she found out she blamed me and… and she used some curses on me. Some Unforgivables, especially the C-Cruciatus Curse.” James looked like someone had slapped him, his eyes were a bit glossed over and his expression nearly broke my heart.

“I- I don’t even know what to say. I mean I’ve met your mother but Unforgivables. Wow, I'm speechless.” A minute of silence passed. James looked so disgusted I thought he would leave any minute. Maybe I’ve finally managed to scare him away. My biggest fear has always been scaring off my loved ones. Especially after burdening them with my problems. James’ hand brushed my arm and I flinched. James looked stricken, with shock.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t- don’t want to scare you. y/n I can hear your mind working overtime. Don’t worry I’m not scared of you, just incredibly worried. I- We need to get you out of that house, you can’t keep staying there. Nobody knows what’ll happen the next time when you’re home. By Merlin’s b-”

“James, stop. I appreciate you worrying about me, but I’ll stay home. I explained it to you last week. I can’t leave my father and Regulus. I am a big girl, you don’t need to worry about me. There’s no room for discussion about this and to be frank I’m sick of everybody looking out for me. I’m not some damsel in distress.” I tried to make matters sound lighter than they were. I knew I couldn’t convince James, but there was no way that I’d leave my home. As much as I hated it sometimes, there were so many treasured memories there that I couldn’t just leave.

James was about to answer but a knock on my door interrupted us. Flo stuck her head in the door, clearly surprised about James’ presence. “Dinner time, come on you two.”

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The Great Hall was filled with light chatter and the Slytherin table was no exception of that. My friends were talking about the upcoming Hogsmeade weekend, but I kept to myself. Shooting some glances over to James at the Gryffindor table. He looked distressed and while Sirius tried to cheer him up it didn’t seem to work.

Shaking my head I loaded some food onto my plate. Taking a few bites of my jacket potato I suddenly noticed Lilou, my owl, flying towards me and dropping a letter in my hands. I pet her and fed her a treat and she was off again. My papa gifted me the owl for my first year at Hogwarts and she’s become a companion of mine since then.

I looked at the letter and saw a Noble House of Black crest before I noticed her handwriting. Queasiness overcame me and I opened the letter. Careful not to draw attention to myself.

"Dearest daughter,

I trust you are maintaining the standards expected of a Black. It has come to my attention that you have been seen fraternizing with undesirable individuals. Your recent behavior is unacceptable, and you will face consequences if you continue down this path.

Your duty is to uphold the honor and purity of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. I suggest you reflect on your choices and make amends.

Also I expect you to come home in a fortnight, since I’m hosting a ball I want you and Regulus to be present on. Make sure you still fit in your dress when you get back otherwise there will be consequences.

Regards, Walburga Black"

I dropped my fork and it clattered loudly as it hit the plate. Half of Slytherin was mustering me now. I got up and made my way out of the Great Hall. Not rushing, I didn’t want to alarm anyone. My appetite had suddenly vanished. I had always had a difficult relationship with food. My mother making it extra hard for me.

The weight of my mother's words bore down on me as I walked through the corridors of Hogwarts. The letter echoed the familiar tone of control and disdain that she always carried. I felt a mix of anger, frustration, and fear. The upcoming ball was a threat, and the consequences she spoke of were undoubtedly severe.

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I decided to head to the one place where I felt a semblance of peace – the Astronomy Tower. As I climbed the steps, I couldn't shake the feeling that my life was spiraling out of control. The cold wind greeted me as I reached the top, and the stars above provided a comforting backdrop.

I sank down onto the cold stone floor, my mind racing with thoughts. What could I do to avoid the impending disaster that awaited me at home? How could I protect Regulus from our mother's wrath? And what about my friendships with the Marauders?

Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice someone approaching until a voice spoke, "Mind if I join you?"

I looked up to see James standing there, concern etched on his face. I nodded, and he sat down beside me. "What happened? You looked like you received some bad news back in the Great Hall."

I hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether to share the contents of the letter with him. But the look in his eyes told me that he genuinely cared, so I handed him the parchment.

As he read the words, his expression hardened. "This is ridiculous. Your mother can't control every aspect of your life. You have to stand up to her."

Easier said than done, I thought. Deep down I knew James was right – I couldn't let her dictate my every move. "I just... I don't know how to handle this. The ball, the threats. It's overwhelming."

“I’ll figure something out. You’re not going to that ball, I’ll make sure of it.” Frustration filled me. James was just trying to help, however he didn't know how Maman could get when her commands weren’t listened to.

“James, I appreciate you trying to help, but there’s no way I’m not having to go there. It’ll be fine, if I just behave for once she hasn’t got a reason to be angry with me.” I tried to reason with him. My mother was hard to please, but if I stopped talking to Sirius and his friends the next couple of weeks, minded my food intake and got full marks on all my tests and homeworks it would be fine. That wasn’t so hard, except the ignoring Sirius part. I’ve done the rest my whole life. My grades and my weight is something I can be in control of and while I wouldn’t admit it out loud I resonated with Maman about maintaining some sort of superiority.

James sighed out loud, though he didn’t press on the matter anymore, knowing he couldn’t change my mind anyway. I was grateful for it. He was incredibly headstrong but he knew when he couldn’t get through with something and when best to change topics.

“Look there’s Reggie and Sirius.” I pointed out the constellations, the both of them being so familiar to me that I always found them. When I missed your brothers during the holiday I caught myself stargazing quite often.

James and I continued talking until I felt my eyes grow heavy. James seemed sleepy too and we decided to call it a day and head back to your dorms. With a hug I silently thanked James and the both of us parted ways. James heading to Gryffindor tower.

I thought of your brother, lying injured in the infirmary and knew I couldn’t just go to sleep now. Looking over my shoulder James was out of sight and I sneaked off in the direction of the hospital wing. I knew I wasn't allowed there, but had a feeling my baby brother needed me.

The door opened with a light squeak and I hoped Madam Pomfrey was already asleep. There was only one occupied bed and Regulus’ eyes fluttered open as the sound of footsteps were heard.

His whole face lights up when he sees me. My little brother has always had a soft spot for his siblings. My heart warmed and all the troubles I was facing seemed to vanish. Reg had that effect on me. He was my sunshine. Many people wouldn’t believe the snarky, sassy and mean Regulus Arcturus Black had such a soft side. That was the side I loved most about him, when he just lets himself be happy and accept the love he receives from us.

“Oh Reggie, don’t ever frighten me like that again.” I broke the silence first. Regulus almost looked guilty and I regretted my choice of words immediately. Regulus always found a way to blame himself, even if he wasn’t the cause of the problem.

“I’m so sorry, Dimples. Such a stupid mistake has never happened to me.” Him calling me “Dimples” melts my heart away. It makes me think of times where Sirius still lived with us and where most days there wasn’t a care in the world. Except when mother was displeased with something. Which didn’t happen as often back then, since we did everything we could to please her.

I sat beside Reggies bed and smiled sadly at him. “Don’t be sorry, it’s not your fault. Still I worry about you. It’s an older sibling thing.” He smiled back and when he wanted to turn to look at me he visibly flinched. Seeing him hurt made me want to punch somebody. Since the day he was born I was protective about him. Sirius and I at only 3 years old had sworn to protect him from all the horrid things in the world. Seeing him so frail made me feel like I had failed.

I took his hand in mine and slowly drew soothing circles. More to calm myself down than him. A few hushed words were exchanged, but I could feel my eyes fluttering shut.

Then I drifted off. The day had worn me out and dreamland awaited me.

a/n: finishing the chapter was harder than expected, since i didn't really find a good ending to it. but i like it the way it is now. also walburga slander is always welcome. literally everytime i'm writing her im so close to just killing her off. anyhow, i hope you guys are enjoying it so far and are fine with my random updates i'll try to at least make them weekly, but we'll see how that'll go. xoxo and lots of love ellie <3

p.s: if anybody has whishes / feedback my inbox is always open!! p.p.s: make sure to check out the spotify playlist (linked above) for the story -> song recomendations are also welcome

#hogwarts #james potter #james potter x reader #marauders #romance #peter pettigrew #remus lupin #sirius black #black!reader #james potter x black!reader #dead wizards from the 70s #james potter x y/n #james potter x you #james potter x fem!reader

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pickles4nickles · 4 months

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Pickles Played Persona 5 Tactica and Has Some Words

I finally finished Tactica and its DLC sans some challenge stuff and I do wanna do some cleanup, but I thought I'd write a review for it.

It's long (like, 3k words long) and there's spoilers and overall... it's an Okay(tm) game, but... here, just lemme talk about it a bunch:

Alright, I'm not gonna mince words.

Persona 5 Tactica is not a game I can reccomend to anyone.

But is it a bad game?

Well, no.

But I have no idea who it's for.

Maybe it's for people who want more of the P5 characters? Not exactly? Both stories' focal points are on new characters and the Phantom Thieves just kinda happen to be there. There are some nice interactions, but this isn't a story about the PTs like Strikers.

Is it for people who like tactics but aren't really into P5? Well... it might be the other way around, actually? It's an okay tactics game with persona elements, but both parts of that are watered down when compared to base game persona and other tactics games like XCOM.

With that being said, lemme just ramble about what I thought about the story and gameplay.

THE STORY

The best way I can sum up my feelings about Tactica are "the story was told well, but I'm not sure if I liked it." This is a game that's less about the Phantom Thieves and more about Toshiro and Erina and focuses around the internal conflict of rebellion versus self-preservation.

Toshiro is probably why I'm neutral towards the game At Best. Erina grew on me but Toshiro...

Ehh.

At the beginning of the game, he's a big wimp and he's constantly telling the PTs and Erina that they have to be careful. From a theming standpoint, Toshiro's behavior makes perfect sense.

But from the petty bitch inside of me, this is infuriating because not only do YOU know that this is the Phantom Thieves that have taken down Shido (and also Yaldaboth), but TOSHIRO knows it as well and he's being Like This.

Like, he kinda sucks in the beginning and does so for the first two acts, understandably, but by the third act, when The Big Persona Moments happen, my opinion of him just kinda stayed the same. They swayed in a different direction, but... still on the negative side of the spectrum.

The reveal of Erina as Toshiro's Persona... makes sense. She's Toshiro's spirit(?) of rebellion and is based off of his classmate that once inspired him to stand up for himself and others.

Did I like this revelation?

Hell no, I was punching my thigh and screaming in voice call "No fucking way, Toshiro's so lame, though" as loud as I could without upsetting my parents in the other rooms.

From this point on, Toshiro now has the resolve to do what's right, even if it's scary... but he comes off as a little too strong in my opinion. I kinda have the same feelings about Zenkichi once he gets his persona in Strikers. In the beginning they feel like a new character meant to balance out the insanity that is how the metaverse is, but once they get their persona, they're full on inundated in the anime stand battles and they're a little too extra about it.

Having two full acts of "hey guys maybe we shouldn't help the hat people out of hat people slavery," pivoting into "WITNESS OUR POWER AS ONE" has the same vibes as a relative who's not really an asshole, but one that you've been trying to convince for years that economic inflation is the reason why our generation can't live comfortably, and once they finally understand, they come off a little bit too strong and righteous about it that you're not sure they're genuine or if this is a "he's a little confused, but he's got the spirit" situation.

And then god happens.

In persona games, I usually don't fully understand how or why the god-being is doing all of this, but I especially can't wrap my head around how they work in Tactica. It's mostly because Toshiro's metaverse is kind of a Silent Hill kinda deal where it's a mental torture labyrinth for him personally, as opposed to Mementos, which is naturally the collective unconscious, connecting everyone's minds and hearts together.

The jump from "I'm going to bully this one guy in particular" to "now EVERYONE will be as lame as Toshiro" is lost on me. Maybe politics?

It's... it's fine, there's no reason to lose sleep over it.

The ending of the story is nice and reasonable, though. It sorta redeems Toshiro for me. It's one thing to yell in your own metaverse hellscape how you're going to do the right thing, but once he's back in the real world, he actually stands up to his dad and fiancé and steps down from his political position to build it back up from scratch, but better.

And, yeah! I respect that.

That being said, though, the game isn't devoid of new Phantom Thief interactions. There's some good ones like Futaba "I don't kinkshame" Sakura, casually bi Joker as seen in that one "who would you marry" bit, and a guys only sidequest in which they think they're looking for Toshiro's porn stash (yeah, I know) (it's not). I wouldn't say it's crumbs, but you're not getting the whole loaf that you'd get from, say, Mementos Mission or Strikers.

The story also does this thing where the Phantom Thieves can relate with Toshiro's issues, but something about it feels... off.

Toshiro's in an arranged marriage with Marie for political reasons! Just like Haru! His fiancé sees him as a pushover! Kinda like Makoto! His mom died when he was young and he blames himself for it! Wow, Yusuke and DEFINITELY Futaba can relate to that!! Eri, the real person that Erina is based on, had to transfer schools because she was accused of a crime! Gee, that SURE sounds familiar-

Part of me thinks I'm being a little too unfair on the game for creating parallels like this because Strikers also kinda did this. But in Strikers, the PTs being able to connect with the jail rulers was integral to the plot. Here, it's just kind of a wink wink nudge nudge kinda thing.

And my knee-jerk reaction to that is a small "I get it, shut uuuup."

Again, and overall because I think that rounds out what I have to say about the story, P5 Tactica's main story isn't bad. It's told well, but I'm not necessarily the biggest fan of it.

GAMEPLAY

I've only played Strikers and I don't think I've played a true tactics game, so I don't know how much weight my opinions hold.

So um.

I dunno, the gameplay was fine.

The pacing is weird because it's kind of a visual novel first, and a tactics game in-between, but I got used to that after a bit.

It's a really simple tactics game and... yeah things don't get too complex outside of sometimes there are buttons that'll open doors or raise and lower platforms, sometimes height matters, but the mechanics don't get too crazy outside of certain boss battles.

The game revolves around downing enemies to get Once More's so you can either encase the enemy in a triangle formed by your units to initiate an All-out Attack or you can chain together Once More's to extend your unit's range and move them across the map. This mechanic took a bit for me to understand fully, but I never really got tired of doing it.

Boss battles were kind of hit or miss in this game. The fights with Toshiro's Dad and Salmael I enjoyed as they were kinda formatted as "here's a weird stage, go figure out what to do." However, Marie and *checks notes* "the scary Eri Natsuhara that Shadow Toshiro made" I didn't care for as much since they changed the game from "your decisions on where to move your units are key for this" to "you need to do exactly as we say." Which always kinda sucks, y'know?

Character selection is also kind of a weird thing in this, too. It doesn't seem like it matters who you take with you into missions, which... feels weird to me considering past Persona games. The elements have all been kinda smooshed down into less of a weakness thing, but just a special move that can hinder movement, do damage over time, or change enemy placement entirely, but which type of special you bring along doesn't seem to be as crucial as other Persona games. Each character has a slightly different attack, gun spread, and movement limit, but it wasn't anything drastic that I noticed apart from Haru (she is very slow but apparently hits like a truck) and possibly Morgana (his attack was very weak for me, but I'm not sure if that's because I didn't have him kitted out properly or that's intended).

I played the game almost entirely with Joker and Ann, while swapping between Erina and Ryuji for the last slot and I didn't run into any problems.

The last stretch of the game is... a strange one gameplay wise. Toshiro becomes a party member except... he's Different(tm). He doesn't get a skill tree, is a permanent fourth party member, and can initiate All-Out Attacks, but isn't a part of the triangle that forms it. He does have a gun, but it's in the form of a 0SP attack that Ernesto/Erina can use... that also happens to ignore walls entirely. And he also gets Almighty attacks, which kinda just do big number damage for way more SP.

It's hard to say if the game did a good job scaling the level difficulties to incorporate a fourth party member as staying on top of your persona fusing, weapons, and the skill tree can kind of make the game a breeze. I also played on the normal difficulty, so maybe in harder difficulties, Toshiro becomes more of a necessity than a party member that breaks the game.

My only big gripe with the game is just... the weirdness of the undo button. I don't know how it is in regular tactics games, but the undo in this game doesn't work on a "clear the last action this unit did" basis, but on a turn basis. If you happen to screw up on turn one, unit one, you have to back out COMPLETELY to the mission start screen, which is hella annoying especially if you're playing on the Switch because of the load times.

"But Pickles, what about the DLC? Surely you have just as many thoughts about it?"

Y'know?

I actually don't.

I liked Repaint Your Heart a lot. Again, it's less a story about the Royal Trio and more about Guernica, but it's closer to the traditional Persona 5 story format where they're changing someone's heart. This story also had much higher emotional... fidelity? I guess you could put it?

Guernica needed to remember her main inspirations for creating art - being abandoned and homeless and her big sister dying because of it and she embraces that anger against society into art that inspires hope in people less fortunate. While being groomed into a political pawn from basically birth and then, later in life, being thrown into your own mental hellscape sucks, in terms of emotional weight, Toshiro's story feels like a feather compared to Guernica's.

Also her design is just cool and the paint aesthetic is definitely more my speed.

In terms of Royal Trio content, I think this was the best case scenario we could expect from Atlus.

Emphasis on "from Atlus."

Yeah, we didn't get Black Mask Akechi, but there are MORE THAN ENOUGH moments where he lets the facade slip. His default spell is Megidola, but his skill tree lets him have both Light AND Dark spells. He'll cuss at you if you hit an enemy into him. I don't know what he's doing viscerally screaming half the time he summons Robin Hood.

Sumi. Is also there.

She is fine.

Guernica's connection to the thieves is also written in the same way as Toshiro is, in that it's a little shoehorned in and doesn't add to the story beyond that. After finding out that Luca is Guernica's sister that died, Sumi definitely feels motivated and inspired to help her out, but Akechi also being an abandoned child, scorned by society, and angry at the world because of it is never touched upon. This is probably for spoiler reasons, but... still.

Because this is a story that takes place during Sae's Palace in the main game, they all have to have amnesia about it in the end. Which, understandable, and at least no one in the trio had extensive character development but...

*clenches fist*

Man,

Having tackled this after the main game, I enjoyed the gameplay a lot! It's basically P5 Tactica but with Splatoon mixed in. When a unit is on a tile painted the opposite color for them, they can be instantly knocked down and combo'd on, which adds a whole extra layer of complexity to the game. I wish there were a few more levels to play, but the length of the DLC never overstays its welcome.

Hokay.

If you made it this far, congrats! You reached the end. And my tl;dr section.

I think that's just about it on what I cohesively have to say about P5 Tactica. This isn't a terrible game by any means, but I don't know if the audience it's intended for actually exists. It has a just okay story and just okay mechanics, but the DLC has a more than okay story and the core mechanics are given a fresh coat of paint (yeah, boo, I know) that makes the game more interesting. I would not go paying $80 USD to experience the DLC alone, though.

Thank you for reading my review if you made it all the way to the end! P5 stuff (well, mostly Akeshu) has been my muse these past few years and playing a game that was "just okay but why did they..." got into my brain real bad, so I wanted to write some stuff out.

I'll close this out with some bullet points of thoughts that I couldn't really cohesively fit into my review:

I really really liked how they got little costumes for the old timey Japan kingdom and I was hoping we'd get more of that and every kingdom was based on a new theme... but we only got three kingdoms and the last one before "Smithy's Forge from Super Mario RPG" was............ School.

SATANAEL'S BACK IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS (BUT ONLY POST-GAME)

Erina also being Ernesto thing is mostly weird to me because she's still her own entity but also not???? The possible genderfluid connotations are cool though.

There's a quest where Haru asks Yusuke how to be fast. Yusuke tells her she has to "Become a Black Hole." I do not know what this means.

After the quest, Haru says that even though the axe slows her down, she's very partial to it as her father didn't like her chopping wood as a kid, but she'd sneak out and do it anyway. She later found out that her dad knew she was doing this, but decided not to scold her for it. She took this as a sign of kindness from her father and that's why the axe is so special to her. I do not know what this means as Haru's father was a horrible capitalist who basically tried to marry her off in pursuit of power.

The weapon designs in this game are generally kind of silly, but I appreciate that they exist in the game. There's a chompy gun with teeth that Joker gets and I really like it :)

God the Lyn tracks from the DLC FUCK

...what

Futaba says "sus" at one point in the end

#persona 5 tactica #p5t #Y'ALL ASKED FOR THE HOT TEA #THIS IS AS REASONABLY SCALDING I COULD MAKE IT #oh fug I almost forgot #thank you to all the friendos who looked through this for me before I posted it!!

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themirroredmoon · 1 year

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Graveyard & Cemetery Etiquette - The Basics

• Bring an offering for the spirits When deciding to venture into a graveyard or cemetery, keep in mind that every single graveyard has a Gatekeeper. What’s a Gatekeeper? They do precisely that: They guard the gate of the graveyard, usually having a statue or something near by of them. Sometimes it’s even the oldest spirit/first spirit buried there.

One of the most common offering is coins of any kind but you can leave anything from herbs, to bread, to water to even liquor. Try to avoid anything with cleansing or banishing properties as that can be seen as rude/taken as an insult. If you don’t have a physical offering, offer up a song or a poem, play some music, etc at the gate/entrance of the graveyard.

• DON’T take anything without permission This is a very basic courtesy as whatever is in there you may want, be it dirt or a rock, it is not yours to take freely. Ask via pendulum, meditate, etc but respect the answer you are given as to not anger anyone.

“If you take from a graveyard, you’ll leave more than you took.”

• If able, clean up any headstones that you visit The older the graveyard or cemetery, the more likely you’ll run into an old and forgotten headstone. While you don’t have to deep clean the marble, it’s always nice to pay your respects and tidy it a bit. Wipe away some loose dirt, maybe pull a weed or two—just some basic tidying. DON’T DISTURB THE GIFTS FROM THE LIVING. And be sure to be gentle with the headstones so nothing harsh or too abrasive to clean with.

• DON’T litter This is very common sense. I don’t care if it was just one wrapper and you missed the trash can. Just don’t be an asshole. Think of the graveyard or cemetery as the spirits’ home. You wouldn’t want someone to come into your home and leave wrappers and cigarette butts around, would you? Also, if you see a piece of trash and are able to get rid of it, do so.

• DON’T use mirrors Mirrors are gateways to the other side, blurring the lines between the physical world and the spiritual world. Yes, they can be used for scrying and other rituals but it is considered dangerous and shouldn’t be attempted by the inexperienced. Old tradition states that you should cover mirrors in the home of the dying and deceased because their soul could become trapped in the glass and render their spirit unable to cross over, and the same applies to graveyards and cemeteries.

• Be respectful of the living visitors Again, mind your manners around the living. Don’t be obtuse or overly loud, keep swearing minimal if there are children present, etc. Aka don’t be a distraction.

• DON’T step on the grave sites Mind your feet and where you’re walking, especially to look out for the graves that are in ground and just have markers versus having a headstone. If you do happen to step on a site, apologize and leave something for them if you have something. See top point. Stay on the paths!

• DON’T sit on the headstones I feel like I shouldn’t have to say this but—This falls under the same rules as littering. Imagine some random person coming into your home and climbing all over your things, including the roof of your home. Plus, due to the age, the marble can crack and break, causing you to injure yourself. Not good.

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dykeyaoi · 1 year

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something that's very interesting to me is that in almost any iteration of MP100 (but in this case specifically ageswap versus canon), certain characters (in this case whoever end up being the adults) have to fail miserably in their lives before they can even begin to interact with other characters within the story.

in canon, Serizawa has to grow up as a shut-in and not have any confidence in himself or his powers and get picked up by Claw as a result. Mogami has to spiral into being a horrible person and become the reason for his mom's death and become a shell of an evil spirit. Reigen has to grow up without friends and build up his persona and boister his fake confidence and become distant from his family and be a fraud. none of them could meet the kids and go through everything in the story that fixes them if they didn't fail in the things that they most wanted to overcome first.

in an ageswap AU, Teru has to never meet Mob and grow up thinking he's better than other people and never need anyone to actually like him because he lives alone and can just make them anyway. Mob has to suppress his powers and have no one to tell him things that he'll realize are wrong and not have a mentor and not do well in school and not rely on anyone because he's scared of what he'll do to them if he does. Ritsu has to be scared of his brother and they have to grow apart because they end up being wildly different and eventually he switches honorifics to Onii-san and kind of dreads talking to Shige because they both failed.

in canon, you watch Mob have every person who cares about him be taken away and his falling apart at the seams when they are-- expected, as he's the kid. but you also watch Reigen realize that he doesn't have anyone because he won't let people get close. you see Serizawa lose control when his umbrella is taken away because the president gave it to him and he needs that because god knows people aren't so constant!

in an ageswap AU, you can fix Reigen and Serizawa and even Mogami and Toichiro if you're really intent on it. in an ageswap you can have Teru meet Mob through business but you can also bring a shy, kind of self-doubting Tome to Spirits & Such because she hears a rumor about telepathy. she still wears aliens on her socks but finds the smallest incessant shame in it because her club got torn down as soon as it was made clear that she was the only one who cared about them. you can have Mob spot a grown-up, successful Tsubomi in the streets and freeze up and be too nervous to say hi to her. you can see Shou the struggling single father of a kid he doesn't know how to handle.

the adults all have to fail at first because the point of Mob Psycho is that you have to let the other people in your life change you. you have to let them in because feedback with a sample size of oneself is not enough to judge and base one's thoughts & actions on. they're the kind of characters that cannot exist without each other because they make one another into who they are.

#forgive me if the run-ons are hard to read. I'm incapable of typing without them #shigeo kageyama #arataka reigen #katsuya serizawa #ritsu kageyama #teruki hanazawa #keiji mogami #shou suzuki #toichiro suzuki #mob psycho 100 #mp100 #mob posting 100

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officialyourdailyinspiration · 4 months

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In John 6:63, Jesus declares, "The Spirit gives life [quickens]; the flesh counts for nothing." This statement is a profound declaration about the nature of spiritual versus earthly realities and the source of true life.

When Jesus refers to "the Spirit," He is speaking of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. The phrase "the Spirit gives life" indicates that it is the Holy Spirit who imparts spiritual life, or new birth (John 3:5-6). This life is not merely physical existence, but a deep, transformative relationship with God, characterized by understanding, faith, and obedience.

The term "flesh" in this context represents human effort and the human nature apart from God's Spirit. When Jesus says, "the flesh counts for nothing," He is emphasizing that human effort and physical existence in themselves cannot achieve spiritual life or please God. This aligns with the broader biblical teaching that salvation and spiritual understanding are not products of human wisdom or power but are gifts from God (Ephesians 2:8-9).

This statement from Jesus also points to the necessity of spiritual understanding to grasp the truths of God's kingdom. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus' teachings (including His discourse on being the Bread of Life in John 6) will not be truly understood or accepted. This is evident in the context of John 6, where many disciples struggled with Jesus' teaching and some even turned away.

Jesus is contrasting the spiritual perspective, which values the things of God and recognizes the necessity of the Holy Spirit, with the earthly perspective, which is limited to human understanding and effort. This theme is consistent in the New Testament, where the spiritual life in Christ is often contrasted with the natural or fleshly way of life (e.g., Romans 8:5-8).

In summary, Jesus' statement in John 6:63 underscores the critical role of the Holy Spirit in imparting true life and understanding, and it highlights the limitations of fallen human nature and effort in achieving spiritual realities. This teaching invites believers to rely on the Spirit for spiritual insight and life, rather than on their own understanding or abilities.

And if believers need to rely on the Holy Spirit for spiritual insight and life, how much more unbelievers need Him in order to believe.

The New Testament teaches that the Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in the process of coming to faith. It is the Spirit who convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). In the case of unbelievers, the Holy Spirit works to awaken their hearts to their need for God, to the truth of the Gospel, and to the reality their need of Jesus Christ as Savior. This awakening is essential because, as Scripture teaches, the natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him (1 Corinthians 2:14).

Since faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8), the initial and continuing belief in the Gospel is made possible only through the Holy Spirit’s work. For an unbeliever to come to faith, the Spirit must open their heart to respond to the Gospel (Acts 16:14). This demonstrates that salvation is not a result of human effort or wisdom but is a supernatural work of God. For believers, the Holy Spirit is the source of ongoing spiritual growth and understanding. He guides into all truth (John 16:13), helps in weakness (Romans 8:26), and produces spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). This ongoing work of the Spirit is essential for living a life that is pleasing to God and for growing in spiritual maturity.

The necessity of the Holy Spirit's work both in bringing unbelievers to faith and in sustaining believers highlights the grace and sovereignty of God in salvation. It shows that no one can come to Christ unless the Father grants it (John 6:65), and it underscores the idea that salvation is entirely a work of God’s grace from beginning to end.

In conclusion, the Holy Spirit's role is indispensable both for unbelievers to come to faith and for believers to continue in their spiritual pilgrimage. This understanding fosters a sense of humility and dependence on God, recognizing that both the initiation and the sustenance of faith are the works of His Spirit.

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nexility-sims · 3 months

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𝐍𝐎. 𝟑 ❛ 𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 ❜ | QUEEN'S OFFICE, MID MARCH 1991

❧ 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 / 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 / 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭.

❛ Beatriz, like her grandmother before her, lived by the belief that Uspana was her true firstborn. When her daughter’s mourning period concluded, she returned to work on its behalf. She was not a simple figurehead. Her job was not to pose for pictures, to fundraise money for good causes, to lift the spirits of the weary with a benevolent smile. She did the work of a statesman, and she did it well. She was a politician. On any given day, her attention divided in a thousand directions—domestic versus foreign affairs, diplomacy and economics, tempestuously petty interpersonal dynamics on which national matters of life and death too often depended. Staff abounded to keep it all in order, but Beatriz had always been a hands-on executive. She knew what skeletons lurked in the closets of allies and adversaries alike, and she knew the details of bills and proposals less careful eyes overlooked. She enjoyed sparring with representatives. She harangued her ministers for sport. It wasn’t ideology that drove her so much as the desire to win. More than merely dedicated, the queen thrived in the high-stakes, head-spinning world of governance. It was one in which her weaknesses were strengths. The people of Uspana knew her reputation, but most of them credited it with the long era of stability that she seemed to have held together, almost single-handedly, through sheer force of will.

❧ TAKE TWO FUCK TUMBLR i took the screenshots for this ages ago, and !!!!! i wish that i’d had the time and energy to redo it, but :/ fine enough to just post. i wish i could say beatriz gets better, but ... idk, man, this is just who she is, which sucks sdkfshj

𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭 ↓

TRANSCRIPT:

{Conversation}

[L] She canceled again, didn’t she?

[B] Not quite. It’s business as usual, is all. They’re taking a coffee break in a moment, so she’ll see you for a few minutes then. [L] {scoffs} Of course.

[B] Look at you. Such a tired trio.

[B] I’m glad to see your faces. These last several weeks have been difficult for everyone. Time to come together.

[B] That’s what I wanted to share with you. Everything is the same for us—well, except for you three. How can we have orphans in a family so large? That’s how you feel, I presume.

[B] You don’t know this, but he had all sorts of inquiries about Safya’s estate within mere days of … Well. Mourning is over, and there is a definitive, sweeping answer. An eviction, in fact. That was her home, and I intend to preserve it as such indefinitely.

[L] I don’t understand. What about Gil and Mateo? [B] You would understand if you let me finish, Leonor. Anyway, this is hardly your concern. You wanted to live alone.

[B] Boys, you will take up residence at Nakawe Palace. Damian and Julian are there, Arnaut’s pair will be around … You will be with me, with your grandfather—right where you ought to be. [G] Mother Beatriz, will Papa be there?

[B] These apartments are for those who belong to the Crown. You belong. Some others do not. [G] Can he visit? [M] We’ll still see him, Gil.

[B] Before you get any ideas: don’t mistake this for a discussion. I was just going to send a moving van to pick you up, but your grandfather was convinced that would be somehow cruel.

[B] Leonor, give me a moment. I have something to say.

[B] Why would you go out like this? They’ll notice. [L] Who will? [B] Come on now. The papers, obviously.

[B] You look awful. To start, go home and wash your hair. These things matter.

[B] They’re going to eat you alive. Do you hear me? They will because they can, and there’s little I can do about it. [L] {softly} They already are …

[B] Exactly. This is my one warning. Let’s not disappoint.

[M] Why didn’t you say anything? [L] Why didn’t you? [M] That’s not fair.

[L] Don’t call him. He should hear everything from her people. It’ll be easier for everyone that way.

[M] Easier? You know that’s not true.

[M] Wait—where are you going? We have plans!

[M] Leonor!

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