#which to be fair i only experienced it with sans but like

[leonstoenailunderhisbed]

Insurgency: Serpent Killer

Summary: A totalitarian regime reigns over a South American country in which the virus is being distributed to its citizens at the pretense of a “cure.” Leon was sent to retrieve a sample of the virus mutation when he stumbled upon a group of anti-government activists whose main goal is to overthrow their government. Will Leon help the cause or will he fall down with the government as well?

Warning: Mentions of mature themes. Read at your own discretion. Slow burn. Age gap (Leon is 38 and reader is 21+). Reader is female.

Word count: 1,598

A/N: this one’s short but pls bear with me it’s for the plot.

[part one][part two][part three][part four][part five][part six][part seven][part eight][bonus]

“I am constantly trying to communicate something incommunicable, to explain something inexplicable, to tell about something i only feel in my bones and which can only be experienced in those bones," - Franzs Kafka, Letters to Milena

The Insurgents went off to their control panel to deliver the message to President Mendez. Everyone could tell how hurt and angry you were. You were out for blood, and you didn't care about anything else other than seeing the president's head off of her body.

"Tonight, we will storm the tower and end things once and for all. I don't want more innocent people dying," you said and then turned to one of the insurgents, "Tell everyone to get ready for battle."

The insurgent nodded and you watched as everyone got to work. Leon could only stand behind you as he watched you become so blood thirsty.

"Y/n..."

"Leon," you turned around to look at him, "We can handle this ourselves. You are still an important factor for us and I don't want anything to happen to you."

Your tone changed. You didn't sound like the girl he kissed back in San Jolonia. But he knew better than to say anything. He nodded and then took a step towards you.

"I need to complete my mission," He spoke quietly as he leaned down to your ear to whisper, "Remember when I said I was a government agent?"

You nodded and waited for him to proceed, "I need to go to a research facility and extract some information, think you can help me?"

You looked at him with furrowed brows before silently nodding, "Fine. You've been helping us, guess it would be fair to help you as well."

Leon nodded, “Thanks,” he mumbled before he walked away from the room. Now that you were alone, you couldn’t help the surging thoughts running rampant in your mind.

More people dying. More blood. More battles. War.

You were angry and you needed to do something now.

-

The insurgents prepared their own artillery- tanks, bombs, guns. Anything they could use for battle was ready. As their new leader, you checked that everything was good to go before finally proceeding with the storm.

This was it.

“Alright people, let’s get a move on!“ the people began to move after your order. The sound of their footsteps echoing through the gates as the tanks and vehicles exited first.

You marched with the Insurgents as Leon wandered off to god knows where. You trusted him and right now what you needed to focus on was the fact that today is going to be day where war will take place. Right in the heart of Pruye.

-

The President received the war declaration and she wasn’t all too happy. She’d thought that after seeing the murders of the innocent civilians, everyone would stop defying her. It only caused the opposite to happen. She quickly turned to her assistant,

“I want you to bring the Membario test subjects. They want a war? I’ll give them one…”

-

Leon went back to San Jolonia. When you brought him there for scouting supplies, he saw a research facility and he knew that’s where he had to go for his mission.

He hadn’t forgotten the real reason he was here. All he needed to do was get the sample and go back to you for battle, it was that simple.

As he walked through the rubble of the ruined city, he was wondering why there weren’t any signs of B.O.Ws yet. He’d thought that he would see one by now but so far he hasn’t. Which was unsettling, by the way. Something felt sinister about today but he couldn’t put any reason behind this feeling. All he could do right now was enter the facility and hope to find a sample of the virus.

-

Bombs and bullets went off as you and your people marched through the gates of the inner city state. The tower had been protected by soldiers and tanks.

Smoke filled the air as the ground shook from all the explosives being exchanged on either side. Soldiers and insurgents dying left and right.

But they didn’t seemed to have noticed you sneak inside the tower, ready to climb up the endless stairs. Right towards the president’s office.

-

The research facility was abandoned but it still had many of its records. It was as if the place was still used. Leon walked around the place and briefly looked over some scattered files, which all contained relatively the same thing. All about Membario and the test subjects.

One paper in specific stood out to him.

Test Subject 119: Subject has responded to commands and has been subdued.

He furrowed his brows as he read the files, more confusion strikes him and he didn’t know what else to expect from all of this. Sure, he knew a war was coming, but what type of experiments happened down here? He only hoped that whatever it was, that it only got scrapped and forgotten.

The further he walked down the facility, the more eerie it got. And that’s because of a green light emitting from a room.

With quiet steps, he slowly approached the room with his gun at the ready. Slowly entering, he made sure to sun his gun at any potential threat. After noticing that nothing came at him, he lowered his weapon and began to look around the room.

In the center of the room, stood a cylindrical tank with green liquid inside. And inside that tank was a mutated humanoid that resembled an all too similar monster- a bio organic weapon.

The hairs of his neck stood up as he felt a chill run down his spine. It wasn’t like anything he fought before. It was more evil and looked almost human. He knew for sure that this must’ve been something related to the government, why else would they keep this hidden?

He needed that sample but he didn’t know how to get it. Instead he just walked away towards one of the computers and hooked up a secret device he hand at the bottom pit of the pockets of his pants. For once he was glad he didn’t have to fight something- or someone- for a sample.

Once Leon hacked the information into his device, he made a swift exit. All while taking a mental note of that humanoid B.O.W.

-

You barged into the president’s office with your gun pointed and aimed in front of you. Gasps were heard all throughout the room.

And there stood President Mendez.

It was overwhelming. You desperately wanted to pull the trigger but you knew better. Instead, you spoke up, “I’ve got you now… if I were you, I’d be careful with my next choice of action.”

The President chuckled as she lifted her hands beside her head, “I was waiting for this moment… I knew one of you would come and try to pull this stunt.”

Her laugh only made you more angry. You gripped the handle of your gun and took a step forward, “Release everyone and I’ll consider letting you live.”

President Mendez stopped laughing and stared at you with amusement, “I don’t think you’re in any position to make threats like that…” her smug smile irritated you. You felt nothing but rage building up inside you.

You pointed your gun at once of the soldiers next to her and shot him right in the head before turning your attention back to the President, “The difference between you and I… is that I do not hesitate,” you seethed through gritted teeth, taking another stop closer.

The President remained silent as she observed you for a good minute, “You won’t win this fight, you know that right?”

Your eyes narrowed at her statement, “Says who? Because so far, we’ve been beating you and your idiots.”

She laughed at you once again before lowering her hands, “Oh c’mon, take a look. I’ve won even before all of this started. I have connections, I have supporters, I have power. And what do you have? Dreams and a toy gun. You’re nothing compared to me and you’re a fool for believing you can even amount to anything near my level.”

Silence overtook the room as you glared at her.

“Let’s be real, shall we? I have the Americans on my side. The weapons that you and your little friends have come from me,” she walked around her desk to stand in front of you.

“Do not forget your place,” she whispered in your ear. With an angered huff, you swung the back of your gun at her face. President Mendez stumbled back and two soldiers ran up behind you. Each solder took your arm and held you in place. “You bitch!” You yelled at her as you thrashed around.

The President held the side of her face where you hit her and with anger she spoke, “Take her with the rest of them. I want her executed by tomorrow.”

The soldiers nodded before they started to drag you away, “YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!!” You yelled right before the door closed and the soldiers dragged you down the stairs.

-

The soldiers took you down to their cellars and threw you into a cell with other people. Some were men and women and others were just children. It broke your heart and it only caused your anger to rise.

You are to be executed tomorrow and there was no one who could save you. You were angry but also disappointed.

-

Leon ran back to San Bandero where the Insurgents were fighting soldiers to storm the tower.

He decided to be useful and help kill some soldiers.

Unbeknownst to him that the new Insurgent leader got captured by the president.

#leon kennedy #leon s kennedy #leon scott kennedy #resident evil #id leon kennedy #leon kennedy x reader #leon kennedy x y/n #leon kennedy x you #leon s kennedy x reader #di leon #death island leon

[lotusflowerbreakingthesurface]

Wu Xie's Birthday Congratulations

On this special day, let's get to know the cutest protagonist in DMBJ, Wu Xie aka Tianzhen aka Xiao San Ye, in a deeper understanding although everyone must already know him (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

One of the best ways to understand what kind of character Wu Xie is by reading the book. I found some interesting meta/analysis about Wu Xie (and PingXie) and I want to share them here. However, everyone has a different perception and understanding of things, so just take it easy, okay? ദ്ദി(ᵔᗜᵔ)

Note: I'm not good at Chinese, feel free to correct me if you find some mistakes.

⚠️ Very long post ⚠️

Uh, I feel bad that this post turned out to be so long, while Xiaoge's birthday is so short, sorry Xiaoge! >.<

First of all, let's refresh our memory about Wu Xie that was going around on Chinese sites and other sites as well.

Wu Xie's Apperance

Source: Baidu

Handsome, with a face like a crown jade, fair skin, gentle and restrained, bookish, and as gentle as jade.

Slender hands: "Unfortunately, although my hands are slender, I have no strength at all." (Daomu Biji: Angry Sea, Hidden Sands Ch. 42 [MereBear's Translation] | Chinese version Ch. 13)

Pretty face: "Tianzhen, your original face is pretty. Why do you need to be the same as your Uncle Three?" (by Pangzi, Daomu Biji Vol. 8 Ch. 25 [MereBear's Translation])

Occasionally wear glasses (NPSS's interview)

As a lotus flower breaking the surface (idiom): "Indeed, our family’s Tianzhen is a fresh and clean refined little master, a surpassingly beautiful young public figure ..." (by Pangzi, Tibetan Sea Flower Ch. 22 [MereBear's Translation] | Chinese version Ch. 22 | The meaning of the idiom is here)

"When I was in college, a girl who seemed to like me once said that my face was very calm and other people wouldn’t feel annoyed looking at it." (Tibetan Sea Flower Ch. 27 [MereBear's Translation])

"He was young with a slender figure, wearing a brown jacket and gloves, and looking very casual." (Sand Sea Ch. 6 [MereBear's Translation])

"From Liang Wan’s point of view, although Wang Meng’s boss was young, there was a weathered and worn look about his brows that were beyond the reach of ordinary people." (Sand Sea Ch. 6 [MereBear's Translation])

The eyelashes are long, and the curve of the neck is more feminine than that of a woman: "Black Glasses said that the curve of my neck was more feminine than that of a woman." (Sand Sea Ch. 180 [MereBear's Translation])

"The only part of your body suitable for fighting is your long eyelashes."(Sand Sea Ch. 178 [MereBear's Translation])

Wu Xie is the ultimate beauty in the world (NPSS's interview)

Chronology of Wu Xie’s Major Events (Weibo)

Wu Xie's Personality (According to NPSS)

Source: MereBear's Translation

In the postscript of Daomu Biji Vol. 8:

Wu Xie is a difficult person to describe. If I have to say it, I want to say: he is actually an ordinary person.

But this doesn’t mean that he isn’t great. It’s because he’s an ordinary person that people admire him so much for all he has experienced.

I think many friends will hate his weakness and hesitation when they first see him, but as the story progresses step by step, more and more people like him. He is a boy as weak as water, but please don’t forget that in harsh winter, the most formless water will become solid ice.

Wu Xie is a person like that. He is simple, a little clever, cowardly, and someone who cherishes his life. He’s sensitive and afraid of hurting people around him and is the least suitable person to experience danger among all those on the team.

But I let him become the protagonist of the story and let him experience the most terrifying journey, which is probably the most special part of the story. When everyone can back down, he just can’t; when everyone can escape, he can’t.

I really want to say sorry to him for pushing this ordinary person into such a complicated puzzle. When I look at his entanglements and troubles, it’s like I see my own entanglements and troubles. For a period of time, I could even deeply feel the despair in his heart for everything he had gone through. At that time, I wanted to know what he would do when faced with such complicated despair.

I didn’t expect him to survive. In the development of the story, everyone could see how an ordinary person struggled to become a person he didn’t want to be. But the thing that made everyone like him was that he maintained his conscience in all the places that could be turning points in his life. Even though he eventually wore a sinister mask, he was still Wu Xie at heart. He could have a lot of petty crimes and petty vices under his belt, as well as a lot of minor moral problems, but when it came to making the biggest choice, he would always be the Wu Xie who wished everyone well.

“I hope all of us can live well along the way, and all of us can see our own ending. We may not live long, please let us live the life we deserve.”

Wu Xie prayed to the sky when Pan Zi was dying, even though he was in a dark cave. He took all the responsibility and blame upon himself, unable to face the meaning of his journey.

This is Wu Xie, the “useless” one in the team and the most useless leader in the Iron Triangle. He needs other people’s protection and help. He has boundless curiosity and desire, but as long as a person is hurt, his own things aren’t important. He’s an ordinary person who wishes you to live no matter how much he hates you. This is because he doesn’t understand killing or the wealth that transcends life, he only understands the value of the word “alive”.

[2023.03.11] Taobao Live

Source: 瓶邪bot (mtl)

Q: We all know that Zhang Qiling has a gift from heaven. Why hasn’t he forgotten his companions ten years later?

A: I think this is a kind of bond. It really is a bond. Of course I can write a tragedy. (Host: Don’t write it then), it is all logical, but when such a strong bond exists, especially Wu Xie must not be an ordinary person, even though he appears as an ordinary person, he made full use of his ordinary qualities and became an ordinary person who was not an ordinary person (laughs). That Zhang Qiling must have gone through a very painful struggle and intense confrontation. He finally did it. In the end, he may have forgotten a lot, leaving only that glimmer of light, and then he remembered it again bit by bit from that glimmer of light. I think this must be Zhang Qiling’s efforts. (Host: So this is actually because he worked hard not to forget them. This is not a lucky or small-probability thing, but a result of his own efforts) Yes, because heaven is ruthless, and humans are sentient.

[2023.03.24] Douyin Live Broadcast

Source: 瓶邪bot (mtl)

Q: "Restart", this book has its entire story line structure of separation, reunion, and restarting. Do you think Wu Xie’s personal mentality has changed between the original novel and "Restart"?

A: In the main story, he is really a bit naive. He may be a little clever and a little bit of a cunning, but his understanding of the world is essentially relatively simple. When it comes to "Reboot/Restart", Wu Xie is actually still innocent. You can see that he is slowly returning to his previous innocent state. One is that Zhang Qiling has returned, and he no longer needs to show his fangs. But behind his innocence is an innocence that is not easy to mess with. He has sealed up his huge energy, but he can take it out again at any time, and some very interesting things will happen, because many people think that he is a very naive and easy-to-deceive person when he is in a very gentle state, when he is really bullied, he will return to the state of Sand Sea.

[2023.03.24] Douyin Live Broadcast

Source: 瓶邪bot (mtl)

Q: I would like to ask, what do you think Wu Xie’s mental state was when he was about to take Zhang Qiling home.

A: I think Wu Xie was not ready when he hit the road. He was ready only after he hit the road. He was slowly, slowly... he was already ready when he arrived at the Bronze Gate. Maybe Zhang Qiling was not ready. Come out, or Zhang Qiling has left. I think it is such a process. When he accepted the worst possibility, he might have calmly enjoyed the moment when Zhang Qiling came out of the bronze door if he had not left. I think he had a lot of distracting thoughts at the beginning.

Q: Actually, he has a certain amount of timidity and nervousness.

A: I think I will have random thoughts, because just in case, after living in this world for a long time, I always feel that there are chances in this world. No matter how small the probability of an event is, if you encounter it once, you will feel that it is very likely to encounter it again.

Wu Xie's Mental Journey (Meta)

Source: MuzzledIdealist

This one is a meta/analysis from Chinese fandom and it's written by MuzzledIdealist on Weibo. They already give consent to repost it as long as the source is indicated. If you are interested, you can see other analysis on their homepage.

Please note that this is an edited MTL, if anyone wants to translate it, you're very welcome to do it :)

⚠️ This meta or analysis is cp-oriented ⚠️

⚠️ This is a repost, not my meta ⚠️

【PingXie】 “When I Know That I Will Never See Him Again”

Written by MuzzledIdealist

"The things he saw were things that he hadn’t been able to come to terms with. But I saw Men You Ping, so did that mean that I wasn’t over everything that had happened during those ten years?" — [Note: Ten Thousand Mountains in the Extreme Night Ch. 63 (MereBear Translation) | Chinese version Ch. 62]

Why he wasn’t over the past?

Let’s analyze Wu Xie’s mental journey over the years:

A major premise is that Men You Ping has always been Wu Xie's greatest source of security.

Wu Xie is too curious, but as a fledgling young man, he lacks experience and force value. If his curiosity is not satisfied and the problem cannot be solved, he will easily fall into anxiety (the book mentions many times that he was anxious when encountering difficulties, so I won’t take screenshots.), and Men You Ping has been providing guidance and protection to Wu Xie, which can be said to have given him a great sense of security in both physical and mental aspects (here I summarized it before. If you are interested, you can take a look at "Sharing Some Cute Details of Men You Ping’s “Double Standard”").

Xu Lei (NPSS) also said in the interview that Zhang Qiling had been protecting Wu Xie and helping him deal with many problems, so when he left, Wu Xie was forced to become like him.

(The screenshot is added in the original post)

Therefore, when Men You Ping was no longer with Wu Xie, his source of security was suddenly taken away.

During the ten years when Xiaoge was away, Wu Xie must have dreamed of Men You Ping countless times during the long agony of waiting and dealing with the enemy. Especially when he encountered difficulties, He prayed, hoped, and imagined that Men You Ping would fall from the sky and appear next to him like it did in the past, because this is a habit he has developed due to Xiaoge's protection.

He has grown up during the period of Tibetan Sea Flower, but he will still frankly tell Pangzi, "I always feel that a place with a Xiaoge will be safer. If he is not here, at least having a statue of him is better than nothing". The fat man said he was superstitious, but that was not the case, because as a top student, Wu Xie had always been accustomed to using scientific knowledge to explain all the strange things he experienced (there are many examples in the book), but for his subconscious dependence on Men You Ping, he had no way to explain it scientifically and rationally.

(The screenshot is added in the original post or take a look on MereBear's translation: Tibetan Sea Flower Ch. 39)

During Sand Sea period, Wu Xie grew up a lot, but when faced with a desperate situation, he still longed for the appearance of the person he wanted to see most for a long time. Even though he was about to cough up pneumoconiosis, even though he knew that the stuffy oil bottle in front of him was just his hallucination. The pain of those ten years also made Wu Xie addicted to smoking because he needed to use cigarettes to relieve his anxiety.

(The screenshot is added in the original post or take a look on MereBear's Translation: Sand Sea 4 Ch. 187)

The title of the chapter in Sand Sea where Wu Xie's throat was cut and he fell off the cliff is the poem "Like red beans inlaid in the ivory dice, my yearning for you is deep in my bones" (the translation comes from here). Why was this poem chosen as the title of this chapter?

Xu Lei once answered this question in a vx (Weixin/WeChat) interview. He said that this was his emotion at the time. Writing in the first person, the author's mood at that time represents the mood of the protagonist at that time, so the meaning of this poem is Wu Xie's mood at that time.

(The screenshot is added in the original post)

The meaning of this poem is: to express the woman's deep yearning for her husband, her longing for her husband and her inseparable love, and she looks forward to her husband's early return. (From Baidu Poetry Analysis)

(The screenshot is added in the original post)

Xu Lei said in a lecture at Fudan University in 2013: "Wu Xie was doing a lot of things with a sense of resentment in Sand Sea, because everyone abandoned him and left him alone there as a widow. The only person he can settle accounts with is Men You Ping, because he is a person who will appear at a fixed place at a fixed time, so Wu Xie must be holding his breath and preparing to ask that person for something back." (This paragraph is dictation + general summary, the original video is more than an hour long. You can search and watch it by yourself.)

(Regarding the widowhood, Xu Lei once explained that Wu Xie changed his name to "Guan Gen 《关根》" in order to maintain his chastity.)

(The screenshot is added in the original post)

Therefore, during the Tibetan Sea Flower period, Wu Xie had just left the sense of security provided by Men You Ping, and would still subconsciously seek his protection when encountering difficulties, even if it was just his statue. During Sand Sea period, he had clearly understood that Men You Ping was no longer by his side, so he had to force himself to become stronger and become like him. But even so, when he was extremely anxious, he still couldn't help but miss Men You Ping, which put him in a state of both longing and resentment.

This is also reflected in the "Ten Years" chapter. In "Ten Years" Wu Xie said, "After so many years, I no longer expected anything from anyone, because these people will eventually leave for various reasons." This is his complaint. He added, “There are some people you just can’t stand up. There is a chance that Men You Ping will appear, and I may die on the road, but after going through so much, I need a relief and an end." This was his thought.

(The screenshot is added in the original post or take a look on MereBear's Translation: Ten Years Later Ch. 20 and Ch. 21)

However, in addition to this feeling of longing and resentment, Wu Xie also has worries, deep worries about whether Men You Ping will live or die in the door, so he wrote in "Ten Years": "In the past ten years, I have had many dreams. I dreamed of him meeting me when I was young. I dreamed about the white bones in front of the bronze door, and dreamed that he had turned into something like Chen Pi Ah Si when we met again. There were many possibilities in ten years, which were enough for me to imagine and accept them one by one."

He has had this kind of nightmare many times in the past ten years, and it has become a knot in his heart that is difficult to untie, so even if Men You Ping is back now, he still feels that he has not completely passed those ten years.

(The screenshot is added in the original post or take a look on MereBear's Translation: Ten Years Later Ch. 36 and Ten Thousand Mountains in the Extreme Night Ch. 63)

But even so, even in those ten years, Wu Xie had thoughts, resentments and worries about Men You Ping, and thought about asking for something from Men You Ping, but he still couldn't bear it. The moment he saw Men You Ping again, he still chose to cover up all these emotions, so he subconsciously pulled down his sleeves to cover the scars on his hands, just as he said during Sand Sea period. When he sees Men You Ping again, he will not tell him all this, he will only tell him that you are just a patient, and you can rest now. So he took Men You Ling and lived in Yucun, the place where there is legendary ginseng that can make people remember for a long time.

(The screenshot is added in the original post or take a look on MereBear's Translation: Ten Years Later Ch. 41 and Sand Sea Ch. 92 | Chinese Version Sand Sea 2 Ch. 53)

It has been analyzed before that the reason why Xiaoge went to Hangzhou to say goodbye to Wu Xie before entering the bronze door and said to him "You are my only connection with this world" is because for the first time he had his own "desire". (This is a long story, see "Psychological Activities of Xiaoge" for details)

If Men You Ping had realized that he had fallen in love with Wu Xie at this time, then when did Wu Xie realize that he had fallen in love with Men You Ping? Probably when he realized that he couldn't lose him, as the saying goes, "How do we measure love, the pain after separation."

(The screenshot is added in the original post)

---

This one is a more in-depth analysis about Wu Xie in Sand Sea by the same writer.

Source: MuzzledIdealist

The sunrise in the desert was also beautiful back then, but Wu Xie had no memory of it. But now that he and his brother are in the world’s second most valuable tomb, he can truly feel the beauty of the sunrise. Because the experience of Sand Sea was not a good memory for Wu Xie. Xu Lei once explained why Wu Xie had seventeen scars on his arms during Sand Sea period. It was because as an originally kind-hearted person, he was forced to do many things that went against his conscience in order to defeat the Wang family, including using others. Therefore, he hurt himself by scratching his arms to relax himself. Xu Lei said that Wu Xie during Sand Sea period had a kind of hatred for him.

Wu Xie has indeed grown up in the past ten years, but this growth comes at a price. Wu Xie gave himself the pen name Guan Gen (Xu Lei explained that it means "keeping his chastity"), and made seventeen cuts on his arm with hatred for himself. When he fell off the cliff, his mood was "Like red beans inlaid in the ivory dice, my yearning for you is deep in my bones" and various injuries that have caused permanent damage to his nose and lungs. From all of this, it can be seen that Xiao Wu suffered from both physical and mental pain during the Sand Sea period, and all of this cannot be summed up by the simple word "Evil Emperor". This seemingly cool title seemed to lightly cover up all the suffering he experienced during that period.

He was repeatedly entangled and pulled between his persistence towards his goal, his hatred for himself, and his extreme longing for Men You Ping. For him, the experience during Sand Sea period was once a painful memory, that's why he subconsciously pulled down his sleeves to cover the scars on his arms when he saw his brother on the day of their ten-year appointment. Maybe he didn't want Men You Ping to know who he was before. But with their tacit understanding, it is impossible for him not to see it, that’s why there was a follow-up story about Xiaoge in "Fishing King Extra" who took Xiao Wu to the Stagnant Water Dragon King Palace to make Xiao Wu suddenly enlightened in order to untie the knot buried in Xiao Wu's heart for the past ten years. Now, the same is true in Yucun Notes when Xiaoge accompanies Xiao Wu to revisit Medog (Motuo). When his lover returns to his side, the greatest source of security returns, and Xiao Wu becomes the "rough jade" again.

"I will exchange my life for ten years of your innocence." Zhang Qiling used his infinite sacrifice to Wu Xie in exchange for a limited benefit (Xu Lei's original words), "Like red beans inlaid in the ivory dice, my yearning for you is deep in my bones" Wu Xie use his ten years to buy Zhang Qiling's freedom for the rest of his life. Some people say that the relationship hurt/comfort is old-fashioned, but I don't think so. The two-way redemption between PingXie and the uniqueness between them is always moving.

---

My thought:

Maybe the word "fall in love" or "lover" the writer uses here is too strong for some people lol, but they did care for each other, no matter what the relationship is, it can't be denied, right? There were some questions that appeared in my head when I read the book, why did Wu Xie do that? Why did he do this? Why did he do all of these things to this extent? Then I understood. Actually, Wu Xie, especially in his early stage, reminds me of my old-self, so I feel like I can sympathize with him somehow. His "innocence" is different from the innocence that most people think, Wu Xie's innocence is the kind of innocence who wished everyone well.

And then, happy birthday, Wu Xie! May you be safe and live a happy life with Xiaoge, Pangzi, and all of your good friends! 🎉🎉🎂(⁠人⁠*⁠´⁠∀⁠｀⁠)⁠｡⁠*ﾟ⁠+ *⁠.⁠✧

#wu xie birthday #daomu biji #dmbj #pingxie #dmbj meta #dmbj analysis #wu xie #meta recs #pingxie only #special recs #盗墓笔记 #吴邪 #瓶邪 #瓶邪only

[shit-enmu-says]

Note: A couple weeks ago I posted an excerpt from a drabble I’m writing about the events leading up to Enmu becoming a demon. I intentionally left certain things vague which will be brought to light later on. I intended to portray Enmu as having been through someone with his fair share of struggles while still keeping his dubious morality and lack of empathy intact. No title for this yet. Titles are hard.

Part 1

Scattered notes and open books littered Dr. Tamio’s work desk. The man himself was slumped over a large notebook, glasses askew. His eyes had dark shadows beneath them like bruises. His chin length hair was lank from going just a bit too long without being washed. A few stray locks had fallen out of place, plastered to his forehead from sweat. A sharp knock at the door jolted him from slumber. He twitched and shot straight up in his chair, a page of his notes stuck to the side of his face.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing in here?”

The door creaked open to reveal an older man with grey-streaked hair pulled into a low ponytail. Were it not for how time had harshened his once youthful features, he and Enmu would have been near identical. Ayumu Tamio was Enmu’s older brother by fifteen years and the only surviving family he had left.

Enmu blinked slowly as his brother’s face swam into view and straightened his glasses. “Ah Ayumu-san,” Enmu said, “I was just studying, that’s all.”

“Really? Because it looks like you were slacking off,” Ayumu said, folding his arms. His brother had raised him from the time Enmu was six, more of a parental figure to him than a sibling. Though only in his early forties Ayumu’s health was failing him, forcing him into early retirement. Enmu had been training to replace him since his early twenties. It was only for the past year he’d truly began taking over Ayumu’s position, though his brother still frequented the place at times to oversee things.

“I gave you a position here because I thought you could handle it. You better start pulling your weight around here if you want me to tolerate your eccentricities.”

Enmu frowned and straightened up his notes, scattered around the desk. He fully intended on studying but passed out. His nightmares were back, the ones so uncomfortably vivid he often thought they actually happened. They always came back when he was under stress. When he awoke he scarcely felt rested at all.

Really Ayumu did him a favor waking him from that. Visions of dark shadows with clawed hands following him through the woods behind the house he and his brother shared were still fresh in his mind.

“There’s something I need you to look at,” Ayumu said.

“It is still early in the day,” Enmu spoke carefully. Ayumu demanded absolute obedience even now. It was best not to upset him. “Someone else may show up for an appointment.”

“That can wait,” his brother replied, “There is a far more urgent matter at hand.”

Enmu frowned as he stood up and pushed in his chair. It must be serious for him to call him away from his office like this. A loud knocking came from the front of the building, loud enough to make him stumble back. “May I see who’s knocking first?” Enmu asked, “They seem a bit impatient.”

Ayumu’s expression darkened. “What are you going on about?” he snapped. “That knocking just now at the front door,” Enmu said.

His brother fixed him with a cold, unblinking stare. “No one knocked, Enmu,” he said, “If that is happening again how could you possibly handle this position?”

Enmu froze. Again? He hasn’t experienced problems like these for ages. Why now? He couldn’t afford to slip up now no matter what. Especially not with what he was trying to pull off when he took Ayumu’s place as head of the family business. He breathed in slowly, allowing his expression to shift into a polite smile. “Pardon me,” he said, “It appears my little joke was in poor taste.” It wasn’t much of an excuse, but at least he didn’t sound like a madman.

“Damn it, Enmu,” Ayumu swore, “Do you have any idea how difficult it was for me to deal with the consequences of your delusions when you were younger? Don’t let me catch you making light of such things again.”

Enmu stared at the ground, unable to meet his gaze. At least he bought the story but did he really have to bring those dark, dark days up again? He wouldn’t be able to keep making excuses for himself though. He had to get this under control or the results could be potentially catastrophic.

“My apologies,” he replied, bowing his head. “Now just what was it you wanted to show me?”

#shitenmusays #writing #enmu tamio #drabble #KNY #kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer #enmudrabble

[theinternetisaweboflies]

Gates to Heck Chapter Five

Teru had been trudging along the raised bunds of the rice paddy for what felt like at least a half a kilometer, but the fields that stretched out ahead of him seemed infinite. The only light came from the stars overhead, which were shining brightly without the city’s light pollution. He must have teleported all the way to Furikake Village, the agricultural municipality north of Seasoning City, near the border of Flavor Prefecture. 

“Good evening, Kaijin,” the voice came from directly behind him, “or should I say Hanazawa-kun?”

Teru whipped around to see a man standing a couple of bunds down, his feet dry, and his smile ominous.

“Your aura was too depleted to track until now. I only felt it for a moment, but I would know it anywhere. Do you really not recognize me?”

Teru laughed because he really hadn't until then. Final Dog had been the last target in his anti-terrorist speedrun, and by the night he confronted them, he was running on nothing but fumes and canned coffee. There had been too many auras swirling together into a rat king of raw energy for Teru to recognize one he hadn’t encountered since he was ten years old. 

"Well, to be entirely fair, my head was in a bucket for most of our introduction,” said Teru.

Teru hadn't learned how to waterboard someone from Saturday morning anime. He had learned it the hard way, in his own cramped apartment bathroom, while a man who called himself Shiro-san asked Teru if he knew any other espers. 

Shiro-san didn't believe him when he said no.

Shiro-san hadn’t been part of the Fab Five or even the Seventh Division’s upper echelon. He was just some unscarred member of middle-management that Teru had never seen again. 

“You bailed before the Seventh Division went down, huh?” asked Teru. “Did you get fired, or did you just feel like they couldn’t help you reach your full potential as a sadistic asshole?”

“I could see the writing on the wall,” said Shiro-san. 

“Pretty sure that was blood,” said Teru, inspecting his chipped nail polish. 

“The Seventh Division’s leadership was too weak,” said Shiro-san. “Ishiguro couldn't even put a brat like you in timeout.”

Teru didn’t think he could talk his way out of this one. He wasn’t Reigen. He just needed to keep Shiro-san talking long enough to come up with a plan. There was no way he had enough energy for another teleport. He was pretty sure if he tried to put up a barrier right now it would be about as strong as a Pringle. 

Teru had been in better shape when he was ten years old, and he’d still lost that fight. 

Shiro-san had used Teru’s own T-shirt and bath bucket to waterboard him. He hung Teru by his ankles with telekinesis, pulled the collar of his Sailor Moon T-shirt down (or up, from Teru’s point of view) until it covered his nose, and doused his face with water. 

It went up his nose. Teru let out a reflexive gasp and let in even more water. It felt like he’d inhaled hydrochloric acid instead. Everything between his nasal cavity and his lungs was searing with a pain unlike he had ever experienced. 

The third time Shiro-san pulled back the T-shirt for an interrogation break, Teru had bitten down as hard as he could. Shiro-san had been using his hands, because his powers were occupied with the restraints, and he wasn’t a skilled enough esper to multitask. Teru tasted blood before he had to unclench and hack it up, along with what felt like a liter of water. 

Shiro-san released him. Teru lashed out with an uncoordinated blast of energy and bugged the fuck out of there, booking it to his closest bolthole. He didn’t go back to his apartment for over a month.

“I seem to recall giving you some trouble too,” said Teru.  

Shiro-san flipped him off, and Teru saw the stump of an index finger that he had bitten in half four years ago. 

He hadn’t been able to eat raw carrots for years after that. Thank god for broccoli or Teru would probably have scurvy by now. 

Teru laughed airily. “Final Dog’s leadership doesn’t seem to be much of an improvement.”

Shiro-san did not laugh. He clicked his tongue in a way that suggested he had been involved in Final Dog’s leadership. “Well, you know what they say: Third time’s the charm.”

“So that’s when I’ll stop you for good?” 

Now he laughed. “What makes you think you’ll live that long?”

So much for keeping him talking. 

“I would have killed you already,” said Shiro-san, “but I think you deserve to suffer a little bit first.”

“Is this like a kink of yours?”

“I don’t want to waste time with your government watchdog sniffing around for me,” said Shiro-san. “So the question is: How to hurt you as much as possible in the least amount of time?” 

Teru could already feel his heart rate ramp up at the simple implication that there might be something worse than waterboarding. He tried to mitigate the panic by taking deep breaths. While he still could. 

“I think it would only be fair if you lost at least a finger,” said Shiro-san. “but I know from experience that adrenaline numbs the pain, and you won’t be alive long enough for it to wear off.”

“Are you still hung up on that?” asked Teru. “Sorry. I thought you were jealous of the Scars.”

Shiro-san snapped his fingers, or what was left of them. “I’ve got it! I’ll tell you a story.”

“Why don’t we ta- Huh?”

Teru couldn’t believe it. Shiro-san was actually going to do a villain monologue. Probably about his tragic backstory.

“I’m going to tell you a story about a little boy and a big organization.” 

Shiro san gestured when he talked, but it was always with his right hand, like he was trying to draw attention to the missing finger. It was a cheap intimidation tactic that probably worked better on someone who hadn’t bitten it off. 

“The organization was looking for psychics. This was before they had to keep a low profile, so they could recruit publicly. They put up flyers and went door to door, inviting people to join their noble cause. They didn’t find many psychics that way, but even normies could prove useful with a little… help. One day, they knocked on the door of a very nice couple with a very naughty son.”

The panic had gone, or at least it had gone somewhere far away. Everything seemed very far away, even Shiro-san, who was still talking. 

“The couple didn’t care much about the organization’s agenda, but they were interested in its psychic training program. The couple ended up changing their minds, but by then the little boy had caught the organization’s attention.”

Sometimes Teru wondered how Claw found out about him, but he had always assumed it was his fault. After all, Shigeo slipped under their radar by barely using his powers. It was Teru’s dependence on his powers for everything from skipping rope to making friends that had attracted the attention of the terrorists who targeted him for most of his formative years. That was what he got for showing off.  

It made sense. 

So did Shiro-san’s story.

Shiro-san clapped his hands. “Okay! Looks like that did the trick. Goodbye, Hanazawa-kun.”

Teru’s feet were pulled out from under him. He tried to catch himself, but his arms were pinned tightly to his side by psychic restraints that he was still too weak to break. 

He couldn’t go through this again. It was still the most painful thing he had ever experienced, his second-most recurring nightmare after choking out Shigeo. Teru still couldn’t shower for more than fifteen minutes without having to do some serious breathing exercises afterwards, which would have torpedoed his haircare routine if it weren’t for leave-in conditioner.

Teru had attempted to replicate Shiro-san’s torture technique when he helped Shigeo storm Claw’s Seventh Division to save Outoto-kun.

An eye for an eye. That was what Teru told himself, but he hadn’t been able to go through with it. He ended up dunking Terada’s head in a bucket a couple of times, never for more than a few seconds, and never with a cloth over his face. Terada had been able to hold his breath. It was still torture, but it wasn’t waterboarding.

It was, however, a much faster way to kill someone if that was the desired result. 

It was also easier to keep your hands clear if they happened to be a biter.

Shiro-san lowered Teru face first into the dirty water of the rice paddy. Teru tried to turn his head, but no matter how much he craned his neck, the water still covered his mouth. This time there were no questions. There was no reprieve. The water was less than ten centimeters deep, and Teru was going to drown in  it.

#not sure how i feel about this chapter #but you can't have comfort without the hurt #cw waterboarding #btw my playlist for these last two chapters was #my way home is through you #by mcr #on repeat #mp100 #terumob #terumob fanfic #mp100 fanfic

[cebwrites]

Hello hello! Always nice to see more one piece x reader blogs 😎💕 would love to request Barto, Zoro and Kidd, if it's okay if not only Barto, reacting to a s/o (Gender neutral or female) who has a bad time experiencing their feelings for them so jn a spur of a moment thing they just kiss them and run away

hehe thank you for your request! things ended up getting really long so i separated the characters into different posts, enjoy everyone’s favorite chicken man on this one  💕 (although some parts i feel turned out to be a little ooc i got too into it to stop-)

Reacting to being kissed as a confession (Bartolomeo)

fem reader (Kidd and Zoro’s reactions) word count: 0.8k

He’s confused, very confused

The tiny wheels and cogs in his brain are turning but their movement is very delayed by the short circuits that are currently going on in his poor little rooster head

By the time he regains his grip on reality, you’re far away from the captain’s quarters but can still hear his enthusiastic clucking all the way on the deck - you can’t quite make out what he’s saying but you’re in no headspace to figure that out right now anyway

You consider making a dive for the water, the one place Bartolomeo can’t follow you, but decide on the girl’s quarters instead - which in all fairness was just a spare room someone had slapped the sign ‘gurl’ spelled with a ‘z’ on when you boarded this sausagefest of a crew, but it was the principle of it all!

You hear your captain’s boots approach the door alongside his loud wails of, “__-saaaan, please talk to me!!” and reluctantly eye the window, weighing the pros and cons of actually going through something like that

For the sake of preventing any broken bones and the fact that Bartolomeo’s river of tears from his initial reaction had started to spill over into your room from the other side, you swing the door open to yell at him that fine, you will, if he knocked it off already

Instead you find the man standing perfectly composed, if not a little snot-nosed, patiently waiting your response; the shout withers in your throat before you can even get it out

“__-san! You-” he beams, lighting up immediately and you quickly usher him into your room with a slam of the door - as dramatic as your captain can be, you don’t want the details of your love life televised to the entire crew, at least not this early

You could already sense Gambia peeking around the corner of the hallway with a handful of other busy-bodies and make a note to clobber the lot of them later, once all of this... emotional junk is out of the way

You turn back to Bartolomeo from the unintentional hole you’d been trying to put in your door from glaring at it, sat on your bed twiddling his fingers

Even if the first burst of emotion from the inciting incident had faded, he still looked plenty nervous, bouncing his leg and avoiding eye contact like a schoolgirl confessing to her first crush - only that in this situation, you’d been doing the confessing

He looked like a puppy like that, gosh, your big bad “gang-leader-turned-pirate-captain” was mush for the people he loved and you couldn’t stand it he was too damn cute

“Yeah, I like you. So what?”

You crossed your arms and focused on a particular spot of mold on the floor so you wouldn’t have to look at the way Barto’s grin split his face, already aware that you were red all the way up to your ears from the heat that radiated from your face

Needless to say, prepare for this man to be absolutely insufferable (affectionate)

You could be swabbing the deck as per your usual chores when he comes up behind you and quite literally sweeps you off your feet. You may or may not elbow him in the face out of reflex but he laughs it off anyway. You’re his girlfriend! His sugar plum, his sweetums, his honey nut cheerio, his chicken nug--

Yeah, nicknames will be part of this arrangement. No, they’re probably non-negotiable.

He’ll get up all in a shopkeeper’s face if he thinks that they’ve made a move on you (could be touching your hand to “prolonged eye contact”) and 100% be that “sorry i can’t go, mY GIRLFRIEND--” (but in a ‘head over heels i’m so FUCKING in love guys’ kind of way and not a weird ‘i hate my spouse’ kind of way, he’s just excited to spent time with you) kind of guy

If you’re uncomfortable with overt PDA, he’ll try his best to accommodate, but you have to be very stern and clear with him. Bartolomeo means no ill will and the last thing he’d want to do is chase you away by being overbearing, but he just can’t help being overjoyed that he of all people managed to catch the eye of such a neat gal. He mellows with time I promise, it’s just going to be very gradual and he’s not very subtle in the first place

Bartolomeo is probably one of the most embarrassing men on the Grand Line when it comes to showing affection to his partners, I’m so sorry for you but also he loves you and will be the LAST bitch to ever think about not saying that. out loud. for the whole world to hear.

If y’all were together during Dressrosa he would’ve announced that his fight at the coloseum was in your honor he’s so embarrassing omg congrats tho  💕

#cebwrites #one piece #one piece imagine #bartolomeo x reader #bartolomeo x you #bartolomeo one piece #bartolomeo

[slrsunfire]

Here's a little snippet for the upcoming chapter of The Springtime of Lovers! Having a lot of fun with this...I promise that it's not going to be as bad for Tobirama as this little blurb makes it seem ❤️

This is not formally edited, so please be merciful.

Warnings: sexist/genderist ideals, allusions to future forced intimacy, a/b/o dynamics, discussions of pregnancy

Snippet Below:

“Came out to enjoy the leaves while you read?” Hashirama lightly asks, trying for nonchalant but failing spectacularly in his efforts. 

“As a matter of fact, I did,” Tobirama tersely states in return, his words edging on biting. “Someone needs to look over the talking points the Uchiha have requested we address during our meeting next week and it might as well be me.” 

Hashirama has enough common sense to pick up on his ire over the fact it is Tobirama, and not Hashirama, that has chosen to do so. His older brother nervously clears his throat in response, clearly taking care with his choice of words, and Tobirama has to restrain the impolite urge to grind his teeth in frustration. 

“Ah…” Hashirama nervously laughs a little. “I forgot I need to look those over.”

His brother at least has the decency to sound suitably embarrassed by his lapse, but it is paltry compensation for Tobirama’s ongoing troubles. 

“Anija—” Tobirama starts and then trails off in favor of tilting his eyes heavenward, exasperated by his brother’s distracted state. He understands it to an extent, but as an alpha and the leader of their clan, Hashirama needs to do better. Tobirama will not be around to keep Hashirama on track any longer in just a year’s time, and his brother needs to be prepared. At the very least, Mito-san seems to be a competent shinobi in her own right and is likely to act as a more than capable advisor for Hashirama in Tobirama’s stead once she finally departs from Uzushio to wed his brother two months hence.

Despite his irritation he finds himself relaxing ever so slightly as his alpha brother’s pine scent begins to naturally fill the air around them, and he glances askance when Hashirama releases a soft but guttural sound of true remorse. 

“I’m sorry, Tobirama,” Hashirama apologizes, looking suitably repentant. “I’ll look them over once you’re done, I promise.” 

“That one is already finished.” Tobriama quickly gestures to the scroll farthest from him. “I’ve left comments, so you can see if you have any yourself to add.” He is gratified to watch Hashirama reach for it almost immediately, though he can tell his brother is disquieted by its contents when the alpha’s brown eyes flicker over the scroll’s telling title and Hashirama’s fingers tighten around it ever so slightly.

Tobirama had experienced similar trouble reading through it as well. The scroll is one of two the Uchiha had sent regarding their proposed conditions regarding Tobirama’s eventual role within the clan, particularly his duties to the main house and the allowances he would be given. 

His older brother releases a low, gusty sigh a moment later that only heightens Tobirama’s unease with how markedly restrained it is. “Thank you, Tobirama. Are the terms fair?”

The question makes Tobirama immediately still in surprise. He genuinely does not know what to say, he realizes. 

He does not think it fair in the slightest that he is expected to honor a contract that by all rights should have been invalidated the very moment the Uchiha and Senju broke faith with one another following its drafting. There are strict terms that have been suggested, most of which Tobirama suspects are elements put forth by the Uchiha elders who hold no love for him. None of it is exactly unexpected, nor unwarranted considering the history their two clans share. Until no longer deemed necessary, the Uchiha want him followed from sunrise to sunset if he decides to depart from the main house at any point in time. To add insult to injury, all of his correspondence to the Senju or other outside parties is to be reviewed first by Madara, or in his husband’s stead, Izuna. If his rival is not available to do so, then the responsibility will fall to one of the elders. None of these options is particularly palatable to him considering how private an individual he naturally is. And as for his marital duties…

“I suppose,” Tobirama reluctantly concedes, trying not to sound too bitter. “They intend to provide me with my own rooms. But I am to decorate and outfit them with whatever finery my eventual trousseau contains. The Uchiha also request that my dowry consists of additional cloth bolts or coinage to cover future clothing purchases in addition to whatever pre-made clothing I bring. I am, unsurprisingly, to furnish suitable sets of quality maki-e tableware, among other frivolous items for entertaining and the like.” 

Hashirama nods, losing a bit of the tension that had lined his shoulders. “That all sounds rather run of the mill. Well, aside from the coinage aspect. Madara really should be the one tending to your future clothing. We will argue against that, I think. But you know I will make sure your trousseau is well outfitted and you want for nothing, little brother.” 

“I know Anija,” Tobirama murmurs, secretly touched by the alpha’s determination to look after him despite Tobirama’s own continuing protestations that he does not need much. His brother’s tender words are still not quite enough to keep his lips from pursing ever so slightly in frustration as he considers the more humiliating conditions that have been proposed for his person. “Except—” 

Hashirama’s gaze is unnaturally serious as he cocks a brow at him, the alpha clearly picking up on his unease. “Yes?” 

“They are demanding I provide Madara with no less than six children—more if any of the pups die in their infancy,” Tobirama admits, forcing his voice to remain even, though he knows his eyes have narrowed in such a fashion that his agitation will be made clear to his brother all the same. “They want me to carry one child a year until the quota is met, barring illness or other mitigating circumstances.” 

He knows it’s meant to keep him on his back long enough that his sharp edges might dull some. As long as Tobirama is kept gravid and barefoot within Madara’s home, he is far from being a full threat to the Uchiha. Perhaps they believe it will also serve as a means of humiliation, which is not entirely untrue. Though the Uchiha and Senju are like most shinobi clans in that they allow omega members to fight on the field and hold certain positions of power, they are not entirely devoid of genderist discrimination. Omega shinobi are still seen as being weaker and expected to act properly deferential to alpha clanmates who naturally hold more sway by nature of their secondary designation. As an outclan omega, Tobirama suspects he will be seen as lesser than the Uchiha’s own omega members, even though in title he will hold the respected position as clan matriarch and Madara’s wife. 

#momo's WIPs #The Springtime of Lovers #mdtb #madatobi #senju tobirama #senju hashirama #uchiha madara #a/b/o dynamics #watch tobirama overthink EVERYTHING

[artbyblastweave]

The seven WITHOUT homelander

Vs

Team rwby.

Environment snowy cliff. Everybody is in character.

Who do YOU bet on

In any Seven vs another cape group match up, I tend to side by default with the non-seven group because the Seven are very pointedly from a universe where they have limited opportunity to accrue combat experience against other superhumans AND no real experience working alongside each other as a cohesive unit. RWBY (and the remnants of JNPR, who I sort of append as part and parcel) have good standing here because on top of their individual versatile semblances they've also got high-tier durability from their auras AND they're good at working together as a group.

Running through the seven to try and give them a fair shake;

Black Noir and Maeve: Dangerous combatants, he heals quickly and she might be able to one-shot someone's Aura. But they're both still vulnerable to massive trauma, and they have no real counter to intelligently-deployed AOE attacks, so any number of huntresses coordinating against them stand a decent chance. They might be able to kill Jaun if they're lucky; that'd probably leave them open to someone else nailing them, though.

A-Train: Hosed. His speed is as dangerous to himself as it is to anyone on Team RWBY; fighting seriously might just kill him. He might be able to Blitz Juan if he's lucky.

The Deep: No water he can exploit or sea life he can pull in that'll help; I don't think he's capable of closing the distance on most of RWBY. He might be able to kill Juan if he's lucky.

Translucent: My read on him is that while invisible, he's indestructible, and his "super strength" is really derived more from being made of an indestructible material than having super strength proper; Butcher was able to hold his own against him with just a crowbar for a little bit without Translucent having an immediate shutdown play. He's also massively vulnerable to electricity and he's opposed to Nora. He's likely hosed if he gets caught up in one of her charge-ups. He might be able to kill Jaun via ambush. If he's lucky.

Starlight: Actually not not a contender; her power charges up through exposure to light, she's up against dust users and Yang in particular, and she's one of the only AOE assets the group has sans Homelander. But a lot of her more impressive showings were enabled by the presence of modern infrastructure and this is a fight in the wilderness, so that's gonna be a point against her. She could probably kill Juan though.

Lamplighter: I think he's doomed; He's not even durable enough to be immune to the fire he manipulates, and was kept on the Seven I think basically because he was good at setting squishies on fire as an evidence-removal thing. I think his attacks would basically be just a feeder for Yang's semblance. I genuinely don't even think he could kill Juan.

Stormfront: Actually a contender. Strong, fast, smart, experienced, heavy hitter, AOE attacks, blaster attacks, flight. The deciding factor on this is gonna be whether Nora's power treats her power blasts as electricity, which I don't actually think they are; if so, RWBY wins, but otherwise it might be a bit of a struggle. She's end-of-volume boss material. She'd kill Juan

But ultimately I think that any power discrepancy gets washed out in the fact that the Seven are likely to not be paying attention to each other's movements, or even aware of what those movements look like because they simply never do teamfights; there's also the fact that they actively hate each other and might break ranks, hold back from the fight out of unsurety, attack each other while claiming friendly fire, or defect outright. You can't model the Seven as being more than the sum of their parts, or any combination of the sum of their parts; they get less effective around each other.

#asks #thoughts #rwby #the boys #meta

[sknolls]

I want to show off some of the concept art I made for SJ prologue styleground.

A lot of the stuff here was just trying out a bunch of ideas to see if anything stuck. We originally were going to have a picnic style credits but the idea was cut due to it simply being way too much work.

We spent, like, a month(?) or so planning out the prologue's styleground before any work really began.

This is the first concept art that actually resembles the final version of the styleground. I was like "what if there were giant berries in the water?" But we decided against it because they looked soggy and gross (this idea got reimplimented much better by nerferd, they made some concept art too but I don't feel like I should share it here without their permission).

Here's an annotated version of the artwork, to communicate the decision making. The idea was for the prologue to be based off the San Juan Islands because an Archipelago would be a really strong symbol to represent the collab as a whole, and the San Juan Islands are really close to irl Celeste Mountain.

The idea behind the Archipelago was for a few things. I really wanted the Prologue to embrace the vastness of SJ without pressuring the player to experience every screen of every map. Especially since most players will never even reach the GM Heartside and I want them to be as welcomed as players who intend to 100% everything. An Archipelago is a sum of islands. Each island can be very different from each other but they combine to make a cohesive unit. Kinda like this collab. You also don't have to explore every island in an Archipelago to say that you've experienced it. It also served as a callback to Spring Collab 2020, which this mod is heavily based on. The thing that made SC so special was that the entire modding community got together to make something special, which is the exact same thing SJ was striving to do. So, having similar prologue aesthetics was meant to communicate that sentiment. And it was meant to welcome people who played SC and really enjoyed it.

I also wanted the prologue to tease at the lobbies and maps (maps idea was scrapped because it wouldn't be fair to only tease some maps and trying to tease all of them wouldn't be feasible). Beginner is beach, intermediate is a forest, advanced is a mountainside. These could all theoretically take place in the same physical space as the prologue. Meanwhile expert and gm are beyond the horizon (technically I suggested saying the GM lobby canonically takes place inside the sun but that didn't bite).

This was the final concept art I made for the prologue. Celeste Mountain was included off to the left because I wanted to communicate "you've conquered your mountain now look at all this cool stuff you can do."

After that I made a beta styleground.

The final thing I did was make an animation for the first trailer.

I'm not sure experienced with animation but I wanted to give it a try. This is was the first instance of someone drawing the mountains curved.

After this, life shit happened and I didn't contribute much, so nerferd took over. The way the look evolved was definitely different, but not in a bad way. My style was much more literal and I think the abstract looking islands do a lot to sell the point that these maps aren't meant to inhabit a literal space together. I also like how the underwater berries tease the player a bit (even tho I initially complained about it, seeing ppl play through the prologue first time did a lot to make me understand the decision better). But yeah, SJ Prologue Concept Art.

#celeste strawberry jam

[atolua]

📁 … LUA’S RELATIONSHIPS WITH ATEEZ  !

masterlist !

PARK SEONGHWA ⋆ SEOYUE

and here is the brother that the storks forgot to deliver to lua. despite being very close in age—a mere three day gap—their relationship resembles one of an older brother and his younger sister. which is kinda ironic to think about, given how lua is the older one of the pair, but everyone tends to forget that when they see clips of seonghwa doting over her, only to playfully bat the other members away when they try to get close to her. unless it's another idol, then he'll settle with pouting with woosan until their precious moon is "returned" to them.

KIM HONGJOONG ⋆ A-JOONG

did you really think this would be another sibling type relationship? jokes on you because this is one where the role of mother gets tossed between them. sometimes it's hongjoong who's adding a hearty portion of food onto her plate to make sure she's full and satisfied, regardless of what the haters may see. other times it's lua scolding the leader for staying up too late in his studio before praising him for making another track that deserves to be called song of the year. most of the time, it's just them being wanting the best for each other.

JEONG YUNHO ⋆ 2YU

puppy meets kitten. the end . . . not— lua admits that yunho was one of the two members that truly intimidated her. at first, she used to be cautious around him but after some events (that author may or may not disclose in the future) occurred, their relationship shifted for the better. nowadays, lua is more open to the warm affection that the male glomps her in, and yunho is . . . still yunho. to be fair, he does become even more energetic when lua joins him in the chaos. hm, i wonder why?

KANG YEOSANG ⋆ YEOHUA

don't put them in the same team, part one. everyone knows that yeosang is the type to sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar on his chosen victim member before washing him down with cups of salt. everyone in the group has experienced it— no wait, lua hasn't! not that that's surprising, i mean, why would you do that to your partner? yuppers, the moment someone gives these two the spotlight, you can bet the other members are fleeing for their lives. not that it'll help them but they do them i guess.

CHOI SAN ⋆ YUSAN

greetings to the sus ship! out of all the members, lua has to say that she's closest to san. perhaps it's because he was the first person she befriended after entering kq, and that's right, but there's more to it than that. throughout her journey, he is there to make sure she is comfortable. he's always the first to volunteer to do anything for her, including staying behind with her when she wants to do extra practice. he would call himself her honorary brother but hwa’s got that position so he’ll settle with platonic soulmate.

SONG MINGI ⋆ AUMIN

fun fact: mingi was the one who was afraid of lua. as in, he actually used anything and everything to hide himself from her peripheral view. similar to her relationships with everyone else in the group, spending time as teammates culminated in the two being good friends. now it's no longer shocking to see them cuddle while sleeping in the waiting room or in the dorms. yes, lua knows she has her own bed. no, she will not let go of her hugging pillow named mingi.

JUNG WOOYOUNG ⋆ WOOYUE

wooyue? more like seonghwa's worst nightmare. i kid you not, the moment these two are within a close distance, chills are running all over seonghwa. it's not that them hanging out is a bad thing— no, it is. it's bizarre how lua went from being intimidated by the younger male, to wreaking plenty of havoc with him. we can only guess that's wooyoung's power: influence. (lies, yeosang had to do some intervening so the younger male would stop sulking.)

CHOI JONGHO ⋆ JONGHUA

don't put them in the same team, part two. as the bodyguards of ateez, their physical strength can be very intimidating. the other members prefer to not going against them during games like arm wrestling— you know, for the sake of their health. these two don't need a personal trainer for they rely on each other to do two simple things: point out what must be improved, and hype each other up. plus, the service is free so their wallets are thanking them for that.

lua’s taglist : @stealanity​

#୫ ⋄ … relationships ˖ better an oops than a what if #ateez imagines #ateez scenarios #ateez 9th member #ateez oc #kpop oc #kpop addition #ateez addition #ateez blurbs #kpop blurbs #ateez timestamps #kpop timestamps #ateez female member #ateez additional member #kpop female member #kpop additional member #idol oc

[horse-girl-anthy]

the first time I watched Penguindrum, I remember feeling totally lost and even pissed off watching episode 13. the show takes a turn I was not expecting, and I couldn’t follow what was going on at all. even after other parts of the show started to grow on me, I never could figure out the “Mary-san” story Shoma tells. it felt like such a weird addition because it’s never returned to; I mean sure, you could say it is since it features apples and it introduces the black bunnies, but I felt it stuck out like a sore thumb. here’s the conclusion I’ve finally come to on that scene after long examination.

there’s some obvious things in it. Shoma is placed in the front of the lambs representing the Takakuras, probably the only time in the show he looks like the “pack leader”--this is his point of view, this is the way he interprets things. similar to other characters’ understandings, we can see this as Shoma’s “survival strategy” more than the absolute truth of what’s going on. when before, he was being treated to Ringo’s delusional world, she is now seeing his cursed fate and way of coping with it. I think Shoma’s interpretation is a bit closer to the truth, but his own fatalism, deep-seeded guilt, and belief in karma is reflected in it. 

the core cast of characters are all suffering from the loss of the “apples.” the sunlit garden of Utena and the apples of Penguindrum are both Biblical references which use the Garden of Eden as a metaphor for lost childhood memories/innocence. in Penguindrum, it also has the connotations of sin and punishment. due to the way society is set up, people are isolated, expendable, faced with injustice, and they either never have any connections or their connections are severed by the cruelty of the world. in such conditions, it’s inevitable that people seek to “take back” what they feel, on a deep level, they once had, or could have had if things had been different. but it’s very easy for this tendency to create organizations like the Kiga Group. 

in the story, we are are told that “Mary-san” (who I think is supposed to look like Kenzan Takakura) steals the fire to make up for the loss of the apples. but not only will there have to be a punishment for this action, but also, the fire itself is not the apple. this is shown to be a theft rather than a murder, I think, and also to be a crime with misguided intentions, because of the motivations of Kenzan Takakura. he is being misled by the black bunnies (later shown to be Sanetoshi), and, in his own delusional mind, trying to create peace and prevent children from turning invisible. he is trying to restore humanity to the Garden of Eden by cleansing the world with fire, and he is trying to take back what has been stolen by the greedy who rule society. 

Shoma’s story also explicitly frames Himari’s illness as punishment for the Kiga Group’s actions. this is one of those Ikuhara things where I hesitate to say either way whether this is literal. partially, it is Shoma’s point of view. growing up under the weight of his parents’ crimes, feeling as though Himari never should have gotten caught up in this, realizing that many people will in fact look at them funny if they know who there parents are... it’s not hard to see how he could come to see things that way. also, Japanese culture does, as far as I understand, often tie health to morality, and the idea of generational karma isn’t something Shoma made up. 

at the very least, Himari’s illness is a reminder that the world isn’t fair, and although she’s portrayed as sickly as a young child, her terminal illness set on after her adoptive parents’ crimes were revealed and they left the family. she hsd to quit school, losing her friends and the chance at being in Triple H, and the stress and pain she experienced was enough to make her sick by itself. she is also shown to be a character prone to believing the worst and resigning herself, so she doesn’t have much will to live at times; you could say that she never would have died in the first place if her adoptive parents had been there and not put her in a terrible situation. 

all three of the Takakuras may feel that her illness is a punishment; Kanba posits it in the very first episode. however, the show ultimately decides that framing is a mistake. in fact, it was not dying but living that was the punishment. the characters accept the punishment of living and being family because that is the price of being together. rather than destroy to get rid of sin, Penguindrum says there is no Garden of Eden to return to but each other.

#penguindrum #commentary #maybe the stealing of the fire points to the idea of a 'false sacrifice' as well given the scorpion fire motif

[miyadateryota]

【magazine: popolo, 2021.07】

DateMeme's Snow Meeting

ー english translation by chye

What is your impactful episode together?

ー “Probably Takizawa Kabuki”

❤️: I used to go out and eat with Meguro before. Though, it's not just the two of us, I remember Jesse is always there with us.

🖤: Ah. It's true that there's always someone with us but there's also times where it's just the two of us. It's getting busy these days, which I'm grateful for, but we couldn't find a time for that anymore.

❤️: That's right. I wonder when exactly I became friends with you..?

🖤: Right…

❤️: I guess it's really during Takizawa Kabuki. It's something like, “we stand on the same stage and the rest is history” type of thing.

🖤: Really?

❤️: Yes, that's what I think.

ー “I feel like I've been turned down on my own”

❤️: You see, Meguro has a unique way of inviting people.

🖤: Eh?

❤️: Before, Meguro invited me out to eat and I agreed. So we're going out to dinner, right? Then after that, he said that he had plans with a friend and went home early!

🖤: Ah! Yeah, that happened! (huge laugh)

❤️: I feel like I've been dumped on my own!

🖤: HAHAHAHA!

❤️: He was giving me the impression that he was nervous that I might send him home that day, so I was secretly nervous too. When he's already satisfied (with my reaction), he would just go home, just like that.

🖤: HAHAHA!

❤️: For once, I've experienced the feeling of my excitement suddenly dropping down.

🖤: HAHAHAHA! So nostalgic~!

❤️: The fact that I can still remember it even though it happened a long time ago, the image that it brought me must've been really strong.

🖤: Don't tell me Date-san holds grudge about it…!?

❤️: More like “return my feelings from that day!” (laughs)

🖤: Wah~ I'm really sorry! I am a B-type person, and as they say “Please forgive me because I'm a B-type!”

A/N: he's talking about his blood type. it is said that B-type people are usually carefree and would only do the things they like without considering the whole situation they are in.

Q: How was your relationship with each other?

ー “Anyways, we're similar in both being calm.”

❤️: I would say that both Meguro and I are similar in terms of our calmness? Especially with how little we express our excitement.

🖤: That's right. Even when we appear on TV, we appear as someone who calculates everything while doing a lot of things. It's like we're watching from a different angle.

❤️: We're both the “not rushing forward” type.

🖤: And the atmosphere between us never changes even if we're alone or with anyone.

❤️: You see, my impression of Meguro is that he's very clear about many things. Like he's just being fair and square, and it feels good working alongside him with that attitude.

🖤: That makes me happy!

❤️: Of course there are times where he's confused about things, but his final decisions always go in the right direction. I think it's the result of his efforts within himself, but that judgment of him is very wonderful.

🖤: Eh? That really made me happy! But now that you've talked about judgment, there are many times that we need to make a decision as a group, right? In those moments, Date-san would just quietly look over us but would also fight when we needed to fight together. He gives off such unique vibes.

❤️: Really?

🖤: But maybe, the fact that Date-san would give off such vibe is what makes it easy to be in the group.

❤️: Thank you very much! (smiles)

ー “I wish you would fix that attitude that makes you look like you're bored (laughs)”

❤️: But there's just one thing I would like to say about Meguro. He has his own timing, and it gives off ‘I'm bored’ vibes.

🖤: AHAHAHAHA!

❤️: That's something I would like for him to fix. But of course, it's also important to have such “pause” within himself. Maybe it's just the same as what I said earlier about him being clear.

🖤: Do I have something I want Date-san to fix within himself…? No, I can't think of any.

❤️: I'm glad. (laughs)

🖤: (laughs) But it's also amazing how I can't think of any even though we've been together for quite a period of time.

❤️: You're right.

🖤: But like, I'm just wondering. Maybe that's probably because we keep a good distance between us as members.

❤️: Oh, I see.

🖤: But as I thought, our current relationship is the best for us. So, if I were to describe our relationship with each other, the best and most accurate word I could think of is “Co-member”.

Q. If you were to make a combi name, what would it be?

ー “It's easy to understand and remember.”

❤️: Our combi name… what would it be?

🖤: Simply “DateMeme” would suffice right?

❤️: Yes! Since it's easier to understand and remember.

🖤: Right, right. I thought it would be nice to have something easier to remember when someone decided to read this page.

❤️: And that would be, “Date and Meme” (Date to Meme)

🖤: It sounds like a title of a picture book (laughs)

❤️: Haha!

ー “What's hidden and public are both emotional!”

❤️: I heard that there's a talk around that says they want to see a two-shot of us.

🖤: Ah! That's right!

❤️: I've been hearing about it for some time now, and I'm grateful for it. It's a good sign that they express their willingness (to have us interviewed together).

🖤: Right. It's nice to know that we're in demand. I hope that together with Date-san, we can continue to have this kind of relationship with everybody.

❤️: But don't you think that what's hidden and public are both emotional? It's like a phantom you can't seem to reach!

🖤: Right! (laughs) For me, I've always felt like my relationship with Date-san was simply just a senior-junior. But recently, it seems like it disappeared, of course in a good way!

❤️: Oh??

🖤: I am not sure if it's completely gone, but I really feel like it's gradually disappearing. I couldn't put it into words properly, but I felt like I'm finally one of his “co-member”. I felt like we're finally friends.

❤️: I see.

🖤: We've done Takizawa Kabuki and various other jobs as a group, and we've all gone through hardships together. Maybe it's all thanks to that (that I can finally feel this way).

❤️: Originally, I didn't really see Meguro from that senior-junior relationship angle. But still, it's not enough that we're just getting along with each other alright.

🖤: Yeah.

❤️: Besides, we all have the same visions and goals and we're heading in the same direction. As long as we're connected that way, I think we're all good.

🖤: You're right! As I thought, the secret to keeping a group running for a long time is everyone just being all natural.

❤️: Right!

🖤: I don't want to stress myself when I'm in Snow Man as a group. I also don't want other members to feel stressed when they're in the group. In that sense, I think I found a good and safe distance with Date-san.

#snow man #datememe #snow man translations #meguro ren #miyadate ryota

[rrasado]

Headcanon request for Genshin (Beidou) please?

(Platonic because reader is a small child)

One particularly starless night, the Crux encounters the ghost of a young kid. They rigidly stumble across the planks into the captain’s cabin, leaving the crew in a state of silence.

“H-Hey...” They whisper, their tiny voice seemingly echoing in the cold air. ”You probably d-don’t know me, b-but when I died at sea... whatever that means... I wasn’t scared. I think it’s b-because you were strong, so I was strong too...”

Then they fade away, but the entire ship felt as if it housed one more guest that evening.

• Lightning Catches What Mist Can't Hide •

The sample you wrote was wonderfully written anon-san I'm partially biased to angst laced requests like these 👁. Liyue is filled with its fair share of unmoving souls and we can only wonder where they lay without their mortal body.

⚠️ Mentions of Alcohol ⚠️

The Captain of the Crux, with a ghostly passenger:

As questionable as the Crux fleet is, no one can deny Beidou’s character. Merchants and common folk share an honest perception of her, the Liyue Qixing do feel a similar stance when regarding the Captain of the Crux.

Out of them all, her crew are the most loyal when singing praises to Haishan's slayer. During her perilous battle against a grand monster of the sea, the Crux Fleet savored the last time they'll ever hear her sing her shanty, the one she wholeheartedly vocalized until the horizon showed the first peaks of dawn.

But to someone else, this shanty was not merely a requiem for veteran sailors. It was like a lighthouse amidst the unforgiving waves, at least that's what the young child thought of it as.

So when Beidou one day looks up from her desk in her cabin to a translucent visage, it felt like a reminder of the dimmer aspect of her duties. She does take the time to observe them, she's had her fair share of restless beings that her greatsword can vouch for, but if it's someone that her crew were silently observing beyond the door- she was leaning on peaceful when approaching them.

Their revelation caused a stir in her chest, no matter how many times she's experienced transgression it still tugged at her feelings whenever she witnesses its hidden threads among the fickle waves. And with the amount of times she's faced a foe among the hydrological terrain she can only guess which battle the young child breathed their final breathe at.

"You're a tough one then, that sort of bravery can take some people years before they can even grasp its true meaning. But a lil' bud like you utilized it in the moment...and I greatly respect that"

Even when she can't actually touch your head, the sentiment came through. It's not often that she gets the honor of sending someone off in a peaceful sense like this, it felt...assuring in a way. To know that Beidou's labor amounted to something, one that isn't exactly like the fame and glory of being Liyue's Uncrowned Lord of the Ocean rather, as the benevolent captain who grew up knowing the pains of having no one to clutch onto during a time of hardship.

That night, dinnertime resumes as usual save for the extra serving of grilled tiger fish sitting at the crow's nest, a plate she personally placed herself in hopes that you'd be able to have a hearty meal, sights of a sea that wasn't anything like the unforgiving waves you passed away on but rather a tranquil plane of blue reflecting the string of stars hanging above.

Did you ever experience lantern rite? Had you ever seen snow capped peaks from the horizon where the sun would hit them in way that made them look like freshly mined Cor lapis? Have you ever seen the sky as a mirage of Celestial wonders instead of the murky storm clouds that blocked your hopes of life that day? These thoughts were peacefully laid down when she took a good chug of cold beer next to the plate of food.

The cold chill that passed by after she began making her way down to deck was comforting rather than shivering. From then on the Alcor's sails had expanded in greater shape, receiving the fleeting closure of your will as you soon became the presence that reminds the Crux fleet to always look upwards when the cold water submerged themselves.

Your will's presence is what kept them sober with hope compared to the drunken chants they hale in the dead of night. Sharing a round of memories they wish to make more of, knowing they've been spared the blessing of a longer life. To live for those who wish to live as them was a principal not many follow but the Crux Fleet welcomes it with open arms. Fists were raised high in the air in honor of the fallen, in honor of your recollection of bravery when everyone else was admittedly ready to face death in the eye. You were but a small part but you were what reignited the seamen's love for life. To Beidou, a reminder meant to be held close.

"We take what's changeable into our grasp, and strive forward with our heads held high, never loose sight of the sky beyond that godforsaken storm!"

#Moon Caffeine #Eclipse with no Milk #Tastes from Teyvat #genshin impact #genshin impact writing #genshin impact headcanons #genshin impact beidou #genshin beidou #beidou

[mapsoffun]

Our last day in San Juan was a bit goofy, weather-wise--I was able to get my morning swim in, but I kept my eye to the sky because the clouds overhead kept looking like they were fixing to start raining at any moment. Fortunately, I was finishing up just as the drops were starting to fall, and I had moved my stuff from my chair to the overhang where the towels were so nothing that couldn’t get wet was affected.

The rain did let up so we walked over to Birra House, a favorite from our first visit, though we made the unfortunate mistake of forgetting our umbrellas because while we were there, it started pouring. I took my time with my chicharon-crusted calamari and seaweed salad (so good), and we had an extra beer while we hoped for the rain to let up somewhat, which it eventually did. 

In all fairness, the forecast was calling for rain for the entire week and this was really the only precipitation we experienced, so we felt pretty fortunate given that it was mid-late September and hurricane season has been thankfully pretty quiet.

#travel #travel photography #san juan #condado #condado san juan #birra house #food #travel food

[workers-compensation1]

3 Workers’ Compensation Myths That You Should Know

Workers’ compensation is an important part of any business’s plan for reducing risks. It gives workers a way to seek compensation if they get hurt on the job.

Workers’ compensation insurance is usually handled by a third-party carrier, which pays out claims and defends the insured if a claim is made against them. However, it is common for businesses to self-insure, which means they take responsibility for all injuries that happen at work. For this to happen, employers must always keep a certain amount of money in their workers’ compensation accounts.

Due to how popular workers’ compensation is, there are many myths about how it works. So, the goal of this article is to bust some of the workers’ compensation myths that are out there. Even though many of these things are true, they are not always true, which can cause confusion and even lawsuits.

Myth #1

I can get workers’ compensation on top of any health or disability benefits from my employer.

Fact: With the exception of regular payments or medical attention, you won’t be able to get any additional benefits on top of what your employer’s plan or the insurance company gives you.

Myth #2

Workers’ compensation is not available to people who only work part-time.

Fact: If you are a traditional worker and get hurt on the job, even if you only work part-time, you almost always have access to a workers’ compensation system through your employer’s insurance policy. If you get hurt on the job, and your company doesn’t have workers’ compensation, you can still sue your employer to pay for your medical care and other benefits.

Myth #3

I don’t need a lawyer to help with my Workers’ Compensation claim.

Fact: When you need money because of an injury at work, the best way to get as much money as possible is to hire an experienced lawyer.

Lawyers at an emergency rate, which is capped in many states, handle workers’ compensation claims. You can be sure that you will only pay a portion of your financial settlement if your lawyer can get you the benefits you deserve.

To ensure you get all the benefits you are legally entitled to, you must not only file correctly but also make sure your employer or their insurance company doesn’t try to end your benefits early. If you get hurt at work, you may be entitled to fair compensation, but getting that money without the help of a lawyer can be like trying to get water out of a rock.

Conclusion

At San Gabriel Valley, our lawyers have been helping people who have been hurt on the job for years. We’ve dealt with claims in many different fields and will do everything we can to protect your rights. Call [phone] to get a free review.

#workerscompensation #lawyer #myths #workerscompensationmyths

[itgirlspectacle]

What makes the “it” girl?

While each of these women have led different lives, their are some commonalities that run through this list. Just to name a few:

Sex appeal

Air of mystery

Eye-catching fashion sense

Wealth

Affinity for rich, successful men

Tragic past and/or scandal

Nepotism

Defiance

Effortless Confidence

Not every girl has all of these attributes, but they each have at least three of them. A few of these present a chicken or egg type situation such, as scandal and wealth. Even when listing all of these similarities out, I’m still not convinced that there are definite requirements for being “it” girl, and I suppose that’s the point. We don’t know why we like them so much, we just do. 

Throughout this exhibition of it girls, you can gain a glimpse at how society has evolved and with it, expectations for women. The differences between these girls speak volumes about this evolution. The biggest differences occur between the 50s and 60s, aligning with the rise of second-wave feminism. During this period, we saw the “it” girl shift from a rich, fashionable socialite to working singers, actresses, and models. Most of our early socialites either quit their jobs after getting married or never had a job in the first place. This switch to career girls, even if they are very glamorous careers, exemplifies western cultures’ acceptance of women moving back into the workforce. Notably, second-wave feminism focuses on middle-class white women, largely neglecting the oppression that women of color face. However, the civil rights movement, which started before second-wave feminism, is also reflected in our compilation of “it” girls. In the 1960’s Black women were making their appearance in mainstream culture and they aren’t confined to being the butt of the joke and upholding racist stereotypes. Diana Ross, the extremely talented singer, Grace Jones, a striking model and genre-bending musician, Iman, and Naomi Campbell, top supermodels, reflect how Black women are being recognized for their talents instead of being meant to uphold white women. These women still experienced racism and discrimination in their careers, however, they provided an underrepresented group with iconic, lasting “it” girls to look to as well. 

These differences beg the question, who will be our upcoming “it” girls and how has society and culture changed our “it” girls. And as I’m still not sure on what makes an “it” girl, I don’t know. I think that it’s fair to say that with the evolution of technology and social media, our expectations for femininity and stardom have changed. With the rise of the influencer, virtually anyone has the capacity to become an “it” girl. You don’t have to be rich or talented, you just have to have access to social media and fit into beauty standards, conventional or unconventional. Since anyone can gain a following, your audience on social media are even called “followers”, I think we are going to see an increase in our “it” girls. We aren’t going to be limited to what tv, movies, and magazines show us. We can find  “it” girl qualities in a girl from San Francisco that started uploading videos about her life to Youtube (Emma Chamberlain). Only time will tell who has lasting “it” girl status as technology leads to culture’s rapidly changing trends and expectations.

[w-ht-w]

Tell your friends you love them while they’re still alive

I’ve been thinking about mortality a lot this week. Not in an “I’m afraid to die” sort of way, but more in a “Wow, how lucky are we that we were given this blink of eternity in which to feel anything in a cold and emotionless cosmos?”

I’ve been thinking of the impermanence of permanent things. How can someone be here one minute, and then not the next? And be physically gone, but more present than ever before?

In the age of modern medicine, most of us will make it to our thirties without having experienced the passing of a friend. Our personal experience with death is often relegated to funerals for older relatives. So when I found out this week Alex had passed, it hit me really hard.

We hadn’t talked much in the last two years. When I first learned he was ill, my reaction vacillated between angry and sad. Angry that someone who brings so much life and joy and happiness to this world, who knew how to be more fully present in any moment than just about anyone else I’d ever met, wasn’t going to be with us much longer. I felt sad I had let our friendship wither. I felt sad that someone who really shaped my San Francisco experience was never going to know just how much he meant to me.

So his friend suggested I write a letter to tell him. Texts and emails and calls require an acknowledgment, a response—and taking time to respond to a past acquaintance isn’t a good use of limited energy. So I wrote a letter instead (parts of which I’ll share below).

And then I thought: I shouldn’t wait until a friend is dying to tell them what they mean to me. None of us should. And I know everyone says “tell people how much you love them at the moment,” and that’s fine and true and great. But I challenge us all to write letters more often. I still have cards and letters that people send me and it lifts my spirits to re-read them when I have a terrible day.

Snippets from a letter, to a friend who is dying:

Hi Alex,

It’s been some time. Sometimes, friendships grow apart. Sometimes, I hate that they do. You’re one of those friendships I miss.

I’ve grown up a lot in the last 12 months. I’d imagine you have, too, whether you wanted to or not. I think I’ve finally found the confidence in my opinions, desires, and voice that you always knew was there, and let go of the things that no longer serve me. San Francisco is home now — in each and every moment — but the first time I felt truly in awe of the city and that I had made the right choice in coming here was with you, actually.

...

Whether you realized it or not, you shaped a large part of my San Francisco experience. There’s only a handful of people I can say that about. I didn’t see it at the time, but looking back, it’s impossible to miss. I think about you often, actually — more so during football season, of course :) But often. I should’ve been more persistent in reaching out. There’s a lot of things we can say we should’ve done. For me, there’s not a lot of things I can say I regret. I regret that.

And now to the thing I want to dance around, to pretend isn’t real, that’s been on my mind all day since I found out last night: This isn’t fair, plain and simple.

This hurts.

You are the glue to so many circles. Your sense of adventure buoys ours. Your generosity encourages others. Your guidance helps us make better choices. Your silliness reminds us to laugh. You lead by example.

You’ve done more in 36 years than most could do in multiple lifetimes. You are blessed, and you are loved.

Once you’re recovered and feeling like your old self, let’s get a beer. I’m buying.

Thank you.

1. https://www.yourtango.com/2017308646/tell-friends-you-love-them-while-theyre-still-alive

#death