#I mean a person of colour is just as capable of not knowing a fact or of misinterpreting something as anyone else lol
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there's this tendency amongst white people to, when criticised for colonialist or otherwise racist logic, explain what they meant, as though the criticism arises from a misunderstanding caused by the ignorance of the critic. and I gotta say. assuming ignorance on the part of a person of colour is not helping you beat the racism allegations.
#I mean a person of colour is just as capable of not knowing a fact or of misinterpreting something as anyone else lol#but I'm talking about cases where it was not a misunderstanding but the white person in question has merely failed or refused#to understand the basis of the criticism#bonus points if the 'explanation' in question must be a lie because it would make what they said meaningless or incoherent#metablogging#racism
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Hi! I was wondering if you could help me out with a word I've forgotten? I'm trying to remember the name for a concept that (I think) talks about how people better understand or process Things once they have vocabulary to describe it - I've heard it talked about in regards to the colour orange, or coercive control, etc.
long story short i've just read a paper saying ancient Greeks and Romans weren't racist bc they had no word for racism and am trying to form an argument against!
(no worries if this is unanswerable, i'm aware its a bit of a long shot but you struck me as a person who Knows Things)
That’s extremely kind and funny of you. i don’t know much but i am ok at synthesis.
I think you might be thinking of the concepts loosely called the “Sapir-Whorf hypothesis”, which describes something called “linguistic determinism.” This idea has been “disproven”, as it is just too reductionist as a concept - people are clearly perfectly capable of having experiences that are tough to describe with words. There will be plenty of papers showing how this reasoning is applied.
but it is still commonly thrown around and still considered a useful teaching framework. That’s why you’ll see it referenced online as if it is fresh, new, and applicable - people learn about it every year in college. Also, elements of the framework are probably perfectly sound. It definitely seems to be the case that language shapes brains; it just doesn’t seem to be the case that humans who don’t have specific words for them can’t experience orange, or the future.
(Many things in college are taught using teaching frameworks that may not be, technically, true; the framework is intended to give a critical structure for interpreting information. Then, when we later find evidence that disproves the hypothesis, that single piece of information doesn’t destroy our expensive college education; what we paid for is the framework. This is mostly frustrating in the sciences, when fresh crops of undergraduate students crash around on social media, grappling with their first exposure to (complex concept) and how it’s DIFFERENT to what they learned BEFORE and their teachers LIED TO EVERYBODY and they’re going to save the world from POP SCIENCE by telling the TRUTH. You’ll notice that these TOTALLY NEW INFORMATION reveals map along the semester schedule. The thing here is that getting new information, or information being different from what you were previously told, does not cancel out the fact that you are getting what you pay for - an education. Learning new facts that change our relationships to hypotheses isn’t a ✨huge betrayal ✨ , but the expected process of academia. Anyway.)
You have an interesting response here, and can start by looking at the ways that Sapir-Whorf has been disproved. There will be loads of literature on that.
However, it would be interesting to look at the argument as an unpicking of the other side’s rather weird, ritualistic superstitious belief that a behavior doesn’t exist if the creatures doing it can’t describe it. It is not on the ancient Greeks and Romans to categorise and interpret their behavior for a modern educated audience. They do not have the wherewithal to do so. They are also fucking dead. We can name the behaviors we see, and describe their impacts, however the hell we like.
Sure, the ancient Greeks used “cancer” to refer to lumpy veiny tumors. We can infer that they still had blood cancer, because their medical texts describe leukaemia and their corpses have evidence of it - they just didn’t know it was cancer. But we do, so we can call it cancer. Just because Homer said “the wine-dark sea” in a flight of girlish whimsy doesn’t mean he was unable to distinguish grape juice from saltwater, which we know, because we can observe that he was an intelligent wordsmith perfectly capable of talking about wine and oceans in other contexts. We are the people who get to stand at our point of history with our words, and name things like “this person probably died of leukaemia” and “poets say things that aren’t necessarily literal” and “this behaviour was racist” and “that’s gay” and “togas kinda slay tho” despite Ancient Greeks having different concepts of cancer, wittiness, prejudice, homosexuality, and slaying than we do today.
Now just to caveat that people do get muddled about the concept of racism. Our understanding of racism from here - this point of history, with these words, probably from the West - is heavily influenced by how we see racism around us today: white supremacy and the construct of “whiteness,” European colonial expansion, transatlantic chattel slavery, orientalism, evangelism, 20th century racial science, and so on. This is the picture of racism that really dominates our current discourse, so people often mistake it for the definition of racism. (Perhaps in a linguistic-deterministic sort of way after all.) As a result, muddled-up people often say things like “I can’t be racist because I’m not a white American who throws slurs at black American people,” while being an Indian person in the UK who votes for vile anti-immigration practices, or a Polish person with a horrible attitude about the Roma. Many people genuinely hold this very kindergarten idea of racism; if your opponent does as well, they’re probably thinking something like “Ancient Greek and Roman people didn’t have a concept of white supremacy, because whiteness hadn’t been invented yet, so how could they be racist?” And that’s unsound reasoning in a separate sense.
Racism as the practice of prejudice against an ethnicity, particularly one that is a minority, is a power differential that is perfectly observable in ancient cultures. The beliefs and behaviors will be preserved in written plays, recorded slurs, beauty standards, reactions to foreign marriages, and travel writing. The impacts will be documented in political records, trade agreements, the layouts of historical districts of ancient towns.
You don’t need permission to point out behaviours and impacts. You can point them out in any words you like. You can make up entirely new words to bully the ancient romans with. You are the one at this point of history and your words are the ones that get used.
Pretending that “words” are some kind of an intellect-obscuring magical cloud in the face of actual evidence is just a piece of sophistry (derogatory) on the part of your opponent here. It’s meant to be a distraction. You can dismiss this very flimsy shield pretty quickly and get them in the soft meat of them never reading anything about the actual material topic, while they’re still looking up dictionary definitions or whatever.
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here’s a thought experiment: describe someone with naturally curly red-hair without “”reducing”” them to their hair colour.
You could say, “someone who has naturally red, curly hair,” or “a natural redhead with curly hair,” or “someone whose hair grows in from the root red and curly”, right?
Th actual definition of redhead: A person with red hair, A person having red hair.
The actual definition of curly: Having curls. (of hair) having curls or waves. A person or animal with curly hair.
But oops! That’s clearly reductive, my good sir. Don’t you know there is more to someone than their hair colour? By calling someone or yourself a redhead, you are clearly reducing them or yourself to hair! You are so obsessed with hair— what if they straighten and dye their hair? What if all their hair falls out and they get a condition where it can’t grow back???
Are you with me so far?
Because these are like, a biological fact, right? I mean, you can straighten or curl your hair, you can dye it different colours, but the roots will probably stay the same.
It’s not a perfect analogy, so let’s try again: describe someone with brown eyes without “reducing” them to their eye colour.
“Someone who has brown eyes,” or perhaps “Someone who naturally has brown eyes”— well, what about the people who don’t have brown eyes anymore because they lost an eye and only have one? You’re not including everyone in the definition— what if they lost both eyes? What if they get glass eyes that are brown but originally had green eyes, or vice versa? Does that mean they have brown eyes or green eyes? Why are you reducing them to their eyes? That’s a person, buddy. It’s completely reductive to acknowledge the fact they have eyes in the first place.
It’s “reductive” to say female means capable of producing eggs/having a uterus/having a vagina/having an X chromosome without the presence of a Y/having two X chromosomes, in the same way it’s “reductive” to say “human beings are born with two arms.”
Is that always the case? No! Some people are born with one arm, or even none. But are humans not supposed to be born with arms just because some aren’t? Is it “excluding” people without arms to say humans naturally have arms?
Biology is not reductive, it’s a fact.
#mim’s ramblings#radical feminists do touch#radical feminist safe#radical feminists do interact#radical feminism#I don’t know if this even makes sense
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Determination! (Platonic)
Warning for this chapter: fisher tigers part is much more serious. It’s talks of slavery and while it isnt too graphic it does included a lot of mature themes. If that makes you uncomfortable please skip over it
You find that your dreams are very disjointed
Granted, you normally don’t dream at all
It’s typically just empty blackness as you fall into unconsciousness and then back into the waking world
But when you do have a dream every once in a blue moon
It’s…odd
Even for Dream standards you think their somewhat odd
The voices of those long past that you’d met cheering you on
Flashes of multicoloured sparks
The endless expanse of space as you stare at a star
It’s an old one, a dying one
Your not sure how you know that information yet you do
And you watch it die with sparkling eyes
It implodes on itself
Creating a massive explosion of light and energy that dispersed throughout the galaxy
Bright white light shattering into every colour imaginable into the void of space
The energy going in every corner of the universe
A supernova
Your not sure how you know that word but it comes into your mind
Perhaps it hasn’t even been invented yet because you know for a fact that knowledge on stars was vastly limited
Yet that doesn’t stop you from knowing knowledge you never knew before
You reach out towards the remnants of the dead star in a trance
The cheers of the dead yelling “stay determined!”
You open your mouth to eat the star shards
And then you wake up
How curious
Sun Pirates
In your time adrift at the endless sea you had come across many people of many races
Humans, odd winged people, mermaids, devil fruit users, marines and pirates
So it doesn’t come as a surprise when you come across a group of fishmen sailing the sea
They all look over deck at you with a mixture of expressions
Some worry, others pity and some with conflict
But as they all watch a Fishman with rose red skin, a tattoo of a sun on his chest and black hair tied back with a bandanna
He ushers them aside to look Down at you from what you assume to be his ship
“Hi! Do any of you know what part of the sea I’m in?. I think it’s the north blue? But I’m not sure. You’d think with the amount of time I’ve been afloat I’d be able to tell but-“
“Kid are you alone?!”
“Do you see anyone else on this ship?”
You don’t have much of a choice before your brought upon their ship
To their surprise though your not scared?
In fact you seem rather amused at the predicament your in
One that would usually leave normal people scared shitless
But it’s easy for the entire crew to tell your not a normal kid
Especially as you seem to find interest in what type of marine animals each member is
Even more so when you ask about how the capabilities/features of said marine animal
It’s…odd how knowledgeable you are despite your young age
And when they ask about it you just say “I know from experiences on the sea”
Like the fuck is that supposed to mean when your talking about the dangerous venom of the stonefish
They are worried
Like real worried
Some are still off put by the fact your a human but with how your talking the mixture of shock and concern overpower it
God they never thought they’d be fretting over a human but when you talk in visceral odd detail about how sharks occasionally eat people when desperate or confusing them for other prey
It’s a bit freaky
Doesn’t help that it’s oddly specific which makes it seem much more personal
And how you explain all these facts with a completely wide smile not noticing how their all horrified
Their captain Fisher tiger is especially worried when he questions you about how you ended up alone at sea in the first place
He keeps pressing you on the matter but always gets the same response of “I set out to sea and haven’t looked back” and “I’m not sure if my island exists anymore. It’s not like anyone would remember me, I’ve been gone for such a long time”
That implies so much and at the same time is very vague
This poor man is a few migraines away from bashing his head against a wall
But other than that and the worry he finds you to be an interesting kid
While watching you interact with his crew he notices that you treat them all as regular people
You don’t make snide comments nor do you go off of stereotypes to categorize them
Instead you see them as their own individual people
People who were owed respect no matter their race or appearance
And even when a few aren’t exactly the most friendly towards you your respect
Giving them space as you see their uncomfortable
For a kid your emotionally aware in a way that even most adults can’t compare
You can tell if someone has deep rooted trauma and don’t push the subject
Going out of your way not to bring up bad memories associated with humans if your presence did so
There were seemingly no bad feelings about it either
Just pure understanding in your eyes from possible personal experience
Even when he harbours hate for you it’s brushed off as seemingly nothing personal
When your not conversing your quietly helping around
Somehow knowing how to raise the sails and properly clean the deck
Never telling anyone of your deeds and just doing them to help out
It’s clear by how organic it is for you that your used to doing it
Yet your own …”ship” is something more akin to a poorly put together raft
Everything about you is odd
And for a long while he isn’t sure if that’s good or bad
Fisher is a man haunted by the actions inflicted upon him
A shared trauma among all his people from humans
He does not discriminate when rescuing slaves but he still has his own afflictions towards humans
The actions of them still on his skin and baring his soul
Yet he allows you on his ship despite it
Because he knows your a child
Someone who had not harmed him nor his people
Someone who’s innocent to the horrors of the world
To the harm done by your race
He grapples with his own hated for you because of something you cannot pick
He feels guilty and horrible for it
Yet the look in your eyes says that you understand him somehow
And that makes him feel worse
A child should not understand hatred from others
Let alone understand why he feels hatred towards them
And then also accept it with such empathy
it hurts
he's reminded of the guards who used to sneer at him for being who he was
you feel no sadness due to his gaze
only kindness as you do your best to avoid him
in some sense you understand why he gazes at you that way
you can't blame him, not when you yourself had been victim of the abuse of your own kind
looked down upon as dirt
seen as lesser
what hurts worse though is that you can't solely blame one group like he and some of his men can do
your human and your hurt by other humans
maybe it's worse in some aspects
it's why you give an understanding look in your eyes despite his occasional glare
Jinbe is perhaps the one you spend the most time with on the ship other than Hatchan
There is apprehension at first but what follows after a short period of time is kindness
Your just a kid
One not guilty for the crimes of others
He can’t blame someone’s actions on you
Especially when your nothing but respectful to them all despite their hesitation due to your race
He reminds you of a gentle giant which is fitting with what marine animal he’s acquainted to
Most times spent with him are ones where he listens to your words
Finding interest and intrigue in your stories and facts of the sea
It seems far fetched a child experienced all this but the look in your eyes says it’s true
The small mementos that hang on your form like hand woven bracelets, necklaces of shells and shark teeth, a coat befit for a captain hanging on your shoulders and bandana tied around your forehead to keep your hair tangled with pearls back
Their all signs that somehow your tales are true
As amazing and horrifying as they seem their true
And it leaves him feeling anxious
Your a good kid
Maybe one of the best he’s met so far and seeing the wear and tear on you hits him hard
You put up a smile and bare through whatever someone throws your way
Never once speaking back unless your standing up for someone besides yourself
It’s admirable but he sees how it has worn you down
Once upon a time he can imagine you smiling out of actual joy
And now it’s a mechanism for you to write off your pain
Your selfless to a fault
And on the sea people take advantage of that
But perhaps you already experienced that
And it leaves Jinbe’s stomach swirling with unease
He frets over you like a mother hen when you throw all regard for safety away and when you get something simple like a paper cut cause he knows either way you won’t care to tend to your own wounds
He honestly at the point wonders if this is what being a mother feels like
But he can’t contemplate that long cause Arlong is being a dick once again
Tension with him was high before but now Jinbe has half the mind to knock him square in the jaw if he kicks you again
And now he has half the mind to shake some sense into you when you walk it off
God he needs some sort of therapist cause he does not know how to help you beyond being protective and patching you up
It’s obvious that your hurt beyond repair on the inside
The times he’s found you just simply staring off towards the sea with a dead look in your eyes is a testament to that
A call of longing in long gone innocent eyes that still retain kindness despite it all
In those moments he just sits by your side and holds you
You grasp him like a lifeline
Something anchoring you down to reality as your mind makes you remember
He tells stories of fishmen island to distract you
He noticed though that when he tells of the promise to fishmen island from joyboy something in your eyes light up
Sparkles of light within them that dance but then fizzle away after a moment along with a shiver gliding down his back for some reason
He writes it off though
Just going back to his tales
It’s under yet another moon lit night you end up staring out at sea again
Memories of the past swirling in your mind like a hurricane
You can’t help it
Not after being reminded of one life you particularly didn’t like
You didn’t mean to overhear Fisher and Jinbe but it just happened
The captain of the crew talking about his time as a slave
The horror inflicted upon him at the hands of humans
You just keep staring out at the water
Burying yourself deeper into your subconscious trying to escape
But you can’t
Too distracted by the memories that you don’t even notice the two coming out the captains quarters to find you
Vacantly staring out at sea
Your staring out at the water
A deep empty stare
Darkness swirling in your irises
Occasionally you twitch, a jolt of imaginary pain burning your back once more
You sometimes still feel the pain of the brand that luckily now doesn’t haunt your skin
You hadn’t felt it in a long while until you realized after hearing him talk the tattoo of the sun on him was his brand covered up
It served as some sort of trigger
The memories came flooding back
The pain
The torture
The screams
The death
The rot
The overwhelming plea for death in a hell that became a limbo realm
Your hands trace the symbol on the wood lightly
Every couple of months (or maybe years? Your not sure) these thoughts and memories came up
It’s a normal cycle for you
Yet now they hit harder after seeing his tattoo
Cause it makes you think of them
Of the 3 sisters, the names of you never got as your mind makes the effort to forget what you experienced
Up until now you always had the worry of forgetting
You had been alive for a long time
so much so that your memories are inconsistent and blur together
Yet your time as a slave is something clear in your head that you wish erase
To wipe clean from your mind and bury
Yet you can’t will yourself to forget them
Because of those 3 girls you’d befriended over scraps of dry bread
Of the shared pain that was all understood from the four of you
Crying silently together while huddled in the dark
Cleaning one another’s bruises
The eldest girl of the bunch holding you one night when noticing your shivering form, the other two following in the action of huddling around you
A budding friendship formed from barely any words but silent understanding and conversations though looks
You can’t abandon their memory even if it’s attached to other ones you wished to bleach from your mind
It’s there staring into the darkened water you mutter 2 words that had been erased from your mind out of fear
“Celestial dragons”
The words are spat out like a curse yet your tone is full of emptiness
It’s something only someone affected by them could say in such a tone
Perhaps that’s why Fisher now looks at you with realization
“You…you were one too?”
“Yeah, it…I think it was a couple years back, I’m not sure though. The passage of time is hard for me to notice anymore, it all blurs together. Hell I can barely remember my life before the sea, I know I had parents and then they died but…I can’t remember their faces. Anyways, I was captured and sold, ended up in some dungeon.” For a moment you pause going over your memories as you pinch your chin in thought, the way you speak about it is nonchalant yet holds a lot of untold weight “it’s a blur of pain, I remember it specifically on my back. I try to limit how clear it is cause I don’t specifically like remembering it. There were these 3 girls though, sisters who all ended up in the same cell as me. We found kinship in our situation, I gave them the scraps of food I got since they needed it more than me.”
“Do you know what happened to them?” At hearing this you turn to Jinbe, a solemn expression crossing your face as an answer
“Not sure. I…like to hope that their ok, that they found their way back home” your tone is anything but hopeful, cracking with gloom that’s evident in your eyes “but hoping is all I can do. I wished for death when I was there, hoping they’d just finish me off so I could move on. At some point though I began to hope, those 3 girls needed someone there for them and I hoped I could remain just for them”
“Why’d you escape then?”
“I didn’t have choice.”
“What do you mean? That doesn’t really make sense”
They watch as an odd look forms in your eyes
They sparkle with unknown mystery
Something old and sentimental
Something ancient despite the young face you have
“Can you keep a secret?”
They look at one another for a moment
A silent conversation between the two
Jinbe is the one who nods first, your gaze then shifting to Fisher who takes a moment to look at you
He never noticed it till now but your eyes have something about them that…seems inhuman
For a second he swears he even sees stars sparkle in them
Great big shining stars that light the night sky’s and allow sailors to navigate the treacherous seas they love and call home
Stars that when he looks at reminds him of his freedom
Of not staring at the ceiling of a cage
Stars he wished to grasp at back in the days he wore shackles
Stars that for some reason now seemed to shine brighter, as if mirroring your resolve
He nods, watching a moment of vulnerability shine through eyes that look blank for a child
Eyes that have seen horrors
Eyes that had lost their twinkle of innocence yet still retain childlike charm in viewing the world
Eyes that sparkle of something ancient and old, residing in the depths of your irises like a great deity in the void of the night sky
“Have you heard about a star that never dies?” And so you begin your tale
By the time your done your tale they both sit there in silence
A deafening and choking silence that grips at you like the old collar of rusting steel or ball and chain that used to be attached to your leg
A sign of having your freedom weighed down
Locked away
You had once tried to break that leg but the girls stopped you
The eldest of them crying for you to stop
So you did
You watch them both stay in silence
And then see the tears line their eyes
And then they crumble like a cracked heart
Jinbe falling first as he grips you
Strong and battle-worn hands now soft and gentle
Afraid that you’d fade away
Afraid what would happen if he let go
It’s what you expected from him
But then You look to Fisher and find him in a similar state much to your surprise, if not he might be even worse than how Jinbe is handling what you told
Pure grief in his eyes
Regret
Pain
Solidarity
Familiarity
And most of all empathy
It pours out from him like his tears
Like a waterfall with never ending raging water crashing down onto the rocks
it’s loud and passionate
Covers up the internal screams of the past latching back onto him, into the lingering scars
Stinging Pain sinking back into those same spots like the angry gnashing claws of a beast
He’s hurting
But so are you
Your hurting together through shared experiences and ones he could never wish to experience
Jinbe holds you for a long while
Time melts away as do the phantom pains of those long past days
You hold him back
The soft material of his yukata pulling you in even further
Warmth
Comfort
Understanding
And your unspoken words of ‘thank you’ to his of ‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry’
You let time melt away a little more as they find themselves once more
“Why did you tell us this?” Fisher asks this with tears still falling down his face. Jinbe holds you close, webbed hand behind your head as he pulls you closer. You hear the waves lapping at the boat and the beats of his heart, it thumps like a drum. Rhythmically helping your equally torn apart emotions.
“I heard you talking about your experience. I thought it’s fair that I do the same” it’s said in such a simple manner that it makes the two fishmen reel back in shock for the third time in a night. It’s said in such sincerity and innocence, as if that was something normal “an equal exchange,If you will”
The crew watch on in confusion the next morning at the expression of thinking Fisher has on his face
Along with the clear signs of crying that Jinbe and him hold
People push but neither say a word
They say it isn’t their story to tell as their eyes trail back to you sitting with Hatchan
Playing a game innocently
Obliviously
Like a regular kid
Most don’t push after their captains grim expression
The look in his eyes
Some keep their curiosity to a low lit flame yet don’t get anywhere on the account they can’t get you to spill anything and Jinbe doesn’t exactly like them being nosey
So it eventually fizzles out
Things back back to normal
You tell your tales
Show them games they’d never played
You in turn learn more about fishman and mermaid society
But then you leave just as abruptly as you appeared
It’s weird to say but at a diner with them all as shanties are sung you just randomly say that soon you’ll be leaving
And despite how most of them hate to admit it
They didn’t want you to go
Hatchan is comically crying as a few others stubbornly argue against it
That it’s dangerous and you could get yourself killed
They look to Fisher and Jinbe who had been more observant of you as of late (if that’s even more humanly possible for Jinbe)
But their met with a reaction none had thought would happen
They object
They say it’s your choice and they can’t shackle you here
The sea was your home
And so the decision for your leave was cemented
In the days leading up to it you spend time with most the crew
But they all notice that at night you and their captain look out to the sky at night
Silence conversations happening through mere looks
pure understanding
Just pure solemn understanding
None make comments on it if they see it
Don’t mention it and forget it ever happened out of respect for both parties
And when the time comes to leave they all watch (some crying even) while waving goodbye
You promise them you’d meet again
“You’ll all be at sea right? Then that means you’ll definitely see me again someday! Wait and see! Grasp your freedom strong and tight, never take it forgranted”
Fisher watches and waves as you drift off into the distance, he holds a gentle smile
He hopes he’d meet you again
Hopes that perhaps you’d somehow end up on fishman island and talk to his people
As much as he thought Otohime’s talks of humans and fishmen working together in harmony were a naive and impossible dream
Perhaps if there were more humans like you it could work
And maybe
Just maybe
It would help both sides see that in the end neither were that different from one another
In your words on the silent night before you left “we both bleed, we feel and in the end we both have the same fates don’t we?. At heart no matter if your fishman, mermaid, human or anything else we experience the same gifts of life. We are all equal in the fact we are born on this earth and die here, and with that comes the desire for freedom and the pursuit of happiness”
He and his crew still have a lot to grapple with on the road to change
But you helped them start the first steps in overcoming the hate for your kind
A young immortal human child who had seen horrors upon horrors
Inflicted by their own kind that they will never stop loving with all their heart
Because you believe that inherently almost every sentient creature is born with kindness in them. It’s the world that corrupts it
When they are asked to take a former slave girl back to her hometown he does not have any hesitation to do so
He hopes that this is the next step in overcoming his hatred
Mihawk
Mihawk thought he was going to have a nice and relaxing day
His morning had been going great, a nice glass of red wine before he trained, a good breakfast
And then when he went outside of his castle there he finds is a young child looking around confused
….god damn it
So yeah, you died and just randomly appeared on the island that houses the greatest swordsman currently in the world
Not exactly your first choice but it wasn’t the worse
Well wasn’t bad instil the swordsman himself shows up looking as confused as you were
Yeah seems like you have some explaining to do
And dying or running away wouldn’t exactly help with the endeavour either since he seems intent on an answer
So here you are
In a gothic mansion lead by Mihawk into a room as he calmly sits down and asks you to explain
Now
And so you do
Well…you do the best you can to explain your entire situation as he sits there with a blank expression
By the end he just sighs
To be honest he’s not sure if he believes it or not but he takes it as an answer for now
And after that you two form an odd friendship and routine as you spend your time on his island
To his pleasure your polite and not loud
Silently watching him train or go about his day
Along with that conversations with you are actually quite pleasant
Mihawk is a man of very few words
Only shanks is able to get him talking with the help of finely aged booze
Yet talking with you comes naturally as breathing the air around him
It’s intriguing
Especially as it seems your story isn’t a bluff for how personally and detailed your recounts of events are 
Colour him impressed
you talk of Roger in a way that only Shanks could do
Describe the gods valley event with details only found in classified marine files
Not only that but your also a good storyteller
Telling such events in glorious ways that he can’t help but listen to the liquid gold that is your voice
The treasure trove of stories that flow out your mind
He must admit that he can’t help but sit on the edge of his seat
Wanting to hear more
In this time he comes to care for you
Your a child eternally
One in a cruel world that preys on the weak
While you may be strong mentally (god knows if you hadn’t then you would’ve gone insane) but physical your not
What doesn’t help is your total and utter lack of self awareness
God knows the amount of times he’d saved your ass from being killed by Humandrills
After awhile they seem to get the memo of leaving you alone but that still doesn’t stop you from almost dying in other ways
Almost walking off a cliff
Almost falling into a river
Almost getting hit by a piece of falling stone
He is now paranoid and trails you like a shadows or has you stick around him incase of yet another near death incident
God is this what being a dad feels like? Cause that’s how Mihawk feels at this point
He has half the mind to buy a child leash or something similar
Cause if you wander off one more time and almost die he’s gonna-
You make his stress levels go through the roof
Doesn’t help you completely brush of dying as no big deal
As if being eaten that one time isn’t traumatic as hell
He wonders if his position of warlord has some sort of health benefits cause he might look into therapy
Not that you think you need it though, you think your completely fine yet he begs to differ
You find it funny how stoic he is yet you can read him like a book
He shows his growing care through actions
Like making breakfast or decorating a spare room of his castle to something more suited to your taste
The unspoken offer of “if you need a place to stay your always welcome here” through these actions
A silent way of also prepping for you leaving
He knows that moment is coming
Especially as your small “boat” drifts ashore
He’s hardly call that a boat but nether the less it floats on water and you call it a boat
In your time preparing to leave he insists on at least teaching you the basics of using a sword
The proper positioning of your grip and stance
How to give a powerful slash
You pick up quickly, years of watching experienced swordsmen coming into play
He’s proud yet worry sows itself into his brow
Your a kind soul
One that has been put through untold hell and back
Even the strongest sword can bend and break if pressure is put on the perfect point
He doesn’t know what your breaking point will be but he’s worried
Cause inevitably it’s bound to happen
He at least has some peace of mind knowing he taught you how to fight
And when he sends you off he promises that when you next meet he’d have Sword fit for you
The castle feels more lonely without your small pitter patter of footsteps
The air is still when it should be filled with your stories of old
The garden takes more effort than he remembers when your not there to pull out the weeds
The Humandrills seem to miss your presence
It’s odd but you’d left such an impact in such a small amount of time
Mihawk wouldn’t have it any other way though
Hiriluk
Recently on the spring island you found yourself on there had been rumours of a thief going by
Normally this wouldn’t had caught your attention
But one day as you walk past an odd eccentric man with Snow White hair in a ridiculous manner with clearly stolen objects you can’t help but be intrigued
Especially as he shifts into an alleyway, leaning against the grimy wall with a hand over his heart
Coughs racking his entire form
Almost crumbling down as the subsequent spoils of his stealing fall as well
It’s then and there you become invested in this odd man
His story
So you decide to help him
For someone’s who’s a thief you’d thinks he’d be less enthusiastic about giving out his name
But your sorrily mistaken (in a good way) as the man introduces himself as Hiriluk
A master thief of the grand line
A plunderer of countless treasures and various tales
You nod along
Listening intently to his words as you help walk him to his hideout
The poor man is still shaken after his illness acting up again
Apparently as of late it’s been worse, so much so that he fears his days are now limited
But despite that he keeps a quite chipper attitude
Somehow finding enjoyment despite his circumstances
He’s…much like yourself in that sense
Finding joy even in the bleak conditions of your reality
It…is nice in some sense
To find someone a lot like yourself in mindset
Makes conversation much more interesting as you both talk of similar viewpoints
Much like you he is plagued with a curse that follows him everywhere he goes
From island to island
No matter the pace he canning escape his disease
A factor of his life that he must now deal with as he enjoys the time he has left
He’d given up on a cure by now
But…despite that you can’t help but research a bit to at least try
He appreciates the effort but solemnly admits that he’s tried everything
Hell, his island is known for their doctors and they couldn’t help him
He’s a lost cause like anyone with white lead disease
It’s a fact he accepts
And sadly you do so as well
Your stand only works for you
It’s entire purpose is for its user and not for anyone else
Not versatile or has any multiple uses
At least not that you knew of anyways
So on that factor you can’t do anything
So as you accept that fact you instead focus on spending time with the man
Listening to him get drunk and talk of someone named Kureha
An “old witch” with a stubborn edge and sharp tongue
But also has a kind heart
Someone who became a doctor for a reason, to help others as best she could even if she caused some chaos in the process
An odd one just like him (and you he adds with a smile) someone who didn’t fit in with the crowd
But maybe that was ok
Being different could very much be a curse for several reasons
Especially in a judgmental society that is maintained by the world government
But that otherness was also a blessing
Weirdness serving as a catalyst for so many wonderful things
For new ideas
For stubborn creativity that wouldn’t be snuffed out but instead burn bright
For brining together the people society looked down upon and giving them a chance to rise up
Your stay on the island is coming to a close but despite that Hiriluk doesn’t panic or seem depressed at the thought
Instead he finds happiness in the time still left
The conversations that have been spoken
The time he has left in this world being used for something truly nice
Not just stealing
Instead now truly engaging with life
The spring island your both on is now at its fullest bloom
The place was somewhat famous for how beautiful it was but neither of you had yet to see it
So the day before you go you asked if he’d like to go see it with you before you left
A last hurrah
One that would be spent watching the cherry blossoms in full bloom and have lunch
He agreed
The next morning is spent with him getting snacks of all kinds
Him packing them in a small basket as you lead him with the directions you got from locals
The two of you go up the hill overlooking the light pink trees in full bloom
His hand gripping yours as he goes still in shook
The sight is breath taking
Even the air from your lungs is seemingly sucked out at the sight of the trees in full bloom
The petals gently cascading down like snow around you
Getting stuck in your hair and pooling in his cupped hands
His eyes tear up and stare down at the pink petals
It’s breathtaking
And for the first time in a long while he feels ok
There was no blockage in his chest
Nor the looming grip of death on his shoulders
He felt cured
Like an average man that he always wanted to
The dream of his that died long ago in a doctors office when they said it was incurable
But now as he stares he feels hope
Something igniting in him in place of his Illness
These small fluttering petals had an impact on him just as you had
It cured him somehow
You showing him this magical sight cured him
And now he wanted to do that for others
He wanted to show the people of his bleak winter island this magnificent sight
To see pink instead of the white fluttering snow
To see trees not covered in snow that dampened their beauty
To feel the air escape their lungs
The lunch goes by quickly as does your leaving but both of you do so with a smile
He sets off with a new goal and you wish him luck
Telling him that you believe he’d somehow come up with a solution cause people like the two if you always did somehow
He smiles
When he returns back to his home island he sets out to be a doctor
To help cure others just as you had done with him
Some of The petals he collected that day kept in a small glass jar he kept as a souvenir and for testing
When Kureha calls him crazy he takes the words in pride
Recalling back on your time spent together
That odd little kid who had a spirit beyond their days
One who would humour his ramblings
Took him to that fateful place of blooming Sakura that would go on to change his life course forever
A parting gift in both an experience and in changing his life for the good
So he works on bringing that miracle to the winter island he lives on
Despite how impossible it seems he tries
And he tries and tries
And he keeps going despite how many times he is pushed down by yet another failure
You motivate him
The gift you gave him that he wants to share with others motivated him
His new student that in a lot of ways reminds him of you motivated him
Chopper sometimes still wonders why Hiriluk had taken him in
It lingers on the small reindeer’s mind
And it’s glaringly obvious what he’s thinking making the old “doctor” laugh
“Us weirdo’s have to stick together. I learned that from a friend of mine” as he says this the small blue nosed reindeer watches as the man pulls a framed photo off the wall. In it is him and a child with a large smile. “Hopefully one day you’ll meet them.”
“You…do you think they would accept me?”
Hiriluk let’s our a large laugh at that, clutching his sides as small tears line his eyes “if they hung around a old crazy coot like me then I’m sure they’d love you”
His young apprentice feels hope at his words
Sometimes silently staring at the picture with faint hope that one day he’d meet the doctor-….no his dad’s old friend
Perhaps in the future
But for now he had to help him find a cure
His sickness is getting worse and chopper doesn’t now if he could live with himself if he didn’t find a cure
His only lead as of now is some mushroom that can apparently cure anything
It’s a long shot but he has to try
He gazes as the photo once more
Hiriluk’s smiling face staring back along with your own
He’ll make sure Hiriluk will get to see you again
He promises it
With that the young reindeer sets off in the snow
Whenever you see the cascading petals of cherry blossoms you wonder how that odd doctor was doing
Brook
It was at reverse mountain that you had found yourself being picked up by a particular crew
The rumbar pirates had originated in the west blue
A musical band of jolly singing pirates with instruments of all kinds
All of which varied from different islands and cultures
Brough together in musical harmony
It’s amazing to you how music seems to come to them wordlessly
They play and magic is produced from their songs
So much so a baby whale follows them in their journey and is now waiting for them to return
A promise they intend to keep as the travel the sea like any good crew
Whilst the captain and crew are welcoming and friendly there’s one person in particular your drawn to
Brook is a fun and free soul
Constantly with a smile or chuckling out his odd but charming laugh
The musician teaches you piano as best he can
His hands guiding yours as the crew eagerly watch with bright smiles
Eventually as they sing and dance he has you play side by side with him
Placing his top hat in your head as they all call you “mini brook”
It’s fun
Especially as the giant of a man picks up his violin and lets you play alone
The two of you stringing together a melody that the others join in on
Dancing and singing with slurred speech and jumbled steps
Those nights feel like a haze in your mind
One with a rosy tinted filter overtop those memories
Of the songs sung
The dancing as the crew took turns showing you their groove
Taking your hands into their own and your feet atop theirs as they showed you to dance
But then the music began to die
Despite your many deaths you’d experienced and saw of pirates
This was one that was common yet still chilling
Illness
Honestly with how many ships you’d been on your surprised you’d never experienced a death like this
And it’s certainly one you’d never thought they’d have to suffer through
It starts off as one person
And then it spreads
Brook and the others keep you away from the sight
Telling you that they were just hungover
You don’t tell them you know hangovers don’t last several days
As others being to fall Brook keeps to at least trying to keep the facade of things are fine in front of you
Even as he has to take the place of their captain
He has a good facade
But you hear his sobs at night
For his fallen Crew and the fact it’s still spreading
And for you
By god is he worried for you
They’d all talked of the possibility of having you take your small shipped tied to their own and leave
But they all agree it’s too big of a risk
Their at the middle of the sea, it would be a death sentence if they let you go on your own
They can’t have that happen
Even if there’s still a chance here that you’ll die
There’s still the possibility that at least someone will spot their ship
That help can come and at least rescue you
So for now they have you stay
The symptoms come slowly
You feel more tired
Burning up
Laboured breath
Their all mortified as you one day pass out on deck
When you wake up your tucked into bed
Nearby someone sobs
You recognize his voice and blurred figure despite your senses being dulled
Small shaky hands reach for his
And he reciprocated the action repeating that he’s sorry
That he’s so sorry
That it’s his fault
That he was supposed to keep you safe
You say it isn’t his fault but it falls on deaf ears
He keeps crying even as he coughs
You keep saying it’s alright even as it feels harder to breath
Eventually even though everyone is dead or on the brink of dying they decide to do one last number
One last piece
Binks booze
You sit beside Brook having to lean against him for support as both his and your hands drift along the ivory keys
The songs plays full force
The few left playing the tune
Some cheerfully sing with smiles and dance withe one another
But they fall first
Dying with smiles despite it all
You sing in their place along with those who are left
The singing goes down by one as yet another falls down
Violin clattering to the floor
You sing louder in his place despite how your lungs burn and throat feels as if needles scrape against it
Another violinist goes down after this
Brook shakes beside you
He keeps up a smile
You do so as well but tears escape your eyes
A quartet
The cello goes down
A trio
His smile wavers and tears trail down his face now
He’s breaking
The final goes down now
It’s just you and Brook left, but you feel yourself getting weaker
The edges of your eyes have black dotes and every time you close them it’s harder to open them once more
A duet
You keep playing for his sake
He looks down at you sobbing silently as he continues to play
Their flag waves silently in the wind
“I’m not sure how longer I can play…do you think you can do a solo?”
Tearfully he nods
Playing as you sing
Continuing even after the lyrics stop flowing from your mouth and you slump down into his side
A solo
He cries
Eventually the piano comes to a close
Despite there being no skeleton of you to put with the rest of the memorial Brook doesn’t question it
The sight of Your body disappearing into golden light was just a trick of the mind all those years ago to help with the grief of him failing you
He knows he went insane a long time ago
He’s spent years alone at sea mulling over their deaths, of yours and the promise to Laboon
His mind is long gone as he wanders the old tattered ship that used to be filled with song
Despite it all he tries to put up a mask of being happy
But he never sings
Never plays music
He can’t deal with another solo
Can’t deal with that last performance
Sometimes he thinks of the songs they made
The one the crew made about you that surprisingly got popular
Based off the odd tales of stars you talked about
An undying one
He wonders if it still plays
You remember they made a song about you
It’s long forgotten to the many new sailors of the sea
But on occasion you hear it from old souls. Those who had traveled the seas for many years and had retained the songs and myths now forgotten to the new
The sound of it always makes you smile, but it is tinged with sadness as you do so
Whenever it is sung or Binks Booze you promised yourself you’d always join in
A promise to them, that kind musical crew all those years ago that suffered a horrible death from a bad stroke of luck
You carry their memory along with Laboon
Whenever you end up at reverse mountain you always sing the songs they once did to ease the whales heart ache
It can only do so much but Laboon at least stops jutting against the mountain momentarily
Wanting to one day reunite with those jolly sailors
You wish you could one day do the same
But for now you carry their memories
Their songs that house the remnants of their souls
Sometimes you swear you see their rotting ship
But you always wave it off as missing them
Of delusions of your mind as you stare out into the darkness of the sea
#platonic#one piece x reader#brook x reader#hiriluk x reader#mihawk x reader#dracule Mihawk x reader#Jinbe x reader#fisher tiger x reader
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I’m so curious about Wizarding fashion. JKR isn’t very physically descriptive- we just know that wizards wear robes, which are outlandish to muggles, and pointy hats, but what does that really mean? What kind of robe? Magical fashion clearly isn’t very gendered, since Harry remarks on a man at the Quidditch World Cup wearing a dress and insisting that it’s unisex (certainly not the case in Britain at the time), but we don’t have any other parameters. Keeping in mind the uniform from the movies, and the fact that in SWM, Snape isn’t wearing any trousers, here’s what I think wizards wear:
1. Flowing silhouettes and cloaks; clearly, wizards love a good statement cloak. Think tassels and frills (not like Ron’s Yule Ball fit!), massive extended sleeves and lots of draping.
2. Skirts: let’s be honest, just one singular robe, without any layering, doesn’t give us much to work with. Skirts go with the general silhouette, explain why the World Cup wizard thought muggle men wore dresses, and keep with the no-trousers thing from SWM. I’m South Asian, so I like to have a little fun with it and think of wizards in ghararas (my favourite item of clothing); the Wizarding World is quite insular, travel is relatively unrestricted (hello, they have magic!), everyone has a common enemy in muggles (and other species- goblins, house-elves) etcetera, so race probably doesn’t function the same way and I headcanon a lot of cross-cultural exchange. Plus, wizarding fashion isn’t restricted by weather- they have warming charms- so wearing clothes made for hot climates in England, for example, wouldn’t be a problem.
Plus, I actually think saris are a natural fancy dress option- flowy, drapey, colourful. Speaking of which-
3. If there’s one fanon idea that I hate (aside from fanon!Sirius, of course), it’s this image of wizards (specifically high society wizards) as reserved. Sorry, did we read the same books? Wizards, even posh, rich wizards, like the Malfoys and Blacks, are camp and very outlandish. They do house-elf taxidermy, they keep their wands in canes. Just because Hogwarts uniforms are black doesn’t mean that people dress like they’re in mourning all the time. People can be total snobs and obsessed with their image and still wear bright pink, insane robes, because guess what? They have different social conventions than we do. Men and women dress basically the same, so there is no reason to believe that a man wearing a flowing robe would be against the norm. I say this as someone who believes misogyny and homophobia are well and truly alive in Wizarding society, especially in pureblooded families where the emphasis is on continuing the line; they definitely exist, but they probably look different.
4. My personal obsession and headcanon: rich wizards wearing bones. Look, I might not think of them as racist in the traditional sense, but they are undeniably speciesist, if that’s a word? They think of themselves as superior, and other sentient magical species either work under (goblins) or are enslaved (house-elves) by wizards. We only see Veelas very briefly, but despite them being admired for their beauty, I doubt wizards treat them very well. So- show me blood-purists wearing corsets made of goblin bones and teeth. Show me Veelas being hunted for their blood to stain and dye clothes with. Show me exotic “magical creatures” that are humanoid and capable of reasoning and should have rights, like mermaids and werewolves, being hunted for their scales and pelts while also being ostracised for being ‘non-human’. It’s terrible, but that’s the kind of archaic jewellery and fashion the old families that the fandom likes to fetishise would like to wear.
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So, we see Donfang Qingcang reading on screen several times, and I think it's an important character message.
On encountering a problem, in episode 4, that can't be addressd by violence, what is the first thing our character does? He RTFMs. He sends Shanque to fetch the Fucking Manual, and he Reads It. What. In fact, they both read it, at least until they find the right bit.
Iconic. And adorable.
Definitely much less surprising in a Chinese genre than it would be in any English-language genre. But this section is so spectacular I want to give it a lot of weight.
The scroll is extremely long. He baulks, for a second, at the length,
but this, his face says, cannot possibly defeat him: he backs himself (I love it) and gets down to work.
It's illustrated. I'd love to hear from someone who can read any part of the text. He engages in detail with the content.
He continues in episode 5, having made some progress, and still backing himself to work out what it all means.
He takes it out on the balcony to study it by daylight. When his plans don't succeed at first, he doesn't reject the information, he thinks about it harder and compares it with the data.
Then something interesting happens: after making Orchid's tummyache better, he sits down, and without any stated reason tries to read something else, which looks like a completely normal book:
He can't focus because she's so sad, but we get a glimpse of the corner of a title label. When he puts it down, we can see it's a paperback stitched in the traditional Chinese manner.
It could be anything, but looks a reasonable size for a novel. There are also some other books on the table. Maybe they're technical works from Xiao Lanhua's library, and he's just bored and curious?
This wouldn't be as clear if it was the only example, or if we saw other characters repeatedly reading. But I don't think we do.
In episode 18 post-whump we learn again that what he does to relax and distract himself, when in pain and/or wanting attention, is read a book. It's a slim volume with a vertical format and a pretty, embellished cover. Perhaps a book of poems?
In Episode 26, now knowing he is loved, he is reading for fun again, with no explanation asked or given. Another sewn book, but in this case it has a hard cover with a shiny and colourful design. What could it be? Who knows? It seems to be making him smile a little.
The message we are getting, here, is that what he does when he wants to relax and enjoy life, is read. We’re supposed to understand that in his natural disposition, minus his father’s crimes and his profession of violence, he is a gentleman and a scholar. He is curious. He is capable of handling new information. He has brains and capabilities and ingenuity. He has a big ego, but he can put it in the engine room, not the driving seat. It's a gently-delivered message, but I think it contributes a lot to our perception of the character.
In dream-world episode 31, he is reading a scroll with Xiao Lanhua. Are they reading a story to each other? Doing the voices?
So apparently in his imagination it's a bonding activity too: you can read together with a person you love and share your reactions. A bit like you and I are doing now.
Finally, I think they published this behind-the-scenes shot for a reason (thank you @moonsupremesblog, and I'm sorry this probably should have been a reblog of this post but I got too far in before I remembered)
We can see it's Dylan Wang referring to a script, but we do a double-take because it's totally in character, the lighting, composition, and depth-of-field intentionally reinforce that effect, and we have to look at the plastic cover and the little place-tags to realise it isn't.
#cang lan jue#lbfad#love between fairy and devil#dylan wang#wang he di#reading on screen#cdrama#dongfang qingcang
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Reiji - House of Chanel
Inherently, I think this went well especially with Chanel being such a traditional fashion house but also with its very feminine undertones. In comparison to some of the others, calling Chanel Reiji’s brand was more symbolic than realistic but I’ll explain.
Chanel in all its years since 1910’s has the same iconic look, the tweed structured suits, and the armoured corset dresses with delicate but impactful embellishments. It makes sense for Reji, he has this blunt yet sophisticated personality which physically manifests in his clothes; always well put together, tailored and steamed.
His suits may change but they maintain the same composition and colour palette, to the untrained eye they don’t look different but if you look closely he pays a lot of attention to what he wears.
He’s aware even as a vampire he still has the face of an 18 year old boy, there’s still that youthfulness present in his face, he makes up for it by wearing glasses he doesn’t really need but they highlight the aristocratic cutting of his face - with his sharp upturned nose, and bright red eyes.
He doesn't have his mother’s curls or his father’s pin straight hair but rather a wavy touch to his locks, he knows how it makes him look when it’s down, younger, softer …gentle and that’s just despicable! So he carefully styles his hair with mousse slicking it back, making him look more stern.
Reiji is also a lot more sensitive ( he’s a fussy, whiny little rich brat), so he can’t stand pungent smells ( blood, guts, drugs), that doesn’t mean he makes excuses to lose his composer so he has this strong cologne that is like sandalwood and kind of fruity? Like winter berries and tea leaves or something no one expected it to smell so good but he makes it work. Not to mention his hygiene is always top tier, so he has this freshly washed cotton and minty undertone.
So that's his main style right? So I was in between Dior and Chanel - and Chanel won of course
Mainly I mentioned before Chanel has more feminine undertones which I think expands well with Reiji’s complex relation with his brothers; whilst the misogynistic response to his trauma is still present he almost takes on a maternal role towards his family as much of the fandom has noticed - the reasons as why he does this is quite ironic actually. In his entirety, the persona of someone being capable is important for him, if he cannot be successful in maintaining - not only his family's name and reputation through the dictatorship of his brothers - how he holds himself in public how does he expect to be King?
Yet, all the care and attention to detail he gives is almost seen as motherly. The sheer unseriousness of it is not lost on me, even with all the rampant comments on the inferiority of women within the Sakamaki Home, the most well-adjusted and competent man is seen as feminine.
In other readings of Reiji though his feminine undertones are more purposeful, they come from the fact that him and Shu are perpendicular to one another because of Shu’s immense strength being seen as this "laid back protector archetype" as intrinsically masculine so Reiji’s more mentally vulnerable, cunning, shrewd approach is seen as more feminine ;dissect that how you will. My favourite though is Reiji picking up on etiquette by copying his mother who was a figurehead for women in the vampiric society.
Also reflected in Coco Chanel who is like, not a nice woman but she did have her moments - a cause for much scandal was her pioneering for trousers and women's athletic wear believe it or not, she was a big equestrian ( is that not the most Reiji sport ever?) and encouraged women to wear equestrian kits.
I think this also goes really well with his character in terms of politics, the synonymous nature of being a traditionalist yet paving the way is a part of Reji. He very strongly believes in the House of Sakamaki and what it stands for but he also like his father wishes to further vampiric society from it’s barbarism; in some ways he is a cultural snob but in others he’s quite attentive to the the silver lining that maintains modernism and the old ways.
The House of Channel also does this; it has always had its roots cemented in the old ways of aristocratic luxury items, but unlike many other fashion houses it does try to adapt to the changing times sometimes successfully, others not so successfully.
On a less serious note, in general I think it suits his aesthetic as well; as I’ve mentioned the iconic Chanel suits, but also the Corsets? Like Reiji is a big corset man I don’t care what anyone says, the timeless figure of archive Chanel pieces, the monotone colour scheme of darker colours. Moreover, even the chic pieces take inspiration from old money outfits: the arranged tulle of the Victorian era, the heavy contrast, the heavy gold pieces and brooches.
In comparison to Reiji’s fashion, with his fitted suits and tiny waist with the chain of his watch fob, as well as heavy contrast colours: blacks, reds, whites and navy’s.
Also the chunky jewellery makes sense in my head, it’s like masterfully placed so it doesn’t overwhelm him but I think the jewellery Reiji has includes: obviously the different chains for his antique watch, but also chunky rings seem more his thing than thin ones especially ones with carefully placed family jewels (rubies, emerald's, obsidians - as I said: snob) , this would do for more traditional attire too.
His outfits in the demon world definitely include brooches, and chains and pendants to embellish his outfit, eye makeup isn’t a big thing for him because it’s so fussy but he would definitely do darker eye makeup to bring out his eyes. He’s quite theatrical, and definitely plays into the ashy white vampire skin ( this is the skin of a killer Bella).
Overall, I refuse to believe he does casual clothing- like Reiji in sweats ( esp the juicy couture ones ) is a horrendous image. So yeah Reiji is a Chanel girl!
Also I can’t believe I completely forgot this but in the beginning Coco Chanel was overlooked by the media, in terms of her designs in the beginning of career because of a little brand called Polo…owned by Ralph Lauren that was also making athletic wear but also quite good friends with Coco Chanel
It’s almost like A certain someone who I said represented Ralph Lauren (Shu) overshadowing Chanel at first before she split off to make her own name.
#Spotify#dl#diabolik lovers headcanons#diabolik lovers#diaboys#diahell#yui komori#sakamaki brothers#the boys as brands#shu sakamaki#reiji sakamaki#ayato sakamaki#laito sakamaki#kanato sakamaki#dl moodboards#diabolik lovers moodboards#if anyone mentions typos i'll leave on a hiatus twice as long#or the semi colons#my life has spiraled#so like any good artist my artistic juices came back as i despair
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Magical & Non-Magical Healing in Thedas
Magical Healing
Most healing magic falls under the School of Creation, which is about manipulating natural forces of life. It is a school rarely studied by mages, as it requires more finesse than any other school.
While any mage can study the school of creation and learn to heal, it is Spirit Healers who have the strongest healing magic. Spirit Healers can call in spirits to rapidly heal someone’s body, be it from physical damage or through disease. It requires a special gift of working with spirits in this way, which is rare among mages.
Finally, blood magic is also capable of healing. Solas says, “I once saw a blood mage healer who would shed her own blood to close a patient's wounds,” in defence of blood magic. But the details of this form of healing is unknown.
The extent of what healing magic is capable of varies by the skill of the mage practitioner. In the Tevinter Nights story Three Trees to Midnight, Myrion says that while he only knows a little bit of healing magic and can just close Strife’s wounds, his friend Jasecca was a Spirit Healer who “once reattached a man’s hand after it had been chopped off.”
It’s possible that the average mage in Tevinter is taught at least a little bit of healing magic, as in Tevinter Nights’s The Streets of Minrathous, Neve Gallus is also able to use her magic to slow the flow of blood out her wound, despite claiming to not be a proper healer. This is just like Myrion’s limited abilities.
There are also objects imbued with magical properties capable of healing people. For example, in Herold Had the Plan from Tevinter Nights, Bharv’s amulet completely heals the scratches on his hand without so much as a scar, closes up the wound on his stomach, and even keeps him from dying over a fatal blow.
While magical healing is very useful, because of Chantry-propaganda against magic, there are some in Thedas who would rather suffer than accept magical healing. For example, when the Inquisitor arrives at The Crossroads in the Hinterlands, a soldier tells Mother Giselle not to let any mage touch him when she offers to fetch a healer. But this is not the universal opinion. In Kirkwall, the people of Lowtown and Darktown were willing to shelter and protect Anders as thanks for his healing them.
Non-Magical Healing
There are books found in game that have anatomical diagrams, meaning there is some form of studying the body:
The most extensive evidence of what non-magical healing is like is from the Surgeon character found in Skyhold. The surgeon knows how to set broken bones, and also mentions doing amputations as a last resort. When asked how non-magical healing works, she replies, “good health isn't magic. It's diet, exercise and a balance of the humors.” She has many comments about bloodletting in particular:
“Hmm, somewhat off-colour today, Inquisitor? An excess of bile, perhaps. Might I bleed you?”
“Try not to touch the leeches. They are quite delicate.”
“Come for a bloodletting?”
Humorism was the real life historic belief that the body was made of four fluids: blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm. Disease was believed to be caused by an imbalance of the humors, and so treatment was to “balance” the humors, often by bleeding the patient. This goes against the basics of germ theory also evidently believed in Thedas, so perhaps this surgeon is in fact out of date?
A note found in The Fallow Mire says, “The Gardners are too sick to save, everyone says. Grandfather and my brothers barricaded them in their own house so they wouldn't make anyone else sick.” This would suggest that the average person knows the basics of germ theory, at least to a degree that they know how diseases spread and how to prevent them through quarantine.
If you take Dorian to the Fallow Mire, he will comment, “At least in the city, you can find a decent healer. Out here you have, what? Roots and berries?” So, healers are not always available. In lieu of practicing healers, common folk turn to those who know about herbalism.
[RELATED POST: Canonical Herbalism in Thedas]
Additionally, there are a variety of folk remedies found across Thedas. For example, to cure a cold: “Bring a cup of whiskey to nearly a boil in a kettle, until its vapors permeate your surroundings. Add the juice of half a lemon and two peeled and crushed cloves of raw garlic. Consume before the whiskey cools.”
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SOURCES:
Dragon Age: The World of Thedas vol. 2
Tevinter Nights: Three Trees to Midnight
Tevinter Nights: The Streets of Minrathous
Tevinter Nights: Herold Had the Plan
Codex entry: The Four Schools of Magic: Creation (DA:O)
Note: Diary of Peter Marsh (DA:I)
Creation Ability Trees (DA:O) (DA:2)
Spirit Healer Ability Trees (DA:O) (DA:2)
Dialogue with Fereldan refugees in Lowtown (DA:2)
Dialogue with Mother Giselle and a soldier in The Hinterlands (DA:I)
Dialogue from Dorian about the plague in the Fallow Mire (DA:I)
Dialogue with Solas about blood magic (DA:I)
Dialogue with Surgeon in Skyhold (DA:I)
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Hi, earthstellar here on anon because I'm old and don't understand why Tumblr won't let me send asks using my sideblog, time to be hype for octo!Ratchet and Mer Shenanigans:
So, octopuses have specific deimatic behaviours-- essentially, threat displays -- with the physical capability to do some cephalopod-specific stuff like flaring tentacles, spraying ink, changing colours in complex patterns with chromatophores etc.
But octopuses also have very different Sexy Stuff happening compared to fish-- Like the hectocotylus, or the Weiner Tentacle. And spermatophores, and all that good shit. And infamously the really sad thing where they defend egg nests until they die. (But we're not here for sad shit, we're here for degenerate shit.)
MY POINT: With the whole Drift/Rodimus/Wing/Ratchet situation, it might not just be the facility staff who are confused by the whole mer mating situation.
If Ratchet is the only octomer, he might struggle with trying to explain his specific mating behaviours to his mates, and there might be somewhat of a communication issue. At least at first.
I imagine at some point he gets Into It and his hectocotylus shows up and the others don't know what it is so Drift or Rodimus (most likely to be impulsive) just licks it or something thinking it's just another tentacle and OHHHHH SHIT they think they hurt him or made him mad or something because his tentacles all flair out before contracting around whoever just licked it and this may or may not cause a brief (but sexy) panic
But when any of the others are carrying eggs etc., he easily puts on the most extensive deimatic behaviour displays because there's something uniquely terrifying about a giant octopus person who has a whole shitload of physical strength and prehensile dexterity in each one of their massive, heavy, long limbs being suddenly extremely defensive and angry for reasons that the staff can't yet figure out
Especially because Ratchet is kinda old as far as the staff is able to estimate and he's mostly well behaved and less prone to doing stupid shit compared to some of the others at the facility, he's not usually a problem, but now he is A Terrifyingly Large Problem and the staff is just like throwing food in the top of the tank and getting the fuck out of there before Ratchet's tentacles can lash up out of the water and fuck them up
They might be worried about the non-cephalopods in Ratchet's shared tank, thinking he might present a risk to them, but Drift, Rodimus, and Wing won't let any of the staff approach the tank either unless it's for food or water pH balancing because they are all extremely protective of each other -- Moving Ratchet becomes a non-option immediately. (Not that the staff has a problem with that, once it's clear they're all OK-- They're just happy they don't have to try to figure out a way to move a heavily sedated, very heavy octomer.)
But the staff freaks out pretty much the entire mating season because they can't figure out the specifics lmao, some days the entire tank is impossible to see through because Ratchet's inked it up entirely in an effort to hide his mates, which makes routine observation impossible etc.
And all of Ratchet's unique cephalopod mating behaviours and defensive threat displays are somehow EXTREMELY SEXY to his mates, despite the fact that they're not 100% sure of the exact meaning of some of it
(and also at one point Ratchet scared the shit out of them by having a "camouflage panic" because he suddenly realised that no his mates do not have chromatophores and therefore cannot hide themselves as efficiently and this means they are easily spotted by Enemies and this is Not Good so whoever's currently carrying the eggs spent several days getting constantly dragged into the shadows of the tank or peppered in sand/silt/small shells/etc. by Ratchet in an instinctively overwhelming desire to Hide The Carrier lmao)
This could also be a temporary dramatic issue where his mates don't know why he's not touching them etc. for a little while and it turns out it's because Ratchet can produce certain toxins like tetrodotoxin (the shit that makes blue ring octopi so dangerous) and for a few days there he just can't control it, he's effectively extremely venomous for a bit because it's an instinctive thing he does to make himself more dangerous in case any predators approach his mates during the peak of breeding season-- But his mates are fish so he could potentially hurt them too!!! Oh fuck!!!
but it's fine, he naturally breaks the toxin down after like a week and then they all have Extra Good Doin It Times because they couldn't bone for a whole week and that's unbearable during mating season lmao (which is good because his tentacles were extra vibrant during that week and everyone found it Very Hot)
Anyway I'm asexual, sorry if this isn't horny enough. I just appreciate the vibes. lmao
oh that’s good. Ratchet having different body language and instinctual responses since he’s an octopus-person and the rest of them are, with some species differences, fish, causing a few misunderstandings and also incredible sexy times.
mhmmm i really like the thought of mating season coming in and Ratchet immediately secreting deadly toxins which wouldn’t hurt another octo-mer but would absolutely decimate his partners and now he’s completely cut off from them for a while, pretending he’s okay with listening to them fucking every night, as if his array wasn’t throbbing the entire time. His mates are then subject to an extremely horny octo-mer once the toxin breaks down and he can finally get some transfluid flowing between them...
Also consider... Ratchet, in his post-toxin frenzy, managing to knock up all three of his mates somehow. Now he’s the sole sire in the tank and it turns his threat displays from mildly creepy to the staff to absolutely-the-fuck-no. No one is to approach the tank. The guy who brings the food barely makes it in before he’s already running. Ratchet has to climb up on the little platform and grab the food for his mates because it’s usually left right there by the door. He has now turned from the older, docile mer who occasionally chats with the staff into a goddamn, eight-tentacled menace.
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How about the dorm leader bois with a reader who’s like Samurai Jack?
thank you for the ask, annon !!
samurai jack. . . that's a blast from the past !!
and sorry it took a hot minute to get out and that it's kinda short !! lowkey had trouble trying figure out how to write it
✎...pairing: twisted wonderland dorm leaders x samurai
jack!reader
✎...themes: chaos, can be seen as platonic or romantic
✎...enjoy !!
✎...notes: can you tell which characters are my favourite, ace
slander, i tried to keep it gender-neutral, but mentions of
afab and amab in some parts
𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐋𝐄
i feel that riddle would find you pleasing to be around due to the fact that you respect the queen of hearts' rules
even if you sometimes forget them, he values the fact that you try anyway
well that, and he's lowkey scared of getting his ass folded by you
he once saw you do that to ace because he was annoying greatly and decided to teach him a lesson
let's just say ace doesn't do that anymore
no one does
but overall, riddle respects you
𝐋𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐀
leona wasn't really paying attention to you until basically manhandled a couple of savanaclaw students who tried to pick on you for being magicless
well damn
if you were afab, for example, leona would actually show so much respect for you
considering how a vast majority of his nations army is women, he wouldn't dare to get on your bad side
he could hear his mother scream if he was disrespectful
if you were amab, for example, leona would show you some respect for you
he would still make sly remarks or tease you, but nothing too much because why bother getting his shit rocked
he'd much rather nap
speaking of naps, he doesn't mind napping when you're around because you're quiet and peaceful
𝐀𝐙𝐔𝐋
gonna be honest. . . a little scared
i mean, a person capable of defeating a shapeshifting demon, who sent them eons into the future, was gonna scare him
despite that, he will try to get you to sign a contract but fails
why??
because you know shady stuff when you see it
whenever you read a contract, you read every. single. word and makes azul kinda annoyed
however, if you deem the T&Cs acceptable, you best believe azul will rave about it alone
he'd most likely act as the lounge's bodyguard or a debt collector like floyd and jade
𝐊𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐌
this ball of sunshine loves the fact you can fight so gracefully
he would sometimes sneak off from jamil just to watch you train ー even if meant getting scolded by the both of you
he will buy the best of the best swords and gear for you ー you've tried to deny them, but those puppy dog eyes are too powerful
when he sees your scars, he almost cries a river
no seriously, it almost happened
so you learned to just accept the gifts that he gives you
he also asks a lot of questions but tries to make sure not to step into sensitive territory
𝐕𝐈𝐋
he wasn't too intrigued with you, to begin with, but that wasn't until he managed to see the scars that littered your back
and that's when he started to notice other small scars and callouses
now, this is vil we're talking about, so expect him to try and get to use all these lotions/creams to aid with your skin
albeit reducing them or making them smooth, he will find a way
other than that, vil isn't surprised when he found out you're a samurai
i mean, he has rook
but one thing that vil does like about you is your dedication to protecting the ones you love
he finds this similar ー in a way ー to his dedication on being the fairest of them all
𝐈𝐃𝐈𝐀
two words: fucking terrified
you're a mother fucking samurai
what the shit??
but for real, his inner otaku is vibrating at a rate that could shatter glass
you remind him of so many different characters from various shows and he would love to see you fight, but he would never admit that
hearing about your time travel story also made him think of different isekais and such
god, you're really bringing out the otaku in him, aren't you??
𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐔𝐒
colour him intrigued
you're a warrior and a great one
he absolutely loves hearing your battle stories and how you got each scar
he's definitely interested in the whole time travel adventure you went on
he's almost like kalim in a sense ー child-like curiosity
however, he does fret over your healed battle wounds like you just got them ー you find it very endearing
#💌 some-beans requests !!#twst wonderland#twisted wonderland headcanons#twisted wonderland x reader#twst wonderland x reader
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can i ask for you to elaborate on your issue(s) with those 'male positivity' posts? is it with the whole sentiment, or just with the "you're allowed to be angry" part? i agree w "you're allowed to be angry" being an oblivious at best statement. but i don't see any issue with the first two statements themselves (the "OP says..." and "commenter says...")
yeah so I already talked about some of this in the tags to those posts but sure, let's get into it.
OP says "if you’re a boy with a mental illness, a boy with a disability, a boy with a history of abuse, a boy who has an eating disorder, a boy with trauma, I need you to know that you are not a burden, that you don’t need to 'harden up', that you shouldn’t just have to 'get over it,' and that you are very brave"
commenter says "once I transitioned I saw the change in people being like ‘Oh you poor thing I hope you’re coping alright’ to ‘Just get over it and man up’. Men, you’re allowed to suffer."
the implication of the original post is that men with these issues are told to 'toughen up' or 'get over it,' and conversely that women are not. the commenter then makes this subtext explicit by outright saying that people reacted more sympathetically to his trauma when they read him as a woman than when they read him as a man (at which point they switched to "just get over it"). the OP responds favourably to this addition, proving that the subtext "women don't experience this" was in fact subtext that they intended to be there.
I hope I don't have to explain how utterly absurd it is to claim that women have it easier in this regard, or that their emotions are granted more leeway or sympathy in any meaningfully systematic way. that is just MRA logic.
of course people's ideas about suffering, endurance, trauma, & emotion are gendered! people really do say things about how boys and men should just toughen up and not cry, &c. &c. MRAs, like a lot of other reactionary groups (like TERFs and SWERFs, or antisemites / white supremacists / conspiracy theorists who understand that something's not right with the economy but end up blaming 'minorities' instead of capitalists), take an idea with some truth in it somewhere, but twist it around into a conclusion that the idea in question does not entail on its own (here, "women are allowed to express emotion and garner sympathy by doing so") in a way that leads to resentment, disdain, & hatred for a marginalised group.
so, if it's true that (negative) emotion is thought of as a feminine weakness, why doesn't that translate to women being "allowed" to experience and express emotion, while men are not? for one thing, race has a lot to do with this—the myth of the Black "superwoman," for example, praises Black women for being (read: expects them to be) "tough," "strong," "brave," endless wellsprings of emotional / physical / financial support for others while requiring and receiving no support themselves. the assertion that women receive sympathy for their suffering thus reveals a serious ignorance of Black feminist thought on the part of the person making it.
for another thing, displays of emotion (mostly "negative" emotion, such as sadness) being thought of as primarily feminine means that women have to take especial care to avoid them in many circumstances, not that they're able to freely indulge in them! women's supposed heightened emotionality means that they're less likely to be thought of as capable of serious work, less likely to be promoted or hired, more likely to be financially and professionally penalised for any time they do display any negative emotion (or, rather, the other way around—the myth of women's heightened emotionality is used as an excuse to suppress women's earning potential & make them financially dependent on, and thus exploitable by, men).
on an interpersonal level, you're highly likely as a woman (and especially as a woman of colour) to have fairly mild displays of emotion be interpreted as hysteria, extreme anger, irrationality, volatility. you're highly likely to have your allegations of abuse disbelieved.
on an institutional level, you're highly likely to receive disdain and contempt if you engage in disordered eating habits or try to seek help for them, to have a request for help denied or neglected (disordered eating is just, sort of, what women do). you're also more likely to have a request for help turn into involuntary institutionalisation or psychiatric abuse (a lot of work has been done on the relationship between psychiatry and gender).
also on an institutional level, you are less likely to be believed about the pain you are in as a disabled, chronically ill, or otherwise sick woman (again, especially a woman of colour). you are less likely to receive medical care. you are less likely to have anyone give a shit about the pain you're in, since women are so emotional and melodramatic that you are probably exaggerating, and anyway, being in pain is just sort of women's natural state. you are certainly very unlikely to get any kind of medical care if you're a middle-class cisgender white (read: desirable) woman of 'childbearing age' & the extreme pain that you're in would require risk to your fertility to treat.
there's so much more I could go into here. the basic idea is that properly analysing the relationship between emotion, communication, trauma, abuse, race, class, gender, and the uses of rhetoric that references any of the above (e.g. "boys don't cry") is an enormous undertaking. any claim that implies that women (which women?) wholesale receive more sympathy than men (which men?) do for abuse or other pain that they experience, or that they are more free to express that pain, is both inconsistent with reality on a base level, and incredibly irresponsible. the fact (if it's even true) that "girls" are punished less for crying than "boys" does not a whole picture make.
and, like, think about it. we're living in a patriarchy wherein women are expected to care for and sympathise with men, to forgive men for varied wrongdoings in the family & in romantic relationships, to coddle them in order to avoid or appease their anger, to perform (depending on their class position) various kinds of domestic labour and social / planning work for men without recompense, acknowledgement, or thanks (because knowing how to do and plan housework is just, like, women's natural state of being)—a system where the family and the home faciliate and cover for mass amounts of traumatisation and abuse, including sexual abuse, of girls and women—a system wherein trans women are highly likely to be traumatised and yet disciplined out of expressions of anger or upset under threat of social exile—a system wherein cisgender women cannot be allowed to become too wary of or angry at men (read: too unwilling to continue marrying them and performing a significant role in the social reproduction of their class). how on earth could such a system also enable (rather than allowing for occasional escape valves for, but mostly seeking to supress or transform) women's free expression of upset, sadness, trauma, anger...?
this is the same kind of logic that leads people to believe and spread nonsense such as "people believe women who come forward about being abused and not men," which is just demonstrably inconsistent with everything that we can observe about reality.
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Since Raine was a teacher I think once they have Hunter living in their home they would immediately start to notice the signs of abuse. They would probably have issues with Hunter eating the normal amount of food for a kid his age because Belos starved him and also Hunter probably wouldn’t really be a big fan of something like pasta with sauce but wouldn’t say anything because he’s too nervous to make Raine unhappy with him so he doesn’t really eat much despite being underweight.
Hunter would probably go stiff if they put a hand on his shoulder or flinch if they heard them in anyway upset with him.
Hunter would probably take all of Raine’s suggestions on what to do while in the house at orders and carry them out with military precision even if Raine just suggested they watch a cartoon on the crystal ball.
Hunter probably has a lot of nightmares too so Raine would wake up to him screaming in his sleep.
Like Raine had hunter for a short while and the whole time it’s just one terrible revelation of what a monster Belos truly was after another.
raine definitely starts off worried about what the fuck jasper wants with this minor but i mean really theres better ways to Steal A Child, it being this SPECIFIC child who is VERY difficult to steal ironically makes it less suspicious like. okay. legitimately what is your game. and also like again despite the fact raine has seen him throw this kind on his ass a hundred times, theyve also seen him fucking vaporize one of their allies for trying to kill him so like. truly. what is his game here.
and then like. once they see how truly BAD it is with hunter, the way he flinches, how DEEP the soldier persona goes, the food and the sleep and the isolation- then its like. well, fuck, i would have wanted to help him too. so 1. how did the martlet know about all this before anyone else, because he CLEARLY knew about all this before anyone else did 2. why didnt he just tell me the truth? 3. why DIDNT he just take him and run?
i think theyre putting pieces together and while they probably have multiple theories- they might not know about the grimwalker stuff yet, but they know this kid is an orphan and related to the emperor, they know he was found the day the previous golden guard died, they know the martlet has the same colour hair as hunter, they've seen it, they know hes incredibly protective of him, they know the martlet is scarred as fuck and an incredible combatant AND a high level magic user despite never using magic- once they find out hunter cant use magic without a staff? click, dude. thats probably genetic! this guy has been around about as long as the previous GG has been gone. he looks like hunter, he's protective of hunter, he never uses magic without a staff, and the second raine asks darius about the previous GG, knowing they were close, "hey, did you ever see that guy use magic without a staff?" that seals the deal dude. raine has clocked that motherfucker from a mile away.
only now like. thats a NEW concern. okay, cool! parent. got it. well that explains his intentions. but now like- wow, he HAS hit this kid a lot, even if his motivations were clearly rescuing him. can he even be TRUSTED with him? would hunter be healthy living with this guy? is he even capable of living like a normal person? he still wont take off his stupid fucking mask or tell them his stupid fucking name! and oh, fuck- if he's the previous gg, he's done some VILE shit. should they be doing something about HIM?
darius and raine im sure have a very exciting conversation putting all the jigsaw pieces together before they realize that jasper isn't dead, jasper is the martlet, jasper is a powerless witch, jasper has a son, and holy shit is that son fucked up and in dire need of help.
meanwhile jasper is like ho ho i am sooooo good at lying and secrets absolutely no one suspects anything
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a little ramble abt scissors because im very sane and normal
this isn't anything groundbreaking but because i'm so very normal about scissors, i just started typing and it devolved into a ramble about them because i love their character and fight so much. i'll be putting the text under a read more but it's also a good chance to say origami king spoilers !!
small disclaimer that i personally use he/they pronouns for my scissors but in this i'm defaulting to 'they' just for the character in general :} this will be disjointed and messy i be rambling
now that you're under the read more and no longer safe from me (/lh) i genuinely really REALLY love scissors as a character and i love their personality. so much. before you even get to their boss fight itself there's a very strong emphasis every step of the way there that you are way out of your depth in this situation.
it's a pair of scissors, tossed into a world inhabited and made of paper, very much sentient, and very much aware of it's standing in this environment. of course, the other members of the legion of stationery also feel very alien in a world of paper as living craft supplies, but with scissors they're extremely different and on a level of their own, that being their purpose is explicitly mutilation and causing harm (in the context of paper being alive). coloured pencils are sharp, but their main purpose relating to paper is just the application of colour, rubber band and tape bind/entrap, and while stapler and hole punch have really hostile applications (cutting out holes and puncturing with staples that are quite big in comparison to a toads body, for example), both are intended to hold paper together if used properly (and not just going around fucking people up [looks at hole punch in accusatory fashion /lh]).
scissors are made to cut. their main use involves harming paper. the story is told through paper so it's obviously a touch more lighthearted but the terror in reaction to scissors says a lot. they take about 10 extra years off of kamek's lifespan by swooping down and quartering Bowser Jr, who is like. 12. without any hint of mercy or hesitation. you quickly learn this guy is not opposed to Child Murder (tm) i also love the buildup throughout bowser's castle, and the paper mistake!! these are so horrifying in the context of a paper world!! a pair of scissors essentially playing god, literally making new life via unnatural, freakish means, using paper from the environment and cut up people. the cutouts are made of paper like them, imagine seeing something thats like. you, but not. they have the same 'flesh' as you, the same attributes, but they're just wrong. i think it'd be like their version of some sort of uncanny valley?? which would be disturbing to see, even more so for buzzy beetle
i've seen people say they're 'fair'/ a fair fighter and while they do have a noble, stoic personality initially and the act itself was quite fair to at least provide some fighting chance first things first, i personally don't think there was any fairness actually intended at all when they put that sheath on. they fully expect to win - they don't entertain the possibility of losing for even a second during the entire fight. in reality using the sheath is more of a means to prolong the fun. They're skilled enough, cocky enough and likely enough to win that they can afford to cat and mouse with their opponent a bit. my hc is they both appreciate the thrill of a good fight, but doesn't believe for a second that it's even between them and an opponent - every fight is consistently in their favour, and they know this. the thrill comes more from the fact that meeting a capable opponent makes it even sweeter when they inevitably crush them. there's excitement to the point they flip and dance and do that smug little wave animation from side to side when it becomes clear mario is actually putting up a fight.
i know the los/game enemies in general tend to call out when a large attack/ultimate attack is coming up, and its just part of the game design to allow a player to prepare, but to me i also love to think of it in character terms. a swordsman calling out their strongest attack would be something typically quite dangerous and a huge disadvantage for them - they're so confident around paper they don't even need to worry about giving away their whole hand of cards. why should it matter if they can just win anyway? they literally get bored after a few turns because they're so very sure of what the outcome of this fight is going to be. so, they wrap things up, and swing with the blow that has cut up so many paper soldiers, civilians etc before this. 999 damage.
then mario fucking DODGES. he jumps OVER IT. the thing nobody else has ever thought to do.
everything in scissors' existence is called into question in that EXACT moment. their literal LIFE PURPOSE. CUTTING PAPER. when that has NEVER happened before. by something as small as a JUMP, something the other versions of mario do every day, and it's worked here as well (and also the rlly cute hc that paper mario learned it from his time in paper jam. which i think is adorable :] )
scissors is so accustomed to winning every single time, they're completely blindsided. paper is a lesser thing to them. so to see a mere piece of paper defy them is infuriating. this is the moment you see it all crumble. that dignified exterior vanishes and reveals a literal tantrum at the first hint of failure. to the point they accuse mario of cheating!! despite them being perfectly fine beforehand with trying to get a cheap shot at mario before the fight started (it's clearly only cheating when it's at their expense). the sheer embarrassment of having limited themselves in a fight temporarily, fully expecting to win, only for someone to finally call their bluff. stay right there and let me go again.
and again. and again.
what i think is so so cool abt this fight is you can see a very visible progression of rage after the first dodge and you enter the stream of insta-kills until one of you drops. while it's mixed up, you see a shift from fancy flips and elegant showboating cuts to tricks, delayed timings, outright blink-and-you'll-miss-it attacks. from 'outraged, but still confident' to FURIOUS and desperate, not a single other word is spoken after the first dodge in their complete focus trying to end mario. because you kinda realize something about scissors at this point - despite the very inflated ego and clear talent, they're only confident so long as they feel they can win without question.
they're paralyzed in shock when you win against them. they practically died standing up, deathly silent, and it only takes the lightest of baby nudges to finish them off. i've seen ppl say both that they were in fact dead where they stood from the sheer exertion of it or they were so stupefied by the only fight they've ever lost, i like both though i lean towards a combination of injury and shock personally
and god i love the significance of it all. something to seemingly impossible and hopeless being overcome. a match-up so historically favored on one side of the fight, losing essentially to their own underestimation and ego
for the first time ever, paper beat scissors
#origami king#legion of stationery#paper mario the origami king#paper mario#im so normal raaaaah !!!!!!
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Love in the Air: Sky’s Denial of Prapai’s True Intentions
So for the last two episodes now, Sky and Prapai’s conversations have repeatedly revolved around Sky insistence that Prapai is only interested in sex, to Prapai’s attempts to reason there’s more to it than that.
Sky is so adamant in believing Prapai’s intentions are purely superficial because of his own history, which is colouring his judgement. This is incredibly understandable, as Sky has been massively affected by that experience and is still dealing with PTSD. Prapai also arguably poses a high risk prospect because of his own respective history as a playboy and all round flirt. If you were going to hedge your bets on boyfriend material, Prapai would not be the obvious or most secure choice. But these interactions are also a stark reminder that both Sky and Prapai’s assumptions are based on very little at all. Neither of these two people know each well enough to make any sweeping presumptions about one another.
Beyond Sky’s reasoning, there's evident denial too. It’s always easier to remain stubborn to your point of view, because to even consider the alternative is frightening - its a classic case of the unknown. You anticipate what will happen based on your own experiences, even if you understand that nothing is ever guaranteed nor set in stone. There is always the possibility that situations may play out differently to how you would expect, but can you bring yourself to find out?
So what if Prapai is serious? What if Sky admits that he wants Prapai to be serious about him? What does that mean then? There would be more at stake and far more to lose. Sky just cannot afford for that to happen again.
As much as Prapai puts in a tremendous effort to get Sky to notice him, the irony is that he doesn’t actually need to do much convincing at all, because Sky is already interested. It’s because Sky’s already interested that he’s in constant denial. He’s not ready or comfortable accepting that fact. The more Sky spirals around these thoughts, the more he admonishes himself, because he sees himself falling prey to the same trap. Why has he seemingly learnt nothing? Why is his instinct still to be hopeful and wanting?
On the other hand, Prapai is also starting to turn a corner. His pursuit of Sky was initially driven mostly by curiosity and obsession. Seeking to solve why he had an inability to get Sky off his mind, but with no real conclusions drawn as to why that is. We now start to see the realisation creeping in for Prapai when he poses those questions to Sky “What if I’m serious?” He’s also addressing them to himself. Why does he care so much? Why does he worry? Why does he want this person to know as much about him as he wants to know about them?
Prapai even comments on how he has surprised himself with the strength of his feelings and the lengths he is willing to go to for Sky. It’s caught him off guard as equally as it has for Sky, just for completely different reasons. Whereas Prapai is somewhat perplexed or bemused by the growing revelation around his developing feelings, Sky is fearful and dubious.
I think its very natural to surprise yourself with the capacity you can possess to love someone. After all, it’s only once you do love someone, that you realise how far those depths can stretch.
It is through the act of nursing Sky that Prapai is now showing rather than telling him that he’s interested in more than sex. This act can also be seen as Prapai’s declaration to himself. ‘I do care about you beyond just the one night stand we had together’. I believe this has a considerable bearing on Prapai’s own growth and maturity. For someone who is so used to being written off as an ‘asshole’, it must be nice to prove (even to yourself) that you are genuinely capable of selflessness, and that you’re not such a bad person after all. I think there’s also something to be said about self-fulfilling prophecies. The more you are told that you are an ‘asshole’ or a bad person, the more likely you are to play into that stereotype that others have assigned for you.
At the moment the ball will be in Sky’s court. Whether Sky chooses to confront his and Prapai’s mounting feelings for each other, will take an enormous amount of courage. We obviously know they do, but it will be incredibly validating for Prapai to watch Sky slowly allow himself to reciprocate.
#LITA#love in the air#love in the air series#love in the air episode 9#LITA analysis#LITA meta#prapaisky#god my brain's been on overdrive since yesterday's episode#it has not stopped whirring#the hands have not stopped typing
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Hi....If you don't mind, can I ask, what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....
If I’m being honest, I have been more into just listening to music during my free time more than anything and while I read a lot of manga, my goldfish brain would blank out if someone were to ask me anything about it. However, I will tell you my list of definite rewatch/reread series though some of them are pretty old or obscure.
My Top 10 (in no particular order)
Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-Kun (manga/anime)
At first, I watched it mainly for the fun aesthetics (cute colourful characters with spooky backgrounds) but I fell in love with the characters and world-building of this series. The whole cast, be it main or supporting, are absolutely amazing and capable of running a story arc of their own even without the main cast which is seriously impressive. And while the anime only just scratched the surface, the author really built the setting of this series with great thought, with its own politics, history, systems, and culture that impacts the story well. No random fact is without purpose and I love it.
The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. (manga/anime)
I’ve been watching anime since I was 4 so I can confidently say that I’m familiar with many classic anime tropes and cliches. This series is like a kudos to longtime anime fans with its jokes and jabs as it follows a strong psychic boy being absolutely done with the insanity of his life as he tries to keep his powers a secret from his schoolmates like a sports anime jock, a shojou girl, delinquent gone good, etc. The comedy coming from this deadpan omnipotent high school student is just an absolute delight. I kin Saiki so much
Nope (movie)
I’m a real fan of horror movies, especially those with undertones that bring a critical element to humanity. While I love all of Jordan Peele’s current works, Nope has got to be one of my favourite movies overall. I’ve heard of some of the criticisms people had with the film (pretty ironic ones too) but I personally love the pacing and suspense of the film. While it’s fun to watch monsters and killers get crazy from the get-go (that’s why Saw movies and slasher films were popular) but Nope touched on that all-too-real fear of not knowing what’s going to happen. That fear where you’re afraid but you’re not sure of what yet.
Petshop of Horrors (manga/anime) and the sequel Neo Petshop of Horrors (manga)
Speaking of horror with critical undertones, I was obsessed with this manga series that came out in the late 90s. I would try so hard to find a way to read this series every chance I could growing up. It’s a sorta episodic style story that stars a mysterious petshop owner that often becomes a suspect in the deaths of people who have bought animals from his shop. I love the philosophy of each new story that touches on humanity and how different (or similar) we are to animals. It questions our societal norms, expectations, base desires, mythology, what it means to live, and what is “acceptable” in our world. Unfortunately, the series was never fully translated and only published fewer copies than typical manga series due to reasons I’m not too sure of (possibly conflicts with ownership and company copyrights at the time, think Baccano situation). The series had an anime but even that anime only had 4 episodes (I still highly recommend it however). I’ve managed to get a few volumes for myself and I know people are selling certain volumes online but I have to save for essentials so collecting them is unfortunately a lower priority now.
Pokémon (video game/manga/anime)
Is this a cop-out? Nah. To this day, I would still have to physically fight myself to not buy plushies and games when I’m already broke af. Pokémon might be one of the first animes I have ever seen (I have seen both sub and dub because my brother found a way) and I would still on occasion go back to rewatch literally any season and any movie of theirs, Nintendo really hit the marketing jackpot with this franchise. The creativity and design are so iconic and memorable that it’s so easy and fun to get into the fantasy of going on an adventure with your favourite Pokémon. There’s of course some nostalgia at play since I loved the moments where my older brother would watch the movies with me and my cousin and I would collect the figurines together.
One Piece (manga/anime)
Is this also a cop-out? Don’t care. I LOVE ONE PIECE! I will sacrifice my time and tears for this series. I have legitimately managed to rewatch this 4 times in my life (granted I started when it only had 400+ episodes so I had an easier time) and I would willingly cry over a flashback, a whale, even a boat over and over again. The action and story-telling of this series just keeps me running back for more even if I keep meeting dumb gatekeepers (yea, people don’t believe me when I tell them I’m a One Piece fan, what are ya gonna do?) I haven’t watch the Netflix live action yet but I probably will once I get my friends to watch with me (I like to fangirl with friends~)
Forget my Husband, I’ll Go Make Money (manhwa)
Despite my blog probably being best known for the villain/ess series, the banner of my blog is not an isekai villainess story but a fantasy series where a woman who can see the past, present, and future tries to make money while being married to a foreign prince before expecting a divorce (because she assumed he rather marry for love than for political reasons). Fun fact, this series was actually one of the foundations when I was writing the villain/ess story for Leona. The art and main couple are just absolutely delightful, I can’t help but reread it as it returns for a new season. Not only is the art just gorgeous, the main couple is just so gosh darn entertaining with their conversations, personal dynamics, and hilarious misunderstandings. Just beautiful.
Hotel Del Luna (K-drama)
Leave it to my interest in horror to love a romance drama with ghosts in it. It’s funny, it’s cute, and some of the ghost’s backstory is heartbreaking as well. This is a great story to just have a nice cry out. I love the story, I love the music, but most importantly, I love IU! She is my queen and every scene she is in, she kills me with her fashion, her haughty character, and her tragic backstory. She and the male lead was such a fun twist of the typical k-drama relationship where she was the powerful but broken character who ended up being healed by the kind, hardworking character. I've watched this 3 times at this point, but I still cry Every. Single. Time. No exceptions.
Hell Girl (anime/manga)
If I haven’t sold you on how I was probably that kid with creepy interests, maybe this will convince you. This was my go-to show back when I was in middle school. There is no excuse, I just really love the psychological horror of this series. In the show, there is a website you can access at midnight where you can ask Ai or Hell Girl to send your most hated person to hell, with the price that you will go there too when you die. While there was a linear storyline in the background, the episodes were always new people who requested Ai’s help with different cases of their own hell on earth. It touches on some really heavy real-life topics but what made it memorable to me was how sometimes I would feel saddened by the choices the people in the show made. Sometimes, they’re in the situation where all they can do is curse someone to hell but then was it really worth losing your chance at a happier afterlife? I watched this show with some of my friends who either saw Ai as a villain for sending people to hell, or a saviour who helped these people find an escape from their torturer, and that honestly made me think about what it means to have that much hate in you. I always wondered if I was ever in that situation, what would I do if given the chance?
Big Hero 6 (movie)
Arguably the first Marvel-Disney movie since Disney bought Marvel, I remembered people having weird thoughts on the usually cartoony company taking over the superhero franchise but I fell in love with everything that was this movie. It had Marvel-style action mixed with classic Disney wholesomeness and gut-wrenching emotional moments. I loved the message and warmth that was in this movie. Having an older brother myself, I couldn’t imagine how I could go on if I lose him but watching Hiro being so well supported by Baymax and his friends cemented within me the importance of helping others and that supporting those in pain can be as powerful as stopping bad guys (sappy, I know but hey I’m now learning to be a preschool teacher so this really stuck with me). Tadashi’s recorded message brings me so much comfort that I didn’t realize I needed. He may have been the closest thing to a Disney crush for me.
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Day five! I know we have basically all of them made to fit their flames but if you could reassign the tenth vongola swuad new flames, which woulf you mix up? Anyone else in khr you'd assign a different flame?
Ohh, this was a really fantastic question! I actually had to stop and really think about this one for quite a while! I hope you’ll enjoy my opinions on the subject and thank you so much for sending this in!
When it comes to Vongola Decimo’s family, you are very right. The flames really are built up around each character, making certain that each of the Guardians really fits their flame types. The same applies to the Vongola Primo generation, who really are just sort of ‘copy paste’ of the Vongola Decimo family, so it makes sense.
I think the only thing I might possibly change at all would be Hibari’s secondary flame type. It really makes little sense to me for him to have a Mist Flame and I always felt like it was mostly done as a ‘haha, irony, he hates Mist Flame users but is one himself’ kind of deal instead of it being done because the flame type genuinely fits him. While I definitely do agree that he would be among the very few characters who can use multiple flame types easily, I always personally thought that his secondary flame type would be Sun or Storm. I’ve always leaned more towards Storm for him but have also seen arguments for Sun that really have swayed me in that direction as well.
Now, as far as the flame types I would change, I’ve always been very vocal about the fact that there are a lot of Flame types among the Arcobaleno that make no sense to me. They’re the group that I would definitely make some switches to and where I feel that maybe earlier manga colouring were the only reason they have the flame types that they do.
I really don’t think that Reborn fits the Sun Flame category, though I know I’m getting into really controversial and unpopular opinions saying that and I don’t get Fon being a Storm Flame. To me, I would honestly switch the flames between the two.
In my head, I really do think Reborn makes a better Storm Flame and I strongly headcanon that no matter what his primary flame type is, that he would be along the lines of Gokudera, a genius that possesses the capability to use different flames and that his main secondary flame would be a Rain flame, just based on his fighting style and prowess.
Meanwhile I do think that Fon fits a Sun Flame better, as a very hands on and physical fighter.
Other than that, it’s really only fanon accepted flames where I sometimes have to go…that just doesn’t compute to my brain, I really think this makes more sense. One example that I was just talking about with a lovely friend is what flame types fanon believes that Shamal would have. To me, Shamal is a classic Sun Flame. The trident mosquitoes use viruses lifted from his body, meaning he is quite literally fighting using parts of his body/blood and the fact that Sun’s ability is that of activation, and healing is part of that, it really suits his position as a doctor.
I also do think that Haru has a Storm Flame, while Kyoko is strongly a Rain Flame in my head every time, despite the fact that genetics say she has to be a Sun Flame. I do get the arguments for her being a Sun Flame, besides just that her brother is one but in my head, it just makes most sense for her to be a Rain Flame.
Also, there is nothing, nothing I have ever seen that makes me believe that Naito Longchamp is a Sky Flame. Yes, he’s a boss…no, I just cannot believe that he has a Sky Flame and the harmonizing abilities of it.
#replies#katekyo hitman reborn#khr#khr headcanons#unpopular opinions#flame discussion#naito longchamp#haru miura#kyoko sasagawa#dr shamal#fon#reborn#hibari kyoya#event asks
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