crazy how star wars rebels has the best character work in all of star wars canon

Hello,

Ive been following you for years and I love your blog. In all my years on this website I have never posted, sent an ask or a message, commented or interacted with anyone on this website in any way. However seeing your recent posts about Palestine made me feel like I had to say something.

Just because you support the “weaker” side, it doesn’t make you immune to lies and propaganda.

Please educate yourself before you spread misinformation and/or misleading info.

I am a citizen of Israel. This conflict started when Hamas brutally murdered hundreds of innocent civilians, including elderly and children. They kidnapped over a hundred more. They are known for being a terrorist organisation whose stated goal is to murder jews.

I am terrified. My people are forever scarred. I and everyone I know have lost loved ones in this war. And the fact that people like you in these terrible times choose to focus solely on the suffering of the Palestinians, ignoring and justifying our suffering, speaks volumes.

The bombings you speak of, are a retaliation for the slaughter of October 7th. Israel warns citizens in advance, in order to prevent as many casualties as possible. But we cant just ignore the murder, kidnapping, rape and harm to our people like you do. We have no choice but to defend ourselves.

We have no interest nor desire to commit genocide against the Palestinian people. If we did, we would have already done so. Instead we financially support Palestine, despite the fact they use this money not to better their lives, but to instead attack our civilians.

Beware of misinformation like the accusations against Israel for bombing the hospital in Gaza. That is a straight up lie that was proven false, and the Hamas spread it along with lies about how many people got hurt, in order to convince people like you that they are justified. And its working.

Before you accuse others, maybe check your own biases and think to yourself why a Palestinian life is worth something to you and an Israeli one isn’t.

Can you even imagine what it feels like to go online after such a tragedy for a little relief, only to see people like you calling for my death?

And yes, that is what you’re doing by supporting and encouraging the actions of Hamas. An organisation that cares more about killing innocent civilians like me than protecting its own people.

I hope that if you can’t take the time to properly understand this complicated situation, you will at least stop talking about something that you clearly don’t understand.

You know, I put all of this in a private post initially. I've been largely focused on spreading charity posts, actual concrete things that can be done to save the innocent people caught in the crossfire. But clearly, my message has been mixed, so I'll define it right here.

This is just something that seeps into my bones and I had to say it somewhere: the sheer refusal by both sides to admit what they're doing. Oh, we thought that music festival was soldiers....wait no we didn't, it was random Gazan civilians who did it instead, not us, hurt them instead. Oh we are going to wage all out war....no those innocent civilian casaulties weren't us, it was them! (No, the cause of the explosion has not been independently proven. It has, however, been proven that Israel shelled the place three days earlier as a "warning" then called ordering an evacuation shortly before.) Put down an evacuation order so short and so sudden the UN protests that civilians can't possibly get out in time, then bomb one of the convoys. Tell your countrymen the evacuation order was fake so you get more human shields. More rockets! More airstrikes! More "accidents" to the tune of hundreds of civilians dead, and you never have to carry the burden or the blame for any of it. Shoot from far enough away, target enough civilians, makes it easy, makes it fun. The glory of war with none of the guilt and none of the risk! Ain't that a wonderful thing. Ain't that a fucking joke.

I grieve for the innocent Israeli citizens slaughtered because Hamas cowards wanted to kill the defenseless. I grieve for the people in Gaza getting slaughtered because neither side cares if they live or die. The difference between the two is not that one life is worth more than the others. That is morally repugnant and fundamentally absurd. The difference is that Israel is getting aid from many nations, while other nations only give aid to Hamas, not the people of Gaza. They need humanitarian aid, they need someone to speak for them and beg for restraint, which is why I'm primarily reblogging posts that call for humanitarian aid to them and for a ceasefire so they can, at the very least, have the evacuation time they should have been allowed. It is not because their lives are worth more, but because to far too many, their lives are worth less.

I understand your pain and fear, and I am deeply sorry for your loss. I too find those rooting for Hamas or declaring that the victims deserved it for being settlers repugnant. But the people of Gaza did not do this, and if it's a choice between them living and Hamas dying, I will choose their lives every time. I will always choose life. And I refuse to apologize for that. Violence like this is a cycle, revenge and revenge and revenge again because you cannot kill an idea with bombs, only keep destroying until nothing is left to fight over. You cannot stop a cycle by continuing to spin.

Short snippet on character themes/arcs

For as long as I remember, I have been an avid fan of fiction. I just started Yellowjackets recently, but I have been chewing over character themes/arcs for the longest of times, until today's episode where I think I'm starting to see the light.

What's interesting of YJ it's that since it is a horror show, I still don't know if in line with original greek tragedies, this is in fact a tragedy where the characters are destined to repeat their mistakes and be sanctioned for it (mostly with death) or whether at the end of it all, the characters will find some sort of redemption. (A comparison between YJ and original Greek tragedies can be a theme for another day).

This is what I got so far, feel free to comment or add your observations. This is by no means an essay (yet), but I need to type it down before I forget.

Tai: acceptance of her other self

premise: << Tai's other self hurts those around her>>

Van: find a reason to live

premise: <<Despite defying death, life is pointless/there's no reason to live>>

Shauna: loving someone doesn't have to end on her killing them (love doesn't have to be violent)

premise: <<Love cannot co-exist with negative emotions, accepting this love leads to death>>

Nat: she is worthy to find forgiveness within herself (stop self mutilation/be kind to herself)

premise: <<Some actions are so gruesome that are not worthy of forgiveness, atonement should be reached through self-harm>>

Misty: she can love and be deserving of love, and for herself and not in spite of herself

premise: <<I'm an unlovable human, and so are undeserving of receiving love>>

Lottie: she does not need to put other's well being over her own in order to heal (she doesn't have to become someone savior in order to be deserving of love/including self love)

premise: <<I'm only important as long as I save my loved ones>>

All works of successful fiction, have parallel stories/arcs within the characters and the plot, I'm looking forward what is in store for out beloved traumatized and deranged girls/women.

I can expand on any/all of these, but I would have to go and make a rewatch, take videos and screenshots, maybe when S2 ends.

"What should Israel do, if not this?"

That seems to be a common reply when anyone criticizes Israel's unwarranted escalation in Gaza. Usually it's accompanied by some kind of insinuation that the critic hates Israel and wants all Jewish people to die. See my well poisoning post about why that's a bullshit coward's tactic (unless it's deliberate disinformation, which that post also covers). I'll get to my answer in a moment, but first...

I do condemn Hamas, and particularly their recent actions. Strongly. Unequivocally. I mourn the loss of innocent life and dignity. I condemn those actions because I mourn those things, which is also why I condemn Israel's actions both before and after. I have always been and always will be less focused on Israel vs. Palestine, which is an enormously complex issue, than on choosing peace and compassion over violence and hate. That's the only side I'm really on, and it cuts across both traditional "sides" in most of these discussions. All I want is to minimize suffering - for the people of Palestine, for the people of Israel (many of whom disagree with their so-called leadership), and for Jewish people worldwide who are already being caught in the backlash.

OK, so am I allowed to have an opinion now? If you still insist the answer is no, GTFO or get blocked. Fallacies, disinformation, and gatekeeping are not welcome here. (OK, maybe some gatekeeping, but only by me because it's the gate to my room.) Warmongers are even less welcome. Are we down to just the sane people now? Good. Here's my answer to what Israel should do.

Not what the fucking US did after fucking 9/11

Invading Afghanistan, and particularly Iraq, was a mistake (which many of us pointed out at the time BTW). The latter was, of course, based on lies. Both cost trillions of dollars and - more importantly - millions of lives, to little lasting positive effect. Maybe we could have done some good in either place, independently of 9/11, with application of similar resources in different ways, but that is really a different discussion. For now, I'll just say what we actually did in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 represents a colossal failure to achieve any of our stated goals. Those people, "ours" or "theirs" or anyone, died for nothing.

What did eventually make al Qaeda less of a threat to peace? The term of art here is decapitation. We took out the leaders, one by one. That effort involved intelligence, often derived from cooperation with other countries including those we don't particularly like, and precision weapons or strike teams. We didn't have to "flatten" Abbottabad to eliminate bin Laden, or Kabul to eliminate al Zawahiri, and so on. One could argue that we were still in the wrong, but those actions were far less injurious and thus far less wrong than what we had been doing previously.

That brings us back to the present day. Israel has a highly capable intelligence apparatus, widely considered to be among the best in the world. It has precision weapons, ditto. Their ability to deliver precise violence to specific targets might be unparalleled, and has in fact been demonstrated many times. It was even demonstrated (though inconsistently used) the last time this particular conflict flared up. Anyone who wants to comment on Israel's actions needs to do so based on an understanding that these capabilities exist, and that their use was deliberately foregone. They weren't used to prevent this tragedy, and they're not being used to avoid the next one (or the inevitable next one after that, and so on ad nauseam) either.

I have many more thoughts about who in Israel or elsewhere has done what, and why, to produce a worse-than-necessary situation here. I'll set those aside for now, out of respect to people who are still suffering or grieving. I'll just leave this one thought: if someone can take actions which minimize suffering, and instead takes actions which increase it, then that's a choice. It's the warmonger's choice, regardless of culture or religion or circumstances leading up to it. That applies to Hamas, but not to Hamas alone. It's a universal principle.

What Israel should do is learn from the US's mistakes, not repeat them. For their own sake.

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by @extraordinarilyextreme, 谢谢

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

On my current account, 25! (not counting everything from my old account I deleted in 2020)

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

On said current account, 53,972

What fandoms do you write for?

As of right now the brainrot has taken me to MLC, and if I ever get my motivation back, then also DMBJ

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. The War Is Over, And We Are Beginning - Jiang Cheng & Jin Ling, 7.6k, Post-Canon

2. all of this mess (is just my attempt) - Chengning, 2.6k, Cloud Recesses

3. hold the world to its best - Jiang Cheng, 859, Long After Canon

4. won't run away (we're here to stay) - Chengning, 3.5k, Post-Canon

5. welcome to the storm - Jiang Cheng, 1.6k, Fall of Lotus Pier

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to, but god help the ADHD. I read and cherish every one I get though, I promise!!

What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

It's either didn't want us to burn out, which was canon timeline Chengxuan, or come back and haunt me, which was canon timeline Sangyu. I think I'll go with the latter. It had more tragedy about identity and memory, I think

(There's also one Hamlet fic I'm proud of, but that was a one-off I wrote. You can go find it if you want)

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Oh boy, uhhhhhhh. Out of the stuff currently associated with me, it'll be one of the Chengning fics, I think, or my aro!Wei Wuxian Ningxian fic. Not gonna lie it's slim pickings for happy endings around here haha

Do you get hate on fics?

No, thank god. I was always too much of a small fic writer for that.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Hahaha, not really. I'll do handwavey and fade to black but that's about it. Might get there one day though!

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Nope, not a crossover person unfortunately unless you want to count the sins on my old laptop from my superwholock era (I don't)

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Ehhhhh..... as of recently, ideas yes but actual written fics, not that I'm aware of

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! A couple of my MDZS fics and one MCU fic back in the day got translated into Russian

What's your all-time favorite ship?

Bestie I live in multishipper hell you can't make me decide

What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Basically every DMBJ wip at this point in time, but particularly the one I'm furthest along on that I do not have a working title for other than 'horrible huaxie backstory'. My relationship with DMBJ has changed a LOT since getting into it this year and now my hyperfixation is somewhere else, so who knows what'll happen *shrugs*

What are your writing strengths?

I've been told my narration has a distinctive voice to it, and I think that's what people tend to compliment most? Dialogue is also something I've tried to consciously work on over the years, and I don't know that it stands out as a strength necessarily but it's almost something I find easy to write these days if I'm in the swing of it

What are your writing weaknesses?

Action and smut. Basically don't make me mentally choreograph complex stuff

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Now that my Mandarin has improved after two years of study, I think writing bilingual fic could be fun. There's definitely dialogue I've thought up in Mandarin for C-Drama characters that just won't have the same impact in English, and it's a shame I can't just casually drop it into a fic untranslated and be done with it

First fandom you wrote for?

First fics I ever wrote were for Star Wars and they were written longhand into a horrid little hipster notebook from Indigo. The first fics I posted on Ao3 were for the MCU though

Favorite fic you've written?

Nah I'm not choosing on this, I have no idea <3

Tagging @nutcasewithaknife, @eirenical, and @ilgaksu (only if you want to and apologies if you've already done this 😅)

Chris/Melissa + “ you're my home. “

Or, deprogramming is not a fun time for aaaaanyone. Usual post-6B 'verse, PG-ish, and also on ao3.

Let go. Begin again.

Having such control over his own life still feels wrong, even several years in. Before, there had always been cultural obligations and traditions, reinforced by a web of connections. Leaving had been unthinkable until it wasn’t, and it still feels like weakness, that later-in-life rebellion that still causes internal conflict. Hunters don’t have midlife crises; the more appropriate response to such tragedy, the one he still occasionally considers, would’ve been to take unnecessary risks and try to die before the improper thoughts led anywhere.

Instead, he decided to live. Instead, he gave himself a whole host of new mundane problems. Instead…

He knows, in the early months of new entanglement, that this could possibly just be a coping mechanism gone horribly wrong. Latch onto the first viable option, perhaps the only viable option there will ever be, and try to re-create everything salvageable from his past. And he knows, if this is accurate self-assessment, that it might be unspeakable cruelty. Melissa does not deserve to be a useful object in someone else’s self-destruction; from the stories he’s heard, indirect comments pieced into answers to questions he will never ask, she’s been through that already. To do that to her again, to become a wound…

She deserves better. May he never lose sight of that.

He tries to self-correct and fails. Never again so much as that entire summer without contact – it takes two people to ruin communication like that, yes, but he will carry most of the blame, he does not have scars like she does – but attempts at little distance, at making sure he doesn’t get proximity enough to do harm. None of it works. She offers space so easily. Who the hell is he to deny her? He is trying to atone for so many mistakes under other circumstances, and he has proven himself decent if not good, and-

It doesn’t help that she sees so much light in him. Others have had to forgive direct action, and he is unsure how much of that he has earned, but he never hurt her. He never… he couldn’t…

“Talk to me,” she says. It is late winter and later in the night than he should be around, but neither of them trusts quiet and taking her to and from work is something they can both justify outside the uncertainty of their dynamic. If that in turn results in him spending enough nights on her couch that she’s stopped offering the spare bedroom upstairs…

His instinct is to respond with worry and self-blame, but he runs through his recent actions towards her and finds nothing likely to offend her enough for confrontation. She is not always as clear as she could be, fine, but they are still new and learning each other and-

“Is everything alright?” That’s neutral enough, right? There are so many other things in her life that could be troubling her, he wouldn’t dare assume her moods could only be because of him or-

“And I thought I was conflict-avoidant,” she sighs. Her eyes are flitting around and her body isn’t quite still; something is wrong, something is-

“You’re not…” Oh, he doesn’t even know what she’s doing. This isn’t where-did-he-fuck-this-up anymore, although that emotion will probably never fade around her; it’s a bigger problem, it has to be, and probably not anything within his ability to fix, not that she’s good at asking for minor help either, at some point before they met that woman went right past resilient into trust issues and-

“Something is going on in your mind,” she says with that perceptiveness that fascinates him sometimes, that used to read as fearlessness before he got to know her better and realized she’s like this with everyone. “You’re not telling me something. And I can’t…”

So, he did do something. That’s strangely reassuring.

He lives with so many internal conflicts – can’t remember a time when his mind was ever quiet, when there wasn’t some kind of war he was usually smart enough to keep hidden – and too many are connecting now, becoming a web that could bury him if he let it, if he-

He could lay them all out for her, say all the things he suspects she’s figured out about what she’s gone and started trying to tether herself to, but he doubts that would actually help either of them. Too much of their dynamic is in the quiet, in the details not directly said to each other but instead indirectly filtered through so many mutual connections. To ruin that, to ruin them…

That’s the problem, maybe. The uncertainty of it all, of not having the slightest clue where they’re headed or what she wants. He’s never had that kind of problem before – he is used to so much more structure, and he suspects he would’ve tried to do the rest of his life alone if she hadn’t happened to him, and-

“I’m unsure… where this goes. You and I.”

She gives him one of those looks, some kind of affectionate frustration, and he can only imagine the odds she’s running in her mind. In a fair world, she’d have much more internal conflict about this than he does, but he can’t imagine-

“Does it need to go anywhere?”

Yes, he wants to say. Yes, because he likes stability and he hasn’t really had any in three years, because he is still used to being led and of course he went and got tangled up with someone who doesn’t have that tendency and-

“Some kind of structure would help me,” and even that sounds wrong, admitting weakness even to a partner, but it is necessary pain and-

“Okay. Structure. I can do that. What do you…”

“You’re my home.” The words fall out too quickly, and they’re wrong, and the idea that he might be discovering at this point in his life that he is somehow something of a romantic is damned horrifying, and… maybe this is the final act of walking away, not just choosing to continue his own life but shaping it around another person, because he was so good at that once and he could be again and-

This is different than that past. It has to be different. It has to be better.

“Oh.”

“I don’t… if you…”

“That’s not… I’m not mad, I just… how do I respond to that?!”

He’s hurt her, it’s all too obvious, and the only response he can think of is to clear the distance between them and hold her, and they’re such a cliché right now, clinging in the middle of her kitchen at something too-close to two in the morning and it’s the most real he’s felt in too long and he’d fall to his knees for her if he thought it’d help and-

“You don’t need to,” he murmurs, turning his head to kiss above her ear. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“You regret things too easily,” she replies, and every doubt falls away. “I would say if that was a problem. It isn’t. I just… need time.”

“If I’ve done anything…”

“I’m not scared of you. If you fucked up, you’d know.”

“I don’t deserve you.”

“Don’t talk like that.”

She takes kisses to make sure he doesn’t get for quite a long time.

He… could be okay with this.

Somewhere in the blur of anniversaries that will haunt him over the next few weeks, something made him decide to live. It’s been three years. Time to do something with that beyond just survival and latching onto anything that will tolerate him.

Time to make this into a life.

Maybe, just maybe, start with her and go from there.

yeah well, i’m just saying that’s not the reason ppl are getting mad. most americans are bipoc and queer people and they’re more than aware of how bad the us is, now’s just not a good time to air out all your grievances when there was a tragedy

yeah ok? but I didnt even know a school shooting happened recently? despite what it may seem im still brasilian living in brasil and am not aware of every single thing that happens in american politics/news. I understand what youre saying and I empathize but I also think that youre missing the context here. I have a really hard time putting my thoughts into words so I'm sorry if this doesnt make much sense but essentially my mindset when I wrote that.

was on r/propagandaposters subreddit > saw a comment that I thought was sorta stupid > thought "why do people think that just because someone is a communist theyre a soviet booklicker lawl" > people talk shit about the usa and others say "yeah well X country is worse" > I think thats stupid > we should still talk about how usa sucks even if other countries suck too

it wasn't really my intention to seem insensitive and I meant it more about the usamerican government and its past (and present) actions and not about usamericas culture or people or the problems these people face. I said something in a weird manner, true, but I dont understand how I was supposed to refrain myself from talking about usamerica as a state when something in the country happened that I didnt even know about.

I'm not even usamerican I'm just talking about what the country and its policies did to mine

Flower Petals and Fireworks

I've recently been revisiting one of my favorite manga/anime series, Rurouni Kenshin, through the (excellent) live-action movies. I ran across a very good video essay on the prequel OVA Trust and Betrayal (link below). Near the beginning is a comment that I really liked, and of course, I also immediately applied it to Romeo and Juliet--which is also referenced near the end of the video.

Every spring, Japanese people gather to watch the beautiful cherry blossoms bloom and fall, with the drifting pink petals creating an almost ethereal, dreamlike atmosphere. While the cherry blossoms are, in and of themselves, a thing of beauty, there's something deeper to this event: "setsunai hakanai," or "sorrowful and ephemeral." Cherry blossoms only bloom for a short time before returning to the earth, but even as they fall, they do so with grace and elegance--and I think that embodies Rurouni Kenshin: Trust and Betrayal.

Trust and Betrayal is not only a near-perfect anime, but one of the most moving examples of this concept of the beauty of tragedy: the heartache of witnessing the end of something breathtaking, but the happiness at having experienced it.

(Emphasis mine.)

In Romeo and Juliet, the metaphor is of "fire and powder, which as they kiss, consume." It's possible that Shakespeare was thinking more of firearms or gunpowder barrels, but the 1996 movie used the visual metaphor of fireworks for something beautiful and bright but ephemeral.

At Crocus City Hall in Moscow, a horrific attack unfolded when four men stormed the venue, shooting victims as they fled, capturing the chaos on their cell phones. The assailants set fire to the auditorium, leading to a devastating blaze that claimed 137 lives, marking Russia's deadliest act of terror since 2004.

This violent incident, reminiscent of past European attacks like the Bataclan theatre tragedy in Paris, holds political significance in Russia. In a country led by Vladimir Putin for over two decades, security lapses challenge the image of a strong, protective state he portrays.

An ISIS affiliate, ISIS-K, claimed responsibility for the attack, targeting Russia due to its military actions in Syria and against militants in Muslim-majority regions. This grim event starkly contrasts Putin's narrative of unity and strength against external threats.

ISIS-affiliated social-media channels have released gruesome body-cam footage showing a terror attack in Moscow. The attackers fired at people in a hall, slitting a wounded man's throat while shouting, “Kill them! Show no mercy!” and “The infidels will be defeated.”

U.S. intelligence warned of such attacks, with the U.S. Embassy in Russia monitoring reports of extremists planning to target large gatherings in Moscow. The National Security Council confirmed sharing intelligence with Russia.

Putin dismissed the intelligence alert as blackmail. He focused on Ukraine at a meeting before the attack, linking terrorist threats to Western efforts to weaken Russia.

The attack challenges Russia's sense of security. Putin's focus on regime protection clashes with the ISIS attack, as he associates threats with Western influences rather than addressing the security breach.

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In February, a report by the investigative-news site Proekt counted ten thousand people who faced criminal prosecution in politically motivated cases in Putin's current term, surpassing figures under Soviet leaders. Ruslan Leviev, a researcher, noted the oppressive environment in Russia, stating, 'In a country where special forces chase commentators from the Internet, terrorists will always feel free.'

Putin has linked the recent terror attack to Ukraine without naming ISIS as the responsible group. He mentioned the suspects heading towards Ukraine and alleged contacts there. The Kremlin reportedly urged media to highlight Ukrainian involvement. The attack is seen by some as a false flag operation by Russian security services.

Following past attacks, Putin focused on consolidating power rather than security reforms. After the Beslan attack in 2004, democratic reforms were rolled back, signaling a pattern of using tragedies for political gain.

Despite the recent terror attack, the Kremlin is under scrutiny for potentially empowering the F.S.B. and undermining Russia's democratic institutions. With ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and domestic concerns, Putin may divert attention from the tragedy at Crocus City Hall by creating new enemies or focusing on survival tactics.

Source Link: How Will Putin Respond to the Terrorist Attack in Moscow?

Blog entry 3; Looking at inspirations

With the announcement that the project deadline is pushed back, making my own assets for the project is potentially back on the table.

In this post I want to look a little more at the media texts that are inspiring my project (In themes and plot). I will be discussing major spoilers for Honkai Star Rail, Persona 3 and Persona 5 Royal in this post and I strongly recommend all these games though both Persona games are over 100 hours long.

My story is primarily concerned with happiness and how important it is to life, looking at how it can be obtained and the consequences; comfortable lies or harsh truths. This theme seems to be a somewhat popular one as there are many stories with at least adjacent ideas produced within the last 30 years. For example, I’m aware of a Futurama episode titled “The Sting” which is about the death of a character pushing another character into a happy fantasy world where they never died. I’ve never actually watched Futurama so I can’t comment further on this episode, but its ultimate thematic conclusion is that the fantasy is unhealthy and self destructive.

The Matrix also very very briefly touches upon this idea when Morpheus offers Neo the red and blue pills; this moral/philosophical dilemma is sidelined immediately after Neo chooses the truth to instead focus on the machines enslaving humanity.

Recently, Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail (major spoilers warning) released story quests which address dreams. In Genshin Impact’s Xianyun story quest, the protagonist dreams of reuniting with their long lost sibling again and upon waking says they “weren’t ready to wake up”, emphasising the longing for the impossibility of these fantasies. In Honkai Star Rail’s Penacony story quest (Which has yet to be fully released) the main cast visits a space station hotel where the guests immerse themselves into a shared dream where they can visit a glorious night-life world. Over time, it’s revealed that the dream is much more dangerous than believed and there are many schemers interfering with the world. In this story, a character named Firefly is introduced and spends a long time with the player before they are (seemingly) murdered by a monster that emerges in the dream. In the time the player spends with Firefly, they learn that her real body is physically impaired, she has no other friends and she herself spends most of her time in the dream as she says “Why do people choose to sleep? I think… it is because they’re afraid to awaken from the dream.” This shows that her only reprieve from a horrible reality was a fantasy world, yet the underlying truths of the fantasy world end up killing her; this story doesn’t provide any clear answers to this dilemma through Firefly, only showing a brutal tragedy on both sides - it does not seem like there is any version of events where things turn out well for this character.

Persona 3 & Persona 5 Royal’s adjacent ideas are the primary inspirations for my story, particularly the final section of Persona 5 Royal (Major spoilers for both games ahead). Both P3 and P5R’s final arcs begin with the reveal of a new villain character giving the main cast the choice between a dark reality and a bright reality.

In Persona 3 it is revealed that your actions throughout the game have doomed humanity to be exterminated by Nyx on March 5th and Nyx’s Appriser, Ryoji, gives the cast a choice; kill him and lose all awareness of the events of the game and the impending doom (Thusly ensuring it will happen) or let him live and spend their last months of their lives trying to prepare for a fight that should not be possible to win. This is interesting because neither of the options have “good” outcomes; letting everyone humanity go extinct within a moment without anyone knowing it is simultaneously horrific and merciful whilst fighting Nyx leads to an hour long boss fight that is futile until the protagonist sacrifices themselves to seal Nyx away. Persona 3’s story is about accepting death and not allowing it to control you and its handling of this theme (through the detailed arc) was so compelling that many Persona fans release posts talking about the game every March 5th and the game received a remake which completely preserved this arc (Though in my opinion the original was better). There are some significant plot similarities between this and my story - my story will lead to a choice between the player character re-entering the Dream whilst a natural disaster wipes out the facility and likely wiping out the remaining humans, or they can choose to leave the facility (It is important that they cannot choose to help anyone else, only the player character will be saved as the overseeing AI will not allow them to interfere with others). Persona 3 made this story compelling by developing a cast of characters and showing how each of them resolve to fight against death whilst allowing the player to think about it themselves and come to their own decision based on their worldview . The game makes an effort to emphasise that neither of the choices are “good” or “bad”. It’s important to note that killing Ryoji is not an issue at all - he is completely okay with it and is asking the cast to do it and it doesn’t matter as he will reform into the Nyx Avatar regardless of your choice; the only reason choosing blissful ignorance is considered the “bad” ending is because to do it the protagonist has to go against the rest of the cast’s wishes. Similarly, I don’t want to favour one choice over the other. Unfortunately I think Persona 3 suffers from some ludonarrative dissonance in that the “good” ending is also the better ending because it is significantly longer than the “bad” path; killing Ryoji will make the game instantly fade to March 5th and show 3 brief scenes of the main cast before a cut to credits whereas choosing to let him live allows the player to play through the whole of January as well as the final dungeon and hour-long boss battle against Nyx, plus chances to have final conversations with all the friends made throughout the game in early March before the protagonist dies on March 5th. My project won’t have this ludonarrative dissonance as both choices lead immediately to the end of the game.

Persona 5 Royal’s final arc reveals that Takuto Maruki, the therapist at the protagonist’s school, has gained the power to alter reality and people’s minds and create an idealistic world where everyone is satisfied with their lives - and he has started to spread his reality affecting at least thousands of people including almost the entire main cast excluding the protagonist. He brings back the cast’s dead relatives, fixes most of their problems and makes them much happier; however he did this without their consent (because Maruki truly believes he is helping people and knows what is best for them) and when the protagonist makes them aware of what happened they decide to fight Maruki to change reality back to what it was before, accepting suffering as a part of life that makes us who we are and suffering can give meaning. However, towards the end of the final battle Maruki asserts that though some people can work through problems there are also many problems in life which are clearly meaningless and should be prevented, such as any extreme violent crime like murder or a random natural death. Maruki does even accept that suffering is necessary to a degree as his reality doesn’t completely remove trials from people’s lives or make them simply constantly feel happy, he just ensures everyone ends up achieving what makes them happy in life (For example, Ryuji becomes a successful and popular track runner). It is also important that Maruki’s reality would solve problems that are simply impossible to actually solve - there would be no more world hunger and no crime. The game gives you a very similar choice to Persona 3, allowing you to choose to allow Maruki to spread his power over the earth, or stop him, and to me this choice is even harder to make than Persona 3’s because it is highly dependent on your perspective of happiness and if suffering is necessary; the “bad” ending simply shows the entire cast being happy together - including party members that were dead and hated each other in the previous reality - and Maruki accepting his role as a kind of saviour. This is a significant contrast to Persona 3’s bad ending where literally everyone dies; P5R’s “bad” ending is ‘objectively’ better for everyone. The game convinces you to choose to take down Maruki by reminding you of how the party has developed by suffering throughout the game and by using the character of Sumire Yoshizawa. Sumire was a past patient of Maruki whom he “saved” by controlling her mind into thinking she was actually her sister Kasumi Yoshizawa, who died to save Sumire from being run over following her emotional breakdown in the street. After finding out what Maruki did to her, Sumire fights the protagonist and begs them to allow Maruki to win. After falling unconscious in the fight and being taken home by the protagonist, Sumire has an arc where she relearns who she is and grows to appreciate simple things about life and accepts her past as it fuels her resolve. This is a solid refutation of Maruki’s perspective as it shows how both emotional scars and greater problems (Kasumi’s death) can have meaning; though we can’t know what Kasumi would say as she is long dead, in her final moments she wanted her sister to be happy. Furthermore, Maruki is similarly motivated by the loss of a loved one; Maruki discovered his powers by healing his girlfriend’s catatonic PTSD over the loss of her parents in a home invasion, at the cost of her remembering who he is - he seems to accept this and distances himself from her to prevent any harm, resolving to use his powers to fix reality which he refers to as a “nightmare”. Ultimately, the game suggests Maruki’s reality allows people to run away from their problems and this isn’t healthy. Maruki’s arc presents a philosophical and ethical issue rather than a political one; overwriting reality and bringing back the dead is far too fantastical for that, but it still challenges the worldviews of the player and characters - for this, Maruki is widely seen as the Persona series’ best villain (and I agree).

The Dream in my story is functionally similar to Maruki’s reality in that it completely shields people (emotionally) from all the world’s problems but it is achieved in a more grounded way, being a collective creation that everyone agreed to use. I simply do not have the time to develop a character anywhere near as great as Sumire in my project nor a plot as elaborate as any Persona game so instead I will create a dilemma for the player by making them think about what they would do in the situation and establish the reality of the world. The AI will have both positive and negative things to say about both decisions at the end; the AI sees staying in the Dream as logical however it views it as pathetic that humanity got themselves into such a state, whereas leaving would’ve been the right thing to do if it weren’t futile. I also hope that making it so that the Dream is somewhat more grounded than the comparison pieces I’ve referred to in this post will make the player engage with the idea more as it is more possible that such a situation could actually happen in the future. The player will also be able to express themselves with dialogue choices; rather than the choices just being alternate options from the mind of the protagonist that are consistent with each other, the options in choices that express a view will often express a different view to each other so that the player can make up a character for the protagonist as they go along, hopefully making the protagonist like themselves as they choose what they would in reality. I’m not sure how many layers of choices Id be able to make with a 500 word count though.

I gotta be honest, when I was first writing down this story idea the only thing I knew was actually influencing me was P5R, it was only upon having to think more about inspirations on my project when I realised how it’s clear other things also worked their way in.

I had previously stated that P5R kept away from the “darkest” aspects of the concept and I hoped not to - by this I meant that the unfairness of reality was not fully explored. Maruki only talks about how some problems like murder are completely useless after you’ve already defeated him in the final boss battle and all that is left of the game is the nightmarish sequence of Morgana becoming a helicopter, Maruki’s final emotional breakdown in a fistfight and saying goodbye to the cast. This is why in my story, the world as we know it has ended and humanity is set to be wiped out by a natural disaster (That is really their own fault) - something clearly meaningless as no one (Or, a single person) knows it happens.

'Adam's ( Andrew Scott ) life is sad. When he was twelve, his parents died in an accident. He now lives alone in an apartment in a London high-rise. The apartments around him are empty - the building appears to have been recently built. Adam is lonely, the past weighs on him. It's not inappropriate that he meets Harry ( Paul Mescal ), another resident of the high-rise, when a fire alarm goes off. The two get closer and quickly get involved with each other. At the same time, Adam visits his parents' house to solve his writer's block, which is massively hindering his work as a screenwriter. When he arrives at the house, he is surprised to see his parents - although they are the same age as they were shortly before their accident. A different, very emotional way of coming to terms with the past emerges.

ONE FILM, TWO STORIES

All of Us Strangers is a special film – that becomes clear relatively quickly. Pointed and melancholic, he tells two stories right from the start. The first is about a young love between two men who quickly realize how they feel for each other. Both quickly confide in each other and both feel safe. Director Andrew Haigh tells the relationship between Adam and Harry so closely and specifically that it has its own, emotional atmosphere.

This is where two lost souls meet. One lost his parents at an early age and suffers from writer's block, while the other initially reveals little about himself and appears particularly vulnerable. Since Adam and Harry appear to be the only two residents of a huge apartment complex, the relationship takes place in its own microcosm. This gives the story of All of Us Strangers its very own, almost indescribable touch. It's not uncommon to feel reminded of moments from Lost In Translation - Between the Worlds .

A SPECIAL WAY OF COMING TO TERMS WITH THE PAST

The second story in the film revolves almost entirely around Adam and his family. In his parents' house just outside the city, he keeps running into his parents, whom he lost early in his life. All of Us Strangers does not initially answer to what extent these encounters are real, only play in Adam's head or perhaps have completely different causes . For Adam it doesn't seem important at first. He doesn't seem surprised by the encounters; he may have already visited his parents before the action begins.

Much more important than the classification of these visits are the conversations that Adam has with his parents. They always have it all, cleverly commenting on current events from the perspective of 30 years ago and often causing a lump in the audience's throat. The fact that Adam is older than his parents gives the encounters their own unique atmosphere, which in some short moments of melodramatic comedy, but above all of tragedy, is almost unbeatable. These moments are played in a pointed and heartbreaking way, especially by the parents ( Claire Foy and Jamie Bell ). All of Us Strangers depicts a special, rarely seen way of coming to terms with the past.

WHEN TWO STORIES COLLIDE

The film takes a lot of time telling the two stories. This can lead to one or two lengthy moments, especially in the first hour. But when both threads are woven together in the last half hour, All of Us Strangers really has it all. Then the entire atmosphere and tension that has been built up is released in two highly emotional dialogues, which will probably also bring Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott numerous nominations for the awards season. All of Us Strangers is a special film - this impression quickly becomes clear and is confirmed even after 105 emotionally tragic minutes.

ALL OF US STRANGERS 9 out of 10

CONCLUSION

Dealing with the past in a different way. Back home, Adam meets his parents, who died almost 30 years ago. This creates a very special, emotional story about mistakes made, oversights and apologies. "All of Us Strangers" begins slowly, but erupts in a tragic and highly emotional finale that packs a punch and is crowned by outstanding acting performances.'

13 Students Lose Lives in China School Dormitory Fire

In a devastating incident, a fire engulfed Yingcai School's dormitory in China's Henan province, claiming the lives of 13 students. The victims, all third-grade elementary students, were from the same class of nine and ten-year-olds. Swift Response and Investigation Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, reported at 11 pm on Friday. The head of the school is under custody as authorities probe the cause. The injured survivor, in stable condition, receives treatment. Details about the Boarding School Yingcai School, situated in Yanshanpu village, provides boarding facilities for students from rural areas. Social media videos depicted a diverse student body, from kindergarteners to older children engaged in calligraphy. Community Outrage Chinese social media erupted in outrage, demanding severe punishment for any safety lapses. Users expressed sorrow over the loss of 13 young lives and emphasized the need for accountability. Safety Concerns in China China faces recurring incidents, attributing them to lenient safety standards and lax enforcement. Recent tragedies include a fatal coal company fire and a school gym roof collapse. President Xi Jinping has called for thorough investigations and improved safety measures. Call for Accountability Online sentiments reflect the collective grief, with users urging strict consequences for safety negligence. One Weibo commenter emphasized the urgency of addressing safety lapses to prevent future tragedies. This heartbreaking incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of stringent safety measures in educational institutions. The loss of young lives highlights the need for accountability and swift action to prevent such tragedies in the future. Read the full article

Pilot, 65, accused of using plane to stalk woman for 4 years: ‘It’s a nightmare’

Pilot Charged with Threatening Family After Years of Harassment A pilot found himself in the midst of a legal storm after being charged with threatening a young girl, just days after he was arrested for stalking her mother for over four years using a single-engine Cessna plane. This nightmarish ordeal unfolded in Schuylerville, New York, leaving the affected family living in fear. Cassie Wilusz, a 42-year-old mother, described the ongoing nightmare as her family endured the relentless torment. She shared her concerns, stating, "All these years he has been winning because nobody would do anything until now." Prolonged Aerial Harassment Michael Arnold, a 65-year-old pilot, is accused of repeatedly flying his Cessna plane low over Wilusz's residence, causing windows to rattle and the roof to shake. This disturbing saga occurred even as Wilusz's husband was battling colon cancer, adding to their distress. "I didn't know if he'd fly into our home. I didn't know what he was capable of," Cassie Wilusz expressed, highlighting the profound fear they experienced. Frustration with Authorities Despite numerous complaints to the Federal Aviation Administration and the New York State Police, their pleas for help seemed to fall on deaf ears. Arnold's relentless harassment continued undeterred. Threats on Social Media On a fateful Friday, Saratoga County Sheriff's deputy Nikki Voegler apprehended Arnold on criminal contempt charges outside a local grocery store. He was linked to a Facebook account he used to threaten Wilusz's daughter, leaving menacing messages such as, "Change your wicked ways, girl. Karma is a wonderful thing, will be next. You will see them all pass before you." Alarming Message on Obituary Page Using the same fictitious account, he posted a disturbing message on her husband's obituary page, further escalating the emotional turmoil. Recent Arrests Arnold's troubles deepened when he was apprehended at an airport in Vermont for violating an order of protection by flying over Wilusz's home. The FBI had notified the Bennington Police Department, who were ready to arrest him upon his arrival at the airport. Legal Proceedings Arnold pleaded not guilty to multiple charges in Vermont Superior Court and promptly posted bail in both recent cases. This sinister series of events began in November 2019 when Arnold, a retired Merchant Marine, escalated his actions after Wilusz blocked him on social media. The Troubling Obsession His obsession led to flying over Wilusz's home, capturing intrusive photos of her, and posting them on a community Facebook page. He also lurked near her home, creating a constant sense of surveillance. Harassment Escalates In November 2022, Arnold took to the skies in his propeller plane, dropping tomatoes on Wilusz's and her neighbors' properties. Authorities finally took action after finding numerous surreptitious photos of the family on his cellphone, leading to his initial arrest for stalking. A Devastating Loss While this torment unfolded, Cassie Wilusz's husband, Dave Wilusz, was battling colon cancer. He offered words of solace to his wife before his passing, assuring her that the ordeal wouldn't last forever. He passed away on May 22, leaving Cassie to face the continuous torment. But despite her personal tragedy, she persevered, hoping for justice. A New Beginning With the assistance of Deputy Nikki Voegler and the FBI, Cassie Wilusz remains hopeful that this prolonged ordeal will come to an end. She is determined to see justice served, so her daughter doesn't have to witness such terrifying acts in the future. Arnold could not be reached for comment at the time of writing. Read the full article

Community members in Seattle hold rally, demand justice for Jaahnavi Kandula

Kandula, 23, was struck by a police vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave when she was crossing a street on January 23.

SEATTLE: Demanding justice for Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula and the resignation of two Seattle police officers, more than 200 people from different communities held a rally at an intersection where she was struck and killed by a speeding police patrol car.

Kandula, 23, was struck by a police vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave when she was crossing a street on January 23.

He was driving 74 mph (more than 119 kmh) on the way to a report of a drug overdose call.

In bodycam footage released on Monday by the Seattle Police Department, Officer Daniel Auderer laughed about the deadly crash and dismissed any implication Dave might be at fault or that a criminal investigation was necessary.

More than 200 people on Thursday took to the Seattle intersection where Kandula was fatally struck by an officer's cruiser in January, the Seattle Times newspaper reported.

They called for accountability for the officer who killed her and for a police union leader's comments about the crash, which some described as "disgusting" and "abhorrent."

Participants at the rally in South Lake Union called for the resignation of Auderer and the officer who struck Kandula, Dave.

Speakers at the rally criticised the police system, saying it is built on white supremacy, and the criminalising and undervaluing of the lives of Black and Indigenous people and other people of colour, the report added.

Signs read "Jail killer cops," "Justice for Jaahnavi," and "End police terror."

People living in nearby apartments came to join the crowd.

Seattle resident Rafael McPeek said he hoped to send a message that police officers can't get away with killing someone while speeding through city streets or making comments questioning the value of someone's life.

"It's absolutely disgusting," said McPeek, a member of the Seattle Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, which organised the rally.

Another rallygoer, Kyla Carrillo, expressed anger at the number of months that have elapsed without accountability for Kandula's death.

Carillo said she remembered attending a protest in January after Kandula was killed, adding that she and others gathered won't stop until Kandula receives justice and can then rest in peace.

"I don't understand how many times the Seattle Police Department can show us they don't care about people's lives," she said.

Auderer, the vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, reportedly on a phone call with Union President Mike Solan, appears to talk about what might happen if the victim's family sued the department.

"Yeah, just write a check. USD 11,000. She was 26 anyway. She had limited value," Auderer said during the call.

In response, Governor Jay Inslee said on Thursday, "It's hard to think of more hurtful things to say to magnify the scope of an already terrible tragedy than what is said in that video."

"I was heartbroken. I was disgusted," said Joel Merkel, a co-chair with the Seattle Community Police Commission.

Kandula was set to graduate this coming December with a master's degree in information systems from the Seattle campus of Northeastern University.

Her family said she was working toward supporting her mother in India.

India has taken up Kandula's case with the US government as well as with local officials in Washington state.

"Recent reports including in media of the handling of Ms Jaahnavi Kandula's death in a road accident in Seattle in January are deeply troubling," the Consulate General of India in San Francisco tweeted on Wednesday.

"We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle & Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington DC for a thorough investigation & action against those involved in this tragic case," the mission said.

The Consulate and the Embassy will continue to closely follow up on this matter with all concerned authorities, it added.

DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR AUGUST 17, 2022

Enduring Care

By Bronwyn Ashton Winch (Queensland, Australia)

READ JAMES 2:14-18

"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms."

1 PETER 4:10 (NIV)

"I was in shock when, in my late twenties, my life came to an abrupt halt because of a significant injury to my lower back. For months I was confined to bed, unable to manage everyday activities like cooking, cleaning, shopping, or going to work. Indeed, I was doing well just to manage my own personal ablutions!

However, during this time God showed me what the body of Christ can do when it puts faith and deeds together in the service of others. Without my requesting it, members of the church I had been attending began arriving with meals, attending to my grocery shopping, gardening, housecleaning, and laundry. They drove me to appointments and came by to talk or pray with me. Month after month — indeed for the next few years — faithful people of all ages attended to my physical, social, and spiritual needs.

So often we rush to help when people undergo surgery or are recently bereaved but after a few weeks get caught up in our busy lives or think there is nothing further we can do or say to help. While some people may only need help only for a short time, others need the body of Christ to surround them for months or even years. Perhaps this is something we can all aspire to do for those who need help in our community." There are people who need fellow believers to step in and help them with day to day things for a period of days or weeks. It is natural after a major accident with injury or after a death; but there are other situations that may require this constant care for an extended period of time. Are you willing to step in and help with this for a fellow believer? Step up to the challenge.

TODAY'S PRAYER

"Heavenly Father, thank you for those who faithfully attend to the ongoing needs of others. Help us express our faith through acts of service to one another. Amen."

James 2:14-18

"14 My brothers and sisters, what good is it if people say they have faith but do nothing to show it? Claiming to have faith can’t save anyone, can it? 15 Imagine a brother or sister who is naked and never has enough food to eat. 16 What if one of you said, “Go in peace! Stay warm! Have a nice meal!”? What good is it if you don’t actually give them what their body needs? 17 In the same way, faith is dead when it doesn’t result in faithful activity. 18 Someone might claim, “You have faith and I have action.” But how can I see your faith apart from your actions? Instead, I’ll show you my faith by putting it into practice in faithful action." Share your faith by action. Do for others what they need to solve a problem or heal from tragedy. You must do what it takes to meet those needs. Kind and encouraging words may help in some instances, but often that isn't enough. What good are those words if a physical need still looms in front of them. i e Someone is hungry due to not eating for several days. How much good would a comment be like, "have a nice day!" It does not need that extreme physical need. Be prepare to go "an extra mile". You will be blessed totally by it. Joe

The Sun

Pairing: Portgas D. Ace x Reader

Summary: If there’s two things common between you and Icarus, they’re 1) you both tried to get too close to the sun, and 2) you’re both mortal — vulnerable and susceptible to the pain that comes with it.

This is initially intended to be the second part of Burn, but this can also be considered a standalone fic. 😊

[I also tweaked the story of Icarus and Daedalus a little bit so they can fit the One Piece universe. Hope you don’t mind.]

Word Count: 1.6k

A/N: So you see I’m trying out this new writing style, but I’m not sure if it turned out how I wanted it to be. But please let me know your thoughts about it~

Icarus.

Back when you still lived in your hometown, as a child, you have grown to like the tales of sailors who docked at your island. There’s this story about one of the first ever heard of uses of devil fruit powers.

It’s about a master craftsman named Daedalus imprisoned in some far away kingdom with his son, Icarus. With their cell up high in the castle and the ground filled with guards, there was no means to escape for an average person. But Daedalus was all sorts of things other than average; he’s a father, a genius, and a devil fruit user of the Doru Doru no Mi. And because of those, he has found a way to get out of the kingdom through something that only he can make: wings made out of candle wax.

“Don’t fly too close to the sun or else the heat will melt the wax and you’ll fall into the sea.” A fair warning from Daedalus to Icarus as he handed a pair of wings to his son, who only nodded in response.

Their escape went on without a hitch with the help of the wings. However, because of the delectable taste of freedom, the further away they had gone from the kingdom that constricted them, the more precarious Icarus got. He flew higher and higher and higher, until his wings started melting. And only when he was falling to the sea did he notice that the wings had melted off completely. Even Daedalus had noticed it too late, and all he could’ve done was lament for his son who didn’t heed his words.

“It was tragic,” the sailor once told you. But all you could ever think about back then was that Icarus was dumb. Foolish. Idiotic. Stupid. Moronic.

Why would he fly higher when he knew the risks? It just didn’t make sense. There was no rational explanation, no sensible justification for it.

But now that you’re older, you might have found a possible reason why he did what he did.

Maybe, just like you, he fell in love with the sun.

The Sun.

Icarus might have fallen in love with the sun. But who are you to judge him? The sun is bright, brilliant, warm, and enticing. You couldn’t blame him for wanting to be guided by its light, to bask in its warmth, to ever so gently be caressed by its flames. You couldn’t blame him for wanting to be nearer, despite the repercussions.

You can’t call him out because you did just the same. Ace was — no — is your sun.

With his charming and boyish smile that’s always capable of cheering you up, you can mistake him as the light. He’s like the sun peeking from the clouds after a stormy day, or the sun rising after the darkest night.

In his embrace, no matter how momentary, anyone would be able to feel his care. Hell, even with his arm slung over your shoulder or his mere presence beside you, you would feel a sense of security. Because Ace is also the warmth and the comfort. Pretty much like the gentle rays of the sun enveloping you with a blanket after a cold breeze.

But you also know that like the sun, he too is dangerous. The least he can do is to burn you. And at the very worst, he could be destructive.

The Fall.

When Icarus got too close to the sun, his wings melted and naturally, he fell into the sea. There were no stories about how he felt or what was in his mind when it happened, but recently you’d like to imagine that he was content.

Falling is scary, that much is true. But falling can also be exhilarating and thrilling — it’s feeling only your weightlessness, the breathlessness, the adrenaline flowing through your blood.

You’d like to think that as Icarus fell, his thoughts were about how he did not regret what he did. In the end, he got his freedom and then he made a brave choice of going after his love. Isn’t it better to have felt the burning light than never at all? Isn’t it better to have a taste of love albeit briefly?

You’re no Icarus. You’re not a child of a genius, and you have no wings that’ll melt once you get close to your sun. But for you, the answer to these questions is yes.

You’re grateful to have experienced being by Ace’s side. You’re happy to have seen his smiles and to have heard his laughs. You’re content to have been the recipient of his sparing touches.

And as you ran with bloodied hands and injured parts after escaping from the Blackbeard Pirates, you’re pleased that it was you in this predicament and not Ace. He’s safe and it’s because of you. And despite standing face to face with death just moments ago, you’re delighted because you accomplished your mission to get information about their plans.

If there’s one thing you and Icarus should regret though, it’s being vulnerable and susceptible to pain.

The Reunion.

Icarus did not live long enough to be reunited with the sun. But you did. Your body might have been littered with scars now, but the important thing is that you survived. You’re alive, you’re healed, and you’re at peace.

And you’re back with the Whitebeard Pirates.

Whitebeard, the Division Commanders, and the former members of the Spade pirates are quick to reprimand you for your rash actions once you board the ship. You listen to their sentiments quietly, understanding the severity of your decision, but you stand by your ground, telling them you didn’t regret doing it, especially since you’ve gotten valuable information about Blackbeard. And once you’ve relayed everything to them, they all quickly let you off the hook.

All except one, of course.

You’re just about to retire to your room when Ace softly asks, “Yo, can we talk?” once you pass him by.

The sun is always so inviting. It’s capable of luring you out of whatever cave you’re hiding in. That’s the aura Ace gives off when you turn to look at him. So you nod your head and follow him to a more private area on the ship.

At this moment, you can’t help but think that the sun and the planets are bound by the laws of science. Science tells us that planets orbit around the sun because of attraction, however, they must never cross the line. This has been your mistake in the past, but now you know better. And so now you try to physically distance yourself from him.

Ace doesn’t comment on the distance. You aren’t sure if he even noticed. Instead he asks, “Why did you do it?”

You raise your brow, “We wanted information, right?”

“I was the one who should’ve been doing that. I’m his Commander. I’m the one who’s supposed to be responsible for that.”

You scoff. “It’s done now, let’s not dwell on it anymore—”

“But you could’ve died!”

“So what? Would you rather it was you? Because I don’t! If you died… if you died…” you choked back a sob. You didn’t want to think about him dying. Just the thought of it is enough to tug your heartstrings.

The sight of you softens him up right away. “Hey, hey, hey,” he tries soothing you. “I’m not gonna die.”

“You say that, but even the sun will die eventually. And I don’t want to witness that tragedy.”

This shuts Ace up. He didn’t really understand how much he matters to you until now. Seeing you crumble with just the thought of him dying makes him realize that your confession to him before the two of you parted was indeed the truth. “You’re right. I’m sorry…”

You could only bite your lip to calm yourself down.

“I’ve done a lot of thinking when you were away…” Ace murmurs. “And my thoughts were always about you.”

You gulp as your heart rate accelerates. Will he be turning you down properly this time? Give you the confirmation and closure that you need?

If you focus on your thoughts, you can hear a chant in your head: The sun will prioritize light over love. The sun will prioritize light over love. The sun will prioritize light over love.

But you reason, that’s okay. The sun is bound by the laws of science and one of its main purposes for its existence is to provide light. And you will not hold Ace back from doing that. If he doesn’t love you, it’s fine, you’ll be fine.

“I thought… you didn’t like me,” Ace says.

This statement catches your attention immediately. You’re about to object but he continues, “Because you always called me ‘Captain’ and then ‘Commander,’ and never by my name. And I thought that that was you drawing the line between us.” He rubs the back of his neck. “I’m not good at these things,” he chuckles, trying to lighten the mood.

But you remain tense, trying to comprehend what’s happening.

Ace takes a small step toward you.

And you couldn’t help but think that if Ace gets closer, you’ll burn once again.

Yet you watch with wide eyes, not stopping him as he gets closer and closer and closer.

At this point you can only hear how wildly your heart is beating across your chest.

And when Ace raises his hand to tenderly touch your cheek, you realize: The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.

Which could only mean one thing: his focus has always been on you.

“I love you, my angel,” Ace whispers as he presses his forehead against yours. “I’m in love with you,” and he seals his admission with a kiss.