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renegadewangs · 3 years

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Van Zieks - the Examination, part 9

Warnings: SPOILERS for The Great Ace Attorney: Chronicles. Additional warning for racist sentiments uttered by fictional characters (and screencaps to show these sentiments).

Disclaimer: (see Part 1 for the more detailed disclaimer.) - These posts are not meant to be taken as fact. Everything I’m outlining stems from my own views and experiences. If you believe that I’ve missed or misinterpreted something, please let me know so I can edit the post accordingly. -The purpose of these posts is an analysis, nothing more. Please do not come into these posts expecting me to either defend Barok van Zieks from haters, nor expecting me to encourage the hatred. - I’m using the Western release of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles for these posts, but may refer to the original Japanese dialogue of Dai Gyakuten Saiban if needed to compare what’s said. This also means I’m using the localized names and localized romanization of the names to stay consistent. -It doesn’t matter one bit to me whether you like Barok van Zieks or dislike him. However, I will ask that everyone who comments refrains from attacking real, actual people.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

How the turnabouts have turned! It's time for Twisted Karma and His Last Bow!

Episode 2-4: Twisted Karma and His Last Bow

With Van Zieks's tragic backstory (…) exposed, it's time to head on into waters we've charted before, waaay back in the very first Ace Attorney game: The Prosecutor becomes the Defendant. It all starts off with some shenanigans which appear to have very little to do with Van Zieks (the arrival of Mikotoba and Jigoku, the Red-headed League, a missing prison warder, etc.).. Ryu does still run into Van Zieks very briefly in Stronghart's office, with Susato noting that there appears to be an awful lot of tension in the air. I expect Van Zieks is questioning that decision to leave Genshin Asogi's son in his care, but even so, he's very civil towards Stronghart. Susato also notes that Van Zieks gives Ryu a cold stare as he leaves, with Ryu wondering what he's done to earn that. This may also be a result of him being besties with Kazuma, since Van Zieks had already buried the hatchet towards Ryu for the most part. When Ryu asks about the decision to leave Kazuma in Van Zieks's care, Stronghart explains it was to best keep an eye on this 'mysterious amnesiac with no identifying papers'. Well OK then. Stronghart also explains he made Kazuma wear a mask because he didn't want to “burden Van Zieks with tiresome explanations about why he had an Eastern appearance.” … I would assume the very simple explanation is that it's because he's of Eastern descent, Stronghart. Regardless, the Lord Chief Justice has high hopes for Kazuma's future and isn't at all bothered by the fact that the guy has gone missing for a little bit.

Things take a turn later when Gina Lestrade comes barging into 221B with some pretty shocking news. Inspector Gregson was murdered. Yes, THAT Inspector Gregson. The suspect has already been arrested:

It's true that to the average civilian like Gina, Van Zieks's name is pretty much synonymous to the Reaper (of the Old Bailey). Even so, to have her outright calling him by that title adds a sort of emotional distance that's really striking. Gina explains they caught him at the scene and there were several witnesses, but Ryu thinks to himself that there's no way Van Zieks would have taken Gregson's life. So naturally, we owe it to our good pal Gregson (who actually was just coming around and being nicer to Ryu) to find the truth. Time to go have a talk with Van Zieks in prison!

… Okay that's funny. Don't worry, Barok, one day we'll all look back on this and laugh. Anyway, Van Zieks says he's in the last place on earth he'd want to be, with the last person on earth he'd want to see. And this line can easily be misinterpreted as Van Zieks saying he hates Ryu more than anyone else in the world, but what he's actually saying is that Ryu is the last person he wishes would see him in this troublesome situation. Ryu says he couldn't very well not come, but Van Zieks tells him to go home since it has nothing to do with him. Susato interjects, pointing out that Gregson has helped them out on numerous occasions and so, they're indebted to him. She pleads for Van Zieks's help with the investigation and he's silent for a moment, only to say: “There's really nothing I can tell you.” Which I suppose means he doesn't think he has anything helpful to say. Ryu asks about what Van Zieks was reading when they came in and assumes it to be a case report. Van Zieks says the Yard wouldn't share case details with a suspect (keep that one in mind) and explains it's a letter from Albert. Dear Professor Harebrayne has arrived in Germany safely! Ryu notes that Van Zieks usually never minces his words, but they seem to have less bite than usual now. No wonder, really, since he's in prison for the murder of an old friend. Van Zieks asks how much they already know about the case, so the two of them go through the facts and Van Zieks says they're well-informed. He's got nothing to add, because... Well.

Oh, this is going to be another one of those cases, huh. Susato asks what Van Zieks was doing at the crime scene in the first place, but Van Zieks points out he doesn't need to answer that, as they aren't representing him. When asked who is representing him in court, he says it'd be anyone other than Ryu. That said, he doesn't actually have any representation because of his reputation as the Reaper. Sixteen people he's prosecuted have mysteriously died and now that he's actually been apprehended for a murder, that whole Reaper ordeal is sure to be thoroughly examined.

BOY, have we got news for you! When it's pointed out that Van Zieks didn't actually have anything to do with those mysterious deaths (right???), he replies that no one wants to know the true identity of that killer more than he does, but it seems things may come to a head before he can uncover the truth. Van Zieks basically tells Ryu to leave, but being the kind-hearted gentleman that he is, Ryu offers to advocate for him in court. Van Zieks asks whether Ryu trusts him, which is a pretty fair question to ask. He's built up so many racist scumbag points and has such a bad reputation in town, it would be weird for Ryu to trust him unconditionally. Luckily, Ryu has been paying attention just as much as I have; he's heard Van Zieks speak in court and seen the way he treats people (uhh, English citizens, anyway), so he doesn't believe this 'Reaper' has it in him to take a life. Unfortunately, Ryu also has to acknowledge that feelings can't be used as evidence in court. Van Zieks considers the offer gracious, but...

“Not the police, not the judiciary... And not you Nipponese.”

One more scumbag point for putting “you Nipponese” in its own category for no reason. Either way, this man has built up such high defensive walls, you could see them from three galaxies away. Trusting no one is a pretty drastic way of living. Ryu thinks to himself that there's a chasm between the two of them that's 'just too wide and too deep'.

As a sidenote, presenting the attorney armband doesn't lead to any interesting conversation this time, but we can also present the Red-headed League advertisement! Van Zieks surmises that if it were a Black-headed League, Ryu would join without delay, which Ryu then confirms. Van Zieks says that sadly, his hair is neither black nor red. He goes into a most curious identity crisis of sorts, where he looks quite anguished as he wonders which coloured league he should join instead. There have been several debates over his hair color, actually, from lavender to purple to grey. Regardless, Susato points out that “people are troubled by the most unexpected problems at times.” It is unexpected, since Van Zieks needs neither the money nor the company that he would get from joining any such league. It's just the principle of the matter, I suppose.

Over by the crime scene in Fresno Street, Gina gets a little razzled when she suspects Ryu is thinking of defending “that Reaper bloke”. Susato points out that if “Lord van Zieks” really is responsible for the crime, he'll be judged fairly in court. This gets Gina to calm down again, because she really wants to know the truth of what happened and much like Van Zieks, she must know that getting the truth is what Ryu does best. A bit of conversation later, Gina points out one more interesting thing; Gregson apparently held a lot of respect for 'the Reaper'. “I take my hat off to that fella,” were his exact words, apparently. Ryu is skeptical, as am I, because I've seen the way Gregson talks about Van Zieks behind his back.

Gina explains that's exactly why he respected Van Zieks. That's... a little weird and ambiguous. So either he respected Van Zieks's ability to stand tall despite all the public scorn, or he respected the fear he struck into people's hearts. There's one more option; Gina keeps talking about the Reaper instead of Van Zieks, so it's possible that Gregson was talking about the actual Reaper. This seems unlikely, though, since he didn't seem to enjoy being part of the Reaper organization.

And now that we know Van Zieks is the defendant, one might be wondering: Who is the prosecutor? Who is the antagonistic force who will try to stop Ryu from uncovering the truth? Well, we find him over in Stronghart's office. Apparently he took an express train back to London from wherever it was he's been these past few days.

YOOOOUUUU!!! Though before we can address his presence properly, we need to discuss the new case. Stronghart wastes no time asking Ryu and Susato whether they've heard “the sickening news about the Reaper's latest devilry.” Which stands out, to say the least, since Stronghart has always been a strong supporter of Van Zieks up until this point. When Susato points out that surely he doesn't believe it, Stronghart says he believes only in facts, which all point to the unavoidable accusal of Lord van Zieks. Someone sure had a quick turnaround when it comes to his number one prosecutor, geez... Stronghart points out the irony that there's no salvation for anyone prosecuted by the Reaper of the Bailey, and now the Reaper himself must stand in the dock. Just as Van Zieks had already alluded to, Stronghart now claims the public will want answers about those mysterious deaths. Ryu and Susato both point out that which had been rubbed into our faces several times already; Van Zieks denies any involvement, and also there have been several investigations into whether he had anything to do with it. Stronghart kind of brushes this off, though. Turns out, Van Zieks is being traded in for a newer model number one prosecutor: Kazuma Asogi! Which seems weird at first glance, since Kazuma is a defense attorney, but Stronghart considers that a bonus:

“A devastation combination, wouldn't you agree?”

I do agree. Granted, it seems Van Zieks had already figured out the defense's strategies too, he just never actively used them to his own advantage. It also turns out that Kazuma personally requested the prosecutor position for this trial. Susato thinks it's pretty unprecedented to grant a newcomer exchange student such a request, but Stronghart offers some petty excuse about how this way, it won't look like the judiciary are closing ranks. Kazuma, who assumes his friend will take on the defense, says he'll see how Ryu's skills have been honed after practicing law in England for so many months. (Uhh. Actually, bestie, it was only about two months of being a defense attorney and six months of disbarment.) Ryu notes that Kazuma is being hostile towards him and wonders why. On a final note, when asking Stronghart about the gun found at the crime scene, we're told that it's issued to all members of law enforcement, including prosecutors. Van Zieks claims to have lost his. That's a troubling claim indeed, because it's difficult to prove or disprove. GOSH, if only fingerprints were allowed in court.

As Ryu and Susato turn to leave, Kazuma stops them. He once again states he wants Ryu to witness this trial as the defense counsel, to “see how it ends”. Since Kazuma has a very distinct vision for how he wants it to end, I guess this means he intends to confront Ryu with Van Zieks's guilt and have his bestie see that a man like him is unworthy of his trust. Either that, or he expects Ryu to use this trial to find the truth of what really happened with the Professor ten years ago, just as he used Albert's trial to dig into that incident. Still though, this reads as pretty scummy to me, because it means he wants Ryu to lose a trial and lose some of his belief in his clients. In the trial itself, it seems to me that Kazuma desperately believes Van Zieks to be a horrible person deserving of the guilty verdict. Therefore, he in no way can hold hope that Ryu will prove him wrong (unlike what went down in case 2-3 with Albert). Anyway, Ryu says that Van Zieks would never put his fate in his hands.

“... It's not easy to see behind the facade sometimes.”

Case 2-3 already told us this, but it's nice to have it confirmed by someone who was closer to Van Zieks. Because remember, Kazuma spent three months by Van Zieks's side (and even fighting by his side), so of course he would know more about his personality than we do. Kazuma hands over a photograph of Barok when he was younger and

GOOD LORD, HE CAN SMILE. Or he could when he was younger, anyway. Kazuma states the picture was displayed in Gregson's office. What he's 'trying to say' is that if Ryu really thinks he can trust “the Reaper” (distancing choice of words again), he might find that some straight talking will change his view. I got the impression we've been straight talking Van Zieks ever since we first met him, but okay. Let's take the picture and back to the gaol we go! Van Zieks is once again reading from some paper and Ryu points out that either he's an incredibly slow reader or it's an incredibly long letter, but either way, Ryu might even be able to read English faster than him. Naturally, this was said loud enough for Van Zieks to overhear.

Scumbag point for hypocrisy, but also a scumbag point for “Nipponese”. When Ryu asks whether it's still Albert's letter he's reading, Van Zieks says he had the case report brought to him in secret. So wait, the Yard does share case details with its suspect? Hilarious. Once again, Van Zieks insists the situation has nothing to do with Ryu, up until the prosecutor's name is revealed to him. And so, the masked cardboard cutout student has become the master! Ryu notes that all the color drained from Van Zieks's face, which is pretty impressive when there's barely any color there to begin with. Ryu has the opportunity now to thrust the photograph into his face, so let's do that. He's immediately alarmed, since he assumed it to be lost and would never have expected Gregson to have it. When Ryu says that Gregson had a deep respect for him, he dismisses that as nonsense, only to correct himself. “There was a time things were like that.”

Van Zieks thanks Ryu for that nice glimpse into the past, and Ryu thinks to himself that there was a glimmer in Van Zieks's eyes- a brief twinkle. He considers that “an insight into the true nature of this man known to all as the stone-cold Reaper of the Bailey”, with “the true nature” being highlighted as orange. So this right here is undeniable; this is what the narrative is illustrating to us now. The true nature of Barok van Zieks is that of someone who was hopeful and jovial; kind-hearted, as Albert knew him. What we see now, that harsh exterior full of harsh words, is not his nature at all.

Van Zieks is more willing to talk now. He once again speaks of Klint, rehashing the same story we've heard several times already. Van Zieks claims there's not a single day where he doesn't curse the name Asogi. He considers it a cruel twist of fate that the man's son intends to crucify him in 'some kangaroo court'. Clearly, he doesn't think highly of the upcoming trial if he refers to it as a kangaroo court, but that's likely because he knows he isn't the real killer. When Ryu points out that he still doesn't understand why Stronghart apprenticed Kazuma to Van Zieks, the explanation is that “it's what he does”. Van Zieks believes that Stronghart knew Kazuma's true identity from the outset, but still provides no real explanation as to why Stronghart 'did what he did' and even assigned Kazuma as the prosecutor this time. Van Zieks goes on to contemplate the name Asogi some more and calls it 'the epitome of his bane'.

I've talked before about how utterly flawed it is that Van Zieks attributes Genshin's crime to his race and/or cultural upbringing and proceeds to tar every single Japanese person with the same brush. There's no need to go into this again; we all know it's wrong. Turns out, even Van Zieks knows it's wrong, but we'll get back to that momentarily. First, Van Zieks needs to talk about Klint even more. (good lord...) He explains that Klint van Zieks was hunting down a mass murderer and “assigned to the investigation as his partner was a certain visiting student dispatched by the Yard.” This was Genshin, of course, and I believe this is the first time it's said that he too was looking into the Professor case. So Van Zieks already mentioned in the previous case that the Japanese students had left a deep impact on him, and also that he once toasted friendship with a Japanese person, but now we have this:

“But none of us saw the true nature of the man.”

True nature is once again in orange here, but this time as a red herring. Van Zieks believes that the Professor murders were Genshin's true nature, when it isn't quite true at all. Regardless, since Van Zieks was still in university at the time the exchange students were in the country, I don't think he would've had that much contact with Genshin. I expect he encountered the man on rare occasion while Klint associated most with him. Every meeting was enough to foster this respect and friendship, though, so it's clear that young Van Zieks was easily influenced and had a very open mind towards a foreign exchange student. But then, that's what makes the next portion of the story all the more damaging.

“My esteemed brother... The people I believed in... And any semblance of right prevailing over wrong!”

As Van Zieks also already alluded to in the previous case, he found himself in a very dark place. That isn't surprising. Every positive thing Van Zieks knew in his life, from his family to his closest friends, was ripped away from him in extremely close succession. What must've been the final nail in the coffin was Genshin outright admitting to his crimes. It erased all doubt that perhaps there was some sort of misunderstanding or a frame job. Going over everything Van Zieks has said so far, it seems he didn't just blame Genshin for the tremendous loss he suffered; he blamed himself. He must believe that his trust in Genshin blinded him to this supposed 'true nature', just as it must've also blinded Klint, and that the whole tragedy could've been prevented if only he'd been more cautious. So now, in present day, he no longer trusts anyone. He outright says so.

Van Zieks goes on to talk about how he was the one who prosecuted the Professor. Since he'd only just graduated, such a thing usually wouldn't be allowed, but he “beleaguered the ascribed prosecutor until he consented.” This person was Mael Stronghart, who back then was apparently still no more than a prosecutor. A highly accomplished one, but a prosecutor nonetheless. Since Klint was the Director of Prosecutions (or Chief Prosecutor???) at the time, that means he actually ranked above Stronghart. Interesting. Regardless, since Stronghart agreed to let Van Zieks lead the prosecution and instead only acted as an advisor, Van Zieks now feels indebted to him. That certainly explains why he's usually so good about following Stronghart's orders and not asking questions.

“And, of all things, as a lawyer.”

Ahhh, this is the part where Ryu enters the chronology. Our protagonist points out that he's felt Van Zieks's animosity since the first time he faced him in the courtroom; his obvious deep loathing of Japanese people. And here comes perhaps one of the most important, yet most overlooked lines Van Zieks will ever utter in these games:

“But for so many years, that hatred had festered inside me, I could no longer control it.”

So here, Van Zieks admits to two things. First of all, he admits that he was wrong to hold such deep loathing and by extension, to give that loathing a voice. He's a man of logic, after all. To cling to something which he refers to as illogical is about as wrong as one could get. Not only that, he admits that this was an unstoppable force he should have controlled, but was too weak to do so. The hatred overpowered him and did away with common sense. He behaved stupidly and irrationally because for ten years, hatred and negativity was all he knew. But what's even more striking here is Ryu's answer, which is also often overlooked:

Ryu, bless his heart, doesn't blame Van Zieks for succumbing to this weakness. Bear in mind, he's the victim here. Van Zieks wouldn't have encountered many other Japanese people in those ten years, if at all. This means the first person he lashed out against was Ryu. Naturally, Ryu can't speak for Susato or Soseki, who received their own verbal assaults and might have different opinions on the matter. Ryu is just one man, but in our narrative, he's the main protagonist and the main target of these outbursts. Is it misleading and perhaps even problematic in the grand scheme of things to have the protagonist sympathize with such motivation? Well, that depends on many different factors. There's no easy answer for this because it's a nuanced, cultural sort of thing. Personally, I was a bit bothered by it, but not to the point that it ruined the experience for me.

Van Zieks admits that just as the Japanese were the bane of his life, Kazuma Asogi must believe Van Zieks to be the bane of his. He is, after all, the Reaper who sent his father to the gallows. Van Zieks thinks that Kazuma intends to take revenge in court and... Really, this is true.

There's a quick bit of conversation about Gregson now. Turns out, the only reason the Professor was caught at all was because Gregson forced an autopsy on Klint despite it being considered the highest taboo at the time. Van Zieks says that as a result of Gregson's powerful conviction, he could avenge his brother's death. He looks quite torn, a bit pained. He must believe he owes Gregson something for this. The conversation then moves on to Van Zieks's revolver, which he claims to have misplaced an undetermined amount of time ago. “I must have stowed it somewhere, I suppose. Or left it somewhere, perhaps.” Van Zieks clearly doesn't think highly of firearms as a weapon, since he's constantly carrying a sword around instead. Susato points out that Ryu has a talent for misplacing things in common with Van Zieks, which leads to one more scumbag outburst.

… Dude. Come on. You just admitted it was illogical. You came so far! Scumbag point for you. Still, as the conversation rounds to a close, Van Zieks utters the words “Mister... Naruhodo”, much to Ryu's surprise. This is the first time he's actually said Ryu's name! Van Zieks once again reiterates that he's lost all confidence in England's judiciary system. He doesn't trust the police, the judiciary or lawyers. Even so, there's still one thing he's willing to believe in.

“That which you see in the eyes of another across the courtroom: a simple determination to know the truth. From the very first time we clashed in the Bailey almost a year ago now... I couldn't deny it, even though I dearly wished I could. 'Here is a loathsome Japanese... who has absolute integrity as a lawyer.' There are only two other men I've known with that same look in their eyes: my brother, Klint. … And Genshin Asogi.”

This is interesting. So at first when he saw that look in Ryu's eyes, he must've been reminded of Genshin. And again, this is why he directed such hatred towards Ryu; he saw someone who wasn't alive anymore. But now he recalls that Klint also had that same gaze, and so he wants to believe that Ryu is not similar to a deceitful murderer, he's instead similar to his beloved brother. (Boy is he going to have to reevaluate how he judges people when he finds out that his beloved brother was the deceitful murderer.) Van Zieks says that when he saw the photograph, he was reminded of a time when he could laugh, free of the shackles of mistrust which plague him now. This is very relevant since Van Zieks indeed can't laugh anymore. We never see him do it. He can't even smile.

“But at times the mire into which I've sunk makes it almost impossible to breathe.”

Someone please get this man to a professional therapist. If he means that in a more literal sense and he does occasionally feel like he can't breathe, that's telltale signs of panic attacks. It could just be, of course, that he's being overdramatic and the “impossible to breathe” bit is just fanciful wordplay to go with the mire analogy. Still though, considering he's also mentioned being in a dark place and that he's willing to die so long as it serves a useful purpose, and that he drinks his wine to stave off tedium... He's clearly depressed. But then, he seems to know it. He acknowledges that the way he is now is not the way things should be, and that he needs to fight to overcome it. And so:

“... In tomorrow's trial... Will you advocate for me?”

Boom. Swallowed his pride and turned to Ryu for help because he knows it's what's best for him. He no longer trusts anyone, but he's willing to trust Ryu because once he starts opening up again and has that trust repaid, then perhaps things can gradually go back to the way things were when he was younger. Mind, he still hasn't apologized for his actions, but that doesn't change that Ryu at least is willing to extend a hand to Van Zieks. It's a little sad that Susato doesn't properly form her own opinion on this and instead just goes along with whatever Ryu says. I would've liked to know just how she feels about Van Zieks's attitude and whether or not he deserves to be helped. She doesn't object to it, at least, and since Susato usually always speaks her mind, I can only assume she genuinely agrees with Ryu's sentiments.

The next day, in the defendant's lobby, it's remarked there's a 'menacing tension' in the air and Ryu surmises out loud it's the result of the menacing appearance of the defendant. Well-deserved, that remark. Touché. Van Zieks asks him for a little more courtesy in a polite enough manner, but considering the lack of courtesy he's shown Ryu over the past 8 months, that's hypocritical. He informs Ryu that this is a closed trial without a jury, which bums me out because it means no more Summation Examination. I would've liked to see Asogi react to that. (S)Holmes comes in and has the weirdest little banter with Van Zieks that I honestly can't... really decipher. There's several things about it that really strike me as being off:

- “And I you. I see London's celebrated great detective is as active as ever.”

- “Oh, you exaggerate, my dear fellow. Compared to my paltry engagements with a few trivial cases... The Reaper's overbearing presence is a far greater deterrent to the black roots of crime in our capital. And whilst I may not agree with your methods... There is at least one point on which I would readily commend you.”

- “What an honour. And that would be...?”

- “Your eye for a good lawyer, sir. […] Behind this lawyer there is a very great mind. My own.”

Alright, so... First of all, we know (S)Holmes is super arrogant and would never refer to his past cases as “trivial” in all sincerity. Plus, it's established that he's very weird with compliments, such as referring to Gregson as “the best of those blunderers of the Yard”, so complimenting Van Zieks directly on the effect he has on crime feels off. Aside from that, (S)Holmes addresses Van Zieks as the Reaper and continues to talk about 'his methods', when it's already been established (S)Holmes doesn't believe Van Zieks has anything to do with the Reaper killings. Taking all that into account, I can only really assume that the first half of this above conversation is (S)Holmes being weirdly passive aggressive towards Van Zieks, with Van Zieks being passive aggressive in turn. It really, truly feels as if there was some sort of backstory between these two that they had to scrap at the last second. Regardless, the exchange ends with (S)Holmes warning Van Zieks that this will be “quite a trial”.

Gina Lestrade shows up with Yujin Mikotoba (….. when did they meet???), saying they intend to watch the trial, and I am very impressed with how (S)Holmes manages to disappear from the scene and not say a word when his old partner arrives. Anyway, Gina looks Ryu square in the eye and asks him why he agreed to take Van Zieks on. Everyone's saying it was him who killed Gregson. Considering everyone was saying it was her who killed Pop Windibank six months ago, you'd think she might want to tone down her attitude, but she's clearly in mourning and lashing out. See? People who are hurting can say insensitive things. Ryu insists he doesn't believe it to be true, but Gina demands to know that if it wasn't him, then who?

“An' if it turns out it was 'im wot killed the boss... Then God 'elp 'im!”

It's interesting to remember that during The Unspeakable Story, Gina wasn't afraid of Van Zieks for his Reaper reputation. She didn't believe in the curse and didn't think she would end up like the other defendants. Now, she absolutely no longer gives a damn whether Van Zieks is the mysterious Reaper or not. She only thinks he might be a murderer who took away her mentor and that's what has her judge him so fiercely. Van Zieks remarks on her fiery eyes and tells her that the culprit does indeed deserve every inch of her loathing. “At least that may be some solace to the deceased.” So here, in a roundabout way, it rather looks as if Van Zieks is sympathizing with Gina's anger. At the very least, he's condoning it, just not towards himself.

Entering the courtroom, it becomes clear very fast just how serious this trial will become. Just as was alluded to before, the judge confirms that the 'Reaper of the Old Bailey' has been undermining Her Majesty's justice system and therefore, the people will demand answers on this matter. Ryu thinks to himself the trial will be a lot more far-reaching than just Gregson's murder. Sure enough, Kazuma is at the prosecutor's bench and ready to get that vengeance Van Zieks referred to in jail. Shockingly, the first witness he summons is actually Van Zieks himself. The judge is surprised, but Kazuma explains that as a prosecutor, Van Zieks believes in the oath of office he's taken; he'll be compelled to tell the truth. Because contrary to what happened in Memoirs of the Clouded Kokoro, Van Zieks is against perjury! (I WILL NEVER GET OVER WHAT HAPPENED WITH SHAMSPEARE!) Sure enough, he takes the stand and Kazuma says the court would like to hear him explain some things away.

He really is just brutally honest, isn't he? Both in his courtroom methods and in how he shows his emotions. He doesn't sugarcoat, he doesn't beat around the bush, he definitely doesn't lie... At most, he may withhold some information. Unfortunately, his testimony is mostly useless. The judge remarks that he didn't want to imagine this day would come, but ever since Van Zieks became known as the Reaper, he's been dreading it. The judge, our neutral ground, seems to be convinced that Van Zieks may have actually done the deed. That's not good. Kazuma acts all smug, saying that Van Zieks indeed hasn't explained anything away and that his testimony barely qualifies as an excuse. Van Zieks notes that his 'mute apprentice' has a way with words. Meanwhile, Ryu thinks to himself that Kazuma isn't behaving like himself, which is a sentiment they'll keep repeating throughout the case. … I gotta be honest here, I didn't notice all that much of a difference between this Kazuma and the one from the very first case of the game. I mean, come on, he sliced a man's hair off and cursed his descendants just for insulting Ryu. He's slightly more arrogant here, maybe, but since he was only the assistant there and is a leading counsel here, it makes sense for him to be more proactive and confident in his methods. Then again, I'm not a Kazuma expert; maybe there's something I'm missing.

In his testimony, Van Zieks revealed that he was investigating Gregson, but when pressed on it he won't admit the exact reason for it. He only says he'd identified a distinct possibility Gregson was involved in a case he was investigating. When asked how he even knew where Gregson would be, he openly admits to having stolen into his office and consulted his diary. (“Dear Diary, today I dropped my fish 'n chips on the way to Fresno Street-”) When told that illegally entering Gregson's office would warrant serious consequences, Van Zieks says he was aware of that risk.

The rest of the testimony is pressed without further hitches, though what did strike me as interesting is that at one point, Ryu suggests the gunshot might've originated from outside the room, but Van Zieks immediately says it's out of the question. He shoots the possibility down with evidence only he could have experienced (the bang sounded inside the room and he could smell gunpowder), and in doing so, only implicates himself further. Detrimentally honest, this one. Not only that, but he picked the gun up.

NO KIDDING that was carelessness. Is he related to Miles Edgeworth after all? Kazuma talks about how three street peddlers overheard the bang and burst through the door with some force. Van Zieks states they almost gave him a heart attack in the process (omg) and Ryu thinks to himself: “(But you're supposed to be the Reaper...)” C'mon Ryu, haven't you seen enough of this man by now to know he gets jarred easily?

When the testimony rounds to a close, things get interesting. Kazuma uses his defense attorney skills, as promised. He uses evidence from the Court Record to point out contradictions in Van Zieks's testimony, thereby 'proving he's lying'. Hey, what happened to Van Zieks believing in the oath of office and being compelled to tell the truth? Did Kazuma call Van Zieks to the stand just to expose him as a liar? He wins the judge over quite easily by illustrating these contradictions and casting doubt on Van Zieks's integrity. Tragic, because as Van Zieks says:

Van Zieks steps down from the stand and disappears for the remainder of the trial day. He doesn't even show up during intermission in the defendant's lobby. Characters do still talk about him, though!

I mean... He ain't lyin'. At one point, Kazuma utters the words “the defence is fated to lose. And the prosecution to win,” which once again confirms that Kazuma basically asked Ryu to take part in an 'unwinnable' trial. Which, y'know, is technically fine. Losing a trial isn't the end of the world, especially when the defendant (in Kazuma's eyes) is actually guilty. Still though, personally asking Ryu to take on Van Zieks just so he can watch the man be exposed as a killer is kind of... Kazuma, sir, are you also unable to control your hatred and having it lash out in illogical ways? Is that a parallel with Van Zieks I spy?

The rest of the trial isn't directly related to Van Zieks. It's just a whole bunch of roundabout arguing with street peddlers, red-headed scammers and the revelation that one of those peddlers is actually Daley Vigil, the missing former prison warder. Despite knowing of the dangers, Kazuma asks Ryu to help him forcefully break some of the man's black psyche-locks (c'mon, we all know that's what's impeding his memories) and they send the man to the hospital as a result. Welp. Unveiling the truth is becoming increasingly dangerous in this game and that's really upping the stakes for us.

Into the next investigation day we go! Ryu surmises that it's clear now “Van Zieks definitely didn't do it.” Even so, there are some unanswered questions about the man. What was he even doing at the crime scene and what's with that investigation into Gregson he didn't want to talk about in court? Heading on over to the Chief Justice's office, we overhear him pressuring Kazuma into 'continuing the trial as instructed'. Once he takes note of Ryu and the others, he tells them that he wanted Van Zieks's trial concluded that day and blames 'Asogi's unwelcome inquiries' for it taking longer than necessary. Stronghart's becoming increasingly ominous, here... I don't know for certain why he doesn't just go the extra mile to have Van Zieks proven innocent so he can keep using his Reaper tool to intimidate the masses. I suppose it's because with Gregson dead, he's lost his most important strategist in the killings and the tool of the Reaper's curse can't be used as easily anymore. Assassins probably come a dime a dozen, so Shinn can be replaced, but Gregson... Not so much. Ryu asks Stronghart whether Kazuma truly believes Van Zieks to be the Reaper, but Stronghart says he wouldn't know. He once again talks about the history of the Reaper with its very long run of coincidental deaths and tells us nothing new or interesting.

To prison we go, to visit Van Zieks himself! He's reading a book now, but we're never told what it is. He tries to ignore the visitors, but just as always, eventually comes up to the bars to talk.

YOU FREAKIN- I CAN'T- WHY- How many more times must we teach you this lesson, old man?!!! Thankfully, even Ryu is fed up at this point.

Finally. He spoke up. I've seen a lot of people criticize the fact that Ryu never properly confronts Van Zieks with the damage he's been doing, and on the one hand I would agree. Calling people out on their bullshit is a very useful step in having them notice their mistakes. However, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that is also a very Western view. It's very easy for us to think that Ryu should stand up for himself and call Van Zieks a prejudiced little tosser who needs to think before he speaks, but that simply isn't part of his character. There may be several reasons to explain why he doesn't confront Van Zieks more firmly, but I'd like to focus on just two. The first is that Ryu is an exchange student who came to England as a 'guest' and is facing not just one racist. Not even five or ten. Everywhere he goes, he's surrounded by people just like Van Zieks. We've seen it in the judge, we've seen it in the jurors, we've seen it in Gregson and in witnesses... Ryu is a minority in a very literal sense, since there's only one other Japanese person (two if we count Soseki) we know of in this entire city. There's a very natural, very understandable defense mechanism which may kick in when surrounded by potentially dangerous individuals, and that is to withdraw; to be as quiet as possible and to attract as little trouble as possible, since 'they outnumber you'. Bonus points for the extreme difference in social standing between Ryu and Van Zieks.

There's one other thing which adds to the above. Ryu was written to be your everyday Japanese person, and their view on confrontation is quite different from our own. I remembered this from a job interview I once had with a Japanese company and looked into it again to refresh my memory: Japanese people are non-confrontational. It's very important for them to maintain a sort of harmony during conversation and therefore, they'll rarely utter negative sentiments, such as criticism, in a way that will cause embarrassment to the person they're addressing. Instead, they employ something often referred to as indirect communication. “The pattern of Japanese indirect communication uses far less words to convey intent in a more subtle manner. Indirect communication uses expression, posture, and tone of voice of the speaker to draw meaning from the actual conversation.” This is very deeply ingrained into the Japanese culture and, if the sources I reviewed are correct, it goes all the way back to the feudal days. Mind, this attitude isn't even limited to Japan. I've been told there's several other countries who adopt that very same attitude and if you cause someone else to lose face, it can have some very severe repercussions for you. Kazuma is a bit more outspoken than Ryu, for example when they face Jezail, but this makes sense also, since Asogi was written to be more progressive. It seems to me that Ryu has been using indirect communication quite often already and, since Van Zieks is woefully unequipped to read this type of communication, Ryu has now finally resorted to something more direct. It's still not a sharp call-out, but rather, the above line reads to me as something in-between direct and indirect communication. And it works.

HELL FROZE OVER! We've done it, lads! Or, as Iris puts it:

So even the rest of the cast is acknowledging this is a big deal and we've made tremendous progress. Could someone else have confronted Van Zieks in a more direct, more Western way before this point? Sure. But would he have listened? The judge has already snarked at him several times during trials and it's always been brushed off as nothing. The only person he might've listened to would've been Albert, but what is the narrative significance of having a side character confront Van Zieks? There isn't one. This was a very impactful moment where Ryu himself resorted to a more Western tactic to get his point across and Van Zieks, in turn, finally uttered an apology. So now we get to have an earnest conversation with the man at last. Van Zieks says he was impressed; not by Ryu but by Kazuma. On first glance, this seems like a mean thing to say, but... Van Zieks is already intimately familiar with Ryu's performance in the courtroom. Why would he still be impressed by that? Kazuma, however, he's never seen in action before. Van Zieks thinks it's all rather “sardonic”.

It's called a cruel irony, Barok. A common tool in storytelling. He himself considers it “retribution for having played the part of the Reaper all these years”. So once again it's discussed how the Reaper minimizes the amount of crime in the capital and since that's a goal Van Zieks is committed to, he never said anything to disprove the rumors. Ryu insists that someone else is profiting off Van Zieks's silence on the matter and is basically using him as a scapegoat. As it turns out, Van Zieks wasn't quite as passive about the matter as he's led us to believe.

Hm. Alright, so he thinks it's good the Reaper's curse is reducing crime in London, but clearly he wants the Reaper organization brought to justice. In a way, he's profiting off these 'accidental deaths' since the fear that comes from them aligns with his goal of crime reduction, but he doesn't actively condone the Reaper murders and wants them halted. Since there's so much accurate information about the accused used in the killings, Van Zieks surmised a while ago that someone from Scotland Yard must've been involved in the killings. It's taken him “many years” to identify the central figure in the organization: Tobias Gregson. Naturally, everyone is shocked. We knew Gregson! And sure, he wasn't exactly a kind person, but he certainly didn't appear to be a killer. He was very rough around the edges, but from what we'd been led to believe, he had a good heart. … A decent heart. Mediocre, one might say. Ryu asks whether the reason Van Zieks was investigating Gregson was to expose him as the Reaper, but Van Zieks repeats the notion that the Reaper is not a single person. He doesn't have a doubt, though, that Gregson was a key member of the organization who did all of the planning. Believe it or not, Gregson was the brains behind the killings; the tactician who investigated and plotted, then left the dirty work to an assassin by the name of Asa Shinn. (LOCALIZATION WHY)

So now that we have this information, we can come to a very interesting conclusion. Both Gregson and Shinn are dead now, so by Van Zieks's reasoning, the Reaper is dead. You'd think this is good, but it does in fact make it very difficult to find the truth. Rather, Van Zieks believes that the truth died with Gregson (he hinted as much twice already) and while the seasoned Ace Attorney player knows it won't be impossible to expose a dead person as a killer, it'd be a hectic ordeal. The seasoned Great Ace Attorney player will know the Reaper hierarchy extends just a bit higher and the two who died are only pawns, but... Y'know. Approaching this from a first-time-player point of view, you'll know things will get troublesome.

There's another topic of conversation where Van Zieks once again addresses how sharp Kazuma is in court. He didn't miss a thing.

OUCH. So when Ryu first arrived, Van Zieks saw Genshin whenever he looked at him, not only due to his roots but due to 'the look in his eyes when searching for the truth'. Now, he sees Genshin in Kazuma, which surely makes a lot more sense. Van Zieks goes on to say that it's true some of the aristocracy from 10 years ago were problematic and abusing their power. “In a way, Asogi was carving out a canker from society that we British couldn't deal with ourselves.” So here, he sounds almost complimentary of the Professor's actions- specifically Asogi's actions. As if it would've all been well and good, were it not for the Professor's final victim. “But that's precisely why it makes no sense. Klint van Zieks was a noble and upstanding man. He wasn't corrupt.”

Remember way back in The Unspeakable Story when I surmised that Van Zieks boiled Genshin's actions down to his race in order to avoid the belief that there might've been a reason his brother was killed? We see it here again. Van Zieks is in doubt. He may say vocally that “it makes no sense”, but that line in itself is already telling. The fact that he acknowledges it and draws it into question implies to us that he's skeptical of the story. Deep down, he knows something is amiss. He knows there's some sort of explanation he's missing, but if he were to dig too deeply into it, he'd have to acknowledge that perhaps his brother was corrupt. And this still isn't all of it. There's one more thing Van Zieks has to discuss before we can round this conversation to a close. Ten years ago, shortly after Klint died, Genshin saved his life.

There's that phrasing again. “True nature”. It's not in orange this time, but it's there all the same. Van Zieks is convinced that Genshin is the one who had a hidden true nature. In this story, we learn that 'the scum of London' had already targeted him several times even before he became known as the Reaper, simply because of who he was and who his brother was. JEESH. Harsh. So on the night in question, a couple of thugs also tried to kill him (allegedly) but Genshin stepped in to protect him. Genshin became lightly wounded as a result. This is the part where I would have expected them to explain Van Zieks's scars, but he never mentions being wounded himself, so we can't be sure this is when it happened. Curious. This was the perfect opportunity and they let it slide. So anyway, two days after that incident, Genshin was arrested.

Some more telling lines here. Van Zieks thinks he'd never recount the story to anyone; not because there's no need to tell it. It's because it must be difficult to talk about. On its own, that might be a farfetched conclusion I wouldn't make, but Ryu confirms it with his follow-up line: “Thank you... for confiding in me.” We can take this line to mean exactly what it says; Van Zieks confided something painful. He let down some more walls. Growth!

So with all this out of the way, there's a whole load more investigation to do before this case is over. Most of it has to do with Genshin's will, a mysterious trunk belonging to Gregson, the missing time of death on the autopsy report... Nothing too relevant to Van Zieks's character. However, if we go into the prosecutor's office and examine things while Kazuma is there, we do get some fun tidbits about how Van Zieks wouldn't trust anyone else to touch his things and would rearrange it all himself whenever needed. From the sound of it, Van Zieks is very meticulous and a loner, which aligns with what we know about him. Some more conversation later, we reach the topic of the Reaper with Kazuma. He agrees that Gregson was definitely involved in the Reaper organization, but there's one thing that's more important. “Who's been giving orders to the Inspector?” In my eyes, it's a bit of a stretch to assume with certainty anyone was giving orders; Gregson might've just taken up the vigilante justice by himself and found some way to pay Shinn enough money to get in on it. Kazuma insists, though, that Van Zieks is 'the real Reaper'. We as the audience already know that's nonsense, we know Kazuma is wrong. Or perhaps we might think that if somehow Van Zieks pulled the wool over our eyes and Kazuma is correct, that'd be one heck of a wild twist. Kazuma gives no real reason why he believes this, he only goes on to say that ten years ago, it was Van Zieks who 'decided his father must be a mass murderer'. Shockingly, Susato is the one to jump in here and outright say to Kazuma that he's wrong; that Van Zieks only saw that 'justice was done as the law dictates' and he wasn't to blame for Genshin's execution. Kazuma insists that people condemn people and the law is just a tool they use for it. So I suppose that's exactly what he's doing right now. He's condemning Van Zieks, just as Van Zieks once condemned Genshin. We're cycling! And my main question now is this: If Stronghart had been the prosecutor in the Professor's trial instead, would Kazuma be just as vengeful towards him? Because remember, it's people who condemn people. This implies that anyone who had taken on the job of prosecutor at that time is the one who 'decided that Genshin must've been a murderer' and would need to take responsibility in Kazuma's eyes. Kazuma's beef isn't with Van Zieks personally, it's with the prosecutor who used that tool of the law and also evidence.

HAHAHAAA! HAH! If you align this screenshot next to the “Klint van Zieks was a noble and upstanding man” line, you get a wonderful parallel. These two prosecutors are both dead wrong about their beloved family, and they're about to find out in the worst way possible.

One murder mystery spread out over two episodes? You bet! Stay tuned for the last case, The Resolve of Ryunosuke Naruhodo!

#dgs #dgs spoilers #tgaa #tgaa spoilers #barok van zieks #I can't believe I managed to cram it all into one post #phew #but this was a big one

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pleasantwizardphilosopher · 3 years

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This is the third chapter of my current fic, please let me know your thoughts!!

The news are going insane, who is this anonymous hero? People cannot even decide on her features, some say she has brown hair, some say she’s blonde, others claim she’s redheaded (?). Not even those who were in the attacked building, which was afterwards closed by the FBI for further investigation; could give any more information aside than the fact that she was a woman, mid-twenties (or was it thirties?), with similar powers to those displayed by Superman, no one saw her face up close though, to preoccupied with surviving and helping others.

One bold reporter, who was also in said building, decided to give her a name, and so, not even twelve hours after that tragic event that almost took 120 people’s lives, “Supergirl” was everything the news outlets were talking about. Blowing off in a futile desperate attempt to find out whether she was another Kryptonian or a super-powered alien from a different planet, under the knowledge that Earth, and particularly National City, is the home of several misplaced aliens from throughout the galaxy. There were lots of testimonies from people who supposedly saw her that night, saying Rao knows what, and others who actually got to see her in action, those being a little more reserved on their testimonies, making thigs a lot more confusing.

Kara squeaks in excitement for the nth time this day, she cannot even focus on the task at hand as she molders a few wires together, the grounding smell of melted tin and burnt plastic filling the room; swaying her hips enthusiastically to the upbeat pop music playing loudly in her lab, giving a few tiny jumps of excitement every now and then. The always-present humming of several industrial-level refrigerators and a constant typing and beeping coming from the room above along with the music drown the noises of the city, a few miles away. She is in a towering scary-looking warehouse, one that she and Winn bought together in order to make it the official Zor-El Technologies headquarters, there are three floors, mostly empty since it’s only the two of them and Roland, the janitor who comes in once a week to clean every preposterous failed experiment and organize a little, always handling their devices carefully; it has a basement, where they keep their new inventions and innovations locked down in a vault, the ground floor where they keep most of their tools and utensils, where Kara is currently working in her own projects, the first floor, where Winn has his state-of-the-art, kind of futuristic-looking super computer console and the third one, which is empty. The warehouse is provided with huge floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing sunlight to stream freely all day long, much to Kara’s delight, and being this the factor that tipped the scales when deciding where to buy, at least for her.

She is so enraptured in her own gleefulness that she doesn’t hear Winn come in (probably to consult something with her about his current software design), and everything seems to move in slow motion, for Kara it really does. She is singing the chorus at the top of her lungs while remembering how good it felt to save so many people, and so she twirls giving a small jump, but instead of landing on her feet immediately, she hovers a few inches above the floor, and is at that exact moment when Winn bursts through the door, literally catching the woman mid-air.

They stare at each other in silence for a few minutes, Kara still hovering above the floor, not even breathing, afraid to scare her closest friend (Alex doesn’t count). Winn just stares blankly at her, jaw dropping in a way that would be comic haven’t he caught his best friend fucking flying. Kara lands softly and quietly moves forward to where Winn is still standing jaw-slacked, and she carefully places a warm comforting hand on his shoulder, trying to measure his reaction. But when she looks into his eyes all she sees is glee and curiosity, maybe even a hint of smugness. They break into a fit of laughter, Winn laughing so hard for not catching the clues that tears prickle his eyes. And Kara is filled with warmth and familial love for this man who has become so much to her. After all, they have been together since high school, which is quite some time to get to know someone.

After that, Winn is the best partner in…law enforcement (?). The computer geek is the best ally she could’ve asked for and the most supportive friend ever. He designs a suit for her, one that bears her House crest, because even after all her parents did, she can still proudly display the Zor-El name and family crest and help people, maybe even work to make up for their crimes and mistakes; and the characteristic red and blue that her cousin also sports, the red skirt was definitely a no go (Rao no), instead, she goes for pants and knee-high red boots, with a golden trimmed belt at her waist. Starting off as a superhero proved to be way harder than she had expected.

The first time she goes out to stop a bank robbery, she collides like a missile with the vault’s doors (Shoot!), ripping them from their hinges. The second time she tries to stop a fire, she mistakenly freezes the whole block’s heating pipes (Rao!). However, she never gives up and after a very heated conversation with Alex, she manages to convince her to let her help, to be the beacon of hope she was always meant to be and to protect Earth and its citizens, human and aliens alike. Alex throws a chair, or two, towards the wall in frustration, unable to convince Kara to stop this nonsense and stop risking her life (the irony Special Agent Danvers). And then, hazel eyes lock with ocean blue ones Kara sees fear in brown eyes, and she understands, she really does, but Alex cannot ask her to keep such important part of herself hidden anymore, not when she could be out there, helping, she is a super-powered Kryptonian after all. The certainty and compassion the agent sees in cerulean blue eyes isn’t something she’ll ever stand in the way of. Kara is her sister after all, and even though she fears for her, she’ll always be by her side, supporting her. This starts a new facet into their relationship, as Alex becomes part of her Super-task force (rename pending), being an FBI agent, she has access to a lot of information and having the Girl of Steel by their side, several agents’ lives could be spared.

After more than a year of fighting crime, human and aliens equally (she’ll never understand why aliens attack the species whose planet is giving them refuge), she has come to a certain balance between the cheery, sweet looking and clumsy Kara Danvers and her alter-ego, strong-looking and inspiring, Supergirl, taking more distance from projects at Zor-El Technologies and dedicating more and more time to saving people and helping wherever she can. It isn’t as fulfilling as she thought it’d be, it’s almost empty the way she has come to have to decide between helping people one way or another. She does love science after all and helping the little citizen as well.

She sighs. She has been getting less and less time in her beloved lab and it’s finally taking a toll on her cheery attitude and sunny personality. Grumbling a little she keeps reading the opinion column in the newspaper she’s holding “Brilliant, gorgeous and…sociopath? The last of the Luthors” the title reads, is an extremely extensive, and horribly written piece, she must say, about Lena Luthor and how “aside from appearances she’s just as insane as the rest of her twisted family”; the piece is so biased that the Kryptonian is not sure how someone was allowed to publish that, and is extremely long, taking almost three whole pages. She hasn’t meet the raven-haired genius in person and hasn’t actually bothered to look her up, it feels like a huge invasion to her thin and almost non-existent, privacy; she knows what the general public does, she doesn’t live under a rock for Rao’s sake, her brother went insane and as such she had to take over the company, now renamed L-Corp, and has been working restlessly to drift it away from weapons manufacturing and turning it into a force for good with science and engineering, very similar, in a way, to what Zor-El Technologies aims for. She is so mad at whoever wrote this …crap, that she entirely misses the small sidenote that reads “Third alien assassination this week, hate or patriotism?”.

It’s just the beginning of August, she’s perched in a bench right in front of National City’s Central Park, next to a cafeteria that she absolutely loves, the wind is blowing softly and is quite chilly, announcing the upcoming winter, claiming it to be freezing cold. The sky is cloudy, grey clouds filling it with very little sunrays being filtered through them; there are huge mountains of orange and brown-ish leaves scattered across the sidewalk, some kids are playing with them, throwing them at each other and breaking into fits of giggles, the street is filled with their laughs, the soft smell of recently baked bread, upcoming rain, and hot coffee. The trees are almost bare now and make low whistling noises when the wind rushes through them, shaking violently whatever leaves they have left to the ground and lifting the ones that have already fallen into spirals in the air. Kara is tucked into a fluffy light brown sweater and ripped jeans, glasses perched on her nose and hair up in a tight ponytail as she keeps skimming through the article. Her heart breaks every single time she encounters pieces like this one about the green-eyed genius, it’s absolutely unfair judging someone based on their family’s crimes instead of measuring them on their own merits, that’s what she believes in after all, what she was taught those many years ago in her home world, and after following up-close every article the Irish woman has written for scientific Journals, she’s fairly certain that the Luthor is nowhere near to how the papers and the press paint her to be, she’d have to meet her to be sure but there is no doubt in her mind about it.

She stands to leave, folding the latest version of the Daily Planet and tucking it into one of her jeans back pockets, just then a strong gush of wind comes from apparently nowhere and ruffles her hair in her face and almost blowing the paper from her hand, making her stop to put everything back into place. While taking her hair and awoken leaves out of her face, as if drawn to a magnet her eyes fixate on someone standing just by the main entrance of the park, across the street from her. She is a little shorter than herself, she guesses, is wearing sleek black boots, tight black jeans, and a very soft-looking red sweater under a leather jacket, the woman’s hair is jet black and falls in soft waves over her shoulders. Her lungs seem to forget how to work as she just stands there, jaw-slaked staring at the woman, she’s too far away from Kara for her to make out her factions precisely but she’s certain that the woman is gorgeous. Her body feels heavy and slacked as if something was pinning her into her spot, or most accurately someone, the blonde woman across the street to be precise, Lena doesn’t know what’s come over her, but she’s certain that whomever that may be, she wants to get to know her, there is just something in her posture that pulls her in, as if the woman emanated warmth that Lena feels drawn to like a moth to a flame, furthermore, she is like a ray of sunshine, with her soft-looking, blond mane, her outfit screams soft, and it hits something deep within the CEO.

They don’t know how long they stay there, fixatedly staring at each other, the world seemingly vanishes, brown and orange leaves floating throughout the space between them, neither seems to be able to breathe or even blink. Lena is too scared someone might have recognized her to move a single muscle, at least that’s what she tells herself, but is actually the soft, tender, pull to her heart that keeps her there, feeling like the permanent hole in her heart has finally been filled, she’s certain that the blonde can feel it as well. Kara has never felt like this in her whole life, she had even started to believe that she wasn’t capable of such feelings, having heard every cheesy pop song about love at first sight it had seemed quite ridiculous to be honest, but she’d be lying to herself if she said that she doesn’t feel absurdly drawn to the woman. Out of nowhere, a car rushes past, lifting curtains of leaves in its wake, while passing near the blonde a ball comes rolling into the road from a pile of leaves, where the kids were still playing and right behind it, a young boy no older than 6, just jumping in the way of the car; between the leaves the driver mustn’t have seen him since they don’t stop; fortunately Kara is just a few paces away and manages to grab the child by his armpits and lift him, pulling him out of the way and back to safety. When she turns around to look at the woman again, she is no longer there, vanished between orange streaks, it all feels cold and empty now for the Kryptonian, the same way one feels after waking from a beautiful dream.

Kara shakes her head, what was she thinking? With a light giggle and after receiving several ‘thank you’ from the child’s mother, she turns around to leave, only to almost run over Nia and Brainy, her boyfriend, who, miraculously, had apparently just materialized behind her. She and Winn met Brainy at a trade fair, about six months ago; he had approached their stand and started asking questions, very precise and specific ones, the ones that only someone with wide knowledge of the subject would be able to do; and making suggestions here and there, Winn following suit to add his own input to the conversation. Brainy was a Computer Engineer with a double degree in Electronics, and his mind rivaled Winn’s, he even challenged him, that’s how he was added to the team. He and Winn became a whole new department in Zor-El Technologies. They designed software, firewalls and other products meant to protect devices from outside infiltration and whenever Kara worked on a techier device, they'd provide its software and failsafe; he sometimes worked on side projects mostly theorizing and experimenting with chemical compounds. It worked out like a charm, they complemented each other like a well-oiled machine, allowing both computer geeks to spend more time in their own computer and AI innovations and inventions rather than just supporting Kara with other projects more engineering-like.

Later on, he introduced them to Nia, an Actuarial Science undergrad, who decidedly loved their work, having read thoroughly about their previous projects and future launches; and joined to take care of Zor-El Tech. finances, because honestly, although Kara and Winn where great minds, finances weren’t their strongest suit, pun intended. The whole thing contributing to Kara being able to take on a lower workload, allowing her to spend more time saving people and having to worry less about small perks of the business, without raising suspicious. Around three months ago, however, Kara realized that Nia had powers, after falling asleep at work and having woken up startled and stammering something about an imminent threat to a Kryptonian, a week later, Lex had stroke, declaring war on Superman and turned the sky red to try and take him down with a Lexosuit of his own design, trapping her sister in the cross-fire. After that, the whole team decided to leave secrets aside and the four of them started fighting crime together, with Nia and Kara on the field and Winn and Brainy being their eyes and ears, both of them brilliant strategists.

Nia is looking at her with a knowing smile, as if she had been witness to the staring contest between the Kryptonian and the unknown woman, she truly hopped she hadn’t, fortunately for her Brainy was as oblivious as always and so she decided to start a conversation with him. It was easy talking to Brainy; he didn’t have many issues with emotions, he did, well, he kind of just didn’t understand them and hence didn’t know what to do about them; Kara’s mind is barely into the conversation as her thoughts keep drifting to the beautiful woman who had managed to make her feel dizzy and giddy without even being within reach, without Kara actually being able to get her face and figure entirely, damn lead-lined glasses. She hopes their paths cross once more, although she is not certain how that is going to happen when she didn’t even get to see her face. She lets out a soft groan of frustration. Kara has been feeling particularly irritable recently, since she hadn’t really had time to work on her projects, and after this quite frustrating encounter she is at the brink of blowing up.

She hates the feeling, so, as soon as they hit Zor-El headquarters she heads to her journal, the one she keeps on the bottom drawer of her lab’s desk, she is always filling it with unfinished or half-baked ideas, scrolling through it, deciphering her doodles and notes, analyzing every idea she has ever written in it. She has made up her mind, she is going to do something big, one of her greatest projects so far, she knows Zor-El has kept launching projects, but she hasn’t really been involved in them, or truly invested, having to save the world, every now and then. This would be her project, something for her to focus on entirely, to take the most advantage or her brain and to challenge herself, she knows the others would understand and give her space.

The Girl of Steels slams her journal in her lab table with a little triumphant ‘aha!’ immediately wincing after seeing how the stainless-steel table bended underneath her strength. She should definitely get nth metal benches from now on, note to self. The journal is open on a page that talks about solar panels, it’s an idea that has been nagging her for some months now, it makes a lot of sense, her own cells are super-charged batteries, if she could figure out exactly the way they metabolize solar radiation into energy, those solar panels would be the best ones on the market. That is, assuming she can build the circuitry, she is well-versed on engineering, but this is way out of her league, the solar cells culture would be the easy part, she already has well-cemented physics and alien biology knowledge to do so, even without actually growing some of her own cells (she can ask Alex to take a tissue sample to analyze); and the hardest would be the software, she could totally ask Winn and Brainy’s help for it, but the circuitry, neither of them could build it from scratch, or maybe they could, but it would require a lot more time and money that the one they currently have for out-of-the-blue prototypes; and taking a pre-designed one from the currently available on the market wouldn’t be powerful enough for mechanism.

She starts biting her nail and pacing around her lab. There must be a way for her to manage this, not only would it be an amazing project for the company to make it into the front pages, but it would also greatly improve the lives of millions, especially those in sun-filled countries, such as African countries and Central America countries. She feels like this is an old problem and the solution is just there at the back of her mind, but refusing to be caught, then, out of nowhere, she gets it, it’s so clear know that she can literally watch a light bulb light in her head. Lena Luthor, the heiress to the Luthor empire has a whole department dedicated to sustainable energies, moreover, they are currently working on improved solar panels and renewable energies, this could totally work, a partnership with a high-standard company such as L-Corp would prove to be good for the development of Zor-El Technologies and if this project ended appropriately, L-Corp would also benefit from it.

One thing she knows for sure: she needs a good proposal, excellent in fact, so she throws herself on the nearest chair and starts typing her proposal into a document, she is using her superspeed leading her to finish it soon enough, deciding to take some time to go grab a doughnut, giving her computer time to buffer and finish the ordeal, Winn would definitely call this a “computer onslaught”. While she’s munching on her chocolate and strawberry sprinkles doughnut a thought crosses her mind, it would be a good idea to notify the whole crew, the Superfriends as Winn call themselves. Once gathered she gives a very inspiring pep-talk about how this project is going to bring Zor-El Technologies into the spotlight for good, and maybe even keep them there, she wants to do this for herself, almost entirely, she won’t ever refuse help as she was taught that they were stronger together, but she wanted to do most of the work herself, having being deprived of working on scientific projects for so long, she needed this. Hence, they agree on supporting her, taking off her back as much Supergirl duties as possible, Dreamer, Nia to friends, would take her place on the street and she’d only be called if the emergency needed her particular set of abilities, aka brute force and invulnerability. They also agree on providing the Kryptonian with moral support, advice and food, yesss food!, and everything seems to be set. Now only the hard part is missing, arrange a meeting with L-Corp to present her idea.

That’s when it hits her, she has to present her idea at L-Corp (!!) which means, she has to talk directly to the CEO aka the one and only Lena Luthor *full blown panic. It has to be spotless; she know for sure that the woman will be attracted to the idea, however, she hasn’t really met her and is not entirely sure how stern or demanding she may be. Sitting again in front of her computer, the blonde starts proofreading her proposal, adding a few details here and there, like the fact that the panels are going to be improved by platinum oxide nanoparticles, maybe a core-shell with iridium, she’s not entirely sure about that last part, she has to do some research to see which nanoparticles oscillate most under solar radiation; and that step of the project is going to lay entirely on her court, since she’s going to base her whole research on the way her cells work and that’s definitely something private, secret even.

The youngest Danvers is sitting outside the office of The Lena Luthor, her leg keeps bouncing unstoppably, as her nerves are quite taking the best of her, she shouldn’t be nervous, this isn’t the first time they are turning towards a bigger company for sponsorship, nor the first time she has been face-to-face with an important person, but there is something different about asking for sponsorship directly to the head of one of the biggest consortiums of the country, who also happens to be the sister of a maniac who tried to kill your cousin and who also is the woman whose career you have been following closely for five years, glup. When the double doors open and her assistant, Jess, signals her to get in, she is not at all sure what to expect, partly because of her nerves, she is going in auto-drive, and partly because, coming to think of it, she has never actually heard anything about the raven-genius from someone who has directly dealt with her and it’s kind of worrying. She is not sure whether to expect a cold-blooded, cocky-demeanor and over-the-top CEO or a kind, friendly, but straight-forward one.

When she finally gets over herself and manages to drag her feet into the office, she almost drops herself to the floor. The first thing she notices is the pristine-white decoration that prevails in the office, the floor-to-ceiling windows give it a very open-space, clean appearance. The second thing she notices is the smell, it smells like coffee, expensive perfume and …scotch (?). The third thing, and the one almost sends the Girl of Steel barreling out of the office is the CEO, Kara is absolutely not expecting, nor ready for, a stunning, raven-haired, Irish beauty that she has seen previously, more specifically, a month ago, outside National City’s Central Park, she freezes. What Kara doesn’t know is that Lena isn’t expecting her either, the blonde woman who stole her breath a month ago, the CEO is not used to feeling giddy, like she is now, she finds herself blushing slightly and feeling a little silly, what are you Luthor a love-struck teenager? Pull yourself together! The idea just randomly pops into her head and makes her blush a little harder, she certainly feels like one, surrounded by the scent of vanilla and flowers that irradiates from the other woman, seeping into her like the soft warmness of hot cocoa during a cold snowy winter. She is beautiful, with those cerulean bright blue eyes, and sun-kissed skin, the navy-blue tailored suit and light blue button up definitely fits her. In her eyes, she can see, and feel, her kindness, she is certain that this woman has the biggest heart she has ever encountered, blue, like the ocean, a sight she would gladly get lost into, but underneath all that, there is something else, which terrifies and captures her, Lena suddenly finds herself wishing to know all about this Kara Danvers.

The Maiden of Might certainly cannot believe that all it took for her to be and absolute mess, aside from her usual clumsy-self, is a set of forest-green eyes paired with crimson red lipstick, a black pencil skirt and emerald-green blouse, which certainly seems to make her eyes pop out more. But what really drags her in are precisely those eyes, filled with curiosity and amusement, maybe a little bit of fear and so so much hurt, like open wounds that have never healed, buried just under the public eye, to protect herself. Whereas she first thought that Lena was unbreakable with her power pose and 7-inch Luboutins, now she isn’t that certain. Her aura yells “power” and “control”, but the almost invisible quirk of her brow says fear, her pose, if you look carefully enough seems stiff, carved into her through punishment and humiliation; her hands are holding a pen, innocently, however, being the observant hero is, she is capable of recognize the soft movements of her wrist as if the raven-haired woman wanted to fidget but were refraining from it.

For a moment neither of them move, too absorbed in the sight in front of them. Then, as if realizing she was staring, Lena shakes her head, returning to the real world and leading the blonde woman to her desk, so they may discuss the matter at hand. When the Kryptonian takes a second too long to move, her crimson lips move upwards into a smirk, and oh boy is she lost. Mentally slapping herself, Kara manages to move towards the modern white desk and take out her proposal, praying to Rao not to stumble over her words while the genius woman is staring intently into her eyes like that. She feels her palms sweat, she didn’t even know that could happen, but manages to catch herself and go through the proposal with the CEO. Lena is stunned to say the least, her department has been endlessly and fruitlessly trying to improve solar panels effectivity for several months now, a huge crew of the most recognized scientist in their fields have gotten nowhere, and out of the mist, Kara, on behalf of Zor-El Technologies, which she has heard about but very little; comes forward with not only the most complete proposal, but the design is already planned, the system and functioning have been researched and started to be developed. She has crossed paths with extremely bright people, studying at the best universities and all that, but this, this is entirely different, unexpected and is directly poking into her curiosity.

After Kara has finished her proposal, Lena decides to negotiate a little with regards on how this joint project is going to work, she is curious by nature who can blame her. For starters, L-Corp is not going to provide a team, she herself is going to work on the project, it’s been a while since she has had the opportunity to be hands on with a project with the move and rebrand of the company, however this is the opportunity she unknowingly has been waiting for and she is going to take it, she has a lot of experience in bioengineering and nanotechnology after all, and several ground-breaking discoveries in those areas have been hers. Albeit Kara was certainly not expecting the green-eyed woman to propose working herself directly into the project she cannot say that she isn’t pleased with the idea, heck, she has been wanting to work alongside the genius ever since she first heard of her. A contract is printed, were both parties agree on working together and the details of the launch and profits for each company are thoroughly detailed. The main change into the proposal it’s that Winn and Brainy are not going to be the ones designing the software but Lena, who is also going to work, along with Kara, on the circuitry and Kara herself will help design the absorption and conversion system, a dual design based on nanoparticles.

Once all the details are polished and both women have agreed to the terms and signed, they stand up to shake hands and close the deal. What neither of them is expecting is the soft buzz, current-like, that goes through their hands when they touch, while it is electrifying, it is not unpleasant, a soft tingle that goes from the tips of their fingers all the way to the base of their spines, thrumming alive every nerve termination. If they linger a little, holding hands and smiling dumbly at each other, coffee and flowers mixing in the air between them, no one can blame them. Lena lets go first, a little breathless, as if her soul had just went for a ride outside her body, fingers still tingling, she has to will herself to not rub her hand on her skirt in an attempt to make it stop. She lifts her gaze from where they were shaking hands and fixates her eyes into ocean blue ones, seemingly searching for something into her jade-green ones. She doesn’t know what this is, neither does Kara for that matter, but she doesn’t mind, staring into ice-blue, strong and confident, she sees power and strength, and somehow, she knows that those shoulders hold the weight of the world.

When Kara gets out of the office that day, she wonders what the future may hold for both of them, while the project is definitely going to revolutionize green energy production, she is certain, she is willing to allow her mind wander into endless possibilities for the both of them, she has been struck dumb twice by the CEO, and that is not of common occurrence, as Kryptonian, and from the House of El nonetheless, she is not easily flustered or left speechless, less more breathless, but the stunning woman behind those doors has managed somehow. And she is nothing short of a scientist after all, hence, she will take her time to find out the meaning of this. Smiling happily to herself, she leaves the building, with a slight bounce to her step, after all, this project will change the future of Zor-El Technologies. What neither of them know is that it will also change both their futures and perceptions.

#supercorp #lena luthor #karlena #supergirl #i wrote this on a whim #i am supercorp trash #kara danvers #They're a mess #Kind of soulmates #We're starting off #Please be nice #I love reading your comments

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millennial-star-gazer · 4 years

Text

A Fire Dragon, His Princess and The Not-So-Terrible Party Aftermath: Chapter: 1 (Nalu Week 2020)

A Fire Dragon, His Princess and The Not-So-Terrible Party Aftermath

Nalu week 2020 Prompts: Voice, Flirt, Charm & Smile(All implied)

Genres: Romance, Humor, New Adult Fanfiction

Pairing: Nalu/Endlu (Natsu x Lucy & E.n.d. Natsu x Lucy)

Rating: M for language, steamy and mature/adult sexual content (all consensual) in these and future chapters. Reader Discretion is advised.(You've been warned!)

Summary: God knows it was all fun and games at an outdoor guild party until a drinking contest results in a not-so-great time for a certain celestial wizard much to the dismay of a protective dragon slayer and company. Even worse is Lucy's hangover with some kind of mild flu and busted ankle to boot . At least a doting Natsu is more-than-willing to provide his mate plenty of TLC. One of my entries for @nalu-week 2020 and part of the Nalu-centric anthology series The Dragon Demon and His Celestial Princess anthology series (slight au/ canon divergent).

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Chapter 1: A Worthwhile Distraction

A/N: Hey guys, it's me again with my third entry for @nalu-week 2020 in the form of a new story and is also part of The Dragon Demon and His Celestial Princess anthology (TDDAHCP); series which is set shortly after the events of 100 years quest with said quest being completed in a matter of weeks or a few months (hence why it's slight au/canon divergent). Special thanks to @mannyegb again for helping me to edit and further develop this chapter. Now without further ado, here's the story-enjoy!

Scroll Down Past The Read More Button/cut for designated links and the actual chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairytail which instead belongs to the one and only Hiro-sensei instead!

Read More of This Fic and on other Platforms

Note: Copy and paste links into another browser tap if reading on desktop site

1. A Fire Dragon, His Princess and The Not-So-Terrible Party Aftermath

A. Tumblr

Chapter: 1 Next (Chapter) (Click Here:) (or here: https://millennial-star-gazer.tumblr.com/post/624773467606319105/a-fire-dragon-his-princess-and-the)

B. Fanfiction (Click Here:) (or here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13623735/1/A-Fire-Dragon-His-Princess-and-The-Not-So-Terrible-Party-Aftermath)

C. A03 (Click Here:) ( or here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24802591/chapters/59983813)

3. Master Post Of All My Writing And Profiles (Click Here:) (or here: https://millennial-star-gazer.tumblr.com/post/179665258923/master-fic-rec-post)

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Legend

Italics: Fantasy, flashback & literary/ song quotes

Bold: First Person Thoughts

Bolded Italics: empathized word

Bolded Italics: outside of main story): A/N

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" The friction between my words and your fantasy is making the atmosphere erotic."

(Soraya Marcelo: Twitter)

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"There you go baby - everything's ready now. It should be perfect for tonight. A guild picnic at dusk and bonfire under the stars, was it?"

"Yep, that's what Mira told us. Even said so on the Magicbook * page for the event. My friends from other guilds like Sabertooth will be attending too— a bunch responded."

"Awesome baby!"

"It really is. Thanks for helping me get ready by the way, Cancer!"

"Anytime. Have fun tonight!"

"Will do— thank you! "

"All right-catch you later, baby!"

"See ya!"

" Wow—- You look beautiful, Luce."

Natsu's arms encircled Lucy's waist from behind with the soft pressure of his lips on her shoulder; which sent a tingly shiver down her spine.

"Not that ya' didn't before. He amended, a fond smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Not to mention those striking emerald eyes the celestial mage could drown in. "You always do."

Major fan of this whole look.

"I still can't believe I got such a gorgeous angel as my mate and queen. How am I this lucky?"

"Dunno. How'd you ever get so sentimental?" Lucy shot back, a teasing lilt to her words. (She couldn't help but lean back into his arms ). "If Gray could only hear you now ...but yeah, I really like all this too ."

Golden half-braided hair framed the face of Lucy's reflection in a floral-mini, skater dress; who was gazing back through a mirror. Topping the whole ensemble together was a pair of Grecian-style wedges on her feet that were to die for.

"Still can't believe you're officially mine" the dragon slayer breathed, voice thick with reverent awe. "I love you so much."

"L-love you too... hmm."

The celestial wizard let out a soft hum of bliss from the peppering of feathery-light kisses on her neck leading to her collarbone just after a nuzzle.

"Y-You trying to distract me Natsu?" she inquired, voice coming out as breathy to her own ears. God, the sensation of Natsu's scorching lips on the celestial mage's creamy skin was scattering all train of thought— almost too much to handle!

It's really hard to think right now...

"Hmm.. just maybe I am, sweetheart," came the dragonslayer's reply, timbre, a languid drawl against her skin. "Is it working?"

"Yes," was all Lucy could utter, eyes drifting shut from the sweep of his hand up the curve of her neck in a single caress. Oh and the appealing sensation of a blonde tendril being dragged through his deft fingers was an added bonus too!

"Good," The vibrations of the fire wizard 's throaty chuckle sent sparks ripping across the summoner's nerves; which effectively turned the celestial mage's knees to mush.

"That's what I was aiming for ."

"It is?"

"Yep. Did I mention how amazing you smell?" He rumbled, pulling another shiver out of his mate. "Your natural scent now permanently mixed with mine..."

Dear God, the enticing charisma of this man- so natural! Who was she deny the incredibly overpowering ecstasy exploding through her veins with how the demon hybrid's nose was pressed against the crook of her neck?.

"And is that a hint of jasmine perfume I'm catching a whiff of?"

"Mhmm..." Goddamn- how extremely apparent that Lucy was pretty much rendered incapable of forming any type of response other than a single ,answering hum.

"Thought so-pretty intoxicating if ya' ask me."

"Um..."

It was then Lucy couldn't help but wonder what Natsu's ultimate end game was. No doubt the man was successful in efforts to ensare her with his devilish charms— but where did he intend for it to all lead? Did any of his plans entail steamy kissing marathons on the couple's bed? Slow-burn love-making beneath the sheets, wild romps all over their apartment? Just what if it could be?

Holy hell— that pulsating of liquid heat pulsating that shot between to the keyholder's core from the scintillant flash of images flooding her mind .

Supple digits unzipping the back of her dress, an insatiable Natsu pinning her against a wall, being lightly tossed onto the bed by said dominant dragon slayer, all-too-welcome lips leaving a high-voltage trail of electricity down her bare form before...

"Crap... the time."

Just for that little fantasy bubble to burst once Natsu pulled away from Lucy; who bit back a noise of protest at the loss of contact.

"Eh sorry, Luce," he apologized, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. "Didn't mean to lose track of the time like that. Either way, we should probably start heading over if we don't wanna be late."

"Okay..." Lucy let out a sigh, not able to stop the wave of mild disappointment from washing over her.

"Aw come on now, weirdo!" Natsu wheedled, light-hearted amusement coloring his tone. "No need to be so glum! Tonight's gonna be fun, remember?"

"I know." Lucy conceded, with a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Should be great to spend time with our friends from Fairytail and other guilds. " Her spirits couldn't help but be lifted by the pyro's sunny mood.

Him and that infectious grin of his...

"Great! That's the spirit!" He crowed , planting a light peck on Lucy's cheek;aka the reason for the slight flush of scarlet .

"Tonight's gonna be awesome !"

"It sure will ."

"Definitely!"

"Oh, and one more thing," Natsu paused to shoot Lucy a lingering glance. "Just a little tiny something."

" What that might be?"

"Your outfit. I was thinking that maybe it could use a little extra piece to complete the look? Like, say that necklace I gave you?"

" Oh… that gorgeous pendant? You know what, yeah! Great idea-Thanks Natsu!"

"My pleasure. And pretty sure I saw said pendant in your jewelry box. Lemme' grab it for you."

"Sure thing!"

"Great then- so it's settled!"

"You bet!"

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A/N: Magicbook is a fictional social media app and site for all magic users and citizens in Earthland- aka the Fairytail equivalent of its counterpart in real life Facebook- in case anyone was wondering. Just a little sidenote about the chronological order for the timeline each fic in my TDDAHCP anthology series.

1. Fire And Gold(prequel)

2. Tantric Flames

3. A Dragon, His Princess and the Not-So Terrible Party Aftermath(this fic)

Figured I'd provide a little guide about the chronological order in terms of how each fic in this series takes place. Anyway, that's pretty much all for now until the next chapter. Hoped you enjoyed the first installment and please free to let me know what you think by dropping a review/comment!

Once again, don't forget to check out my other Nalu week entries along with the rest of my writing! Also be sure to stay tuned for chapter 3 of Fire and Gold which will be posted ASAP once I have a chance to finish the edits and format! Did I mention my other upcoming Nalu/FT projects in the works! Bet you're all fired now as Natsu would say! Oh and why not check out the rest of Nalu week submissions from the other incredibly talented writers and artists while you're at it? (Corresponding links to all my writing and profiles can be found above in this post, the navigation bar and bio if reading this on tumblr. Also on my respective FF and A03 accounts.) Thanks again to everyone for their incredible show of support ! Until next time-take care!

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theelliottsmiths · 4 years

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Could you please liveblog the making of Amerika?

Yes

I'm anticipating complaining about the penis zip guy already

Did you know that for a long time as a child I thought the English version was the real version? Cause I did

The bit where they're putting the paint on their faces is weirdly cute even though Richard looks kind of silly

Flake grow out your long hair pleaseee just like. A cute little bob again. I would listen to him talk for hours honestly I like the way he pronounced the words and his tone language doesn't matter

You can always tell by how he holds his face vs his eyes when he's joking "that's what this song is for: to sneak ourselves into their hearts" i feel like they have done that pretty well. For some reason it seems like most of the American fans are from the Midwest but maybe that's just coincidence

Rammstein saying they have no message except "Fleisch, Fleisch" or "ja" or "ich will" I forgot this entire thing is ceaseless dunking and sarcasm

i like the sounds he makes like the. There's a name for them what is it. The noises you make between words for emphasis etc? Those

"America was so fucking annoying we felt the need to call them out on it"

Oli talks a little like he's trying not to yawn. Them saying the war was on while they were in the practice room is strange considering how long the various wars had been going on just from like a born in the late 90s living in 2020 perspective

Ah yes you really were. So subtle. It's very. Clever many double meanings

"sehr gut, Till". :).

The sehnsucht thing tickles me so much he starts off by saying yes it's better to leave things up for interpretation and naturally my brain assumes he means the well thought out probably not true but poetic stuff, right, and then he goes on to say Americans thought sehnsucht was chainsaw and I cannot

The knife also is good.

In a way Amerika as a video is a precursor Ausländer and I like seeing how it compares because its

AS I WAS TYPING THAT OLI SAID THE WORD AUSLÄNDER

Oli does not seem happy to have his words captured At All

I wonder how many people did the Deutschland thing and went straight to saying it's racist without thinking through the reasons behind what they were doing (at least in part criticising American racism) I'm pretty sure l've seen someone complain about it somewhere like it was serious, I think on Reddit around the time the Ausländer Making of came out? Which is why I bring it up

"we wanted to make it clear that it wasn't a love song so these lyrics are perfect" Till: literally just saying this is not a love song

I would like to see them perform a cheer in proper cheerleader costumes instead of the uncomfy stickman Deutschland dance that makes me cringe my skeleton right out of my skin in 2021 please

The juxtaposition of Richards pro-america comments and flakes sarky comments about how nice the urinals are is so reminiscent of that post that's like America where freedom is the choice between thirty kinds of bread that you can't afford to buy

I was going to make a Regan's grave joke but I do prefer to keep that one for Margaret Thatchers grave

I like schneiders hair at this length

Schneiders capacity to oscillate so wildly between being a vacant dumbass and saying intelligent and thought out things is ceaselessly amazing

Saying it's hard because "it's like a punk concert for them" Jörn my guy my dude almost all of them were in punk bands I just checked and this was 2004 Feeling b only broke up in the 90s do you literally just mean Oli (I do not remember if there was any punk going on in the Inchtabokatables) or

Schneider is making it look so easy was he truly just so -_- about feeling b that he can be completely calm in the face drumming that fast? Cause we know usually his fast drumming involves screaming faces and or actual screaming I swear he does and it's just not hearable under the music sidenote he sings along sometimes and if he does it out loud I NEED to hear it

Richard when it's slowed down looks uh. Looks like he's eh. Hm. Is that the real reason people are so into guitarists?

I don't know which part of the sentence Glasses Paul says in that louder voice (schossen? Is he saying that/shot?) but I do like it if I knew more German I would take on way more Rammstein things as echoes you have no idea how much time I spend saying es reicht wenn hier so 'nen fleischfarbenen Draht lang legst which If that's wrong it's exactly what I was told he said so please correct it but it's not my fault unless you consider it my fault for not knowing enough German in which case it is my fault

But anyway yes hes Talking like its a museum tour and in his little glasses and shirt and everything he is totally playing the part of unhinged historian which is the best kind of historian honestly if you're going to be academic in nature you might as well be fucking mental

I want to know what vibes his speech gives off in German because to me he in English and German seems very theatrical in the way he talks? Including how much he rolls his rs it's very... Showy? But maybe not actually?

I forget how many videos Jörn has shot with them honestly

What do you do with this ash sand once your finished with? Some of them had kids I'd have taken it home and pretended it was real moon dust or something

They really go for it when they decide to do something like this and it really is admirable. It's rare they'll half-ass something and even when if feels like their director has they don't themselves

Richard looks very handsome in his space suit before they hang him up

Pretti

He looks like a marionette now nevermind

THIS FUCKER

I just. Do. Not. Enjoy this man I'm sorry to you and the mullet man I'm sure he's great but for fucks SAKE man he

TILL LITERALLY SAYS DONALD SUTHERLAND POINTS TO HIS DICK AND MIMES ZIPPING YOU KNOW WHAT HE'S FUCKING TALKING ABOUT SO WHY DO YOU LOOK SO CONFUSED

YOU TOLD HIM THE STORY YOU KNOW WHY HES SAYING DONALD SUTHERLAND AND POINTING TO HIS PENIS WHY ARE YOU SO GORMLESS

Look. I have nothing against Americans individually B is American Nick is American i love them dearly i know also other Americans a lot of you guys are Americans and I love you lots but here's the thing why are Americans like this

If it's not in English the brain turns off even if the context is obvious it's like when English people see Welsh/English signs and are so anti-welsh that they don't acknowledge that they're also in English and get angry that they don't know where they are

The sweetest little face though!

Softest boy ever besides Rosenrot Till

Till gets bored of the guy and decides to tell a story about a dick it's very him

This is the hair I think of when I think of Till this is the quintessential till haircut no?

God I do dislike this man

Tills voice is so so high here I adore him so completely it's so soft and high and the song is Not

If you're trying to learn how to say L sounds like a German I feel like richard is the easiest one to copy? Unless they're all weirdos and no other German says L sounds like that. Him and flake.

Flakes smile is more cheerful than Paul's there I said it

I know it's not foreshadowing but Jörn foreshadowing Ausländer

Richard talking about America's tendancy to exaggerate is really interesting since that's something the community as a whole seems to agree is a personality trait of his. They didn't fight, they almost broke up. He hates touring and yet he loves touring. Is that why he likes it there or is living there why he's like that?

Can you casually buy ten litres of orange juice? The boys are busy they cannot confirm and Google does not understand what I'm asking

Yeah Richard and Till, get closer

Knife

Schneiders handprint

I forgot about "there was a rumour in the DDR that America didn't exist" what is it with Germany and conspiracies about places not existing I'm there are tears in my eyes I genuinely I never watch this one flake is so fucking funny

Till talking pictures of the others

It's better than I give it credit for in my memory is there anything they've made that is in not a single way entertaining? I feel like no

Thank you for asking for this one it was every fun actually

#me rambling #rammstein #liveblog #amerika #complete liveblog

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quicksilverlightning · 4 years

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The All Might Fan Forum Discussion Board, Part Two

ALL MIGHT FAN FORUM General Discussion All Might Battles Meeting All Might Rescued by All Might All Might Encounters >Small Might Encounters (New!) Fanart and Fanfiction

Gone4-a-Jog

Small Might Sensei

I like to go jogging. I started recently and I’m not very good at it – I can’t run very fast or very long. But I like taking different routes and discovering new places when I stop to catch my breath. It was during one of my longer runs that I bumped into All Might.

I’d heard someone behind me a few minutes before I stopped to put my hands on my knees and try to gulp down as much air as possible, but didn’t hear that he stopped when I did so I jumped and nearly fell on my ass when I got upright, then nearly fell again when I saw who it was and this long sentence doesn’t begin to cover the comedy of errors that was my life in these few moments.

He stopped cause I was running wrong. Sidenote: there’s a such thing as running wrong. Apparently, you want to land in the middle of your foot and try not to land on your heel at all cause that can cause problems. He also taught me a few breathing rhythms for different intensities of runs.

He ran with me for about twenty minutes, correcting my bad posture and seriously I know every post on this forum says it, but All Might is super, super nice. Like, you’d think he’d have at least a little ego or something, but he doesn’t. He just wants to help everyone. He said hello to everyone we passed and doubled back to throw away a bottle someone dropped. He’d so nice you guys.

I’ve been using what he taught me for a few days now, and haven’t gotten a stitch in my side once. It’s so much easier to run now. Thanks Sensei!

Pepper-oni

Seatmates!

Small Might sat next to me on the bus. Pretty sure he could have had any seat he wanted no matter how crowded it was, but he was really polite and kinda awkward about asking if he could sit with me. Meanwhile, I’m internally screaming while trying to keep it cool on the outside.

He was texting someone on his phone – I tried not to stare, but it’s All Might, you know? I didn’t catch much, just that he was proud of someone, which, hello, is so frickking cute. He looked happy.

m0toroildrmz

A brief conversation with my mother:

“Mom, do you know who that was?”

“No?”

“That was All Might! All Might, mom!”

I leave my mom alone for five seconds to use the bathroom, and I come back to ALL MIGHT helping her with her English crossword puzzles. She didn’t even get an autograph for me.

oba-san581

the beach

I don’t know why it took so very long for it to click – after his last battle, I couldn't shake the feeling that I’d seen that tall, skinny man somewhere before. And he is such a distinctive gentleman; I was sure I knew him, somehow. It wasn’t until I met him on the beach that it finally fell into place.

I’m retired these days, so I have a lot of time on my hands. Every day, I take a walk from my home to the library and back. Sometimes I stay a few minutes, sometimes the entire day gets away from me. For months, almost every day without fail, there was a man and a boy cleaning the shoreline near my home. They would be there when I left for the day, and were still there when I came back. The boy was a scrappy, freckled little thing, cute as a button. The man was slender, but undeniably strong – he would step in to help with some of the bigger appliances, but mostly directed the boy and cheered him on.

I stopped to speak to them a few times; the boy was such a polite young man, and All Might was genial and humble. I never would have known. I could never have guessed had I not met him again, returning from the library with a book to enjoy near the waves.

It’s strange; heroes are so flashy these days, hustle and bustle and fight and move. And we appreciate them, need them. But there’s something so very special about the little things. All Might personally spent almost a year helping clean up a beach. Would anyone else in the top ten have done that?

He was every bit as kind as I remembered. He doesn’t accept praise very well, insisted the beach was all the boy’s doing. Which is fair enough I suppose – he did most of the heavy lifting. Even so, that man was out there almost every single day, with lunch and water and cheer and kind words. It warmed my heart, watching the two of them progress across the sand. I’m so glad All Might is a teacher now; those kids are in good hands.

spite-and-aesthetic

again with the cats

small might plucked my cat out of a tree AGAIN – same cat same tree he even fucking remembered me is this guy for real?

MKPlusUltra

All Might does not skip Leg Day

So I’m minding my own business, checking messages on my phone, waiting on my drink order, when there’s some commotion across the street – lotta loud noise, people screaming and running, standard-issue villain-tries-to-rob-the-till-at-the-combini sort of afternoon. It’s a tall guy with, like, I guess it’s a stretch Quirk off some kind? He looks like he walked out of some old-timey cartoon, all wiggly limbs bouncing everywhere, running from what looks like some rookie Pro – I don’t even think they were a rookie yet; maybe an intern? Anyway, Noodle Arms is booking it, Intern is after him as fast as his short legs can manage. Leggy clears the street in one jump and starts twisting his head around like he can’t decide where to go next.

It’s at that moment when All Might himself exits the building next to mine, one hand leaving his pocket to check his watch and Noodle makes a decision.

Now look, I’m gonna break this down into slo-mo for ya, cause seriously, it was a thing of beauty. It was one, smooth, impossibly cool-looking move, and every piece of it needs to be appreciated. This DUMBASS, who clearly had no plan whatsoever beyond “grab a hostage,” honestly thinks he can take on ALL MIGHT, I guess cause he’s skinny now or something. He wraps his stupid noodle limbs around him and All Might doesn’t even twitch when Dumbass constricts his arms and waves a gun around. Dumbass is yelling something, I don’t know what, who tf cares. All Might kinda tilts his head, wriggles his shoulders a bit, then lifts his arms up and slides out of the jacket so fast the fabric doesn’t even lose its shape. I’m not even kidding, it looked like it was on an invisible mannequin, this move came straight from the Acme school of How To Defy Physics. Dumbass has just enough time to look shocked before he’s eating a size 13 leather shoe – All Might dropped to his haunches, made a quarter-turn, and kicked his leg up and back, straight into the jaw of Dumbass. He kicks him so hard his feet actually lift off the ground and he flies backwards into a streetlamp.

All Might doesn’t even look angry; he just looks Annoyed, like someone forgot to put sugar in his coffee. He picks up his jacket and slings it over a shoulder and waits around a few minutes for the police to catch up and haul Noodle McDumbass into custody while Short Intern babbles away with stars in his eyes. It was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.

AM_FAN0112

HE’S BACK

HE HASN’T BEEN TO THE SHOP IN THREE MONTHS TOSHINORI YOU USELESS SUNFLOWER I WAS WORRIED ABOUT YOU. I LEFT SO MANY TEARS ON HIS JACKET

YOU FUCKING SWEETHEART. YOU ABSOLUTE RAY OF LITERAL SUNSHINE. I WILL SAVE EVERY COPY OF SUGAR SUGAR CAT CAFE FOR YOU I WILL READ EVERY SINGLE DUMBASS ROMANCE MANGA I CAN FIND I WILL WORK IN THIS TINY BOOKSHOP FOR THE REST OF MY STUPID LIFE JUST NEVER SCARE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN YOU AWKWARD JACKRABBIT DON’T EVER LEAVE ME HANGING LIKE THAT AGAIN

I’M SORRY FOR SCREAMING I JUST MISSED HIM SO MUCH HE’S MY FAVORITE CUSTOMER EVEN BEFORE I KNEW HE WAS ALL MIGHT. HE’S AN ADORABLE OLD MAN

RedRibbon

A good man

Perhaps it’s a little unfair for me to comment since I work in the Tower. Still, there are some things I wanted to share with the world and this is a good place to do it.

I’ve been at the agency for three years now, mainly doing secretarial work. My direct superior is a man named Yagi-san. Yagi-san acted as All Might’s personal assistant, right hand man, concierge, whatever you want to call it. Telling something to Yagi-san was as good as telling it to All Might directly. I, along with everyone else in the Tower, learned why that night in Kamino.

I’ve read many, many posts on these discussion boards and if I were to identify a unifying theme that everyone seems to mention, it’s that All Might is a nice guy. That he really, honestly cares. That he worries about the little things just as much as the big things. I’ve worked with Yagi-san for three years and can confirm that none of it is a show for the adoring public – it’s all 100% true.

Let me tell you something, I worked with Miruko’s agency before All Might’s, and Wash before that, but unless the two of them also have secret identities, neither one of them was on the ground floor pushing pencils with the rest of us like All Might was. I’ve seen Yagi-san escorting new hires around the building when they get lost. I’ve seen him roll up his sleeves and change a busted printer cartridge, ink all over his shirt. He knows everyone’s birthday. He’ll do coffee runs, answer the phones, make deliveries, grab lunch, whatever you need. I’ve seen him as All Might, shutting the press down when they start getting pushy with the employees, or dropping by the daycare and making the kids light up.

I’ve never seen him complain. I’ve never seen him brush anyone off. I’ve never seen him be rude, or arrogant, or insulting, or aloof. I’ve never seen him treat anyone as lesser, as if they weren’t worth his time. Yagi-san lifted morale just by being in the building, the way All Might cut crime rates just by existing. Everyone in the agency loved Yagi-san just as much as they loved the hero; everyone had a story about All Might, and another one about Yagi-san. I’ve seen a few of those stories on this very board.

But this one is mine:

Ever since high school, I’ve used a ribbon to keep the hair out of my face. I love my curls, but they can be a nuisance waving around at the edge of my vision, so I keep them pulled back. I like using ribbons because scrunchies often get caught in my un-tameable mess of hair.

My ribbon snapped one day at work. It wasn’t a big deal – just a minor annoyance to have to keep pushing my hair back. But Yagi-san noticed. He noticed without anyone saying anything, and came back from lunch thirty minutes later with a beautiful red ribbon that he tied into my hair.

It really is the little things that matter the most. This tiny little gesture made me feel seen, acknowledged, valued. Not just as an employee, but as a person. All Might cares about those kinds of things – his employees aren’t subordinates, they’re people. He doesn’t rescue victims, he recuses people. He doesn’t pull you up to his level; he gets on yours and puts you on his shoulders.

I’ve worn that ribbon nearly every day for two years. It’s gotten thin in places, kinda frayed at the edges, but still doing its job faithfully. A bit little like the man who gave it to me.

#yagi toshinori #All Might #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #mha #bnha #fanfic #bnha fanfiction #small might #social media fic #pov outsider #I love writing fics like this #number one in our hearts #loosely connected to An Unofficial Statement from Might Tower #AM_FAN0112 is me

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robynmarkius · 4 years

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Language Differences

So I have a bit of a long ramble, which involves Spoilers for the end of 5.3; obviously. Some of it’s already out there as I replied on mobile while half asleep, but it led to talking to the lovely @shiro-from-cafeberry about the German text. (Once again, thank you so much! I enjoy talking to you! :D <3 I have discovered I have even more questions for you to help with. lol) I then bothered my friend and co-writer @xehniscreations about French and she said it’d be a good practice to shake off the rust. (She ended up translating the whole ending scene for practice! <33 lol )

This all started because I am married to a man who has a degree in Linguistics and a simple questioning of one line/part led to hours of jokes and discussions. Which then turned into me putting my game client into two languages that I don’t speak a word of just to see what a character said... XD And! And! Learning a few other things along the way. I’ve been having so much fun with this and I hope you all can too. Plopping a cut here so as not to completely destroy anyone still trying to avoid Spoilers... or those who want to prepare some tissues. lol

I have cried a lot in the process of this entire Translation, and keep crying. lol As long as this post/translator ramble got, I made sure to post the ‘screenshot comic’, “Remnant” [as its own post] for the sake of focus. That was the scene that started this trip down the rabbit hole, after all. xD

After three days of editing this post, I decided to split it, so that this was just the ending scene. There’s flashbacks I also covered, but this was getting extremely long and I realize that I had not asked Shiro about the first flashback at all! So I still have things to finish and more to talk about before I have more.

For now, though, let’s talk!

Part One: Elidibus’ Explanation

The lines in question came from when Elidibus picked up the crystals, then told us he heard the voices of despair/cries and lamentations of his friends. After which there’s a slightly awkward explanation about how there were lots of opinions and thoughts about the world/star, which led to Elidibus pulling himself free of Zodiark in order to help his friends. It bothered Hubs because it felt kinda “clunky”; he explained:

“I think it’s because of a general norm of Japanese society we hear so much about. That it’s important to have a consensus and not to stir up trouble or stick out too much; which is how that part kind of reads. Your direct Translation is fine. I just feel like the localization team just kinda gave up when they wrote the English version. They could have give a little more context on it when they wrote it. Instead, what happens is, it feels out of place and awkward where it is. It also doesn’t give the context of when Elidibus freed himself from Zodiark. Is there any context that says that wasn’t when Hydaelyn shattered the star into the reflections or Shards?”

Putting aside his question about when Elidibus actually separated from Zodiark for now; as that’s a whole ‘nother discussion that’s rather interesting; I finally understood what he meant by my Translation felt clunky. It was accurate to a “direct translation” versus a “localization”. I re-translated the whole part just to make sure I hadn’t missed anything, and made sure that the final lines I wrote in English still made sense. lol

First, I wanted to note the differences in terms; in case I slip when putting this together. ^^; The literal translation of 「十四人委員会」 would be "Fourteen-person Committee"; but in the context of FF14, (at least in English,) we call it the "Convocation of Fourteen", so I try to stick with that for final translations. What makes anything with the Ancients more difficult, is that they're not speaking a language that we can immediately understand, but rather making sounds that our Echo/超える力/l'Écho/Kraft des Transzendierens interprets into words we/the WoL/WoD can understand. The downside is lack of clarification for actual translation if you don't fluently read or speak another language. lol

For example, when Elidibus speaks, we hear the words spoken, so if there's a kanji that's said more than one way, I can hear which definition is correct by listening to the sentence. But the Ancients' "woop woop wop wah wahp woo" is harder to interpret... but, at least it's the same in every language, right? XD For German, they have “The Convent”, and French has “The Council of Fourteen”.

Second, in English, we called him “The Emissary”, which is another term for “Mediator; Arbitrator; Go-Between” which is the definition of the term 調停者 [shouteisha] , his Japanese title. When translating from German, Shiro used the term “The Advocate”. His French title is “le Médiateur” His role seems to be the same, at least, he settled disputes, found the facts, kept things in check, and generally maintained balance. That was the seat of Elidibus; which is necessary to understand why he said what he said about being needed. (Those titles come from the first flashback as well as the second one; which I’ll get to in the next post. <3 )

The English lines that started this conversation are: “Divided -- over the fate of the star. A rare occurrence, always fleeting. But not this time. Not this time... Reconciliation. Elidibus. I was needed. I withdrew myself from Zodiark. For them...”

Japanese: 世界の行く��について、たくさんの意見が出た…… そんなことは珍しいから、委員会のみんなが悩んでいた。

だったら、エリディブスが手助けしに行かないと…… そう思って、ゾディアークから零れ落ちたんだ。

Final Translation: (after edits and all this discussion) "A great many opinions were expressed regarding the fate of the world, Everyone in the Convocation was troubled, since such a thing was unusual.

That being the case, I could not go help them in my role as Emissary. I believed that they needed Elidibus, so I pulled myself from Zodiark.”

In French, from Xehnis: "Le Concile avait perdu sa cohésion...Face à l’anéantissement, les avis divergeaient sur la marche à suivre pour sauver notre planéte…

Ça ne leur ressemblait pas...Plus que jamais, ils avaient besoin d’Elidibus...Ils avaient besoin de moi...Alors, je me suis détaché de Zordiarche pour voler à leur secours…”

Her final translation: “The Council had lost its cohesion...In the face of annihilation, opinions differed on the way to save our planet…

It does not resemble them...more than ever, they needed Elidibus...they needed me....so, I detached from Zordiark to fly to their aid…”

The German lines, from Cafe Berry’s Shiro, along with the explanations: "Die Zukunft der Welt hing in der Schwebe und Chaos machte sich breit. Die Ascians waren zutiefst gespalten. Der Konvent uneins..."

Here, they are talking about how the Ascians, and most importantly, the convent is divided. How the future of the world was not clear and with that chaos spread.

"Elidibus, der Fürsprecher, musste etwas tun. Ich musste etwas tun. Und so spaltete ich mich wieder von Zodiark ab ..."

Here, Elidibus says that Elidibus, as the Emissary, had to do something. HE had to do something. So he split off from Zodiark.

Their translation they gave me then, was: "The future of the world hung in the balance and chaos spread. The Ascians were deeply divided. The convent divided ...

Elidibus, the advocate, had to do something. I had to do something. And so I split off from Zodiark again ... "

This was the part that my husband had called into question; with my original translation to:

"Many opinions and thoughts came forth, regarding the fate of our world.... The Convocation was worried, as such a thing was unusual."

世界の行く末について、たくさんの意見が出た…… そんなことは珍しいから、委員会のみんなが悩んでいた。

The literal translation of it all, would be: "The world's future/fate concerning/regarding, a great many/a lot (of) comments were brought up/expressed......

such thing(s) are/is curious/rare/unusual because/since, committee of everyone("Everyone on the Committee") (was/were actively being) troubled/worried.”

There was also the lines that followed, which were also rough to word in English, so the whole section had felt awkward.

だったら、エリディブスが手助けしに行かないと…… そう思って、ゾディアークから零れ落ちたんだ。

“if that's the case, Elidibus (from) assistance (as/in the role of) to go/to do (could not),

so/appearing that/seeming that considered/believed/reckoned/judged/decided/desired, Zodiark (from) spilled over/scattered from (n'da - 'no desu' / 'no da' used to add emphasis)"

I had tried: "I decided that they needed Elidibus, but as I was I couldn't help them, so I pulled myself away from Zodiark.

Which was another way to put the idea of: "That being the case, Elidibus could not go rescue/help, I believed, then spilled and fell over/scattered from Zodiark."

It ended up: "A great many thoughts and opinions were expressed regarding the fate of the world, Everyone on the Committee was troubled, since such a thing was unusual.If that was the case, I could not give them assistance in the role of Arbitrator. I believed that they needed Elidibus, so I fell/scattered from Zodiark."

In the end, for this part, it really helped to learn what was said in French and German, because it helped solidify more what was trying to be said, and that there probably is at least a little societal influence in the Japanese text. If it hadn’t been for Xehnis and Shiro’s assistance, I probably wouldn’t have landed on something that felt comfortable enough in English. <3

They all feel different, but have the same general idea: that even after Zodiark was summoned; and Elidibus became his Heart; things hadn’t been fixed. Things continued to grow worse, and they began to fight, and have conflict. As Arbitrator/Emissary/Advocate/Mediator, Elidibus’ job was to maintain balance, and settle disputes, but he could no longer do the job of his seat as the Heart of Zodiark, and it seemed to be destroying the Convocation; making things worse; so he yanked himself out of a Primal to go tell everyone to SIMMER DOWN, NOW.

Sidenote/Side Question here... I wonder what happened with Venat and Hydaelyn...? Perhaps we’ll get clarification in the future, as the only person who’s become/been anything like Elidibus has been Minfilia as the ‘Words of the Mother’, then sent off as an “Emissary” of sorts to the First. lol

This all led to wondering about the last line; as it was clearly different in the Japanese Audio than the English Text. I do want to state that I think what they did in English worked just as well for the emotional gut punch intended from Elidibus’ last words; but it’s very different. It did lead to looking at the flashback in Anemnesis Anyder where we heard the line about the rain, which will be in the next post.

English: “The rains have ceased, and we have been graced with another beautiful day. But you are not here to see it.”

Japanese: 私が最後に残ったって……仕方ないじゃないか……。 Translation: “There’s nothing for it then, is there? I’m the last one left...”

French: Je devais partir en dernier... Comment aurais-je pu abandonner mes amis, esseulés en ce bas monde? Translation: “I had to leave last...how could I abandon (forsake) my friends, lonely in this lowly world?”

German: Es ist vorbei ... Alles verloren ... Ich bin der Letzte ... Translation: "It is over. Everything lost... I am the last..."

Japanese can also be read as “I’m the last one left... I guess it can’t be helped, huh?” but even in context, it didn’t flow quite as well as I’d like.. but that doesn’t take away from the crying, does it... ; A; I got the term “Remnant” from Japanese, where “watashi ga saigo ni nokotta tte” would literally translate to “I’m the final remnant”/”I’m the last leftover”, which I did word as “I’m the last one remaining/left.” (It is also 'Sumo term, cried by the referee to indicate that a rikishi is still in the ring’, but that didn’t quite feel right here, however, you can take the sumo joke if you’d like. <3)

I’m going to repeat that I think referring back to the line he was told back when he’d gotten the title of Elidibus wasn’t bad, and it did still work very well to convey that lost, lonely, longing he was left with as a remnant; what little was left of him, lamented the loss of his beloved people; people that he’d just wanted to save. This is evidenced in French and German; where he states that he’s all that’s left, everything is lost, it is over... that he had to go last, so he wouldn’t abandon his friends.

I appreciate that we gave Elidibus all the constellation stones, which, in a way, let him finally be with all of his friends once more. All the stones, except for ours; we kept that, because Hades made it for us. He made it for us to remember, so that the story of the Ancients wouldn’t be forgotten; the ‘truth’ he made sure he told us when we asked about the past.

At least, that’s what I choose to believe for now.

[Next Post >>]

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wearetakingthehobbitstogallifrey · 6 years

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The Last Jedi, Loneliness, and Love

This is dedicated to @itspileofgoodthings aka @reylohasmyheart, queen of meta, and also to @thelonelybrilliance, queen of fanfic

Please forgive me, I was driving home from work yesterday, listening to Paloma Faith’s “Only Love Can Hurt Like This,” and somehow I started thinking about Reylo and why it makes my soul ache—why I think it is beautiful and why I think its development in The Last Jedi is, contrary to what you might think, realistic and even healthy

Oh heck I was going to make this a very eloquent, orderly post but screw that I have thoughts and they are going to run the race as they see fit

I think one of the great sorrows of humanity is loneliness. We were made for companionship, for family, for loyalty, for smiling and speaking and hugging, for dream-sharing and sorrow-comforting. For the gifting of the self to others, and most especially the gifting of the self to the man or woman we marry. To lead healthy lives, we need some form of community, even if it is only one or two people we talk to and entrust ourselves to. Usually it is more.

Anyway, this is where I want to begin with Rey and Kylo Ren—or as I am going to call him, Ben Solo

(Because Kylo Ren is just a mask, a veil between Ben’s tattered soul and the world around him, a pretense that he wasn’t broken and longing for something more, even as Darth Vader was a construction to block off Anakin Skywalker from the truth of his pain—that his terrible deeds were destroying him, not strengthening him. I’m not saying that Kylo Ren and Darth Vader are entirely separate from Ben and Anakin. What I am saying is that those personas are not building blocks but rather insidious vines wrapping around stone towers, strangling and cutting and smothering. You know why? Evil lies. It lies even when it screams it is telling the truth, even when it whispers that it alone sheds light on reality. And thus, evil can only tear down and destroy things. Each person has in them a potential of excellence, the best person they can be—thoughtful, brave, compassionate, humble, self-sacrificing, merciful, faithful, hopeful, loving. Since this excellent version of the self is the one I think we all should strive for, I would call it the deepest, truest self, and thus winds up my long digression into why I am calling Kylo Ren Ben Solo from now on...so sorry)

Back to Rey and Ben in The Last Jedi. Well, no, we have to go back to The Force Awakens for a moment. Many many people have already commented on the interrogation scene and the scene at the end where Ben asks Rey to let him teach her the ways of the Force, so let me just sum up the important ideas there. First, Ben is fascinated by Rey the moment he sets eyes on her (before that actually—why? Force visions? dreams? rumors? a gut feeling?) and he clearly does not like the idea of her seeing him as a monster. Interesting that he takes his helmet off immediately after she calls him one, even though he is the one who made the choice to wear the helmet, whether as a way to identify himself more with Vader or as a way to make his own choice for once, regardless of Snoke’s thoughts (the manipulative, abusive cretin).

Either way, Ben taking off his helmet in the interrogation scene signals his desire for Rey to see him as a human creature like herself. He does not want to be seen as Other. As someone to be overlooked, feared, discarded. (It kind of works, Rey is clearly taken aback, but she still has no time for his dark ways and thus she is awesome, because yeah Ben my son is currently working for the First Order) sorry this summary is just as long as anything anyway just take note that Ben does not want to be separated from humanity. And note the way he speaks her thoughts and feelings out loud, the tone of his voice when he says she is so lonely, desperate to sleep at night. He feels all of these things too, and in my opinion he is shook as heck that Rey is like a mirror image of him.

Ah Ben. One of my favorite scenes is the end fight, in which Ben and Rey beat each other up, in which Rey is a righteous ball of fury and Ben the fool has her literally on the edge of a cliff bent over backwards and all the awestruck idiot can do is—throw out a desperate plea for her to join him so he can teach her?? ?

If the guy was thinking clearly he might be able to divine that she isn’t the mood to become best buddies with him. But he is so ecstatic with the vision of what might be that he doesn’t see what is right in front of him. A very angry woman. Anyway, Rey connects with the Force and lays my man out flat on his back, face sliced in half, and still Ben looks at her like she is a sun or maybe a supernova and Rey looks back at him but that isn’t exactly part of the loneliness discussion I mean maybe it is but I would literally need another essay to discuss that and this essay is already like six essays so I need to move on

So much for the Force Awakens. Let’s look at The Last Jedi and loneliness. What fascinates me about the growth of reylo in this film is literally everything how Rey and Ben are both wallowing in different wells of loneliness, and each well is very different in their depths and their makings, yet still being in those wells allows them to understand each other’s pain. Both Rey and Ben suffer separation from their family, both suffer the feelings of abandonment. Of course, one could argue that Ben’s separation was his own choice, and it was, to a degree. He did choose to go with Snoke, to leave Luke, to destroy the Jedi academy. To kill his father. But to look at that and say that only Ben’s bare choices matter and that he deserves death and hellfire does a disservice to all those who have suffered mental, physical, and/or spiritual abuse as either a child or an adult.

(SIDENOTE: I am absolutely not saying Ben was justified in his actions, or that I approve of them, or that he is an innocent cinnamon roll. What I am saying is that he is a damaged soul, who has suffered so much from his own mistakes, from whatever mistakes his family made, and from the horrible cruelty of Snoke. He was literally manipulated and abused by shrivel-face from when he was in Leia’s womb, maybe, just MAYBE we can feel some compassion for him? And remember that his mom and dad still love him and forgive him and want him to come home)

Back to wherever I was, Ben is lonely as heck. He is cut off from his family, has felt unloved and unworthy for so many years, and has a soul completely wrecked by the murder of his father. In comes Rey. Rey, who was much more clearly abandoned by her family, who doesn’t seem to have had a friend in her life till Finn came along, who lived for years on a junkyard of a desert planet in the hopeless hope that her family might come back for her. Ben’s loneliness and Rey’s loneliness are not the same, but the feelings in both are deep and for better or worse are integral to the patterns of their hearts.

What happens then, in The Last Jedi? The Force bond between the two manifests, Rey sees Ben and shoots him immediately. She still remembers their last meeting, still remembers her hurt friend brother5ever Finn, still remembers Han Solo falling. She sees Ben’s crimes and is righteously disgusted by them. But then. Then she calls Ben a monster, for he has done monstrous acts, and this time, does Ben pull off a helmet, or try to pull aside some other veil, does he protest and say no, no, you and I are alike, I am not Other from you? He does not. Instead, he says, “Yes, I am.” YES I AM. Do you even realize what this means? Ben is no longer trying to lie to Rey or himself, to deny that he is in the right, that his actions are not dark. He killed his father, and he knows he is a monster for it, and he is not going to say he is a human like Rey because she has never done anything as terrible as that, and though he is lonely he will not compare the two anymore.

BUT REY IS TAKEN ABACK AGAIN! In TFA, when Ben removed his helmet, Rey was surprised to see he looked very hot just like any other man, that his soul did not reflect in his looks. It gave her pause. And now, when Ben says, yes he is a monster, that gives Rey pause again. I think this is because, when we are talking about humans and monsters, real monsters, a monster always denies he is one, and probably even believes that (or is at least perfectly content as such), but humans still have the capability to understand they have committed terrible wrongs, and to feel such a guilt that they do believe themselves to be monsters after all. Basically, the second Ben declares himself a monster is the moment that Rey realizes he is not one.

Oh my gosh now I get to write about the hand-touching scene!!!

Okay here is the thing. Rey is lonely, Ben is lonely. Both are going through some stuff right now. (Ben is all like, yup I killed my dad, how do I repress my guilt so I don’t drown in it; Rey is like yeah now I remember my family abandoned me, and they are never coming back). Force bond visions ensue, and Rey and Ben are sitting over a cozy fire in Rey’s hut and Rey, who not long ago was ready to slice Ben into shreds with her lightsaber, is now confiding in him, spilling her deepest insecurities. She feels so alone, so lost, the one thing she has held on to for all her life is now gone forever, mist blown away a hot sun, and what is her future to be like when Luke is not the teacher she wanted? And Ben, for all his issues, with a soul desperate and broken, sees Rey’s pain and blurts out this most compassionate line: “You’re not alone.” He cannot bear to see her in pain, because he knows what it feels like. He knows what it would mean to him to have someone standing at his side, and he offers his presence and loyalty and support to Rey. AND SHE SAYS IT RIGHT BACK. “Neither are you.” AND THEN REY HOLDS OUT HER HAND! AND BEN TAKES OFF HIS GLOVE AND IS LITERALLY SHAKING AS HE EXTENDS IT TOWARD HER!!! AND THEY TOUCH THEIR HANDS TOGETHER WHAT POETRY

AAH MY HEART

These two lonely souls, sitting in darkness and light, in fire and shadow, sharing their hurts and fears, offering each other comfort, because both have known suffering, because both care about the well-being of each other’s heart and soul—it’s so beautiful.

Where am I going with this? Ah yes. The healthy growth of relationships. Love. Reylo starts out in uncertainty or even fear, in misunderstanding who the other person is, in holding the other person up as either a monster to be defeated or as some perfect light to heal all wounds. Neither of these are true. But there is an attraction (and a repulsion) there nonetheless, and in The Last Jedi that attraction and repulsion balance out just enough so that Ben and Rey can converse with each other without the danger of Rey suddenly killing Ben. (Thank the Force!)

As time goes on and Ben and Rey learn more about each other, they discover how lonely they are, and shared feelings and compassionate hearts mean that they both long for the other to stand by their side. Their love is ridiculously powerful and beautiful and it makes me want to cry. Even still, this love has not grown into what it needs to be. Because true love means wanting the best for the other person, and doing what is best for the person no matter the cost. And guess what? That can be a hard thing. Look, Rey and Ben are both absolutely convinced that the other person loves them sooooo very much that they will leave behind whatever they have—the First Order, Snoke, the Resistance, friends. Part of that is because they also know how lonely they both are, and how wonderful it would be not to feel like that ever again. Thus, Rey ships herself right off to Ben, confident he will turn, and he is happy to see her, confident she will turn.

But it has to be so much more than that. Love is about compassion and sacrifice, and Ben does kill Snoke for Rey’s sake, and this is the start of his redemption I believe, but even though he gives up the part of himself that is the most important to who he is at the moment, changing himself irrevocably, taking the first steps to freedom, but he still does not give up Everything. I think he thought that would be enough for Rey, killing the fearsome monster who ruled him and threatened her, but it isn’t and it shouldn’t be. It is not enough to give up sin, one must then act virtuously. Ben is mistaken, therefore, to assume that Rey will join him now.

However, Rey is mistaken as well. The thing with Rey (which I absolutely love) is that she throws herself headlong into things with such passion. As much as she despised Ben before, she loves him now—no she loves him a thousand times more, because love is so much more powerful than hate. But she gets ahead of herself, or rather, Ben. Because as soon as she sees Ben turn back to the light, sees him destroy Snoke, the image of darkness, she asks him to run headlong into the sunlight.

Here is the thing though, redemption is not the flip of a switch but the climbing of a staircase up a mountain. Ben has made the right initial choice, has taken his first steps, but he is carrying a lot of baggage, guilt for the past, fear of the future, uncertainty of the present. He has been manipulated into believing in the strength of darkness for so long that it is going to take some time for him to pick apart the tangled threads of his soul, to understand what he must do and how he should think and act and love. It is unrealistic (though hopeful and endearing) for Rey to believe that Ben can suddenly be a perfectly good man, the most excellent form of himself. It is hard for even a very good person to make hard decisions like Ben has to make, and Ben’s soul is damaged in countless ways, his mind a tattered blanket that Snoke liked to tear and cut up into jagged pieces. It is going to take time for Ben to progress, to walk beside Rey everywhere she goes.

In the end, I am so thrilled with how Reylo unwound in The Last Jedi. Ben is traveling on the road to redemption, inspired by Rey but ultimately not saved by her. He must save himself, though he may lean on her for support. For now, Rey is disappointed in him, frustrated with him (and no doubt with herself for failing), but it would be foolish to say she no longer loves him or feels compassion for him. Yes, she shut the door on him, left with the Resistance, but she was obviously in pain then and later as well, when she is on the getaway ship. She is still lonely, and now more so than ever because the man who understood the pain in her heart is not yet able to understand what he must do to lessen the pain in his own heart. And Ben...well Ben is probably still kneeling in that cave frozen in lonely despair because he just f— I mean he......he.... OH FOR THE SAKE OF THE CHILDREN WE’RE JUST GONNA SAY IT LIKE THIS: HE DONE MESSED UP!!!

Or maybe he has set his jaw, drawn back his shoulders, and taken that next step. They say that the first step toward the light is the hardest, but maybe it is the second—the thrill of taking a new path has vanished, and now remains the strain of holding his course, of working through whatever pain he must suffer on the road to redemption...

#reylo meta #ben solo #rey of jakku #love loneliness and redemption #the last jedi #star wars #my meta #or do i mean a novel #i have a lot of feelings!!!

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wheredandylionscometogrow · 6 years

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WSC ATL ‘17 R!chonne Panel

WSC Atlanta 2017

My thoughts and breakdown of the panel. I added body language into this as well. You can follow along by clicking the link up top.

Video 1

6:39 Beaver hat back and forth. Andy is so naughty.

11:11 Andy begins talking about a book he is reading on the rise of the Israelites. He mentions how he’s into world events and politics. (see my Andy and Danai things in common post)

Video 2

1:31 Audience question: “What do you listen to to prepare for your love scenes?” Andy mumbling “I don’t need to listen to no music when I’m getting ready for love scenes.” It sent me straight to my grave. And then he grabs his water bottle (phallic object) and simply moves it over. Interesting. He is red and blushing at this point. “At Last by Etta James. When we got together, when Michonne and Rick got together umm, I listened to that a lot. Uhh, Let’s Get it On by Marvin. Why wouldn’t you?”

3:40 Danai has arrived. Andy: “You stood me up. What time do you call this? . . . Uhh, how beautiful does my tv wife look?” And then he looks over at has the biggest smile at her. I’m dead at her not even addressing him lmao. Danai: “And please no more questions about what it’s like to kiss Andy Lincoln by the way. I got a lot of those this weekend.”

Sidenote: her calves are ridiculous.

4:05 James is so slick y’all. “Actually you just missed a great question. What kind of music do you listen to to get prepared for your love scenes?” James set her TF up!! And then Andy leans back and widens his legs all cocky like and says, “And I told them I don’t need to listen to no music to prepare for love scenes with Danai Gurira.” He is so smug! Danai: “I don’t know Andy, you have like a playlist for everything, but I don’t know what they are like it’s all going on with him in his iPad, uh iPod, a lot of playlists.” He rolls up his sleeves. Andy: “I do.” Danai definitely skirted around that question. I have personal thoughts about this but I’ll save them to myself lol.

4:33 Danai begins to go into detail about how she writes notes in her script in preparation for scenes. I love this teasing interaction between Andy and Danai where he’s like you have somebody carry around your bag for you. Tell them! People need to know! Lol and Danai is just heaving into her microphone lmao. Andy’s little fist pump when she says she keeps her scripts in a bag that says ‘Black Girls Rock’.

Sidenote: Andy playing with his tongue at 5:39

6:15 Andy: “I’m so glad you’re here ‘cause up until you arrived everyone was humiliating me.” Danai: “Really? How?” Andy: “Giving me really weird sort of hats and suddenly we can get a little more serious, so thank you.” Danai: “I don’t wanna bring the serious.” Andy: “No, its, no I love it.” Danai’s serious ass look at him at 6:35.

6:48 Audience question: “Which episode of season 7 was y’alls favorite to film and why?” I love how he looks over to her first. Andy: “I think it was when we went on our honeymoon.” I die at Danai’s cute little giggle. Andy: “I enjoyed it a lot.”

7:25 Shout out the the muthafuckin’ MVP for mentioning the missing scene in 7x12! When Andy realizes they are talking about the van scene he starts smirking and smiling. Bad, just bad. Andy needed to be put in time out.

8:11 Intergluteal cleft. Danai: “But they were asking about mine. That was the first time.Yea, yea, yea, that was uhh season 6. We were asked, they were talking about what amount we could use and that’s the term they used, intergluteal cleft.” So basically y’all just told us that somebody’s ass crack was showing in van because Andy’s lawyer had to come and give him the intergluteal cleft talk for the 2nd time. So who was naked? And why didn’t we see it?

9:05 Danai starts to talk about filming her 7x08 speech. Andy’s smile while she’s talking at 9:20 is everything. Danai: “And of course he’s the best partner to work with you know cause he’s right there with you.”

Sidenote: Andy rubs her back

10:13 Andy gushes over Danai’s acting skills.Andy: “And their [Rick & Michonne’s] relationship I love. I just love!”

Sidenote: Andy rubs her back again at 10:36. Danai shakes her head in disbelief at Andy’s compliments at 11:00

11:40 I feel like Danai was so humbled and so in disbelief over Andy’s comments she had to jump in. Danai: “He hatched from an egg. That’s what I always say.” Tears of cuteness. Then Andy’s like what? And she says, “You hatched from an egg. It’s like you’re a little too perfect.” Andy brushed back his hair with his fingers and sort of blushes. Then Andy chooses to reciprocate. This is where I feel like things got deep.

12:36 Andy: “I wanna tell stories with my heart.” Ugly cry.

14:32 Danai goes on a tangent about watching the walking dead for the first time and really being drawn into the story and wanting to be apart of it

16:10 Audience question: “What are your thoughts on Rick wanting to have a baby with Michonne?” Danai’s little blush is so cute! And then her look at Andrew like, ‘Sweetie you wanna handle this since this is your mess?’ Andy: “I think we need to repopulate the Earth. And when I say I, I mean Rick Grimes.” Danai’s head shake the whole time he is answering because she knows he’s goofy af lmao. I love that James is super red at their back and forth. Andy: “I’ll hold your katana darling.” Danai: “Noo, no one gets to hold my katana but meee!” Everyone on the couch is blushing and laughing at this point.

Video 3

3:35 Audience question: “Some people don’t understand that you aren’t your characters, so as Andy and Danai what is your least favorite thing about your character and your favorite thing about your character?” Andy: “I tend to believe that you are what you pretend to be.” And then he continues to go on this rant about what he’s learned from Rick which Danai calls him out. Danai: “I don’t know if he ever answered the question.”

Sidenote: Danai’s hand goes to his thigh at 6:07

7:30 The whole interaction between Andy and Danai here is interesting all the way until 7:50 Andy is blushing. Interesting.

Sidenote: Andy rubs Danai’s back again at 8:08

10:45 The cute protein bar spat.

Sidenote: Danai’s slap on the arm 11:53 and then the arm grab

11:57 Danai: ”Say Yes is the episode when we did the honeymoon thing…” Andy: “Yea, when we have our little umm…” Danai: “Yeah.” At this point I’m sweating.

12:56 Andy: “You know what I’m most excited about this season . . .” Danai covers her face lol And then Andy goes onto say that he wants the kid to take over so he can hang up his boots and repopulate the world with Michonne and Danai goes, “We’ve got plenty of time Rick, just saying. Just saying.” Andy: “Uhh, ok.”

13:30 I love Andy’s pat on her back and her pat on his knee. And then the way Andy leaned over to kiss Danai on the cheek (wipes sweat from brow). Their little private convo and playfulness. Prepare my grave now.

So much touching and compliments and banter. This was the ultimate treat. There were several times throughout this panel that it seemed like they were talking about Andy & Danai and not Rick & Michonne but that’s up to individual interpretation. Yet it’s funny that they both made it a point to use their characters names at one point during the panel so we (the audience) would know exactly who they were talking about lol. Besides those two moments it seemed like their answers were a mix of Rick, Danai, Andy and Michonne.

#a dandy goldmine

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parkandzhong · 6 years

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NCT Dream + Harry Potter house analysis

*these are just my personal opinions, I would love to hear what other people think about the boy’s houses (also this took my way too long) I am going to tag @johntenismyotp because my pal I actually got around to doing this (thx for dragging me)

** I’m a Slytherin and will be referring to this image for most of the reasoning behind the housing

Mark: Oh boy here goes nothing! Honestly, he is one of those cases where I could definitely see him being at least ¾ houses (if not all), but I am going to have to go with Hufflepuff! My reasoning is because of his complete dedication to NCT as a whole. We are talking about a boy that at the age of 17 was actually non-stop promoting. He is incredibly determined, and everything he does is for NCT. I could most definitely see people placing him in Ravenclaw (he writes his own raps) or Gryffindor (he is without a doubt brave in a LOT of aspects a topic for another day) or heck even Slytherin based on his strive to be number one, his ambition, but as I said before everything he does is for NCT. He writes his own raps for NCT, he is so hardworking for NCT, he is so brave because it means success for NCT. He is able to play the part as both a wonderful leader and a wonderful maknae line because he is willing to mend to whatever he has to in order for NCT to succeed. He is genuine and honest and good-hearted, and in general everything that makes him such an amazing leader and friend. Hence, I personally brand him as a Hufflepuff.

Renjun: Okay folks I am not going to lie when I say he has completely stumped me. Upon initial reaction I wanted to throw him in Hufflepuff, and I feel like that is a lot of people’s reaction when they don’t quite understand where to place such a peculiar person. It is common belief that hufflepuffs have to be ‘emotional’ and just seen as some loyal ‘sidekick’ which is kinda a ridiculous stereotype. Sidenote: Listen to me when I say the Huang Renjun is a piece of ART, an ACTUAL living piece of art. Honestly that was unnecessary, but I put it there anyway. Anyway I have pondered and pondered and it actually dawned on me when I was driving that I could see him being a Ravenclaw. The way I see Ravenclaws is that there are three very prominent features. They are the artistically smart, book smart, and/or witty (stating that cunning does not equal witty). It is no secret that Renjun is artistically smart, he can draw hella well and he can also sing like an angel, but he is also book smart. The members have all mentioned at one point or another that Renjun is exceptionally smart. If that doesn’t confirm it consider this. He was raised in China going to a Korean arts school. He was taught Korean at a very young age, and was able to continue on a school path like that, one that teaches him to focus on the arts, but also on book smarts. Then, he was able to transition to a completely different country to a completely different school system. And, still be branded as smart. It has also been mentioned that in general he is very creative. He takes inspiration from many things, and he is able to just let his mind flow as he draws. Haechan has mentioned before how he is very peculiar, and rather quiet, but sometimes he just acts a certain way, like he’ll put on headphones and just start drawing. And, he is witty. It is not a loud witty, like Jisung, it is a quiet witty. He’s said before that he prefers observing and people watching, so he portrays a lot of observational skills. But, he does make witty commentary. Watching interviews it’s easy to miss these instances, however, they’re there so pay attention to some interviews and you’ll see. So, this is my take on why Renjun would be Ravenclaw.

Jeno: Every one can rest assured knowing that I have spent hours watching just clips of him to decide what house he’d be in. I’m not joking. Anyway I think I would place Jeno in Hufflepuff. If you watch his boy video for ‘We Young’ you see he says he is very skeptical of people at first. The other members confirm that, and then add once you get to know him he is all together just really cute. He is ‘like a cat’ as Renjun describes him. For those who have never had a cat, Renjun was saying that cats come across as mean (or just don’t trust people easily), but once you befriend a cat they really become so much more than just a best friend, unlike a dog (who are just instantly rowdy, and take a lot less time to befriend). I think that alone is why I want to place him in Hufflepuff. He is very shy in terms of getting complimented, but he takes them with pride, he just doesn’t really like flaunting a lot of his feelings. He also mentioned he is not satisfied with his looks :( To me, when I was first getting into NCT dream, it was evident he was a little bit more in the background. I don’t really think this completely falls on sm, a mean a lot of it does, but I think a lot of it is just his personality. He does take a lot of warming up, it took me ages to see that he is really funny, but when you notice it he is really funny. I think part of the reason he comes across as quiet at first is due to his odd nature. He is very loyal to NCT dream, and very much to the fans. I think he kinda sticks with his ‘no jam’ title for a lot of jokes because it’s what the fans and his friends find funny, and there isn’t any harm in it. When asked what member he would want to ‘switch bodies’ with he said Mark. Not as in a joke way, he took it more seriously. He said he knew Mark had a lot of activities, and want to truly know how tired he is. I also think he would fall under Hufflepuff because he has mentioned a lot that he doesn’t want to let the fans down. All of these instances just immediately point towards Hufflepuff to me. It is also shown that he portrays a lot of honesty and hard-work. Along with that he is just soft. He is just kind-hearted, he comforts people in abstract ways, but if definitely comforts them.

Jaemin: ooof lets talk about the love of my life, I know Chenle is my bias and I would die for him, but Jaemin just oh worm. Anyway, I have trouble placing him into a house due to his lack of promotion? I am still going to include what I think he’d be from the interviews I have seen, but it is likely to change if when he makes a comeback with dream. I think I would place him (most likely) into Gryffindor or Slytherin. The issue within these two houses is they are basically two sides of the same coin. They’re not polar opposites, which is why I find them most interchangeable. The reason I chose Gryffindor over Slytherin is because I find Jaemin a lot more playful then what we see in most Slytherin. Obviously there are exceptions, Chenle is clearly Slytherin, but that due to his prominent display of ambition. I am not saying Jaemin doesn’t have ambition, that is not the case, nor has it ever been the case, but I think living in the moment and being a mood maker is more prominent in his characteristics. The common traits Gryffindor’s show is bravery, which is another reason I have trouble placing Jaemin in either. He managed to promote with back issues (even if he did have to take a break), but is it his bravery for performing even with his health problems? Or is it his ambition? We just don’t see a whole lot of examples of him being mischievous, for the most part he is just playful. Is he playful? absolutely. Does that equal cunning? Not quite. I think a lot of the issue with doing these is people show different aspects of a personality trait. He is very similar to some of Haechan AND Chenle’s characteristics, but he wears them differently. All in all here are my thoughts and I am going to leave this open ended, I definitely will come back to this when we see more Jaemin content, and modern interviews.

Haechan: I personally see him as a Gryffindor! I can definitely see prominent Hufflepuff/Slytherin traits, but he is more playful than I would say a Hufflepuff/Slytherin tends to be. Granted Gryffindors main trait is titled “bravery” I think there are a lot more traits that SHOULD be associated with this house. He is, of course, brave in many aspects, every idol has to hold immense bravery, especially younger ones. And, he faces WAY TO MANY anti, and he is able to look past it because he is really playful! He is very passionate in terms of music and he sings like an angel. Like I said before he is a very big jokester, and I see a lot of his interactions in shows and etc. that contain a lot of probably spur of the moment things. I’m not saying that he never takes things seriously, because obviously he does??, but he definitely does not live life to be serious if you know what I am trying to say??? He is evidently very blunt, and I think he uses it as part of his gag! I wish I could give you a bunch of examples and such but its more of a general feeling of Gryffindor so yea heres some of my thoughts??? Now, I know most people tend to sort him into slytherin because most slytherin’s are known for being cunning. But, people tend to mistake cunning for just goofing around. There is no doubt that he is witty, and he does spend a lot of time making sarcastic comments on older members, and a lot of older member say he is ‘going to get beat one day’ (lmao Yuta’s words not mine). But, like I said before he isn’t doing that to be actually sarcastic. From what I know about myself and other Slytherin’s (irl) is that most of our sarcasm comes from hidden dislike of someone. Haechan obviously loves all of his members, he does his ‘cunning’ bit as a way to goof off. I can’t express that enough. And, most of his interviews and/or NCT bits are him using ‘variety skills’ because he is the jokester of the group. So, all in all, I say Haechan belongs in Gryffindor.

Chenle: oh boy oh boy oh boy, I would like to preface this by saying I could write a novel on how much I love this boy. Like, if I need to I will write out 100 reason’s I love this boy. He is one of the most adorable and precious angels in the universe and I would do anything to protect him. ANYWAY, back into housing arrangements. Without any single doubt in my mind he is a Slytherin!!! He made it as a solo singer/actor for 14 years of his life, he is able to sing really well in English and Chinese and Korean and even Spanish (granted I don’t speak Spanish so to me it sounds pretty swag) and he very obviously has had some serious English tutoring listen to any English cover of his ever or even when he speaks in some English, he is extremely goal oriented and most definitely strives for the best. He took a huge leap moving to another country where he didn’t speak the language, and while normally that puts mega points in the Gryffindor category, I put those in the Slytherin for him. Obviously a lot of people are like ‘Slytherin are evil!!! They are stuck up!!!’ but that isn’t true??? We don’t think we are better than everyone else he is but Slytherin’s strive to go the extra distance. He is so hardworking that he himself was able to debut within 3 months. Do the math, he came to Korea knowing minimal Korean and within 3 months was at least semi-fluent? Do you know how much dedication that would take. He is used to being on stage because he has been his entire life, so naturally he is adaptable to whatever mishaps happened there, he is very bold and lively, and he is able to use his ambition as a tool for success. The members constantly say how he is always striving to make the best of himself, and just seeing how ambitious he is alone is enough to make me stick him in Slytherin. It should also be added that he is described as mischievous or ‘always up to something’ by the members. Especially instances such as ‘Mark and Haechan weren’t here today so it was a good day’ and Jisung saying Chenle was really smart and Chenle going ‘I know that’.

Jisung: Ravenclaw. My blueberry boy Jisung is a Ravenclaw. He is easily witty, but he is also very 4D. He is creative, he is ‘logical yet impractical’, he has a lot of ideas and it honestly warms my heart knowing he shares them all with the other members. Jeno has mentioned before that he is just incredibly clever, and when talking to him he always surprises his team with the things he says. I wish I could put my word vomit in a compelling way. He is just a very witty boy honestly?? Especially being as young as he is, and while he does display a lot of Slytherin ambition traits, I just find him to fall more into the Ravenclaw. It should also be noted that the members constantly talk about how he is always super witty, and how he schemes a lot, and my best friend is a Ravenclaw so I KNOW those antics. He is extremely observant, to the point that when asked if he knew NCT fire truck (he didn’t), he was still able to dance to the beginning of it because ‘Taeyong looked cool’. That right there shows EXTREME interest in what fascinates him. It also mentions self-entertaining which keep in mind him being the youngest by a couple years for a rather long time means he has to have the skill to depend a lot on being able to keep lost in his mind. that was a run-on sentence I don’t care to fix He is evidently curious, and he is good at what he is interested in. Also, he has mentioned in his boy video that he has so many thoughts that he is planning to write a novel. What 15 year old boy do you know that would actually sit down and write a book? all points in which I saw Jisung would be a ravenclaw. I genuinely wish I knew how to translate this into words that made all my thoughts come out as well as it does in my brain

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alteabellerose · 7 years

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”*Putting this under a submit since this might be long and I don’t wanna split it up in several asks that Tumblr might eat. Sorry for any inconvenience*”

”I have some thoughts about the latest chapter. I was not expecting the feels to hit me like they did. But I actually understand why MC did what she did. How she did it was harsh and unnecessary, but I do understand the point behind it.”

-This is a fairly long submission but it’s also worth a read bc anon makes a lot of good points about this whole mess but I don’t want to clog your dashes with this super long post so I’m putting the submission and my response under a read more-

”Something I felt hasn’t been addressed a lot in the story is the fact that MC gave up her whole life to be with Altea. She literally left her own world behind to move to an alternate universe. For Altea. Someone who is willing to give up everything to be with you is a big deal and shows a huge amount of trust, especially in the messy situation they’re in with the Witch Queen and an approaching war. Then she learns that Altea, who probably felt like an anchor, has been lying about a lot of things. Even something as trivial as the fact that she’s two years younger than she said/implied she was. From personal experience, I can say that that plants a seed of doubt that is REALLY hard to get over. Suddenly you’re questioning everything and you feel all alone. Even if you aren’t.”

”Even more so if, like MC, if she feels like she literally has no one to turn to. She didn’t just move to a different city, a different state or even a different country, she literally moved into another universe where no one from her past is. Where she has no way to contact them. And we know that Chicago is where she feels safe since Altea told her to think of a safe place and they ended up there. In Chicago, she probably would called Sophie or her parents or anyone else in her life to confide in/vent. In the L&L world, that person would most likely be Altea, but this time she’s also the one right in the middle of a huge mess.”

”MC only spoke to Iseul because he sought her out. The guys had to bring it up because of MCs aggressive behavior during training, MC didn’t go to the courtyard with the intention of talking to them. In fact, the one MC ended up confiding in was Helena (which kinda makes me suspicious btw).”

”Then add the fact that Mireille didn’t make a good first impression by threatening MC. Or the fact that she shoves MC out of conversations by talking to Altea in a language she knows MC doesn’t understand. Or hijacking the day she and Altea should’ve had together. Or the way she seems to have a thing for Altea or at the very least she seems to disapprove of MC and Altea’s relationship. Then, finally, saving Altea right in front of her.”

”I feel like MC probably had Helena’s words echoing in her head about people always being tempted by those who have been with them since the beginning. How Mireille will know Altea’s heart and have memories MC can’t touch. It probably doesn’t help that every other conversations Mireille and Altea has is basically “hey, remember when….” which would make anyone feel left out. Then Altea says she wants Mireille to stay with them in the castle…”

”Basically MC is feeling insecure as all hell and the only who seems to get it is Helena.”

”Sidenote: Considering you literally pick between Altea and Helena and how this chapter ended, I just have to say: If this is the point where Helena’s route starts, I’m gonna be livid! I want a clean beginning, not MC running to Helena because she and Altea are having problems! Not here for breaking Altea’s heart for Helena!”

”Anyway, there’s a distinct lack of communication between everyone, which is turning this into a bigger issue than it should’ve been. MC’s insecurities are very flawed, but also very real. And from her POV, Altea doesn’t seem to want to understand. She feels like Altea doesn’t get it, but really how can Altea get it when MC doesn’t communicate her feelings. Its irrational, but doubts and insecurities will do that unfortunately. ”

”No one is innocent in all this. MC should’ve communicated her feelings/thoughts to Altea. The necklace was an immature lashing out that’ll only cause more hurt. But Altea should been more upfront, should’ve considered how betrayed MC might feel given the trust she had shown Altea and communicated her thoughts instead if just announcing something like the fact that she wants Mireille to stay and expecting MC to be ok with it.”

”I feel like Iseul should take his own advice and tie both Altea and MC to Reiner’s chair until they actually talk to each other… They both have some apologizing to do. And, more importantly, they need to freaking TALK TO EACH OTHER. A real heart-to-heart where they both talk and they both listen.”

Okay so I’m gonna open by saying that I never saw a notification for this so idk how late I am at getting to it and I’m sorry if you sent this yesterday or this morning and I didn’t get to it earlier

But! Yeah honestly I think you’ve made nothing but good points here. I think literally every day about how hard it must be for MC to deal with the knowledge that she left literally everyone and everything she’s ever known behind, like sure she loves Altea and the guys are her friends but she left behind her best friend and who knows how much family all for Altea and this war with the witch queen when she could’ve easily gone back to her old life, not put herself in danger every single day, not left 25 years of her life behind. I wish we’d get more about that in the story, even if it was just in the form of comments from MC sometimes, like when she was talking to the witch queen about her memories of the garden her mother had, except wherein she’s talking to someone who will listen and care

I know that I’ve been making a fair few angry/hurt posts about this and generally siding with Altea, but I don’t want to make it seem like I think MC is completely at fault for things. I can’t say that I’ve been lied to on that scale, but I can say that I can relate to what Altea says about her parents and so I also understand why she would lie about that at the very least. I don’t mean that I approve of it, but I’m not exactly mad. I am, however, pretty much entirely on MC’s side in regards to the jealousy issue with Mireille, I’m secondhand jealous tbh, and it surprises me that Altea was oblivious enough to the issue to suggest that Mireille stay permanently. Definitely was not happy with her about that.

The main thing I’m upset with MC about isn’t necessarily leaving Altea, it’s leaving Altea when she barely addressed the jealousy issue with her. It’s not that I don’t understand MC’s reasoning. I had a similar problem in a relationship when I was 16 and I stewed for like, weeks, but instead of, interestingly enough, returning the necklace he’d given me and I had hardly taken off in the year and a half we were together in a symbolic breakup gesture, we talked it out and lo and behold, we stayed together for a while longer. MC walked off and GOD do I understand the “she saved you when I couldn’t comment” because I kind of have a protectiveness thing going on and christ that’d kill me, and Altea just says “I don’t hold a grudge against you for that, it was just chance” but like, I’d hold a grudge against myself for the rest of my life probably and now I’m rambling so anyway, Altea goes after her and asks what’s wrong you know, and MC is like “I’m jealous” and then hands her the charm???????? When they talked about her feelings for all of two minutes?????????????????????

I’m frustrated with the lack of communication happening, and from the perspective of someone outside the relationship of course it looks easy to solve so I’m trying to avoid judging too harshly but god if they would just talk to each other! I’m also frustrated because I’ve mentioned on this blog that I’ve played/am playing virtually every game I can get my hands on where you can play as a girl and romance a girl, and god only knows how many bi/pan/lesbian LIs I could rattle off right now, but Altea is my all-time favorite. So maybe I’ve been harsh on MC for doing what she did but god I just keep thinking about what my favorite girl ever must’ve been thinking when MC put the charm in her hands and it’s killing me and kind of clouding my fair judgment here

Like. I love MC and I support her always (usually) but TALK TO YOUR GIRL!!!!!!! I’m glad you said that the lack of communication is turning this into a bigger issue than it should’ve been because that’s by far my biggest problem with what’s going on. It just doesn’t need to be this bad.

Re: your sidenote god same. I was happy when Alain’s route started and I assumed they’d do the same thing with Helena, like have it be an AU type deal where MC just happened to get picked up by the generals instead of August and Iseul, but now I’m scared. I wouldn’t be able to play Helena’s route at first. I’d have to emotionally gear myself up for it, lmao. Helena getting a route is literally a dream come true for me, as in literally I wanted it so badly I dreamed about it once before they announced it, but I don’t know if it’s worth the expense of Altea’s heart. That’s a cheesy thing to say about fictional characters but it’d hurt her so much. I couldn’t do it.

Catch me crying like a baby when they have their inevitable heart-to-heart though, I’m a sucker for this stuff

Thanks for sending this in, I could talk forever about L&L lmao & I appreciate your apparently slightly more balanced perspective than my own

#long post //#SO sorry if youre on mobile and the read more doesnt work lmao #also sorry if i repeated myself or didnt make sense in places im not good at walls of text #Love and Legends #Love & Legends #Voltage #submission #anon #Altea Bellerose

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comicteaparty · 5 years

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December 3rd-December 9th, 2018 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from December 3rd, 2018 to December 9th, 2018. The chat focused on JINGKU by DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio).

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Week Long Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on JINGKU by DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)~! (https://globalcomix.com/c/jingku)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Remember, though, that while we allow constructive criticism, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic. Below you will find four questions to get you started on the discussion. However, a new question will be posted and pinned everyday (between 12:01AM and 6AM PST), so keep checking back for more! You have until December 9th to tell us all your wonderful thoughts! With that established, let’s get going on the reading and the chatting!

QUESTION 1. What has been your favorite scene in the comic so far? What specifically did you like about it?

QUESTION 2. At the moment, who is your favorite character? What about that character earns them this favor?

QUESTION 3. Will "Taw" be discovered and revealed to a woman and/or not Shu? What do you think will happen should that come about? Who might be the first to discover it?

QUESTION 4. Do you believe that the Taw clan, especially Mother Mai, will leave the situation as is, or will they intervene to protect "Taw?" Also, do you believe Shu might be discovered wherever he went? If so, what might happen?

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

Alrighty! Welcome and thank you to Comic Tea Party for hosting this discussion! I am DA-POW!, the creator of JINGKU, and will be participating as well. Feel free to read through the short excerpt above, if you haven't already! Please remember to be kind and respectful of everyone's thoughts. But please don't hold back if you have any burning questions or passions pertaining to JINGKU that you'd like to share! As a starter, I'll go ahead and answer the first two questions here. O w O

So! What has been my favorite scene in the comic so far? I have a number of favorite scenes, but I would say the moments that I've enjoyed drawing the most is the scene where Lee gives Taw his kukaoki. 8^U!!!

And the scene where Lee saves Taw from falling to her death. Q v Olll

These are my favorite scenes because they turned out the closest to how I envisioned them as I drew. And that is always something very satisfying to know when a creator's life is essentially attempting to chase and capture their vision for other's to see. Now who is my favorite character? I have to say, I like each character for different reasons. ; v ; BUT!!! I will share who I enjoy drawing the most-- which is Hur. Since Hur is a character who has a bald cut, if I need to adjust him mid-way through--- there's not a lot of editing I have to do to say... Huatai. Who's hair I almost have to always redraw if I should need to change his position and placement on the page.(edited)

But then again, I also must confess Huatai is very dear to me! He is the only character that was alive before JINGKU's world was molded out from my late teenage years-- meaning he was made before JINGKU existed. He's gone through a lot of changes, but I'm glad that he's found a home in JINGKU. He is very important to the Vavoan afterall. XD I would love to hear what other people's thoughts are on their favorite scene and character from the JINGKU cast. I must confess though!!! As far as I know, Lee is officially the most popular character and if you feel that way-- please tell this silly bean why. (And if not, who's the precious bean you've offered up yer likes to, eh? Confess!) ; V ; When I created Lee, I did not put an inkling of effort to insure his place in anyone's heart and now I'm wondering if my lack of effort has backfired on me. XDDD(edited)

RebelVampire

im surprised you find lee's popularity a semi-mystery given your own chosen fave scenes XD lee is my fave but until i answer more questions tomorrow i will be more objective and less subjective about why i think he is probably the most popular in general. and that would be due to 1) of the characters so far his positive traits have probably been the most focused on 2) of the character so far his positive traits are the ones who have had the most impact on the protagonist, Taw 3) of the characters so far, he is the one who continually does nice things without forseeable self motivation, and selflessness is an extremely endearing trait (keep in mind im talking about as he presents himself. maybe he does have selfish reasoning, but its an unknown factor). 4) although he's stoic, his "negative" traits are the least abrasive in their own way due to the fact he gives Taw some more space. whereas the others are somewhat more social aggressive.

so effort aside hes basically been the most positively painted character

to summarize

actually the fact you claim to have not put effort to get ppl to like him makes him even more endearing because it just means hes angel through and through

lee doesnt even need the kukaoki. hes just gonna fly through the sky using his angel wings

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

Rebel dropping dem truth bombs on me. XDDDDD But I must clarify (just for my own mental comfort) that I would have loved the scenes I mentioned whether it was Lee saving Taw, Hur, Voo, or simply a monkey. I was just really happy with how they turned out artistically-- more so than the actual fact that it was Lee or even Taw for that matter. ; W ;/ But OMG Rebel... OMG.... shakes head to self What have I done? It seems I played myself and I can't help but laugh at my own silliness.(edited)

"Lee doesn't even need the kukaoki. He's just gonna fly through the sky using his angel wings." - RebelVampire (Quote of the Year)(edited)

shrimpchipsahoy

Answer 1: One of my favorite scenes is from the first chapter, where Taw says she is like the fence protecting her family. It's difficult for me to explain exactly why it's my favorite, but something about it really resonated with me. (It could be because I'm a wife and mother, idk. Lol) Other than that, I have to say, every scene is meticulously drawn and all the characters are perfect in their own way.

Chillin&Livin

1. What has been your favorite scene in the comic so far? What specifically did you like about it? I find the interaction between Hur and Voo to be my favortie scene. The way they jab each other with insults and nicknames is just hilarious. 2. At the moment, who is your favorite character? What about that character earns them this favor? I am a bit undecided on choosing my favorite character, so I'm going to wait until there is more material for me to examine who I find the most favorable. 3. Will "Taw" be discovered and revealed to a woman and/or not Shu? What do you think will happen should that come about? Who might be the first to discover it? It's quite difficult for me to decide when Taw's secret will finally be discovered, but if that ever happens I think she will be in big trouble. I think the first one to discover Taw's secret will probably be Hur or Voo since they're the ones mostly close to Taw. 4. Do you believe that the Taw clan, especially Mother Mai, will leave the situation as is, or will they intervene to protect "Taw?" Also, do you believe Shu might be discovered wherever he went? If so, what might happen? I think they'll come back to help Taw in the future and I don't think shu will be discovered.(edited)

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

Now that @shrimpchipsahoy has mentioned that, I must confess one of my favorite quotes from JINGKU is: "You chose to become a wild animal. And I... For this family... Chose to be the fence."(edited)

But OMG, Shrimp. ;v; Thank you for the kind words~~.

keii4ii

I love that quote too, and not just because it shows her love for her family. There's something poignant about her being a fence ... she's not one of the animals being protected. She is, and is not, part of the family at the same time.

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

OMG. O _ O @keii4ii Your wise mind knows no bounds. But yeah!!! Adding on to that, a few readers have talked about the fence being the borderline to what's right and wrong. The pigs being what's right and the wild animal being what's wrong. But as the creator, I didn't intend it that way-- though I won't stop people from discussing it in that sense.(edited)

But it's more so of simply: Protect those inside (and put yourself at risk)? Let others protect you (and put other's at risk)? Or simply protect yourself (and leaves others to their own mechanisms)?(edited)

shrimpchipsahoy

@DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio) I volunteer to be your fence.

Answer 2: I struggled for a long time over picking a favorite character. Just like everyone else, I really like Lee, but all of the characters bring unique qualities to the table that make them special and stand out in their own way. That being said, so far Taw is my number one favorite character. She's very strong and selfless when it comes to protecting the people she loves. I like that her character is flawed and that we get to experience her struggles with her. Also, quick superficial sidenote, but Huatai (and his flawless hair) is a hottie and if we were going solely based on looks that man wins hands down.

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

But on the topic of Voo & Hur, one reader of mine did mention that their interaction was "interesting." XDDD Pertaining to what @Chillin&Livin said, I'm happy to hear someone finds the two funny and entertaining! Some of us are probably not aware since they did pop up later to read JINGKU, but the first few drafts of JINGKU posted online actually had Hur's dialogue censored because I was not really sure on the target audience yet. In the end, I ultimately decided that the work would be best left in the hands of older teens and adults instead of children seeing as the topics that JINGKU will discuss would probably be too dark to share with a young audience either way.(edited)

@shrimpchipsahoy BUT OMG SHRIMP!!!!! XDDDDDD(edited)

I've got to agree Huatai's flawless hair is truly something. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Many of my friends have commented about his little twirl, which is essentially the last element that I placed on him before deciding he was ready to take his place in the circle of JINGKU characters.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 5. Who exactly is the new Huatai? Is the fact he has a Green dialect significant in regards to himself or Shu's lover? What do you think he'll do as Huatai?

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

So the fact that we're asking about the Huatai-- it reminded me that a few readers in the past have asked me: what in the world is everyone's actual names? XDDD I have no idea if any of the future questions in this discussion will poke at this, but I do hope to make plans to reveal some of the cast's real name where applicable in the future. Though, I must say that I make no promises. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

AH!!!! But the topic of the Green dialect! Just as a comparison, I would like to mention that the Green dialect is different in say... American English is to British English or Australian English. Which I have mentioned to @- ̗̀ Mitsu ৫ ̖́- at one point. XDDD Even a standard Northern American dialect compared to a deep Southern American one would be a good comparison. Of course, I must mention that I do lean towards a more British one to represent Huatai just because it would give him a more posh impression. ; v ; Though the thought of a deep Southern American one seems quite awesome too now that I've mentioned it. 8^L Example: Do you have a flashlight? (American English) Do you have a torch? (British English) Don't forget the fact that there is slight difference in stress of certain vowels and consonants in the Green dialect just as American English differs a bit to British English if you still need a comparison.(edited)

If anyone has any questions pertaining to cultural or lingual topics of the Hmong ethnicity, please don't be afraid to ask! O v O/ I will do my best to answer!

RebelVampire

1) I'm torn between two scenes so ill just pick both. the first scene i really like is the one with Taw having to get out of bath thing with Hur and Voo. like majority of the time those scenes happen in secretly a girl stories, its really comedic and shenanigan ridden. and while ill love shenanigans, im not a huge fan of the trope because it always feels really forced and logically inconsistent. so i love that in this story taw got out of it no big deal. boundaries were respected and everyone moved on. so i appreciate that scene just for being different and not focusing on it (at least in that specific moment of context). the second scene i really like is the one where lee gives taw his kukaoki and is super patient with taw. it was heartwarming to see the contrast to their arrival cause it shows that rules will be followed and enforced not out of cruelty but because the rules exist and everyone is there for a reason. 2) as i stated Lee be my favorite. i already gave my objective reason why i assume hes the most popular in other spaces. but now my subjective reason. lee hits all the right notes for my favorite guildty pleasure character types. got the grumpy stoicism, the dedication and focus, the immense loyalty, all packed on top of a heart of gold. Lee is just the angel no one deserves. 3) I totally think Taw is gonna get found out. I mean theyre with the Huatai for life. So unless Taw dies a very early death, she's kind of doom. Something is gonna happen eventually that exposes the secret. I'm assuming it's gonna be Lee or Huatai. cause i dont feel Hur or Voo would be understanding enough. Or maybe it's gonna be someone we havent met yet. Maybe that pretty lady who greeted them when they arrived.

4) I think this largely depends on what they know. Like did Taw leave them a note that said "Shu ran away and I'm taking his place?" or was there a note that said "I hate you all I'm running away Shu is best and going to the palace like a good boy." Cause while I might of missed it, that really determines whether they even know to go looking for Taw in the first place. Even if they did know Taw is taking a risk, i'm not sure they'd do anything cause they do have to think of the whole clan. Actually speaking of this, this is why i actually dont view Taw's whole obsession with being the fence as selfless as a lot of others. Cause her actions to try and be the fence, while good intentioned, still have consequences. If she's discovered maybe her whole clan gets punished, for instance. at the very least, ppl are going to miss her im sure and be hurt by her absence. so her actions are not without their downfalls and selfish nuances. not that this is bad, at all, just saying the fence thing makes me side eye a bit sometimes. as for shu, idk. i dont think hes going to be found out unless he wants to be found out. and maybe hell want to be found out. theres no gurantee his relationship will last and like, where else is he gonna go at that point if thinks all go downhill? probably home, cause that is the usual instinct. 5) i think the green dialect might be specific, but i dont have theories as to why because there is much to be seen about the region. i think hes gonna be the best huatai who does all the great things and shows taw why taw should care about the kingdom. i base this on nothing except the huatai is a hottie and that lee trusts him so i feel compelled to trust him. #ShallowReasoningIntensifies

kongli

My favort scene is when taw finds out about shu and his boyfriend. i was really shocked-- I didn't think that any hmong story would include a gay couple because its something we shouldn't talk about. So it was daring to me.

Out of everyone we've seen so far, i think I'm leaning towards is mua. He seems like someone really sly and i like that-- sort of like gin from Bleach.

I'm going to agree with RebelVampire. Taw's going to get found out. i don't think she thought this through. I think she should have told mother mai what happened, and then decide on how to approch the problem.

about Shu though. I think he''s an idiot! I don't care much about who he was with, but how could he betray his family? I actually thought shu was okay at first, but then after he did that to taw I was like no.

i binged through Jingku and I was on a rollercoaster. For every scene that shcoked me, I was upset and also excited.

I just wish shu was more sly then this wouldn't have happened.

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

OMG, @RebelVampire . XDDDD Huatai's a hottie and Lee trusts him. That's legit. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)b AH!!! But I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed the scene with Voo and Taw, although I sort of forgot about it in the midst of all the other plot devices I'm juggling. 9v9lll Ah... But I do understand the undercover girl bath scene trope that you speak of. XDDD I do my best to make characters true to their backstory, so every character's reaction to whatever pops up in JINGKU should reflect on them as a person. ; V ; Maybe someday when we get further enough, I'll do little extra installments outside of the canon plot with plot along the lines of the beach episode, the valentines episode, so on and so forth for giggles. (Makes fanfic and fan-comics of my own creations. =v=b) No promises though~~.(edited)

Lee is just the angel no one deserves. GEH. wipes a glittery tear ; W ;

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

For all the feelings that I didn't invest into Lee... Now thinking it over, I'm sort of happy that the readers feel for him. Although as I mentioned, I never intended for this to happen. I guess it's like Bob Ross says... There's no mistake. Just a happy accident. Y v Y

On the topic of Taw though, I will admit-- as a human being and as myself (my background and circumstances)-- I would have never done what Taw did. OvOlll I don't think I'm that... gutsy? Willing to risk so much or gamble with such high stakes? Essentially, in the terms of the pig, fence, wild animal analogy-- I would be the pig. I probably wouldn't be very promising as a character. But as I always say, I think I would make great bacon. =v=b

BUT OMG. XDDD The lack of faith in Shu from my readers is immense! I can only hope that whatever happens, it will be for the better of everyone's life. OvOlll

It's always great to hear that I put readers through a roller coaster of emotions @kongli !!! ; V ; I can only hope you'll continue to stay on the ride till the end!

In all honesty though, I'm surprised to hear that you've already sort of grown attached to Mua (just because he's just barely appeared.) OAO!!! Everyone in the Vavoan are sort of an oddball, so I'm glad they all shine through with their own respective traits.(edited)

kongli

Yeah. i'm going to stick around. (;

I don't really care for lee because he hurt Taw. i don't like the guys that are always talking and don't listen to the girl.

Lee is always assuming everything like he knows it all and it just turns me off. Why dont he think to ask?

But yeah, he is the member thats like doing everything so i understand why people like him.

I also think that because lee is so truthful about everything like from what we know so far like vampire said, he is going to be taken of advantage of easily. taw is kind of different. Like she;s not really a good person, but not really a bad person to the country. From chaptor seven, i think Taw might be the one to do that. I wish the creator told us what taw was thinking though so we know for sure though.

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

We'll definitely be learning more about the conclusion Taw came upon from the seventh chapter as we move along the plot for sure, @kongli! I won't simply leave ya'll hanging and say that's all I have to say about her plan so fear not. Ov<b

shrimpchipsahoy

@kongli I like that scene too because I think it gives Taw a chance to shine. We get to see how much she loves her family and is willing to sacrifice for them in action, not just thoughts or words.

kongli

Can't wait for that moment then! (;

i agree with shrimpchip. Taw seems like a person of action not just all talk. i like that she seems to be pretty careful like she thinks about what the other vavoan people say and then decide on what to do instead of just doing whatever.

Chillin&Livin

For me personally, I think there are a lot of actions Lee commits that is questionable, for example, his initiative to take authority over everyone else in the vavoan. According to Hur in chapter 2 the vavoan are supposed to act as merely puppets who serve the Huatai. if a vavoan member were to create a problem then shouldn't it be in the Huatai's place to solve it, not Lee? And I keep wondering, why does Voo consider Lee's assault on Taw a nice thing? Even Taw wonders the same thing. If what Lee did was nice, what's the norm? I seriously want to know. Voo mentions how close Lee and the Huatai are in chapter 3. This is probably a bit out there, but it just occured to me... what if Lee is a bad guy and plans to over throw the Huatai and to do that he decides to create a close relationship with the Huatai to learn more about the Huatai's plan. And that sole reason is why Lee made Taw his target when Lee meets Taw and later forces Taw to join his schemes to kill the Huatai.

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

OMG. XDDDDD The theory of Lee turning out to be a bad guy-- now that's really something isn't it? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Though I must say, I think that if it benefited Taw in the long run in order to get back to her family, she would probably take it. Just saying... O3O~~ whistles

shrimpchipsahoy

@Chillin&Livin Interesting points but I feel like, and I'm not the creator so I could totally be wrong lmao, people are misreading the situation with Lee. When I read through it the first time, I just assumed there was a hierarchy to the Vavoan. Obviously Huatai is head bitch in charge but when he's not around, who keeps everyone in line? It's Lee. The fact is, most people can't be trusted to do things independently (I feel bad saying this but it's proven to be true) without leadership or guidance. The other characters have a certain closeness between them, but Lee seems to stand out in a way that makes him feel unreachable despite his moments of kindness.

@DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio) I'd be really happy for Taw if she could find a way home without any repercussions before she is forced to do something she may regret.

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

I hope the same thing as well, @shrimpchipsahoy~~. ; V ; We can only hope!

kongli

it'd be cool if Lee was a villain, but i don't think it will happen unless the creator pools a 180 on us. if it did happen, I wouldn't be surprised thuogh. Its sort of like a trope where this character is like all cool and good to a group, like lee is to the country but then later they're like just kidding. That's when shit hits the fan. i'm sure all the Lee fans would be heartbroken for real if it did happen though.

But what shrimpchips said, about heirarchy. i don't really think theres an official like level for everyone. I feel like it really is supposed to be the huatai and then theres the vavoan like chillin said. lee is just the kind of person that will do things before anyone asks him to because he feels like it.

I think that if there was someone that had something to offer to taw though and taw feels like its a good deal that she would take it. like I said I don't think Taw would just sit around waiting for something to work out for her situation.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 6. What do you think the Huatai and Lee's relationship actually is? Do they have past history, or is something else going on? Why is Lee so dedicated to the Huatai?

- ̗̀ Mitsu ৫ ̖́-

1. My favourite is when Taw is mad about the their big brother Shu taking a whole day to catch the chicken. Because as a reader that was my reaction too. 2. Hur's rough behavior made me like them instantly. I am always a sucker for rough characters with golden hearts. The interaction with Taw was much like a tsundere HHHH You look like this rice ball. HERE EAT THIS BECAUSE YOU MISSED DINNER. HHHHH 3. I'm very much hoping that Taw's secret will go to their grave. I know thats light thinking but I'm really not wanting to see the reveal, what is the punishment?! Who will try to protect Taw?!? Will Taw become valuable enough to keep in the Vavoan? HHHHH 4. I don't really think Mother Mai will do much of the situation, as I think they would just assume that Taw disappeared and Shu went on their way. If Shu's discovered first that is a different story. I hope Taw gets the best life. ;w; 5. Maybe the Huatai is a replacement to the Huatai. MAYBE ITS AN INCEPTION OF AN INCEPTION. That is why Lee is so much favoured, because Lee was probably close to the Huatai before they were even going to be the Huatai. HHHHH I'm a fake Huatai playing the pretend for the real Huatai, so now I have to actually be the Huatai because the real Huatai went MIA. HELP ME OUT LEE. 6. I think their relationship is that of a newly born chick and a mother hen. Have you seen how many times the Huatai screams out Lee's name? (edited)

RebelVampire

@kongli @shrimpchipsahoy @Chillin&Livin i agree with shrimpchips on the matter of hierarchy. because when theres anything involving large, large groups, theres always a structure of hierarchy. keep in mind also that the huatai is in charge of the whole kingdom basically. so its not just the vavoan under him. theres probably a ton of other branches and people. so while yes, the huatai might be the ultimate leader, that doest mean there arent also ppl in charge directly under him to keep order in various other matters of the kingdom. its kind of like how in an army you have a general at the top but then various other ranks under them who control various army squads and such. those other ranks obviously follow the generals orders, but at the same time they make sure those under them also get those orders fulfilled. now this being said, i do think its debateable on whether lee's position as this secondary leader is official or not. but even if it wasnt official this would be the natural result. someone always has to take charge, because otherwise theres just anarchy. youd wind up with even worse situations then what happened on the bridge cliff thing. instead of just taw falling off the cliff itd probably be like half of the vavoan because thered be no one ordering people around keeping things organized. and as was also pointed out, the huatai cant be there in every situation. so if theres no one in charge, even unofficially, theres going to be problems and will probably lead to the huatai getting offed pretty quickly.

that being said, if lee winds up a villain im okay with this. i will support lee to the end, even if the end is some sort of train derailment into the abyss

6) im getting kind of a sibling relationship? not that i do think theyre siblings, but it kind of feels like lee is the older brother and the huatai is his lazy younger brother who just moved out of home for the first time. i definitely think theres past history here that were going to find out tho. they seem way too super close for them to have just met. as for the dedication, i assume its either that Lee knows something we dont about the Huatai's plans or that Lee is a strong believer in duty. something like that

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

@- ̗̀ Mitsu ৫ ̖́- OMG. XDDDD The day Huatai calls someone else's name will probably break Lee's heart. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) @RebelVampire Lee is the older brother and Huatai is his lazy younger brother who just moved out of home for the first time RIP Huatai. XDDDD

kongli

I think lee and Huatai are not sibling because they dont look the same. maybe friends or lovers? or maybe lee owes the huatai something like the Huatai did something for him.

it's kind of like, they might have backstory together.

Just wondering but are you all from webtoon too? i didn't know that the creator put jingku on another site.

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

@kongli I think the majority came from webtoons though I wouldn't know the exact details of how everyone got invested enough to stay. Surely it was my unrelenting charisma and charm? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) get's killed Though, Rebel was probably obligated to read since they had to prepare questions for this discussion. Whether that was webtoons or globalcomix though, I've no idea. XD But in all seriousness, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on anything you guys! OvOlll(edited)

kongli

I came from webtoon and i stayed because i liked the story and characters. im so tired of always having to read character that dont do anything or like don't have a goal. Its like where in the hell are we going? and Taw is a bit different from the girls i always read. She;s kind of like not a good person who always try to save people that she don't know but she's not bad because shes just tyring to survive.

i also stayed because i liked the art. I really like the pictures you put at the beginning of the chapters.

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

GEH. ; W ; Much thankies @kongli!!! <333 I probably should do more color works, but I've been sticking with the black and white plus red illustrations since it rings true to the JingKu aesthetic. OvOb And I've grown very attached to it so look forward to more illustrations with the same style!

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

Holy heavens-- now that Kong mentioned about webtoon and globalcomix, if any of us have only read the pages on globalcomix, please jump over to webtoons so that you can read up to the latest page. 9v9lll We should be in the midst of the seventh chapter!

RebelVampire

QUESTION 7. Do you think there is any reason Lee is so nice to "Taw?" Is Lee just a nice guy or is there something else? Will Lee continue to help "Taw," or will Lee give up since "Taw" is years behind everyone else?

RebelVampire

@DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio) I read the globalcomix version but I did switch over to webtoons for the last bit. cause i suspected there might be more pages and then lo and behold i was correct. XD

7) I think theres two things going on. first off, i think lee is just genuinely a nice dude. gruff and a stickler for rules, but nice. however, i also think pragmatically speaking its in lee's best interest to make sure taw is up to snuff. because if taw isnt up to snuff, welp, good-bye huatai. so in essence lee's actions may be less nice and more driven by the pragmatic need to have taw not suck at the job. i dont think Lee is gonna give up, but i have a high suspicion it might lead lee to learn that taw is not the taw that was supposed to be sent. or at least theres going to be many lectures. but again, pragmatically not a good idea to leave taw as is. unless theres like...paper pushers in the vavoan. taw can get that nice, comfy desk job in that case.

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

AH! Good to hearz! OvQb @RebelVampire But OMG. XDDD Taw getting that desk job would be the dream~.

shrimpchipsahoy

@ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ Not to mention the GIVEAWAYS you do on webtoons! hellbent on winning

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

@shrimpchipsahoy Webtoons probably the only place I do constant giveaways. >v</ But in all honesty, I'm always at lost when the names drawn don't claim their prizes. Q v O Y u no want prize, commenter friendo? SOBS That's why I started putting the 7 day time limit on the giveaways. RIP winners that disappear into the void.

shrimpchipsahoy

Answer 3: I think it's inevitable that the truth about Taw will be revealed to some extent. cries I can't imagine it would be easy for a woman to hide her identity long term, especially in consideration of baths/toilet time/that time of the month. I've been thinking a lot about who may be the first to discover it, but there are so many variables involved that I can't pin it down. Although I hope whoever discovers her secret helps her escape or fake her death or something (so she can escape without repercussions), I don't think the odds are in our favor. Lol

@ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ i want their prizes changes nickname on webtoons ٩(๑òωó๑)۶

RebelVampire

QUESTION 8. Do you believe that Taw will learn to use Kukaoki? What other talents might Taw discover she has? Do you think Taw will find a way home, or will she be stuck serving the Huatai forever?

RebelVampire

(the archive for the chat on super galaxy knights deluxe r is up! @snuffysam https://comicteaparty.com/post/180885573190/november-26th-december-2nd-2018-ctp-archive)

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

Speaking of kukaoki! I think I only mentioned this once (like way back when I posted the first draft of JINGKU on webtoons) but when the name kukaoki is broken down, it's defined as: ku = pair / kao = wheel / ki = spin. As a side note, the Hmong language is tonal (8/7 tones or so), meaning these definitions are conditional depending on the tone used when speaking the word. Kind of like how one kanji, though pronounced the same, can mean different things depending on how you depict the character. So don't try to share these meanings without that little bit of salt to add in^ There were a number of names I thought to call the weapon, but recalled that I shouldn't use hard to pronounce Hmong words for the sake of readers. 9v9lll I hope that my efforts pulled through. sweats(edited)

RebelVampire

QUESTION 9. Who do you think attacked the Huatai on the way to the temple? Was it a foreign power, or could it be an inside job? What might this mean for the rest of the story?

RebelVampire

8) I think Taw is gonna learn, and I think she's also gonna learn that strength has advantage too, what with all the farm work. In all honesty, I don't think Taw is gonna go home. I think the inevitable path for Taw is to learn that there is more than one way to be a fence. so instead of just protecting her little family unit shell learn that by protecting the kingdom she also protects her family. or something like that. 9) It was Lee. /shot In all seriousness, I assume it was a foreign power. I don't get the sense that the kingdom is in the most secure of places, and I think it's a sign that these are troubled times that are gonna involved quite a bit of fighting and securing of power.

kongli

Number seven, i don't think lee is going to give up. Hes too stubborn. Number eight, i think taw will learn the kukaoki but she wont be good at it because Yah said that you have to start from when your a kid. I dont know how old Taw is but i think it would be hard for her like when someone learns ballet kind of late. Taw is probably going to try to find a way home but get stuck being with the vavoan for the rest of her lief. i think its going to be like she thought she wanted to go home but after staying with the the vavoan for so long she decides to stay because she likes it there.

for number nine, i think it might be a foreign power like vampire said. I went back to look at the part where they are atacked and i just realized that if huatai didn't get sick he would have been dead because Lee wouldnt' have came to move him from the carriage.

I think that someone in the country betray the country and if they did betray the country they might be working with foreign power.

okay, so i just thought about this but the huatai is supposed to be green right? why is he wearing a girl's shirt? a green shirt would be like the one shu's boyfriend wears or did the creator mess up?

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

O v O!!!! UH....

Okay, so I will confirm that Huatai is indeed wearing a girl's shirt. And I will also confirm that it is NOT a mistake. But that's all I can say about that. 9v9llll @kongli(edited)

And for those who are wondering about Hmong clothes... Essentially, there's a number of designs (its fashion afterall ;v;) but the main thing you should always be aware of is that a girl's shirt typically features an extended collar on the back. Hmong male clothes do not (and should not) have this feature.(edited)

As exemplified below, Taw has an extended collar on the back:(edited)

shrimpchipsahoy

O.O Maybe Huatai is secretly a woman. That would be awesome because s/he could be Taw's greatest ally! Other idea is maybe Huatai wears girls clothes to honor someone they lost (like Nuriko from Fushigi Yuugi, who is actually a man but poses as a woman to honor his late sister.)

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

@shrimpchipsahoy OMG!!! I didn't know that about Nuriko! I never got the chance to finish the series, but I always wondered why he wore girl's clothes. My child brain just thought that it was just out of preference and mentally muted the question. XD

On the topic of Huatai though, we'll definitely be learning more about him as a character in future chapters. O v O Pwease look forward to it ya'll~~~.

shrimpchipsahoy

@ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ Eek! Sorry about the spoilers.

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

Tis all good, Shrimp~~. XDDDD patpat

RebelVampire

QUESTION 10. What are you most looking forward to in the comic? Also, do you have any final thoughts to share overall?

kongli

i'm looking forward to when taw sees Shu again and kicks him in the butt. I really hope that the creator doesnt stop making jingku because theres like no hmong manga at all with a interesting story that has a lot of stuff in it.

and it was cool getting to talk to you guys about the story. Thank you for inviting me.

(;

keii4ii

Growing up, my family moved around a lot, and I found myself as a transfer student often as a result. (e.g. 1st grade year, I went to 3 different schools) I was also a sickly child and missed school a lot. That combination meant I was often clueless in the class: the material they were covering at a new school was sometimes a little ahead. Or more commonly, I miss 2 days of class and everyone else in the classroom was 2 days ahead of me. Teachers made zero effort to help me catch up. It was all up to me. What I'm trying to say is, I can really relate to Taw being thrown into a situation that she'd never been prepared for, unlike everyone else surrounding her. I'm looking forward to how she deals with all of that. I also hope she can catch a break sometime!

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

So there are a number of things I'm looking forward to for JINGKU and most of them revolves around revealing plot points. XDDD But depending on how the story of JINGKU goes, I'm kind of looking forward to drawing Taw with longer hair in the story. Q v O GEH. Probably just wishful thinking, but hopefully the opportunity reveals itself at some point. (Worry not. If Taw's hair grows, then the men's hair will grow as well. 8^U!!! Gotta trim dem heads!) On another note, I am very grateful to everyone that has taken the time to read the story and drop off their thoughts here in this discussion! ;W; I didn't know how well the week-long discussion would go since the active reader-base is essentially just a handful of people. But seeing how much discussion we did, it's really shocking. O_O!!! Thank you to you awesome peeps and I hope that ya'll will stick around for all the upcoming week discussions as well.(edited)

@kongli Thank you for coming and participating, Kong! ; W ;/ Surely with tangible support from readers, JINGKU will only continue to soar towards completion. But trust me when I say there's a lot of ground I've got to cover, so worry not. OvOlll We're in for a long ride!

@keii4ii If I miss one day of school as a kid, I'm lost for the next month. 9v9lll RIP mah childhood. weeps Ah, but I'm happy to hear that Taw's disconnection is relatable, seeing as its definitely a stressful situation to be in. Taw's always got to be on her toes, that's for sure! Hopefully, things will turn around at some point. ;v;/

- ̗̀ Mitsu ৫ ̖́-

7. Lee probably had a big family before they left their family to serve the Huatai. Perhaps worrying about others is just innately ingrained into him, as well with the Huatai always comes first. So I believe Lee will help out Taw to become an asset to the Huatai. 8. OF COURSE TAW WILL LEARN TO USE THE KUKAOKI. Taw bby must be the very best that there ever was. Finding a way to get back perhaps will happen if Taw really superemly fails at something which I hope doresn't happen.

9. Well the Huatai's king died recently and it really could be an inside job. The Huatai looks super young. I'm not saying that the Huatai isn't prepared considering the Huatai has a 6 PACK OF A GOD, that means the training they did to learn how to become a Huatai is very evident. The dialect that the Huatai has was probably because of a close tutor who has the same dialect as Shu's lover. Because obviously you are going to pick up the way of speaking of the people you surround yourself around. Judging by the Huatai's behavior shown so far... I don't think the Huatai has many close relations other than Lee. (Because Lee is the ultimate Motehr Hen ) This might mean the Huatai has to lug around the Vavoan around lots of places... considering that they already supposed to be the cream of the crop.

10. I'm looking forward to Taw becoming more badarse. Lee showing more Mother Hen traits.... anDDD FIGHT SCENESE. I am a simple person who loves simple thing so maybe more... ABS. Jingku peaked my interest as I really love the opening. "Fence or Pig?" Taws love of family has a really warped dark side at the same time, and will be showcased more and more as the story progressed. How darker will the pure Taw be tainted in the dark. This isn't a fantasy story so there will be very realistic consequences and much heartbreak in the future. Hopefully I'll get to see some nicely timed comedy from the future.

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

@- ̗̀ Mitsu ৫ ̖́- OMG. You use the best emojis, Mitsu. XDDDDDD

Taws love of family has a really warped dark side at the same time, and will be showcased more and more as the story progressed. Such a bootiful conclusion, you've made. Hurhurhur. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

On the topic of genre though, YESH. A [] A JingKu is indeed not a fantasy so as Mitsu has mentioned: there will be very realistic consequences and much heartbreak in the future.

A few peeps that have read the story have spoke about JINGKU as if its a fantasy story with tributes to the Hmong ethnicity. JINGKU is a HISTORICAL FICTION/DRAMA. O v Olll(edited)

I'm also hoping we'll get more action scenes because-- boy oh boy, though mah art skillz suffer, I really do love action. GEH. ; v ; (No promises though.) Thank you so much for dropping off yer final thoughts, Mitsu. You're probably one of the few that has been here since near the first draft of JINGKU. XDDD And I'm always grateful that you've stuck around for that long, you awesome bean~~! Mitsu is truly a JINGKU veteran! ; W ;(edited)

RebelVampire

10) I'm looking forward to Lee being Lee some more. But more seriously, I don't really have any specific looking forward to desires. I'm more just interested to see where everything goes in general. This comic has already thrown some curveballs to where I expected it to go, so I don't want to overthink it and stop being surprised.

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

I'm looking forward to Lee being Lee some more. OMG. XDDDD GEH. ;W; But I'm happy that JINGKU has been able to give you some curveballs~~. Whatever's in store for JINGKU, hopefully its' future will not be cut short! @RebelVampire AH!!! OAO!!! But OMG. I'm really surprised that you've taken the story so well, Rebel! I seriously thought that you might just eye JINGKU over for the sake of discussion and simply mod from afar. Thank you for giving your insight and I'm happy to hear you'll continue to root for Lee!(edited)

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

@- ̗̀ Mitsu ৫ ̖́- OMG!!! I don't know how, but my eyes did not catch your answers for the first few questions!!! OAO Probably because everyone is giving such detailed answers, but GEH. GEH. GEH. I laughed so hard at your comment about Hur being a tsundere. MUAHAHAAHA. XDDDDD Pwease cherish that bald babeh!(edited)

Ah... I do have to confess, Shu's excuse on catching a chicken was ridiculous in its own right. But the reality is, my own parents have stories of how animals would sometimes escape or go missing and peeps were forced to search the surrounding mountains for their livestock. RIP peeps chasing after their cows and pigs. Y v Y

DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio)

Okay, so I've no idea if anyone else is going to leave any more comments before 3 am (12 am on PST time) so I'm going to go ahead and toss this here. O W Q @RebelVampire @shrimpchipsahoy @- ̗̀ Mitsu ৫ ̖́- @Chillin&Livin @kongli @keii4ii THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT PARTICIPATED IN THIS JINGKU DISCUSSION!!!!! YA'LL ARE AWESOME BEANS AND HOPE YOU CONTINUE TO STICK WITH THE STORY NO MATTER HOW CRAZY IT GETS! YOSH! (edited)

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about JINGKU this week! Please also give a special thank you to DA-POW! (Yayao Yuying Studio) for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked JINGKU, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

Read and Comment: https://globalcomix.com/c/jingku

DA-POW!’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/YayaoYuyingSTU?lang=en

#ctparchive #webcomics #indie comics #comics #comic chat #comic discussion #book club #bookclub #webcomic bookclub #webcomic book club #comic tea party #ctp #jingku #da-pow!#yayao yuying studio

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