#was it a coincidence or was it intentionally cruel? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thelavendercatalogue · 6 months

Text

it's funny when you think about it

How ironic it all is.

When Lupin died the first time, and Zeni told him, Jigen basically looses his mind with almost a manic outburst calling Lupin a selfish prick and Zenigata is confused

He watches Jigen pace back and force gripping his hat hard on his head and Zenigata asks him what the hell he's talking about

And Jigen looks at him all crazed and states that Lupin died on purpose and Zenigata is confused even WORSE

and Jigen ends up explaining that when the decision was made to take care of Lupins leg, that Jigen had told him that if he was gonna die, to take him with him

"So?!

"Nothing happened until now, the fucker did that on purpose, the moment i left his side?!"

then it hits Jigen

wait. . .Lupin died

Wait.

Even after pulling a mental double– no, triple-take, those two words never quite settle in Jigen’s mind. Instead it worked to recontextualize, putting them into words that he could understand.

It didn’t last for very long,

but for a brief moment

you existed in a world where Lupin no longer did.

and you weren't even there with him

But the thing is. Is, Lupin may have been cynical and jaded at times but he was never cruel, he wouldn't intentionally leave Jigen behind

Jigen knows that.

He knows that and it’s why he kills the thought as quickly as it morphs cause he knows Lupin better then that.

He would never do this to spite him, or to intentionally be cruel to him.

He does it to spare Jigen

In some sick way.

"Nothing happened until now, the fucker did that on purpose, the moment i left his side?!"

Nothing happened

Whether or not Lupin ever did that intentionally he didn’t but it’s funny to think it Jigen doesn’t know, but it’s part of the reason why some small part thinks Lupins cruel.

To leave when he’s not there.

Their partners, their suppose to be together until the end

Lupin knows that

Which is also why Jigen doesn’t think it was intentional on Lupins part to conveniently decide to die when he’s not there.

It really wasn’t

it was just crappy timing along with other determining factors Because like ive said, Lupins not cruel Lupins cynical, but not cruel.

Whatever happened in that ambulance was just a tragic coincidence. Zenigata never should have had Lupin moved when he did. He was too unstable, and Zeni knew that, he was warned so many times about the stress and the effect it would have on the outcome, but Zeni trusted his gut.

His gut only happened to be partially right this time.

But no matter what, it was a near tragic coincidence, Lupin didn’t intentionally wait until Jigen was far away to just collectively attempt to sneak his way into the afterlife.

But Lupin wouldn’t have minded it if that was the case. . .

Lupin often gets confused about how he truly wants to die. He has many ideas of how he wants to go out, but there are often two retaining factors regarding each variable.

1) He wants to die someplace familiar that he knows. That’s mostly because of his need for repetition; familiarity. Maybe where his first heist was.

2) He also wants Jigen by his side, he definitely knows that. He’s been friends with that man for years now. It’s fitting

But then comes the dilemma Because in the same breathe, he also doesn’t want Jigen with him when he goes.

He knows what his death would do to him if he ever did die while Jigen was still alive.

He knows it would break him.

He knows there would be no chance in the rest of the gang getting the old Jigen back

He doesn’t want that

He doesn’t want Jigen to just sit by and watch him die. And he knows Jigen would do that at the expense of his own emotions and well-being.

But at the same time. . .he doesn’t want to die alone

Damned if he does Damned if he doesn’t

#lupin iii #lupin the third #lupin the 3rd #jigen daisuke #daisuke jigen #jigen #arsène lupin iii #arsène lupin #inspector zenigata #Lupin III: The Lavender Jacket Series

12 notes · View notes

rainbowcafelgbtqcenter · 1 year

Text

Boycott Hogwarts Legacy

For those who aren't aware, Hogwards Legacy, an upcoming AAA title is being released this Friday, February 10th. Please consider joining your transgender siblings in boycotting its release - while you can separate the art from the artist in many situations, there are times when those artists, like JK Rowling and Kanye West, actively contribute to hate, violence, and anti-transgender legislation and it is simply not possible to separate art from the artist. Supporting Hogwarts Legacy during its release WILL back JK Rowling's beliefs and go directly towards her funding anti-transgender movements harming trans people in the United Kingdom.

Within the last month alone, JK Rowling has tweeted the following to her 14 million followers:

Describing trans women as men with "penises, male pattern baldness, and" r*pists, deserving to be forced into male-only UK prisons 1/30/2023

Stating it's "cruel, degrading," "torture" for cis women to share spaces with trans women 1/29/2023

"Deeply amused by those telling me I've lost their admiration due to the disrespect I show violent, duplicitous r*pists [ie. normal, everyday trans people]. I shall file your lost admiration carefully in the box where I keep my missing f*cks." 1/28/2023

Criticized gender-affirming care and puberty blockers for trans people 1/27/2023

Told a trans broadcaster to prove her woman-ness 1/22/2023

Advocated for hate speech and anti-trans protest 1/22/2023

Called UK politicians cowards for siding with trans people 1/11/2023

Your nostalgia does not justify trans trauma.

"But it looks so good!"

The game may look good because it's a well-polished AAA game, but the story itself has STRONG anti-Semitic themes - as the protagonist, you're tasked with stopping a goblin uprising and goblins of the wizarding world have been well-established as stand-ins for Jewish people. JK Rowling heavily based goblins in Hogwarts on Jewish stereotypes created by Nazis - Rowling has intentionally characterized her goblins as having big noses, working in banks, and known for being greedy. It's not a coincidence. Hogwarts Legacy has you play on the oppressors' side and prevent a literal slave uprising.

Don't buy it.

The people who worked on Hogwarts Legacy have already been paid - your purchase during its initial release isn't saving some starving artist, it funds JKR and makes her and her followers believe her views have value. Simply do not buy the game - don't donate a certain portion to trans charities and /then/ buy Hogwarts Legacy. By buying the game, you justify anti-trans laws and hatred - JK Rowling believes that her wizarding world is so amazing, so well-written that people will always support her no matter how anti-trans and anti-Semitic she is. Prove her wrong.

Don't stream it.

During the boycott, don't create or consume content supporting it. Creators on Twitch are already planning to boycott a mandated advert for Hogwarts Legacy that will play during ALL streams - even during trans and Jewish streams. The better content about Hogwarts Legacy does, the more people will purchase the game during the boycott.

Play alternatives.

There are PLENTY of other magic worlds to lose yourself in that don't fuel anti-trans hate and violence, like:

Witchy Life Story

Cozy Grove

Sun Haven

Potion Permit

Wylde Flowers

Potion Craft

Little Witch In The Woods

Ikenfell

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Slay The Spire

Tell Me Why

Songs of Glimmerwick

Wizard 101

Lawmage Academy

Elden Ring

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Spiritfarer

Witchbrook

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

Switchcraft

Wizard of Legend

Potionomics

Hades

Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

#translivesmatter #trans lives matter #transgender #trans #jewish lives matter #boycott hogwarts legacy #lgbtq #queer #social justice

64 notes · View notes

bestanimatedmovie · 1 year

Note

Did you make the pairs intentionally for round 2? Cause I can’t believe that puss in boots 2 and Shrek 2 being against each other is a coincidence. These match ups are cruel, I’m very excited.

Hajaksshsh, it was a mix between the typical seeded bracket and manually adjusting them. That particular match, I confess, was arranged. Please don't kill me!

#best animated movie #ask #not a poll

9 notes · View notes

marvelouslymanicswiftie · 2 years

Text

My "All Too Well" Essay

I wrote this for my college English class last year and wanted to share my ramblings :) The formatting is a little off, but it's all here!

From Heartbreak to Success

Living on this planet in 2022, it is almost guaranteed you have heard a song written and sung by Taylor Swift. Unfortunately, at times, a sexist remark or negative comment on her relationships isn’t followed far behind her name. “You go through boys faster than Taylor Swift,” for example. But have you ever wondered if the voices behind those negative observations have heard the true beauty of one of Swift’s songs? The masterful lyrics, the clever rhyme schemes, the overall beauty of the experience of the song? Have you ever found yourself appreciating just how wonderful a Taylor Swift song can be? If not, allow me to show you through an analysis of “All Too Well,” the fifth song on Swift’s fourth studio album, Red. Not only is this song considered the very best song Swift has ever written by fans and critics, but it is also named as #69 on Rolling Stone’s Best Songs of All Time list. Swift includes an artful rhyme scheme, syllabic play, line and stanza/verse breaks for dramatic effect, repetition, and tells the story of a romantic history with actor Jake Gyllenhall. As you will soon see, I know this song all too well, and soon you will, too.

It fits to begin stating Swift uses an artful rhyme scheme in her song “All Too Well.” Many times in our modern day, we hear songs on the radio rhyme “love” and “dove” or “cat” and “mat.” Although these rhymes are still valid and still offer a bouncy rhythm, Swift travels a step beyond such simplistic words. In “All Too Well,” she uses rhymes such as “promise” and “honest” (Swift). Another example of this kind of rhyme scheme is “gaze” and “upstate” (Swift). These sets of two words don’t simply just have a different letter at the beginning of them in order to earn the title of rhyme, but instead have a structural rhyme. The “promise” and “honest” both have two syllables (more on that later), and have the same “o” sound and “s” sound to close the word. There is no doubt Swift did this intentionally in order to add another layer of depth to her words and not simply give the audience rhymes they have heard previously.

To compliment her creative rhyme scheme, Taylor Swift also utilizes syllabic play with her words to add a bouncy tone to the overall song. Although syllables can seem simplistic, they add a very large part in how a song sounds and how the lyrics flow. For example, Swift writes, “So casually cruel in the name of being honest.” The entire line, but specifically the “in the name of being honest” part offers the audience a pleasing bounciness. IN THE NAME OF beING honEST, to map out the syllables. Especially paying attention to the way there are four words with one syllable, and two words with two syllables, both having the second syllable stressed. This creates a rhythmic feel to the words, making them pleasurable to both hear and sing yourself. Another example of syllabic play in “All Too Well” can be found in the line, “In your drawer, even now” (Swift). Just five simple words, but Swift intentionally lined up the syllables to be three and three before and after the pause of the comma. This offers another bouncy and pleasing rhythm to which to listen, and there’s no way it was simply a coincidence.

Along with the rhyme scheme and syllabic play, Swift makes work of line and stanza/verse breaks for dramatic effect. She writes, “‘cause I remember it all, all, all / Too well” (Swift). Swift could have easily left the “too well” at the end of the first line, but she intentionally put it aside to stand on its own. This shows the audience the emphasis she wants to put on how well she remembers this relationship, how too well she remembers it. This stand alone is followed by a stanza/verse break, which adds more emphasis on the line. The open space provides a pause, a moment for the listener or reader to absorb the hollowness and pain Swift is trying to convey. She doesn’t just remember this relationship well, she remembers it too well, and she gets this message across with her stand alone, two word line: “too well.”

Swift also utilizes this abrupt line/stanza break in the very beginning when she writes, “I walked through the door with you / The air was cold” (Swift). Just as stated above, Swift could have tacked “The air was cold” onto the first line easily, or added more words to the line, but she deliberately kept it by itself for a dramatic effect. She wants the audience to feel the same emotions she felt when she was with her partner at the time, the same eerie, uninviting feeling, a feeling she describes she should have listened to later on. Had it not been for this simple line, the audience may not have grasped the foreshadowing of the end of Swift’s relationship.

Not only does Swift include the aforementioned techniques in her song “All Too Well,” but she utilizes a story from her own life to give the song a deeper element for the listener. She tells the tale of a short-lived romance with actor Jake Gyllenhall. The couple dated for a little less than 3 months, but all sources attest that the love shared between the two was intense nonetheless. Some reports even state Swift, 20 at the time, lost her virginity to Gyllenhall, 29. A source told RadarOnline.com that “She thought she was going to marry Jake, that's how in love she was with him" (India Today).

To say the least, Taylor Swift is an artist. Not only is she recognized by fans across the globe, but now by you as well. See what I mean? Isn’t there so much more to her music than simply anger and resentment? There is beauty. Thank you for allowing me to guide you through this analysis, and I hope you now have a better understanding of Taylor Swift than just the nasty comments so many utter.

Works Cited

Rolling Stone. “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2021, https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/elvis-presley-suspicious-minds-2-1225268/.

Yahr, Emily. “The Story behind Taylor Swift's 10-Minute Version of 'All Too Well,' the Song Making Fans Lose Their Minds.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 16 Nov. 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2021/11/12/taylor-swift-all-too-well-ten-minutes/.

“Taylor Swift Lost Her Virginity to Jake Gyllenhaal.” India Today, 18 Feb. 2014, https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/hollywood/story/taylor-swift-lost-virginity-jake-gyllenhaal-181617-2014-02-18.

“AZLyrics - Request for Access.” AZLyrics.com, https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/taylorswift/alltoowell.html.

#taylor swift #swifties #essay #all too well #my essays

3 notes · View notes

binders-and-beanies · 3 days

Text

Tbh it’s hard to believe people Forget abt emetophobia when they consistently wait until you’re eating to start talking abt it in detail or showing you it. Like to an extent it could be coincidence but it crosses a line where I’m like are you being intentionally cruel and if so what do you stand to gain

#especially considering I have a specific least favorite word for it and everyone makes sure to say that word 10x a day #and then say it More once I’ve told them it’s a trigger for me #like I’m sorry there’s rly no way to Accidentally be this way. it sounds cartoonishly forced #mine #txt #emetophobia

0 notes

reginrokkr · 2 years

Text

✧ @risingsol

The truth was never intentionally cruel or intentionally lacking; it simply was what it was. Human emotions, or just simply the emotions of living beings, that was what gave those characteristics to the truth. Ever since he had stepped foot into Teyvat, there had been many a hard and soft truth that Aether had learned: the cost of freedom from Mondtstadt’s archon, the weathering on one’s soul that came with the passage of time from Liyue’s archon, the price of belief from a god lost to salt and sand - all of which were used to forge an image of Teyvat that was slowly becoming clearer as the days passed. Strife and loss were all things in the record of history for most places; nothing could be gained without at least something being lost, even in the most benevolent of timelines.

To learn that Celestia had been crueler still to its citizens was another blow. One that hit harder for reasons that Aether thought he wasn’t able to discern at first, until the link of cruelty was made upon himself. So it was not only outsiders that had suffered at the hands of the beings thought themselves higher, but the people of Teyvat themselves. His memories were still a blur from before, but every prompting from Dainsleif had reminded him of the past, had prodded at his mind until memories had to slowly spill forth. Khaenri'ah… the destruction of that underground city many years ago… why did he remember it? Why did Dainsleif know about it?

The path to knowledge isn’t a linear one and knowledge didn’t automatically mean relief - these were things that Aether knew, but knowing sometimes meant more sleepless nights. His sister… and Dainsleif. Lumine… and Khaenri'ah. His only kin… and the Abyss Order. Her battle with destiny… and his truth that could only be found at the end of this journey, what did it all mean? Mulling over these questions without an answer was what the other had caught him in the middle of, amber hues sweeping over those of icy sapphire briefly.

“No… I guess not.”

He chuckled quietly. Dainsleif had been difficult to even speak to the beginning, yet his demeanor had changed entirely when Aether had spoken the purpose of his travels. Was it the empathy of humanity? Or was there another reason for it? “Hey, do you mind if I ask you a question - one besides that one, I mean. Why… did you agree to help me?”

Dáinsleif has witnessed the passing of many moons in his life, permanently unchanging like the Eternity the Archon of Inazuma seeks when there is no sunlight that can change the way it displays on the now gone Khaenri’ah. Only upon emerging to Teyvat once more he acquainted himself with the different shapes of the moon —long ago forgotten— byproduct of the sun’s position and its light’s reflection on the ever moving satellite, all within sleepless nights that even he was not exempt from experiencing.

A burdened mind and a troubled heart are the perfect combination to be prone to sleepless nights. Were he take into account the last event that transpired the last time they met and cooperated into a joined mission —naught but the product of an all alignment of alike resolves—, it would suffice to have one reason among a plethora of many more that could warrant Aether’s issues of having a good night’s rest. Nevertheless, it was not Dáinsleif’s right to go beyond ensuring his wellbeing and pry into his thoughts. If there is something he can attribute to this boy is his extended courtesy to not pry in return.

You whom once questioned the coincidence of our meeting after bearing witness of the Abyss Order activity within Liyue’s premises— what makes you believe that I am helping you? What a naïve mindset you have, and how much you have to learn yet.

Quiescence follows Aether’s inquiry for brief moments of careful consideration, cyan irises regarding at the boy with nigh pity for watching his misfortune play before his very eyes. ❝You value the worth in my actions towards you beyond what they really are.❞ Pale lashes ghost over high cheekbones with the momentary closure of his eyes as his strong arms cross over his muscular chest. ❝You merely sought my aide for the Guild by paying for my services as long as they concern the Abyss Order. There is nothing more to see to it.❞

Though his words may hold an undeniable truth, there is indeed more to it that Dáinsleif refuses to mention. No matter how many centuries have passed and how many grievances his heart endured, it will never cease being prone to sentimentalities. Watching Lumine choose her path to what ultimately may be the bane of her existence roused many questions that no one would ever answer him— not even Irminsul itself, for the information registered from the tips of its roots all the way to its very core is objective and not subjective. Seeing her go down a path Dáinsleif would have never desire her to equated to see with his own eyes the possibility of a replay of his sister’s doom.

Forcing that girl into another choice was not his place to take, even less to stop her from choosing what her heart tells. Nevertheless, what he can do is become a guiding light to that whom Dáinsleif seems himself reflected onto in what is no different than the Heavenly Principles mockery to what has happened to him. To remind him the purpose of his journey— so he does not make the same mistake he did in forgetting that he was meant to rescue his sister from the so-called Kingdom of Darkness by Celestia, a prospect that he had no power over to remember when it was those gods’ deed to wipe his memories out. Yet, that does not deter him from blaming himself for it, regardless.

#risingsol #◟༺✦༻◞ Seraphs reminisce how to fly even without wings┊Aether → risingsol.┊#◟༺✦༻◞ Lament of a fallen seraph ┊Thread.┊#◟༺✦༻◞ Sapphire flames in their wake ┊IC.┊#◟༺✦༻◞ τόμος θ: Λυκόφως οι θεοί που πέφτουν┊Advent of Ragnarök.┊#◟༺✦༻◞ Aria of the Seraphs ┊Stardust trail.┊#◟༺✦༻◞ Memories are all but forgotten in the river of time ┊Queue.┊

0 notes

wutheringmights · 3 years

Note

In your Spirit tracks headcanon's post you said that the Engineer/Spirit's come's from a large family. ("That everyone has at least six aunts and uncles on all sides of the family and they can trace back how they are related to Aryll.") That makes think Aryll made quite a few children during her life time, like around 5 - 6 children. Who in-turn had many children and descendants of their own.

If Spirit ever lets this information slip (either intentionally or unintentionally) around the Chain, I would see Wind having a blue screen of death or a Wind.exe is not working moment. And once his Big Brother Instincts kicks in, I could him vowing to chase off any boys or suitors Aryll might have once she comes of age.

I can't help wonder what would of happened, if Aryll had lived to see Spirit's birth and see him grow up during his first few years of life. In this AU she dies when Spirit is around five years old. How would she deal with the reailty that not only is her great grandson named after her late brother, but he is also his spitting image.

As much as Wind is a protective older brother, I don't see him getting too huffy over the idea of future Aryll being wooed and courted. He's always been very not interested in romantic relationships (I headcanon him as aro), so the idea that tiny little Aryll could ever get married and have kids is a bit of a nonissue. He's never been interested in dating or the like, so why would she?

Of course, when she gets older and it does become an issue, he's not as protective as you would imagine. He trusts her to make smart decisions with whoever she dates, and she knows that if anyone does break her heart or cause her harm, he will be there to hunt them down if she wants. Ultimately, he respects her decisions so he wouldn't scare away any suitors.

But that is all in theory. New Hyrule is discovered when Wind is about 19, which leads to his falling out with Tetra and his eventual disappearance and assumed death. Once he and Tetra have that fight, no one hears from him again.

Aryll is about two to four years younger than Wind, which means he's never around to see her come of age. He's gone. He's bot there to judge her suitors, though I bet she wished every day that he was.

If Spirit ever tells Wind about Aryll's huge family, Wind might be surprised at first that Aryll ever got married before moving on to how excited he is that their family got so big. He would want to know what Spirit would tell Aryll's descendants about meeting Great Uncle Link.

Then Spirit would have a choice to tell Wind that no one in the family knows that they're related to the Hero of Winds or that the Hero of Winds had disappeared a long time ago. If he told Wind, would it be cruel? Should a thirteen year old know that his years are numbered? Would he accidentally stop Wind's premature death, alternating the course of history, or would he triggering a series of decisions that would guarantee Wind's early demise?

(This has gotten a little sad).

(Uh... let's move on).

Aryll was very old by the time she died, and she probably wasn't all there. She was most likely told that her newest great grandson was named Link, which may have caused her some pain before she forgot about it. Link is a very common name here, so the name-sharing was a sheer coincidence.

If Aryll was still alive as Spirit got older and still had her wits about her, she would have doted over him. Seeing her brother's face on a new person would hurt, but it's a bittersweet sort of pain. Spirit would have become the undisputed favorite of her great grandchildren. She would have gladly taken him in when his father died and encouraged him to become an engineer.

She would say over and over again that he reminded her of her brother, and for the first time in decades she would start talking about her brother again. The Macaryll family would know at last that they are the relations of a great hero.

But I think this would have caused Spirit issues growing up as he would have always existed in Wind's shadow. He might feel pressured to live up to Aryll's expectations and struggle to have an identity separate from Wind. He would become bitter when he has to be a hero as now it seems as though his life has been predetermined for him.

The feeling would be made worst when he learns about the Hero's Spirit. He wouldn't be able to trust his own interests. Does he like trains and engineering so much because Wind would have liked them? Is he just Wind's spirit in a new body, or is he his own person?

(Ah.... this got sad again) (cool, cool, cool)

#so what we learned here is that no matter how you dice it things will get sad #The family line between wind and spirit is actually something that can be so fraught #linked universe #linkeduniverse #lu #lu wind #lu spirit #lu ctb #me rambling #anonymous #ask

30 notes · View notes

everybody-loves-purdy · 2 years

Note

re: Spottedleaf I feel like there was no way any of it was intentional lmao besides maybe that we're supposed to connect Thistleclaw's disgusting behavior as being a reason he's training in the dark forest (like sort of metaphorically, I understand literally on the page he's probably there because power hungry/cruel). So like maybe readers are supposed to infer that what he's doing is fucked up? But it's handled so poorly and bizarrely.

But everything with Firepaw was set up as completely innocent. I mean with the author's original intention- of course it's okay for us as readers to call out how messed up it is, but reading the books as they came out, Firepaw's age is less clear (I initially assumed he was older/bigger than 6 moons to help Bluestar convince the Clan he could be of any use to them, also to help explain why she lets a grown adult just immediately try to beat his ass), Spottedleaf is continually mentioned as being young and we didn't yet have context to know that she'd still have to be considerably older than Fire, even if "young", and most of their interactions are after he's a warrior (and she's dead lol), so I imagine the authors never felt a need to add an explanation for her behavior. Even after "canonizing" that Spotted was crushing on him practically from day 1, they still don't seem to see a problem with it, so it's hard to imagine they intentionally tried to write a pattern of behavior/abuse.

The whole thing is a mess, and I feel like one only warrior cats could produce.

I completely agree

I feel like it probably was a coincidence but I just wanted to throw that possibility out there, even if it’s not the intention it does add an interesting dynamic to this absolute garbage fire of a situation

If things were kept how it was in the first arc alone it would be fine (in which Spotted only grows to love Fire after she dies and he becomes a warrior, and the books never make it explicit whether her love is platonic or romantic), but then they decided later on they had to make her old enough to be his mother, make him in love with him as an apprentice, secretly wish something would happen to his wife, and make her just excessively in love with Fire overall

#anonymous #tw #Thistleclaw tw #spottedleaf’s heart tw #spottedleafs heart tw

5 notes · View notes

wesimpforxiao · 3 years

Text

Say My Name and I’ll Be There: 7.2

Author’s Note: This is the longest chapter so far!! *ehe* Can’t wait for all the comments on this one....

Xiao eyed the three Fatui agents that were in charge of escorting the two of you to Dottore's arena the next day. You found it rather odd that Childe and Dottore didn't accompany them this time, but didn't question it until they sought to bring only you with them.

Is this a chance for Xiao to escape? Your gaze flit to the yaksha behind you as the agents bound your wrists with metal cuffs. Xiao seemed as confused as you were. "Where are we going?" You asked in hopes that they'll take you far enough away to avoid Xiao's powers. They didn't answer you and pushed you out of the hallway.

They stopped just short of the throne room, taking a right instead of heading for those giant unwelcoming doors. When they opened the next door, you halted. It seemed like it was meant for some sort of conference room, but lighting was a bit over-the-top with candle lights and such. A delicious aroma rose steadily into the air from the exquisite food that sat on the table.

"You're an idiot if you think this will woo me," you snorted as the agents removed your cuffs and left the room. "Let's skip the crap, Tartaglia, and tell me what the hell you think you're doing."

"Why so skeptical, ojou-chan? I just thought you'd like something to eat." Childe held a smug smirk that complimented the devious glint in his eyes.

"Uh, yeah no. I'll be going back to my cell now." You spun on your heel and grabbed the doorknob.

"If you insist, I could fetch Dottore and resume your testing for the day." When your hand froze on the knob, his smile widened. "That's what I thought. Sit."

You sat as far away from him as physically possible, and it drew a light chuckle from his lips. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to check in with you." Childe grabbed a fork with ease and began to dig into the meal. "This kind of treatment could continue day after day if you chose to cooperate."

"Are you trying to butter me up with food? Do you seriously not know me well enough to know this trick won't work on me?"

"I seem to recall that it worked if it was chocolate," a boyish glint sparkled in his eyes.

Your fist slammed on the table and your eyes began to glow from the agitation. "If you're trying to pull that 'shark week' stunt again, I swear I will--"

"--'Impale me?' Were those the words you were looking for?"

"Okay, if there is no point to this conversation other than to infuriate me, I'm leaving."

"Have you thought of what I said, ojou-chan?" When you raised an unamused brow, he continued. "You can make a life for yourself here. I'm sure with your...unique abilities, you'd be able to climb the ranks and might even rise to harbinger status."

"I have no interest in becoming a harbinger."

"The point being, you could choose whatever path you want if you joined us."

"The last time I checked, the Childe I knew enjoyed watching me suffer. Why is he going out of his way to recruit me?"

"I think it'd be much easier on all of us if you joined our ranks. Besides, at least with us, you could find something greater in life than..."

"Than chasing the love of a yaksha? Is that what you were going to say?" Your glare was as cold as ice. "I have no interest in this conversation."

"Listen to you; you're beginning to sound just like him," he retorted. "Hold off on your retorts for a moment, ojou-chan." He placed his utensils down. "Tell me, what would your plans be if you escaped with him?"

"Like I would tell you," you sneered.

"You've just proved my point. I can see right through you; you don't have any." Childe leaned forward and set his chin on his hand. He held a smile that was somewhere between teasing and cruel. You weren't intimidated and continued to hold his gaze. "Ojou-chan, I'll be honest. You'll die one way or another if you managed to escape, whether that be at the hands of the Fatui, or at the doing of the yaksha. As a matter of fact, we wouldn't be the ones to kill you; you're the one killing yourself. Death by a broken heart sounds more agonizing than what awaits you with us."

"You're not getting in my head."

"I'm not? Then why, ojou-chan, does internal conflict arise on your face when you look at him?"

"Maybe because I'm having a conversation with him in my head."

"You know what I think? I think deep down, you know I'm right. Part of you hates me for it, but the rest of you agrees with me. With us, you could have anything you want if you can take it. Be it fame, fear, glory, power, money. Even love could grow within the ranks if you so desired it."

"Is this some sort of weird courting ritual?" You bit back, but despite the hostility you portrayed to Childe, you were beginning to falter. "I don't care for any of that stuff."

"But what you want most is love, no? The yaksha can't give it to you; he's incapable of it. You can't deny that much." Childe refrained from grinning ear-to-ear as he watched the internal turmoil reach your expression. You had hidden your hands under the table, haven't blinked in the past two minutes, and kept shifting in your seat. Oh, how he's gotten under your skin. He loved watching you squirm. "Don't misunderstand me, ojou-chan. I'm not trying to insinuate love between us; that ship has sailed. I'm simply looking out for your wellbeing."

You gripped the butter knife that was sitting next to your plate, flipping it over as you thought of the possibility of being able to one-shot him from here. His lips curled upward slightly as if he knew what you were thinking. Then, you placed the utensil back down and let out a long irritated sigh. "Your words are falling on deaf ears, Tartaglia. I'm going back to my cell now."

On the contrary, I think you've heard me loud and clear, ojou-chan.

............................................

The second you were shoved back into your cell, the tears began to fall. Xiao watched you for a moment before gesturing for you to sit next to him, but you ignored him and sat in the far corner of the room. You had glanced up at him once, noticing the tears that were also falling from his cheeks and thinking he was actually crying. When you remembered it was just a side effect and that the tears manifested involuntarily, you reburied your face in your knees.

"Are you okay?" Xiao sat so he was facing you, but didn't come any closer to the walls. He hastily wiped your tears away from his face. What a nuisance. Can't emotions manifest themselves in a more convenient way?

"Just peachy," you sniffled without raising your head.

As if I could ever join the Fatui! He's diluted for thinking something so stupid, for thinking I'm anything like him! You wanted to scream and punch the wall from how frustrated you were. How dare he try and twist me around like that! The tears continued to spill and soak into your jeans as helplessness and hatred washed over you like the tide. Xiao, why...?

The yaksha perked up when he heard you. "What?"

Why can't I be free of human emotions, just as you are? Why must I be burdened with them?

...................................................

Two more days passed, but the two of you were never taken to the arena. Apparently the Tsaritsa had other temporary plans that required the presence of the harbingers for the time being. So, when the time finally came for you and Xiao to be escorted out of the cell once again, you were surprised to see what looked like rookie guards instead of the usual seasoned agents.

Their rookie-ness was primarily given away by the fumbling of the keys before the cell door unlocked. Then it was painfully obvious that these three guards were idiots by the way they swung the door open enough that it effectively gave Xiao an opening out of the sealed box. The two of you exchanged shocked glances before Xiao bolted through the door, his lance manifesting in time to pierce through the first guard and pin him to the opposing wall outside the hallway.

It was an outright slaughter.

Before you even had the chance to get to your feet, the yaksha was already retracting his polearm from the third guard's torso that lay on the floor. The heavy metallic stench of blood made your stomach riot and you averted your eyes to keep the nausea under control.

"A-Are we really doing this? Are we really making our escape?" Your hands were shaking from the adrenaline as well as an emotion you recognized to be fear.

Zhongli...was it really a coincidence that I heard you last night, and now the guard schedules are mixed up? Xiao furrowed his brows as his eyes danced over the bloody corpses. "Let's move."

"Okay..." You carefully avoided slipping on the soaked floor and followed Xiao. He was surprisingly familiar with the hallways considering he had been blindfolded whenever he was outside the cell. "How do you know this place so well?"

"Sight is not the only thing we are gifted," he answered as he peeked down a corridor. "This way."

Several Fatui agents and skirmishers turned the corner as if they had been intentionally sent. There was no way they could have heard the ruckus from up here. Xiao waved a hand over his face, and his mask manifested with ease. A demonic aura emanated around him, visibly blackening the immediate area around his body. The new sight sent a chill down your spine. "Stay out of my way."

You followed his order and ran back the way you came, using the corner as cover. He first burst into the cryo skirmisher, who was practically first in line for a quick death. The polearm sliced across his torso, then Xiao shoved it through his heart. The second the blade was ripped out of flesh, geo and pyro skirmishers surrounded him.

"LAMENT!" Xiao leapt into the air and dove into the ground with his spear. The shockwave of his anemo burst sent spears of air ricocheting into the skirmishers. They struggled to their feet after the devastating blow, and more Fatui agents filtered into the hallway. Xiao performed another series of plunging attacks until no one but him was moving. He jerked his head to the side and his mask evaporated. "Come."

You didn't have time to drool over how hot that was--"Ah, wait, Xiao. That's the throne room up ahead--"

If my intuition is correct...The yaksha burst through the doors despite your warning.

"Xiao--! H-huh?" You ran after him only to run into his back. You peeked over his shoulder to see why he stopped in his tracks. "What's going on?"

No one was in the throne room save for the most important players of this story. The Tsaritsa, who was standing in front of her throne; Childe, her beloved war hammer; Signora and Scaramouche, who stood off to the side as mere observers; Zhongli, with his arms crossed and eyes blazing with fury; and Aether, who held a firm look of determination. The atmosphere was tense, even as they all turned their heads to the sound of the doors crashing open.

"I've massacred every last one of your agents," Xiao seethed at the cryo archon as the two of you approached the group. "Our suffering is no longer."

"Xiao," Zhongli nodded, relief washing over him when he confirmed the two of you were okay.

"Thank the archons," Aether ran over and hugged you. "I'm sorry we took so long." He hid his surprise at how thin you were.

"You were saying, Morax?" The Tsaritsa refocused everyone's attention, and you and Xiao stood at Zhongli's side. The room seemed to inhabit a colder atmosphere than the first time you visited. She could've cared less that you and Xiao killed her men.

"You've broken our contract," the archon clenched his jaw, but remained as composed as ever. "Thou shall not interfere with Liyue or the adepti."

The Tsaritsa's gaze flicked to the two of you. "Oh, is that so? I told you I'd do anything necessary to accomplish my goal."

"Those who break the contract will suffer the wrath of the rock. We have every nation on our side; the people of Teyvat are more than willing to wage war against you for your trespasses if you refuse to return the two of them."

"You think that's going to intimidate me?" The Tsaritsa let out a frigid chuckle at the thought. "Oh, Morax. You really are more brawn than brains. Alright, I will return the yaksha to you." She nudged her head at Xiao.

"And her." Zhongli pointed to you.

"Ha!" Another full laugh arose from the archon's lips. "Have you already forgotten the terms of your own contract? Liyue and adepti alone are to be untouched. She is neither."

"You can't do that!" Aether shouted, grabbing the hilt of his sword.

"Then I'm afraid we'll have to wage war because of your refusal." Zhongli hardened his gaze as he continued to stare at the Tsaritsa. You peered up at him only to realize that he was completely serious.

He wants to wage a world war for my sake? You sent a nervous glance to Xiao, and he didn't appear to have a problem with his superior's proposition. Neither did Aether. Your wavering eyes came to a rest on an amused Childe, who stood across from you. But...this bloodshed...would be my fault...

"Relax, Morax. Her test trials are already over; we have what we need." Your eyes lifted to the Tsaritsa. "She won't be put through such harsh treatment again."

"Then why do you want to keep her? Just let her go!" Aether continued to glare daggers. To watch his friend be taken away by a god just as Lumine had...he never wanted to feel the same pain again. The walls appeared to close in on him as he watched the same events repeat before his very eyes.

"She'll be an excellent addition to our ranks. I seek to recruit her; she will aid us in commencing trials for the hosts of the adeptal enhancements." Xiao shifted so that you were mostly hidden behind him. "She will be treated with great care as long as she cooperates."

"She will be part of no such thing," Xiao and Zhongli jinxed one another.

You couldn't pull your gaze away from Childe; it was like the two of you came to some sort of weird understanding of one another in this moment. You were right, your eyes widened at him. This bloodshed for my sake...I can't let them go through with this.

"You can't fight without your gnosis, Morax. Your threats do not concern me."

I told you, ojou-chan. Out there, you cannot live, the harbinger seemed to say with his eyes.

We'll be on the run if we took off right now. We'll be hiding every day for the rest of our lives. If the war actually happens instead of an escape, all these people will die for one measly girl. Their blood will be on my hands, on Xiao's hands--And then there's the matter of my unrequited feelings...I can't deal with any of this--The world seemed to spin around you, and you grimaced at the feeling.

"So be it," Zhongli materialized his polearm. Aether drew his sword.

Xiao tensed when he felt your despair and dread flow through him. He glanced over his shoulder to gage your wellbeing and was still just as confused as he tried to pinpoint your thoughts.

I can't...You gaze rose to meet your protector. For both our sakes...

Childe's grin widened when you stepped forward. "Stop this!" Your high-pitched cry interrupted the rising arguments between Aether, Zhongli, and the Tsaritsa. "All of you, stop!" When all eyes turned to you, you took a deep breath to stop the tears from forming. "I'll do it."

"WHAT?!"

"If she's willing to stay, your war is pointless," a thin smile spread across the cryo archon's lips. Then she addressed you directly. "A wise choice, young lady. You will be treated well now that you are choosing to participate."

You spun around when Xiao gripped your upper arm. "What do you think you're doing?" His voice was hushed, but there was something fierce both in his gaze and his grip on you. "There's no need to--"

Your arm left his grip, and you addressed Zhongli and Aether. "I can't let you guys wage war on my behalf whether it's a bluff or not. Whatever the outcome would be, it would end in thousands of pointless deaths. I can't let you guys do this."

"But they'll kill you!" Aether shook your shoulders, desperate to prevent another incident like his sister's. "Don't you understand what's happening?! You'll--"

"I'll be just fine on my own," you gave him a half-smile. "It's not like I'll be able to live peacefully if I escaped anyway. They'd always be on our tail. We'd never escape the danger of the Fatui." Xiao glared at Childe when he heard the regurgitation of the harbinger's words.

"...Are you sure you want this?" Zhongli observed you carefully. "Once you join the Fatui, there will be no escape."

"If it's to protect everyone, if it's to protect the three of you, I'm sure." You weren't aware of the tears that stained your face. You then turned your attention to Xiao, who stood back. "Listen, I-"

"I don't agree with this," he said plainly. "I told you there was no need to sacrifice yourself for anyone's sake. I told you to trust in us."

"Xiao." You threw your arms around him, feeling him flinch under your sudden touch before hesitantly placing his hands at your sides. I can't stand around and let innocents get hurt, just as you can't do the same. His eyes widened as he quietly listened to your prayer. You pulled away slightly and brushed his bangs out of his face, hand cupping his cheek. A few of your tears were falling from his eyes as he looked into yours. You brought your forehead to his, intent on holding him for as long as he'd let you. You may never understand this, and that's okay, but I love you.

Xiao's breath caught in his throat and his grip around you tightened. His eyes wavered immensely, releasing more tears as he replayed your prayer in his mind. Only, a couple of those tears didn't belong to you; they were his own. "What're you..."

"Heh, you have no idea how hard it was to say that," you forced a laugh as more tears dripped down your cheeks, and you tore away from him completely.

Aether watched the two of you with utter confusion, while Zhongli observed you intently. It appears she has admitted her feelings. Xiao, will you follow suite? His gaze flicked expectantly to the yaksha, who was more than distraught and traumatized by the entire situation.

You didn't wait nor expect a reply. "I will aid you," you spun around and addressed the Tsaritsa, "but it will be under my terms. These three are to stay out of whatever you're scheming. Not a single hair on the tops of their heads is to be harmed."

"You have my word." The Tsaritsa thought it was adorable at how hard-headed you were. It reminded her of Childe, and also that of an ant. Such a small insignificant being that thought it held a significant place in this world. Absolutely adorable.

"You guys should leave," you lowered your voice as you turned back to the trio of your apparently-not-needed rescuers. "I'm sorry I've caused you all this trouble. Please know traveling with you three meant the world to me." The tears continued to fall even though you failed to acknowledge their presence.

"You're serious about this," Aether bit his lip to prevent himself from crying. "But your Granny...the village...the Lantern Rite--"

"I'll come back one day. That's a promise," your eyes met Xiao's. I swear to Rex Lapis, I will return.

The Tsaritsa watched you return to her after seeing your friends off. A disturbing smile spread across her lips as you forced yourself to kneel at her feet. "I believe you've earned this back." She held her hand out to reveal your vision, to which you slowly took it into your hands and stared at it with vacant eyes.

You felt nothing as you attached it to your belt loop.

#genshin x reader #xiao x reader #xiao genshin impact #genshin impact xiao #genshin impact #xiao fanfiction #fanfiction #writing

229 notes · View notes

gch1995 · 3 years

Text

I’m 25 going on 26 now, and I grew up loving the classic Powerpuff Girls cartoon series when I was a kid. Even now when I rewatch it as an adult, it’s still a cute and funny cartoon, especially now that I’m old enough to recognize all of the adult jokes. Like, there’s no way it was a coincidence that Professor Utonium’s despicably dishonest, greedy, lazy, manipulative, selfish, and sleazy former roommate from college was given the name Professor Dick Hardly by accident.

Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup actually are pretty relatable little girls who have believable flaws and insecurities. They make believable bad choices for little girls. Those issues actually get dealt with seriously, rather than just being brushed aside as no big deal with no negative consequences. They are still endearing and sympathetic in spite of their flaws.

While he had a few OOC moments of bad parenting in some bad episodes here and there, generally speaking, Professor Utonium from the classic Powerpuff Girls is actually one of the best dads in cartoons that I’ve ever seen, which is sadly pretty rare in most cartoon sitcoms, even the ones that are actually aimed at a children audience.

Most cartoon dads are abusive, lazy, neglectful, selfish, and stupid oafs. Granted, those type of dads in cartoon sitcoms can actually be entertaining and funny to watch when they are actually being well-written as shitty and slow-witted, but still essentially well-meaning people in regards to their families, such as S1-S8 Homer Simpson from The Simpsons and even S1-S3 Peter Griffin from Family Guy. However, the entertainment quality of those shitty, but well-meaning cartoon dads was mostly lost when the writers flanderdized their negative traits to the point of making Homer and especially Peter downright despicable with little to no redeeming or sympathetic qualities much of the time anymore. They went from being shitty, but essentially well-meaning parents and husbands to downright bratty and spoiled man-children who were much more intentionally abusive, childish, cruel, neglectful, petty, and selfish in regards to their families and others around them with little to no sympathetic or redeeming qualities much of the time anymore, and that’s one of the biggest reasons why The Simpsons went downhill in quality after S8, and why Family Guy went downhill in quality after S3.

Nonetheless, even as they were originally written on their shows pre-flanderdization when they were still well-meaning, but misguided parents and spouses, cartoon dads like Homer Simpson and Peter Griffin, weren’t good dads on the whole. There were still plenty of recurring plot lines and/or gags of them being abusive, lazy, neglectful, reckless, and selfish. Back in early seasons pre-flanderdization, it was more forgivable, though, because they also still had their fair share of kind and selfless moments with their families, and their shittiness as parents wasn’t intentionally abusive, malicious, premeditated, and selfish in nature, which balanced them out enough to still be entertaining and likable characters in spite of their flaws.

Realistically speaking, though, dads like Peter Griffin and Homer Simpson would be better off having their kids taken away from them by CPS. Their good qualities and lack of malicious intent, particularly in earlier seasons pre-flanderdization, would still not hold up as legitimate excuse as to why they should be allowed to keep their kids. Bart would have bruises all over his neck, fractures in his neck, and he could possibly be killed if Homer strangled him hard enough to actually break his neck and/or cut off his air supply long enough in real life just once. Meg, Chris, and even Stewie would not only be injured, but actually outright killed in real life from some of the abuse and neglect that Peter and Lois put them through in later seasons of FG. All of these kids, especially Meg, would have serious self-esteem issues for the rest of their lives because Peter, Lois’, and Homer’s abuse and neglect of their kids went beyond just a pattern of being physical in nature, but emotionally and verbally abusive as well.

So yeah, Peter Griffin and Homer Simpson are really not good fathers who you’d ever want to deal with for a parent in real life, even pre-flanderdization. The major reoccurrence of the abusive, bumbling, idiotic, lazy, drunken, neglectful, and selfish dad trope in cartoon sitcoms is exactly why I really love Professor Utonium from the classic PPG cartoon. I don’t necessarily mind it in absurdist cartoon sitcoms when it’s done well as a trope, but I’m also getting tired of mostly just seeing bad and stupid dads in cartoon sitcoms, and not enough good ones.

For the most part, the OG Professor Utonium is a great dad who goes above and beyond to make sure Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup are happy, healthy, disciplined, and safe. He’s usually the parent most of us wish we could have in real life, if we don’t already. It’s refreshing to actually see a good dad in an animated sitcom for once.

Professor Utonium in the classic PPG cartoon is generally a very kind, loving, selfless, and supportive dad to girls. However, he also knows when he has to discipline them and be strict without ever being mean about it. He gives them good advice. He’s very selfless, and even though the girls are superheroes with superhuman abilities, he’ll still risk and/or sacrifice anything to protect them when they’re unable to protect themselves with their powers, including his own life. He didn’t need to be the stereotypical cartoon sitcom abusive, bumbling, dumb, and neglectful dad in order to be funny either. He was funny because he could sometimes be overprotective of the girls, and he could sometimes embarrass them by calling them sickly sweet terms of endearment and telling embarrassing stories that he shouldn’t have about them in public. He was socially awkward. These are relatable flaws in parents that even the best ones have.

While the girls don’t have a mother, Ms. Bellum and Ms. Keane were very brave, kind, and intelligent strong women who were good role models.

Also, the Professor did many activities with the girls and chores around the house that get gender-coded as “mother’s work.” Some of these things include begrudgingly playing dress up as Bubbles to make her happy when she was playing PowerPuff Girls with Buttercup and Blossom on a rainy day inside of no crime when he saw that she was upset that no one wanted to be her, cooking, cleaning, and actually sitting down to talk with the girls, listen to them, emotionally support them, and give them advice. He’s also not afraid to be openly affectionate, doting, and emotional with the girls. There’s just not enough good dads in cartoon sitcoms, which is why I really like Professor Utonium from the OG PowerPuff Girls cartoon and movie. He mostly defied all the bad dad stereotypes, and was a really great one to the girls more often than not.

The main villains from the classic PowerPuff Girls cartoon are incredibly entertaining, especially MoJo JoJo. Him was always the creepiest to me because he was the most devious, insidious, and manipulative one. All of the psychological abuse and manipulation he put the girls and Townsville through was always the scariest to me when I was a kid because out of all the villains on the show, the torment that he wreaked upon the girls and Townsville by brainwashing them, gaslighting them, and/or exploiting their fears and insecurities often was played as dead serious with really scary results, especially in early seasons of classic PPG. While Him had a few human moments here and there, for the most part, he was pretty consistently played off as being seriously scary and dangerous.

MoJo JoJo was an egomaniacal asshole hellbent on destroying the PowerPuff Girls and world domination, and on a few occasions, he actually came close to succeeding. On a few occasions, he genuinely was more scary than camp evil. But he still had a lot of humorous, human, fallible, and relatable moments, too. My favorite MoJo moments are the ones where he is making jokes, irritably going grocery shopping to get eggs, getting too frustrated by the girls antics and childish behaviors and reactions to actually go through with his plans to destroy them at certain points, and getting angry and jealous enough to actually destroy the alien/robot invader from another planet who was destroying Townsville in all the evil ways that he always wanted to himself. He was highly intelligent at coming up with clever schemes and inventions with all his science and technology to take over the world, destroy Townsville, and/or destroy the PowerPuff Girls. However, his arrogance, impatience, and impulsivity always doomed him to fail to succeed in the end, though he did come pretty close on a few occasions, especially in the 2002 prequel origin story movie, and he did actually get to rule the world in “The PowerPuff Girls Rule the World!” Surprisingly, he actually was a kindhearted ruler who did good things, but then he gave it all up and went back to being evil because he got bored.

Originally, MoJo was a well-intentioned extremist who wanted to create a utopia ruled by primates where they would never be controlled or rejected by humans again. As much as Professor Utonium’s irritation with JoJo for being a destructive chimp lab assistant was completely justified, it’s also hard not to feel kind of sorry for Mojo Jojo and understand where he’s coming from in his motivations to become evil, particularly in the 2002 prequel movie because originally all he really wanted was to be loved by his owner, too. He understandably felt rejected when Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup became the center of his universe instead. Of course, that doesn’t excuse him for choosing to respond to the Professor’s rejection by becoming an arrogant, evil, cruel, hateful, hypocritical, domineering, manipulative, petty, selfish, and vengeful villain going on a quest for world domination, attempting to commit homicide several times, probably committing voluntary manslaughter of citizens several times that we didn’t see on screen when destroying Townsville all those times, turning the rest of the world into dogs to try to take over the world, and trying to destroy the girls. However, you understand why Mojo became the villain he did with his backstory. He’s relatable. Occasionally, he does have some genuinely sympathetic moments where he’s actually willing to be friendly with the girls, team up with them, and do the right thing.

HIM was just the personification of evil for no other reason than the fact that he was satan. While MoJo was a complex, human, and relatable anti-villain with his origin story as the Professor’s lab chimp, who gained genius-level human intellect from having Chemical X splashed on his brain, and then chose to become evil after feeling rejected by the Professor when he saw how he pretty much forget about him once the girls became the center of his universe instead, HIM was evil, manipulative, and hateful for no other reason than the fact that those traits were a part of his nature as the very embodiment of evil. Many times, a fictional villain being portrayed as one-dimensional with no sympathetic qualities or relatable motivations will annoy me, but with HIM being evil just because that’s who he is, it actually works because he is literally Satan. There doesn’t need to be a deeper sympathetic story behind why he is evil. Committing crimes, wreaking havoc, corrupting people, manipulating people, turning people against others, exploiting the fears of others, and deceiving others for his own amusement is just who he is, and in the early seasons of classic PPG in particular, that made him really scary to me when I was a six year old little girl watching the cartoon on TV.

You get the idea...The classic PowerPuff Girls was a fantastic cartoon, particularly the first four seasons. Granted, there was some series seasonal rot going on in the writing in S5 and S6 after the 2002 prequel movie, and Craig Mcracken and Gennedy Tartakovsky’s departure from the crew. Like, the characterizations of the characters and/or storylines in S5 and S6 felt comparably flanderdized, ooc, immature, inconsistent, pointless, shallow, and underwhelming at certain times to fit the plot, such as in the episodes “Keen on Keane,” “Pee Pee G’s,” “Seed No Evil,” “Reeking Havoc,” “Toast of the Town,” “Say Uncle,” “City of Clipsville,” “”Bubble Boy,” A Made Up Story,” “Mo’linguish,” and “Simian Says.” Even the good episodes of S5-S6 still didn’t ever reach the same level of greatness of the ones from S1-S4. However, the seasonal rot in the classic PPG cartoon of S5-S6 after Craig McCracken and Gennedy Tartakovsky’s departure still wasn’t nearly as bad as the seasonal rot on The Simpsons after S8, Family Guy after S3, and SpongeBob SquarePants post S3–S4 ish, so I’m still willing to consider most of S5-S6 of classic PPG legit canon.

However, it sounds like the 2016 PPG reboot fucked up everything that was originally good about it to go for a more slapstick comedic feel without substance without consistency, depth, and intelligence. Now, I hear that the CW is making a live-action TV show spin-off of the PowerPuff Girls being jaded and resentful young women who’ve given up crime fighting as result! No, no, no! Why? Why does the CW keep making dark, nitty, and gritty live action teen soap operas out of beloved childhood cartoons?

Yeah, the original PowerPuff Girls cartoon and movie had dark moments. The girls could be bratty and make bad choices sometimes. However, it was still very much a fun show about normal little girls born with superpowers, which they chose to use to defend their father, their city, and on some occasions, the whole world, from crime. No one ultimately forced them to be superheroes for everyone in the classic PPG cartoon and movie. They chose to do it because they had brave and selfless hearts. There was ultimately no obligation for them to be superheroes in the classic PPG cartoon and movie. Sure, they got tired of fighting crime at times, but they still ultimately enjoyed doing it when push came to shove. They weren’t weighed down by the darkness of the world, hatred, and resentment. They still were relatively normal little girls with happy, peaceful, and normal lives of little girls whenever they weren’t fighting crime after the events of the prequel movie about their origins. That’s what made the PowerPuff Girls classic cartoon so special.

By turning Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup into jaded young women, who have given up on being superheroes because they’ve grown resentful of “losing the normal childhood to crime fighting” that they basically are shown to have in the original series for the most part in their spare time aside from having superpowers that they chose to use to fight crime to defend their dad and Townsville from, anyway, where is the fun in that?

#ppg classic #ppg #PowerPuff girls classic was an amazing cartoon!#there was some seasonal rot bad writing in classic PPG after S4 and Craig McCracken and Gennedy Tartovsky’s departure from the show #also looking back at even some of the early seasons of classic PPG Buttercup tended to get treated as a butt-monkey in her few centric Ed #but the seasonal rot moments of bad writing in S5-S6 of classic PPG wasn’t THAT bad so for the most part I’m willing to give it a pass #mojo jojo #him #professor utonium #blossom utonium #bubbles utonium #buttercup utonium #sara bellum #mayor #ms. keane #anti the cw live action PowerPuff girls!#is nothing from the childhoods of those of us who grew up in the early to mid 2000s sacred anymore?#what’s next a CW live action spin off of SpongeBob Squarepants in which SpongeBob works as a drug dealer for mob boss Mr. Krabs?#a CW live action spin off of Johnny Bravo where fool JD is actually rewarded for hitting on women who are strangers?#a cw live action reboot of dexter’s laboratory in which dexter grows up to run a crystal meth lab?#a CW live action spin-off of Courage the Cowardly Dog in which Muriel is a terrible pet owner too?#a CW live action of Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends in which Mac is diagnosed as a schizophrenic who hallucinated in the OG series?#omg! just let these beloved cartoons RIP please!#Come up with something new! Stop ruining good cartoons from the past by reviving them into something they were never meant to be!

173 notes · View notes

nikadoesanart · 3 years

Text

Will Jouno assist Fukuchi?

In ch 92, Fukuchi shows Bram to Jouno (though I'd say introduce would be a better way to describe it cause Jouno's blind but minor inconsequential details) and reveals that he is the mastermind behind the Agency being framed and asks Jouno to help him. Personally, I think that Jouno is just a bit more likely to form some kind of alliance with Fukuchi but not necessarily a full-on partnership, much less to the point where it'd be considered working more with Fukuchi as Kamui of the DOA than helping Fukuchi as Fukuchi himself or as the commander of the HD.

Also, I am using @buraihatranslations translation of ch 92, so that's where my exact phrasing for quotations and page counts are coming from. You can read the full translation here.

The main context of our focus

“I’m the mastermind. Jouno, wouldn’t you like to assist me?” (p 19)

For starters, I don’t think Fukuchi is being a reckless idiot for saying this. Considering that he's literally Kamui, he obviously must’ve considered this as a calculated but worthwhile risk to take. As I’ve previously mentioned in my ch 89.5 cover art analysis, Jouno is the most on the fence of the HD in terms of supporting Fukuchi vs believing in the Agency’s innocence. In fact, as we learned in 92, he simply doesn’t care and can therefore be considered a (nearly) neutral party. Jouno is also basically a living breathing lie detector, so he can tell apart the likes of jokes and lies from the truth very easily. Jouno also cares primarily about being able to hear his victim’s suffering, regardless of who’s right or wrong or innocent or guilty (as he’s told Aya). It logically just makes the most sense for Fukuchi to try to get Jouno on his side out of all the HD because :

Teruko is a simp for Fukuchi but she still cares about civilians and being able to take pride in her job as an officer (Sky Casino)

Tachihara has already clearly established his doubts in the ADA being guilty in front of all of the HD (ch 89) and told Fukuchi that he sees himself as more Mafia than HD now (ch 89.5)

Tecchou has a very strong sense of justice and cares about fairness, so asking him to quite literally join the side of the terrorists would never work out and would essentially be a waste of both time and possibly personnel too

What does Jouno personally want?

As I've already briefly touched on (and presumably you already read ch 92 before this), Jouno has already stated his goals, which gives us a good sense of where he stands morally.

“I just want to hear the voice of someone’s suffering.” (p 9)

“To hurt people under the name of the law[,] corner them and hear their “sound” as they break.” (p 10)

Now that we’ve more than established that Jouno is in fact, a sadist, I do want to emphasize Jouno’s mention of the law. Not only does he enjoy making people suffer (specifically psychologically, as he’s mentioned before), but he specifically mentions that he wants to do it “under/in the name of the law”, meaning that he likely either only wants to do it in a “justifiable”/“excusable” way or that he doesn’t want or plan to be held accountable for his actions (or worse, both). Until we get a backstory reveal, there could be any number of reasons for him being this way. I think it’s fairly likely that he’s from a similar situation to Fukuchi (took part in the Great War, and the mental scarring of everything he experienced then caused him to find some sort of extreme and inhumane goal or enjoyment to cope with it all). So for example, he could have been drafted for the War because he’s an ability user (or maybe he already happened to be in some sort of training where he received recognition for his skills, ie. the military academy or part of a renowned dojo) and eventually that led him to become a sadist because coping mechanism or discovering that he’s a sadist because of some extreme circumstances (ie. having to interrogate a prisoner for the first time and realizing how much he enjoyed giving and hearing the psychological torture).

Example of Jouno's excuses and justification

“I was just asking suspects for cooperation!”

“Then do it after they sign the consent form for judicial transaction. Otherwise, it’s not justice.” (p 12)

On one hand, we have Jouno who is very quick to make excuses for his actions by using his position as an officer to justify his behavior. Despite knowingly and intentionally using extreme measures, beyond what's necessary for the situation, he's using the law and his job to try to justify it. (If you're seeing some real-world parallels here, good job!)

On the other hand, we have Tecchou who very clearly values actual justice that is fair to all parties (as we’ve seen previously with him promising the cafe owner that the ADA will get a fair trial at the very least in ch 72). In fact, I think it’d be safe to say that Tecchou is the one that values impartial justice and fairness the most out of the HD, but that's not the focus here.

Parallelisms and which other organizations would suit him and his goals

(p 15-16)

For starters, Jouno appears to be on the side that believes that the ADA is a part of/affiliated with the DOA (if I’m not reading this wrong)

Also, I’d like to highlight him saying:

“ ‘Our tastes match’, if I should say. The abusive nature. To be honest, I’m almost empathetic. If we happen to lose this battle, I wouldn’t mind reemploying to their side. Not to say that we wouldn’t possibly lose.”

Jouno has no doubt in the strength of the HD but also just wants to be on the abusively cruel side dishing out the suffering. If he’s able to use his position to excuse his actions (ie. what he said about Aya just a few pages ago), then that’s even better for him. The ADA has an ability permit and currently ⅓ of the police force is siding with them and believes in their innocence. Joining the ADA next, should the HD lose, would be the most advantageous for him, if the allegations of them being abusively cruel terrorists were true.

In my opinion, his actual next best organization to join, based on his interests and goals so far as well as his own methods, would be the PM. They have an ability permit too and he’d have just as many chances to be either on the front lines and/or work with the interrogation team. With what his goals has revealed about his moral code, he’s just more cut out for the nature and surface level goals of the PM than the ADA. In fact, Dazai has already admitted to the two of them being alike (which we as the readers can deduce is for their methods in manipulation and interrogation) and Dazai has previously mentioned that he’d sometimes have to come in and help Kouyou’s interrogation team with the job (ch 19). Jouno joining the PM could be a very easy transition, should he stop caring about doing things “under the name of the law” (p 10). However, there is a loophole with the PM being a part of the tripartite tactic, of which the whole goal is to protect Yokohama. Both we as the readers and the members of the ADA know that despite their methods, the PM does in fact care about upholding the overall peace and safety of Yokohama. The reason why he jokes about joining the ADA and makes no mention of the PM (at least in my opinion), is because before all of this, to the public eye, the ADA was one of the “good guys” that were upholding the law whereas the PM is quite literally the mafia. (I touch on this part too in my ch 89.5 cover art analysis.)

Back to answering Fukuchi's question now

I feel like Jouno is ever so slightly more likely to form some kind of alliance with Fukuchi as Kamui but not straight up joining the DOA/allying with the DOA as a whole because again, Jouno is very much sadistic but he also specifically tells Aya (a possible hostage and a confirmed supporter of the ADA) that he specifically wants to “to hurt people under the name of the law” (p 10). Fully siding with the DOA and Kamui would mean that he’d no longer be working under the protection of the law, by any extent, unless Fukuchi were to create some kind of excuse as the commander of the HD (ie. Jouno was under the control of the vampirism). He might work with Fukuchi but I don’t think he’d work with or for Kamui. Either way, I think that overall it’s a very close tie.

In short:

If he says yes then he’d risk not having the law to protect him any longer, which is a part of what he clearly wants to have. The only way around this is some sort of agreement where Fukuchi will create a believable excuse for Jouno helping or he does it in a very indirect way that won't be noticed by others or can easily be played off as some sort of coincidence.

If he says no, he’d likely have to go up against Fukuchi and Bram and risk getting turned as well. I doubt he’d be killed since that would raise too many questions with Tecchou and Teruko, and thanks to Tachihara’s fight, I’d say it’s all been explicitly stated that still being alive is a part of the requirements to be turned into a vampire. When Tachihara tried to off himself as a last resort, specifically to stop Fukuchi and Bram from turning him into a vampire, Fukuchi personally prevented that from happening (ch 90).

Jouno has established that he just wants to hear the sound of people suffering (which Fukuchi would probably have learned of or figured out by now, considering that he’s the commanding officer here), which can be achieved from quite literally any side. However, his condition to this is doing it "under the name of the law", so being on a side that has the law’s protection and works on the front lines is where he’d be closest to achieving this with minimal risk (so realistically the HD or ADA). I doubt Jouno would have any interest in joining the Special Division because I doubt he’d get to do much interrogating or front-line work there, in addition to him having less of an excuse for his cruel methods, and I've already gone over why he'd rather join the ADA than the PM.

#bsd #bungou stray dogs #bsd analysis #bsd spoilers #bsd theories #bsd jouno #bsd 92 #bsd chapter 92

79 notes · View notes

spookyboywhump · 3 years

Text

Thank you @whumpfigure for sending in this ask I haven’t written in days and it struck the inspiration cord

CW: Pet whump, dehumanization, punishment, caning, referenced past abuse, Cain compares Nicholas to his father, that stuff yeah

***

This punishment was… new, to say the least. New from Nicholas, but not entirely terrible, he had an idea of what to expect. He’d been made to kneel at the coffee table in front of the couch, a leash clipped to his collar and tied around one of the table legs. It was just barely long enough for him to sit up straight, he wanted to loosen it but he didn’t dare touch it. Nicholas had given him paper and a pen, and a simple set of instructions.

He was to write the sentence as many times as it took until Nicholas told him to stop. He was to do so silently, to think about the offense he was being punished for. And if he made a mistake, well, ink wasn’t erasable, he’d simply have to start over on a whole new page. Nicholas had been kind, he’d taken the first paper and written down the sentence for him, the five words he’d be forced to repeat.

I am not a person.

He scowled at the sentence but reluctantly picked up the pen in his left hand, slowly beginning to write, only to suddenly be hit with a sharp pain against his back, the crack of a thin cane against his spine. He jumped, quickly turning to face Nicholas as much as he could. The man was relaxed on the couch behind him, smiling at him cruelly as one hand rested on the cane.

“You smudged the ink there darling, you know I should make you start over, right?” He said smugly. Cain opened his mouth to protest, but Nicholas continued with, “I suppose I can give you a pass on that, but you better be careful not to mess up or that’ll be another strike.” He warned.

“Yes sir…” Cain murmured, turning around to get back to work.

The monotonous task was nearly mind numbing, but it gave him more than enough time to think, tuning out the sounds of the tv show Nicholas was watching. He hadn’t even realized he was being bad at first, it was just a stupid tangent about food, about how much he missed his favorite comfort food, how he had a habit of eating too much whenever he was sad and left alone for too long. Nicholas hadn’t liked that, he’d let him finish rambling and then he had slapped him across the face, reminding him that thoughts of before were bad thoughts. He had expected a worse punishment than this, though he wasn’t about to say he appreciated this one.

It reminded him of his father, he realized as he got started on the second page. When he was a child, before his mother had left, when he misbehaved or made a mistake, his father would make him write at least a page, maybe more, apologizing for whatever offense he committed. Looking back on it, he hated it then, but it was just a minor irritation compared to punishments he’d later suffer through. Even now it was just an irritation, an inconvenience, a bad memory-

“Shit.” He murmured the word without thinking, distracted by his own thoughts he’d skipped over a whole word in the sentence. Before he could brace himself, the cane came down hard on his back, causing the man to hiss in pain, curled in on himself, only to be hit again.

“Sit up straight.” Nicholas ordered him, and he had no choice but to force himself to obey. “Sit up straight and start the page over.” He said, and with shaking hands Cain crumpled up that paper and started on a new one, his hand gripping the pen tightly, his eyes narrowed in concentration.

He had noticed that Nicholas reminded him of his father often, and that wasn’t a comparison he was particularly comfortable making. He was cold though, controlling and so quick to lash out, so easy to displease. Sometimes Cain thought he wanted him to slip up, only to have an excuse to punish him, and while he could say a lot of horrible things about his father, he at least knew he’d never intentionally set him up for failure and punishment. At least, he never thought he did anyway. He assumed it was just a coincidence that they both had the same cruel traits, or maybe even intentional, Nicholas playing on the things he knew Cain had hated and feared so much. At the same time, it really wouldn’t have surprised him if they were both just simply bad, even though he hadn’t really known him personally at that point, he had known that his father liked Nicholas on some level, the way a boss likes a model employee, and anybody his father approved of was rarely a safe person. Thinking back on that, he felt stupid for ever trusting Nicholas.

He made it through the second and third pages without incident, writing over and over I am not a person. I am not a person. The fourth page- god, he didn’t know when it would end- had started out okay, but he gripped the pen too tightly, pressed on the paper too hard and torn it half way through. That is when the tears sprung to his eyes. The cane cracked against his spine and he cried out in pain, whimpering when Nicholas suddenly grabbed a fistful of his hair and jerked his head back, teary blue eyes meeting his cold grey ones.

“All you have to do is write one simple sentence and you can’t even do that? I know you’re a brainless little bitch but it can’t be that hard now can it? Start over.” He ordered, giving him a harsh shove forward when he let go of his hair. Taking slow, shuddering breaths, he sat up straight again, and he started on a new page.

Four pages turned into six, into eight, and finally, he was on the tenth page, tears streaming down his face as he struggled to write perfectly. He’d had to restart the six and seventh pages too, this was getting harder and harder. He let out an involuntary whine, and Nicholas sighed behind him.

“Is something wrong, darling?” He asked, sounding almost exasperated, but as it was permission to speak Cain stupidly opened his mouth.

“I-I can’t…” He whimpered. “I can’t, I can’t, my hand hurts s-so much!” He cried. His left hand was cramping, his wrist ached, his only breaks were the brief moments in between pages and it simply wasn’t enough, not to mention the ache in his back from holding this posture, along with the several strikes he’d suffered. “I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry I th-thought like- like a person, I’m sorry f-for being so stupid, I know, I know, I’m not a person, I’m not a person, I know I’m not a person!” He sobbed.

“Oh, my love…” Nicholas leaned forward, carding a hand through his hair. “I knew you’d understand eventually. How about you finish this page perfectly, and then I’ll let you stop, hm?” He said, and Cain quickly nodded.

“Y-Yes sir, yes sir, I-I can do that…” He said through his tears. He felt like he couldn’t do it, he was in so much pain and his normally small and neat writing was getting sloppier as he just wanted this to be over. He spelled the words correctly though, he didn’t skip any words and he didn’t tear the paper. He still smudged some of the ink, and when he accidentally leaned forward a few tears had dropped onto the paper, blurring the dark ink, and he’d fear Nicholas would make him start over but he only caned him twice for it, and told him to keep going. It almost felt merciful in these circumstances.

Finally, ten pages complete and several discarded, he’d written the last word, dropping the pen and holding his aching hand to his chest. He was sobbing, he couldn’t help it, he was in so much pain, his hand, his back, even his legs had gone numb from how long he’d been kneeling. He never thought it would end but he’d somehow finished it, and Nicholas unclipped the chain from his collar and pulled him up onto his lap, wrapping his arms around him.

“There you go darling, there’s my good boy.” He said gently. “You just needed to be taught this lesson, that’s all. I’m sure you won’t forget now.” He said, and Cain was almost sure he was right, after writing it so many times over and over again.

I am not a person.

#whump #my writing #my oc’s #cain #puppy cain #Nicholas #dehumanization #pet whump #caning #referenced past abuse #thank you parni I enjoyed writing this

86 notes · View notes

quazartranslates · 3 years

Text

Welcome to the Nightmare Game II - CH66

**This is an edited machine translation. For more information, please [click here]**

[<<< Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter >>>]

-----

Chapter 66: The Queen’s Inheritance (V)

When Qi Leren was held in Ning Zhou's arms, he couldn't stop loving this person.

He thought that he could never give Ning Zhou up. If he couldn’t stand beside Ning Zhou, he would be terribly lonely and desperate.

"Power comes at a price," Ning Zhou whispered in his ear. "If I finally lose myself and become the devil I fear and hate most... If one day that happens, you must... kill me."

Qi Leren's chest seemed to be struck hard by a heavy hammer, making him breathless and pained. His bitter tears burst out at once. He put his forehead on Ning Zhou's shoulder and shook his head hard. At this moment, he knew clearly that he couldn't do it.

He was not the saint Maria. He couldn't kill his most important person in order to protect humanity. He was just an ordinary selfish person. He could only try his best to prevent Ning Zhou from falling, even if he has to sacrifice his own life to do it. But if one day the world and his lover were placed at opposite ends of the same scale, the scale would only sway and tilt towards his lover.

Qi Leren, who was driven to despair by this cruel fate, even thought, what did world peace have to do with him? Who would be grateful to a saint who had fallen into evil? If Ning Zhou really did this, would he have to kill Ning Zhou for the sake of "justice"?

"If there is such a day, I will accompany you." Qi Leren choked and said, "You must, you must not leave me."

Qi Leren knew what kind of person Ning Zhou was. He had long been aware of Ning Zhou's personality of self-sacrifice and dedication. After suffering from demonization, this personality had even tilted in the direction of self-destruction.

Ning Zhou could sacrifice himself for others, but he didn't want others to do this for him. He regarded giving as God's reward, and never considered getting a reward. He doesn't want to drag anyone down. If one day he really fell down, he would definitely let go of his hand before falling into hell, and let the person he loved stay in the world.

Because he firmly believed that this was better for Qi Leren, but for Qi Leren, he wanted to be with the person he loved more, and he didn't care whether he was human or a devil, and whether this was the world or hell.

Ning Zhou didn't answer. Just like when they had talked on the balcony that night, he didn't answer.

But this time, Qi Leren couldn't bear it anymore.

"I'm telling you seriously that I don't accept your self-righteous decision." Qi Leren broke free from Ning Zhou's hug and said to him with anger for the first time, "You think it’s good for me, but have you ever thought about how I feel?"

Ning Zhou was silent for a long time. After a long time, he sighed and said to Qi Leren, "Look at your feet."

Qi Leren turned his head and looked down at the altar. More than half of the temple of this cult ceremony had collapsed: the had dome collapsed, the columns had collapsed, and everything had collapsed slowly and inexorably. After the time for the Prophet's Heart ended, the white flowers all over the ground changed back to their original appearance—the broken arms and limbs and dripping blood were all over the place, which were bloodier and more horrible than the slaughtered Valentine tribe.

The blood foaming from the corpses’ mouths made the acid in his stomach churn. Under the tense environment just now, Qi Leren hadn't noticed this, but now when he carefully looked at this piece of hell on earth, he still couldn't bear to look closely and averted his eyes.

Ning Zhou was not surprised.

He hadn't been with Qi Leren for a long time. Most of the time, they had still been far away from each other. There were only the few days since he had really confessed his heart. But he knew what kind of person Qi Leren was. He is brave and strong. Most of the good qualities of human beings could be found in him, but this couldn’t hide that he was a naive young man who had grown up sheltered.

He must have had a warm family, parents who loved him, mentors and friends along the way, and he had lived happily for the first half of his life, so he learned how to love others generously.

Beloved children would become excellent people when they grew up. Their view of the world was gentle, and they had a childlike innocence towards cruelty. Their love for the world was selfish. They loved easily and hated easily. Once they were hit, it was too easy for them to turn good love into deep hate.

Qi Leren had seen the cruelty of the Nightmare World. He had not seen the real terror, and he had not defeated the evil in his heart, so he would not know what it was like to still love the world after suffering.

He felt that he couldn't kill Ning Zhou, and would rather go down with him, but he also hadn't seen a Ning Zhou who had lost himself in his original force, killed innocent people, and even destroyed the world. His determination was just naive self-motivation at this moment.

"You see this ceremony. Such things happen every day in the hell of the underworld, ones more cruel than this. Everything you can imagine, what you can't imagine... is happening. You will never like all this," Ning Zhou said.

He would only slowly collapse in disgust, or become evil himself.

Qi Leren choked. He forced himself to stare at the blood on the ground and a tentacle at his feet that had not been burned away. Every raised lesion on it was filled with disgusting mucus. As Ning Zhou said, he would never like it.

Just like he could strive to be strong in order to survive, and even learn to kill people, but he didn't like it.

The life he liked was the life he had once had, not the daily bloodshed in the Nightmare World. In the dead of night, he would also think of his parents. They only had one child. If he died here, he would never go back...

"Let’s go back. These things can be thought about slowly, and this half-field is about to collapse." Ning Zhou wiped off the blood on his hands and pulled Qi Leren down the damaged steps of the altar.

Qi Leren was silent, with his head down, and his boots stepped on the blood that splashed like a pool of water, making him hold his breath subconsciously. In this dim temple, everything was destroyed and ruined. When going out of the temple, Qi Leren suddenly remembered the mysterious sacrifice that had destroyed the ceremony before, and immediately went back to look for him.

"He left," Ning Zhou said, as if he knew what he was thinking.

"Left? Can you leave here?" Qi Leren asked in a low voice.

"I need to find out who this person is," Ning Zhou said. Taking Qi Leren forward, there were traces of a violent breakthrough at the edge of the half-field. The passerby had hit this half-field with his own half-field—this simple and crude method was very dangerous, because the half-field was very fragile before it was completely condensed. It was like two eggs colliding with each other. No one can be sure which one would be broken, or if the two would break together.

"That man just now... was very strange," Qi Leren said. "Did he intentionally mix into the cult sacrifice group to stop the ceremony and save them?"

Ning Zhou shook his head: "He was not here to save anyone."

That man had had no kindness or pity for the innocent people here. He was like a tiger who challenged the hunting tiger king in order to overthrow the position of the king of the jungle. It was not his original intention to save the goats who had escaped from danger. It was just a coincidence.

Qi Leren also felt the difference in that man, and he grinned: "He’s a strange person, but I saw his weapon... Is he the one who fought against Ashley before?"

"It's him," Ning Zhou said with certainty.

Qi Leren had a hunch that he would meet this person again.

The two men went out from the broken part of the half-field that was about to collapse, instantly returned to the sloped building, and then walked towards the Trials Court’s headquarters.

　　&&&

"The worshippers of Utopia are getting more and more rampant," Celia said with a frown after hearing Qi Leren’s retelling of this cult sacrifice.

"Utopia is the Devil of Power’s field? What method did she use to sway the worshippers?" Qi Leren asked curiously.

He knew that with the Slaughter Secret Society of the Devil of Slaughter, by joining the organization and gaining recognition, members would have the opportunity to be given a powerful seed of slaughter, and could even be transformed into a demon. This was very attractive to ordinary people, so there were countless players and aborigines who joined in wave upon wave. However, Qi Leren still had little knowledge of what Utopia was.

"It’s said that as long as the monster guarding the gate of Utopia is summoned and given a good meal, it will generously open the door and let worshippers enter Utopia, where there is no death, no worry, no fear, and people can live a happy eternal life from now on," Celia said.

Qi Leren turned his head silently and complained to Ning Zhou, who was silent on the side: "They must be out of their minds?"

"...Hmm," Ning Zhou said.

"How can they believe that they can get what they want through this wicked ceremony? If nothing else, is the Devil of Power a kind person? Is she doing this to do good deeds?" Towards these idiotic fanatical worshippers, Qi Leren couldn't help but feel like he had a higher IQ.

Celia looked at the ripples in the cup of black coffee she held, and sighed lightly: "If you’re just an ordinary person, have no talent, and aren’t very brave, you don't know if you’ll still be alive tomorrow. You watch your relatives and friends die one by one, but there’s nothing you can do. Where do you want to pin your soul so it can breathe? People always have to believe something in order to forget the pain and suffering in front of them."

Qi Leren opened his mouth, but swallowed his words back.

He wanted to ask why they didn't work hard, but he felt that the question was like "why don't you eat more meat." Would hard work definitely have results? Even Qi Leren himself wasn’t sure. But if you didn't work hard...

Qi Leren tensed his face slightly. He looked at Ning Zhou, who had taken on too much burden, and thought: If you don't work hard, you will only sink forever into your destiny.

One day he would untie Ning Zhou and make him happy. Happy and free.

He believed that someday, this day would come.

-----

[<<< Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter >>>]

21 notes · View notes