I wanna fuggin cri I wanna rp as my knight sons but most people who rp Arthurian stuff rp things based off of Merlin and not the more legend-directed stuff so I guess I’ll die

bisexual lesbian but its the gender definitions of the labels

Let me just start by clarifying that I don’t think it’s weird that they have Protection of Faith. King Hassan was the founder of a religious assassin cult, while Vlad III was referred to as “The Shield of The Christian World”. This isn’t a question of if they are qualified for the skill, but of why it’s as high ranked as it is. The only other servant with Protection of Faith is Martha, a literal saint, and yet it’s only ranked “A”. So what separates them from her? 

Unfortunately, none of the servant’s profiles or bios go into detail about the skill or why they have it, so I’ll have to begin by highlighting the buffs themselves and go from there. Protection of Faith A gives two buffs; an increase to debuff resistance and a heal. Meanwhile, Protection of Faith A+++ gives the user all of the above, plus an Attack and a Defense buff. This’ll be important later on, so keep it in mind, but I want to very quickly go back to the question of “why?” It’s not a question of deeds since we know she tamed the Tarasque (which is especially amazing if you’re looking at this from the perspective of a DnD Player), so there must be something else at play. 

There are two reasons/possibilities. The first is that it ties into Martha’s possession of her second skill: Miracle D+. Her profile describes it as “A miracle that makes the impossible possible. A Personal Skill.” If this miracle was a product of her faith, hence the ”personal” aspect, then it would make sense that the Protection of Faith would be ranked less; because both the source and the result are present as separate skills. The only problem with this is that what the Miracle skill offers doesn’t match what would’ve been taken from the Protection of Faith. Though it could be that the taming of the Tarasque was a non-violent act and would therefore not lend itself to Attack and Defense buffs, there is still one thing that Vlad and King Hassan have that Martha didn’t: Conviction.

To be honest, I thought it might’ve had to do with their alignment at first, but while both Martha and Vlad III are Lawful Good, King Hassan is Lawful Evil, thereby rendering that comparison moot. This is why I believe that it runs much deeper. 

Since we’re given no context as to the qualifications for the Protection of Faith skill, let’s put together the Venn Diagram and assume that each character has the mindset of “by my faith, I will _____.” Each of the three Servants would have their own response to fill that blank. For Martha, “by my faith, I will quell this dragon.” For Vlad, “by my faith, I will defend my people.” And for King Hassan, “by my faith, I will root out the sin and corruption before me.” This is a very broad statement, so there will likely be holes in its logic, but as a qualifier for Protection of Faith, it’s serviceable. 

However, in terms of the “A+++” ranking, there’s more to the statement. Instead of simply “by my faith, I _____”, in reality it’s more along the lines of  “by my faith, I _____, even if it means _____.” So Vlad’s statement instead becomes “by my faith, I will defend my people, even if it means committing these atrocities.” and King Hassan’s becomes “by my faith, I will root out the sin and corruption before me, even if that sin and corruption is of my own people.”

Martha doesn’t have this condition to her skill or the buffs associated with it because for her it’s an action built on belief for the sake of peace and compromise, even if it’s propelled into actualization by a miracle. But for King Hassan and Vlad III, it’s not a compromise, because there can be no compromising for their beliefs or their ideals, and it can only be actualized by the conviction to see these two things through to the very end.

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about Lostbelt 2 lately, or I suppose it’d be more accurate to say that I’ve been thinking about its implications regarding the “Age of Gods”. Not Scandinavia’s though. Rather, I was thinking about Egypt’s, and specifically how it ended.

There are two ways that the Egyptian Age of Gods could’ve potentially ended. The first would be the death of the last pharaoh, Cleopatra. I want to say that this is the least likely of the two however, because while it’s still by all means significant factoring in the status of the Pharaoh as a “God-King” and the subsequent end of that title, it doesn’t quite encompass as much as an event like Ragnarok did for Scandinavia; an end to all of them.

This is where things get interesting, and ultimately sad for one Pharaoh in particular, because Egypt did experience something similar to an extent, all due to the actions of one man: Moses.

During a class I took on Old Testament History, my professor talked about how each of the plagues was significant; that each one was meant to demonstrate the authority and superiority that God held over Egypt’s gods. In order:

⁃ The Nile turning to blood for Hapi

⁃ Frogs for Heket

⁃ Lice from dust for Geb

⁃ Flies for Kephri

⁃ Death of livestock for Hathor

⁃ Boils and Sores for Isis

⁃ Hail and fire for Nut

⁃ Locusts for Seth

⁃ Darkness for Ra

⁃ And finally, the death of the firstborn for the authority of the Pharaoh.

If we view these plagues as the surpassing, or even potentially the metaphorical “death” of these gods, then the comparison to something like Scandinavia’s Ragnarok is feasible to a degree.

If this is true, then it begins to explain one or two things regarding Ozymandias and his relationship with Moses. His profile mentions Moses as his sworn friend, yet in his interludes, Ozymandias really only refers to him as a saintly figure, then changes the subject or the topic of the conversation entirely. Why? Because of everything that Moses did to his people.

Yet, we know he’s not angry at him either, because what he did was for his own people, not for his own sake, hence the reverence of a “saint”. In the pharaoh’s eyes, Moses was only ever fulfilling his obligation to his people and his God, but he remained unmoved, because he had his own obligations to his people and his gods.

If we ever get Moses in FGO, I hope we get more regarding these two. Maybe even an opportunity for Ozymandias to see his friend’s side of the story. However, until then, this is my headcanon. That Moses was the catalyst for the end of the Egyptian Age of Gods, and yet Ozymandias didn’t blame him, for neither of them were acting for themselves, but for the sake of their people.

All I’m saying is that Kintoki would absolutely have a Bionicle collection.

clouiis:

javert is such a weird character to think about because on one hand, it’s really plausible read him as a moc since Victor tells us his mother was a fortune teller (w no crime listed, the same as his father) and that’s a perception commonly attributed to, if indeed racist, to Romani esp within literature of this time period.

 And some translations of the novel also end up utilising the g*psy slur in place of that title, but then there’s a whole discussion to be had about whether that’s accurate as to probable authorial intent for the time period.

But then ON TOP OF THAT, if you want to read him as a moc, that reframes the constant animalistic imagery (as well as the subservience to authority) in a problematic light because poc, and in particular men, being referred to as beasts isn’t you know. Great!

But then you have this reading also giving additional depth to Javert protecting a system that essentially views him as worthless, beyond the background of being born to parents who were deemed criminals. Why he’s held to such aggressive standards amongst his collegues are partially why he holds himself to such. Internalised racism is genuinely such an interesting angle to explore with his character!

Well said!!! I’m also weak for Romani Javert, and although the racist implications ARE problematic they add a whole new dimension to his character. Furthermore, Roma people are victims of hate crimes and police brutality even today (especially in Europe) so a lot of people could benefit from learning a little more about the culture. Two of the Les Misérables spin off novels I’ve read characterize Javert as Romani, Barricades by C. A. Shilton and The Pont-au-change series by Arlene C. Harris. The second one in particular has him raised with the customs and language, which I find especially interesting!

Another note: many people write off the possibility of Javert being Roma by citing the term ‘gypsy-race’ as a mistranslation of race bohème. Despite initially referring soley to France’s Romani population, from the mid-to-late 19th century onwardsBohémiencame to describe anyone living a free, unconventional lifestyle. Hugo’s definition probably falls in line with the former, considering that in Hugo’s opera La Esméralda, composed around the same time that he started writing Les Mis, the titular Roma refers to herself as L'humble fille bohème (The humble bohemian girl).

Okay y’all, please stop asking about HHTC. I truly love that so many of you have taken an interest, but having around thirteen anons asking about an update when I’ve already answered two is a bit…disheartening? Knowing that it’ll be awhile before chapter three comes out, and the amount of pressure these asks dump on me is distressing.

If you like what I write, perhaps work on commenting my works, or reblogging them? That is far more encouraging and considerate than hounding me for updates.

I already have so much on my plate, and only ask that this bombarding lightens up. Please and thank you!

I have a feeling Gaara would ADORE matching parent/child shirts but he would never buy them himself.

Imagine the following:
It’s his birthday and Gaara opens his present: a turtleneck-pullover with a pizza on it - one slice is missing.

Gaara:*holding up the pullover*
“Oh honey this – Thank you so much. …”
*cue staring back and forth between you and the pullover for a solid 5 minutes before trying it on* “It fits really well, thank you dear.”
*more awkward silence* “May I inquire… - why pizza?”

Shinki:“I have returned from my errand”
*Shinki opening the door to the living room, wearing the same pullover - but with only one slice of pizza*

Gaara:“Oh Shinki welc–”

*looks at Shinki* - *looks at himself* - *looks at you* - *looks at Shinki* - *looks at himself *

Gaara:

Sayori and Yuri meeting in the hospital (because they, well, yknow) for the first time a few years before the lit club.

They (sorta) become friends.

Ultimately it’s Sayori who convinces Yuri to join in an effort to help her become more social.

Hi, friends, I haven’t posted here in months or, but i’m just gonna pop in to say that there are very few instances where “not all men” us an appropriate phrase.

littleberryakari:

!!IMPORTANT!!

I know this is normally the first time I am actually kind of mad at this kind of shit. But I just had to let it out for now

Listen. About the NSFW requests people request in other writers inboxes such as @ensemblestarscafe receiving 2 NSFW requests from one or two anons. Normally we assumed that it was a troller. Now trollers who do this kind of shit let me say this. People aren’t going to think this is funny because they have things they are for sure uncomfortable with. And it sickens me to see people think this kind of shit is funny without even knowing the person itself. Anons who dont read the writers rules. I would suggest reading the rules NOW, because we writers are not going to be writing everything you want, because we have FEELINGS and we are HUMANS. Not to mention we have our RIGHTS to deny the request. I am pretty sure the other people who have spoken themselves said this many times. I assure you we will NOT repeat it once more. Once again, ONE LAST TIME. We writers are HUMANS. Not robots. Nothing that is inhuman. We are humans, that means we have our own feelings and thoughts. Keep in mind the people who have their own blog. It is their OWN blog not yours. I would prefer not to treat them like they serve you. I just wanted to spill this out because I am tired and angry of this kind of shit that people think its so funny but no it isnt because people have their own things that they are comfortable with and not comfortable with. 

Thank you for listening.

- Akari ~ <3

I want to talk about the pliant bones thing, especially since the argument is typically weaponized against Gwynriel shippers, stating that we are reducing the worth of these female characters to their capability to bear children.

I thought about reblogging @mistresspotatoskull after her statement earlier today. But I wanted to get my thoughts out here on their own.

Sarah J Maas, whether you like/appreciate her writing or not, is very intentional about what she says. Thereaders have not made the capability to carry and birth an Illyrian baby a focus. SJM made it a huge thing in ACOSF. She also mentioned that Nesta had adjusted her own and Feyre’s anatomy, leaving out Elain. In addition, we have the intentional mention of Gwyn having pliable bones due to her nymph heritage.

Here’s the thing:

ItIS WRONG to say that you believe Gwyn and Azriel SHOULD be mates based on her ability to have a winged child, because the ability or desire to bear a child is not fundamental to personality or worth. No relationship should be based on that one thing.

ItIS NOT WRONG to see SJM’s statements and utilize them as evidence in an argument. It is a canonical statement that lends credence to the ability to procreate as a couple, which theAUTHOR has made important through her plot choices. It IS NOT WRONG to say that you believe Gwyn and Azriel WILL be mates based on textual evidence, which includes the fact that Gwyn’s anatomy might lend itself to her ability to have a winged child and it makes sense based on how SJM has been writing/saying in interviews. It is simply a piece of evidence used to support an argument.

The distinction is VERY important.

I don’t see a lot of Gwynriels saying that Elain shouldn’t be with Az because she can’t bear his children. And if they do, that’s shitty. Every Gwynriel I have seen or interacted with has a whole slew of reasons why they believe Az and Elain don’t fit, and those reasons are all about personality and growth. We just don’t think they make sense together, and that’s fine.

In conclusion:

Is it wrong to exclude someone from a ship solely because of their ability or inability to potentially birth a child?YES

Will I continue to use SJM’s text and plot devices as evidence to support a theory of which ship I think will be endgame? Also Yes

Snippet - Levi and MC’s Secret Handshake

I like to think that once Leviathan and MC were officially best friends (i.e. Levi actually admitted to it), they soon came up with their own secret/friendship handshake. MC was the one to suggest it, and initially Levi brushed it off, calling it “such a normie thing to do.” But when he thought about it more, it sounded really cool. After all, the Lord of Shadows and Henry (probably) have a special type of interaction only the two of them do together since they’re best friends, and he did consider MC to be his Henry. In the end, it didn’t take long for him to ultimately agree to MC’s idea.

They probably spent at least a few hours on coming up with a handshake in Levi’s room, mainly because Levi kept freaking out from the physical contact at first and then he also wanted to watch TSL and other anime with best friends to get some ideas. Eventually MC helped him relax and get back on track to create the handshake, even offering suggestions of their own using what they’ve seen. Soon enough, they had their own special handshake!

I think it’d be short and fairly simple, but it displays the bond they share. What I imagine it looking like is variations of high fives (one hand and two hands) between the two of them where they then end up with their backs against each other in some sort of pose Levi most likely came up with. I can also see them adding a little motto/speech to say while doing the handshake (think of, like, Team Rocket’s spiel each time they appear in the Pokemon anime, but not quite as long, hahaha). Or even something more brief yet cute like: “Levichan!” “MC!” “Unstoppable friends!” “Together ‘til the end!”

Now,when do they do this handshake? Levi was still a little nervous about it in the beginning, so they only did their handshake when they were alone in his or MC’s room. It would mainly happen once they met up/entered the room and when they completed difficult parts of video games together, like a boss battle. As they grew closer and more comfortable with it, they would even do the handshake just before one of them had to leave the room and when they wanted to encourage each other. Then one day, Levi and MC were so excited to have passed a particularly hard test at RAD (that they had spent a whole night studying for) that they did their handshake in the middle of the classroom, right in front of Mammon and Beelzebub. Levi was very embarrassed by this, especially when Mammon started questioning him about it, but Beel reassured him that the handshake was neat–and he liked seeing his older brother look so happy while doing it.

Now that the secret is out, Levi and MC gradually do their handshake more often outside of their rooms. And if he’s being honest, Levi gets a tiny boost of pride/confidence whenever his brothers see them, noting traces of envy in their stares. This was something special only he shared with MC, his best friend. (Though, it doesn’t take long for some of them, like Mammon and Asmodeus, to ask MC to make a secret handshake with them, too, haha.)

The way I can’t even look at Chris Evans anymore…