May 28, 2025
hlackquil
seen from South Africa
seen from China
seen from China
seen from Canada
seen from Canada
seen from Hungary
seen from Australia
seen from Türkiye
seen from United States
seen from Canada
seen from United States
seen from Canada
seen from Italy
seen from Türkiye
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from Singapore
seen from China
hlackquil
Why Taigen HAS TO stay in Japan (for the first half of the season) - 5 reasons
I’’ve already written a lengthy post about why Taigen should go to London… but my dream was shattered when the creators announced he would start the season in Edo. Sooo, it’s time to analyze why it makes sense for him to stay in Japan.
Reason 1 – So he can have a proper closure with Akemi
When you look at season one as a whole, you realize Akemi and Taigen have a lot of unfinished business. Their talk from episode two ends with Akemi giving away her virginity and Taigen leaving her to chase MIZU. Officially he’s trying to “regain his honor” and save their engagement, but it doesn’t change the fact he leaves his fiancé IMMEDIATELY after deflowering her. Not very gentlemanly of him.
Next time they see each other is many episodes later, when Edo is burning and Seki has just died in Akemi’s arms. Taigen suggests they run away together, disregarding anything that had happened between them just before he left. And, honestly… if he made that kind of proposition two episodes earlier, Akemi might have enthusiastically agreed. But she’s now two episodes wiser and she has no plans to flee – she intends to be great, to play the game, and to win, just like Seki had taught her.
We don’t know yet what role will Taigen play in that game. Will Akemi treat him as just another pawn, using his affection for her against him? Or maybe, she will convince herself he’s still the man who had given her the candy under the tree? Try to keep him as a lover, perhaps? Whatever happens, the end is certain.
Akemi and Taigen are the type of couple that works very well together, but only until the honeymoon phase is over. All it takes is one crisis and their relationship crumbles. With every new episode of season one it becomes more and more obvious how fundamentally different they are from each other. Akemi is natural at lying and manipulation, and Taigen is brutally honest (just like a certain blue eyed samurai). Their priorities after the Shindo Dojo incident are completely different – Taigen wants his honor and Akemi wants to save the engagement at all cost. To Akemi it doesn’t matter HOW she achieves what she wants as long as she gets it – for Taigen the way of achieving his purposes is EVERYTHING (remember how he could just murder Mizu after the battle with four fangs, but didn’t?).
So, they need at least half of the season to understand what they want to be to each other. My bet is that they will part ways as friends… or Taigen will become fed up with Akemi’s court games and they will separate on bad terms (to become friends again in season three). Either way, they need a closure.
Reason 2 – So he stands up for foreigners being harassed by the new shogun
From Lady Itoh’s speech it is obvious that under the new shogun Japan’s going to become even MORE xenophobic. After Fowler’s failed coup the hate towards the white devils will reach its peak and every foreigner or half-foreigner will be in serious trouble. Perhaps there will even be an ethnic purge of some sort?
For Taigen this means facing the very same choice he had to make before - first as a child, then as a member of the Shindo Dojo.
He knew it was wrong when he bullied Mizu with other kids, but did it anyway. He could probably tell his Shindo mates were a bunch of assholes, but he worked hard to be accepted by them and it paid off, because it took him to the point when he was engaged with a princess. Until he wasn’t.
Now his social standing is good again - he had helped to save shogun’s family. But he’s no longer the man whose honor is defined by being acknowledged by important people.
I bet he’ll see foreigners being abused, but this time he’ll act differently. He’ll defend people like Mizu and it’ll get him into serious trouble.
3 – So he can see the hypocrisy of Japan’s ruling class
Honor is something that defines a samurai, distinguishes him from a simple cutthroat. It’s Taigen’s personal obsession and I have a hunch it’s somehow linked to his father – as long as Taigen behaves with honor he will be different from the man who raised him.
In season one every important decision he makes is based on honor. He doesn’t kill Mizu when she’s unconscious (even though he’s tempted) - he helps Ringo get her to safety and offers to wait until she’s in good shape for a duel. In prison he doesn’t reveal ANY information about his rival, even after enduring hours of torture. He’s angry at Mizu for abandoning Akemi because it’s dishonorable.
For Taigen, people’s worth is defined by their honor. That’s why he comes to respect Ringo so much and becomes best buddies with him at the end of the season. That’s why he forgives his rival immediately, when Mizu proves to him that he cares about things other than revenge.
So, the question is: how he’s going to act when he understands that shogun and his family are very dishonorable?
He already got glimpses of this hypocrisy when he was in Shindo Dojo, his buddies being extremely rude to Mizu, even though all she wanted was to talk to their shihan. Hell, he got glimpses of this his whole life, when his friends were cruel just because they felt they had the right to be. Because they believed – just like Taigen believed – that being samurai, or simply being Japanese, makes one more honorable by default.
If you’re samurai and you’re dealing with someone who’s not, everything you call honorable HAS TO be honorable. If you’re Japanese and the other person is not, they are obviously the monster, the wrong one, simply because being Japanese means being more honorable by definition. Except it doesn’t, and Taigen already realizes this at the end of season one.
At this point simply being something is not enough to convince him – acting in a certain way does.
And it’s easy to predict Lady Itoh and the new shogun will not be honorable.
They intend to be cruel to everyone with foreigner’s blood and Mizu falls into that category. Although she had helped them with Fowler and they are technically in her debt, it won’t matter to them. But it WILL matter to Taigen.
Because, yeah… being bad to random white people he can understand. He might be against it, but he understands where it came from - Fowler tried to seize control of Japan not too long ago, being wary of his kind makes sense.
But hunting the family’s savior, not wanting to treat Mizu fairly, is the sort of attitude Taigen will certainly despise.
Not to mention that he himself may become the target. Lady Itoh made it clear that anyonr who saw her husband’s fall deserves to die and something tells me this includes Taigen as well. Perhaps Akemi will intervene and Taigen will not be targeted immediately, but I’m sure he won’t get the gratitude he hopes for.
If one is not admired for gallantly coming to his shogun’s aid, then what the hell is even the point of serving the shogun?
Reason 4 – So he can admit to Akemi (and to himself) that he was an awful person to Mizu
After the puppet show Akemi is still very bitter about Mizu’s decision not to come to her aid. She basically dehumanizes the blue eyed samurai, calling her “it”.
A being with no feelings, a monster.
And it’s the truth that Mizu has a monster inside her, but she didn’t create it on her own accord. It grew because of other people’s hatred. Yes, Mikio made the demon’s awakening complete, he finished the process, gave it the final push, but he wasn’t the one who started it.
Taigen did.
And you can tell he’s aware of it when he gets those flashbacks in Kohama. Not to point of taking responsibility for his own cruelty, not yet, but he’s getting there.
What I want from him in season two is admitting that he left a scar in another person’s soul – one that cannot be fixed by offering fish dumplings in a form of lousy apology.
And he HAS to admit his past transgressions to Akemi – so he can shatter that image of himself from the first episode of season one, when he was that humble, but incredibly sweet guy, who had nothing to offer the princess, except from his good heart and honor.
Yes, Taigen can be sweet. And great. I believe deep down he is (read my other post). But he can’t be if he’s one person in front of his (ex) fiancé, the other with his buddies from Shindo Dojo, and yet another when he’s with Mizu and Ringo.
Taigen needs to be one and the same person in front of everyone and it will be possible ONLY if he admits to himself what he did wrong and what kind of moral compass he wants to follow from now on.
Reason 5 – So Akemi gets confirmation that Mizu was right
At the end of season one, Mizu provided Akemi with two valuable pieces of information about Taigen:
First – that he is not a good guy but he CAN be a great one. All true. Reread point four from this post.
Second – he doesn’t actually love Akemi.
Okay… technically, it was said that Taigen BELIEVES to love Akemi very much, which basically means he doesn’t, he’s just delusional about his feelings. Which, when you think about it, is a really nasty way of telling someone their ex fiancé doesn’t love them.
Mizu could just have been straightforward about it.
Or… she could lie. Say that Taigen does love Akemi. Why didn’t she?
That’s the question for another meta. Right now I want to focus on Taigen and Akemi.
When Akemi is tied up in the brothel, she bitterly suggest that Taigen ran away “from her to Mizu”. Which means she understands – in some subconscious level at least – that Taigen doesn’t love her. But even with that knowledge she still chased him, was determined to keep him. When Edo burns, she asks him to stay with her, while she’s married to another man.
Perhaps she believes she can make Taigen great by involving him in her schemes. But she can’t.
She could only make Taigen great if she ran away with him, because they would be far away from the hypocritical shogun and Taigen would have been able to follow his moral code. His greatness would be loyalty to his wife and to his principles. And he could have made Akemi happy. Seki said himself, that there’s happiness to be stolen, even when you’re married to the wrong man. Mizu understands it, too – Mikio was her “wrong man”, and she would have been perfectly happy with him, if only she had not been encouraged to reveal her true self and his ego hadn’t been wounded.
Mizu knows how little it takes to build a happy life and I think she genuinely wants that for Taigen and Akemi (in spite her own attraction to Taigen). But then, the destiny shifts when Seki dies. Akemi realizes it’s greatness she wants, not happiness. And yet she refuses to part ways with Taigen. Perhaps she believes Taigen’s devotion for her is enough to make him stay and play the game with her. But she’s wrong.
It may be enough at the beginning.
Taigen will stay - even though they were not able to marry, he still cares about Akemi and believes that watching after her is his responsibility. Annnnnd he thinks Mizu is dead, so what else he can do with his life?
So yeah, he chooses to stay. But it’s going to be a disaster, because he’s too impulsive and too sincere to play court games. He’ll come to understand he doesn’t really love Akemi – that she can’t give him neither happiness nor greatness, at least not in this circumstances.
Which brings us back to point one – Taigen need a closure with Akemi…
BONUS reason – So he can learn that Mizu is alive and follow her to London
I REALLY want this to happen mid-season or at least at the very end. Like I’ve written in my other post, it would be SUCH A WASTE of plot potential if Taigen didn’t go to London.
But now that I think about it, it DOES make more sense for him to go after experiencing some things in Japan and realizing what true honor means.
And it makes even MORE sense for the creators to mislead us by putting him in Japan at the beginning, so when he goes on a voyage it’s a big surprise to us, viewers.
I have this delicious scene in mind when Taigen learns that Mizu is alive and he literally drops everything to chase his rival, just like he did in season one. Such a beautiful parallel!
I really want it to happen. What about you?
Hey hello Nice to meet! Can you draw your shipchild of spamtenna Phee in undertale spamtenna!
HELLO!!! NICE TO MEET YA TOO :D!!! it's the very first time someone asks me something here, so I'm really excited to answer!!! thank u 💕💕💕
SORRY IT TOOK THIS LONG 😭
I've been a bit busy with school and some other things bruh, one of them being getting used to Infinite Painter and the other one being that my tablet died ONCE AGAIN 🥀 but now everything's fine, I bought a new one :D!
Of course, here's UT!Phee!!! But since I am who I am, buckle up for the info dumps! they're LONG.
sorry about the potato quality, I'll fix it somehow
It also took me a while to finally introduce her in this AU bc I didn't really want to. However, the best scenario for Phee would be to exist in a Post-Pacifist setting. Tho, the idea of my Trash Heap becoming parents was too tempting, they're wholesome af. I'll explain more about this later.
Would you ever fight her or know about her existence?
True Pacifist: You'd know about her interacting with the Trash Heap at their shop and then "unlock" her as an NPC, wandering around.
Geno/No Mercy: You'd learn about her via the message they leave for you at their shop, and if you interact w/some Echo Flowers. Then, you'd encounter Phee in Hotland, but the Royal Guards don't let you kill her.
Neutrals: Depends if you killed the Trash Hap or not. If you did, the shop doesn't work while the Hotland and Echo Flowers incidents happen. If not, everything goes like Pacifist, but she'd comment if you killed someone.
IT'S INFO DUMP TIMEEEEE ↓ only text tho 🥀
Hey I like your stuff. I'm new to calligraphy, got any tips for someone starting out?
Okay, this is going to be a long post, but I will start with the shortened version, then move to the longer/ramble-y version.
Some quick tips (as stated in my other post):
Try a few different styles unless you know what sort of calligraphy/hand lettering you want to do right away. Each style requires slightly different tools, so learn what works best for you and the style you want (ex. Spenserian vs Black Letter, etc.)
Learn to write with varying pressure, but don’t write with the kind of pressure you might use for a normal pen. Calligraphy pens are finicky, delicate creatures that will revolt if you mistreat them.
You don’t need all of the “high end fancy” tools and notebooks and inks. I started by practicing my letters with a normal pen on graph paper then moved to a multimedia sketchbook and an old speedball nib I found. Start small and work your way up.
Watch videos and learn how to hold your pen correctly. You don’t hold it like a pencil.
Guidelines are your friend.
OKAY NOW FOR THE LONG PART
DISCLAIMER: This is all based on MY setup and I am not formally trained! I figured most of this out by watching youtube videos and looking at blog posts and mimicking other calligraphers. My style of calligraphy is much closer to hand-lettering than traditional calligraphy, so if you’re trying to do copperplate or spencerian or something, it will require a lot more drills and discipline than my jerry-rigged nonsense.
Okay, so with that out of the way:
First tip: don’t be afraid of guidelines and guide sheets ESPECIALLY when you’re starting. They help with spacing and consistency in the slant of your letters if you’re doing letters with a slant. This is the one I made out of a 4x6 index card.
The dots and x’s on there help me to keep track of my spacing vertically. Most lowercase letters will have a “height” of one space (so for instance the space where the X is is the height of a lowercase letter). Most capital letters are going to instead have a height of three spaces or the “staff” or “tail” of a letter may be three spaces up or down. So the tall part or staff on a lowercase b, d, or t, etc. will stand three spaces tall total, and a p, q, or y etc. will have a tail that’s three spaces down total. I say total because this includes the main part of the letter. There are a ton of good videos out there that explain this and can show how to follow guidelines, so I would highly recommend checking those out for further help with guide sheets.
Inks!
I am not an authority on inks as I don’t have as much experience with a wide variety, but most calligraphers I’ve seen talk about them will say Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bombay India inks are solid. I’ve used the black and crimson colors and I’ve also used a teal Speedball brand ink.
Different inks and colors will behave differently, but usually as long as you’re using a calligraphy ink, you’ll be okay. You can use watercolors and fountain pen inks with calligraphy pens, but don’t try doing the reverse and using calligraphy inks in fountain pens. You will clog and ruin the pen. Fountain pen inks are more liquid/watery, though, so will take some getting used to if you’re using them for calligraphy. I’ve noticed they seem to work better with glass dip pens, but this is just personal observation and not based on personal experience since I use calligraphy inks for calligraphy and fountain pen inks for my fountain pen.
Speaking of pens - let’s talk about them!
There are two main parts of the pen - the holder/body and the nib. The body of the pen is the main part you hold on to, just like the body of a regular pen, and the nib is the end you write with. The nibs on calligraphy pens are replaceable and interchangeable, so you can replace them when they get worn (and they will get worn) or swap them out if you’re going between styles. When you first get a nib, it’s covered in a protective oil that you’ll need to get off. There are multiple ways to do this - some people say stabbing it into a potato and leaving it for something like 15 minutes works - but the way I do it is CAREFULLY use a lighter to heat the nib JUST A LITTLE and then wipe the oil off. I then clean the nib pretty thoroughly. Please be careful with whatever method you use because there are a million ways to damage the nib before you even get to use it. I’ve heard some people say soaking it in windex for several minutes works, but it’s never worked completely for me. I could just be doing something wrong, though. Usually windex is good for just standard nib cleaning, though.
Okay, let’s talk about how to hold the pen.
Usually when people hold a pen or pencil, they’ll do it like this:
I am here to tell you: don’t. You will fuck up your nib so bad and you will not be able to write well. When you hold a calligraphy pen, you need to hold it at a more acute angle. This will allow the ink in the well of the nib (the little window/hole you see on it) to flow down onto the paper in a more controlled way.
So you’ll hold it a bit more like this:
The pen nib has that pointy bit at the end. That part separates into pieces called tines. When pressure is put on the pen nib, the tines separate and ink flows out between them. This is why the varying pressure on a nib will make different widths of lines.
This is also why learning to vary your pressure will help with getting the letter shapes you want. When you go “up” on a letter, your pressure should be very light, maybe close to non existent depending on the style you’re using, and use slightly more pressure when you make a downstroke. This is also why you don’t want a more aggressive angle on the pen like if you were holding a pencil or ballpoint pen. Just pressing directly down on a pen nib will warp the tines and the ink won’t flow correctly.
Hopefully this was all helpful! I will do my best to answer any further questions, but remember - I am not formally trained and further details may be specific to whatever style you’re going for. That being said, there are dozens of really great calligraphers just on this site alone and I know many, if not all of them, would be more than happy to answer more style-specific questions. (We’re friendly, I promise lol.) best of luck in your calligraphy ventures and happy writing!
lucifer x husk is something i never knew i needed and as a multishipper im screaming
literally. king of hell x some alcoholic furry guy
i love them i need to know how they wouldve met, fallen for each other and started dating. and how much thatd piss alastor off
Ooh I am so happy other people are enjoying this pair as much as I am! I've gotten a few asks about my headcanons for them, and I am happy to blab on and on. Fair warning. This is gunna be a long and rambling essay.
I'm gunna put it all under a readmore, just cause I want to insert the art I've done of them so far, since I've been half-heartedly trying to tell a visual story through the doodles.
Okay. On we go!
Seeing alot of discourse so, I'm gonna say something about all the characters i can remember myself, to try n lighten the mood!
Sam would use a LOT of emojis when texting. i mean Look at him. he also gets very insecure about how he comes across after sending texts.
sebastians bong no longer exists because he kept smoking up his room and it got confiscated because just walking in could render someone high.
I think Abigail could probably bake decently! no clue if its been said otherwise or not, i just think she would be able to. she also would be an amazing reptile/bug parent, please give our homegirl a katydid to care for.
Robin, she's a decent cook but theres some things she absolutely can't make. she's sometimes tasteblind and thats fine. Also no doubt, but she smells like burnt wood constantly.
Demetrius can bake, really well for some reason, but he also sucks at certain baking activities. he's also judges food very bluntly, if he dislikes it, you'll know, BUT if he realized he upset you, he'll try and give you tips on how to improve it.
Maru, she also likes motorcycles like Sebastian does, but she'd rather put one together than buy one. it's just more interesting in the long run.
Jodi, I don't know much about her. but I can definitely see her giving tips and stuff when she can to other parents in town.
Kent, I really think he'd like oatmeal raisin cookies? I also don't know much about him, i love oatmeal raisin cookies myself. i think he'd like cross stitching, even if he isn't good at it.
Pam, I think she and Willy hang out on occasion to fish together, chat about old times because it makes her happy, i also don't think she gets on well with alot of the other townsfolk in recent times since she seems to be quite self isolated like her own daughter. so the times she does talk with others can lighten her day, She also has a habit of being abit rude to those she cares for in a joking manner.
Willy! That man and Clint are friends, Good friends! though I don't think Willy is on bad terms with Anyone. besides being annoyed with lewis sometimes, but he still cares for him. something tells me he likes knitting scarfs and mittens. but thats when he isn't able to fish. He can't knit a sweater and he swears he gets worse every time he tries.
Clint, i think Clint is also good at baking, though he surprisingly has a habit of burning his hands, keeps thinking he can grab the pans he's using without consequences. i think his favorite to make would be Blueberry or Carrot muffins :]]
Emily! she tries her best constantly, and is actually very nervous of how to make a good first impression, but she also acts on impulse which can be a rocky mix. i think she really likes roller skating, Haley probably does to, so its probably one of tbe activities she cherishes because its time she can spend with her sister.
Haley, It think she'd actually really be able to get into the punk/rock scene if you take the time to introduce her to it. she wouldn't change up her style no, but she'd be able to enjoy something outside of her usual comfort zone.
Alex. i think he couldn't roller skate for the life of himself. and would take alot of time to accept help in learning how to. but he doesn't want to admit it because he has an easy time ice skating and thinks he should be able to roller skate just fine.
George, He likes to go rock picking, and when i say that I'm not just saying that because of how many rocks he gived you, i think he likes to search for agates, has afew glass containers full of his favorite finds, And wouldn't admit it, but he'd be really happy when people join him in the little hobby kf searching
Evelyn, i think she actually really likes fishing, and used to fish at some point, but can't really do it nowadays, but i think she'd like to hang out near the river and talk to Willy when he's there.
Marnie, she's a heavy metal girl, she secretly knows so many metal bands it would surprise you. she'd be elated in a surprized reaction from whoever she's telling. She knows alot of niche bands aswell.
Shane, he once got an eyebrow piercing, but it rejected so badly he couldn't build the courage to get any other form of piercing for ages, He does now have ear piercings though.
Pierre, he has really bad luck, and by that i mean he's extremely clumsy, He walks into so many things, accidentally shuts cupboards and doors on his fingers or foot. curses like a sailor afterwards, likes to jokingly blame Joja for bizarre happenings as abit of an inside joke. Also he's the one usually cooking.
Caroline, THAT WOMAN, i fully believe she knows kick boxing, i just, get that vibe from her. She totally would, She also does most of the hard work around the house as her husband sits around looking pretty. Strong lady, can't convince me otherwise.
WIZARD, He can't cook, not at all, he keeps saying he'll learn, but its just not working for him, It should be just as easy as potions right? No, but he is really good at making tea. he has several blends he favors, and he wishes to share them with someone again someday.
Morris? He actually does feel abit bad for the inhabitants of pelican town, be he can't pinpoint why, so he blames it on the idea that he's just sorry they won't accept Joja. as mean as he is, i do think he has a heart somewhere beneath the Joja logo in his chest cavity 😔 I think he's also the son of the CEO. But I also think he worked Really really hard to get to his position. Morris also has a habit of not actually getting sleep. like, to the point he'll just crash in the work place and get woken by an employee clocking in, Usually Shane. Because Yoba knows Shane wouldn't hesitate to dig in to the fact Morris was sleeping on the Job. Morris used to have slight buck teeth but got them shaven down, (This is lowkey because of an inside joke that takes a LOAD of different characters from different fandoms and chucks them into the same family, because they have similar characteristics.)
FIZZZZ, theres not much on him, But i think he likes to play up on the stuff he does, such as practically scarying the player, He's playing it up, Morris is scared of him. but also has mad respect for him. I know that just because they're some of the only Joja workers that aren't exactly important, that i shouldn't immediately decide they know eachother, BUUUUT, I think they're actually friends, like, MORRIS crashed on Fizz's couch often, his own house was too far back in zuzu city for him to get there on time and still have enough time to sleep, and that they'd also be friends with Dobson if he was part of the game. Though Dobson wouldn't share the sentiment .
Dobson. Dobson should be real, Not just left in code. Thats not a headcanon, just sadness. But I think that if he was in the game, he'd be even harder to convince of not being a member of the Joja workforce than Morris or Fizz would be, he'd be Devoted to it. absolutely devoted. Theres a cardboard cutout of a heart in his chest, and when you turn it around Joja. Co is written across the back in blaring blue ink.
The Cashier girl! She actually is good friends with Sam, Sam was helping her come out of her shell while she worked there, but, when Joja mart is ran outta town, she had to leave aswell since she just oustide of town, (someone help her she had to drive quite the ways to work.) She HATES Joja but she needed the income. She doesn't hate anyone who works under joja, but aren't high ranking ranking, she pities them knowing they aren't actually evil, just, stuck in a hard work environment. I agree that her name is Carrie, it just suits her.
Gunther, That man is literally so gay, You can't tell me otherwise, that man is a fruit. Also, he is related to the guy who sells mermaid pendants, something tell me they are.
Elliot, he's learned how to fish from Willy. he was more than thankful to be taught, i think he's been learning alot from afew of the residents, Like Evelyn, and Caroline, i think they taught him how to Garden, Leah told him alot about nature. Abigail Sebastian, and Marlon told him how to get out of a pickle if he's dealing with monsters if he ever gets stuck in the mines.
Linus, I think everything i can say for him is expected, but i think he used to take great joy in crocheting.
Leah? I'm shocked to say i know nothing about her and i can't make an accurate judgement, same goes for Harvey.
Sorry if I left anyone out, and I'm sorry its easy to tell which characters i am hyperfxating on. peace out. - 🔹️
.
