#magiz

[chayaras]

@magiz   asked:    some stories make more sense read in reverse.

              ❝  my friendship with you has been entirely constructed of mysteries,   one after another . . .    i’m beginning to suspect it has something to do with you,  zatanna.  ❞   her smile is a tender  &  teasing display,  spread wide as she throws her glance towards her companion before returning it to the task at hand.  underneath a clever contraption,  an adjustable arm holding a magnifying glass,  is a hefty piece of text.  an artifact of old,  littered with writing too small for the bare eye alone.  ❝  but i trust your instincts.   ––    after all,  they are keen.  ❞   she speaks now without lifting her gaze,  meticulously running it over the lines of scribbled words,  over and over.  but taking zatanna’s advice,  she tries now to start at the end of the page,  scrolling her sights up as she reads.

              ❝  it is  . . .    hm.  ❞    she holds her tongue as she checks again,  returning to the end of the page once more,  only to confirm:    ❝  it’s in french,  but backwards.  that’s odd.  i think it’s a cipher,  so there’s likely other materials necessary to get the full picture.  this alone is only a means for understanding.  ❞   she pulls away,  finally,  pushing the glass to the side and lifting the paper up to return it to her friend’s hands.   ❝  i hope that’s helpful.   ––    what are you onto?   something perilous,  or would you have the time for a lunch?  ❞   lips curve to a smirk,  losing her curiosity  ( in expression,  alone,  as mind still undoubtedly lingers on the problem at hand  ).   ❝  i’d like to treat you to something,  if you have the time.  ❞

[sayasamax3]

Hi! Do you have any magi musings about the latest arc and stuff? I've been looking around for ppl's thoughts so if you know other blogs that blog about magi too please let me know!

OK so these are probably not the musings u wanted but alas. Alas. 

So one thing that’s been killing me about the recent arc (and anyone who suffers my twitter account knows this) is just that... like... the explanation for the Kou Empire’s collapse just... misses the mark. Like, look, transition from an economy based on slave labor and mass employment via the military is going to tank any economy. Like it’s totally reasonable to just say that, right there, then full stop.  But like there’s all this discussion on how Kou just ~doesn’t know~ how to??? engage in commerce??? and like there’s even one page where it’s like...they didn’t even consider agricultural commerce until Alibaba came by??? Like I’m sorry but even the most militarized government features trade, that’s just how things move. Like literally move. My willing suspension of disbelief was Tried, friend. 

Also, as this arc happened to coencide with my taking a Gender and Socialism seminar, I. definitely have considered the economic reordering of the Magi verse in terms of a progression from feudalistic mercantilism/slave economy-->hypercapitalism and how, since the narrative seems to be taking issue with this new world order, it seems possible that another economic revolution may be on it’s way... 

BUT ONTO THE MORE FUN MUSINGS

1-Aladdin got hot and I feel so Sinful for even thinking it

2-I’m gonna fuckin Marry Morgiana

3-Kinda say that Masrur ended up pulling a polygamist Harry Potter but also I mean. realistically. I could be talked into being his third spouse so. 

4-WHEN IS JA’FAR GONNA BE LIKE “SIN U GO TO FAR OUR CHILDREN HATE US NOW”

5-THAT MOMENT WHEN KOUGYOKU, IN ALL HER GLORY, GOT UP AND DELIVERED THAT SPEECH, DESPITE HER FEAR. MY LOVE, MY WIFE, MY EMPRESS. 

6-Alibaba’s kinda god-moding but I’m not even mad about it I’m looking forward to him saving the world

7-Koumei’s haircut...really suits him....really, really suits him

8-Where the fuck are Judal and Hakuryuu and will anyone ever give Judal a new set of clothes

9-There is definitely something to be said about the parallels b/t Alibaba’s dad and Sin and Sin and Alibaba like. The “Guidance” Sin gives Alibaba seems to be a selfish, self-preserving version of the guidance Rashid gave him like... how far Sin has fallen... 

10-I’m sincerely curious as to what exactly is going to push Sin out of balance, since that’s been the threat inherent in his condition from the beginning, one which must be acted upon.... 

OK I think that’s enough of my blabbering for now?? Probably.

[sayasamax3]

asdfghjkh,j I’m just. so aggravated by the newest Magi extra like... [spoilers]

Kouha, a young child, has literally struggled against the force of ableism his whole life, has been made to feel periphery and useless and worthless because of his mother’s (and arguably, his own, or at least the fear of his own potential) mental illness.

He literally shouts that he’s angry because he/his mother have been declared “useless” and thrown aside, specifically because of his mother’s mental illness. 

He’s five years old and lashing out in the only ways he has available to him because he’s so angry and hurt by this injustice and...????

And somehow, the narrative says that the answer is to just “prove” he’s useful after all??? like what the fuck??? 

Like... rather than saying “damn it’s fucked up that you and your mother have been abandoned and excluded and discounted because of her mental illness, let’s create a world where worth isn’t determined by mental health and where people are respected and treated with dignity regardless of mental health”

Instead the narrative literally says “lol look, I know ur mad bc you/your mom have been counted as useless because of the barriers caused by her/your mental illness, but have u considered being useful”

i just. awdsfgmk.  I think what kills me most is that it was so close and then... missed its own point....completely....

[sayasamax3]

For your most recent shipping meme, how about Alikou?

falls asleep on the couch

Alibaba, mostly because he can fall asleep pretty much anywhere, and also because Kougyoku is liable to kick him out of bed when he does something too ridiculous haha

Kougyoku can sleep on the couch, but I think she’s a bit more likely to compartmentalize her spaces and actions--sleeping happens in bed, sitting and entertaining guests happens on couches, etc. 

makes friends with the neighbors

Kougyoku is very! shy! and would like to play it off as being Above Greeting The Peasants, but Alibaba knows.  He makes friends with the neighbors, and sort of gently draws Kougyoku into friendships with them, at which point she becomes quite the local favorite.

is the adventurous eater

Alibaba, who will eat pretty much anything as long as it doesn’t smell rotten.  Kougyoku is like. Not picky per say, but she is used to the Best, so... she’s got high standards. 

hogs the covers at night

Kougyoku doesn’t hog them so much as Alibaba just runs hot and ends up throwing them all on her in the night. Luckily she tends to be naturally cooler so it works out.

forgets to do the dishes

Both of them. Alibaba is just plain forgetful, and Kougyoku is simply not in the habit of cleaning dishes she is a fuckin princess??? They hire a housekeeper once they realize that hey, dishes run out and get gross if you don’t wash them.

tries to surprise their partner more often

Kougyoku. She has ideas. Romantic outings, adventures, surprise gifts!!!! So many ideas, this girl has.  Alibaba is also horrific at like, picking up on hints when it comes to these things too so he’s always like, wow how’d you get an elephant in here i had no idea you were even planning this!!!

That said, Alibaba himself (or people like him, i suppose) are a bit of a novelty to Kougyoku, so he often manages to surprise her without trying. 

leaves dirty laundry on the floor

Alibaba. Kougyoku is having None Of It and often gathers it all up, then drops it on him with a directive to do his laundry or at least put it in the appropriate place.  She may even do this repeatedly if he does not act quickly enough for her liking.

stays up til 2 AM reading

Alibaba reads (and sometimes rereads) adventure stories out loud to Kougyoku until she falls asleep. He’s a talented storyteller, and she likes listening to his way of telling stories. 

sings in the shower

Both.  Kougyoku sings like a bird, but you could never in a million years convince her that she sings well.  Alibaba sings terribly, but you could never in a million years convince him of this, either. 

takes the selfies

BOTH!!! God they take so many selfies. I mean, presuming they lived in a universe where selfies could be taken, they would take SO MANY SELFIES and use so many cute filters.  Their social media is like 90% pictures of their faces (and 10% cute food). 

plans date night

Kougyoku prefers to have at least an outline of what she’d like to do, while Alibaba’s more like “let’s walk down this street and hope something good comes up.”

[sayasamax3]

HAALI!

Here we go~ 

who’s the cuddler: You know that’s hard to say. I think they’re both cuddlers in different ways.  Like, Kouha is pure Big Spoon and also very [[reclines, looking generally inviting and indulgent]] while Alibaba is very Little Spoon and [[aggressively tries not to bring attention to himself as he snuggles Kouha]] and [[delighted cuddling noises]]

who makes the bed: Probably neither of them tbh but if anyone was gonna it’d be Alibaba.  Kouha’s prolly more inclined to leave it to whoever does housekeeping and Alibaba doesn’t like. Really make the bed but he kind generally pulls the covers straight so they aren’t a huge mess.

who wakes up first: Hm…. On the one hand, I could see both of them being pretty happy to indulge in sleeping in a lot, or otherwise not being inclined to get up if they don’t have to/don’t want to.  On the other hand I feel like they’re both pretty disciplined in some aspects so. Hm.

I guess I’m going with: Alibaba is more likely to wake up first but ONLY if he has practice/training of some sort scheduled for the morning.  Kouha is more likely to set his schedule so that he doesn’t have to wake up early if he can help it, and prefers to leave training to the afternoon anyway.

who has the weird taste in music: Kouha all the way. Alibaba’s pure pop radio trashhhhhh Kouha’s into all the obscure stuff.

who is more protective: They’re both pretty friggin protective tbh. Kouha’s prolly the one more likely to actually murder someone for the sake of being protective tho.

who sings in the shower: Alibabaaaaaa he’s got a decent voice but he’s loud and Kouha loves it so endearing.

who cries during movies:  Alibaba again. xD Kouha is probably like Seo (from gsnk) when watching movies: doesn’t care who dies or gets hurt, just laughs because it’s entertaining and probably wildly rewrites the narratives in his head to better suit his tastes.

who spends the most while out shopping:  Kouha.  Alibaba is like “UM CAN WE BUDGET” and Kouha is like. “what’s a budget? Can you eat it.”

who kisses more roughly:  Kouhaaaaa but only bc Alibaba likes it heheheh.

who is more dominate: Kouha 100%.  Alibaba is the Most Sub when he’s pairing with Best Dom Kouha.

my rating of the ship from 1-10:  WELL I. I really like it but there are some problems w/r/t the themes of their canon dynamic re: their countries and power imbalances and such.  Prolly put it at a 7.5 tho bc I really really like it. 

[sayasamax3]

So how about that juhaku getting more and more canon?

IT’S PRETTY MUCH THE BEST AND WORST THING EVER???

I find their dynamic really fascinating (antagonistic on the surface, but with a long oddly stable history throughout their lives and the resonance of that something in them and between them, I am dead), but at the same time they are so clearly the sort of pair that helps each other dig their graves and drives each other to their worst, as demonstrated by this whole last “So what have these assholes been up to?” arc.  They are destined to be tragic lovers and I am gonna cry so hard when they inevitably bite it.  

[sayasamax3]

Your wish is my command (and I have two polyships I really want to talk about)! Alihakumor and Kassalikou (Kassim/Alibaba/Kougyoku)!

Ok ok so AliHakuMor first:

which two team up to try and stop the other from buying ugly furniture for the house?

Alibaba has very decadent (almost to the point of gaudy) tastes—after all he has had this dream of himself as becoming a wealthy person with a grand household and all, though I think his time living as a prince gave him a sense of what’s actually tasteful lol.  

Hakuryuu is generally much more austere, so his furniture choices are based on functionality.  Morgiana is the tie-breaker here and she’s also on the function over form side. 

So what ends up happening is the latter two decide to let Alibaba be in charge of interior design, and then immediately regret it when they realize that he’s. easily dazzled and tends to go for dazzling things… If they aren’t careful they’d live in the most over-decorated home ever.  Hakuryuu is a push-over though so in the end it’s really Morgiana’s might that stops their home from looking gaudy.

•which one is always bringing home silly hats to put on the more serious partner’s head?

ALSO ALIBABA. Mor makes really cute faces whenever he does afghjmhgf I’m even gushing just thinking about how adorable she’d look in silly hats ahahhhh.  Hakuryuu is also like. He tries to maintain a sense of dignity even when he’s wearing silly hats but that only makes the hats seem sillier Alibaba an Mor are dying but they can’t laugh they can’t…

• which one is constantly talking with their mouth full, and which partner gets offended by their bad manners?

…Morgiana, oddly enough.  But the boys just don’t have the heart to scold her. Also she could Actually Crush them so. Hey table manners aren’t everything right? Right…

Alibaba also does this, and Hakuryuu definitely scolds him lol

• who does the taxes

Alibaba is scrupulous about taxes and money things in general.  Specifically, he’s scrupulous because he’s always looking for loopholes and ways to pay as little in taxes as possible.

• who tries to help with the taxes and only makes it more difficult

Morgiana wants to help… she just. You know. doesn’t know where to begin.  She sometimes makes Alibaba take breaks though and gets him tea so that’s something.

• which partner is morally against paying taxes

Hakuryuu says Down With The Empire’s Taxes, Down With The Empress, Fuck You Mom I’m Not Paying Your Damn Taxes—-

And now Kass/Ali/Kou!

which two team up to try and stop the other from buying ugly furniture for the house?

Again, Alibaba has poor taste.  Kassim and Kougyoku on the other hand have abundant taste and stand together as a united front that prevents Alibaba from turning their home into some tasteless parody of a brothel.

• which one is always bringing home silly hats to put on the more serious partner’s head?

It’s more like Alibaba and Kougyoku team up to find All The Silly Hats In The Market and take turns putting them on Kassim, who is actually quite indulgent and even though he doesn’t like, actively participate, he does stay still and let them put the hats on him without a fuss and he doesn’t take them off either.    

• which one is constantly talking with their mouth full, and which partner gets offended by their bad manners?

Kougyoku is just. Ugh she’s living with pigs she really is boys are so gross why does she bother she just doesn’t know

• who does the taxes

Again, Alibaba.

• who tries to help with the taxes and only makes it more difficult

I’m putting Kougyoku here but honestly I’m not sure if she’d either be really helpful—as an empire insider she prolly knows some loopholes, or could at least get Ka Koubun to tell her a few—but she might also just be like “why are we even paying taxes don’t you know I’m royalty?”

• which partner is morally against paying taxes

Kassim is like. Canonically anti-tax I’m pretty sure. Like I’m pretty sure that’s actually his thing.

[sayasamax3]

Kougyoku.

me Alibaba and Judal??? If Ka Koubun were just a few years younger I'd prolly go for that too tbh but alas he is Too Old