This Story... It's So Good. * Piecing Together My Shattered Kokoro *

(analysis ) Healing, maryoku and longevity

I’m back at trying to figure out things in maruma. 

Canon

1) In novel 1, Gunter said that mazoku owe their longevity to the healing hands tribe. The tribe has been in Shin makoku for 2000 years, and they got there because humans persecuted them and drove them out. 2) In further novels we learn that: 1) mazoku get sick if there are houryoku stones around, and that they can’t use their majutsu if they don’t have elements to control. - Majutsu (ma skills) then, seems to be the power of controlling MA elements with your maryoku (ma power). How well you can do it connects solely to the “quality” of your soul, but it still needs training. Something like: you have a max cap in your ability, but you need training to reach that max. (Julia talks about training for decades in “Falling in love”). - Healing powers are not well explained. ————————————————————————————————-

Analysis

First question: Is healing for mazoku connected to maryoku?

We can infer that ‘Yes, it is’… because Adalbert uses houjutsu to heal Yuuri, and it feels different and stings and such… so, it’s fair to say that the same applies to mazoku and that they use their majutsu for healing.

But here’s the thing: the green tribe didn’t have maryoku before reaching Shin Makoku. 

Second question: Is healing majutsu the same as ‘healing hand tribe’ power?

And here the answer is YES. I just went through the canon and realized it’s actually IN THERE!  Novel 10, chapter 6

(Gisela) “The closer we get to Seisakoku, the stronger the discomfort, and it’s possible that majutsu can’t be used either, naturally the same goes for the abilities of the ‘healing hand tribe’ . But Your Excellency, I just hope you will understand this. Healing was never just majutsu. The true essence of healing is the healer’s heart, a kind heart is a necessity, and the most important thing is the modesty of wanting to heal the wounded.”

But then HOW could they use it before getting to Shin Makoku?????

Third question: Can the healing hand tribe use their abilities in human territory?

One might infer YES, because they came from human territory because their long life and healing abilities were scaring the humans, so yes? So here’s the real question… why didn’t Gisela save Julia. I mean… she was right there. Julia had time to ask her to burn her body so… yo Gisela what’s up with that?

Fourth question: If the healing hand tribe are to be thank for mazoku’s long life, and their abilities are not maryoku-related, can we infer it’s simply them healing mazoku that made them live longer?

I would say Yes. What other reason would there be? It would also explain why mazoku age differently. The more healing, the longer you live. The traits seem to also be passed down through generations. Otherwise there’d be mazoku who live the same as humans if they never needed healing.  (Such as earth mazoku who never got the healing)

So 2000 years of healing and passing down those traits has made most mazoku look 1/5th of their age when compared to human beings.

————————————————————————————————-

Fifth Question: What about the odd ones?

Cherie, Ulrike, Chevallier. How can Chevallier look younger than Cherie if he’s older than her and was also a maou? How can Ulrike have such a different aging!? As you may have notice they’re all related to Shinou, so he’s definitely doing something to them, but what precisely would be guessing.  Hope you enjoyed~!

!!!!!!!!!!!!! I NEED SOMEONE TO SCREAM ABOUT YUURAM WITH ME!!!! I AM WRITING MY VERY FIRST KKM FIC, AND… YEEEEAAHH… I HAVE A LOT OF FEELS OKAY!?

Credits to the respective artists

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint

The first I saw it was thanks to WEBTOONS. I thought it was just another power fantasy, but since it was dark and the artwork was attractive (Kim Dokja was) I went with it. I held no hopes for it frankly, but, my godn it went from 0-100 in merely the prologue and the first few chapters. And it kept rising and rising without fail.

And, it became one of my dearest works which, even with it's staggering number of chapters, I can revisit countless times.

The world building is massive, as it takes fantasy, legends, histories, myths, sci-fi, meta, gore, game like setting, parallel and alternate dimentions, you name it!

The characters are just as engaging. And if you find a few cannon fodder characters too bland and all you are up for a curve, cause- I can't say it cause it's spoilers. Big fat MAJOR major spoiler. But everything would come back at the end and connect beautifully.

One major aspect that I love about it is how well it deals with loneliness. And, also what a loving bookworm Kim Dokja is♡

This is a story of a reader.

The story of Kim Dokja and his Ways of Survival.

P.S: I wrote a fanfiction because I wanted an extension of that marvellous cliffhanger of an ending (It was perfect and I love it but I wanted to extend it a bit).

Links will be down below for those souls who have read past all the 541 chapters (cause it will be major spoilers otherwise)

Three NASA Telescopes Look at an Angry Young Star Together

Science is a shared endeavor. We learn more when we work together. Today, July 18, we’re using three different space telescopes to observe the same star/planet system!

As our Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) enters its third year of observations, it’s taking a new look at a familiar system this month. And today it won’t be alone. Astronomers are looking at AU Microscopii, a young fiery nearby star – about 22 million years old – with the TESS, NICER and Swift observatories.

TESS will be looking for more transits – the passage of a planet across a star – of a recently-discovered exoplanet lurking in the dust of AU Microscopii (called AU Mic for short). Astronomers think there may be other worlds in this active system, as well!

Our Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) telescope on the International Space Station will also focus on AU Mic today. While NICER is designed to study neutron stars, the collapsed remains of massive stars that exploded as supernovae, it can study other X-ray sources, too. Scientists hope to observe stellar flares by looking at the star with its high-precision X-ray instrument.

Scientists aren’t sure where the X-rays are coming from on AU Mic — it could be from a stellar corona or magnetic hot spots. If it’s from hot spots, NICER might not see the planet transit, unless it happens to pass over one of those spots, then it could see a big dip!

A different team of astronomers will use our Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to peer at AU Mic in X-ray and UV to monitor for high-energy flares while TESS simultaneously observes the transiting planet in the visible spectrum. Stellar flares like those of AU Mic can bathe planets in radiation.

Studying high-energy flares from AU Mic with Swift will help us understand the flare-rate over time, which will help with models of the planet’s atmosphere and the system’s space weather. There’s even a (very) small chance for Swift to see a hint of the planet’s transit!

The flares that a star produces can have a direct impact on orbiting planets’ atmospheres. The high-energy photons and particles associated with flares can alter the chemical makeup of a planet’s atmosphere and erode it away over time.

Another time TESS teamed up with a different spacecraft, it discovered a hidden exoplanet, a planet beyond our solar system called AU Mic b, with the now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope. That notable discovery inspired our latest poster! It’s free to download in English and Spanish.

Spitzer’s infrared instrument was ideal for peering at dusty systems! Astronomers are still using data from Spitzer to make discoveries. In fact, the James Webb Space Telescope will carry on similar study and observe AU Mic after it launches next year.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

Love these scenes! Wolfram is as Angelic as ever!!

Yuuram in Novel 2

Novel 2. ch.1 -Yuuri describing Wolf -

An angel and a demon are standing in the open doorway: the master of this castle, Lord Gwendal von Voltaire, making his entrance to the Love Theme from The Godfather, and a Vienna Boy Choir OB-style pretty boy, Lord Wolfram von Bielefelt.

(…)

Lord Wolfram von Bielefelt, on the other hand, is my twin in stature and physique, but angelically handsome. If you didn’t know he was Mazoku, you’d think he was God’s greatest masterpiece. Glittering gold hair, white skin, long eyelashes, and emerald-green eyes. But that damn arrogance of his makes him sound like a yapping Pomeranian.

——————————————————————

Novel 2. ch.1

- Settling things -

I prick up my ears at these dirty goings-on of the adult world, but Wolfram roughly jerks my head back. His lake’s bottom green eyes meet mine.

Target: lock on.

“How dare you vanish from right in front of us after saying that you would become this country’s king?! I was going settle things with you properly after you were safely done with the coronation ceremony!”

“Se-settle? I told you, I’m fine with a tie!…or no, if you still find it that hard to swallow, then let’s just say I lost, okay? ‘Cause ultimately that duel was like one of those things where an exchange of blows forged a friendship, you know?”

(…)

“You were pretty strong, and I gave it my best too, so why don’t we just leave it at that? We don’t have to go into all of that stuff about duels and revenge again.”

“That’s not any kind of…hey, Yuuri! What is the meaning of this?! You’re not wearing the gold bird I gave you, but you have Conrart’s pendant…?!”

(…)

“You can’t deceive me, Yuuri! You’re too lacking in prudence. Well, yes, I guess…you’re somewhat good-looking…just a bit…so you can’t help but be a temptation…”

—————————————————————— Novel 2. ch.2

- Ship -

You’re late!“

Why is Wolfram sitting so regally on the double bed?!

I’m guessing that the gob-smacked look on Conrad’s face means that he didn’t expect this either.

"From the looks of it, this room is normally reserved for newly-weds. I presume Your Ma…my young masters are still in their prenuptial period…?”

“…I have no idea who’s responsible for this mix-up either.”

The next while is devoted to Wolfram being violently seasick, and so the afternoon passed.

(…)

Wolfram, who stalked us to the ship and smuggled himself on board, ended up in front of the toilet as soon as we set sail. Now he’s bedridden and refuses to eat or drink anything, even water. He can’t even quarrel with me. With his ruffled gold hair straggling down blanched cheeks and eyes lightly closed, he looks like an angel who’s fallen to earth and in despair because he cannot return home.

—————————————————————— Novel 2. ch.3

-Just so you know, Japanese people never say anything when you sneeze-

“Achoo!”

“Gesundheit!” I answer on cue in a conditioned response to Wolfram’s cute little sneeze, which sounds like something a manga character might make, as I rummage through my luggage and toss everything out of the clothes chest.

————————————————– Novel 2. ch.4

-Closet scene-

Even though Wolfram could not have guessed at my feelings, his hand falls on mine. We huddle together in the cramped space of the too-small-to-be-called-a-walk-in closet, shivering.

No, I’m the only one who’s shivering.

Wolfram is a soldier, after all. Even if he’s not used to playing such a dangerous game of hide-and-seek, it can’t be his first time.

“…Are you okay, Yuuri?”

“O-of course I am!”

I grip the hand touching mine, closing my eyes, and hang my head.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

He’s not laughing at me, is he?

It’s just…it’s not just that I’m frightened, not even that I’m scared stiff—it’s this silence, this tension, that is unbearably painful…

My roommate seems to read my mind. He whispers, “Like Conrart said, don’t do anything rash if we’re found. They’re not going to kill you if you don’t resist, 'cause you’ve got such good looks.”

“Then you’d better not do anything either. You’re several times cuter than me. No one would kill someone as pretty as you.”

“No way. I am a warrior of the Mazoku; if I don’t fight, I can’t be allowed to live.”

“That’s stupid.”

“Shush!”

(…)

“Wolfram! Don’t, there’re too many of them!” “Shut up!” “I’m begging you, Wolf! Stop it…that’s an order!” He freezes and without looking at me allows the sword to drop. (…after getting caught…)

“I hear you’re on your honeymoon, an’ want to be sold together.” Unwinding his turban, Wolfram asks me, “Honeymoon?” “Don’t know anything about it,” I reply from my position on the floor, not yet recovered from the shock of the sailor uniforms.

————————————————– Novel 2. ch.5

- Maou-

He lifts his eyes when he reaches the approximate center of the deck and stares sharply at the man right in front of him with the one black eye not obscured by contacts.

“…Yuuri?” Wolfram calls, forgetting his alias, but Yuuri doesn’t seem to hear.

Taken aback, he grabs Yuuri’s hand. With the exception of his index finger, it’s icy cold.

————————————————– Novel 2. ch.6 -Random inner monologue-

The third son is standing in the doorway, still in his bathrobe. His beautiful eyebrows are knit in an exaggerated frown.

————————————————– Novel 2. ch.6

-casual yuuram-  “(…)His Excellency looks like he’s still deep in dreamland.“

Pretty boys, like pretty girls, have low blood pressure. Wolfram rubs his eyes adorably and pulls the rough blanket close.

"Wolfram, you’ll be late for school if you go back to sleep. You can nap in first period math class.”

————————————————– Novel 2. ch.6

—Yuuri teaching Wolf the Lamaze technique to stay awake—

The boat starts listing slightly. Wolfram is starting to doze off next to me.

“Wah, Wolf, don’t fall asleep! We’re turning, we’re going to start going around in circles—!”

“Hrmm.”

“Not hrmm! Row! Row, come on! Pull-and-push, pull-and-push, heeheefuu, heeheefuu.”

————————————————– Novel 2. ch.7

-Equally tired-

Conrad and Josak nonchalantly raise the white porcelain teacups to their lips, but Wolfram and I are both shaking right down to our fingertips and don’t even have the energy left to slurp our drinks.

————————————————– Novel 2. ch.7

-happy times-

“I’ll go with you tomorrow.” “Huh?” He can’t give me any real help even if he comes with me. Even Conrad, who could make short work of any sword master, couldn’t move a finger to help me. But Wolfram is indifferent to my private waffling. He folds his arms and says rather happily, “Since you’re a total henachoko.” “Stop calling me a henachoko!” Ah.

The selfish prince with the angelic features and clear emerald eyes that remind you of the bottom of a lake. Abbreviate half-ironically, and you get selfish Puu.

Wolfram always goes right to the point. He throws himself straight into any challenge.

He bores into both my mitt and my chest, but it’s kinder and gentler than a lie.

“What? What are you grinning about?” “…I was just thinking, it’s been a while.” “What has?” “You calling me a henachoko.”

“That’s because you left the country. You left your people and your land to the care of others. You have no sense or consciousness of being a king. What’s wrong with calling a henachoko a henachoko?” “Nothing.”

————————————————– Novel 2. ch.7 -Closetting -

“Okay, then why don’t I dump you? 'I’m sorry, let’s call it quits?’” “Don’t you dare! It would be a blow to my self-respect!” “Oh, oh riiight, then why don’t you reject me? 'I refuse your proposal.’ I think my pride would be able to handle it just fine. I was the one in the wrong, so no help for it.” “I can’t do that!” “Why not? Is there some kind of rule about that? Some sort of religious reason?” “Shut up!” Wolfram stands straight up and opens the corner door without another word. “Aaah, Wolf! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I was wrong! I’m apologizing, so don’t lock yourself up in the closet!”

————————————————– Novel 2. ch.7 -Equally frustrated-

Wolfram, who has no interest in human festivals, goes to bed immediately after finishing his wine. I feel like getting drunk and airing all my grievances too, but I’m not going to smoke or drink as long as there’s still any possibility that I haven’t reached my full height yet. Instead, I lie in bed tracking the moon’s course.

————————————————– Novel 2. ch.8 -Angel of Love-

So the whole party proceeded to the hospital in the morning and ended up dashing frantically about until noon.

But even though we’ve run ourselves to the ground, nobody has set off on their last journey yet—in fact, no less than three people revived. We’ve had gratitude heaped on us, and people have even started calling Wolfram the Angel of Love. But for us it’s something of a mixed blessing.

————————————————– Novel 2. ch.8 -Misunderstandings-

I pounce, trying to grab it from Wolfram, and land on top of him. This is the exact moment when— “Listen to this, Young Master…oops.” “…” “Am I interrupting your fun, by any chance?” Josak closes the door again. “No, no, wait! We weren’t having fun, we were not having any fun of any kind, you’re taking it the wrong way! This is a massive, majorly massive misunder—ow!” I’ve bitten my tongue. “My my, Young Masters, it’s the middle of the day, so if you’re going to have a dalliance, you should at least lock the door. You really shouldn’t tempt your elders like this,” Josak teases in the voice he uses when disguised as a woman, and enters the room.

————————————————–

Novel 2. ch.10 -Sneaking into Yuuri’s room for the first time-

“Wolf…what are you doing here?!”

“What do you mean, what am I doing?”

Wolfram, lying on his stomach and dressed like a madam after her bath, kicks his legs.

“I sneaked over for a night crawl.”

“Night crawl?! A-as in, when a g-g-g-guy secretly crawls into a bed…”

“For a rendezvous?”

“Yeah, rendezvous…no no no no, that’s not what I mean! The guy crawls into a woman’s bed…!”

Now he’s got me going at his pace.

Wolfram half-rises, scowling, a hand placed imperiously on his hip. He looks like pretty boy who’s hit the mat after a knockdown, for those with the taste for it.

“If I had to wait for you, you’d never come to a decision.”

“Um, incidentally, what sort of a decision are you looking for…?” My voice trails off as he sways his hips closer.

The Mazoku ex-prince’s face brightens, and he pulls me down by the arm.

“Wah!”

“Are we any closer to a decision yet?”

“No!”

I’m terrified just thinking about what sort of decision this might be. I’m not going to lose my life or anything, but I do feel like there’s something else I’m going to lose. I desperately extract myself, fly into the bathroom and lock the door.

“Yuuri!”

“Wait wait wait! I gotta take a bath first, okay?! You don’t wanna do anything with a sweaty guy either, right?!”

Do…? I blanch at my own words.

My head and nose both prickle, and I stagger, suddenly dizzy.

“Yuuri! Hey, open the door!”

“No!”

Unable to keep upright any longer, I sit down on the rim of the tub

“Blooploop.”

—————————————————————

Yuuram in Novel : 1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17

My poor little kokoro... ❤💖

[ Duality ]

2020-06-06 New maruma fragrances!

This post will include: Descriptions on website, plus my opinion. (please understand the scents change over time, so I changed my mind a few times while writing this). 

First Review of Fragrances 2019 | Descriptions of the first three |

I went to the store. Got my shit. Took the pictures. Now let’s try them. Remember: TOP is first 3 minutes. MIDDLE is min 4 to 10. LAST is 15+

—————————————————–

Jozak’s Fragrance

Site description:  “A strong loyalty that burns wildly An unwavering Citrus Shipley Note”

“The herbal citrus scent, which jumps out lively, reminds you of his polished muscles and merry smile. The scent of cedar wood has both a light impression as well as a firmness to it. Before you notice, a cool and calm breeze that accompanies it, will sneak up on you. A powerful yet discreet fragrance, that will make you feel the heat he has in him from going to war.”

Scents: TOP：Lemon, Orange, Lime, Orange Peel, Neroli MIDDLE：Violet, Cedarwood, Jasmine, Rose, Geranium LAST：Amber, Musk, Sandalwood, Oakmoss, Heliotrope

————————————-

My opinion:  I can’t smell the lemon, orange or lime at all; I mostly smell the cedarwood and Jasmine. Although I have to agree with getting a sense of Jozak’s smile through that scent (I didn’t sense his muscles, sorry).  It slowly turns into a mix of soap and musk. (Musk is just that ‘aftershave’ scent.). It’s softer at first and stronger later. When it says it 'sneaks up on you’ they use words similar to spying.

(Funny when I posted on twitter I said I liked it the best… but now that last scent… bruh.)

———————————

Murata’s Fragrance

Site description: “ A Glimpse of Moonlight A Mysterious Hidden Powdery Note” 　 “The grapefruit scent, which is bright and bouncy, is like his refreshing smile. However, the fresh spreading scent of rosemary indicates sagaciousness, while the gradual sweetness of Tonka Beans quietly prepares your mind. A fragrance of calmness and guidance; a hidden, mysterious scent that sharpens your senses and thoughts.”

Scents: TOP：Grapefruit, Bergamot, Lime, Neroli MIDDLE：Rose, Muguet, Cassis, Rosemary LAST：Musk, Amber, Tonka Beans ————————————-

My opinion: At first, it’s very bright. I can sense his happiness and smile through it. It really is bouncy. I don’t really see the sagaciousness here, but I get the 'mysterious feel’ they were talking about. It’s kinda like the smell you get in one of those places where they sell esoteric stuff.  Is that rosemary? I like it. The musk is unnoticeable. There’s this sweetness to it. Is that Tonka Beans? I don’t know but I like it. This is my favorite scent of them all (but it doesn’t last). It’s also very soft. You have to try and smell it. Nose close to skin or you won’t smell it at all. The LAST scent (the one that remains for 1 hour or so) ends up smelling just like Yuuri’s soap deodorant. People won’t smell it, but you will :D  

————————————-

Gwendal’s Fragrance

Site description: "The warmth hidden by a heavy door. An aromatic woody note that will melt your heart”

“Cardamom, which rises in dignity, reminds you of his quiet gaze. As the delicate scent of jasmine melts away, you’re eventually wrapped in the warm sweetness of the musk scent. A fragrance of silence and dignity, a harmonious combination of tension and soft tenderness.” Scents: TOP: Bergamot, Cardamom, Basil, Coriander MIDDLE：Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Jasmine, Frankincense LAST：Musk, Amber ———————————- My opinion: It starts really soft and nice. I do get that dignity feel from it, and can picture Gwen’s eyes while knitting. It feels homey. I guess that’s Cardamom and Bergamot.  It develops into a mostly Jasmine and Frankincense scent. I can’t smell the Sandalwood or Cedarwood at all. It’s sweet and nice. I can’t feel any tensions. The last smell I would say it smells like Gwen playing with a kitten. I like it. It’s demure, it’s neat. Soft.  ————————————-

MY Rank of Fragrances 6 out of 6: Conrad’s fragrance. It’s . Way. Too. Strong. It’s stinky. And it has a weird Patchouli/ Musk scent that will last more than 24 hours. The first part of the scent is fine. But after 10 mins is like fuck no. 24 hours of a strong Musk. Goodness.

5 out of 6: Jozak’s fragrance. I’m sad. I wanted to like it. And I did at first. But again the ‘last’ scent is too strong. I haven’t had it for 24 hours, but I can see this lasting at least 12+ hours. And that last scent, is again too much. It starts beautiful and then boom. 

4 out of 6: Murata’s fragrance. It’s sweet, it’s fun, it’s mysterious! What more can you ask!? It’s strong enough that people will smell it, but it’s not a strong smell. Not sure about lasting time, but probably around 6-8 hours. (Similar in strength to Wolf’s)

3 out of 6: Yuuri’s fragrance. Soap is not so bad, ok!?  It’s fresh, it’s clean, what else do you wanna smell like? It’s a shame it doesn’t last more than 4 hours (1 if you sweat). Yuuri would be bathing in this shit to be smelling like this XD

2 out of 6: Wolfram’s fragrance. It’s sweet, people will smell the 'elegance’ on you and it lasts a nice 8 hours, a perfect fit for your work schedule. It’s durable, soft, and nice.

1 out of 6: Gwen’s fragrance. Holy shit what happened? So on paper it smelled completely different. (it smelled like Conrad’s? I think the paper was sprayed with something else or wtf?). It was the one I liked least when I smelled it at the store. Now I put it on my skin and wtf, spank me and call me a kitten cuz I’m about to meh meh. What kind of wizardry is this!?  Soft… SOFT it’s like omg! wtf

—— Edit: Ok, Gwendal’s fragrance doesn’t smell that good anymore XD wtf. I’d say that the ‘grown ups scents’ all smell kinda similar with that ‘musk’ thing. At least Gwen’s is soft and won’t be noticeable. The ‘kids’ have much fresher sweeter smells. Yup. I guess Gwen’s just took longer to develop , like 30 mins at least.

2019 (57) Prompt 3- Light

My idea was to mix both weight-light with illumination-light XD but it’s late and I’m going to bed XD

Can anyone else hear the sailor moon transformation theme　XD?

Prompts 1 | 2 |

Monogatari Series

NisiOisiN (the author of the light Novels) really did a beautiful job in creating this series!! The world building and character portrayals are marvellous. Each character have their own unique depths. A series well made. Nothing of the sort that the hero saves the day but, in Oshino Meme's words, "No one is capable of saving you. Only you can save yourself. But one can lend you a hand."

The protagonist, Koyomi Araragi, is not some awefully powerful and levelled up person. Instead, he is weak and that fact has been told to him for millions of times by others. Even if he does want to, yet, he can't save anyone. He just lends them a hand. His personality is such that for helping somehow he is even willing to sacrifice his life. Although in the end he has no sense of self accomplishment at all. No matter how many times he is thanked, he feels he doesn't deserve it.

He feels more human than any superhero or protagonists out there.

This series addresses real life issues through the help of a story which incorporates ghosts, oddities, supernatural beings, Ghostbusters, vampires, a lot of girls and an average run-of-the-mill high-schooler.

A real emotional roller coaster!!