Icylancet - Zen

[Birthday] Shino (April 14th, 2025)

Twitter thread | Bluesky thread

Thanks for the lemonade. It's just what I needed after all this training. Want some? You've been standing there watching me all this time. Aren't you tired? Heh, of course I could feel you looking my way. It's not like you were trying to hide it, you know.

Birthday morning

Shino: You said we can do whatever I want today, right?

Shino: Then, you should come watch me train. I want to show you some real cool moves I’ve been practicing.

Shino: Prepare to be blown away!

Voicelines

Shino: … Heath, do you want to go to the party together? …Heck yeah. My birthday won’t be complete without you by my side. …I gotta find Cain and thank him later. …No, it’s nothing. Come on, the party’s about to start.

Faust: Happy birthday, Shino. I noticed you’ve become rather studious lately, and as a result, your grades have improved as well. Keep up the good work. …Heh, I have to give credit where it's due.

Heathcliff: Today’s your special day Shino, so feel free to ask for anything you want. As long as it’s within my capabilities, of course… You want to go to the party together? …How can I say no! Let’s eat and laugh to our hearts’ content and make tonight a birthday to remember.

Nero: ‘appy birthday, Shino. Ya sure have a way with words, but sometimes ya gotta take a step back an’ indulge yer childhood self. ‘Ere’s some warm soup for ya. Now, ya better drink up an’ go to bed, or you’ll never grow taller than me.

Oz: ...Is it Shino’s birthday today? He came up to me and declared he would defeat me one day… That boy knows where his strength lies, and he’s determined to grow stronger. He’s far from being on par with me, but he’ll undoubtedly become a powerful wizard in the future.

Arthur: Happy birthday, Shi– Whoa, where did you find this beetle? It’s huge! It must’ve come all the way from the depths of the forest to wish you a happy birthday. …Right, I came to find you to do just that too! Happy birthday!

Cain: It’s gonna be fine, don’t sweat it! Just go up to Heath and tell him you wanna celebrate your birthday together. He’s gonna fold immediately, bet! Now, take deep breaths a–nd off you go! …Those two never change, do they?

Riquet: Master Sage, look! Shino and Heathcliff are heading to the dining hall together. It seems like they’ve made up. Cain and I were a bit worried, but thankfully, it ended well. After all, there’s nothing more precious than celebrating your birthday with your best friend.

Snow: For his birthday, Shino requested a joint lesson with us Northern wizards, so we're consulting with Faust about it. Knowing each other’s homeland is more important now than ever after all. Our present will come a bit late, but we hope Shino will be pleased with the results.

White: Not only is Shino interested in a lesson with the Northern wizards, but with the Southern ones as well. He’s taking his studies very seriously these days, so they're holding a special classroom lecture for him later. Oh, how we look forward to seeing his continued growth!

Mithra: Happy birthday, Shino. Say, your magical artefact is quite impressive. Could I try holding it for a bit? …Hmm, I didn’t expect it to be so small since it always looks massive next to you. Well, regardless, it’s still a cool weapon to have. 

Owen: Happy birthday, Shino. I have a very special guest I’d like you to meet. It’s my dear Cerberus. He’s not as loyal to his master as you are, so I’d like him to learn a trick or two from a well-behaved dog such as yourself.

Bradley: If ya really wanna impress yer elders, it ain’t enough to jus’ keep bumpin’ up yer age. Ya gotta make the most outta every opportunity an’ put in the effort to grow. Kiddos like you are always lookin’ for that approval, yeah? …Eh? Yer past that age already?

Shylock: Welcome in, Shino. I made you a special birthday drink using orange juice and a touch of bitter herbs to give it an alcoholic taste. You’ll have to get used to the flavour eventually should you want to drink one day. Worry not, I also have a palette cleanser prepared.

Murr: Here’s your present! A lapis lazuli amulet made by yours truly! Even a real go-getter like yourself can feel lost from time to time, right? Well, this amulet can help ya find your way when ya need it! Probably! …Ahaha, got your attention?

Chloe: Isn’t Shino just so~ badass? It’s like nothing can bring him down… OMG wait, this is giving me so much inspiration! I feel like I could make him a ton of new outfits right now! Wouldn't that be an awesome birthday gift!?

Rustica: You and I once had a discussion on love, did we not? Now that you’re older, I’d love to tell you my own love story. I’ll set a table for us, brew a pot of tea, and prepare some suitable music… That sounds like a lot of trouble? Well, love can be quite troublesome.

Figaro: There’s a cafe around here that makes delicious lemon pies, so I could take you sometime. I do know a thing or two about sweets after all. ...Is it really so surprising that I’m up-to-date with where the youths like to hang-out? I am a youth myself, I’ll have you know.

Rutile: Here you go, Shino! I saved the best cut of meat for the birthday boy! …Ahaha, you got me. Heath was the one who asked me to do this since he thought you’d just give it back if he came himself. Look, he keeps sneaking glances at us, so you should accept it for him!

Lennox: Happy birthday, Shino. I hear you’ve been taking your studies seriously as of late. I’m sure Lord Faust has been very happy to see you challenging yourself. ...Now, I should challenge myself and learn how to smile? Haha, I’ll do my best too, then. 

Mitile: Hey, Mister Shino, why don’t we take a study break here and head to the cafe? Since it’s your birthday, I want to treat you to something! I probably can’t afford the most expensive cake on the menu… But hopefully, I’ve saved enough for the second most! 

Other Words for "Look" + With meanings | List for writers

Many people create lists of synonyms for the word 'said,' but what about the word 'look'? Here are some synonyms that I enjoy using in my writing, along with their meanings for your reference. While all these words relate to 'look,' they each carry distinct meanings and nuances, so I thought it would be helpful to provide meanings for each one.

Gaze - To look steadily and intently, especially in admiration or thought.

Glance - A brief or hurried look.

Peek - A quick and typically secretive look.

Peer - To look with difficulty or concentration.

Scan - To look over quickly but thoroughly.

Observe - To watch carefully and attentively.

Inspect - To look at closely in order to assess condition or quality.

Stare - To look fixedly or vacantly at someone or something.

Glimpse - To see or perceive briefly or partially.

Eye - To look or stare at intently.

Peruse - To read or examine something with great care.

Scrutinize - To examine or inspect closely and thoroughly.

Behold - To see or observe a thing or person, especially a remarkable one.

Witness - To see something happen, typically a significant event.

Spot - To see, notice, or recognize someone or something.

Contemplate - To look thoughtfully for a long time at.

Sight - To suddenly or unexpectedly see something or someone.

Ogle - To stare at in a lecherous manner.

Leer - To look or gaze in an unpleasant, malicious way.

Gawk - To stare openly and stupidly.

Gape - To stare with one's mouth open wide, in amazement.

Squint - To look with eyes partially closed.

Regard - To consider or think of in a specified way.

Admire - To regard with pleasure, wonder, and approval.

Skim - To look through quickly to gain superficial knowledge.

Reconnoiter - To make a military observation of a region.

Flick - To look or move the eyes quickly.

Rake - To look through something rapidly and unsystematically.

Glare - To look angrily or fiercely.

Peep - To look quickly and secretly through an opening.

Focus - To concentrate one's visual effort on.

Discover - To find or realize something not clear before.

Spot-check - To examine something briefly or at random.

Devour - To look over with eager enthusiasm.

Examine - To inspect in detail to determine condition.

Feast one's eyes - To look at something with great enjoyment.

Catch sight of - To suddenly or unexpectedly see.

Clap eyes on - To suddenly see someone or something.

Set eyes on - To look at, especially for the first time.

Take a dekko - Colloquial for taking a look.

Leer at - To look or gaze in a suggestive manner.

Rubberneck - To stare at something in a foolish way.

Make out - To manage to see or read with difficulty.

Lay eyes on - To see or look at.

Pore over - To look at or read something intently.

Ogle at - To look at in a lecherous or predatory way.

Pry - To look or inquire into something in a determined manner.

Dart - To look quickly or furtively.

Drink in - To look at with great enjoyment or fascination.

Bask in - To look at or enjoy something for a period of time.

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something beautiful about an old as fuck wizard taking in a silver haired kid despite knowing that the kid is a prince but they still decide to raise the kid as their own

Kagehina again

I (accidentally) rewatched Haikyuu first season, now I wanna draw them so much

hair holds memories

no i actually love that classism is made present and obvious in haikyuu so much, like it’s made to fit so well as an important theme

the difference between the public, private and state schools is so obvious and, imo, well done (e.g. shiratorizawa vs seijoh vs karasuno)

furudate also hits on the urban/rural divide in terms of resources, security, educational standards, etc, and how that affects the tokyo teams compared with the miyagi ones, as well as others

it gets a really good balance between “ppl from lower income backgrounds can and do succeed”, and “ppl from privileged backgrounds have a far higher chance of success” and i love that

some of my favourite examples under the cut, in no particular order

kageyama and ushijima in general, and in their relationships with everyone honestly, but especially hinata and oikawa

“what have you been doing the last three years”

ushijima’s metaphor with plants growing in the best soil (in which the best soil is an elite public school) vs “i am hinata shōyō, from the concrete”

that line is so. fucking good.

karasuno’s vb team struggling to get access to the gym and daichi competing with other teams for facilities

the whole “you should have come to shiratorizawa” thing, especially ushijima and oikawa’s conversation after aoba johsai loses to karasuno (it’s really well done in the stageplay, i can’t find the link rn)

actually i feel like a lot of the fandom’s memes and jokes with ushijima stem from lines that are some of the most poignant examples of class dynamics

hinata cycling over a mountain to get to school

karasuno’s coaching team compared with the other ones, and the patchiness in having reliable teaching supervisors in the past

the timeskip jobs. shiratorizawa, nekoma and karasuno come to mind for me as schools that illustrate this really well.

also the difference in types of schools (e.g. dateko being a technical college) is really interesting when it comes to timeskip. actually, i feel like this’ll end up a whole extra post

the parallels and differences between tanaka, kyōtani and yamamoto

team records of making it to nationals, e.g. shiratorizawa dominating the miyagi prefecture

the roles of parents and the notable absences in many instances

‘the lucky ones’, i think is the chapter title translation - the one focusing on ushijima and sakusa post-timeskip - it’s a really good chapter

nekoma’s motto being ‘connect’ - it’s a key team value, but also highlights the privilege of being well-connected and living in the capital city. it also affects their timeskips, facilities, ability to hold training camps, etc

the everyone-knows-everyone vibe of the town karasuno is in. really hits the nail on the head.

tokyo having an extra team in nationals as the event sponsor slot (i forget exactly what they call it)

it doesn’t diminish the impressive abilities of the players who went to public schools (like sakusa, reon, etc) but also acknowledges the ways class privilege helped them to get where they ended up and i just think that’s a really good balance

oh yeah i live in the uk so in case there’s confusion, us public school = uk state school. public schools here are an extra elite type of private school (eg. eton, harrow, etc)

3rd year kagehina has my whole heart and soul

my dog chased the afterlife. i chased the memories and bits of pieces he left for me in this world. i miss that big fella..