#(it's a long story we're not even going there)

[akiraarabella]

...Doey... Kissy... Riley...

I'm so sorry we failed you all.

Spoilers ahead

I'm mad. I'm mad. I'm so mad. What the fuck was this chapter. WHAT THE FUCK WAS THIS CHAPTER?! This was the most traumatizing chapter yet. Btw on a totally unrelated note can i just say the voice acting of everyone was just CHEFS KISS. Everyone did such a phenomenal job. Now back to the game.

I feel so bad for doey. The fact that he stayed when he could leave for the kids that were there. My dude protected them for so long and now every single one is dead! I felt mad at prototype yes but you cant deny we're still a reason for that even if not directly. The moment we entered the safe haven and saw what the prototype did.. I genuinely cried.. Bro, those kids.. Those poor kids.. AAAAAA WHEN I FUCKING GET YOU YOU SON OF A-

Also seeing kissy like that.. My baby.. MY BABY! Thinking about it from her perspective only one she could trust was poppy and after what happened at the end and poppy left she's alone again, maybe cant even trust poppy again i dont know MY BABY DIDNT DESERVE THAT!

Ollie wasn't a shock obv. I think the only reason poppy belived him to be real wasn't out of naivety but more so desperation. I feel bad for poppy too but like doey kissy and riley are up there this chapter.

ALSO POOR RILEY I SWEAR TO GOD EVERY SINGLE PAGE OF THAT JOURNAL AND WHEN WE FIND THE KEY AAAAAAAAAAAAA I've never felt this attached to a character i didn't see or meet. And the way she brutally wrote everything in detail too is just.. Ugh..

Idk wtf prototype is planning to do with all those orphans but I'm mad. I need that thing to cease to exist.

About the doctor, I'm sure he'll be back he's too smart to not have a backup in case things go wrong. Tho if he's a narcissistic i doubt it but yeah.

Talking about coming back I KNEW HUGGY WASN'T DEAD! I FELT STRANGE EMOTIONS WHEN I SAW HIM AGAIN LIKE SCARED BECAUSE OF THE MONOLOGUE AND THE SETTING BUT ALSO EXCITED? IDFK MAN HE'S LIKE A FACE OF THE FRANCHISE SO IT WAS HYPE LMAO

Anyway yeah thats all i gotta say lmao dont mind me yapping. Regardless tho i loved this chapter WAAAAAAAYYYY MOORE THAN THE LAST ONE. Puzzles were just enough, story was intriguing,everything was perfect. I loved it. The storytelling was also on point and every characters introduction was also perfect. I loved loved loved it. CANT WAIT FOR CHAPTER 5! Share your theories with me if you'd like!

[maspers]

Oh! You're asking about Outer Darkness. Let's see if I can help out. Disclaimer tho I'm just a random guy on the internet so be aware that my personal understanding of my faith could be coloring my explanation somewhat, despite my efforts not to.

First: yes, as the existence of such a place implies, we do believe in a possibility for eternal punishment. If we're talking about permanent hell, this is the place. The reason tons of LDS folks like to act like it doesn't is because 1) it sounds nicer and unfortunately people care too much about their reputations and 2) the chances of going to Outer Darkness is like. ASTRONOMICALLY small.

There's an old joke that if you ask a Mormon what happens after you die, they'll draw you a map (as opposed to a Catholic who will tell you to ask your priest and a Protestant who will tell you to ask your Bible, iirc how the joke goes). And honestly, it's true. LDS theology has its afterlife occur in multiple stages. The Spirit World is when you go where you die. But EVENTUALLY Jesus is gonna show up again (probably at the end of the apocalypse because dramatic timing) and EVERYONE is gonna get resurrected. And while the resurrecting is going on there's like a thousand years of awesomeness and getting some last-minute ordinance work done. Shenanigans ensue, everyone teams up to beat up Satan one last time (long story) and THEN and only then do we get to the Final Judgement, when it's FINALLY decided where people are going to be for eternity.

At every point BEFORE the final judgement, everything is ultimately temporary and can be forgiven or whatever because Jesus is awesome. Immortality is a guarantee for literally everyone, and even the people who DONT repent and become good people will still get a spot in a Kingdom of Glory, which even the lowest is referred to as better than anything humanity can comprehend (LDS folk don't do what they do because they want to get into Heaven, they do what they do because they want ALL THE PERKS). Getting into a Kingdom of Glory is essentially the DEFAULT.

But, at the final judgement, it IS possible for someone to do something that can never be forgiven. If you stand at the final judgement, with a perfect knowledge of EVERYTHING (because like, it's the final judgement, your entire past and the past of the UNIVERSE is laid out in front of you, you have complete understanding of what the universe is, how it works, and God's role in all of it) and then essentially give God the middle finger and say "screw you God, I hate you and deny you and everything you stand for"... He still won't send you to Outer Darkness. You have to do that to Him, AND Jesus, AND the Holy Ghost (LDS folk believe they're separate people, not a long story but not worth going into here) and basically also give literally every thing that's good the middle finger as well in the process, because ultimately everything good in the world comes back to those three. Then, and ONLY then, will you be declared a Son of Perdition (though really it should be "Child of Perdition" now, the term originates from scriptural text, obviously people who aren't male could still in theory become a Son of Perdition) and you'll go to Outer Darkness to chill with Satan and be depressed for eternity. I cannot emphasize enough that the people who go to Outer Darkness will go there of their own free will and choice, with a perfect understanding of the decision they are making. Despite what some people might tell you (and what some very stupid LDS folk might believe) Mormonism is heavily built on the concept of free will, and getting sent to Outer Darkness is no exception. You only go there if you WANT to.

And honestly, that's a REALLY stupid thing to do? The amount of people who will end up as Sons of Perdition is INSANELY small, especially compared to the amount of humans that have lived and will live. In all of scripture we only know of to meet the criteria is Cain, and he was only able to meet the criteria because of the unique circumstances at the start of Genesis, it's pretty much impossible for ANYONE to qualify during mortality, or at any other point before Judgement. Cain just is Like That I guess. (Incidentally Cain will explicitly RULE the place, because Satan is a loser and doesn't have a body so he can't be in charge). Some people claim Judas Iscariot also qualifies but that's not backed up by any scriptural or prophetic text, and frankly that idea doesn't make much sense to me.

The kicker is in theory, Outer Darkness technically isn't permanent either. If a Son of Perdition were to recant their ultimate middle finger to God and everything else, they would in theory be allowed to leave. The only reason it IS permanent is because at that point the idea of spitefully rejecting the glory of God is so engrained in their being that they will never repent. It's become their entire nature. (I'll admit this part isn't stated explicitly in scripture anywhere, for obvious reasons Outer Darkness isn't talked about much in the text, but it can be reasonably extrapolated from what we know about the nature of God and mankind based ON the text).

So TLDR: Outer Darkness is a thing in LDS theology, and so is Eternal Punishment, but the only people who go there LITERALLY ask for it. You're almost certainly not going there. Don't worry about it.

As for how this affects the LDS perception of Hell... like every religion, YMMV. Different members view things differently. Some people mistakenly believe that if you're a member of the Church and then leave or otherwise start being a bad person, you'll go to Outer Darkness. This explicitly isn't the case. But Outer Darkness as we understand it is the part of our theology that most closely resembles the traditional Christian idea of hell (though with less fire and brimstone and more just eternal self-loathing and anger), so if a Latter-Day Saint is referring to Hell as a specific place, then they're probably referring to here.

However, when an LDS person mentions Hell, they could ALSO be referring to:

Spirit Prison, where the people who didn't do All The Right Things in life go when they die. Not as bad as it sounds. Like yeah there's suffering but as we understand it it's probably like the "You feel your sins crawling up your back" thing from Undertale where you're just hating yourself because of your guilt. Regardless of if you stay here or end up transferring to Spirit Paradise, you still probably won't go to Outer Darkness. This takes place before the Judgement (long before) but since it's IMMEDIATELY after mortality it sometimes gets conflated with Hell as "bad place you go when you die"

Spiritual Death, aka what Hell as a concept MOST likely is being referred to by LDS. Literally just referring to a spiritual separation from god. Physical Death is when your body dies (oof) and Spiritual Death is when you metaphorically die by not being Christlike, and can really happen at any time. Jesus, being the awesome person He is, provides salvation from BOTH kinds of death (He breaks the "chains of death and hell") so like. Don't even worry about it. Incidentally, since literally everyone is experiencing some level of Spiritual death right now because we're designed to be flawed during mortality, we're technically all in hell right now! Yayyyyyyyyy. Again, don't worry, this is part of the process, part of the point of mortality is to fail and get back up.

So Second TLDR: Outer Darkness is generally known and understood by LDS communities, but like. We don't worry about it too much. Usually when an LDS folk talks about hell in a religious sense they're talking about the concept of (ideally temporary) Spiritual Death.

"Maspers are you going to cite your sources" No, this is tumblr and I'm lazy. the other LDS folks can back me up and correct me if I'm wrong. Peer review ftw.

seeing people discussing the concept of hell and how cruel the idea of eternal punishment is like, wow! i know this belief system you would love if not for your knee-jerk reaction against its name

[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 136 (Twists and Turns)

The next morning, Heather woke to a fresh blanket of spring snow (must be Canada 😂). She was hit with another bout of nausea, and stunned by news that one of her vet techs, Rico Garrison, had been unceremoniously culled killed in a shock drowning accident in Dachshund's Creek. This left her down a tech and about to commit to a months-long rebuild of Buttercup Pet Clinic.

Despite the unseasonably snowy holiday and feeling less than stellar, Heather had to go to work to cover Rico's appointments. She felt horrible for her best tech, Kaori Hayashi, who had been dating Rico since late winter. They were even expecting a child, which meant Heather would soon lose Kaori to maternity leave, too. At least Thaddeus, her most recent hire, could help pick up the slack, but this was undoubtedly a tragic setback.

Despite the unseasonal snowfall, J Huntington came in with his dog, Archimedes, thanking Heather for her advice over working with Landgraab Corp. "I signed the contract to give them the company. They'll take care of straightening out George's books, and for the first time, my guys will get healthcare, so everyone's on board with the change."

Heather forced a smile. She didn't care much for things that would please Nancy Landgraab, but she knew a strong presence at the docks was important after everything they'd been through over winter. "I'm happy for you," she said, and it wasn't a total lie.

She returned home in mid-afternoon, finding her younger sister back from Henford in the living room. "Hey Hazel! How was Easter dinner?"

"It was great." She fiddled with the hem of her jacket as she sat on the sofa. "I'm sorry I got upset with you while you were away. I was freaking out about all the marriage talk, but I shouldn't have put that on you."

"It's okay," said Heather. "I'm not upset, but I couldn't tell you what you should do. What if I had said no?" (That option won the poll, by the way!)

"I would've been more upset," she admitted. "I'm not ready to marry again right now, but I want to be with her for a long time."

"Did you talk to Suri?"

"I did. She said she's been feeling like she needs to hold on to the important people in her life since she lost her aunt so suddenly, and I totally understand what she's going through. But it's too soon to get married. We want to live together first - just the two of us."

"Here in Brindleton Bay?"

Hazel nodded. "I like working with Alex Goth, and the deal's almost done for Suri to buy the Salty Paw. She said when the owners found out her grandmother was Clara Bjergsen they did their own renovations and upped the price, but once a deal goes through, I'll move in with her in the small apartment over the bar."

"There's an apartment over the bar?"

"Not much of one, but we're going to try to turn it into something nice."

"I'm happy for you, Hazel. And I'm happy you handled this so maturely with Suri."

"You didn't think I could, did you."

"I hoped you would."

"Are you sure you guys won't miss me when I'm gone?"

"The Salty Paw's only about fifteen blocks away."

They laughed together and Hazel smiled. "Thanks for everything, sis. You're the best."

Heather still wasn't feeling great as she tried to get a few chores done around the house. She'd started to feel like she was fighting off an infection; it was time to see a doctor, so she left Conrad at home with Lavender to visit her gynecologist.

But she came home in a daze, stunned by the doctor's diagnosis. She found Conrad and Lavender upstairs, chatting as Lavender tried to bargain for another story. "When you're five, we'll talk about a later bedtime, but until then, that's now. Time to get into your pajamas." Conrad's attention turned when Heather shut the bedroom door behind her. "Hey! What did the doctor say?"

Heather sighed. "Well, I have a UTI. But that, the nausea, the fatigue...they have nothing to do with the spider bite."

Conrad's face fell. "What's up? You're okay...right?"

"I'm pregnant. About seven weeks."

She smiled as his expression flipped from concern to ecstatic joy. "Heather, that's incredible!"

Lavender glanced at her parents with confusion. "What's pregnen?"

"It means you're going to have a baby brother or sister."

Lavender still wasn't sure what they meant. "I have a brother awreddy. Can it be sister?"

"We don't choose, sweet girl."

"I hope it's a sister!"

After tucking Lavender into bed they settled onto the sofa for a comfortable night in, but their movie was interrupted when Heather's phone rang. She checked the call display before she connected the call. "Malcolm? What's going on? Is Ash there?"

The line was quiet for a long time. Too long, and Heather felt the phone start to shake in her hand. Finally, she heard Malcolm take a breath.

"Heather...I...It's...Ash is missing. H-he's been kidnapped." ->

<- Previous Chapter | Gen 2 Start | Gen 2.1 Summary

Gen 1 Start | Gen 1 Summary

NOTE: Sorry I buried the baby news, but I didn't have enough content to make a whole other post and I set myself another arbitrary deadline to get to a certain point in the story by a certain date. And Heather was supposed to learn she was pregnant later than this, but the mod-generated UTI sent her to the gynecologist and she/we found out earlier than planned. No offense to this very wanted baby but ASH IS MISSING!!

NOTE 2: @purplesimmer455 the way I couldn't react with the excitement I wanted to your meme share on Sunday knowing I paid homage to it in this very post ("What's pregnen?") and didn't want to give the truth away yet! 😅 Shout out to @matchalovertrait who also guessed this, and @changingplumbob who I think was thinking it when she asked why Ash's room had bunk beds. I made up a small fib about repurposing the tiny nursery space, but actually I still need it for the new nooboo!

NOTE 3: On one hand, it's very sad that Rico was culled when he's expecting a baby. On another hand, this is a setback on my likely-fruitless search for a five-star rating because now I have to train up a new tech! Tragic!!

WCIF Phone Poses: Unexpected Phone Call by @starrysimsie and Shocked News by @simmireen. I used @nataliaauditore-blog's iPhone 11 accessory in both poses.

[apomaro-mellow]

Govt gets kas!eddie 7

Part 6

Robin looked at Steve strangely as they sat in his car, waiting for Erica and Dustin to finish up their business in the library.

"Aren't you hot?", she asked, eyeing the hoodie. It was almost June, why was he so bundled up?

"No", Steve lied.

"Well you look hot", Robin said. He wasn't quite sweating yet. Just a light sheen. "You know if you pass out from heatstroke I'm not lugging your ass around, right?"

Steve snorted. "You won't, but Dustin will. You remember the joyride Max took a couple years back?"

"Damn, you're right", Robin remembered that story. She couldn't imagine getting your shit rocked and then waking up to a bunch of kids driving your car. Well one kid. While the others yelled at each other. Then she realized she was being diverted and was about to ask directly about the hoodie when Dustin and Erica rushed back out.

"We got it! Drive!", Dustin shouted, despite the fact no one was chasing them.

Steve peeled out either way. Time was of the essence when it came to this stuff, as he had come to learn. That's why every single moment of calm felt precious. All the more so once Steve learned he was carrying...something. Like other creatures of the Upside Down, Eddie wasn't fond of sunlight. So he stayed in during the day. The moment they got back to the house, Eddie was on him, arms wrapped around his torso like he'd just been off to battle and not just a recon mission to the library.

Thanks to the AC, Steve was no longer dying. But he didn't dare to take off the hoodie while it was still daylight. Coming to terms with being pregnant came surprisingly easy. It was the fact that he was growing...well...fast. And that meant telling others sooner rather than later. And that meant he and Eddie would have to come out.

Somehow, Steve thought just saying he'd been infected by spores would have been less scandalous than the idea of Eddie impregnating him. But he didn't want to lie to everyone. And technically it wasn't a lie. He just hadn't told anyone. Hopper still gave them looks when Eddie's touches lingered too long but Steve could handle one person not approving. Especially since Wayne had already set him straight. Robin would be on board with most of it. He just didn't know how she'd react to the pregnant part.

And the others....

Steve was so lost in thought, he hadn't realized the conversation was pointed at him until Eddie's hold tightened on him, his large hand holding his belly protectively while he growled into his ear.

"No."

"No? Whaddya mean no?", Mike demanded.

"It's not safe", Eddie said.

Steve got his head back in the game. Right. The plan. The plan to defeat Vecna and the Upside Down once and for all. They had a map of Hawkins strewn about the dining room table and several little baubles to represent themselves. Just like before, Steve was supposed to be on the team that attacked Vecna's physical body.

"What do you mean it's not safe? None of this is safe", Erica said.

"We're all risking our lives, Eddie. This isn't anything new", Nancy said.

Eddie just growled again. "Not safe for-"

"Eddie!", Steve cut him off, afraid of him saying too much. "It's okay. I'll be careful. We'll be careful. Besides, I'm not the one that nearly died last time", he said, poking Eddie in the chest.

Eddie at least had the decency to look ashamed at that. And so once again, Steve would be on the front lines. It was fine. They had Eddie now. And just like before, El would attack from that weird mindscape. There were other lines of assault. They had more people on the ground. They could cover more bases. Steve could be a part of it still. He should be a part of it.

He'd wear sweaters and hoodies just until it was all over. That was the plan anyway. To grin and bear it. And he did. Even as his belly grew. He might be worried about how quickly this was all going if it was a normal pregnancy. But, well, this was anything but normal. During the day, he hid it to the best of his ability.

At night, he lifted the thin shirt he wore so that Eddie could put his ear to his stomach. They smiled as they felt the little something wiggling inside of him.

"We should think of a name", Steve whispered, stroking Eddie's hair.

"Names", Eddie corrected.

"What?"

"More than one. There's more than one", Eddie said, kissing Steve in three places on his belly.

Three....

Three?!

"Three....", Steve said, more to himself than to Eddie. His hand moved, trying to feel them. One moved, pressing against his hand, like they knew he was reaching out to them.

"They feel you", Eddie said, moving up so that he was face to face with Steve. "And they love you."

Steve felt the sting of tears in the back of his eyes. Probably just hormones but still-

"I love them too."

Eddie smiled. "They know."

There was a little flutter in his stomach (his womb?) and Steve really wanted to cry now. He sniffled a little. "I promise I'll be careful, Eddie. I promise. For all of us."

Eddie didn't say anything in response. He just made a little sound and nuzzled Steve's neck. They'd both be careful. Because things were different now. Now Eddie had the strength to rip apart anyone that dared to threaten Steve.

Part 8 (final?) coming soon

Taglist

@estrellami-1 @gloomysoup @bxnghy @gutterflower77 @v3lv3tf0x

@tinyplanet95 @thedragonsaunt @stripey82 @ajeff855 @bumblebeecuttlefishes

@ellietheasexylibrarian @gregre369 @geekymagicalpotato @live-laugh-love-dietrich @mugloversonly

@reverseteehee @stedestielfrattficlover

[pascalislove]

THE CALL: Han Jeong-Won x Fem!Reader~5

Summary: Your arrival would change everything, even if Jeong-Won didn't know it yet.

Dinner at Jeong-Won's mansion passed in tense silence. Y/N moved her fork around the plate, breaking off pieces of the meat half-heartedly. Loki slept near the table, oblivious to the charged atmosphere that floated between them.

—Do you always eat in this funereal atmosphere? Y/N asked, breaking the silence with her characteristic sarcastic tone.

Jeong-Won didn't even look up. —I prefer silence. Y/N put the fork down on the plate with a thud.

—Look, we're going to live together for a year, at least we could try not to behave like two strangers in a waiting room.Jeong-Won finally looked up, his dark eyes shining with a mix of irritation and exhaustion.

—I'm not interested in playing happy family with you. —Did you know? —she said, crossing her arms—. You are the most insufferable and self-centered guy I have ever met. —And you think I enjoy this? Jeong-Won dropped the cutlery with a clatter.

—Of course not,— Y/N replied wryly.— You only hired me to spite your ex-wife—The tension broke when Jeong-Won shot to his feet, his voice rising into an angry shout.

—If you don't like it, you can leave! —Y/N looked at him, surprised by the intensity of his words, but refused to back down. —You know what, Mr. Han?, It's not even worth arguing with you.—Without waiting for a response, he left the room with firm steps, leaving behind the echo of his own words and the latent frustration.

That night, Y/N tried to sleep, but the memory of the argument continued to haunt her mind. I was upset, yes, but also curious. What the hell had broken this man to the point of making him so bitter?Hours passed, and just as she began to fall into a light sleep, a piercing scream made her sit bolt upright in bed.

—No! No! The sound came from Jeong-Won's room. Y/N stood up quickly, her heart racing. —Jeong-Won? —he called from the hallway, but got no response. She pushed open the door, finding him writhing on the bed, drenched in sweat, his face twisted in pain.

—Don't leave me! Don't go! —he screamed in the middle of his nightmare, his voice broken by terror. Without a second thought, Y/N walked over and gently shook his shoulder.

—Jeong-Won, wake up. It's just a nightmare.He snapped his eyes open, breathing hard, lost between dream and reality. “You're okay,” Y/N whispered, keeping her voice soft. It was just a bad dream. It took Jeong-Won a few seconds to catch his breath. He sat up in bed, running a trembling hand through his damp hair.

“Go away,” he murmured, although his voice lacked its usual harshness. “No,” Y/N replied firmly. I'm not going to leave you alone after that. He looked at her in disbelief, but said nothing. “I know you don't want me here, but maybe you need someone,” Y/N added, softening her tone. No one should deal with this alone, Jeong-Won. He looked away, but didn't look at her again. Y/N watched him silently, understanding that behind all his coldness and arrogance was a broken man, trapped by ghosts from the past. Y/N stood up, giving him one last look before leaving the room.

—Good night.

Although Jeong-Won didn't say it out loud, that night was the first time in a long time that someone stayed close, even when he tried to push her away.

This story does not follow the plot of the series, tell me if you like it and if you want me to tag you in the chapters🫶

Tag list:

@anamiad00msday, @czarinera

THE CALL MASTERLIST

[cozmowrites]

BKDK x You

You were used to being part of their lives. Bakugou's fiery intensity and Midoriya's gentle warmth had always pulled you in like gravity, keeping you rooted in the chaos of your shared days. The three of you had been inseparable for years, but somewhere along the way, you noticed a shift-a subtle change in how they looked at you, lingered close, and sought you out during quiet moments. They were dating, had started shortly after high school, and somewhere along the way, you wanted that too. But you couldn't. You were just their best friend and that's all you thought you could be.

Today, you found yourself sandwiched between them on the couch in Midoriya's apartment. A movie played in the background, but none of you were paying attention. You felt Bakugou's knee brush yours, his hand tapping a rhythm against the couch arm, and Midoriya's soft glances from the other side.

"Alright, this is stupid," Bakugou finally said, breaking the silence and startling you. He turned, crimson eyes locking onto yours with his usual fierce determination. "We gotta talk."

Midoriya sat up straighter, his freckled face flushing pink. "Kacchan! We were supposed to ease into it!"

"Tch, like you're doing a great job with all your awkward staring, Deku!" Bakugou shot back, though his gaze never wavered from yours.

Your heart thudded. "What's going on?"

Midoriya took a deep breath, reaching for your hand, his palm warm and steady. "We've been talking about this for a while now," he began, voice soft yet sincere. "And we realized something important."

Bakugou huffed, his hand coming up to scratch the back of his neck. "What he's trying to say is... We both like you, dumbass. And we're not about to fight over you, 'cause-" He glanced at Midoriya, then back at you. "We both want you with us."

Your eyes widened as their words sank in. "You... both?"

Midoriya nodded, squeezing your hand. "We've been dating for a while, but it never felt complete. You've always been such an important part of our lives, and we realized we don't want to keep that part separate anymore. We want you in this-with us."

Bakugou's face softened just slightly, though his voice remained gruff. "We're not gonna pressure you or anything. If it's too weird or you're not into it, fine. But if there's even a chance you feel the same, we're all in."

The room seemed to hold its breath as they waited for your response.

"I..." You hesitated, overwhelmed by the weight of their confession. But as you looked into their eyes-Midoriya's full of hope and nervousness, Bakugou's brimming with determination-you felt your heart swell. Real emotions. You never thought they would want you for more than just a friend so you buried those thoughts deep in your mind to never recover. "I think I've been in love with you both for a long time," you admitted, your voice trembling. "But I didn't know how to say it or if it would ruin what we had."

Bakugou smirked, relief flooding his expression. "So, what you're saying is, you're as much of an idiot as we are."

Midoriya laughed, his hand tightening around yours. "Kacchan, be nice!" He turned to you, his eyes shining. "Does that mean you'll... be with us?"

Your answer came without hesitation. "Yes. I want to be with you both."

Before you could process what was happening, Midoriya had pulled you into a tight embrace, his joy radiating through his touch. Bakugou, ever the competitive one, grabbed you next, his arms strong and steady around you both.

"About damn time," Bakugou muttered, though the corners of his mouth quirked up in a rare, genuine smile.

Midoriya looked over at you, his hand still resting against your arm as if afraid to let go completely. "I've got to ask," he said softly, his green eyes filled with curiosity. "When... when did you start liking us?"

You blinked, caught off guard by the question. "Oh, um... that's kind of a long story."

Bakugou's grip on your other hand tightened, and you realized he was holding it-gently, almost hesitantly. The heat from his palm was distracting, making it hard to focus. You weren't sure how to feel about it, but the small gesture also made your heart race.

"You've got time," Bakugou said, his thumb brushing your knuckles in a rare show of tenderness. "Spit it out."

You glanced at him, then at Midoriya, whose eager expression mirrored his usual determination to understand everything. There was no escaping this.

"Fine," you relented, looking down at where Bakugou's hand held yours. "It was... at the start of high school. That's when it all started."

Midoriya tilted his head. "Really? That early?"

"Yeah," you admitted, cheeks flushing. "It wasn't exactly something I planned. You both were just... so different back then. But also so... you."

Bakugou gave you a sidelong glance, his lips twitching. "So, who was it first?"

You hesitated, the weight of their stares making your heart pound. Finally, you sighed. "It was you, Bakugou."

Midoriya's eyes widened slightly, and Bakugou's smirk deepened, though his tone remained calm. "Damn right it was."

"Don't get cocky," you muttered, but there was no malice in your voice. "You were loud and brash and way too full of yourself, but... you also had this way of pushing through everything, no matter how hard it was. Watching you fight for what you wanted, watching you refuse to give up even when things got tough-it was impossible not to admire you for that. And... it made me want to be stronger, too."

Bakugou didn't say anything, but his grip on your hand grew firmer, a quiet acknowledgment of your words.

Midoriya smiled softly. "And then... me?"

You nodded, looking at him. "You were so different from Bakugou-"

"Katsuki." Bakugou corrected and you let out a soft hum as your thumb brushed against the back of his hand.

"So kind and thoughtful. You cared about everyone, even when it hurt you. You were always helping me, always listening when I needed someone to talk to. You made me feel safe when things got overwhelming. And somewhere along the way, I realized I liked you, too."

Midoriya's cheeks turned a bright pink, his smile growing. "I... I don't know what to say. That means so much to me."

"It wasn't easy," you admitted, glancing between them. "Liking both of you. I didn't know how to deal with it, so I just... didn't. I told myself it would never work, especially when you both started dating, so I tried to move on."

"Yeah, well," Bakugou said, his voice softer now, "guess we proved you wrong, didn't we?"

You laughed quietly, the sound light and genuine. "I guess you did."

Midoriya reached out then, his hand resting gently on top of yours and Bakugou's. "Thank you for telling us. And... for giving us a chance."

You looked at their hands, warm and steady over yours, and felt a swell of emotion you couldn't quite put into words. "Thank you for asking me to stay."

Bakugou squeezed your hand again, his smirk softening into a rare, genuine smile. "You're stuck with us now, dumbass. No backing out."

"Not that I'd want to," you said, your voice steady as your heart finally found its rhythm.

You realized you'd never felt more at home until now.

+++

masterlist ⟢

more bakugou ⟢

[stonesparrow]

BIRD TALKS TEXTILES AGAIN TIME

Okay after additional research I think that Xeno might not actually have the capacity to make rayon because pretty much every rayon making process requires really fine spinnerets? When viscose rayon was developed they were initially made of glass but were switched to a platinum-gold alloy and while clothing is certainly important, I feel like he'd prioritize using his limited supply of platinum elsewhere.

But if he did have the capacity to make fine and durable enough spinnerets and wanted to make rayon, I think he'd go for the Lyocell process. The viscose process is highly toxic and requires some pretty heavy management for the fumes and conserving material to manage waste, while the Lyocell process is energy intensive but much cleaner.

"Bird I don't think Xeno would care that much about safety" he would if it meant he could lose a significant portion of his workforce to poison. He's a mad scientist and my personal fashion nemesis, but I seriously doubt he'd choose the method that's more damaging to the workers and environment (after all, if you damage the environment too much then that means less science you can do in the future. Also waste management is a pain and sustainability is better long-term).

BUT. Before he can manage that, natural fibers will have to suffice. Flax could definitely be grown for linen, and perhaps some hemp too. Cotton is a thirsty crop but definitely possible, however hand processing it would be a PAIN so probably not the first choice until they get some machines for it.

Now. Wool. Most sheep breeds I think would die out pretty fast without human intervention, but I have a proposal.

Introducing, the Santa Cruz sheep. A rare breed that once dominated the island of Santa Cruz off the coast of California but is now relegated to a handful of individuals on the mainland because they were so hardy they became a massive feral colony and threatened the island's ecology. Granted, I don't know how many Santa Cruz sheep are currently in the state of California (or would have been in June 2019) since the current population is spread throughout the country, but this is the best I got. Sheep experts are more than welcome to school me on this.

Wool is so great though! It's got more resistance against fire than other materials, it retains insulation properties even when wet, and it's very absorbent (potential for use in washcloths and reusable menstrual pads perhaps?). So yeah, sheep.

You know ever since I got into textiles I've been more and more annoyed that it feels so glossed over in the manga (THE ANIME SKIPS YUZURIHA'S HEDDLE EXPLANATION. THAT HURTS.). Like, they don't even do any retting before processing the hemp! What the hell?! Same with the agriculture. I recently read Arakawa Hiromu's Silver Spoon (highly recommend if you like heartfelt and thought-provoking slice of life) and like legit, farming is so fascinating guys.

Like FINE I get it, this is Senku's story and we're gonna do chemistry and machines and rocketry but like...mah textiles...

So people seemed to like this presentation I made about the layout of the American Colony. And I’ve been studying the overall designs in this arc a lot for fanfic purposes so��fuck it. If enough people want me to I’ll do a breakdown of the American characters’ outfits. Which by the way, are somehow even more bonkers than the goddam castle. I get that they’re shonen villains, but oh my god Xeno’s taste in fashion makes me want to strangle him.

If people like the fashion presentation, I might even do a redesign of all the outfits. Heck I might just do that now because MY EYES.

Though, I might wait until we get some decent full color images for all of them? The trailer only gives me so much to work with. Idk, what do you guys think?

[messrsrarchives]

Hi Robyn. I appreciate you taking the time to always articulate your thoughts on Rowling and topics like that. I was wondering if you have thoughts on this or an answer to this question:

In a recent post you said things like "there's no ethical way to engage" and that you're trying to do "the least amount of harm possible." A few years ago, I believed these things very literally and believed it was completely immoral to engage in HP at all or engage in the fandom at all, and therefore I did not. Now obviously my beliefs have changed and I no longer believe it's so immoral I can't interact with it, and obviously neither do you or any of the rest of us. Are you able to articulate why? If there's no ethical way to engage, how do you justify being in the fandom? If you're trying to do the least amount of harm possible, do you believe you're still doing harm by being in the fandom and how do you justify that? If this is all inherently unethical and harmful, why are we doing it? How is it morally justifiable to be in the HP fandom at all, to post about it and therefore "promote" it? How do you justify to yourself being in the fandom?

I don't know the answer to that, and since you're someone who often has thoughts on this sort of subject I hope you are able to articulate this in some way that makes sense. I know it's a big question that may not even really have an answer, but I would like to know your thoughts or feelings about it if you'd like to answer.

Secondly, have you ever written up one single list along the lines of "things I believe we should not do"? Like listing it all out in one post: don't watch the hbo show even if you have a subscription, don't post about the show, don't comment on fancasts' posts, don't spend money on merch, don't post merch even if you didn't pay for it, and so on.

Thank you so much <3

HIII !!! always here to yap about these things <33 this is going to be so long i'm sorry !

i think one of my pinned videos on tiktok talks about guilt. there's so much guilt for engaging here and i know that i'm not the only one who, not only feels that, but feels as though it's a lot heavier recently. regardless of how you're engaging, we're promoting her universe and we are complicit, and there's so much guilt that comes with that.

but i think sometimes guilt is useful. i think there's a certain amount of guilt in this scenario that,,, i don't know? makes you better?? i think if you feel a bit guilty for being here, then you're aware and you're more likely to be conscious about your engagement. i think if you're not feeling at least the slightest bit guilty for being here, chances are you're unaware about the effects (whether direct or not) and you're too comfortable. we see a lot of people say "well i'm queer she hates me anyway" or "well i read stories she would hate" or "this fandom is everything she hates" etc etc as if our mere existence here is,,, an act of protest? but i don't see it as that. i don't see me engaging here as an act of protest, i see everything else as one.

and i guess that's why i came back to these spaces. i was told about ATYD by a friend and i already knew the basics about JKR, so my first action was to reread the books for the first time in years and try to see if anything read differently - a lot more stood out because i was more aware, and i spent a solid two weeks just doing research and thinking "okay, if i go into this, what do i need to do?"

at that point, all i thought i had to do was boycott and not put the same ideals into fanfiction, but it's a lot more intense than that. there's the risk of promoting a fic of someone who doesn't stand with us, or of commenting on something in a promoting way, or of showing off old merch and not specifying etc etc - there's a lottt of hidden ways we promote her without realising. that's also why i don't tend to talk About the books unless i'm recalling canon information for a plotline. or the movies unless i'm doing the same.

i think where you say "how do you justify being in the fandom" the most important word there for me is You.

there's the basics, of course: don't profit her, don't post things that profit her, don't perpetuate her ideals, don't promote harry potter in random comment sections, don't talk about the reboot even if you aren't watching it etc etc.

and then everything else is You. once you've got the basics of ethical (as much as possible) engagement, the justification part comes down to you personally. what do you need to do? what will make it feel safer for you? what will make you feel more comfortable? what balances it out for You?

for me, that's talking about it. and it comes off very lecture-like and like i'm scolding people and on one hand,, yes. it's a lecture, it's education, it's demonstrating what to do. but on the other, it's for me? it's for Me. and for Me to justify being in this space, it's to be loud and vocal. i've always said not everyone needs to be loud about it! i think forced activism is harmful but for Me personally? it's the talking about it that justifies it. for every negative comment that i get, i get 10 people that didn't realise the impact. for every person that says "this is such a non-issue" i get a DM from someone else asking more questions or thanking me for talking about it.

for every person in the fandom that doesn't value trans lives and lets me know that, i get 10 trans people who thank me for being loud about it.

and i think that's it for me. formulating a safe bubble for me and everyone else that has been harmed feels like justification. i won't ever be able to change her views or make a mass change, i'm just one guy without much to offer, but i can get one dm from a trans person who is glad to have found a space and,,, yeah. i can make A difference. i'm glad.

and then that all comes together when it comes to me posting. posting even fics is promoting her but i like to think (maybe potentially ignorantly, i'm not sure) that if someone new(er) to the fandom fics a video i've made on the fyp and they want to know more, they'd swipe across to my account, hypothetically. and then they'd find the jkr playlist, they'd find the pinned videos, they'd find the yap playlist and the jkr powerpoint etc etc, and i - definitely ignorantly - like to think that it balances out somewhere. maybe. hopefully. it definitely does more than just posting about the fandom/studios/merch on something like tiktok with an incrediblyyyy loose algorithm and not mentioning anything at all.

it's a hard balance. it's a hard balance of wanting to educate but not wanting to come off kind of,,, like superior? dictorial? placing myself above everyone? but also not wanting to sit back. and i don't think i've found that balance yet, but that's okay! it's all a curve.

for someone else it could be that they add the disclaimers to their fics and don't talk about it publicly often. like here on tumblr is very different to over on tiktok, and i'm sure justification works different on a systemic level here than there. or for someone else it could be that they simply read someone else's talks about it and try to adapt. it could be anything really, it's so individual!

you can justify it however you need to, as long as you have the basics down and you're not causing harm. as long as your justification isn't rooted in assauging your guilt (by that i mean for example, "im queer and jkr hates me anyway so i'll go the studios in protest" because that causes harm)

but at the end of the day i think it comes down to not letting TERFs win. at the end of the day i think we all justify it by not letting them take away another thing we love, even if it's something as silly as a magical universe. it means a lot to us, we aren't going to give it up for someone like her.

so we make a change. we don't separate art from artist, that causes harm. we don't call it reclaiming, you can't reclaim IP of someone still living and profiting.

but we can claim a bubble within it, and we can surround ourselves with people that get it and some of us will step out of the bubble and try to get more people to join us, others will be happy just staying in there and enjoying their time, and we all just get to Breathe.

i don't know. this is long and rambly and i don't think i'll ever justify it fully. i think i'll always feel guilty and i'll always talk about it and i think i'll always have moments where i wonder if maybe i am doing more harm, or times where i feel like i'm screaming myself hoarse and people don't seem to get it but,,, i also have 20,000 people that i didn't have before. and lifelong friends. and communication skills i didn't have, and a rekindled love for something that dominated my childhood.

and i feel good, i think. about the way i've gone about it. i think the version of me that bought crusty and dusty falling to pieces books off of etsy and sat there highlighting things would be proud that this is the way we take it, and i think the 15 year old version of me that realised he was trans and threw everything away would be proud too.

and i think that's how i justify it.

am i making myself proud with this? am i proud of how i went about this, and will i be proud when everything unfolds and we see the harm reach it's peak? will i be proud of what i did to Try?

and i think that's the big question to be asking ourselves.

(and in terms of one post, i have a PDF powerpoint here that explains a Bit, but - not to just promote myself lmao but who's reading all of this actually - i will be releasing three episodes of my podcast this week ALLL about jkr! (1) things in the books (2) twitter, political action, robert galbraith books and (3) fandom responsibility - and that third one will contain everything. for now at least. it's constantly changing but for now, it will include everything we need to do to keep this space safe and comfortable and as ethical as possible)

[wendylianmartin]

There is something I realized about the story that I wanted to touch on. Kappa and Siren both seem to have given up on their dream, and they just keep going for each other. They are not living for themselves, but for someone else, which is not healthy at all…and I love it. Seriously, I love it so much. It's funny, because I tend to despise that dynamic when I see it in stories, because I don't like how it tends to idealize that kind of relationship. But in Castle Swimmer, not only do I prefer it that way, I wouldn't want it any other way. Sure, it's unhealthy and not ideal, but that's the thing… Siren and Kappa are neither healthy nor ideal.

These two boys have both been through so much in their lives, they have been through so much trauma, they have dealt with so many emotions that it has affected them deeply. It makes sense that their past would prevent them from having enough self-esteem to live for themselves right now. It's not something you can just wipe away after a motivational speech.

The way Siren and Kappa are acting is not healthy, is not something I wish for them in the long run. But it makes SENSE that they can't do otherwise. Sure, Kappa is growing right now, but his recent growth still won't erase the effects of 20 years of trauma and neglect. The same goes for Siren. There is something Kappa says to Siren in one chapter that perfectly illustrates this fact:

"Think about everything you've been through since we met. The scar from your mother, the creatures in the god's mouth, dying and being brought back to life. It makes sense that you're having a hard time, it would be weird if you weren't."

I think nowadays we're used to characters having a Shonen-like character arc that makes them evolve and immediately get rid of all their problems. But realistically, it's not that easy. People have to deal with the state they're in for a while before they can really get over it. That's what the story has shown us, that things don't get solved with one miraculous solution like the beacon and the prophecy, learning to say no, finding dad, and so on. That's why it felt not only right, but natural for them to live for each other, no matter how unhealthy it is : Of course they can't live for themselves right now. It's not healthy, but it's realistic. And I'm rooting for it, not because I want the bois to keep living for someone else instead of themselves, but because I'm happy that the bois have a motivation to keep going despite everything they're dealing with right now.

I'm confident that they're going to get better. I'm confident that they will reach a point where they can finally live for themselves and not just for someone else. But that moment is not coming right now, and that's okay. They're allowed to be in a bad state and do the best they can with what they have. As Neth said, "bad motivation is better than no motivation at all."

Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the Shonen-like arcs of the characters. And I'm proud of the growth our babies have already made, their progress and everything, I really hope to see more of it! But through this approach, I think CS is conveying a message that's not so common in stories, but really deep and important: growth takes time, it's okay if we're not our ideal selves right away. We're allowed to be unhealthy, to deal with it as we can, as long as we're still here and still doing our best. And maybe sometimes it is best to focus on living with our burdens and our mistakes with the limited tools we have. For NOW, the ideal self can wait.

(God, I LOVE this story so much…)

Thank you for the thoughtful analysis! I’m happy my goals with the story and characters are coming through.

I’ve experienced this myself- how our strongest motivations are not always the healthiest ones. I think it’s interesting to explore that in the characters. There was a reason Siren’s mental health took a nose dive after he accomplished his goal of finding kappa. (Which wasn’t even supposed to be his goal In the first place lol) I relate to him a lot in that struggle.

I could see it being frustrating when the characters struggle with the same problems and seem to regress but it feels more faithful to the themes of the story in that way.

Mental health itself is kind of a broad, deep topic and I know I don’t explore it perfectly but I’m happy with how the story has progressed so far 👍

[yvaineseleneposts]

We never talk about it

Requested: no

A/N: based on the song Sharpest tool by Sabrina Carpenter

Pairing: Nico Hischier x reader

Words: around 1k

Warning(s): a little sad story

It started with a simple text. A "Hey" on a random Tuesday. Nico always did that—showed up when I was just starting to move on, like some ghost from the past refusing to be exorcised.

I stared at my phone, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. Ignore him. You don’t need to go through this again. But, like every other time, I gave in.

"Hey," I replied, knowing damn well where this was going to lead.

We had been something once—something undefined, something thrilling, something that left me constantly second-guessing. I met his friends, laughed at their stupid inside jokes, and even spent nights tangled in his sheets. But then, just like that, he’d disappear. He’d act like none of it ever mattered. Like I didn’t matter.

I should have known better.

___

"You know you’re not the sharpest tool in the shed, right?" I teased one night, lying on his couch, his arm lazily draped over me. His phone face down on the couch next to him. He said it was just a habit, but I knew better. I just never wanted to admit it.

Nico laughed, shaking his head. "Wow, way to boost my confidence."

"Hey, I’m just saying. You forget things easily. One second, we're good, and then—poof—you’re gone."

He didn’t respond. He just pressed a soft kiss to my temple and changed the subject. That was the thing about Nico. He never wanted to talk about it.

And then one day, he took a left. Out of nowhere, he was gone. Again. No explanation. Just radio silence.

___

A week turned into a month. The empty texts and late-night calls that used to fill my phone became just…nothing. I didn’t hear a word until the guilt crept in—until he decided to send a soft, "Hey" as if he hadn’t just shattered me.

I should have ignored it.

But I didn’t.

"What do you want, Nico?" I finally asked after weeks of keeping my emotions bottled up.

"I—I don’t know," he admitted.

And that was the worst part. He didn’t know. He never knew. And I was an idiot for thinking he ever would. I spent so much time trying to decipher him, trying to find meaning in the spaces between his words, in the pauses between his texts.

Did he miss me? Did he ever care? Or was I just something to pass the time?

The worst part was, I could never ask. We never talked about it. Because if we talked about it, we’d have to face it. And Nico wasn’t ready for that.

___

I found out through a friend.

"He was at his ex’s place last night." That single sentence made my stomach drop. It shouldn’t have hurt. He wasn’t mine. He never was. But it did.

"Did he say anything about me?" I asked, hating myself for even caring.

She hesitated. "He…he said he found God."

I let out a humorless laugh. "At his ex’s house?"

She shrugged. "I don’t know, maybe he’s just trying to figure things out." Figure things out. Right. That was always his excuse.

___

It happened overnight. One day, I was the person he turned to when he was lost, when he needed someone to anchor him. The next, I was the villain in his story.

His silence was the loudest thing I had ever heard. I tried to talk to him, to get some kind of closure. But he wouldn’t let me.

I opened up to him. Told him things I never told anyone. And he made me believe he cared. Then he logged out. Disappeared. Left me dumbfounded. And still, we never talked about it.

___

The silence was a strategy, I realized. Because no matter how much time passed, he was still there. Top of mind. Always.

I hated him for that. Hated myself more for letting him hold that power over me. But I wasn’t going to waste another year wondering if it meant something to him. If I was just another casual mistake. I wasn’t going to be an idiot anymore. So I finally did what I should have done a long time ago.

I let him go. And this time, I didn’t look back.

Months passed, and the ache dulled. It didn’t disappear, but it became manageable.

Every now and then, I'd check my phone, half-expecting a message. But I stopped hoping.

One day, I ran into him at a coffee shop. He looked at me, eyes wide, like he had seen a ghost. I nodded, a polite acknowledgment, and walked past him.

For the first time, I didn’t feel the urge to talk to him.

Maybe we never talked about it, but I had my answer now.

Some things don’t need to be said. Some stories don’t need an ending.

They just…end.

[tobiasdrake]

It's been about a week and a half since we last discussed the Live Action Dragon Ball Adaptation. So, King Piccolo?

A few points to consider:

The King Piccolo arc isn't especially long as far as Dragon Ball arcs go, but adapting a couple dozen chapters of manga into 90 to 150 minutes of film pretty much requires some cuts. What has to stay, what gets trimmed, what gets cut?

Where does Goku's training with Kami go? At the end of the King Piccolo movie, or the start of the tournament movie, or what? Do we see it at all?

Piccolo-demons and Namekians in general: CGI, rubber foreheads, or full tokusatsu suits?

Okay, here we go with Piccolo movie.

During the RRA film, as part of condensing the story into a 2.5-3 hour structure, I made the following proposal.

Move Uranai Baba to before Goku attacks RRA HQ but after Taopaipai defeats him. They go to Baba to find out where the RRA took the Dragon Balls.

Goku's reunion with Grandpa Gohan replaces his training with Karin.

That leaves "Goku climbs Karin Tower to drink the special water" as a scene to be kicked out to this film, replacing "Goku climbs Karin Tower again to drink the even more specialer water." We're compositing Goku's two trips up the tower into one here.

Otherwise, I think the story is short and simple enough to be adaptable with minimal modification.

-> Goku chases Tambourine for revenge, meets Yajirobe. -> Goku and Yajirobe kill Piccolo's spawn. -> Piccolo fucks Goku up. -> Piccolo collects Dragon Balls, regains youth, kills Shenron. Muten-Roshi attempts Mafuba and fails, Chiaotzu is killed. -> Goku and Yajirobe ascend Karin Tower. -> Preparations for final battle. Goku training with Karin and Sacred Water stuff, Ten self-teaching Mafuba. -> Tenshinhan vs. Drum -> Goku vs. Piccolo, final battle

I think this is an outline that can fit pretty easily into a 2.5-3 hour cinematic structure.

Bulma can ride-along with Tenshinhan and the Muten-Roshi for this one, which isn't too dissimilar from what the anime did with her and Yamcha. It's important that Goku be isolated by his own impulsiveness for the portion of the story he shares with Yajirobe and Karin. This is where our little Monkey King starts to become something beyond the mortal world and enters the realm of the divine.

Plus, having Bulma with Tenshinhan gives him someone he can talk to and emote with after the Muten-Roshi and Chiaotzu are dead.

Building on the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai centering the passing of generations, the Piccolo film centers inheritance of worldly causes. Piccolo was a problem believed solved not even back in Roshi's day but in the day of his master. But now here he is. A hardship once believed solved that now has to be confronted once again, not by Roshi but by the next generation that have surpassed him.

And even when Piccolo is defeated, he still isn't done. Because he too ends the film by passing down his power to his own next generation, perpetuating the problem.

...I kinda want to get Krillin's actor in there to play Yajirobe as a deep-cut reference to the reason Yajirobe exists as a character. Toriyama wanted Krillin cast as Yajirobe way back in the day, so let's cast Krillin as Yajirobe.

As for Goku's training with Kami? We're going to obscure that.

This movie ends on Goku ascending into Heaven with the Nyoi-bo. Heart full of hope that he might restore Shenron and bring back the people who died.

Next movie begins on everyone arriving for the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai. Krillin, Roshi, and Chiaotzu are alive and well, but no one knows what happened to Goku or how the Dragon Balls reactivated. He was just... never seen again after the fight with Piccolo, until the day of the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai. Leaving three resurrection miracles behind him as he vanished.

What happened between these two points gets slowly revealed in flashback during the course of the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai, as it becomes relevant to the drama unfolding between Goku, Kami, and Piccolo.

(Before you ask, no. I have no idea how to translate Popo to the big screen. That is something I would have to defer to someone who is, let's say, of a less vampiric complexion.)

As for the design of the Namekians and Mazoku? Practical effects touched up by CGI where necessary. I'm old-school. I believe in shooting as much reality as possible and then using CGI to put finishing polish on the designs.

[marcusrobertobaq]

"Connor was deviant all along?"

I think the "Connor was a deviant in denial" crowd come from people that didn't really pay attention to CyberLife (Kamski) and RK lore so it's a common misconception even tho for some people it looks like it.

In-game the only people who would think Connor is a deviant are people outside the CL circle, such as the DPD cops who saw Connor acting in ways androids shouldn't multiple times and ofc Hank who, even tho doesn't know jackshit about androids, is quick to point out strange behaviors (unfortunately the wrong ones but the obvious ones). Cuz yeah, i would think it's very "deviant" androids using guns...

CyberLife androids were intentionally (and unfortunately) made to eventually develop things like emotional behavior, what could cause a potential rogue behavior - why? Cuz androids can't do what they weren't made to do, intentionally or not intentionally. A minimal space is enough to lead to something out of control in the future. The proof CyberLife was aware of it is Connor himself, since here we got this android conditioned to think the slightly emotional slip is deviancy, and deviancy = failure and deactivation - and Connors fear failure and deactivation. But this whole time he was given a enough degree of freedom to make specific choices without relevant input, which is why it takes so long for him to really deviate. It's all a big fucking test to see if an android can remain obedient and docile even with all things causing conflicts and proving him wrong, challenging what starts this "interest" or desire in a personhood (being a person) and having a true voice as someone who matter, rather than lacking a personhood in order to be solely a tool under a master.

Cuz if u wanna make "Connor is a deviant from start but was in denial" then all androids got the exact same issue: they were all deviants from start, they just didn't know they were. But here we're already going from "deviancy from androids disobeying masters being fully autonomous (their own master)" to "androids developing confliction and emotions is a deviancy itself" - and that's dangerous.

And in a game trynna make a point but at the same time hiding from u the fact that maybe androids were made this way and what we see is just it out of control... i'd say it's again the writers throwing conflicting info and letting the players decide wtf is happening even tho there are concrete clues of what's happening (without the player's personal interpretation). Only thing i know is i don't trust Connors character about it since he's supposed to be clueless about things, and even when he questions it he still doesn't get the info he needs. There's a much fucked up thing happening behind the scenes - this is a fact that won't be directly revealed to us for the sake of the mystery. But players are lucky, we can see things beyond the propaganda and brainwash our android pov has, not to mention play other characters and see other relevant characters speaking about it from outside.

My guess is it's caused by the blue vs red route system, again. Since it's clear we got a "deviant" path and a "machine" path, the problem is it gets confusing if don't play the way the game expects since it won't really keep u from making both choices until Act 3. So people will think the "deviant path" makes Connor automatically a deviant due to his emotional behavior (irrational/human) in contrast with his cold behavior (rational/android) - disconsidering his model background and the conspiracy behind it -, and the way Cage often said in old interviews things like "we're all deviants, we just need to make the move" doesn't help either, but that's the problem when u say X and do Y, such as using the walls as metaphor to "become free", meaning "becoming a deviant", and the key of the story being about AIs being as intelligent and complex as humans.

But i'll still call this crowd "stupid" cuz u can't remain what u ain't, right?

So, Bryan was casted for the role of Connor based on an audition tape, in which he did the scene from „The Bridge“.

He was picked to play Connor because he could portray Connor's uncertainty about whether or not he was a deviant so well.

He played Connor as someone who may or may not be a deviant, as someone who could be a machine but also could be a deviant who is repressing it. Bryan was picked for that role specifically because he could portray that desired nuance in his audition - using the scene from „The Bridge“ in which he hasn’t officially deviated yet.

Now, am I saying Connor was a deviant all along? No. I think that’s up to interpretation. All I'm saying is that people who think he might have been a deviant in denial from the start aren’t as „stupid“ as some of y'all like to call them. Because, depending on the route and the choices, he is quite literally intended to be seen as a „possible deviant in denial“. Many people can read between the lines and see what the narrative is showing them. That’s all.

Source at 7:38

[benevolenterrancy]

("Always. Continuously. With increasing apprehension, and decreasing hope. I will love you if I never see you again, and I will love you if I see you every Tuesday. I will love you as a corpse loves the beak of the vulture. I will love you no matter what happens to you, and no matter how I discover what happens to you, and no matter what happens to me as I discover this." -- paraphrased from The Beatrice Letters, Lemony Snicket)

[duusheen]

If she’s been to class three times since the semester started, that’s a lot, but sure... let’s say she’s busy with homework 😏

[tricoufamily]

and brother, if you have the chance to pick me up

[lacunammmm]

I'd like to add a point that it makes All Might look like a HUGE jerk who was waiting for the most dramatic moment possible to reveal his ironman suit. Out of universe, the author hadn't thought of him having this until when he decided to give it to All Might.

But IN UNIVERSE, this is something that would have been designed for a very long time. We're to believe that he was planning this MONTHS in advance and got this ready...pretty far back. And All Might kept quiet about it. He didn't speak up when they were planning to separate AFO or Tomura. He didn't say anything to Deku about it. He didn't even tell Naomasa, who was worried sick about him going into battle! In addition, the final war arc ends way sooner if All Might uses the suit from the beginning and he's factored into their plans. Would Bakugo have died at Tomura's hands if All Might was there to assist them and do some damage to Tomura? No. His multitude of gadgets would have saved them long enough for Midoriya to arrive.

Would All For One have made it out of his battle with Hawks and Endeavor if All Might was there with the ironman suit to do more damage? Endeavor nearly killed the guy by himself! If All Might had fought with them from the start, AFO is likely dead there.

If he does pull his rewind trick, AFO's hatred for All Might and how he gradually becomes more and more irrational as he's rewinded means he's stalled for far longer and focuses his fire on All Might instead of the people who come to assist. It's more likely that AFO goes down because he's fixated on Toshinori.

We're to believe that All Might just stood and watched all of this happen while he waited for his chance to get involved when he'd have no support (he couldn't have predicted Stain would show up) and he's got the attention of the madman entirely on him.

I'd like to end this on the note of how it shows All Might didn't learn anything. He was supposed to want to live to raise Izuku right. He's surrounded by people who love and revere him. He's passed the torch onto the next generation and now it's their turn. So his big idea is to proceed to take all of the burden entirely on himself to 1 vs 1 AFO. And the most selfish part is that he planned to blow himself up to take AFO out, with a weapon named after Bakugo. I just want everyone reading this to imagine what Izuku and Bakugo would feel if they watched All Might murder/suicide AFO. Yes, the story wouldn't allow it to happen, but All Might doesn't know he's got plot armor. From his perspective, he stepped into a fight he knew could get him killed while he evoked the names of the people he'd be leaving behind if he perishes! What happens if he's not stopped? He dies. He'd have done everyone like Kota's parents did him, except worse. Kota's parents didn't know that morning they'd go into battle with Muscular, it was just an event that happened.

All Might would have sought out his own death.

What do you think about All Might’s writing at the end?

I thought All Might making a stand and throwing a suitcase at someone with bkdk saving him would exactly be his endgame, but I didn't like how it was executed:

All Might making a desperate stand quirkless is fully in character, but I thought it would be more spontaneous. Him having poured his earnings into a powered suit in secret, with no build-up, and then hide it from everyone while sending literal children to the frontline is not it.

The armored suit was too powerful and was really harmful for the overall balance of the power system in-story and had to be retconned constantly why it was impossible to have quirkless heroes before

All Might 1-man suit combo-ing all of Class A and sucking away the oxygen and highlight from the next generation he supposedly raised was a bad overall decision for the narrative, imho. It made it look like he was taking the power of the kids he was supposed to lift up for himself

All Might learning Shigaraki was Nana's grandson was a huge moment of the first Kamino fight, yet the narrative did nothing useful with it.

So I get that people like All Might looking "raw" in the fight and that AM wanted to have more of his backstory, but to me AFO vs All Might felt really cringe and reductive. It felt like its entire purpose was to build a moment for Bakugou to swoop in as savior and really didn't add much to All Might as a character and took away the story-space from a big Class A combo that has been set-up for forever.

In the epilogue, All Might had not a lot of moments:

he repeated Gran Torino's line about death being salvation

he praised Bakugou and Deku because they saved him

he brought the armored suit to Deku as a surprise, which in the end felt like a gimmick moment and created its own problematic issues around Deku's passivity, etc.

To be honest, it felt to me like those warm moments that All Might was so loved for has gradually disappeared. It says a lot that he had memorable moments with Shoto and Bakugou during the final war, but not really with Deku.