#I think there's a very understandable drive to look to history to say 'see? we've always been here' but the mistake is trying to do that

[prolibytherium]

Just in general I think trying to look to pre-late modern period history for validation of LGBT+ identities is an absolutely useless venture. Every single underlying human experience defined through the lens and framework of LGBT identity has always existed, but it's impossible to pin down Exactly who and what a figure might have been if they existed in this contemporary context and decided to self identify via these labels.

It's also a wildly reductive lens that flattens the complexity and variety of how sex and gender has been constructed across time in different cultures, how sexual norms have varied, etc. This is not a constructive approach to learn about history and you're never going to be able to fit historical figures neatly into little identity categories.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Maybe a drabble or hcs about reader having to avoid Ms. Rainfort like the plague bc if they are around her for too long the ruin pokemon will prob do to her what they did to the king of paldea (If you dont want to write all of them could you pick ting-lu?)

(I have a hc that the ruin pokemon can feel peoples evil intentions and ms Rainfort is very insistent in taking the ruin pokemon and just gives you nasty plot as well so that doesn't help her case at all))

"Nasty Plot? Why are you giving me this TM in particular, Professor?" Staring down at the disc in your hands, you looked at your history professor with a puzzled gaze, wondering why she would have something like this on-hand.

It certainly seemed strange, given the circumstances of your most recently-captured Pokémon...who happened to be one of the harbingers of disaster to the Paldean Kingdom.

"Oh! It can be used to boost Ting-Lu's special attacks. Of course, it can always be stronger...it has been sealed away for many years, after all." Despite Raifort's gentle smile, the glint in her eyes was nothing short of sinister. "But I can understand if you're having difficulties in taming this Ruinous Treasure's might. It's still quite the unpredictable brute, so if at anytime you wish to turn it over to me, I can-"

"Tiiiing..."

Blinking in surprise, you glanced at Ting-Lu, who heavily opposed her proposition as it backed away, sticking close to your side (or at least as much as it could without its bowl hitting you). Its red eyes stared at her with such caution, as though boring into her very soul.

You frowned a bit, resting your hand on its side, before gazing back at Raifort.

Something about this...didn't feel right.

"I think Ting-Lu trusts me more, professor. But thank you for the offer anyways."

"It's not problem." Although her smile didn't waver for a moment, she now seemed quite unnerved at the dark/ground type's reaction. "I hope you don't mind gathering some data on its habits and such...for homework, let's say. I'd like to share the knowledge we've gained on the quartet so far with my future students so I'm not just telling them how these Pokémon are shrouded in total mystery."

"That's fair." You nodded respectfully. "And...I'll work on finding the locations of the others and their shrines."

"Wonderful! Now I'll have to prepare for my next class. See you around, [y/n]!"

"Take care, professor."

As soon as Raifort headed back into the school, Ting-Lu relaxed its haunches, and you found yourself relaxing your own shoulders, too. Somehow you were apparently just as tense as it.

You looked at it with a sympathetic smile, rubbing its snout. "I know she's a history professor, but...this obsession with you guys is strange. Clearly you know something about her that I don't. I'll get to the bottom of it."

"Lu." It nodded in agreement, before you returned it to its pokeball as to not attract unwanted attention from any nearby students. You decided to head back to the dorms.

Though not without checking out a few books first..

.........

It was no surprise that you didn't find a lot of recorded information on the Legendary Quartet.

The most you could find were old tales and scriptures of their associated items....as well as the effects they had on humans who used them or sought them out. Obviously they left the greatest impact on the Paldean Kingdom beyond causing it to collapse practically overnight.

However, there was one story in particular which stood out to you.....and you realized that this fictious tale may be true after all, especially given Ting-Lu's wariness around Raifort.

The passage claimed that having just one of the items within the vicinity of an authority figure would drive them to obsession with it, willing to do just about anything to have it for themselves.

They'd barter, beg, bribe, steal...or even kill for it.

And this would only grow further if another item was present as well, and it would continue with the third and the fourth..

Eventually this accumulates into this person having unfathomable greed and hoarding all of their powers for themselves, refusing to share them with anyone else.

That's exactly what the king had done, and in his greed he destroyed lives and inevitably caused the items to become Pokémon themselves--living sentient beings fueled by the rage of dozens of souls.

Because they were able to sense his evil and corruption, they flattened his empire for good....at the cost of their freedom.

But now that you've released Ting-Lu from captivity, you wondered if Raifort's reaction to it was going to lead to something similar.

Or, as they say, if history was going to repeat itself.

She did offer to take it away from you despite not knowing the bond you've formed with it during your time exploring and teaching it new moves. And she seemed very insistent that you collected data on the remaining Ruinous Treasures and not share it with anyone else, acting as though you're her research assistant rather than a student like every other kid in this academy.

But you trusted Ting-Lu's judgement, even though in your heart you didn't want to believe she was secretly some corrupt and evil person. You didn't wanna stir up any rumors or conspiracies that could get her fired or you expelled.

So for now, you decided that the best thing to do was gather data and only send it to her via rotomphone and give her updates that way.

You won't let her see any of the Ruinous Pokémon face-to-face anymore...and unless you're attending her class, you'll try to avoid bumping into her as often as you can, fearing how she'll react if you catch any of the others.

In order to keep her, yourself, and possibly all of Paldea safe...this was the best course of action.

[helix-enterprises117]

Halo Reloaded: Seeing Triple III

The Warthog's engine growled under Silver's deft control, its tires kicking up clouds of dust as it navigated the desolate landscape. The inside of the vehicle was thick with the tension of its three very similar, yet distinctly different occupants. Silver, with a driving style that could only be described as 'enthusiastically reckless', seemed to find a sort of grim amusement in the occasional jolt that threatened to unseat them. Chief, for his part, sat with the stoicism of a boulder, his gaze fixed on some distant point, lost in thoughts that likely weighed as heavily as his armor.

Ranger, unable to stand the silence any longer, swiveled his turret around, a mischievous glint in his one good eye. "Hey, fellas," he started, voice dripping with a blend of curiosity and the kind of cheerfulness that only comes from blissful ignorance of true despair. "How long have you been playing the galaxy's most reluctant heroes? Feels like we've got enough grimdark backstories to start our own band."

Chief let out a sigh, the sound somehow carrying all the weight of his years. "Feels like since the dawn of time. It's been a never-ending parade of enemies. Insurrectionists, Covenant, Flood, Prometheans... And now these Banished chumps. Honestly, it's like the universe has a personal vendetta against my downtime."

"Banished? No such thing where I came from. Back in my timeline, it was more about Spartans going rogue and interservice, political in-fighting." Silver waved a hand dismissively, as if brushing away the memories along with the dust that had settled on the dashboard.

"You boys make my timeline sound like a walk in the park. No Banished, just a bunch of Forerunner tech that doesn't play nice," Ranger chimed in, trying to lighten the mood. He paused, his expression turning thoughtful under his helmet. "Makes me wonder what I'm missing out on. Or not."

The topic of age came up as naturally as anything else could in a conversation held at gunpoint by existential dread. "So, how old are we talking here? I'm a sprightly 2530 baby, myself," Ranger offered, injecting a note of pride into his voice.

"2511," Chief responded, his voice as flat and unexciting as a history lecture.

"Same." Silver chuffed, glancing over at Chief with a look that could almost be considered camaraderie if one squinted.

Ranger nodded, a smirk playing on his lips, "Makes me the kid, huh? Guess that explains the youthful charm." He laughed, a sound that bounced around the Warthog's interior.

"Y'know, I got a girl back home. Spartan Linda. Tied the knot and everything. You guys would love her; she's a real charmer, once you get past the sniper rifle."

Chief's reaction was almost comical, had anyone been in the mood for comedy. A slight twitch, like he'd been zapped by a low-voltage current, betrayed his surprise. "Linda..." he echoed, the name carrying a weight that seemed to anchor him to the spot. The moment stretched, filled with unspoken thoughts and feelings, a saga of 'what-ifs' and 'if-onlys'.

"Got a thing for your Linda, huh?" Ranger nudged, his tone playful yet edged with understanding. "Can't say I blame you. If she's anything like my Linda, she's one in a trillion."

The conversation meandered from there, shifting to less emotionally charged topics... that's a lie, it got more emotional. Ranger glanced back at his companions, a new thread of curiosity weaving through his thoughts.

"You know, I've been thinking... It's weird how everyone in your world can just... interact with Forerunner tech. In my dimension, it's a no-go unless you've got this rare Forerunner genome thing going on. Which, luckily, I do." He tapped the side of his helmet, as if to punctuate his point.

Silver, who had been navigating a particularly treacherous patch of terrain, perked up at this. "Yeah? That's a thing for me too." He noted with a half-smirk, then, as if a thought struck him, he directed a queston to the other Johns. "You ever hear of someone named Makee in your world?"

Both Chief and Ranger shook their heads, their interest piqued. Chief’s voice was the first to break the ensuing silence. "Makee? That's not a name that's come up. Who is she?"

In the rearview mirror, Silver's reflection showed a man wrestling with how to frame his next words. "She was... unique. A human, but the only one who joined the Covenant, believed in their cause. She could interpret the words of the Forerunners, activate and use their tech... She's like me, but she used her abilities for them."

The weight of the story hung in the air, heavier than the gravity on Onyx. Ranger, always one to push forward, nudged the topic. "So, what happened to her?"

Silver's grip on the steering wheel tightened, the muscles in his jaw working as he chose his words carefully. "One of my Spartans killed her," he said, a simple statement that carried layers of unsaid emotion.

The silence that followed was telling, filled with a mix of curiosity and respect for the delicate subject. It was Ranger who broke it, his tone treading the line between sensitive and inquisitive. "You sound... kinda fond of her?"

There was a pause, long enough to be uncomfortable, before Silver finally let out a breathy chuckle, laden with a cocktail of emotions. "Yeah, well, she was under my custody, and... we ended up falling for each other. And, uh, she—We..." He stumbled over the words, a rarity for someone usually so sure of himself.

Chief, the ever-stoic warrior, found himself at a loss, his brain trying to reboot like an old, overworked computer. "You were... involved with a POW?"

Ranger’s reaction was a mixture of shock and an almost irrepressible urge to laugh, not out of mockery, but sheer disbelief at the complexity of Silver's situation. "And let me guess, there were... consequences to this?"

Silver sighed, a sound that was half resignation, half defiance. "If by 'consequences,' you mean a baby, then yeah. I'm raising our child. Her name's Angel."

The revelation hit like a gravity hammer. Chief looked as if he’d been physically struck, the concept so foreign and shocking to his disciplined mind that it nearly sent him into a state of system failure. Ranger, on the other hand, clamped a hand over his mouth, his shoulders shaking with the effort to contain his laughter, not at the situation itself, but at the sheer absurdity of life and how it seemed to throw curveballs at the most unexpected of times.

Silver glanced at both of his counterparts through the mirror, a sheepish yet defiant look in his eyes. "Yeah, I know. It's a mess. But she's the best thing that's come out of all this chaos. Angel, I mean."

The Warthog trundled on, the silence now filled with a new understanding, a recognition of the complexities and the unanticipated paths their lives had taken.

Chief, still processing, finally nodded, a gesture of acknowledgment if not full comprehension. Ranger, finding his composure, offered a supportive clap on Silver's shoulder, his laughter subsiding into a knowing smirk.

"Life, huh?" Ranger mused, the landscape around them unforgiving and barren, yet somehow less desolate with the sharing of their intertwined tales. "Doesn't get much crazier than this."

[racing-is-passion]

The fact you think someone who's most recent DNFs were crashing in the last lap through driver error is better than Lewis is hilarous. Not to mention Mercedes are experimenting their tractor on Lewis, like they did in 2022 when everyone also thought Russell was better when he wasn't. Literally as soon as the announcement to Ferrari happened, everyone said knew that Lewis would suddenly be 'struggling' when he was best of the rest last year. Because think about it, it's in Mercedes' interest for Lewis to look washed. He dumped them in a humiliating way, they don't care about anymore.

Just say you don't like him? Or don't understand his value? Signing him is similar to the decision Williams made with switching Sargeant for Albon, harsh but a no-brainer. This is for any team in F1, including Red Bull. Because of one thing - hype. No other driver generates as much hype as him, and that's something that can't be replicated with any other driver. This isn't to say he isn't one of the top drivers talent wise, he is. But as we've seen with Bearman and Sainz, put any driver in a good car and they'll perform well. Ferrari's barrier to the championship is the car, not the drivers. If they have a championship winning car next year, they'd win it with both the current drivers and with next year's drivers. The only difference is that the story will be much bigger with Lewis instead of Carlos. And one more thing, this is the last opportunity for Ferrari to have Lewis in their car. I know there's lots of talk that the veterans should retire, but trust me, Fernando and Lewis are still at the top of the game, and when they're gone they will be greatly missed in F1. Instead of questioning why he's been given someone else's seat you should appreciate him while he's here, appreciate that the legendary names of Ferrari and Hamilton have in fact joined together when for so long most people thought it's impossible. Please do more research because you clearly don't understand F1.

One thing first: I never really made a secret about the fact that I'm not a big fan of Lewis Hamilton, I once wrote that in a post already, but I also always said that he is one of the best drivers ever in F1 history and I respect his accomplisments and performances.

I'm also a bit of a fan of Fernando, so it's not that I just don't speak for the drivers that are a bit older, I actually like the idea of Alonso becoming a champion again, 20 years after his last championship, if he should get a top car next year.

Oliver Bearman did a very good job at the Saudi Arabian GP, but he surely wasn't on the level of Charles and probably Carlos, that's for sure. So that wasn't really a good example. But no one was thinking that he would be as good as both of them, because of the circumstances that it was his first ever race and he has never driven the car before.

Lewis is surely still a good driver, but is he still the same that he was in the 2010 years? I really don't think so. And what reason would Mercedes have to let him be worse than he could be? It would only harm Mercedes, because they would get less points and bad publications in the media. Also it wouldn't make Ferrari or Lewis slower next year.

It's true that Ferrari hasn't the car to win the championship, no one except for Red Bull has it right n ow. But I think no one thinks that they'll drive for the championship this year. So it's still about the performances of the two drivers, which are pretty much very close to each other.

It's just my own opinion and how I see it, for me there are these minimal signs that (at least recently) Carlos would be the better decision. Maybe Charles can prove me wrong, then I'd be the last one not t say that I was wrong and Ferrari did the right thing (especially if Lewis will perform great next year.

The hype about Lewis is actually the only big reason for me to sign Lewis to Ferrari, but as Ferrari, a team that is the most famous, even without signing one of the biggest stars on the grid, that demands from itself to drive for the championship, I don't think it should just be the media hype that decides who will drive for them. And no, I'm still not saying Lewis is a bad driver, I'm just saying he isn't at the same level anymore that he had when he was winning one championship after another.

A thing iI want to let you all know, is that I will deactivate the anonymous questions, because i get many reactions that aren't very friendly or objective/impersonal, and I won't answer such stuff, because I want this to be a friendly discussion about the F1 amongst F1 fans who can also respect the opinions of others and don't feel personally attacked if someone does say something that they don't like to hear about a specific driver or team.

[chibrary]

title: "interview charles leclerc: keine fragen zu ferrari und vettel (charles leclerc interview: no questions about ferrari and vettel)" source: motorsport-magazin author: christian menath format: interview (german) season: 2018, f1

Charles Leclerc showed an impressive rookie year in 2019. The Ferrari junior lived up to his early praise in the Sauber. Before the season finale in Abu Dhabi, he is just two points behind Romain Grosjean in Haas with 33 points. Enough to oust Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari in 2019. The young Monegasque and the Iceman swap cockpits. Questions about Ferrari's future and about his future teammate Sebastian Vettel were not allowed in the interview. Motorsport-Magazin.com and Leclerc still had plenty to talk about.

If you do well, this will be our last interview. So you're under pressure!

Charles Leclerc: Why?

Because Ferrari drivers usually don't have to speak 1:1 to writing media from Germany.

Charles Leclerc: Oh, okay.

I don't know if you remember our first interview. Last year in Abu Dhabi when you were driving F2.

Charles Leclerc: Wasn't that earlier? After an FP1 outing with Haas maybe?

You seem to have a good memory. I didn't count the media rounds, just the interviews.

Charles Leclerc: Then it's true!

In Abu Dhabi it wasn't quite sure whether you would drive for Sauber in 2018. The only thing that was certain was that you wouldn't have a chance to drive victories in your rookie year in Formula 1. Back then you said it would be the same as with Alonso with Minardi. Do you think you've achieved something similar to what Alonso did this season?

Charles Leclerc: Puuuuh... I'm honestly really bad at history [laughs].I can't really remember what people thought of him back then. But I'm happy with my season. I don't want to compare it to anyone else's season. It would strike me as rather arrogant to say that it was similar to Alonso's. But yes, I'm satisfied and I can definitely say: I never expected that we would be so strong and that the progress over the year would be so big.

Without comparing yourself to anyone else in the field, do you feel that you and the team have achieved something extraordinary this season?

Charles Leclerc: I think it was a special season. If we look at where the team has been over the last year and where we are now - it sure impressed some people in the paddock. Formula 1 is a tough sport and the level of competition is very high. All teams work at a very high level. To see the progress we've made over the season is impressive.

We have a driver ranking, one by the users and one by us. You're currently in fifth place...

Charles Leclerc: Who are the four in front of me?

Hamilton, Vettel, Verstappen and Raikkonen.

Charles Leclerc: Yes, I saw it. I check a lot of media [laughs].

You secured your place in the last few races in particular. At the beginning of the season things weren't going so well. What was the issue?

Charles Leclerc: I didn't have much experience, I didn't do much testing. So I had to learn everything during the race weekends. It was not easy. For me that is clearly the reason for the problems at the beginning of the season. I didn't know exactly what I wanted from the car and gave the engineers the wrong direction. That was bad, but together with the engineers we finally found the right way. As soon as we implemented that in the car in Baku, we made a big step forward.

It seems to be a pattern in your career. You were anything but confident at last year's Formula 2 tests, and at the start of this Formula 1 season too. Need some time to get started, but then you really get going?

Charles Leclerc: I think one of my real strengths is understanding what the problems are and then improving them, whether it takes time or not. Of course, at the beginning of the season I had the three bad races, that felt like a lot. But then, looking back, three races doesn't feel like much for a car that's so different. So I don't really know. You can probably judge it better from the outside. From the outside it's clearer if it's fast or too slow. But in the end I'm happy with my season.

What was the biggest difference for you compared to all the junior series?

Charles Leclerc: Definitely the power and the downforce, that's very different. It's like a jump from two, three junior categories. Quite large. Then all the systems in Formula 1 that you can control via the steering wheel. In the smaller categories you can change these systems, but after a session. You come back to the pits and talk to the engineers. In Formula 1 you have to do everything yourself, corner by corner.

Did you know that your teammate Marcus Ericsson is a career killer? Kobayashi, Nasr, Wehrlein...

Charles Leclerc: [grins] I saw that a few times in the media too. Every teammate of Marcus... yes, but I don't believe stories like that.

So you weren't afraid you only got one chance?

Charles Leclerc: Oh no, never. Never.

Because you're so confident? Every racer somehow thinks of himself as the fastest, right?

Charles Leclerc: I wouldn't say that. At least not in my case.I never thought about ranking the drivers and determining who is the fastest. I honestly believe that anyone can be the best driver in the field. For me, the one who has understood best how to maximize his potential is the best. That's the most important thing for me. Sure, some riders have more talent, but in the end someone who works hard can get there.

I think it's more about understanding how to reach your own limit. This is particularly important. So ranking is very difficult. I think you can do it for a season, but ranking a rider as a whole is very difficult. Every driver can be as good as anyone else if he finds his limit. The only thing that counts is how long you ride at this level. So I don't really focus on the others. I just focus on myself and try to get the maximum potential out of myself.

How much of your potential have you already shown?

Charles Leclerc: There is definitely a lot more to do. There is always more that you can use. But for the first season, apart from the first three races, I'm pretty happy.

What was the key for you this season?

Charles Leclerc: [thinking] Probably managing a whole weekend, with FP1, FP2, FP3, qualifying, Q1, Q2, Q3, and then the race. This is very different compared to what you are used to from the other categories. It's a weekend that builds up very slowly and it's very important to work your way through all these sessions to be at the top at exactly the right time - in qualifying.

Is there a single scene that you remember in particular? A real key moment?

Charles Leclerc: Probably the call from Maurizio that I will be driving a Ferrari next year. That's something I'll always remember.

And on the route?

Charles Leclerc: Hard to say. But in any case, the duels with Fernando taught me a lot about racing.

As a driver, you learned a lot in 2018. Would you say that you have also learned a lot as a person? You seem to have a decent standing in Formula 1 for a rookie, for example when you heavily criticized Kevin Magnussen.

Charles Leclerc: Maybe it's the image I'm giving. But the most important thing I think is that I'm honest with myself. With what I think I prefer being like this to saying things in front of the media when I'm actually thinking something else. I'm not really like that. I just say what I think. It comes across as a bit direct to the media at times, but that's my personality. I prefer to be like this.

That's good for us!

Charles Leclerc: [laughs]

Is there any weakness that you still see in yourself?

Charles Leclerc: Of course. You always have weaknesses. To name one ... what do I take ... clearly experience, I'm still missing something, but I wouldn't call that a weakness. But just overall as a flaw. Every time I have a problem I focus on it to get better. There is always something you can get better at.

We thought about it in the editorial office. The only obvious mistakes we remembered were spins in the rain. So you're not a rain god yet?

Charles Leclerc: [laughs] No, I think riding in the rain is my forte, which sounds strange. Just not yet in Formula 1. But I'm working very hard on it. It's a very different feeling with the power steering compared to Formula 2 and GP3. There, or rather in all junior categories, the steering wheel is directly connected to the wheels, there is no power steering, so you feel everything. It's different in Formula 1 and different teams also use different power steering. It really depends on the team. To be honest, in the rain I don't have full confidence in the power steering that we have here. That's why I had most of the problems - and I definitely had problems. But in all other series I was always strong in the rain. I just have to keep working and find that feeling in Formula 1 again. A few more kilometers and I'm sure I'll find it again.

Menath, Christian. "Interview Charles Leclerc: Keine Fragen Zu Ferrari Und Vettel." Motorsport-Magazin. November 18, 2018. https://www.motorsport-magazin.com/formel1/news-251777-formel-1-2018-interview-charles-leclerc-sauber-keine-fragen-zu-ferrari-sebastian-vettel-2019/.

[the-firebird69]

There's a lot of people yelling at our son and stuff and bothering him he wants to put something out there and we're going to do it for him and we're going to do it pretty soon it is about his planet he says and it's important

But he wasn't thinking of putting it out there and I know that he wants to know the status and how we're doing with it and what the thing is and Hera started off good and wants to know if it's starting off good and it is starting off good and it's starting off right with a mix you know increasing the mix and decreasing it like we did towards the finish of each because it's ridiculous that's how it works and we've done it for years so go ahead and do it I will check the tissue and it's fine and it's going to be out today we end of the day of course maybe by midnight but it's gigantic we have to do it this way and you reminded me that it's way too big and takes way too long and if you don't because of the damage at the end now it's moving and it's working and we're very pleased you asked and we know you're very happy about what the results are you can get a lot of work done on this project and possibly others as a result but you say this was so big we understand what you're saying it's going to be a huge job and it's the biggest and this planet is so big it's not even funny it's the third time's bigger than Saturn and her plan is gigantic this place is over 200,000 miles across no it's huge okay it's probably about 1 million miles across and people don't know it and that's what people are fighting over and our son and daughter are doing very well and so are we and we have plenty of Galactus and Eternals up there, but we need the big one first so we're doing the job and we're making sure things go well but wow what a huge huge creature that's ridiculous. It's from this DNA too that it's so big it's true too

Thor Freya

We are in all of you Zeus and you helped me out the whole time and you're an off me because it was you and me who did it and that's true and it's you and I but we did very very well and I did that for a long time kept me happy and we are going to go to war with these people. But what they did they start a civil war between the two parties the trumpsters and the clones and it is now at ahead and they're going at it very hard all over the world and it's a grudge match too and it is a massive massive war and you say you think that's a grudge match wait till the trumpsters are all done and corky starts in because cork has a deeper history with them and it's much worse and gross and most of the pictures of abuse are of Tommy F doing it to court and he might start helping trumpsters and they'll be thoroughly and broiled in this massive war I do appreciate your help and you're in my life because you're saving us now we do see what it will lead to they're already forming up now

Hera

There's going to be a giant war in space and it starts Star wars actually Star wars starts the war and that's how it begins and it's going to be between the clones and everybody else it's going on now that it's beginning and it is a horrible thing so she's been trying to stop him and he couldn't stop yeah bja and number three and Dan and number two and both of them are stopping you and he says okay and she left or she died I don't know so things are going on like that and it's going to take a while but we do see what you're saying maybe nice if they did something but they can't seem to do it and we think Dan might try and get money to you to try and get the job and that's what he's doing today he says

Thor Freya good Lord I've never seen anything that big in my life it's way too big since like me and my size driving a Boss hoss it's kind of like that because we've been around for so long so I'll see you driving around I've seen him about the Rev trike and you're like those are girls sorry guy driving a boss house and he's 6'4 you said that's the analogy and it still looks huge but it was really really cool and I see that it is going to be cool but we're in charge too so don't you forget it

So you need help with stuff and he's going to try and eat now

Olympus

[babychoko]

🌺𝔸 𝕤𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕣𝕖𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕥🌺

Part 4

"Are you okay?"

My throat was so hoarse that I almost couldn't talk. I must have looked very stressed at that moment, or I wouldn't be asked that question.

"Mister Zhongli... I haven't been able to reach Venti for days..w-what if something happened to him?", I asked worriedly.

"He hasn't shown up in days?" he asked, exchanging a quick glance with the short man next to him.

"I don't want to exaggerate, but I have a funny gut feeling. I want to go see him...but I still don't know where he lives."

"I understand. Then I'll drive you to him," Zhongli suggested. I didn't expect that answer. But since I didn't know how else to go to Venti at the moment, I accepted the offer. After all, they both know each other.

It was strange to sit in the car next to a man you've only known for a short while. Especially when that certain man was teaching you. Not knowing what I could say during the car ride, I preferred to remain silent.

And most importantly, the other young man made me nervous. I learned on the way to the car that his name was Xiao. Instead of sitting in front, the passenger seat, he sat behind us. And I think I know why, too.

Whenever I looked at the rearview mirror, I saw him with a slightly scowl, which makes me nervous.

Did I do something wrong? Because I have a feeling that this facial expression was directed at ME.

Help.

Zhongli must have noticed that I was nervous. I bobbed my legs slightly and tightened up a lot, which must be why he started small talk.

"You and Venti...do you get along very well?" he started.

I'm sure he meant to ask something else.

"Yes, very well actually."

"How come you never visited him?"

Good question, Mister Zhongli..even though we've known each other for many months.

"Somehow, it never occurred to me. It looked like he would rather spend time at my place. So I never asked him directly.", I answered the question. It was starting to get dark in the car, which had to mean we were in a tunnel. I wonder how far Venti lives? Then how does he even get to the university? Does he also drive a car? That's kind of hard for me to imagine then.

I looked at the rearview mirror again. Xiao is still scowling at me. Could it be that he has trust issues...?

It was getting light again in the car by now because we drove out of the tunnel. Today was cloudy anyway.

"How did you two meet?", I asked this time. Zhongli didn't think twice. He seemed older than Venti. So they had to know each other somewhere else.

"I often saw him at the library. Before that, he attended other universities where I taught and he doesn't make himself very inattentive at times..let's put it this way, we share some interests when it comes to history."

I looked at the window in mild surprise. So this isn't the first university Venti has been in? I assumed he used to change universities a lot. I couldn't imagine that he must have studied for so many years and had many titles. He can't be much older than me, as young as he looks. After all, he is still in his young twenties.

I noticed more and more how very little I know about him. Well, he does tell me a lot about himself, just nothing about his family or past. His answers were always brief when I asked personal questions about him. Eventually, I let it go. He doesn't have to tell me everything.

"How come you trust him blindly?" came a voice from behind. This time, Xiao spoke up. "You take everything way too lightly.", his answer was very direct. I agreed with him.

"It may be strange, but I have a feeling that I can trust him. He's always there for me when I've felt lost. His company alone is enough for me for now. And when he feels ready, he'll want to open up one day...", I said quietly. "He must have been through a lot, so I respect that for now. It's not easy, after all."

There was silence in the car for a moment. Xiao wasn't scowling at me by now. But he looked rather slightly surprised. Then he leaned back again. "Oh, I see..." he mumbled.

"Y/n, you're nice as always," Zhongli said quietly. Before I could even ask what he meant by 'always', he stopped the car.

"We are here. See the little apartment with the 2 floors? That's where he lives."

Not knowing what to say, I looked to the said direction. Silently, I picked up my bag and then quietly thanked him as I freed myself from my seatbelt.

"Do you want me to come with you?" asked Zhongli.

"I'm fine..thanks for everything," I mumbled and slowly got out of the car.

Before that, he gave me his and Xiao's phone number. I should call at any time in case of trouble. The wind was blowing stronger and stronger and I saw the clouds gathering more and more. I still waved after the two as they drove away.

Slowly, but also nervously, I entered the door closer and closer. Not knowing what might be coming, I took a deep breath and dared to press the bell marked "Himmel". That was his last name.

For a few seconds, nothing was heard, as one normally knows with footsteps. Concerned, I pressed a second time.

After that I heard deep and slow footsteps followed by a few things that seemed to have fallen over. Fortunately, it didn't sound like glass. And finally, I heard the lock open and the door handle lowering down. Our eyes met. Venti, who looked very pale and weak, looked at me in surprise. I finally came out of worry and panic without warning. I still couldn't breathe calmly and was slightly out of breath with feeling nervous. It all passed quickly.

Before he could say a word, he fell weakly to his knees. I bent down to him and held him by the shoulders. He felt very hot. "What's the matter? Can you still stand?"

"Y/n, you came...?" he asked softly, breathing heavily. I nodded and suppressed my tears. "Do you want me to accompany you to the doctor? Or should we go to the emergency room?"

He just shook his head. "That's not necessary..come on in." I looked around for a moment. Then I put one of his arms over my shoulder and accompanied him to the living room. That was the room where the door was open and I didn't think any further. Before that, I closed the door from outside. Slowly I put him down on the sofa so that he could lie down.

"I'm sorry I came without warning...you didn't reply to my messages. So Mister Zhongli drove me here. We thought something had happened to you."

"Really...?" he asked quietly. "I thought I-I had replied to you..." I shook my head. "Let's talk about that later. I'll take care of you first, all right?" That would be the most important thing first.

He nodded weakly. His cheeks were glowing, his hair tied in a loose little ponytail, and he had slight circles under his eyes. "You may help yourself here.", he closed his eyes as he said this. "Thank you.", I took one look around and spotted medicine on a small drawer which was on the other side of the room.

"Have you taken the pills yet and eaten anything?"

He shook his head. "Not yet today." I then took them and put them on the table. "First, you should eat something. I'll make you some soup then, okay?", I sat with my knees in front of him and took off my jacket, which landed on the floor. His permission for me to help myself, I will also take advantage of. After all, I want him to feel better as soon as possible. He just nodded mutely. Reoriented because I don't know my way around here, I wandered to the next door. With luck, it was the kitchen. I took one deep breath.

Good. First he should cool down. I took an ice pack from the freezer and tied a clean cloth around it. I put it on his forehead.

I had to open some cupboards and drawers in the kitchen first, so that I would know where to find something. I boiled the water and poured in some instant soup. I can make a real soup later or something else. The important thing is that he takes his medicine as soon as possible and eats something. I noticed the apples in the fruit basket. So I cut them into small pieces and placed them on a plate.

"Venti, it will be a while before the soup is ready. Eat some of the apple pieces until then, okay?"

I knelt down to him. "Please, eat." He opened his eyes and looked at me. Then he slowly sat up. "Thank you" I put the ice pack aside because it cooled him down enough.

In the kitchen I looked at the soup and turned off the stove when it was hot enough. I let the soup simmer some more and poured a small portion in a bowl. I cooled the soup a bit before taking that to Venti.

For the rest of the time, I took care of him. I helped him with the food, with the medicine and kept checking his body temperature. I didn't notice how fast the time passed as I watched the sun go down. Venti was sleeping and he seemed to be much better than he was at noon today. He apparently had no one to take care of him.

I stroked his pony once with pity. I then noticed how nicely decorated his apartment was. I didn't even notice it until now because I was very busy for him.

It looked a bit old, but still well kept. I was surrounded by plants, old books and old decorations like an inkwell, old scrolls and more. In part, it looked modern. The floor was marble and was covered with a small dark carpet. It was a room you could find on Pinterest. Maybe even nicer than the ones from Pinterest. His room must be on the second floor. Maybe he'll show me that one later?

Venti was still sleeping peacefully. So I went to the kitchen and prepared mashed potatoes. I already knew my way around the kitchen better and didn't have much trouble finding things like before. When it got dark I turned on the kitchen lamp. I left the living room dark for now so he could sleep in peace and not be awakened by the light. The kitchen only shone a little into the living room, which was enough.

I then looked out the kitchen window. It was empty of people. Although there were a few houses nearby, the streets still looked empty. Nonetheless, the surroundings looked peaceful and were surrounded by plants.

"Y/n...?" immediately I turned around. I smiled in reassurance. Venti is apparently awake again and was able to stand by now. Slowly, he entered the kitchen and rubbed at one eye.

"Are you feeling a little better?", I asked, smiling gently.

"Yes, much better than this morning..." I took his hand and sat him down on a chair. In the living room I saw a large cardigan, which I brought to him. "You should wear that. The kitchen window is open."

I was relieved that at least he could eat now. At first he didn't have much appetite and ate very little. But it was enough for the medicine. When we finished eating, we went into the living room. He sat down on the sofa and made a sign next to him for me to sit down. "Thank you so much for taking care of me..I hope I'm not a burden to you".

Immediately I shook my head. "No you're not! Next time you better answer me, alright...? "

For a moment he looked at me confused. Then he looked around for his phone and looked at our chat.

His face clearly said "Oh", then he turned to me smiling slightly. "Eheh..I didn't press send...", he scratched the back of his head nervously.

So that was the reason, huh? Oh man, Venti...

I leaned my forehead on his shoulder with a sigh, but was very relieved. "Am I glad nothing very bad happened to you..I was really worried, you know?" Venti then put his hand on my head and smiled. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to. I've always been very weak. Me being sick happens a lot, unfortunately."

I wiped my eyes once. "Frequently? Is it that bad? D-don't tell me it's...", I couldn't finish the sentence.

"No, it's not that dangerous again. I just happen to have a weak body. As long as I take care of my health, nothing bad will happen.", he tried to reassure me.

"Then let me take care of you," I said softly, taking my forehead from his shoulders. "From now on, I won't leave your side..so please do it to me as well.", I requested quietly. There was a silence between us. I didn't look Venti directly in the eyes. It was still a little dark in the living room. There was only one small lamp burning.

Venti, who looked at me speechless for a moment, took my hands in his and smiled. I dared to look at him. Then he bent down slightly to me so that he could look into my eyes.

"My dearest y/n, I don't want to leave your side either. I know I don't tell much about myself. I don't know how to start..but one day, I promise you. I will explain everything to you...", he said.

I shook my head. "No, don't force yourself. It's okay as it is."

I could still see sadness in his eyes.

It was quiet between us again. Embarrassed, I looked to the window as I realized how close we were.

"It's already dark...", I changed the subject. Blinking, he looked behind my back at the balcony.

"Oh, indeed.", now he smiled at me again. "Stay the night with me. It's not safe for a girl like you to wander around by yourself. Besides, buses very rarely come at this time of night."

"All right. I just didn't bring any clothes. All I have is my bag and what I'm wearing," I confessed. Venti didn't seem to mind. He told me he did have sleeping clothes in different sizes.

He escorted me up to his room. I couldn't help but marvel at how he decorated everything. The style reminded me of the Ghibli movies I've watched. As I looked toward the bed, there was one step that went up. There stood his bed. His bed was surrounded by windows. But because no one can easily see in, he seems to have his privacy. From a closet he gave me an oversized shirt that he owned. I guess we have something in common.

In the bathroom I was allowed to change. I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror. My hair was tied in a ponytail (if possible), I had a blazer on which was open, underneath an undershirt and a plaid long skirt. Tired, I changed my clothes and brushed my teeth with a new toothbrush.

That he was prepared for sleepovers surprised me.

When we were both ready for bed, I insisted on taking his temperature. It dropped significantly. I just hope he will be better tomorrow. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind continuing to take care of him. Fortunately, tomorrow I have a day off.

"What, you want to sleep next to me then to make sure I'm okay at night too?" he asked with a laugh.

That comment made my cheeks heat up, but it's true what he said. After all, I trust him. He can't have weird intentions, can he?

"In that case..okay.", I said and looked at him. The boy stopped laughing and looked at me in surprise. When he slept over at my place, it was always on my sofa. But we never slept together in the bed.

He turned around and put his hands on his hips.

"Well...I guess there's nothing you can do about it! Go ahead! Off to bed~"

I twitched an eyebrow. Haha. He seems really happy about that....

"From the looks of it, you seem to be doing much better. I'll go to the living room then..."

He stopped me. "Uh, actually I'm feeling a bit feverish already..sleep next to me please?" he mumbled, looking at me with a desperate puppy look.

"Alright...", I sighed.

We both lay down. Why did I suddenly get tense? I used to let him snuggle up to me, didn't I? Is a sofa and bed that different? In my flow of thoughts, I didn't notice Venti tucking me in.

I then looked him in the eye. "You should keep warm.", he says with a cute smile.

"Oh, thanks...", I replied softly. We both then looked up at the ceiling. All we heard was the wind and a few grasshoppers. At some point Venti spoke up. "Soon we'll have vacation..how do you want to spend it?"

I didn't think twice. "I don't have any plans yet. Visiting my mother and, of course, I have to study."

"I was thinking that the two of us could do something together. So far, that hasn't been possible. Would you like to go to my cottage? It's really beautiful there. There's a flower meadow, a river, and the most beautiful view."

I turned to him. "You really mean that?"

He nodded with a smile. "It's really beautiful there. I've been going there for years. Only you know about that, though." I couldn't help but giggle for a second. "I'd love to. I'm looking forward to it.", he nodded in agreement. "Me too. But you've put in a lot of effort today. Get some rest now, yes?"

Before I could say anything, Venti put a hand over my eyes to make me close them. A touch of tiredness swept over me and I slowly fell into sleep. The last thing I saw of him was a quiet smile. But I did not hear what he said. Better said, I could not remember it.

Everything I saw now must have been in my dream. I found myself in front of a huge tree. As I walked back, I lightly bumped into something. I turned around and saw a statue. Unfortunately, I couldn't make out everything. But what I could hear was the gentle plucking of a harp.

Part

1

2

3

4 you are here

5

[gofancyninjaworld]

hiiii ! you’re literally one of my fave opm opinion havers. I would love to know your perspective about the trajectory of the series right now. do you think the story as a whole is getting away from ONE and Murata (where he’s made changes) at all ? or do you think the grand design will make a bunch of things fall into place ? do you find that so much is happening simultaneously and rapidly that it feels like too much ?

as someone who comes in and out of the series I find it a little monumental to return to at times ! I would adore to hear your thoughts. hope you’re doing wonderful ✨

All I can say is that ONE has tossed an awful lot of balls in the air, hasn't he? We're watching them arc in an apparently chaotic rainbow and are hoping that he can catch and land them all neatly.

I think he can. On one hand, what was a nasty little skirmish in the webcomic is now a much bigger thing. It's so big now that the history of the world will be divided into the pre-Monster Association and the post-Monster Association eras (at least for now). On the other hand, it sets in place and explains a lot of inexplicable things that have been just there in the webcomic.

It's grounded 'God' much better. It's let us understand that 'mysterious beings' are sapient, acculturated, beings, some even possessing religion. They're not just monstrous aberrations (although some certainly are). Both of these things are going to be very important for how the story ends. It's explained why City Z in particular as a base of operations ('cos that's where the money and infrastructure are). In picking Waganma as a hostage, we've seeing the Hero Association's problematic funding model used very directly to drive the plot rather than having an infodump later. All of these things make the future story easier, not harder.

Things that do make it more complex are the sheer number of actors. ONE has good ensemble management skills from Mob Psycho 100 and he's been putting them to great use here, with distinct, but dynamic groups that the focus shifts to as necessary for the progression of the story. There have been a couple of characters who have gone between groups, Genos especially, but I think he's going to be with Tatsumaki now... until he finds a way not to be because he's mad that way.

I think he's been finding us good ways to show us through interaction or brief flashbacks things that were big infodumps in the webcomic and have them be relevant to what's happening now. It's helping us understand the characters better so that he can build on their development and it'll speed us along when the next crisis hits. I like little gimmes too, like Drive Knight collecting monsters for research and weapons development (anything to do with the cyborg monsters that suddenly start appearing later? Hmm...).

The best bit for me has been Garou and Bang's conflict getting a much fuller exploration. It's added a lot to the story and to their characters for me. Not to mention understanding what Bomb's been doing tagging along with his little brother. Worth the cost of admission.

I think too that by making this so much bigger a deal than it was, it's much easier to make sense of the time break between what happens now and what happens next. It seemed to be a few days (ish) in the webcomic, which was a bit weird and the comprehensive way the Hero Association had fallen into crisis was also a bit strange. A timeskip of a few weeks and the HA under attack from every angle 100% fits now.

Of course, we have to wait and see how it all fits together, but I'm optimistic that we'll look back on this arc and go 'wow, that was something!'

[davebuckleslefthand]

"I just thought you had the right to know." 

Buckler

·

Replying to @marklevinshow

IF you cannot, shut up.

Most of all: don' t you even

whisper to us, much less talk

in our general direction. ya dig?

Kumala Harris; is not only an

ambitious whore, but a conniving

one as well. Look at Brown had to say about

Hurris treated him after she got what she wanted:

“The difference is that Harris is the only one who, after I

helped her; he sent word that I would be indicted I ‘so much

as jaywalked’ while she was D.A.,” the Willy Brown wrote.. 

"that;'s politics for you..." Replying to @marklevinshow

it's not me?

nah... it's not JUST me.

https://palaceintrigueblog.com/2019/01/27/president-whore

"'YA KNOW...'"  (ongoing, never dying discussion, if only by myself)

"I just thought of a great many things; one subject has an entirely not so different conversation dotting it's background. happen all the time..." man, i wonder what Lee thought... n'ya, it'll all come out."

"Did I overhear you say you got a friend that's missing?"

Well, I doubt he's missing. He's just not around. Oh, yeah, well; reading World Weekly News.

Just a while ago there was a guy out on the street. He's found wandering around, didn't know who he was,

where he came from.He's perfectly healthy, but he's a complete amnesiac, you know.

A lot of people like that found, uh, just wandering around lately. You know, no history, no nothing.weird, huh? - Yeah. You know about the suppressed transmission, of course? - Mm-mmm. - This is the 20th anniversary of the moon walk, you know. And way back when they're giving us that "One giant step for mankind" another astronaut's

in the background yelling

his fool head off:

"Oh, my God. What's that over in the crater? What is that?"

Well, NASA cuts him off just like that. But those of us with the right kind of radios, you know what I mean? Yeah, we got enough of it. there's a giant spacecraft over in the other crater,

looking at them. That's right. Oh, it all begins to leak

out then... that the space program's just one giant big

cover-up, all covert operation between the United States government and the Soviet Union. It's been going on for over 30 years. We've been on the moon since the '50s. You wanna know how we got there, right? I'll tell you: Anti-gravity drive. The Anti-gravity technology. We stole it from the Nazis after the end of WWII.

It's perfectly obvious; you know, I was watching this Late, Late Show. A lot of truth in the Late, Late Show. You know, they slip it through there, they figure nobody's watching, Anyway, there is this sci-fi movie called Alternative Three. And, uh, it's about kidnapping

people, using a little psycho-surgery on them... turn them into zombies. And making them colonize the

and Mars. Funny, huh? Except it's absolutely true, all of it.

We've been on Mars since '62. It was May 22nd. That's a very

important date for you to remember, pal. - Yeah, that's my birthday. - Right. So, see... the reason we're up there covertly is because of the greenhouse effect. It all ties in. Yeah, greenhouse effect.

By the way, they discovered that in the '40s. You can ask yourself what they've been doing sitting on their ass' for 49 years, While we're out here with some serious social diseases and everything else. Never mind that. Everybody says... "Greenhouse effect. A hundred years from now. Oh, I'll be long dead, gone and out of here. " Not so, my friend. Not so; our government

sitting on facts: it's 10-20 years maximum. It's getting hotter, don't you think, 't's not even summer yet; yeah, and when the polar ice caps begin to melt... it's not gonna take a certified genius to understand that we're in - serious global confusion. I mean,

really,

we're in massive mainline ecological chaos.

Anyway, it's happening even as we speak. So, I'll tell you what they've already done. They've colonized outer space. they could not colonize everybody. No, no.

That would be global bankruptcy.

We couldn't beat the greenhouse effect anyway. This secret group, you know, the group that's in charge of the government.

Oh, yeah. They're gonna get boosted off this rock before it melts. And the rest of us, what do they care? By the way, there's something you should know. You see, this entire operation's being funded... by the profits from the Medelln drug cartel. And they're specifically set up by the C.I.A. to handle large sums of money being fun-

neled into this project Keep it under your hat. The people they need, like scientists. You heard about that? All the missing scientists around the world, and those that are mysteriously dying? that's all part of the

recruiting process. I really hope your

friend is not, well - Well, they need a

lot of lackeys to do

the labor though. So they'll be looking

for ordinary guys. You

know, just like you and me. Yeah, they need those to kind

of colonize things. You know, they

do a little psycho-surgery on us, a little

liquid lobotomy here. Well. And I know this

for a fact. They got this drug down in Guatemala

in the rain forest. Why do you think the C.I.A.'s down

there hacking the hell out of the forest, huh? Make sense?

Sure it does.

Yeah,

this drug takes away your long-term memory, but leaves your short-term memory, so there you are, you got people... don't know who they are, where they came from... but you tell them to do some thing to do and they do it. They can follow instructions.

Perfect employees. - "Sounds like most people I know."

So. They

must like

children too,

because the statistics

of the F. B. I. Since 1980...

said that 350,000 children are

just missing. They just disappeared. There's not that many perverts around. You know the worst thing about this, pal? Is that you're in close proximity to all this. You know, I mean, Houston's right down the road. You know,

the main headquarters.

NASA. Sure, in

the main

headquarters,

around the world.

All right, look. I gotta go

see this friend of mine, okay?

Yeah, right in here. - Is this it? Okay.

Anyway, look, pal. It's been nice talking

to you. I really hope your friend isn't one of

them already.

- I'm sure he's not. - Yeah, well...

"I just thought you had the right to know." 

[punkscowardschampions]

James & Ava

James: [so obviously all through this party whenever we can we're saying thanks/love you/sorry etc at relevant points via little touches but there hasn't been much time with all the kid chaos & we gotta use our words now] James: Thank you Ava: Don't mention it, I had a good time Ava: think the girls did too 😌 James: because of you James: which is why I had to mention it Ava: It's okay, making cupcakes and crafts was bound to be more fun than my history essay Ava: easy choice, really Ava: how are you now? apart from exhausted James: still astonished that Teddy helped to clear up, even though your cousin did most of it Ava: it's amazing what a boy will do to keep a girl happy, right James: whatever you're hinting at, I'll do it Ava: 😱 do you think I'm that sort of girl?! 😂 James: I don't think I'm exhausted enough to fall into the trap of such a clearly trick question Ava: Then maybe you didn't party/clean hard enough 🤔 James: I'll happily send you evidence of me scrubbing the bath until it's less blue if you like James: but somehow I doubt that is what you're contemplating Ava: An interesting proposition Ava: but who decided baths had to be white anyway Ava: I say keep it James: hopefully whoever rents this place after we've gone will agree with you Ava: I'll bring 'round the spare bicarb, that'll work James: there'll be some in the cupboard, from all the baking recipes Jay's school sends insisting she needs it Ava: I guess I'll have to think of another excuse to come see you soon then James: wanting to is enough Ava: I'd have to be a fool to not want that James: though after today, less so James: I'm very sorry about my family Ava: They aren't your fault James: nevertheless James: & speaking of excuses, my sister told me she's pregnant again as one for her behaviour before I could properly challenge her for it Ava: Oh that's a shame, I could have implied she was just fat by asking Ava: but no, really Ava: I can handle it, it's not as if my family are particularly supportive about us either James: you'll have other chances before her official announcement, I'm sure Ava: not my style Ava: it'll be nice, for the girls to have more cousins their age James: but to hear her speak, there's already a very distinct possibility that this child has surpassed every single one of their age appropriate milestones whilst in utero Ava: 🙄 Ava: if anything that just means more pain on the way out, no Ava: not that underdone is the preference but you know James: she'll have scheduled the caesarean the moment there was evidence of a pink line Ava: guess she's confident in her ab-building post-baby workout then James: confidence has never been lacking as far as she's concerned Ava: I can tell Ava: like your dad, like you said James: yes Ava: I'm sorry Ava: that they tried to...whatever they were attempting to do, or if it was even intentional behaviour Ava: but I think the party still went well where it mattered James: there isn't a single thing for you to apologise for James: it did go well Ava: I'm not trying to add more tension or friction to proceedings when it already comes so naturally James: you didn't, in fact, by being there you managed to diffuse it James: I would have been a lot more stressed had you not been Ava: Good Ava: and she didn't show up Ava: so what more could we ask for James: my parents & sister following suit perhaps James: but that won't be much to ask once we move further than a stone's throw out of their shadow Ava: leaving the postcode for less than Monaco? Ava: unlikely Ava: I keep looking at places Ava: everything goes so fast, it's crazy, by the time I go to send the link, it's gone James: I've secured a viewing after work for the day after tomorrow, if you're free you're more than welcome to come James: [sends her a link] Ava: Wow, that's so exciting Ava: are you excited James: I'm cautiously optimistic Ava: That's such a you way to put it 😊 James: oh is it? Ava: Yes Ava: I like it James: I like that you're unabashed in your excitement Ava: You deserve exciting things to be happening Ava: there's nothing better than a new place for a fresh start James: if it were that simple, I'd agree with you that nothing could be better Ava: No, I know Ava: new floors and four walls doesn't fix everything Ava: but it is something you CAN do Ava: along with all the things you already are, and continue to do James: I want you to be right, but I can't help but feel that it's just a new location to hide in, because of all the things I can't change Ava: You aren't the one that ran away Ava: and no one can say that Ava: but you're better, even without the comparison to her which leaves you looking practically saint-like James: only because there is no amount of distance I can put between your brother & I which would alter the facts or the future as it is shaping up to be Ava: he's being so Ava: stubborn and stupid James: all day my thoughts kept circling back to the idea that this time next year everything could be different James: she might not be here James: I don't know what to do Ava: That won't happen Ava: we won't let it James: you wanting it to be a promise you can make or me wanting what you're saying to be true might not be enough James: I know how stubborn he is Ava: that doesn't mean that he can make a judge agree with him Ava: neither does the fact he's training to do as much Ava: you've raised her, you're her dad James: that alone doesn't mean I can guarantee anything either James: while raising her I've made a lot of mistakes Ava: no Ava: not nowhere near enough or the type that warrants anyone taking her away James: you didn't know me before rehab Ava: neither did my brother Ava: who's he going to call as a character witness, Chloe? James: he did, but I'll admit that the past is less of a pressing concern right now compared to the struggle of the present James: & the ease of getting wasted Ava: Hardly Ava: what kind of friend was he by that point Ava: he didn't tell you that Chloe had told him he was the father before you, did he? Ava: he has no room to judge, on any level Ava: he still does worse James: regardless, I can't blame him for judging me James: because I don't think there's worse than the things I consider doing whenever there's the briefest moment such as this, when they're asleep James: recovery is constant & truly exhausting Ava: Maybe you can't, but I can Ava: exactly Ava: it shows strength of character Ava: I'm just saying, if he takes it there, which, I'd hope not but no, I can't even pretend to promise that right now Ava: he can't be throwing around those sort of accusations like he's got nothing that would look worse under scrutiny James: it's a weakness of character James: & I don't want my flaws to extend to driving any kind of wedge between you & your brother James: or to have to expose any of his, irrespective of what they are James: being free of her finally means I no longer have to play any of those games Ava: admitting and dealing with it isn't Ava: I know Ava: it's horrible to think about, especially when it is so soon after she left, and how that has barely registered Ava: but if you have to, you'll do whatever you need to, right Ava: I mean, as long as it doesn't hurt her, then you have to James: I don't want to do anything that hurts you either Ava: It's not about me though James: he's your brother Ava: That doesn't mean I'm going to endorse his bad choices Ava: not for an easy life Ava: and not at the expense of yours, or Jay's, of course James: they aren't choices any of us should have to make Ava: no, we shouldn't Ava: but he has to be on board with that too Ava: he can't rush and force what he thinks he wants, without any regard for the rest Ava: just because the whole situation was fucked from the start James: he wants to meet her, I keep saying no Ava: Have you told her anything yet? Ava: Not saying 'yet' like you need to or there's a timescale here, you know what I'm trying to ask James: if there were a right time, it wouldn't be now James: she's coping well with her mother's absence but she's nevertheless having to cope James: I'm not going to give her something else to contend with until circumstances change, whether that's because of your brother or a more positive development Ava: Totally Ava: it's a lot already Ava: he should be thinking the same way James: he seems to, when we speak about it James: I can't blame him for wanting to get to know her though James: clearly that's my dad bias but anyone who doesn't is missing out Ava: she's a good kid James: you're good with her & for her James: I can't remember the last time she was as happy as she's been over the last few days Ava: that makes me happy too James: oh good, because I haven't yet asked how you are James: I'm sorry Ava: don't be James: it's important James: my family believes I see you as an unpaid problem solver & I have no desire to prove them right to any degree Ava: you know that I know that that's not how it is though Ava: I understand, you've got way too much going on in your head right now to be too concerned with the pleasantries Ava: I can do without James: just because you can doesn't mean you should James: this matters to me, you, us James: we're not an us if it's just me using you as a sounding board Ava: You don't Ava: and I know it matters because you wouldn't trust me with any of this if it didn't Ava: you've been there for me whenever I've needed you too, my problems are just smaller scale, on the whole Ava: doesn't make it one-sided James: okay James: as long as you know Ava: I promise Ava: I wouldn't hate some alone time with you soon though James: how soon can you do? Ava: I have to go to Dublin this weekend Ava: but Thursday I don't have any afternoon lessons, so if you could do something then? James: I'll pick you up James: if necessary I'll do extra work when you're in Dublin Ava: you're so lovely James: no, I missed you the second you left, that's all Ava: I missed you too Ava: not being able to talk properly Ava: I hate that about parties James: me too James: but you were a vision in your party outfit Ava: you think so? Ava: you can be a monster again any time you like 😋 James: yes, I very much think so James: you looked beautiful Ava: you'll make me blush James: I hope so, despite not being there to see it Ava: in terms of photographic evidence, definitely more fun than the clean bath James: unless I were in it, alas I'm not sure I'd fit Ava: Oh babe that's so sad Ava: the world doesn't cater to people your size, how rude 🥺 James: I'll try if you promise to drop whatever you're doing & help free me should the unthinkable occur James: & thankfully hotels do, so I won't have to see that face on Thursday Ava: Of course Ava: we have to protect your modesty and decency at all costs 🤭 Ava: hotel, you say? James: yes, that way we'll both fit James: without any kind of farce or firefighters getting involved Ava: I did say alone time Ava: no 🚓 🚑 🚒 allowed James: not in this chapter, I promise James: it's not that kind of book Ava: It doesn't have to be tasteful Ava: I don't think the readers will mind James: I'll bear that in mind Ava: Please do James: while I've got things under consideration, would you like to stay over? James: I can arrange taking you to school on Friday morning Ava: Um, yes Ava: of course James: okay, I'll ask Diana to watch the girls James: after today it's the least she can do Ava: Is she usually better when I'm not there? James: no James: she'll happily find a grievance with whoever is Ava: well, at least it isn't personal Ava: don't know if that's worse, actually James: plenty were tailored to you personally if that makes you feel any better Ava: it's understandable, I suppose Ava: if I was who they thought I was James: my ex wife was everything they thought she was & it did nothing to help me Ava: yeah James: I have my opinions on my sister's husband & I keep them to myself Ava: he wasn't there, was he? James: there's a slim chance you'll be able to meet him at her baby shower, but he wasn't at the last one Ava: I'm sure the chances I'll be invited are even slimmer Ava: sounds delightful though James: oh she'll invite you, if only to show you how a party should be thrown Ava: 😏 Ava: it's a good thing I already know baby shower etiquette then Ava: been to enough James: you'll have to teach me what it is Ava: Very modern of her to want any men there Ava: usually they object on the fact of it being 'women's business' and it's like a hen party with no alcohol James: Matilda's & Jay's were both like that Ava: Yeah, I can see that James: there was obviously champagne though James: I assumed that was why I wasn't invited Ava: Oh yeah, the other guests can get hammered Ava: and the mum has to lowkey cry about it the whole time, but all the gifts and attention you get should really make up for it Ava: they're weird, honestly, another excuse for all of the above James: the horrific flashbacks of said crying & attention have returned to me, thank you for that Ava: 😬 Ava: you can have a baby shower now if you would like Ava: I'll look up all the ridiculous games Ava: you earnt it James: you're the one who has earned anything you'd like James: there wouldn't have even been a party today if not for all the work you put in Ava: all I like is being with you Ava: it was worth it James: you know I don't want you to leave, it upsets me that you're not here now Ava: Same Ava: I wish I could be James: did you finish your homework? Ava: not quite, my parents wanted to talk to me for ages Ava: which really goes against their concerns being my schoolwork but there we go James: well, I'm very concerned about your schoolwork & ensuring you don't have to go to Kings after all, so if there's anything I can do to help Ava: I'll tell them Ava: that will no doubt but their mind at ease Ava: it's not even that hard, I'm just lacking motivation James: of course James: I went there too, none of the work was ever that hard Ava: they'd like you to believe the oxbridge admissions day others but Ava: we know the truth James: I'd like to know what would motivate you Ava: Well Ava: maybe we could do lunch or something before Thursday Ava: that is forever away James: it certainly does feel like it Ava: or we can walk Frank or I'll come 'round for dinner Ava: just say I can see you before then and I'll get it done James: we can do every single one of those things once you have Ava: 😍 Ava: Okay, I'll do it Ava: as you're so inspirational James: as we've discussed, I don't want things to be one sided James: & you're the most encouraging person I've ever met James: I've never found someone to be this stimulating before, it's a remarkably unfair contest for my capabilities James: thus I'm motivated to keep motivating you Ava: I love being with you so much James Ava: I can't wait for your life to be exactly what you want it Ava: it is going to happen, I'm so sure of it James: before you I didn't even know how my life could hypothetically be bearable, never mind thinking about how I may have wanted it in its ideal James: you build character, Ava James: I love you so much, but also I can stand who I am now, with you Ava: you're doing all the work though Ava: to totally restart, that's amazing you know Ava: and I love you too James: because you prompted it Ava: as long as you're taking your credit too, I can deal with that James: I need you to know that I couldn't do this without you, back then or now James: & how much I appreciate you is in line with that Ava: Good thing you've got me Ava: and good thing that's what we both want Ava: everything else we can work out together James: it's the most perfect thing James: hence I'm still working out how to do any of it justice with a novel Ava: Words are your speciality Ava: even if it takes a lifetime, that's time we have James: & if nothing else it puts your current writer's block into perspective James: you definitely won't be forced to do homework forever Ava: 😅 very true James: because of course my struggle is consistently greater than yours, darling James: there's a long line of people waiting to tell us, lest we forget Ava: but of course Ava: only have to worry about when my next assignment is due and how to wear my hair, thank god 💁 James: thank god Jay didn't insist you turn yours blue as well James: getting you sent home for violating the dress code wouldn't endear your parents to me Ava: I don't think I'd look anywhere as near as cool Ava: talk about a real party faux pas James: as far as she's concerned you're incapable of committing one, or any wrong at all Ava: no pressure 😅 Ava: she's so cute Ava: and funny James: she wants to get her hair cut next, as long as you say you like it when I eventually take her, you'll continue to be her favourite person Ava: Ooh, that's a big one Ava: how is dad feeling about it? James: hypothetically less hair to fight to get a brush through sounds like a fantastic idea James: but actually, I don't know Ava: she'll love it Ava: you will too Ava: though it'll be a total shock James: I'll be the sentimental fool, frantically trying to catch a lock to keep before it hits the floor, undoubtedly Ava: 🥺 You're adorable Ava: at least Mattie has a way to before her first haircut, a reprieve for you James: it'll make her happy, that's what I should focus on, I know Ava: you're still allowed to feel a type of way about it Ava: that's what dads are for James: mine isn't the demonstrative type, unless disappointment is what he wishes to convey, but yes James: I don't look to him for parenting advice Ava: You're already better Ava: and that can be a comfort now, instead of how he is being detrimental to you James: thank you James: all I ask is that you don't also decide to change how you wear your hair in the near future please, there are only so many changes I can endure regardless of whether they're positive or negative Ava: Okay, I can promise that Ava: just for you James: well in that case, just for you, I'll ignore the weather forecast & walk Frank tomorrow Ava: 😁 Ava: I wish you could come to Dublin too Ava: we'll be having bonfire night James: one day, I can promise that Ava: I know, it's too soon Ava: I'll buy sparklers, when I get back James: I look forward to it Ava: I won't bring back a jacket potato even though they're so much better off the fire James: true, I remember it being one of the main merits of scouts Ava: you were a scout? 😊 James: yes James: I did my D of E as well Ava: That tracks Ava: you're always prepared James: I don't know about that Ava: Are you suggesting that the D of E was in fact a massive waste of time? 🤔😱 James: I'm not suggesting anything until they approach me with whatever package they deem appropriate in order to secure a glowing endorsement James: King's have certainly benefited from having me on side, in spite of losing you to more worthy rivals Ava: Smart 😏 Ava: You did almost convince me, and in a way, you still did, just not to their benefit James: I can't in good conscience take credit for the persuasive charm of The Vault James: or pretend as though I wasn't the one being utterly convinced by you Ava: Of course, those dizzying highs are unparalleled and cannot be replicated anywhere else Ava: and just as obvious is my conniving seduction of you, as pointed out with pointed looks and silences James: it is a relief to hear that high school wasn't in fact my peak, I'll make sure to really emphasise my superiority in the book's acknowledgements Ava: If you thought it was possible to peak in that school, I'd have no interest in gold-digging you, would I James: nobody is professing that you're good at it, darling James: you'd have been more likely to target my father's bad marriage if so Ava: I'm so sad for myself Ava: tragically bad at it, really James: unfortunately we can't both be figures of pity & I've already been typecast in said role Ava: I'll have to get better at it and be more worthy of scorn James: regardless, there's very little chance they'll improve enough to be worthy of where they've put themselves James: though the mock trial is a kind consideration given that your brother is vying to put me before a real one, I suppose Ava: Thank God they don't know James: my father has already baulked at the idea of us moving, if I have to go to him cap in hand to pay for lawyers James: I dread to think Ava: I still hope they never need to be told Ava: maybe that's foolish at this point but James: if it is, it's a folie à deux James: but once I tell Jay I can hardly swear her to secrecy James: & she does need to be told, my delusion isn't that far reaching Ava: No, true Ava: kids are bad with secrets Ava: and obviously, not the kind of thing to encourage anyway Ava: they won't treat her differently at least, right? Ava: as long as they can keep their talking about it out of her earshot too, I feel that's the best we can hope for James: I'd love to say no, of course they wouldn't Ava: I didn't want to be the one to suggest it Ava: even if slagging off your family might seem like the appropriate course of action right now, not that bitch either James: there's very little you could suggest that my imagination hasn't beaten you to Ava: I know darling Ava: I'm sorry James: I try to console myself with the knowledge that there's a degree of inevitability anyway, look how differently I am treated, without any question of being his flesh & blood James: my family have & always will have their favourites, set in & as immovable as stone Ava: and she does have Chloe's parents, who clearly adore both girls Ava: I only have one set of grandparents Ava: you're right, they're going to act however they choose to act, and they can blame it on what they like but as long as Jay knows it isn't her fault and she is loved by lots of people, then that should be enough, and I'm sure it will be Ava: you've found happiness despite them James: & she will too, I'll make sure of that James: do your parents know? Ava: Yes Ava: he told them at the time, as well Ava: so they were less shocked but obviously still James: I definitely won't be welcome at the bonfire then Ava: It's not your fault Ava: they can't blame you James: it wasn't the first time I'd heard it said that I wasn't her dad either, I could've done something when it was Ava: She's the only one that knew the actual truth Ava: the only one that could say or do anything for definite James: I didn't want to know, that's my fault Ava: Neither did my brother James: we're as bad as each other Ava: It's more complicated than that James: it won't be to Jay Ava: I don't think Jay is going to understand it like that James: what I mean is, all of this should & could've been sorted out a lot sooner Ava: Maybe Ava: but none of you can go back James: no, we can't Ava: All either of you can do is go from here Ava: God knows what Chloe's next move will be James: as yet she isn't making any James: there wasn't even a card Ava: It's insane Ava: it's like she's dead Ava: playing dead, anyway James: that would be preferable James: at least I'd know what to say to Jay if she were Ava: It's so unfair Ava: that she thinks she gets to do this Ava: that she owes them nothing James: she does get to, neither I nor her parents can stop her Ava: If her parents know where she is though Ava: they could take the kids to her Ava: but then, I suppose all that would result in would be trauma for them Ava: for fuck's sake James: precisely, I can't blame them for being terrified of the scene they'd stumble into Ava: the parent that stays always get shit on Ava: it's not right, this is her mess and she's doing nothing to fix it James: I'll gladly fix it for their sakes, that is what's right James: they've been through enough with her Ava: and you'll do a better job than she ever could Ava: it's just frustrating Ava: but I know you know that more than me, and do not need telling remotely just Ava: I feel angry on all your behalves right now James: you don't know what it means to me, how much you care, even if it is distressing & distracting for you right now Ava: I know you want the best for me Ava: but in the grand scheme of things, me fluffing one essay is not actually the big deal any of my family would like to make it so we don't have to have a bigger conversation Ava: this is important, you are James: an assignment isn't the issue, it's that everyone believes you're consistently putting my importance above yours James: & maybe if it's that glaring to all but me they have a point & I am asking too much of you James: leaning on you too hard through this Ava: No, they don't want to see it, because this whole thing, us, makes them uncomfortable Ava: it'd be my business if I did anyway, every person in a relationship I know does that Ava: but it isn't at the cost of me and my importance anyway James: okay Ava: I promise, James James: I'm doing my best Ava: You're doing amazing James: it doesn't feel that way Ava: no Ava: but the girls are gonna grow up happy, and then it'll be worth it James: are they? Ava: Yes James: I want to believe that Ava: You'll get to see Ava: that doubt, of whether you're fucking it all up, is just part and parcel isn't it Ava: but things will get easier too, day to day like James: whether I fuck it all up again you mean, because I actually have for so long Ava: but you're fixing it Ava: that's what really counts James: but it doesn't erase my past mistakes, they count as well James: every slight against Chloé is also one against me because I stood by & let them happen James: I knew where she was, where she could plausibly still be James: & here I am, continuing to do nothing Ava: at the end of the day though Ava: all anyone really wants from their parents is love Ava: knowing that you love and care about and for them, put in that work, that's what counts Ava: she isn't good for them right now, clearly Ava: maybe she does get to just walk away, regardless of it being unfair James: you're right, clearly James: I'm sorry, it's been a really long day Ava: It really has Ava: what are you doing to wind down? James: I don't know James: what do you suggest? Ava: Depends Ava: you could try to fit in your blue bath Ava: cook yourself your favourite food Ava: we could watch a movie or some really mindless trash TV James: Beautiful Creatures or Beastly are supposedly a must for Twilight fans James: if you've seen those, there's also The Mortal Instruments but I'm not sure how many of those books got made into films James: it feels unwise to risk getting invested in a neverending cliffhanger Ava: I think they made that one into a bad TV series too, after the films bombed Ava: could be an exercise in how not to do it Ava: as well as relaxing James: really? James: well that's settled Ava: I bet it has such a sub-par soundtrack too James: compared to what we're used to, what wouldn't be? Ava: Precisely Ava: after the day we've had, can't be dealing with that level of excitement James: enough that I don't immediately fall asleep after pressing play will be fine Ava: I'll fill you in on the travesties if you do James: no, after the day we've had, I want to spend time with you Ava: I love you James: I love you too

[aotopmha]

Attack On Titan Chapter 124 Thoughts

Chapter 36, the focus chapter Sasha had, has for the longest time been labeled as a filler chapter, but I maintain that it's thematically probably one of the most important chapters of the story and I think this chapter only adds to this idea.

Attack on Titan has such a strong perspective and thematic core and I think that's what makes this chapter a really solid one instead of just a chapter to drag this story out or just set all the ducks in row for what's coming.

Even if Eren succumbs to the demon inside of him, as Nicolo puts it, and has to be killed to be stopped, there are characters that haven't succumbed to their demons yet.

The story provides at least some source of hope even in it’s most darkest moments and compared to many other stories that go for this kind of exploration of humanity, I actually think this is one of the more balanced ones when it comes to the hope and darkness in the story. Usually the finale for these kind of stories is covered in a thick layer of cynicism, with the real, more idealistic perspective and actual thematic point of the story coming out in a understated, but firm manner - From the New World and Devilman Crybaby come to mind the most to me when it comes to anime.

Cynical stories about humanity to me are stories that have no empathy for humanity and just tell you how horrible it is.

Even as Jean expresses his cynical viewpoint this chapter, it’s full of understanding on the meta level.

As he's been doing since moral ambiguity has taken the center stage, Jean simply tries to rationalize a very difficult situation. It’s not there to say that the rest of humanity deserves this or humanity is shitty and that’s that.

The story has a lot of empathy for Eren's situation as it should because the readers have been with Eren on this journey for a long time and are conflicted just as the characters are.

Some of this material might be redundant (and I think the anime could help out here once more), but to me it's still very effective.

Some of my favorite themes in stories are learning to see the world in a more complex light and fighting against all the negative within yourself and I'm pretty much eating all of this up not only because it's themes that I love, but also because I think they are handled a bit more complexly than usual.

These have been some of the most fundamental ideas of the story since the first chapter: it all started with the most basic idea of standing up and keeping up the fight despite the fear and loss someone experiences and we’re right back here at the end of the story.

As I said in my initial post and what I’d say is the second strongest part of this chapter to me overall behind Nicolo’s speech about having a demon within yourself and leaving the forest, is Gabi's character arc.

Eren has been the primary positive representation of this struggle of fighting your demons for a while, but now it's Gabi - she fights to return everyone she loves to Reiner (and her) and does so without throwing anyone else under the bus, while Eren is now the negative representation of that struggle.

Stories about struggling with the bad in yourself don't often have negative examples where people lose against their demons, either, that's why I find Eren so interesting, as well.

The story truly paints nobody or nothing at fault here but human nature and I think you don’t really see that often.

Maybe in some story there is some conspiracy going on with some organization or some individual orchestrating everything that is wrong with the world - see Gurren Lagann, Kill la Kill, Dragon Ball or most other Shounen stuff. I enjoy that stuff - a central antagonistic force that represents everything that the protagonist shouldn't be/is representitive of an opposing ideaology isn't even foreign to AoT - for a time it was the Colossal Titan and the other shifters, the nobles within the walls, then Zeke specifically, all the way circling back to Eren himself and it very much helps to give direction to a story.

AoT just claims the root of all evil isn't one specific antagonistic character or group, but the parts of human nature that might drive us to hurt others.

The shitty nobles of the walls and King Fritz? Instead of the story just telling you how horrible they are, it also says that it’s human nature to grow corrupt - Ymir Fritz got her Titan powers by pure coincidence and naturally, humans took advantage of it. The humanity outside the walls? They aren't just a evil hivemind, in fact most of them are innocent people and the element that causes the most problems is actually ignorance.

Desiring power, being scared and hurting others because of being scared and doing anything you possibly could to survive, even if it also involves hurting others - it’s all shown as something natural, but also something to overcome rather than a inherent, unchangeable part of humanity.

It’s not just “that’s how humanity just is and there’s nothing we can do about it”, it’s “that’s how humanity is, but we can do something about it”.

It's human to succumb to these instincts, but we can also be above them.

This chapter is called "Thaw" and majority of it is about barriers between people melting away - Gabi and Kaya, Shadis and the recruits, the 104th and Gabi and of course, even the barrier Annie is surrounded by melting away.

Eren's presence as an enemy seems to have caused everyone to at least temporarily try and put their differences aside for the sake of survival, so whether Eren planned this or not, on some level unity is being achieved because nobody wants to die. This situation is playing into humanity’s intrinsic desire to survive and strive. Eren’s message to the Eldians really might be something to facilitate at least a temporary truce among all the sides for everyone to survive and if the Eldians play a essential part in stopping this, their contribution would be impossible to ignore and therefore they should get something positive out of this.

I suppose how believable it would feel narratively is up to everyone individually, but I don’t feel like it’s all that naive if you frame it like that.

Looking at it myself, I think some people would fall back to rely on their worse instincts, but I also think some wouldn't - an overly cruel humanity is just as unrealistic as an overly kind one.

There's nothing much for me to say about Annie because the panel of her being out of her crystal says nothing, but her plot thread is now at least addressed.

Finally, some neat details are Armin once again taking action with the Manouver Gear as he did before to be consistent with some physical character growth we've seen of him and Connie taking away Falco to finally also address the plot thread with his mother - if it came ahead somehow, I think Connie finally having enough makes sense and was properly built up.

Nile ultimately had his character arc capped off in a fine way prior to this chapter, so what happened here worked for me.

Looks like Pixis actually didn't get eaten by a female Titan, but rather taken out by a character with the history of being mistaken for a girl, so there you go. Armin also ended his life with respect, which I think also works fine here.

It's also nice Shadis gets to have a little bit of a character development moment of acting instead of just remaining passive.

I think now the plot threads left to address are:

1) The Ackerman powers

2) Levi and Hange

3) Historia

4) Eren

5) Kiyomi

6) The Warhammer Titan

I think the story can do it just fine looking at the timetable with the announced season 4. Some of these don't need very elaborate explanations and can be combined with other stuff - like Connie's mother.

I expect Levi and Hange, Annie, Eren and Historia to all get separate chapters and the other stuff to get mixed in there.

I think it'd work out with 8-10 more chapters.

This chapter, though, was a solid set-up chapter with side character payoffs and closures here and there to me.

I think the story is definitely doing it's best to give closure to everything - Connie's mother and Annie have seemed to be dropped plot threads for many people for a while now, but the story brought them back and seems to wish to address them in some manner.

The story has already broken ground among mystery box stories for actually answering most of it's huge mysteries in time, but as I've gone into in a bunch of my chapter posts for some time now, if it satisfyingly sticks the final landing, even in however flawed way, I think it'll definitely be special just for that.

[f1]

Hamilton takes heart from his 2009 season as Mercedes close in on the front runners

Lewis Hamilton has had – by his lofty standards – a difficult start to the year as Mercedes have struggled to extract pace from their car. But as the Silver Arrows have begun to claw their way back to the front, the seven time world champion says he's taking heart from his 2009 season with McLaren, which began with similarly poor results, but ended with the Brit having taken two victories. “The beginning of the year was not miserable because there could always be way worse but just in terms of… I would say from a driver's perspective, understanding this car was… it was so confusing,” Hamilton said, explaining Mercedes' early season struggles. THROUGH THE VISOR: Sergio Perez recalls his first F1 podium in Malaysia, ten years on “We were trying so many different things, we're trying to advance and [had] no trust in the machine beneath you, particularly the rear end. And that's really held us back a little bit. “So, to now be in a position where we're starting to understand the car a little bit more, we've got more consistency coming up, we're seeing more consistency, it’s given us much more of an enjoyable drive. "We still lack performance in some of those areas but we're slowly getting there. But it's like small chips, just constantly just chipping away at it.” The W13 hasn't been an easy car to unlock As well as the results on paper, Mercedes have closed the gap on the timing sheets to the front running teams, taking a clear step forward from the midfield. But while their race pace was improving at a rate of knots, their single lap speed was still lacking to Ferrari and Red Bull – until Hungary, when Hamilton’s team mate George Russell took a stunning pole position. “We’ve just got to keep pushing. Every weekend we're hoping that we're going to get a little bit closer,” said Hamilton, who is the only driver in F1 history to have won a race in every year he has competed. And off the back of two second place finishes, that elusive win in 2022 suddenly doesn’t look so far-fetched heading into the autumn. READ MORE: Mercedes announce 50%+ reduction in CO2 emissions and significant increase in female and ethnic minority workforce Even Hamilton who openly admits to possessing a patchy memory when it comes to his own racing history, has started to draw comparisons with his early career struggles at McLaren back in 2009: “I remember getting in the car in Portimão I think it was and it was horrendous to drive,” he said. “It was the worst car that I had driven apart from the engine was good. I remember the struggles of that year, qualifying 15th or whatever it was in the first race and then just continuously chipping away. 2009 was a tricky year for Hamilton - but one that still saw him record two race wins “This year, at the start a season, very, very similar when we were in February sitting down in the room… we’d got a lot of performance on the car, a lot of confidence, like, yeah, the car’s going to be good and then you get in the thing and it was bouncing and it's taken us a long time to fix that. “But I would say this experience is… it’s impressive to see a group of people just continuously not giving up. I think we haven't made that big step that we made in 2009 [yet]. We’re not giving up, we're staying pedal to the metal.” DATA DEEP DIVE: Was Toto Wolff right? Could Hamilton have won in Hungary without his DRS problem? While Hamilton didn’t manage to win in Budapest as he did with McLaren in 2009, finishing second is a good springboard for the rest of the season. He went on to win again in that troubled 2009 season, in Singapore… Which isn’t too far away, coming up after the first triple-header of Spa-Monza-Zandvoort which kicks off the second half of the season. via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com

[writemarcus]

By Isha Aran

It can feel frivolous to encourage people to turn to TV for help dealing with all of the doom and gloom happening these days. It’s taking an enormous amount of energy to be able to merely keep up with this antagonistic regime, and watching television only seems like more of a distraction. But sometimes television is exactly what we need to galvanize us to action, or even to simply ground us. Take, for example, Wednesday night’s episode of Black-ish.

From its inception, Black-ish has never shied away from addressing topical issues such as Black Lives Matter and police brutality in a profound and authentic way, and last night’s episode, called “Lemons,” was no different.

The episode takes place two months after Donald Trump’s election, and manages to take us back to what was an almost peaceful type of despair post-election, before this avalanche of cabinet picks, nepostistic appointments, and um, alleged golden showers.

The characters all deal with the nightmare in different ways. Tracee Ellis Ross’ Bow tries to handle her grief by supporting various worthy organizations. Jack is hell-bent on only seeing the positive in everything, and Junior is preparing to recite Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech for a Healing Rally his school is putting on. These characters’ responses certainly reflected the diversity of emotions Americans who didn’t vote for Trump felt after the election, but it’s Anthony Anderson’s Dre and his coworkers who really delve into the meat of the post-Trump discussion.

Instead of working on a very important pitch they’ve been putting off since November 8, the team constantly bicker about the election results—all while Dre insists they get back to work. When Leslie, Dre’s boss, accuses him of not caring about what’s happening in this country, he launches into a powerful monologue addressing the familiarity of disappointment in America that black people have felt, saying, “You don’t think I care about this country? I love this country even though at times it doesn’t love me back.”

Here’s the monologue in full, recited as Nina Simone’s take on “Strange Fruit” played in the background and a collage of powerful images appeared on the screen:

For my whole life, my parents, my grandparents, me, for most black people, this system has never worked for us. But we still played ball, tried to do our best and live by the rules, even though we knew they would never work out in our favor. Had to live in neighborhoods that you wouldn’t drive through, send our kids to school with books so beat up you couldn’t read them, work jobs that you wouldn’t even consider in your nightmares.

Black people wake up every day believing that our lives are going to change even though everything around us says its not. Truth be told you ask most black people, and they tell you that no matter who won this election, they didn’t expect the hood to get better, but they still voted because because that’s what you’re supposed to do.

You think I’m not sad that Hillary didn’t win? That I’m not terrified of what Trump’s about to do? I’m used to things not going my way. I’m sorry that you’re not and that it’s blowing your mind, so excuse me if I get a little offended because I didn’t see this outrage when everything was happening to all of my people since we were stuffed on boats in chains. I love this country as much if not more than you do and don’t you ever forget that.

The monologue was a searing summation of what black people have overcome throughout American history—a genuine response rooted in exhaustion and despondency about the future, but also a deep understanding of what America really looks like. It’s also a potent reminder that, even as Trump continues to cause media circuses intended to distract us, we need to stay focused on what really matters