#PERSONALLY i cannot understand it and it's one of those things where my brain's immediate reation is utter confusion and

[crazyyluvr]

back in the umemiya x medic!reader roll so have a little drabble i made while procrastinating from all my dues and studying for my exams <3 just a bit of backstory that i had lingering at the back of my mind that i had to get out before i forget it so enjoyy!

wc: 543

original idea/oneshot

i was just thinking about how medic reader and umemiya had been a duo ever since, from middle school all the way to bofurin, to when umemiya became a leader and dragged you up so you could stand beside him at the top of bofurin.

at the beginning, people wondered how the two of you became as close you were, since you were quite different from each other; you were harsh while umemiya was gentle, umemiya was lighthearted while you were serious. you two were like a sun and a shadow, differing, but one cannot exist without the other.

one of the things umemiya was known for was how well he took care of and protected his own people, and you were no exception to it. in fact, it probably tripled when it came to you; every time you both ended up in a fight, he'd be the one doing all the hard work while you just waited for him to finish so you could patch him up.

everyone always wondered why he never let you lift a finger against anyone. it was obvious that you were more than capable of handling yourself despite never proving it, but you never intervened whenever umemiya was fighting, even if he got himself into a sticky situation.

hiragi was the only one who ever got the courage to ask the leader himself about it, when they were alone on the rooftop garden, watching the sun set as you took your turn at tending to the plants, too focused on your task to listen to their conversation.

"don't they know how to fight?" hiragi pointed out, nodding towards you. "why don'tcha let them fight?"

umemiya didn't answer immediately. the hues that the setting sun casted on the clouds was beautiful, an amazing blend of fading blues and vibrant oranges.

but he wasn't looking at that.

he was just looking at you. you, crouched over one of his eggplants, your face focused as you studied the plant.

"the last time i let them fight..." umemiya started, flashes of that day appearing in his brain, "it didn't end well. for either them or the person they were fighting against."

he chose his words carefully; he knew that you didn't want people knowing much about what had happened to you, and why it was enough to make you avoid fighting entirely.

"fighting is a drug," umemiya said, turning away to look at his friend, who was watching him. "those who take it either get numb to its effects or get so addicted to the point where they can't control it."

hiragi glanced at you again, and he seemed to understand.

you used to fight — which was expected, since you were umemiya's right-hand man. something had happened to you, and it affected you enough to cast you aside to the role of a medic permanently.

hiragi didn't ask any more questions after that, opting to just watching the sun fall to make way for the moon.

but he couldn't help but think that the day that he'd see you fight would be a bloody, bloody day indeed.

and he, for some reason, did not want to ever witness that happen, even if it meant bruising his own knuckles to ensure it.

[anselbun]

Thinking about dick graysons canon hallucinations and his also very canon (though not explicitly stated) BPD today. About how he was 100% in the throes of an extended manic episode during a lot of the older titans comics from right after Jason’s death. How even in the current day he struggles so horribly with all his huge pent up feelings that are constantly changing and just doesn’t know how to deal with, but has forced himself to learn how to hide them until they blow over. He has to hide them. He has to be the mature one. He has to protect the other kids from the chaos and pain that is this life.

Dick, who has to hallucinate the child brother he barely knew because that’s the only way to cope with his death. The only way to make his brain think he hasn’t been “abandoned” by another person he cares about.

How, when Roy had to take over the titans, all dick could think and feel was that Roy didn’t trust him or care about him anymore and that none of the titans wanted him here. That he was being rejected. That they didn’t love him. That this was just like when Batman fired him as robin.

It isn’t like that. It never WAS like that. But dick does not always understand that.

As he’s gotten older, he hasn’t quite “mellowed out”. He’s still the intensely emotional, struggling person he was in the older comics. He still has deeply impulsive thoughts and constantly tries to put the perceived needs of others above himself, over and over and over. But he’s learned that he cannot show these feelings to others. That he HAS to keep them in, because if they see that he’s struggling, the rejection will just be worse. That he’ll ruin more relationships, that he won’t be able to be there to protect those people when they need him.

And then there’s Jason after he’s returned. Jason who always feels that dick is judging him, now. How he thinks dick is always looking at him as if he’s about to blow up, about to have some crazy plan that will get others killed. Because, well- that’s what dick DOES expect. Because he saw Jason, with the “same” big feelings that dick had at that point in his life, but Jason “never” hid them. He went out there and expressed his rage as red hood and got it all out, and dick never really did that without immediately regretting the consequences and having to fix it.

I think, in dicks perspective , everybody else has these same huge feelings he has all the time. The constant back and forth, the constant fear of rejection. He sees Jason being angry and violent and thinks- “why can’t he just hold it all in like I do?”. He doesn’t get that this is a different situation, different feelings. That dick holding in all this violent anger and need for reassurance isn’t good for him, that Jason learning to do that wouldn’t be good for him either.

I think, as much as dick probably wouldn’t want to admit it, he projects onto his family a lot like Jason does. Jason and his comments about how the other kids only ever became Robin so that Bruce would love them. Sure, there’s some truth in it when it comes to damian, who had no connection to Gotham other than it being where his father lived. But there’s more nuances to that that Jason doesn’t understand about his siblings because he’s not in their head. Just like how there’s nuances to all of their feelings and trauma and reactions to things that dick will never understand.

He’s forced himself to mature, to grow and bury these feelings because he knows he has to be the responsible one. He has to do what his family and bludhaven and Gotham and his team all need. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t still have those feelings of anger in him. That doesn’t mean he stops looking at Bruce sometimes and thinking- “god, I think he’s a monster” after seeing everything Bruce has done to the other kids. That also doesn’t change that dick looks at Bruce and thinks “he’s my father my mentor my hero, my brother, my saviour, my partner, my everything- my god. I’d die for him. I will never be him. I will never be good enough for him. I need him to be better for everyone else.”

Dick will never stop feeling these constant sways of emotions. They’ll always be a part of them. He’s just had to bury them. Until Bruce fucks up too bad again or someone hurts one of the kids dick’s sworn himself to protect. Until he has no choice than to let it all boil over.

Dick isn’t the angry robin. He isn’t the happy robin. Boiling him and Jason down to either one of those characteristics is just damaging to their characters and what they’ve been through.

Dick is bright and happy and loving and charismatic. But he’s so angry. He’s so tired. He wants to be loved and he wants to be safe. He wants to protect others. Needs to protect others. Needs to be the one whose always there to do it because he trusts nobody else to handle it all. He has to handle it all. He doesn’t want to handle any of it. He’s so tired. He’s so angry. He loves so strong and it’s killing him.

He spends so much of his time seeing how being Batman is killing Bruce. How much of his life Bruce has given to the thing that will kill him.

I think dick refuses to accept that being robin, being nightwing, is killing himself too. That he’s not immune to this. That pushing himself harder and harder and trying to “prove” himself that he CAN handle everything over and over again doesn’t mean he should. That he’s torturing himself in ways even Batman cannot see.

[lemotmo]

I might actually die from anticipation. Anyway I agree with all of this! We're getting Buddie canon!!

Q. The last 5 minutes of that episode felt like they were at warp speed. But the Buddie stuff we got was so good!!! I can't actually believe those scenes are canon! I'm very annoyed at the Ryan stuff and dear god the Lou stuff, but everything else was so good! I feel like I'm flying!

A. The last 5 minutes gave me whiplash, anon, I agree. Any other time I would have said the Buddie scene at the end should have been cut and moved to the beginning of the next episode because it didn't really fit, and they did have to rush through the Maddie rescue to get it into the episode. But the context of that scene was necessary for upcoming episodes, and since I believe we're getting some kind of time jump as we open episode 11, they didn't really have a choice. The scene needed to be there and it was a PERFECT Buddie scene.

I will touch the Lou nonsense in this one ask, and I won't answer another one. For me personally it feels like trolling. He knew exactly what kind of pic to post and it's absolutely the kind of immature bullshit he finds funny. He could have been doing anything. 911 is not the only thing that shoots on that lot. ABC isn't the only studio who uses that lot. I think he knew exactly what he was doing and he found it funny. That's my personal take. Tommy serves no narrative purpose anymore. The Tommy part of Buck's brain officially died last night. There is no story reason to bring him back for a scene. Does that mean Tim won't? Nope, but if he does it would be for the sole purpose of having the audience see Buck actively choose Eddie. It would be used as a way to give Buck back the agency he kind of lost during their breakup. That would be the only reason he was there. And it's not necessary. Now it's possible Tim is tired and so he has written in a scene that would explicitly have Buck say out loud he doesn't want him, and it was never about him. That's also not unlike Tim. So it's one of those options, but I still personally feel like he was just attention seeking and it's nothing.

I haven't seen the Ryan stuff personally, thank god. Yay for my dash curation! I've heard about it from mutuals and asks but I haven't physically seen it myself. That being said, streaming services have obliterated an entire generation's ability to watch television. They genuinely don't know how to watch a television show. They don't understand how to WATCH. They want immediate satisfaction and answers and bullet point explanations for everything. The show has made it clear where this thing is headed. There is no more room for doubt. They are two characters on the same path going towards the same conclusion, however Buck is further along on the path. Eddie is still behind him because Eddie's route on the path has a detour (Christopher and Texas). That means Oliver can make acting choices and interview answer choices that Ryan cannot make yet. Oliver has fully made the turn. He is 100% playing Buck as in love with Eddie. And Buck is going to fully realize it either in episode 11 or 12. It's coming quickly for Buck. Eddie is not at that stage yet though so Ryan has to be more subtle. Ryan played the truck scene (the fact that scene is canon makes me want to climb the wall, twirl my hair, and kick my feet), and the goodbye scene perfectly. He was perfect in those scenes. Not only could you see the weight on him you could feel the weight on him. The uncertainty. The confusion about everything. The dialogue was loud but everything Ryan did with the dialogue, and silently without any dialogue was louder. He didn't look at Buck in the truck when he said 'it's not nothing'. He was awkward at the uhaul when it was time to say their goodbyes. They both played that scene so pitch perfect it gave me goosebumps. He allowed all the emotions Eddie was feeling to play out on his face. The subtle shift with his eyebrows during their hug was heartbreaking because it was Eddie taking a moment to realize what he's walking away from, and all the different emotions happening inside of him in that moment. There is a part of Eddie that knows. Ryan's playing it like that. Ryan is playing it as if Eddie was forced to choose between his son and Buck and he chose his son, as he should have, but that doesn't mean that leaving Buck isn't breaking his heart. And he doesn't have the mental strength to examine that more closely just yet. He's just trying to convince himself that what he's doing is right and for the best so it doesn't matter that he's hurting himself to make this choice. Ryan demonstrated all of that in that scene and anyone who's trying to argue otherwise is lying to themselves. And Eddie looked back! Abby never looked back, but Eddie did!! He looked back at Buck! That entire scene was god tier and I need people to understand that.

I also need people to understand that these scenes are not for the fandom. Obviously we eat them up, but their not for us. These scenes are for the general audience. These scenes are walking the general audience through the tonal and emotional shift in their relationship. They are very romantic coded. The dialogue, the music, the acting choices from both Oliver and Ryan. This is the show's way of making sure the audience as a whole understands and recognizes that their dynamic is changing. The audience is getting to witness the shift for both of them in real time. I desperately need people to understand how fucking good that is. We are getting to watch both men realize what's happening between them in real time and on an individual level. It's their love story! One episode at a time!!What they're doing is glorious and genuinely beautiful. Please don't take this for granted because this doesn't happen often. If you're not capable of following the story as it's told, which includes a week between episodes, and other storylines getting focus as well, then wait for the season to finish and binge the season at that point. But I am begging you all to learn how to watch a television show the way they were intended to be watched. Because that's what's happening here. We're getting ANTICIPATION!!! And LONGING!!! And I'm vibrating out of my skin! 🩷

Thank you Nonny!

Yeah, I agree with Ali on the Buddie of it all. We know where this is going, so let's just enjoy the ride. You know?

Seems I'm the only one who liked how they handled those last 5 minutes of the episode. I think it was a really clever way to go about things in order to make some time for the final Buddie goodbye scene.

I already said what I wanted to say about T and the Ryan stuff. I don't wish to talk about it anymore for today. I just want to enjoy my Buddie high for the remainder of this day. 😋

IMPORTANT! Please don't repost this ask and/or a link that leads straight to my Tumblr account on Twitter or any other social media. Thank you!

Heads up! For anyone who is giving me the shifty eyes for reposting Ali's updates instead of reblogging. Read this.

Remember, no hate in comments, reblogs or inboxes. Let's keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

If you are interested in more of Ali’s posts, you can find all of her posts so far under the tag: anonymous blog I love.

[ninatheelf]

embracing the unknown :

“jump head on, into the abyss. let the universe catch you and take you where you’re meant to go.” -esther t.

possible blockage identification + motivation!

— — — — — — — — ✿ — — — — — — — —

shifting is a concept that you shouldn’t blame yourself for not understanding at first. i mean, it goes against everything that most people have been taught when it comes to how we perceive things and generally how our minds work. it literally unlocks a whole other part of yourself that seems too good to be true. it’s like this element of magic that has been added into your life.

obviously, now you know that shifting is very much a real thing, that you have participated in it during every second of every day before you even became aware of it. your inner thoughts and feelings form the physical plane that your body experiences. you are constantly shifting, constantly assuming things about your reality (on a conscious and subconscious level) that make it manifest into exactly what you physically perceive. you are fully aware that you have the power to change how you experience things, just by changing your assumptions and persisting in them without doubting yourself. it really is that simple!

i’ve seen a few posts on here about how some may have a fear of shifting- it totally makes sense for one to be afraid that they won’t make it, or afraid that they will make it. but there’s also another fear that one might come across, one that might have slipped into their subconscious without realizing it.

humans often fear what they do not understand. 

it’s a trait that ultimately has to do with our survival instincts. things that are not familiar to us can be viewed by our animal brains as dangerous and something we need to avoid. that behavior can present itself in a range of different ways, from screaming and running away from a person dressed as a zombie in a haunted house, to avoiding a person who says things you disagree with, to fearing a concept subconsciously because it lacks “important” information. 

and that’s not to say that we always immediately reject something that is unusual to us. in fact, we can also often be allured by the novel, becoming curious about it and wanting to learn more because of the fact that it is different. 

i think that many of us can / have experienced a combination of these feelings with shifting. i know i have. we are so drawn in by this concept, willing to put time and effort into it to study the laws and practices and philosophy of it all. and yet, there will always be parts of shifting that we cannot fully grasp.

you have to learn that it is okay to not know everything. you have to learn to place trust into the unknown.

and that can be hard! because why would you trust in something you don’t fully understand? but what i’ve realized is that those who are willing to dive into it headfirst, placing trust in the shift without any knowledge about it, are often the ones who succeed fastest. that’s why all of those people back in 2020 shifted within two weeks of learning about it- they didn’t give themselves time to question how it all works, they just did it. they didn't have to know about loa or inducing pure consciousness or the 3d or 4d or any of that. they weren’t afraid to literally just go for it, with likely some vague (if any) visualization and no other expectation than, “i’ll wake up at hogwarts tomorrow, why not?” they spent time doing instead of thinking about doing. that is how real progress is made.

and once again, that’s not to say that you shouldn’t keep yourself from learning if you want to learn. you can and probably should take some time to find out what works for you as an individual because shifting is so incredibly personal. i took the time to learn about loa, to gain some basic knowledge about it (+ a little more because i find it interesting haha) and it completely changed my mindset. but you also have to remember that you’ll never learn how to ride a bike if you only read books about riding a bike. some pre-existing knowledge about bike riding doesn't hurt to have, but in order to actually ride the bike, you have to grasp the handlebars, place your feet on the pedals, and go for it- even if you’re a little scared, even if you might have some unanswered questions. 

i promise you that even though there are parts of shifting that we can’t explain, it doesn’t matter. you are able to shift without understanding it all. you are able to shift because of the fact that you trust both in the strategy that you do know (loa) and the “how” of it all that we aren’t able to fully grasp.

anyways, all of this is to say- channel your inner elsa. let yourself use a combination of your own ice power (loa, 4d) and that mysterious voice (the “how”) to guide you to your desired reality. 

some affirmations you can use to strengthen your relationship with the unknown :

i shift despite not knowing exactly how it works

i shift without knowing all of the answers 

i am happy to place trust in the unknown

i understand that the unknown is here to help me 

the unknown and i work together

i am grateful to the unknown

i shift even if i don’t fully understand the “how”

i shift as a result of fully believing in my assumptions and trusting the process

if you think this might be a blockage for you, you know the drill. repeat these (or just keep a mindset related to the affs.) and you’ll reprogram your subconscious to understand that there is nothing to be afraid of or confused by. you have everything you need to do this, and it’s all working in your favor, even the parts that you don’t understand!

— — — — — — — — ✿ — — — — — — — —

i’ve typed the word “unknown” so much that i can’t help but think of the original character from that cursed willy wonka experience-

“what is that…it's the unknown! :,0” (pls tell me you get the reference lmao)

except in this instance, we are not going to be the kid that cries right after. we’re gonna be the child that runs up to the unknown and gives it a hug and sees that it’s not a bad guy after all! 

if you have any questions, feel free to submit them in the “ask me anything” section. i’m always happy to answer and give advice! :))

𝜗𝜚

[bunnydracula]

your portraits are really amazing and i find your ability to capture likeness + control of value super inspiring…do you think you can talk about your thought process and beginning stages behind your drawings?

yes yippee!!!!!!! these asks helped me remember to actually photograph some process steps which i usually.... Dont do bc im using my phone for reference images lol (my work setup is in a "transitional phase" rn....... im working in the kitchen. its fine) i downloaded one of these lestat gifs made by @fearwakes ! then first thing i've been doing recently with portraits is lifting something that works from my comics process and applying it to these pencil drawings. i love having borders. i almost invariably will draw outside them but it gives me something to build on top of/inside/around rather than floating to the edges of the page. i used to be really envious of people who could spontaneously produce "sketch pages" from blank sheets but my spatial eye just does not generate those pleasing distances automatically. i need boxes lol GOOD THING I DO COMICS!!!!!

i did not actually measure this box or even make sure it's straight bc i'm just turning my brain off and doing a portrait. ok step one of capturing a likeness is just eyeballing distances for facial features. like i mentioned before with spatial reasoning it's a weak point for me as an artist so i do not give myself a hard time if i cannot immediately correctly guess the distance between a subject's chin and hairline. i start with shorter distances -- chin to mouth, mouth to under-nose-shadow, then often fill in either cheek before i take a shot at laying the eyes in relation to the nose. i'm always thinking of my pencil portraits as a kind of heatmap for dark/light values, so i'm laying down the scaffolding that's going to allow me to emphasize where all those shapes ultimately bleed together as a 3D object.

there is always a stage (left drawing) where i'm kind of peripherally going oh my god. oh my god i lost it. i can't draw faces anymore. this looks like fucking garbage. oh my god. i need to kill myself. and i think it's partly just being a human person like the demons never completely shut up for anyone as far as i know LOL. but it's also sometimes coming from thinking i'm supposed to be simplifying the shapes. like if i took those guesstimates on lestat's proportions on the left and just went right to representing his features with solid black ink on top of these guidelines, it's true, he wouldn't really look like lestat even if the proportions are alright. it's important for me to remember that my sketches look very different depending on my medium and priority; if i was ONLY representing lestat in exaggerated shapes, lol, i might actually..... exaggerate those shapes. this is a sketch that is gonna work best as the preliminary stage for a fully rendered pencil drawing, not a line drawing. i just don't think drawing a subject precisely how he actually looks is gonna get you the best results for cartooning and striking that balance is a whole other thought. but for straight portraiture with an eye for value like this, it's perfectly fucking fine, cuz the thing that's gonna make him Look Like Lestat is actually how light connects over this 3D object.

like ok i no longer want to kill myself. i have successfully guessed the distances between his features "well enough" and tricked the eye into seeing something Lestat Shaped because enough of those shadows connect in ways they 1) do in this particular reference image and 2) just Do on his face in general from my broader observations of this face. this particular portrait is building on all my previous understandings of how sam reid's face is put together. so i'm able to correct a lot of the assumptions i made before i drew him enough times to start figuring him out. like Ok, his forehead is always taller than i think it is and his nose is broader (esp his nostrils). the lack of buccal fat is essential but he can also start looking too gaunt if his jaw is not wide enough. his mouth is made up of so many complex and delicate shapes and is imo his most prominent feature lol i never quite feel like i've fully captured it and idk if i ever will bc the thing that makes it so lestat is the way it actually moves. and just from Character Knowledge i'm always inclined to emphasize how heavy lestat's under-eyes are, i feel like that's an essential emotional component of his expression. sooooo i am satisfied enough with this sketch lol. this took around 45 minutes which is longer than some of my portraits of similar detail-level bc i was distracted by on-and-off sexting. many such cases. more thoughts re: pencil on paper. the next bump up from this has gotta be going BACK IN with white oil paints which i just do not care enough about this drawing to do. but when i'm working with pencil i really know the only highlights im gonna be able to bring out are the ones with much darker areas surrounding them, and the bits i miraculously do not smudge by total accident (i'm a serial smudger. fat hand. someone's gotta be endeared to this). anyway i fucking love white oils. they are everything i previously wanted out of, like, white-out and white jelly roll pens lol. it can do so much and when you're working with paint you simply have so much of it. paint rocks. like in this portrait there are a bunch of blond flyaway hairs that i simply cannot capture at this distance by carving out "blank space" either bc i do not have the skill or space to make the strands not look wildly overblown. but if i wanted to go in with paint, i'd darken up the background and just delicately go over strands until they glowed. portraiture like this is a very meditative process to me lol. i'm just falling into an image i feel is representative of something abt a face i like looking at. simple as. i do not have a concrete strategy for where my pencil goes next most of the time when i'm just feeling out shadows and translating them into pencil pressure. i know i don't wanna do the VERY darkest areas first just bc that makes the portrait pretty inflexible if i lay something down wrong (happens often) or the aforementioned smudging problem.

anyway i should probably scan this lestat but like i said i'm working in my kitchen and im disabled and do not want to walk upstairs LOL. imagine this example portrait looks good and not bad. very good

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

Dangancember 2024 - Danganronpa Top 24 Class Trials: Number 17 Danganronpa Another Case 2

//Oh man...

//I'm gonna get in trouble, aren't I?

//Also wow, Yuki is staring REAL hard at Ayame's boobs in that image, isn't he?

//Alright, but forget that...

//I understand that this case is very popular. And believe me when I say that this is is a really good trial to me as well, and I really did enjoy it.

//What you have to understand is that we're in the area of the list where we're talking about the trials that I actually think are decent, and I have more positives to say about them than negatives. But with that said, I still have some negatives, and personally speaking, I think that this trial is kind of overrated.

//Something I notice is that opinions on the trials in the DR series are usually pretty common across the games. Most people, myself included, universally agree that the Case 3's are generally bad why the Case 4's are some of the most spectacular mysteries in the series.

//With Case 2, it's more of a dice roll. I definitely like Kizuna and Ayame's case WAY better than I like Mahiru and Peko's or Kokoro and Emma's, but FAR FAAAR less than I like Ryoma and Kirumi's and Chihiro and Mondo's.

//My biggest issue I think is generally the same big issue I had with 2-2 and A2-2. Especially considering the trial has some very similar story beats and moments.

//As I mentioned with 2-2, the pacing was awful, because the mystery itself is so simple in practice, but it gets derailed on pointless tangents and only around 30% of the trial itself is dedicated to the mystery. This is kind of the same, though not nearly as bad.

//The entire first half of the trial is trying to figure out the logistics and order of events with the case, and ultimately, it's concluded that Akane Taira is the culprit. Then the next quarter of the trial is trying to figure out how she did it, only for that to conclude in being a red herring.

//Then the rest of the trial immediately shifts focus onto Ayame Hatano being Kizuna's killer, and I feel like we didn't dedicate nearly enough time to her and her interruptions in the case. We kind of just said, "she did this, this is where things don't add up, KICK HER!"

//Makes a weird case when the vast majority of the trial is talking about everything that Akane did, and how Kizuna ended up dying, and only a small fraction of it is dedicated to the ACTUAL crime and how things played out.

//There's also the fact that it didn't need to be this long and drawn out, because considering Ayame's motive for killing Kizuna, she could have deflected the blame away from Akane at any time. And yes, I know that Ayame did have her own agenda behind her actions, but the general point of why she did was she did was to save Akane. To not see her jump to her defence.

//Besides that, there are a few other issues I have with this trial. I think the main one of those issues is the fact that the "decisive evidence" just really ISN'T decisive whatsoever.

//The wiretrap is the best example, because the way it was handled in this was kind of dumb. Not only does Ayame's use of it backfire massively because she literally cannot tell front from back, but the assumption that she even used it in the first place is covered far too quickly.

//It just feels like something that's immediately noticeable, and I immediately questioned it. But the fact that nobody brought it up until the end of the case made me second-guess myself the whole time.

//It's ultimately kind of disappointing to me that I had an idea about something that I thought might not be correct, until I find out the only reason it wasn't covered is because everyone in this game is a dumbass for some reason. Especially since it's not IMPOSSIBLE that she could have accidentally hit the back of her leg through some means, and with it being the evidence that ultimately nails Ayame as the killer...doesn't feel right...

//Still, despite the fact that you don't have to rack your brain too much in order to cover all the points this trial makes, the mystery itself ends up being decent on most fronts. So I can't complain too much about it.

//My other issues mainly stem from the characterizations. There are some standout character moments here, but there are a few things that I do take issue with.

//The big one...is Kizuna.

//Kizuna is essentially Hiyoko but somehow worse. She spent most of her screen time bullying other students, and she's also guilty of pimping herself and her friends out to people, literally tries to RAPE Yuki during her last FTE, and in this case, tried to convince Akane to assist in killing Yuki because he allegedly knew the identity of the Mastermind. Something that, while an interesting twist in retrospect, was fairly groundless.

//Then she tried to kill her when she refused because she knew too much. She also confessed that she had been prepared to kill someone since day two.

//It devolves to the point that at the conclusion of the trial, nobody is upset with Ayame for taking her life. I know this might mostly be because Ayame did it with mostly noble intentions, and Kizuna was the asshole victim, but it still feels like Kizuna got absolutely wasted here.

//The most redeemable thing Kizuna does in the entire time she's in the Killing Game is she writes "Maid" in her blood after she is stabbed by Akane so that the others know she killed her, but alters the message to "Maid X" meaning "Not the maid," after Ayame shows up to complete the task.

//But then she dies, and any kind of decent character arc or development she had was cut short.

//A case can be made for Hiyoko in that despite still being rude to people, before she died, she was showing genuine growth, and a desire to move on, mainly through how she was trying to learn to tie her kimono without Mahiru's help. But the way Kizuna is handled here makes it seem like she's developing, only to rip that away from her at the end, and make the claim that "Oh yeah, she was always this evil bitch."

//Hiyoko wasn't evil, she just grew up in the wrong environment, and as she got older and more mature through the killing game, it was shown by her growing out of it. Meanwhile it really does just feel like LINUJ was trying to reinforce the fact that Kizuna won't, and cannot, change, no matter the terrible situation she's in.

//LINUJ does this A LOT! Especially in SDRA2. And I HATE it.

//In Chapter 1, she is introduced as a typical Cruel cheerleader who hides behind a vivacious façade. However, in Chapter 2, Yuki and Akane overhear her sobbing about how lonely she truly is, and they encourage the other students to embrace her into their friend group, which she accepts with tears. She cries when she confesses that men have only ever seen her for her appearance, and seems to connect with Yuki after he persuades her not to rape him, if you follow all of her free-time events.

//Only later, she tells Akane that the entire incident was a ruse to win their trust so she may kill Yuki, whom she (rightly, might I add) believes to be the mastermind. When Akane tries to stop her, she easily turns the knife on her.

//It just bothers me that there are so many accounts of Kizuna showing remorse for her past, a genuineness in her character, and on SEVERAL OCCASSIONS at that, only for the game to ultimately decide that she's a jerk to the soul with no redeemable qualities, and then rips everything away from her so that a bad taste is left in your mouth.

//I don't know, I just don't like it. I'm not really sure what else I'm supposed to say. Like, I get why LINUJ sees the world this way, but he has proven he's capable of writing characters who do bad things, but grow and feel remorseful for them.

//Akane and Ayame both go through that in this chapter and they are the best examples.

//Speaking of which, let's talk about the latter next.

//To her credit, I think Ayame is one of the best killer's in the original Another game, if not, THE best. For me, it's a toss-up between her, and another character who we'll get to later.

//What actually happened with this case is Ayame found Kizuna's almost dead body after Akane accidentally stabbed her, and even if she had hurried to get help, Kizuna would have very certainly died from her stomach wound by the time she returned, and Akane would have become the Blackened as a result. In light of this, she believed that turning into the Blackened herself was the only way to stop Akane from doing so.

//Which, surprisingly, is something that we've NEVER gotten before. Despite how easy it could be, the original Danganronpa series, even to this day, doesn't have a single case where someone took the fall for someone else to stop them from being executed.

//The closest we've gotten to this up until this point is Chapter 2 of Danganronpa 2 where Peko killed Mahiru. It's widely accepted that the reason she did it was so Fuyuhiko didn't have to become the Blackened himself.

//However, with Peko, not only did she not deal the killing blow after Fuyuhiko already attacked Mahiru, but she mainly did it as part of her duty to be Fuyuhiko's tool. Which isn't to say she didn't genuinely care about Fuyuhiko as a person; but what I mean is that in Peko's mind, her duty to serve as his weapon against his enemies would have come first.

//And unlike Ayame, Peko really thought out the consequences, and acted completely selflessly. Because Peko did not care about herself enough to try and beat the odds.

//In the case of Ayame, her actions to kill Kizuna and stop Akane from being executed were driven by genuine friendship, and not wanting her to die. She knew that the liklihood of her beating the trial wasn't that high given the united forces against her, and she would have been content losing her life so long as she got to save Akane's.

//But what I also like about this case and Ayame's motives is that even she herself admits that her actions weren't entirely selfless. Rei rightly points out to her at the conclusion of the case that if she really wanted to save Akane, there would be no need for the trial, because in the case that she won it, Akane would have been executed anyway.

//And Ayame affirms this and accepts the responsibility for that. She just retains the consistent honesty that she's known for, and doesn't try to play up her actions as heroic or noble, because she herself DID have a desire to escape from the academy, and she IS selfish to an extent.

//As well as the fact that another reason is because she wanted to be sure that she had done the right thing, and that Akane really had stabbed Kizuna on accident.

//It's one of the saddest deaths in the entire game, especially given how Akane desperately tries to say everything that's on her mind in Ayame's final moments so she can be sent off with them.

//What's even better is that Akane turning out to be the Mastermind doesn't change any of this for me. The fact that she forgot her memories before the end of Case 5 and ended up forming this genuine bond with Ayame is wholesome as hell.

//As well as the fact that she admits in her final moments that it's Ayame's kindness that really helped her switch sides.

//Which I think is an interesting and underrated parallel of Akane's relationship with Utsuro. The reason why Akane sweared fealty to Utsuro is because he was the one who saved her life from an extremely shitty situation.

//You could argue that Ayame did the same thing here. So Akane developed a similar devotion to her late friend, and ultimately decided she didn't want to waste the second chance she got.

//Kind of the complete reverse of what I was just talking about with Kizuna's arc being betrayed in place of just keeping her a terrible person. Akane was a terrible person who did a lot of wrong, but I like that just as it can take one bad day to turn a reasonable person into a morally questionable individual, the reverse is true. One act of kindness can change an entire world view and reshape people.

//It's kind of the main message of Danganronpa. That Hope and Despair are equally as strong as each other, and you will find traces of one in places where the other might thrive. Akane's character arc throughout most of Another revolves around this singular point with Ayame, and it pans out spectacularly.

//So yeah, I can find no fault with Ayame honestly. She's just generally a really great character in this case, and has a lasting impact that spans the rest of the game, which is more than Mitch and Kinji can say, or deserve. I think it takes a lot of emotional maturity to be able to do the things she did and make the claims, as well as willingly accept that her actions weren't as noble as they might come across.

//Speaking of emotional maturity, Tsurugi has fucking none of that.

//I eluded to this in the previous post about the case that came before this one, but for me, this is the point where I REALLY started to fall out of love with Tsurugi.

//I get that he's supposed to be the antagonist character, but Byakuya, Nagito, and Kokichi, while definitely antagonistic, never reached these levels of evil in terms of their antics. Byakuya definitely told someone to off themselves once or twice at some point, but he never said it in a serious context.

//In the midst of her complete and total mental breakdown over Ayame's execution, he icily orders Akane to kill herself, for no reason other than that he alone believes she still counts as a murderer because she accidentally stabbed Kizuna.

//Again. ACCIDENTALLY!

//Let me tell you all a little bit about the way court legislations work, my friends. Most jurisdictions allow the use of force, including lethal force, if you have a reasonable belief that your life or someone else's life is in imminent danger. The force used must generally be proportional to the threat. For example, using lethal force against a non-lethal threat may not be justified.

//But this was a lethal threat. Kizuna was straight-up trying to kill Akane here.

//Accidentally killing someone in self-defense might not automatically lead to prison, but the outcome will depend on how the law views your actions.

//But even with all this, coupled with the fact that Akane DIDN'T ACTUALLY kill Kizuna, is completely irrelevant to Tsurugi. And for the entire rest of the game, no matter how nice she is to him, he remains vindictive towards her for the entire game from this point forward.

//Even though she did essentially nothing wrong.

//And while that does make Tsurugi an interesting antagonist in this game, it makes me absolutely despise him as a character.

//Even though his accusations against her aren't entirely false, this is still a terrible situation. Despite his declaration that he is willing to collaborate with the other students on Kanata and Kakeru's murder trial in the very next chapter, he singles out Akane to explain he still views her as an attempted murderer.

//He does NOT let her get over it for the rest of the game. The only other character who does that is Kokichi, but he does that out of childish immaturity and a desire to get under people's skin. Tsurugi doing this is petty, and it makes me absolutely loathe him.

//It's in the same vein as why I hate Haiji Towa. Haiji's actions are pretty realistic given the situation that he's in, and I don't think he's a poorly written character at all. It's just that said writing makes them out to be so detestable that I can barely stand to be in his presence.

//I'd normally appreciate a 180 like this in a normal narrative, but this felt way too fast for me.

//And yeah, before anyone says it, I do know that there are no manslaughter laws in the killing game, and that these laws can be kind of complicated. If you kill someone in self-defence, you still become the blackened, because that's basically what happened with Leon, kind of.

//But the fact that Tsurugi complies himself to this bothers me.

//However, that's mostly all my negatives out of the way, and everything else I have to say about this case is actually pretty stellar. The primary reason why it's not higher is because of the reasons that I've just discussed, plus I have a lot more positive things to say about the cases going forward than I do this one.

//Personally though, I think the biggest selling point for this trial for me is something that I normally recognize Fanganronpa's over, and one of the key selling points for any fan-related work:

//Originality.

//Look, if we can be completely frank about something, as much as LINUJ does get creative with his cases later, SDRA2 is the one that really branches out in terms of mysteries, while A1 plays it kind of safe by sticking to the same formula as the first and second games.

//Look at all the other trials, and you'll see what I mean:

//A-1 is the same as 1-1: The murder is committed by the sports jock, and he uses his talent to assist in his cover up of the crime. He also has the most brutal execution right out of the gate.

//A-3 is the same as 1-3: The murderer is a typically reserved and mature individual who throws all of that to the wayside when they start to become cornerned. They also kill two people, and suffer a similarly religious-themed and passive execution that quickly turns intense and silly.

//A-4 is the same as 2-4: The murder arises during the height of tension among the students and involves them trapped inside a specific area of the Killing Game with very limited resources. It's also the point where they are most at each others' throats, and somebody makes a sacrifice in order to rescue them, either by killing themselves, or agreeing to commit a murder with another person.

//A-5 is the same as 1-5: It's a murder and plot actually committed by the mastermind, but framed by another student as a means of taking back control of the Killing Game and dividing the students again. The student that they try to pin the blame on also somehow manages to escape their execution. Albeit Mikako's way of doing so is a lot more tragic than Makoto's.

//And A-6 is the same as 2-6: The main cast of characters are revealed to be part of a larger conglomerate that they forgot about upon their memories being erased, and the Killing Game itself is revealed to be the prelude to a much bigger event. The main character is also revealed to not only be the true mastermind behind the killing game, and also found to be an entirely different person than anyone, even themselves, believed, but they also possess an unholy superpower of talent that makes them near unstoppable, despite their preconcieved normalcy among the cast.

//A-2 is the only trial that doesn't share almost anything in common with the originaly Danganronpa games. As I mentioned already, the closest point of commonality is how Peko and Fuyuhiko's situation slightly mirrors Akane and Ayame's, but even then, that's a stretch, and almost a completely different situation besides a few things.

//There's also the way that Ayame disguises her motives by pretending to be evil, like Peko did, but that lasts like...4 seconds, in comparison to Peko's half an hour, smh.

//It feels detached from anything that we've seen before in Trigger Happy Havoc and Goodbye Despair, and really stands on its own legs as a case on the same level as the franchise has shown.

//What is most impressive is that this originality in the writing of the case is only the simple grounds upon which the rest of the mystery is built. After all, most of SDRA2's cases are fairly original, but that originality doesn't make them good (see A2-2). The case takes it and runs with it in good ways.

//For one, I like that the case shows the truth that eyewitness testimony and personal accounts of a case alone are nowhere near substantial enough to solve a case on its own, either by misconstruing a situation, or just straight up lying about what was seen.

//It's a hurdle that I feel most Danganronpa cases fail to jump, but this one does.

//Pun...not intended.

//I also really like the plot twist this chapter, and what ultimately drove Kizuna to single out Yuki especially, in that he apparently knows who the Mastermind is. We later find out that it's Yuki himself...kind of...but it's an interesting twist that sets the game apart from what is known in DR1, and the way it turns the others opinion of him on its head is pretty tense and engaging.

//But in general, I think this case is just all around super solid. It's just that compared to the other Chapter 2's in the Danganronpa series, this one is the middle ground. It's a compelling mystery that stands on its own merits, but it's not engaging enough to breach the top 10.

//I'm very sorry, because I understand that this trial is particularly popular among the audience.

[soul-wanderer]

I'm beginning to think that those who outright hate Callie have either never been teenagers/don't remember being teenagers or at the very least must have had a very sheltered upbringing without any significant (family) trauma along the way.

The main criticisms seem to be her "bratty" behaviour and what some consider to be manipulation tactics, especially towards Shauna, which immediately makes me go "?!?", because what?

Because you know what? I remember being a moody, cranky, insufferable teenager. And I'm not above admitting that especially around 16/17 I said and did shit that was absolutely and utterly horrible. Downright textbook manipulative behaviours that partially far surpass anything we've seen on the show so far. And you know what? I grew up. Realized it was shitty behaviour. Went through many years of self-reflection and therapy. But initially? I was just a kid. A kid with way too much unspeakable trauma, both from within the family and outside of my family. I developed coping mechanisms that were beyond unhealthy and that affected every single relationship - both with family members and friends. When you're a teenager who has never known or seen healthy relationships or coping mechanisms or social structures, you do some pretty fucked up shit in an attempt to be seen, to be loved, to be acknowledged. Even if the people you seek validation from are emotionally unavailable. But that doesn't stop you from trying.

Our brains aren't fully developed until we're 25. So being 16/17 is so far from full comprehension, from grasping the complexities of trauma and messed up relationships. Especially when it's all you've ever known. And unless you crash and hit rock bottom and then come across the right kind of people who will help you understand, chances are you will need quite some time to get out of that vicious cycle of destructive behaviours.

So yeah, Callie does repeatedly display behaviours that will be perceived as bratty and manipulative. And then you take one look at Shauna and heck, even Jeff, and have to realize that she didn't exactly have parents who showed her what healthy relationships are supposed to look like. The only way Shauna seems to notice her, to see her, is when she does something extreme - and if you're a teenager who wants nothing more than to be loved by your own parent? You do the extreme thing. That does not make her evil. It doesn't make her a bad person. Right now it simply makes her a kid who really does not and cannot know or do better. There will come a point, when her brain has fully developed, where she will have to reflect and do better, where she has to quite literally outgrow her own mother, but right now she really deserves a lot more grace than some parts of the fandom are willing to give her

[dramas-vs-novels]

I saw u mentioned studying in korea so I wanted to ask how you liked it there? I mean it's probably changed since then ofc but would you say it's a good country to study in or visit etc. ? also how did you navigate it without knowing korean (assuming that you don't...?)

you really seem to have been to so many places... that's so cool honestly i think it would be nice to have those experiences under your belt, and to have met so many people from around the world

- @boygirlcrisis

Korea is the most amazing place on earth.

Like, it's so beautiful, and at least compared to the United States, it's such a laid-back vibe (I should mention, I was at a private campus for Yonsei outside of Seoul, so it was a more rural and remote area, mostly farming in the immediate vicinity).

I loved studying there, I loved being there. Back then, foreigners weren't so common, it was still the First Hallyu Wave, and especially in my area, like, I could scare kids just by walking into a store. A lot of the people were we were hadn't seen a white person before unless it was on television.

I mention that because... honestly, sometimes you have trouble finding it funny for a day or two and it can be uncomfortable. People staring at you and whispering or giggling or whatnot- I know they didn't mean anything bad, at one point 2 girls were following me because they thought I was Emma Watson (I look absolutely nothing even remotely like Emma Watson, I'm a 4 with makeup, she's a 10 without).

(Disclaimer: God's Favorite Idiot there is not standing on the roof of the car, he is standing on the sea wall behind it)

But like, people still went out of their way to be nice. The Ahjumma at the campus restaurant knew my favorite food and made sure to have some set aside for me. The baristas at my favorite coffee shop would bring things for me to try (I never drank coffee before they convinced me to try a caramel macchiato), and I would help test/develope some recipes for "American-Style" snacks to serve (They had a sweet potato tart, I gave them the recipe for apple pie filling they could also use and that became POPULAR).

As my Korean got better, I could hold small conversations (I can understand way more than I can speak), and just... My roommates often told me it was because I was a white girl with blue eyes, and maybe that was the case, but people were just so kind. I absolutely fell in love with the country, and if I had a job offer, I'd move there in a heartbeat.

As for how I navigated, I'd watched a lot of Kdramas and listened to Kpop for a while before I applied for the study abroad, so I knew, like, some basic words. I actually taught myself how to read Korean in a bath tub (and the water didn't even go cold). It was easy for me to pick up because it's phonetic and very straightforward-logical, so it stuck in my brain well.

So I carried a tablet with me everywhere (This was the days of the iPad 1) and had subway and bus maps, and even I knew 100% where I was going and how to get there, I'd obsessively and compulsively check it every 5 seconds, just to like, be extra sure.

At first, it was hard. We were scared to go anywhere without a Korean from our program (there were 3 koreans for every American), and around week... halfway through week 2 through week 4, we were just all really frustrated with ourselves. For feeling so dependent on everything.

And a group of us braved going to the coffee shop by ourselves (we didn't even get lost once), and we look outside, and there is a German dude walking carrying like 10 pizzas (a professor from a different university).

It sounds very silly, but I cannot stress how much that bald, beardy man changed our lives. We never spoke to him, we never interacted with him (He came into the coffee shop once and that's how we knew he was german), but seeing another foreigner walking down the street, confidently carrying food he presumably ordered all by himself...

It gave us strength.

Beardy German Man, wherever you are, you taught us that it IS possible to get our feet under us, it IS possible to order food by ourselves, we DIDN'T have to live like 3 year olds with a babysitter.

And the next semester, when I was the senior among the foreign students (most didn't do a full year), week 2 as they were all starting to feel frustrated with themselves, I told them "Go forth and find thee a pizza carrying German."

And never explained what that meant.

(My beloved coffee shop, Coffee Radio, at night)

Also, gotta say it somewhere because I maintain there is a big ol' conspiracy to keep it secret:: Korea has trarantulas. Like, neon green (or orange), the green ones, just the body alone is the size of a fist. Some species famous for staying very still, never saw one indoors, but when I went outside one day in the fall and they were just suddenly DRIPPING FROM EVERY ROOF, I nearly got into a paddleboat and came back to the US.

Also-Also, some details about my study abroad below the cut. Teaser: it was FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Also-also-also, they actually paid me.

So, my university had a famously shit study abroad website back then. You couldn't find anything. The advisors would just tell you to google the study abroad you wanted and find the page that way.

My university had a partnership with Yonsei University Seoul, I google "Yonsei University Study Abroad" and find the Yonsei Global Village.

I did all of the paperwork, I actually got 3 recommendations from professors instead of 2.

My parents knew I was applying, but none of the rest of our family knew, because I didn't want to tell them when I inevitably wasn't accepted.

This is a very, very important detail that I am very, very clear on whenever I mention this study abroad. No one. In my family. Knew. Strictly. No one.

So I get the acceptance, I'm beyond myself. It was going to be $30,000 for a full year, I was ready to take out loans, I wanted this so badly.

And like... a month before going... No one ever gave me paperwork about... paying that first $15,000...

My father looked at the info packet more closely than I apparently did...

I didn't apply to Yonsei University Seoul. I applied to the Yonsei University Global Village. In Wonju. Their english language campus that housed some of their more exclusive majors.

The difference being, the program was FREE. THEY paid ME to come over and study for a year. They paid back my airfare. They gave me a more-than-enough stipend and bonuses. All dorm, tuition, and book fees were waived. We went on field trips every single friday.

And what was my obligation to repay this huge honor?

I would be assigned (randomly) 6 partners within the Global Village (The only rule was not your roommates), and we... had to hang out. For an hour each (or all together). Once a week.

Go eat dinner together, go to noraebang (karaoke) together, watch a movie. Just sit quietly in the library studying. We could do whatever, it was all about making sure everyone made friends and learned to communicate.

So. Time to tell the family I'm going to a foreign country for a year.

I knew my favorite cousin, S, was married to a Korean man. Like, literally they just got married days before. I'd never met him, my cousin lived in a different state and was 6 years older, so her life and mine were two wholly separate things.

They had a third wedding in the US (because in Korea they had a traditional and christian wedding), and his family came over. It was more of a garden party they re-created the traditional wedding at.

So I met him, met his family, and my father mentions "Oh, by the way, Krissy is actually going to study in Korea next month!" and his family were instantly interested- what university, where?

And I said "Yonsei!" and everything went dead silent.

And they were like "... why didn't someone tell us you wanted to study there?"

APPARENTLY, my cousin's new grandfather-in-law was chairman of the board of trustees at Yonsei University, her new in-laws were professors there, and basically that university is their baby.

And I *earned* my spot, but they were like "We could have just gotten you in?"

It was funny though, when I was studying there, I'd get texts from my cousin's in-laws like "Good job on your exam!" BEFORE I EVER SAW MY SCORE. They literally had my professors sending them my grades so they could keep track of how I was doing.

I had an A+ in every class.

But yeah, if you're looking to study in Korea EVER, Yonsei University Global Village. IDK if it's still FREE for foreigners, but when my family found out we didn't have to pay $30,000? I thought my heart was going to stop.

[gotta-pet-em-all]

Oh hi again! Um. Scrolling back I am compelled to inform you that autism is a neurological difference with strong genetic influence. That is, you're born with a brain that's wired differently than other people - not better or worse, just different. And it's not in vaccines, either. Being autistic isn't the same experience for every autistic person, but some common signs are extreme sensitivity or lack of sensitivity to sensory input, needing to regulate emotions in atypical ways, having trouble understanding the nonverbal cues of other people without explicit instruction, and having episodes where feeling overwhelmed is so powerful that you kind of become full of bees and lose some control because everything is exploding and it hurts and you have to let it out? I don't know if my attempt at explaining this is effective or the right thing to do in the first place but ohhhh my gods I cannot let the autism vaccine thing go even if it's a joke sorry

(@cinderpaw11)

Elle was at front, but she immediately left when she saw this. I'm going to try and parse it?

-neurological difference with strong genetic influence: so it's like something is up in the brain and it might run in the family? we don't know our extended family super well. Although, mom always said we had an aunt who hated people and loved trains, so...

-born with a brain that's wired differently. We have joltik infesting the wiring and chewing holes, not sure how much of a difference that makes.

-it's not in vaccines. Look, I don't actually care if it's in vaccines or not. Linnea hates them and makes us get a plushie for every time they stick a needle in us, but we don't get sick nearly as often. And honestly? I'm an adult with different priorities, I think we deserve a hot meal, but the plushies aren't bad either. If it works, it works.

-extreme reactions to sensory input: we don't actually have context for whether our reactions are normal or if everyone's just gaslighting us. same with not knowing the "typical" ways to regulate emotions.

-episodes of feeling overwhelmed and exploding bees: there's been a vote taken and we've decided not to unpack this one.

-not understanding nonverbal cues: oh those are for real bullshit.

Oh yeah-- Snowkit (new name pending) is interested in this, but he's kinda having his own thing going on right now. He's gotten Firestar's blessing and wants to leave the clans, officially.

overall, we're not really certain.

[fortuna-et-cataclysmos]

On Katara and feminism in NATLA

I grew up with ATLA. I was exactly Katara’s age when ATLA started to air in my country, and this cartoon has taught me more about life than I’d like to admit. Among them, was feminism.

I was absolutely obsessed with Katara as a kid: back then strong female characters - who were BOTH girlish and strong! – were still quite rare in mainstream media. I absolutely loved to see this girl who was raised in a patriarchal society similar to mine, who was both girly and an absolute badass even in days she didn’t know how to properly waterbend.

Back in those days, they were airing the episodes in order and I was super excited to see her FINALLY learn how to properly waterbend once they reach the North Pole. So when Paku refused to teach her for BEING A GIRL, as a preteen girl myself, I was ENRAGED.

Then Katara did something crazy. She freaking defied a waterbending master, knowing that she had no chance of winning whatsoever. And guys, I swear that fight became a core memory for me. On our crusty Windows XP’s desktop, there was a gif downloaded over several minutes of that exact fight. And I would watch it. On loop. When Katara defied Paku, I felt empowered, and that feeling never left.

Now that I am done with my lame ass backstory, back to NATLA.

You can imagine how EXCITED I was to finally see that fight in 4K. At that point, I was already pissed that they removed Sokka’s sexist flaws and subverted his dynamics with him, rather than Katara being “the parent” of the group (which was outrageous, if you ask me. One of the main character traits of Katara was her being a mother figure at an early age, which explained why she always felt like she HAD to be the responsible one, and why she had so much repressed rage).

But Katara’s struggle with the Northern Tribe over her right to learn how to use waterbending for fighting? That, in my opinion, was epic! Why?

Katara’s fight with Paku was a premediated act

In the original series, Paku says that girls can’t learn how to waterbend, and in a moment of rage, Katara whips him in the neck. I agree that it was a totally badass move, and it made especially sense given her drive to learn waterbending for fighting.

But I also really liked how NATLA approached that: in NATLA, when Katara learns that she cannot waterbend to fight, she doesn’t immediately attack Paku. No, she takes the time to think about it, talk about it with Aang, with Sokka. Then, she decides to defy Paku.

In a way, her action is a protest: she isn’t angry at Paku personally, she is angry at the sexist rules he perpetuates. In a way, this calculated way of deciding to fight shows a certain emotional maturity and dedication to the cause of feminism.

I really liked it.

The resolution of the fight

One thing that really disturbed me in the cartoon was how that fight scene was resolved. My preteen brain couldn’t make sense of why Paku suddenly decided to teach Katara how to fight after realising that her grandma was his ex-fiancé. Like, where is the connection??

My adult brain understands that Gran Gran had fled the Northern Water Tribe because of their sexist rules and hence Paku understood that him abiding to those sexist rules was wrong. But still, it feels so odd. Tell me which 60-70 year old boomer would suddenly change their mind about basically 90% of their world view because their ex happened to have fled from them because that world view? You tell me that Paku didn’t have enough time to rationalise in his wicked brain why Gran Gran left with a more nefarious motivation, or hell, just because she didn’t like him enough to get married?

Whereas in NATLA, we see that Paku’s approval doesn’t come all so easy: he does acknowledge Katara’s waterbending talents (a feat that also happens in the cartoon), but he still refuses to teach her. Because it isn’t about talent. It is about principle. And he is a dinosaur with sexist principles.

On the other hand, who is more open-minded to new ideas and social change? Who circles Katara following her defeat and admire her for her fight with Paku? It’s the youth! Social change is usually driven by the youth, and here we see that while the old rulers of the Northern Water Tribe are still sexist af, the young people are the ones who are ready to embrace a more equalitarian society.

Women in war

So then, when does Paku change his mind on letting women fight? During the attack on the Northern Water Tribe. They are outnumbered and they need more benders: lo and behold, Katara has the brilliant idea of bringing in the women. Now, I don’t say that that was actually a brilliant idea: strategically speaking, it is kinda stupid sending your HEALERS to the FRONTLINES to die while they could be much more useful saving the wounded. Nevertheless, I like the inclusion of the women into the battle in a symbolic level: in history, we see that most women’s rights were obtained during and in the aftermath of big conflicts. When men are fighting and there is a shortage of manpower, you employ women to work at the factories, or in the direst cases, you let women fight. This was a cool nod to that phenomenon happening. Also, if literally every man was already wounded or perished, it kinda makes sense that women take up the arms, so the “healers fighting isn’t strategically sound” argument doesn’t hold perfectly either.

Women of patriarchy

Lastly, one thing I really liked about NATLA is how not only Paku, but also the female healing master was sternly against women learning how to fight with waterbending. The healing master in the cartoon was softer, gentler, whereas here, she was even more vocal than Paku in grilling Katara for wanting to fight. This is such a great display of internalised sexism, but also how women in power in patriarchy may be vehement defenders of the status quo because it helps them to keep whatever power they have.

Oh, and in a final note, Katara’s reply to Zuko’s “you have found a waterbending master!” was absolutely horrendous. I may have liked how most of that arc was treated, but GOD, somebody give that girl a proper master to learn how to waterbend, because I don’t believe one second that a child with only ONE waterbending scroll can become a MASTER with self-study. The way Katara was managing to become a waterbending master in the span of weeks in the original series was already weird (and for those who weren’t fans before, it did attract quite some criticism in the fandom spheres back when it aired), but NATLA just took it and made it worse.

Nonetheless, I think that NATLA tried their best. And I appreciate that they tried to give ATLA a new twist, even though it didn’t land perfectly.

Everyone seems to be focusing on the bad of the show, so I felt compelled to share my two cents.

[eydi-andrius]

ENDING GREEN

PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE FIC SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE YET.

author's note: I guess you were my girlies who cannot accept that Nanami died....because SAME. I have blocked every spoiler but saved his beautiful photos walking and enjoying that beach in Malaysia.

Enjoy! And don't forget to let me know what you think! 💚

divider by @cafekitsune

💖

When Yuji was the one you saw at your parent’s front door, you almost lost it. You were breathing fast, panicking and dizzy from worry. 

Yuji, who saw how your face turned pale instantly at the sight of him, panicked at first but then, he immediately tried to calm you down when he realized that his presence made you think of something you don't even want to mention. 

“Are you okay? I’m sorry I invited myself in.” He looked very sorry and even bowed in apology. You sipped the cold water he provided and closed your eyes to calm your racing heart. Thankfully, your parents went out temporarily or else, your breakdown will pass through them and poor Yuji will probably have a hard time taking care of everyone in the household. 

“I’m fine. Why are you here, Yuji? Where is Nanami?” With a frown, you put the glass on the table and tried not to fidget in worry. 

“Nanamin is fine. No, not totally fine. But alive and recovering.” He tried his best to explain but you noted how he looked away whenever your eyes met. Wait? What does he mean by recovering? 

“Recovering?” You asked, and stood up in surprise. Your heart is racing back again in worry.

“He’s okay! I swear, he is okay! Shoko-sensei already healed him. He can’t just go to meet you yet. But he told me to tell you he is okay and cannot fulfill his promise of following you here.” He explained immediately and waved his hand to tell you to sit back down and relax, afraid that this time you will totally faint from shock. 

“Healed from what?” You asked with a frown. 

“I- I was told by Nanamin not to tell you. He said he will explain.” Yuji looked like someone who was caught red handed. A boy who was caught, like a deer in the headlights. 

There is no point in worrying any further and pushing poor Yuji in the corner for more questions about Nanami when he was told not to mention anything from you. With a sigh of relief, from that dreadful week of waiting, especially, when you lost contact with him. You finally felt better, still worried, but better. 

“Have you eaten yet? How about lunch?” You offered and laughed when Yuji’s stomach growled at the mention of food. 

💚

The sterile smell of the white colored space made you nauseous. Although you were told he is well, you still do not know what he was recovering from. You have this fear on the way here that you tried so hard to swallow and hide on the back of your head. 

Shoko was the first one to greet you by the door. She gave you a curt smile, but her eyes told you how tired she was. You cannot imagine the amount of sleepless nights she has to endure after that bloodbath. Even Yuji, who used to be so bubbly, was all quiet on your way here. Like an old person who is contemplating life. It breaks your heart to see him like that when he was just a child. He doesn't deserve to see and experience those things by himself. You understand clearly now how Nanami feels if he chooses to be a normal salary man, and leave these kids in the hands of those heartless elders. They will not care if they are exposed to danger and die. The same way they treated Nanami when he was young. With a nod, Shoko opened the door and you were greeted by a bed hidden by a white curtain. 

“Just call me if you need anything.” Yuji, who was following you diligently up until that moment, had decided to give you space to meet Nanami alone. You nodded at him with thanks and he gave you a smile in return.

The walk towards the bed feels endless, the image you tried so hard to not think about keeps flashing in your brain. Each step is filled with a prayer that whatever injury he got is not as bad as you think it was. The more you move forward, the smell of antiseptic grows stronger, and the air tastes bitter, the smell is like an artificial soap. You stopped to take a deep breath before you took one last step and stood at the end of his bed. Mouth agape, you tried your best not to shed tears when you see how he looks. His head was covered with bandages, alongside his left face, all throughout his left arm. Some of his blood seeped out of the white cloth and stained the used to be pristine cover. The constant beeping of his life monitor is loud as it echoes to the quiet room and into your head. Your eyes continue to scan the damage he endured and left a silent gasp when you realized he is missing an arm.

Quietly, you move closer to him and plop down at the nearby metal chair beside his bed. With shaky hands, you took his remaining arm and clasped it like it was fragile. Your hand lost its strength from shock and you shook your head trying to decipher the pain Nanami must be in. You did your best not to shed tears, you truly do, but seeing the love of your life, half alive, pale and bloody is something you would never have thought you would see this sooner. You always thought that Nanami is the type of guy who will be able to leave the Jujutsu world with no injury, and healthy as a horse. You’ve guessed that you spoke sooner or maybe you were just naive. 

His hand is just too cold and the fear you were trying so hard not to think about came crashing down like an avalanche. You did your best not to squeeze his hands too much as you whimpered and cried on his side. You prayed to all the gods and whatever creatures who can provide you a miracle that day. You begged them to give Nanami a chance. To bring him back to you.  

You cannot remember how long you were in that position, but all you were interrupted by a hand squeezing your hand back weakly. You slowly looked up from where your head was placed on the bed, to silent your cries, and watched Nanami’s face for any sign movements. You did not know if you were just imagining that or not, however, your eyes were intensely trained on his face. Waiting for anything at that point. He did not open his eyes, but his mouth moved and you heard an inaudible sound coming from it. 

Carefully, you move closer to his face and move your ears closer to his mouth. You waited for him to say whatever he had said again and when he did, your knees almost buckled from relief. You nodded in agreement and softly placed your forehead on his uninjured face. Thanking all the gods you had prayed for at that moment for granting you another chance with him.

“Yes, we will move to Malaysia once you recover. I will come with you and I will be yours forever.” And it was at that time you realized that at your lowest moment, a person who never knew faith, will only have faith to get through their toughest battle. 

[alexandraisyes]

*skitters in in need of nice and funky things* HOKAY. SHIPS. I am honestly open to nearly all ships due to the fact my aro-ace ass simply doesn't require them to live BUT I do have few that either sparks my interest or i think they work pretty well :3 I also go by the logic they are robots and relationships cannot be really compared to humans. Earth x Eclipse - I don't what it is with Earth cracking the harshest personalities but my god, Eclipse v4 warming up to her to the point of tolerating was a feat and sparks immense joy. Allowing Earth to hug him and hang out? Chat? Feel loved? Absolutely precious. Earth respects his boundaries and at the same time Eclipse appreciates her embracing his persona. It's just such a good premise for a slightly odd but good couple. I love it. Sun x Eclipse (many versions) - Canon divergence with Sun and Eclipse working it out? YES. Solar and his original Sun? My god please yes. Oh, what's his? Lord Eclipse and his Servant Sun? Mhm mhm yes. Excellent. So many potentials. So many ways to roll with the ship. Can be loving or spicy or unhealthy. So many choices. Nexus x Solar - do I even have to explain. I think many feels similar about this one. Nexus as new moon found his Sun, even if that Sun is eclipsed. Solar desperately needed someone to love and appreciate him. I am both friend shipping them and shipping, both works for me beautifully.

Sun x Moon - ho boi a controversial one but hey, what is the multiverse for if not ship anything you want (especially since it was even confirmed in canon that romantic DCAs are as normal and common as brotherly bonds or coworkers or absolutely hating each other). They are AIs inhibiting robotic bodies. They are synthetic beings and their understanding of bonds are different than the ones of a biological critters. They are a bundle of codes that try to understand the convoluted partnerships and roles among each other. Protective Moon and caring Sun may decide their bond is on the romantic spectrum. Cos who knows Sun better than their Moon? What is Moon without their Sun? :) Those would be the ones that stick to my brain. Thank you for making the small sharing time! I hope you have a lovely day/evening :) Cheers!

Hiii Wonszu!!! (Waving at u from my enclosure!!!)

I think that Eclipse deserves something nice. And maybe Earth could be that something nice, in the right circumstances.

They're literally my first ship (just normal SunChips) in this fandom and ough. Ough. I literally never even considered the idea of shipping the sillies until I found out that this fandom has a fucking ao3 tag. I was still mostly in the UTMV fandom when I started watching TSAMS, and my poor fandom then was burning while I was slowly jumping ship.

I think they're sweet. I don't see them as romantic myself, but I support those who do. They remind me of the relationship my brother had with his best friend.

I think the fandom is slowly getting over their whole general "every sun and moon HAS to be related and platonic" since we have people hardcore shipping Helios (dark sun) and Nexus. Not to mention the AU Sun and Moon in DoctorF's fic, Sunlo and Moonlit. They're cute. I don't see why we can't have TSAMS AUs where the dynamics are different when it's generally acceptable to ship SolarMoon as an AU. Idk maybe I'm biased, I've been shipping Sun and Moon (in general) since like immediately when Security Breach came out. I took one look at them and went "oh yes they are so fucking gay". And jadkl;fsjads it was such a lonely time when I didn't know anyone else who shipped them.

As I've already said before, I see TSAMS as just one DCA au amongst many DCA aus. Do whatever the fuck you want bro.

Ask Game - Send Me Ship Headcanons (TSBS)

[ilikeyoshi]

one thing i've come to understand and accept about myself is i can NEVER live without at least one other human inhabiting the same walls as me. there are about a million reasons for this but these are the most prominent ones:

the aforementioned adhd meds issue. i CANNOT remember to take them reliably on my own. i've tried alarms, but for these to work i have to take the meds the SECOND i hear the alarm, which means i have to already be awake for the day and have all the components within arm's reach when it goes off: this means the meds themselves AND a drink. if i have to Go And Acquire These, i will get distracted and forget. i also have to remember to keep the cup full. i ALSO have to be awake early enough in the day to take the meds without ending up awake until 4am that night, which is impossible without the Slight Pressure of another person because i WILL sleep until 2-4pm unmedicated, regardless of when i went to bed. i've also tried putting the meds in a location where i HAVE to move them to access a commonly used thing, but this invokes all the same issues: i have to do it IMMEDIATELY, have everything i NEED to do it immediately, and wake up early enough to not botch my sleep schedule. impossible task; i am softlocked without help.

i have found that the combination of adhd, autism and fibromyalgia all serve to make taking care of myself and my living space VERY HARD without another person to, even if only in my imagination, hold me accountable. i am constantly tired and bored, and so tasks that do not alleviate those things are extremely difficult to reliably do. the presence of another human being, even one who has not asked me to do anything, creates a sense of "oh, i want to be a good roommate," and raises the priority of these sorts of tasks. it's not depression, i'm not Not Doing It because i'm too brain sick. for lack of a better way to say it, i just don't care about it because the difficulty of doing it outweighs the benefit of having it done. but the difficulty of doing it DOES NOT usually outweigh the benefit of making someone else happy or comfortable.

however, when a task is too hard even WHEN there's another person in the house, i've found i can solve this by doing those tasks when the other person is ALSO doing such tasks (chores, for example), ESPECIALLY if we can do it together. part of it is that i'm naturally extroverted, and group activities make my brain feel good (hence alleviating boredom and fatigue), but this is ALSO where i can play social anxiety and people-pleasing to my advantage. if someone begins a task i said i would do, or a task i was asked to do, it triggers JUUUUST enough guilt that i can overpower the executive dysfunction and either help with the task, or take it over completely (whichever the person prefers). is it ideal? is it abled? not exactly, but if me and the other person understand and accept it, it works great.

speaking of anxiety: being all by myself scares the crap out of me. there have been times where i am the only person in the house for a few hours, and it FREAKS my ass out. it's definitely related to my issue regarding big houses, where my living space needs to be small enough that i can hear disruptions from even the point farthest from where i currently am—OR, i need to live with enough people for the sum total of us to be able to do so. i don't like dogs enough to get a guard dog, and animals don't comfort me as well as other humans do.

and even if AAAAAALL of that wasn't the case: as mentioned, i'm very extroverted. i start going a lil batshit if i haven't physically, verbally spoken to another human in a few hours. so i'm doomed to need at least one roommate at all times. :D (obviously someone comfortable with all these isms of mine though LMAO.)

[hextech-workaholic]

What are some of your biggest regrets in life, thus far?

((mun, I hope you feel well soon! I too struggle with depression, and I know things are going to feel really shitty for you for a bit, but in my experience, giving just a bit of that pain to one of your favorite characters and writing it out can often lighten the load, just a little. feel no pressure to answer this immediately; you have no responsibility to anyone here except for yourself. be patient with your mind, even if it's being a jerk right now))

(Thank you- it was actually pretty nice to have an excuse to vent through Viktor. This kinda…lined up with some things I've been feeling anyway, so it was nice to shove some stuff on him.)

That is a very…personal question. You all seem fond of those. But…it is quiet and I do have time…so why not?

Admittedly…there is a lot. Though I suppose most of my regrets boil down to the same topic, really. I have been…thinking about it a lot, actually. I suppose…drunk confessions may bring such out in the brain; when it turns out the conclusion was not the…rejection you had calculated for, at least.

I regret…how should I put it? I regret how I have spent my time. How I am perhaps…still spending it, truthfully. I have spent the majority of my life isolating myself. Not purposefully, at first. At first, it was just…when you are the child that cannot keep up with the others, you have little choice, really. You figure out how to amuse yourself because it becomes the only option- children can be cruel. It is not out of malice; they just…do not know any better.

But at some point…I should have learned when to let it go, I suppose. I turned down social activities at the Academy in exchange for my studies, and while…yes, that opened doors for me, I sometimes wonder if…I could have sacrificed some of ot it to…interact with the world more. Before I…forgot how. I suppose that it is not that I am completely incompetent at interaction, but I…feel perhaps spending my life with my nose buried in books and schematics and equations…contributed to the years of fearing what he would say if I were to…tell him…how I felt.

And it may be…contributing to now…where I have and yet I…do not know where we stand because I am…afraid to ask. I am…still keeping him at an arms length because I…do not know how to do any different. Heimerdinger used to tell me that I needed to let people in, and I think…I would need to study how you are supposed to do that. The last time I was truly open was when I was a child, talking to an animal I did not think could understand me and…I think in the same circumstances, at this age…I would not know how to even do that, because I can not always be so open with myself.

So I regret…that I spent too much time by myself, perhaps. That I still do. I regret that in the years I should have been learning how to navigate interpersonal relationships I…I told people I needed to study. I regret that…if something happens to me…the things I leave behind will be schematics and…memories of me staying in a lab overnight. For those that...remember me at all.

[leantailean]

Hey for we need to talk about toko. Have you ever shared headcanons for their wedding/proposal. In my mind zuko would be proposing and it would something very intimate for just them. I also think theyd keep keep it secret for a little bit not wanting to rush. For the wedding i like to think it would be iroh walking toph down the aisle. Modern they would so there vows private cause they both seem like people who would want to have those moments just them. Let me know what you think.

Hello anon! Thank you for such an interesting question!

  Toph is the one who figured out her feelings for Zuko first. As someone more mature and more collected, she realized how much she loved him and admitted to herself that she is in love much earlier than Zuko.

Zuko's affection for Toph grows gradually, year after year, because she is the only one of his friends who spends the most time with him after the end of the war, stays in the palace for many months, and step by step, over the the next 5-6 years, becomes the closest person for him. he consults with her on political issues, she makes dirty jokes about his ministers and generals, And they are sparring when they have some free time.

Zuko, in his usual manner, is terribly silly and cannot understand his feelings for her. He is afraid of his budding love, afraid that he will ruin everything and lose his best friend. Toph notices his awkwardness, but thinks that she was too ugly and loud for him and made him tired of their friendship. Two idiots.

At some point, Zuko talks about his confused feelings to his uncle, and he, as usual, straightens his brains out. Iroh tells him he is risking losing her. And Zuko, confused with a blushy tomato-red face, catches Toph in the garden the day before her departure home and immediately dumps on her all his feelings. There are no emotions on Toph's face, and when Zuko begins to think about whether to wait until he is hit by a boulder or is it better to burn himself on the spot, Toph suddenly and sharply flies up on a block of earth and kisses him fiercely.

She never says yes. Everything is clear between them.

Toph never comes home again.

She moves from the guest rooms, which over all these years of her frequent visits have practically become her second home, where everything is covered with earth, into the chambers of the Firelord.

Nobody knows except Iroh.

They hide their relationship very carefully from their friends, so when Katara Aang and Sokka come to visit, they don't suspect anything.

Suki guesses.

Another year goes by like this.

And suddenly everyone receives letters inviting them to a wedding.

Zuko and Toph have two weddings.

Firelord’s wedding is a rare thing. Before almost every Firelord ascended the throne having been married already, and for a monarch wedding there was a special very long and solemn ritual. So one of them takes a whole day full of all kinds of ceremonies, worship and libations to spirits and ancestors, swearing oaths and other nonsense, so after 13 hours Zuko just wants to die, and Toph wants to kill someone. 

And the second wedding is when Toph, Zuko and 10 very close friends go far outside the city one early morning. It is a quiet  improvised wedding that is held by Avatar himself. There is traditional Fire nation and Earth Kingdom treats. In the evening everyone gather around the campfire. Iroh sings an old wedding song for a just married couple which no one of the rest of the company including Zuko has ever heard before. And finally late in the night when everyone is sleeping in their tents Toph and Zuko changed clothes and go far in the fields.

_____________

[wren-writes-things]

Let's see... 1, 9, 12, 13 for the fandom ask games? :)

Oh hey Pixel! Thanks for asking.

OTP? 

Probably Sasharcy (of course in the context of Sashannarcy). I absolutely adore all variants of the Calamity Trio but I just tend to drift towards them. My guess is that the personality contrast, and possibly just how much they both need to grow and forgive each other. I don't know it just intrigues me.

I also really like platonic Zelink from the BotW/TotK iteration.

9. Write a recommendation of someone else's fic you enjoyed!

Hmm... Pixel go read your own fanfic! Joking, probably

And I Know I Kissed You Before (But I Didn't Do It Right) - BearerOfTheBitterMoon (liminal-lesbian on here) - Okay I could put all of Mara's fanfics on here. Her writing style and story concepts are just amazing. But we'd be here all day, so we're not going to do that. This one specifically though, was just such an emotional rollercoaster (without leaving with permanent emotional trauma, ex: The Three Body Problem). It's very sweet, it's very sad and it all just feels so real. If that makes any sense

A Witch In Wartwood - Disect - I haven't finished the sequel fanfic yet, but I love this story. It had a very creative take on a Swap AU, and it did a really good job at capturing the essence of the original show while also completely being it's own thing.

Pinpoint - i'm-at-my-limit - Okay, I need to get caught up on this one, because I love the concept and I find it's characterization really interesting but I'm also behind by like two chapters because I wasn't reading as much for a while.

Across The Seven Seas - Heart_Wit_Strength - Did I successfully trick you into thinking I wasn't going to say this? Did it work? Seriously though this is one of those fanfics that I read, immediately reread and proceeded to think about for the next three days. I actually have fan art of it that I need to complete some day. I don't know what you did, but you succeeded at it.

Then there's this one fanfic about Sasha that I really like, but I cannot find it or remember what it is called.

(I have quite a few others that I really liked, these are just the four that were in my brain apparently)

12. What's the funniest or craziest AU idea you've ever come up with?

So the same week that I created Daren, I also created what I call that Devil in the Details AU. Which is one of those AUs where it could be angsty, but I decided it was way funnier to write absurd shenanigans.

Basically Marcy, a lonely and aimless college student, opens a music box (gifted to her by her academic mentor, Andrias) and ends up with Darcy as the devil on her shoulder. Then Anne and Sasha are sent by heaven to prevent her from becoming corrupted and taken over by them.  

Of course, it’s a massive train wreck. 

Darcy is trying to convince Marcy that she should trust them. But because Sasha and Anne are almost always there they can only accomplish this through underhanded life coaching. (Though when Sasha and Anne aren’t there it’s manipulation is more direct).

Sasha is a nearly fallen angel who has taken to giving beneficial but selfish advice and also physically attacking any devils that she ends up paired with. 

Anne is just trying to get Sasha back on the right path and to find a way to get rid of Darcy so Marcy can go back to a normal life.

Then Marcy who was incredibly lonely finally has a social life and people that she can get engaged in her interests. So she’s convinced this is a great thing and is scheming to make it permanent. 

And from this queue all of the comedic shenanigans that could possibly come out of it. But also Anne and Sasha helping guide Marcy into making a life for herself that she really wants rather than what everyone kept telling her she wanted. While Darcy of course tries to counteract that because they assume she searching for a very specific type of success and do not understand any other idea.

13. What's a character or ship you haven't written/drawn yet but would like to some day?

So ironically the answer here is also Sasharcy. I’m not sure how this happened but we have two Sashanne centric AUs (TOH and BotW) and two Marcanne centric ones (Witch Marcy and also BotW). But none of them have focused on Sasha and Marcy specifically (aside from post breakup in the Witch Marcy AU). It's a really interesting occurrence