#That and some people say that this is the correct ranking
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fireinthefireproofvault · 2 days ago
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Choose Your Fighter, Ladies...Or Perhaps Gentleman 😉
Colonel Robert Hogan
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Strengths: ★ Smooth bastard ★ Absolute fiend on the drums ★ Good kisser ★ Knows all the best date spots ★ +1 to arguments because nobody's arguing with a man with brown eyes. Whatever you say beautiful. Weaknesses: ★ A little manipulative ★ Assumes he knows what you want, may or may not be correct Special Attacks: ★ Giving you the illusion of control with his suggestions ★ Somehow making you weak with just a little tease or one-liner ★ Utilizing Little Shit special ability set in private times Corporal Peter Newkirk
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Strengths: ★ Amusing you with his magic tricks ★ Pickup lines ★ Good with his hands ★ Those baby blues ★ Persuasion ★ Can sew ★ Arms Weaknesses: ★ Wandering eye ★ Can be a lil sexist sometimes Special Attacks: ★ Always calling you 'love' ★ Uses Safecracker special ability to either hide you little gifts to find or alternatively hide things of yours so he can feel important and helpful when he finds it Sergeant James Kinchloe
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Strengths: ★ Intelligent ★ Level-headed ★ Looks ★ +2 argument buff. One for competency and also whatever you say beautiful ★ Pro boxer ★ Electronics expert ★ Bass player ★ Plumbing skills Weaknesses: ★ Some people have a hard time dating someone smarter than them ★ Dry humor can debuff those with the autism special ability Special Attacks: ★ Jack of All Trades special ability means he's sort of OP ★ Great joke/impression timing Corporal Louis LeBeau
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Strengths: ★ Excellent cook ★ Great with animals ★ Can sing ★ Can sew★ A romantic ★ Ready to kill nazis at any time ★ +1 argument buff. Whatever you say beautiful Weaknesses: ★ Reaching top shelves ★ Easily provoked into fights Special Attacks: ★ Simping ★ Bilingual special ability means he says all kinds of poetic things to you in English and French ★ Learning to make all your favorite things Sergeant Andrew Carter
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Strengths: ★ Chemistry whiz ★ Would be a gentleman toward you ★ No shortage of conversation ★ Cutie pie ★ Learning to knit ★ Likes you for you ★ Will blow up anything you ask him to Weaknesses: ★ Social cues ★ Sensory overload ★ Sarcasm Special Attacks: ★ Autism special ability grants great sincerity and dedication ★ Sharing his special interests and culture with you Sergeant Richard Baker
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Strengths: ★ Tall, dark, and handsome ★ Electronics expert ★ Plays the bass ★ Can reach the top shelf for you ★ +1 argument buff Weaknesses: ★ Screen time ★ Backstory Special Attacks: ★ Good at learning what you like and remembering it ★ Seems like he would be good at carrying people bridal-style Colonel Wilhelm Klink
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Strengths: ★ Passionate lover ★ Will enjoy the finer things with you ★ Genuinely cares about you ★ Buys you jewelry ★ Tries to act tough but in reality will do anything to make you smile Weaknesses: ★ Easily manipulated ★ Eyesight ★ Violin Special Attacks: ★ Dominant tendencies ★ No escapes from Stalag 13...or his love! Sergeant Hans Schultz
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Strengths: ★ Sweetheart ★ Very complimentary ★ Family man ★ Knows the best food and drinks in every spot in town ★ Crafts toys and trinkets ★ Gives great hugs
Weaknesses: ★ Married but if he wasn't would be 100% yours ★ Athleticism ★ Easily bribed Special Attacks: ★ Simping ★ Turning a blind eye when you ask him to ★ Calling you "baby" General Albert Burkhalter
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Strengths: ★ High-ranking officer ★ Considers his wife the number one authority in Germany even over the Führer ★ Can get you into exclusive places ★ Probably Nimrod ★ Amusing burns Weaknesses: ★ Literally married but if he wasn't would say how much better off he'd be if he was. Ask him why, it's about a 50/50 if it'll be sweet or a little sexist. ★ Bit of a temper Special Attacks: ★ Being handsy ★ Making a Wednesday night feel like a Saturday night (and that's an order) Major Wolfgang Hochstetter
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Strengths: ★ Influence ★ Enjoys dancing with you even if he's still learning ★ Won't let anyone push you around ★ Everyone else with brown eyes got the buff so he gets it too I guess. +1 Weaknesses: ★ A literal nazi ★ Loud ★ Kinda married to his job Special Attacks: ★ Stepping on your feet when you dance ★ Attempts a more awkward version of Klink's passionate lover act thinking he can do it better ★ WHAT IS THIS MAN DOING HERE Colonel Rodney Crittendon
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Strengths: ★ Eagerness ★ Gentlemanly ★ Rocks a stache ★ Will wrap his scarf around you when it gets cold ★ Makes you laugh Weaknesses: ★ Unbalanced charisma to intelligence stat ratio ★ Impulsive Special Attacks: ★ Judo (he takes 'special attack' literally) ★ Insists he's a legendary ballroom dancer and intends to prove it with you ★ Chivalry
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dixidin · 1 year ago
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EXACTLY. THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT
This was my personal hc (and the most popular one) of all the harbingers ranks
Pierro
Dottore
Columbina
Capitano
Pulcinella
Scaramouche (gone)
Sandrone
La Signora (gone)
Pantalone
Arlecchino
Childe
BUT NOW APPERENTLY ITS (I think this is now the correct list)
Director: Pierro
Capitano
Dottore
Columbina
Arlecchino
Pulcinella
Scaramouche (gone)
Sandrone
La Signora (gone)
Pantalone
???
Childe
Tbh the latter option isn't that bad, but at the same time it doesn't really make sense to me + it does make more sense for Arlecchino to be 10th + WHO THE HELL IS THE 10TH NOW???? ARE WE GONNA GET A NEW HARBINGER OR IS THE SPOT JUST VAGENT??
Arleccchino being the 4th Harbinger is cool and all, BUT WTF HAPPENED TO THE 10TH????????? WHERE TF ARE THEY? BECAUSE IT SURE AS HELL AIN"T CAPITANO. WHY HAS NOTHING BEEN MENTIONED ABOUT THEM?????
Is it not a literal plot hole? Because idk if you remember, but revealing all the Harbingers was kind of a big f*cking deal. Everyone was there except for Signora (dead) and Scaramouche (mentioned)
And now apparently the 10th wasn't there either? why?!?
I see a few possibilities.
They're alive, just unmentioned (Unlikely. You don't use a 12th person reveal on a measly rank 10. Especially not without foreshadowing)
They're dead. (Possible, but you'd think they'd have mentioned it by now.)
Childe was ranked 11th just because? (Perhaps because he's that much younger and newer than everyone else) (Possible, but I don't know about this one)
That seats going to get filled over the course of the game, possibly by the Traveler. (Maybe. Probably the route they're going to go, if I had to guess.)
(And no, I do not subscribe to the theory that Crepus was a Harbinger. Owning a delusion is not as much of a smoking gun as people seem to think)
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saints-who-never-existed · 11 months ago
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On Anchorites
Just been snooping through scripts again (I saw a hot take that instinct told me was based on a misunderstanding/mishearing of a particular line. Not worth any great pedantry of course - I'm a live-and-let-live kind of gal after all - but I did feel compelled to check just for my own edification).
Anyway, I found that Gibson's line in Episode Three jumped out at me all of a sudden:
"We were within an ace of getting called out in front of all the men and whipped for it, or worse. You were right. If he weren't such an ANCHORITE, we would have been."
That's a term I've only just now clocked and understood some of the significance of.
An Anchorite is akin to a hermit - a religious recluse.
But, crucially, they're not quite the same thing!
Where a hermit typically secludes themselves in the wilderness, an Anchorite is limited to a more specific location, usually a cell attached to a church.
Which is so interesting!
It's interesting that Irving espouses to Hickey all the spiritual benefits of being out in the wilderness, at the edge of civilisation ("We are...separated here. From the temptations of the world.") Benefits that a hermit might enjoy but that Irving himself doesn't appear to be capable of fully appreciating, at least at that point.
It's also interesting not only that an Anchorite is a person who confines themselves to a specific and restrictive space within a religious institution, but also that when they enter that space there's usually a consecration, a ceremony similar to a funeral rite, where the person is thereafter thought of as dead to the world, as a sort of living saint.
It's so interesting that by acting in such a way that other men view him as akin to an Anchorite, Irving quite literally marks himself out for death, hastens his own funeral rites in just the same way that a real Anchorite does.
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eff-plays · 7 days ago
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I got a party banter between Bellara and Taash about how the Lords of Fortune steal elven artifacts. And then Taash clarifies later that they have a Dalish expert on the team so they can check to make sure the Lords don't sell something culturally important and instead return it to the elves.
Like. I get it. You want the Lords to be fun swashbuckler Disney pirates and Robin Hoods instead of actual pirates who steal and plunder. Because we're only now in Western society realizing that stealing from indigenous groups is, uh, bad. But like. Writing really uninteresting factions for your "dark" fantasy (tho lbr Dragon Age hasn't been dark fantasy since DA2) isn't gonna solve real-world neo-colonialism, ya know? The Lords not stealing priceless elven artifacts and returning them to the elves doesn't signal to me that the Lords are total rascally good guys, it signals to me that BioWare itself is trying really hard to seem morally conscious. "See? We know stealing from other cultures is bad!!!"
And man. Not to be a "political correctness has poisoned media" grifter on main (tbh it's less political correctness itself and more the commodification of real-world activism) but I couldn't help but imagine how this convo would've played out in earlier games, potentially even Inquisition.
You could've so EASILY made this interesting while giving the Lords and Taash and Bellara a lot more depth, while also making it clear that stealing from indigenous groups is wrong.
Just have the Lords, yeah, actually sell those artifacts. But also establish that the Lords take in and help elves from all walks of life. That they free slaves, or collaborate with alienages. Then you could have Taash defend the practice by saying to Bellara that little orphaned elf kids being sold as slaves probably don't give a flying fuck about some artifacts they're never gonna see, but the money from selling those artifacts goes to buying them food. And have Bellara fire back that preserving elven culture is also part of its survival, and that there are Dalish clans that would be willing to pay for them or offer something in return. Or have her say that the Lords are doing charity for the sake of recruitment rather than actual altruism. And then Taash responds that those high and mighty Dalish elves don't do shit to help abandoned city elves, just because those aren't part of their correct elven subculture, and they care more about reclaiming old glory than helping the people that exist here and now.
Then you could have side missions or at least codex entries that describe maybe some Lord recruit being conflicted about what they're doing. Maybe a few of them are collaborating to hijack a deal or steal back an artifact. Have implications that some high-ranking Lords are, in fact, using those artifacts for their own gain, despite claiming otherwise. Have some Lords genuinely trying to help, and believing that gold and trinkets don't matter as much as people's lives, so they sell them in exchange for safety for refugees or slaves or some other helpless group.
But no. Instead it's "hey do you steal from my people?" "nah lmao we have a cultural advisor don't even worry about it" "oh wow so cool and woke of you!" And then that's it. No need for any further discussion. No conflict and no complexity. No bad actors and moral quandaries.
Weh.
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vivwritesfics · 2 months ago
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Hey <3 I had an idea for a lando norris fic. Do you know the video where Lando says what the hardest thing to sign is and everabody say he says boobs? What if reader (his girlfriend) and he meet at a party for the first time and she asks him if he can sign her boobs? And maybe the two will spend the night together or something maybe have sex . Thought it would be a cool idea haha<3
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No smut, but I left it open ended and I wouldn't mind writing a part two
"That's Lando fucking Norris!" Her friend shouted in your ear, shouted over the sound of the thumping bass in the club.
Admittedly, you had no idea who Lando Norris was. But your friend was freaking out. He must have been some sort of big deal. "What's his deal?" You asked as you watched him.
Your friend rolled her eyes at you. "He's an F1 driver. We literally stayed up go watch his Miami win together?"
"Oh," you said, and your night continued on like normal.
No, everything happened at the taxi rank. Two groups of people: your group and his. It was a moment before any of your friends noticed. But then they did.
The whispers started up and you noticed how his eyes shifted, clearly uncomfortable. There must be something you could do to break the tension between the two groups while you all waited for taxis.
Reaching to Melissa's bag, you pulled out a sharpie. "Thanks, Liss," you muttered and strode over to the F1 driver.
He watched you, eyebrows raised. He was going to tell you to fuck off, you knew it. But you held the sharpie towards him and said, "sign my tits?"
His expression? Bewildered. You were sure yours matched. "Huh?" He asked, unsure if he heard the correct thing there.
You sucked in a deep breath. "Sign my tits?" You tried again, just as awkward as the first time.
Swallowing, he took the pen from your hands. You folded your arms under your boobs and lifted them slightly, making them pop. Giving him more space to work with.
It couldn't have been easy to sign a pair of tits, you realised as he temporarily marked your skin. There was the shape and then the sweat on your skin from all of the dancing.
But he went slowly and signed his name. When you dropped your arms, it just looked like you had some tacky tit tattoo. "Thanks," you said and took the pen, ignoring how red he had turned.
Your friends no longer whispered and his group no longer glared. Mission accomplished, you thought as you all climbed into the taxi, leaving them waiting for another.
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gallierhouse · 4 months ago
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I’m fascinated by the class and wealth difference between Louis and Lestat. Louis is wealthy, but he’s also gens couleurs, and he’s clearly treated as a second-class citizen during the Jim Crow era. But he’s upper class within the Black community of New Orleans; he can trace his lineage (he makes a comment about his grandfather being a free man of color in the pilot, thanks to @avilehungerforyourhammeringheart for the correction, and he identifies himself as Creole) and he’s wealthy. Lestat’s nobility, but he grew up poor enough to be illiterate, and then he came into money from Magnus, and moved to New Orleans portraying himself as a wealthy aesthete. You can see it in their taste. Louis’ taste is fairly conservative, he likes nice things, but he has no great need to cover himself in jewels and flaunt his wealth. Lestat, conversely, flaunts everything he’s got and loves to buy expensive, attention-grabbing things. Claudia’s similar to Lestat. She’s obviously from an impoverished background, so when she gets adopted by Louis and Lestat, she develops a fondness and fascination for the finer things in life. Lestat and Claudia have excessive taste in response to the lack of luxury their childhoods provided them. Distinctions like “nouveau riche” are tasteless as they are classist, but both Lestat and Claudia really act like they are, despite the fact that Lestat’s literal nobility. I don’t really have a point here; it’s just interesting to see how their upbringings manifest in their behavior. It’s especially interesting when it comes to Louis, because he occupies this in between space wherein he’s very privileged in some ways (compared to say, the whores he employs, or someone from Claudia’s background) and violently oppressed in others (Jim Crow, the unbelievable cruelty and racism of people like Alderman Fenwick, the fact he has to sit separately from Lestat in the bus, the fact that Lestat has to be a co-owner for him to have his own business, a million indignities); how he immediately feels more free in Paris, where he’s seen as Creole instead of Black. Then there’s the complication that Louis had to run a brothel to upkeep his family’s lifestyle, which isn’t really the sort of business someone from his social standing should be involved in, which is why he doesn’t talk about it with his family. He’s a survivor. Doing what he has to do to be who he’s supposed to be. Willing to do the dirty work if that’s what it takes to keep things together. I don’t really think of Louis as a social climber because he’s not really attempting to climb social ranks duplicitously as he is interested in amassing capital, but as the lines between class and wealth blur as we move from the twentieth to the twenty first century, he’s clearly carved out a piece of the pie for himself. He started dealing art in Paris, now he’s a millionaire (not quite a billion). When he goes home to New Orleans they call him “sir” instead of “boy.” He’s survived it all.
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daydreamerwonderkid · 1 year ago
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Me, after doing 15 minutes of excessive googling on every Batfam member's birthday only to then realize I've accidentally missed the majority of them this year, and then also finding out that people are still aggressively debating over whether Bruce's birthday is April 7 or February 19, Dick's birthday happens 3-6x throughout the year, and Stephanie might have just popped into existence for all that DC cares:
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Batfam birthday dates btw for anyone who needs them are listed beneath the cut:
DISCLAIMER: DC is notorious for being super inconsistent with everything and I am a mere tadpole caught in the tidal wave of DC's ocean. This post will be regularly updated with edits and corrections so please do not use it as word of law, I am begging you.
Update (8/24/23): To keep things more simple and easier for everyone I am going to start categorizing the birth dates I've collected into 3 categories.
-Most popular: Self-explanatory. These are the birth dates that have been canonized and confirmed by DC and are also more wildly celebrated by the fandom. Typically, this should be the first result you see when you google the character's birthday. But not always because DC sucks ass.
-Other date(s): These are the additional birth dates I come across that have been canonized in some form with multiple sources, but are not as wildly celebrated or popularized by DC and/or the fandom. Why am I including them here? Mostly because I don't want people coming in saying I forgot a date. But also because if I have to see this mess, then y'all have too as well.
-Potential but unconfirmed date(s): This is where I will put all the other additional dates I find, but specifically those that are lacking in complete sources or seem to be highly debated and scrutinized.
Also fun emoji ranking guide for me and me alone:
👑👑: Queen Shit. Characters with a consistent and simple birth date(s). Can absolutely do no wrong.
👑😮‍💨: In the Running. Characters who don't have a set birth date, but the mess is minor and completely DC's fault. They shouldn't have to be punished for DC's crimes.
🤡🤡: Gtfo. Shit is so inconsistent and stupidly messy that it's making me lose my shit. I'm putting DC and the characters on trial for this bullshit.
👑Alfred Pennyworth👑
Most popular: August 16
Other date(s): April 8 and March 31
(I think it'd be hella cute if Jason and Alfred shared a bday. But if you keep scrolling through the rest of the list, you'll see that August is kind of an overcrowded bday month for the Batfam.
Depending on what you prefer, though, I still think Alfred's worth being celebrated. Lord knows he deserves a special day for himself)
(Update ((8/24/23)): No big inconsistencies between these dates. I just thought it would be fun to provide some info on why Alfred has two canonical birthdates.
So the reason August 16 is viewed as the most popular is for two main reasons. One, obviously, is that he shares a birth date with Jason Todd. So many fans latch onto this date because of how sweet it is for them to share a birthday together.
The second reason has to do with the origin of the birth date. This is because of the more recent retcon that was made by the prequel comic to the Injustice: Gods Among Us video game that was published in 2013. There is a panel in the comic that shows Alfred's birth certificate in full detail from his full name, his place of birth, etc.
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As for April 8, this specific date technically has more history compared to August 16. Fans will cite that April 8 was the official date selected by DC according to their Super DC Calendar back in 1976 (which btw was made in 1975).
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Compared to August 16 and April 8, however, March 31 oddly enough isn't that popular or recognized by DC or the majority of the fandom. The reason March 31 does come up is because March 31, 1943 was the date when Alfred made his first appearance in the comics, one day after Bruce/Batman)
🤡Bruce Wayne🤡: Hey. Hey, DC, look at me. Bitch.
Most popular: February 19 or April 7
Other date(s): April 25, May 27, March 30, "October," October 7, and "November"
(It looks like most people go with February 19, but don't come at me if you're a April 7 truther. I'm just existing)
(Update ((8/20/23)): I'm gonna shoot somebody. So after doing a little bit more research, I came across-you'd never guess it-even more conflicting info on when Bruce's birthday is supposed to take place.
While April 7 and February 19 are still popular days for fans to celebrate Batman's bday, March 30 is also considered a popular date due to March 30, 1939 being the day Detective Comics #27 ((the issue Batman debuted in)) was put on shelves.
HOWEVER, even Batman's debut is contested to actually be May 27, 1939 because despite the fact that Detective Comics #27 first appeared to the public on March 30, 1939, the cover issue depicted May 27, 1939 instead.
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This is because it was a popular practice for comics publication houses to falsify their cover dates as a way to give the impression that the latest issue was newer than it actually was. So if you really, really wanna get super fucking technical about it ((and I know there are some of you out there who do)), Batman may have debuted on March 30, but the cover-issue date was May 27 so, yes, I guess Bruce could have been a May baby instead.
I hate it here.
Oh, and to make matters more complicated, let's discuss the issue of April 7 vs April 25. So the reason April 7 is a popular bday for Bruce is because the original 1930-40s run just outright stated that April 7 was his birthday. Simple enough.
So what does April 25 have to do with this? Well, that's because technically-I think I hate that word now btw-Batman didn't get his own solo comic until April 25, 1940. If you want to go by April 25 because of this logic, however, that means that you'd have to share Bruce's birthday with the Joker. Because guess what? That's also the exact date that the Joker debuted.
I'm personally not a huge fan of Bruce and the Joker sharing a bday. Mostly just because the dates are clearly already complicated enough. But also I feel like April 25 is just known as the Joker's bday at this point, at least in the DC fandom. And Bruce has so many options at this point that it'd be kinda silly to make them share a bday.
As for the "sometime in October" and "sometime in November" additions, we have Batman The Animated Series and Frank Miller's "Batman: Year One" to thank for those extremely vague options.
BTAS Bruce states that his birthday is "sometime in October" and "Batman: Year One" Bruce is responsible for "sometime in November." I repeat: I hate it here.
So when is Bruce's actual birthday? Well, the latest change that DC has "officially" made was the February 19 retcon during the 1970-80s. When a fan sent a question into Detective Comics about Bruce's birthday, the answer given was "February 19" in the letter column. Issue #494, to be exact.
And the reason this answer was given? Because the Super DC Calender for 1976 (again made in 1975) said so.
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However, there are still people who prefer to celebrate his bday on April 7 or March 30 instead. And there's also a question floating around if the New 52 run could potentially retcon Bruce's bday AGAIN at some point in the future.
I. Hate. It. Here.
Personally, I liked February 19 because then Alfred could maybe have the month of April to himself. But after seeing all this new info, I'm just sort of resigned to whichever date that the fandom prefers. Y'all can decide. I don't have any energy left.
Also, I can't believe I have to accuse Bruce of having possibly taught Dick his bday scam. Just .... wow).
(Update ((8/24/23)): Well, DC did it to me again. I found this extra little tidbit while googling the Super DC Calendar for Alfred, actually.
So Issue #10 of the 2021 Legends of the Dark Knight decided to give the BTAS's "sometime in October" an actual sometime.
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How do I feel about yet another Bruce Wayne bday retcon? Honestly, I think I'm moving closer and closer to just a bland state of acceptance at this point. Tbh, I don't think all these retcons actually matter that much in the end. DC is gonna keep being DC.
Which is annoying. But Idk I'm personally gonna stick with February 19. No shade to you if you prefer any of the other dates. I just like February 19 more than the others)
👑Kate Kane👑
Most popular: March 21
Other date(s): January 26
(So ... where to start to with this one?
Well the official DC canon birth date for Kate Kane is listed as March 21. That being said, if you were to google Kate's birthday right now, you might be confused because that's not the first result that comes up.
Instead, you'll be greeted with January 26, 1990.
So what gives? If there's already an official DC approved birth date, then why the fuck is January 26 coming up all of a sudden?
Well, folks, you have the CW's Batwoman to thank.
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Tbh I was very confused as to how I completely missed that there was an entire Batwoman TV show in the first place.
Apparently the show is considered a part of the CW Arrowverse (in reference to the CW show Arrow featuring Oliver Queen, for those of you who need extra info) and ran for 3 whole seasons before being cancelled on April 9, 2022.
And they gave us actual canon lesbian Kate Kane rep. I mean, she is a lesbian. But yeah. CW actually acknowledged her sexual orientation. So kudos for doing the bare minimum?????
Anyway, I guess the showrunners just decided they wanted Kate's birthday to be on January 26 instead of March 21??? Idk if this was supposed to be a reference or an homage to Cassandra Cain's birthday. I doubt it, but who knows?)
🤡Dick Grayson🤡: Greedy bitch who keeps lying about his birthday so he can scam people into giving him more presents jk jk
Most popular: "On the first day of spring" (bruh) or March 20/21
Other date(s): March 6, "April," October 24 (aka "the week before Halloween"), November 11 and December 1
Potential but unconfirmed date(s): June 24
(Dick's canon bday seems to be influx. March 6, March 20, March 21, November 11, June 24, December 1, and so on. I did see multiple sources state Dick was born "on the first day of spring." I'm unclear atm about whether this is a fanon take or if it was actually stated in a particular comic at some point.
As far as I'm concerned, Dick just keeps lying about his birthday for the lols)
(Update ((8/24/23)): Well, guess what I found, folks?
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It's a return visit from our favorite friend, the Super DC Calendar of 1976. And according to it, Dick's birthday should be November 11.
You can also thank the Young Justice comic for the confusion surrounding Dick's bday being on December 1.
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Also, I found this post by @theflyingwonder that helps clear up a LOT of the mess surrounding Dick's ever changing birth date. Honestly, amazing work and extra kudos to them for putting all the work in and finding all the sources. I just wished I had found their post earlier, holy shit.
And if you have some extra time, please give some love to @inkydandy for their hilarious and very sweet comic about all the confusion that comes with Dick's bday)
(Update ((8/25/23)): Many thanks to @poisoned-ivy for clearing up even more of the mess surrounding Dick's bday. I went ahead and took a screenshot of their response to my old "Which date is Dick's canon bday?" poll.
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They also provided a link to the DC Universe Calendar which was lovingly compiled from the original 1976 Super DC Calendar and then put together by the people who run the Five Earths Project .
Also found out from them today that October 24 is one of Dick's bdays ((at least for Post-Crisis Dick Grayson)). So that was a fun new discovery!
They were also very helpful in helping me realize that the original article I had found that stated "sometime in April" was actually in reference to Dick Grayson's first appearance in the comics, which was April 1940.
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So, yes, "sometime in April" is technically--again I hate this word so much now--still a valid candidate for Dick's bday. And before you ask: Detective Comics #38 was actually published on March 6, 1940.
Hence why people will cite March 6 as Dick's canon bday instead.
This project got a lot bigger than I ever expected it to ... god)
👑Barbara Gordon👑: September 23
👑Jason Todd👑: August 16
👑Cassandra Cain👑: January 26
👑Tim Drake👑: July 19
👑Stephanie Brown😮‍💨: She emerged from the void with the sole purpose of dragging Bruce's ass to hell and back. Nothing can stop her. We all exist in her world now.
Potential but unconfirmed date(s): June 23, "August," or August 11
(For real, though, some peeps will say June 23 since the month she officially debuted in the comics was June 1992.
But I've also seen August 1992 listed as her bday month as well--lot of August babies in the Batfam, huh--but I haven't found June 23 specifically listed as her canon bday, either. It honestly feels like the fans are putting in more work than DC at this point. Which, like, I'm not surprised. Just disappointed)
(Update ((8/24/23)): Someone mentioned August 11 as a potential birth date, but I have yet to see an actual source that specifically states this. If I do find one, I'll edit this section. Figured I should put it here just in case, though)
👑Duke Thomas👑: August 13
👑Damian Wayne👑: August 9
👑Terry McGinnis😮‍💨
Most popular: August 18
Other date(s): June 27 or August 10
Potential but unconfirmed date(s): September 19 (fml)
(Yes, I'm including Terry, fuck you lol
Also SERIOUSLY WTF is up with so many of these August birthdays!!!! Fuck, was everyone just getting crazy BUSY in November!!!! What's going on in the DC universe that is making November of all months the HORNY MONTH????!!!!)
(Mini update ((8/18/23)): Well, I just found out that apparently June 27th 2023 is also a highly debated birth date for Terry. As is August 10 2023/2024 and August 18 2023/2024. I even saw a mention of September 19 2023, but I don't know how credible that source actually is. I'm just putting it here because I'm losing my mind and I don't want someone to pop in and say I forgot it omfg I'm dying
I'm just ... why? Why is it so hard to just commit to one month and one date. I'm not even concerned about the exact year. Just commit to ONE, man.
Excuse me while I march over to DC HQ and burn the whole place to the ground iswtfg)
Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on any of these. I have a massive headache now and am open to any suggestions or clarifications y'all have to offer.
Also, I'm going to fist fight Dick in a Denny's parking lot.
Update (8/17/23): So a mini post that I meant to use as a way to vent how insane Dick was making me somehow blew up way more than I ever expected it to, and now I feel obligated to clarify again that I am open to any corrections and additional info that anyone has to offer.
I'm saying this because I've noticed people reblogging this post for actual Batfam bday references and someone already pointed out I fucked up Tim's bday and now I feel bad for everyone who reblogged this post prior to that edit.
It's probably just the anxiety talking, but yeah I just wanted to put that out there.
Also justice for Stephanie Brown! She deserves to have her own special day and if I have to bully DC into giving her a canon birthday, then you bet your ass I fucking will.
(And to all of y'all who are encouraging Dick to keep running his side scam business, I just have this to say: There's an empty Denny's parking lot somewhere out there just waiting for you, too lol)
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pretty-sparkle-bomb · 1 month ago
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Warnings (can you tell it's my first time doing this?) : not proofread, 3rd year!Bakugo x 1st year! you, drinking, cursing, teasing, playfighting, ooc bakugo(?), written with a female reader in mind... let me know if there's anything to add!
Word Count: 5k
Status: Oneshot
Pairings: Bakugo x You, Kirishima x Mina, Slight Kaminari x Jirou
This is based off of a small blurb that I came up with one afternoon on the way to school, linked here.
If you enjoyed reading this story, let me know your thoughts. I'm curious to know what you liked or disliked about my writing and how I can improve. That being said, onwards!
For more works like these, check out my masterlist here!
If you're an author, consider joining my first ever Bakugo writing collab, linked here.
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You had no idea where it came from. 
The crush on Bakugo Katsuki was as unexpected as it was inconvenient. People often talked about his aggressive nature, his relentless drive to be the best, and his sometimes cruel, no-nonsense approach to life. And though you heard he had softened out over the years, it still didn’t ease your nervousness whenever you were around him.
Oh, and you? You were a first-year, barely a speck in the hierarchy of the school, and certainly not someone who could just confess to a third-year like him and expect anything other than a swift rejection.
But you weren't someone who acted without a plan. The crush had snuck up on you, sure, but you would face it head-on with the kind of careful strategy that Bakugo would at least respect, even if he never knew it. Confessing outright was straight up suicide; the last person who tried that had been shut down so fast they barely managed to finish their sentence before Bakugo stomped away.
No, if you were going to catch his attention, you needed to start slow, and from a distance.
You spent nights creating the perfect plan to get to him, pages upon pages littered your bed, with notes ranging from loopy handwriting to outright unintelligibleness. After a gruesome week, you could finally sleep properly, knowing that your plan was solid. 
The first step was reputation. Bakugo only respected people who worked hard, people who had something to offer. So you joined clubs. Not just any clubs—only the most prestigious ones, where the top students gathered. The Debate Club was your first target. It had a reputation for being competitive and grueling, but the members were respected throughout the school for their wit and intelligence. If you could climb your way up the ranks, you'd be in a position where even upperclassmen noticed you.
"You're joining Debate?" one of your classmates asked when you filled out the application form.
You nodded. "Yeah, why not? I like a challenge."
They shot you a skeptical look but didn’t say anything. They wouldn’t understand. You shook your head and slipped the paper into the application box.
The first meeting was nerve-wracking, to say the least. Upperclassmen were seated on either side at the long table in the middle of the room, debating over some obscure policy. You sat on the sidelines with the other newbies, quietly observing. But you didn’t intend to stay on the sidelines for long. When they opened the floor for new members to offer input, your heart raced in your chest. 
You raised your hand.
They all turned to look at you, the lone first-year standing up in front of the group. You took a deep breath, keeping your voice steady as you dissected the argument they had just been making, pointing out a flaw in one of the assumptions.
The room went quiet for a second. Then one of the seniors nodded slowly, giving you a tight lipped smile at the fact that you corrected her. "Good point."
Just like that, you'd cracked the surface.
From then on, you threw yourself into every activity the club offered. Debates, organizing events, even running research sessions—it didn’t matter. You knew if you worked hard enough, people would start noticing. 
And they did. 
Soon, you were being called on to lead discussions, and your confidence grew with every small victory.
Your next step was joining the school's Athletics Committee. You didn't exactly love sports, but this committee organized all the major school events, and being visible in those events meant exposure. Plus, Bakugo was an athlete. Nights of stalking his social media pages proved it. He might not be a part of the committee, but he certainly paid attention to the results of the work they did.
You made sure to volunteer to help the seniors in managing some of the bigger events. That was where the attention was, after all. And with every successful project, your name spread a little more. People started saying, "Oh, that's the first-year who's really killing it in Debate" or "You know, she's the one who organized the trips for the volleyball club last month."
The popularity boost was definitely expected and welcomed. Being popular wasn’t really a part of your goal, but it was a side effect of your plan that you couldn’t ignore. The more you stood out, the better your chances were. 
And then there was the moment it all seemed to pay off, if only in a small way.
You were walking through the hall, carrying a stack of papers from a Debate Club meeting when you felt it—a prickle down your spine, the sense that someone was watching you. You glanced up and there he was: Bakugo Katsuki. Leaning against the wall, arms crossed, sharp eyes focused on something, someone.
Your heart hammered in your chest. He was looking at you, maybe not intentionally, but he was in your space, your line of vision. You forced yourself to keep walking, keeping your face neutral. You weren’t ready to engage. Not yet at least.
But the fact that he was there, that you were in proximity at all, was a step forward. And this was only the beginning. You had a lot more work to do, a lot more groundwork to lay before you could even think about confessing.
For now, you were content to keep working from the shadows, getting stronger, building up your reputation, until one day, you wouldn't be the quiet first-year anymore.
One day, you’d be someone who Bakugo had no choice but to notice. 
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The ripple effect of your popularity was undeniable. Within a few months, you had transitioned from a shy first-year to one of the most recognized faces yin U.A. High. Your hard work in the Debate Club and the Athletics Committee had paid off, and suddenly, people were eager to include you in their circles. 
It was overwhelming, sure, but at least you had people at your beck and call. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t enjoying the whole thing.
Your tight-knitted circle of friends were just as outgoing as you were. Some were sporty, others academically gifted while others were just rich and nothing more.Who were you to complain, especially when they always had your back, no matter what?
But what thrilled you the most was the friendships you had formed with a cool upperclassman: Jiro. She was the drummer in the music club, and had taught you everything you knew so far. Eventually, you found out that Bakugo loved playing the drums. Bonus for you, I guess. 
She introduced you to her circle of friends who were strong, talented girls with sparkling personalities, and you couldn’t have asked for a better support system. It took you a while to learn their names: you never saw any of them before, but according to Kiera, they were actually really close to your blond haired darling.
It didn’t take long for the four of them to invite you to a sleepover in the 3A dorms—an event that was surely monumental. “It’s going to be so much fun!” Ochako exclaimed, her eyes bright with excitement. “Just us girls! We’ll have snacks, movies, and maybe even some games!”
“Yeah, plus we need pics for my Insta. Y/n’s gonna be here and I want the whole of UA to know we’ve got a new popular girl to add to our circle.” Momo noted, scrolling on her phone.
“Oh, cool.” you shrugged, but inside you were thrilled at the prospect of possibly seeing Bakugo. He had better been down in the common rooms when you arrived there. Unfortunately, that was one more thing you learned that night – Bakugo slept no later than 9PM. 
“Does Bakugo ever hang out with you guys?” you asked, trying to sound casual.
“Sometimes,” Momo said thoughtfully. “He usually comes by when he feels like it. He’s in a different league, but I think he appreciates being around us.”
Bingo.
“Anyways! Care to join the Bakusquad for lunch tomorrow?” Mina suddenly squeals, holding both of your hands in hers. 
“Uh, sure?” you respond quizzically. 
“No fair! I was about to ask her to join the Dekusquad for lunch.” Ochako whined, crossing her arms and pouting. This caused Mina to stick her tongue out at her. “Too late, sweets! Y/n, don’t you dare forget!”
“I won’t?” 
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The weeks flew by like a whirlwind of laughter, training, and late-night study sessions with your friends. Your relationship with Bakugo's circle of upperclassmen had deepened, and with every event you attended, you felt more at ease. They welcomed you like one of their own, and honestly, you were glad to have people who had your back. Denki even went as far as calling you “his little sister”, which weirded you out at first but eventually it stuck to you, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.
A week after examinations, Denki and Sero announced the party they were hosting. “It’ll be fun, punch. C’mon, there’s gonna be a DJ, drinks and dancing. What more could anyone ask for?” Sero was currently walking behind you, being a little pest as he tried convincing you to go.
“I’ll think about it– who’s gonna be there?” You asked suddenly, turning around to face him. The close contact was more than you expected it and caused you to stumble back a bit, books tumbling out of your hands, clattering to the floor. But before you could fall, a pair of strong hands caught your waist and helped you up, while another gripped onto your wrist and upper arm.
Opening your eyes, you were met with Sero’s concerned gaze. Wait, if he was holding your hands, who was behind you? 
“Ya alright?” 
ItsBakugoohmygosh-
“Yeah I’m okay, but my books aren’t.” you chuckle, stooping down to collect them, as the two boys assisted you. 
“Bakugo, tell her how cool my parties are!” Sero begged the crimson eyed male, who eyed him in suspicion. “She doesn’t wanna go!” he practically cried at this point. Bakugo shrugged, looking at you. “His parties are shit – don’t go.”
“Wha- Hey!” Sero swatted his arm lightly and you laughed, your voice tugging on Bakugo’s heartstrings. 
As he handed you back your books, your hands brushed and a zap of electricity flowed through you. “Are you going?” The question slipped out of your mouth before you even had the time to second chance it.
“He is.” Sero answered before Bakugo could even get a word in. “What he said.” he grumbled, turning around. “See you at the party?” he asked, looking at you over his shoulder. 
“Mhm!” 
“Wow, so all it takes is one question from Bakugo Katsuki, noted.” 
The night of the party arrived quicker than you had anticipated. Mina had spent the entire couple days hyping it up, talking about how it was going to be the “event of the semester.” You could already feel the buzz of excitement in the air when you arrived at the 3A dorms. Unsurprisingly, you weren’t the only freshman there; there were some who you knew and others you didn’t.
The music was loud, the lights low, and people were already spilling out onto the balconies, chatting and laughing. You weren’t much of a drinker—something your friends were all too aware of—but Mina handed you a cup of punch, insisting that it was “mostly juice.” You took a tentative sip, feeling the sweetness on your tongue as you tried to relax into the lively atmosphere. 
“You’re gorgeous!” she spun you around. The mini dress you wore sat mid-thigh and was a stunning strapless number, with a small heart-shaped cutout just between the bust, adding a flirty and eye-catching detail without being too revealing. You paired it with silver accessories, including a delicate necklace, matching earrings, and black strappy heels to complete the chic, head-turning look.
“Thank you! You look so cute too!” you could never pull off a mini skirt, thigh high boots and tube top like Mina did. She was so chill about it, too.
You and Mina chatted for a while, standing near the snack table as the party buzzed around you. She was going on about how Kirishima had been “so sweet lately” and how she thought he might do something cute tonight. You laughed, shaking your head. Mina was always bubbly when it came to her relationship, and honestly, it was adorable.
"You know what?" Mina suddenly interrupted herself, eyes lighting up. "You have to come sit with us. The whole group’s there already!"
“Oh, Mina, I don’t know—” you began, but before you could finish your sentence, she grabbed your hand and dragged you along without hesitation.
“You’ll be fine! You know everyone!” she beamed, practically bouncing with excitement.
You were led across the crowded room, dodging groups of people as you approached a large circular couch where the rest of the squad was hanging out. Kirishima waved enthusiastically the moment he spotted Mina. “There you are! We were wondering where you ran off to!”
Mina slid in beside him, immediately nestling into his side. “I was hyping Y/N up! Look at her, isn’t she gorgeous?”
Kirishima grinned and gave you a thumbs up. “You do look great, Y/N! That dress is killer.”
You smiled, feeling a little shy under the sudden attention, hands playing with the ring on your finger. “Thanks, Kirishima.”
Denki Kaminari, sitting next to Jirou, perked up at the sound of your voice. “Hey, Y/N! Come sit with us!” he called out, pointing to the empty spot between Todoroki and Bakugo. You noticed Bakugo glance over at you for a brief moment before turning back to his drink, seemingly uninterested—but that didn’t stop your heart from skipping a beat.
With no graceful way to decline, you made your way over and slid into the seat next to Todoroki. Midoriya gave you a warm smile. "Hey, Y/N! It’s nice to see you here."
“Hey Izu,” you greeted him back, trying to act casual as you settled into the group.
Jirou raised her cup to you, a smirk playing on her lips. “Welcome to the cool kids' corner,” she teased, earning a nudge from Kaminari.
As the conversation flowed around you, you found yourself slowly relaxing. Mina and Kirishima were being their usual goofy, affectionate selves, while Kaminari kept cracking jokes, trying to get a reaction out of Jirou, who would roll her eyes but smile nonetheless.
Midoriya was deep in conversation with Momo about some new training strategy, and Todoroki chimed in every now and then with his calm, thoughtful remarks.
But then there was Bakugo.
He sat quietly on the other side of you, his eyes occasionally flicking over to meet yours, though they never stayed long. His usual scowl was present, but he didn’t seem as agitated as he usually was. Maybe it was the party atmosphere, or maybe it was something else, but his presence felt less intimidating and more… charged. You weren’t sure if that was a good thing or not.
“Bakugo,” Kaminari started, leaning forward with a mischievous grin, “you’ve been awfully quiet tonight. Usually, you’re the loudest one here.”
Bakugo shot him a glare. “Shut up, idiot. ‘M not in the mood for your crap.”
Jirou chuckled, shaking her head. “Give it a rest, Denks.”
Mina nudged Kirishima and whispered something into his ear, causing him to laugh before turning to you. “So, Y/N, having fun? Don’t let these ugly guys scare you off.”
You smiled, trying to keep your cool. “I’m good! You guys are great.”
“See? She’s not scared of you, Bakugo! Loosen up a bit and talk to her, you’re making her feel shy!” Mina teased, her eyes glinting with mischief.
Bakugo’s crimson eyes snapped to Mina, then flicked to you for a brief second before he scoffed, looking away. “Like I care. Plus, ya just made her embarrassed.”
Everyone laughed at his typical response, but your heart raced. Was he flustered?
You weren’t sure, but you knew one thing: being here, surrounded by friends, and even sitting near Bakugo felt like another step in your plan—a plan that was unfolding better than you could’ve hoped.
You couldn’t help but feel your cheeks heat up at Mina’s teasing, especially as all eyes shifted towards you and Bakugo for a moment. His quick response, dismissing Mina with a scoff, made your pulse race even faster. He was trying to act unbothered, but there was something different in his tone—almost defensive, like he was deflecting more than usual.
“Aw, come on, Bakugo,” Kirishima chimed in, grinning from ear to ear. “Y/N’s cool. You don’t have to be such a hardass all the time.”
Bakugo rolled his eyes, his scowl deepening. “I’m not being a ‘hardass,’ I’m just not in the mood for dumbass conversations,” he muttered, taking another swig of his drink.
You tried to suppress a smile, knowing that this was typical Bakugo behavior. But there was something about the way his gaze had lingered on you earlier, even for just a split second, that made you wonder if there was more to it.
Kaminari leaned closer to you. “Hey, Y/N, you know Bakugo’s not as scary as he looks, right? He’s actually kinda soft under all that yelling.”
Bakugo shot him a lethal glare. “You wanna die, Sparky?”
“See what I mean?” Kaminari whispered dramatically, making you and Jirou stifle your laughs.
“Alright, alright, let’s give Kacchan a break before he actually murders someone,” Midoriya chimed in, a sheepish smile on his face as he tried to calm things down. “How’s your night going, Y/N? Are you having fun so far?”
You nodded, appreciating Midoriya’s attempt to steer the conversation back to neutral ground. “Yeah, it’s been fun! This is actually my first big party here, so I’m still getting used to the whole vibe.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it,” Todoroki added, his cool, even tone putting you at ease.
You hummed, noticing a couple of your classmates approaching. “Heyyy, love the dress.” Kiera started, passing you a drink. “Drink this and loosen up a little.”
You took it, the scent of alcohol stinging your nose. Taking a sip, you made a face and placed the small glass on the table. “Ew.” 
The group of girls laughed, some eyeing up the guys around you. Mina glared at one of them. “This one’s taken.” she placed a hand on Kirishima’s thigh and the redhead blushed, tightening his hold around her waist. 
“C’mon, dance with us!” Hana spoke up, grabbing your wrist and yanking you up, causing you to nearly fall onto Bakugo. “Fuck, sorry.” you winced and pulled your hand away from his forearm that you used to stabilize yourself. 
Bakugo gritted his teeth, feeling an unfamiliar wave of frustration as he watched you being pulled away to the dance floor. His gaze remained locked on you, unable to tear himself away even as he sipped his drink. It wasn’t like him to care, much less feel this agitated over something so trivial. But there was something about the way you moved—unintentional, natural, and carefree—that gnawed at him.
You had nearly fallen into him, and for a split second, Bakugo had tensed, bracing for the usual awkwardness that came with moments like that. But you’d apologized quickly, not making a big deal of it, and he almost regretted how quickly you’d moved on, how easily you’d been pulled away by your friends.
From his spot at the table, Bakugo’s eyes followed you across the room, watching as you laughed and twirled with the group of girls, your earlier awkwardness melting away. You were smiling, your cheeks flushed from the alcohol, and even though you’d placed the drink down earlier, it was clear you were beginning to loosen up.
He hated that someone else had done that. That someone else had dragged you onto the dance floor, made you laugh like that, gotten you to relax when he’d wanted to be the one to talk to you.
Without thinking, Bakugo downed his shot, the burn of the alcohol doing little to numb the frustration bubbling inside him. He set the glass down with a little more force than necessary, the clink of it on the table pulling the attention of Kirishima beside him.
“You good, bro?” Kirishima asked, his eyes wide and concerned as he pulled Mina closer to his side. The redhead could sense the shift in Bakugo’s mood, even if Bakugo didn’t say anything.
“Tch, I’m fine,” Bakugo muttered, though his tone was sharper than usual. His eyes flickered back to you, watching as you swayed to the music, your movements graceful and relaxed. He clenched his jaw.
It wasn’t like him to obsess over something like this. Normally, he would’ve shrugged off any distractions and focused on something productive—training, strategy, something that kept him grounded. But ever since you had started showing up more in his line of sight, getting closer to his friends, and worming your way into his circle, Bakugo had felt something shift.
He didn’t know why it bugged him so much that you were here, in this party, dancing with other people instead of talking to him. Hell, he barely even knew you. Sure, you were a first-year, someone who had made a bit of a name for yourself in the clubs and activities around school, but that was it, right? That was all it was supposed to be.
But the more he thought about it, the more he realized you weren’t just some first-year anymore. You had worked your way into his world, his group, and without him even realizing it, you’d managed to make yourself… noticeable. And Bakugo didn’t notice just anyone.
"You're staring," Kirishima said with a knowing grin, nudging Bakugo’s shoulder. "If you’re interested, maybe you should just go talk to her."
Bakugo glared at him, lips curling into a snarl. "Shut up, shitty hair. Mind your own business."
Kirishima laughed, unbothered by Bakugo’s usual temper. "Just saying, man. Looks like you’ve got something on your mind."
Bakugo growled under his breath, but Kirishima’s words hung in the air. He hated admitting it, even to himself, but maybe he did want to talk to you. Maybe that’s why he was so angry now—because you were out there having fun, and he wasn’t part of it.
You hadn’t planned on drinking too much, but the atmosphere was contagious, and you found yourself swept up in the revelry.
With each sip, the world around you became brighter, the music more vibrant. You joined your friends in dancing, letting go of all your inhibitions. But as the night wore on, you felt the effects of the alcohol creeping in, your laughter growing louder and your thoughts muddier. 
As you swayed and twirled, you couldn’t help but feel elated, but the excitement soon turned into a familiar pang of longing as your gaze inadvertently found Bakugo across the room. He was still sitting, talking with the guys and ignoring the girls who came up to him to probably ask for his number.
As the night wore on, you and Mina found yourselves dancing on each other as the other girls cheered you on. Perhaps the alcohol was doing something to you after all. “Mina!” you shouted over the music, leaning close to her ear. “I think I like Bakugo!”
Her eyes widened, and a mischievous grin spread across her face. “Oh really? You’ve been hiding that little secret, haven’t you?”
You giggled. “I have, but I really do like him. I dunno how to approach it though.”
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You were grateful for Mina’s enthusiasm, but also slightly terrified of what she might do next. You had confided in her during the party about your feelings for Bakugo, and now, every time you caught her gaze, you felt a mix of dread and excitement. She constantly teases you about him and makes you blush and whine countless times.
One afternoon, Mina bounded over to you with a mischievous grin plastered on her face. “Guess what? Bakugo’s training on the field right now! Let’s go with him!”
Your heart raced at the thought of being around him, but you knew it was better than sitting in the classroom doing nothing. “Okay, but… what if he’s busy?”
Mina waved off your concerns as if they were nothing. “He’ll love the company! Trust me, he’s probably bored out of his mind.”
“What are you waiting for Y/n? Get dressed in workout clothes, let’s go!”
When you arrived at the training field, the sun beat down, casting a golden hue over everything. Bakugo was in the middle of a high-intensity training session with his friends. You could see the sweat glistening on his brow, and you swallowed hard, trying not to stare.
Mina jogged up to him. “Hey, Bakugo! Can we join you for a bit?”
He glanced over, eyebrows raised, but nodded without much thought. “Yeah, whatever.”
Mina exchanged a quick glance with you, her grin widening, and you knew you were in for it.
After a couple of laps around the field, Bakugo pushed himself harder, quickening his pace as he powered through the workout. You kept up, fueled by the excitement of running alongside him, even if it was just for a little while.
Suddenly, Mina skidded to a halt and announced, “Oh, I think I heard Kirishima calling me! I’ll be right back!”
Your stomach dropped as she dashed off, leaving you alone with Bakugo. You tried to catch your breath, wondering how you would manage a conversation with him without embarrassing yourself.
“Keep up,” Bakugo said, glancing back at you with a trademark smirk that made you grin.
“Mhm!” You replied, a little too enthusiastically.
The two of you continued running, and an awkward silence settled between you. You tried to focus on the rhythm of your footsteps, but your thoughts kept drifting back to how you could possibly talk to him without sounding like a total fool.
“So… uh,” you ventured, trying to break the ice. “How’s training going?”
He shot you a sidelong glance. “Seriously? ‘S going fine.”
You couldn’t help but let out a nervous laugh, but the light teasing didn’t deter you. “Well, I’m still trying to catch up to you. I heard you’re one of the best in class.”
Bakugo shrugged, though the corners of his lips twitched upwards slightly. “‘S nothing. Just working hard.”
The way he brushed it off made your heart swell. He was humble beneath that fierce exterior, and it only made you want to know more about him. “I think that’s really impressive. You inspire a lot of us, you know?”
He blinked, clearly surprised by the compliment, but then he looked away, a slight flush creeping onto his cheeks. He was afraid he’d say something stupid and ruin the moment, so he kept quiet.
You ran in silence for a moment, feeling emboldened by your earlier words. “Mina told me you love playing the drums. Is that true?”
His expression shifted slightly, a hint of curiosity replacing his usual irritation. “Yeah, what about it?”
“I think that’s cool. I heard you’re really good. I mean, not everyone can keep up with those fast beats,” you said, trying to keep the conversation going.
Bakugo smirked, a flicker of pride shining through. “I’m better than good. But it’s not like you’d care about that.”
“Maybe you could teach me sometime?” You blurted out before you could stop yourself.
For a brief moment, Bakugo’s eyes widened in surprise, but then he chuckled. “Yeah, right. You think you could keep up?”
“Challenge accepted!” you replied, grinning widely.
The tension between you started to ease, and you found yourself smiling despite the adrenaline coursing through your veins.
Before you knew it, Bakugo slowed down, bringing you to a stop. “You’re not bad for a first-year.”
Your heart raced, both from the run and the compliment. “Thanks!” That meant a lot coming from someone like him, your crush.
The moment was filled with unspoken words and feelings. You could feel the gap between you closing, even if only just a little. Mina’s ploy had worked, and it was exhilarating, yet terrifying. 
His hand brushed against yours, fingers entwining, pulling you closer and his other hand came up to caress your face.
“Yer so pretty, ya know that?” He whispers huskily, throat suddenly dry. Time seemed to freeze as you gazed into his carmine eyes, shock coursing through you.
“You think I don’t notice the first-year who’s trying to get my attention?”
Your cheeks burned at his words. “I didn’t realize I was that noticeable,” you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper.
Bakugo chuckled, and the sound was like music to your ears. “Yeah, well, you are. You think I’d let someone like you slip by?”
He leaned closer, and you felt the world around you fade away, leaving just the two of you in that moment. 
“Hey, Bakubro I- HOLY SHIT MY BAD MY BAD. I’LL JUST LEAVE YOU GUYS BE-”
Kirishima's loud voice broke the spell, and your heart dropped as you turned to see him standing at the edge of the field, wide-eyed and clearly flustered. Bakugo’s expression shifted instantly from soft and vulnerable to his usual scowl, a hint of annoyance flashing across his face.
“Damn it, Eijiro!” Bakugo snapped, stepping back and releasing your hand to stand infront of you, blocking you from the spiky-haired male’s gaze. The warmth from his touch lingered on your skin, and you felt the loss acutely. “Can’t ya see we’re in the middle of sumn?”
Kirishima raised his hands defensively, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to interrupt! I just thought—”
“Yeah, well, ya thought wrong!” Bakugo growled, crossing his arms tightly across his chest, the moment between you both evaporating like mist in the morning sun.
You felt your cheeks flush with embarrassment as you tried to regain your composure, peeking over Bakugo’s shoulder to meet Kirishima’s gaze.
Without warning, Bakugo gave a battle cry and charged towards Kirishima, successfully tackling him to the ground. 
Your eyes widened in surprise, and a burst of laughter escaped your lips as you watched Bakugo tackle Kirishima. “What the heck?!” you exclaimed, trying to suppress your giggles.
Kirishima’s laughter mingled with Bakugo’s playful growls as they rolled on the grass, their bickering filling the air. “Get off me, you angry pomeranian!” Kirishima shouted; his voice full of amusement as he tried to push Bakugo away.
Bakugo gasped lowly. “I’ll show ya who’s the pomeranian, freak! Just stay still!” He pinned Kirishima down, a victorious grin on his face as he held his friend in place.
You found yourself caught in the moment, the tension from earlier melting into a warm, playful atmosphere. It was a side of Bakugo you rarely saw—one that was free and full of laughter. It made your heart swell a little.
“Alright, alright! I give up!” Kirishima gasped, hands raised in surrender. “You win! Just let me up!”
Bakugo released him, but not without ruffling his hair as he stood back up, a smug smile plastered across his face. 
Just then, you noticed a few of your friends wave you over from a distance. You sighed, knowing they, too, probably saw everything.
“I should get going Kirishima… and Bakugo.” you looked up at him and your heart skipped a beat. It was all so, so worth it. 
“Katsuki.” He finally said, after a moment of staring into your eyes. You beamed slightly, a sight that warmed his heart. “Call me Y/n then.” He chuckled leaning close to your ear to whisper something. “Wouldn’t have it any other way, dollface.” 
“Y/n! Get here!” you heard the faint voice of Kiera and a bunch of whistles and laughter afterwards and blushed. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Katsuki.” 
Hearing his name from your mouth, he decided that it was his favourite thing.
You joined your friends, not listening to all of their questions and giggles, your mind instead replaying the events that happened just a few moments ago.
And Katsuki? He can’t believe that you were actually interested in him. He realises that you have a grip on his heart. And you have him, one of U.A High’s most popular guys, wrapped around your pretty little fingers. 
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Taglist:
@gojo28 @haechansbbg @ch3rryjampi3 @mikestuffffs @nemisimp @mimidonottouch @k1tk4tkatsuki @explosionmurdergoddynamite @xxiamabookdragonxx @reads-stuff-quietly @cc1306 @leslielibrary @blackweebthings @djlance-rock @nutellaenjoyer @momoloverr @momoloverr @kanvis @unstable-staplehead @xnoviee @oh-kayyy-stan-bts @miliswrld @yuji-itadori-fave @emmab3mma @nonamebbsblog @starrmage @succulent-momma
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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 1 month ago
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What an interesting question highlighted by Leona about Skully J.Graves gallantry !
Seriously who of all NRC students or not students is the most close to the true definition of a gentleman ?
[Referencing this post!]
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Proof that L*ona is a chad…
The definition of gentleman I’ll be running with is pulled from Merriam-Webster: a man who combines gentle birth or rank with chivalrous qualities. a man whose conduct conforms to a high standard of propriety or correct behavior, and/or a man of independent means who does not engage in any occupation or profession for gain.
Condensed, this means the traits we’re looking for someone who is of “gentle birth” (high social status) that follows or displays traits in line with the code of chivalry. Chivalry includes, but is not limited to: bravery, loyalty, generosity, courtesy, protection of the weak and defenseless, being truthful, and fearing God respecting women. They also conform to “correct” behavior and do not act for selfish reasons.
Well, automatically I feel like most of the NRC cast is disqualified because the majority of them are some degree of dishonest or acting for personal gain. (This would, ironically, also put Leona out of the running since bro’s the most underhanded cat I know.) A couple of them would also violate respecting personal boundaries.
I feel like the “obvious” answer here is Silver, since 1) he’s a literal knight and prince and 2) probably one of the few genuinely nice guys on NRC campus. And yeah, I’m still sticking with Silver as my first choice here.
My runner-up would be Riddle, just because Riddle would be so anal about “following the rules” of chivalry and maintaining decorum due to his strict upbringing. He indicates in the ongoing Halloween event that Skully is “such a gentleman” and that he has to keep up with him. I also think Riddle has some of the least selfish reasons for being polite; he legitimately considers it proper behavior and is convinced acting in line with the rules will bring people happiness.
Honorable mentions:
Jack (tsundere, but generally has the right idea going on in terms of proper behavior; will right his wrongs as shown in his Lab Wear vignettes)
Deuce (helps out his mom, tries to be an upstanding man; might fumble here and there but he is earnestly trying.)
And a special shoutout to Vil because he is the only other Twst character to have kissed Yuu, and, unlike Skully, Vil actually asks if it’s okay to kiss them before he does so. This occurs in book 6, upon his rescue. However, I would not otherwise consider Vil a gentleman because he can be pretty nasty and underhanded when he bears a vendetta. In this event alone Vil suggests outright abandoning us and also that we should beat suspicious people black and blue 💀
Of the staff, I definitely feel like Trein is our strongest gent. He is very austere and holds himself and his students to high standards, even becoming upset when he believes that his students are of such poor moral character that they would abandon the RSA boys who sacrificed themselves to allow them to escape. Trein is also known to chastise others, notably Crewel, for acting out or saying rude things. There’s no comparison, really.
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thegoldencontracts · 5 months ago
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What Do You Want?
Summary: You try to approach Azul with an offer. His response is- odd, to say the least.
Notes: My heart wants fluff to make up for the angst yesterday... im sorry T_T
The moment you'd first seen Azul, you thought he was pretty. Then, you started noticing other little cool things about him. And before you knew it, you had a crush.
"You're- so stupid!" Ace said with a laugh. "You actually think Azul Ashengrotto would ever like anyone? Best outcome is, he tries to scam you but you barely manage to win."
"I've got a point-card!" You said cheerily. "And I've made a rough outline of what I want my contract to look like."
The 'outline' was only one sentence, but Ace didn't need to know that.
At that moment, though, Ace's eyes widened.
"You're actually gonna do it?" He said, the grin fading from his face.
"Yeah," you said. You were going to try and make a contract with him, see what happened. Maybe it wouldn't work out. But hey, you'd never know if you didn't try!
Besides, you had a plan. And that plan was what brought you to the VIP room, a golden point card in hand.
"Ah, what a pleasant surprise it is to see you here!" Azul said with a salesman's grin that somehow still looked cute. "I was under the impression you couldn't afford point-cards."
You laughed.
"It's lovely what happens when you make people compensate you for your labor," you said. And it was true. Telling people you'd do something for a free meal at the Lounge got you point cards and food witthout any complaints. For some reason, people were more willing to do that than give you the money straight-up, even if the expensive meals usually meant they'd have to pay more. Whatever.
"Oh," Azul said, before quickly changing the topic. "So what exactly is your desire?"
You smirked.
"Azul," you said. "Considering the ranking of the Golden card, that means you have to accept any contract I propose, so long as it doesn't pose direct harm to your mental or physical wellbeing in some way, shape, or form, correct?"
Azul's brows furrowed in confusion.
"Correct, however, you're forgetting-"
"The impact limit, yes," you said. "If the wish in question requires maiming, killing, or mentally scarring any individual, whether or not you agree to grant it becomes a decision entirely at your discretion."
At this point, Azul was looking at you like you'd grown two heads.
"Your point is...?" He asked.
"I won't have to make any other payment for my wish then, correct?" You said. You knew how these exchanges worked, and you did not want to get scammed.
Azul bit his lip.
"Fine, fine, you 'win', I suppose. Just- tell me what exactly it is you desire," he said.
You smiled, handing him a piece of paper with the draft of your contract on it. Azul's eyes widened in shock at its contents.
'Be my friend!' it said.
"Sooooo, what do you think?" You asked.
Azul shot you a glare. Harsh.
"What do you want?"
"I already told you- well, wrote to you, I guess, but-"
"No," Azul said, voice dangerously level. "What do you truly want?"
"Be my friend!" You said, flashing him a thumbs up. But Azul was still angry. Did he just hate you or something?
"I don't appreciate such juvenile attempts at mockery," he said. "If you have no true wish to make, then I shall have you escorted out."
You sighed. Seriously, this was getting annoying. Did he want to avoid you that badly?
"Look," you said. "I already laid it all out - you should try being my friend! And if you don't like it, then you stop! Simple as that, right?"
Azul scoffed.
"That's preposterous," he said. "No one would ever want such a thing-"
"Well, I want it," you said, before sighing. "Look, is it really that big of a deal?"
At that, Azul seemed to malfunction, like he couldn't possibly comprehend what you were saying. That was weird. Why wasn't he happy? Wasn't he going to try and scam you or something?
At long last, Azul shook away the red dusting his cheeks, handing you a pamphlet.
"Take this for now," he said. It was a study guide for Alchemy. "And keep the point card. I'll continue my inquiry tomorrow during lunch, so prepare yourself. Now then, leave."
"Great! See you tomorrow lunch then, Azul."
You took the study guide and headed for the exit. The study guide was pretty good, actually. And there was that little chibi doodle with hearts around it - you didn't know where it came from, but it kind of reminded you of yourself!
So, hey, it seemed like things were going pretty well.
Meanwhile, Azul was in a panic.
"The Prefect's caught on, I'm certain of it!" He said to Floyd and Jade, furiously flipping through his book of contingency plans for any type of social situation gone wrong. "Why else would such an odd request be made of me?"
Floyd rolled his eyes.
"Cause Shrimpy wanted to be your friend?" He said.
"No one would ever desire such a thing!" Azul said. "The Prefect's found out about that foolish little crush of mine, and decided to make a fool out of me. There's no other explanation!"
It was a sensible explanation, wasn't it? Common, too. It had happened to Azul all the time back then. He simply had to make sure he didn't slip, that he established consequences for all those who attempted to mess with him now.
His thoughts were cut off by the sound of Jade's laughter.
"What seems to be the matter, Jade? Do enlighten me," Azul asked dryly.
"You made an error in your panicked frenzy with the Prefect, that's all," Jade said. "The study guide you gave was the one with the doodles."
Azul felt his mouth go dry.
"W-What?"
"The one filled with countless doodles of your little crush, surrounded by hearts."
O-Of all the study guides, why that one?
Seven, how he wished to crawl into an octopus pot right now. But for now, all he could settle for was burying his face in his hands, left alone with his thoughts as he tuned Jade and Floyd out entirely.
He hadn't believed it, but- what if you were being sincere? What if you truly did want to grow closer to him? Yes, it was true that such a thing had never occurred in the past, meaning an analysis of past trends would seem such a thing impossible, and this sort of trick had been played on him countless times before but-
You seemed oddly sincere about it. And, frankly, he wanted you to be.
Azul couldn't help but sigh. Though it would likely cause him problems later, for now, he couldn't help but let himself hope.
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radabeast · 3 months ago
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Why Aren't The Hornsent NPCs Named? An Essay On The Challenge for Compassion
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So easy answer. Neither our pal in the Miquella Brigade nor the Grandam actually tell their names to us. Case closed!
No no no but more like, why didn't the DEVELOPERS choose to let us know them by name? A whole chunk of The Point is that the hornsent are people too, right? So why would we not even get to know our two (mostly just one, even, as you're not likely to even find grandam) hornsent ambassadors' actual names?
Fromsoft did something similar to this in Armored Core 6 just recently. That game is PLAINLY all about the horrors of capitalism, colonization and war, albeit almost all of your time is spent not with the resistance, but with the companies trying to tear the planet apart for fuel. Your protag's motivations aside, the RLF, Rubicon Liberation Front, are hardly given any narrative ambassadors to you at all; your Rubiconian partner pleads with your on some occasions, but otherwise the emphasis is elsewhere. Their liaison with their organization isn't even named. You don't even get to MEET most of their ranks until the secret third route, and even then, half the time that's just when you're fighting against said individuals as opponents. So...
Fromsoft is unique in that they often don't spoon-feed you "this is right" and "this is wrong". By no means do they ever seem to say colonization and slaughter is correct, and in fact the very crux of the plot is in grappling with the justifications. BUT, you are placed directly in the role of the oppressors' side. All around you are people you will grow to respect, and fight alongside, and they will also help you tear down this planet if you choose that route. You do, very much so, have to FIGHT and CHOOSE to aid the people of Rubicon, even if it hurts. Even if it means fighting, abandoning and even killing the people who have been by your side. And I think that's much more realistic to many real-life experiences than just "starting out on the right side".
Back to Elden RIng and the hornsent, though. Grandam is found only under very specific circumstances, within a single location, and within a small time window of the game. You step out of that window? You lose her completely, including the lore she had, and the means with which to understand better the hornsent. Why? Why would Fromsoft even implement her, if it's that hard to even reach her words?
And again, I think it's... realistic. You, the Tarnished, are a human along Marika's progeny, barring your own personal character lore. You are a human and you are part of the race that had slaughtered the hornsent. Of COURSE the hornsent themselves aren't going to trust you, spoonfeed you WHY you should care about them. Shouldn't you care already about the pain and suffering of others? Why WOULDN'T you? If it's that hard to come to grips with the horrors Your Kind caused, then maybe you're no better.
And I think. The story wants to challenge you like that, past gameplay, past feeding you their intent directly. You have to SEEK OUT the answers and THINK. Is it truly justified to slaughter a whole race? Was this truly right? Should I think of these individuals as people, or as monsters?
Hornsent (NPC) is also a very interesting choice. Not only is he the only hornsent you're actually likely to find and speak with, but he actively hates your guts. Soon as the charm is off, even, he's back on his path of vengeance. He says time and time again, he's nothing more than this mission to Get Back on those responsible. Wouldn't the devs want to make you weep for someone far more pitiable, far more palatable?
Well, if you bother paying attention to him enough, and aid the man in his questline, you'll understand then that he's someone who lost his whole family to Messmer's crusades. Mother, wife, child, in addition of course to the innumerable others slaughtered. Is that not enough to want all-consuming vengeance? Wouldn't YOU want people dead because of that? Regardless, even, of whether or not he was even a perpetrator of the original jar slaughters (and I've seen enough feasible evidence against that)... Is he not pitiable enough for that alone?
To you, he is just a Hornsent. To he himself, the man is a Hornsent, likely a title he wears both in defiance, as well as the only scrap of identity he has left. His people were killed because they were Hornsent. His family was killed because they were Hornsent. Would you even ever see him as anything else? Would it matter, even, if he HIMSELF has nothing else?
And, clearly, if you've been seeing anything anywhere in the fan discussions: this challenge to Think is lost on many people. Some people, somewhat understandably, take these aspects as Fromsoft caring little about the hornsent at all, and claiming them as The Original Evils within their own story. Others don't even bother to take anything not fed to them, and claim that the slaughter of hornsent was duly justified, and that this is undeniably supported within the game. But even barring the consistent themes of dichotomies, dualities, and the cycles of abuse ever-present throughout the game-- yeah, I'd say a good deal of reflection could and should be found in the self, first. Who are YOU when challenged for this compassion, first?
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thr0wnawayy · 3 months ago
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Midoriya's Delusion
This is post that builds upon my previous one, I've copied many of the points I made there to here. Albiet with some corrections and tweaks.
To summarize, I have a bit of a crack theory that chapter 430 isn't as real as we've been led to believe. (As for when this actually takes place, that's up to you but I like to imagine the start of his third year marks the beginning of his mental decline.)
(As an update, I find it dubious whether 8 years have actually passed or if that's also a part of the fantasy. I can see Midoriya becoming so attached to the lie that his reference of time begins to warp)
This theory mostly comes from some inconsistencies in regards to the hero rankings and some other things I've found.
Corrections:
It's left ambiguous whether Best Jeanist and Endeavor are still active. However the fact that people view these two in a postive light (especially after Dabi and the war) still seems absurd.
2. Midoriya wasn't outright abandoned, rather their busy schedules make it hard for their days off to coincide. This falls apart when you look at this panel
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"The rate of new villains keep decreasing and the number of heroes have stabilized"
Besides Ochaco who's funding a quirk counseling project, the rest of the class should be able to make time. Again it's stated that they aren't actually fighting.
There's no real threat to face. Besides PR and Community Service there's bot a whole lot else (besides the occasional natural disaster)
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One could argue it's because the scope of what heroes do is increasing, thus keeping them busy. But again, we see heroes doing exactly what they did before, PR, Advertising and (implied) Showboating.
This leads me to believe that the lack of contact is based in reality, to some extent.
Whether it was by choice or forced by their (1A's) respective PR teams to preserve their images (can't be seen around the "freaks" for too long, now can we?).
The lie comes in the form of busy schedules.
Now whether that's what Midoriya tells himself or what he's been told, I cannot say for certain.
Disturbia:
For those of you who didn't read my last post, you may be wondering, so what's going on?.
Simply put:
Midoriya's having a breakdown fantasy to cope with the fact that he won't be becoming a hero due to the loss of his quirk.
Im aware it sounds crazy but consider the following:
1. Midoriya subconsciously knows the way he's been treated was wrong.
This manifests within the escapists fantasy in Bakugo's drop in the rankings + the attitude surrounding him (as well as his damaged hand never fully healing)
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He meets a kid who just so happens to be in a near exact same position as he once* was (and still is to an extent). One could take this as his mind's way of trying to cope and heal itself, by having Midoriya do what he does best and help others, henceforth working though his trauma by using the kid as a stand in.
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*Even the kid's "bully" seems to be a warped version of Bakugo (perhaps this is how Midoriya tries to fool himself into believing how it was)
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2. We see Kota.
I believe that here, Kota serves as what Midoriya thinks he could have been had he not failed. Kota is the idealized version of Midoriya here, the unobtainable.
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3. A lesson ignored
Apparently people forgot the connection between Endeavor and Shoto. You'd think this would be a good thing as Shoto would be able to become his own person.
This falls flat when you remember that also includes people forgetting the reason and happenings behind Shoto's existence, it feels like Midoriya is trying to have his cake and eat it too
To elaborate, this is a major copout, it allows Shouto to be unaffected by his family's past bith career wise and emotionally. While also feeding into Midoriya's rather toxic belief that forgiveness is required to be a good person.
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(The fact that killing Tomura violated this only adds to my theory that this whole thing is an escapist coping mechanism.)
(You can also add the idea that Tomura didn't forgive society for what they did to him and his friends. That likely broke all the "rules" that Midoriya knew.)
4. The Mech Suit is a massive cope, it's the dying whimper of Midoriya's childish hope that All Might will save the day.
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This time there's no magic quirk, no garrish mech suit, no plot twist.
No. There's only Midoriya and the consequences of his, his classmates and hero societies actions. It doesn't matter how shiny and seamless the illusion, how sweet the lie.
You can't hide the blood.
Concerning Aspects:
That was mostly the revised stuff, let me introduce you to some new points
1. A Frozen Lake
Something I noticed was certain characters seem to be almost frozen in time, as if someone tried to continue a story using scraps of the original text.
The curious case of Rei Himura:
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This scene seems almost stagnant, what was most noticeable was Enji's bandages still being on and Rei still being there.
It's as if Midoriya hasn't seen them in years (or perhaps doesn't want to acknowledge what happened). So his mind uses what he last saw/heard of them, creating a sterile, static scenario. Little better than props.
Those surrounding her (with the exception of Hawks) also seem to be stuck in the past.
It's definitely strange.
2. See No Evil, Hear no Evil, Speak No Evil
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Shigaraki is a representation of Midoriya's repressed guilt and his fears. I believe deep down Midoriya knows that, inevitably the cycle will repeat, so long as the system is allowed fester and wallow in it's complancy.
I find the fact that he's behind Midoriya to be ironic, as if to say: don't look back, don't think about what you've done.
A Symbol of Stagnation:
I should warn you that it does get lengthy from here, however I think it's important to get the full picture. Even if I tend to ramble here.
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It's implied here that Lemillion's the top hero. This is awful for a variety of reasons. Mirio is a horrible symbol.
All Might was flawed for a variety of reasons, but a majority of these were byproducts rather than directly being his own doing.
Mirio on the other hand, has such a cancerous philosophy that it actively harms all who interact with it.
Mirio is a follower, he follows orders first and asks questions never.
Eri is the best example of this. Even after Nighteye's death, Mirio never truly reflects on the damage his actions could have caused ( only saved by the narrative, seriously it's a miracle Eri trusts anyone besides Midoriya after being abandoned like that)
You see, the difference between Toshinori and Mirio lies in their actions and principles.
Mirio left Eri to die, all for the sake of the "mission".
For all the heroes knew, Eri could have been a trafficking victim and either have been killed or relocated. But no, appearances and "gotta catch em all" take priority even after knowing Eri is in the Yakuza's clutches.
Lemillion made the worst decisions possible. He followed a known murder into a secluded, restricted area (with a hostage mind you) bringing his pupil with him.
Willingly ignored blatant signs of abuse (just look at the girl) and played hooky with thre leader of a criminal organization, who is known for his short fuse and willingness to kill.
He did all of that, when he could have easily detained Overhaul at any point (his quirk being a direct counter)
Toroshinori would fight tooth and nail in that situation. Consequences be damned if it meant saving Eri.
Part of the reason Toroshinori was so effective as a hero was 1. His sense of justice and 2. His compassion.
Mirio is a symbol that can be controlled, a weapon if you will.
The fact that Mirio is at the top shows that things haven't changed and are even beginning to decline. So this brings me to my next point
You may be asking, if Midoriya's losing it in his own mind, what's the outside world look really like?.
Allow me to set the stage.
4. Speculation
Within Midoriya's muddled mind, Lemillion represents both his toxic optimism and a subconscious understanding that nothing has changed. It represents denial and acceptance, a dysfunctional middle ground that's easy enough for Midoriya to stomach.
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The truth of the matter is, delusion or not, the reality is soon to sink in.
Something that I don't see discussed is the lack of reactions from other nations or really any insight into how they were affected by everything that happend.
Here's the idea: Most likely they are foaming at the mouth.
Particularly it's the countries who suffered under Imperial Japan in the past (Korea, China, Singapore etc), however this also applies to every nation Nedzu brow beat into aiding with the rebuilding efforts, albiet their reaction would be latent.
Not not only is the attitude painfully reminiscent of how Japan handles it's past atrocities, Japan has had them clean up their messes. seen below:
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(you cannot tell me Big Red Dot over here is having a good time)
From an outside pov. The Commission never told anyone about AFO, rather they suppressed any information, locked him up in Tartarus and then sat on the whole situation until it blew up in their (read: everyones) faces.
He then proceeded to: kill over 8000 people (+ those killed during the Blackout period), kill the top hero of one of the world's most powerful nations and incite mass panic. Destroyed massive amounts of infrastructure and transport nationwide, broke thousands of criminals out of prison, destroying those prisons in the process.
Meanwhile the heroes:
Abandoned civilians in mass by quitting in the middle of a war.
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Left the public in the dark for months and allowing crime and paranoia to grow rampant, even (forcibly) bringing someone they knew was being targeted by AFO and his forces to the one place they could find shelter.
Mutilated a seven year old girl. Who has a history of being mutilated for the gain of others and patted themselves on the back. (Also having no holdup on how that may effect her physically via her quirk or mentally via her trauma)
Mic: tried to kill a docile prisoner who could be considered in comatose, based off of his emotional attachment to a dead man + viewing it as justified if it meant Spinner couldn't get to him.
Used hospital staff and patients as meatshields (Central Hospital) during a riot.
Most had no qualms supporting a child beating eugenicist and implied marital rapist, even with his one of his victims exposed him and citing it as his main reason for turning to villainy.
Held an illegal questioning* with said abuser while ignoring his main victim (Rei, who is probably the most reliable source of information there)
(*which effectively is like conducting an investigation on yourself and declaring you are not guilty)
And so much more! (But this post is getting too long)
My point is by the time everything was said and done, it seemed everyone but Japan was paying for it.
It's outright stated that the US president risked national security by sending every hero they had to help Japan. (Impeachment worthy if you ask me)
Endeavor's little plan to kill himself and Dabi in a blaze of death ended up disrupting the weather. Very likely it'll end up resembling an El Niño phenomenon, only vastly off schedule and even more destructive than normal.
For Reference [https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/ninonina.html]
Very likely it'll lead to an agricultural drought in the northern America's and mass flooding in southern America's, likely starting at the west coast and bleeding inland. Leading to a domino effect where cost of living surges due to the sudden displacement of people and the rapid loss of products.
Worse still, because the US had no heroes (likely for months on end), crime has likely surged in the America's, which will further impact the rest of the world.
The rebuilding efforts likely emptied the wallets of most participating countries, leaving them unable to help anyone, including themselves.
Also keep in mind that Japan incriminated themselves with the Business Course footage. I don't think the general public (outside of Japan) is going to take too kindly to a known murder and abuse apologist being in charge of a system already known for it's corruption.
The end result is likely be a world that detests Japan, either from a moral perspective (Rei's treatment + the treatment of those society abandoned), a financial perspective (we can't afford shit and you contributed to that) or historical perspective (you do this everytime and ignore the consequences).
A world divided by struggle and united by an immense loathing for the Commission's Japan and the culture surrounding it.
Oh, don't forget there's no finding left for quirk research. Meaning that it's very likely no one will be prepared for quirk singularity to start manifesting in the upcoming generations (Thanks Nedzu).
_______________________________________
Update: Can I just say that Aizawa's lack of ownership infuriates me even though this is likely a fantasy and not grounded in reality.
Like what the fuck do you mean "with the way he talks, it was pointless" Fantasy Aizawa.
Because "Hey Asshole", You deliberately ignored his attitude and offenses!. And what? Now your just gonna shrug it off like it wasn't your fault. To hell with that you had two years, most teacher are said to only get one. As you so graciously mentioned at the start of this shit show of an epilouge.
Heres the moment I'm referring to btw:
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While we're at it. Are you telling me it was too hard to get Momo some proper attire all three fucking years she was at UA for.
Not to mention Toru is still naked, how the fuck hasn't she died yet, she is literally exposed to the elements (and lord help her of she gets a cut)
Kirishima's costume is still his biggest liability considering it exposes his chest and back (also seeing as even when hardened he can't repell bullets)
Does Denki still fry himself with his quirk?
Before we move on Aizawa. How's that daughter you neglected, her horn still broken?.
Speaking of which let's look at the rescue team:
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What the hell is this!?
Let's see, we got a guy who can only do damage (and his sweat detonates on contact, destroying whatever it touches.)
A brainwasher who only got into the hero course via nepotism and who can only brainwash people who directly respond to him!. A person trapped underneath rubble either frantic or groaning in pain isn't going to be able to respond or even just give consent.
(On a side note what are the laws regarding mind control quirks, does some sort of waiver have to be signed, can a person sue for being controlled against their consent?)
Oh, but wait there's more.
Midoriya running headlong with experimental tech that has, very likely never seen the light of day. Let alone preform in an actual high stakes situation before.
You're trying to carry someone and oops! Something malfunctioned or was miscalculated, now there's an even bigger mess (hooray!)
Who could forget Mezo "they'll come for your kids" Soji. Who climbed the ladder and pulled it all the way up.
Yeah forget that Heteromorph's were getting hate crimed long before the war, ignore the fact that you yourself were maimed by an angry mob after doing one of the most heroic things a person can do. Dismiss Spinner's comment about being sprayed with Pesticide for walking in public.
Nah screw it, let's all sing Kumbaya while the Creation Rejection Clan runs wild outside the reach of the cities, then ignore that the discrimination still is prevalent in the countryside and it's only a matter of time before somone gets fed up and takes matters into their own hands. (talons, claws, you get the picture)
But your a hero now Soji, you got your's. So fuck the rest of 'em
And don't even get me started on Hawks. Congratulations you ignorant bastard, way to kill time and by that I mean for everyone but the heroes.
"Yeah life is great!, everyone hates us, we're rapidly falling into debt from all that rebuilding 8 years back."
"Speaking of which some of those buildings are staring to fall apart due to being rushed to meet deadlines set within the month they were started."
"Social darwinism is on the rise and people are becoming more complacent that ever before due to heroes applying bandaid solutions on decade long, deeply ingrained problems."
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"All so the average person doesn't have to think about what's festering beneath society's floorboards, so thank you Safety Commission. Here's your star of positivity ⭐️." - Some random anti-hero civilian
So much for greatest heroes, huh.
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UPDATE 2:
A dark thought I just had, is that the main reason Izuku killed Tomura was because Tomura broke the rule of "Forgiving Your Abusers makes you Good".
When Tomura refused to relinquish his hatred, when he stood his ground, that is when Midoriya decided he had to die. If not to "stop" him, then to preserve Midoriya's perception of the world .
Shigaraki + The LOV by their very ideals went against everything Midoriya has had beat into him by Bakugo and Aldera over the years.
Makes me wonder how'd he react to a person refusing to forgive their abuser. If he interacted with Natsuo or Rei, I could see that delving into a complete mess.
Now that I think about it, The Midoriya we know now, he would have never tried to hold onto Eri back when they first met.
Ironically, he became what he named himself after, a Deku. A puppet attached to thorns of liquid gold, glistening and burning hot.
A slave to his own biases and belief system, now trapped in a stage of his minds own making.
First bound by his past, then by legacy and finally, now by his own hand.
木偶.
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blanketforcas · 1 year ago
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🚩Cult and cultlike/toxic behavior: red flags in fandom 🚩
A non-exhaustive list inspired by my 10+ years of experience in fandom, both personal and second-hand. By sharing this, I hope to make other people more aware and able to protect themselves in the future. No fandom space or friend group is worth your mental health.
They claim they have secret information and use that to lure you in
They might either lovebomb you at first or make you (feel like you have to) prove your worth
The leader(s) of the group might not feel super approachable, at least not without fear of saying the wrong thing
They seem to create or point out a divide in fandom you’d never noticed before. Likely this divide isn’t actually there in wider fandom, or the need for it is wholly unnecessary.
They create an us vs them (outsiders) situation. Their group has the most knowledge and expertise, if others critique them it’s simply cause they must’ve heard false rumors. They are always the ones who are “misunderstood”.
Questioning statements from leaders/people with high regard in the group, is not without risk. You can get dogpiled, your intelligence put into question and gaslit about your own words and feelings.
You see discussions happen and get more heated, and at the end of that discussion the person on the receiving end of the things mentioned above ^ starts apologizing profusely and/or believes they are indeed stupid. However, if this person does keep defending their stance, they might get bullied or kicked out of the server/group chat
Too much emphasis on Being Right/having the correct take or theory – it may seem it has a higher priority than empathy and tactful communication
You need to have an opinion (their opinion), because silence equals condoning or agreeing with the “other side”
Everything is a moral issue. When everything is made out to be a high-stakes issue or reflective of everyone as a person, it's easier for the leader(s) to manipulate you.
You find yourself excusing people’s behavior because you agree with their point. The way they bring their argument forward and the tone they use, become subordinate to finding out the truthTM
There is such a thing as The TruthTM in every theory, discussion or analysis
If you don't Get It, it's cause you haven't "worked on yourself enough". Or it's cause you're not trying hard enough, or you haven't done enough reading, or you have blind spots only they can see.
There is a lot of conspiratorial thinking – maybe actors are trying to send us secret messages, maybe there is a Whole Lot You Don’t Know But We Do, Trust Us, maybe this or that person in fandom has tried to attack us and are planning a bigger attack,…
You barely/don’t have fandom friends outside of this group and if you do, you tend to intentionally (whether subconsciously or not) hide your experience from them. They wouldn’t understand the way they talk, they wouldn’t understand the way it works etc
They want to know a lot of your personal information. - might only happen once you get into higher ranks
You might get (more and more) specific “tasks”, it starts becoming a part-time job instead of a hobby/fun space to hang out with friends
Of course, these red flags are not always immediately visible let alone advertised when you join a group chat/discord server/twitter or tumblr bubble. They can also be nonexistent at first and show up later. Here are some general ways to stay vigilant:
Periodically check in with your values, if they might be changing & how you feel about that.
Keep an eye on the way people (and yourself) are being treated. Is it kind? Is it fair? Do you feel on edge all the time when you’re having conversations? Is your body more tense when you’re in this online space or when certain people are around? Be honest with yourself here.
Ask yourself: Is this space becoming my only coping mechanism? Am I spending too much time here? There’s no shame in spending a lot of time on things you enjoy, but do check in with yourself sometimes whether you are actually still having fun and if you are taking things too seriously or parasocialising a lot.
There's a lot of fun to be had in fandom and a lot of good that comes out of it - don't forget that. Keep seeking that. It's why we're here!
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eroguron0nsense · 10 months ago
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Garp Rant #11543
Because I'm something of a Certified Garp Hater/extremely obsessed with this man, and because Tumblr people seem to like my Garp takes and/or find them extremely pain-inducing, here's another one for funsies! Again, Garp is an incredibly written character and I massively enjoy his moral failings and human shortcomings, hence why I won't shut up about how much he sucks. So we all remember Garp crying in front of Ace during his imprisonment and awaiting his execution, lamenting the fact that his son and grandson could have maybe avoided this horrible horrible fate that awaits them at Marineford if they'd just become good marines like he'd tried to press them into. Every time he says it, he sounds more desperate, sadder, and angrier, like he's experiencing the stages of grief and going through denial, anger bargaining all at once, lashing out at his grandkids for supposedly causing him grief by defying his wishes, or maybe praying or wishing for a world where they could have followed in his footsteps and lived happily ever after. And when Ace hears that again at Impel Down, he says this:
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Here's the thing though: Ace is unequivocally correct Garp should, by all rights, know this. He lived through the fallout of Roger's execution. He knew long before that exactly what would happen to Roger's loved ones and anyone the government could get their hands on who'd ever associated with him. Even before they started committing femicides/infanticides in Baterilla trying to end Roger's bloodline, he knew that the Marines were going to target completely innocent people in the name of purging the bloodline and cementing their "victory" over the greatest threat they'd ever faced. He specifically had to smuggle Rouge out of there so she could give birth to Ace, and all the while dozens of families were being brutalized by his peers and having their lives torn apart. That was the cost the Marines were willing to incur to kill a hypothetical infant, and years later, when that very same child is set to be executed, Sengoku goes on a remorseless public tirade about the necessity of killing babies and the horrible trickery and audacity Rouge displayed by dying so that they wouldn't kill her baby too.
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Garp knows every single piece of this information in painful, excruciating detail. He's so horrified by it he feels the need to fulfill this wish of Roger's because he knows blameless people will die. He has Ace raised in secret to protect him from Marines who are figuratively and literally out for his blood. And yet, throughout this boy's childhood, he clings to the notion that maybe, just maybe, the people he knows regularly commit atrocities, who have carried out at least 3 genocides that we know of in Garp's lifetime, who were willing to commit mass infanticide for a woman and child they hadn't verified the existence or identity of at the time, would have accepted him within their ranks and turned a blind eye to that information when it eventually, inevitably surfaced. That Ace can find salvation from the people who stole every loved one he ever had before he was even born, who slaughtered his mother's community and pushed her to her death, and were slavering at the opportunity to kill her. That even though Ace was born in direct opposition to them, has had a target trained on him before he was born, these people who tried so goddamn hard to kill him would surely welcome his presence and not murder him the second they found out if he could just be a compliant model soldier and make himself useful. It's hammered home pretty effectively–especially in the manga– and One Piece has never been known to be subtle in its messaging, but I swear to God I see so many people echoing the notion that Garp's attempts to force his grandchildren into serving the Evil Empire was done because he knew was their only shot at safety from the WG, and I fucking despise this take. Ace saying that he could never be a marine here in Impel Down isn't some young man's rationalization for his (beyond valid) desire not to subscribe to the preset path Garp laid out for him; it's literally the only logical conclusion if you know literally anything about the circumstances of his birth and upbringing, and Garp only thinks that the leopards wouldn't eat Ace's face because he's fucking delusional This in and of itself is extremely telling of how horribly warped Garp's perception of the Navy is, and how deeply he's willing to buy into the Marines and their warped propaganda no matter how many glaring examples he sees throughout his life that counter his worldview, but let's not forget that this applies to Luffy too. This is slightly hairier, in that if Luffy was a) the sort of person who could willingly accept a career in the marines and b) managed to cling really, really tightly to his grandfather's coattails and legacy, there might have been a very, infinitesimally small chance that he could have joined the Navy. The higher ups know that Dragon is Garp's son and therefore Luffy is Dragon's by logical inference, but I could see some AU where Luffy is a fundamentally different person and manages to build himself up in the Navy if not for two things I think warrant examination. It's pretty evident, and Dragon explicitly confirms, that Luffy being known as his son would have put him in incredible danger, only feeling comfortable with acknowledging it and the possibility of actually reuniting with his child after Luffy was both publicly recognized due to factors beyond his control, and proved that he was more than capable of holding his own. But I want to draw attention to this one otherwise pretty silly little gag moment between Garp and Sengoku when they learn that Luffy's broken into Impel Down, and present a theory that's kind of a reach but also not really
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Now the phrasing here kind of interests me, in that it ties back to earlier demonstrated patterns that the Navy uses repeatedly in collective punishment for the families and loved ones of their primary targets. Rouge and Ace barely escaped the mass murders intended for them because of their connection, but Tom was also originally sentenced to death for having had a connection to Roger, and ultimately chose that as the offence he wanted to be sentenced for at Enies Lobby. Law, as a child survivor of Flevance, has multiple hospitals try and turn him in to the World Government to be killed when Cora tries to find someone to treat him because their policy is to pull out the roots and salt the earth whenever they deem a person or population politically inconvenient. Robin's flashback shows us Akainu blowing up a refugee boat on the off chance that one of those people that they were planning to evacuate might have gotten past their initial screening for archaeologists/poneglyph readers. At Marineford, Akainu specifically targets Luffy not because of his prior offences or even his attempt to rescue Ace, but because he's Dragon's son and his and Roger's bloodlines need to be eradicated. This is not an institution that is in any way reluctant to destroy anyone tangentially affiliated to a designated enemy, and Luffy being the son of the worst criminal in history seems to put him right in line with all of those other cases. In light of this, and Garp's massive blind spots and wishful thinking regarding his peers and employers, it's not that much of a stretch to assume that the only reason Garp's exempt from being targeted like Dragon is because of his popularity/symbolic importance/utility, and that Luffy likely wouldn't have been safe even if he weren't a pirate. Garp's circle of confidantes/friends in high places is powerful, but clearly there are factions (Akainu, Ryokugyu etc) that would be substantially less willing and who are given preferential treatment by the Elders and Celestial Dragons. There might be something to read into based on the fact that Garp is the only known person from a D bloodline who's achieved massive success in service to the World Government and not defected from the Navy after realizing its true nature (props to Saul), and therefore he might project the fact that he's been rewarded by the system despite being a "sworn enemy of the Gods" onto his family, but that still doesn't account for the massive, delusional arrogance he displays in insisting that, despite everything–especially, especially the murders committed in pursuit of Ace, that robbed him of his birth mother and community–the Navy is the best and safest place for either of those boys. TLDR Garp not wanting his grandsons to have a bounties on their heads is one thing, but it says a lot that in spite of everything he knows, he's willing/determined to put Ace and Luffy in an environment that's extremely dangerous for them –and in Ace's case 100%, unquestionably fatal– because he's so convinced that compliance and the platonic ideals of "justice" and military service/hard work being rewarded by the system could supersede all of that.
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sexydoffyman · 11 months ago
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Hello 👋, could I request some cod characters (perhaps Ghost, Price or Graves) defending a male military reader from a bunch of guys that are being homophobic to him?
DEFENDING YOU FROM HOMOPHOBES
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genre: fluff
characters: Simon Riley, John Price, Phillip Graves
A/N: Sick of writing for kinktober. Mby that's why I can't write fucking properly. So let's look at some fluff.
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SIMON GHOST RILEY
Ghost is a fairly scary man. He's known for being cold and serious. No one expected you to hang around him. He had six inches on you (15cm). Some people joked about you being the love birds in your TF. They could never guess how correct they were.
You weren't dating or anything, but you both held some kind of mutual respect, trust and maybe even attraction. You both had some qualities of a couple. He was a little possessive of you. You were a little clingy with him.
Although you had some kind of a relationship, that didn't really matter. The thing that mattered was you having each other's backs.
He was like a predator, making sure no one hurts his weaker companion. But when he wasn't around, you were left vulnerable. Not physically, no. You held great strength. What was left to hurt if people cant hurt your body? Your mind.
They mocked you ever since you met at boot camp. Any time they saw your face, they felt the need to embarrass you. You could handle it. You were a soldier, after all. But that didn't stop you from feeling hurt.
This time, you just sat there and took it. They yelled. They impersonated. Of course, that commotion would attract some people's attention.
The one that had showed up was Ghost. You couldn't even register him when you saw a 6'4 dude punch one of them. The others tried running, but none of them could get far enough to escape him. Their jaws broken. Ribs shattered.
You could hear him laughing under his mask. He then glanced at you "Coffee?" He asked.
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CAPTAIN JOHN PRICE
All I can say is father energy.
He has been your captain for a few years now. You have gone through shit with him, and you both trusted each other. You viewed him as a kind of father that you never had. And he viewed you as his new child.
He is not possessive, but he is protective. He wouldn't let anyone fuck with you. His rank helped him with scaring people off. He never really had a problem with disobeying soldiers to begin with, so he never actually used his rank, but now. He has to stick up for you.
You really do resemble a kid he would have had. You have similar hair colour and eye colour. Your postures don't have a difference, and you find yourselves finishing up each other's sentences.
These assholes who have been making fun of you were your superiors. What that meant was that you could do nothing to stop them. They could say anything they wanted, and they'd get away with it.
"Thirty laps now!" Your eyes averted to the sudden voice coming from the hall. He heard them. They slowly realised they fucked up. It was raining cats and dogs outside. Everything was muddy and slippery. Running thirty laps would be torture.
"Do I have to repeat myself?" Price grunted with a more aggressive tone. They stormed off to the exit to run their laps. He yelled at them before they got out. "Being on good terms with your fellow soldiers is a must. I will have your ranks stripped away from you until you learn that!"
As soon as they left, Price let out a small chuckle. He was proud of himself. Cheeky bastard.
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PHILLIP GRAVES
I love this son of a bitch.
Now, this man is always with you. It's not an obsession. It's just the fact that everyone else wants to be either alone or already has someone to be with. He just doesn't want to be alone.
You felt like you were the chosen one. He was still your superior, after all. After some time together, you got used to it. He always apologised for being such a bother. You got free snacks, which you didn't mind at all.
You were fucking around the base, chilling. You would've never thought you'd be sharing stories with him, but there you were. You didn't know what kind of relationship it was. Were you friends, or were you together just because of the situation? You never figure it out.
The dudes who embarrassed you were your rank. But they fuck with both of you since they didn't know Graves's position. A big mistake. He never really said anything to them. One day, they were just gone.
When you looked deeper into it, you found out that two were dead, and three lost their jobs.
Graves is such a gentleman.
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dandelionjack · 8 months ago
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the main mistake that people who dislike s8 and put it low in their series rankings make is the belief that, like any other series (apart from s9), it’s a collection of standalone stories tied together by some vague throughline i.e. missy’s ‘heaven’. “oh, this episode’s mid, that episode’s bad” meanwhile it’s not about individual episodes at all. i firmly believe that it should be viewed as a singular long serial.
so grateful that i was extremely late to the party and binged it all in a week instead of watching every episode as they were airing, because sometimes the plots barely matter at all. do you remember what the skovox blitzer actually looks like or what it wanted with coal hill in the first place? hardly. i had to google its name. but what you do remember from the caretaker is twelve acting like an antagonistic prick towards danny, and that’s what matters. almost every villainous entity is some kind of soldier, the contempt twelve shows to everybody but clara becomes the source of their toxicity… in the forest of the night is pretty obviously rubbish scifi, but it demonstrates danny’s fundamental incompatibility with clara, as well as the scene in which clara is ready to sacrifice herself and her students for the doctor’s sake, foreshadowing their reckless, almost suicidal codependency.
point is, but it really does work best as a tightly woven tapestry. sure, some episodes succeed individually, but most of the individual plots are mildly exciting only in a ‘this is fun to watch for kids’ way… UNLESS you approach them from the overarching perspective. i.e. mummy on the orient express has wonderful style, a thrilling mystery, creative concepts and interesting side characters, but its story appeal hinges on the twelveclara failed breakup. listen is frightening enough, but its entire story appeal hinges on just how much clara affects the doctor’s values past and present, and whether or not she has a future with danny (she doesn’t).
what i’m saying is, the narrative in s8 is a non-negotiable package deal. buy one, get them all. and it has no skips. i hate the idiotic pro-life message in kill the moon as much as the next sensible person, but what the episode does well is really hammer home how much of a sanctimonious asshole twelve initially is, which is crucial to his future character evolution.
tldr; the correct way to watch series 8 is all in one go. series 8 is great. more love for series 8
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