#and we all know what pretty privelege is

[beifong-brainrot]

https://www.tumblr.com/miss-sweetea-pie/755138140549808128/something-that-ive-been-thinking-about-is-how?source=share

Hi! Apologies, but I've decided that I would no longer be responding to having zk takes sent to me! I started doing these bcs people sent them to me and I saw other people doing it and, don't get me wrong, it was fun to write analyses based around them, after realising that posting a link to the OPs blogs might put them at risk of harassment/hate, I don't think it's worth the cheap thrill of spending like half an hour researching the symbolism of La Pietà and then infodumping it.

This doesn't mean I will stop doing analyses cokpletely, but if you do have requests for me to do them, please just send an ask containing a subject, not a link.

I will be still writing metas about Avatar, but I think I will be trying to remove myself from the Kataang/Zutara ship war. While it's fun to pick apart arguments and research filmography etc, the animosity between the two sides is genuinely quite upsetting and I've noticed its been taking a toll on me. I just find it very suprising how many people view Zutara and Kataang as some sort of dichotomy.

I will still gladly talk about Aang, Katara, Kataang and Zuko, but I want it to be less in terms of going against someone else and more because I genuinely love these characters.

I don't like that I may have contributed to someone getting hate over a questionable, but ultimately rather benign take and I also don't like how I've handled certain conflicts and situations.

I also know that a certain zutara shipper has access to my blog, despite me having blocked them particularly to avoid conflict, which is very cool and not at all disconceting.

So to that person, if they may be reading this, I genuinely apologise for reaching out to you when I did, it was never my intention to cause you discomfort or upset. I had previously seen some of your metas on other characters and I enjoyed them and found your points intriguing and wanted to learn more about them. I apologise for using the term "arguing in bad faith", because I may have used the term incorrectly, trying to express that you didn't seem to interested in discussing the subject, which I understand, as I was the one reaching out to you. I apologise that I missed any cues of discomfort or unwillingness to engage. I take responsibility for that and I mishandled the situation and may have gotten too pushy. I just wanted you to know that I never wished to come off as disingenuous or pushy or make you uncomfortable in any shape or way.

[seithr]

powerful sorcerer with magical storm blood who can still magic and rend minds and transform people btw

[alienssstufff]

Transcript of q!Slimcicle’s conversation with ElQuackity after the QSMP Dinner because I’m going crazy:

TIMESTAMP 27-28/07/2023 Slimecicle POV, 2:05:44 

Q: Why did you do that? Why did you do that?

S: Because it started as this thing between you and me and me trying to vicariously live through this weird family fantasy and uh, it kind of evolved man. and Gegg.. I was just Gegg and Gegg was just me. Gegg was something in me and for some reason now I dont feel that thing anymore. It feels like I uh feels like Gegg's gone

Q: But Gegg is my son. Gegg is my son

S: Well there's these lil guys [gestures to the Gegg clones]

Q: You can't. You can't leave this behind

S: We shouldn't have done that. We shouldnt have - I'm glad we got Gegg because of that but uh... Idk what he was

Q: No nononono you're viewing it the wrong way I think there's more to Gegg.

S: maybe there was

Q: What are you going to do now?

S: Well uhm... Guess I'm going to so something I'm pretty scared to do for a while. Just... Try and be me

Q: Are you sure?

S: No. no I'm not... [they get distracted by a poppy for a bit]

Q: Is that it for Gegg?

S: I think that depends on all of us. I didn't always have control over what was going on when Gegg was out, but I know one thing. I know that Gegg wanted change, and Gegg wanted what was best for everyone, and Gegg wanted to know - I think Gegg knows that inside all of us there's a spark of Gegg and uhm. Maybe there's a lil spark in Gegg in you too. 

S: And at the end of the day I'm just Gegg's campaign manager.

Note that ElQuackity was also whispering to Slime in chat throughout this

Q: (Help me win this) Q: (I have special priveleges no other would have) Q: (Keep talking) (Don’t make it suspicious) Q: (I’ll introduce you to some people just help me) Q: (Just include the word mariachi in some phrase If you say yes)

To which Slime does.

[blackfliesinbluesugar]

I really don't understand why the show is paced like this, I just don't? Even if they were told at production they would ONLY have 8 episodes, low chance of a s2, that this was all they'd get - I dunno, how is sucking all of the fun and investment out of your plot the best solution outside of, like, writing what you reasonably can and then maybe trying for a comic book or something? Again, I know that's shit feeling, I know it'd suck, I know it'd hurt. But again, even if this is the only medium you WANT to tell your story in, how is telling it BADLY the answer? It's crashing 50k words of fic into a list of bulletpoints.

I don't care about any of these characters. Not because I'm some spurned anti or someone who went in ready to hate - I've fandomed this show since June 2019. I've been obsessed with these characters and world. I have written nearly half a million words of fanfiction for these guys, including all of the background characters they keep giving love like Molly and Mimzy and Rosie. But that's all fanon, and I know how to seperate that in my brain. Which means I love the idea of these characters - I'm thrilled to see even the little cameos, It feels like fanservice in a way that makes me buzz with energy - but I don't love the characters. In canon, I don't care about Alastor, or Husk, or Charlie. I actively feel disinterest in ones like Camille and Vaggie and Adam. They have no depth, only gesturing at interesting ideas and trauma. Angel, I'm STARTING to care about, but they only gave him a real personality AFTER dropping all of his trauma on us. So great. It's discord group chats all over again.

Just.. why. Is doing 3 seasons worth in 1 season really worth it? Is it, frankly, better than nothing at all? I cared more about these guys when I had the privelege of assuming they'd have deep developed arcs and connections, that the hotel denizens would get a chance to bond and interact and flesh themselves out. Now they're pretty png's standing vaguely near each other, occasionally breaking into song or crying about their past. Big whoop.

I wish s1 had developed the hotel solely - no Velvette, no Camille, no Zestial, no Mimzy, no Sera or Emily or Lucifer or Lilith, and then saved that stuff for s2 when we CARE about our protagonists and can afford to care about other characters, instead of all of them being 'cool, I guess'

I'm sad. I'm really sad. I waited over 4 years for a slideshow.

[starfanatic]

Personality Headcanons

(Since the greek male love interests have little to none to go off of)

HYACINTHUS: I think people believe that he acts like very sweet and gentle, but I think that doesn't make a lot of sense for Hyacinthus and it's kind of a easy basic answer. Hyacinthus, to me, seems like more of a military type person. I mean, he's in SPARTA, and everybody knows how Sparta acts like. I'm not saying he can't be a nice person, but I think there is far more to him. He's not necessarily delicate in my opinion, he's very strong and very competitive. He can be protective, even over Apollo, and a amazing fighter. I think that he liked Apollo so much because he didn't have to worry about anything around him. He can be stressfree, and he loved that. I think he was also a direct person with the way he spoke. Essentially the way Patroclus acted like in the Iliad, because I believe they kind of parallel one another, like Achilles parallels Apollo in some ways.

NERITES: Nerites is a fun one, actually. It took a while for me to make up a personality because of what little we have of him. We know Aphrodite and Poseidon both love him, we know that he's Amphitrite's little brother, and we know he's extraordinarily beautiful. Also that he's Poseidon's charioteer. I also heard that he was VERY VERY fast to the point he even challenged Helios (or maybe he didn't and Helios was just jealous tbh). So I'm thinking that maybe he's a daredevil of sorts? Very energetic and very playful kind of like the typical little brother. He's a ride-or-die type of person and doesn't like staying in one place. Also, maybe he can be a little bit bratty at times, giving Poseidon a little bit of sass certain times (Poseidon is way more unbothered then people would typically think). Also I think Nerites is very much aware of HOW pretty he is and uses his pretty privelege to get away with pranks and stuff. I mean how is Poseidon supposed to punish him with those pretty doe eyes? Come on!

Ganymede: He's actually the more simpler ones. He's the only one that I can genuinely see as gentle and delicate. I think he was probably pampered a lot due to his immense beauty, so kind of the opposite of Hyacinthus. When he first came to Olympus I think he was genuinely frightened and Zeus had to comfort him. (Cute little headcanon that he met Nerites and felt a bit more comfortable due to Nerites' company). Even though we all know what PROBABLY happened based on Zeus' behavior, I like to think that Zeus was very patient with Ganymede and refused to touch him until Ganymede initiated first. I think Ganymede also kind of doesn't realize how much privilege he has? He's a bit spoiled but doesn't quite realize it? He knows he's pretty but he doesn't exactly understand HOW pretty he is, and he also doesn't understand how far Zeus would go for him. He's not necessarily insecure, just completely unaware and not too out of touch.

Adonis: Adonis is literally the insane dude who you speak to who constantly talks about and is fascinated by DEATH or the UNIVERSE or how the world is going to collapse any second. If Adonis spoke to the average joe, they would probably only listen because of how beautiful Adonis is. Adonis realizes he's very beautiful, but it's extremely effortless. I think Aphrodite kind of likes that he doesn't try so hard, and it just comes for him. Adonis doesn't like special treatment for his looks either (but he definitely gets it anyway). Adonis is incredibly fearless when it comes to death, and gets excited when he almost dies. Adonis has a great singing voice but will ONLY sing around people he feels deserve it. Not even out of arrogance, but because he only wants people he loves and trusts to hear it.

[aprilmayverse]

mayverse dash simulator

💅 pinkprlncesses Follow

🧟‍♀️ samuraishattered Follow op this is an incredibly fucked up and insensitive way to post about this. six people are dead. four of them are literal children. imagine losing a loved one and people are fucking memeing about it with supernatural. grow up. learn some fucking respect for the dead. this isn't just some quirky little fandom story like sharpie bath or whatever. these are real kids who had hopes and dreams and families and loved ones and now they are dead.

💅 pinkprlncesses Follow was it ever really that deep

🦴 trudycryme Follow New video about June July and Dysnomia Badmann's murders on the way! Special surprise at the end so stay tuned ;) Sponsored by Tender Lender <3

🦴 trudycryme Follow No fucking way

🩰 blood-and-books Follow wait, has anyone noticed that the accomplice in the bluecorp case and that 13 year old who killed her gfs parents and 2 random boys are half-sisters??

🍭 mera-duras-left-eyebrow Follow WAIT AND THEIR OLDEST SISTER HAD LINKS W/ BLUECORP TOO WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN

🪷 helloroses Follow does anyone remember how fucked up april may's career was. i rewatched pint-sized princesses after the news got out about her execution and like i know it was the 90s but what the fuck was going on there. it feels like a crime to watch it

🪷 helloroses Follow it's the same with her modelling career, why was she, a teenage girl, doing so many photoshoots where she was barely clothed. why did ad campaigns need all this

🦢 evilwomanenjoyer Follow why are we defending june july in 2018. she killed people. she murdered people. you are the same people who defend joe darke and dahlia hawthorne and matt engarde and fucking redd white. she took lives. where am i.

🐜 what-is-a-username420 Follow please learn about nuance and use your brain

🦢 evilwomanenjoyer Follow nuance is for fictional characters like pious priestess or whoever the fuck. not for real life situations like this.

🐜 what-is-a-username420 Follow sometimes im like "the reading comprehension on this site isnt THAT bad" and then i read shit like "nuance is for fiction not for real life"

🦴 trudycryme Follow I am truly, truly sorry for attempting to film those teenagers corpses and for breaking into the victims childhood home in an attempt to interview his family 2 days after the murder, I understand why I was wrong and I'm going to try my best to refrain from doing stuff like that next time lol. To further this, I'm starting a new merch collection and donating 20% of profits to JAVCV (Japanifornian Association for Victims of Violent Crime), buy it before the sale ends on March 4th!

🧟‍♀️ samuraishattered Follow not to be harsh but i hope you die

🌈 godsstrongestfujo Follow i think april may was a genuinely a bad person like she was just this rich woman who both did the modelling campaign + assisted in the murder to get money from her sugar daddy. shes not as innocent as yall make her out to be she just has pretty privelege

🍁 diskhorse-divorce Follow 1. she was not rich. she, her single mother, and sister were homeless for years. she had to be a child star and teen model to provide for herself and her family. they lived in a trailer at some point 2. she was very obviously being threatened by white. the courts said it was a lie because of fucking misogyny and white's power over her. 3. even if she did do it out of her own free will she still got executed over a crime where the death penalty at age 23 was not justified. 4. why are you calling a thirteen year old a bad person for doing an ad campaign where she was being heavily sexualised and exploited and stolen from you fucking weirdo

🩰 angelfawns Follow april may was such a tragic girl and an icon and so beautiful omg. she looked SO good during the summer 2008 ad campaign for bluecorp too. hold on i need to change my pfp

🐦‍⬛ proud-edgelord Follow if my parents named me teylhoure i wouldve killed myself too

[harryshomebaby]

it's hard to find the right words to say and i truly never thought i'd ever be writing something like this. and i apologize if this doesn't all come out the way i want it to.

i hate that i have to preface this by saying that i was not a fan or a supporter of Liam in recent years and do not condone anything that he did. the victims of his actions still deserve to be heard and find closure that they'll now sadly never see...

but if you were anything like me, Liam Payne was a significant part of who you were growing up. 1 of 5 individuals that we looked up to as role models, and that created some of the online communities we're still a part of today. that built friendships we probably still have to this day.

a mature but loveable boy that we all fell in love with in the very early days of One Direction, or even later. with video diaries, music videos, and behind the scenes clips that shared a glimpse of his personality with us, and tweets that some of us will never forget (it's a snake habitat, turn around!!), we watched him grow up alongside the boys while we were growing up ourselves.

we even had the privelege of seeing a small part of where he grew up and the people who raised him in This is Us and the "Story of my Life" video. we got to know a little bit about his life before One Direction, with small stories and anecdotes from his mother, Karen, and his father, Geoff. we got to see how loved he was by his family, by the band, and by all of the fans that adored him just as much as we did.

i still remember when i first learned about One Direction in 2012 and couldn't tell Liam or Harry apart because their hairstyles were so similar. and the shock the fandom had when he buzzed his head.

we got to see the good in him... even if it was only for a brief moment. five years of a band that carried so many of us through dark periods in our lives and that connected all of us to one another in a way that many of us had never experienced before.

we watched him grow up, live through the prime of his career, and saw the subsequent downfall of who he used to be. after One Direction split up, he opened up about his struggles with addiction during their tours and it was clear that despite what we all saw, it was never as pretty as their management had made the band out to be.

it's completely devastating that he was still struggling with substance abuse in the end. that he was never able to get the help he needed. and i am deeply sorry to all of the people who became victims at his hand. to maya henry who only recently opened up about her relationship to Liam and who is going to receive even more hate than she already has because of this tragedy.

i am sad that he wasn't able to get better. to get sober and attempt to rewrite some of his wrongs. that his addiction caused so much harm to him, but also to so many others. i am sad that he was so deeply troubled in his youth that he turned towards drugs and alcohol, and was never able to truly get his life back. i am sad at what fame did to him at such a young age. and i am sad for every single person that he hurt.

the entire fandom is on my mind today. all of those victims are on my mind today. his family is on my mind today. his 7-year old son is on my mind today. Niall, Zayn, Harry, and Louis are on my mind today.

this is heavy. and it's hard. and if you're struggling with the news, you are not alone.

my 15-year old self is in mourning today at news that i never thought i'd hear only a decade after One Direction's time. i may have never been a true fan of Liam in his solo endeavours, but he was still a big part of my childhood and the band that partially shaped who i am today.

this isn't how his story should have ended. and i'm sorry that it did. we'll never know the true intent of what happened today, but i do hope that he is in a better place and can find peace, and i sincerely hope that everyone he hurt is able to heal.

rest in peace, Liam Payne.

we'll all remember the good times we once shared every time we hear a One Direction song.

-

if you're struggling with your mental health, addiction, substance abuse, or thoughts of suicide, please consider reaching out to someone. everyone deserves a chance to get better. ♥

Suicide Hotlines & Support Below ↓

USA:

Suicide & Crisis Hotline - 988 Crisis Textline - text HOME to 741741 Youth Helpline - (877) 968-8491 or text 839863 

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[leafington]

𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙞 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚? 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙮, 𝙞 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙞 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚. - kiyoko s.

content warning !! - blackfem!reader, GAYGAYGAY, fluffy, lowercase intended just for the aesthetic, sneaking thru window trope, mentions of homophobia (nobody is, its just a reference)

young love. something to be treasured for those who experience it to the fullest, not everyone got to take part in the privelege of having someone truly care for you before adulthood. earlier in life, it didn't occur to you that you'd get to be one of the rare exceptions who got that opportunity. if you met your younger self, asking if you'd ended up with some mascot from your favorite cartoon then, you would laugh and tell yourself no, but you got an amazing girlfriend who's not only gorgeous but smart.

shimizu looks out for you like no one else does, conveniently bringing extra food for you when you forget your lunch, a spare pen when you've lost yours, and all that she asks in return is your affection? this relationship thing couldn't be any easier! of course, you don't hesitate to communicate with her because sometimes hugging her under the stairwell isn't enough.

it's around midnight, maybe a quarter past, sleep is far from you now as you toss and roll in your sheets. this leaves you no choice but to text the only other night owl you know.

'hi baby r u awake?' you, 12:26am

'no im sleeping really hard actually. snoring even.' kiyoko ❤️, 12:26am

'ofc i am darling, what did you need?' kiyoko ❤️, 12:26am

'can i come over pls? cant sleep' you, 12:27am

'mhm. windows unlocked.' kiyoko ❤️, 12:27am

in the dark of the night, you tread through the streets lit by only dim streetlights to your girlfriend. you go around the side of her home and climb the lofty tree to sit on the windowsill and let yourself inside, there she was, waiting for you with open arms. any normal person would simply let themselves in through the front, though only when their parents weren't as strict as shimizu's.

without sharing any other words besides 'hi', you crawl into her bed and make yourself comfortable. the both of you lie there for a bit before you decide to speak. "you smell nice, pretty." this makes her smile. "thank you. 's everything okay with you?" she checks in, playing with your hair a bit. "yeah. i just couldn't go back to sleep, guess it was a sign that i needed to see you." you grin lovingly, never getting enough of being around her. "don't get too comfortable, you can't stay the night." she warns, scooting over to nuzzle herself into your chest.

"says the one actively trying to cuddle me." you chuckle. "i don't get why your parents hate me so much, i'm literally the kindest girl in the whole wide world. not to mention the best girlfriend in the universe." she snickers at this, a small smile forming. "if that'll get you to sleep, keep thinking that way." shimizu thinks quietly, why do her parents not approve of you?

it isn't like they don't like her choice of partner, far from it. they've always been protective of her, wanting nothing short of the best for their baby girl, both you and them have that in common. when first meeting them, they did seem to have some sort of stick up their ass. hounding you with the basic questions of, "what do you plan on doing with our daughter?" "how'd you two meet?" "how can we be so sure you won't hurt her?" but your intentions with her are just as good as the next person, although she's convinced herself there'll never be a next one.

you're always in her head. "don't think too much about it, they'll warm up to me sooner or later." you kiss the crown of her head, nesting yourself there happily. "i hope so."

your relationship isn't widely shared around the school but it isn't private either, if people ask then you'll tell them, if they don't, then that's none of their business. when you see her out in the halls, you don't immediately attack her with kisses, a small wave is enough. but when the two of you are finally alone, it's different.

it's quiet now. the fan in her room being the only thing keeping it from being dead silent. the only problem with that is the thoughts that keep her conscious and overly aware. "y/n? you like me right?" she whispers. why? you don't know, though you never question her ways. "sometimes." you joke, following up with a short, "of course." shimizu hums at this.

silence again. you're halfway tempted to ask her what that was all about, but before you could even consider it, she flips you over—now straddling your lap while you're cozied up against her pillows. "woah, warning next time." you watch her practically stare into your soul, maybe there's something on your face? did she take your joke too seriously? hopefully it wasn't that. whatever she has to say, she's choked up about it. her lips twitch and tighten out of anticipation for whatever she was going to say.

she's in her own head a lot too.

your eyes soften, a hand gently guiding its way to her face. shimizu's worried look falters when feeling the warmth, her hand then coming up to cradle yours. "i love you. an ungodly amount at that. i'm not all that good at showing that but i do and i'm glad that we're together." she's still whispering, you still don't know why. it doesn't matter, you heard the l-word from her loud and clear.

it's... weird. not in a bad way though. she sounds so precious saying it too, as if it were something on her mind for the longest. there's this unsettling feeling about hearing it for the first time from someone who isn't your family.

maybe that's what it is.

she's your first, your only, and hopefully your last. shimizu's seen parts of you nobody else has even attempted to try to see, she's picked up your broken pieces, helped you when you needed it most. you're scared. scared of losing her, never getting a second chance at this again because it sounds too good to be true as harsh of a reality as it is.

you see it now. this is what people treasure so much, what they long to experience, how lucky you are to get to know what it's like so early in life.

"i love you too."

©2024 leafington dont steal please!! :)

[grimalkinmessor]

afofa for ask game???

But of course! :D

when I started shipping it if I did: My first go around with BNHA, actually! Before season five was even out. I read ahead in the manga and came to the scene of Yoichi and AFO in the vault with Midoriya watching on, and my brain immediately lit up like "OH SO IT'S LIKE THAT" lmao. I looked for content then, but of course, there was none, so it wasn't until I got back into BNHA a few years ago that I looked for AFOFA content and actually found it! Was more than a little surprised to find more gen content for them than shipping content, but that just gave me a new dessert for them :3 Have my cake and some pie too ✨

my thoughts: It's all just feral incoherence up here babe. Just a loud whirlwind of AJSVSKXBDJFL REDGREEN OBSESSEDVAULT NEVERAPART POWERLESSPOWER LOVEHATE INEVITABLETRAGEDY ITWASALWAYSGOINGTOENDLIKETHIS ILOVEYOUBUTITISNTENOUGH BRUTUSCAESAR ABLECAIN REMUSROMULUS ILLKILLYOUIMYOURS HEARTBORNAPARTFROMTHEBODY in my brain 24/7 365 :D

What makes me happy about them: The sheer amount of dark soulmate vibes we get from them in canon. AFO is literally Cronus coded, Yoichi is his Rhea. Yoichi is his everything—and hasn't all All For One's ever wanted and fought for been everything? 💖

What makes me sad about them: What they could've been 🥹 The fact that they both loved each other so deeply but their respective hearts and ideals are so at odds that it would never work in any universe where they're unequally yolked; and they almost always are. The fact that had they grown up in kinder circumstances the likely wouldn't have fought at all. It would've been just them, together, as they should've been from the start. Without all the blood between them. "It could've been the kindest power in the world."

things done in fanfic that annoys me: When they infantilize Yoichi 😮‍💨 Like he's definitely Babygirl™ but he's also a grown man. Being sickly and weaker than he's brother doesn't make him inherently stupider or less capable than AFO, and it definitely doesn't make him childish. I don't even like it when All For One is the one doing it—he absolutely sees his brother as naive and in need of protection but I don't think he'd ACTUALLY see him as a child, or even WANT him to be one. Idk it just skeeves me out, it's not how I see their relationship dynamic ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

things I look for in fanfic: Yoichi characterization!! :D AFO has always been pretty straightforward, so I do look for unhinged loving obsession and all-encompassing need and desire from him, but fics that dive into Yoichi's psyche are some of the most interesting to me :) I like him to be capable and cunning—it just doesn't matter how smart or strong he is against the overwhelming power of his brother 💕 Shoot his ass and watch him laugh ✨

who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: As you all know, I'm an avid shipper of any form of Ichiniisan, so I like Yoichi with Kudo and Bruce THIRD in any sort of way I can get them. As for All For One....well, he always takes whatever he wants, and I can see him with several people solely in a sexual sense. For romance however, I only see him loving Yoichi—with special Fondness™ priveleges for Yagi and Inko depending on the universe and circumstances.

my happily ever after for them: In my fic Like This You Keep Them Alive, I have them as lingering ghosts of their respective Quirks, and they can freely go back and forth between their holders (Izuku and Tomura) as much as they please. In the afterlife, everything is swept aside. There is no more power imbalance. There is no world to take over or save. They're able to just,,,,exist together, without anything between them anymore. They play games together and talk about things they haven't in ages and are basically all over each other all the time. I think that's gonna be my favorite ending for them :3

who is the big spoon/little spoon: All For One is big spoon. That man is over seven feet tall, Yoichi barely hits six-foot exactly. All For One big spoon 👁️👁️ He likes to cling.

what is their favorite non-sexual activity: Cuddling. Cuddling and talking, actually. Because I've got AFO's love language down as physical touch followed quickly by words and Yoichi's love language as words of affirmation followed quickly by physical touch, so sitting curled around each other in front of a warm fire like snakes while they whisper things back and forth would be their biggest nonsexual passtime together. Though sometimes Yoichi does like to badger his brother into dancing with him—mostly so Yoichi can stand on his feet and AFO can float them both into the air. It always make him super giddy 🥰 ....At least until they get to the point where AFO's arms begin to feel more like chains than shields.

[shut-up-rabert]

Do you think that despite everything and despite the nature of Sanatanis as a majority being starkly different from any other majority in the world, we still have any priveleges as a majority? Of course we've already established that being a majority doesn't necessarily mean we cannot be oppressed but do you think we still exercise some degree of privelege that minorities don't? I'm looking for as many viewpoints as I can and you're the only hindutva blog I know.

Hmm, If I’m being honest the only “majority privilege” I can think of is of Sanatan being seen as an inseparable part of our culture in the media.

If you see India being portrayed in other countries, you have a highte chance of seeing a Sanatani person or an idol or a temple in the background than you have of seeing mosques or churches. But I guess the fact that this is the birthplace of one of the largest religions of one and virtually the only country with a sizeable population of us (Nepal, Bali, Mauritius, Fiji and Trinidad aren’t as known still sadly) , so I think half of the times it can be them showing Indians when they have to portray Hindus rather than them showing Hindus when they have to show Indians, though it is certainly the latter at just as many times.

Other than that, being a majority in democracy certainly pays. Hindus have voted in a government they thought benificial to themselves, goes on to iterate that we hold a massive amount of power united. 80% is big afterall. This might sound problematic and it is pretty fucked up aswell, but Godhra and Delhi riots are a negative outcome of “hindus” deciding to unite for the wrong thing, even if for a reactionary reason. The Hindus all over the country uniting against them for righteousness such as in Bilkis Bano case, is a positive example of same. The dominance of Sanatani sentiment in states like Maharashtra,UP and Gujrat is also a result of us unitedly taking action to propagate the Hindu side.

Having 4/5th of power helps outside the political sphere aswell. The Ram Mandir Movement, Temple restoration movements and massive success of Kashmir Files has to show for that.

But our power as a majority is pretty harmless mostly because we don’t bear any ill will, and like you said it does not stop us from being oppressed because we rarely tend to take any fragmented attack on us seriously. So while yes, there are majority perks, it certainly is not half as decisive as media tries to portray it. This is for 2 reasons:

We aren’t inherently malicious. We have a live and let live philosophy which makes us totally harmless sans a few extreme right looney bin dropouts.

We tend to unite less. The examples I stated above are some of the few times we stand together and work as a majority. More often than not, like Bilkis or Kanhaiya case, we are all internally aware of right and wrong but lack the momentum to make things right or fight back against the injustice.

And while 1 is totally great, 2 is something we need to change. We hold the power of majority and can get things done, but we waste it on things like a bikini colour and lose the heat instead of channeling it on right kind of stuff. I think people need to speak up more instead of all of us internally agreeing on what is wrong and what is right.

so yeah, this is all I can think of, but I hope it helps. Thankyou!

[emptymanuscript]

I feel like this one has so much room to play around in.

Like, are we talking, I go back knowing everything I know and it's just, do you wanna do it again? Or are we talking I rewind time and only remember enough of the future to know that in some alternate timeline I had my current opinions about my education? Or... some other variable, like if you went and did this degree instead I know my life would be different in these particular ways? And how often can one redo and compare? And how big can the change fallout be, etc? Oh! and how far back are we talking? Like are we just going back to first day of class registrations or are we going younger to prep for a different major and things like that?

I know a lot of the stuff that I am most pleased with in my life are emergent effects from decisions that include my BA. So I would be EXTREMELY hesitant to seriously change it. I even met @coatntails specifically because of mutual school connections. We were both friends with findingsherlock and minion who were in my major with me. I'm even fairly certain we would never have gotten together if findingsherlock hadn't made it her freaking mission to get us together, which we finally did ON THEIR WEDDING DAY. @coatntails was one of the bridesmaids and I was the officiant. And findingsherlock and minion gave up their fourth wedding anniversary to return the favor and officiate for us. Come to think of it... pretty much all the people from college that I still talk to regularly, I met through my major. So... you know... I don't really want to give that up.

But I could certainly enjoy tweaking it. Like, I would absolutely send a very emphatic message back in time to my college age self looking sadly at statistics requirements and demanding that I buy myself a copy of excel and take the damn "Statistical Methods in Psychological & Brain Sciences" course because I really do regret how close I came to getting a minor in Psychology and giving up. If I went back with everything I know, I would abuse the hell out of my priveleges and aim hard for a dual major in Psychology instead of just a BA in Creative Studies with a literature emphasis. Get the damn double major.

I would also damn well send myself a message to NEVER take a break from the SBWC, that is a HUGE regret for me. It nourishes my soul. And, you know, it might offer some huge advantages.

Where I would seriously consider changing is actually my Masters. My Masters Degree was good. But I'm not sure I couldn't have done better with less pain by taking another path. And the easiest way to do that would be a very stern message to my past self to really go all out on language learning.

If I could go far enough back and really communicate or hold onto knowledge, I think I'd try to convince my former self to not just stick with but actually try significantly harder with Hebrew, Spanish, and Russian. Actually can I go back and talk to my parents? (Very Dangerous Idea) but like just to say, hey, start Hebrew REALLY early, like immediately, I'm gonna have a really hard time with it so I'm gonna need a lot more help a lot earlier if you want any possibility of me being able to work with any of it. Also, talk to your kid about Talmud and Kabbalah instead of... whatever we called Sunday School (Thursday school? Temple school? Can't remember). Religion and what passes for history isn't gonna work. Go with ethics and mysticism, those things your child actually cares about. Then I wouldn't have the impulse to choose the grad school I did because a decent chunk of my choice was based around finding a school that both offered a PhD (which I now know I do not actually want in writing or literature, at least not enough to do that much work for that little return) but also didn't require me to know two foreign languages (which I do not).

But you know, if you're going that far back and can communicate or even just remember everything, like can you just try and track down your people vastly early. Most of the people who are my primary attachements in my current life not only lived in my country but in my home state. Three not only lived in my state but in my county! Minion, even though I never met him until college, actually lived closer to me in time and mileage than I went to school in 4th, 5th, and 6th.

Of course then there's the convincing of people... hi, is ____ at home. Heuy, ____! Look, I know you've never met me but I have traveled back in time from a future where you are important to me and I miss you and don't want to wait until we actually enter each other's lives naturally. Might be a bit awkward.

...though I do wonder if I could save some friends pain. Like, could I interfere somehow with people who I know will be hurt if I kind of know where-ish, when-ish, and how-ish they were hurt? Would they then end up the same people? Hmmmm....

This is how we end up with alternate lives stories... huh.

If I can keep the people and what I know, though... then I wouldn't have to keep the places. Then, yeah, I'd probably change my major so I could have more knowledge because I LOVE being an insufferable know it all. Of course then I'd have to decide if I wanted psychology, education, or linguistics. Maybe religious studies but I'm always fascinated by religious studies UNTIL I'm actually taking classes and then I'm bored out of my mind, so probably not. There's also media studies :/ that would be useful.

Hmmph... I'd probably need to go back early enough to give some thought to what I'd actually want to study XD.

I think I'd still want the same ideal job that I ideally want now (and am not going to get). So... probably education, I guess. Yeah, there's a change I think I'd rather... just going so much harder after the job I wanted when there was time, energy, and momentum on my side.

Bleh... that sounds depressing.

Hmmmph.

[happymeishappylife]

Games I Played in 2024

Stray Gods

I absolutely loved this game! And I replayed it in full 3 times to hear the story told through the different song style choices because it was different and surprisingly, you did get different pieces of the story by exploring that. But I love all things about reinventing Greek Mythology into present day and to imagine what the gods are doing, how they are surviving and how they aren't, was really fascinating. Also I loved Grace as the heroine and New Muse, but I was devastated by Freddie's storyline. The only reason I ended up pursuing Persephone the final time was it was too painful to lose Freddie again, lol. And since I didn't romance the others that means there are always stories to go back and explore if I ever want to.

2. Assassins Creed: Black Flag

Its funny, because going into this story I thought I was going to be playing more a goofball based on how the fandom sees Edward. And sure, he is less serious than Connor, and while still an ass, he's not in the same league as Haytham. I really enjoyed Edward's journey from just a lost soul, turned pirate for the actual pillaging aspect, and then to a true Assassin once he realizes what the relics can do and what's at stake. That's true character growth and was great to see. The game was a little glitchy and I hated seafaring at first, but then it became one of my favorite activities, especially to listen to all the sea shanties. And I like seeing more of Edward's story in the webtoon comic which I'm reading right now.

3. Europa

I bought this game, not knowing much about the story, but being intrigued by the gameplay and the style. And the style is absolutely gorgeous! It's heavily inspired by Studio Ghibli and honestly so is the story, set in a future time where we have made it to Europa and tried to colonize it. It goes badly and all that is left is this little robotic-ish boy made from a man grieving the loss of his son. But what that means after the game ends, is left to heavy interpretation. My only complaint is that the gameplay becomes pretty repetitive very quickly and I don't understand how this robot survives with all the machines shooting at him.

4. Assassins Creed: Freedom Cry DLC

Adewale! It was an absolute privelege to play as this legend of a man. I think we all knew he was going to do great once he left Edward's side and the fact that we got to experience that was phenomenal. I loved the new mechanic too that we were freeing slaves throughout the Caribbean and helping them to form the societies to keep each other safe and connected. My only complaint, was that it was a DLC (though a good sized one), but not a full game.

5. Venba

I'll admit, I had been hoping for a little more sustenance with this game, but even though it was short, it told a good story about the lives of immigrants and how that evolves and changes through ones life. I honestly felt for Venba the whole time because it is hard to hang on to one's culture in the strange new world, and even though she tries, it's such a strain to her son that it ruptures that relationship. My only other complaint was that the actual cooking sections of the game, were not intuitive and the lack of directions, while important to the story, made the gameplay so annoying because it was not clear how to make the dishes. I also wish there was a better way to access the recipes then the screen on the game because I would love to try making them.

6. Assassins Creed: Aveline DLC

It was great to have another adventure with Aveline even though this was short lived. And after playing Liberation, I was grateful to get a chance to play a story with smoother controls. Still, I just want more, especially because she is the first playable female assassin. But I know more are coming and I can't wait to see what other tales I get to experience.

7. Assassins Creed: Rogue

I was so disappointed by this game. I think the concept of having a story in the franchise be going from the point of a hero as we come to understand it with the assassins, to becoming a Templar such a fascinating and intriguing way to spend the game that I was excited to see what would unfold. But the game was an absolute mess of glitches and controls and it didn't need to be set in the same period of games 3 and 4 where we we were so connected to the other assassin's characters. Like killing Adewale after playing him was hard and I had to stop playing for a bit because that was cruel. I mean sure, nice to know how Achilles lost everything, but this needed to be its own unique story. I doubt they will try it again, but I kinda hope they do if only to execute it better.

Games I replayed in 2024: 1. Animal Crossing 2. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune 3. Uncharted 2: Honor Among Thieves

[standingappablog]

My interpretation of Toni and Shelbys relationship.

I am re-watching the wilds and I wanna talk about a few things I missed in my first viewing. 

Toni

Starting off in episode one, which I think a lot of us picked up on the gay vibe from both of them, was Tonis front with shelby at the beginning of the show. All talk, and takes no shit. But you can spot her flustered moment easily when Shelby puts her hands on her shoulders and when she begins to sing (while she pees yes lol) But you can just SEE IT on her face. This quickly subsides though as not long after Toni lets a tree branch fly back in her face.

The writers also try confuse you and make you think the reason why Toni  dislikes Shelby so much (at least untill episode 6 before the homophobia) is becuase of her possibly stealing her best friend away. Which of course played a part in it too.

The scenes of her looking at Martha and shelby was a common 0occurrence. You notice though, in most scenes how Martha is sort of out focus and in the backround while shelby takes up most of the shot. Indicating that shelby is the person Tonis gaze is fixed on.

I think the reason why Toni so strongly disliked Shelby in the beginning  is becuase she found herself attracted to her, which she obviously didnt like. With shelby having this happy go lucky optimistic front, and all the jesus talk really clashed with her pretty pesimistic personality. Not to mention how Toni thinks Shelby is extreamly privileged,which in a lot of aspects of her life she is. Considerably more after you find out Tonis backstory. So with that knowledge of her backround you could see why she would assume her life is better than hers. I mean she is a rich white girl from texas, so her assumption wasnt unreasonable. To Toni the idea of liking someone like Shelby is unexpected for her, so she does as much as possible to push her away. Explaining why she was pretty rude to her for the first half of the series. 

Along with Shelbys little “westburo baptist” moment Toni got pretty angry (rightly so) and this probably solidified the irationality of thease feelings she had for Shelby. Giving her even more of a reason to dislike her.

 Despite this Toni finds it in herself to try cheer her up when the two run into each other in the woods after Shelbys biggest insecurity is revealed by leahs theories. Tonis feelings for Shelby are on view a little bit here. Beforehand she barely could interact with her without expressing her dislike for Shelby.

 Though the mood shifts again after Shelby brings up the subject of her views on being gay.

Right up until shelby kisses her, Toni outwardly berates Shelby on how medieval her veiws are, and what a priveleged life she leads. She tells her on this island they are free, and Shelby takes this opportunity to show who she really is.

The kiss the two share as we all saw was in no way one sided, Toni does kiss her back. Obvioiusly this shocks Toni, as well as shelby herself. WIth shelby running off as she tries to escape what she just did with a girl who she thought hated her.

You immideatly see Toni run after her. Her feelings for this girl who Toni thought hated who she was where reciprocated. In this moment her whole attitude towards Shelby changes as she begins to understand why she is the way she is.

Shelby

Shelbys sexuality was pretty obvious to many of the LGBT viewers, we have all been there, obviously not the religious cult part, but putting up a front, hiding who we are. So it was easy to tell that she was gay from the beggining. Its also pretty common in the media to portray a closeted LGBT person like this. The question was how the writers where going to go about revealing the fact that she is gay.

You notice Shelbys attempts to be friendly towards Toni pretty early on with inviting her out to the first exhibition. Of course we all know it ends with her getting a branch to the face. But when questioned about the cut on her temple, she doesnt reveal that Toni was the one who caused it. 

Though as we all know as Shelby begins to become friends with Martha, Toni becomes increasingly more hostile towards her. Probably shattering the hopes of being friends. So we see less of Shelbys perspective of the relestionship between the two from her, and more from Toni. The two become pretty bitter with each other after the shelter building contest, the tension rising pretty quickly, although it seems that Toni is always the one who initiates the fights they have. Even after Toni destroys the hut and storms off, Shelby goes to find her and still tries to have a friendly conversation, possibly she went to comfort her, but of course we know from watching Toni interact with those around her she only initates in deep conversation with those she trusts, and the weird feelings she has for Shelby probably didnt help. 

Fast forward to episode six and Shelby has her little moment when the others are joking around with the shellfish. Of course this one isnt as subtle as previous scenes but it shows Shelbys internalized homophobia.The gestures Toni demonstrated made her uncomfortable becuase she knew thats who she was, the idea of being gay freaked her out, so she did the only thing to stop it. To lash out and reveal how she truely felt about herself. She proably never intended on revealing this, becuase really she doesnt hate the fact that Toni is gay. She hated the fact that she is gay herself. This probably shattered any hope of frienship with Toni after this incedent. (She also mentioned to martha afterwards that she knew it would happen, this revealation pushed everyone away from her considerably for the rest of the season)

When everyone begins to get sick, we see Shelby desperatly trying to prove to everyone and Toni that, she doesnt hate her. Ofcourse we knew by now that the two felt something for each other. In a way this was Shelbys feelings acting out. Her romantic feelings yes, but mostly guilt.Ignoring the others offers to let them give her the pill, instead she desperatly overcomes Tonis pride. Making her take the pill  forcably, so that she would stay alive.

Just before the two share their first kiss, shelby finally opens up about how miserable she finds her life. Toni as we know with a troubled backround claims that she cant “out sad” her. The only thing that Toni has that Shelby doesnt is freedom. Toni seeing the solution around them points out she is more free than ever and that moment you see the contemplation in her face, you can almost see whats going on in her mind just before she leans in and impulsively kisses Toni.

She then runs, obviously horrified with herself. The immeanse internalised homohpbia making her feel ashamed for following her heart.

I honestly loved watching this couple come together, their chemistry and writing was great and super intriuging to watch. I am glad a rewatched it again, there was a few things I missed out on in the first veiwing becuase i was too busy chanting “kiss! kiss! kiss!” everytime they appeared on screen together. This is completley my interpretation of their releationship and how the scenes are done, I honestly could be completley wrong and they are as they are shown to be on the surface. I just really enjoy delving deep into the motives and feelings of characters I enjoy watching. :)

*Edit* My apologies if this is written bad! At the time when I wrote this I was extremely tired. I hadn't slept the night before and I was just back from a full day of school.

[tsuki-sennin]

The Scheme has entered an InteRmission. The game's not over until the Game Master says it's over, so we find ourselves being turned against one another.

What kinda sick game is being played here? Who will win or lose? How will the fox be hunted?

Only one way to find out~! Join me in the lobby for this special edition of Spoilers, I guess...

Remember! If you don't fight, you don't survive!

-Tsumuri seems quite sick of Giroli's shit. Can't really say I blame her.

-I see there's a number of Glare Troopers. ...I assume that's what we're calling them for now until we get an official name.

-"Fuck you Tsumuri. This is my game, you're just an NPC."

-Geats.

-No intro, huh? Wonder if we'll get something like Ex-Aid where there's a long stretch of episodes where the main theme is just that episode's insert.

-Whoever skins the fox becomes God.

-Keiwa's very mad!

-"Why must Riders fight one another!? I've had enough violence!"

-Keiwa :(

-Oh Neon...

-"I see how it is. I have to kick both your asses to keep my godhood. I don't mind. I'm okay with this. Really."

-Yeah, I know you guys don't.

-PUNKJACK AAAA

-HARERUYA WAKE UP MAN

-If you don't fight, you don't survive!

-Ooooooh, making him mad!

-You dirty bastard!

-The gun has more gun!

-Wiiiiin!

-Punkjack is gone.

-The rain has come.

-Fuck you, man.

-The betrayal on their faces, aaaaagh

-Well, seems like somebody's aiming for Godhood.

-Tsumuri-neesan :)

-She brought snacks :)

-He's very lonely, you see.

-What is the point of the fox man's life?

-Mitsume...

-Nooooooo :(

-Hello, Sara-neesan.

-Well, at least she's got understandable goals.

-Keiwa really b goin through it :pensive:

-Heeeeey, Keiwa... buddy... if you wanna talk,

-Dinner...

-"What's wrong, Neon, sweetie :)"

-Yep, Daddy's paying a lot of money for a bunch of assholes to shoot plant people.

-Keiwaaaaa :(

-Oh, the Glare Troopers just

-Change on a whim, okay

-Hunter-san.

-I swear, every time I see Riders fight each other, as overplayed as it may feel, I go "Noooooooo, you're supposed to be bestieeeees! :(("

-Set.

-Set.

-Time for the duel between the Raising Swords.

-Ready, Fight!

-Bust up that warehouse, fellas.

-Full Charge! Twin Set!

-Jet vs. Cannon!

-Push that big-ass hunk-a metal!

-Oh here comes Giroli, with his haxxor admin privelege!

-Delete!

-Ah, so Glare's magic purple balls are straight up weapons too, okay

-OOOOOOOH KEIWA LET'S GOOOO

-GET FUCKED, GAME MASTER

-Niram! Hello!

-The Game Master has been fired.

-Hell yeah Na-Go!

-Oh, he straight up blew up Hareruya.

-"You're fired, bitch."

-Everybody fought for their dreams, in a game full of people just as skilled and terrifying as they are.

-...Keiwa, I agree with you but like... Da-Paan literally attempted genocide, I don't think you should be remembering him that fondly.

-Fuck you, we're not wasting our chance we're taking it!

-Them :)

-Oh whoops, he still strong!

-Kinda love how like

-Skilled female Riders are as of late.

-I'd kinda prefer if they got flashy upgrades too but the way they manage to keep up with odd but versatile abilities is pretty epic, I'll happily admit.

-Oh!

-Giroli has been fired!

-Very replaceable~!

-Goodbye, Giroli.

-"Good job everybody! I hope you all have a good day~!"

-Cats and tanuki trick people too, fox boy :)

-Now we can trick and fight together with impunity~!

-Priority entry~!

-Kamen Riders, let's go~!

-Archimedel, hello!

-Ohhhhh, that's Michinaga's body!

-DON'T LICK HIM EWW

-OOOOOOOOH ZOMBIE SAVED HIM

-Entertainment~!

-The most popular movie star in the world! A celebrity streamer from a multibajillion dollar conglomerate! Some guy!

-These three are the heroes of the Desire Grand Prix!

-Eyes all over the place!

-Bitches from Helheim to CooKingdom to Ideon to Major Land to Planet Police are all waiting with bated breath! Got to go the next round!

-Mr. Kurama, you're kinda fucked in the head for putting your daughter on the line for a reality show.

-Oooooooh, who that!

-...shit, am I part of the problem?

-Oh fuck, new guys.

-I kinda appreciate the constantly rotating cast of Riders.

-It's a nice balance between showing off lots and lots of forms while still giving us new characters to make fun of. The fact that the Riders all have such simplified designs makes it real easy to keep them all straightened out.

-Divergence Game! Please look forward to it!

-Oh shit, that's Powered Builder. That's from the movie!

-See you all next Sunday or so, DGP watchers!

[nervoustragedyluminary]

But I thought this 'Never happens' and housing discrimination is always done by super priveleged Afab nonbinary people called Sock and that's why it isn't transphobic to call people trenders "theyfabs" ? /S

But seriously good luck I hope you find somewhere decent that's not this shit.

(Just gonna have a rant about these kinds of listings below the read more)

I'm pretty sure the listing is by a cis person -at least I'm guessing by the "she/her or they/Them Identifying " language. Just so many red flags in listings like these.

as "a they/Them" (cursed phrasing IK) I'm never living or being friends with people who live anywhere where they dictate residence by pronouns or birth assignment /assumed genitals ...

Not that places like this would accept me in the first place because I have a beard and call myself a trans man as well as nonbinary and likely wouldn't fit in their it's totally not a cult or harem gathering attempt I just need to live with only 'feminine' people I would fuck whose birth genitals I know about 'vibe'

I swear half the listings like these are just people who want to use their flat as tinder or a conversion therapy cult or to do the "let me teach you how to woman/ forcefem you and dictate your transition because I am the guardian of womanhood" BS while pretending that what they're saying/doing is 'enlightened' or about trying to make a safespace rather than the invasive predatory transphobic BS it is

"we're safe it's not sexual harassment or boundary crossing when we do XYZ because we all have the 'correct' pronouns /genitals so we are all safe and incapable of being creepy " - like no fuck off you creeps you're just as sus & as the cis men landlords who advertise for "single females under 30 only "

You're looking for a flatmate not a potential date so fucking act like it or be honest that you prefer to only live with people you can imagine dating/sleeping with (why else have these arbitrary genital or pronoun requirements?) so that people can avoid your controlling boundary crossing shit

- don't lie and say it's to make a 'safe space' because there's nothing safe about a house where you need to share your asab/genitals to 'prove' you are "feminine enough to be safe" & where anyone "sufficiently feminine" is assumed to be incapable of harming or predating on others

Saw this trying to get an apartment and its got me feeling all sorts of feelings im not gonna lie

[larathia]

TBHK: Ch. 87 analysis

Cut for your spoiler free people.

* We still haven’t found the Missing Hakujoudai. It’s possible that Hanako sent it to go tell Six that his sacrifice was getting kidnapped (If you watch, it goes missing right after Hanako’s pulled off the train) but as it still hasn’t reappeared and Six’s opening words don’t seem to relate, I don’t think we can call that a given.

* What Six said was IMPORTANT. The Boundary stopped collapsing. As far as we know, none of Our Heroes did anything (on purpose, at any rate) to get that result. The only thing we’ve seen that could even remotely apply is Akane stopping time for the people on the train for a few minutes. But Six has met Akane, and doesn’t even look in his direction - his attention is immediately on the Minamotos. Granted, Teru had just tried to skewer him, but that doesn’t seem to be affecting Six’s priorities any.

* Akane isn’t always my favorite character - the way he fixates on Aoi is...troublesome, to me. But he’s absolutely my favorite in this chapter, because his take on Kou letting Hanako and Nene go is “well, yeah, we knew that might happen, jeez” where Teru’s reaction kinda made clear that actually no. He didn’t think that might happen. Teru genuinely thought his little brother would fall in line, which makes me wonder just how much Teru’s paid attention when ‘keeping an eye on little bro’ in past chapters.

Actually, as it’s the brunt of this chapter anyway, let’s get into that.

The heart of Kou’s character is basically a conflict between what he is and what he wants to be. And it’s a pretty broad and confusingly-laid-out conflict, because he’s still a kid, he sees several options, and he’s not really given any help or guidance trying to pick between them.

What he is, is an exorcist. Family of exorcists, history of noble clan of exorcists...I mean everything he knows how to do, has come from his family. But that doesn’t mean he’s necessarily any good at it, and Teru in particular seems to have felt for a long time that Kou just wasn’t going to shape up enough to take on ‘the family business’. That’s a bit unfair of Teru, in that Teru is naturally gifted, much like their little sister Tiara. And by ‘naturally gifted’ I don’t just mean in spiritual power - I mean generally, in everything. He’s gifted at anything he tries to do. It’s how he’s become ‘prince of the school’. Now, gifted kids have their own problems, and Teru has all of those in spades, but the big one here is - Teru actually has no idea how to help anyone else learn anything. Because he doesn’t have to learn himself. He’s had most of what he’s got simply fall into his lap, responsibilities and priveleges alike.

So when Kou doesn’t seem to just GET IT...Teru seems to have assumed Kou never would. Kou would never be a true exorcist. Kou is a civilian playacting at the family business. 

Yet - Kou did playact at the family business. And so Teru seems to have figured Kou would pick up at least the basics, apparently by osmosis since no one was going to take time out of their busy days to teach him.

That’s where Teru’s at. Teru thinks Kou should have known quite a lot of things, but there’s no indication that Teru or anyone else ever taught Kou anything. Even the spirit staff Kou was given, he had no training for - as Hanako pointed out quite a long time ago, right before he sealed it away. It makes me wonder if Teru even knew that Kou was zapping his own soul every time he tried to use that staff, or if he’d just figured Kou would ‘work it out’ or something. It all came naturally to Teru; he figured at least part of it would come naturally to Kou. The knowledge, even if never the talent. (Given how young Teru was when he started being sent out on the hunt, I have to wonder if Teru simply forgot that he once would have had to be taught, too.)

And Kou watches his whole family go off to war every night, and stays home making dinner and cleaning the house. And he loves his family, and he’s quite good at cooking and cleaning and if there were any indication at all that his family didn’t pity him and shut him out I think he’d be happy enough in that role. But they did shut him out. He’s an exorcist of a family of exorcists...who was essentially left to raise himself. And he’s found that supernaturals are different but not necessarily bad. He’s made supernatural friends. His powers aren’t that hot but he’s strong enough to be of help, and there’s happiness there. He doesn’t know much but neither does anyone else, so he gets to Not Feel Ignorant, too. 

Up until this chapter, I’d have said you know, maybe Kou will grow up to be more of a ghost whisperer. Still a kind of exorcist, just not as extreme. He very nearly got the original Mitsuba to just let go and move on, as spirits are supposed to do; it wasn’t his fault Tsukasa intervened. But it looks like things aren’t going to be that easy.

Nothing will change your path like watching someone you care about get deeply hurt. I don’t know if Kou will remember, later on, that Teru started the fight by charging in with his sword out. He may well only remember that a supernatural appeared and Teru shoved him out of the way - and got his arm cut off by a Wonder for it.

Kou doesn’t understand Teru any more than Teru understands Kou, but Kou does love his brother. And the belief that Kou (and Akane) seem to have that Teru is invincible has just taken a huge and incredibly bloody hit. This could set Kou down a much darker path, one much closer to Teru’s but without Teru’s power. Six cut Teru down without any effort. Now, Six has power over life and death, and may choose to restore Teru somehow. But that sight, of Teru coming to his defense (again) and nearly getting killed? That’s going to scar Kou the same way watching Tsukasa warp Mitsuba did.

And he might no longer be on Nene’s side, when they meet again.