#because they were only using me. to get good grades. and get into an elite school. when they absolutely don’t deserve to

[under-sparkling-lights]

7 classes going consecutively since 8am i’m so dead

[nanaosaki3940]

TokRev in Final Timeline (Kazushi Yamagishi's Wikipedia)

Credit: Marin (@RanHaruchiyo) on Twitter. The original Twitter post - Link

Toman's Commander - Manjiro Sano aka Mikey

I asked Mikey-kun if he had ever lost a fight and he said, "Only once. To a guy with a regent head who would never give up."

Toman's 2nd Commander - Takemichi Hanagaki

He sometimes makes eye contact with Mikey-kun and gives him a distant look like he's lived twice his life. Feel irritated, even though he’s Takemichi!!

Toman's Vice-Commander - Ken Ryuguji aka Draken

He fights with Hanma once a week. Seems like he had 48 victories out of 52 fights.

Toman's 1st Division Captain - Keisuke Baji

He and Chifuyu sometimes talk about the old vice-captain (Ryusei Satou). "He was very flirtatious and a jerk." Both of them laugh.

Toman's 1st Division Vice-Captain - Chifuyu Matsuno

He’s close with Takemichi even though he's not in the same squad and don't have much contact with him.

Toman's 2nd Division Captain - Takashi Mitsuya

I said, "Mitsuya-kun, you get along with everyone, don't you?" and he said, "Except you." Maybe he is a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Toman's 2nd Division Vice-Captain - Hakkai Shiba

He often gets into fistfights with his big bro, Taiju. How can you defy a monster like that?

Toman's 3rd Division Captain - Haruki Hayashida aka Pah-chin

The first squad has a lot of strong fighters. One of them, Osanai, who’s cared about by Pah-chin, is said to be strong at the captain level.

Toman's 3rd Division Vice-Captain - Ryohei Hayashi aka Peh-yan

He has an alliance with Senju and Kazutora who want to win Mikey-kun. Senju’s the only one who seems to be taking this alliance seriously, even though he’s the one who made it.

Toman's 4th Division Captain - Kazutora Hanemiya

He and Akkun have been together every day since the Mizochu Incident when they had a one-on-one fight, and I'm a little bit jealous.

Toman's 4th Division Vice-Captain - Atsushi Sendo aka Akkun

The vice-captain of the fourth squad, Sendo Atsushi!! He’s the savior who put us in the fourth squad.

Toman's 5th Division Captain - Haruchiyo Akashi

Mikey believer. He is often banned from meetings because of his bad character. NOTE: the person to watch out for When I followed him, I found that he often meets with Mucho, one of the big four of Tenjiku. He is a traitor definitely!!

Toman's 5th Division Vice-Captain - Senju Akashi

The captain of the 5th squad substantially Finally I witnessed his cheating!! They were both eating chocolate mint ice cream from Seventeen Ice, and Takemichi looked good as he said, "We finally made good on our promise.” I have to report this to Hina-chan!!!

Toman's 6th Division Captain - Nahoya Kawata aka Smiley

He recently changed her hair color from apricot to nasturtium orange. He was angry that no one noticed.

Toman's 6th Division Vice-Captain - Souya Kawata aka Angry

Apparently, there is a band and he is the leader. The vocalist is Mitsuya, the guitarist is Kazutora, the bassist is Akkun, and the drummer is Angry.

Toman's Strategist - Tetta Kisaki

BAKAmichi’s partner. I wonder what it is about each other that attracts them even though he’s so smart like that?

Toman's Assistant - Shuji Hanma

He's still growing in height, apparently.

Black Dragon's 10th Generation Leader - Taiju Shiba

He's so strong in fights that he's like a wild gorilla, but he gets top grades in school apparently.

Black Dragon's Elite Guard Captain - Hajime Kokonoi

I was following him to try to get some information about Koko-kun, but on the contrary, he took advantage of my weakness.

Black Dragon's Attack Squad Captain - Seishu Inui

Inupi-kun apparently always keeps Koko-kun's wallet, who is careless with money. My fave from BD! He looks like me somehow huh?

Tenjiku's Boss - Izana Kurokawa

Unlike BD and Toman, Tenjiku is under his dictatorship. Apparently, he considers his members slaves.

Tenjiku's 1st Heavenly King - Kakucho

A prodigy in fights. He can compete with Mikey or Shiba Taiju in a one-on-one fight He is my fave from Tenjiku! Perfect! I strive to be like him in the future.

Tenjiku's 2nd Heavenly King - Yasuhiro Muto aka Mucho

The most “personable person” in Tenjiku.

Tenjiku's 3rd Heavenly King - Ran Haitani

When he talks to someone, he immediately starts talking at a distance of one centimeter. As a matter of fact, he seems to be very short-sighted.

Tenjiku's 4th Heavenly King - Kanji Mochizuki aka Mocchi

He seem to like Yukimi Daifuku.

Tenjiku's Executive - Rindo Haitani

I watched him all day long. In the morning, he drank in the park. In the afternoon, he drank with the homeless. In the evening, he drank with people in the off-site betting office. Finally, he drank in the nightclub at night!!

Tenjiku's Executive - Shion Madarame

He often gets sick to his stomach.

[dollya-robinprotector]

Giggling because I love making post with multiple character tags and then wait for the wrong face to be featured on all the tags ksksksks

This sydney looks soooo sillyyyy

Anw I just thought about my past so story time under the cut.

When I was in secondary school, I once knew a friend who was bullied.

For the context, it was a decent school, with 4 grades, each had 4 classes: A for lower-perform and naughty students, B for normal, C for better than average, and D for the Elites who will most definitely have bright future ahead. We are Asian children, study means EVERYTHING for us. Our worth are defined by how well we perform in school, how many awards we have and how good our grades are.

That friend was in class C. I was in class B. Normally we don't make friends outside of the class, but I once saw him being poured water on in the hallway, defended him and we became friends. Or something like that. Let's call him Z because I forgor his name now.

My parents didn't do well with the fact that I failed my entrance test and was stuck in normal class. They didn't have money to upgrade me to class C either, so they made me study extra hard. Back since I started going to school, I was being teased and harassed a lot too cuz I love to draw (what's the problem of kids being mean to artistic kids btw???). But since I was one of the best performers in study, I soon gained some respect and the soft bully subside. (I was terrible in math, but everything else were straight A okay??)

Z wasn't so lucky. I learned that his grades were terrible eventhough he was in class C. He stuttered a lot, always looks down when talking to people, never dare to engage in any conversation, etc... His appearance did not help, and he had some funny smell when I stood close to him. One thing though, he loved drawing too (urgh artistic kids again) and really admired my skill. The only times he would smile are when we talked about our fav anime. Looking back, I think maybe he had something to do with autism? I can't be sure though, but I know his parents spent a LOT to keep him in that better-than-average-class.

The bully was not too terrible, at least from what I saw and heard. He often got splashed by water, threw dirty rag or left-over food at, made fun of, laughed at, his belongings often went missing and be found somewhere dirty, etc... I used to went through all that too, so I helped him to somehow deal with them. Those sort of soft-physical bully were nothing scary once you got used to them. Just a little annoying. He got used to it too, I think, and we didn't mention those when we talk. I admit I might had some savior complex, and that friendship is not entirely friendly. It was more like I thought he would be helpless without me so I can't leave him alone.

And then one day when I was going home from school, Z approached me and asked if I want to go to his house. He said he has a very big greenhouse, and there were some pretty blooming flowers he wanted to show me. I never saw a greenhouse before and I love flowers, of course I said yes!

We rode our bicycles to his house. I've never been to his house before nor meet his parents. I didn't even ask my mom for permission to go but well, I was excited.

We went for a long time, and I started to realize he was leading me into the forest. I still went with him for maybe half an hour more, before I said I was tired and you didn't tell me your house would be this far. Then I look around and truly there was nothing bu trees surrounded the two of us. He looked back at me, clearly exhausted too, and said nothing. I started to realize the situation I was in: a 12 years old, in a forest, with no directions and a strange friend who I didn't really know. Yeh atm I was pretty scared.

I asked Z again where exactly is his house. He stuttered and said I don't need to worry, we would get there very soon. He said if I was too tired I can hop on his bike and he would get me there. Then he attempted to take my hand but that creeped me out so I stepped away from him. I turned my bike, ignored his calls, and just went as fast as I can toward the direction I thought would lead me out of the woods. He called out to me and began to chase after me too, but gave up after some times.

I then just rode my bike with full speed, somehow got out of the woods into a strange road I didn't know, asked around for direction and got home safe. My mom scolded me for being so damn late and I apologized. I never tell anybody, and never talk to Z ever again. He didn't bother me either. And that's the end of the story.

[ala-baguette]

Do you think Aurors are the same as Muggle cops, or do you think it's different?

Ah, I anticipated this follow-up question (and the political undercurrent that comes with it). The Magical Law Enforcement Patrol would be akin to "cops." Aurors are different. And I think canon gives us plenty of evidence for the distinction:

"[Moody's] retired, used to work at the Ministry," said Charlie. "[...] He was an Auror-- one of the best... a Dark wizard catcher," he added, seeing Harry's blank look.

"[...] I only hope we can catch whoever's [charming the regurgitating toilets]." "Will it be Aurors who catch them?" "Oh no, this is too trivial for Aurors, it'll be the ordinary Magical Law Enforcement Patrol."

"Well, it'd be cool to be an Auror," said Ron in an offhand voice. "Yeah, it would," said Harry fervently. "But they're, like, the elite," said Ron. "You've got to be really good."

"Well, I thought of, maybe, being an Auror," Harry mumbled. "You'd need top grades for that," said Professor McGonagall, extracting a small, dark leaflet from under the mass on her desk and opening it. "They ask for a minimum of five NEWTs, and nothing under 'Exceeds Expectations' grade, I see. Then you would be required to undergo a stringent series of character and aptitude tests at the Auror office. It's a difficult career path, Potter; they only take the best. In fact, I don't think anybody has been taken on in the last three years." [...] "What sort of character and aptitude tests do the Ministry do on you, if you get enough NEWTs?" "Well, you'll need to demonstrate the ability to react well to pressure and so forth," said Professor McGonagall, "perseverance and dedication, because Auror training takes a further three years, not to mention very high skills in practical defense. It will mean a lot more study even after you've left school [...]"

"I was born [a Metamorphmagus]. I got top marks in Concealment and Disguise during Auror training without any study at all, it was great." "You're an Auror?" said Harry, impressed. [...] "Yeah," said Tonks, looking proud. "Kingsley is as well; he's a bit higher up than I am, though. I only qualified a year ago. Nearly failed on Stealth and Tracking, I'm dead clumsy [...]"

"Having Aurors on our side is a huge advantage-- Kingsley Shacklebolt's been a real asset too. He's in charge of the hunt for Sirius, so he's been feeding the Ministry information that Sirius is in Tibet."

"I [Voldemort] dared not go where other humans were plentiful, for I knew the Aurors were still abroad and searching for me."

"[Frank and Alice] were Aurors, you know, and very well respected within the Wizarding community," Mrs Longbottom went on. "Highly gifted, the pair of them."

"I'm sure you are an excellent Auror, [Dawlish], I seem to remember that you achieved 'Outstanding' in all your NEWTs [...]"

From the above quotes, we can glean that becoming an Auror requires higher education and training, stringent exams, and is exceedingly competitive and exclusive (none of which is particularly true of a Muggle police officer). We can gather that they are a particularly well respected profession and that these individuals are viewed as smart, magically powerful, and admirable people. We also understand that they are not concerned with petty criminals and your run-of-the-mill misdemeanors, but are pulled in specifically for cases involving individuals accused of Dark Magic on a much larger scale. We know them to be a governmental agency and can see that their jurisdiction is not confined to Magical Britain and Ireland, but that they do work abroad (presumably in cooperation with the government of those nations). The conclusion I reach is that Aurors are more akin to detectives/investigators with institutions more similar to Muggle Interpol, the National Crime Agency, and the Secret Intelligence Service.

And, one can only hope, lack the institutionalized racism.

[knuffled]

not so bad - chapter seven

hello here’s the new chapter. enjoy!

ao3 link here

The semi-finals high school women’s soccer match had been set-up for a climactic showdown between East Summers and their archrivals, Creston. Annabeth had been praying for a rematch after their previous run-in during last year’s tournament had ended in East Summers being eliminated in the quarter-finals, a defeat that was made all the more bitter when Creston went on to win the Championship in the end. Creston was an elite prep school with an absurdly well-funded women’s soccer team that had a legacy of success. Their coach was a former US Women’s National Team player that Annabeth had idolized growing up as a kid. In contrast, East Summers, which had languished in obscurity for decades, had an up-and-coming program that had risen to prominence with the appointment of Head Coach Hedge and the crop of talent in Annabeth’s grade.

It was a cold, brisk day in early November. Annabeth pulled her hair into a ponytail, tips of her fingers already starting to go numb because of the cold, while Coach Hedge finished reminding the team of the tactics he’d implemented for the game. When he finished, he motioned for Annabeth to speak, so she went to stand in front of the rest of the team and looked into their faces. She was happy to see the grim determination on their faces reflecting her own mental state. 

“I don’t have a lot to say,” Annabeth started. “This is the semi-finals, but we know this is the big one. Don’t forget what it felt like to lose to them last year. It’s time we gave them a taste of their own medicine.” 

When her teammates nodded, Annabeth put her hand out and they formed a huddle around her, placing their hands on top of hers.

“This is our time! Play without fear!” Annabeth shouted. “East Summers on 3. 1. 2. 3.”

“East Summers!”

With that, as her teammates took the field, Coach Hedge clapped her back and said, “Good speech, kid.” 

“Thanks, Coach.” 

“Now, it’s time to get ‘er done, okay? Bring me their heads, Chase.”

Annabeth gave him some serious side-eye. “Don’t think you’re allowed to say that about a high school soccer game, Coach.”

Coach Hedge rolled his eyes and grumbled, “Agh, you know what I meant, but fine. For legal reasons, I meant that figuratively.”

Annabeth shook her head as she jogged onto the field and stood at the center circle. Creston had won the coin toss, so they got the ball first. Their striker glared at Annabeth, but it didn’t faze her in the slightest. There was only one person on Earth that could intimidate Annabeth, and he was probably helping his mom make pizza. 

The referee blew her whistle, and the game went under way. Creston immediately mounted an attack and started to string together a series of intricate passes in an effort to bring the ball closer to their goal. Annabeth and her teammates were prepared for this though - they knew that they wouldn’t get much of the ball and that they would have to be patient and counter-attack when Creston messed up. Well, it would be more accurate to say if Creston messed up. They were historically known as a very technically proficient team, so stealing the ball off of them was almost impossible. 

For the first thirty minutes of the game, it felt like Annabeth and her teammates were chasing shadows, and they barely got a single touch of the ball. But although Creston was running circles around them, they couldn’t break down their defense. In fact, they only managed one shot on target, but Melanie managed to save it comfortably. 

Melanie tried to start a counter-attack and threw it to Ellie in midfield. That was Annabeth’s cue to start running towards Creston’s goal, but Ellie was immediately swarmed by two of Creston’s midfielders who robbed the ball off her and started yet another attack. 

Annabeth bit back a groan of frustration and started to track back to help defend again.

The remaining ten minutes in the first half were more of the same, but they managed to make it to half-time without conceding a goal. As she and her teammates jogged back to recon with Coach, Annabeth was struck by how tired they all looked, but it made sense considering the amount of running they’d been doing trying to win the ball back and the mental strain of knowing that any slip up would result in Creston scoring. If Creston ever scored a goal, then the game was pretty much done for. East Summers’s entire game plan was predicated on making sure that the score remained 0-0 and to bank on winning the game with a goal from a counter attack. 

Her teammates grabbed bottles of water and powerade from a cooler one of the parent volunteers had brought and took long draughts from them. Coach approached them, a hint of worry on his face that Annabeth caught, but he erased it before the rest of the team could notice.

“You’re doing well,” Coach huffed. “You’re the only team so far in the tournament to manage a whole half without letting them score. They’re starting to get frustrated, I can tell. And their frustration will result in mistakes, mistakes that you will capitalize on and punish them for. Remember, a chance will come. They’re human, just like you. They’re not perfect. And one chance is all it takes to win.” 

Although her teammates nodded in agreement, Annabeth could tell they were terrified about the prospect of having to endure another forty minutes against more of the same from Creston. It wasn’t like she couldn’t understand them though. There was massive pressure on her shoulders too - her teammates could defend all they wanted, but if she couldn’t score with the one or two chances she got, it would all be for nothing. 

Eventually, they had to head back onto the field, and Annabeth wracked her brain to think of what she could do differently to alter the trajectory of the game. She passed the ball back to Ellie when the ref blew her whistle, and Creston immediately pounced again. Ellie managed to retain possession and passed to one of the other midfielders, but it was only a matter of time before Creston won the ball back. 

The rest of the half was more of the same, only Creston’s attacks continued to get sharper as Annabeth’s teammates got more and more tired. It felt like it would only be a matter of time before Creston broke through and scored. 

Annabeth’s team managed, by some miracle, to make it to the last three minutes of the game without conceding, but Annabeth hadn’t gotten a single touch of the ball. Scoring on Creston felt impossible. But then one of Creston’s wingers made a rare mistake and failed to trap the ball properly, and Rosa, one of the defenders on Annabeth’s team, stole the ball and passed to Ellie. 

Despite Annabeth’s exhaustion and frustration, she forced herself to make yet another run upfield in the hopes that Ellie would find her. Her lungs burned with exertion as she raced towards the last two Creston defenders, and then the ball fell right in front of her. A spark of hope lit inside her, Annabeth bit back a grin and looked up to find the defenders rushing towards her. 

With one touch, Annabeth feinted going left and managed to trick the defender and sped past her. The last defender tried to drop back and by time for her partner to recover, but Annabeth booted the ball past her and opted to beat her in a foot-race. Like she’d guessed, she was faster, although not by much. Annabeth got the ball, but the defender was close enough to pull on her shirt. It looked like she would be able to break free, but a few meters from the corner of the box, the defender stuck a leg out and tripped her. 

Annabeth went tumbling forward and the ball rolled past the sideline, but the referee blew her whistle for a foul, awarding East Summers a free kick. Annabeth stood up and picked the mud off her knees before she jogged to the sideline to retrieve the ball from the spectator that had recovered it, but she froze when she saw who it was. 

“Percy? What are you doing here?” Annabeth asked, wondering if she was so tired she was hallucinating. 

He gave her a lopsided smile. “My sister begged me to come watch the game with her.”

Annabeth looked past him and noticed Estelle standing there, beaming at her. “Hi, Annabeth!” 

“Hey, Estelle,” Annabeth said, blinking. “Thanks for coming out to see me. I know it’s not been a fun game to watch so far.” 

“No, it’s cool seeing a forward helping the team defend. Without your help, Creston would have scored by now,” Estelle said. 

Hearing that warmed Annabeth’s heart. She’d felt useless all game since she hadn’t been able to do her job as an attacker, but it was true that she’d been doing her best to defend and was still helping the team. 

Annabeth looked back at Percy, but before she took the ball from him, she scuffed her cleats against the back of her heel. “Um, have any words of encouragement for me?” 

Percy smiled and said, “If you score, I’ll use my powers to grant you one wish.”

For some reason, Annabeth felt a sudden rush of bravery course through her. “Then, what if I asked you out on a date?” 

His eyes hardened like she was playing an elaborate prank on him, but when he realized she was being serious, they seemed to thaw. 

He cleared his throat and peered at her through his stupidly long eyelashes. “Come back after you score and we’ll see, Chas- Annabeth.” 

Annabeth bit back a grin and looked at Estelle. “Any words of advice for me?” 

Estelle offered her a solemn nod. “You’re not going for power here. Bend it.” 

Hearing her own advice parroted back to her made Annabeth’s grin widen. She took the ball back and returned to the field, but she could feel the siblings’s eyes on her. The referee gestured for the spot where she could take the free kick. Her teammates exchanged looks with her when she put the ball down without a word. They looked confused, but they trusted her enough not to question her. 

Annabeth sucked in a breath and stood back six paces from the ball. She’d never scored from this far out before, but Estelle’s words made her realize this was the exact angle she liked for her go-to move to score. All she had to do was bend the ball to the far post. 

When the ref blew her whistle, Annabeth ran up to the ball at an angle and hit the ball without too much force. The moment it left her foot, Annabeth had a good feeling. She watched as it curve around the wall of Creston defenders, past the outstretched glove of their goal keeper, and flew into the top corner of their net. 

The referee signaled for a goal, and Annabeth’s teammates exploded with excitement. They rushed around her with exuberant cheers and smothered her in a team hug. Annabeth fell to the floor laughing and relished in the feeling of victory. The game wasn’t over yet, but Annabeth had seen the faces of the Creston players when she’d scored - they looked completely defeated. 

Sure enough, the remainder of the game passed uneventfully, and Annabeth’s team moved on to the finals. After another round of congratulations from her teammates and Coach Hedge, Annabeth found Estelle and Percy waiting for her near the bleachers. 

“You did it! That was such a cool goal!” Estelle cheered. 

“Thanks, Estelle! Your advice definitely helped,” Annabeth said, smiling. 

She looked at Percy then and grinned at him. “So, I’ve upheld my end of the bargain. Now, it’s your turn.” 

He rolled his eyes fondly. “Alright, fair enough. Come by the restaurant next Saturday at 6, and I’ll take you out.” 

“Cool,” Annabeth said, feeling breathless. 

Percy shook with suppressed laughter, eyes glittering. “Alright, I have to head out now, but I’ll see you later, Annabeth.” 

Annabeth nodded. “See you later, Percy.” 

As she watched him leave, Annabeth bit back a giddy smile and couldn’t help thinking next Saturday couldn’t come soon enough.

[thegalleonsnest]

I know this is kind of random, but I wanted to share a hobby I got back into. So about a month ago, I started playing the new Pokémon Pocket game as it legitimately piqued my interest as mainly as a digital card collecting game, with a side of simplified card game action. I started REALLY getting into it and was starting to scratch a deep seated itch I haven't touched in over 10 years.

Back between the 3rd-7th grade, I used to be SUPER into Pokémon, it was like the one big thing outside of video games as a kid. I started my own massive binder that I still have, and bought, traded, and collected so many cards. I never knew how to play the card game until I was a late teenager, but even then, it didn't quite hold my interest. But now, thanks to Pkmn Pocket, it's reignited my love for the actual cards, and I wanted to get serious about it.

So I started with a cheap pre-made battle deck

A good way to have a deck ready for play, and also some extra cards to mess around with/collect. Plus, it gave me look into what modern pokemon cards looked like and also learning that Fairy type pokemon have been discontinued which was really weird to learn. So I guess those are lowkey collector items?

Anyway, the itch wasn't just scratched, I was starting to get excited anytime I happen to be at a store and took a look at their stock in pokemon cards. I would buy a pack here and there, learn that the newest expansion Surging Spark that populated my Target disappeared days after buying 3 packs, and figured out which places were worth visiting, and what was cheap.

Unexpectedly, I decided to visit my local Gamestop out of curiosity. They sell literally any pop culture related, probably got cards too. And turns out, they fucking capitalized on that shit HARD

Not only are they the only place locally that's consistently stocked LIKE THIS (for now, who knows what their game plan is), but they also just sell individual cards on their store website and graded cards too! They can help send in your cards to get graded as well which is insane.

So, when Black Friday came around, I decided to invest. I decided to focus on Stellar Crown just because it was considered the next popular one outside of Surging Sparks, and bought an Elite Trainer Box and extra boosters.

I've never made a serious purchase like this pokemon outside of those tin boxes you can buy, but it was genuinely so cool and I felt excited just opening up cards and seeing what I could get, commons or super rare shit. Ended up pulling some neat cards and got bam boozled with that Briar card, thought I pulled other version that's worth a lot.

A week later, for my birthday (I turned 26 on Dec 4th, forgot to announce that here, whoops lol), my partner surprised me with a massive 36 booster pack box of Stellar Crown cards and GOD IT WAS CRAZY

Ended up pulling two pretty high valued cards with Bulbasaur and Dachsbun here, but also, all of these cards rule and I'm fully back in it. Because of the trainer box and this booster box, I actually almost got every single common card in the set, outside of the obvious super rare cards.

This has all reignited my old love for pokemon card collecting, and I wanna get involved in the community; locally as well. Trading and actual card playing whenever I get the chance. Collecting cards is a special kind of fun I don't really get to really feel in my other hobbies, and I guess that's what having multiple hobbies is like: to fill in specific kinds of fun that those things can satisfy.

[convenientalias]

Why You Should Watch White Christmas (the 2011 Kdrama): A Manifesto

Yesterday I was watching White Christmas (specifically episodes 4 and 5) for the fourth time. I watched it for the first time like five years ago and all my feelings are still there and still potent so today I am here to tell you that you should watch it too.

THE BASICS:

Seven kids at an elite private high school over winter break. They stayed there because they all received mysterious black letters, accusing them of vague, nonspecific crimes and claiming that on New Year's Day someone will die. When they find out that ALL of them received this letter, they decide one of them must have been the one to send it--and they set out to discover who it was. In the meantime, a giant blizzard shuts down all the roads, and telephone and internet connections go down as well, leaving the school isolated and all on campus trapped there together.

things develop from there.

THE CHARACTERS:

Park Moo-yul: A Good Boy. His grades are constantly second highest in the school; he's obsessed with studying and wants to someday come in first. Sort of a leader type, he tries to organize the investigative efforts (and later, keep things from falling apart--except, much as he'd like to believe it, he's not immune to the Lord of the Flies effect lols). For the first couple episodes, he's sort of the main/POV character, but by the end it's more of an ensemble cast show. In the episodes I just watched, there are multiple scenes with him staring down a gun and waiting to get shot. Some ppl think he's boring but I love a guy with a hero complex.

Choi Chi-hoon: The Genius. The first place to Park Moo-yul's second. People call him unemotional and heartless; it turns out later he does have difficulty feeling emotions due to a neurological issue. Loves science, interested in the black letters as a puzzle but for a while pretends not to be. The least likely to go Lord of the Flies but his Very Logical plans are often actually very risky.

Yoon Eun-sung: The Only Girl. (except for that one other woman who shows up later but she's not one of the seven so we're not counting her.) Used to be the most popular girl in school and also Park Moo-yul's girlfriend but then she Changed (aka she developed depression). Sarcastic and possibly suicidal. Everyone is OBSESSED with her (well, four, arguably five characters are obsessed with her, but this show only has a total of 11 characters so that's really too many).

Also, she's played by Esom, so if you like Esom, you should watch White Christmas.

Lee Jae-kyu: Why are you here???? For the first few episodes, that's a genuine question; he doesn't have an apparent connection to the others in the group, and it's a mystery why the black letter sender would have any grudges against him. It turns out later he has some secret issues. He's a bit of a snake in the grass. I won't go into it.

Yang Kang-mo: He wants to be a reporter someday! His nickname is Cameraman Yang, and he's always carrying a camera around. He's deaf, and partly as a result, gets bullied a lot. He is the favorite character of the friend I was watching this show with yesterday. Also there's a whole episode of him getting chased around with baseball bats, look forward to it.

Jo Young-jae: A bully, a coward and a messed up kid. A line he says in the show is, "Yes, I'm used to people hating me. To the extent that I'm scared when people don't hate me. But you made me hate myself!" A line someone else says to him is, "You're not a bad person. You're weak. If everyone knew how weak you were, they wouldn't hate you." To watch Jo Young-jae have multiple mental breakdowns, watch White Christmas, I promise it is very fun.

Also, he's played by Kim Young-kwang, so if you like Kim Young-kwang, you should watch White Christmas.

Yoon Su: His nickname is Angel. In general, it requires incredible academic acumen to go to Susin High; Yoon Su got in bc his parents donated money to the school. He's a loner and does not want to be here; his ambition in life is to be a musician, and he loves playing the guitar. He has some mental health issues and takes (unspecified) recreational drugs. He also has a giant grudge. Against who? Stay tuned to find out.

Also he's played by Lee Soo-hyuk, so if you like Lee Soo-hyuk, you should watch White Christmas.

Kang Mi-reu: THIS BOY IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE. Remember how I said seven kids got letters, seven kids stayed at the school? Meet kid number eight. Kang Mi-reu didn't get a letter and he didn't get permission to stay on campus either; technically he's on probation and on his way to being expelled. He sneakily stayed on campus to investigate who framed him for exploding a statue, the reason for his expulsion. He can go through air vents and has a great theme song. He wants to solve his problems with violence. Actually he once beat Choi Chi-hoon at academics but got pissed off at always losing to him and gave up on being a perfect student. We all love Kang Mi-reu.

Also he's played by Kim Woo-bin so if you like Kim Woo-bin, you should watch White Christmas.

Yoon Jong-il: The teacher who stayed on campus to supervise. Wow, I'm sure with a responsible adult around, there will be no chaos or violence breaking out on campus.

Kim Yo-han: He's not even affiliated with the school. He got in a car accident near it and then got stuck here due to the storm. He keeps getting concussions/broken bones/deadly fevers. Also, he's a psychiatrist, and finds all the weird shit going on at the school rather intriguing.

IS IT SHIPPY?

I mean, is there any actual romance? No.

Do we see slow burn friendships develop from suspicion to deep trust and affection over the course of the show? Also no.

Do I think some of these people should make out? Yeah.

A few ships I have specifically:

-Choi Chi-hoon/Park Moo-yul: Obvious rival ship, overemotional dude/kind of cold dude, leader type/genius type. There is also some hurt/comfort towards the end that I really can't describe without spoilers but the mix of resentment and trust is immense.

-Kang Mi-reu/Park Moo-yul: This is my just for fun ship. Good boy/bad boy vibes. Also Kang Mi-reu seems to actually listen to Park Moo-yul when for the most part he won't listen to anyone. Also he snuck into Park Moo-yul's bedroom once while he was sleeping and teased him about the fact that he and all the others got black letters and won't the sender be so offended he dares to sleep instead of sitting up paranoid all night. I just think they're cute.

-Yang Kang-mo/Jo Young-jae: Yes this is a bully/victim ship which is not usually my thing, but I love both of them and also Young-jae is so pathetic and Kang-mo honestly scares him at multiple points. Meanwhile Kang-mo is kind of tired and fed up with him but at this point has sort of a weird connection with him regardless. They know each other.

-Yoon Eun-sung/Jo Young-jae: Young-jae is my favorite of the dudes who's obsessed with Eun-sung, and the most toxic of them as well. She used to be perfect and he had a resentful crush on her for that; now she's kind of messed up but still aloof and superior, and he still wants and hates her at the same time. And she knows, and teases him about it, and he acts nonchalant but you can tell it grinds at him. The best m/f dynamic of the show.

I have a bunch of other ships.... explaining them involves spoilers so I'll just list a few: Kang Mi-reu/Yoon Su, Yang Kang-mo/Yoon Eun-sung/Park Moo-yul, Lee Jae-kyu/Choi Chi-hoon, Lee Jae-kyu/Jo Young-jae.

BUT, PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY... THE VIBES!!!

I love the characters of White Christmas but I mostly rewatch it so much bc 1) the pacing is on point and 2) it's so cinematically satisfying.

In terms of plot and pacing--Everything moves fast. Each episode is very distinct from the others, the plot consistently moving forward at a breakneck pace. Each episode I would say gets a little faster and wilder (with the exception of episode 3, perhaps, which moves a little slow--but then episode 4 goes completely unhinged, so it's a fair exchange). There is shit going on and they are going to cram a whole show's worth of content into 8 episodes and you are going to eat it.

In terms of production: Visually stark. Lots of glass and snow and shadows everywhere. Fun shots. A great soundtrack. For one thing, Wake Up by Arcade Fire recurs a lot and the vibes are immense and very teenage angst and "what the fuck am I supposed to do".

Anyways here's some shots I think convey the vibe:

ANYWAY.

Watch White Christmas! And if you do, or if you've already watched it, please talk to me about it! I am currently in the White Christmas feelings, as I often am this time of year.

[aliensupersyn]

3a. Maki: One of Gege's Chosen Three

Sukuna was on the rise. He had just destroyed Shibuya, leaving a crater after the first use of his domain expansion in the modern day. The King of Curses had made his first move against Japan.

Manga spoilers below!

How does one of the strongest, most politically formidable structures in jujutsu society, Japan even, respond? They attempt to kill one of their strongest assets. Why? Because she's a woman.

In Jujutsu Kaisen, bureaucratic powers take advantage of the youth and inhibit their growth. In response to a politically corrupt world, the young cast take power into their own hands and save Japan while also healing their own familial scars. Though, for someone like Maki, that healing was found in the pools of her family's blood, while wielding the soul of her sister as a blade. The two sisters work together to combat not only misogyny and bureaucracy, but the other demons plaguing their world as well.

Maki, the Ronin Zenin

Gege uses the Zenin as a familial and systematic personification of misogyny. Despite the fandom's memes, Gege does not legitimize the Zenin's misogyny at all throughout the narrative. Maki's attack against the Zenin reminds me of something like Kill Bill or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; these tales focus on a woman protagonist forced to retaliate against a system that harms them first. Beatrix was forced to fight through her husband's organization to reach him and finally get her revenge. Jen Yu spends the entire movie attempting to escape marriage and male control, and not even the strongest sword in the world can help her achieve that. Maki joins the elite fighting force within the Zenin, probably as its only woman combatant, and attempts to be part of the system, i.e. jujutsu society. Yet, her entire family still abuses her in some aspect and purposely inhibits her growth.

I argue that the significance in Maki's annihilation lies in her being motivated by vengeance. In All-Out Attack, Godzilla rose as an amalgamation of vengeful spirits who sought to remind Japan's of its horrific, and imperialistic past. Godzilla represented unheard voices of the suffering and powerless. Maki represents the every-woman discarded by her paternalistic family for not being a good enough daughter. Instead of doing something like an allegorical Seppuku, Maki betrays her masters and slaughters them. Maki was resurrected as a vengeful ronin to not only remind the Zenin of their sins against Toji, but their daughters as well (to drive the latter polnt home, Maki's mother takes vengeance on Naoya). Maki's character encompasses many profound cultural taboos; she defies Seppuku, filial piety, and jujutsu, yet she's portrayed as a hero throughout the story. Her complex story, mixed with love, misogyny, paternalism, politics, and power, demonstrates how all of those things tie back to bureaucracy for Gege.

I argued in part 2 that the Zenin act as politicians who carry out the legislation ordained by the Higher-Ups. As such, the Zenin maintain the power to influence how the Higher-Ups grade sorcerers. Maki and the main cast understand that the Zenin were inhibiting her from moving up grades, but she first attempts to continue abiding by the system to defeat the odds, as if to prove herself to them.

Maki's evolution involves her discarding the system, deciding to no longer abide by her family's rules, and finally to destroy them. Like Beatrix, Maki fights through the system and succeeds. Unlike Jen Yu, Maki's weapon successfully tears through the patriarchal forces within her life. Gege goes so far as to condemn Gojo and Kusakabe as Maki's teachers, placing her within her own realm of power; Maki acknowledges that neither of her teachers could have helped her unlock her hidden power because it was only something that she could do. Yes, Toji unlocked this power as well, but he never acted as a teacher in Maki's life either. Therefore, while Maki did have a predominately male guidance throughout her journey, the onus for her breakthrough was placed wholly on herself. The sumo lesson revolved around Maki needing to look inward and draw out her own power.

The destruction of the Zenin was not only an act that aided in dismantling the bureaucracy within JJK, but also the symbolic defeat of Gege's personification of misogyny. Gege depicts misogyny as being systemic, something performed from the top down. To destroy these harmful social norms, Gege argues that sometimes, one must attack the government powers that perpetuate them. Maki begins the series using a polearm, something considered to be a woman's weapon. Yet, in the arc where she defeats misogyny personified, she wields a katana capable of severing souls. She defies her family and kills her parents, disobeying her masters in every way. She becomes something akin to a ronin, referred to as a monster. In the end, even though Maki killed her, Maki's mother was thankful for her daughters.

The kaiju's rampage may be disastrous, but in Japanese media, it takes a calamity to finally enforce change.

[linagram]

[𝚊𝚔𝚒𝚘 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚒𝚖𝚒'𝚜 𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝟸 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚐𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗]

the first t2 interrogation is here! hopefully, it will help you understand their murders and backstories and what kind of people akio and aimi are better because.. this interrogation reveals a lot :)

as always, a reminder that you can send questions for interrogations and some of these questions were also sent by some of you, so thank you so much!

Q.001. What can you tell us about your parents?

Akio: They're very caring and patient with me. They deserve only the best for everything they have done for me.

Aimi: They're very nice, I love them a lot! They can be just a little bit.. What's the right word.. Basically, sometimes it felt like they didn't care about my feelings that much. But it was most likely just them being unintentionally insensitive.. I think.

Q.002. Did you hate your victim?

Akio: How many times I have to repeat it for you? I hated him. I hated him so much.

Aimi: Are we talking about the person that was killed only by me without any help? If so.. I think I started to hate him only a moment before I had murdered him. Saying that I hate him feels so weird, but I think it's time for me to finally be honest with myself.

Q.003. What is your biggest fear?

Akio: Not being good enough.

Aimi: Being left all alone.

Q.004. Would you commit the same crime again?

Akio: .. I don't know.

Aimi: I just couldn't let that person live. So yes, I think I'd still kill him even if I wasn't bullied.

Q.005. Tell us about your accomplice.

Akio: He was weird. But surprisingly charismatic. I think I got to know his true self only when I saw his reaction to seeing Chise's corpse.

Aimi: He was very kind and very caring, I loved spending time with him, he always tried to make every single day of my life as fun as possible! He was.. very overprotective though. That freak wouldn't let me live a normal life.

Q.006. Have you ever had a significant other?

Akio: Fine, if I say yes, will you finally leave me alone?

Aimi: Nope! I was always more interested in making friends, but I'd love to go on a date with someone.

Q.007. Is there anyone you hold in high esteem?

Akio: .. It used to be myself.

Aimi: I don't think so? Ah, I respect Akio-kun a lot, does that count?

Q.008. When do you wake up/go to bed?

Akio: Before Milgram, I woke up at 7 am and went to sleep at 1 or 2 am because of how much schoolwork I had. Now I can't fall asleep at all, so all of that doesn't matter anymore.

Aimi: I try to wake up as early as I can now, so that I can take care of Akio-kun. He barely gets any sleep now.. You will forgive him, right? And I usually go to bed at 10 or 11 pm.

Q.009. How do you feel about your classmates?

Akio: They were always anxious and stressed and under a lot of pressure because we all went to an elite school, so almost all my classmates were obsessed with their grades and being the best students in class. Arata and Chise were the only exceptions and maybe that's why my relationship with them was different from what I had with others.

Aimi: .. When I remember everything they said about me, I start feeling not so good, haha..

Q.010. What kind of person would you want your best friend to be?

Akio: Someone who can make me feel like a god even when I'm not doing well.

Aimi: Someone who never makes fun of me and never tries to take advantage of my weakness.

Q.011. Any complaints about being imprisoned?

Akio: .. Are you kidding me?

Aimi: I think you should do something about Maruyama-san. I don't feel safe with someone like her around.

Q.012. What do you hate the most?

Akio: Being underestimated.

Aimi: People who don't appreciate my kindness. I'm trying so hard to help you, so why do you keep pushing me away?

Q.013. Do you miss your family?

Akio: .. Yes.

Aimi: To be honest, I miss my dogs more, haha.. That's a bad thing to say, right? Like, I told you that I love all of them the last time we did this.

Q.014. What do you want from the guards?

Akio: Don't take Aimi away from me.

Aimi: Please take care of Akio-kun.

Q.015. How did you feel after you have committed your crime?

Akio: I ran away. I couldn't look my accomplice in the eyes after we were done.

Aimi: I felt like I've finally become free, even though I had to pay a high price for my freedom.

[ask-emerys-melvinborgs]

-—-—-The Event Horizon-—-—-

Chapter 1. Prologue

🫐—-—-—-—-—-— »,”☆

“Holy shit-“ Melvinborg snapped excitedly, a scarlet focus melting into triumph. His calculations were all sound, the final screw locked in place. Finally. After nearly a year of study and at least seventy Monster drinks, he had designed a shuttle strong enough to do the impossible. But would he have that same strength?

—-[Start] [« Last] -,”🪽”,- [Next »] [Latest]-—

He ran his fingers through his hair, relaxing, hydraulics hissing as the tension left his body. “Alright ETH3R, it’s time. You know what to do.”

His virtual assistant, the Elite Technological Herald of the 3rd Resolution, was far more advanced than she needed to be just to run a rocket. It was his lifeline, just a bit- the only thing he could socialize with that would be free of judgement. Her sisters, other iterations of her code now perfected, had seen him through his first two (failed) resolutions; the original time machine and the memory communication beam. He couldn't do it with just his own power. The laws of spacetime still hindered him, and in order to truly reach his younger self to teach and fix him, he would need to go where the laws of spacetime didn't apply. The only such place was the near impossible; venturing straight into the core of a black hole.

"ETH3R, all systems are go. Engage the takeoff procedure." Quickly obliging, it issued a command to the central power station, and brought his creation to life with a mechanical symphony. The countdown began, one that he had been waiting for his whole life. The road to his liberation was ready for a ride and the keys were in the ignition. He held his breath.

10. 9. 8.

7.

He took a letter out of his pocket. It was written in young, loose cursive, neat between the lines on clean perforated notebook paper. 6.

"Dear Dr. Future Me, (because I KNOW we'll be a doctor by then,) Did we ever make it to Elitenati? Have you found out the secret to time travel yet? Did you win a Nobel Prize? Do I have friends yet? Are Mom and Dad proud of us? Signed, Melvin Sneedly age 7, 2nd Grade at Jerome Horowitz Elementary." 5.

He sighed. Poor kid would never get anywhere with his mindset. He... quietly resolved not to shatter his hopes, when he met his little self. Instead, frame it like all the things you could do right, you just have to do this and this and this and change these and that and this. It.... wasn't going to be easy. He was never good at giving advice. 4.

But he had to try. 3. 2. 1.

~

Liftoff.

[discount-limeade]

Slipknot vs. Batman

This is clearly the natural progression from my last Knot review.

So how this is gonna go is, Slipknot are Touring during the Iowa Cycle. Tonight's show is in Gotham City. On the way to the venue, Several things go Awry.

Enter Batman.

Shout out to this Dome shot.

It's Robert Pattinson's Batman Because Slipknot could ONLY exist in The ReevesVerse.

0. Sid Wilson

Shriek

(I'm also gonna give them Villain Names)

Is Shriek the name of the chick from Venom? Guess we'll never know.

Stepping off the buss, Sid is immediately reeking of weed. Batman Took a D.A.R.E. course in grade school and knows that saying 'no to drugs' is Cool. Sid is Taken down With a Swift kick to the back of the Legs. He does not put up a fight.

1. Joey Jordison

Porcelain Prince

You know you like the name. Let's get this going.

Scavenging for some food Around the city, Batman sees Joey playfully punch Corey on the arm. "Violence is Wrong," The Dark Knight Whispers. Stalking his way towards the pair, He swoops in and Punches Joey in the Face. Dazed, Joey Let's out a "What the fuck, Are you Batman ??"

Another punch.

"Why the fuck are you on me?" The Smaller man Asks, Fear in his voice.

"Justice." A third punch is administered and Joey is down.

Corey is stunned as Fuck.

2. Paul Gray

The Filth

There's Already The Pyg.

Paul was Actually Caught up in a Case of Right place, Wrong time. Deciding to Tour the historic City, the Band Was Booked to Visit the Famed Wayne Manor. A few of the Men showed up Early to get a closer look without all the supervision. While the others were busy looking around, Paul was digging inside a Silver closet.

In that moment, the back wall shifted.

Batman emerged from the Shadows.

He'd heard of this new guy from the locals but didn't Quite believe the legends.

He introduced himself.

Batman Swiftly Tased him.

3. Chris Fehn

The Liar

Original, I know.

Stuck in Gotham due to harsh weather conditions, Chris found himself Playing Golf with The Social Elites. Alfred was in attendance that day, a rare day off from watching his Man Child Subordinate.

On a particular stressful hole, Alfred found himself glancing around, quickly spotting the long-nosed mask.

Chris was Jerking his nose nervously.

Seeing an older, clearly more experienced man struggle with the course was not a good sign of things to come. Had his mask been unzipped, he'd be biting his fingernails in anticipation.

Alfred doesn't like the way this guy is looking at him and making obscene Gestures.

After the game is over, he informs Bruce.

Chris is taken out from behind.

He lands one punch Batman's collar bone before he gets absolutely Folded.

4. James Root

The Collector/ Puppet Master

At this point I don't even Care if they're Iowa Era Pictures, you get the idea.

On the night of the show, Jim went into Gotham town Square To get a few Supplies (Tape and Beer).

Walking through the dim Streets, He happened upon a Robbery in progress.

Being a man of Substantial build, He Stepped in.

Taking the Purse from the Would-be Robber just as Batman pulled up.

Using his expert Detective skills, Jim was Obviously the robber and it definitely was NOT the guy running down the alley.

Batman begins his Assault.

Jim put up a good fight, his Ultimate Downfall being a nightstick to the Neck.

5. 133

Iron Spike

Sorry about the filter, I love this picture.

Walking through a crowded area, Craig was Shoved into a few people behind him.

Like a hungry shark, Batman smelled the blood.

Craig Stood no chance, Not that he even wanted to Try.

6. Clown

Reminds me of Chop Top With that hanger, scratchin his head.

Shawn was walking through the city talking at his Normal Loud Volume.

Some guys told him to Shut up.

This was met by audible winces from the accompanying Band Mates as The Clown made his way across the street To Fuck these guys up.

It took almost every tool on Batman's belt to get the man down.

Eventually he was thwarted by the Shark Repellant. It has some sort of chloroform like Agent in it.

7. Mick Thomson

Leather Devil

Once again just going with the mask name because it fits.

Trying to avoid the general public, Mick Found himself in a Quaint bar in the Narrows.

Unbeknownst to him, famed Kingpin Penguin had been tracking the band since they arrived in the city and was Currently approaching the Man.

"Long Night?" A hefty man sat on the stool Beside him. Mick grunted in agreement.

"Do you have a pen?"

Mick was getting Aggravated, he wanted to be left alone, Not sign autographs. Does it look like he has a fucking pen.

A disheveled looking Batman stubbles out of the bathroom at the same moment Mick stands up from the bar.

Penguin claps him on the back. "Maybe next time Micky."

Cobblepot in Cahoots with Slipknot? Time to step in and save the Day.

Mick Simply walks out of the bar before Batman can even think about an approach tactic.

8. Corey Taylor

The Creature

The famed creepypasta "Creature".

Back to Joey's entry.

Corey put up a fight to keep his friend from being beaten up. He jumped on The Bat's Back and tried to draw as much attention as possible to the scene.

He escaped this encounter relatively unharmed.

Taking note of Where his bandages had last been seen, he made it his Duty to get revenge on The Batman.

To be Continued...

Love Bad Fanfic. This didn't go nearly the way I thought it would but that's okay because It's still Exactly what it needs to be.

[angelhummel]

It seems the Gleeks/klainers like you who have been there from the beginning love season 5b and the newer crowd in last five years hate it. And I think it’s what they did to Blaine’s character in that arc.

He’d been such a high achiever, leader of glee club really, getting into Nyada and engaged and they made him into this dependent wreck who lied and smothered Kurt. I don’t like what they did to his character at all.

weeell of course you know that i'm gonna disagree with that whole last part bc that's not what they did at all

they clearly showed us blaine struggling with body image issues that were exacerbated by his mental health issues. he was never a perfect person who had it all together, even when he was leading show choirs and getting good grades and getting into elite performing schools. we see these issues as early as season two. being oblivious to kurt's obvious feelings, overstepping with people like burt when he asked him to talk to kurt about sex, being unsure of himself - with his sexuality, not understanding people's intentions with him, not sure if he could even be a good boyfriend himself. He was kind of always a "wreck" and it's funny that that used to be what people hated about him and now people seem to see it as a reason to love him all the more

And like. Idk I think he had a dark point in s5 where he was handling things wrong and not communicating or coping like he should've been. I don't think he was 100% leaning on Kurt for support or smothering him. We actually get to see them doing their own things in those few episodes, like Blaine with June and Kurt with Peter Pan. They still support each other when they're off doing their own thing, but say that a success for one of them is a success for both of them bc they're partners who root for each other and know how to cheer the other one on

But even before that I mean, Blaine just went through a huge life change in graduating high school and moving from Lima to New York. That's no small feat. Everything's different, school is stressful, Kurt gets put in the damn hospital. Things are chaotic, and different, and scary. And we see all the NY characters coping with their new circumstances at different points in time. Sam, Santana, Mercedes, Rachel, Kurt - they all have different points of doubt, of feeling like they don't belong or not knowing what direction to go in. Blaine was far from the only one floundering, and it's unrealistic to expect any of them to be 100% sure of themselves and their lives at any point in time, but especially in s4-5

And I appreciate your ask and how you phrased it, with the dichotomy between original fans and newer fans. Because to me that also reads as the divide between older fans and younger fans. As in like, people who were teenagers or older who watched the show when it aired, and the teens or young adults who have just gotten into the show in the last few years*. Because those viewing experiences are bound to be different

I've had around a decade to watch and rewatch Glee, to process everything in it, and for my thoughts and opinions to morph and mature. Not to mention a decade of brain development and personal growth and life experience that would shape how I view a teen show like this. I didn't start watching Degrassi or PLL until relatively recently, and I know my thoughts on those shows now aren't the same as they would've been if I was watching them when they originally aired, either as a kid, teen, or even young adult

Obviously I'm not saying age = wisdom but when it comes to something like media analysis I do think that more life experience gives you more perspective and helps you understand things like this a little differently. I mean my blog is just shy of being 5 years old and I know there are things I said in 2018 that I don't agree with anymore. You just process things differently and you're gonna have changing opinions the older you get, that's just how it is

all this to say i think you mischaracterized blaine and did his s5b self an injustice lol. but that's just my opinion. i'd like to hear from some older/younger/newer/older fans and see if this is a common pattern

*im sure there are plenty of people who watched the show when it aired and were way too young for it, and grown adults who are still getting into it today. this statement was just a generalization and not meant to speak for everyone in the fandom

[assidueagonia]

I wasn't supposed to love you this much. How could I have loved you this much? I'm not normal, and I'm sick for loving you this much. Maybe I should have screamed, yelled or stayed uncomfortable in the moment. Maybe that would have led you to stay with me. I shouldn't have ran in the last moment, I should've ran away, maybe that would have convinced you to stay.

I hate to say it. I love you. Not loved, love.

A shame I must say, I'm a shell and a waste of a heart. I love, I like people, yet no one likes me as much, and I fear no one ever will. I'm just the practice dummy, or a simple orgasm for you. When will my day come, the day in which I will be loved as much as I love. No one will want me like this.

I'm asked why i surround myself with so many hobbies and "talents", why I try so hard and why I overwork myself socially and academically. The truth is, to be considered loving in this world, I have to constantly prove myself in some way or another, I will never be liked for me alone. I'm not an attractive woman, nor am I a hypermasculine man. I may have a feminine body which I adore myself for, however that only gets me to a quick fuck and that's about it. I need to have multiple things going for me, I need to be impressive, I need to be healthy, I need my skin to be clear, I need to know at least 3 different sports and instruments, I need to draw, sing and produce, I need to have good grades and go through elite education programs and I need to have heaps of friends and a bustling social and night life. I will never be enough, I need to be more, I need to know more and I need to look more.

But in the end, what does my being come to? If you strip all the layers of my hobbies and successes, my relentless effort towards my physical appearance, my faith to God. What am I then? When I am a shell and a flame of a soul floating in space, what will become of me, once all those goals become nothing more than a floating memory, perhaps etched on a grave or a distant memory of my possible children.

I desire the future elders live. I want to live in that old house and I want to sit with my husband and look at the greenery in front of us, reminiscing on what we once were. I want to tie my soul to another, someone to witness life with, because aren't we meant for love?

[abisexualdude]

venting about... my whole life i suppose?

(05/07/2024 11:03pm - 06/07/2024 1:51am)

the reason why im here is because i am a person who spirals very easily. one thing slightly unpleasant happens and i get reminded of previous unpleasant events. and starting yesterday (04/07/2024), that has been happening again. this time instead of sleeping it away, i want to document the negative emotions im feeling so i can possibly figure out ways to rid them of me. this is going to be a little messy, im no writer myself, but i hope if future me sees this, he'll make use of the words im typing today.

let's start with family: i grew up christian, and still remember one time when i was at sunday school as a kid (6-7 yo i think), an older teacher there spent the lesson teaching us how homosexuality is evil/immoral, telling us how the gays go to hell blablabla. that became something i held onto because as a kid, you just do not question what you are told, and i ignored all the signs suggesting i could be anything other than straight. however teenage me, having my first ever phone and getting access to the internet, realized that i was bisexual. im not saying every christian ever is homophobic, but the church was the place where i've experienced homophobia for the first time in my life. as a result, i started despising the church more and more, eventually never going again near 15 yo. about a year after that and my grandmother passed away. she's been a devoted christian her whole life and one of the final moments i shared with her, she told me to never leave the embrace of god. when i told her that i was not straight, and it was hard for me to return to somewhere i can be shamed for being queer, she did not answer with hostility, but curiousness: "can boys love each other?" that's what she said to me at the time. the discussion eventually ended. i did not go back to church for even once after that. and to this day, i am still sorry for not fulfilling what my grandmother has wanted for me. one of the kindest souls ive ever met in my life, and yet i cannot fulfill her wish.

onto depression: and again, back when i was a kid, i was recognized as a 'talented student' (i kinda hate that words lol), getting good grades in primary definitely inflated my ego, which only made the fact that i couldnt keep up in secondary all the more heartbreaking, to myself and my parents. the secondary school i was in had this system of 'elite classes', basically you get good grades, have a top enough position among your peers and you're in an elite class for the next year, without really any practical difference from the 'normal classes'. me, having nice grades in primary, was in an elite class for the first year of secondary but immediately got dropped out in the next year coz of bad grades (dead last in the class). my father was furious coz of this and refused to talk to me for six months after that. the academic stress eventually led to depression, though i only found out through talking with the social worker at school + online self-diagnosis, which is... cringe idk a better word :p

the depression persisted throughout my secondary years. i was constantly struggling under local educational system, and i recall my class teacher saying to me that i'd perform better overseas, and though that was out of wanting better for me, i felt powerless because my family financially could not and was not willing to support me studying in a foreign country. fast forward a few years, big political stuff happened here, and many of my friends left the country with their family before the last year of secondary. im ok at socializing so i do have a bit of friends in my grade but my BEST friends that were in my class left, and a huge sense of being abandoned took over, especially when i thought we were going to be taking on the open examination (it determines whether you get admitted into uni or not, it's made a SUPER huge deal here. the 3 years of senior secondary school you're going to be constantly reminded and thinking of it non-stop) together. seeing how much they're happier abroad compared to when they were here (easier curriculum and healthier education system), and of course myself, i got jealous. i wanted to be abroad too. i was so sick of waking up having close to no sleep, fighting the urge to fall asleep in class instead of actually learning, trying to take notes of the teachers' words but failing, ending up writing gibberish while dreaming (just looked it up, it's called hypnagogic hallucinations? first time hearing that phrase lol) even though i only fell asleep for seconds. i especially remember a day at school when they were promoting mental health, showed us a microfilm about suicide and it just triggered something in me, i needed to take the light rail to get home after school, so there i was standing on the platform. as the train came close, i could hear my heart pounding, wondering if i should jump and end it all. i was not brave to do it at the end, but the image is forever burned into my brain. fast forward a few weeks and i overshared with the social worker like i always do, she called my parents and we all went to a mental health clinic and I finally got professionally diagnosed with depression.

months after that i took the open exam. had awful results so didn't get admitted into uni. i didnt know what to do at that point so i just rotted at home for days. my mom was the one who did all the research for me (i love my mom sm), attending talks about other potential degrees and that got me to stop sitting on my ass (mostly out of shame coz i didn't want my mom to have to worry about me instead of attending to her own work) and pursued an associate degree.

that's about it for academic stuff. onto my personal life: I love gaming, it is probably the only hobby that has stuck with me for my entire life. i tried badminton, table tennis, swimming, taekwondo, but i stopped doing those due to one reason or another. when I had my first actually functional pc at ~15 yo, i started playing online games on it and realized i didn't have stable internet connection and that has always messed with my mental because i'd lose coz the delay + lag spikes. things got even worse after we moved because now we're in more secluded spot, with worse internet reception. I wanted to stream myself gaming, but cannot do that consistently, given the circumstance. i also hang out with friends online through discord, we are really ALL over the world (NA, EU, etc. I am from Asia) but i am always the one lagging in games or in vc (i cant even screenshare consistently). these further pushes me into jealousy, how everyone can access the internet to their hearts' content and im stuck here, self-conscious about lagging.

and the part i'd least want to share: my sexuality. don't get me wrong, i am very proud for being bisexual/queer, but i am kinda hypersexual, which leads to me making hot-headed decisions when im interested in someone. as long as they do not show signs of wanting me to stop, i can be flirty with anyone who is friendly to me and i kinda hate that part about myself. i have not dated anyone in my life aside a brief online relationship, so i think im just desperate for a romantic partner.

(this paragraph is going to contain details that is borderline SA/r*pe, please skip ahead if you are not comfortable.) my first sexual interaction was when I was 17, I graduated high school, was working part-time at the time and decided to get a gay dating app. lied about being 18 and a guy messaged me asking if i'd like to chill at his place, i made sure to tell that i was not going to do anal with him (coz im a virgin and would have liked to hold my V card still), the guy agreed and me being naive, trusted him. when i was there the next day, we chatted and after some time he invited me onto his bed, and i ended up giving him a blowjob. he asked if he could put it in me 2-3 times and kept on asking after i denied him the previous time. when he finally asked the final time, i was too scared and gave in. he then did it to me without any form of protection. immediately after that hookup, i regret ever doing that and i was VERY VERY stupid to have done that. so whether you are straight or queer (especially if you're young), please do not trust strangers like i did, you can be taken advantage of too easily.

my second sexual interaction was with an online friend, i travelled abroad to meet him and we spent a week together. it was a very pleasant experience since he was so kind to me and took care of me in a lot of ways. i didn't expect to crush on him after i returned, but i did. and as i expected, he didn't return the same feelings. we remained friendly after that and i learnt that he's going to travel to another country to meet up with another person (basically what I did with him). months after he returned, i learnt that they are now dating. the thought that he's had sex with another person and him choosing them over me in both a sexual and romantic way makes me so jealous, which i realize is so so pathetic of me but i just can't help it. i suppose only time will heal.

ok this is going to be the last paragraph, but this is causing me more stress than negative emotion. now that I've finished pursuing my associate degree, I'll be starting a full-time job. and in November, i'll be applying for a work permit to canada. if it does get accepted in the future, i'll be working for a year there and apply for PR once i fulfill the requirements. i've told my parents about it. but this also means that i'll have to leave close to everyone in my life behind- my family, my friends, to go to a country I've never been to. it's going to be tough. i already know it. and i just don't know how well i'll be faring against the loneliness, knowing how insecure and unwell my mental can be. but i really hope to live in a place where i dont have to constantly look behind my back for words i type on the internet, or wearing a primarily black outfit in public. and also, be proud of my sexuality and be respected for who i am.

trying to untangle these emotions is hard because as i said, i spiral very easily and they get mixed into one big blob of negative emotions so i really have to think hard to recall each specific events. i hope if someone does see my vent, they do find my experience interesting/helpful/inspiring even?idk. but i was mainly doing this for me. like i said, to note down what is causing me to feel insecure and fragile so that i can hopefully feel better/forget all these in my future life.

[iamthetruenhaz]

I'm a white (well, as "white" as someone from Eastern Europe can be) cis straight male whatever other enemy of the people category you want, and a nerd. I started this reblog with the intent to angrily refute it but my recollections (forgive the stuffy language, I'm not trying to sound smart, it's midnight here, I just got off work and English isn't englishing) resulted in something that more confirms what is said above.

I got bullied and ostracized for being a nerd at school (if in America it doesn't happen anymore, well, we're several decades behind.) I don't remember thinking "this shit should be happening to those other people, not to me, I should be Right Up There with the Normal™ bois". But I do remember my only "friend" in elementary. See, maybe I never experienced this type of thinking because there was rarely anyone who was bullied noticeably more than me, and if there were people bullied as much, well, that's how I made friends. But this guy. See, we didn't have the loanword "нърд" (nerd) in the 00s yet, so the first division I heard of was "cool" vs "lame".

So you have the cool kids who are more delinquents than jocks (we didn't have any official sports teams and the like) being all tough guys, playing soccer with our butts just as much as with the football, bragging with their flashy goods (a Sony Ericsson with a color display in 2002, whoa!) and kicking our backpacks across the hallway.

And there's the "lame ones". The dorks. Of course, not all dorks are alike. My "friend" was a dork because he was short, scrawny and with a cleft palate. I was a dork (and a зубър, nerd in the academic sense) because I was a year younger, a good student, wore glasses, and had what tumblr would probably diagnose as audhd. About the only thing we shared was being unathletic.

(Now, no one bullied us for being fans of the popular things - Spiderman, Beast Wars, Goosebumps or whatever other cartoon was on TV, or, well, Star Wars, or Diablo or Warcraft. Not per sé. But the moment, the fucking MOMENT you showed more than a superficial interest, anything beyond "hehe, cool pew pew" or "aaaaa bro my sorc todally crushes on Hell", you would get ridiculed as a nerd. This persisted later in the Game of Thrones decade - cool guys did get to play WoW an watch Game of Thrones, but only to own nerds or to slobber at tiddies and blood and dragons, admiring anything else made you uncool. This is an aside re: "bUt nO oNe mAkEs fUn oF pOp cUlTuRe gEeKs".)

So this guy. See, he wanted to climb up. To stop being made fun of for his cleft palate and skinny build. Understandable. So he starts playing the "cool" guy to fit in. Gangsta rap (a bit of a delay from the west but that's the ruins of the Iron Curtain for you) was all the rage so this guy starts wearing baggy sweatshirts, gets decked out in hip hop sneakers, a color display phone and starts talking in "batka" (a variation of "bro" that later became shorthand for semi-criminal musclehead gym bros) and "took me under his wing". I asked him in 6th grade - who is cool and who isn't? And batka goes "see, they're cool, you're lame and I'm in the middle". Bam, hierarchy established and he's not down on the bottom! End of the year I ask him again - am I cool now or am I still lame? And he says, you're in the middle. I ask and where are you? He strokes his chin and says, yeah, me, I'm sorta above the middle now.

Another example in high school. See, I was at an "elite", more academically inclined high school, so there were more nerdy people. We had a group, and even in that group there was a hierarchy of who was the "coolest". And I mean normie "cool". So there's another guy - scrawny, with some really bad acne, good student, board game fan, the makings of a nerd. He wanted to not be the last nerd, he took me under his wing and started teaching me about rappers, clothes, girls. You know, cool guy stuff. Just to feel superior to someone.

So yeah, I don't think I've ever willingly participated in that stupid nerd/cool hierarchy, but it definitely is a thing.

Also I think that a lot of people currently involved in the backlash to early 2000s/10s nerd culture are not quite grasping how often "nerd" (and similar terms) were/are softer versions of autist/r-slur/gay freak/etc.

[donnabroadway]

Affirmative Action

Every few years conservatives dog whistle about how they're going to cancel affirmative action and someone, usually a white person, but this time it was an Asian man, who will seemingly was competitive, lacked a few things that set him apart. Also, like the white woman before him, aptly nicknamed Becky with the bad grades, after Black twitter found out she was average, at best, once University of Texas, and the Supreme Court, dropped her stats, he's being dragged on social media. The truth is more people are applying for college and that means college has become more competitive, especially since blacks, who were only being rejected due to race, now had the same opportunity to attend top institutions. The irony is that of all the lawsuits to be brought up against affirmative action, only one was successful and it wasn't because the blacks being let in were not qualified, it was because the man being denied admission was qualified and should have been let in as well. Has anyone stopped to think that maybe a higher percentage of blacks are being accepted because we are actually qualified and if they took away affirmative action and just accepted everyone based on qualifications, and not race or quota, that the same amount of blacks, maybe even more, would still get in because we were being denied due to race and not out lack of qualifications? Black people don't need affirmative action but rich kids need their parents to spend six figures to get them into USC or to buy a library to guarantee admission.

We don't need a special hand out or laws to make us qualify, we've been qualified. Affirmative Action and the civil rights act, Brown Vs. Board, was about getting us the opportunity and protection from angry and jealous white people who purposely impeded our progress with riots, laws, intimidation, suppression, and violence. We have always had the talented tenth, black elite, boule, and upper and middle class but they were tired of getting second hand treatment and their tax dollars going to fund the white institutions, schools, and infrastructure and whatever they had left, went to us or it was trickle down or we had to fund books, school repairs, supplies, and even schools out of pocket. We were tired. We wanted separate but equal to truly be equal. If our tax dollars were going to the bus system, like the white dollars, then we shouldn't have been relegated to a few rinky dink seats in the back or being forced to get off if a white person got on, in spite of the fact we paid our fare just like them and if we were too far from home and wanted to take another bus, we would have to pay again or hope a good Samaritan would pay our fare or let us ride for free. It wasn't fair and the growing black elite was tired. One of the first institutions to be desegregated in Baltimore was Baltimore Polytechnic Institution, an all boys school and because they didn't want to pay to create an equal program at Douglass or Dunbar, they let several black boys apply for admission and do you think the NAACP said "give me a year to find some boys and bring them up to par," no, they had more than enough qualified black students to fill the minimal spots they were given. Same with Little Rock. The students had to apply to get into that mediocre school and trust they were the best of the best. The students were handpicked and forced to go through a selection process by local leaders before their applications were even considered for submission to the school board, so these were the best of the best.

Let's just say we were smart enough to do their work and be in the background while they took credit for what we did but once we wanted to put our face on it and benefit from our accomplishments, we became problematic.

They're trying to send us back to the plantation. They have black faces spewing white talking points trying to convince us that we were better off before integration, that the civil rights movement destroyed our community and that white people aren't the problem. That is true depending on which side you were on. There were many black people, like Booker T Washington, who were able to vote and the black elite, in the north and other places, decided to stay out of "politics." They had a good life, they had good careers, they were educated, and they could go where the white men went. They didn't see the oppression from their high horse. The entire black upper and middle class weren't onboard because they were those who truly believed they pulled themselves up by the bootstraps and they didn't want to disrupt the balance or offend their white brethren.