#but the idea of taking an active role in governing is not something she wants

[dooblebugss]

When I write my fics or my AUs, I really don't think Hornet would call herself Queen or even Princess, not really. Both her parents and their respective kingdoms are long dead, and so are their rules. She's the protector of a corpse, sentinel of a tiny village that lies atop it.

...that doesn't stop bugs from asking her opinion on things and referring to her as an authority figure though. Can't escape the literal Divinity in her Blood there, lol.

[schneiderenjoyer]

it's you!! the one that made that verneider fic!!! i enjoy your fics and curious about something so i gott ask. what's your headcanons on schneider?

Vague, but yes, I write verneider stuf haha. I really appreciate and glad people like my work! (if you're actually referring to my fics like TWTR) And on the subject of headcanons...

SLAMS TABLE

You have no idea what you're asking for, anon. I'll literally go FERAL here for you asking this of me. I can go on forever talking about my personal headcanons for Schneider. And that's assuming whether or not you wanted headcanons of Schneider in general or for TWTR!Schneider. So, I'll compromise.

Normal Text is headcanons applying to both Italic mainly applies to Schneider Bold mainly applies to TWTR!Schneider

List of a "few" headcanons below.

Schneider is a good singer. Being told by her parents to go to church regularly, she'd also be encouraged to participate in church activities with her sisters like choir duty.

She's knowledgeable in botany. Growing up in an orchard, she picks up useful experience in taking care of plants, mainly fruits.

Schneider smokes and drinks. Mafia life gets her to pick up shady habits in her early days to relieve stress.

She taught herself how to use a gun. First gun she got was owned by her late father. The first time she ever had to use it is out of self-defense.

Schneider first killed someone at age 11.

Schneider's an adept learner. She shows signs of being responsible and understanding of the given situation at a young age, making her easily flexible. When it's beneficial or necessary to pick up a skill, she'll quickly learn and apply it into practice to be more efficient.

She's a skilled cook. Wandering around doesn't mean ignoring what you eat. Candies and energy bars won't do for a gourmet like her. She's equipped with years of knowledge and experience to feed even an entire army of picky eaters.

Schneider's favorite fruit is Sicilian Blood Orange.

Schneider didn't get a proper education. She knows how to read and write well enough, but she's taught herself how to speak English for survival.

She's greedy, but frugal. In her later years, Schneider grows to have a lavish and sophisticated taste in fashion and food, but always aims for practicality (buying cheap fake pearls because it's shiny enough and keeps the scent of oranges on her). She only splurges on family necessities and "business" resources.

Schneider is good in finances. In a struggling economy with 20 mouths to feed, she's learned to calculate the expenditures well.

Liberal in mind, conservative at heart. She's designed to be based on the American 1920s flapper girl scene where it's commonly viewed at the time as "going against the standard perception of young women" at the time. Yet, while Schneider filled into that role out of necessity to be her family's backbone (and it fits her personality better), at heart, she is still a young girl raised under conservative Christian values. Even if the possibility is no longer there, Schneider still dreams of someday marrying for love (man or woman doesn't matter to her), starting a family, and maybe be a sweet loving housewife to someone.

Hesitant leader, rebellious follower. Schneider has a complicated view of authorities, mainly the government. She's resistant and even disdainful towards blindly following higher power without questioning their motives, but knows when to lower her head for the time being. With this view, Schneider isn't interested in the leader position nor does she want to order an entire group of people to do her bidding if she really can help it.

Schneider doesn't lie. In a cruel world full of deception, the last thing she wants is to be a liar herself. She doesn't consider "lying by omission" as lying; merely stalling for time before she has to say it out loud. Her favorite tactic to avoid having to admit it openly too soon is to divert the subject or make cryptic, playful jabs. It's not lying if you never answer, after all~

She finds it hard to ask for help openly. With her background, showing any admission of weakness is a gateway to risking her loved one's life, so she finds more creative way to get the help she needs through subtle cajoling or manipulating the conversation to get the other person to engage willingly about the information she needs. Only time Schneider would ever ask help first is a matter of life and death of others rather than herself.

Schneider has a complex relationship with religion. She doesn't inherently denounces the practice, as she's lived her whole life with it, but she's jaded by it. Her shaky mindset about God and religion has led her to being she's a sinner and the reason she and her family have fallen on hard times with no salvation. Maybe if she was a better daughter...

Faith in you is belief to me. Schneider, even with many qualities of an arcanist, is still human biologically. She can't see or hear things most arcanists can, but she feels them. If her eyes and ears fail her, she places faith in those she trusts to be her guiding light.

Family over everything. Italian or no, Schneider will do anything for those she loves and considers "family." She'll place their comfort over herself and will do what she can to protect them. Even with her own life.

She loves collecting feathers. From doves to pigeons, any feather of any kind or color. It's a small hobby she holds dear in her heart.

Schneider likes watching movies, mainly the cheesy romance and slasher horror genre. Ever since finding out about "talkies" and the existence of "giallo" films, she likes to collect and binge watch all sorts of shows late at night.

Curious in the arcane. Her deepened fascination to immerse herself in the arcanist lifestyle has her become very knowledgeable in many arcane practices on a basic level. If she can't be a professional in one, might as well just be decent in all.

Schneider has a large gun collection. She takes care of it and maintains them well.

Playful business. It's hard for most to identify whether Schneider takes work seriously or not. She defaults to her usual teasing personality whether it's a risky job or a simple task. Only when the situation has her comrades at risk does she stop playing around and take things more seriously.

Selfishly selfless. It's already been shown many times in previous headcanons, but Schneider's selfless to a fault in the sense she'd do everything for her loved ones. She only gets involved and looks out for others with her best interest (and her "family") in mind. The best way you can get her on your side is to be friends with her family. (or threaten her with their life)

We win or we die. Schneider is no gambler, but when she does, she games with her life. She's long known the worth of her soul and will lay it down for any opportunity to win all odds. (to the benefit of her loved ones) Even so, there remains a heart that yearns to live.

I'll stop there since it's getting too long, haha. But yeah, I have a lot of headcanons for Schneider. Bbygirl's got so much potential and so much layers as a character. I love her so much.

[fortunesfavours]

time travel in ten - sequential narrative collage piece done for my class, Artifact.

ramblings below the cut for those interested in the process/life update for friends who have noticed i've been gone

right lmao. i had two weeks to do this project and had a completely different idea that i just could not get myself to be excited about. emailed my prof in desperation, but it being like 10 pm meant that she was not about to respond. within 30 minutes, as it goes, i got struck with divine inspiration by whatever force of nature governs procrastination-induced genius, and i promptly spent the next 12 waking hours non-stop working on this.

my class, artifact, is a requirement for the foundation year at the college i attend. it centers around time-based media, ranging from the sequential illustration here to video later in the semester, and a bunch of other projects designed to get us thinking in 4d. artifact is the theme of the class - my peers are doing the same projects under a variety of different themes (tragically, haunting filled up too quickly and i missed out on enrollment in that one).

our first project was designing an artifact and doing a write-up of the story behind it. the girl to my left made beaded spiders members of a fictional cult carried. the guy across from me made an amulet of a long-dead god. you get the vibes. mine, which I still need to take professional photos of, is a pocketwatch that lets you time travel. cause, yknow. i'm me. it was gonna be about time travel.

i had originally intended to do a bunch of drawings of the watch's owner, building out her backstory and the world she lives in, and explaining why the watch exists,,,, then i couldn't bring myself to pick up the stylus. I just can't seem to find the energy for my usual digital art (sorry friends i miss yall i'm still here i swear).

here's the bit about my life so feel free to stop reading if you just care about the art 👍

I haven't drawn fanart or my ocs in months now, since last semester, and I miss it a whole bunch but right now that creative energy just. is not happening. i don't plan on abandoning it forever by any means, but p much everything i have is going towards school right now. sad as that is, i'm having so much fun, and i'm so proud of the technical improvements i've made. I've got so many things i want to create, mostly for my ocs. i still love crit role, but i've fallen of campaign three. i don't have the time, and the story hasn't been engaging me for a bit.

i've been really into dr who lately, and am eagerly waiting for the spare time to sit and watch all of candela obscura. i'm in a new dnd game. i've got friends! real life friends! irl friends who called me the wizard friend within a few hours of knowing me before i even opened my mouth about dnd lmao. i've discovered a new love of collage, and i've just declared my major in something unique to my school, a program called Studio for Interrelated Media. i'll be learning about illustration still through the extra electives i'll have room for, but i also get to explore printmaking in more depth, as well as event planning, installation, curation, and theatre work as well.

i miss being on here a whole bunch and want to be more active when i get more time. don't plan on abandoning this blog by any means. boston has been kind to me, and though i have had some Real Low Points, i've also been living the life i've hoped for since i was a kid. i'm good, really really good.

to my friends, ily, i miss you, and i hope you're well. can't wait to catch up on all yalls art and fic. sending all my love. <3

[captainwidowspring]

Honest thoughts: What do you think would have to happen differently in the airport battle for everyone on Team Cap to escape with Steve and Bucky instead of being captured? For me, I think the potential options are:

A) Vision doesn't needlessly destroy a control tower (that's all that would need to be changed for Wanda to get away at minimum, since her having to stop meant that Rhodey was able to use his sonic cannon on her).

B) Vision and/or Spider-Man change sides mid-battle.

C) Wanda remembers to use her mind powers and uses them to incapacitate Tony and those on his side.

D) Clint, Scott, Sam and Wanda knock out and/or kill Ross's men when they show up to take them into custody, then steal another plane.

E) Steve and Bucky refuse to leave any of their teammates behind, so swing the quinjet around to pick them all up.

F) Before Ross's forces can arrive to take Clint, Scott, Sam and Wanda into custody, Vision reasons with Tony that letting the four be held in a human-rights violating prison is a bad idea and that saving the world is more important, so Tony reluctantly agrees to stall for time.

Here are my (honest) thoughts on your ideas.

I think the best way for all of Team Cap to escape would be for Wanda to use her mind powers. It makes sense for her to not use them at the beginning of the fight because she would want to give Team Iron Man a chance to change their minds and stop fighting, but once it became clear that that wasn't going to happen, instead of deciding that most of them wouldn't escape, Wanda should have used her mind powers then. That would be a good way to make sure all of Team Cap escapes and nobody on Team Iron Man gets hurt. I wonder if she would not incapacitate Natasha, however, considering that Natasha was the least active member of Team Iron Man throughout the battle, and Wanda could clearly see that she was sparring with Clint rather than actually fighting him. She might thus be able to see that Natasha wasn't really on Team Iron Man, and bring her along too.

Since Vision appears to be unable to disobey Tony, it seems unlikely that he would be able to switch sides mid-battle. Maybe, however, Wanda could work with him during the battle to break Tony's hold over him. Wanda's role in the fight appeared to be to watch the action and rebuff Team Iron Man whenever necessary, but there was a significant amount of time between when she saved Bucky from T'Challa and when Scott turned big where neither she nor Vision appeared to be doing anything, so maybe they could have done that during that time. Then, Vision would no longer have to fight for Team Iron Man, and he would not have to engage in such shenanigans as destroying the control tower.

Peter changing sides mid-battle is definitely something that could have happened. When Peter finished telling Steve all the things Tony had told him, instead of just being like, "Guess he had a point!!!!!" Steve should have asked him, "Did he tell you that he's fighting for the government's right to oppress enhanced individuals?" That would certainly have given Peter pause, and he would probably stop fighting Team Cap at that point and demand answers from Tony, and then Tony's purposeful manipulation of Peter would come back to bite him. I don't think such a thing would have changed the outcome of the battle too much, since the most decisive thing Peter did was knock Scott over, but such a thing would certainly have been glorious to witness.

I don't think that allowing Ross's forces to catch up to them would be a good idea. Ross would doubtlessly bring a lot of men with him (as well as a lot of weaponry), and the four of them would have to be extremely careful not to kill anyone, because if they did it would doubtlessly be used as further propaganda against enhanced individuals. In addition, Team Iron Man would still be there. Wanda would probably end up doing most of the work here, and she would probably have to extensively use her mind powers, so if she was going to use her mind powers anyway, it would make more sense to do it when it was just Team Iron Man.

The problem with Steve and Bucky turning back is that this would open up the possibility for the Quinjet to be disabled or otherwise stopped somehow, which would be quite problematic. Steps would probably be taken not to destroy it because it's Avengers property, but Tony might try to do something that he could easily fix later, or Peter might try to do something with his webs. Such a strategy would only be possible if Wanda was available to guard the Quinjet from damage.

Vision reasoning with Tony would certainly be extremely interesting. Now, I'm not sure how effective it would be. Tony completely refused to listen when Steve tried to explain the situation to him the first time, after all, so there's no indication he would be willing to listen a second time, especially when he had such a clear opportunity before him to punish Team Cap for their insolence. And based on his conversation in the Raft with Clint, Tony was completely fine with the idea of them going to prison, he just didn't know that the conditions would be as bad as they were. (Though even when he saw those conditions, he made no effort to help them; he didn't so much as protest their treatment to Ross.) Not to mention, saving the world doesn't seem to be that important to him, considering that in Infinity War he literally (not figuratively) couldn't swallow his ego to save the entire universe. So whether Vision would be able to convince him to stall for time is unclear. You never know, however, for sometimes Tony's conscience sneaks up on him, as we saw at the beginning of the movie. It would thus be quite intriguing to watch Vision try.

[sleepy-the-loz-enthusiast]

oh also i forgot to mention in my last ask, what do the villains do in the au??

u mentioned that ghirahim tries to kill the links and ganon kidnapped him as a baby, is their goal just to take down/assassinate the royal family?

and what about other loz antagonists like vaati or majora or cia or the yiga or-

i’m getting too ahead of myself- no need to answer my questions all at once lmao

Nono dw, they're very good questions !

I was rambling about this to my friend a while ago and they joked about Ganondorf being a kind of mob boss, so I'm going with that kind of idea. It's a bit like how in oot Ganondorf pledges alliance to the royal family, but he plans to betray them and take over Hyrule- he is good friends with people in the government so they excuse his actions. He also pays them to keep quiet and silence victims when things get out of hand.

In this au, the Royal Family and government work hand in hand, so Ganondorf also fakes loyalty to them. His end goal is to break down the people until they're fully at his mercy and not able to fight back, then work his way up to having full power over Hyrule. The Zeldas are the only members of the royal family who can work mostly outside of his radar, which is why they're very significant.

As for the other Zelda antagonists, I feel like they'd be people working under Ganondorf who've sworn their loyalty and he's given them power, wheras the Yiga are basically his fan club who he finds annoying, but uses their loyalty to his advantage. He doesn't care for the Yiga, he mostly prioritises the other loz villains as in the games they play more of a significant role.

Like, Ghirahim and Zant for example; they're basically his sons, he trusts them the most so uses them for the more important tasks, because in sksw and tp the actual characters play more significant roles and are an active threat that shows up to humble the respective Link. But because of that, Ganondorf is constantly comparing them and uses one's achievements to belittle the other, so both of them are seeking his praise and favour, trying to break the other down to be the superior one. Ghirahim was kidnapped because it's a well-known fact that people in that family are typically incredibly smart and talented in their fields so Ganondorf wanted thag on his side. Zant willingly joined after being pissed off for being constantly rejected by everyone and just wanting to join the 'winning team' so that he could flaunt his power to those people.

For Cia, seeing as I'm fairly certain in Hyrule Warriors canon she commands an army and before that was in charge of timeline stuff, I'm gonna say she's a part of the Government overseeing laws and generally what people do. She's also working to train up an army of sorts with loyalty to Ganondorf, but most of them are Yiga Clan. She's grown to despise bananas now...

Ganondorf doesn't really play a huge role in Majora's mask, and there's nothing confirmed about the origins of Majora other than a small spinoff manga, so I'm not entirely sure about Majora's role. But taking inspiration from another modern au- Skyward Floored's incredibles au- maybe Majora could be more of its own thing who just works with Ganondorf as they share ambitions of power and world domination. Majora's more brutal, however, and deals with... enemies of Ganondorf, let's just say. This also has something to do with Time's facial tattoos...

As for Vaati, I'm not too sure about what role he plays in his games so I can't say much for him. But he does have a strong connection with Shadow, who just so happens to be Four's ex boyfriend who went missing.

They're all evil and irredeemable, but some character depth couldn't hurt right-?

Anyways, thank you for the ask !! I didn't mean to ramble for so long but have a nice existence lmao-

[fluffy-does-essays]

Essay: "The Problem with Modern Feminism"

Feminism is a term that is both hated and loved by many. A concept that is ever-changing as a new era comes and goes and new definitions seem to appear for it whether it be toxic or positive by radicals or traditionalists A movement originally used for the right of women to be equal and expand their horizons rather than to be seen as worthless and nothing by those that hold power in patrichary now seemingly twists and turns into something new in this new generation of women compared to our ancestors time. There is a debate between the different types of women in her role and their place in life, according to many, depending on who you talk to. In this essay, we are going to talk about the concept of feminism, its good, its bad, and its ugly.

Feminism, according to Merriam Webster, is defined as "belief in and advocacy of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes expressed especially through organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests". Another quote, according to Britannica, is: "Feminism is the belief in social, economic, and political equality of the sexes. Although largely originating in the West, feminism is manifested worldwide and is represented by various institutions committed to activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests." And another, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, quote: "the belief that women should be allowed the same rights, power, and opportunities as men and be treated in the same way, or the set of activities intended to achieve this state." So we get the idea; it's supposed to be for women to have equal opportunity, equal choice, and be treated as equals as human beings like our counterparts. Where women can go for their careers and delight in the activities they want, just like men do with their careers and what they delight in doing, But according to others, it's an entirely different story. While some radical feminists argue for equality between men and women, others adopt a more extreme position, viewing men and women as inherently different and claiming that women are superior to men. This can include rhetoric such as suggesting that men are inferior to women, promoting the idea that men should be killed or enslaved, and expressing indifference to or even amusement at men's problems, such as sexual assault and other violent acts. These views, although not held by all feminists, are often criticized as being misandrist and unhelpful to the broader ideals of gender equality. Traditional women's view of feminism is typically marked by the belief that it is a woman's place to be subordinate to men and to stay at home rather than pursue a career or expand on other aspects of her life. They believe that feminism is bad because it encourages women to question the established gender roles and social structures that have historically kept women in a lower position in society. This view can also include the belief that women are naturally better suited for duties such as homemaking and childcare and that seeking higher education or employment opportunities is not in their best interests or the interests of society as a whole.

Here's an outsider view: It is a woman's choice whether she should be married, single, career-seeking, or at home. Both radfems and tradtionalists don't understand, as they have a narrow view of what true choice is. For the radfems, yes, the men you deal with are evil in nature, and the ones who mainly hold power, like industry or government, are ones who seek to put you down, but do not assume that other men will be the same way. A double standard has been created by the ones who hold power to encourage division and constant battle, which leads to both sides belittling each other rather than being helpful to each other about free choice and equality in achievement options. For the traditionalists, nowhere did it say a woman couldn't expand her career while taking care of the house and the kids, and nowhere did it say that men couldn't help with the house while working to provide it, nor did it say that men beat their wives, belittle their wives, and cheat on their wives. If we go by true traditionalism, it's actually equal; it's just assigned roles, but men in the roles took advantage of their position to abuse rather than uphold it like they should. Since some traditionalist women go by the Bible, here are examples: 1 Corinthians 7:3–4 (KJV), Colossians 3:19 (KJV), Genesis 2:24 (KJV), and 1 Peter 3:7 (KJV). Where in there does it say a man can beat his wife? Where does it say a woman is inferior? Nowhere does it say they could not work together to help the household. A woman can still take care of the house and the kids and expand on their careers, and a man can take care of the kids and the house while also doing their careers too. There is no inferior or superior; it's just roles you guys twisted into making it look that way.

So what is the problem with Modern Feminism? Modern feminism often centers around its perceived co-option by marketing strategies rather than serving as a genuine human rights movement. Critics argue that it has become a tool for industries to enhance their sales, targeting the masses with a diluted version of feminist ideals. In this context, feminism is portrayed more as a commodity than a catalyst for positive societal change. This commercialization has the potential to overshadow the core principles of feminism, transforming it into a means for profit rather than a pursuit of equal rights. One manifestation of this criticism is the association of feminism with a hypersexualized image, exemplified by popular figures like Beyoncé and Cardi B. These celebrities, while advocates for women's rights, are sometimes accused of perpetuating a hypersexualized and prideful persona that conforms to societal expectations rather than challenging them. and though there is nothing wrong with empowerment through women's bodies and image of their own design, The use of demeaning language in media and music, such as the frequent use of terms like "bitch" and "slut," contributes to the perception of feminism as a movement that is more concerned with projecting a certain image than empowering women to make independent choices about their bodies and lives.

In conclusion, feminism, at its core, champions a woman's right to choose her life path—be it traditional, independent, or otherwise. Criticism should focus on a person's actions and character, not their gender or aspirations. Genuine respect for individual agency, free from imposed standards, fosters an inclusive society where women can authentically pursue their chosen paths. Radfems shouldn't be entitled to not get criticism because they are women, and traditionalists shouldn't be entitled to be criticized because they are Christians or of any other religion.

[smol-grey-tea]

Secret Ending Three - Chapter Four: Options

Been ages since I've done any writing. Finally sat down to get some done.

I did some research into Korean culture for this chapter. The stuff that Lance says about school looks to be true, from what the internet has told me.

It's funny. My teddy bear's hand in mine, I'm sitting here at Banjul. A cafe. Places famous for the clutter and mess of food. Facing me is my silver haired doll, looking down at the papers he's placed on the table. The surface is clear of crumbs and completely spotless, now covered in notebooks and forms, all ordered neatly beside each other. It's all colour coded and even the pens sit next to each other in their black-blue-red order.

"Now, I've written up, in detail, what each option for us entails. Facts are written in black, opinions are written in blue. Pros on the left, cons on the right. In this folder is all the information you need about the academy, while this folder has information about jobs or other opportunities. Here is a pad for your own notes. Any questions..? Yes, Red?" "When can I go to the bathroom?" "You should have gone during lunch." "But I didn't need to go then!" "Fine," Lance relented with a tired sigh. I think if this were my first impression of school, I'd rather just stay home.

"It looks like a lot..." he says beside me, fidgeting with his sleeves as he takes all the paperwork in front of him in. "I'll definitely be in the same class as you guys though, right?" "Oh, of course, I'll make sure of it," I reply. "In my class, there'll be you, Lance, Yeonho, Soi and Shinbi. I'm the health commissioner, meaning that Mr Yujin gets to boss me around; Soi's the class president, so she kind of represents the class and is in charge when there's no teacher, and Shinbi's the vice president... You remember Soi and Shinbi, right?" "How could I forget that noisy blonde girl who wants to be a model?" "Oh, Soi's not the model, Shinbi is. She's on loads of magazines, but her dream job is to be a full time model for this one company... Hmm, I can't remember the name of it right now, but I know it's a big one." "Yeah... I can't blame you for not knowing, it sounds really boring. Standing around, posing in different outfits. I've done enough of that." "Well, maybe it's boring to you," I considered, sipping the last of my tea. "I just know she really enjoys it... Oh, and I also really like the clothing."

"Well, alright then... But do I have to become a class commissioner or a health president too? It sounds demanding" "You don't have to have any particular role in the school, no," Lance explained, for once refusing the chance to correct someone's poor wording. "But you can if you want to. Unfortunately, those specific roles are already taken, but you can take up similar roles in clubs."

Lance flipped through the academy folder and found the section he wrote on clubs. I don't think there'll be a day that the beautiful and professional way he organises everything doesn't amaze me. There lies, first of all, a contents page, listing all the different clubs in the school. The next few pages go into more detail about what each club is about, who founded them, and other things like where it's held and when.

"I, personally, am a member of the student government. This means that I handle matters relating to the school and making sure that everything runs smoothly, like ensuring that other clubs are being appropriate and not breaking any rules in their activities." "... By cross dressing?"

I watch Lance's pale face cloud pink and smile to myself, watching his eyes find anything to focus on other than us... Heheh... I had no idea something like that might come out of my bear's mouth.

"... What?" Red, who'd returned from the bathroom, asked. "Cross dressing? What do you mean?" "Um..." I struggled to find words without almost bursting out laughing. But Lance cleared his throat, reorganising the papers. "That is none of your concern... Let us change the subject if we're done with this topic." "But-"

"School doesn't just consist of club activities and friends though. You will attend classes every day, including maths, science, Korean, moral education, social studies, practical arts, physical education, music, fine arts, and foreign languages." "Right..." says my bear, head in his hands. "Classes are fifty minutes long with a ten minute break in between and seven classes a day, beginning at eight forty in the morning, ending usually at about four thirty in the afternoon." "Uh huh..." "You will be provided with notebooks for each class and will be expected to make sufficient notes during so that you will be able to pass all the exa-."

"When can I go to the bathroom?" "... Well, the teacher will usually let you go to the bathroom if you ask-" "It's over that way, isn't it?" "Oh... You meant right now."

He stood up and walked in the direction he saw Red walking in earlier, before finally finding his way and disappearing from sight. Lance watched him silently, probably wanting to object, but instead turned his attention back to his notes with a sigh.

"Where do you think the nearest stationery shop might be? We could take him there afterwards and see if he'd like a particular set." "Oh, that's a good idea. I'm not too familiar with this area though. Maybe I'll look it up."

I opened my smartphone and flicked past the background of the seven of us to find a search engine. The clever map on my phone highlights a bunch of different shops, one that's about a ten minute walk away. I never knew before that the internet would let me see a street view of the place from my phone, as if I were there myself. There are a couple of people around and even a dog. On the left is a cute looking candy store, and on the right...

...an estate agent...

... Right. Some of the dolls might have to move. We'll probably have to use one of these.

I wonder... It wouldn't hurt to take a look, right?

The website lists properties that are near and far, small and big, cheap and expensive. It looks like there are a few properties with two bedrooms not that far from our house actually. Might some of us have to move into a place like this?

Just out of curiosity though... Just because they're pretty to look at, some of these four bedroom houses look nice. This one has two bathrooms and even has a pretty cherry tree in the back garden.

"Did you find one?" Lance's cold voice snaps me out of my trance. "Huh..? Uh, yeah. This one looks good." "..." "..." "... That's a house." "... Huh." "No stationery shops around?" "... Oh! Yeah, uh... I found one near here, yeah." "Okay, then let's go there after. But..." "Hm?"

"I'm worried." "Why?" "Hasn't he been in the bathroom for a while now?" "Oh... Come to think of it, yeah." I must have spent longer than I thought on that letting website. "Do you think he's alright?" "I don't know... Would you go and check on him?" "Yeah, I should. I'll be right back."

Through a small hallway decorated with elegant instruments and antique cutlery was just one bathroom. The red colouring above the door handle showed it was definitely occupied, and it's thankfully quiet today, so there's no queue.

I hesitantly knock. "Hey, it's me. You've been a while, are you okay?" There's a shuffle before the door becomes unlocked... Does this mean I should come in?

I'm met with the view of my bear sitting in the corner of the room, huddled into a small ball... It looks quite sad.

"I want to go home," he mumbled, barely audible. "Oh my god... Are you okay? Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?" I close the door behind me and he simply shakes his head as I cradle him in my arms.

"This isn't gonna work, I'm not good at anything. How am I supposed to go to school? I've only ever watched you at school, I've never actually been there myself. And even if it wasn't so hard, it's always so crowded. If you struggle with school and you've been doing it for years, how awful am I gonna be at it? That silver head thinks it's so easy. At least those dolls were made with the idea of going about society. I was just made to be cuddly and stay home. How am I gonna do this..."

"What? No way! I'm so sorry we made you feel that way, but I promise it's not that bad. And besides, you don't have to get straight As if it's too difficult. We can just take it slowly." "You really think so? You don't remember how that guy used to lecture you every single day and study with you for hours? How many questions you got wrong? You don't remember what he said about Yeonho being bad at maths?" "I..." "Even if it doesn't matter what the teachers think, he'll still be there when I go home. At least in the near future. I can't do it at school or at home and I'll just be bringing everyone else down with them trying to support me. It's not gonna work. Should we just give up?"

"Hey... I know how you feel. School is difficult for me too. But you can't give up when you haven't even started yet. And you don't have to be good at everything. We don't have to worry about exams anyway when we have more important stuff to worry about right now." "But Lance..." "Just... Listen. He's not gonna hurt you. He can be harsh sometimes and definitely a bit intimidating, especially when it comes to school, but he just really likes to stick to the rules. He'll understand if you're not breaking the rules just because you can. You're struggling. It's... Hmm."

Maybe I should have noticed sooner the way that he was getting so overwhelmed by what Lance was saying. And all the papers as well. Even how clean the table was. Lance sure can be a bit overbearing at times... But he doesn't mean it.

"I think it's something that we should just talk to Lance about. He's definitely the expert, right? He's even a discipline guide, so it's his job to help." "Really..?" "Yeah. Even if he can't help, it's best to be straight forward about it anyway. This is your future we're discussing here. We shouldn't just get all the facts straight about the academy, we should get the facts straight about you and how you feel too. Come on. Let's go and speak to Lance now, yeah?" "I..." I looked into his face and held my hand out to him. "Okay. Let's go." His hand is soft and warm in mine.

We didn't have to walk too far to find him though. As soon as we opened the bathroom door, there he stood in the hallway. I'd chastise him for eavesdropping, but I think this is an exception.

"Um..." He clears his throat again, hands visibly fidgeting behind his back. "So... I didn't... Well... I understand if you no longer wish to go to the academy. It's not something that's easy." I stroked the hand in mine with my thumb supportively. "Uh... It might be okay if I try going to the academy... It's just... What if I fail..."

"That's okay. I understand that I might have overwhelmed you with information and may have emphasised the negative aspects too much. I know that I've been quite insensitive towards other people in the past, but I'm working on changing that now." Lance bows his head sincerely towards us both. The ice is melting in his heart...

"I will do everything in my power to help you acclimate to the academy and will ensure that you always stay on top of classes and have enough time off if it becomes too overwhelming. I will personally give you a tour of the school on the first day and give you the highest of quality study sessions, according to your own schedule and preferences."

He straightens himself up and smooths down his clothes and my attention is once again drawn to his tidiness. His clothes had been recently ironed and even his fingernails were trimmed neatly in the same shape and size as each other.

"But I'm not saying this just to impress the owner. We are in competition, after all." I keep almost forgetting... "So I've had to start considering what my life might entail if I am not the one to win. I would like to pursue the position of student government president.

"A big aspect of being the student government president is impartiality and strict adherence to the rules. But I have learned, through Eri's help, the importance of emotions and patience. I know now that another big aspect of being the student government president is trying to understand other people's perspectives and why they might not be following the rules or meeting the highest standards."

Lance looks into his eyes, determined. I don't know how my bear's feeling, but I feel really happy that Lance is saying something so kind and thoughtful. I remember how his nickname, Ice Prince, didn't just come from his looks, but from his past attitude towards people. I'd almost forgotten that Lance hasn't always been so thoughtful. He was getting ahead of himself earlier, talking about the academy without thinking, but it was him who said he was worried. Worried about someone else...

"If you ever find yourself in a problem relating to the academy, you can always come to me. I do not mind and I can always make time to help people in need. That is my vow," he said with a final bow. "I...greatly appreciate it," my bear said, bowing back in reply.

I can't help but smile at this scene. We return to our seats and the rest of the day at Banjul goes much more smoothly. All in all, a good day. I hope I never forget these happy memories together.

[ishvlnpckpockt]

CHARACTER INTERVIEW

▌real name: Nadya Ramzi Natalia Brahms.

▌single or taken: Single

▌abilities or powers: None

▌eye color: Red Golden brown

▌hair color: White Black

▌family members: Mother (deceased) Older sister (deceased)

▌pets: None

▌something they don’t like: State Alechemists, The Amestrian Government

▌hobbies/activities: People watching, scoping out places, taking walks, watching the night sky

▌ever hurt anyone before: she has, but she tries not to

▌ever killed anyone before: nope

▌worst habits: she has a bit of a hoarding habit due to her homelessness. she holds onto food and money on the off chance that she actually acquires some, because she doesn't need it now. she can have it later, when she really needs it.

▌role models: she doesn't believe in those.

▌sexual orientation: she doesn't know and she puts zero thought into the concept.

▌thoughts on marriage/kids: she's resigned herself to the notion that she won't live long enough to have those.

▌fears: her worst fears have come true already.

▌style preferences: i'm gonna assume they mean attire style for this. she doesn't usually care much what she wears. her usual clothes suit her just fine

▌someone they love: both of the people she loved the most are gone now.

▌approach to friendships: suuuper averse to it, let alone even build the trust for that. she doesn't trust people in general, so it'll take her a while before she even entertains the idea of a friendship with somebody.

▌thoughts on pie: she's never had it

▌favorite drink: water's always refreshing for her

▌favorite place to spend time at: on the rooves of townhouse complexes, staring at the night sky

▌swim in the lake or in the ocean: the lake

▌their type: she doesn't like people enough to have one lol

▌camping or indoors: camping. she prefers the outdoors

Tagged by: It's been sitting in drafts for ages I don't even know anymore lmao Tagging: Anyone who wants to!

[remnantsfm]

hello!! i was wondering what types of reasons you could see someone getting kicked out of astra and sent back to ansan? for example, i was envisioning a former holofilm actress muse who was forced to leave astra after being caught up in a scandal of some sort.

oh i absolutely love that idea!! did you have a specific film genre that she was acting in? i could think of a few possibilities:

if she would have been involved in something akin to a propaganda film? if you wanted something recent / more directly tied to a plot drop, i was thinking of making astra's 50th founding anniversary part of our first plot drop, and i'm sure a bunch of holofilms / music / general art has been in the making for it. if she was involved in something that high-profile but was then also in a scandal, the astran government could've forced her to leave to preserve their own image.

anything similar where she might have done something that negatively affected astra's image, especially if she was a big public figure. i think astra is very concerned about keeping its image.

if she just felt like she had no choice but to leave -- maybe the scandal was so wide-reaching that it sort of "shunned" her in the industry, and she wasn't able to get the same roles she used to. maybe a manager advised her to leave or she decided to herself.

on a similar vein, if she was swept up in a scandal but is trying to cover it up. or maybe someone is making her cover it up? either way, she needed to be distanced from it.

if you're looking for something more general, being caught up in any illegal activity could have put her in danger of being asked to leave.

you're happily allowed to take creative license wherever you need to, like if you need specific details / npcs to make your plot work. if you have any other questions or you'd like to work something into the world lore related to her background, just let us know!

[longing-for-rain]

“Not a feminist act but a revolutionary act” “It’s a racist trope”

You’re still treating a woman as if her choice in partner is a political act, and that it would be somehow racist or traitorous of her to marry into the incorrect ethnicity. That’s a problem, sorry.

Also, how are you going to assign all these ideas about what the Fire Lady does when we don’t really know what that would look like in canon? We’ve never seen the Fire Lord have a spouse and what that spouse would do. Katara could do a lot of good that way. Also, it’s really ironic to act as if Katara is completely bound by cultural norms when she canonically fought against the Water Tribe cultural norms telling her she wasn’t allowed to fight. Katara is a revolutionary, like you said, so why would she adhere strictly to cultural norms? Why would she find monarchy inherently wrong, especially when it’s in a government that is being actively restructured by someone with a vested interest in ensuring that the war ends and the people hurt by it receive justice? That sounds like something Katara would want to be involved with.

And of course she acted “bottom up” before. She didn’t have a choice. She didn’t have the ability to act from the top, but do you really think she wouldn’t take the opportunity if she did?

Also I’m sorry about the tragedy your family went through, but do you seriously think it’s appropriate to bring up as justification as to why you think multiracial relationships in a cartoon show are immoral? Or multiracial relationships in general? Seriously?

Sorry, but this is just some projection. There is nothing to suggest that Katara has any issue in a role or political influence or that she has a resentment for the people of the Fire Nation; in fact, canon shows the exact opposite.

“Avatar Studios is correcting that”

Yes, because there is a lot to correct.

Do you understand the concept of “show don’t tell?”

You can say Master Katara all you want, for example, but it takes a lot of retconning to actually show this.

You listed a lot of examples, but not a single one shows Aang putting himself on the line or giving anything up for Katara without being asked the way she does to support him.

Taking her up north to learn waterbending? This is probably the most laughable; it wasn’t really about her. The whole show was about Aang learning waterbending and the other elements. Katara accompanied Aang and it was an added bonus for her, but narratively, she wasn’t the focus. Narratively, she was there for Aang, not vice versa.

Katara’s children in Legend of Korra? Oh, that’s a good one. The two non-airbenders who canonically felt neglected by their father and inadequate—and this is more than just their bias based on how the Air Acolytes don’t even know that Aang had children besides Tenzin? Those children? Also I’m sorry but the fact that they only bothered to write grandkids for Tenzin says a lot here. It’s very clear which culture was considered of greater importance by both Aang and the writers.

Also, where is this White Lotus claim coming from? That was never shown, like a lot of things you mentioned. You even admit that Avatar Studios is actively correcting (i.e. retconning) parts of canon because they realize many creative choices they made are not a good look, especially for Katara’s character.

Which brings me back to my original point. If you have to retcon this much to make a relationship palatable, it probably wasn’t revolutionary in the first place. It was probably just a very standard hero-gets-girl narrative from a cartoon in 2005.

Which guess what! Isn’t all that revolutionary, which is why so many girls who watched the show as kids started liking the idea of Zutara instead, because if you’re going to change canon to give Katara a better partner anyway, why not have it be Zuko.

people who claim that Katara ending up with Zuko rather than Aang would have made her character more “feminist” completely disregard her race and ethnicity. it shows a lack of understanding when it comes to intersectional feminism because Katara and Aang ending up together is revolutionary. these are two people who understand each other in a way no one else could. both victims of the same regime in the exact same way. both genocide survivors. both the last of their kind (Katara being the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe and Aang, of course, being the last airbender). both genocides committed to kill the avatar and erase hope from the world. both come from a collectivist culture. they are both leaders of a resistance group, two people who fight for a better world and in the process find love during war time, in the face of an imperialist nation that was set on wiping them out but they prevailed. not only did they end the war together, but they are tangible proof that love and hope and peace is possible and it’s never too late for things to turn around, even if you are the last of your kind.

Aang, Katara and their relationship is embodiment of that hope and of the revolution.

[bunk12bear]

Steddie Kids

I've been stuck with the random urge to imagine Steve and Eddie's children/future for some reason. These are written with them both being cis but can be adjusted accordingly if you want one or both of them to be trans.

Steve and Eddie both end up being teachers and end up settling in Chicago using government hush money to buy a nice duplex with Robin and her partner( when people ask how they can afford it they just shrug and say that Steve had Rich parents). I fell in love with Jewish eddie so the kids grow up celebrating both Christian and Jewish holidies.

They all have Eddie's last name because I love the idea of Steve not wanting oto taint something as precious as his children with everything the Harrington name represents or contribute to his Dad having any sort of legacy. Does that make sense logistically I don't know and I don't have any particular urge to figure that out at the moment so 🤷‍♀️

Sarah Munson

Born May 11th 1995( did I make their eldest born in 95 because that was the year I was born, yes yes I did)

Born via a surrogate with eddies DNA and a doner egg

Named after the protagonist in The Labyrinth( Steve and Eddie went to see it on their first date)

Lesbian

she/they

Dark curly hair and big brown doe eyes like Eddie but tan skin and a fuller figure from her bio mom

5' 7"

Whether it's nature or nurture she ends up taking after Eddie loving all things fantasy and Dungeons & Dragons. She also falls in love with alt music/style but ends up going more of a punk/Riot grrrl direction much to Eddie's horror( to be clear I don't think Eddie would super buy into the punk metal rivalry but I love the idea of them getting into albeit friendly arguments about the merits of each genre)

Anthropology PhD student(studying the effect of American mass media on global cultures) and activist

ADHD/Autistic but doesn't struggle in school the same way Eddie did because he and Steve pushed to get her diagnosed when she's little so she has an IEP from kindergarten( to be clear I also think Eddie is ADHD autistic and that's why he struggled so much in school)

Daniel "Danny"Munson

Born july 2nd 1998

Born via a surrogate and a donor egg like Sarah but with Steve's DNA this time

Named for Danny Zuko( I have completely fallen in love with the idea that Steve loves Grease)

arro ace

He/him

Ends up looking like a near carbon copy of Steve except for with black hair and gray eyes from his bio mom

5' 11"

Is athletic like Steve but also follows in his aunt Robin's footsteps and joins the marching band so he only plays sports that don't conflict. Despite for taking in to school activities that put him in a bit of a spotlight he's actually rather shy and soft spoken often having to have his big sister stand up for him. Struggles with reading but still loves discussing books with Eddie and his aunt Nancy. Pretty simple style-wise jeans and a t-shirt kind of guy.

Started a program abused neglected under privileged children both to teach them practical life skills like cooking in taxes and applying for a job but also to offer a warm supportive environment( inspired by learning about how his dads grew up)

Dyslexic; was also diagnosed Young

Charlotte and James Munson

Twins born January 31st 2000

Adopted after a younger coworker got pregnant unexpectedly and realized that she couldn't mentally be a mother but wanted them to go to a good home( birth mom is still heavily involved but fills more of an aunt role)

Named my their birth mom

Both Bi( had a crush on the same guy once it was a problem until they realize he wasn't interested in either of them)

she/her and they/them

Both have red hair and freckles( their aunt Max is delighted to have more redheads and the weird family all the upside down crew have formed over the years) but Charlotte has green eyes and James has brown

5'2" and 5'6"

both theater kids( once try to switch rules before realizing that only works with identical twins) and mischievous( yes they've been compared to the Weasley twins yes they were devastated when they found out what happened to Fred) Charlotte falls in love with Fiber Arts after helping their Middle School Drama teacher create the costumes for one of their plays. Mostly designs sew and clothing but and also knit sew and embroider. James is a writer. The twins used to put on little plays and he'd write the scripts but mostly sticks to poetry and prose as he gets older. James is an ideas guy where is Charlotte is more practical and helps him bring the ideas to life. James is more spontaneous where as Charlotte likes to stick with a routine. Charlotte style is rather eclectic and tends to shift around is mostly comprised of clothing she made or altered herself. James is one of those people that went full vintage day to day he looks like he stepped straight out of the 1920s

costume designer( Charlotte) Author/retail until his career takes off

I considered adding two more kids but I figured four was a big family while being a bit more manageable then six. However the absolutely do road trip like Steve was imagining. I could probably do a bit more to separate the twins but to avoid cliche I didn't want to make them complete opposites or exactly the same so I tried to balance the two.

Also none of them are straight because that's just how I roll is it statistically likely no do I care also no.

[phoenixyfriend]

The Family Tree is... a Disaster

Takes place in the TCW Leverage AU. It does contain a few deviations, namely that the narrative ended up shifting Plo's role in Ahsoka's life, and Ventress's role overall.

This is mostly just dialogue where I outline the fuckery that is the disaster lineage family tree, not actual fic. It stemmed from my incessant need to justify "25yo Obi-Wan somehow got custody of 9yo Anakin without Shmi dying."

Warnings for: canon character death (modernized), canon violence (modernized), and references to Nazis and white supremacists (Palpatine collects WWII weaponry as a parallel to his canon display of Sith artifacts in his office as chancellor, and Ahsoka thinks it's sketchy)

----

"Okay," Cody says, setting down a glass of whiskey as he drops into the seat across the table. "What the hell is your family tree like?"

Obi-Wan raises an eyebrow, and continues cleaning off the definitely-not-stolen crystal komodo dragon he'd won in today's job. "I beg your pardon?"

"You and Skywalker," Cody says, gesturing between Obi-Wan, who is just sitting there minding his own business, and Anakin, who is across the closed-for-tonight bar and doing something inadvisable on the pool table. "You've said he was your brother, and mentioned raising him, which, sure, I'm over twenty years older than my youngest brother, people take over parenting roles all the time. But you have different last names, have mentioned stepfamilies that the other doesn't have, reference things as 'your aunt, not mine,' and I am just getting... very confused. I figured it was personal and I could leave well enough alone, but considering your older brother almost shot us today--"

"Okay, Xanatos is not my brother," Obi-Wan immediately says. "Just. I just have to stop you right there. Xanatos was a student of my father's for a time, but I promise he's not family. Nobody except maybe Komari would consider him even close, and she doesn't count since she's in prison for life and the farthest thing from stable."

Cody gestures. "That, Obi-Wan. That's what I'm talking about. I don't even know who Komari is."

Obi-Wan purses his lips in a failed attempt to not smile. "Do you actually want the explanation? It's long and unnecessarily complicated."

"So's mine," Cody snorts. Obi-Wan waits, patient and pleasant, and is rewarded when Cody sighs. "Please."

"Of course, my dear. To answer your first question, though, Anakin is my half-brother." With a smile, Obi-Wan digs a piece of paper and a pen from his briefcase. "So, center of the chain: me, my father Qui-Gon, my grandfather Yan, and my great-grandfather Yoda. With me so far?"

"Easy enough. Do you have to go back that far?"

"Great-grandfather Yoda is still alive and regularly escaping the old folks' home to terrorize younger relatives, so yes," Obi-Wan says. "Given that you may just meet a tiny, meddling relative of mine when he's bored, we do in fact have to go back that far."

"...how old is he?"

"We don't know for sure. A hundred and eight-ish is the best guess." Obi-Wan shrugs. "It's not a huge deal, mostly he likes bothering Anakin these days. Anyway, grandfather. Yan Dooku. Inherited a minory duchy from his maternal grandfather decades back. Mostly hangs around there because he's on terrorist watchlists in the States."

"Oh, lovely."

Obi-Wan grins. "Trust me, it gets worse. Anyway, grandfather never actually married, but spent most of his time with his 'best friend' Sifo Dyas, who died about a decade back."

"Gay?"

"Well, we know that now, but they got together in the seventies, and this was back when they were both working government jobs, so, you know. It happens."

"Good to know," Cody says. "So, Yoda's kid is Yan, who inherited a title and land from a maternal relative, and had a life partner but never married. With you so far."

"All of Yan's kids were adopted," Obi-Wan continues, sketching out the first branch away from the Yan/Sifo partnership. "Rael was actually grandfather's cousin, maternally, and ended up in his custody after getting orphaned at five. These days, he does most of the stewardship duties at the Serenno Duchy. His daughter Nim is teaching military history at a university in Germany."

Cody nods. "Uncle number one is named Rael, technically your dad's cousin, has a daughter. Got it."

"About a decade after Rael, they adopted my father, Qui-Gon. He and grandfather fought, frequently, but they did care for each other. My father was a botanist, did bio-engineering. We'll get back to him later, because he's where things get complicated." Obi-Wan made sure to leave room around the name. "Just a few years older than me was--is--Komari Vosa. She is... serving a life sentence. I think she fought Jango once."

"She fought my father?"

"To the best of my knowledge, they both almost died, yes," Obi-Wan says. "She's in maximum security these days. She was an assassin. I'll get a call if she breaks out, and I'll let you know along with everyone else."

"Bad news auntie, got it."

"Last adoption, sort of, is Ventress," Obi-Wan finishes off. "A few years younger than me, is technically grandfather's personal assistant and does secretarial work and the like, but we all know he's planning to leave as much of the inheritance to her as he is to the rest of us. She's aggressive and unpleasant, but she takes care of him and hasn't actually threatened to kill any of us yet, so that's fine."

"How'd she join?" Cody asks.

"Ky Narec was a friend of Qui-Gon's; Ventress was his daughter. Ky died a few years after Qui-Gon did, and Ventress was a mess, after." Obi-Wan shrugs and scratches that connection into the little sketch of a family tree as well. "Grandfather offered her a job until she got herself back together, and then she just kind of... stuck around."

"Youngest aunt, more of a cousin." Cody summarizes. "Now we go back to your father?"

"Qui-Gon Jinn was a man of many skills," Obi-Wan says drily. "Adequate birth control was not one of them."

It's almost a pity that Cody wasn't drinking anything, because going by the way he chokes, Obi-Wan's pretty sure the spit take would have been spectacular.

"I'm sorry," Cody says. "Can you repeat that?"

"I was an accident," Obi-Wan says, not even bothering to hide his smile. "So was Anakin."

"So that sounds like... a story."

"It is," Obi-Wan confirms. "My biological mother has never been in the picture. They had a fling, she wasn't sure if she'd want to abort or give me up, just that she wasn't ready to be a parent, and Qui-Gon volunteered to take full custody so she could go back to her life after the birth. I've never met her, but I kept her family name. You can consider her irrelevant beyond that."

Cody nods.

"So, when I was about a year old, Qui-Gon reconnects with an old flame, they get married two years later. Step-mother number one is Tahl. Lovely woman, I absolutely adored her, and she had a daughter, my stepsister, Bant Eerin."

"I met her, right?" Cody asks.

"Yes, she was the doctor who patched up my bullet wound a few months ago," Obi-Wan says. "With the giant glasses that make her look a little fish-eyed."

"She was nice."

"She is," Obi-Wan agrees. "At any rate, that was our family for a while, and then Tahl died when I was fourteen. Bant wanted to go to a magnet school for medical studies, and Qui-Gon's grief was... not optimal for taking care of multiple teenagers, shall we say, so Bant moved in with her paternal uncle, Kit Fisto, and Kit's son Nahdar. He's a marine biologist, incredibly friendly, and has no idea of any of the rest of my side of the family's questionable activities. If you ever meet him, you will pretend that we are a legal firm with a team of security consultants."

Cody raises a brow. Obi-Wan despairs. "Best you could do?"

"We're not that likely to run into him." Obi-Wan draws out a new line. "So, Qui-Gon deals poorly with grief. This is also around the time that Xanatos came around to ruin our lives a little. He was a very rich and unpleasant man, but he's dead as of four hours ago, so you don't have to worry about him. Or his son."

"His son?"

"Anakin handled that," Obi-Wan says. "Thoroughly. Granta Omega is no longer an issue. He's not dead, but... well. Anakin has his ways. Er--I should probably mention Feemor; he was my father's assistant at the university for a long time. Anakin and I still call him our uncle."

"Also a person to avoid mentioning criminal activity to?" Cody prompts.

"Well... no, but only because I don't think he'd care. The man is, forgive me, more of a 'walking sweatervest' than I am. He's a very bland and unassuming man. He once described himself as the background character of the soap opera that is my family's existence."

"Sounds like a charmer."

"Oh, he's very kind and clever, and witty as well. I adore him, and he really is family. He's just also very, very normal. Not boring, but..." Obi-Wan trails off and shrugs helplessly. "He's an editor for an agricultural research journal. Also not someone I anticipate us running into."

"Noted."

"Right, so, Qui-Gon dealing poorly with his grief didn't involve much drinking, but there were a few months of him trying to... lose himself in the pleasures of the flesh?" Obi-Wan tries, and then deflates at the look on Cody's face. "He was slagging around. Shmi got pregnant with Anakin, who was born when I was sixteen. Shared custody at first, Qui-Gon got him weekends and every other holiday, that sort of thing, and then they got married because they actually did like each other well enough, and it was easier on the taxes."

"So Shmi is stepmother number two."

"Shmi is stepmother number two, yes." Obi-Wan sketches in Anakin and Shmi. "About nine and a half years after Anakin was born, Shmi and Qui-Gon were in a car accident with... well, it later turned out it wasn't an accident, there was a hitman called Maul involved, he's actually Ventress's second cousin or something, I don't know. Grandfather handled most of that problem. Qui-Gon died, Shmi was in intensive care, and I got custody of Anakin as his nearest adult relative. We weren't very close before that, because I was off at university by the time he was old enough to form memories, but that changed once he started living with me. I more or less raised him as a single parent from that point."

"This is why he jokes that you're like a father to him."

"Precisely," Obi-Wan says. "Shmi took about a year to recover enough to move again, and grandfather covered the costs. She still had to live with a dedicated carer and attend daily physical therapy. At that physical therapy, she met Cliegg Lars, whose son Owen was also a patient there. They hit it off, and three years later, they married. When Anakin refers to his stepfamily he's talking about the Lars out in Nevada."

"Nevada?"

"They have a farm. A very, very normal one. We don't drag them into our activities, unless we have an at-risk person who needs a safe house." Obi-Wan pauses, and then decides this really needs to be stressed. "This is important to me and Anakin, that we don't get them involved unless there's absolutely no other choice. Shmi's been through a lot, and the Lars are busy enough running the farm."

"Works for me," Cody says. "We've got enough safe houses that it shouldn't be an issue. I'm guessing this story doesn't end there, though."

Obi-Wan grimaces. "My own love life has been... a bit of a mess."

"I already know about Kryze, at least."

There's that. "I was temporarily engaged to a friend, Siri Tachi, shortly after high school. We were in a relationship, but this was mostly something done to appease a relative of hers that was getting overbearing to the point of absurdity, and she couldn't just cut them off. We broke off the engagement after the relative passed, and we're still friends."

He notes that down, then adds the other embarrassment of his early years. "First marriage was actually a drunken joke between myself and my best friend when we were in college. We got it annulled a few months later because we just didn't have time to drop by the courthouse before then, and he's actually engaged to Asajj now."

"Asajj?" Cody asks, watching in fascination as Obi-Wan tries to mark in both his own short marriage and the newer, long-term engagement without crossing any lines. He settles for just writing the name twice and including an asterisk with 'this is the same person.'

"Ventress," Obi-Wan clarifies. "Yeah, Quinlan's a fun guy. His little sister, Aayla, treats Anakin like a beloved younger cousin."

"Are they also off-limits for criminal activity?"

"No, Aayla's the one that taught Ahsoka how to vent-crawl," Obi-Wan says. "And I'm pretty sure Quinlan has contacts in every major government branch, criminal organization, and Fortune 500 company on the planet. I reach out to them regularly."

"Resources, then."

Obi-Wan nods. "Some time later, I married Satine. We had a son; you've met Korkie. We split due to incompatibility a year and change before Qui-Gon's death. Satine doesn't engage in criminal activity, but Bo-Katan is..."

"I've met Bo-Katan. I know what she's like, Obi. You don't have to explain."

"She works with Maul sometimes."

"...the man who killed your father?"

"Yes. It's all very stupid and convoluted." Obi-Wan still writes her in. "So, that's them. Korkie goes to boarding school, and I try not to involve him in anything. Anakin and Ahsoka like to teach him self-defense and the like, but Satine is adamant that he stay unaware of my less legal dealings until he's an adult."

Cody shrugs. "Makes sense. Is that every--wait, no, Skywalker's married."

Obi-Wan grins. "Yes, and Padme's got twins on the way."

"I was there when he told us," Cody says drily. "He was very loud about it. Okay, how does Ahsoka fit in?"

"Hold on, I forgot Beru," Obi-Wan mutters. "Owen's fiancee. Same rules as the Lars. Okay, you asked about Ahsoka. Right. So. Um."

He dithers. Cody waits for him, and then Obi-Wan just gives up. "Ahsoka, dear, would you like to explain how you joined the family, so to speak?"

Ahsoka looks up from whatever she and the boys are doing--there are multiple beer glasses and straws and duct tape involved, and Obi-Wan doesn't really want to know--and then flips off the table and over to Obi-Wan and Cody. She looks over the family tree chart, and then says, "Oooh, did you tell him about the cult?"

"You were in a cult?" Cody demands.

"No, Komari was. She was head priestess or something. I dunno, it's why she's in prison and stuff."

"I did not tell him about the cult," Obi-Wan mutters, already regretting this. "The Bando Gora aren't a problem anymore. I've already gotten to explaining how you and Anakin know each other."

Ahsoka rolls her eyes, steals his pen, and starts sketching in around Quinlan's name, over by Asajj since Obi-Wan's section is too crowded. "Okay, so, Quinlan's adopted. His dad is Tholme, and Tholme's dad is Plo Koon. Plo Koon is good friends with my Auntie, Shaak Ti, who raised me. They live next door to each other, out in the country, and I'd play in his yard a lot, because he had puppies, and he took me to visit his bees. Whenever Auntie needed a babysitter, she asked Quinlan or Aayla to do it since she knew and trusted them, and Aayla needed pocket money."

"This is so unnecessarily complicated," Cody mutters.

"It is!" Ahsoka chirps. Her grin is far too sharp. "So, this one time, Aayla was watching me when I was fourteen, and she was just helping me with my physics homework. BAM, the door slams open, and in stumbled Skyguy with his arm missing. I've never met him before, and my first introduction is him shortly after he's gotten an unplanned amputation."

Anakin, on the other side of the room, giggles. Obi-Wan just sighs. The Fett brothers appear to be in the land of 'horrified fascination.'

Ahsoka revels in it. "There's blood everywhere, I'm screaming, Aayla's panicking, Anakin's halfway to unconscious and insisting we can't call the hospital, and nobody can get Obi-Wan on the phone. Quinlan's in another country, and Auntie Shaak and Uncle Plo are at a movie, so they've both got their cellphones off. Tholme was faking his death at that point to get away from an incident with the Irish Mob, so we didn't even try him."

"What the actual fuck," Rex breathes.

Ahsoka continues with relish. "We get Bant to pick up, and she's there an hour later with Padme, because Padme knows how to drive the way Skyguy does, and the entire drive there is just Auntie Bant on speakerphone telling Aayla how to stop the bleeding and get him stabilized while Padme's screaming at traffic at the top of her lungs."

"I owe Aayla a fruit basket," Anakin muses aloud. "The anniversary of her saving my life is coming up, it's warranted."

"Five years, baby!" Ahsoka crows. She fist-pumps.

Obi-Wan just drops his head into his hands. "You're killing me, children."

Anakin shrugs, grinning. "You know, I think Fett Senior might have been involved in that fight."

"My shitty dad cut off your arm?" Rex demands.

"No, I think he was busy fighting the Interpol guy," Anakin says. "But he was definitely there. I think. Blood loss kinda got to me after a bit, but I'm pretty sure Jango Fett was there, and also Boba might've been hiding in the getaway car?"

"I need another glass," Cody mutters. He doesn't stand up, though.

"Wait," Rex says. "So who cut off your arm?"

Anakin shrugs with an unsure noise. "Someone tried to convince me it was Grandpa Yan, but he was in the middle of a court case in Italy for some kind of parole violation when it happened, so he had an alibi."

"...did he actually violate parole?" Cody asks, and Obi-Wan thinks he looks like he doesn't know if he actually wants an answer.

Ahsoka shrugs. So does Anakin. Obi-Wan carefully looks at a spot behind Cody, and doesn't explain anything about wine tastings used as covers for illicit arms deals.

"The arm?" Rex prompts, sounding a little desperate to get back to the question he likely thinks is the most important.

"I still say it was Skeevy Sheev," Ahsoka chimes in.

"It wasn't Palpatine," Anakin snaps.

"Your creepy older friend who took you to operas and gives you fancy gifts and knows way too much about swords who was conveniently there to talk to the police and cover for you so you didn't get arrested for getting in the middle of a gang war in the first place, yes," Ahsoka says, dropping into a chair and sighing dramatically. "The guy who definitely hasn't been trying to convince you for a year and change that your wife is cheating on you with your older brother."

"Ahsoka!"

"What? He is."

"Anakin," Rex says, "your life sounds like a trainwreck."

"I'm not going to assume a frail, elderly man cut my arm off!" Anakin protests. "Even if he wanted to, he doesn't exactly have the muscle for it!"

"Grandfather's older," Obi-Wan points out, even though he knows it won't help. "And he definitely still could."

"Ha!" Ahsoka shouts.

"He could have hired someone?" Cody suggests. "Doesn't need to do it himself, if he has enough money."

Obi-Wan has a sneaking suspicion that Cody is deliberately stirring the pot as revenge for Anakin sending him eighty-seven cat memes inside an hour during last night's dinner.

"You all suck," Anakin declares. "Also, what the hell do you mean 'knows way too much about swords,' Ahsoka? You know way too much about swords!"

"Yeah, but I'm like ninety-percent sure that his antiques are Prussian and mid-century German military officer dress uniform relics, and pairing that with the Nazi pistols he's got on display--"

"He's just a history buff! And his family's German, of course he prioritizes that region, it's not like he doesn't have Russian or French or English antiques in there too, it's all sides of the war and--"

"I'm just saying he's almost definitely sending me sketchy glances like he thinks I'm planning to steal the silver on the three occasions you've had me with you when you stop by, and I'm pretty sure it's got less to do with my criminal record and more to do with me being, you know, not white."

Anakin looks ready to blow, so Obi-Wan interrupts. "Ahsoka, you were explaining how Anakin passing out on Aayla and scaring us all half to death led to your friendship?"

Ahsoka blinks at him, and then sticks her tongue out at Anakin and turns back to the chart. "So basically, Skyguy had to recuperate in Uncle Plo's living room for a week or two, and I kept showing up to bother him because he was bored and nobody would give him a laptop for 'security reasons,' because he had to lay low and stuff. He made me help him sketch out designs for a prosthesis and do all the writing for the math he had to do for the 3D printer, and we got to chatting."

Ahsoka hops up and back onto a table, legs swinging below her. "I decided he was cool and started following him around while he was getting used to only having one hand, mostly because I was bored. He showed me how to hotwire a car, and explained the best places to put a bug if you were looking to make it sneaky, and he picked my pocket to show off so many times when he was walking around Uncle Plo's house that I made him teach me that, too. And, uh, then Aayla found out and they got into a shouting match about it and decided they both needed to teach me parkour so I could get out of any mess I got myself into, since I was obviously going to follow them into a life of crime."

"And you did," Anakin says, far too proudly. "You're the best thief in this half of the country."

"Only because Aayla moved out east."

Anakin rolls his eyes and pulls Ahsoka into his side, digging his knuckles into her skull. "Best thief! You are the best thief! Be proud of yourself!"

"Let go!"

"Never!"

Obi-Wan sighed heavily and rubbed at his forehead. "Children, please."

"You're not my dad," Ahsoka growls out at him. "Skyguy, I'm going to bite you!"

"Good luck, the only arm you can access is the one that's going to break your teeth."

Ahsoka shrieks in outrage and stomps on Anakin's instep.

It's almost funny, for all that Obi-Wan's seen it play out a million times before, but the really interesting part is seeing Rex's look of fond dismay.

Obi-Wan thinks he might be adding a branch out to the Fetts soon. He's not actually sure if Rex is interested in Anakin or Ahsoka, and he's smack dab between them in age, so that's not a help either, but... well. The expression is familiar enough.

"Please tell me you don't match-make," Cody mutters to him.

"No, I plan to let the pieces fall where they will," Obi-Wan responds, just as low, and far more amused. "I'm simply trying to predict where those landings are to be."

Cody looks at him, and then back at the roughhousing trio, and sighs heavily. "You know, I really didn't think that you technically being minor royalty was going to be the least convoluted thing in your story, Obi-Wan."

He laughs, because it's true. "I'm first in line to inherit the title, since Rael denounced his claim. Nim isn't interested, and Qui-Gon's dead, so... I'm next."

Cody makes a face. "Delightful. I'm guessing that's not a connection we can safely make use of."

"No more than the Kryze or Naberries, I'm afraid." Obi-Wan claps him on the shoulder. "Chin up, I've plenty others in the metaphorical rolodex, all far less legitimate and far more amenable to work with our little outfit."

"Rolodex, really?" Cody snorts. "You're not that old."

Obi-Wan smiles winningly. "You don't know how old I am, Cody. All my IDs are fake."

"Anakin's twenty-four, and you're sixteen years older than him, going by the story you just told me," Cody points out. "I do know how to do basic math, Obi-Wan."

"I had to try," Obi-Wan admits. "I threw a lot of information at you all at once; I'd hoped you missed some of the ages in there."

"I have eight brothers," Cody scoffs. "And literally dozens of cousins, plus niblings, uncles, aunts, and so on. I have experience on this."

"If I asked you to list of the age of every single relative you have, you'd be able to do it?"

"Do you want me to draw a chart? I can draw a chart."

Obi-Wan can't help but laugh. "I'd be delighted, my dear."

Cody rolls his eyes, but Obi-Wan thinks--it's hard to tell in the dimmed lights of the closed bar--that there's a hint of a blush on the man's face. Obi-Wan lets himself slouch to the side, drops his head to rest on one fist, indolent debauchery in every line of his body. Cody does his best to ignore him, but Obi-Wan knows how to smile lazily and blink slowly and draw a man in.

(The whole 'indolent debauchery in every line of his body' phrasing is Anakin's, from back when he was a teenager trying to read highbrow literature to impress a cute girl... and to come up with new insults for his older brother.)

"So," Cody says, with a cough meant to somehow distract Obi-Wan from whatever's showing on the man's face. "Why, uh, why is your grandfather on terrorist watchlists?"

"Well, he didn't initially do anything," Obi-Wan says. "He was just a gay man who didn't hide it quite well enough, and had too much money and too white a face for someone to just call the cops on a faulty report. The Red Scare was technically over by that point, I think, but if a few people made suggestions that he was more loyal to the country that gave him a noble title than to the United States... he received a few warnings, of course, and it could have all blown over..."

"But?"

"But my grandfather is not a man to do things by halves, and instead decided that if the government was to list him as a threat, then he would oblige and make himself a threat," Obi-Wan finishes. "Living up to their labels, rolling with the assumptions, whatever you'd like to call it. It all irked him, and so he made some incredibly questionable decisions to make the government's lives harder. Some weren't bad, like donating to anti-war foundations that were protesting the Gulf War and the interventions in Yugoslavia, that sort of thing, and some were... nobody really looks well on gunrunning, you know."

"For fuck's sake..."

"Indeed," Obi-Wan chuckles. "Ironically, he has minimal opinion on the optimal form of economics, for all that virulent xenophobia and the remnants of anti-communism were involved in the whole mess. He just wanted to create problems for the people that were causing him problems."

Cody shakes his head. "I want to judge that, but you've met my father."

"Jango Fett is, indeed, also not a man to do things by halves," Obi-Wan agrees, attempting to nod gravely but breaking into a smile at the end. "That man is absurd."

"At least he's not dragging Boba into it anymore," Cody mutters. He drags over the fresh sheet of paper and pen that Obi-Wan offers him. "Okay, right, let's start with Jaster..."

[homemade-ghosts]

Why do PWs say that the same storyline from Season 1 is being recycled? That EJ has lost two girls to Ricky? Both storylines on the surface can be considered the same, sure but when you dig deeper it’s not the same because both storylines didn’t happen the exact same way to get that end result. It just bothers me that even the Rinis are saying it too. Do you think Tim Federle and the writers recycled the same triangle storyline from Season 1? I personally don’t think so.

You’re right, on the surface, the love triangles are the same. In both situations, the girl Ricky loves is in a relationship with EJ — but that’s kind of the point. The similarities are purposeful and meant to highlight how much Ricky has changed and the difference between his (former) love for Nini and his love for Gina.

My little brain can only retain so much information lol, so I can’t point out every way in which s1/s3 Ricky and the respective love triangles are different from one another without, like, rewatching the entire series — or at least s1 — but I’ll do my best to cover the basics. 

Ricky’s love for Nini was born out of a selfish desire to hold onto some semblance of his past & every choice he made in their relationship was governed by his fear of change. Ricky’s decision to audition for the musical, an event that kickstarts the entire plot of the show, wasn’t just about getting Nini back. Ricky wanted to be with her, sure, but it isn’t until  he learns of  his parents’ marriage being on the rocks that he gets the idea to join theatre. He finds his dad, alone in the kitchen (trying to cook a whole frozen chicken in an InstantPot for some reason? lol) refusing to call his mom and he doesn’t understand it. He doesn’t understand why his dad isn’t on a plane to Chicago right now, why he isn’t doing everything he can to fix his broken marriage, “Shouldn’t he be fighting to save this?” Ricky asks. & it’s only then that he plans to “win” Nini back the way he wishes, so desperately, that his dad would “fight” to win his mom back. If he & Nini could work it out, then there was hope for his parents relationship, too. If he & Nini could work it out, then everything could go back to the way it was. Nothing — not the girl, not his family dynamic, not him, not his life — would have to change. 

So, despite the fact that, to the best of his knowledge, Nini is perfectly happy in her new relationship with EJ, Ricky forces his way back into Nini’s life. He joins theatre, giving no credence to the fact that it makes Nini uncomfortable, that she doesn’t want him there — because, truthfully, what Nini wanted was irrelevant to Ricky. What really mattered was what Nini could give him. His home life was becoming increasingly unstable and Nini, as his oldest friend and the only girlfriend he’s ever had, offered him respite from that. She was the kind of safety, familiarity and sameness that Ricky craved. 

Even when Ricky starts devoting more time to his role as Troy, practicing dance steps late into the night, it’s not because Nini’s the lead and he wants the show to be great for her, it’s because he wants to impress her, to prove himself. He’ll “show [Nini] [he’s] not a quitter at this, so she realizes [he’s] not a quitter at [them].” He’ll put in the effort, not for Nini, but rather if it means he’ll get Nini back.

Contrast that with s3 and the differences are pretty glaring. s1 Ricky shows up at auditions with the express purpose of getting Nini back, of keeping his life from changing any more than it already has — whereas s3 Ricky shows at camp without any ulterior motive, craving the very change he once fought so hard against. As he drives to Shallow Lake, he sings “give me empty pages, give me something new. […] I’m never going back to who I’ve been, I'm never going back to way back when. I’m taking my time, won't be defined by who I was back then. I’m never going back again, again, again.” The boy who once feared change is now actively seeking it out.

Where s1 Ricky effectively forced his way into Nini’s life by joining theatre, despite her making it very clear she didn’t want him there, s3 Ricky does the exact opposite. He respects Gina’s boundaries, he waits for her to ask if they can start over. He doesn’t force his way back into her life, but rather waits to be invited in. He lets her guide the conversation so that she’s comfortable. He even apologizes to her for being  too “intense” during wdykal (despite the fact that she was the one being “intense,” for obvious reasons) because he was so afraid that he’d made her uncomfortable when he surprise spin-dipped her and that’s why she left rehearsal early.

& although he is ultimately not the reason Nini & EJ breakup, Ricky does make a (very) conscious effort to get between them early in s1 — s3 Ricky however, literally helps Gina plan a surprise promposal for EJ. He’s given multiple opportunities to put a wedge between Gina & EJ, something s1 Ricky would’ve relished, but he doesn’t. He leaves movie night when he suspects EJ is hiding something from Gina because he knows that, if he stays, he’ll want to bring it up to Gina and that’s not his place (I know plenty of people think that Ricky actually left because he’d technically lied to her about not getting Gina those chocolates on Valentine’s Day, so when she he overheard her saying she does “not do well with liars” that immediately came to mind — especially after Tim posted the original script with Ricky’s confession — but Ricky looks at EJ right before he leaves, not Gina, so I still maintain that he left because he knew EJ was hiding something). When EJ goes to Ricky for advice, Ricky could’ve easily told EJ what Gina had told him in confidence, upsetting both of them and causing a fight, but he doesn’t. He stays out of it.

Where s1 Ricky dedicated himself to theatre simply because he thought it would help him get Nini back, s3 Ricky rehearses his lines & commits to Frozen because he understands how much finally getting the lead means to Gina and he doesn’t want to do anything to jeopardize that. Where s1 Ricky left the show on Opening Night because he didn’t think he didn’t think he was good enough for the role and was afraid he’d ruin Nini’s “big moment” (and lets be honest, because leaving was the easier thing to do) s3 Ricky knows that the actual best thing he can do is show up for the girl he loves. He wants to work to be the leading man he knows that she deserves.

In s1 & s2, communication was a huge issue for Ricky & Nini. He couldn’t say I love you and Nini was completely unwilling to understand why — whereas, in s3, Ricky is much more emotionally available and he literally tells Gina that it’s hard for him not to say how he feels. When he tries to tell her after Prom (believing that he has to before the doc trailer comes out — potentially because he knows what it feels like to have someone confess their feelings for you in a very public forum *cough* Nini singing “I Think I Kinda Ya Know” and then posting it for all of Instagram to see, as a way of telling Ricky that she loves him *cough* & he doesn’t want Gina to have to feel that kind of discomfort/shock) Gina knows exactly why he doesn’t say it. She knows that he’s doing it for her, so that she doesn’t have to carry the burden of his feelings while dealing with her own, post-EJ breakup. 

& then there’s Ricky’s desire for stability being in direct opposite to Nini’s desire for something new, something different. She wanted to leave East High, to experience life outside of SLC, while Ricky & Gina just wanted to find a home right where they were. Ricky & Gina, in spite of their time apart in s2, were always walking in the same direction, craving the same things.

Ultimately, it comes down to this: Ricky’s love for Nini was selfish and regressive, it held Nini back from pursing her passions and turned Ricky into someone he, by his own admission, didn’t want to be. Their relationship was built entirely on history — no present and certainly not future. Ricky’s love for Gina, however, is one that’s selfless and pushes him to be more confident, better, as he forges ahead into the future and embraces change. 

As for the whole “EJ’s lost two girls to Ricky” element of your ask, that is — excuse my French — complete bullshit. Both breakups were EJ’s own doing. Nini didn’t end things with EJ because she still had feelings for Ricky (even though she did) she ended things because he violated her privacy by stealing and going through her phone and because he literally poisoned a girl so that she could be the lead in their summer camp’s production of The Music Man — which is not only an awful thing to do, but also made Nini feel like EJ didn’t believe in her, that he didn’t think she could get the lead on her own merit, without his helping hand. She couldn’t trust him, point blank. That’s why she broke up with him, it had nothing to do with Ricky. & Gina didn’t breakup with EJ because of or for Ricky either, but rather because EJ treated her like a chore all summer. He didn’t make time for her, he made her feel unseen and unheard, he kept things from her. & that’s without addressing the fact that Gina & EJ were at two completely different places in their lives, with her experiencing some aspects of childhood for the first time while EJ’s entering adulthood. 

If EJ took some accountability for his actions and stopped reflexively blaming Ricky for his own faults, then maybe he would’ve realized that.

If you want an answer as to why PWs (& rinis — though, like I’ve said before, the Venn diagram of people that are rinis and people that are pws is a circle) say that the s3 love triangle is just a repeat of s1, that’s two-fold. Mainly, I think, it’s because they have no media literacy and are incapable of understanding a story that is not spoon-fed to them. They never look beyond the surface, so they see Ricky & EJ in a love triangle with a girl and automatically think, “same two guys, same love triangle.” without any nuance. Adding onto that, I think, is the fact that they’re bitter that Gina is now The Main Girl and not Nini, so they want to belittle Gina by claiming that, whatever Gina has done, Nini did it first. It gives them some misguided sense of power. It makes them feel better about the fact that their fave is not only not The Main Girl™ anymore, but she isn’t even A Girl™, because she’s no longer on the show.

Sorry, I feel like this response is all over the place & I didn’t quite say everything I wanted to say the way I wanted to say it — but if we waited for me to come up with the exact right words, we’d both be waiting a very long time lol

[charryflavoredblood]

I genuinely love this idea!

I love the concept of Makoto's role in general. He tries to seem so normal because he doesn't want people to look anymore into him, and by association, his family. I feel like neither of the kids actively participated but Makoto did witness his fair share. (He volunteered himself to go downstairs to check if it was all clear when Komaru was young so she didn't have to see.)

This also gives the potential for Kirigiri (in a non-despair setting) to bring up reoccurring murders that she believes are done by a pair of assassins, rather than one serial killer. Makoto just chuckles uncomfortably, looking at the photos of crime scenes realizing it was his parents' victim. "I dunno. I just think that- Oh hey! My Tamagotchi is about to die. Let's feed that, hey?' Kirigiri wouldn't be convinced but respected Makoto enough to not press any further. Imagine Mondo's punch. Makoto would probably be able to take it a lot better. Oh my god. I just thought of this while writing the mondo one. What if he was sorta like a military kid. He moved around schools a lot, not able to settle down. He's a natural social butterfly though. That, and him making friends with the victims' kids are the only reason he can socialize. Komaru wouldn't be as involved as Makoto. I've always thought Makoto was an accident, a happy accident but still an accident. Komaru was planned, though. She was unintentionally favored. Her parents protected both of them but shielded Komaru away from their jobs more than Makoto. He didn't mind, though! He shielded her too. I had this idea for a conversation by the siblings. *Makoto and Komaru sit on his bed, playing their minecraft server* Komaru: "Makoto, do you ever wish we were normal?" Makoto: "I mean....we are normal, aren't we?" Komaru: "No, I mean like, parents who aren't-" Makoto: "Sometimes. I think if our parents weren't government workers, we would be mostly the same. Maybe stay in one place, but that's pretty much it." Komaru: "Hm." Makoto: "Why?" Komaru: "No reason." Makoto: "I- I know that smile. Please, don't do anything rash. I will figure something out for us. I said we could get an apartment when I'm 18, right? Just wait it out a few more years."

Here’s a thought naegi parents being assassins or even... the heads of clan? Though small the neagis are to be feared do NOT cross them(aka dont let their friendliness fool you, they can and will get mean if need be.)

Again i LOVE the idea of the naegi parents being secret badasses

And isnt that just the naegis generally? They seem sweet and kind but when it comes down to it, both makoto and komaru have fucked up people's plans where others would have failed to do so. Add "able to kill" on top of that and i cant see many being able to get in their way!

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

Hey! I love your meta’s, a little while ago you talked about The Order of the Phoenix as an organization could you talk about the Death Eaters?

The post anon is referencing.

TL;DR the Order is incompetently hilarious and Dumbledore is a man who trusts no one.

Oh, the Death Eaters, what to say about the Death Eaters...

In a World Without Voldemort, They'd Probably Be Arsonists

One of the things JKR implies in the series, and something fandom seems to take for granted, is that Tom Riddle is the ultimate corrupting influence.

Were it not for him, the Wizarding World would be a much better place, and people like Bellatrix LeStrange would be productive members of society.

As soon as he is killed, even, by Harry, the good guys win, their problems all presumably solved, and Harry tells his son Albus Severus that it's totally fine if he's put into Slytherin.

I don't believe that though.

To me, it's not so much that Tom Riddle corrupted these people, but that he gave them an organized cause. The people themselves, oh, they were itching for a fight.

In a world without Tom I think they'd be a loosely, poorly organized, group (probably with Bellatrix as the ring leader) where they commit acts of domestic terrorism probably involving burning offensive shops to the ground or attacking muggleborns, halfbloods, and blood traitors.

Voldemort, to me, is designed to pander to them (and not the other way around).

The Death Eaters' Beginnings

So, first off, I think Tom's goals are not what he says they are. What he represents to his followers is exactly what they want to hear, wrapped in a grandiose theatric bow that they just love.

But how did this all start?

First, I don't believe in the Knights of Walpurgis. Instead I think Tom came relatively out of nowhere in the 70's uses parseltongue to prove his heritage as the Heir of Slytherin and thus of purer blood than any of them.

He throws these exciting rallies/parties that the rebellious, angsty, teenage heirs all go to. There he says everything they wanted to hear in the most eloquent manner they've ever heard, promises them the action that their fathers have never delivered, promises them a role in the glorious revolution and a place in history, and probably offers them mounds of cocaine.

All the Death Eaters we see, or the core of them, appear to be in this age range where they'd be in Hogwarts or just out of it when Voldemort came knocking. I can imagine they're all whipped up with excitement, YEAH LET'S BLOW UP THE MUDBLOODS and for some that's great, for others... things don't go the way they expected.

October 31, 1981: It All Falls Apart

Regulus famously steals Tom's horcrux. I imagine it wasn't so much that he learned the error of his ways but that he saw what Tom Riddle was really after: the destruction of his very society.

Lucius is riding high until October 31, 1981 and he sees the complete destruction of the entire Black family. Lucius' priorities greatly shift and as he grows older he prays Voldemort never returns. Unfortunately, Tom does, and he charges interest.

Bellatrix absolutely loses her mind, refuses to accept reality, and tries to torture the Longbottoms for information they do not possess. She is imprisoned in Azkaban and never truly recovers from this.

Snape ends up the cause of death for Lily Evans and must forever live with the guilt and be tied to her prophesied son. He also becomes Dumbledore's lackey forever, which ultimately gets him killed.

Point being, no one's having a good time. Some because they figure out being a Death Eater wasn't all it was cracked up to be, and others because they had the Voldemort rug pulled out from under their feet when Tom Riddle disappears.

Pettigrew flees and lives as the Weasley rat for nearly fifteen years.

They're left making a mad scramble as they try to pick up the pieces of their lives.

Canon Catches Up

More than ten years go by and then suddenly, in a muggle graveyard, the surviving Death Eaters discover that they are bound to Voldemort for the rest of their lives.

Death cannot stop this man and he has branded them: there's no escape.

Some are still enthusiastic supporters of the cause: Bellatrix is vindicated that her lord has returned, he rescues her from hell on earth, and everything's finally coming up Bella. Barty is similar in actively working for Voldemort's resurrection.

Lucius, meanwhile, lives in constant terror. Karkaroff desperately flees the country and hopes Tom will not find him. Snape, is in fact, Dumbledore's agent. Pettigrew only returned in utter desperation and has now cut off his own hand.

They're not the young men they were, some of them have families, to some of the past ten years have been utterly miserable. They have to watch as their children make the same damn mistakes they did, be sucked into this same hell hole, and there's nothing they can do about it.

There is a notable reluctance for the cause, and yet, they have to try with the same vigor or this madman will kill them all.

And it's all worthless anyway: come 1998, Voldemort dies again (perhaps for real this time, who knows, Harry Potter seems to think so for whatever reason) and then they are imprisoned for their acts as Death Eaters.

And they just laugh, because how badly Lucius wishes he could go back in time and tell his eighteen-year-old self, "YOU DUMB FUCK, LEAVE NOW!"

But Do They Learn Anything?

No.

Just because we see some of them regret being Death Eaters doesn't mean they regret their beliefs. Their beliefs were fine, even blowing up people here and there, a bit gauche but fine.

But maybe following Voldemort blindly was a bad idea.

Are They More Competent Than the Order?

No.

Tom Riddle is terrifyingly competent in that he infiltrates the government with ease, has spies everywhere, and all but proclaims himself minister one day and nobody blinks.

He gains the full support of most of the wizarding world's wealthiest and prestigious families.

But he doesn't actually give these people anything to do. Because there's nothing for them to do, with them, Tom's won. He owns the Wizengamot, the Ministry, everything.

There's no need to fight. It's over, there never was a war. Society is primed to accept Tom Riddle as their ruler.

However, the likes of Bellatrix LeStrange thinks there's a glorious war on, so "uh, go out and blow up a few muggles, have fun." And the young Death Eaters (and the older ones), think they've committed this great, daring, brave, and very important act.

Tom only seems to hand out real assignments when in desperate straits or else when being particularly vindictive.

Lucius, after messing up with the diary, is told to retrieve a prophecy he is not allowed to touch in a department of the ministry he should have no access to. If he fails: Tom kills his entire family. When Lucius does fail, Tom assigns his son to assassinate an already dying Dumbledore. These aren't real tasks, though they do have the appearance of one, and consequences for failure.

Barty, Tom is forced to rely on, as he is trapped in this dying infant's body. And better Barty, someone who is truly loyal and seems fairly clever, than Peter Pettigrew who is a miserable scum bag who'd sell his grandmother for a bar of soap.

Barty, of course, fucks this up. Rather than just kidnap Harry Potter at any of the many easy points this could be done (Hogsmeade trip, lure Harry out to Hogsmeade with super secret serial information about Voldemort/Snape being a Death Eater, etc.), Barty is determined to make use of the Triwizard Tournament to destroy his father's legacy.

This means rather than a few weeks, it takes months to kidnap Harry, and even then they bring along an extra boy who then gets killed and provides some evidence that Tom Riddle has in fact returned. (Somebody murdered Cedric). It takes months and Barty actively ensuring Harry makes it through the tournament and does well, leaving open the possibility that he might get caught helping Harry cheat at any moment. And of course, Barty has to pretend to be Madeye Moody for months, keeping his man locked and drugged in his trunk.

Thankfully, Moody's such a paranoid wreck, no one even notices.

Quirrell, Tom is forced to rely on. Quirrell fucks up, though admittedly not as badly as Barty. Quirrell fails to steal the stone when it's in transit/in Gringotts. He fails to murder Harry Potter, an eleven year old boy in the world's most dangerous school. He rouses Snape's suspicion almost immediately. Then of course he doesn't get the stone. He at least gets to the room with the stone and nearly overpowers Harry and gets it had he not been mysteriously lit on fire by the power of love/Lily Evans.

The only one Tom ever really relies on by choice is Snape. Snape is charged with spying on Dumbledore and later running Hogwarts (which he fucks up).

There is only one competent man in Britain: Severus Snape. Which is, of course, why he's a double agent that Dumbledore and Tom both extensively rely on despite his being a double agent.

There's no one else.

Tom Riddle doesn't make use of the Death Eaters but given they prove themselves enthusiastically incompetent at every turn I don't blame him. Just pretend to give them something to do and hope it makes them feel important.

That's all I've got in general, you want anything else you'll have to ask for something more specific.

[cayenne-twilight]

Professor Layton Iceberg Explanation

As I said in the tags of the original, the iceberg I made was a meme consisting of both real theories and satire/parodies/fandom memes. If anyone is interested, I can work on an unironic version that only has real theories.

Buckle in because this post is LONG and heavily saturated with lore and information.

Actual theories

Parallel universe 1960s where the world wars didn’t happen. There’s an unused file in Curious Village that shows the year as 1960 and the time machine from UF is set to 1973, ten years into the future. The series canonically takes place in an undefined time period (hence the technological inaccuracies and fantasy elements), but it’s based off the 60s. There’s more evidence but we don’t have time to go over every little thing. I linked my “no wars” theory below but TL;DR the outdated airplanes and underdeveloped medicine in the Layton series imply that the world wars may never have happened. https://cayenne-twilight.tumblr.com/post/632205992162099200/outofcontextdiscord-timegearremix-zonosils-war

The real meaning behind the statue in Future London. In UF, the purpose of the statue is to spark Layton and Luke’s conversation about their friendship. Luke is stressing out about moving overseas and sees himself and the professor in the story behind the statue, but in the bigger picture, Clive must have been the one to commission it. Some theorize that the little boy is Clive and the man is either his father or the professor. One idea I’ve seen is that Clive wishes he could be Luke for real, while another is that he wishes he died ten years ago, and another is that he’s literally terminally ill explaining why he doesn’t care about consequence. Personally, I think “the boy succumbed to his illness” refers to his mental illness seeing as he wanted the professor to save him from his madness as he saved him all those years ago.

True location of Monte D’Or. there are no deserts on the British isles to my knowledge, so it makes the most sense for Monte D’Or to be in Southwest USA where English is the default language, they have a desert, and there exists a city famous for flashy hotels, casinos, and entertainment. What makes it odd is that nobody ever mentions overseas travel, and all the major characters are from England.

Loosha’s origins are not explicitly explained if I remember correctly, but the implication was that her prehistoric (supposedly) species was sealed away along with the garden, allowing them to survive all the way to the time of LS until Loosha was the only one left. The garden provided a good habitat and protection from predators, and it’s logical that they’d slowly die out anyways, but there’s no explanation of any specific factors that led to Loosha being the last.

Beasley is not a bee I wrote a post about this one as well, but TL;DR Beasly lacks several defining bee traits whilst having several human ones. He is not human, yet, by definition, not a bee. It’s possible that he is the result of Dimitri’s testing, but whatever his untold story is, he remains an enigma of nature. https://cayenne-twilight.tumblr.com/post/632381715250282496/theory-beasly-isnt-a-bee

Subject 2’s identity is currently unknown. There is a subject one (parrot) and subject 3 (rabbit) so there has to be a second. For a long time, people suspected Beasly to be him seeing as he’s a bit of an amalgamation and definitely not a regular bee (see above). After the release of LMJ, though, people began to suspect Sherl, the intelligent hound who could speak to certain people but not others. That being said, it’s possible for one to be subject 4. Sherl’s memory of a bright flash matches up with subject 3’s memory of being electrocuted. They never explain why the animals were being experimented on, but it was probably Dimitri making sure the conditions of his machine were safe for humans before reliving the incident from ten years ago.

Lady Violet died from the plague from DB. There’s no evidence for this or anything, it’s just an idea. People say she died from the flu but I don’t remember them saying that in the game, at least the US version. Extending off my “no war” theory: it’s theorized that the Spanish Flu was spread by the travlelling soldiers, so if that’s true, it’s possible for the epidemic to have been averted for some decades. Maybe the Spanish Flu reached England later than in real life. The hole in this is that DB’s plague must’ve been close in time to 1918 while Violet’s death was much later, so it would’ve had to stick around.

Bill Hawks is working with Targent and Arthur Cantabella. There was a force in the shadows buying the time machine technology from Bill. Someone with a ton of money who helped him cover up a freak accident and get away with it completely, a feat that involved shady means like violence by hired thugs. Some theorize that it was Targent, seeking power over time in exchange for a little mafia magic. The Labarynthia project was sponsored by the UK government, so as the PM, Bill must’ve known about it. He probably supported dubiously ethical, high stakes (witch pun) psychological experiments like Cantabella’s and helped him stay in the shadows.

All the NPCs in St. Mystere and Folsense are dead. I make fun of this type of theory later, but they’re admittedly captivating. I’m pretty sure the canon in CV is that the villagers are Bruno and Augustus’s OCs that they made robots of and built a town around, but it’s more interesting to think that the village was there before, and the townspeople died of a plague and were replaced like Lady Violet. In Folsense, there really was a plague and they never explain the NPCs there. They’re either real people who appear way younger than they are due to hallucinations (even the ones who already look old ?), or they don’t exist at all, which is pretty spooky. This part of the story is a gaping plot hole. In a similar vein to CV, the edgy yet plausible theory is that they used to live in Folsense but died of the plague and now live on as hallucinations.

Hershel seeing everything as a puzzle is a coping mechanism for all his trauma. This was a joke but I thought about it for more than five seconds and it makes way too much sense.

Plot holes and unexplained questions that we like to overthink because it’s fun

The downfall of the Azran was vaguely explained in canon by people being so greedy that it lead to the civilization collapsing. It’s not a stretch to imagine that happening, but it would’ve been more interesting with a little more detail.

Layton and Luke are programmed to routinely forget how to walk. I didn’t know whether to list this in the joke section or not, but it’s odd that the characters actively participate in the walking tutorial (as opposed to showing a little memo to the player) as if they didn’t know how to before, especially when they go through this several times a year.

The truth behind Pavel. He’s simply a joke character who teleports, is a polyglot (sort of, at least he wants us to think he is) and is mega confused all the time. He’s a fun character to make crack theories about because of his cryptic nature that even he doesn’t seem to understand.

Miracle Mask deleted scenes. The first trailer for MM featured animations that were not in the final game. One was the Randall falling scene, except in a slightly different style than the one we know. Others were completely foreign, like Layton and Luke pacing across a theatre stage as if Layton’s about to expose someone with a dramatic point. Cut content and “could’ve beens” are always curious to think about.

Evan Barde: secret mastermind. Arianna and Tony’s dad is a mysterious character who died under mysterious circumstances. I think the canon is that his death was a genuine accident, but concept art of him making a creepy evil face suggests that maybe he originally had a larger role in the first drafts of LS than the finished game.

The secret to how Paul and Des pull off their disguises is unclear and will remain unclear. There is no plausible explanation for their shape shifting. Unless Paul is just a little dude wearing a human suit like that one Wizard of Oz species and Des is the best quick-changer ever and hides his naturally feminine legs under his cloak.

Alfendi’s mom. When LBMR came out people scrambled to piece together who Hershel had a kid with, but there’s no way alfendi is his biological son. This happened with Kat as well and her biological parents turned out to be brand new characters, so I’m sure Al will get an adoption backstory if his arc continues, be his parents old major characters or nameless, faceless NPCs.

Granny Riddleton and Stachenscarfen are omnipotent deities. Idk which section this fits best under, but these two characters have some serious power. At first introduction, they’re implied to be robots, but they appear everywhere in later games. They follow the Professor wherever he goes and assist him on his adventures, GR collecting puzzles and housing them by some odd magic, and Stachen teaches you how to walk. They both introduce and supervise the gameplay. By extension, I guess this idea could apply to Albus as well in the prequels. GR and Stachen even had the power to appear in LMJ, something no major character could do. I consider them akin to the velvet room attendants from the Persona games.

Clive’s kill count is a vague subject in the game for the sake of keeping it PG. I don’t know if anyone’s ever mathematically estimated the damage he caused, and I sure don’t want to try, but the game appears to push the idea that he didn’t kill anyone at all, saying they stopped him in the nick of time and things like that, even though we watch him raze the city. If they ever want to bring him back post-time skip, I can see them twisting it so that the mobile fortress cutscene wasn’t a linear sequence of events, but instead a compilation of scenes over the course of hours so that London neighborhoods around him could be evacuated and have it make sense. Knowing Level-5, it’s more likely that they wouldn’t think this deep and do something more lazy, though.

Memes and references

Post-time skip Flora is real references the famous L is real theory from Super Mario 64. Like Luigi in SM64, Flora was also a highly anticipated character who didn’t appear in a new game, in this case LMJ or LMDA. In the end, Luigi did become real in the DS port so hopefully Flora is real will be realized as well.

Hershel can’t read is a veteran fandom meme referring to how in the first few games, especially Curious Village, Layton asks Luke to read every document out loud for him. Perhaps this was an exercise to improve Luke’s reading skills and independent thinking, or perhaps he was just too lazy or preoccupied to do it himself, but this grew into the joke that our genius Professor was actually illiterate this whole time.

Layton’s smash invitation is hidden in PLvsAA. It’s no secret that the fandom would kill a man to get the Professor into the smash brothers franchise. In PLvsAA one of the puzzle artworks features a goat eating a familiar white envelope with a red stamp, sparking the joke that either Layton or Wright got the invitation their respective fans desired, but it got lost along the way.

The science board is the mysteriously vague organization Don Paolo got kicked out of for the crime of being evil. It’s the epitome of liberal arts majors and art school graduates trying to bs their way around not knowing any science and failing miserably. “He was very good at all the sciences, but then the CEO of science told him to stop because he was using the power of science for evil science”. They do this again when “Dr. Stahngun” describes his time machine what with the soolha coils and whatnot.

Hoogland is death cult initiation is a parody of “Mario 64 is Freemason initiation” which is ridiculous, just like the creepy human sacrifice subplot of AL.

You can see the reflection of someone watching you in Aurora’s eye references the famous, creepy Talking Angela theory. In retrospect it would’ve been funnier if I said Angela instead of Aurora.

Every copy of Professor Layton is personalized references the famous “every copy of Super Mario 64 is personalized”

Clive’s fat ass in HD is a meme that originated from the announcement of UFHD, saying that half of the excited fans wanted to cry again while the other half were simply attracted to Clive. If we want to enter real bottom-section-of-the-iceberg-chart territory then let’s say Clive’s character has some sort of psychological siren properties that draw people to him like a magnet and/or Harry Styles.

Things I pulled out of my ass for shits and giggles

Infinite hint coin hack: I’m sure a tech savvy cheater could hack the game for infinite hint coins, but there’s no easy or interesting way. I don’t know why someone would do that though, considering a lot of the hints suck and there are puzzle guides on the internet.

Cringy, unused Randall villain monologue. This joke is derived from the actual scrapped MM content as well as deleted content being a popular element of iceberg charts, but it’s sadly not real. Would’ve been hilarious, though.

Last Specter Puzzle 031: Light Height tracks and records children’s intelligence level. It doesn’t, but it’s always fun to make fun of arguably THE most ridiculously difficult puzzle in the franchise. (Seriously, do they expect 7+ year olds to know trigonometry???)

Hershel struggles with tea addiction. Hershel from the games drinks tea in moderation, but the manga begs to differ. He has a tea set in the Laytonmobile, and an attempt at teatime while driving causes him to crash.

Folsense is a metaphor for Alzheimer’s. This is inspired by those edgy kids’ show theories where everyone’s in hell or something, but nobody has ever said this.

London Life is reality and the plot of the games is all in Luke’s head. That’s one way to fill every plot hole. How funny would it be if Luke made up crazy characters and stories based off his fellow townspeople Sharkboy and Lavagirl style. “This dude who lives in a castle and asks people to give him all their money for nothing in return is a vampire from 50 years ago involved in a tragic love story”.

Secret ending encoded into Tago’s Head Gymnastics. It’d be crazy if there was, and Dimitri would hound Tago for the secret to time travel. If you didn’t know, the Layton games started as an adaption of Akira Tago’s puzzle series, except they decided to add a story to make it more interesting and marketable.

Daily puzzles datamine your DS. I’m bad with technology but is it even possible to datamine a DS??? Idk, but I think my DS lite from 2008 is safe.