#i just saw a sc of the main part lol

[jillvalentine]

this isn't my pinned anymore but i still always have info... on my info page. my 'story' hasn't changed at all since the start, and a lot of people have been around for years up to now. basic searching and/or reading will debunk whatever.

[its-elvie-innit]

Gives you a plate of bread and some soup to share! Tell me about what the mcytblr elections were like! I only saw posts in passing back in the day, it’d be cool to hear from a veteran!! :D

OKAY it is one am but you know what yeah let's get into the HORRORS that were honestly really fun. Let's share

I joined the fandom the same day I properly watched a tommyvod, the drista one on October 11th/12th 2020 at like 3 pm after school. If you look at that, lina, you will recognize that A. It is four days before the sixteenth, and B. It was TWO DAYS before I joined the election discord. The discord started the same day i joined practically. This event was so big and so good for meeting friends that it immediately ballooned the conversation.

The mcytblr election was started by one tumblr user called ADHDdream who posted this real neat tumblr post where they essentially went "lol man at this point I should be the president of mcytblr." And then EVERY OTHER PERSON on this site said yeah lol. Or what if I was. And within four hours every single person on mcytblr (at this point mcytblr was extremely small- and since the dsmp portion of it was the majority no one thought to differentiate between smps) had made parties and alliances and an actual coalition, although that might have taken more like five hours. It was like penismp if penis smp managed 53,000 discord messages in one month. I was the one to start the original mcytblr brochure blog (@mcytblr-elections ) and I started it literally before I even joined the election discord. It was THE event and it started about three months of dedicated roleplay. I met victoy maybe three days in and they brought me under their wing like an artistic baby bird.

Basically, there was a re-enactment of the dsmp elections but in real time. There was campaigning, posters, I made a minx-niki flag for fvck2020- that's how all of them were organized too, name2020, and you registered 9 policies with the mods (you also had to have a front runner and a second. They actually banned coalitions initially but like LOL no) in at which time you would have an official channel on the discord. Preliminaries were where we all set up original parties, and there was TONS of voter fraud because it was literally just a Google doc voting booth which was HILARIOUS but thats beside the point. The policies are a mirror of the culture atp, like inniter oppression (where I met uncertain!!) And making sure everyone got free stuff

There was a whole lot of hype, and roleplays were starting up immediately. Silverfish2020 turned into a 100 person strong cult almost immediately and as tumblr tends to do, many MANY inside jokes were formed. I recently annoyed my friend with a sc of the #mpreg-rp channel which had someone role-playing jschlatt as a pisswife. It became the biggest hub for watching streams, too. I vividly remember organizing with a few main character staples who would watch who in the election discord so we could all let each other know what was going on in the festival stream (btw little known fact but even with two backups my stream crashed on Nov and Oct 16th during the TNT parts. I have still to this day never watched lmanburg actually blow up properly.

IGNORING ALL THAT though the mcytblr election absolutely SUCKDD. For one main reason okay and I'm okay saying this now b/c all the old mods have moved on

Tldr the mods were SO CONTROLLING

I am not kidding I was literally fighting with a mod on day three (when the fundy community was big, this was a mainstay blig for the fundy followers) because of a party called Anarchy 2020- Anarchy2020 was essentially the fun happy-go-lucky dudes that were like "we should all topple this government! Not my president! Revolution!". There were lots of tnt jokes n essentially it was a party dedicated to everyone who didn't want to have a president or just wanted to roleplay a revolution, but since it didn't technically have party runners it couldn't be voted for. And also one of the mods was A. An anarchist and B. A total weirdo. They literally said "THEYRE USING IT WRONG AND IT MAKES ME ANGY CUZ IM AN ACTUAL ANARCHIST FKFBFKFJ" that's quoted. It was basically a response to people not voting and wanting to overthrow. Freaking weird bro they made it such a big deal ANYWAY

There was a whole multi-chara roleplay!! Soul (,wow I knew them!!!) won the election, there was a whole countdown and everything- quotes2020 beat silverfish2020 by FOUR votes. There was uproar!!!! Revolution!!!! ANARCHY!!!!

The election basically created that community. There were a few tumblr events to happen after it (by the way, funny phenomenon, but mcytwt actually copied every event we did with WAY less success like a few days after each. Wonder how that went) like friend or host (I joined it. I was the first contestant out of the ONLY round if friend or host ever I think. Imagine being the first person eliminated after holding a bird mask 2 ur face for ten minutes. Girl that shit was so awkward) the mcytblr prom (I did NO roleplay but I did dress up) and mcytblr highschool??? I think. There were two more elections after it that i consider canonical, but really only the very first two (out of like five) had anything really stick around. But bro it was so good and I didn't even get to half of it. I'll leave you with a screenshot of jpiss from the mcytblr got talent mpreg-rp chat

Edit: @the-royal-bat-snake

I'm editing this post because GOL-LEE I Forgot. How fucking obnoxious that was. Anyways hands up for the only remaining quotes member. This makes u better than everyone else <3

[sennaverstappendiary]

singapore grand prix ✩ 17.09.2023

so... this is where it ends 🥺🥺 this is where it allll ends... when i needed her (max win) most... she disappeared (KIDDING) 😭😭😭💔💔💔 nah for real i came into this weekend being hopeful but cautious, knowing max and rbr have already achieved everything i wanted them to achieve this year, except all podium finishes for max (and ofc the championships, but like, come on man) 🥺🥺🥺🥺 so like... i wasn't going to enjoy seeing max lose but it could've been worse‼️‼️‼️‼️ fun fact: this was the first race i watched while enrolled in my internship. sigh. after this my experiences will probably get shorter bc internship like blended my life and i genuinely don't remember much 😭😭😭

soo before getting into qualifying... lets talk about fp. yeah yeah every fucking weekend id say OUR PACE IS SHIT AHHH IM SO SCARED‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ but like... now i was for real scared. for good reason of course but SJGHDF 😭😭😭😭😭 anyway we got da lizard on da track... love that for us 🦎🦎🦎🦎🦎🦎 other than that no comment

qualifying!!! yeah what the actual living fuck did i just watch‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ what the fuck was that‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ U DONT UNDERSTAND OKAY i was watching w my dad and we were just... not sure if max would get pole but i joked and said lets see if max will even make q3 lol (spoiler. he didnt). ALSO MAX WHATTT THE FUCK WAS THAT TERRORISM???? TO YUKI??? jonathan i owe u my everything like im on my knees bc idk how u talked him out of 184877364 penalties 😭😭😭😭💥💥💥💥💥 like genuinely couldnt believe my eyes when i saw no grid penalty. 😁😁😁😁😁 what the hell man. ANYWAY. liam lawson q3 my fucking beloved COME BACK LIAM WE MISS U QUEEN 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

i almost didnt want to watch the race. also because ajax was on at the same time. lost twice in one weekend guys 💔💔💔💔💥💥💥💥💥 nah but i genuinely had hope was the awful part. race pace wasnt even bad genuinely it was fine. and then we just so happened to have the worst luck ever with sc. logan ily but i will not forgive u... 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 "they are sacrificing leclerc!" was gen hilarious tho like idc that he crashed george was the main character this weekend and no one will ever convince me otherwise. love him SO much my silly goober 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 the race itself was boring as fuck btw the best part was george absolutely smashing it that made it worth watching TO ME 🙏😁 and carlando was cute too,,,, ☀️☀️☀️ but i was too fucking mad at max breaking not only his win streak but also his PODIUM streak that i truly didnt care... sorry.

✩ song of the race: why are sundays so depressing - the strokes

no comment. yall can figure it out i think...

✩ extra: a small photodump

[sayuyu995]

I think we should separate the two salute in 132 and 139. This is totally two different things.

The salute in 139 is a whole SC thing, (we still have Hange in the centre and she was the only one who has a different facial expression) Anyway it is hard to tell Hange was stand out from the other (we know it is kinda focus on her). Also “are you guys watching” thing, I think it is more refer to Hange in 132 “do you think our comrades are watching us?” And Levi in 136 “the hearts you guys dedicated”

It’s give me a strong SC vibe (with low-key Levihan). Levi saluted to them and they saluted back means the duty of SC is done, and Levi gave the meaning to all his comrade.

I would be mad if we only get this. But no, the Levihan is in the FINAL panel of levi.

The shinzouwosasageyo in 132 was definitely an ONLY Levihan thing, because if it was a normal salute, Isayama would just concluded in the SC scene. (Maybe will let Levi mentioned Hange in that scene). So other than a normal salute, it’s more like Levi confessed his feeling to Hange with the salute, and only Hange can understand it.

Therefore we can exclude the normal meaning of the salute: sacrifice yourself to the mankind . Which Levi definitely means more than that and this is not the main purpose.

Remember the Levihan bird, they complete each other, and they really are. The 132 sasageyo was more like, take my heart with you and I will keep your heart with me. Hange will live inside Levi. (*Over interpretation: Don’t be scared Hange, I will be with you, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it I will live for you, as long as I’m alive, you will live inside me, with yours and our dreams)

I saw some Levihans said Levi didn’t wear an eyepatch because he think Hange will be seeing from his right eye (prefect explanation👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻) This more like the answer of 132 sasageyo to me, Levi and Hange literally became Levihan.

OK then talk about Hange’s dream and Levi’s dream, actually they shared the same dream, “the dream world” in 136

Hey it’s only the mf ZOË talking shit in 136. We don’t know the others, but we knew Levi remembered EVERY SINGLE WORD Hange Zoe said and would took her daily shitty talk seriously (He just love her...) , from that moment Hange’s dream also became Levi’s dream. And what did Levi do in the post war? Travel! Maybe not exactly is, but he is exploring a new world that could be their dream world, they shared the same dream, and mf Hange Zoe will do the same, to travel around with him if she was alive....

And finally the plane was the answer to 132 “keep watching me Hange”

The reason I don’t think the 139 SC scene is refer to this because 132 means more to Levihan, Levi wanted Hange to look at him even though their duty was done (which is the SC scene, and literally everybody were really watching from the path lol)

The plane scene is somehow confirmed that Levi wanted more from Hange, he wanted her to stay with him, just Hange and just Levi, but not the member of SC or commander and captain, their true feeling was acknowledged by a non SC member, Onyankopon. (It seem a little bit far-fetched, but I feel it means after Levi left SC, he will not remember Hange as a part of his SC duty or SC promise, I can see when Levi and Onyankopon talk about Hange, Levi was always talk about the stupid and funny thing Hange did other than her SC career and achievement, he cared and respect it but Levi just loved to remember the bright side and funny stupid side of Hange.

Sadly Hange can’t control the plane like Eren lol, but thanks for the parallel we know that plane was 100% symboling Hange, Hange was keep watching Levi. The look on Levi when he look at the plane and Onyankopon Levihan shipper stare confirmed Levi was also keep thinking about Hange.

Which means HANGE LOVE LEVI and LEVI LOVE HANGE

=CANON

The moment I think Levi started to realise his feeling towards Hange was probably here:

[bewareof12metersfrogs]

Warning: long rant. Probably messed up grammar. Not LXC-friendly.

So Pinterest gave me this:

And I was like

Ah yes, Lan Xichen.

I mean, I love that guy, but oh gosh that man is BLIND. Like, man's so blind Xue Yang could use him to slaughter people.

(I'm so sorry for that joke)

I really loved him when I first read the book, esp pre-Nightless City, but then I read it for the second (and third) time and that love turned into "uhh, I guess I kinda like him?"

I mean, in Sunshot Campaign arc, NMJ just got freaking tortured. He just got beaten, made to watch his men die, and his former deputy "betrayed" him -- and then LXC was just like, "oh da-ge CALM down, this is all part of OUR plan, A-Yao's our spy lol put Baxia away don't shout at him smh"

Why didn't LXC say to NMJ that the whole thing had been orchestrated? Okay, I get it, maybe he couldn't risk JGY getting caught, but couldn't he just tell NMJ, "hey, this is the plan. You're gonna get caught at Yangquan by WRH and our spy will take care of the rest of it" ? I'm pretty sure NMJ was angrier about his men getting slaughtered than himself getting beaten. NMJ is kinda like WWX; they were both idiots, but they cared about their people. Pretty sure he cared more about his men than himself. If he knew about the "plan", he'd most likely bring the disciples who were ready to die.

THEN LXC just went to NMJ like, "Hey let's be sworn brothers!". Xichen, dude, his wounds aren't even healed. I mean, it's a bit insensitive right?? I think it is. The whole sworn-brotherhood-right-after-shunshot-campaign thing still bothers me. To me, it seems like no one cared about NMJ. I mean, he was the leader of SC, people used his skills, his men, his everything, and then he was just, like, casted aside?? Pretty sure man's got PTSD. Also, qi deviation. Oh gosh I forgot about qi deviation.

Anyway, yeah, LXC was blind throughout the novel. I won't talk about the scene where Wangxian tried to tell him that A-Yao = bad, but I will talk about the scene where NHS decided to "use" his er-ge to kill his san-ge. Was it intentional? Perhaps. Was NHS lying? Maybe. Was it bad? Absolutely. Was it expected? Of course.

Let's put ourselves in NHS' shoes for a second. Your big bro, who is also the one who raised you and the only family you have left, died. People are quacking "oh it's the Nie curse, and isn't it such a tragedy?" BUT NO! One day you be minding your own business and then BAM you found out that da-ge'd been murdered and mutilated AND betrayed. So you started scheming for like a decade. Everything was going great, as great as a 10 years revenge plan could ever be. You just gotta wait for a few more hours, you just gotta listen to your nemesis' retelling his sad background story, you just gotta endure the pain of seeing your dead big bro wrecking havoc, and you'd have your revenge.

Then of course your er-ge, your big bro's best friend, gotta help your big bro's killer. He just gotta treat his wounds, huh? Pretty sure NHS was unstable. He was desperate and maybe even full of wrath. I understand that, at least, the same way I understand that maybe LXC tried to treat JGY's wounds because he still saw him as his brother -- he didn't want to lose another brother. But how about NHS? He was watching the man whom he thought was his brother treating the man who betrayed and murdered his actual brother. NHS was being a dick, yeah, but it was expected.

Think about this for a second. NMJ's corpse was still right there (and gosh, NHS had to sew his big bro's corpse by himself). NHS was RIGHT there, and LXC had the audacity to tend to JGY's wounds after the man himself admitted to his crimes. I think it's understandable if NHS felt at least insulted.

Also, he was perhaps sick of people not thinking that his big brother was as important as other people, that he was also a human being instead of just a war machine or even a mere tool that can be casted aside whenever they want to. Why did his brother have to die because of other people's greed and selfish decisions? Why did he have to lose the only family he had left forever and why did he have to just sit back and accept it?

Most importantly, LXC had been too blind for more than a decade too long.

Also, the bit about "You're Wangji's only mistake":

Bruh.

If WWX is LWJ's only mistake, then (trusting) LXC is NMJ's only mistake. I mean, sure, WWX is as dumb and oblivious as a rock, but can you really blame him?? HE WAS TRYING TO KEEP HIMSELF, HIS FAMILY, AND THE WEN REMNANTS ALIVE, DUDE'S GOT NO TIME TO THINK ABOUT FKING ROMANCE.

Sorry, I got carried away.

Anyway, are we just gonna ignore the fact that LWJ had been acting like he hated WWX since, like, the first time they met?? I mean, I really love LWJ, but his only mistake is his communication skills (or lack thereof).

But LWJ never gave up on WWX. He learned to express himself way better. Man's got dedication and he's not afraid to learn. I really love that about him.

Also, I understand that LXC was angry because LWJ took beatings to protect WWX, but I don't think he had the right to blame WWX for that. Yes, I know WWX did plenty of things wrong; he was extremely reckless and untrusting, but he never asked LWJ to protect him. LWJ did everything voluntarily. Ffs Xichen WWX didn't even know that LWJ did that. You know why? CAUSE HE WAS FKING DYING THAT'S WHY.

TLDR: LWJ was a grown ass man.

Okay. So, do I hate LXC? No. But do I find him flawed? Yes. But that's why I like MXTX's characters, including WRH, JGY, and LXC (the only exception are perhaps JGS and MXY's fam, and I think we all know why). They all have flaws. For me, LXC is too naive and blind, JGY is too power-hungry and selfish, and NMJ is too stubborn and unyielding. NHS? Well, he's a lot of things. He's manipulative, unsympathetic, and IMO he's got a problem with obsession too. He and JGY are alike, in my opinion. The main difference is their goals: JGY seeks power, NHS seeks revenge.

Everyone has flaws. LWJ and WWX have flaws too; they're EXTREMELY flawed. Heck, even our lord and saviour Shijie also has flaws, as much as it hurts me to type that.

Then why do I get so worked up about LXC's flaws? Honestly I don't really know. Maybe it's because I'm tired of (almost) the entirety of fandom treating him like a god, maybe because I'm tired of people who treat NHS like the devil himself, or maybe because I'm disappointed in him. I mean, JGY's our main villain, but I still love him so much. Heck, I love him even more than I love LXC. Bruh, nowadays I even like WRH more. At least that guy is downright evil and he looks cool while doing whatever evil things WRH does (I'm talking about the novel and donghua mmkay).

Anyway, this is the end of my rant. I apologise if I'm offending you, this is just something that's been bothering me since the first time I re-read MDZS. This whole thing is like a plot bunny but instead of a "plot", the bunny is shaped like a "rant". This is a rant bunny. I need to get this outta my head. I've edited this thing like four times already because I keep finding errors and stuffs. I also added like two new paragraphs.

I'm sad now.

[rivamikaislife]

About chapter 138...

Okay, so i just read the full chapter, and to be honest, i was left with even more questions than answers. And the pain of losing more nice characthers all over again. I hope they can be turned back somehow, or the sadness will be even bigger in the last chapter. 

Connie realizing what was going to happen to them, so sad. Some might say Levi was to harsh here, but he's still the Captain of SC and has to guarantee the survival of those who can stop the rumbling. I'm very sure that was really hard to him to give this order and leave Jean and Connie behind. But again, that's why he's the best character in my opinion, Levi doesn't often let his emotions speak louder than his duty.  His main goal is to protect the rest of humanity, he always put the greater good above his desires. I'm glad he's alive and still keeping everyone focused on the mission. A true captain. 

First, i wanna say that Levi worries so much about this girl, since the beginning! But his words are always priceless LOL, it wasn't "Hey, you're okay?" or "Mikasa, what's going on?", indeed, was a very Levi way of showing concern "get your shit together". It is very funny to see him trying to help but at the same time scolding her. And the "we're the only ones who can kill Eren", wow, that was so powerful, because yes, they are the only ones. And there is nothing that i love more than seeing they fighting together.  

And the huge development in their relationship? At first, Mikasa used to hate him because he hurted Eren, but now they are working together to kill Eren. Mikasa now trust and relies on Levi. I live for my Ackermans crumbs.

Now, about this...I have a lot of questions about this "dream", "illusion" or "alternative reality", whatever, that Mikasa was seeing. 

I'm still confused and not sure of what it was. I saw some people saying this was an alternative reality Eren sent to Mikasa's mind so she could see what would have happened if she had told him that she was in love with him back in chapter 123 events. And i saw some saying it was all an illusion or dream that she made up to herself, as a way of achieving her desires to live peacefully, away from the war and everything. There's also the theory that it was an old memory, from other life that she lived before, but ended bad too. I definitely cannot say which seems more true or possible. If someone has a good idea of what it really was, please explain to me. 

What intrigues me the most is this whole conversation, which is pretty similar to the conversation child Mikasa and child Eren had in chapter 1. It's like a dejá-vu, but not exactly the same, cause their roles are switched. So, it's Mikasa's dream? Or Eren's dream? Or is it something else? It is really and alternative reality that both of them dreamed about? Also, when Mikasa says "i'm not sure if i am supposed to be here", it was a weird statement. Like she was instantly back from somewhere else, starts crying unconsciously and wonder if she is where she needs to be. I don't know why, but this caught me. "Supposed to be here". I need answers Isayamaaaaa

And the last point in the "dream" that i would like to comment. When Eren tells that they ran away alone because Mikasa asked. Literally everything in this part of the conversation seems to absurd for me to believe. I doubt Eren would give up of his promised revenge to destroy their enemies just because Mikasa asked him to do. She asked him many times to believe in the others, to share his thoughts and he never did neither of them. Mikasa and Armin always tried to understand and show support to Eren, and he was the one always acting on his own. So no, excuse me, but i don't believe he would leave it all behind and go to live in a cabin in the middle of nowhere knowing that Armin and the others were fighting for their home. He was the one who promised to take revenge, he was the one asking "if we kill all enemies in the other side of the ocean, will we be free?"

The same goes for Mikasa, i strongly doubt she would abandon Armin, Sasha and the others just to live with Eren while the others has to fight and face a war all by themselves. Yes, she loves Eren, but she love her friends too. Mikasa isn't that egoistic and reckless teenager anymore, she changed. So, that other reality is many ways, a impossible one at least in my interpretation. However, it could have happened if Isayama decided to ignore the main goal of the protagonist and the entire development of Mikasa. 

But that's the thing, it doesn't seem like that happened. It's more like a illusion of what she wanted but knew it couldn't happen.

So, how the hell when she's back, Mikasa suddenly knows the exact location of Eren's head? I mean, no one knew the exact location before, and the shifter usually is supposed to be on the neck. Maybe i missed something? She was certain of his location and headed to  without hesitation. 

The moment she comes back, after Eren asks her to forget about him, is interesting too. After listening to his wish, she decides to finally kill him and to do the opposite of his desire. Here she is in her full control and is her decision. I need to gush over Levi accepting immediately her words and helping her to fulfil her decision. He's always so supportive with her. Armin too! Her two best boys by her side, as she has to do the thing she postponed the most. 

And the moment that surprised me the most (the kiss was gross, but okay, nothing special), her last words to Eren are the exact same words that Eren listened in his dream/memory in chapter 1 and is the  last thing he saw before he dies. That confused me so much. So it really was a memory of something that happened? Or the dream got mixed with reality and sent through the paths to young Eren? What this all means?

The fandom always liked to theorize that the dream of Eren with Mikasa saying goodbye "see you later" with her short hair was his last vision before death. But it would make sense if it happened inside the main line of the events, and not in a dream of a supposed alternative reality, right?

I think i'm going crazy, i don't know what to think anymore. And i honestly don't know if we gonna get all the answers in the final chapter. I just hope it ends the better possible, given the options left. And i just want my Ackermans to be happy and live a good life from now on. Together if possible. In the end, rivamika survived it all. I can be grateful for that :)

Sorry for the mega text, if someone read all this and have some thoughts to share, please, you're welcome!

[shiningjoy]

so i’ve finally watched s3 of free! and i wanted to put my thoughts in about it and hopefully also get some ppl to reply (respectfully) with their own input? also sorry if my knowledge of free seems spotty or incomplete since i don’t obviously have all free lore burned into my head so pls inform or correct me on anything i’m missing!

anyways before even watching s3, i noticed it was pretty widespread that s3 was rather disappointing or at least fell short to s1&2. and not only that, but i could see that s3 was likely going to be a bit disappointing just bc of how many less ppl were interested in it or even knew about it (ofc popularity=/=good but i doubted that the loss in numbers was just bc time had passed) sadly, the season actually exceeded my expectations of the worst.

first of all, i think way too many characters were introduced without any need of them being there. ofc not all of them seemed worthless to being there, but i think at least half of them didn’t have a need of being there (or at least didn’t need to appear as much as they did) or they could’ve at least waited to introduce them. don’t get me wrong, i loved characters like isuzu and albert, but with how little they appeared or added to the plot, i don’t think they were necessary at all. they introduced so many characters and kind of tried to forcefully endear them to us but it just seemed really shallow and random. i was really uninterested in the new iwatobi hs sc tbh (i love rei and nagisa, but i just don’t feel anything for the new members tho it was funny how the new manager is interested in fat instead of muscles) i don’t think isuzu was worth introducing, but i do get why they introduced albert at least. he was supposed to serve as their first rival introduced strictly from the professional world, and to emphasize there are many people above them not just in japan but the “world stage” but i definitely think they could’ve waited on that until the free 2021 movie tbh. plus i felt that any conflict he brought to haru was resolved within 1 maybe 2 episodes so yea they definitely didn’t really need him bc he hasn’t had much impact (yet) if anything, they could’ve just had him briefly appear at that training camp haru was at to race him and beat him to remind him that he still has a long way to go to get to the top. but all other appearances of albert were so extra and unnecessarily emphasized how inhumanely talented he was (the arcade scene, the thing with the chopsticks,etc) it just felt like really weak foreshadowing

also, the main conflict in s3 was just way too prolonged and solved unsatisfactorily. first of all, i don’t know why the blame seemed to be shifted by ikuya and hiyori almost solely to haru, like yes he was the one who quit first but it wasn’t an attack specifically to ikuya and the rest of them left too, so they should’ve held more grudges on haru makoto and asahi rather than just haru (or if anything at least have more blame on asahi bc makoto at least talked to ikuya beforehand) like did he just forget asahi also made a promise to not move away? honestly from the content they gave us, i’d argue that asahi and ikuya were actually closer than how ikuya and haru were, since i feel like most of the latter relationship was based on ikuya admiring harus swimming.

second of all, hiyori was another character i found so unnecessary and just weirdly protective over ikuya. he repeatedly gets in the way between them and ikuya when ikuya never said he didn’t want to talk to them (and it’s not like talking to them is gonna give him a health relapse) and so he just seemed to be there to prolong the conflict between them which was irritating. not even natsuya, ikuya’s actual brother, was that obsessive over him so i really don’t get hiyori. even sousuke, who was actually friends with rin before haru and the others were was not that possessive over rin, and there was actually pretty good reasoning why he had a grudge against haru (he didn’t see haru taking swimming as seriously as rin and thought that would cause him to hold back rin who looked up to haru, and was jealous that haru who had the talent to swim the world stage with rin wasn’t taking advantage of it when sousuke wanted to but couldnt bc of his injury) and like what right did he have to say to haru that his swimming hurts others when it didn’t even affect ikuya negatively (instead it inspired him and led to him wanting to swim like haru) like how haru originally thought it did to rin and how it did to asahi in high speed 2?

third of all, like i said before the way they solved the conflict between ikuya and the rest made little sense. like yes harus swimming is magical but i don’t get how swimming IM with him could instantly solve all the problems between them. (ik that it was based on the promise they made to race each other but i’ll get into that part and how shallow it felt later) if anything, i think what would’ve been more impactful was something happening to ikuya that made him realize that he can/should rely on/trust others, (maybe a more serious accident?) and enjoy swimming with a team and not just alone since his personal conflict was that he thought swimming alone was better than swimming with others when actually he was lonely (at least it was in starting days). and that wouldn’t even have to be with haru and the others that he learns that lesson. it could be with his own university team and hiyori, which would give hiyori a much better purpose of being there. (or they could’ve just not had him exist) if they were so inclined to have closure between ikuya and the other boys by having them resolve ikuyas personal conflict, i feel like it should’ve been at least haru AND asahi (maybe even makoto too but idk how thatd work when he’s no longer competing) racing him in the same race (if not them doing a relay but i guess they didn’t want to make it too obvious than they already were that they were just recycling the plot of s1 (lol)) if anything i think they could’ve even waited for them to reconcile while they were on the olympic team, but ig kyoani didn’t want to wait that long to reintroduce ikuya and wanted to use s3 to warm ppl up to the idea of ikuya being on the olympic team which they didn’t do very well considering how bad the development was

also what was with ikuya saying he swims his own way while obviously taking sm inspiration fron the way haru swam? it was so contradictory and even as kids haru told ikuya to swim his own way when ikuya told him that he wanted to be like haru and he understood that obviously but didn’t apply that to his actions at all? and i’m surprised haru was ok with ikuya blatantly copying him when i vaguely rmb that he’s been shown to get annoyed with even makoto when he seemed to be doing that?

another fault in having all these characters was that haru’s actual personality seemed to be taken away for the sake of these characters.

they wanted to establish a deeper relationship between ikuya and haru, but it just seemed so off the way they went about it in free! haru promising ikuya to race him just felt so ooc to me and had little emotional impact tbh bc of the lack of reasoning i felt haru had to agree to such a thing besides him promising ikuya that just bc he asked rather than bc he actually wanted to race ikuya. (while it took rin weeks to get haru to warm up to him and then agree to the relay, and seeing the process of haru getting used to the idea then openly enjoying swimming with the others was really touching) i think they just added that to make harus quitting have more impact on ikuya but i don’t think it was necessary at all when they already made plans with the rest to swim the relay again and win. if they wanted to make it seem like ikuya and haru had more of a one on one relationship with each other they should’ve gone into more about how haru saw the same darkness in ikuya that he did in himself like in high speed 2. make them bond over their similarities since i’m pretty sure ikuyas purpose as a character is to give haru a rival that is like how sousuke is to rin is; which is being rivals while being two of the same person. (in contrast to haru and rin who are very different and are rivals that inspire each other) but the way they try to establish the relationship between ikuya and haru pales sm in comparison to sousuke and rin that it’s a bit laughable, even more so in those occasional moments where they try to act like ikuya can measure up to rin’s impact on haru

another much more obvious event where haru’s character is forced to act ooc for the sake of the establishment of another character is with albert. yes, haru has grown a lot from the beginning of the series and has gotten a lot more open, expressive, and friendly, but that’s mostly just to the friends around him, but that’s not even to all of them (he still seems to find kisumi irritating and in TYM tries to leave at the sight of him lol) so him noticing, randomly approaching a stranger he doesn’t know a single thing about to help them order food and then even going far as to have lunch with him was the most blatantly ooc thing in the season. i think he may be polite enough to help him order his food but i don’t get why he even noticed albert in the first place. they should’ve just left him noticing albert to be at the practice race. like i said that scene was just there to emphasize albert’s skill with the chopstick thing but i think saying he was the world record holder and also being way ahead of haru in the race was already enough

besides haru’s character, another character i felt they did wrong was makoto. besides the plot of s1 being recycled, s3 makoto seemed to just repeat the development he went through in s2. by the end of s2, he already establishes that he wants to coach swimmers. and at the end of s3 he comes to that same realization but acts like it’s something completely new to him introduced by nao that he never thought of before?? the only difference was that he said in s2 he wanted to help kids realize how great swimming is, which was sweet and suited his personality, but in s3 he says he wants to do it for athletes on the world stage. tbh i like either way, and the latter one would help him be able to stand with rin and haru who in s2 he was afraid of being left behind by (hence why he swam the free against haru in s2) but saying that being an olympic trainer can also help him inspire kids and show them swimming is fun makes no sense. choose a path you want for the character already and make it consistent does he want to help athletes in the world stage or does he want to help kids fall in love with swimming? bc i doubt any kids pay attention to the coach or trainers in the olympics rather than the actual athletes so that reasoning like i said didn’t make sense.

and after haru lost what i think was the 200m (?) free at the All Japan Invitational, i found it weird that they had makoto there after to talk with haru and rin about the race? idk to me it just feels like it’s tradition for it to end up just being rin and haru talking when they’re struggling with swimming (in s1 was their fight in front of the tree that looked like the one by their elementary, in s2 it was the australia trip) his presence didn’t even feel necessary either, he just randomly interrupted the moment by saying his future plans after haru had that angst yell lol. it felt like just an appeal to mh shippers which is not a good enough reason at all

the last point i can remember at the moment is that the ending was so underwhelming. i don’t understand why they couldn’t have shown the ending to rin and harus 100m free race when the movie trailer already confirms that they’re going to the olympics. why cut to albert watching them on the tv?? all this build up to not even show the results of it? I think this ending really just confirmed that s3 was so unnecessary and just there to warm ppl up to the olympic movie but not actually give us anything good or plot moving

anyways sorry for this dump. besides all these criticisms, i want to say there were parts of it that i enjoyed, i just didn’t go into it bc this post is already so long, and me bagging on ikuya was not hate; i actually like him and the only time i teared up in s3 was in his race with natsuya lol. i’m afraid that at some parts i may have not expressed my thoughts exactly so please don’t be too harsh if you engage, but i’d love to hear other ppl’s analysis of s3 and the characters as well !!

[warm-starlight]

Hello! I'm wishing you a good day and less hateful anons lol

Um, I would like to talk a bit about how it's a little problematic to interpret Levi as having ocd. Disclaimer: it's ok to hc ig, but to an extend.

I believe that most likely people who say he has ocd have a pop culture understanding of what the mental illness actually is and take a somewhat detective monk approach to it? Even in that show though it was shown as a much deeper issue than just obsessed with cleanliness.

As a person who suffered from years bc of ocd I have to say that first of all, not everyone has the same symptoms. Rituals and intrusive thoughts are a big part but also anxiety, depression, and stuff that are trigerring to mention here and traumatic to deal with that your own brain literally tortures you with. Levi apart from insomnia hasn't shown much that can indicate to an actual mental illness.

And when I say rituals I mean: have to press this button exactly fifteen times otherwise there will be dire consequences that your mind makes up, I have to organise everything to a T bc it is driving me crazy to the point I can't function if I don't, I have to step inside the lines of the pavement and touch every pole I pass etc. Levi hasn't expressed such tendencies.

Yes, he's a clean freak but it's not crippling his everyday life in any way. And yes, not everyone has such severe case but if yams really intended for him to have ocd he would touch upon more on these. Using his cleaning tendencies to justify it is wrong... And more so to justify his interactions with others? Yes, I'm referring to people who think Levi is repulsed by Hange bc of that. Newsflash, if Levi had such a case of ocd to the point of not standing to touch someone it wouldnt stop on hange (who's not nearly as unhygienic as you all make them to be), he wouldnt be able to touch anyone bc of the anxiety and the intrusive thoughts. It would be dysphoric to do so with everyone not just one person. And most of all, he wouldnt be able to do his job with such symptoms. If you get to the point of not touching and obssesively scrubing dirt then you can't do the work the sc does. They getting constantly dirty, bloody, sweating etc. He wouldnt be able to function in that enviroment, it'd be crippling.

And while he really likes his personal space he's never shown such dysphoria from being touch or touching others.

Stop blowing up the whole clean freak thing in general? You're sterotyping a character the same way mikasa is only there to obsess over "ereh", Hange is the shallow comic relief mad scientist and Erwin is the mastermind genius idol. These are just some recognizable characteristics not their main ones or the only ones.

That's like saying Hermione should be a ravenclaw and not a gryffindor bc she loves reading and is arguably a nerd.

Anyways, I mostly dealt with the intrusive thoughts part and less the scrubing myself clean but, as someone who feels certain dysphoria from the simple task of putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher and have to wear gloves to do so and frequently wash my hands bc I don't like how they feel, I feel confident saying Levi doesn't have ocd.

Stop promoting harmful stereotypes to justify a ship. If you do have ocd and feel comfortable in relating to Levi for whatever reason then you do you and I wish you all the best but, if you hc for your personal agenda of promoting a ship please don't???

Thank you so much for sharing!

I think i only ever saw one character with OCD and that was dr. Kevin Casey from the Scrubs series. I thought the portral of him was accurate.

We can HC Levi having depression, severe insomnia and PTSD episodes because of the life he led, but OCD is a complex of very specific symptoms and a person who is more tidy than others and simply finds blood gross doesn't exactly fit the description.

[starsailorstories]

I’ve mentioned the grammatical registers of Altamaian here and there but I just now pulled together Info About Them and I’m really excited to share it because it’s one of the main ways it differs from Latin (which it’s a predecessor of in the SC universe) and also just a fun bit of worldbuilding that informs a lot of exchanges in the stories

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Modern Standard Altamaian is notable for the way its grammar and vocabulary change based on social context and the expressive style of the particular speaker. Obviously the best Earth analog to this is probably Japanese, but Altamaian differs in that registers are conveyed solely through highly regular affixes and changes in syntax, rather than that + whole new polite forms of words. Shifts to simpler or flowerier vocabulary occur with shifts in speaking style just as in English, but they are not a grammatical part of the register--one can speak in a very formal register and use very simple language and vice versa. While some features exist in more than one register and features of different registers are often mixed to convey a particular tone, the basic divisions are:

Casual/direct: The most notable feature of direct speech in Altamaian is that it tends to be more topic-forward, ironically similar to Classical Syfrae considering its association with the uneducated masses. It uses direct forms of words with few augmentative or diminutive affixes (although there are exceptions in dialect/slang), direct address of listeners, and few separate subject words (relying on verb conjugation to indicate who is doing what). Commonly used among friends or, among the lower lumini, overtures to strangers which may range from friendly to aggressive (to put it in English terms, “Hey I love your outfit”, “Watch out for the snowplow back there!”, and “Put your turn signal on dumbass!” would all, when directed at strangers, be direct-register phrases). Also used for statements aimed at a general audience, such as announcements. Traffic and regulatory signs in the Rings use this register, breaking with the tradition on the planets of the Four Suns of using the formal/polite register (below)--this has led to a lot of memery amongst residents of the old cities around translating them as much more vulgar than they actually are (THE GAP, BITCH! MIND IT!)

Formal/polite: This is actually the most commonly used register for many people, as it tends to be expected of students and in public and professional life, as well as in most media properties funded by the aristocracy. The weirdly hint-of-gender concept of “gentlemaidenliness” is quite bound up with this type of speech although not everyone who uses it would be identified as such--it’s started to be a bit more class-flexible because this is a dying breed but it USED to mean “unbound (and thus not using humble speech) colony-daughter who works for her living (and thus not using benevolent speech) but is nonetheless the Right Sort of People (and thus not using direct speech).” Despite retaining most of the inflections of the regular grammar, polite speech uses rigid SOV word order in the second and third person and OSV word order in the first (so you’re always putting the other person first--an element it shares with humble speech, although formal speech is usually used between strangers/those without any particular relationship regardless of the social status of either speaker) and subject pronouns are generally included. The speaker will still usually address the listener directly unless she is of vastly higher social status (in which case you’d better have a good reason to be speaking to her at all).

Humble (“admiring”): this register goes a step beyond polite speech and emphasizes the humility of the speaker while showing respect--sometimes quite impassioned respect--to the listener. It retains many traits of the polite register like “others first” word order, but in addition, the listener is never referred to by a second-person pronoun--only by a formal address title or phrase, or in the third person--and the speaker will use only diminutive words (including diminutive forms of verbs) to refer to herself, her equals, and her own actions, while referring to the listener with augmentatives. This type of speech is often used in a official context--formal appeals for grants or workers’ benefits, tax papers for businesses, and legal documents all generally exhibit some amount of it, as they’re necessarily addressed from commoners to nobles--yet it remains heavily associated with courtly love, and is often found in romantic sentiments between apparent social equals, especially (you saw this coming didn’t you?) when one party has screwed things up and is trying to salvage them. Although it’s not a formal rule, this register is also associated with phrases and modifiers that qualify one’s statements, akin to the English “I think” although a more accurate translation would be “in my humble opinion,” if a less formal version of that phrase existed in modern English usage.

“Loquelita” or cute humble speech: a subset of humble speech makes use of intensifying reduplication (the exact equivalent of saying “I am so so so so glad” except you do it to the main adjective not the modifier: I am glad glad glad!), doubles up or repeats diminutive and augmentative affixes, and draws vocabulary from youthful and childhood vernacular as well as archaic recitations which are standard knowledge among educated Basilean citizens. This is most often heard in contexts of delicisma or other direct relationships between a high-status lady and a significantly younger and lower-status hanger-on, although it’s associated with literal children (if you’re at a fancy private school this is how you ask your teacher if you can end the lesson early and play heads up seven up lol) and seen as a bit degrading past a certain age and above a certain career level, not to mention inappropriate with superiors who don’t already know and love you. Basically if you’re going to use the “you know how i’m your most favoritest and you love me so much” register variant you’d better be pretty sure the answer isn’t going to be “no? leave.”

Benevolent: Used by high-status leaders (nobles, politicians, some powerful commoners although usually not until their PR consultant tells them to) to speak to or about their inferiors. In Altamaian, “aiko”--the equivalent to the Latin “ego” subject pronoun--is a way of referring to oneself in an official capacity of rulership akin to the royal “we,” although it can be used by anyone in a circumstance where “I” or “me” would be the only word in the sentence (like “Who moved this?” “Me”). The use of this pronoun and of SVO word order are considered proper for describing decisions made from the top of the hierarchy for the (alleged) good of others; such descriptions will also generally use the formal-benefactive noun case to describe the object. Augmentative affixes for such actions, and diminutive ones for those of the listener(s), are also characteristic. 

Familiar: Also sometimes called “soft register,” this is commonly used by parents speaking to children and for reassuring or emotional exchanges between close friends or lovers. Familiar word order is often (though not always) object-first: an example is the most accurate Altamaian translation of the English “I love you,” “Esti quos amo,” literally “It is you that I love.” Diminutives are often used for both the speaker and the listener (but not others), and a special set of affectionate subject pronouns may be employed. 

Intimate: Some people consider certain forms that can occur in familiar speech a sub-register known as “intimate speech,” reserved for intense moments and relationships. This mode retains the word order and affectionate diminutives but mostly drops pronouns in reference to the listener and employs an archaic, general first-person verb conjugation that blurs the line between “you” and “we”. It is almost always more direct than familiar speech and can be used to express passionate anger or hurt. This means Altamaian has the imo EXCELLENT feature of having a way to say “I love you” REALLY HARD, and it’s just “amaei”, one word, four vowels, GREAT for screaming out windows.

[snkpolls]

SnK Episode 72 Poll Results (for Manga Readers)

The poll closed with 158 responses. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Please note that these are the results for the Manga Readers’ poll. If you wish to see the results for the Anime Only Watchers’ poll, click here.

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RATE THE EPISODE 155 responses

94.2% of respondents gave the episode either a 4 or a 5, with the definitive majority being 5s. In addition, there was only a single grade (2) below a 3. Very nice!

Probably the best episode post marley

HYPE

One of the best non-action episodes so far, with perfect adaptation of given scenes. Really looking forward to next episode.

Very emotional and exciting. Pacing was great.

Much better than the last

Must watch episode. 

Loved it

WHICH MOMENT AT LEVI AND ZEKE’S LOCATION WAS YOUR FAVORITE? 155 responses

Levi and Zeke had more than a few moments in this episode, so we asked you which one of those was your favorite. The definitive majority (60.6%) stated that they clearly preferred the scene of Levi lamenting the deaths of his comparades in pursuit of saving Eren over the years. A noted minority (21.9%) also seemed to enjoy the scene of Zeke telling Levi that he must not be popular or the scene wherein the truth about Ragako is revealed (8.4%). Levi accusing Zeke of being guiltless or learning about Eren’s escape from prison garnered less praise.

WHICH MOMENT INVOLVING FALCO, GABI, THE BLOUSE FAMILY AND NICOLO WAS YOUR FAVORITE? 155 responses

That being said (previous question), the majority (plurality?) of the episode was taken up by the second part of Gabi’s Bizarre Adventure. As such, we also decided to ask you which of those moments was your favorite. The plurality (44.5%) gave their preference to seeing Mr. Blouse deescalate the situation. In second place (16.8%) we had Nicolo revealing the truth about the wine. Closely behind, 16.1% stated that they most appreciated seeing Gabi and Falco find Nicolo in the restaurant cellar. Finally, 12.9% enjoyed seeing Nicolo and Gabi argue. The rest of the options (Kaya suspecting a romantic relationship, the Blouse Family enjoying Nicolo’s food and the Blouse kids calling Gabi a bumpkin) didn’t garner as much fanfare. 

Mr. Blouse's line about the children in the forest is one my favorite lines in the whole story, and this is such a major turning point for Gabi—I'd been looking forward to this episode, and it did not disappoint!

Papa Blouse is wisest man in this universe, prove me if I’m wrong!

WHICH MOMENT INVOLVING THE SURVEY CORPS WAS YOUR FAVORITE? 154 responses

A fair bit of the episode was also taken up by the Survey Corps doing their own investigating. We also asked what your favorite moment from those segments was your favorite. 45.5%, a plurality, stated that it was Eren showing up and telling AM that he wanted to talk. Another relatively popular option with almost 17% was Hange & Co. learning about Floch’s involvement with the wine. Almost 15% chose the scene with Mikasa saving Gabi from Kaya’s attack as the one they preferred the most and 11% said that the scene with Nicolo saving Jean and Connie from drinking the tainted wine was their favorite. Other scenes, like Armin and Mikasa talking with Gabi and the rest of the major SC members learning about the wine were less popular.

ZEKE ACCUSES LEVI OF BEING UNPOPULAR. LEVI DENIES THIS. WHAT DO YOU THINK? 155 responses

Zeke’s accusation is one of the funnier interactions he has with Levi (in the opinion of the person writing these small paragraphs), so it’s no surprise that 40.6% thought that it was rather funny how defensive Levi got over it, even if they weren’t sure how popular the man himself was. 32.9% seemed to believe that Levi was actually rather popular, owing to his title of “Humanity’s Strongest”. 12.3% thought that although his image might be popular, but that it was most likely restricted among members of the Survey Corps. Finally, a minority was, in fact, convinced that Levi wasn’t popular at all, really. 

Man slut Levi tapping dem beeyatches playing dem hoes

If Zeke knew how much pussy Levi got from the fangirls he’d hide every woman he knows from Levi

I mean he's definitely popular among those who idolize him, but he's an awkward grumpy gay so I bet a lot of people are put off by his personality when they meet him lol. But he's best boi and I love him

BrO he knows hes hella popular, he’s just humble like that 😌

i think he's popular but probably hasn't taken advantage of it bc he's awkward LMAO

Actually in Season 1, random villagers were calling out to him by name. On Paradis he's got clout with that killstreak

It could be one of those self aware manga moments? Like breaking 4th wall but much more subtle? 

He is definitely popular. But anyway what I noticed here is that it's a little different in anime and manga. In anime, he was kind of defensive which is funny and cute. In manga, he looked more like he was lamenting that he used to be popular back when killing titans was the only thing important. Anyway, regardless, I like both versions.

Levi as a story (humanity's strongest!! He took out a million titans on his own) is popular among the survey corps/army. Levi the actual man is awkward as fuck. He's one of those heroes who you don't want to meet cause it turns out he's short and grouchy and ill-mannered in actuality.

he's popular with hanji hehehe

He's gotta be pretty popular just because 1) he was always next to erwin and 2) he survived this long

He's totally popular... in the fandom.

I mean, it's pretty obvious that he's admired for being humanity's strongest, so yeah, he's popular.

PAPA BLOUSE SAYS THAT IT IS UP TO THE ADULTS TO SHOULDER THE SINS OF THE PAST, AND TO “KEEP THE CHILDREN OUT OF THE FOREST.” WHAT DO YOU THINK? 154 responses

Mr. Blouse’s speech seemed to resonate with the majority of the fandom (64.9%), who thought his sentiment ringed true and that it was something one should strive for. 25.3% of respondents noted that although the sentiment wasn’t wrong per say, it was too idealistic for how the “real world” functioned. Finally, a small minority wasn’t having it and seemed to think that children were no different from adults in this cruel world™️ (Thanks, Mikasa and Bertholdt.) 

It's expected that children will inherit some of the sins of the past, but it's the responsibility of adults to teach kids to do and be better.

Generational wounds require generational healing

Children are inevitably gonna have to bear the sins of the past until the world as we know it is destroyed and rebuilt into a better world

Normally I would agree excoet those are Gabi's own actions we're talking about...

In a perfect world, children wouldn't have to inherit the sins of the previous generation, but the AoT world is far from perfect. But, sheesh, what these kids are having to deal with is just unfathomable.

Weak, pathetic coward and I lost all respect for him as a man

Blouse Parents MVP's this ep. 

I agree that you shouldn't pass on the hate onto new generations, but I don't think that shouldering all the sins is EVERY adult's responsibility either.

WHAT DO YOU THINK, DID MAPPA DO THE DRAMATIC RESTAURANT SCENE JUSTICE? 152 responses

The restaurant scene was rather dramatic, all things considering, so it was no wonder that getting its atmosphere through was of key importance. The overwhelming majority was very happy with what was shown on screen, with 67.1% thinking MAPPA went above and beyond and 27% simply thanking the animation studio for the accurate adaptation. A few people, in contrast, thought that the manga conveyed the tone more effectively than the anime did. 

I just wanted to see Sasha eating pizza :( 

It was freaking amazing, absolute perfection 

Mixed feelings! I really loved the tension, emotion and voice acting! But I'm a bit sad they didn't include the sasha flashback bits that could've added to the emotions.

A COUPLE MEMORIES OF SASHA EATING NICOLO’S FOOD AND LEARNING TO HUNT WITH HER FATHER WEREN’T ANIMATED. DO YOU MISS THESE SCENES? 154 responses

The flashbacks with Sasha eating pizza were cherished by a small part of the fandom, so it is no surprise that at least a certain part of the fandom was disappointed in not seeing these panels animated. That segment, as mentioned, was rather small, as only 10.4% stated that it was a near deal breaker for them. In contrast, 58.4% were willing to accept the cut, even if there was a small part of them that wished that it was animated. Some stated that they never cared about those panels at all and 22.7% simply never noticed the cut. 

No, I like it that we can focus on Sasha's parents' faces during the speech

I miss those scenes, but including them wouldn't flow nicely with this medium

I really wanted to see her eating pizza but I knew it wouldn't make it in. It wouldn't make sense with the tone of the main scene.

NOW THAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE WHOLE WINE PLOT, DO YOU THINK THE MAIN CAST WAS EXEMPT FROM CONSUMING THE WINE BECAUSE OF EREN? 148 responses

Many have argued that Eren was pretty reckless with allowing the wine plot to happen. Though 40.5% are certain that the plan truly was only to have higher ups drink the wine (and perhaps Eren assumed there would be no risk to his friends). 18.9% believe that neither Yelena nor Zeke cared about who would drink the wine, but that Eren negotiated terms with them. 18.2% on the other hand believe that Yelena/Zeke actively avoided getting his friends involved, knowing that he wouldn’t approve of it. 9.5% can’t say for certain, and only 8.1% believe that Eren didn’t care if his friends drank the wine at all, and that Nicolo is the one who actively spared them. 

It’s paths Yams don’t gotta explain shit

Priority probably went to the military police and garrison- Levi’s team in the forest makes a big deal about getting the wine. 

They thought they might still need the scouts after a scream so it was made sure they wouldn't drink any.

I think Eren maybe saw enough about what was gonna happen that he didn't have to vocalize or care too much about who drank the wine. Although, poor Pyxis and the rest. Eren has had contempt for "lazy" military higher ups before, but he also saw people like Hannes change. Idk, maybe he felt their lives were worth sacrificing.

Plot convenience. At least Hange is in my opinion a high up if Nile and Pixis are too.

I think eren had something to do with the wine not being distributed to the survey corps, whether it was him directly or if it was zeke and yelena knowing that it would've pissed eren off, but obviously eren didn't do anything to specifically prevent it because if niccolo hadn't stopped them, main cast would've drank it 

I think it didn't matter if only the higher-ups got to drink the wine, but since Niccolo had kind-of relations to Jean and co., he didn't want them to drink it.

DO YOU THINK MAPPA EFFECTIVELY FORESHADOWED AND BUILT UP THE WINE PLOT? 148 responses

The wine plot was built up meticulously over the course of months in the manga, which allowed for a whole bunch of theories to prop up. The anime goes by quicker, naturally. So we asked if you felt that the build up for said plot was done well in the adaption. The overwhelming majority thought so, with 48% stating that they felt MAPPA did an even better job than the source, in contrast to the 35.8% who stated their belief in Isayama’s superiority. On the other hand, a fair few also stated that they didn’t enjoy MAPPA’s portrayal of this subplot and preferred the original. We’ve also gotten a fair few write-ins, mostly stating that it’s hard to compare the two. 

I think it's hard to compare because in the manga we had months in between the first foreshadowing and the reveal that there was something up with the wine. We had time to simmer and theorize, the anime didn't have much time to delve deeper into that particular moment especially with everything else going on in the series at the same time. They did a good job!

no real opinion either way

Yes, they did it accurately.

Idk man

It was good, even with the manga.

Hard to say bc in the manga, I felt completely blindsided and surprised. And, of course, I knew what was happening in the anime. Both were well done, I think.

I think it was way on the nose. It was better and subtler in manga.

I have no opinion

It has been so long, I forgot how it went down exactly in the manga. MAPPA's version was good though.

I don't particularly prefer one over the other. I think MAPPA did a really good job building up this plot. 

They did good, though it was a little more obvious here. Then again, I knew it was coming already, so eh.

THE SCENE WHERE LEVI FINDS OUT THE MILITARY PLANS TO HAVE SOMEONE EAT EREN IS IN BETWEEN THE RESTAURANT SCENES. DO YOU THINK THIS WAS A GOOD REARRANGEMENT? 150 responses

As seen in the season prior, MAPPA has rearranged certain scenes with the narrative. This time it’s the Levi/Zeke forest scene, juxtaposed with the restaurant scenes. A plurality (42.7%) thought the change worked in its favour. 18.7% didn’t mind it too much, but did prefer Isayama’s version of events and a few thought the change was simply bad outright. 33.3% thought the change didn’t really make a difference one way or the other. There was also a write-in. 

The complaint O have its that these scene occurs at night and the restaurant one was in briad daylight, so it felt odd because Im assuming its the same say.

THE VISUALS OF LEVI REMEMBERING THE DEATHS OF HIS COMRADES WHEN RESCUING EREN ARE DIFFERENT IN THE ANIME THAN THE MANGA. WHO DID IT BETTER? 154 responses

There was somewhat of a contrast between the flashbacks experienced by Levi in the manga and anime. We asked which version you preferred. Though most (57.8%) noted that both versions were nice, 31.8% said that they preferred the animated version, in contrast to the 10.4% who liked Isayama’s art better.

We’ve also gotten a very passionate write-in for this one. 

I'M SO UPSET THEY DIDN'T ANIMATE THE PANEL OF EREN'S FACE NEXT TO LEVI'S FROM WHEN HE SAVED HIM THE FIRST TIME IN TROST. Like I get it that they wanted to focus on all of the people Levi has lost, but in comparison with the manga it makes it seem like Levi doesn't even care about Eren anymore. If they had a shot where Levi is thinking about Eren specifically before focusing on his comrades, then it would've made more sense why he basically rejected the plan to have Eren be eaten. It would've shown that Levi still cares about Eren and doesn't want him to be killed unless there's nothing else they can do. It just feels like the anime (both WIT and Mappa) is constantly undermining Eren and Levi's relationship (and don't even get me started on how much worse it is in the dubbed version). Although, to be fair, the anime seems to do that to all of Eren's relationships that aren't with Mikasa. Like not even from a shipping perspective; even his relationship with Armin got parts ignored in favor of replacing them with moments with Mikasa. But whatever. Levi still cares about Eren, and I just wish the anime did a better job at showing that.

LEVI IS CUT OFF BEFORE HE GETS A CHANCE TO TELL THE SOLDIERS THEY SHOULD HAVE ZEKE EATEN INSTEAD, AND THAT THEY CAN ATTACK MARLEY AGAIN IF NEED BE. DO YOU THINK WE WILL GET THIS PART OF THE CONVERSATION NEXT EPISODE BEFORE HE TRIES TO MAKE A MOVE ON DEBILITATING ZEKE? 148 responses

Levi’s lines focused on explaining himself were cut a bit short in this episode, so we were wondering if we were going to hear them next episode. As it turns out, 49.3% believe so, stating that they’re important for the story and its context. In contrast, 20.9% believed that these lines were not actually necessary and weren’t going to be shown. 29% can’t say for sure, one way or another. 

Maybe it will be shown next chapter? MAPPA does that often.

A lot of missing dialogue from Levi that look important for the final chapter

IN THE FINAL SCENE, DO YOU THINK EREN APPEARS MORE SOMBER THAN MENACING IN COMPARISON TO THE MANGA? 151 responses

The vast majority of the fandom feels that MAPPA really brought out the somber expression Eren wore as he prepares to break the hearts of his friends, feeling that it signifies how regretful Eren is of what he’s about to say. 11.9% felt it was hard to read his expression properly due to the scene being cut off. 7.9% feel the opposite of the majority. While they agree he appears more somber, they aren’t buying it as genuine for a minute. Only a small handful felt that he still looked as menacing as in the manga. 

My boi is looking positively dead inside

More depressed, less menacing.

Yes, and I didn't like it. Manga version is better.

Yes, he seems more somber than menacing but Idk why. Even after the latest chapter, I still dk if he is/was acting or really explaining how he felt in a sense. Still not sure if he's like, "fuck it, I'm burning the whole world" or "I don't want to but I have to do this."

I like it in manga way more

He looks regretful in both manga and anime to me?

IT WOULD APPEAR THAT EPISODE 14 WILL ADAPT THE REST OF CHAPTER 112, ALONG WITH THE ENTIRETY OF CHAPTER 113. GIVEN THAT ACTION GENERALLY IS MUCH QUICKER TO ADAPT THAN NON-ACTION, DO YOU THINK EPISODE 14 WILL FEATURE ANY SCENES BEYOND THOSE TWO CHAPTERS? 147 responses

As we’re coming to season’s end, one can’t help but wonder how the rest of the episodes’ content will be spread out, knowing that it ends on 116. We asked if you believed Episode 14 will feature content from post-Chapter 113. The majority (55.1%) didn’t seem sure. But some (19.7%) thought that we were going to see elements from 114. As for the rest, a few thought that it was going to simply end on 113, some believed we might get anime-only content, a few thought we were going to see 115 scenes and some just didn’t care. 

Nah. I think it’ll end exactly where 113 ends

Tbh I'm too lazy to see what the next few chapters cover but they've been rearranging a lot of scenes in the past few episodes, so probably.

IN LINE WITH THE PREVIOUS QUESTION, DO YOU THINK WE’LL GET ANY MORE STORY REARRANGEMENT IN THIS SEASON? 148 responses

MAPPA has taken some creative liberties when adapting this season, including the rearrangement of certain scenes between episodes. The question posed was whether MAPPA will do it again. A slight plurality (49.3%) believed that it was going to happen again, in contrast to the 41.2% who weren’t sure. A select either didn’t think it’s going to occur or just didn’t care.

WHICH SCENE FROM THE PREVIEW ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO? 154 responses

The majority (55.2%) seems to be most enthralled with seeing the EMA Table Talk on screen, followed by a notable amount (37.7%) of folks who were most looking forward to seeing another battle between Levi and Zeke. A select few (7.1%) were instead most interested in seeing the scene with Hange, Floch and Shadis. 

Mmgh

How dare you make us chose between these three scenes, this was so hard, I'm looking forward all three !

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON THE EPISODE?

M O N K E  J U I C E

I hate Floch more than ever, and that cliffhanger at the end was a cruel spot to leave us at for a whole week.

SHHHH

That iconic Eren holding his bloody hand scene was spot-on!

Why no Mikasa hugging Gabi????? 

it’s a real 3 ring shitshow- survey corps made into clowns, children screaming, monkey business, unamused adults, and the ringmaster just waltzed on into the middle of it.

I was disappointed at first when I saw the screenshots and spoilers, but man, when I watched the entirety, that was some great acting and pacing. Way better than the previous 2 episodes. Thank you MAPPA! Really hoping they do well again next episode. Could be the as great episode 6/7! And thank you as always, SNK poll team!

Thankfully this first part is almost over. The manga is legendary and that season is barely good. I'm so disappointed. And I really liked Eren's expression better in the manga. I don't understand why they changed it.

I miss the rotoscoping from the first Mappa episodes. Everything looks a bit stiff.

I cried more in this episode than I have at any other this season so far smh. 

When Mikasa stops Kaya from stabbing Gabi. In the manga it seems that Mikasa was protecting Gabi and bringing her head close to her chest, but in the manga she looked somewhat uncomfortable. And it wasn't appreciated enough. I also did not like that they excluded Hange moments because it helped the way of seeing her as a leader and the scene of Levi thinking about his dead comrades looked very simple to me. I prefer manga. but the voice actors were amazing! I liked the episode but it is not one of my favorites.

i didnt think i could hate floch any more than i already did but the way mappa animated him made me want to punch my laptop omg

Gabi deserves what she got. Shame I lost all respect for Mikasa for stopping Kaya from killing Gabi.

Mikasa is dead to me. So is Sasha's dad. WHY would they just let Gabi walk away scott free?

As a Gabi hater, this is where fandom hypocrisy gets me in regards to Mr. Braus and Mikasa sparing Gabi. Mr. Braus becomes widely regarded as some virtuous and compassionate saint while Mikasa is bad for stopping Kaya. They BOTH suck for betraying Sasha's memory. Poor Sasha deserved so much better.

sorry my only thoughts are PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH. 

That scene with Jean + Wine Bottle hit real different after recent events.. 

ALL HAIL SUPREME GOD EMPEROR OF ELDIA FLOCH FORSTER!

The voice acting in the restaurant scene had me crying. Had to pause it

The shading and animation in the forest look awesome which could really make the Levi vs. Zeke fight outshine the Manga.

Mr. Braid's speech was just as cringe in the anime as it was in the manga. Shame on him for not avenging his daughter.

I think the manga did better in the scene where Kaya was about to kill Gabi in how sudden it was. In the anime, we got to follow Kaya's whole trajectory up until she was stopped by Mikasa, so Mikasa saving Gabi didn't feel as monumental. They did great on Kaya's murderous rage and breakdown though.

As long as I live I will never understand why Mr. Braus could be so pathetic as to forgive his daughter's killer. Especially knowing what happens later in, no true parent would just let their childs killer into their family. It's disgraceful.

Gabi sucks

WHERE DO YOU PRIMARILY DISCUSS THE SERIES? 142 responses

Thanks again to everyone for participating!

If you haven’t yet, please take a moment to send in your vote for up to 5 favorite characters for our 2021 character popularity poll!

[kevindayprotectionsquad]

Jack and Mathew first (awkward) date?

ahhhh thank you for asking!!! i love them so much, so i love sharing them with everyone! and funny enough, i have never thought about their first date, so this had me thinking for a while lol!!! this was a lot harder for me to write than i thought, and im not totally happy with it but... oh well lol! i hope you like it!

Jack had absolutely no reason to be nervous, but looking at himself in mirror and fussing over his hair, had his heart in throat. He’s known Matthew his whole life, why was a simple date making him feel like he needed to go hide? The castle was big enough, no one would find him.

“Stop changing your hair,” Skylar snapped at him, she sat on his bed surrounded by discarded outfits. He trusted her to help him look nice, but she had taken it as an opportunity to criticize every little thing about his appearance. “I had it parted perfectly and you're making it worse.”

“I look ridiculous, Sky,” He tugged at the bottom of the navy vest she put him in. Their mother gave it to him to wear for royal meetings, not secret dates with the blacksmith's son. “I would never wear this outside the castle.”

“No, you look great. You look like a prince for once, not like a stablehand. Matthew will love it.” Jack watched her in the mirror as she came over to join him. Skylar reached up to fix his hair back how she had it parted, but Jack stood up straighter, putting him just out of her reach.

“You're making it worse,” He swatted her hand away when she reached up again. “I’m putting my other clothes back on, this looks awful.”

Jack stepped around his sister, trying to find his normal outfit. He silently cursed Skylar for the mess she had created. She had pulled out pieces of clothing he hadn’t seen in years, all while effectively hiding the outfit he actually wanted to wear.

“No,” Skylar weaseled her way in front of him, trying to push him away from the pile on his bed. “You have to wear that. You never dress up, so Matthew never gets to see you look like an actual prince. Does he even know you are the prince?”

Jack glared at her. He tried to remember when she started being so stubborn. He’s been losing more and more arguments with her lately. It doesn't help when she has valid points. “This is the last time I ask you for help.”

Skylar just smirked at him and pushed him to the door, “You better go, you don't want to be late. He might realize how much he doesn’t like you.”

“Don’t even joke about that,” He paused before opening the door, taking a deep breath. This was really happening.

Jack opened his door wide enough for him and Skylar to peak out into the hallway. Their guards were making their normal laps through the hallway, and had their backs to Jack’s room. Jack looked to Skylar, after a moment of silent conversation, she squeezed out the door and bounded over to the guards. Once Jack heard them speaking, he made his way down the opposite side of the hallway, ignoring the portraits of his ancestors looking down on him. He could only imagine the secrets they had, him sneaking out couldn’t possibly compare.

The staircase at the end of the hallway wasn't the main one, and was used mostly by guards and other servants. At the bottom of the staircase was the side door that opened into the back garden. The garden where Jack and Matthew spent most of their childhood, before they were brave enough to venture into the woods just behind the garden walls. The same garden they agreed to meet in for their first official date.

Jack looked around for Matthew, but the garden was still empty. Matthew had to sneak out as well, and living in a smaller house with his father made it difficult to do. Jack felt a little better knowing Matthew wasn't waiting in the garden for him, but the relief was replaced with worrying if Matthew would be able to sneak out.

Neither of their parents wanted them being friends from the beginning, and it only got worse as they got older and it became more and more obvious they were more than friends. Jack’s parents went as far as trying to ban Matthew from castle grounds. That didn’t last long when Matthew’s father wasn't able to complete his blacksmith work without him there to help, so the ban was changed that Matthew couldn’t be on grounds without his father present. The ban was technically still in place, but Jack had never been one to follow rules, and knew all the hidden entrances to the castle to sneak Matthew in.

The clink of the garden gate opening and closing as quietly as possible tore Jack from his thoughts. Matthew had his back to Jack, carefully closing the gate. It was such a simple act, and one that he had seen Matthew do thousands of times, but Jack’s heart still fluttered in his chest, and a smile pulled at his lips. They had seen each other earlier in the day, but his heart was convinced its been days since he last saw him. Matthew turned and started towards Jack, and Jack couldn't help but let himself smile.

“I hope you weren’t waiting long,” Matthew smiled back. “I had to wait for father to go to bed.”

“It’s okay,” Jack said softly, not sure what to do. This was Matthew’s idea, and Jack wanted him to take the lead.

“You look,” Matthew paused, looking Jack over. “Amazing. Did you get new clothes made just for this?”

Jack rolled his eyes and ran his hands over the front of the vest, “How would I do that? You planned this this morning.”

Matthew chuckled, “Fair point. I’m just not used to seeing you in royal colors. You should wear them more often.”

“I hate dressing like this, and you know it,” Jack gently pushed Matthew’s shoulder. “And what about you? I’ve never seen this outfit.” He looked over Matthew. The dark leather jacket and black pants were too clean, telling Jack they had to be new.

“I might have gone to the market after I left here this morning,” Matthew closed the distance between them. Jack felt his breath catch in his throat when Matthew reached out to brush his hair out of his face. Maybe Skylar was right about parting his hair to the side.

“What are your plans for us tonight?” Jack was barely able to speak.

“It’s a surprise,” Matthew smiled down at him before taking his hand, leading him out of the garden gate.

Matthew led them down the path in the woods they have taken everyday since they were kids. When they went down the path this morning, their conversation was full of banter, and they couldn't help but shove each other around jokingly. Now, the only thing Jack could hear was the pounding of his own heart.

They came to a stop by the creek. A blanket was laid out flat, rocks were holding down the corners, and a basket was set in the middle. A lamp was set on a stump next to the blanket, illuminating the area. Matthew stepped next to the blanket, holding his arms wide in fanfair.  

“This was also why I was late.” His smile was almost as wide as his arms.

“Oh,” Jack said and instantly regretted it when Matthew dropped his smile.

“I know it’s not much, but it’s also late so there nothing else to do in the city.” Matthew started to explain. Whenever he wasn’t sure what someone was thinking, he tries overly explain himself. He had never done it to Jack.

“No, Matthew, its great,” Jack sat on the blanket and looked up at Matthew. “You just surprised me.”

Matthew tilted his head, his dark curls flopping into his eyes. “You don’t hate it?” He asked, brushing the curls out of the way.

“No, of course not,” Jack hated himself for putting doubt in Matthew’s mind. He could never hate anything Matthew did for him. “Sit down, please.”

The way Matthew hesitated to sit next to him made Jack’s heart ache. He wished he could go back in time and make his reaction better. Matthew put so much effort into it, and Jack ruined it.

They sat in silence for a moment, looking at everything except each other. Jack couldn’t take it for long, and grabbed the basket. “What did you pack us?” He asked, not waiting for a reply before he started unpacking it.

“Oh, uh,” Matthew shook his head like he was trying to shake the words free. “Raisin bread and wine. I didn’t think you would be that hungry after dinner with your family, so I got desert from the market.”

“Are you hungry,” Jack asked, tearing off a piece of the raisin bread and passing the loaf to Matthew. “Did you have dinner?”

“Yes,” Matthew tore off his own piece. “It was hard to sit through dinner. I wanted to come here.”

“We come here all the time,” Jack said, and realized it sounded ungrateful again. “I mean we always come here, but never like this.”

Matthew nodded, “We have never done anything like this.”

Jack gave a small chuckle, “Never like this. It’s different,” he was quiet a moment. “A good different.”

The night air was heavy around them, Matthew fidgeted in the silence. He was obviously just as nervous as Jack was, and that comforted him slightly. Jack bumped his shoulder against his. He felt Matthew tense up, and relax again.

“Are you nervous too?” Jack asked him, reaching for the wine.

Matthew held out his hand for it. “Yeah, I actually am.”

Jack handed him the wine and watched him take a swig before taking it for himself. “I am too,” he confessed after a drink. “I feel stupid for being nervous.”

“Me too,” Matthew tried took the bottle again, and Jack laid back on the ground.

“You’re not stupid,” Jack told him. It was true, Matthew was the furthest thing from stupid, and Jack couldn’t stand for him to think he was. He watched Matthew lay down next to him. “You’re not stupid,” he repeated.

Matthew just smiled his soft smile before turning his attention to the sky. “Do you get to learn about the stars in your training?”

Jack looked up at the stars. He didn’t pay attention to the sessions he went to, if he went to them. There might have been a session over stars, but he had missed it if there was. “Not really, I skip most of my sessions. I have better things to be do.”

“Oh,” Matthew smiled, knowing what better things were. “I can teach you then. That one there,” he pointed up at the stars. Jack had to scoot closer to him to see exactly where he was pointing. “Thats Little Bear, he was killed by hunters as a cub, and was sent to the sky to watch over all baby animals to keep them safe.”

“It's just a clump of stars how is that even possible?” Jack propped himself on his elbow to look at Matthew, who was smiling up at him.

“Its lore, Jack.” Matthew rolled his eyes. “You really don’t know these stories? My father told them to me growing up.”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but my family isn't the story telling type,” he laid back down. “What else is there?”

Matthew chucked and launched into the stories behind each star constellation. The stories themself didn’t matter to Jack, but the way Matthew was excitedly going on about each one did. Jack always had feelings for Matthew, and it was moments like these, where he was so open about how he felt, and so excited just to talk, made Jack think maybe... just maybe.. Matthew might be the one.

[lilliagradiewrites]

off limits // jj maybank (part one)

Summary: John B’s 16-year-old sister Cacey Routledge is coming to stay with him in the Outer Banks for the summer. Before she gets there, John B warns his single, heartbreaker of a best friend that his little sister is off limits. But what will happen when feelings develop between the two?

Pairings: JJ x OC! , pope x kiara, john b x sarah

A/N: Hey babes! I decided to delete unexpected because I didn’t really like it lol. This is in replacement of that story! I created an instagram for the two main OC’s in this story: Cacey and her best friend Lina! Follow Cacey @caceyroutledge, and Lina @lina.mads :) love you guys and i hope you enjoy this book! (if you’d like to reblog it would be very much appreciated!)

Part Summary: Cacey is introduced to the pogues!

Part Warnings: Swearing, underage drinking, vaping, mentions of marijauna. (nothing worse than what’s in the show lol.)

let’s do it !!

-----

     As soon as Cacey Routledge stepped of the ferry, the vexatious humidity of the North Carolina coast hit her. The sixteen year old was already hot and sticky, and she’d only been off the ferry for five seconds! She gasped as the bright sun pierced her eyes, and she held her hand up to block it out while she removed her sunglasses from the top of her head and placed them on the bridge of her nose. As she searched the dock for a certain familiar face, she felt her phone buzz from her back pocket. When she lifted it, the screen lit up to reveal a text notification from her best friend. 

linaaaa: send me photos bitch!! imy already :(((((

Cacey laughed at the message before quickly typing out a reply.

cacey: i will dw! i just got off the ferry lol. and imy more!!!

After pressing send, Cacey clicked the off button on the side of the device before shoving it back into her pocket. The girl continued the search for her brother on the crowded ferry dock. It was only a few moments before she spotted him. There he stood, his unbuttoned orange hawaiian style shirt making him stand out from the pastel-polo clad crowd. Cacey could recognize those shaggy brunette locks anywhere. “Bird!” She called for her brother, running towards him. To her annoyance, the rolling of her suitcase on the dock’s uneven wood slowed her down significantly. 

     Hearing his nickname, John B looked around, searching for the source of the yell. Finally, he spotted her. He moved towards her, meeting Cacey in the middle. “Bear!” He cried out, using her nickname as she had used his. He pulled her into a tight embrace. “I missed you so much.”

     Cacey hugged him back, smiling at the old nickname. “I missed you more!”

     Pulling away, John B draped his arm over his sister’s shoulders as he led her to where his old beat-up volkswagon was parked. “So, what’s up with you? What have you been up to?”

     Cacey smiled. “Nothing much, to be completely honest. My life’s pretty uneventful. I hang out with my one friend and that’s about it.”

     John B nodded in understanding. “Oh, right! That one girl. What’s her name? Uh... Lindsay?”

     Cacey laughed. “Lina.” She corrected. “But yes, her. How have you been? Still hanging out with your same group?”

     John B nodded again. “Yeah, the pogues. I can’t wait for you to meet them. Kie and Sarah freaked out when I told them we’d have another girl for the summer.”

     As the two approached the large van, John B motioned to the left, a gesture for Cacey to get in on the passenger side. Cacey nodded and went to move, and felt something tug against her suitcase. She realized her brother was grabbing it for her. She smiled in thanks and went over to the passenger side door. John B tossed the suitcase into the back of the vehicle before climbing in the driver’s seat and shoving the key into the ignition. When they began pulling out of the parking lot, Cacey began the conversation again. 

     “So, Sarah. Is that the girl you told me about?”

     John B smiled, his cheeks going slightly pink. “Uh, yeah. That’s her.”

    Cacey giggled at her brother’s reaction. She shoved his shoulder playfully. “Birdie’s got himself a girlfriend!!” She squealed. Her brother laughed along with her.

     “Yeah, I guess I do.” He turned the steering wheel, directing the van down a back road. “What about you? You got yourself some guy in miami?”

     Cacey shook her head. “Nah, not right now. I broke up with Maya two months ago, and it was kind of messy. I figured it was best to focus on me for this summer.” John B nodded, then furrowed his brows. 

     “Maya?” He questioned.

     Cacey nodded. “Yeah. Did I not tell you about her?” When her brother shook his head, Cacey gave a quick explanation. “She’s my ex-girlfriend. We dated for eight months until I found out she had been cheating on me. When we broke up, she blamed it on me. Told everyone I was awful to her and that I was ‘Manipulative.’ She’s super popular, so everyone believed her over me. Lina was the only one who knew I was telling the truth. That’s how I lost all my friends.”

    John B’s brows remained furrowed as he processed the information that he had just been given. “Okay, first of all. Girlfriend? You... You’re- You like girls?”

     Cacey’s eyes went wide and her cheeks went red. She couldn’t believe what she had just done to herself. How could she have been so stupid? “Uh...” She searched for an excuse. How did she forget that she hadn’t come out to her brother yet? She eventually decided it was no use, and she might as well use this as an opportunity to tell John B. “Yeah.” Cacey finished. “I forgot I haven’t told you. I’m... uh... bisexual. I like girls and guys.” 

    John B’s eys widened as he nodded. “Oh.” 

     Cacey watched him intently. His expression was unreadable. “Are you... like... against that?” She questioned nervously.

     John B shook his head quickly. “No! No, of course not! Kiara, one of my friends... she’s uh... pansexual, I think?”

     Cacey smiled in relief.”Oh, okay. Good.” She chuckled nervously.

     John B noticed his sister’s discomfort and decided to change the subject. “My friends are really excited to meet you. They’re all waiting at the house for when we get back.”

    “For real?” Cacey smiled. “I can’t wait to meet them all! They all seem super dope, based on what you’ve told me.”

    John B grinned. “They are.”

    Watching her brother, Cacey felt genuinely happy for him. She could tell, just by his smile, that he had some great friends, and that he loved them dearly. She was so excited to meet them all and to get to know them. 

     “Tell me about your girl.” Cacey says.

     John Bs pupils dilated, and his cheeks went pink. Simply at the mention of Sarah. “She’s amazing. She’s funny, and kind, and absolutely stunning. And she’s there for me, all the time, no matter what. Even if I’ve been a dick, or I did something stupid. She’s there when I need her.”

     Cacey giggled lightly at her brother’s description of the girl. “You’re whipped as fuck, huh?”

   John B laughed at her comment, and hit her lightly on the shoulder. “Shut up!” He said. He turned the corner, pulling into the entrance of the Chateau. “Here we are!” John B announced, parking the car and pulling the key out of the ignition. 

     Cacey threw her door open and bounded out of the car, bursting with excitement to meet the pogues. As she approached the front door, she was flooded with a wave of nervousness. What if John B’s friends didn’t like her? What was she going to do all summer if they didn’t? Her brothers voice pulled her abruptly from her thoughts.

   “You ready, Bear?” John B said with a warm smile. The familiar nickname grounded her. After a minute, she nodded. She was ready. John B turned the door handle and opened the door. 

     Walking into the house, she could tell that it was messy. Random pairs of shoes sat in random spots on the floor, and opened beer cans littered the counters and tables. Cacey could, however, tell that her brother had made an effort to tidy the place up. The effort wasn’t quite effective, but appreciated nevertheless. 

     “It’s not much.” John B said, running his hand through his long hair. But it’s home.”

      Cacey smiled at the tall brunette beside her. “It’s perfect.” 

     John B smiled back down at her. Much to John B’s dismay, the sweet sibling moment was ruined by shouts outside. Cacey head snapped to the side. Through a window, she saw a group of teenagers seated in hammocks and chairs around an unlighted fire pit. They were laughing and talking, carefree and happy.

     The pogues.

     Cacey smiled at the sight of them. As she watched, she felt a hand on her back, leading her out the backyard.

. . .

     Introductions to the pogues went well. Cacey met all of them one by one, and hit it off with each person easily. An hour after the routledge siblings had arrived at the chateau, they all sat outside. Kie, pope and Cacey all in chairs around the fire pit. John B and Sarah shared one hammock, while JJ occupied the other. As the group laughed and talked, Cacey couldn’t help but admire the blond. He was tall, muscular. Hot. Cacey was drawn to him from the second she laid eyes on him. Once, he had caught her watching him. He simply winked and looked back over to John B, who was telling a funny story. Cacey went red. She thanked God that she was sitting down, knowing her legs would have turned to jelly had she been standing.

     Kiara turned to Cacey, breaking the girl from her thoughts. “So, Cacey. Tell us about yourself.”

     Cacey smiled. “Okay. I’m sixteen. I live in Miami with me and John B’s uncle. I go to an arts school, Alexander Cay School of the Arts, on a scholarship. I have a dog named Ryder and a best friend named Lina. And that’s about it.”

     “Cool.” Sarah said. “I love Miami. I went there once with my family on vacation. The beaches are absolutely beautiful.” Cacey nodded. “Yes, they are. I love it there.” Sarah smiled, and Cacey smiled right back.

     “What’s cool is that you go to ACSA. That school’s, like, super prestigious. How’d you get a scholarship?” Kiara said enthusiastically. 

      “Cace is an amazing singer.” John B said. “A scout saw a video she uploaded online and offered her a full ride for all of high school.” The expression on his face was full of love and pride for his little sister.

      “That’s awesome!’ Kie exclaimed. “You’ll have to sing for us sometime.”

      “Yeah.” Cacey nodded. “Maybe I will.” She looked over at JJ, who blew a ball of smoke in the air and sucked it back in.  As he exhaled, Cacey nodded, impressed. “Damn, JJ.” She said. “That was a clean ass ghost.” JJ smiled at her. “Thanks.” The blond leaned forward and held out his juul towards Cacey. “Want a hit?” Cacey was about to take it from him when John B voice interrupted. 

     “No, she doesn’t.” He said. Cacey looked back at her brother and rolled her eyes before taking the vape from JJ. “What flavor pod?” She questioned before pulling a long hit. 

     “Mint.” JJ answered. Cacey’s brows furrowed as she exhaled. “I thought they discontinued those?” 

     “They did. I had some stocked away.” JJ explained. Cacey nodded before taking another hit. She inhaled, then demonstrated her best  ghost for the blond. Kie uttered that she was impressed, and Cacey smiled. JJ couldn’t get over how hot it was.

     Cacey took one last hit, knowing it would take only three to get her buzzed. She blew large, clean o’s into the air as she handed the juul back to JJ. “Thanks, man.” She said as he took it and took a drag. “I’ll let you hit my disposable later.”

     Through the whole encounter, John B sat silent, his mouth agape. “You- you vape?” He asked his sister, dumbfounded.

     “Yeah.” Cacey nodded. “Not proud of it, but I do.”

     “What the fuck! That’s so bad for you, bear!” John B cried.

     “I know. But I’ll be fine.” Cacey said, brushing her brother concerns off. 

      “Do you smoke and drink too?” John B questioned. he couldn’t believe that he had just watched his previously innocent little sister hit a juul. 

      “Yeah. So what? I’m young. And I know  you do that shit too.”

       JJ chuckled. “He only drinks. He’ll smoke with me every once in a while, but it’s a rare ocurrance.” 

      “Jesus, John B. You’re lame as fuck!” Cacey exclaimed. The group laughed at this.

      The rest of the night consisted of laughing and talking. Cacey eventually ended up with a beer in her hand, much to her brother’s dismay. At around 11:30, the youngest routledge stood and announced she was going to bed. After saying all of her goodnights, Cacey headed inside. She undressed and then flopped dramatically onto the bed of the Chateau’s guest bedroom. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

[zalrb]

I don't know if you've answered this before but have you ever disliked/hated a ship you eventually grew to love/appreciate or the reverse, loved a ship you eventually cooled off of or ended up disliking?

Oh sure!

Dislike-to-Like:

Dair

I actually hated the idea of Dair at first. I didn’t think they’d work, I thought GG was running out of ideas and it was legit inconceivable to me but then I saw them interact more and more and I was like, oh wait, no, they make sense, they’re actually incredibly compatible. I have a comment on one of the Dair-centric promos on YT where I’m like, I can’t believe I’m saying this but I want Dair and I want Dair now. And I made this vid (omg it’s so badly edited):

Micasher

I didn’t want anyone in the Keating 5 to hook up. It was the first show I saw in a while where romantic boundaries between the main cast weren’t crossed and I liked that, I thought it was refreshing, I wanted to keep it that way and I really liked Asher and Bonnie and I thought Michaela deserved someone better, like I thought their sex scene in the bathroom was hot but I was like no, stop it, don’t do it and then they continued on with it and gave them a nice vulnerability that endeared them to me and then they had their next scene and I was like OKAY.

Bill and Sookie

For the longest time, I was a Sooric shipper and then one day I asked myself, do I like Eric and Sookie over Bill and Sookie because I legitimately like the ship better or do I just like Eric over Bill? When I realized that it was about Eric vs Bill and not Sooric vs Bookie (what a terrible ship name) then I appreciated the chemistry of Bill and Sookie a lot more because it was intense af.

Like-to-Dislike

Jess and Rory

I have said many times that Jess and Rory were my Delena and I admit if I ever, for some reason, rewatch Gilmore Girls and we get to seasons 2 and 3, the part of me that’s still 12 fangirls over their scenes because they do have the chemistry, they do have the banter, there’s a lot there I do like except for the fact that Jess was legitimately a shitty boyfriend, like he was terrible and he treated Rory like crap and I don’t think he ever redeemed himself for that, I talk about that more here: https://zalrb.tumblr.com/post/170656625800/on-gg-i-forgot-to-mention?is_liked_post=1 and when I was older I just let myself see that.

Steroline

I went pretty hard for Steroline from seasons 5 to about the end of season 6. Next to the narrative issues with the ship, which I talk about here: https://zalrb.tumblr.com/post/160487885690/is-messy-and-develops-over-time-and-rooted-in

There’s also the chemistry: I think they were good at playing two people who couldn’t get on the same page but wanted to and Candice was good at playing that yearning but it worked because it was a dynamic that required Candice to be more assertive and raw and Paul to be reserved, that’s where the angst comes from, the minute they tried to do anything else I was like oooooh no this is awkward but I held on because I was deep into Steroline and then 6x21 happened and Paul and Nina, man, Paul lit the fuck up in that scene, it was easy, it was natural, it was chemistry just actual, honest-to-God chemistry and I was like … … … … this is why SC doesn’t work for me when they’re trying to do something that isn’t them being friends or isn’t them being on the wrong page, it’s just, they just don’t have it and frankly, if Paul and Nina had been around each other more in season 6 I don’t think I would’ve been as into SC, I remember being so conflicted about 6x04 because it was just Dobsley being Dobsley and I was like ………………………

Bamon

I was a Bamon shipper for quite a while actually, it wasn’t until season 6 that I just admitted that it was a terrible dynamic for Bonnie and all I was really shipping was the chemistry between Kat and Ian. I talk about that more here: https://zalrb.tumblr.com/post/180150746700/i-know-you-dont-ship-bamon-anymore-but-when-you

Chair

I was drawn to their story for the first three seasons, Ed and Leighton have fantastic chemistry, their scenes are compelling and rich and emotionally nuanced and I wanted them together really badly, even if I watch their scenes now, I get swept up in them, but then he prostituted her for a hotel, slut-shamed her and gaslit her and I was just done.

Bella and Jacob (books)

“Well, I'm so sorry that I can't be the right kind of monster for you, Bella.”

When I did read Twilight, I was Team Jacob over Team Edward and then I got older and was like lol the books are trash, BOTH romantic relationships are trash, it’s all terrible.

[sayuyu995]

Every time when I saw ppl said “Erwin would side with Eren and Yeagerist” “Erwin will prefectly solve all the problem in s4” “What if Erwin still alive....” blah blah blah, it makes me so confuse.

First, I doubt Erwin will stay at the military after he went to the basement, even if he got the serum, I think he will step aside from the commander position and let Hange take over. Erwin already tired and suffered enough, I don’t think he wants to take part in a war anymore, but I agree he will be the best consulter to Hange, give her advise on the political affair.

Erwin will support rumbling is just bullshit, he will never support it nor the other old SC members will. People really forget what SC originally aimed for, they are looking for freedom for the humilities, for the greater good. Many of them joined before the fall of wall Maria, what make you think these people will support genocide, this is impossible, I means a normal ppl will not support genocide. Rumbling is not just killing your “enemy”, it destroys the history of the world, the civilisation, technology, ecology, (I hate the show never mention that), it’s literally a worldwide nuclear bomb.

And Levi decided to stay in SC after Isabel and Farlan death was also the dedication spirit of these ppl, would Levi stay with a group of ppl and follow a leader who just think of themselves? I don’t think so, it’s just make me feels like the yeagerists eagerly want a main character to support them lol, because except Floch there is no characters literally support the rumbling even tho they may have different motive to stop the rumbling

“Hange and the the Island were wasting the time”, well, how I can trust a person just went to another country and declared a war on his own? And the yeagerist said you sucks because you don’t trust Eren lol Emmm... sounds interesting to me, I think Eren is the one who don’t want to gain trust from the Island, he wanted to do this on his own, then how can you blame Hange and the others for not trusting him. ?_?

Hange deserves better!! I hate ppl comparing Hange and Erwin, they are both great leader. But don’t forgot Erwin has all the vets, Levi squad, Hange squad and Mike squad under his command, if only these ppl are in s4, the situation will change too, the biggest problem of 14th SC is the ideological gap between old SC (aka Levihan), 104 and the new SC who joined to fight other country.

I start watching the reaction video of s4 again, it reminds me the nightmare of many ppl ignored and downplayed Hange, said she was annoying and better pass the commander role to Armin (srsly wtf?). I really scared these shit will happen in p2 again and ruin my enjoyment of the Levihan moment. It’s not really an enjoyment tho 0_0 (pain...) I love watching reaction because I love to see how ppl think about Hange, but I am scared now

[yaboylevi]

Hello! I find your theories very appealing. I would like to ask you what do you think about bond between Levi and Eren from the perspective of recent informations? Eren said that Ackermans form that kind of relationship "in order to protect Eldia`s king" on subconsscious lvl. Do you think that Levi dismissing the idea of killing Eren almost immidiately while having a hedache means that he is influenced like that? Thank you for your time!

Hello everyone, I was surprised to receive so many questions about this topic. This meta has become massive, as I analyzed some interactions throughout the whole manga. Feel free to add your thoughts on it.

Disclaimer:

I’ve seen people argue that Mikasa’s actions make sense even if she wasn’t controlled by her blood, and I agree (112!Eren was probably exaggerating, anyway). And it certainly stands for Levi’s actions as well.

The chances of Levi being bonded to Eren are very slim, in my opinion, and I don’t want him to be, if I had to be honest, but for the sake of answering these questions, and because the most recent chapter is purposely asking us to consider it, I will now ramble about it.

More under the cut.

My experience with ch112 has been me reading the Japanese script first. I was crushed by the EMA talk, then I expected the worst even from Levi’s part, as the page that first leaked seemingly had Levi losing faith in Eren. So I read the soldiers announcing that the plan was to feed Eren to someone, then Levi starting wondering if it even had been worth it to protect Eren, considering all the sacrifices humanity had made. Then it shifted to Levi completely shutting down the idea. No, he said, he would have none of it. He didn’t even care if Eren was controlled or not, he would not kill him. He would kill someone else, feed it to a random person and then titanize Historia. I was blown away. Because I thought Levi to be very opposed to this titan-Historia plan. And I always knew Levi cared about Eren, but it was crazy to read Levi so explicitly confirm it.

Then the chapters images dropped. Mikasa held her head because of a headache, just when Eren was challenging her about it. And right after that, when Levi was debating if he would allow Eren to be killed, he held his head in seemingly (emotional) pain and/or frustration. An Ackerman holding his head just when Eren has just finished talking about Ackerman’s headachesーWait what?!

Images of Mikasa softly placing her hand to the side of the head came immediately to mind. I think it was intentional on Isayama’s part. The coincidence was too obvious to ignore.

So I started thinking about all those times I made fun of Levi for being overprotective of Eren, starting with one of the most recent examples, with Yelena. There is, of course, a logical reason for it, but…But.

What about that time in the Forest of Giant Trees, when Levi was way too much in synch with Eren, just like Mikasa.

This one always felt weird. I loved this parallel. I always attributed Mikasa’s reaction to her overbearing protectiveness, plus she had actually heard Eren’s roar once, in Trost. But Levi had never heard it, as far as we know, he had barely known Eren for a month. It just looked weird and funny in my eyes, and I often joked around with my friends about it, like “Levi, you fool, you’ve known him for like 10 minutes, why are you acting like Mikasa”. But now…I’m reconsidering every interaction Eren and Levi had, from the very start.

Curiously enough, Levi’s first thought when thinking about Eren in 112 is also the very first time he saw him. Eren, so vulnerable. It’s a sweet memory. Levi had found EMA at just the right moment and saved them. When hearing about Eren’s most recent deed, Levi thinks of Eren’s face in a moment of weakness and confusion, instead of, like, this other panel below. Once, the first thing Levi thought about when talking about Eren was this:

Now it’s this.

I feel like Levi’s opinion of Eren has subtly changed over the years, from someone who inspires power and fear, to someone who inspires protection. 

The panel above could be attributed to Levi’s next line of thoughts about all the times he had to save Eren, but that time in Trost is the exception because no one had ordered Levi to save Eren. Yet, he still somehow found him. Mikasa says her bond “wasn’t born by chance”. It’s because it was Eren. Now I wonder if it wasn’t fated that the two Ackermans would find Eren.

This put aside, their next meeting is the famous one, in the courtroom prisons. It’s the first time we see one of the most stoic character, as stoic as Mikasa, show such a strong, impressed reaction to someone. Even before Eren proclaims his intent, his vision we could say, Levi is shaken. 

He decides he will protect him. Erwin probably had already decided this, but I feel Levi was kinda opposed to it before this moment. Levi chose to do so only when hearing such strong-willed words from Eren’s mouth. Words that seem to match Levi’s own vision, as he had just proclaimed as much just hours before on the battlefield.

I’ve always liked this interaction, but I’ve never really thought about the meaning it had in the story. It could simply be a means, like in any other shonen, to show the protagonist’s efforts and value be acknowledged by a not-so-easily impressionable character. Here, Levi’s decision is based simply on Eren’s will, which is Eren’s main trait. But there could be more. Every panel seems to always convey something specific in this manga, and as time progresses and more info are revealed, the meaning of certain panels changes.

Particular focus was put on Levi’s reaction in the anime, too. Could be a strategic move to stir female fans, but the manga focuses on it, as well.

Then, some other interactions have a kind of weird feel when it comes to Levi’s behavior in regards to Eren.

Levi stands in the middle between people who might decide to kill Eren (Zackley, and in 112, it parallels to Pixis, who is in Zackley’s place now) and Eren himself. No need to mention that Levi’s beating was merely a farce, due to Erwin’s orders with the goal to save Eren. Levi, in the visual novel, says he didn’t like it, but it was necessary to save his life. In this occasion, Eren screams “Bet on me!” and I idly wonder if this could be the order an Ackerman needs.

Currently, Levi is totally betting on Eren still being their only hope for freedom.

After that, a totally unjustified gut feeling tells Levi to protect Eren, even if he was absolutely pissed just mere seconds before and he has no reason to trust Eren with his titan.

Then, in the forest, again for no reason at all, he jeopardizes Erwin’s plans when he gives free choice to Eren. If Eren had decided to fight the Female Titan, it would have never reached the point where Erwin and the other soldiers were waiting for it. Levi has always given precise orders to his subordinates. But he left free choice to Eren.

The same happened in the Reiss cave. They were about to die, and instead of thinking about a solution himself, or giving some orders, he recognized Eren’s will and left him a choice. They could’ve died, but he decided to trust Eren. These could simply be ways for Isayama to let the protagonist grow and gain experiences that will shape him in the future, but usually, the characters act for very specific reasons. I’ve always believed it was because Eren and Levi are fundamentally really similar and Levi understood this and respected and accepted Eren because of it. It could still be it. But now I am reconsidering Levi’s reasons for trusting Eren so much in the first place, since the very beginning. 

Now, when it comes to Erwin’s orders conflicting with protecting Eren…

In Stohess, Levi, upon Erwin’s orders, couldn’t participate in the battle, and, when hearing Eren’s roar again, he looks like this.

In the Forest of Giant Trees, when Erwin prevents Levi to get to his squad and to Eren, it very much looks like Levi wants to oppose it, but he trusts Erwin, his current liege.

In Shiganshina, the same happens.

Towards the end of that battle, when Levi sees Eren again, he looks distraught. 

Then he recomposes himself and comes up with a half-assed plan that would cause his own demise and that of everyone else, but Erwin and Eren would survive, and that’s all that matters because they are the hope of humanity for Levi. Sounds familiar? Yeah, it sounds like the plan in chapter 112, a pretty bold plan that goes directly against orders ー its faults clearly pointed out by othersー and is based on sacrificing important people in order to protect “hope”.

The timing of Levi clutching his head in the latest chapter was suspicious. It might not be a headache, but I think Isayama wants to make us wonder, of course.

I…honestly don’t want Levi to be ackerbonded to Eren and he probably isn’t, as I said before. I want every one of their interactions to be nothing but genuine, between two people who understand and trust each other on a basic, instinctual level, without even an ounce of magical and/or scientific stuff in the middle.

But Eren has the Founder and it looks like Ackermans were made to protect it. I wouldn’t find it farfetched if fate, or “Paths”, whatever, brought all the Ackermans to be around Eren. Mikasa and Levi specifically, both with the self-appointed mission to protect Eren. Levi’s has never made us suspect anything because it was also his official mission in the SC. But both Ackermans are making the same pained expression when finally confronting Eren in Marley, and it can’t be a coincidence.

The images are so painfully similar, they overlap (my friend checked lol).

I am aware Ackermans can still have independent feelings for their host. If Kenny’s granddad’s story taught us anything, it would be that the Ackermans can ideologically oppose their host’s decisions. I am unsure if they can, physically, but I bet they can. Eren seems to think the bond works both mentally and physically, like a twilight imprint, minus the romantic aspect of it. But I don’t think the Ackermans’ most inner feelings are influenced, albeit the bond possibly forming during an “extreme situation” when the Ackerman (or the Liege?) is in life-threatening danger is certainly worrying. You know, trauma and bad coping mechanisms.

About those knee-jerk reactions Eren called Mikasa out on, I’d like to point out Levi’s punch to Eren in Shiganshina (possibly in response to the instinct to protect Erwin) and Mikasa’s subsequent violent reaction to Levi (possibly in response to her instinct to protect Eren). 

But there’s another instance, in Levi’s visual novel “Burning Bright in the Forest of the Night”, that happens when Levi hears Eren’s roar.

“Facing that conclusion head on [that Eren is in danger], he flies like a released arrow. His heart - it is as cold as ice.”

I have no idea what will happen next, if Levi will survive or how he’ll react to Eren’s new…personality. But not even Eren using the SC to attack an entire nation could make Levi lose faith in him, not even knowing that Eren is working with Zeke and most probably asked Levi not to kill his brother, not even hearing Eren has escaped from prison and he’s leading a coup. Just like when Levi found out Erwin’s dream was more important than humanity’s survival, even if shocked, Levi has decided to accept and trust the man. 

I can’t wait to see Eren and Levi meeting again. A mentor-mentee relationship surely calls for more, even if Levi’s headache in 112 isn’t really a headache. I don’t think the story requires a new Ackerbond with Eren when there’s Mikasa’s already, but it would be interesting to see Levi protecting Eren once more, in spite of everything. It might be the last time, too.

[forthebetterevil]

my first exo concert!

just gonna detail my experience going to my first exo concert as a 1.5-year-old exol. this is the Singapore 190915 EXplOration concert, missing ksoo (my crown prince) and xiu (my second prince). (p.s. jun is my third prince so that’s why i bought his fan ---- my face when i realised i unknowingly stanned exo’s enlistment line after ksoo dropped the bomb on us: 😊🔫)

and still missing lay, of course (*rolls eyes at china*). it was a blast but i didn’t die too hard, probably because it’s just 6 of them haha. my throat still died from screaming so hard though.

in my rambling i shall cover details of the merch in the picture, and comments (babbling) on each member.

to my great fortune, i was seated in the middle of a middle block facing the stage. i didn’t want to attend the concert in the standing pen area because i prefer observing the group as a whole to being up and close with them but missing out on all the dance formations. i’m here forking over S$302 for a concert where i can’t see ksoo or xiu so... anyway even if they were here i would still prefer to sit and watch the full performance.

the black banner (which i still can’t read) was laid on every seat, and overleaf, exols were asked to hold this banner up during their ending ment. the community is really cute.

the eribong v.3 is pretty when lit up (more later). it came with the bottom right sticker set, and a random photocard. i managed to trade for a ksoo card in the end :-)

the 7th anniversary pink leather keychain is not part of concert merch, but it’s pretty so i threw it into the pic (only for this concert did i break it out of its box to attach it to my bag LOL)

[ksoo]

i got a ksoo ... vertical banner? thin poster? thing after the concert was over, when merchants were desperate to sell their unsold goods. of course there was a ton of baek yeol 5ehun jun and j0ngin merch, but i was surprised i didn’t see as much of dae than i did ksoo. perhaps dae’s merch already sold out?? anyway, i saw ksoo’s marie claire photo and IMMEDIATELY shuffled over to ask for the price, which wasn’t too bad ($5, which became $4 because the merchant didn’t have exact change)

[xiu]

i pasted a xiu name sticker on one side of the eribong, and ksoo on the other. doubles as a “yeah these are my first 2 princes″ and a “at least they’re still with me today in spirit” ... *bursts into tears*

for xiu’s merch, there was NOTHING except maybe a tiny photo of him bunched with other members’ photos. i kept asking “do you have xium1n?” *merchant who usually isn’t a fan is confused* “um... kim minse0k?” *?* “this one, *points to xiu in a group photo*, do you have?” *shows me a j0ngin pic* “ok nvm” this was extremely upsetting. but hey at least i got to see xiu in printed group photos. because...

[lay]

lay didn’t even make an APPEARANCE amongst the goods. rip xingmis. a fellow exol told me someone in the standing pen was waving a ZYX banner around though, so there’s still hope amongst the singaporean xingmis at least

[junmye0n]

i got a fan-produced jun fan before the concert because i didn’t know the venue was air-conditioned haha whoops.

during the concert, his second outfit (after the tempo perf) was a poofy white long-sleeved top and rather well-fitting black trousers/pants and lemme tell you.... HE’S PRINCE ERIC. HE’S SO HANDSOME AND HE’S SO NICE AND SWEET AND HIS ENGLISH WAS SO GOOD, LIKE, EVERYONE IS WHIPPED FOR KSOO’S ENGLISH BUT HONESTLY JUN REALLY TRIED TO COMMUNICATE TO US IN ENGLISH IT WAS AMAZING AND HE PUTS IN SO MUCH EFFORT AND HE SHOULD BE APPRECIATED MORE (and this is coming from a ksoo stan..). you have no idea how upset i was when everyone was screaming their heads off for the other 5 performing members during their little video interludes, but when jun came on screen, there were just screams. heads did not pop off. NO! WHAT IS THIS DISRESPECT AND UNDERAPPRECIATION???!!!! i screamed my head off for him but one person alone can’t make up for the difference... jun was so nice and kept waving and making eye contact with the audience, doing cute poses for us here and there, being his little awkward leader self (as SM boy band leaders seem to do...), and basically tanking the transitions between performances. christ. also he freakin CARRIED the backing vocals AND the main vocals (i mean dae and baek too but everyone already explicitly appreciates them so i don’t need to give them special mention for carrying). he is ALWAYS being slept on, and it’s just not doing him justice. what the hell. junmye0n deserves the world :-(

for his BEEN THROUGH 👀👀👀👀 performance, he told us he decided to change the shirt colour to red because he thought it would match Singapore well (or something along those lines). like. WOW????? THANK YOU FOR EVEN CONSIDERING MY COUNTRY IS WORTH NOTICING TO CHANGE YOUR OUTFIT???? i hope i’m not sounding sarcastic - it’s such a small action but i felt a little touched?? like wow, he noticed.

my binoculars was glued on him half the time. he’s so handsome and pretty at the same time. part of the reason why i still went was to see if everyone’s claims that “suh0’s pictures don’t do him justice” were legitimate because when i first saw jun′s pic (i forgot which exact one), i literally thought, “that’s the handsomest man i’ve ever seen”. so i suppose the claim depends on angles. because ALL of em look like their pictures - their GOOD-ANGLE pictures. MEANING, jun looks as good as his best photos (which tend to be the ones where he faces straight to the front), but now he looks good from whichever angle in motion. he is actually very fair-skinned too! his face was like a beacon of light.

also, in his first ment greeting us, he was such a cheeseball saying our country is beautiful... like us. JUNMYE0N PLEASE.

nearing the end of the concert HE TOLD US NOT TO CRY (along with j0ngin or yeol, can’t remember). THEY’RE GONNA SING THEIR LAST SONG, BUT IT’S NOT GOING TO BE THEIR LAST SONG, BECAUSE THEY’LL ALWAYS BE IN OUR HEARTS, RIGHT? HJAGKN;KLSKGKS :”””””(

so to reiterate: i have the biggest soft spot for junmye0n and i love him.

[5ehun]

OH, DURING ONE SONG, 5EHUN CAME OVER TO RUB HIS HEAD ON JUN’S CHEST, AND I WAS LIKE AAAWWWW!!!!! and died. but jun’s back was facing me so i more or less couldn’t see much. after the concert, i found out that  5EHUN TRIED TO LIFT JUN’S SHIRT TO SHOW HIS ABS DURING THE NUZZLE. so i revived and died again. there were a lot of other small interactions too. seho stans won tonight.

below are some of my friend’s standing pen privilege pics:

what i could see from my seat behind -

what i DIDN’T KNOW 5EHUN TRIED FOR A HOT SECOND:

seho stan: *dies*

anyway... i wasn’t paying close attention to 5ehun during group performances (other than when it was his solo dance break and exo-sc perfs), tho i felt like he wasn’t as “engaged” as, say, jun or yeol. but i thought that was normal because yaknow... he’s not very talkative, and i was probably getting that impression just from his naturally stern (rbf LOL) face. 

his dance break was COOL and his exo-sc performances were LIVELY. and when he actually gets to sing (... T_T) nothing went wrong so i thought everything was fine.

however, during one of his ments, 5ehun admitted to us that he felt bad coz he wasn’t up to standard today (because he’s sick?? translator was not doing a thorough job, i got this info from another friend), and he’s sorry. some of us were like “huh?? no?? GWAENCHANA!!!!” and the translator said he said, “no i’m not saying this just so yall will say that, if you continue i’m not gonna share my feelings like this anymore” so we all shut up.

i can’t remember if it was in that same ment, but during one of the ments, the whole time 5ehun was talking, jun was standing waayyyy in front of the line to turn his body to look at 5ehun. i think he was worried for him :”( 5ehunnie bb please don’t beat yourself up over this. my friend in the standing pen said yeah, he was pretty out of it today, he kept staring into space instead of making eye contact with fans. :-(

[j0ngin]

spEAKING of out of it, the same can be said for j0ngin. don’t get me wrong, his dancing was still otherworldly. i was looking through my binoculars to focus on the dance formation and/or jun, but suddenly i was like “wait, i’ve been looking at ka1 dancing this whole time”. IT’S SO FLUID AND SHARP AT THE SAME TIME. EVERY MOVE IS EXECUTED PERFECTLY. IT JUST DRAWS YOU IN.

... but that can only be said for some stages. i felt like his moves were not as sharp/confident sometimes?? i mean they were still graceful, but somehow it feels kinda tired???????? k who am i to judge, i’m not the one dancing and singing for 2 hours straight lmao he obviously needs downtime...

THAT’S WHAT I THOUGHT. unfortunately, during the ments, he also wasn’t very hyper (like hE WOULD BE WITH A CERTAIN SOMEONE.............. UGH MY KADI HEART IS ACHING). he dance-bopped around and interacted with yeol a little but that’s all. i know j0ngin is actually a shy boi but he REALLY didn’t talk much. :-(  i honestly suspect the Other Project (s*perM) is tiring him tf out.

am i hallucinating? or maybe i’m being overdramatic. i don’t know. it’s not that i was constantly following his movements like i was junmye0n’s during the concert anyway.

[baek]

he didn’t SEEM as tired as j0ngin thanks to that Other Project. his diet of CDs didn’t change, and he was still the goofball during ments / soft toy fun times. also, man, the amount of screams he got. and MAN, THE UN VILLAGE ROLLING HILLS PART..................... *GURGLES*

perhaps i’m not a baek stan, so i didn’t realise, but my friend commented that while he was not in as bad a state as j0ngin, he COULD’VE been more hyper.

I HOPE BAEK AND J0NGIN ARE RESTING WELL. Slave Management Entertainment PLEASE HAVE A HEART.

[yeol]

okay DUDES this guy was the guy who warned the middle standing pen fans to stop f*cking pushing because they don’t want to get anyone hurt. “ok everyone in the back row (of the standing pen) please raise your hands. can those who raise your hands take one step back please” ... “ok yall raising your hands but you’re not moving back” ... (him/suh0) “we have to be very wary because if you get hurt then we can’t come back”  the entire stadium collectively went “oOOOHHHH” (not in a good way)... BUT THEY STILL DIDN’T MOVE BACK. (him/suh0) “okay you don’t want to move back? then we’ll retreat to the stage behind then” *walks from from the smaller stage closer to exols back to the larger stage all the way at the front*

he was legit not happy. and goodness gracious did he have the right to be. didn’t this nonsense happen with exo-sc kfans before? and at that time 5ehun was the one who got angry.

anyway not only did they leave to continue performing the second set of songs on a bad note FURTHER AWAY, i HIGHLY SUSPECT that the other punishment was to take away one performance. WHICH WAS MY MOST HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ONE - SIGN. YEAH. THEY DIDN’T PERFORM IT. SHOOT ME NOW. THAT WAS THE B-SIDE I WAS IMMEDIATELY WHIPPED FOR ONCE THE TEMPO ALBUM DROPPED. f*ck.

OKAY ALL THAT ANGST ASIDE, he’s still the main goofball of the concert. HE TRIED TO TEACH US HOW TO DAB INTO THE INSIDE OF OUR ELBOWS. HE GROPED CHEN ON STAGE. HE... he does his job of an entertainer well. OMG. HE TOOK SOMEONE’S PHONE AND TOOK PICS/VIDS OF HIM AND SEHUN????? when i finally noticed it happening i thought he literally took his own phone out during performance/fan-interaction-time to take a selfie but then i find out after the concert that NO, IT’S NOT HIS PHONE. ... that phone case must be enshrined immediately.

also he had to take over some lines for some songs, and BOI DELIVERED. he sounded really nice singing :”)

[dae]

not only did he eat CDs while looking super cute in that blue suit, he BELTED OUT LIVE HIGH NOTES AND ADLIBS AND WHATEVER YOU CALL THEM. I’VE NEVER HEARD EXO LIVE, SO, OH MY GOD. it’s like you’re either screeching or silent because they’re performing but there were parts of dae’s performance where had to stop everything, put down my binoculars and eribong, stare into the air for a second, and literally say “wow” out loud. it was surreal. it was crazy. it got to the point where he covered one of xiu’s lines (i forgot which song), and i thought “oh wow, he sounds better singing this line than xiu” and i IMMEDIATELY felt guilty (I ONLY THOUGHT THIS FOR *ONE* OF XIU’S LINES, DON’T KILL ME)

he was quiet during the ment until his turn. when he was engaged he... engaged. haha about the members’ comments that his solo perf was a “different kind of sexy” from j0ngin, where he had only one drop of sweat. HAHA. *does lunges on stage* *gets molested by yeol*

dae’s actually really low-key. he’s like... a “good” boi. will respond well and politely but only when spoken to. what else do i say. sunshine angel. his smile is cute. CAT SMILE :3

[overall]

speaking of cats... baek asked us at the beginning of the concert: why’s the dress code white?

here’s a crappy pic from my android phone one minute before the lights were dimmed:

us: POWER!!! POWER!!!

exo: oh?? baek: does it represent the light power??

us: (loud murmurs of disagreement)

exo/baek: so you’re saying that’s not it... (discusses with members in korean) is it... the white marble???

us: (louder murmurs of disagreement)

exo/baek: hm i guess we can continue guessing till the concert is over haha

im not sure if anyone in the front rows, perhaps a korean fansite, screamed “cat” in korean, but after some discussion again,

exo/baek: (korean) some exols: *SCREAMS* translator: is it cat? exol: *SCREAMS AND WAVES ERIBONGS*

and this was the only legit interaction i feel we got with exo this concert... after having a taste of it at the start, i was subsequently kinda bummed we didn’t get to do this back-and-forth talking with exo (even at a shallow level) likely because of a language barrier. it felt so cool.

also, eribong v.3 was SUPER PRETTY WITH COLOURS. IT WAS MAGICAL, I SAY, MAGICAL.

the entire spectrum could be shown on this eribong. this pic more or less covers the softer range of colours this eribong is capable of. it can also show the harsh red, blue, green, yellow, and of course, white.

a 1-pixel screenshot of my Telegram video to my friend in the standing pen:

the boys were great, the performance was overall astounding, the lights and effects were stunning and pretty, and the time we spent together was too! short! exo also mentioned it’s a shame they could only come this one day for a concert, next time they’ll do two, no, THREE days... for their next album

exols: ganrklflm;fsklflkgsrkg

... WITH “THE REST OF THE MEMBERS”

exols: NAGJSK;NLDFNLGRS *EXPLODES*

tl;dr i love EXO with my entire heart. i count myself lucky for being alive at the same time exo is active and performing live.