#it also doesn't progress too fast /and/ expects you to go back to the earlier stages for a refreshener every now and then

[crescentmp3]

i noticed that i learned a lot more italian in two months than i learned korean in half a year

[satvpsandowns]

Chains as a symbol of football and identity in Blue Lock's covers

I know cover analysis are too common, for some even annoyingly common, but bear with me, I had some free time and decided to give it a try. I haven't read the recent "state of art" of the chain interpretations so if I say something already said, I apologize.

Feel free to disagree and add your takes in the comments!

(Featuring Snuffy's quotes and analysis of Lorenzo, Sae, Rin, Hiori, Yukimiya, Zantetsu, Kaiser and Ness' covers)

If you lose soccer, what will you have left?

Snuffy said this to the Ubers team in ch. 214.

The chains in the Blue Lock covers have multiple interpretations so far. I consider the chain to be football and the identity the player forged around the sport, whether it was for salvation or damnation, the sense of self and the prove of existence is wrapped around the chain: the football and who the player is on the pitch.

Take Lorenzo's for example, he bit his chain. Snuffy found him on the streets and taught him to play soccer to save his future, to change his life. His bitten chain relates to his ace-eater persona. He's a defender, the only one we've seen so far that is comfortable with his position. (Aiku still kind of wavered). His football and his identity revolve around his goal of eating the striker's attempts at surpassing his defensive third.

Sae has one of the most interesting chains: from the collar to some short length it's falling apart, it's not rustiness, it's progressive deterioration. My take is that the breaking piece of the chain represents his earlier time at RE AL youth club. We know he let go of the striker position and thus the final broken link represents his fight with Rin in that snowy night. I interpret this scene as Sae's breking point. Rin is a genius, he doesn't understand Sae's struggle and, maybe, jealousy. From there, the chain solidifies back but with way more quality (the golden color) and so the chain continues to move. Sae's identity is nothing but football, as stated in his EB profile. He has absolutely nothing going on besides football, something normal for high performance athletes. But the curious and sad thing here is that he's implied to be a "talented learner", someone who had to struggle, like Isagi, against geniuses before finding his rooting in the midfielder position where he has thrived up to stardom.

The chain broke at some point but it restored itself with new material, from Sae Itoshi striker and Rin's partner, to Sae Itoshi RE AL star midfielder.

In contrast with Sae's chain, there's Rin's.

Holding the chain where Sae's was broken. His identity, his football, still revolves around his brother and their former partnership he can't let go yet. Also, the chain is not moving.

Hiori's cover presents the chain as damnation. The chain doesn't flow like the majority, it's short and held with indifference. It's an absolute burden for Hiori, the weight of expectations, the impossibility of building an honest identity around a sport you never liked to begin with.

Yukimiya's chain also lacks movement. Football for Yukimiya is like a timebomb, the chain doesn't flow because there's nowhere to, Yuki has no future but the immediate moment because of his illness. His whole self is being concentrated in the short-term results.

Ego's cover, on the other hand, solidifies my point: the tension of the four pulled chains means the hold the sport has on Ego. We've seen nothing so far about his relationship with Noa and geniuses. His whole self is football. Without it, the sudden break of chains, after being held with such force, will annihilate his identity like a loser in a game of tug-of-war.

Zantetsu's chain also represents his childish form that made him the player he is. Fast, no time for wavering, that's for adults, just follow the flow and enjoy. Tell him what to do in the pitch, he'll do it, as long as he enjoys it.

Kaiser's chain is fully made of glass, his identity and the football he plays has become his everything, him and football player Kaiser are one and the same. That's why it's so easy to break Kaiser, his whole self is fragile because he put all the eggs in one basket. That's why Isagi surpassing him terrifies him and why he's so obsessive. Taking into account his backstory, where for him there was nothing but malice in the world, he found comfort in replicating it and doing harm to others. Only the love he desperately seeks can replace the glass with some other material idk.

Will you be able to love yourself when you are no longer viewed as a genius?

Ness' chain is my favorite aesthetically. From the collar up to the piece at the back of his head there are no roses, a simple chain in movement. The start of the vines that entangle with the chain is concealed behind his head. From there on, Kaiser's influence became the reason why Ness kept playing football and believing in magic. His sense of self is wrapped in the acceptance Kaiser gave him, Kaiser basically told him he was good the way he was, something his family always disapproved. He has yet to discover his true self as a player: playing for his original ego: the search of magic.

Also, we've seen Ness play without Kaiser, excel in his childhood's soccer team to the point of being invited to BM tryouts. I hope we'll see him rekindle his original dream.

Before you are a football player, you are a person, regardless of whether you are talented or not. So value your life.

Who are they without their chains? Who are they without their talent, without football? Well, just themselves, and it's up to them to value that.

And you? 🫵

Do you have something that chains your identity like football does to this characters?

Mine is probably my field in Academia LMAO. What am I without academic validation? I guess I need to work it out too....

[mylovelies-docx]

Sorry, I Love You - Part 5

Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood afternoon, everyone.

:) Have fun

Plot: You and Bucky have a good thing going - best of friends that also have more than a little chemistry between the sheets. Everything is fine until you develop feelings for the man who doesn't want a relationship. What will happen when Bucky finds out?

C/W: Awkwardness, flashbacks, feels

Word Count: 1,950

Tag List: NOW CLOSED! If you'd like to keep up with this story, please follow my blog and turn on notifications! ❤️ you :)

[Prologue][Part 1][Part 2][Part 3][Part 4]

This wouldn't be your and Bucky's first undercover mission together, but it would be the first one where the tension between you is decidedly not sexual. You're not even sure how well the two of you can pull off this charade since you have no idea what your chemistry is like anymore. Used to, you could do anything together, be anything together.

Not so much now.

There’s an awkwardness between you. Silences pregnant with all the things left unsaid – or should have been left unsaid. You’ll catch Bucky watching you from the corner of your eyes, always with an unreadable expression like he’s trying to figure you out again without actually asking any questions.

You can't imagine that you've changed so much in the intervening months, but Bucky makes so much progress in therapy that his confidence in himself and his personality grow by leaps and bounds all the time. 

You don’t know this new Bucky, but you wish you did. You wish you had been with him to see his growth, encourage him on. 

You’ve missed out on so much of your life by staying away from the Tower. You’d had so many plans that never came to be – no walks in the park when the flowers started to bloom, no trips to the beach on the hottest days of the year, no ice skating when the first snow fell. You kept a tab on everything that should have been on the calendar in your mind, noting all the days that had significance in the past but went uncelebrated this year.

But what’s done is done, and you have to pay for your actions – half a year away is a small price to have Bucky back in your life, even as a stranger instead of your lover. 

You’re now trying to organize your new life on the outskirts of a small town in Russia, just a few miles away from a HYDRA base. Snow was falling thick and fast as the quinjet touched down hours ago, leaving behind a pristine blanket of white outside your new home. The small, two-bedroom cottage looks rustic, but it is still nicer than most of the surrounding homes due to Tony’s influence. There is hidden technology that will help the house to stay warm in this cold climate and random high-tech appliances, lights, and other things that look normal and are anything but.

With the HYDRA base going radio silent, you may be in this little home for longer than was initially expected earlier this year. Bucky is sure that the base is still active, though.  He spent a lot of time here as the Winter Soldier, but no one has received reports from the embedded spy in recent months. This inactivity is concerning since you're no longer sure what is going on inside the building anymore.  

It would be too obvious for Bucky to go undercover inside the facility, so that leaves it up to you to infiltrate as a researcher. The spy had assured last year that no one from the facility lived in the town you’ve settled in, so it’s safe enough for Bucky to remain close by as you work.

But the small town you’ve settled in is so traditional that the only way to remain inconspicuous as a younger woman is to be connected to a man in some way – be it living with family members or a husband.

And since you don't want to be labeled an outcast or worse, Bucky is here.

Bucky is going to be a mechanic at the small family-owned shop just down the road, and his prosthesis is covered in Stark technology that makes it appear as if he’d never lost it. Bucky used to spend a lot of time fixing up old cars and motorcycles between missions, so he should really enjoy spending his days in the garage helping out the Kowalds.

Unfortunately, your background isn’t as fun. You’re a whiz when it comes to biology, so Nat cooked up a false resume full of lab work that centers around eugenics and biomanipulation – things your spy had reported the facility was actively looking into. In order to get your foot in the door at the HYDRA facility, the Avengers had to create a background so disturbing that you're not even sure if you can interview for it properly.

 You're just zipping up into your thick winter coat when Bucky walks out of the kitchen drying his hands on a dish towel.

“You headin’ out now, doll?” He asks, a small worry line between his eyebrows.

“Yup,” you answer back with a comforting smile on your face. “I need to go meet with our contact to make sure that everything is still okay.”

“Just be careful, yeah?” he tells you, slinging the towel up onto his shoulder. Today is his first day at the mechanic shop, so he's dressed in blue overalls with a small name tag stitched onto his chest. The sun is just barely rising, but he's going to be late if he doesn't hurry.

"You know me, Buck. My middle name is Safe."

"Your middle name is Trouble and you can't convince me otherwise, babygirl."

You stick your tongue out at him and blow a raspberry, holding your middle finger up in the air as you turn around and head out the door. Once out of his sight, you smile and bask in the feeling of having your friend back.

You'd missed the banter and easy wit you used to share together, so this small exchange feels like a return to normal. The awkwardness might return in time, but you hope Bucky has forgiven you enough to power through.

You trek along the deserted streets. The early hour and layer of snow on the ground seems to be keeping the townsfolk within their homes, wrapped snugly under their warm blankets. You sigh heavily and watch your breath fog in the air, the mist condensing and freezing your skin as you walk through the cloud.

You pass house after house, noticing lights turning on and the sound of hairdryers, televisions, and conversations humming in the air. Everything has a vague, indistinct quality to it, lulling you into daydreams of what their lives are like. Is it simple? Do they enjoy this cold, snowy location? Or are they also dreaming of a warm day laying in the grass in nothing but a pair of shorts and a tank top?

A memory worms its way to the surface of your mind of a day spent just like that with Bucky. 

This was only a few weeks before your friends-with-benefits situation started. It was the hottest day of the year so far, the humidity heavy in the air and making the sidewalks and parks of New York City intensely uncomfortable. Even though Stark has the Tower equipped with the latest technology, he's incapable of leaving anything well enough alone. He'd been tinkering with the HVAC and somehow short-circuited the entire system. Everyone in the Tower was miserable and cranky, choosing to avoid one another in an attempt to stave off arguments and confrontations. 

You'd been sitting in the shade of the balcony, fanning yourself as you watched all the teeny tiny people on the ground maneuver the crosswalks and traffic to get to where they were going. It was no warmer outside than it was in your room, so you chose to people-watch instead of lay there and sweat miserably on your clean sheets.

Just as some bratty kid you’d been watching chucked the ice cream he’d been yelling for only moments ago onto the sidewalk, the sliding glass doors behind you whooshed open. The sound of metal knocking against the doorframe had let you know that Bucky was the one to interrupt your spying.

Regretfully turning your neck, you felt your skin sliding wet and hot against itself. A frown marred your features as you stared at Bucky as he stood behind you, his eyes alight with mischievous glee.

“What did you do…?” You question slowly, almost afraid to know what that look was all about.

He shrugged a shoulder and smirked. “Nothing too bad.”

“BARNES!!!” a voice roared from the depths of the Tower.

You quirked an eyebrow at him and a small, disbelieving smile graced your lips. “That doesn’t sound like nothing, Buck.”

Bucky hmm’d and glanced back into the building when a CRASH reverberated from where the voice had yelled moments ago. “I was going to get out of here for a while. You wanna come?” he questioned breezily.

“And why would I want to leave when Tony’s working on fixing the AC?” you replied as you continued to fan yourself. Bucky’s eyebrows had quirked ever so slightly.

“Y/L/N!!!” 

Your hand had frozen mid-fan and your eyes widened so much that Bucky couldn’t help but laugh.

“Where’d you say we were going?” you asked as you rose quickly from your seat and bypassed Bucky at the door.

***

“You little shit!” You had laughed uproariously when Bucky finally admitted to the prank.

“What else was I gonna do?” he responded, turning his face to look at you.

Even with the intense heat that day, you and Bucky had decided to forgo the climate controlled vehicles in the garage and went instead with the fastest getaway vehicle – Bucky’s bike. The wind had whipped against your body when you held onto Bucky and watched the city fall into the distance behind you. 

He apparently hadn’t had a destination in mind, so you had ridden until cities and towns disappeared. He’d pulled off beside a barely visible hiking trail and jumped off his bike. You had followed suit and watched as Bucky pulled a blanket from inside the storage compartment on the bike. You hiked your eyebrows questioningly, but only got a grin in response. 

That’s how you had found yourself lounging on a blanket in the middle of a field with Bucky on the hottest day of the year. You’d chatted and laughed for hours until the sun had slowly faded from the sky. Out that far, the light pollution of the cities couldn’t touch the stars. You had gazed upwards, trying to draw the constellations as you remembered them.

You weren’t any good at astrology or astronomy, but the stories behind the figures in the sky captivated you nonetheless.

You laughed again and turned to face him as well. “And why’d you have to implicate me, huh?” 

“Figured it’d be more fun that way,” he had answered slyly. 

You had wound your arm up and smacked him on the stomach, your hand bouncing off of the toned muscles. He’d caught your wrist on the next swing and held it up and away from his body. You’d tried to tug it away, but his metal fingers held fast and didn’t let you go. You rolled over toward him and began trying to use your body as leverage, but you had only succeeded in pulling yourself closer to him.

You huffed and blew the piece of hair that had fallen over your eyes away and looked up at him. He’d had a look in his eyes that he hadn’t directed at you before, but you’d seen glimpses of it when he’d find someone to bring back for the night.

You can’t help but think that that moment had been the turning point in your friendship with Bucky, the moment he thought about asking you to be friends-with-benefits. Of course you’d found him handsome long before then, but that was a moment that really cemented your attraction to him. 

You didn’t have romantic feelings at the time, but you should have known they were inevitable.

Part 6

@jackiehollanderr @rabbitrabbit12321 @12345sebby @blackwood-bodecker-housewife @lauraashley93 @themorningsunshine @happinessinthebeing @nash-dara @calwitch@stany0url0calwh0res111 @pono-pura-vida @learisa @introverbatim @kentokaze @marvelogic @kaz11283

[winterlogysblog]

Dynamics of the Four Knights of the Apocalypse (so far)

Note: I'll be talking about the three main pairs we have seen in the story as for now.

Tristan and Lancelot

I'll start with this cause I have a pretty unpopular opinion about this. THEY'RE NOT BEST FRIENDS. I know it's hard, it's hard to hear, it's hard to accept but ... Hear me out. Lancelot and Tristan just doesn't give me that best friends vibes and I suppose it's just the fandom's expectations because Meliodas and Ban are best friends so their kids also to be right? Well, no cause let me tell you about a little movie called Grudge of Edinburgh part 1 and 2. Lancelot is an ass in that movie lemme tell ya. Boy! Lancelot is over here trashing Tristan cause he doesn't go all out on his powers cause he doesn't wanna hurt people in which he has a valid reason to be scared. I mean seriously Tristan is the reason Lancelot got that scar on his forehead because he lost control of his demon side. Lancelot you saw that, you were there, you should understand buddy. I know you got so much more powerful since then but come on try to understand Tristan's situation in this. Also, another thing, Lancelot just seems so done with Tristan like he doesn't even want him to be there, like he's a nuisance slowing him down.

Fast forward to Four Knights! I suppose their relationship got better... I guess. I mean, they have definitely formed this bond of trust between them. Awesome, that's good. They know a whole lotta stuff about each other as all good friends should, that's great. Narratively, they knew each other the longest. But really, that's the end of it.

I honestly view them to have a rivalry type situation where they both seek to be better than the other. Like that one panel where Tristan is focused on his training while he remembers Meliodas cheering and hyping up Lancelot so it kinda is a motivation for him to just be stronger, be better than Lancelot so he can have that validation from his father. Lancelot again is over here being the greatest he can ever be because he too seeks that validation from his papa and he knows Tristan's capabilities so he wants to push himself to be greater than what Tristan could become. They're frienemies.

If I could compare their dynamic to any of the Sins. I'd say it's giving, Ban and King but less violent and more friendly. Does that make sense?

Lancelot and Percival

Now this is where I can agree with the community. Lancelot is definitely Percival's big brother and in my personal opinion in a way Percival, Anne, Donny and Nasiens softens Lancelot's character and it's in progression too cause in the earlier parts of the narrative Lancelot didn't seem to care as much about them than he does today. He's there because that's his mission point blank period but as he spends time with them and saw them improve and grow as people he started to care for them as well and now he's like a proud big bro looking over at how far they have come.

Gawain and Tristan

Gawain and Tristan actually complement each other's personality really well. Their team up against the Testament Best is proof of that. Gawain is so much more at ease with Tristan and because of her personality I can definitely see her continuing to be this person to help Tristan get back on his feet whenever he's down and doubting himself and Tristan could be this person to help Gawain become much more comfortable and closer to the rest of the squad.

[oasisdawn]

Lothario Household [1]

Alright, we are back to Pleasantview, this time to Don!

I follow the prompts

And we have Nina's first woohoo out of the way xD I wasn't going to invite Dina over like he has the wish to woohoo her also and it got rerolled after he got the Nina wish. But when I gave him the updated wants slot he wished for it again and Nina fucked off so fast after the woohoo.

I hope noone sees them kissing. Imagine you're Don's neighbour and you see he is kissing a redhead in the morning a blonde in the next morning and he is with a brunette in the evening who he claims is his fiancee.

Dude, creepy xD

Anyways, I don't need to do more after this as ACR takes over

I forward the woohoo to the bed tho as he has a wish to woohoo there

When... when did you get food poisoning?? Oh wait, he ate those spoiled food in Regan's house xD ffs Don. Let this be a lesson kids

Only one day after playing with him. Look at this mess

Don is off to work but Dina doesn't seem too bothered about it. Just chillin in the tub he porked her sister in yesterday.

I gave Don the full romance tree and a secondary Knowledge because of Skell's story he is forever a nerd playboy in my eyes.

He is here calling in sick to work. I really do not want to lose my favourite sim in Pleasantview to food poisoning xD

A few hours later we have the good news that Don is healthy again so he is off meeting people as he has already moved on from Nina and Dina in his wish panel

Unfortunately for him Erin is the only eligible adult and she is too smart for his shenanigans

He goes back home empty handed xD

Look at that knowledge aspiration take over his wants xD

It is his day off so he's off to the pool this time. Demi Love seems to be getting along with him, he talked earlier with that pink pants lady but it didn't take.

He wishes immediately to go on a date with her and I spring to action.

He however wakes up alone the next morning. And spends the entire day in the hot tub taking advantage of the fact that I was distracted and goes to work late

Yet, still manages to get a promo

To celebrate, he invites Demi over and things progress as you expect

No girl, do not get a crush on him

Classy as ever they finish the date on the couch xD

And he is already ready to move on

It is hilarious to me that he has these as an outerwear and I put this stereo on Metal. He heard me!

He meets this OFB lady before he has to go to work. Unfortunetely for him Demi could be the last girl he meets for a while, depending on how things will go over at the Goth's.

Now that I played him for 6 days I realized I can't actually get them to marry on the first day because he will be older. We'll see what happens.

He is a chad and he actually did get paid at the end of the day so nothing really happened other than a funny story xD

Next we'll be over at the Jacquet's

[dleena2023]

NIGHTMARES & DAYDREAMS WORLD TOUR '23

bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

timecheck it's 10.16pm right now and guess what? ATC CONCERT IS TOMORROW. YES YOU HEARD ME RIGHT. AGAINST THE CURRENT IS PERFORMING TOMORROW. AHHHHHHH MAMAMIA WHAT IS THIS I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING FOR REAL. BOUGHT THE TIX IN FEB AND PAK PAK IT'S FINALLY TOMORROW. MAN, TIME FLIES REALLY FAST HUH. OMG I'M SO PUMPED UP & STOKEDDDD MANNNN. I DON'T EVEN THINK I CAN SLEEP PEACEFULLY LATER HAHAHAHAHA. I MEAN... I SLEPT EARLIER IN THE AFTERNOON SOOO ;P OKAYY SO NOW LAGU 'STRANGERS AGAIN' IS PLAYING FROM MY PHONE WHILE I'M TYPING THESE WORDS WOOOOO!!!!! OKAY SO I'LL BE MEETING NADDY TOMORROW AT ORCHARD MRT AROUND 4PM. YASSS I'M GOING WITH NADDY FOR MY 1ST ATC CONCERT. OUR 1ST CONCERT TOGETHERRRR. OMGOMGOMG FINALLY SOMEONE THAT I CAN GO WITH & AM COMFORTABLE. I VIVIDLY REMEMBER MY DPR CONCERT - I ARRIVED AND WAS QUEUING FOR THE VIP LINE. AND OMG I WANTED TO CRY SEY BECAUSE THERE WERE A LOOOOT OF PEOPLE AND I WAS SO AWKWARD AND I DIDN'T KNOW ANYONE. IT MADE ME A BIT UNCOMFORTABLE THAT I STARTED TO TEAR UP AND MY HEART WAS LIKE "CAN WE GO HOME? I WANNA GO HOME." HAHAHAHA. BUT SO FAR ALHAMDULILLAH IT ALL WENT GOOD. ONE OF THE BEST NIGHTS OF MY LIFE SO FAR HEHE. AND I HOPE TOMORROW WOULD BE THE SAME TOO (OR EVEN BETTER, WHO KNOWS? X) ALHAMDULILLAH I MEMORISED ALL OF THE SONGS ALREADY, OKAY MAYBE NOT ALL MAYBE THERE ARE LIKE 2-3 SONGS THAT I'M STILL UNFAMILIAR WITH BUT SO FAR THE MELODY IS EASY TO FOLLOW WITH SO YEAPPP. I SHOULD SAY I'M KIND OF HARDCORE COS I WANTED EVERYTHING TO BE PERFECT. BUT I REMEMBER, NOTHING IS PERFECT. AND NO ONE IS PERFECT. THAT MADE ME REALISE THAT IT'S OKAY TO MAKE MISTAKES COS IT'S BOUND TO HAPPEN. IT ALWAYS IS. LYRICS TERLUPE KE, TERKIAL2 KE TERSALAH KE YANG PENTING, I HAVE FUN, ENJOY THE NIGHT AND LIVE IN THE MOMENT :D OKAYOKAY NOW I CAN'T WAIT FOR TOMORROW ESPECIALLY THE MEET & GREET WAAAAA AND YAS I BOUGHT IT LAST MONTH HEHEHEHE COS I'M LIKE WHY NOT KAN SINCE ARTISTS HAVE THEIR WORLD TOUR LIKE EVERY 4 YEARS SO IT'S REALLY WORTH IT ONCE IN A WHILE. AND I DON'T WANNA BREAK MY HEART BUT I WANNA TALK TO THEM ESPECIALLY CHRISSY ABOUT MY LOVE FOR T1. THIS YEAR MIGHT BE THE LAST FOR THIS ROSTER AND I WANTED TO PUT ALL MY HEART OUT FOR THEM. I WANT TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT T1, KERIA & FAKER!!! WORLD TOUR THIS YEAR = COINCIDES WITH LAST OF ZOFGK. KIND OF FORTITUOUS, NO? :') OKAY NO MORE SADNESS, BACK TO MY MEET & GREET I ALREADY PLANNED TO BRING MY PERSONAL SAJAK WITH ROSE PETALS ADORNING THE FRAME (REPRESENTING THE 5 T1 MEMBERS) HEHE AND YEAAPPP HOPEFULLY I WILL TALK CASUALLY & COMFORTABLY WITH THEMMM. I'M AFRAID I'LL BE DAMN NERVOUS THAT MY MOUTH DOESN'T OPEN LMAO BUT IN SHA ALLAH TAKDE PAPE AYYY. EVERYTHING WILL GO SMOOTHLY IN SHA ALLAH. IT'S ABOUT SOMEONE WHO FEELS LIKE HOME TO YOU AND YOU LOOK FORWARD TO COMING HOME EVERYDAY. BUT NOW YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO DO SO BECAUSE THE HOME IS NO LONGER IN YOUR LIFE ANYMORE </3 IT'S INSPIRED BY MY ALL-TIME FAVOURITE SONG FROM THEM AKA ROSESSSSS. (IF I HAVE THE TIME, I'LL POST IT HERE). AND THE SAJAK IS ALSO INSPIRED BY MY JOURNEY WITH T1 FOR THE LAST 2 & 1/2 YEARS <3 I' GONNA TAKE A LOOOOOT OF PHOTOS & VIDEOS FOR SURE MAYBE BUAT VLOG KE APE HAHAHA OF COURSE IT'S DEFINITELY FOR THE MEMORIES :3 I CAN FORESEE MYSELF BEING HYPED UP, SCREAMING, DANCING AND MAYBE CRYING LMAOO BUT I DON'T WANNA PUT MY EXPECTATIONS TOO HIGH. I'M JUST GONNA HAVE FUN AND ENJOY MY NIGHT WITH NADDY. AND RELATE TO EVERY SONG AND LIVE IN THE MOMENT ^-^ EVERY SONG IS DEFINITELY GONNA BE LIT OMG ESPECIALLY ROSESSSSS AHHHH AND EVERYTHING LAAA. OKAY YOU KNOW WHAT I'M JUST GONNA DO MY BEST FOR TOMORROW AND SERAHKAN EVERYTHING TO ALLAH. I KNOW ALLAH WILL DEFINITELY PERMUDAHKAN FOR ME :) JUST HAVE TAWAKKUL, DO MY BEST, BE HAPPY AND GO JERR!!!! REST WELL AND ALL THE BEST LOVE!!!!! SEE YOU TOMORROW AND I'LL KEEP AN UPDATE ON THIS IN SHA ALLAH WEEEEEEE <3333333333

and thank you so so so much Ya Allah for easing my preparation progress for the concert <3

[somebody-909]

Stalkyoo - Black and White Formal Romantic Subtext Analysis

The beginning of I Love Yoo up until the Black and White Formal shows the development of Shin-Ae and Yeong-gi's relationship from strangers to reluctant acquaintances and eventually to friends.

Their relationship's development up until the present comic, in my opinion, reaches a peak during the formal arc, where we see both the completed development of their friendship (neither are reluctant) but we also see the fast emergence of new possible romantic feelings. The arc is pivotal in defining and developing their relationship and we continue to see its effects afterwards. So, in order to better understand the two characters' relationship, let's take a look at the key moments in the arc that explore their friendship and romantic tension.

Ep. 49 | Makeup - A Friendly Face and Romantic Tension

Shin-Ae is forced to attend the black and white formal to take care of her father. She is in an incredibly difficult position, with college exams the next day, her father ill, and now having to deal with this incredibly unfamiliar situation and this horrible dress.

When she sees Yeong-gi however, it’s great to see a comforting and familiar presence. We get a chance to see their friendship in this uncomfortable setting when Yeong-gi shows concern for Shin-Ae.

That is not all, however. The makeup panel (which was removed by Quimchee later on, but is included in the mid-season recap), introduces us to the first instance of genuine romantic tension between the two in the arc (and the whole comic up until here, really).

The two are very close together and look at each other softly. Shin-Ae seems to be blushing, as well. This moment is intimate and romantically tense.

This first scene does a great job at introducing the two major dynamics in their relationship that are explored in this arc: their established friendship and new romantic tension. These dynamics lead up to what occurs on the hospital balcony.

Ep. 49-51 | Hands - Distance and Desires

When Yeong-gi gets up to get Shin-Ae food, she reaches for him and grabs onto his sleeve. This panel introduces Shin-Ae's desire to stick with Yeong-gi throughout the night. We understand how comforting she finds it to be near him.

She extends her hand — showing how she is now also "reaching" for him and his companionship.

In Ep. 50, when Yeong-gi is scolded by his father and leaves to wait outside for Alyssa, Shin-Ae notices he seems down from across the floor. And for the first time, she tries to reach him. Up until now, she has been wary of Yeong-gi and his intentions, but now we see that their relationship has truly progressed to real friends. Shin-ae genuinely cares for Yeong-gi. But before she can reach him, she is interrupted by Sang-chul.

In the next episode, we see Yeong-gi respond to her call, reflecting what Shin-Ae did in Ep. 49, and extending his hand back towards her. Both characters' reciprocal desire to connect with each other is shown through their hands.

This scene, where they reach for each other but don't connect, introduces the arc's recurrent motif/theme of DISTANCE. Shin-ae and Yeong-gi want to connect, as they care for each other and find comfort in one another, but because of the circumstances at the party they are torn apart repeatedly.

And despite (literally and figuratively) reaching for each other, neither their hands nor their good intentions (like Shin-ae’s desire to be there for Yeong-gi) actually do reach each other. This repeats a few times in the arc, causing significant tension; due to the obstacles of the events around them, they can’t reach each other despite how much they may want to. As such, readers also feel relief whenever the two characters do manage to get together.

Ep. 55 | The Dance - A Kousuke and Yeong-gi Parallel

Kousuke, while having good intentions, struggles to understand what Shin-Ae wants, and instead goes for what makes sense to him. Yeong-gi, on the other hand, consistently shows an understanding of what would truly help Shin-Ae.

It is certainly true that Kousuke’s method was pragmatic. If the problem is that Shin-Ae feels humiliated and that he is embarrassed by her, what better way to show that he isn’t than by dancing with her in front of everyone? It’s a well-meant gesture that would show that he cares more for her than what others think and regardless of what they think. However, although his intentions were sweet, the outcomes were less so.

Shin-Ae DOES NOT want to dance. A scene that may have been beautiful, is tainted by Shin-Ae's true feelings of discomfort.

The truth is, Shin-Ae doesn’t want to go back in front of them. She doesn’t want to prove something to them. She doesn’t want to dance. But she feels like she has to. She can’t say no. The dance is actually… sad to see. She doesn’t want to be there.

But as she dances and feels terrible, Yeong-gi shows up. She is immediately excited and put at ease but is also worried about him since she hasn't seen him since he left to go outside.

But then Yeong-gi acts a goof. He understands that Shin-Ae doesn’t want to be there, but she has to. Because he understands the feeling of putting on a performance, despite being miserable… he immediately recognizes Shin-Ae's going through that too. So being the lovely friend he is, Yeong-gi goofs around. What better way to make Shin-Ae feel less tense in this too formal environment by reminding her of a friendly presence and doing something hilariously inappropriate? And of course, he knows how to help alleviate some of her discomfort, because they’re friends, after all, right? Yeong-gi shows a deep level of empathy for Shin-Ae.

The scene also develops a contrast between Kousuke and Yeong-gi — and the differences in how they affect Shin-Ae — that is paralleled many times later in the series.

Yeong-gi is the one who gets Shin-Ae to smile. He's the one who turns this scene from something uncomfortable to wholesome. And yet, he's not the one dancing with her. He stays to the side, in the shadows of the crowd, with distance between him and Shin-Ae, and with his head down. It fits his overarching character arc — staying hidden and away, and unable to chase for what he wants because of a quiet sense of shame and low self-worth.

The significance of him not interrupting and staying off to the side is purposefully emphasized in Ep. 57, when Kousuke says:

"I'm surprised you didn't interrupt my dance with Ms. Yoo."

Yeong-gi doesn't respond and simply looks away and slightly frowns. This emphasizes that there is a reason Yeong-gi stays away, and it's likely because his low self-esteem issues cause him to think, "Who am I to interfere?"

Overall, this dance panel achieves a similar effect to the earlier scene when their hands reach for each other, adding to the tension caused by distance — it feels like Shin-Ae and Yeong-gi should be together, but because of the circumstances, they can’t. They are reaching for each other, emotionally, but just can’t close the gap.

Ep. 55 | “We’re (just) friends... right?” - More Romantic Build-up

Although Yeong-gi knew exactly how to cheer up Shin-Ae, what he didn’t expect was her laugh… or rather the way he feels when she does.

Look at Yeong-gi’s expression — his eyes are widened. He has a look of awe and he seems shocked. He felt something unexpected. Maybe his heart skipped a beat... Could it be possible…?

He also has a resigned smile after, choosing to look at their dance from afar.

After the dance, Yeong-gi asks Shin-Ae to confirm their friendship.

But the panel and his tense smile seems… eerie. Faked. Like Yeong-gi might not be asking this question for obvious reasons. Even Shin-Ae notes that he seems uneasy, with a confused look and a nervous sweat drop.

We’ve already seen their completely established friendship. But as soon the two explicitly acknowledge this out-loud, we seem to have something new to deal with. Why does Yeong-gi suddenly want confirmation of their friendship, and in a manner that seems quite… sad? Why does his smile seem faked? We can look just a few panels prior to have a better understanding of what’s occurring internally for Yeong-gi.

Yeong-gi's shocked expression and widened eyes are similar to other moments of romantic tension, namely the hospital balcony scene and the earphones scene (albeit in a more muted manner). This is the second moment in this arc after the makeup scene that adds to the romantic tension leading up to the hospital balcony scene.

I believe Yeong-gi seems sad when he asks, “We’re friends right?” because when Shin-Ae laughs, he subconsciously feels the pangs of possible budding romantic feelings (it isn’t quite there yet, it is slight, but he is feeling something new) and he immediately subconsciously tries to deny those feelings by having Shin-Ae assert their friendship.

He feels dissonance between two facts:

“Shin-Ae is my friend”

“I felt something when she laughed”

This dissonance is uncomfortable, so he seeks to deny what is implied by the second part (that he may feel more for her). Additionally, we understand Yeong-gi struggles with self-worth. With the added pressure of those around him, as well as Shin-ae who has consistently accused him of being too pushy and a player, it is no struggle to understand why he immediately tries to avoid this feeling at even the first slightest hint of it.

But by looking for an affirmation of friendship to refute what he felt when she laughed, he unwittingly makes a link between what he felt to something beyond friendship.

Ep. 57-8 | The Bar - Brief Respite and a Kousuke/Yeong-gi Parallel

Due to the aforementioned tension, moments like the bar where Yeong-gi and Shin-ae are able to interact and joke around (about boobs in this case) feel incredibly refreshing — everything else is uncomfortable, but being with each other is comforting.

Once the others join them, we also get another slight Kousuke and Yeong-gi parallel. When Alyssa mentions Yeong-gi could dance with Shin-Ae, Yeong-gi refuses, likely due to pressure from Kousuke to be faithful to Alyssa. (We don’t quite know what he would’ve said otherwise). Shin-Ae responds to him refusing the dance, thinking:

“It would’ve been awkward anyways like my dance with Kousuke.”

The phrase "it would've been [negative adjective] anyways" usually implies a sense of settling for an outcome and sometimes slight displeasure.

I will admit that is hard to firmly state she’s disappointed that he said no. But the phase most certainly implies that she would’ve gone along with it if he said yes. (If this is hard to understand, Shin-Ae doesn’t think something like, “Good. I didn’t want to dance anyways.”) Her thought is relatively indifferent, especially in contrast to Kousuke whom she explicitly didn’t want to dance with.

Ep. 61 | Yeong-gi Takes a Stand - Relationship-driven Growth

When Yeong-gi learns that Shin-Ae is in trouble, but is yelled at by his father for his behaviour and not being with Alyssa, he is absolutely terrified at first (poor boy).

Randulph: "What are you doing? Fooling around again? It hasn't even been that long since I last reprimanded you!"

*Yeong-gi flinches*

Randulph: "How many times am I going to have to scold you tonight??? How hard is that head of of yours that nothing I say gets through to you! And Alyssa isn't even with you!"

Yeong-gi: *meekly* "Well — my friend was —"

Randulph: "I'm not through talking!

*Yeong-gi flinches*

Randulph continues scolding him, then says, "Forget about your friends."

To which Yeong-gi replies, "No... Castigate me, humiliate me. Do that all you want after I've ensured her safety!"

Upon thinking about the possible danger Shin-Ae is in, we see him, for the first time, advocate for himself and stand up to his father. Yeong-gi's concern for Shin-Ae allows him to stand up to the man who terrifies him. Shin-Ae takes easy precedent over the politics of his family and it shows how far their relationship has come and how it drives Yeong-gi's growth.

Ep. 62-3 | Sang-chul — Anger on behalf of Shin-Ae & a Shin-Ae and Alyssa Comparison

When Yeong-gi sees Sang-chul with Shin-Ae's jacket, he confronts him.

Sang-chul: "Back off bro. I don't want to start any trouble here."

Yeong-gi: "Too late for it now, innit? You asked for trouble as soon as you tried to take advantage of Shin-Ae."

Yeong-gi gets personally angry on behalf of Shin-Ae. It's another example that emphasizes their friendship.

We also see a contrast developed between Shin-Ae and Alyssa by Sang-chul:

"What is this Shin-Ae person to you anyway? You didn't react this way when I mentioned kissing your girlfriend... Where is she anyway? I still need my selfie and my kiss since you're fine with it."

Sang-chul assumes Yeong-gi must be romantically and sexually involved with Shin-Ae partly because he's a disgusting, sexist dirtbag, but also because, frankly, Yeong-gi seems to just generally like Shin-Ae more than his actual girlfriend.

I also want to draw attention to the fact that Sang-chul has mentioned kissing Alyssa three times: once before when they first met, and twice now. All three times, Yeong-gi didn't react.

In Ep. 63, Yeong-gi begins to move away from Sang-chul to get to Shin-Ae.

Sang-chul: "Heh. That's right. Wuss. Go run to your b*tch."

*Yeong-gi stops*

Sang-chul: "I'll go keep Alyssa company while you're at it! I still haven't gotten my kiss! Should be easy. She must be dumb as hell if she's dating you."

*Yeong-gi turns around, glares at him, kisses him, then punches him* "There's your damn kiss, you gobshite!"

Yeong-gi: "Don't you dare call Shin-Ae a b*tch ever again. And stay away from Alyssa."

Why is it, that now, he suddenly becomes agitated after already ignoring three taunts by Sang-chul to kiss Alyssa? Especially when he was in the middle of getting to Shin-Ae? I'm going to argue that Yeong-gi actually decides to punch him as soon as he first stops after Sang-chul insults Shin-Ae. Additionally, after the punch, Yeong-gi's first demand is to never insult Shin-Ae again, placing emphasis on this. It is also said more forcefully then the second: "Don't you dare... ever again" vs "And stay away". Alyssa is added almost like an afterthought.

There is a purposeful comparison here between the way Yeong-gi treats the disrespect towards the two women. Yeong-gi immediately gets angry enough to get violent when Sang-chul insults Shin-Ae, but barely responds at first when he calls Alyssa dumb and threatens to kiss her. He cares more for Shin-Ae than he does for his romantic partner, Alyssa.

Naturally, since the comparison is between his girlfriend and Shin-Ae, it also paints his feelings for Shin-Ae in a romantic light.

Ep. 63 | Yeong-gi Saves Shin-Ae

When Shin-Ae falls in the pool, it is Yeong-gi who saves her. Kousuke does not. This is another narrative parallel meant to contrast the two's relation to Shin-Ae. They both fall into the pool (parallel) but Yeong-gi, not Kousuke, saves Shin-Ae (contrast).

The episode also focuses almost solely on Yeong-gi's response to Shin-Ae's injury. He is absolutely terrified and feels terrible guilt, thinking he did this to her. But he is the one who saved her. He is the one shown to panic, yell for her, and scream for help. (We can also get into the authorial choice to focus on Yeong-gi's reaction and not Kousuke's... At the very least, it emphasizes that this moment is especially significant for Shin-Ae and Yeong-gi.)

Conclusions

The black and white formal arc serves as a climax for development between Shin-Ae and Yeong-gi — we see how in the face of adversity, the two value each other deeply as friends, and are given romantically tense moments.

There are also multiple narrative parallels, where Kousuke and Yeong-gi are put in similar situations, but the way they impact Shin-Ae are contrasted. Despite having multiple moments with Kousuke, Yeong-gi is who impacts her positively and who she wants to spend time with. This is continued in the hospital finale, when despite literally “reaching” Kousuke (he is with her and holds her hands), it is only after chasing Yeong-gi and being with him that she finds cathartic emotional support and finally cries. (Although these parallels jab at YooTip, I want to focus more on how it emphasizes that Shin-Ae and Yeong-gi's bond is beyond that she has with another person she has known for the same amount of time. It shows the difference between the more basic-level bond she has with Kousuke, vs. her bond with Yeong-gi that is surprisingly strong for people who have only known each other for a few weeks.)

Overall, this arc builds a base for when Yeong-gi first feels true romantic feelings for Shin-Ae: when she holds onto him and cries on the hospital balcony (you can see that analysis here). In this scene at the end of this arc, the two who so desperately tried to connect during the gala, finally do (although their hands still do not touch).

[hollowedwing]

Isekai-ed into Hawk's Life

Hawks x gn!winged!Reader

Warnings: ⚠️ Death!(at very beginning, it is an isekai), mentions of death throughout, some angst(??maybe not yet??), slight cursing

THIS WILL NOT FOLLOW A SPECIFIC TIMELINE IN THE MANGA

(so sorry i just, love, love, the idea of having wings)

(this is all my art, it is on IG, im just too embarrassed for people who know me irl to potentially find this xD Even though none of them have tumblr 👀 if you somehow recognize it...props to you?)

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tbh, I can’t decide if I want this to have more than 1 part. 

Word count: ~1,800

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You were on your way home from a long evening at your part time job. Before that you had already taken 2 finals that morning too.

You dragged your feet, exhausted, as you headed towards the crosswalk. Stopping at the edge as the traffic light turned green, you decided to pull out your phone and decided to watch a speed paint from your favorite artist who recently released a new video.

It just so happened it was a Hawks speed paint 👀

The light turned red and you slipped your phone into your pocket as your started to make your way across the street

little did you know this would be the last time you'd cross the street

A wild driver came barreling down the road, no regards for civilians or traffic lights, probably drunk or high or just someone out for blood.

You stood there like a deer caught in headlights as your life flashes before your eyes

You can barely comprehend what's happening as you felt pain engulf your body and suddenly you were unconscious

________________________________________

Keigo tiredly stumbled into his large apartment, kicking off his shoes and shrugging his jacket off by the door

He wants nothing more than to just flop down and pass out. The HPSC has been giving him hell lately about god knows what.

He let out a long sigh and headed towards the bathroom to do his nightly routine

As he finishes up, he drags his feet towards his bed and flops down face first into the comfort of his pillow and sheets

Keigo falls asleep almost instantly after getting into a comfortable position, worn out from a long day of work

What he wasn't expecting was a loud "thud!" coming from the main room. He jolts up from his bed, feathers ready to attack.

*******

Reader's pov(?)

*******

You groaned as you hit the floor. Your head was spinning and it feels like a truck just hit you

oh wait...

You suddenly became more alert, looking around in a panic, expecting to either be on the road and injured or in a hospital of sorts. What you didn't expect was a wooden floor inside of a random apartment.

You felt around your body for any signs of injury, but all you found were a set of wings on your back- wings?? Hold up. Why did you feel wings what kind of sick joke was this?

Your thoughts were racing as your breathing picked up. What was happening? Didn't you just get hit by a vehicle? Why are there wings in your back? Where are you even?

Feeling around in your pockets, you found your phone and whipped it out, trying for anything. You turned it on, the harsh light of it illuminating your face, you tried to send a text to your best friend, but alas, it wouldn't go through. Actually nothing on your phone seemed to work. You checked your location settings, for some reason it said Musutafu, Japan.

Wasn't....Wasn't that the location that most of Boku no Hero Academia took place?? This can't be right, this has to be a dream right? There's no way that you could have actually ended up here unless...

Then it hit you.

You read your fair share of isekai series back when you were alive in your realm. Mostly manhwas of characters getting reborn into another person's body, but, never actually reincarnating as yourself into another world.

That was the only thing you could think of. You must have been reincarnated into the Boku no Hero Academia world. Except as yourself.

In all honesty, this is not how you thought you'd go out. You didn't know what to expect after death, but this definitely wasn't it. After all, this was a fictional setting, wasn't it?

Well, not anymore because now you're living in it! Smh.

That would also probably explain the wings on your back. This was you now. You have a bird quirk.

Now, all you have to do, is figure out where the heck you are.

Just as you are about to stand up, feathers zip towards you, pinning you to the ground

You hear footsteps begin to come towards you. You don't know if you should be scared for your life considering you've already died once or ecstatic because, you knew for a fact, this could be none other than Hawks' apartment.

The winged hero finally emerges and stares down at you, crossing his arms over his chest.

He says in a low, gravely voice from sleep, "Who are you, and how did you get into my home?" You stare back up at him and nervously chuckle.

"I'm not sure you'd believe me if I told you." You nervously sigh out.

"Try me." He demands, sounding a little more irritated now. You sigh in defeat and start to explain your situation.

"Do...do you know what an isekai is?" You said sheepishly while turning your gaze away from his. He kind of gave you a confused head tilt and just a vibe that said “No”. You sigh again and explain it to the best of your ability. Hawks becomes more and more interested and confused as you talk, but nods a long slowly. 

“So...you were reborn here, but as yourself? Wait- does that mean you died before!?” He asked, disbelief and fear ran through his eyes. You looked at him in bitter amusement.

“Apparently I did. The last thing I remember of my world was getting hit by some truck or car. The dude clearly did not know how to drive. I had the right of way I was pretty sure at least. I mean, the light was red, usually that means pedestrians can cross the street? And plus he was going wayyy over the speed limit,” you begin to ramble on, the reality of actually dying setting into you. Hawks noticed the panic beginning to set into you and released you from his feathers. He crouched down next to you and grabbed your shoulders gently.

"Hey, hey, hey, look at me, you're ok now, right? You're here, and not dying in the middle of the street still. You're here. In Musutafu," he said trying to calm you back to reality. Well, what was your new reality. Your mind was racing. Trying to put together a coherent thought. 

You look up to him, with a panicked look still in your eyes, thoughts started to come out of your mouth as your brain was trying to catch up with the situation. "I'm... I'm in Boku no Hero Academia and, and you’re Keigo... standing... right in front of me..I have wings. I have wings? Jeezus I have fucking wings. And I’m dead in my own world. I don’t know anyone, well, wait, technically, I do know people, just-Oh gods! I’m so sorry, that name slipped out! I- I, I’m really sorry Hawks." Even in your wild state, you noticed Hawks tense up at the sound of being called Keigo by a total stranger, and were able to get out an apology. That was progress? You were slowly coming back to reality.

Hawks froze up a bit at the sound of hearing his real name mentioned. At first he wasn't sure if he believed your tale of the isekai situation, but after this he might have to reconsider it. He opted to shake off that weird feeling for now and focus on different matters. 

" I-I don't know what I'm supposed to do now? I have nowhere to go or to stay. I'm in a whole different freaking universe! My phone doesn't even hardly work here. And I have a pair of wings on my back!" You puffed them out angrily. Hawks glanced behind you and his eyes widened a little. You in fact, did have a set of bird wings. Kind of owl like wings. Not near as big as Hawks', but definitely big enough to fly you around.

Before Hawks could process the words coming out of his mouth, he was already asking you, "Would you maybe like to stay with me? I can help with your quirk too." He glanced away awkwardly. You looked towards him in disbelief.

"Dude, are you sure? We literally just met like 10 minutes ago? I mean, I'm all for it, I have nowhere else to turn to, but if you really really don't want me here, I will politely step out of your life." You so badly wanted to accept his offer on the spot, but being the considerate, mostly sensible human you were, you gave him the option to back out. Hawks shook his head.

"No, no, it's alright. You can crash here. Uh- I mean- stay here! Sorry!" You giggled at his comment.

"Well thank you very much!"

"It's all good. I have a spare bedroom you can occupy for the time being. I'll give you some clothes to sleep in that'll hopefully fit. Accidentally bought a couple things in the wrong size without looking. " (a/n: just...just assume its your size, or oversized, whatever's comfy idk) He jumped up and headed towards his room to grab you the clothes. You still sat on the floor. Still amazed at everything that was occurring.

Hawks walked back into the room and tossed you the clothes. "Hey uh, you know, you can get up now, sorry for holding you down earlier.."

You blushed and scrambled to stand up, "Oh no! It's ok! I understand. This would definitely warrant that kind of action. Some random stranger crashes into your apartment at like 1am. I completely understand. Honest."

He let out a small laugh and wearily brushed his fingers through his hair. The adrenaline of everything finally wearing off. He could feel the tiredness setting into his aching muscles again. “Ah, well, I’m going to head to bed now. The room is down the hall at the very end that you can stay in. I’ll take you out training tomorrow evening if that’s alright?”

You gave a nod of understanding and followed him down the hallway. “Goodnight Hawks,” you sang as he walked into his bedroom. He gave a hum of acknowledgment and closed his door. 

Making it into what was now your room, you changed out of your clothes so fast, eager to rid yourself of the past hours events. 

Not gonna lie, you could not figure out how to properly get your new wings into the shirt, even with the holes and snaps in the back. Your mind was too exhausted to even process this new skill. So you ended up going to bed without the shirt on and just settled for putting the sweatpants on. 

You figured it’d be good to just pass out asap. You were sure if you tried to recount the recent events, you’d spiral into a panicked mess. 

You shut your eyes tightly, willing yourself to sleep, trying to only think of positive outcomes for the future. But to be honest, you didn’t know enough about anything in this realm to think rationally about anything good. 

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I prooobably didn’t proofread this as much as I should have

[littlemisssquiggles]

Hi! I had a thought I wanted to run by you. What if by the time Neo gets to Atlas Academy and finds Oscar, he's already put the relic back in whatever hiding place he puts it in? What do you think Neo would do? She most likely doesn't know the layout of the Academy, much less knows where Oscar would hide the relic. Would she look for it, try to trick Oscar into showing her where it is, or attempt to kidnap him and bring him to Cinder so that she can ask him or force him to tell them where it is?

Helloanon-chan. Apologies for the lateresponse. Hmm…honestly fam, all ofthese points that you presented here are goodpossibilities. Seeing how the CRWBY Writers tend to have a habit of takingthe more convenient approach withtheir story, I’m assuming that we’re more likely to see Neo arrive at Atlasaround the same time Oscar is there and I’m assuming that we’ll probably get ashot of Oscar still holding onto the Relic before we get into him encounteringNeo. 

Like I’m picturing Oscar in contact with Jaune and/or Ruby or at least oneof his comrades while they’re all down in Mantle to be kept abreast of theevacuation progress. I’m also curious as to where the People of Mantle will betaken. I’m assuming Atlas Academy with be the safe haven for the evacuationmeaning that most likely Oscar will awaiting the arrival of his peers and theevacuees at the academy grounds. Either way, if the CRWBY Writers were willingto have Oscar only walk with the Relic for the Schnee Dinner for the pure sakeof having a disguised Neopolitan spot him with the Relic then my money is onOscar still wearing the Relic by the time Neo arrives.

LikeI can picture him just arriving at Atlas Academy, making his way towards his dormroom just as he bumps into Neo already under disguise as the Fake Ruby Rose.

 Personally I’m more banking on the possibility of Neo finding Oscar with theRelic and taking Ruby’s form to try and get him to let his guard down longenough so that she can snatch the Relic off of him. For me I’m going with thenotion of Neo trying to trick Oscar as Ruby only for the Little Barn Prince tocatch on that she wasn’t his true Rose. After realizing this, let’s say…Oscar makes a run for it withNeo giving chase after him.

Thinkingfast, Oscar takes refuge inside theTetris Training Room leading to Neo trapping the two of them inside there withOscar’s only chance of escape being through Neo. So a one on one fightbreaks out between Oscar and Neo and to further mess with the former farm boy, Neo dons Ruby’s face for the entirefight.

Iremember hearing something last year regarding Neo doing something “reallyterrible that would upset the fans”. Speaking for myself here, what would causeme some discomfort is Neo using Ruby’s form to cause Oscar to falter in battle.And since Cinder made mention that Neo had grown stronger since she last sawher, it makes me curious if there is more to Neo’s Illusion Semblance that wehave yet to see. Since Neo can use his semblance to mask entire objects---suchas her disguising an entire Mistrali airship as an Atlesian airship---what’sstopping Neo from using her powers to trap Oscar inside an entire room ofillusions where the poor boy wouldn’t know what’s real from what’s fake.

Whatcould be more interesting is if part of Neo’s deception is once again usingRuby’s form as well as the images of all of Oscar’s allies to taunt and provokehim. I’ve even heard theories where folks believed that Neo would succeed instabbing Oscar; not enough to kill him but enough to mortally wound him to thepoint that Oz would sense Oscar’s distress and arrive to finish the fight forhim.

Nooffense to fans of this theory but personally, this squiggle meister is against that idea. While I don’t mind Neogetting a chance to one up Oscar and while I don’t mind Oz returning to lendOscar a helping hand, I don’t want Ozpinto take control and fight for Oscar.

Itwould be like V5 during the Battle of Haven and apologies, but I don’t want arepeat of that. Another reason I don’t wish for Oz to return to fight for Oscaris because I feel that would honestly undermine all the development Oscar hasgone through between V6 and V7.

Themain takeaway that I gleamed from these two volumes, especially V7, in respectto Oscar’s story is it highlighted him finally stepping out of Ozpin’s shadowand forging his own place within the hero team. Between V6 and V7, I haveobserved characters that once only perceived Oscar Pine as nothing more than acopy of Oz come to acknowledge him as himself, learning to finally appreciate him of his own merits.

Notto mention that this season also highlighted Oscar training to fight on his ownand hone more of that muscle memoryhe’s expected to inherit from Ozpin. V7 has been subtly teasing Oscar fightingone on one against stronger, more formidable opponents (i.e. General Ironwoodand Kobalt of FNKI). While we weren’t shown much of those small fights, I’mbanking on Oscar’s run in with Neo being the battle to anticipate as us Pineheads may finally get to see our boyin action. Not to mention that earlier this season, it was also teased thatOscar might unlock his semblance soon; whatever that may be.

SoI’m safely assuming that it will be during his duel with Neo where Oscar willunlock his semblance since my theory is that Oscar’s semblance will be whatshatters Neo’s illusions and cancels out the effects of her powers.

Asmuch as I want Ozpin to return, I don’twant him to return to take control and fight for Oscar. I’d actually bepretty upset if that becomes canon since, as I said, it’ll undercut Oscar’sgrowth from the past two volumes. Not to mention that apart from myself, Iremember not too many Pineheadsliking Oz forcing control away from Oscar during the Battle of Haven fightagainst Hazel Rainart; even if it was for his own well-being.

Butif Oz is to return to help Oscar against Neo, I’d rather it be a case where Oz onlyguides Oscar for a second time;encouraging him to look into his heart and no what truly stands before himafter he’s trapped by Neo’s Illusions. I’d even love it if Oz lends Oscar someof his power or something along those lines with the two souls finally fightingtogether as one mind as opposed to challenging each other for control.  That’s what I’d love to see. But then again,these are only my views.  

Idon’t see Neo succeeding in kidnapping Oscar to take to Cinder. If anything,I’m expecting Salem to be the one to kidnap Oscar during the Fall of Atlas.That’s my headcanon with thatsubject. However in terms of Neo, I’m expecting her to suffer a defeat to Oscarunlocking his semblance to break through her Illusions; rendering hercompletely powerless against him. I’ve said it before and I’ll reaffirm mystance on this subject---my theory forOscar’s semblance is Nullification.

Witha semblance that cancels out the effects of another’s semblance and preventsthem from using their unique super power while in his presence, Oscar will becomea pretty great and powerful huntsmanwith such an ability; no different than the Oz character he’s based on.

I’mnot talking about the Wizard of Oz. Ozpin is the Wizard of Oz while Oscar ismeant to be Princess Ozma/Tippetarius.

Ican see Neo losing to Oscar butrather than destroying her, I can see Oscar letting Neo go; showing her mercyand sparing her life. Nonetheless, I’m anticipating Neo returning empty-handedwithout the Lamp of Knowledge to a triumphant Cinder Fall, drunk off the powerof two Maidens flowing through her veins.

SinceCinder’s target was the Winter Maiden as indicated in the last episode, myheadcanon is that the Fall Maiden will succeed in finding Fria and draining herof her power with poor Winter Schnee being unable to stop her. Unless…Winterdoes naturally become the WinterMaiden after Fria passes away peacefully in her sleep only to be killed byCinder Fall just moments after becoming Maiden.

Imean I don’t want Winter to die; however Iam expecting Cinder to get a win this time. If Cinder is to clash withanother Maiden, I’m expecting the opposite outcome of her dual with Raven. Backin V5, Leonardo Lionheart justified the reason for Amber---the original FallMaiden---losing her powers to Cinder was due to her inexperience as a Maiden.

BetweenV4 and V5, it was also mentioned by Qrow (I believe; correct me if I’m wrong onthis detail) that the Spring Maiden was more experienced since she had moretime to hone control of her abilities during her time with the BranwenTribe---as displayed by Raven herself.

WhyI’m bringing up experience with regards to the Maidens is because last time,Cinder Fall won against an inexperienced Maiden (Amber) but lost to anexperienced one (Raven). Even if Winter succeeds in gaining Fria’s power, asprepared as she might’ve thought she was to accept this power, I have a feelingthat Winter could be way in over her head.

Ittook both Raven and even Cinder timeto grasps control of their Maiden abilities. If Winter just became a Maidenwithin moments of Fria’s passing; especially if Cinder shows up to challengeher; then she wouldn’t have time to master control of her newfound abilities.If anything, I can only picture Winter being overwhelmed at first by the WinterMaiden magic.

Backin V3 CH7, Cinder once described the Maiden magic like “an emptiness that burned like hunger”.  

Imagine if, acquiring Fria’s powerisn’t like anything Winter’s ever endured before and she finds herselfoverwhelmed by the power; losing control.

Unless,it’s another matter of convenience and Winter is instantly in control of theWinter Maiden powers the moment they are passed to her. Either way, I wouldstill expect Winter to be a premature Maiden to not last long in a fightagainst Cinder Fall. Even if Winter might be the most elite soldier inIronwood’s army who has trained her entire life to erase her Schnee upbringingand forge her own path to glory, she’d be nothing more than a sitting duck inthe presence of Cinder and she will lose to her.

Sorryto all the Winter Schnee fans possibly reading this. Winter becoming the WinterMaiden will be her death sentence. If she becomes Maiden and Cinder comes forher, I think she will lose based on experience alone. Even if she gives Cindera run for her money; like Amber once did, I think Winter Maiden Winter willlose to Cinder and Cinder will acquire the Winter Maiden magic for herself.

Ithink we should expect her to at this point since I doubt the Writers will haveCinder lose another Maiden fight. Nah. I think Cinder will earn a win thistime. She will ultimately end up with both the Fall and Winter Maiden powersand once she does, there will no stopping her from acquiring the Relic ofCreation. 

Especially in the event that Neo fails her on the Relic of Knowledgewhich I’m assuming will be the case. I mean, I could be completely wrong on allof these accounts since they are only my theories but for now, these are mythoughts on that. I hope that answers your question anon-chan.

~LittleMissSquiggles (2020)