#maybe to define the future. to have it make sense. to understand why they were this way

[impossible-rat-babies]

thinking about dirge keeping the diary kressa had of the entries with them. despite the horror and cruelty, it’s some small manner of memory by proxy.

[allllium]

Hi!) send my love and little idea for a fic

May I request a little story about Remus x fem!reader? Other characters are welcomed :) characters age is up to you

The reader is calm person, ready to help, even get into a fight against bullies. But she also has a death glare and doesn’t peak words to smooth the situation. She doesn’t have a lot of friends, but definitely she is friends with Lily and the Marauders like to hang out with her (helps them with studies or work, helps James with Lily, lots of sarcastic jokes).

I think Remus can see through her facade. And he finally decided to ask her out for a date, maybe he even said something like “I like you”. And the reader reply with “Ok” and storms out to process with her feelings towards Rem. Then we can see collective panic 😱😂 The next day she finds Remus and gives him his favorite chocolate and self-made scarf with the words “I think I like you too” ❤️

Hope it’s all make sense to you 😅 sometimes I have similar situation when I can’t define my feelings and need time to analyze them… 🥲

I Think I Like You Too...

a/n ~ Omg reader in this is so relatable 😭 Honestly wasn't sure how you wanted me to write them so I did what I thought worked best for this situation. Not quite sure how happy I am with this so I might add to it/change some of it in the future but for now I hope you like it <3

~ Just fluff, James and Sirius being children

WC ~ 1,859

Sometimes you don't understand why you're friends with the marauders. You love them so much but you're so different sometimes you don't understand. You're very calm and collected. Most times you don't show emotion at all, coming off as if you don't care. That's not the case though and luckily the boys know that. Even if they're the only ones.

Besides them and Lily, no one talks to you, and you don't talk to them. There's no real reason for this, only that people say you have a “death glare,” which apparently, makes you seem unapproachable.

Because of them being your only friends, (and not great at their studies) you spend a lot of time helping the boys, mainly James and Sirius, with their homework and preparing them for exams. During times where you're helping the boys in the library you notice the way people look at you guys. Sometimes their gaze is slanted towards the boys, either lusting after them or annoyed by some dumb prank they pulled.

However, there are times when people stare at you. They try to be less obvious, but you can see the way they silently judge you. Wondering why the boys hang out with you and debating whether or not you're as bitchy as you tend to seem.

You don't let any of this get to you, people will judge you for anything you do, and you know they simply don't understand. Honestly you find it funny how obsessed people are with a look on your face.

Especially when it's not one you make on purpose.

“I don't understand.” James tells you, for what feels like the hundredth time in twenty minutes.

“Of course you don't, you've been making faces at Sirius the whole time I was explaining.” You swear sometimes they're just children in growing-up bodies. Between the pranks, silly faces, and running around the halls playing hide and seek, but instead of each other seeking, it's whichever teacher they last put a spell on, it can be very hard to keep up with. Probably why people were so unexpected to see you all together.

“No I wasn't.”

“James, I saw you.”

“Wasn't me,” he defends. You let out a deep sigh at his childish antics, before focusing on the paper in front of him. You look down at the perfect moment, just in time to see Remus's small grin at banter between you and James.

“James, pay attention or I'll turn you into a rat,” you try to threaten, seeing Peter's frown at your words. “Sorry Pete, rats are adorable. You know how James feels about them though,” you shrug, remembering the way he screamed when Peter first transformed into his animagus form. He's not scared of Peter when he knows it's him but any other rat freaks him out.

“Fair.” Is all he says, as he leans back down to whatever he's doing on the floor.

You return your focus back to James, “Okay, are you going to pay attention this time?”

“Yes I am, apparently Lily only likes smart guys.”

“I have literally been telling you that for-” you're quickly cut off.

“No but that was just a plot for you to make me do my homework.”

“No it wasn't, I was trying to help you with Lily because-”

“No, I'm pretty sure you're lying.”

“But you confirmed it why would I be lying about it-”

“Well I don't know, why are you?”

“James Fleamont Potter I swear if you cut me off one more fucking time.” You hear the giggles of everyone else around you.

“What? What are you gonna do?”

“Call Lily.”

“No wait, I'm sorry.” He immediately changes his tone and turns back to his parchment.

Rolling your eyes, you look at Sirius,“Sirius, how far are you?”

“Well unlike prongs, I'm almost finished.” He tells you proudly.

“Can I see it?” He looks between you and the paper for a moment and then shakes his head.

“Not yet. It's a surprise.” You take a deep breath as he continues making faces to James.

Deciding you're done being a young mom to two boys older than you. You excuse yourself from the table and move to sit by the only boy not constantly giving you a headache.

“Hey, Rem.” You greet him softly.

“Good try.” He smirks at you, referencing the boys in front of you. You're glad they're having fun, but they're giving you gray hairs at this point.

“I'm two seconds away from calling Euphemia to deal with them.”

“That's a great plan, at least you'll get cookies out of it.” You nod your head in agreement, taking a second to admire your friend. Which is totally normal in a friendship, probably. You know you feel different about Remus than the others but you're not one hundred percent sure why.

“Ugh why can't you tutor them?” You don't even remember why you agreed to tutor them in the first place.

“Because I did it first and you lost the bet.” Now you remember, you and Remus had a stupid bet on who would tutor them. You and he had a competition, whoever got the lower grade on an exam would be the tutor. You lost. By one point.

“Not fair, I want a rematch.”

“How is that not fair? I won perfectly fair.” You know he did but you don't want to accept it.

“Uh because I don't wanna do it anymore.”

“C'mon they're not that bad.”

“Says you! Yesterday they were playing rock, paper, scissors and when Sirius lost, he pushed over James in his chair. Then James got up and claimed all the knowledge was knocked out of his head and he couldn't possibly finish the paper.” Remus is clearly trying not to laugh at your frustration. “Don't laugh, it's not funny.”

“I'm not laughing. But you have to admit they're very amusing.”

“I admit nothing. Seriously, why do they go to such lengths to avoid homework.” Remus immediately moves his face out of your view. “What do you know, Wolfboy?”

“Is the nickname really necessary?”

“Yes it is, explain,” you don't give him any room for argument.

“Fine. They usually do their homework just fine, slow but fine.”

“Then why do they cause such problems for me?” You ask him in despair.

“They like fucking with you.”

“Are you kidding me Lupin?” You raise your eyebrows at him and demand a response.

“No, they think you're funny.” He breaks out in a full blown laugh at your annoyed reaction.

“I'm glad you think this is funny, Moony, because you won't be laughing when you're all rats.”

“As if you could even turn me into a rat. I dare you to try.”

“Y'know what I will.” You give him a bright smile as he grabs your wrist to keep you from grabbing your wand.

“Not right now.”

“You're not scared are you Lupin?” You swear your heart skips a beat at his grin.

“Can you just pick one name and stick with it?”

“Okay I pick Wolfboy.”

“No you don't, pick something else.”

“No. Bye Wolfboy.” You hear his frustrated groan from behind you while you leave the library.

“Ah!” You jump as you turn the corner and run into Remus. “Oh. Hi Wolfboy.”

“I thought I told you to pick something else to call me.”

“No, I don't remember that.” He looks at you in disbelief. “I'm getting breakfast now.”

“No you are not.” He begins to pull you in the other direction.

“Um Wolfboy, I need food.”

“Not right now.” What the fuck.

“What is so important I must miss breakfast?” He pulls you into an empty classroom and shuts the door. “You know you can't kill me right? People will know.

“That's not…what?”

“Nevermind, continue.”

“Okay great. I don't know how to say this but after yesterday it just felt so clear that I need you to know.” You give a gentle nod for him to continue.

“Y/n, I hope this doesn't ruin anything between us but I need you to know that I like you.” He waits a minute for you to respond, when you don't, he keeps going. “As more than a friend, like romantically. I have a crush on you.”

“Oh um okay.” You shrug and start to walk out of the room. “See you at breakfast.”

Remus is stuck standing in place as he tries to comprehend what just happened. He was expecting a rejection, a clear rejection. Or of course, there's the small part of him waiting for you to admit you feel the same way he does. But no. None of them. He has no idea how you're feeling. Who just says “okay” to that and walks out.

After a minute he decides to follow you to the great hall, pretending nothing just happened. He doesn't know whether to be sad about a rejection or be happy it wasn't actually a rejection?

James and Sirius are questioning his mixed expression the second he sits down, but Remus is focused solely on you. Who isn't in the great hall. He looks over all the people at least three times looking for you. Ultimately, he can't help but be a little relieved he doesn't have to face you right now. What would he even say after that?

Remus doesn't see you for the rest of the day. Instead he spends the day worrying whether or not he's scared you away.

“Oh Remus you're here! Come here!” You grab his hand and pull him into an empty room, similarly to the way he did to you yesterday.

“Um okay? Are you alright?” He asks quickly, as if sensing your nervousness.

“Yes I'm fine I just need to say something to you.”

“What is that?” He asks, pointing to the things you're holding in your free hand.

“Oh yeah this stuff is for you.” You hand him a box of his favorite chocolates and a scarf you spent the night making for him. “I made this for you because I didn't know how to say what I want to. I didn't mean to act like that yesterday, I just needed some time to think about how I felt.”

“And what do you want to say?”

“Yeah it's on the scarf actually.” You take notice of how your fingers are fidgeting, and your legs are bouncing in place.

“Did you make this? This is nice.”

“Last night, yeah.” You feel a little out of breath as you stand in front of him.

“In one night? That's impressive and insane.”

“I'm well aware. I didn't sleep last night.” He grins you a big grin, both at your words and the words he finally finds on the end of his scarf.

“You need sleep, angel.” He says, cutting off at the end as he finishes reading your sewed words. ‘I think I like you too ♡’ is embedded into the red fabric. “You think?”

“Is that acceptable for you Wolfboy?” You step closer to him, waiting for his answer.

“Yeah more than.” You can't stop your bright smile as he leans down to place his lips on yours.

[accio-victuuri]

xiao zhan elle september issue cover story Q&A

ELLE: During this rest period, do you think about things that happened on the set?

Xiao Zhan: Of course, I remember a few days after the filming was finished, I had a dream that we were still filming, and the director and I were still discussing how to say that word? How to handle that scene?

ELLE: Do you actually miss the atmosphere on the set?

Xiao Zhan: I like it very much, because I like the feeling of everyone creating together and working together to get something done.

ELLE: When you first entered the entertainment industry and your popularity grew rapidly, you said that it felt a bit unreal and magical, but now you seem to be quite relaxed. How did this change happen?

Xiao Zhan: Rather than saying it’s unreal or magical, after so many years I feel that I haven’t had time to adapt to the fast pace at that time, so when I wake up from sleep, where am I today? What am I doing? I think it’s a process, just like when you first enter the workplace, everyone is very excited, "I’m here to work, please take good care of me", "I’m here, everyone get out of the way", "I can do it, I can do it". (Laughs) But after experiencing a lot of things, I feel that everything needs to be planned for the long term.

ELLE: In several interviews you mentioned that you like to play roles that "can convey energy". Why do you have such a preference?

Xiao Zhan: Because I think it is the life of the character. The kind of energy I am talking about is not just a single positive energy in the general sense. I mean the nutrition that can be subtle and silent. I believe that every character has a complete story line in his heart. This is what I like very much. As long as you dig deep, you can move people. I don’t like to call the villain a "villain", as if it is defined as a bad character from the beginning, but it is not. He may have his own difficulties.

ELLE: It sounds like “transmitting energy” is just a general term. Is it actually about understanding different people through performance?

Xiao Zhan: Yes, if we break it down to each character, they all convey different things. But if we say they are “good guys” or “bad guys”, I think that’s meaningless.

ELLE: So do you think acting is a form of communication?

Xiao Zhan: Yes, you can say that. I think it’s great to say that (acting) is a bridge to communicate with the audience. Just like when a play is broadcast, I will read some of the audience’s comments and impressions, and feel that they have a rich feeling about the work. When I see some comments that are exactly the same as my thoughts when filming, I feel very magical, as if this bridge is really connected. We don’t know each other in life, and we haven’t communicated, but he suddenly got my thoughts at the time, and I felt that, oh, acting is a very beautiful and magical thing.

ELLE: Do you watch some science fiction movies, TV shows, and literary works?

Xiao Zhan: Yes, I used to like watching "The Three-Body Problem". I have watched some science fiction movies recently, the American TV series "The Stars", and recently I am watching "The Replica". They are all about infinite flow and parallel time and space. Because I think there may really be parallel time and space. Every choice you make will split into a different parallel time and space.

ELLE: Do you imagine Xiao Zhan in a parallel universe?

Xiao Zhan: I really wonder, for example, is he still an actor? Maybe, is he still filming now? Is he still singing now? Or is he still a designer? Is he working for others or is he his own boss? (Laughs) Really, I really wonder.

ELLE: What do you think the future will be like?

Xiao Zhan: Wow, I think the world might return to its original state at that time, and the world might become a better place, and people would return to the most basic communication with each other.

ELLE: This is very interesting. Why do you think so?

Xiao Zhan: Anyway, at least now I am a little disgusted with the ubiquitous Internet. When we were young, when there were no mobile phones, we would chat while eating, and we would call our friends downstairs to play hide-and-seek and various games. I think that time was very precious.

ELLE: Will the profession of actor still exist by then?

Xiao Zhan: I think there will be. I believe that as long as life goes on, drama will continue. Because everyone needs an output, needs emotional resonance and sustenance, whether it is images or sounds. So I think that even if the world is destroyed, as long as there are still people, drama will definitely exist.

-END.

source

[earlgreytea68]

I just finished a show on Netflix called "Envidiosa," and I loved it, which is unusual for me, since I usually get easily annoyed by most fiction these days.

I saw a lot of people complaining that the heroine was awful and selfish and horrible, and I was wondering what was wrong with me that I sympathized with her. Like, she made a bunch of bad decisions, but I always understood why she was making those decisions. The show, to me, really paid attention to its actual characters and how they would behave and what they would do. Also, the MC really spoke to me. She's a 40-year-old woman who feels like everyone else got the "perfect life" but her, which she defines as marriage and kids. The storyline of the show is more complex than that, but it really did resonate with me, because I am a single, childless woman in my 40s, and I am very happy, I don't want to suggest that I'm not, but I also know that I spend a lot a lot of years thinking I really NEEDED to get married and have kids, that that would of course be what my future had to look like, because that's what it looked like for everyone all around me and that's what society tells us, and I really felt for this MC struggling with her life not turning out the way it was "supposed to." I don't think we see enough characters out there really grappling with that in as much depth as this show did. Like, yeah, sometimes you DO feel like everyone shows up with nothing but good news and you're the only loser whose life isn't going well. Idk, maybe that's just a me thing but my twenties were a rough time and this really made me feel more seen but in a good way, like, yeah, I recognized this person and her struggle.

But then this show did something even more shocking and actually let the OTP, like, get to know each other and develop a relationship so that you could understand why they would want to be together????? This seems like the most basic element of a romcom but wow, almost NONE of them bother to actually do this, they just give you, like, a montage scene of the OTP walking on the beach together or playing a board game and they're like, "SEE, THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER." This show took its time and the OTP had a bunch of scenes together where they actually had fun with each other and connected with each other and I was rooting for them so hard and really, I almost never root for the OTP of a romcom because usually I don't care about them at all lol.

Anyway, I was really, really impressed by this show. I didn't expect so much going in, but it was very thoughtful and well-done. Also, it was hilarious. I laughed so much. All of the characters were great and I loved all of them. I don't speak fluent Spanish but I understand enough to get by and the subtitling of this show is awful, there were so many jokes that I could hear in the original Spanish being spoken that just were lost in the subtitles, sigh, I wish they would have done a better job with that. But it's okay, because it didn't REALLY take away from the rest of the show.

Oh, also, the soundtrack was awesome, A+.

So, I very seldom recommend anything, as you know, I am the most difficult person in the world to please. And I can totally see how some people might hate this show, like, I get it, the MC is a lot to deal with. But I also really loved her and if you want a show about good characters behaving in a way that mostly makes sense and isn't just manipulated for plot purposes, this was a good one, PLUS it was funny, PLUS it had a decent ending (there's another season coming that makes me nervous but I was very satisfied with these two seasons). (And I HATE stupid contrivances to keep an OTP apart, I really do, and I was worried every once in a while that this show was veering off into that territory, but it always swerved its way back onto the track for me, mostly because it always was so rooted in the characters that I got what it was doing and going for, and again, it helped that EVERYONE seemed alike a fully imagined person on the canvase, not just the OTP.) (Well, the love triangle girl that the guy starts dating kind of bothered me but she was the only one.)

[solarballs-confessions]

I loved the latest episode! I can understand why people wouldn't have enjoyed it, but I loved it!

Sure, it could've been better executed & I would've loved to see more of Planet X's character, but I thought that it was very beautifully written! Some people say that the ending didn't make sense for him, but I disagree.

He couldn't have ever been truly happy if he stayed in the solar system. One of his main flaws is that he holds on too tightly to the past & that staying there would be a constant reminder of what happened. He's spent so long alone & focused on revenge that he lost himself in that anger, never really learning who he was/could've been outside of that. It makes sense that he wouldn't want to let it define him anymore.

If he stayed, Jupiter & Saturn would be trying to make it up to him for the rest of their lives + everyone else would also try to avoid him because of the things he did & it'd be very awkward/tense. That & everyone's 1st introduction of him is him revealing that he was ejected. He'd be left feeling unfulfilled & out of place for the rest of his life without the chance to discover himself.

Leaving is exactly what he needs, which would also allow Jupiter to try & move on. Staying there would only continue to haunt them. They were completely intertwined, even when apart, until Planet X decided to cut the thread, separating himself from the past & freeing Jupiter at the same time.

He's making the conscious effort/decision to go out & improve himself. To find his own place in the universe. He's trying to move on towards a better future while also devoting himself to becoming like him (Jupiter). which is someone that people could rely on.

Even though he lost Proteus as a friend because of his wrongdoings, he'll always have a place in his (Planet X's) heart. If it weren't for him, he wouldn't have realized that he was hurting ppl & he also wouldn't have taken the initiative to at least try to make things with Jupiter.

Trying to heal from trauma & the pain of the past is never an easy task, but maybe he'll find what he's looking for someday while he does that.

I still don't condone any of his actions, but good for him. Maybe there's something that everyone could learn from him.

— Pisces Anon ♓️

.

[pedrocomicreviews]

The Power Fantasy #8

“Be envious then, angel. I am closer to your God than you.”

Edit: hey folks-- there's a slight mistake in here about the nature of the Queen. I've been sick since Easter and wasn't paying attention when I wrote it. That being said I'm also not fixing it. So be aware that yeah, she's not from hell, I just used the wrong words.

We get the full truth behind the Second Summer of Love and a look behind the curtain as to exactly how turbo-fucked this entire setting is. Light spoilers ahead, but you should be reading this book anyway.

To jump right in, it’s interesting to me that Eliza is the one Superpower who had to “get” her powers. Everyone else either honed their inane, immense skills into what they are right now, or were somehow born as a walking apocalypse. Eliza, in contrast, basically gets a superhero origin story. 

It’s not like she was powerless– she was a member of Magus’s pyramid scheme/cult The Pyramid, and was trying to rise up in the ranks, but was too genuine in her religious lifestyle to really go all-in in Jacky’s opinion. In the same night Valentina was fighting someone she assumed was on her side, but turned out to be hellish beyond understanding, Eliza, a devout Catholic, was giving herself to what she assumed is hell for the sake of mankind.

The parallel between the actual sacrificial lamb, and the chosen of God who couldn’t help much is very interesting, and I can see why it took so many issues to build up to it. We’ve been technically touching up her backstory ever since issue 5, when he first saw how Jacky operates the Pyramid. I was worried the Second Summer of Love was going to overstay its welcome, but it ended up as a pretty climatic, short arc that completely changes our understanding of the setting.

The revelation that there is a type of hell without the, shall we say, confirmation that there is a heaven is something other settings have done in the past, but it’s particularly horrifying here. Specifically, it’s a setting where hell is so unbelievably bad that a being from it tried to make heaven on Earth to make up for it, only to realize horrified that any linear pleasure is simply infinitesimal against the infinity of pain and suffering that defines where she is from. That it would be better to simply cease existing rather than to be happy once and unhappy forever. 

And I think it would have been really easy to make Eliza into Paradise Lost’s Lucifer– it would have made a lot of sense for her to take “better to rule in hell than serve in heaven” literally as opposed to the pathetic cry for help it was in the book, but it really isn’t like that. It’s more Jesus Christ on the cross than anything– Magik, yes, by the author’s own admission, but also the messiah that fundamentally believes it is their duty to die for others, even if she also can’t save them all.

Of course, it doesn’t go down as well as when Jesus did it. Almost a billion people die by the time Eliza finishes saving the world, including the entire Pyramid, which she was ostensibly trying to save. The Second Summer of Love started the current state of the world in The Power Fantasy– objective evidence that humanity is not alone, and that it can be blinked out of existence by a handful of people who aren’t very stable. 

To watch the web of lies and deceit these characters tell each other every time a massive disaster comes up and they’re in the middle of it is always very interesting. You start to see patterns of where people land and what they think should have happened, who they think is to blame and what they think is their job to avoid another pandemonium in the future. Magus, specifically, basically has a complete breakdown after the Second Summer of Love, as maybe the only one who truly understands what “hell” is and what Eliza has actually done to herself. 

The story of a cold war is to either grow hot or to end with a whimper as the parties individually fall apart without conflict, and now that we’re somewhat caught up in world affairs and current relationships between all characters, I’m wondering how this will translate to The Power Fantasy. It’s easy to see how some of these characters are hankering to go against each other, but have to find a way to preserve the world they’re in at the same time– if not for humanitarian reasons, because they also live there, and all their stuff is there. 

It constantly feels like the world is one bad lie away from ending, and this flashback proved that it’s honestly one random thing away from ending, just one event that started without these people even being involved at first and was just naturally going to destroy reality. What if the villains were also Doctor Manhattans, I suppose is what we’re looking at.

Anyway, in this issue Etienne gets kicked in the balls, and I think that’s pretty great. 

[my-mt-heart]

Why Explicit Caryl Canon Matters

Daryl and Carol (Caryl) fans make up a large portion of the spinoff's audience, and this audience wholeheartedly believes that Daryl and Carol are each other's only choice. It's in the writing. It's also reinforced by cast, crew, and EPs. For example, Norman has repeatedly said “If Daryl falls in love, it's forever."

There's a misconception that Carylers are a bunch of hysterical saps – fans who only want their ship "fucking under the stars" and only care about Daryl because of Carol, but that’s not true. In reality, Caryl fans are the deepest, most intuitive thinkers in the TWD community. To them, story matters. While they recognize and adore all of the subtext, they understand that it's supposed to lead to something worth the 13-year wait. They're expecting that major sense of relief and joy from watching explicit, undeniable, canon.

Explicit canon respects Carol's and Daryl's character development – individually and together. They started out way behind everybody else in life, convinced they weren't worthy of love. Daryl thought he was better off alone and Carol thought she was just a burden, but then they showed each other their true potential. Carol told Daryl he was a "man of honor" and Daryl taught Carol to have hope for a better future. They've struggled and suffered and strived to be good enough for each other. So, where's the payoff?

I understand not all fans want the same things, and maybe there's pressure to “keep everyone happy." Maybe it feels like a lose-lose situation. But from a marketing perspective, Caryl fans are a very reliable source of revenue for the show, so keeping them happy secures a reliable audience for future seasons of the show. They'll show up with their wallets out and their enthusiasm turned all the way up for Norman's and Melissa's nuanced performances. They'll create more fanart and other content. They'll make the show trend on Twitter constantly. Fans already adore Norman and Melissa, but explicit canon will amplify it further whereas keeping things ambiguous will cause a significant decline in viewership.

Ambiguity is the reason that the "I love you" scene in the flagship's finale got mixed reactions. For the fans who also struggle with their self-image, it was important to see Daryl and Carol overcome their own insecurities and finally "take whatever happiness they could get." But instead, many saw Carol's lighthearted "I love you too" and Daryl's departure as if they were both forfeiting what they always wanted. Daryl was submitting to his solitary nature again while Carol assumed she still owed a debt to her community and Daryl would be happier without her anyway. Both of them deserved a happy ending, or at least a piece of happiness to launch them into the next part of their journey. As far as many fans were concerned, neither of them got that.

That's why a lot of fans had a hard time watching S1 of the spinoff or opted out of watching all together. There were so many moments that teased the "possibility" of Daryl getting together with a younger, blonder woman nun while hints of Caryl's relationship were buried under more subtext. Keeping Daryl's feelings ambiguous just for the "fun" of shipbaiting cheapens Caryl's one-of-a-kind relationship, falsely indicating that their iconic beats can be recycled with someone else and still evoke the same passionate response from fans.

Ambiguity also perpetuates ageism and gives non-Caryl fans the excuse to say hurtful things to or about Melissa. Whether or not she's online to see it makes no difference because it still degrades her and it damages other women's perceptions of beauty and worth. Explicit canon on the other hand raises both Melissa and Norman up as two powerhouse actors utilizing their unparalleled chemistry to celebrate mature romances. It brings Daryl’s defining character traits to the forefront – the nurturing traits and the epic ones. It positions Daryl and Carol as equals, and it helps drown out the harmful comments against Melissa. 

Hopes for season 2 of the spinoff are high. Confirmation of Carol's and Daryl's romantic relationship in a way that needs no interpretation and no explanation from anyone offscreen is a dealbreaker. I know in terms of explicit canon, post-production can make all the difference, so it's crucial someone in a position of power pushes for canon that fully and unapologetically lives up to the fans' expectations, does right by the characters, and respects what Melissa wants.

[horse-girl-anthy]

Mikage: Boy of the Black Rose

I've long struggled to write about Mikage, who I find to be an intriguing yet elusive character. or rather, his character is understandable--his motives and feelings are communicated clearly enough--but his narrative is one of the most inexplicable in RGU. thinking it over tonight, I put my finger on one aspect of the Black Rose arc which I previously didn't know how to approach: specifically, Mikage's relationship with the Boys of the Black Rose.

the boys act as a kind of collective character, a mass of faceless people who whisper in dark corners. since RGU is about social reality, it often uses extras to deliver exposition or set the mood. the Shadow Girls are meta characters, existing somewhat outside the narrative, but regular schoolgirls at Ohtori can serve a similar purpose. they might demonstrate that Touga and Saionji are considered the hottest boys in school, or gossip about Ruka and Shiori's recent breakup.

the Boys of the Black Rose are slightly different, maybe a little closer to the Shadow Girls. rather than acting as bit characters in the larger world of Ohtori campus, I believe their existence is contigent on Mikage. while this could be put in various ways, in the most straightforward terms, the writers created them to help reflect on Mikage's character.

only one Black Rose Boy is given a face: the first one Mikage (Nemuro) talks to. when Mikage asks not to be called "professor," since they are the same age, the boy replies:

obviously, RGU relies on making its main characters visually distinct from "normal people." Wakaba calls them "special" and resents them. Utena is popular for her specialness, well-liked; in contrast, Mikage is an outcast for his. for a person to be special or a genius, there must be others for them to stand in opposition to. Mikage is set apart from his peers by his pink hair, by his unique uniform, and by being a professor.

after Mikage is introduced to his new work, the boys begin to gossip about him, saying he knows nothing about what's really going on at Ohtori. towards the end of this conversation, there's a shot of Mikage, and then he actually replies from the future to the gossip they were spreading about him.

this is Mikage's eternal reality: his recollection of the past. even during the "present" of Utena's narrative, he is still walking through Nemuro Memorial Hall, which is why it's still standing, unburned. the Boys of the Black Rose that the audience sees are filtered through Mikage's memory; whether or not the boys really said these things about him is ambiguous. it's possible, but the important fact is that Mikage believes they did.

this transpersonal mirroring keeps Mikage trapped, unchanging. he feels himself defined as unable to connect with others, so he keeps away from them. this becomes a self-perpetuating cycle, leaving Mikage a total outcast.

even outcasts, however, are members of society. the Boys of the Black Rose actually have more in common with Mikage than the average Ohtori student. they're all scientists working on the same project. they have much of his coldness, sense of superiority, and intellectualism. the main difference is that they're the in-group.

while Mikage believes himself to be emotionless, it's made clear that his social isolation hurts him. he doesn't want to be set apart, but he doesn't know how to break through the barrier between him and others. it's very easy to do a queer reading of the character, given the way this is conveyed to the audience.

Mikage's fixation on Tokiko and Mamiya is easier to undestand with all this in mind. the world he was living in, occupied by the Boys of the Black Rose, was a cold and alienated one. in contrast, Tokiko has genuine passion, caring for her brother deeply. Tokiko's tears move Mikage, allowing his own buried emotions to break through the surface. but she also reinforces his social isolation; he is equally as hurt by her as he is drawn to her.

this is part of why Mikage is so determined to "defeat" Tokiko; she offered him hope of connection, but he was never able to "win" her, as men so often try to do with women.

Mamiya is something else altogether; a boy, like Mikage and the Black Rose Boys, but altogether different. warm, friendly to Mikage, not intimidated by his intelligence or reputation, and insightful. in a show full of characters obsessed with holding on (to the past, to a person, to their self-image), Mamiya is the only one who can see the wisdom in letting go.

Mikage at first is open to Mamiya's words, preparing to call off their quest for eternal life. but like every character who threatens the system in RGU, he is faced with Akio. in a prototype of the later "End of the World" sequences, Mikage comes across the kissing Tokiko and Akio. this proves to be too much for him; there are some things he can't afford to lose.

the scene has significance to Mikage far beyond disappointment in love. he wanted to create a family with Tokiko and Mamiya; marriage to Tokiko would tie them together "forever." if he could be by Tokiko's side as they lost Mamiya, then at least he wouldn't be alone after his death. but if he's only Tokiko's coworker, when their work is done, he's back to being a computer.

in desperation, Mikage plays into Akio's hands. under contract, he sacrifices the Boys of the Black Rose and burns down the hall that bears his name. when justifying himself to Tokiko, he claims that this act will allow them to attain eternity. in the events of the series, he's still at it: installing Mamiya as the Rose Bride will, after all, make him eternal, even though it's the very kind of eternity Mamiya wanted nothing to do with.

Mikage retreats into delusions on feeling the sting of Tokiko's rejection. though he is the one who betrayed her, he turns it around and feels betrayed himself. going even further, he casts Mamiya as the one who set the fire.

the Boys of the Black Rose are also used to emphasize his inability to face his own actions. throughout the arc, the boys are seen pushing coffins around. however, in episode 23, Mikage takes their place right before he is forced to face the truth about himself.

at the end of the arc, Miki claims that no one was hurt in the the fire, contradicting the previous story of Nemuro Memorial Hall. this possibly indicates that the murders are a figment of Mikage's imagination--the older Tokiko doesn't seem to react to him as if he's a murderer. more than anything, he seems guilty of self-denial and retreat from reality. Tokiko went on to accept Mamiya's death and even mourned for Mikage, while he ignored her in favor of his memories. the fact that he does not recognize her feelings is another aspect of his tragedy.

Mikage, through his fruitless revolution, loses the very things he always wanted. he attempts to throw away his past self, the cocoon of Nemuro hatching into the butterfly that is Mikage. with it, he burns away the boys who rejected him, who embodied the cold world he used to live in. he uses their sacrifice to enshrine Mamiya, idealizing him as the perfect companion. but as Ikuhara said, he was doomed to fail from the start:

Those who reject that place are, conversely, rejected by it as well. This is the nature of systems: the moment you reject them, you are forced to realize that they’re the very ground you’re standing on. Mikage noticed the trick behind the system, and he hurriedly attempted revisions. But the adult who’d created the system just said “Let’s not,” and unilaterally brought the curtain down.

the "trick within the system," is, I think, the fact that it's socially constructed. Mikage believed that on realizing this, he could simply remake the world as he wanted. he was allowed to do so for a time, when it was useful. when he ceased to be useful, he was dispatched with, because while he had operated within the system, he was not in control of it. and beneath his delusions, there was still a reality.

Mikage is the true Boy of the Black Rose: the true ghost, the true sacrifice, living in the desiccated world of a preserved flower. throughout the arc, he takes possession of Ohtori students who suffer from the same afflictions as him, and every time Utena defeats one of his duelists, another part of him is exorcised--another Black Rose Boy burned away. in the end, the only thing left of him is the ruin of Nemuro Memorial Hall, shown briefly in the final episode. he graduates at Ohtori, but only after losing absolutely everything. that seems to be the only way to step into adulthood: naked and shivering, like the day we are born.

[tobiasdrake]

The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy 102 - Nobody Likes Jared Leto

Hang on, what the hell is happening now? Did we win? Did we lose?

Nozomi, explain!

Thank you, Nozomi.

So, Kurara's suffocating. Alright, A-Team, I'm going to need a show of hands to vote on whether we help her or wait for her to pass out and then claim victory.

...

What do you mean, I defected to B-Team? Uh, no, I did nothing of the sort. A made-up rule like that would never pass scrutiny in the Court of Honor System. It was an illegal move and I am still clearly and unambiguously a member of A-Team.

Look, what really matters is that this grudge match is stupid. The stakes are so, so high over the honor of a curry plate Gaku stole, and I refuse to let my future be defined by its outcome.

See, this is why we need to hold a vote. Because on the one hand, letting her pass out would be very cathartic but genuinely terrible for our ultimate goal of interlacing our two teams and learning to get along with each other. Absolutely the worst idea, but it would feel good in the moment.

But, on the other hand, I am intensely curious to know what she looks like under that mask. I've just been keeping it to myself because, like, if that's the face she wants to present then you gotta respect that.

If she wants to be a tomato then she can be a tomato. Doesn't make sense to me but I don't have to understand it; Identity is a personal choice.

Except when you're suffocating because you've been punching a brick wall for an hour and a half while wearing a big, heavy mask.

I think by Luchador rules, this automatically counts as Shouma winning the fight. Being unmasked in the ring is the ultimate career-ending shame. Or something like that.

Down, Darumi. This isn't the time for getting on your shit.

Down, Gaku. This isn't the time for getting on your shit.

...

Yeah, okay, I did not see that coming.

...

Something something, bullies are insecure cowards underneath?

Nozomi, what the fuck?

That's what the tomato's about!?

I mean, that makes sense and everything. She projects false confidence while hiding her true feelings beneath the tomato mask.

It honestly puts all the "An Oosuzuki this" " An Oosuzuki that" remarks she's made in a new light. She wasn't boasting. She was reciting her conditioning. Reminding herself how she's supposed to behave.

Kurara, maybe you should take Takemaru's training course. I mean that sincerely. I think it'd be great for you.

The "How dare you get to have this when I didn't" fallacy. Common among bitter, aging conservatives who want to pass on their abuse to the next generation.

Kurara had to bend over backwards compensating for her insecurities and so it makes her mad to see other people letting their insecurities get the better of them. If she didn't get to run then why should you?

You were playing a character and got carried away. It happens. Just... try to remember that nobody actually likes Jared Leto.

Yeah, I didn't see this coming but at least we can say with confidence that we now understand both the truth of Kurara's lineage and the truth of what she was, in fact, hiding. Which were related to one another, just not how I expected.

This also kinda makes sense of why she freaked out so hard about the curry. If she's really this sensitive, then she probably felt hurt and maybe even bullied when Gaku stole her curry. Which Tomato Bisque channeled into a violent "WHO DARES STEP UP TO THE ELITE!?!?" overreaction.

Holy shit, did we all actually grow closer as a community by this impromptu team-building exercise? What the fuck, guys?

Congratulations, Shouma. Ganbatte, my guy. You persevered until the task was done.

Wait.

I don't like where this is heading.

Guys, the wager was bullshit when were going to be the losers of it and it's bullshit now. We aren't actually going to....

...okay then.

You know what? I'm proud of you, Gaku. That's actually both modest and incredibly thoughtful. You get a gold star from me.

For those unfamiliar with exchange rates, 50,000 yen is about $350.

And that's a good point. How about it, Shouma? Why don't you decide the fate of--

...yeah, that makes sense.

Honestly, I think it was the shock from actually winning the fight that got him moreso than the punches. His fighting spirit may be off the charts now, but he can't handle the realization that he didn't disappoint anybody.

In any case, that's it for tonight. Shouma needs his rest and we can't decide anything without him. So I'll see all-a y'all fuckers on Day 44. For now, I need my goddamn breakfast burrito because this was WAY TOO EMOTIONALLY INTENSE FOR 6 FUCKING AM.

[hopeymchope]

what's some criticism you have about makoto/the most valid criticism you've sene of him?

I've been sitting on this ask for like a week, because I've been struggling with it. Even when I think I remember one that hits a solid mark, I then mentally argue it down to being a non-issue.

The only criticism I've seen that ever hit any kind of mark for me is some fans' frustrations that he didn't endure/overcome much personal loss compared to many of the characters around him, because he repeatedly seems to luck out and have it work out in the end. This usually comes from people who are bitter about Kirigiri's survival in DR3, but I can understand that having Naegi's seeming losses get reversed or resolved whereas someone like Fuyuhiko has to lose his sister and then just carry on with it... it can seem kind of unfair. Why does he get to keep his secondary protag/potential love interest, but Hajime loses Chiaki? Why does he get his sister back safely while Asahina loses her brother forever? And so on.

The first counter to this complaint is that, well, he seemingly / maybe / probably? lost his parents during the tragedy. But those with this complaint find it frustrating that this is kept open-ended and hopeful, still leaving him with a chance to once again reverse/undo his loss. Despite seeing their corpses pretty clearly broadcast on television during Ultra Despair Girls, when Komaru finally gets to the actual place the Naegi parents are supposed to be? They aren't there, leaving her with a sense of hope that she'll still find them somehow alive.

The second counter to this complaint is that obviously Makoto still loses tons of friends during the course of DR1. Even if he doesn't immediately remember how close they all were, its implied in DR2 that they maybe/probably got those memories back later. Which had to make it pretty devastating.

Those who harbor this complaint have sometimes said that Naegi's unrelenting hope would mean more if he actually had to overcome a permanent loss. But I think that rings kind of hollow when you consider that he manages to remain hopeful even in the immediate aftermath of Kyoko's "death" in DR3. At this lowest possible point, he stands strong.

And despite how much I'm arguing against this complaint? I still think it rings kind of true. Because it DOES feel unfair that he gets off relatively lightly compared to so many other characters. Togami loses everything that defined him, everything that he based his pride and reputation on. Kirigiri loses Samidare brutally, finds her father's body without even knowing if the two of them ever achieved any kind of closure, and the question of whether she ever reunites with her grandfather is left wide open. Class 77-B may only lose ONE of their friends and classmates, but they also lose their freedom and their ability to live a peaceful life by accepting and embracing not only the guilt of their actions as Remnants, but also taking on the guilt of what happened in the Future Arc of DR3. Maki loses Kaito, Shuichi loses Kaito AND Kaede, and so on. These characters are forced to carry on after permanent, undeniable losses.

For those reasons, I do prefer to think that the Naegi parents are later confirmed dead. It gets Naegi more of a permanent, personal loss to endure and overcome in the longer term—I even wrote a fanfic one-shot about it.

But you know, I feel like I should mention that, for those who think Makoto gets off light because he's a "creator's pet" or something? There is someone in the DR1 who ultimately gets off even lighter than Naegi: Yasuhiro Hagakure. The ONLY seeming personal loss he ever endures is his mom — and he gets her back safe and sound! But I guess he's very rarely explored seriously since he's mostly comic relief... so maybe people don't worry about him as much.

[malwaredykes]

ma'am give us the catherine boone lore, please i beg of you

well *smiles shyly*

in case its not clear she is Boone the companion in fallout new vegas but after realizing some important things about herself

which is something that started out as just me having this sort of loose “wouldnt it be interesting” idea but then @fallout-lou-begas and i spent days digging into how well this actually fits boone's narrative. boone being an egg i mean. starting from simple things that dont Necessarily have to mean anything but definitely add up, like boone going by last name only, or being the least talkative companion by far (do you not like the sound of your own voice, boone?), all the way to like. the general Long-Unaddressed Dysphoria Hopelessness, the sense of having no future and no autonomy and no power to change anything. there's a lot to go through here but there's just this constant vibe of being a lost cause, of feeling like things can only happen to you as you move through life detached and disconnected and numb, and of not having the words to express any of that, not knowing how much of that can even be put into words or given any meaning or solution, because something is always missing, something big.

so. i think leigh suddenly appearing in boone's life had one hell of an impact. still took boone a long time to understand why and that it was okay for her to “want to be like leigh” and so on. but yeah, ive mentioned before how it adds a whole new layer to the fact that boone just followed this strange woman into the wasteland and became so ride or die for her. and how she felt that she and leigh had been destined to meet. in fact boones dialogue thats like “maybe its you i shouldve been expecting all along”, “i knew i was supposed to follow you the day we met” just kind of hits harder this way Im Not Gonna Lie. like, yeah, narratively in the game its suppose to be about boone's guilt, but... theres this overarching mindset that boone has... similarly to how boone's not liking to talk definitely reads as a neurodivergence thing, but also.... could be more than one reason.. there are Usually complex/multiple causes behind such character-defining idiosyncrasies yknow

i might write/draw something about the moment boone starts to piece things together and Realizes and tells leigh. and even though boone had been shaking like a leaf about the prospect of telling her, leigh is of course very very happy to help her and support her. shes happy she gets to be there for boone and get to know her even better than she already did.

as for the name, honestly catherine just kind of came up. like it just came up and immediately sounded right. she can go by cat and thats very very cute.

overall catherine is like… well shes just very lovable. shes definitely a LOT happier, she actually smiles and laughs, and feels a lot more grounded and present. and hrt makes her look very soft. and she grows her hair out to where its this like, fluffy mullet situation. and leigh falls for her because she already liked boone a whole lot, they were besties/worsties who had seen each other at their lowest and were very comfortable with each other, and seeing cat be this content and radiant and cute… she was Defenseless. Oh, This Lovely Woman Has Been Right In Front Of Me This Whole Time. shes crazy. cat youre gonna get sooooo kissed.

so. yeah. it IS ocXcanon with extra steps. and i love it. i love you cat boone. theres so much to her and so much i could say and so many layers to her new hopes and dreams after so many years of dreary soldier-conditioning dissociated i-am-made-for-a-purpose loneliness. but i wanna convey it properly thru art and writing i think.

[baltering-beasts]

Alright, it's ramble time. ⋆˙⟡

I have been what the kids these days would call "alterhuman" my entire life, to varying degrees. I was not introduced to the community at all until 2022 and was immediately terrified of it. I never felt the need to put labels on my feelings, and couldn't, at the time, understand why anyone else would want to. I now understand that for some folks, having the right words and definitions for one's experiences can be super validating, or fun, or maybe some people just like the terms and the sense of community they give them. It's really not my business how other people define their nonhumanness.

That being said, I have been kind of on the outskirts of the community since 2023 and have finally managed to cram some of the more well-known terms into my skull. I've only ever been open about my...kintypes... with two people I am very close with, so talking about this on yee ol internet for fun is very new to me.

TLDR; blah blah personal history, blah blah here are my kintypes.

My oldest and longest-standing hearttype is black wolves (although it definitely used to be red wolves when I was small). I have been entranced by wolves since I was old enough to understand what they are. This hearttype has always been in the background, and always present, but it was just something that was true for me. Not exactly in the "on all levels except physical, I am a wolf" way, but I was always talking about wanting to be a wolf, and how special they were to me. They're a part of my soul, what makes me... me, and they probably always will be. (This is connected to a fictotype but I'm shoving that under a rug for now. ignore the suspiciously man-shaped lump under the rug)

First up on my super short list of kintypes; Borzois. This is a relatively new one for me, and it always makes me roll my eyes to think that I'm a wolf-hearted borzoi... what with borzois being bred to hunt wolves and all. The shape of them is very similar to my physical human shape, and I think that, along with the way they run, is what draws me to them so much. Not a whole lot to say on this one, because so far I've gotten stuck in a few non-verbal borzoi shifts, but outside of that this is just an "oh yeah. that's me." kind of situation.

Despite my longer history of being wolf-hearted, my bison kintype is probably more important to me. The reasons run deep in my bones, and I don't think one little paragraph about this will be enough to convey even 1/10th of my emotions (which is why there will 100% be a longer post in the future about this one). To put it plainly, this kintype has been a long time coming but was only recently realized fully. I was raised with a nature-based faith as a child, and the bison always held a very significant role in that faith. These guys hold a lot of spiritual importance to me, in this world, but in another world, they are just... my species. I am an American Plains bison, that's just a part of who I am. This one is also connected to a fictotype, but again, there's not enough time in the day to get into that.

[egg-dev]

So i have like no formal training in game development and so each phase of my development cycle is this strange combination of figuring out a solution to a problem and learning new elements of coding.

Part of what's nice about code is that it is, at its core, a language (yeah duh) and because of that, you really can combine it in whatever way you want. All you need to know are the moving parts and the kinds of connections you can make and it all has a habit of combing together.

Where I struggle most is degrees of abstraction. This is the space that leaves me the most blank faced. Often times I can hold one or two ideas in my head without understand how they practically function, but any more than that makes the entire house of cards collapse.

The first piece of code that truly left me stumped in this way was a function that would determine the absolute difference in values of two inputs. This was used to determine which direction the monsters would move in order to get closer to you.

This is the current implementation. I needed to ask a much smarter friend of mine to help.

Loops are especially difficult for me because of this. In part, because I don't fully understand how they're structured and a lot of examples I've pulled from to learn about them were multiple degrees of abstraction deep.

I'm going to draw from the function used to find the position of a given value within the array. In practice, this is used to determine the position of a battle:

When I first used this code, I really didn't understand how most of it worked. And you may notice this more as I talk about my code without proper terminology. At the time I used this code, I had never put anything in a function's '()'s. I didn't even know anything could go in there. So that took me a solid couple weeks to understand. In fact, it took maybe 3 or 4 additional features being written for it to sink in.

So you can understand how just this degree of complexity threw me off.

For the sake of any reader who doesn't understand how these work and feel (as I do) that all coding documentation is dogshit, the variables included in the '()'s are values which are defined at the time this function is run. So in the function below you can see I call this function as: "findValuePosition("E13:P24", "B")

(Well actually, I call it as 'findValuePosition(arenaArray, "B") in which 'arenaArray' is defined as "E13:P24". Are you starting to see the problem?)

In practice, what this does is allow for easy recycling of a function. If two functions are identical, except for one or two variables, you can use this way of building a function so you don't need two separate functions.

Most of the basic code I've written up to this point, do not include parameters, let alone two.

Super handy. Super obtuse. This is apparently what coding is like.

The issue I then ran into is the compounding obtuseness of this in conjunction with a loop.

Loops are a kind of code you can run repeatedly on their own. You set base values, conditions and behaviours and the code will repeat. Forever. Unless you tell it to stop. Which you might not do, by accident, and it just does run forever.

I'm going to be real, I still only have a passing understanding of how the findValuePosition() loop works. I don't understand how the loop doesn't pass straight through the value its looking for. Or when each instances of looping runs. The timing of the whole operation completely goes over my head, but I understand enough of it to apply and reapply this concept as necessary.

Each time I implement a new loop I understand how it works a little bit better and even now, at the time of writing this, I have a more solid grasp of it than I did when first implementing it.

This is probably the strangest feature of coding. Things quickly go from nonsense to making a lot of sense and its never very clear when that line has been crossed.

Future Concepts

At this point you might be asking yourself why I even bother with this formula at all. The application of finding the coordinates of a fight in the game is limited. In fact, I'm confident nothing uses the output of this function anymore.

However, the value of this function is more about teaching me how to do something like this. It is the principle behind how the game can read its own visual output.

The weird thing about Google Sheets as a platform for game design is that it serves all game design functions within itself. The game is visually rendered in Google Sheets. The game's engine runs in Google Sheets.

It would be the equivalent of being able to store complex code into each pixel of a screen and being able to reference that data. Each cell serves the purpose of pixel, function and database.

In my instance, each cell which makes up the games' 12x12 grid is filled with code that is used to determine what to render based on the values it finds in the back end. But, in theory, you could write new sprites to each cell every update cycle, or reload the full code contained within.

As such, I have a prototype version of the game which uses screen scrolling. This may not be implemented due to various reasons but the principle is there and profound for a platform which still elicits shock when it and game design are mentioned in the same breath.

[that-spider-fan-over-there]

I said hours ago I thought the title being "Midoriya Izuku: Rising" felt a bit too early but now I think it makes sense. How do I explain, I'll try my best!

I thought about about the other Origin and Rising chapters and I've tried to establish a pattern of all, and I think I have a conclusion.

Shoto's origin: The bond he had with his mother being a tether of what being a hero truly meant to him, with Izuku being the one to remind him he gets to decide what being a hero meant to him- it's his power, what does he want to do with it?

Shoto's rising: The one he wants to have with his family, the desire to find peace with himself, his biological family and the one he has in Class 1-A in the future and being the hero his family had wanted vs. the one they needed at that exact moment.

Katsuki's origin: denying the help from others, especially Izuku, was the thing that held him back. By accepting it, he and Izuku, despite the beating, won.

Katsuki's rising: his willingness to accept help bloomed into a seed of empathy that paid off, and by sacrificing himself he understood why Izuku is willing to help others at his own cost (otherwise the last arc wouldn't even be happening).

Hypothetical on where Hori wanted this one, as despite her lack of these, Hori does consider her part of this group. So if I were to guess:

Ochako's origin: she's shown she has the guts and determination to become a hero, but what holds her back is her own constant comparison to Izuku's power and people connecting her motivations to him.

Ochako's rising: by asserting her agency and power to help others, and accepting she's not defined by what she feels about Izuku, she ends up helping the girl who needed someone willing to understand her.

With that in mind; an Origin chapter is not the beginning of their story, but the antithesis what holds them back, the hubris,the fatal flaw in their own hero's journey vs. who they can become as the story goes, the heroes they've envisioned and more.

Tenko has three origin chapters- Two for Tenko, one for Tomura. But in the pattern, he's yet to receive a Rising one, let alone three: Unless, and I mean unless, Shigaraki Tomura is his Rising chapter, but only the first part. But that's for another time. (And maybe for someone else; I'm not the person to talk about Tenko).

With that, Izuku's.

I was wondering why Izuku's rising chapter happened so soon, when he's just returning to the battlefield- then I've pondered the pattern. I've said I was expecting it to be a multiple-parter; because of Tenko's. But it does make sense why now.

Because since Chapter One, never once Izuku has actually been able to contradict his own goals. In fact, if he tries, narratively, the story actually punished him for it two times; his failure to save the first times led to consequences that follow him in their relevant arcs.

(for clarification if you're curious:

Not helping Eri on their first meeting = Overhaul almost kills multiple of his friends and actually succeeds in killing Sir Nighteye. Mirio temporally loses his Quirk and Izuku wonders if he should even have his own.

Attacking Tomura with clear intent on winning without saving = Aizawa cuts his leg, Gran Torino is in a hospital bed and Katsuki gets stabbed, latter one is the main motivator leading up to the Dark Hero Arc.

Sound good? Good.)

But what makes this Izuku's rising moment? What is the antithesis to "Midoriya Izuku: Origin"? If his convictions are the same as the first chapter, what makes this moment special?

Unlike the first time- this time, everyone supports him. He has friends, fans, allies all over the world. His childhood friend, his idol, his mother. Everyone believes in him. And it's all because Izuku inspired them to take action, even when he had nothing.

Because it wasn't a Quirk that made him a great hero- Toshinori even said so.

It's because he can't ignore he saw someone in need of saving, someone who looked him in them eyes and was asking for help.

And the reality he's living at the age of 16, he's Quirkless. He's standing up to someone who will not be reasoned with. He's at a huge disadvantage. He's the only one who can do it. And maybe has "nothing", but he has everyone, and everyone wants him to do his best. And they'll pave the way, they'll make it easier to carry the burdens he can't carry alone.

This is why it's everyone's thoughts on him, instead of his point of view; his convictions were always clear; it's everyone else's that's changed.

And for that, not only he didn't just become the world's greatest hero: by all accounts, he already was. He already is.

Thank you for reading.

[princelysnape]

Hey! Hope your doing well.

I'm thinking of starting to write a fanfic. I've only written down the basic plot line of the story, but not gone into much detail. It is a Severus × fem OC fanfic, where the OC is supposed to be a Professor at Hogwarts, befriends Snape and holds a key power to save Severus (coz my man deserves better than being killed off, he needs a happy ending more than anyone else in the ho universe) and many other people who are supposed to die in the Battle of Hogwarts. (Ps. She's a seer and has healing magic, so you can connect the dots. And, yes the OC names are inspired from ASOIAF coz I just find those names really unique and pretty, just like the OC.)

Basic info:

"Freya Visenya Vaelarian, known as 'Rey' to those closest to her, is a Ravenclaw prodigy who formally worked at St.Mungo's as a Healer, returns to Hogwarts as the second youngest professor of the newly introduced elective, Healing Magic and Healing Potions. With silvery-white hair and piercing violet eyes (she basically albino), she’s as mysterious as she is brilliant—witty, loyal, disarmingly wise and a total badass. Alongside her twin brother, Rhaegar, and adopted son, Jacaerys, Rey hides a powerful secret: they are gifted Seers, burdened with glimpses of the future. Though kind and brave, she walks a delicate path between prophecy and secrecy, cloaked in quiet mystery because some truths too dangerous for the world to know."

Any thoughts or inputs? I'd love to know your opinion.

Love,

An anonymous friend ♡

hello👋🏾

hey so, i actually love your idea. i mean, i'm probably biased because i'm obsessed with the concept of seers, prophets and precognition in general. i even have a seer oc myself (though she's made for another fandom), and while the specific seers of the harry potter universe aren't my favorites, i think there's a lot of untaped potential you can explore here

as you probably know, the wizarding world understands seers as witches and wizards who can predict prophecies using their "inner eye". they were persecuted all throughout wizarding history, and maybe that's why they're also very rare, extremely so. in sybill trelawney's family alone, this ability skipped three generations and she supposedly came from a very long lineage of powerful seers—so your twins are truly something special, magically and genetically speaking. it makes sense they would hide this, least they end up attracting the attention of the noseless bastard

right now, what i think you need to do is defining exactly what type of seer rey is. look at trelawney, for example: she only had two real prophecies to her name and they both came true, but she doesn't remember either of them. they're also vocalized, she didn't actually saw them. which is already different from gellert grindwald's visions. he could remember them, not all of them necessarily came true, but he was actually seeing stuff. from this alone we can presume that precognition (or divination, i suppose) in the harry potter series isn't something with clear rules or a phenomenon that occurs exactly the same way for everyone. and yeah, this could totally be a plot hole joanne didn't notice, but it gives you a lot of room for moviment and creativity

whatever you decide, i would suggest that you make it clear that her ability has real-life consequences for rey herself and the people around her. and i don't mean only psychologically. like, does she have physical symptoms? headaches, nosebleeds or fainting spells? is her ability invasive to people's privacy? think alice cullen from twilight—she has a decision based type of precognition, so the second someone decides to do something she knows. you see what i mean? it needs to have downsides

also, how young was she when she first came into her powers? this sounds like the type of thing that would influence someone's whole personality. so her being secretive and mysterious makes total sense to me. i mean, people don't always take kindly to being reminded of things outside of their control. perhaps she keeps her visions a secret as to avoid putting the timeline she wants in jeopardy. and since she's in a position to literally know better than others, maybe she's a little condescending at times or detached from the present. maybe in her eagerness to make sure everything turns out well, she comes off as manipulative etc. some flaws go a long way to build depth in a character

i'm intrigued by her past as a healer in st. mungo's and her healing powers. the new elective sounds delightful too. god knows those students are going to need her lmao. and it gives her a lot to talk about with severus, which is great. it can also be a good opportunity to explore her personal struggles. why did dumbledore hired her specifically? if she's supposed to be a prodigy, what is it she can do that others can't and how that relates to her abilities as a seer? does it take a physical toll, more so than regular magic?

and her being a single mother (for now *wink wink*) sounds rough. what is the story behind her son's adoption? do they have a good mother/son relationship? what does he think of severus? what does severus think of him? is he old enough to go to hogwarts, and if so, does she teach her own son? is he treated well during potions class? i think this could be a good opportunity for conflict if rey is a protective mom and decides severus is too harsh on her baby boy. could be an opportunity for character growth for sev or maybe a reality check for rey to realize her child is only special for her. kudos if they're already dating during this lol

i would advise against falling into old stereotypes about albinism too. admittedly, i'm also not the best informed about those, but i do know they exist. there are a few reddit posts and threads about it worth reading when in doubt

all in all, i like where this is going already. your oc sounds like someone who could totally attract sev's attention and respect, which is the base of any successful relationship with him

i hope this helped, tell me if there's anything else you would like to know or ask❣️

love,

your prince

[saints-who-never-existed]

Ok, maybe this is a really stupid question, but why the hell did Tuunbaq consume souls? What does it do with them? Digest them? Tasty snack nomnomnom? Why not just kill those pesky sailors? I have an understanding of what Tuunbaq represents, but why the soul sucking? Sorry, I still have whiplash from that show…

Anyway, thank you for enlightening me in advance! <3

Not a stupid question at all!

I'm going to give an answer based more on personal knowledge and opinion rather than cold hard fact - apologies in advance if that's not what you're looking for. Rest assured though that this is something I intend to chase up further sources on and think/write a great deal more about in future. :)

For all you couldn't strictly define it as cannibalism, when I think of the Tuunbaq and its consumption of souls, I think of what I know about various cultures throughout the world that have practiced cannibalism historically, and I think about the reasons why they did so.

Often, it was a reverential and sacred practice, enacted in a very focused and particular way. In many cases, specific body parts were eaten with the intention that one would gain characteristics associated with the deceased - eating a man's heart to gain his courage, eating a person's eyes to gain insight or their brain to absorb in some way their wisdom.

I think that's part of why Tuunbaq eats souls. The men are invaders within the landscape who are alien in every conceivable way so it make sense to me that Tuunbaq could gain knowledge of/insight into/power over them by absorbing their souls - the very essence of who they truly are.

But I also see Tuunbaq's consumption of souls as something potentially more akin to exocannibalism - eating one's enemies as an open expression of hostility, the ultimate indignity, the most extreme act of domination. And make no mistake, Franklin's men are enemies.

They've invaded and desecrated the land, killed Silna's father, caused Tuunbaq to go "off" in the first place. It makes sense to me that an enemy of that magnitude would warrant the extra horror and indignity of their soul being consumed as well as their body.