#my explanation of this can't do it justice I might have to draw or at least sketch this

[hercarisntyours]

dreamt about oplita and woke up crying from happiness and cuteness

[leconcombrerit]

A warm hug to Non, or when are we going to stop demanding perfection from victims

It's been forever since I thought about making this post but I've finally decided to write the goddamn thing.

Three disclaimers : one, I haven't yet managed to get past the first third of episode 9, so this whole thing is based on episodes 1-8 at best. Two, I'll block on sight again if I see victim blaming on this post. Finally, I'm by no means an expert on the subject. It's complex, I might get things wrong and I'll have to oversimplify at times for clarity and brevity's sake, please don't kill me for it. It's probably gonna be long enough as it is. I've tried my best to organize my thoughts in a way that would make sense, but. Well. I hope it does.

Trigger warning for mention of suicide, bullying, grooming, sexual assault, rape

Non started as the poor little baby everyone wanted to protect -both the audience and Jin ; for all the shit he got after filming Non and Keng, there are a lot of parallels to draw between him and the audience. Then the dreaded episode 7 happened and all hell broke loose. I won't include screenshots of the disgusting things I read from some viewers about Non, but Jin's reaction is pretty telling already.

The easy explanation would be that he's mad Non isn't returning his feelings, but I think it has more to do with Non not fitting his 'good victim' role anymore. There's sadness on his face, but the dominants are anger and betrayal. Non tries to regain agency and gets crucified for it.

So what's a good victim ?

Non, basically

If you want an examplary blueprint of what society defines as a good victim and survivor, someone worth justice, defending and loving, just take a look at Non. I broke it down in four marks that need to be checked :

-Innocence : none of the person's action prompted the abuse -Moral high ground : the person has values and displays kindness -Helplessness : the person cannot do anything about the situation they're stuck in -Accepting to be saved : self-explanatory. The person has to accept the help that's offered to them, traditionally by a love interest

Non is abused for being poor, something he's not responsible for. He's hardworking, honest, passionate about the things he loves and commits to his engagements. He's kind when talking with Jin. He's resilient in the face of the gang's bullying. None of what he could do or say would make it stop, neither can he help owing Por for a camera he hasn't broken nor get out of Tee's pyramid scheme. His mental illness only increases this impression of vulnerability. Jin doesn't have all these elements, but he's got more than enough to paint a very similar picture of Non as the audience.

As for accepting help, Jin repeatedly offers some -and Non finally lets him in during their conversation on the rooftop. What Jin offers may be little but it's still help ; Non smiles and even gives Jin a shove -what I think is the only time he initiates contact with Jin at all.

"Thank you so much, Jin, for helping me all along." "It's alright, I'm glad to. I just want to see you smile again, Non."

The audience gets even more of Non being happy and grateful to be saved : he calls his "♥" contact for help multiple times, smiles at the reminder to take his meds and, later on, clings to Phee for dear life after trying to kill himself. He doesn't fight him, he doesn't reach for the scattered pills. Hell, even accepting Tee's offer to make money could count as Non agreeing to be saved by everyone around him.

Non checks all the marks. Everyone in the audience is rooting for him, the other boys can all go get impaled on a branch, and Jin looks at him like he hung and lit all the stars in the sky.

Speaking of the other boys...

Tee and Por victims as well but don't get the same amount of sympathy, if any. Tee isn't responsible for being stuck in a criminal environment and can't get out of it ; no one has offered help, so he gets a pass. But he's been shown to be selfish, opportunist, often cowardly and sometimes gratuitously cruel.

As for Por, it's even worse : every actions he takes seems to confirm his dad's opinion of him. The only mark he ticks is accepting to be saved by his mother, which looks very bad taken on its own. I made a post about Por not too long ago if you want more.

The only way for them to redeem themselves and go from 'horrible people who should die' to 'maybe they don't suck they're my poor little meow meows' is penitence. Take Por ; he's the archetype of the rich son who gets abused by his dad and suffers from having so much money. Just like Kang in Dangerous Romance, or Tanthai in Laws of Attraction. Tee ? I don't have names from the top of my head, but he's that hardened jaded guy stuck in a mafiosi network who has to learn to love and be loved again (enters White). Yet the audience learnt to root for these characters.

Basically, nothing is set in stone. Your status as a good or bad victim can shift depending on your actions and the way they're framed. The usual narrative is to get those characters to grow into the acceptable victim pattern. DFF however is going for reverse development (Non, Jin) or stagnation (Por, Tee, Fluke). It makes for gritty yet very realistic storylines ; and while I'm the first to yell that the masked figures should get their ass stat, I also recognize that there's much more complexity to them than this. Except Top. I have yet to come up with a good explanation for what they're doing with Top, but I will at some point.

How did Non fall from grace if he's such a good example ?

Three points : Phee, the paradox of the demand for Non to seek agency but not too much, and his inacceptable betrayal.

Phee as a magnifying factor

I love this kid to bits but Phee's appearance in the flashbacks concurs with Non's flawless image being torn to shreds for a reason. He's a good, strong and caring person who loves and tries to protect Non -something the audience has wanted to do for weeks ; so we all gathered behind Phee and made him our emissary, carrying out the impossible task outsiders to the series' world couldn't : saving Non.

Since Phee voices the questions and concerns of the audience, we are Phee to an extent. Betraying Phee means betraying the hope and love and care the audience has for Non. Phee is the series' moral compass by that point. I'm sure you see where I'm going with this. If not, consider it's a surprise tool that will help us later. When Phee gets hurt by Non or decides he'd be better off lost and dead.

For the record, in this poll Phee gets even fewer votes than White

Seek agency, but not too much

Discontent starts to rise with the helplessness point first as viewers start to question why Non doesn't ditch the group. Why he's putting himself through such trouble. Non changes from being subjected to others' action to being the subject in a grammatical sense. Yet Non has hiw own reasons to stay (how much does the movie mean to him ? How many hours and sleepless nights on the script ? How long would it take for him to find another chance to get enough funding ? How big of a dream is it for him ?). It's the first occurence of the audience claiming to know best what's good for Non.

Complaints quiet down when Non does try to leave for good only to be stopped by Jin. We saw him try, we saw him fail, he really couldn't leave so he's off the hook.

Jin also makes sure Non remains a perfect victim by bringing him back into the group. I'm not accusing Jin of trying to make Non suffer on purpose ; he's a good guy at heart, come fight me to death on this hill. But the only way for him to exist in Non's life is to remain a savior of sorts. If Non leaves, there's nothing to save him from. Which brings us to my next point.

Non must try to solve things by himself, sure. But not too much. Because when you thrash to regain control of your life, you might break a few things in the process. Especially if you have to wrest it away from well-intentioned but firm hands.

He rejected Jin's offers to help numerous times. He looked anything but thrilled when Phee put himself in danger to clear his name. He refused to change schools at first, only to begrudgingly agree when Phee insisted. This insistence is the heart of the matter : Phee is sure he knows best, so he bulldozes through Non's objections and hesitation : he doesn't consult him before asking his dad for help, he speaks in his place when Non doesn't answer his proposal, he puts the bracelet on his wrist. He asks him if he's taken his meds, just in case.

Phee has the audience's benediction in doing so. Part of it stems from our knowledge of future events : we know it's going to end bad for Non. We know he has to get the fuck out. We know whatever decision he makes will be a bad one. Kids and teenagers as a whole are often deemed unable, or not mature enough to make informed decisions anyway. Just look at Non's mother telling him to prioritize his studies so he can go abroad like his brother. Multiply it tenfold for people with mental illnesses ; they get babied on a daily basis. So Non cannot, I can't emphasize it enough, cannot do anything.

All of the above end with Phee getting his way. Non can't win against him, so he chooses to lie instead.

Aside from willing to be in charge of his own life, Non's refusal to let Phee help is also rooted in love and fear. While Phee would offer him an easy way out as he did for the bank accounts, it would most likely only be easy for Non and put Phee in danger. Both their survivals are held in that curt 'no'.

He's already straight up refused help, and now he loses the moral highground by lying (to his perfect holy savior Phee of all people). From here on out, any action he takes will be his -which is what Non wanted ; it's his life, and he won't be a bystander in it. But it also means that he jumped off the pedestal he'd been put on to land on thin ice.

And guess what, Non is a multi-dimentional character in a difficult situation who weighs more than a poor little damsel in distress. Of course said ice cracks. And the Non hate train gets started.

The betrayal

Lying and refusing help to go get it from the worst place he could have had was bad enough. But sleeping with his teacher while he had a boyfriend (Phee, for heaven's sake) ? Unforgivable. Cheating is the BL equivalent of every cardinal sin, the worst of the worst, and no matter the circumstances you'll get roasted for it.

And yet there are circumstances. One, especially, and it's called motherfucking grooming. I won't elaborate on this point cause I've done it over and over already, but Non was groomed by an adult. Does he see things that way ? Probably not. In his mind he's in control of the situation. He can lie to Phee about it because there's no reason for it to backfire. He does what he has to if he wants to save himself, using he one weapon he has : his body. It's cheating, but cheating in a game rigged for you to lose.

Society has two opinions about sex. It's either holy or gross. Take Jin, for instance.

See the look on his face. He's heartbroken, he's sad, he'll live through it. Witnessing Non having sex with his teacher when he has a boyfriend ? Now that's another story. That's a betrayal.

A betrayal of what, exactly ?

Of this goddamn image Jin had painted of Non. The same the audience was given to see prior to these events : Non was perfect and loveable and worth defending, an innocent, pure, helpless baby in need of saving. So when the illusion shatters in what society and especially BL culture hold as the worst action possible, people feel fooled. Stupid, if you will. And they turn their hatred to Non. Non lied to us ! He pretended to be good, dear god, to think I loved such filth ! My heart is so dirty now, ew.

But Non didn't lie. He lied to Phee, but that's it. Everything else was expectations and assumptions. Fail to meet them and suddenly everything is your fault. It's Non's fault for refusing to be dragged along in his own life anymore, Non's fault for lying in order to get some control, Non's fault for lying again not to lose Phee when caught by surprise, Non's fault for listening to Jin, Non's fault for resorting to use his only weapon to get out of a situation he was cornered in, Non's fault for being tricked into thinking any of the decisions he made regarding Keng were his own, Non's fault for everything.

He wanted to claim his life back and made a mistake, yes. He doubled-down on it when he realized it was too much for him to handle. He clung to it and did his best to keep it together. He dared not to be the perfect victim he was supposed to be ; to try when everyone knew he was bound to fail. And you know what, sometimes there's stuff that's someone's fault, consequences they didn't foresee, things they said, slips and falls, and they're still victims, just as much as they were before.

I believe that dealing with his debt himself is as important to Non as finishing the movie is. He's ready to be used and abused (by Keng in the former, the group for the latter) and to break his own heart, values, pride and sanity. He's the most resilient and dedicated character in the show to me.

But the world doesn't necessarily see it that way. So when Non realizes the mess he's made of everything, he fights Keng (who represents his desperate and violent search for complete independence) to reach for the bracelet he got from Phee. He wants help. He needs it. But he's not a victim anymore and any help is denied.

Both Phee and Jin later manage to reconcile their broken image of Non with the man he actually is. Too late to save him, but they still did. I have a hunch that things would have been different if Phee had beat up Keng and taken a crying Non in his arms, holding him tight while whispering none of it was his fault. But our moral compass fucked up, like the hurt kid he is.

What some people did by blaming and hating on Non is closer to the hateful comments he got on the video than Phee or Jin's reactions. They're far worse.

That's the big takeout. What if we stopped stigmatizing or idealizing sex ? What if we stopped demanding perfection and so-called purity for someone's trauma and status as a human being not to be negated ?

Anyway, here's a hug to Non and every victim who live in the paralyzing fear of a single slip. You can make mistakes just like the rest of us. You don't owe anyone perfection.

I'll end this rant on a bright, happy smile. I don't see a good ending for Non, but god knows he'd deserve it.

[receding-tides]

train, sparkle, droplet, paperclip

(3) (these were all for margin(

I'll put these all in one post for convenience haha but ty for sending a bunch :] I'm glad we have Margin Likers around that's my blorbopus right there

👁️ EYE - what colour are their eyes? do people notice their eyes? is there anything special about them (shows emotion easily, literally magical...)? Margin has blue eyes w the scleras being slightly green tinted, aka Octavio but less intense. She also has the purple striped mask which is the main thing people notice. There isn't anything particularly special about them but her irises do turn red when she uses her venom (I don't have a biological explanation for this it just looks cool)

💤 SLEEPING - do they fall asleep easily? what helps them sleep? Margin has a very specific sleep schedule which she retained even after moving to the surface and then to Splatsville so I think she is one of those people who can just like Fall Asleep On Command almost haha. If she is awake after 10pm she gets so tired. I don't rly have an answer for the second question I guess just not being anywhere loud

🎂 BIRTHDAY CAKE - when is their birthday? do they like celebrating it? Margin's birthday is May 9th which is the date I started writing At Sixes and Sevens, I don't think she celebrates it or even tells other people about it though

🥞 PANCAKE - what is their comfort breakfast? She eats plain buttered toast for breakfast every day this is like, a specific character trait she has. Somehow.

🌺 HIBISCUS - do they have any allergies? I don't think she has any particularly strong allergies but I think pretty much any of the octolings who grew up in the domes probably get hayfever simply because their body isn't adjusted to Lots Of Pollen In The Air (and maybe some other things also along that logic)

✏️ PENCIL - is there a particular quote / lyric that you associate with them? I have a lot of songs I associate w her but the Strongest song lyrics is probably just. the first verse of Ready As I'll Ever Be (from Tangled The Series) but specifically before her character development moment

Believe me I know, I've sunk pretty low But whatever I've done, you deserved I'm the bad guy, that's fine It's no fault of mine and some justice at last will be served

🎨 PALETTE - can they draw? what do they like to draw? (I'm assuming this is what drawing meant because I can't find one w that name otherwise) Margin can sort of draw but mostly just in the case of Making Diagrams. she has made doodles of Squidgy before but will claim it was purely for documentation / scientific purposes.

🪤 MOUSE TRAP - what will always lure them into certain danger? a loved one in danger? a promise of something they are always searching for? This will sound very cliché but if you make Margin think she is doing the right thing / something fully justified and she feels strongly about it she will gladly throw herself into a dangerous situation over it. This definitely happens less as she gets older tho

🚆 TRAIN - what is their answer to the trolley problem? I think she would do the trolley hits one person instead of five but also I guess it'd depend who the one person was lol. If it's all misc strangers then goodbye to that one guy

❇️ SPARKLE - what is their most prized possession? what do they value? Margin doesn't really have many possessions besides like, her bike and the Sharker and whatever is in her room, she values things that are Useful To Her and that's about it. She has a lot of miscellaneous junk from the crater but most of it is either for selling or might be useful for building

💧 DROPLET - random angst headcanon She frequently has nightmares about drowning even though she was never conscious during the one time where she did almost drown

📎 PAPERCLIP - a random fact. Her splashtag looks like this :] (link to the splashtag creator)

[wandering-lane]

Inspired by the song The Goose and The Wren by Hop Along

I've got a bit of a story worked out behind the song in my brain that's Ace Attorney-ed that isn't obvious from just the drawing (Duh), but I think the drawing is also cool on its own, so a bit of an explanation is below! Warnings for Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice spoilers!

Sorry for no background, I couldn't figure that much out :')

The Goose and The Wren is a VERY good song that I feel matches up very well with my personal interpretation of Nahyuta's character, as well as the events of Spirit of Justice in general.

The Characters-

Goose- Nahyuta, I used specifically a Swan Goose because A, They live in the area I'd imagine Khura'in is, and B, perty goose :)

Wren- Apollo, Small, pointy, need I say more?

Heron- Dhurke, Big boy and also it makes more sense later into the song

"While in the form of the ant The goose and the wren Left the shores of Maryland To find better oxygen"

A baby Apollo and Nahyuta fleeing the conflict of their home country mayhaps?

"While the outcry of twenty men Run from the nearby battalion As if we avoid their light That we might make it home tonight"

Dhurke and the defiant dragons fleeing from the soldiers chasing em

"And one old crook Carries a very heavy book Friends would say 'Sir Are you sure some good Could come of your learning?'"

Bet you can't guess who the old crook is (It's Dhurke)! The book would be Baby Apollo and Nahyuta, the friend is ya boi Datz

"And he said 'My girl gave it to me Just before the war I've never read a book like this before It's giving me kind of a kind of a, kind of a Burning'"

I mean, Amara WOULD have given birth only a bit before she "Died", and Dhurke wouldn't have known much or anything about Apollo. Also the burning bit.. That goes for both of the kiddos, but especially Polly.

"But if it is love then I'm not quite sure if I should keep it But I've heard it's a part of the whole so I guess I need it But I'll certainly be sure to stay above the ground Lately beautiful things got a way of bringing me down"

Mans is basically a kill-on-site wanted criminal. He probably questioned if bringing two small children who not only would be in danger, but also a liability if they were, say, held hostage. But also it's his family and Dhurke is a family man so he takes 'em anyways. He'll certainly be sure to stay away from trouble, and his beautiful things were almost all taken away from him. "Dead" wife moment.

"Here lie one hundred men Fighters every one of them They went into the light and oh no They won't be home tonight"

A post-soj Nahyuta reminisces on his mistakes as a prosecutor, leading not only countless innocent people to their deaths and imprisonments, but also the deaths and imprisonments of the defense attorneys, Defiant Dragons, all people that he was once part of.

"And I came upon a kid with a kite Despite the storms said he's going to fly So I said 'Brother What would your mother say?'"

He thinks back on his younger self, filled with dreams of a bright future. He was going to go into the fray, and he'd lead the Dragons to victory. He thinks back on what he would change.

"And he said 'Hold your tongue! It was a present And God damn I am a man I ain't afraid of the rain!'"

A young headstrong Nahyuta's response to his own older self's warning. He doesn't fear the Ga'ran regime. He's untouchable. (I also like to think of the kite and it being a present as a metaphor to the Defiant Dragon tattoo on his palm. He was given the trust of his father and the Dragons, and that was all he needed.)

"But what can a bystander do? No more than watch the spidery lights take a hold of you But you know I warned you boy You know I told you boy I'll hold you back boy But now I don't know but Cause in a curious kind of way I want to grow along with you"

More reminiscing, he can't do anything to change his past decisions. All he can do is remember as Ga'ran (Spidery lights. It works too perfectly.) wraps a wire around a neck and pulls him into her manipulation. Nahyuta admonishes his younger self, but he also knows that he was carefree and happy back then, and that the reason he's where he is today is because of the past.

"And morning did come I was standing struck dumb By the man in the sun And the only live one Held a string from his thumb That stretched up to the sky Where the heron flew by Singing 'Oh me and oh my!'"

But the storm passed, and the man in the sun (This one's too easy) came, holding the string that connected them all together. To the Heron, Dhurke, to Nahyuta, and to Apollo.

"And the goose and the wren No I have not seen them But the water looks nice So I dare not think twice And I'm sure that they're fine Very good friends of mine Cause sometimes I can't tell When things are unwell"

He isn't back in the mountains with Apollo, but things are calming now, and he doesn't have to worry about Ga'ran's noose around his neck anymore.

"By the look of the sea Starting straight back at me And I miss 'em I do But I think it is true That when the love go It's the lovers who show Just how lovely they are In a song or a scar"

He misses his childhood, but look where he is now. He has Apollo, he has his mother, his sister, all these people. I always tend to think of the "When the love go" part as Nahyuta thinking about Apollo and Klavier. In a song, or a scar (I always hear that part as Star but either works fine).

"Sincerely your friend Write back to me, Wren I've been thinking too much Down here in the sand"

Literally him just thinking about Apollo and bein like don't leave me hangin broski :')

"The farmer stands and says 'What happened to the land? It used to be fertile. It used to be good, when I was a lad.'"

Dhurke looking over Khura'in (Or the law, or both), and commenting on the corruption seeded into it.

"The farmer calls out to his men says 'It's getting late boys, it's best you come back in.'"

It switches from Dhurke yelling to the Defiant Dragons to him just calling out to baby Apollo and Nahyuta. To his sons, telling them to come back inside before it gets too late.

That part repeats a couple times after that, but anyways.

If you can't tell this has a whole animatic in my head that I might put onto paper someday. I've thought far too much about this song.

Anyways pt 2 hope you all enjoy my thoughts, they plague me so now they get to plague you as well.

[gcldfanged]

♫

𝚂𝙴𝙽𝙳  “ ♫ ”  𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝙼𝙴 𝚃𝙾 𝙻𝙸𝚂𝚃 𝟹 - 𝟻 𝚂𝙾𝙽𝙶𝚂 𝚃𝙷𝙰𝚃 𝙸 𝙰𝚂𝚂𝙾𝙲𝙸𝙰𝚃𝙴 𝚆𝙸𝚃𝙷 𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙼𝚄𝚂𝙴𝚂 [ACCEPTING]

"Waiting for the '1, 2' signal Holding hands with you is an act of courage for me Phase 1 'Cause we shouldn't stand still, right? Life is a sham- Don't say you can't do it Don't say it- Don't say it's too late now

Come on, come on We now avert our eyes from each other Bit by bit I come to hate it, but I come to like it Hey, hey- I don't even understand the meeting of my selves I steadily become better, but I'm crumbling to pieces

Da-dum, you disappear before I can reach you Wretchedly, I come to hate it, but I come to like it Hey, hey- I don't understand now or ever Until we can understand each other We shouldn't say it's too late" - As You Like It by Eve

['Holding hands with you' is Jae choosing to help Kunsel with his frankly insane plan and it IS an act of courage for him because all he's ever known or aspired to be like was based off the image of the Turks and what they stand for.

It's kind of scary for him to be biting the hand that feeds, but he also realizes that ShinRa has too many nasty secrets and a staggering pile of accumulated sins, so this is also like... exciting, in a way. But he's also becoming *GASP* a better person and it gives him an itchy feeling.

I feel like they lose touch because they're both dealing with their own respective things and Kunsel is more than likely hunting down the remaining R&D employees, but even if they don't end up sitting down and having that dim sum Jae promised, he has a feeling they might see each other again at the end of everything.]

"Rock my frozen heart to carve the proof of my life I don't need a balance to decide what's right or wrong When contradictions mess up the brain Swinging back and forth between evil and justice The credit rolls to draw the end of life This has to be God's selfish prank That's why I don't care if I have to play dirty

We are likewise on our twisted and contradicted past Comparing how unfortunate we are When our life's hanging by a thread And to struggle is nothing but self-deception" - Ichizu by King Gnu

[Similar to the above explanation, but also them kinda realizing they have a lot in common in terms of fucked up pasts.]

"Cry out loud that you hate me Scream that you don't like me Toss my feelings aside I like it better than a nonchalant world Cry out loud that you hate me Scream that you don't like me Toss my feelings aside I like it better than this nonchalant world

5 til 3 in the morning, at this time of night Why do I have to work, I must've been born into the wrong life My hips and back are aching so much As if laying down paper, I place SALONPAS onto my back I open my eyes and start to doze off a little

Why is he just standing there like an unfortunate person Kinda scary, kinda funny- What the heck is he Is he looking down on this convenience store worker Should I try and start something with this guy I'm gonna at least see the end of this" - Convenience Store by Tiger JK & Tasha

[I mostly linked this for that Hook, LMAO. I feel like Jae and Kunsel kinda operate the same way but for different reasons? Like Kunsel is just used to thinking he isn't important and doesn't mean anything to other people (so he doesn't care if they like or dislike him), whereas Jae wants people to at least be up front with their disrespect because he can't stand being looked down upon and pitied.

Also included Tasha's part since that's what Jae was probably thinking when Kunsel walked into his restaurant LOLOLOL.]

[princeescaluswords]

The Potential of Others

Because it's been so long since I go it, I think this request was giving me a title for a story and asking what type of story I would write about it. And I've needed to give it some thought.

I finally decided that what I would write would be an examination of what Scott thought that Liam would make a good alpha. What qualities did Liam possess that would make Scott say"It should be you."

(As an aside, the Doylist explanation is that Liam is a major character with a deeper history with both Scott and the plotlines. Part of me believes that Hayden would have been a better candidate to inherit the duties of an alpha, but that wouldn't fly for reasons both good and not so good. It shall forever be a stain that Scott and Hayden had no scenes bonding as Alpha and Beta, though they were implied to have happened.)

One of the complexities, when it came to developing this idea is that we, as an audience, don't get any direct insight into Scott's philosophy of leadership. We are told what his goal is: he wants to preserve everyone's right to live, to grow, and to change, even if the person is a villain or even if that requires danger to himself or his friend. But that is only Scott's goal; we're not privy to how he sees himself achieving that. We do witness him leading through compassion, through empathy, through example, but we don't ever get a scene where Scott talks about what he thinks makes a good leader.

Thus, my story would have to use interactions between Scott and the various character who could reasonably influence his leadership style as a way of developing that theory and then applying it to Liam:

Rafael McCall: While Scott's father is mostly noticeable because of his absence, it's telling that the production made Rafael is a pretty good FBI agent. He has a strong sense of justice, and he's actually quite skilled in detective work. Scott could draw both negative and positive inspiration about being a leader from this: he could understand that doing what is just might require stepping on some people's toes but doing it ignoring the emotional consequences to others can sabotage your efforts in the long run.

Melissa McCall: I think the show made it very clear that a lot of how Scott approaches the problems in the show are ways he learned from his mother. Melissa helps everyone, even people she doesn't like and even when she's scared. However, as she herself admits, she tends to keep to the things she's best at: nursing. As an alpha, Scott can't always stay within his own competencies.

Stiles Stilinski: I also think it was pretty clear that Stiles was the leader of him and Scott before the Bite forced Scott to take a more active roll in his roll. I think that Scott would want to mimic Stiles's confidence in his decisions (even in the face of difficulty) and the value of noticing the details, both of which are among Stiles's strengths.

Peter Hale: He was never a leader, but he was always a monster. I can't help but think that Scott always keeps the vision of Peter's Season 1 behavior in his mind when he tries to make decisions regarding his pack. Peter is the ultimate negative example.

Derek Hale: Scott is well aware of the dangers of thinking he knows better than everyone else as well as letting fear make his decisions because Derek demonstrated the price of such behavior. Even when Scott concealed the distortion to Kira's fox spirit, he didn't take action for the sake of taking action. Instead he responded with passivity, which wasn't much better.

Sheriff Stilinski: I think that Scott would learn from the Sheriff the value of respect in a positive way and the value of consistency in a negative way. Scott could see how effective it was when his deputies had trust and faith in him and how the sheriff cultivated that, but he could also learn that the same faith could wither if he let his own emotional needs get in the way of leading others.

Deucalion: The Demon Wolf would teach Scott the advantages of restraint. Deucalion was undoubtedly physically powerful, but he always seemed at his most dangerous when he allowed his opponents to make mistakes or walk into the traps that Deucalion laid for them.

Deaton: And of course, I would have to look Deaton, who not only makes decisions but has a fully developed thought process behind those decisions. Deaton's strength comes from his sense of self, and I can see Scott learning from that.

So how would these lessons apply Liam? How would Scott to the judgment that Liam should be the next alpha? Right now, I can't answer that. I didn't know what Liam stands for or what he's good at off the lacrosse pitch. He's not quick on his feet, good at analyzing details, or confident in his own decisions. He lacks self control and patience, and he's certainly not consistent in what he values. It would be interesting to work out what potential Scott saw in him.

[yourcreepyneighborhoodelftwink]

As the Hero fell upwards through the sands of time, the days rewinding like the gears of a clock, he landed calmly on the cobblestones of Clock Town Square, at the dawn of the first day. He had been through this many times before, and had grown accustomed to reliving the same 3 days, helping the same people with the same schedules, slowly making more and more progress each time. At least he didn't feel an enormous time crunch, even with the threat of the moon hanging above him, he was always able to rewind the days, and could take days to rest, to sleep or ride Epona or play with the inhabitants.

He rarely did, but it was nice that the option was there.

He was pulled from his thoughts by Tatl getting his attention with a soft tinkling sound, looking over at the stand near the Deku flower, and the note pinned to it.

"That's certainly new…" she said cautiously as they approached, Tatl reading aloud to Link.

The pair exchanged a confused and frightened look. It wasn't signed, but they knew exactly who left the note for them.

BEN sat on the edge of the field, their boots hanging over the barrier where the grass turned into sand, looking out at the canyon leading to the beach. It had been so long since they had entered their game, only playing it from the outside. Perhaps they had been showing too much love to Breath of the Wild lately and not enough to the dark masterpiece of their former prison, or perhaps it was the only world they could enter that felt truly real, where the sun was warm and the wind blew. They HAD become a bit spoiled, learning that adding weather effects and random wind blowing did wonders to immersion when they entered a game.

They closed their eyes, speaking up before looking behind them.

"You didn't have to rush over here. "as possible" doesn't mean "instantly", you know…" BEN said gently, lowering their ears with a guilty smile.

Link frowned softly, keeping his distance from the elf. He couldn't draw his sword AND sign, after all, so he would have to make due. "You didn't specify. I've learned better than to provoke you."

BEN couldn't exactly blame his caution. It's why they were here, after all. "My bad. I'll be more specific next time. But I suppose it's neither here nor there now…"

"...is there something you want, BEN? " Link asked, clearly a bit anxious by being asked to meet.

"...a few things. I won't lie and say there isn't a favor I'd like to ask the both of you-"

"Like you have any right to ask Link for anything, at this point!" Tatl quickly interjected, turning red in anger. "You've terrorized us for no good reason, revealed truths we didn't need to know, and then just left us alone one day!"

"-BUT," BEN continued, "that isn't my main reason for being here. First and foremost... You're long overdue for an apology from me."

Link and Tatl looked at each other in confusion. "...pardon? " Link questioned.

"...I've been doing a lot of thinking and self reflecting lately. Especially because I finally have reason to want to improve myself. And I think I've gotten pretty far in trying to right the wrongs of my past, and try to change as a person. But I still never gave the both of you a proper apology, or even an explanation for how I treated you…" BEN sheepishly said.

Link looked down at the seated person, absolutely dumbfounded. All the times he had been attacked by BEN came instantly into his mind, only to not even be able to so much as scratch them in return, even the might of a Goron doing nothing to them. All the times he had been followed and told he was insignificant, worthless, a joke of a hero, told he was nothing more than a bland, boring conduit for the player of a game in a world far grander than his own. Only for BEN to just... Disappear one day. Gone. Vanish into thin air, and only return occasionally, seemingly at their leisure. Something... Didn't add up to him, and he wasn't sure what on Earth made them suddenly stop tormenting him, and now want to make things right.

"...I'll hear you out, at least," Link finally said, stepping forward to sit next to him. If nothing else, were he going to harm Link, BEN would have done it by now.

"Not that it makes us all hunky-dory yet," Tatl offered, settling on Link's shoulder.

BEN smiled softly, letting out a relieved breath. They stayed quiet for a moment, deciding their words carefully. "I'm not... Sure where to start. So much has happened to me. I guess I should start when we first met. When I first entered this game. It was my favorite game, and with me when I died," they started.

Tatl interrupted, jingling softly. "...when you died?"

BEN nodded softly. "When I died. I was just about your age, Link, about 12. More specifically, when I was murdered. Father simply... Got tired of me, I suppose. He tricked my religion's leader- we refer to him as The Father- into thinking it was my time to Ascend when it wasn't. The whole explanation of my belief system isn't important in this, just that I was robbed of something very important and sacred to me because of it."

"That sounds horrible," Link signed.

"It was... And I was only 12, and not the greatest at understanding or expressing my emotions... I was so angry, absolutely furious at losing that chance, as what had been done to me. I've always had a strong sense of justice, if you can believe it. I don't easily stand for people wronging me. But when I died, my spirit was trapped in this game. All that rage bottled up, with nowhere to release it... Until I started releasing it on you. Very unfairly."

"I'll say," Tatl said, though there wasn't much bite behind her words.

"Eventually, someone played the game, and I was able to break free, find someone else to torment. And after that, start lashing out at everyone who had hurt me, making them

PĄŸ,"

BEN continued, their voice glitching out just a bit at the final word.

"...i moved on to more innocent people after that. I was out of control. To the point where my goddess, Luna, intervened. She stopped me herself, gave me a new body, made me into a young adult so I wouldn't be trapped as a child forever, and I carry the souls of everyone I hurt in my blind sadism, until I join her again one day. And I've worked hard to be a better person now. I've found so much to make my life wonderful, and to make the most of my second chance…" BEN trailed off.

"...but you still want to make amends to everyone you've hurt," Link finished for them.

"...I don't expect you to forgive me. I don't think I can be forgiven. But I really AM sorry for how I treated you. Both of you. Of everyone I've lashed out at, you're the least deserving of it. No matter WHAT'S happened to me, it's NO excuse for how much I've hurt you. And even if you never forgive me, I would love the opportunity to make it up to you…" they finished softly.

"...would you excuse us for a moment?" Tatl asked, flying a slight distance away. Link glanced over at BEN before rising to his feet to follow, and speak with the fairy alone. BEN politely stayed looking forward, allowing them the privacy.

"...do you believe them?" Tatl asked.

"...yeah. They seem genuine," Link admitted.

Tatl nodded softly. "I do, too. There's much simpler ways to trick us or convince us if that was their intention. Even if they said they wanted a favor, this is a lot of lengths to go to for just that…"

"I wonder what they want," the hero mused, glancing over at BEN.

"...maybe ask? Perhaps you can also ask a favor of him, test his sincerity," she said.

"What would that be? " he asked.

"Well, you've said you're curious about his world, whatever it is that our entire world is only a game in, a small part of. Maybe you can ask to explore his world. It'd give you the opportunity to spend more time with him and let him earn your trust, anyway," she offered.

Link nodded softly, then whistled to get BEN's attention. "Alright, BEN, we've talked it over. First, I want to know what favor it is you want…"

"Actually, it's a favor specifically from Tatl," they explained.

"Wait, me?" she questioned.

"...my daughter has watched me play this game a lot. And she's absolutely fallen in LOVE with you, she ADORES seeing you on screen. Her first birthday is in a few months, and there's... Circumstances about my life, and now hers, that will make her very different from other children, with so many secrets to keep. She could really use having a companion by her side, a friend to offer wisdom and company and help when she needs it. A copy of you, like how I copied Epona, to watch over her and make her feel less alone…" BEN said.

"...you have a daughter?" Link asked.

"And a boyfriend. Soon to be husband," BEN explained, holding up their hand to show off their ring.

Tatl let out a soft chime at this. "Well... I'm certainly flattered you think I'd make a good companion to her…"

BEN smiled softly. "I don't expect an answer today, don't worry. There's still a few months before her birthday. And I understand if it's not something you're comfortable with…"

"...we have a proposal for you, in that case," Link began. "You want to make amends to us. We're admittedly curious about this world outside of our own. So, let us explore. Show us your life, and what lies outside this "game", and earn our trust. Then we'll consider it."

BEN thought this over. They'd have to be careful, but this wasn't impossible… "...I can't completely remove you from the game. I'd have to copy you, then merge the copy and your true self after. It's basically the same thing, though, you'd keep the memories and everything. And you'd have to do EXACTLY as I say, I... REALLY can't have attention drawn to myself or the people I live with. If there's something that catches your attention, you can't gawk, just stay calm and ask me. And there's going to be a LOT, the real world is nothing like this one. Hylian sign doesn't match up with any sign language in my world, so you'll at least be able to speak freely. But if you can do that, and trust that I'm keeping us both safe when I tell you to do something... I'll happily show you around."

Link considers this, then nods. He holds out his hand to BEN, who shakes it.

"Then we have a deal."

[writingandmore]

Hi! Can I have a Naruto Hetalia JJBA Batman and Demon Slayer matchup please? (If you do Supernatural or dragon ball please take out Naruto is it's one of them and Naruto plus Batman if it's the two and remplace them ^^') I am a 5'4 INTP-F gemini (more of an ambivert) ace/heteromantic girl pale skin wavy dark brown hair (the tips are purple) and eyes (with glasses) plus a little chubby(always with a smirk/bitch face).Sassy I love justice/cats/puns/dark humor/tease/draw prank fight debate(about everything) learn and read(especially mystery thriller and fantasy) plus I'm a devil's advocate.Very open minded but confused with feelings (and people) so I'm an expert at making jokes at the wrong time (and saying things I didn't mean or hurting someone because of how I said it) and not reacting "normally" to some situations.Not very touchy in public and have some issues.I'm charismatic prideful(saying sorry for me takes TIME and good luck if you want to have the last word cuz you won't) vengeful but I look chill with a shady aura(only explanation beside my blunt side as to why ppl never tell me secrets even if my friends say I have a baby face and eyes).I have some anger issues even thought it's more annoyance then anger(tsundere),so it's rare for me to lose my composure or the image I give out publically ,if not I can't control myself.I care about my friends and family even If they don't notice it and they don't come to me for help cause they say I can be blunt while I think it's better to finish this quickly so I am more logical, but in reality and on the outside I'm expressive/talkative/protective/insecure a little naive but adventurous and a tomboy with some sadistic tendencies (my conscience saved you all).I'm cruel to my enemies and indifferent towards nearly every situation but in reality I'm very kind (I hate suck ups and "idiots" I become very mean a snappy with them to the point where they get hurt without me realising same thing with some of my friends because of my sharp tongue)!Very curious(and polite unless you disrespect me or is disrespectful toward something I believe in) in every domain(morbid ones especially)+ have no problem talking about anything unless it's sexual or VERY gore which means that morally a lot of my entourage don't agree with me.A daydreamer but calculative and a smartass+chaotic good/neutral and (nearly)never let's you have the last word. Those who don't talk to me see me as a nerd aggressive smart and blunt person (maybe even prideful) and strangers as a polite sweetheart. I have some bad habits like biting my nails/lips bcs I am always nervous, disorganized room/sleep and eating schedule plus I am lazy. I don't understand a lot of references because I find movies as predictable and borings (I never saw a marvel etc) and my style varies a lot but I never wear dresses heels/makeup. Thank you!

Naruto: Sasuke! 

 - Sasuke’s own hard-headed (and a bit antagonistic) personality would match well with yours. You may both argue or banter back and forth a lot, but you’d have equal say in the relationship since you’re both on the same level in terms of humor, debate skills, and intelligence. 

 - He can be a bit awkward in social situations too-a lot of times he misses social cues, so some people can be a bit confused/hesitant around him. You two would probably be able to bond over your shared struggles and understand that it’s not because the two of you don’t want to talk to others, it’s just that you have different struggles than others in the village. 

Hetalia: Kiku Honda (APH Japan)! 

 - Kiku is also someone who prefers not to be affectionate in public, and sometimes even in private, so he’d be a great s/o for you in that regard, as you’d have a mutual understanding about that. 

 - Kiku is actually really passive aggressive and can hold grudges too-he just really doesn’t show that side of himself outside of when he’s alone or with an extremely trusted person. While arguing with each other might be rough, you’d have a very strong bond with each other since you often have the same views on other people and situations. 

JJBA: Abbachio! 

 - Abbachio certainly understands struggling with anger issues, so he’d be actually pretty understanding as long as it’s not taken out on those he cares about. 

 - Abbachio is also someone who cares deeply about others, but does it in secret as well. He doesn’t like admitting he cares for others, so an s/o who understands that and doesn’t push him to be extra affectionate or anything to that extent. 

Batman: Harvey Dent! 

 - Harvey would admire your almost cut throat approach to handling your enemies and those you don’t want to deal with. He is know to show mercy occasionally, but sometimes he’d want to act the way that you do, and would look to you for pointers. 

 - He’s rather intelligent and likes to research and learn new things in his downtime, so he’d enjoy that you are the same way. Reading together or doing things like watching documentaries would be nice, relaxing pastime for the both of you. 

Demon Slayer: Giyu! 

 - In his line of work, being calculating and one step ahead is a necessity of sorts. Therefore, Giyu would admire your ability to do the same, and that would help him feel like you can protect yourself when he can’t be there. 

 - He can be a bit awkward when approaching people at first, so your apparent sweet and nice personality could help with that. As you grow closer, he would come to love the more sassy and blunt side of you-it may have just sacred him off at the beginning without your gentle pretense. 

[zwoelffarben]

Oh boy, a nuanc'dly prickly linguistics question. I can't wait to wake up two hours from now, ears ringing in the middle of a cornfield with nothing but my phone on me open to a browser tab that's just me answering this question having no memory of neither typing the answer nor how I got into the cornfield.

So, this question is multifaceted because it directly gets to the problem at the core of language and translation which is that language is ultimately a bunch of constructs which approximately signifying meaning given a shared context, and if the context changes significantly, you wind up with symbols unable to effectively communicate meaning.

Option 1: Differently Drawn Constructs

The first obvious possible answer, to a linguist, is that in a context where these, call them races, species, clades, or cultures¹ of unrelated sapients² intermingling as language develops these groups might not develop a word meaning "us-shaped," and if they did, they wouldn't necessarily define "us" the same way humans do. Some languages don't distinguish between green and blue, others do distinguish between red and pink, the lines are wibbly and not every language draws the lines the same way. There's no reason we apefolk and they goatfolk would necessarily draw the same lines distinguishing 'us-shape' from 'not us-shape'.

It's entirely possible that satyr/goatfolk culture's word for us-shaped wouldn't be satyroid(humanoid-bipedal), but rather capraesque(goat-like). Satyr language speakers would of course able to identify 'bipedalness' if you asked them, "does this creature walk on two legs?" (they might score lower than individuals that speak a language that has a dedicated word for that category, or misidentify some fringe examples like a still photo of a bear standing on two legs) but satyr languages might not have a dedicated word to describe that category.

Interestingly, in this scenario, if satyr and apefolk cultures maintained contact for a long period of time, there might occur some cultural diffusion and the satyr language might adopt the apefolk³ language's constuct or visversa, in which case the most likely word satyrs would use for this loaned concept would be the loaned word, which would of course be the anthrocentric "Humanoid." This is something that happens in language all the time, and nothing blows up.

So, that's option one, and a diagetic potential explanation for a non-human culture might refer to their bodyshape as humanoid despite humanoid being anthrocentric.

Option 2: Humanoid is a Politicized Category

Bare with me for a second... white is a policized category. It is a racial category defined by political convincence and the absence of racialization. It is the hegemonic category used to control who is and isn't considered hegomony.

Race in fantasy, more often than not, winds up functioning as coding for race in real life; the elves are native, the dwarves are muslim,⁴ the humans are good wholesome european catholics (/sarcasm), the goblins are jewish(derogatory), the orcs are Black, and so on. Coding's complicated because sometimes it's overt, sometimes it's subtle, sometimes it's racist, sometimes it's anti-racist, and I'm not gonna add four hours to this reblog unpacking any specific tropes nor the histories and contexts that inform why they exist, because I wouldn't be able to do them the justice they deserve and this post isn't about all that. So, I'm simply acknowledging that it exists, it's complicated, and it's relevant to to my actual point.

In that context, humanoidness acts as a stand-in for whiteness within the coded metaphor. Various groups being included or excluded based on political convience. This is really common trope, though it's often very clumsily done, appearing in a lot of fantasy genre isekai where the human empire and bad guys™ are human supremacists, but the reasonable not racists™ characters consider the elves and dwarves humanoid while still excluding goblins or orcs. The anthrocentrism of the word humanoid is a feature not a bug under this interpretation because the arbetrary measure of your culture's human-ness determines your culture's place in the fantastic racial heirarchy.

Option 3: Deantropocentrialized Categories

Create an clinical or technical language for the species typical body plan, defining a rigorous system of polyglotal language rules such that literally bisymetrical apostoral terapodal eubipedal dextraites⁵ (four-limbed humanoids that have no tail, walk on two legs without assistance from additional limbs and have thumbs) condences down into a short phrase like: Botetra Eubidextrites. Throw enough roots and qualifiers in there with rigorous conventions to understand them and you've got something that communicates a body plan neutral a reasonable number of anthropocentric assumptions.

Centaur?: Bosechtra Euquadextrites

Octopi?: Raoctro octralites.

Fairies (the cute things with wings): Bosechtra Eubiaerodextrites.

Ben10's Four-arms: Bosectra Eubidextrites.

It should be noted that these aren't anything like scientific names in the modern sense though they resemble them cause I'm using latin roots. It's just a condensed report of "I have this many lines of symetry and limbs, and I use my limbs in these ways." It's a crude model to demonstrate the principal and is honestly still a bit anthropocentric, but if you tried hard, you'd probably figure out a more neutral system.

Option 4: Fuck It, We Ball

Ignore the fact that the question exists, and if it comes up, say "You're not Jolkien Rolkien Rolkien Tolkien, you don't care if there's no France in your fantasy setting: champaign is champaign. When and if0 it ever becomes relevant to real-life the linguists and translators of that hypothetical future can figure out the properly de-anthropocentrized language when there are non-human humanoids to talk to about such things, and for now you're just gonna enjoy your story about humanoid elves.

Conclusions

I probably missed some options, but these are the major ones I see as either naturalistic or pragmatic answers. Of course, they're not the only answers, just the ones I most quickly thought up.

Footnotes

¹I'll mostly be using cultures and largely ignoring the fact that these groups would realistically intermingle in large settlements anhk-moorpork style leading to one semi-melded culture with individual cultural heritages, and you would never really be something that could honestly be described as the pure culture of dwarven race™, and if every you did hear claim of such a thing, it'd be coming out of the mouth of the dwarvish equivalent to them 'true nord' white supremacist nazi bastards.

²Oh dear, there's another prickly word cause sapient comes from sapien which means ape and is anthrocentric, but it's antrocentric all the way down and we best just focus on one word specifically then generallize principles from it.

³This bits honestly exhausting to maintain and probably's made its point already, so i'mma drop it now and go back to talking about humans using the word humans.

⁴Taran Matharu's Summoner series: The dwarves actually are coded as muslim, maybe with a bit of romani muddled in.

⁵I would hate for dextero to be used to mean has thumps that are good at manipulating things, cause my southpaw ass hates that 'dexterity' is literally at the roots a measure in right-handedness; but I'm not about to put more effort into this post coming up with a handedness-neutral way to short-hand(heh) 'has thumbs.'

A question I’ve wondered about in the past is what would you call “humanoids” in a setting with multiple sentient human shaped species where humans were not culturally dominant?

Like, in a fantasy setting where elves are culturally dominant, would it make more sense to use the word “elfoid”?

“Primates” isn’t right either.  Like, in a setting like Mass Effect, species like the Drell and Turians have the same general shape as humans, but they’re definitely not mammals or otherwise closely related to humans at all.   But given the existence of multiple sentient species who aren’t shaped like humans (hanar, the rachni), it seems like it could be a useful term to have.

Is there another more elegant word for this that already exists, but I just can’t think of it?

[dawnlovesquotes]

I think I've finally decided to post my stories here. You could view this down below or in PDF. You could enjoy this in my website as well. Hope you enjoy!

Note: This is a work of fan-fiction, not based on the actual comics. I do not own DC Comics or the characters featured in the story. I apologize if there's any spelling or grammatical error as this is the first story I've ever written, so no hate please. I don't follow the actual DC timeline but I follow some of it. Some events are supposed to happen but I might change it into something (slightly) different. Some of the character(s) characteristic and personality might change a little as well.

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2014

Wednesday, 25ᵗʰ December

I'd like to start off by saying, thanks Mom and Dad for giving me this journal! It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. So, thanks, even if you can't read this LOL.

I don't even have a clue on how to write a journal. Hmm, let's start off by introducing myself.

My name’s Dawn Allen. I was born on the 2ⁿᵈ February 2005 with my twin brother, Donald Henry Allen, Don for short. My dad is Barry Allen, a CSI working for the Central City Police Department. My Mom, Iris West-Allen, is a reporter working for the Picture News.

Thing is, me and my family, we’re not like any other families in Central City. My Dad was struck by lightning while he was working late at night at his lab, and fell into a coma for 9 months! He woke up and began saving people around the city as the Flash. My dad founded the team 'Flash and Friends', it’s a secret group though. Oh yeah, did I mention he was a founding member of the Justice League as well? How cool is that!?

My Mom’s really cool too! She could make ‘perfect’ pancakes. But who cares? I’ve been trying to follow her to different places when she reports, but Mom wouldn’t let me. She said it might be dangerous, with all the metahumans on the loose. So during those spare times, I would be doing some sketches.

Don is pretty interested in science. Dad’s thinking that we should visit the Hall of Science in New York someday. That is, when he’s not busy with Justice League stuff. Don’s crazy about all things science. When we first set foot at S.T.A.R. Labs, he’s been running all around looking (and touching) stuff, despite Professors Wells and Stein’s warnings. I don't blame him. If I were in his shoes, I would do the exact same thing.

What do I like? Well, I enjoy books. I'm interested in mystery, science fiction, historical non fiction and fantasy. My family (mostly Dad, Wally and Max) doesn't really enjoy fantasy, because their minds are based on science. I'm not trying to insult them or anything, but they just can't accept the fact that magic exists. Even Zatanna and Doctor Fate use magic. But instead of thinking it as magic, they say that there's always a scientific explanation for it. I hope that I won't have the same idea when I grow older…

I also have an excellent taste in art. I'm still trying to improve my art skills though, it's horrible. Max said that my drawings are pretty good for a kid my age so… I guess it's good??

I love music as well. I know it sounds weird but I actually enjoy oldies.Yes, old music. I don't know why I like it! The kids at school think I'm so old fashioned, but I never really paid much of that in mind. Of course, I also enjoy a lot of modern Pop music.

Ok, moving on to my closest friends. I met Jon Kent about two years ago, and ever since that day, we've gotten pretty close. So to me, he's my best friend even though he may not consider me as his best friend. Jon talks about his ‘other’ best friend often, and they've gone on many missions together. They're actually pretty close. I mean, who thought that Jon’s best friend is the one and only Damian Wayne A.K.A Robin?! Maybe it's its nature, Superman has Bats, Bizarro has Red Hood, Superboy the first has Red Robin and Jon has Robin. So I'm not surprised they're super close.

Louise Stone has been Don’s best friend for years now. We may have our differences but we get along really well. So I guess I consider her as my close friend.

Sometimes Wally’s friend, Roy, brings his daughter Lian to have a ‘playdate' with us. Though Lian has anger issues, we eventually became close with her.

There's also another person, but he doesn't know I'm related to the Flash. His name is...Jeven Ognats.

Jeven is basically the only friend that has nothing to do with the superhero community. Don and I met him last year. He was a transfer from Keystone City.

Let's go back to my family. Sorry to break it to you, but all of my cousins are speedsters (whaaat??). Yep, it's the truth! Don could probably relate to my cousin, Wally West. They're both huge science geeks. They get along pretty well, maybe a bit too well.

As for me, I guess I'm closer to my other cousin, Max West. We have a lot of differences but I'm surprised that we get along.

AAHHH looks like I wasted my first few pages on myself. I should really know what important things to write in my journal. Maybe I could ask Mom to give me some advice.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 [Coming Soon]

Copywrite © 2021 by dawnlovesquotes & dawnlovesart

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Sorry if this story didn't meet your expectations :( But I promise the next chapter would be better!

[aceattorney-apollojustice]

ooc: I recall that I said I would post down some of my more recent AA thoughts, one of them being what I would like to if Apollo's game had gotten a fifth case ala Rise From the Ashes. I figure since Polly isn't complying, I may as well type it down. Who knows? It could probably make for a good plot/thread.

I figure it'll be easier to list the ideas off, then explain them.

Don't have Phoenix involved in the case, at least until the end

Be a proper bridge to Dual Destinies

Continue the tradition of Apollo having not entirely innocent clients

Have anyone BUT Klavier be the prosecutor

No high stakes, have the case be a good ol' murder mystery

Alright, explanation time, starting with:

Don't have Phoenix involved in the case, at least until the end

It's no secret that Phoenix pretty much stole Apollo's limelight in his own game. That's why, if the game ever did get a 5th case, I wouldn't want Phoenix to be involved or seen in any way, shape, or form until the very end of the case. Don't get me wrong, I like Feenbean, especially Hobo Feenbean, but his time is done for now.

Be a proper bridge to Dual Destinies

Yeah, Dual Destinies did a very poor job of bridging the gap between Hobo Phoenix and new Phoenix, not to mention the fact it gave Apollo some much needed backstory which he could have really used in his own game. The latter half of the problem is easy to fix. Just have Clay call Apollo and give him a pep talk similar to what Phoenix did in 6-2, or have him appear in person saying that he wanted to watch one of his best friend's trials. As for Phoenix, like I said, have him appear at the end of the case, with him saying he's planning on going to Europe for a while after passing the bar. Also, have him apologize to Apollo for his behavior towards him during that year. That alone will show Apollo that Phoenix is starting to get back to his old self and toss aside the jaded hobo he's been for years. Not to mention it'd make seeing him again after returning from Europe in Dual Destinies a lot less jarring.

Obviously patching this problem up is easier if Phoenix is allowed to appear during the case, but I figure giving Apollo some identity in his own game is a better priority.

Continue the tradition of Apollo having not entirely innocent clients

This one is probably the simplest to do and probably the most trivial, but I do love the fact that all of Apollo's clients (pre Dual Destinies anyways) were all guilty of something other than the murder they were accused of. This simple notion is enough to start giving Apollo major trust issues. More on this fascinating analysis can be found in this post here.

Have anyone BUT Klavier be the prosecutor

Yeah, I won't lie, this one is more personal/petty. I simply dislike Klavier and would rather not see him. Plus the guy is still probably dealing with the reelback from his band breaking up, and his brother showing his true colors definitely stirred something up I'm sure.

The only 3 choices I can think of for the prosecution are Edgeworth, Fransizka, and Winston Payne. Haven't played or watched either of the Investigations games, so I can't comment confidently on any prosecutors seen there. The only one who would probably be a really good fit would be Sebastian Debeste.

Edgeworth is a pretty left field option, but damn it these two need to meet. Plus, a courtroom battle between Edgeworth and Apollo would be quite interesting, since Apollo doesn't bluff nearly as much as Phoenix. When he does, it's usually to draw out new evidence. It would be a legit game of debating+logic chess for at least 80% of the trial.

Haven't seen much of Franny prosecute, so I can't really comment, but Apollo does not have Phoenix's ridiculous luck+endurance, so those whips might be deadly...

Payne could actually work if you tie in the "succession theme" from 4-4* in a really ironic way? Like, he decides if he loses this case, he'll file for retirement. The fabled Rookie Killer getting permanently "killed" by a rookie. Phoenix wasn't able to do it, so this is about as close as it's going to get for Apollo unless we can deviate from Dual Destinies entirely. Could also serve as a catalyst for Gaspen to go up against the WAA.

(*The 4th case for Apollo Justice is named "Turnabout Succession", but really, Apollo didn't succeed Phoenix at all. He was just his mouth piece against Gavin. And to add salt to the wound, Phoenix ends up returning as an attorney in Dual Destinies, so yeah, it makes everything moot. I would have definitely loved to use Edgeworth with this themed framework in mind, but it only works properly if Phoenix never returns to law or choose a different law based profession, like a professor at Themis or something.)

No high stakes, have the case be a good ol' murder mystery

Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice both have fifth cases with stupidly high stakes if you lose, even more so than the trilogy's final cases. As noted in this post here, Apollo Justice as a game inverted so many themes from the trilogy, so it wouldn't hurt to invert this one as well. Obviously this is AA, so we can't have a normal trial, but simply make it more down to earth. And please don't let it drag on like RFtA. Seriously.

+×*+×*+×*+×*+×*+×*+×*+×*+×*+×*+×*

Anyways, those are the main things I'd have wanted to see if AJ ever got a fifth case. Hopefully I didn't bore ya. Some other optional things could include the case utilizing a new puzzle solving method exclusive to whatever device it is released on, or having Apollo alone on the defense's bench (meaning no Trucy or Phoenix to give advice or comment. Him standing on his own for once would definitely help him.)

[plotlinehotline]

How do I reveal large amounts of backstory without resorting to massive paragraphs of exposition dump? I have two characters who hold a grudge based on something convoluted that happened a year before the start of the book, and their ongoing feud fuels much of the character conflict in the story, but I can't figure out how to show readers what happened without a massive exposition wall and/or cheesy flashback...

[ Warning: Extremely long post and explicit language/themes ahead! ]

You’d be surprised at how much impact even the smallest hints can carry. Audiences are typically a lot more receptive than most media gives them credit for these days, and can pick up on a lot of things, even when they’re not stated explicitly.

“You’ll like it here,” Sarah said, nodding her head toward one of the tables in the back. Abigail followed her. “It’s not the best school in the county, but at least it’s better than Griggs. I heard that three of their teachers had to be put on house arrest last year because of some—”She was cut off when she collided with the girl in front of her, who had stopped abruptly in the middle of the aisle to talk to someone at the table next to them. The girl turned around, and her expression soured when she saw who had bumped into her.

“Sarah,” she said curtly.

“Hannah,” Sarah replied, shoving past her without meeting her eyes.

Even without either of the characters explaining it, you can tell that Sarah and Hannah have a history that Abigail (and the reader) are as yet unaware of. There’s an implication that there’s a mutual dislike there, but we’re not totally sure why, nor how deep it goes. This sets the stage for reading into future actions to try to gain further context clues.

Another option is offering summaries of the event or emotions in question. These obviously won’t do justice to the full story, especially if the characters’ relationship is complicated, but they can give us the stripped-bare, oversimplified version that allows for further understanding of the ongoing grudge.

Sarah watched the assembly with apparent disinterest, staring unconcerned at the handful of students laying on the gym floor in garbage sacks that made a poor substitute for body bags.

“Y’know,” Abigail said, leaning over, “it’s not that I don’t respect the message or anything. I just think it might be a little more impactful if the guy playing the grim reaper weren’t wearing white Adidas.”

Sarah snorted, turning her face away so as to avoid grinning down at all of the ‘dead’ students. Hannah was looking their way, and Sarah made eye contact with her briefly before turning back and glaring down at her shoes.

“What’s the deal with you?” Abigail asked, unable to keep it to herself any longer.

“Nothing, it’s stupid,” Sarah replied, her gaze still burning holes in her shoes. “Actually, it’s not stupid. She started a really awful rumor that got me and someone else into a lot of trouble, and she did it just because she was mad.”

Her voice had gotten considerably louder and higher pitched, and Abigail decided to drop the subject until they were out of the crowded gym.

With this, you have a bit more understanding of what happened between the characters, but not quite enough to connect all the dots. This provides the biggest context clue of all, and allows readers to add in any other details they’ve picked up from the rest of the story in an attempt to be on more even footing when the reveal finally comes.

Finally, you can get away with some actual exposition. By this point, you’ll have given enough clues that your primary explanation won’t feel so much like a big wall of new information or a tacky flashback, and you can use it as more of a tool for filling in the blanks that your readers don’t quite understand yet.

Putting characters like Abigail into the reader’s position can help to even some of this out. At this point, the audience knows just as much about Sarah and Hannah’s falling out as Abigail does, and they don’t feel quite as much isolated from the story and in need of characters to break things down specifically for their sake. It makes the story feel more empathetic, and can draw your readers in as they get to see Abigail reacting in real time, as well.

Interrupting the massive dialogue dump/internal monologue with actions, interactions, and reactions from the surrounding characters and environments can also help to soften the blow of a big bunch of exposition. Real life doesn’t frequently offer you the opportunity to sit and think or listen to someone else speak uninterrupted for however long it takes them to finish their story, and showing the dynamic movement occurring at the same time can help to break down the pieces that seem a little too big to swallow all at once.

“She turned me into the school slut,” Sarah sobbed from behind the stall door. “I’ve had sex with one boy in my whole life, how was I supposed to know it was the one she liked? She never fucking said anything!”

Abigail leaned against the door and tapped it absently with her fingernail. “Is that what the rumor was about?” she asked, and there was a pause in which she wondered if Sarah had nodded before realizing she couldn’t see her.

“I was a TA for Mr. Lockland,” she said, no longer crying, but still in a weak and wavery voice. “He was the music teacher before you came. He’d leave the door unlocked during lunch periods so that I could go in and set up before class started, since he liked to go home and have lunch with his wife. I knew nobody was going to be in there for a while, so we went —Jason and I, I mean— we went in so we could be alone. I didn’t think it would be that big of a deal.”

“Did you get caught?”

“No,” Sarah said, and Abigail could hear the tears start up again. “I got pregnant.”

“What?” Abigail jumped out of the way as Sarah stormed out of the stall and crossed over to the sinks. She turned on the water, but left it running untouched while she stared at her swollen, red face in the mirror.

“Yeah,” she said finally. “And I guess Hannah figured out it was Jason’s, and got mad. She decided to embarrass me and try to get me in trouble by starting a rumor that it was Mr. Lockland’s. And it worked, y’know, people believed her. I told them that he wasn’t even at the school, and they didn’t listen. People like a stupid, made-up story about a whore TA more than they like hearing what makes sense. The rumor got up to the school board, and he got fired.”

She splashed her face and turned around to face Abigail, nose dripping as much as her makeup, and shrugged. “He was a really great teacher, and he’ll probably never get a job again. And I’m the horny slut who likes to fuck married teachers.”

The story gets revealed, but not all in a single go. We see the vulnerability of the character in question through their actions, and the story is spurred on by reactions of the surrounding characters that may not have spoken otherwise.

I hope this answers your question, anon! Thank you for indulging me in my overly long examples.

I wish you the best of luck with this! Backstory and exposition can be really difficult, but I believe in you~

Love,Penney