#my favorite thing about this is that it causes me to make large headcanon decisions on the fly in order to get a zip code because

[3584-tropical-fish]

It’s become a bit of a trend of mine to write epistolary novel style fics that require tons of research for really mundane things. So, I’ve found myself with one regarding Ms. Perumal trying to find her kid, featuring phone calls varying in their level of helpfulness, anagrams, and a brochure about fishing locales.

Also written under the cut if a Google doc is not ideal.

Letter, addressed to Reynie Muldoon, Boatwright Academy, 100 Copernicus Road, ST0087

Dear Reynie,

Congratulations on your acceptance to Boatwright! I’m so proud of you, and I always will be. I sent a package with some of your belongings and a couple gifts from me, but do let me know if there’s anything I missed. And, of course, you are always welcome to reach out if you ever need me. You know where to find me.

I know this is a big change for you, but I also know that everything will turn out perfectly fine. You can do this! You’ll learn a lot more from the Boatwright Academy than what I could ever teach you, and I know that this will be a great opportunity for you. Though, as I’ve said, I’ll be here if you ever need me.

Much love,

Ms. Perumal

Phone call, Ms. Dipika Perumal and Boatwright Academy Offices

MAN: Boatwright Academy, how can I help you?

MS. PERUMAL: Good afternoon. I recently sent a package to Reynard Muldoon, a new student at your school? It just arrived back at my house, and I wanted to make sure that he was alright.

MAN: Things don’t just get sent back, maybe there was a mistake in the address you wrote. Nothing to worry about.

MS. PERUMAL: I’ve double checked it multiple times, I am certain that I haven’t made any errors.

MAN: Well, if there wasn’t a mistake, I’m afraid I can’t help you any more. We–

MS. PERUMAL: You’re the only ones that can! I cannot reach out to him any other way.

MAN: (sighing) What was the name? I’ll see what I can find but I can’t guarantee–

MS. PERUMAL: (frustrated) Muldoon. M-U-L-D-O-O-N. Reynard Muldoon.

MAN: Ma’am, I’m sorry, but–

MS. PERUMAL: This is the Boatwright Academy, isn’t it?

MAN: It is, but our policy states that we are not allowed to disclose any information about our students to non-family members.

MS. PERUMAL: (increasingly firm) Be that as it may, I sent a package to one of your students. Why was it returned?

MAN: I have no idea.

MS. PERUMAL: He is a student there, is he not?

MAN: Ma’am, there’s no Reynard Muldoon enrolled here.

MS. PERUMAL: There must be a mistake. Tell your headmaster that I’m on my way to talk to her in person.

(call ends)

Security Feed, Boatwright Academy Headmaster’s Office

(The HEADMASTER sits at her desk, typing something on a computer. After a moment, there is a knock at the door.)

HEADMASTER: Come in.

(MS. PERUMAL enters and sits in the chair across from the HEADMASTER.)

HEADMASTER: (curtly) Ms. Perumal?

MS. PERUMAL: (just as curtly) Yes.

HEADMASTER: You are lucky that I agreed to see you, Ms. Perumal. You have no affiliation with anyone at this school, but we deemed it more beneficial to everyone involved if we prevented you from… (pause) breaking in.

(The HEADMASTER shifts to fully face MS. PERUMAL and places a paper in front of her.)

HEADMASTER: A class roster, M section, of course. You’ll notice there is no “Muldoon”.

(MS. PERUMAL picks up the paper and skims through it. She frowns.)

MS. PERUMAL: He would’ve been admitted just a few days ago, are you certain this is up to date?

HEADMASTER: (sighing) Yes. I printed it just this morning. Our records are updated upon any student’s admission. Reynard Muldoon is not a student here.

(MS. PERUMAL rifles through her bag and pulls out her own paper. It is a newspaper from a week or so prior. She places it on the table.)

MS. PERUMAL: What’s this then? (reading aloud) “Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities? Boatwright Academy is offering gifted children a chance to participate in a special testing day. Children who pass the test will be offered a full scholarship to Boatwright Academy”. My student attended these exams, and, following their conclusion, I received a call that he had been admitted into the Boatwright Academy. (with force) Why is he not here?

(The HEADMASTER frowns.)

HEADMASTER: Those tests are run by an affiliate of ours. They informed us that no one had passed the tests this year.

(MS. PERUMAL looks stricken.)

HEADMASTER: Is there anything else?

(Silence)

MS. PERUMAL: No, I— no. (She clears her throat.) You’ve helped me enough. (MS. PERUMAL stands.) Thank you for your time.

HEADMASTER: Of course. I hope everything turns out well.

(MS. PERUMAL nods, turns, and exits the room.)

(feed ends)

Phone call, Ms. Dipika Perumal and The Stonetown Gazette Offices

CAROLINE: You’ve reached The Stonetown Gazette, my name is Caroline. What can I help you with today?

MS. PERUMAL: I’m looking for the name of the person or organization who ran the ad that offered scholarship opportunities for the Boatwright Academy. They did not include clear contact information and I’d like to get in touch.

CAROLINE: I’ll see what I can find, ma’am. What did the ad say, exactly?

MS. PERUMAL: In large font, “Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?” It was quite unique.

CAROLINE: Ah, yes. I remember that one. Quite unique, indeed. Excuse me for a moment while I look for this, I’m going to put you on hold.

(soft piano music)

(several moments pass)

CAROLINE: Unfortunately, I only have a name, no further contact information, though I’m sure you could reach out to the Boatwright Academy for further details. It was paid for by Cheri Turpintown. Spelled C-H-E-R-I, T-U-R-P-I-N-T-O-W-N. Anything else I can do for you, ma’am?

MS. PERUMAL: Oh, no. That’s all I needed. Thank you very much.

CAROLINE: Of course! Have a nice day, now.

MS. PERUMAL: And you too.

(call ends)

Stonetown Registrar, List of Local Business Owners

CHERI TURPINTOWN

Affiliation: Boatwright Academy

Phone: None

Address: None

Journal, Owned by Ms. Dipika Perumal

Cheri Turpintown

Placed the ad

No known address

Connections to Boatwright

Possibly the test proctor

cheriturpintown

cehiinnoprttuw

port

ton

in

truth in ceinoprw

prow cein ice

power cin inc

truth in power inc

Power in Truth Inc.

Stowntown Registrar, List of Local Businesses (Shell Companies)

POWER IN TRUTH, INC.

Owner: Withheld by request

Phone: None

Address: None

PO Box: Power in Truth, Inc.

PO Box 2733

Stonetown, USA 02748

Security Feed, Stonetown Market (Video Only)

(MS. PERUMAL approaches a storefront. This store belongs to the FISHMONGER.)

(The FISHMONGER greets her and asks a question. MS. PERUMAL shakes her head and asks something in return. She speaks for a moment, making some gestures with her hands, and eventually points toward the salmon displayed behind the FISHMONGER.)

(The FISHMONGER frowns and shakes his head.)

(MS. PERUMAL says something more, and swiftly walks away and out of sight.)

Brochure, Stonetown Fish and Game Commission: Fishing Locations

There are a multitude of picturesque locations in and around Stonetown that are perfect for fishing. The waters off the coast are known for their catches of mackerel, sea bass, Atlantic cod, and plenty of other species. Beginners can find many coastal areas or freshwater ponds and rivers in the area, while more seasoned fishers can try their hand at sites off the coast.

Due to the importance of fishing on the local economy, fishing licenses are required in almost all shorelines and waters off the coast of Stonetown. Licenses can easily be acquired from the Stonetown Fish and Game Commission offices, but caution should still be taken to not fish in dangerous areas or private property.

Should one wish to spend a weekend casually fishing without a license, the Beauchamps Woods, central to one of Stonetown’s many public parks, is home to a two-mile stretch of shoreline where unlicensed fishing is permitted. For convenience, multiple trails lead to various spots in the area.

[image: A map of a section of Stonetown’s coast, which is surrounded by Beauchamps Woods. Multiple trails are marked in colorful lines throughout the area, most leading to various spots along the water. Across the water, on the edge of the map, one side of Harbor Island is pictured. Boxed in red, centered on the map, is a section of coast that is labeled “UNLICENSED FISHING AREA”.

This particular brochure copy has multiple trail ends crossed out but one, which seems to have a good view of Harbor Island, is circled in several frantic rings.]

[kelbunny]

❤ 🧡 and 💚 for Triangle Strategy and Octopath, for the unpopular opinion ask game!

Ack sorry for the wait asdfghjkl

❤: Which character do you think is the most egregiously mischaracterized by the fandom?

For Octopath? Probably Temenos at least at of ones I'm probably more able to talk about. It's gotten better, but I've never liked the whole "crimenos bc crime haha" deal. It's definitely gotten better though.

For Triangle Strategy, Roland is an obvious one, but I'll talk about him more down under 💚. Though these might be older as well, but I've also seen some Benedict takes that are off. "Benedict is better than Roland bc Roland is making a dumb decision out of wanting revenge, unlike Benedict, who is being rational" as though Benedict's desire to overthrow the Royal Family is fueled by a desire to get revenge for Destra via her son.

🧡: What is a popular (serious) theory you disagree with?

I can't say I know of any tristrat theories I disagree with, but for Octopath, I've never really been a fan of the "Temenos is a child of Claude theory". It's largely based of a misinterpreted line from Arcanette directed at Throné and the fact Temenos has white hair (which like. It's a jrpg. That's like par for the course for a jrpg). The only "solid" evidence I've seen is the fact that Temenos has a night based passive.

To me, it's simply less of a theory and more of a fun headcanon.

💚: What does everyone else get wrong about your favorite character?

So, I am going to put a cut here haha. Roland Glenbrook, my beloved, your chapter 17 decision is horrible but man I've wanted to do a full little rant for it for a while

So, Roland's chapter 17 decision "To give up the Kingdom and side with Hyzante, despite this dooming the Roselle". A horrible decision that leads to the most "bad" of the bad endings. But, it is not a decision made because Roland hates the Roselle, nor did it "come out of no where" not be "ooc" for Roland.

Roland is established as the "champion of Morality" so to speak. He cares deeply about the safety of his people and friends, and dislikes when the strong try to overpower the weak for gain, as shown by his second character story. He explains this point himself if you do the Liberty Ending, that he can't abide with Aesfrost for that exact reason, as Gustadolf is the embodiment of the strong crushing the weak for their own gain.

If you visit Hyzante, you see Roland comment on how if everyone's needs are met, there's no need for war, a point initially brought up in Chapter 3 if you visit Hyzante, and elaborated on during chapter 10 if you smuggled the salt.

When he shifts to Utility at the end, it's still done out of wanting to protect his people, but that ideal has been tainted by his (cowardly) belief that Glenbrook is too far gone to be saved, caused by the low self worth of himself first shown in chapter 2 growing due to everything that's happened. The corruption you learn about if you report Sorsley. His chapter 15, where his attempts to clear out said corruption in the Royalists leads to a child trying to kill him, and his own people viewing him as a tyrant.

It's a decision made out of desperation and cowardice one he rejects to various degrees in all 3 other endings. And the thing is, as far as Roland knew, he was stripping away his own power along side Glenbrook, as there was no way he could have known Idore was going to execute Tenebris and offer him a position as one of the Saintly Seven.

It's still a hypocritical decision as are Benedict's and Frederica's, but this ain't about them rn, but he realizes that himself during the Golden ending especially, both during his apology scene with Serenoa, as well as during various mid-battle conversations.

[nirikeehan]

Fanfic writer asks: ❤️, 💥, 👻

Question list here!

❤️ What is your favorite line that you’ve written in a fic?

ohhhh god there's a lot. I often come back to A Little Grace, and Some Elegance for the iconic exchanges between Cullen and Samson in that fic. Here's a bit where they discuss Cullen's relationship with Meredith that always hits me right in the feels:

“What if I told you Meredith saved my life?”

“Ha, sure she did. When?”

“When I first got to Kirkwall. You recall what I was like.” Cullen grimaced. It was a chore to think of himself back then. “If it wasn’t for Meredith, I don’t know what would have happened to me. Without her mentorship…”

“Nah, kid. You’re remembering it wrong. All she cared about was blind obedience.” Samson sat up. “I was there. You chased her approval, but you were always fair with people — mages, templars, whoever. I seen too many knights decide cruelty was the only way to get in good with her. You never did that. ’S the only reason I ever bothered with you, to be honest.” He pointed a decisive finger at Cullen. “Meredith didn’t save you. You saved yourself.”

💥 What is one canon thing that you wish you could change?

I really, really wish Anders hadn't acted alone in the Chantry attack. I get why he did, and I get what the narrative was trying to say with it. But that motivation feels typical for the post-9/11 concept of a lone wolf terrorist that was a popular media narrative at the time.

Having studied war, political conflict, sectarian violence, all of the things that Dragon Age emulates in its fictional plot lines, I just don't buy it. "Lone wolves" very rarely actually are lone wolves. Fervent belief is not enough to mobilize someone to violence. Especially not something as large scale as the Chantry explosion. That shit takes planning, coordination, a lot of moving parts.

Also, they're usually getting paid. They usually have a group they're a part of, a network.

Or, if they're not, they're innocent, and law enforcement is parading around someone random or adjacent to the real criminals just to prove how tough on crime they are.

All this is stuff I have seen in my IRL work. To call it frustrating is putting it very, very mildly. That is why I don't like seeing these erroneous concepts perpetuated in fiction, either.

I think it would have made far more sense that Anders was working with a rebel mage cell and they were the ones to set up the Chantry attack. Like, sure, maybe Anders was leading the charge, but he didn't do it entirely by himself. That seems believable to me – it stands to reason there'd be plenty of sympathizers around. And IDK, maybe that was originally what was scripted but the devs ran out of time and couldn't implement.

But it would make his story a bit more compelling than the old, tired, circular "lone wolf" angle – the one in which terrorists' motives are all but inscrutable anyway, so why bother trying to figure out why they did what they did?

I do suspect the writers realized their mistake after the fact, and that's why so little of what Anders does at the end of DA2 factors into Inquisition. I'm sure that's frustrating for some fans, but it was a relief to me. Inquisition asks bigger questions, and has a better sense of institutions, the root causes of war, how once united fronts can fracture and factionalize. All that is extremely true to history and to how real world conflicts shake out.

👻 What is your wildest headcanon?

LMAO, I mean. It's Cullen's lack of volume control, isn't it? That in most situations he has no inside voice and that may or may not be due to hearing loss from his proximity to the Kirkwall Chantry explosion?

And maybe also the fact that Pravin and Thom Rainier once high-fived at an orgy in Orlais.

[smallestapplin]

Oh great and Powerful Ezz show us the forbidden Plumeria romance headcanons for I am just a poor NBLW who hath been cursed to fall in love when my eyes layed upon her form.

YESYESYESYESYES! I’m so gay for this. Your wish is granted.

Reader is left gender neutral

Asks are open!

-

-

☠️Plumeria☠️

- You two met when she brought guzma over to apologize to your little sister Selene.

- A rough knock on the door and instead of the first ever Alolan champion opening it. You stood there.

- “Is Selene here?”

- “Oh yes let me cal for her.”

- You stood there giggling as this large intimidating man apologized so softly to your little sister.

- Every mess up he made the lady next to him would yank his ear.

- You know your sister is enjoying this.

- After all was said and done Guzma left first chance he got and your sister went back into her room.

- But you two still stood there.

- “I’m Plumeria, I’m team skulls brain cell apparently.”

- She smiles at your laughter.

- “Nice to meet you!” You gave her your name.

- Even as she apologized for ‘that big dumb idiots’ actions.

- You found her so sweet.

- As she did you.

- She gave you her number and told you to call her anytime.

- And you took her up on that.

- Both of you bonded exceptionally well.

- Over small things at first, you loved her make up and talked about cool designs she could do with it and she does!

- Pokémon, obviously.

- She wants to bond with your Pokémon as she sees you do hers.

- She loves just how well you mesh with her.

- And when she fell in love she fell hard.

- But unlike a certain friend she wasted no time.

- “Hey.”

- You squeak and find yourself pinned to a wall. Her face inches from yours.

- “I like you, date me.”

- “I-I’m sorry?”

- “You’re already a flustered mess, so you like me too. Date me.”

- You date at how straight forward she is but say yes.

- And she absolutely ROMANCES you.

- Nightly walks on the beach.

- Star gazing.

- Homemade romantic dinners.

- She’s lighting candles and everything.

- I hope you don’t mind she does your make up.

- Doesn’t matter the gender or no gender.

- She wants to give you bat winged eye liner.

- Unless you’re uncomfortable with that, which is fine too.

- But she at least wants you in the room with her while she does her make up.

- No matter how long you two have been dating she will still flirt with you.

- She loves seeing you get all bashful.

- Flirt with her back. She gets competitive about it.

- If she loses the flirt off she’s shutting you up with a kiss, then another, then another, then- yeah you’re not leaving anytime soon.

- She loves kissing you.

- She wants nothing more than to hold you in arms and shower you in her affection.

- Is absolutely protective over you.

- She is a queen at insulting people where it hurts.

- But if it’s someone making you uncomfortable.

- Or Arceus above touch you.

- They are getting decked.

- You’ve probably had to pull her off someone after she downed them cause she wouldn’t stop.

- Kinda hot-

- Your comfort and safety are her top priority.

- Most of her decision probably end with ‘how would this effect my starlight?’

- She tells you everything. Like she has no secret that you already don’t know.

- She can flirt with you and you flirt back all day, but the second she is alone and she thinks about your words she screams into a pillow.

- She loves you so much.

- Oh dear and if the grunts notice and tease her like school yard kids her face gets impossibly flushed.

- “Yer starin again.”

- Plumeria glares at guzma “shut the hell up.”

- She couldn’t help it, you’re bonding so well with the grunts.

- She feels like her family is complete.

- She’s in love.

- Plumes is the big spoon and she’ll fight you for it.

- Her favorite cuddling position is you laying on top of her.

- It lets her wake up and seeing your cute peaceful face.

- Once you two are comfortable she says ‘I love you’ all the time.

- No matter what.

- You’ll hear it several times a day cause she doesn’t want you to feel like she doesn’t.

- Cause she does!

- You just make her heart beat really fast!

- She doesn’t know how to handle that!

- “Plumes?”

- “Yeah?”

- “I love you.”

- She looks at you, golden eyes brimming with passion.

- “I love you too starlight.”

[theoriginalcarnivorousmuffin]

Lily Evans and Severus Snape: Headcanons

So, I was asked in the ask about Sirius and Regulus what I thought about Snape and Lily. At this point people are probably going, “Oh that Carnivorous Muffin is just clearly a Snape stan who thinks he could never do anything wrong and anyone who was slightly mean to him is evil.” Shockingly, I’m actually not, I just happen to think sexual harassment and attempted murder are bad and probably worse than JKR intended (I do think she was trying to go the “boys will be boys” route versus “oh my god, they just dumped pigs blood on Carrie at the prom and then threw her at a starving vampire”)

So let’s start on Snape.

First, Snape did live an incredibly shitty life, with circumstances beyond his control, that did lead to many of his poorer choices. In no way am I saying that it was alright for Snape to have grown up in an impoverished, abusive, household and endured years of humiliation and torment at school. 

That said, I believe that we all, in some respects, are responsible for our actions and our decisions. Yes, even when we come from non-privileged backgrounds. Life is hard, some people will have it much easier than you, that doesn’t excuse you becoming a domestic terrorist or tormenting and terrifying your students, young children, so much so that an entire generation comes out with a loathing and incompetence in your subject.

I guess let’s start back on his friendship with Lily Evans. We get... a really weird perspective from Snape on that friendship. Time and her tragic death have warped it into this strange worship where I’m not sure the Lily Evans that exists in his mind and memory is the one that really was there. She’s this shining Madonna idol who he failed, actively betrayed, is very very hung up about it years later.

I suspect they weren’t as good of friends as either of them thought they were and it comes down to Snape’s resentment of his own upbringing and muggles. I believe Snape was very racist towards muggles, specifically, due to his father. It was his way of grappling with his home life and only fueled by being in Slytherin. Lily was probably, in his mind, always a golden exception to the rule (Lily is the token, gold standard, muggleborn where she’s pretty, brilliant, charming, etc.) That Severus himself was a halfblood clearly caused him some angst. What I’m getting at is that I believe throughout their entire friendship, especially when they got to Hogwarts, there was an unacknowledged undercurrent of intense racism that eventually boiled up with that one incident in Snape’s fifth year.

Calling her that, while he views it as a slip of the tongue that damned him for all time, I see it more as a Freudian Slip. That sort of thing doesn’t just slip out from nowhere, not at that age when they both knew exactly what that word meant, it simmers beneath the surface, and was ultimately what he thought of her. Later, she became the Madonna figure that he views her as today (ironically perhaps even less of a person than he viewed her as at the time).

That said I think a number of factors played into the young Snape becoming a Death Eater. One, becoming friends with Lucius/that crowd who were all being sucked into Tom’s influence. Two, having his terrible home life and all the implications of Snape resenting his own blood status as well as muggles and muggle borns at large. Three, the loss of friendship with Lily (now there’s nothing to hold him back anymore, he has no reason to preserve muggleborn life). Fourth, Dumbledore’s letting Sirius, James, and Remus entirely off the hook in the werewolf incident.

That last one, especially, I imagine cemented Snape’s utter hatred of ‘the light’ (don’t get me started on the stupidity of light/dark in Harry Potter but I guess I’ll use the term) and those that cater to muggleborns. They’re hypocrites of the highest order, Dumbledore claiming to defend the poor and non-nobility, when he goes and does the exact opposite (James is the next lord Potter, Sirius is still pureblooded even if disowned, Severus Snape is a dirt poor halfblood). 

So what I’m saying is I understand why Snape did become a Death Eater, I do not condone this action. Especially as, unlike Regulus, Snape never gets cold feet. He loves being a Death Eater at first, he’s living the dream, getting all the revenge he ever wanted and burning the stupid wizarding world to the ground as he scrambles for ways to climb in Tom Riddle’s graces. We don’t see any hint that he was wavering, thinking of the fact that beloved Lily might die in battle, perhaps at his hand, until the prophecy. 

Now, I’m a little kinder than some about the prophecy. We know Snape overhears the first portion of the prophecy in early 1980. He eagerly rushes to the dark lord, regales him with the prophecy in both a) aid to the cause and b) in the hopes of climbing in the ranks and gaining the dark lord’s notice. At this point, Lily Evans is pregnant, perhaps knows the gender, but has not given birth. Months later, when both Neville Longbottom and Harry Potter are born at the end of July, Snape realizes he has signed Lily Evans’ death warrant (because despite Dumbledore talking, I imagine Tom always planned to kill off both children, Pettigrew just happened to make things convenient for Tom to go to the Potters first).

With Lily’s death now so inevitable, and her blood on his own hands, Snape has his existential crisis, goes to Dumbledore who puts the Potters in hiding and becomes a double agent. Snape also pleads for Lily’s life with Tom and he puts in a minimal amount of effort to spare the woman. 

Then Lily dies anyway and now Snape lives in the bitter cynicism most commonly seen in characters from Game of Thrones. He’s Dumbledore’s agent and sort of a Dirty Harry character, getting to see all the nasty things that many of the other order members never have to deal with. He’s one of the more intelligent characters in the series, able to see the truth of the world he lives in, but he also doesn’t care enough to actually do anything about it. He’s a bitter, resentful, and angry protector of Harry Potter, choosing to hate a naive child for all the reminders of his own terrible life (both in Lily, for failing and betraying her, and in James his most hated rival and tormentor). He gleefully enables the favoritism of Slytherin (my god how he panders to Draco Malfoy) while tormenting poor Neville into terror (that Neville’s greatest 13 year old fear is Snape is very telling).

Basically by the time we get to him in canon Snape not only isn’t happy but I think he doesn’t want to be happy. He’s accustomed to his bitterness, his cynicism, his quiet rage and moves forward out of both resignation, guilt, and a sense of obligation to a woman’s ghost. The actions he takes in canon aren’t so much for Harry as they are for the memory of Lily Evans.

Even if Snape could be happy at that point, change his life or his purpose, I do not think he would. He’s a man who has given up on life.

Now, onto Lily Evans.

You probably think I’m going to rail on her to for the sheer hypocrisy and nerve of marrying James Potter. I’m actually not. Lily Evans is one of my favorite characters in the Harry Potter series and probably the one I’d label as the most moral (though that’s a very low bar in Harry Potter, the characters are almost all assholes, but even so Lily would still be very high on the list).

You know what, I’m just going to damn myself and sound like a crazy person. Lily Evans always reads to me as a more moral young female Tom Riddle.

What the hell? You undoubtedly ask but I’ll explain.

Lily, while having a far more stable homelife than Tom Riddle, also comes from a muggleborn background. She’s exceptionally brilliant, very good looking, and very charming with a lot of people who would call her friends but no one close. Lily, aside from Snape (and that’s debatable), has no friends.

If Lily had not been a Gryffindor, and were Dumbledore not a raging misogynist, his Tom Riddle bells likely would have been ringing with her.

“But wait, that can’t be right!”

Oh, yes it can. First, as I went into above with Snape and Lily, there was something deeply wrong with that friendship. I believe they both considered themselves best friends, didn’t see many of the warning flags, but ultimately we see the giant fissure when Snape lets loose the m-word. Given all of that, I would not label them having been true friends in the first place. Just the appearance of friends.

Otherwise, while it’s very easily to canonically point out James’ friends it’s incredibly difficult to do so with Lily. First, people hardly remember Lily. We get Dumbledore talking about her like she’s the Virgin Mary, saving her son with the power of her love. We get Snape’s weird Virgin Mary impressions of her. Otherwise, it’s pretty much just Slughorn. Everyone else remembers that she married James and that was great because JAMES WAS SO COOL and that she had very striking eyes and was “nice”. Lily is less than a ghost in Harry Potter canon (sadly Harry never really realizing it).

Also, unlike James who has Sirius, Remus, and Peter to point towards (that are very important characters in canon). Lily has no one. The godmother was Alice Longbottom, a woman many years older than Lily and James who probably liked Lily well enough but I can’t imagine was a close friend. In canon there’s an offhand mention of two girls named Mary and Marlene but we don’t see much of them/Severus was always cited as Lily’s closest friend. As for Lily’s sister, well we know they’re estranged. I think it’s very telling that Lily writes a letter to Sirius, James’ best friend and certainly not hers, telling him that James is pouting over his invisibilty cloak. It’s because there was no one else to write.

So Lily Evans is a brilliant girl, who everyone likes and is very charming, but has no friends and led a very lonely and short life.

Here’s where my slack towards Lily comes in.

When she dumps Snape I completely understand why she did so. Snape dropping that word wasn’t simply a mistake, a moment of infinite regret, but something that revealed what he truly thought of her and where she came from. Lily was absolutely right in walking away.

However, without Snape, her closest friend is suddenly gone and the world is cold. As graduation approaches I imagine Lily’s career options become clearer and clearer. While very talented and smart, Lily is a muggleborn, what job she does manage to get (thanks to the sheer nepotism of the wizarding world/lack of jobs) will likely be through Slughorn if she manages to get a job at all. The world is cold and it is cruel and no one seems to even notice.

Cue James Potter. I do believe, probably until seventh year, Lily loathed James, not simply because of the horrifying things he did to Severus (and I’m sure she knew very little of it, Snape hiding most of it from her out of pride and shame), but because he’s just a giant dick. He’d make flirting with her a kind of game and joke to be shared with Sirius, something to hold over Snape’s head, like she’s a prize to be one.

However, by seventh year the werewolf incident has happened, Snape’s retreated further and further into Death Eater recruit land and she’s cut him off, and for all my “James is a dick” I do imagine he calmed down a little. Now that Snape is no longer friends with Lily/after the whole almost murder incident I imagine they didn’t bully him nearly as much as they used to. Though yes, they probably still bullied him, but Lily probably doesn’t know that now that she’s lost contact with Snape. 

James is charming and very good looking. He seems a bit more mature than he used to be. Lily is desperately lonely, living in a world that rejects everything she is, and James seems like one of the few who does support her (that James is more of a ‘pretty fly for a white guy’ kind of support for muggleborns doesn’t hit until later). So Lily is charmed and makes the largest mistake of her life, she and James start dating.

Now, given their extreme youth as well as Lily’s pedigree (say what you like, I don’t think Mr. and Mrs. Potter were thrilled that their son was dating a muggleborn) I imagine the wedding was a shot gun wedding and Lily got unintentionally pregnant. Yes, go ahead and throw fruit at me or call foul, I just can’t imagine they’d want a child that young while in the middle of a war while they’re part of an active resistance movement and only just out of Hogwarts.

Then things start snowballing downhill. Lily and James have just joined the resistance movement, Lily’s son is prophesied to defeat Voldemort, they strongly suspect one of James’ close friends is a spy, and they’re forced into hiding.

In hiding is where I imagine stress runs high and their marriage begins to fall apart. We know from Lily’s letter that James was routinely leaving hiding, using the cloak, so he could meet up with Sirius and Peter (I imagine Lupin’s on the out as they suspected he was the spy). While James might not realize what a big deal that was, I imagine Lily always did, and she begins to realize just what she’s gotten herself into but there’s no way out while in hiding.

Now we go really off the rails into headcanon territory in: what the hell is up with Harry Potter?

In my stories, I often choose the unwitting god route. Harry can’t die because he is a god, he becomes the master of death and always was the master of death. This is an answer, but it’s one that makes canon Harry a god and... I would not want canon Harry as a god. JKR and Dumbledore push the “Lily loved her child so much that it deflected death... multiple times” but this always felt... unsatisfying. Many parents love their children (fathers too, JKR, let’s not make this weird Virgin Mary thing) and yet Harry Potter alone in the history of mankind survives multiple times. 

Most likely, Lily pulled off some insane bullshit with absolutely no resources and minimal education AND EVERYONE IGNORES IT. We do know that Lily crafted the blood wards, wards stronger than anything Dumbledore himself can come up with/than Voldemort can break. Ones that protect Harry not only at home but away from it as it melts Voldemort for simply touching his skin. Lily pulled off the impossible in only a few months and did it right under everyone’s nose.

This makes her easily one of the most intelligent characters in Harry Potter. Probably beating out Dumbledore and maybe tying with Tom Riddle. And Dumbledore tells us, “Your Virgin Mary mother loved you so much, Harry, that it courses through your veins and lights those that would want to harm you on fire.”

So, that’s Lily for you.

Now, that said, I’m probably a bit biased and clearly very lenient with her marrying James. To be honest it took me years to figure out why the hell Lily would ever marry James after what happened with Severus and was always one of those weird canon things I never quite understood. He’s that good looking and charming, I guess, was my response.

The answer I now land on with some confidence was that the world is that cruel and bleak and Lily was utterly alone for two years.

By the way, a side note/plug, of all my stories while head canons do pop up here and there I think “October” is one where they tend to crop up more. It’s a vast AU of canon, but it gives an idea of what I think x character would do in y situation. 

[songofclarity]

Out of sheer curiosity, what do you think of Wen Xu. Any HC?

Two Wen Xu asks came in back-to-back and I could probably have answered them both at once, but I'll use your daring moment of sheer curiosity to focus on headcanons/theories I have for him, Anon~!

Similar to Su She, who caused problems while lurking in the background, I think Wen Xu, who also caused problems while lurking in the background, is our guy who has been inciting several other rising conflicts between the Qishan Wen and the other sects over the years. He doesn't need explicit orders to do this, mind you, because he is simply doing what any self-respecting son of the Qishan Wen Sect would do. Just like the Twin Prides look to the Jiang motto of Attempt the Impossible and the Twin Jades look to the 3,000 Lan rules, Wen Xu is also guided by Clan tradition:

The Wen Clan used the sun as the motif of their clan, signifying that they could "compete with the sun for radiance, match the sun in longevity." (ch. 17, ERS)

The sun, however, is beautiful and warm and radiant all on its own, which means he doesn't have to play nice with the other sects if he doesn't want to. In fact, it goes against policy to treat the other sects as equals! Therefore, with him being the predominant Wen outside Nightless City, it seems apt to assign these events to him:

1. Monopolizing all the prime Night Hunt locations and excluding the other sects, which made the other sects resent the Qishan Wen even more

Remember Jin Ling setting up those 400 golden nets? That's expensive and entitled! I imagine Wen Xu was our first Jin Ling, except rather than using 400 golden nets it's Wen Xu and his friends and Wen favorites who are staking claims on all the best sites. They're having a fun time and everyone else can cry about it! Remember that guest cultivators love being with the Wen Sect! It likely comes with plenty of favors, and Wen Xu as Wen RuoHan's eldest son had much to offer to gain and keep their support for the Qishan Wen.

2. Pushing the Waterborne Abyss from Qishan into Gusu Lan territory, making it a Lan problem and making the other sects resent the Qishan Wen even more

I headcanon that this event is what eventually prompted Wen Chao to daringly declare that he killed the Tortoise of Slaughter. Did Wen Xu declare that he had killed the Waterborne Abyss (which would sound absurd since the only known way to defeat it is to drain the lake and keep it dried out for years)? Or did he own up to how he simply got rid of the problem? Either way, he made Qishan safe, which is what any cultivation sect is supposed to do for their region.

The Qishan Wen are good to the Qishan Wen and the common folk beneath them. It's really only the other sects that take issue with them and see them as a threat.

*Please remember that the Qishan Wen Sect isn't an empire. They aren't trying to take over the world. They are simply seeking dominance and prominence, with all the power and prestige that comes with it.*

3. It's canon that Wen Xu led the attack on Cloud Recesses, that he accused QingHeng-jun of something to validate this assault, that he ordered Lan WangJi's leg broken when he stood in their way, and that he is responsible for the death of QingHeng-jun (whom I headcanon died due to critical burns from the fire)

The big question here is what, exactly, was Wen Xu/the Wen accusing QingHeng-jun of? It could be something real: neglecting his duties or even something to do with Madam Lan, since we really don't know her backstory. Or something overblown: having two sons who wear clouds on their ribbons, and clouds block out the sun, and those two sons did better than the Wen in the archery competition, so it must be an anti-Wen conspiracy, etc etc. (Wang LingJiao had to learn that logic somewhere!) The latter appeals to me the most, and highlights how Wen Xu was a role model for his little brother. The difference being that Wen Xu had experience handling other sects without getting everyone killed.

Frankly, that Wen Xu destroyed Cloud Recesses and got their Sect Leader killed and made their second Sect Leader go missing and all the other sects let him get away with it just reinforces, to me, that he has indeed been up to no good for a long time and that he is incredibly strong in his own right. Although Wei WuXian comments that the Wen Sect has a higher proportion of weak and incompetent disciples/subordinates, I headcanon that Wen Xu is not one of the weak ones.

But also Wen Xu is not bloodthirsty. He did what he needed to do and the only one left dead was the one that the Wens had a undisclosed problem with: QingHeng-jun. Wen Xu is strong but he has restraint. He never pushed anyone into a corner which could incite a rebellion, which was Wen Chao's mistake.

Until Wen Xu finally did push too hard:

4. It's canon that he went against Wen RuoHan's speech which effectively said to leave the Qinghe Nie alone. By ignoring how Wen RuoHan said that Nie MingJue would not bend, he pushed the Nie into a corner and bit off more than he could chew and got himself beheaded

All the Wens appeared to agree that the Sunshot Campaign was just an act of arrogance on the part of the other sects. The Wens did not take it seriously during those first three months, and therefore neither sought to squash it out or defeat it.

Wen Xu is what proves them wrong when he gets himself killed.

But what was Wen Xu doing in Hejian!? I headcanon/theorize that he was trying to end the Campaign on his own terms. Wen Xu was used to winning and used to the sects capitulating to Wen power and presence. Cloud Recesses was already destroyed and Lan XiChen is no threat, Lotus Pier was conquered and the Yunmeng Jiang were annihilated, and the Wens expected the Lanling Jin to come crawling back to them when things got too rough. This left the Qinghe Nie as the last foe, and thus Wen Xu went on his own prerogative to take Nie MingJue out and claim dominance for the Qishan Wen once more.

RIP Wen Xu

I don't say all of this to somehow make Wen Xu look evil--the Wens aren't evil and I don't understand why some readers want to dumb down the whole story by shoving them into a little evil box--although I guess I headcanon him as having a big head and being something of a bully lol. He's just being the same kind of pompous rich kid like Jin ZiXuan and Jin Ling except he has actual power and authority to back it up. The Qishan Wen are the biggest, richest, most powerful sect. He is the one who will one day inherit it as he is Wen RuoHan's oldest son. So he is both simultaneously protecting the Qishan Wen name as well as reinforcing it's power. He is endearing himself to his father by "fixing problems" and "taking care of unruly sects" before the problem even reaches Wen RuoHan's ears. Considering what we see and hear from Wen RuoHan, and how Wen RuoHan fails to make decisions he's not already being ushered into by a third party, Wen Xu and others are very much pro-actively promoting the Qishan Wen on their own terms.

Wen RuoHan is thus very happy with this loyal and righteous son of his! And it leaves Wen Chao striving to follow in Wen Xu's footsteps.

I headcanon that Wen Xu is much older than Wen Chao, like at least 10 years older if not more. (Who knows how old Wen RuoHan is? However old or young I want him to be at any given time! lol) This puts their relationship in a funny/annoying range of Wen Xu being the big brother but also old enough to pull the adult/parent card. Wen Chao has poor cultivation and he's the baby, which is why he gets Wen ZhuLiu as a bodyguard while Wen Xu, who is arguably quite strong, just gets to run around with his subordinates. Wen Xu is the jock big brother who pushes Wen Chao's buttons and it looks like they hate each other--but I also headcanon that Wen Xu likes seeing Wen Chao succeed in whatever dumb thing Wen Chao decided to do today and Wen Chao wants to grow up to as respected and powerful as Wen Xu (and Wen RuoHan) one day. They are not adversaries although there is competition and conflict between them.

And, as I mentioned before, we get Waterborne Abyss vs Tortoise of Slaughter competition between them. Both of them don't believe it! Father, he is not that competent!

Wen RuoHan laughs it out and disagrees, because he appreciates that both his kids are doing amazing feats. (Are they though? Are they???)

Then there are headcanons of Wen Xu and Wen Qing! Their families were close because they are family and their parents were BFFs! I have yet to decide if I want Wen Xu or Wen Qing to be older. Da-ge or Da-jie? One idea I like for them is that they were close as children, but maybe grew up and went their separate ways a little. That Wen Qing never renounced the Wen Sect makes me hold fast that she did love her family and clan, even if she didn't agree with what they did for their sect. Wen Xu wasn't a bad guy even if he did bad things. (She disliked Wen Chao but maybe she liked Wen Xu a little more lol)

I headcanon Wen Ning's outstanding archery involved Wen Xu giving him some hands-on assistance. (Da-ge? Da-ge...!) Like everyone else in the Wen Sect, I headcanon Wen Ning would have also wanted to impress Wen RuoHan and be noticed by him, too. They didn't keep it a secret from Wen Chao on purpose, it just turned out that way especially since most of the work was done by Wen Ning. (Wen Xu was at the discussion conference but he didn't watch the archery competition, instead teasing it was for babies in order to make Wen Chao cross. Wen Xu likes Wen Chao but he needs to grow up!)

There are also headcanons about his mother, but that's a whole rabbit hole of its own lol My main headcanon is that Wen Xu and Wen Chao have the same mother, but she had difficult pregnancies that resulted in them being born years apart. Madam Wen and Wen RuoHan had wanted a large family and sadly only had two sons. Wen Xu did not grow up short on affection, which resulted in him wanting to protect the Qishan Wen name even more.

I headcanon that Wen RuoHan is a good father and his relationship with Wen Xu was very good, although of course it does not come without it's own difficulties and conflicts at times. (Considering how terrible all the other fathers are, statistically there should be one good one, right?)

There are other random headcanons I could throw in here but I will finish this off by saying I don't have a solid headcanon on who is Wen Yuan's father, although I can see the poetic appeal of it being Wen Xu. Wen Xu burned down Cloud Recesses and said the Wen would help the Lan grow from the ashes. Wen Yuan grows up there as if reborn from the ashes by help of the Lan, given a new name and family, too.

(That Wen Chao is explicitly given a wife in canon makes me headcanon him as Wen Yuan's father though, as I also like Wei WuXian protecting Wen Chao's son for my own dark delight~)

I also tend to think of Wen Xu as someone running around and playing around and not quite ready to settle down. But Wen Xu with a wife and a family of his own? I would love to see it!

[overdrivels]

TWtaH Notes

I’m finally free. It took three years and nearly 150k words, but I’m finally done. I can’t believe it. 

It started off as a simple idea and a simple premise: a chef!reader who, while knife sharpening, catches Hanzo’s attention. It then evolved into a full-fledged fic with a plot and plot twists. Originally, it was supposed to be around 10 chapters long, but then it grew out of control over the years as I tried to figure out how to end what I started. 

In addition to being a redemption fic, this was also an information dump fic. Since this is the very first slowburn I have ever finished and I have the feeling I won’t have much opportunity to do the same ever again--I don’t think any other fandom would give me the ability to showcase all these tidbits like Overwatch does--I literally threw as much knowledge as I could reasonably incorporate as possible.

About plot changes:

Most of the original plot points survived the writing process, some minor ones didn’t for plot related reasons, so this surprisingly went better than I thought it would. 

There was supposed to be another scene where Chef faced off against Reaper in chapter 20 or so, but upon reassessing Reaper’s character, I decided he wouldn’t do that, especially not against civilians or put himself in harm’s way just to say something to Chef. He wouldn’t even say anything to his family in the comics, what makes anyone think he’d do anything to someone he had even less of a personal relationship with?

There were supposed to be more scenes about Chef’s fencing, but I couldn’t fit it in and it ended up being a one-trick pony plot device. It wasn’t supposed to be that way, but that’s how it turned out. There was supposed to be a scene where Chef fights back against Talon during their infiltration of the Watchpoint.

There were points where Hanzo himself talked his way out of situations and forced me to change the plot. In the kitchen when he first meets Chef face-to-face, he wasn’t supposed to get the chef to forgive him which is the biggest plot deviation I’ve had and it forced me to reconsider large sections of the story. Honestly, I think it’s for the better though because I was really at a loss as to how to progress the original plot under those conditions.

I also wanted to emphasize that when Chef left, there was increased tension between the members. There was little commonality joining them all together except for the fact they all needed to eat. In order for some parties to work, you have to have your support characters, and in that case, it’d be Chef. But I seem to have bumbled through that bit and made it less impactful so if I ever got a chance to rewrite this, I’d probably stress this bit more.

Symmetra was supposed to have a much bigger role in this, somehow she fell to the wayside with that one plot change in the kitchen I mentioned before. On the flipside, Ana and McCree got a way bigger role than expected. 

One of the biggest plot changes was Hanzo hating peppers. Originally he was supposed to hate onions but I thought there was way too much onion in Japanese cuisine to omit them, so I thought of something that would seem more ‘childish’.

To be fair, I also don’t really like peppers all that much either. But I sure as hell love onions.

The proposal with the miso soup at the end, the plot twist where the chefs are the real treasure, and some other minor details have been there since the beginning of the idea’s conception. Things like Reaper trading Overwatch’s life for the tamale, the name of the restaurant, and Hanzo’s fight with Genji only came after the fic was being written. 

Real life:

Covid really took its toll on me since a lot of this fic revolved around food, tasting it, experiencing it, making it, etc. I lost a good portion of my taste and smell, and it’s not back 100% even months later, so a lot of what I begin to describe after a certain point is just based on memory. If a pre-pandemic world, I would have been running around the city, sampling foods and writing down my impressions, but with things as they were, it didn’t pan out that way.

I tried to stuff as many of my favorite foods (and not so favorite foods) here as much as possible. There were a lot of foods I omitted because there’s only so much I could fit in here. A companion compilation fic of the Overwatch characters eating their favorite foods or just eating food in general made by Chef sounds really appealing right now.

May, June, and July made me really want to expand the story and include things in the fic that would turn it ‘problematic’ or at least morally ambiguous. If I did that, this fic would never be finished. 

Characterization and development:

Junkrat and Roadhog are much more docile in this story than I would have headcanoned them simply because food security is life-changing. I really liked the idea of Roadhog using his farming skills and being less homicidal with the right environment. They both know food is sacred. 

Argus 20 is in reference to Argus Panoptes, the all-seeing many eyed giant from greek mythology. The 20 comes from “hindsight is 20-20” (but now 2020 has a very different connotation and I’m thinking it’s pretty fitting). The reason for this is because she oversaw a lot of what was happening especially in the front of house. It’s not mentioned in the story, but she oversaw things like purchasing the restaurant, setting up the dummy accounts, organizing and obfuscating the donations, etc.

In case there was any confusion, ‘Tanuja Deshmukh Singh’ is Asim’s deadname. When he left Overwatch and became Asim Singh, his family disowned him. He was then free to live as himself, but he never discarded his last name because he still wanted to be connected to his family in some vague way no matter how much they disliked or denied his existence.

Head Chef Richard has been in jail. His backstory is basically after firing his staff to protect them from the fall out, he basically told the press he fired them for insubordination and took the fall for the kitchens and got quietly arrested. He was sent to the same prison that Chef would end up at. He’s not a very honest man, I don’t think, but he’s a character who was molded by the story and its needs rather than being a pre-established OC. 

I kind of wanted to write the fic in a way where Argus and Asim weren’t bad guys but people who were forced to make difficult decisions because of the position they were put in by Chef and by Talon. Cause, you know, sometimes you do things to hurt people without realizing it.

I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to push another ship in the background. If you see hints of different pairings here and there, you may be seeing it right because I kept flip-flopping between chapters as to whether I wanted to or not, and if I decided I did, I kept changing the pairings.

Hanzo. Where do I even start with this guy? I had a really tough time trying to stick to one interpretation of his character. I kept reading other fics and going, “Yeah. Yeah! I want that!” But then it just became a huge mish-mash of characterizations until I wasn’t sure who he was anymore. But I clung onto the thought of “he’s the first son of an Asian household dealing with his spoiled brother” to help get me through it. It reminds me of that tweet that goes, “You think you can hurt me? I’m the eldest daughter in an asian family.” It was so relatable. Channeling eldest sibling in asian family vibes. 

Chef. It was so hard. It was so damn hard writing a faceless character for so many words. I can usually do it in a one-shot because I can get away with not mentioning stuff, but in a slowburn?? It’s so difficult. Multiple times I had to stop myself or revise things because there were characters talking about Chef and I didn’t want to make the dialogue unnatural by saying ‘chef’ ‘chef’ over and over again. There were other moments like Soldier carrying Chef out of the Cellar and I was like: “What if the reader is taller than Soldier?!” It was a struggle. The other struggle was characterization. There were so many in-story stressful moments that I wanted Chef to start crying at but the timing of it was so frequent that I had to nix most of them or risk making Chef unrelatable. 

lol i’ve made several pseudo-cameos in the story because I’m shameless. 

Miscellaneous:

Man, my style changed so many times throughout the story. At some point I ended up writing outlines made solely of dialogue and wrote the story around it. It was oddly distressing when I realized my words wouldn’t come out like they used to.  

This fic has seen me through a ridiculous amount of crap. I kind of wished I kept a journal or something because these past three years have been nuts. 

After this, I’ll probably retire from writing Overwatch and then go into my usual writing hibernation that spans about 4 years before I reemerge with an unquenchable thirst for something stupid. 

In my nearly 20 years of writing fanfic, this is the first slowburn I’ve ever completed. To be fair, the last time I even tried was like...over 10 years ago when mediaminer was still a thing and didn’t ban CYOAs.

This was also the longest single fic I’ve ever written. I have wirtten 200k in a year before but never for any single thing.

God, this was hard. I partially did it to prove that you don’t need to use placeholders like ‘Y/N’ and stuff like that and it was possible to write a slowburn with gender neutral stuff, but I had to cheat a bit. But it’s done. 

I’ve worked in the restaurant business for a few years but not as a chef. It wasn’t even high-end either. I wanted to talk about the work conditions because it’s pretty tough in the kitchens and the amount of drugs and vices people turn to and the conditions in which people come to work is nuts. 

I wanted to cover a lot of controversial topics to see if I could but it just didn’t fit in the story. I wanted to tap into things like social justice, racism, prejudices, political landscapes, and so on. Even within Overwatch, I’d imagine there’s a lot of tensions stemming from just basic ideologies. I wanted to see if I could write about both (or more) sides of challenging arguments and still remove the author’s opinions from the story, but I’d imagine that’ll bring its own complications. Last thing I wanted was to start a fight in the comments or something.

I almost made the crew travel to Asia with implications of a changed geo-political sphere from today. Like...the status of Taiwan would’ve been interesting to touch upon, but I didn’t feel like I had the knowledge to expand on it enough.

Almost every waking of my life, I have thought or worked on this fic. During meetings, during conferences, during client calls, while I’m on public transportation, in different countries. I don’t know what to do with myself now.

Anyway, if you have any questions or anything or just want to shout at me, inbox is open.. For now I’m just going to lament over the fact that Genshin Impact gives me motion sickness and I can’t play despite working so hard to roll Mona.

[janus-stanus]

Do you have any Janus headcanons that you want to share?? I seriously love reading peoples' headcanon

You want Janus headcanons? I’ll give you Janus headcanons. All the headcanons.

* Janus came into existence as a Side later than the others, and he wasn’t initially Deceit. More on that here and here (though I have some changes in mind for when I actually write something out of it, hehe)

* He became in charge of keeping Remus out of school things kind of by default, and from there, they bonded.

* He got into spats with Patton often, which he took way more seriously than Patton ever did. Usually everyone else sided with Patton, cause they knew and trust him. Especially Roman.

* Janus learned to fake confidence fairly early on. He figured, he had to convince himself that he knew what he was doing before the others would take him seriously. You know. “I am the first one I deceive”. That. Oh, and “Razzle Dazzle”.

* He’s planted “roots” in Thomas’s mental system, like a network of cables that can transfer information to him almost instantly. He has clusters of roots form around secrets he (or the others) is (are) keeping from Thomas. For the aesthetic, his eyes glow gold when he checks in to it, and the information rings in his ears like hissing.

* As a kid he wore a yellow shirt, with a waistcoat over it to make himself appear more professional. As a teen, he wore a long black coat, a fedora, and a striped yellow scarf. There’s more I want to say about the scarf, but, spoilers.

* ...That being said, I will spoil this from the wip where the sides all find their names: Logan helped Janus find his (ever notice that we didn’t see Logan’s reaction to Janus’s name reveal in POF? I’m running with it). He liked the name, it felt right... but it, at this point, didn’t really tell him anymore about what his purpose was supposed to be.

* It stops being a sore spot for him at a certain point, but then by the time of POF, where his failures have definitely not been getting to him, it kinda sorta is again! Hence, his... reaction, to Roman’s... reaction.

* (Also, it’s just his instinct by this point to be snide and pointedly cruel when he’s hurt or backed into a corner. He knows how to go for the jugular, and sometimes he doesn’t realize - or doesn’t care - just how deep his blows will cut.)

* Since I mentioned Jan originally not being Deceit... here’s a song that basically lays out why he came to take on that role :) (spotify recced this to me a few days ago and I’m still not over it)

* It was only once Janus became Deceit that he started gaining his snake features. First fangs; then the changes to his left eye; then his scales. Right before the other sides found out about the gay, the scales covered his whole face, and probably went below his shoulders too. It was bad. By teen times they’ve receded to mostly one side of his face, but they’re still on his neck for a few years (hence the scarf).

* Jump ahead to Thomas in early high school, and Janus, for reasons that would be Big Time Spoilers (though I may be able to... share some excerpts... if people want...), chose to cut himself and Remus off from Thomas. He keeps their existence a secret, having them only influence Thomas subconsciously, until, well, the series basically. (Virgil joined the “others” shortly after the divide, of his own choice, and thus wasn’t hidden from Thomas like the rest of them were.)

* For all those years, Janus whispered comforting lies to Thomas. Lies that stopped working after he revealed himself in CLBG, because Thomas now recognized that voice as belonging to his deceitful side. I have a wip about this that I’m planning to finish and post for his birthday!

* Janus helped Thomas believe that he was an honest person. A good person, even. Because, that’s what Thomas wanted, as evidenced by the Big Time Spoilers. Even as Janus recognized the long term impacts of the lie. Even as he himself thought the whole moral dilemma was a distraction at best.

* The more Janus dedicated himself to becoming Deceit, the more he came to rely on lies, which is a large part of why his and Virgil’s relationship collapsed. All their conversations became like, to borrow an old metaphor of mine, fencing duels, with Janus always trying to assert his control and distract from his intentions with witty remarks, and Virgil always assuming the worst of him, rapidly switching between offense and defense.

* Janus and Remus’s relationship was, and is, much less hostile. Yes, Remus gets on his nerves, literally every day... but, unlike the others when it comes to Jan, “trust” isn’t a hurdle for Remus. They’re partners in crime; they’re best friends. And that’s enough. It has to be.

* I don’t really have a better place for the following diatribe, so here we go:

Ever since the Big Time Spoilers thing, Janus has done what he can to eliminate and prevent any feelings of regret for the bad things he does. He justifies to himself that it was the best choice he could have made, that it was a necessary evil; or, he convinces himself that what he said or did wasn’t that bad, the blame is on the everyone else for reacting the way they did; or, he simply goes “oopsie, my bad, definitely won’t repeat that mistake” and does everything he can not to think about it again. To quote the song “Devil in the Details” from his playlist again, “I put my past into the ground”.

Speaking of songs, there’s this line from the song “Never Love an Anchor” by The Crane Wives, one of my favorite bands incidentally:

It's a secret I keep tucked inside my chest With this heart of mine that’s guilty not remorseful

Janus will readily admit to being guilty of having made bad decisions, decisions that hurt people (though in the moment he will be unreasonably stubborn about admitting he’s doing something wrong/stupid, to self defeating ends).

But remorseful? No, he’s never remorseful. At least, he’d like to believe he isn’t (because that would just make things so much more complicated).

And when so much of your own conception of yourself is based on lies you’ve told, to feel more confident, to feel like you belong, like you’re doing what you should be doing...

Is there really a difference?

I have No way Of telling The two Apart

Oh hey, “Devil in the Details”, what are you doing here again? It’s almost like I draw half of my entire Janus characterization from you alone /hj

* (This is a deliberate contradictory parallel to Virgil, who seems to keep a full record of every mistake Thomas has made (see ATDH). Anxiety constantly digs up your past mistakes, theoretically to make sure you don’t repeat them. What Thomas needs, as with every dilemma in this series, is a healthy balance between their two perspectives.)

* The last of the pre-canon headcanons I have is this. TL;DR, Janus helps Roman out when Thomas plays villianous roles (their cooperation could perhaps explain why Roman initially described Janus as “very nice”)

* Janus’s plan for CLBG was not to get caught; he was hoping to convince Thomas of his various merits over the course of multiple discussions, before properly revealing himself.

* When PattonJanus asks, “Virgil, it’s me. Aren’t we friends?” That’s like 10% him still trying to keep up the facade, but 90% him asking genuinely. And the fact that Virgil can’t even look at him when he answers implies that he has some doubt too... because it still might be Patton and he doesn’t want to hurt him? Or because, he knows it’s Janus, but his feelings are just that complicated?

* In between CLBG and SvS, Janus realizes the thing I pointed out earlier about his subconscious lies suddenly working not nearly as well on Thomas - specifically, the whole “good person” thing, since it’s currently causing him a lot of stress. Instead of dwelling on the fact that this has kind of undone years and years of work on his end, Janus goes, “You know what? I never believed that bullshit mattered anyway! I should convince Thomas that it doesn’t matter either; it’ll be much better for him in the long term.” And then the wedding vs callback dilemma presents the perfect opportunity. Hence, SvS, parts 1 and 2.

* Janus can read the other sides like open books... but only if they’re acting within the narrow perspective of what Janus would expect from them. The biggest example is with Roman in SvS. Janus knows that Roman wants to go to the callback more than anything. He’s Thomas’s Hopes and Dreams, for Pete’s sake! But what he doesn’t expect, is the extent to which Roman priorities Thomas being good (or believing himself to be good), even at the expense of his actual role as a side. That’s why Roman’s sentencing of Thomas throws him so badly; it’s when he realizes just how much Patton’s unopposed influence has affected Thomas (not that Patton ever meant it that way).

* My thoughts on Janus’s motivations for setting Remus loose in DWIT and his feelings on the matter afterward are covered in this fic (which you’ve commented on, but you know the hustle, gotta self promo where I can)

* So. Putting Others First. I don’t have much to add on top of the wonderful canon content it gave us. But.

“Sometimes I don't know the way. But... When I told you that, you were so scared. I couldn't bear it. So I said to myself, ‘Alright, Patton. Thomas needs you. You're responsible for his morality. You can never not have an answer for him.’

After Patton says this, the cut to Janus?

The Thing his face does after the eyebrow raise?

I live for this shit.

A while ago, my headcanon for this moment was that it was when Janus realized that Thomas wanted to be a good person, as much and as genuinely as he wanted anything else (like, being famous and fulfilling his dreams), and that, as the one who wants what Thomas wants, it’s a drive he should take into consideration. But then I rewatched CLBG, and was struck by this exchange:

[Thomas]: Why didn't I know about him until now? [Virgil]: He had you convinced you're an honest person. [Thomas]: But I... AM an honest person. [Deceit]: Oh, you are, Thomas. You are a good person. Everybody says so.

This is where some fo the earlier stuff about Janus playing into Thomas’s belief that he was a good person came from, and it required a changing of my interpretation of That Look in POF. So now? I take it as the moment Janus realizes that, when he revealed himself like a Scooby Doo villain, the effect wasn’t just that he could no longer use his comforting lies on Thomas. It put the whole responsibility of Thomas believing he’s good, something obviously very important to him, onto Patton, a side he could trust. And Janus knows what kind of toll that burden must have taken on him.

* I have plans now for a Janus & Patton fic set after the Janus & Logan one that’s been in limbo since the summer which will delve more into Janus’s vulnerabilities, going back to the whole idea of him being guilty but not feeling remorseful.

To not give away too much... Like how Logan insists he doesn’t feel things because he’s Logic, because it would get in the way of his function, Janus insists that he doesn’t have any interest in his own morality or how he’s perceived by the other sides, because it would get in the way of his ability to do what’s best for Thomas. He needs to be able to push Thomas to act in his own self-interest in all scenarios, and otherwise manipulate things behind the scenes, even when it requires being immoral. So he, Janus, can’t care about being a good person.

But Janus is a part of Thomas. And he won’t get away with hiding from the implications of that for much longer. 

He’ll have to face the mortifying ordeal of being known, and of feeling remorse.

Will this be his arc in canon? Who knows; I’m just having fun :)

...Those last two got kinda long. Sorry about that, lol. Let’s knock some final few ones out.

* Moving on, in FWSA, both Patton and Janus were watching the proceedings, with Janus contributing when called on (something he’s not used to, especially at that frequency). This leads to this post.

* Janus wants to have control, influence, some modicum of power, in any scenario he’s in. He does not like leaving things up to other people. He’s learned he can’t predict Remus and has mostly come to live with that, and he’ll ultimately bow to Thomas’s judgement if it conflicts with his own, but they are the only exceptions.

* This post.

* I don’t think about human AUs much, but, if you’ll allow me some projection: human Janus who’s nonbinary with eczema.

* An UnderTale related thought I posted months ago: A human Janus in that world would be a Determination (Red) soul, who has at times attempted and spectacularly failed at being a Patience soul. Put another way, the boy tries to plan and wait things out, but... you know.

* Lastly, he’s an enneagram type eight. Enjoy the song, and thanks for asking about my thoughts!

[impassiveesper]

give me ALL the multiples of 5 of the ship meme for Shigeo and Teru >:)

ship headcanon meme

YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH CUTE BOYS WITH CUTE CRUSHES

[ Cut for length ]

5. Who says ‘I love you’ first?

Teru. These two are not even on the same fucking planet, it’s possible Shigeo has been responding positively to flirting and the prospect of intimacy for MONTHS and he doesn’t even realize what they’ve been doing counts as “gay romantic shit” before the L word comes into play.  It’s not a problem he just doesn’t think decisively in the emotional realm and many of his feelings go unlabeled.

10. What two songs, two books and two luxury items do they take to a desert island?

Man idk. Is this a vacation or are they stuck there? 

Uh don’t put any stock into my answer bc I really dont like questions like this but here goes. If it’s not a vacation they probably both bring some books on survival skills, but let’s pretend it’s a vacation.

Songs:   Shige brings Daysleeper by Dirty Art Club Teru brings idk maybe Step??? or some upbeat top 40 pop. Teru probably likes all the best niche music and all the worst overplayed music at the same time he contains multitudes.

Books: Depends on how old they are, they deadass both might bring comic books.  Otherwise idk Teru brings Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones. Shige brings??? Warrior cats?? Idk he’s not a huge reader imo. He likes YA books well into adulthood that’s for certain.

The luxury items are probably both something of Teru’s bc I’m not convinced the Kageyama household has much in the way of luxury items. Maybe grooming products.

15. When they watch a film what do they choose and why? Who gets the final vote?

Teru chooses most of the time.  This isn’t to say that Teru doesn’t immediately yield to whatever Shige asks for because I think he often does, but it’s mostly because Shige rarely asks for anything in particular. It’s an entire Situation when Shigeo feels inclined to have an opinion on something. He goes with the flow on most things and tends not to feel strongly about what they watch.  Teru likes a good romcom. Teru has almost certainly also put on a horror film to see if he could get free hugs out of it, though I’m not sure he’s super into horror. Shigeo likes anything with a feel good ending. He’s more into overly dramatic / emotional films than you’d expect the least emotional person alive to be. Shigeo also likes animation.

20. Where do they go on holiday?

Teru probably wants to go all over the place and visit big cities and attractions, but Shige is more of a homebody and doesn’t like all the noise. Where they end up probably depends on the length of the trip. If it’s a shorter holiday they’ll go somewhere bustling. They’ll visit a city or go to a crowded attraction, but if it’s longer they’ll visit somewhere quieter. Go be in nature or visit the countryside or something. Or they just stay home and enjoy some time in, maybe visiting a park or cafe or their favorite local spots if they feel like it. 

25. Why do they fight?

I think they have a lot more fights early in the relationship than later on. For one, Shigeo is genuinely just kind of a frustrating person to deal with sometimes. He doesn’t really explain himself well and he can be very sensitive and not give good emotional feedback, which can easily lead a partner to feeling underappreciated or unheard, like their emotional needs aren’t being met, or like they just can’t do the right thing with him. Shigeo will struggle to be outwardly loving in a lot cases.  It’s hard for him to feel connected to other people after a lifetime of isolating himself and shackling his own feelings. Romance does not come naturally to him. When it comes to emotion or affection, it’s very hard for him to want or give the “right” amount of things.  Like, he either understands completely or not at all. He either wants a lot of physicality or none at all.  There’s not a ton of middle ground with him. The lack of obvious emotional cues makes Shigeo somebody who takes a lot longer than usual to learn and understand, especially when he doesn’t have the words for what he’s experiencing. In addition, Shigeo doesn’t always read social cues well or know what’s socially appropriate, which makes him somebody you can’t really give “hints” to.  His lack of opinion and lack of social skills can make him somebody who is frustrating to cooperate with during mundane, daily situations. He doesn’t read subtlety all that well. Communication can be a challenge which can lead to fights. They have their fair share of little spats over minor daily things that just aren’t going right because they haven’t learned how to function as a unit yet.

Teru also has a lot of self hatred to work through which I think contributes heavily to arguments. Early in the relationship I think Teru has a habit of putting Shigeo on a pedestal. We know from canon that Teru is trying very hard to reinvent himself and still has some not-so-nice tendencies in him.  To him it’s frustrating that he can’t just have nothing but patient, gentle thoughts the way he thinks Shigeo does. And it’s very easy for Teru to get pissy and be manipulative and unfair when they argue because Shigeo just struggles to keep up with anything that’s vague, but doing that doesn’t make him feel good even if it can win him a few fights.  There is definitely a period of time where Shigeo will try to voice that he doesn’t like Teru acting like he’s perfect because in his eyes they’re both commoners and not special, and Teru will have the wit to argue that Shigeo has it easy because he’s “naturally a good person” or whatever. And of course if Shigeo manages to notice that Teru’s arguing tactics are a little unfair and tries to point out, that’s just gonna make Teru double down on “fine I’m a shit person” kind of talk. If things get particular nasty I could even see Teru guilting Shigeo once or twice because “we can’t actually argue about this, you need to calm down bc of your powers”. I think Teru in particular has led a very rough life that’s caused him to develop a very dirty set of tools for winning arguments. He’s good at being manipulative which, if left unchecked over time, could cause more arguments than it solves.

30. Why does it work (or not work) between them?

Despite all the rough shit I just said, I think it can absolute work out really well between them if only because they have already canonically had the worst interaction they can possibly ever have and they are both powerfully aware of how much they don’t want to do that again. It doesn’t take much to remind that of what really matters because they both have that strong reminder. It’s easy for them to let go of smaller things when they are reminded of those large things they are moving away from.

Because ultimately, that very first fight in canon is what defines the most important part of both of them. They are both people who are working very hard to change for the better. When they get into unhealthy habits or difficult conversations, their shared history is something that reminds them both of who they want to be and why they decided to know one another. I mentioned that Teru wants to be a better person, and that includes learning the hard way that it’s up to him to recognize when he’s being unfair or manipulative. It’s gonna mean accepting Shigeo as a human with faults rather than this infallible figure who has only patience and virtue.  

And for Shigeo changing means managing and voicing his feelings so that he can maintain control. It’s gonna mean having conversations he’d rather avoid. It’s gonna mean standing up for himself a little more and working harder at being honest with other people about how he feels. It’s gonna mean trying harder to understand what other people need from him.

Like as cliché as it is to say, these two have had an experience together that represents each of their core motivations as characters.  That’s why I really think things can work between them even if they have some rough patches early on.  Shigeo is so patient and he can help Teruki learn to find patience too. He can help Teruki learn to love himself and to take a different mindset to into the world.  Meanwhile Teru’s boundless charisma can help Shigeo learn to try new things and be more outgoing.  He can learn to recognize Shigeo’s needs and emotions and help him put them into words. He can help Shigeo to be more honest about his feelings and to appreciate himself despite all his shortcomings.  I think they’re different in a lot of ways that can really help each of them be a good influence on one another.

[ive-lost-my-effervescent-mind]

thTWILIGHT TAG GAME!

Thank you to @whyrweheretwilight2020 for tagging me. I may have overthought some of the answers, but this was really fun🐌

Favorite Book: Eclipse, before I realized that Stephanie killed Jacob’s character in order to establish Edward as Bella’s true love. I’m currently rereading New Moon along with the Twilight Phase Podcast, so that’s where I’m leaning more these days, but I might reread Twilight until I can get my hands on Midnight Sun. 

Favorite Movie: Again, Eclipse before I knew why Jacob’s character did a 180. I mainly liked Eclipse for the story, mainly because I feel like it’s the only one with a consistent plot, in both the books and movies. I also really liked Rosalie’s backstory. But, judging the movies as their respective wholes, I’d have to say either New Moon or Twilight. I love the second installment’s soundtrack and the way it is intertwined with the story. The decision to limit the amounts of red in the movie until the Saint Marcus festival and the overall green and gold tones made the movie visually impressive. When watching Twilight, you can really feel Catherine Hardwick’s love for the books. The movie accurately captured the awkwardness of first love. Also, the blue tint established the general moody-ness of the vampire genre.

Human or Animal Blood: Here’s the thing: blood isn’t kosher. And while I don’t keep kashrut very strictly, I don’t eat the things I’m not supposed to eat, or in this case, consume. Even if I were to make an exception to the no blood rule, it opens up more questions as to what blood I would eat? drink? consume? I don’t think I could bring myself to hurt someone, let alone kill them, so no on human blood. But when it comes to animal blood, how do the laws of kashrut apply? Since I’ve already thrown out the no blood rule, do I drink the blood of all animals, even those un-permitted? Do I just drink the blood of kosher animals? If I only drink the blood of kosher animals, then I’m restricted as to where I live. Not to mention the fact that under my bloodlust as a newborn, I might lack the self control to a) not eat a human and b) eat the right type of animal. In conclusion, I don’t know.

Favorite Character: Esme, Kate, Victoria, amd Irina. I know Irina caused some problems in BD, but I understand wanting to follow the rules when it endangers so many and especially when you have past experience with the repercussions. I’m a firm believer that she wanted to save her sisters and Eleazar in case the Volturi some how wanted to punish them as well for immortal child since their two covens are connected.

Most Hated Character: The Cullens, and the Volturi. Also James, to both a lesser and greater extent.

Favorite Underdeveloped Side Character: Pretty much every single one of the witnesses in BD. Yes, even that couple from the Volturi’s witnesses. Also: the wives.

OTP: Hands down Garrett and Kate. When it comes to non-cannon ships, Leah and Angela.

NOTP: There really isn’t a healthy and/or unproblematic couple in the series. I would say save for a few, but the fact that a majority of the characters are vampires, there always seems to be a large age discrepancy (except for Rosalie and Emmett). Additionally, Imprinting is really gross and takes away the pack’s agency. All that being said, the worst relationships and the ones I am vehemently against are Jacob and Renesme, And Quil and Claire. It’s child grooming and it’s disgusting. It’s not a coincidence Jacob and Quil are Native Americans and I can’t believe someone let it get published 

Personal Headcanon: I have a few, some of which I’ve posted about and others that I’m still developing, but Esme having a blog and her sharing a garden with Bella are currently my favorites.

You become a vampire, and are lucky enough to get an ability. What is it?: This is a tough question, especially if we’re going off the idea that a skill/ability you have when you’re human informs the one you have in your second life. The unique abilities I have are so deeply rooted in the human experience that it’s impossible for them transfer over. These skills are: 

holding in my sneezes

having a relatively large bladder

touching my tongue to my nose

Vampires don’t sneeze. Vampires don’t pee. How could touching my tongue to my nose transform into an ability? I’d be a vampire, not a member of the X-men. The abilities that we know of are very abstract, as in they don’t manifest physically. The only exception to this is that one guy who can be invisible (I think he’s Heidi or Chelsea’s mate?), but I’m not 100% sure if he’s even cannon. But I had to choose one, it’d be making plants grow, kinda like the girl from sky high.

I tag @lesboaliceswan @carlislesscarf @team-ziploc-bag-of-eggs @that-crooked-smile  @the-cullens-deserved-better and anyone else who wants too!

[starlitfunkster]

Not Sure How to Title This

I guess it can be a slight mobsterswitch AU thing since it includes all of the Meddlesome Company and Twilight Scoundrels (which I need help with thinking of a monster for AD and NB... it can’t be like the originals though). And also Felt because I found it clever that they’d all be different kinds of demons, though I haven’t finished that one yet (will show all the finished ones though). 

These are just what I found most fitting, and nothing more. Furthermore I tried to do opposite to what the main Problem Sleuth character’s counterparts are.

Will not talk about all the Twilight Scoundrel’s because I have no idea what Angry Delinquent would be.. and maybe also Nefarious Bawd.

Oh yeah and Mobsterswitch was made by @selanpike I think. I don’t recall if other people helped. Also I did this on a whim because I got nearly as bored as the Scofflaw does in this universe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meddlesome Company:

Snooping Scout - I had a weird daydream where he and a fan character of mine Artistic Magician (shadow mage in mobsterswitch) were moon rabbits. Scoot hides his ears and tail better than AM does, but that’s mostly because AM has an excuse (being, you know, a magician). He originally lived on the moon before moving down to earth, and after Scoff got bored and tried to blow up the moon Artsy moved down to earth due to her home being blown up (and maybe kicking Scoff in the kneecaps).

Deadeye Detective - I had issues coming up with his monster. He was (I think) agreed on to be a Siren in the Scemastuck AU, so I went with something similar yet different. So uh, yeah he’s basically a half-kelpie centaur. But he can leave his home and go solve mysteries whenever he wants to (or whenever his ‘crush’ decides to leave him alone).

Cheerful Demoman - Another one from a weird daydream, even though it doesn’t match what people had Clubs Deuce be, I chose to make him a Bakeneko. Who mostly stays in feline form to be nearby AM at all times. Also maybe to be a thorn in Clover’s side.

Heavy Brawler - So I am confused on Hearts Boxcars too, since one I saw him be described as a Dullahan, but another was an Incubus... so I went with friendly Wendigo who likes nature. Hopefully nobody murders me for this decision (hey if I had Demo make no sense then why not Brawler?).

Twilight Scoundrels (Incomplete):

Peccant Scofflaw - I.. I actually just wanted him to be a banished moon god because he kept trying to blow up the moon. Even after he is banished he still attempts to blow up the moon out of boredom. Don’t make him bored if you value your lives, as he could easily smite you with his (totally not stolen) scythe. Oh yeah and his cloaks inside looks a lot like the inside of Lunala’s wings. Yes I went there, but that’s mostly because Lunala’s wings are so beautiful..

Pernicious Innovator - Hooray more things that make no sense, because Pickle Inspector was a frankenstein. I basically went with ‘wisps of wind that cannot be fully comprehended as an angelic being unless you are of his group or bloodline’. He still doesn’t understand with Artsy can fully see him despite not being of his group (the Twilight Scoundrels) or of his bloodline (that is, being his adopted daughter (Nepeta is a feral nekomata try and change my mind-)).

Angry Delinquent - To explain what a Dragonborne is: A man or woman born from a dragon that has the powers of a dragon and can even shapeshift into a dragon if they are powerful enough. Just don’t try to anger him for no reason, since you will regret it. He mostly uses his fire powers to either scare people into not harassing him, or to you know.. threaten people. He never turns into a dragon unless there is a ton of people attacking him. Also don’t ask about his wings, he can’t hide them and he ain’t a demon.

Heinous Doxy - Since the opposite of a witch would technically also still use magic but not be human... I went with making her a beautiful siren that mostly flirts with Scoff. Who also owns a chainsaw and taser, both of which are waterproof. She also can leave water for a few moments, though she must stay hydrated unless she wants to die... not! Whenever her bodies dry she gains legs, which was a recent thing she discovered. Unfortunately this leads her to meeting two of The Fuzz members.

Nefarious Bawd - She may be a demon, but she’s just a fallen angel. She is always worried about Inny being discovered by a total stranger (even though he cannot) or whenever Scoff tries to blow up the moon. She owns a lot of different weapons, though she mostly uses a dagger, a freaking flamethrower and a large paper fan that is used to smack some sense into Scofflaw.

Felt / Fuzz (Has Completed ones but not the Incomplete ones):

01 / Itchy - He is a speed demon (duh) who’s hair sparks electricity when he runs really fast. He can turn into a thunder bird if he needs to fly, as while he was born without wings he can still shapeshift into the mythical thunder bird.

02 / Doze - He’s a male jinn, starting as a simple flame left behind when his body was placed in the graveyard. After Scratch put the flame into a jar for weeks, it gained a humanoid appearance, however it also gained free will. He crafted his own lamp to sleep within, which seems really roomy if he decides your a threat and to use his magic to trap you inside of the lamp.

03 / Trace - I decided for him to be a Male Gorgon, the problem was that I had no idea where to go from there. Other then that he is the one probably luring people towards Fin so that way his boyfriend- I mean coworker can have a ‘snack’.

04 / Clover - Yeah I got into one of my giggly fits when deciding what demon to make Clover. It mostly came from his ability and how he keeps trying to make people dance in the source material (Homestuck, specifically Paradox Space’s ‘The Inaugural Death of Mister Seven’). So uh yeah... Incubus Clover. He’s stated to be cute enough to melt people’s hearts, and yet targets ladies the most because they are most susceptible to cute things. He is also Artsy’s waking nightmare for... reasons...

05 / Fin - I didn’t have a problem making him an Umi-Bozu (aka having no human form.. at first). He bargained with Scratch which led to him getting trapped underwater as this tentacled thing with mouths on the underneath of the tentacles. Only artists renditions are seen of this monster form in action (all drawn by either Trace or Itchy (who I headcanon in this universe can’t keep the lines straight due to caffeine)).

06 / Die - I just imagined Die as a Fallen Angel, with chicken wings large enough to make him fly, but he never does this as he is more prone to hiding in the shadows and observing the other demons... and also caring for chickens. He lives near a well where he can see humanity’s history through it. Sometimes he can be caught smiling gently at the waters of the well whenever he sees mankind being good in dark times. His halo may be cracked, but it’s still supported by his horns.

07 / Crowbar - A humanoid Karasu who used to teach people the art of the blades. He now is mostly there to make sure that AM stays safe, and that Snowman never dies. Sometimes he will kill to give souls to the other demons, though it’s mostly just to keep the demons away from the humans. Maybe that’s to not cause a war between angels and demons like a very long time ago.

08 / Snowman - I decided deep down that she would be able to cause solar eclipses around the globe that are permanent and signs that the demons have taken control of that area. She is kind of like Lilith, except nobody, not even the other demons have ever seen her true form that’s hidden by her darkness.

09 / Stitch - I did this since the theme of peacocks fits into colors, and that he has effigies and yet.. someone attacked him one day, plucking the feathers off his tail, leaving only one left. His wings were also damaged from the attack, and one of his horns was sliced apart.

10 / Sawbuck - At first I had no idea what to make Sawbuck, but then I thought about Ent’s. In a way, Ent’s are more peaceful, but this one is a demon. He is non-harmful to the humans, only draining them whenever he needs to survive. He can control this draining power, and he also lives within the forests nearby the city so nobody knows of his existence. Though whenever he is nearby he will definitely help them unless they are malevolent to nature... except for Scofflaw since he is aware that Scofflaw is immortal.

11 / Matchsticks - A fire demon (duh) that actually used to be a man who kept watch over a young witch. Unfortunately she was dragged into another dimension, and Matchsticks was cursed to become a demon with no memory of his past. He is still a bit of a jokester, and may or may not be ignoring fire safety because he can’t exactly control the flames that are his hair and tail tip.

12 / Eggs - He is a demon with slimy wings and tail. It’s advised not to touch them as he will be enticed to seal you within a slimy cocoon. This turns you into one of his own species, which means it kills you and then morphs you. He is pretty dangerous when paired up with Biscuits since he could seal many people in a slimy cocoon, put it in Biscuits magic oven and then they would come out transformed in the future.

13 / Biscuits - He is one of the few demons that seems to have knowledge about cooking and baking, but that’s only so then he can keep his magical oven to help out Eggs. And maybe other people. The good news with him is that he doesn’t like standing in one place, and mostly will go to watch Eggs or the monitor showing AM’s house and rooms.

14 / Quarters -

15 / Cans - There is a reason nobody has ever seen Cans in action. He has the most fully human form, but that’s because his demon form is literally strong enough to knock people into next Tuesday.. or maybe next month, or maybe even out of the calendar entirely!

1/2 / Artsy Magician - As I said before, she too is a moon rabbit in this universe. Only problem is, is that I never got around to drawing her. I might just sketch her, and then post an image later, but she is quite the cutie in this universe. She also is unfortunately the one that the demons decided to well.. force her to live in the mansion until she dies. She is a young adult in this universe instead of being a teen (aka Adept Maiden).

[steve0discusses]

Yugioh S3 Ep 43: Tea Can Just Knock Over Joey Wheeler With Her Index Finger

Guys guys guys, my favorite Character is back. That’s right--the storyboarder!

So this episode looked helllla nice for a Yugioh episode (again, this is Yugioh, it will win no awards.) It wasn’t as nice and fluid as the episode where they temporarily killed off Joey Wheeler, but I give it a good 2nd place.

You can tell we’re getting to the climax of the season because they’re throwing down their most entertaining art people onto the screen, giving us about 5 zillion dutch angle fashion close-ups of Marik’s cabbage face, and a whole lot of zany and hard to very hard to draw fish-eye lens angles of Pharaoh.

Also, everyone wears flared bell-bottom pants now. New stylistic decision, as decided just now. Everyone in pants now has flares. Even if their pants are cargo pants. How very 00′s. (my pants were flares from like birth until 2006, it was a good trend, super comfy, bring it back.)

(read more under the cut)

First off, Evil Marik decided to rewrite Marik history a little bit with some hilarious retconning that only the most evil Marik would think is legit.

I mean I was there when Marik was introduced and was a complete asshole all of S2. I remember when Odion considered murdering the hell out of his little brother because this Marik guy was such freakin tool and his Dad was an evil cultist bastard. I...I’m gonna go on a limb and assume that calling Marik a “loyal servant” is a freakin stretch. Marik made his choices. Yes, his bad side killed his Dad, but they have made sure to indicate that yes, this is the evil inside of Marik, something that he himself caused--but most of the things that Marik has done (with the exception of killing his own Dad) is still Marik. He did that.

The fact that his evil side can’t quite connect that his good side and evil side are at all the same however, is fitting for an evil Marik to think. More and more, Marik and Marik are becoming 2 different people, and this game is the deciding factor to finally give this guy full autonomy of his other half.

We’ve seen this type of contrast before with Bakura and Ryou--where Ryou and Bakura don’t really get along but have always been clearly different people, so the culpability of what they do tends to fall on Bakura. (which is a pretty GRAND assumption, I still think Ryou is a precious but absolutely still shady little bastard) So, it’s a little different that Marik considers himself two completely different people when it’s just...not the same. Marik’s alter ego is just an ego. More like how Yami was in Season Zero but a little bit more evil. Both Marik’s have the same upbringing and the same source.

It’s been kind of an interesting progression now I can look back on it, where slowly the two have been clashing to the point that they are in fact different, disparate people now. The fact that Marik points out how his situation similar to Yugi and Pharaoh being a host is almost like “well yeah, it would have been nice to see how the whole Season Zero Yami evolved into more of a separate person over time, I’m glad you inferred that, and I’ll never get to see it, thanks” But again, all that is inferred. Whether Yami Yugi eventually became Pharaoh over time or whether Pharaoh is a big retcon of Yami Yugi for the new series in order to keep the culpability for what he does off of Yugi Muto was never directly spoken in the show so it’ll be left to your fanfictions.

Meanwhile, Yugi has decided that they’re going to try and purify the Marik situation and save the good side. This is sort of the Yugioh thing, to dispel the bad forces from people and leave behind hollow husks, so yeah...it tracks. I mean...there’s very little Marik left to save, but it’s better than a husk, amiright? Better than what happened to freakin PaniK, RIP. I’m sure erasing over half of your identity will go over real well for Marik and be absolutely painless.

And then we had a lovely scene that, for those people doing scene redraws from anime, as has been a popular trend on art blogs lately--this is your episode for Yugioh. This episode’s got moody lighting, we’ve subdued all our weird ass colors into one concrete palate (remember how green the carpet used to be?) we got interesting elements of Marik being here despite being chopped into pieces. We got so many ellipses drawn in perspective (y’all I could write an entire posts just about ellipses but I’ll spare you). It’s like Yugioh gave itself a redraw.

I can’t believe this shot came out of freakin Yugioh.

Also, this guy was an ASSHOLE for the past 2 seasons but the show was like “time to make him likeable” and so they dropped some good ass cinematography and sung that sad backstory tune on the trumpet and you know what? It works.

+++++++++++++++RANT ABOUT REDEMPTION ARCS FEEL FREE TO SKIP THIS MASSIVE WALL OF TEXT++++++++++++++++++++++++

Now I think the arc of Marik is pretty simple and people are pretty chill with it. But, I’m gonna talk about villain redemption arcs just in general--gonna sidetrack a little from Yugioh for a moment. Partly because I watched 6 seasons of Once Upon a Time, which is basically Villain Redemption Arc Controversy: The Show.

It bothers a hell ton of people when TV shows have to make a villain redeemable, but there’s only one episode left so they put their hands up and say “but I swear the good side of him was always good” But, does that mean Marik’s going to make up for all the murder and sending people to the shadow realm? No. He never will. Even if Marik was completely his bad half the whole time, it still wouldn’t make up for the damage done. Dead people are...DEAD.

Marik can’t actually make any choices right now to redeem his character. All he’s doing is accepting he will never be a full person ever again. Hence why he is in slices and pieces, and in several shots is trapped either in an empty glass or a window. The choice to redeem him is entirely on other people.

And that’s the thing about redemption arcs that I want to bring up--how much of a character’s redemption relies on what the villains do to “Make up for what they did”, and how much relies on everyone else to redeem them. I think the tendency is for people to assume that the villains should be doing 90-100% of the redeeming, but unless they have a time machine--they can’t do any. Even if they freakin die to sacrifice themselves it’s still like “that character was basically little Stalin, right?

I’ve seen like a million ways to write a redemption arc, but none of them, not a single one that I can think of, can ever truly make up for the things the villian has done. There’s no way that Darth Vadar was suddenly going to become a good Dad, no matter how many Palpatines he can toss into a...whatever that was at the end of that movie. That’s the riddle behind what makes redemption arcs so engaging--By all cultural standards these villains should always be tagged a “bad guy” but, we, the audience, are being challenged to ignore those standards.

And I know a lot of people see redemption arcs as a quasi-religious sort of adventure into atonement, where we’re supposed to see ourselves as the villain searching for some type of forgiveness from a higher, most-likely-a-reference-to-Jesus-power, but I don’t really see them that way. Maybe it’s because, I dunno, I haven’t killed anyone recently or possessed other people’s minds or strung them up to anchors and dropped them into the ocean. But if you see yourself as a Marik, then go for it, I won’t stop you.

But, to me, a redemption arc is more of a question posed for us as viewers. Since it is impossible for the writers to ever fully redeem a character, the only ones doing the redeeming are the people watching it, who’s reaction will differ wildly from person to person, and that’s what makes it fascinating.

And like, that’s my thesis here at the very last paragraph of this long meandering rant. Redemption arcs aren’t about “hey is this person good enough to be redeemed (because that will never happen)” it’s “are you too good to redeem that person?” It’s a large scale experiment on the viewers watching and that’s why it makes people so freakin pissed and uncomfortable. Every redemption arc calls them out directly, and for some people it’s just like--the world ends or something. I have seen actual internet mobs develop over...a villain redemption arc. Which is weird.

And so I’ll leave it with my other spicy take that...you don’t have to redeem every villain when the question is asked. I mean these aren’t real people. The questions of “would you redeem this person” is asked entirely hypothetically. And that’s what makes up stories, not just the interaction of the people inside the stories, but when it affects the moral structure of the readers directly, and seeing how for some people, that can be a very intense and deep reflection. (which usually leads to a hell ton of either retconning fanfiction or a hell ton of really, really angry posts)

bro’s just told me that Yugioh is just a redemption arc for season 0 Yami Yugi. Bro and his spicy headcanons. This one holds some water though, lol.

++++++++++++END OF A SUPER LONG RANT ABOUT VILLAINS THAT I HELD IN FOR THE ENTIRE 6 SEASONS OF ONCE UPON A TIME, WOW A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD OPINIONS ABOUT CERTAIN CHARACTERS THAT THEY JUST EXPECTED EVERYONE ELSE TO HAVE, AMIRIGHT????+++++++++++

Anyway, back to jokes.

Again, Storyboarder just...nailing these weird ass shoes that are somewhere between a dress shoe and a boot. Shoes are hard to draw, y’all. This storyboarder. And they even made sure that the shoes looked very small and precious the way Yugi shoes would be. Little Cinderella size 5 Yugi shoes.

Oh finally.

So it was only a matter of time before the people who actually care about being possessed noticed this situation, it just took like...a season longer than I thought it would. I’ll be honest it was quite cathartic for them to actually address for the first time in what feels like a long time ��SHOOT, GHOSTS!?!?”

Although it was kind of funny that the biggest reaction to all of this came straight from Joey. Yugi still doesn’t care, Tristan’s decided to just accept this, and Duke is just slowly backing away. But Joey’s going to try and do the work that Yugi should have done last episode.

HOT DAMN.

So, lets go over the Yugioh power chart here. Tristan can punch out Bakura. Tristan can also defeat Seto Kaiba with a broomstick. Joey can kick Tristan, even when Tristan is armed with a broomstick, so hard that Tristan flew through a metal door and bent it completely over backwards. Tea, however, can knock Joey completely over with one single index finger.

How has this girl ever been abducted? Was she just bored?

Bro wants to bring up that she once incapacitated a man with her butt. Just falling on top of a guy and hitting him with her butt of steel. Was she even in danger from the shipping container when she could just bat it away? She once choked out Season 0 Yugi Muto. She was always fine.

Credit to Joey, he keeps trying, and it gives us, for the first time, a sneak peek into what it must be like for Yugi and Joey to hang out on the offtimes that Yugi switches over and Pharaoh hasn’t quite gotten the memo.

This is in fact, the second time that she’s done this.

(meanwhile, sitting next to Odion, is one single cargo pocket floating in the air, gently smoking a purple haze like incense)

Welcome back Odion! I only now just realized how freakin jacked your neck is.

Like y’all his neck is wider than his head, hot damn.

Anyway, this show is secretly all about the power of big brothers, so I assume he’s going to start the mile long crawl to the top of the tower and then just...walk in...just walk right into a shadow game...?

...no one thought to stay with Odion? Like not even Serenity? Or at least leave him a weelchair? what the hell?

Odion always gets the worst wrap, this poor guy.

Anyway if you just got here, this is a link to read these recaps in chrono order from the beginning and watch my progression of knowing nothing about Yugioh to knowing a lot about random facts about Yugioh but still knowing absolutely nothing at all just like Socrates.

And here’s that shot of Marik for y’alls anime scene redraws, knock yourself out.

[familiarlyjiji]

• alias - Foxx

• age - 25  

• pronouns  - She/Her

•timezone  -  Eastern-Pacific

•favorite artist  -  Let's just say I dont have just one genre of music i like. Miyavi, Exo, Evanescence, Pink, Disney Soundtracks blasting out my car windows(All of them), All Time Low, SOAD, recently Clair Wyndham(Thank you Lucifer for having amazing music. Lol)

•favorite  movie  -  Labyrinth, Corpse Bride, Queen of the Damned, Dark Crystal

•favorite  fairy  tale  -  Peter Pan, Rapunzel

•favorite  color  -  Blue 

•character(s)  you  play  - Jin Jin-wu JiJi

•about  the  character  -

The memoirs of Jin-Wu start as any good story would, with a man or in our case a cat who became the loyal servant of a young lady of nobility. A familiar who would do anything for his master. Even take a few punches to the gut for being more than a little outspoken on what he thought was in the best interest of the young women. Especially when even she, herself was sometimes oblivious to the dangers that lurked around her. Akane in its warring state was not the safest place you see; for even those in a higher social order found themselves in the line of fire on occasion. Of course, our handsome feline wasn't opposed to setting aside his own morals and getting his claws a little dirty for his master's sake.

One wouldn't think much of an average sized cat whose fur was as black as night being of much use to a noble, her family or her friends. But then wouldn't they be ignoring the agile evasiveness of a feline and that ignorance my friends, is how the small Jin-Wu learned of those who would come to plot against his mistress. But our little kitten was not so much impressed with just that, and he eventually learned to shift those claws of his in that form he took that resembled a man. Because there was a few unfortunate instances where the conflicts of man vs beast had found them and Jin-Wu refused to leave the Ms. unprotected. Learning hand-to-hand or hand-to-claw he stood against those who wished to place harm upon his master.

At first, Jin-Wu was content in following his duty and helping in whatever way he could. Having a heart during these awful times however; made him long for what those bound in servitude to one person for a lifetime found difficult in obtaining. Love. Our feline was like every other soul who wished for another to care for him. Who wouldn't wish to achieve some sort of happiness in such troubling times. The young Ms. had her own life and the familiar was quite lonesome when his presence wasn't required. But he did meet such a beauty and fell as hard as one could fall in love with her. The familiar had become infatuated; bewitched into believing she, Lily Blanc was nothing but a simple white cat familiar like himself. Unbound and alone; she would tell him. The dark witch spun her lies. Tricking Jin-Wu in order to lure him away from his master and blind him to her true intentions. He later found himself conflicted when he got wind of the truth.  

Confronting Lily he finally saw her as the dark practitioner she really was and is faced with the decision to end her life. Heart broken and thinking Lily dead at his own hands Jin-Wu finds it too shameful to return to his master's side. Without a word our handsome feline distances himself from the young noble. Still helping her however on the outside as best he could. Unfortunately he learns that the woman who had ripped out his heart had lived and that his master was potentially still in danger. Seeking vengeance for disrupting the bonds between his master and breaking his heart Jin-Wu's story hasn't found it's end. Collecting information on Lily Blanc and anyone who may be allies to the accursed women the familiar to this day is still searching.

  •wanted  connections  - Kiki (Definitely needs the leading Lady in his story.)

A potential rival that would share that sort of like/hate relationship with him.(Cause honestly I enjoy a little angst.)

A friendship type bond. Any one who JiJi can relate to.(This is my fluff outlet. Lol )

Interactions with all the witches. (JiJi is a familiar so he will be naturally drawn to them like a magnet. So throw all those muses my way.)

Romances are welcome cause our handsome feline needs someone to help put that broken heart of his back into his chest. (I'm as hopeless a romantic as my poor muse. Let's just go and blame all the kdramas I watch)

•goals  for  your  character  -  Well currently JiJi is internally conflicted about what he should do in order to repair his lost bonds with his master. I'm hoping he rises back up from the torment and becomes a stronger character. Truthfully he is likely to fall into the hands of another character easily. I would love for him to get put in another situation where he is manipulated into doing someones bidding. Cause I'm evil and I do it all for free. :D

•favorite  tasks  - Any really but the ones that force me to really dip into my mind and flesh out my muses tend to be my favorites.

•favorite  events  - I'm a fan of swaps of all kinds(Gender/Power/Species/Personality), Disaster Plots that devastate my muses.

•any  ideas  - Not atm.

•anything  else  - 

Headcanons

•JiJi coats the tips of his claws in substances according to the situations he's in. (Causing Poisonous Paralyzing, and Numbing sensations. Mainly targets have been humans.)

•Personal Alignment: Harsh mix of ChaoticGood/LawfulEvil (Protecting his master and those hes fond of he has crossed the line. Murder, Blackmail ect.)

•Likes: Food(Yep he's one of those you can get to through his stomache types.), Sweets, High Places, Fish, Other Animal's, KiKi, Textures of all kinds (This boy will rub his face all over them.)

•Dislikes: Birds, Large Bodies of Water, Bitter Things, Wet Fur, Cold Feet, Weapon's(If it comes down to it he prefers Daggers, Short Swords and Knives. But he hates them because of humans overusing them during the war.)

•Combat: Skilled in close range combat and using his flexibility(Think Contortionist Level) and Agility to overpower his opponents. Has the basic strength of a human with his build and can be overwhelmed by someone or something that's exceptionally strong. Has the potential to do well in long range combat because basically cat eyesight but he currently has no experience with anything long range.(Bows, Guns.) Can however throw a dagger particularly well.

•Quotes: "Losing someone you loved isnt easy, but getting lost within oneself can be far worse."

"The moon has disappeared into the deep dark night and here I am talking to myself, again." -A.Jayakumar

•Lily Blanc's motives for going after Kiki I left unclear so I can plot and the KiKi Mun or other muns don't have to limit their creativity to one idea. (Jealousy, Working beneath another Villian, Corrupting the nobles of Akane ect.)

•TrueForm: Average-sized housecat with dark black fur and lavender bits making up the interior of both ears. The lavender fur transfers into his human form as two lavender streaks mingling into the dark black fringe that tends to cover his forehead.

[icythot-bakuhoe-blog]

romantic male student matchup please? i'm quick witted and clever. i have a very sweet disposition, but when i'm irritated or upset, my bite is extremely sharp. typically patient and slow to anger. i'm a bit too realistic and i don't sugarcoat anything. i love meteorology and i used to want to be a storm/tornado chaser. i'm talented at cooking and baking and i love making food for the people i care about. i tend to avoid overly rambunctious and loud people, but i give good advice if need be.

Ah, I’m going to be honest this was really hard! I could see this going in a few directions, but I’m pretty confident with my end decision! I hope you enjoy your matchup darling! 💖

With this, I ship you with Shinsou Hitoshi! 👾

WHY YOU’D WORK

Though you and Shinsou aren’t similar to the extreme, there are elements of which you two share that cause you to rock well together. Your quick wit and clever attitude would match well with his own, leaving you two to have interesting conversations every time you’re around each other. Even if he may seem to be uninterested in people at first, your patience would shine through as a sign you’re different than those who’ve judged him before—it would catch his eye. As you tend to avoid loud and rambunctious people, Shinsou’s quieter and somewhat aloof nature would work wonders, especially when in reality he’s far more laid back than what one would imagine.

HEADCANONS

👾 With your quick wit and clever responses, it would often lead to banter between the two of you that may be perceived worse than it is by the public. However, it’s something that becomes quite an endearing thing the two of you share, and something that always ensures conversation will never get boring.

👾 In fact, the two of you always seem to greet each other in a playfully insulting way—always engaging in a back and forth before dissolving into smiles and going on with enjoying each other’s company. It’s almost akin to a tradition between the two of you—instinctual, even. Nothing would feel right if your interactions started out any different.

👾 Seeing how overly realistic you are, Shinsou takes it as an opportunity to have a little fun. Often times he can’t help but take the chance to tease you, or even throw ridiculous scenarios your way just to see your response. No matter what, every time only seems to become more amusing.

👾 Shinsou deeply appreciates how you don’t sugarcoat your words. Hearing the blatant truth is far better than a sweetened lie, and it makes him feel like he can always trust what you have to say.

👾 Hearing that you’re into meteorology would spark Shinsou’s interest. He loves hearing you talk about it, especially the way you seem very passionate about your love. It doesn’t surprise him when you tell him you wanted to be a storm chaser—though, he’ll ask you what changed.

“It sounds like a badass career to me,” he’d say.

👾 On his birthday, you happened to surprise Shinsou with his favorite meal. If only you had a camera to capture the look on his face. He couldn’t help but thank you enormously, and wanted to share the dinner with you. Though, it’s safe to say he definitely pays the love back by having a good dessert ;)

COMPATIBILITY — 96%

HONORABLE MENTION:

Shouto Todoroki !!

For your quirk matchup, I pair you with Storm Inducement! 🌩

ABOUT THE QUIRK

Storm enducement allows for you to be able to create and control storms! Whether it be thunderstorms, blizzards, or even sandstorms, you’re able to conjure them and manipulate them to your will. Though, it’s up for debate whether or not this pertains the entirety of the storm of your control, or just factors of it. Despite this, you’ll also have influence on storms happening around you.

STRENGTHS

🌩 Once again, there’s no limit to the type of storm you’re able to conjure and control! As long as you think of it, there’s the potentiality of it occurring.

🌩 Some storms have a deeper impact or are stronger in specific climates. For example, blizzards would be able to have the highest impact in a colder place, or during the winter season.

🌩 Perhaps with enough training, you’ll be able to even influence just individual factors of the storm! It could lead deeper into the subcategory of which this lies in weather manipulation.

🌩 The storms can range in size—though there are limits, you have control over how large or small you wish for them to be to a certain extent.

🌩 Not only are you able to have control to manifest storms, but influence current ones happening nearby as well. You won’t have total control, but if you wish, you can strengthen them.

WEAKNESSES

🌩 Some storms are only able to be conjured in specific climates and conditions. For example, it’s impossible to create a sand storm in the midst of the arctic; it’s also impossible to create a snow storm in the midst of the beating heat of summer.

🌩 The storms you create are not only influenced by your mind and will, but your emotions. The more your emotions get to you, the less control you’ll have over the storms.

🌩 If not careful, these storms can create far more collateral damage than intended. This quirk is one of high risk, and many people can get hurt in the process if things were to go wrong.

🌩 Even though you’re able to create and control storms, you’re not immune to what comes along with them. Prepare yourself for whatever you’re about to conjure, because you’re just as vulnerable for damage as everyone else.

🌩 In specific circumstances, certain storms can only hurt you rather than help. For example, if on a surface known to get slippery, a heavy downpour may make it hard to maneuver without the risk of falling. That, or if a nearby drop off or cliff, winds may only risk you falling over.

Either way, I hope you enjoy your new quirk! 💖

[pandamancer11]

Makoto’s Story - Chapter 1

**This is the first installment in a series I've dedicated to telling Makoto Niijima's side of the story in the events that take place through Persona 5.

It's been a ton of fun to explore the everyday life, turned adventure of a lifetime, of one of my favorite characters in the game! This series will loosely follow the plot of Persona, but I will be throwing a healthy batch of headcanon and my own narrative.

So if that's your thing, please join me as we see the world of Persona through the eyes of the Queen herself! **

Chapter 1: A Day in the Life

I placed the papers back on the table and rubbed my sore eyes.

‘No matter how many times I run the numbers, the board has simply hasn’t given me the funds I need to pull this off…’

Lifting my face from my hands, I gave a tentative glance to the clock.

‘Five thirty already? I’ve been at this for hours, but there is still so much to be done.’ I drew in a deep breath ‘I hate to complain to the school board. They have lent a great deal of trust to me. Trusting me to be able to budget and plan this year’s up-coming student festival for the school. I just wish they had given me a little more to work with here…’

I grouped my scattered papers together, stacked them nicely and placed them neatly back in my bag. ‘I guess I’m just going to have to come back in again this Sunday to try to figure this out. Though I still don’t know what use it would be. I’ve been working on this every day for the past two weeks. I’m afraid I may end disappointing principal Kobayakawa and the whole school at this rate.’

My bag in hand, I stood and slid the chair back in its place. ‘I simply can’t let that happen. I knew, going in, becoming school president wasn’t going to be an easy task. I’ll just have to double my efforts tomorrow morning.’

I shut and locked the door to the student council office behind me. The school hallway was barren. Not a student or a teacher in sight. Most of the hall lights were off, and the only source of illumination was coming from the dwindling sun through the large bay windows overlooking the courtyard. It’s not like I was unaccustomed to being the only one left in the school.

It was just part of the routine at this point. Get to school early, hold meetings, go to class, check in on clubs, have a meeting with principal Kobayakawa, continue planning for the festival, and now, go home to get my studying done. I won’t say it’s been particularly easy since I became a third year here at Shujin Academy, but it’s all a part of ‘growing up’ as Sae told me.

How could I complain about my workload when my sister has not only come up against all expectations of her as an unmarried woman in the male-dominated work environment that is the SUI office but has blazed a path for me.

Not only did she graduate at the top of her class in law school, but she was even invited to be a prosecutor for the special investigations department. Becoming the first woman to do so. I’ve learned so much from her and would be privileged to live up to being even a fraction of what she is.

“Well hey there miss school president!” A man’s voice called to me. I looked towards the source and found the school’s volleyball coach, Mr. Kamoshida, was walking in my direction from further down the hallway. Probably fresh from the team practice considering the time of day.

“What has you at the school this late hour Niijima? Classes ended a few hours ago.” He grinned and rubbed the back of his head “Probably up to some student council business eh?”

I gave a smile back and a slight bow “Good evening Mr. Kamoshida. Yes, sir, the council has needed me to stay a little later after school to help organize the student festival that is coming up in a couple of months.”

“You are already working on that thing?” he let out a slight chuckle “You big brained students never cease to amaze me! Showing such initiative and dedication will surely be in your favor when it comes to college applications.”

“Thank you, sir. We are certainly trying our best to provide the best experience for our fellow students here at Shujin!”

“Well, I’m sure it will show when the time comes” He shifted his weight to the opposite leg and crossed his arms “You know Makoto, we could really use someone with your talents on the girls’ volleyball team.” Mr. Kamoshida suggested, “Now I know you have a lot on your plate at the moment, but we are holding tryouts for next semester’s team soon.”

I clutched my bag “Thank you for the offer sir, but I’m not really the athletic type-”

“Nonsense! Volleyball is more than just raw physical skill. It’s all about strategy. Having the ability to out-think as well as outmaneuver your opponent.” He mimed serving a volleyball “Strength means nothing without the ability to read the opponents weaknesses” Kamoshida spiked his imaginary ball “then exploiting that weakness to gain victory!” He dusted off his hands and smiled widely “And I think you’re just the girl to give us that much-needed edge! Besides, I can tell from just looking at you. You have quite the physic. I’m sure your body is capable of more than you give it credit for!”

My shoulders tightened “That’s very kind of you to say, sir. But as you did point out earlier, I do have quite a lot on my plate at the moment-”

He crossed his arms once again “Oh! No need to make a decision now! Just promise me you’ll think about it. I can assure you, you’ll be one of my first picks if you try out! I know you wouldn’t need another letter of recommendation from a teacher, but one more certainly couldn’t hurt.”

I nodded “It’s a very tempting and generous offer sir. I will certainly give it a great deal of thought when the time comes.”

He shot me a knowing grin “Now, we talked about this, no need for the sir stuff ok? Just call me Suguru. And hopefully soon, coach!”

“Yes si-, sorry, Suguru. I will do well to remember in the future” I faced the door that left the hallway “Well, I should be going or I’ll miss my train.”

He gestured to the door “Oh of course! Sorry for keeping you! Have a good rest of your day Makoto. See you tomorrow.”

I nodded in return “You as well!” and pulled open the door and hastily walked through. I watched the door slowly close behind me and took a breath. I could feel my palms moist with sweat. ‘Now now Makoto. You’re being ridiculous.’ I assured myself ‘You know they are all just rumors. We were simply having a friendly conversation, nothing more.’ I gave myself a moment to recompose. Once I had my legs back underneath myself, I made my way out of the front hall and towards the subway station.

 **

 The apartment looked the same as it did that morning when I left for school. I examined the clock on the wall ‘Hmm. Sis should have been home by now.’ Locking the door behind me, I placed my bag and jacket on the sofa and headed to the kitchen. ‘She must be pulling another all-nighter at the office.’

I pulled out a Tupperware of leftover homemade ramen I made earlier in the week. Being sure to make plenty and to portion out some for Sae as well. She works so hard, and she’s kind enough to house me at her apartment after all. The least I could do is make her a meal. However, when I opened up the fridge, I saw her container of ramen still full and untouched after sitting there for days.

‘Come to think of it’ I silently considered to myself ‘when was the last time I saw her home?’ I poured the last of my soup into a pot and let it heat back up on the stove top. ‘Maybe I should just shoot her a text and make sure she’s fine…’

I tapped my phone's screen back to life and opened up the messenger app. ‘Evening Sis. Sorry to bother you. I know you must be hard at work at the office. Just haven’t heard from you in a while and wanted to make sure you were well. Please let me know if I can do anything to help!’

The ramen had already started to steam, so I took a bowl from a nearby cupboard and set my place at the table. I pulled my seat up and let the aroma of the warm soup fill my lungs. It still smelt delicious. In this batch, I played with the ratio of chili sauce to broth. It absolutely paid off.

After a few spoonfuls, I noticed just how quiet it was in the house. I wasn’t particularly sure why it stood out to me just then of all times. Ever since Sae let me move in with her, it’s always kind of been like this. The apartment was beautiful. Matching cream-colored sofas in the living room. Lovely gray and black colored curtains. Even a couple of potted ferns and lilies to brighten the room a little. And under a stunningly hand carved coffee table laid a gorgeous ornate rug.

Sae’s apartment certainly didn’t lack a sense of taste. When she moved in, she even hired an interior decorator to give the place its distinct style and character. It gave off a sort of beautiful minimalistic feel.

Still, I had to admit, it lacked warmth. Can’t say I’ve ever complete felt comfortable in it. Though it was a near art piece, it still felt hollow somehow.

The stillness was putting me on edge, so I clicked on the TV in the living room a listened while I ate. The large screen popped to life, and the SNN breaking news logo streaked across the screen.

 ‘-Experts are still baffled as to what caused the trains to crash earlier this April. The subway’s conductor had cleared all tests for narcotics, or any substances of any kind, in his system. Even after extensive interrogation, he still cannot recall why he would have sent his train speeding down the track, far over recommended speeds, causing the massive crash into Shibuya station, killing dozens and injuring even more.-’ A reporter announced

‘Oh right, that train crash that happened earlier in the school year. It was fortunate it was on a Sunday, or Shujin students very easily could have been on that train or at the station.’ I stirred the noodles while listening to the broadcaster continue.

‘The conductor is still awaiting his court date to face a judge over whether the matter is to be considered criminal neglect or manslaughter.’ Another reporter chimed in ‘Now why isn’t he just being thrown in jail for murder? He wasn’t under any sort drug as you said, then he had to have been in a clear state of mind when he killed all those people’

‘Many have asked the same.’ The first reporter retorted ‘However, after the incident, it was confirmed by a doctor at the scene that the conductor had had a seizure of some sort behind the wheel. He was said to be foaming at the mouth, and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. He was said to be lucky to recover from such an accident-’

I clicked the tv back off and sighed “I really don’t feel like hearing about train accidents right now” I murmured to myself while getting up. I grabbed my school bag and sat back down at the dinner table. Undid the latch and brought out my notes from the day. Segregating the binders and papers into separate piles by classes, I cracked open the first.

Before starting, I grouped a few noodles together and chomped down on a mouth full. My stomach growled with desire for more. “Hmm. Forgot how long ago lunch was. Guess my stomach didn’t.” I rubbed my tired eyes and got to work on my homework ‘Ok. Question one: according to the philosopher Plato, the soul is composed of appetite, spirit and what else?’

[sherlolo-land]

Okay, we’d like to go over some of our favorite parts of this post. Now, we’re not here to tell you that you absolutely have to hate Mary with every fiber of your being, because that’s an opinion for each person to decide on their own. We are just here to talk about why some of the reasoning in this particular post is laughable.

1. Right off the bat, it compares Johnlockers to the obnoxious boy in the scenario raising his voice at someone who disagrees. Lmao. We know what you guys think of Johnlockers. We don’t need to waste time proving that the hate against us is both hypocritical and blown out of proportion. For more info, simply search this blog. It’s just funny how ya’ll can never make any arguments against us without resorting to ad hominem attacks at least once. Or in this case, from the very beginning.

2. Mary’s “unforgivable sins.” The examples you give of us searching for any reasons to demonize her are…. not the best. You picked examples that made it easiest for you to say “See, look how reaching your arguments are!” You basically said we think she’s evil because she playfully teases Sherlock, tries to keep her family safe, and doesn’t reveal her identity right away. I think you know that there are much better examples to argue that Mary is not a good person, but you intentionally didn’t use them. You went for the smallest points in our argument instead and presented it like it was the core of it. To me, this shows that even you see the weakness in your own argument. And regarding Mary’s abandonment, John himself thought it was incredibly selfish of her to run off instead of working things out with him. His words, originally, not ours.

3. Mary’s smile. Now its my turn to call the argument reaching. I’d say, claiming Mary was smiling just so Magnussen wouldn’t have another pressure point on her is one interpretation you could use if you were desperately trying to make her actions in these scene less detestable. If you love Mary and want to think this to make yourself feel better about her, go right ahead. Make it your fanon. But claiming that it’s a cold, hard fact? Nope, nice try. There’s nothing in that scene to suggest that that smile was only for Magnussen. That’s your personal headcanon, and there is a difference between that and canon.

4. “A large number of people claim they hated Mary before His Last Vow…However, if she was disliked before she actually deserved that, what does it say about those fans?” It’s not a crime to dislike a character. Johnlockers are held to this ridiculous standard of not being allowed to speak a single negative word about any character (esp. a woman). Why aren’t other fans held to the same standard? Why is it okay for Sherl0llians (and sometimes Adl0ckers too) to vehemently and openly hate John with everything in their soul? They are never accused of hating someone for getting in the way of their ship or being biased in their opinions. On the flip side, how come no one is making this same argument about ppl who loved Mary? There are people who loved her right from the start, and throughout everything afterwards (the assassin reveal, the shooting, the lying, the abandonment, the belittling, the selfishness…), she remained a saint in their eyes. How is this different from someone disliking Mary from the start and holding onto that opinion no matter what?

5. “Nothing an antagonist can do to be redeemed, it seems. I don’t want to say a female antagonist, but I am thinking that (Irene Adler, for instance, is still described as a villain.)” *claps for you* Omg what an original argument to make against the big, bad misogynistic Johnlockers! I’ve never ever heard that one before! … Shucks, and here I was thinking I was reading a well-written, organized post that for once didn’t resort to calling Johnlockers sexist for no reason. And about Irene, she may not have necessarily been a villain, but she was an antagonist. She was a force working against Sherlock throughout ASiB. She worked for Moriarty. She was a adversary for him. Does that make her a horrible, evil person? No. But don’t act like it’s a crime to call her what she is. An antagonist. And chances are, if someone uses the word “villain” instead of antagonist or adversary, it’s probably just a word preference. It’s not that deep fam.

6. “It’s best, I believe, to look at the facts and try to be objective.” Okay, then let’s look at all her crimes and despicable acts that you left out of your earlier arguments. Wait… but that would tear apart the point you’re trying to make.

7. Before she shot him, she clearly warned him not to come closer and expressed her remorse. Aka: It’s okay to shoot your friend (who is offering to help you) in the chest just because they bet on you having a conscience and decided to take a step closer to you. And afterwards, it’s best to express your remorse by threatening to shoot them again when you think no one is looking.

8. “Sherlock clearly forgave her and they remained friends” See here’s the thing. We were never actually shown this. We were shown Sherlock escaping dying at her hands a second time, then John making up with her with that ominous, carefully worded, possibly double-edged “The problems of your future are my privilege.” Then Sherlock shot Cam to keep John and Mary safe (yes, John too). Then we got TAB, where Sherlock solved the mystery of a bride who shot people and envisioned John’s marriage going downhill. It was sublte, but throughout all that, there was always the very plausible possibility that there was something more going on. After all, it would’ve made a much better story than Mary trying to kill her supposed friend twice and John forgiving her, despite that decision going against all his previous character development. So yeah, it’s not a surprise (nor the viewer’s fault) for scratching their head when TST aired and Sherlock and Mary were suddenly besties. Something else to understand here re: s4: The question isn’t whether or not he forgave her. They made that pretty obvious. The question we simply have is why?? It’s not a crime to wonder about this instead of just accepting whatever the writers give us, especially when it has no consistency or sense behind it.

9. “She’s been criticised for her sass in HLV, after the shooting, when she dared not to grovel at John’s feet, begging for his forgiveness.” Ask yourself, does her little quip in HLV make you see her as a funny, quirky badass? Why? Genuinely ask yourself why. Why shouldn’t she ask his forgiveness for trying to murder his best friend in cold blood, and apologize like any semi-decent human being would have done? Why is it so “uwu cute and badass” that all she had to say about the situation were some snarky sarcastic comments? See, this is an example of Mary being able to do literally anything, and still be worshipped for it. She’s a woman and can therefore literally commit murder and its uwu so cute. I don't understand how saying “omg wow she tried to kill her friend and DARED to not apologize for it, you go girl!” is helping your argument that she’s really not so bad of a person. (It does, however, help the argument that she would have made an incredible, very interesting, and entertaining villain, so thanks for that).  

10. “Regardless of Mary’s actions and her motivations, she was bound to be hated, simply because she was in a relationship with John.” *claps again* Ohmygod wow you are so smart, I have never heard anyone say that before. Jesus, can ya’ll simply make your argument for once without resorting to calling us sexist? Or insulting our intelligence by implying that we can’t tell the difference between someone getting in the way of our ship and someone being a despicable person who should not be worshipped and praised? And it’s  funny cause i double some of ya’ll would love and stan her so much if she wasn't in a relationship with John. You guys just love being able to use that excuse. You love that she blocks Johnlock and you love her for existing to do just that. If she was just a random side character who shows up in S3, makes some snarky comments, becomes friends with them, and then tries to kill Sherlock, I doubt you guys would still feel the same about her.

11. “But when people demonise her and twist her every word to make her look like the evilest woman on earth, I have to disagree.” / “Mary is not as evil as some people think.” Listen, I agree. I don’t think every single thing she does is horrible. People can often be unfair when talking about her. Both in defending everything she does, and villainizing everything she does. I get it. But hating Mary or interpreting her as a villain is not a fucking crime. There are numerous reasons to support this reading, as you said yourself. I personally don’t see any redeeming qualities in her that make her a character worth forgiving or liking. If you want to argue that she’s not so bad of a person, go right ahead. But seriously, if you’re going to try to justify your reasoning for doing so, try to come up with some better reasons, because these are weak. As I said before, I don’t think every single thing she does is horrible. But I do think that, objectively, the bad about her far outbalances the good. Just try making a simple good/bad list of her traits and actions, weigh them fairly against each other, and tell me what conclusion you come up with. It’s really not a surprising thing (nor a crime) to dislike Mary or see her as a bad character. It’s common sense. At least that’s how I see it. But I’m just a stupid Johnlocker who is only interested in seeing dicks touch. What do I know