#proof you don't have to be into science to be smart

[cryptic-underground]

They are very dear to me <3

[pocket-size-cthulhu]

The pandemic did things to me, man.

Like I know this isn't a new revelation or anything but it hit home to me in a way it otherwise wouldn't have, that there's not so much evil in the world dooming us as there is apathy. People who don't know how to deal with their anxieties dealing with them by deluding themselves into believing it's not actually a problem.

I don't watch much apocalypse media, but since the pandemic, every time I have, I haven't been able to take it seriously. Oh, you're 2 years into a zombie apocalypse and people are running amuck?

No they're not. They're living their lives normally, told by the government first that the problem is overblown by the media, then that we just have to learn to live in this new reality with zombies. Anyone who gets bit, they turn their noses up and say they just weren't fast enough and that was the real problem. They're putting diluted bleach in cute little spray bottles and spritzing themselves occasionally, saying that that keeps the zombies away, even though there's no scientific proof of that. They're putting essential oils on festering zombie bites and going out in public in complete denial that they are going to lose their sanity any minute; they consider it rather gauche to mention if they've been bitten by any suspiciously monstrous individuals lately.

There's a medicine that makes you more resistant to zombie bites, but a bunch of people don't take it because they think it turns you into a mutant. They say your body can fight off zombie bites naturally - that's how it's made. The science disagrees with them on both points.

They went out and bought all the canned beans in the world during the first 3 weeks of this, but then they got tired of the anxiety and decided to ignore it. They're trying to "rebuild" "after" the zombie crisis, ignoring the fact that. There are still zombies. The rebuilding efforts are not going well because, well, the problem is still here.

Sensible people who know that there's still a zombie problem have come to the realization that nobody is going to take care of the zombie problem, and they're expected at work. So they go to their jobs and send their kids to school just hoping that their loved ones survive any chance encounters with a zombie that they might have.

Some people still wear tactical gear that affords some protection from zombies, but it's pretty rare, and sometimes other civilians have negative reactions to that - calling people paranoid or getting angry at being reminded of the danger. Telling them that the chances of a fast person like them getting bitten are very slim. Why bother with the clunky gear? Plus it's not doing your figure any favors.

Most of the people who are too slow to outrun a zombie have already become zombies, themselves. The news runs articles like "worker shortage: 600,000 people stopped working during the zombie apocalypse and they haven't come back. Where are they now?" Like we don't all know where they are. The ongoing risk of zombie assault is resulting in more people who are injured and too slow to outrun the zombies. Plus you can always get caught unawares. But, the government wants you to know that we just have to adjust to a parallel society, with zombies. Might be smart to carry a baseball bat on your person, but you really don't have to; the chances of you becoming a zombie are low.

The stress of the ongoing zombie problem is having a massive psychological impact on people, driving wedges between them and making it difficult for people to have conversations about any topic. Some politicians and corporations are profiting from this. Nobody wants you to mention any of it. They laugh and go, "remember the zombie apocalypse years? That was so crazy."

[alexxncl]

‼️NIGHTBRINGER LESSON 48 SPOILERS‼️

masterlist | all lessons | season 3 | lesson 47 | lesson 48.2 | lesson 49.1 | lesson 49.2

before reading this...i feel like shit is about to hit the fan idk. the last part of the science fair can't be all sunshine and roses

...

SIGH

my brother in christ the lesson JUST STARTED 🧍🏾

maybe it's the remnants of simeon's angelic nature clashing with the magic solomon used on him. everyone says that solomon is slowly losing what's left of his humanity bc of how long he's been alive, along with the fact that that he went to cocytus and came back alive

or maybe i'm just yapping

simeon: *whatever tf just happened*

luci: mc, i need to talk to you

mc: omg i love you too babe 🫶🏽

like ?? 😭 mc is hilarious i fear

IS HE A DEMON NOW ????? i wanna say i'm surprised but i'm not. i just wonder how the story's gonna play out if they go that route

more on this here

luci trusting satan's judgment bc he's one of the most trustworthy of his brothers and the most similar to him

:((((

but also luci??? HELLO??? whore behavior we love to see it 😌 give me more

but also maybe not bc what if he copes with his negative emotion through sex ??? the whole family needs therapy

the siblings ever. i love them

this is so interesting to me

i wanna ask how the rest of them didn't figure it out sooner, but they all probably went into "protective brother" mode as soon as they realized he didn't have his angelic powers to protect himself anymore. solomon didn't have those kinds of ties to simeon, so he was able to act on and use logic in a more effective way than the brothers would be able to, figuring out that something was wrong before anyone else

solomon assuming that simeon is oblivious to what's going on though? i feel like he's too smart for that to be true. if anything, he's probably either DEEP in denial, too stubborn to bring it up hc he doesn't wanna worry anyone, or mentally wrestling with the fact that he finally got what he wanted - to be with the brothers in the devildom after their fall - but at the cost of his identity

i know i'm reading too far into this, but do the boys really think that lowly of demons (themselves)?

like yes, some demons of lower and higher stature are the absolute worst people you'll ever encounter, but the brothers and diavolo and barbatos and probably numerous other demons are proof that you aren't defined by your physiology or designation or identity or anything like that

some angels act worse than the lowest of demons do, but they're still angels. being a certain race doesn't determine your personality or moral standing, it's who you are as a person

ngl idk what to make of this yet, but i feel like it's important. foreshadowing even. so i'm keeping it here

baby no :( he's doing it to protect you

i love and hate the way simeon is so protective of luke. on one hand, that's basically his son, so i get wanting to shield him from the worst parts of the world and the worst parts of yourself

but on the other, luke is his own person, too. adults tend to forget that kids don't exist as an extension of themselves, but as people trying to find their place in the world. they aren't as naive and are way smarter than most people give them credit for

luke not voicing his concern is a result of and will continue to result in simeon shutting him out under the guise of protecting him, when in reality it's only putting more of a strain on their relationship

ngl i AUDIBLY laughed at that first part bc what 😭

also why would they cut the lesson off here ??? obey me devs when i catch you

i'm honestly so happy the sf arc shifted to something else bc i was getting tired of the happy shit. give me ANGST /lh /hj

[lyinginahammock]

In GTA V, you can find a book entitled "Red Dead," written by a J. Marston. This has been used as proof that Jack Marston (son of Red Dead Redemption protagonist John Marston) wrote "Red Dead" in the universe of GTA.

But I want to take it one step further - I think that Jack also wrote Red Dead Redemption II in the same universe when he was an older, more experienced author, and that both of them act as historical fiction in honor of his father, with the supernatural elements added in by Jack.

Red Dead Redemption shows John Marston as a great guy - smart, clever, caring for his family, and well-meaning in general, who sets out on a quest to destroy the remnants of the Van Der Linde gang in order to save his family before being gunned down in an impossible last stand. He is an uncritical depiction of Jack's father.

Red Dead Redemption II features a more complicated protagonist in Arthur Morgan, a more morally grey character, in the final months of his life, as he's dying from TB (the result of his own actions). His last act is to save the Marstons, and the epilogues show John telling Jack stories about Arthur, almost certainly in a heroic light. I think that an older Jack decides to track down as many people who would have interacted with Arthur in order to get a more critical look at Arthur as a person, including his former lover and the family of the man Arthur kicked the shit out of, resulting in Arthur developing TB.

Dutch Van Der Linde's portrayal as almost cartoonishly stupid and evil in Red Dead Redemption II is explained by this idea. The only surviving people who knew Dutch would've seen him as a villain - Sadie, Rains Falls, etc - and Arthur as a flawed hero, and Jack would've already talked to these people about his father. That, combined with watching Dutch abandon John a number of times (and Arthur bailing John out), would've cemented Dutch as a major villain in Jack's life as well.

As I said before, this theory also explains the more...fantastical elements of the games - vampires, time travel, robots, etc. I don't think that John or Arthur actually, in-universe, encountered those things, nor would they have claimed to. In Red Dead Redemption II, Jack is seen reading about King Arthur, much to his father's approval, and John seems to be supportive of Jack's dreams of being a novelist, so I don't doubt that in the year between the two Redemption games, John would have spent a good amount of money buying books for his son, loving father that he is. Thus, as part of the homage to his father that I believe these in-universe novels were, Jack would've put in those elements of science fiction and fantasy he read about with his father's approval.

Tl;dr - The Red Dead Redemption games (I and II) are historical fiction novels in the universe of GTA, written by Jack Marston, and the supernatural elements are additions made by Jack to honor his father's support of his reading habit.

[bitterkarella]

Midnight Pals: Trapdoor Spiders

Fletcher Pratt: i'd like to welcome you all to the first meeting of the No Mildreds Club Mildred Baldwin: hey what are you boys doing in here Pratt: um excuse me Pratt: [pointing at sign] sorry mildred

Pratt: first order of business for the NO MILDREDS Club Pratt: the chair recognizes isaac asimov Isaac Asimov: yes can we change the name? Asimov: its a little on the nose Pratt: well what would you call it? Asimov: how about Asimov: the trapdoor spiders

[meanwhile] Poe: hey did you guys hear about this Trapdoor Spiders club? Poe: seems really exclusive King: whys it called that? Barker: its a sex act Poe: no its not clive Barker: be a lot cooler if it was

King: so what is it? Poe: its a male eating club Barker: haha well i know all about that Poe: no clive it's not that kind of male eating CB Blanchard: i know all about that Poe: it's not that either

King: so it's an exclusive club for boys? Patricia Highsmith: sounds fun. maybe i'll stop by Poe: oh sorry patricia it's men only Highsmith: yeah i think they'll let me in Poe: Poe: yeah i don't know why but that scans Barker: yeah that really does doesn't it? Highsmith: you know, chat with the boys, hang a few laughs, maybe chase a skirt

Franz Kafka: can i join? Poe: King: Koontz: Lovecraft: Barker: Barker: i'm going to tell her Poe: no clive Poe: the prime directive Barker: that's stupid Barker: i'm going to do it

Barker: we need to get into this club King: well gosh clive it's invite only King: and they're sci fi guys King: i don't know that we have any horror guys in that you could ask Dean Koontz: there's theodore sturgeon Barker: why yes Barker: there IS theodore sturgeon Barker: dean, you're a genius Koontz: i helped :)

Theodore Sturgeon: [wearing lab coat, holding erlenmeyer flask] behold it is i Sturgeon: theodore sturgeon Sturgeon: critical thinker and seeker of knowledge Sturgeon: excelsior!

Barker: hey theo Barker: i wanna ask a favor Sturgeon: speak, fellow science fan!

Barker: so Sturgeon: [scribbling equations on chalkboard] silence, clive! i'm almost at a break-through Sturgeon: soon, if my calculations are correct Sturgeon: i shall soon perfect Sturgeon's Revelation Sturgeon: or perhaps even Sturgeon: Sturgeon's law

Barker: Barker: yeah so anyway Sturgeon: eureka! I've found it Sturgeon: by my calculations Sturgeon: 80% of everything is crud Sturgeon: wait a second Sturgeon: 90%. 90% of everything is crud Sturgeon: sorry, forgot to carry the one

Barker: yeah ok i'm gonna leave you to Barker: whatever the hell all this is Sturgeon: scientific progress! Sturgeon: behold! the fruits of science! Sturgeon: a marvel of modern technology! Sturgeon: i'm building a killdozer

Sturgeon: behold! the killdozer! Sturgeon: bullet proof glass. Touchscreen gear shift. Sturgeon: and the steering wheel is a squircle

Sturgeon: the killdozer can cross water up to 2.5 feet deep Sturgeon: but also um you shouldn't get it wet Barker: Sturgeon: especially don't back it into a lake or something

Barker: you scientists are always so busy asking whether you CAN build a killdozer, you never stop to ask whether you SHOULD build a killdozer Barker: cuz that thing looks like shit Barker: like it really looks like shit

Sturgeon: you think i'm smart? you should see my brother peter Sturgeon: you know mensa? Barker: i've heard of it Sturgeon: he's so smart he FOUNDED it Barker: yeah? is he a member? Sturgeon: Sturgeon: i don't know

Barker: so you're pretty smart huh? Peter Sturgeon: [levitating, enormous saucer person head throbbing] Heard of Plato? Aristotle? Socrates? Peter Sturgeon: all morons!

[everythingblackblack]

It's funny because I used to see a headcanon floating around the fandom that Hakuba was sad that Kudou was Meitantei (great detective) while he was Hebo-tantei (hack detective/basically not actually that good at his job).

Kudou's nickname comes from when he acknowledged him as a child on his level then discovered he was the real 'Sleeping Kogorou' and actually the Great Detective of the East (I also don't think Kaito likes the nickname KID-Killer it's morbid for the media to call a child exposed to really murderers a killer).

Meanwhile Hakuba's nickname comes from when he was annoyed at the celebrity Hakuba thinking the task force were incompetent and he'd very quickly catch KID without them as well as grouping him up with Aoko (immaturely, calling her the idiot inspector's daughter) during the time Hakuba offered to go out with her instead of Kaito if he caught KID (Kaito is so tsundere with her and Hakuba wasn't used to this yet but seems to find it amusing later). It's important to remember that Kaito respects the inspector a lot despite KID and Ginzou making jabs at each other often (Ginzou looks stupid only because Kaito's a genius) and he and Aoko refer to each other with punny nicknames meaning idiot/moron (Bakaito and Ahouko) because they are on the same level of being idiotic geniuses/stupid smart people. There's also the fact that Hakuba insists he's KID (only in private and while completely ignoring Kaito's denial) despite not having enough evidence to prove it in a court of law and will sometimes help his supposed prime suspect, as Kaito is definitely Not KID as Hakuba has no real proof and what kind of competent and sane detective would help an internationally wanted thief for the sole purpose of wanting to be the one to catch him when he's less busy?

Is there any fanfic of this? I would love to read it.

Definitely, I think Kaito totally disagrees with Shinichi being called “KID KILLER”. Calling a person who is dedicated to justice a killer is so weird, but in his opinion the tabloids are trash.

You know? Hilariously every time I see Kaito call Hakuba, “Hebo-tantei”, I can't help but think he does it with some affection. Because Hakuba is a constant in his life unlike Hattori or Shinichi.

Thoughts I have about how Kaito feels about Hakuba and Shinichi:

Kaito about Shinichi: I like you a lot, but I can't trust you with my truth.

Kaito about Hakuba: Sometimes I hate you, but I happen to care about you a lot. I don't think Kaito hates Hakuba, but he is too tsundere with him. I think that even though Hakuba is called “Hebo-tantei”, Shinichi would feel more jealous of Hakuba than the other way around. Hakuba can make KID nervous without doing much.

And that's because Kaito might be looking at Hakuba and thinking “Oh, damn, we're both here instead of working on our social science presentation, which is worth more than half of our final grade.”

And Hakuba just looking at him with a superior smile that says “I already did the whole presentation, added your name even, but I'll make you freak out about it”.

[crepes-suzette-373]

Crepes, do you think Judge and Sora's marriage was an arranged political one, as it appears to be the popular fanon idea, or something else? I remember reading through an old post of yours on Judge's past in MADs that she could've easily been a minor scientist on there, and I really like that idea personally, it gives levity that she could've been smart enough to personally conduct a counter-poison to stop the germa modifications :D

Hey anon! Sorry if my replies are always long and rambling because when it comes to canon analysis, I either have very long thought process that needs explaining, or I just have more than one alternative ideas.

If you ask me, I actually don't have a solid idea for it. I think it's possible that it actually was marriage for love, and it's equally possible it's just arranged. We literally have zero information and I can't speculate based on absolutely nothing. Like, it could be both too, similar to Bege and Lola. That was an arranged/political marriage, but they ended up being in love anyway.

For AU/fanfic headcanons, I'm okay with whatever. I like the idea of MADS Sora because of the medicine. It also works with the question as to where are Sora's family? Maybe she's just an orphan scientist. Who even knows, but yeah.

Otherwise we have nothing, so I have no strong feelings about it. Oda-sensei has made really convoluted explanations for things before. Like, maybe the scientist with the goggles was just rogue and helped her, and the medicine has nothing to do with Sora's past/background. The scientist guy did weirdly look really similar to one of the Marine head chefs.

The only concept I have strong conviction in is that Judge is from Germa while Sora is from the outside marrying in, because of the language tics in the raw. Otherwise I'm okay with exploring various ideas...until Oda-sensei drops the truth on us anyway, which I believe that he will in the future.

The main reason why most people think it's arranged is because Sora was portrayed as very kind and Judge was cruel, so I'm sure people just can't comprehend how that can possibly be a marriage of love.

Also Judge is not a handsome guy, and that only makes things even worse. Like, seriously, if he looks less ugly (maybe more like the "Saint Germain" rough draft), you'd have more people willing to buy that it's love that went horribly wrong at some point. Visual impressions do 100% affect people's perception and thought process.

Although, I did always say that MADS Judge just looks like Kin'emon, so hey. If, like, they met and got married all the way back then it's like... visually speaking it's not that bad. Just saying, LOL.

Anyway, back to serious. Considering we have had many villains that didn't start out as evil, I think it could be that Judge was kind of the same way. Maybe he used to be nicer, we just don't know.

We had the direct example of Big Mum right there in WCI, and it was kind of obvious that Germa and Big Mum were meant to be parallels. The way Big Mum treats and views her kids as tools weren't much different than how Judge was with Sanji. Big Mum was originally just a clueless little girl. She was just too strong, and so nobody could correct her behaviour.

With Judge, everything that he did was for the sake of the revenge, we we don't know why he wanted that so badly. It could be that the person Sora initially met had a completely different personality, but then later something happened and changes him. Maybe there was a point where Judge wasn't so aggressive in his approach, or maybe back when he wasn't the king yet he used to be just more focused on the science experiments.

People are going to point to the fight that Reiju witnessed as proof of Judge not loving Sora, but if it's an issue of belief and/or conviction, this kind of fight can still happen despite two people being in love with each other.

I had a theory that it's possible that for 300 years running the kings of Germa instilled the desire for revenge on North Blue to their children through the generations. I also thought because Brook had said Germa used to be known for its military, they might be previously a warrior culture. The science was either a later development, or just incidental that they don't really think much of. If Judge feels honour-bound to fulfil some kind of ancestral legacy, plus if they really were at heart a warrior culture, it's only sensible that he thought there's nothing wrong with what he's doing.

It doesn't make it right, but this is a fight in ideology. It's just that the ideology is also attached to very drastic actions.

Plus, all we saw was Sora arguing that editing their emotions would turn them into monsters. We didn't see what was her stance about just the physical mods. What if the part we didn't see was actually Sora being fine with everything else, revenge and superpower mods and all, but editing emotions was just one step too far? I don't know and I don't like to assume.

[geneticallymodifiedidiot]

making a new intro/pinned post because i have absolutely nothing better to do

hello! i don't really expect anyone to refer to me by a name that isn't just my handle on this platform, but on the off-chance, i go by Bia (100% stole the name from kotlc) :). uhhhh i think this means it's time to talk about myself.

my pronouns are she/her, and i'm aroace (repulsed) as well as trans. i'm 16, don't be creepy. semi-pescatarian just testing the waters) (pun intended)

as of this edit (24/3/2025) i use the tags "#bia the band kid" for band and euphonium things and "#bias burnout" for school related things

im apparently an INFP-T, whatever that means

i love being tagged in things but tagging people stresses me out ;-; so if you see a tag game from me feel free to jump in I would love to see answers

interests/hobbies!

there's not all that much i can put here, because i'm kind of just a band kid... well, at any rate, i play euphonium primarily (think of a tuba, but smaller and with a significantly higher note range), but i also branch out to different instruments for other bands, such as sousaphone in marching band (my shoulder has been rapidly deteriorating since September 2023), trombone in jazz band, or trumpet (for the hell of it). i would say i'm a STEM nerd, except i'm really not smart enough to get to say that TwT. i like marine biology, but i don't really post about it that often because again, i'm not as knowledgeable as i'd like to be :/. i also like to cook!

there are a couple things i'd like to learn more about. obv the big one is more marine biology, since the ocean is a fascinating place that we can learn a lot of information from. other things i kinda wanna learn more are about queer history, art, and computer science!

fandoms!

i'm a big fan of riordanverse, my favorite character is alex :). i'm also a big fan of kotlc (sophie is asexual and i will not change my mind until i have further proof) and i also enjoy the hunger games.

music!

The Living Tombstone and Guchiry. Also anything with enough bass to liquefy my brain.

dni

all right this is the less fun part of this post

terfs, homophobia, racism, sexism, anything of that nature. pedophiles can stay the width of the pacific ocean from me as well as zionists, genocide is genocide. from the river to the sea palestine will be free.

well, uh, that's all i can really think of right now. if i think of more things or if anything changes, i'll update this post.

hope you enjoy the chaos that is my blog!

[evievigilant]

So after this poll I started thinking about Albert owning a rat more, and it spiraled into this whole headcanon about how and why he ends up with one.

In university, Albert knew about and saw rats being used in experiments. He strikes me as the type to primarily stay in his field but dabble in a bunch of other disciplines, including ones that more heavily experiment on rats. A part of him felt a bit bad for them, but he was able to push it down, mostly because of the possible contributions to science that would come out of those experiments.

Also not to mention the general attitude around rats, since they're considered vermin, dirty animals, etc. He probably didn't think as positively about them as other animals.

So fast forward to after his trial, and Albert is feeling a lot of guilt over Asman's death. Even if it was proven to not be his fault, he still feels awful about placing someone in a potentially dangerous situation all for the sake of science. He might start thinking about how even if people hadn't conspired to kill Asman with the experiment, something else might have gone wrong and killed him anyway (since I think his faith in himself is shaken after the incident, too. I know Barok's whole "laudable not laughable" speech was meant to reassure him but there's only so much one speech can do for a man). He doesn't want to put anyone through that again.

Since he has this on the mind, he remembers the rats that were used in experiments and put in danger in many instances. And so now he's in a position where he feels even worse for them.

So one day he makes the rather impulsive decision to get a rat as a pet.

The idea behind it is that he hopes he can prevent one living creature from being used in an experiment, especially one that is especially at risk of being used in a lab.

He gets a big cage, some toys, and really starts putting effort into making sure the rat's living conditions are good. He spends as much time with it as possible and observes what it enjoys most. I think he tries to do his research but a lot of it ends up being trial and error.

Albert, on a whim, starts to see if he can teach the rat tricks. And to his delight, it works! The rat can learn some simple commands and even play fetch (all things rats can in fact do!). Albert starts to realize how absolutely smart it is (and adorable) and starts writing down all the things the rat learned. He also takes the time to write down some cute anecdotes about it, too.

Because really, he is starting to love this rat. He finds himself taking it with him all throughout his home, usually putting it in his lab coat pocket. A couple of times, he's tried to take walks with it outside (making sure it's close to him). Sometimes, since he notices the rat is fascinated by his hair, he'll let it burrow into it. Every time he takes it out, it's a mess of tangles in there, but hey, the things you do for your pets.

And of course, Albert's happy knowing that he's doing exactly what he set out to do, which is giving this rat a good life. He swears he's even seen it smile.

Now, rats don't live very long. And since Albert likely got it as an adult (or near that), they don't spend too much time on Earth with each other (rats live ~2 years or so depending on the type). When it eventually passes away, Albert is of course very upset. He cared about it so much. He spends the days after its death reading the notes and anecdotes he kept about it, partially to look back on all the fond memories, but also because it's proof of how happy and well-kept it was. I don't know if he expected his notes to be anything more than that, but he's happy it is.

I imagine he'll get more rats eventually, especially now that he's got all the stuff for one and more expertise, but the first one will always hold a special place in his heart. It helped him a lot after his trial, by not only giving him something to feel proud of but also making him smile, and for that he'll always be grateful.

[cyberstudious]

what's it like studying CS?? im pretty confused if i should choose CS as my major xx

hi there!

first, two "misconceptions" or maybe somewhat surprising things that I think are worth mentioning:

there really isn't that much "math" in the calculus/arithmetic sense*. I mostly remember doing lots of proofs. don't let not being a math wiz stop you from majoring in CS if you like CS

you can get by with surprisingly little programming - yeah you'll have programming assignments, but a degree program will teach you the theory and concepts for the most part (this is where universities will differ on the scale of theory vs. practice, but you'll always get a mix of both and it's important to learn both!)

*: there are some sub-fields where you actually do a Lot of math - machine learning and graphics programming will have you doing a lot of linear algebra, and I'm sure that there are plenty more that I don't remember at the moment. the point is that 1) if you're a bit afraid of math that's fine, you can still thrive in a CS degree but 2) if you love math or are willing to be brave there are a lot of cool things you can do!

I think the best way to get a good sense of what a major is like is to check out a sample degree plan from a university you're considering! here are some of the basic kinds of classes you'd be taking:

basic programming courses: you'll knock these out in your first year - once you know how to code and you have an in-depth understanding of the concepts, you now have a mental framework for the rest of your degree. and also once you learn one programming language, it's pretty easy to pick up another one, and you'll probably work in a handful of different languages throughout your degree.

discrete math/math for computer science courses: more courses that you'll take early on - this is mostly logic and learning to write proofs, and towards the end it just kind of becomes a bunch of semi-related math concepts that are useful in computing & problem solving. oh also I had to take a stats for CS course & a linear algebra course. oh and also calculus but that was mostly a university core requirement thing, I literally never really used it in my CS classes lol

data structures & algorithms: these are the big boys. stacks, queues, linked lists, trees, graphs, sorting algorithms, more complicated algorithms… if you're interviewing for a programming job, they will ask you data structures & algorithms questions. also this is where you learn to write smart, efficient code and solve problems. also this is where you learn which problems are proven to be unsolvable (or at least unsolvable in a reasonable amount of time) so you don't waste your time lol

courses on specific topics: operating systems, Linux/UNIX, circuits, databases, compilers, software engineering/design patterns, automata theory… some of these will be required, and then you'll get to pick some depending on what your interests are! I took cybersecurity-related courses but there really are so many different options!

In general I think CS is a really cool major that you can do a lot with. I realize this was pretty vague, so if you have any more questions feel free to send them my way! also I'm happy to talk more about specific classes/topics or if you just want an answer to "wtf is automata theory" lol

[galexibrain]

love love that little detail on your fic about the magazine cover being Bulma again bc I love reading that kind of domestic nuances in vb fics. I wanna know your headcanons on Vegeta's first impression when he fully actualize Bulma's public fame and how he deals with it through the 7yr gap (not a fic req but will totally love one if you feel it just asking hehe)

Thank you!!!

I loved writing that little detail. It fits Bulma so much to at the front of science worldwide, including front covers :D

I think Vegeta was looking at the cover too ... and I don't have too many detailed headcanons about Vegeta learning about her fame, but I think in general that he very early on realized just how powerful Bulma is.

He's very smart and pays very close attention to his surroundings, so he quickly must have figured out that Bulma is a genius, confident, and one of the most powerful people on Earth, even though I don't think that she cares much about politics.

And I think he finds it hot but he doesn't have the ... uuuh, frame of reference? for that yet, bc he's never considered having any kind of (sexual or romantic) relationship.

And I think with every little proof of how amazing Bulma really is he respects her more, and acknowledges that she's every bit his equal.

And that's why he ended up falling for her.

[the-s1lly-corner]

spot that meets a autistic reader, that is talkative to themselves, but has poor social skills because (lack of good parenting + bullys, but is very smart and loves art and engineering, and dreams to be a scientist one day.. it could began as the reader first feared him over an awkward moment? to opening up about themselves and the reader's obsessive fascination over him. two very talented ppl that only wants to be appreciated, respected and loved...💔

idk is it to much?? bruh I'm trying to be creative😭 I'd be happy with whatever happens!. aNd TaKe yO tiME!! On irl things and beloved spotty <3

Spot w/ an autistic reader!

Rubs my autistic little hands

Feeling a lil drowsy but I wanna chuck this out before I fall asleep for (possibly) the next 7 hours :3

Not proof read we die like Peter Parker <\\3 we are sleepy and tumblr wont let me save drafts for asks <\3

Obligatory "I like this character so I'm hcing him to be ND like me" touch

He gets it

Anyways

I think to help make the whole thing less jarring, or whatever, is that you may have known each other vaguely before the collider incident

You weren't a scientist at alchemax, more like.

Well shoot I just forgot the term but like, you work there, but you dont do hands on experiments, not experienced enough yet

Intern?

Maybe, idk

Obviously you don't work there anymore after the collider blowing up, so... you're looking for a new job

You knew about Jonathan, but you weren't friends

You had also heard rumors about what happened to him but you kinda dismissed it as cruel rumors surrounding his death.. I mean no one could've survived that explosion.. right?

So imagine your surprise when you end up almost getting robbed by spot

Can you blame him? He hasnt found another job since the accident and hes probably living off of pity handouts; likely homeless

Now hand over the wallet!!/j

No but on the semi likely chance that you manage to defuse the situation, given Spot sucks as a criminal, you just bluntly ask if the whole

Rumor thing is true

I mean obviously it is but confirmation is important

After a few more chance encounters, you guys both finally decide to properly sit down and talk

Its tense and awkward at first since 1. How does one even act around someone like spot? He's vulnerable but also trying to do the whole. Revenge thing... And 2. Hes desperate for human interaction and it SHOWS, it's almost uncomfortable actually

But you both trudge past it and make it work

One meet up turns into two then three; then you discover how much hes struggling and

Now you're roomates

Oh my god they were roommates/ref

Anyways, that's the set up!! It kinda felt wrong to just. Jump into it without some explanation on how yall end up in the same area consistently

Doesnt mind that you mumble to yourself, he probably does the same thing. From muttering things to keep his train of thought to having a personal monologue, I wholeheartedly believe he does the same thing

Hs understands how it feels to be. Not treated very good, he likely wasnt the most respected in alchemax so it's not uncommon for the two of you to have vent sessions where you both let it all out

You ask him about his journey to becoming a scientist and not so subtly ask for advice on how to get into the field; and touching onto the whole human interaction thing, hes more than willing to talk your ear off about his entire career history

On the chance you dont want to do physics stuff, and you wanna do another branch of science he's all ears on listening to you ramble, may even lend a hand in getting you to where you need to be career wise

Yall do at home experiments as bonding stuff

Look if spot can make a mini collider in some building then I can only imagine the type of shit yall get up to at home

Oh? You're still curious about.. him? Of all things, him?

He never thought anyone would look at him with interest; usually its disgust or fear, or both

Hes hesitant at first because what if you discover something that'll totally change your view of him?

Takes (some, a little) coaxing

Bro caves fast, he misses physical touch

"So like, these holes-" you proceed to just. Dip your entire fist into a hole and watch said fist pop out from another hole

The demons are telling me to make reader like

Make it a game to try to throw stuff through his holes but I feel like that would be really mean, no one likes stuff getting thrown at them

Please dont throw stuff through his holes :(

Random but like

Idk if this happens with yall but

If someone stims do yall. Like stim back

Like I have vocal stims and mess with my hands; and sometimes my friend will be prompted to stim if I stim??

Idk but yall do that

OHOH before I post this if you're both comfy with physical touch please please please hold him, it's been so so long since someone has hugged him and he really really needs it :(

[hypergamiss]

Maybe it's just me but do you ever feel like in the past few years, since the hypergamy, level up, etc topic has become louder online, it's been over run by girls who's main objective is to attain beauty and a well off man? There's nothing wrong with that, but I'm finding it hard to find women who have any sort of substance and it makes me sad. During the Trump legal stuff the past few months people have been ripping his attorney, Alina Habba to shreds due to her clear incompetence. An interview resurfaced where she was saying that she'd rather be pretty than smart because you can fake being smart (fyi, you can't fake being smart and she's proof lol). These are the type of women I'm talking about. It's embarrassing. Those are the types of conversations I was having with friends when I was 7. I just think it's not a good sign, socially, that we have more and more women focusing on just being attractive and the quality of their partners over anything else. I'm very educated and gravitate to intellectually stimulating topics, but I also love all things beauty and aesthetics. When I try to join the "It girl" groups I never fit in because they're only interested in frivolous conversations. I get dead stares when I try to talk about philosophy and science. But the academic, intellectual groups usually reject me right away because of the way I look and assume I'm one of the Alina Habba types. I just wish it wasn't an "either or" situation.

Unfortunately people will always take a niche or topic and create an extreme version of it that is clearly driven by their biggest insecurities. The ones who are the loudest usually have the worst advice and the ones who are more subtle are always the ones dropping the real gems. Their content might be unorganized and they might not have the best set up/equipment, but what they say will be so real and genuine.

I actually think that things have always been the way you describe your experience. Attractive people do indeed get away with a lot in general, and very few of them choose to not take advantage of that and put in the work that everyone else does. I think it's a very interesting subject and complex because everyone goes through different experiences in life that will end up shaping them into who they eventually become. Some will say "I'm damned if I do, and I'm damned if I don't," as they express some sad truths. For attractive females you can choose to either take advantage of your looks to get ahead, or go through the motions of constantly being underestimated and having to prove yourself because you were born attractive. I had a friend who was a very attractive male in medical school. He looked like a football or rugby player and no matter how much he tried to prove that he wasn't just your typical jock, he was always doubted in class by all of his peers and professors. It was wild to see the roles reversed and I'm sure that he is still an outcast till this day when he goes to conventions and meet ups with other doctors.

"I just think it's not a good sign, socially, that we have more and more women focusing on just being attractive and the quality of their partners over anything else."

I haven't looked at the numbers lately but I do know that more women are getting educated now than ever as of 2023 so I like to think that this issue isn't going to be a growing one.

"When I try to join the "It girl" groups I never fit in because they're only interested in frivolous conversations."

Oh I know exactly what you mean... I will get invited to outings based on my looks but rarely show up because I know that the crowd will be the shallow type with not a lot of substance. I have to know that I can talk about real topics to actually enjoy myself. I have plenty of stories where these kind of people end up realizing I'm more of a nerd and their reactions are so obvious!

"But the academic, intellectual groups usually reject me right away because of the way I look and assume I'm one of the Alina Habba types."

I've learned that to be accepted in these groups it helps by being the one to initiate conversations that will really make them forget about what you look like because the topic is that impactful. If it's an online group I won't add a profile picture until my personality is established first, so by the time everyone knows what I look like it doesn't matter anymore. I know that can seem annoying, but it works.

"I just wish it wasn't an "either or" situation."

I agree, stereotypes are the worst.

[lillotus17]

INTERTWINED (Spidermen!ENHA)

CHARACTER INTRODUCTIONS ONE:

SERIES MOODBOARDS

DISCLAIMER:

I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE IMAGES/GIFS THAT MAY BE/ARE USED IN MY WRITING. IMAGES CREATED BY ME WILL HAVE MY WATERMARK OR BE COPYRIGHTED! THE MOOD BOARDS USED FOR THIS SERIES ARE ONES I PUT TOGETHER ON MY OWN BUT THE PHOTOS USED ARE NOT MINE!

ALL CREDITS GO TO THE OWNERS/CREATORS!

PLEASE DO NOT COPY OR REPOST MY WORK!

THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION, STRICTLY FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES.

P.S. if you haven't already, you should definitely check out @artysse (credited) on TIKTOK! If you already have, then you know that it's and ENHA Fan Art Account of Spider ENHA! It's really fucking awesome! Go show some love!

NOT PROOF READ: Apologies for any grammatical errors, my loves!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Y/N and ENHA maknaes have shorter backgrounds compared to hyung line since their spider-men/woman journerys are just beginning. Also note that maknae line don't have their spider powers (yet) because they develop it in series.

PROFILE ONE:

NAME: Y/N L/N

AGE: 20

ALIAS(ES): Madame Webb,

SUPER POWER(S): Clairvoyance, Prescience, Astral Projection, Telepathy, Cybernetic Linking,

BACKGROUND:

Born in the Aokigahara Forest in Japan. Her mother died in childbirth. She was flown back to New York shortly after her birth and put into foster care.

Her mother was in Aokigahara Forest researching a rare spider species. Has no knowledge about her father or other relatives.

She is a paramedic. Very good work friends with Choi Soobin.

Lives in the same apartment building as Sunoo.

Saved Jungwon's step mom from car accident.

Almost ran Niki over with ambulance.

PROFILE TWO:

NAME: Yang Jungwon

DOB/AGE: 16

ALIAS(ES): Arachne, Spider-Boy

SUPER POWER(S): Psionic Webbing and Vibration, Superhuman Strength, Superhuman Speed, Superhuman Reflexes and Increased Stamina, Wall Crawling, Agility, Fast Healing/Regeneration, Precognitive Spider Senses

SUIT(S): Jungwon has two versions. His Arachne suit is black with white detailing forming a spider at his torso. He wears a black mask with a chin strap that covers his eyes. He wears his Arachne suit when he's on his Earth or soloing. He wears his second suit when he's with the guys and Y/N. It's more of his traveling suit, when he's jumping into different universes.

WEAPONS: N/A

BACKGROUND:

Parents are divorced. After the divorce, Jungwon moved across the country with his mom and his dad remarried. Due to unfortunate circumstances, Jungwon was forced to move back in with his dad, and his new family. His dad doesn't pay much attention to him, pretends Jungwon doesn't exists and gives his love and attention to his new family.

A Junior in High school.

Intelligent, kind hearted, and caring. Shy and known to be a bit of a goody two shoes.

Jungwon level headed. He prefers to deal with conflict and prevent tension as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Has the natural qualities of an amazing leader though he may not see it yet!

Does his best to keep Sunoo and Niki from bickering.

PROFILE THREE:

NAME: Kim Sunoo

DOB/AGE: 16

ALIAS(ES): N/A

SUPER POWER(S): Organic Web generation, Camouflage, Skeletal Flexibility, Superhuman Strength, Superhuman Speed, Venom Blast, Wall Crawling, Superhuman Reflexes and Durability and Stamina, Fast Healing/Regeneration, Agility, Precognitive Spider Senses

SUIT(S): Sunoo also has two suits. His original suit is black with metalic grey detailing . He also wears a mask that covers his eyes. He wears this suit on his earth when he, Niki, and Jungwon are patrolling. His second suit, he wears when he's traveling to different universes with everyone else.

WEAPONS: Spider-Like Bolas (grappling hooks with sharp discs)

BACKGROUND:

Lives in the same apartment complex as Y/N, with his mom.

Is very smart- a bit of a science (physics) nerd.

Is very assertive and head strong. Does not like being pushed around or walked over.

Very hard working and is academically inclined/ambitious.

Witty and quick on his feet.

Bickers a lot with Niki.

PROFILE FOUR:

NAME: Nishimura Riki (Niki)

DOB/AGE: 16

ALIAS(ES):

SUPER POWER(S): Psychic Spider-Legs, Superhuman Strength, Superhuman Speed, Venom Blast, Wall Crawling, Flight, Superhuman Reflexes and Durability and Stamina, Fast Healing/Regeneration, Agility, Precognitive Spider Senses

SUIT(S): Niki has two suits. His original suit, that he also wears in his earth only is, blue with red detailing . He wears a red eye mask with goggle plastic to protect his eyes. Of course, his second suit is also a universe traveling suit and it is black and dark purple.

WEAPONS: N/A... (one time he used his skate board to knock out a bank robber once... it broke in half... he was sad)

BACKGROUND:

Rich kid.

His parents are very well off, his dad is a very successful and wealthy businessman. His parents are always traveling out of the country. He is often home alone... or with his housekeeper...

His parents have places on the Upper East and West Side. along with houses in other parts of the country and world.

A bit spoiled and a menace. Stubborn too.

Is very much a soft and caring boy though.

Very curious, a little too much for his own good.

Bickers with Sunoo, is usually the one who instigates the bickering.

Masterlist | Next

TAGLIST (OPEN): @praliliaaa @clara12o @llvrhee

comment if you'd like to be added to the taglist!

A/N: I apologize for the painfully slow updates everyone! I have a lot on my plate and I'm taking summer courses!

[whatgaviiformes]

Fic: Watercolors (FishTank Week)

Summary: When the water takes, he creates.

Characters: Virgil, Gordon (are you surprised?)

Words: 1,840

Warnings: Past loss on a rescue. Nothing shown, just the feelings.

Special thanks to @the-original-sineater for the read through and excellent advice as always.

A/N: When we hit FishTank week, I knew I wanted to do a spin on the crafty of the bunch, so I’ve been wanting to write this for awhile. Life. It gets away from you. But this is my very late take on “Arts and Sciences” day, plus Math!Scott makes an appearance for ya. :D

And since the timing aligns, this is also for @gumnut-logic, @knyee, and @astranite, as y'all have definitely been inspiring me lately with such lovely pieces to get me off my butt. I hope you don't mind the overlap, but I feel like this pairs well with gumnut’s take on Virgil painting on the floor here, inspired by knyee’s artwork here. And astranite’s lovely watercolors of Two and Four have been such lovely reminders of this idea that's been stirring at my brain. If any of you haven't yet, go give them some love first. This is for you, and for all of the crafty fam. You all are so incredibly talented, and I don’t know how I got so lucky finding a place in this fandom.

Read on Ao3 [this is my 50th work on the archive!!]

*****

Watercolors

Virgil awoke well-rested, but with the sudden memory that they’d lost people yesterday. It had been a comfort in his dreamless, beyond-exhaustion sleep to exist where that hadn’t happened, but while awake it was all too recent to forget. The itch on his scalp scolded him for crashing before removing what remained of the gel out of his hair, but at least he’d managed to change into something resembling sleepwear the night before.

Physically refreshed but weary, Virgil took an additional twenty minutes to wash up and change, the steam from the shower lifting the world from his shoulders just that little bit – enough for his heart to accept that it was a new day. And it would be what he made of it.

He rolled his dirty clothes into his sheets and tore them from the mattress, placing them in a laundry basket he kept outside his bathroom. It was better to have them somewhere organized, just in case the machines down the hallway were already in use by someone else in the family. Luckily, they were not, and it wasn’t until he started his pile on the wash cycle that he realized he could hear the steady pitter-patter of rain on the less sound-proofed walls of the utility room.

His stomach dropped, realizing his co-pilot was cooped up without his usual outlets on a day like today. Though he wouldn’t put it past Gordon to still find solace outside in the rain if he was that determined to be among the water. Hopefully nowhere near the storm-raged sea; Gordon knew better.  Four hadn’t been fast enough yesterday, and Gordon, for all his outward carefree nature, would be feeling the loss just as much as him. It was one thing to say they couldn’t save everyone; it was another thing all together when their ships weren’t fast enough. Or they weren’t enough.

Even John had thought they could make it.

Mother Nature – she provides, and she takes.

A quick check in with Scott over comms revealed he and Alan were actually already attending to their brother in the satellite station above Earth. John had wanted Scott to check on the probability calculations of yesterday’s program, not trusting his own analysis being so close to the problem. At Eos’ absolute offense, Scott was there to provide another set of eyes, he admitted to Virgil. Smart move bringing along Alan, Virgil thought. Not just because of Three, but because Alan was best at giving John a distraction, via one of their online games or “space talk” or both.

“What have you found?” Virgil asked curiously. 

Scott grimaced, admitting he didn’t think he’d find anything wrong with the program. These things just happen. And, unfortunately, Virgil had to agree – he had the upmost faith in Scott’s math, John’s programs, and Eos’ quick computing.

“Hey, check in on the Squid when you can?” his brother asked, frowning at the numbers through a tirade from the AI. “I couldn’t find him earlier.”

His thoughts exactly.

He signed off with an FAB and sent a prayer off to the stars for his brother’s continued patience. For John’s sake. Despite the circumstances, it made him smile knowing Eos and Scott had gotten at least comfortable enough to argue math. John and Eos both were in good hands.

Gordon was in his.

Surprisingly, it didn’t take Virgil long to find him, and he hadn’t needed to start scouting the Island in the rain to do so. Gordon was safe inside, sitting at the kitchen table when Virgil entered to prepare his morning cup of coffee. The aquanaut was hunched over something – Virgil couldn’t quite see what since he had his back to him, but he recognized the poor posture of when Gordon was hyper-focused on whatever was in his hands.

He slid up to him and placed his hand gently on the curl of his spine between his shoulder blades. “Straighten up before you hurt yourself.”  Virgil was guilty of it too at times, but with Gordon’s bad back, he obviously needed the reminder this time. Obediently, Gordon pressed his shoulders down and stretched his neck from side to side where he’d accidentally formed stress in his muscles.

“Oh, ow. I forgot,” he grinned sheepishly up at Virgil, who used the opportunity to glance down at the table for just what had taken Gordon’s attention so completely to forget the key guidelines for the health of his spine. He was usually so attentive to that.

Virgil raised his eyebrow at the familiar array of art supplies in chaos across the kitchen table – a paint palette or two, his watercolors, the cup he used for his paint water complete with a selection of brushes tucked inside.

“I’ll replace everything.” Gordon at least had the good sense not to mess with his top shelf brushes, and expensive paints. So that’s where he’d been then while Scott was looking for him: in his studio. Automatically he bristled at the realization Gordon had been through his stuff without his permission, and it showed on his face despite him trying to reel in the immediate annoyance. Gordon noticed, adding, “I didn’t want to wake you. I think I found the more basic stuff, didn’t I?”

“Yeah,” Virgil grumbled, even though he didn’t often use his watercolors.

“Then go get some coffee so you’ll be less mad at me. Pot’s already made.”

Irritatingly, Gordon was right, and the aroma of fresh brewed coffee relaxed him while the caffeine surged through his system with a warm awareness. Feeling more himself, if not a bit more inspired by the rhythm of the rain against the closed glass despite the lack of sun, he sat across from him and grabbed one of the fresh postcard-sized, art-grade papers from the pile.

On one of Virgil’s palette trays, Gordon had mixed yellow and vermillion, forming a warmer shade of golden light for the shadows, and for the first time, Virgil inspected the artwork of Gordon’s piece, the confident movements of the brushstrokes, and the well-portioned ratio of water to paints. It was no work of a beginner.

“Wait, you’ve done this before!”

Gordon flicked his eyes upward to meet his gaze, “It’s been awhile. Nowhere near like you.  This is all the product of tutorials.”

“Still - Wow, since when?” He had no idea Gordon had tried anything similar to his own passions for art.

“There’s nothing to do in a bathyscaphe, but what there’s a lot of is water.” Gordon’s gaze darkened for just a moment, the brushed poised over the paper.  “Water is life.” He shrugged, quickly rotating his shoulders back into a better position on his own before Virgil could mention it. “Art worked for you, so I figured why not.”

That gave him pause, imagining that it must’ve gotten old quickly - the appeal of living in a bathyscaphe for an extended period of time, that is. How many little habits and hobbies had Gordon tried on his own? It seemed quite a lonely assignment to Virgil, but Gordon had been so excited to go. After, Gordon had raved about all he’d had the chance to research, the impact he’d been able to make on marine farming, and the possibilities for solving world hunger, though he’d also been equally excited about being back upon his return. As fulfilled as Gordon was during that time, Virgil remembered the first time Gordon had had the chance to skip through the rain after his deployment down below and what was probably the worst burn of Gordon’s life when the sun came out after.

Through his own tight embrace of his little brother’s return, perhaps he’d missed just how hard Gordon had returned the hug, blinded by the initial excited science babble.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?” Virgil knew the others sometimes dabbled in music, and it already broke him to know they often hid it away, embarrassed about their skill in comparison to Virgil’s. Though, they feared a lecture that would never come. It was unlike him to compare, and more than anything he wanted the world to know art was for everybody, in whatever capacity it inspired. For him, it was as important as air, and the main difference was that he’d given himself the time to develop his skills. He loved those brief moments where Scott would play Heart and Soul with him, and when John would grace them with his singing voice around the holiday season.

But it was Gordon that played his uke with all the confidence of a maestro. And he loved that for him. Gordon was always unapologetic about the things he enjoyed; it was a rare and special characteristic of his younger brother to be himself so fully and authentically. So, the idea that art was something he’d potentially hidden away, made him shrink in himself just slightly.

He suddenly cared a lot less about Gordon taking his supplies for this.

“Hadn’t come up,” Gordon quipped, not in the slightest affected by the swirl of thoughts in Virgil’s brain. “I just wanted to make some flowers in their memory, so I brushed off an old hobby.” He emphasized the statement with a flick of the paint brush, his eyes laughing at his own pun, despite the solemnity of what he’d just said.

When he caught Virgil’s expression, his smile faltered, and eyes widened. “What?”

Virgil shook his head, feeling light, and he swallowed his sadness. “I just can’t believe I had someone to talk art with all this time and didn’t know it.”

“Don’t get excited. I’m still not going to an art museum with you. It’s just flowers. The same ones I’ve done a thousand times at that.”

“They’re very good flowers.” He wondered where the other ones were, and if one day, Gordon would ever show them to him. If he even still had them…

“Really?” Pleased, Gordon squinted at the drying yellow petals, layered on a bed of green connected to stems that trailed down below the postcard.

Virgil nodded, finally finding his subject.

If he were among his paints without his brother here, he would want to channel every horrible thing about yesterday into his art, using the watercolors for the grey and dreary. He’s done it many times, and he would find himself there again. His art wasn’t always beautiful.

With Gordon sharing the load, as he’d done for them all so many times, Virgil found his creative self reaching for the same color of yellow. It felt just so Gordon to reach for the magnificence of what water could create to reconcile the parts that were awful. In the depths of the sea, that yellow - the first color to be swallowed by the ocean - must have been a beacon for his lonely soul, and with it Gordon's art created joy when light reserves were dim.

And so, he found himself inspired by his brother’s yellow.

Since the sky didn’t want them to have any sunlight, Virgil would make them some.

It was a new day, after all.

[not-souleaterpost]

20th century boys - scrapped reveals and plot twists?

Don't know if anybody cares about speculating something as hard to proof and irrelevant, but I had a few ideas while reading, which even if didnt come true, seemed to be getting hinted at and with how much was made on the spot I wonder if they were originally the plan...

So not really them mentionened besides random yt comments that may or may not be an alt account of me...

Spoilers of course.

Donkey was supposed to be friend?

Remember how Donkey was first introduced? As the weird kid others ostrociced and didnt really want to include, who actually was very smart and talanted all excentricitys aside.

And he was the first "friend" to die, as a classic misdirection - while having an obvious excuse introduced to fake his death "Oh all his siblings look just like him..." (Also the evil twin angel was really emphasised with the fat bully kids at the start, hmmm....)

Donkey was the one that had the skills and near supernatural abilities while being the classic story of a good kid cracking and turning - tieing the dark subversion if shonen magazine tropes.

His whole skepticism of things could tie into too with him cynically learning that "Oh people want to fall for superstitions for illusions, really friendship is fake as well, so why not start a cult, not like its hard for me to make some tricks..."

The symbol being sent by him would be than a cheeky hint, the intentional start of a goose chase, but no geese will ever outrun a donkey...Even all the showing of Donkey in the first half would not just be as motivation for the middle aged friend group, but a setup for this dark twist, while laying the seeds of the themes, maybe even having Dunkey in his twisted logic think he did it for their sake, to make them be the heroes they didnt become.

Oh and also the whole Aldrin Moon Nasa thing seems to work the best for him - with him being the stereotype of a "I fricking love science" kid (who if I dont misremeber is said to have actually wiaited till it happened and didnt fall asleep, but maybe Im misremebering that part) and also his familys lack of money stoping him from enjoying many activities with his "friends" (even having to watch tv with Kenji...)

Oh and for any "well how would he set it up, was the one injured guy lieing about what Donkey said before he threw him of??? Or was that all part of his plan??!"

And yeah its convoluted and kinda breaks the "trying to figure out a mystery without the author just lieing and pulling bullshit" part - but Urasawa does it anyways, with all the reveals obviously not being planned before getting changed again (as he admits)

Oh and also that applys to the "real" reveal (the first one) - we literally saw the friend guy have an emotional breakdown, say he knows who the real friend must be, remove the friends mask and say he isnt that and then fall to his death

So if the Dunkey twist goes against the story, so does the real one. "Ohnono, you just had to assume that he lied and hired actors for his family and then did a double misdirection plunge to the dead and-" Yeah ok Donkey could have done that too.

but for the other theory

Kiriko/the protags sister had a "virgin birth"

So remember when there was that random detail about "Godzilla being a girl and giving a birth without a father"? And how this godzilla thing getting a callback with the mom saying she is one cause her virus killed that many people?

Well isnt it weird that the actually weird part wasnt adressed? Especially when Kanna was mysterious from the start and that at the same time talks of a "Holy Mother" started, as did all the Christian imagery with saviors dieing, resurecting and the pope (with Catholics having the biggest connection with Mary...)

But then it didnt pay of - guess she really had a secret relationship with a random half-friend of her younger brother🤷‍♂️ Not saying that that is more fantastical than all the magic and conspiracys but still a weird detail, especially with the romance and relationship not being explored at all.

It even seems to be anti thetical, with the sister being very mature and selfless, while "friend" is childish and egoistical (well maybe a certain codependent weird thing makes sense now but ehh...)

Still what would make more sense in a dramatic story with supernatural elements - the model sister suddenly just having a kid and abandoning it without ever telling anyone about the father who she only found out was evil after having a consensual relationship which she didnt really have a reason to hide at the start

Or if she DOES have a miracle birth...

Like Kiriko was literally shown to be a perfect sister, doing everything for her brother, being responsible, taking everyones shit, even sacrificing her well being for her brother and others while having a stoic expression.

Maybe she actually did magically get a baby and that scared here enough to abandon it without explaining because who could believe it.

Or maybe something cause it, something she couldnt explain.

Like Friends "magic" or "science"(magic) - hence why Friend calls himself "the father" - he kinda is, in some way, indirectly, idk

Or, as a subtheory...

Kiriko was friend. Think about it, she would be "the father" if her research developed a way to create a child without a fathers DNA (I mean there is a magic anti-proton bomb, and the virus is also not really scientific), the "father" being the part of her that is the alter ego executing the plan, the magic and the tricks.

But more importantly, it would be the perfect obvious misdirection - they were so busy searching for a boy in their class, missing the obvious girl who was just a few years older, who may even in younger photos, if she could have had short hair as that other girl love interet with the dog as a kid had, may have looked as a standard early middle school boy.

And the thematic motivation would be perfect too - she allways just saw everything from the outskirts, she had to be the older and responsible one, not having a chance to ever play like her younger brother did, being resentful of not being able to have a secret base and alll, especially when the other girl could join later.

The scientific angel is there too, as the metaphor of "being in the space capsule while the others got all the fun and glory"

Also it would be a perfect hiding in a plain sight twist thing "Oh my sister disapeared and left a baby, I wonder who this mysterious masked individual is who seems to know me and my friend so much while even knowing the name of my sisters kid... Guess we'll never know🤷‍♂️" (bonus connection - the concert being "not real rock" could be the sis either trolling him on porpuse, or doing it as a intentional thing while also not understanding why it doesnt work, showing that there is this misunderstading between siblings that could get solves in the end)