#reason why people fail to lose weight

[fitnesflag]

Why some people fail to lose weight?

many of us can relate to: the struggle to shed those stubborn pounds. We've all been there, right? You set out with the best intentions, ready to conquer your weight loss goals once and for all. But somewhere along the way, things seem to go awry, and despite your efforts, those numbers on the scale just won't budge.

So, why do some people fail to lose weight, despite their best efforts? Well, the truth is, there's no one-size-fits-all answer. Weight loss is a complex journey influenced by a multitude of factors, both internal and external.

One common stumbling block is the misconception that weight loss is solely about willpower and discipline. While these traits certainly play a role, they're not the only pieces of the puzzle. Our bodies are intricate systems governed by hormones, genetics, and metabolism, all of which can impact our ability to shed excess weight.

Another culprit is the prevalence of fad diets and quick-fix solutions that promise rapid results with minimal effort. Sure, these approaches might lead to short-term success, but they rarely result in sustainable, long-lasting weight loss. In fact, they often do more harm than good, wreaking havoc on our metabolism and triggering unhealthy patterns of restriction and bingeing.

Let's not forget about the emotional component of weight loss. Many of us turn to food for comfort, stress relief, or as a way to cope with difficult emotions. Addressing these underlying issues is crucial for long-term success, yet it's often overlooked in traditional weight loss approaches.

And then there's the environment we live in, which can be rife with obstacles to healthy eating and physical activity. From busy schedules that leave little time for meal prep to neighborhoods lacking access to fresh, nutritious foods, external factors can make it incredibly challenging to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

But here's the thing: failure to lose weight doesn't mean you're doomed to stay stuck where you are forever. It's a journey, with ups and downs, twists and turns. And while it may not always be easy, it is possible. It's about finding what works for you, listening to your body, and making small, sustainable changes that add up over time.

So, if you've found yourself struggling to lose weight, know that you're not alone. Be kind to yourself, celebrate your victories, and keep pushing forward. With patience, perseverance, and a bit of self-love, you can achieve your weight loss goals and live a healthier, happier life. You've got this!

[aq2003]

i think twelve and clara are starting to make sense to me but i don't think it's what moffat intended or how the ppl that like them see their dynamic

[anantaru]

⚝ DAY 2 — POWER IMBALANCE

kinktober 2024. — masterlist | ao3

— including. — neuvillette, diluc, ayato

— warnings. — fem! reader, power imbalance, toxic & manipulation, hard syx, dom/sub, reader teases in diluc's part, ayato is really toxic in this one kinda???

⚝ — NEUVILLETTE

when neuvillette tells you to do something, you're doing it, point blank— because you see, he's your master, the man who's saved you, not to mention your literal boss since he was so nice to give you a job as his sweet n pretty secretary.

as it was, in the grand halls of fontaine's court of justice, neuvillette’s word were law itself— precisely when he tells you to do something, it becomes absolute, you're immediately on your way without processing any of it.

his presence alone commands respect— coldness, it reveals a composed man, an untouchable one—yet his touch, it's surprisingly warm despite the fact that he rarely spoke about love or intimacy.

despite the fact that the subtle gestures on your body— the little kisses and reassuring tugs on your flesh whenever he fucked you on his desk were maddening, never leaving out the best part of it; when he places his palms around your head so you wouldn't hurt yourself, immediately resulting in you melting underneath his broad body as he revealed a softness beneath the stern exterior.

you feel the weight of his authority in every thrust, every grind and harsh squeeze of his palms reaching for your tits.

the unspoken pressure to be perfect for him was there, yes, to make him feel perfect while you're also contemplating if you'd ever be enough for an enigmatic individual like him.

face nuzzling into the crook of his neck, you feel how his fingers apply more strength as he flexes his digits into the flesh of your hips, dragging you deeper towards his cock twitching between your walls— the desperate milking compression of your warm cunt making him want to lose control.

you begin feel lightheaded at the arousal messing him up— and ugh, how much there was, and ah, you’re so tight, even after multiple rounds, desperately waiting for him to drag you against his desk and make your pussy squeeze him, wanting him to feel like you pull him.

⚝ — DILUC

in front of strangers, diluc’s intensity was something which was being noticed right from the start— and well, he wanted it that way, it meant that he had one headache less to worry about.

it doesn't matter though, because behind closed doors, your hand slips under his loosened shirt like it's meant to, graciously rubbing at his bare muscles flexing underneath the softness of your palms. having an affair with your boss surely wouldn't look good to bystanders, nor was it something diluc wanted to get out in the first place— hence why he'd never fail to subtly show you, also throwing a slight passive aggressiveness into it, that he was in charge of this, or whatever you might call the situation between you both.

he sucked in a sharp breath as his dick gradually got hard under his tight pants, pulsating on all the sharp edges and rough lines when you began to fidget with the belt, "hey now, you shouldn't get so bossy," he smiles down at you, cupping your cheek before placing his thumb on your bottom lip to tap it repeatedly

"you have quite the personality today, master diluc," you frown at him, with one hand grabbing at his biceps as he breathes— for a second deflecting the real reason as to why he would pretend to care about what other people thought about him, or about this.

or perhaps he was utterly scared of showing genuine emotions to someone he hasn't known for long.

yet instead of going through with his newfound thought, diluc instantly grabs at your hips to make you fall against his chest in combination with him bumping down the large sofa, the leather of the furniture creaking.

he licks his lips, fuck— diluc forgot how much passion could manifest in simply being felt up a little and he desperately attemps to focus on playing with your tits, or at least watch how pretty and nicely they fit in is hand.

be as it may, all that has really gotten his attention was the feeling of your hand on his cock, fiercely palming him through his boxers, your fingertip teasing along the edge of his waistband.

"you'll get in trouble," he manages to breathe out, whimpering when you angle your hand upwards so he could feel the heat of your hand on his tip.

⚝ — AYATO

ayato, most famously known as the head of the yashiro commission, had an unique gift inside of him— you see, he knew how to use words like deadly weapons.

when he wants something, really craves and desires a certain being, it felt like the world immediately bends to his will— including you, the person he was actually after. ayato will convince you that his decisions are in your best interest, even when they serve his own.

"oh, is my sweet girl worried about me?" he breathes out before placing his wet tip on your clit, tapping and nudging at it— the sound echoing through the room and standing over your head was making you feel hot and cold at the same time.

you can sense the painful squeeze in your stomach to just want to be filled— please, get his thick shaft into your intimate space until it's obvious on your face, sending him back a doe-eyed look while he towers on top of your naked frame— thighs twitching, his dick sinking back into your mushy cunt.

okay, maybe he's gotten a little too lost in you.

since you're intriguing in his eyes, well— ayato knows he can get a hold of you, that you admire him and are more than happy with the job that he's given you— not that he cares, in fact, he need you, that constant drive of feeling you was burning hotter and turning him insane.

his body trembles as he watches your liquids stick around the base of his cock, proving his point that you're as desperate for him as he was for you as he smeared your slick back inside your trembling walls, your skin throbbing and twitching with every unforgiving push of his hips.

with how big he was, in every aspect imaginable, you begin to feel like he was stretching you forever as you gasp out a broken mumble of his name, the waves of his thrusts and rolls stinging along your nerves as you begin to moan out shamelessly, feeling every detail and vein of his cock moulding into your walls and marking its shape inside.

ayato was intoxicating— no, stop it, he's your boss, okay, cool down.

yet it never ever felt fucking better.

© 2024 anantaru  do not repost, copy, translate, modify

[lilac-sweet]

My interpretation of all the Solas endings:

I have been wanting to write about this topic for a while, since I’ve seen a lot of criticisms about Solas being out-of-character. IMO all the Solas endings are brilliantly written, and here’s why:

Solas breaks in 3 different ways:

1: Breaks his wisdom (Becomes Pride)

2: Breaks his pride (Becomes Wisdom)

3: Breaks his leash/conviction (Becomes more human)

1: Breaks his wisdom:

Solas has always walked the line between pride and wisdom: unlike pure spirits, he is able to fluctuate between them - just like Mythal with benevolence and retribution. This makes him more “human” and complex: he even instructs Cole in how being a “demon” and being a “spirit” essentially comes down to a choice we make ourselves.

So Solas is clearly aware of his own failings (just look at his name), but his greatest flaw is not changing in accordance with his own awareness. Due to his wisdom, he knows he is prideful, so he constantly asserts that he is NOT a god: this is as much to make others not worship him as the dread wolf, AND as a mantra to himself to keep him from becoming another Elgar’nan.

However, the limelight is an intoxicating thing, and with him choosing to carry the cross as the dread wolf, he invites that prideful corruption into his heart. It is difficult to truly believe you are not more special than everyone else when everyone else keep telling you how you totally are. As a spirit made man, he is still in danger of becoming what others view him as: he mirrors how you treat him in inquisiton, and he took the name of fen’harel (probably uttered by Elgar’nan) as a badge of pride.

We are told he treats everyone as disposable pawns in order to reach his goals, and we also see the truth of this in his memories. Some people argue that this is out of character for him, since he cares deeply for the elven people and their freedom. I don’t think these things are mutually exclusive: he simply rationalizes everything in order to reach his goal of helping the elves: even if that means sacrificing people

The thing that is so chilling about his character is that he was never meant to lead - he never WANTED to lead either: Mythal was the judge, he her advisor. Without her caring heart to guide his brilliant mind, he becomes callous and makes decisions based only on how best to “win”. This is not to say he does not have a heart, but that he believes he has to set it aside for the greater good: which is exactly where his reasons for leading the rebellion/ tearing down the veil and his methods for doing so contradict each other

He ends up losing sight of his initial reasons because the war makes him so calloused. I believe he shuts down emotionally and can not feel anything but apathy towards everyone when he puts on the mask of the dread wolf - as seen in how he treats the inquisitor vs Rook.

By making so many decisions with such dire consequences and not letting himself feel the weight of that (it would break him) he becomes separated from the “pawns” he uses and stops thinking of them as people. The world becomes a chessboard and a game to him, and that is exactly how a god would think.

That is also the reason he becomes so angry at Rook for saying he views himself as a god: he is so afraid of becoming that conceited, but at this point, the thing keeping him sane and keeping the dam of his pride sealed is the mantra: “I am not a god”. He KNOWS the truth of that mantra, but as this point he doesn’t FEEL it, because he has denied himself to feel anything for anyone in order to be able to get rid of them if logic dictates it.

Through his wisdom he understands why it is detrimental to believe yourself a god, and because of this he is in denial of his own feelings on the matter: he acts like a god, feels like a god, yet knows that he would become what he hates most by acknowledging it - that’s why he uses the mantra: it’s his last effort to stay somewhat grounded.

This brings me to the “I AM A GOD” ending. This is where the dam breaks: he finally allows himself to fully embody his mask; his pride; his demonic side.

By losing to Rook and co through force he is forced to admit to himself that he sees Rook and the world as inferior - he is the only one who can make it right and they are all children, who do not understand him (they shunned understanding when they used brutish force) because compared to them he is a GOD. He accepts pride and abandons the wisdom of staying grounded with the people - the people abandoned him so he abandons the people. He becomes what he has feared most becoming (it is also interesting that his biggest fear is to be alone - and a god stands alone in their arrogance).

He is truly lost to his demonic aspect in this ending and the dark colours of the ending picture reflect this. It is not difficult to argue this is the most tragic ending.

2: Breaks his pride:

Most schadenfreude ending in terms of outsmarting Fen’harel: proving to the world AND to Solas he is not a god and that he is not immune to be outsmarted by a mortal

It breaks Solas’ ego to be outsmarted, since his cleverness is his pride. It sets him free from his pride as it was the proof he so desperately needed: the people inhabiting this world are capable of being his equal and besting him at his own game. He is not better than them, or better put: his cleverness is not infallible. You could argue that a romanced Lavellan/ friendly inquisitor has already proven to be his equal in terms of wisdom, but then again, he has never truly been their adversary.

There is a maddening clarity to him when he finally says “and I am a fool”. I find the break of his pride to be heartbreaking: even though we are told it is a demon version of wisdom, we have seen Solas balancing both aspects - and his name also reflects how big a part of him it is. You could argue he becomes less of a person in both the Pride and Wisdom ending, but more demon/spirit. It is a loss of human complexity and he finally returns to the Fade more alike himself before he took on physical form.

Perhaps it can be argued this ending is the best one from Solas’ P.o.V without a romanced Lavellan: after all, she was the only thing that could “steal his attention from the Fade” or in other words: the only reason he would consider willingly taking physical form without being asked to.

3. Breaks his leash:

The third one is more complex (so bear with me here), because accepting your mistakes and growing in order to not repeat them requires human complexity. A thing Solas has avoided his entire physical existence. He is stuck in regret, yet would repeat all his mistakes again given the chance.

His avoidance of humanity is best seen in the contradiction of his disregard for lives and his conviction of freedom for the elves. His nature compels him to stand against tyranny and enslavement - to be a champion of freedom of choice and thought. Yet as a leader and a strategist he refuses to acknowledge that people matter in more ways than being pawns. He will grieve them later, yes, but his love for a person will never waver his decision if he deems their sacrifice the best course of action in the war - he will not even ask their consent (as seen with the Disruption spirit in the Fade memories).

He does not acknowledge that people are an intrinsic part of war and their lives matter in that equation. He struggles with his mistakes and the lives lost but he can not stop to think he might be going about it all wrong, because I imagine he fears if he factors in the emotional weight of his choices, it would impede his end goal, or worse: break him into indecision.

The emotional weight of the war and the lives lost, his mistakes and his position as a leader - not an advisor, are so against his spirit nature that he suppresses these issues instead of dealing with them like a person. He becomes prideful because he shuts other options out. His way is the only way.

He sees everything fall apart: everything he does: disaster is sure to follow: The blight, trapping the elven gods, the murder of Mythal (x2) - yet he can not stop. He does not know how. He is desperate for a way out - a way out of regret and feeling the weight of his mistakes - he pushes on because that is his only option lest he truly faces what he has done and the pointlessness of it all. All the lives he has sacrificed need to mean something - that is what he sacrificed them for. How can he face that he killed them and not have an excuse for doing so?

In the last ending he is forced to talk about these things: the Inquisitor tells him he is forgiven if he just stops. Yet this is not enough - he has sacrificed Mythal (and in ways himself) to reach his goal and it can not have been in vain. Here Mythal jumps in and helps him carry the weight of it all by shouldering it beside him. He finally lets himself feel the weight of it all and it breaks his conviction. Mythal releases him from her service: the leash of service to not only Mythal, but to her dreams and visions for the elven people; the very reason he was made manifest in the physical world, and so their very long and increasingly painful relationship comes to an end. He gets closure. He allows himself to grow and so he sets out to undo his mistakes: to sit with them (the blight) and truly do the best he can to heal what can be healed. It is the most difficult ending - a true apology: he has to pull a Bharv.

It is also the ending which was foreshadowed if you chose to let Varric help Cole in inquisition. I might get into this more in another post, but essentially he becomes more human by dealing with his shit and growing. It is a warm thought that the best ending is the ending Varric helped make way for.

It wraps up the story nicely as well: he enters the Fade a human, just like he entered the physical world a spirit, underlining the complexity of his character arc.

This is also the only ending in which he can end up with Lavellan: I think it is poetic that she can only join him if he becomes more human, less spirit; a mix of both Wisdom and Pride. He has to accept his humanity and the weight of a human heart - metaphorically, he has to make the choice to finally enter the physical world and all of its complexities of his own volition: and there he finds her waiting.

[gojossocks]

"I want to go first." Satoru spoke out of the blue. "When we die."

You froze, your hand stopped stroking his hair. Satoru, with his head on your lap, seems to be in deep thought as he stares at your shared bedroom’s ceiling. His eyes then darted to yours when he noticed the lack of touch before raising his eyebrow at you, silently demanding you to continue, as if he didn’t drop a daunting subject right in front of your face. 

Leaving with no other choice, you sighed and resumed your administration which earned a satisfied hum from your boyfriend. He closed his eyes contentedly then he spoke once more, “Can you promise that for me, baby?” 

“I..” for some reason, you find it hard to speak. This was the hardest favor Satoru has asked of you. Can you really endure it? You didn’t want to imagine a world without seeing his bright smile, let alone live it. But then your trail of thoughts were cut off when he nudged your arm and intertwined his hand with yours, the one resting on his stomach.  “Why are you saying this, Satoru?” 

“I don’t think I can live a second without you. I think I’ll finally lose my shit if I do. ” He said, and there’s a hint of playfulness in his tone but you know his words hold so much more weight than what he makes it out to be. He’s just trying not to make you sad, you know it. Then he proceeded to whine, Satoru-style, dramatically, “please baby, you gotta promise.” 

You pursed your lips and focus your attention on combing his locks again. You were about to protest but you saw the unease resting on Satoru’s face, and you knew that he would respect and obey your wishes if you said no. 

Come to think of it, Satoru has lost so many loved ones in his life. He had failed to protect them even with the title of being the strongest. And it had broken him, despite his cheery disposition in front of people. The only reason he had endured is because you were there for him. 

You are quite literally his whole world and the thought of him treading this world alone with no one to shoulder his burdens with hurts you more than losing him first. 

Okay, you thought. You would endure the grief for him so that he doesn’t have to anymore. You let out a defeated sigh and you leaned in to kiss his forehead. “Okay, I promise. You can go first.” 

Your words must’ve soothed him because the smile on his face resurfaced again and he went back to his cheery self, and it doesn’t feel forceful this time. 

“I love you, you know? I bet I’d be a really hot ghost following you around.” 

“Creep.”

wanna read more?

[pastafossa]

I went through the second half of my ADHD testing today. And we had some time left. She asked me how I was feeling, towards the end, about the questions and the issues I'd talked about, and I told her about my anxiety and guilt over the things I'd mentioned, and my fear even now that I'd get through this whole process just to hear 'It's not ADHD, you're just lazy, just try harder.' When I told her that she gently said, "well I want you to know, you do have ADHD. You have it. You don't have to feel anxious about that anymore." And ya'll, the way I just started to cry.

I have it. I have it, and I class as 'severe' ADHD.

All those times as a kid I got in trouble with teachers for forgetting things or not being able to focus. All of the, 'you do well in reading, you're smart enough to focus on this, too, don't be lazy, you just need to try, why don't you care?'. All of the projects I started but couldn't finish, the forgetting to reply to messages and texts from friends and losing friendships over it, the clutter I can never seem to manage, my shit attention span, the way I couldn't just get shit DONE, the failed attempts over and over and over to organize and task manage and I don't understand, I'm trying, I promise I'm trying, please, I'm trying, why isn't it working. All those years spent wondering why I was such a fuckup when everyone else appeared to breeze through projects and Normal Adult Tasks without forgetting or losing focus.

And now I know it wasn't my fault. That I was trying. That I did care. That I wasn't lazy. My brain just... doesn't work the usual way. I was doing the best I could with the wrong tools, because all my life I've needed a screwdriver and all I had was a hacksaw. And now, NOW I can finally go to to the doctor for medication, go to therapists who can help and I can finally get the right set of tools. I know now one of the reasons I'm so anxious thanks to this: "I've found that people with late diagnoses often struggle with guilt and shame, and a lot of internalized ableism, because they've dealt for years with people accusing them of being lazy or just not caring."

It is so, so gd validating, especially on top of the surprise diagnosis of 'oh yeah and you're on the spectrum and that's why you've always struggled with these other things!' It feels like there's this weight off my shoulders and it's amazing.

[hrizantemy]

I know this might be an unpopular opinion, but I really don’t want Nesta and Cassian to have kids. In fact, if it ever happens, I’m going to lose it. Cassian has consistently shown that he doesn’t truly stick up for Nesta when it matters, and I find it baffling when people try to claim otherwise. Sure, he might defend her over small, inconsequential things, but when it comes to the moments that really matter—the ones where her safety, dignity, or even her life is on the line—he’s either silent or outright against her.

For example, when Nesta was threatened with execution by his High Lord, where was Cassian’s outrage on her behalf? Somehow, in that moment, he managed to be the angriest person in the room—at Nesta. Not at the people threatening his mate with death, but at Nesta herself. That kind of reaction tells me everything I need to know about how little he actually supports her. And what’s even worse is that he never sticks up for her in a way she can actually see. He might defend her when she’s not present, but that doesn’t mean much when he can’t or won’t do it in front of her. To me, it’s as if he’s ashamed to stand by her publicly.

Nesta deserves a partner who will defend her fiercely and without hesitation, someone who understands the depth of her trauma and her worth. Cassian, on the other hand, consistently diminishes her struggles and turns the blame on her for his own frustrations. So, the idea of them having children—bringing innocent lives into a relationship where there’s already such a clear imbalance of respect and support—feels completely wrong to me. It’s just another way Nesta would likely be set up to carry the emotional weight alone, while Cassian continues to falter in being the kind of partner she truly deserves.

Let’s say Nesta and Cassian have kids—something I’m already against for a multitude of reasons—but let’s go there for a moment. People love to talk about how Cassian owes so much to Rhysand, how his loyalty to Rhysand is unwavering and absolute. That’s fine if it’s just about Cassian himself, but when you bring children into the mix, it becomes a lot messier. Does that same blind loyalty extend to his own child? What happens when the Inner Circle inevitably starts dictating the path Cassian and Nesta’s child should take? If Rhysand or the IC decide that their son or daughter should do something dangerous—be it for Velaris, Nyx, or the Night Court as a whole—is Cassian going to push his child into that role just because Rhysand says so?

We’ve seen time and time again that Cassian doesn’t stand up to Rhysand, not even when it’s about Nesta. So why should we believe he’d suddenly draw the line for his child? If Nesta is against putting their child in danger—and she absolutely would be—is Cassian going to stand with her, or will he just side with the IC again, telling himself it’s for “the greater good”? And what if Rhysand, in his High Lord arrogance, decides to berate or humiliate Cassian and Nesta’s child the way he’s humiliated others in the past? Is Cassian going to step in and tell Rhysand to back off? Or is he going to stay silent out of “loyalty” to his High Lord? We’ve already seen Cassian fail to defend Nesta when Rhysand and the IC crossed lines with her—what’s to say he wouldn’t fail his own child in the same way?

And here’s an even darker thought: what happens if Cassian is put in a position where he has to choose between his own child and Nyx? Because let’s be honest, the IC has made it very clear that Nyx is their priority. If there’s ever a scenario where Nyx’s safety or future conflicts with that of Cassian and Nesta’s child, can we really trust Cassian to pick his own blood? Or is he going to fall back on that same unshakable loyalty to Rhysand and Velaris, even if it means sacrificing his child’s well-being, dreams, or even life?

These are not small questions. They’re the kind of conflicts that arise when someone’s loyalty to others outweighs their loyalty to their own family. Cassian has already shown us where his priorities lie when he didn’t stick up for Nesta during her most vulnerable moments. If he couldn’t do it for her, why would we believe he’d do it for their child? The idea of them having kids only highlights how deeply flawed and imbalanced their relationship is—and how dangerous that could become for anyone who relies on Cassian to choose them over the IC.

I know people are going to say I can’t bring up “what if” scenarios when it comes to Nesta and Cassian having children, but I absolutely can and will. These are exactly the kinds of things you need to think about when you’re considering children. Having kids isn’t just about how cute they’d be or the idea of expanding a family—it’s about responsibility, protection, and making decisions that prioritize their well-being, no matter how hard those decisions might be. And when we look at Cassian’s track record, there are glaring issues that need to be addressed.

What if scenarios aren’t just hypothetical—they’re preparation. They’re about asking tough questions: Will this person defend their child in every situation? Will they be able to separate loyalty to others from loyalty to their family? Can they provide a safe and supportive environment for their child to grow up in? With Cassian, I have serious doubts. People like to argue that Cassian would be a great father, but his inability to consistently stick up for Nesta against the Inner Circle shows a troubling pattern. If he can’t stand up for his mate when Rhysand or others overstep, how can I trust him to do it for his child? It’s not outlandish to imagine situations where his loyalty to Rhysand or the Night Court would conflict with what’s best for his family—because that’s already happened with Nesta.

Parenting isn’t just about love; it’s about action. It’s about hard decisions and protecting your child, even when it means standing up to people you care about or respect.

People like to dismiss these concerns, but they’re real. They’re exactly the kinds of things that can happen in a world where power, politics, and loyalty are always in play. These aren’t just random, baseless hypotheticals—they’re extensions of behaviors we’ve already seen in Cassian. If he couldn’t stand up for Nesta, who has been humiliated, threatened, and dragged down by his so-called family, how can I believe he’d do better for his child? These are the kinds of questions that must be considered, because having a child isn’t about what works in the moment—it’s about building a future where that child feels safe, protected, and prioritized above all else. If Cassian can’t consistently prove that he’s capable of doing that, then these “what if” scenarios aren’t just speculation—they’re warnings.

I also don’t think Nesta is ready to have children—and honestly, I don’t think she will be for a very long time, if ever. It’s not a criticism of her as a person, but rather a recognition of where she is emotionally and mentally. Nesta has been through so much trauma, and while she’s made strides in healing, that doesn’t mean she’s in a place where she’s ready to take on the responsibility of motherhood. And the truth is, not everyone needs to be a parent, nor should they be forced into that role if it doesn’t align with where they are in life.

Motherhood requires a certain level of emotional stability, patience, and selflessness. Nesta has spent so much of her life being forced into roles she didn’t ask for—caretaker for her family, the scapegoat for everyone’s frustrations, and now a warrior in a world that doesn’t truly understand her. She’s only just starting to rediscover who she is outside of those expectations. To thrust her into the role of a mother would be unfair, both to her and to the child, because she’s still working through her own pain and figuring out how to live for herself.

Nesta deserves the time and space to fully heal and to decide what she truly wants out of life, free from the expectations of others. Becoming a mother isn’t just a matter of love—it’s a lifelong commitment that requires you to be in a place where you can give your child the emotional support they need. Right now, Nesta is still learning how to support herself. She’s still processing her trauma, learning to trust, and rebuilding relationships with the people around her. Adding the pressure of motherhood to that mix would only risk reopening old wounds or creating new ones.

And let’s not forget how much pressure the Inner Circle would likely put on her if she did have a child. Nesta has already been judged and criticized for every move she’s made; imagine how much worse it would be if she became a mother. Every parenting decision she made would be scrutinized, and knowing how they’ve treated her in the past, it’s easy to see how they’d weaponize her struggles against her. That’s not an environment where anyone, let alone someone like Nesta, could thrive as a parent.

Motherhood isn’t something that should be forced on Nesta as part of her “redemption arc” or used to soften her edges for the sake of a storyline. She has the right to take as long as she needs to heal, to figure out her purpose, and to decide if children are even something she wants. Right now, she’s still building her own foundation, and until that foundation is solid, I don’t think she’s ready—or that it’s fair to expect her—to take on the enormous responsibility of raising a child.

Nesta has so much self-loathing buried deep inside her that the idea of her becoming a mother feels almost impossible for her to even comprehend—because she doesn’t believe she would make a good mother. Nesta has spent so much of her life feeling unworthy, undeserving of love, and like a burden to those around her. Even as she begins to heal, that inner voice of doubt and self-hatred still lingers, constantly telling her she’s not good enough. How can someone who struggles to see their own value believe they’re capable of raising a child?

Nesta’s guilt and shame run so deep that she often feels like she poisons the people around her, no matter how hard she tries to do better. She believes that she’s failed her sisters, that she’s failed herself, and that every relationship she’s ever had has been marred by her inability to let people in or show them the parts of herself she doesn’t hate. Those feelings of failure and inadequacy would only intensify if the question of motherhood ever came up. Nesta would likely convince herself that she’d ruin her child, that her anger, her fear, and her pain would seep into them and make her unfit to care for them.

It’s not hard to imagine her rejecting the idea outright, not because she doesn’t care, but because she believes her love wouldn’t be enough. Nesta has always struggled to reconcile her desire to protect the people she loves with her belief that she’s not worthy of their love in return. When it comes to something as vulnerable and selfless as raising a child, those fears would only grow louder. The idea of creating a life, of being responsible for nurturing and shaping another person, would terrify her—not because she doesn’t want to love, but because she doesn’t think she’s capable of being the kind of mother a child deserves.

Nesta has spent so long convincing herself that she’s irredeemable, that she’s nothing more than the sharp edges and pain people see on the surface. Even as she works to heal, to accept herself, and to believe that she’s worthy of love, it’s a long and difficult journey. Until she can see her own value, it’s hard to imagine her believing she could provide that kind of unconditional love and stability to a child. And the tragedy is that Nesta does have the capacity to love deeply—she just doesn’t see it in herself. Until she can, the thought of becoming a mother would only amplify her self-loathing and fears of failure.

It’s not that Nesta wouldn’t care for a child if she had one—she absolutely would. But she would carry the constant fear that she’s not enough, that she’s somehow damaging them, or that they’d be better off without her. And that’s heartbreaking, because the truth is that Nesta’s love, while imperfect, is fierce and unyielding. But until she can see that for herself, she’d never believe she could be a good mother.

[rottenpumpkin13]

Ignoring Crisis Core's plot, how do you think a falling out would go between AGS? Not anything to do with Degradation, a serious falling out that threatens to shatter their friendship? How would each react? What would happen? Would they resolve it?

Hurt/comfort it is!

Like all stupid friendship fallouts, it should start with a poorly-timed joke or a careless remark—a spark that ignites a raging wildfire because no one bothered to put it out. An insolent tongue, a stray jab, or a well-meaning but tactless comment. Something that on another day might've been brushed off or laughed away, but in the moment hits like a blade to the ribs.

In the case of Angeal, Sephiroth, and Genesis, the stakes are as delicate as they are explosive. Angeal and Genesis have the advantage of years behind them—shared memories, countless arguments weathered and resolved, an unshakable bond forged in their childhood and nursed until adulthood. They've built their friendship on the basis of trust, even when tempers flare. But Sephiroth is newer to their bond, less familiar with the invisible lines they've drawn, not used to friendship, not used to other humans, and more prone to crossing them unknowingly.

That's why it's so easy, in their eyes, to see him as the villain when his pragmatism cuts too close to their pride. A passing comment about the upcoming mission—clinical, realistic, and with no malice: They're not competent enough for it. Sephiroth doesn't mean to insult, he doesn't want to endanger them. But the implication is enough to crack the fragile understanding between them, and what follows is as fiery as it is inevitable.

The room was quiet, completely quiet, which should've been unnerving enough on its own had Sephiroth's enhanced hearing not picked up the sound of two erratically beating hearts and a muffled grunt in Genesis' throat. 

They had been discussing strategy for hours, debating the best approach for an upcoming mission into Wutai territory. The air was heavy, they were exhausted, and the tension was tighter than a drawn bowstring, ready to snap—three minds, three egos, all colliding clumsily in the face of high stakes.

Genesis leaned back in his chair, twirling a pen between his fingers, smiling in a way Sephiroth knew was not genuine. "Then perhaps we should let our dear General handle it all himself. He's practically perfect, after all. What need has he for canon fodder?"

Angeal groaned softly, his head dropping to his lap. "Genesis…"

But Sephiroth continued, with a sharp edge to his voice that held more reason than malice behind it. "If you're suggesting you wouldn't be useful, then yes. I'd rather not carry dead weight."

The room froze over. The pen slipped from Genesis' hand, clattering onto the table. Angeal sat up straighter, a deep frown etching into his face as he looked back up. 

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Genesis spat. 

Sephiroth's expression remained neutral. "It means what it sounds like. This mission is critical, and I need people who can keep up. Your presence would only endanger yourselves and compromise the assignment."

Angeal's voice cut through, not a hint of understanding in its inflection. "Sephiroth, that's out of line."

Sephiroth's green eyes flicked to Angeal, unreadable. "It's not a matter of pride, Angeal. It's a matter of survival. I don't intend to put either of you in unnecessary danger…. losing you would be unthinkable—"

"You don't intend to put us in danger! Yes, that makes sense!" Genesis snapped, standing now, his chair screeching against the floor. "You arrogant bastard. You don't get to decide what risks we take. You're not our keeper."

"I'm your superior," Sephiroth replied, calm but unyielding despite the feeling that his words were failing him. "It's my job to ensure success. If that means excluding those who would jeopardize it—"

"Jeopardize it?" Genesis' laughter was hollow, biting, making Sephiroth flinch. "Coming from you? That's rich. Do you hear yourself? You've been insufferable since day one, looking down on everyone as if you're some god. Well here's some news, Sephiroth: you're not."

Sephiroth stared at him, opening his mouth.

"You're not!"

He flinched, closing it again.

Angeal stood then. "Enough, both of you. Genesis, sit down. Sephiroth…" He looked at the younger SOLDIER, disappointment heavy in his tone. "You could've handled this better, Seph. I don't know what to tell you."

Sephiroth's jaw tightened, the only visible sign that Angeal's words had struck a nerve. They were not privy to the panic gripping his heart as he formulated the right words in his mind. "If I'm wrong, prove it in the field. But don't ask me to trust you when I know you'll hurt yourselves."

Genesis stormed out first, throwing open the door with the steel toe of his boot. Angeal followed moments later, sparing one last glance at Sephiroth—one of clear hurt, before sighing and following the redhead before slamming the door shut behind him.

Sephiroth sat alone for an hour after it, gaze fixed on his hands in his lap, flexing them over and over, remind himself that they were, at the end of the day, human hands. 

The days that followed were worse. Genesis refused to acknowledge Sephiroth's presence, and Angeal, though more restrained, was distant, his usual warmth replaced by basic professionalism. They spoke in clipped tones during briefings, ignored him in the training room, and shared quiet conversations with Genesis that stopped the moment he entered.

For Sephiroth, the isolation was a slow, festering wound. He told himself it was for the best. Had he put friendship—and dare he call it love—over reason, it would endanger them. It was better this way. Still, he couldn't stop the ache that settled in his chest when he saw them laughing together, the bond from which he was now excluded from. 

When the mission came, Sephiroth went alone.

The aftermath was bloody. Sephiroth had succeeded in the objective, but it came at a cost. He returned battered, shredded, not on his own feet carrying him, but a medical team. The blood seeping through his silver hair was more his own than the enemy's. 

Hojo oversaw Sephiroth's treatment, suturing torn flesh and monitoring his recovery under strict observation. The injuries weren't especially concerning—Sephiroth had returned in worse condition before, and Hojo himself had inflicted worse during experiments. Physically, Sephiroth was healing as expected, but his weakness this time was more psychological than physical.

When the door to the holding room slammed open, Angeal and Genesis bursting in, Hojo immediately understood the root of the issue.

Genesis looked furious, his eyes blazing, but it was Angeal who spoke first, his voice uncharacteristically sharp as they ignored Hojo's barks of protest and strode to Sephiroth's side. "What the hell were you thinking, going alone?" Angeal demanded.

Sephiroth looked at them from the bed, pale and exhausted but steady. "I thought it was for the best. I didn't want to endanger anyone else unnecessarily. I told you that."

Genesis' earlier anger was now edged with something raw, desperation bleeding through his scowl as his blue eyes welled with hot tears. "We didn't want you to get yourself killed, you bastard! Do you even realize—damn it—" He broke off, his voice cracking as he looked away.

Angeal placed a firm but gentle hand on Sephiroth's. "We were angry, yes. But you…you're one of us, Sephiroth. Don't you get that? You're part of this team, this family. You're not better, you're not worse. Families fight, but they don't abandon each other."

Sephiroth said nothing, his gaze flickering between them, uncharacteristically uncertain. Genesis seized the moment, his voice trembling: "That's why we wanted to come, you idiot," he said. "Glory be damned, Sephiroth. You may act like some insufferable god who always knows best, but you're flesh and—" his gaze swept over Sephiroth's bandaged, broken arm—"surprisingly brittle bone."

The weight of their reprimand should have kept him stoic, but a faint, unpracticed smile tugged at Sephiroth's lips. He missed them.

When he spoke, his voice was softer, hesitant, and painfully deliberate. "I… didn't mean to push you away. I thought…" He trailed off, carefully choosing his words, replaying them in his mind. "I thought it was better than dragging you down."

Genesis exhaled sharply, rubbing his face before throwing Angeal a quick glance. Then, turning back to Sephiroth, he said: "You're an idiot. A brilliant idiot, but still an idiot."

Sephiroth's faint smile twitched at the edges, but his next words came fearful and quiet. "Have I been forgiven?"

Angeal and Genesis exchanged another look, and the pause that followed cut deeper than Sephiroth expected. Then Angeal huffed, crossing his arms. "I think we're three parts of a whole by now," he told Genesis. "I can't handle you on my own."

Genesis' mouth fell open, affronted. "How dare—"

"Look," Angeal interrupted, turning his attention back to Sephiroth. "I understand you wanted to protect us. I even understand your intentions. But Sephiroth, you don't protect us by cutting us out. You protect us by letting us fight beside you."

Sephiroth's gaze shifted between them—these two who, against all odds, had become the anchor of his world—and the something heavy in his chest finally began to ease.

"I… may have miscalculated," he admitted.

Genesis rolled his eyes so dramatically it bordered on theatrical. "He may have miscalculated, he says. Angeal, our fearless leader has finally mastered the art of an understatement."

Sephiroth huffed a weak laugh as he struggled to sit up, biting back a grimace of pain. "The fates are cruel," he said.

And this time, Genesis' laughter carried no bitterness.

The only bitterness in the room came from Hojo's growled order to "release my specimen at once," but the SOLDIERs ignored him entirely. Angeal and Genesis leaned into the bed, wrapping Sephiroth in a careful embrace. Sephiroth winced but smiled, the pain a small price for their presence.

[thoughtfullyrainynightmare]

Jealousy

Summary: He cares for you deeply, and that is precisely why he's keeping your relationship a secret. Because some would use his feelings for you against him, by hurting you, at least in his mind. But when he sees your colleague being friendly to you, his judgement fails him, and he has to whisk you away Pairing: Nacht x gn!reader Length: ~0.7k Fanfic type: Oneshot Contains: themes of jealousy

Nacht Faust, the oldest child of the now fallen House of Faust, was an idealistic, calculating man whose emotions ran deep; deep as if the roots of the old trees in a forest that had existed for longer than anyone could remember. But he was also a troubled man, burdened man. Burdened by the depths of the emotions, the weight of regret, that he held in his heart. All the emotions he didn’t let climb up those roots, and to the surface of the woods for all to see.

It had never been his intention to let people see them, his fears, doubts; the way he was vulnerable. Because he was. After all, he was just a mortal man too.

But… you had done something he thought impossible. You had dug your way through the hard ground, all the way to those roots, and seen them. Turned the ground, the soil, and breathed air and strength into him, in the way you had loved him.

Him. Someone who bore a sin as dark as the pitch-black night.

It was… unbelievable. Ludicrous even in its absurdity.

But… as much as he feared his ink black heart to taint your hands, he didn’t wish to let go either. A selfish wish. A need. A want.

A wish that was hidden in the shadows, because being associated with him would be a burden. A danger. Which is why you had to meet in secret. Always in secret. To not let the tender emotions of the heart to climb to the surface for all the world to see.

But… not wishing to show it, just how much he cared for you, out of the fear of losing you because someone might use it against him. Hurt you, to hurt him. It didn’t mean that he felt any less for you, as you walked the streets, just like anyone else, while he walked in the shadows.

And it was during one of those sunny days of early summer, that he saw you at the market, just going about your day. You were there, but there… was also a man, who was… seemingly keeping you company. Walking so close to you.

His side… almost brushing yours… and it wasn’t even that crowded. There was no reason for him to be walking so close to you. Smiling at you, in that way. So tenderly and kindly. In a way that Nacht didn’t think he could.

It was just too much. But when the guy went to pat you on the back, Nacht’s patience snapped.

His shadows raced across the market, and enveloped you into their hold. He popped his form up from them, just long enough to glare down the man with his ice blue eye. To make a point. To make a stance. Before sinking back into the shadows with you, only to reappear some streets away in a more secluded area.

“Nacht?!” You huffed while appearing back on the cobble streets. “What are you doing?”

“Protecting you. That guy was up to no good.” He simply stated, as if it was a fact.

“What? No,” you laughed. “Him and I work together. He has a family, a wife and kids,” you continued while still laughing at the absurdity of the moment.

His eyes fell to the side, thinking if his judgement could really have failed so badly.

“He was just being supportive,” you continued while making your way to him, and taking him by the hand.

His jaw tensed for a moment, as he was trying to take in the slip up he had just committed.

“But you were very gallant in coming to my rescue,” you mused while running your thumb over the skin of his hand. “Very brave and gallant.”

He stayed quiet for a few more moments, until his lips parted, and he spoke with a whisper: “Only for you…”

Though you knew that wasn’t exactly the case, you took it, for now. Because he was your knight cloaked in shadows.

How you’d explain being swept into the shadows by him to your colleague was another matter, but… you’d cross that bridge, once you got to it.

[featherymainffins]

It's also a problem that's deeply embarrassing for me because I feel like it puts a lot of pressure on other people because the only methods I've found to somewhat work were basically just asking someone if I was allowed to eat or repeatedly asking if they found me disgusting.

And that's like fucked up to need from someone. It was tolerated by my family presumably because I am their child and for some reason they didn't find any part of that weird or concerning. But it's not something other people would be willing to do for me I'm pretty sure.

*Trigger warning for eating disorder talk*

I hate how whenever I eat anything my brain is like "You should kill yourself. Now." Like what's your fucking problem

[quirkwizard]

Final Chapter: A Look at the Ending of MHA

With the manga of My Hero Academia finally coming to a close, I thought I'd give my opinions about how the series ended. I will be covering everything from Chapter 424 to Chapter 430. This is going to mix my thoughts on the ending, a proposed rewrite, and a lot of responses to people's criticism towards it. Because I'm going to be real with you all: the past two months have been the most frustrating and exhausting experience I've had with this fan base. 

I have been writing this since the finale ended. In that time, I've been listening and taking in all the discourse of fans in order to make a more informed opinion. It's been miserable trying to read through all the thoughts people had about the finale. The sheer amount of opinions that were based off misinformation or misreadings of the series has been staggering. So, if I sound more exhausted or if the writing comes across as more scattershot then when I normally do something like that, that's the reason. And, as always, if you have anything you want to discuss, whether it be about the post or the ending, feel free to ask about it.

Review

Miscellaneous Notes:

So there are some bits of the story I wanted to talk about, but didn't feel the need to include full on diatribes about.

-Oh hey, Koichi from Vigilantes is here, that's so- and he's gone.

-Even when Izuku is his peer, Aizawa still finds time to be a jerk to his students.

-Mirio is the number one hero. Makes sense, but it does feel out of nowhere with how little Mirio has been relevant up until now.

-How on Earth is Miriko still working, let alone as a hero? She's down three limbs and in arguably worse shape then Enji.

-Man, they are really taking Kai to task these past few arcs, aren't they? I mean, I get why, but jeez. It's honestly sad to see what's been done with his character.

-I like how All Might's light returned to his eyes. It's a good way to show him getting his spirit back after all this time and reigniting hope in himself..

-So if Eri's horn is back, does that mean her power is back? Kind of wish we had something saying about why she isn't healing people. I get if it's her choice or the recipients choice not to do so, but there needs to be something for that.

Hospital Visit

This works as little cool down from the big battle, especially since we really needed to see some of the immediate consequences on the main characters. I actually like a lot of the stuff with Bakugou. After all this, he finally understands Izuku, shown by them getting similar injuries, and lets himself be emotionally vulnerable about wanting the two to be rivals. And we finally got some thoughts on part of Izuku here, like his regret about seemingly failing to save Tomura and how he doesn't feel hurt about losing out on "One For All". How he's glad that he even got this chance in the first place. I do feel the need to mention All Might saying that Izuku saved the "soul" of Tomura. I think a lot of people missed or ignored that line. It's important to Tomura's death, but I'll get more into that later.

Speaking of consequences, I don't mind Izuku losing out on "One For All". In the grander scheme of things, "One For All" doesn't need to be a thing anymore. With "All For One" gone, it no longer has a purpose to exist. And as we've all seen with All Might, someone holding that much power over he world is a problem, regardless of whether it's used for good or evil. Having it gone helps even the playing field and will push for the idea that people should rely on themselves and each other instead of focusing all on a single symbol. What's more, I think Izuku having to sacrifice it and lose it gives the ending a lot more weight. Because Izuku sacrificed the thing that made him a hero in order to stop Shigaraki. To me, that's one of the most defining aspects of a hero: the willingness to sacrifice something important to themselves to help others.

UA Stuff

All of the things happening at UA are fine.  I do like that Aoyama chose to leave 1-A of his own volition instead of being forced out. Plus, now Shinso is in the Hero Course. Good for him. I've never been all that invested in Shino's story, but this is a good way to get him into Class 1-A without making an exception or replacing any of the core cast members. I liked Mirio's graduation speech. I think it works with his arc of trying to inspire other people and trying to honor Sir Nighteye's memory. And they got to have their own little party. That's nice.

Honestly, I find myself having very little to say about all of this, at least the parts within the school itself. I'm all for a calm after the storm to talk about what happened and to build up characters. I'm honestly glad we're back at the school to help ground things after that massive battle. But I think there may have been too much time spent on this. It just feels a little longer than what's needed. Like the bits with the cotton girl feel like they weren't needed for the story and could have been better used setting up or wrapping up something else.

Todoroki Family Prison Visit

The Todoroki family drama has always been one of the stronger plotlines, especially in the latter half of the series. And I believe that it ended on a pretty strong note. It's to the point where I struggle to really say much about the resolution of it.  I do like how Shoto asks for something as basic as his favorite food. I also like how Dabi let go of his hatred towards Shoto, who was as much of a victim as he was in all of this, but still held on to it for Endeavor. Because in spite of what a lot of fans seem to think, the manga does take Enji to task and isn't saying he should be forgiven.

Dabi being in this condition is pretty awful, but I concede that it was necessary for him to have a resolution with the other Todorokis. I'll get to my thoughts on the condition of the villains later in the post. So for now I'll just say the metal coffin looks equal parts cool and horrific. I think it's too long at least in the wrong places. I understand that this is an important part of the story. But when it takes up so much of the chapter it's in, I feel like at least something should have been given to the other family members. They aren't the main players of the subplot, but they still could have used some resolution.

Afterburn

Now, there are those who say Enji got off too easy. Uh, no, he didn't. The man lost everything he strived for in the number one position, something that turned out to be totally hollow, and is left severely injured after the battle, due in large part to Dabi. Now the only thing that would bring his life purpose, his family, is all torn apart by his own actions. Now he's resigned himself to seeing his dying son, who hates him with every burnt fiber of his being, every day until Dabi dies. Enji's punishment is to live on, knowing what he did and failing to ever put his family back together. That's not a happy ending, that's a sentencing.

Which is something I do find frustrating about the end of their arc. While we get solid conclusions with Natsuo and Dabi, how Shoto, Fuyumi, and especially Rei feel about all this and their relationship with Enji is ambiguous at best. At least with Shoto and Fuymui, we had some idea of where they stood with their father before now, but Rei is still not clear. I'm not sure about the implications with Rei and whether she's still with Enji. I choose to think that she isn't just trying to help him out in the few panels we see them together, but it's not exactly clear. Which certainly does leave the door open for some... less than favorable interpretations.

Commissioner Hawks

I'm not sure how to feel about Keigo's conclusion. On the one hand, I don't mind where he ended up as the head of the Hero Commission. It's still a way for him to help heroes to make their lives easier without getting involved as a hero. And if there is anyone that can clean up the Hero Commission, it's the guy that's worked under them his entire life. On the other hand though, it does kind of feel like he did got off scott free for a lot of the stuff he did while under the Hero Commission, namely killing Twice. It never feels like Hawks personally was taken to task for his part in all of this. So now we have a murderer as the head of the Hero Commission. 

It doesn't matter if he was under orders to do it or not, nor if there were extreme circumstances that pushed him to such actions. The pragmatic side of me does see the reasoning of that, but the story enforces that what Hawks did is a bad thing and does so constantly. Nothing about the manga takes Hawks to task for what he did or makes it feel like he's been punished for that. He may have lost his Quirk, but we don't really know how he feels about that. Which is weird considering how much of his life came from having that Quirk. Unless his comment about not being ashamed of his "filthy wings" as long as he got to help Tokoyami? Maybe it will make more sense on another read.

Spinner and Izuku

I feel like this scene is pretty underrated. Heck, it may even cemented Spinner as one of my favorite villains. To me, it really goes to show the tragedy at the core of Spinner's character. That, for all of his desire to change things or help out his friends, he was too weak to see any change made for himself. So he attached himself to idols like Stain or Tomura. He was always manipulated or pulled by something else. Whether it be the radicalization of Stain or the machinations of All For One, his hopes were used against him, his mindless actions given meaning by peons. All it did was lose him everything. He was, ultimately, a kid who was in over his head and was turned into a monster because of it. The monster everyone saw him as.

And while I've heard some people complain about Tomura only having a message for Spinner, I think that's more about the relationship Tomura had with the rest of the League. They were aligned together for a mutual goal and had some care for one another, but I don't think they ever understood or were close to one another. Spinner is the only one Tomura had any kind of real closeness. That's the whole point of the gamer line, as silly as it was. So, while to the rest of the League, he was Shigaraki, the force of destruction and change, to Spinner, he was Tomura, a friend who he wanted to fight for. My only issue, again, is some unfortunate openness with the ending. Spinner writing a book to spite the heroes is fine, but it leaves this unfortunate implication that this book will be used to radicalize more people. I don't think that is the intention, but again, it's not very clear.

Everyone Do Your Share

I was originally frustrated by how much of the final chapters spent on the cleaning up of things, especially since there were so few chapters left. However, looking back, I do feel it's pretty important to reinforce the idea of everyone trying to help in their own way, no matter how big or small it may be. And in doing so, show the changes on every level possible. It's there to show how things are changing by how people act and see heroes. We've got the civilians doing their part to help the heroes, and we've got the next generation changing their perspective on heroism. All thanks to Class 1-A and their efforts. It's just a nice and efficient way to show things changing from a broader perspective.

Which leads me to the stitch mouth kid. I saw people begging that this kid would be the new Tomura and show that society is still bad and broken. As if something like that wouldn't undermine the entire point of the ending. The whole point is that anyone can be a hero in any way, as long as you are willing to reach out and help others. And people who see a problem can and should do something to help people. They should help when they have the chance before it is too late. So having the old woman reach out to help another lost child is a nice way to tie up that point. And the whole point of all this is that the heroes, especially Izuku, don't need to do everything themselves. 

The More Things Change

Many people were upset of the idea of aspects like hero rankings and the Hero Commission not being abolished by the time the series ended. I disagree. I never thought that the rankings themselves were bad or wrong, nor did I think the story ever shows that the rankings are bad. That only seemed to be an issue with Enji and that had a lot of personal issues behind it. Every other hero seemed to be perfectly content to do hero work regardless of the rankings. Now, the Hero Commission, I can understand more. It's shown to be morally gray with its power. However, I don't think the existence of this kind of system is inherently wrong. Having oversight to heroes isn't a bad idea. It's just that the usage of it use to a lot of problems. And most of those people that propagated it are dead and gone.

Further still, there are people that say nothing has changed in the setting. That, since these systems are still in place, it's always going to be like this. Again, I disagree. Because of the massive devastation wrought by Tomura, it gave Japan a fresh start with the current generation. This gives the country the chance to overhaul those systems, even if they are still around. At the end of the day, systems are made up of and by people. The story makes it clear many times how important it is to win the crowd over. And if you win the hearts and minds of the people, it could go on to propagate massive change to the system. If enough people want to change and push for it, things will change. Saying that "things didn't change because systems can't be changed" is such a horrifically pessimistic take on the ending.

The Death of Villains

I've mentioned it before, and I'll say it again: I don't mind Toga dying. By extension, I don't mind the villains dying either. While it may seem tragic and pointless for her to die, I do think that is kind of that point. And no, I don't think this means that she "couldn't be saved". I think it's more of a tragedy. She was the one that people could have been saved before, but it was far too late to help her given how far she had gone. And her dying isn't a failing of that. Because Toga's ultimate goal was to live and die on her own terms. Specifically, being able to express herself and her "love". And to a lesser degree, to have someone try to understand her. I think her dying to save Uraraka is a good end to her character. By extension, that's how I feel about a lot of the villains' deaths in this. They got what they wanted, tragically died in order to see it through to the end. At least there's some peace for them, in that respect.

There's also a matter of "saving". I think a lot of fans took this too literally. To me, "saving" was more about reaching out and trying to understand villains rather than simply fighting them. "Saving" was never going to be the same as "redeeming". Because let's be real, there is no redeeming these people. Not because they can't be redeemed, it's because they don't want to be redeemed, and I think it'd betray their characters to do so. They are unapologetically bad and have hurt a lot of people. Every member of the League is complicit in the deaths of thousands and throwing an entire country into chaos. They aren't wrong for fighting the system, they're wrong for killing countless people to do so. And I have to ask what the other options are? You either have them be forgiven and turn good, which would be insane given the crimes they committed and their characters, or have them locked up forever, which is a fate worse than death. At least in death they can have some form of peace by escaping the consequences of their actions and all the suffering they went through.

Izuku x Uraraka:

Yeah, I'm kind of confused about why it turned out like this. I'm ignoring all the shipping concerns that come from it. I'm more focused on the story and characters. The whole idea of Uraraka and Toga's shared story was about understanding your feelings, both towards yourself and other people. Especially how bad it is to repress and hide your feelings. The whole catalyst of Toga's story was her being forced to repress herself. So having this whole subplot end like this is really odd if Uraraka doesn't express her feelings. That's not mentioning all the hints, setups, and teasing that pushed these two as a potential couple that fell through by not having any conclusion. I honestly wonder why Hori, or his editors, decided to back down like this. 

Which, hey, now may not be the best time for a confession, but it's still jarring not to see anything come of it after all this time. Especially since so much of the chapter is about the two talking about their feelings. So why is it written like this? Now, I want to dismiss the popular concept that Hori changed this because of death threats between the two. While it's not something I'd put past obsessive fans, there hasn't been anything to substantiate the claim. So, barring rogue translators, my only guess is that Hori or an editor didn't want to do the reveal now and wanted to focus more on the important parts of the two's connection about inspiring one another. I can understand that, but it feels like a part of their dynamic is missing without any real acknowledgment of the two's feelings.

Izuku and Uraraka:

And I say all that to preface that I do like a lot of this scene and I do think it's important to each of the characters. Because Ochako is being open with her feelings here. It's just not the feelings that were being set up all the way in the first chapter. It's the two trying to connect and come to terms with their own failings with their villains. Only to have Izuku reach out his hand, reaffirming that sometimes all people need is a small act of kindness. Though it's hard to always do that, he's willing to do it because he's just that good of a guy. And having Izuku say that Uraraka is his hero is more heartfelt and important to these characters and the story at large then any confession could have been. 

And then we have the rest of Class 1-A coming to help as well. It works as a good parallel to Uraraka saving Izuku back during the Dark Hero Arc. It fits with the idea of heroes saving and helping one another. My only major issue is that I kind of wish we had gotten a little more with Izuku talking about his own feelings regarding Tomura, but we already got that back in Chapter 424. All and All: am I still disappointed that Izuku and Uraraka didn't have any romantic resolution? Kind of. It's less that I wanted them to get together and more I wanted some kind of resolution for it. But I still think what we got is good and that people are focusing way too much on what isn't there than what is there. Which I feel like is a problem with a lot of the ending, but we'll get to that.

Class 1-A Futures:

I do wish we got to see more of the future of Class 1-A, even if they were brief snippets. There are glimpses of Shoto and Bakugou. Bakguou's is alright, and I do like the final bit about no one connecting Shoto and Endeavor. I think that's a good ending for him. The most we get with any kind of detail are Shoji's and Urarak's groups. And I guess Shoji had a good future? Look, the Heteromorph plotline is arguably one of the worst parts of the whole manga. It may even be worse than the Stars and Stripes arc. So I can't exactly muster a lot of enthusiasm seeing it resolved by Shoji in the end. I suppose him thanking the people at the riot was nice? That whole part of the story honestly deserves its own post talking about it.

On the flip side, I'm fine with Uraraka's ending. Because I think people tend to conflate a lot of what makes up "Quirk Counseling", mostly thanks to people like Curious and Toga. One is part of a cult that wants to destroy society and the other most grievously targeted by it. From what we've actually seen of it, such as Tamaki's flashback, it just seems to be a lot of training and understanding your Quirk. Toga was just an unfortunate case where the system as it was couldn't help her and could only try and fit her into a niche. So I don't think expanding it is that big of a problem. Plus, expanding could include more extensive counseling that is more tailored to each child. I do think it's kind of odd that Iida and Momo seem to be stapled on to this ending, though. I'm not sure how this works as an end for either of them. I guess their roles as leaders of the class?

Great Teacher Izuku

Look, I don't mind Izuku having this job. Do I think there could have been other choices for this? Yes, but this is by no means bad. Being a teacher is a lot more respectable in Eastern cultures. Especially since he's teaching at the best hero school in the country, if not the world, it is certainly a high-profile job. And he is still being a hero in his own way and helping out the next generation as a teacher. More importantly, I still think that Izuku achieved his dream of being the greatest hero. The man brought down the greatest villain in human history and was one of the two people responsible for causing a massive shift in the way the world of heroes works. He is truly the world's greatest hero. There is no debating that. This is like some kid wanting to go to space to be the greatest astronaut. They not only go to space, they're the first person on Mars. They also stop the martins from invading Earth, killing the king of the martins, and save humanity. Now injured, they instead teach other cadets how to be astronauts. Would they not have success in their goal of being the greatest astronaut? I don't think anyone could match up with that.

However, my issue is with everything surrounding it. There isn't any set up for him becoming a teacher. It gives us the sense that this was the back-up option for when his real dreams feel through. Especially since Izuku gave everything he could to try and be a hero, and it doesn't happen until the very end of this manga. Which doesn't seem like the intention, since Izuku seems happy enough, but I heard a lot of people saying that. It's lacking in that catharsis and satisfaction that you'd expect from an ending. But you can have an ending that's not exactly happy and still be cathartic, and I think that still applies here. And another problem I have is that he's teaching at UA. Yes, he's helping out the next generation of heroes, but he's not helping out the people that need it most. The kind of people who don't make it into UA. The kind of people like Tomura, Spinner, and Twice. Those are the kind of people that should be getting help like this. Why not put him in a position with a much greater ability to help people? Finally, wasn't the whole point of All Might's arc? That there are other ways to be heroes and life outside of hero work? Why not have that aspect of the story be resolve with him instead of Izuku? He was already going down that route to begin with. Why repeat the same idea?

Walk and Talk

Again, I'm going to have to counter a major talking point I've seen in the fanbase. No, Izuku is not unhappy in his job. He seems to enjoy it and is in fact very good at it, as seen when talking to his students and the plate kid, Dai. He's only unhappy in one panel, in which he's being talked down to by Aizawa. No, Izuku is not forgotten by the world. He's mentioned in the same breath as some of the greatest heroes in the series, has his own statue with the rest of Class 1-A, and is so famous that people know his real name and is of such mythical status that people question if he is real. No, Izuku's friends did not abandon him. The most that Izuku says about that is that it's difficult for all twenty members to get together. He's still probably seeing them in smaller numbers. And I can tell you as someone who has had trouble even getting a quarter of that number of people into a single time slot, it's going to be difficult to get twenty people with separate schedules and lives together.

As for everything with Dai, it's fine. His perspective is pretty important as we get to see the changing worldview. With the demystification of heroes and the elevation of other roles in helping others, young people are now all getting into different fields. The talk around the statue is pretty good as well. Having Izuku effectively talk to a younger version of himself is a good way to close out his arc and all the insecurities he's had over the manga. However, part of me feels like this kind of talk should be done with the stitch-mouth kid. We do actually see him as a part of UA students with Kota. I think having Izuku end up talking to him about his Quirk could have been a good way to end his arc by having him be able to help someone similar. Not to say that the Dai stuff was bad or pointless. It just feels odd to include the guy that's supposed to be the metaphorical spirit of Tomura, put him in Izuku's class, and have them not interact.

The Suit

Again, this is another point where I don't have a major issue with it. At least, I don't have an issue getting the suit itself. I have some issues with the semantics. Did it take too long to build? I wouldn't say that. It was revealed in a piece by Horikoshi that it took all of All Might's vast resources to build, and it lacked a lot of the proper safety features. Having it take some time before it's battle ready for Izuku makes sense. However, that isn't in the manga, at least as far as I can tell. Maybe this makes more sense in the volumes, where stuff like this is included all the time. For real though, these people built this in secret for eight years, and they are just now letting him find out. Was there really no explanation you could have added to make that make more sense?

It creates this odd juxtaposition of endings as well. It gives the feeling of the story wanting to have its cake and eat it as well. Someone wanted Izuku come to terms with being Quirkless and to have a life outside of hero work. The other person wanted Izuku to still fight and be a hero. I also wonder why not just have be both at the same time instead of doing this twist. Make it clear that heroes have a lot more time, both thanks to Hawks and the contributions of the many heroes in the world all working together. Izuku doesn't need to be a full-time hero to save people and chooses to be a teacher to help people in a way that only he can do. That way, he can still be a hero that isn't necessarily the profession while being a professional hero without a Quirk.

Final Thoughts

Now, what are my final options for all of this? I think that ending was pretty solid, leaning good. I do agree that it's better than what is on offer than a lot of shōnen series and a good enough ending for the story. I'm not saying it's amazing or perfect. Though I do find myself more satisfied than frustrated. I get a lot of what the story is going for, and it makes sense. It just needed some refinement to really work. As for what everyone else has said about it, I honestly think that a lot of people are overreacting. I wouldn't go as far as to say people are "lacking media literacy" or that they are "reading in bad faith" like others have on either side of the debate. I just think this as a case where the context and delivery of it resulted in a lot of confusion. And more often than not, people will tend to go with the worst version of the implications. This is not helped by the leaks and bad translations which fans ran away with, as well the built-up hype and headcanons, which poisoned the well for a lot of people.

However, I cannot deny that there is part of the fanbase that is simply not getting the manga. I don't want to use the word "tourist", because that's a No True Scotsman fallacy, but it's starting to feel applicable here. The people who simply aren't reading the manga, whether it be through engaging with it solely through other people talking about it, or trying to look at it anything beyond the most kneejerk and surface level reactions. Because a lot of people tend to conflate what My Hero Academia is about or what its story is conveying. And unfortunately, those are the people with massive followings. Anyone with a differing opinion is drowned out in the sea of angry comments. And I think we really need to get away from that. What I'm saying is that you read the story as it is. Focus on what is happening and what it is trying to say. Don't force a meaning or headcanon on something that wasn't there and don't rely on word of mouth for what the manga is about. Just focus on what the story is trying to say.

My only hope is that this will pass, and calmer heads will win out. That once it's stepped outside the zeitgeist, people will be able to analyze it as a whole. If not, then I'm terrified to think that this will become My Hero Academia's legacy: a bunch of stupid jokes made by people who can't bother to read the official version of the story or try to understand a culture outside their own even when it plays a vital role within the story. If not, then I can hope that maybe something else will come to replace it. Because I'm not sure if this is truly the end. I've heard rumors that there's going to be something akin to Naruto: The Last or the Naruto Wedding Special coming out after the anime ends. If not that, who knows who other kinds of side material will come out to follow up on the world or characters. Which would make sense. The ending doesn't feel like an ending as much as it does "And the adventure continues." Which could be why I'm not as affected by this ending as other people.

There's certainly the cultural side and how that surrounds the manga. I'll always stand by the fact that this manga is a Japanese story by a Japanese author for a Japanese audience. And there's a lot of cultural context that goes into the series. I keep thinking about how a lot of Japanese fans seemed to like the ending and how much I wished I had the context to understand it. Another part of it is how much I'm thinking about Hori. Because for all the popularity of it, being a mangaka is one of the most stressful jobs in Japan. One where the artist has much less say over how their story goes. I'm so curious about what went on behind the scenes to make My Hero Academia turn out the way it is. Was all this Hori fumbling his own story, whether that be through incompetence or failing health, or were there outside forces pressing on him to do things a certain way? It's like how people became more forgiving of Kubo or Toriyama once they found out how hamstrung they were by their higher ups. I suppose only time will tell.

Rewrite

Now, time for the Rewrite portion. As a reminder, I do try to keep to what the manga does as close as possible. For example, I personally would just let Izuku keep some version of "One For All" if the ultimate conclusion was him still being a hero. However, it's obvious that Hori didn't want to go that route with it, so I'll be sticking to him getting with the suit.

Starting things off, we'll be in the hospital with Izuku and All Might recovering. We're told about "One For All" leaving him, and we'll get some reaction from Izuku about it. He will be sad but resolved. He may not have "One For All", but he's still alive. He's got the skill and will to help people without it. And he still wants to do that, even in his own way, because he still has value without "One For All". This could help soften the blow of Izuku losing out on "One For All". That and it's at least something to try to tie up Izuku's self worth issues. This will also be something confirmed by Inko, putting a nice little bow on all this with her being more properly encouraging of Izuku as opposed to how things were in Chapter 1.

Then we're going to reveal how many people want to talk to Izuku. Reporters are going to be hounding Izuku for his story, considering how he was key in stopping Tomura. Which he obviously can't do right now due to his condition. After some time, he will eventually recover enough to give a press conference. This will also be where we get the varying opinions on Tomura, having a panel overwhelming Izuku with questions and thoughts. Izuku is now going to use his newly found position to try and change things for the better. He's going to emphasize the importance of the role of the other heroes and not have it all focus on him. He's going to use it as a platform to talk about who Tomura was and why he did what he did.

It's going to be something emotional and vulnerable, something propping up Izuku as a person rather than the hero Deku, working to prevent another situation like All Might where everyone keeps putting them on pedestals. This way, we have both the validation of Izuku saving everyone and wanting to bring about change on the societal level. It shows him being a hero in the traditional way with the defeat of All For One, now he's being a hero in the non-traditional way. This will be cutting into some of the time we have at UA, but to me, I don't think a lot of what's in that part is ultimately necessary to what the story is trying to say.

For the sake of this, Hawks will still be working as the head of the Hero Commission. He'll talk about how he feels free now that his Quirk is gone and everything that came with it, more so than ever before. However, he still wants to make life easier for heroes so that they can feel this kind of freedom. He initially didn't want the position, but felt the need to take it on after everything that's happened and make things right, implying the guilt he feels over his actions. Plus, it has some nice irony of Hawks still being trapped within the Hero Commissions. So him taking the role is more of his own penance and a punishment.

So while Izuku is fighting on the public front, changing the hearts of the masses to enact change, Hawks will be fighting on the political and systematic front, using the devastation of the country as a fresh start. He'll encourage groups of heroes to work together rather than focusing on the individual. He'll push for a greater level of training or vetting when it comes to people who can get a license for hero work. Most importantly, a greater level of accountability and transparency in both heroes and the Hero Commission as a whole.

Lady Nagant will remain in jail, but it's more for reasons of atonement rather than wanting to wait and see how things play out. Hawks will try to offer her some deal or reduction as a way to make things right, but she feels like it's the right thing to do rather than trying to pretend it never happened. This will also be the part where we explore some of the points with Hawks we talked about earlier. Lady Nagant can even question if the Hero Commission is needed, but Hawks can talk about all the reforms he wants to do with it.

For Chapter 426, we're shortening the Todoroki family time, and it will only take up half of the chapter. I will have some confirmation on whether or not Rei was able to move on from what Enji did and do more to cement how Enji is alone now. He may be resolved to change and make things right, but he is not getting his family back. That ship has sailed. Instead, we'll be sticking to everything involving Hawks and Toshinori in the latter half of this, with him talking to Lady Nagant and him discussing his plans for changing the ranking systems in general. I think it'd flow a lot better, works with tying up another character so closely tied to the Todorokis, and gives us more time for other stuff.

However, we're keeping 427 mostly intact. I think Spinner's material is good, and everything that got brought up needed to be mentioned one way or another. The most I'd do is cut down on the ending gag, since it frustrates me so much, and some of the interviews since we may not need them as much with how I'll be changing things in those sections. I am removing the Kai part of the chapter as well. I like Kai, but this honestly feels pointless in the grand scheme of things.

The biggest change will be that I'll include a bit where, instead of Izuku saying to make it a comic book, he'll remind Spinner to think about what would happen if someone like Spinner read it. About how important a book like that could be and how it should be written, but also how it could hurt someone who reads it. Spinner will remain silent in response, thinking back on how he saw Stain and how he was puppeteered around by the likes of One For All and the PLF during the Final War.

I think you could do a nice parallel between Izuku and Spinner here. They were two young men who were ultimately racialized and hurt by their idols and their lack of self-worth. Again, it's showing Izuku thinking about himself more with what has happened to him and tying that to Spinner's own situation. Plus, it prevents something like Spinner's book from having the unfortunate implication of turning out to something like the MLA book.

We're cutting Chapters 428 and 429 in half and stitching them together. Specifically, all the stuff with the new Class 1-A and the Old Class 1-A will be removed. I just feel like we don't need to focus on this as much as other parts of the world or story. Preferably, I would want them to get together. With the Bakugou and Shoto being seen bit, we're throwing in Izuku as well. There needs to be some confirmation that people did in fact see him as a hero as well and confirm that the three are in fact the new Big Three of UA. I'm not asking this to be the norm of it like they do in Naruto. I just feel like there should be some external validation.

The fight between Toga and Uraraka will be around and released to the public. Her death will be seen as something tragic to the world and help spark the change we see later on with people empathizing with villains like her. This could also lead to Izuku seeing it and being the impetus for Izuku and Ochako talking about their feelings. Yes, this chapter will include a confession for Ochako to Izuku. It won't be during a breakdown, but it needs to be put in somewhere and might as well be here. I'll even settle for an implication. Up to you on whether or not you think this should solidify them as a couple, but I feel like you have to include that in order to complete all of the set-up in the series and especially with Toga.

The new Chapter 429 will instead be a two-year time jump into the future before everyone is graduating. We can still start it off with some of the "where are they now" bits, but not have it take up too much time. With the final embers of "One For All" starting to fade out, Izuku knows this is the end of him as a proper hero, but it doesn't matter to him. He got to be the greatest hero in history who literally saved the world. He doesn't define himself by having a Quirk or not and knows that he can still help people without a costume on. Izuku plans on either going into counseling, charity work, or even trying to get a job at the Hero Commission. Up to you on this one. He still wants to help and stop the various hurting people of the world from ever becoming like anyone from the League ever again. Make it clear this is something Izuku wants.

This is when Toshinori gives him his graduation gift: the suit. Between Toshinori's remaining resources, gifts and gratitude from the various people across the world, and contributions from members of 1-A, they were able to build him the suit. Toshinori kept it from Izuku because it wasn't ready until a few days ago, needing to be properly prepared and built as opposed to the rush job that was the dangerous prototype he used. Izuku, of course, has notes and ideas for improvements on the suit. Toshinori reaffirms that Izuku earned this, and he will still be a worthy hero and successor, Quirkless or otherwise. The chapter ends with Class 1-A and 1-B graduating. I know that two years seems short, but I think that the timespan is enough of a time gap to get the suit together, at least with how I am setting it up, and to have the embers of "One For All" fade. 

The alternative route is that, knowing that the embers are running out, Izuku still wants to be a hero. So he's spent the last two years trying to prepare himself for that, putting as much time into training and learning how to use equipment made for him. He doesn't care if he isn't going to be the top hero. He's going to do what he's already been doing: helping people, because that's all he really wanted out of life. That this whole experience changed how he saw himself and hero work. You could even say that it's the prototype for him, eventually becoming the suit. Maybe even combine them both, with the former being a backup plan after hero work. And while I have never been the biggest fan of the whole "Quirkless Hero" concept with how little it's supported in the world, I think we can let it slide because it's the finale. But I wanted to mention it because I thought it'd be an interesting path for the story to take.

Then the real chapter 430 will cut to the future, roughly five to six years. I could take or leave Izuku being a teacher, but for the sake of this, let's say that he is one. Heroes have more time off, so he decides to help educate people. We'll get a similar series of panels that will focus more on the world with how it is now, mainly in relation to Class 1-A. This will show a lot more of how the 1-A kids have grown and the affects they have on the world, like Uraraka actually interacting and helping a kid like Toga come to terms with their power to show how Quirk Counseling has become a tool to help people. I think we really need more scenes like that to really show that things have grown and changed with the world. Izuku's suit will have changed as well, commenting on how much he's been involved with the modeling and planning throughout his most current iteration.

Toshinori will be living his life and still teaching at UA. He talks about how all the kids want to be like Izuku, especially with Kota, and that they never stop talking about him. He jokes to himself about how he feels like he's been forgotten. Cut back to Izuku's old school with the kid in the back. Events will happen similarly to what they did in Chapter 430, with Izuku meeting a kid similar to himself at All Might's statue. There will be the usual stuff he said, trying to encourage the kid, making comparisons to himself, maybe even showing the photos All Might took of him when he was training. He gets a call about an incident and needs to leave. He tells the kid to never forget about the hero he can be and to never stop striving to be that hero. The final words of the series are the ever-iconic "Plus Ultra".  This is beyond cheesy, but if we're going to end the series, we might as well end it with some cheese.

[blueishspace]

Hero, Villain God 12

(Prev) (Next) (First)

*Grian's pov*

In the end it is not vigilantism or villainy that ends up being the hardest part of this act you have created.

It isn't even music production as even though Ariana's youtube's channel takes a lot of effort and skill you did not expect to need it is still not that big of an hassle once Mumbo decided to help you.

No, the biggest challenge yet is mundanity, Grian was only a being you created as a civilian identity to stand behind the other more interesting personan... You put thought into the other but you never thought too much about how to be a civilian.

You have created yourself an identity but you never prepared yourself for living with it and you are slowly realising that knowing from an outside perspective how to do something is much different from actually doing it...Also as the god of chaos the rules of reality tend to slightly bend around you which makes doing menial tasks paricularly complex...

...Case in point: Cooking. You thought it would be easy, you have seen others do it in the past so it shouldn't have been hard.

And yet, "shouldn't" is the key word.

"Mumbo? You are back...sooner then I expected"

"This...this is the time I normally come home"

"Oh ..."

"Grian, what?"

"Did your hair...lose...weight?"

"Grian? Are you cooking something?"

"Yeah ... You could say that"

"W-well mate, what do you mean by that?"

"I was cooking...before"

"Y-yeah? So? Did something happen? Did something break? 'Cause that's fine, mistakes happen."

"I uh...I might have burnt the water"

"What... ... How? That's uh... not possibile?????"

"The water just caught on fire"

"That's not- what??????"

Of course then he hears the clucking, great timing, this is humiliating.

"Is that... A chicken in the kitchen?"

"Nooo, why would there be chicken in the kitchen? That would be weird."

"... There is a chicken in the kitchen, why? How??"

"I tried to break an egg and a chicken popped put"

"... Was there something in my coffee? This just isn't...ok whatever, I'm done. We have a chicken now I guess, sure why not?"

"Uh... are you going to name it?"

"You birthed it, It's your responsability now. I'm going to bed and reconsidering my life now"

...You ended up calling the chicken Cluck, hardly original but you have never been good at creating very original names.

*Mumbo pov*

Grian is an... Interesting roomate. He's exceptionally smart sometimes, he knows a lot of the natural world and hystory... He says very specific scientific facts like they are common knowledge...

He's also extremely talented at singing, which is especially impressive since he's doing so at an higher pitch then his speaking voice... It's almost like he changes vocal cords... And his drag persona? Ariana? It's stunning. You can't believe how good it is.

...

...He's also, and you mean it in the nicest way possible, a weirdo. He's not creepy or anything like that but he's extremely bad at being a normal person. You wonder about his past sometimes but you refuse to bother him about it, you of all people should know why someone would like to keep their past a secret... still you do wonder, for a man who says to have no powers he sure acts like he does.

Despite everything though...you can't deny you are getting used to his presence, he was supposed to be an alibi for you to hide your villainy behind but... Ugh, you spoon! You shouldn't have gotten this attached to this guy and you are probably going to get more attached as time passes.

It's fine, you can deal with this, hiding behind him has always been plan z and plan a has yet to fail, your project will be a success.

And if anyone does try anything... There is a reason you are called the Boogeyman.

[valyrfia]

Why do so many F1 fans hate on Charles Leclerc? I, myself, am an "old time" so to say fan of the sport and while I appreciate the generations past, there is no denying his astounding talent and connection to the car. And yet when I started to get back into watching recently, I have seen nothing but distasteful jabs at his ability and his fans, along the lines of "he's just a model" and "only girls in love with him like him". Why is that, I really do not understand - not even as a fan of his, I'm just asking as an objective observer of motorsport

Thanks for your ask anon! I think there's two facets of it. There's the fact that Charles has a lot of expectations that haven't been fulfilled yet due to a variety of reasons and media that may already be skewed away from him doubling down on that, and quite frankly, there's a misogyny aspect due to the composition of his fanbase.

Focusing on the expectations aspect first, as I'm sure you'll probably know better than I will since I've only been watching F1 for a year or so, Charles came into Ferrari with an incredible weight to him already. Not only did he totally crush competition in junior categories but he was the youngest Ferrari driver in the 21st century (later to be usurped by none other than Ollie Bearman at the 2024 Jeddah GP) and he had quite frankly an incredible first season. He would have won Bahrain 2019 if not for the engine issue and he won Monza. This understandably gave Charles's name a gravitas and expectation unlike any non-WDC. I mean, his nickname is literally il predestinato, there is an expectation that Charles will bring the championship home to Ferrari.

Now, unfortunately, that hasn't happened yet. This has been due to a multitude of reasons, but mainly Mattia Binotto's terrible management, the effects of it we're still feeling years later.

An aspect of Mattia's management that people discuss less however, but I'm certain contributes to some groups having a strong dislike of Charles, is Mattia's complete inability to manage a strong driver line up. Ferrari has had an incredible line up, with Charles and Seb for Charles's first two years, and Charles and Carlos for the next three. A lot of the general population who dislike Charles are Seb supporters, feeling as if Seb was pushed out by this young upstart who hasn't even managed to bring the WDC and WCC home as promised. This is entirely due to Mattia losing control of the narrative. DTS encouraged this viewpoint, but media doubled down on it. Mattia also failed to manage each driver's expectations.

Similar is Mattia's signing and then subsequent management of Carlos. My dislike of the Carlos camp is well-documented, but Carlos is by no means a bad driver, in fact I think he's probably in the top six drivers currently on the grid. The issue is, he's not Charles. He doesn't have Charles's raw talent, nor any sort of similar mythos that the tifosi revere about Charles. Carlos on paper, is an excellent n2 to Charles's n1, and I think if Mattia had been honest about that in signing Carlos, I would like him a lot more. Instead, Mattia promised that Charles and Carlos were to be treated as equals, resulting in bizarre strategy calls like Silverstone 2022 where they sacrifice the race of their driver fighting for the WDC in order to gift the other driver a win, or having a championship car in early 2022 only to undevelop it because Carlos complained that he wasn't comfortable. It's frankly bad management, when Checo wasn't comfortable with the RB19 Red Bull didn't change their development direction, because the focus was on getting Max the championship. Ferrari needed Mattia to make a similar decision in 2022, but he instead chose to try and pander to all sides instead of enforcing a potentially difficult decision like a team principal sometimes needs to.

I've said that Sainz media is responsible for much of the traditional media smear campaign against Charles, whether that's them using links with Spanish media, or paying off various outlets, and now I'm putting that down to Mattia not managing Carlos's expectations correctly a couple of years ago, and now relationships have broken down to a point that they're pretty much irreperable, even if Fred is managing everyone's expectations correctly. Mattia's bad management from the car development perspective gives Sainz media an angle to smear Charles as well. 2022 was Charles's championship to lose, and he lost quite badly. It becomes quite easy for journalists to take the line of "oh well, is Charles REALLY a generational talent or is he all hype?", and then compare Charles and Carlos in frankly incomparable situations to make it seem like, at first glance, Carlos comes out on top (key example of this would be Bahrain 2024, where Charles had an insane brake imbalance and still managed to finish p4, but Carlos's camp were quick to point out that Carlos's brakes had cooling issues, which if you know anything about the sport you know that's comparing a mouse to an elephant, but a lot of people chose to ran with Charles and Carlos having the same issue, resulting in people applauding Carlos for a podium in a car that's undergoing normal race stress and decrying Charles for managing to finish P4 in a car that should've been undriveable).

The second aspect moves away from traditional media and to word-of-mouth and online perspective of Charles, although often the first point about Charles not yet living up to his il predestinato name is sometimes used as evidence. Charles's fanbase is female (at least outside of the countries of Italy and Monaco), and disproportionately so compared to other driver fanbases. And look, sure he's a conventionally attractive guy, we're not going to deny objective facts. But those who dislike Charles like to use the fact that he has an active female fanbase, along with the fact that he's conventionally very attractive, in order to mock Charles and his hype. "Leclerc is mid and people only like him because he's hot and women don't understand wheel knowledge" seems to be the current argument of MANY a Charles hater.

Ultimately, it boils down to thinking that his fanbase don't truly understand the sport, because we're majority women and CAN'T be in the sport because we enjoy it we MUST just be here for the hot man. Which is both untrue and fundamentally misogynistic. While Charles himself can't experience misogyny as a man, his fanbase of women certainly can and certainly does. Our voices are trivialised and counted out, and that in turn has an impact on Charles's public image, since people think that a majority of his fans don't have any actual knowledge of the sport (when in my experience, this is perhaps the furthest from the truth).

[burquillos]

I genuinely forgot that tumblr is a place that is actually decent for posting text Anyways, 431 AU Hurt and Comfort drabble following Izuku's train of thought "I've always failed to protect Kacchan and now that I don't have the power to do it anymore, the best course of action is to give up on my dream, so he follows me out of danger"

"You don't get it Kacchan!! I can't protect you anymore, you could get hurt!!"

"You're already hurting me!"

Izuku shuts his mouth. How could he say anything to that? He knows what he's been doing to Kacchan. He isn’t inviting him to guest teach that often for no reason. He hoped he could show Kacchan there are other ways of being Hero, one where he wouldn’t need to put his life in danger. He has also been deliberate in keeping Kacchan at arm’s length, just far enough to look like Just Another Person in his life, he wouldn’t want any villains getting any bright ideas especially now that he’s powerless. He's not as stupid or oblivious as people think. It hurts to see Kacchan upset, but a miserable Kacchan is better than a dead one. It's selfish of him but he can't let him go. He can’t lose him again.

Katsuki takes a deep breath like he's gathering all weight he's been carrying and then letting it drop abruptly. "Look, Izuku. I've been there before... I know you're scared." Deku flinches at that. "That's why you keep pushing me away. I finally understand how frustrating it must have been for you to lend out your hand and get it slapped away every time. That's why I don't blame you. I had no idea how you did it back then, but I've tried to follow your example, to be as strong and persevering as you were, to never give up on people.” Katsuki pauses, thinking before he steels himself to say the words, “But at some point you have to let me move on from you, just like how you moved on from me."

His words sound defeated, like everything he just said is an undeniable, unchangeable truth, and maybe it is. But the end?

"Is that what you think? That I moved on from you?” their eyes finally meet. “Kacchan, I'm still fucking stuck in that coffin in the sky! YOU DIED!! Because I couldn't get there in time! Because I treated you like you were special! Because I... I loved you and everybody could see it.”

“I was so happy when I got closer to you back at UA. You were always so bright and I’ve always dreamed of standing there by your side instead of watching you from afar like I’ve always had but I got too careless. I wanted to stay there forever, I really did but everybody kept hurting Kacchan.”

“Even at our worst, everyone saw how hard I tried to chase after you. I hated myself for not being able to say so many things, for not being able to tell you 'You're more than just a Hero to me'. But in the end, it didn’t even matter because Everybody. Still. Fucking. Knows. Because I can't control myself. Because I always slip up. Because I always lose my shit when it comes to you!

How could I move on from you when I have to spend every day scared shitless that everyone would know how much I want you and take you away from me!?”

At this point, Izuku’s completely broken down and Katsuki lets him. It was a long time coming after all. He approaches Izuku to hold him, Izuku hold him back tightly like he never wants to let go. They stay like that for a few minutes, Kacchan softly petting his hair while he calms down. After a while, Kacchan speaks.

“You don’t have to worry about anyone taking me away from you, Izuku.”

He looks up from his place snuggled on Kacchan’s chest, “What?”

“Already yours, have been for a while. Ya just need to act like it.”

“I already told you why I can’t-“

“Then try harder. Make me undoubtedly yours. Show them what happens when they mess with something that you own.”

Izuku doesn’t know if Kacchan’s words is just there to hype him up or if he’s being entirely serious about it. Either way, it sends tingles up his spine and warmth to his cheeks. But that embarrassment quickly evolves to shame.

“What if I fail again... I couldn’t even protect you even when I had all the power in world.”

“I’m not asking for your protection Izuku, just like how you didn’t ask for mine when I ran after you and jumped in front of all of those spikes. Those were MY choices and all I ask of you is to run after me too, to choose me.”

Izuku looks at him stunned. His heart feels so full he feels like he’s about to burst again. He never imagined there would be a world where he would chase after Kacchan and Kacchan would be expecting him to catch up and run by his side instead of running away from him in fear. It was everything he ever wished for as a kid.

He still thinks he’s not strong enough, but he can be brave. The same quirkless kid who chased his dreams in spite of it all.

“Okay, Kacchan.”

He musters up all his strength to smile at Katsuki and to his surprise and delight he smiles right back.

“I won’t be far behind!”

[envysparkler]

so this.  this would be one of the nightwing longfics.  the long, character-driven fic that I wish I had time to write but alas.

the crux of this fic is when Tim goes to ask Dick to return to save Batman from his grief, Dick agrees.

Nightwing coming back to Gotham.  fighting, every day, to keep Bruce from self-destructing in a manor so full of grief that sometimes he sits in empty rooms and cries.  Dick that can’t visit Jason’s grave, it’s too painful, but sometimes he sleeps on the couch in the library and pretends like his little brother is sitting on the other couch and reading.  and Nightwing also needs to deal with this precocious twelve-year-old who might not be Robin but thinks that it is perfectly reasonable to stalk them around Gotham.

it’s hard.  it’s so, so hard.  Dick losing pieces of himself, bit by bit.  he sees hallucinations of Jason and eventually, the hallucinations are the only things he talks to truthfully.  he has to keep Bruce sane while Bruce keeps lashing out at him.  Alfred’s not getting younger.  Barbara’s furious and upset and grieving what happened to her.  Tim has no parental supervision, what the fuck is going on with this kid, Dick needs to watch out for him too.

it’s slow, but the pressure just keeps piling on.

meanwhile, the people he’s helping start to get better.  Bruce notices their baby stalker, figures out Tim’s situation, and puts in immediate paperwork to get temporary guardianship.  (Dick still hasn’t been adopted.  it’s fine.  he doesn’t care.  he doesn’t.)  Barbara recovers and becomes Oracle, a saving grace to the wider caped community.  (she’s so busy.  Dick just wants a friend to talk to.  please.)  Tim is introduced to the Titans and makes fast friends with them.  (the Titans were Dick’s first but they’re gone, all gone, why does everyone keep leaving him.)

and then there’s a mention of a new crime lord on the scene, Red Hood, who’s looking to shake things up.

things build and build and build, Hood taunting them and Bruce’s suspicions and Tim’s stalking, until it reaches a breaking point.

a warehouse.  Batman and Red Hood and Tim and Dick.  everyone is shouting at each other, yelling at each other, accusations flying, emotional barbs thrown.  Dick trying to keep the peace and failing.

maybe someone snaps something that wounds.  maybe Dick just collapses under his own exhaustion.  either way, he gives up.  he walks away.  he can’t do this anymore.

no one notices him leave.

Dick leaves his suit in the Cave and writes a short note explaining that he’s quitting.

he’s done.

this world--Gotham and Batman and all the heroes and villains--has taken too much from him. he’s barely twenty-one and yet he’s lived lifetimes.  he’s shouldered the weight of the entire world on his shoulders for so long he cannot remember what it feels like to fly without a net.

he returns to the first place he called home.  there’s a Flying Grayson at Haley’s Circus again.

[ghostykapi]

i love you (ain’t that the worst thing you ever heard?)

minatozaki sana & idol!fem!reader // ehe!

it was not just your time, is what you gaslight yourself with

you were just not chosen, is what everyone else says and thinks

and still, your phone rings at 4 am

“hello?” you should be asleep, ignoring the pain eating you alive and the cold space beside you

“y/n” it’s slurred, she’s drunk again and the music blasting in the back gives you a picture of where she’s been “i miss you”

“sana” you whisper, head already spinning and it makes you want to smash the phone against the wall “you’re drunk”

“i know” is what she answers, barely being able to stand against the wall of a random restroom in a random bar. random strangers passing by like the random thoughts of you that passes through her head “and i miss you”

“i know” you say the same words back, and you wish you didn’t “this is the 10th night you called this month”

“oh” she’s shuffling to get better reception and you’re moving out of bed, trying to get this headache out of your head “don’t you miss me too?”

“why do you only call when you’re drunk?” is what you reply, diverting away the topic you rather discuss sober “sana this isn’t healthy”

“it’s not” she knows, she knows that you rather hear her call in when she’s sober but “doesn’t this give you a better reason to pretend it was a mistake?”

“it does” a mistake, a mistake to slip up, a mistake to let her go this easily, a mistake for her to lose you this fast “but it hurts”

“i know” she’s managed to finally stumble out of that bar, into jihyo’s car and away from the loud noise. just never away from what hurts

jihyo is one of the first ones who knew about the news, and will always be the one of the first ones to protect you both

the guilt eats her soul away when she realizes how bad she has failed to protect you both from what was preventable

“will you call again?” you’re now in your kitchen, staring at the last ‘i love you - sha’ you will probably ever see again written in sticky note on the fridge “sober this time?”

“will you say i miss you if you do?” it’s the alcohol system that’s giving her the strength to talk, but she wonders how stronger she can be if she didn’t let the world eat you both alive

“you already know what i would say” you can feel each tear fall down your face, each thought of what you want to say “i’m sorry”

you can feel her softly cry into the phone, each sob twisting your heart even more

“i miss you” she repeats again, and you let this one break you even down further “so so much”

“i know” you say it again, and again you let your eyes wander to the photos still on your wall. the photos that will forever plague you until you find the strength to tear it all down

you will never find that strength. you will never find the strength to tear her away for good

“i love you” it slips out of her, like how she had to slip out of your bed that morning, how you slipped past her grasp, how the world felt like slipping in a poison in you both

lips sealed and eyes blurred, you hurriedly drop the call, drop the phone, drop down to your knees and feel the weight of everything finally drop down dead on you

and sana? she screams the moment she’s out of the car, in front of her apartment complex, in front of what she has to call her new home that is cold, alone and frightening

the world doesn’t stop spinning, but it watches as it breaks two people into nothing