#she covers a lot more information than I could for a single post

[autumnmobile12]

Odysseus and Calypso Were Lovers

As problematic as that sounds because WTF, hear me out because it's complicated and there's a lot to discuss. Trigger warning for sa. Also, not directly Epic: The Musical related; that's a whole other ballpark.

She trapped him on her island!

I'm not denying that nor am I denying how objectively messed up that is.

However, the captor and prisoner trope is one that does crop up in Greek mythology now and then.  The most famous example I can think of is Hades’ kidnapping of Persephone.  I have seen that situation blatantly called rape in the original story, and yet today, modern storytellers do like to revise that myth into a version that makes Demeter out to be an overbearing mother and Persephone's ‘kidnapping’ so to speak becomes an escape.  Personally, I think that is a very graceful way to make a barbaric story a bit more palatable to modern audiences.

So regarding Odysseus’ situation where falling in love with his captor is problematic…my thought process runs as, “Fucking Greek mythology and its weird idea of what constitutes as a love story.”

As a result, I have no serious thoughts on the morality of certain figures of Greek mythology because they frankly come from a time period where the people had a very different culture and set of moral values and ideas on what was acceptable. Therefore, it's futile to judge their stories by my own modern moral compass.

Where in The Odyssey does it say they were lovers?

The main line I can't ignore that strongly implies the nature of their relationship is Odysseus' farewell to Calypso:

“The sun went down and brought the darkness on. They  [Odysseus and Calypso] went inside the hollow cave and took the pleasure of their love, held close together.”  - The Odyssey, Homer, translated by Emily Wilson.

Keep in mind, she’s already told him he’s free to go.  He’s free to build his raft, she’s giving him supplies, and yet he says goodbye this tenderly.  Note the absence of Calypso using magic to compel him. If you cherry-picked this line, you'd find a fond goodbye.

Odysseus’ Tears

A lot of people making the ‘Odysseus/Calypso was a non-consensual situation’ argument like to cite the line that Odysseus cried every day on Ogygia.  And yes, he did weep every day he was there.  But this is the full stanza.

“On the tenth black night, the gods carried me till I reached the island of Ogygia, home of the beautiful and mighty goddess Calypso.  Lovingly she cared for me, vowing to set me free from death and time forever.  But she never swayed my heart.  I stayed for seven years; she gave me clothes like those of gods, but they were always wet with tears.” - The Odyssey, Homer, translated by Emily Wilson.

‘Beautiful and mighty….Lovingly she cared for me….she never swayed my heart.’  He speaks highly of her, not with hate or venom for her delaying him.

In my literature class where we read The Odyssey, the tears line was discussed and largely interpreted as Odysseus’ reaction to all the monsters he’d faced and losing all his crew and friends.  The PTSD of a war veteran.  From the cultural mindset of Ancient Greece, Odysseus was a king, and he failed his people when they all died under his command and he was unable to bring them home.  Similarly, the hero Theseus was once king of Athens.  He was usurped in absentia (Theseus being trapped in the Underworld at the time) and when he returned to his kingdom, he found another man on his throne, was forced to flee, and died a rather ignoble death when a supporter of his usurper shoved him off a cliff.  So Odysseus being a king who let an entire fleet die under his watch is certainly grounds for shame to the point of tears in the eyes of the Ancient Greeks.  And with an entire line-up of men attempting to court his wife and take his place, it drives home the idea that he was replaceable.

Also important to note:  He’s still miserable when he leaves Ogygia.  When he arrives at King Alcinous’ court, he is welcomed, provided food, shelter, and entertainment, but when the king checks in with his heartbroken guest, he pleads with him to tell him what’s wrong, which kickstarts the telling of Odysseus’ journey.

Odysseus was afraid of Calypso!

That said, it's also important to address this concept because this is Odysseus' reaction to the goddess telling him she is sending him on his way to Ithaka:

‘Goddess, your purpose cannot be as you say; you cannot intend to speed me home. You tell me to make myself a raft to cross the great gulf of ocean--a gulf so baffling and so perilous that not even rapid ships will traverse it, steady though they may be and favoured by a fair wind from Zeus. I will not set foot on such a raft unless I am sure of your good will--unless, goddess, you take on yourself to swear a solemn oath not to plot against me any new mischief to my ruin.’ The Odyssey, Homer, translated by Shewring.

His suspicion certainly suggests mistrust and fear that she intends to do him harm, and considering his track record of being hated by deities, that's understandable. This isn't exactly what you'd call a loving relationship. But this also brings up a weird contradiction in the poem. I would 100% say this was a completely non-consensual situation were it not for this line:

His eyes were always tearful; he wept sweet life away, in longing to go back home, since she [Calypso] no longer pleased him. - Wilson.

Not ‘she did not please him.’  She no longer pleased him.  That implies she 'pleased' him at one point and because of that, one could argue Calypso was a mistress and Odysseus eventually tired of her. (Probably long before seven years had passed.)

What Do The Translators Say?

I can't speak for all translators, but in the Emily Wilson translation, she includes a lengthy introduction describing Odysseus' world, the culture of Ancient Greece, the reasoning behind specific English wordage in the translation, etc. In the introduction, she refers to Calypso and Circe as Odysseus' affairs. Not his abusers. He also has a brief flirtation with Princess Nausicaa, the daughter of his final host, King Alcinous. Wilson then goes on to describe how these affairs are not a character failing of Odysseus in comparison to the treatment of Penelope where she is expected to be faithful and how that is indicative of a good woman.

Taking a step back from Greek mythology, consider the actions of King Henry VIII of England. Most historians agree that, for the first few years, the king's relationship with his first wife Katherine of Aragon was unusually good for the times. And yet he was an unfaithful husband, had at least one acknowledged bastard and historians speculate there were more. But while 'indiscretions' such as this were frowned upon in the Tudor Period, Henry VIII did not receive near as much criticism as Queen Katherine would have if she'd had an illegitimate child. If Katherine was 'indiscreet,' that was considered treason because she compromised the legitimacy of the succession and that was cause for a beheading.

Because misogyny. Again, different time, different moral values.

Misogyny in The Odyssey

Whatever one's thoughts on Calypso are, it is incredibly misogynistic of Homer to solely blame her for keeping Odysseus trapped while he conveniently ignores the plot hole that her island is completely surrounded by ocean and we all know that Poseidon was lurking out there just waiting for his shot at vengeance.  Odysseus is barely two stanzas off Calypso’s island before Poseidon goes after him.  It’s almost hilarious how quickly it happens.  The poem says Poseidon was returning from Ethiopia, not that he was there for the whole seven years, and Hermes clearly did not pass along the memo that Odysseus was free to return to Ithaka.  Although I like to imagine it was Zeus who forgot about Poseidon’s grudge against Odysseus, and Hermes, being the mischievous scamp that he is, did not remind him.

If one line in the text says Odysseus/Calypso was consensual while another says otherwise, which is it?

Honestly, I don't think there's a conclusive answer with just The Odyssey. I'm a hobbyist, not an expert, so I do refer to the judgment of translators like Wilson to make that call. If she and other translators say Calypso and Circe were affair partners and I can see the lines in the text to support that, I'll believe it and chalk up the rest as Greek mythology being problematic.

That said, we can also look at the opinions of other Greek poets in their further writings of the mythology:

“And the bright goddess Calypso was joined to Odysseus in sweet love, and bare him Nausithous and Nausinous.” - The Theogony; Of Goddesses and Men, Hesiod, translated by Evelyn-White.

“… after brief pleasure in wedlock with the daughter of Atlas [Calypso], he [Odysseus] dares to set foot in his offhand vessel that never knew a dockyard and to steer, poor wretch…” - Alexandra, Lycophron, translated by Mair.

Both seem to be of the opinion Calypso was Odysseus' lover.

Interestingly, Hesiod also writes in The Catalogues of Women Fragment:

“…of patient-souled Odysseus whom in aftertime Calypso the queenly nymph detained for Poseidon.” - The Catalogues of Women Fragment, Hesiod, translated by Evelyn-White.

The wording ‘detained for Poseidon’ implies Calypso was acting at Poseidon’s command or she was doing the sea god a favor or she possibly didn't have any free will herself whether or not Odysseus stayed on Ogygia. Either way, it does neatly account for Homer's aforementioned misogyny/plot hole.

But if Hesiod and Lycophron's works are not part of The Odyssey, why should we take them seriously?

You don't have to consider them canon. Just because I prefer to consider all mythology canon doesn't mean anyone else does. Just as easily, I could ask why we should take Homer's work seriously even though historians can't even agree whether or not he was a real person.

The truth is, Ancient Greece as we think of it lasted a thousand years.  Their culture/values changed several times and so did their stories to reflect those changes, and those stories continue to evolve to the modern day. Odysseus himself goes through a few different descriptions over the centuries, being described as scheming and even cruel in other works. So I consider modern works like Percy Jackson, Epic: The Musical, Son of Zeus, and so on to be just more cogs in the evolving narrative. Much like how retellings of Hades and Persephone are shifting to circumstances easier to accept by audiences today.

But why would Odysseus be unfaithful to his loving wife?

The loving wife he claimed as payment for helping out King Tyndareus? Yeah...Odysseus and Penelope's relationship may not quite be the undoubted loving one modern retellings make it out to be nor is Odysseus a saint in The Odyssey.

“A blast of wind pushed me [Odysseus] off course towards the Cicones in Ismarus.  I sacked the town and killed the men.  We took their wives and shared their riches equally amongst us.”  - The Odyssey, Homer, translated by Emily Wilson.

Raiding a town unprovoked, killing the men, kidnapping the women, stealing their treasure is not indicative to what we in the modern day consider heroic or good protagonist behavior. Also, at the end of the Trojan War, Queen Hekuba was made a slave and given to Odysseus.

As for the chapter with Circe, Penelope's name isn't even mentioned. Moreover, the wording of the Wilson translation gives the troubling connotation that Circe may have been the one who was assaulted.

Hermes’ instructions to Odysseus are as follows:

"...draw your sharpened sword and rush at her as if you mean to kill her. She will be frightened of you, and will tell you to sleep with her." - Wilson

She'll be frightened of him? Hermes is encouraging Odysseus to render Circe powerless by eating the Moly plant so she can't turn him into a pig, then threaten her with a sword, which does frighten her, and then sleep with her. That line of events is disturbing. Circe is the one who offers to take Odysseus to bed, sure, but there’s a strange man in her house, she’s allegedly afraid according to Hermes, and she’s unable to resort to her usual defense and turn him into a pig as she did with the others.  Under those circumstances, sleeping with an invader is a survival tactic.

However...after Odysseus makes Circe promise to turn his men back, she bathes him and gives him food like a proper Ancient Greek host. Yet before Odysseus accepts the meal, he puts his men first, saying he can't bear to eat until he knows they're well. So Circe turns them back, then Odysseus returns to where the rest of the crew are waiting on the shore. They're all convinced their comrades are dead until Odysseus tells them what transpired and they rejoice. All except suspicious Eurylochus who calls them fools for trusting Odysseus' word based on his previous bad decisions. Odysseus thinks about cutting his head off for speaking that way. Damn, that went from zero to a hundred fast.

But Penelope's name is missing from the story.

Odysseus only thinks of leaving Circe's island when his men speak of returning to their homeland, after which he goes to Circe about the matter, and she instructs him to go to the Underworld.

"That broke my heart, and sitting on the bed I wept, and lost all will to live and see the shining sun." - Wilson

Odysseus and his men all lament the idea of sailing into the land of the dead. So his tears and despair did not start with Calypso. Also, they return to Circe's island after the journey so she can help them make sense of Tiresias' instructions.

But setting all that aside, even when Hermes instructed him on what to do, Odysseus didn't make some grand speech on how he can’t betray his wife.  He doesn’t specifically say he’s crying for Penelope on Calypso’s island.  He doesn’t mention Penelope at all, and when King Alcinous asks him about his sorrow, Odysseus tells his whole story, barely bringing up his wife or his love for her.

So is Odysseus a good guy?

In all, Odysseus is a clever character who is known for using his wits to get out of any situation.  Polyphemus, the Sirens, Scylla, he had a plan.  The idea that he’s suddenly helpless against Calypso and Circe is out of character.  They may be goddesses, but they’re not exactly the heavy hitters of the pantheon, which is why Poseidon could absolutely order a minor sea nymph to stop what she’s doing and hold a man prisoner for him. And while Odysseus spends the entire story being thwarted by the gods, one could say he also thwarts the gods right back by refusing to give up.

Like most Greek heroes, I would say Odysseus is not what we today would call a hero. But when he shares a roster with characters like this:

Zeus:  Serial rapist

Poseidon:  Serial rapist

Hades:  Kidnapped Persephone (setting aside modern interpretations she went with him willingly)

Herakles:  Raped a princess named Auge  (Yes, really.)

Theseus:  Kidnapped Helen of Sparta when she was a child because he wanted to marry a daughter of Zeus, aided and abetted his cousin in an attempt to kidnap Persephone, abandoned Ariadne, etc.

Jason the Argonaut:�� Tried to abandon his wife. (I say ‘try’ because he didn’t get the chance. His wife Medea killed the other woman first.)

Hephaistos:  Raped Athena after she refused him.

Achilles:  Murdered a child to prevent a prophecy from coming true.

...Odysseus's atrocities are weirdly tame by comparison. Even the narrative where he kills the infant Prince Astyanax, modern retellings usually give that role to the lesser known Neoptolemus. More on that here.

In the end, it's not necessarily thematically important whether or not Odysseus is good or bad. The core of his character revolves around his cleverness and ability to build and strategize and make his own way in the world he lives in. Rounding this out is Emily Wilson's commentary on the symbolism behind the tree bed,

"In leaving Calypso, Odysseus chooses something that he built with his own mind and hands, rather than something given to him. Whereas Calypso longs to hide, clothe, feed, and possess him, Athena enables Odysseus to construct his own schemes out of the materials she provides." - The Odyssey, Homer, trans. by Emily Wilson, Introduction Pg 64.

So were Odysseus and Calypso lovers?

Based on the above, my opinion is 'Yes they were, but with the caveat they were problematic af.' Because problematic themes like that are pretty par for the course in Greek mythology.

[quirkwizard]

Keystone-Ranking My Hero's Academia's Arcs

To All my Friends and Followers, I am proud again to announce another double milestone. Not only have I reached over 10,000 total posts on this blog, but I have reach over 3,000 followers. Who would have guessed this little blog I made for fun would have made it this far? Because I am frankly flabbergasted that this blog has made it this point. I thank all of you for your support and truly wish that I can make this blog something worthy of your dedication. For this momentous milestone, I once again decided to do a massive project. This time, it will be ranking all the arcs of My Hero Academia.

So before I begin, let's cover some ground rules:

-What I will be considering an arc, as well as where it starts and ends, will be defined by the Wikia, making for a total of twenty one arcs.

-This will mainly be focusing on the manga. While I will mention the anime here and there, it will not play any major role in how I rank these arcs.

-This ranking will be relative to the rest of the series. So if I put an arc lower on the list, I'm not saying it's the worst manga as a medium has to offer, just not up to the standards of the series.

-This will be a series of pros and cons covering each of the series with some notes. This will involve a lot of generalizations and summarizations of points, as well as maybe skipping out on what I don't have much to say, but is the easiest way to get my thoughts across.

-This will be looking at the arcs without the context of later ones. I will review the arcs on their own and will only consider what has happened before in the story when that arc came out. That means that certain events will not "ruin" arcs retroactively, but can be held against the arc they happen in.

-The Final War Arc will not be covered here. Not only because that arc is not completed at the time or writing, but is far longer then any other arc in the story and has so much to cover with it, feeling like there are several arcs going on all at once. Even if it was done, I would still cover it on it's own.

Without further ado: the ranking of My Hero Academia's Arcs.

Stars and Stripes Arc: (0/10)

-This entire arc is built around Cathleen, a one note character that doesn't have any interesting traits or arc. She was never established before, even when she should matter to characters like All For One and is suddenly the most important hero currently active.

-My worst fears are confirmed that Tomura is nothing more than a meat puppet for All For One. All his unique traits and character is under lock and key for this entire arc, leaving us with a very bland villain that I have no interest in reading.

-The whole fight is a forgone conclusion. Tomura can't lose because he's the main antagonist who is next to unkillable and he can't get "New Order" because then he would be way too powerful to beat, robbing the arc of any tension it tries to have.

-The fight itself is not interesting, which is a problem when most of this is a fight. It's Tomura getting ragdolled over and over again while Stars and Stripes keeps using her Quirk in a lot of empty spectacle. No real cleaver plans, just slapping each other back and forth.

-All these factors together rob any emotional investment a reader may have had in the story. So in spite of it only being seven chapters long, it feels like a total slog to get through, simply waiting for canonical filler arc to be done with so we can move on.

-"New Order" is a slap in the face to the entire power system. It's such a vaguely defined ability with what it can actually apply with its rules. It felt more like Tomura was fighting a wizard from a whole other series, adding on to the various frustrations in this fight.

-The main consequences could have been replaced with a single chapter. Just have Tomura writhing in a cave over his body rejecting "All For One" and have Nezu analyze and pick up information on him from the footage of the PLF War. It would have been so simple.

-The actual consequences of this arc are minimal at best. You could honestly skip this arc and not really miss much in the grand story of the series. Again, making it feel like a filler arc. It makes this whole outing seem wholly pointless in the broader narrative.

=I've said my peace on this arc many times over. I struggle to think of anything good about it. It was a chore to read the first time and it took so much willpower to not turn this into another giant rant. I honestly hope I never have to go through or think about this arc again.

Tartarus Escapees Arc: (1/10)

+I like the idea of this arc. Having Izuku regress into his self-destructive tendencies and isolating himself is a really good way to go with his low point. And this is well conveyed in the art, both in and out of costume, which I just want to is really solid this arc.

+Uraraka's speech was certainly a highlight. It's a great moment in her own arc about understanding and wanting to truly save people and gives her the relevance she has so desperately needed. Ending it with the narration of everyone being a hero was a good bit.

+I liked a lot of the bits with Stain, especially his talk with Toshinori. Having Stain, the man who misunderstands All Might the most, gives him the peep talk he needs to get out of his funk.

-The reaval of "Fa Jin" was such a massive miss for me. Not only does it not add anything to Izuku's arsenal outside of hitting even harder, it undermines one of the most interesting fights the series has had thus far by overpowering his enemy rather than outthinking them.

-There is little lasting consequences for some of the characters. Endeavor is an abuser that made a serial killer and Hawks killed a villain in front of everyone. They both say they're getting work done and everyone kind of moves on from it without issue.

-The concept of Izuku cutting off everyone around him, while interesting, wasn't anywhere near fleshed out enough. It's only a single chapter of him on his own before he's saved by the rest of Class 1-A. Kind of makes the arc's name feel like a misnomer.

-Bakugou's apology feels rather hollow given the actual phrasing and the lack of any kind of real response for Izuku. This extends to All Might, but to a lesser degree. These two are the most responsible for Izuku self-destructive mentality and it is quickly brushed to the side.

=Another arc that I've talked about before, but none of the good parts of. I think it's well above something like the Stars and Stripes up, but it's lack of real payoff for so much that was set up really shoots this all the way to the bottom of the list.

Quirk Apprehension Test Arc: (1/10)

+Aizawa has a solid character introduction and effectively sets him up. What seems to be a lazy bum actually hides one of the most strict and dedicated heroes in the entire series. A seemingly rough, pragmatic disciplinarian with a secretly good heart underneath.

+Having Izuku need to work under Aizawa was such a good move for his first day. He really learns just how much of a problem his power is going to be and how much personal responsibility a hero has. It's a good splash of cold water to Izuku's relentless optimism.

+This is the arc where we get Izuku taking on the name Deku. Not only is the moment around it cute and gives us his official nickname, but I like how it starts the trend of Izuku redefining his life, taking the mocking nickname, and making it the name of a real hero.

-The arc is strictly business, for lack of a better phrase. We don't get much expansion on the characters we know about or understanding of the other characters or their powers in spite of the fact that this test would have been the perfect place to introduce them to us.

-All it really has going for it is the one moment of Izuku throwing the softball with his finger. The ultimate, emotional climax is a character flinging a ball really far. I know that sounds like I'm being facetious, but there isn't a lot else happening in the arc worth talking about.

-We do get the early main trio of Izuku, Iida, and Uraraka interacting, but there isn't enough to go off of to get a real sense of their dynamic and characters outside of the basic traits we already established. Maybe how they view each other as people, but that’s about it.

-While the threat of expulsions is threatening for the characters, it's pretty empty from a meta perspective. We know that if Izuku was expelled, the series would be over. The reveal of the test being a ploy does give Aizawa some character, but makes it feel a little pointless.

-In the end, I'm not entirely sure what the point of the arc was. At least, enough to make it its own standalone story. Sure, Izuku develops the finger flicks, but that could have been shuffled to one of the other two arcs after this one and it would be fine.

=An arc that's ultimately a victim of its length. If it was tied into the arc proceed or succeeding it, it would have been fine. On its own, it doesn't really offer much value. I still think it has its points, but not enough to reach past this lull in the series.

Remedial Course Arc: (2/10)

+The interaction between All Might and Endeavor was great. Yeah, a lot of people forget that happened this arc. Endeavor is uncertainty of what to do and turning to his rival is good in it's own right and works as a good springboard for Enji's arc going forward.

+The other character work was fine as well. Bakugou learning to be less of jerk to people as he learns to deal with a younger version of himself is nice. The Shoto, and to a lesser extent Inasa, stuff wasn't as prevalent, but I think it's a good steppingstone in his character.

+I like the one-off chapter with Aoyama and how he connects himself to Izuku and how much their Quirks can cause issues. Giving a minor character like this a one-off chapter like this is a good way to flesh out these characters without taking up too much time.

-Speaking of important stuff, this arc introduces the Quirk Singularity. For what turns out to be such an important idea, I don't think it does the best job building the groundwork. Like there wasn't enough set up to it before or in this arc for it to make sense.

-This arc is very much removed from the rest of the story. I wouldn't mind that but doesn't really give us much in its place. Outside of the few bits I mentioned before with Bakugou and Endeavor, it doesn't feel like it adds much else to the world or story.

-A lot of this arc is more comedic. If the comedy doesn't work with you, it's going to wear down on you fast. Outside of one or two bits, I found myself stone faced at a lot of the gags. Which is really odd because I do think Hori can do comedy, but it's not done well here.

-These two issues create this odd back and forth with the arc. The interesting moments are either small or side pieces while the actual meat of the story feels superfluous. So it can be frustrating to read through this when all the good feels so buried under everything.

-Which I think leads to the biggest sin of the arc: it's so forgettable. Out of all the arcs I went over, it's the least I remember about, not even long after rereading it. Despite having some pretty important moments, I just mentally gloss over it.

=This arc gets a lot of hate, and I get it. It does feel like a pretty low stakes arc where a lot of aspects can grate on people. I can't muster much bile for it, and I still think that there are some redeemable moments here, but certainly earning a spot this low on the list.

Joint Training Arc: (2/10)

+I really liked a lot of the new Quirks on display. I think a lot were pretty neat, or at least unique enough to be intriguing. Plus seeing some of the Quirks interact across both classes makes for some fun moments and dynamics between the various characters in play.

+I do like some of the minor pieces of character we do get. Tokoyami's flashback about controlling Dark shadow, Shoto using both halves of his power, a beat in Momo gaining confidence again, and Monoma's backstory reveal are all solid parts of this arc.

+Round 3 is a major highlight of this arc. A tense battle where it feels like each character is giving it their all with sheer power or clever planning. It feels like such a big battle that is constantly changing, ultimately ending in a surprising, but satisfying payoff of a draw.

-This arc is too long for its own good. Over twenty-four chapters of characters engaging in a consequence free training exercise where the plot isn't really developing outside of a handful of moments. It really wears down on you fast, especially week to week.

-As for these fights, I think a lot of them are pretty mediocre. Whether it be because of the low stakes, the lack of real emotional moments, or simply how the Quirks are used, I found it difficult to really invest in the fights. That is a big issue when most of the arc is fighting.

-Outside of Monoma and Juzo, there is very little in the way of meaningful development for Class 1-B in this arc. And if there was any point in developing these characters, this would be the time. It feels wasted, making the characters feel more like vessels for the powers.

-I really don't like the Round 4 fight. What comes across as Bakugou's big development rights hollow. Not only is the other side kneecapped to make Bakugou look better, but it doesn't really feel like Bakugou learned how to actually work with other people on this.

-To this day, I still have mixed feelings on the "Black Whip" reveal. I don't mind the concept of Izuku with multiple Quirks, but it wasn't built up enough to make this a worthwhile pay off. It seems more like Hori did this in because he ran out of ideas for what to do with Izuku.

=While I certainly don't think this is the worst arc, I can wholly understand why people are so frustrated with this arc as it was happening. There's very little in the way of plot or characters, so it ends up feeling like it drags out too long for its own good.

Provisional License Exam: (3/10)

+I like a lot of the world building in this arc. This whole rescue operation part of the test really shows just how important the non-fighting parts of hero work are, like how you act around civilians, which helpfully sets up how things are headed post All-Might.

+I liked Inasa. His design is great, his power is cool, and he has such a fun personality that you can't help but want to see him. His role is interesting as well, having Shoto's worry about being like his father externalized in someone who sees him only as Endeavor's son.

+I enjoy a lot of the development with the class. Things like the Super Moves, the dorms, and the bits spread throughout the arc does a lot to flesh them out. Obviously, the biggest bit is with Izuku and Bakugo, their battle showing how much them and their dynamic changed.

-The arc is not paced that well. This section is twenty-three chapters long, but it feels so much longer with how everything drags on and not a lot of interesting stuff is happening in them until the very end of the story, whether that be with the fights or the characters.

-The fights aren’t that amazing. It’s not that interesting to see 1-A fight a bunch of jobbers. And when they do fight more prevalent characters, I don’t feel engaged with it. A lot of the action are resolutions to the fights aren’t clever or have a lot the emotional impact they usually do.

-The new characters aren't that well developed, even as far as one-off characters go. Aside from Inasa, there's barely anything to go off of for them. It feels less like an expanded cast from all these schools and more like bloat that Hori didn't know what to do with.

-As much as I like Inasa, I think his whole thing with Shoto is kind of dumb. Like Inasa somehow carries this undying grudge against Shoto and his father because both of them look angry at him. And the resolution ends up being rushed in spite of the focus it gets.

-While I do praise Izuku vs Bakugou, I recognize that it's focused way too much on Bakugou. This feels like it should be doing something for both of them, but a lot of the attention in and out of story is on Bakugou, making it feel incomplete and diminishing Izuku's role.

=For all the buildup of these characters becoming heroes, them pulling it off seems… underwhelming. Which honestly feels like a good way to describe a lot of this arc. A lot of potential for something big and impactful that just didn't stick the landing.

UA Traitor Arc: (3/10)

+The traitor reveal was handled so well. The reveal and backstory were great and I think adds a lot to Aoyama's character. He wasn't an evil pawn, but a terrified kid who was forced into a deal outside his control, now horrified over the safety of himself and his family.

+The villains had some good moments. A lot of it is set up for next arc, but Toga and Spinner especially had the most interesting bits here, with Toga expressing her complicated past and feelings while Spinner is pushed into a role he never wanted for his friend.

+I enjoy the bit with Izuku and Urakara near the end of the arc. It honestly refreshing see these two connecting with each other again and what they talk about is solid stuff, trying to come to terms with their own conflicts feelings about wanting to save the villains.

-In spite of my liking of the reveal, it's far too late. Aoyama's actions as the traitor haven't been a factor pretty much since Kamino onward. So when this reveal comes, it doesn't have the emotional weight it feels like it needs, especially for such a minor character.

-There's very little fall out for Aoyama being the traitor. Besides how it's entirely beneficial for the heroes, no one else really reacts to it and there isn't any fallout. Not even Bakugou, the students most affected by it. It makes 1-A feel like a hive mind rather than their own people.

-In fact, a lot of this arc relies on the reader still being invested in the arc, Aoyama as a character, and there being this powerful bond between whole of the class. There's a lot riding on the emotional core which hasn't been set up as well throughout the rest of the story.

-There are some residual frustrations from the Dark Hero Arc. In spite of all the major moves the last arc did, there is barely any follow up on most or anything with the characters taking a break. We're skipping all that for more training and getting right to the next plot point.

-The villain stuff was good but did suffer from some clunkiness. I didn't really feel like it told us anything new and what it did add felt confusing at points. Did you know that Tomura and Spinner were best friends? I didn't know Tomura liked the guy.

=So I feel like I'm one of the few people that actually like how Aoyama was handed, which elevates the arc above a lot of the later parts, but I still think it's mire by the same issues of this part of the story. It had its moments, but that's all it really had to offer.

Final Exam Arc: (4/10)

+I think the idea of the arc is pretty strong. Not only do we get to see more of the teachers in action, but it’s a cool watching the students go up against the worst opponents possible, with each one needing to overcome some kind of weakness in order to nab the win.

+The fight with Deku, Bakugou and All Might was good. It's their low point, with the two literally and metaphorically trying to overcome All Might, and only able to do so by learning from each other, effectively pushing the both of them forward in their own development together.

+The Momo, Shoto, and Aizawa fight was pretty good. While not as well established in the manga, I do like the confidence issues between the two and how it ties into their leadership abilities. Again, it's a good example of the two learning and growing from each other.

+The ending scene at the mall was well handled. It's such a great one eighty from the tone and really raises the tension. Then there's the set up with Izuku and Tomura's clashing ideals, ending with Tomura truly realizing his goal. All around good stuff.

-The structure of this arc is a mess. All the fights are happening simultaneously and there is constant cutting back and forth between them. This means that all the fights struggle to build up any momentum before quickly cutting away at the most jarring of times.

-On that note, the fights aren't that impressive barring the two I mentioned before. They don't really have anything to offer in either story or spectacle. It's a bunch of pretty basic fights where we are given focus to some of the blandest characters in the series. -While this arc is built around the students going against their worst opponents, there isn't a lot of interesting growth or dynamics. Of all the side characters, we got Mineta and Koda, who aren't that engaging to read about, nor are they developed in engaging ways.

-In spite of the greater focus on character and having tangible threat of loss, this still suffers from a lot of school arcs suffer from. An educational setting like this doesn't have much tension to it. All we really have are the fights, which aren't that good.

=Yeah, this is quite the rough patch between a lot of stellar arcs. I hoped that it was merely a victim of placement, and it had its good points, but that arc is such a mess that it's hard to get much out of it. Not the worst, but not one that I am eager to revisit.

MLA Arc: (4/10)

+The MLA is an interesting concept. A political cult wanting to give power back by letting people use their Quirks without oversight. There's a lot of interesting perspectives for that topic, both in and out of the MLA, for why people may or may not want this to happen.

+Tomura is easily the MVP of the arc. His speech to Garaki was good, but his backstory with the highlight. Seeing the sheer lengths that the world, his family, and All For One poisoned Tenko into this being of pure hatred was equal parts engaging and tragic.

+Toga's backstory was good as well. While I have my issues with how nebulous Quirk Therapy is, that ultimately doesn't detract from it. It sets up the ideas of love and it's the expression and repression that prevail in her character and their importance going forward.

+I like Re-Destro in this arc. He parallels Tomura as a rage-fueled heir to a criminal legend, but contrasts it by being someone who is totally in control of his feelings and power, as well as being successful as running the empire that was left behind by Destro.

-This arc introduces Awakenings. I have never liked this concept, even when it is first revealed. It felt more like a lazy way to give characters power ups when it was convenient. This was especially the case with Toga, even if it fits with her whole love theme.

-The MLA Executives aren't interesting villains. They're one note obstacles to the LOV. I get not every character will get focus, but you think the heads of this massive group of would be given some depth, especially with a basis of the MLA has so many angles to cover.

-The barely functional LOV somehow beating and taking over the biggest group of villains in the country is such a massive leap in threat and scale. For them to survive the fight, let alone totally dominate, feels like Hori needed to hand them the win for the story.

-Following that, this is where a lot of the rushed pacing. It seems as though that the story and characters are trying to rush the story as fast as possible to get it to the point where it needs to be rather than taking its time to make sure all of the steps are set up beforehand.

=I know this arc is a fandom darling, but I really don't care for a majority of it. For me, it's few strong moments to hold up this ultimately weak arc. Especially since it's where a lot of the flaws of the later half of My Hero Academia came to the forefront for me.

Battle Trial Arc: (5/10)

+The arc does a good job of establishing the weight of heroics in the world. While Aizawa laid the foundation, showing how the students failed in the trial in their own ways shows just how much pressure that goes into hero work. The recap of all the flaws and mishandling of the training exercise is really neat.

+This does a great job of showing off Izuku's value as a fighter and as a character. In spite of having the strongest Quirk around, his brain is his most valuable weapon, able to plan around somehow who vastly outclasses him. His vocal declaration of Deku being the name of the hero is such a simple yet powerful moment for him.

+In fact, that fight itself is super neat. Izuku has a limited ace in the hole, but Bakugou has a massive advantage in skill and a psychological edge. Meanwhile Uraraka has to deal with the villainous Iida. It makes for a fun dynamic in the fight on how everyone plays off each other in personality and powers.

+All the character establishment is well handled, something hard for any series. We get a solid mix up of the dynamic between Izuku and Bakugou, good understanding of Iida and Uraraka while having foundational moments for Shoto and Momo. Plus, Ojiro and Hagakure had a cute little moment in there as well.

-None of that is extended to any of the other characters. Again, with all of these characters together, it would have been a really good chance to establish more about them as an ensemble cast. Even if it was only in minor ways like the previous examples it would have helped a lot going forward and made them feel less like cut outs.

-By extension, we only got the one fight out of the arc. Look, I'm not asking Hori to make five extra chapters here. All I'm saying is that I think that it would have been a good chance to get a better showing of the characters’ abilities and personalities by having them fight and bounce off each other before moving forward.

-Look, I know I keep harping on the art, but its flaws become a lot more apparent when trying to do action scenes. It can make certain motions seem a lot more awkward than cool. Again, this may just be hindsight, but it was pretty distracting coming back to read this seeing how much the art hindered the experience.

-The structure of this arc is so bizarre in how it's laid out. The actual order of the panels seems like things are happening oddly or even out of order. Seriously, go back and read the lead up to Izuku confronting Bakugou at the end. It's janky as all get out. This is not helped by the pretty sloppy artwork with the characters.

=The first real fight of the series and it goes off with a bang. I do think this fight is a highlight of the early series, delivering powerful emotional moments and unique dynamic, both in combat and character. Though the series is still green and the early flaws of the series being the most prevalent here really holds it back.

PLF War Arc: (5/10)

+Izuku has some of his strongest character work here. Push to the brink, he regresses back to that totally destructive mindset and constant doubt of his early series version. And having the arc resolve with him having empathy for Tomura after everything he did is just great. No issue with how he was handled this time around.

In fact, I think a lot of the character stuff is pretty strong. Bakugou gets a nice moment by saving Izuku, Enji has to go through some of the harshest development when faced with Tomura and Dabi, and Uraraka is confronted with the most moral complexities of villains. And hey, the arc actually got me to like Miruko.

+The rest of the villains were solid as well. I really like the stuff with Hawks and Double. It works as a nice microcosm of a lot of the conflicts about heroes and the world's inability to understand villains and their issues. Toga's growth and confrontation Uraraka over understanding hero’s savings villains is all around good.

+The Dabi reveal was amazing. What was such a predictable plot point was turned into this amazing reveal, doing a total one eighty and Dabi's character for me. You take this melancholy loser and make it so he dances and reveals in all the suffering he is causing Endeavor. It's great to see it pay off in such a bombastic and impactful way.

-This arc continues the unfortunate trend of Tomura's power creep. His already insane level of power has skyrocketed without any sort of in between. And Tomura getting possesed is one of the dumbest things to happen in the story, robbing Tomura of all his character and agency in favor of someone else stealing his spotlight.

-Not everything is great on the heroes' side. Midnight's death is one a terribly handled aspect of the story, made even worse by Gran Torino somehow surviving and is the only notably causality on the hero's side. And while I get it's supposed to be Kirishima's moment, having Mina set up and undermine like that feels mean spirited.

-Some of the villains in this were let down. All of the relevant MLA members get off screened. I get they aren't the most important, but you think there could be someone more. Then there are the High Ends. You introduce a squad as dangerous as Hood, have them be an issue with one hero, and then kill them all. What was even the point?

-Aside from the Dabi reveal, all the other ones fall flat. Mr. Compress' backstory is here and gone. Oboro is a literal who that requires supplementary material to know who he even is. Mirio comes back with little fanfare and contributes next to nothing in his fight. And Best Jeanist's return raises so many questions, and not in a good way.

=I get this arc is super popular, but for me, it's one of extreme highs and extreme lows. When it's good, it's really good, but when it's bad, it's pretty awful. It's like for every positive, there's an equal negative in the same field. I ultimately believe that the good outweighs the bad, but not enough to make me rank it any higher.

USJ Arc (6/10)

+This arc goes zero to one hundred real quick and it's great. We go from low stakes practice to everything going wrong. The villains are attacking, the adults are out of commission, and All Might is nowhere around. It does a really good job of making this tension situation with real danger, making the pays off that more powerful.

+This is where we get more from the UA characters, doing a surprisingly good job of characterizing a lot of them in spite of having such a short time span, giving a lot of their characters their own moment to show off. Same with the teachers, with us getting more layers to the teachers, like Aizawa genuine care of the students.

+This is where a lot of Izuku's major character traits come about, really show off how much of natural leader he is and just he proficient he is in planning. What's more is the self-image and self-destructive issues come to light, such as giving up the president spot and when he tries to save All Might, adding a lot more to his own character.

+All Might is handled really well in this arc. Not only does it give us a deeper glimpse into his character, but just how he's handled thematically. It goes a good job of showing All Might's power with how he and how hopeless things are without him yet gives us a reminder that power is fading and is one a time limit.

+This may just be hindsight, but I like Tomura for this arc. He's the big bad but is almost constantly undermined and humiliated at every other turn, both physically and ideologically. It's a subversion that's hilarious in the moment but does set him up well for further development and helps parallel him with Izuku's own growth.

-Again, a lot of the early series flaws are present here. It legitimately feels like there are panels missing from the pages or that the panels are really awkwardly structured, such as a having a big moment in a tiny panel or panels not flowing well from one to another. It can make it a very jarring read and takes a lot from the experience.

-Man, for being the climatic fight of the arc, the actual battle with the Nomu and All Might feels super underwhelming. It may just be that the anime spoiled me, but it lacks a lot of impact a fight like this needs, the art doesn't convey the action, and is over pretty quickly. It makes the ending feel pretty flaccid, especially for the first big arc.

-While the main players of the villains’ side are cool, it does feel like a lot of minions leave some to be desired. Seriously, outside of Izuku's group, it doesn't feel like any of the students are under real threat from the horde of minions. It can make it seem like a lot of initial villains were pretty empty outside of the three heavy hitters.

=A big arc that finally expands the world and threats outside the school. Which it does a pretty fine job of. It's not exactly the same high of the anime, but it isn't too bad either. I think it works best when you see it as the punctuation to set up for the greater story. Now that it's done, we can start moving on to the real meat.

Endeavor Agency Arc: (6/10)

+I like the opening chapter about interviews. Besides the fact that most of the gags land and how I've really wanted to see the kids learn stuff like this, I really like the world building behind Super Moves. That they aren't just aces in the hole for a hero, they are a means of brand recognition that help solidify a hero's image.

+The Christmas part was just plain cute. I'm all for the characters doing non-plot stuff like this and I like a lot of the gags with it. All the different gifts people get, the background gag of Mina trying to dress Bakugou, and Eri getting all the holidays mixed up. It's a fun little break that doesn't mess up the plot or pacing too much.

+The family drama was well handled. I think it's interesting how Hori handled the family dynamics of the Todorokis. He gave each of the members their own perspective on a complicated situation, but doesn't invalidate any of them, nor does he try to quickly redeem Enji or say that any one of the family members needs to accept him.

+In fact, Enji is great this arc. Besides the small ways he is humanized on a more personal level and the natural dynamics he has with the characters, it does a great job by trying to separate the ideas of atonement and forgiveness in the arc and what the two really mean, something I believe is key to understanding Endeavor's story.

+The pacing of the arc is near perfect. Everything gets the attention it needs in the time it needs and nothing feels like wasted time or out of place. It goes a great job of setting up the next arc with Hawks' spying and Tomura's growth without detracting from the current plot.

-For an arc called the Endeavor Agency, there isn't a lot of time spent at the agency. The trio isn't learning about being heroes or having their characters really bounce off each other, whether it with their Quirks or overall personalities, skipping right to the end of it. It feels like a lot more could have been done with these three together.

-There are some worrying trends that come with this arc. Like how instead of getting anything with the agency, everything was frustratingly skipped over in a time jump. Then Izuku learns how to use "Black Whip" way too fast, mastering this wild power in a week. It contributes a lot to the rushed feelings of the later arcs.

-Ending is super lame. His design is middling, his power isn't that great, and his whole motivation is just worse Stain. I wouldn't harp on him as much if he were a bit villain, but Hori could have done more with him considering his importance to this arc. Heck, Starchild was more interesting and he's barely in this story.

=An arc that is often lost and forgotten by being sandwiched between two larger, series defining arcs. Which is a real shame because I think it offers quite a bit with all the drama doing on with the Todorokis and the levity of the early chapters. All around a pretty solid arc and does a lot to set up the next big arc well.

Entrance Exam Arc: (7/10)

+If I was rating solely on chapters, Chapter 1 would get a perfect ten. It does such a good job of setting up the world, the characters, the themes, the tone, and the conflicts in the amount of time it has. It's such an amazing foundation for everything going forward. It's honestly impressive all the leg work it does this early on.

+The exam is set up really well. Having there be Hero Points and the Level Zero robots was a smart way for Izuku to have his cake and eat it. He still gets to have his moment of heroic sacrifice, but it was that noble spirit was what got him that spot in the first place. Him finally getting in is such as powerful emotional moment as well.

+The whole reveal of "One For All" is such a good endpoint and hook for the series going forward. Izuku may have been gifted the greatest power in the world, but now has to deal with some of the most dangerous drawbacks in the whole series to limit it, still keeping the stakes giving him plenty of room to develop his power.

+The arc does emotional moments really well. All Might telling Izuku he can be a hero, Izuku triumphantly standing on top of the trash pile, to him rushing to the forefront to save Uraraka. Again, in spite such a limited amount of panel time, it makes each moment feel so much bigger and more impactful then it has any right to be.

+On that note, it does a great job of endearing and connecting you to characters. Izuku's position as an underdog is immediately sympathetic, as is All Might's unenviable role as the top hero. Which I think is a real achievement given how early we're into the manga and how hard it can be to establish characters in the beginning.

-As for the rest of it, most of it's just Izuku training and doing the exam. That's it. It's not terrible and it really goes to show Izuku's dedication to being a hero, but it's not something to really write home about. This could simply be that the first chapter was that good, but it's not as exciting going forward.

-Some of the early art is kind of rough. This could just be because I'm more used to the cleaner style of the later chapters, but it comes across as rather jagged for a lot of the characters. This doesn't feel like a intentional style choice, more of a series finding its footing and with the art style and designs needing refinement.

-This extends to the major players of this arc. Again, benefit of hindsight, but it they seem more like exaggerated versions of themselves. All Might comes across as a lot more callous, and even with the worst version of himself, Bakugou telling Izuku to jump off a roof seems really out of character for him.

=Ah, back in the days that My Hero Academia was the little manga that could. First impressions are equal parts important and difficult, so it really is an accomplishment that the arc is as well put together as it is. It all works as a great foundation for the story. With such a strong start, it's no surprise that it got pick up for more chapters.

Pro Hero Arc: (7/10)

+While the last few arcs did some leg work, the Pro Hero Arc did a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to Enji's character. It takes this one note antagonist and actually makes him the underdog hero while still acknowledging all the bad stuff he did. It's honestly impressive how well this was pulled off given its starting point.

+The fight of Hood was great. Not only does it involve two of the most visually interesting and versatile fighters we've had thus far, giving a lot of ways to mix up the fight, but it manages to pull out some really strong emotional moments. This mixed with the pitch perfect pacing, and stellar art makes for an enjoyable experience.

+Hawks is such an enjoyable addition to the cast. Not only does he have an amazing design and power, but he’s also such a fun personality to hang around with. What seems like a total slacker, goofball is one of the most perceptive and skill heroes around. You're just interested in seeing what he does and how he bounces off Enji.

+And then it all gets flipped upside down by the end of the arc. Hawks was a kid raised to be a hero and is now going to infiltrate the League. Not only does this raise a lot of intrigue for the upcoming story, but it feels like such a massive upset from what we've seen of Hawks and the hero world as whole to have this happen.

+The out of battle stuff was nice as well. Besides Izuku getting his first fan in Kota, the fall out of the Todoroki's was well handled. In spite of his attempts at redemption, Enji's still hurt people and they aren't going to forgive him. It would have been so easy for quick forgiveness, but this makes Enji and Shoto's story all the stronger.

+The flash backs we got at the end with Izuku were pretty cool. It's interesting to see All For One in his younger years and how his empire camp to be. In the frightening world of Quirks with desperate people, his power to give and take power made him a king. It's a unique way to put him in power while still fitting within the world building.

-The other pro heroes have… neat designs. Look, for an arc that's supposed to be about the top heroes of Japan, there is shockingly little shown outside of Hawks and Endeavor. While they are the main characters, you couldn't have thrown a bone to the other characters? Maybe even revealed their Quirks or show off their personalities?

-Hood isn't that amazing of a villain. He's certainly a physical threat, but the fact that he's an intelligent Nomu doesn't really factor much into his character. He wants to fight, but that doesn't really give us much to work from. It feels like Enji is fighting some reflection or contrast and just something he needs to set on fire.

=Yeah, this was surprisingly good. The fact that Hori was able to turn around Enji’s to this degree is really impressive, but I do think that there is a lot more going on with the arc. It’s a good break from the main cast to flesh out the world and develops a lot of interesting ideas and plot points with the introduction of Hawks.

Culture Festival Arc: (8/10)

+Gentle and La Brava are great. They're so wonderful and different from everyone else. Their status as total jokes, both in and out of the series, betrays the fact that both are competent in their own ways and have a lot of care for one another. They're good set up for the later humanization of the villains of the series.

+I like the fight between Gentle and Izuku. Gentle's power is so cool to see in action and leads to an interesting fight dynamic. He isn't stronger than Izuku, but he's so tricky to deal with that it gives him an edge. It feels less like a brawl and more of the two trying to outfox each other, making it more distinct from other fights.

+This works as a good breather and much needed break from the more dower tone for the last few arcs, making for a comforting read. On that note, this is hands down the funniest arc in the whole series. Gentle and La Brava alone would qualify this arc for it, but a lot of the students have some good gags sprinkled throughout.

+I like a lot of the character bits we get. Not only does this arc actually develop Jiro and Eri, but it ties well into some of the general themes of the series. With how everyone is battered after the raid. It shows the kind of pressure that heroes go through and the importance of other kinds of heroics like Jiro's music.

+Not only does the arc establish the point of heroes saving people without fighting in Eri and Jiro's storyline, but the humanization of villains I mentioned before. La Brava and Gentle are both sad victims of circumstance who found strength outside the system in each other. It's affectively a microcosm of the major villains of the story.

-As much as I like this arc, I can admit it goes through kind of a whiplash plot and tone wise. Going from the Shie Hassaikai Arc to this is still pretty jarring to have everything stop and be light on both. I still like it, but I sometimes get the feeling of looking at my watch and wondering when things will be moving forward.

-There really should have been more exploration of the students. If you're going to do a plot light arc based around the school, it would have been a great time to see more of the students. If not from Class 1-B, who are major focuses of the next arc, then at least some of the lesser seen students could have had something going on.

=Probably one of my more controversial picks. I know this arc gets dogged on a lot by the fans, but I think that is wholly underserved. I thought it had a lot of value, even beyond its lighthearted story. And hey, I'm fine with taking breaks from the plot if I believe what's happening is worthwhile, and I certainly think it's worthwhile.

Sports Festival Arc: (8/10)

+In spite the low stakes of sport events, the arc manages to keep the tension up and mix things up with all the strategy and powers at play. Sure, running an obstacle course or doing a cavalry race isn't that cool on paper, but actively fighting against a horde of another students all with their own powers keeps it interesting.

+This arc really shows off some of Izuku's finest qualities. It was interesting seeing Izuku try and plan his way around the events given his huge disadvantages and amazingly shows off his character. Everything from his planning abilities, his skill in leading other people, and his genuine desire to save other people.

+Shoto was certainly the dark horse of the arc. While set up to be important early on, I don't think anyone could have predicted just how well his character and back story was done. That backstory really starts to delve into the darker themes of the story with his father, one of the top heroes, being an abuser that used his kids as tools.

+Of course, the Shoto vs Izuku fight is amazing. There is no contesting this. This is one of Izuku's most defining moments, effectively throwing away at chance at winning just to save Shoto. It ends in an emotional climax of Shoto regaining his power and Izuku losing, making for an subversion that makes sense and is satisfying. +The other side character work is done well, giving us more layers to them. Like hints of Iida's more vengeful side, Uraraka having this frightening amount of drive, and Bakugou showing some real respect to other people. It helps to subvert and expand on the characters, all while delving into more of their motivations and goals.

+This character work extends into more world building, especially with the new side characters. Shinso do a lot to build up the unfair the world can be in regard to Quirks while Mei introduces other aspects of the school and heroism as a whole. And this is all while they're both still fun characters to read about in their own ways.

-As for what happens in the rest of arc… it's pretty good. If you remove the highlight moments, most of the arc doesn't stand out as much in terms of what actually happens in it. I don't think it's bad by any means, but it's not something as amazing or exciting as the few highs of this arc and tends to skew a lot of people's perspectives.

-This extends to the other fights as well. Outside of the one standout I mentioned before, there isn't anything that spectacular to me brings up some frustrations like how Izuku was saved from Shinso by a Deus Ex Machina. Heck, the impetus of Momo's whole character arc is relegated to a single cartoonish panel summarizing the fight.

=I know this is a fandom darling and I feel a lot of that comes from the anime adaptation. To me, when looking at the manga, it's an arc of some extreme highs, but was above average to good with the rest of it. Certainly not my favorite but still a good arc.

Forest Training Camp Arc: (9/10)

+As someone who really likes to explore the mechanics of Quirks and hero work, I enjoy the various ways these Quirks can be trained and evolved and what kind of roles and pressures they would have to handle. Sure, cooking isn't something we really think about with heroes, but it makes sense to know that for disaster work.

+It's really satisfying to see Tomura use all the lessons he's used thus far, putting aside his short-sighted schemes in favor of a more thought out goal with a plan to turn the narrative against the heroes and capturing Bakugou. That mix with the inherent threats of the villains makes the League seem like a serious contender.

+A lot of the villains are pretty good. They don't have a lot of depth right now, but they don't really need to for the purposes they serve. They are all established enough in their own ways that they are interesting to see and makes you want to know more about them, leaving things open for use to learn more about them later.

+I like a lot of the minor stuff we got with the students. A lot of the pre battle antics are good at fleshing them out, but they really start to shine in the second half of the arc. Whether it be as active players in the arc, like Tokoyami and Shoji, or setting up for their own stories, like with Uraraka and Aoyama, it's all good stuff to read.

+Izuku vs Muscular fight is great. There's some real tension with Kota being threatened, we see Izuku being more emotionally and physically broken than any other point in the series. Only for him to overcome it with one of the most emotional panels in the series. The Million Percent Smash being such a perfect punctuation with the whole battle.

+I appreciate the arc ending on such a dower note. In spite everyone's efforts, the villains won. They kidnaped Bakugou, a huge portion of the students are in critical condition, and there is a potential mole within the walls of UA. It works as an affective low point for the next arc to build off of for the story.

+And in spite of the dark tone, the arc still manages to be really funny, like all the small interactions between characters, like Shoto subtlety throwing shade at Bakugou. And I standby that Izuku suddenly getting punched in the nuts is still one of the funniest moments in the entire series. I will die on this hill.

+This arc hits a perfect balance of pacing. The first half of the story is full of fun antics and lighter moments between the characters while the latter half is full of highly emotional action with a new gallery of rogues. And when it hits the ground, it hits hard and fast, never letting up on the fights and intrigue with the characters.

=While not as groundbreaking as some of the higher ups, I still hold this arc in a special place. Everything from the characters, to the fights, to the emotional beats are all handled so well that I often consider it the best of arc of the series. Even if you twist my arm, the only fault it has is that I simply like the other arcs more than it.

Stain Arc: (9/10)

+The art style drastically improves this arc. While I certainly saw a leap in quality once we got to the Sports Festival, the manga really starts to hit its stride once we reach Stain. The characters have more detail to them, the backgrounds pop a lot more, and the paneling is handled a lot better, making for a stronger experience.

+I like a lot of stuff with hero names and internships. Agian, it's a quick and easy way to help us understand and endear ourselves to the character while still developing the bigger ones, such as Iida's uncertainty as a hero after his brother’s injury or Bakugou trying to learn more about the social nuances of being a hero.

+The Full Cowl was such a good idea. The bone breaking was a neat gimmick to start with, but ultimately unsustainable concept. This offers a good side grade that still fits within the power. It gives Izuku far less power but grants him more control and a way to measure his progress throughout the series.

+Tomura and Izuku get some much-needed development. This arc sees them both growing beyond their world view when faced with an outside force, with Stain acting as their reality check. It sets up how the two will grow opposites throughout the series and further reinforcing the two parallels of our two main leads.

+Shoto and Iida get some time to break out of their original shells. While it's nice to see Shoto being far less cold to people, Iida going on a revenge quest is such a drastic yet believable turn for him. Having his righteous vengeance turn on its head and how such a thing would only sully the family name is all great stuff to read.

+Stain is such a great villain. He commands every single scene he's in and always remains a real threat in spite of his lackluster ability. Though the real meat is how much he's able to challenge the world and characters we see. The man has an iron clad code, one that makes he ready to lift up or deconstruct anyone he comes across.

+The fight with Stain is great. Stain is outgunned and outnumbered, but never outmatched, having much greater skill and what amounts to a one hit KO. That mixed with the closed off arena gives him a massive advantage. It's such a uniquely balanced fight and leads to a lot of interesting back and forth, yet still makes Stain a real threat.

+It feels like there were some real consequences to this arc. Stain wasn't some one-off villain, he changed everything, inspiring more villains and building up for the next big arc. Then there are hints to All For One, the who harmed All Might, being behind everything. It builds up a lot of intrigue for the rest of the story.

=Yeah, there is a good reason everyone talks about this arc. While Stain is the standout figure of this part, I do think it does a disservice to the rest of the arc to only bring up him. It's able to balance so much so well with how each of the characters grow and all meet up in fight. So yeah, it's well worth all the hype it gets.

Hideout Raid Arc: (10/10)

+This handles a lot of the aftermath of Forest Camp Arc well. All the students emotionally handling things and the teachers dealing with the fallout being well done. Giving Izuku a very real threat of damage to his body if he keeps pushing himself too far, set up some real stakes for his training and any future battles he has.

+I like a lot of minor moments between the students. Things like the debate at the beginning of whether or not to save Bakugou helps flesh out the class a lot. Then the bit of Momo and Iida keeping their friends from rushing in are good moments for them while still establishing just how big of a threat All For One is.

+And this is the arc where I think Bakugou clicked for me. We got hints of his depth before, but this is where it comes together. It gives us such an interesting peek into his headspace, like the view we got of his home life and getting his perspective on the concept of heroism and how it ties into winning for him.

+All For One's reveal was handled so well. The shadowy man we've heard so much about comes out with a devastating attack, destroying any opposition and horrifying the nearby students. It's nothing truly groundbreaking, but It's all presented so well that it elevates so much in the eyes of the reader as an impossible threat.

+The All For One vs All Might fight is one of the highest, if not the highest peaks in the series. What else could I possibly say? The beats are simple, but the execution is nigh perfect. The back and forth of the two, the reveal of Small Might, the second wind of power, All Might learning from Izuku, and the United States of Smash. All amazing.

+And while many people remember the main fight, I think the aftermath is just as good. The conflict between Izuku, Inko, and Toshinori is so natural and gripping, with Inko wanting to protect Izuku in spite of his dreams and this in turn hardening's Toshinori to the resolve of his new mission of training Izuku.

+Said aftermath sets up some many interesting and exciting plot points. The fall out of All For One's capture, All Might needing to deal with his life after being a hero, Izuku having to bear the weight of "One For All", Bakugou feeling guilt over All Might losing his spot, and the still immature Tomura now being out on his own.

+The tone is really well handled here. It gets pretty grim, but it doesn't get so dark that it takes you out of the experience and hits all the hopeful moments just right. And again, the comedy is oddly strong here. All Might opening his big entrance with a pizza delivery line and the rescue gang trying clothes on in a thrift store.

=Now, I don't need to tell you why this is good. What you may be asking is why it's not at the top. While I do think that All Might vs All For One is amazing and a good chunk of the arc, but there's still the rest of it. Again, it's some good stuff that gets overshadow a lot, but it's another case of something so amazing elevating the rest of the arc.

Shie Hassaikai Arc: (10/10)

+Not only is this arc unique from all the other arcs thus far, giving us our first real look at the hero world, the arc is great technically as well. It's always keeping up my interest and doesn't drag on at any point. The art is really good, especially with the character designs. Everything is as long as it needs to be, and nothing feels awkward.

+I really like how Izuku is handled here. He has been defined by his self-image issues but tackling that as All Might's successor is interesting. It does everything in its power to make you question if he was worthy, yet is always showing you his merits, namely his relentless will to help people no matter the threat may be.

+Sir Nighteye and Mirio are both good characters as well. They do work to contrast's Izuku own feelings and his role but are still enjoyable characters in their own right. Mirio as a hard-working hero with a good heart and Sir Nighteye as a fatalistic naysayer are both great in their own ways.

+In fact, a lot of the side characters are good in it. Kirishima gets a lot of good development, Tamaki is fun to read as the shy dork he is, Rock Lock presents a unique perspective on hero students, and Fat Gum is Fat Gum. Even with the more minor characters, they stand out enough to be interesting in spite of their lack of panel time.

+To me, this is the arc where Tomura really hits his stride as a villain. Without any proper support, he grows into the leader needs to be the League. Not only does this lead to some of his best moments and sets up his story but adds some much needed layers to the burgeoning villain, showing some real care for his teammates.

+Overhaul is such a great villain. Not only is he a massive threat in power, resources, and overall abilities, he acts as a good foil not only to Izuku, but to Tomura as well while still being his own character. His plan and goal are so unique for the setting, yet offer a frightening endgame, effectively controlling the supply and demand of Quirks.

+By extension, I think this does a lot to characterize the rest of the villains. Obviously, Twice and Toga get the bulk of it, building them up as people beyond their gimmicks, but the rest of the League gets their own moments to shine. This extends to the yakuza minions, who I think are my favorite ensemble of villains in the series.

+This arc ends on such a great note. Sir Nighteye's death crushes the heroes' side in spite the reconciliation. Meanwhile, Tomura gets out like champ, getting revenge on Overhaul and leaving with a dangerous weapon in his hands. It's a good way to start the slow shift of the dynamic between heroes and villains going forward.

=So while this doesn't think this hits the same highs as the Hideout Raid, I think it does accomplish more with its scope. It has a lot more to juggle in comparison to the Hideout Raid and pulls it off with flying colors. It obviously doesn't hit the same peaks, but holds as consistently level of quality, making me prefer it.

[project-sekai-facts]

The complete guide to the Project SEKAI April Fools Unit Swap

Attempted at least. This post refers to the official unit swap AU that was available on the Japanese server in 2022, and the Global server today. Not this years JP April Fools event, and not the Virtual Singer universe merger from last year. Just for clarity.

Introduction

For April Fools Day in 2022, Project SEKAI introduced an alternate universe where the five main units didn't exist. Instead, the 20 main characters were sorted into five new units, based around the same themes as the original five. These units are: Aoharu/friends, YUME YUME JUMP!, FANTASISTA SQUAD, Happiness Sentai Sunny Sunny☆Wonder!, and Kyujitsu, Shumijin Doushi de. Each unit was given a game-sized cover song with an accompanying 2DMV, as well as a few area conversations to give us some information about the unit. In this post, I will be going through everything we know about each unit, as well as how each character's history is altered in this universe.

Note: Tumblr image limit is a thing so you are just going to have to take my word on some of this. Or, y'know, play the game.

Fan TL used (also sekai.best)

The rest of this post is below the cut because it is LONG.

Total word count: 3788

Lore

The biggest question here is if the SEKAI still exist. And the answer is most likely no. SEKAI are never mentioned or even alluded to in the special area conversations. This actually makes sense, since most of the SEKAI (Empty excluded) would have no reason to exist, due to the circumstances causing their creation not happening in this universe. I'll cover this more when talking about alterations made to character history.

While, yes, three out of the five special covers included Virtual Singers, from a production standpoint this was probably the easiest option. Aoku Kakero!, Ifuudoudou and Positive☆Dance Time all featured Virtual Singers in their original SEKAI covers, and all had their audio recycled in the April Fools covers. This was probably because it would mean less recording and less time reworking line distribution. Also the lack of Virtual Singers probably would disappoint a lot of fans, considering the entire game is themed around Vocaloids.

So for now, we're just going to go with there being no SEKAI in this universe (except maybe the Empty SEKAI, more on that later).

That said, there are definitely motivations held by the new units or individual characters that could potentially create different SEKAI, due to being similar enough to the causes of the creation of the main universe SEKAI.

Unit Overview

Unit 1: Aoharu/friends

Aoharu/friends (Youthful/friends on the EN server) is the April Fools universe equivalent of Leo/need, being a band unit comprised of childhood friends (in this case, two separate pairs rather than a single group). The members are Ichika as vocalist and guitarist, Saki as keyboardist, Airi as bassist and Ena as drummer. The band was formed by Saki when she returned to school after a long hospital stay, because, like in the main universe, she wanted to make the most of her time in high school.

The unit name translates to Youth/Friends. Aoharu is actually a lesser-used reading of the Kanji 青春. The more common reading is "seishun" meaning "youth", while "aoharu" directly translates to "blue spring". The reading used is probably a reference to their cover song, Aoku Kakero! (Run into the blue!).

So what do we know about each member?

Ichika is still a big fan of Hatsune Miku, and mentions that she can play some Miku songs on the guitar. She expresses interest in going to see a Miku concert with her bandmates.

Saki spent some time in the hospital prior to high school, where she became a fan of Airi. When she returned to school, she created a band to make the most of her youth. She invited Airi to the group because she gave her energy and courage in hospital. She says that she wants to go camping in the mountains and visit the beach with her bandmates. Saki maintains her ambition to try everything she can while she's still in high school.

Airi used to be an idol, but suspended her activities for unknown reasons (presumably the same reason as in the main universe). However, in the official translation, she says that she is an idol, and consistently talks as if she is still active as an idol. She was invited to join Aoharu/friends by her fan, Saki, and joined because she had wanted to try playing in a band. She later invited her friend Ena from a different school to join the group. She's still very serious about practicing and puts her all into the band's activities. Airi mentions that she wants to see an old idol colleague's debut concert with a new unit. This group is probably YUME YUME JUMP!, meaning that Shizuku and Airi still know each other in this universe.

Not much is known about Ena. She was invited to the group by her friend Airi, is learning to play the drums, and still attends Kamiyama night classes, but not much information is given beyond that. She is a little nervous about being around Ichika and Saki and isn't always sure how to address her underclassmen. It's also mentioned that she still maintains a friendly yet teasing relationship with her brother Akito. Extremely important to note is that she doesn't make any reference to art or being an artist at all, meaning that she might have quit art in this universe.

Also of note is that there is no School SEKAI. The School SEKAI was created by Leo/need's collective desire to rekindle their friendship and fulfill their promise to form a band in high school. Ichika and Saki do not mention or reference Shiho and Honami at any point, and they instead formed a band with Saki's idol (and her friend). From this we can gather that either Ichika and Saki were never friends with Shiho and Honami, or that Leo/need's friendship fell apart permanently.

Another interesting thing to mention is that Airi and Ena use recolors of the School Rock shop costume. The blazers are switched to their respective image colors and Airi's skirt is given a plaid pattern.

Unit 2: YUME YUME JUMP!

YUME YUME JUMP! is the April Fools universe equivalent of MORE MORE JUMP!, though the similarities are minimal outside of the idol theme and Shizuku being present. The members are Shizuku, Shiho, An and Kanade. It is implied that the unit was formed by an agency, with Shizuku being the only permanent member at first. Their manager encouraged the other three to join, even if only temporarily.

The unit name translates to DREAM DREAM JUMP!. According to the unseen manager, the "Yume" refers to the big dreams An and Shiho have (despite the name being decided before they joined permanently), but also refers to the term "yumeyume" (努努). When written in Kanji, it uses the character for Effort. YUME YUME JUMP! contains hope that they overlap their efforts to reach their dreams.

As for the characters:

We don't actually know much about Shizuku at all, other than that she was an old colleague of Airi's. YUME YUME JUMP! is a new unit, which means that Shizuku was formerly part of a different unit. Presumably, her past is intact and she was formerly in the unit Cheerful*Days. She is still very doting towards her sister as well.

Shiho joined YUME YUME JUMP! as a temporary member. She initially didn't feel that she was cut out for being an idol, but realised that it's not bad being a professional musician. This implies that she never took up bass at any point in this universe, or at least never pursued it professionally. This is basically confirmed in the official translation, as she states that part of the reason she joined is because she thought working as a musician would be a good opportunity, suggesting that it's not something she has done before. Despite the gig not being permanent, she still plans on taking it seriously.

An also joined the group as a temporary member. Again we don't know too much about her. She makes a reference to Haruka, confirming that they are still middle school best friends in this universe. She doesn't make any references to RAD WEEKEND, RADder or street music as a whole, suggesting that, like Shiho, it isn't something she pursued in this universe.

Kanade was hired as the group's composer, but was encoraged by the manager to perform as an official member. Kanade became the group's composer to try and save people with her music, the same as in the main universe. By the time of the group's debut, her goal changes from wanting her songs reaching the audience, to wanting the group's songs reaching the audience. She still has incredibly poor fitness and Shiho mentions that during the first week of practice, Kanade had repeatedly been running out of breath during warm-ups. However, by the time of the unit's debut, she is able to perform an entire song. She also mentions that she stays up late at night composing music and struggles to get up in the morning, another trait carried over from the main universe.

Once again, there is no SEKAI. The Stage SEKAI was formed by Minori's dream to become an idol, and Airi, Haruka and Shizuku's desire to go back to being idols/be able to enjoy it. We know Airi (on JP) and Haruka both quit the idol industry and Minori doesn't mention wanting to be an idol. Shizuku is the only member to still be there, and her story has been altered enough to make the Stage SEKAI impossible.

Their outfits are recolors of MORE MORE JUMP! outfits. Shiho wears Shizuku's outfit (with an extra armband), An wears Haruka's outfit and Kanade wears Minori's. Shizuku keeps her usual outfit.

Unit 3: FANTASISTA SQUAD

I tried so hard with this one because they only exist for fanservice but I can't just say that and move on.

FANTASISTA SQUAD is the April Fools Universe equivalent to Vivid BAD SQUAD, though they also take a lot of influence from WonderlandsxShowtime due to the member line-up being the boys from both groups. They are blatant yaoi fanservice. In the words of Tsukasa, they are backstreet entertainers. Similarly to Vivid BAD SQUAD, the unit is formed of two duos who had previously been performing independently of each other. Tsukasa is the leader of the group and invited BAD DOGS to join his unnamed duo act with Rui, thought this is slightly different in the official translation. In the translation, Akito mentions that he tagged along when he heard that Rui and Tsukasa were forming a unit, with no mention of Tsukasa inviting the younger two.

The unit name is derived from the Italian noun "Fantasista", which can refer to either "a football player with technical and imaginative abilities", or a variety performer. The terminology fit the description of the group, so Akito suggested it as a name for the unit, having vetoed Tsukasa's original name of Pegasus Dogs (derived from Tenma, meaning "pegasus").

The members also come up with stage names that are derived from their family names. Tsukasa is Pegasus Tenma, Toya is Blue Willow Aoyagi, Rui is God Generation Kamishiro, and Akito is Daybreak Shinonome.

Akito and Toya's story remains completely unchanged up until Vivid BAD SQUAD Main Story 1. BAD DOGS is implied to have existed prior to FANTASISTA SQUAD, with Tsukasa using "Dogs" in the original group name, and Toya stating that the group name does not contain a reference to Rui, confirming that the "Dogs" part is a reference to Akito and Toya. However, their goals seem to be different in this universe, as once again RAD WEEKEND is not mentioned. In spite of this, Akito still is serious about pursuing street music and still met Toya. There are multiple possible explanations for how they still managed to meet, some of which include:

RAD WEEKEND still happened and caused Akito to get into street music seriously, finding Toya as a partner, he just doesn't mention it

Something else caused this

the pair met through other means, and ended up getting into street music

or arguably the most likely option, the developers didn't consider if it made sense, they just wanted to supply fanservice

Toya and Tsukasa maintain a brotherly relationship the same as they do in the main universe. Tsukasa actually invited Toya to join him and Rui's performance unit, and Akito followed after Toya. Akito still finds Rui and Tsukasa weird and annoying like in the main universe, and was initially reluctant to perform with them, but says that he can't leave Toya alone with them.

Both Rui and Tsukasa still show a strong passion for performing (and also directing in the case of Rui). Rui keeps his skills in engineering in this universe, with An mentioning that he built the power suit seen in his untrained Runaway Thought Process 3* card in a YUME YUME JUMP! area conversation. Tsukasa also keeps his ambition to achieve world fame, hoping that FANTASISTA SQUAD will advance into backstreets worldwide.

How exactly they met and started working as a duo is unknown. The events are not referenced and it can't have been the same as the main universe since WonderlandsxShowtimes does not exist in the April Fools Universe. While the explanation for this is fanservice again, I came up with a hypothesis that aims to explain how they met. We know that in the main universe, Rui was a street performer. Prior to Tsukasa recruiting him for WonderlandsxShowtime, he used to perform one-man shows in the city or illegally in Phoenix Wonderland. It's heavily implied that Tsukasa still has an interest in acting, and he still aspires to become a world-famous star, so it is possible that they met through a street performance. Again, this is an assumption and there is no evidence to suggest this, hence I called it a hypothesis.

The Street SEKAI doesn't exist in this universe, since RAD WEEKEND doesn't seem to exist in this universe, or at least had no significant imapct on Akito or An. Since the Wonderland SEKAI creator is in this unit, I will discuss that SEKAI too. Wonderland SEKAI probably doesn't exist in this universe. The Wonderland SEKAI was created when Saki asked Tsukasa why he wants to become a star actor, with the SEKAI forming due to the fact he forgot the reason. Tsukasa's dream to become a star is mentioned in his home screen dialogue, but he doesn't pursue acting in this universe. It is possible that some version of the Wonderland SEKAI could exist, but it might not be the same. However we don't know enough about Tsukasa's past in this universe to make a confident judgement.

Akito and Toya keep their usual clothes in this universe, while Rui and Tsukasa use the Street Parka shop outfits. Tsukasa wears the default version and Rui uses variant 3.

Backstreet's back, alright!

Unit 4: Happiness Sentai Sunny-Sunny☆Wonder!

Happiness Sentai Sunny-Sunny☆Wonder! (The Happiness Rangers Sunny Sunny☆Wonder! on the EN server) is the April Fools Universe equivalent of WonderlandsxShowtime, being a show troupe at Phoenix Wonderland's Wonder Stage. The member line-up is Emu, Haruka, Kohane and Mafuyu, with Mafuyu taking the role as leader due to being the oldest. The group was formed as an extra-curricular group (outreach group on the EN server) with the aim to make children smile with shows.

Their unit name refers to the persona's the characters use in the troupe. The quartet take on the roles of Sentai (rangers) who defeat bad guys and make children smile.

Emu is still scared of Mafuyu's false persona in this universe, but everyone thinks that she's just nervous about spending time with a second year student. She strives to make Mafuyu smile genuinely, but has had no luck so far. She is the one who gave Mafuyu her sentai name, because she finds Mafuyu's persona to be "unshakeable" whenever she tries to make her smile. However when Mafuyu questions it, Emu lies and agrees with Kohane that the name was chosen because Mafuyu is a great leader. Emu's sentai name is Sunny Sunny Happy Emu - "here to put smiles on your faces today!".

Haruka joined the group despite her lack of acting experience because she liked their motive to make everyone smile. Other characters refer to her as an idol and we learn from Minori that she was formerly part of ASRUN, presumably leaving for the same reason as in the main universe. Her sentai name is Stoic Challenger Haruka - "you can't become an idol in just a day!".

Kohane is still a huge fan of the Phoenix Wonderland theme park, so Emu invited her to perform on stage with her instead of always watching from the audience. In the unit's first area conversation, she has her original appearance with longer hair and glasses, but changes to her regular appearance from the second conversation, which is referenced in her sentai name. She becomes incredibly flustered by Haruka's "idol smile", consistent with the main universe. Kohane is initially embarrassed about performing as a sentai, but starts to get used to it after a while. She's also still an incredibly gifted singer, as mentioned by Nene. Her sentai name is Makeover Beast Kohane - "behold my indomitable hammie spirit!".

Mafuyu still struggles with depression in this universe and puts on a false "nice girl" persona when talking to other. She ends up dropping it to play a villain role, but everyone except Emu thinks she's just a talented actor, and fails to realise that it's her genuine personality. Mafuyu herself just tells the others that she was excited to play the villain role. Haruka and Kohane then unknowlingly write a story for this villain character that heavily resembles Mafuyu's reality. Her sentai name is Goodness Smile Mafuyu - "the unshakeable senior who's always sparkling!". For her 'villain' character (later rewritten to be Goodness Smile's true identity), she is known as Darkness Smile Mafuyu.

There is an extremely high chance that the Empty SEKAI exists in this universe. It is explicitly shown that Mafuyu is still dealing with depression and although not stated, the cause is presumably the same as in the main universe. The Empty SEKAI was created because Mafuyu lost her sense of self and needed a safe space, which is implied to be the case here, since she acts the same way as in the main universe.

Emu keeps her normal performance outfit, while Haruka, Kohane and Mafuyu use recolors of the WonderlandsxShowtime Virtual Singer costumes. Haruka uses MEIKO's, Kohane uses Rin's, and Mafuyu uses Luka's.

Unit 5: Kyujitsu, Shumijin Doushi de.

Kyujitsu, Shumijin Doushi de. (Hobbyists on Days Off on the EN server), is the April Fools Universe equivalent to 25-ji, Nightcord de., being a group hosted on Nightcord. The member line-up is Mizuki, Honami, Minori and Nene. The group was created by Mizuki as space for people to relax and talk about hobbies. They have recently started offline meetings, shown in their area conversations, where they go to different places such as restaurants and Phoenix Wonderland.

Like 25-ji, Nightcord de. their unit name is very literal. They are a group of hobbyists who meet on weekends.

Mizuki is the founder and leader of Shumijin. They like making videos and collages, as well as fashion, watching anime, and reading manga. They have given the circle members advice on different fashion brands to buy. They are really happy they made the group because they don't have a lot of friends to talk about their hobbies with (lost touch with their friends on EN) and they hardly go to school.

Honami's hobbies include gardening and walking her dog. She maintains her fondness for apple pie, and asks the group if they can buy some during their first offline meeting. In a homescreen voiceline, she mentions that the circle will be visiting her house, and she's making them her special apple pies. She and Minori grow quite close once they start meeting offline, and they start walking their dogs together prior to the second offline meetup.

Minori is still a massive fan of Haruka, but she also enjoys learning idol dances and writing in her diary. She has given the members suggestions of ASRUN albums to listen to, which Mizuki really liked. After watching Haruka perform at Phoenix Wonderland, she becomes so enamoured that enters a trance and believes she was walking through a field of flowers. Something that should be noted is that she never mentions wanting to become an idol, or audtioning to be one, suggesting that she either gave up, or simply never had that dream. Regardless, she seems pretty happy to support from the sidelines.

Nene's hobbies are still playing PVP video games, watching movies, and going to see musicals. She has recommended movies to the other circle members before, and Honami particularly enjoyed a comedy that she suggested watching. She mentions that she isn't good at interacting face to face, and discovering the chat group was really nice because she didn't have to face that problem. That said, she does enjoy their offline meetings. Like with Minori, Nene never mentions her ambitions from the main universe in this one. Her dream to become an actress in musicals is never brought up, which could mean that she never returned to acting after forgetting her lines in the school play. Her giving up on her dream is actually extremely likely, especially when you consider that in the main universe, Rui was the one who encouraged her to try again when he got her a job in WonderlandsxShowtime. Since Rui is a part of FANTASISTA SQUAD in this universe, this probably never happened.

Unfortunately we can't really talk about SEKAIs here, since the equivalent would be Empty SEKAI, but Mafuyu is in a different unit. Instead I want to talk a little about something Mizuki says in the English translation. In the original Japanese, they say that they don't have many friends, which is consistent, considering that this is alternate universe is set very early on in the game's timeline. However on the English server, they say they've lost touch with a lot of friends. But who exactly are these friends. Based on their comments about skipping school, we can infer that their past is almost identical to the main universe, with the exception of being part of N25, since it doesn't exist. Going off of the main universe, the only possible answer is Rui. Why they use a plural for one person is unknown and was probably just an oversight by the developers but I'm in too deep now and decided to write about it. It's possible that the developers were trying to hint at 25-ji, Nightcord de. having existed in the past of this universe, but I doubt they were thinking anything that deep. Thank you for your time.

Something else that's very interesting is how this is the only unit that isn't related to music. The original N25 was an underground music circle, whereas Shumijin is just a chat room.

The outifts that the members use are recolors of the Midnight Fiction shop costume, with the exception of Mizuki who uses their regular N25 costume.

Outro

Unfortunately this is only two sections long, but we really don't learn much about this universe, since all we get is three area conversations per unit (some of which supply absolutely no useful information) and some homescreen dialogue. I originally planned to review the area conversations between the SEKAI Virtual Singers, but ultimately scrapped it because it would be too much content to cover in a realistic amount of time.

Anyway, I hope this is useful for fic writers/fanartists, or just people who were a little interested in the event.

Does any of this even make sense or should I be banned from loreposting

Extremely disappointed in the EN server for not adding a single Backstreet Boys reference in the Fantasista Squad area conversations. The opportunity was Right There.

[terrorbitch]

i've added a family and i wanna see who i wanna keep on writing, so like this for a starter from someone in the galloway family. under the cut i'll list a little more information.

harrison "harry" galloway. 50-55. heterosexual. skeet ulrich. harry is a real 'rags to riches' kind of guy. he was getting into trouble with the law as a kid, so when he was a teen his aunt (who was his guardian) made him join the local theatre because they had no boys. it was a fluke, but one of the biggest directors in hollywood picked him up and ever since then he was hollywood's golden boy. in a PR relationship, meeting the love of his life on set of the biggest movies of the century. eventually, they both cheated on their partners and quickly (and unexpectedly) got pregnant with their twin boys. however, harry is always looking for ways to recreate his youth. unfortunately, he can't say no to his pretty little costars when they bat their eyelashes and invite him over for a drink after the wrap party. he's an amazing man, some would say, being the face of a lot of charities. but he's not a great husband and an even worse father.

misty galloway. 50-55. bisexual. madchen amick. being an actress was in her blood. her mother and father were also a hollywood couple, her father being the head of the biggest production studio and her mother being his starlet. with a massive age gap between the two, misty barely knew her father. she just knew he was a cruel man, and her mother put up with it. gave up her dreams, but instilled an incredible work ethic for misty. in return, she was a child actress turned teen it girl. she was known for being sexually liberated but when she met harry, that all changed. having her twin boys changed her. she was devoted to being a good mother, advocating for every single thing she could. she saw her husband straying, so she desperately tried to keep him by having two daughters. nowadays, she keeps her head up and ignores the rumors, for her children. she is strong willed, and speaks up against things that could get her blacklisted. but she doesn't care, because she is more passionate about keeping a world safe for her children and potential grandchildren, than staying in hollywood's good graces.

rexford "rex" galloway. 27-30. bisexual. josh o'connor. though all of the galloway kids love their mother, rex and his mum have a closer relationship. he was always passionate about acting, but he had hesitated because she tried to keep him out of the scene. despite the boys being in a few of their father's movies, only rex had gotten bit by the acting bug. unfortunately for him, he took after his father having a wandering eye. he had always been connected to famous socialites, but still had himself focused on doing films that really inspired him. he only takes on indie projects that have meaning, but he's his mum's go-to for anything press related. he will often be seen fighting with his father, and many times tmz has covered their 'tumultuous' relationship. he's quick to anger, though normally reserved, and often seeking intellectual connections.

oswald "ozzie" galloway. 27-30. bisexual. callum turner. he never really cared about the whole 'hollywood' of it all, but stuck around because he cared for his little sisters. ozzie never needed to get a job, he knew he was set, but he did take a particular interest in video games. ozzie constantly avoids conflicts, unless it's involving his younger sisters. your typical eboy/gamer bf, fluffy hair, tall and lanky. he'll secretly post thirst traps on twitter and tiktok, casually mentioning that he also likes to read books (acota and the likes) and has a pretty intense following on twitch. he doesn't get involved with his family affairs, often falling for the wrong girls and trying to hide away from his fame despite having a complete online persona. he's the sweet one of the family, always trying to work things out between the six of them.

sawyer galloway. 22-24. bisexual. bailee madison. the bubbliest galloway in the world. a total daddy's girl, though he always seems to disappoint her. a child star despite her mother begging her father not to let her get into it, and now is starring in every teen movie netflix will put out. constantly battling with insecurity, secretly hating herself and everything she does. will often let boys walk all over her, afraid to come to terms with her attraction to women despite her sister and her mother being open about it. she will cry at the drop of a hat, but also has been referred to as a 'real life rapunzel' which she strives to be each and every day. more talented than what she's given, but too afraid to dip her toes into anything more serious for fear of rejection and critique.

vaughn galloway. 21-23. lesbian. sophie thatcher. the black sheep of the family, though she does often respect what her mom is trying to do it never feels like enough. passionate about activism, vaughn moved out as soon as she could, going to school and not entirely sure as to what she wanted to major in. she's insecure about the fact that she's a 'nepo baby' and so she'll likely hide away at different functions so no one notices her. she loves her brother but she still constantly feels like she doesn't belong, or that she doesn't deserve what she has. has been very open about being a lesbian since she was 12, and though many people questioned it her mother did not and supported her through it. can be found at lowkey music festivals, or just doing part time work in a small town where no one would notice her.

[universitypenguin]

Chapter 15

Summary: Lloyd takes things too far in his threat against Deputy Russell and has to change tactics mid-stream. Princess and Zach decide to push back against Detective Roth's allegations.

Word Count: 3,936

Masterlist

Warnings: Mention of drug trafficking, murder, legal proceedings, spy/intelligence agencies, corruption, stalking, violence, threatening, and discussion of criminal behavior. Minor foul language. Only appropriate for 18+ readers. No minors. 

The Princess & the Lawyer Chapter 15

Lloyd stood at the stove stirring a noxious mixture of gasoline and aluminum hydroxide. Pungent fumes hung thick in the air, forcing him to cover his mouth and nose with a bandanna. 

The screen door slammed, and familiar footsteps echoed through the hall. 

“Ugh! What is that stench? Did a gas line rupture?”

Elliot’s voice rang through the house before he came around the corner into the kitchen. 

His bright-eyed appearance was in sharp contrast with Lloyd’s sleep-deprived state. Knowing his cousin had been left in charge of their captive all night, Lloyd couldn’t help but draw the obvious conclusion. Elliot’s excessive cheerfulness was derived from a more potent source than caffeine - he was smoking ice again. 

“I followed your instructions and made a copy of Carl’s phone,” Elliot said, buzzing with excitement. “Guess what? Sheriff Holbrook’s texts are still on there, tucked away in some encrypted app. We could use it as leverage!” 

Lloyd shook his head. “No. We can’t deviate from the plan. Did Russell agree to a meeting time?”

“Eleven o'clock at High Meadows.”  

“Not a bad choice. Lots of entrances and exits,” Lloyd said. “I’m almost finished here. There’s water cooler jugs filled with this stuff piled up on the back deck. Bring your truck around and start loading them for me, will you?” 

“Sure thing, man.” 

Elliot bounded down the hall and Lloyd rubbed his tired eyes. He desperately needed some sleep unless he planned on asking Elliot for a bump of meth to keep him going. Lloyd shut off the stove, checked the final batch of chemicals, and rinsed his spoon in the sink. He stuck his head outside to inform Elliot he was going to bed and headed up the stairs. 

Just as he lay down, his phone rang. 

“Hello?” 

“Mr. Hansen? This is Judy Lange from the HOA. I wanted to let you know that the association swimming pool has been fixed and approved for reopening on Monday. Should I leave your keys in the mailbox for your house sitter, or wait until you’re back?” 

Mrs. Lange didn’t actually hold an official position with the Homeowners Association. Her husband had campaigned for the post out of pure spite. His single-minded crusade against Della Collins’ window box planters and their “busy-looking” Ultra Star Petunias earned him a landslide victory in the election. He’d passed a statute banning all multicolored blossoms from public spaces and after his triumph, lost interest in executing the duties of his office. 

Despite her eccentric husband, Lloyd found Mrs. Lange to be a reasonable person. Her annoying habit of speaking at a million words per minute was made up for by impeccable manners and a sharp sense of humor. Even Mrs. Collins, who was still torqued at Mr. Lange a year later, couldn’t resist her charms. 

After his brain finally managed to process her rapid fire words, Lloyd grunted. 

“The mailbox is fine. I’ll text my friend and let her know to pick them up.” 

“Excellent. I apologize for calling you at such a time, Lloyd.” 

Mrs. Lange’s voice carried a hint of horror, as if she’d just realized she had contacted someone in the midst of a family tragedy. Lloyd didn’t view the situation as such, but he recognized the apologetic shift in her tone as she launched into a long winded explanation. 

“With everything going on, I am sure now is a terrible time for you… I just didn’t want to forget. You’re the most frequent patron of our athletic facilities. Well, usually the only patron to be frank. Mrs. Collins isn’t getting around like she used to after her knee surgery. Anyways, I’ll personally take those keys to your friend so they’re ready when you get back. And if there’s anything I can do for you, don’t hesitate to reach out.” 

She really meant it, Lloyd thought, his lips twisting into a bitter smile. If only she knew what the man who he was supposed to be grieving had done to him. 

“Thanks, Judy. I appreciate it.” 

“Of course, darling. I’ll see you around.” 

Already half asleep, Lloyd hung up the phone. His last thought was that he needed to call you. Hearing from Judy reminded him of home, and of you. It had been days since your last talk and that was far too long. Before the meeting with Russell, Lloyd promised himself he’d make time for a conversation. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

You stalked back and forth in front of Zach’s desk, breathing hard, your fists clenched in frustration. 

“I can’t believe his nerve! Can you believe this? Can you?!” 

“Uh-huh.” 

Zach grunted and continued tapping on his keyboard.

“He has the audacity to accuse us of leaking information to the media, without a shred of evidence? It’s unprofessional!”

Zach nodded, seemingly absorbed in his work. 

“I spent so much time building them a database and now no one can use it. The whole process was exhausting and tedious and… are you even listening to me?” 

“Yes. Roth is an infuriating bastard. I knew it from the start, and you thought he was cute.”

“I did not!”

“Did so,” Zach said. 

“Did not.”

“Let’s not lose sight of our most important objective here.”

“Yes, let’s not. What is that objective, again?” you asked. 

“Getting back in Roth’s good graces and thereby, restoring our access to information and resources.”

“I’m sorry, were we just in the same room? About twenty minutes ago, when Roth kicked us to the curb and Bishop had a melt down?”

“We’re not going to let our hard work go to waste. There’s more than one key for every lock, you know?”

“Uh… that’s not how locks work.”

“It is when you know how to pick locks,” Zach quipped. 

“I haven’t even told you about my conversation with Mr. Liu!” 

He resumed typing, his attention focused on the monitor. “No sister?”

“Well, that’s a very anticlimactic way of putting it, but yes. He’s certain that Julia didn’t have a sister.” 

“That’s the conclusion I ended up at too.”

“Should we tell Roth?”

“I’d rather clear our names first,” Zach said.

“How?”

“Look at this.”

Zach pivoted his monitor to show you the screen. 

You stared at a map of Arlington with a route highlighted in purple. Squinting, you noted the web address of a popular running app called PacePal. The account’s username was generic and the profile picture was an image of a man's athletic shoes. 

“What am I looking at?” 

Zach smirked. “This PacePal profile belongs to Peter Shaw. The account photo is of the same running shoes he’s wearing in the Twitter he shared last year of himself finishing the Miami Marathon.” 

“Okay, not to make myself look like an idiot, but who is Peter Shaw?”

“A very tenacious investigative reporter with Rolling Stone Magazine. He’s also the only person who knows the real identity of the leaker, and thanks to his lax attitude toward social media security, we know where Mr. Shaw will be at two o’clock this afternoon.” 

“So, if I’m hearing you correctly, we’re going to give Detective Roth a taste of his own medicine?” 

“I intend to serve him a fresh plate of crow as soon as humanly possible,” Zach said. 

You raised an eyebrow. “Ruthless much?” 

“I didn’t pull in that jackass Lattimer without a damn good reason. We’re onto something with Julia’s supposed sister and if we don’t keep pushing the trail will go cold. What do you say, Princess? Shall we go put Shaw on notice?” 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Lloyd called you when he woke, but reached your voicemail instead of you. He sent a text instead and dove into the shower to scrub off the lingering stench of gasoline that clung to his skin. 

None of the clothes he’d packed suited the character he wanted to portray tonight, so he rummaged through Joe’s closet in search of better options. In the back, he discovered a garment bag containing the winning ensemble: a navy suit with wide lapels, bootcut trousers, and a matching waistcoat. It screamed 1970’s gaudy at the top of its lungs. 

To complete the look, Lloyd installed the hair extensions he’d sent Elliot to acquire from a beauty supply store two towns over. Cutting the remaining extensions into three-inch pieces, he applied them carefully across his jaw, smirking as he remembered April's suggestion that he should grow a beard. The overall effect was a cross between Jerry Garcia and Medusa on a bad hair day. 

For accessories, Lloyd raided Joe’s dresser. He added rings, a gold chain necklace, and a pair of lightly tinted orange sunglasses. The oversized frames elevated the look from vintage inspired to unmistakably costume like - a perfect fit for the character he was putting on. He slapped on a strongly scented aftershave he found in Joe’s medicine cabinet and instantly regretted it when his eyes watered from the fumes. 

Resisting the urge to wash it off, he turned his attention to more practical matters. Joe’s gun cabinet yielded a wide assortment of armaments. He owned weapons from every firearms manufacturer on the market in the past fifty years. Lloyd wasn’t keen to give a hopped up meth addict a gun, but circumstances demanded it. He picked up a Winchester Renegade and checked the ammunition.

“Hey, Elliot! How’s your aim these days?” 

Elliot turned around from his task of cleaning up the kitchen and did a double take of Lloyd’s outfit. 

“Better than most people’s. What are you wearing, dude? Are we going to make a drug deal or audition for Saturday Night Fever?” 

Lloyd snorted at the question and held out the Winchester Renegade. 

“I need you to watch my back while I’m meeting with Russell. Just in case things don’t go according to plan.” 

“Understood. I’m the second shooter on the grassy knoll,” Elliot said. 

They took back roads to the meeting spot. By the time they reached their destination, Elliot’s old truck was covered in mud from the unpaved roads that cut through the vast Idaho landscape. They were deep in the countryside, hidden from prying eyes of passersby on the highway by miles of barren hills. 

High Meadows had once been a thriving venue for team roping and barrel racing events. Now, the clay earth he remembered as being meticulously groomed played host to an invasion of dandelions and scotch thistle. The red aluminum roof over the pavilion had faded to a dull rust color and the cedar panel fencing that encircled the space was bent with age and broken in several places. 

He helped Elliot unload the water cooler jugs filled with the gelled fuel that he’d spent the morning cooking. Lloyd marked out a circle, about twenty feet in diameter, in the middle of the arena and cut a small trench into the ground. With Elliot’s help he poured the viscous mixture into the trough and raked the displaced dirt back into place. 

They hid their equipment in the bed of Elliot’s truck and moved the vehicle into a ravine near the main access road to High Meadows. 

Lloyd turned to his cousin. “Go take up position on that hill over there.”

He pointed to a spot beyond the dilapidated grandstands. “It has the best vantage point. Also, there’s a thermal scope in your backpack in case the night vision doesn’t cut it.” 

Elliot slung his backpack over his shoulder and disappeared into the hills. Lloyd took his position in the arena as the sun settled behind the horizon. He lay down on one of the risers in the grandstands, propped his feet up, and dozed until the sun went down. Suddenly, the crackle of the Bluetooth in his ear brought Lloyd back to the present as Elliot’s voice broke him from semi-unconscious. 

“Russell is pulling in,” Elliot said. 

“I see the headlights,” Lloyd confirmed.

The beams of Russell’s headlights cut through the darkness, illuminating the arena. Lloyd leaned casually against a pillar on the far side. The position gave him plenty of time to observe Russell as he approached. The deputy was clearly spooked - he’d worn a bulletproof vest over his khaki uniform. 

“Nice of you to finally show up,” Lloyd called out in greeting. 

Russell stepped into the arena, his eyes scanning the space, trying to assess the situation.

“Who are you?” 

“Didn’t Carl tell you? We’re the Canadians,” Lloyd said, flashing a mischievous grin.

Russell’s eyebrows furrowed. 

“Now, let’s get down to business!” Lloyd clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “Don’t look so tense, Luke. I’m here to make you rich, and myself even richer. You see, I came here to shake down a former associate, but the trouble is this jackass died before I could get to him. So, I found a locally connected businessman and squeezed until he spilled your name.” 

The deputy’s nostrils flared, a warning sign Lloyd waved off dismissively. 

“Don’t worry about it. I took care of him.” 

“What do you mean you ‘took care of him’?” Russell demanded. 

“I took him for a swim in Redfish Lake, the kind you don’t come back from,” Lloyd said, punctuating that statement with a wink. 

Russell’s shock was palpable. Lloyd gave him a beat to recover, but when he just got a blank stare in response, he shifted tactics and threw his arms out in exaggerated frustration. 

“Oh, come on! Be fucking for real, bro. Do you have two brain cells left rattling around in that ugly mug, pig? I got rid of your dealer because, number one, he’s a snitch and I don’t fuck with snitches. Number two, getting rid of Carl gives you the opportunity to set up a more reliable distribution system. Isn’t that nice? An open playing field with no territorial disputes from the locals? You can thank me now, or later.” 

Russell hesitated. Lloyd didn’t let the silence linger. 

“Okay, then. You’ll thank me later. Look, about-” 

“You really killed Carl?”

Lloyd sighed. “Would I lie to you? Me? I have a reputation to uphold, Deputy.” 

“You’re a fucking psychopath, that’s what you are,” Russell said, edging backwards.

“Hey! We’re not done talking business!” Lloyd yelled after the man as he turned away.

“Yes we are. Go to hell!” 

“Don’t walk away from me, pig! This isn’t the kind of conversation you can just walk away from!”

Lloyd’s voice echoed through the pavilion, ringing with anger.

Russell glanced over his shoulder.

“Oh, Luke… My number one rule is simple: I don’t fuck with snitches. Rule number two? Dirty cops who know your face are bad business. You see, they always end up being snitches. It’s like different flavors of the same ice cream. Triple chocolate fudge or brownie delight, who can tell ‘em apart?” 

As Russell’s hand went for his gun, Lloyd flipped open his lighter and tossed it on the ground. The carefully prepared mixture of gasoline ignited instantly, shooting up and forming a wall of fire that raced around to encircle them. 

Taken by surprise, Deputy Russell instinctively moved away from the searing heat of the flames an action that inadvertently drew him closer to Lloyd. 

“Isn’t this nice? I find it rather cozy, like stepping into a bubble of security.”

Lloyd chuckled, his smile twisted with madness.

“This is how you conduct business?” Russell hissed, eyes glinting with shocked desperation as the flames continued to roar around them. 

“I find it refocuses the attention when a deal starts getting off track.” 

“What the hell do you want?!” 

“I’ve made myself very clear, Russell. You need to work on your attention span. Here’s the deal: we become business partners… or you become a victim of what I like to call ‘spontaneous human combustion.’” 

“Spontaneous,” the deputy muttered, looking at the flames.

“I never really plan on cremating anyone,” Lloyd said, as if it were the most reasonable thing in the world to discuss incinerating your business associates. “Every time I’ve actually gone through with this, the whole thing happens so fast, it really does look spontaneous. Now, Deputy… What do you say? Ready to make a deal?” 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

You sat beside Zach on a park bench, trying to make the most of the slight shade of a tree that offered a tiny bit of respite from the blistering August heat. The sound of approaching footfalls was a major relief. Five more minutes out here and you would have melted. You glanced up to see Peter Shaw, a man of average height with close cropped dark hair, nearing your bench. 

Zach stood up and moved to the center of the path, blocking access to the parking lot. 

“Peter Shaw. I’m Zach Hightower and this is Y/N. I assume you know who I am?”

The journalist stopped a few feet away from Zach. He was dripping with sweat, but still had the energy to offer a cocky smirk. He glanced in your direction and arched an eyebrow. 

“The investigative duo. Where’s Hansen? Isn’t he usually your partner?” 

“I read your article this morning. It was very interesting,” Zach said. 

“Thanks. What part did you enjoy the most?” 

“I thought it was very well researched. You even knew where the recent evidence was being stored. That was a very… interesting… detail to include in the article.” 

Peter shrugged. “I take pride in my work.” 

“The other little thing that jumped out and grabbed me was about the evidence collected in the Nguyen case twenty years ago. Your source criticized the chain of custody related to Shun Nguyen’s cell phone. That was extremely specific.” 

Shaw’s grin turned from smug to sly. “I always make sure my sources have a keen eye for detail. Now if you’ll excuse me…”

“One more thing. The criticism you leveled at the State Police for handling the digital evidence from that cell phone? Well, it went over my head, but I’ve got a guy who’s a genius with that kind of thing. When I showed him the article he said you’d need to consult with an expert in digital forensics to break down those kinds of technical concepts as clearly as you did.”

“Actually, I’m just that good,” Peter said, crossing his arms. 

“You have a degree in English and absolutely no background in tech. You’re not that good… but I believe your source is. The level of insight they gave you left their fingerprints all over that article, Shaw. Your man’s days are numbered. If you were as good as you think you are, his head wouldn’t be heading for the chopping block.” 

The journalist snorted. “Do you run, Mr. Hightower?”

“Only when someone’s shooting at me. Why?”

“Just wondering if you get any other forms of exercise, besides jumping to conclusions.” 

“It’s more of a step-by-step chain of logic that links together quite nicely. You really are a good writer, Shaw - very organized. That made it much easier to fill in the blanks. Does the name Leo McKenzie ring a bell?”

The blood drained from Shaw’s face, turning his lips white. Zach grinned.

“Good talking to you, Pete. Thanks for your time! Come on, Princess, let’s go.” 

“You’re way off base, Hightower,” he called after you.

Zach gave him a cheerful wave. “Hey, Pete, since you’ve undoubtedly got my number, why don’t you give me a call next time you need a source? I can teach you how to cover your tracks so you don’t keep burning through informants.” 

Then he lengthened his stride, forcing you into a jog as you tried to keep up. Once you were in the privacy of his vehicle, you gaped at him. 

“Are you crazy? Did you just invite that sleazebag to call you?”

“Sure. He’s made more progress on this case than anyone else. We can’t ignore that.” 

“How did you know who his source was? Did you guess?”

“Deduction isn’t guessing and that look on his face was all the confirmation I needed.” 

“We should tell Detective Roth.”

“No. Let him figure it out on his own. He won’t believe anything we tell him at the moment.” 

“But the security of the investigation is at stake!” 

“Not for long. Shaw will contact his source and alert them that we’re onto them. I want to give Detective Roth the chance to redeem himself. Also, if he can’t find a mole in his own department, I’m not sure I want to work with him.”

“Right. Hey, where are we going?” 

Zach turned onto an unfamiliar exit, one that headed away from his office.

“I’ve got to make another stop. Don’t worry, it won’t take long.” 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Elliot drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "You really freaked him out."

"Mmmhh."

"He's going to send those drugs up in flames."

The insight was spot on. Deputy Russell’s wavering commitment to the sale was becoming more evident as dawn broke. He had raced back to the security of the Sheriff’s Offices after meeting with “the Canadians” and spent the rest of the night holed up there. Through the front window, Lloyd watched his shadow move behind the blinds. 

The silhouette moved from left to right, and then crossed back again, from right to left. Russell was already a paranoid bastard and introducing a real threat to his life may have been a step too far. His restless actions raised a red flag in Lloyd’s assessment of the situation. Watching him through binoculars from their high vantage point in the parking lot of the White Rivers campsite, Lloyd decided it was time to ease the pressure and give Russell an escape hatch. 

He was too spooked to hand the drugs over directly to the Canadians. After the ring of fire incident Russell was probably more likely to shoot Lloyd if he ever saw him again instead of cooperating with him. 

“We’re going to plan B,” Lloyd said. “Give me a burner phone.” 

He held out a hand and Elliot pressed a device into his palm. Lloyd dialed and watched through the binoculars as the blinds of the Sheriff’s office raised. He couldn’t see anyone, but he knew Russell was somewhere inside. 

The call connected. 

“Hello? Who is this?” 

Lloyd spoke hoarsely. “Hello. Deputy Luke Russell?” 

“This is he.” Russell sounded suspicious. 

"This is Agent Ambrosio of the ATF. Do you have a moment to speak with me? Somewhere private would be best if possible."

"Yeah, yeah. I can do that," Russell said.

There was feedback as he moved, the the sound of a door closing. He must have gone to his office. 

“Okay. I can talk now.” 

"Russell, I'm calling about your boss, Sheriff Holbrook. Are you aware of the case against him?"

"Uh… you mean that thing from last year?"

"Eighteen months ago," Lloyd clarified. "The federal investigation into Holbrook's involvement with the drug trade has continued, which is why I'm reaching out. We need your cooperation."

"What can I do to help you, agent?” 

"We have everything that we need to make an arrest. This is a courtesy call, Deputy. We're moving on him tomorrow morning. Do you understand?"

"Oh… Wow… Okay, is there anything I can do?" Russell asked.

"We're still organizing things. Holbrook is constantly armed, and we're aware of how high-risk this operation will be. I’d be more comfortable with the situation I’m sending my men into if we had your cooperation.” 

“Absolutely. Whatever you need, sir.” 

Lloyd’s mouth curved into a smile. Pushing too hard may have been the right play after all. His prey had just swallowed the bait without noticing the hook that pierced his lip along with it. 

Game. Set. Match. 

All that was left to do was reel in his catch. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Next - Part XVI

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Masterlist

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[sisterdivinium]

Mother Superion barely had time to assess the large coat, the expensive hat and the aviator sunglasses all bunched up together into a messy pile located at the edge of her own desk when Jillian noticed her entrance.

“You’re alone?” She asked by way of greeting, peeping behind the nun’s back to make sure. “We should best close the door.”

“And ciao to you too, dottoressa,” Superion replied dryly, watching as Jillian went on to lock them in after looking outside for any other nuns strolling in the corridor.

“You’ll understand my bluntness in a second.” Jillian returned to her companion, gave her an apologetic peck on the lips and soon produced a magazine which she put into Superion’s hands. “You should take a look at this.”

It was a thin little rag, the sort that printed more low-quality paparazzi pictures than it did any sort of meaningful text—when there were any words to go along with the images, typos and grammatical mistakes abounded throughout the extravagant theories “explaining” the ins and outs of the love lives of all sorts and ranks of celebrities, from international movie stars to barely significant internet phenomena boasting of a couple thousand followers online.

Mother Superion might have wondered how and why a woman such as Jillian Salvius would ever have any such dreck in her possession had she not at once recognised what the low-quality paparazzi photograph chosen for that particular issue’s cover revealed: it was an aerial shot, likely the product of a snooping drone, which had captured an inner patio of Jillian’s house—and both of them, Jillian and Mother Superion herself, featured in it, standing suspiciously close together as the nun’s hand stroked the renowned scientist’s cheek.

“This has been out for only some two hours and it is making a hell of a lot of noise already. My PR staff are going completely mad. ArqTech’s social media accounts are being bombarded with either accusations of hypocrisy on my part, secretly seducing the church in the background while fighting it in public, or celebratory messages about ‘crushing the patriarchy of a decadent institution’ through ‘full contact sisterhood’ or something like it. Dozens of extremely suggestive emojis are sprinkled throughout in both kinds.”

Jillian said all this with a wealth of gestures, drawing abstract, nervous shapes in the air, squinting her eyes at every word, as if they stung her tongue with each absurd syllable that escaped her lips.

Suzanne looked down at the magazine again, flipping through some of its pages. A couple more of blurry or pixelated images where she and Jillian could barely be made out adorned a page with a single column of text in a large font over a red background that would make anyone’s eyes water; she couldn’t read the speculation contained therein.

She could likewise not speak her mind on the matter, as Jillian continued her tirade.

“And there’s more, of course there’s more. I regret to inform you that you and I have been…" She grimaced. “Blorbofied. And please don’t ask me how I know that word.”

Mother Superion raised an inquisitive, insistent eyebrow nonetheless. Jillian sighed and submitted.

“… Camila,” she admitted.

The nun pinched the bridge of her nose.

“But what I mean to say is that the internet is simply abuzz with this. We’re being shipped. People are writing fanfiction about us. I don’t know if you know, but that’s when they tell stories—”

“I know what that means, Jillian.”

Catching her off-guard, Suzanne was the one moved to confess by another eyebrow raised high.

“Well, Xena fanfiction didn’t write itself in the nineties, you know.”

Jillian remained speechless for a few seconds more as she attempted to process the information of how the woman standing in front of her, who she had seen kill scores of malevolent men as well as writhe beneath her in pleasure, who wore a habit and a veil and prayed to God every day, was the same person who would write Xena fanfiction in the late nineties and post them on the internet—some of which might still be out there, somewhere.

On second thought, the whole killing men part did make quite a good deal of sense…

“If this has been out for only two hours, how are these people writing stories already?” Suzanne asked, rescuing her from her trance.

Jillian shook her head slightly, as if to dispel the thought of a young Suzanne writing stories of dubious merit and intentions in some corner of the convent when not absorbed by training.

“I don’t know. I haven’t read any—nor will I—but they even came up with a name. They’re calling us ‘doctor superion’.

The look she received as a reply was impenetrable. Jillian couldn’t tell whether Mother Superion despised it or was somehow amused by it.

“But that’s beside the point,” Jillian went on, rather exasperated at the possibilities, “because if I’m getting hell over this, what can it mean for you?”

She reached out to Suzanne’s hands, her touch scared, her eyes pleading.

“Can the Vatican take any sort of action against you? Have I put you in trouble again?”

“This will pass,” Suzanne said to comfort her, cupping her cheek. “You’re talking about the Catholic church. They didn’t even believe women could have any kind of sex for the longest time. They won’t read into a bad picture where I’m doing nothing more apart from touching your face.”

“And the gossip? The articles are multiplying online, the stories—”

“How many stories has the Church survived?”

“Suzanne, don’t fault me for saying this, but I don’t give a fuck about the Church surviving anything—it’s you I’m worried about. If my investors drop out now, I can always find others if I need to, but if they excommunicate you and tear you from the girls—”

“Jillian. I’ve been here for about twenty years. I’ve done worse than touch rich ‘heretic’ women’s faces and they know it. You know it,” she said, looking pointedly at her. “Stop worrying.”

The scientist relaxed, if somewhat against her will. She frowned soon after, however.

“… What do you mean by ‘worse’? How many other ‘worse’ things were you involved with?”

“… A conversation for another day. I think doctor superion has given you enough strong emotions for the time being.”

Jillian laughed despite herself. Mother Superion smiled seeing her unwind.

“I won’t hear the end of this anytime soon,” the owner of ArqTech pondered.

“Hence the detective disguise in coming here when it’s thirty degrees Celsius outside?”

“Well, I wouldn’t want to unwittingly inspire any more fanfics than are already being written, would I? They’d have a field day with it, no doubt… But are you very sure you won’t suffer any repercussions for this?”

Suzanne kissed her.

Jillian attempted to repeat her question, but she found that kissing Suzanne back was quite a balm to her burdened heart—after all, if there were consequences to face either way, might as well deserve them in full.

When they parted to catch their breath, Mother Superion offered her an idea.

“We can say you’ve had a revelation through me, a miracle conversion. Even the Vatican will be glad to hear of it, for once.”

“Excuse you, but I have known what I liked since very early on. You wouldn’t be able to convert me to anything,” Jillian replied with a smirk. She leaned in to kiss Suzanne again, but stopped short thanks to a thought. “Hold on. Did you already have a contingency plan at the ready in case anything like this should happen?”

Mother Superion shrugged lightly.

“I told you. Worse things. In this line of work, it’s always best to look ahead of yourself.”

“Well, I might just run with your version, then. If only to calm these people down for a time.”

“The writers won’t stop.”

“I know. They might go at it even more excitedly. But the public image of the company might still be salvaged.”

“I pray it will. You’re invited to service if you want to show off just how genuine your new quest for God is,” Superion provoked her.

“Please don’t make me,” Jillian said with a laugh, pulling her closer. “I think I prefer private prayer to this whole blasphemer-to-devoted-choirgirl-overnight AU.”

Suzanne chuckled and kissed her again, throwing the gossip magazine away.

“See? Don’t worry about the others. We can write our own story all by ourselves…”

[alittledizzy]

My post video ramble - not an analysis so much as just an emotional reaction/my feelings.

I'm really proud of Dream's video and what all he put into it. I think this was something he needed to do on multiple levels, many just for his own personal peace of mind, but being honest about things he never should have been forced to lie about in the first place (the doxxing details, his previous weight, information about his childhood, etc) took a lot of guts. He's never lacked that so I'm not surprised but I'm also sure he knows he probably could have continued on having a career by staying silent and saying nothing on those topics, and he chose not to. (And as one post I saw said, voluntarily handing over multiple new pictures of himself when he was fat was a cunt move that I love him forever for.)

In terms of the allegations, I think most people who followed the situation (more closely than just looking at twitter trending topics or people that blatantly hated him and wanted to drive him to suicide) already knew that the accusations were a mix of blatant and malicious lies, misinformation, and a dash of interpersonal drama from people Dream knew four years ago. I think he laid the evidence out neatly and as clearly as possible considering these are some complex topics and trying to prove a negative always puts you at a disadvantage.

For anyone reading this post from other fandoms that aren't aware, immediately after the video the person that provided the burner account with information came forward saying she was lying to the burner account and Dream did nothing wrong. This is the situation where there was no victim to begin with, because the woman involved (16/17 at the time, 21 now) has said she was never a victim and was not groomed. So the video also served the purpose of the people making those false allegations being forced to come forward about them being fake/wrong. Which is unsurprising since the people involved were basically dredging up the equivilent of high school drama where they were trying to get with the most popular kid at school (Munchy, mcyt in general, friends with popular streamers before he was even posting on youtube) and mad when they can't bag him. So it's unsurprising that people who tried to get something going with him and it didn't work felt scorned and then shit talked him, and fair enough, that's what humans do. But that years later it has turned into grooming allegations and pedophilia is just fucking inhumane and would never have happened if this had been anyone but Dream. Sites like KiwiFarms decided years ago, before any of this, that Dream was someone they wanted to take down and they spent years slowly poisoning public opinion and people's eagerness to believe anything bad about him is just an end result of this.

In terms of the rest of the video: I think the Quackity part wasn't necessary to the video but I do think that was just a part of what Dream felt like he needed to say. Same with the bit about shipping and nsfw fanworks/the fanart account, I think he wanted to cover all bases in terms of things people could possibly try and use to discredit him, and so those don't even feel like they were geared toward us at all. That was Dream talking to outside fandom people and trying to image rehab. I think fandom should continue on as before except with less people clamoring to show Dream every single thing they make in terms of shippiness.

[houseofbrat]

I have a theory. Bear with me.

What if - what if - the whole kate being ill is just a lie and a distraction ? And really, Kate's been put on notice and she's with her family,  who are suspiciously dead silent through all this, and the sickness story is just cover for William to debut as a single man. Something is very, very odd and off about this whole thing.

He just allowed pics of him and a woman getting cozy at the last event he did and he announced eartshot I'm Capetown without saying if he or kate would be able to attend. I have a feeling he'll be attending solo.

Doesn't it make sense? They could have all made a deal behind closed door on how to roll out the divorce narrative in a way that makes it gradual and let's the public get used to seeing the single dad with other women? 😮

And in return Kate gets a lot of control over the kids (other than the boarding school issue), lots of money to keep her comfortable and of course, bailing out her parents!

And this explains why kate wasn't at last year's earth shot (the story about George having exams is ridiculous) because they need to separate her from earthshot, it needs to be associated with william alone and lead us to the sexy (barf) single young (not) dad phase of his life, complete with lots of news stories about new romances to keep the press happy.

I could be out to lunch, but I don't think I am. 🤔

Here's what I agree with you on:

Kensington Palace isn't being honest about Kate and is engaging in deception. A deception that will harm both Will & Kate but will unquestionably hurt Kate more. And Kate didn't attend Earthshot in Singapore due to George's exams.

Here's what I don't agree with you on:

1. William having an affair. Having affairs is always a risky thing to do when you're married, regardless of fame, wealth, or royalty. William is not a huge risk taker, and certainly not in his personal life. He is a boring dude, who got the reputation for being a "catch" because he was good looking and a royal. That's it. 2. I haven't seen any pictures of William being "cozy" at the Air Ambulance Charity banquet, but I doubt they're that exciting. Also, if William was actually having an affair, Fleet Street would have posted some anecdote to support that insinuation by now. They haven't. Because he's not having one and isn't likely to in the near future. 3. I'm not sure whether or not William (or William along with Kate) will be going to Capetown for Earthshot. Earthshot has usually been held in November, which is eight to nine months away. What I do know is that it was the most lackluster location announcement I have seen regarding the Earthshot Prize to date. It literally looks like a slapdash announcement made to fit a deadline. You know, a situation where a homework assignment is due, but you aren't going to be turning in your best work, yet you turn something in anyway because it's better than getting a zero. That's what this announcement looked like. And the real question is: Why? Why make this kind of announcement on a Friday, which is pr dumping ground? Why did they not make this announcement next week on Monday or Tuesday, where they could also release more information, such as the dates of Earthshot Week? And also drum up more interest and excitement? Last year Singapore wasn't announced until 14 May, after the coronation. Why announce so early this year? It makes no sense.

So, yes, I have no doubt there are weird shenanigans going on at the Kensington Palace communication office and Adelaide Cottage. Kate is allegedly still so ill that William could only do a whopping two engagements this week, yet she is well enough to travel to Anmer Hall at Sandringham, whether it is by car or helicopter. Priorities.

However, William cannot even have his press office confirm that he can do his regularly scheduled engagements this month or in the future after he gets back from another vacation to Sandringham. He has done a whopping three engagements for the year. Meanwhile, King Charles--who has cancer and is receiving cancer treatments--will be back in London next week for some face-to-face meetings.

But we're not supposed to side-eye The Prince & Princess of Wales because if we do then we're just jelly haterz.

Even though all of the UK press knows that the way Will & Kate are conducting themselves is completely abnormal.

But, hey, if Will & Kate want a war with the UK press, then they'll get one. Never pick a fight with the press because the press lives for them, particularly in the UK.

Will & Kate shouldn't have violated certain agreements, but they did. And breaking an agreement with the UK press is like violating an armistice agreement, i.e. a declaration of war.

"They've broken the armistice."

And there isn't going to be a special place for Kate to jump to in order to get out of this one. No trip to Mustique will fix this.

Can't wait to watch it from the US of A.

[thelokeancouncil]

Hetalia writing blurbs #1

A/N: So this is a series I'm probably going to post whenever I come up with some sort of short blurb from a story that is one of my WIPs. I'm doing this to hopefully gain some encouragement because I struggle sometimes with continuing a story. This is a blurb that was written by me and an alter in my system who is an introject of Germany. A lot of what is written is from his own source memories that he's had in the past. This is incomplete at the moment, but I wanted to share what was written.

TW: MENTIONS OF WWII GERMANY, POSSIBLE DESCRIPTIONS OF BAD CAMPS, HISTORICAL HETALIA. Not for the faint of heart. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Berlin, Germany

December 1961

If there was one thing that he hated to feel it was the feeling of weakness. From a young age, Gilbert had taught him that allowing your enemy to see your vulnerability was a death sentence waiting to happen. As the wall went up around the borders of his heart city of Berlin, he became completely fragile.

Ludwig Beilschmidt knelt in front of the concrete fixture that was raised by that damn commie and his men. The wall was thick, cold, and covered in razor sharp barbed wire at its peaks. He had watched so many of his desperate citizens try to escape the harsh rule of the communist east. He also watched them fail miserably and then if they were lucky they weren't executed.

The sound of gunshots, barking dogs, and Russian commands rang in his ears. Nearly every single time the sounds were accompanied by the flashbacks of his foolish mistakes. He knew damn well that he couldn't take on Russia alone, but he was truly too afraid to argue with his boss. Instead he stood by his men's sides as they pumped meth in their systems to block out the excruciating pain or sleep deprivation. He never imagined that his men would become addicted to the illicit substances and then become desperate for more of them.

He could remember the sight of seeing his men lying in the cold and unforgiving snow dead. Their deaths came from either the loss of blood and bodies riddled with bullets or the freezing hand of Russia's famed General Winter taking hold. Being shot to death was a mercy killing when you could die slowly of frostbite and hypothermia. As dark as it was to say, he preferred seeing the snow painted scarlet then to see the failures of his boss to realize that the lack of supplies would cost so much more than the land was worth.

Ludwig had gotten into the habit of coming and kneeling before the monstrous concrete wall almost every day. The habit had come after seeing the true physical state of his older brother Gilbert who now was known as East Germany. Some days Ludwig swore he could hear a lone flute playing on the other side. As it grew much colder though, the sound of the flute grew fainter and fainter. This didn't discourage the younger German personification though. He came every single day and stayed until nightfall because he feared that if he didn't come then he would lose hope.

As it was, he was already losing hope. England and France barely made a move to aid him and his people. Of course he felt that he should have expected that, but it didn't mean that it didn't cut him any less. America seemed to be his only true ally here. The young personification stood by his side when Russia made him feel threatened. Ludwig felt he owed much of his current freedom to the American and his younger sister.

The American girl with the teal and rust colored hair seemed familiar to him. Of course she had taken care of him and his wounds while he was forced into America's custody and he had seen her on the battlefields during the war, but there was something else about her. Ludwig knew her official name to be New York City, but her human name was lost on him at the moment. Everytime he thought of her recently it was like he was trying to access information that he wasn't allowed to. Why the hell was his brain blocking the information away?

What frustrated the German even more about the situation of his lost memories was that every time the personification of New York City was around him, he felt a strange sense of home. Did other nations feel that way when she was around? There was a small part of him that kind of hoped that they didn't. He didn't know where that part of his brain came from, especially because he hadn't made a move towards her, hell he didn't even understand what his feelings were towards her in the first place!

Ever since his time staying in her home, he hadn't fully been able to get her out of his mind. The girl was kind to him and patient with him when he felt that he didn't deserve her kindness, let alone her patience. He saw himself as a monster after he was forced to see the true nature of his boss's “perfect Germany”. He understood why so many other countries looked at him with anger, disgust, and even hatred. Yet the two Americans didn't look at him that way. They looked at him with sympathy.

Gods, but why sympathy? Did they feel sorry for him? Why? Sympathy was a sign of being fragile! He wasn't weak god dammit!

Suddenly Ludwig was brought out of his thoughts when he felt the touch of a cold tendril upon his face. He blinked as he noticed the simple white flakes beginning to spread across the ground. He looked up at the skies above him and saw the sun was still fairly towards the eastern skies, even if it was well hidden by a layer of clouds.

He then glanced down at the cracked wrist watch on his left wrist to confirm his suspicions.

1:00pm

Ludwig then stood to his full height and rested his forehead against the wall. He hadn't heard the sound of Gilbert's flute today, but he was too determined to leave. Gilbert had to be somewhere on the other side, he just knew it. Ludwig took a deep, shaky breath before he began to softly sing “Einsamkeit”. Each of his words were punctuated by a small puff of steam.

“One day bruder… one day” Ludwig finally said quietly as he finished the song. He leaned his head against the cool concrete and closed his eyes. One day he would finally be free and let his people live a life in democracy.

Ludwig stayed this way for at least a few good hours. The only time he seemed to move was to get back into a kneeling position when his legs grew tired. He was almost in a trance, his thoughts dragging him back to the past. His trance-like state made him grow unaware of the growing blizzard conditions around him. He even grew to not realize the steady worsening of his cough.

His mind was at a day in the past where he was forced to his knees in similar snow. He had cuffs securing his wrists in front of him securely. The biting steel of Russia’s pistol dug into his temple while the barrel of England’s was digging into his upper back. He could see dingy and disgusting looking buildings, a gallows where a cowardly soldier allowed the rope to claim his life, and what looked like an army of living skeletons being led away from further horrors by American and British soldiers. What he could remember most about the environment that Arthur, Ivan, Francis, and Alfred had dragged him to was the acrid smell of death.

“Are you aware of what's been going on here, Herr Germany?” the Russian asked, his tone dripping with an edge of disgust, mockery, and anger. As the question left the Russian, the barrel of his gun jabbed at Ludwig’s temple.

Ludwig had no idea that this place even existed, no less , had been used to murder innocent people. He took another look around in horror from his spot kneeling on the ground. Silent tears began to roll down his cheeks as he realized why his body had been sick and why Ace had betrayed him along with others among his men. Ace never meant to hurt him or betray him. She was trying to save him as many of his citizens had.

“Answer the question, you dirty kraut! How could you do this to your own people?” Arthur growled and then he kicked Ludwig in his lower back making the German fall face first into the dirt.

After a moment more of seeing dead bodies being taken away, a sharp pain burst across Ludwig’s chest. “NEIN! I KNEW NOZHING OF ZHIS, MEIN BOSS KEPT ME IN THE DARK ABOUT ANYZHING OZER ZHAH ZHE VARFRONTS!” Ludwig cried out as his tears spilled in a nearly uncontrollable manner at this point.

In that moment it was the first time that Ludwig was fragile around his enemies. When the trials came, he expected a death sentence. What he got was way worse.

The four allied nations had agreed to drop the genocide crime against Ludwig. This was due to all the evidence that New York was able to present. The evidence supported the theory that Ludwig was kept in the dark about all matters outside the war fronts. That didn't stop them from charging him with the rest of his war crimes though.

In the end, he was split into four sectors that were divided among the four allies. England, France, and America took the westward sectors while Russia took the eastward one. Russia's demands did not end there though. Thanks to a rightfully traumatized Poland and Lithuania, Russia demanded that Gilbert be completely disbanded as a nation and his land given to Poland.

What Ludwig had not known was that this very factor left Gilbert defenseless against Ivan and his lackeys. Gilbert had been beaten and kidnapped from the eastern side of the wall and was now imprisoned deep in Russian territory.

8:00pm

The icy winds of the blizzard kicked up and the snow was nearly blinding for anyone who dared to come anywhere near the Berlin Wall.

[pinkeoni]

Is HNL Connected to Pennhurst?

(and why the show might not done with Pennhurst)

This is a thought I had when thinking about Victor’s fate in Pennhurst. We know for a fact that HNL has a connection to what happened with his family in at least some capacity, considering that they managed to get their hands on Henry and cover it up pretty quickly. I wouldn’t be surprised if Victor’s placement in Pennhurst was somehow orchestrated by the lab.

The patients and nurses of Pennhurst wear mostly white, not unlike the children and orderlies of the lab.

Also peep this patient with similar hair to Brenner:

Pennhurst is named after a real asylum that shut down in ‘87, and while we don’t see a lot of how show Pennhurst works, the lab actually functions pretty similarly to how irl Pennhurst worked.

IE, a lot of patient abuse and basically being a prison rather than a hospital.

There’s also the boys speculation in s1 that El could’ve been from Pennhurst, only for it to be revealed that she’s actually from HNL.

How do we know that the patients at Pennhurst are being treated the same way?

I guess there’s no confirmation, but there are some hints. When Dr. Hatch is giving Robin and Nancy the tour of Pennhurst he says this—

Idk man, if there was ever a veiled way to say “They can’t escape, they don’t choose to be here and they don’t like it here” this would be it. I think Robin bringing into question whether or not they can escape in the first place makes it clear that they are drawing attention to this point, why even talk about this point in the first place if it isn’t a question that the patients want to be there?

Why would HNL and Pennhurst have a connection anyway?

Honestly, some kind of agreement between HNL and the lab would be super beneficial for both parties, and I imagine something like that would have formed during the MK ULTRA days. The lab could get rid of cases that either cause a problem for them and/or prove to potentially be dangerous, and Pennhurst would recieve new patients. Or at least, that’s what I speculate their agreement could be. HNL has a place to lock up Victor so he can’t blab about anything supernatural that he witnessed, and even if he did, he would just be seen as another “nut job” at Pennhurst.

Why would Pennhurst be brought back to the show?

Now I don’t know this for sure (as is true with any theory of mine) but I believe that Pennhurst may be brought back in season 5.

Despite Robin and Nancy only being there for Victor, we get a pretty extensive tour of the place. Granted this could just be here to plant the thing about music, but the way that Pennhurst is established here doesn’t make it feel like a location they would used for only one episode. Why go into so much detail for a single episode location? Why go through the trouble of familiarizing the audience with the layout and part of how it functions if not to bring it back later?

I don’t know exactly what kind of storyline they could use at Pennhurst, but I don’t think it would be out of place nor would it take the place of any other important plotline. Rather, especially if Pennhurst is connected to the lab, I could see the location being used as a vehicle to deliver more information regarding the supernatural plot.

What’s the resolve for the Pennhurst plotline?

Let’s go back to that point about the patients wanting to escape. This has been hinted at, but not brought to fruition. When Robin and Nancy are escaping, we get a closeup of a patient who laughs as they run away.

Something that I stated earlier in the post is that Pennhurst is named after a real asylum that was closed in ‘87, which happened due the revelation of the abuse behind the scenes. We know there will be a timeskip in s5, and while it’s looking like it might be closer to ‘88, details of show Pennhurst don’t align exactly with irl Pennhurst. Penn irl is in Pennsylvania and show Penn is in Indiana, as stated in s1 by Lucas.

But still, if the show still intentionally took the name and some of the real asylum practices, one could assume that the show asylum might end up with the same fate.

IE the truth coming out regarding HNL and the abuse behind the scenes coming to light in the public eye, and more imporantly-

Liberation!

[downwiththeficness]

The Usurper-Chapter Twelve

Summary: Lilah McNamara stole things for a living. It was tedious work and often dangerous, which made it just exciting enough to keep her interested. After botching a routine job, Lilah finds herself standing amid monsters. Wholly unprepared for the horror of living under Amaru’s reign, Lilah decides to use her well honed skills to thwart the queen’s plans and prevent the end of the world.

Word Count: ~3,600

Disclaimer: I do not consent to this work being copied or posted to other sites of blogs.

Start at the Beginning Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Read on AO3 Masterlist

Lilah sat on the floor of the bathroom with her back against the tub. On her lap was the book that wouldn’t burn. It also wouldn’t tear or stain. Nothing she did managed to damage it in any way. Lilah didn’t even think the pages would crumple. Fucking. Magic. Book.

Arranged in a rainbow around her were several pages of meticulously categorized notes that she’d written by hand. From them, she went letter by letter, line by line, translating the book. It was a slow, arduous process. More than once, Lilah wondered why she was even attempting it. Inevitably, that thought would be followed by the mental sound of Amaru’s arm pushing into someone’s throat and that would be enough to keep going.

Leaning back, Lilah stretched her arms overhead and yawned. The muscles in her neck and back protested the movement with a dull ache. Hours of work had produced about three pages of translated text. It would go a hell of a lot faster if she was able to use the translation app on Javier’s laptop. Lilah wouldn’t risk it as a matter of safety, but the temptation was there. Lilah refused to give in. No one could know she had the book. That steadfast rule left her with little option but to search for phrases on the laptop in the morning, write them down, and try to connect as many words as she could in the evenings. All without drawing Javier’s suspicion. It was a tedious system that was producing slow, steady results.

Setting the book aside, Lilah flipped her notebook to the first set of translations and read over them. The words were familiar to her now—she’d read them so many times. The language lacked some of the prosaic nonsense in the writing Javier provided to her. Its straightforward tone was actually pretty helpful towards Lilah’s comprehension of the content.

She sorted the information into rough chapters for ease of use. The introduction placed the date of writing before Amaru, although she had no idea how long. In any case, the eternal night Brasa referenced hadn’t yet started. The Xibalbans lived together under several Lords that judged all things that came before them. The central city was a garden filled with dangers. Rivers of blood and scorpions cut through roads that were designed to confuse travelers. A single misstep could mean death.

Anyone who wanted to survive would have to be smart and cunning and very, very strong. Lilah didn’t think she would make it ten minutes before she was struck down by one thing or another. She didn’t think any one would make it ten minutes. All the more reason to keep Amaru from merging the dimensions.

Lilah flipped the page and came to the section she’d been working on that day. It covered a contract gone bad. One party failed to do as they promised. The writing made it clear how dishonorable this was and Lilah assumed there was a cultural shame associated with it. The person who couldn’t uphold their part of the bargain was drained of their blood and their fangs were removed. Then, they were carried out to a remote part of Xibalba and left to die. If they managed to survive and return to the community, they were absolved of their failure. Lilah had a good feeling that most of them never made it back.

She came to the end of her notes and closed the notebook. Lilah would have to wait until tomorrow to get into the more complicated types of contracts. It looked like the next section after that would contain the ritual for opening the doors between dimensions. She wasn’t sure she actually wanted to know what it said, but experience told her that the more she knew about it, the better off she would be down the line. After gathering up her materials and hiding them away, Lilah poured herself a glass of wine and sat on the bed.

“I should really get Javier to put a TV in here,” she muttered. Lilah had a high tolerance for boredom, but she was reaching her limits with sitting around and staring at the walls.

Halfway through the glass, a knock sounded, followed by Brasa breezing into the room. He was once again wearing leather and she could see his sunglasses peeking out from an inside pocket. He closed the door behind him and said, “I’m surprised to see you here.”

Lilah lifted a brow, “Where else would I be?”

He paused, then replied, “What I meant was I was surprised you would be sitting here, on the bed.” A breath, then, “Javier says you’ve been hiding in the bathroom.”

Her heart briefly palpitated before she got ahold of her body, “Forgive me for wanting a little privacy.”

She couldn’t help the dry tone or the touch of heat beneath it. Brasa didn’t seem to mind, “Of course. That’s understandable.”

Seeing an opening, Lilah hedged, “Its been a few weeks since you brought me down here. When we discussed it, you promised me that I could leave eventually.”

“I did.”

“Do you know how far off that might be?” Lilah hoped that the question came off as innocent and not the plea for some kind of light at the end of the tunnel that it was.

Something in the cant of his shoulders put her on edge, “The condition was that you would be able to protect yourself.”

He was right, but Lilah wasn’t going to concede the point, “Don’t you think that we should start working on that? Or, do you need to call in some kind of self-defense specialist?”

Brasa almost laughed, “That’s not what I meant.”

“Okay,” she replied and crossed her arms, “what did you mean? Tell me explicitly what I have to do.”

The silence that followed that question was heavier than she expected. Lilah wanted to keep talking, keep clarifying, even though she knew exactly what he meant. She didn’t know how else to force the issue.

“We’ve discussed the effects of my blood.”

Good start. Lilah nodded, “Uh huh.”

He moved to sit next to her on the bed, “It healed your wounds and...it also made you a little bit like me.”

She didn’t like the reminder, but around her teeth she enunciated, “I remember.”

“Its more than just healing wounds and living longer,” Brasa continued. “Its faster reflexes, better vision and instincts.”

Lilah was tiring quickly of this conversation and she was the one who started it, “So?”

He looked at her, “I don’t have any concerns about humans doing you harm.” He seemed to rethink it, “Alright, I’m concerned less with humans that you might associate with than I am the...ones I might associate with.”

“How is that my fault?”

“Its not,” he said, lifting a hand in defense, “but it is a reality that I have to consider.”

Lilah debated her options. She could spend an endless amount of time wasting away in the caves or she could muster up the courage to drink Brasa’s blood so that she could escape. That is, if she could get him to actually give it to her. Lilah didn’t think that it would necessarily be a pleasant experience, but she might be able to manage it. Of course, she had been half unconscious the last time. Who knew what the next attempt would be like? She could throw up all over Brasa after the first swallow. Did vomit come out of leather?

“Alright,” Lilah said, “how much do I have to drink?”

He looked at her as if she’d grown a second head, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“Its not a science. And, with what you’ve already…”

Lilah frowned, “A couple mouthfuls throws off your estimation? Wouldn’t it kind of...I don’t know, cancel out because it was used to heal me?”

Brasa’s mouth opened around a sentence that got hung up on the backs of his teeth. Lilah stared at him, then gave a prompting roll of her hand to get him talking again. It didn’t work. He kept looking back at her with his mouth open and silent.

“Christ, Brasa,” Lilah groused, “Spit it out.”

“I think you’ll be angry.”

He was probably right. Lilah had been angry with him more often than not in the last few weeks. Whatever it was that he was going to say wasn’t going to change that fact very much. She might even get mad, preemptively, if he didn’t keep talking. Beside her, Brasa rubbed his hands over his thighs while he contemplated his thoughts.

“When I saw you for the first time,” he began. “I was...elated. Happier than I’ve been in a long time. Maybe, ever.” Brasa turned his eyes to her, “Right after that—right after—I had this sense of fear that gripped me completely. I’ve been afraid ever since. Its led me to do things I might not normally.”

“Such as?”

A breath, “Such as lying to you about who I was. Such as hiding you away in here. Such as…”

Lilah let him have his silence for a minute, “Such as…?”

Brasa wasn’t looking at her when he finished that sentence, “Such as lacing your wine with my blood.”

She looked at the glass in her hand. There wasn’t anything about it that made her think it had been tampered with. It was just a regular glass of wine. The words ‘nuh uh’ fell out of her mouth, so soft that they were barely above a whisper.

“It wasn’t right,” he said. “I don’t regret it, but I recognize that it wasn’t right.”

Lilah’s gaze rested in the middle distance while she tried to calculate how much wine she drank and the ratio he might have used. It couldn’t be very high if she hadn’t actually tasted it. Lilah was fairly confident she would know the metallic tang of blood in her drink. She very nearly took a sip to double check.

“You’ve been dosing me this whole time.” In her periphery, Lilah saw him nod. “It didn’t occur to you to ask me?”

Brasa sighed, “You have more than expressed your displeasure with being here. With me. I was confident you wouldn’t consider it.”

A sort of calm fell over Lilah’s shoulders. With it, an ice cold fury that gave her the ability to say, “Get the fuck out of this room. Now.”

Wordlessly, Brasa stood and walked to the door. Hand on the knob, he looked back at her. She must have been wearing her emotions all over her face because he nodded and left without trying to defend himself. She was glad for it. A thousand words filled with vitriol were pouring into her head. If she let them out, Lilah wasn’t exactly sure what would happen.

Lilah looked again at the wine in her hand and all the ice in her veins went white hot. She screamed and threw the glass against the wall. It shattered with a satisfying crack, red sliding down the walls to the floor. Lilah hoped it stained. Her hands clenched and she wished she had something else to throw. She wanted to break things. She wanted to crush them beneath her feet. She wanted to feel something fall apart in her hands.

Crossing the room, she went to the various bottles of liquor on the side table. Each of them went the way of the glass, until Lilah was left with the darkened bottle of half-finished wine. Her fingers wrapped around the neck and she held it to the light. The wine swirled around, taunting her with the knowledge that it was tainted. Her lip curled in disgust and a breath hissed through her teeth.

She went to the bathroom and stood before the toilet. Leaning down, Lilah flipped up the seat and tipped the bottle over until the wine flowed out into the bowl. When it was empty, she jabbed the handle to flush. Lilah watched it the whole way down. Good riddance. Then, she went back to the bedroom and flung the bottle against the wall.

It hit the rock with a dull thud and fell to roll among the shards of glass. Her curled lip curled even further. Stomping over, she grabbed the bottle and swung it hard. The glass broke apart this time, leaving Lilah holding the jagged neck in a clenched fist that was shaking from a fury that hadn’t abated.

Tossing the shard aside, Lilah looked for something else to break. There wasn’t much else in the room, certainly nothing that would be as satisfying as throwing bottles. Desperate to find another avenue of destruction, she rushed to the nightstand and dug around. It was mostly empty, save for her scuffed clutch that contained Antonio’s keys, a bundle of bills, and the lighter she’d stolen from the bar up front. Lilah plucked the little bit of plastic from the bag and turned it between her fingers. Slowly, a plan formed in her mind.

Before she knew it, Lilah was moving through the hall to the cavern. She peeked out from the door to find it unoccupied. Stepping inside, Lilah realized that the room had been through a serious renovation. A stone walkway replaced the bridge over the water. There were piles of paperwork scattered over the desk. New lighting gave the room a cool, blue ambiance. There was also a throne.

Huge. Ornate. Imposing. The throne sat in the half of the room closest to her, right in the middle of a wide circle of blue light. Lilah could picture a line of supplicants bowing to it, waiting for Amaru’s judgment. For her to stick her hand down their throats. Lilah approached it with her mouth turned down in contempt. She noted the craftsmanship in the carved wood and the luxury of the silk cushion. Lilah wondered why Amaru bothered with the fancy chair. It wasn’t as if she needed the culebras to respect her. Amaru already had their fear.

With a heavy breath that made her plan all the more clear, Lilah crossed the cavern, over the bridge, through the door, and into the waiting room. There were more renovations, here. The bar was fully stocked and a series of long couches lined the walls. More blue lighting dripped from the ceiling in dangling pendant lamps. Lilah could smell fresh paint. She took a moment to see if the workers had installed sprinklers, mouth spreading wide at their conspicuous absence.

The word ‘perfect’ slid out of her mouth in a soft murmur. Her movements were purposeful and confident. One by one, Lilah pulled the bottles with the highest proof from the wall and set them on the bar. When she was sure that she had enough, she went about pouring them out over the elaborately carved hunk of wood. She kept several apart for the second phase of her plan.

Assured that she had thoroughly soaked the bar, Lilah took the lighter and set the whole thing ablaze. It went up a little faster than she anticipated. Flames licked at her arms, singing the fine hairs. Lilah shook them away and stepped back to watch. Already, the wood was blackening and smoke rose to the rocky ceiling.

“Perfect,” she said, again.

Even without the sprinklers to give her away, Lilah knew that she had little time to finish her work. Arms full of bottles, she waddled out of the waiting room and back into the cavern where the throne was waiting for her. She sneered at the gaudy thing, hating everything it represented.

Lilah hated Amaru. She hated her violence. She hated that she couldn’t punch her in her stupid child face. Lilah hated that Brasa wouldn’t punch Amaru. Or disobey her. Or do anything that would upset her. Lilah hated that Brasa brought her here. She hated that he’d lied to her. She hated that she didn’t see the lie coming.

The cushion ignited first. Silk and stuffing burned high and hot, catching on the wooden arms. It smelled horrible, but Lilah kept close enough that she could feel the heat. She wanted to watch the throne burn in exquisite detail.

“What are you doing?”

Lilah startled with a loud scream. She surged away from the voice behind her, right into the fire. The reflexes Brasa was talking about must have kept her from going face first, but the hem of Lilah’s shirt ran right across the arm of the throne. The material lit up, orange and black spreading steadily upwards.

She guessed that some of the training from childhood kicked in because Lilah dropped to the floor and rolled over and over to put out the fire. She kept rolling until she rolled right off the ledge and into the water that cut through the center of the room. It was deeper than she thought, leaving Lilah kicking to get back to the surface.

An arm reached in and grabbed her. Lilah was suddenly airborne, landing on her side. Her hands wiped away the water in her eyes so that she could stare up at Brasa. He towered over her, haloed in blue light on one side and orange on the other. There was concern in his expression, but she could also read annoyance in the downward tilt of his mouth. Lilah tilted her chin up and met his eyes. Fucking say something, she thought. I dare you.

“What are you doing?” he repeated. Lilah could hear the exasperation in his voice.

She pulled her legs underneath her and stood, “Redecorating.”

He pulled his lips between his teeth released them slowly, “Do you have any idea what will happen when Amaru finds this?”

“I honestly don’t give a single fuck about Amaru.”

Brasa stepped forward, “Do you want to die? Is that it?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I do.” She didn’t, but that wasn’t the point. Lilah was going to say whatever she needed to say to hurt him for lying to her. “You don’t care what I want, though. You only care what Amaru wants.”

“That’s not true.”

“It motherfucking is true,” she countered. Lilah slashed both hands in the air, “You know what? I don’t care. I really don’t. You keep on living your sad, pathetic little life under the heel of her boot. I’ll see myself out.” Brasa started to follow her and she hissed, “Alone.”

As she was walking away, Lilah heard Brasa mutter, You’re insane, at her back. It made another round of anger flare up. Lilah flew into the hall in a frenzy of movement. Breaths punched in and out of her lungs. Her heart was a heavy thud, thud, thud in her chest. Her arms pumped at her sides while her legs carried her past the door to the bedroom and deeper into the cave.

Lilah always thought of herself as someone who could thrive in fucked up situations. Breaking into a museum and taking a precious artifact? Totally cool. Taking money from unscrupulous people to acquire their ex-wife’s favorite poodle? No problem. But, this? All of this? It was too much for Lilah to handle. She needed space from it, from everything, to think.

When the light dimmed and Lilah could not longer see her hand in front of her face, she held the lighter up and flicked the flint. The spark wheel scratched at the flint, failing to produce even the smallest hint of fire. She tried again. Nothing.

“Fucking water,” she groused. “Who puts a creek in the middle of a cave?”

Lilah stood there in complete darkness, unable to see her way forward and unwilling to go back the way she came. She collapsed against the wall and dropped to sit on the ground. Knees drawn up against her chest, Lilah ruminated on the series of decisions that led her to that exact moment. Hair wet, make up smeared, angry and vengeful.

She dropped her face into her hands to cover the shameful tears that fell. Brasa was right. She was insane. Only an insane person would follow him into the caves, would spend weeks sitting on their hands and read books when they could be coming up with an escape plan. Only an insane person would set things on fire for the satisfaction of watching them burn. Only an insane person would tempt the wrath of a serial killer in a child’s body.

Lilah didn’t know how long she cried, but the tears did, eventually, run dry. She was left raw and exhausted. Her head fell back against the rocky wall behind her while she stared into nothing. For the first time in a long while, Lilah’s thoughts stilled. Her emotions stilled right along with them. There was no changing the choices she made. Certainly, there was no repairing the damage she’d done in the last hour no matter how justified.

What was she going to do? Lilah knew that there was little chance of getting out of this unscathed, but she hoped to have most of her body intact. She sat there for a long time, working through her options. Brasa was, unfortunately, her strongest ally. She didn’t think she could so much as look at him, let alone work with him. There was always Javier, but his loyalties were more than clear. Lilah knew that there had to be someone who could take Amaru down. Someone who had the audacity to step up to the blood queen and throw her back to the hell she came from. Maybe there was something in the book—some way to keep Amaru from rampaging across the human dimension.

Her head was beginning to hurt and she was starting to shiver in her damp clothes. Lilah put both hands on the wall behind her and walked them upwards until she was standing.

“Come on, feet,” she said. “It her or me. Time to figure out how to defeat a blood queen.”

[halfofmysoulthenovel]

Half Of My Soul - The Albums

authors note - hey everyone! welcome to the third post of my south park! band au! series that is kenny mccormick x reader and it features all the girls lead girls from SP (wendy, nichole, bebe) as well as craig and stan’s gangs. this post is the post talking about the albums the band “with flaws” that you, as the reader, stan, kyle, cartman, and kenny partake in. this gives some backstory and some information about the band. reader is female presenting and uses she/they pronouns, if that hasn’t be specified. i hope you all enjoy this!

warnings: talk of mental health, body image, eating disorders, alcoholism, sex, and may contain language. read as if you see fit. also, this was written on mobile, so it is predominately in lower case and may contain some grammatical issues. <3

in general, the band, with flaws, has a very lizzy mcalpine and ricky montgomery vibe, but with flaws 3 has more of a paramore vibe!

stan is always on drums, kyle on bass, kenny on guitar, cartman plays keys, and you sing lead vocals. stan covers backup vocals, and kenny plays keys sometimes as well. the bands manager and marketer is randy marsh, cause he was lorde (yeah, yeah), so he had numerous connections in the music world. the photographer and social media manager is craig tucker, and tweek tweak works sound engineering/editing. their studio is “South Park Studios”, where randy use to record his lorde songs.

{reader} and kenny write most of the songs, but occasionally stan writes too, especially on with flaws 2. kyle writes songs all the time, but he never gives them to {reader} or to kenny because he’s insecure about what he wrote. it isn’t until kenny hears him humming a song he wrote that he puts one of his songs on an album (after a lot of peer pressure).

eye spy - with flaws 1 - platinum album - ranked as 17 in the top 100 debut albums of all time - highest point in charts is 3

the first album the group ever released was an album called “eye spy” which {reader} and kenny wrote the summer of their junior year. they wrote it reminiscing in childhood and thinking about growing up. they were trying to cope with becoming young adults and what they were supposed to do once high school is over. they played the songs acoustically, but then they hired stan to play drums, kyle on bass, and kenny on electric guitar. {reader} is the lead vocalist. their sound on this album is similar to lizzy mcalpine, folklore by taylor swift, and ricky montgomery.

the cover image was taken by craig, and it is of stan and bebe, as she wanted to be part of the band, but she can’t sing.

the track list is as follows

who, what, when? - a play on elementary school english lessons. this song talks about advancing through the grades and realizing the people you were close with are totally different people than they were as children. they’re living in different circumstances and their rooms look different, and time is flying faster than they wanted it to.

recess - talking about the innocence of childhood being gone and being over. they’re worried that they will never have the freedom of kids at recess again. this song was comprised completely by kenny.

passing notes (released as a single first) - feelings that you would only confess to someone through notes in elementary school, alternatively, being in love with a childhood best friend. one of the bands top selling song, won song of the year.

fickle - the fickle friendships that you and childhood friends have, they hate each other one moment and love each other the next, longing for the simplicity that came with being childhood friends.

your it - the frantic feeling when you’re “it” in a game of tag being compared to the stress of trying to decide what to do after high school. “when you go from being it to being the one who has to do it.”. (kenny wrote that lyric, so this could have a double meaning…ifykwim)

hold my hand - relationships and being in love, as told from a very innocent perspective.

class of 2022 - the group is 19 at the time of the story, and so this song talks about graduating with friends you had in elementary school and the surreal time-warp.

never grow up (cover of the taylor swift song)

eye spy (released as a single first) - playing eye spy and trying to decide what you want to do, but as eye spy is subjective (think someone saying something red, and someone saying apple, and someone saying the stop sign), the person the song is about feels conflicted in what direction they want to go in and it touches on the pressure parents put on their kids vs what the children want to do. reached number one on the billboard top 100 and stayed there for 2 weeks.

remember me, forget me - the people you forget from elementary school vs the people you remember. this song was written by stan.

static - with flaws 2 - multi platinum album - won album of the year at the grammies, best pop vocal album at the grammies,

static is the groups second, and was the most successful album until the release of their third album, sublime. static was about the times the world went silent, in good ways, or in bad ways. that’s up for the listener to decide. stan starting writing the songs during covid as a release from reality, he didn’t think much of it, but then when they started the band, {reader} had heard stan’s songs and suggested they make it an entire album, and so all but two songs, which will be marked, are written by stan. the themes of this album gets very dark, including things like alcoholism, depression, and insecurities. kyle helped stan write one song, which will be marked as well, and it’s about academic burnout. the feel to this album is very evermore by taylor swift, with a little bit of artic monkeys thrown in, and some chemtrails over the country club by lana del rey.

thé reader sings vocals, along with stan. kenny plays guitar (both acoustic and electric), kyle plays bass, stan plays drums, and cartman on keys once again. this time, nichole daniels, a good friend of the band (and {reader}’s roommates} sung on a feature track, as well as wendy and bebe, as they are also {reader}’s roommates. this is their first album where they marked who wrote and who sung what song. they also decided to list who plays what instrument in each song in this album. they didn’t number tracks either, as the story isn’t quiet as narrative as “eye spy”.

the album cover was taken by craig, and the entire album was engineered by tweek. he won a AMA for sound engineering for this album.

lustful eyes - stan marsh - vocalist - stan marsh supporting vocals - wendy testaburger, {readers full name}, and kyle brovloski - released as single

this song is very stan. it documents the moment his world went silent when he realized he was in love with kyle after being friends with him for years. kyle doesn’t know this song is about him, in fact, he thinks it’s about stan being in love with wendy still. the female vocals on this track echo stan, and kyle’s vocals deny what stan is stating. (think exile from evermore). for example, one of the lyrics stan sings is “as long as i’ve known you/i’ve been in love with you/now that i’ve realized/my world came crashing down.”. the girls echo this off of him, but kyle sings “you’ve know me?/you’re in love with me?/you’ve realized?/i came crashing down?”. kyle’s favorite song on the album.

body, discarded - {readers full name} - {readers full name} - released as a single - music video - won best music video at the grammies

a song with just {reader} and kenny on guitar is tender, and talks about moments when the person the song is about has felt insecure about their body. lyrics such as “the body i see isnt the body i want” and “the scars down my skin/it tells everyone how discarded i am”. this song is very telling of the world people live in where their bodies are shunned. this is a music video, featuring {reader} looking into the mirror and seeing distorted versions of herself in the mirror. kenny’s favorite song on the album.

love me too - kenny mccormick/{readers full name} - stan marsh and {readers full name}

a song that kenny initially started writing about {reader}, and then he asked her to write with her, and so this song ended up being about the twos dynamic. it’s about a relationship that you don’t want to ruin by admitting feelings, but you just want to hear them say they love you. the lyrics “please say you love me too/before it turns into you hate me too/we can’t continue the way is with us two/please just say you love me…too” and “i stare at you everyday/and wonder what it would be like/to hold you close/and make you mine/all you’d have to say/is you love me too”. stan and {reader} sing it, think of look at us now (honeycomb) by daisy jones and the six.

drink it away - stan marsh - {reader}

a song, once again, by stan. stan wasn’t able to sing this song, it was too painful for him, but he wanted to put it on the album for people struggling to heal their alcoholism as well, to give them hope and to let them see that even celebrities struggle. “one sip/all the harmful words are gone/but in their place is ignorance” is one of the bands most quoted lyrics of all time. cartmans favorite song on the album because he thinks it’s funny. (💀)

morning with you - kenny mccormick - {reader} - music video

this song is about {reader}, by kenny, once again. it’s about kenny thinking about what it would be like to wake up with {reader} and live a life like a married couple. his world goes silence in this hypothetical daydream that he is detriment to make come true. “to lay by your side/and hold your hand/and taste your lips/makes me melt like quick sand.”. think of nothing by bruno major. {readers} favorite song on the album. the music video features tweek and craig as the hypothetical couple, a very sweet video.

too numb for this - stan marsh - {reader} - supporting vocals - nichole daniels, wendy testaburger, bebe stevens - awarded 2 times - reached number 2 on billboards hot 100 in the US and number 1 on the hot 100 in australia.

completely a capella with haunting female vocals make this song feel like a rainy day, which was exactly stan’s point. he wanted to illustrate the echoing thoughts and the emptiness that depression brings about. lyrics such as “laying/laying/laying here and thinking/thinking/thinking there” is echoed over and over by the supporting vocalist while {reader} sings about what it feels like to not feel. think a less upbeat “for the longest time” by billy joel.

A+ - stan marsh/kyle brovloski - stan marsh/{reader}

another duet between stan and {reader} about dealing this academic burnout and the pressure to be perfect that comes from being an academically gifted kid. kyle predominantly wrote the lyrics, but stan wrote the tune, and so it was a joint effort between the boys. “report cards come in/92/my pulse drops/my hair pulls/92 is less than perfect” is one of the bands most notable lyrics.

let me go ft. nichole daniels - kenny mccormick/{readers full name} - {readers full name}/nichole daniel’s - supporting vocals - kenny mccormick, stan marsh, kyle brovloski - released as single - reached double platinum - 5 awards including song of the year - reached number 1 on billboard hot 100 and stayed there for 3 weeks - music video

this song is the bands most successful ever. it rocketed them into fame. this song is about a breakup, and since the vocals are shared between nichole and {reader}, people interpret it as a WLW breakup song. even though the song was not written with that in mind, the band did take that into consideration when they directed the music video. think of “i love you so” by the walters. “hurt me/let me go” is echoed throughout the song, creating an atmosphere of possible abuse in the relationship.

though “static” is with flaws shortest album, it has their most popular songs, and is one of the most awarded indie albums of all time. kenny and {reader} were awarded songwriter of the year for this album at the grammies, and stan won best arrangement instrumental or a cappella for “too numb for this”. they won several awards at the AMA’s and were invited to the met gala after this album dropped.

SUBLIME - with flaws 3 - releases in chapter 3 of the book <3. the description of this album will be in the actual chapters.

this was a hefty post, but i hope you all enjoyed! sorry if none of this makes sense, i wrote this on mobile.

[snorkling-in-sodasea]

Moments of Stupidity 13

Well, I guess I was misinformed or mistaken on when exactly the newest episode was gonna come out. Although I'm still making the post in early November and yeah, I'm certain the episode will still in this series of posts because, really, every single episode before it - excluding the pilot - have had stupid moments that progress the plot. If anything, the newest episode will be a shocker if it didn't have anything like that itself

Unhappy Campers -

Well... Moxxie's got a shit ton of stupid moments that pretty much carried at least a bulk of the plot so I should list them all before anyone else. So here goes

1) Moxxie made up pointless background stories for both himself and Millie. You two are on an assassination mission, not working as spies to gather information and shit. Even if you did need information, you didn't need to come up with too-complicated backstories for a simple hit

2) Moxxie completely ignores his wife's pointing out of the culprit. While he may have a point in that they shouldn't just assume shit, the culprit was so painfully fucking obvious that the guy should have been the first option they tried. Didn't Sherlock Holmes say in the book he comes from something about 'eliminating the obvious'? That means, by never investigating the most obvious thing about their case, it just makes Moxxie look even more inept at investigating if he covered all options except for the most obvious one

3) Moxxie just went up to a bunch of pre-teen girls, hijacked their conversation with bits of made-up info that just sounds so damn cringe as it goes on, and just expected that to work. It's like, even if he hadn't talked to a lot of teens before, especially while he was growing up, wouldn't he still see them around as he goes around town in any ring? Hear them talk? Could his upbringing really leave him so clueless that he would think that telling a bunch of teens who never met you before about periods would endear you to them? Even just spewing out stuff about yourself like it's trivia, does that really sound all that welcoming?

4) Moxxie decides to get so butthurt that a bunch of pre-teens don't like him that not only does he berate Millie for fitting in so effortlessly but also decides to care more about getting their approval than actually. Sure, throughout the week, he is watching through binoculars, no doubt trying to find the culprit, but he still lashed out at Millie because it still mattered more to him that he didn't get the kids' approval while his wife did. It was super damn obvious in the choice of words and how they were said so it was all so stupid, the kind of priorities Moxxie had. It never even occurred to Moxxie to use Millie's popularity to find answers. Seriously, if Moxxie couldn't get info, then why not Millie? Those kids would have told her anything she wanted to know

5) There was a little moment when Moxxie met up with Blitzo again. Blitzo says that he's trying to find his sister, kicks down the door, and yells out Barbie's name. Barbie yells Blitz's name back. Moxxie still asks is Blitzo knows her. And since there's fucking circus pictures of Blitzo and Barbie hung up in the office, then how the hell does Moxxie not have any inkling of Barbie's existence prior? Even without the pictures, and even though Barbie was disguised, the whole scene of Blitzo and Barbie meeting up with each other combined with Blitzo saying that he's looking for his sister makes it pretty damn obvious

Now a stupid moment that both Moxxie and Millie share together is that they don't try all that hard to keep up the charade that at least Moxxie thought was so important to maintain. It's even stupider for Moxxie because he's the one who made up the cover story that they're brother and sister. Yet Moxxie's complimenting Millie like he's attracted to her while they're on stage and still disguised as brother and sister. Then they fucking fuck on stage in front of cameras, because they decide that they're so horny that they simply shouldn't care where the fuck they are or who's watching to literally fuck around. Honestly, Blitzo might not even needed to try all that hard to watch Millie and Moxxie have sex since it's like that. No wonder Moxxie never found out until the episode Ozzie's that Blitzo has watched him and Millie do it a shit ton of times

Let's not leave Blitzo out of the equation, too. For the most part, he was a selfish jackass for creepily investigating the whereabouts of his sister who didn't want anything to do with him. The thing is, he apparently wanted to meet up with said sister so damn badly that he completely neglected a mission that came up. Blitzo had the fucking gall to chew Moxxie out for being so incompetent at this mission when it was thanks to Moxxie being incompetent that Blitzo even got to see his sister in the first place. Seriously, Blitzo might have just ran into a dead end or even gotten a hurt or dead sister because Moxxie had a braincell and didn't stop Millie from investigating the boathouse. Really, he's upset at Moxxie's ineptitude this episode but that's exactly what ended up doing him a solid this time. Besides, Blitzo also gave the mission to Moxxie to handle because he decided his company and the job a client came with didn't matter nearly as much as finding his sister so what place did Blitzo have to get on Moxxie's case for taking an entire damn week?

Even without all that, there's still the fact that Blitzo still acted like there was any remote chance in the end that Barbie was actually going to take him back. The asshole makes Barbie out to be the bitch for never contacting him, especially when she got of rehab - which is massively hypocritical given the fact that, in order to be shocked that Barbie checked out months ago, Blitzo had to go for that long without ever contacting his sister himself - accused Barbie of making Blitzo go through investigating and searching for her despite the fact it was entirely voluntary on his part, and never called off the hit that would leave Barbie without a job yet Blitzo still offered a chance to catch up like everything's going to be hunky-dory

Oh, and let's not forget a fucking huge-ass plot hole that makes Blitzo and also the rest of I.M.P. huge-ass idiots concerning the entire fucking premise of the series. At least, what was supposed to be the premise. I'm talking about the Asmodean Crystals. Apparently, those crystals are even better than the Grimoire in every possible way. Far more portable than the Grimoire, could easily avoid situations where you need to escape like in Truth Seekers because there'd be no spell to read or look at, and the crystals provide disguises that the Grimoire apparently doesn't - or maybe I.M.P. were too stupid to even think of trying and using spells from the book that would provide disguises. Yet no one in I.M.P. has a fucking crystal. No one even brings it up after Loona asked about disguises in Spring Broken. How the hell does anyone go for this long, almost halfway in season 2, without even thinking about getting a crystal? Millie might be one thing because she's someone living kind of isolated, at least not as crowded-looking as Pride or Greed seem to be, and she's never characterized as someone who goes out of her way to fixate on details. As long as things are fine, there's no need to think all that deeply. But what about Loona or Moxxie or Blitzo? Loona was the one who first brought up disguises so why the fuck wouldn't she also bring up the crystals at any point? She called the imps out for being so stupid to not have disguises, even if it was in worry for her own well-being, so why didn't Loona check with anyone about getting some damn crystals? Moxxie is the one most fixated on details and should have known about the different ways to go up to the surface. If not, he would have researched it; he seems like the type to do that. Blitzo is the one who's trying to start up his damn business. Even if he's a lazy ass who pushes his work onto others so that he doesn't have to do any heavy lifting for his company, you'd think that Blitzo would at least find some way to go up to the surface in the first place. He went to steal the Grimoire because he knew that was a way to do it. Did Blitzo really not look into more options than stealing a powerful book that a Geotia would definitely notice if it was missing? How the fuck did Blitzo think that mugging some cubi demons for their crystals would be too much work and/or be too dangerous than stealing the fucking Grimoire?

[sapphire-weapon]

I’m just gonna say that I think ur being a wee bit too harsh on remake 2 Leon with saying everything is his fault because a lot of it is timing and no one would know what to do in that moment.

With the gas station dude, the only thing Leon does wrong is distract the dude by calling out to him, the zombie is on top of the guy in a second after that and biting a chunk of flesh off of him— I think anyone would be frozen in shock in that moment.

Also with Ben, Leon has no idea if Ben is a criminal and why he’s even locked up in the first place— they only hear Mr. X for a moment before he busts through the wall and Leon can’t shoot without shooting Ben in the face too, you see Leon try to aim the gun or find another point to shoot but it’s too late by that point. Also Leon has no idea about Mr. X at this point and arguably, Ben has clearly been safer in his jail cell so far, so of course Leon hesitates to let someone who could potential be a dangerous criminal out on top of everything going on. I’m pretty sure him saying ‘I’ll have to ask chief irons’ was before they heard anything and the guy was just asking to be let out — also Im pretty sure it is him covering himself to get more time to figure out what to do with Ben or get my information of why Ben is in there in the first place. He’s in jail, someone who is a trained cop is gonna hesitate before opening up his cell.

Also another thing I just wanted add that Leon doesn’t trust Ada, it’s what he says to her at the end ‘I realized as much as I wanted to trust you I didn’t’ so obviously he regonize she was shady but what else was he going to do in that situation besides take her at her word, after the fact she showed him her badge and has knowledge about the situation. how is he gonna guess that she’s a super secret mercenary that’s using him to steal this secret virus to sell

While I get what you are trying to say, I don’t think saying he’s a complete idiot makes much sense when it’s just how, a normal person would react to things. In fact I think he did a bit better considering the circumstances. Just my two sense tho, def not attacking u or anything, just noticed ur post in the tag and wanted to add my perspective to it since I’ve been like, religiously playing that game rn 😭.

But homie, what you're saying is exactly my point.

Leon was the everyman in RE2. He didn't have military experience like Chris and Jill -- and he wasn't raised a Redfield like Claire -- so he was never taught how to handle a legitimate combat situation. So, he did, for the most part, what a normal person would do in that situation. And that was the problem. It wasn't a normal situation, so reacting like a normal person ended with people dying.

Well. Actually no he doesn't get a pass on Ada, even still. Even if he didnt trust her completely, that bitch was in a tight dress and stilettos and Leon still looked at her and was like "yeah I mean I guess it could be possible that she's FBI." Like. No, dumbass. Stop thinking with your dick. You're not in a noir film.

The journey through Leon's character development was that he had to step outside of his normal bubble and into the actual literal nightmare that Raccoon City really was. He does eventually learn that lesson, but unfortunately, it's one that he learns too late. By the time he gets there, there's already a bodycount.

So in RE4make, he can't be that everyman anymore if his mission has any chance of succeeding. He has to be more than the everyman. He can't hesitate, he can't hope that things will work out okay. He has to own every single one of his decisions, the chances he takes have to be calculated, and he can't fall into the same well-meaning traps.

Leon can't be held to "normal people" standards. To do so erases the progression of his character arc. And he doesn't hold himself to those standards, either. He has to be better, because if he isn't, people will die. That was the lesson he had to learn.

When I criticize Leon for his flaws, I'm not hating on him or trying to be mean. His flaws create the conflict that fuels his story -- and that's what makes him a good character.

Within the context of the story itself, what would normally be seen as virtuous qualities in a person are actually the problem. And that's what makes him so sympathetic and compelling. You want to root for him because he's trying so hard to do the right thing, but him doing the right thing is what gets people killed.

I love him for that.

[contentment-of-cats]

More Thyrondi

H*rny nonsense below the line. 

They are officers of the Empire, first and foremost. Rynn Pyrondi knows that and takes great pride in her commission, her specialty, being a part of the Seventh, and most of all being bridge crew for the Chimaera. They consistently win at the Ascension Week war games, and this year Rynn 'commanded' a simulated combat module of an Arquetiens-class facing off against an insurgent task force - and won. Her AI-generated crew casualties were light, damage to the virtual ship enough for a stay at Kuat if real, and post-game there were things that she would have done differently. 

True to form, Chimaerans celebrate wins together. 

The table is loaded with food and drink, with Thrawn and Faro at the head of it.

"So where are you staying, Pyro?" Agral asks.

"I booked a week at Aurum on Scaui." Rynn opens her datapad and shows off. "When you're stationed on an ISD, you save a lot of money. It's not like Lothal is a hotbed of luxury. Aurum is built around hot springs and a grand casino, though she's more in it for the hot springs. "I got a cottage, and you just walk out to the springs or swim up to a submerged port."

Thrawn levels a look at her. "I do not need to lecture on counting cards."

"No sir."

"Or on drinking frozen, fruit-flavored alcohol beverages in containers the size of your head."

"No sir." The server set down a Corellian Swerve next to her as Thrawn and Faro’s eyebrows cock in unison. "In my defense, sirs, it is smaller than my head."

The next morning, the shuttle to Aurum is posh and quiet, and Rynn finds it hard to nap without the sounds of an ISD around her. The vibration of engines, the sound of environmental support, the press of gravitics have sung her to sleep for the past five years. The little cottage is the size of senior officers' quarters, but to a senior lieutenant with three bunkmates in a single room, it's the very height of luxury. There's a lounge, a bedroom, and a bath that is all about hot water and a mysterious variety of taps, two tubs, and a shower you can share with three close friends - though Rynn hopes one in particular got the hint. 

She unpacks her duffel, then treats herself to a fragrant bath in the smaller of the two tubs - water to her shoulders. After that, a full-body blowdry and a thick, soft robe conspire to relax her so hard that Rynn staggers to the bed and falls gracelessly in. There are even controls for firmness, temperature, and even gravity from 'hold me down' to zero. 

So nice. 

So-

~

Thrawn hoists himself over the lip of the underwater entrance, warm from the springs and the swim. He hopes that he correctly interpreted the information as a hint to show up here. Rynn and he are… closer than before. They are 'friends with benefits' as she says. 

The cottage is dark, Thrawn having waited to make his swim under the cover of the moonless world's dark night. Could she have gone to the casino? He was only half joking about counting cards, but Rynn was exceptionally good at dicing games and roulette - to the point of being booted from four Coruscant casinos in her academy years. He lifts his head, scenting the air - human women love perfumery and he smells nightblooms along with the peculiar sweet musk of humans. He towels off and puts on dry clothing out of a sense of respect and propriety before entering the main part of the accommodation.

Rynn is not in the lounge, but in the bedroom, curled up in a massive robe and dead asleep. Thrawn pauses, taking in the peaceful expression, then moving quietly to her side. He should let her sleep, but instead he lies down next to her - and with a sleepy mumble Rynn rolls to him.

"-took ya."

"I was uncertain as to the implied invitation." Warm Human rolling atop him, and she is wearing not a stitch under that robe. Thrawn undertakes a swift investigation to confirm his findings. 

"I was trying for subtle. Not my strongest hand." 

Indeed, Rynn is as direct as a turbolaser blast. "You smell good." 

And she does. He's learned that 'horny' humans smell like pastry wanting to be eaten. Eli confused him at first by smelling of snowberry cream tarts, while Rynn smells of a spice roll. It's a double-edged blade. Thrawn did not really want to associate the scent of chocolate whisky cake with Tarkin, but here he is and Faro on the make smells like buttercream frosting. The Chimaera crew can at times fool his nose into thinking he's in a bakeshop.

His stomach rumbles and Rynn laughs. "Hungry or horny?"

"One does not preclude the other." He has both hands under her robe, ranging across warm and delicate Human skin. Nothing under the robe - confirmed. She wriggles atop him and his sex tries to punch its way out. Rynn spoils him with her appetites, but also with tender treatment. 

"There's room service and you have too much clothing on."

"Again, I had no wish to presume."

Rynn kisses him, lips parting and for long moments there is only the dance of tongues and his hands on her buttocks. Kissing Rynn requires all his attention, as it's just the first offering in her feast. This is a woman who downloaded the Chimaera's ductwork profile and figured out how to get into his quarters so that they could fall madly in bed together, after all.

Perhaps he should presume. 

He rolls with her in his arms, pressing her into the incredible softness of this bed. Human sleeping nests are for their eight-hour sleeps, and they are so very warm. He breaks the kiss and looks down at her, spreading the robe open like unwrapping a present. If she reminds him of anything, it's of a Rendate marble - insouciant smile, hair spread across the pillow, breasts just enough to fill his hands. His civilian tunic goes flying, undershirt in its wake, and her hands make short work of his belt and trousers. 

Her fingers trace the rise under his blacks, tease their way in and stroke the slit as his sex pushes against it. He is in control of himself, thank you, and has only one head to which thinking is delegated. 

"You like being a terrible tease." 

"It's not a tease if I fully intend to deliver." She slips her arms out of the robe, then pushes his trousers and blacks down his hips. There is no rank in bed, and Rynn is bossy until she isn't. "Too much clothing. I want you naked."

Thrawn rolls off Rynn and sends his trousers and blacks after his tunic and undershirt.

Then he pounces. 

Rynn is smaller than Eli, with the same color skin and eyes, but 'red' hair. Also like Eli, she likes a tussle. They disorder the bed and each other, her hair coming loose and her fingers carding through his own. He pins her by virtue of size and experience, with her legs over his shoulders and his mouth on her - and resistance crumbles as he laps her open, tasting the salt-sweet of her, breathing in her musk, and savoring the long, soft susurration of her surrender. Thrawn lays her down, spreads her open, and feasts.

[di-daynamic]

@fluffbruary Day 4

Sometimes, I dream of my father.

It is not something I tell my mother about. No one can say Anemone Cresta-Odair is weak, but there is something … otherworldly about her. Times where I think she’s perpetually stuck in a daydream.

I know of her and my aunts’ and uncles’ history, of course. The Hunger Games. It is odd to think that if I were but born a year or two prior, my parents would have feared me being reaped and thrust into the arena. Rightly, of course. Children of victors, my Aunt Johanna told me when I asked her about Aunt Katniss and Uncle Peeta’s lack of children, had a history of pulling the oh-so-lucky card. Or getting it pulled for them by Coriolanus Snow, who had been President for close to four decades.

My Aunt Johanna has an odd sense of humour. Morbid, honestly.

My mother tells me she was my father’s best friend. She says my father had a lot of friends, but the people he was closest to were fellow victors. Aunt Johanna. Old Man Haymitch. Uncle Beetee. Aunt Katniss. Enobaria. And ones who were dead: Blight. Lyme. Cecelia. Gloss. Nero.

I asked about Uncle Peeta, but I never got an answer till my history unit covered that period. How they’d had bare weeks together when he was in his right mind.

I wonder if I would have known had my father lived.

My life has been defined by my lack of a father. My father, who was a Hunger Games victor, and a rebellion hero.

I know my mother tries to shield me from it.

And she did succeed, to an extent. But my last name is famous. And my naivete could have never been continued forever.

And I wonder, often. How my father died – because I know it was mutts in the Capitol, and Aunt Katniss was there, but she and my mother never answer that particular question either. Would he have given me the talk my best friend Lavash was complaining so much about. What he thought was the best weather to go fishing in. If he ever got sick of comments comparing the colour of his eyes to the foam of the sea. If he liked the feel of the sand between his toes or the wind ruffling his hair better. If he would’ve liked me. If he would’ve wanted me.

I suppose it doesn’t really matter. He isn’t here. The best I can do is listen in when the adults get maudlin after every reunion/party and reminisce and carefully try to piece together the kind of person he was.

I may know that logically, but my dreams are vivid and my rest is fitful.

I come by it honestly. Every single one of the adults in my life is tormented by night terrors.

Mine aren’t terrors, though. Not usually.

You could even call them daydreams. Sometimes I look up at my ceiling and imagine these scenarios, continue them from where they ended in my rest.

Sometimes I see us in the glittering spires of the old Capitol. Sometimes in the house in Victors’ Village he used to own that my mother and I vacation in. Sometimes on the beach. Never in the cozy cottage I call home. He smiles at me. He waves me over. We talk. My mother is there too, making brief appearances, but mostly it’s just the two of us. He tells the horrible jokes Aunt Katniss and Aunt Johanna say he used to make. He radiates a wise melancholy that my Uncle Peeta tells me he showed when he consoled him in the arena or post their reunion during the Siege. His smile is kind, like my mother portrays it, or Uncle Peeta draws it.

Aunt Johanna says love creates a bias so I shouldn’t take their word as the truth. Aunt Katniss counters that love is what allows us to see others properly, and that does she really think the version of Finnick Odair in the public and posters and movies is more accurate than theirs?

I don’t really get it, but the consensus is that love and kindness is good – it’s what my family fought for in the Rebellion after all – so I plod along.

I see in him everything that people tell me I physically inherited from him - the bronze skin. The eyes. The nose. The cheekbones. The height. The wide forehead.

I inform him about my own life. He listens as though he considers it valuable information. I tell him about the cottage, of the primroses and rues that bloom nearby which Aunt Katniss loves, about the vines and creepers that Aunt Johanna taught me to climb to sneak back home, the porch where my mother sits with her friends and lemonade and books and laughs, the dining table where I studiously carved the initials of the entire family, the kitchen where I accidentally dumped flour all over Uncle Peeta when he taught me to bake, the stairs that squeak, the blue stain on the carpet from some goo that can never be removed.

I complain about school and the recess time I’ve never enjoyed because mingling with people is never something I can do. Pre-ordained talking, I’m good at. Talking to people without structure leaves me tongue-tied and awkward and nervous, which never feels good, especially with how charismatic I am told my father was. He reassures me.

I describe to him the journey to the old District Twelve for the Anniversary celebrations. How we stay in Aunt Katniss and Uncle Peeta’s house. How I chase the geese in Haymitch’s garden and he pretends to yell at me and mockingly offers me a drink before my mother and Uncle Peeta yell at him and Aunt Katniss and Aunt Johanna and Uncle Beetee and Enobaria sit and laugh till they cry.

I tell him of the little disappointments and hurts: the one mark that put me below passing grade. The splinter I got while getting wood. My mother scolding me for pulling a stunt with the boys. Managing to get mud all over my clothes after slipping on the frozen pool. A dent in my favourite toy.

But I also tell him of the little spots of happiness that brighten everything: Aunt Katniss pointing out the first snowdrop. The warmth of the fire when my entire family is together and talking happily. The feeling of a snowflake melting on my tongue. Getting a question right. The burst of flavours from Uncle Peeta’s baked goods. The giddiness at making Haymitch smile. Laughing with exertion after racing with the boys. Seeing a Very Good on a test paper. The dizziness when Aunt Johanna picks me up and spins me around.

Everything about my mother, who is the most amazing, brave, incredible, strong, smart person to ever live.

These dreams leave me feeling tingly all over.

Occasionally, I wish I could be in them forever.

But then I hear the boys calling for me. I see my mother smiling at me. I see pieces of my family all over my lived-in, picturesque house and life. I remember the happy moments I describe.

The loss of my father is gaping, but it isn’t all consuming.

And I decide real life isn’t all that bad.

And I live in a way I hope would make him proud.