#the 'and what happens after?' is always the most interesting question to me in disaster scenarios

[saturdaysky]

Midst s2e8: I forgot to check the title but it's the one in Stationary Hill after the tearror

Oh!! We get to see the aftermath of the tearror on Midst! I'm so interested in this

I'm so glad they added a "stepping on glass" sound effect for the line "stepping over the shattered remains of the Postmaster." I laughed very meanly

I'm curious about what happened to Saskia that makes her hear in double

TWO Saskias? Did I guess clone Saskia correctly in the tearror episode?? I did!!! :D

The pneumatic crystal tree growing out of the remains of the Trust counting machine sounds very pretty

Joe's GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG (i laughed)

Oh!!!!! It's Lark's dog! Landlord lived!

Saskia's a good one 🥺

[rispwr]

If i were you i'd do me - JK - MDNI - 1

pairingsfuckboy! jk x fem! reader, established relationship, mentions of smart! namjoon x oc, slow burn

contents/warnings rich! oc, nepo! oc, fuckboy! jk, rich! jk, slight love triangle, degrading, smut, unprotected xxx, spoiled! oc, tit lover! jk, big c! jk, missionary, fingering, semi-public xxx

taglist> comment if yall wanna be added

contextJungkook, the notorious campus heartbreaker and player, unexpectedly becomes your groupmate alongside Namjoon, the guy you’ve secretly admired for ages. However, it seems your feelings have started shifting from Namjoon to someone else entirely unexpected…

two or three part series

The lecture hall buzzed with low murmurs and the shuffling of papers as students settled into their seats. I sat quietly, tapping my pen against the edge of my notebook, my thoughts drifting in and out as I half-listened to the professor’s voice at the front of the room. My mind kept wandering, anticipating who I would be grouped with for this project. Please, please let it be Namjoon.

Namjoon had been my quiet crush since the first day of university. He was everything you’d want in a guy: smart, kind, and effortlessly hot. The kind of guy who always knew the answer to the professor’s most complicated questions, who smiled in that soft, unassuming way that made you feel like you were the only person in the room. It didn’t help that he had these deep dimples that appeared whenever he smiled, making my heart race just a little faster each time I saw them.

But as the professor continued to rattle off group assignments, I was growing more nervous. He hadn’t mentioned my name yet, and that gnawing anxiety at the pit of my stomach told me I wasn’t going to get lucky.

“And next,” Professor Lee announced, glancing at the list on his clipboard. “Y/N, you’ll be partnered with Jeon Jungkook.”

The room seemed to freeze for a moment. My eyes widened in disbelief, and a heavy weight dropped in my chest. No. No, no, no. This couldn’t be happening.

I glanced to my left where Jungkook sat, his usual cocky grin plastered across his annoyingly handsome face. He caught my eye and, as if on cue, that grin widened into a playful smirk. My fingers tightened around the pen in my hand, nearly snapping it in two. Of all the people on this campus, I had to be grouped with him.

Jungkook was notorious around the university for being a player. His reputation for breaking hearts and leaving a trail of jilted girls behind him was almost as well-known as his stupidly good looks. Muscular build, sharp jawline, tattooed arm—it was no wonder girls threw themselves at him. But I wasn’t interested. In fact, I despised him. He was always teasing me, always pushing my buttons in the worst ways possible. We couldn’t be more different.

And yet, fate—or Professor Lee—had thrown us together for this project.

I could already feel the irritation bubbling up in me as I forced myself to break eye contact with Jungkook, turning my attention back to the professor, hoping against hope for something—anything—that would make this less of a nightmare.

“And Namjoon,” Professor Lee continued, reading the next name on his list. “You’ll be in the same group as well.”

For a moment, I blinked, my brain taking a second to catch up. Wait—what?

I couldn’t help the tiny smile that tugged at my lips. Namjoon. Namjoon was in my group. Maybe this wasn’t going to be such a disaster after all.

I glanced over at Namjoon, who was sitting a couple of rows ahead of me. He turned in his seat, meeting my eyes, and gave me that warm, dimpled smile that never failed to make my heart skip a beat. I smiled back, feeling a tiny spark of hope. Maybe Jungkook’s presence wouldn’t be so unbearable if Namjoon was around.

Still, the fact that I had to work with Jungkook was an annoyance I couldn’t shake. As the class continued and Professor Lee finished the assignments, I couldn’t help but shoot a glare in Jungkook’s direction. He, of course, was still smirking at me, clearly enjoying the fact that this was bothering me.

Once the professor dismissed the class, I packed up my things slowly, waiting for Namjoon to come over. I didn’t want to seem too eager, but my heart was already beating faster at the thought of spending time with him.

“Hey, Y/N,” Namjoon said as he approached, his voice soft and warm. “I’m really sorry, but I’m not free to meet today. I’ve got some meetings and a lot on my plate.”

My smile faltered, but I quickly masked it with a nod. “That’s okay! We can always work on it later this week.”

“Yeah, definitely,” Namjoon said, flashing me that kind smile again before turning to leave. I watched him go, feeling a slight pang of disappointment. I’d been looking forward to spending more time with him, but at least we’d have other days.

As Namjoon left the room, I turned back to gather my things, fully expecting to leave right after. But then I noticed that the room had grown strangely quiet. Too quiet. Everyone else had left, except for one person.

Jungkook.

I looked up, and there he was, still sitting at his desk, his eyes locked on me with an expression I couldn’t quite read. For a moment, we just stared at each other in silence. I tried to ignore the flutter of nervous energy building in my stomach.

Without warning, Jungkook stood up and began walking toward me with slow, deliberate steps. My pulse quickened. There was something about the way he moved, something almost predatory, that made my breath catch in my throat.

I forced myself to stand my ground, even as he came closer, his presence almost suffocating in its intensity. When he stopped just inches away from me, I found myself pressed back against the wall without even realizing it. My heart was pounding in my chest now, and I could feel a flush rising to my cheeks.

“What do you want, Jungkook?” I asked, trying to sound as indifferent as possible, though my voice came out shakier than I’d like.

Jungkook tilted his head slightly, his gaze never leaving mine. His lips curved into that maddeningly cocky smile I hated so much, the one that made it seem like he knew exactly what I was thinking.

“What’s wrong, Y/N? Not happy about being paired with me?” His voice was low, teasing, but there was an edge to it that I couldn’t quite place.

I glared at him, trying to keep my cool despite the sudden closeness of his body to mine. “You know exactly why I’m not happy.”

He chuckled, and the sound sent an unexpected shiver down my spine. “Why do you always assume the worst of me?”

“Maybe because you act like a player, Jungkook.”

The smile on his face faltered just slightly, but only for a brief second before it was back again, even more infuriating than before. “If you think I’m going to fuck you like I do with the others, you’re wrong.” He leaned in, his lips brushing my ear as he whispered, “Though, I have to admit… you’re already thinking about me, aren’t you?”

My breath caught in my throat, and for a moment, I couldn’t speak. The audacity of him. I hated how he was getting under my skin, how my body was reacting even though my mind was screaming at me to push him away.

“You’ve been fucking me with your eyes all day, Jeon,” I shot back, trying to regain some control over the situation, though my voice betrayed me.

He let out a low chuckle, his hand coming up to gently brush a strand of hair behind my ear. The touch was soft, intimate, and it sent a ripple of heat through me. “Hm, bratty. I like that,” he muttered, his voice laced with amusement.

Jungkook’s gaze dropped to my lips for a moment before meeting my eyes again, and his next words sent a shockwave of tension through the room. “One day, Y/N. One day.”

I clenched my jaw, trying to suppress the rush of emotions flooding through me. “You wish,” I muttered, pushing past him, my heart racing as I left the room.

But even as I walked away, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of his gaze lingering on me, and the dangerous promise hanging in the air between us.

I had barely drifted off to sleep when the sharp buzz of my phone jolted me awake. I groaned, blinking at the clock. It was 2 a.m. Who could possibly be texting me at this hour?

Reaching over to grab my phone, I squinted at the screen. Of course.

it's jungkook

The morning sun filtered through the campus as I made my way toward class, still fuming from Jungkook’s obnoxious texts the night before. I hadn't replied after his last message, but it had taken everything in me to resist throwing my phone across the room. I couldn’t afford any more distractions today—I had to focus on this group project.

After class, I sent a message to both Namjoon and Jungkook, asking them to meet me at the library. They both replied with a quick "yes," but I couldn't shake the feeling that this was not gonna go well

The library was a sea of activity, but our corner was a bubble of escalating tension. Namjoon and I had been discussing some preliminary ideas when Jungkook strolled in, his usual confident swagger in full display. He slid into the chair next to me with a grin that made me feel both anxious and irritated.

“Morning, everyone,” Jungkook said, looking around the table. He glanced at Namjoon with a challenge in his eyes before turning his attention to me. “Let’s get this project rolling.”

Namjoon’s expression shifted subtly from polite to guarded. “Morning, Jungkook. We were just about to outline our approach. We thought starting with a structured plan would be best.”

Jungkook smirked. “Structured plan? Sounds like a surefire way to kill any chance of creativity. Why don’t we start by brainstorming some wild ideas and see where that takes us?”

Namjoon’s eyes narrowed. “Brainstorming is great, but if we just dive in without a plan, we’ll end up with a mess. You need structure to keep things on track. Or are you just trying to avoid putting in the actual work?”

Jungkook leaned back, crossing his arms. “Avoiding work? That’s rich coming from you. Your idea of structure is basically setting up a boring checklist. Creativity doesn’t fit into a neat little box.”

Namjoon scoffed. “And your approach is just to throw ideas at the wall and see what sticks? That’s not exactly groundbreaking. It’s like hoping for a miracle instead of actually planning for success.”

I felt my frustration bubbling up as their argument intensified. They were clearly not going to back down, and their petty comments were only making things worse.

Jungkook’s tone was mocking. “Oh, right. Because your idea is so much better. Let’s just stick to the same old formula and hope for a pat on the back. How original.”

Namjoon shot back with equal disdain. “Better than relying on vague, half-baked ideas that have no real direction. At least with structure, we can ensure everything’s covered. But I guess you wouldn’t understand that because you’re too busy chasing after girls."

Their barbed comments continued to fly, and I could see their tempers rising. The petty back-and-forth was not only unproductive but also frustrating. I needed to step in before things got out of hand.

“Enough!” I said, my voice cutting through their argument. “This is a fucking group project, not a battleground for your egos. I’m tired of listening to you two trash each other’s ideas. We need to find a way to work together, not tear each other down.”

Jungkook and Namjoon looked at me, surprised by my outburst. Jungkook’s smirk had faded, replaced by a look of frustration, while Namjoon’s expression softened into a more serious one.

“I get that you both have strong opinions,” I continued, “but this constant fighting isn’t helping us. We need to find a middle ground and actually get something done.”

Namjoon nodded, though his frustration was still evident. “Alright. We can start with a basic outline and then use brainstorming to refine our ideas. But we need to work together and stop comparing our approaches in a negative way.”

Jungkook’s jaw tightened, but he agreed. “Fine. We’ll try to blend the ideas. But let’s not pretend that sticking to a rigid structure is the only way to succeed.”

With a sigh, I turned my attention to the project, hoping that their petty arguments would finally subside. The atmosphere was tense, but we needed to focus on making progress.

As we began to work, Jungkook and Namjoon continued to exchange glances, but the competitive edge had softened, if only slightly. The project started to come together, despite the earlier conflict. Their combined skills and knowledge were proving valuable, even if the process had been rocky.

The tension between them didn’t disappear completely, but the focus shifted back to the project. I hoped that, with time, we could find a way to collaborate more effectively and leave the petty arguments behind. For now, though, I was just relieved that we were making some progress.

As the afternoon wore on, we finally wrapped up our work on the project. The tension had eased somewhat, and while Jungkook and Namjoon were still exchanging occasional glances, the project was moving in the right direction. I packed up my things, exhausted and ready to collapse on my bed.

As I was about to leave, both Jungkook and Namjoon approached me at the same time. Their expressions were hopeful, clearly looking for a way to end the day on a positive note.

"Hey, Y/N," Jungkook said, flashing a charming smile. "How about we grab dinner together? I know this great new place nearby."

Namjoon chimed in almost simultaneously. "Actually, Y/N, I was thinking we could go out for dinner too. It'd be nice to unwind and talk more about the project."

I sighed, feeling the exhaustion hit me hard. The last thing I wanted was to deal with more socializing, especially given how the day had gone. I just wanted to go home, eat something simple, and crash.

"Thanks, but I'm really not up for it," I said, trying to keep my tone as polite as possible despite my irritation. "I'm tired and just want to head home."

Jungkook's smile faltered slightly. "Come on, Y/N. It'll be fun. We can relax and enjoy ourselves."

Namjoon, noticing Jungkook's persistence, added, "Yeah, it'll be a good break from all the work. Plus, we can discuss the project more informally."

I looked at both of them, feeling a surge of frustration. Their attitudes today had been less than stellar, and I was fed up with their petty arguing. I shook my head, turning on my heel and heading towards the exit.

"I'm really not interested," I said over my shoulder. "You two figure it out yourselves."

As I walked away, I could hear Jungkook and Namjoon start to bicker. Their voices carried through the library, each of them blaming the other for my refusal.

"See what you did?" Jungkook's voice was laced with annoyance. "You pushed her away with your rigid attitude. She was already pissed off before you even said anything."

Namjoon shot back, his tone sharp. "My attitude? You're the one who couldn't stop acting like a fuckboy all day. Maybe if you had been a little more respectful, things wouldn't have ended up this way."

Jungkook's eyes flashed with anger. "Oh, that's rich coming from you. At least I'm not some nerd who can't get out of his own head. You think you're so superior with your so-called 'structure' and 'organization.'"

Namjoon's face reddened. "Better to be a 'nerd' than a shallow idiot who only knows how to fuck his way through life. Maybe if you took things more seriously, you wouldn't be in this mess."

The argument escalated quickly, with Jungkook and Namjoon exchanging heated insults. I could hear them accusing each other of ruining the evening, each blaming the other for my decision to leave. Their pettiness was almost comical, but I had no intention of sticking around to watch their drama unfold.

I finally made it home, the familiar comfort of my apartment offering a welcome reprieve from the chaos of the day. I dropped my bag by the door and headed straight for my room, craving the solace of my bed. To my surprise, I found Hoseok, my best friend, lounging on my bed with a relaxed grin on his face.

“Hoseok? What are you doing here?” I asked, my frustration from the day still bubbling beneath the surface.

Hoseok looked up, his smile widening. “Surprise! I thought I’d drop by and hang out. actually your mom called me to hang out with her. we ended up shopping and getting spa today. but anyways why do u look sad? want me to cheer you up?”

I sank onto the edge of my bed, letting out a heavy sigh. “Cheer me up? I think I need to vent first. You have no idea how frustrating today was.”

Hoseok sat up, giving me his full attention. “Alright, let it out. What happened?”

I started pacing the room, my frustration pouring out in a torrent. “It’s Jungkook. He’s been driving me insane. The guy’s a total fuckboy, and he’s so full of himself. I can’t stand how he just ignores everything and acts like he’s the only one who knows what’s best. And then Namjoon—he’s been acting so stuck up too, but at least he’s not as infuriating as Jungkook. I just wish Jungkook would disappear.”

Hoseok listened intently, nodding sympathetically. “You know what they say? The more you hate, the more you love.”

I stopped mid-sentence, turning to him with a look of confusion. “What? Are you serious right now? I like Namjoon. Jungkook is the last person I’d ever want to be involved with.”

Hoseok raised an eyebrow, a teasing glint in his eye. “Then why is Jungkook the only one you talk about? It sounds to me like he’s really getting under your skin.”

I threw my hands up in exasperation. “Because he’s impossible! He’s always around, always stirring up trouble. I’m just so done with him.”

Hoseok chuckled, leaning back against the pillows. “It’s funny how the people we argue with the most are often the ones who matter to us the most. You and Jungkook seem to have this weird dynamic. Maybe it’s not just hatred.”

I shook my head, still trying to make sense of Hoseok’s words. “I don’t know, Hoseok. I just want things to be simple. I don’t want to be tangled up in all this mess. Namjoon’s straightforward, and I can actually see a future with him.”

Hoseok’s expression softened, and he gave me a reassuring smile. “I get it. It’s easier to focus on the people who seem like they’re a better fit, like Namjoon. But sometimes, those people who challenge us and push our buttons are the ones who end up being more significant than we realize.”

I sat down next to Hoseok, feeling a bit more grounded. “I guess you have a point. It’s just hard to deal with all this drama. I need some space from Jungkook and just want to focus on what makes me happy.”

Hoseok reached over and patted my shoulder. “Well, I’m here for you. If you need to vent or just hang out and not think about any of this, I’m your guy. We can order some takeout, watch a movie, and just talk shit i don't know.”

I smiled, feeling a wave of relief wash over me. “That sounds good. Thanks for being here, Hoseok. I really needed this.”

[comicaurora]

If YouTube shuts down in five years or if the channel stops doing well or if you just burn out or whatever, what’s your backup career? I feel like a lot of “content creators” become super specialized into doing content creation stuff

This question is interesting, because you've given voice to one of the anxieties it took me the longest to overcome.

My thesis on life is you can't live in any sort of healthy manner if you're constantly planning for the worst case scenario - what you would do if everything in your life suddenly changed. Like how you can't live comfortably anywhere if you've constantly planning for the next time you'll move out.

For me, that question takes the form "what if youtube suddenly exploded", but everyone has a scenario like that. In fact, everyone has an infinite number of scenarios like that.

What would I do for I living if I got sick or had an accident and could no longer meet the physical demands of my job?

What would I do if I had a breakdown and needed everything to stop?

What's my contingency plan for if my entire company exploded and I got laid off without warning?

What've I got lined up if a global pandemic shut down all in-person jobs?

What's my backup plan if I lost the sense I needed to create the art I specialize in?

What if my mind deteriorated and I could no longer engage with reality at all?

What if technological advancement replaced the need my job currently fills?

What'e my plan for if I lose someone I love and it breaks me?

What will I do if a natural disaster destroys my house?

Where will I live if a meteor hit the earth tomorrow?

The idea that "content creators" overspecialize ignores the fact that most people get very comfortable doing the thing they spend most of their time doing, and very rarely seriously plan for the scenario where their One Thing is ripped away from them and they have to find something else. The phenomenon of "person loses their job after years of work" is famous for being massively disruptive, and that isn't because everyone in the world is dumb or bad at planning ahead - it's because a disruption like that is a disruption, in the same way that an injury will always hurt. I don't think it's a failing for someone to live their life as it currently exists, just like it isn't a personal failing if someone experiences a catastrophic change and has to readjust. You can't solve a problem that doesn't exist yet, and if it does happen, it'll come with information and parameters that you'll need to actually deal with it rather than just worrying about it.

If youtube explodes, maybe I'd join our other youtube friends on another platform as we all worked to solve the same problem together. Maybe I'd be in a financial position where I wouldn't need an immediate fallback plan and could take uncomplicated time off. Maybe I'd pivot 100% to writing. Maybe I'd drop off the grid and live in the woods for a while. Maybe I'd get serious about pursuing voice acting or theater. Maybe a friend would recommend an opening at their normal person job. Since we're only pondering a hypothetical catastrophe, we can't predict any of the other factors that'd be in play that would actually determine how we'd handle it.

Most of us will experience many life-changing turning points, and in turn get to experience many different lives. I'm very much enjoying this one, but I'm not worried about what the next one might look like. Overplanning will spoil the adventure with needless anxiety - I'll just be excited to explore it whenever it comes.

[s0ft-d3cay]

Small Thoughts and Movements

Shigaraki x Male Reader | Back in time to young blue hair Shigaraki(the new chapter hit me too hard man...), yes another healer reader because I think that's cool...and a happy birthday to the man...(THAT FUCKING CHAPT-) WARNINGS: Mentions of stains arrest, mentions of society being taken down, an underlying tone of desperation from Kurogiri, and angsty Shigaraki, no use of Y/N, reader is called healer by both Shigaraki and Kurogiri, not beta read

WC: 1,409

"How the hell did you know all of this would happen, healer?" Stepping into the bar, Shigaraki reading a newspaper headlining Stain’s arrest while Kurogiri stood behind the bar, silently keeping his area neat. Amusement and questioning swam around the blue haired villain It had barely been a day since your official meet up with him, half expecting him to at least dislike you. Instead, here he is talking to you as if you’ve conversation hundreds of times before. You did love when things worked out for the better.

"And a good afternoon to you too," huffing out a light laugh, walking over to sit in a chair away from him. Impatience took over him, rolling off in waves from your lack of response. Interest moving its way around the both of us from Kurogiri. "Well?" He tilts his head towards the bar, waiting an expression of what you assumed to be boredom if his face wasn’t covered.

"It’s mainly for public complacency. Everyone and anyone are going to be talking about Stain till there’s another ‘disaster,’ like most topics. It’s just a part of the system, once his fame simmers down then it’ll be on to the next one.” He's silent as you finished answering, fidgeting with the newspaper in hand. A feeling of disappointment and regret filled him like vines, crewing all around his being. Even as a leader of a villain group he still acted like a kid. Maybe he still is, you thought.

"What, expecting to headline with your little Nomu tantrum in the same day as Stain THE hero killer’s arrested?" You teased lightly, tone playful. Embarrassment and irritation clouds around him as he huffs, throwing the newspaper down. Conversations between the three of us slowly ramped up after an awakened beat, before Kurogiri speaks up about a ‘Master’.

"Typically, we wait on whatever Master wants us to do, mainly it has been Shigaraki himself recently.” The man behind the bar counter explained. The rest of the nights goes on until the topic of the league comes up again. "What does the league have to accomplish, aside from pressing the re-start button on the hero society, of course?” You asked.

"Collecting as many people as we can with the same mindset is the biggest concern the league has at the moment." Kurogiri answered point blank. "So, beef up all your foot soldiers and Nomu before moving to the final plan of killing All Might?" An air of confidence at your words, filling the leader with pride. The man next to you practically beamed at your words behind the mask. Taking the straightforward approach felt off, missing something important to the cause. Confusion and thoughts running rampant as Shigaraki cut into them. "Not what you were expecting, I assume?"

"Not exactly just, seems to lack a sort of…build up to your endgame. I mean, not even a single small mission planned to lead up to the big boss fight?" Shigaraki pauses to ponder your words, Kurogiri steps in. "You are indeed correct healer, though our plan seems simple, it will take not only time, but efforts to execute it correctly."

"We shouldn’t have too, If it wasn’t for that fucking brat and All Might to always ruin it!” The blue haired man cut in, frustrated with a voice of venom. His hands crumpling and disintegrating the newspaper. "The first year Midoriya, you think he might be caught up in all of this?" Not much of a question, more so a statement you brought up. "…could this potentially be a two sides of the same coin kind of situation?" Intrigued curiosity took over Shigaraki, there was a connection between them, that much was clear.

Kurogiri and you figured that out pretty quick, though the blue haired man couldn’t quite put the pieces together. "Yes, that is what we think. This young child is somehow connected to All Might." Connect by power, you thought not voicing it. To you it was blatantly obvious, the both of them share the same core energy. Only genetically, soulmates, and giving power has that effect. Your quirk had a sort of x-ray vision to people's quirks.

A build up of despair and frustration vines itself around the villain next to you. Wrapping up his legs, arms, and torso, completely suffocating the space around him. He shakes slightly, you could barely feel it, but one tiny sliver of fear was at the center of it all. You analyzed it to be a…familiar fear, his reaction of curling in on his self, and scratching at his neck violently. He then breaths out heavily before standing up and stomps out the door. His emotions are clashing and intertwining as he leaves the building. "My apologies, Shigaraki has a tendency of storming off when things become…overwhelming for him."

"I understand, it can take a lot for planning the end of a society. Let alone having not one, but two people standing in the way of it,” The other villain nods picking up the leftover glass, carefully cleaning it with a white rag. "Nonetheless, having someone such as yourself on our side, gives us a chance at the very least I believe." You nod back agreeing with his words.

He was right, you took a breath, holding up your glass towards Kurogiri. "Whatever it takes to change this world into a better one." Raising the glass before finishing what was left, sliding it over the bar. Standing up, making your way out until you feel apprehension reaching out at every step to the door. "Before you leave, there is something you must know." Pausing a few steps from the door turning away, giving him your full attention.

His emotions had been muted since you first met him. Until now, there is this pressure of thin air reaching out, pulling you in and away like the sea’s tide. It was like someone was wanting to escape but needing to stay for another’s sake, like someone trapped.

"If anything is to happen to me, I need to know you to look after the league, especially Shigaraki. I may not know you personally, but from what I can tell from the interactions between you two, I know I can." Unlike his usual words that match a poorly written script, these where the shouts of silent whispers ricocheting out. This was enough for you to know that this is a very personal ask from Kurogiri. He truly cared for the upcoming leader and as far as you can tell he trusted you all the same.

"If push comes to shove, I will if anything happens to you." His stance in swirling changed slightly at your answer. So small, you figure most would’ve brushed it off as wind or nothing at all. You, who are so heightened to everyone's emotions and feels knew better than most. He was thankful that you heard him. "Good, Shigaraki needs someone like you," you doubt his words. Sure you’ve proven yourself able to fight and talk the talk, but this was not at all what you expected.

"You’re very kind Kurogiri, I’ll take your word for it." Stepping out the bar, you walk down the hallway thinking everything over. The leagues endgame, whatever Kurogiri was and Shigaraki’s reaction. All of it interested you, even with the inevitable despair ending of society clasping you wanted the most. As tempting as having an entire year off without needing supplements, the potential of watching the world fall to its knees by its faults; sweet revenge was overdue.

Deciding on your answer, you make your way throughout the small hidden building. The night life thrives as you move your way on the sidewalk, passing drunks and groups of late workers on the way home.

Turning down an alleyway, you’re met with Shigaraki leaning against the left wall. Feelings of contemplation and exhaustion, his face covered. You take slow steps closer watching him silently. He calmed down a lot after the last you sensed him leaving the building only half an hour ago.

It was obvious he wanted to speak, staring hard at the ground with an intense irritation. Passing by him in large steps continuing through the alley, giving him the time to speak if he wished to before you disappeared into the night. "We’ll discuss your place among the League, Or rather if you are willing to fight in our party," he spoke.

"I’ll be here tomorrow then.”

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights of any of the characters I write about, all the rights go to their respective creators.

[eyeofnewtblog]

So, my dad does a bridge school at the university he teaches at (his is held in January and is a 4 day refresher course for professionals) but honestly, any one young who is interested in civil engineering…making popsicle stick bridges is where it starts.

The number one question is always “how much stupidity/natural disaster can you build against with the budget you’ve been given” and then the construction workers get to the design and go “oh fuck this engineer, he’s never spent a single day on the job site”

One, female engineers are always eager and encouraged early on, but then they run into the Good Old Boys Club. My dad is in the Club, kind of, but he literally married a female engineer back in the 80’s and is pretty upset when women drop out of the major or (like my mom) constantly run into issues where misogyny is a major factor (screaming tantrums out of a 50+ man) in upper management.

Two, construction workers who are handed the materials list and the blueprint are 90% of the time complaining about the fact that while they’re given the most “efficient” design for structural integrity and materials, they’re going to be labor intensive to either maintain, install, or repair.

Take the 2002 Volkswagen Beetle. What fucking engineer decided to put the steering fluid pump line OVER the timing belt? It DOES make the engine more compact. It does. It also requires, as part of regular maintenance, that you UNPLUG a line that is an absolute bitch to reconnect, and should only require maintenance or repair once every two years, to be disconnected JUST so that you can replace a belt that needs to be replaced “as needed” which really just means once a year if you buy the cheapest replacement.

And engineers DO THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS. Their job is to weigh costs of maintenance, repair, sustainability.

But the reality is that if they get paid big bucks to come up with “the most efficient design” they’ll also, as part of their licensing, be required to report the drawbacks of said design.

To be fair, some inefficient aspects only pop up after manufacturing the product. But the fact remains that corporations deliberately ignore stated engineering concerns or warnings based on aesthetic, planned obsolescence, etc. That, or manufacturing costs cause corporations to deliberately ignore engineering manufacturing requirements for a design from the very start.

Or! Plus, there really is a more efficient design and the market hasn’t caught on yet! This happens with aftermarket car parts a lot.

I guess long story short, I’m very happy that these girls are getting to test out legit bridge designs and that they have the same experiences my dad gave me and my sisters (every single science experiment issued by a teacher was met with “do you wanna build bridges or test concrete? A shrug is not a choice, here’s a quarter, heads for concrete tails for bridges.”) and while I have absolutely zero interest in building bridges or testing the strength of concrete as a living, I’m really glad that someone is making it an interesting group project for young people. I’m also glad that I was raised by engineers and am capable of thinking logically about structural integrity and cost management.

[kerubimcrepin]

Episode 43 - The Dream Mixer

Instead of opening windows, these guys open the front door.

Man, I sure hope this leads to nothing bad happening during the Wakfu OVA.

Joris has multiple of the same card. Probably not worth reading into, and just a way to not have to do too much work for some intern. I wonder what he was playing, though...

I do want to read into this, though, this doesn't really look like a playing card we've seen before in the series, — instead, looking more like tarot, especially with the way, in the second screenshot, it seems to have some writings on the top and the bottom, — its number and its name?

I want to preface this next section by saying it is very likely not the intention, for this to be Deep, or anything. It's just some cards that look the same. Unlike most times when I am reading into things with at least a bit of a solid proof that things are meant to be read into, here I am reading into things just for the fun of it:

This personally looks to me the most like The Tower tarot, and basically, here's what the internet has to say on the matter:

When The Tower card appears in a Tarot reading, expect the unexpected – massive change, upheaval, destruction and chaos. It may be a divorce, death of a loved one, financial failure, health problems, natural disaster, job loss or any event that shakes you to your core, affecting you spiritually, mentally and physically. There’s no escaping it. Change is here to tear things up, create chaos and destroy everything in its path (but trust me, it’s for your Highest Good). Just when you think you’re safe and comfortable, a Tower moment hits and throws you for a loop. A lightning bolt of clarity and insight cuts through the lies and illusions you have been telling yourself, and now the truth comes to light. Your world may come crashing down before you, in ways you could never have imagined as you realize that you have been building your life on unstable foundations – false assumptions, mistruths, illusions, blatant lies, and so on. Everything you thought to be true has turned on its head. You are now questioning what is real and what is not; what you can rely upon and what you cannot trust. This can be very confusing and disorienting, especially when your core belief systems are challenged. But over time, you will come to see that your original beliefs were built on a false understanding, and your new belief systems are more representative of reality. [...] After a Tower experience, you will grow stronger, wiser and more resilient as you develop a new perspective on life you did not even know existed. These moments are necessary for your spiritual growth and enlightenment, and truth and honesty will bring about a positive change, even if you experience pain and anxiety throughout the process.

Jesus fucking Christ. even while I'm spitballing, the things I am saying still make some amount of sense. Anyway, even though it is an accidental visual, I sure hope Joris being surrounded by The Tower looking ass cards isn't like, an omen of doom to come in like two years.

Haha.

This line is pretty interesting when you remember that one of Kerubim's whole insecurities was being too poor for her, but what follows is more interesting: in his dream, there is always an audience, made up of other Ecaflips.

Watching from the same fourth wall we do.

We had already discussed on this blog that Kerubim has always viewed his life as a performance to some invisible audience, due to his extremely low self-esteem: a performance of being a hero, a masculine man, a successful rich person, and more, — but now we can really confirm this, and see it for ourselves, instead of just making assumptions based on his behaviour.

I do wonder if the audience being ecaflips is just asset reusage, — or if it is him feeling especially judged by his own race?

Perhaps it is the need to live up to its standards. Or maybe, it is a memory of his isolation in the childhood, and the way everyone always watched him and laughed at his class clown antics, and how despite that, he didn't have any friends.

This episode is the other reason, — besides his reactions whenever she kisses his cheek, — why I think Kerubim has a bit of a crush on Simone. (One that he'll never act on or acknowledge, obviously. He's not Like That anymore.)

But he used to be like that. Just unabashedly and openly cheating on Lou.

This imaginary audience laughs at his jokes, laughs at his accidents, and laughs even at his most awful flirting.

Yes, he really was always playing an exaggerated version of himself, and imagining the world laughing at him, as if he were in a sitcom. That's... actually very sad.

Not even cheering him on? Just laughing?

Considering what I had already previously said about Joris, and just how anxious he is portrayed as being, — especially of something happening to Kerubim, — it's interesting that his whole dream is an endless race to prevent some catastrophe that is never explained, but one he is convinced will happen.

Yes, it is just a fun dream that's him being a hero, but there is something to be said about the cyclical, triumphless nature of it.

This entire shore is covered in items from the store, and might be either Kerubim's addition to the shared dreamscape, or a representation of the shared experiences of the three dreamers.

The storm reflects the fact that none of them can find what they're seeking, and the growing anxiety that comes with it.

Despite him flirting with other women, Lou's scorn, Lou's accusation that he'll never be good enough because he can't become a good person, is a big fear for him.

I think that Lou is both a memory, and a representation of Kerubim's thoughts on the way he used to be, — or at least that is the image that the positioning of old Kerubim behind Lou invokes in me.

He hates himself, or at least who he used to be. These words are both something he thinks about himself, and something he thinks Lou would say.

Keke... Can you find this sadidette again, and check her sources?

Because all the sites I check say lily represents growth of beautiful from bad conditions, and also reincarnation. Which totally doesn't remind me of another weird fucking green-white thing in this show.

I want to know more about its sex symbolism instead, cat man!

Anyway, French-speaking readers, — I implore your help in the next post I make: this episode has some reversed audio, during the reversed boat scene, and I'll post it for you to analyse. I had wondered what it said for ages.

This line suggests that consciousness is fluid within the dream, — which answers the question of "which Kerubim is real and which one is a dream construct" that I've had with a very likely "both are real, and represent his different qualities of his character."

This also suggests, that my assumption, that the dream Joris is having is based on his high levels of anxiety he has, is probably correct, — and seemingly affecting Simone's and Kerubim's mental states too.

Joris seems so much like his adult self in this scene, — or so it seems to me. Very pretty.

Also pretty poetic, considering most of his actions as an adult are still fueled by the desire to be Awesome, and his definition of Awesome hasn't changed since he was 7.

THE best flash frames of the whole series.

Screenshots alone don't do this scene justice, so here it is.

There is a lot to unpack here. This is the closest we get to insight into Kerubim's real feelings in the current time, instead of his memories of the past, bad or good.

The thing he loves the most about her is her hair. Which brings to mind the happiest time of young Kerubim's life and their relationship, after he left kitty psych ward.

The line of "I will never have the time to caress them all" can have many different meanings. But the most glaring one to me, is...

She will die before him, and he had, likely, always known that. It was something he could ignore when they were young, but as an old man, who knows what will happen after he dies (not true death, that's for sure, he is not like her), and as someone who has likely seen other people his age die, — the possibility that she might not even be alive due to how many years had passed, is haunting.

And the possibility that he wasted all these years he could have spent with her, the possibility that he might be wasting them even now, if she is alive, is just as bad.

And the saddest thing is that he can't even see the old woman she became. He can only remember her as she was back then.

Would he even recognize her on the street?

This scene begins with the same sad melody as the scene of him missing Lou, but descends into discordant horrific sounds, despite how... comedic it seems. The same way Kerubim's other stupid antics are.

Because consciousness is fluid in this dream, and because Simone was playing the role of Kerubim's audience, — I think Simone and Kerubim are both mad here, with Kerubim's feelings influencing Simone's words, the same way Joris's influenced her in the previous scenes.

Joris doesn't look very happy about this dream anymore. Yet another proof for my hypothesis of this being an anxiety dream, even if by the time he wakes up, he thinks it's a cool one.

Remember what I said during episodes 33 (Noffoub's Fountain) and 35 (the gobbal set) about Joris's anxiety and dislike of change?

Being forced to go to bed is anxiety inducing for Joris, — he knows that it just means that the adults want him out of the way, that they don't want to spend time with him, — and he hates it when the routine changes, because it makes everything unpredictable, with is horrible to his little single-child-with-an-elderly-parent-who-keeps-saying-he'll-die-soon brain.

Haha. Yeah... Anyway.

Like in english, the french word rêve might mean both the dreams one sees at night, and one's hopes and aspirations.

...I don't think he is talking about the first kind here.

[got-into-worm-by-mistake]

Agitation 3.4 Live Reactions

(This is me, writing reactions as I read, because why the fuck not. They're not complete, mature thoughts taken after I sit back and evaluate what I've read. Consider them as such)

As I heard the front door open, I snapped the phone shut and jammed it into my pocket.  I’d apologize for hanging up later.  I definitely didn’t want my dad to see the phone.  I didn’t think he would stop me from owning one, but ever since my mom’s death, cell phones had carried strong negative connotations.  That, and I’d have to explain where I got it and how I’d paid for it.

I get that Danny has issues with phones, but that's nearly criminally irresponsible parenting, given the way Brockton Bay is.

I’d promised myself I would go the day after tomorrow.  Face the music.

What music? I can't imagine her teachers will care. Her bullies might, but really, what the fuck else can they do if they still want to not get caught? Not much more than they already have.

(Did I jinx it? I think I probably jinxed it)

 Rachel had been out of the apartment, the others weren’t specific on why and I wasn’t interested enough to risk looking too curious by asking.

Right now, Taylor's relationship with the Undersiders has a very "my friends... and Zoidberg" feel to it.

I had elected for both a combat knife and a telescoping police baton. 

The Baton I see so often in every rendition of the Bank Scene! AYYY!

 I kind of liked that it was a bit spartan, because it sort of fit with how I didn’t plan to be around that long while still feeling weirdly appreciative at being accepted as a part of the group.

There's nothing weird about being glad to have a place where you're actually wanted, Taylor. Reject heroism. Embrace villainy. Return to bug!

Alec’s movies from Earth-Aleph, the alternate Earth that our Earth had been communicating with since Professor Haywire tore a hole between realities.  Media was one of the few things that could be traded back and forth through the hole.  Long story short, you could get books, movies and DVDs of TV shows from the other world, if you were willing to accept the price tag. The benefit? I got to spend the afternoon seeing how the other universe had handled episodes one and two of the Star Wars films.

First mention of Earth-Aleph, and yes, a source of all the bits in fanfic where people reference Earth-Aleph media!

I'd have to go back to the first mention of Earth-Bet, but I feel like for most casual uses in-universe, people would still just say 'Earth' to refer to whatever their Earth is? You'd only clarify when it matters to specify?

Eh, minor thing, probably as much for clarity of readability as anything else.

By the time my dad got in, I had pork chops defrosted, dusted with lemon and pepper and sitting in a frying pan, with vegetables in the microwave.  Cooking was sort of something you started doing when you had only one parent, unless you really, really liked takeout.

Not necessarily, but common, yeah.

He tried to hide it, but I could see a bit of disappointment.  “Of course,” he said, “Your new friends?”

I get it. He's been trying to make an effort lately, but he started too late, and Taylor is instead a villain now. He doesn't know that, but he both wants to let her have friends, instead of smother her and stuff, and wants to keep her close to reconnect.

My mind started racing to anticipate questions and come up with plausible details.  Should I use their real names?  Or at least, the names they had given me?  I wasn’t sure if that would be a breach of trust.  I decided to use their real names for much the same reason I’d decided to use my own with them.  It just prevented disasters if my dad ever happened to meet them, which was a terrifying thought, or if they called for me.

QUICK! THINK OF THE RIGHT LIES!

 I was also under the impression that the courts didn’t always unmask capes when they arrested them.  I wasn’t entirely sure what was up with that.  It seemed like something to ask Lisa about.

I feel like this is a core enough element of the setting that if Taylor did any research at all, she'd have found it, and she supposedly did a good amount of preplanning?

Like, I get that this is a set up for future exposition, but...

“A boy, eh?” My dad wiggled his eyebrows at me. “Dad, stop!  It’s not like that,” I protested.  

I mean, I wouldn't say I ship Brian/Taylor, but her budding crush is kinda cute and entertaining.

And Wildbow will make me suffer for thinking that, because All Readers of Worm Shall Suffer

My dad smiled, “Impressive.  Tell me they’re all excellent students that can serve as good role models for you.” I could have choked.  Good role models?  Them? 

Heh heh heh

Arguably, Taylor would be a good influence on them.

Maybe.

One hopes.

I raised my eyebrows in question as I chewed.  They had, kind of, but I couldn’t really say ‘They used Mom’s death to fuck with my head’ without having to explain the Emma thing.

TELL HIM TELL HIM TELL HIM

You’d think I would feel better, after opening up, but I didn’t.  I felt frustrated, angry, awkward.  It was a reminder that I couldn’t have a real conversation with my dad like I used to be able to

This, Taylor, is entirely a problem of your own creation though?

This time, though, instead of turning up towards the Boardwalk, I headed south.

Didn't an earlier bit imply that the Docks were just off the main road of the Boardwalk?

“Wasn’t sure if you would show up,” a male voice broke the silence. I turned to face Armsmaster, “I’m sorry.  I had to hang up on your receptionist.  Real life called.”

The Mental image of Armsmaster having a receptionist does not compute.

“I need to call in a favor.”

Well this will go splendidly!

[thatlittledandere]

PLEASE talk about xoxo droplets omg. im no thoughts head empty rn but tbh just i wanna hear every opinion you have about it,, i love when people share my Extremely Unknown Special Interest

Every time I think about how to explain the main characters to someone unfamiliar with them I can get through Everett and Shiloh just fine, normal short synopses, but THEN. NATE LAWSON. TRAPS ME FOR HOURS. Nate isn't even my favorite but I'm obsessed with him oh my god. This is gonna have spoilers for his route btw hold on

Like. I met him, and thought, in a true JB fashion, hot damn. He, he's easily the most attractive of the bunch to me shrsvhddh (Everett has so many qualities I love on paper but in practice. It's Nate he's the most handsome) Then I started to observe why he's in the Unfriendable Group and deducted that he's got a stick the size of a log up his ass. Simple enough. But WAIT THERE'S MORE

I started his route PURELY because he was hot shhddvhgd even though I disliked him hard after my first playthrough. (Shiloh. I didn't believe the warnings. F in the chat bois.) He's not JUST a stickler to the rules nooooooo he's a PERFECTIONIST. And a SUPERHUMAN. But HE doesn't see it like that nooooo he thinks he's just the only one who puts in any effort at all. People keep telling him his standards are unreachable but ~obviously~ they're not. If he can do it, so can everyone else! They're just not trying hard enough! And he doesn't try to be perfect, no, that's impossible. He just wants to be the best he can!

But it's never enough. There's always room for improvement, after all. Nate could get a perfect score on a test and still be dissatisfied, because he could have elaborated on that point in his essay more, or his handwriting got too close to the marginalia on one line and that is unprofessional, or he thought on that one multi-choice question longer than he should have if he studied adequately, etc, etc.

And because of this he's constantly stressed the FUCK out. He volunteers when something needs to be done, he helps out teachers, he takes it upon himself to make sure everyone else is ALSO acting properly, he puts at LEAST 100% into EVERYTHING he does, and there's always more to do. He has a part-time job at a warehouse as well and while the physical labor can offer a bit of a break for his brain, you can bet your ASS he doesn't stop for ONE second or stay on his break a MINUTE too long. How the hell does he live like this?

Well. What other choice is there? Things need to be done. They need to be done well. And obviously Nate knows the importance of rest to your health and performance, so he certainly eats and sleeps properly, but see these things are also scheduled and measured and optimized for maximum efficiency. But does he get REST, for REAL? Does he RELAX?

Yes, because he's best friends and roomies (the room is spotless At All Times) with Everett "2kool4skool" Gray (who would shoot me point blank for saying something so uncool about him). I Could write another essay on their dynamic but let's just say they balance each other out. Nate gives Everett direction, Everett gives Nate respite. Phew.

But I'm not done. MORE MORE MORE. Because I started talking about my personal relationship to Nate but got sidetracked by character analysis dghfsfh THE THING IS I disliked him heavily even some time after starting his route, and all the characters absolutely SHINE on their dates. But then. The unthinkable happened.

The class trip.

Now of course I already knew Nate was extremely high strung all of the time, but until that point I'd seen it either as an annoyance or a joke. But the class trip was, like, a disaster to Nate. He's spending more time with the group outside strictly defined areas and activities and therefore feels responsibility over their behavior. Obviously a new environment with new activities gives everyone more opportunities to act up. They have a schedule, but it's not in Nate's control, and he can't help seeing himself as like a vice advisor, and nothing goes exactly as planned or at ALL as planned, and everyone's doing it on PURPOSE his life is already hell and they're doing it to SPITE him or maybe they're just completely unfit to the title of human being that's been forced on these demons, and this is STILL SCHOOL they're still bound by school rules and they should LEARN things here and GET SOMETHING OUT OF IT for HEAVENS sake,

So it's no wonder he breaks down. And it was, it was fucking terrible. Nate's stress and anxiety present as anger most of the time, I didn't... I didn't see him as the type who would cry. Kind of figured Nate was one of those boys who didn't remember the last time they cried but guessed it was somewhere around fourth grade? Heartless of me. I really thought he was like. Pardon the expression. Above such vulnerability.

Of course he's not. He's a person, and a highly sensitive one at that. I guess I hadn't noticed it over what a hardass he is;;; And y'all I felt SO bad. And so awkward. Like. What the fuck do you do in that situation? This wasn't supposed to happen. It felt like we were breaking the script somehow. Like. "I'm not supposed to see this. Why am I seeing this? Do I need to? Fucking christ. Is this allowed? When can I leave. Uh. There there? Can't even pat him on the shoulder. Jesus just kill me"

And that scene changed everything. Nate cried in front of the MC and I could never see him in the same light again. I used to think he was kinda just a tough yet guarded guy and a demanding ass but oh wow he's actually just like. This dude has anxiety. This dude has problems. He's burning out at light speed and has been for the past what? Eight years?? Get him HELP.

And I HAVEN'T EVEN TOUCHED ON HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS PARENTS YET. So they're the type who saw having children as just a step that responsible adults take at some point in their lives, and they were not prepared. And Nate was a difficult child too. Not on purpose, obviously, babies don't do anything on purpose, but he was particularity emotional even as a baby. He's just Like That. So his parents ehm eeeurgh tolerated him for a few years. Just kind of. Pushed through it. And then decided to give up and send him to a boarding school. Like they basically abandoned him there because they couldn't handle him.

And Nate is on hard denial about this. He tells himself it was the reasonable choice and the best for everyone, and he's not wrong, but he's also not ready to face the fact that uh. His parents very much just are not good at parenting and they don't actually know each other at all. "I respect them and they respect me" is how he puts it, and again it's not wrong but also christ he was not truly loved as a child and still isn't. Mommy and daddy hear that his grades are top of the class and he's very mature and responsible and respected by staff and students alike, and they're proud of him, but they do NOT know who he is as a person or how fucking terrible he's actually doing.

Not that Nate admits any of that himself. I can see how it would be difficult to face when you're already juggling fifty glass balls on a glass platter while riding a unicycle on hard stone floor.

Why is NATE is the one I give a private Ted Talk on regularly when none of the jerks are doing much better. He's just for fucks sake he, he's doing so bad. So bad. Maybe it's the incredibly harsh wakeup call I got? I cannot overstate how impactful that one scene was. HE CRIED. HE CRIED IN FRONT OF ANOTHER PERSON? HE BROKE DOWN?? NATE LAWSON HAS WEAKNESSES??? LIKE HE WASN'T JUST DOING ALL THAT FOR THE SAKE OF OBLIGATION OR TO LOOK GOOD ON A RESUME? HE'S REALLY THAT CRUSHED? I wasn't supposed to be there. I know it's a scripted event but I wasn't supposed to see that it feels not allowed. Are you still there? Thank you for reading go to sleep

[teeth--thief]

Thoughts on Sasha Korol? I think your response on him will be particularly interesting.

-R

Particularly interesting, you say? Is that a code for I'll add extra sass and shade to my answer? If so... you're probably right =D I'm kidding, I always try to be as subjective as can be... except for all the times I'm not subjective and settle for bullying. But I'll be kind this time... or will I?

Let's practice some armchair psychology on Leonid Toptunov's best friend, shall we? ...And by that I do just mean let's look at him a little more seriously than I usually do.

Whenever I say that I don't fully believe or trust him, I don't mean to attack his character - I do think that either his age or something else entirely (underlying mental issues, most likely related to trauma from the accident and subsequential events that unfolded afterwards like, oh, you know, losing his best friend and colleagues) must have taken their toll on him and so I do treat him like a sort of unreliable narrator. When your brain has barely had the time to finish fully developing and suddenly, overnight your life is in shambles, it's to be expected that you're not exactly going to act in the most rational of ways...

I don't want to say that, even when keeping all that in mind, Korol still seems slightly... odd to me... but, well, he does. For example, from Midnight in Chernobyl (from a bit about Yuvchenko):

(...) Natalia scoured the city for scarce and expensive ingredients to keep up his strength. She brought black caviar sandwiches to his bedside; his friend Sasha Korol came to visit and insisted he try ketchup instead. But Yuvchenko proved unable to eat anything, and he was placed on an IV.

What do you mean he basically tried to medicate his friend with ketchup?? I have... many questions... Is ketchup more nutritious than other foods condiments? I have a feeling this was out of sheer desperation to not lose another mate...

The whole bit about him not wanting to go with Toptunov to see the test because he was reading a medical journal is also, quite frankly, laughable. I wasn't aware that the magazine has a cool down and will disappear once you put it down, brother. Just say you were feeling kind of lazy that day, there's no shame in that.

Judging purely from his interview with Kupnyi, he seems to have lacked that burning passion for science we always see Toptunov described as having. Which is... just fine. You don't have to choose a job in a field you're super passionate about. I just thought it was worth mentioning since he seems to have had an attitude of well, it might as well be physics when choosing a career path. Anything but being sent to Afghanistan with the army (perfectly understandable).

He was most likely just as capable as Toptunov when it came to work, given that while Lyonya decided to become a SIUR, Korol stayed on a lower position by choice (or so he says), choosing a different path, basically.

He certainly made himself useful right after the disaster happened by everything from continuing to work on site to informing the families of the workers about their loved ones being transported to Moscow ect etc. Good deeds all around.

While he did not attend Toptunov's funeral (he was... on vacation... :| ), he attended someone else's not too long after:

Pictured closest to the grave (some speculated he's the other guy in the light shirt, second from the right, but I think otherwise, the shadows on his face have... a distinct look... I think.)

I will NOT comment on the fact that I think his relation with Lyonya was very close, closer than what I normally associate with typical friendships because I know fuckall about good relationships, so... who am I to judge.

I'm pretty sure that because of him there's a bit of confusion about who Toptunov's girlfriend was - not that it's an important piece of information TO YOU - but it's significant enough to consider. I won't get into that here, though, this is not about the fact that because two people mention two seemingly different women, it seems as if he had two girlfriends (good for him, I wish I had two girlfriends... one would also be more than acceptable).

Same with the whole "fight" he reported Toptunov as having with the tutor during uni - I don't know how, if he was apparently indeed involved in what happened after - he could have misremembered that while remembering other details about it. Unless he's misrepresenting what happened on purpose, that is, but that's also a questionable hypothesis.

I think that's that when it comes to my general "overview" of him... If I remember anything else later on, I'll make sure to add it to the post in a reblog or something.

[bolithesenate]

12, 13 and 22 (Feemor) for fandom ask please!!

12. funniest/craziest AU I've come up with

Idk man, at this point I've made it my explicit goal to come up with wack stuff that no one else before me thought of, so....

But my top 5 crazy ideas that are brewing in the back of my mind as of now include:

teen Jocasta timetravels forward to the tcw era and saves the republic by claiming to be herself and Dooku's lovechild

post o66 Korkie Kryze accidentally mandopts kidnaps Korto Vos and then it's a comedy of errors empire survival story. They probably team up with the rest of Korkies buddies and also Jin-Lo Ryce bc I love him.

backwards timetravel where all the nerds + Arath and Lorian wake up in their child bodies after their canon deaths and then go off and take over Serenno (it makes sense in the AU i swear) (or it doesn't and still is a fun story)

Jaster & Tarre teamup of total nerdery where they get sent back in time by the Manda to save Mandalore, only their idea for saving Mandalore hinges on saving the Jedi Order first. It's another Master Jereel (my beloved) story where no one except them themselves believe they are doing an amazing job at impersonating Jedi.

speaking of Tarre: my complete backstory for Tarre Vizsla and how the most cringefail jedi to ever jedi was so bad at jedi-ing that he accidentally became mand'alor

but tbh there's so many other whack stories I've already wrote, am writing or simply brainstormed about that there's always others I could talk about. These were just the ones that came to mind first.

13. character/ship I haven't drawn/written yet but want to

hmmm lemme think whom I have done total zero for as of now (I've got a ton of stuff on the backburner that y'all haven't seen yet bc it's spoilery for certain fics)

this is actually really difficult hahahahaha bc whenever a character or a ship piques my interest I tend to immediately do *something* with them, hmmm.

OH!

Grand Admiral Sloane!

I've already planned her to be a character in my sequels rewrite, but I've never come around writing any of it! But it will happen!!

And as for the ship, hmmm. (this question is getting a lot of 'hmms'). Maybe Pre and someone. I've done Pretine stuff already, but I think Pre/Jedi ships have some potential. Crack potential, mostly.

Yeah, that's the only one I can think of.

22. A headcanon for FEEMOR

My boi!! I love him, he is so funny.

I think I've mentioned it before, but I think the funniest thing to do with him is giving him all the makings of a chosen one/anime protagonist and then have him stubborn his way into just being A Normal Guy.

Xanatos calls him a farmer, but what Xani doesn't know is that that's the biggest compliment Feemor could receive. Fee is just the 'Refusal of The Call' trope personified and he is so good at doing it the Force actually eventually gives up on making him its chosen one.

All he wants is to be left alone, help some people and sleep 8 hours a day. Is that so much to ask?

(it is, for someone in the disaster lineage, but Feemor comes by the Yoda stubbornness truly)

[greatwyrmgold]

Idk if you still do crossover analysis but:

The Travelers go to the MHA-universe instead of Earth Bet. They end up working for AFO as Shigaraki's first team and replace most of the random villains in the USJ attack. (You choose if Cody is there).

They see AFO as the only way to heal Noelle.

I don't remember what crossover analysis you're talking about, but I'm always game to answer asks!

The Travelers in Earth M'ha (or Earth Bn'ha, whatever)

So, first off, I'm going to just bypass the question of who dragged the Travelers and their Cauldron vials into Earth M'ha. I can't think of any interesting answers, and it's kind of a tangent. Let's just say that that happens, and the vials are divided up the same way.

I'll also assume that language barriers aren't an obstacle, because that problem is either trivial ("AFO has some translation Quirks on hand") or more suited to a fic focuses on it.

General Analysis

These Travelers are considerably less screwed than their canon counterparts. There probably isn't a Simurgh around, which helps; more importantly, All For One probably shows up earlier in the progression of Noelle's ailment and is definitely capable of fixing it. Or at least stalling the progress.

After all, AFO's whole thing is stealing Quirks, and I see no reason to assume Quirks aren't just parahuman abilities after several generations of proliferation. Removing Noelle's power probably wouldn't restore Noelle to normal, but it would stop her from storing more meat in her increasingly monstrous hindquarters. And there's probably some other Quirk somewhere that could flay the monstrous meat from Noelle and return her to her human form.

Which brings us to the question of what All For One would do with Noelle's quirk. I can see him temporarily lending it to various minions (nomu or otherwise) to bulk them up a little. He might also make use of its cloning abilities to make expendable cannon fodder; imagine what a handful of Dabi clones could accomplish.

And of course, the other Travelers (or at least Genesis, Ballistic, and Sundancer) would be effective minions in and of themselves, game-changing no matter what you mean by "Shigaraki's first team".

Which Team?

Shigaraki has two "first teams". First is the group of expendable mooks he brought to the USJ, plus the non-expendable Kurogiri and powerful but still expendable nomu. Second is the Vanguard Action Squad who ambushed the first-years' summer camp.

Adding three or four high-power villains to the former team would obviously ratchet up the danger level way beyond what Thirteen and the kids could manage, while Trickster would make it much harder to properly react to the danger. In particular, he could swap people to put targets near Shigaraki and his deadly fingers. And don't get me started on what could happen if Noelle was sent in (probably to clone some of the mooks).

The only thing that stops this from being an outright slaughterfest is the Travelers not wanting to kill anyone, especially not kids. (Not that they'd call Class 1-A kids. The Travelers are, what, 2-3 years older?) They won't evaporate Thirteen with a sun, or chuck a supersonic boulder at Eraserhead, or help Shigaraki dust a student (if they know he wants to do that).

Even so, the Travelers are strong enough to tip the USJ arc from an overwhelming heroic victory to a barely-averted disaster. All-Might would be mostly fine (he's All-Might), but the same might not be true of the teachers and students, and definitely wouldn't be for UA's reputation or morale. It's a good choice if you want to have the villains run roughshod over the heroes and focus on the League of Villains's internal dynamics.

Adding them to the Vanguard Action Squad ould be less disruptive, especially if you removed some of its canon members to make space for the Travelers. (I vote Muscular and Moonfish. Complete wastes of space.)

Giving the villains extra firepower obviously makes them more threatening than they were in canon, but not overwhelmingly so. The heroes would probably end up in a worse position than in canon—more injuries, maybe more kidnappees—but it wouldn't fundamentally change either the shape of the conflict or its outcome.

Same for the Kamino fight and future arcs. The Travelers are strong, but not uniquely strong. All-Might has probably beaten villains comparable or superior to them at some point in the past. Maybe Shigaraki can use their firepower as leverage when negotiating with Overhaul and Re-Destro, maybe not; once they've formed the Parahuman Liberation Thingy, the Travelers aren't a significant addition to their firepower.

Team Dynamics

A story where the Travelers get recruited by Skigaraki or All For One is probably going to focus on them interacting with their villainous colleagues. So how does that go?

I suspect AFO would frame himself as the Travelers' paternalistic patron. He'd probably try to subtly play the Travelers (especially Cody and Krouse) against each other, hoping to break the obvious bonds they have with each other to make them loyal only to him.

Meanwhile, Shigaraki would be more casual, like he is around the Vanguard Action Squad. He's in charge, but he doesn't have any ulterior motives that he wouldn't say to your face. Other Vanguard Action Squad members likely to try befriending the Travelers (by which I mostly mean Toga) would be similar.

Were I to write this story, I'd focus on the tension between the forces holding the Travelers' friendship together (their shared history and interests, the ways they care for at least some of the others) and the forces pushing them apart (AFO's machinations, the ways they can't stand at least some of the others).

But every story needs a...

Climax

Whatever resolution the Travelers' relationship reaches, it should be reached at about the same time as a resolution for the plot. And I think that resolution should involve turning Gigantomachia into Echidna.

Okay, so back up.

The Travelers join All For One's organization in part because he promises to help them with Noelle's power. So he temporarily takes that power and lends it to others, who endure the hunger and get changed by it. And maybe he takes the opportunity to make some nasty clones, which might be the Travelers' first hint that AFO is doing something with Noelle's powers.

All For One keeps trying to find some way to properly exploit Noelle's Quirk. Eventually (and presumably offscreen), he decides that Gigantomachia would be the perfect host. He's already adapted to a bunch of other bulk-enhancing Quirks; if anyone can conquer this Quirk, it's Gigantomachia.

Turns out, no one can conquer this Quirk.

Anyways, the villains are unprepared for Echidnomachia to turn against them, and the heroes are weakened by all the other stuff the villains have been doing. The Travelers' teamwork (or lack thereof) is stressed by the crisis, and either it proves vital in Echidnomachia's defeat, or its absence is a crucial reason why he's not defeated.

Anyways, that's all I've got.

[ms-scarletwings]

I don’t know how much new there even is to be said about the ending of Nick Cutter’s The Troop.

Yet the conclusion I’ve come to feels enough like a personal revelation to me.

Spoilers for a very nasty and great book, duh

It’s pure bitter with no sweet. It leaves more questions while answering very little. It’s left just open enough for people to even have this ongoing back and forth theorizing on what exactly happens to Max, or the worms. I didn’t find it unsatisfying though. There’s something of an inevitability to it. If anything, a last survivor feels almost optimistic at first, given how hard the novel had foreshadowed a grim death for the entire batch it started with. Feeling disappointed by the state we are left with by the end of that read would have been like being let down by the ending of “To Build a Fire”.

In fact, the so commonly held theory I hear that Max didn’t in fact make it off of the island uninfected feels most thematically consistent with all the build up we were given. The fearsome survivability of the pathogen, the scent in the air, and the dread of the book’s final sentences… and equally, and more to my leaning, was the idea that Max was left infected in a more allegorical sense- haunted by the trauma of the events for the rest of his life and the fear he will always inflict on those around him.

I think to myself though for the first time lately I’ve figured out the true despair of the ending as it was left this ambiguous: that the significance of whatever answer we come to about the end is… not much, really. Does it really matter if the boy was dead allegorically or literally following his return to the island? What we are all really even debating on was how much was left of any of the main cast after the dust had settled, and no matter how hard we pour over the possibilities, it’s just another flavor of “almost nothing”

The nature of the parasites were to core out and devour every form of life it touched, and leave nothing but a spreading emptiness in its wake. Its ending isn’t necessarily mysterious, it’s just that where we want to find the answers and the resolution, there is only emptiness. The Max we met from the first pages was as dead as his friends by the final few either way. The island is dead, either way. The community is scarred and pathologic and hurting their own, either way.

And all for, I guess, the greed of a few wicked men, the corruption of those in power, the ignorant compassion of a doctor, the naivety of unbridled kids… It’s a whole disgusting tragedy that honestly teaches you no new lessons of humans. That we are blundering and imperfect animals that doom our own and ourselves? That we’re resilient and can comfort each other and find hope even through the bleakest disasters?

Maybe that’s the real spirit at the heart of the ordeal. Though the disease in the book is a purely fictional, impossible creation, real disasters are so often equally as tragic, equally artificial, and the blame for them split to so many fractions it’s hard not to entertain them as a symptomatic expression for that which all humanity is infected with.

And maybe that sickness which feeds upon us and inhabits us is inevitable in a way, but I hardly think the book was aiming for a read this cynical. For all of the toothless threats Cutter gave about the worms’ rapid evolution, their appetite never did seem to make the final jump off of that island. Though there are teases here and there about a potentially dormant infection in Max, or the air of Falstaff, neither comes to fruition. Further on, Max even voluntarily returns to the blighted origin, separating himself and his ripples from the community that shunned him.

And just maybe, in thinking about Max again, I have found some solemn grain of sugar in this outcome after all.

To my interest there’s a unique context around the way death is treated in The Troop. Dying is written as a drawn out and spectacularly agonizing, cruel, and horrific event; however, death for almost all of the characters and animals in whole book is portrayed as contrastingly merciful. With Kent’s death, Tim’s death, Newton’s death, the chimp’s death, I’m only left with a breath of relief if anything. These were terminal beings you watched suffer for chapter after chapter knowing there was a dwindlingly impossible chance of being saved. Multiple times you almost want to yell “oh my god, just put me out of that poor thing’s misery already!”

Ephraim’s own was actually terrifying and more avoidable, but at the actions of a dying Shelley, who, even if you have nothing but hatred for, still passed with a finality that just screams “thank god that’s over” for anyone in witness to his final game. You know that once he was gone, he had taken his last victims. What I’m saying is that maybe there is a similar peace somewhere in the fate of Max.

The deranged doctor told that the worms would be the final living things alive even after the wake of the apocalypse, but where there are no cockroaches, there will be no guts for those worms to nest. Parasites by definition live by the hosts they pursue, and Falstaff is now the resting place of those the worms called theirs. In Max’s return, in his death, spiritual, physical, whatever it may be, there is resolution in knowing that the memories and trauma of that emptiness will rest with him on that scorched rock. There is finality in knowing that the mainland dodged the bullet of wider outbreak and that, while the scars will linger, the infection has been survived by the more adaptable, more resilient organism that nursed it.

[causticcontemplation]

Writer's Ask Game: 7, 17, 36!

Thanks for the ask! Oooowie this is gonna end up long winded. Okay. *cracks knuckles*

7. What is your deepest joy about writing?

Just...having a creative outlet? I dunno. I recently picked writing back up after not having done it for YEARS. I guess I didn't really know how bad I needed it. It has helped pull me from quite a bad depressive funk. Also, I have chronic pain. Even on really bad days, I can write. Being able to create something when I can barely do anything helps me feel like not such a sack of shit a functioning human being.

17. Talk to me about the minutiae of your current WIP. Tell me about the lore, the history, the detail, the things that won’t make it in the text.

This is a difficult question, as I have 3 that I am actively working on (thanks, ADHD), and I'm not entirely sure what won't make it in them yet (two will be multi-chapter fics and only one of those has a very vague outline). So I'm just gonna write what I can. "How to Lose a Girl in a Tenday" Telling the inspiration for this one would spoil the first chapter, but this fic is an insert of my current D&D character into BG3 with a Shadowheart romance focus. I dunno what to say about this, but my OC is a disaster and hopefully their cannon quirks make it interesting enough for a story that will, for the most part, follow the events of the game. "Sip Happens" So I have a really shitty memory, but I think I remember an interview where Sam Beart said that Karlach would open a tavern after the events of BG3 if she survived. My brain latched onto this thought immediately. I love Karlach, and I love my local bar. This is going to be a multi-chapter AU. It has been so much fun going through the characters in the game and figuring out who they would be in this universe. My OC from above and Karlach (obviously) will be the focus of the story. Everyone will be queer. "Am I Meant to be Alone?" This one was inspired by that ship ask game. I read Nocturne x Karlach and became feral. What if Nocturne didn't leave the House of Grief for another cloister? I just love both these ladies, and they could be so sweet together. My brain, however, has decided that this fic is going to be extremely sad. This was meant to be a hurt/comfort piece.

36. They say to Write What You Know. Setting aside for a moment the fact that this is terrible advice...what do you Know?

What do I know? Fuck all if I'm being honest, but I guess human connections? Friendships, relationships, etc. I've always been drawn to media that has a big focus on character interactions. And I love to write banter. Doesn't matter if the characters love or hate each other, I wanna write that shit.

[anotherhumaninthisworld]

Why was Robespierre blamed for everything? I know that a lot of people have criticized the Committee and their deeds, but everyone blames him exclusively, as if he is the only individual in the Committee of public safety. Always blamed for everything that happens while others hardly being mentioned when some of them cause any disaster. I don't say he was a perfect but why him exactly??

And thank you for your precious time.

It’s an interesting question, the answer to which I would say mainly lies in how Robespierre’s personal fame looked compared to that of the other CPS members.

If you’re wondering why Robespierre was blamed for everything by the people who overthrew him, the answer is pretty simple — it was a question of survival. Those who overthrew Robespierre didn’t (mainly) do so because they disagreed with his principles or actions, they did it because they were afraid he had it in for them. Of course, they couldn’t use that as a charge against him (in fact, if you check out the minute for the session during which Robespierre was denounced and arrested, you’ll notice that, besides the confusing charge of being ”a tyrant,” all the concreate things he’s reproached for are mostly small details) and lucky for them, they didn’t have to either, as they found a way to outlaw Robespierre & co, thus avoiding the complications of a trial and Robespierre getting a chance to defend himself. Yet if they had thought that getting rid of Robespierre meant saving their lives, they soon faced a whole new obstacle, because, quite naturally, his death had to be followed by a rejection of everything associated with him. This meant that those who had just overthrown him (who had often been just as implicated in ”the terror” as Robespierre had) were now in danger yet again. They saved themselves a second time by rewriting the past, in order to hold Robespierre (sometimes along with the people executed together with him) as the only culprit(s) for everything that had happened the previous year. To quote the speech held by Tallien on August 28 1794, which is perhaps the most famous one on the subject:

”This was Robespierre’s system. He was the one who put it in practise with the aid of several subalterns, some of whom were killed alongside him and others of whom are buried alive in public hatred. The Convention was a victim, never an accomplice.”

If you want to put a positive spin on it (which I’ve honesty never seen anyone do bc everyone on here REALLY hates that guy), you could argue that by saying this, Tallien was trying to put an end to even more political killings (which the Convention had certainly seen more than enough of already). Because, since every member of the Convention actually had their fair share of the blame for ”the terror,” portraying it as something that should be rejected technically meant everyone needed to be punished. Using Robespierre as a scapegoat was a way to safely back away from what had happened without risking even more political divides (the thermidorians probably feared, just like Robespierre had half a year before them, that these would prove fatal to the struggling republic), and instead declare some sort of amnesty (though it would perhaps be ignorant of me not to mention that the Convention still went on to purge a few of it’s deputies (Collot d’Herbois, Billaud-Varennes, Vadier, Barère, Carrier, Lebon) as ”Robespierre’s accomplices” in the months that followed.

That the thermidorians had such success when painting Robespierre as a tyrant after his death was probably also due to the fact that their image was upheld by people on both the right (see for example Abbé Proyart and his La Vie et les Crimes de Robespierre: surnommé Le Tyran: depuis sa naissance jusqu’à sa mort from 1795) and the left (like Gracchus Babeuf and his Robespierre et les tyrans from 1794)

If you’re wondering why Robespierre in today’s popular culture is more or less blamed for everything that went down during ”the terror,” that is, of course, again, tied to the fact that he was slandered after his death. The saying ”it’s the victor that writes history” rings very true here. If Robespierre had survived thermidor and gotten to write his own history, it’s possible the general image we have of him today would have been completely different. By painting Robespierre as the only one responsible, his enemies could downplay their own actions, and that is to a large extent the reason barely no one remembers their names today, while Robespierre’s has become eternally etched to words like ”terror” and ”guillotine.” 

On the other hand, if the propaganda spread against Robespierre after his death is a key element to understanding why he’s presented as main responsible for ”the terror” today, it’s also not enough to explain everything. It is for example worth remembering that allegations about Robespierre as bloodthirsty/a tyrant/more powerful than the other committee members predated his death and the slander spread after it. To give a few examples of it, after the death of Danton, the Belgian newspaper Courrier Belgique affirmed that ”Robespierre now has gotten rid of some of his most dangerous enemies.” Likewise, on June 21 1794 Robespierre complained about being called ”king of France and Navarre” in ministerial cabinets abroad. In an undated, anonymous letter found among his papers, Robespierre was accused of aiming at dictatorship and described as a ”tiger covered with the purest blood of France,” but he also received letters from locals thanking him exclusively for actions that were really made by the CPS collectively (1, 2). When Cécile Renault was questioned about why she had gone to Robespierre’s house armed with two knives in May 1794, she responded that she ”had only wanted to see what a tyrant looked like.” Finally, in a diary entry from the same day as the execution of Robespierre, a woman already claimed that he had wanted to ”massacre 60 000 men in Paris […] recognize himself as King in Lyon and in other departments and marry Capet's daughter.” That allegations like these existed is not all that weird, because even though they technically weilded the same amount of power, Robespierre was still way more famous than the other CPS members, and dare I say the other members of the Convention. Robespierre was a ”man of myth” even before his death, and towards the end of his life weilded an influence that his collagues simply didn’t share. Robespierre can also be called somewhat of the ideologue of the Committee, while many of his collegues kept a more private profile during their time on there. Although everyone was instrumental to keeping ”the terror” going, Robespierre went further by also justifying and making sense of it in his famous speech on February 5th 1794. All of this combined has lead to even modern historians who I would argue hold a balanced or even symphathetic view of Robespierre admitting that he can still be said to have been ”a (CPS) member without portfolio” (McPhee 2010), ”the first of twelve” (Leuwers, 2014) and even that the claim that Robespierre exercised a dictatorship of opinion at the Convention ”certainly isn’t false.” (Jourdan, 2016)

So my answer to why he’s so often exclusively blamed for what went down in 1793 and 1794 is that it’s because he became the figurehead of that era. He partly achived this status while still alive, through his own actions, thoughts and fame, and partly after his death, through his colleagues using his reputation as a handkerchief to remove the blood from their own hands. This doesn’t mean it’s factually correct to hold Robespierre as the only one responsible for ”the terror,” but it is nevertheless something that tends to happen with figureheads.

[leogichidaa]

Psychoanalysis Sunday #48

Non-magical AU where Regulus is put in therapy with a psychoanalyst

Part 1 | Previous | Next

"I have done a bit of research since we last met," Dr. Robertson tells Regulus as he settles in to the office. "I've spoken to your parents about this sorting business. I have been informed that the process is meant to be a bit of a surprise to new students."

Regulus nods. "I have heard stories. Of course, I do not believe a word of what Sirius says about it, and at any rate, he is the last person that I would want to consult on the subject, since his sorting was such a disaster."

"Yes," Dr. Robertson says, his face suddenly looking a bit weary. "I certainly do want to talk about that. But before I do, I wanted to ask: would you like to know exactly what the sorting ceremony entails?"

Regulus gives the analyst an astonished look. "What?"

"Well, we could explore your anxiety about the unknown and the root of your fear of failure further, certainly. However, I think in this instance it might be a greater benefit to simply make the unknown known."

"But you can't do that!"

Dr. Robertson grins and winks at Regulus. "Actually, I can. Would you like me to?"

"Really?"

"Really."

"It - this is not some sort of trick is it?"

"Why would you think it is a trick?" the analyst asks, scribbling something on his notepad.

"You never just tell me things. Everything is always riddles and questions with you." Regulus shrugs. "It seems too good to be true."

The analyst nods and examines Regulus, tapping his pen against his chin before responding.

"No trick," he says finally. "I had a...long conversation with your parents last week, and I explained to them in my professional opinion, it is in your best interest to know the details of the sorting beforehand. I think foregoing the tradition of secrecy will help put you at ease as you approach this transition. It is ultimately up to you, though. Would you like to know?"

Regulus stares at the analyst, a bit stunned. On one hand, he finds it incredibly thrilling to be offered secret information and it would of course be quite grand to go off to Hogwarts knowing something that most, if not all, of his classmates were ignorant about. He could enter the sorting ceremony confident and calm, whilst his less privileged classmates worried themselves sick.

On the other hand, well...surely it is kept a secret for a reason. Traditions are traditions because they have stood the test of time, after all. Traditions ought to be respected. It also seems quite clear to Regulus that the analyst had bullied his parents (although he struggles to imagine anyone successfully bullying his mother, let alone the combined force of Walburga and Orion Black) into agreeing with his "professional opinion". He is certain that his parents would think it foolish that he would require such accommodation, further evidence of his defects as a son.

Learning forbidden secret knowledge also strikes Regulus as a very Sirius thing to do.

Really, though, there is no question.

"I want to know," Regulus declares. "Tell me."

Dr. Robertson looks quite pleased by this, which grates at Regulus' nerves slightly, but his mind is made up. Now that the knowledge has been offered to him, he feels he must know.

"Well," Dr. Robertson says. "Apparently there is an interview with a specialist whose family has been doing this sorting for generations. Actually, I happen to know the fellow."

Regulus' brow furrows. "A psychiatrist?"

Dr. Robertson shakes his head. "A hypnotherapist."

"A what?' Regulus asks, alarmed. "He - do you mean to tell me he is going to hypnotize me?"

"Yes," the analyst says. "It is nothing to worry about really. Hypnosis can be a powerful tool, an excellent method of tapping into the unconscious mind."

Regulus' face pales and he looks at the analyst in horror. "I do not want anyone tapping into my mind. It is bad enough I have to come here without having someone actually look in my mind."

Dr. Robertson writes something else down in his notepad, but Regulus is hardly aware of it. He feels as though he is going to be sick. Somehow, this is worse than all the ridiculous stories Sirius told him about sorting. All this time, Sirius was going on about nonsense like wrestling alligators when he could have kept Regulus awake in terror every night by simply telling the truth.

"I can walk you through the process," Dr. Robertson says in a soothing tone. "I can even arrange to have you meet with the gentleman before term starts, if you think that would help. And I spoke with him myself about the sorting process. He told me that if a student feels very strongly about joining a particular house, he allows them that choice."

Regulus stares at the analyst. "We...can choose?" he asks slowly, processing this new piece of information.

"Most children don't, apparently. But yes, you can choose. And when there is a strong family legacy, that is taken into consideration as well."

"So...So Sirius...he could have gone to Slytherin if he wanted? He chose not to."

"Ah," Dr. Robertson says. "Yes, I suppose so." After a brief pause he asks, "How do you feel about that?"

Regulus sets his jaw. "Furious."

[bluebudgie]

Chill Tangled Depths map completion on EU servers! Now with date!

The poll's been closed, we got a date and time!

What will happen?

100% map completion in Tangled Depths!

No mounts required.

No prior waypoint unlocks required.

Itzel Lore IV: Itzel Poison mastery required for 100% completion, but you can still participate if you don't have the mastery.

I will probably get lost at some point. Apologies in advance.

When will it happen?

On Sunday, 04.12.2022 at 16:00 CET (GMT+1).

Make sure to get the right time for your own timezone! (This is 14 minutes after the Chak Gerent meta event ends. I'll try to progress the Rata Novus event chain far enough for the city defenses to be deactivated before we start. Don't want to have to deal with that while we pass through. And then pray we aren't forced to switch map instances.)

How to join?

Type /squadjoin Neljje in chat or /whisper Neljje should you encounter any problems joining.

I will not be listing the squad in LFG, but it will be open to join for everyone via chat command, and invites will be open as well. My tag will be visible to squad members only. I'll open the squad 30 minutes before we start.

We start near the Order of Whispers Camp waypoint [&BA4IAAA=]. This is the first waypoint you automatically unlock when you enter Tangled Depths from Auric Basin.

See you in the jungle!

Poll results, questions and additional info under the cut!

Date and time votes were relatively even but we got a winner in the end. I hope many of you will be able to attend at the time!

Never say never! I can't make promises of course but I'm always down to clown in TD :D Even if it's not another planned group event, if you ever need help completing the map don't hesitate to hit me up here on tumblr or ingame and maybe we can work something out.

You can still join, you'll just be missing two points by the end. You won't get lost on the route and we won't move on without you, I'll just have to ask you to wait for a moment while we hop into the poisoned area, grab the two points there and come back to where you're waiting. We won't be moving on to a new area through the poison.

Thank you for your interest! And save your thanks for when we've found out if I'm actually not creating a gigantic disaster :D I've never done something like this before.

Chak probably, chak gerent probably not.

FAQ (with questions nobody actually asked):

What exactly is "chill" map completion?

No optimized speed routes, no rushing, we make sure we stay together as a group so noone feels like they might get lost or can't keep up. For the route itself I deliberately chose a few "whacky" ways over the "fast options", just because I think it might be more interesting. A scenic tour through the jungle, if you will. See as much of the map as possible during completion without making entirely pointless detours.

If anyone wants to watch the vista cutscenes, I would like to ask that people are patient and wait.

So, no mounts...

Obviously I will not hold you at gun point not to use any mount under any circumstances, but I do ask noone rushes ahead so we don't get sprinkled all over the map. That's how people get lost. I personally will not be using mounts, unless it is to pick up / help people (turtle passenger seat etc). Or I fall. You know. That happens. Ahem.

I don't feel confident in my platforming/jumping abilities / I'm scared I won't be able to keep up.

If you ever struggle with gliding or any jumping passage, and you can't use any mount to make it easier for you, please do not be embarassed to ask for help! I'll try my best to either get you through this in the turtle mount or grab my mesmer and portal you through the passage. No questions asked. We're all here to have fun!

That said, while this is a HoT map and therefore we do have some gliding and jumping passages that are unavoidable*, most of the way is just walking. So please don't be too intimidated! I'll tell you upfront, the start of the route is probably by far the worst and most chaotic part. I apologize for that.

*(different routes have different possibilities of course, but I tried to keep a balance between interesting ways, minimal backtracking and staying on the intended paths)

Help! I lost the group and don't know how to get back to you. Real Tangled Depths moment.

Stop moving. Tell us roughly where you are. I think by now I'm fairly competent trying to decipher where people are lost. I'll come and pick you up. Alternatively I'll have to point you to the nearest waypoint we unlocked and grab you from there. (Look I know this sounds like a silly point to make but believe me I've had this happen more than once.)

And lastly... for the really interested (you do NOT have to understand this, don't worry), that's the rough plan if all goes well:

If people are still up for it once we're done I may have a little something planned for the end (nothing spectacular) to conclude the tour in a special place that not everyone might have seen before. Depends on how we're all feeling and if the map events are playing along.

Thanks for reading!