#there is another parallel in my head but in a completely different direction
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random DSaF thing I'm not sure if people picked up on.
Something significant about the DSaF 3 phones that popped into my head while I was writing the last post comparing Peter's DSaF 2 and DT incarnations that I didn't bother mentioning bc it was long enough
Harry and Jake are actually parallels to Steven + Peter respectively with a few major differences applied. (warning a LOT of text:)
Both Harry + Steven are generation 1 phones. They're both shown to be fairly by the book and are able to completely turn off their empathy when situations call for it. Both are completely disconnected from their former identities in a way that the other phones aren't. To further cement this connection, Harry is even shown to be the one that sent Steven to the factory. If an employee dies in your restaurant, Harry's response to it is pretty much what Steven's would've been.
Ultimately, he is a company man, like Steven. Just like Steven trying to save himself by any means necessary in DSaF 1, his confrontation in DSaF 3's evil route specifically talks about how much you've cost him and while he clearly feels disgust with you, he more so drills the futility and sheer callousness of what you're doing in rather than really tries to make you feel bad for the bad things you do. He speaks to you like you're more of a failure than anything else. You're not HIS employee, but as the former head of the franchise, speaking to the person who just killed it for the final time. He focuses on what you specifically took away from him, turning the conversation back to himself. His final words are a cold goodbye. His response to your actions is close to what Steven's could've been in this situation.
Ultimately, he's even more of an insider than Steven and someone with more of a direct connection to the cycle of misery that occurred at Freddy's. Basically, several of Steven's defining qualities are amped up in different ways.
Peter on the other hand, is not a company man. He's a gen 2 phoney, more in touch with his personal identity and in the good ending of 2, even escapes in order to reunite with his old lost family. He's generally a chiller boss than Steven, clearly caring more about the well-being of staff/customers than making the company happy.
Jake, similarly, also is in touch with his personal identity. Like Peter, he escaped in order to find his family, but as his backstory scene in 3 points out, this didn't go to plan. Jake, on the surface, seems like a polar opposite to Peter in how overtly cynical he is, a word he deliberately uses to describe himself in his DSaF 3 callout. However, this actually masks something that's more evident if you listen to him in certain key scenes.
Jake cares about others. A LOT. I based his characterization on a George Carlin quote: 'Scratch [the surface of] a cynic and you'll find a disappointed idealist'. It shows what Peter could've been if he'd never reconnected with his family or been able to correct any of the ills he came across. Someone who was worn down by life and put up walls as a result. But, the underlying care is still there and affects his decisions/words at key moments.
If you read his equivalent callout in 3 very carefully, there's some pretty strong parallels to Peter's callout in 2. He notably drills home the fact that you abused the trust of customers so you could feed like a monster. He mentions having higher hopes for you, hoping you were going to be someone better. Even after all Jack's done, he still expresses shock that he feels no remorse at all. His scene ends with a much harsher line, commanding Jack to never contact him again, akin to Peter's closing line in the equivalent 2 scene.
Also, notably, he breaks the no cursing Phone Guy rule in the scene. His reaction if an employee gets springlocked at your location is also noticeably more Peter-esque, remembering what he went through and not wanting another person to turn out the same, in contrast to Harry deciding to just go by the book, a decision that directly led to the creation of Steven pre-DSaF 1.
Okay, that's about it. I bet there's people out there who caught this (knowing me, I've said all of this before and forgot about it) but I figured a few people might find it interesting regardless. thanks, everyone!
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How do Pikachu produce electricity?
(This is a photo of my Pikachu, Eggnog, blending in with a bunch of plushies on my bed. Isn't she cute?)
Electric types are my specialty, so I thought a great way to start off this blog would be to get into the anatomy of electric organs in pokemon! It differs depending on the species, but its pretty conserved among electric mice.
Much of Pikachu's body is made up of two dense electric organs in its body cavity. Most of the mass is in the lower half of the body, separated from the organs by a relatively thick layer of insulating fat. This is why Pikachu are heavier than you might expect for their size! These organs are made of layers of thousands of columns of cells called electrocytes arranged in series, with parallel layers separated by thin insulating tissue to prevent short circuiting. This enables them to efficiently build a high amount of current and voltage very quickly. In the chubbier parts of the arms, tail, and insulated from the organs in the rest of the body cavity are thinner layers of electrocytes to maximize electricity generation.
Interestingly, electrocytes are actually a type of modified muscle cell! Each cell is innervated by a nerve terminal where neurotransmitter release triggers an action potential similar to those in muscle cells and neurons.
The electric organs are beneath the muscle layer and separated by another layer of insulation to prevent seizing during the release of electricity. Insulated channels between the muscle layer allows the produced electricity to move past the muscle and escape through the skin. These channels can be opened and closed to direct electricity to different parts of the body for different moves (think Electro Ball!)
Pikachu fur differs from non-electric type furry pokemon in that it's actually composed of a mixture of several metals (primarily copper and zinc) coated in a thin layer of a protein similar to the chitin found in bug types. In this way, the fur acts more to conduct electricity than to insulate the pokemon against temperature loss. This makes temperature control a challenge for Pikachu, but the thick layers of fat insulation, metabolic heat from electricity production, and social huddling helps keep them warm.
You might've noticed that Pikachu's striking red electric sacs in its cheeks are completely hairless. This helps it directly conduct electricity in smaller amounts, like when communicating. These sacs are also the only electricity-generating organs in its head, and are thoroughly insulated to prevent any misfiring to the brain. This has the side effect of making its cheeks extra stretchy and squishy!
These electric sacs also differ from the main electric organs in that they have specialized battery glands that can store even more electricity. When Pikachu is asleep, they're able to "recharge" these glands similar to the process in rechargeable batteries, except with very minimal efficiency loss over its lifespan.
And there you have it! A basic run down of how Pikachu generates electricity. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to let me know! And of course, if you have any corrections, please let me know as well! I'm pretty experienced with electric types but I'm also still just a student. :]
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7x07 Corner of Random Thoughts
This is my favorite ep of the whole season so far. We finally got emotional episode, which, I think some people forgot (writers especially), Rookie is good at. I love the weight to the storylines they bring and I missed that in the beginning of S7. This is why Corner of Random Thoughts will be long and sectioned (not so random) for some clarity.
TIM IN THERAPY/FLASHBACKS
When we got sneak peek with Lucy's flashbacks @theflyindutchwoman wondered if we get Tim's perspective, cause in 5x01 we didn't. And I'm so really glad we did. It feels so much more mutual than 5x01, it feels so much more vulnerable. And I'm here for it.
I don't necessarily agree with the fact that thing's been "solid" between them recently. But this supports my idea (which I don't really like) that "small doses" was at least some part of The Talk we've been waiting for and that with it they checked boxes of kindness and appreciation without showing them to us afterwards. This is also what I think is happening with an ensemble cast shows and writing whole arcs weirdly, when you have to divide screentime.
I love how you can see Tim's gears changin when the terapist calls him on I language. I love how therapist says "IF it was a mistake" and then makes a small head shake after. Those small things give me much more hope than I'm willing to admit.
I really think Tim might've been… hopeful (???) morning after, but Lucy's bolting scared him so much he is now convinced he made a mistake. He is doubting his judgment because of how she reacts. I think this dynamics is really perfectly depicted in @cfr749's "Beneath Your Beautiful" and they are both in this dance now.
Lucy's Flashbacks are a direct parallel to 5x01 but they also show how she is determined to compartmentalise this. There is no emotional comentary here other than her denying this. We're back to "ex-sex" thinking. AT THE SAFE HOUSE
Tim/Nolan might be my favorite new dynamics in this series. Like, seriously, they are both clueless about emotions and letting go of control but in a completely different ways. Tim closes up and toughens up and Nolan treats everyone as they are little kids. Seeing this mushed together is joy.
"Hard to sleep when she's not there" and shot to Tim is pure emotional gold mine. Makes me want to write a fanfic about those sleepless nights…
I love how reluctant Tim is towards being "emotionally unavailable" like it's still some crap he'll distance himself from. :D It's giving me a heavy reformed!Tim vibes and I'm here for that.
I also love how the talk starts with Nolan asking Tim about Isabel and ends with Tim reflecting on Lucy. This means that he thinks about her all the time and that she is more important to him than Isabel. I mean, this is obvious, but it's also nice to note that in a full-circle moment like that.
Eric kills the talk. The pain is there. The vulnerability is there. The "small doses" are there. It's the same pain that was in 6x10 and I'm here for him and Lucy to cure this pain BY GETTING BACK TOGETHER ALREADY. Lol.
IT'S ALSO THE FIRST TIME THAT WE SEE PROGRESS TIM'S MADE. He reflects on how he gave up, how he didn't fight. He's obviously not there yet with reasoning behind it. But he'll get there.
In the meantime Lucy's still in denial and we haven't gotten any one scene this episode on her doing any reflection about her situation with Tim at all. xd
The simple fact that Lucy called for Tim with Seth situation is huge for me. I mean, we all know that they trust each other professionally 100%. I just think in any universe it would be normal for them to have any kind of doubt whether they should bother another one in such situation. The way they showed there wasn't any doubt at all is huge for me. It's like I love it. Even though it's nonevent.
I think it's also the fact of how close they remain despite everything they have been through in their relationship. It's absolutely amazing and I feel this strongly this season (for some reason). Maybe it's written that way to divide their personal and professional spheres, but maybe it's just my perception of this. OTHER STUFF
James and Nyla are the most adult relationship in The Rookie. Change my mind after watching this scene in interrogation room, because James is the wise man proposing for them to face the truth and to deal with consequences regardless of the outcome.
I love Celina this season so much. I'm waiting for more storylines and more depth in her.
I love how much depth Bailey got this episode. It's amazing how well they shifted perspective from badass-almighty Bailey to badass-broken-protective Bailey. I love it so much more.
Like, Miles has a really big, texan heart. And I missed this kind of heart in The Rookie. PROMO I am pretty confident that we are getting Tim and Lucy in trouble because of Seth. There is no other reason they would veil this with "putting a two of their own at risk" in the synopsis.
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ELIZABETH BURKE, PETER BURKE, and NEAL CAFFREY from WHITE COLLAR


Justification:
"okay listen this might already be in the queue but i sincerely believe the last three seasons of the show would've gone in a completely different direction if peter got that last little push away from his bullshit cop behaviour by neal pulling some grand romantic gesture for him + el. like, come on man, you've already come to peace with legality not being the same as morality after you ran all those cons and let neal cut and run, but he's so convinced the ONLY way to do good in the world is being an fbi agent that he like, actively makes things worse for neal (AND HIMSELF? AND ELIZABETH?) over and over again just so he can preserve the status quo of neal being his CI + while peter's an active field agent. would kissing about his devotion to their dynamic and neal's rehabilitation and peter's complicity in neal's dehumanisation by the state solve that? maybe not! but considering the alternative is neal fucking dying (he got better) about it i think we should give it a shot!
that previous paragraph was more or less me preaching to the choir wrt this relationship but still here's my pitch:
neal is essentially already the third in elizabeth + peter's marriage, with how much he lives in peter's brain during pre-series sequences, how INVESTED he is in their relationship (reminding peter of anniversaries), and then IN the actual series that only increases when he's coming around to their place all the time
each pair within this trio have supporting but distinct relationships w one another that they all benefit from (and they often need the support of all three dynamics to get through Issues™)
that one episode where peter ends up on the run w another fbi agent and neal gets paired up with that guy's CI, and there's just an unbelievable amount of parallels between the two pairs and their relationship, even after its established that those two are in a romantic relationship and peter and neal 'aren't'. like peter says he'd go to neal first if he was ever in trouble LIKEEE
fucking everything about the run up to the finale of season 2 where we hear over and over again that the only two ways conmen end up are with 'one last score' (which inevitably leads to the next, because they can't help themselves), or going to prison. OR, the 'true love' option, where an ex-conman is able to genuinely settle down and go straight (more or less). this 'secret third option' is literally even spelled out to us IN an episode about a trio of thieves (byron june and ford) who meant the world to each other!
neal uses the engagement ring he was GOING to give to his TEXTUAL 'true love' in order to pay for peter's ransom that one time and isn't even cut up about it??
also like the episode before that neal and peter switch identities (very well) and neal acts like elizabeth's wife, and the only issue peter (or anyone) has with it is that he's also committing the crime of impersonating a federal agent.
season three finale where peter asks why neal didn't run when he just got the score of his life and the first thing he says is 'you, elizabeth', before listing literally anything else. INCLUDING HIS CURRENT ROMANTIC INTEREST?
also the scene before that where neal immediately folds from his season long cat and mouse game with peter and hiding the treasure because elizabeth's in danger! and peter only believes he's not lying abt any of it bc it's elizabeth!
that one shot in the pilot where neal and elizabeth look up at peter and you can so clearly see he has a type.
literally everything about elizabeth + neal's interactions in s1. get you a girl who sneaks you into her house past dozens of fbi agents so you can talk to your handler personally about being framed for a crime that she has no reason to suspect you didn't do other than believe in your and her husband's relationship!
im losing track of my argument at this point. anyway can someone please knock peter upside the head with some kind of bi awakening for the love of god this homoerotic 'partners' situation has an unbelievably high body count not to mention all the violation of civil liberties and frankly you could've all moved to paris and started a detective agency YEARS ago and this show would become slice of life" - @time-is-restored
#could polyamory have saved them#polls#white collar#elizabeth burke#peter burke#neal caffrey#polyamory#polyamorous#nonmonogamy#time-is-restored
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ɪɴ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀꜱᴇ [ch.4]
[Shigaraki Tomura x Fem!Reader]

Beginning: Prologue
Previous: Chapter Three
➨ Chapter Four
Next: Coming Soon...
Premise:
The multiverse theory is the idea that there is not only one universe but, instead, an infinite number of universes, parallel to one another.
You and Tenko were heroes in your universe. The war came and went, and that left only you. When you are thrown into a universe parallel to yours, you find out the hard way just how similar and different it is from your own.
A/N: My roommates and I totally got knocked tf out with the bad luck stick. This chapter already went through the first rounds of edits, and I was going to do a final round... but that was just not gonna happen today. So please excuse any typos or whatnot <3
♡
If you'd prefer to read on Ao3, here is the link:
Otherwise, enjoy!
♡ ♡ ♡
CHAPTER FOUR
Toga made an unpleasant face when you dropped your large wad of rain-soaked clothing into her open arms. She was the lucky duck that was chosen to escort you on your trip back to the hotel. It turns out she was typically the one who volunteered to run errands and shop for the boys thanks to her quirk being perfect for going out undetected.
For your brief outing, she took on the form of the woman you’d seen outside the convenience store with Shigaraki the night prior. Her pretty face was contorted in distaste as it was clear she wanted nothing more than to drop the soggy pile on the marble tiled floor. Unfortunately for her, you had to check out of the hotel first, and you needed both hands free in order to do that.
You thanked the receptionist with a friendly smile and dipped your head politely before turning to leave. Toga was quick to shove your hero suit into your belly, forcing you to take it back from her. She had enough strength behind it to make you stumble back a step or two.
“Agh! That was so not cool,” she complained as she rubbed her wet forearms off on her sweater.
You rolled your eyes. “It wasn’t even a full minute. You’re fine.”
“You could have at least warned me! That felt so gross.”
You snickered at her, receiving a childish pout in return. But then, your smile dropped, and Toga’s body stiffened as the two of you spotted a pair of police officers passing through the entrance of the hotel.
You pushed against Toga, directing her to the outskirts of the foyer, which was decorated with a generous number of potted plants that would give you cover. It was hard to feel completely hidden when your arms were full of not only your dripping clothing but also several bags from the light shopping you had done before coming here. Making a silent escape would be a feat.
Maybe you were overreacting. The officers would never be able to recognize Toga with her current disguise, and you were much older than your villainous counterpart. Surely, you looked different enough to slip by without catching anybody’s eye…
But that was probably a reach.
“They don’t know what you look like,” Toga whispered to you, tugging on your sleeve to get you walking towards the exit. She always had a knack for knowing exactly what was going through your head. It was somewhat comforting that this version of her was the same way. Then again, it could very well be that you were just easy to read.
You gave her a questioning look. You remembered seeing pictures of yourself in villain garb during your little research project this morning. They had to at least have an idea of what you looked like. Then again, you recalled that in each of them you had been wearing a mask.
You glanced back over at the cops who were walking up to the receptionist, and you allowed Toga to pull you away. You were almost out the door when you overheard a piece of their conversation.
“—card statements alerted us that she booked the night here. She’s been missing for over a week now.”
“Oh…What did you say her name was again?”
You knew you should just keep walking—you were almost out of view—but the sound of your name caused you to look back out of habit. Just then, the receptionist’s wide eyes locked onto yours. She looked confused, her mouth opening and closing as she searched for her words.
“Go,” you hissed, pushing Toga out the door and causing her to trip over her own feet. Your firm hold on her shirt kept her from falling as you hauled her out of the building and down the sidewalk. She whined and tried to wiggle out of your hold.
The hotel was supposed to be your last stop. You decided then that you would have to tack on a few extra to be sure you wouldn’t be tailed. The last thing you wanted was to lead the police straight to your villainous friends’ hideout. The two of you filed into the nearby station, and just as you reached the platform, one of the trains pulled up. You wasted no time in hopping on.
You never imagined you’d be the one running from authorities.
And now that you were, you hated it.
The way your head spun and your heart raced. How your hands were shaking so badly you were struggling to hold onto your bags. The anxiety that rushed through your veins, overwhelming and taking over your mind with dread over what was to come.
You knew you weren’t a villain, and realistically, you shouldn’t actually be in any trouble. They were looking for you because, in this world, you had a missing person’s case. If they caught you, the worst-case scenario would be an interrogation into why you disappeared. You wouldn’t be arrested for any real crime.
Still, you couldn’t help but panic. Maybe it was because you were with someone who was wanted as a villain. Even then, she was unrecognizable in her disguise. Most likely, you were so worried because never before had you been the one the authorities were after. You never imagined you’d find yourself in this type of situation—and you certainly didn’t know how to get yourself out of it.
In the end, you weren’t really the person they were looking for—rather, you were just a doppelganger of sorts—and you had no explanation for them if they did bring you in for questioning. You knew close to nothing about your past in this world. There was no way her life had been identical to yours considering the vastly different outcomes.
She had money, but how did she get it? A proper job or crime?
Who were her closest friends?
Where did she live?
Your best bet if you were ever caught was to fake amnesia, you reckoned.
Your heart rate only slowed down after seven or so stops. Toga was patient with you, but you could tell she was getting antsy and eager to get off the train. It was maybe the tenth stop when you finally stood up to leave.
The train let you off at a street full of shops and bustling people, very similar to the one you’d gone to earlier in the day. The air was full of chatter loud enough to be heard over a cacophony of music resulting from various playlists intermingling. Had you been in a mall, the music may have been a bit more in sync, but this was what happened when multiple stores wanted to create an ambiance for their customers.
Getting to the end of each block proved to be quite the chore as Toga’s attention was caught by every other window display. She whined about how she never got to buy nice things for herself anymore because she had no money. Needless to say, your soft heart would give in, and you’d walk away with her beaming and admiring her new apparel.
Your attention was caught at one point when you passed a shop selling a variety of used gaming consoles. Some of the posters taped to the front entrance were advertisements for games Tenko and Iguchi had introduced to you. Toga didn’t bat an eye, continuing on her way, but you paused to wonder, if you hadn’t died in this world, would you make similar memories with Shigaraki and Spinner?
You missed the days when the three of you would gather at one of your homes. Beanbag chairs and a plethora of pillows would be gathered in front of a TV, surrounded by a mountain of snacks to last you days. Tenko never failed to provide enough energy drinks to kill a horse. He wanted to ensure that you—in a food coma bliss—wouldn’t pass out before it even hit midnight.
The sun would be peeking over the horizon, and your bloodstream would still be saturated with caffeine, resulting in you badgering them mercilessly to prevent them from nodding off. You’d be buzzing in your seat as the three of you played on, framed by two zombies who wanted nothing more than to knock you unconscious. Once he had enough, Tenko would pull the plug and drag your whining ass to the makeshift beds Iguchi had set up earlier in the night. You’d only settle down after several minutes of Tenko’s arm latching you to the floor.
You’d like to think that your counterpart shared experiences akin to your own. Although, you wouldn’t be terribly surprised if being wanted criminals took precedence over finding the time and money to play games through the night.
You turned away from the shop to follow Toga back to the hideout.
Twice was quick to jump on you both as soon as you walked through the door. He wanted nothing more than to dig through the bags of new goodies you brought with you. Compress wasn’t so invasive, but he still hovered to catch a glimpse at whatever was pulled out. When Twice reached the plastic bag you used to carry your soaked garments, he made an alarmed noise and shoved it off on Compress who was also fairly displeased.
“What on Earth is this?” he said, aghast.
“It’s my hero suit… It was raining in my universe before I was sent here, so it got totally soaked through,” you explained, taking the clothing back from him.
“Oh, I was wondering why you looked so miserable last night!” Toga chimed. You pursed your lips.
“Anyway, I’m gonna go get changed into something a bit more palatable,” you said, digging through a large paper bag full of new clothes.
“You weren’t kidding about that hero crap?” you heard Shigaraki grumble.
You glanced over at him as he lounged across one of the battered sofas, gnawing on a candy bar. You couldn’t necessarily blame his distaste for heroes being that he was on the receiving end of their dutiful efforts. It was more understandable given you knew just who they really were—without this universe’s societal views blurring your beliefs into following them instead.
“Of course not,” you said as you pulled out a cozy pair of pants along with a soft sweatshirt.
“So, your morals align with theirs then,” he said, and you didn’t miss the mildly sinister undertone in his voice. You looked back over to see his eyes boring into you. He was waiting for your response, his body visibly tense. It was clear that the wrong answer would trigger an exchange with an unappealing outcome, and that seemed to be what he anticipated, though his deep frown suggested he preferred that not be the case.
“No…” you said softly, watching him carefully. You felt like Shigaraki wouldn’t think twice about going after you while your back was turned. You knew Tenko would never do that, but you also knew he was passionate about his world views, intense and driven to defend them. With him already being on the opposing side of the law, you weren’t sure where Shigaraki drew the line when it came to fighting for what he believed in. You’d like to think he was as sensible as you remembered.
Thankfully, you wouldn’t need to find out today. “No, the heroes here were my enemies where I come from.”
He scrutinized you, gauging whether to believe you or not, but after a moment, his narrowed eyes and tensed muscles relaxed. “Mm,” he grunted in acknowledgment before turning his attention back to his food, pretending to investigate whatever was written on the wrapper.
Your eyebrows furrowed as you looked back down at the outfit you picked out. You hadn’t noticed your heart rate was elevated until that moment, feeling it slow down.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit curious as to what we’re like as heroes,” Compress pondered, a hand tucked under his chin.
“Me, too!” Toga said and attached herself to your back, putting most of her weight onto you. “Are we, like, so awesome?”
You glanced over your shoulder at her and chuckled. “Oh, definitely, but I’m sure you’re just as awesome here.”
She giggled before pestering you to share more.
So, you did.
“Our agency’s focus was mostly on rescue. We were usually the first to respond to natural disasters or the destructive aftermath of villain activity. Sometimes we’d be given assignments to gather intel to help out other agencies,” you explained.
“I’ve got a hard time believing Dabi’s good at rescue. He should just scorch them!” Twice butted in.
“I said mostly,” you laughed. “Dabi… kind of had his own role.” Speaking of, both he and Spinner were missing from the common area. “Is he around right now?”
“No,” Shigaraki clipped with a mouthful of food, “He’s out recruiting for us.”
“What about Spinner?”
You didn’t miss the way his eyes shot over to look at you, causing a slight shiver down your spine. You couldn’t pinpoint why, but in this universe, his energy had a menacing edge to it.
“He’s sleeping.” Shigaraki swallowed his last bite and dropped the wrapper beside him. “Why were you using past tense?”
“Was I?” It hadn’t even crossed your mind. Apparently, Compress noticed it, as well, nodding along as if he would have asked about it if no one else had. Toga and Twice seemed confused, looking between you and Shigaraki.
You drew back slightly. Telling all of them about the tragedy that had struck your group felt wrong… You understood that things were different here, but you also didn’t want to put meaningless fear into their heads. They wouldn’t be playing the same roles as they did in your past, so it wouldn’t make any sense for them to face the same fate.
“I guess…I guess it’s because I’m technically from the future?” You shrugged with a shamefully false smile. Lying about this didn’t feel all that great either. What if—because of weird universal parallel laws or whatever—they will meet the same ends as they did in your world? If telling them could change that, then that’s what you would want to do.
You would do anything to change what had happened to your friends.
Spinner’s words from earlier in the day rang through your head. There was still a chance that manipulating their timeline could create a paradox, the aftermath of which could be devastating—according to the limited SciFi media you’ve consumed on that subject matter.
You wanted to rip your hair out. You hated being in this position, and you were eager to get out of it. Hopefully, it wouldn’t take too long for you to hunt down Dai Uchuu and convince him to send you home.
There was a sharp tug at your heart.
It occurred to you that home wouldn’t have all the people you cared so much about. That should have been obvious, but it was easier to forget than you’d think. Still, that’s where your life was, and you had to live with the outcome of your own battles.
You pushed past that uncomfortable feeling with a little help from Toga and Twice badgering you for more details on their lives as heroes.
You continued to tell them about Toga’s success and promotion, and how Twice was invaluable for his productivity and utility on the field, amplifying everyone else’s capabilities tenfold. Compress and Tenko were excellent at clearing debris, freeing anyone trapped or injured. There were a few people you brought up who the others were unfamiliar with, such as Minji, Sakiko, and other old classmates of yours.
You wondered if they had yet to meet.
“That sounds like so much fun,” Toga said. She was plopped down in front of you, hugging her knees to her chest as she listened to you share stories about where you came from. She stared at the ground with a blank expression. “I wonder how we ended up so different.”
“Me too,” you muttered
“I’m glad we’re not heroes,” Shigaraki spouted, kicking his legs off the couch so he could sit up. His eyes settled on you.
“What?” you asked, a bit jarred by his comment. “Why? I can’t imagine living in hiding is all that fun.”
“Because we don’t have to conform to the shallow ideals of society. Heroes like to act like they keep the peace when, in reality, they turn a blind eye to those they deem beneath them. I’m not interested in playing pretend.”
You blinked.
Some heroes could be like that sometimes, but they were the vast minority. Most of the people you knew were genuine and loved being given the opportunity to help others. You were sure Tenko felt the same as you, but Shigaraki’s opinions were the stark opposite.
You assumed that could be attributed to the fact the heroes here were just as corrupt as the villains you knew them to be. Shigaraki was their villain, and they were his enemies. If you were in his shoes, you probably wouldn’t want to join the opposing team either.
The energy in the room had changed, and you all silently agreed to drop the topic. Toga stepped into the spotlight to start showing off everything you’d bought her, which led to Twice begging you to buy stuff for him, as well. Compress tried to be subtle about it, but it was clear he wanted in on the gift-giving by the way he began listing items he lost or wished he could buy.
At some point, Dabi had returned, and Spinner had risen. Dabi made a b-line for the scarce-looking bedroom, but Spinner was eager to join in the conversation. He was a little less self-centered about the things he thought you should buy, more so concerned with what the group needed as a whole.
Shigaraki was silent from his spot on the couch, seemingly uninterested in the conversation, but his eyes were locked onto you all the while. There were a few moments where you’d look over but quickly look away when you saw he was still staring. It felt like he was in deliberation with himself regarding your presence, like he had yet to decide whether he’d let you stay or not.
You weren’t kept in suspense for too long.
Spinner was in the middle of arguing with Twice about needs versus wants when Shigaraki butted in to announce you’d be staying with Toga overnight. Then he left, you assumed to retreat to his own bedroom. Compress and Twice turned in not long after, but Spinner hung around until Toga dragged you away to give you a tour of her room.
Hers was the one that looked like a bomb had gone off inside. Her clothing was overflowing out of her wardrobe and across the majority of the carpeted floor. You could barely see her bed underneath the mountain of plushies she’d accumulated, and you had to watch your step to be sure you didn't crush any of the scattered makeup.
You were soon thankful her messiness made you more attentive of where you were walking, because you noticed the gleam of a knife peeking out from beneath her clothing. You crouched down and carefully picked it up. “Um… Toga? Why do you have this in your room?”
She gasped as her eyes widened and a gleeful smile stretched across her face. She pranced over to you. “You found it! I’ve been looking everywhere for that!” She plugged it from your hand and held it to her chest, giggling and skipping away to find a new home for it.
Okay…
You elected to ignore her absurd behavior in favor of helping her clear a spot on the ground for you to sleep. She began handing blankets and pillows off for you to arrange however you preferred.
You dodged an oversized teddy bear, covering your head for safekeeping. You lowered one of the fluffy pillows being lent to you to send a playful glare at Toga as she rifled through her stuffed animals. She began pelting you with anything she thought would be a good addition to your makeshift bed.
“This is gonna be so fun!” Toga sang as she tossed another plushie in your direction. You caught it this time. She turned around to start helping you gather everything into a somewhat bed-shaped pile. “Tomura and I just bought a bunch of snacks and stuff, too—Oh, that’s when we found you!”
“Right. You guys left some stuff behind, by the way,” you hummed with a soft smile. You tucked a blanket around your mound of a mattress to help it keep its form. “I tried to give it back, but you guys were long gone, so I returned it to the clerk.”
“Hm, I would have kept it if I were you,” she said, side-eying you. “I know where Jin’s food stash is. I’m sure he wouldn’t care if we took some.”
“He wouldn’t care if you asked? Or wouldn’t care because he wouldn’t notice?” you catch, giving her a suspicious look. She grinned wide, showing off her sharp canines.
“Jin’s a sweety. He’ll understand,” she said, waving her hand as if she was shooing away the conversation topic.
You finished working on your sleeping arrangements, and Toga dug around in her closet for anything she could use to give you a makeover. You were offended at first by the way she chose to phrase it, but you could recall all the times you’d spent with your Toga. The horrors she put your hair and skin through had long since been buried away—way more than six feet under.
Your body was stiff as she began working with your hair.
“If only Magne were here, too. The three of us were planning a girls’ night before—” Toga paused, looking off to the side as she emitted a strained hum. “She said it would be good for team building.”
You looked down at your crossed legs.
Losing Magne was hard. No one could have anticipated such an outcome. The planning that had gone into that assignment felt endlessly meticulous not only for guaranteed success but also to avoid serious casualties. Everyone believed all bases had been covered.
But reality never goes exactly as planned.
There was no plan to account for the unexpected adversaries. No plan when so many of your allies’ lives were at risk. There was no plan to prevent Magne from jumping ahead to act as a buffer. She made her own plan, and she went through with it, and she succeeded. She saved all those lives at the cost of her own.
You weren’t sure how she passed away in this timeline, and you didn’t feel it would be appropriate to ask, but you had no doubt it was for something just as noble. This world may have deemed her a villain, but you knew her as a hero. You knew her ideology and goals, and it was a shame she—like all the others—wasn’t recognized for it.
You wanted to know how the morals of this society got flipped around. How were the real villains able to pull it off?
With copious manipulation tactics, you were sure.
“Were we ever able to hang out?”
“Huh?” You blinked back to attention. To be fair, you both had gone silent for a minute, allowing your mind to wander. “Oh. The three of us?”
“Mm,” she affirmed.
“Yeah…” You began picking at your nails. “Yeah, we got to hang out a decent amount.”
Her hands, which were busy at work with your hair, slowed down. “What kind of stuff did we do?”
You weren’t sure what to say. You wouldn’t have to worry about causing any paradoxes, since your stories were in both of your pasts at this point. Still, it wasn’t good to dwell too much on the past, or on what could have been.
That probably made you a hypocrite, but you weren’t too keen on taking your own advice on such matters.
“Magne would take us shopping sometimes,” you said softly. “Our work studies didn’t pay all that well, and she felt bad, so she’d want to buy us all sorts of things while we were out.”
“Like a big sister,” Toga suggested, her hands returning to her normal pace.
“Or a cool aunt or something.” You smiled and turned slightly to look over your shoulder at her. Her eyes were focused on her hands, but she was smiling, too.
♡ ♡ ♡
taglist: @boogiemansbitch @multisstuff @local-s1mp
#my hero academia#boku no hero academia#mha#bnha#shigaraki tomura#tomura shigaraki#shimura tenko#tenko shimura#shigaraki x reader#tomura x reader#x reader#fix it fic#alternate universe#cannon divergence#hero x villain#multiverse#parallel universe#toga himiko#fan fiction#Chapter 423#time travel#himiko toga#mha spinner#mha Twice#Dabi#Todoroki Touya#Mr. Compress
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“ripley? ripley, there you are, i’ve been looking for you” his words paralleled that day where things went awry, but his tone was vastly different.
he still looked at henry as if he were some inferior being, and there was still a vague taste of bitterness on his tongue, but overall— he was quieter than usual. less openly abrasive, more silently judgemental, as if he were trying to push down his previous wrongdoings and make some sort of amends. though, he was still the same ainsworth, there was an unlikely such amends would be executed well
“there is something out there.” that came as a shock, ainsworth was never one to believe in such things. in fact, he mainly ridiculed those who were afraid because of that idea
“i ‘hought the littluns were being childish, as kids are, to think there was a beast. then when the notion began to plague this damned island, i thought the other kids our age were addled and completely daft, more ‘han they usually are, for giving into that fear. at the prospect of something from mere imagination, no less”
he spoke with little pauses, as if he were still running away from whatever he claimed to be out there. he only caught his breath for a little at the end, closing his eyes as if he were trying to regain the focus and energy to actually speak again. no one has seen him this out of place. he was usually so put together, but today he just seemed, strung together. and evidently, those strings were not keeping him together.
“my opinion— no, that very fact has not been wavered. they have lost their heads, but i have not” he spoke with an uncomfortable and ridged tone, as if he were trying to make himself believe that
“i know what i saw, and i know what i heard, and i will in fact lose my own mind, truly, if you even think of directing me towards damon for this! i am not wrong about things! this is not a medical issue, it’s a true one and quite frankly, one that is a very real detriment to all of us”
“honestly? i could care less if it were to massacre all of them, good riddance. but if it’s come directly to me? then there is no doubt i will end up being one of ‘hose bodies in the mass.”
“it was the devil. or at least, something closely tied to it, im sure of it. god knows why it came to me, speaking those terrible vices about me. maybe— maybe that’s its first step, trying to rid the island of its only angel”
he hugged himself, the sight offered a new look to him, even if his words began to sound all the same to how he usually was. the way he held himself currently spoke of lesser vanity, and more insecurity. the nearby foilage rustled with the wind, the waves of the ocean crashed into one another, the white noise serving as comfort as ainsworth’s silence began to cause discomfort. everette breathed out
“but that is not my point, at least not my main one. look here, ripley. whatever happened between us, i do not care. ‘hat doesn’t hold any value. it was one dispute out of the many that happen on this island. it was one argument that was inherently caused by that good for nothing snake. but, it will not be a catalyst. such words spoken were said in the moment, and do not matter in the now”
“what does hold value however is that i know you, and by extension, you— understand me. i know you don’t entirely hate me, ripley, that the resentment isn’t enough for you to push me away. you know that my hatred runs deep, but it isn’t all of me”
everette grabbed onto his forearms, looking up at him. suddenly, things began to still. as if it were just the two of them in this wretched world that had wronged them. both by putting them together, and keeping them apart
“so please. don’t leave me. don’t hate me like the rest of those ignorant cowards do”
— @everettes-requiem 🪽
”you know i could never hate you, everette.”
a few flies buzz around his head, their eyes seemingly staring straight into everette’s soul.
“but what you said wasn’t just alexander’s doing. it was your own as well. and i will shelter you, but only if you acknowledge that.”
placing his hand upon everette’s cheek, a few of the insects crawl up his fingers onto the other boy’s porcelain face.
“there is something out there, ev. i know him. i’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt you.”
a pause too silent, as the flies move but don’t buzz.
”i don’t know what fate had you changing your mind about me, if fate exists at all, but I thank you. it will be easier now, this tortured existence. that thing out there? him and us are all that is left.”
he lets go of everette, turning his back to him as his gaze pierces the density of the forest.
“God is dead, everette. we are what remains.”
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the tailor's smock (astarion x reader)
“You know what the problem is. We all know what the problem is. Hunkers Boolean across the street knows what the problem is. Do not make me say it!” - inspired by the prompt 'let’s get you out of those clothes' from this list sent to me by @kikistarstuff! thank you - i took a slightly different direction with it but I hope you enjoy! w/c: 1,023
Eventide ripples through the Upper City.
Church bells - scintillant, joyful. A provincial hum weaves amongst lavender-laden window boxes and bread left on cooling sills for the evening air to swallow. In places the sky still blushes through a deep crimson pink but nightfall quickly arrives as it always does.
You’re awake early, by all counts.
Astarion bristles as he works. His leg bounces, and the chair doesn’t quite sit even on the board flooring of your townhouse. The little knocks form a steady rhythm.
You stand astride his tailor’s podium in an almost-complete garment. He’ll lift his eyes to survey you every few moments as he sketches.
“Coffee?” You mumble.
He stays frozen for a moment - deep in thought elsewhere - before quickly collecting the tankard from his desk and delivering it into your chilled hands.
“Sorry, my sweet. I’m just-’
A sigh
‘I’m a little lost with how to finish it.”
His pallid hands drag over a now-long face. He spins slowly in place and lets out a long groan.
“You had a plan at the beginning, no? What happened to it?”
What began as a routine addition to your everyday wardrobe - an overall-style frock, nothing grand - now hangs as a genuine blockade between Astarion and doing anything remotely useful. Stitching seams only to later rip through them, selecting which buttons would best compliment the straps of fabric over your shoulders then switching at the last moment, drawing vague silhouettes in a heavy journal and showing them to you in flustered breaks. Torn pages balled in the corner of the room.
He looks at you with an incredulous tut. A fiery flick of his lashes.
“It clearly wasn’t a very good one, was it?!’
You’re tired of the garment now. Any want to wear it was discarded alongside the first five iterations of the dress; and you’d rather simply go and sit among the blankets in the den with a book. Maybe a fresh cup of coffee.
‘Don’t roll your eyes at me! I’m doing this for you!”
His arms gesture wildly to the dress, eyes frantic. He looks insane.
You meet his gaze in a tired standoff. The energy from both of you runs wholly parallel, and in entirely different directions.
You refuse to meet his angst with anything remotely similar. Your brain can’t compel itself to make this an argument, no matter how much you might want to.
“What is the problem here? Really?”
You remove the few remaining pins from the garment. He sighs once more.
“You know what the problem is. We all know what the problem is. Hunkers Boolean across the street knows what the problem is. Do not make me say it!”
In all seriousness he flounces to his chair and sits pensively, leaning over the desk with elbows resting; head in hands. You stifle a snort.
“What are you on about?!”
A sip of coffee. A frustrated borderline-yowl. The bells continue to chime on beyond the window. The bristle of a late wind.
“I can’t even make an overall! An overall!”
You draw the corners of your lips cheekward in a closed grimace.
“Love. With the best of intentions, please do not let the fact you can’t make a smock get you this upset.”
He looks up at you. Rolls his eyes.
“So you do know I can’t make it. Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”
“That is categorically not what I meant.” You chide, putting your tankard on his desk and tapping him on the arm lightly.
“I’m completely and utterly useless then, I suppose.
Astarion drawls. A child seeking attention.
‘A basic smock. Beyond the ability of my wretched spinster hands.”
“I suppose you are.’
He looks up.
‘Useless, that is.’
Gormless. Too tired to be witty, just a blank stare.
‘I suppose I’ll just have to find another prospect who can make me my own personal smock collection. It is my greatest wish, after all.”
It takes a couple of minutes of nothing for him to respond. You watch the streetlamps glower in the new dusk, the stray cat pottering onto nearby roofs; one of your neighbours collecting their washing for the night.
“Hah!’
He smacks the desk lazily and rests his head on the wood for a moment. When he lifts his eyes are heavy-lidded. A roguish daze. The quirk of a smile.
‘I’m being stupid, aren’t I?”
The grimace returns. You nod.
“Really, properly stupid.”
The clientele Astarion desires in his new business venture aren’t the kind who are buying regular overall-type garments. They visit the tailors for their finery; not middling homewear.
“I was doing it for you. I really was.’
He pushes his chair back and stands, crossing the few steps to where you stand adjacent.
‘You look so homely in this kind of thing. It’s-’
He pauses. Tilts his head from side to side. Errs.
‘- sweet -’
With another step forward his hand moves to your cheek in a soft, revering touch. All tension melts from his face
‘And I thought it’d make you happy. Being able to bustle about our little house in something so mundane, knowing I’d made it just for you, to be able to do so in comfort.”
His forehead meets yours in a worn stupor.
“You’re silly. I hope you know that.’
You meet him in a tired coffee-stained kiss; his own relinquishing their well-worn mirth.
‘Plenty of time for that. For you to make me all kinds of beautiful things. A whole lifetime, even.’
Another kiss. He gives a fanged grin against your lips. Bliss.
‘But right now, I am desperate to go back to bed.”
His arms snake around your waist, hands grabbing your sides in a weighty adoration.
“Now then treasure - that’s something I can get behind.’
He gently moves his kisses down to your neck, pressing against your weary frame with an intentional rut of his hips. Every part of him emanates a sleepy desire and you can’t help but feel heady at the thought of returning to your shared bed. Your lover.
‘Come now. Let’s get you out of those clothes. I fear we have new plans this night.”
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The following contains spoilers for Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuux episode 7&8
Okay, it’s been a busy couple of weeks, so here are my actual thoughts on Mobile suit Gundam GQuuuuuux episodes 7&8 that aren’t just me yelling about the Neo-Titans. Apologies if this isn’t up to the usual standards, it’s been a real bitch to source images for these lately.
Matchu’s Rebellion

I’d been so hyped-up about the Neo-Titans that I honestly forgot to mention that the Kikeroga has a mobile suit mode. It looks kinda Gundam-derived, which makes sense given the tech situation. I honestly just love how spindly and weird-looking it is, and the head’s just that fabulous mix of simplistic and insane. Very nice.


I fucking love Pergamino and Kycillia. Pergamino is admittedly just one of those one-scene-wonders, Adam Seitz’ voice work and the wonderful way he’s animated just really sell him as a character to me. He’s great. I like Kycillia’s updated design - I appreciate that its going in a different direction to her design from The Origin (since it’s a different turn of events) and she’s giving big Yellow Diamond from Steven Universe vibes to me - very cool and professional.
I find it interesting how the MP police are presented, since they’re able to ID Matchu with facial recognition immediately upon spotting her - it certainly makes sense that the colonies would have such a system in place (especially in the wake of a major war), but it was just sorta like “real-world problems and concerns? In MY Gundam show? Man, get outta here”.
Specific scenes I like include where Matchu and the G-qux are escaping from the MP units, since the way the G-qux moves just looks like somebody properly sat down and figured out how AMBAC would properly work; and also the scene where Xavier is meeting with Nyaan on the street is really well-done, because he’s being nice and polite and genuinely seems to be trying to help her - but the hand he offers is that of a 70-ton warmachine that could easily crush Nyaan if he chose to, so it illustrates the power disparity between the two and the fact that it really isn’t a choice for Nyaan.
Falling on the Moon

Have another Dom, whydontcha. It was nice to see Tokwan and Dimitri in them, since Zeon most certainly didn’t develop the Bigro or Zakarello in this timeline. I love that M’Quve is exactly the same as he always is. So good.

I really like how it’s the Earth Federation forces that attempt the colony drop here, since it hammers home that both sides were willing to restart to such measures when desperate, but it doesn’t make the mistake of attempting to downplay Operation British. There’s also a lot of great officer designs in this episode.
I also like the parallel of the White Base leading the assault on Solomon, I just don’t find it as impactful as it was in the original. Oh well.


Sayla in the Guncannon was also fun (especially since it completely fucks over Char), I just kind of wish we’d actually gotten to see her. It feels a bit….. flat, as-is.
It was really nice to get a proper look at victorious post-war Zeon. I dunno, it’s just been talked about all series and then it shows up and it’s basically the same it’s always been. Victory didn’t really change much.
“They were good people, with kind hearts that I wanted to protect - so I killed them” - Zeon pilot of the month Miguel Serveto. Absolutely flawless. Love it. A man with a healthy outlook on life. That said, he and Deux Murasame are a good illustration of how people might realistically view Newtypes as soulless horrors bent on destruction - the inverse of Zeta Gundam, where Newtypes were heavily suppressed and consequently mythologised.
#I’ll talk about the new Gyan in another post#gundam#ramblings#gundam gquuuuuux#gundam gqux#mobile suit Gundam gqux#mobile suit Gundam gquuuuuux
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Ehhh fuck it I'll post this one too -- I wanted to color it first, but. I'm actually split on redoing Alfonse's outfit completely, or at least making adjustments.
Like, in my head, I think I was doing two separate things between the Askr siblings and it just doesn't feel cohesive to me now.
What, you ask? Well, the first thought behind this, was this is a visit. So, Sharena is straight up wearing Moe's old clothes it never could seem to let go of. I think I got mixed up around Alfonse, though. Literally half and half. He's wearing some of Moe's clothes (esp the flannel, green, band merch), but the idea here is they did have to go out and get stuff that actually fits right.
Which... works. It does work. But I think in the back of my head I was also wanting to design an outfit that's more AU coded. Going from argyle sweater vest ass to mmmmaybe trying to develop his own sense of style. Which kind of directly clashes w the idea that he's wearing some of Moe's clothes. But also. So. SO BADLY. ESP IN THIS CONTEXT. I would LOVE for Moe to have direct influence in the process of that. Another detail you don't even get to see here is Alfonse is wearing a studded belt. Courtesy of Moe.
Lack of direction too many ideas at once. Maybe if it's an AU, the dress could have been a hand-me-down? If you like it, and it fits. You can have it. If you want... (Moe completely dodging just how deeply meaningful this gesture is when doing this). But also, could go REALLY crazy if Moe (previous life) had fashion taste that was close enough to Sharena's that, like. At different points of time, each ended up picking out the same dress. It's such a funny line to balance, actually. Because despite all the parallels I may draw between them, Moe was NEVER what Peony was, to Sharena. Not even close.
Idk idk there's a possibility that I'll get too frustrated w all the details not matching up here that I scrap it completely. Just know that the dress Sharena is wearing is pink and white. Very Princess Peach core. The style of it, though... it's pretty close to something else... a certain Something Else... just enough to scare ya. Which is ALSO WHY this might work better as a visit and unique psychological damage for Alfonse but I DIGRESS. WHAT YHE FUCK EVER. TOO MUCH GOING ON HERE JUST THROW IT ALL OUT‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️
#absolutely like after troubleshooting rubber ducking like. 99% close to just scrapping it. SAD!#too much going on. also maybe redundant on the mani nod? bc. moe held on to that one too.#you better BELIEVE it could not let go of that one.#so maybe it does work better as like. a stylistic similarity that raises an eyebrow.#or at very least deals ten points psychic damage to alfonse.#the important thing about moe is that it didn't start presenting super femme until it was 15.#which. the lore about alfonse mistaking mani to be 15. and moe placing mani at 19 (catastrophic egg cracking event)#something is happening here.#LIKE. IT ALL CONNECTS. SOMEHOW. IT ALL CONNECTS.#idk idk all i know is that i've been dying to draw sharena in that dress in particular bc it is one i actually own#but it. may not be meant to be. at least here. at least now.#I'M TOO FRUSTRATED. W THE DETAILS. ESP CAUSE IF I WENT INTO THIS DESIGNING AN AU OUTFIT#for alfonse SPECIFICALLY. this is the VERY first draft i'd probably scrap and do a million other concepts for.#UGH. i'm just too autistic about it.#swagever....#fe alfonse#sharena#moe tag#my art#moe lore#bc of. the lore is here. there is lore here.#black turtleneck underneath the flannel thumb cutouts on the sleeves. btw. on alfonse there.#form fitting strikes a convoluted balance between modest/formal emo/slutty ect ect ect#if you. even care.
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[GRANNVALE ] - An old waltz from before the rise of Emperor Arvis. It was popular during its time in the 750s but has now become a relic of the past, one that may not be as appreciated by the newer generation.
It had been long enough since he had set foot into the arena proper that he had known where she was, regardless of how the tide of the crowd churned and flowed around there. It was through no corporeal sense, but a hyperawareness that stemmed from somewhere deep in his gut that he could not yet shake, no matter how he tried to purge the marks that she had left on him.
Indelible. Forgivable.
Dimitri took a clean breath, deep and filling his lungs with the scent of the sea at night, and allowed the crash of the waves behind him to buoy him forward, his steps soft in the sand as he strode forward. Although he did his best to weave through scattered groups, couples, brushed against individuals with a soft utterance of apology, once the crowd saw the light reflect off of the crown prince they parted for him, eyes heavily upon him until he reached his destination.
He did not rush, did not falter, stood tall as his strides slowed and his heels clicked against the floor, before coming to a stop before her, his hands behind his back.
"Dorothea...you look..." Dimitri could not help but stand for a moment in complete stillness, feeling the distant, fuzzy sensation of everything else around them fade out of his periphery to a faint buzz, blurry and vacant and out of focus when she stood before him, radiant.
He did not know how long the moment lasted – it might have been mere seconds, or it might have been forever, azure locked onto emerald as though this might have communicated all that he had ever wished to say but could not. The music might have rose and swelled, or it might have been the beats of his heart, but in this matter, at least, he knew the steps, and would not allow her to fall.
Finally, gently, one hand slipped out from behind his back, palm up.
Waiting.
Waiting to see if she would allow him this one final indulgence.
𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐋 2025
it'd occurred to dorothea well in advance that dimitri would be in attendance. she'd known that she would see him, or run into him—even if he tried to keep his distance—and that she would have to contend with the matter head-on in a setting so public, a setting where so much as the wrong tone of voice or expression would clue others into what'd been kept secret, or send speculation unraveling at their feet.
while it helped that this wouldn't be the first time they'd spoken since the miserable end of the last party they'd both attended, there was still plenty left unsaid, and for all the courtesy and civility that followed, she had not expected him to seek her out on a night like this. or ever, after what'd been said.
“It is for this reason, as well, that I will…withdraw my presence from your life.”
had it occurred to dimitri that she expected to be forgotten as one might set aside a cracked marble bust while another, more chiseled and refined, took its spot on the pedestal? did it cross his mind that she might walk a line of hesitation, unsure of what he further expected of her after turning away so abruptly?
strange then, to see the crowd grow quiet and part like the sea to reveal him, dressed in attire a far cry from anything she ever remembered the prince in— recalling now with a melancholic twinge how much things had changed since the last time they'd found themselves on a shore. they had both grown, though seemingly in different directions, when she had thought a year ago they would walk on paths parallel. once his so-called knight, and now something akin to a ghost unable to cross over.
dorothea could not say what it was dimitri wanted; could not say much of anything, here and now, with an audience. his gaze is silently returned with her own, diva now acutely aware of how her heart squeezed in its ribcage, and then trembled, her resolve spurred on only by the prospect of being onstage.
“...you as well.”
nothing more, nothing less said.
delaying a second to unclip a charm from her bracelet to press into his hand as expected—noticing now that he no longer wore his gauntlets, for all the times she'd sought out the touch of skin behind impenetrable steel in search of warmth—before dipping into a curtsey to then finally slip her hand into his atop the pearl in between.
#toaball2025#blaiddllodi#OH MAMA. OH HEAVENS ME. I FEEL SICK ACTUALLY /pos#tches who asks for permission to commit violence in the inbox and me still going :pikachu_surprised: what if i cried though genuinely#the layers.. the history :crylaugh: i kept going back to their first ball interaction & it hit me like a truck. woof. how things#have changed a year in. and still they have so much to hash out. sniffles#kids can we please communicate openly#[ ♫ ] ── * answered
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For the kiss ask game. This is a strange one, but QPR Rushu/Szeth and number 13
I loooove the idea of QPR Rushu/Szeth!! I'm sorry, I tried to do the prompt you picked and ended up going in a completely different direction... It's still them though!
QPR Rushu/Szeth, modern AU, rated Teen, 730 words
Rushu had recently introduced Szeth to the concept of parallel play, and he found it very much to his liking. Right now, he was sitting cross-legged on the floor in Rushu’s room, playing Breath of The Wild on his Nintendo Switch. Rushu sat at her desk, typing away on her computer. He found the sound of her typing to be oddly soothing.
“Hey, can you help me out with something?” Rushu asked suddenly.
Szeth paused the game and looked up at her. “Yes?”
“It’s for my Accountability of Virtue fic,” she explained.
“The one where Brightlord Sterling and Brightlord Vadam are lovers?” Szeth asked. He hadn’t read the novel, but he’d listened patiently to Rushu’s numerous rants, and had done his best to memorize the details so that he could engage her in conversation.
“That’s the one,” Rushu confirmed. “I’m trying to write their first kiss now, and I can’t help but feel inadequate. Oh, I’ve read countless kiss scenes, so you can say I’ve got my sources down. But I’ve never actually kissed anyone, so I don’t know which of the depictions is most accurate. I don’t think I can consider my research thorough enough, this way.” Rushu swiveled around in her chair to face him, her eyes expectant. “So, would you be down to make out?”
Szeth blinked, surprised. Rushu and him had never done anything like that, and neither had expressed any interest. But while it didn’t sound especially appealing, it wasn’t repulsive, either. And, well, Rushu had asked him for help, and Szeth really wanted to please her. “Alright,” he said hesitantly. “We can try.”
They both stared at each other for a moment, neither making a move.
“Um, should I get up…?” Szeth asked. “Or do you want to come here?”
“I’ll join you,” Rushu said quickly. She settled down on the floor in front of Szeth, her knees touching his own. Then there was another moment of awkward silence.
“Okay, let’s do this,” Rushu said.
They both leaned in at the same time, and their faces collided in a decidedly unsuccessful manner, noses squishing together. It took them several tries to get the angle right, then their mouths found each other. At first, it was just lips on lips, which was fine. But then it got wet, and slippery, and all in all reminded Szeth of the seafood he used to eat back at home.
They pulled apart after mere seconds, with matching grimaces on their faces. Szeth wiped at his mouth. “That was…”
“Bad,” Rushu agreed.
“Let’s try again,” Szeth said. He’d been given a task, and he intended to see it performed well.
They tried again. It was somehow even worse this time, maybe because Szeth knew what to expect.
“Um, why is this happening?” Rushu said, frustrated. “People are supposedly really into this. I feel like that’s false advertising.” She scratched her head. “Or maybe we’re just not doing it right?”
“I’m sorry,” Szeth said. “I don’t have any experience in this, either. I’m probably not doing it very well.”
“Oh, stop that,” Rushu told him, rolling her eyes. “It’s not your fault. This is just not for us, probably.”
Szeth mulled it over, then nodded. “...Yeah. I think you’re right.”
Rushu sighed, turning back to her computer. “I guess I’ll just have to rely on other authors’ descriptions for my inspiration.”
Szeth started to pick up his Switch, then paused, an idea occurring to him. “Wait, what if Sterling and Vadam don’t kiss?”
She glanced at him over her shoulder with a frown. “But I’ve been building up to this scene for 4 chapters!”
“I know,” Szeth said. “But what if they don’t want to kiss? What if they’re… like us?" He grew excited as he spoke. "Wouldn't it be nice for people out there to have this sort of representation?”
He could see the gears turning in Rushu’s head, then all at once her eyes lit up. “Szeth, you’re a genius!”
“I am?”
“Yes!” Rushu beamed. “Queerplatonic Vadam/Sterling is such a good idea! Honestly, it makes their relationship so much more interesting. I feel like Vadam is so aroace-coded anyway, with how uninterested he was in being intimate with Wema in the canon… Hmmm… Sterling might expect a kiss, but it will be interesting to see them finding a compromise...” The sound of Rushu’s typing resumed at full speed.
Szeth smiled. “I’m glad I could help,” he said.
Rushu didn’t react. She was already somewhere in a far-off world.
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I was just reading a new TBOSAS fic on AO3, it’s a Catching Fire AU that I found by religiously stalking the Treech tag. And the author just informed me that they’re not sure on who gets to live or die so my brain made multiple similar AU’s where I decide who lives :)
So first of all, these will all be focussing on Treech and Lamina. I headcanon Lamina as older than Treech, which I seem to be alone in? I’m sorry but she has big sis energy to me, and also I push the “younger people can be the (more) protective one too” agenda. In my head Treech is 15-16ish? So he’s a few months to a bit over a year younger than Lamina (who is canonically 16). I’m not 100% on what to make their relationship to each other, because I like them both as a ship and as platonic besties. I’ll mention which one I’m using (or if I’m making them related somehow) for the AU’s I’ll share in this post (and, likely, following ones 💜).
Starting off strong: not necessarily a catching fire AU but close enough and better because the second rebellion happens much sooner here. Treech and Lamina can be anything here, but I my top picks are siblings or besties since birth so we’ll go with siblings (nice Gloss and Cashmere parallel minus the career/likely volunteer part I know). Treech is two years younger than Lamina here for ✨reasons✨. The 10th games, with Lucy Gray still as victor through cheating, are the starting point of the mentors. From then on, the victors slowly start taking over the mentoring. The academy students still get a chance at winning the Plinth Prize in the beginning, but that quickly falls away and it’s just about getting your name out there and bragging rights for them.
Lamina wins the 16th games at 16 (ha) as the first female victor for district 7. She and one of the two male victors from previous games are to mentor, since the capitol stipulates that if there are male and female victors, the two mentors have to be one guy and one girl. This happens during her second year as mentor. The mentors all watch the reaping together in the capitol, which also gives them more time to sort mentor business. District 7’s turn comes, and Lamina almost feels bad for how relieved she is that the 18-year-old girl is someone she’d only seen in passing and didn’t actually know. Most of her friends that weren’t already safe aged out this year, meaning she didn’t have to worry about potentially seeing anyone she cared about die. Treech’s name isn’t in the bowl as much as many others, especially since her victory meant her family had enough food to not require tesserae anymore. And their family had already been reaped once, so surely they wouldn’t be picked again, right?
Pause for effect
Treech’s name is called out, and Lamina screams in denial before breaking down into sobs while the other two district 7 victors try to comfort her. The rest of the victors look at her with pity and sympathy. He’d been her motivation to win her games, and now Lamina would have to mentor her little brother despite his low odds of winning the games. I have most of this AU worked out in terms of broad strokes, but I’ll move on to the next one and if you want me to expand just ask me.
Quarter Quell Hell:
The 25th hunger games had the twist that the districts have to vote on their tributes, but I’m adding a twist to this Quarter Quell. The tributes are reaped from bowls filled with the names of the 5% of kids with the least votes, to remind the districts that they’re powerless rather than the whole “you’re the reason they’re dying” thing. And when they’re chosen, a screen will show how many people voted. Treech, being the only direct relative of a victor eligible for the games, received zero votes. Nobody wished it upon their family to lose another child, especially given how they’re so kind to everyone (basing this off of Lamina, and Treech doesn’t have much canon personality so it works).
Quarter Quell Hell 2: Electric Boogaloo:
A completely different first quarter quell, where the tributes are picked from the victor’s direct family. A reminder that even the districts’ strongest cannot protect their loved ones from the capitol. The only restriction is that people above the age of 50 cannot compete, because those people have lived out most of their life expectancy, whereas younger people still have most of their life to live, and it’d be like letting the district off easy. Only one previous victor besides Lamina has a brother, and that brother turned 50 just that year, whereas Treech just turned 15 and is very much eligible. The parents that are still alive are well above the age cutoff. So, while there are more than 20 names in the bowl for the women of district 7 (sisters, wives, and daughters), there’s only one in the bowl for the boys. Treech. Worse even, he won’t be mentored by a previous victor but by a top performing student at the academy to reinforce the intended message.
I’m torn on whether to make Gaius Breen (because he deserves more attention) or Festus Creed his mentor (I wanted to go with Pliny, but he’s so tied to Lamina in my head it would feel weird to go that route). I’m gonna go with Festus, because he was nice to Sejanus. Am I lowkey shipping Festus with Treech now, even though they have no canon interaction whatsoever? … yes, yes I am. Sue me. The reaping happens in the capitol, and while the previous victors must go to the capitol to watch the games they’re only brought there a day before the games begin and aren’t allowed to see their family member at all before the games. Both the tribute and the victor will be alone. I’ve got a lot of ideas for this one, and for my newly invented ship FesTreech, so I’ll write a post about that once I’ve posted this.
Star Crossed Lovers AU:
Lamina is the Girl on Fire of this AU, winning her game with only one kill, made out of compassion. Lumber is used as firewood, and her stylist leaned into it. Hence her also getting a literally flaming hot costume. She’s sent into the games with Treech, but unlike Katniss and Peeta these two are in love from the start. In fact, they were dating before they were reaped. Treech joins the careers, but only because he doesn’t want to be the only one left with Lamina at the end because he doesn’t want to fight her. He leaves the pack very early, rather than being forced out, and stays alone for most of the rest of the games, before teaming up with Lamina towards the end when the announcement comes they can survive together. The announcement is revoked, they almost eat the berries, they’re saved, they start a rebellion.
Actual Catching Fire AU:
Lamina won the 71st games, went back home and started dating Treech. Then Treech got reaped and she had to mentor her boyfriend, but he won too so it’s alright. Then the third Quarter Quell happens, and their worst nightmare comes true. Not only are they both reaped to go back into the arena, but they’re going in together this time. And only one of them will survive. They stick together throughout most of the games, only teaming up with Tanner and Coral briefly because they’re good friends of theirs (less than half of the 75th games’ tributes are 10th games tributes because I refuse to kill any of them if I can prevent it). When the arena is destroyed, Treech is taken by the capitol. I choose him because this leads to Lamina going on an absolute rampage. The capitol was not prepared for her wrath at the sheer audacity they have to dare hurt her boyfriend.
What did I just create? I- it’s 4:35AM please cut me some slack
#10th hunger games#the hunger games#hunger games#the ballad of songbirds and snakes#idk how to tag this#treech tbosas#tbosas treech#treech#lamina x treech#tbosas lamina#lamina tbosas#lamina#district 7#catching fire#alternate universe#fix it au#is it a fix it if they get more traumatized?#story ideas#idk what else to tag#I wanna tag Tanner but he’s mentioned only once so I don’t think he counts as a whole tag?
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okay. aforementioned meta time.
aka: solas drew the veil and plunged the world into chaos... but my best guess is, he had to.
ft.: if he was wrong to do so (which i don't think he was), then the inquisitor is just as wrong during in hushed whispers
solas' goals were pretty straightforward: he wanted to liberate the enslaved elvhen. to do that, he had to stop the evanuris, who were, without a doubt, the world's most powerful mages.
and others have posited theories about more going on, theories i tend to agree with, at least in terms of broad strokes. specifically i believe there's a connection btwn the evanuris and the blight and that, unchecked, they truly would have destroyed the world.
in which case, he gets an additional goal: save the literal world.
i also tend to agree with the idea that red lyrium has something to do with the blight. so moving forward with these two theories...
things blight/red lyrium can affect (in game canon):
stone
animals (including moles and worms via ambient dialogue in suledin keep)
humans
elves
dwarves
qunari
dragons
so it's reasonably safe to say that not only does the blight impact people, but it impacts the planet/nature as well. so if he took action to stop the blight, then by doing so he sacrificed arlathan to save the entire rest of the world. and the extreme measure he took here was likely necessary because of the strength of the evanuris - one man, one mage, however skilled, could not effectively fight them all. as a direct confrontation he would have lost. but there's still a heavy implication that he warred with them (or perhaps for them - either way, he was a soldier) for some time, that he "spent lives," which to me implies that he was something of a general waging a war against the evanuris, at least at one point. so it's safe to say that he actually tried to go head to head with them - and he couldn't. not even with an army.
i have seen his actions within the timeline of dai contrasted with the inquisitor's actions during the in hushed whispers timeline, and i think that's a very valid comparison to make: he woke to a world that was unrecognizable to him, corrupted by his actions, but also saved by his actions! but he wants to bring what was good about the world back. as inky in that timeline, we are willing to destroy everyone in order to "reset" the world and have another chance to take down corypheus.
in game, the world doesn't seem too bad to us. sure, it has its issues, but it's still a functional world, right? the people inhabiting it, most of them want to continue to live the rest of their lives, right? i don't think we can say the same isn't true of the future timeline we saw. there was absolutely deep corruption and danger, and the inquisitor's companions seek a reset, but what of those outside southern thedas? we never know, we never see their lives. what if others were gearing up to attack - what if they'd been able to succeed? instead we determine that this future is so awful, so intolerable, through our limited, narrow point of view of it, that it should be erased, should be completely unmade.
and in-game, this reads as ethical! but it's also analogous to what solas is doing and to what he did in arlathan. i don't think that paralleling is unintentional, either: what we see in that future is very much what he sees in the present, and we're both right, these times are "corrupted," are "broken," are "different" and are "wrong." but as inky it's presented as an inevitability - of course we would seek to restore, to reset, and nevermind all that we'd be destroying in the doing. leliana says this explicitly to dorian, that for him this is a nightmare he hopes will never come to pass, but the rest of them lived it, it was real.
to solas, the world is half of what it should be. everyone is walking around not knowing how much they are missing, unable to recognize the deep loss of magic for what it is. it's a gutted world, and that it's all these people have ever known... well, does that make it right to keep it as-is? because if so, how did the inquisitor have the right to reset the world in that timeline?
(little note: i have not engaged with any media outside of the main game canon and certain dlcs. however, i also do not personally hold that canon outside the games/major dlcs is absolute canon and should be 100% trusted. this is just how i engage with this franchise. so if smth i said here is disproved by non-game canon, personally that doesn't rly matter to me uwu;; to each their own tho!)
#solas#dai solas#broodmeta#rolls around#these are not all unique takes! not at all!#but i just wanted to compile my full pov on this matter somewhere
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I've been in a prolonged Star Wars mood recently which has coincided with me getting deep into Gundam so I've been comparing and contrasting their different approaches to similar ideas a lot, and I thought I might as well lay it all out in writing to get it out of my head.
I'm specifically comparing Star Wars to UC Gundam, starting with the original Gundam which for context began airing in 1978, after A New Hope but before Empire Strikes Back. You can see a bit of A New Hope's visual influence in some aspects of Gundam.


Both series prominently feature a laser sword of some description. "Lightsabers" in SW and "Beam Sabers" in Gundam. Other than the obvious difference of Beam Sabers being in scale with 18 meter tall mechs, there's also the difference in that the lightsaber is made out to be an elegant weapon, harkening back to a nostalgic imagining of knights and samurai, before the invention of less honorable firearms with future stories ascribing a deep cultural significance of the lightsaber to the people that made them.
The Gundam Beam Saber is in comparison a very utilitarian tool in a Mobile Suit's arsenal, usually carried right alongside rifles and bazookas. It still invokes a little bit of that knightly image, but the fact that it's usually used as a last resort weapon of desperation hampers the idea of it being a weapon of elegance or honorable combat. In a way they're more like real swords in that they're sidearms you only pull out in a battlefield when all your other options are unavailable.


Another superficial similarity they share is their masked villains, I don't think it's a stretch to assume that Char Aznable was inspired a little bit by Darth Vader. Of course, since Gundam was pre-Empire, when so much of Vader hadn't been established yet and his most notable trait was having a cool costume, the two ended up diverging into wildly different characters.
Char is a pretty young man who uses a mask to cover his identity and Vader is old and scarred and needs the mask to breathe. Vader is the main character's father and Char is completely unrelated to his main character until they meet face to face late in the show. In a way Char is kind of more similar to Kylo Ren being masked pretty boys with daddy issues though again their arcs end up wildly diverging. Kylo and Vader both end up "redeemed" but Char isn't really the kind of character who can or should be redeemed.


Somewhat related to the above, both Gundam and Star Wars have enemy factions who are meant to invoke Nazi Germany. Star Wars' invocation of German fascism (at least in the movies) is a lot more nebulous than Gundam's, communicating this analogy through visual reference to Nazi iconography while leaving the actions of the Empire more broadly as just general cartoon bad guy stuff.
The way Gundam compares the Principality of Zeon and the Nazis is a lot more specific and a lot more direct. The way the Zeon arms race plays out in the original is a direct parallel to the real-life Nazi wunderwaffen projects, where the Third Reich's internal friction and investments in ludicrous super weapons ended up costing them more than they gained, contributing to their eventual defeat. Gundam also takes place in our future (or atleast a future envisioned in 1978) so the real Nazis existed in this world and Hitler is brought up as a direct comparison to the original show's big bad.
(Writing this out, I had the thought that you could draw the same comparison between the Death Star and the wunderwaffen program, but idk if Star Wars itself has ever drawn that comparison.)


Another point of comparison is that both series heavily feature mystical, psychic powers inspired by the spiritualist movements of the day. The Force for Star Wars and Newtypes for Gundam. The Force is cribbing a lot aesthetically from eastern spiritualism while Gundam takes a lot more from the visual ideas of psychedelia.
The Force is far more concrete and straightforward than Newtype-ism. A magic energy field that can be used to perform great feats of power, and which has birthed two established sects of thought that are both treated as ancient. Force users are also clearly demarcated into Good and Evil camps, with specific powers and abilities locked behind a character's individual morality.
Newtypes in Gundam are very different from Sith or Jedi though. Rather than representing an ancient struggle of good vs evil, Newtypes represent a supposed evolution of the human soul, when humanity can communicate to each other psychically in an era where miscommunication is impossible. Supposedly.
Because whereas in Star Wars, the conflict of the Force is one of primordial good and evil, the conflict of the Newtype is one of heightened spiritualist ideas butting up against the mundane reality of different people operating under different and conflicting motivations. There aren't dark or light side Newtypes in the way that Force users are categorized, all of them share the core ability to bridge physical limitations to understand each other on a deep intimate level, but does that matter when their material conditions are inherently at odds? What happens when two people understand each other perfectly and they still have to fight and kill each other?




My last point of comparison is between the two "heroes" of both series. Luke Skywalker and Amuro Ray.
In a way, they're very similar characters. Both start out as young boys living relatively comfortable-if boring lives who are Called To Adventure and eventually awaken to their special powers to become great soldiers of their respective wars. Both are defined by the legacy of their fathers. Both are coming of age stories.
Where I find the comparison between them very interesting is the comparison of Luke at the end of his character arc (in The Last Jedi) and Amuro at the end of his (in Char's Counterattack). Luke in TLJ is a sad disillusioned old man who has failed in his attempt to rebuild the order that had been entrusted to him and who has stagnated into a miserable grandpa. For many longtime fans of the character this was a shock, and apparently for a lot of people felt like a disappointing betrayal. Because Luke was the Hero of The Rebellion, the Return of The Jedi. He was brave, and true, and more than just a normal man. So to see him so impotent felt wrong for many people.
I find it interesting that Amuro (subtler than Luke) also ends up in a similar spot, but in a way that feels far more appropriate to his character and to the tone of the narrative.
Because Amuro was not a hero. He was a child forced to become a soldier far younger than he should've been. Pressured by the dire, apocalyptic world surrounding him and the societal pressures of masculinity that hound him. Luke's inheritance from his father was a Lightsaber. A weapon of a great shining order which eventually was mutated by the Disney movies into a sort of Excalibur wielded only by the worthy virtuous heroes. Amuro's inheritance was the Gundam, the Devil's Machine, the first in a long line of military weapons, the image of which would haunt him for the rest of his tragically short life.
Amuro had at one point been a war hero, then a rebel fighting against the corrupt and self-interested Federation that had eagerly turned him into a human weapon. But his childhood of violence eventually left him no choice but to be subsumed into the military hierarchy he had at one point attempted to break free of. In terms of combat skill, Amuro was the best of the best by the end of his arc, but he had failed in every other regard. His Newtype abilities, once seen as a gateway to a future without misunderstandings, were now honed for violence. His final words ones of dumb confusion as he failed to understand the feelings of his enemy.
Luke gets the benefit of a Rey. The ability to once again become heroic and good and brave, to inhabit the comforting role of a gallant knight. And this step in his characterization is still met with confused hostility by most viewers. Amuro does not receive a similar luxury. He dies young and suddenly, with only the suggestion that his actions will eventually make things better, but it feels right with his character even for how unsatisfying it is.
Again, I don't know if I really have a coherent point with this post. Apologies if you've read this far and felt like I have wasted your time. For now, I think my main conclusion is that it's interesting to see how two different kinds of science fiction (heroic science-fantasy VS military sci-fi) approach similar ideas. I think the reason Luke's arc in TLJ fails for many is that the story of the original trilogy was fundamentally unfit to handle it. It's tacking on an unsatisfying tragedy onto a conventional, simple Hero's Journey rather than building on the foundation of societal critique the way Gundam does with Amuro.
Anyway. Bye.
#star wars#gundam#luke skywalker#amuro ray#meta analysis#comparison#spoilers for both series#long post#sorry for barfing a bunch of words at you
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Huan Must've Been Grigio
youtube
I was binge-watching a YouTube channel called The Nerd of the Rings—a must-have in any Lord of the Rings fan’s arsenal—when I found myself completely absorbed in the story of Beren and Lúthien. Then came Huan, the ultimate good boy of Middle-earth. And just as I was marveling at this immortal, fate-bound, wolf-slaying hound, the host of the channel mentioned something that made me pause—a dog that doesn’t age? Hmm, where have I heard that before?
Huan is no ordinary hound. He was a gift from Oromë, the Huntsman of the Valar, to Celegorm, one of the Sons of Fëanor. Unlike any other creature of Middle-earth, Huan was granted exceptional abilities—he was an immortal hound, bound only by fate, and prophesied to speak three times before his death. A fearless warrior, he fought and defeated Sauron in wolf form and later met his end battling the monstrous Carcharoth. More than just a guardian, Huan had a will of his own, choosing to betray his master in favor of righteousness by aiding Lúthien in her quest to save Beren.
And I thought, Wouldn’t Huan take inspiration from John Bosco’s dog, Grigio?
The parallels between Huan and Grigio are intriguing. Both are supernatural hounds, both appear at crucial moments to defend the righteous, and both ultimately disappear when their duty is fulfilled. While Tolkien never explicitly mentioned Grigio as an inspiration, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to think that his Catholic upbringing and knowledge of the saints played a role in shaping Middle-earth’s greatest hound.
That said, there are also undeniable differences between Huan and Grigio. Huan is a warrior, bound by prophecy and destined for battle, while Grigio is a protector who avoids direct combat whenever possible, choosing instead to deter threats rather than confront them head-on. Huan belongs to a grand mythological narrative, woven into the fate of Elves and Men, whereas Grigio’s story is much more intimate, centered on one saint’s life. Even their roles differ—Huan actively participates in a great heroic quest, while Grigio’s appearances are brief, mysterious, and purely defensive.
So, was Huan inspired by Grigio, or do they simply belong to a long lineage of legendary guardian hounds that have existed in stories across cultures and time? Could Tolkien, consciously or unconsciously, have woven elements of his faith into his legendarium, making Huan not just another mythical beast but something deeper, more akin to the protectors found in saintly legends?
What do you think? Could Tolkien’s Huan have been inspired by Grigio, the loyal protector of St. John Bosco? Or is it just another case of myth, faith, and legend blending into Tolkien’s masterful storytelling?
Well, hello there, my friends!
Did you think this was the only thing I’ve written about the Huan? If so, let me be the first to tell you—you’re mistaken! I’ve created something even more expansive and in-depth, delving into the heart of this epic moment. From the stirring call to arms to the thunderous charge, I’ve unpacked the layers of courage, hope, and sacrifice that make this scene unforgettable.
You can find the full exploration here: ⚔️. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
#ride of the rohirrim#middle earth#music#The Chronicles of Narnia#The Lord of the Rings#Tolkien#Lewis#C.S. Lewis#J.R.R. Tolkien#books#books and reading#aesthetic#dark acadamia aesthetic#dark academia#girlblogging#reading#light acadamia aesthetic#light academia#autumn academia#dark academia moodboard#academia moodboard#classic academia#academia#academia aesthetic#stuydblr#study aesthetic#studylr#study blog#studyspo#poetblr
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Let’s talk about the Dorama/Ouran Live Action TV Series !! (Nekozawa/Renge)
You may be asking why I decided to delve into this adaptation of Ouran tonight.
Why did I? Because it is the host (no pun intended) of another important piece of Nekozawa/Renge ship content. When you don’t have much to work from in the vein of interactions, every interaction matters, but this one ESPECIALLY does, because ….
…Renge canonically finds Nekozawa attractive!
Or at least, in the world of this one adaptation. But there’s no reason to think any differently for the other versions. Anyway.
If you go to Nekozawa’s character wiki, he has a section on his relationship with Renge. Of course, it lists out their interactions in Big Brother is a Prince, and then it mentions the dorama for this one interaction. This is where i had first found out about this, years ago.
Because I’m a nerd, let’s go step-by-step in this interaction to talk about it.
1. This takes place in Renge’s debut episode, so she’s directing the Host Club here. Tamaki asks her how his performance is, and if he should create more “shadows”. I’m including this bit for scene context and also because it confirms that there is a parallel to be drawn between Renge’s fascination with adding “dark side”s to characters and Nekozawa’s general association with shadows, darkness, dark sides, etc. I thought I was reaching before, but by including Nekozawa with this setup, I think my connection now holds more weight!
2. See! Nekozawa materializes out of nowhere behind Tamaki, and Nekozawa continues the “shadows” talk. He has a creepy filter over his voice and fitting music, fully engulfed in his persona/probably liking antagonizing the frightened Tamaki. He asks Tamaki to join his dark side and Tamaki runs away.
3. Here’s where it gets interesting!! Renge approaches Nekozawa, slowly, and she almost seems curious. Nekozawa’s creepy music is still fading out and his grin is likely in part still leftover from the last interaction.
4. Her smile as she says this!! She didn’t have to say this, and it all is so out of left field. She just curiously walks right up to the guy who just materialized out of the shadows and frightened away Tamaki and says he’s good looking. What!!
5. That’s what I just said! What?? But okay, let’s analyze this. His spooooky mannerisms have completely fallen away in this moment. No music, no voice filters, no evil laugh, he has nothing except “what?” His smile has fallen but he looks intrigued, if i had to describe it. He looks surprised but not in a bad way, it seems like it’s something pleasant that has blindsided him. He’s leaned into her, looking straight into her eyes, and he is both shaken out of the persona he is so used to keeping up and intrigued all at once.
6. There’s a pause where he’s still smiling, looking at her, still leaned into each other, silent as she reaches to remove his hood. To me, i dont think he even notices she’s removing his hood until the sun beams down on him. Why? Was he distracted? :O
And when he realizes, he screams and covers his head. She looks away in fear/surprise.
7. Now that they’ve been shaken out of the moment, he’s back to his usual self. After saying this he books it out of the scene. This is 100% my biased read on this but… wouldnt it be POSSIBLE… that he’s mad not only because she removed his hood, but because she had him so off-guard in the moment that he hadn’t even noticed? Is he mad at himself for being stunned in the moment, and leaves in a huff from that?
And Renge says nothing. Renge? Nothing?? How?? Literally, Nekozawa leaves the scene and then Renge doesn’t even acknowledge what just happened. Is she just as thrown off? Who’s to say!
Anyway that’s all, thank you for reading if you did. I’m so glad to have actually finally watched this scene. (Also, this is all very “phantom of the opera”, isn’t it? Interesting interesting.)
#ohshc#nekorenge#ouran high school host club#umehito nekozawa#fanfiction#ohshc fanfic#renge houshakuji#ouran#ao3#rarepair#ouran dorama#nekozawa/renge#umehito x renge#nekozawa x renge#shipping#ouran headcanons#ohshc headcanons#ohshc imagines#ouran fanfic
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