#this show has a lot going on for being a sports anime that disregards almost every fact about its sport and also physics

[thechocolatearmor]

OK OK OK OK OK people talk about sniper, or pyro, or medic being autistic right?

B u t

What if I told you all of them are?

Every single one.

Engineer? He's autistic. Soldier? Autistic. Frickin Spy?? Omgsh he's so autistic

So because my brain won't stop itching about this I'm going to write up a collection of all the evidence I have for why the TF2 mercenaries possess within their beings the big tism. By the time this is over y'all are going to be very sick of the word autism.

But IDC

So without further ado, let's go through each of these silly mercs one at a time:

Scout:

Alright, first up we got Scout. Scout I would consider to be AuDHD for multiple reasons

The ADHD is more obvious but like dude trust me he's autistic too

He's hyperactive, forgetful, gets distracted easily, kind of the basic stereotypical ADHD stuff you would notice immediately. He stims, he fidgets, he struggles in social situations, he's seen as over the top and a bit annoying, he talks a lot

Now a lot of these traits are things that are common for both autistics and adhders. But I wanna point out some things I notice about him that are autism specific

He has a special interest: It's Tom Jones. Honestly he probably has a special interest about baseball too

But I mean c'mon he's literally has a Tom Jones tattoo

You could argue this is just a hyperfixation but I bet it's been going on for a while

He also has "spikey" skills. Really good at stuff like drawing, dancing, sports, but he sucks at things like reading, math, etc

Mostly what makes me see him as autistic it's how he struggles in social situations. Bro doesn't know how to flirt unless he's got a bucket of chicken on hand

Soldier:

Honestly if anyone's autistic coded it's soldier

Special interest is all things American, especially if it relates to the military

Lots of autistic people wear certain items that remind them of something they like, usually disregarding things like how it looks or even whether or not it's comfortable. Soldier's helmet is way too big for him but he's almost always wearing it anyway

In meet the spy he does "hut hut hut" when he's doing down the stairs and it makes me so happy

He has no filter, he takes things really literally, he often sees suggestions as orders (teleporting bread anyone?)

Also when he says he's been doing nothing but teleport bread for 3 days it makes me think he must've been hyperfocused on that

I don't think he knows anything about volume control since he's yelling everything

What kind of neurotypical fights bears in Siberia while naked and covered in honey

He speaks his mind rather than beating around the bush

His helmet could also double as helping him avoid eye contact

Pyro:

Tell me they don't have aversion to like every texture besides their suit you can't

A lot of their animations are super stimmy

Pretty much nonspeaking

Has childish interests

Could also have schizophrenia? (I'm relatively uninformed about it tho so I might not be a good person to judge)

I bet half of their little mmph mmmph noises are audio stims

Special interest is fire

their stim is ARSON

Demo:

I headcanon him as AuDHD too

I mean tbf a lot of how he is is more related to alcoholism but shhh let me have this

But I mean he made friends with Soldier

Special interest in medieval weapons which would explain why he's crazy about swords?

Drinking could be an unhealthy coping mechanism/safe food

Probably also depressed with how he can never live up to his family's expectations

Infodumping about bombs in his introduction video

Honestly most of my "evidence" for him is just fanon but idc I like autistic Demoman

Heavy:

Whether or not him having a PhD in Russian literature is canon, some of his in game lines show him to be very poetic and thoughtful

The fact that he only has a few food items but always seems super happy to be eating them gives me safe food vibes

He sings and hums a lot, probably as a stim

He has the Resting Autism Face™

Special interest in his gun

A lot of his voice lines also just feel really stimmy to me, especially when he's doing the "YATATATATATA" thing

Not sure he has any volume control either

Seems to genuinely enjoy Medic's morbid stories, at least to a point

He really really really really really likes the song of the Volga boatmen in particular

He's the prettiest princess it's canon, you can't be a pretty princess without being autistic /j

He has a tiny bed for Sasha. HE HAS A TINY BED FOR SASHA

Heavy is often criticized as a class because guess gameplay is relatively simple and can become a little stale for a lot of people. Yet Heavy seems to have some of the most excited voice lines in the game. I feel like this emphasizes how much he thrives in routine, since he seemingly never gets bored of just doing his thing

Engie:

He has 11 phds

A lot of his voice lines also sound really stimmy to me. Either he's going YEEHAWW GIDDY UP or he's yelling DAMNIT DAGNABIT DANGIT DAGGIT NABBIT

Probably a lot of echolalia with that too

He humanizes his buildings and cares for them like a mother bird

Just listen to his genuinely heartbroken when his sentry gets taken down!

When playing Engie sometimes I find myself smacking stuff with my wrench even though I KNOW it's already level 3 and maxed and whatnot, or I KNOW I'm out of metal, just because I wanna hear the clang noise. So this point is just me projecting but I love the mental image of Engie giving his things a few extra whacks too

He sawed off his arm for his special interest

His whole monologue in meet the engineer is so autistic sounding to me

His dancing taunt also feels stimmy

He's always hunched over, implying irregular posture

He's a NERD—

Man of many talents including playing the guitar

Never takes those goggles off

How does he turn a stressful TF2 match into a (not so) relaxing tower defense game?

Medic:

I headcanon him as AuDHD too because he seems really scatterbrained and it feels like he's working on several things at once and always

He talks a LOT. definitely an infodumper

Either he's super stern or really giggly, there is no in between

He wears gloves in battle but not while doing surgery??? Does he just like organ textures??? Wacko

Special interest is obviously whatever the heck kinda of mad science he does

Here's a heavy medic headcanon I have: medic likes deep pressure hugs

Another special interest could be his birds

He's very spontaneous which makes me think AuDHD even more

Look how excited he gets when taking about the tumors in expiration date!

He got the organ stealing autism

Is it just me or does he fixate on baboon organs in particular???

Sniper:

I'm pretty sure all of you know why this man is autistic but I'm going to list some reasons here anyway

My main evidence tho are his Halloween voice lines: https://youtu.be/2WDljNAslys?si=JP25VOGGDWwwoCI7

Exhibit a, look how much he enjoys having an owl head

Exhibit b, lots of those voice lines make him sound really freakin' overstimulated

He probably wears the hat and shades for sensory reasons as well as because they look cool

Obviously the most socially reclusive of the mercs

I love his backstory where he learns he never felt like the other kids because he wasn't actually Australian, but what if he also didn't fit in with the other kids because he's autistic?

Also throwing rocks at people as a kid screams autism to me

No neurotypical would ever throw jars of his own piss at you either

I think he just wants to live in the woods somewhere and never come back to society and honestly that's based

I feel like he would be the type to bite his own arm when stressed (just like me fr 😭)

Extremely meticulous in following his own life rules (ie being professional and having standards, driving safely with the turn signal and everything)

Spy:

Ok just hear me out for this one

Smoking because stim reasons

He's literally and figuratively masking

He's very suave and probably really good with social things, but I feel like it looks like he's just practiced really hard, again MASKING

Who knows he might not even actually be French

Who collects photographic evidence for a ur mom joke

I see him as either being hypersensitive or hyper insensitive to pain depending on the day (his screams + "I do believe I'm on fire.")

Mad butterfly knife tricks as a stim? (Notice he couldn't help but fiddle with them even disguised as scout in meet the spy)

He sucks at dealing with relationships and that's one of the reasons he's a bad dad

He actually really cares about his team and you can see it especially in expiration date but he's not very good at expressing it

Do you think he wears the ski mask for sensory reasons too?

Probably has his suits tailored to not give him any sensory issues, which could be another reason he likes them so much

Believe me I could go on but I think this is enough to get my point across

THEY ARE ALL AUTISTIC >:00

[nevergeneralize]

“Nice try but I’m not adulting today”: the Millennials of Sk8

It’s really delightful to me that the grownups in Sk8 are recognizably millennials and I was really pleased by the way the show employs the visual hallmarks of my teen years to establish the flashbacks to the youth of the last generation. Feels like Officially becoming a Media Adult

Like obviously I am no longer the shonen target demo / main character being well out of my teens and that is not new, but I’ve been in a weird gap because Media Grownups have still seemingly been gen-Xers, aesthetically and values-wise (retro = the 80s, for seemingly forever), and that’s not me. But these Manic-Panic-haired Hot-Topic-shopping X-Games-watching sk8er bois absolutely are:

Kaoru was edgier in his youth than I would’ve dared in my own but I sure did have those bangs. Look at his eyeliner you could cut glass with those wings!!! He’s serving Avril Lavigne and I just know he’s got Death Cab or his local equivalent playing in his (wired, on-ear) headphones. This is ostensibly a school uniform but I wanted identical trendy skinny plaid pants so bad

Note the wallet chain and the aggressive side part which TikTok would have me believe is no longer cool?? This nice young man will go get a Godsmack shoulder tattoo at chef school and it will become part of his personal brand when he moves back to his hometown and decides to maintain a quirky high school hobby at great personal injury risk and what must be a disastrous sleep schedule situation. He’s somehow the best-adjusted man in all of shonen

And I know there’s not even a full generation between the two groups of main characters (as the show itself constantly jokes by way of Shadow’s objections to being called an old man) but they are separated by life-phase-dependent narrative trajectories: Reki and Langa and Miya are in coming of age (cough first love) stories, Kaoru is in a healing from old wounds story, Kojiro is a mentor figure (does he have character development or just a rockin bod?? Who’s to say) and Shadow is also mentor/supporter/team-mom. (Ainosuke is an important exception which I will discuss in a separate post; he’s in some ways belatedly coming of age.)

So the older group feels narratively/functionally like The Grownups but they are aesthetically My Peers. It’s kind of wild! ��Feel old yet?” Yeah I do, finally, thanks! Congrats on graduating to anime adulthood my fellow millennials!

I’m sure there’s tons of other media where my generation is represented this way but this is the first one I’ve really noticed, maybe because it touches on a specific subculture that evokes my experience of youth, or maybe I don’t watch that many things set in the present anyway. Who knows. I think my particular delight in this experience also has to do with how Sk8 treats coolness and how the adults (at least The Founders) still get to have it. Maybe also the fact that the show’s characters get to be generationally differentiated but not at odds for that feels fresh to me; there are clearly marked aesthetic/narrative differences but they’re not hinging the conflict on the grownups being out of touch or the kids being immature. That feels a little bit utopian, actually, and opposed to a particular strain of discourse that paints Gen Z/The Youth as incomprehensible to the “olds” and separate from millennials, who should implicitly start to identify instead with more traditional values and attitudes, i.e. those of our parents. In fact I would argue that Sk8 actually models that identification with outdated parental values via Ainosuke and his family, and frames it as sad and toxic and villain-making, but we see a healthier alternative in the core squad, where Reki jokes about Shadow being an old man, and Joe and Cherry bemoan the kids joining vacation, but it’s lighthearted and we get to have fun joking about age/generational differences without it creating conflict! Found family/intergenerational dynamics without manufactured parent-child tension, except for fun at the beach! Neat! (Also the actual parent-child dynamics of Langa and his mom are pretty great)

So it’s cool to see my specific peer group’s aging represented without any suggestion that it should necessarily mean generational conflict or value-stagnation, or even uncoolness or the trope of inevitable adult boredom and the loss of youthful freedom and joy. We can have our own millennial culture AND separate adult narratives/problems AND solidarity with younger people AND empowered fully-realized maturing selves with fun hobbies! I can see myself in the Media Adults in a piece of media that’s got a pretty optimistic view of what adulthood means and I think that’s neat.

[hotchnisslovechild]

On the Sidelines

Chapter One

Holly and Marvyn meet and have a few beers.

A/N: i've recently fallen in love with the show big shot and grown quite attached to the relationship between holly and marvyn. i'll be needing something to hold me over as i wait for season 2 to be announced and released *fingers crossed*, so i thought i'd write a little something about these two. i’m not sure if any of you on here watch the show at all, but i feel like posting this here anyway. i recommend binging the first season of the show on disney+ :)

Pairing: Marvyn Korn/Holly Barrett (Big Shot) Rating: T Word Count: 2,302 AO3 Link

Today is the day. The day Holly gets to meet her new coaching partner and the team meets their new head coach. Changing into her practice clothes, something resembling both anxiety and excitement burrows itself in Holly’s nerves. Her thoughts run wild as she anticipates meeting the great Coach Marvyn Korn for the first time.

Holly would be lying if she said she didn’t have a little crush on Coach Korn. Of course, she admired his great looks, but she found his coaching to be just as fascinating, if not more. Watching him coach was electrifying. He’s animated, excited, always moving around, unable to sit still for a single play. He saw the court and everything happening all at once, managing his players like a brilliant conductor of an orchestra. She learned a lot from him by studying his coaching methods at Wisconsin from the comfort of her living room couch. He unknowingly taught her about defensive schemes and rotations, end-of-game scenarios, the importance of teaching your players every detail of the game and correcting their mistakes so they can improve. He undoubtedly loved the game and coaching it. His enthusiasm for the sport was infectious to his team in every game, and it paid off. That was until he threw it all away. And ended up here, at an all-girls private high school in California.

Taking a deep breath, the assistant coach walks into her office, her excited nerves to make a good impression mingling with her eagerness to get the season started with a new coach.  After tapping Shave and a Haircut on the window separating her office from Marvyn’s, she lets herself in, extending a hand to greet him.

“Holly Barrett, Assistant Coach,” she greets with an enthusiastic smile, borderline out of breath from the anticipation of finally meeting him. She studies him. His looks. His demeanor. He looks better than he did on TV — if that’s even possible. She finds his dark features beguiling. And those eyes. She could get lost in those light-colored eyes. There’s a lack of actual light in them, however. He seems unenthused, maybe a bit on edge. But she shrugs it off, attributing the lack of energy to nervousness.

“Marvyn Korn,” he says, shaking her outstretched hand, holding on to it a bit longer than necessary, caught off guard by the bright energy of the woman standing before him. She’s the first person at this school to greet him in a way that resembles any sort of kindness. No one at Westbrook wants him there. Hell, he doesn’t even want to be there. This is just one step towards getting back to college ball.

“It’s a great honor, Coach,” she says, letting go of his hand and walking towards the front of his desk, “I’m a big fan. You have no idea,” she admits, trying her hardest not to come across as creepy or weird. They are going to be working together pretty closely for the next few months, so she wants to start things off right with him, not scare him away or freak him out. She’s sure he’s already a bit freaked out being transplanted into an all-girls high school after coaching college men for so many years, and she’s not caught off guard when he then asks her for advice on coaching girls.

“Well, I'm tempted to say just treat 'em like the boys,” she starts, debating whether or not she wants to continue that thought. It’s probably not the best idea to offend the head coach on his first day on the job.

“But?” he pushes.

“You didn't treat the boys so well,” she answers matter-of-factly.

“Do you have any advice that might actually be helpful?”

She tells him that the girls on this Westbrook team are future leaders who are anxious to get started and can be a bit much. “Don’t pretend, they’ll see right through it,” she adds finally. And I’ll see right through it she thinks. “Other than that… let’s go coach some basketball,” she says brightly.

Marvyn tries his best not to roll his eyes as he gets up from his chair and heads onto the court to meet the girls. He doesn’t want to be there. He doesn’t want to coach a bunch of rich high school girls. Everything about this gig is a demotion for him. From college to high school. From men to girls. His disregard for this job is anything but hidden as he walks out of his office, dreading the official start of his role as Head Basketball Coach at Westbrook.

Holly follows closely behind him, excited and ready for a fresh start with a new coach to work with. Their previous coach had been nothing short of insufferable, constantly telling Holly she had no say in the team, diminishing her role as a coach, making it clear she was not in charge. Despite his harshness towards Holly, he coddled the girls on the team, always telling them what they wanted to hear. The lack of discipline never got the team anywhere, but Holly bit her tongue, knowing that whatever she had to say didn’t matter to her then-colleague. Marvyn gives her a sliver of hope for the team’s future and hers. She knows Marvyn will run things differently, and she hopes that this change will be a good change.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

After one practice and not even one drink into their casual rendezvous at a sports bar, Holly concludes that Marvyn certainly is different from their previous coach, but she’s hesitant to consider the change a positive one. He takes the game too seriously, prioritizes the end goal of winning and success over the feelings of the girls on the team. To him, they are just pawns in his own lifelong game of basketball. They are X’s and O’s, not individuals worthy of being treated with respect. He practically committed every sin of working with teens in the book. He demeaned them, embarrassed them, and disrespected them all in the span of one practice.

“My life is basketball,” he begins, “Everyone in my life are basketball players. A good coach can't be successful if he becomes friends with his players.”

“What about after work?”

“There is no after work. Not if you wanna win. There's diagramming plays, there's watching tapes, the recruiting, but there's no after work.”

Holly lets out a breath. His version of reality is nearly incomprehensible to her. Never in her life has she met someone more polarizing and stuck in his way than this man in a tracksuit sitting in the booth with her. She almost feels sorry for him. He doesn’t have any friends, and he spends all of his time thinking about basketball and how to make his team better.

“I guess I don't have to ask what happened to your marriage,” Holly says boldly, venturing into the untouched territory of his personal life as she takes a sip of her beer.

“Nope. What happened to yours?” he returns. He checked her out in the teacher portal the day before. He’s all about preparation, and that does not exclude doing some research on his assistant coach.

Her eyes grow wide. How the hell did he know I was previously married? She thinks to herself. “None of your business,” she retorts, sidestepping his question as she shifts uncomfortably in her seat, not wanting to air out her dirty laundry in front of her colleague, especially considering they just met some few hours ago.

“It is my business. Add to that, you opened the door because you asked about my marriage.” She scoffs in response, now regretting bringing up the topic of failed marriages.

Marvyn opens up about his divorce first, telling her that his wife left him, which Holly deduces was because Marvyn is such a workaholic. “She figured that she deserved more, that she could do better. So she did,” Marvyn explains. “Your turn.”

“Same,” she utters, wanting nothing to do with this conversation any longer, “He realized he could do better.”

“Why?” He pushes once more, his stubbornness starting to set Holly’s nerves on fire.

“None of your business,” she says, her voice laced with more attitude than she intended.

“If it speaks to your character, it is my business.”

Looking down at her lap, Holly lets out a quick breath. She has her back up again the door of the closet, refusing to expose the skeletons locked in there. Her marital past is not something she’s particularly proud of or that she looks back on with much joy. It’s hard to talk about without feeling embarrassed, feeling ashamed that she had an affair with a man named Matt, who happened to be her husband’s best friend.

The neglect from her husband eventually pushed her over the edge to do what she would never forgive herself for. The person who was supposed to love her the most in this world stopping caring. She was left unfulfilled and disconnected from the man she once loved. He was absent. Even when he was there, he wasn’t actually there. They didn’t even bother to fight anymore. They simply coexisted in a house that no longer felt like home.

She really wasn’t thinking at all when it happened the first time. She had an itch to scratch, and Matt was there.

“I cheated on him,” Holly discloses finally, “I had an affair. Worst thing a spouse can do, I suppose. Short of neglect, maybe,” she explains, purposefully vague, hoping he doesn’t interrogate her further.

“Are you saying my betrayal was worse?” he asks, suddenly feeling defensive.

“I’m saying his was worse. But yeah, yours too, I guess, if that's what you're guilty of.” The weight of her words hangs in the air between them. He watches as she shifts once more in her seat, visibly uncomfortable with the level of openness of the conversation.

Holly sighs. “Wow. This is a really nice ‘How do you do? Let's get a beer’,” she says with a subtle bite of sarcasm, avoiding his gaze and reaching for her beer.

“This isn't a ‘How do you do? Let's get a beer’. You have an agenda.” She rolls her eyes at his accusation, although there is some truth to it. She does have something she wants to talk to him about. “You clearly have an agenda, so get to it.”

“You are profoundly unlikable. You know that, right?” She doesn’t even try to hide the sourness of her tone.

“You're just scratching the surface. If you have something to say to me, please say it. 'Cause I'd like to get back and work on the Laguna game.”

God, he’s so fucking persistent. “Okay.” She set aside her beer, leaning in towards him. “Marvyn, these are high school girls we are working with. I know your tried-and-tested ways of coaching got you far at the collegiate level, but these girls can’t be treated like they are men in college.”

“And why not?” Her point evidently went right over his head.

“Because they are different. They don’t handle criticism like those men do. They take things personal. They won’t be responsive to your derogatory, hotheaded way of giving feedback or your ‘my way or the highway’ mentality. These girls need to be inspired and supported, not embarrassed and disrespected. These girls don’t just kiss the ring. If they aren’t respected, they are going to try to get the upper hand. And they are quite good at it.”

“They’re not gonna get the upper hand with me,” he counters.

“Look at how scared of this you are.” She can’t understand how it’s so hard to just receive these girls as the complex people they are. This team won’t get anywhere if he doesn’t let go of all his unreasonable preconceptions and connect with these girls. He’s so stuck in this mindset that the team is beneath his abilities that he doesn’t realize he could actually learn something from these girls. And he shouldn’t be afraid of that. Holly is always learning new things from her students and players. When is Marvyn going to get it through his head that he can learn from these girls just as much as they can learn from him? It’s a two-way street.

“This is another thing. You don’t know me,” he snaps defensively, “so don’t pretend that you know me.”

“I don’t want to know you,” she says coolly, “I just want what’s best for the team,” she assures him, feigning sincerity, telling him exactly what he wants to hear whether it’s what she wants to say or not.

“Yeah.” He nods his head, thinking she’s finally seeing things from his point of view.

“Is that a good answer?” she asks as she raises her eyebrows, revealing the insincerity of her previous words. His face drops, catching on to her little game. She’s irritatingly clever.

The conversation comes to a quick end, interrupted by the other patrons of the bar cheering and applauding, celebrating a touchdown in the football game playing on all of the TVs.

They find themselves back in that same booth at the same sports bar the next night. As they sip on their beers, Marvyn expresses his doubts about coaching this team, telling Holly that he just doesn’t think he can do it.

“What else?” he asks after bringing up everything that’s happened with the girls in just his two first days, speaking so frantically Holly could hardly keep up. “What the hell else?” His apparent distress over coaching a bunch of high school girls makes her laugh. You would think the world was coming to an end based on how he was acting.

“I know. You're not prepared. Welcome to high school,” she quips.

“I- I had no idea what I was in for.”

Clearly.

[moons-and-stars-and-shit]

Heyo can I request a hq matchup thingy? I've been all over yer blog and its cute!

I'm 5'8 (on the verge of 5'9), sorta athletic build, lanky but not really slim and more on the curvy side, she/they, light redish brown skin tone, I have shoulder length coily dark brown hair with bangs, glasses, i wear beanies to hide my bedhead and I have a slash on my left eyebrow from when i scraped it on a desk at age nine it was very fun. Totally unrelated note but my friends say i smile like Squirtle and when I'm mad i just look like a really intimidating baby duck 😞

I'm a sagittarius, I have ADHD, a little tomboyish personality wise bc i wear a lot of skirts but im nowhere near girly, I'm a bit rowdy but I'd never do anything to make someone uncomfortable, i gots mommy issues and a little bit of a temper but I'm very approachable, I speak fluent sarcasm and can come off a little rude if ya don't know me that well but I'm very respectful but i kinda swear a lot....

Despite my 'sense of instability' i come from a family full of lawers and veterans (kept separate my parents broke up before i as born), growing up I didnt have the best childhood so i always have empathy and best believe i will fact check you if your out of line 🤬. I'm the one who's willing to cheer you on and support you through thick and thin as well as being at almost every game or event your preforming/ playing at :), I'm very generous and a bit of a care giver(more of a simp if ya squint): ya want water?? "here have mine", hungry? ''oh want McDonald's? i can pay if ya want'' cold?? "here my hoodie im pretty warm already"

My hobbies include singing, playing bass and acoustic guitar, both traditional + digital drawing, dancing and i play a lot of sports like volleyball (i spike and/or set), softball (pitch), boxing + track and field (are those two even a sport???). I've always wanted to be a really big artist and if it doesn't work out i can always try out voice acting bc even though my voice is pretty low i can make it really high pitch like shoujo anime girl high pitch or become a sports journalist ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I'm the memer of my friend group and i like to think my sense of humor and style are on point. I'm a big horror movie junkie... from 80s to late and early 2000s, every slashers, thrillers to sci-fi trust me I've watched it all >:), i loveeeee Pokémon i may or may mot have had a huge crush on Brock and James when i was 6 , and Sanrio, i stick kuromi stickers on everything i own 😅. I also have a really big Batman obsession (grew up around a lot of bois other than my brothers) but i prefer MARVEL...

Sorry this seems pretty long and totally disregard if yer busy but have a good day/night <3

@callmedirtbag

Romantic Matchup

Semi Eita

How Y’all Met

So you we’re new to Shiratorizawa

And you we’re just walking around campus when you found a gym

When you peeked inside you saw a empty gym

But what really intrigued you was the volleyball net and balls inside 👀

The gym looked pretty empty so you decided to mess around with the volleyballs for a bit

You got so into your practicing that you didn’t notice Semi walk in

Semi was a little confused on why there was just a random person in the gym

But he couldn’t deny that you had some skill 😗

However he saw that you were struggling with your sets

So he decided to help you 😃

Ngl you we’re very kinda embarrassed about getting caught practicing

But he assured you that he didn’t really care and that the rest of the team wasn’t coming for another 30 minutes or so

After hearing that you gladly accepted his offer to help you practice

You two actually got to know each other quite well during this time

So when the rest of the team started filing in to practice

You gave Semi your number and told him to text you if he ever wanted to hang out

You left just before Tendou started picking on Semi for blushing 👀

Anyways you guys became really good friends and would hang out A LOT

So nobody was too shocked when you both decided to start dating

But apparently Tendou and Shirabu had made a bet on it 😅

What They Love About You

He loves the fact that your kind

But will fuck someone up if needed 🙂

He knows he never has to worry about you

He loves that your a fellow musician

To him it’s just one more thing you two have in common

And it’s one more thing he gets to do with you

He loves how supportive you are

Even though you know that semi doesn’t get to play that much

You still show up to EVERY one of his games to cheer the team on

And oh god when he does get to play

I swear people from OUTSIDE the gym can hear you cheering for him

Honestly he doesn’t mind if your a simp 👀

There’s a teeny tiny 🤏 part of him that likes to be babied

Favorite Things To Do Together

Oml he loves for horror movie marathons

He absolutely loves them

Because A: he gets to watch almost EVERY single horror movie made

And B: he gets to watch them with you :D

Oh and he also loves to watch any and all marvel movies with you 👀

But other than movies

He loves to make music with you

Duh

It’s usually you both playing instruments together

But every now and then one of you will sing 🎶

Random Hc

You two write the CUTEST songs together

But you never ever sing them

Like wtf you two

One time semi offered to help you practice your spikes

And you accidentally hit him in the face 💀

Now he swears you have a better spike then ushijima 👀

Your friends mentioned your squirtle smile to him...

And now he can’t unsee it 🥲

Astrology

The security and flexibility they can give one another.

Once they open up to one another and to appreciate their different philosophies in love and in life, these two have potential for steamy relations, deep connections and heartfelt respect.

As long as they communicate and celebrate their differences, theirs will be a passionate relationship.

Both Scorpio and Sagittarius see each day as an adventure and as an endless opportunity to explore, to probe, to learn. Shared escapades bring them closer.

While Sagittarius may get fed up with Scorpio’s stubbornness and inflexibility, Scorpio could be thinking their Sagittarius mate is just a little too hotheaded.

They’ll enjoy learning together, and travel could be very beneficial for this pair.

Their relationship is always on the go!

Mars is the God of War, opening the door for Scorpio’s determined, courageous character.

Mars, when combined with Pluto, represents rebirth and renewal.

Jupiter focuses on philosophy, higher learning, expansion, optimism, luck and travel.

These planetary attributes — of growth, expansion and masculine energy — combine to create a sustainable relationship of mutual admiration.

Overall Aesthetic

90s

No Scrubs - TLC

Say My Name - Destiny’s Child

She’s So High - Tai Bachman

99 Red Balloons - Nena

[some-cookie-crumbz]

Hello 👋🏼, sorry if I’m bothering u but ever since the recent chapters of BNHA I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the Todoroki family. Not many of my friends are into this anime and I just couldn’t stop myself from sharing this with you because I need to let this out.

[SPOILER ALERT 🚨!!! IF U DONT READ THE MANGA THEN U CAN JUST IGNORE THIS]

First of all:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!

(I’m still screaming as I write because the backstories RUINED me.)

Poor Touya having this horrible obsession over heroics and having his father acknowledge him but ever since his quirk started reacting against his body the whole family got negatively affected by it.

Rei and Enji wanted to stop at two kids but with Touya’s sudden disadvantage and the latter’s craving for power, Natsuo and later on Shouto was born (the youngest getting titled as the perfect heir from the moment he was born). I got torn seeing Touya’s eyes succumb to absolute madness at the birth of his younger brothers.

What scared me the most was how when it was just Touya and Fuyumi, the two hardly interacted despite being only a year apart in age. Touya claimed that ‘girls just don’t get it’ this small foreshadowing was later brought to light in the most recent chapter where he once again rejects Fuyumi’s company in favour of ranting to only Natsuo and where he disregards his own mother— another ‘girl’ that doesn’t understand his obsession passion for surpassing All Might and someone who plays along to the acts of those stronger than them. Touya saw his mother as a weak person who had no choice but to marry for the sake of her family and have custom children. Little Touya firmly believed his very existence depended on getting acknowledged my his father and defeating All Might but it sadly didn’t come true😭😭

Also..... LOOK AT THE BABIES!!!! They’re all so CUTE!!!

Chubby Fuyumi!!!

Natsuo with a running nose

And Baby Shouto with a meme like face since the day he was born🤣🤣🤣🤣

So ADORABLE!

And another thing. FUYUMI WAS EVEN YOUNGER THAN I THOUGHT TO HAVE STARTED ACTING LIKE A SECOND MOTHER TO HER BROTHERS!! Look at the way she defended Natsuo when Touya went on a rampage and tried to attack Touya! And during moments when Enji and Rei fought the two most notable heroes were Shouto and Fuyumi; the former fighting on the frontlines to face his father while the latter stood behind to once again care for her remaining family that though weren’t involved in the fight, they still needed emotional support to get through it.😭

I AM SO SORRY TO BE GETTING TO THIS SO LATE ANON BUT I HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY!!!

TW: Spoilers, Brief Mention of Child Abuse (Physical, Emotional and Mental), General Fandom Wank

So, like, SO MUCH HAPPENED in those chapters and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE ALMOST ALL OF IT! There’s obviously all the things you mentioned above that were just amazing to see and learn! I know that a majority of the fandom has been absolutely livid about the reveals involving Touya being drastically different than what fandom thought they were all this time, but I think it honestly highlights how smart Horikoshi’s writing really is.

In Shoto, we see the effects of physical and mental abuse on a child, and how easily he could have ended up going down a troubling road much like Touya. Shoto’s saving grace is facing off against Deku in the Sports Festival, giving him an outside perspective and makes him realize that he can choose to be better, but that doesn’t just magically fix all of Shoto’s problems. Shoto still struggles with his feelings towards his Father and how he is perceived by simply being Endeavor’s son. We see that in the Provisional License Arc, where Shoto is so thoroughly rattled by Inasa. It’s even further pushed through how Shoto struggles with his feelings about Endeavor trying to better and whether or not he should forgive him. I feel like Shoto’s arc is incredibly strong and that his struggles are very realistic, which is why people love him so much. This whole concept is another thing I could rant about but I’m going to leave it here.

Meanwhile, with Touya, we see the effects of mental and emotional abuse on a child and how it can completely destroy them. I think people that act like Horokoshi “down played” and “ret-conned” Endeavor as a character to make him more sympathetic/ redeemable or that he’s simply writing Touya as “always being a bad seed” are missing the mark. This is, admittedly, something you see a lot when it comes to victims of abuse in the real world as well; the idea that if you weren’t physically or sexually abused on top of emotional or mental abuse, your abuse is somehow less “valid.” Now I’ve seen more voices speaking out against this mentality - which is relieving and positive - but it’s still a problem. The way Touya was abused is no less valid or scarring to himself as a person as what Shoto has been through was. Touya and Enji clearly had a deep bond as father and son. Hell, the fact that Enji is sobbing and saying he “can’t fight his own son” in regards to Touya, but clearly had less issue training Shoto until he got ill or passed out says a lot.

Touya was put on an incredibly high pedestal by Enji’s constant praise and attention. He was the apple of his father’s eye until the limitations of his Quirk were discovered. Enji had filled his head with promises and goals for what his future would be, essentially selling him what turned out to be a lie. We see Rei herself tell Enji that Touya “knows you expect something out of the kids.” Touya’s whole life up until that point was being told of all the great he would someday accomplish, and equating that to being deserving of his Father’s love, attention and affection.

And then he couldn’t live up to that expectation. And then his parents had two more kids following that revelation. The idea that Touya doesn’t realize that Natsuo and Shoto were meant to be his replacements - unbroken models that “deserved” Enji’s love - is clearly not missed by him. It’s evident in the way he looks at Natsuo after he’s born. He sees this as a sign that he is no longer deserving - no longer worthy - of love or support from the parent he absolutely adores.

We see this mostly from Enji and Rei’s perspectives, so we know the reasons they did it, but it’s clear they didn’t stop to think about the way this would be interpreted by Touya himself. This whole matter is only worsened by the fact that Enji refuses to make sacrifices for the sake of his oldest son. He pushes Touya to live a life outside of Pro Heroics while Enji himself refuses to do the same, thus setting a positive example and showing solidarity with his son. He instead pushes him away and distances himself, loses himself in focusing on Natuso and, once his Quirk turns out to not be what he wants, Shoto. Touya continues to push himself despite his limits in a desperate bid for Enji to look at him the way he used to; with pride and love. 

What caused the fire that “killed” Touya? His anguish over being neglected and abandoned - left unloved - by his father yet again. It’s clear that Touya’s mental health is in need of some real focus that he has never gotten - due to both his parents negligence as well as the fact that mental health is highly stigmatized in Japanese society - and pairing that with the emotional and mental abuse he suffered at Enji’s hands broke him.

So many people are claiming Horikoshi is trying to make Enji “more redeemable”, but how do you get that? Enji abused Rei, his own wife, physically and emotionally and mentally until she had a psychotic breakdown, hurt their youngest child, and then robbed her the right to mother her children further by having her locked up in a psych ward for the next decade or so; built their oldest son, Touya, up only to then emotionally and mentally abuse him to the point he damn near killed himself in a frantic bid to garner Enji’s support only to return years later completely unhinged and looking to murder his entire family out of spite; neglected Fuyumi and Natsuo to the care of each other and hired help; alienated Shoto, his youngest son, from his siblings for his entire formative years, physically and mentally and emotionally abused him, groomed him to accomplish a task he never wanted, put him through such extensive physical training that Shoto would get sick or pass out.

Enji was a shitty father. He has a long ass road to continue walking if he ever wants redemption. The fact he didn't physically hit Touya doesn’t mean that Enji didn’t abuse his son and it doesn’t make Touya any less of a victim.

* End TodoFam Rant*

On a slightly lighter note, I also like all the information with Hawks’ past and all the parallels we’re seeing develop!

I’ve rambled briefly about this in other places the Huwumi discord but I want to expound upon this a bit more here.

I feel like Touya/ Dabi and Keigo/ Hawks are meant to be parallels to one another.

Back to back, we had proper name claims by these two characters. We had Dabi reveal his true identity as Todoroki Touya and then we have Hawks choosing to abandon his hero name to instead step up to fight as Takami Keigo.

I feel like “Dabi” was always a mask, of sorts. Dabi is typically pretty calm, cool, composed with the occasional bites of snark and cruelty. Meanwhile, we see Touya emoting and moving in a manner more akin to himself as a child, dancing about in manic delight over revealing his true identity and intentions. The pair of them are two drastically different people when you stop and look at it. “Dabi” was the mask he wore to gain ground to enact his revenge, and now that he is there? Now Touya can burn everything tethered to it down to ground.

Meanwhile, we have "Hawks” as he was forced to become as per the Hero Public Safety Commission. We had it revealed quite a while back that Hawks was a man of many faces, jumping from laid-back and chill to serious and focused quite frequently. “Hawks” is the presentation for the public and the Commission, groomed to be the perfect little canary in the mine that was Pro Heroics. The reveal of his true heritage, however, is not the killing blow Touya wanted it to be. Instead, it allows Keigo, the one who wanted to be a Hero to help people, the chance to truly dedicate himself to that. In being freed from the cage of “Hawks”, he is given the change to really soar as Keigo.

Now, I feel that “Dabi” and “Hawks” are most certainly parts of Touya and Keigo as well, respectively. Even though those titles were masks, they were masks made from parts of the men who wear them. I think what we’ll see going forward is the true elements of those masks bleeding back into the whole, and seeing the truest forms of each character.

For better or for worse. 

[wwyimdln-again]

extended bio and character bios!

General Bio:  This comic centers around a bunch of characters living in the same huge house together and all chipping in towards rent. The house originally belonged to Allium's dad, who's hella rich. Allium and his distant cousin and close friend Randi moved in, and over the course of the next 4 or 5 years, the amount of residents grew and grew, and now they're all living in harmony together inside this huge house.

Cold Pear Species: Pear-dog (or Pog) Gender: ♀ Age: 22 Bio: Cold Pear moved into the house after meeting Randi at a local poetry slam- Cold Pear was there for the free cucumber water, and Randi was there to... actually listen to the poets. They hit it off immediately, and one thing led to another, and Cold Pear moved in the next month. Cold Pear is close friends with everyone in the house now, although she's a bit strange- she eats specific and often disgusting food (such as dog treats, pudding with vinegar, and toothpaste sandwiches) and never seems to smile. Ask her about anything- she has a huge mental database of fun facts and her bookshelves are crammed with fun fact books. She spends a lot of time surfing the web, just to learn... fun facts... And very little is known about her life before moving into the house. She's also constantly cold and shivering, even in summer. Everyone in the house loves her, because even though she has her quirks, she always has a listening ear and will hang out with you when nobody else will. Her and Avocado are twins, and Avocado is older by 2 minutes.

Avocado Species: Avocado-Cat (Avogato) Gender: ♂ Age: 22 Bio: Avocado moved in after he was kicked out of his old apartment for being sloppy and loud- it didn't seem to phase him, though. Cold Pear offered him a place in the house, and he just sleeps on the couch (although there's a free room, he refuses because he says he'll "Move out soon"). His ultra-relaxed nature and go-with-the-flow attitude gets on some people's nerves, but he became close friends with Allium almost immediately- mostly because of their shared love of Wii Sports Resort and microwave pizza rolls. He spends most of his time playing video games well into the night and eating snacks with his mouth open, but he somehow always has money... I wonder why? Avocado loves his sister, although they tease each other sometimes- He did the sleeping whipped cream prank on Cold Pear so many times that she trained herself to wake up whenever she heard whipped cream can noises. Despite this fact, he's her number one cheerleader and advocate.

Allium Species: Onion Creature (Yellow onion with a spring onion tail) Gender: ♂ Age: 25 Bio: Allium was the original owner of the house after his wealthy dad let him live there- It was originally his "summer home", but since Allium couldn't find anywhere to stay, his father passed it down to him. He invited his distant cousin Randi to come and live there too, and one thing led to another, and the house became a home for many many creatures. He's relaxed and has a "chill" attitude, but he's still responsible- he has a strong "older brother" vibe. He still has a hard time getting up in the morning, and you can often see him with dark circles around his eyes- and sometimes he takes care of others before he takes care of himself. He loves relaxing but still fulfilling activities, like gardening and cooking, and he often makes meals to share with his friends (which are actually always really good). He's close friends with everyone in the house and checks up on them to see what they're up to- he likes to hang out. His favorite game is Animal Crossing.

Randi Species: Kangaroo Gender: ♀ Age: 23 Bio: Randi was one of the first residents of the house, and she moved there because she was trying to escape a less-than-perfect living situation with her parents- and she jumped at the opportunity to finally move away. She likes heavy metal music, horror movies, and gruesome prose- she dresses goth whenever possible. Despite this, she's still somewhat timid- she's often times worried about what others would think of her. Once you get to know her a bit more, she'll open up to you more- and you'll find that she's very understanding, accepting and kind, but she's also sometimes tough love. She likes to write poetry but she keeps it mostly to herself. She has just about the world's biggest crush on Cold Pear.

Riptide Species: Fishbowl Gender: ♂ Age: 46 Bio: Riptide is the oldest resident of the house by a long shot, although he doesn't look it- He moved in after he heard about the house from Allium posting about social media. He got in touch because he was finding that his studio apartment wasn't big enough for him and his young friend George, and once they moved in life got a lot easier. He's sporty, active, and energetic- He loves surfing and swimming. He's an outspoken advocate of animal conservation and social justice, and he has a big heart. The story about how he and George met is quite interesting- He found her as a tadpole, dried up in a small puddle, and brought her home because he felt bad for her- She lived in his bathtub until she turned into a frog. Ever since then, she's lived with Riptide.

George Species: Frog Gender: ♀ Age: 15 Bio: George isn't in the house very often. She likes to go outside and find the nearest park, forest, or body of water and explore there, and because of that she knows a lot about nature (but doesn't really know any of the correct terminology). She often comes home covered in dirt and mud with some kind of strange souvenir- like a newt in a jar or a 10 foot long stick. She doesn't really like to watch TV or read books- she'd prefer to run around outside. She sleeps in the bathtub, because otherwise she'd get dried out. She also started out without a name- She picked the name "George" herself. She also goes by "Georgie".

Tara Species: Tar Creature Gender: ? Age: ? Bio: Nobody knows what Tara is or where they came from- Or even exactly what they're made of. Tara showed up late one night when Allium noticed a thick black liquid dripping from one of the vents- He disregarded it and figured he'd call someone to come and fix it in the morning. The next morning, It had vanished, and Allium shrugged it off as just his mind playing tricks on him. For the next few weeks, there was black residue scattered randomly throughout the house, missing food and items, banging noises in the vents and the attic- when Allium investigated, he found Tara living in a toy chest in the attic. He was afraid at first, but he saw that Tara wasn't malicious, just afraid. He eventually lured them out of the attic with a trail of fruit snacks, and slowly befriended them. Now, Tara is living as a friend and strange otherworldly entity to everyone living in the house.

[purplesurveys]

942

“ar_”

ARB Have you ever had strawberry rhubarb pie? Do you like it? I have not. I’m afraid I don’t even entirely know what rhubarb is; I wouldn’t call it a part of Filipino culture. I don’t know if I would like this kind of pie; I prefer my pies more savory than fruity. Do you like carbs a little too much? Yes ma’am. I can’t exist without heaps of rice in every meal. Last garb you wore? The last fancy/formal thing I wore was my business casual look for last Thursday’s interview. I felt a little overdressed arriving at the office because the other applicants just wore a shirt and jeans...but ultimately I think it was better that I looked more prepared than they did lol. Do you know anyone named Barb? There’s a teacher in my old school named Barbie but the other teachers call her Barb. ARC Would you like to see the Arc de Triumphe? Sure.

Are you a narc? That’s not a common slang where I live, but I’m gonna say no. ARD Have you ever read “The Tales of the Beetle and the Bard”? Nope, I’ve never heard of it. Do you have a credit or debit card? Debit. I don’t exactly know how credit cards work just yet, so my dad has kept me from getting one hahahaha. What’s the last card you received? For which holiday? We don’t really exchange cards over here. We tend to go ahead and give physical gifts, no matter how simple it is. I think the last one I received was a birthday card from Athenna, five years ago. That was a different time. What’s something that is hard for you? Letting go. I have serious issues with abandonment and I always feel like it’s the end of the world when someone leaves my life or something I’ve been accustomed to abruptly ends. I’ve never been good at handling all of that. Do you ever feel like a tub of lard? I am almost positive that I’ve never felt like one before. What is in your front yard? How is it landscaped? Just a few plants and a tree that my grandpa planted for my mom shortly before he passed. Last piece of meat that you’ve charred? I’ll get back to this question in a few years where I’ve hopefully learned how to cook a few things, including meat. Have you ever lived with barred windows? No. That sounds awful. Is it easy for you to let your guard down? Just with the right people. Otherwise I prefer keeping a wall up; no one else needs to know who I am behind closed doors. Have you ever cut yourself on a shard of glass? No. Again, sounds like my worst nightmare. This happened to my mom a year ago and I remember being unable to help her because I would’ve proceeded to just faint anyway lmao Favorite barnyard animal? Cows. What do you like to do in your backyard? Cooper loves our backyard, so I bring him there to play and run. He loves staying there so much more than actually walking around the neighborhood, which is a little confusing but still endearing. What do you think of people who use the word “retard”? They’re stuck in the late 2000s and early 2010s and need to be schooled on Twitter as soon as possible lol. Last person you sent warm regards to? The HR person who hooked me up with my internship. What do you tend to disregard? Fake news or people who routinely share fake news, for obvious reasons. Have you ever worn a leotard before? For what? I’ve worn a swimsuit as a leotard, but I’ve never owned a leotard that was meant to be that.

ARF Last time you barfed? I kept hurling last week when I did a lot of crying and had a few breakdowns, but nothing ever came up. The last time I puked would be over a year ago when I was at Pop-Up with friends. Last food you scarfed down? My mom’s burger from last night. Do you rock a fashion scarf? Nah, not really my article of choice. What does your winter scarf look like? I don’t own one. ARK What pair of animals would you like to bring on Noah’s ark? I would try to save as many of them as possible; but in the cruel circumstance that I only have limited choices, I would prioritize stray cats and dogs first as well as cats and dogs in animal shelters. Did you used to watch Arthur the aardvark? I did not watch the show – I’m not sure if they ever aired it here – but I liked reading Arthur books. Those were one of my favorites to read at the library. Have you ever been to a ballpark? No. Well baseball is not a popular sport here so it’s not like we’ve got lots of those, and the few that we have are a little dilapidated due to a lack of interest or support in the sport...we do have a field in my old school that’s designated for our softball games, but it’s hardly a legit softball field. Is your bark worse than your bite? If this is a saying or slang, I don’t know what it means. What’s a personal benchmark of yours? Hmm I know what a benchmark refers to, but I’m not exactly sure of the context in this question. Where is your birthmark? My most distinguishable birthmark is on the upper left region of my back, but I also have one by my butt. I used to have one on my right arm that was green-blue when I was an infant, but now it’s nothing more than a super slight discoloration that is only noticeable if you look hard enough. Do you fold book pages over, or use a bookmark? I remember the page number. I don’t like the gaps that bookmarks create, and I like keeping the pages of my book pristine. Are you afraid of the dark? Only if the context is meant to be scary, like how abandoned houses or forests are dark. I like the dark when I’m trying to fall asleep though. Do you prefer dark or light colors? I prefer neither extreme. I like muted and pastel tones. Last time you disembarked a ship? 2016. Last time you embarked on an adventure? End of February, 2020. Do you celebrate any of the hallmark holidays? Some of them, but I take them seriously a lot less than the actual holidays. I celebrate them primarily because I have people in my life who value those Hallmark holidays, so I greet them so they don’t feel forgotten, like greeting my parents on Mother’s/Father’s Day. If I had it my way I’d ignore those holidays completely, though. Do you watch the Hallmark channel? No. I don’t think we even have that channel here. Do you like the song “Hark The Herald Angels Sing”? I have nothing against it. Which landmark would you like to visit? The pyramids at Giza. Last mark you made on a paper? I made random scribbles because I was just checking if my pen had ink. Do you know anyone named Mark? I don’t think so. No Marks are coming to mind. Have you ever heard a lark sing? Nope. Do you know how to parallel park? Yeah but I’m kind of cheating a bit because I own a really tiny car that fits nearly anywhere ha. What’s your favorite activity to do at the park? We don’t have any public parks...if we did, I imagine I’d have picnics and take my dogs there for long walks. Last postmarked piece of mail you received? I don’t really receive mail of my own. Last person you left a remark for? Idk maybe my dad when I remarked how spicy the sisig he made for dinner was. Do you speak with a lot of snark? Only in private or with my closest friends. I try not to be snarky with workmates. Do you ever have the Baby Shark song stuck in your head? That does happen sometimes, yes. Until today ha. Last time you went around your house stark naked? Oof, I never walk around the entire house naked. I only do so in the bathroom and within my own room. What’s your signature trademark? Everyone knows me as loving Paramore, so maybe that. Does it bother you when there’s a watermark on an image that you want to use? Sometimes yes, sometimes I realize someone took effort for that image and probably just needs to earn a little bit for it. ARL Who did you snarl at last? I don’t snarl a lot these days. Are your fingers gnarled? No. I don’t actually know what this means but my fingers are pretty healthy so I’m guessing it’s not whatever gnarled is. ARM Have you ever broken an arm? Nopes. Do you keep people at an arm’s length? In some ways, like how I refuse to talk about the things I’m going through and I don’t like showing most people that I struggle.

Last time you went to a farm? I’m not sure if I’ve been to one. We drive through fields and farms all the time, in the provinice; but we’ve never actually stopped over and went to a farm. Do you self-harm? Yes. Surprisingly, I haven’t done so this month. But yes, I have in general. What time is your alarm set for? For a while it wasn’t set to anything but now that I have an internship I’ll probably need to set it to at least around 8 AM. Do you own any firearms? No thanks. Would you get a tattoo on your forearm? Sure. Do you have a certain charm about you? Don’t you kind of have to ask other people when it comes to possessing charm? I certainly wouldn’t endorse this myself, lol. Do you need to be disarmed? I have nothing on me, so no. ARN Were you raised in a barn? I was not. I grew up in a house in a suburban-ish neighborhood. Do you use “damn” or “darn” more often? Damn. I’ve never used darn...or if I have, it would’ve been well over a decade ago. Do you knit or crochet with yarn? I don’t crochet or knit. ARP Have you ever caught a carp while fishing? No, I’ve never gone fishing before actually.

Do you like harp seals? I’ve never heard of them until now but it’s an automatic yes for me because they are animals. Would you like to learn how to play the harp? Sure. Name something in your house that is sharp? Keys. Is anything you own covered by a tarp? No. ART Last time you fell apart? This morning. Well, it’s 2 AM now so it’s more accurate to say yesterday morning. Are you good at any sort of art forms? Not at all. I like coloring and painting, but with painting I like those that come with paint-by-number guides. I’m not very creative myself and don’t know for the life of me what colors work together and I’m terrible at creating images. Last place you used a shopping cart? Grocery store, ages ago. Have you ever created a chart in Microsoft Excel? Yes but it’s not my favorite thing in the world to do. Who is your other counterpart? I dunno if I have anyone. Angela, I guess. Do you like to play darts? I’ve never played it but it looks fun and I’m always up for a friendly game. Who’s the last person you departed from? My family, when I left the living room where we were all staying at to go back to my bedroom to resign for the evening. How often do you fart? Never. I don’t like the sensation and if I feel one coming I suppress it lol. No one has heard me do it before, and I don’t plan on making it heard hahahaha How’s your heart been feeling lately? Not well. Is there a K-Mart or a PetSmart where you live? No. Is it easy for you to outsmart a child? Idk man, they can be a little surprise at times. Where is the part in your hair? It’s on the left side. Have you ever gotten a part in a play? No, because I’ve never auditioned for one. Not interested in that kind of activity, either. Last time you had to restart your computer? It’s been a while. Would you consider yourself to be smart? In some ways, like in academics. What trend would you like to start? I don’t feel like starting one. Do you like tarts?     Not very much, but my old school has this trademark tart that I love so much. [a-zebra-is-a-striped-horse]

[langandlitanxiety]

Zofia Ossowska & Pola Żuk

The theme of sexuality in William Shakespeare’s “Othello”

Introduction

Over the course of Shakespeare’s artwork progress and evolution, his readers can observe his significantly increasing interest in the psychology of sex. Othello is his most widely exploring this topic piece, as the author investigates many varieties of sexuality concerning not only people of the same race and class, but also the ones having different ethnic origins and social statuses. General controversy spread around a black man being the eponymous character inspired Shakespeare to also present stereotypes of interracial sex that affect both family’s of the white, pure girl and the couple itself. Such stereotypes are mostly introduced by the main villain, Iago, who is most frequently using animal imagery to describe them as well as Othello’s and Desdemona’s intimate moments. His language only adds spiciness to the scenes concerning the characters he is speaking about and tension in the reader, as such imagery really evokes one’s imagination and in this case, often disgust.

Imagery used to refer to Othello and his intimate life with Desdemona (and the reaction of Desdemona’s father)

The first scene in which Iago comments on Othello’s and Desdemona’s sex life is when he wants to cause chaos and conflict between Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, and the couple. In order to do that, he puts an image of the dirty, old man shamingly interacting with his pure, young daughter and highlights the possibility of Desdemona getting pregnant with the child of the devil (such metaphor derives from Othello’s dark skin color).

“Zounds, sir, you’re robbed, for shame put on your gown!

Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul,

Even now, now, very now, ​an old black ram

Is tupping your ​white ewe​! Arise, arise,

Awake the snorting citizens with the bell

Or else ​the devil will make a grandsire of you​, Arise I say!” (1.1.84-91)

Iago suggests that the fact of Desdemona’s sexual interaction with the Moor is shameful not only towards her herself, but specifically towards his father, who must have not raised her in the right way. He also pays attention to the difference of age between the two - Desdemona seems to be much younger than her lover, which is also not something to be proud of. As Desdemona represents a woman from the upper class, she should also choose someone at least equal to her rank for her husband not to disrespect hers and her family’s position. During the fight between Iago, Roderigo and Brabantio (though Iago speaks to Brabantio as Roderigo), the father of Desdemona accuses the men of being thieves. While responding to this accusation, Iago still tries (and succeeds) to play with Brabantio’s imagination by saying

“ [...] Because we come to

do you service, and you think we are ruffians, you’ll

have your daughter covered with ​a Barbary horse​;

you’ll have your nephews neigh to you, you’ll have

courses for cousins and jennets for germans!” (1.1.109-112)

and

“I am one, sir, that comes to tell you ​your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs​.” (1.1.114-115)

Saying all that, Iago successfully upsets Brabantio by bringing his attention to the marriage of his beloveddaughter with the Moor in a very unpleasant way.

Desdemona’s and Othello’s sex life; the symbol of their bridal bed

Another thing concerning the topic of sex that is worth noticing is the amount of trails Othello and Desdemona had to get intimate. Firstly, they had to call off their wedding-night in Venice as Othello was ordered to go to Cyprus:

“ Senator

​ You must away tonight. ​

Desdemona

​ Tonight, my lord? ​

Duke​

This night.

​Othello

W​ith all my heart.” (1.3.275-279)

Secondly, due to the brawl between Cassio and Roderigo resulting from Iago’s manipulation, they were interrupted again, only in Cyprus. Othello was mad not only because of the fact of their fight, but also because his alone time with his lover was interrupted.

“Look if my gentle love be not raised up! I’ll make thee an example.” (2.3.246-247)

Such interruptions build the tension between Othello and Desdemona and only add to Othello’s madness developing after he believes that his wife is indeed cheating on him, as he cannot seem to get ahold of her, while he thinks that Cassio does.

Another thing worth mentioning is the bed, which Iago brings a couple of times during the play. It not only reminds the reader or viewer about the off-stage bridal bed, but is also a some kind of a connection between the final scene, during which Desdemona is killed by her beloved husband.

“Well: happiness to their sheets” (2.3.26)

This quotation is especially ironic, as right before her death Desdemona asked Emilia to change the sheets into their wedding ones as a sign of preparing for the big night with her love. This means that these mentioned by Iago bridal bed and sheets may signalize to the reader further course of the plot and highlight the huge juxtaposition: the bed and the sheets that were supposed to bring the couple happiness evolved into a symbol of their tragedy. In fact, the bridal bed is the place on which almost every dead body in this play lands in the end, what portrays the extreme changes that took place in a very short notice.

“I do not know, friends all, but now, even now,

In quarter and in terms like bride and groom

Divesting them for bed [...]” (2.3.175-177)

Is Iago gay?

There have been many discussions about Iago’s sexuality - some say that Iago is in fact homosexual and he wants to destroy Othello and his relationship with Desdemona out of jealousy caused by his unfulfilled love. However, such interpretation of Iago’s character is often made because people feel the need to justify such horrible actions as those presented by Iago. The truth is that this villain is an embodiment of evil, a character taking pleasure from causing chaos, trouble, and pain, as he not once shows any sign of regret, empathy, repentance or change. Humans always seem to seek for motive and need one - in case of Iago, he does not need motive, or more specifically, he’s only motive is to cause harm and enjoy its consequences. Therefore, the theory of Iago’s homosexuality is an overinterpretation that should not be taken under consideration while analyzing Shakespeare’s play.

The theme of womanhood in context of sexuality

The three women characters that are included in the play are supposed to represent women of different class and social status.

Desdemona is representing the highest social status and poses as a female role model, being referred to as a virtuous and loyal wife by several characters during the first few scenes of the play. She’s obedient and kind; even though Brabantio directly expresses his disappointment regarding Desdemona’s choice of husband, she remains respectful and thoughtful enough to not try to bother his father:

“​Nor I; I would not there reside,

To put my father in impatient thoughts

By being in his eye​.

Most gracious Duke,

To my unfolding lend your prosperous ear

And let me find a charter in your voice,

T' assist my simpleness.” (2.3.239-244)

Desdemona throws away her life in order to be with Othello and until the very end of her life, she remains obedient and in love.

Bianca is Desdemona’s polar opposite. She is Cassio’s lover and a mistress, thus being strongly linked with the theme of sexuality that appears throughout the play.

Despite her profession, Bianca seems to be very emotional about Cassio’s affection, frustrated at the way he disregards their relationship. Her jealousy of Cassio mirrors Othello’s jealousy of Desdemona. The character of a courtesan seems to serve as a way to emphasize Desdemona’s desirable traits of faithfulness and loyalty, and yet Othello is still incapable of telling the difference between the two types of women that Desdemona and Bianca represent.

A lot about how Bianca is presented and perceived by the male characters of the play can be seen in the way she is addressed or described by Cassio:

“​Go to, woman!

Throw your vile guesses in the devil's teeth,

From whence you have them. ​

You are jealous now

That this is from some mistress, some remembrance:

No, in good troth, Bianca​.” (3.4.179-183)

“​I marry her! what? a customer!​ Prithee, bear some charity to my wit: do not think it so unwholesome. Ha, ha, ha!​” (4.1.120-123)

Iago addresses Cassio’s problematic approach towards his lover as well:

“Now will I question Cassio of Bianca,

A housewife that by selling her desires

Buys herself bread and clothes: it is a creature

That dotes on Cassio; as 'tis the strumpet's plague

To beguile many and be beguiled by one:

He, when he hears of her, cannot refrain

From the excess of laughter​.”

What is also very interesting is that not only does Cassio speak of Bianca in a pitiful and disrespectful manner, but he also seems deeply fascinated by Desdemona’s presence.

“​Iago​ ​

Not this hour, lieutenant; 'tis not yet ten o' the clock. Our general cast us thus early for the love of his Desdemona; who let us not therefore blame: he hath not yet made wanton the night with her; and she is sport for Jove.

Cassio​

She's a most exquisite lady.

Iago​ ​

And, I'll warrant her, fun of game.

Cassio​

Indeed, she's a most fresh and delicate creature.​” (2.3.13-20)

“​An inviting eye​; and yet methinks right modest.” (2.3.23)

Referring to Desdemona in such a way and constantly emphasizing how perfect and exquisite she is, Cassio creates even a more vivid contrast between her and Bianca. It is worth noticing that while it is most often the women who are accused of disloyalty, it is the male characters, including Cassio, who continuously make suggestive remarks towards or about the three women.

The third female character is Emilia, who seems to connect numerous traits of both Desdemona and Bianca. She’s a working-class woman and Iago’s husband. She’s obedient and loyal towards her loved one, but at the same time stresses that any woman would cheat on her husband given the right circumstances.

It is interesting that all three of the female characters are accused of infidelity at some point of the play. The entire theme of womanhood is essentially defined by and built upon the virtues and sexuality of the male characters. Each of the female characters represents a woman of different class and status, however,

it is strongly suggested that all of these three women are fulfilling different kinds of men’s fantasies. Iago seems to be the only one to see that since the very beginning, as he is the one to tell Othello how hard it is to distinguish between a truly virtuous woman and one who plays the role she is expected to in a convincing way. The reliance of the representation womanhood on male characters’ vices and virtues directly relates to the important theme of gender that Shakespeare’s ​Othello​ touches upon.

Conclusion

The theme of sexuality and deriving from that topic of womanhood is strongly paid attention to in Shakespeare’s ​Othello.​ It is brought up in many situations in both literal and metaphorical ways. It is important that the author touches upon such a topic, as it is a big part of one's psyche and relationships, especially romantic ones. As the whole plot revolves around Desdemona’s alleged sexual betrayal of Othello, it is specifically crucial to focus more on the psychology of sex, which Shakespeare did very well.

[nightibowl]

The theme of sexuality in William Shakespeare’s “Othello”

Introduction

Over the course of Shakespeare’s artwork progress and evolution, his readers can observe his significantly increasing interest in the psychology of sex. Othello is his most widely exploring this topic piece, as the author investigates many varieties of sexuality concerning not only people of the same race and class, but also the ones having different ethnic origins and social statuses. General controversy spread around a black man being the eponymous character inspired Shakespeare to also present stereotypes of interracial sex that affect both family’s of the white, pure girl and the couple itself. Such stereotypes are mostly introduced by the main villain, Iago, who is most frequently using animal imagery to describe them as well as Othello’s and Desdemona’s intimate moments. His language only adds spiciness to the scenes concerning the characters he is speaking about and tension in the reader, as such imagery really evokes one’s imagination and in this case, often disgust.

Imagery used to refer to Othello and his intimate life with Desdemona (and the reaction of Desdemona’s father)

The first scene in which Iago comments on Othello’s and Desdemona’s sex life is when he wants to cause chaos and conflict between Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, and the couple. In order to do that, he puts an image of the dirty, old man shamingly interacting with his pure, young daughter and highlights the possibility of Desdemona getting pregnant with the child of the devil (such metaphor derives from Othello’s dark skin color).

“Zounds, sir, you’re robbed, for shame put on your gown!

Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul,

Even now, now, very now, an old black ram

Is tupping your white ewe! Arise, arise,

Awake the snorting citizens with the bell

Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you,

Arise I say!” (1.1.84-91)

Iago suggests that the fact of Desdemona’s sexual interaction with the Moor is shameful not only towards her herself, but specifically towards his father, who must have not raised her in the right way. He also pays attention to the difference of age between the two - Desdemona seems to be much younger than her lover, which is also not something to be proud of. As Desdemona represents a woman from the upper class, she should also choose someone at least equal to her rank for her husband not to disrespect hers and her family’s position. During the fight between Iago, Roderigo and Brabantio (though Iago speaks to Brabantio as Roderigo), the father of Desdemona accuses the men of being thieves. While responding to this accusation, Iago still tries (and succeeds) to play with Brabantio’s imagination by saying

“ [...] Because we come to

do you service, and you think we are ruffians, you’ll 

have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse; 

you’ll have your nephews neigh to you, you’ll have

courses for cousins and jennets for germans!” (1.1.109-112)

and

“I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs.” (1.1.114-115)

Saying all that, Iago successfully upsets Brabantio by bringing his attention to the marriage of his beloved daughter with the Moor in a very unpleasant way.

Desdemona’s and Othello’s sex life; the symbol of their bridal bed

Another thing concerning the topic of sex that is worth noticing is the amount of trails Othello and Desdemona had to get intimate. Firstly, they had to call off their wedding-night in Venice as Othello was ordered to go to Cyprus:

“  1 Senator You must away tonight.

   Desdemona Tonight, my lord?

   Duke  This night.

  Othello With all my heart.” (1.3.275-279)

Secondly, due to the brawl between Cassio and Roderigo resulting from Iago’s manipulation, they were interrupted again, only in Cyprus. Othello was mad not only because of the fact of their fight, but also because his alone time with his lover was interrupted.

“Look if my gentle love be not raised up!

 I’ll make thee an example.” (2.3.246-247)

Such interruptions build the tension between Othello and Desdemona and only add to Othello’s madness developing after he believes that his wife is indeed cheating on him, as he cannot seem to get ahold of her, while he thinks that Cassio does. 

Another thing worth mentioning is the bed, which Iago brings a couple of times during the play. It not only reminds the reader or viewer about the off-stage bridal bed, but is also a some kind of a connection between the final scene, during which Desdemona is killed by her beloved husband.

“Well: happiness to their sheets” (2.3.26)

This quotation is especially ironic, as right before her death Desdemona asked Emilia to change the sheets into their wedding ones as a sign of preparing for the big night with her love. This means that these mentioned by Iago bridal bed and sheets may signalize to the reader further course of the plot and highlight the huge juxtaposition: the bed and the sheets that were supposed to bring the couple happiness evolved into a symbol of their tragedy. In fact, the bridal bed is the place on which almost every dead body in this play lands in the end, what portrays the extreme changes that took place in a very short notice.

“I do not know, friends all, but now, even now,

 In quarter and in terms like bride and groom 

 Divesting them for bed [...]” (2.3.175-177)

Is Iago gay?

There have been many discussions about Iago’s sexuality - some say that Iago is in fact homosexual and he wants to destroy Othello and his relationship with Desdemona out of jealousy caused by his unfulfilled love. However, such interpretation of Iago’s character is often made because people feel the need to justify such horrible actions as those presented by Iago. The truth is that this villain is an embodiment of evil, a character taking pleasure from causing chaos, trouble, and pain, as he not once shows any sign of regret, empathy, repentance or change. Humans always seem to seek for motive and need one - in case of Iago, he does not need motive, or more specifically, he’s only motive is to cause harm and enjoy its consequences. Therefore, the theory of Iago’s homosexuality is an over-interpretation that should not be taken under consideration while analyzing Shakespeare’s play.

The theme of womanhood in context of sexuality

The three women characters that are included in the play are supposed to represent women of different class and social status.

Desdemona is representing the highest social status and poses as a female role model, being referred to as a virtuous and loyal wife by several characters during the first few scenes of the play. She’s obedient and kind; even though Brabantio directly expresses his disappointment regarding Desdemona’s choice of husband, she remains respectful and thoughtful enough to not try to bother his father:

“Nor I; I would not there reside,

To put my father in impatient thoughts

By being in his eye. Most gracious Duke,

To my unfolding lend your prosperous ear

And let me find a charter in your voice,

T' assist my simpleness.” (2.3.239-244)

Desdemona throws away her life in order to be with Othello and until the very end of her life, she remains obedient and in love. 

Bianca is Desdemona’s polar opposite. She is Cassio’s lover and a mistress, thus being strongly linked with the theme of sexuality that appears throughout the play.

Despite her profession, Bianca seems to be very emotional about Cassio’s affection, frustrated at the way he disregards their relationship. Her jealousy of Cassio mirrors Othello’s jealousy of Desdemona. The character of a courtesan seems to serve as a way to emphasize Desdemona’s desirable traits of faithfulness and loyalty, and yet Othello is still incapable of telling the difference between the two types of women that Desdemona and Bianca represent. 

A lot about how Bianca is presented and perceived by the male characters of the play can be seen in the way she is addressed or described by Cassio:

“Go to, woman!

Throw your vile guesses in the devil's teeth,

From whence you have them. You are jealous now

That this is from some mistress, some remembrance:

No, in good troth, Bianca.” (3.4.179-183)

“I marry her! what? a customer! Prithee, bear some

charity to my wit: do not think it so unwholesome.

Ha, ha, ha!” (4.1.120-123)

Iago addresses Cassio’s problematic approach towards his lover as well:

“Now will I question Cassio of Bianca,

A housewife that by selling her desires

Buys herself bread and clothes: it is a creature

That dotes on Cassio; as 'tis the strumpet's plague

To beguile many and be beguiled by one:

He, when he hears of her, cannot refrain

From the excess of laughter.”

What is also very interesting is that not only does Cassio speak of Bianca in a pitiful and disrespectful manner, but he also seems deeply fascinated by Desdemona’s presence.

“Iago Not this hour, lieutenant; 'tis not yet ten o' the

clock. Our general cast us thus early for the love

of his Desdemona; who let us not therefore blame:

he hath not yet made wanton the night with her; and

she is sport for Jove.

Cassio She's a most exquisite lady.

Iago And, I'll warrant her, fun of game.

Cassio Indeed, she's a most fresh and delicate creature.” (2.3.13-20)

“An inviting eye; and yet methinks right modest.” (2.3.23)

Referring to Desdemona in such a way and constantly emphasizing how perfect and exquisite she is, Cassio creates even a more vivid contrast between her and Bianca. It is worth noticing that while it is most often the women who are accused of disloyalty, it is the male characters, including Cassio, who continuously make suggestive remarks towards or about the three women.

The third female character is Emilia, who seems to connect numerous traits of both Desdemona and Bianca. She’s a working-class woman and Iago’s husband. She’s obedient and loyal towards her loved one, but at the same time stresses that any woman would cheat on her husband given the right circumstances.

It is interesting that all three of the female characters are accused of infidelity at some point of the play. The entire theme of womanhood is essentially defined by and built upon the virtues and sexuality of the male characters. Each of the female characters represents a woman of different class and status, however, it is strongly suggested that all of these three women are fulfilling different kinds of men’s fantasies. Iago seems to be the only one to see that since the very beginning, as he is the one to tell Othello how hard it is to distinguish between a truly virtuous woman and one who plays the role she is expected to in a convincing way. The reliance of the representation womanhood on male characters’ vices and virtues directly relates to the important theme of gender that Shakespeare’s Othello touches upon.

Conclusion

The theme of sexuality and deriving from that topic of womanhood is strongly paid attention to in Shakespeare’s Othello. It is brought up in many situations in both literal and metaphorical ways. It is important that the author touches upon such a topic, as it is a big part of one's psyche and relationships, especially romantic ones. As the whole plot revolves around Desdemona’s alleged sexual betrayal of Othello, it is specifically crucial to focus more on the psychology of sex, which Shakespeare did very well.

[mx-bright-sky]

(I mention one of my fics here, but reading the fic is not necessary to understand the meta)

In my fic Green Lightning, Nedzu is a larger and more present character than he is in canon. It is well known to those that read the fic that, even though he has justifications for his actions, he is more of an antagonist than a reliable mentor figure. This has lead to some people coming to the conclusion that Nedzu seems to be out of character. However, this is because of the people we see interacting with Nedzu in canon contrasting with those we see interacting with Nedzu in Green Lightning. Nedzu puts on an act in most of his canon interactions. If you look at things in canon with a critical eye, it is clear that Nedzu is canonically less "nice" than he lets on.

(Or, Nedzu is canonically a stinky rat bastard, the meta)

I will note that most of these are criticisms of UA overall, but as the principle he holds the most power and we’re given no reason to believe that he is not in charge of these decisions. Even if he didn’t make these decisions himself, he ultimately could have stopped them from going through, and that’s just as bad.

First of all, he almost completely disregards the safety of the Hero Course students. Many of them have quirks that can hurt them if they ““go beyond; Plus Ultra”” and yet the school doesn’t discourage that. In fact, it praises them for doing so, and if they don’t do the absolute best they can do despite risk of physical harm, it’s seen as disgraceful. This is clearly shown with Kaminari constantly going over his watt limit. When Kaminari uses too much of his quirk he short circuits himself and goes brain dead for a while. This is treated sometimes as a minor nuisance but mostly as a joke. However, it is entirely possible that the way he is constantly short circuiting himself does have a permanent and negative effect on him, and it could even be said that it contributes to how he is portrayed as having lower intelligence. Another big indicator of this lack of care for safety is admitting Izuku into the Hero Course. I love Izuku and I want him to be a hero, but putting him in the Hero Course after how the entrance exam was irresponsible and extremely negligent. From the entrance exam it is clear that, while powerful, Izuku’s quirk badly damages him when he uses it. The better route would have been to put him in the General Education department and keep an eye on him and see if they could help him learn to control his quirk in a less destructive way, but they don’t do that. They put him into the Hero Course because he has amazing destructive power. And you can say “But Mel! He only had rescue points! They didn’t let him in for having power!” Consider this; they gave him seventy rescue points. That’s quite a lot. Yes, he saved Uraraka and it was very heroic, but I do not think that he would have scored as many points if he had a different quirk. They put him in the Hero Course because of his power, despite how it hurts him. It is clear that on multiple levels, Nedzu does not care about the safety of the students. Why? He just wants strong heroes, and he doesn’t care about the means acquiring them. UA probably only produces the top heroes because the top heroes are the only ones who make it through UA. 

There is another concern that, while seemingly being an isolated incident, also shows disregard for the students. At the end of Sports Festival, Bakugou is chained up and forced to go to the award ceremony despite not wanting to go. This, while treated as a joke, is not okay for several reasons. First of all, this is on live television and in front of a stadium of people. It is humiliating to chain Bakugou up like that and force him to go, no matter what the context. On the same point, this is part of the reason why the villains targeted him. While his anger issues definitely contributed to it, the villains probably theorized that, due to this mistreatment at the Sports Festival, they could manipulate Bakugou to go against the heroes. And at the end of the day, there’s the fact that Bakugou shouldn’t have to accept the win if he doesn’t want it. They could have given it to Shouto even though he was technically only second place. The whole Sports Festival situation was handled very poorly, and it just shows further negligence on Nedzu’s part. Why? It’s possible he wants to try and “tame” Bakugou and make him behave instead of caring about his actual learning and growth.

Yet another show of negligence in teaching is the hiring of All Might as a teacher. Don’t get me wrong, I love All Might, but it is blatantly obvious that he is not suited to being a teacher. He’s an excellent hero, but he is just bad at being a mentor. This is presented as a joke by the source, but yet again, it’s a serious issue. He should have started by training the Hero Course students basic hand to hand combat, but instead, he launched them right into battle training on the first day. The worst is the final exams, though. All Might uses incredible brute force and could have seriously damaged Bakugou and Izuku because he didn’t hold back on them. But Nedzu hired him anyway- and by certain dialogue scenes it seems like this is something he has been asking All Might about for a long time. Being a good hero doesn’t make you a good teacher, but Nedzu ignores this. He should have at least made All Might learn how to be a teacher before hiring him, but he didn’t. And, why? The only reason he would have is because he wanted the number one hero to teach at UA. Not because he wanted a good teacher, but because UA is famed for having pros as teachers. He did it for the popularity, for being able to claim that they have the number one hero working there, as a way to “prove” that UA really is “better” than every other hero school. 

Even in the show itself, it’s addressed (if only for a single episode) that the way the entrance exam is structured is flawed. It prioritizes people with physically strong quirks, and anyone who has a quirk that is any other kind of strong is just thrown under the bus. In addition, it excludes people with support type quirks. Recovery Girl, who is an incredibly helpful retired hero, could not have passed the entrance exam. There is no way that Nedzu doesn’t know this. There is no way that this is a new problem. There’s more problems with the entrance exams than just quirk discrimination, too. What about how these people taking the entrance exam could very easily be injured in this scenarios? Recovery Girl comments to herself after the entrance exam that Izuku was the only one with serious injuries, but what about Uraraka? If Izuku hadn’t been there to help her, no one would have; everyone else was running away. She was trapped in rubble, and the zero point robot was going to run right over her. Would they have stopped it from doing so? I doubt it. There are plenty of other potential injuries from the entrance exam as well- all the rubble, robots, and even other students being reckless with quirks they don’t have full control over could easily lead to serious injuries. Nedzu could change the entrance exam, UA certainly has the money to, but he doesn’t. Why? Again, it’s weeding out the weak, it’s survival of the fittest. He wants top pro heroes, and support types of heroes don’t become top pro heroes.

This is definitely more of a societal thing than, but Nedzu definitely is one of the contributors to the problem; discrimination against quirkless people. In the first episode when the class is laughing at him and asking how he expects to get in to UA despite being quirkless, Izuku meekly protests, “They got rid of that rule.” Which means that, previously, quirkless people were outright not allowed to attend UA. Not even just systematically where it’s incredibly hard to get in if you’re quirkless; quirkless people were banned by the school’s rules themselves, plain and simple. This is blatant discrimination against quirkless people. And even though they apparently “got rid of that rule” it is still very evident that quirkless people cannot pass the Hero Course entrance exam. If Izuku never got One For All, it is doubtful he would have passed. Once again, the evidence shows that Nedzu does not look like a good guy here. But why be prejudiced against quirkless people? The best answer is that he just wants to follow the crowd so that he doesn’t stir controversy, but the worse and more likely answer is that Nedzu thinks quirkless people are useless just like the rest of society. 

So, if I have all this backing my characterization of him, the disregard of student safety, the treatment of Bakugou in the Sports Festival, hiring All Might, the entrance exam, and discrimination against the quirkless, then why do so many people seem to believe that I’m making Nedzu be out of character? I think the answer is right in the essay itself. It’s that most of these are treated as a joke. They’re not treated seriously by the narrative, so no one thinks “Hey this is actually really wrong, who’s allowing this?” Another thing is that people don’t really consider that Nedzu is behind all of this, as the principle of UA. If they look at one of these things individually and decide it’s wrong, they usually don’t look into it and decide that it’s Nedzu’s fault. They call it out as wrong, rightfully so, but they don’t get to the root of the problem. (I suppose the root could also be the society itself, but Nedzu conforms to that society.) In canon, Nedzu is only shown being the “silly animal principle uwu” who says things like “Am I a mouse? Am I a bear? Who knows!” And then the Kamino arc where UA needs to get the press of their back’s while they rescue Bakugou, Nedzu is there once again, and I’m willing to bet he only does the things he does and says the things he says to save face. 

The only other conclusion besides “Nedzu is a sneaky rat bastard” is that Nedzu just doesn’t notice these problems or realize that they’re problems. But ignorance goes against Nedzu’s entire character, so this isn’t really a conclusion at all. 

(everything else applies to my fic Green Lightning, so if you haven’t read it, this might not be something you’ll understand)

In canon, Nedzu interacts with people who he wants to put on an act for. He needs these people to believe that he cares about them as individuals and not just strong heroes (you could push it and say that strong heroes are to stop villains and “for the greater good” but tbh if Nedzu’s job is being the principal of a school that makes heroes, I think that running out of villain’s would be bad for his business, hmmmmmm I just thought of that oh no)

In Green Lightning, Nedzu has been shown only interacting with Sora and Izuku; both people that he has leverage over. Though it hasn’t been mentioned in the fic, Sora is only at UA because Nedzu let him in to help with the traitor problem. He doesn’t care about acting in front of Sora, because if Sora says anything he can kick him on the spot. Nedzu also knows that Izuku is a vigilante, and is only keeping him around because that could prove useful to weeding out the traitor. If Izuku didn’t do what Nedzu asked, Nedzu could expel Izuku and quite honestly it’s possible that he could get Izuku arrested for being a vigilante. Even if they did speak out, Nedzu could very easily discredit them because they’re children and Nedzu is the principle of UA. 

So no, Nedzu isn’t out of character at all, thank you, bye

[booksbookandmorebooks]

Homecoming - The Cinematography.

Hello my lovelies I’m back with my first post of the new year! i thought id start it off with something a little different. When looking at how much I upload and how sporadic my posts seem to be lately I started thinking about what else I do with my time (besides reading) and well, honestly my only other hobby is that I tend to binge watch a lot of shows. In the past month I have binged watched Alias Grace, The OA and shamefully quite a few more including the show I’m here to talk about today, homecoming. So, I thought why not incorporate my passion into my blog. So, from here on out this blog will not only be dedicated to books that I love it will also include my reviews on the recent shows I have been watching. I really hope you enjoy this little change up and enjoy my reviews.

So without further ado let’s get started!

This show is about a young woman known as Heidi (Julia Roberts) who we initially see harassed by a department of defence official. Who is extremely interested in the time she spent employed and head of the project formerly known as home coming. A facility described and branded as a a type of institute focused on helping former soldiers transition back to civilian life after their service and help them adjust. While jumping between the present day and a series of flashbacks we see our characters realise that not only have they been lying to the people around them they have also been lying to themselves and now is the time to face up to the truth and the repercussions of some very questionable choices.

Stats:

Title: Homecoming

Genre: Psychological thriller / Drama

Release date: 02.11.2018

No. of episodes / seasons: 1 Season – 10 Episodes

Episode duration: 25-30 minutes.

Main cast: Julia Roberts, Bobby Cannavale, Stephan James.

Rotten tomatoes rating: 98%

 So to start off with this show is not exactly your normal stero-typical show. If anything, the first half of episode one I was unsure if this was something I would actually enjoy. It all seemed a little too out there but I pushed through and once I had finished episode one I was hooked. The main issue I can see people having with it would be the odd shots and the odd pacing. These are one of a few topics I will be discussing and analysing below. While these factors can be a little daunting and seem a little pretentious, when you really look at them, they become so interesting to watch unfold. You can really let your imagination run with this series, it feels more like an art form in some senses than just a show. Instead of it being a throw away show that is trying to appear edgy, it genuinely provides the audience with this feeling of uneasy and eeriness throughout. This series not only stuck with me for the storyline and the shocking twists but also because of the intensity of emotions you feel when watching. When talking about this with a friend I realised that this show is more addictive due to the anticipation of what experimental shot or method we would experience next, more than overall enjoyment of the show.

 In this post I will mainly be talking about the methods ,themes and the many approaches the director and producers have used to create this show and how they in turn, translated to me personally.

One of the most common shots we see for the first half of the show are these downward angle shots, now im not massively into my media studies so there are most probably a fast amount of terminologies I am missing but bare with me. These shots tend to make you feel like you are watching an animal in a maze. You get to see the characters from a bird’s eye view and watch them wind their way around their surroundings. When watching this I couldn’t help but feel the characters, any characters involved in this method were puppets being watching and manipulated, Even the bigger characters who we initially believe to have power and control are being used. Almost like animals in a testing lab. This is confirmed for me when in the episode the camera pans out to reveal the design of the building our series mainly takes place in. It is a big building with huge celling to floor walls of glass. Almost like an observatory, furthering my theory of observation through testing, a theme we know towards the end of the series is very important to the story development.

Another very important feature in this series is the change in aspect ratio and how its used to differentiate the two time periods that the show is set in. (past and present) the use of this method while a little jarring at first (it had me checking the tv and the app when I watched it) is so clever because when jumping between two different time periods it is so easy to confuse the audience and risk the chance of the storylines becoming messy and convoluted but with this it was almost impossible not to follow. We see the present depicted with two black sections of either side of the screen and the past in full screen view. Now as I mentioned, this method while clever isn’t something that you would necessarily deem as clever. You may see it like I did at first, something there that has no real meaning, it is just to further the weird feeling this show creates, that is until episode eight. Contained in one scene that I won’t spoil for you; a particular character has a huge revelation and the director not only shows the severity and shocking nature of this through the use of facial expressions and music but the aspect ratio we have been used to seeing in the present is used to demonstrate the character being bought into the light. We see that in her moment the camera shot widens and the present is left in full screen mode. To symbolise that her character is no longer in the dark and she can finally see the bigger picture. Something that when it happened I had to take a minute to appreciate it. It blew my mind that how such a simple change can really impact the feeling that you have when watching a show like this.

While on the subject of time differences I want to also mention a more common method but one that proved just as effective. In the shots of the past the colours are all desaturated and have this sad melancholy feel to them which really do help show the vast dullness of our main characters present life. Especially when compared to the flashbacks. The bright lights, the white walls and open nature of the building our main character is working in, the fake over the top smiles everyone sports, the over helpfulness of Heidi when compared to the reclusive and reluctant (almost isolated) whisper of a person we now see. Simple yet, very very effective.

Now as I mentioned, after to talking to some friends that have watched this show the biggest problem most people seemed to share was the pacing. I often heard it referred to as an issue and while I can understand it from their point of view I have to very strongly disagree. This was not an issue for me, this show was not meant to be rushed. It was supposed to burn slowly and gradually to help you grow as a viewer alongside the characters. If this show was rushed the audience would most definitely feel robbed. A piece of art like this is not something to be watched flippantly in one sitting and be disregarded upon a pile of throw away trash tv. This is really something.

I feel the shows pacing is intentionally slow because it mirrors the story and the story telling method. The relationships are gradually built through therapy sessions, a method of help that is used to slowly help the victim. All those subtle sighs, glances and twitches that help define a character are lost if not handled with care and time. You’re not only watching these people, you’re growing with them. It’s a way to engage the audience without them knowing it. Hooking and drawing you in. it captivates you and on reflection once I finished this show, I was fascinated by how it managed to do such an amazing job at that.

Not only that, but at this pace you are provided with enough time to form your own opinions and feelings towards these people, their choices and their pasts, instead of being provided with a set narrative. This way your feelings are not dictated to you, you’re not presented with the black and white ideal of good and bad, in fact this show often tends to blur those lines. Making peoples seemingly bad decisions almost justifiable. We are provided with on numerous occasions scenarios that show not only the redeeming qualities of a person but their flaws and we are able to form our own views on them in our own time. Something that wouldn’t be possible without a slow burner.

I really could continue analysing this show because there are just so many amazing factors. From music to the close-up face shots or the intensity of the volume that changes so frequently but I will stop, I have to at some point. All my friends are bored of me talking this show up, so I suggest you go and watch it yourself. You can only learn so much from a review after all. But if you are looking for something that will leave you speechless and stay with you for weeks after, I can’t recommend this highly enough, if that’s not enough the amazing talent of Julia Roberts should at least tempt you a little. I really hope you enjoy the show and can start looking for your own explanations and feelings towards this alien methodology! Until next time have a great week!

[lethesomething]

Someone adopt Todoroki already

Let's talk about everyone's favourite BnHA prince, Todoroki Shouto, and his parental figures. This kid is some weird cross between Haikyuu's Kageyama and the Last Airbender's Zuko, in that he's a socially awkward pretty boy with a dark past and some very serious daddy issues. This kid has seen some shit, my dudes. And like those two he gets a rather satisfying, still ongoing character arc, making him one of those characters you can’t help but root for. You know what else Todoroki is? A walking symbolism manual.

 Todoroki's parental figures

So BnHA is very interesting in the way it deals with parents. As opposed to most manga, they don't just all die or disappear into the background here. This series has some of the warmest mother-son relationships (hello Midoriya Inko), and it's also chock full of father figures (Dad Might, Dadzawa, Dad Torino). People like Midoriya and Bakugou, and Kirishima in the manga, get several of these mentors to help them on their way.

Todoroki, on the other hand, gets surprisingly few. He doesn't have the same relationship with Aizawa or All Might that Midoriya and Bakugou have, and he doesn't even get a separate mentor during his  apprenticeship, because he chooses to spend that time with his own father. In a way, this makes a lot of sense. Whereas Midoriya gets outside guidance to grow, Todoroki's character development is very much an internal struggle. It is central to Todoroki's character arc that he learns how to deal with the parents he already has.  

Putting this under a cut because it’s super long, and it ventures a little into manga territory (i tried to keep the spoilers mild).

 Fire and Ice

I don't think I'm going to shock people when I mention that Endeavour, Todoroki Senior, is a bit of a dick. The man has many flaws as a father and a human being. He's abusive, for one. He is shown as proud, calculated, ruthless, selfish. He wants to mould his child with the very specific purpose of defeating his own greatest rival and he's willing to disregard the lives and feelings of others (like his wife) to make this happen. Now what may shock you is that honestly, I don't believe Endeavour is a purposely cruel person. You can't really save that many people if you're a full sadist. He appears to actually want a relationship with his son, or at the very least, he wants his son to look up to him. He doesn't seem to understand that holy shit, bro, you frigging traumatised that boy.

I feel that the way he's treated his kid, and his wife, is mostly him having a one track mind and going overboard. I'm not trying to redeem him here, but there are levels of evil and Endeavour for me falls into the 'drunk in a wife-beater' category. Putting aside the question of whether Dabi is also a Todoroki sibling, it does seem like not all his kids hate him, for instance. Shouto's sister Fuyumi seems pretty ok living in that house still. As a school teacher, she is an adult woman with an income who could be living alone. The fact that she stays in that house could mean she's there to take care of her younger siblings, or that she at least has a casual enough relationship with her (rich AF) dad that staying is preferable to making it on her own. Honestly, he probably just lowkey ignored his other kids for most of their childhood, or at least let them have a normal life. As such, it's mostly just Todoroki's bad luck that he was born as a 'perfect sample'. Endeavour strikes me as someone who is very full of himself and it causes him to look at other human beings as a means to an end.

On the other side of the scale is Mrs. Todoroki. Like Izuku's mother, she is framed first and foremost as someone who loves, someone who cares, someone selfless. But unlike Inko, her selflessness is pushed to a point where she can't take it anymore.  This is a woman who has lost any and all agency. She is trapped in a loveless marriage she did not want and she doesn't even seem to have a name of her own. She is just 'Mrs. Todoroki', a plaything to be used and disposed of by a powerful man. The pain and fear she absorbs during the years is too great and she snaps, hurting the ones she loves the most. She is then quickly carted off and locked away somewhere out of view.

 Appearances

So how has this whole business shaped Todoroki? For one: he doesn't give a damn about appearances. BnHA is very big on the difference between what you look like, and what you are. For a blatant example, check out the 'two forms' of All Might. Appearances are important for a hero, but Todoroki knows that this could be bullshit. Endeavour is the 'number two' hero. He is looked up to as a great and powerful man by the general populace, but it seems to be a bit of an open secret (judging by Present Mic's reaction at the Sports Festival) that he's a grade A jerk. On the other hand 'Mrs Todoroki' is known as a violent woman. Someone crazy. Someone dangerous. Someone that has to be hidden away in a hospital, never to see the light of day. In both these cases Todoroki knows better. He doesn't particularly look at the outside. He doesn't even judge people on what they say, but on what they do.

 On a much more symbolic level, this is even the case for the whole 'element' business.  I personally love how the reality of Todo's fire and ice, and of his parents elements, doesn't correspond to their official 'element'. Fire is supposed to be warm. The 'hearth' is the traditional centre of the family, whereas ice evokes the cold, lonely wilderness. But when it comes to parental love, Todoroki's mom's is the warm one. Her loves is even so hot that it when it goes out of control, it literally burns his skin. On the other hand, his father's love is a cold one. To his father, Todoroki is a product, a pawn in the race for Number One. It is an attitude that causes Todoroki to reject any sentimental ties he has to his father, almost literally turning the boy into a block of ice, since that's the only skill he's willing to use.

Walking. Symbolism. Manual.

 Dual personality

But as the manga mentions, Todoroki is the perfect genetic mix of both his parents, whether he wants it or not. He is the 'half and half bastard' and step one in his development is actually becoming that. When we first meet Todoroki, he has a cold personality and he quite literally only uses ice, in apparent defiance of his father. This is his Ice Side. It is calculated, it is sharp, it is dismissive of others and it is ambitious. This is the kid that wants to win the tournament on half strength. It is the kid that challenges Midoriya as an 'opponent-to-beat'. It is, against all rebellious tendencies, the personality of his father.

Now let's look at his Fire Side. Remember when we first saw that? It's not the moment you're thinking of. It's this one

Todoroki's fire side is passion, it is anger, it is explosive and full of feelings. It is the side that cares, and cares so much that sometimes it explodes and threatens to hurt people (like poor Sero). Oddly enough, Todoroki's Fire Side comes much closer to his mother's personality.

Don’t believe me?

Todoroki's mom with a whistling kettle in the background.

Todoroki right before he freezes the hell out of Sero.

 Achievement: Fire

Enter Midoriya, our superhero with an extra in 'unlocking character development'. What our boy does, in the tournament, is set Todoroki's fire side free from several years of suppression, obviously. He does this by making him forget about his father and get more in touch with his mother.

For just that moment, Todoroki switched sides, willingly.

And you see that from then on, he starts to flip between both sides more regularly. In his fight with Bakugou he's still sputtering, but honestly, boy just had a revelation, you can't expect him to be up to speed that fast. But you do see it more often later on.

We see Todoroki slowly warm up to his classmates, particularly to Iida and Midoriya. We see him start to visit his mother, because he's quite literally nurturing that side of him.You see him give very sensitive advice and lose his cool (heh) another time, like in the superhero exam. We see him remain his calm and calculated self all through that Bakugou rescue mission.

Back to dad

An interesting point in the story here, is the apprenticeship. Todoroki chooses to go to his father here. This is a calculated decision and he even mentions that in the anime. His father is a popular hero and it gives him good opportunities to work with the 'number two', despite whatever his feelings for this man may be. That's his ice side speaking (his father's side, if you follow my theory).

Now look what happens when Midoriya needs help.

Instant dismissal.

Todoroki knows what he cares about, and it is the continued well-being of Midoriya. The switch is almost instantly flipped. Forget his father, go save his friend. His mother's side is slowly but surely gaining.

 Balance

Right now, you see a lot of duality in everything Todoroki does. This boy, despite unlocking both sides of himself, is still very much struggling. He can still come across as aloof in unfortunate situations. And let's not forget that his explosive side is just that. Explosive. If he doesn't learn to reign that in, he, too, could cause hurt to others. What Todoroki needs, more than anything, is to balance these sides of himself.  The right brain and the left brain. Hot and cold, doing and feeling, Ice and Fire. Right now, he's almost split himself in half, showing one side now and another side the next. I'm not sure if all that switching is altogether healthy, but at least it's better than what he did before when he was literally suppressing entire parts of himself. It's progress. I'm hoping that he'll get past this stage also. It's slow going, but honestly? I get that. Kid's seen some shit.

PS: I have a bunch of these BnHA meta things.

[rnjmnster]

get to know me tag~ (#3)

Rules: Answer these 92 statements and tag 20 people

Tagged by: @jinkimon​ thank you for tagging me! 😘

some of these are literally me just bs-ing around cause my life is a joke.

THE LAST: 1. Drink: caramel iced coffee 2. Phone call: my sister 3. Text message: my sister​ 4. Song you listened to: shine forever; monsta x 5. Time you cried: last wednesday cause genius min yoongi ended 2017 festa by releasing so far away jin & jk version

HAVE YOU: 6. Dated someone twice: almost did but i didn’t (also that was in middle school so nah) 7. Kissed someone and regretted it: never kissed any one before so can’t relate ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (waiting for namjoon’s and jungkook’s kisses jk jk) 8. Been cheated on: yeah, cheated out of a happy childhood and life in general 9. Lost someone special: yeah, luhan who left exo 10. Been depressed: i am right now 11. Gotten drunk and thrown up: of course but only occasionally cause i somewhat know how to pace myself 😜😜

LIST 3 FAVORITE COLORS: 12-14: black, purple, red

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU: 15. Made new friends: yes mutuals on here! 16. Fallen out of love: no cause namjoon is the love of my life. 17. Laughed until you cried: always 18. Found out someone was talking about you: probably the admins of that net i use to be a part of…(told yall i’ll still be pissed and salty) 19. Met someone who changed you: yes, jung hoseok cause with him in my life, i’m not so sad and depressed as much anymore 20. Found out who your friends are: yes 21. Kissed someone on your Facebook list: lmao nah son these kisses are reserved for namjoon and jungkook ALL OF BTS oKAY

GENERAL: 22. How many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: beats me 😬 23. Do you have any pets: when you have a house full of loud, screaming little siblings and could potentially harm (or worse, kill) the pet, no 24. Do you want to change your name: i did. i’m bernard smith on fb now for the next 60 days 25. What did you do for your last Birthday: sadly, i worked cause gotta get that cash money for bts merch but my coworkers attempted to sing happy birthday to me every hour. 26. What time did you wake up: 5:25 am everyday of the week for work at 6 am. rip 27. What were you doing at midnight last night: reading jungkook s i n 28. Name something you can’t wait for: not being sad and depressed anymore 29. When was the last time you saw your mom: sometime in the middle of may 30. What is one thing you wish you could change in your life: to tell my middle/high school self to being a pushover, to stand up for yourself 31. What are you listening right now: new beginning; astrid holiday 32. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom: change that o to an i then yes i have 33. Something that is getting on your nerves: everything tbh  34. Most visited Website: tumblr

LOST QUESTIONS. I JUST PUT IN RANDOM INFO ABOUT ME 35. Mole/s: i have a lot and i don’t keep track of them  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 36. Mark/s: pretty vague question cause does this mean scars or birth marks? 37. Childhood dream: a veterinarian 38. Haircolor: black 39. Long or short hair: short but i’m trying to grow it out again 40. Do you have a crush on someone: …all of bts,,, 41. What do you like about yourself: look…the person who hates you the most is yourself but the person who loves you the most is also yourself so I LOVE ME, MYSELF, AND I OKAY 42. Piercings: all on my ears 43. Bloodtype: i like to believe i have o type cause my mom does but tbh i don’t have a clue  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 44. Nickname: lils from my close friends 45. Relationship status: heart eyes for the rest of my life for all of bts 46. Zodiac: libra 47. Pronouns: she/her 48. Favorite TV Show: if we’re talking about kdramas here then the moon that embraces the sun, goblin, and weightlifting fairy kim bokjoo 49. Tattoos: yes and i did them myself cause i wanted to test out stick n poke tattoos (Y I K E S 😬 I KNOW) but don’t do this at home, kids. just a tiny ellipsis on my wrists and arm. 50. Right or left hand: right 51. Surgery: no 52. Hair dyed in different color: yes. red, pink, purple, blue, and blond 53. Sport: just running up a flight of stairs has me worn out 55. Vacation: lmao i wish 56. Pair of trainers: i think i got 3 pairs

MORE GENERAL: 57. Eating: i didn’t eat anything at all today,,, 58. Drinking: WATER cause hong joshua says to drink that 59. I’m about to: GO EAT OKAY. SO DON’T WORRY 61. Waiting for: namjoon to return home to me and into my arms 62. Want: to move out of the usa but i can’t 63. Get married: i’m already married to kim namjoon 64. Career: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

WHICH IS BETTER 65. Hugs or kisses: how about both 66. Lips or eyes: again, both 67. Shorter or taller: tall cause have you seen how tall namjoon is? tall 68. Older or younger: usually older or same aged as me. but if you’re a certain 97 liner boy with a cute bunny smile, i’ll date you 70. Nice arms or nice stomach: 😭😭😭 BOTH I’M SORRY OKAY 😭😭😭 71. Sensitive or loud: sensitive cause i hate loud noises but if you’re jung hoseok i’ll let it pass 72. Hook up or relationship: relationship 73. Troublemaker or hesitant: troublemaker

HAVE YOU EVER: 74. Kissed a stranger: look these kisses exclusively for all of bts only 75. Drank hard liquor: always 😏😉 76. Lost glasses/contact lenses: all the time 77. Turned someone down: i’m a cold hearted bitch~ 😉 also i gotta stay devoted and loyal to bts 78. Sex on the first date: with any member of bts then hell yeah jk no 79. Broken someone’s heart: lmao have i? 80. Had your heart broken: of course *side eyes Luhan* 81. Been arrested: no 82. Cried when someone died: do kdramas/animes/video games count cause yes 83. Fallen for a friend: one-sided, short-lived infatuations always occur to me 

DO YOU BELIEVE IN: 84. Yourself: like i said before, the person who hates you the most and doesn’t believe you the most is yourself but the person who loves you the most and also believes you the most is also yourself so I LOVE AND BELIEVE IN ME, MYSELF, AND I OKAY 85. Miracles: idk 86. Love at first sight: well i guess cause the first time i saw luhan in exo’s debut teaser photos, i fell for him and i’m obviously still not over the fact that he left exo and broke my heart 87. Santa Claus: lmao the urban legend of that guy dressing up as santa claus and getting stuck and dying in the chimney much killed that for me 😭  88. Kiss in the first date: nah son 89. Angels: yeah yoon jeonghan and me cause we were born on cheonsa day aka october 4

OTHER: 90. Current best friends name: there are no such thing as best friends 91. Eyecolor: a really dark brown 92. Favorite movie: FFVII Advent Children

if you already did this, then disregard this. if you haven’t go ahead and do it! it’s not required tho so you do you/whatever floats your boat. 😉

@trbld-writer @minmelly @2cool4skool-06-12-13 @ssconce @hearts-of-paper @starmy7 @taexquila @chimmy-joos @youmakemebacon (welp not 20 but oh well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

[loose-leaf-teacanons]

Fail from the Jaws of Win

Or, Extra Game and the Pointedly Pointless Ending

If you haven’t already guessed what happens at the end of the Extra Game movie based on Twitter and tumblr exploding with it, well, then the following will contain some spoilers. I’ll try to keep things as analytical as possible (mainly bc it ties into a lot of general writing tropes), for my own sake if no one else’s, but forgive me if some personal emotion shines through.

So apparently the Extra Game movie ends as most of us have been fearing ever since the first screenshots of Kuroko’s devastated “smiling through tears in what is obviously an eternal goodbye scene” surfaced. Kagami randomly decides to leave for America – permanently – to attend a special NBA school/training program, leaving behind Kuroko and Seirin in a five-minute tack-on epilogue that wasn’t even in the manga.

It’s a prime example of what I like to call the Pointedly Pointless Ending.

What’s that, you ask? It’s an odd little trope I’ve noticed, mainly in epic stories (or movies, comics, games, etc.) wherein the protagonist embarks on a grand journey, experiences or encounters things that change them in such profound ways that they can never look at the world the same way again – but at the last possible second, the ending renders all of it invalid, moot, utterly pointless.

It’s that moment in Kingdom of Heaven when Orlando Bloom’s character, having ventured out of his tiny miserable medieval village life to experience and suffer the ravages of the Crusades in the Middle East, decides the best thing to do with those experiences is to return to his tiny, miserable medieval village life. It’s the ending of Harry Potter, in which all the characters, without exception, decide to have 2.5 kids and an owl and work 9-5 jobs, regardless of their previous dreams or aptitudes. It’s Jupiter deciding to return home to cleaning  bathrooms in Jupiter Ascending, when there is now literally an entire universe stretching out at her feet, begging to be explored. It’s Mass Effect 3, rendering three games and close to a decade of playtime worthless by an ending so infamously pointless it’ll be talked about by generations of future gamers in hushed whispers. It’s every “memory wipe”/”world reset” ending ever (anime seems particularly fond of it for some reason).

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying there isn’t beauty or pathos to be found in such endings EVER, or that they cannot be done well in some cases, but that they shouldn’t be done without good reason.

It’s when they become a stopgap measure, a sort of authorial shrug in the face of how to proceed from the place the story ended up in. It’s an ending that basically asks the audience to disregard the entire emotional rollercoaster ride they’ve just gone through along with the protagonist in favor for a quick, clean, journey-negating ending.

Now, where exactly does Extra Game fit into this?

After all, you could make an argument that hey, Kagami is moving on into the wider world! He’s growing and changing! That’s not stagnation! That’s not pointless!

But the Pointedly Pointless Ending isn’t just about where characters physically go and what they physically do. It’s not about locations and actions so much as it’s about the negation of the grander point of their entire story. The meaning, or essence, of the story, to put it especially pretentiously. XD

And for Kuroko no Basket, that essence is encapsulated by the famous “fated meeting” scene that didn’t make the cut in the anime for reasons beyond my understanding.

The “fated meeting” of Kuroko and Kagami in middle school, while both of them are at their lowest point, and them unknowingly forming a connection in that moment is kind of a distillate of several themes that can be found throughout the manga.

The idea that nobody can – or should have to – go it alone in life. That everyone wants to be needed, and have somewhere to belong. That even at one’s lowest point, there are ways to form connections with others. That friendships are precious things – that if you do click with people, you should hang onto those connections, and if you do, they can (or even will) be for life. (Basketball’s in there somewhere, too, probably. XD)

Like I said, you can find examples of that throughout the manga, like in Kise’s finding a home with Kaijou, and Midorima’s awkward budding friendship with Takao, even Murasakibara’s slow baby steps towards doing things for others... the list could go on and on.

However, the connection between Kuroko and Kagami is definitely the strongest, since it’s the focal point of the story.

The idea of them, two lonely souls who feel lost and disconnected from everything they once knew and loved, now adrift without a purpose, finding each other not once, but twice, without even knowing, and being able to give each other exactly what the other needs, is nothing short of miraculous, and exemplifies the manga’s idea of “bonds meant to last”.

Feel free to see this as shippy or non-shippy, but the point is, the partnership Kuroko and Kagami form – a true partnership (which the manga and the show explicitly state) – is not just the focal part of KnB, it’s the entire point. “This is what is possible when you are with someone who is right for you, and for whom you are right, as well.”

Which brings us back to Extra Game and the Pointedly Pointless Ending.

Having Kuroko and Kagami split up at the end of the movie – especially for something so out of the blue and never-before-discussed as an NBA-career – renders everything that KnB was originally about meaningless.

Many of the quotes that fans love for their amount of raw emotion – “I want to play basketball with you.”/”I want to keep playing with you.”/”It’s not ‘want to’. You will.” (note: paraphrased from memory and not in sequential order) – are suddenly so much meaningless drivel.

The “home” Kagami and Kuroko have found for themselves in their friendship, and at Seirin, is exchanged like a bad cheque. It can be left behind with almost no deliberation. Everything they’ve found – especially Kagami – is not significant and long-lasting, but merely a stepping stone on some vague path to pro-sport glory.

Sure, you can make an argument that “true bonds cannot be destroyed by something as ‘minor’ as moving halfway across the globe”, but the thing is... the movie doesn’t spend ANY time to develop this.

There is no slow build-up, no easing into the idea, no grand theme of “If it’s forever, we’ll meet again, no matter what”. It’s a five-minute afterthought at the end of a movie about a GoM reunion to beat a team of Evil American Basketballers. 

And that is what makes the ending truly pointless, and, at least to me, oh-so very rage-inducing.

What Kuroko no Basket has spent 30 volumes, 3 seasons, and dozens of fan-collectibles like drama CDs building is cast away in a handful of minutes for the sake of promoting an idea that was never even in the manga. “Going pro is the goal!”

It’s the ultimate authorial shrug. It’s fail from the jaws of win.

[danwensrandoms]

Princess Nine a bittersweet review  *spoilers- lots of them*

*Warning: spoilers ahead because I don’t think the reason why Princess Nine left so many fans feeling so mixed about it can be explained clearly without massive spoilers. I suggest only reading on if you’ve finished the series.  

I don’t think any rushed nor anti-climatic ending has left such a bad taste in my mouth before. For a show that has time and time and seen it’s dorky set of female characters (of various personalities, dreams and background) grow in spirit and courage. Whether it’s Kanako standing up to her Dad; Mao finally catching that pitch with the help of Izumi (who despite being the crazy proud ‘you should do everything yourself’ believer, instigated her teammates’ growth on multiple occasions); and Ryo chasing her dream while learning more about her father and overcoming self-doubts/trust issues. Expect none of this mattered in the last leg of the show. Due to a shoed-in, cliched romantic subplot where the characters seem to act completely out of role leading the series to conclude with the team walking away with nothing, because of ‘jealous’ emotions welled inside the two aces. 

Whilst it was pretty obvious that the creators wanted us to see character growth but that went out the window because of the ‘romantic’ misunderstanding that tore our two mains’ morale. Izumi and Ryo, have a far more interesting and complex relationship than the standard love triangle stock affair. Though you wouldn’t have thought that if you only watched the last third of Princess Nine. It’s almost as if when Ryo survived her touch with death - mainly thanks to Izumi bracing a rainstorm in bare feet just to call out to her ‘rival’; it wasn’t even head boy Takasugi that saved her ultimately- the two female characters had a brain wipe because they both loved the same guy (which they only seemed to remember at the most crucial moment of their baseball careers even though both knew before Izumi was even on the squad and her hating Ryo at first had nothing to do with getting jelly over Tagaboy). 

I’m fine with them overcoming feelings involved in puberty and all that jazz as that’s part of coming of age. But why on Earth are viewers subjected again to a trite storyline where girls are painted as jealousy-ridden, catty-fools that ignore all previously built friendships and chasing dreams/responsibilities because of a romantic interest. There are enough stories out there already telling girls that they should be jealous and catty that even the heroines will be like this (it’s like we’re cursed to hate each other). But this time it hurts more because the entire story up until now was about girls, mums, coaches, fathers coming together to beat prejudice, to reach for dreams, to show that these girls had as much guts as the boys. Even though you have conflicts between different personalities you learn to not give up and to work towards something everyone loves unconditionally, whilst making life-long friends along the way. That’s the spirit of sports and for women’s sports, it’s especially crucial because of the lack of funding and support from organisations. 

Princess Nine, for the most part, told a narrative I’ve been trying to find in animation (west or east) for a long time. For a majority of the show, I had wished nothing more than to travel back in time and tell my younger self to watch this. Because this was the inspiration I needed as a young girl. So that I would’ve the confidence to go and participate in sports at a younger age, despite self-doubt and stereotypes. Right now I’m not sure I’d 100% recommend Princess Nine to my younger self. With an ending that basically proclaimed: 

“Everything you worked for becomes non-existent because even the strongest, most compassionate girls refuse to communicate their own envy despite having deep bonds. Because LUV Triangles Imma right?”

Maybe the writers really did want us to understand that saying “It’s nothing” all the time and covering up the truth will lead to an unhappy ending. Which would have worked if it wasn’t pulled out of nowhere and disregarded all previous character development and the growing relationship of the two mains (seriously there was even a bloody montage that insinuated something deeper.) The moment after Izumi blatantly lied to Ryo (a person she clearly treasures) to make her stay away from Takasugi despite her very foundation of her character was to be brutally honest, the damage was done. 

I don’t think all stories should have standard happy endings but I felt that Princess Nine deserved a better ending. One that paralleled its themes, that it started out with. About overcoming loss, doubt, earning and learning trust. About the determination showcased by various female characters in the show whether they had dominating personalities or not. About passion for team sports and the desire to get more girls involved in the picture. About feminism, essentially.

It’s ironic that a show that seemed to fight the narrowed minded ‘suits’ trying to shut down the team’s progress due to ‘image’ and ‘tradition’ fall to its own prey. I don’t know if the original creators’ hands were forced to create such an ending and to include such an out of character subplot but it certainly felt like some group at the top said that if they don’t melodramatise the (badly done) romance part, it won’t sell. I hesitantly call it a romance because it tells a pretty shit love story as well, I’m pretty sure a lot of other shows did relationships better and in all honesty, Takasugi’s character is a lot more nuanced till he basically became an age old plot device for the Ultimate Downfall of the Main Female Characters tm.  

I mixed heartedly recommend this show but I will say that this is the first time I’ve seen an anime speak about positive group mentality in a team of girls doing something considered especially ‘unladylike’ at the time. For their own sake, for each other’s sake and out of a love of baseball. And it did it without resorting to objectifying the girls (which is what’s popular in modern day female cast heavy anime) and without being patronising. It almost fully captured the essence of women’s sports (coming from a women’s football fan) but unfortunately, I have to hope that in the future there will be another attempt that does this to the very end. For now, I suggest that creators take influence from real world athletes. Tokyo 2020 is approaching so the dream is still alive. 

And with that, I will leave it with a memorable and well-done scene from the ending. Koharu prepping the ‘wave motion swing’. A moment that embodied everything she cared about and manifested with a great home run. As unlikely as a sequel is I would love to see more of Princess Nine’s cast of characters again. Because despite all the frustration I can’t say that it hasn’t further cemented my passion for sports. I will take those feelings with me whenever I play. 

[twruniversity-blog]

Accepted Romania!

Welcome.

Get your shit in within the next three days.

OOC;

Name:  Ro

Age:  21

Pronouns:  She Her The Alimighty

Activity: 8

Contact: monsterinthelookingglass

Ships for Muse: anything and everything

Timezone: CT (Canada)

Triggers/Sensitive Subjects:  Space (RIP)

Any Concerns?:  I am sorry my characters will be 98% memes

IC;

Character: Romania

Full Name / Preferred Name:   Dragomir Radu     (Close friends can call him Dragoş)

Age: 18

Birthday:  December 1st

Gender: Male

Pronouns: He him

Housing: Whio Lodge  (He probably wrote up a very long essay about Strigois and Morois telling the readers on the similarities with a heavy focus on the differences and just a tasteful amount of Twilight bashing)

Pets: He doesn’t have any pets at the moment, though he does have an odd knack of collecting creatures, and probably will get his hands on something at some point in time. He himself practically counts as a pet or a pest if he has a roommate, poor soul.

IC - In Depth;

Magical Branches:  Fire and Blood  

He is weak to Water branches, finding them the bane of his existence. He claims that he hates getting soaked, when in reality he doesn’t know how to swim.

Ahurei (Unique Ability): necessary Shapeshift: Able to shift his form into any creature he can picture clearly in his head. Most of the time though, he needs to be able to study the creature in order to know what they look like with ease, taking hours of his free time to learn the full anatomy of the creature. At times, his abilities will spike and get triggered causing him to sometimes shift when not meaning to and be stuck in the form until he calms down. He is unable to shift into anything larger than a wolf at the moment. Other times, he may be too emotional to be able to properly shift (fear being the strongest and can cause him to freeze up)

Major/s:  Double Major in                 - Study of Magical Creatures                 - Destruction  > Fire              

Minor/s:  Science                - Biology              

Type of Degree:  Bachelors, aiming for a Masters if he can get the motivation

Clubs:

-Magical Creatures -Roleplaying games -Photography

Appearance:  

He’s fairly tall and lanky, standing at a height of 5'9 being just a bit taller than the average height in his country. He has short shaggy strawberry blonde hair, that shines a bronze or red tint in the sun. His eyes are red, and though he hates to admit it, he does require glasses for reading. Having red eyes also causes him to be a bit light sensitive, and in sunny locations he often sports black shades. 

His skin is paler due to having anemia, something that he often forgets to take the iron supplements he’s suppose to. If this wasn’t enough of a reason for people back home to joke about him looking like a Strigoi, then the added fact of accidently chipping one of his teeth just puts the icing on the cake, making it appear like he has one sharp fang.

Headcanons: -He loves any type of magical creature or creature, having an odd obsession with being able to study them in the field. He also has a tendency of wanting to capture said creatures and learn everything there is to learn about them, wishing to help show the world that some creatures deemed bad or villainous isn’t as bad as rumours or legends state.

-He doesn’t know how to swim. He owns a pair of adorable yellow duck arm floaties though. He absolutely won’t tell anyone that he doesn’t know how to swim however. That will probably be his last words before he sinks in the ocean or something.

-He has a huge sweet tooth. Especially to chocolate cake of any kind.

-He enjoys talking about home (the mountains, the creatures and sights) but refuses to talk about his family or anything of the magical society that he is from. He does not share the same beliefs as them nor is he entirely proud of the branch of magic that is passed through their blood, quite literally. Because of this, he absolutely refuses to acknowledge the second branch of magic that he is capable of. It doesn’t exist to him.

-He has a small sketch book which he sketches animals and creatures he sees, often times putting any kind of feathers or fur samples he finds as well as pictures he takes in the book as well. It’s kinda his creature encyclopaedia, used to remember forms of animals and such.

Personality:  

A rather, spunky character, he loves to joke and play pranks on others. Though he never means any harm, at times things can go overboard. Especially if a magical creature is involved. His goofy and carefree nature makes him easy friends, though few close ones and though he is quite intelligent, he often lacks the attention span or focus and will lose interest quickly. Because of this, he often forgets about assignments and manages to do them last minute, just scrapping up to a C at best when he could very well get a B or A (though if it has anything to do with magical creatures or any creatures you will see him very easily getting an A and being very much interested in the lecture)

One odd thing to note about his personality, is how eager he seems to be to forget certain things. When talk of family, he is quick to change the topic, and if people continue persisting on knowing more about his home and personal life he will get short with them. Any topics relating to family, where he comes from besides the country he lived in, and blood magic gets him very antsy and quick tempered.

He can be rather protective of those that he cares about, showing a blatant disregard to his own safety in order to ensure the safety of those he loves and cares deeply for. It is only in times like this that he will do anything to win, even if it means using the magic that runs through his blood. Other than that, he is as carefree and dramatic as possible, never really caring to win in any sports or contests. Unless the prize is a dragon tooth, then he cares.

Strengths:

-Loyal -Brave -Energetic, always trying to boost morale and keep people smiling. -Protective of those he cares about

Weaknesses:

-Burns easily in the sun and is sensitive to the light -Is a little too rash when making decisions, which often times can lead him into dangerous situations -Scared of water -Stubborn -Enjoys playing pranks way too much -Hard to get him to do things that doesn’t interest him

Backstory:

Born in a secluded magic society, hidden deep within the Carpathian Mountains, Dragos always felt different. He never shared the same ideals or goals as his father or most of the other magic users. To him their ways seemed almost barbaric. But he never once questioned his father’s rule. If a child was not born with any magical talents, they were then to be left in the forest, or given away in a “inferior” village, where those without magic could possibly take care of the child. Dragos wished to say that the later happened more often than the first, but he knew for a fact that was not the case. He grew up with the tales of those without magic killing and burning those with magic, forcing them into hiding for survival, but never quite believed that. He always wondered why they let the past rule their future but each time he brought it up he would be scolded. His mother however, was the only person who really understood him, and helped him divert his attention on other things. On creatures that roamed the forest, and legends and tales of epic poetry. She told him stories of times where all of the Earth’s children intermingled with peace, assuring him that their way was not the only way. And it filled his heart with hope.

But sadly tragedy struck and his mother grew ill. No one wished to help, believing it to be a poison of her blood, a punishment for something Dragos did not understand, and so she passed away. Grief ridden, Dragos fell into seclusion, seeking company with the creatures of the forest more so than with his own people. He would spend hours in the form of beasts, seeing the world through the eyes of another, keeping the sketchbook from his mother close to him at all times.

He grew ashamed and angered by the usage of blood magic, at the worship of it that seemed to rule over the people of the society he lived in. The small sacrifices, the usage of it to talk to the dead, and he pledged never to use the branch of magic. His father had hoped for his son to be like him, and had all intention of having him learn their ways and he had the right combination of magic to do it. Both Fire and Blood.  So when Dragos mentioned his interest in learning somewhere else, his father was ashamed, telling him that he was not allowed to. Furious, Dragos shifted his form and fled to the forest. For days he roamed, until a friend of his mentioned hearing about a strange school across the ocean that accepted both those with magic and those without. And so Dragos sought out the school, hoping to prove his father wrong and to make his mother proud.

Sample RP:

The same sky, painted gold from the sunset, the same sun setting, the same moon rising. Funny, he couldn’t help but smile at how strange and mystical the Earth seemed to be. How different this place was from home. The air seemed different, more heavy than the light fresh air of the mountains, saltier, a lot more dense than on the top of the mountains. The forest was familiar, welcoming, and yet here the ocean was terrifying and threatening. Complete opposites yet still beautiful in its own way.

Dragomir couldn’t help but take off his shoes, feeling the sand beneath his toes, almost unsure on if he liked the sensation or not. Suddenly a thought flashed through his mind causing him to look over his shoulders a few times to see if anyone else was around. Thrilled to find that no one was there, he closed his eyes in concentration, feeling his body shift as suddenly sand filled between the toes of his paws. His tail waged as his sense were flooded, overwhelmed. A sharp bark escaped his throat as he bowed, digging his front paws into the sand before leaping and bounding off, chasing the lapping waves against the beach. He threw himself into the sand, rolling in it, legs kicking up in the air. More and more happy barks echoed as he dug his snout into the sand to throw some up into the air, running around his luggage.  It was the start to a new life. A scary one, but one full of wonder and magic and fun. One that Dragomir couldn’t wait to start.