#who otherwise didn't really interfere

[inbabylontheywept]

Kevin vs. Quantum Mechanics

This is an autobiographical piece. Names have been changed for anonymity, but it's otherwise left be. ---

The class's first suspicion of Kevin was that he had, somehow, cheated his way up to this course. He just seemed perpetually confused, and strangely antagonistic of the professor. The weirdest example of this was when he asked what an ion was (in a third year EE class?), and was informed that it referred to any positively or negatively charged particle. It would have been strange enough to ask, but his reply of "Either? That doesn't sound right" sealed him in as a well known character in the class of 19 people.

The real tipping point in our perception of him during a lecture where the professor mentioned practical uses for a neutron beam, and Kevin asked if a beam could be made out of some other neutral material. When asked "Like what?", he replied "An atom with all of its electrons removed." When we pointed out that the protons would make that abomination extremely positively charged, he just replied with "So what if we removed those too?" and then was baffled when we informed him that would just be neutrons.

That's high school level chemistry. Not knowing it was so incredibly strange that I felt like something was off, so I asked him if he'd like to grab lunch. He accepted, we chatted, and I finally began to get a sense of his origin story.

See, Kevin wasn't a junior/senior electrical engineer like the rest of us. Kevin was, in fact, three notable things: A business major, a sophomore, and a hardcore Catholic. All three of those are essential to understanding his scenario.

What had begun all of this was actually a conflict with Kevin and his roommate. Kevin frequently had his fundamental belief in Absolute Good, Absolute Bad, and Absolute Anything pushed back on by his roommate, who was in STEM. Said roommate kept invoking quantum mechanics as his proof against Absolute Knowledge. Kevin was tired of having something that he didn't understand thrown at his convictions, so he decided to take a quantum course to settle things once and for all.

Despite not having any of the pre-reqs.

He'd actually tried to take quantum for physicists first, but the school's physics department wouldn't let him. It's actually pretty strictly regulated, because it is a mandatory class for physics majors. However, because quantum is not mandatory for electrical engineers, there aren't really any built in requirements for the class. It's just assumed that nobody would actually try to take it until their third year because doing so would the be the mental equivalent to slamming your nuts in the car door. Just, pure suffering for no good reason.

Apparently, the counselors had tried to talk him out of it, but if Kevin was one thing, it was stubborn. He'd actually had to sign some papers basically saying "I was warned that this is incredibly stupid, but I refused to listen" in order to take the class.

He was actually pretty nice, if currently unaware of how bad he'd just fucked up. I paid for the lunch, wished him the best, and reported back to the class discord. We'd all been curious about this guy's story, but now that I had the truth, I could share it with the world.

Feelings were mixed. Some people thought he was going to drop out any minute now. Others thought that he wouldn't, be also that convincing him to drop now, while he still could, was the only ethical thing. Others figured that a policy of non-interference was best: The counselors couldn't dissuade him, and if we tried to do the same, he'd probably just think it was STEM elitism trying to guard its little clubhouse. He'd figure out how hard things were, or he'd fail. Either way, it would help him learn more about the world.

We wound up taking the approach of non-interference. If nothing else, understanding his origins gave us more patience when he asked bizarre questions. He wasn't trying to waste our time, he was just trying to cram three years of pre-reqs into a one semester course. He did get a little bit combative sometimes, and we could tell that he was really wracking his brain to try and find some sort of contradiction or error that he could use to bring the whole thing down, but he never could.

First test came by, and he bombed it. Completely unprepared. He'd taken Calc I, but he didn't know how to do integrals yet (that was Calc II). Worse, he was far past the drop date. I imagine most people in his shoes would've stopped struggling. They'd realize they were fucked and just let themselves fail, at least salvaging their other classes grades in the process. Why waste resources on an unwinnable battle?

Kevin never asked questions like that. If he was stupid enough to try it, he was stupid enough to finish it. God bless him.

He invited me to lunch after the test and said that the class was more fascinating than he'd ever imagined, but he didn't know if he'd be able to pass it. He asked if I could help, and I said...maybe. I brought the request to the discord, and from the eight people there I got three volunteers who admired this dork's tenacity. He was in over his head, miles beneath the surface, but his fighting spirit was fucking glorious. If he was willing to go down swinging, we were willing to bust our asses trying to get him caught up.

Some of the stuff was just extra homework we gave to the guy. We told him he needed to learn integrals, stat. We sent him some copies of basic software that can be used to teach the basics of linear circuit equations, and he practiced that game like it was HALO. Just, hours sunk into it. Absolutely godlike.

He was still scrabbling for air at just the surface level of the class, but he'd gone from abysmal failure to lingering on the boundary between life and death. Other people in the class started to learn about Kevin's origin story, and our little circle of four volunteer tutors grew to six. Every day, he had someone trying to help him either catch up in some way, or finish that week's homework. He'd gone from being seen as a nuisance that wasted class time to the underdog mascot.

He was getting twelve hours of personal tutoring a week, on top of three hours of classes, on top of six hours of office hours, on top of the coursework. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that this kid was doing 40 hours a week just trying to pass this one single class.

Second test comes around and he gets a 60. He's ecstatic. We're ecstatic. Kid's too young to take out drinking so we just order a pizza and cheer like he just won gold at the Olympics.

After that second test, things hit another tipping point. With so much catch-up under his belt, he was able to focus a lot more on the actual material for the class. A borderline cinematic moment happened when I was trying to get ahead on the homework so that I could put more hours in on my senior project. Nobody else had finished it yet because it wasn't due for another week, so the specifics of the problem I was working on were still a mystery. I went to the professor's office hours and get some pointers, but he wasn't willing to give good hints when the HW wasn't due for another week or so. He said I still had time to think about it, which was true, but I wanted to be able to think about other things. Kevin had watched the whole conversation, waiting for his turn to ask the professor more simple questions, but when I left I got a text from him telling me to hop on zoom.

Kevin had finished it earlier, because Kevin started all of his homework the moment it was assigned. He needed to, in order to make sure that he could get it done on time. He'd finished it the day before, and was able to walk me through it.

From student, to teacher. I'm not exaggerating when I say that he probably saved me eight hours on that assignment. I could've kissed him.

A month or two later, we took the final. As soon as we were done, we six asked Kevin how he did. He was nervous, there was so much new material for him in this class that his retention hadn't been great. Us six were also a little stressed: We were going to pass the class, but the final was hard.

We waited for the results.

And waited. And waited.

Finally, the scores were posted as a table, curve included. From our class of 19 people, 4 withdrew within the deadline, 4 failed, 1 got a C, 8 got B's, and 2 got A's. We could see that the curve for a C was set at 59.2% overall.

We called Kevin. He was crying. End score, 59.2%. Teacher curved the C exactly to his score.

It was a week into winter break so we couldn't gather the forces around for a party like last time, but we were all losing our shit. Kevin was losing his shit. He couldn't believe how stupid he was to try this course, he couldn't believe that six people busted their ass just to make sure he didn't die, and he couldn't believe that the professor basically just passed him out of sheer effort alone.

He said it was the stupidest thing he'd ever done, and while I doubt that, it was outrageously stupid. And yet, I've never been so invested in a fellow student before. I'm prouder of Kevin's C than I am of my own B. I was walking on sunshine for weeks after that. In theory, my senior project was building a functioning washing machine, but in practice, in my heart, it was helping Kevin pass Intro to Quantum for Electrical Engineers.

(And as an epilogue: No, he did not renounce Catholicism and become an atheist like his roommate had hoped. He did walk out changed. I think that being that wrong about something, and realizing it, was a pivotal moment for him. It's hard to be dogmatic once you realize that a lifetime of being wrong feels exactly like a lifetime of being right, right up until the last two seconds of it.)

[cintiri]

Thinking about my big brother ghost Yuan au again, specifically the relationship between Shen Yuan and Yue Qi, because you know there's no way Shen Jiu doesn't tell his Qi-Ge about his tag along.

At first, Yue Qi was probably somehow MORE suspicious of Shen Yuan than Shen Jiu was, because who's this freeloader in his Xiao Jiu's head!!! What does he want with poor Xiao Jiu? You can't have him, evil ghost!!!

Eventually, he and Shen Jiu get used to Shen Yuan though, and Yue Qi starts to actually really appreciate Shen Yuan's presence. There have been multiple times where Shen Yuan has convinced Shen Jiu to seek out Yue Qi for help with things he otherwise would have hidden, and clearly SY is keeping SJ safe with his interference, as SJ has been getting caught less, getting hurt less, and getting into less fights than usual.

What really ends up solidifying the bond between Yue Qi and Shen Yuan, though, is when their Si-Jie was sold. Wu-ge had died the winter before, and Liu-Jie had run away, so after Si-Jie, Yue Qi was the oldest, and therefore it was his job to protect the younger slaves like Wu-Jie had. Xiao Jiu was inconsolable, having retreated into his mind and leaving Shen Yuan most of the control, and Yue Qi didn't have time to mourn or anyone to hide behind.

He was only ten years old.

Yue Qi was limping back to the building and surrounding alleyways the slave masters had claimed as their own, carrying the Bao he had run on his twisted ankle to get for the other slave children. They needed to eat in order to stay healthy, to stay healthy in order to survive.

It was getting dark, but if he hurried now he would be able to slip out and go beg in the red light district. He knew some ladies who had taken a liking to Xiao Jiu and himself, they wouldn't chase him away, and then he could make up the money from Shiba missing today because of her sickness, and from Shiwu who was too busy mourning Si-Jie, and-

"Xiao Qi?" It was the familiar too-soft version of his Xiao Jiu's voice. Shen Yuan, then. He paused, turning towards him. "Yes?"

"You've been gone since before morning, Xiao Qi. And what happened to your leg?"

"it's alright, Shen-Xiangsheng. I've just been getting food for the others, and I'm going to go to the red light district-" he heard Shen Yuan tisk, before stepping forwards and putting a hand on Yue Qi's shoulder.

"Not on that leg you aren't. Come sit down, I'll bring the Bao to the others and help you with that leg."

Yue Qi felt his face scrunch up, his brow furrowing as he looked down at the man in the body of his closest friend. "If I don't, then Shiba and Shiwu are going to get beaten! And maybe even you too! And then Shiba won't recover from her sickness!" Yue Qi shouted, balling up his fists.

"Is that what you really want? To ruin the lives of some slave children while acting nice? Cause if that's true, you're a really pathetic ghost!"

Yue Qi froze. He just yelled at an adult. Sure, maybe that adult was in Xiao Jiu's body, and so he was little, but Xiao Jiu could be really strong when he wanted to, and Xiao Jiu had been so sad when Si-Jie went away, would he even notice that his tag along was beating up his Qi-Ge? Or maybe even if he did he wouldn't intervene, because Yue Qi was an awful little brat who raised his voice and barked like a dog at someone who was better than him, and-

And Shen Yuan's face didn't twist in anger like the slavers or the men in the markets might have. Instead, his face was filled with pity. No, not pity. Sympathy.

Maybe Shen Yuan was an adult, but he was also a ghost. A ghost that was stuck in the body of a little street kid like Yue Qi. So maybe he wouldn't beat him. Maybe Shen Yuan would just be sad for him, because he knew how bad it was out here, and maybe he wouldn't make it worse. Maybe he would just leave Yue Qi alone.

So caught up in his thoughts, Yue Qi didn't notice Shen Yuan had moved until he felt the warm arms around him. He froze.

Shen Yuan's hugs didn't feel like Si-Jie's. They weren't as warm and gentle, his hand didn't run over Yue Qi's back gently with shushing sounds coming from his mouth. They didn't feel like Xiao Jiu's either. Xiao Jiu was all sharp knees and elbows, chipped nails digging into his skin as if at any second Yue Qi would disappear if he didn't hold on.

Shen Yuan's hug was tight, and though he was shorter, he used a hand on the back of Yue Qi's head to tuck his face into his shoulder. The other hand rubbed gentle circles on his back, slowly pulling Yue Qi's mind back into his body.

Distantly, he heard Shen Yuan speaking. "That's right, breathe in, and out. You're doing so well, Xiao Qi. It's okay, I have you, you'll be alright."

His hands tightened into little fists in Shen Yuan's clothes and he felt himself lean against him, letting out a sudden sob he hadn't even realized had been caught in his chest. Before he knew it, he was sitting down, laying on Shen Yuan's chest and sobbing into his shoulder, holding on for dear life and shaking like a leaf in the wind. Shen Yuan was speaking, and it sounded soothing, but Yue Qi couldn't tell what he was saying through his sobs.

"Yuan-ge-" he whimpered, his voice cracking as he tried to burrow further into Shen Yuan.

"Shh, It's okay, it's okay, your Yuan-ge is here."

Yue Qi cried for a long time, until the sun had set and he had fully exhausted himself. Yuan-ge pulled him onto his back, somehow managing to carry him despite his small stature, and carried him into the alleyway where he and Xiao Jiu slept. He placed Yue Qi down, before pulling out the bricks that they hid their straw mat behind, pulling it out and laying it on the ground.

He watched as Yuan-ge placed one of the bricks at the end of the mat, before pulling Yue Qi onto it and pushing his sprained ankle up, placing the foot onto the brick.

"Keep your foot elevated, like this, okay? I'm going to go to the red light district. I'll get the money that Shiba and Shiwu need. You just rest, alright? He said. Yue Qi opened his mouth to protest, and suddenly found a warm Bao bun pushed into his mouth. At the taste, he couldn't help but grab it and begin to chew, but as he ate, he looked up and complained, "These were supposed to be for the others!"

Yuan-Ge sighed. "You're a growing boy, eat it. I'll get another Bao to make up for this one, okay?" Yue Qi could only glumly nod, and continue eating his bun.

Soon after Shen Yuan left, he felt himself slip into sleep, exhausted.

-

"Qi-ge, Qi-ge wake up!" He heard a familiar voice whisper shout in his ear. "Xiao Jiu?" He murmured, still hazy with sleep.

"Yuan got us some stuff, but he told me I should be the one out here to give it to you. Here." He blinked, as half a stick of tanghulu was shoved in his face. Squinting in the dark, he could make out a few bits of crystalized sugar stuck to Xiao Jiu's cheeks.

"Hmmmkay." He murmured, taking the stick and going to have a bite, when he felt a sudden rush of cold on his ankle. He yelped in surprise, but strangely, his ankle felt much better. Looking down, he saw Xiao Jiu using cloth scraps with a strange blueish paste on them to bind his ankle.

"Wha-"

"Yuan says it's called the winter's night lily of ice pack. Or something"

"Everwinters night lily! It's just basically an ice pack." Chimed Shen Yuan, making little sense as usual, before he faded away once more."

"Okay, that. The colds sposed' to help with your leg. Somehow. And also keep it elevated or something."

"It does feel better than it did before." Yue Qi agrees.

"Good. Keep it that way. Oh, also Yuan made a deal with some courtesans. Made a whole bunch of posters for some brothel called the Autumns Iris. They gave us some coins, so he said not to worry. Oh, and he got the Bao."

Yue Qi let out a long breath, as Xiao Jiu climbed onto the mat, flopping halfway on top of Yue Qi and accidentally elbowing him in the ribs. "I'm going to sleep now." He said, before curling up like a hissy cat.

Yue Qi stayed awake for a while longer. Yuan-ge did it. He did exactly what Yue Qi needed, maybe even better than Yue Qi could have. He didn't get mad when Yue Qi yelled at him. He helped him fix his ankle, even though it really wasn't that bad.

He cared. He wanted to protect him. And he was older, and smarter, and stronger than any of the other slaves had ever been.

Maybe, even though Si-Jie was gone, with Yuan-ge here, he and Xiao Jiu would be okay.

[twomiddlefingersforthehaters]

Kishi shows us that everyone in the Narutoverse somehow understands the feelings between Naruto and Sasuke, that the two of them are somehow connected, and that the two have some influence on each other and If something happens to one of them, the other will react in an extreme way. Kishi used his other characters to point this out and make us pay more attention to Naruto & Sasuke.

A scene where Sakura and the others are doubting of Naruto and Sasuke's feelings for each other is something Kishi can't do directly. Otherwise, it would cause a lot of trouble, and it would confirm that there really is something going on between the two. readers are already confused and complaining about it without even those scene. But at least some readers finally see the gay and understand the narrative.

1. HAKU

Sasuke exposed his weakness (Naruto) in front of a enemy. Observing every move to avoid serious injury and forced to awaken his Sharingan to protect Naruto, of course Haku was watching him and absolutely found his weakness and used it against him. Haku knows if Naruto is used the fight will be over because Sasuke would jump in front of Naruto to save him.

2. OROCHIMARU

• Orochimaru recognizes the impact Naruto has on Sasuke's says a lot! He wanted to separate them immediately....if Sasuke ran away from his goal of becoming strong and risked his life for 'Naruto'....it would have hindered his plan.

• Also, when Orochimaru deliberately emphasized, “MySasuke-kun”… With this comment, Naruto's anger finally reached its peak and got insane to the point of sprouting 4 tails.

Some Native speakers reactions to Naruto's “ Don't say Sasuke's name in front of me like he's yours”

1. “You snap(get angry) there? Well, How should I say it?...Isn't that a little off? ”

2. “It was around the Sai arc that people started calling Naruto homosexual”

3. “ I think it would be much better without this -> "In front of me" ”

4. “He had been angry for a long time, but I got the impression that he lost his temper over this comment ”

5. “This line from Naruto is incomprehensible and scary, but I don't think it would be so strange if Itachi (or even Fugaku) said something similar and got angry at Orochimaru”

6. “Regardless of whether Naruto's anger and how he expressed it were justified or not, if you consider that Naruto is gay and in love with Sasuke, then it's an understandable emotion”

7.“ Even if the subject is a love interest, I'm still saying it's a strange line.”

@reply: “I don't agree with it, but I think there are ex-boyfriends who are so possessive in real life too.”

8. “That's weird for a shounen manga protagonist”

9. “Does that mean Kishimoto-sama knowingly making Naruto sick? Or was it that he wanted to emphasize, both inside and outside the work, that Sasuke is special to Naruto and that it is difficult for others to understand or interfere in their relationship?”

The word used by the said person was 病ませていた｡ Its dictionary form is 「病む (やむ)」 which means "to suffer from some disease/ illness/sickness". 「病ま」 is the imperfect form and 「せる」 is a causative auxiliary verb. So 「病ませる」 means "to make someone sick". 「病ませた」 is its past form. 「病ませてい た」 is its past progressive form.

10. “The Nine Tails' tail is gross, the lines are terrible, he has too many tantrums, he says Sasuke too much, etc.”

11. “If he was gay, would that explain it...? Doesn't that mean he has romantic feelings for Sasuke after all?”

12. “Even though you took the trouble to change the lines between the magazine and the book, you didn't delete "in front of me," Kishimoto-sama, You're particular about that”

[when publishing a book, changes may be made to the version published in the magazine (Weekly Shōnen Jump).]

@reply: “The fact that he sometimes fix things and sometimes doesn't it shows that Kishimoto-sama is aware of his abnormality is quietly frightening”

13.“At first glance, he's a bright, friendly Jump protagonist, but as soon as Sasuke gets involved, things get weird. That's what makes him unique and interesting.”

• Sensing Naruto's chakra, Sasuke quickly ordered to lead the way. As usual Orochimaru does not failed to notice the sudden mood changes in Sasuke.

• Sasuke was watching Naruto when Obito taunting and provoking him and he was crying when Obito sucked everyones's chakra. And of course Orochimaru noticed that Sasuke seems to be in a bad mood.

3. PAKKUN

Pakkun emphasizes Sasuke's attempt to protect Naruto despite in his bad condition.

4. KABUTO

5. KAKASHI

It's conon Sasuke is Naruto's Driving force and he's the one making Naruto stronger and stronger...

This panel shows that even other people, like Kakashi, can see that Naruto is really working so hard for Sasuke. Because Naruto, personally, believes in Sasuke and wants to save him.

6. ITACHI

When Itachi visited the village to kidnap Naruto after Hiruzen's death...Sasuke came between them. And Itachi noticed the way Naruto was so furious to draw Kyuubi chakra to protect Sasuke. Maybe that's why he came to this conclusion and asked Naruto “can you choose between Sasuke and Konoha? ”

7. SAI, PAIN & RAIKAGE

• Sai questioning “Why does that naruto still care/concerned about sasuke or why does he feel strongly about Sasuke despite he betrayed and hurted him?”

• Sasuke stated in their first fight that Naruto would never be able to understand him because he never had anyone in the first place no family no siblings, he was always alone. Now, Pain fixed that problem by nuked the village and pretty much murdered everyone. After the fight, Naruto recollects what Sasuke said in Vote 1 and what pain told him. Naruto realizes that he was wrong to think he knew what Sasuke was going through without having experienced something similar to what Sasuke did. After the death of jiraiya he understand a bit about wanting to avenge your important ones' death and how much it devour you. He now realized that it wasn't realistic that he thought he could get through to Sasuke without understanding his feelings and pain. That's why he says he understands Sasuke in this arc.

• this not considered friendship in the Shinobi world

(he's begging on his knees to spare sasuke's life but he's threatening cloud its so funny)

8. TOBIRAMA

In the Land of Waves arc, when they were only 12 years old, they could team up together without any direct communication. We know that the last time they fought together was 4 years ago, even then they could team up together without any direct communication.

9. KURAMA

• Sasuke couldn't even handle Naruto losing his arms despite he himself had lost one. How would he react when he sees Naruto dead in front of his eyes???? Those expression and his lines before proves that Sasuke may have had his mind set on killing Naruto. But the reality is that if that happens, his heart could not handle it. Kishi used Kurama to foreshadow this.

• Naruto gives kurama an extreme Glare when kurama lectures him about how he's never been able to do anything for Sasuke. And later in the war arc Naruto flashbacked about Sasuke and showed everyone that he regrets not reaching out to Sasuke back then when they were kids, even though he wanted to reach out to him.

• It's such an unnecessary scene, but Kishi brings up the kiss again lol. As usual, Naruto reacted very dramatically.

He had the same reaction when he accidentally kissed Sasuke in chapter 3, after which he quickly went to Sakura to verify his feelings and it didn't take him long to realize that he loves Sasuke. Kishi's deliberate thoughts and plans in that chapter screams “Naruto might be a Gay boy who wants to deny it really hard ”

Otherwise, Kishimoto literally didn't have to do any of this!!

10. EBISU

It's from the Pain arc, where Ebisu Sensei remembers Naruto's growth. From everyone calling him a 狐のガキ = kitsune no gaki = fox brat Or a "Kyuubi kid" to actually calling him by his real name “Naruto”.

[ガキ: in a rough way to say, which has negative nuance. This word comes from Buddhism monsters "餓鬼(がき)= gaki" born in the hell, which devour foods. There are people who call their children "gaki," but I don't think they mean it in a bad way. However, as a listener, it leaves a bad impression. The word "gaki" can also be used in a negative sense to describe a childish or immature person. ]

The memories begin with the people of Konoha hating him, and later the people of Konoha praise Naruto for stopping Gaara from attacking Konoha, and for bringing Tsunade in as the 5th Hokage.

When Jiraiya died the villagers says, “Is Naruto okay? He will not lose his heart, he will keep looking forward". Before that this panel appears when it comes to Sasuke. Even the people of Konoha felt that Naruto would be depressed if Sasuke wasn't in Konoha with Naruto.

The word used here is 落ちこんで which means to be depressed; to feel down; to feel sad; to be in low spirits.

落ちこんで is the conjunctive form of 落ち込む and the particle で is added to express the state in which the action of ``depression'' is in progress.

e. g:

- 彼は失恋して、しばらく落ちこんでい た。

- kare wa shitsuren shite , shibaraku ochikondeita .

-He was heartbroken and depressed for a while.

- 仕事のストレスで、彼は毎日落ちこんで過ごしている。 - shigoto no sutoresu de , kare wa mainichi ochikonde sugoshiteiru.

-He feels depressed every day due to the stress of work.

[shadowuserannie]

The Sentience of the Elementals

As much as MONSTA claims the Elementals aren't alive, it's a popular fandom-wide HC-mainly because if it's not canon, then canon falls apart.

'Retak'ka was corrupted by his power and greed' 'The Voltra power corrupted Kira'na and began to drive her insane' These are canon happenings that directly resulted because of the Elementals' interference.

And sure, it can be argued that they would have been corrupted without the power anyway. But canon points to otherwise-especially when you take into account who holds the Elementals most of the time. Out-of-character things for Boboiboy are in-character for the Elementals, and that points to them being separate people rather than the same person, different clothes.

Yet, at the same time, if the Elementals can truly possess their wielders, then there are some disturbing implications about Retak'ka and Kira'na 'insanity'. Because that hints the powers that Boboiboy uses for good have actually manipulated others into evil.

Hence my current theory on the Elementals' true sentience.

The Elementals are alive, but not completely sentient.

So explanation time-remember Beliung's manic episodes? My current theory is that the Elementals are alive, but alive in the way an animal might be-definitely living, definitely alive, just not really able to think intelligently. Because each time someone has 'lost control', it's been associated with emotions. Kira'na's rage at Retak'ka. Retak'ka's greed. Beliung's manic happiness. Blaze and Ais ran on emotion during their fight on Baraju.

But. This actually changes depending on their host.

Think of it this way-without Boboiboy, the Elementals are just pure, raw elements and emotion. When he is their wielder, they take the form he does-gaining sentience, intelligence, separate personalities and their emotions being better reigned in. However, this is also because Boboiboy recognizes they are alive, and is thus able to subsequently grant them that autonomy and intelligence. Without that recognition, they are just bundles of raw emotion.

Hence why Retak'ka and Kira'na were overtaken.

Gamma didn't mean to overtake Retak'ka. Voltra didn't want Kira'na to attack so many people. But without the recognition of their holders, they are just emotions lashing out without a proper sentience or intelligence to direct them.

So I fixed the theory. This is my personal one yay.

[palindrome-alt]

Digital Stars on The Wall

|| Kieran x Reader ||

Your new dorm room in Blueberry Academy is outfitted with all sorts of futuristic technology. You still haven't wrapped fully your head around the fact that you're physically stranded in the middle of the ocean in a giant submerged dome, but hey, whatever they did to make these screens, the night sky looks almost how it'd be if you were camping out in the wild on a cool night.

||Mild Spoilers for the Indigo Disk DLC!||

Everything about Blueberry Academy feels like it came out of a separate, futuristic world. The chromatic metal that never corrodes, the blue... substance, that flows through the artificial veins in the walls and keeps the place running... Out in the middle of the ocean, it's sort of like the whole megalithic building itself is somehow... alive.

Despite that, there's no electrical interference, no static hiss at the back of your ears as you rest your head against the artificial glass sky displayed on the 'window'. How the director managed to even design the illusion of depth in these screens is beyond you, but instead of square pixels, gentle pinpricks hang above you in the false distance. The fact that they aren't plastered flat to a screen is a mini engineering marvel in itself despite the slightly visible panels if you look closely.  Hand shifting out from underneath deep blue sheets, you run your palm over smooth, slightly grooved glass. It feels like touching a bunch of small bathroom tiles, and though you logically know that there's really only a deep dark ocean stretched out for miles, you almost forget just how far you are from the home you've carved out in Paldea.  You're still somewhat scared of the scientists of this world. Somehow, you don't remember civilization being this... technologically advanced.  Cool air blows through the vents above you, tasting nothing of the slightly salty expanse of water above. With their filtration systems, this might be some of the cleanest air you've ever breathed. It's sterile, much less handmade and aged than your dorm room back in Mesagoza. But somehow, this place has started to feel so comfortable, as if it weren't ever foreign in the first place.  The sound of rustling next to you shakes you out of your thoughts, and you shift back onto your back to get a closer look at Kieran, who you almost forgot was there.

He's stiff as a board, his arms folded on top of his chest, his eyes wide and staring straight at the ceiling.  Aside from his shoes, he's still wearing his full school uniform, and his hair has only just started to slip from the tie he's put it up in. He popped in rather unexpectedly, and must not've thought you'd let him stay, so he didn't think to change into more comfortable clothes. Small frazzled black bunches drape onto the extra pillow you pulled from the closet, and the off-color purple no longer remains the dominant color. 

You shift again, this time gaining his attention by curling against his side and nuzzling into the mattress a little more. He stiffens under the touch, but you can feel his sharp eyes flicker from the ceiling to you, a little more of an edge to him than before that he might not ever let go of. 

You don't move, and he must think you're asleep with how you catch his eyelashes gently lulling, spine slowly losing its tension. He must be so sore from all the clenching he's been doing, if not from how he's been pushing himself up until recently. The events that transpired between you are probably still haunting him, even now. With a fresh set of new skin-deep scars, you know it has to be hard on him. Up until last week, it wasn't even certain if you were both still friends.  He sighs beside you, head sinking into his pillow. Unclasping his hands, he slowly reaches over, testing the waters. He hesitates, looking conflicted over whatever thoughts are running through his head. Whatever he was going to do, he must've decided otherwise as his hand drops just short of you.

His eyebrows furrow, pupils dilating a little when they land on yours.  "S-Sorry." He flinches away, shifting his gaze.  You don't say anything, but the following silence between you isn't entirely comfortable like before. Inhaling deeply, he stiffens back up a little, pretending to look around the room though his focus is still on you. He can't seem to pay attention to anything else right now.

He's been so consumed with thoughts of you for so long that he's a little scared that he can't be normal about it.  You can't know that.  He tries forcing his eyes shut.  He won't be getting any sleep tonight. 

[akutasoda]

Hii can I request the obey me brothers with a teen mc who’s like bitter, rude and insults people for no reason and hates everyone with a passion. But then one day they just sneaked into the brothers rooms at night wanting comfort while at the edge of tears

even when words hurt

synopsis - even when you insult them, they'll offer you a shoulder

includes - lucifer, mammon, leviathan, satan, asmodeus, belphegor, beelzebub - all platonic

warnings - gn!teen!reader, fluff, angst with slight comfort, small mention of hurting reader, ooc?(mainly belphie), wc - 2k

lucifer ★↷

lucifer could never say he was impressed when he first met you. he was always one the fence per say with the whole student exchange program but went along with it because it was diavolo's insistence - and now the exchange student was extremely rude. he would begrudgingly admit that it was partly his fault for not reading through the files correctly.

by no means was he amused by how rude and blunt you were toward anyone and everyone, especially his brother's and the prince. it was rude of him to think and very wrong, but if you ever insulted the wrong demon and received consequences he wouldn't exactly feel any sympathy for you.

he would constantly nag you and tell you off for your rude remarks - to which always resulted in you insulting him as well. you really weren't a help to him as you would always drag yourself into trouble and he'd have to sort it out. he assumed this year was going to go extremely slow and he wondered what he had done to recieve you as a punishment.

however, as much as he seemed to be fed up with you there must've been atleast a small part of him that cared. otherwise why would he be conforting you in the middle of the night? he was finsihing paperwork formd diavolo and he had heard the creak of his door fron across the room, immediately assuming it was one of his brothers he told the figure to go away.

however he noticed the figure wasn't moving and he awears he could herlar sniffles. finally looking up from his paperwork he would recognise it as you even in the dim lighting. he was rather apprehensive and didn't quite know what you would want. but when he could in fact confirm you were crying he froze.

he wasn't exactly sure what to do in this situation and rather apprehensively offered you to come closer and tell him whats wrong. what really caught him off guard was when you immediately closed the distance and started sniffling more into his chest. if it were anyone else he'd push them off, but for some reason he let you stay as he offered you reassurance as you cried.

mammon ★↷

mammom really thought you were kind of annoying. he didn't like at how rude and blunt you were with everyone and would constantly snap back if you ever insulted him which would then lead to you and him getting into a complete argument of sorts. he wasn't looking forward to you staying the year as the exchange student.

whenever he caught you being rude to somebody he wouldn't interfere until afterwards when he could really complain how weird of a human you were. a part of him wanted to sympathise with your situation as the exchange student and perhaps you were just scared but you were incredibly spiteful to anyone - so he kind of hated you.

but that same sympathy would be the reason he wouldn't push you away when you sought him out for comfort. he wasn't exactly expecting to be shook awake in the middle of the night, at first he assumed it was lucifer who had caught on to one of his more recent schemes but when he opened his eyes he was met with your face.

he wanted to be snarky and demand you get out of his room but he could tell something was wrong. mainly because mammon knew that your rude persona wouldn't bring you into his room in the middle of the night. he would slowly sit up and before he could get a word out, you hugged him. and while you hugged him, he tell you were slowly starting to cry.

he froze immediately. he didn't exactly know what was wrong or why you had come to him of all people and so for a while he sat there awkwardly as you cried. eventually he would put aside how rude you had been to him and let you cry it out and then he'd get you to tell him what was wrong. so he could help.

leviathan ★↷

leviathan wasn't exactly open to talking to the human exchange student, especially when they were rude and had a passionate hatred for anyone. it really deterred him from talking to you as he didn't want to become a victim to your harsh tongue.

he would often avoid you, mainly because he spent alot of his time in his room, and only saw you in fleeting glances in hallways or at the dinner table. however he would hear from his brothers about how you insulted them or some random demon at RAD and that made him feel rather glad he stayed away from you, even though he felt cruel about that.

he couldn't of guessed in thousands of years that you'd seek him out for comfort. he barely interacted with you and actively avoided you but here you were standing in his doorway on the edge of tears. although he could guess his absence made you turn to him, you insulted everybody else and probably doubted they'd want to console you because of that.

he was sat in his tub, playing some game on his phone, when you abruptly opened his door and closed it behind you. he looked at you questionly and panicked a little when you quickly walked over to him. levi was scared you were going to insult him but quickly realised the that you were on the edge of tears and became clueless.

he didn't know how to console anyone let alone a human! so after a while of awkward silence he hesitantly asked if he could do anything and when he was met with no response - apart from some sniffles - he turned to one of his comforts. he handed you his phone and offered to show you how to play the gam, hoping that it would help you calm down and take your mind off things.

satan ★↷

satan absolutely despised how rude and bitter you were. you were the human exchange student, you should be grateful that things were out in place to ensure your safety and yet here you were insulting everyone and anyone that came near you. he would surprise himself with how much patience he had when it came to your rudeness.

he guessed a part of that came from the fact that he assumed you were simply going through a 'rebellious teenage phase'. but even so, surely you'd reason with yourself and tone it down with literal demons. this all did little to stop how angry he could get when you insulted him however.

he was the avatar of wrath. a being of pure anger, you're insults toward him would annoy him ten times more than anyone else. and yet he would still comfort you when you snuck your way into his room with tears in your eyes. he had heard someone open his door and immediately woke as he couldn't quite think who would be here.

he was almost angry. almost, but then he saw you peeking out from behind one of his many stacks of books. he could tell you were on the edge of tears and didn't push you away when you rushed over to him. he could understand you in that moment. he too was extremely rude and had a hatred for anyone ages ago but he had learnt how to deal with his emotions. perhaps you just needed someone to help you with yours.

asmodeus ★↷

asmodeus was really put off by how bitter you were. in a weird way, he was looking forward to seeing who the human exchange student was and at first he thought you were alright but then you started insulting everyone around you. he really didn't want to talk to you after that.

he doubted you could insult him but his ego was surprisingly fragile and thought it was better not to risk it. he really couldn't understand why you seemed to simply hate everyone, you'd never met any demons before and he could take a reasonable guess that you were like this to everybody, demon or not.

however he did worry for you. surely that rude persona was bad for you in many ways and so he had little problems when you came searching for him for comfort. when you shook him awake he was a little bit surprised and a bit annoyed that somebody ruined his sleep but when he saw your trembling face, he couldn't care less for his sleep.

he would immediately sit up and offer you a hug and if that was your breaking point for tears, he would've mind. he'd simply reassure you and let you cry before slowly coaxing you to talk about what bothered you and listening diligently.

beelzebub ★↷

beelzebub was a bit indifferent to your bitter, rude personality. on one hand you insulted his brothers and anyone else that came near you which he didn't like. but on the other he could try and think of reasons why you so quickly insukted people and he felt kind of bad for you - mainly down to the reasons of you being a teen and you being scared.

he really couldn't help but look out for you in the hallways at RAD, knowing you were prone to insulting people made him worry that you'd upset the wrong demon. he didn't really care when you insulted him. sure some of them stung but he really couldn't bring himself to feel offended or insulted by then.

and so would be another that has absolutely no issue offering you comfort. he had briefly nipped to the kitchen to have something to eat and when he got back he saw you sat on the edge of his bed and immediately got concerned. he quickly closed the gap and sat beside you and asking if you needed something.

if that was when you broke into tears, he'd give you a hug and let you cry it out. if not he'd listen to anything you'd have to say and try his best to offer you support and comfort.

belphegor ★↷

belphie also absolutely detested how rude and bitter you were. the absolute nerve of you, the human exchange student to be rude and insult all the demons that definitely wanted you dead. he had heard all the stories and complaints his brothers had from up in the attic and he was gald he was locked up there.

when you first ventured up into the attic, belphie opted to stay silent and let you pass. he did not want to deal with you as he already opposed to the whole human exchange student idea and now the exchange student was a bitter teen. he would wait until you left for sure before he even dared to move or make a sound.

the second time you ventured up into the attic, belpie opted to stay silent again. however he let his curiosity get the better of him as he could sense something was different, you didn't seem as snarky weirdly enough. and he was proven correct when he saw you huddled up in a corner as you curled in on yourself.

he was about to just let you be but then he heard sniffles and watched you make an attempt to wipe the tears that threatened to fall. he hated the human student exchange idea, he hated the human that was chosen but he called out to you with no malice intended. you were obviously startled and he simply asked what was wrong.

he would then proceed to listen to you rant to him and even let you stay up in the attic for as long as you wanted. belphie wanted to hate you. he wnated you out of devildom, especially because you were young, but yet he didn't mind you staying.

[crossdressingdeath]

While I'm on the subject of the sacrificed party member and that talk between Solas and Rook where Solas assures Rook that if they win their team's loyalty they won't have to order anyone to die for them (because their team will do it on their own), I think one of the most fascinating differences between Solas and Rook is that... Solas says that they won't have to order anyone to die for them if they win those people's loyalty, but he never gives anyone that chance. The most blatant example is those spirits in the regret memories, who he sends to their deaths as a distraction without so much as a word of warning; he just... sends them off as sacrificial pawns. He "did what he had to do", and he didn't much care whether they would sacrifice themselves for his goals of their own free will or not. Solas kills people whenever he decides it's convenient for him! He needs a distraction, so he sends those spirits to their deaths. Felassan insists that modern Thedas deserves a chance, so Solas kills him. Mythal's remnant has the power Solas needs to put his plan into action, so he rips it out of her. Varric pushes him to let go of the past and give up on this plan, so Solas kills him as soon as it looks like he might actually be able to interfere. Rook can be compassionate to Solas and fully prepared to work with him to stop Elgar'nan, and Solas fucks with their head all game then stabs them in the back. He ends up alone in a world he's made an enemy of because he has killed or abandoned everyone who might have been on his side "for the good of the plan". On the other hand Rook never willingly orders anyone to die for them, they let their allies make their own decisions, and they end up with a team so loyal that they delay the fight against Elgar'nan and Solas for weeks to search for them after their disappearance; while there was definitely some prep to be done before they could go into that fight and their allies have absolutely been busy while they waited, the Veilguard absolutely put going into that fight off to look for Rook.

And I think that's the thing that really gets me here. Rook doesn't only escape Fade jail where Solas never could because they can let go of their regrets and move forward where he can't! It's also because Solas has burned every bridge he ever had; there's no one left to come to his rescue. Rook doesn't get out because they move forward, although that does keep them moving where they might otherwise have given up before the Veilguard found them; they get out because their friends come to help them, and Solas has used up and thrown away every friend he ever had. Would Mythal have come to his rescue? Felassan? The spirits he used as pawns and sacrificed? It doesn't matter, because he treated them as things to be thrown away for his benefit and the ones that survived turned on him for it (so he killed them). As Harding (if she's the one to die) says during the Fade jail sequence, to Solas everyone's a pawn that he'll sacrifice without a thought because that's what pawns are for. Rook gets out because they don't throw people away! They always have their friends' backs and never try to sacrifice anyone but themselves without that person agreeing to it (it has to be Davrin who brings down Ghilan'nain's archdemon and as far as anyone knows will die for it, but they don't try to trick him into it, they just make it clear that that is almost certainly going to be necessary and he agrees)! Rook gets out where Solas couldn't when every member of their team still active comes to their rescue because the team loves them and is loyal to them, and there is no one left to do the same for Solas. He disposed of them all. "It's for the greater good" is a pretty sentiment and all, but there really is an underlying message here of you have to let people choose. You can't decide whether someone sacrifices themselves for them; you don't have the right to throw people's lives away like that or decide the course of their lives. That's what separates our heroes from the Evanuris, and that very much includes Solas. The inability to realize and accept that is a character flaw of Solas's that's been present since DAI, and now we see the consequences: he's alone, no one will ever come to his rescue the way the Veilguard comes to Rook's, and he has no one to blame but himself.

[liketwoswansinbalance]

In the modern publishing landscape, these days, I think like we do not have many (if any) point-of-view characters with low social motivation for whatever reason.

Sure, there are lots of characters with social anxiety or other perceived or legitimate foibles to overcome, there are many YA villain origin stories, and there are many unpalatable, traditionally "unlikable" men in classics, but disregarding those, who else do we have?

Can the state of openly being alone (and content) rarely be presented as morally-neutral or as the end result of a narrative? Must it always be that either being alone is the starting point, so there's room for "personal growth," or that being alone is seen as "undesirable" and/or an indication that the person alone has a "problem" or something otherwise wrong with them, like a deficit or moral failing that in some kind of karmic way gives them "what they deserve," which is being alone and discontent with it?

Characters with society anxiety, any differences in communication, or other reasons that interfere with forging connections "don't count" because they may still be motivated. Traits such as these only stand in the way of gaining relationships, as plot obstacles. They aren't intrinsically tied to indifference or to low motivation. So, these characters clearly are not experiencing a lack of interest. And they are not the ones rejecting others. Thus, they "don't count" as far as the archetype that I'm looking for goes.

Characters who undergo villain arcs or otherwise negative arcs may want to maintain their relationships or gain them, so some examples are immediately disqualified (hence not having low social motivation), even if they are the type of character most likely to alienate themselves by a story's end, conflicting with what they wanted.

(Unfortunately, Coriolanus Snow, who is quite close to the type of protagonist I'm searching for "doesn't count" because he has some drive to keep people in his life.

Rafal Mistral partially "counts," and is satisfying as a character, but also doesn't count because he temporarily makes "friends" or allies, depending on how you look at his exploits. Yet, despite all this, not having friends isn't exactly framed as a morally-neutral state either, so he is also disqualified by the end. Basically, he does have low social motivation, but his narrative lacks the conditions that would make the natural consequences of that low motivation play out for themselves. He is always surrounded by people, even if he hates every last one of them.

And, generally speaking, the usual, moody-broody, "misunderstood" YA love-interests very easily "don't count" because they have a desire to get closer to their object of affection.

Even Katniss Everdeen, an overall good person, who usually views herself as "unlikable," befriends others, originally for pragmatic, survival purposes. However, she does start with low social motivation, so that's something in her favor.

And yes, I'm aware that we need other people in this world—I would just like to see someone prove that supposed truth wrong once. And perhaps succeed in their world, if that's not too much to ask for.)

Also, are there any instances of characters who progressively alienate themselves from others, in which that progression is not inherently seen as negative? Like, what about non-corrupt misanthropes? Are there few of those in literature? (Maybe—Eleanor Oliphant from literary fiction counts, but something about that book did not appeal me and I didn't finish it.)

Classics guys sort of "count," but I haven't really seen examples of any comparable protagonists today since many authors and readers write and look for "relatability" in blank slate everyman figures oftentimes.

(I'm not done with Crime and Punishment yet, but Raskolnikov is very tentatively looking like a safe bet for a character who may end up alone and who may not be completely malcontent over such a fate, even if I'm expecting tragedy. I'm that not far along, but I also wouldn't mind it too greatly if he died, I suppose.

And even Sherlock Holmes has Watson as his constant, even if he's notoriously asocial! So he "doesn't count" either.

Carol from Main Street also comes close, but still ultimately desires approval from others.

Maybe no one is truly immune to humanity and I should give up on this notion?)

How many pov characters out there are 1) apathetic toward the masses and 2a) either alienate themselves as the plot progresses or 2b) do not make any friends? (I will allow them making friends and consequently losing them though because that still ends in net zero!)

Indeed, this "gap" in protagonists I've been running into lately, especially with coming-of-age arcs and protagonists whose arc is some form of "getting out of their shell," is: why do we (almost?) never see protagonists who just flat-out don't progress in terms of connecting with fellow humans?

Wouldn't having even a handful of those types be reflective of reality? (We as a society are more disconnected than ever, to be fair, despite constantly having access to one another via technology.)

Or I would completely understand it, if it were narratively impractical to have a plot in which a protagonist makes zero friends. Maybe, it's a near-unwritable form for a story?

So, my question is: does anyone have book recommendations, which present a character whose end goal is not to make friends or forge connections (any other ambitions or motivations are fine) and whose state of being friendless both lasts and is regarded as morally-neutral or as not outright evil? Any genre is fine. High fantasy is preferable. I am stumped.

(I also wouldn't mind recommendations of books in which the protagonist is vilified due to being alone, even if that is not my primary query here.)

[reveluving]

moments that matter ; bruce wayne x batmom reader

warnings: pure fluff!

a/n: I got nothing to say, I just wanted to give battinson!bruce a try!

check out my batmom m.list!

it's hard for people to believe that he's a married man, let alone a father.

out of everyone in the family, many wonders how bruce had not only proposed to you, but also fathered the former acrobat. at first, they thought its cause the boy lost his parents, just as bruce did. and with dick's more upbeat energy, it's understandable that he likely takes it from you than bruce.

but then, bruce adopts another kid.

and another.

and another.

... and another.

and everyone starts asking themselves if this was all his idea or yours.

oh, if only they knew.

if only they knew your struggle to resist those sad eyes he'd give you.

you just wished the public gave him so much more credit when it comes the kids. you don't think you could even handle the life as a mother without bruce.

and as much as your kids love to joke about bruce's 'teenage phase', one can only imagine the sheer gratefulness they had for him and you.

the perfect balance to this cruel yet sweet world.

it doesn't take long for people to figure out that your children's compassionate side has to come from you, which they weren’t wrong. even bruce himself acknowledged it.

but bruce is anything but heartless, no no. would he even consider taking any of them under his wing if he was? no!

and the idea of fatherhood came easier because you were by his side. so what if he now has eight kids? why would he want to imagine what his life would've been without them?

without the texts from dick, who's all the way in bludhaven, to take breaks?

without jason's interferences when he's outnumbered by a number of gangsters?

without the sounds of tim and damian arguing over the littlest things, only to hilariously end it by shaking hands when you give them 'the eye'?

without attending cass' recital with you, your boys and even alfred, steph, babs and kate as she's the main dancer?

without terry being matt's assistant as the latter tries to treat bruce's so-called ouchies?

without living this life without you?

no. it was impossible to imagine the other bruce wayne.

the bruce wayne he didn't turn out to be.

but hey, speaking of yourself, wanna know a random fact he loves about you?

your style!

whatever your aesthetics may be, he loves you for it! who was he to say otherwise, when he doesn't really take his own into account anyway?

you're in all-black too? that's great! no one's here to judge—not him, not alfred, and certainly not his kids. you're the one able to mix and match like a true professional!

but say your sense of style falls under the bright/pastel/fairycore-like category! gotham's pretty depressing, including the manor itself, so he appreciates it when he's suddenly slapped with a sight of his wife donning her soft pink dress.

bruce finds it endearing that you actually wore the shades he bought for both you and himself. he thought he was being silly at first, wondering if you'd actually wear it, so imagine his surprise when just days after, you decided to match with him when he found the time to take you out to dinner.

he's even more surprised when one day, duke tells him that you've been under the weather because you lost the shades.

instead of waking up to your husband the next day, you find a glasses case on his pillow, complete with a golden ribbon.

he's bought you a new pair, the same kind, but this time, bruce purposely ordered it so that 'mrs wayne' was written next to the frame name.

he comes home, feigning ignorance by raising his brow, though he knew good and well why you were practically blinding him with your smile before you peppered his face with kisses.

˚ · . f i n . · ˚

[xjulixred45x]

I hope I am not too late to make a request. Can I please get a Yandere Toji Drabble where he is obsessed with a Sorcerer darling and their CT is based on divination so they are one step ahead of Toji whoever one day they end up corning their darling and it leads to a scary game of hide and seek

YEAH BABY!! Finnally some content for this man! I was wondering when Someone was going to Request him(finnally something that is NOT SATOSUGU THANK GOD!)

Yandere Toji Fushiguro x Reader: a Step ahead.

(reader) knew from the beginning that something was wrong.

They noticed very quickly when He began to follow them, thanks to their ritual technique they felt safe, because they would always be one step ahead of any weirdo who tried something with them. They didn't consider it something important, just a strange day.

Even when he came back.

Which was kind of strange, it's not like it wasn't possible, but normally these types of people gave up quickly, right? Why was he still behind them?

No, it doesn't matter, they could handle it, they always have been able to.

And they did it, they got rid of the stranger for the second time, already calm that he would probably not see them again, he was always one step ahead of things, they would make sure of it.

They even took the trouble to try to remember if they had seen him at any other time, his intimidating presence was familiar to them, his appearance... but they really didn't think it was that important. They could handle it.

It was like that for a while, the encounters with this person became simply a bad moment or in any case a horrible coincidence that had happened. They were calm knowing that they could avoid him and his bad intentions. It became simply an anecdote of a bad time. They could continue with their normal lives.

But then why did they feel so uneasy?

It didn't matter where they went, what time or who they went with, there would always be that feeling that something could be happening, that something was happening, but there was nothing nearby to indicate otherwise, and with their ritual technique this tipi of things should be a piece of cake.

Thanks to this, (reader) they began to try to spend as little time alone, that way they felt that this feeling was not so difficult to handle. It worked for a while.they would find a way to get rid of this problem.

but then they started to feel it again...he was stalking them...the same guy...again.

Their ritual technique, divination, had saved their live many times, sometimes giving subtle clues and other times concrete information, but with this man, Toji Fushiguro, they didn't understand why it didn't work the same way. It was as if there was some kind of interference with their ritual.

They finally realized where they had seen Toji from. in the files of the high command...one of the deadliest Sorcerer alive...

the sorcerer-killer was after them.

He blended into the background, disappeared and appeared, they couldn't feel his cursed energy. How did he do it? How did he avoid his ritual technique twice?

It all made sense when they met him in person...

They had been using their ritual technique constantly to avoid Touji as much as possible. but it had left them tired and without desire. Fortunately it seemed that he had temporarily withdrawn from his "position" so they were calm.

To be honest, they were kind of hoping. Could it be that Toji finally stopped following them? Did he finally leave them alone?

And then, in less than a second, that Hope was shattered.

-"You are very lucky to be so adorable"-

They were breathing hard trying to calm down and remain silent, now hiding from Toji. Everything went so fast...

-"If any other target was giving me the problems and fights that you give, I would have already killed them"-

They tried to ignore his words and move slowly towards another hiding place, but they couldn't help but tremble after hearing the last sentence. which made their movements faster and clumsier. They feel so scared and so tired...

-" But don't ya worry, You're reciving the Special treating, i would't put a hand over You.."-

They continued to crawl in their footsteps, increasingly tired and weaker from using their ritual technique, there had to be a way out of that, THERE HAD TO BE A WAY...

-"..well, unless you're liking all this sweetheart"-

Finally they saw what seemed like their last hope, now that they had no cursed energy left, they had to get to where the people were.

Move, ignore it, move...

-"because, personally--"-

(reader) came out of his hiding place and with the little strength he had left they went towards the public area, without stopping, without looking towards where Touji's voice was coming from, they just ran.

They ran, they turned the corner, they kept running, they crossed the streets, they ignored all the pros of running away from this man-sorcerer--monster--whatever he was.

and again it was there, the feeling of hope when they were less than a block from the public area, maybe they didn't get rid of it this time, but at least they could try again, they could run away--

With a single blow with something hard, (reader) collapsed, being caught in the air by a strong arm...

They began to shake compulsively, breathe heavily, and felt fear take over them as they looked up to see him.

-"I always enjoy a good game of hunting from time to time."-

Shares, reblogs and comments are very welcome!

Thanks for the Request ❤️

I didn't really LOVE IT, but i like it, it was fun to write for Toji, if you are going to order from JJK, ask him more and not SatoSugu please (those two already have me rotten)

[kalinara]

(Fall of the House of X #5)

So as much as I loved lots of aspects of Krakoa, one thing that I found exceedingly annoying was the focus on "omega mutants".

From that very first page in House of X that referred to Omega Mutants as Krakoa's "natural resource", I was annoyed. Power levels tend to be pretty arbitrary in comics anyway. I can count any number of characters who'd once been referred to as "the most powerful" mutant who didn't make the Omega list (i.e. any number of the Summers kids.)

But I really didn't like the idea that, on some level, Krakoa believed a mutant was more valuable because they were more powerful. Especially when the distinction clearly favors certain kind of mutants.

How would Warren Worthington become an "omega mutant". What's the omega form of wings? How about Hank McCoy? He's just big and really agile. The blue came later.

It actually was the one downside of the otherwise amazing X-Men Red. I found myself a little irked, even as I enjoyed Storm fighting for the respect of the people of Arakko, because they'd said outright how ONLY an Omega mutant could govern there.

It made me think of how much more satisfying it would have been to see someone who WASN'T an Omega mutant win the respect of this warrior culture. (I will grant that Roberto's subplot, and his triumphs, DID provide quite a bit of that satisfaction. But it's not quite the same.)

And of course, I'm incredibly biased and I resent any ultimate classification that doesn't feature my favorite near the top. :-D

But that made this moment so satisfying to me. Because Scott Summers's value as a character has never been about his powers. If anything, his powers are an active detriment at times. Especially if he's fighting someone he doesn't want to kill.

(I've never understood why someone felt the need to retcon Scott's loss to depowered Storm as being partly due to Madelyne's interference. It always made complete sense that he lost, because a) she's had to fight for survival for a lot longer than he has, and b) as soon as she gets his visor/glasses off, he's immediately at a disadvantage because he doesn't want to kill her. He would have always lost that fight.)

People follow Cyclops because of who he is. Because he's good at what he does. And because he inspires them. And as I like to boast a lot: he's the man who took the X-Men FROM Charles Xavier. Multiple times. He united the mutant race, for a while anyway. "Death of X", as disappointing a story as it was, was about HIM. Not Xavier. And he was the symbol that Orchis tried to destroy in that sham trial.

And none of that has anything to do with the lasers that come out of his face.

So it was incredibly satisfying to see Nimrod referring to Scott Summers as "the omega mutant". Not because of his powers. But because of who he was. It made all of the low level irritation with Krakoa's Omega fixation worth it in the end.

[allwaswell16]

A fic rec of One Direction fics where one of the characters presents as their secondary gender in the fic as requested in this ask. If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other recs here. Happy reading!

- Louis/Harry -

❤️ Black Raspberries and Butterscotch by MushroomMushroom28*

(E, 114k, friends to lovers) What happens when two best friends, late to present as their secondary genders, finally spend a summer together after four years apart?

❤️ harry, you little shit (series) by @juliusschmidt *

(E, 89k, canon) Harry’s an omega and he’s learning to like it. A lot.

❤️ lost in the sirens by akatomlinson

(E, 53k, uni) alphas and omegas can’t cohabitate as friends and harry ‘supposed-to-be-a-beta’ styles presents a few weeks before he and louis ‘hot/spicy-omega-bestie’ tomlinson are set to move into their new uni flat.

❤️ Who Would've Thought by whoknows

(E, 44k, canon) The idea doesn’t come to Louis until they’ve been at the bungalow for a couple of days. Harry has no idea that he’s going to pop a knot. He’s been living his life with the expectation that he’s going to be a beta, and Louis isn’t going to tell him otherwise.

❤️ Follow Your Arrow by LadyAJ_13 / @ladyaj-13

(T, 36k, canon) They said Louis playing alpha wouldn’t affect anything. It was the best thing for the band, so he doesn’t really regret it except deep in the dead of night, when he bites down on his knuckles to swap the echoing ache of depri for a sting of pain.

❤️ Too Young To Know by @2tiedships2

(M, 35k, exes) the one where Harry doesn’t present as an alpha… until he does.

❤️ you burn with the brightest flame by sarcasticfluentry

(E, 34k, canon) the X-Factor Era A/B/O fic.

❤️ you're an alpha, harry! by fondjumpedtheshark / @agape-28

(E, 32k, uni) Right before Harry goes to university, he presents as an alpha. Struggling with his newfound identity in a completely different environment, he seeks advice from the notorious Louis Tomlinson, an omega whose claim to fame is being the local campus sex expert. Sex Education AU.

❤️ Introduction to Dynamics by @juliusschmidt

(E, 29k, uni) Louis Tomlinson is the outspoken omega in the 'Introduction to Dynamics' course Harry wishes he didn't have to take. He's nearly certain to present as a beta, after all. Things will be simple for him.

❤️ Like a Timebomb Ticking in Your Head by decorationxx

(T, 26k, canon) the one where Louis makes a deal with management. He can tell the world he's actually an omega under two conditions. (1) Harry presents as an alpha (done!), and (2) Harry wants him as a mate (oops).

❤️ I'm Weaker Without You by The_Halcyonic_Lachesist / @chai-hat-tea *

(T, 20k, historical) Alpha Lord Louis Tomlinson is a rake who refuses to settle down. Will he settle down for the Society's most talked about Omega? What about the enticing scent that belongs to the Beta? How will he react to said Beta pursuing the Omega too?

❤️ wanna taste your heart, don't interfere by orphan_account *

(E, 16k, friends to lovers) harry presents as an omega, louis is his alpha best friend, and there are hidden feelings that just get harder to control

❤️ There Is No Fear Now, Let Go And Just Be Free by hilourry

(E, 11k, established relationship) Louis is an omega and dates Harry, who they think is a beta, but he turns out to be an alpha. They accidentally soul bond and Louis ends up pregnant.

❤️ Waiting by @allwaswell16

(E, 10k, friends to lovers) Louis Tomlinson was Harry’s omega, of this Harry had always been sure. Unfortunately for Harry, Louis seemed to think they were just best friends. The six weeks that Harry has to live with Louis were going to be rough.

❤️ And I Will Steady Your Hand by kiwikero / @icanhazzalou *

(E, 9k, uni) All first year university students who had not yet presented were strongly advised to join the Fire Away meetings, a support group for so-called 'late bloomers.'

❤️ Yours. Always. by savannah_blue

(T, 1k, canon) Harry and Louis have been inseparable since meeting on the X-Factor, waiting for Harry to present as an omega to take the next step in their relationship. Except Harry doesn’t present as an omega.

- Rare Pairs -

❤️ Rewrite the Stars (series) by bromanceorromance *

(E, 34k, ot5) "We can't just decide to be a pack when none of you have presented," Louis insists. "Why the hell not?" Niall demands. "What is presenting going to change?"

❤️ You Were Never On Your Own by LadyAJ_13 / @ladyaj-13

(T, 12k, ot5) The band is basically a pack anyway, Louis reasons, they just need Liam to buck up and make it official. Because Harry won't present alpha, and Louis is definitely going to be a beta. Well, he's right about one thing.

[secretly-tword-obsessed]

The Front Man Interferes

Hello Gigglers!

This is a fic I wrote because @estelle-skully wanted some lee!thanos content. Iv'e really wanted to write for Squid Game in a while, (and her HC's are so cute), so I thought I'd give it a go.

Sorry in advance for the mischaracterization, I've only really watched the season once but I did try my best.

Summary: In-Ho notices that Thanos is enjoying the games too much. He thinks the rapper needs to be taught a lesson.

Warning - this is a TICKLE FIC. If you are not a tickle blog pls DO NOT REBLOG. If you think tickle fics are cringe, just don't read it.

It was just another regular day for Thanos and his new buddy Nam Gyu. Well, at least as regular as it could be considering their situation. But there was one other thing - one hardly noticeable thing - that made this day abnormal.

Thanos felt successful.

He always looked successful. Rapping, prancing around, flirting without a single stutter. But this time he actually felt that confident vibe he gave off. And not because of the drugs.

Little did he know that somebody else caught on to this shift. A man who was observant enough to tell the fake carefree Thanos and the real carefree Thanos apart. And it wasn't his new friend, Nam Gyu.

In-Ho - otherwise known as the Frontman - had been observing Thanos' movements and behavior. He had watched him in Red Light Green Light - skipping along in ways that seemed incredibly dangerous. His smugness when he smashed the 'O' button. His little victory dance when the O's had won.

People weren't supposed to enjoy these games. They were meant to be exhilarated, but not in a positive way. They certainly weren't meant to feel like winners - merely like non-losers. The Frontman had a malicious desire to disrupt Thanos' spirit, to crack open this seemingly indestructible influencer for his own entertainment.

Nam Gyu and Thanos were playing a game where they guessed what their fellow players would spend their prize money on - which they wouldn't receive of course. The two of them were going to be the sole winners, and split the cash 50/50.

"Hey, what do you reckon player 001 would do with all that green?", Nam Gyu asked.

Thanos rubbed his chin and made another one of those absurd expressions which made Nam Gyu chuckle.

"That sad-looking one probably wants his own little cottage in the woods". Thanos said this in an exaggerated baby voice, not knowing that In-Ho was standing behind him. Nam Gyu hadn't said anything - he wanted to see what would happen.

"Oh really, is that what you think of me?", In-ho said in a menacingly soft tone, making Thanos jump. This caused his buddy to burst out laughing and Thanos' face to go red with agitation.

"You heard me!", Thanos snapped, standing up and stepping before the man he didn't know was the puppet master of him and his fellow players.

In-Ho chuckled, "Why are you getting so combative?"

This infuriated Thanos further, and he pushed In-Ho backwards, snapping "Fuck off sad-face".

In-Ho just shook his head and kept chuckling, regaining his balance impressively quickly.

"Your always so proud Thanos, always think your the best. You see every interaction as a competition of superiority".

In-Ho could practically see the smoke coming out of Thanos' ears. That was step one - getting on his nerves. Now it was time for step two - crumbling his narcissism. Bringing him down a few pegs.

"Your not responding because you know it's true", the Frontman grinned, causing Thanos to lash out at him again. In-Ho, with his lightning reflexes, jabbed a finger into Thanos' side and wiggled it gently, causing the rapper to miss his planned attack - whatever it was - and jump backwards with a squeak.

There was silence for a few moments. In-Ho looked to Nam-Gyu, who seemed to be holding back laughter. Perfect.

"Oh", In-Ho finally said after the silence that felt like an eternity, "I'm sorry, just self defense". He walked away, feeling accomplished.

When In-Ho left, Nam Gyu finally spoke, "Are you t-"

"No!", Thanos interrupted, although his trembling posture and pink cheeks told a different story.

Nam Gyu's mouth opened in disbelief - "No-ho! No way! You totally are!"

Thanos didn't have a retort. All he could do was feign confidence.

"I can't believe it!", his buddy said, getting more enthusiastic, "You! Of all people! I would expect it from somebody childish like that 456 guy, but you!"

Thanos felt like he could melt into the floor. That was when Nam Gyu started mocking him.

"Imagine that in a rap! I'm a legend, with my rapping and stuff. But if you touch my sides, I might just laugh"

"Enough!", Thanos finally snapped, "You shut up right now or I'll-"

He was interupted by another poke to his sides. This one made him jump with a high pitched "Heehee!"

Nam Gyu looked like he'd won the lottery. And Thanos, for the first time in his life, went with his flight reflex and ran. He bolted across the room, causing many players to lift their heads up and watch the display. Nam Gyu ran behind him, laughing manically.

"Hey, I wonder what those two are up too", Jung Bae said, sitting in a semicircle with his new allies. In-Ho smirked, "You'll see".

Thanos was finally caught by his treacherous new friend, and tackled to the ground.

"Ow!", he said, banging his head gently on the ground. "What the fuck ma- NAHAHAHA!"

The purple-haired boy burst into hysterical laughter, throwing his head back as Nam Gyu squeezed his hips with one hand and ribs with the other.

"Whoah!", Nam Gyu remarked with the biggest smile on his face, making it impossible to contain his excitement, "This is unbelievable!"

Thanos tossed and turned and kicked his legs, making Nam Gyu pin him down by sitting on his hips, moving both of his hands to scribble under the poor rapper's arms.

"No point trying to escape man, your efforts are futile", Nam Gyu teased, watching as Thanos tried to give an expression that was even a semblance of threatening through his face-wide grin and roaring laughter.

"FUHUHUHUCK OHOHOFF MAHAHHAHAN! I SWEHEHEAR! YOOUR DEHEHEHEAD!"

Nam Gyu smirked to himself, "Sure, whatever you say Mr.Confident".

Thanos laughter went higher pitched as Nam Gyu experimented with his sides, where he was initially poked, and changed his tactics to tracing circles. As if on command, Thanos' desperate cackles turned into light giggles.

"Nahahaha", he protested, trying to lean to the left to crush his assaulter's hand, to no avail.

"Oh my shit, this is adorable", Nam Gyu remarked, hardly even meaning it to be a tease, but it made Thanos' cheeks go a shade darker nonetheless.

As Thanos tossed and turned, he couldn't think of anything. Not his pride. Not his deeply buried fears and anxieties. Just those damn fingers making him fall to pieces. He let out a loud gasp as his attacker hit a particularly sensitive spot on the side of his right rib, making Nam Gyu concentrate all of his energy on that spot.

"PLEHEHEASE!", he begged.

"Wow, looks like Ive' gotten the all mighty Thanos begging-"

Now the teases were definitely intentional. Not that Thanos minded too much. Due to his absurdly extraverted persona, he didn't have many real friends, only shallow ones, ones that were drawn to the life of the party. But this level of playfulness and intimacy had been alien to him - this lighthearted banter between friends. Real friends.

In-Ho watched the whole scene from across the room, awfully pleased with himself. It seemed like the rapper had been taken down a notch.

"Wow, who'd have guessed Thanos would be ticklish", Jung-Bae said in awe.

"I did", In-Ho admitted, "I got sick of his bragging and wanted a way to both shut him up and embarrass him at the same time. I assumed he'd be ticklish somewhere cause, come on, everyone is, and I revealed that to his current attacker".

Jung-Bae considered this. Dae-Ho saw it as an opportunity.

"Wait, so if everyone's ticklish, you must be too In-Ho".

Well, it seemed like the Frontman's plan backfired.

Hope you enjoyed!

[merrinla]

Halsin and Minthara weren't always mutually exclusive

Even though you can recruit both of them, in the game it looks like a funny bug. I guess this is what's left of the original idea. It was previously planned not only letting you have them at the same time, but also that they would interact in the party like other companions.

In the audio files, you can find lines of their reactions to each other's deaths. I don't know if these are triggered or not. They are both so bugged that sometimes I can hardly tell which is the cut content and which is the bug.

It's kind of funny that Halsin would be so sad.

I recently completed Halsin's quest with Mintara in my party. In the scene by the lake, when Halsin entered the portal, Minthara said "He made it. Now let's just hope he survives what's on the other side"

Actually this is exactly the same line as Tav's.

Halsin also share many lines with Tav and other origins. Most of them are unused. But in this case the line is not only voiced by Emma Gregory (Minthara's VA), it's triggered.

There is another interesting line. In Moonrise Towers, when Ketheric punishes Mintara for a failure in the grove and sends her to the dungeon, the player can choose not to interfere and leave the location without helping her. In this case one of the characters in your party will remind you that she can be saved as a potential companion. I was wondering if Halsin would say anything. And he did. "Minthara may prove useful to us, should we wish to save her…"

This isn't cut content. This isn't new content added with patches. It's in the game since the release. And this line works. Moreover, this is his personal line.

If they implement the dialogue with an ultimatum it will be nonsense. I mean, first he suggests to save her from the Absolute as a useful ally, and then in the camp he will say that it's the right choice to kick her back under the Absolute control. It's even hard to blame the character for such contradiction. Rather, it's just a stupid limit set by the script.

Next. In Act 3 if you make one of them to go up on the clown stage, the other one will approve.

There is also an unused flag for Act 3 in the game files with the description "Orin pretended to kill Halsin during the Minthara abduction campnight." Which means in Act 3 they were both in the party.

You can see what the abduction of Mintara looks like in this video. Only instead of Halsin, Jaheira is mentioned here.

Maybe there are other confirmations that I do not know about, that they were not mutually exclusive before. But that's enough for me.

They were both not originally planned as companions. Their roles were expanded much later. Most likely, Larian didn't have time to polish their content, so scissors were used. This is why their content seems so unfinished compared to others. Except for Wyll, probably. That's why they are so buggy.

I suppose the reason they are both mutually exclusive is because it is the easiest solution when you have a deadline on the horizon. Just easiest as "it's fine for a companion to just hang out at the camp". Otherwise, you need dialogs, animations, scripts, etc. And you also need to make sure that it will work with everything else. This is time and resources. But this doesn't mean that it's impossible to fix anything later.

I faintly hope that the defenetive edition will have the option to recruit them both.

And I really hope that in the future Larian will look at the games of their colleagues from BioWare (who made the original BG). I mean games from better times than now. The companions below will show you how much they "loved" each other. Not all of them became friends in the end. But nevertheless, we saved the world. Together.

[simplepotatofarmer]

two of my biggest stances on dsmp analysis is that anything that happens in audience view is canon and that because of the nature of the medium (live collaborative rp), it's always good to take a doylist look at things.

the latter i've talked about a lot before in regards to things like the syndicate being friends (the argument being they're not, specifically c!niki and c!ranboo, because we never see them bonding) though it also applies to things like why certain events took place when they did. and how those things are understandable because of real life things that would've hampered or prevented them from happening.

but there's one moment in dsmp canon that drives that fact home, that really shows that sometimes things might happen more so either because real life interferes or because doing otherwise would impede on another person's planned story line: c!ranboo's death and c!techno's reaction to it.

specifically the fact he was in the presence of a character who can bring people back from the dead - something techno acknowledges - and doesn't ask. he says to c!phil as c!dream is walking away that dream can revive people but doesn't actually make an effort to go ask him. and when he's speaking to dream later, he also doesn't ask.

there's no doubt that techno is immensely fond of ranboo, that he cares about them. he's deeply upset and hurt by ranboo's death! it is out of character that he would acknowledge the ability to revive ranboo and not pursue that.

but doing so would've kinda put out other people's story plans so it doesn't happen. just like the syndicate bonding/training didn't happen or other events took longer to happen for reasons related to offline events.

i don't really know what the point of this post is other than to finally put some things into words that have been bothering me for years.

[compassionatereminders]

I'm ace I never want to have sex or have a relationship. But I enjoy daydreaming about a relationship I would want and I'm perfectly okay with daydreaming. I do not want this to be reality because I know such reality can't be real. And honestly I wouldn't enjoy a real sexless romance because I don't enjoy being around people for too long and maintaining friendship and relationships plus full time work, doing everything at home (cleaning, cooking) seems so exhausting. I can only be around people for so long until my mood is really depressed (I don't have depression but idk how else to describe my feelings otherwise. I feelbreally down, really sad, I just want to run away from people when I have enough of them)

It does not make me sad and I actually enjoy "the real world" and my "daydream world" I would never confess this to any of my friends because they would probably think I'm mentally ill.

I only said I was ace to one of my friends without other details and they told me I should go to a doctor because without sex no one will want me and I will die alone and I will regret that I'm not having sex and relationships...

And I don't mind being alone, dying alone. I was forcing myself to be in a relationship (never had sex because it didn't last long) and I was miserable. I am much happier alone.

Do you think daydreaming is bad? I am aware of what reality is it's not like I live in a dream world. I'm 25 and I'm actually happy with my life... I do think of cutting off friends who talk to me like I need to be cured so I'll have sex and so on. Even if I were the horniest woman on this planet I still wouldn't want to have sex unless if I knew that the guy I'm with will stay with me. And that one friend keeps saying I need to be cured and have hook ups... which I wouldn't even do even if I had sexual desires... I regret trusting that one friend because I can feel that a few other of my friends talk behind my back as well.

Why are people so obsessed with other people's sex lives? They feel so attacked if they know you don't want to have sex... they take this personally. While I never judged any of them even if they had one night stands. Like even if this is something I would never do I don't judge them at all...

Daydreaming is only a problem if it interferes with your ability to live and function outside your head. A daydream that brings you joy and takes up time but doesn't impair your life isn't inherently a problem. So it's valid for you to prefer daydreams to actual relationships, and you're not inherently in the wrong for not pursuing sex and romance. It's just your "friends" who are being aphobic and mean.