#Still... I would be interested to know if there IS a connection here | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

estapa-edwards · 2 days

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"Team Sweetheart" and "Physical Therapist" are so gorgeous I've reread them both like 10 times! They leave me so full of butterflies I am positively buzzing! May I please make a request with Jack and a girl who has no knowledge/familiarity with hockey, or any sports for that matter? Maybe just them introducing eachother to their interests/worlds as their relationship develops and it's just nice to be with someone a bit removed from what Jack's life is centered around. Idk if that makes sense please ignore this if you don't like it.

CONNECTION - J . HUGHES

paring: Jack Hughes x reader

word count: 2k

requested? yes

warnings: use of y/n.

*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨* ≈☆≈ *¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨*

Jack Hughes walked into the quiet café, eager for a break from the relentless pace of his hockey-centered life. The New Jersey Devils had been having a grueling season, and every moment off the ice felt like a precious escape. The café, tucked away in a corner of downtown Newark, had become his haven. Today, however, he was greeted by an unfamiliar face behind the counter.

“Hi, welcome to Brewed Awakening. What can I get you?” the girl asked with a warm smile. Her name tag read "Y/N."

Jack glanced at the menu, though he already knew what he wanted. “I’ll have a black coffee, please.”

Y/N nodded, her fingers flying over the buttons of the register. “Coming right up. Are you from around here?”

Jack hesitated. Despite his growing fame, he still enjoyed the anonymity of casual encounters. “Yeah, I live nearby. What about you?”

Y/N handed him his change and started preparing his coffee. “I just moved here for school. Trying to get the hang of the city and all.”

Jack smiled. “It’s a great place once you get to know it. What are you studying?”

“Art history. I know, it’s not exactly the most practical major, but it’s my passion,” she said with a slight laugh. “What about you? What do you do?”

Jack paused, unsure of how to respond. “I’m... in sports,” he said vaguely.

Y/N raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his hesitation. “Any particular sport?”

“Hockey,” he admitted. “I play for the New Jersey Devils.”

Her eyes widened slightly. “Oh, wow. I’m sorry, I don’t really follow sports. But that sounds impressive!”

Jack chuckled. “That’s okay. It’s actually kind of refreshing to meet someone who isn’t obsessed with hockey.”

Y/N handed him his coffee. “Well, I’m glad I could provide a break from the norm. Enjoy your coffee!”

As Jack took a seat by the window, he couldn’t help but feel a spark of curiosity about Y/N. She was different from anyone he had met in a long time. He found himself looking forward to his next visit to the café.

--- --- ---

Over the next few weeks, Jack found himself returning to Brewed Awakening more often. Each time, he and Y/N would chat for a few minutes, their conversations growing more personal with each encounter. Jack learned that Y/N was passionate about art, spending her weekends exploring museums and galleries. She, in turn, learned about Jack’s rigorous training schedule and the pressures of professional sports.

One rainy afternoon, Jack entered the café, drenched from practice. Y/N greeted him with a sympathetic smile. “Rough day?”

“Just a long one,” he replied, shaking off his wet jacket. “Do you have a break coming up? I’d love to hear more about this art thing you’re always talking about.”

Y/N’s eyes lit up. “Actually, I do. Give me five minutes to finish up here.”

A few minutes later, Y/N joined Jack at his table, a steaming cup of tea in her hands. “So, where should I start?”

“Tell me about your favorite artist,” Jack suggested, genuinely curious.

Y/N’s face brightened. “That’s a tough one, but I’d have to say Vincent van Gogh. His work is so emotional and raw. There’s something incredibly moving about the way he saw the world.”

Jack listened intently as Y/N described van Gogh’s turbulent life and vibrant paintings. He found himself captivated by her passion and the way she brought the art to life with her words.

“You should come to the museum with me sometime,” Y/N said, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. “I think you’d really enjoy it.”

Jack smiled. “I’d like that. And maybe I can take you to a hockey game in return?”

Y/N laughed. “Deal. But you’ll have to explain everything to me. I know absolutely nothing about hockey.”

Jack chuckled. “I think I can manage that.”

--- --- ---

Their first outing together was to the Newark Museum of Art. Jack was out of his element but excited to see the world through Y/N’s eyes. As they wandered through the galleries, Y/N explained the stories behind the paintings and sculptures, her voice filled with excitement and admiration.

“This is one of my favorites,” she said, stopping in front of a large, colorful painting. “It’s called ‘Starry Night Over the Rhône’ by van Gogh. Look at the way the stars and the reflections in the water create this almost dreamlike scene.”

Jack stared at the painting, trying to see it the way Y/N did. “It’s beautiful,” he said finally. “I can see why you like it so much.”

Y/N smiled. “I’m glad you think so. Art has always been a way for me to escape, to see the world differently.”

Jack nodded, understanding more than he expected. “Hockey is like that for me. When I’m on the ice, everything else fades away.”

A few days later, it was Y/N’s turn to step into Jack’s world. She had agreed to attend one of his games, despite her lack of knowledge about hockey. Jack had arranged for her to have a prime seat, and as she settled in, she couldn’t help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness.

The arena was buzzing with energy, fans cheering and waving signs. Y/N watched in awe as the players took to the ice, their speed and skill mesmerizing. She spotted Jack, his focus intense as he prepared for the game.

Throughout the match, Y/N found herself on the edge of her seat, cheering along with the crowd even though she didn’t fully understand the rules. She couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride every time Jack made a play, his talent and dedication evident in every move.

After the game, Jack met her outside the locker room, still in his gear and grinning from ear to ear. “So, what did you think?”

“It was amazing!” Y/N exclaimed. “I had no idea hockey could be so intense. You were incredible out there.”

Jack laughed, relieved that she had enjoyed herself. “I’m glad you liked it. Maybe we can make a fan out of you yet.”

Y/N smiled. “Maybe. But only if you keep coming to art galleries with me.”

“Deal,” Jack agreed, feeling a warmth spread through him. Despite their different worlds, he felt a connection with Y/N that he hadn’t felt with anyone else.

--- --- ---

As the weeks turned into months, Jack and Y/N grew closer, finding comfort in their contrasting interests. They delighted in introducing each other to new experiences, each outing deepening their bond.

One sunny Saturday, Jack found himself at a local art supply store with Y/N. She was on a mission to find the perfect set of watercolors for a new project. Jack followed her through the aisles, amused by her enthusiasm.

"Do you paint?" Jack asked, curious.

"I dabble," Y/N replied with a grin. "Mostly for fun, though. It’s a great way to relax and let my mind wander."

Jack picked up a brush, twirling it between his fingers. "Maybe you could teach me sometime. I’ve never really done anything like this."

Y/N’s eyes lit up. "I’d love to! It’s really not about being perfect, just about expressing yourself."

A few days later, Y/N set up a makeshift studio in her apartment, covering the table with newspapers and setting out a variety of paints and brushes. Jack arrived, looking both excited and apprehensive.

"Ready to become the next Van Gogh?" Y/N teased, handing him a canvas.

Jack laughed. "I think that might be a stretch, but I’m ready to give it a shot."

As they painted side by side, Y/N offered gentle guidance, encouraging Jack to experiment with colors and shapes. Despite his initial uncertainty, Jack found himself enjoying the process. It was a welcome change from the structured, high-pressure world of hockey.

"You’re a natural," Y/N said, admiring Jack’s painting of a snowy landscape.

Jack shook his head with a chuckle. "I think you’re just being nice, but thanks. This is actually really fun."

Y/N smiled, pleased to see Jack so relaxed. "See? I knew you’d enjoy it."

Their relationship continued to flourish, each new experience bringing them closer together. Jack took Y/N to more games, patiently explaining the rules and strategies. Y/N, in turn, took Jack to more art exhibits and even a few art classes.

One evening, after a particularly thrilling game, Jack and Y/N found themselves at a quiet diner, sharing a plate of fries. Jack looked at Y/N, feeling a surge of gratitude.

"You know, I never thought I’d enjoy learning about art so much," Jack admitted. "But being with you has opened my eyes to so many new things."

Y/N reached across the table, squeezing his hand. "And I never thought I’d enjoy sports, but you’ve made it so much fun. It’s nice to have someone to share these experiences with."

Jack smiled, feeling a deep sense of contentment. Despite their different backgrounds, they had found a way to connect on a profound level. It was a rare and precious thing, and Jack knew he wanted to hold onto it.

--- --- ---

As their relationship grew stronger, Jack and Y/N began to face the challenges that came with their differing worlds. Jack’s demanding schedule often kept them apart, and Y/N’s art exhibitions sometimes took her to different cities.

One evening, after a particularly grueling week of practice and games, Jack called Y/N, his voice heavy with exhaustion. "I miss you," he admitted. "It feels like we haven’t seen each other in ages."

Y/N sighed, feeling the distance keenly. "I miss you too. It’s hard, but we’ll get through it. How about we plan something special for next weekend? Just us."

Jack’s spirits lifted at the thought. "That sounds perfect. Let’s go somewhere quiet, away from everything."

The following weekend, they escaped to a cabin in the woods, a peaceful retreat where they could unwind and reconnect. They spent their days hiking through the forest, cooking meals together, and sitting by the fire, talking about everything and nothing.

One evening, as they sat on the porch, watching the sunset, Jack took Y/N’s hand. "I’m really glad we’re doing this," he said softly. "It’s exactly what I needed."

Y/N rested her head on his shoulder. "Me too. It’s nice to just be us, without all the noise."

As they sat in comfortable silence, Jack realized how much Y/N meant to him. She had become his anchor, a source of joy and calm in his hectic life. He knew their relationship wasn’t always easy, but he was willing to face any challenge as long as they were together.

With the hockey season winding down, Jack finally had more time to spend with Y/N. They began to talk about their future, their conversations filled with excitement and hope.

One sunny afternoon, they found themselves at a local park, lying on a blanket and watching the clouds drift by. Jack turned to Y/N, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Have you ever thought about what comes next for us?" he asked.

Y/N smiled, her heart swelling with affection. "I think about it all the time. I want us to keep exploring new things together, to keep supporting each other’s passions."

Jack nodded, feeling a sense of certainty. "I want that too. And I want you to know that I’m here for you, no matter what. Your dreams are just as important as mine."

Y/N reached out, brushing a strand of hair from Jack’s face. "And I’m here for you, always. We’ll figure it out together."

As they lay there, hand in hand, Jack knew they were embarking on a new chapter of their lives. It wouldn’t always be easy, but with Y/N by his side, he felt ready for anything. They had built a strong foundation, one based on mutual respect and a genuine love for each other’s worlds. And as they looked towards the future, they knew that together, they could face whatever came their way.

#hockey #nhl x reader #new jersey devils #nj devils #jack hughes #jack hughes x reader #jack hughes x y/n #jack hughes blurb

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heliza24 · 2 days

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Please allow me to brain dump all of my episode 5/devils minion thoughts/questions/predictions one more time before the episode comes out this weekend here. Only partially organized into something of a list:

- After the initial aborted interview, Armand is jealous that Daniel is able to connect to Louis in a way that he cannot, and he’s furious that Louis tells him about Lestat. He’s also just angry and frustrated. He’s been trying to make things up to Louis for thirty years, and their relationship has been strained for as long. And he takes it out on Daniel. I imagine the “is that was makes you fascinating?” Could easily be in response to Louis saying something like “I know I should have killed him, like we always kill the boys we sleep with, but he was just so fascinating that I didn’t want to.” And then all the jealousy that Armand has carefully stored away when Louis was imagining Lestat or choosing to sleep with another human rather than him just bubbles up to the surface.

- The more I think about it the more questions I have about Louis and Armand’s relationship (and their relationship to the absent Lestat) at this time. What caused Louis to want to do a first interview in the 70s? What happened between the 1973 and 2022 to change how he describes Lestat to Daniel so much? How and why do Louis and Daniel connect, and what does that mean for why they are repeating the interview in 2022? I am sometimes very guilty of having Armandaniel ship goggles on, I love them so so much together, and most of the further points on this list are from that lens. But I would be remiss to forget that Louis is the protagonist of this show, and that he has always been paralleled with Daniel narratively. So their connection is going to be really important, and i am also dying to understand it.

- Armand’s “I am the quiet you have been longing for” speech to Daniel is the equivalent of Santiago rooting around in his victim’s head before luring them into a willing death on stage. It’s seduction, but a seduction towards death. Armand is trying to peel Daniel apart in his anger. But somewhere along the line he gets too used to looking, too fascinated himself, to kill Daniel.

- I’m sure some of the initial anger at Daniel, and some of the initial anger at Louis, for humoring and connecting with him, has to do with Armand’s engrained respect for the great laws. Louis violates the law about not recording the history of the vampires, by talking to Daniel. He has revealed his true nature and let Daniel live, etc. part of me wonders if that’s why there’s that photo of Armand and Louis carrying Daniel when Louis is clearly being burned by doing it during the day. He made a mess, and his punishment is to do the dirty work of cleaning it up, even if Armand could take care of Daniel quickly on his own if he wanted to. I presume that eventually Armand ends up breaking rules himself around Daniel (not killing him, chiefly) which makes the forbidden aspect of their relationship all the more interesting to me.

- The two examples we have so far of Armand peering into Daniel’s memories (selling porn magazines and sleeping with a girl only if she would cover her face) speak to a combination of sexual shame, cruelty, repression, and desperation. There is something prompting Danny to sell those magazines, whether it be poverty or some hidden trauma. And Armand is familiar with that kind of relationship to sexuality. There might also be something about Daniel’s sexual brashness, as complicated as that might actually be, that feels refreshing after decades of Louis’s simmering resentment. There’s also a similarity between these early Daniel facts and Louis pulling the knife on Paul. It demonstrates a vampire-compatible personality (a certain viciousness combined with certain type of shame) while they’re both still human. And I’m sure that is fascinating to Armand.

- I’m also hoping that we’ll learn a little bit about Daniel’s childhood or backstory. I do feel like he has to be already running from something by the time he meets the vampires. He’s self medicating for sure, and I want to know why. Whenever I write about Daniel in fic I always end up coming back to his relationship to women and mothers/daughters, maybe because his daughters that he doesn’t speak to anymore in 2022 seem to loom large in absentia to me in the Dubai version of his character (especially in the ways they echo with Claudia). His disavowal of his queerness and kind of casual acceptance of the fact that he was a shitty husband does the same thing. The casual cruelty and misogyny of the bag over the head story reinforces this to me. I would love to learn more about this side of Danny, not because I think it’s a particularly good part of him, but because it’s a thing I think we’re missing in our understanding of him. It makes him grey in the same way the vampires are grey, in the same way Louis was grey before he was turned, and I want to understand it better.

- I think Louis begs Armand to stop torturing Daniel; whether or not he and Daniel actually hook up (and I kind hope they do!) I think Louis genuinely likes him. But Armand either refuses or continues to chase/torture/fall in love with Daniel behind Louis’s back. I’m not positive this is what the show is going to do, but I think it would work so well to have Daniel basically be an affair during Louis and Armand’s marriage. that information imbalance would make the drama in the penthouse more dynamic, and I think it would make sense that Armand would be looking for some kind of release, something that was just his, while he was trying to manage Louis’s moods and continued attachment to Lestat.

- I have a kind of more structural question as well, which is- how much they are gonna show us in this episode? Just from a character arc perspective, I don’t think they can end season 2 without Daniel knowing exactly why his memories were erased. That’s his dramatic question; not just what happened to me, but why do I not remember (and what does that mean for me now)? So I suspect that if we only see the first part of Devil’s minion in this episode, the torture and the stalking maybe, but we don’t get to the point where Daniel’s memories are erased, then there will be future revelations in the later episodes about happened in the 1970s. I am also wondering if the episode will be akin to a bottle episode, at least in the San Francisco section, set all over the same night in the same location. This is very play-like, so it would not surprise me if the writers room full of playwrights wrote it this way. And we’ve also only seen images and clips from the one location and the one set of costumes. If that’s the case, and we learn why Daniel’s memories were erased in this episode, that means his interaction with the vampires was actually pretty short lived, and any deeper devil’s minion stuff is gonna happen in the Dubai era if it happens at all. Because of that I either hope that the episode is less of a bottle episode than we’ve been led to believe, or that the bottle episode is only the start of a longer interaction between Daniel and Armand.

- To me Armand is like a dragon, who has been taught through repeated trauma that the only way to get what he wants is to roll over and show his vulnerable belly. Thats his dynamic with Louis; he grants him control even though he is the more powerful one because he wants to keep Louis. But Armand comes in like the monster he is to Daniel, and the fact that Daniel ends up liking him anyway, and doesn’t ask him to dim his power or appear more human or more gentle, is what makes their connection special. That’s what makes generally terrifying Danny early on necessary, the idea that he sees the absolute worst of Armand and is still somehow interested. I hope we can get to the point in this season where Daniel can articulate how attracted he is to Armand’s monstrosity. Based on the critic’s reactions I guess we’re not getting that this episode? But I live in hope that we’ll get that sentiment somehow before the season ends.

- Part of me is scared that the critics who believe that nothing romantic is going on between Daniel and Armand are somehow correct. Like, maybe we just aren’t gonna see any of that at all this season. Maybe if they have a romance at all it will just be in the Dubai timeline somewhere down the road. But then I remember the way Assad plays Armand around Daniel, and the way that he has jumped to Daniel’s aid twice (once in season 1 and once in season 2), and the “Alice wanted to say yes when you proposed but you hadn’t given her a reason to trust you” comment, which to me so clearly reads as Armand talking about himself. Surely those things don’t mean nothing.

- I love the idea that if Daniel and Armand were having an affair, Daniel asking to be turned and made into Armand’s companion would involve Armand leaving Louis, or at least breaking his trust further. That would be a huge leap for Armand because of the ways that he’s committed to and indebted to Louis because of what happened in Paris, and it makes sense to me that he wouldn’t be able to make that leap. Especially if Daniel’s addiction issues ends up transferring to vampire blood. The question of “do you really love me or do you just want to drink from me?” Is such a great doubt for a vampire to have, and I can see it really plaguing Armand, enough for him to not want to turn Daniel. I also hope we get him just in general not wanting to make fledglings because it feels like passing on a curse, and wanting to protect Daniel from the hellish parts of vampire existence by keeping him human. (I wonder if we’ll also see some kind of evolution in Louis and Armand’s relationship that will make it easier for Armand to recommit to Louis. Some kind of demonstration by Louis that he would pick Armand over Lestat if he had a choice? Something else? I’m not sure).

- I do think Daniel asking for the memory wipe himself is the most dramatically satisfying way for it to happen. Daniel being desperate for immortality, and despondent at the fact that Armand won’t turn him, and choosing to forget him instead is just so good. Especially if Armand acquiesces because he can see that his and Daniel’s connection is hurting Daniel and affecting Daniel’s mental health. It would fit with the way that Armand puts all of his partners before himself, because Armand would erase Daniel’s memory to save him, at the expense of his own broken heart. And that broken heart would explain the vacillating coldness and bitterness and affection he treats Daniel with in Dubai. And it would be an incredibly difficult realization for Dubai Daniel to have, that the person he initially thought was a monster because he committed this violation of his mind actually did so at Daniel’s own behest. This would fit with something that Eric mentioned in an interview, that Daniel realizes that he has fucked up two marriages because of the things that went down with the vampires that he cannot remember. What if the reason he could never be happily married was that he was never fully over Armand, even if he didn’t realize it? Heartbreaking. Juicy. The stuff of good drama! This is the other reason I keep reassuring myself that something romantic did happen between Daniel and Armand in the past. It changes the Dubai dynamics in ways that are simply too rich to ignore.

- I also do suspect that season 2 is gonna end with modern day Louis and Lestat being reunited. Lestat has to be around to narrate season 3 after all, and we have that tiny clip of the Loustat hug that feels modern. I’m really excited about that! But my heart breaks for Armand in that case, and I just… really hope that Daniel could be Armand’s safe place to land if Louis ends up leaving him at the end of the season.

#interview with the vampire #iwtv #devil’s minion #armadaniel #armand #Louis #daniel molloy #my meta

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therainscene · 3 days

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hey again! i just saw the new henry and holly pics and... well...as i commented on one post of them:

i wonder if this could be nancy's storyline even moreso than mike's? looking after holly AND mike, who is preoccupied with will as well? also, has anyone considered that vecna may just be an inside-the-UD avatar for henry, who stills exists in the real world as a human (in the form we see above?) why would he only be living in the UD as this odd spidery man? we only saw him being sent there in one memory fragment, and his transformation into the monster was also him as vecna describing things to nancy IN HER MIND. so if vecna can appear in people's minds, maybe he is only a mind-version of henry, who still exists as a real dude roaming free.

oh god i can imagine rewatching the whole series and seeing a man cropping up in the background of everything looking just like henry in those new pics! with the hat etc. he looks older there too, so it matches the timelines

Always lovely to see you, scrunchie <3

These new leaks [pics under the cut, spoilers for S5] certainly raise a lot of interesting questions, though I'm not entirely sure what to make of them right now.

We don't know for sure that this is Holly -- they've recast her if so -- but loose blonde pigtails are her signature hairstyle and the girly dungarees would fit S5's costuming theme of S1 callbacks, so Holly's definitely a strong candidate for this character.

And even ignoring other, less solid leaks that suggest Vecna might be targeting her next season (the alleged "The Vanishing of [BLANK] Wheeler" episode title; Ted's actor mentioning that his character is going to come through for Holly) -- I do think there are already hints in the canon that there's some sort of connection between Henry and Holly.

Hint #1: I've often seen folks use this moment with Holly and the lights as evidence that Will could have powers:

The lamps light up far too quickly for Will to have realistically affected them via the wave-your-hands-in-the-golden-aura method Nancy discovered in S4, and the circular motion of the lights parallels a training exercise from the lab.

...But if this was Will, then how did he know Holly was there? He knew when Joyce was there because she spoke to him, but Holly doesn't talk. And why would he want to get the attentions of a toddler anyway when there are two adults in the house?

It makes sense that powers were being used here... but who says it was Will using them?

Hint #2: According to the source, this latest leak was snapped at the Creel house, which is next door to a playground. We've never seen Henry at the playground. But we have seen his sister, with her little blonde pigtails, playing there.

Something I've always found interesting about this shot of Alice is that as she stands up in horror at the sight of the mutilated rabbit, the camera tilts up so that she's brilliantly washed out by the sun:

Light is an important symbol in Stranger Things, so I never really knew what to make of this... but now I've seen these leaks I think it's veeeerrrry interesting that Alice and Holly have both been associated with light and childish innocence and rabbits via a single shot.

So that's Holly. As for Henry...

I think your theory is really interesting -- my first thought on seeing these leaks was that Henry probably looks human because he's appearing to this girl in a vision, but I definitely think it's worth exploring other possibilities, because there's something weird going on with regards to Henry's banishment to Dimension X -- how did he end up in there looking so intact when we saw El completely disintegrate him into ash?

It's giving time shenanigans, in my opinion. These leaks are certainly giving time vibes too -- why is Henry dressed like he's from the 50s while speaking to a girl who looks like she's from the 80s?

So, the Wheelers and their S5 arcs--

@conflictofthemind has an excellent theory about how whatever happens to Holly is likely to precipitate an arc in which the Wheeler family come together and overcome their conformist ways once and for all; and @pinkeoni has a scathing take-down of the idea S5 is going to rehash S1's family-and-friends-coming-together-to-rescue-a-missing-child concept. Both are good takes worth reading, I think.

Personally, I'm not sure what the hell is going on with this apparent connection between Holly and Henry -- but I do think the parallels between the Wheelers and the Creels as family units are the thing to focus on here, and I suspect time travel is probably going to be a big part of what ties it all together.

And, well. There's only one character other than Henry who is associated with interdimensional time shenanigans--

--the light--

--and calling Wheelers out on their harmful conformity.

#these are just observations and first impressions; i don't have a coherent theory figured out yet #stranger things #time travel #byler #holly wheeler #henry creel #alice creel #will byers #my analysis #ask #st5 spoilers

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veliseraptor · 3 days

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May Reading Recap

A Memory Called Empire and A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine. Rereading A Memory Called Empire was a treat - an expected treat, but it was good to find out that it lived up to memory. I liked A Desolation Called Peace a little bit less, but only a little bit - it very much followed up directly on the themes from A Memory Called Empire that I appreciated.

The Last Graduate and The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik. I devoured these books. I'm very surprised by this fact, since I'm not generally a "magic school" person, but there we are; Naomi Novik apparently managed to make me one temporarily. The last book was a particularly strong one and did some very interesting things with its worldbuilding that'd been set up in previous books and delivered in the last one.

Armageddon: What the Bible Really Says About the End by Bart Ehrman. I've read and enjoyed some Bart Ehrman previously, but I feel like the quality of his books has diminished from his earlier work, and this book confirmed that for me. I'm a bit of an eschatology enthusiast (the main reason I picked this up, as well as the fact that (a) it was available at the library one time and I grabbed it on a whim and (b) author recognition), but I learned very little from this book that I didn't already know.

Strange Beasts of China by Yan Ge. One of the things that made me happiest about reading this book was, unfortunately, the fact that I thought I recognized the ways in which it was referring back to Classic of Mountains and Seas, which I felt (again, unfortunately) sort of smug about. Checking the Wikipedia page for the book, apparently "Additionally, each chapter begins with a brief description of the beast which, in the original writing, was written in Classical Chinese, while the rest of the book was written in standard Chinese," which is so cool and I wish had been conveyed in the translation.

In general though, this was a good one, though I feel like the descriptive copy was a little misleading. It's less a mystery than a series of interconnected stories following a central character investigating the titular strange beasts, and learning how they connect to her life and history.

Dark Heir by C.S. Pacat. I liked this one significantly more than Dark Rise - which I guess makes sense, since a lot of Dark Rise was setting up the concept that most compels me about the series (the main character being the reincarnation of a notorious villain from the past). It still feels YA in the way that YA usually does, which isn't necessarily a bad thing if stylistically less my preference (and something I feel worth mentioning in the context of a possible recommendation). The ending was a gut-punch of a fun kind. I will be looking forward to reading the third one.

"There Would Always Be a Fairy-Tale": Essays on Tolkien's Middle Earth by Verlyn Flieger. I loved Splintered Light and was disappointingly underwhelmed by most of the essays in this collection. There were a couple that were more interesting to me, but on the whole a lukewarm response.

The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Adrian Tchaikovsky wins again!!! I don't love this one quite as much as I've enjoyed the Children of Time series, but I actually think that I liked it more than The Final Architecture series. Fascinating concept, as usual fascinating worldbuilding for societies wildly different from our own, and dedicated to themes of cooperation and unity-across-difference without it feeling preachy or didactic.

Aphrodite and the Rabbis: How the Jews Adapted Roman Culture to Create Judaism as We Know It by Burton Visotzky. This was a good one! I already was familiar with some of the information here, but not all of it, and the work around art and architecture was new to me. I felt in some ways like Visotzky overstated his case a little, but on the whole a very interesting read.

Texts of Terror: Literary-Feminist Readings of Biblical Narratives by Phyllis Trible. This one is kind of a classic of feminist Bible scholarship - a short book that does a close reading of the text of the stories of four biblical women who suffer in some way (Hagar, Tamar, the unnamed woman from Judges 19, and Jephthah's daughter). It's a powerful work, though it felt a little basic to me on the whole - probably due to the fact that it's relatively early scholarship on the subject working from a literary angle.

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff. Books with footnotes are very hit-or-miss for me - not meaning books with contextual footnotes, but books with footnotes that are part of the conceit of the text itself. Some authors can pull it off; others really shouldn't try. In this case, the author felt a bit too taken with his own cleverness to pull it off; in general I felt like this book was trying a little too hard to be edgy and voice-y and ended up just feeling kind of shallow. It was a fun read, in some ways, but not a good one, and I'm torn on if I'm going to continue reading the series. If I do, it probably won't be in a hurry.

Tolkien and Alterity ed. by Christopher Vaccaro. I was excited about this particular collection of essays (you can probably guess why) and found them mostly uninspiring in the reading. The exception was a bibliographic essay on the treatment of race in Tolkien scholarship, which proposed more use of reader response theory, a suggestion which seems fruitful to me and more interesting than debates about whether or not Tolkien/his works are or aren't racist.

Knock Knock, Open Wide by Neil Sharpson. I feel like this is going to sound more critical than I really mean it to, but this was a perfectly adequate horror novel. I wouldn't call it exceptional, and it didn't freak me out, but I read it pretty much straight through and enjoyed the experience on the whole.

Thousand Autumns: vol. 4 by Meng Xi Shi. I liked this volume more than I've liked some of the others, and am enjoying the development of the central relationship, though I feel a little like I've been bait-and-switched about the level of fucked up that it's involved. Maybe that's why I'm enjoying this one a little less than I feel like I should: I was expecting more fucked-up between the two main characters based on the initial conceit and don't feel like the novel has really delivered on that. But I am enjoying Yan Wushi getting a little more...outwardly affectionate toward Shen Qiao, and Shen Qiao's concomitant confusion about it.

This Wretched Valley by Jenny Kiefer. More than an adequate horror novel but less than an excellent one, I felt like this book relied more on gross-out horror than I typically prefer. Still, was definitely spooky, and confirmed for me that wilderness horror gets to me in a very specific way.

I'm presently reading Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood, which I have mixed feelings about (not negative! just mixed). I'm not sure what I'm going to read after that, save that I'm now trying to alternate genres and might try to read some nonfiction, which I've been sort of off for a while. Otherwise I'll probably just end up reading Translation State by Ann Leckie, and possibly A Fire in the Deep by Vernor Vinge. But I'm really going to try for some more nonfiction next month.

#reading recaps #sometimes i read things

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forgottenarias · 2 days

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just some nonsense about aria i rambled about to get it out of my brain, i guess?

idk what this is but once again i went off on a tangent abt aria thanks to some influence from arthur ;) [honestly why can't i deep dive on all my characters like this rn]

Thinking about Aria pre conquering and her previous attachments-- I'd contemplated if she had some sort of tragic backstory, like there was a knight she'd sort of formed a bit of an attachment to leading up the invasion and he was killed in battle or smth along those lines, but I think her whole sense of being was SO wrapped up in being-- i'm not going to say Eilia's right hand necessarily bc i don't think she was doing tons of like... talking about policy or military issues or anything, but an important part of her life as the queen of Astaira. it sort of lead me to realize I don't think she's really had much in terms of romantic notions/courting/etc in her past? Part of that I think was just who she was-- pretty quiet and reserved and probably hiding somewhere w/ Aoife at social gatherings whenever possible! I remember Kate and I joked asp about the two of them having sort of useless husbands who just did their own thing while the women ran the country-- I don't think having a USELESS husband was her plan but she def sort of imagined a union/partnership (weirdly I don't think romance was playing into this vision of the future for her, despite the fact I think she's very much a closeted romantic!) husband who was intelligent, scholarly, and had his part in the running of Astaira-- so while she never imagined her sister would try to set up a political marriage for her, she def always assumed if/when that happened it would be something that made sense for Astaira. It was all very practical and sort of in line with that idea that Staffords are servants of Astaira. So she'd probably end up with the one who wasn't the worse and, if not at some point feeling SOME sort of romantic affection for him, at least they could be friends of sorts and share common interests have have children who, of course, would then be tasked with helping the crown and continuing the cycle on and on.

which i'm now realizing, sort of like his fear that no one will care for/love/be loyal/etc to him for just forHIM, Aria just never allowed herself to think that would be possible but, again, in a practical way?! like obviously everything goes back to what is best for astaira & helping her sister & carrying on the work of the stafford family, etc. (also i don't know if eilia realized that was sort of her worldview? i think its not anything she'd openly discuss with her sister honestly...)

BUT NOW there's this GUY who is almost in every way the antithesis of who she imagined herself ever being drawn towards-- like, if this were a bad early 2000's teen movie, she'd be the head of the debate team and he'd be the captain of (insert sport here) and WHY would they EVER even talk to each other?! haha! but then obvi she's seeing this different side of him that she expected to be there-- plus clearly SHE'S having some sort of affect on him and his thought process thanks to all their walks and talk/arguments ;) I think that's not something she's ever HAD before outside of her friendships (and while there is some sort of version of friendship there clearly its something else, what with the whole conquering/captor/flirt thing that's happening) and she just... likes how this is progressing? i think at first it was a "oh great-- more fuel for my fire of trying to worm my way into the good graces of the new regime and sow discontent from within!" but now she's making this real human connection and its scary and its annoying and its making her have all of these thoughts and see things as not black & white and she HATES that but also she is invested entirely now? and she may not have even realized it atp?!

all that being said there are still these little doubts that flair up-- which i think is sometimes part of the reason she reacts so angrily/aggressively at times (bc as we've discussed emotions are hard! don't think abou them in a healthy way!) I DO think every time she allows herself to think about "what is this connection, where is it going, what does it mean?" part of her is like "you're over complicating this-- there's probably some version of you in every castle/town/whatever this guy stops at w/ his deranged dad and you are NOT special and this is NOT different!" and i think some of that may be reinforced post Amira's Terrifying Tea Party when she figures out smth was happening w/ Eithne and she's like "oh okay, so that's his country lady he probably walks around w/ having some version of the same conversation!" (honestly the pair of them both having versions of 'oh, i thought this was something, guess its not..' is...so perfect) and she's like 'im obviously the lady entertainment when he's stuck in the castle!'

But then there are those moments where is DOES seem different and its enough to keep her coming back and trying to figure it out! i think hes right sometimes abt how she feels-- there were def moments where she's like "i want to hurt him, he deserves this, he could have stood up to his father and stopped this if he cared!" but i do think those have subded bc she realizes, again, this is not black and white and he actually has things he has to consider that SHE would consider, too! --namely his family!

plus, adding to that, there's everything I said about her realizing the manipulation is working-- i think she's confused if its working bc of ACTUAL feelings/emotions or if its working because he's kinda dumb and is just easily lead-- deep down she KNOWS its option one, hence why she feels the guilt about potentially doing something that would hurt him! and then adding in a rather, i think, fundamental shift in their views towards themselves/each other with his SHOCKINGLY DEEP AND INTROSPECTIVE confession about his views on his possible fate! i think beyond the whole "holy crap!" of the moment, it resonated w/ her in an unexpected way bc she's grappling with who she going to be in the world now that her whole purpose (helping Eilia as she rules Astaira!) has been taken away and while I think she's desperately trying to fill that void w/ her mission to save the guardians (also can we talk about the amount of pressure she is putting on HERSELF with this? oof), in the event there isn't a catastrophic event caused by the fall of the guardians, she doesn't know what her future is? is she stuck in this castle the rest of her life? does roderick finally off her when he's fed up with astaira being a problem? its not necessarily the same as arthur w/ his sole purpose in life to be emperor for his fate/his family's fate, but i think she sees some sort of connection there as well.

but now here we are and i realized that she's processing these emotions (poorly) on top of the 'you're a bastard, surprise!' announcement + amira's tea party so she's probably just... mad at arthur for reasons that aren't his fault + maybe has been ignoring him for awhile now? bc emotions & she doesn't want to hurt him & his father hurt her & did i mention... the emotions?

also if anyone made it this far WHY and I"M SORRY.

#about

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stellaluna33 · 8 months

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The houses in my neighborhood were all built between approximately 1890 and the 1950s, and I know just enough about U.S. house architecture to be able to tell approximately which decade each house was built in. And I don't know for sure if these things are directly related or not, but it's interesting to me that the houses stop having front porches around the same time as the invention of air conditioning and television.

#Anyway. I suspect they ARE related #But I also know enough about history to know that correlation does not necessarily equal causation #And that some things that appear to be related are actually just coincidental #In other words: I don't have the data/research to back up my theory #So take it as the speculation it is #Still... I would be interested to know if there IS a connection here #Because it does seem likely

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beaulesbian · 2 years

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I’m now more powerful than I have been in eons. And yet... You see, until then I’d had a true quest. A purpose beyond my function and then suddenly, it was over, and I felt disappointed. Let down. Empty. Does that make sense? I was so sure that once I got everything back, I‘d feel good. But in some ways I feel worse than when I started. I feel like... nothing.

#i know its probably not as impactful bc hes not human etc but still the contrast of death enjoying the apple and saying its good for them #and every other instance that dream doesnt/refuses to eat is interesting #the sandman #dream of the endless #morpheus #death of the endless #hob gadling #the hecate #sandman #sandmanedit #thesandmanedit #mine #gif:sandman #ive seen some comic page saying he went to eat (dream food?) after his escape but we didnt see that in the show #quite the opposite - the show goes its way to portray him not eating or drinking anything #even in the 1389 when death says to drink the drink he puts it aside - and that was the time she 'introduced' him to hob #so there might be some pattern about feeling some kind of way and having to find that connection back to humanity? im just guessing here #if there was another meeting with hob i kinda feel we would see him either drink or eat something #its the similar like with the clothing in ep 6 where death wears tank top and hes in almost winter coat #neil said in the ep6 watch party how important was it that no one else actually touched dream until death his sister #so im thinking this might play a bigger role next seasons maybe? i hope we will get to see #food mention

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front-facing-pokemon · 10 months

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#registeel #and now this guy is maybe a bit less interesting. from this standpoint‚ i mean. the eyes being just dots make it a little hard to like #feel *connected* to them when they're ffp'd‚ y'know? i feel like it's kind of a reductive angle. which is why i zoomed this one and the last #one out a bit. so you can see a bit of the rest of their body. it's maybe less funny but would it really have been funny to just see 7 red #dots on a gray background and have to read the tag to know it's registeel? i dunno. maybe. maybe it would've been. but i like this more #maybe the explanation is that i'm taking these pictures myself. i personally know all these pokémon and have to ask them if i have permissio #n to take these pictures of them. but registeel said i couldn't get too close. so we settled with this. hehe yeah that's why :) hehe :)#anyway. you now have the aegis cave theme stuck in your head #hi it's me from the present. saturday morning. in yesterday's queued post i came up with the idea of maybe doing a monotype run of a pokémon #game. i don't know which one yet but i wanted to do water-type. but i was like. maybe i'll liveblog it on my main blog. yesterday #and today i came back and saw those tags as i was queuing up today's 'mons and i was like… hell maybe i could stream it if enough folks are #interested. but if anyone is then i didn't want to wait that long for the queue to get to that post bc that's gonna post on like. august 18 #and class for my last semester of college Ever starts back up on august 21st and i don't. know if i want to start another pokémon playthroug #h that close to classes starting. especially not one where at least one (1) individual out there might be waiting for it So i put 'em here #they'll still be on that post but. they're here. just in case someone out there is chronically bored enough that that's something they'd be #interested in. y'never know there's a lot of folks here #anyway i will now queue up kricketot. see you then… or i guess see you whenever if you like send in an ask or a message or smth…

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fala-alfredo-pasta · 1 year

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Just wanted to ask about your talentswap pics for Nagito and Chiaki. Does the Tragedy still happen in it, and if so does either or both of them become part of Ultimate Despair? Also if its only one of them, would Chiaki still die or would it be Nagito in her place. And lastly how are their relationships with their classmates altered in the AU?

I honestly didn’t think anyone was gonna remember my talentswap au much less ask about it in 2023 you have no clue how excited I am to write this lololol

I also wrote a little too much so I’m adding a read more because this got quite lengthy

Okay admittedly though, I didn’t think too too deeply into this au so some of what you asked is what I’m speculating could potentially happen probably.

The tragedy: Does in fact happen ✅ though not in the same way it went down in the games/anime

I’m not sure who will be the Ultimate Despair seeing as what really spurred Junko into becoming who she is was her ultimate analysis talent that basically made everyday life a general bore to her who can quite literally predict 99% of outcomes accurately. The only real excitement she got was when chaos struck and caused disorder in the usual schematics. She learned to thrive in not only her own perpetual despair of boredom but also in the despair in others—becoming the Ultimate Despair we know today. On top of which it’s because of this talent she was able to pull off the tragedy (and most of her schemes) to begin with so if I swap everyone in this au that would include her too. Not sure what unlucky soul would wind up with the Ultimate Analyst talent, but much like how Nagito’s talent greatly impacts the character’s personality and entire backstory, so too would this one.

What I do know is that Junko would most likely NOT be the Ultimate Despair in this au. Though, that being said, she won’t be an entirely nice person either. I do believe that Junko has a personality type that leans more towards the mean side regardless. Her obsession with despair just made it extreme. (Although if Ryouko is anything to go by, perhaps she is a relatively nice person. ‘Course it’s hard to judge considering that Ryouko forgets everyone within 24 hours and so her relationship with others makes it hard to establish how Junko would treat them in the long term).

Something to note though is just because someone gets the analyst talent doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to be Ultimate Despair. After all, everyone’s getting swapped and maybe a character winding up with a wildly different talent impacts them enough to take up that title instead. Which is why I say the tragedy will most likely NOT go down the same way Junko orchestrated it. Which brings me to my next point:

Chiaki does not get sacrificed. For a couple of reasons: she’s not the class’ beacon of hope as her lucky talent causes Chiaki to become closed off in order to keep everyone in a far enough distance from her so they don’t get hurt. As such she’s more like the class cryptid at best. She’s still kind and values life, and most of her classmate see her like an aloof stray cat they’d like to befriend someday but runs away whenever you get close, but the bad luck she’s experienced has left her rather pessimistic and anxious. Also, since the Ultimate Despair isn’t Junko and might do things differently, not sure how many (if any) class 77 students are going to be sacrificed in the way Chiaki was.

Regardless, SHSL Gamer Nagito certainly wouldn’t be sacrificed seeing as he uh…doesn’t have the best reputation among his classmates. His woefully pitiful social skills, interest in concerning hobbies (*cough*bomb making/playing with literal fire*cough*), and romanticizing of people’s struggles (because he still loves hope in the form of how greatly it shines at the end of a storyline—and the harder the level=the more struggle one faces, the more satisfying and brighter that ending will be), doesn’t lend itself well to making friends irl. As such he wouldn’t be their beacon of hope. Just the creepy gamer guy.

More specifically he’s a rich kid who hasn’t struggled much in life besides his (unintentional) self-imposed isolation from others to focus exclusively on his games that crippled his social skills. As such, Nagito isn’t as humble nor as self-depreciating as OG Nagito is. You probably won’t like him as much as the original because of it. Yet, he’s still just as manipulative—if not more, to get what he wants, and for all his lack of social skills, he does have a way with words when he’s trying to give a “pep talk” to another player—I mean person—to keep them from quitting (if he finds the effort worth making/their storyline interesting enough). He’s grown a little tired of playing games alone (read: lonely and bored).

On the tangent of gamer Nagito though, he really would lend himself well to being a mastermind and perhaps, maybe to some capacity he is one. Or maybe even THE one. One of the ones anyway. Wouldn’t it be fun to see the world plunge into what resembles an apocalyptic survival game and seeing everyone deal with the most unimaginable struggle to date and watching their storylines play out? See who persevered? See whose hope was too weak and died like the disappointing npcs they are? But wouldn’t it be even more fun to be among them, to be player and participant?

Which is why, I feel like Nagito played a great part in the tragedy in that he helped make it happen. Though, I don’t believe he was the only mastermind. This was a team effort. Nagito ISN’T the Ultimate Despair after all. Just their co-mastermind. Because he would really like an immersive survival game experience where stakes are high and there’s much to lose. I really wouldn’t put it above him to request to be turned into a remnant too. After all, he has more fun playing the game than making it—it wouldn’t be fair if he started off with an advantage while everyone else already had the disadvantage of their morals being corrupted right? Course Nagito already had loose morals as is so how effective his remnant transformation is can be questioned. How much is he affected and how much is he playing the part for the sake of the game? Who knows~ A good player doesn’t reveal his skill set right off the bat y’know.

Chiaki, meanwhile, will potentially become a remnant as well. I say potentially because I feel she’d be a sort of in-between the way Original Nagito was. Not fully despair fueled as her other classmates, but also not entirely trustworthy either. This is due to her constant living with despair due to her luck with a combination of her innate kindness that fend off some of the effects of remnant-fication. As a remnant, she goes back and forth between wanting to cause despair and wanting to help her classmates (and the world) get better. In a way it sort of makes her one of the more unstable remnants, in that you don’t know when she’s here to genuinely help and when she might do something in a wave of despair. It’s like a coin toss and you gotta hope you’re lucky and get her in one of her helpful moods.

This has gotten long enough but dang this au really does bring me lots of joy to explore. If I had more time on my hands I would get into other characters and what their swaps are and how that’s changed their backstory but for now take this instead.

#anonymous #I made a lil note on my phone of who swapped talents with who #I tried to keep it within the class so Class 77+Hajime swap with each other exclusively #if you’re interested to know what everyone (in class 77 anyway) swap talent is #send me an asks #cuz uh I got a lil invested in this au when I was making it originally #ah I still hope to draw more swaps from here #If I do the next set would probs be Hajime and Ibuki #or Sonia and Imposter #cuz I have their backstory a bit more fleshed out #the sets wouldn’t always be ships btw some are just connected in some capacity #also in this au Peko would be the protag lol #danganronpa #talent swap au #fala replies #a e i o queue

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akkivee · 10 months

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some things don’t ever change huh kuukou 🤭

#this is vee speaking #zannen: stay away from me!!!! 😱😱😱 kuukou: i can’t hear you!!!!!!!! *destroys him*#me: YEAH GET HIM GOOD KUUKOU YOURE DOING AMAZING 💜💜💜💜💜💜#i do think it’s interesting he’s repeated this here actually lol #like kuukou just doesn’t see the hypnosis mics as a weapon and actually never has if the nb track is anything to go by #i’m sure that’d make rei happy to hear lol tho it does make me curious about what about the mics attracted kuukou to them #he watched otome take over the government with them and was impressed lol #but that does fall in line with kuukou repeatedly trying to hijack shit lol like #in the nurusara track he tried to take over sasara’s tv show lmao #and again in the block party he said he wouldn’t mind going up on stage in place for ichiro who had the main time slot #it’s kuukou peacocking/being an attention wh0re lol but i still would like to know if there’s a reason for it lmao!!!!!! 😭😭😭#oh sorry about blocking reblogs i set it that way since i didn’t know how to make the connection without using a manga screenshot 😖

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fiendishartist2 · 2 months

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guys what if i want to make my own apollo justice game.

#i need to write a prequel to aa4 pls pls pls pls pls #okay get this: so phoenix isnt disbarred yet and he doesnt have trucy. hes still taking and winning cases #one day he gets a call from edgeworth and hes all like ''wright i need your assistance'' and hes like what for and edgeworth goes #''ive been given the most ridiculous case and i think youre the only man in law who can take care of it''#so phoenix bikes his ass to the detention center and boom. child behind bars #and phoenix is like ??? hey kid what are doing here. and this kid is the most surly mfer on the planet like you couldnt get-#-a word out of him if you tried. hes kinda giving phoenix the stink eye too but hes just the littlest guy on earth #and phoenix feels bad for him so he tries to get a rundown of the case (maybe edgeworth gave him an autopsy report or smth beforehand)#but get this. the kid still wont speak. he hasnt even moved a muscle. and after some prodding you find out this little dude-#-doesnt speak english (i dont love aa6 but i think apollos tragic backstory can be interesting so we're going w that but taking it seriousl #anyways so maya is like omg this kid is speaking khurainese but hers is kinda broken bc shes not from the mainland and only knows it-#-from like prayers #so you only get bits and pieces of the kids testimony. plus he still doesnt wanna talk bc ''dhurk told me not to talk to you''#so you start following the new lead but you ask too many questions and apollos like oh shit i said too much and wont talk to you anymore #but now you have two leads: khur'ain and a man named ''dhurk'' plus the fact that this is kid might be new to america since-#-he cant speak english but is smack dab in the middle of california. its all v curious and phoenix wants to get to the bottom of it #for the rest of the case i feel like it would go in the direction of ''we dont know exactly whats up w this dhurk guy or where this kid-#-came from but we do get him acquitted and phoenix is able to save him from the dark path he was heading towards'' thus steering apollo-#-in the direction of law and giving him a wayyyy better reason than aa6 gave him <3 #i kind of like the interlinked nature of ace attorney's storytelling. like everything leads into smth else and everyone is impacted-#-by another person before they even become properly entangled w each other's lives #like how mia faced dahlia years before she met phoenix but dahlia was the one to connect them #or how trucy gave phoenix the diary paper but she's also the one who ropes apollo into the waa. even before they know they're siblings #or how lamoire left apollo and trucy as children and when they reunite as adults they cant recognise each other but they all find each-#-other anyways #i could go on but i think this could be cool yknow esp bc i think the most interesting thing about apollo's aa6 backstory is his life-#-post dhurk. like where did he stay? was he a foster kid? was he put into the system? how did that affect him? what kind of ppl took him in #i just wanna know how that whole thing would have effected him bc like when yiu think about it how did he even get to america?? his dad's #-considered a terrorist. idk man i think its interesting and apollo and dhurks interactions are one of the only good parts of aa6

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dapperrokyuu · 11 months

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Fact about me that will only be understood and potentially found amusing by a niche amount of people: oddly, the first Vocaloid project I found myself getting into was Shuuen no Shiori and then Kagerou Project. I clicked on a Kagerou Days thumbnail thinking it was a PART of Shuuen no Shiori, lol.

#dee p thoughts #music series #shuuen no shiori #kagerou project #vocaloid #I find myself curious and wanting to dig into more series but ah...Ill have to go out of my way and look into it sometime lol #these projects are music first story second at the end of the day when youve consumed enough you gotta realize none of these will be #particularly stellar at the very least you can wish them to be barely comprehensible but even then lololol #ironically I dont know if this would be a hot take but I think shuuen no shiori IS more comprehensible and tangible in meaning than kagerou #project adlkjbnadfkjn- hey shout out to my mikagura school suite fans what was that lol #admittedly theres some shorter ''series'' nowadays that are more solid but Im not sure if Id call them series and/or theyre intended to be #as opposed to just...songs that are connected to each other with a storyline. my distinctor is that theyre very brief #like nilfruits with shama kilmaa and aranjando(sp?) theyre very solid but Im not sure if theyre an intended SERIES its only 3 songs #theres also the color series from hiiragi kirai but I...theres something going on there but its very vague not sure if they seriously want #to do anything with that ajdlknbfdakljn #and then yuri kuriyama with neurosis ope and vital sign ah...#I feel like projects are technically still here but also at the same time not its very interesting haha #theres also milgram but admittedly my feelings towards it are kind of. *shrugs* eh #anyways reader if you wanted another series to get into I recommend alien stage its the most solid series Ive been into imo and its a #current running one!!! I REALLY LIKE IT AHHH #I FORGOT ABOUT ROYAL SCANDAL UWAGHHH I enjoy that one too lol

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relientlykrazie · 9 months

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I'll be honest, I really don't think we'll see Betty much outside of flashbacks. There is a possibility that Simon could somehow still get her back but i do feel this is all leading up to him learning to accept she's gone, he can't get her back and that's ok; moving on doesn't meaning forgetting her. He could live on for her. Or for Marceline. Even though she's old enough to fight for herself now, she still adores him, he's her (adoptive) dad!

#being even more honest... i never really cared much for Betty #I don't really know why that is she just never interested me much outside of being connected to Simon #I think it would make much for sense for him to live on for someone who's still here and cares about him so much #Adventure Time #Fionna and Cake #this series definitely feels like it's gonna lean into the 5 stages of grief aspect; Simon is already well into the depression stage

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fideidefenswhore · 1 year

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okay i am still working on that henry percy write-up but another angle i wish was explored more:

very few allow for the possibility that chapuys was exaggerating jane’s support of mary as heir to the throne to the extent he was because he’s gone beyond and arguably to some extent, even against charles’ advice/instruction in his support of jane and active role in the boleyn downfall, over any princess charles wanted him to wed when it became clear there would be a new english queen (consort)....

of course he’s lost face regardless, but the solution to minimize that (basically, for promising different outcomes than resulted and overestimating jane’s influence on henry and the power that would be hers once queen) might have been to repeatedly insist that jane was vehemently attempting intercession for mary and even to reinstate her as heir, but that henry was dead-set against this, and of course, nobody could ever have predicted this (it was within the expectations of the ambassador’s role to predict political outcomes, an element where chapuys was more often than not, an abysmal failure, particularly wrt this timeline)

aside from the one report of the bishop of faenza ( she has five times thrown herself publicly at the King's feet, requesting him to send for his daughter and declare her Princess), who was not the most reliable source of the tudor court, this is not corroborated by any other contemporary source beyond a report that mary sat at the king and queen’s table for meals (much later), and the later spanish chronicle. chapuys’ own eventual face-to-face meeting with jane preceding mary’s capitulation contained commitment from her that was soon interrupted by henry, although of course chapuys attempts to spin this as best he can and save face later when events plummet soon after:

the satisfaction of this people with the marriage was incredible, especially at the restoration of the Princess to the King's favor and to her former condition [...] begged her to favor her interests; which she said she would do [...] I begged him the day before, when he spoke about it, to take care that it did not contain anything which could directly or indirectly touch her right, or the honor either of herself or of the late Queen, her mother, nor yet her conscience; otherwise she would not consent thereto for all the gold in the world [...] Meanwhile I went to talk with this Queen's brother, whom I left very well informed of the great good it would be, not only to the Queen his sister and all their kin, but also to the realm and all Christendom likewise, if the Princess were restored to her rights; and I am sure he will use his good offices therein. [...] the King got into a great anger against the obstinacy and disobedience of the said Princess, showing clearly that he bore her very little love or goodwill [...] In this case it would be important for the Princess to be declared heiress, at least in case of no male heirs. Has some hopes of this from the demonstration lately made by the King, the Queen's goodwill to her, and the words of Cromwell. [...] it was proposed to deprive the Bastard and make [Mary] heiress [...] the matter proceeded so far that, in spite of the prayers of this Queen, which he rudely repulsed, the King called the judges to proceed according to law to the inquest and first sentence which is given in the absence of the parties [...] I even sent to [Cromwell] several times, when matters were so desperate, to advise the Princess to consent to the King's will, and I have since fully assured him that he should know before two months were over that there was no man in the world who had done better service in this matter than I. / the danger of interrupting our negociations for amity, in which the English proceed so coldly that I know not what to say / The ambassador writes that she was a maid of the late Queen, and afterwards of Anne Boleyn; that she is virtuous and kindly and welldisposed to the Princess, in whose favor she has spoken to the King, and that there were hopes of her being declared true heir in the parliament. / They have also renewed and aggravated the statutes against those who should use the name of Pope, which is also treason; and it is said they will cause the whole realm to be sworn again, in confirmation of the statutes against the Holy See, against the marriage of the late good Queen and the legitimacy of the Princess, to whom no one should dare give that title on pain of his life. / [...] doubted whether he should have any child by the Queen; for which reason he intended, in a few days, to declare the Princess heir of the kingdom / I think the Princess has acted more prudently, whatever Count Cifuentes and Doctor Ortiz may say, who in my opinion have not considered all the circumstances. / The Princess is well. Since her reconciliation to her father, she has been treated even with more ceremony than in times past. / As to the Princess, Cromwell tells me she will be declared heiress apparent without fail. / She is now served as Princess. / Chapuis writes on Sept. 2 that the Princess is well, and is served as Princess.

jane either over-promised or chapuys exaggerated the vehemence of her promise (he certainly did cromwell’s... ‘without fail’ indeed); edward it seems made no commitment at all (none chapuys reports, at least...) and yet he is ‘sure’ he will do his utmost to restore her to her rights.

the question becomes, what corroborating evidence do we have of chapuys’ reports on this dynamic as he reported? really it’s only mary’s letter to jane, which seems to be in response to a letter of support jane only wrote and sent after mary’s submission/capitulation (the copy of which has not, frustratingly, survived, although mary quotes it partially-- “no less full of motherly joy for my towardness of reconciliation than of most prudent counsel for my further proceeding therein"-- although it seems like jane was only able to keep one promise-- “of your goodness you promise to travel to bring to a perfection” was kept, but her request to “have in remembrance her desire to attain the King's presence” after the initial visit was not met for another five months-- “the delay of the coronation will do no harm except that the coming of the Princess to Court is put off till it takes place”).

#his advice to mary being connected on a promise elizabeth would be demoted and mary would be confirmed heir by parliament... woof #there's also quite a gap between the reconciliation and mary being received at court #this has been attributed to the plague but it's like...it's not as if she went with them to dover...#chapuys attempts to save face by saying mary has not been invited to court because she won't be until jane is crowned #and then she is. before she's crowned.#i get so much secondhand embarassment reading his dispatches fr like...what DO you know #but yeah so much of this has to be read as an exercise in face-saving #i don't understand why it so seldom is #'received with EVEN more ceremony than in times past'...come tf on?#as in more so than when she was princess and had a huge household in service to her?#she did receive more servants than she had in elizabeth's residences before #but it was definitely still a huge reduction from 'past times'#also it's interesting that he never asked this of anne #it would involve recognition of her which i assume was why he wouldn't but #considering he claims she was the primary influence of her ill-treatment...wouldn't the obvious answer be to request him to favor her #in exchange for imperial gratitude?#*and most importantly; the primary influence upon henry #or even to george as he does here (the queen's brother) considering he thought george's influence on anne and the king were pretty great #also smth chapuys never attempts despite speaking with george a handful of times during anne's reign #*to request anne #it seems like he chose cromwell as the conduit to henry with very little effect #at least insofar as promoting/protecting mary's interests went

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