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your-local-grubdog · 9 months

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Pikmin 4: Heritage Theory

Warning for MAJOR Pikmin 4 spoilers, including: various end of day conversations, post-credit events, late game piklopedia and treasure hoard entries, and also the final boss.

As a sort of re-boot of the franchise, Pikmin 4 introduces a lot of new ideas to the series. Among them is the idea that the various alien species in the game are much more closely related than we first realized - and perhaps more connected to PNF-404 than we would have ever thought in the other three games. I wanted to go over the various texts in the game that touch on this idea and talk about them a little because, hoo boy, the IMPLICATIONS. I call it a theory in the title for a lack of better wording but it honestly just feels like a canon fact that's never directly stated. There's just that much evidence, much of which all but outright says what happened.

Apologies if the images are a little low quality, Tumblr crunched them up badly. I provide image descriptions so hopefully that makes up for it.

As this has many end game spoilers (which, final warning for those), I'm going to assume that anyone reading beyond this point knows the basics of the game's story, world, and characters. Thus I won't be explaining every last little thing.

Somewhat early on, Olimar makes the following observation in his Voyage Log:

[ALT ID: Olimar's Voyage Log, entry 60, "Lost Civilization": Some of the objects I call treasure seem to be more complex than they initially appear. It makes me wonder... who made these? And where are they? I don't sense their presence here at all, but I suppose they could be hiding in the shadows, secretly watching me. END ID]

This vaguely threatening entry does confirm that the characters, or at least Olimar, are aware that there was indeed a civilization on PNF-404 at some point. It should also be noted that the Japanese website includes notes from another character who is also aware of the ancient civilization, though the canonicity of it is debatable. I'll get back to that "they're in the shadows, watching" line in another post, as it presents its own can of worms. For now, what matters is that the characters are aware that this planet was once inhabited and Nintendo is drawing attention towards that.

Where this starts to get weird and interesting is with Olimar's Treasure Hoard entries on the Heroic Shield, Memory Fragment (Center Right), and Buddy Display. I can't show all of their text in just one screenshot and the pikipedia hasn't added every treasure note to the Pikmin 4 treasures as of writing, so I'll only be including the segments most related to this conversation.

[ALT ID 1: Treasure Hoard, Olimar's Notes, Heroic Shield (segment): That would mean these living beings must have looked something like us... I wonder who they were and what their faces looked like. Could they have been our ancestors who migrated through space to our planet long ago? (the treasure is a pin showing the helmet of a human-style spacesuit) END ID 1]

[ALT ID 2: Treasure Hoard, Olimar's Notes, Memory Fragment (Center Right) (segment): I'm amazed that such a similar species could exist in the far reaches of outer space. I've heard that organic components can travel through space on meteorites and comets. Could there be a connection between my planet and this one? (treasure is of a puzzle piece with part of a dog's face on it) END ID 2]

[ALT ID 3: Treasure Hoard, Olimar's Notes, Buddy Display (segment): I can't find any evidence of them in any of the existing creature databases. But there's something familiar about them. It's almost as if I've met them before... I guess I'll chalk it up to an ancient memory that's been imprinted on my genome. (treasure is a photograph of two earth dogs) END ID 3]

There is so much to unpack here alone. Olimar straight up theorizes that there may be a connection between PNF-404 and Hocotate, even going to far as to propose if maybe the people of PNF-404 (or at least the people who made the Heroic Shield) may be his ancient ancestors. He does also theorize that a meteorite may have carried "organic components", which is technically possible, but I'm not sure how that would occur in a way that carries said components from one non-destroyed planet to another and leading to creatures evolving in eerily similar ways. Honestly, I'll chalk that one up to an early theory of his, a red herring on Nintendo's part, and thus not something to think about too much. Especially sense, in the Buddy Display, he considers his ability to somewhat recognize Earth dogs as an "ancient memory... imprinted on my genome". While I'm not sure of the science behind such a claim, we also have to take this from a story telling perspective - which is that Nintendo is all but screaming "there is a connection here". Not just in relation to the aliens and the planets, but also in relation to the dogs.

Speaking of the dogs, Olimar's notes on the final boss of the game presents yet more evidence to a connection - this time focusing more on the connection between Earth dogs and space dogs.

[ALT ID 1: Piklopedia, Olimar's notes, Ancient Sirehound (segment): These results would indicate that 99.9 percent of the canine creature's DNA matches Oatchi's, and that the only difference between Oatchi and Moss may be the natural presence or absence of a leaf tail. END ID 1]

[ALT IDs 2 and 3, as one naturally leads into the other: Piklopedia, Olimar's notes, Ancient Sirehound (segment): If these two theories prove to be true, it would suggest the possibility that this ancient creature is a common ancestor to two canine species from vastly remote star systems. And that, perhaps, there are even more hidden secrets out there that could hint at a fascinating yet inconceivable truth the universe has yet to reveal... END IDs 2 AND 3]

I'm not sure what else to say here; the evidence speaks for itself. The Ancient Sirehound and Moss - both from PNF-404 - closely match the genetics of Oatchi, who is from an entirely different part of the universe. For the Sirehound to be genetically related to Oatchi, then members of the Sirehound's species would have had to leave PNF-404 and migrate to other planets. Their care takers - humans - would have had to go with them.

I also find it worth pointing out that the Sirehound's arena is filled with various human items, such as shoes and toys. It's honestly a little haunting to find them so deep in a dark cave, unused by humans for who knows how long. The ruined toys in particular really get to me. We don't know how old the Ancient Sirehound in particular is, but the idea that humans once hid in this cave from something or that their dog brought the items here for comfort is really depressing.

[ALT IDs: various hard-to-see images of the human items in question, including: pillows, pipes. gardening tools, a fork, adult sized shoes, baby sized shoes, various children's toys, and other objects I couldn't quite make out. All of them are either partly submerged in water or at the very edge of water, leaving them covered in mud. END IDs]

I think by now it's safe to say that, yes, humans left Earth with their dogs at some point in time. Yet there are still MORE pieces of evidence to suggest this idea, this time coming from Shepherd's family history. Because we really needed to be beat over the head with evidence, I suppose. All are presented in numerical order as shown in-game.

[ALT ID 1: Rescue Journal, Shepherd Family History, entry 1: Thanks to the technology that has come from space exploration, our lives have grown much easier and far safer, and on-planet rescue requests have decreased dramatically. But as migration into space continues to grow, our services continue to be needed. So I'm happy to announce we are extending our rescue services to the frontiers of space! Signed, Paniya Shepherd, 82nd Captain. END ID 1]

[ALT ID 2: Rescue Journal, Shepherd Family History, entry 2: We've done it at last! We have flown to space! Out in this great, limitless expanse, not a sound can be heard. And yet, I can still clearly hear the pounding of my own heartbeat. Space--how it overflows with possibilities! There can be no doubt. This is one giant leap forward for our kind. Signed, Ed Shepherd, 65th Captain. END ID 2]

[ALT ID 3: Rescue Journal, Shepherd Family History, entry 6: The Shepherd family has lived with dogs from the very beginning. We understand that if we love and respect these creatures as we do our own--if we pay attention and observe their behavior closely--then we can break down the walls between our species and truly understand one another. Signed, Kain Shepherd, 16th Captain. END ID 3]

[ALT ID 4: Rescue Journal, Shepherd Family History, entry 7: "Beyond the sky itself there lies a beautiful blue planet." Those words have been passed down from captain to captain, calling to each of us. I can't imagine what sort of place this blue planet might be, but it's said to be home to even more dogs and folks that we have here. One day, I hope to fly beyond the sky...and into space. Signed, Maris Shepherd, 7th Captain. END ID 4]

[ALT ID 5: Rescue Journal, Shepherd Family History, entry 8: Many years have passed since we first began to make this land our new home. Still, we need more time to complete our environmental adaptations. In the meantime, we must survive so that, one day, we can pass down this new history to our children, and pass down the ways we've learned to rescue and protect everyone. One day we will live here in peace. Signed, Mark Shepherd, 2nd Captain. END ID 5]

[ALT ID 6: Rescue Journal, Shepherd Family History, entry 9: The surface! We made it at last! Finally, we can begin making a fresh start here on this planet. Of course, it will take many long months and years before what we've built here will be anything like what we once had. But we won't be alone. Our beloved dogs will be by our side as we walk this long, difficult road. Signed, Aral Shepherd, 1st Captain. END ID 6]

There is so much here, all confirming that ancient Giyans (and Captain Shephard's direct ancestors) 1) migrated to this new planet in search of a "fresh start" and 2) proceeded to migrate to other parts of space many generations latter. It also hints that they know of a "blue planet" - a common nickname for Earth - which is home to more people and dogs. Most certainly, it is the planet they came from - making Giyans human, or at least an evolution of humanity, and perhaps all other alien races in Pikmin 4 (from Hocotations to Koppaites to Ohrians to Conohanins to anyone else from the twenty one named planets (excluding PNF-404) in the series) are also descendent from Giyans. It would explain why they all look so similar in game - though we can safely assume that Hocotations are at least descendent from Giyans based on Olimar's notes. Further more, the leafling cure requires cells from a non-leafified individual who is genetically similar to the individual in question. We're never told how Yonny gets these cells (and, given we're talking about Yonny, I'm too afraid to even ask) but the fact that the medicine works for anyone regardless of what their home planet is suggests that they are, in fact, more or less the same species.

How different the various aliens look from Humans is easily chalked up to evolution. We know minor changes in height could, theoretically, happen within just one or two generations spent on a planet with different gravity than Earth's. It would make sense that this would be exacerbated over many many more generations, especially if the gravity is much stronger. Which, to quote the Pikipedia, "According to Brittany, the gravity on Koppai is roughly ten times stronger than on PNF-404." Given their matching heights, it's probably safe to assume similar applies to the other planets, and thus over the generations the people shrunk. Again, the exact scientific validity of this is questionable, but given the semi-fantastical nature of Pikmin I believe we can suspend our disbelief enough to let this story work. We already have to do that for how the Pikmin as a species function, after all. As for oxygen becoming toxic in the 8th history entry Mark Shephard does state that "we need more time to complete our environmental adaptations". Be these natural or artificially induced (as he is only of the second generation), it is again safe to suspend our disbelief to say that humans just adapted to these new worlds. Besides, Koppaites at the very least retained (or possibly gained back?) the ability to tolerate at least low amounts of oxygen.

The real problems come in the time frame and the loss of history. It's never stated one way or the other if people are aware of their ultimate connections back to Giya, so I won't discuss that, but it is very obvious they have forgotten their connection to Earth/PNF-404. Furthermore, it's made clear that the Giyans lost the ability to travel through space by the 7th generation and only regained it by the 65th. If they had access to space flight, they would certainly have archives of their heritage - and they do indeed seem to have some idea of what it is, given how Earth has become a legend. Yet, the Shephard family history as far back as the migration to Giya was preserved - why not anything else? The inconsistencies and questions make this part of the tale hard for me to ignore, yet we have no answers. This is pure speculation, but if I had to provide an answer I think a solar flare hit Giya and destroyed their technology, making them start over. Perhaps these early Giyain-Humans were so reliant on technology at this point that there were no books or oral traditions to preserve this heritage lost when the tech was destroyed? Though, somehow, the Shephard family would have to be one of if not the exception to this. Again, the previous is pure speculation, but it's the best we can do for the time being.

There's also the question of when and how Earth dogs changed to look like the Sirehound, which would of had to happen before the migration to space given that Oatchi has the same body plan. And then why did Moss's species become so much smaller?

Still, even with all these plot holes, I think it's pretty damn clear that Nintendo intended for our favorite little aliens to be the evolutionary decedents of humans. How and if they'll use this plot point remains to be seen, but it does open up a whole bag of opportunities for the universe of Pikmin. One that, frankly, deserves to be explored.

#pikmin #pikmin 4 #pikmin theory #borb screams #THIS TOOK SO LONG TO MAKE AAAA #I am open to discussions and questions btw

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brw · 1 month

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soooo any in-depth thoughts/analysis on the recent x-force comic?

Ooooh okay, so I've definitely already ranted far too much to @elvain and @positivelybeastly but yes, I have quite a few, on various levels of complexity. The main thing that really stands out me is this; we have followed Hank for 50 issues of this, and a solid chunk of Percy's Wolverine. We have been in his head at different stages, and observed his thought patterns and his reasoning at different intervals, however weak or out of character those are. Not once did he ever mention or even think about Simon. So it really does stand out that without a moment's hesitation or consideration, he gave his life for Simon. No messing around, no second thoughts... because it was Simon, and Simon specifically. He would have never in a million years done that for anyone on Krakoa. He was willing to permanently ruin his relationship with Jean and with Emma and with so many people he cares about, but not Simon. Simon, he will throw himself in front of time and time again. Even if you're not reading these two as romantic, the literal actual text is clearly that Simon is on a higher tier of emotional importance to Hank, even the worst version of Hank, than anyone else. That stands out. Intentional or not, that is what happens! The only person who could get Hank to stop thinking about Krakoa or about mutantkind's survival above all ethics or morals was Simon Williams.

Now, Percy doesn't write a particularly strong Simon. While Simon is a pacifist, he also kind of fucking hates Logan, and I really don't think even pacifist Simon wouldn't tell Logan to get the fuck out of his face here.

(also, Simon is like 6'2. What the hell is Logan standing on to make him seem so tall?)

And I know for a fact that Percy hasn't read these issues because it doesn't make any sense to write Hank the way he does if he actually has this much knowledge... BUT. But. It does stand out to me how willing Simon was to put himself in front of that gun/nuke thing, because Simon has done that before, and he has died from it. He dies in issue one of Force Works to protect earth from the Kree Ionic Cannon, which comes across as a reference to the comic event Operation: Galactic Storm, where Simon fails to stop a bomb going off that kills many Kree soldiers and this trauma permanently changes the tone of the 1991 Wonder Man series.

Simon has become someone very willing to sacrifice himself to protect other people, because the fear of being responsible for so many deaths has outweighed his fear of dying himself. Anyway, after Force Works, we see Simon's funeral in Tales of the Marvels: Wonder Years, and Hank is briefly interviewed and shown at that funeral, and he looks absolutely miserable.

And it is just... does Beast Prime remember this? Remember how difficult it was to lose his best friend? Hank becomes increasingly reclusive and focused on curing the legacy virus at the expense of his friendships during the 90s; is this part of this? Does this influence just how quick of a decision it was, to put himself and his life in front of Simon once again sacrificing himself for the benefit of others?

As I said, I do not think Ben has read either Force Works or Wonder Years, because why would you read those for this and not any Hank McCoy comic ever, but it does remind me of those moments and there's just. a lot of parallels there I enjoy.

However, I do feel frustrated slightly by the decision made to literally blow up Hank from the 80s–2020s? That's 40 years, and a lot of people have contributed to Hank in that time. Morrison, Whedon, Lobdell, Gillen, Waid, Ewing, Wells, Claremont, and hell, even people who's Hank's I don't like very much, like Bendis or Fraction, they all still had at least something to contribute to the character and it feels wrong that so much of that history is just. gone. Is Percy's writing worth this loss? Has he made any interesting statements about Hank McCoy as a character to justify steamrolling over 40 years of history and established lore and character development? Abigail Brand, gone from Hank's memory. His time travel shenanigans, gone. Dark Beast, a vague comment. Breaking through the door of Avengers mansion to kiss Simon on the floor and give him red roses, also gone. Becoming feline, to the sands of time. It's just depressing that so much has been cut out because writing an actual redemption arc would require having positive thoughts about Hank and we know Percy doesn't have those. I suppose I'm also just generally against the idea that villains have to die to be redeemed, anyway; is it not more interesting and more complex when someone has done so many horrible things as Hank had done under Percy, and he still is capable of change? Why can he only prove that capability in death? It feels like a very lazy way out and I really hope MacKay or someone gives Hank those memories back because so many wonderful and interesting dynamics have been lost because of it and I don't want them just to roll over it as if it hasn't happened.

But it does still really stand out that. Hank was willing to give everything up for Simon, and Simon specifically. Simon was the first person Defenders era Beast could think of that would make things better, that he felt safe talking to, and Simon is the one and only person Beast Prime was willing to die for, to put all the rest of his motivations and impulses on hold for and give up his life because he couldn't bare to lose his friend again.

And now the new Hank is living in Simon's small, one bed flat in L.A.

He's not helping the X-Men fight Orchis or the sentinels, or help X-Force with the Sabertooth problem... no, he's followed Simon to L.A. despite being covered in fur. That's true love if I've ever seen it.

It is also absolutely hysterical how little X-Force did in their own finale. Because did Hank give up his life because he felt regret over what he did for them? Did they successfully inspire change or successfully stop him in any way other than drag a sentinel to bother Simon and Hank? No! They didn't do anything! Logan stabbed Beast Prime but that didn't stop him, Simon being at risk and being in danger did! The combined forces of X-Force and a giant sentinel are not enough to stop Hank McCoy but the actor from Arkon IV is. Not because Simon even spoke to Beast Prime, or because he's thought about Simon once in the past 5 years, but because it was impulsive. Hank loves Simon so deeply that he will give his life for him even at his very worst, even after 5+ years of no contact and no thoughts about him. That's the actual closing statement of X-Force. How much Hank McCoy would do anything for this d list lame actor/underwear model.

#i thought about ranting about Ben Percy's bad politics but I'm in a good mood so I shant #anonymous #wednesday spoilers #x force spoilers #hank mccoy #wonder man

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snowdropluck204 · 11 months

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Sweetness - Sweet Pea x Fem! Reader

Hello my lovelies! I'm not sure if this fandom is even alive anymore... at least not the Sweet Pea love, but I hope the people who find this story might like it? Just to make sure, Trigger Warning! For anyone who is triggered by the following; Death, illness, gang related activity, injury, guns or knives - Please read this book with caution, there will most likely be mentions of at least one of these in each chapter, but I will give a proper warning for any scenes that detail these events!

Thank you my lovelies (Also, I'm not sure when exactly the series takes place, so be gentle with my dates please!), and enjoy the chapter! Xxx __________________________

July 1999,

Dear diary,

I used to think that Riverdale was the safest place for me, Ricky always had my back, someone I could always trust, someone who loved me and that I adored. And now he's gone.

Ricky was a badass! He was an angel of death and was a big deal in the Serpents, he died protecting his friend! He was so young... He was in the hospital for days, I still think they could have saved him, they chose not to! They saw the snake on his shoulder and chose to give him the bare minimum help!!

Screw this town. Screw the Ghoulies. Screw the Northside. The Southside.

I can't help but feel selfish now. Thinking about myself and what I'm going to do with Peanut. Sure they were a surprise, but they were a welcome one. Ricky was so excited about you, little one. He would have spoiled you rotten.

I know that the Serpents would have taken care of us, F.P is definitely going to be named Godfather now, but they aren't Ricky. And everything in this damn town reminds me of him, of what he was. So I'm leaving. My parents are moving with us out of town, as far away as we can.

I love you so so much Peanut, and I'm hoping one day you'll be a nosy little shit like your dad and find these entries one day, it will be much less painful than telling you his story myself.

Until I meet you, Kathryn (aka mama)

________________________________

February 2000

Dear Ricky,

She's here. She's beautiful. Ten fingers and ten toes, I named her (y/n), the name you wanted, it just seemed perfect for her. I'm going to love her and protect her the way you would have. I've written to F.P, letting him know that he has a happy, healthy god-daughter. I wasn't convinced about him being her godfather, but it's a bit difficult to argue with you now, huh?

Don't think I'm going to let her forget how painful it was getting her out of me though! If this kid ever gives me sass, I'm going to tell her they nearly had to cut her out of me so she can zip it!

I wish you could see her, I was so worried when she first arrived, she didn't make a sound. She hasn't cried since. She just sort of scrunches up her face when she wants something, sort of the way you did when I refused your kisses.

I hope she winds up keeping your eye colour, the gorgeous (e/c). Most people who lose someone say they can't bear to look at others that look like their loved ones. But your eyes, were my everything. My slice of heaven. My oasis. She has my nose, I want her to have your eyes.

I love you Ricky,

Kathryn

________________________________

December 2015

Dear Diary,

It's been a while huh? Being a parent is a bit of a full time job I guess! But (y/n) is beginning to suspect that I'm hiding something from her, she sees me getting weaker, she can tell I'm going places without her. How am I supposed to tell her that I'm running off to the Oncology department a few times a week...?

I want to tell her, desperately. I hate hiding this from her, she's seen me getting weaker for years, she's been taking care of me, ditching school to make sure I'm okay for fuck's sake! She's my angel, she means everything to me.

I can't hide it from her any longer, I'm going to tell her tonight over dinner.

Wish me luck,

Kathryn

________________________________

August 2017

Dear Peanut,

I'm sorry it has to go this way, believe me, if I could have stayed longer I would have, but you wouldn't have wanted that. You need to live your life without having to worry about me, follow your dreams without me holding you back.

I love you so so much (y/n), but I think we both know its time for me. This is the hardest thing I have ever written, and I hope you can forgive me.

With this letter, I have left you a folder, it's just dumb legal bullshit really, but I think there are some things in there that you'll like. I know you found your dad's old recipe books, you and him were so alike my darling.

Hopefully, the stuff in the folder will help you, please don't mourn too long, live your life for me, for your dad.

I love you more than words can say.

Be a good girl (y/n).

Love mama

________________________________

Patient Name: Rick (l/n) Age: 24 Status: Deceased Reason for Admittance: Stab wound Cause of Injury: Gang Fight

Treatment: Patient was admitted with a stab between the second and third ribs (left) at approximately two AM. Patient was given steroids and antibiotics to avoid infection. The wound was more severe than originally believed, the left lung had been punctured. Patient was lost in surgery.

________________________________

Seeing all the memories that I spent the last month avoiding was harder than I had expected. If I thought it was difficult holding my mother's hand as she fought through the cancer and eventually as she passed away, I wasn't prepared for the feeling of resurfacing memories. Mama's lawyer had handed me a large brown folder, a solemn look on his face, struggling to think of something to say to the girl who was now an orphan.

I left the folder in a draw of my dresser after I'd got home, the house felt so empty without her around. Even when she was weak, my mama lit up the room she was in. She was happy and, as cliche and now untrue as it was to say, full of life. Now the house felt cold and dead. My mama was my best friend, my closest confidante, she hasn't been gone an hour and I was already so lost. The worst part was, when I felt this lost, I spoke to my mother.

I went to my mama's room, followed by our dog. I had found him in the park when I was younger, he was just a puppy, I begged and pleaded with mama to keep him, after a pretty big temper tantrum, she finally gave in. Sonic wasn't a puppy anymore, he was nine years old and huge! Mama liked him eventually, when he began exhibiting guarding behaviour, feeling more comfortable with him as a guard dog, a big Rottweiler cross that looked like her came straight from guarding Hades.

Sitting on her bed as carefully as I could, I thought about how strange it was, that everything still was the same, the day was a beautiful, blue sky, the house still looked the same. I contemplated opening the folder now, but it was too hard to think about. Instead, I curled up in the bed sheets, humming a lullaby my mama used to sing, until I fell asleep.

But now I was reading the files. It was a lot of suppressed pain that had suddenly bubbled its way to the surface. My heart felt like someone had taken a hammer to it, there was a photo album full of pictures of me and mama, even some of her and my dad, when they were in high school. I never knew my dad, now I knew why.

Mama had told me he had died, she had just never told me how. Now I knew, someone in a gang had murdered my father. But the diary entries mama had written, my dad was in a gang as well. He died, for another gang member. F.P Jones.

I'd seen the name in the folder too, he was listed as my legal guardian, my godfather, on my birth certificate. I'm not sure just how much I was interested in hunting this guy down, yes he was the person that my parents trusted enough to be my legal guardian, but he was also the person my father took a knife for...

Anyway, I began enjoying myself, looking through all of the pictures of my parents, I even smiled a few times at the pictures of mama and I. The smile faded into confusion when a few certificates and documents were mixed into the nostalgia. Leafing through the documents, I was shocked to find deeds. Specifically to my inheritance and to the house my parents had bought, before dad died. Mama did say she wanted to move away when he'd passed.

Away from Riverdale... ________________________________

The house was bigger than I had expected, a two story suburban dream house, sure it was a bit worse for wear, the wood panelling had chipped paint, some of the windows were so filthy I couldn't see through them and the porch was most definitely a health hazard, but that just meant I had something to distract myself with.

Unfortunately for the house, it would have to wait for some TLC, I was already on my way a few streets down, Sonic trailing behind me, to a separate building, one that my parents had left me money to be able to purchase. It was small, but I knew as soon as I'd seen it, I loved it. It had been my dream since I was a little girl to run my own bakery. I loved cooking and food as much as my father had seemingly.

Mama was right in her diary, I had found dad's old recipe books when I was five, I used a lot of the recipes to learn how to cook, and even more of them because they were claimed as healthy, I was a kid, I thought that because an adult deemed it good, it would make her better. It didn't, but I remember mama's face when I eventually fessed up about snooping through dad's stuff.

Dad had a lot of baked goods in his books, I even managed to tweak a few of them, but he never got to have a place of his own, I was looking forward to this. I would be dedicating my life to something I wanted to do, but also to my parents, forming a legacy I hoped they would be proud of.

My future bakery looked a lot worse than the house did, that was putting it lightly, the windows were smashed, glass was everywhere, the door was practically falling off its hinges and the bricks looked like they had been whacked with a battering ram! Although, the most confusing part about the building, was the old woman sitting on the bench outside, staring at the 'Sold' sign in the window of the door.

I walked up to the woman, cautiously, clearing my throat to avoid startling her, "Excuse me?" I asked, seeing her turn her head to face me, a small smile on her face.

"Oh, sorry dear," She began, struggling to get to her feet, I hurried to offer her a hand, Sonic herding around her knees. "Thank you, such a lovely girl! Oh, and dog!" I smiled at her, curious as to the people my age around here, she seemed surprised I offered to help her, what were the other teenagers like here?

"What were you doing sitting in the cold, all on your own?" I asked, trying not to sound too suspicious, the old woman sighed, staring up at the dilapidated building once more.

The woman smiled, wistful, "This used to be my husband's business." She told me, "He passed on quite long ago now, but he loved this place." She placed a hand lightly against the bricks, I smiled at the woman.

"I'm sorry for your loss," I replied, seeing her nodding in response, "Actually, I own this building now, I'm about to start working on it," I told her, hoping she wouldn't be upset with me.

To my surprise, she grinned widely, clapping her hands in excitement, "Oh, that's wonderful news! I'll be delighted to see the old place back to its former glory!" She cheered. "I'm Ruthie, but such a sweet soul like you can call me Granny, if you'd like, all the other kids in town do!"

I took her hand for a shake, shocked at how strong her grip was, for an old woman, she sure had some muscles! And that was the start of a very odd relationship between the two of us.

Granny was lovely, for the first few days, she would pop by to give me lunch and some hot chocolate, saying that I needed the sugar and some 'pep in my step', but then one day, she picked up a saw, beginning to saw planks for me to use. She helped a lot with the renovation of the bakery, we even kept the name that her husband had used for it, Ray's. We did modify it slightly, now it was Rays, as in 'Ray of Sunshine', but still remembering her husband, Raymond. ________________________________

With the place up and running, I had to force Granny to take a break, in return, we had to make a deal, she could have as many free bakery goodies she wanted, and she would cover the shifts I couldn't make because of school. I was so excited for this, today was the grand opening! Unlike in movies and TV shows, I didn't make a huge deal out of it, even if I was positively buzzing! I didn't deck the place out with banners and balloons, instead, I just flipped the sign on the door and went back to baking, I was gonna let the open windows bring people in.

I was kind of worried about the area, especially considering I'd left my scary teddy bear at home, Sonic would have just gotten stressed each time the door opened. But apparently the Southside of town had a pretty bad reputation, most of the place was pretty run down compared to the preppy, expensive Northside, and was riddled with gang activity...

It had been a couple of hours and I was getting bored! I let my eyes wander around the walls of Rays, the glossy, white brick walls reflecting the florescent lights. All the industrial ovens, mixers and fridges were pretty high-grade, but they weren't the things I loved the most.

Next to the coffee machine, were two framed pictures, one of my parents, happy in their high school days, the other, a black and white photo of Granny and Ray, happy in their own. I was brought out of my reverie by the timer on the oven, pushing off of the counter to the kitchen, pulling the cupcakes out of the oven, relishing in the sweet smell of freshly baked cake.

I felt my heart swell with excitement when I heard the bell above the door ringing, we finally had customers! Quickly, but carefully, cause it was blisteringly hot, I set down the tray of cupcakes on the metal decorating tables, wiping my hands on my apron.

Walking back around to the main shop, I saw three teenagers, probably around my age, two guys and a girl. The guys were staring at the display case, their eyes practically sparkling, it was rather strange to see. One of the boys was quite tall, leaning on the display case, the other was significantly shorter, pressing his hands to the front of the glass. The girl on the other hand was gazing around the room, smiling, her most outstanding feature was her bright pink hair, all three of them were decked out in leather jackets and flannel.

A relaxed smile made its way onto my face, "Hey you guys, what can I get ya?" I asked cheerfully, a bounce in my step. The guys hardly looked up from the display case, the girl shaking her head at them disapprovingly.

"Hey, never seen this place before," The girl said, nodding at the door. I smiled and nodded understandingly.

"Yeah, we only just opened today! We've spent the last few weeks renovating this place!" I told her, offering her a hand to shake. "I'm (y/n), sort of new to town," I told her.

She took my hand, strong grip, something that most of the people here seemed to have. "Toni, congrats on opening! Sorry about those two, usually they're not this rude... Shorty is Fangs, the giant is Sweet Pea." She said, causing me to giggle.

"It's cool, I remember going to places like this when I was a kid and being starstruck by all the pretty cakes, not to mention the fact that there were way to many options!" I joked, happy when Toni laughed with me.

Seeming to wake up from the glutton induced trance they were in, Sweet Pea and Fangs looked up, only now realising there was a second party in the room.

The shorter guy, Fangs, looked at me in awe, "Did you make all these?" He asked, pointing at the goodies, I nodded in response, proud that they seemed to like the look of them, I only hoped that they liked the taste.

"Sure did! Would you guys like to try something, no charge! I need some guinea pigs!" I said, giving a cheeky smirk. The boys shared an excited look, fully prepared to say yes, when Toni interrupted them.

"You only just opened, we can't just take from your stock, at least let us pay for them!" She protested, I smiled kindly at her, it was very sweet of her to consider the business aspect, it was pretty important, but it wasn't why I started this! I wanted people to enjoy my food!

"No worries! You guys are the first people to come in today, well, ever! It would be good to have some feedback about some stuff, if it really bothers you, then feel free to come back another time and buy something? For now! I'll set up a sample plate!" I told her, not giving her time to argue.

I put together a large plate of lots of different things, cupcakes, cookies, pies, tarts, cakes, pastries and some drinks, bringing them over to one of the tables on the shop floor. I'll be honest, it was rather funny seeing these edgy teens sitting in my pastel bakery, I offered them seats before taking one myself.

Sweet Pea and Fangs were practically giddy, getting their hands smacked by Toni as they tried to grab some of the sugary treats. "Hey! If (y/n) wants feedback, you can't just shovel it into your faces! Have some manners, damn who raised you two?" She muttered.

I chuckled, "It's fine, go ahead, maybe start with the cookies? They should still be warm from the oven!" I told them, pointing at the chocolate chip cookies, a simple classic.

They each took a bit, their eyes widening as they bit into the warm, gooey chocolate. "Oh my god." Fangs muttered, his mouth full.

"These are amazing," Sweet Pea added, taking another bite.

I clapped my hands slightly, "Yay! I'm so happy you guys like them," Toni nodding along, giving me some info that was actually really useful. We let the boys keep trying the goodies as we settled into conversation.

"So why did you and your family move to Riverdale, we're not exactly a tourist destination," Toni joked, gazing out of the window at the run down streets of the Southside, "Your bakery is probably the nicest thing to be in this side of town for decades..."

My face soured into a sad smile, "Um, it's just me actually, my parents have both passed away, but they used to live in Riverdale before I was born, they left me a house in the Southside." I told her quietly, looking down as tears began too well in my eyes, already beginning to flood my face. I let out a choked laugh, "I'm so sorry, I never cry, this is so strange..."

I wiped my face, feeling my cheeks burn, I can't believe one of the rare times I cry and it's in public. Hearing the chairs scrape against the floor, I thought Toni, Sweet Pea and Fangs were saving me the humiliation and leaving me to my tears. Instead, I felt a gentle hand cup my own and sudden large hands resting on my shoulders and knee.

Looking up confused, I saw a soft smile on Toni's lips, as well as Sweet Pea, kneeling beside my chair, his hand on my knee, leading me to believe that it was Fangs' hands on my shoulders.

Sweet Pea, though he wasn't smiling, had a soft look in his eyes, "All of us have lost someone, we get it. You don't have to be strong all the time, we got your back now." He told me, keeping his voice quiet. I looked into his deep brown eyes, wiping my cheeks and smiling at him.

"Thanks, you guys are being so kind to me, you don't even know me," I chuckled.

They laughed with me, "I mean, you gave us free sweets and you don't know us," Toni joked. We once again, fell into relaxed conversation, the guys joining in this time, whilst still snacking on pastries.

Fangs looked over at me, "So, if I can ask... Who were your parents? If they lived here, maybe someone knew them?" He asked, cautiously, probably trying not to set me off again.

"Rick and Kathryn (l/n)." I told them, playing with the straw in my drink, noting how quiet the three had gotten.

Looking up, I saw them all looking at me like they'd seen a ghost, "What?" I asked.

Sharing glances, they seemed to be mentally arguing about who was going to tell me.

"Spit it out, you guys, I thought we were friends now?" I muttered, trying to guilt them into just telling me.

Sweet Pea sighed, "We know your parents, or really, we know of them..." I looked at him confused, gesturing for him to continue.

"Your dad is a Serpent legend! He died saving F.P, he's kind of the boss now. His picture's been in pretty much every Serpent hangout since we before we all joined." He finished.

I smiled at them, clearly not the reaction they were expecting.

"Thank you, for keeping his memory alive, I'd love to meet some of the Serpents that knew him, I only found out what happened to him about a month ago, mama didn't really like talking about it."

Once again, the conversation started up, but, once again, was interrupted. This time, by Sonic, barking outside the bakery, freaking out the Serpents into standing up, "It's okay, he's my dog! Something must have happened, I left him in the house..." I told them, grabbing the keys to the bakery and rushing out to follow Sonic back to the house, Toni, Sweet Pea and Fangs following close behind.

________________________________

So I'm going to end the chapter there! I hope you guys enjoyed it! I based a few characters off of my family... My mum and dog for example... Anyway! I love you guys, see you soon, hopefully! Xxx

#riverdale #sweet pea x reader #riverdale x reader #x reader #cute #love #romance #fanfiction #gangs #injury #death #toni topaz #fangs fogarty #sweet pea

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tiredsn0w · 7 months

Note

Hello! (So sorry if this was asked several times, the page kept glitching and I wasn’t sure if it was sent)

I was curious about what mental/physical conditions the characters have, if any. (Of course, for some it’s somewhat obvious, but for others it’s a little less clear, so I just wanted to check)

Hope you have a lovely day/night! :)

It only sent the ask once, don't worry!

I'm assuming by the characters, you mean SCP-6118 and other keplers. And I would be more than happy to answer :)

Content warning for mentions of addiction, self-harm, and suicide.

In order of chronological appearance as per the Altitudes Hub:

Unit 5a82 / SCP-6118 Mentally, I'd say SPD (Schizoid Personality Disorder) and PTSD for absolute certain. (I plan to write more about them as well, though the latter has been touched on a lot already.)

He dealt with a self-harm addiction for an extensive period of time, on and off for some years to not get in the way of intensive physical training (as much as possible). He struggles with suicidal thoughts throughout the story, though never really acts on it, more like throwing himself into severe harm's way on purpose.

I've also seen people interpret him as having ADHD &/or ASD, though I've found this is highly dependent on the person reading him. I'm sure some of my own has unintentionally bled out onto the page so to speak.

Physically, he's albino and would probably qualify for a diagnosis of dwarfism. He has chronic pain and fatigue, mostly global and musculoskeletal related. In an upcoming Tale I plan to touch on more severe neurological issues like acephalgic (aura-only) migraines (why he gets nauseous when he's stressed) and perhaps cardiac issues.

Some kind of hormonal/gonadal difference or DSD like undervirilization could also easily be assumed.

The Handler It has BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) and a comorbid substance abuse disorder, as a way of self-medicating for the horrible and debilitating symptoms it has.

It also has ectodermal atrichia congenita, meaning it has absolutely no hair on its body, and never did. Otherwise it's physically unremarkable besides for having lighter skin and eyes (not to the point of albinism), and being slightly smaller than normal for a Two.

Unit 4b80 It struggles with survivor's guilt after everything it went through, and other guilt, just guilt all around.

Possibly some OCD behaviours as well, related or otherwise, but nothing concrete has been written so far about it.

Unit 7cb7 It has chronic pain-- mostly nerve pain-- in its lower limbs after losing them in the explosion, because while regen tanks can do an enormous amount, when regenerating that much tissue, it can be tricky to get all the nerves in the right place.

Also chronic fatigue, because bodies hold on to traumatic events (whether physically traumatic to the body or mentally/emotionally) and getting blown up is a really physically traumatic thing.

I've been pondering 7cb7 having below-knee prosthetics, but it hasn't become relevant in my writing yet.

Units 3f32 & 3f33 They are identical twins due to a mishap in the gestational process where the cloned cells doubled and divided into two organisms. Other than being slightly tall and more towards the hyperpigmented side, they're in surprisingly sound mental and physical health for Twos who joined the rebellion a while back.

That should be most of it. Feel free to send me additional asks with any follow-up questions (or comment/reblog this post). I know it was quite a wall of text, but I wanted to touch on all of the things.

I hope whatever time of day it is for you, it's going well! Thank you so much for the ask!

#ask response #kepler aliens #scp 6118 #scp writing #informative #disabled characters #I saw the parched savanna of disability representation in the SCP community and watered it with my tears #Or something #I'm loopy

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maria-jackson · 1 year

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bi!Percy in TSATS

because i cannot and will not stop spreading this agenda yes i may be projecting, but it's because i too am a messy bisexual <3

as confirmed in the instagram takeover mark did for @/macmillan_lib yesterday, the 5 chapter preview that was leaked for TSATS was actually's mark's 'audition' to take on the role as co-author for this book.

basically, rick had them write a short sample using the outline he provided, and that's what we've read. keep that in mind.

in the third chapter of this preview, mark wrote the following:

"After a while, though, he became used to the idea that he wanted things he couldn't have: Percy, Bianca, his mother, stability … it was all the same. Getting over Percy was easier than Nico expected. What was one straight boy when you spent your whole life longing for others!"

taking this at face value, you have to realize that these are simply nico's thoughts. he's literally saying that in order for him to cope with percy's rejection, he needed to believe that percy was straight. because of course percy couldn't reciprocate feelings for nico if he wasn't attracted to men.

now remember, rick has stated on numerous occasions that unless he tells us otherwise, every character in his universe is pretty much unlabeled. your headcanon for their sexualities is as valid as the next person's. so even though it seems that this quote is giving percy the label "straight," it technically isn't. nico is simply making an assumption. yes, he could be correct, because assumptions aren't always wrong (i mean percy has a girlfriend, so it's not completely absurd to assume he's straight), but percy has never confirmed or denied that. until we hear it from him personally, he's technically still unlabeled.

on another note, think about how insane it is that this quote even exists in the preview. if rick kept it in the final version of the book, this will mean that percy is the first and only character on the percy side of the riordanverse to be called straight (whether or not it's true). now that within and of itself isn't too crazy, but it's the fact that mark wrote it is. (i highly doubt rick had it written in his outline to "confirm percy to be straight", so this was literally all mark's idea).

now i don't know about mark, but if i was the co-author of this book and i was given free reign to write whatever i wanted to, i would totally capitalize on that. how cool would it be to have the main character of rick's whole franchise be confirmed to be queer!? so why on earth would they crush that possibility within the first few chapters?

which is why i've convinced myself that that isn't what's happening. since percy was brought up in nico's nightmare sequence, it's fair to say that his past with percy hasn't exactly been resolved. he needs closure. and from what i've seen so far, mark seems to be much better at dealing with trauma than rick.

so i have faith that this means we'll be seeing percy in the end of the book, and he and nico will have a heart-to-heart. and in that heart-to-heart, i have a feeling nico is going to say something stupid like, "look, i know why you rejected me. you're straight." and percy's going to be completely flabbergasted, because he's not. queue him coming out as bi.

the important thing to remember is, percy coming out as bi really has no impact on future events. he isn't piper, in which i mean that if piper comes out as a lesbian, automatically anyone who believes jason is cis cannot, morally, ship jiper; if she's bi/pan/unlabeled/etc., there's no issue with shipping them. percy being bi, on the other hand, means he's still interested in women, so percabeth is completely valid.

which is why i can't, in my heart of hearts, believe mark would, for a lack of a better phrase, 'go backward' representation-wise. percy is already unlabeled. why make him straight when bi percy causes no harm?

#bi percy #bi4bi percabeth #bi percy jackson #pj predictions #maria jackson

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shiteating · 1 year

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i finished the limbus event ages ago but forgot to post my thoughts (still gotta grind in the upcoming weeks) but what a tour de force of an event. i quite liked it. the chickens rolling 11-13 on one coin was pretty annoying so anyone reading this who hasn't started: bring your high rollers. at any rate, i like that it gave limelight to characters that haven't had much so far— it feels as if they combed through the script of the cantos released so far and listed sinners in order of not necessarily who said the least, rather who hasn't really had a chance to show off their personality as much. i do quite understand and feel it— "gives spotlight to characters who needed it" is quite cliché praise that conveys nothing, at the end of the day. but it's true.

spoilers under the cut, for like everything potentially, but especially the event of course. (also may include my grievances with the fandom so if youre not about negativity...well if you follow me here youre probably ok but just a warning out of courtesy)

I LOVED HOW IT GAVE FOCUS TO CERTAIN SINNERS!!!! especially meursault, yi sang and hong lu!! donQ was funny!! gregor was cringefail moe!! more of ryoshu is NEVER a bad thing!! (ryoshu pussy destroyer, apropos of nothing) i think even though sinclair had his introductory canto already with arguably the best sinner to story+dungeon integration and immersion so far, its nice to see him not suffering and just being some guy. i did say "they gave the characters who didn't do much more spotlight" rather than "didn't say much" because in the grand scheme of things, sinclair didn't do that much in canto 1 and 2, and 3 was an interesting facet of him but nonetheless we hunger for these sinners in any situation funny or tragic.

but also because i have a huge issue with "XYZ doesn't talk much" sort of justification for mischaracterization. this concerns mostly yi sang and meursault. now, to preface things, usually i am not the kind of person who likes to heckle people and demand they meet prerequisities before consuming a work (well it depends, for me personally i like going in production order when it comes to games and anime but this is different+if someone came up to me demanding stuff my response would be "no way" out of spite a lot of the time. though i try to respect the work by honoring its othee branches IVE GONE OFF ON A TANGENT SORRY), but yi sang and meursault in particular are about the most straightforward original book to limbus character translations there are probably. i think i mentioned it on main before, but the solution to "i don't know how this character is" is probably to look back on the source material. i suspect it is due to the short length of their respective sources, even yi sang who seems to take after his poetry as well and not just the wings, does not come up to even 50 pages all together probably. (i have not read all his poetry but i've read crow eye's view right after this event because i was further spurned to do so, i read the wings last week) the stranger is about 100 pages. it makes sense, when you have a longer source like for example crime and punishment, you have more room to do more topsy turvy aversions like mixing sonya and rodya's convictions together and switching stuff around ever so slightly... also the genderbending but that's obvious. prosthetics racism aside, they played with sinclair a bit still, but all in all it's following most of demian's beats quite closely, down to demian magically making kromer go away in an act of demian ex machina (though on screen as opposed to off in the book, though the mystique is arguably not lost because the fucker is floating like some kind of ghost or guardian spirit. not saying he is any of this but yknow). P.S. i think if they somehow work eva into limbus i might lose my mind that was such an insane part of the book

however even before this event, in the three cantos we have available, i feel that yi sang and meursault have been adequately characterized. i read the stranger in high school so my memory on it is fuzzy, and as aforementioned i read the wings last week, and they are represented quite faithfully! not to mention meursault wasn't even scarce in canto 3! i understand that they're a little dry as characters, maybe that is seemingly boring to some people but i don't think it is an excuse. there's no REAL need to read the books and that's not my point here at all, but still, i think what we have in the game even pre-event paints a quite clear picture as it is. i'm trying my best not to sound like i'm looking down on anyone, i say this all the time but before limbussy i had only been reading non-fiction books for years because i lost my spark for fiction. i'm happy it revived it. so i'm not gonna come from the angle of "read books or die" cuz that's not me. i'm saying this because i have intense anxiety but i will repeat again that while i speak strongly and perhaps even harshly, i do not think any less of most people. though maybe i cannot hide my annoyance at fandom types much even if i am trying. <-im just a guy

though i will spill the beans on myself and admit that i feel that you miss out on so much when not reading at least some of the books. sure, some of them follow quite closely, but there'a so much fun in comparing and contrasting. seeing the subversions and aversions, and what they chose to keep as is. I LOVE IT!!! i want you guys to know this joy. and i love that my reading block is going away. btw i am reading stuff in canto order. 👍

my comments on donQ in laconic because no one wants to hear it (will oblige if you ask but it is groanworthy so i will use my discretion regardless) (also clarifying again cuz i have anxiety but i do not ever think donQ being silly is bad. she is perfect. i have 0 complaints. it is more about fandom treatment):

and then there was hong lu.

this one's a real stinker. hong lu isn't topping much of my lists but i think he is a charming and nuanced character who is unfortunately probably the most flanderized sinner next to heathcliff and donQ (THE CROWD BOOS AT THE NOTION OF DONQ BEING FLANDERIZED). as with many people, i don't know if a day may come that i will read dream of the red chamber in whole— i may attempt it of course, but the length is undeniably daunting. i don't know much about it, only that hong lu himself is not a character in it, but more like some kind of metaphysical mishmash of different elements in the novel (even his name is derived from the title itself). it is not difficult to surmise that the odds are stacked against him. i don't think this section will be too long, but i feel that not only is the nuance in his character in limbus easily disregarded, but it is being superceded entirely by this phantom of what the fandom has thrust onto him. i am not anti-fun, nor am i "you're enjoying it wrong grrr" (this is a lie i kind of am sometimes but i am self aware of it)

but even just judging from the material in limbus alone i do not see where people got the "hong lu is a frivolous shallow whore" thing outside of idk, him being a handsome somewhat kind of sort of gender non-conforming male character and acting (strong emphasis on acting) a little ditzy and being showy. he's quite sheltered, i do not deny that he says ignorant things because of his upbringing, but the event did lay it on thick in one scene that he also enjoys messing with people a bit. but i think it will still be taken super literally regardless. he is a character with hidden depths, so far not much of it is revealed, but he shows moments of great emotional intelligence at times (like in canto 3 when he told a different sort of half truth to saude about effie being "fine"... i mean it's uh. not a lie) and the guy can definitely read the room if he so chooses to do so. the moment in the event where he got a little cagey and perhaps even introspective when faust used him as an example to explain distortion was another moment of depth uncovered: i think it will be a slow process overall. which is great. there are some characters that we will continue to learn more and more about incrementally throughout the run of the game (however long that will be, but i will be there no matter what) rather than getting a seemingly complete baseline right away. (because really, everyone has hidden depths still, it's just that sinners in the position not unlike hong lu's just have MORE hidden i suspect donQ is the same— /shot

but yeah. i had a lot to think about because of the event. but i love the direction it went with showing the sinners' individuality off and who they chose to show more of. i could not be happier with it. i feel like very few mobage are able to do this balancing act of fleshing out characters outside of story. i think fgo also does it well (CROWD STARTS THROWING ROCKS AT ME)

P.S. i do not assert that my interpretation of the characters is 100% correct and infallible EVER— everyone sees things differently. however what is objectively incorrect is stuff that just ignores canon outright and on a consistent basis. at that point idk if we are reading the same text.

#m #postmortem #kinda

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ask-healthy-light · 2 years

Text

Duty

Ever since the Lunar Incident, and the following discovery of the Solar Princess, unconscious, with her face stained with tears, we've had to deal with a lot - and I do mean a lot - of fallout.

For one, we had no idea what happened. A couple of weird gems on the ground, broken glass all over, and a head injury. So, we took her back to the Palace and found a safe room, far away from others.

The Doctor treated her as best she could, and told us to make sure she rested a while. It's been a few days, and I've been assigned to night watch, guarding her tower, but she hasn't woken up yet.

Fortunately, it's been quiet. The country doesn't know what happened or why the Moon has changed, but we promised to find out as soon as we could. But rumours started to spread, and fear grew.

Anytime there was a moment of quiet, I heard the other Guards talking about why she banished the Lunar Princess, and how much power it must have cost her. What would happen if she lost control?

I'm worried for her, especially since she's alone, and hurt. I've gone back to the location of the accident to stand guard, but since we found her, the gems we found laying around her have vanished.

Nopony went in or out, so I have no idea where those things are. But now, whenever I fly past her window, I've seen flashes of light in there. If it's those gems, goodness knows how they got there.

But during my flights around the tower, I've seen other Guards leave and head to a camp outside of town. A large group, growing every day. Now, I'm one of the only Guards left to guard the tower.

The plans I heard them discuss are grounds for high treason. I talked with the last few Tower Guards, and we knew the result. They assaulted the tower in the dead of night, trying to get to the Princess.

We stood our ground until the sun rose. By the grace of the Princesses themselves, I was unhurt. The others were not so lucky… This night, she woke up, but there is nopony else. Nopony but us.

I hope she trusts me. Neither of us has any other choice.

(Thanks for reading this bonus! If you'd like a story of your own, feel free to send a request!)

Featuring: Sky Warden from @asklostcelestia

A story about Sky Warden, and my interpretation of what happened before the events we've seen so far. Excited to see where her story goes!

#duty #bonus #not story related #my little pony #writing #oc #sky warden #lost celestia #celostia #princess celestia

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tvrningout-a · 10 months

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SLAMS MY HANDS DOWN!! spoilers below for my pals who haven't seen a.tsv yet! we're talking about miguel, the disaster man himself!

if you're a personal blog, do not reblog this or i'm biting your ankles.

hello, hi, i've got some thoughts on miguel that'll probably be better supported once i read through his comics, but!! i've been thinking about miguel and the introduction of his character, how he says he doesn't always like what he has to do, but he knows he has to do it bc he's lost too much to stop. we find out he's talking about his daughter. from another dimension or not, he still loses her after forming an attachment to her, and this causes him to become our antagonist for more than one reason. but let's back up a lil bit.

when we first meet miguel, we see he can be quippy, funny -- he's still clearly not a happy-go-lucky kinda guy, but he doesn't appear quite as harsh as he is with miles. we even see him go against his original decision to leave gwen behind, even if it's at jessica's prompting. he's swayed bc he can't ignore her predicament, feels sympathy bc like her, there's some stuff he doesn't know how to fix either.

miguel knows she hasn't experienced all of her canon events bc her dad is police chief and alive. he knows she's close to miles. he knows she's a liability, but against his better judgement, he lets her join. he doesn't always like what he does, and sometimes he just can't do it. sometimes he's faced with the individual, and he can't follow through, leave someone behind to fend for themselves.

i think this is absolutely the case with his daughter gabriella. he found that universe where he was happy with a daughter, and initially he was just watching over what could have been. it was harmless if not painful at times. but then he's murdered in this other dimension, and he knows he should stay out of it. if he died, it was supposed to happen. but he can't leave it alone. he can't leave gabriella alone to fend for herself. so he takes a risk to save the individual -- he thinks about the person rather than the world.

and it ends up biting him in the ass. he loses gabriella and her world, singlehandedly ( so we assume at this point, at least ) causing their destruction by simply taking the place of that dimension's miguel and disrupting his canon death. he realizes then that he can't let himself prioritize the individual. he has to prioritize the world, no matter how much he'll hate it at times, because he'd rather feel guilt over a million uncle ben's than a million universes with billions of people in each one.

whereas miles has to learn in the first movie to focus saving on one person vs. the world, miguel has to learn the inverse, and it sucks. he doesn't always like what he does, but he knows he has to do it because either 1. nobody else will ( and he can't exactly blame them ) or 2. he can't ask anybody else to do it. " being spider-man is a sacrifice, " and he's already lost his daughter, seen first-hand what meddling in the canon leads to. he'll make the sacrifice of making those tough decisions if it means nobody else has to lose their dimension.

which is why things go so far off the frikkin rails with miles. i don't think miguel recruits spiders who haven't gone through certain losses ( with some exceptions like gwen and pav ) bc he knows it'll cause conflict when they find out they have to let certain people die. that's exactly what happens with miles, and bc he's the original anomaly, bc miguel and co. still don't know what might happen if he saves his dad, bc miguel is scared and can only think of the day he lost gabriella, he... chases down a teenager and gets waaaay too heated. he definitely projects some of his own guilt upon miles bc he wouldn't have ever known about gabriella's universe if not for all this anomaly business. he wouldn't have gotten her killed if he'd never needed to help put the multiverse back in order.

in the end, though, it's still miguel's own fault. he knew better, he knows better, and all he can do is try to stop miles.

#oh i am not proofreading this rn so if you see a typo no you don't asdfg #also to be clear i'm not saying it's okay that miguel reacted the way he did with miles!! i'm just trying to explain his mindset #and also point out that he's not just a brooding character -- he's got soft spots like anybody does #and he really does want to be able to save the one person but he just can't #the trade off could be an entire universe and he can't live with that #ANYWAY!!! let me stop bc i just wrote seven paragraphs about this dude asdfgh #headcanons | miguel

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neerons · 1 year

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I'm so annoyed that the Boss is only getting one more season. He is my absolute favorite Voltage LI and I can't help but feel like they set him up to fail from the very beginning. He always seemed like an afterthought as all focus was on the 3S, and he was only added on as a LI after them. And whilst I don't mind a slow burn romance, it did alienate readers (I can still remember all the complaints following his first season regarding his lack of a name and how it didn't seem like a proper relationship between him and MC). Which is a shame as I honestly feel that Boss truly loves the MC, more than the other guys--he's changed far more than any of them, and for the better. Ultimately they tried something different but the execution was sloppy.

Making him an antagonist in other routes wasn't a horrible decision (girls like the bad boy, right?), but the way they went about it didn't help. Kei's route was set up for maximum empathy points, and whilst I'm not fond of the way they tackled an issue such as child abuse, it did endear Kei all the more to many readers and the cold, indifferent, callous attitude of the boss turned them away from him. If it had been set up differently and under a different scenario I don't think readers would have been as turned off by him.

Oh, and let's not forget that disappointing disaster that was his 3rd season. Overpriced with little to show for. I couldn't believe the amount of hearts I was paying for only 3 lines of dialogue. Hardly any raunchy scenes either. Ridiculous as his S2 was so good. It really showed that Voltage is pretty much done with him, as does the lack of any new special stories (especially compared to the others).

Honestly I can rant all day. That's how frustrated I am. Oh well, at least my wallet will be happy.

Yes I'm extremely disappointed too so I completely understand how you feel. I'm annoyed that he isn't treated the same way by Voltage, because them exposing him less makes the fans less interested, and since there's not a lot of interest from the readers, Voltage won't make more content for him. It's a vicious cycle.

I've been reading MK not long after it has been released, and the Boss had always been planned to get his own story as he was part of the Love Interests lineup in the title. He was either always there, or was quickly added just like the others.

I don't think him being added later is what made people less interested in him though. Some other titles have added characters some years after the initial release, and these added characters have been loved by the readers despite their late start. Some good example would be Takaomi Tsugaru from HLITF. He came later than the other LIs, his story is very slow burn, and yet a lot of people love him. Kei's story from MK is also very very slow burn (more than the Boss), yet he's appreciated plenty.

I didn't think about this at all, but you're completely right with your point that Kei being abused as a child made the Boss' depiction as an antagonist (in Kei's Main Story) a poor or dangerous choice. Due to how sensitive this subject is, I wouldn't be surprised if that's why people don't care for him the same way as the 3S'. Sadly, people don't know a lot about the Boss since not many will read his story due to that, which is devastating to me because now we get one last season, and yet he's an amazing character. (For anyone that might read this and who hasn't read Kei' story, no, the Boss doesn't mock Kei's past when he went through child abuse. He is a cruel character in this route but it's not linked to Kei's trauma).

I completely agree that the Boss was done dirty by Voltage. MK is a popular title, they could have easily put him in the spotlight if they had tried to advertise him like the others. So far, he doesn't have his own VIP room and isn't included in the events all the time. I'm sad because his mysterious side makes him all the more charming and it feels amazing to finally discover who he is as a person. It's what attracted and still attracts me to him. His way of loving the MC is beautiful and their banter is very entertaining. His sense of justice is beautiful too.

This is only my opinion, but I didn't dislike him as a sort of antagonist in the other routes. It's true when you say that a lot of people like the bad boys. They're interesting enough to want to know their motives for being bad right? Except the Boss isn't "bad" at all in his own route. He's just perfect 😩

I do think his character was a bit changed in Kei's route though. I just don't recognize him as being this cruel in his own route. He can be cruel if he wants and needs to be, but I felt like this agent side of him was very exaggerated to make MC and the readers take Kei's side. Kei's story is beautiful though, and every route is in its own way.

It's alright that the Boss is a cruel antagonist in Kei's route. I just wish people were able to make the difference between Boss from Kei's route and Boss in his own route, and I also wish Voltage treated the Boss the same way as the others because he has the same potential as them. I completely agree with you, I wouldn't blame you for being disappointed that his route will end soon. Let's share the chaos and devastation 😭

#ask #mk boss #seiichi setoyanagi #voltage inc #otome game #love 365 #voltage #love 365 find your story #masquerade kiss #mk #otome games #voltage otome

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parragone · 1 year

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I have oddly specific r6 brainrot, but I can't actually write it because I'm fixated on finishing my event piece, so instead, I'm sticking the ideas here to write later

The first time Kapkan brings his partners on hunting trips. Like, individually. The way Glaz prefers to sit back and sketch Kapkan while they're in the hunting roost. How Fuze says very little during the trip but genuinely enjoys the time spent and learning how Kapkan seems more free when they're far from cities and towns. How Tachanka feels he's a bit too loud for the hunting aspect, but makes sure Kapkan is well fed and warm. Let Kapkan be spoiled by the poly spetsnaz 2023

Thatcher and Mute on a fishing trip together in the early days of Rainbow because Thatcher won't admit it, but he's basically adopted this kid. Mute reluctantly admits that, okay, maybe fishing is a bit more fun than it looks, but only because he's a patient sort of person who likes the quiet. Hours spent on the water with short conversations in between.

Lion and his son going on a trip for a weekend because Claire couldn't take Alexis to some event he really wanted to go to. Talks about things they both like and trading playlists. Talking about their relationship and Alexis admitting that, sure, Lion will never be "dad," but he's definitely Superman, and that's obviously way cooler

Thermite and Pulse chatting and shooting the breeze together one evening after a long and kinda crappy day. Thermite never notices how Pulse keeps glancing at him and memorizing the way he smiles, the way his nose scrunches up when he laughs, because he's just lost in some story about how his mom pulled him out of a rodeo ring when he was seven. He hasn't noticed and probably never will, and in a weird way, Pulse is okay with that.

Mira and Mute's first meeting being one where Mira expects total pushback only for him to be polite and almost excited to meet her. Finding out that he's admired her work for years and has followed her papers, her research, as long as he's known about her. Mira realizing that she understands this kid more than she thought she would.

Bandit and Kapkan being fantastic friends because they both know what it's like to be undercover. Sharing awful stories and being sarcastic shits. They'd be fantastic drinking buddies, and I've yet to be convinced otherwise.

Dokkaebi, Mute, Jackal, and Caveira unexpectedly bonding over being way too young for the shit they went through and the things they’ve done, even if it was on wildly different levels. Late night talks about weirdly disconnected childhoods. Admitting that they don't actually remember much about being kids. The four of them laying on the roof on a clear night and talking about the wild things in their lives.

Ash and Harry arguing about the decision to bring in NH. Ash losing her mind when she discovers he didn't even discuss the situation with Mute, who handles so much of their information control and security that it's not even funny because he's read the files of every single operator on the team, but he has no idea who the fuck NH is or if they're trustworthy. Learning that he never told Thermite or Mira, either, two of the core leadership figures in the team. Learning that Thatcher, one of the most experienced and definitely the most respected member, was outright against the decision. Asking him if he gives a damn about keeping Rainbow safe or if he's so wrapped up in his civilian nonsense that he's forgotten how much danger the team is actually in.

Jäger and Mira bonding over helicopters, but more importantly, the two of them sitting in the car garage with toolboxes and sandwiches to fix up cars for the team. Absolutely covered in grease and oil, talking about the worst flying conditions they've ever been in. The wheezing laughter between them when Jäger pauses mid sentence and just goes, "Oh wait, that's right, I crashed into a zombie apocalypse hot zone" like he FORGOT.

Blitz and Sledge being workout buddies because they're both peak physical performance. But also because they vibe to the same shit and enjoy each other's company. Always a little competitive but never to the point of harm. Ongoing inside jokes that can reduce the two of them to tears.

Frost, Buck, Mozzie, and Smoke discussing adrenaline junkie sports. Mountain climbing, parachuting, the works. They have an agreement that they're all gonna climb Kilimanjaro one day.

#r6s #rainbow 6 siege #fic stuff #fanfic reference #theres so many technically domestic things i wanna write #and not all of it is ship based #but i have ship specific things too #but im also scared of sharing some of it because i have rarepairs #and some of it is breakups #but those seem to make people upset so im yell #mobile post #also yes i have a love for mute how could you tell

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asgardian--angels · 11 months

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Have you heard the news about Till yet? Does it ruin the band for you anyhow? I've only found out about it 2 hours ago and I'm pretty stunned :/

Hey sorry for the delay in replying to this! Yes I've been following the various goings-on. I've stayed out of the discussion on it mostly because I really don't care that much - I'm way past the point in my life where I get so attached to bands that any news of 'gasp! Male rock star is shitty to women!' would have me sobbing on the floor. I mean, my favorite band was Korn for many years, enough said lmao.

Having taken in the various perspectives, news sources, and other insights from fans, it's looking very likely that Till did not actually engage in this behavior for the particular circumstance he is being accused of. I'd be surprised if he'd really go so far as to do all of that. There appear to be multiple witnesses that deny the accuser's claims. I don't inherently take sides on this stuff, I just try to judge whatever facts are available. Rammstein is a well-oiled machine with a huge crew that try to regulate their events and make it safe for everyone. That doesn't mean things can't happen, esp when Till has separate afterparties than the rest of the band, but they've been at this for almost 30 years with very few issues.

Is Till shitty to women? Often, and I'd call him a sex addict, and from what I understand in the past several years he hasn't been surrounded with great people outside the band (i.e. his solo stuff) and they've enabled or fed the worse parts of him. He has seemingly cultured an environment around himself - largely separate from the rest of the band, at least at present - where he can engage in his preferred activities. I don't agree morally with a lot of the things he does (hell, I can't stomach most of his solo project music videos), but that's nothing new, because while he may honestly be worse on this front than in the past, he's always been like this.

But in this particular circumstance, I'm inclined to say the media is spiraling this way out of control. I hate the entire culture surrounding rock band afterparties, older men seeking out young groupies, and Rammstein's 'Row 0' antics. I'd like an outcome of this whole thing to be that they stop doing that once and for all, given that the band is in their 50s and for Till, 60s. But even with whatever headspace Till has been in recently, he has a great love and respect for his fellow band members who are like family to him - and I need not expound upon just how monumentally stupid and detrimental it would be for the whole band for him to have done something illegal here. The last time he was arrested (along with Flake) was in 1998 for one of their stage acts - he's been clean otherwise (and that whole thing was idiotic anyway on the part of the MA police), and that is a testament to his carefulness and desire to not impact the band and the lives of the band members. He got pyro certified to design their stage acts and ensure the safety of everyone during their shows after an accident in 1996 - he's a man that shows commitment and perseverance, and he is very intelligent.

This entire thing has had a massive impact on the rest of the band, with some people relating it to the Mutter era where the band was having major disagreements and almost broke up - but there, they got through it stronger with a better understanding of each other and how to work together. I do feel Till is not in a great place mental health-wise, and needs to surround himself with better people re: his entourage and personal&professional friends outside of the band, and his antics in general sometimes cast a poor light on Rammstein. I hope this whole thing forces some re-examination by Till of his lifestyle, because he himself often doesn't seem very happy (without me reading any further into things I know nothing about). I think he's treated women poorly in these environments from a ~just being shitty~ point of view, undoubtedly. But ultimately, I don't think he committed the illegal activities he's been accused of in this instance.

I hate how much of this has become about taking sides, like hashtag 'I stand with Rammstein' or whatever. I don't stand with or against anyone - I think this sucks for the rest of the band being put through this no matter the outcome, I think it will have a lasting impact on the dynamics of the band and their interpersonal relationships, and I'm glad it sheds light on Row 0 and various shitty practices that Rammstein and many bands have engaged in.

Groupies will always exist, and so aging male rockstars will probably always do this sort of stuff - plenty of female fans welcome it, seeing as no one is forced to accept an invitation to an afterparty, and any Rammstein fan who finds themselves in Row 0 knows what it's about. In general, I hear overwhelmingly positive experiences about fans meeting Till and if he was consistently poor-mannered I doubt people would hold good opinions of him. The band's made it clear (via Scheider's recent statement) that any guest is welcome to leave these environments if they're uncomfortable and will be chaperoned by security. They have a huge crew of 100+ people making sure everything runs smoothly. There are changes that I think should be made to separate and/or regulate Till's private parties (or better yet, don't have them), and I personally will never understand going to these parties, but that's just me. Less than great experiences can and do happen at those parties, but that's a far cry from criminal acts. I think Till goes way overboard much of the time esp when left to his own devices, but being a lewd ass is again, not the same as forced coercion.

Personally, I honestly just think this is a shitty way to go out, seeing as the band is taking a hiatus after this tour and I get that nagging feeling we may not see them again for a long time, or ever, at least in terms of new albums or concerts (they do have a dvd coming out in a year or two). Rammstein has always tried to shock people with controversy, but not in ways like this. Various media outlets love to jump on this band, waiting for them to slip up on anything. Even if all charges are cleared, which it's shaping up that they will, much of the damage was done to Till's reputation, with multiple collaborations dropped/promos cancelled. I hope this gives him pause and a chance to re-examine where he's at in life, and that his fellow band members can help him find support where he needs it. Again, I don't defend Till, and I don't deny shitty things may happen at afterparties. But I'm weathered when it comes to rock scandals and I try hard to stay out of the personal lives of band members. So to me whatever happens happens and I just want some lessons to be learned for all involved.

#not tagging this #and this is all I'll say on it cause it's getting tiring #till is a whiny man child there's no denying that but this has been blown up way too much #this band is much more than Till and it casts a poor light on the huge crew also #to suggest they weren't doing their jobs well when from what I understand these are competent people who've been with them for many years #I hate most of Till's solo stuff I find it gross and embarrassing and no I have not watched his porno #but only those involved know how Till acted and if he crossed any lines. Very few others are in any position to say

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animehouse-moe · 1 year

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Bofuri: I Don't Want To Get Hurt, So I'll Max Out My Defense Volume 2

So I'm certainly a "fan" of Bofuri, I really enjoyed the first season and I've been keeping up with the second, but so far the follow-up season just hasn't quite scratched that itch. Along with that, I've been feeling like a nice break in terms of light novel content, so I was reminded that I already had Bofuri Vol. 2 sitting on my shelf. So of course I dug into it and finished it in a day haha.

I won't really sugarcoat my thoughts though, the writing of the light novel is not anything incredible or insightful, or even all that detailed at times. It's very rough around the edges, it's what you think of when you think of the "average" Web Novel. The author had an idea and passion, and followed through on it. It's relatively simple in that regard, but I think that helps its case truthfully.

Bofuri is like Iyashikei for light novels. Even though it's not really a slice of life (Iyashikei is a subgenre of SoL that's meant to be very "calming"), the overall experience reading it is very casual and relaxing. You sort of sink into it and lazily follow around the Goddes of Defense and her Gaming Prodigy companion. They get into combat here and there and fight some crazy enemies, but it's hardly ever intense or anything of the sort. It's more often comedic or enjoyable, the writing style and overall content appeals to the experience that Maple and Sally are having in the game, which I find really nice.

Being reminded of the fact that it's a game though, I really do enjoy the detail they place in it as a video game. Skills and stuff are pretty accurate (to a degree, considering Maple exists), the combat is a really solid/interesting mix of real skill and using skills from within the game, and the overall sense of the world is solid.

I'm going to disparage the anime a little bit here, but the light novel has a much better sense of progression and time. Especially as I get into this second volume and think about how fast paced the anime is, it's nice to see how slow and steady they take it here. Fights take much longer, travel time is explained and experienced, and overall events are more spread out. It dials the pacing back a couple of notches and really helps with that relaxing feeling. And of course, the anime skips out on a good few moments.

Overall, it reminds me of the kind of adaptation that Bofuri is, and why I might be feeling a little empty in regards to its second season. The light novel just has a far better sense of itself and a stronger frame of reference from within. Maple is still insanely broken and hilarious in the LN, but at the same time we quickly see and are reminded of the fact that there remain holes in her armor and ability. Along with that we're hinted towards more mysteries and treasures in the world that Maple and Sally haven't conquered, which helps widen the reader's perspective on it as a whole.

So where the anime adaptation of Bofuri is always good for a laugh or two with its insane situations, the light novel will still get a chuckle out of you, though less often, and will put more effort into providing a complete story and world. It's not really that massive of a change, but if you really liked the concept of Bofuri after having watched the first season, you'll probably like the novels just as much if not more. It's certainly got me wanting to read the next volume, even if it isn't the most stellar or engaging writing, simply because it's fun and easy.

#bofuri #bofuri maple #bofuri sally #bofuri light novel #light novel review #light novel recommendation #light novel #anime #bofuri season 2

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guardiolas · 6 months

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I'm catching up on the gossip, I was very badly impressed with the Mac Allister story and the mystery footballer with a secret girlfriend (I actually have something to contribute to that). Someone said Jamal fits the description, I don't know I don't follow, but, yes I can contribute that Jude apparently hasn't had a girlfriend since 2021. The girl that anonymous guy is talking about was actually a rumour created by the Daily Mail and she herself confirmed that they were not dating. As I recall, the only girlfriend Jude has ever had is supposedly a Daisy. Jude mentioned that his girlfriend came to see him in an interview, that was when he was still playing for Dortmund. All indications are that they broke up sometime in 2021 and that Jude has apparently been single ever since. So, with that said, yes, he could be the player in the secret relationship, but, in reality, I can't really know if he was in Miami or Greece during those dates. Since according to the anonymous's calculations, the mystery couple have been dating since September 2021, when the footballer asked her in Greece. And we know that Jude was in Greece with his friends this summer, so maybe he's not the mystery guy in the story. He was photographed a lot in Greece, if he had a girlfriend some photographer would have seen them together and would have taken advantage of the scoop, unless she didn't go on the trip. If Jude was in a relationship in 2021, broke up and started dating another girl, it could be possible, but, the dates or time frame would be too short between break up and new relationship to be healthy. Maybe he didn't break up with his girlfriend before he started with the other one. He wouldn't be the first man I've met to start a relationship without ending the one he was in at the time. Anyway, he has a profile on Raya, which you can tell he actively uses, you know on twitter and tik tok they showed him off, so he could be the footballer of the story how could he not. Also from what I read from the anonimo, it's all gone too far if in 2 years everything is still a secret. I say the female fandom thing is an excuse, I feel like that mystery guy likes having so much female attention and doesn't want to say he's in a relationship just so he doesn't lose that attention. In 2 years his number of female fans will have grown, not decreased, so he wants to have someone to have all the domesticity of a relationship with, but, without losing all that it means to be someone recognized. I also doubt that this story is true, the anonymous guy said that it came from a youtube video and that the girl said that she has been to all the events where her boyfriend is. Then someone would have to have photos or videos of them, it is impossible that if they discover profiles of the players, they do not discover a girlfriend in these times of internet and cameras. Unless the guy makes the girl stay locked up in his house 24/7 (which according to the anonymous who brought the story is not the case).

I say that because people even have videos of Jude and Trent at a Chris Brown concert, so there's almost no escaping being photographed. The only thing I can tell you, is that if you are going to be with a famous or recognized man, who has a lot of female fans, think carefully. Don't get in the ring without knowing how to box first.

Yeah I don't think it's Jude, he's too popular to be able to pull off something like that imo. If the story is real it could be some semi popular player or something, not some BIG name 🤷‍♀️

#message

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pocketbelt · 8 months

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Neon Genesis Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo

(3.33 is just the BD home release edit/version, I need to find a source for movie posters and shit for these)

It's difficult to talk about this one in this context because it's one of those things you just need to go into first. It's fucking excellent, I'll say that easily, from start to finish it's a fucking ride, but it's also third in a set of four movies that are very tightly bound and it is distinctly aware of and is using that fact.

It's not even purely a "NO SPOILERS YOU NEED TO GO IN BLIND" thing, though I'd say that's ideal, it's that a lot of what made this work for me is predicated on the two that came before, 2.0 especially. You really do need to watch these as a set.

I'm going to put spoiler/specific detail shit under the Read More, just to have them down somewhere, but suffice to say I'm dying for the cinema release of the fourth movie (which I have found out is coming over a year after the US release because The PAL Delay never truly left)

Dying to see 3.0+1.0 now.

First off, each of these mimics the original show's "Next Time on Evangelion" episode previews at the end after the credits, and like most of the elements these have drawn from the original it uses it very cheekily and cleverly. Which is to say, 2.0's Next Time drops some brand new facts (there being an 8th Eva Unit, when only up to 6 had been mentioned) in and around detailing the events prior to the original show's end/the End of Evangelion's opening events (NERV being sieged, personnel shot or arrested, the dawning of Third Impact). This was preceded by a post-credits scene of Kaworu in Eva Unit 06 beaning a lance through 01's head seemingly to interrupt/prevent Third Impact from taking off.

So 3.0 opening in what is very explicitly, from visual alone, a post-Third Impact world with Asuka and Mari in their Eva Units retrieving a sealed Unit 01 with Shinji inside in a very flashy action sequence against a brand new Angel is an eye-opener of a punch. It's this fascinating thing where 1.0 and especially 2.0 deviate in clear ways that are rather important and obviously meaningful, and thus not even showing a changed or redone version of End of Eva's events suggest it happened more or less exactly as it did before, excepting what was said (in 2.0's Next TIme) about the actions of Unit 08 (Mari's Eva). This is reinforced by Asuka wearing an eye-patch over the eye the Lance of Longinus pierces in EoE, and Unit 02 having a disabled eye to match (purposefully so for aesthetic reasons, I love Asuka and her dedication to keeping an aesthetic): even if Asuka isn't the same Asuka as she was in the original (with her different surname and all), in the end it still broadly happened the same way.

It's all delivered so cleanly through character designs and the Third Impact visuals and starting where it does, it's top tier stuff.

That's basically what I mean when I said above that talking about this one "in this context" was tricky, because basically I just want to gush about shit like that with it. How the entire lengthy battle sequences against the Angels following Shinji's retrieval is a super-long sequence of establishing how far man has come, re-emerging from Third Impact and now able to step to Angels through more than just Evas, and more importantly underlining just how much everyone has changed with the passage of time and why...but Shinji hasn't, as the time between the end of 2.0 and now just passed basically instantly. We didn't get to see what happened, and neither did he, and the unmooring effect is well done.

I have a pretty good idea of where this is all going in a thematic sense (it's about change, in all the ways one can - and should - change, from the simple and surface things to the more personal) but for the actual "where is the story going" i've no idea. 3.0 is completely and entirely new, the remake directive has been thrown off and it's going to new territory. The very title of the fourth, "3.0+1.0", is rife with meaning, though I don't know that I'm thinking of the same meanings.

I can't imagine waiting for these as they came out, though at the same time I kinda wish I did. The waiting must have been a hell of a thing. I'm fucking dying for 3.0+1.0 now.

#pocket-media-tag

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