but would the world be ready for a tma au where all the avatars are the fear entities' kids.

It’s crazy to see how people interpret dean and sam’s brother dynamic as “wincest”

Some people have clearly never had a parentified older sibling. Then you take into account the degree of trauma that they have been through and continue to go through. Their codependency stems from their childhood and current traumas, their mental states due to that, the way they grew up with their father obsessing over the importance of “family is everything,” and the deep parentification of Dean, AKA Dean having to be a CHILD while raising his little brother, and taking care of his insane father. It’s not “wincest”/incestuous in anyway, it’s called trauma, parentification and general unstable family dynamics.

I think that a lot of “wincest” shippers don’t actually see what trauma can do to a person and their dynamics, specifically the people that endured that trauma with you. Dean, who was the older one that had to in HIS WORDS “be the mother, father, and brother” of his younger brother since the age of !4! is obviously going to be extremely protective/codependant of/with Sam, both because of the parentification and the words of his father carved into his very being. As for Sam, having Dean be all those things for him, means that more than anything, Dean is it for him because Dean RAISED HIM. Which is why, for so many reasons, what John said to Dean (killing Sam), was one of the most cruel things he could have done. John if not straight out, on some level knows that Dean and Sam will forever have a different dynamic because Dean raised Sam, ergo, Dean being more of a Parent to Sam than he ever was.

That’s not to say I think Dean was a “perfect parent” to Sam when he was raising him. No one can be “perfect” especially not a teenager raising his baby brother. What it means is that Dean had to sacrifice his childhood and grow up quickly for Sam to be not only Alive, but also so that Sam could -have- a childhood. All of this while Dean was still actively growing up, enduring his father, hunting, and having to come to terms with monsters. But he couldn’t allow himself to mess up, and going back to the idea of “perfect parenting” we see that no, he in fact was never “perfect” specifically when he leaves so that he can play games, and he sees that Sam’s safety is (extremely unfairly) placed on his shoulders. All of this, yet again along side with never having a stable home, having an unreliable source of income, and having to basically learn how to be an adult at 7, was the start of their dynamic.

As for Sam, we see that he got to play on soccer teams, go to school, and exist (while still having to endure all of the nightmares that is his homelife) outside of the hunting. Whereas Dean was the one who gave him this chance. This is not to say that Sam should ever feel guilt over this, or that Dean needed to do this. This is to show just how different their sibling relationship is, due to the trauma.

Dean treats Sam like a brother many times, but underneath it (or on top) you will always see that he is a parent to him more than anything.

“Wincest” is talking about their “strange/codependant relationship” in a romantic or purely sexual manner. This in itself just shows how many people don’t understand what it means to either have a kid or be a parentified older sibling. (I personally am not a parentified older sibling, but my sister who practically raised me is) and because of MY family dynamic I can speak from experience (definitely not to Dean and Sam’s extent) of having a parentified older sibling, and how that differs from regular sibling relationships.

Ok, this was a ramble, but as a whole “wincest” is extremely disturbing to me as a whole. And I don’t know what the rules are on this specific topic, so Idk how much I should say. But I definitely don’t condone inc*st to any degree, but to each their own ig.

Alright, I have SO much more to say on this topic. But I will hold back for now, just because I am sleepy.

XOXO

TMAGP 19 SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT

Gonna try and organize my thoughts and theories here; sorry if I ramble!

Sam/Celia Conversation:

So Celia and Sam are both looking into alchemy. Sam said that he started through the Institute, who was "...pretty deep into all this stuff." Celia, we know, was specifically looking into transference and spiritual substitution of elements (from Sam's recognizing of the symbols). This gives us more support for the 'Celia is Celia from TMA' theory (which I'm on board with). It's nice to have more evidence for that!

Also, the idea that Sam is "going to drop the Institute research???" Buddy, you might try, but I think Chester (rn I've theorized that they're Jon from TMA) has other plans for you 😭

Case:

I was surprised, at first, with the date on this (1684), since Augustus usually does the older cases, and Chester usually focuses on the Institute, however, I feel like it makes more sense with the statement's content. So it seems like Issac Newton was doing some... unethical experiments that involved creating "seeds of knowledge" that resulted in the subject being turned into a knowledgeable tree (?). First off, I love the Frankenstein vibes off this case. Second, this case sorta feels like an explanation of what happened in Episode 3 with Dr. Webber. He stumbled into the garden, ate some fruit, and began turning into a tree/plant. Newton definitely seems to be marked by the Eye, especially with his thirst of knowledge and the experiment's results being described as:

"It lay down as if to sleep whereupon it grew ever more peaceful and still. I almost believed it dead, poisoned by my companion, but then 1 saw something far more distressing. The creature was taking root. Strands of its mottled brown hair were extruding downwards between the floor, seeking the dark earth below. Then, too, its back began to sprout, radiant branches unfurling and thickening before me, reaching upwards towards the sunlight with a seemingly insatiable desire.

The dog then opened one eye and stared at me and this was the most disturbing thing of all, for that orb was also shimmering with that unnatural light, but more than that, it looked upon me and it knew me not as a beast knows its master but as one man knows another and though such a creature must by all natural law lack that essential and ephemeral anima that is required for such awful knowledge tell you here Robert, it saw me and it knew me."

The author of this letter (Robert) recommended that they use "the Protocol" against Newton. He described the Protocol at the beginning of this letter as some kind of way to destroy knowledge. My theory, at the moment, is that the Magnus Protocol stemmed from the "Protocol" discussed in this statement. It was the reason that The Magnus Institute was burned down. The archivist either got too close to the truth (like Gertrude did in TMA), and they (along with the Institute) had to go, or (more likely), the archivist figured out the truth and burned down the Institute aligning with this Protocol (basically what Gertrude was trying to do).

Alice/Sam Conversion:

Sam is finally putting everything together, yay!

I hope that he doesn't spiral like Colin and maybe can get some help from Chester?

Lena/Gwen Conversation:

Honestly, I love Lena's arc with Gwen starting at

"I don't care about you being mean to me. Stay away, please."

and now going to

"Welp, F you too. I'm tired of your crap. But also, I still care about you since I need to protect my staff, which includes you."

I can't wait to see these two interact more!

Alice/Colin conversation:

Colin feels like S2 Jon from TMA. He's very paranoid while trying to figure out the truth. Colin's goal is not to be seen. He doesn't want "him" to know what he's found out. Now, this "him" could be Newton (assuming he is living on through an experiment or by being an Avatar), Chester/Jon(?) (in the computer/technology), Augustus/Jonah (?) (in the computer/technology), Fr3D1 (the system, could be an entity or avatar), or maybe someone related to "mummy and daddy Stasi." After a quick Google search, Stasi is a nickname for the State Security Service of East Germany that existed from 1950 - 1990. Established by the USSR, the primarily worked in surveillance and espionage. I wonder if this is a reference to the Eye? Or maybe a specific Avatar?

Furthermore, in Colin's mini rant, he says,

"Not that anyone cares as long as it all balances, right? Not too much mercury or the world ends, not too much sulfur or we all go mad..."

I'm going to break this down, bit by bit, because he's got a lot of information in here.

"Not that anyone cares as long as it all balances, right?"

This seems to be referencing the property of equal exchange or the idea that no thing can come from nothing.

If you've watched/read Fullmetal Alchemist, you might be familiar with this. My mind immediately went to the scene where Edward is preforming the ritual with Alphonse to bring their mother back. The ritual failed, with Edward losing his left leg and Alphonse's body deconstructing. Edward had to sacrifice his right arm to tie Alphonse's soul to a suit of armor so he would not die.

I wonder if a sacrifice like this will be required by a character to save another or beat a foe.

"Not too much mercury or the world ends..."

This, I think, is tying alchemy to the entities, specifically here, the Extinction. Mercury, a toxic element (in its gaseous form), can cause organs to shut down and impair the nervous system and is one of the seven metals of alchemy.

"Not too much sulfur or we all go mad..."

Again, this seems to be tying alchemy to the entities. Sulfur, in alchemy, represents the evaporation, dissolution, exapnsion, and the soul, and as a chemical, is low toxicity (mainly toxic as dust) and may cause irritation or burning, but, in the human body, it is used to build DNA. At first, I thought this was being tied to the Spiral because of madness. However, this could be tied to the Web, with the idea of building DNA and expanding, like how the web works. They build the foundation of their web, and then they expand their ideas and manipulation, either by handing the job over to other entities or by settley nuding situations in order to get the desired outcomes.

My current theory is that alchemy is going to be used in the rituals for the entities and as a way to create avatars. Basically, it's will be similar to how Leitner's function in TMA.

Anyway, this was a great episode! I really want to do more research on Alchemy now, lol. Sorry for the ramble. 😅

Rolfe Dewolfe Headcanons!

He is my current microwave blorbo (he is rotating around in my brain rn) and I have many thoughts about him!

This post is sfw of course!

He has a huge inferiority complex and some major ego issues. Bro is a little delulu but we love that.

I headcanon that Wolfman (lead singer of The Wolf Pack 5) is his older brother. This is where a large majority of his insecurities stem from, as his brother is far more well-liked and successful than he is.

He struggles to emulate Wolfman’s natural charm and charisma, so his attempts come off as forced and disingenuous as a result… Just ✨neurodivergent things✨

Not a headcanon but he forged prescriptions for pain medication???? Back pain allegedly, according to the Smitty’s introduction tape at least. Perhaps he’s a chronic pain king who couldn’t afford them!

I know it’s heavily implied that Earle is his own entity and whatnot, but I personally prefer the idea that Rolfe is just using his puppet to vent his frustrations with… Well, himself! It’s his own way of trying to tell people he’s self aware, but everyone seems to take his outlandish persona seriously…

Going based on that headcanon, he’d have to have some good vocal range too. His singing voice might not be the best but he’s definitely got some good impressions up his sleeve.

He’s funnier when he’s being authentic and not trying to be funny, if that makes sense. His jokes on stage are all very corny but behind the scenes I think he has his own unique sense of humor that the others often miss out on.

He loves disco. Canon technically, but it’s cute enough to mention. He was probably going to a lot of discotechs back when he was younger, since he was likely a young man during the time period in which disco would be relevant.

Age wise I feel like he’d be somewhere in his 30s-40s. Gray is a common color for wolves but he gives washed up celebrity vibes, yk?

He could wear shoes but he chooses not to wear them, it’s a sensory thing. He doesn’t like how constricting they feel, and I’d imagine it’d be hard finding shoes in his size anyway.

He’s the typa fella to go to sleep with that old ahh nightgown and the long droopy hat and comically flap his jowls when he snores.

Him and Fats bicker a lot but I think it’s mostly playful banter, they’re the kind of friends who start fake beef with each other just for fun. Fats is probably the one he’s closest to out of the band members, since they have a mutual understanding of one another and what makes each other tick.

Absolutely a terrible shopper. Do not send him to the store (even with a list), he will buy the most expensive versions of everything and a bunch of stuff you didn’t ask for (he only wants the best for you but he can’t keep paying 50$ for orange juice 😭).

In denial about his wrinkles. He’s still fresh as a daisy, or at least that’s what he tells you. His rosy cheeks are real though, no makeup needed for those.

If he gets frustrated enough he’ll do that dog thing that’s not a growl but a little bit of a low rumble.

In high school, he was the “weird puppet guy.” It was like every social interaction with him was a dry run for his future standup routines, he’d never talk to anyone without Earle also being involved in the conversation. It was a comfort thing for him, and it made interacting with others easier, but most people thought he was just weird for it. Once again I say ✨neurodivergent things✨

Avid vest and bowtie collector of course. He’s like Saul Goodman if he didn’t wear pants.

He knows how to play some weirdly specific instrument that sadly wouldn’t fit in with the rest of the bands lineup, but it’s something you’d never know until you’re like shopping for a replacement for your instrument and you see him trot over to a fucking theremin and start making some alien invasion ahh music

You talked a little while ago about why you don't think Shidou would make a good father to Amane (agreed) and proposed the idea of Mahiru adopting Amane. That's cute but I want to tell you about my post-MILGRAM headcanon:

Amane joins the Kajiyamas

Not Fuuta specifically adopting her, but like him taking her back to his family's house. I'm sure they'd have a spare room

I think people don't think about Fuuta's homelife much, or if they do they take Fuuta's one interrogation question where he calls his dad an old fogey and assume its like, abusive

And don't get me wrong, I don't think the Kajiyama household are perfect. Fuuta' beautician sister surely hasn't helped when it comes to Fuuta's body image issues and I'm betting they're all a bunch of tsunderes too embarrassed to say they love each other

But in a series where most of the abused characters are still convinced their abuser loved them/acted out of love. Seeing a guy not be afraid to call his dad a loser is almost a green flag

I think it'd be good for Amane to not necessarily be adopted as the lone child to a single parent but get to be introduced to a very different style of family unit from her own One where its normal to express different opinions or disagreements or even have arguments and not have it be the end of the world

Amane already has a snarky side to her, I bet it'd flourish in a brash household like the Kajiyama's (or at least how I imagine them to be)

OOHHH wait I love that so much! >:O

I agree -- I never interpreted Fuuta's family as abusive or harmful, just not super close and struggling a bit after his mother left. (And yeah, all as openly emotional as him😭) They seem stable and very capable to taking in a extra, very well-behaved child. Assuming Fuuta is the way he is because of them, that atmosphere of being very honest and forward would work well for her. They say things as they are, little by little pointing out the harmful parts of her worldview. Like you said, none of them make excuses about harmful behavior stemming from love, so she'd get a really healthy dose of truth in that area. She never feels coddled or treated like a baby. They care for her while treating her very maturely.

I absolutely love how well she and Fuuta get along, with that snarky side to her that you mentioned. It would allow her to fit in well in the new household, getting the sense of belonging she'll lose after leaving the cult. Also, seeing how Fuuta and his sister let things slip and aren't perfect sons/daughters, she'll be able to relax about earning a parent's love through perfect behavior. She'll probably stay exactly the same, but her stress about it will fade <3

I doubt Fuuta's father can ever replace the hole she'll have from her own father, but the addition of an older sister will be huge. Amane will never get the feeling her mother is being replaced, but the woman will still fill the gap of the older, same-gender role model she needs. Her beautician job may throw Amane at first (being an indulgence in vanity), but it isn't as in-your-face as other careers. I think she could definitely ease Amane into accepting it, and over time, accepting her own personal "indulgence."

Plus, her moving in would also be really good for Fuuta! I think he'd recognize there's a ton of fun things she missed out on, and that heroic side of him outweighs the part that cringes: he gripes and groans about going to "kid places," but he's always the one to announce "I can't believe you've never been to __, we're going right now!!" This allows him to touch grass leave the house and experience his own life to the fullest. He's able to channel his desire to help society into a healthier outlet. Also, seeing her studying habits and plans for the future might even inspire him to do the same. (might.) He becomes the stereotypical good big brother, though of course he denies it viciously...

I have recently been going insane over their friendship so I'm completely taken with this idea OUGH thank you for telling me ;-----;

On the topic of wizard character concepts, a slightly older idea of mine, stemming from the discussion of the various schools and what it might say about a wizard to consciously choose them. Specifically, the idea that people might think that abjuration wizards are cowards for clinging to the most protective aspects of magic.

Which, in my head, combined with the idea of tiefling virtue names, and a very traumatised tiefling who named themselves Craven, in the deep conviction that yes, they are a coward.

And, if you’re going to have a traumatised character, you go to Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft and give them the Haunted One background. And not just because it’s one of my favourites, but because, since we’re a wizard, as in a bookish nerd, there’s a pre-made harrowing event that traumatised the hell of us right there: “You opened an eldritch tome and saw things unfit for a sane mind. You burned the book, but its words and images are burned into your psyche.”

So. Our little baby tiefling wizard read a bad book, a bad book that fully scarred them for life and turned their hair literally white, and ever since then they’ve devoted their studies to the magic of protection, and renamed themselves in the full and sincere belief that they’re a coward. I am picturing a rail-thin hollow-eyed nerd literally hugging their spellbook for protection.

But why would a traumatised and self-professed coward go adventuring? Because they saw horrors, vast, incomprehensible horrors, and they know their pathetic magic right now wouldn’t stop a hair of it. If it can’t stop a goblin arrow, it sure as hell can’t stop an eldritch thing from beyond the stars. So they need to improve their magic, and the only way to improve defensive magic is to, well, defend. Plus. All their wards and libraries wouldn’t stop what they saw either. Sometimes the best defence is a good offence, or at the very least entails acquiring enough specific information to create targeted defence. Such as finding and preventing the access point from opening, for example.

I kind of want the book they read to be the work of a scholar afflicted by an allip. They didn’t get far enough into it to actually contract the allip’s curse and become one, but they came damn close. Hence why there was some actual physical transformation as a result. The hair-turns-white-with-shock thing is an old trope, but an enjoyable one, and I want it.

(Look, allips are one of my favourite creatures, they’re cool, shattered traumatised undead who discovered secrets man was not meant to know, and who are desperately trying to share that hideous knowledge to relieve themselves of its burden).

I think we’ll take Eldritch Adept somewhere down the line, for Armour of Shadows or possibly Devil’s Sight. And I’m flipflopping between Glasya and Levistus tiefling, because I think Armour of Agathys might also be a part of their heritage they cling to, but Invisibility would also be tempting for them. (I would love if a DM let my tiefling’s innate spells act like the ones from the updated races, as in I could have them be INT based and also cast them with spell slots. If that was the case, I feel like definitely Levistus tiefling).

So you have this patient, methodical, high-strung, twitchy, deeply traumatised scholar who has self-loathing embedded directly in their core, doggedly out here rattling and shuddering their way through the terror because there’s worse terrors waiting and they’ve got to be ready for them.

Yes, I have a type, why do you ask?

Notes abt Piglin Culture

Hello!! Back again with another post about Piglins and their culture!! These are all headcanons of course and while some are based off the lore in-game, some are def based off my own ideas!!

I do wanna say Piglin culture is something I like to insert my own culture into, so be aware some things might be influenced by Aztecan and Mexican culture as well as Salvadorian. Usually these won't be too impactful, but I am speaking from my own experiences. I also want to state we'll be delving into a bit of lore from Minecraft Legends!! And happy holidays and merry christmas to my fellas out there! I'll try to post more soon, I have a theory/headcanon on Drowned I wanna show off here!!

this is a long post so yeah :0)

Firstly,

I wanted to touch one some small notes about the jobs Piglin culture has, as well as what they do for their community. I'm certain it's very clear their people are attached very heavily to each other, all raising children together, fighting, harvesting, protecting and living as one unit. I think Bastions represent a lot of different needs their people used to have in the days of old, namely the time of Minecraft Legends. The 4 Piglin leaders put into place their values into the Bastion structures. The Unbreakable implemented the Bastion system in the first place!! They were the one who first had the idea of Treasure Bastions, as a way to keep their history and treasures secure no matter what would happen. The Devourer designed the Housing Units, The Beast created the Hoglin Stables, and lastly, The Great Hog developed the Bridge Units. With these different units, different Piglins are required to choose a job and serve their community once they reach the age of 20. These jobs are Protectors, Nether-Roaming, and Bastion Dwellers.

Bastion-Dwelling piglins are ones that work preparing food, creating bricks for repairs, making beds and linen from stem trees, and creating music and clothes. They also take care of the elderly and children, usually are very social and polite. This job is usually for Piglins who aren't able to fight/don't know how, have disabilities that might make constant movement difficult, have children, or are generally more interested in this kind of work. It is slightly lighter work,though it is constant and takes a lot of effort to complete. (this is what Briar worked as due to his overgrown tail and ears as well as his physical hypo sensitivity due to his autism, also hes good with medicine lol)

Nether-Roaming works as scavengers, collecting bones, quartz, gold, blackstone and netherrack. As well as raiding any older chests around Ruined Portals and abandoned Bastions/Fortresses. Next are hunters who will kill magma cubes for medicines and potions as well as hoglins for meat and hides. Another job is Messagers. They will also communicate between Bastions, sending messages and pushing to form alliances.

Lastly are Protectors! Protectors are trained from a very young age (15 or so) to be ready for this kind of work. Protectors train in combat and mental fortitude especially. They are given a strict amount of rules to live by and support, are taught to not fear zombification and zombies. Protectors are needed to protect and secure any and all treasures inside of Bastions as well as all the Piglins who live inside of it!!

Another thing i wanted to mention briefly is the importance of gold and how its used to show a kinship within their culture.

Piglins usually have at least 2-4 different piercings on their body. Most keep to 2 piercings though. The most common are nose and ear piercings, as they're the easiest to care for. But!! It is normal to have them in a variety of other places and to have multiple in the same place!! (Dagger has two gauges in both ears.) Tail, nipple, belly button, eyebrows, lip and a variety of eyebrow n mouth related piercings.

Piercings are done by heating a quartz rod and poking it into the cartilage around where the piercing is meant to be placed. after the incision is done, a golden hoop, clip or small stud is placed within it. It is left to heal and is cleaned consistently with a mixture of water and magma cream. The piercing is always entirely golden and is always kept for the rest of their lives.

One piercing is done when the piglet is born, and another when they are an adult (20). The more piercings a Piglin has, the more revered and attractive they are seen as!! In general though, height, strength and overall size are attractive traits among piglins, as well as curlier/patterned hair/fur! (yes this means canonically Dagger is attractive but i think it's funnier that Briar is very much unattractive)

I also want to say i believe Piglins have a dormant winter gene in their DNA, back when their ancestors lived in a frozen tundra or the prehistoric Nether. (yes this is an idea presented by MatPat, but also its common sense with irl geography and history) This gene only comes up with Piglins who have moved to the Overworld.

Lastly, I will talk about how Piglins are perceived in the Overworld. The legend presented in Minecraft Legends is very much what V/Illager folk believe about the Piglin race. Brutish, disgusting, unappealing and violent. They usually look down on them and have no intentions of going to the Nether to actually see if these things are true. V/Illagers despise Piglins usually, though some don't see them as a threat as these prejudices spawn from old stories. Even so, the disdain is seen in how Villagers have their Iron Golems attack Piglins on sight. In the current story, most V/Illagers care not for Piglins, though some are of course hesitant around them. Unfortunately, this isn't much better as there are some V/Illagers who only like Dagger n Briar n such bc they see them as 'exotic', 'feisty' and 'cutesy' so :/ but its just part of being in a new place where people misinterpret you and your culture

en ee ways im going to bed now goodnight happy holidays folks byeeee

hiiiii <3 feel free to ignore but i’d just wanna hear your thoughts!

i’m just curious about your opinions on an aceflux eddie? this is a lot of self projecting, but eddie could be aceflux to me because of trauma. i think eddie’s would stem from trying to hook up with people and him having to explain to them what he is (trans), then they give him this face of disgust and they’re out. or men fetishizing him being trans so eddie freezes up and panics when something is ramping up.

-🦇

hello my lovely 🦇 anon!!!

i have a couple ideas about this!!! its more in the direction of fluctuating sexual desire though if that's okay? more so than gender just because im not sure i can properly verbalise that part of this eddie, not the way it would deserve <3

but i rly love this ask bc while im very into many iterations of eddie - dom, sub, top, bottom, virgin whatever - i also really love eddie who just kind of doesn't care about that stuff. like, he has so many other things hes doing and focusing on, which means those aspects of like, life or those relationships, whatever, that seem so important in highschool, he just doesn't really care about. or doesn’t most of the time. so maybe late bloomer but ace flux is a really nice term too.

because to me that doesn't mean he doesn't want to be close to people, he does, and that’s where the angst comes in. because he doesn't always know how, how to do it the way he wants, in a way that feels right. he knows what happens in films when guys and girls get close. and he knows he shouldn’t want to get close to guys romantically but sometimes he scares himself because he thinks he does. think he wants that, wants to hold a guys hand.

he doesn't fantasise about sex in class, he doesn't imagine anyone naked, doesn’t really join in when his friends talk about crushes, stating something about conformity and ‘no one for him in a small town like this’, if anyone asks him.

but secretly, he just wants to feel close. feel loved. he doesn’t get crushes but he knows he wants that.

mostly he just thinks about his music, his friends, his campaigns and he’s content with that. he focuses on that.

but there have been people, to draw him out. a girl in elementary school, who was so smart and funny and he loved being her friend. but then in the corner of the playground she kissed him one day, suddenly, to eddie. and he could taste the juice she had a lunch but he hates grape so he wiped his mouth and made a face. she got mad, and didn’t talk to him again.

and the boy who lived at the trailer park one summer, visiting his grandma. they saw each other basically every day, listened to tapes and exploring the woods. eddie’s hair was just starting to really grow out and he’d been living with wayne for a while. the boy said he likes it, his hair, reminded him of a girl. and eddie liked the boy too, liked that he said that, even though it scared him. but then he moved too quick, tongue and teeth and a spitty hand on them both. and then he left, didn’t come see eddie the couple days before he was gone. and eddie was reeling, he didn’t know what he liked, what he didn’t. he was confused, felt wrong.

maybe there was one guy, once he got older, when he knew that he should want to do all this stuff, should feel the need to get off and want to get off with people. some comment making him self conscious, about him not caring about it, thinking it wasn’t normal, he should want it. so he followed this guy into the hideout bathroom. but the moment they were close he didn’t want it anymore, didn’t feel right. but the guy didn’t listen, happy not to touch eddie too much but got off still with eddie there, when he’d rather be anywhere else.

just eddie having a sort of trauma, over the years, from how people have touched him, have talked to him. have seemed to want him around but then gone cold and distant. hadn’t asked what he wanted and just took, just used, just needed and wanted and didn’t give him a chance to think, to breath.

and then the bats nearly eat him alive.

but he survives, some how. stuck in hospital, wayne by his side when he can. steve by his side even more, just because, he’s not sure why. but it’s nice. steve’s nice. steve lets eddie think and breath before he talks, before he moves, lets eddie take his time.

and then maybe he does want to kiss steve, sometimes when they touch something stirrs in his belly, his fingertips tingle. but, its not all the time, not always.

and on the occasion he does feel like sticking his hand into his boxers, the rare times that feels right. it’s almost easy to think about steve’s hand and steve’s lips and steve’s kind words.

and then they do kiss. one night, on steve couch. and eddie feels something light up in him, something new and special. a warm ember.

but the second time they kiss its not like that, he loves the closeness, but, he doest want to do anything more. he just wants to hug. but will that be enough for steve? can eddie be enough?

<3

(i hope that like, makes sense lol. i figured it was long enough without going into more steddie stuff hehe. hope u like, mwah!)

OP ask game: 1 and 4?

1. Which major character do you think is most likely to die before the end of the series?

So I don’t actually know if it’s clear, but this is actually the origin story of how Franky of all fucking characters became Blorbo #1 for me. I genuinely think he sits in the Prime Killability Zone, so I’m trying to stake my territory early. If I had to compare his position to anyone it would be Wash from Firefly/Serenity. Like the Joss Whedon that haunts my brain VERY MUCH against my will says that Franky is supremely killable. Right at the start of the end. 1) he is liked in general enough that people will go aw that’s sad maybe the stakes are real for everyone else (a tension bar that will need to be established for the last fight to have teeth) but he’s not SO well liked that there will be a backlash if he dies (I know that like. Sanji’s not getting killed off. They don’t have the guts). 2) his dream’s just to like. Physically get them to Laugh Tale. So once they’re at Laugh Tale he’s kind of got no where to like, go? He did what he set out to do, which means they can totally kill him off in style. 3) he really hasn’t had much of a character arc since the timeskip, though I do still hold out that egghead’s got one more trick up it’s sleeve for him. But I think that the culmination of his character being fully self-sacrificial would be like, the last big turn in his development. 4) oh my god I just had something huge written out and then this app glitched in the formatting and I lost it all ACK. Okay. So this is going to sound biased from like, a shipping perspective, but I do genuinely mean this more neutrally. Killing off Franky helps oda to dodge the Frobin bullet in a way that still feels emotional. I know Ods’s rules on ships. He knows them. But also, he’s definitely injected quite a lot of his own heteronormative social biases onto this character. They’re “Mom and Dad” for a reason (even if I myself argue with that interpretation of both characters, it still seems to be the dominant reading of how they interact with their sphere)(but clearly a lot of the “frobin proof” is like, Oda’s subconscious utilization of the little world around him. He does not leave his house much, and he goes for easy to reach tropes, generally. The whole “if any ship has a chance at becoming canon it’s frobin” idea I see floating around stems from a similar place). And how do you develop a slightly older male character in your Gender Propaganda Text that’s always One Man Step ahead of everyone else? Where is he to go developmentally in his mid-to-late-30s? You pair him off, you put him in a relationship. But oda can’t do that because it breaks his rule. So the one major Quick and Easy way to develop this guy any further is off the table. But if they leave things wink wink vague and then kill him off, they don’t need to address that grey area. Not to go on a whole ship tangent lol. But I do genuinely think that’s the easiest path to the corner he’s written himself into with this character. Just kill him!

4. What do you think the One Piece itself actually is?

Real. Hahah no but I’m of the opinion that it’s going to be something fairly simple. My bet is like, a cool looking coin thing, something that Shueisha Entertainment can mass produce in plastic once OP is over. Like, this whole thing is about toy/merch sales at the end of the day, so it makes sense to me that the function of the one piece is to be infinitely merchandisable. Small, simple design, keychainable, printable for a sweatshirt, could even make a plushie. A single sort of gold coin thing opens up quite a lot of easy possibilities, even if I myself find it kind of…boring.

That, or it’s got something to do with the hat. A second, smaller straw hate to put on the first. Hahaha.

🕰️: uhh i'm bad at thinking of specific questions but i'd love to hear more about this ^^ so you can just ramble if you want to lol

turn back the clocks !!! that little story is my child !!! you have unleashed the ramblingsss

so ! basic character ! there are only really two characters that actually have a presence throughout the novel, the rest are here for one part and then because of time travel, they never show up again.

it is dual pov, the characters are two siblings. the older one is a 15 year old boy named ernie solace, he is very quiet, studious, the loner type. very much has got anxiety. also is queer but it only exists as subtext because i wanted to experiment on characters whose orientations are never specified but you just know. the youngest sibling is 12 years old, her name is lizzie and she's the opposite of her brother. she is extremely loud and blunt, very kind but she can be a bit too flashy and a bit too much. they have very contrasting personalities, you see. a lot of the books revolves around them doing risky activities that might threaten their life. ernie is very cautious, they almost didn't go time travelling because he was not into the idea. lizzie, however, is all about the adventure, seize the day, never doubt yourself. a lot of her decisions do stem from her burning wish to be the same always, never grow up, never leave the present moment. so you can probably guess she is most open to time travelling.

the actual time travel thing. the first chapter of the novel, their uncle whom they have never seen before, he shows up. he is a scientist and at the end of his visit, he confesses that he is here for them. apparently, there was another obscure scientist in the 1830s who had found the answer of time traveling and had even done it himself, traveling to the past. but the thing is, he is trapped. he cannot return to his present time, he is stuck in the past forever. he did leave behind journals, which were found by the uncle and had given instructions on how to save him. but, it was very specific on who could save him.

I don’t know. I have taken steps, in case I fail to return back on my own, and I am positive that even if all fails, these tasks shall prove to be what I need to return home. I have been precise of what needs to be done and how exactly it shall be done, the only question is: who will do it for me? I do not hesitate to call myself a lonely man, it is only the truth. I have no one to do favours for me, I can only rely that someone discovers this journal and pities me enough to find me in some hidden corner in time. Well, Reader, if you are reading this, I do need help. What are the chances that you know of me or have some fondness for me to partake in these tasks for me? I do only wish to return back home, if you will allow me — It will be laborious and I think it can be done by only some. It is not to be done alone, a pair is necessary by all means. Two people, siblings or friends, two people who have trust in one another and it is characteristic for them to work together. Different mindsets perhaps, two people who think in different ways. It must be too much to ask but I want them with love. I want them to love, I think, if they love, they shall find these tasks only an adventure. Curious people, who will find more than the objects I tell them to find. Suffering should not be characteristic for this pair. In the end, I think the only thing I expect from them is hope. There are very few grown persons who match this description, only children have that hope and curiosity and love in their hearts. But I do not want to ask for much, I do not even expect for you to find this. But please, if I am gone or disappear, send someone to save me. Anyone.

the uncle thought lizzie and ernie seemed to match the descriptions, so he had asked them. eventually, they did agree though ernie challenged him. they are to travel through five periods and find five objects.

1884 - a single diamond earring that belonged to a girl named mariana.

1850 - california gold rush where they have to find a specific quantity of gold

1648 - a map of a sea voyage, acquired from a pirate ship

october 14, 1066 - battle of hastings, a cloth of linen dropped by a fallen soldier

something like 10 million bce? - a leaf and drops of dew, untouched by human beings.

the theory was that, if all these items scattered and found from different times were brought together, these could cause such an anachronism that it would revert all the changes that were done to by both the scientist and lizzie and ernie, placing all three of them in their actual present time. it doesn't work on the scientist's end, spoiler alert. yeah, he just realized something huge and opened something that was more huge. the second book is about that, basically.

the book is essentially about hope above all. hope that the scientist has for his life, hope that lizzie and ernie have to save him, hope matters in a personal and character-specific way too. lizzie's hope is that nothing really changes for her while ernie doesn't mind change but he just hopes that whatever comes, it's going to be okay. it plays around with sibling dynamics and that familial co-dependency. even their last name, solace, means comfort and hope.

thank you for that question !!!!! i loved answering that :)))

and give me more asks, everyone !!

"Sonic 06: gameplay is shit, story is shit."

Okay, I somewhat disagree but don't see the need to expend energy toward-

*comparison between 06 and Forces is drawn*

My brain: heyguesswhatyou'rehyperfocusednow

I was going to do things today. . . but here we are.

Okay, up top and up front: 06 and Forces are both flawed, yes.

But they are flawed in fundamentally different ways, and Forces flaws are, quite frankly, far more glaring and demeritorious for a franchise like Sonic than 06. Anyone who, years from now, goes on to claim that "Uh, actually, Forces was peak." the way that some people are saying about 06 now will be just as, if not more, wrong. And I'll attribute such claims to declining media literacy.

BEFORE the youngsters in the fandom start throwing things at me, note that I said just as wrong. 06 wasn't ever as good as some of the mainline games prior or even spinoff titles after.

The difference is, most of 06's issues stem from the fact that it reads as pitiably unfinished.

The problems with Forces begin and end with the fact that it reads like self-insert fan fiction that had either zero beta readers or too many beta readers that were all given editing privileges. There's definitely a place in the world for that sort of creativity, but said place is not within a licensed game that people have to pay for; one that drastically affects the canon of the franchise and how the fans old and new perceive it and the characters within.

All right? Okay, let's get into details.

Let's address gameplay first, since I have less to say about that.

On this count, if nothing else, Forces barely edges out by being functional; granted, that's the end of it. I wouldn't go back to play it again, and the 'highlights' I can recall mostly felt like reskins of stages in the style of Colors but shortened, with boss fights reminiscent of daytime Unleashed. I imagine the primary draw for people is watching their customized 'sona jump and fly around whilst listening to dialogue from the main cast.

And this isn't really a substantive point, but the fact that receiving stuff like outfits like loot crates at the end of virtually every stage feels kind of manipulative and annoys me. If there's unlockable features, put some actual challenge between the player and the prize, like how you perform within the stage. Otherwise it's just another example of "shiny, novelty, tickle brain often, get player to play longer."

Setting that brief tangent aside since that's just a trend in games in general and not Sonic specific, moving on to 06's gameplay. And uh, yeah. The USP was, like the adventure games, supposed to be that you got three interconnected stories and three main characters each with unique play styles.

I suppose 06 showed us before anything else that Shadow really isn't as fast as Sonic, and as an idea, Silver's psychokinesis was cool. If the tracking in the Speed Up stages and the hit boxes in a handful of other areas had been ironed out, there's foundation for a fairly solid experience. Project 06 is basically proof that the base of the game had potential that wasn't realized, whether due to time constraints or other reasons.

As far as environs, the concept for Kingdom Valley showed off the most soul, I'd say, with Silver's future coming in close second. Character design for the Iblis fragments (not sure if that's the official name but I'm doing stream-of-consciousness here) and Mephiles I actually like a lot. I don't think there's anything objectively wrong with them and however you rate them will come down to preference.

Also, the model for Sonic is like. . . ridiculously good. He just looks like an older teenager; it fits with the widely accepted idea that he was 15 as of Adventure 2. Polish it a bit and that's just how he appears in my head when I write about him.

That said, there are only about six different environs that serve as stages, discounting the hub areas, and compared to Heroes' twelve stages, it just adds to that incomplete/rushed feeling.

That's about all I can say on the gameplay aspect. Functional yet non-stimulating technically wins out over some creativity yet patchy. They are games, after all.

Now then, the "story is shit" business.

Look, if you're going to criticize Sonic's story—which, yeah, his should be subjected to more scrutiny, being the titular character—then much of what you can say against it also applies to the first Adventure. Eggman wants to collect a thing (emeralds/Princess), Sonic wants him to not collect the thing (emeralds/Princess) because he's obviously planning to do evil stuff with the thing, Sonic manages to get the thing only for Eggman to snatch it out of his hands.

Multiple times.

Meaning Sonic spends most of the games on fetch quests that Eggman keeps one-upping him on until the penultimate fight.

And those are the beats. Of both stories. (For Sonic.)

And then at the end of both games, a monster you've fought in various forms (Chaos/Iblis) reappears to threaten the world on a scale that requires the seven chaos emeralds to combat.

Super Sonic. Rad soundtrack. Credits.

Granted, much like how Gamma's story was the strongest in Adventure, the quality of the three main story lines in 06 also vary in strength, with Shadow's taking first place.

My point is, in a franchise that is about characters, you don't grade every aspect of the story on the same scale. You weigh the grade of various aspects differently; and the point that gets graded most heavily is:

Character moments; which can encapsulate literal moments, arcs, development etc.

And for all its flaws, 06 has character moments, almost immediately, even. Sonic's first spoken line is "My, that's a pretty snazzy performance there!"

Which, after the tension of Eggman interrupting the festival and threatening Elise, cuts through the moment right away and, paired with the next several seconds, shows who Sonic is. He sees Eggman's robots aiming and waits until the last second to jump before going to town bashing up bots. Even as he carts Elise off amidst homing missiles and explosions, he's grinning the whole time.

Sonic does what he does because it's fun.

And his third spoken line, answering Elise's question of why he's helping, is: "No special reason."

Again, that's Sonic. Doesn't matter who it is, he helps people because he Does what's Cool. And as well as being fun, fighting off Eggman and his bots is Cool.

06, as Silver's introduction to the series, also does a decent job establishing his character of Temporal Bulldozer. He can be aimed, but his solution to problems first and foremost is usually smashing, and it's really tricky to change his mind once he's focused. He suffers from myopia arguably as bad or worse than Metal Sonic. Amy's the only one who momentarily gets him to pause and wonder if really does want to kill Sonic.

Which is a character moment for her. As in Adventure 2, Amy will happily break laws and go against who and whatever to help her friends; and as she did with Shadow, she's rather skilled at getting very hurt people to listen.

She's not unlike Silver in her willingness to do whatever it takes, really; since Temporal Bulldozer can and does traverse time on several occasions to make things right. And up until the last moment, it never occurs to him that anyone but he should bear the burden of saving the world. Blaze has to physically shove him aside so she can absorb Iblis herself.

Silver sees himself as a Hero with a responsibility toward the future just as much Sonic sees himself as just Some Guy.

Finally, Shadow. And man, there's a reason a lot of people say 06 was the last time a game featured Shadow written correctly.

It's me. I'm one of a lot of people.

Team Dark in general gets a fair bit of spotlight in 06. Rouge, an anti-heroine with perhaps the greatest self-interest after Eggman, promises Shadow that she'd stand with him even if the very world turned against him. Omega, who loathes taking orders and prioritizes his own freedom nearly as much as Sonic, takes on Rouge's assignment for him without question or complaint to wait out 200 years to help rescue Shadow.

And Shadow, in an in-game line during his first fight with Mephiles, reaffirms all the progress he made in his titular game that was wholly about discovering his identity: "Don't bother trying to deceive me. I know who I am!"

And, in contrast to the Shadow the franchise first introduced us to, the Shadow of Adventure 2 who was thoroughly convinced that his only remaining worth was his ability to keep his promise to Maria, the Shadow who was so resigned that he chose to plummet through the planet's atmosphere to his presumed death. . .

That Shadow is faced squarely with his fate of persecution, asked why he would bother fighting to protect. That Shadow declares that it the world turns on him, "I will fight as I always have."

He's grown such that he's now willing to fight against fate.

And that's pretty fucking cool.

On the other side, applying the same grading method to Forces, we find what I call (as of just now) character fauxments.

Remember how I talked about 06's introduction for Sonic? How he cuts through tensions, finds joy and fun in fighting bullies and bad guys?

The thing about that, which Forces doesn't seem to understand, is that if you lean too hard on the wisecracks and nonchalance, you end up with a character who reads as either obnoxious or totally tone-deaf. Sonic knows when to take things seriously, yet in Forces he's purportedly been tortured as well as locked up for half a year, Infinite's destroyed countless homes and killed who knows how many people, and yet when Sonic interrupts his fight with Silver. . .

I mean, if Sonic was written correct, you'd cut out a bunch of faff and change his line delivery. Show that he's frustrated by his time confined and absolutely raring to throw hands and get to business; because Sonic does understand when things have gotten real, and while rare, he does get angry. Something like:

"Since you like talking so much, mind sharing the source of your power? I can ask the easy way or the hard way. I've been cooped up a long time, so I'm hoping you pick the hard way."

It doesn't need to be the most original lines in the world, but Sonic's banter in the middle of a war shouldn't be long-winded, no matter how pretentious his opponent is (and damn, is Infinite pretentious. Like to the point that it's the most memorable part of the game.) If there's banter, it should be punchy and succinct; quick, like he is.

Instead, Forces Sonic's attitude is just kind of. . . incongruous with the stakes the game claims to have established. But then, since we don't get a truly convincing scene showing the rest of the cast being sad that he reportedly died, that's not too surprising.

Speaking of setting up stakes, here's an idea. Rather than cutting from Sonic laying battered in the middle of the city for a lazy six-month time skip established by text on the screen, make it clear that "Oh shit, things are different" via gameplay.

After Sonic falls, immediately transition into a level. Where you run from right to left to escape Eggman's fleet. Turns everything on its head, you can witness and navigate the destruction as it's happening and if you string together enough environs, you can even have the city burning in the distance or the skyline as you near the end of the stage and escape to relative safety.

Anyway.

And of course, the notorious character fauxment: Tails cowering in front of an offline Omega.

There's nothing I can say about this fauxment that hasn't been said already. It's not the first time in the series that Tails was portrayed as having regressed to a scared child, but it is the most egregious.

And. . . actually, that's about it, at least off the top of my head. Which might speak to how short the game is and how little screen time and action the main cast get aside from Sonic and the player character.

But it's enough to determine that Forces' story, or what stands in for it, is weaker than what 06 offered.

Again, I'm not here to rally a feral defense of 06 as a masterpiece, but its flaws are not on the level of Forces. The reason they're lumped together is the amount of disdain both games got on their release; though in the case of 06, the 2000's were just a weird time when hating things was somehow cooler than liking them, and since 06 wasn't up to par with Adventure 2 or Heroes, people picked an aspect of the game-most often how much the almost final fantasy style model for Elise didn't match up with the Mobian models (and yes, the final cutscene, but there's nothing new I can say about that either, and talking about it here is just an open invitation for someone to blow it out of proportion again) and dogpiled the hate on the game.

Sonic 06 feels unfinished owing to a lot of little and larger details. Knuckles' portrayal and having little to do in the story, poor optimization leading to nearly twenty second loading times, BLAZE BEING A GLOWING NEON MISSED OPPORTUNITY! (SEGA, I know I was literally twelve when the game was released, but my Phoenix headcanon works so well and makes her appearance in both Rush and 06 work! A retroactive fix would be so easy and we could get more adventures in her dimension!)

Even acknowledging all that, though, there were still attempts at creativity that just, for one reason or another, didn't pan out. There's significant potential here.

Forces is just. . . a mess. In every sense. And I understand how a mess can be attractive to a fandom, because a mess means you can take whatever you want from it and organize things however you choose.

But a mess that's sold as a finished game is not the same as a rushed title with visible untapped potential.

Teen MC 28: You Are Capable! (HC)

Fandom: Obey Me

Pairing: All x gn!Reader, platonic. [minus Luke] 

Warning: None

Requested by: Anon​

Prompt: I got an idea for a request. Obey me, Teen MC - with all the characters minus Luke - who has so many talents, so young yet going to college already and all classes are advanced, book worm and tech master, amazing memory, overachiever, basically all round genius. But then they find Teen MC crying on the bed, breaking down and they find out that they tie their value and self worth to how useful, resourceful, and smart they are. I’m sorry this is long😥If you want to listen, the perfect song for this is “Are You Satisfied?” by Marina And The Diamonds. I hope you are giving yourself breaks and drinking water😚😚😚💖

A/N: Oh, that song suits this request perfectly! Hope you like it, and thanks. Take care of yourself as well. 🤗💖

Series: [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]

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Prologue:

"(Y/n)?" He took a seat next to you and gently stroked your back. "Why are you crying?"

"It started when I was eight years old...I wanted to prove that I could do anything without his help. I wanted to prove my worth! But...the older I got, the more he neglected me...and now, it's like I don't even exist for him. It's my obsession now...to prove my worth not only to my father but also to myself. I won't stop until I do!"

———————————————

Simeon quietly listened to everything you said, but in the end, he gave a smile. “You may not agree with my view, but I would like to share my thoughts with you. The way I see it, you should thank your father for his behavior. Let me elaborate. You have exceeded to a level that many people only dream of, and this all started thanks to your wish to prove yourself to your father. I understand you want his approval, but (y/n), you honestly don’t need it. You have already proved your capabilities to everyone.”

He studied your expressions for a while before resting his hand on top of yours, “I get a feeling that your father is quietly watching everything you do. Maybe he doesn’t want to show it now....out of fear that you may stop working hard or he isn’t sure what to say or feels guilty, but one day, he will praise you and tell you how worthy you are. If it makes you feel even a little better, (y/n), you are the most amazing person I have met. You can control powerful demons with ease, use magic better than the best-known sorcerer, have won the hearts of demons and angels alike, and most of all, you are the most hard-working and dedicated person I know.”

Lucifer sighed heavily and stroked your hair, “(Y/n). Why would you care about proving yourself to your father? If he cannot see your potential or capabilities, that is his loss, not yours. Many humans struggle their entire life to fulfill one achievement, but you, my dear, you have quite the number of achievements, and that too, at your age. Take it from the Avatar of Pride, have more pride in yourself and your achievements.” 

He cupped your cheeks and wiped your tears, “You should not drag yourself down solely due to the inflated ego of your father. I admire that you wished to prove your worth to him, but now your wish has turned into a lasting obsession, and that is detrimental to your health. My words may hurt you, but there are people who will never praise you, no matter the length you go to get their approval. This may stem from their ego, jealousy, or rivalry, or they may simply be self-centered. These types of people are not worth your time. Always remember that.” 

If Lucifer ever gets a chance to meet your father, he will have a nice, long talk with him. The least your father can do is say a few kind words to you. 

“Yo, what didja say ‘bout not trustin’ yourself? Why would ya even think that? Who’s goin’ to college at a young age? You. Who’s talented in everythin’? You. Who’s takin’ hard classes? You. Who’s skippin’ parties to study? You. You’ve a great memory, always go above n’ beyond, and you’re smart...you’ve pacts with some of the strongest demons in Devildom, the support of the prince, Solomon, and the angels. What else do ya need to prove you’re amazin’? Hey, stop cryin’, will ya? Ya know I can’t see ya in tears...” 

Mammon cupped your face and wiped your tears with his thumbs. “Listen up, I ain’t takin’ your words sittin’ down! You ain’t sayin’ bad things ‘bout yourself while Mammon’s here. You, (y/n), ain’t no ordinary human...you’re smart, hard workin’, carin’, know everythin’ ‘bout everythin’, never give up, n’ you’re the best thing that’s happened to us. If that ain’t enough, you passed Solomon in magic, got Lucifer to make a pact with ya, and made Diavolo your fan. What more proof do ya need? If you’re holdin’ yourself back ‘cause of your dad, then stop. If he can’t see your worth, that’s his problem. You’re amazin’ and ain’t nothin’ goin’ to change that.” 

“Eh? Eh? EHHH? Y-You don’t see yourself as a w-w-orthy person? That’s a joke, right? Right?” His shoulders sank as his eyes lowered to the ground while talking to himself in a somewhat quiet voice, “If someone like you is worthless, then what would that make me? Did someone say something to you? Wait...is your dad the reason behind this?” 

Levi curled his fists and shifted his gaze to you, “Y-You are w-wrong! I k-know what being worthless means, and you are not worthless! (Y/n), you’re the smartest, most talented, hard-working, and determined person I know. You give your all to everything you do and see it to the end. You always give us courage when we’re down, you take care of us, and stand up to all challenges! That’s something only a worthwhile person would do. Take it from a good-for-nothing-otaku-trash, you’re the worthiest of the worthiest. Doesn’t matter what your father says or doesn’t say. You’re a level 99 character with maxed-out skills, and the strongest weapon, armor, and accessories.” 

“Did...I hear you correctly? Your father doesn’t believe you are worthy; moreover, you don’t believe in your worth?” Satan shook his head and sighed heavily, “Why would you put yourself through that much stress? You have already achieved so much in such a short time that you are making everyone else around you look back. Seems like it’s time to give you a pep talk.” 

He chuckled and gently stroked your hair, “I kid you not when I say you are making others around you feel bad about themselves. For some people, you are an inspiration, while others are envious of you. I understand your hunger for knowledge, but you cannot let the hunger turn into an obsession. No one, not even demons or angels who live for centuries on out, can know everything or be perfect. While aiming for a high goal is great, you cannot sign yourself up for an impossible goal. I don’t know your father, so I cannot say anything about him, but maybe all you need to do is sit down and talk to him. Remember how my relationship with Lucifer? You taught me that sometimes all we need to do is clear our heads and talk things out. I think it’s time you use your own advice.” 

“Sweetie, did I hear you correctly? No, no, no! You cannot think that way about yourself, especially since it’s not true. I don’t think I need to tell you what you are capable of but think about everything you have achieved since you got to Devildom. You fixed our family, passed every class in RAD with flying colors, made pacts with all of us, won over the other exchange students, Diavolo and Barb, saved us time and time again, learned magic, and became stronger than THE Solomon himself. That’s just the tip of all your achievements.” 

Asmo wrapped an arm around you and rested his chin on your shoulder, “Please, don’t cry. Your thoughts are not healthy for your mind, body, or skin. Your father seems stern, but maybe he’s like Lucifer...he sees everything but doesn’t openly admit his feelings. If he honestly doesn’t want to see your worth, his words should be worth your time or efforts.”  

Hearing your words made Beel upset and his shoulders slumped. “But...you are...worthy. You united my family and brought smiles back to our faces...something no one could do for centuries. You work hard, try your best, and never give up. Isn’t that what a worthy person does?”

Beel stuck his hand inside his jacket pocket, pulled out a chocolate bar, and handed it to you. “I can’t say I understand what you are going through, but please don’t cry. (Y/n), you said we are your family, right? As a family member, I am telling you that you are great and very worthwhile...you don’t need to do anything more to prove yourself. We love you just the way you are.”

He blinked a couple of times before laughing, “I’m sorry I don’t mean to laugh at your tears, but did you just say you’re not worth enough? Did someone put a curse on you, or did Solomon’s spell go wrong? No, wait, did Solomon force you to eat his cooking?” 

Belphie wiped your tears with his sleeves and chuckled at your surprised expression. “Listen, I don’t know why you are being so hard on yourself, but it’s not healthy. I don’t really have the energy to tell you what all you have done, but I’m sure you already know - from living between demons, all the way to becoming a powerful sorcerer and taking Solomon’s title. If you are being hard on yourself only to prove something to your father, please stop. Sometimes people know what you are worth and don’t say anything, while other times, they are selfish and don’t care. Why give importance to people who don’t care? Let them enjoy their life the way they want, and you enjoy your life without being hard on yourself. All of us believe in you, (y/n), and we always will.”

“Huh? You...could you please repeat what you said? I think I misheard you.” Diavolo couldn’t process your words even after you repeated your statement to him. “My apologies, I have a lot to say, but...please don’t be so harsh with your words. (Y/n), do you not see your capabilities, or are you allowing your need to impress your father to take over your thoughts? Neither of those is healthy for your wellbeing.” 

He sighed and gave a small smile, “I may not be familiar with humans, but I certainly know that you are not like the others. I cannot tell you how happy I am to have you in Devildom as an exchange student. (Y/n), I am proud of you for all you have achieved since the day you entered my kingdom. You have surpassed the achievements of many demons here as well as a renounced sorcerer. I cannot say anything about your father as I do not know him personally, but I do know that you are worthwhile in my book, the book of the future king of Devildom. I do hope my words brought some solace to you.” 

“My, my. So this is the reason why...forgive me, but if I may have a moment of your time. Are you aware of the power you have over the demons in Devildom? Ah, judging by your expressions, I should elaborate. Shall I start with the six brothers? They trust you like no other and believe in you. If they did not find you worthwhile, would they trust you?”  

Barbatos rested his hand on your shoulder and smiled, “Lucifer and I do not impress easily, yet you managed to gain our approval and trust. My dear, Lord Diavolo entrusts tasks to you, does he not? Why do you believe he selects you? The answer is simple: your worth. I do understand your desire to gain your father’s approval, but why do you wish to see your value through his eyes? You should know your capabilities and trust in yourself. If you do not believe me, then ask the brothers. Never forget that Lord Diavolo, Lucifer and his brothers, Luke, Simeon, Solomon, and I have faith in you and always will."

“Did I just hear you correctly? You will not stop until you prove your worth to yourself?” Solomon couldn’t believe his ears that you, his talented apprentice that surpassed his magic, were doubting their worth. “(Y/n), do you know how long it took me to perfect my magic? Centuries. Meanwhile, it took you a few months to surpass my level. That alone is enough to prove how worthy you are.” 

Solomon let you an unsettled chuckle, “Not only did you surpass my level, but you also managed to get Lucifer to make a pact with you. I have been at it for a century, but even now, he refuses. You even managed to make Diavolo, the future king of Devildom, your fan. You can control the Seven Rulers of Hell simultaneously with one command. How many humans have the talents you do? None, not even me. (Y/n), I dislike the way you put yourself down. As for your father - let him be. I am certain he sees your worth but refuses to say it out loud. More important, you are worth and need to stop pulling yourself down.”

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Attachment Parenting Can Form Close Bonds, but Experts Say It's Not Perfect

Most parents form tight bonds with their children from the moment they're born, but some styles of parenting foster that closeness more than others. Attachment parenting, for example, encourages parents to be on the same wavelength as their kids, even anticipating their needs before they happen. Like all parenting styles, attachment parenting isn't perfect, as one might imagine. The approach has gotten its fair share of criticism for inadvertently creating overly dependent children and putting outsized demands on parents, but plenty of people, including some celebrities, swear by it. Kourtney Kardashian, for example, spoke about planning to adopt an attachment style of parenting with Rocky, her son with Travis Barker. "That's what I did for my last two kids, we didn't leave the house for the first 40 days," she told Vogue in 2023. "After, you're super-connected and I love that." With all the chatter surrounding attachment parenting, it can be tough to know what this child-rearing style is really about. Here's the deal, according to parenting experts. What Is Attachment Parenting? Attachment parenting stems from attachment theory, which claims that people are born with the innate desire and need to be closely bonded to a caregiver, like a parent. Developed in 1958 by British psychologist John Bowlby, attachment theory says that attachment systems help protect vulnerable people, i.e. children, from potential threats and harm, and helps them regulate negative emotions after threatening or harmful events, per a 1992 article in the journal, Developmental Psychology. "The basic premise of this parenting style is promoting physical connection, physical understanding, and emotional reciprocity between the parent and the baby," says Mayra Mendez, PhD, LMFT, a licensed psychotherapist at Providence Saint John's Child and Family Development Center in Santa Monica, CA. "The idea is that we are one." This parenting style ultimately focuses on building a strong connection between parents and kids, says Robert Keder, MD, a pediatrician who specializes in developmental behavior at Connecticut Children's Medical Center. What Does Attachment Parenting Look Like? With attachment parenting, the parent and baby do everything together. Mendez says, "You understand each other, and mom understands what baby's cry means." When babies cry in an attachment parenting style, the parent responds immediately. "Mom understands baby's cues and baby understands that mom will respond and understands," she adds. Attachment parenting promotes physical closeness, too, like baby wearing and co-sleeping, Keder says. It can also feature extended breastfeeding, which is usually considered breastfeeding after 12 months. When kids get older, attachment parenting can mean having constant communication, as well as parents and children regularly doing things together. "The most important thing in attachment parenting is the child having a strong, nurturing adult that they have a relationship with," Keder says. "Kids understand that they can make mistakes in the world, but can come back to healthy adults who are there to help." The Benefits and Drawbacks of Attachment Parenting The main perk of attachment parenting is that it helps the baby's social and emotional development, Mendez says. "You teach the child social-emotional reciprocity," she says. "It promotes the growth of cognitive ability and language, as well as good learning and responsiveness." Ultimately, that might lead to good stress management. "A child that is able to manage stress and is able to manage emotions in times of stress will have better outcomes in development and progress as they move on to school and relationships," Mendez says. The challenge with attachment parenting is "how to keep the attachment, but cut the cord of support and let children develop opportunities to practice and strengthen those tools they learned," Keder explains. Attachment… https://www.popsugar.com/family/attachment-parenting-49341871?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr

Hello, first of all I'm happy to see Legend of the Dragon watcher/fan and I had fun reading your posts and your thoughts on improvements, I love those ideas a lot, especially the episode where Ang thinks about why he was chosen as Golden Dragon warriors? Is it okay for me to ask if you have any more Legend of the Dragon headcanons? Any other theories on LOTD in general? Thanks again for your LOTD posts and have a good day.

Yay, I'm so glad someone else read my thoughts. It seems the fandom isn't active cuz you know it came out over a decade ago so it's cool someone was reading it. Like I said, the show is kinda mediocire but the characters and the potential is so enjoyable I can't help but like it.

Anyway, I didn't think I had any hcs but once I started thinking here's what I came up with.

The show didn't have a clear sense of how guardians are chosen so I believe it's sorta like A:TLA where the guardians are reincarnated. It's most likely the guardians are children of previous guardians like Ang and Ling. Others do not have guardian family members but their innate guardian abilities are noticed by other masters and guardians and they're invited into the fold when they're young like Xuan Chu and Bengal.

I hc that Ang and Ling went to normal school in Hong Kong. We didn't see it because they were 18 and already graduated but they'd go to school during the day and continue their training afterschool. That way they had a balanced, well-rounded life considering their circumstances.

Since Ang didn't think he was going to be Golden Dragon, he took a lot of pride and effort in his work, planning on going to college and travelling etc. His favorite subjects were film, history, gym and philosphy. If he didn't have guardian training, he would have done lots of after-school sports and maybe even some drama so he could pretend he was a movie star like Wang Lee.

He thiught he was going to be a film-maker, maybe a travel documentarian and then retire in his older age to become a teacher at the dojo like Master Chin.

Ling was equally good at school. Less because of learning or college but because she is insanely competitive. Her best subjects were anything in STEM. Unlike Ang, she placed all her plans on becoming Golden Dragn and didn't have much interest in school activities or future plans.

In fact, the twins were kinda in the middle in the popularity chain. They were interesting because they were smart, good-looking and athletic but they were also intimidating and "weird" because of how much time they spent at the dojo and martial arts training. They had friends but they were more like school friends which they didn't associate with outside of class cuz again, dojo/guardian training take up a lot of time.

They did go on a few dates but it never went anywhere. Ang because his choices were superficial and he'd find out that they had nothing in common or they were using him for status points. Ling because she's intimidating or the guys were just as arrogant as her and they'd clash.

When the twins were little, they had looked on Master Chin as a father figure but as they grew older that dynamic cooled and they saw him as just another authority figure. One that cared but nothing paternal. Master Chin never saw them as his children but strictly as his proteges though he does care for them in his own way.

Ang and Ling hadn't known they were descended from the former dragon and ram guardians. They had been told their parents were fellow martial arts teachers and died in a car accident.

When their mom starts regaining their memory, Ang is a bit disappointed that their mom isn't the badass warrior she used to be and how awkward it is trying to bond with her. He lived so long without needing parental guidence or her support, he doesn't know how to act with her.

Ling feels awkard because she doesn't want to tell her mother about all the awful things she's done like teaming up with the man who killed their father/her husband. She's sure that if her mom knew, she'd hate her. She's also dealing with the whole never needing parental support and now they suddenly have someone. How do you confide with a mother who you don't even know and she doesn't remember you?

There should just be an episode dealing with these familial problems.

Bengal had been brought to the dojo as an orphan. Intitally she was just going to be another one of many trainees and martial arts experts but then the tiger guardian saw her spirit and decided to train her to succeed her. Bengal would come to entirely devote herself to the guardians, seeing they as her community, giving her a purpose and a family. Because of that she chose to be home-schooled and would become the youngest guardian at 16. Then Ming would displace her when she became rat guardian at 12.

Bengal was a childhood friend of the twins but her crush on Ang developed more gradually. While she's all things guardian, she is attracted to how Ang is so much part of the outside world-how he wants to travel, his interst in film. He's so creative and entusiastic and caring. He has a lighter side to her more pessimistic black and white view that she appreciates even if it annoys her. And she finds his jokes hilarious or at least, hilariously endearing.

Ang has feelings for Bengal, he just doesn't know it yet. He's still holding out for Karen Kwan lol.

I like to hc that they do get together eventually. Probably in the middle of a dramatic, near death battle that makes Ang realize how much she matters to him. Or he's dying and Bengal can't hold back her feelings any longer.

Or less dramatically but he gets jealous of K-Ho and Bengal's friendship. He says it's because he doesn't trust K-Ho and it's wrong if he's playing with Ling's feelings. But ooo, he's jealous. And Ling is also jealous. She thinks that K-Ho and Bengal together would be too staid and serious as a couple, but she's internally worried that K-Ho is attracted to Bengal's maturity and disicipline that Ling lacks.

K-Ho and Ling would also get together eventually in much less dramatic means. They go on a regular date and just continue on. But their dates are always interesting from motorcycling across the Great Wall to meditation and yoga. He calms her darker side yet challenges her to be better.

Xuan Chu and his family really did live in the jungle. They were a anthropologist and zoologist respectively and lived among the apes like Jane Goodall. Unfortunately, they died from maleria or some other jungle disease early on when Xuan Chu was 12, and he continued to live with the gorillas until he caught the notice of one of the guardians and he was chosen to be trained as the monkey guardian as he best exemplified the spirit.

Initially, Ling had been invested in being the Golden Dragon for altruistic means. But it should be noted that even when she was little, she had always been more interested in the Golden Dragon's heroic exploits and glory rather than the whole helping people that was at the root of the Dragon's actions. As her skills improved, her ego would get the best of her and influence her negative mindset of entitlement and power-hungry instincts.

Ang's choice to be Golden Dragon is driven by purer means of helping the world and keeping it in balance from darker forces.

Bengal is driven by her feelings of gratitude toward the guardians as well as a fierce sense of order and justice.

Xuan Chu is driven by the responsibility placed on him, the utter trust of those above him that he could succeed that he never felt from anyone else before. It's part of the reason why he feels like such a failure when he loses the band.

I've seen from one another Legend of the Dragon fan saying that Ling should have stayed the Shadow Dragon in keeping with the whole yin-yang balance theme and I kinda like the idea. I also like Ling's golden dragon design too.

So to reconcile these two, I'd have season 2 but a season where Ling tries to redeem herself from her previous actions as the Shadow Dragon. Yet she remains her snarky, self-absorbed self at times. More anti-hero than hero compared to her brother.

Meanwhile, the season would have Ang facing the darker parts of himself like his suspicious nature, his desire to be the sole hero and leader, his desire to abandon the post so he could have the normal life he had before; his unwilling to let others take the spotlight since he's used to being the sole leader before Ling become co-dragon. He's not a psycho like Ling during her shadow dragon phase but his darkness is potent and makes him question his ability to be golden dragon.

It would end with Ang and Ling realizing that to bring balance in the world, they must accept they have both yin and yang in themselves. It's not possible to be all good or all bad.

Eventually, Ang regains his confidence as Golden Dragon and Ling decides to become the Shadow Dragon again. This time inspired by K-Ho's example of being a neutral evil force of balance instead of destructive power as she was before and confident that she can reign her dark side.

So the twins continue to fight by each other's side as Golden and Shadow Dragons. Though if the situation arises they can become co-Golden or co-Shadow Dragons. That would have been a cooler power upgrade instead of that cartoonish two-headed dragon from the finale.

Also Xuan Chu would become human again and get his armband. Idk how but I wish season 2 resolved that.

So that's about it. I hope you enjoy my little hcs and I'd love to know your thoughts and hcs on the show too.

My first story in the Valle Lozano cycle

A Name

The town of Valle Lozano was a place where time stood still. It was a place where dreams went to die. Or so, that’s what its townspeople said. They believed it all started with the name of the town itself. The founders, upon seeing the wide pastures and robust grasslands, knew it would be the perfect place for farming, and gave it a Spanish name meaning Lush Valley. It was as if they had placed all their ambitions on that single name, and the residents believed that from the moment the first sign dictating its name was forged into the ground, the town's fate was sealed. Of course, there had been a time when the place lived up to its name. It was lush. It was a growing community, with rising shops and businesses, and the farmers and the working people prospered. No one could have seen the imminent downfall that now characterized Valle Lozano. 

If the townspeople had to pinpoint a certain event that marked the beginning of the end, it would have been the winter of 1923. An unexpected blizzard had fallen, making it the harshest winter on record, killing livestock, and people, and had sickened the soil in a way that it had not cured one hundred years later. 

If one had to describe Valle Lozano now, it need no more effort than by using the colors yellow and brown. Yellow, brittle stems of dead wheat, brown, cracked dirt. The only semblance of life and color came from the lake at the far edge of town, which may or may not have been home to certain ghosts and spirits. But that wasn’t what brought Santiago Escarra to Lozano, and it certainly wasn’t what had made him find an apartment in the town nearby. 

His decision to come to Lozano had actually been made the night before his eighteenth birthday. Santiago had grown up in foster care, never knowing his parents, or understanding why it was that they never wanted him. When he was twelve years old, despite his age, he was fortunate enough to get adopted. The Escarra’s were a loving, older couple in their late 40s who had never before been bothered about being childless. That was until one morning, they looked at their spare bedroom, the extra space at their kitchen table, and their wide living room and longed to hear the scamperings of an energetic child. They intended to adopt a younger child, perhaps a toddler, as most adopting couples do. But when they set eyes on the young boy and looked into his deep, sad, chocolate eyes, and ruffled his wild, spirally, thick head of light brown curls, they knew he was for them. 

Sebastian had been shy when they first brought him home and overly polite but over time the kindness and affection of the Escarra’s had warmed him and put him at ease. He became the energetic, rambunctious child they had envisioned for their home. Sebastian and the Escarra’s felt that they finally had the families they longed for. Sebastian loved his parents, and though he always wondered about his biological ones, the longing for him that he had been so apt to as a child waned away. As far as he was concerned they were ghosts of his imagination.

Miriam and Robert Escarra watched the boy grow up into a young man with pride in their eyes, and a secret tucked inside their attic. Unbeknownst to Sebastian, when he was put into the system there was also a letter. It was given to his parents, and what the contents of the letter were neither of them dared to know. They assumed it was from his biological parents, perhaps they wanted to keep in touch with him, perhaps they wanted him to know where they were. The thought that Sebastian would discover their whereabouts and choose to want to be with them was an idea that neither husband nor wife could bear. So, for nearly six years they kept the letter hidden deep in a corner of their attic, and in the farthest recesses of their minds. 

But when Sebastian was set to graduate high school, they knew it was wrong to keep it from him for much longer. He would soon be an adult, and he deserved to know the truth of where he came from. Even if it meant that he would distance himself from them. So the night before his birthday, they sat him down and showed him the letter. It was the first time he had heard of Valle Lozano, and the first time he learned his mother’s name. Stephanie. Stephanie Octavio. In the letter, she wrote her deepest regret for leaving him. She had him too young she said, and had broken up with his father, Cameron. She confessed to Sebastian that she never knew her parents either, and was sure she’d have made a rotten mother. She wrote down the only thing she did know of her family, that they came from a small, unknown town. Valle Lozano. 

After he read the letter, Sebastian assured his parents that he was not angry with them for keeping it from him. After all, it had only confirmed what he had secretly always suspected: he had not wanted. He also assured them that this changed nothing, they were now and would always be his parents and his only family. Relieved, they went on as usual. Sebastian continued to grow up. He went off to college and got a degree in journalism. But what Sebastian did not tell his parents was that he decided to keep his mother’s letter. He snuck it into his pockets and kept it nearby, all through his young adult life. And on his 31st birthday, on the 100th anniversary of the blizzard that ruined Valle Lozano, Sebastian packed up his car and drove to the town he was certain contained the pieces of his past. 

The entire ride to Lozano, Sebastian pictured what the town might look like. He created an image in his mind of a quaint, friendly town. He envisioned small colonial houses, romantic Spanish-style buildings, and a pleasant community of people who would greet each other as they passed by one another in the street. He also, in a quiet voice in his mind, wondered if he still had any family there. He couldn’t help but muse over meeting a cousin, or aunt, or a grandparent. He contemplated what they would be like. Would they like him, had they looked for him, did they know where his mother or father were? 

These ideas kept him so occupied, Sebastian wasn’t even sure how he got to town without getting lost or getting into an accident. But sure enough, just before sundown, he saw the small, fading, wooden sign that read: WELCOME TO VALLE LONZANO painted in white cursive. He drove further, inspecting the town, and what he saw shattered his illusions. He saw nothing but emptiness. Large vacant fields with splotches of brown grass, colored with antiquity. Small ranch houses with broken porches and windows that gave the home a clear appearance of abandonment. They looked old, worn out, and hardened, as if resentful of being left alone for so long. 

Sebastian continued to drive and saw nothing much different, except for a few convenience stores that looked as if they hadn’t changed since the turn of the century, their windows holding up posters and signs that had been faded by the sun. He began to feel disheartened. What if he came all this way just to hit a dead end? It did not even appear as if there were any residents left in town, and he wondered if he’d see another soul or even an animal. 

He was considering turning around and returning home when he spotted a sign that read MAIN STREET. The street showed him his first signs of human life in the town, and he saw on the block more modern-looking shops like a bank, a restaurant, a grocery store, and even a library. Sebastian’s mood considerably lighted and he parked in the library.

He walked inside and saw a few people browsing. He went up to the librarian station and smiled at the young woman at the desk.

“Hello,” she greeted him, “If you’re looking for the highway, just keep going down this road and turn left at the church.”

“What,” he chuckled, “No, I’m not looking for the highway.”

The woman eyed him, “Oh, I’m sorry. I just haven’t seen you around here before. No one who doesn’t live here comes in unless they’re lost and looking for the highway. What can I help you with?”

“Well, I am lost,” he admitted, “I’m just not trying to find the highway. I’m actually looking for a family here. If you can help with that.”

“A family here? Well, what’s the name?”

“Octavio.”

She blinked at him silently at him for a long moment, “Octavio,” she repeated finally, “Goodness. I had always thought that was an urban legend.”

“Why do you say that?”

“There’s no family here by that name. At least not anymore.”

“There isn’t?”

She nodded, “The last Octavio was said to have left here… about 80 years ago.”

“That’s not possible. What about my mother? Stephanie? Stephanie Octavio?”

“I don’t think anyone lived here by that name.”

Sebastian let out a long sigh, “Great,” he said defeatedly, “I guess that does it.”

“If you want, you could search through our old newspapers. We have them going back all the way from the town’s beginning. You might find something there. I heard the Octovio’s were important people here.”

“Really,” Sebastian asked, his interest piqued.

The librarian nodded, “Oh, but I’m afraid if you want to do that you’ll have to come back tomorrow. It’s almost closing time.”

“Oh, right. Well, in that case, is there a motel around here that I could check in at?”

“I’m afraid not. People don’t really… they don’t really stay here, you know?”

“Yeah, yeah. I noticed that. Before I got here, I was beginning to be afraid this was a ghost town.”

“Oh, don’t think it’s not,” the librarian said.

“What’s that supposed to mean.”

The librarian sighed, “Well, it’s just this town… it’s very odd. We have a lot of superstitions here. Folk tales. Stories of ghosts and spirits that have always been around.”

“And is that something people around here really believe in?”

“Not really,” she shrugged, “It just makes us feel better.”

“About what?”

“About being here. It’s kind of a town joke that this place is cursed.”

“Why’s that?”

“Let’s just say this town has… quite a history. But you’ll discover it soon enough if you stick around some.”

“I think I might just do that,” Sebastian smiled politely.

He left the library soon after asking for directions to the closest town with accommodations. It turned out that not even the next town over had a motel, just a few sublet apartments. So Sebastian rented one. On his way out of town, he couldn’t help but chuckle at the name. Valle Lozano. Quite the ironic name for a town that looked like it was clinging to its last legs. But he couldn’t help but feel a certain kinship with the town. It wasn’t either of their faults that they had been abandoned. Was it the town’s fault that no one stuck around to water the fields or nurture the soil? Was it his fault that his mother and father couldn’t work out? He was reminded of what the librarian said. This place is cursed. If being left behind was a curse, then maybe he was cursed, too. 

Sebastian did come back the next day. He was met by the same librarian from the day before, and she led him to the newspaper archives. 

“You know something,” she told him suddenly as she watched him peruse the clippings, “The more I see you, the more familiar you look.”

He turned to her with a strange expression, “You don’t say.”

“Yeah, I can’t put my finger on why, though.” 

“Could be an old family resemblance,” he half-joked.

She shrugged and went back to her desk. He chuckled to himself and read the newspapers he came across. He wondered how long it would take for him to find out anything about his family. The Octovios. Were they as important as he had been told? He would have to see. He was also curious to learn more about the town. The town with the ironic name, he thought to himself. He wanted to discover what exactly the curse was, and he wanted to see how much truth there was to it. If the town - and he - really truly cursed.

hello, i am happy that you're back and feeling better! ^^

er, i am a bit disappointed but since time had passed, i have realised it was the right move. that is sad but if both parties naturally drift apart, there is always a chance for it to rekindle later on even if it is years on in the future. but moving on does tend to be the less messer route despite it being hard.

i did that too for HSR, all players are probably guilty of that lol. i believe most fans prefer GI over HSR and there is a lot more GI contents on here. i've never played HI so i don't know the fight mechanics 😭

that sound like such a long system ;-; on my end, you could complete a five year degree (like medicine) and be finish before 24/25 or do a three years degree and a master on top before 23/24. at least you still have time to figure things out.

that is true and a part of koko probably died after the fire incident, he probably just needed mikey's approval to join though.

tbh, i just realised his colour palette (outfit/appearance) is really nice too and does contrast xiao's one. maybe, browse online for inspiration? or go to the hair salon and ask the staff? i did that for dying my hair, they said i need to bleach it 4 times where i went lmao.

but i've heard the anime/manga merchandise is pretty cheap in Japan? that is a nice start to your collection and i'm sure the tokrev dolls will be a nice finishing touch when you feel motivated enough. but don't force yourself. i think if she was a kpop fan, i would found it less shocking because they are something else lol. that is a sensible idea and others may mistake it for a bell's bike? if it jingles that loudly and you're walking behind them. i hope you are ready then, styling wigs does seem to be a craft of art in making.

have you found your birthday twin yet? or am i still the closest one? and i actually gave up on makima. the fanart is something else but you can't help but feel intrigued like you said. i dislike her for the same reason. that's great! have you tried taking it to a tailor and get the sleeves shortened? i did it for a blazer and it worked.

ah i’m glad, me too! :) <3

i very much understand. it hurts, but sometimes the right thing to do just isn’t what initially makes you the happiest,, and it’s still for the best.

hm, true. maybe one day lol. rn we see each other maybe twice a year, and go visit a museum together. it’s nice, but certainly not how i pictured my life a few years ago haha. tho i’m content with our relationship the way it is, i think.

understandable understandable lol. i think my pref for genshin does stem from me having played it for longest by far + it being the game that got me into gaming, which both ends in an obvious bias. but hsr has been v fun so far as well! honkai impact fight mechanics are more similar to genshin than to hsr, but the controls for the whole game don’t involve the mouse, only the a, s, d, w, i, j, k, and l keys (if i remember the keys correctly- the point is you only need a keyboard to play) lol. makes it easier to play it in class.....

okay tbh i did repeat/got pushed back more than once 😭 most people here probably are finished with a five years degree at 24/25 too, but a bunch each year will be one/two years older bc they had to repeat. and i’m gonna be one of those lol. but yeah, i’m glad i’ve still got time to decide on what to study bc there’s too many things i’d like to do... omg i used to have a classmate who’s a kpop fan, and she pretty much made her locker at school into a kpop shrine plastered with photos and filled with merch lol. she also was the one to introduce me to kpop funnily enough.

true. i’ll figure out how to make it make no sound before wearing it in public, then i’ll be fine. bc i do think the earring looks funky even when silent hehe.

i have a (bad?) habit of thinking i can do anything i want to, so... wig styling can’t be that hard, now can it..... and there’s a first time to everything anyway.

no birthday twin for me, you’re still the closest. if i ever do find one, i’ll make sure to tell you dw lol.

no, i haven’t been to a tailor yet, but i might try that once! i just hope it wouldn’t be too expensive afhjfdj