skip to loafer chapter 56 analyze + brief shima study // spoilers

summer vacation is over, which means we’re all coming back to tokyo. for some, it’s time to bask in the memories they created, however for others, the harsh reality comes creeping in again.

one thing that i absolutely love about takamatsu’s way of constructing a chapter is how she easily mixes the youth of the characters (the girls talking about crushes) with the obscure subplot she has been creating up to now (shima’s backstory). the change between subjects isn’t harsh or out of place: everything happens in a simple flow, ending in a calm scene to tie it all together.

so, let’s start from the youth: it’s amazing to see how mitsumi was the step that the other three girls needed to finally be free enough to be a teenage girl, something they prevented themselves from being before. she’s the one who manages to ease their worries and let them be free to talk about things teenage girls should be talking about — and they decided to choose one of the cutest subjects ever: crushes!! makoto being the one to bring this subject up just shows how she grew and how much she trusts the girls, since she was always apprehensive to touch on certain subjects. and this talk was the perfect opportunity for mitsumi to get a little more courage to talk about her relationship with shima with the girls, and choosing to do that in tokyo shows how much she cares about shima, since she doesn’t want the girls to think badly about him at any point.

ok, now let’s jump to the subplot, the one that i love to analyze so much. well, we all know that i had a gut feeling that shima didn’t say anything about the trip to his mother — first because we saw nao-chan talking to all the parents, minus shima’s, and second because, by the little we know about shima’s mom, it’s easy to say that she would never allow shima to go there empty handed. so i can’t say that i was surprised by the outcome of the confrontation. 

i think first i have to focus a lot on shima's reaction towards his mother. the scene opens with shima entering his room and noticing that things were not the way that he left before the trip, showing from the beginning a breach of trust. even if his mother had the best of intentions (like, for example, keeping her son's room tidy), it is difficult for shima to understand this act as something affectionate and not as a way of showing that she doesn't trust him.

after that, we have the big showdown. there is no way to defend shima in anyway with the way he acted and what he did. he traveled miles from his mother, without her having any idea about it. this is extremely dangerous, any parent would be desperate to receive news like this after days. i don't blame her, on the contrary: i think she’s more than correct in confronting him about this.

but for shima, this concern doesn't come from a loving side, from a worried mother. shima still sees his mother as that manipulative and controlling person he grew up with and had so many conflicts with, so hearing all of this only a desperate need to get out of this situation as fast as possible. she already broke her son's trust as soon as he entered the house, so it's very easy for him to assume that this is another one of her controlling attitudes.

but there is an interesting point in all this. after the fight, shima begins to reflect on her mother's changes and asks a very important question: am i still mad at her or am i just being stubborn, like a child who expects something in return?

this shows a maturity in his character, as it is the first time he stops to analyze what all this means inside his chest. would it be rebellion? love? distrust? a cry for help?

shima's relationship with his mother is still something that requires a lot of growth and development for it to make a significant change. in my opinion, it won't happen now or in 5 chapters, but much later, something like an ending to shima's arc, a way to embrace all of his growth. it’s as if she represents the beginning and end of his journey.

aside from his mother, now we have two new pieces to this puzzle: the unknown man and a very new image of shima (the image of him walking with other boys, on the panel where he thinks about his feelings towards his mother). what we have left is to have an idea of how many pieces we still need to assemble the final image. what happened? who was responsible? is this the man who ruined it all? or he was just another victim of the circumstances?

(something that is not related to these questions but that made me think was the fact that ririka sent him the photo. could this be a form of provocation or just a way of finding comfort?).

crabs are no longer shima's only concern at the moment. his harsh and difficult reality came back to the surface with full force. and i, who thought we were close to the climax of his arc, am shocked to realize that we are nowhere near halfway there.

to finish: mitsumi's speech about how tokyo is finally being a new home for her. this is something that makes me so happy, that brings me so much peace, especially with nao-chan's happy and relaxed face next to her. tokyo is finally mitsumi's second home, and she's happy to be able to return to it.

another month and another amazing chapter, another reason to be so excited for what's to come. this is takamatsu-sensei's power. thank you for reading me rambling and for all the nice messages you guys have been sending me 💛 it means the world!!

The new member

Pair: Miles Quaritch (baby blue boii) x Human reader

tw: Recom squad, fluff, save pandora team, nothing special for the moment. This changes according to the chapter.

POV: Y/N is sent from Earth to Pandora to be part of a particular group of people…

p.s. This story is created after the ship altercation. Neteyam never dies, the sullys are able to run away, but spider decides to go with his "father" to the base. All recoms are still alive.

AVATAR MASTERLIST |Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

NOTE: Hello!!! I'm back with one of my stories, which I usually imagine before going to sleep XD. Actually, I had thought about this story, while I was writing the 'experiment 56' parts. You know this is a pilot, if you like it and I see that it has a good feedback, I'll keep going. From now on I warn you that I am not very expert in this Navi culture, but I did my best. And sorry for the spelling. English is not my mother tongue.

Protecting Pandora Association or by its initials PPA. The association dedicated to the welfare and conservation of pandora. Our goal is to make pandora our home, in a safe and healthy way. Respecting the life that already inhabits the planet. We want humans to be able to coexist and adapt to pandora. Trying not to make the same mistakes we made on earth.

"Are you serious Dr. Williams? The RDA is doing a good job here on Pandora," says General Ardmore, sitting in her office. This was one of the many quotes, complaints and scoldings that Dr. Williams had, towards the RDA and their inappropriate work in Pandora.

"A good job? General Ardmore, they are annihilating Pandora's wildlife and its creatures. Everything. They are supposed to be adapting, not attacking pandora" the doctor complained, the annoyance in his voice was palpable. "we can modify some things, but you don't have the right to question my work here in the RDA" says the general. Taking a sip from his coffee cup.

"Yes, I have all the rights I want. Because I am the director of the PPA, I am the one who signs the checks so that the RDA can continue to survive. And I'm going to make a lot of changes." Dr. Williams was very sure of his plan, and the disaster that was happening in Pandora was going to end.

General Ardmore kept silent, she knew it was better to keep quiet. The PPA was the association that sent money to the RDA to survive on Pandora, for their research and civilization on this new planet.

"Listen to me carefully because I am not going to repeat myself. You are going to stop every attack towards the life of pandora, be it towards the wildlife, the navis and when I speak of all the navi, you are also going to stop the attacks on the tulkun. EVERYTHING HAS TO STOP" the dr, Williams continues speaking. "In addition I am going to send a group of people who will be in charge of keeping an eye on your teams. And they will notify me of everything that is going on." General Ardmore, swallowed deeply and nodded her head down.

A Quaritch was sitting on his bed, as he analyzed some of the bruises on his arms. After the altercation he had with Jake Sully two months ago, he had gotten his non-son, 'Spider', to come with him to the base. The boy had tried to convince his "father" to stop chasing Jake Sully, but he was still analyzing the issue. He was in no physical condition to act and get into trouble.

He heard several knocks on the door. "colonel general Ardmore is looking for you" mansk says, as he peeks in the door. "did he tell you what he wanted to talk to me about?" asks Quaritch to one of his squadron members. "she didn't tell me anything, but she looks kind of upset" says mansk, walking away. Quaritch gets up and heads straight for the exit. He is surprised when he sees General Ardmore outside the rooms. " good morning general" Ardmore interrupts " we are going to have some changes here at the base… well at RDA".

"The PPA association wants to make some changes, and that includes sending staff to supervise our teams," says Ardmore. "With all due respect, but my team doesn't need any supervisors," Quaritch says with an annoyed tone. "But you will, it would be a new member of your team." Ardmore begins to explain everything to quaritch, what was going on and what was going to happen in the RDA. Ardmore hands him some documents, where it is written his new rules to follow. "This can't be," says Quaritch. "Believe me I don't agree with this, but they are the ones giving the money. So we have to play their game" Ardmore walks away down the hall. "The new member of your team arrives tomorrow" says Ardmore as he disappears from sight.

Damn protective association, and their damn rules. A new member, and them watching them all the time?. He wasn't going to stand for this. But he had to, he had no choice. Quaritch entered the common room area. All members of his team were there. "Good fellows…. We are joined by a new member" he says with a cheeky, sarcastic grin.

The RDA and PPA had greatly improved the technology of the transport ships from earth to pandora. Before it was 6 years to arrive, then it improved and was 6 months and currently it was a week. And there was Y/N getting up from her induced sleep. You were a little dizzy, and you were nauseous. The doctors on the transport ship helped stabilize you. And then they moved you to the recessed area, so you could get acclimated to gravity again. A noticeable change in the technology was the new exopacks, which were now super small tubes that were placed in the nose and the rest of the plastic tube was placed in the ears until it was connected to the oxygen machine at the waist. Your mouth was left uncovered, but the oxygen you breathed was enough to keep your lungs from collapsing.

You were transferred with other members of the PPA team, all of them human. You could see through the window how the sun was approaching on the horizon, while everyone was preparing to descend from space orbit to the planet. You had never seen anything like this before, you were in shock. You sat in your seat and waited for the descent to begin.

"Well team, today the newest member of our squadron arrives" says Quaritch, trying to sound positive. But the faces of the team members were something else. They didn't seem to have another member in the group, let alone one to supervise them. They had enough, with the scientists monitoring their new avatar bodies. "You don't know who it will be? Or what he looks like?" asks lyle, as he continues to get ready for the day. " I don't know, but I imagine it will be someone on our level" Quaritch tries to be funny, but manages to get the team to scoff a little. "That's enough… keep getting ready. I'll go to the welcome area and greet the new member" Quaritch leaves the room. "this is going to suck" says Soldier Lopez, as he laughs.

The landing didn't take long, and the entire PPA team arrived safely at the RDA facility. You were a little nervous, you knew what your mission was. You were an ambientalist who had just graduated, you were the youngest in your class. And even in this very team you were the youngest. Many could not explain why they recruited you, but your dedication and preparation got you here at Pandora. As soon as the doors of the ship opened, you were speechless. It was a beautiful landscape, you couldn't wait to investigate the place. Of course, they had already told you that you were going to be part of a group and that they were avatars. And that they were Marines and blah blah blah. You had confidence in yourself, but you couldn't lie… you were scared to death.

Outside the ship were the leaders of each team. They were all human soldiers, except Quaritch, his squadron were the only avatar recoms on the base. The other avatars still had their human bodies. Miles stood there, watching as a number of scientists got off the ship. To his impression, most of them were strong, tall and looked imposing, even some women were like that. He figured if he got someone like that, well… it would be good for the group.

"Colonel Miles Quaritch?" asked a manager." Yes, that's me," Quaritch said as he stepped forward. "Well, here's your new member," said the officer, standing in front of him was a strong, tall man. Quite a perfect soldier. "Nice to meet you" said Miles offering his hand as a greeting, to the boy, until the manager interrupted him. The officer takes you by the arm and pushes you in front of Quaritch. "Y/N…mmm member code 786. Yes, this is your new member." The man drops you in front of this very very tall blue man who was looking at you with a disappointed look on his face.

" Hello!!!! My name is Y/N, I am your new supervisor" he says with a wide smile. This must be a joke, it's the only thing that comes to mind. They just gave him a bunny." H-hello my name is" Miles tries to speak, until you reach over take his hand and give it a squeeze. " Colonel Miles quaritch, I know all about you, it's nice to meet you" you say without taking off your stupid grin. "Ahhh, it's nice to meet you" Quaritch tries to analyze you. You were small, you looked smart and if you could hold half your weight, that was amazing. He knew his team wouldn't like this.

"Are you sure I'm the team you're looking for?" asks Quaritch still in a state of shook. You look down at your papers, then back up at him. "Yes, look!!!" you raise your arms, so he can see the papers. Oh my goodness, you were adorable. Miles takes the papers in his hands and starts reading. "oh, that's right… well we have to deal with this chihuahua" says the man, and you look at him somewhat surprised. He just called you a chihuahua. "Well, y/n….follow me I'll introduce you to your new team" says Quaritch starting to walk inside the base. While he is walking, you were running.

He led you through the hallways, he was quiet. You were pretty sure, he was not happy with your presence. It's not like you are the ideal warrior, you would get fatigued if you ran for 10 minutes and that's if it was a good day. You just wished his team was nice. You had never been in a good group, they always pushed you away from the others, and didn't include you. " Are they nice?" you ask as you try to keep up with him. " No promises" Quaritch says as he keeps walking. Before long you arrived at the door to the bedroom area.

It was a huge door, as it opened you saw how big the place was. Well, for you it sure was big, but for them it was something of normal size. In the middle was a sitting area, in another corner some tables and board games. And all around were the rooms. Each one had the name of each member of the team, but what impressed you the most was the large window on the ceiling. You could see the whole sky of Pandora. And a beautiful illumination came into the whole area. In this area, were all the members of the squadron, they were sitting, they had comfortable clothes. Apparently they were waiting for you to arrive.

Quaritch entered first, and you followed him. All eyes of the members turned to you. You felt your breath stop, when you see how they are getting up and approaching you. "And this beautiful princess who is she?" says Brown as he looks you up and down. Lyle and mansk are whispering various things to each other. " Guys…this is new member" says Quaritch, and everyone gets quiet. " You're kidding, right?" says z-dog, the woman gives you a quick look. "Hey, slow down" lyle kneels down to be at your level. "Nice to meet you, gorgeous…what's your name" lyle, takes your hand and gives it a little kiss. " stop being flirty" Miles pushes him away, lyle stands up and gives you a smile. "My name is y/n" you speak shyly.

"hey, relax… we're not going to eat you" says mansk, as he sits down on the couch." Well come… I'll show you your room" Quaritch guides you to your room, when you get to the door you see that next to you is his room. "This is your room, it's set up for you, you know…it's all oxygen stuff. And you're right next to me. If anything happens let me know" Quaritch hands you the key to your room. "Take the day off, I imagine your suitcases will be arriving later. And don't worry, you'll get used to being here with us" Miles gives you a smile. "Thank you" There is a small silence between the two of you, until Quaritch shifts his gaze.

"I'll let you know when dinner is ready" You give him a smile. Quaritch had to admit, you had a beautiful smile. You walk into your room and he sees the door close. He feels someone tap him on the shoulder. "Wow Colonel…the girl is beautiful!!!" says Brown, shaking him a little. "Yes…she is very…" Quaritch fixes his throat, and pushes his roommate away. "Idiot" Quaritch walks out of the bedroom area. Lyle gives Brown a look, and they laugh.

p.s. If you like this pilot, let me know. That way I'll be encouraged to continue with the story.

The "I know I can change him" squad: @mechformers @cullenswife @littlethief78 @nieshiren @parasiiite @bxnnywriting @shelbythequeen @sassvy-blog-blog @shaylang21

Chapter 56. Whose Inner Monologue?

Now, having my wits back about me after the sneak peak drop yesterday, I want to discuss the “I want a reason to stay by your side” and “This person has been suppressing his emotions” dialogue on the cover. I want to believe they are coming from Y but I believe that it could go either way after having read other interpretations/views. So I’m going to make an argument for why the inner monologue could be coming from either of them.

Doumeki

• He is the one who came back, - without having a reason to - Yashiro didn’t chase after him. So maybe he’s going to confess and make it known why he returned without obligation.

•The “this person has been suppressing his emotions” would make sense for D to say because he is the one looking down at Yashrio in a pretty vulnerable position, kind of with a analyzing gaze. Y is probably being perceived by D in this moment.

•He just found out about Ys impotency so now he knows for sure that he only reacts to D’s touch. He’s probably figured out by now (if he hasn’t that would be wild) that the Y Inami talks about and the Y he made love to are completely different people. So it would also make sense for him to say that Y has been suppressing his feelings because now he knows the truth about Ys sexual encounters and sexual state.

• It’s hard to imagine Yashiro being so open with his thoughts when we haven’t really seen him be completely honest with himself thus far (and put his feelings so plainly). Probably excluding his “I’ve constantly been searching for the old you” and “is that why you didn’t hold me like before?.”

•As I said in a previous post, D wanted Y then and he still wants him now. This time is a little different since it seems D won’t fully give himself to Y until he hears some form of emotional reciprocity. But D can’t handle completely leaving Y alone just because his boss told him to back down. So I could see this as a “last chance to tell me how you really feel” encounter.

•Obviously D knows he’s been holding back in every encounter with Y, so maybe he’s acknowledging that here? I’m not sure if the exact translation is “I’ve been suppressing feelings” or “this person.” So for this idea I’ll assume it’s the former.

•Last one haha. Y looks vulnerable on the cover, and his back is turned. What if the inner monologue is coming from D while he is looking at/imagining Yashiro?

Yashiro

•After the stoic way D has been acting, and after he came back suddenly without cause, Y has probably pieced together why he’s there hence “this person is holding back feelings” (But idk though because Y is terrible at reading Doumeki). I don’t think Yashiro was even be able to tell D was suppressing his emotions during their time together because he just assumed D acted that way because hated him, lol. Yashiro thinks that the old Doumeki is gone.

•Maybe Y was conjuring up a way to become entangled in Doumeki’s group drama to be close to him again (hence finding a reason to stay by Doumeki’s side), but idk that seems out of character for Y. He can’t stand the Yakuza.

•Annnnd I ran out of solid evidence for Yashiro… (I really don’t want to give up on my boy though ugh!). I want Y to be honest with himself in this way but once I started to collect my thoughts, there was way more evidence that points to the inner monologue coming from D rather than Y.

ALSO, It’s so interesting that this time it’s “I want a reason to stay by your side” and not just “I want to stay by your side.” Does this imply that the reason they both need this time around is a confession?honesty? If these are D’s thoughts, I believe he’s thinking “it’s not enough that I want to be with you, I need you to choose me and tell me that you want me too” and that would be his reason to stay. If they are Y’s thoughts then maybe he’s looking for the same thing from D. I can imagine his subconscious saying “I need to know for sure, I have to know that my heart is safe with you. This can’t be another unrequited love. Do you really hate me?”

I swear, Yoneda Kou is such a TEASE.

Event poll results!

(summary version)

So last week I opened a poll to check what kind of YR fandom events you guys wanted to see and the respondents were... how shall I put it... "very excited" is most applicable I think? ;)

Because I'm a nerd who likes to analyze the results but also doesn't want to chase her entire following away, I'm going to make two result posts:

This post, where I will summarize the results as succint as I can, and address some of the remarks and suggestions that I received. I'll also make a conclusion on what I would suggest to do - feedback on that is certainly welcome!

A second post (which I'll link when I finish it, most likely tomorrow or even after cause I'm slow as fuck) with some more graphs, percentages, observations, cause I don't know shit about statistics but that won't stop me from having fun with it!

Fair warning - it's pretty long. I just find it easier to explain a little about the decisions I'm (not) taking, both to invite discussion and because I don't want this to be a black box blog that does whatever and you never know why. That being said...

Ready? Let's go!

RESULTS

I received 72 responses, 36 writers and 36 readers.

The top 3 most wanted events by READERS is: Big Bang (89%), Theme Week (86%), and Weekly Challenges (83%). The event they were least excited about is Author Interviews (56%).

The top 3 events writers most want to PARTICIPATE in is, in order: Author Interviews (69%), Theme Week (64%), and Fic Exchange (61%). The events they DO NOT want to participate in are Author Interviews (25%), very closely followed by Big Bang and Advent (both 22%).

READERS were (very) slightly more excited about a Wilmon theme week rather than a general YR week. WRITERS clearly preferred a general YR week. For both groups, a YR women week comes in third, and rarepair week is fourth.

All types of weekly writing challenges suggested scored similarly.

(I know some of these seem contradictory, which I why I'll make the second post explaining how I calculated these rankings and why -for example- Author Interviews are both the most AND the least popular event for writers ;) )

SUGGESTIONS

A lot of people wrote in suggestions, which I was SUPER happy about (I closed the form now but if you have any more, please just hit my inbox or DM me at @hilliska). A few people also offered to help, which I'm definitely gonna hold you to when decisions are starting to get made! ;)

Many people were excited about possible collabs between writers and artists.

"What about a "finish your draft/wip" or "write a new chapter on a wip". I have so many languishing WIPs…" I think this is an EXCELLENT idea tbh - though we could incorporate it in the big bang by allowing wips as well. Also, as an FYI, there is also a (non-fandom-specific) Finish Your Shit-Big Bang that takes place every year (though this year's round is close to posting already) ;).

"I’d also love to see more Podfic in this fandom, but I don’t know how that could be an event." I have zero experience with podfic but this does sound (ha!) like it could be fun. Maybe someone has experience with this from a different fandom? (honestly I'd love to experiment with this so hmu)

"Authors sign up to take one shot requests or readers get to write a prompt. Or if readers could submit or vote on prompts or something? Or readers submit a song and author writes a one shot based on a song. Something like that where readers can be involved too :)" We could also easily incoporate this in a big bang - do a prompt bang or a reverse bang (fic based on art) for example? Or maybe involve readers in the weekly challenges, by suggesting tropes/words/... ?

"Write a comment on a fic-week!" Yessss!!!! I am like... 95% sure there is a tumblr-wide event for this already but I can't for the life of me find it. So I could signal boost that or yeah, we could just pin a day ourselves :).

"Group chat/watch" I'm afraid I'm not the right person to organize this kind of thing, but if you've been thinking of doing this and you were afraid no one would be interested - this is your sign!! ;)

"live writing event" Same as above - though I do think there's some discords where this happens already?

"Some sort of collab, where authors get to write a fic together." This could definitely be fun! There is currently one that originated on Twitter called Unlabeled - I don't know all the writers but I recognize at least @yourdemiurge, @skydragon05, @1-life-to-give, and @in-amor-veritas. Which obviously doesn't help if you're a writer wanting to collab, but at least there's people with experience in this fandom ;).

"Maybe a poetry week?" I don't even write poetry but I'm obsessed with this suggestion. Could also be a writing challenge? Not sure about a whole week either, but there's World Poetry Day in March so maybe that can be a mini-event?

"Something not fic centered? Like fanart, edits, cosplay etc." This is one of those things that I'm throwing out there for other people to run with, maybe, because. Well, I'm a writer and I know fic, but I really don't know much about the rest... Which is not to say I don't want to (help) run anything like this because it definitely could be fun, but it's a little out of my wheelhouse. But maybe @youngroyalsfanartarchive can help or knows people who would?

And now what??

Consider the below not as a definitive list but as a stream-of-consciousness conversation starters, so don't hesitate to send me your thoughts.

I will definitely do a Big Bang. Prompt-based or art-based or wip-based or something else remains to be decided, but this will happen. It will not happen NOW, however, because we don't know when season 3 will air. Big Bangs are big events, they ask a lot from writers, and if the s3 premiers at any time between signups and publications, it's going to make everything more difficult. But there was sufficient interest by writers to participate, so once we got a s3 date I want to put a timeline on this.

I'm talking with people about a possible YR women's week. The general/Wilmon week scored higher in the polls, but since we already had that in spring I'd like to switch it up a little.

I would like to do *something* for the anniversary of s2. Don't want to go regular theme week for this because of the above possibility, but maybe the not-fic-centered event could be good for this - we could do favorite episode/favorite non-wilmon character/... which are things that non-content-creators can also participate in by writing a short paragraph, reblogging gifsets/art of that episode/character, ... "Finish your wip" would also be a good one for this though :)

The people behind the 2023 Secret Santa will not organize one this year, but I don't really want to jump in that, necessarily, because there's enough other possibilities and they might be back. But a Valentine fic exchange could maybe work?

The advent calendar idea drew mixed reactions (maybe because it's less well known?) and while I do think it could be fun, there's enough other things that people are excited about, so I'm putting it in the freezer for now.

The weekly challenges also drew mixed reactions - both readers and writers were excited to see them happen, but only a third of writers said they would definitely/probably participate. Then again, half of them said they would POSSIBLY participate. Maybe because it's an ongoing thing, so they don't want to promise they'd participate EACH WEEK but only sometimes? So I'm not sure about this (also because it would significantly up the time required to maintain the blog). So I'd love more feedback on this to see which shape or form you guys would like this to take.

Fic recs scored solidly in the middle of the possibilities for both reader and writers. I wanted to include it because I was curious, but I'm a little hesitant to really do something with it, mostly because it often ends up being a popularity contest and. Well. We already know how to sort by kudos/comments on AO3. So I'm curious to hear other people's experiences on how to maybe circumvent that.

The Author Interviews were the most contested event - even (or rather *especially* among writers (and I secretly think it's hilarious the most wanted event by writers is the one that doesn't require them to write at all :D). I do think it could be fun (though I admit this is a format mostly geared towards writers) to help other writers to find other people to collaborate with, find betas, learn about different writing processes, ... And a self-rec feature would allow for fic recs without the popularity factor. So I'll most likely run this as a (bi-)weekly feature alongside the other events.

Why is Ranpo associated with Fyodor in this scene ?

Heeeey today (tonight lmao) i wanted to talk ab this exact panel/scene in bsd (chapter 56 and in the 5th episode of the 4th season) because i saw a lot of people not understanding this and be like "i don't get why Ranpo and Fyodor are associated in this scene they have nothing in common blah blah blah" so your fav detective is here to explain evrything ! As usual you guys need to know that it's basically MY interpretation, i'm not Asagiri or anyone in charge of the manga so i'm not saying that my opinion is the only right way to understand it, i'm just sharing how i get the scene. I'm also fully open to the corrections (bc english isn't my 1st language) and others opinions so if you have things to say (or to ask) don't be scared of leaving a comment i'll gladly respond to it :D.

First i'm gonna put back the scene into its context : so Ranpo and Mushitaro are in Poe's novel which is made to make Mushi admit his crime because even if Ranpo knows what happened he has no evidence of it so only a confession from the culprit would help. As Mushitaro doesn't wanna admit his crime Ranpo has no choice but use manipulation (using poe's novel) to make Mushi talk, that's what we'll talk about in this post.

Here's the full panel bc it'll be useful later in the explanation :

We'll start by analyze the 2 first boxesof the panel (the ones on the right side) : At the beginning Ranpo is talking about how Fyodor (called "Dostoyevsky" by Ranpo which highlights the respect that he owns for Fyodor's abilities and intellect bc Ranpo usualy calls ppl by their firstname (ex. Atsushi, Kenji, Ed (Poe)). As Ranpo is used to put himself above others, treating someone (especially Fyodor) with respect proves that he admitted his (as he's part of the agency) defeat), by his intelligence, destroyed the ADA. This (seeing the ADA destroyed and hurt) affected Ranpo a lot (as he's one of the founder of it) and he wants to protect the members of the agency more than everything, so he decides to turn himself into a "demon" to fight fire with fire bc he considers Fyodor as a demon ("to that end, i will mould myself into a demon.").

Now we'll talk about the 3rd box : on this box we only have a black phylactery (speech bubble) with a "stained" background. The background prooves, with its patern, that what is told is violent, we can, for example, associate the stains with ink stains (with the whole thing ab the missing page of the manuscipt) or with blood stains (which works with violence and the "demon side" i was talking ab in the 1st part). The fact that the phylactery is black is also here to highlight the rough side of Ranpo's speech, it creates a contrast with the others speech bubbles which are white. Here Ranpo says "if you do not surrender, i'll publicly announce my current theory", first he uses "do not" instead of "don't" probably because the uncontracted version is scarier ; second he uses Mushitaro's public image to disturb him, probably because he saw how public image is important for Mushi and he knows that being a murderer isnt good for the image (nah shit Sherlock ?). The whole visiual thing ab this box is made to underline how Ranpo's sentence had a huge impact on Mushitaro and how aggressive it was to him => it's the biggest and most important part (with guilt) of Ranpo's manipulation.

And finally the big part, the 4th box : Ranpo is now shown fully with a faceless Fyodor behind (and above (which prooves that Fyodor surpassed and surpasses Ranpo in some way)) him (he's faceless to explain that we're talking ab what Fyodor represents and not him as a person). Also their capes are floating in the exact same way which shows the fact that at this specific moment they're acting the same way/using the same stratagem. Ranpo explains to Mushitaro that he used the ploy of a demon, ploy that is a dangerous ability and that he doesn't like to use but that he uses to protect the Agency against another demon (Fyodor).

Conclusion : So we can say that Ranpo isn't associated with Fyodor, he actually associates himself with him cause he decided to use the same tactic even if he doesn't agree with it (because he would use every stratagems, even the worst ones, to protect people he likes (here the Agency)).

i think i said almost everything (or at least the most important stuff) so i'm gonna stop here (also bc it's super duper long), kiss kiss <33

Hey! Kabuto, 7, 9, 15 and 24 for the character ask game!

Eyyyyy my boy <3

Under the cut cuz I'm a rambly bitch

7. What is something the fandom does with the character that you like?

I love all the jokes, drawings, and metas about the times skip, what he, Orochimaru, and Sasukes life might have been like. What we see is already pretty funny. "It must be Sasuke. He's always grumpy when he first wakes up" (chapter 306).

I also really love what I've seen from the fanfic side. Rabbitprint on ao3 especially has some wonderful character study type fics involving him. The beautiful, poetic fics that focus on the tragedy of his arc contrast with the more upbeat stuff that pokes fun at him.

The metas as well. I have to give a special shout out to all the people on tumblr who do character analysis of him. There's a lot to read into, especially since he rarely says what he's thinking exactly. Smarter minds than mine have done long pieces analyzing him, and it's always a treat to see.

All in all, Kabuto fans are passionate, and I love seeing people passionate about their characters!

9. Could I be roommates with him

Yeah, I can't picture us interacting a whole lot, though. Very, he stays where he is I stay where I am. Idk that we'd give each other reason to dislike each other, but I can't see us being friends either. Just, not a lot of shared connection personality or interests wise.

15. Favorite ship

I view him as aroace. None of his ships really appeal to me either.

I think I once threw out Haku when someone asked, like, both survive, post-war au. Idk I still feel like I'd prefer it to be platonic, though. Idk, I prefer platonic all of his ships.

Out of the relationships he has, I personally find his weird psudo-friendship thing with Naruto the most interesting. I wish we got more of it, but that's a fun space for fan exploration so I'm not too bummed out about it.

24. What character from another media does he remind me of?

Unsurprisingly, Chishiya.

Some spoilers for late Alice in Borderlands and Chishiya's arc.

There's bare bones similarities, like both being intelligent medics who are self-centered and betray the main character while the main character trusted them and even viewed them as a bit of an authority. Both survive their stories, not exactly befriending or ever being the main antagonist to the main boy but serving as a dark reflection of him in some ways.

Late in the series, the line that got me to write Chishiya was "it was like I existed to show just how empty a human can be," (chapter 56) which just emotionally wrecked me. The line also feels very Kabuto.

This might be very rambling and I haven't reread Alice in Borderland recently enough to make a real meta on this. I do see a similar sort of crisis in both characters told from very different angles. Chishiya is far more independent for one, but he also doesn't self reflect in the ways Kabuto sometimes does until the end.

One Piece: Ancient Weapons That Could Change Everything

One Piece: Ancient Weapons That Could Change Everything https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zL_bAuqL_s One Piece: Ancient Weapons That Could Change Everything #onepiece #anime #animeedit Unlock ancient weapons in "One Piece" that could alter the course of history! 🗝️💥 Prepare for a deep dive into the mysteries and electrifying theories surrounding the legendary anime's grand finale. This video unearths the potential impact of ancient weapons on the world of "One Piece," alongside shocking theories about Luffy's fate, the showdown with Shanks revealing Void Century secrets, and the ultimate treasure that could redefine power itself. From the symbolic passing of Luffy's straw hat to a new generation pirate to the bittersweet predictions about Luffy's ultimate sacrifice, we explore how these elements intertwine with the lore of ancient weapons like Pluton, Poseidon, and Uranus. Discover how these mythical armaments might tip the scales in the final battles, potentially leading to a new world order. Dive into the cultural richness and emotional layers of "One Piece," as we analyze how it blends traditional Japanese storytelling with groundbreaking animation. We'll decode hidden symbols, examine character arcs, and ponder the series' overarching themes of freedom, dreams, and the pursuit of justice. Join our community of enthusiasts and share your thoughts and theories in the comments below. Do you believe the ancient weapons will play a decisive role in the endgame? What fate awaits Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates? Like, share, and subscribe for more in-depth anime content that bridges the gap between culture and animation. Thank you for your unwavering support. Let's keep unraveling the mysteries of anime together. Matane! #Gear5 #NewWorldOrder #PirateKing #RedrawingWorld #AnimeReview #FinalSaga #AnimeNews #Gear5 #WorldGovernment #AnimeTheories CHAPTERS: 0:00 - One Piece Series Conclusion 0:31 - Luffy's Climactic Battle 1:56 - Awakening of Ancient Weapons 2:49 - Epic Yonko Shanks Conflict 3:30 - Gol D. Roger's Master Plan 4:12 - Nami's Ultimate Aspiration 5:07 - Straw Hats' Final Showdown with Blackbeard 6:32 - Confrontation with World Government 7:22 - One Piece True Treasure Revealed 8:02 - Straw Hats' New Journey Begins via Anime Meets Culture https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCih03hNq9BNLyGyHfQe5Riw March 12, 2024 at 07:20PM

Questions

  1. Answer questions 1 to 6 page 23. 2. Read and answer the questions for the Case “Village Volvo” in chapter 1, page 23-24. 3.Answer questions 1, 2, 3, and 7 on page 53. 4.Analyze case study “The Alamo Drafthouse” page 56. Outcomes for this week 1 assignment: 1. Written assignment in APA style based on questions 1 to 4 above.

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Aarseth, E. (2012). A Narrative Theory of Games. In: Proceedings of the International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games - FDG ’12. International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games. doi:10.1145/2282338.2282365.

The author of the article presents a narrative theory for video games, built upon the principles of traditional narratology as solution to the debate of ludology and narratology. He does so by first comparing the common elements between video games and stories and then using the common elements to form a narrative theory specific to games. He points out four elements in common: Events, character, things and places. He elaborates on each of these four elements how they affect the degree of player agency in the game and puts them together in a four-dimensional variable model and comes to the conclusion that the most important dimension for storytelling in videogames is that of the character and is and effective way of creating ludo-narrative content. The theory presented in the paper provides a detailed analysis of how stories are told in games using detailed classifications with multiple examples. This article introduced me to the techniques of analyzing and converting a story into a playable game environment.

Adams, T., Bauer, R., Böckler, S., Dubbelman, T., Faller, F., Flanagan, M., Glashüttner, R., Götz, U. and Hack, G. (2021a). Narrative Mechanics: Strategies and Meanings in Games and Real Life. Bielefeld: transcript-Verlag, pp.56–59.

The chapter gives an introduction into the theory and practice of using Stories in a game not just as a narrative element but as a secondary game mechanic which supports the other smaller elements of the game in the form of Environmental Storytelling. The game Bioshock (2007) is taken as an example to illustrate environmental storytelling where the narrative elements are embedded in the places we visit over the course of the game. This participatory approach induces deductive thinking in the player who then becomes an active participant in the narrative rather than being a passive spectator. The author gives a detailed analysis of environmental storytelling with examples like The Witness (2018) and Journey (2012) which were critically acclaimed among the players and developers for their environmental storytelling. This chapter is relevant to my research since it discusses a method where instead of using specific narrative tools like cutscenes or text-based dialogue for telling a story, the playable world in the game itself is used to tell the story of the game which, as an environment artist is a good opportunity to hone my storytelling skills.

Alex, L. (2013). Designing the Bleak Genius of Papers, Please. [online] Game Developer. Available at: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/designing-the-bleak-genius-of-i-papers-please-i- [Accessed 30 Dec. 2022].

The author of this article talks about how the developer of Papers, please took a counter-intuitive concept of playing as a bureaucratic inspector instead of the usual spy, smuggler and let the player experience not only the story of the player character but also the stories of the characters the protagonist encounters in his daily life. The game has no preset story but a set of static and dynamic goals, where the protagonist has to earn enough to support his family against a static goal of letting only people with the proper documents into the country. When the player tries to achieve gives them a unique in every playthrough and every gameplay iteration. The scripted events and conditions add a further layer uniqueness to the narrative the player constructs in their minds. This article is relevant to my research since it shows how a game with no underlying narrative can still give a solid framework to the player construct one in their minds with the game mechanics.

Brice, M. (2012). Narrative Is a Game Mechanic. [online] PopMatters. Available at: https://www.popmatters.com/153895-narrative-is-a-game-mechanic-2495891347.html [Accessed 1 Jan. 2023].

In this article Brice talks about the debate of whether narrative is a game mechanic or not. He identifies issues in these discussions where the terms narrative and story are interchangeably but from a designer’s point of view they are two separate things where narrative refers to the method using which an event is communicated and stories are descriptions which use the aforementioned narrative elements. The author highlights how game designers try to give the players not a just fun but multiple and complex emotions and experiences enabled by the use of narrative elements. He also explains how games rely on past media to tell their stories and the games which tell stories in their own unique way using the game Ico as an example. With this article, the author explains how narratives can be used a gameplay mechanic and vice-versa. This article got me into the Ludology vs Narratology debate and motivated me to look deep into using environments in games as a narrative element.

Dubbelman, T. (2016b). Narrative Game Mechanics. Interactive Storytelling, [online] 10045, pp.40–42. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-48279-8_4.

This paper discusses the resulting viewpoints from the narratology vs ludology debate, on how telling a fixed sequence of past events to someone can be done by game whose very nature is to produce a dynamic sequence of real-time events using the input of the player. Dubbelman argues that when playing a game, the player continuously constructs a mental narrative to understand the past and present actions and plan the future actions. He gives the example of Left 4 Dead 2 (2009) and Paper’s Please (2013), where the former uses the games’ AI to regulate gameplay and provide a unique experience to every player and the latter’s game mechanics encourages the player to construct their own mental narrative. This chapter provides a theoretical perspective of the use of a game’s AI to tailor the experience to each players’ own playstyle. Thanks to this article I have been able to explore more innovative ways of using in-game systems and mechanics to tell a story.

Kempshall, C. (2015). The First World War in Computer Games. 2015th ed. Springer, pp.17–21.

The chapter discusses with narratives of First world war in games, or lack thereof. Kempshall explains how First World War does not give itself to any form of the traditional heroic narratives and compares it to the Second World War where the fight was against a clear enemy, the Nazis. Whereas the First World War did not have such a clear motive. Instead, the horrors of war and the pointlessness of the fighting itself becomes the setting and narrative. Kempshall also puts forth an interesting point that even the locations that both the World Wars took place influence the imbalance in the number of narratives between both wars, with the Second World war taking place in large varied locations and an urban setting whereas the First world war consisted mainly of trench warfare, constricting the amount of visual variety for a narrative.  This book discusses both the historic reasons and artistic constraints in the First World war and how it shaped creator’s approach to such large historic events. The author highlights the imbalance in content between the world wars and this chapter is relevant to my research since this illustrates the factors that have an affect gamification of historic events.

Kleinman, E., Caro, K. and Zhu, J. (2019). From Immersion to metagaming: Understanding Rewind Mechanics in Interactive Storytelling. Entertainment Computing, 33(100322). doi:10.1016/j.entcom.2019.100322.

In this article, the authors exhibit the results of a mix methods study on whether rewind mechanics in a video game affect player engagement. In this regard they brought into discussion the example of games like Life is Strange, Undertale and The Stanley Parable where the games use various different types of rewind mechanics to allow a player to rewind to past point in the gameplay or a choice they made during gameplay. For the purpose of this study, the authors designed and developed a game called Rough Draft with 3 different versions, With unrestricted, restricted and no rewind mechanics. The results of this study revealed that on testing with all three versions of the game, the participants did not feel any interruptions in their immersion and emotional engagement with the game. This article provides interesting revelations that can disprove concepts laid out in the past. Since the paper is supported by practical research, This paper gave me a fresh perspective in research on how different combinations of a simple mechanic can influence player decisions while playing a game.  

Lebowitz, J. and Klug, C. (2017) Interactive storytelling for video games: A player-centered approach to creating memorable characters and stories. New York, Massachusetts: Focal Press., pp 23-26.

The authors of this book discuss the Cinematic evolution of Stories in video games. They identify the point of transition between the delivery of the video game narrative began to break out from its old text-based adventures to more graphical and visual forms of storytelling. The chapter discusses the evolution of storytelling in videogames using FINAL FANTASY VIIas an example of where even when the market was filled with many successful games of other genres, Final Fantasy became a runaway success greatly increasing the popularity of the RPG genre and introduced a new method of cinematic story telling called full-motion videos (FMV) which brought forth a whole new level of immersion into the story lines of video games. This chapter highlights the introduction of a major technical development in the games industry that revolutionized story telling in games and provided a whole new method for narratives in video games. This book is useful for my research because it highlights the important breakthroughs and techniques of story telling in games and provided new areas for me to explore for narratives in games.

Sim, Y.T. and Mitchell, A. (2017). Wordless Games: Gameplay as Narrative Technique. In: 10th International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling, ICIDS 2017 Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, November 14-17, 2017, Proceedings. The International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling. Cham: Springer International Publishing.

This chapter discusses the various interactive storytelling methods in Videogames, especially the use of gameplay as a narrative tool. To illustrate this technique the authors, use Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (2013).  It’s a story about two brothers on a journey to find a cure for their sick father. The game mechanics requires the players to make the two brothers work together to solve puzzles using the left and right joysticks. This coordination is further amplified by giving the brothers unique characteristics by having elder brother be stronger and the younger brother be small enough to maneuver small spaces. The game removes the elder brother from the gameplay towards the end and the controls adds to the emotional impact of the loss of the older brother. The book encourages developers to factor gameplay as a narrative tool to make immersive gameplay experiences. This article introduced me to an interesting game which puts a really unique twist on some of the most basic mechanics in a videogame to tell an emotional tale of the adventures of the brothers and this in turn lead me to search for more of such innovative narrative techniques in games.

Ulaş, E.S. (2014). Virtual environment design and storytelling in video games. Metaverse Creativity, 4(1), pp.75–91. doi:10.1386/mvcr.4.1.75_1.

The author of this article talks about the debate of ludology versus narratology, where there is an argument that the inherent nature of interactivity in video games takes a considerable amount of control away from the author and gives it to the user, which might change the sequence of events in a story in a different way than the author had envisioned. Therefore, the author takes up the task of identifying the traits of traditional narrative which can be used in video game storytelling. He identifies spatiality as one of the traits and provides two spatial structures, the Labyrinth and a Rhizome. The former is a maze-like level design as seen in Doom (Id Software, 1993) and the latter is an interconnected open world as seen in Myst (Cyan, 1993). The author gives the potential of these two structures being used in the level design of a game to provide the pieces of a plot to player who then assembles it into a coherent whole. This article provided me some fresh perspective on how world design and world building is influenced by the underlying story and lore.

  Through the Bible with Les Feldick LESSON 1 * PART 4 * BOOK 56 I John 1:1 – 1:9 - Part 2 Okay, let’s go back to I John chapter 1 verse 9: I John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." As I said in the last program, for years and years I (and I imagine most of Christendom still do) used this as a verse for believers who’ve sinned. But, when you really analyze it, this is a salvation verse for the Kingdom Jewish believers to whom John is writing. Now never lose sight of that fact as we’ve been repeating and repeating that James and Peter and John are all writing to Jews. Now Galatians chapter 2, because I know this flies in the face of a lot of Christendom. They say, "Now where do you get that this is all to the Jew?" Well, I’m going to base it on the character of these men. Galatians chapter 2, and this is Paul rehearsing what had happened at the Jerusalem counsel of Acts chapter 15. And for those of you who may not be aware, the Jerusalem counsel was held about 51 AD, which is about 21-22 years after Pentecost or after the cross. The problem that has arisen is that the Jewish Law-keeping Kingdom believers were still trying to convince Paul’s Gentile believers, under his Gospel of Grace, that they had to practice circumcision and the keeping of the Law and the Commandments. (Acts 15:1-5) I know this is hidden from the average congregation by most denominations, but it’s in the Book! And of course, finally it came to a point of such controversy that the Lord was in it – that Paul and Barnabas, who were ministering to the Gentiles, should go up to Jerusalem and deal with this problem with the Twelve and the Jerusalem leadership. And you all know, if you’ve heard me teach very long that, at this Jerusalem counsel, it was finally agreed that Paul and Barnabas would be apostles of the Gentiles and that the disciples would confine their ministry to Israel. Now here’s the verse that shows that. I’ll just come down to where Paul was able to get through to these men that he was not on the same page as they were. They were the apostles of Israel and he was the apostle for the Gentile and the twain can never be brought together. They were preaching two different messages. One of Law– believing in His name, repentance and baptism; and the other of Grace – just faith in the fact that Jesus died for your sins, was buried and rose again. Now come back to Galatians 2 verse 7, and remember the setting. Paul has now been out amongst the Gentiles, establishing these little congregations of Gentiles on his Gospel (the Gospel of Grace, the preaching of the cross). But these Jews out of the Kingdom economy in Jerusalem are still under the Law. (Acts 15:5) The Temple is still operating, and hasn’t been destroyed yet. And so these Jews are still practicing Temple worship and Paul, of course, has now gotten his Gentile believers separated from all that – and so here’s the agreement. Galatians 2:7 "But contrariwise, (Paul writes) when they (the Twelve) saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision (that’s Gentiles) was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision (Israel)was (committed) unto Peter;" Now that’s plain language. Two totally different concepts. The Gospel of salvation for the Gentile had been committed unto the Apostle Paul. The Gospel of salvation for the Jews had been committed to Peter and the Eleven. All right now then, verse 8. Galatians 2:8 "(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, (Israel) the same (that is the same Christ, the same God) was mighty in me toward (what people?)the Gentiles:)" Now that’s as different as daylight and dark. There’s no amalgamating them. Peter’s the apostle to Israel. Paul’s the apostle to the Gentiles. Galatians 2:9a "And when James, Cephas, (Peter) and John,.… " The same three writers that we’re studying at the end of our New Testament in that order. Not Peter, James and John; it’s James, and Peter, and John.

Galatians 2:9b "…who seemed to be pillars, (that is, of the Kingdom economy up there at Jerusalem) perceived (or understood) the grace that was given unto me,.…" When they understood, yes, Paul is the apostle of the Gentiles; we’re the apostles of Israel. Galatians 2:9c "…they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; (all three of them shook on it. And here is that gentleman’s agreement) that we should go unto the heathen,(Gentiles) and they unto the circumcision." (Israel, the Jew) That was a gentleman’s agreement. No more subterfuge; no more undermining Paul’s ministry. We’re going to leave you to the Gentiles and now look what it is. They agreed with the right hands of fellowship that Paul and Barnabas should go to the heathen, the Gentiles; and they, James, and Peter, and John, and the rest of the Jerusalem leadership (the Kingdom economy), they would stay with the circumcision, with Israel. Now I’m going to take a minute and let that soak in. In 51 AD, this was the gentleman’s agreement, that Paul would be the apostle to the Gentiles with Barnabas’ help, of course. And that the Twelve would confine their ministry to Israel. Now, had the Holy Spirit inspired James and Peter and John back here in our New Testament to start mingling their message to the Gentiles, what would that have done to that agreement in Jerusalem? That would have blown it out of the water. Somebody would have been less than honest. But it was an honest agreement and they all held to it. Now I can show you in Acts chapter 8, because tradition is a tough thing to overcome. But Acts chapter 8 – and this is about seven years after Pentecost, and they have just stoned Stephen – and Saul of Tarsus is heading up the persecution. And it’s intense. And the Jerusalem Jewish church is under such pressure that they’re starting to scatter like a flock of quail. Acts 8:1 "And Saul (the persecutor, that Orthodox Jew, Pharisee of the Pharisees, before his salvation) was consenting unto his (Stephen’s) death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church (the Jewish Kingdom church) which was at Jerusalem; and they (these Jewish Kingdom believers, the ones that James and Peter and John are addressing in their little epistles) were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, (what are the last three words?) except the apostles." Why? Well they weren’t about to leave their home base. They weren’t about to leave Jerusalem because, after all, once Israel should repent and come to a knowledge of Jesus as their Messiah, to what place on the globe would the Messiah return? Jerusalem. He’s going to come to the Mount of Olives when He returns. And they weren’t about to leave because they still had high hopes that somehow or other, in spite of all this persecution, that the Jews would be able to convert the whole nation and that the Messiah could yet come. That’s their whole premise. But you have to understand that when these three men are writing these epistles at the end of our New Testament, they were under that agreement of Galatians chapter 2, and they could not have gone against that. It wouldn’t have been gentlemanly. It wouldn’t have been Christian. And so I maintain they did not. And they kept their ministry on the Kingdom ground to Israel. Acts 11:19 "Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only." Do you see that? They preached to none but the Jews! And they’re letting Paul fulfill his ministry then among the Gentiles. All right, now let’s pick up some of Paul’s statements to show that he was totally removed from anything concerning the Kingdom economy and the Twelve in Jerusalem. Let’s see, I believe you’re still in Galatians 2, so go to Galatians 1 and verse 11 for just a moment. Now remember, Paul is writing to Gentiles. And he’s writing to Gentiles who were succumbing to the false teaching of these Jerusalem people that they had to keep the Law.

Do you see how all this ties together? And so the whole book of Galatians is written on that basis. Paul had to keep telling his Gentile believers, "You’re not under the Law. You don’t have to keep kosher food. You don’t have to keep the Commandments as such and you don’t have to do all the things that the Law required because you’re under Grace." Galatians 1:11-12 "But I certify you brethren, that the gospel (of salvation) which was preached of me is not after man. (Why?) 12. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, (by other men) but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." Now, what’s he telling us? And I always put it this way – under normal circumstances, here someone comes to a knowledge of Who Jesus was, like Saul of Tarsus. Years after the fact, wouldn’t it have been normal for him to go right back to Jerusalem, find Peter, James and John and say, "Well now look, I now recognize that I was wrong. I now know that the Jesus that you preach was the Messiah. Tell me everything you know." Wouldn’t that have been logical? Of course it would have because old Saul knew that these men had been with Jesus for three years. He knew they’d been preaching the Messiahship and the Kingship of Christ for these intervening six/seven years. They would have been the logical place to go. But the Spirit forbade him. The Spirit, instead of letting him go southwest to Jerusalem (I’ve done this on the board, on the program) sends him southeast into Arabia. Opposite direction basically. Why? He didn’t want Paul’s teaching to be muddled with anything that the Twelve had to offer. He had to have a total revelation of things completely different. Oh, based on the same Christ, of course. The same God. But it’s going to be a whole new revelation. So what’s that revelation? Now back to Romans chapter 16 verse 25. You know, I’ve asked in my seminars around the country, "Have you ever heard a Sunday morning sermon with the text Romans 16 verse 25?" Well, finally last fall up at our Concordia seminar in Minneapolis we had two or three hands. That’s the first time. I’ve never had anybody admit that they had a Sunday morning sermon with the text Romans 16 verse 25. Preachers avoid it like a plague. Look what it says. Romans 16:25a "Now to him (the Christ) that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel,.…" What’s Paul’s Gospel? "By believing in your heart that Christ died for your sins, was buried and rose from the dead." Romans 16:25b "…and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, (A revealing of something that’s been mooted before. Something totally different. And what is it?)which was kept secret since the world began." Now what was kept secret? That when Jesus of Nazareth was rejected as the Messiah of Israel, God in His eternal purposes brought about the work of the cross, and the work of the cross – His death, burial and resurrection and His shedding of blood – was now going to open up salvation, not just to Israel, but to whom? The whole world. Now go to II Corinthians chapter 5, and see this is just a whole different concept than what Peter, James and John understood. They were preaching to Israel on the basis of the Old Testament covenant promises. They had no concept that God was now going to save the whole human race. They were stuck with the idea of Israel. But look what Paul writes in II Corinthians chapter 5 verse 14. I know it takes a little bit to see it but once people see it, oh, it is so plain – it just lights this Book up like a three-hundred watt bulb. II Corinthians 5:14a "For the love of Christ.…" See, now sometimes people will write and say, "Les you make too much of Paul." No I don’t make too much of Paul. Paul was merely the one who points us to the Christ. And that’s what he’s always saying. He preaches "Christ crucified, and risen again." Paul is that eminent apostle of the Gentiles to whom was revealed this tremendous Gospel of Grace that’s beyond human understanding. We just simply take it by faith.

II Corinthians 5:14 "For the love of Christ constraineth us; (drives us) because we thus judge, (or conclude, now watch this) that if one died for all, then were all dead:" Now, you know there is teaching about there being limited atonement – that Christ only died for the believer. Don’t you believe it! He died for ALL! He died for the whole human race. All right, and if He did die for all, then it’s a natural conclusion then that all were dead, spiritually, like we saw in the last program. "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Now verse 15. II Corinthians 5:15 "And that he died for all, that they which live (spiritually and get eternal life) should not henceforth (from the time of their salvation, when they’ve been justified and they’ve been granted eternal life, that from that point on) live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and (what?) rose again." See that? Paul never shuns the resurrection, it’s everywhere. But, you see, the Jewish writers don’t mention it because that wasn’t part and parcel of the Kingdom Gospel. The Kingdom Gospel was to believe Who Jesus was, followed by repentance and water baptism. The Grace Gospel is to believe that not only did Christ die for our sins, but He rose from the dead. I know many people try to make them all the same, but you see the Bible says they’re different, and that’s why Paul says, we should be "Rightly Dividing the Word of God." II Corinthians 5:16 "Wherefore (because of the death, burial and resurrection) henceforth know we no man after the flesh: Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, (according to His earthly ministry and before He was crucified.) yet now henceforth know we him no more." And Paul is saying he lived contemporary with Christ. He was already that fanatical Jew and was probably burning at the fringes when he saw the crowds following Jesus of Nazareth. He knew His ministry. He knew what He was doing. He knew about those three years of Christ in the flesh. But, it was the crucified, buried, risen and ascended Lord that confronted Saul on the road to Damascus, not Jesus of Nazareth in those three years. See the difference? Oh, what a difference! Jesus chose the Twelve in His ministry of the flesh inside the borders of Israel. This man He confronted, after His death, burial, resurrection and ascension, outside the borders of Israel on Gentile ground. And that just separates them. And that’s why they had to come to the conclusion; yes, they would maintain their ministry with Israel up until finally it all fell apart, but this man would go to the Gentiles. And now, even archaeology supports that, by the end of the first century, that element of Jewish believers, of what I call the Kingdom believers, disappeared. They just disappeared. You don’t see any evidence of them anymore in archaeology or history, or anywhere else. But for those seventy years from the time of the cross until about the end of the century there were these little Jewish congregation scattered throughout the Roman Empire. But they never entered into this Gospel of Grace. All right, one more verse in II Corinthians 5. And, oh, what a verse! II Corinthians 5:17a "Therefore (and what’s that ‘therefore?’ Because of the death, burial and resurrection) if any man be in Christ,…" See, now that’s another terminology that is uniquely Paul. The Jewish Kingdom believer had no concept of being "in Christ." That’s the body element, and it is a Grace Age doctrine; that, the moment we become a believer, we are placed into the Body of Christ, we’re in Christ. In fact I think Paul uses that term 93 times in the Book of Ephesians alone. I had a gentleman say, "Les I hear all the time about being ‘in Christ,’ but nobody ever tells anybody how to get there." And I said, "You know, you’re right." So how do we get "in Christ?" By believing Paul’s Gospel of salvation. Because as soon as we become a believer of Paul’s Gospel, the Holy Spirit places us into the Body of Christ. And

we become members one of another, as fingers and toes and eyes and ears are members of this body, every believer is a member of the Body of Christ. That’s a Pauline concept. It was never revealed before. And this is all part of the revelation of the mysteries. II Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new." We’re a whole new creation. God has worked a work within us that makes us different. II Corinthians 5:18 "And all things are of God, who hath (already) reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;" We are to tell others to be reconciled. Oh, this is all Pauline truths and you don’t pick this up in the Kingdom economy. Well, let’s look at a couple of verses in Ephesians in the short time we have left. Ephesians 1:3a "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,.…" Rarely does Paul us the term "Jesus" alone. One or two places he does, but as a rule, he puts the full title and I think it’s appropriate even for us, we refer to Him as our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:3b "…who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings (not here on earth. Not name it and claim it. But where?) in heavenly places in Christ." That’s where our riches are, in the heavenlies. We may go through this life poor as paupers. Most Christians down through the centuries have. It’s only been in the last few years where Christians have enjoyed the wealth. For most of Church history, they were the poverty stricken element and that’s, of course, as Paul teaches. We are not promised earthly blessings because we’re a believer. Ours are heavenly. Ours are waiting for us. We’re laying them up in Glory. All right, so He’s already "blessed us in the heavenlies, in Christ." Ephesians 1:4 "According as he hath (already) chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:" In other words, before anything was ever created, God already knew we’d be believers today. Ephesians 1:5 "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." But let’s go down to verse 13. Ephesians 1 verse 13. My, all these verse are so wonderful! Ephesians 1:13a "In whom (he says) ye also trusted, (believed) after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye (What?) Repented and were baptized? No, that’s not what it says. After you what?) believed,.…" That’s the whole crux of Paul’s message – that we believe that everything that needed to be done was done in that work of the cross.

Journal Scientist Claims Alzheimer's Aβ*56 Theory a Fraud

On July 21, Science released an article titled "BLOTS ON A FIELD? A neuroscience image sleuth finds signs of fabrication in scores of Alzheimer’s articles, threatening a reigning theory of the disease". Once this article was issued, scientists around the world who study Alzheimer's disease were stunned.

In 1906, Alzheimer, a German neuropathologist, discovered special plaques and tangles in the brain of an Alzheimer's patient. Since then, this mental disorder, called Alzheimer's disease, has been in the limelight.

As we all know, the cause of the disease is always an important topic in the research on a disease. Since the 1980s, there has been an amyloid hypothesis in the field of Alzheimer's disease research that this disease is caused by the precipitation and aggregation of Aβ. Therefore, for decades, scientists have devoted themselves to testing this hypothesis, trying to find a causal relationship between Aβ and Alzheimer's disease, but to no avail.

In 2006, Karen Ashe, a renowned professor at the University of Minnesota, led her student Sylvain Lesné to develop the "number one suspect of Alzheimer's disease", Aβ*56. This paper caused a sensation in the research field and opened a new chapter in the study of Alzheimer's disease. The article was cited more than 2,300 times, being the most cited of any research paper on Alzheimer's disease in the same period. The conclusions drawn from this paper have become almost a consensus in the field and are part of the common knowledge for medical students.

Over the next 16 years, countless funds, time, and efforts were devoted to this direction. However, most of the research on Aβ*56 has been unsuccessful. This is because researchers have found it very difficult to extract Aβ*56, among whom is Matthew Schrag, a neuroscientist at Vanderbilt University.

Dr. Schrag didn't question the underlying theory at first, but question the claimed effect of the new Alzheimer's drug, Simufilam, to repair the protein and reduce Aβ*56 deposition. During the study, he gradually found doubts about the Aβ*56 theory and contacted Science. Science began a six-month review, hiring authoritative independent image analysis reviewers to join and analyze the images. It turned out that there were over 70 images in the paper that laid out the Aβ*56 theory that had been artificially altered.

Admittedly, the fact that this article was falsified does not affect the amyloid hypothesis. aβ*56 is only a subdivision of the Aβ field, and in addition to Aβ*56, other oligomers such as Aβ*42 and Aβ*40 have been studied. Other biomarkers also exist, for example, there has been evidence linking natural autoantibodies and Alzheimer's disease.

However, many believe that this could become the most egregious case of academic fraud ever committed in the United States. Over the course of 16 years, the efforts of countless medical researchers have been misdirected, and countless patients have volunteered to participate in experiments that have not really advanced research on the disease. This also means that Alzheimer's research has been slowed down by this fraudulent paper for 16 years, and over $1.6 billion in research funding that should have provided a major boost to Alzheimer's research has been wasted.

Chapter 56 - Second Spoiler Analysis

Okay everyone, my gears have been TURNING and GRINDING. So, I am going to analyze the shit out of this second spoiler because why not throw caution to the wind and come up with the most bizarre predictions 2 days before the new release?! Beware!! lol XD

My thoughts are under the cut!!

Body Language!

As far as I know, we haven't seen D hold Y in this position before, it's protective and provocative at the same time. Idk, looks like D's staking his claim to me...And trying to provoke something from Y. Confession? Truth? Desire?

D still has all of his clothing on, he hasn't even taken off his gloves, what this says to me is that Y probably said some snarky shit and D couldn't take it anymore? But Hoooowwww did they get from the couch to here?! I'm assuming Yashiro tried to walk away from and dismiss Doumeki AGAIN, but he said 'NOOPEE, not this timeeee."

Yashiro is obviously nervous/stunned/literally backed into a corner. So, I assume we are at the point where D gives Y another ultimatum? ORR he's provoking him with his words? "Why did you want me instead of Kamiya?" "I know you only respond to my touch" "You know you want this" "Why do you hold yourself back with me" "I know" "Yashiro-San, do you actually have feelings for me?" LOL I'm spit balling here!

Y isn't looking D in his eyes (he's looking down), almost like he can't face the TRUTH of his emotions. Maybe that's what D is trying to probe out of him here.

Not a prediction buuut...Look at D's hand on Y's ass! :0 Anyone else getting hot/nervous?

I really think D is asking Y a question here, his mouth is open slightly and Yashiro is sweating and looking down as if he's trying to find the "right" (shit to say that won't give his feelings away) thing to say.

Yashiro's right hand is slightly raised, will he touch D? Put his hand on his chest? Caress his scar?? I'm going to explode, it's not safe for me to run away with my thoughts like this LMAO.

What Could D Be Saying?!

I honestly think he is either bringing up past situations he realized that were acts of care/desire from Y or telling Y that he knows about his impotency/true feelings.

"What you said about me to Tsukanawa was a lie, you threw me away because you couldn't handle falling in love." AHHH IDK IDK!

"Tell me you want this - tell me you want me, and I'm yours." HAHAHHAGSUGAHSGSHA

"Are you still afraid of me - to be with me?"

Who knows at this point?

Final Thoughts

First, Disclaimer: I could be wrong about literally everything here, but what can I say? I like to get my own hopes up! These are just my humble opinions and hopes that I share about my favorite love story <3

I think the confession is upon us. Unless Kamiya interrupts again, if that happens, I will break the fourth wall myself and tie him up in my basement. Or if Nana calls...but it's the middle of the night so I doubt either things will occur. Anyway, I think this is the chapter we will see Y take what he wants, and his walls totally crumble. Who knows, he may even cry again but this time he will allow Doumeki to comfort him. Will Yashiro make love to the Doumeki from all those years ago? Will Doumkei finally take off his pants?! Will Yashiro touch Doumeki? Whatever happens, I'm just happy to be here, lol.

It's so fun predicting Yoneda-Sensei's next move, I'm terribly thrilled for whatever is in store!!

More Dusk Court / Fourth Dread Trove Object Foreshadowing 🌄

I’m on my second read of Acosf (reason why I’ve been kinda inactive lately) and just noticed this paragraph. It called my attention regarding both Dusk Court and Fourth Dread Trove Object theories.

This is in Chapter 56 when Nesta is trying to get used to the fire and it’s noises. Obviously, the moment is centered on Nesta and her healing, but this paragraph has too much imagery for me to dismiss.

Carved wooden rose - the figurine Papa Archeron made for Elain. We know roses symbolize the middle sister for obvious reasons. The drawer, the gardening, the necklace, the cuts in her hands by thorns, etc.

The shadows - these almost always symbolize Azriel. I’m not even going to explain why, because y’all already know.

Figurine of a supple-bodied female - though we can’t be sure, Nesta thinks it might be the Mother (or a primal goddess). She has her arms stretched above her head and the moon is between her hands. Mother = powers

It is too curious how the rose carving is next to this goddess entity with her arms raised in an clear show of power, and that the rose is half-hidden in the shadows. This could symbolize Elriel and Elain’s powers that we will get to see her use in the next book. If the Dusk Court theory is right, she will use those powers to free the people enslaved in the stone of the prison’s island.

What’s more, the imagery of the rose and shadows is eerily similar to the shadow-hidden bone that is most likely the fourth trove object:

I’m thinking the rose covered in shadows also represents the secret romance between Elriel, like the whole “Shadowsingers are able to hide objects in the shadows” theory. They will keep their romance hidden. But it, too, connects to the Koschei-needing-Azriel theory for that same reason.

That short paragraph could be analyzed further, I’m sure. For example, could it be that Elain’s powers become stronger with the moon or connect to it? Maybe I’m reaching, but it’s fun. 🌄

P.S. Color-coded for fun! ✨

I posted 80 times in 2021

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For every post I created, I reblogged 0.4 posts.

I added 269 tags in 2021

#fear street - 58 posts

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Longest Tag: 95 characters

#when all u want to do is read books and stalk ur high school crush but you have a devil pact :(

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Chapters: 2/? Fandom: Fear Street Trilogy (TV), Fear Street Series - R. L. Stine Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Christine "Ziggy" Berman/Nick Goode Characters: Christine "Ziggy" Berman, Nick Goode (Fear Street), Original Characters, Deena Johnson, Josh Johnson (Fear Street), Samantha "Sam" Fraser (Fear Street), Cindy Berman (Fear Street) Additional Tags: pregnancy au, what if nick and Ziggy had a baby, Angst, accidentally have a baby with the guy who has a devil pact :(, Sex, both Ziggy and Nick are emotionally stunted, i don't make the rules, we love a badass mom and murderous dad, Ziggy is more morally ambiguous in this fic, though not totally evil, Nick Goode is a simp, Secret Relationship Summary:

It’s November 1988, and Ziggy is staring down at two little pink lines.

ahh I hope u guys like this second chapter! let me know what you think ❤️

34 notes • Posted 2021-10-09 05:26:45 GMT

#4

Ever had an AU idea that made you go "This would be amazing...if someone else did it." But no one does it! And you just go crazy?

LOL omg yes definitely there are a lot of AU’s that have gone through my mind or I’ve seen that I was like omg yeah that’s fantastic. I think my favourite ones to read so far are the fics that I never even thought about. Like there’s this really great one shot on ao3 about Ziggy catching Nick in the middle of the sacrifice at Nightwing and then she turns evil with him. that one’s great. I didn’t think I could pull something like that off and the author did it amazingly. 

But in terms of other ideas: 

- there’s the AU we talked about a few days ago that I thought was great. Would love it if someone explored that. 

- I had an idea of there being a time-loop. So Nick is stuck replaying Nightwing over and over again until eventually the loop breaks (maybe Ziggy gets caught in the loop with him? after he’s been through it a few hundred times). My idea was that Nick would have to kill himself or reunite the hand with the body for it to end. I heard of a few other people thinking about doing a fic like that so I was like yay and then nothing came of it. 

- a gender-swapped Nick/Ziggy fic. I think that analyzing the gender-dynamics of that flip would be cool, though I don’t know how the specifics would work or if the dynamic would be too altered

- there’s also a fic idea I'm developing now (inspired by someone’s comment on one of my stories) where Nick tells Ziggy the truth right after the massacre and then they just leave Sunnyvale. like a super fucked up and toxic relationship where Ziggy just feels helpless to do anything and just takes his hand. this may or may not come to fruition. idk I have a lot going on already

- After I posted “the last great American dynasty” a lot of people talked about writing their own “Ready or Not” Au’s. If you haven’t watched it it’s a great movie about a rich family that also has a secret, murderous satanic pact. it’s great :) I really liked the ideas those other users had. 

- another AU where Nick and Ziggy are childhood pen-pals, but I’m thinking about working on that one. still deciding if the pact should exist in it or not.

- this isn’t about Nick/Ziggy specifically, but I've always been intrigued by the idea of Sarah Fier actually being the one behind the curse. like the plot twist is so great and works well thematically, but when I watched that scene with her and Hannah being like I’ll make a deal and we can get out of here I understood where she was coming from. So like making Sarah Fier a sympathetic person whose deal just went way out of control and had consequences she didn't forsee

- this has been discussed by others on this app, but I like the idea of Nick/Ziggy being ghost hunters like the Warrens in the Conjuring. You could even make it like a buzzed unsolved romance/modern type setting. 

- another idea I had was that Nick’s dad made a second sacrifice after Ruby but before he died and Ziggy’s family was wiped out so the Goodes take her in “out of the goodness of their hearts” since she has no next of kin and her and Nick get into all kinds of trouble. 

wow okay I need to stop this is already way way too long sorry! I'd love to hear what your thoughts are 

35 notes • Posted 2021-11-18 22:59:19 GMT

#3

Chapters: 1/3 Fandom: Fear Street Trilogy (TV), Fear Street Series - R. L. Stine Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Christine "Ziggy" Berman/Nick Goode Characters: Nick Goode (Fear Street), Christine "Ziggy" Berman, Will Goode (Fear Street), Cindy Berman (Fear Street), Deena Johnson, Sarah Fier (Fear Street), Hannah Miller (Fear Street) Additional Tags: Violence, Alternative Universe - FBI, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Romance, First Love, Tragedy, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, ??? - Freeform Summary:

Nick Goode was born the second son.

(It makes all the difference in the world)

38 notes • Posted 2021-07-23 05:35:49 GMT

#2

okay, so we all wished we had gotten more content of ashley as adult nick, so if there had been like a deleted scene or just one extra scene, what would you have liked to have seen? like, what kind of scene would have given you some real insight into this guy? lol

(this question is actually really hard bc we couldn't really see much of nick since the twist that he was evil had to be protected but let's pretend that doesn't matter lol)

okay omg this is such a good question I will proceed with an essay because I thought about this for far too long than I should have: 

before we get to adult Nick, I want to talk about scenes I wished we saw in ‘78 with Ted, because I still have a lot of questions about younger Nick: 

1. interactions with Nick and the other counsellors (beside Kurt). I think a big question we all have is why he said Tommy’s name. Like he knew Tommy, obviously, so seeing them interact (esp Nick with Cindy, maybe her giving him a bit of the side eye because she caught him staring at Ziggy) would have added an interesting dynamic to his character, esp with what we know later

2. nick visiting Ziggy in the hospital after Nightwing, and seeing her tell him to fuck off and how he tries to justify himself for not backing her up. I don’t have much reason for that scene other than it’s angsty and I thought Ted/Sadie had really good chemistry. just for the angst (and also seeing how Nick works after the massacre would have been cool)

okay, now onto Ashley and adult Nick. This was a lot harder to come up with: 

1. I just watched 1666 recently, and it never made sense to me why Nick went straight to the site of Sarah Fier’s body. Did he just see the kids there on his way to Ziggy’s and stopped? did he know her body was there and was ready to kill them? anyway, seeing Nick go to Ziggy’s first and seeing them interact would have been cool. Like we know nick slipped Ziggy that note so he could weasel his way back into her life, so seeing him interact with her and act contrite/heroic before going to “help” the kids would have been cool. I also just think Ashley/Gillian should have had more scenes together (also, how did he know where she lived? like they must have had some kind of interaction in the intervening years. even if Ziggy stayed in her childhood home and never moved at all, how would he know?)

2. scenes with adult nick and will. I love how we all agree that Nick just thinks Will is an idiot. Like he does not care for his brother at all. But it would have been interesting to see Nick navigate the Sunnyvale social setting and have that comparison with adult Nick and how young Nick acted with Ziggy, just to emphasize how he became everything he didn’t want to be when he was a kid. Ashley had a interview where he said that Nick is just a really lonely, miserable guy, so seeing Nick just not giving a fuck about Sunnyvale and idiotic business men would have been cool

3. I think another interesting point would have been the kids realizing that the local boy who saved C. Berman was Nick and have them confront him about witnessing a massacre in 1994 part one. Like a) I think that would have caught him off guard and b) I think that was probably the worst night of Nick’s life (which obviously doesn’t mean shit considering it's all his fault) but seeing how Nick responds to the reminder that he saved Ziggy (and only Ziggy) would have been interesting

4. more of a confrontation with Nick and Ziggy in the final showdown. Ashley’s expressions as he walks through the mall before finally reaching Ziggy convey so much regret, tenderness and apprehension after looking so utterly evil and ready to kill. I love that scene, but I wish more had been said. Like Nick trying to justify himself and Ziggy just asking what the fuck happened to you or you betrayed me and nick just being his idiotic self like Ziggy I love you or something.

this is all I can think of for now! I’d love to hear what you all think! 

56 notes • Posted 2021-11-18 04:50:00 GMT

#1

Okay, so I'm thinking about the Mafia AU and I only have an inciting incident: Ziggy steals from Sheila and gets away quietly with Nick letting her go. He makes a joke (kind of) that he would like to have dinner with her.

Later on, he goes after a theft ring that's trying to muscle in on Goode territory. They go after everyone, but it turns out that Ziggy was working for them as well. So Nick decides to let her go again but this time he has to actively keep her safe because her connection with these people got a target on her.

Thoughts?

oouu this is interesting!!

I like the idea of Nick catching Ziggy stealing from Sheila, especially because it mirrors canon where he defends her at the Hanging Tree. I like the idea of Ziggy rebelliously keeping her hair long (because women in the 20s/early 30s kept it short, I think) and Sheila about to razor it off as punishment for catching Ziggy stealing and Nick just walks into the room and is like yeah, nope not gonna happen.

Maybe he escorts her off the grounds/walks her to her house because he's such a "gentleman". He's really charmed by her, actually, (maybe he's seen her before? I like the idea of Nick pining over Ziggy from afar like it was hinted at in Nightwing, but I'm not too sure how well that works in this AU) and feels strangely protective over her, which is ironic because a) she's Ziggy and b) Nick rarely feels protective over anyone.

And yeah, I think Ziggy would definitely be working around for other gangs stealing things for them to help support her family during the depression. I like the idea that when Nick finds out he says to his associates just leave her alone. Like a no-contact/harm order and all his underlings are like uhh why are we leaving this street rat alone?

But everyone who so much as looks at Ziggy wrong magically ✨disappears ✨ and soon the message is sent even if Nick is too chicken shit to actually talk to her (or court her, I think that's the proper term).

I think maybe Ziggy catches on because her criminal associates start to refuse associating with her and eventually she pressures/threatens someone into telling her why, and she is not having it. She doesn't give a shit if Nick's the King of Sunnyvale or whatever and this wealthy, powerful guy. She goes and confronts him - maybe corners him an alley with a gun, because why not - and he legit is just like can I take you out for dinner, but seriously this time.

Ziggy is so shocked she almost shoots him. There's a bit of back and forth I think but eventually it kind of just happens.

What do you think - should devil pact be a part of it? I know we all like the angst of it. I'm undecided for this AU though, not gonna lie. Maybe some smaller variation of it, where the Goodes recruit people to "sacrifice" themselves to Satan (with no resulting massacre) in return for the Goodes financially supporting their families and making sure they don't starve.

I think during the depression, especially, many would be willing to take up the offer. But who knows? I'm curious to hear what you think.

73 notes • Posted 2021-12-06 03:38:56 GMT

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Egon Spengler X Oc

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Chapter 1

It’s just a Normal day in the University. I just Finished teaching as Ray storms in, all my students look at him

J: Dr. Stantz how can I help you ?

R: Library … they saw one.

Exited I grab my Bag and look at my students.

J: You can Go.

I turn to Ray and we walk to our Office.

J: Is Egon there ?

R: Yes

We storm in and there is Vankman with a Female Student, Jennifer, normal Blondie It girl.

R: This is it.

We grab our Equipment.

J: This is it.

I rush to grab my testing kit and pull Peter and Ray with me.

J: Come on now !

When we arrive at the Library I rush in, to Egon who sits cross legged on the floor. Venkman teases him. The Librarian leads us to a Lady.

La: I don’t Remember seeing legs but it definitely had arms, ‘cause it Reached out for me.

R: Arms ? I can’t wait to have a look at it.

I run some tests on her. I look at her eyes and check her pulse.

J: Normal eye dilation, high heart rate.

I look at her and check her abdomen.

J: What did you eat for breakfast ?

La: Rasin-brain and Tea.

I nod.

J: Are you Menstruating right now ?

The Guy from the Library looks at me.

LG: What has that to do with it.

I look at him and he’s a little bit too close to me.

J: Back off man I’m a Scientist.

Egon comes Back to us the PKE Meter in his Hands.

E: It’s Moving !

I look at the Boys.

J: Go, I’ll do more tests on her.

They nod and go off. I look back to the Lady.

J: So, are you ?

She shakes her Head.

La: I’m too old.

J: OK

I run a few last tests.

J: How old are you if I may ask

La: 56

I nod and get a sample box.

J: Can I have some of your hair my Partner would like to analyze it.

She nods and pulls some out and places it in the Sample Box. I close it up and put everything in my Bag.

J: Thank you, your good to Go.

Then I see the boys running out, I grab my Bag and Run after them. Egon grabs my Hand. We stop running at the Park. When we get to our office men are putting away some of our stuff.

[REPOST] MY 2K WORD COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS OF RANBOO’S LORE STREAM

‼️‼️This post contains lore spoilers from Ranboo’s 4/23 stream, “The Enderwalk Saga. Chapter 1: The Lessons”. If you haven’t seen that stream don’t read ahead unless you want spoilers‼️‼️

disclaimer: this isnt really an analysis as much as a bunch of commentary and half-baked theories.

-on the way to the mansion he was sort of talking to himself saying stuff like "i'm good i'm good" which m a y be a normal thing but also maybe it's not and it flew over our heads cause he talks to chats and donos like that so often

-again, this one may just be a normal thing but when he was climbing up the stairs in the mansion looking for foolish, he repeats some of his words like down to the exact same tone of voice and everything. 12:42,  "this mansion is way too big actually. this mansion is way too big actually." (why the repeated actually? seems odd to me but again it might just be a normal thing that i haven't picked up on). (right after) "okay okay lemme find him lemme find him" again repeated words in the e x a c t same tone.

-does everyone know about ranboo's silk touch hands ability thing? or was that just a techno and ranboo main character moment. bc if it was, how would foolish know that ranboo could pick up the full cake after it'd been partially eaten. unless everyone on the sever knows about that in which case this means nothing. but if they d o n t know... how would foolish know? ranboo wrote about it in the do not read book so maybe if it's not a publicly known thing maybe foolish got his hands on the book and read it??

-14:53-ish, they're talking about the war room and how it was for tubbo or whatever and ranboo says, and i quote "he prepares for lore but he's never gonna do it." now funny thing is at first i couldn't tell if he said "war" like in reference to the war room or "lore". but after playing the clip over and over i can say with ALMOST 100% certainty that he said lore. there is a definite L sound at the beginning of the word. which either means a) this was a slip up (doubtful bc he said later that there were no mistakes), b) he broke the fourth wall because they were supposed to be rping at that point, or c) i'm completely wrong and he said "war" which leads down an entire other road of possibilities

-15:17 "are you a book reader?" "*checks inventory for do not read book* uh yeah i'd say i'm a book reader-" dunno how i didn't catch this the first time I HATE THAT DAMN BOOK

-15:18 there's blue in his hotbar. where did he get the blue.

-16:40 "it's like a metaphor- i have two minds: i have my normal self, my normal little shift-dancing self, and then the builder one. the builder one is demanding. it's a very demanding mind." ranboo then lets out a weird sigh after this. i feel like what foolish was talking about was an indirect(?) parallel to ranboo in and out of enderwalk, there's how he normally is, trying to do best for others, and then there's enderwalk, meeting up with bad guys and "demanding" things (its very late as i write this i really don't know what i'm talking about)

-17:11 "you have your panic closet" i'm sorry his what now 😀 no but seriously how the hell did i miss some of these

-18:04 "you're asking me if i remember?" very funny ranboo thank you for making jokes in these trying times

-18:25 WHY DID HE GET OUT THE AXE WHEN STARING AT THE BEE

-19:38 why did foolish hold the grass block- most of these observations probably mean nothing but- h u h - is that- i'm too tired for this

-19:54 "i never properly thanked you for the deal you made with me" so foolish got something out of this deal, we're not sure if ranboo did. "the green cardboard box" again do you mean dream's house- but seriously the only people i can think of on the server that are associated with green are dream and sam. and i have no idea what cardboard box could be referring to.  foolish got a lime colored shulker from drista

-20:30 "we're supposed to only talk about it at a certain location" hmm now where would that be? panic room maybe? cause like usually after doing a big thing in the enderwalk state ranboo wakes up in the panic room so maybe?  the deal was that they only talk about it in his house

-21:52 how does ranboo receive(?) the lessons? like are they whispered to him in his mind or is he seeing them as words in front of him like we see? hmm

-"Lesson 14: If you have the opportunity to gain a favor, take it." "gain a favor" don't you usually ask people for favors though? how does one "gain a favor"? anyways i'm pretty sure lesson 14 has to do with the deal foolish was talking about. (the deal explained because i now have info: at some point a bit ago foolish met up with ranboo and asked to make a deal, he'd gotten a shulker box from drista. the deal was that ranboo would have ownership of the box, it would be under his name but foolish rents/borrows it indefinitely. ranboo negotiated that if he took ownership of the box he would get a "war favor"  from foolish where if something happens that creates sides, ranboo can ask him a favor that could change his side. but why would foolish want ranboo to have ownership of the shulker you may ask? well i have an answer for you. a theory actually but still. basically since drista technically isn't supposed to give out shit on the server if someone where to have that stuff then they may get in trouble. foolish wants to be able to use the shulker but if it gets found he doesn't want to get in trouble, so he can blame it on ranboo seeing as it's under his name.)

-22:16-ish "i still have this from when you *can't understand whats said here*" well i guess that sort of explains why he had the grass block? idk man (info update: he had the grass block from when ranboo threw it at him telling him to calm down like what ghostbur does with blue)

-31:35 "i figured out how to cause it" how to cause the enderwalk state

-38:30 "ninety three lessons" I STILL DONT KNOW WHY HE KEPT SAYING NINETY THREE AND NOT NINETY FOUR AND ITS DRIVING ME CRAZY LMAO

-39:01 "it's all for the greater good" okay well when are you gonna start thinking about yourself and not everyone else for once huh. self care bitch.

-40:31 he started holding the axe when he was looking at sam- gonna say it i really don't like that axe ahahah- WAIT A DAMN MINUTE THE AXE IS NAMED "axe of ender" I DONT LIKE THAT I DONT LIKE THAT AT ALL

-41:53 is there something?? physically keeping him from telling sam??? or maybe it's sort of like his enderwalk state taking control to make him shut the fuck up??? so many questions and approximately zero answers

-43:18 ranboo raising his voice legitimately scares me 😀👍

-"Lesson 27: Do not reminisce on what you have lost for it will weigh you down." showed up when he was thinking about and REMINISCING about the community house 👀👀

-"Lesson 53: Never fully trust anyone." showed up literally after he said that he thinks he can trust the other people on the server enough to tell them about what he did

-"Lesson 67: Leave no evidence of what you have helped with." this is different from the others because there doesn't seem to be at least a semi-direct connection to it? unless maybe at the time ranboo was near something he may have "helped with"? not sure about this one

-"Lesson 94: DO NOT LET THEM KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE DONE" yeah yeah i get it i get it he's fucked up some shit in enderwalk i don't feel like analyzing this thanks

-OH OH NOTICE HOW HE SAYS "REMEMBERING" WHEN THE LESSONS SHOW UP. IMPLYING THAT THIS ISNT A NEW THING, ITS HAPPENED BEFORE AND NOW HES REMEMBERING IT. MAYBE HE WROTE DOWN THE LESSONS WHEN HE WAS IN ENDERWALK AND NOW THAT HES BEEN EXPERIMENTING ITS BEEN EASIER FOR HIM TO REMEMBER THOSE ENDERWALK MEMORIES

-okokok the experiments are that he's been e x p e r i m e n t i n g on how to purposefully induce the enderwalk state. and we know now that it wasn't from the pain of the water because on the stream afterwords he said that it's caused by the intense fear of something happening. and so the "side effects" of the experiments is that since he's in enderwalk more often(?) he starts remembering more things from it

-OH MY GOD WAIT "there is a reason sam, there's so many reasons, theres ninety three of them" (44:47) WHAT IF EVERY LESSON IS TIED TO A QUOTE UNQUOTE "reason" THAT RANBOO THINKS HES A BAD PERSON/NEEDS TO BE LOCKED UP BUT HE SAYS NINETY THREE INSTEAD OF NINETY FOUR BECAUSE THE NINETY FOURTH LESSON DOESNT HAVE A REASON YET/HE DOESNT REMEMBER IT HAVING A REASON

-dude honestly the whole sam part hurts so much this man is scarily good at acting

-46:46 "i cant put you in the prison you wouldn't be able to see michael anymore" bestie that's the point he doesn't want to accidentally hurt michael or tubbo in the enderwalk state—

-okay but there's no way that sam couldn't tell that ranboo was at least TRYING to confess to something- i feel like he definitely knows more than he's letting on because usually like when people do bad shit or admit to doing bad shit he's like in Prison Guard Mode™️ (he literally cut off ponk's arm because he stole some keycards or something) and whatever and idk what he knows but he definitely knows something and is trying to protect ranboo. or he's trying to manipulate him or smth either one works—

-50:38 "you are a good person" "i am?" you can hear my heart shatter. "yes you are" "i don't think so sam" "i do, even if you don't" "i really don't think so" and there it goes again

-51:25 hello badboyhalo i see you to the left of ranboo

-52:44 "but then my curiosity got the best of me" curiosity killed the cat, bitch

-52:54 "there's ninety three, ninety four, ninety- theres so many reasons!" SEE!! NOT ONLY ARE THERE THAT MANY LESSONS THERE ARE REASONS THAT CORRESPOND IM S O SMART—

-52:56 "i don't want to remember anymore!" *quietly brings forth my theory that when ranboo loses a canon life his memory gets wiped*

-53:13 "ive opened pandora's box" isn't the prison?? literally called pandora's VAULT??? so this m a y be a stretch but i'm thinking that maybe this could be taken in the literal sense that he "opened" the prison and let dream out (the sirens at the end of quackity's stream confirm that dream is indeed out)

-53:42 mans just straight up walked through a ghost i—

-55:37 so are we just gonna ignore the eleventh page of the book? "he's alive, but hopefully soon dream won't be"??? alright nevermind it's most likely bc when tommy came back he recruited ranboo in his plan to kill dream

-55:47 notice how he writes "what am i?" as opposed to "who am i?" no elaboration here idk what it could be

-56:08 just so it's clear for anyone who doesn't know- he's wearing armor at this point, and i'm like 90% sure that when he wears his armor water can't hurt him. and i saw someone say somewhere that like with splash potions when thrown it turns into a gas-like thing? so again, it didn't hurt him, he didn't get hurt. he said in the chill stream that he wasn't comfortable making it where his character had to hurt himself to do that. the thing that causes the enderwalk isn't pain, it's intense and sudden emotions like fear and stress. thank you for coming to my tedtalk.