#she invented win-losing it’s true

[elsewhereuniversity]

Alternative Therapy with Marbles

There is one being from the Else who works for the University. Not because it’s replacing someone; the school has its Name.

It was young, once, and hungry, and fond of marbles, beautiful worthless things that they were, a human sort of glamour. It played marbles with students, by rules arcane and unexplained, and paid out just enough heart’s desires that they still sought it out with their marbles even though more often it would win an eye, or both, delicious things like soft, delicate marbles, and sometimes it won more than that and sucked the marrow from a student’s bones, leaving the rest for the Groundskeepers to clean up.

But it had been young. Cocky. It hadn’t understood how quickly a human can learn, new skills gained in just a few years, or how determined a human can be. Most vitally, it hadn’t learned what hustling was in time to avoid being hustled by the lover of one on whose marrow it had fed. “Wager nothing you can’t afford to lose,” the humans told each other, but it had bet a Name against a Name, overconfident, and it had lost. The one who won its Name gifted it to the University (traded it for nothing, as if it was worthless) and then went back to the world of Iron and never again touched a place where the borders were thin.

The school administration had never been put into such a position before. (It did not understand their dilemma until much later, the difficulty of deciding whether to let a killer go free or to keep it enslaved. It took it a long time to comprehend the value that humans place on the freedom of others, and on their own status as people-who-do-not-own-people.) The Dean decided that it would be given a job. It spent many years as a guard, a member of campus security, paid (although they need not have paid it; they had its Name) in pig’s eyes and cow’s eyes and sometimes delicious-lovely goat’s eyes as a “bonus” when it saved a student or two from being killed or stolen.

The girl who started talking to it was called Marbles, and it did not save her from anything from the Else, only scared off a drunk boy who had been trying to follow her home. Marbles stayed to talk to it, gave it her use- name, and offered it a marble “in thanks.”

“No debt is owed,” it said, the words vile in its mouth. It wanted that marble, an end-of-the-day, a unique blend of orange and purple. “I am permitted to make no trades.”

“Freely given, then,” Marbles said, and she began to visit with it during its “time off” (another strange human concept), and shared her marbles with it, playing games for no stakes at all, with rules they invented together as they went. The students began to call it Friend-of-Marbles, and it was a relief to have a name that was its own and was true, even if it wasn’t its True Name.

Then Marbles was Taken. Her human friends came to it, begged it to help, but it could make no trades to empower them, could not leave its post to seek her. They cursed at it - not curses with power, merely words, but they hurt it all the same, “false-friend” and “Marbles should have known not to trust a–” and the vilest invectives they could think of, but it was Marbles’ friend, and Marbles had trusted it, and as they turned to leave, it said, “Wait,” and breathed yearning onto the first marble that Marbles had given it, the orange-purple end-of-the-day, unique in all the world, and held it out.

“Freely given,” it said, wrestling to get the vile words out, because they would have traded with it, would have given up much for this, but it was not allowed. “Set it down and it will roll towards her, I swear it thrice; though I cannot prevent there from being danger along the way.”

They gave it suspicious looks, but they took the marble, set it down on the path and traded glances with each other when it rolled uphill, towards the woods. One of them nodded to Friend-of-Marbles, and they set off, Questing.

Days passed, seven and then seven times seven, before it saw Marbles again, although one of her human friends had returned its marble to it after only three. “She’s back,” they said. “She’s not okay yet, but she’s talking to someone in counseling. Your gift helped us find her.”

She was still not okay when she came to talk to it.

“I wanted to say goodbye,” she said. “I’m going back.”

“To the world of Iron?” it asked, but it knew that the answer would be no. Her eyes had been such a rich, lovely brown before, and now they were grey and empty, and she seemed less than before, her clothes hanging off her loosely.

“All I wanted when I was in the Spring lands was to get back here,” she said, looking at the ground. “But… it was so beautiful.” She talked about the flowers, the sight of them, the smell of them; about the music they had played in the Spring court, and how every sound it had heard since had grated on her ears in comparison; and she had been too canny to eat, but she drank from a clear spring, and she could not help but taste the artificiality of packaged food now, and the decay in everything else, the way that everything grew from the moldering remains of what had gone before and began to turn bad itself as soon as it had ripened. “I wish I could just forget,” she said, “But I can’t. So I’m going back.”

“You could give them to me,” Friend-of-Marbles suggested. “I was of the Spring lands, once; they would be no burden on me.” If it breathed, it would have held its breath in suspense. It wanted those memories, and it wanted its friend back, but it could offer nothing in recompense, was allowed to make no deals.

“I’ll try anything, at this point,” Marbles said. “I freely give you my memories of the Spring lands.”

Oh, they were delicious, a taste of home like a breath of fresh air. It was careful, more careful than it truly had to be, by the terms of the not-a-deal they had made; it took all of her memories of the Spring lands, but let her remember remembering them, though not what she had remembered. When it finished, it was full, sated in a way that eyes did not touch (delicious though the squish-pop of them was), and Marbles’ eyes were brown again.

“Thank you,” Marbles said unwisely, and flung her arms around it.

“There is no debt,” Friend-of-Marbles said, and held her close.

The next day, the Dean and a staff member it did not recognize approached it, looking cautious but hopeful.

“I’m Marbles’ therapist,” the one who was not the Dean said. “She told me what you did, and gave me permission to talk about it.”

“I took only what was freely given,” it said defensively. “And I could have taken more - she was not careful - but did not.”

“We’re not upset with you,” the Dean assured it. “We wanted to ask if you could do it again. And if maybe you’d like a different job.”

And that was how Friend-of-Marbles (who was just called Marbles now, many years after the original Marbles had done what mortals must eventually do) began to work at the student counseling center. It learned, over the years, that some students who had been Elsewhere only needed to talk to someone who would understand, who would listen and not judge (which the human counselors would have done, too, but some of the students who had wandered in the Else thought themselves monsters, and were more comfortable talking to something monstrous).

It took memories only rarely and sparingly, memories of Spring, for Autumn memories could be shed like leaves, but Spring memories would take root and grow, if allowed. The students always offered more, desperate to be free, but it learned to be discerning, taking one song, one taste, one impossible color.

(Sometimes, students offered it other memories, memories that haunted them in other ways, but it learned quickly that for them, knowing what had happened but not remembering soon became worse than remembering had been; and so it did not consume those memories but only held them temporarily, giving them back at the start of each weekly session and taking them once again at the end if the student asked it to. And eventually, they would stop asking.)

The school still gives it payment in eyes and marrow-bones, but Marbles dines well on memories too beautiful to bear, and sometimes appreciative students will give it a marble, tiny false gems, a human glamour.

#submission #vigs #alternative therapy with marbles #oh i loved this #friend of marbles #marbles #eye trauma cw #long post #stories

[annaofaza]

This reminds me of this scene from TriStamp, where Legato's telling Wolfwood that in order to become the perfect tool for Knives and the Eye of Michael:

Wolfwood doesn't need love and connections; those need to die to be the best soldier. Chapel's espoused it, too. It's a fairly common theme for others (mostly elders but that's another meta) to call heroes to not be tethered to earthly attachments. (We see it in Avatar, for instance, and Star Wars... And look how well that ended up for the Jedi and Anakin.)

Evangelicals especially believe that perfect faith means living to go to heaven. To be a true believer means to commit yourself wholly to worship. You're not an individual. I think of Jane Grey's last letter to her sister, Katherine, before she was beheaded after refusing Queen Mary's offer to convert to Catholicism to save her life:

"[This Bible that she sent Katherine] will teach you to live and learn you to die ... Now as touching on my death, rejoice as I do, my dearest sister, that I shall for losing of a mortal life, win one that is immortal, joyful, and everlasting..."

Legato believes himself the perfect soldier for Knives, to whom he's devoted his life. And we all know how pretty obsessed and rabid he is to the mission. (You didn't need to invent the killing game, buddy.)

But emotions and connections are what makes us human! Legato and Chapel's philosophies are what Vash rejects! That's what his friends, both alive and deceased, have come to believe, who are arguably richer for having those things in their lives.

And Legato himself isn't immune to petty, earthly desires:

See also: Legato sobbing as he sees nearly-dead Knives post-July:

What does Legato get for his tears, his (pretty much) life-long devotion? Disgust, Knives telling him that it's "annoying," and to basically shut up. SPOILER: And ultimately, his own death.

What does Wolfwood get?

Still death—but genuine peace, knowing he's loved by his old home and his friend. Who buries him, who mourns him, who (figuratively—in '98, this is quite literal) carries him as a talisman to the end. I'd argue that Wolfwood is more fulfilled by his relationship with one of two so-called angels—in all his doubt, fear, anger, and cutting arguments.

And afterwards? SPOILER: Knives doesn't get a mourning panel for Legato or even a simple complaint of "you killed my best servant." Wolfwood is beloved. Wolfwood is remembered by Vash, by Livio, by the people of No Man's Land (so says "Les Enfants"). Wolfwood is the one who's immortal.

I mean, at the end of the day, you can argue: Who cares? Both of them are dead. That's fair enough. But I think Nightow is conveying much, much more than that.

Side note: In terms of full individual sacrifice, the Bible says different things. (What else is new?) Via Jesus: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” and also “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’” So fuck if I know.

#the millionsummers and vashwood parallels drive me MAD #trigunbookclub #trigun bookclub #trigun maximum #trigun stampede #my post #vashwood #millionsummers #trigun spoilers

[butterflydm]

WoT reread: The Strike at Shayol Ghul & some final thoughts, post-reread

So, I was not planning to do a full reread back when I first picked EotW back up again! My primary motivation was to refresh myself on books 1-3 so that I would be prepared for S2 of the show, lol.

But I'm glad that I did this reread. There was a lot in the books that I had forgotten or where I'd bought into the fandom party line despite the books themselves not supporting the arguments imo, so it was great to dive into them again and see what I think and not simply what general fandom thinks. Thanks so much to everyone who commented on or interacted with my reread posts. <3

While this next bit is technically not a reread because I never got around to reading it when it first came out, I went ahead and read "The Strike at Shayol Ghul" (written in 1996 by Jordan). Thanks to @wafflelovingbatgirl for reminding me about its existence! I may try to get around to reading "River of Souls" (about Demandred, by Sanderson) at some point, but TSaSG was easy to find online.

here there be spoilers

The Strike at Shayol Ghul

It's pretty short -- it's "an introduction" written by someone in-world -- Jorille Mondevin, who is the Royal Historian for the Queen of Kandor. Looks like the Queen that we know in the series -- Queen Ethenielle. Nice. I always enjoy 'in-world" texts, so this is very interesting.

She's telling the queen about a recent discovery of a "partial copy" of a "history of the world" from the drilling of the Bore until the end of the Breaking of the World. We get a worldbuilding note here: that the practice of printing survived the Breaking "when so much did not", which helps explain the high literacy level in the Westlands. While many inventions were lost, the printing press survived! Though most of the actual writings were lost during the Trolloc Wars and the War of the Hundred Years.

"We must marvel at any writing that has survived more than three thousand years." So true, bestie. (I've decided that Jorille and I are besties) "What we know is based on fragments, copied and recopied a thousand times, but at least we know something from them. Even a little knowledge is better than ignorance."

I love how this feeds into the basic concept we're dealing with -- history becomes legend. We're talking about that process here, of knowledge being reduced to fragments that are passed on.

Oh, man, reading this does remind me about reading about IRL fragmentary texts. "Such a history would no doubt be a vast, multi-volume work, yet of the two hundred and twelve surviving pages, the largest number of consecutive pages number six, and nowhere else more than two."

She notes that the dates given in the text make no sense, because "no calendar dating from the Age of Legends has ever been found". There are references both to large-scale events such as cities destroyed by balefire during the War of the Shadow, as well as mentions of individuals' personal appearances. But nothing that tells the special significance of most of the people mentioned.

The six consecutive pages that survived are of particular interest, because they are about the sealing of the Bore by Lews Therin Telamon and the Hundred Companions.

"We still cannot be certain how long passed between the creation of the Bore and the actual beginning of what would come to be called the War of the Shadow, yet plainly at least fifty years and possibly more than one hundred were marked by a rapid decline in the social order". During the first three years of the War of the Shadow, the Shadow made great in-roads and then during the next four, Lews Therin pushed them back to reclaim some of what was lost.

But ultimately, the Shadow began to prevail because it did not care if it left disaster in its wake. It was soon clear that they were losing again and their losses were accelerating. "If they were to win at all, it must be done quickly".

There were two plans proposed at the time that are mentioned here: first Lews Therin's idea of directly attacking the Bore itself. The Seals were going to be used to shut the Dark One away from the world. The plan was considered risky due to the Dark One's influence on the immediate area surrounding Shayol Ghul, with Lews Therin admitting that he expected few or perhaps none of his "raiding party" (of twenty thousand soldiers and 13 Aes Sedai) would survive. Additionally, there was a concern that if the seals were not placed in precisely the right locations, the strain of them would rip open the Bore entirely and free the Dark One.

The other plan, in opposition to this, was proposed by Latra Posae Decume. Her plan was to use two massive sa'angreal (the ones that Rand ended up using during the cleansing of saidin) to push the Shadow's forces back and erect a barrier around Shayol Ghul until... you know, they figured something better out. Downsides to this plan: the Bore has kept getting bigger since it was first drilled, so it might continue to do so behind this barrier as well, and if the Dark One got loose inside the barrier, the barrier itself might come undone under the strain.

Latra and Lews were both, apparently, very convincing speakers, with Latra getting every female Aes Sedai "of significant strength" to sign what the manuscript calls "the Fateful Accord" though Jorille doubts that's what it was called at the time. I wonder if the 'strength level' was "Nynaeve-level" or if it was lower and more like "Egwene/Elayne-level". It was believed that the signing of this accord killed Lews Therin's plan in the water, because "men cannot create a circle, only be brought into one created by a woman".

Work on the massive sa'angreal was rushed into production. There is, Jorille says, a lot of speculation among historians about whether or not the sa'angreal would have worked as Latra had proposed. She also mentions speculation about whether or not women going with Lews Therin into his plan would have protected saidin from the taint or if it would have only meant that saidar was tainted as well.

But disaster struck as the sa'angreal were completed. The place where the access ter'angreal were created (needing to be done remotely due to "uncontrolled resonances during the finale stages" -- Jorille doesn't know what that might mean, but I'm guessing it would mean feedback leading to a big boom) was overrun by Sammael and the forces of the Shadow, though they did not find the access ter'angreal.

With the sa'angreal unusable, Lews Therin argued again for his plan but Latra wouldn't budge. As time had passed, even more of the female Aes Sedai had pledged to the Accord, even though they weren't strong enough to be part of the circle anyway. "Tempers and passions rose, and an apparently unprecedented division along male-female lines began to develop among the Aes Sedai in general, if not within the Hall itself". The Hall decided to stay with Latra's plan, attempting to smuggle the access ter'angreal out of the area now controlled by Sammael.

Jorille notes that all those making the attempt to find the access ter'angreal were later found out to have been captured, tortured, and killed, though none of them betrayed the location of the ter'angreal to Sammael.

As the Shadow swept forward, there was the "re-emergence of the peace faction" who argued that negotiations should be held with the Forsaken. Jorille notes that this peace faction, over the course of the War, would send people on its own to try to negotiate with the Forsaken but, upon the return of the delegations, they would act out plans that aided the Shadow's cause "though it seems that in some instances, they were completely unaware of what they had done" (aka Compulsion).

Despite how dire the situation had grown, Latra's resistance to Lews Therin's plan held firm. "the lines of division had hardened to a point where many female Aes Sedai refused to speak to male Aes Sedai, and the reverse as well". Lews Therin decides to act on his own, without the Hall.

Jorille notes at this point that Latra had earned the name Shadar Nor, translated as "Cutter/Slicer of the Shadow" but what deeds earned her that title have been lost to history.

So, Lews Therin launches his own assault against Shayol Ghul, with the "Hundred Companions" (though Jorille says that text notes they numbered 113 at this point) and ten thousand regular soldiers.

"Exactly what occurred that day can never be known, only the results. Of the soldiers, not a single man or woman returned to give any account." It is known that the seals were placed safely, that "all thirteen of the Forsaken" were at Shayol Ghul and trapped in the sealing along with the Dark One. If that had been the only result of the attack, then the world would likely have recovered well over the next few years, Jorille speculates. "Civilization has retained a large degreee of cohesion in the ares held by the Light" and without the top generals, the armies of the Shadow fell into struggles for power among themselves. "In any case, the War of the Shadow must be said to have ended that day at Shayol Ghul."

But, Jorille adds, this was not the only result of the assault. "Instead, there was the counterstroke from the Dark One at the moment of sealing, and saidin itself was tainted." Lews Therin and his companions "went insane on the instant" and by the time the taint was discovered, hundreds more male Aes Sedai had been driven mad by the taint. "That fateful day at Shayol Ghul ended the war, and began the Breaking of the World."

She says that the manuscript itself, in its own introduction, speaks for what the people at the time were suffering: "Whoever reads this, if any remain to read it, weep for us who have no more tears. Pray for us who are damned alive."

Very informative and pretty evocative as well. One of the things that I love about WoT is the post-apocalyptic setting and one of the things that I love about that setting is learning about the world before and during the world-breaking event (one of the reasons I also love the Horizon Zero Dawn games).

I have no clue why I didn't read that back when it was first published. It's great and it's pretty short. Though I realize that a lot of that information had kinda filtered into my world-knowledge already, lol.

My personal ranklist for the WoT books:

The Fires of Heaven (😍)

The Shadow Rising (😘)

The Dragon Reborn (😘)

The Path of Daggers (😘)

New Spring (😘)

The Great Hunt (😄)

The Gathering Storm (😄)

Lord of Chaos (😄)

The Eye of the World (😄)

A Memory of Light (🙂)

Towers of Midnight (🙂)

A Crown of Swords (🙂)

Winter’s Heart (🙂)

...

...

...

...

...

Crossroads of Twilight (😒)

Knife of Dreams (😒)

While I am glad that I did a full reread this time, there are definitely parts of the books that mostly frustrated me and I'll probably just skim past them in future rereads (I suspect I will want to do at least some rereading after S2 airs) -- I'm not sure if I'll ever reread Mat & Perrin's sections of CoT & KoD again. That's essentially the heart of the Slog right there.

Some things that definitely changed for me during this reread:

a. I noticed how much shipping material there is for Cauthor as a pairing (obviously this is mostly in the first five books but there are crumbs even after they separate). Very exciting to me! I didn't go into my reread expecting much, because fanon had definitely affected my memories of Cauthor and I was assuming that their friendship permanently broke in TGH after Mat found out that Rand could channel. Very untrue! I (and many of the other readers, I must assume) was just too young to pick up on all of Mat's subtext back when I first read the books.

b. Gawyn's stock massively rose for me. One of the best points that @markantonys made to me about Gawyn is how similar his 'coping with trauma' behavior is from the outside to Rand's is -- we just spend so much more time in Rand's head that we understand him and his choices better than Gawyn's. And I think that the TV show bears that out a lot because show!Rand got a lot of the same complaints thrown at him as book!Gawyn does. I gained a lot of sympathy for Gawyn over the course of this reread.

c. Min's stock, on the other hand, massively fell. I remembered her as my least favorite of Rand's romances but was still fond of her, but wow, my reread burned away so much of that fondness. Which is kinda a shame, because now it's going to be a genuine effort to make sure that I don't hold the sins of book!Min against show!Min, whereas before I did my reread, I was liking show!Min a lot. But between her (admitted to in her own PoV!) manipulation of Rand to get him to fall in love with (the invented version of) her, the way she acts in their relationship (to pick a few things: trying to force him to be jealous because she thinks it makes the sex hotter; threatening him with knives; reading his mail and trying to burn it before he gets the chance to read it himself; punching him hard enough to make him grunt), and the way she changes herself to suit the person she believes she needs to be to get and keep Rand's attention... it's just yikes all over. She's not my least favorite character in the books, but she's definitely the character who fell the furthest down on my list after my reread.

d. While I didn't like Tuon any better in this reread, Sanderson does set up the Mat & Tuon relationship to be much less.... character-breaking for Mat than it was in CoT & KoD. Mat's brain starts working again around Tuon in AMoL and she actually experiences some minor consequences for her actions, it seems like, instead of just skating through everything on brainwashed autopilot like she did in the Jordan books. I actually feel like the Mat in AMoL is prepared to Do Something about the Seanchan Empire and slavery, while it felt like CoT & KoD Mat would have just rolled over and let Tuon do whatever she wanted because (much like Min) he'd given up his morals and personality for the sake of his prophesied romance.

e. I was able to really parse through and see what I liked and disliked about some of the 'plot shortcuts' that Jordan used -- the ta'veren shortcut of coincidences is mostly fun, because it forces the plot to happen when the main characters are there but gives an explanation for it, but it also affects random things (like people falling off buildings or the rate of weddings in a town), but wow did I dislike some of the heavy-handed romance prophecies and how they mostly seemed to be used to bypass crucial relationship development (especially in Rand/Min and Mat/Tuon).

f. There are also the two major Mat-related plotholes I noticed that still bug me so much, even now, one during Jordan-era and one during Sanderson-era:

Everyone's vow of silence about Mat being trapped in Ebou Dar (Nynaeve is the worst offender because she spends weeks/months with Rand and never bothers to tell him that his best friend was left behind in enemy territory).

Mat's magical teleportation to Ebou Dar at the start of AMoL that completely breaks the logistics of the narrative.

Both in clumsy service of attaching Mat to the Seanchan storyline At All Costs (Even Logic), which really does stand out to me as the worst plot choice that Jordan locked himself into way too early on via prophecy and then didn't know how to handle when it actually showed up on the page.

#wot reread #the wheel of time #wot #wot book spoilers #wot spoilers #wot a memory of light spoilers #wot amol spoilers #wheel of time #the strike at shayol ghul

[wesavegotham]

I'm far from the first person to point out that Zdarsky is pulling heavily from Morrison's Batman run, several reviewers noticed that in the Failsafe arc it was mainly the inclusion of the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh and how the newly introduced Failsafe was the back-up plan of the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh who is himself a back-up personality Bruce used in Morrison's run in case his normal mind should get broken.

But Tim's quest to bring back Bruce to the main universe in Zdarsky's second arc truly reads like a full-on Tim Drake fix-it-fanfiction for "slights" done to him during the Batman and Robin reborn era.

Bruce and Tim prepare to have a last stand united as Batman and Robin against Failsafe:

Other Robins get flaws invented to prop up Tim as the perfect Robin:

This time Tim is there when Bruce gets displaced with Bruce's last words trying to console Tim:

Once again Tim is the only one believing that Bruce isn't dead, the only one working on bringing him back home:

Once again Tim is on the verge of losing his mind:

When he teams up with Nightwing to fight some goons who try to take advantage of Batman's absence Tim get's to save Nightwing:

Everyone is acting like Tim is crazy, but this time big bro believes him:

But oh no, Dick thinks Bruce will make it back home alone and doesn't need their help to do so (spoiler: of course Dick is wrong about that):

Tim is the only one who understands that Senpai- er- I mean Batman is not himself and needs him!

Seriously, can somebody like...get him therapy? Tim's extreme worship of Batman always disturbs me and both writers and fans act like that is his best quality.

Tim gets to save a bunch of innocent people:

Even after all this time Tim never seems to have developed a moral code that goes beyond proving to Bruce that he's a good boy who will always do what Bruce wants him to do:

Tim faces down a whole group of enemies all alone and wins effortlessly:

And of course saves everybody:

Tim needs to do this alone for some reason:

I just know that if Damian was in his place the writer would insist that he needs the entire batfamily or whatever new character they are trying to push with him to do this mission. But this is a Tim fix-it fanfiction so of course Tim gets to have the glory all to himself.

We get it Tim, you are (still) Robin:

Honestly, the only true suprise of this story was that Tim chose to visit his mother first before rescuing Bruce:

Of course she also tells him how good he is:

Again. We get it:

Dick was wrong. Batman can't make it home on his own. He's stranded in the dark. But what is this? A shining Tim Drake Robin floating above him like an angel or even the sun, coming to rescue Bruce from his lonely darkness:

But not just a Robin. No. It's HIS Robin. Forget all about the other kid that would actually get to be Batman's Robin right now if DC wasn't currently lead by Tim Drake fanboys who are still stuck in the 90s.

And of course Bruce immediately thanks him for saving him.

But honestly. I'm not even truly convinced that this story helped Tim all that much. I've seen lots of Tim fans over the years who are also frustrated that writers just don't allow Tim to grow past his old Robin days and this story showed very clearly that Tim is still very much in the same place he was in 20 years ago. He hasn't evolved. Instead he's hanging on to a role that should probably belong to another character by now, but both him and the current writers just don't seem able to let go.

Of course I don't know what Zdarsky's or DC's next plans for Tim are. I would be more accepting of this if it was some kind of last feel-good best-of for Tim Drake fans so maybe they can now finally feel like they got closure and let Tim make way for Damian as the sole Robin for good. But I'm not betting on it.

I'm not putting this in the Tim Drake tag on purpose. In the end it is DC's fault that even though they are both Robin right now the kind of stories they get with Bruce are as different as night and day.

I simply need the people who read my posts to understand what I mean when I say that the two recent stories we got that involved Batman needing to be rescued by Robin, Batman vs Robin for Damian and Zdarsky's Batman run for Tim, couldn't be more different and are not treating them with equal amount of respect.

Batman vs Robin is pure dogshit in comparison to the strong fanservice Zdarsky is serving Tim fans here.

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 4/5

Book Blurb: Inventing a formula to predict people’s perfect partners doesn’t equate to love in this contemporary YA novel that New York Times bestsellers Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick call “honest, raw, and breathtakingly real.”

College freshman Grace Tang never meant to rewrite the rules of love. She came to college to move on from a grief-stricken senior year and to start anew. So she follows a predictable routine: Attend class, study, go home and visit her dad every weekend. She doesn’t leave any room in her life for outliers or anomalies.

Then, Grace comes up with an algorithm for her statistics class to pair students with their perfect romantic partners. Though some people are skeptical, like Julia, Grace’s prickly coworker, Grace is confident that her program will take all the drama out of relationships. That’s why she keeps trying to make things work with her match, a guy named Jamie. But as the semester goes on and she grows closer to Julia, Grace starts to question who she’s really attracted to.

In award-winning author Christina Li’s YA debut, Grace will have to make a choice between the tidy equations she knows will protect her from heartbreak or the possibility that true love doesn’t follow any formula.

Review:

When inventing a dating app to find love... the last thing you expect is to fall for the wrong person. When college freshman Grace Tang comes up with an algorithm for her statistics class to pair students with their perfect romantic partners, it blows up and goes viral. Yet when Grace meets Julia, her prickly coworker at the library who doesn't believe in Grace's algorithm, an unlikely relationship begins to bloom. Grace is still dealing with the grief of her mother's death, worrying about her father, losing her best friend, and her own sexuality. When all Grace craves is the solid and consistency of equations and numbers, can she go off formula and find love? This story deals with healing after the loss of a loved one and opening yourself up to others. Grace is so concerned with being the perfect daughter for her family, with trying to be there to make sure her father is okay, that she loses a bit of herself in the process and closes herself off. As she grows and learns, she begins to open herself up to friendship and love again and I think it was just a really sweet college coming of age story.

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | Quill Tree Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

#book review #bookish #book #true love and other impossible odds

[libelelle]

Underground reboot: It was established in the og series that Aleena couldn’t directly interact with her kids until The Time ComesTM. My question is, would that apply to Tails? Maybe at a point where he accidentally gets separated from the triplets?

HOLY SHIT WAS LITERALLY THINGKING ABOTU THIS LAST NIGHTTT

more under the read more

no. no it doesnt apply to Tails. and yes he does meet Aleena before the Prophecy is fulfilled.

imagining Tails wandering off after losing track of the triplets, and accidentally finding Aleena. she recognizes him as the little fox kit thats been tagging along with her kids for the last while, and welcomes him. Shes a bit curious about the kid who seemed to integrate himself in their dynamic overnight.

she babysits him for a while. Tails talk about how things have been going with his new siblings (fantastic. its been the greatest thing that ever happened to him), about his favourite gadgets and his plans for cool inventions to help win the war. Aleena, much like Manic and Sonia, finds herself very enchanted with Tails. hes very good kid and she cant help loving his enthusiasm.

Eventually Tails sort of trails off and she asks him whats wrong. he shrug and says that he isn't sure that he's doing good enough. that he isnt doing as much as he should and that he isnt sure that his new sibllings mom will want him. sad thing for Aleena to hear, since she is already imagining how the adoption will go.

Tails still doesnt know this is Aleena btw. i heart the irony. anywyasy she obviously needs to cut this line of thinking off, but like instead of being like hey my name is Aleena. that isnt true. shes cryptic about it cause at this point that might as well be her full time job. she tells him gently that that can't be true, that shes bound to love him as much as his siblings do, that she almost certainly already loves him.

doesnt make a lot of sense to Tails, whose sure you cant really love someone you've never met, but it makes him feel better regardless. not long after that thr triplets arrive, a bit frantic because they lost their little brother. Aleena is gone before Tails even notices that she got up.

#even after Tails figures out who she was she still tries not to take advantage of the loophole #she doesnt know how much contact is too much so she has to keep her distance #but every once in a while Tails will “accidentally” find her and she'll get a personal update on how her kids are all doing. Tails included #anywysa THANKS FOR THE ASK. #ask #anon #tcof AU #talk tag

[deva-arts]

Whoa.

We've posted a loooooot of oc stuff on this blog.

...

Perhaps too much.

So, I'm curious!

OC Summaries under cut because comics take a long time to work on okay they arrive when they arrive

(This will look funky on mobile lol)

Vincent: Flying lab rat roach man that crawled out of the said lab and made it everyone's problem. He is incredibly competitive and does chaotic reckless shenanigans every two business days.  He doesn't need to think about the past if he's always doing something, right? Thinks he's the god of muscles and being cool.

Likes playing Roblox. Hates being one-upped.

Seraphina: Strict and militant bird lady that leads the group of tragically unserious variant misfits. She invented emotional repression and hides her feelings in her muscles and hundreds of backup plans. Her life is a series of tragic events and she's waiting for the other shoe to drop because she picked a losing fight with a Demigod.

Likes donuts (sometimes). Hates people.

Sonia: Normalpants fashionista sorority queen whose world gets turned upside down after receiving strong variant powers... That she doesn't know how to use. Doesn't care to learn either, the world is hard and cold and she's so soft :< (Skincare routine in Bio Babes <333) She's also scared of sparring with Sera. Empathetic and fun, but cries when flicked too hard.

Likes Vincent Dressing up. Hates being told what to do.

Nathaniel: Ex-Government spy who can shapeshift and bend minds. After a healthy bout of crippling guilt, he works as a doctor and uses his "true" face nowadays. He tries to be genuine to himself and has the de-stressing hobbies of a 60-year-old man in a ski lodge. Often hears thoughts he has no business hearing. Non-judgemental but wildly, painfully aware. Pokes his eyes a lot.

Likes Crochet. Hates irresponsible actions.

Amon: Croccy boi. Croccy man. Took down a mafia branch and ate his father's killer. Besties for-esties with Vincent. Does crazy stunts and takes multiple jobs by night while parenting by day. He's always thinking about making a better life for his family. Will eat the entire Thanksgiving turkey. Will not stick around to hear the commotion afterwards. Really needs to brush his hair.

Likes money. Hates authority figures.

Nightmare: Evil Barney grape man. Used to feel bad about making people spill coffee on their bosses three times in a row. Now everything is grey and soulless, which helps bend the ole moral page. He does anything to get what he wants, and his goals are unknown. He has a cruel sense of humor and was probably the kid that paid you to lick a toilet seat. Pokes his eyes all the time.

Likes being nosy. Hates things going off his course.

#artists on tumblr #oc tag #oc memes #oc seraphina #vincenttag #nathanieltag #soniasanderstag #amontag #natemaretag #ARK_SYSTEMA #Seraphinatag

[unchataparis]

A Review of Exaltation

They hate each other so much, lmao.

The loss of faith in Ladybug is really emphasised, I’m glad that the plot didn’t just go forward without mentioning the social ramifications of losing the Miraculous Box. The masses of Paris never had much of a role before, aside from being fearful civilians or supporters. In this season, however, they have gone from side-characters and scene-fillers to having voices of their own. Realistically, of course, people will have contentions with Ladybug. Jalil’s own little sister risking her life for what appears to be a foolhardy mission for Ladybug would irk his nerves. I didn't expect this, but I'm glad the writers wrote this in.

It’s symbolic that Lila’s avatar is the one reading the criticism.

Again, Chat Noir seems to have vanished.

Napoléon.

All the past Ladybugs are here.

This Jeanne d'Arc design is very eye-catching, but she looks far too old here. Jeanne d’Arc died at 19, and she’s immortalised as a fourteen-year-old. This Jeanne looks middle-aged. Far too grisly.

“She’s afraid of her feelings and running away by inventing new ones for someone unavailable.” There you go, they acknowledge it in the show, twice.

Doom-scrolling. This is a criticism on social media.

“If you ride horses, you would know it’s a trap.” This suggests that Adrien rides horses.

Scene of Félix and Adrien playing polo in London, when?

Oh, that is terrifying. Reminds me of the nightmare 2D sequences from The Prince of Egypt.

There a scene in the second Origins episode in Season 1 where Adrien is asked who was the first president of the 5th French Republic, and Adrien answers “Everyone thinks it was de Gaulle, but it was actually René City before the first elections.” A repeat of that happens here, where Adrien, or Chat Noir, is asked a question and he answers it while disapproving the common myth. Reminds the audience that no matter how he acts, Adrien is smart.

A lot of Season 1 callbacks, from villains, action sequences, to little moments like these.

Pharaoh is held in constraints of his own powers. He doesn’t control the truth either, the Book of Ma’at does.

This is a pretty cool sequence. I don’t know it its true or not, but the animation style is pretty neat. Looks like a moving tapestry.

“Missed again! How did they do it?” By attending their history classes.

No matter what else changes in Future Paris, I’m glad they kept the Louvre.

Bunnyx cameo.

Whoa, the new Cataclysm music? It sounds neither triumphant nor villainous. Just - here and ready to blast.

Since when did powered-up Ladybug have extra hair ribbons?

Monarch knows clearly that he’s the villain, no matter how well-intentioned his motives are.

The fact that Ladybug is a good person and does good things is an ultimate truth.

At least Jalil is willing to admit to his mistakes.

Might this be the first time that Gabriel leaves his lair without a single word of taunt or swearing revenge. He approaches Nathalie’s bedroom, and simply apologies. That single statement packs quite a lot of heat and history behind it. Despite gaining so much ground, winning so many new advantages, Gabriel doesn't feel an inch closer to victory.

This is a sweet story, touching on France's history of contention with the English, the idea that love and understanding can overcome differences. The oil paintings used to illustrate the story is inspired. But I really hate it whenever any media tries to absorb some real-world figures or mystery into their lore. George Washington was actually a child of Athena, the Stonehenge was created to fight aliens, Jack the Ripper was actually a demon slain by our hands. The Hell they are. I cannot accept that Sun Wukong was a normal man using a Monkey Miraculous, or that Mulan used the Dragon Miraculous to win her wars. Jeanne d’Arc is the only past Ladybug Holder that is an actual person, I think, and it’s just very strange to claim that her power came from Miraculous jewels. Pushes the suspension of disbelief even further.

Adrien gets his own Kwagatama, finally.

#miraculous #season 5 #réunion #marinette dupain-cheng #ladybug #kwagatama #review

[charliedawn]

Idea: slasher game night, all the slashers play bored games together. What would that be like?

Jade : Best player. 🏆

Jade used to beat all of the other personalities when they were playing together.

She had to play in casinos sometimes to win money for the Horde when they were in financial struggle and for her own personal needs.

Her purpose as one of Kevin’s personalities ? Have as much fun as possible.

In short, she’s a born player, a natural winner.

She doesn’t lose.

Jade *smiles widely when someone asks her to play* : "You're so on..Prepare to suffer."

Translation : You poor unfortunate souls..You’ve already lost, and you don’t even know it.

Don’t be fooled by her angelic face.

Jade is ruthless. It's her time to shine and she's prepared to shine brightest.

Chaotic energy in a person.

She likes games and will be prepared to fight for her place at the top.

No mercy.

Jade *when she wins* : "AH AH ! Take that, suckers !"

Penny :

He will pretend not to understand the game at first.

Penny *stares and drools a little on the cards*

It upset a lot of players at first, since he took a lot of time before finally making a move or throwing the dice.

But, he is a little mischievous devil. All part of his plan.

He will hide his true intentions until the very last moment.

Penny *smiles and innocently tilts his head to the side before rolling a double six* : "...Did I win ?! Really ? Wow..How unexpected..Rematch ?"

Don't be fooled by his innocent act.

He had already planned ahead the whole game before the first player even threw the dice.

Pennywise is the only one who knows his brother enough to know his powers give him a huge advantage.

To trick Penny ? It’s to trick yourself.

Penny is very competitive and doesn't like losing.

Watch out.

Pennywise :

He will stay on the side lines at first, looking at everyone playing, advising some of the worst players or making comments.

Pennywise *sees Brahms struggling* : "Stay focus. Don't let the other destabilize you and here. Look. You got two pairs here."

Pennywise may end up playing if the games involve dares, as he is always happy to invent the best and worst possible dares possible.

He is the evil jester and everyone knows that if he starts playing ? The loser is in for a long and tedious journey.

Pennywise isn’t very competitive. Once he’s bored or he loses interest in the game ? He won’t hesitate to quit.

However, he may participate in other games if coaxed enough, or if he sees his brother win "too many times"

Pennywise *smirks before sitting down in front of Penny* : "Let's see if we can make things more..interesting."

Once the two brothers start playing, be prepared for lots of challenging looks, intense tension and low threatening growls.

As both brothers technically have the same powers to a certain extent, they both would try to get into each other’s head; the game would quickly turn into who will break first.

Michael :

Michael may not be very competitive, but he would give a good fight.

Plus, he’s got a superpower. One that earned him a nickname:

Master of the Poker Face.

If the game is about keeping a straight face, Michael will end up the winner.

His face is impossible to decipher, with or without the mask.

You thought you had figured him out ? Ah ! Think again.

He might have a very good game or a very bad one.

You’ll never know..until the very last moment.

Michael *smiles when Freddy finally folds and he shows his cards*

Freddy : "…I’M GONNA KILL YOU !"

Turns out, he had the worst game of them all..

Brahms :

Brahms *stares at his cards and looks lost*

Don’t be fooled. He is far from lost.

Brahms has been raised by a wealthy family which major family time was all about playing boardgames, chess and poker.

He learned at a young age.

He is a very good player and can be a formidable foe.

But, the first time the slashers played with him ? They didn’t know that..

They thought he was genuinely confused, while he was simply focused.

He made sure that only him, Michael and Jason were left at the end.

They’re the silent trio and usually stick together.

The slashers underestimated him.

They would never make the mistake again.

Five :

Five *evil laugh* : "So...You want to play against me ? Bold. But, I admire your courage."

Five is smart and would give a good fight.

Unfortunately, he is also very prideful and easy to trigger.

All the slashers know that.

Some will not make use of that and fight fair.

But, let’s be honest. The ones who really want to win ? They will not hesitate.

Five is competitive and I wouldn't be surprised to find the last round being between him and Jade.

They would both have a staring contest and Jade would do her best to make him lose his cool and take advantage of his..weaknesses.

Jade *smiles innocently at him* : "Not bad…for a kid."

Five would try to keep his calm at first, but he would eventually become angry and less attentive.

Five *loses his cool* : "..YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD OUTSMART ME ?! AH ! I’VE GOT THE BABY LION ! I’VE HAD IT THE WHOLE TIME ! BUT, YOU WON’T GET IT !" *realises his mistake* "Wait…No. NO ! I didn’t mean to say that !"

Jade *smirks and extends her hand towards him expectantly* : "Hand it over Five..You’re done for."

Freddy :

He will not play nice. The moment he is in the game ? It’s every guy/gal for himself/herself.

He will play dirty.

However, as everyone knows that, they all usually gang up against him from the start, so he would lose first.

But, Freddy is smart and he is good with numbers. His brain works fast and if he is to lose first ? He’ll take as many people as possible with him.

Freddy *scoffs when Brahms uses a malus card against him* : "Ya losers decided to all take me on, eh ? Cute..But, ya gonna have to do better than that." *starts piling up the malus cards until everyone gets the same punishment*

He may not win, but as long as everyone else suffers ? He doesn’t care.

He will be a winner in his own way.

Joker :

Joker : The only person that will find it more entertaining to lose than to win.

He likes to see other people play more than himself to see their mistakes and learn from them.

Joker will observe the way each person is playing and his calculating eyes will memorise all of their moves and learn from the best.

If it is a team game ? He will be sure to be on the winners’ side and will look with a satisfied grin as they do all of the work for him.

But, it doesn’t make him weak, as he can play very well on his own, at least to impress and get the best players interested.

Joker plays the long game.

Why bother playing when there are people willing to win for you ?

Jason :

Poor boy will have trouble understanding at first and will have to be explained the rules multiple times.

Jason will genuinely try to understand and follow what is going on.

But, it will take multiple tries for him to finally get it.

And even then, he’s not the best strategist.

But, he also doesn't like losing and will do his best not to end up last each time.

However, there’s another problem.

Freddy.

Freddy *laughs* : "You got a nasty play, eh ?! Don’t worry..We’ll make it easy for ya !"

Big lie.

Jason has bad luck, but with Freddy playing against him ? His chances of winning drop to 0.

They don’t like each other and Freddy will make sure to use the big man’s temper against him.

Jason *groans loudly in annoyance when he ends up losing, again*

Freddy *laughs loudly behind him* : "Wow ! I’ve never seen anyone lose so fast ! Hold up, buddy ! Wait for us !"

A murder has been committed..Freddy is dead. Again.

#fandoms #imagine #fanfic #pennywise 1990 #pennywise 2017 #michael myers #brahms heelshire #freddy krueger #arthur fleck #five hargreeves #the horde #jade split #jason voorhees #slashers au #slashers

[overobsessedfanboy23]

Welp, that’s the end of Sevens season 1

I... really like it so far and I don’t get the hate. Well, okay, there are times where it’s a little too childish for my liking and I understand if Rush Duels aren’t your thing but to me, this is the most fun duelling has been in a long time. Because it’s faster and more dynamic but also because I genuinely didn’t know who would win in a good chunk of these duels. They allow Yuga to lose A LOT so it really raises the stakes. I honestly really love how the protagonist is “special” but for a reason that isn’t their duelling skills (in this case his inventiveness). So yeah, I love Yuga. He’s my favourite character in the show so far.

I also really love Romin and Luke.

Luke is a funny dork and Romin is the first female YGO character to finally feel like she was written as a character first and a girl second. Seriously, after six shows of just straight up blatant sexist bullshit constantly being hurtled at the female cast, it is such a breath of fresh air to have the lead girl win this much and have a character arc that isn’t dropped or put in the background FINALLY. Romin feels like she’s just as important as the other three in the main friend group. The female characters in general are all written really well this time. There’s a good variety in their personalities and they don’t feel overly “feminized”? if that makes sense. Asana and Haruka are good examples of what I mean.

So yeah it seems the rumours about Sevens treating its female cast the best out of any YGO were true. By a long shot. Well so far at least... I don’t mean to sound so negative all of a sudden, I’ve just been tricked far too many times into thinking a YGO was finally writing women well based on its first half only for the second half to... completely fall apart in that regard *cough cough* 5Ds and Arc V *cough*

BUT SO FAR I really enjoy Sevens. I don’t mind the more light-hearted tone, it feels needed after how heavy VRAINS was and something doesn’t have to be dark to have substance. Besides... there’s still the second season... oh boy...

#yugioh #ygo #yugioh sevens #ygo sevens #sevens #yuga ohdo #yuga odo #romin kirishima #romin kassidy

[rotcivnasrabb]

JANIS IAN ~AT SEVENTEEN

I learned the truth at seventeen

That love was meant for beauty queens

And high school girls with clear-skinned smiles

Who married young and then retired

The valentines I never knew

The Friday night charades of youth

Were spent on one more beautiful

At seventeen I learned the truth

And those of us with ravaged faces

Lacking in the social graces

Desperately remained at home

Inventing lovers on the phone

Who called to say, "Come dance with me"

And murmured vague obscenities

It isn't all it seems

At seventeen

A brown eyed girl in hand-me-downs

Whose name I never could pronounce

Said, "Pity, please, the ones who serve

They only get what they deserve"

And the rich-relationed hometown queen

Marries into what she needs

With a guarantee of company

And haven for the elderly

Remember those who win the game

Lose the love they sought to gain

In debentures of quality

And dubious integrity

Their small-town eyes will gape at you

In dull surprise when payment due

Exceeds accounts received

At seventeen

To those of us who knew the pain

Of valentines that never came

And those whose names were never called

When choosing sides for basketball

It was long ago and far away

The world was younger than today

When dreams were all they gave for free

To ugly duckling girls like me

We all play the game, and when we dare

To cheat ourselves at solitaire

Inventing lovers on the phone

Repenting other lives unknown

They call and say, "Come dance with me"

And murmur vague obscenities

At ugly girls like me

At seventeen

Please take the time to listen and read these remarkable lyrics

A true artist paints a picture in your mind as if you are there witnessing the magnificent event.

vgb

#Youtube

[asknarashikari]

[crossover with ansatsu kyoushitsu (adult class 3e)]

Karasuma: Thank you, Ritsu.

Ritsu: Is it really necessary, to put him down?

Karasuma: He’s become too dangerous, Ritsu.

Ritsu: We know Beroba and Kekera gave the drivers to those terrorists right and sabotaged his wish.

Jelavic: He’s still become too dangerous.

Jelavic: I’m sorry Ritsu.

Karasuma: Of course if Ukiyo wants to save Sakurai, despite the atrocities he’s committed…

Jelavic: I wouldn’t go that far yet.

Jelavic: While he’s currently a mob boss equivalent.

Jelavic: He’s kept the gang riders in check.

Karasuma: That is true…

---

Ace: No, Tycoon’s not that low yet, just trust him.

Win: Oh, so the Ministry of Defense is now getting themselves involved.

Michinaga: Ministry of Defense?

Michinaga: Oi, Geats!

Ace: Companies such as the Kurama Zaibatsu has been giving the government hush money so that the DGP could continue its operations.

Win: And Na-Go’s father so happen to be the convenient scapegoat, hence he was the only one arrested.

Win: They’re going to send their assassination squad?

Michinaga: Assassination squad?

Karma: No, not just yet.

Karma: But they will soon.

Nagisa: Hello, Azuma-kun, how’s it been?

Michinaga: You! Hebiku!

Michinaga: I thought I crushed your ID core!

Nagisa: I’m not here as a Rider, I don’t think Ace-kun could bring back the ID core that I let you destroy.

Ace: So you were holding back while a contestant?

Nagisa: I was entered because the Ministry of Defense wanted information on the DGP.

Nagisa: Didn’t even write something for the wish.

Nagisa: And yes there were a lot of us that were entered into the DGP before.

Win: So they’re waiting for our god of creation to decide whether to kill Tycoon or not?

Ace: And I’m saying no.

Karma: Welp, Ritsu you heard the godly person on this planet.

Ritsu: I’m telling Karasuma-san!

----

Goon1: There she is, Head, she wants to see you.

Keiwa: Who are you? And What do you want?

Kekera: Oho, Sakurai Keiwa, a beautiful girl wants you and you’re treating her that way?

Jelavic: I want to talk to you oh handsome head.

Keiwa: Go away, I have no business with you.

Jelavic: Oh but I do.

Jelavic: *glares at Keiwa and brandishes her guns and fires at him.*

Keiwa: Henshin *transforms into Bujin Sword and cuts down all the bullets coming at him.*

Kekera: Oi, oi! Help out your head!

Keiwa: No need, I can handle this myself.

Keiwa: No need to get everyone else involved.

Jelavic: Should you really talk like that to the assassin assigned to kill you?

Kekera: An assassin! You’ve really gotten to the big leagues! Sakurai Keiwa!

Keiwa: I didn’t realize that the ministry of defense employed assassins.

Jelavic: Oh, how’d you know that I work for the ministry of defense.

Keiwa: Just a hunch.

Jelavic: You’re a lot smarter than people give you credit for.

Keiwa: Kekera, Beroba, if you want to make yourself useful, why don’t you turn away the people that are about to jump at me from above!

Jelavic: Abort the mission boys, it seems Ritsu’’s information is accurate.

*A lot of men jumped down from the second floor and went behind Jelavic.*

???: Well take those.

Multiple shadowed people stole Beroba’s and Kekera’s cards.

Beroba: Wha-

Kekera: How-

Jelavic: Good work girls.

???: It was our pleasure Bitch-sensei.

----fastforward: basically, Ritsu fires BBs at everyone and releases smoke at the same time, courtesy of Itona’s invention, while Nagisa stuns Keiwa before Isogai and Maehara grabbed Keiwa’s hands and ran somewhere where Beroba and Kekera aren’t around.----

Keiwa: *detransforms out of Bujin Sword*

Keiwa: You got me out of the hideout, what now?

Keiwa: if you really are sent to kill me, you would have already done so earlier.

Jelavic: Like I said smarter than given credit.

Nagisa: Can’t you be persuaded Sakurai-kun?

Keiwa: If I don’t do this, I lose my only chance at reviving my family

Isogai: Even at the cost of everyone else’s family?

Keiwa: I TRIED DOING THE RIGHT THING?! WHAT DID THAT GET ME?! IT KILLED MY SISTER!

Keiwa: I’m not going to be a door mat any longer.

Keiwa: They wanted me to fight for my desires so I’m doing it.

Maehara: But the sacrifices.

Keiwa: As long as my family gets to live, I don’t care what happens after.

-----

Karasuma: What now?

Ace: Give me one last shot.

Ace: I do hope that you won’t resort to killing him.

Ace: The punishment doesn’t fit the supposed crime that you’re pinning on him.

Karasuma: We’ll see.

----

Geats cast react. The cast are when after they yanked Keiwa’s out of Kekera’s hold, so yes Keiwa is among the reactors XD

I'm just smiling at the thought of this being the live action versions because Karma was played by Masaki Suda (aka our resident human search engine Philip)

Anyway, I kinda think everyone will be a bit speechless at the government going that far to pull Keiwa out... and definitely a little suspicious, because in canon the government was well aware of the DGP shenanigans and were actually in on the conspiracy in a similar fashion to Kurama Kousei- keeping their existence a secret from the public in return for wish(es). While getting Keiwa away from the influence of Kekera and co is a good thing, the government involvement stinks of a coverup from above. They're probably doing it only for their own benefit, i.e. to erase their own involvement in this sick game.

On the other hand, Keiwa being supposedly perceptive enough to read through the deception and knowing they were there to "rescue" him rather than eliminate him may surprise them. Though they'd be disappointed with his stubbornness.

#kamen rider geats #assassination classroom #sakurai keiwa #ask #hxmxbros

[belog-grada-crna-princeza]

june 7th, 2023 in belgrade

Here's the thing. I was so dishonest, so full of sh*t. I built this world of make-believe. Maybe I wasn't dishonest. Maybe I was just a writer. Maybe all writers are liars. Anyway, I wrote a play, a script, characters, roles. Or were they assigned to me? I don't remember. Sometimes I (would) feel like a piece on a chessboard. I became obsessed with control. If I can make my own world and choose what comes in and out of it, maybe I can win this game. Except no one ever told me the rules. Every move I made was a losing one. Every move I made put me in a worse position than before. Everyone else was advancing and I would spin around in circles like a peg top. At first, interesting, exciting, new. But soon, I would be out of tricks and they would move on. I can entice everyone; I can't keep anyone. When the show is over, what's left is just me. So I invented more plotlines. More twists and turns. Better costumes, better lies. I became so good at it I even kept the truth from myself. It was always like staring into a fast flowing river. There would be glimpses here and there but nothing tangible, solid. Nothing I could make sense of. All those smoke and mirrors transformed into the weirdest f*cking symptoms. I would get this electric feeling in my stomach, like there was lighting inside of my body. I would get aches and pains but all my scans always showed up normal. I would stay up late at night haunted by memories I wasn't sure I didn't make up. It was all fragmented. I wanted to break all my mirrors and cut on my skin with the pieces to see if I bled. I was convinced there was no blood in my veins. I was filled with nothing, with air, with emptiness. A walking contradiction. An entity. But not human. I've been in therapy for years, you know? I was so resentful, so fed up. More clever, sneaky lies. I can't possibly be fixed, can I? She just believes my masks. Hell, I believe my masks. I would fantasize about her ripping off my face and looking directly at what lied underneath. No pun intended. I don't really know what eventually got through. It's the paradox of armour like mine. (My whole life is a paradox, if it wasn't obvious by now). It seemed heavy, big, strong, but it collapsed from the smallest speck of dust. I was bare, unprotected, exposed. Instead of building even higher walls, I lay down on the battlefield ready to bleed to death. And then it hit me. And I was euphoric. I AM BLEEDING!!!!!!! You can understand how exciting that was. I can bleed. I can die. Which means: I can live. There is no light without darkness and there is no darkness without light. It should've been obvious, right? But it wasn't, not until then. I had divided my world into absolutes. Good and evil. If I wasn't clean, pure, perfect then surely I was disgusting, horrifying, beastly. But for the first time, none of it was true. I bleed like the rest of them. I am killable, mortal, ordinary just like the rest of them. Which means, for the first time ever I was actually capable of being something more. You won't get it. Not until you feel it for yourself. I cannot explain it to you. But I look at the grass and the birds flying and the sun rising in the morning and it's filled with so much meaning for me now. I don't need another world. I am not afraid anymore. Not even of death. It's not self-destructive like before. It's peaceful. I don't tell fibs, I don't need to. I don't hide in the shadows. I don't need to rule the world anymore, or to hide from it. I can only love it. I can only be a part of it. To you maybe it was obvious. But to me, it's a revelation. I love my scars and I love remembering the war. Not because I won. Because I lost and it destroyed every illusion I had created and because the truth is more peaceful if you let it in. You can't explain it. You just live it.

#journal #personal #journal dump #journal thoughts #Thoughts #therapy #self reflection #life #honesty #masks #beloggradacrnaprinceza

[namboobieslover]

Kintsugi: the beauty of broken things || MYG

Chapter 4

Summary: Yoongi and Minnie have been friends for quite some time now, almost... 15 years? 15 years since they ran into each other in that music classroom by an unlucky (or not) mistake. They've grown close, but both of them have strong characters and insecurities that will have to be put aside when Minnie falls into her own lie, risking her job in the process. They have 3 days to feel comfortable and make everyone believe their role as the young engaged couple or she is fucked :[

Pairing: musical producer! Yoongi x lab tech/science nerdy! f reader au; non-idol! BTS members make a brief appearance

Genre: fluff, angst, kinda slow burn (?), best friends to fake couple au, constant unresolved sexual tension, two idiots too proud to openly speak but pinning each other

Warnings: use of bad language, mentions of insecurities/low self-esteem, anxiety, trauma; light use of weed, little smut if you scrutinize, SFW

Masterlist: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // ...

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CHAPTER 4: Don't worry, honey.

Word count: 1867

Does she want to play? Let’s play then. I prepare her usual rum with cola; she drinks that like water. For me, I’ll go on with more whiskey.

-There you go -I offer her the glass as I speak- Your favourite.

She tries it and it must be strong because the reaction is her nose scrunching, elevating her glasses with that action.

It’s not my fault since she intently tries to avoid wearing them in public, but I’m still a little surprised. She has this nerdy look that fits her really well, kinda… cute.

I love it when she goes totally science mode, telling me about these things I don't fully understand but makes her fascinated. I get fascinated with her. Most of the time I can't even follow her rhythm or I just stare at her with a blank face, the passion she shows being the only thing I can focus on. Me and my ADHD brain.

-Tell me if I'm wrong but the "love story" -she remarks with her hands- is then resolved.

-I guess. Or maybe… should we talk a little more about details?

-Yeah, lots of coworkers will have insatiable questions about this. Usually, when they ask about it, I just say "Uh, long story. I'll tell you about it when time accompanies". I didn’t want to be detailed about it because I'm not good at lying, nor at remembering things; especially lies.

-You made the right decision. What do you prefer: making up the whole story from scratch or should we add things we would like in those situations? To feel more natural.

-Maybe half and half. We can invent the story and progressively incorporate things we imagine in that type of situation; better if we coincide.

-Works for me -I agree- As we said the first meeting can remain as it was.

-Yeah

-Then, the fictional part should start in university and the whole living together thing.

-About the place… it's safer to say that we live in mine; my coworkers may have access to some of my personal information.

-That's true, but just in case, to justify you going in the opposite direction to eat in Mrs Lin's place… what about saying that we lived first here and then moved to yours?

-That's brilliant… babe.

Even though she struggles with the nickname, the more we say it, the less weird it feels (even if it's just a little little little amount). I should start to practise too, so… little devil on my shoulder comes with a plan.

-Minnie, I have an idea.

-Tell me.

-It's normal because we are not used to it, but we are struggling more than we should with the nickname thing. What do you think about playing a game?

She fights a smile and the competitiveness fills her eyes.

-I'm all ears.

Sure you are.

-We must say one of the agreed names at every natural chance we have. If we forget and the other notices it, the one that failed must drink a shot. It finishes when this night does. Starting from…now.

-Are you ready to lose?

-uh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll be ready to WIN once you take your first shot, honey.

She doesn't even deny it once she realises it.

-Let's keep on, babe -she quickly says after drinking it- now that we have stabilised where we lived and live now, how we discovered that we were in love?

-Well, you were the first one to take the first step. What kind of things make you act that way? As I said I know about your lack of patience, but being more specific…?

She seems deeper in thought while trying to figure it out.

-Well… the first thing that comes to mind is the other person avoiding the subject. I don't like receiving mixed signals and then acting like nothing happened; it confuses me and my anxiety gets bad. I need to sort out the situation because if not… I start to doubt myself and my criteria, like wondering if I'm seeing things where I'm not supposed to. Time and health consuming.

-That implies that I'm the one that gave you those mixed signals? -I assume.

-Yeah. It's realistic how hard it would be to change the kind of relationship from besties to partners. As reserved as you are, the absence of answers in that field fits you well. Being honest… you look like the type that doesn't care about this stuff.

I drink from my cup. Even if I try, I can't find a reason to feel hurt by her words. Yes, kinda reflects this image everyone has of me or what I guess I project.

What she says is true and hasn't the intention to hurt me, but it still stings something deep inside me.

-What's wrong? -she cautiously asks.

-What? - I feel lost.

-I can tell something is bothering you.

Should I say it?

-It's just… I -I do care about those things. Do I really give this cold impression that no one can imagine I have feelings too?

I have never felt so exposed, but her face changing from a disoriented expression to a warm one calms me.

-Of course not - she says softly reaching my arm with her hand- I mean… maybe if a stranger meets you for the first time you give disinterested vibes, but once someone has the chance to meet you they can see that you are just an observer.

-Really?

-Yes, Yoongs. I think your character is one of the things I like the most about you.

-Why?

She finishes her drink before answering, trying to get all her thoughts together.

-Sorry if you have felt this way and I didn't notice; what a bad friend I am. In my defence, you should have told me earlier -she playfully hits me- But I will tell you now and don't let it go up to your head.

-This is going to be interesting.

-Shut up before I change my opinion -she warns me with fully red cheeks.

- Sorry

-Maybe we should continue deciding the next step?

-C'mon, what were you going to say? Why do you like my behaviour?

She huffs a big amount of air, her face resembling a tomato once again.

-I think that the way you act makes you interesting.

-How come?

-When I see you deep in thought I can't help but wonder what you are thinking about. What is so fascinating that makes you dissociate? Which is your opinion on common things you don't outside-ly react to? Feels intriguing; a mystery yet to resolve. Your ability to remain calm in whatever situation it's reliable and comforting. You have your ways.

-I do?

She snorts while another cup of alcohol is served by herself.

-Of course you do. Min Yoongi, to my expert eye you don't have that many secrets. Maybe I can't figure out daily things but I can do the important ones. Like, I know how you don't feel comfortable giving away love words or contact gestures. But I know how you take care of everyone in every little way you can: acts of service it's called.

Nobody has ever told me they were paying attention to what I do to the point of noticing that. Feels new and exciting.

-You think that for real?

-Of course. Have I ever lied to you?

-There was this time in 12th grade when you snuck out to meet with… what was his name?

-That's irrelevant right now and that was just a little white lie. I'm sure you wouldn't like to hear me talking about the plan I had to escape through my window just so I can lose my virginity.

-That's true.

Fucking. Kim. Taehyung. Nice guy but terrible at managing his relationships with girls.

-Anyways… have I ever lied to you about something important?

-No that I'm aware of.

-Then just accept the compliment so I can breathe, honey.

She seems a little ashamed to have admitted that she likes my interior world, but I'm not one in the position to laugh at it: I don't know why but I find myself a little flustered. Seems like my own game it's turning against me.

-So… you pay attention to what I do or not, hm? -I joke in a flirting tone

-Not on purpose -she fights me while a deeper scarlet flourishes all along her face- most of the time it's just frustrating and I wanna hurt you real bad. Why would you give me the medication when hungover but offer them to me without looking me in the eye? Like it's nothing? It makes me feel ridiculous.

-Why? -now I'm concerned.

-Because… because…

What started as a joke seems to have touched a sensitive spot for her. Are tears what I see? She sniffles a little.

-Sometimes I feel like everything is out of my hands; like I can't keep everything in order without failing. Even this whole situation… I can’t resolve a struggle I made myself without other people's help. You are always taking care of me and I don't know how to pay you back. I feel useless and every time you help me, I just want to tell you that I appreciate the gesture… the way you act like "it's just routine" makes me feel weak and stupid.

-Oh sorry. I didn’t know you felt that way.

-No worries; how could you have known if I had never told you anything about it? You are not a mind reader. So… blame is on me.

Lately, I've been so focused on my work that I didn't take what my friend felt into consideration. I feel bad, even if all the hurting wasn't intentional. Sadly, I'm not brave enough to admit that if I act that way it's because I feel ashamed to show my genuine feelings. How much I care about her well-being and how endearing his little demeanours are to me. But I'm sure that she knows this and all she has expressed now is the result of all the pressure she is going through. I do the best that comes to my mind: I wrap my arms around her torso and force her to be part of the sandwich conformed by my strong arms and my chest.

-I'm sorry. Really, really sorry. -I wish for my hold on her to reflect how truly sorry I am. 

I feel her body instantly relax. She feels warm while I feel cold; it must be the alcohol. Or it's just the physical representation of what we are. I don't know. All I know is that hugging her feels nice, right and the only thing in this world that deserves my attention now.

-You know Yoongles, I could never be angry with you. As I said, I know you enough to see the real you and is marvellous. You shouldn't hide it. I wish everyone were able to see your real side.

But you do (I want to say but don't have the courage to) and on Thursday- well, not Thursday but already Friday if we are exact- at 1:23 am, that's all that matters to me.

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A/N: Hell yeah, we love a sensitive king!

This must be a record hahaha. Since this one and the previous one were shorter, I thought that uploading double would be the right thing. I hope you still like it, and if not, please let me know in the comment section. Have a good day or night :)

#agust d #yoongi #suga #min yoongi #bts x fem!reader #bts x reader #bts yoongi #bts fanfction #bts x curvy reader #yoongi x curvy reader #yoongles #yoongi x reader #yoongi x you #yoongi x oc #yoongi x y/n #min yoongi fanfic #min yoongi scenarios #haegeum #dday #producer yoongi #bts au fanfic #bts au #bts aus #bts army

[cbjustmusic]

Janis Ian with Tommy Emmanuel performing "At Seventeen”, a song that Ian wrote and for which she won the 1976 Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The performance ends with “Over the Rainbow”. _____________________ At Seventeen Songwriter: Janis Ian

I learned the truth at 17 That love was meant for beauty queens And high school girls with clear skinned smiles Who married young and then retired

The valentines I never knew The Friday night charades of youth Were spent on one more beautiful At 17 I learned the truth

And those of us with ravaged faces Lacking in the social graces Desperately remained at home Inventing lovers on the phone

Who called to say, "Come dance with me" And murmured vague obscenities It isn't all it seems At 17

A brown eyed girl in hand-me-downs Whose name I never could pronounce Said, "Pity please the ones who serve They only get what they deserve"

And the rich relationed hometown queen Marries into what she needs With a guarantee of company And haven for the elderly

Remember those who win the game Lose the love they sought to gain In debentures of quality And dubious integrity

Their small-town eyes will gape at you In dull surprise when payment due Exceeds accounts received At 17

To those of us who knew the pain Of valentines that never came And those whose names were never called When choosing sides for basketball

It was long ago and far away The world was younger than today And dreams were all they gave for free To ugly duckling girls like me

We all play the game, and when we dare To cheat ourselves at solitaire Inventing lovers on the phone Repenting other lives unknown

That call and say, "Come dance with me" And murmur vague obscenities At ugly girls like me At 17

_________________________ Over the Rainbow Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by Yip Harburg

When all the world is a hopeless jumble And the raindrops tumble all around Heaven opens a magic lane

When all the clouds darken up the skyway There's a rainbow highway to be found Leading from your windowpane

To a place behind the sun Just a step beyond the rain

Somewhere, over the rainbow Way up high There's a land that I dreamed of Once in a lullaby

Somewhere, over the rainbow Skies are blue And the dreams that you dare to dream Really do come true

Some day I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me Where laughter falls like lemon drops away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me

Somewhere, over the rainbow Skies are blue And the dreams that you dare to dream Really do come true

If happy little bluebirds fly Beyond the rainbow Why, oh, why can't I?

#janis ian #tommy emmanuel #harold arlen #yip harburg

[silesseti]

Firenado

The Academy is always hard at work inventing new and extraordinary methods of helping its pupils find their true potential. One day, an announcement appears on the board, inviting all those interested in discovering something new about themselves to Lieutenant Lanton's Loose Lottery. The idea is simple: Lieutenant Lanton hands you a weapon and puts you in front of another participant for you to spar with. The catch? You receive the first item he happened to grab and have to work with it, no matter what it is. No second chances! [Grants Any Skill +1]

The wind is fervorous today, hot with the flames of battle. As Lewyn stands before his opponent, weapon in hand, he wonders just how he’d gotten himself into this mess. How he finds himself face-to-face with the sweltering air of the training grounds. 

Life on the run is no excuse to let your skills dull. That much was a lesson the bard learned long ago. Impressive though his magic might have been, there were plenty of houses razed because he was too slow, plenty of homes destroyed because he could not hit hard enough. Hell, if he ever had to defend himself, he doesn’t know if he’d have been able to, prior to joining up with Sigurd. 

It just goes to show that he can’t ever let himself think he knows what life has in store.

For the second time now, he’s found himself in that predicament. No immediate threats are present to him here in Fodlan, save for the occasional gang squabble down in Abyss. He has nothing to get some decent practice against, and so, wandering to the surface, he found a tournament. In theory the idea sounded like a good one: learning to pick up an axe or a sword might do him some good if push ever comes to shove. But as he stands how, slim lance in hand, he wonders if this was a mistake. How is he even supposed to fight with this thing? It’s so light and flimsy he fears it’d break if he swung it too hard.

Whatever. Erinys used to use these things, so he’ll manage. 

Looking up to his opponent only has him doubling his doubts. A small girl, with an all too familiar shade of lavender in her hair. “Deirdre...” he mutters beneath his breath, trying to draw their similarities. He can see a bit of her in the girl, but last he checked she only ever had Seliph...

“No hard feelings, alright?” Bard finally calls out, forcing a cool smile to flash beneath his bangs, “I ain’t exactly fond of making girls cry, but we both signed up for this fight.” His words are a weird mixture of taunting and genuine kindness. Like a soured honey, or sweetened poison. He says them with the hope that they’d either drop her guard and make for an easy win, or toughen her up should she start to lose. The lance then falls into formation along with his body, his posture low and flexible, the weapon’s butt end behind its back with the point aimed at Julia. He’ll let her take the first shot, see how good something lightweight is at letting him slip past attacks, and get the jump on her when she repositions. Easy, quick, simple.

Only nothing is easy or simple in his life. He’s a fool for thinking otherwise.

//starter for @nagargent

#IC #THREAD NO. 4 JULIA (FIRENADO) #NAGARGENT