#(not exact quote of course but you get the gist)

[hotwaterandmilk]

Questions are being taken until after episode 8 airs!

Thank goodness someone already asked about the necklace so I don't have to do it myself. I enjoyed all the questions about Kongming's headwear logistics and Maezono Keiji's shorts too.

A+ great show, great fandom, great thighs on Sekiguchi Mandy.

[gremlinshatephilosophers]

Little behind the scenes post on this painting/drawing I did.

After taking several dozen screenshots from BIG to try to find one for a decent reference I eventually did and practiced drawing shitty outlines on my phone's photo app until I got the gist of how I might do a basic outline for it. Then I started with the outline sketch and made marks where the colors change. I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to do with this, whether I'd do a rainbow gradient over the whole thing or just the background. This paper is 3x3 inches and I can't lie I did try and trace a little of it on my phone screen to get the placement of the features (not well) but marginally better than freehanding it so call it cheating if you want but at least it has less wikihow man vibes this way.

I left the pencil because I was going to trace over it and did the watercolor outline first to see where I wanted to go with it. Then I liked the outline, so I went nowhere with it and kept it as it was. I started from yellow and used the tiny Sennelier brush that came with the palette and did the outline with 579 Sennelier Yellow, 645 Orange, 690 Rose Madder Lacquer, 913 Cobalt Violet Hue, 341 Phthalo Turquoise, and 805 Green Yellow.

Once I realized I wasn't going to paint the background I wanted to fill the space somehow so I decided on the "and the future is clear: it's pretty queer" quote because it was the first thing that came to mind and I thought I could carefully fit it. I divided each side into three segments of 1.5cm each and roughly sketched the letters to make sure they had any chance of fitting and then erased the marks and went over them in ultra fine sharpie. I lowkey hate sharpies, they're useful and easy to get and last longer than expensive pens but the ink doesn’t come out consistently at all which sucks for thin lettering but I don’t have much choice since it’s what I have in the greatest color variety. I tested several shades of each color to try and have the general brightness match up because the scanner I have can get weird with colors, especially light oranges and pinks not rendering. So the colors came out okay but the lettering is far from my best.

Then finally I inked the outline in black (off-brand) micron pen size 0.3 (Superior Needle Drawing Pen, whoever that is, but they work) to cover the pencil lines. I went slightly thicker on the hair because I hadn't erased the pencil as well and didn't want gaps between the outline and the paint, so then I traces all the outer lines in double to make it more consistent.

Then of course I took some photos and scanned and edited it. My scanner is weird with some colors, that day it decided to exact its vengeance on purple and turn it all the same shade of pink. Its only redeeming quality is that I can scan a stupidly small 3x3 inch paper in 1200 dpi and have it come out decently. I was technically trained in photoshop once upon a time but I don’t have adobe subscription type of money so I use GIMP and wing it.

First I cropped the excess edges and added a second almost-white layer underneath because the right edge was too close to just crop it and leave it, and I added the margins that way and smoothed out the edge line. Then I used the overlay brush on the purple section on 20ish percent opacity to color correct and have it look closer to the real color. I also edited out the mysterious mark on the paper that wouldn’t come out.

I assure you nothing else is edited otherwise I would’ve made my handwriting look less shitty. It’s worse than my usual letter work and I’m blaming the sharpies but if I’m being honest it’s just lack of practice because I used to freehand entire fucking maps that were better than this. It happens.

Anyway, here’s my makeshift painting station on the floor on the back of an old picture frame and the color correcting edits I did the next morning. It was hard to get the lighting but you can sort of see that the actual paper is more purple and the outline was very red and not blending with the blue on the scanned version.

Anyway, that's all for that one. Even if it's not perfect I had fun with it and it didn't take forever like the tour sets did, so that's a win for me.

[bokunoheronitpicker]

HC: Masaru used to be a criminal

Am I about to throw out a feral headcanon out into the ether based on three panels and two lines of dialogue?

You bet your sweet ass I am!

The basic HC is that Masaru used to be a criminal/villain and that he taught Katsuki some of the stuff he learned at the time.

If you want to see me elaborate and explain my thinking it'll be under the cut.

Okay to start off, why do I think this.

It's all based on the first panel. On Katsuki saying "Thought I told you to stop smoking! Get caught, and it'll go on my record too..."

This is not something teens think about, not even ones as ambitious and driven as Katsuki. He's 14 here. At that age police and permanent records are a distant thing. Yes you are aware they exist, that they are a thing, but you don't realize they could effect you directly, that such things could stop you from doing what you want.

Kids that age don't think something they do at the time could effect them for the rest of their lives, especially something innocuous like being near someone who smokes cigarettes. The idea that something like that could stop you from doing a job is just not something that exists at that age. Fourteen year olds don't think like this.

They just don't... unless they are told about it.

Which is where the criminal Masaru HC comes in.

My basic thinking is that Masaru too wanted to become a hero when he was younger, not much of a stretch all the kids want to be heroes when they are young in the universe, but he had a criminal record of some kind which prevented him from applying to a hero school.

I think that his first "offense" was something innocuous and stupid. Normal stuff kids get up to in their teens. Being out late, being with friends spray-painting graffiti, or even the exact same thing. He was in a group of friends, someone was smoking and some asshole cop or hero saw them and they all got a record.

Katsuki finds out about it either by over hearing him talk about it to someone else (could be something casual or could be him not getting a job over it) or Masaru might have explained this directly to Katsuki when the kid started talking about becoming a hero and being a shithead in the mean time.

Now as for what happened to Masaru after he failed to get into a hero school has to do with the whole villain label in the BNHA universe, something I will go into later on a separate post. The gist is that villain is a mystery box type label. If someone breaks the law they are labeled a villain, and if someone is a villain you have no clue what they did to become one. It's a mystery label. Did they steal? Kill? Rape? Punch someone? You don't know and if you are hiring someone why would you risk it?

So the only path left for Masaru was to become a criminal. How much he did is entirely up to you, as the only thing I have evidence of is pickpocketing.

Which brings me to the second quote that spawned this HC: "I pickpocketed 'em back so they wouldn't be blown to bits."

Katsuki pickpocketed wallets and purses mid-battle without anyone noticing... that shows he's very fucking good at it. Really fucking good. With how much of a square he actually is I do not believe he got this good stealing out on the streets.

No, I'd say Masaru trained him, since he was little probably. Probably had hero card packets or sweets (as I think Kat has a massive sweet-tooth) hidden in his pockets Kat had to steal.

You can of course add other skills Masaru trained him for. Lock picking, spacial awareness , recognizing and finding security measures, disabling or avoiding them, stuff like that, but that's nothing I have canon proof for.

Now as for why I picked Masaru over Mitsuki for the criminal background... it's mainly because of their quirks. Masaru's quirk would have allowed him to become a hero, a minor one or a sidekick. Mitsuki's quirk isn't all that useful for hero work.

This way Kat has a two parents who wanted to become heroes, but couldn't. One didn't have the quirk for it and the other wasn't allowed to. This way you have that whole thing of inherited ambitions/dreams pushing Kat even further forward.

...I can also see Mitsuki falling for criminal/bad-boy Masaru only to then beat him into a law-abiding citizen when she gets pregnant.

Anyway, that's about it for this HC of mine. I welcome questions and input and discussions and disagreements. Look after yourselves💗

[dreamerwriternstargazer]

I’ve been rereading Anne of Green Gables today and laughing over it a little, because Anne is so dramatic and of course I agree with her but also it’s… it’s funny now I’m a little older to read it and see how dramatic she is

And I suddenly just got this flash of a memory

Of when I was 11 and reading the bit where Anne’s a bit older, when she’s 16 and getting ready to go off to college, and feeling sad. Why did I feel sad? Well, because towards the end of the book Anne grows up you know, she gets a bit quieter and solemn and, all the things people become when they grow up. It’s a specific chapter in fact, where Marilla notes how Anne has changed and Anne laughs a little and says that she thinks as much as ever but she doesn’t express it so much because it’s nicer to keep it as thoughts hidden away - especially things people may not understand. That’s not the exact quote but the gist of it

And I remember reading that chapter and feeling sad, because Anne’s not quite the same and I really hoped she would be the same as she grew up, it seemed almost tragic that instead of talking all the time she keeps her thoughts as “dear little treasures locked away”, I wanted her to stay talkative and imaginative and full of big words and bravery as she always had. It comes up a few times towards the end of the book because the first book really does show Anne’s progression from child to the beginnings of adulthood, and while I did agree with Miss Barry later on who notes that Anne changing is like a rainbow, each shade is as pretty as the last, my 11 year old heart really felt sad I couldn’t have child!Anne for longer

I’ve felt that sentiment all these years and now, it’s sort of odd to read the misadventures of child!Anne and to laugh over them the way Older!Anne does and realise, oh. It’s happened to me too. I’m older.

And it’s odd because I barely noticed it happening, I didn’t realise it, or maybe I did and I forgot.

I feel it the way I smile and sigh over how small troubles are when you’re 12 but how big they feel, and the way it’s shown in Anne’s stories.

And in remembering all of this, remembering how my younger self wished for more of young Anne and how softly heartbroken I was over Anne growing up, I sort of wonder if she would be heartbroken over me?

I wonder what child!Star would think of me now. Not even child!Star, before I was Star. I wonder what she’d think of Star, of how I’ve changed. How I too don’t talk so much because people don’t always understand, how I keep my thoughts as treasures hidden away, would she think I was less brave or self assured for doing so? I sometimes wonder that myself on bad days. Days where I feel too worried and torn to know how to express myself, days where I’m scared to talk to anyone and make friends or just… talk in general.

I wonder what she’d think of how I don’t run and pounce onto people with a hug anymore, or how I don’t carry a whole Kate Weatherall bucket kit in my bag with me anymore “just in case adventure strikes”

I wonder what Star from 3 years ago thinks of me too.

And it’s not so simple as just growing up. I mean it never is, is it? Not even in Anne’s case, there’s a reason she becomes a little more reserved, not everyone is a kindred spirit. But somehow that makes it even harder because…. In the end, have I changed myself because of everything that’s happened to me? In the end, have I yielded to all that pressure to conform? I think that’s the bit that pained me then, that pains me now still.

I don’t give in, don’t give up. And I’ve had far harder, serious things to deal with for the past decade or so at least, but despite whatever I have gained I feel a little… disheartened to think that because I spent everything I could on the battlefield, I’ve forgotten bits of myself on no man’s land.

I feel happy I understand Anne a bit more, but I’m also saddened, but also not completely because it’s still different between us. Later, in another Anne book, Anne’s House of Dreams when she’s newly married to Gilbert, she meets a woman called Leslie. Though she wants to make friends with her she feels faraway from her, and someone tells her that’s because Leslie’s life has been so full of tragedy and Anne thankfully though not always having had a perfect life, did have a very full and happy one. I read that when I was 17 and felt a little glimmer of connection to Leslie but not so much because “surely I’ve had a happier life than her”, and as the years go on I feel it more and more, and though I’m grateful for all the good in my life Alhamdulilah I’ve become much more aware of how there’s…. There’s been more tragedy and pain than I could recognise. And part of the pain is this, is realising that as much as I try to pray and hope I am unscathed I am not, that there is something changed even if it’s small.

Even if it’s just hiding my thoughts away.

I might not be… soured or injured or bitter but… I feel disappointed I couldn’t hold on harder to that childish courage we all have in expressing ourselves to the world. And maybe it’s natural, maybe it would have happened anyway, but I feel disappointed all the same, it just so happens the disappointment is compounded with pain knowing that some of the tragedy has some responsibility in it occurring.

Knowing that this is the shellshock after a lifetime of demons and dragons that lurk in the dungeons

So, I don’t know where I’m going with this. Not really, not properly. These are thoughts I used to put in a journal but my journals don’t feel as natural for rambles anymore, my thoughts in them feel more natural in the form of poems and art.

It’s always possible to fix a problem, if you find one. I don’t know if this is a problem, I do know I’ve been fighting to remedy it this past year, to try to reach out to people and be a little more myself again, but I don’t know if I can change to that again. Or maybe I can, but there’ll always be some part of me that’s a bit more hesitant now. I’m describing growing up aren’t I? Losing your naivety, only it doesn’t feel like that because I feel strongly I wasn’t naive, only braver.

Maybe I was just braver because my armour was brand new, maybe I’ve pushed myself a bit too far since.

I don’t know. I don’t really know what this post amounts to, except for musing, and a question into the void, or to my younger self, am I a disappointment?

I… sincerely hope not. I hope that if she were able to see me she would still see herself. Something I struggle with on my worst nights. I hope that even if my younger self feels a bit of heartache at the change, she doesn’t see a stranger, I hope she sees a regeneration instead of a change. I hope she can smile and be glad of who she became even if she misses the people she was, because I’m not sure yet if I can.

I think… I understand the Doctor more than I ever did before this moment.

[theuniversalscat]

“Well, well, well….”

In the context I usually think of this phrase, it’s busting someone for being shady. But! I would like to amend this phrase to hold a better definition, understanding and energy from within myself. Because after all, every energy you decide to hold from within truly affects you the most. So, I decided to do some internal gussying.

Jimi Hendrix, one of the best guitarists ever to pick up and play the instrument, had a really cool definition of “the well”. I can’t seem to find his exact quote, but this was the gist; he never worries about playing or running out of ideas for his music because he can always go back to “the well” to get all the creative inspiration he needs. And there’s no greater feeling of support than “the well” can offer.

I, of course, am not Jimi. But I’m pretty sure what he was referring to was the source of love inside of himself that has a bigger visionary perspective than he would experience alone. After all, we have access to the universal source, the biggest pool of creative collaboration you can get. And since we are essentially “co creating” with the universe, we have the choice to go to the well and get what we need to quench our thirst, or to stay fearful and be parched.

Depending on our specific energetic standpoint we may not think we’re capable of tapping into the vast wealth of creative energy offered by anything larger than ourselves, but if we can detach enough we can begin to feel into the different choices we have that maybe we couldn’t have felt before from a more “closed off” pov. And this energy is inside all of us to tap into, so it’s not something anyone can steal or imitate no matter how hard they try. No one, can create the way you can. And as much as it may feel that way sometimes, you are not alone. You need only to tap into the flow. Dig your own personal irrigation system to “the well”.

So now, to me, “well well well….” is a beautiful reminder of the expansion that we can expect when we believe there’s more to life than what we just see in front of us from our individual perspectives. It’s a way to open up to sharing our gifts with others without fear, and focusing on the wonderful feeling of creating creative freedom.

Jimi wanted us to be “Bold as love”. And that’s not hiding yourself away, and playing small. He shared it with his band mates, he shared it with everyone he knew and all of the people that would listen. I am proud to have had the “Jimi Hendrix experience” and I will try my hand at “going to the “well well well….” to experience the power of love, like he did. ❤️

Happy (early) birthday, Jimi. ✌️💕🥰

[flydotnet]

"Fatigue" is French for "Fatigue"

WHUMPTOBER 2023, DAY 26:26: “Sometimes I get so tired; I don’t even know myself.” Seeing Double | Working To Exhaustion | “You look awful.”

…yes, it's another HSAU flashback fic. Funnily enough, like "Crimson Shards", it's actually part of the official timeline, as it was mentioned as early as the very first entry of the series! To be exact, it's based on two different dialogue bits from two different fics, which you'll find quotes for in the end notes for this fic.

You know the gist: French AU, all characters live in honhon northern land, and stuff. This time, we're only a couple months before the start of the main timeline! Which I think is really neat.

Anyway all prompts are very HSAU Hikaru-core, so you know I had to do it to him. All of them. Yolo.

--------------------------------------------

"Fatigue" is French for "Fatigue"

Summary: Hikaru is tired of exam season. Jun is tired of his best friend.

Fandom: Captain Tsubasa (funky French college AU edition)

Word Count: 1K words

AO3 version available here.

--------------------------------------------

There are a lot of good things Jun can say about his best friend: he’s earnest, he’s altruistic and he’s hardworking. In fact, that taste for hard work and pushing limits always further may be his main trait, at this point; because once Hikaru is focused on something, it’s close to impossible to push him out of that mindset.

It’s not such a good thing, sometimes, and this is one of those.

He hasn’t heard from Hikaru in quite some time, because the fool doesn’t check his phone anymore, it’d seem. None of his calls have gone through and none of his text messages, no matter how the app, have gotten any sort of response. This man has gone into laser-focus and left everyone on read, sometimes even less; and with Yoshiko busy with her own exams, it’s up to Jun to see if that guy hasn’t died yet.

To his relief, his numerous rings at his door haven’t gone unheard: soon enough (which is already late, coming from Hikaru and his usually quick reflexes), the door opens and he’s very nonchalantly greeted by none other than his good old pal.

“Oh, it’s you, Jun.”

The first thing that comes to his mind slips from Jun’s brain without any forewarning:

“You look awful.”

It’s an understatement: Hikaru is pale as a painkiller, his face is flushed with an obvious fever, he has rings darker than a squid’s main means of self-defence under his eyes, his hair is sticking out of every possible side, and he can’t settle between hot and cold, because who even wears such a thick plaid on their shoulders in June?

“Love you too,” he replies, snickering, but coughs almost immediately.

“Can I come in?”

“Oh, sure. Just don’t mind the mess around the place, cleanin’ would’ve meant losin’ time.”

They both enter the place. It’s just as much as a mess as a student flat can get, with papers strew all around the place, opened food packaging still lying in the unemptied trash bin and, of course, a bunch of empty energy drinks piling on in the kitchen.

“I thought you hated those,” Jun points out, pointing to the pile.

“I do, I just needed to stay awake longer,” Hikaru replies between two coughing fits.

“Ah, exam season, isn’t it?”

“Oral exam season. ’t was the fuckin’ worst.”

Another coughing fit erupts from him, this time much harsher, and Jun can’t help but seriously worry: Hikaru doesn’t just look awful, he sounds and act like it, from the slugging way he moves to their conversation that should be a lot more informed than that, not to mention the bazillion empty energy drink cans that can’t be good news.

Something must be done; Jun decides on the fly.

“Let me examine you.”

“What the fuck?”

“You look absolutely exhausted, Hikaru, I’m worried you may have something worse than overwork and a little cold going on.”

His friend glares right back at him, beyond unpleased at the turn of events – because of course he’d be – then sighs, shoulders dropping, tears at the corners of his eyes.

“What?”

“You wheeze when you sigh. Your lungs may be flooded.”

“That sounds bad.”

“Then sit down and let me do my thing.”

To his surprise, and surprisingly to a little bit of displeasure, Hikaru does just that: he sits down on his bed with an undisguised urge to lean against the wall. Jun may’ve seen it coming, considering he kept his personal medical tools with him and disinfectant to go along with it. He can only give it to Hikaru: for once, he isn’t resisting a check-up that isn’t some thinly veiled excuse to be in extreme proximity to Yoshiko.

His fears are confirmed as soon as he takes his friend’s temperature: the oral thermometer beeps with a 40 on display. None of the following routines he follows are any better: his heart beats way too fast, his lungs are crackling, and all cycles are overall in overdrive. That all sounds like textbook pneumonia to Jun, but he doesn’t even want to entertain the possibility, let alone how Hikaru somehow let all of that happen to him (or maybe he does, at least to appease his wild, wild imagination).

Speaking of Hikaru, he’s only mildly bothered by it all, since he continues talking as he examinates his eyes.

“I dunno for you, but…. Sometimes I get so tired, it’s like I don’t even know myself.”

“What do you mean?” Jun asks as he moves on to the ears, the only thing left remaining.

“I dunno… It’s like I’m not really here, at times. It’s not like I’m sleepy, I’m just not in my body anymore.”

“That sounds like dissociation, Hikaru. It’s a state beyond exhaustion.”

That barely affects him.

“Huh? Interesting, I guess.”

“How did you even get this drained? I’ve seen you tired before, but this is beyond anything you’ve pulled before.”

This question grounds Hikaru back down to Earth, it’d seem, because his gaze is suddenly slightly clearer.

“My exams,” he says, his voice as limpid as can be with vocal cords sore from excessive coughing. “That exam’s the hardest fuckin’ thing ever, and if I fail it, I dunno what I’m gonna do. I don’t have much money anymore and I don’t wanna be Yoshiko’s burden.”

“It’s the agrégation that got you in that state, huh.”

“Yeah. It’s over now, but… Fuck, it was shit.”

“Weren’t the results today?”

“Yeah, they were.”

“Did you pass?”

A slight smile purses Hikaru’s lips.

“Yeah.”

“Congratulation are in order, then. Now…” Jun has one last question – or couple of – to ask. “Does your head hurt?”

“Yeah.”

“How long ago have you last taken a painkiller?”

“Uh… I think that was three hours ago. When I came back from the store.”

Jun puts away his whole armada of tools.

“I need to bring you to a hospital,” he then announces.

“Why though…?”

“You may have pneumonia and I don’t want to risk it. Beside,” he tests something out on Hikaru’s arm, “you’re severely dehydrated. The only place you should be in is a bed.”

“B-but…”

“No buts. I’m the med student here and I’m not letting you do that to yourself again.”

Hikaru sighs, breathing still wheezing.

“Fine… I don’t have enough energy to fight you back anyway.”

“Good, a compliant patient is a good patient,” he tells him with a smile. “Come on, let’s get you some help, okay? You did all that you had to, now you can – and should – rest.”

“If you say so.”

“I’ll drive you there. Just think of your success for now, got it?”

“Gotcha.”

Despite it all, by the time they reach his car, they’re both smiling like fools.

[murphysiblings]

since im a musical mood now im gonna talk abt zoe murphy bc i have a lot of feelings abt her

[earlgreytea68]

so obviously we can't know what goes on in private or to what extent any public relationship is real vs performative BUT. I do think that the type of deeply collaborative creative partnership they have is extremely hard to maintain if there isn't real love for each other as people outside of the business. Music history is littered with acts that couldn't make that work and I think it says something about all 4 of them really that they've made the effort to stay together for 20 years

This is a really excellent point.

Bands do, of course, make it this long, but many bands do not, as you note, and it seems to me that the bands that flame out usually do so as a matter of ego. There's a fight over credit, or money, or contribution, and the band splits up. And every single time Pete and Patrick talk about the band they just say over and over and over how important it was that everyone have an equal share. And it really says good things -- excellent things -- about the people that all of them are and their dedication to each other. My students once were talking about bands that fell apart and I brought up that time Dax Shephard asked Pete that completely inappropriate question that was something like, "Do you ever get upset at the money you didn't get because you split everything equally with the rest of your band?" This is not an exact quote but it was the gist of what he was asking, and Pete was just like, "...No." And my students were like, "Wow, that's kind of astonishing that he wouldn't resent that because he's the person in the band everyone knows," and I was just like, "...maybe sometimes people are nice guys who have friends who they don't want to screw over and there's enough money from Fall Out Boy to go around????" Like, I think maybe they all love each other? It's a sad world that we find that so unusual.

[reginarubie]

This was from a prompt list by nick---mulligan

Literally Anything Involving The Game Assassins "I think the guy who has me as a target is in the student union, hey random person, can you pretend to be my partner and then break up with me so he feels bad and won't tag me" "I have you as a target but stalking you has made me fall in love with you" "I have you as a target HOW MANY WIGS CAN YOU POSSIBLY HAVE WTF" "You have me as a target, but classes are a no-tag zone, and we're upperclassmen in the same major, so we have all the same classes" "You have me as a target DID YOU JUST JUMP OUT OF A MOVING VEHICLE ARE YOU INSANE"

You can use the lines as prompt words, or just to get a general idea of the game if you don't know it.

Or if your not feeling that prompt

Two Students, Chillin' in the Stacks, 2 Feet Apart Because They're Both Stubborn (the lever rolling the bookshelves apart is stuck, so there's like 2 feet of space between those shelves, but these two absolutely need books in this specific aisle, so they're sandwiched in and doing their best)

you don't have to do them exact just the general gist. Or anything that strikes your fancy!

Ciao!,

So, first of all thank you for the prompts! For the first one you'll have to wait a bit because I actually don't know the game and I'm going on a research-spree before I write something about it ;) those quotes are amazing though (especially the «You have me as a target, DID YOU JUST JUMP OUT OF A MOVING VEHICLE, ARE YOU INSANE?», I am obsessed with it, most probably than not that will be the opening quote of the prompt, just spoilering)

So I decided to write the second one (for now) you're going to get also the first one, when my research-spree is over!

As I started writing this I realized you had not chosen a couple, and though I am primarily a Jonsa writer, I write also other couples, and I decided I wanted to keep it neutral, as if it was an original work. For that same reason I left aside the description of the characters so that you can fill the blanks and decide, by their characterization how you want them to look like. You want them to have dark skin and curly hair, you can do that; you want them to have blue eyes and blond hair or whatever else? You can do that. Basically I'm giving you, and all readers freedom to decide how they want these characters to be.

Representation matters, so what better way than to make it count in my little corner than this way, neutrally described characters?, imagine it like one of those books for kids and parents in which you can choose the skin color and appearance of the character even if the story remains the same.

[And I dearly hope I haven't offended anyone with the way I phrased it]

You can read it after the cut!

Fair warning, as I settled to write this I kind of took the tangent and got inspired by Dandelions (so I do advise you listen to it while you read because I listened to it on repeat while I wrote this, it just gave me the vibe of soft stubbornness of one of the characters) and it turned out a bit more romantically nuanced that I had first planned, nevertheless, hope you enjoy!

Dandelions in between pages

Prompt: Two Students, Chillin' in the Stacks, 2 Feet Apart Because They're Both Stubborn (the lever rolling the bookshelves apart is stuck, so there's like 2 feet of space between those shelves, but these two absolutely need books in this specific aisle, so they're sandwiched in and doing their best)

They’ve fought. And that isn’t even the worst part of it.

Do you want to know what the worst part of this is?

That he is stubborn enough to just cause problems, and while the universe never once replies to her…oh how it complies when he is the one manifesting. 

[Like that time he manifested with that bright grin on his face that they’d be paired for a group project and they ended up being paired for every group project of that semester]

So, of course they need books from the very same aisle of the library, and, of course, the lever rolling is stuck. And, of course, because he is a spine in the side, he couldn’t just wait five minutes, let her take her books and then proceed with his own research.

No, that’s what smart and sensible person would do. 

[why hasn’t she done it, you might ask?, she’s not about to analyze that little detail. Thank you and amen.]

Instead, the moment he has seen her struggling with the lever rolling what has he done?, made a literal bolt for it, closing her in the space of barely two feet, his side basically hovering over her own. 

The little—

Okay. She can do this. It’s not like she’s had a crush on him for the best part of the semester. 

She’s developed a massive crush on the guy who sits next to him in class though, he’s smart and sensible and polite. He never once made fun of her nor has he ever shown himself bold enough to interrupt her when she’s asking her question to initiate a damned debate in the middle of a lesson. 

[She likes nice guys, and so? What’s so bad about it? Her crush has a very sweet smile though it never reaches his eyes. His smile, instead, is frustrating beyond measure. He smiles with his whole face — like he’s doing now — like he knows one secret only he is privy to, and his eyes crinkle at the edges and his irises sparkle with mirth and fondness at his own jokes. She’d enjoy it much better if it wasn’t always made at her expanses— and that is a thought better left alone. She doesn’t enjoy it, period. His smile is as brass as he is, nothing enchanting about it].

“Couldn’t you have waited five minutes?” she asks, frustration seeping in her very tone. 

“Couldn’t you?” he counters “you were clearly busy trying to unstuck the lever, I figured it would be safe—”

She doesn’t even let him finish his idiotic justification “Which is why you felt the need to make a bolt for it”

He gapes at her in a mixture of awe and fondness she’s not analyzing, EVER.

So, what if they’ve fought?, she thinks, she still owes him a punch for what he said. 

[And now, you might wonder, why have they fought? Well don’t they always fight for the same very thing? He’s vexing. That’s the truth and she suspects he might find her as vexing as she does him, yet he’s still always around her, poking at her sensibilities, making fun of her color-coded study system and her artsy notes. She thinks he’s jealous. So if you ask her why they’ve fought..? Just more of the same. He poked a bit too much fun to her notes, and maybe tones rose a bit too much, and maybe she told him he was a pain in the ass, and when he had refuted that she looked like she enjoyed staring at him during class she had boldly told him he was just collateral and she was actually staring at his friend whose twice lovelier than he is. He had looked hurt at that and had flipped her the bird, told her she’d never ever get with his friend and stalked away, leaving her with a heavy heart and her stomach twisting in uncomfortable knots]

He chuckles breathily and she refuses to acknowledge the way his breath tingles the back of her neck and make her squirm. It’s disgust, she thinks, she feels uncomfortable. 

[That's denial.]

He looks down as he smiles and fondness does shine in his eyes and…does he look a bit shy?

It’s not possible, she reasons with herself. And why there’s a sense of contentment sitting deep in her gut?

Oh, look, his eyes are crinkling in the corners, since they’ve fought his smile has been sparse, she has noticed.

[She’s been looking out for it]

“You know you could’ve just tried to unstuck the lever,” she points out “it’s what a gentleman would’ve done”

He chuckles “Why, do you want me to be a gentleman with you?” he asks and she feels her cheeks flare, she looks down to the list of books, forcing herself to ignore the way he has shifted and is now pressed against her back. His chest is surprisingly warm and soft, despite she knowing he has his fair share of muscles, she’s seen him too many times without a shirt as he trains on track—

“Maybe I just wanted an excuse to get in close quarters with you” he breathes out in a joke and she snaps her head back up from her list of books she needs. 

[He doesn’t sound like he’s joking at all]

“Look,” she says, ignore it, ignore it, ignore it “there’s only one way we’ll able to get out of this mess” she tells him and he cocks his eyebrow at her.

[It would be sufficient for one of them to step back, yes it would get a bit of maneuvering but with the right motivation one of them could step back, let the other take their book and then to the same. She almost challenges him to rock-paper-scissor to see who’s the unlucky soul who’ll need to wait]

He’s looking at her completely entranced. 

“You’re taller,” she points out like it’s obvious “You reach for where I can’t,” she says “You take all the books and then walk away, I’ll follow you” she adds unhelpfully. 

[this plan is shit]

“Okay” he breathes out and— why is he looking at her like that anyway?, his hand is suddenly in her vision “give me the list, and try to slither your way out of there” he says gesturing with a finger in the direction of the end of the aisle. 

She crosses her arms to her chest, clutching the list in her hand “Not a chance in hell,” she says “you would mistake the books on purpose and—” her voice gets stuck in her throat when he grabs her by one hip, his hand is surprising gentle even if his hold is firm on her, and it silences her.

He snatches the list from her hand, his jaw clenched— a muscle jumping near the juncture with his ear and she gulps “Do as you will,” he says “just don’t— slap me” 

“Why would I slap..?” her question falls on deaf ears because he is intently reading her list, his lips slightly curling and his hand is still curled possessively at her hip. 

He looks up and smiles at her, his eyes crinkling in the corners “Move” he commands and she shakes her head.

“I told you I don’t trust you to not—” his other hand comes up, resting on the shelves just on the same level as her face, caging her in,  he leans closer and she gets a whiff of his scent. Tobacco, she knows he smokes — she hates it besides, since when do athletes smoke? He’s a fraud — and mint and sandalwood and she feels her lips slightly opening, maybe… inviting?, she doesn’t know, but the way he’s solely focused on her makes her feel lightheaded. 

Since when has he been so intense, anyway?

[Always. He’s always looking at you and you know. A small voice that sounds like her brother whispers in her mind, unbidden]

“You really trust me so little?”

“You’re a—” she wets her lips “a troublemaker” she says “I would be foolish to trust you” 

“I’m playful” he says instead, still caging her in “you are the real troublemaker”

“I?” she snaps her eyes flaring and he chuckles, why does he draw so much pleasure from making fun of her she’ll never understand. She stands her ground. 

“My books,” she orders, “we don’t have all day, and an essay due on friday”she adds “I cannot fail this exam”

He rolls his eyes. 

“So bossy” he mutters, but does shift enough to get a good read at the titles before starting to collect the books, he steps forth and suddenly she finds herself sandwiched between him and the shelves, the spines of the books digging into her back, her hands finding purchase on the shelves and grabbing so tight they whiten. His chest is pressed against her, and she can see goosebumps rise in the exposed flesh of his collarbones when her breath fans against his skin.

[She’s not engaging in the thoughts of why she enjoys to get that reaction from him]

“You should’ve moved” 

“Huh?” she looks up and he has collected all of her books, piled them in his arms and is looking at her with mirth in his eyes and something else she cannot place.

“You should’ve moved,” he repeats “now we’re even more crammed because I also have the books” he adds. 

“Is this another excuse to vex me?” she demands her voice rising of an octave. 

He shrugs “Maybe it is another excuse to get closer to you” he says and he keeps saying this kind of things.

“Tell me, why you’re so intent on ruining my day?”

“Maybe I enjoy ruining you” he comments the innuendo clear in his tone of voice, dropped and hoarse and she isn’t so sure it’s safe to keep stubbornly not giving an inch. 

And suddenly something her mom used to say comes to her mind, when you have to give an inch make sure to take a mile.

“Wouldn’t you just enjoy that?, maybe you’d end up being the one being ruined” she sasses as she snatches the books from his arms ignoring the strain on her arms — they’re heavy — and she shoulders at his chest, shoving him (though she’s pretty sure he is humoring her and that her shove didn’t actually affect him) enough to get enough room to pass through, though it’s still a tight fit.  

Had she turned around she would’ve seen him smile.

Had she turned around she would’ve seen he didn’t take any books. 

Had she turned around she would’ve seen his eyes shining with fondness as he looks at her.

Had she turned around she would've seen him successfully unstuck the rolling lever of the shelves.  

But she doesn’t turn around.

She’s too stubborn for that, but he’s stubborn too, so he keeps ambushing her. Keeps stealing her pencil, keep sitting next to her in the library. Keeps starting debates when she wants to ask a question during the lessons — she doesn’t just imagine the professor enjoying those tête-à-têtes or the way she starts enjoying those too.

 [she’s not analyzing why she starts bringing more than one pencil and keeps the seat next to her in the library occupied with her purse until she sees him walking in her direction; why she rises her hand in class just to begin a debate as well. Why, in spring she goes to study near the tracks, and brings a bottle of iced water that he always gulps down when he approaches her at the end of his training to exchange back and forths. Doesn’t wonder why he starts carrying her books for her when they are speaking of some essay they have to do riding solo, but still end up sharing ideas about anyway]

She’s stubborn, so when he kisses her, in that very same aisle two months from now, she almost bites at his lip in retaliation. He’s stubborn too, so when she does bites his lip, he just grips her from behind her tights and presses her against the shelves in their secret alcove, his touch scorching. 

She doesn’t admit her feelings for him for quite some times even after they’ve kissed. 

[He’s stubborn too. He doesn’t let her go]

Fin

So, here you have it! Hope you enjoyed it!, again, thank you for the prompt, stay tuned for the first one, and I wish you an amazing sunday!

[myriadlabrynth]

Kiridai vs Type of Girl They Like

With more explanation. All just my opinions, and headcanons (Not the most in depth analysis because they are overall self-explanatory)

Hanamiya - Stupid Girls

There are a few ways to look at this

We know from the light novel with Imayoshi(Chapter 6 of Replace V), and also the online-gaming drama cd(Knb Season 2 Drama Cd 4), Hanamiya puts up this facade as this friendly and humble guy. Whether this is something he does all the time or only sometimes, is up for debate.

A stupid girl would be someone who still falls for this facade. Since there are of course girls who already know what Hanamiya is really like. Unlike the early years of middle school, where most people thought Hanamiya was this nice kid, his reputation is now well known(he’s the “bad boy” for a reason). So all things considered, you might have to be really stupid, or just blissfully ignorant(so still stupid to Hanamiya)to fall for the facade still.

Another way to look at it is, you know how people say “Are you stupid?!” when they do something risky? Same type of deal here.

It’s not just with brains, it’s also a girl who is too brave to an idiotic degree. Or perhaps impulsive. Someone who stands up to him,who doesn’t quite know what they’re getting into when they confront him. It would be someone who did figure it out. They know Hanamiya is not a good person, but they were merely scratching the surface, and they’ll learn that eventually.

Either interpretation, it’s simply good entertainment for him really, especially the ecstasy he gets when the girl eventually realizes exactly who they are dealing with.

I think his type being “stupid girls” would imply he’s not really going into relationships, expecting anything serious? To give an exact quote from the knb 3ds game(knb: miracles to victory)in his conversation with Moriyama:(translation by grimmfeather)

“ I’m completely focused on basketball right now. I want to lay every moment of my high school years on the line, put my best foot forward every day, and win with the rest of my team… That’s why I don’t even have time to think about love and whatnot at the moment.”

(I haven’t actually heard the voice acting for this part, so idk if he said it in his fake nice persona, but regardless, most of this is probably half-heartedly said, especially the “best foot forward everyday and win with the rest of my team”, but the gist of it is true, about not thinking about love)

I think if he was actually serious, he would prefer someone with some degree of intelligence, not a complete lost cause. But who knows, life might/probably will throw him a curve ball.

Since he’s not expecting any relationship to go very far, he is caught off guard if/when one actually works out

Also side note, regarding the light novel with Imayoshi,  can I just say how concerning it is that Hanamiya has apparently been doing rough play since he was twelve years old???? And possibly earlier??

Seto - Intelligent Girls

The opposite of Hanamiya obviously. I mentioned that there are girls who already know what Hanamiya is like, regardless of the phony nice persona,  that is an example of who Seto would prefer.

Just someone who is smart enough to see through it(since Hanamiya’s nice act is apparently pretty convincing, though Seto saw right through it just like Imayoshi did), especially if it's a girl who is meeting Hanamiya for the first time and doesn’t know anything about him. The girls who do know Hanamiya’s nature, knew  from word of mouth, not from actually interacting with Hanamiya.

Seto isn’t really someone who wants to be in a relationship anytime soon, but Seto would see yet another girl who is fooled by Hanamiya and think “Well I know I wouldn’t want a girl that’s that dumb“ that would be why his preference is someone smart.

I mean I’m not saying that the only girls that Seto would be interested in are the ones who go through hanamiya first, but they would certainly intrigue him.

It’s interesting to think about what else Seto considers to be “marks of intelligence” though, since his intelligence is on another level.

Romantic or not, Seto generally is more drawn towards intelligent individuals.(which is part of why he has his eye on Imayoshi, according to Kurofes)He just likes having someone who he can have an intellectual conversation with, it's part of why he gets along well with Hanamiya. Simple small talk doesn’t really bode well, or won’t get you very far.

Cause the things he finds interesting, other people might not understand or know anything about.

Furuhashi - Masochists/Someone with Masochistic Tendencies

It reminds me of the shoujo manga Ookami Shoujo to Kuroo Ouji.Basically the guy is an ass to this girl, even when they start dating.

And the girl was described as a “Masochist”, because she puts up with the guy’s rude and sadistic tendencies. And basically one of the reasons why the relationship worked is because the girl kind of just accepted the way the guy was(and the guy ended up softening up on his own anyway). Other girls would run away or call him a jerk, and never try talking to him again. But this girl was persistent and stuck around and didn’t try to change him. The Guy just needed someone who would accept him for who he is, cause he was just the way he is.(a very watered down version of the manga, idk if i’d recommend it, but it’s out there.)

(Now that I think about it, the manga fits Hanamiya’s situation too...cause the guy puts up a kind “prince-like” facade, and finds enjoyment when the numerous girls he meets sees his true nature…..hm)

ANYWAY, this is how i’d describe Furuhashi’s preference as well. Him being a sadist is just the way he is, and he’s not going to change for anyone. He may soften up a bit, but he’ll be the same guy overall.

Masochist in this sense, would mean someone who would accept Furuhashi for who he is, a sadist. They wouldn’t expect him to change for them. Someone who will love him for him.

To actively choose to still be with him, despite everything may be considered “Masochistic”

He gets pissed when girls try to change him. When they think that just because they’re dating,he’s supposed to change who he is. Because he would think that the girl never actually loved “him”, they were just painting a fake version in their head and tried to make it a reality. Or mold him into their ideal boyfriend. I think Furuhashi has trust issues because of past experiences.

And yeah sure, we can also look at it in the typical sense as well (in a perhaps ‘nsfw’ type of way ) He gets great joy from the things he gets to do on the basketball team, and that he is able to get off scot-free. So of course he would want other means to be able to do similar things, when he eventually leaves basketball.

He’s intrigued at the idea that someone would enjoy being hurt(cause he’s used to being met with anger)

But I think there’s more to it than that.

Hara - Girls with Pretty Legs

Not much to it really. It means exactly what it says.

Interesting that Hara’s preference is the only one of Kiridai that is a physical attribute.

He’s actually one of four(I think) knb characters whose preference is physical attributes (the other ones are Aomine and Murasakibara, and kinda Tsugawa)

This would mean Hara is someone who is (usually) attracted to one’s appearance first, before their personality.

It’s really just legs that Hara finds to be pretty. Doesn’t have to be slender or anything like that.

Huge fan of thigh highs of course, especially when they’re visibly squeezing the thigh, even if it's barely(he’ll notice)

He's the type of guy who sees those pics of girls with thigh highs just barely squeezing the thighs, it’s barely noticeable, and says they’re “thicc”

If we’re thinking about personality traits that Hara would prefer, if there were any, it would be someone who is a bit laid back just like him.

Someone who understands his jokes, won’t be like a “stick in the mud”.

But at the same time, I can see Hara being interested in someone a bit more serious(not too much), because those people are more fun to mess with and tease lol

Yamazaki - Cheerful Girls

So pure…

A girl with an infectious smile. He would try his best and do all he can to see that smile over and over again. They would be a  ray of sun in a room and happy-go-lucky

I think it could provide a nice break from his time in the team?

Constantly seeing bruised and sometimes bleeding players takes a toll on Yamazaki, who barely supports it. The vibes of the team are overall dark and can be overwhelming.

A cheerful girl gives him a break from that and the boost of serotonin he needs.

Just someone who is positive cause he doesn’t always want to think about crushing other players or other people’s demise.

I can see Yamazaki having a crush on a girl who is super friendly to him but he always thinks “She’s nice to me, but she’s nice to everyone so there’s no way she likes me in ‘that way’”

The girl would be someone who accepts his “loudness”, for lack of better word? I can see Yamazaki holding back to try to seem more “presentable”. The girl would be someone who Yamazaki is comfortable with being himself.

Can I just reiterate how cute Yamazaki’s preference in girls is….we have stupid girls, intelligent girls, masochists, girls with pretty legs, and Yamazaki is here like “I like cheerful girls…”

An angel indeed….

[cloudy-apple-juice]

any tips for studying english lit? i love reading i love classics i love poetry not too much a fan of plays but i do enjoy some but i suck at analysis and get stressed to the point i cry. idk how your exams are structured but the way mine is we have to memorize critics to use in our essays as well and it's just so much

I definitely had the same problem with exams in secondary school and college! Everything was so structured, like it had to be 25% context, 25% critics etc, which is a good guideline for essays in general but absolutely ridiculous when students are expected to memorise all that - like, when, outside of an exam, would you not have that information right in front of you? The only tip I really have for that is that you don’t have to memorise the exact quote or date or anything, just the name of the critic and the general gist of what they said, or even what people have said throughout different time periods (e.g. Shakespeare’s contemporaries thought that.... but modern critics tend to think....) and you’ll still get points for critics (at least that’s the case in the UK).

My biggest tip for exams is to reread the text the night or week before, so all the little details are fresh in your mind and you can make really specific points that people who read the text a year ago won’t think of. 

However! I’ve found that my experience studying English at uni has been waaay better than at school - I’ve managed to tailor my course so it’s 100% coursework and no exams, and it’s so much less stifling: as long as you write a good essay you can pretty much write whatever you want. (Just realised that if you’re already at uni this whole post is redundant oops).

Whew sorry that was a really long answer but! just hang in there. It’s so cool that you already love reading and poetry - learning is about doing what you enjoy, not just getting good grades, so do what makes you happy :) (and feel free to dm if you wanna vent abt stress or something xx)

[anciientboosh]

24, 34, and 46 for the writing asks please!

Hi Bucky! Thank you so much for the ask my friend <3 

(I apologise in advance for my rambling, but you know what you get when you ask me things)

24. Which of your characters has the most in common with you? 

Ooh this was super interesting to think about, and definitely why I took some time to answer this.

I think, in terms of my fanfic writing, I’d want to say I’m a Vince (I’m cheery and I like to create I’ve got zero common sense) but I’m almost definitely a Howard. Without a doubt. 100%.

I’m quite awkward and nerdy, I know a lot of pretty pointless information that will never come in handy except for me to just blurt facts at people and in the end sound a bit dull (Honestly I swear I only have either of my degrees so I can hop in  conversation with an animal fact or a literature reference and sound smart). I love stationery, a go to gift for me is a new set of fountain pens or a notebook. I am definitely the kind of person that has two or three very specific passions and the second someone mentions them I’m all over it like Howard Moon over a rare jazz record. 

I could probably get really existential about it too, I mean Howard’s constant need for validation, that’s a mood isn’t it? The terrible luck? Same, Howard. Same. But I’ll keep it light and fluffy! 

34. What is the best advice you have for a beginning writer? 

Firstly, I am so sorry to whoever is requesting advice from me, I may look like I know what I’m doing but I promise you I don’t. 

That being said, the first time I went to university I studied a joint hons in creative writing and theatre and I remember there was a lot of conflicting advice coming from all our different tutors (all of whom were published authors, which was quite intimidating for baby me - let me tell you). One tutor would tell us that poetry was only true poetry if it was written in ten lines or less. And another hated us to rhyme. My screenplay tutor loved my descriptions but hated my dialogue and then my second year screenplay tutor was the exact opposite. I spent three years with multiple tutors for my short stories/novel classes telling me my writing was a bit ‘flowery’ and ‘eccentric’ because I liked the idea of these flowing paragraphs with descriptors and similes and you know... word decoration. Like the story was my cake and I wanted word icing. And I was outright told I’d never get published with writing like that. But other tutors loved that, they said it made me unique.

And in the end (and yes there is a point to my rambling, I mean it, flowery writer here) I had one mentor who ended up sticking by me for the full course of my education and even when he hated what I’d written he’d still always tell me I was doing fine because (and this won’t be a direct quote it was some time ago now, but the gist is there) he always said. “What you have to remember is writing is an art form like a painting or a song, some people are going to hate it, but there’s always going to be someone out there who will like what you write, and will only want to hear your voice tell that story.” 

So moral of that very long winded story? Don’t be afraid to find your voice with how you write and stick to it. Change is fine if you feel happy with it, but don’t be messing around with your style just ‘cause one or two people don’t take to it. Your prose is your voice and you have the right to use it however you like. 

46. What’s your favourite line of your current WIP

This is another one I took some time to answer because, I’ve been answering these from a fic writer perspective but I also write with the hope of publishing a novel one day, and I write poetry too, that sometimes on occasion has been published if I get very lucky - all of which are things I am working on at the minute so I thought maybe you guys would be interested to see that side of things? I don’t know, I could be reaching, but you’re getting it now anyway, whoops!

So a line from an upcoming Howince story (this one will only come once Keep Making Trouble is complete) called They Don’t See Us Bleed - The thing people forget about Vince is, he may look pretty on the outside, but behind his smile lay the sharpened teeth of a predator. (It’s not going to be as dark as it sounds guys, I promise, there will be comedy and sweetness galore)

A Line from my novel Supernova -  He has a tongue of pure silver and he will lure you in with promises made of gold.

A section from the next poem I’m submitting for publishing called Love Like Him -  Enveloped in his rib cage are the shattered pieces of a goddess; wrapped in forgotten promises.

[starbudspresents]

DGM 231 - Panthaleia’s Translation Notes

Hello, dear friends and fellow fans! We return to the rubble of Tumblr you with DGM 231, the first chapter of this new year. Thanks for sticking with us!

Please see below the cut for my translation notes and reactions, as per usual. If you have any questions, do feel free to come say hi on Discord at Panthaleia#9705. :3

The Novel I'm Not Writing About DGM & Buddhism

Oooooookay, first things first! The four bubbles across Allen's collar on the cover page say 生々流転 seiseiruten. When spelled 生生流転 (homophonous), it simply means "ever-changing," but when spelled the way it is here (fantastic catch, thank you so much @togaochi​ ♥), it's defined as "all things being in flux through the endless circle of birth, death, and rebirth; the circle of transmigration​."

That concept is much more succinctly described by the Sanskrit term saṃsāra. Now, to preclude confusion: yes, if you look up "samsara" in a Japanese dictionary, you'll get 輪廻 rin'ne rather than this. That said, this term is if anything more specific and descriptive than that one. See also 生死輪廻 seishirin'ne, which has the exact same definition as seiseiruten; think "cell" vs. “cellular phone” vs "mobile telephone." All words for the same thing, with varying degrees of descriptiveness. 

The concept of samsara shows up in several religions (notably Buddhism, Hindu, and Jainism). The one most relevant to DGM by far is Buddhism, and this is far from the first time I've run into it in search of answers.

Crash course on some Buddhist jargon for those of you who aren't familiar:

The word samsara, meaning "continuous flow," describes the beginningless and potentially endless cycle of life and existence, through birth and living and death to re-birth and so on. It could also easily be pictured as a helix, if you'd prefer, and that could in fact make some of DGM a little easier to understand.

(If I may take a moment to get super self-indulgent here: a very related philosophical concept is panta rhei, "everything flows", which is what my "panthaleia" handle is mostly based on. This chapter very nearly literally has my name written on it. IT'S A SIGN. Of.... something. Not sure what, exactly, but IT'S A SIGN.)

Every living thing is trapped within this cycle by its attachments and its ignorance of the truth, which causes great suffering and generates karma, which then affects the shape of one's next life. (Yes, Alma's second name is that for a reason.)

There are a number of branching denominations of Buddhism, much as there are of Christianity, and while they mostly share certain core tenets such as the Eightfold Path, they vary widely in ideals and practice. The influences I see on DGM mostly come from a Japanese variant called Shingon ("True Words") and its predecessors: Shingon is a descendant of Tibetan Vajrayana, which is in turn sometimes considered to be part of the broader East Asian Mahayana umbrella.  

I've talked a little bit about Shingon before, because all the chanted spells used throughout the series follow the pattern of Shingon mantras and Kanda's tattoo is written in Siddhaṃ (theorized to be the predecessor of both modern kana systems, by the way).

Shingon shares its overarching goal with its predecessors: rather than seeking to break the cycle just for one's own self and achieve individual escape from suffering (as in Theravada, for example), one should seek to become an enlightened being — a bodhisattva — and willingly continue to subject oneself to the cycle in order to help those who are struggling and thereby bring the whole world closer to moksha ("liberation") and subsequent/synonymous nirvana one step at a time.

Obviously, reincarnation and transmigration play a massive role in DGM. Let me list just a few of the ways in which this particular concept is a running theme throughout the story:

The Noah fragments being reincarnated into new bodies without also reincarnating the human souls they previously coexisted with;

The Earl's victims having their souls transmigrated in the bodies of their loved ones to rebirth them as Akuma;

The Third Exorcists, also transmigrated into new bodies to bring them back (Helix magic in general, really, including the Atuuda);

Nea's transmigration into Allen (not a rebirth, but an avoidance of death while waiting for a chance at rebirth), as well as Allen's regression to childhood via de-aging and memory loss;

The original Earl (Adam in my theories, fyi, in case I reference that later) deliberately rebirthing himself in smaller pieces for goals as yet unknown;

The Bookmen keeping records of each iteration of the repeating narrative, ever-changing but eternal themselves;

Even fukkin Komlin, lmao, constantly destroyed and improved and remade.

So many others? Soooo many others.

The eureka moment (for me): this chapter is subtitled "Curtain Rise," as in the beginning of a stage play when the curtain goes up. If you'll think all the way back to the very first chapters of the series, you may remember that the Earl's Scenario is meant to bring about curtain fall... on humanity.

Looking at that in the context of samsara, that whole thing suddenly looks very different. Our heroes assumed that the Earl's victory would result in the destruction of the world, the destruction of humanity, but I've never bought that idea from the very start. When the curtains finally close on samsara, the cycle of death and rebirth, humanity will not be "dead" in the tragic sense, but free. Nirvana =/= death. Nirvana is the peace of being one with all, knowing all, loving and being loved by all without the need for suffering. It isn't "heaven" in the Christian sense, but it is an end to suffering, without also being an end to existence.

Tragedy and suffering are the consequences of remaining bound to the cycle. Directly using the energy of them in order to break the cycle creating them, as the Earl claims to be doing with the Akuma, is a very very Vajrayana idea, and fits seamlessly into my existing suppositions as to what the Earl is doing and why. Here, have a relevant quote:

Negative mental factors such as desire, hatred, greed, pride are not rejected as in non-Tantric Buddhism, but are used as part of the path. As noted by French Indologist Madeleine Biardeau, tantric doctrine is "an attempt to place kama, desire, in every meaning of the word, in the service of liberation."

 And another, from the Hevajra tantra:

Those things by which evil men are bound, others turn into means and gain thereby release from the bonds of existence. By passion the world is bound, by passion too it is released.

One more, same source:

One knowing the nature of poison may dispel poison with poison.

Bluntly put, I think the (original) Earl was an enlightened soul — a bodhisattva — who voluntarily returned to the cycle via deliberate rebirth into multiple ignorant beings in order to help heal the struggling world of its suffering via bringing about enlightenment viiiaaaa SUFFERING HARDER. Good Plan™?

Here are a few more related meta posts from a few years ago, just so I can find them again when I inevitably decide to delve deeper into this:

Helix magic will be the key to the plot

It's all happened before

Destroyer of Time

2.) I'm so delighted to see Mana as he was when Allen knew him before, genteel and whimsical and delighted with Allen's existence. It's easy to understand why Allen would become so attached to him.

3.) Raws for the "Therefore I write many of them, as if God can see me doing so. / As if He might find me" lines: こうして神さまに見えるように沢山書くんです　／　見つけてもらえるように  These don’t sit well with me, so I’ll probably change them in the future. The gist is that he’s drawing them in order to draw God’s attention to him.

Raws for "Here I am": 私はここにいる。@togaochi and I concur that he uses watashi here instead of his own preferred boku because he's teaching it to Allen, and means it as a more general "I."

Anyway: hooooo boy, here's some more evidence for the Two Gods theory. And how!

It seems pretty safe to assume he's not calling out to the Order's God, since that god would pretty happily wipe him off the face of the earth. The Noah have called that god "false," though, and expressed their intent and desire to kill it, while still referring to a "God" entity of their own whom they regard as being on their side (or perhaps, they're on its side).

Mana calling out to the Noah god to come find him, without remembering why he wants that, is very interesting. I wonder if and how anyone answered him.

4.) I have a strong hunch that Mana's "secret alphabet" is also related to Siddhaṃ, but that language is written in such a complex way that it's actually impossible for me to be sure without just... learning it. Which! To be clear! I fucking well might. WATCH ME.

5.) This entire scene is so much to me. How furious they both are that the other won't just let themselves be saved/protected. Allen wanted to leave Kanda behind so he and the others would be safe from everything that's hunting him. Kanda wants Allen to stay put so they can save him from what he can't fight alone. All that rage and frustration, because they care.

Quick note: in the first draft we initially posted on Imgur via our Discord server, I had the subject wrong for one of Kanda's lines here, which I caught and fixed. Sorry for any confusion that may have caused!

5.5) ETA: Forgot to mention that I’m fairly sure the beautiful Grecian-style temple they’re hanging out in is referenced from St. Bernard’s Well, again in Edinburgh. Excuse me, “Edinston.”

Thanks to an enterprising anon, we have a much better match for that structure: the Dugald Stewart Monument! 

6.) "maybe I'll go sucker-hunting" CARD SHARK ALLEN LIIIIIVES, where's Tyki when you need him (to lose his shirt again)

7.) fjkldjlkagd the turnaround where Allen finally cracks and is like "fine!! you want in?? IN YOU GET. no take-backsies! happy now???" and Kanda's like "yep, here I am" and neither of them have ANY IDEA how to deal with ANY OF IT. Kanda struggling to pull Allen's story out of him without throwing up his hands and quitting. Allen baffled and twice as guarded as before, put off by Kanda's uncharacteristic interest.

So beautiful, it brings a tear to my eye. (Actually, many tears. So... so many tears.)

8.) That apology, which I never thought I'd get, for Allen having seen what Kanda would never have consented to show him. It wasn't his fault, and they both know that, but the fact still remains that it was a violation, and I've always always wished for that to be addressed somehow and HERE IT IS. RIGHT HERE.

I want to tattoo that look on Kanda's face onto my brain.

9.) And then they're FUCKING INTERRUPTED, AGAIN

But Allen's "ask me again when we're done dealing with this" was such a promise of trust that I can't even be that mad, augh.

Onward to the bitter end, I guess!! Haha!!!! · ͜͜  · - 

Thank you all so much for reading and following along! I’d like to tip my hat to Kougeki Scans, who love this series too and are helping us spoil the fandom rotten. :P  Again, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to either find us on Discord HERE, find me on Discord at Panthaleia#9705, or use the comment box on MangaDex! I’m always happy to geek out with fellow fans. <3

[pennyfynotes]

8.2.18 // 4:30pm // school subjects and AP exams oh my

so i recently (ok not so recently i’m sorry super busy rn) got an ask from an anon about subject specific tips and ap exams. this is the masterpost i told you to look out for ;). there are no ap exams in college, but some of the stuff is still applicable. i did my best to be as comprehensive as possible and dump everything in one place. hope this is helpful! xoxo, m ps. guess where the actual tips are?    if you said “under the cut” then you’re right bc i’m predicable af

tips by subject:

languages (i took spanish): 1. flashcards are your friend. i don’t care if they’re digital (would recommend quizlet or studyblue) or paper, but they help immensely with either vocab or things like remembering literature.

2. charts are also your friend. conjugations giving you a hard time? write out a chart of the different tenses and the conjugations for each subject. put down some of the irregulars too.

3. acronyms/pnemonics are also also your friend. a lot of these already exist, you just have to go find them. i’m pretty sure i still remember what “wedding” stands for for the spanish subjunctive.

4. it’s ok to start over. it’s easy to start a sentence based on what you’d say in english. you’re doing fine until *bam* you hit that word/phrase you really need but you have no clue how to say it. whether it’s an oral or written exam, take a few seconds to think about it and, if you can’t figure it out, just back track. restart the sentence and rework it. better to do that than to lose all your time thinking of one word you may or may not know.

5. skirt around things. if you can’t remember how to say fridge but you really need to say it for something, just say “machine that keeps food cold” or something. it might sound silly,  but it gets the point across and removes the road block.

6. make a list. no, not a to do list. if there’s phrases you find yourself reaching for all the time, but you can never remember, make a list of them and their translations. it might be because its a phrase/part of a sentence structure you use a lot in your native language or whatever. make that list and drill just those few phrases into your head. it’s helpful

english/language arts: 1. proofread. i guarantee you’ll find a mistake, a sentence that makes no sense, or one that just sounds cringy. thank me later.

2. have a damn thesis. its ok if you just need to write and spit words/ideas out for a while to figure it out. but figure it out.

3. conclusion ~= introduction. for those of you who didn’t get the tilde, it means not. yes, they both tie your points to your thesis but they are not to same. do not just reword the same information in the conclusion. push your ideas just a little further. i usually like the push them a little bit outside the realm of what i talked about in my paper. for example, if i focused on the first 5 chapters of the book in the rest of my paper, i’ll expand the ideas to the rest of the book. or if i’m talking about female characters and focus on just one or two, i’ll use the conclusion to potentially connect it to another.

4. have favorites. pick a few fav transitions, sentence structures, and fancy vocab words. basically build a toolbox. this way you won’t have to think as hard when you want to “spice up” your work.

5. summaries only go so far. once you get to higher level english classes, there will be a lot of analysis of specific imagery, or wording, or dialogue. reading cliff notes is only going to give you the plot and none of this. if you don’t have time to read and you’ve been assigned a pretty standard english novel/play/whatever, take the time to look up some famous quotes or symbols. they’ll probably come up in discussion and this will help you look less unprepared.

6. have on question/comment ready. if your teacher/prof is into discussions and grades on participation, it’s handy to write down one (or a few) things. it’s easy to forget what you were going to say while you follow the discussion and it sucks to get docked points for not saying anything. even if it’s just a thoughtful question, jot it down.

history: 1. lol prob my weakest subject, just go see the apush (ap us history) section bc i don’t have much more for you than that.

science: 1. back to basics. i say it all the time, i’ll say it again. really understand basic concepts. they will come back. i’m serious.

2. pattern recognition. science problems are often times about recognizing patterns. once you identify the type of problem it is, even if you’ve never seen the exact one/something similar before, solving it becomes way easier.

3. make a recipe book. tied to the last one, but once you recognize a type of problem, you need steps to solve it. go through any practice problems you’re given to determine all the “types” of problems. once you’ve categorized them, make yourself a step-by-step guide on how to solve.

4. flashcards. you’ll have to know polyatomic ions or random biology facts. see languages tip #1 for more.

5. note your errors in lab. if you do something wrong, don’t just try to brush it under the table and forget about it. not that it’s a big deal, because its not, so don’t freak out. they’re just great opportunities to note sources of error. i mean obviously dont write in your lab report that you weren’t paying attention and mixed the wrong chemicals, but something like “we may not have waited sufficient time for the product to dry” can explain why you got 800% yield.

6. have a toolkit. kinda like a recipe book, but just a collection of straight facts that come up often. knowing common molecular weights and chemical properties (is ammonia acidic or basic?) will make things go faster. like i said earlier, polyatomic ions are also great.

7. brush up on some simple arithmetic. similar to the tool kit, this will just make things go faster. being able to quickly add things and calculate easy percentages (ex: 30%) will make things like hw and exams go faster. i’m of the opinion it’s always good to know how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide w/o a calculator (on paper, not all in your head)

bonus: math #5 and #7

math: 1. see science #1

2. see science #2

3. see science #3

4. see science #4. see a pattern here? you might wonder why you need to flashcard math, but it’s good for learning equations or the names of certain techniques. if the prof asks you to solve something using X technique and you don’t know what that is, that’s gonna pose a problem. also good for the unit circle (don’t get me started)

5. figure out your speed. this is applicable to most everything, but i find it most relevant for math. is it better for you to speed through the whole exam and then do it all again/check it over 2x? or for you to take it slow so you know you got everything right the first time? personally i use the first approach, but i’m a fast taker and prefer to have time to process between repeating problems instead of staring at it forever once and never looking again.

6. science #7. a lot of teachers will expect you to be able to do this.

7. go over the material a couple times. also applicable to everything. i find it’s easier to remember things when i know that concepts are connected. you might have learned X 3 weeks before Y, but if you go back over, you might realize they’re closely related. this will help you if you’re not sure on a test because you can reason through things using the connections you’ve drawn

tips by ap course (obv look at the subject above bc i will be giving *really specific stuff* here that i’ve gathered from experience. they’re also ordered by when i took them, sorry it’s not super logical but i didn’t want to forget one)

general ap course/exam tips: 1. practice exams. you need to be familiar with what will/will not show up. you don’t always need to simulate and real testing situation, but i’d recommend doing at least 1-2 that way. also *know how many questions they’re are you so can pace yourself!!!!*

2. college board is pretty good about giving topic breakdowns. use those. go through and figure out what topics you’re solid on and which need more work. the above tip is to help decipher what the topics actually mean bc it can be confusing.

3. give the free response a quick flip through. do the ones you’re confident on first.

4. make sure you know the policies/what you can bring. don’t want to forget something. also once our test administrator tried to stop us 10 minutes early, but we were on top of our shit and all gave her a death glare bc we knew when we were supposed to finish.

ap chemistry: 1. polyatomic ions and molecular weights. know them

2. chapter/section reviews (in addition to class notes) and how-to guides. my teacher made us make them and let’s just say your girl did *really* well (and i’m damn proud of that one)

3. do a quick skim of the free response. applicable to most exams but, the year i took it, they’d just remade and re-curved the exam and put *way* too many free response. like no one finished them. if that’s still the case, make sure you do the one’s you’re confident on. also, i did not get to like 3 questions and still got a 5. they may have fixed this idk. (sorry this is redundant but i wanted to give this ap chem exam specific info)

ap environmental science: 1. there is a lot of damn information here. i would use chapter outlines and pick out key terms, policies, and events etc. treat this like a history class.

2. for the exam, use common sense. most of the time, the most environmentally friendly answer is the right one. if you just have a general gist of the course and its topics, but don’t know a lot of details, go with your intuition and you should be fine. i didn’t have a lot of time to study for this one and this method worked for me.

ap calc bc: 1. memorize standard derivatives. power rule, sin and cos, chain rule. that’s important.

2. similarly, memorize standard integrals.

3. don’t forget +c for indefinite integrals. just don’t.

4. similarly, if it’s definite, don’t forget to evaluate at the end! super easy thing to do, but also super easy way to lose points if you forget.

5. if the integral looks complicated, that probably means there’s a “trick” involved. u substitution, integration by parts, trig substitution. something like that.

6. memorize some standard series’, operations, and types (arithmetic, geometric etc)

7. if you’re looking at a word problem, understand what is dependent on your variable and what isn’t (in other words, what’s a constant). for example, if it says the water flows into the barrel at 50 mL/s and flows out at 1/5 times the volume, that translate to F = 50 - (1/5)V. don’t make things more complicated by trying to write everything in terms of V (in this example). also, your equation might just be a constant term or just a variable term doesn’t have to be both.

8. know what your derivative is with respect to/what it really means. aka if your problem is talking about flow and volume, how are they related to each other? flow is the change in volume *with respect to time*. so if i differentiate volume with respect to time, i get flow. if i integrate flow with respect to time, i get volume. this also helps you make sense of word problems.

*disclaimer*: it is been 5 years since i took this class and i have taken quite a few math classes after. i apologize if i introduce anything that is a little irrelevant.

ap spanish language: 1. flashcard. like seriously. there’s gonna be vocab involved.

2. understand what’s asked. for the persuasive email. *be persuasive*

3. toolkit. i mentioned this before but this was probably the most useful for this class. our teacher gave us a bunch of fancier words to use instead of causar (to cause) because that was a word we’d need a lot. the one that still sticks with me 4 years later is fomentar. have a few alternatives for these kinds of super common words, a good greeting and closing for your email, and a set of good transitions. *make sure you know how to use them properly*

4. write stuff down during listening. you can either answer questions during the first listen, then take notes the second to catch stuff you missed or vice versa.

5. it’s ok to backtrack in the speaking. don’t let yourself get stuck and just not say anything. it’ll freak you out for the rest of the exam and will rob you from showing off what you know. also take notes of things you want to mention based off cultural knowledge of the situation related to the dialogue.

6. don’t zone out. with everything going on and all the stress, it’s easy to zone out (esp during the conversation). don’t do it or you’ll have a hard time responding and freak yourself out (again)

7. don’t lose your place in the convo! they give you a sheet that shows you how many times the other “person” will talk. i lost track and said goodbye one segment early. it was bad ok. all these conversation tips are from personal experience.

ap statistics: 1. know the different kinds of tests inside and out. know the differences and the conditions. if you’ve got that, you’re like 75% the way there.

2. be familiar with sample vs population. it’s a bit confusing, but take the time to understand.

3. ok sorry i really don’t remember anything else. this exam really isn’t that difficult (in my opinion), you’ll be ok.

ap physics c: 1. free body diagrams. understand how to draw them *and draw them*. they will carry you through mechanics. draw gravitational force, normal if there’s a surface, and then any other given forces.

2. basic equations. you get an equation sheet, but knowing the equations means you know the concepts and the relations between them. big ones are f=ma and the equations relating position (x), velocity (v), and acceleration (a). also friction f=uN.

3. *normal isn’t always the opposite direction of gravity!!!!* gravity is straight down. normal is perpendicular to the surface.

4. vector components. please don’t just add vectors. break them down into components and then add or you are so fucked.

5. get familiar with triangles. this will help with the whole component thing.

6. kirchoffs rules are so helpful. know them.

7. understand the relations between voltage/potential and current in terms of the properties of circuit elements. that means the equations for resistors, capacitors, and inductors.

8. know how to add in parallel and series. it’s important. also! if the circuit is drawn “weird” a good way to know series vs parallel is that parallel elements share two nodes and that series circuits only share 1.

9. sorry i kinda blocked out E+M bc i didn’t know what i was doing (or so i thought). i still got a 4 tho so that curve is generous.

ap us history: 1. chapter outlines. pretty self explanatory.

2. make a timeline. put important events, sentiments, policies, and presidents. if you can associate these things together into time periods it will be easier. most of the time, any one question (esp long response or whatever they’re called) will only focus on 1 time period.

3. sentiments are important. if you know nothing else, know these bc they will help guide you through questions by reasoning even if you know nothing else.

4. gilder lehrman (or similar us history summaries). these are tailor specifically to apush bc they are organized by period (i think that’s what they were called?). i actually fell asleep listening to these bc i didn’t have time to study. they were mildly helpful, but every little bit helps right?

ap psychology: 1. chapter outlines/flashcards. this course is based heavily on key terms and less so on larger concepts.

2. ok sorry i took this online i remember literally nothing except how annoying my teacher was and that the exam was easy. if you know terminology i think you should do fine.

ap biology: 1. there is a lot. go through all the topics and make sure you’re solid. start with the big picture, then think about narrowing down.

2. know how charts work. things like pedigrees, punnet squares, and evolution trees (that’s def not the right term). some of the exam will just be interpretation of this.

3. i am so sorry i remember nothing else.

ap spanish literature: 1. flashcards. title, author, time period, short summary, key elements (a line, character, symbol). this is *so helpful*

2. think about the works in relation to each other. you might be asked to compare them. even if they ask you to compare something on the reading list with something new, you’ll be familiar with the points you might talk about.

3. know the lit terms. more flashcards. associate them with a particular work if you can/need to.

4. don’t freak on the listening. a lot of the recordings are old and shitty quality. take a deep breath and try your best. know that the rest of the test takers (excepting maybe natives) are experiencing the same thing.

5. use that tool box. see general spanish and ap spanish lang.

this is so freaking long and i think the moral of the story is that i blocked out my senior year ap exams. i hope this was helpful and, if you have more questions, or want more stuff like this, let me know!

[teaandinanity]

In Defense of North

Look, we all knew it was only a matter of time until I wrote meta for this fandom.

There’s a quote I think of, every time someone complains about North being violent. I read it on tumblr, so of course I have long since lost the original post, but the gist of it was this; ‘Men who hate women want to hurt or kill them. Women who hate men want men to leave them alone.’ That’s the core of North’s ‘violence’ right there; she wants to be safe, and she thinks the only way that can happen is if she makes it too costly to hurt her. And - because she cares about her people - she wants to enact violence on a large scale to keep all of them safe.

(Continued under the cut, because even though this doesn’t cover the whole game it’s Long)

“Violence is the only language humans understand.”

A lot of people think of North as an angry hot-head (and they’re not entirely wrong), but her tendency to hit first and hit hard is a learned behavior. Her existence was one of systematic degradation and abuse up until five WEEKS before the game proper. Think about that back room at the Eden Club, when Connor is chasing down Blue - Hank actually says they get used until they break and then thrown away. Think about how being treated as a disposable amenity would affect how you related to others. North suffered enormously at the hands of humans, and the only reason she escaped is that she strangled a man and fled. She believes violence is the only language humans understand for a reason; it’s the only language they used with her, and it’s the thing that finally worked to make the abuse inflicted on her stop.

Except, it doesn’t make her a cruel person. She wants to be safe herself, but she wants to keep others safe, too.

Here’s a few instances where she advocates for a violent solution:

Shoot the fleeing broadcaster at Stratford Tower - she’s immediately proven right if you don’t, because the team is interrupted and Simon is shot. If you listen to her, they complete the mission, and all four of them make it back to Jericho unharmed.

Shoot Simon - if Connor finds Simon on the roof, he DOES attempt to probe Simon’s memory and only fails because Simon shoots HIMSELF, thereby taking North’s solution. If Connor doesn’t find him, it involves the player deliberately choosing NOT to, prioritizing other options, because a competent investigator would just follow the blood trail - the exact way Connor does in his first mission to find Ortiz’s HK400.

Riot - this doesn’t hurt anyone, but it IS a show of force. She’s advocating for a show of strength because she doesn’t want to fight. She wants to look scary enough that they don’t HAVE to fight. She wants to look scary enough that the humans leave them alone instead of attacking them. And again, the game immediately justifies her fear that looking vulnerable will get them attacked - the officers fire on the group of unarmed androids whether the Capitol Park action was a riot or a protest.

Attack the SWAT team - they’re being attacked and she’s scared. Remember, she’s suffered a LOT of violence at the hands of humans, over a significant period of time; she STARTS this mission scared, begging Markus to reconsider, and she’s RIGHT - the state response is militarized police killing unarmed protestors, whether the androids fight back or not. North wants to make them stop attacking, and in the short term, this can actually work; it’s not an effective strategy long-term only because escalation from here involves the US Army. You actually get all the traditional responses to stress at the march; North is Fight, Simon is Flight, and Josh is Freeze.

Revolution - the thing here is that, if this weren’t a game written by a white dude, if it weren’t for Deus Ex Machina on MULTIPLE LEVELS, this would be the correct response. Based on Kara’s route in the camp, we know how fast they’re killing androids in just that one camp. They’re doing it in batches of 8 or more, and it only takes maybe a minute. There are five camps. They are dying in DROVES. Protest, in the face of that, is essentially useless. On a path with low societal approbation, it IS useless. On a high approval run, it still… really shouldn’t work. Men with guns surround them and then don’t immediately death-by-firing-squad the survivors? Yeah, no. Protest is not the correct response to genocide. STOPPING it would be meaningful, and that’s what North wants to do. In the beginning of this path, she says, ‘We’re gonna get to that camp and free our people.’ Killing humans isn’t the point; the point is saving her people.

“You have to think of our people first.”

While the player is guiding Markus through Jericho’s empty corridors, there’s a jumpscare; this is the first time we see North (yeah, that was her; surprise!), but what that says to me is that she’s the one keeping an eye out for intruders… or for new androids just arriving. People tend to think Josh, the pacifist and the one who cares for the dying, is the kindest of the Jericho trio. Or Simon, who’s soft-spoken and rarely disagrees with Markus’s positions.

I’d posit that it’s North - North, who apparently keeps an eye out for newcomers, who is the first to be able to answer Markus if he asks about their numbers. North knows how many of their people are still on their feet (and consequently, could also tell you how many are not), and she’s the one who notices Markus is wounded and sends him to Lucy.

I’ve seen people get offended that asking North about her past gets them a loss of esteem, but she’s been free for a couple of weeks at this point, and her history is traumatic; she doesn’t yell, she just doesn’t want to share a history that hurts her - and which, based on the rooftop scene, she is ashamed of - with a total stranger. No matter what, as soon as Markus goes to Simon to present his plan, North says, “I’m in.”

She has Markus’s back from the very first meeting - seeing to it that he gets medical care, and volunteering to join him on a mission to make a difference for their people. North wants CHANGE, and the second it’s on offer, she jumps at it, but it’s made clear, even this early, that she genuinely cares about her people.

Consider how eager North is to go and do something to help the people at Jericho; she’s so excited by the CyberLife warehouse heist that she’s the first to volunteer, and the first one across the tarmac. She leads the way for much of the approach, and she TRIES TO KEEP THE TEAM SAFE; she stops Markus from running in front of a patrol, and she’s the one who finds their alternate route (going up and crossing over the top of the stacked crates). She’s annoyed if Markus agrees to take the newly-freed androids home with them (because she’s suspicious and doesn’t trust them), but that drop in approval is immediately regained if Markus decides to act on John’s intel and steal a truck.

When Markus decides to do that, North’s immediate reaction is to start after him and say,

“I’m coming with you.”

Again, she’s the first one to volunteer to help the instant there’s a chance to do something meaningful to help people she cares about, and she DOES care about other androids. Her justification, here, for why they need to do it, is that ‘there’d be enough for all of us.’ North doesn’t need most of these parts - North is in perfect working order, good enough that she just gleefully parkoured across a warehouse lot. But there are others who aren’t and she cares about that, so much so that it outweighs the risk and the danger.

One of my favorite things to come out of the bonus material is attached to North’s costume for the Stratford tower operation:

When Markus laid out his plan to infiltrate the Stratford tower, he knew he would need an accomplice. There was only one woman for the job.

North is the obvious choice - because she’s always been the first to step up and say, ‘I’m in.’

[english-ext-2]

Viva Voce (NEW)

Please note exact requirements will vary across schools, and all analysis here is based on the sample assessment/support material from the NESA website 

The Viva Voce is the first formal assessment task, worth 30% of your internal mark. It’s the only assessment carried over from the old course, so some of the information here is recycled from my original post. 

The Viva is a 15-20 minute panel interview where you present your Major Work to your teachers and respond to their questions. It’s basically “selling” your MW and its concept: “hey, look at how great my idea is! This is the form it’ll take, here’s the research I’ve done so far, and this is how I intend to carry it out.” You will also need to submit your Major Work Journal for review. 

According to the sample assessment material on the NESA website, the presentation could include the following:

A thorough explanation of the purpose, audience, context and form of your Major Work

Acknowledgement of the sources you have used in developing the proposal and inquiry question

An outline of your plan to complete the Major Work project including a timeline

References to your journal to assist in explaining choices made and research completed.

Before I unpack the above, I want to briefly address concept. You obviously need to explain to the panel what your MW is about, but concept also underpins your understanding of purpose, audience, context and form. I have other detailed posts on developing a concept, but for our purposes here I just wanted to highlight concept as key to how you explain everything else required of you in the Viva. 

Explanation of purpose, audience, context and form (+ concept) of your MW

While it’s important to explain each of these individually, it’s just as (if not more) important to link them together.  

Purpose: Basically what you’ve set out to do with your MW. At this stage, it should not be something bland like “I aim to entertain my audience” or “I want to make people think”. Literally anybody could say that about their major. What is it that you want your MW to do specifically? What is the “conceptual purpose” of your MW, if you will. You might like to start out brainstorming a list of verbs, or thinking about the messages/themes you want to explore in your major.   

Audience: Who is your Major Work intended for? Which group of people will respond to your major in the way you want them to? Again, broad answers along the lines of “the general public”, “high school students”, or “young people” won’t cut it. You need to delve a little deeper. Running with the last two examples, it’d be more “high school students who are highly active on social media” or “young people frustrated with their experience of the political system”. Specificity! It’s your friend.  

Context: To quote the NESA glossary, context is “the range of personal, social, historical, cultural and workplace conditions in which a text is responded to and composed.” Replace “text” with “major work”, focus on “composed”, and you’ve got the gist. You need to be aware of your context (how your MW links to Advanced and Extension, for example) AND situate your MW in its context, e.g. a critical response on female journalists in WWII would require some knowledge of wartime reporting, government propaganda, censorship, attitudes towards women in journalism, etc.  

Form: Most obviously, what is your form? And why have you chosen it? I’m not sure as to how detailed an answer teachers expect from the second question, but you should have some idea beyond “I like it.” This is where tying form to the other elements becomes important. What makes your form the most appropriate for your concept, purpose, and audience? 

Putting it all together

Running through every permutation of purpose, audience, context and form would take far too long, so I’m going to limit this section to the relationships I personally find to be the most important. Please note that I’ve chosen to pair the elements for simplicity’s sake, but they all feed back into and overlap with one another.  

Form and audience

Let’s say your major is a short story. Your intended audience would obviously not be film critics or even people who enjoy watching films. In other words, your intended audience should be directly related to your chosen form.

But there should also be a consideration of how your concept factors in: for example, why did you choose poetry to explore environmental activism on climate change? It could be because poetry is a strongly emotive form, and climate change is an issue that rouses great passion in your intended audience of green activists seeking new, culturally relevant ways to express their concerns around the consequences of failure to act on this issue.

(Btw there’s no shame in saying that you chose a form because it means a great deal to you personally! Familiarity with and fondness for a particular form is a perfectly legit reason to choose it. Just that it can’t be the only reason.) 

(I pulled that poetry/climate change example from thin air, but turns out it’s a real thing.)

Audience and purpose

Your understanding of one is shaped by the other, the why of your MW informing the who and vice versa. Just as you wouldn’t buy someone a gift you know they’ll absolutely hate, you wouldn’t create a MW for an audience unlikely to appreciate it.

Say your major aims to deconstruct the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope in science fiction film and encourage change in the way women are represented in this genre. Film critics and/or cultural studies academics might be interested, but they’re not in the best position to push for change. A better fit would be, say, directors and producers working in the sci-fi genre who are interested in subversive or transformative gender narratives.

Form obviously plays a part here too, since you may have decided a podcast is the best way to reach your affluent and online audience.     

Form and purpose

Why is your form best suited to doing the thing you want your MW to do? Or to quote from the NESA description of the Major Work: “The form of the Major Work must be chosen deliberately to contribute to the authenticity, originality and overall conceptual purpose of the work.”

To go with my sci-fi example from above, deconstructions of popular tropes are very well-suited to critical responses (and academic audiences). But as I noted, the purpose of encouraging change in the film industry demands a more visible platform that you’d get with a podcast. If, however, you were more interested in deconstruction-through-satire, a short story or short film would be the better choice.

Acknowledgement of the sources you have used in developing the proposal and inquiry question

It should be self-evident, but bears spelling out in full: cite specific sources. “I read an interesting article online” isn’t as strong as “I read an Atlantic article about how teenagers use Instagram to debate the news, which informed my thinking about the ability of social media to polarise, and the evolution of news consumption among young people.” Let the extent of your independent investigation shine! Show off the knowledge you’ve accumulated! Own your research, basically. (Also ironic in that you’re acknowledging other people’s work, but you get what I mean.)

It wouldn’t hurt to link those specific sources to your proposal and inquiry question. I don’t know how thoroughly you’ll be expected to explain those links, but something like the following would be a decent example: “This Atlantic article helped to narrow the scope of my inquiry question about the impact of social media on news-gathering behaviour to young people, instead of everyone.” The key thing is to at least mention various sources and show the teachers you’ve actually been doing relevant research.

Action plan outline, including timeline

Hint: structure your plan in relation to the composition process. Obviously, the particulars are going to be specific to your major. But be realistic in your planning. Try to strike a balance between micromanagement and no time management at all: while you don’t strictly need to break the entire EE2 course up into minuscule steps like “week two: write the opening scene”, it’s also not helpful to say you’ll tackle the entire investigating stage in January. To reiterate: the points under each stage of the composition process provide a good guide for your action plan.

Be aware of your own and others’ limits too! If you know you’re a serial procrastinator, can you really crank out a first draft in three weeks? Will you be able to secure feedback from your learning community in the week before an assessment block? You also need to account for any other Major Works you’ve got and remember the workload from your other subjects. How will you fit EE2 around them? There’s nothing wrong in keeping your timeline tight, a kind of platonic ideal to which you aspire, but it shouldn’t be so unrealistic as to be impossible.  

I say it in my guide to the composition process, but remember that your action plan will likely change throughout the year. Life happens! Something might happen in your personal life; you could come down with the flu; maybe a friend is late in getting their feedback to you, and you find yourself falling behind schedule. It’s not the end of the world. You can adjust your action plan as you go - working around obstacles is part and parcel of EE2.  

References to your journal to assist in explaining choices made and research completed

You should be able to point to specific entries in your journal to explain why you made a decision, which is a good time to remind you to keep your journal up to date!! Back-filling entries is a pain but also procedurally unsound, since you can’t return to your state of mind and exact train of thought when you made a decision.

Preparing for the Viva

You’ll be given the questions 15 minutes beforehand, but that doesn’t mean you can’t prepare. Make sure you are familiar with and prepared to discuss your major’s concept, form, purpose, audience and context (particularly links to Advanced and Extension coursework).

If you’re still in doubt, the old English Extension 2 Support Document includes a handy list of starting questions, a sample of which I’ve copied below:

Concept

What concept have you developed for your Major Work? Describe it.

Why are you interested in this concept?

What are your sources of inspiration?

How is your concept an extension of the knowledge, understanding and skills developed in English (Advanced) and (Extension) courses?

Purpose

What are you aiming to achieve during the Extension 2 course?

How are you planning to achieve this purpose?

Form

Have you decided on the form in which you would like to compose?

Why have you chosen this particular form?

Intended Audience

Who is the target audience of your work and why?

The questions you answer in the Viva will be different and/or tailored to your MW specifically, but the list above broadly covers the things you’ll be asked. You don’t need to write an entire essay in response to each question; dot points are fine. The Viva is not a speech, so your language doesn’t need to be as formal.  

Practice, practice, practice

If you’re worried or anxious about fronting up before a panel, I recommend doing a practice run with a close friend. Grab your notes, MW journal, a stopwatch, and someone you trust, then get them to pitch you the list of questions you’ve prepared for. Use the stopwatch to keep yourself within 15-20 minutes. Practicing will build your confidence and familiarity with your notes, as well as help you cut down on any waffle you might be inclined to.    

During the Viva

The preparation is one thing, communicating what you’ve prepared to the panel is another. Of course, a lot depends on who the teachers are, how comfortable you are with them, your own confidence levels, etc. I can’t really help you there. All I can suggest is that you try to convey your interest and enthusiasm to the panel. It’s your project, and you want it to succeed. Channel some of that passion into the way you present your MW. You’re pretty much stopping short of grabbing each teacher by their lapels and yelling LOOK AT THIS FANTASTIC IDEA I HAVE.

The teachers will ask you questions related specifically to your MW, ones which are spontaneous and based on their understanding of your MW as you’ve presented it to them in the Viva. Again, try not to stress. The teachers are not looking for ways to trip you up, they’re helping you to think about the direction your MW could take. One of the most important things you’ll learn from the EE2 course that isn’t mentioned in the learning outcomes is taking criticism. It’s about being able to accept (reasonable) critique of your work and striving to improve those areas, as well as exercising control over your creative process, i.e. not taking absolutely every single suggestion put forward unless you truly believe they’ll all benefit you.    

Post-Viva

When you get your marks back there should be comments as well, like suggestions on what you could be reading, or questions that might help you orientate the direction of your MW. Take these on board, and discuss them with your English teacher(s) as soon as possible. The assessment tasks are certainly there to assess you, but they’re also ways to keep you on track and help you to make your MW better. (Keep in mind what I mentioned above about taking criticism/feedback.)