#I know I shouldn't compare them because they are different individuals but...

[auslanderka]

just a random thought

i started act II two days ago and i already love masashi so much. but in some strange way it hurts me when I see the similarities between him and tetsu. maybe because i haven't recovered from the end of season 1 and maybe because tetsu is my main favorite in daiya...

but i treat masashi as my new baby to protect, I hope and look forward to his development

(home run at the first game is probably their family thing, i literally cried)

[burins]

I know this is the Take Personal Responsibility for Systemic Issues website, but I keep seeing weirdly guilt trippy posts about libraries and ebook licenses, which are a labyrinth from hell and not actually something you personally need to feel guilty about. here are a few facts about ebook licenses you may not know:

in Libby/Overdrive, which currently operates in most US public libraries, ebook licenses vary widely in how much they cost and what their terms are. some ebooks get charged per use, some have a set number of uses before the license runs out, and others have a period of time they're good for (usually 1-2 years) with unlimited checkouts during that period before they expire. these terms are set by the publisher and can also vary from book to book (for instance, a publisher might offer two types of licenses for a book, and we might buy one copy of a book with a set number of uses we want to have but know won't move as much, and another copy with a one year unlimited license for a new bestseller we know will be really moving this year.)

you as a patron have NO way of knowing which is which.

ebook licenses are very expensive compared to physical books! on average they run about 60 bucks a pop, where the same physical book would cost us $10-15 and last us five to ten years (or much longer, if it's a hardcover that doesn't get read a lot.)

if your library uses Hoopla instead, those are all pay per use, which is why many libraries cap checkouts at anywhere between 2-10 per month.

however.

this doesn't mean you shouldn't use ebooks. this doesn't mean you should feel guilty about checking things out! we buy ebook licenses for people to use them, because we know that ebook formats are easier for a lot of people (more accessible, more convenient, easier for people with schedules that don't let them get into the library.) these are resources the library buys for you. this is why we exist. you don't need to feel guilty about using them!

things that are responsible for libraries being underfunded and having to stretch their resources:

government priorities and systemic underfunding of social services that don't turn a profit and aren't easily quantified

our society's failure to value learning and pleasure reading for their own sake

predatory ebook licensing models

things that are not responsible for libraries being underfunded:

individual patron behavior

I promise promise promise that your personal library use is not making or breaking your library's budget. your local politicians are doing that. capitalism is doing that. you are fine.

(if you want to help your local library, the number one thing you can do is to advocate for us! talk to your city or county government about how much you like the library. or call or write emails or letters. advocate for us locally. make sure your state reps know how important the library is to you. there are local advocacy groups in pretty much every state pushing for library priorities. or just ask your local librarian. we like to answer questions!

also, if you're in Massachusetts, bill h3239 would make a huge difference in letting us negotiate ebook prices more fairly. tell your rep to vote for it!)

[anantaru]

— dodging his kiss

including kaveh, thoma, xiao, scaramouche x gn! reader

꒰ genre ꒱ — fluff, i love making them suffer

— kaveh

"hey no fair! give me a kiss."

nonsense. utter nonsense. kaveh wondered what had started all of this.

the urge, or let's rephrase that, the sudden interest you took to squabble at every minuscule situation, alternating between being his sweet significant other or turning into a taunting little devil.

again, before he was about to leave for the akademiya, kaveh helplessly required from you to send him off with a kiss, just one, but as he went on to fill the distance between you both, you quickly tipped your head to the side in order for him to barely hit your cheek.

he's frowning, the warm air he exhaled tiptoeing on your skin.

"why are you like this?" for an individual as romantic as kaveh seemed to be, you sure had him on the edge the entire time, tickling out every sweet reaction you desired to witness and archons, was he easy to get to this state.

one might think that being roommates with the scribe surely had his sensitive nerves tightened, had them turned to clear, unbreakable diamonds that weren't able to be messed with.

"you're cute when you're angry." you shamelessly admitted back to him, benevolently conveying the sweetest smile you had stored while watching him pout, settling for a closer spot next to you when he ultimately caged you in with his arms.

and when he was hardly an inch away from your face, kaveh decided to give you a taste of your own, bitter medicine.

"really? so you're only cute when you're nice."

dramatically, and in his usual fashion, kaveh tipped his head back to deflect his attention from you to the ceiling, nervously waiting for a response back while also mentally praying to the dendro archon that he didn't cause you any pain with his words.

you see, it was quite seldom for him to tease you back, to push you over the edge because in reality he clearly enjoyed the differences in personalities you both shared.

it's also safe to say that he preferred your minimal plays to that of his roommates, who'd always go too far like last time when he casually decided to grab both keys, making it impossible for kaveh to sleep in their shared home so that he had to come over, in the midst of the night, to stay overnight at your place.

(not that you mind, if anything, you'd love it when alhaitham could repeat the corresponding situation as much as he desired to.)

your smile, in a sudden, slowly disappears when it after a couple of seconds, rose back up in a contagious laughter, your palm subconsciously hiding your mouth, "you're really bad at this."

with your final words, you quickly grabbed his chin to pull him closer for a kiss, missing his bewildered guise when you drew yourself back again.

"i have other qualities, you know?"

kaveh spoke in a low tone, a little hazy, still seeking for more when he had long since forgotten that he actually wanted to leave for the akademiya.

— thoma

"hey." kindly, thoma carried your hand in his palm when he gently brought you to his warm chest, "my break is almost over."

he looks sullen, thoma was saddened that he couldn't spend more time with you, just a little longer, but it had been quite a busy evening today in which he was greatly required, his helping hands were obviously not to be compared with any other.

thoma gingerly hooked his arms around your waist before flaring his soft lips over your forehead, attempting to lower his face to place a chaste, goodbye kiss on top of your lips.

little does he realize you didn't actually plan to receive said affection from him as you swiftly flopped your head to the right direction so he'd clumsily hit your ear instead.

"uh-" at first he thought it was him who took an incorrect approach on this, supposedly seizing the right opportunity at the wrong time.

"i'm sorry." he nervously laughs at you while anxiously rubbing his neck, his eyes a bit scrunched together.

you shouldn't be so joyful when he tapped right into your scheme, fell into it head first, more so when he attempted to kiss you right again, this time being slightly embarrassed and irritated that he had messed it up the first time.

because how on earth did he even manage to accomplish that?

and when thoma carried on with his endeavor, you, at full tilt, angled your head to the left side, ensuring that he missed again.

as disoriented as he was at present, he recalled the past few seconds and skimmed through the situation at hand, his undisturbed utterance evolving into a coquettish guise, "really now?"

your chest muscles pitched together when you puffed out a breathless laugh, excessively amused by his bafflement, well, maybe you were a little pain sometimes, but that's what made thoma fall in love with you in the first place.

"my love." he instantaneously speaks up upon catching a glimpse of your triumphant smile bolstering around the corners of your lips, "i need a kiss from you, right now." he made sure to speak the last words exceptionally clear, as to get his point across.

you're welcoming him, eventually twisting your hands around his neck to place a warm kiss on his lips, mumbling out an innocent 'sorry', yet you cannot find the proper tone in your voice to say it, because in reality you weren't sorry in the slightest.

"why do i feel like you aren't actually sorry?"

though bristling with joy, thoma wasn't actually oblivious as well as new to your usual approaches.

the hilarity of it all was heartwarming, or the new perspective of affection shared by you.

before you let him go at last, you gently pulled him to you so your lips would hover on his ear, aiming to set your intentions clear.

whispering, "because i‘m not."

— xiao

on a tranquilizing evening, your lashes slowly fluttered wide to divulge your eyes to xiao while still remaining enclosed by his arms.

idly, you paid attention to the low thumps of his heart under his ribcage. Your grin was wide from ear to ear, happy at how peaceful it had gotten when you perceived how xiao begun to sluggishly roll himself up.

he tried his utter best to rouse himself from the relaxing atmosphere, to split himself from the slothful— he so referred to it, climate to return to his established routine.

"i have to go now." his golden eyes were all the more compelling under the dim lighting, illuminating their instinctive glowing when he centralized his focus on you. "i will return afterwards."

his breathing nervously hitched, a little, before he decided to add something to his intuitive words, "if you want me to."

delicately, you placed your hand on top of his to calmly ghost your thumb over his knuckles, "of course, i always want you to visit me."

at the realization of your words, xiao's face elated with a rosy shade, a diligent smile creating small wrinkles on his handsome face while his ears tipped a red color.

with another innocent flutter of his eyelashes, he carefully sank back to your frame, aiming to complete his visit with a serene, pacifying kiss.

but, given you were on quite the adventure today, or maybe you had gotten a bit intrigued and interested as to how someone like xiao would react to your almost menacing schemes, you directly dodged his kiss which had him hit your pillow instead.

oblivious to the entire situation you had carefully planted onto him, his face shrunk, "i.. i apologize." yet before you could retort to his words, he insisted in trying it a second time.

his gaze was visibly confused, again when he sought out your left cheek as a substitute, suffering once more when you skillfully dodged it without moving a single muscle.

his reverent, peaceful behavior was threatened by you, as well as your, over the top, innocent stare even after pulling through with your evilness.

"what's the meaning of this?" xiao was commenting on your behavior, his lips were vaguely pursed in a confused way, accentuating the small wrinkles on his forehead. "what do you mean?"

you acknowledged your boyfriend's question but replied in an opposite direction, concealing a bright laugh.

xiao's eyes were a tone lower when he fully sank to you, just about to nearly tower over you.

"you're doing this on purpose." he carefully placed your cheek in his palm before gently ghosting his thumb over your lips, as to try to regain some sort of control over the situation because now, he had you actually figured out.

yet do not get him wrong because contrary to popular believe, xiao found it quite amusing whenever you set forth a somewhat childish, playful behavior like this one in particular.

you weren't a boring human and the small ministrations were usually the highlight of his entire day, like a ray of sunlight peaking from behind the dense, darkened clouds.

"maybe i did." you bluntly chimed back to him, audaciously smiling and cradling his wrist with your hand while leaning into his palm, absorbing his welcoming affability.

"and why is that?" his voice grew calmer and soft, xiao didn't smile often but whenever he did, it's as if the whole world would stand still of a sudden, allowing time to freeze on its entirety.

his senses began to feel the tranquility in your lowered breathing as he suffocated the distance from you, tamely positioning his lips on top of yours, rendering you speechless.

— scaramouche

fundamentally speaking, when scaramouche appeared to be piqued by an irritating occurrence, it was often for him to find comfort in your company, purifying in your gentle clasp.

"the audacity some people display on a daily basis." he heaves at you, slurring while anger thrummed in his body. "whatever." he clicked his tongue.

quickened, scaramouche rubbed his eyes, tampering through his thoughts when his lids fluttered wide to scamper over your face. "at least this boring day is close to its end." your brightened laugh served as a response to his mumbling, vibrating through his being.

archons, how dearly he had missed you, scaramouche longed to see you each passing hour of the day, to at last, be tightly entangled in your arms again, candidly arriving home.

yet as he was appearing to nervously fidget with your shirt, amplifying that he was in his thoughts, you tilted your head to the side to conveniently survey over his features.

and when he noticed, a rush of excitement tipped its way to his cheeks, tugging at the hem of your shirt.

"i think you haven't kissed me today, kuni." you suddenly speak, complying with his thoughts and sometimes scaramouche asked himself if you actually were proficient in reading his thoughts.

"i haven't?" he's a little coy, scattering his hand over your collarbones before settling on your cheek, blood rushing through your face, "i should change that."

you made sure to give yourself a mental applaud later by how easy you had him laced around your finger with kuni being perfectly set for your so called prank.

he didn't waste much time to get to his promise, eagerly striving to kiss your lips when you swiftly clasped your hand on top of your mouth, leaving him behind— utterly bewildered.

his hands tightly clung into the soft bedsheets next to you, his brows furrowing together in confusion, "seriously?"

with all the galling, tiresome people scaramouche had to deal with today, this surely was the icing on top, not to mention how it came from his own significant other.

he slowly pulled away to see you laugh frantically, trying to figure out how to explain this to him, "so this is funny to you?" he takes a moment to summarize before at once, targeting your belly to tickle and pinch the flesh.

you squealed out in surprise, "ah— no please!" unexpectedly you began to beg, evoking whiny screams from your throat, which were now thoroughly in vein, your once innocent scheme twisting into his grasp when scaramouche continued to tickle and pinch you, "now, now."

he's lowering his face to you, smiling when he perceived your warm cheeks and amusing expression, his voice tinted with something akin to hilarity and glee, "how disgraceful of you to fool me like this."

"you're one to talk." you immediately bite back, your hands lifting up to his face to playfully squeeze his squishy cheeks in your palms, "i was trying to see how you'd react."

you disclosed your real intention behind your show, innocently pouting as to convince him to stop the abuse on your belly.

"i think i deserve more than that." scaramouche proceeded to ghost his hand over your stomach, sinking closer to your frame to try again, with you this time knowing well to suffocate any tricks in the near future.

you're greeting him with an affectionate kiss, melting into him while soliciting the warm hearted love you held towards each other.

"maybe i should punish you like this more often." - "please don't."

©2023 anantaru do not share, copy, translate any of my work

[velvetvexations]

People so often are like "we need tme/tma for reasons" and then use them as direct substitutes for transfem vs non-transfem like why are you creating words that define identity by oppression (they'll say they don't do that but like, how often do they actually acknowledge other populations affected by transmisogyny (black women and many other people of colour, many nonbinary people, many intersex people, trans people of other genders/allignments who are routinely interpreted as trans women by outsiders, etc) the answer is almost never) when you can just say people who aren't transfem? It also makes it easier to see what's just an attack on other trans people vs what is a genuine grievance against intracommunity transmisogyny

Like, "tmes shouldn't be the main voice talking about transfeminine experience" vs "People who aren't transfem shouldn't be the main voice talking about transfeminine issues"

Arguably a similar meaning, doesn't define random people's relationship to systemic oppression, instead focuses on the reality of the situation. Way better than shit like "cis women and tmes use their afab privilage to speak over trans women" bullshit. If people want to talk about transfemme issues and lateral aggression it's actually very easy to do so without defining other people's lived experiences out of existence. Like there's the term nonblack to talk about people who aren't black; it's very possible to create terminology that helps to analyse group experiences without invoking a strict binary where people are told what they experience rather than acknowledging individual nuance

Signed: someone id say falls best into the category of "transmisogyny complicated" (genderfluid and can and does pass as a woman or a man in different situations, often assumed trans either way)

(putting this in the tag because I put in effort and hope it helps)

Theoretically one could say that transfems need a word that specifically refers to the impression they face in the way that we say 'cis" rather than "people who aren't trans" - if for brevity alone. "It "Transmisogyny" was originally coined to refer, I believe, less specific scenarios and more just a byword for when transfems face transphobia, which isn't terrible.

The issues as I see it, though, is that:

Transmascs are not allowed the word for what THEY go through, even when those issues are hyper-specific to them. Recently responded to me bringing up difficulties getting getting OB-GYNs with "transfems have a hard time getting prostate exams", and it's like, cool, that's possibly equivalent (I do not know enough to compare them at all) but that's not getting a fucking OB-GYN, is it? That, specifically, is still a transmasc issue that they have to just call generic transphobia. Yet, despite acknowledging healthcare is systemic oppression for transmascs as well, I'm 100% certain that these people would still call the transfem version transmisogyny despite the fact that, by that very logic logic, it should also be generic transphobia - or if it IS transmisogyny, either a sterling example of AFAB trans people also being systemically affected by it.

"Splash damage" is a horrifically dismissive and cruel way to refer to what, for instance, imane Khelif1has* been going through, not to mention all the people have been hurt even worse ways. Like, do you remember the trans man who was beat up because he was told to use the female bathroom? Do you remember the passing high school wrestler who got giant headlines with blown-up images of him a pinning a distressed girl because he he was forced to compete in the female division and people thought he was a trans woman? How the fuck evil can you possibly get. Tell them to their faces what they experienced was "splash damage". Seriously, LOOK THEM IN THE FUCKING EYE AND TELL THEM THAT.

If transmascs WERE allowed a word, it would go both ways! I keep saying that even though I don't personally associate my struggles with transandrophobia, a lot of transmisogyny is tied up in animus towards men, perceived or otherwise. Trans rad fems deny this obvious reality because God made their souls female and that's just an objective hard reality coded into the very fabric of reality like thermodynamics and relativity. It's this bizarrely masochistic thing where self-ID'd TMA/Es want to emulate every last hyper specific detail of the previously understood definition of wo/manhood, including an exact carbon copy of how they are or are not oppressed, rather than recognizing that it's not diminishing for it to just be different.

They're completely and utterly obsessed with being the biggest victim in the room 24/7. It's so obviously the exact same brain poison TERFs have, but if you try telling them that they go "how dare you compare us to our oppressors". And it's like, either (a) stop fucking acting exactly like them then, or (b) stop equating trans men with cis men.

It leads to so much fucking pedestalling that makes me sick. The way some self-ID'd TMEs act is massively cringe at best and at worst signs they desperately need therapy to work out the self-esteem issues they've been indoctrinated into.

I've never seen a single explanation of what "TMA" or "TME" is supposed to accomplish beyond labeling people's oppression as inherently lesser. Not one single time have I seen anyone articulate why it's such a vital component of "talking about our issues" beyond elevating it above the issues of others. Sure, it can serve as a shorter substitute for "trans women/non-trans women", but why are people putting that shit in their bios? And once again, it comes down to like, hey, why are trans women why do you not constantly declare yourself free of exorsexism or intersexism? It's so resounding clear it has no other point.

Finally, a lot of them are just...genuinely atrocious people with atrocious beliefs that fall far outside just the limited scope of intercommunity trans discourse. Many might believe it in good faith, but the biggest ringleaders of the cult are malicious people who actively want the world to be a worse place through things like refusing to vote and cheering on genocide of Ukranians and Uyghurs. It's no surprise they're lapping up rhetoric that gives them both authority and feeds a victim complex.

What I'm trying to say is, I guess, I don't like TMA/TME either.

*these things would be what I want to avoid talking about but I already know about them so blows party favor dejectedly

[uninformedartist]

So hey long time no see, just popping in to say that this video by Official_TVC is bullshit.

So summary + thoughts:

Video starts off with defintions on different types of stalking & they say Vivienne has experienced all this kind of stalking. Then goes on to say its 2 individuals doing this stalking and they we the viewer doesn't need to know them, Official_TVC has done a lot of research on them and we should should trust Official & their word without evidence because apparently they retweeted something on twitter & it was a tumblr post thats supposedly exposed Vivienne's siblings, personal things ect. All this is hearsay by you, it shouldn't make the average viewer trust your word. Yes I've seen things but that was from posts I've seen.

Aside -honestly Official should be questioning the anon asks we get on here, some of the asks contain some questionable info like how do you get that info. People get asks on here containing info, people don't go out & hunt all Vivienne's private life, we receive stuff thats how things come to light, OTHER PEOPLE SEND US STUFF.

All the background of the video is helluva boss/hazbin scenes coupled with music from respective shows. No evidence, not even heavily censored evidence to protect Vivienne, just Official_TVC talking & basically saying "trust me bro I did research, believe me". This is heinous accusations, individuals you are talking about & you give nothing. It could be lies for all people know, I don't even believe & I've seen the things you're referring to.

Continued, the stalkers, the 1st one is a "troll" according to Official_TVC & the second is supposedly so bad they were quote " has been 15 ft from vivziepop", no backing on that 15ft statement, Official_TVC just states this. All this stalking, entire pages made is because of a ship. Leaking show stuff (aside again, is GIVEN TO US VIA ANONYMOUS ASKS).

They carry on to say essentially all this hate talk on Viv on YT is cos she's popular, they got nothing of meaning to say on Viv cos they hate her so much they can't talk about her positively. They then mention a person has a never ending stream that just feeds misinformation other YouTubers & quote "on the precipice of wanting to strangle a woman (Viv) who made the crime of making demons gay". Wtf does that mean, who has this never ending stream of feeding misinformation to other YouTube, who & wtf are you talking about.

Anyway, goes on to compare spindlehorse workplace allegations to Amazon (yes ironic) & how Amazon treats its workers really bad... do I need to say more. Goes on to say everyone ragged on Viv because hazbin hotel is on Amazon, Amazon is bad & quote by Official_TVC is cos "everyone looks for an excuse to hate". Ok now I'm giving evidence on why people ragged on Viv for prime since you give jackshit.

Amazon/prime is currently being boycotted, its on the bds list why people were saying to pirate hazbin. Not some bullshit reason Official gave on it being mindless hate. Here is a video explaining why people are boycotting Amazon:

Vivienne also like this post from a fan, do I need to spell out how fucking disgusting this tweet is and the fact that she liked it.

Official carrys on to say stalker 1 did 3 things, doxxed Vivienne, & in their words if you go to said person's page Official states "im pretty sure they know where vivziepop lives". That is speculation, thats your opinion cos no evidence is provided or can be for that matter cos this is what YOU think. Dropping as Official says "nuggets" of info on Viv's siblings University, their work (this info was from a sibling's linked in page, public info). Can I say aside, I know her sibling's names. Why, not from stalking but from them leaving comments on Viv's speeddraws and Viv publicly naming them on her PUBLIC socials. And if you know someone's name you can easily find out what uni they went to, if you know my name & search me up you know what uni I go to its in the public on their linked in, social posts ect.

They go on to talk about how terrible leaking Viv's shows are, which idgaf. Amazon is a zionist corporation I'm pirating anything of Vivienne. Even invincible which I love, pirated it. Fans should too (since I see a lot of fans with free palastine in bio but still pay for prime). Anyway thats on them.

TW: talks of sexual harassment. So Official doesn't want to give more info on this individual which I respect & understand. However they say stalker 1 is sexually harrassing this person, sending content of a sexual nature all because the victim in this situation didn't agree with stalker 1 on the stalker's sentiments on hazbin hotel. I understand protecting the victim but my soul you're literally protecting the perpetrator. Expose them, you keep staying stalker 1 & 2 CALL THEM OUT. Protect the victims but expose the perpetrators.

They go on to stalker 2, who know stalker 1. Stalker 2 supposedly went to the hazbin premiere. They were there to keep an eye on vivziepop Official quotes. No evidence of this quote or info just them relaying it. Again this is all your words against what. Yeah that is concerning it really is but substantiate this evidence & quotes. This is the 1st time I'm hearing about this so I would like to know more on this & this heinous person. But you don't give any evidence. Official says " these people need to be stopped", how can they be stopped. You give no names, no info or evidence, its wishful thinking you saying this. I'm harping on and on on about Official gives no evidence but its so flipping frustrating hearing them spout all this WITH NOTHING to back their words.

TW again: Mentions of suicide and Shay a fan bullied by the fandom who then took their own life. Know a lot of people are still saddened by what led to Shay's passing why I mention this.

Official says stalker 1 is using the death of Shay to entice fruther harrassed on Vivienne. Its "apparently now", huskerdust fans went after Shay with heinous harassment & Shay subsequently ended their life, may they rest in peace. Official claims stalker 1 says Vivziepop is directly responsible for Shay's death. Shay's death was worded as "apparently" but stalker 1 using Shay's death to pin it on Vivziepop is stated as a fact. How disgusting can you be someone died & its apparently so to you but your word of mouth should be considered fact, fuck off. Official then goes on to say... sighs quote "we do not hold politicians accountable when they massacre people of other countries... bloodlines don't exist but we don't blame the politicians pushing the buttons".

Ok wtf, yes we do we blame Biden & other politicians & presidents for pushing the figurative & literally buttons on massacring Palestinians & other minorities, WE DO so wtf are you talking about. I honestly hate Official at this point because wtf are they saying. I don't blame vivziepop on Shay's death, even though when there was attempts to reach Vivienne on what was happening to Shay, maybe the channels they used like email didn't get the message across unfortunately. What I absolutely hate is when fans, like official now use Shay's death as a pawn in relation to people hating on Viv. No one that I've see & I'm saying it now I know who these stalker 1 & 2 are not even they were as disgusting as Official & fans to use Shay's death as to further hate on Vivienne. What Official_TVC is saying is bullshit.

And I disregard everything Official_TVC says after they hearted this comment, fuck you Official_TVC for hearting this vile comment.

I link a screenshot of the outreach to Vivienne via email on Shay aswell as the document on Shay's.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSfCoyn81fp83pycx5eyS4oxryRpFnVnHdEeyEyouigrKSWAZ5iEgTjt7Q63n68S_PcZK7_klB-9dH1/pub

In all this video is a load of nothing, bullshit actually & just vile on the parts of Shay. They ended of once again reiterating they won't give proof because people just want names & evidence for the tea/gossip & they want to protect Vivienne, shoo shoo. Again trust me bro, I did the research so trust me.

I want to reiterate I condone no actions if provided true on stalker 1 or 2. But from what I've seen of them is all out of context, lies spread by the fandom & things just made up down the grapevine. I don't do this for likes, clout or other bullshit the fandom says. Wouldn't be of me on my nature and the work that I do. Come with substantial evidence, then we discuss & make conclusions but for now

...

I hate Vivienne and this fandom, bye all.

[stormdragon23]

My Top Solo Leveling Ships

Wanted to talk a little about them, so I'll just list three main reasons why I like them otherwise this post will be endless. There are a lot of other ships I like, but these are the main ones

It's a little unhinged, but that shouldn't be new

1. ChoiBaek

This shouldn't be a surprise

They are aware of the other's intentions without needing to tell each other. They both read other people and each other very well. The only reason they don't get along is because when both of them want the same thing (recruiting Sung Jin-Woo, a gate in the area, etc), they are both very willing to fight for what they want and use their perceptiveness to their advantage. One of them doesn't mind having his thoughts being known while the other minds a lot

They both want their guild become stronger but not at the expense of their members. They have the same morals, but the actions they take because of their morals are different. Baek Yoon-Ho wants to make his guild stronger by focusing on what his members need as individuals (paying them more, training new recruits with stronger and more experienced members, etc). Choi Jong-In wants to make his guild stronger by focusing on improving how the teams work together (hunting in a orderly way to minimize injuries as much as possible, taking a leadership role to make sure none of the members are falling behind, making sure the teams are adequately prepared, etc). Both of them care a lot about other people, though they don’t make it obvious to others

Both know the other is strong (Choi Jong-In defends Baek Yoon-Ho when Sung Jin-Woo thinks Yoon-Ho is struggling during the Jeju sparring match while Baek Yoon-Ho is aware of Choi Jong-In's strength during the Jeju Raid) but tend to underestimate themselves (Baek Yoon-Ho believing he wouldn't have been able to win against the Japanese S-Ranks when he held out for a while on his own against two of them, and Choi Jong-In seeing his title as "a joke" after comparing himself to Sung Jin-Woo when he always has to limit how much of his powers he actually uses because of the people around him or the environment he is in)

This got long anyways... sorry. The others are shorter

2. SungPark

I wanted to see them more than the main couple

They are both selfless to the point where they make sure others are alright before taking care of themselves

They both want their family to be safe and happy and make taking care of their children their priority. Park Kyung-Hye tells her son it's okay for him to be a hunter, even though it's the reason why Sung Il-Hwan is gone, and she understands that it's something both her husband and son feel like they need to do

The way Kyung-Hye kept waiting for her husband to return home and knew the exact moment when he wouldn't be coming back Ripped my heart to SHREDS-

They were so in love laskdjfasdlf

3. MinLee

AKA younger!SungPark

Both of them have similar trauma, so they're able to help each other, especially since they're both retired

Even they have trauma, they have put their fears aside to help people more. Both participate in the last Jeju raid despite Min Byung-Gyu being traumatized from the last one and Lee Ju-Hee being traumatized from her previous raids

The way Lee Ju-Hee hardly showed up after she told Sung Jin-Woo she was retiring and Min Byung-Gyu barely being mentioned besides his trip to Japan before the Jeju Raid? There's so much potential for them to actually meet-

I see them as the "bunny couple"

4. ChulWoo

This was actually one of the first ships I really got into

The way Woo Jin-Chul knew Sung Jin-Woo from the beginning and was watching Sung Jin-Woo get stronger without realizing it at first

The way Woo Jin-Chul looked at Sung Jin-Woo in the new timeline when he remembered the previous timeline-

Honestly, in my opinion, Sung Jin-Woo had more potential with Woo Jin-Chul than Cha Hae-in. Like, Sung Jin-Woo avenging Go Gun-Hee not just for his sake but for Woo Jin-Chul? Sung Jin-Woo actually trying to not give Jin-Chul a headache but failing? I love their dynamic

5. HeeSeok

This is probably the most cracked ship out of these, but it's cute

Both of them have a caring, almost parent-like nature (Park Hee-Jin looking after Han Song-Yi during the Red Gate and Eun-Seok looking after and warning Min Byung-Gyu during the third Jeju Raid)

It's actually possible for them to have known each other despite it not being stated in canon (Eun-Seok was a member of the Fiend Guild, and Park Hee-Jin could have been a member of the Fiend Guild as well before leaving for White Tiger. The game might change this part about Park Hee-Jin, but I'll stick with it for now)

The way Eun-Seok wears a scarf with his hunter's outfit, and then Park Hee-Jin gets stuck in a frost Red Gate? And Park Hee-Jin looks somewhat okay despite it being cold, so it seems like both are fine in cold environments

Actually, in my monarch/ruler AU, Frost Monarch!Eun-Seok could be the reason Park Hee-Jin gets stuck there in that Red Gate...hmm

Feel free to ask for more of my thoughts and talk about your own below

[whoistrash]

Why change matters and how Amphibia did it better than The Owl House.

"Watching and Dreaming" made me cry a lot during its premiere. I was amazed and, I'd say, dazed by it. Then I forgot about it for a while. Now I finished re-watching Amphibia for the first time since TOH ended. My hype died down, and I have some thoughts. A lot, actually.

Amphibia's ending was incredibly painful and made me sob like a baby for two whole weeks the first time I watched it. That's because it was not only beautiful and heartbreaking, but truly GOOD. Brilliant, actually. I absolutely agree with a statement that any other ending would literally be a contradiction to the whole main plot, especially Anne's arc. The girls had to learn to let go in order to grow as individuals - the thing they had the biggest problem with. Saying goodbye was the only logical option, plot-wise. It still hurt like hell, though. Separating the multidimensional, against-all-odds relationships (especially my beloved spranne. Ouch, ouch, ouch). The Owl House does no such thing - everybody stays together. They live happily ever after.

Paradoxically, I think that it's the main reason why I'd choose "The Hardest Thing" over "Watching and Dreaming" every single time. I know we shouldn't really compare them in EVERY aspect, since TOH had way more things to deal with in the final episode, but the fact that Luz got to not only stay, but to freely travel between worlds as she pleases really took the whole "growing up and finding your true self no matter what the other people do/say about you" thing out the door. Luz from season one, episode one, and Luz from the finale are not really that different. Well, she certainly became more traumatised and depressed than before, but in terms of personal growth? Nope. Luz - from the very beginning - was cheerful, open, caring and very selfless, willing to literally help every stranger she met no matter how it would affect her. She had little to no boundaries, but, well, you can't argue that she was A GOOD, SELFLESS PERSON. Now, we could say that her arc here would be learning that sometimes you should put yourself before others, that you can't save everyone, that you can't trust every person you meet. And she learns it! She fucking does! She helps Philip not knowing who he will become, and then suffers from the consequences, because she helped the wrong person. And then it's all erased, when she saves Collector's life and meets Papa Titan (or whatever we call them).

I have so much to say about this. All of TOH's "villains" (Amity, Lilith, Hunter, The Collector) that were given a redemption arc literally get turned into lifeless, edgy trauma dumpsters, that suddenly loose all of their previous character, quirks and sass (well, maybe except for Lilith, she just started to express them differently, I think, but still, it was WAY too big of a change). I won't dwell on it (since many, many fans called it out already - as they should), and will focus on something different. The only one marked as irredeemable is Belos. Good. Okay. He's irredeemable, because he's a white, christian puritan who won't listen to anyone but himself. Also a genocidal maniac. That's the lesson for Luz here. "You can't save everyone. Some people are just straight up evil". And it's very, very true. But.

From all of the "villains" I mentioned before, Belos is the one that had the most reasons to, let's say, take a dark turn. Those reasons are what makes him irredeemable - he's just too convinced he's right, because, in his mind, he has evidence to prove it. But how do we learn about this? Maybe by seeing his part of the story? Maybe by learning about his brother and Evelyn, about their relationship? It couldn't be straight up awful, since Philip literally brought his brother back to life over and over again, he wanted his brother, or at least the picture of Caleb that satisfied him the most. There was more to it than only "you betrayed me and now I will hate you forever". Do we get to see any of that? No. Instead we get an all-knowing, all-doing being that literally choose Luz as "the one" for being kind and trusting, that convinces her that Belos is, indeed, a lost cause. Do you see where I'm going with this?

Luz, the person that on the literal episode two was told that there is no such thing as a "chosen one" and that she can't always hop into action to save everybody, because, it's, well, not always possible, DOES EXACTLY THAT in the finale by taking a bullet for The Collector, the, you know, very freshly redeemed and suddenly cute and funky villain, whom Luz trusts immediately. AND SHE IS REWARDED FOR IT BY BEING MADE THE CHOSEN ONE. BY A GOD-LIKE BEING THAT CLAIMS TO BE ALL-KNOWING AND CAN DECIDE WHO IS RIGHT AND WHO IS WRONG, BECAUSE OF PERSONAL (King) REASONS. Just like, you know... Belos? The irredeemable villain? And then Luz lets go of the moral dilemmas that's been keeping her up at night for the past months, makes up her mind, defeats the bad guy, learns nothing, and gets to stay in the Boiling Isles and on Earth. With her beautifully redeemed girlfriend and friends whom she kept secrets from and lied to out of fear of being ostracised (you see the pattern here, right?) for, again, months.

I love Amphibia. I love The Owl House. But Amphibia handles it's "villains", generally wronged characters and the whole change/no change thing way better. Well, maybe besides the Core - they got a bit wasted in my opinion. But still. Sasha. Grime. Marcy. Andrias. Anne herself. They learn and change. And more importantly, they face consequences and come to understand and accept them. There's no "chosen one" here. Anne gets the proposition because she's the first one to use the music box for good in literal millenia. A fact, plain and simple (not an opinion based on personal motivations), that makes sense plot-wise, and adds so, so much to Anne's arc. Because Anne from season one, episode one wouldn't care. The one from the finale cares very damn much. And that's the biggest difference.

Saying goodbye makes the message way stronger. The more I think about it, however, the more I'm starting to be afraid that there's no The Message in The Owl House to begin with. Luz learns very little, yet ends up with everything she ever wanted. There's no power behind it. The "find the right people and choose to trust them, not everyone will be your friend" and "some things are out of your control, some people are just bad" aspect is even weaker, as proven by basically the whole season 3. I will end it by my favorite quote from Amphibia, that I think about on daily basis. Have a good day, y'all.

"Change can be difficult, but it's how we grow. It can be the hardest thing to realize you can't hold on to something forever. Sometimes, you have to let it go; but, of the things you let go, you'd be surprised what makes its way back to you."

[bluegekk0]

I've been in such an emotional slump lately. I fear that I upset my friends without realizing and now every interaction I feel like they're mad at me. It's like every time we chat I get the impression that they're annoyed with me, I keep thinking they're being sarcastic and trying to tell me to shut up in subtle ways, but I'm scared of asking cause what if I'm overreacting like I usually do? I just hate it so much. I feel like I'm such an exhausting person to be around and a little voice in the back of my mind keeps telling me it would be better for everyone if I distanced myself.

And I'm also fighting really hard against the idea that people in general are getting bored of me. I know engagement is not everything, I know that drawing for myself should be a priority. It makes me happy, and I draw what I love BECAUSE I love it. But it's so hard for me to not hope for validation and feedback when I've been compared to others all childhood. And it stings so much when a drawing I'm super happy with maybe doesn't perform as well as I hoped (at least compares to the number of people who follow me). I don't know if it's not reaching people here or if it's just getting too repetitive for people to care anymore. Or perhaps people see my self-reblogs as desperate and get discourages from interacting for that reason? Maybe they're right for that.

I've also been looking into and educating myself on the experiences of autistic individuals since I suspect I'm on the spectrum, and I do relate to many of them, plus every test I take indicates that I might be autistic. So in theory, self diagnosing would help, right? I could stop worrying that I'm broken somehow or a failure of an adult, and just accept that my brain simply works differently and maybe even be more kind to myself. That sounds good. But then the doubts keep creeping in. I don't remember if I showed any signs in my childhood, I barely remember anything from it. So what if I'm wrong, what if there were none, and I'm just overanalyzing symptoms or even faking them? How can I consider myself part of the community if there is a chance I shouldn't be there at all? What if I'm just lazy, what if I'm an introverted, anxious loser who put themselves in this situation by being incompetent at everything, now trying to find excuses?

I don't know. There's so many exhausting thoughts that have been dragging my mood down for the past few days. And I guess I'm just waiting for it to pass since I'm so scared of actually going out there and getting help.

Well, there goes another oversharing session. I usually feel bad talking about this with my friends cause I don't want to put them under the obligation to respond. And with how terrible I am at responding to their struggles (not that I don't care, I'm just so, so bad at responding to emotions and putting my thoughts into words that don't make me sound robotic) it often feels too one sided. So I guess this is a way for me to scream into the void and give people a choice if they want to ignore it or respond. I could just write it down in a diary or something, but part of me is hoping that maybe this experience resonates with someone and I'd feel less alone. Or maybe I'm simply just desperate for advice or validation that would feed my ego.

[autistic-ben-tennyson]

A rant about Jedi Stans from an ex-Jedi fangirl

After some time I've had to reflect on my own behavior as well as my time in the pro Jedi fandom, I decided it's time to call this shit out. Some people take it really personal if someone criticized your favorite characters or their beliefs. Ironically, you all act more like the Sith than the Jedi with how obsessive you can be and insisting any criticism is equal to wanting genocide.

I'm going to start by saying I was in the pro jedi fandom for a few months. Truth be told, I was using it as an outlet for some of my anger issues with my hate towards Anakin, seeing him as similar to a lot of people I've had to deal with. Some of it was wanting more followers and fear of being disliked by the majority. I would pick fights with Anakin fans and was a bit of an asshole and I apologize for that. I still don't like him but no longer HATE him. Seeing how fandoms treat abuse victims who aren't perfect angels like Shinji Ikari or Lapis Lazuli has caused me to loosen up a bit. Many Jedi stans would probably hate those characters for not being “perfect” victims. In retrospect, this wasn't a good community for me. It was very puritanical and I often felt like I was wrong for enjoying media that went against the beliefs Jedi Stans put on a pedestal. Three of my favorite ships (Madohomu, Reishin and Hodaka x Hina) involve "burning the world for one person" and I felt like I couldn't talk about them without being a hypocrite. That and me agreeing less and less with Luca's beliefs pushed me to leave.

It's fine to enjoy a fictional character and defend them if you feel that they're being unfairly criticized. I've done it myself and have written essays defending my faves. The problem is that Jedi stans don't know when to stop. So many are quick to compare the Jedi to minority religions or marginalized groups as a shield against criticism, not recognizing how insulting that can be. Jewish, asian and aroace people are the ones normally used due to the Jedi beliefs being based off Eastern religions as well as Judaism as well as some aroace people identifying with the Jedi.

One thing I noticed about Jedi stans is their similarities to Jumblr which is full of religious chauvinism reworded to sound progressive. Many of them talk about how the Jedi shouldn't have to change their traditions with the times or to accommodate a few individuals like Anakin or Ahsoka. This can be similar to how a lot of people are quick to defend minority religions from outside criticism based on how they were treated by Christian colonists or missionaries. The problem is that this can veer right into ableist or queerphobic territory. You know who else believe that their religion shouldn't have to change with the times to accommodate people? Conservative Christians who hate being told to be affirming of LGBTQ people. Also, schools and parents/guardians do have a responsibility to accommodate kids with disabilities, mental health issues or trauma, even if it may be inconvenient or force you to bend the rules. Claiming they need to just suck it up is honestly disgusting.

This was all a big reason for why I left this garbage pit of a fandom. While there are some who hate the Jedi because they stan the empire or think people need 50s nuclear families to live fulfilling lives, not everyone does that. Believe it or not, some people have faced abuse and bigotry under Judaism and Buddhism. People can also criticize how Lucas presented their beliefs as some Buddhists think he didn't do a good job. Libsoftiktok is a vile transphobe, an Orthodox Jew and her beliefs are said to be fairly common in her community. Many people of color identify with the clones and dislike how even the nicer Jedi treated them. When Obi Wan told Anakin, "It's okay to have romantic feelings, but you must let them pass," that hits different for queer people who have been told similar things from "polite" homophobes. Some queer people do choose celibacy like Side B christians which is fine as long as they don't treat it as a moral failure to want a relationship. There are many neurodivergent people who don't like the Jedi beliefs as they hit close to home. Lucas may have not intended to come off as ableist but the Jedi did with their beliefs about negative emotions. To some people, platitudes like "just let go" aren't helpful and treating it as bad for not living up to those principles is gross.

I deleted the post, but a while back I made a post asking a popular pro jedi blogger their views on adoption since they claimed Anakin not viewing the Jedi as his "found family" was a moral failure. I found their response to be tone deaf and insulting. I responded in a decent way of course, but felt a bit judged and unhappy for wanting to know my birth mother. Adoptees are another set of people this fandom is insensitive and gross to. The Kenobi series I find insulting for that reason too, having Leia be a foil for Anakin and Obi Wan romanticize his recruitment as a child.

Jedi fans are also shitty to those with religious trauma and who faced abuse. Accusing anyone who criticizes the Jedi of projecting their issues with Christianity while simultaneously talking like conservatives as shown above. Tumblr in general has a weird habit of treating religion as if it’s either conservative evangelicalism, liberal reform Judaism and some vague pagan or eastern spirituality with little nuance. Some Jedi stans really come from a place of privilege. Claiming "they can just leave" is insulting to real religious abuse survivors who were raised with harmful beliefs like creationism or homophobia. I'm no antitheist but treating non christian religion as inherently progressive dismisses a lot of people's experiences.

Let's be real, the writing in this franchise was always a bit sloppy. Lucas's issue was wanting to simultaneously create both a black-and-white morality tale for kids based on the fairy tales and serials he grew up and a deep socio-political commentary about the Vietnam and Iraq wars which required some morally grey themes. Thus, along with his terrible dialogue that made the characters seem unlikable, is why the fandom is so divided over whether he intended people to agree with the prequel Jedi.

To wrap this up, I found the pro jedi fandom to be a terrible experience. It was a mix of faux progressivism mixed with fear of judgement for disagreeing. I ended up editing a post I made, and eventually deleted, comparing Yoda with Garnet from SU because I included a tiny bit of criticism and didn't want to get backlash. As long as it’s not gross or bigoted criticism of your favorite characters isn't the end of the world. People don't have to like George Lucas or his beliefs and put them on a pedestal. I feel like the fandom's worship of George comes in response to OT purists who claimed he "raped their childhoods" but there's fair criticism to be made. Just like how not everyone who criticizes Disney SW or any Disney media in general is an "anti woke" grifter. To the pro jedi fans reading this, here's a suggestion. Just block and ignore people, write an essay if you feel it's important, but don't act like an entitled bully if a blog or even a SW writer disagrees with the Jedi, interprets the story differently or criticizes your favorite characters.

[moonmeg]

Oh my, the mortification Robyn must've felt when he realized that the girl who had a crush on him and who he rejected totally knew about Micah's crush before he himself realized...

Robyn: Can we call someone good with construction or plant magic?

Vivian: Why???

Robyn: So they can make the earth swallow me!

I sense an opportunity to share the entirety of the scenario I blabbered to myself before drawing the comic >:3

So, here's how the talk continues

Robyn: YOU KNEW?!

Vivian: Roby, it was fairly obvious.

Robyn: (frustrated) You kneeeww! (face in hands) Mother of Titan, I'm the biggest idiot in the universe.

Vivian: I wouldn't say in the universe..

Robyn: Viv, just- tell me, please, did- did you figure this out before or after the whole situation with us?

Vivian: Uh...

Robyn: No, don't say it. You already knew before, right?

Vivian: Actuallyyyyy I only figured that towards the end. I don't have very good people skills. I was isolated for a big part of my childhood and if I was allowed to meet people, it was my parents' choice. You're one of the first people where I made the choice myself. I didn't know of anything unsaid between you and Micah before I approached you. And I only found out after I... took a glance.

Robyn: A glance?

Vivian: I may or may not have taken a quick look into your future.

Robyn: What?!

Vivian: I'm so sorry! I know I shouldn't have! I was supposed to ask your permission first but I was so in love and curious if you and I could be more... but I didn't see myself.

Robyn: You saw Micah. He was right after all. (excitedly) What else did you see? How much into the future did you look?

Vivian: I'm sorry, Roby, I won't tell you that. I want you to enjoy that moment in the future fully. If I tell you, I take that future joy from you. All I will tell you is you were very in love and very happy.

Robyn: Viv!

Vivian: Do you know why the rule "never use oracle magic to look into your own future" exists?

Robyn: It's dangerous. That's what the books say at least.

Vivian: It's not forbidden because you might cause a paradox. It will also not be the end of the world. It will not kill you or anyone else. The rule doesn't exist to protect the greater good. Oracales created it to protect the individual. The danger of oracle magic is not some monsters or the possible rift between present and future. The danger of oracle magic is knowledge.

Robyn: I don't follow.

Vivian: Taking a glimpse into your future is tempting. We hate to wait or to be clueless. We hate not knowing what our life will be. Oracale magic is an easy way out of wondering and what-ifs. All it takes is one crystal ball and basic understanding of oracle magic. Giving into the temptation feels relieving at first but the knowledge you get from it will grow into a burden in the long run. Imagine knowing everything about your entire future. You know who will be your partner, you know when and how you marry - if you marry at all, you know what your children will look like, how many you will have, your relationship with them. You know your career, you know your success, your domestic life, everything. Good and bad. What do you think that will do to you?

Robyn: ... You'd always wait for something that you know will happen.

Vivian: You'd stop living in the moment. You'd lose joy in living because you're always waiting for the future to happen. The present feels unimportant when comparing it to the future. It broke enough relationships, careers and people in the past. So the rule was invented.

Robyn: Makes sense. But you looked into my future. Not your own. And oracle sessions-

Vivian: Are kept vague for that exact reason. I know of a short moment that will happen in your future or anyone else's future for that matter. The difference between looking into other people's future and my own is the distance I can build. I can forget about other people's future visions but not my own.

Robyn: Right... so, you'll keep what you know about Micah and me to yourself...

Vivian: I don't want to take any joy of the future from either of you. I want you to go into your future without expectations and without knowledge. Sometimes being clueless is better. So just do me a favor and... live. Alright?

Robyn: (sighs) Alright.

[witchofthesouls]

Some more thoughts of the bayverse isekai:

Younger!Sentinel Prime is more aligned to the Optimus we know (and love) because bayverse!Optimus not only held the guy in so much esteem but seemed to gain his own ideals from the guy.

It's unfortunate that his Lord High Protector is Star Saber

Think of them as the heretic and the zealot

Both of them come from radically different backgrounds and mindsets, so they often pit against each other

Many see it as a good thing as the Prime and Lord Protector must mimic the original pair: Light and Shadow.

Everyone, especially Star Saber, constantly reminds Sentinel that he is the last of the Primes and most uphold their culture, propriety, and honor. Primes are the closest to their Creator, the zenith of all, and the keystone to their society.

Of course, there's a lot of underlying tensions cause Sentinel is the last one compared to the many during the Wandering Age.

There has been so much worry of what that means because Primes aren't alone. There's at least a pair about, but Zeta's untimely demise sent shockwaves throughout the planet.

That's why Sentinel has been pushed to bond. In hopes, someone of his own lineage will be touched by Primus as the massive sweeps throughout city-states yielded nothing.

Those who scoffed at Sentinel's proposal to sweep the Wastelands now had to eat their words.

There's a reason why the found newsparks are housed and hidden in the Primal Palace. Many were hoping to take advantage of Sentinel's lone status. A few with silver-tongues and in-depth knowledge of the oldest scriptures managed to convince Star Saber to back certain candidates, especially since many view Sentinel as painfully naive to the way of the(ir) world and needs proper guidance.

Of course, your survival/arrival threw everything into disarray.

Sentinel claimed you, a Wilder with Primal glyphs etched upon your face, as his Conjunx-to-be.

"You're throwing away all the traditions of our people and shooting decency to the winds!" Star Saber roared, and Sentinel felt nothing but slight annoyance over the fracturing crystals. He made his choice, and now they must accept, especially since he wasn't permitting unlisted individuals to his personal wings.

"Not our people. The traditions set by the Unification Age that we followed to this day. What better spouse to the last of the Primes than one that is Primal-descent?" Sentinel will forever savor the expression of horrified shock upon his Lord Protector scandalized faceplates. I win by your very own arguments, he thought. And braced himself for all the reasons he shouldn't bond now.

[faulty-writes]

Hello !!! Before requesting anything I just want to say that you're one of my favorite blog on Tumblr and I absolutly love your writing ! Now, could I please request headcanons for Tenya and Mezo and how they'd be with a partner that use to date one of their close friend ? Angst or fluff or anything ! Hope you have an amazing week !

[ Awe <3 I feel special. Thank you for being a fan of my work! I'll do a mixture of both, angst and fluff are fun to write in moderation. I hope you enjoy! ]

It happened after school when you were walking with Ashido, Uraraka, and Kyoka. Ashido had started teasing Uraraka about her obvious crush on Izuku and you blurted out that you dated him over the summer which is part of the reason you had enrolled at Yuuei High.

You should have suspected that word would spread and mistakenly thought that Tenya being the logical and straightforward individual would dismiss the rumors. Instead, he confronted you "I believe it is best to retrieve information from the source, please confirm or deny your previous relationship with Midoriya." Maybe you should have kept quiet.

You never imagined that Tenya of all people could show jealousy, but whenever Izuku happened to be around Tenya would take your hand securely in his or pull you close to him as if trying to show the world or at least Izuku that you were his. When you questioned his actions, he responded with "Forgive me, is public affection, not a normal aspect we should practice in our relationship?"

When you had enough of his jealous behavior, you confronted him. He looked at you with that all too familiar glance and said, "I admire Midoriya. However, I cannot expect to surpass him if I am not prepared to see him as a rival as well and if I am not prepared to prove that our relationship is worth more than what you may have experienced with him," before embracing you for fear you'd turn away.

If there was one thing Tenya did well, it was overthinking. While he didn't want to press the matter or act as though he didn't trust you the thought of you once being with his close friend plagued his mind and his jealousy turned into attention-seeking behavior. He'd constantly initiate cuddling, and hugging, and wouldn't let you out of his sight.

"I know perhaps that I have been acting strange as of late, but I find myself unable to justify the fact you once belonged to a close friend of mine. I...am afraid I am selfish, and I wish to have you and your whole entire heart. Please surrender them to me," he spoke tenderly one night before pulling you close for a much-needed kiss.

"Oh yeah, Y/n and I go way back! I can tell you all the things they like! Including well…you know," Hanta teased one day, nudging one of Shoji's arms. "Oh um…" he didn't think much of it at first, after all, Hanta was mostly talk, right?

Unfortunately, he had come to find out that it was true, you had dated Hanta for a brief time, but you found that you and he had too many differences. He didn't treat you badly by any means, and maybe you were being a little unfaithful when you realized that you had your eye on someone else while you were with him. Of course, that someone happened to be Shoji.

When you confirmed the fact that you used to be with Hanta, it stirred up some negative emotions in Shoji, while he knew he shouldn't compare himself to Hanta. He knew that unlike him, Hanta was handsome and without unsightly scars across his face. How could he expect to compete with that kind of beauty?

Taking his negative emotions out on you was wrong, but they continued to build up until he blurted out, "Did…you date him because he's attractive?" one day. The question caught you off guard and before you could answer, he continued. "After all, he doesn't have the face of a monster," he knew his words might cause a fight, but he couldn't help but speak honestly.

"So, he really said that?" you knew it might not be a wise idea, but you told Hanta how Shoji had been acting since finding out the two of you used to date. "Isn't the reason you fell for him because he has that monster appeal?" he joked and soon regretted it when he received a much-deserved slap. Although he wasn't wrong, you fell for Shoji because he was so different and those scars of his were kind of attractive.

You sensed there was a growing distance between the two of you, and you hated it. You wanted nothing more than to confront Shoji and tell him he was acting childish. Instead, you ended up confessing the real reason why you fell for him. Yes, it was because of his scars but more so his gentle personality and those arms that always made you feel safe when they were wrapped around you.

"Maybe I was being…monstrous," he said, nuzzling his face into your hair and inhaling your sweet familiar scent. "I just…love you and I don't want to share you with anyone," he confessed. Deep down he knew he didn't, and he'd have to make sure it stayed that way.

[666writingcafe]

The Truth Will Set You Free

Simeon

If this version of Belphegor as an angel is anything like the one I had to deal with, then he should be up in one of the trees, asleep. There's a few that he deemed appropriate for his naps. The actual search shouldn't take too long.

However, I need MC to answer some questions for me first.

"May I ask what you meant earlier when you said 'not this again'?" MC sighs.

"This is the second time that I've been sent to the brothers' past in the Celestial Realm," they wearily answer.

"When was the first?"

"Shortly after they arrived in the human world. Someone pretending to be Solomon told me that I needed to learn from their past." That's interesting. Not many entities have the ability to send people through time. This particular one appears to be a shapeshifter, but of what species, I don't know.

"Did this individual tell you why?" MC hesitates, which concerns me. They're normally not the type to hold information back. Did the shapeshifter instruct them to keep it a secret? I can understand if they sent MC to the future, but the past? Normally, the point of learning from the past is to use that knowledge to inform future decisions, thus altering the timeline.

"He said that someone close to me was at a crossroads. They could choose to remain as they were or change into something different."

Well, shit.

"Did he say who it was?" My heart races as I await their answer.

"No, but I figured it out." They stop walking, turning around to look me dead on. "I have to help you decide whether you should stay in the Celestial Realm or not. Trouble is, I don't know how. If the decision is difficult from where I'm standing, then I can't even imagine how much you're struggling right now."

It's my turn to sigh, but not because of anything MC did. I was hoping I could postpone having this discussion for as long as possible, but it seems as though my time has run out. If they know this much, they might as well know the rest.

"I've been writing about you. A lot."

"In what way? Like, am I serving as inspiration for one of your characters, or are you keeping some sort of journal about me?" Their question makes sense. They know about my connection to TSL, after all.

"Journals." My reply amuses them.

"Oh, so there are multiple," they tease.

"It started innocently enough. I was merely documenting my experience as an exchange student. I didn't know you very well back then, but the little bit I did hear about you intrigued me. I mean, there hasn't been a single human that has successfully made pacts with all seven Avatars and lived."

"I'm well aware. I've done my research." I'm sure they have. Otherwise, they wouldn't have reached out for help in the first place.

"The only other person I could even remotely compare you to was Solomon with his seventy-two demons, and even that's stretching it. While the power from the pacts is pretty much equal, yours is more concentrated."

"And hence more dangerous."

"Exactly. When you didn't spontaneously combust, I started paying more attention to you. I wanted to see how your pacts with the brothers would affect you."

"You mean my soul."

"If you want to get technical with it, yes. Would you still maintain a bright soul, or would it darken under the brothers' influence?"

"And?"

"Your soul's grown brighter, MC."

"That's not supposed to happen."

"No, it's not, especially since you're constantly exposed to the Avatars of Sin. You should have been reduced to a mere toy for them to play with, but instead you're influencing them to become better people." MC leans against one of the trees, crossing their arms as they look at me critically.

"And the fact that I've defied your expectations simultaneously fascinates you and pisses you off, doesn't it?" I can only nod my head. They have me backed into a corner, and I don't know what I can say that's not going to have them hate my guts.

After several tense moments, MC smiles mischievously.

Not the reaction I was expecting.

"I wonder..." They quickly begin walking towards me. I find myself quickly backing away from them. I don't know what would happen if they touched me again, and I'm scared to find out.

My back hits one of the trees. MC stops right in front of me, tilting their head with that same mischievous smile.

"What's wrong, Simeon? Afraid you'll show me something embarrassing?"

In that moment, they don't look like themselves. Not entirely.

I once had a dream that nearly played out this exact same way. In it, MC ended up shifting into Asmo, who then forced me to show him my deepest desires. Some dreams are open to interpretation, but not this one. Even my subconscious is tired of me hiding my true emotions.

I should let MC see exactly what I want to do to them.

But not here. Not when the angel Belphegor is literally napping in the branches of this very tree.

[bibibbon]

Worse, is that this general is the one who cannonically suffers from abuse and being treated like a monster for his magic ability to raise the dead by his mother and folks in his hometown. AND HE'S THE KINDER ONE OF THE GENERALS WHO STILL CARE FOR HUMANITY DESPITE BEING ON DRACULA'S SIDE! Oh, and he ended up leaving Dracula and fought against him and his former general friend in the games! Yet, the show treats him so cruelly (mainly because the screenwriter was getting back at his coworker who was telling him he should stop disrespecting the franchise their doing the show on(that screenwriter was fired for allegations but the crew still used his scripts regardless). And that's just an icing on the cake with Netflix Castlevania. 4/5

Part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4

Hector is probably my favourite castlevania character in the series just because I find his character arc so intriguing. However, I was quite disappointed by how his character arc in season 4 was handled and how they tried to paint it so that hector x Lenore was somehow a healthy ship when it never was.

Iam guessing that you're comparing netflix hector to the OG hector which to be fair netflix castlevania has very much done a complete spin on many of the OG characters hector included (if I read the OG spoilers right hector ends up fighting Issac and being much more active in the plot to the point I have seen people describe him as alucard 2.0)

Hector's character starts with him being a general for dracula and working for him. The depicts Hector and Isaac to be on equal footing during season 1 especially during their shared scenes either them together or with dracula. Heck even their own individual scenes interacting with other characters like camilla or godbrand held weight and showed the importance and power they held.

During season 2 we see the differences between Hector and Isaacs ideologies and we see the different paths that the characters are narrativey built up to take with Hector getting manipulated by camilla and betraying dracula which is contrasted to Isaac who chose to stay by dracula's side and had to be manually teleported away by dracula to escape safely.

We learn that Hector's ideology and belief when making the truce with dracula is that the human population will live like livestock and be controlled as such. Hector wanted humanity to be controlled in a "merciful" way pigs raised to slaughter in a way where they can be used tools to feed the vampires and for them to be raised in a way where they cannot harm and kill other humans.

What's interesting is that Hector clearly states that he doesn't love the rest of humanity but still views their existence as valuable and and important to the world. Ideally, with this ideology Hector shouldn't mind if dracula did change his plan and resorted to killing all of the humans that plauge the earth but in as we see from his conversations with camilla he very much does mind that. The whole reason that Hector was able to be manipulated to betray dracula is because of that change within his character. What's even more interesting is that Hector was able to tell that dracula was grieving and a "a shell of his former self". Hector could tell that over the past year that the death of lissa truly took a toll on dracula and this could be linked to the reason as to why Hector is considered somewhat empathetic especially when it comes to his night creatires whom he treats like proper beings.

Hector believes that by forging night creatures they become their own beings that need a merciful master and he believes that the act of brining night creatures to life is an act of mercy. He believes that he "brings life from death", giving a new purpose or meaning to a soul and saving them from hell.

Hector holds the belief that humans should be controlled like livestock to limit them from their evil actions and an interesting thing that both dracula and isaac bring up is that Hector only knows how to treat others like livestock and he only knows how to also be treated as such. All of Hector's psst relationships whether that be with random individuals or his parents have all been negative. They have all been so bad that Hector decided that the perfect way to live his life was to be completely isolated away from civilisation. This twisted view that he has ends up ending into quite the tragic irony later on.

From birth Hector was unwanted by his mother and his father used him as a tool to get money and power from him because Hector could do alchemy. So yes from the beginning of Hector's life he was abused by both his parents (it got so bad that he literally burnt them alive in his old house to get away from them) so that's a major reason as to why he doesn't understand how a normal healthy relationship works because sadly he never had one. The only joy Hector could receive was his friendship with his night creatures and ultimately this led him to develop a dangerous belief that things should be controlled by a "merciful" ruler ultimately the term merciful is incredibly vague and may not even be what the standard belief of the word is as he fully described that having humans be pigs raised to slaughter as somehow merciful?!?!

We then move onto season 3 where we ultimately should see Hector at his worst state and we see the complete dehumanisation and manipulation that Hector goes through. In the beginning of season 3 Hector arrives chained up like a dog and walking barefoot. He is literally being treated like an animal, like livestock which is ironic considering his previous beliefs.

After he arrives he is physically stripped off any clothes and gets cold water poured all over him as a way to clean him and gets a mouldy piece of bread as food. Yep castlevania goes out of its way to show just how badly Hector is being treated and the utter dehumanisation of his character. This can also be interpreted as a form of karma for betraying dracula and showing him that his previous ideologies by having humans be controlled like livestock is a bad idea (he literally suffers the consequences of his ideology).

This dehumanisation isn't only done by camilla but also by lenore who in their first scene together literally compares Hector to a dog and treats him as such (actually you can argue that she treats him worse than a dog). We see lenore actively manipulating and stripping Hector of his own autonomy and agency as a being keeping him trapped and only allowing him for a walk if he had a collar on?!?! (Handcuffs exisit but i think the collar thing was intentional by her) and she goes further to basically ignore his experiences with vampires and say that "they aren't monsters" like she and camilla aren't committing vile acts towards Hector (this is just another way of lenore's manipulation on screen)

Hector and lenore's first meeting is clearly staged in a way where we can see that ultimately lenore has more power whether that be from the proxmeics where we see that lenore is clearly above Hector and she has to sit down to reach his level. Heck even when she is sitting down she is still above him (literally and metaphorically) she is also clothed elegantly and has a veil on her that she removes to make herself seem more friendly and make herself seem like she is getting down to Hector's level all while Hector is naked and barely has anything to cover himself. The two are separated by a jail cell quite literally showing us that they have two different lives and showing us just how separated the two are with lenore still leaving a huge gap between them (enough to show that she still cares but also enough to command respect and show authority)

Ultimately Hector is at his worst and lenore is at her best. Hector is practically bribed into making a pact or a deal with the devil. A deal where he is exploited day and night for simple human rights (the right to decent food, clothing, some autonomy etc etc). This from the very beginning is an unequal deal one that lenore cleverly frames as a business deal where Hector is somehow on equal footing when he is literally their prisoner and foremaster.

(Am I ignoring some aspects of season 4 when ir comes to lenore's characterisation? Yes! Yes iam because I liked her so much more as a character who manipulates, who wants to be seen as important and is kind for image purposes. I liked her evil more than her being whiny in season 4)

Throughout season 3 and 4 we see lenore get closer to Hector and ultimately do more manipulating. She uses sex as a means to overpower him and show him whose in contorl. She traps him both mentally and physically with the ring on his finger and she tries to depict herself and her sisters as the good guys. Her phrasing going around the whole "yes camilla is angry and has an attitude but she would never kill you" (because you're valuable and needed to be a forgemaster although she doesn't say it). Heck even in the very last episode she still clings to that belief that after everything vampires (specifically her and her sisters gave done) that they aren't monsters and that in a way her actions are justified.

Like I said I hated season 4's characterisation of Hector, lenore, the sisters and Isaac's (not so much isaac though)

It made sense for isaac to spare Hector and heck I think it may of been a bit foreshadowed if we take the conversation isaac had with the pirate into consideration.

Hector should (but never got to) of stood up and betrayed the sister's. He should of learnt that his ideology of having humans being controlled like livestock is wrong because it will never be and can never be done under "merciful" conditions since good must always exsit with evil and the other way is also true. Hector learning such a thing would also have his character betray lenore and go back to his previous beliefs that she was indeed exploiting him.

The sisters should of ended things together. Season 3 established the undying loyalty and trust that they had for each other and in my opinion it would of been imapctful to stay that way even if camilla's ambition was the thing to cause their downfall.

Lenore should of lived and died, lived and been taken down by Hector ultimately escaping and landing om top pr she should of died with the sisters. She had potential to be a cunning villain who in her words shouldn't be looked down upon or underestimated for wanting peace or little amounts of violence as possible.

In the end I agree. Hector was treated horribly by the narrative specifically when it comes to terms of abuse and how the narrative treats the topic or theme.

However, I am not fully aware of the controversy surrounding the nextflix castelvanina especially the things to do in the writing room but I have started to look into it and yikes it's not good (and that comment is an understatement)

[flameof]

Okay, Gundam SEED Freedom has completely taken over my brain for the past 24 hours. I ABSOLUTELY MUST GUSH LORE AND PUT IT DOWN SOMEWHERE.

Naturally, there will be major spoilers for Freedom below the cutoff. If you don't want to be spoiled, then TURN BACK NOW, PLEASE.

Okay, we good? Good.

First the lore: A major theme throughout quite honestly the entire SEED series is that of Destiny. Rau le Creuset believed it was humanities destiny to destroy itself, Gilbert Durandal believed humanity would be happiest if their destiny was determined by genetics, and Foundation, the nation introduced in Freedom, follows in Durandal's footsteps, only to a more violet degree.

The main thing that differs Foundation from Durandal is the existence of Accords; basically Ultimate Coordinator MK2. At some point between Ulen Hibiki's initial experiments that created both Kira Yamato and Rau le Creuset, and Durandal being a part of whatever it was when he devised the Destiny Plan (as well as whatever created Rey za Burrel), two particular individuals were a part of the overall scheme. These two were Aura Maha Khyber (the blonde loli), and Lacus' mother.

That's right. Lacus Clyne is an Accord. She, alongside Orphee Lam Tao (blonde dude), were designed with the express purpose of running the Destiny Plan as a couple. Arranged marriage between Coordinators is no big surprise, let's be real. Hell, Lacus was probably genetically coded to be attracted to Orphee, shown in the movie by certain scenes (not show how else to describe them).

But, as you might guess (or know, if you've seen the movie), Lacus still chooses Kira over Orphee. Why? Well, time for some theorycrafting.

It's my believe that the main message of Freedom is one of Nature VS Nurture. Who we are genetically vs Who we are, raised by our environment.

Kira Yamato is a First Generation Ultimate Coordinator, so while he's outstanding compared to normal Coordinators, he pales in comparison to the Accords. But, Kira always said he was more than just the byproduct of Ulen Hibiki's hubris. More than a child of Ulen, he is a Yamato; raised and nurtured by Caridad and Hamura Yamato, after being entrusted to them by Via Hibiki, his mother by blood. Kira's kindness may very well be engrained into his DNA, but it was something he was taught to value by the Yamato's. He could have easily become conceited, like so many other Coordinators, but he didn't.

Just the same, Lacus Clyne, as far as we knew up to Destiny, was raised by the late Siegel Clyne, who almost certainly taught her to value people based on who they are, not what they represent. She can be cunning underneath her cheerful exterior in her youth, but she gravitated towards Kira because he was Kira Yamato; the kind boy who stuck his neck out for a stranger.

A wise dragon once said: Destiny is little more than the sum of our choices. I feel this quote perfectly encapsulates the core of SEED as a whole, not just Freedom. Destiny shouldn't be something chosen for you; it should be something you yourself choose. And in the end, Lacus chose Kira. A common theme in Freedom was the idea of 'Loving someone because you need them', which Lacus herself refutes with "You don't love someone because you need them; You need them, because you love them". Its a sentiment that Kira actually shares, when the woman holding Lacus at knife point threatens to cut our her tongue, or gouge her eyes out, and see if Kira still loves her then, Kira's immediate response... is of course I'd still love her; she's Lacus.

The Destiny Plan, laid out by Durandal, and worked on by so many, like Aura and Lacus's mother, was (ha ha) destined to fail, and I believe it all comes back to the choices two parents, unrelated to each other, made for the sake of their children. Because Via Hibiki got Kira and Cagalli to the Yamato's and Athha's, and all because Siegel Clyne taught Lacus to value the kindness of a stranger, over the power of your destiny.

Funnily enough, I'm remembering a line Kuzzey says back in SEED, about just how much work went into making Lacus's voice the way it is. Turns out; a lot.

It also makes me wonder if Meer Campbell was something of a backup plan, since she sounds identical to Lacus.

Okay, gushing about the new lore done. Now, let's talk about the awesome.

First off: The Immortal Justice is a Shinn Asuka suit, not an Athrun Zala suit. I don't make the rules, but Athrun never sat his ass down in the Immortal Justice.

Next, Agnes Giebenrath can literally be described as 'Coordinator Flay Allster', and I appreciate her for that.

Then, there's all the callbacks to other characters that had passed away, specifically Nicol and Natarle. Those two had complete maneuvers and tactics named after them. They're gone, but never forgotten.

As I mentioned in my last SEED Freedom post, Athrun did stuff with the Z'Gok that would make Char envious. The way Athrun handled that machine made me think he was Master Asia, Undefeated of the East.

Next, as we all well know by now, the way Athrun managed to get one up on the Black Knights' ability to read his mind; by thinking about having sex with Cagalli.

Next! Once more Mu La Flaga proves himself to be the man who does the impossible... by face-tanking FREAKING REQUIEM WITH THE AKATSUKI! Man practically said he had to stop doing that.

Then, there's the new warship, Millennium. Not only is it state of the art, but Murrue, once she starts captaining it, gets her own assault deck where she controls FREAKING GUNBARRELS! The Millennium is a warship sized Moebius Zero!

Finally, for the last thing I want to gush about: Shinn Asuka. Just... all of him. From the fact that he's calmer, earnest, stands up for Kira, drinks his 'respect' juice, and at the end, when he gets the Destiny Gundam back, he faces off against four of the Black Knights, and kicks their asses... WITHOUT TAKING MAJOR DAMAGE. Not only that, but STELLA LOUSSIER makes a comeback, proving definitively that Shinn Asuka is the Kamille Bidan of the CE era, by protecting Shinn's mind from being probed by the Black Knights, freaking them out by going all nightmare on their asses (which is probably just a representation of them being scared by just how much darkness is in his heart), and then immediately followed by him putting the F91 to shame and using the much meme'd about afterimages to kick ass and take names. Shinn may have lost to them before, but only because he wasn't using the machine literally built for him. Also, before I forget, when Shinn went SEED mode during that same battle, the Black Knights couldn't read his mind. Shinn's instincts are just that good.

Okay. I'm done. I've gushed all I can.

[transhawks]

I remember that Hori referred to Hawks (and Ochako) being a 'light of hope' in 2021. It's also interesting that it was Hawks who commented on Ofa and how it connects people's hearts. Do you have any thoughts on this?

I think that arc was very dark for Hawks specifically and the anime's rendition of it is very dark. However these chapters... in 323-325 it is a bit different. It's where I think Hori was honest and where I do think Hawks and especially Ochako are at their brightest, narratively. So, uh, to go back to my writing for Graduation Day, I remember debating whether to analyze this scene because I thought it was relevant. I eventually decided that six thousand words is enough and to spare y'all, but let's get into it because I think it confirms my thesis that vulnerability is needed for connection in BNHA.

Ochako's first panels in 324 have her saying, admitting actually, that she cannot reassure people. She acknowledges they're all scared and worried.

This was the best thing she could have done.

The deification of heroes was something that led to the system they have now. Somewhere in the glitz and hero rankings people forgot these are regular people.

We see this repeatedly as an issue of identities - why Toshinori seems a shell of himself outside of All Might, most of Enji's issues boil down to him not knowing how to be Enji versus Endeavor and screwing his family up for it, and Hawks is...well, everything about Hawks is about being a Hero rather than a person, which is why Horikoshi had him kill someone literally named "humanity".

Ochako doesn't allow this to go on. She makes it clear they're all scared, they're all people who want safety, comfort, and want to be clean from mud and dirt, same as any other. It's why she's one of the Savior Kids; she's geared to try and humanize the other side. It's why she's paired with Toga. See below, as she thinks of Toga while giving a speech.

Essentially she reached the people in that crowd by reminding them who Deku is - a kid with way too much on his shoulders, a person just like them. Not a symbol, not a quirk, like AFO is treating him as. A boy. Or "regular high school kid" - yeah, I should have put this in Graduation Day, lol.

Symbols aren't meant to be fragile or have to come out from the rain. Deku does because he's a person.

So what about Hawks?

This isn't the last time Keigo is going make metaphors about One for All. Remember the line so many people read in bad faith about him comparing Endeavor "linking" people together too? He was talking about connection, pure and simple, realizing that much of his own motivations and Inasa's are connected through Endeavor, or their perceptions of him.

Truly, it's just him remarking that seeing society as holistic, as a whole rather than a part, is the key to solving their issue.

I think the emphasis on showing your soul, ugliness and cracks and all is one of the keys to reaching the villains. Something that doesn't position them as moral superiors, which is where Keigo failed drastically with Jin. He didn't give him a good choice at all. He also wasn't willing to be fully vulnerable with him. But I also think there's another dimension to this. More and more I think Horikoshi is actually criticizing individualism and the idea of "the great man". In his depicting of bystander system that has become an issue from society delegating acts of kindness and heroism to an actual career, I think he's critiquing the idea that one person can shoulder that burden.

It shouldn't be a person but a village, so to speak. It says a lot that the characters we know as villains are both seeking connection but also saying, in the depths of despair, that their individual will can change the world.

I still interpret this scene as Dabi deep in denial. Uh oh, he actually FELT something, time to double down and reiterate he doesn't give an actual fuck when truth is he DOES, he just doesn't want to. Otherwise he has to FEEL.

Anyway, the emphasis on the single person and single convinction is another one of those clues I think Horikoshi is leaving us about the "Great Man theory".

The great man theory is a 19th-century approach to the study of history according to which history can be largely explained by the impact of great men, or heroes: highly influential and unique individuals who, due to their natural attributes, such as superior intellect, heroic courage, extraordinary leadership abilities or divine inspiration, have a decisive historical effect.

I remember balking when I read this. Maybe it's because here in the West, there's little uhh agreement over Napoleon being heroic. Maybe it's because my history teachers were unsual but I've never really seen anyone seriously consider Napoleon heroic. There always seemed to be agreement he was a power-mad tyrant who took advantage of the Revolution to enact a military coup and then actual progress made by the Jacobins. So the fact chapter 3 of BNHA has Mic quoting him as a great hero was always weird. At the time of my first read through, I wrote it off as maybe Japan doesn't take this approach to Napoleon and the Revolution. One person's tyrant is another's hero, you know? But more and more I think Horikoshi has been debunking Great Man Theory with his manga. First off the premise of Great Man is usual that the Great Man is born, that his Greatness is congenital. That there's a natural aptitude for greatness, like superior intellect, etc. BNHA is absolutely refuting that, has from the first page. In fact the characters who get into the trap of believing they are born "anything" are shown to be trapped or not in a good way (see Redestro, or see Tomura and Keigo believing they are born to destroy/have dirty wings respectively). So much of who Deku has become is supposed to change this idea of biological predisposition to greatness.

Even Dabi, who has struggled against the circumstances of his birth, falls into the trap of believing some people are born with everything and are born to everything, essentially internalizing the worst of his father's own beliefs.

The story isn't kind to people who give us this rhetoric - that depending on others is wrong, or weakness. It's why Deku had his arc, after all.

Which brings us to my second point - the story isn't the triumph of individuals against evil. It's about people coming together. That's why Ochako and Keigo had their moments of realization in 323-325.

It's not about one person. It's about people.

Lastly, and this is conjecture, but there's a curiosity to the Great Man theory from a cultural standpoint. Now each culture has its Great Man to some extent. I've spoken about how All For One is likely trying to emulate Oda Nobunaga with his Demon Lord talk. But the emphasis on individual actions over collective ones, the commercialization of heroism, and the idea of competition breeding innovations/results are distinctively Western Capitalist ones. And in...a clumsy way, I think Horikoshi has been hinting at this being part of his own criticism.

Did you ever notice how the Japanese anime has them say "Hero/Hiro"? It's an imported word. Japanese has other words that mean hero, like yusha or eiyu, which have different meanings that all relate to the English hero as either a brave person (yusha) or a person of greatness/importance (eiyu). Why then use hiro, a foreign word as the title for this career?

Because the hero system is canonically imported. And so perhaps are the ideals it brought with it.