#I've grieved and live with it now but heck

[celaenaeiln]

Robin Dick Grayson Characterization

I'm not sure how or where this started but there's been a rampant misunderstanding of Dick Grayson as Robin.

For some reason there have been posts upon posts that dick was some kind of angry robin and I don't know where this is coming from because in every single comic Dick is said to be the happy one. It seems to be a Covid craze because such defamation was not even in existance before 2020. Every one of the comics - Justice League, Batman, Detective Comics, Nightwing Comics, Jason's comics, Tim's comics, all of them! Talk about Dick being the happiest of the robins.

Some people say that he wanted to avenge his parents death by killing Tony Zucco. However Dick could never do that. John and Mary raised their son better than that.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Issue #100

Where do you see a raging blood-soaked boy fanon makes him out to be?

The biggest supporter of happy Dick comes from Alfred so if you're going around claiming Dick was angry, you're literally spitting on his grave because Alfred ADORED Dick. He thought of Dick as the sole reason for Bruce's happiness which made him love Dick even more.

Alfred is Dick's biggest advocator. When Bruce is hesitant in his initial days of Robin - Alfred says

Detective Comics (2016) Issue #1000

"They will be easier than they ever were for you."

Detective Comics (2016) Issue #1000

"He will see excitement and adventure...and he will help you see it, too."

Detective Comics (2016) Issue #1000

"He's gotten a taste for it, Master Bruce. He has the natural skill and talent. Do you really think you could stop him at this point?"

"He could make you better. He could BE better."

"A hero forged in the LIGHT."

And Dick feels this too.

Detective Comics (2016) Issue #1000

"Then WE help them find the better path. Together."

Detective Comics (2016) Issue #1000

"Let's show them how to do it right."

Calling Dick an angry robin - that's an insult to Dick, Bruce, and Alfred. It's an insult to who they are as characters and it's an insult to the very creation of robin.

Dick wasn't made for vengeance. He was made for the light.

Dick is the embodiment of hope and a brighter future. He's what people look forward to on their darkest days, their shining light. He's the hero of all heroes that came after him. There is no one like him.

There are tons of comics on Dick's journey as Robin but here's a clear one as to his thoughts before he became Robin.

Robin & Batman Issue #3

Dick wasn't angry. He's was sad, lonely, and scared.

But.

This good boy doesn't deserve what you call him. This small loving child. Don't you dare push your evil agenda onto him.

"I don't need to be the next batman. I can be something else. Something better."

"And you know the best part?"

"Now I know I don't need to be alone. And I don't have to be the dark."

"I can be the light."

"I can be Robin."

Batman (1940) Issue #687

Dick was an excitable, brilliant, and over-excelling child. He was a ball of sunshine and happiness who loved laughing, playing games, and being crazy. He was a hypercompetent, crazy child who lived for the love of living and adventure.

It's the loss of the original dynamic duo that Alfred grieves over.

Batman (1940) Issue #687

Just look at this adorable baby!!!

Batman/Superman (2019) Issue #16

"Hey, Batman! You took down one of 'em and I took down three! I told ya I've been practicing!"

"Good work, Robin."

What the heck you cute adorable baby.

"Holy--! Is this a warden's office of a museum of horrors? Look at that old rocket ship!"

"Ew. There's a skeleton inside!"

LOOK AT THAT BABY FACE!! THE PURE ENTHUSIAM IN THE WAY HE TALKS - HE'S JUST A HAPPY BABY BOY!!

Batman/Superman (2019) Issue #17

IT'S A CRIME TO CALL HIM ANGRY.

Love this sweet, adorable child.

Another issue with the “Dick Grayson was an angry Robin” take. It’s not just a different perspective, it’s just blatantly wrong.

How wrong?

In order to fight the Batman who laughs, Bruce creates a machine that will emulate the joy of the happiest person he has ever known-who?

Robin Dick Grayson.

"Happiness is seeing the world though the eyes of children."

The Batman Who Laughs Issue #4

"Dick was the first robin. He had the happiest eyes. Circus eyes. Weightless - leaping, never falling."

Bruce drives himself insane from the joy he feels by looking at the world through Robin Dick's eyes.

Every comic. In every. single. comic. All of them talk about how Dick was a happy child and a happy robin. Dick's talk about it, Jason's talk about it, Tim's talk about it, the Justice League's talk about it, the Batman's especially - all the batman comics - talk about.

I would've actually added about 50 more panels but I ran out of image space because posts only have a 30 image limit.

I'm not kidding when I say it's IMPOSSIBLE. ABSOLUTELY, INCONCEIVABLY IMPOSSIBLE to say that Dick was angry Robin. Dick, Jason, Bruce, Tim, Damian, Alfred, Barbara, the JL, the titans, the Gotham villains - they all talk about Dick was a symbol of hope, joy, and light to Bruce and Gotham.

Not only that but if you read the comics, you would know that Dick was a happy robin because all the following robins had a cascade effect on their personality based solely on the fact that Dick was a happy robin. Jason's personality was the result of Dick being charcterized as happy, and Tim's personality was based off Dick's being happy.

But you know what the biggest piece of evidence against this blasphemy that Dick was angry robin is?

Secret Origins (2014) Issue #8

"...Becoming a much needed FOIL to the batman, whose own grim obsession with revenge could easily have caused him to cross the line..."

Explain something to me. It canonically states the Dick was a foil to Bruce Wayne who used to be revenge obsessed and grim. A foil in literature means a character who contrasts with another character to highlight the differences between them.

So if Bruce was dark, gloomy, angry, and revenge filled and Dick was the foil, then how on earth is it possible Dick to also be dark, gloomy, angry, and revenge filled?

On top of this impossibility of Dick being angry and full of hatred, can we take a step back for a minute and think about Dick's position in all this? Dick is the very first child hero, the one countless heroes after him look up to because he, Robin, was the embodiment of light and goodness. He single-handedly dragged Bruce out of his pit of self-destruction merely by existing because of his charming and playful demeanor. How, then, is it possible for every single character in the entirety of DCU along with every single writer who has ever written a comic - to be wrong?

Let's be clear. Bruce's personality, is written to be the opposite of Dick's personality. And Dick's personality is the opposite of Bruce's. Furthermore, Jason and Tim's personality were written to be a response to Dick's. There's also Alfred waving a massive banner about how Dick is a literal godsend front and center. So. If you still believe, that Dick was not a happy robin, then you have effectively mischaracterized every single person in the entire batfamily aside from Kate.

Congratulations. It's truly an accomplishment to be so wrong.

So no, Dick was not in fact, ever, the angry robin.

Dick was a happy robin and that is the FOUNDATION of understanding the batfamily.

[crossover-enthusiast]

YOU. You get it LIKE YEAH I've seen so many ppl go the 'Streber survived and is recovering with help from his friends' route which is totally cool but c'mon,, I'm a sucker for antagonists pff Also ye for Streber to be considered an antag in the first place he'd have to be against Skid and Pump and the motive of him being pissed because they abandoned him does make sense considering the circumstances. Like imagine you're bleeding out on the porch then some kids walk by, see you, think 'cool prop' then run off lol

I can only imagine Streber was hoping and praying against all odds that someone would come to his rescue or call for help. Heck even Skid and Pump should be old enough to understand that person bleeding out = person is in danger. Unfortunately, their obsession with Halloween got in the way of logic pff

Not to mention the last thing Streber saw before succumbing to his wounds was most likely Skid and Pump gawking at his body then running off (minus Bob stopping by and dropping the remains of his arm in front of him ofc)

Oh, and I just got the disgustingly angsty idea of Streber turning against his friends, either out of blind rage or because they didn't get to him on time. I imagine he's blaming just about everyone around him for what happened. Since Bob is dead Streber can't really take out his anger on him, so that anger is now being taken out on other people.

Yeah yeah yeah exactly!!!

ESPECIALLY Streber turning against his friends. Ough. I feel like it's a mix of both, he's lashing out at whatever he sees plus a sort of resentment that they didn't save him, that Bob completely ignored his friends but left him to die.

Meanwhile, on the side of his friends... they're grieving, they all have guilt, but suddenly Streber is ALIVE but he's not him anymore. They want their friend back, but he wants to hurt them. It's a lot.

And ON Skid and Pump: they're still oblivious, they still have their innocence, their lives ahead of them, they have everything and they're still treating him like some prop. It pisses Streber off, honestly.

I feel like something about antagonist Streber is that while he's filled with rage, he's still clever. Smart. He knows how to plan, get people where he wants them, compared to Moloch and Dexter striking blindly or Bob just rolling with whatever comes his way.

Him as an antagonist would try to pick everyone off, one by one, until he feels something again.

[hurricanek8art]

So a lot of people have seen my Star Wars posts the last couple of weeks. I only have a handful of followers and I'm still pretty new to all of this, and it's been fun and kinda mind blowing. I would love to talk about Star Wars or other nerdy stuff more than anything right now, but... I have something I have to get off my chest.

My dog Lucy died this afternoon.

It was sudden, like this developed at some point in the three months since she was at the vet last, and there was nothing we could do. I can't bring myself to really talk about it. I don't think I ever will be able to. It's too much. Because Lucy was my everything.

I'm not posting this because I'm looking for sympathy or prayer. I mean I'll take it if you're comfortable giving it, but that's all really complicated stuff, y'know? Not everybody has a great relationship with grief or religion—heck I don't always have an easy relationship with either of them sometimes, but I'm working on it. I'm not digging for commiseration or "poor sweet baby"s or anything. I just... don't have many people to talk to in my life. And this is gonna be really hard for me going forward. Not that anyone needs me to tell them that, everyone who's been where I am knows this. I'm not ready to grieve. I've grieved half my life, really, for different reasons, different people. It's... complicated. I'm complicated. So I'm going to do what I learned how to do to cope with my grief as a child. I'm going to tell you a story.

It's a story about love and unexpected journeys. Of finding who you are through someone else. Of a girl and her dog, who found each other and were who the other needed in just the right moment. I want to tell you a story because if even one person reads this, just reads it, doesn't even reblog or like or anything, the story is carried on. And the story lives forever. And in a way, Lucy lives forever. Because she already does in my heart, and she always will. So I'm going to tell the world our story not because I'm looking for followers or likes or sympathy or whatever. I'm telling it because I want at least one person to know even a fraction of how much I love her. If you don't or can't read this because it's too much, too close, too anything, I understand more than anyone that it can be overwhelming or painful. But if you do read this rambly ode that I wrote last night in sort of a haze... I thank you, for carrying the story on.

I met Lucy when I was thirteen. My family had been looking into training a service dog for me for a few months. We thought that it would help with my autism, alongside the PTSD I was dealing with in the aftermath of my father's death a little less than a year before. Because we already had one wonderful lab mix, the local training organizations had turned our applications down, citing that it would be too complicated to integrate the dogs. A friend of our family who did occupational therapy through animals suggested we find a dog and train it ourselves, with her help and help from people she knew, so off to the local shelters we went. This trip was our third try, and it was the same shelter we found our lab in—third try's the charm, right? And it was.

My mom wanted me to look at the puppies down a different row of kennels. Easier to train when they're younger, and she has a fondness for labs. But I walked down the righthand row, waving and smiling and wincing at the noise as excited dogs barked, wanting to see why new people were there, and I saw her. She was in the middle of the row of kennels. She never barked, but her big brown eyes were bright. I knelt down to say hello because she was the only one not barking in my face, and she leaned against the chain link to get closer for me to scratch, still looking at me with those beautiful eyes. I didn't realize it in that moment, but that was the moment she moved straight into my heart. I wanted to at least visit with her in the introduction room. Yes, the puppies were cute, but I had a feeling this time, y'know?

When they brought her into the room, I was sitting on the floor. She about dragged the shelter volunteers across the room, making a beeline for me. Sniffing all over. No licking—she's never been a licker. That's alright. We played a little, my mom and brother watching kinda surprised because this dog didn't want to look anywhere but me. She sniffed curiously around the room a few times, sure, but otherwise, she was right there. Stayed right there. And then she did this.

I was a goner. Because I found my dog.

___

They told us they thought she was a dalmatian mix, estimated to be about one and a half, which was amazing because we did the math later and realized she was likely born around my birthday in December. Asked me what I wanted to name her. I was on a Narnia hyperfixation at that point. Lucy, because she was so sweet and curious. Later the name evolved into an homage to Lucille Ball, because she was wacky and goofy and fun. I don't care where the name came from. She was Lucy and she was my dog. We had to introduce her to our other dog the next day, at the dog park. It went fantastic. All she wanted to do was romp and play, and our other dog went from acting her age of 8 and sorta arthritic to a happy two year old again. Surprisingly, the shelter worker handed us the leash and said "she's yours for the weekend, we'll talk on Monday". Trial run I guess. I was fine. I was ready.

It was Friday, April 13th, 2012. My brother likes to make jokes that the date should've been a clue that she'd be a handful, but I don't care. A Friday the 13th was one of the best days of my life. Even if it didn't feel like it at the time.

(I swear she and our lab got along, that one is just one of the few pictures I have of them together at the moment 🤣 I have so many pictures, but I can't go through them yet. These are just the ones I feel comfortable sharing right now.)

___

She was not a dalmatian mix. We figured that out that night when we put her up in my room to sleep. I was too buzzed with excitement, so I was in the living room when I heard it. This bay from my room. Not a bark, a full on hound bay. I remember looking at my mother in shock, and she just shook her head, eyes wide. "That is not a dalmatian."

It turned out there was an foxhound breeding/hunting place a few miles out in the boonies from us. They don't actually fox hunt, it's more of a horse-riding club where you go out riding with a whole flipping herd of foxhounds, English and American, to exercise the dogs. The shelter had found her about a month before running around in the woods, no collar, no chip, nothing. We don't know if that really is where she was lost from, or how long she was a stray. No one from there came looking for her if she was theirs. She had some scars on her face, thin scratches you could only really see when you squished the loose skin on her face. I loved squishing her face so much. Lucy had pretty clearly never been raised around non-working dogs. Or humans. Or anything, really. The world of the suburbs was new and confusing to her, but she knew how to chase, and run, and scent-track. Never had a problem with wild animals trying to get into our yard again at that house. Lucy was here to protect her new people.

(I should be clear that there was nothing in this tree. No squirrels or anything. I think this photo really captures some of her essence, though 🤣)

Service dog training went out of the window pretty quickly. My mother, who'd had dogs for decades, had never adopted a dog as old as her before, and Lucy was a lot. Hyperactive, intense prey drive, stubborn and hardheaded and loud, oh my gosh she was so loud. And settling into a new routine after losing her husband while trying to raise two autistic kids, while we all dealt with PTSD, was a lot. She got overwhelmed and kinda shut down after a while. My brother didn't know how to train dogs either, so he shut down, too. I don't blame them at all, we were all grieving and they came back around eventually, but I was thirteen years old with a dog I had no idea how to train, and I felt alone. I was grieving and scared, and for a while I was terrified that it wasn't going to work out. Every time our family adopts an animal, we swear right then—that animal is a part of our family, no matter what. But it was so much, and we were dealing with so much.

But then Lucy would look at me with those big brown eyes. And I'd feel okay. Because she was my dog. And I was her person. And I wasn't going to give up. So I squared my shoulders, I went over everything I knew from what my mother had taught me over the years, and I trained my dog.

(this was from 2016, and it's the day I knew she and my brother actually did get along, despite all the headaches and banged-up knees from her not dodging around him quite in time that she caused)

Things have never been easy. But we got through it. We moved out of my childhood home, a little over a year after returning from everything that happened with my father. (It was a saga I really don't know how to share) My PTSD and trauma stuff got worse, and my now-regular panic attacks really got started, and I dropped out of therapy like an idiot, but through it all she was there, always, always. When it felt like no one else was. When it felt like I was drowning. I never got suicidal thoughts until the pandemic hit, and have never been anywhere near wanting to even think about following through on them, but even when I was in really dark places, no matter what, Lucy was there, listening to me with her big floppy peanut butter colored ears and her big brown eyes and her freckly-looking spots. Lucy saved me from fully spiraling into a grief-filled, depressed fog I wouldn't be able to find a way out of more times than I can count. As far as I'm concerned, she saved my life. She was never cuddly—I think she tolerated my attempts at affection more than anything sometimes, but that was okay. I'm pretty touch-averse when it comes to humans and hugs and stuff. Dogs, no, humans, yes. I understood, and I knew when she'd had enough and when to step away, and I did my best to respect that. She was fine with being independant, with just being near me. And I realized I was fine with it too. Because she was there. And I was there for her.

(She heard me open a snack container in the first pic; behind that bush was one of her favorite spots in the summer even though it drove me crazy when I couldn't find her 🤣)

Over the past few years, it felt like we'd really settled into where we were supposed to be. She never slowed down with age. She just... matured, I think? Especially after our lab mixed died in 2016 and it was just her and us humans. Realized she didn't have to constantly chase the next smell, be on the lookout for the next squirrel or bird or rabbit. When I took her out for our hours of hanging out on the back porch in the sunshine, as soon as the weather would turn warm, she went from constantly running around the yard to taking breaks to hang around my chair. Laying near me, sometimes even next to me. A few times she laid her head on my feet, or next to them, or against my legs when I was sitting on the ground. I almost cried every time because it made me happy she was so comfortable with that. (Scratch that, I did cry) My favorite was when we were out there in the evenings, and she'd fall asleep as it got dark, deep enough to snore. She felt safe enough to do that, comfortable enough, content enough to let herself fall that deep asleep, because she knew we were there to protect her, be there for her. Because I was there. And if you've never heard a hound howl in their sleep because they were dreaming about chasing things, you've missed out, it's possibly one of the funniest sounds you'll ever hear, and I got to hear it on a nightly basis. I heard it last night. Even when it kept me awake sometimes as her snores rattled the windows, I have treasured that weird yodel-y sound as it fluttered through her flappy lips.

Those summer days will be in my heart forever. And when the weather would turn cold, and my seasonal depression would get bad, I felt better because she'd let herself become a couch potato with time, and realized "Hey, I can sleep on Kate's bed when she's not on it! Score!" She was content, at last, after years of us working so hard to find a balance. That's what I've held onto all this time, what I'll hold onto in the coming months, years, decades. That she's content, and happy, and she knows that she is loved more than anything in this world.

I've grown and changed with her. It's been eleven and a half years, we had to have. I've lost family and gained family. Drifted apart from friends like an idiot when I should've held on. Sometimes I don't know if the person I've become is who I want to be, or need to be, but when I'm with her, it's fine. Because I was who she needed. I became an adult. I found new interests and hobbies; I found writing, I re-found art, I found music and making friendship bracelets and a little bit of sewing recently, though I'm bad at it. I found historical subjects, mythologies and folklore, stories I never knew existed, that fascinate me. I found Lord of the Rings and Captain Marvel and Paramore and Taylor Swift with her. I still don't always know who I am, but I found myself. And every bit of that, Lucy was next to me, watching me as I discovered it, listening to me sing to her and ramble on about whatever I was doing on the days we sat out on the porch or in my room, just us, and I needed someone to talk to. She was always a good listener.

I'm still struggling with my mental health, everyone in my family is. And I know the next few months are going to be hard. But every bit of my life with her, I've been happy, even when it got hard. Because Lucy was my dog, and I was her human, and we were Kate and Lucy. My only regret is how long it took us to find our balance, find out how to coexist when we were so different but the same at the start. I will always regret how long it took, even if I was a confused child for half of it, but I never gave up. I couldn't. Because she never gave up on me, even when I had no idea what I was doing. Anything else—the grief, the frustration, the fear—I regret none of it. I never will.

Because through it all, I had Lucy. And Lucy had me. And now, if you've read all this, as I rambled my way through our story, trying not to cry and laughing at some of the memories, maybe you know her a little bit too. Everything on the internet is forever, right? Well, now our story is forever. Lucy is forever.

And she will be in my heart forever, too. I love you, Lucy. My Goose, my Goober, my Goofus, my Lucy-Goosey Mongoose, my "no, no, stop that, please stop eating stuff you find in the yard!". I love your squishy face and your droopy lips and your floppy ears. I love your loud barks and your window-rattling snores and your incredibly weird sleeping positions. I love your big brown eyes and your goofy grin and your misunderstanding of the word 'gimme five' regularly leading to you enthusiastically smacking me in the face with your big ol' paws. I love how I had to show you how to chew apple slices with your back teeth because you'd never had one before, and how you'd mooch for a carrot that was supposed to go to the horses only to spit it out three seconds later and then immediately try mooching for another. I loved teaching you to boop me with your nose when it was clear you weren't comfortable with kisses as a way to show affection, despite the numerous times you almost broke my nose. I love you. I love you. I love you. You have been part of me since April 12, 2012. You always will be part of me. One of the best parts.

And now you're forever.

[4thesims]

Guess who may (or may not) be back!

It has been almost four years since I posted on this blog— heck, since I even logged into Tumblr. I mean, I was 24 years old the last time I posted (I am now pushing 29 years old, and I don't want to talk about that). Anyway, so much has happened in that time, one of them being that my old 2013 Macbook bit the dust last year. I thought all of my Sims saves were gone, and after some grieving, I had fully come to terms with that.

At the beginning of April, my boyfriend and I impulsively decided we needed new laptops. I'm a full-time graphic designer and have been living off of my work laptop for the last year and some change. So all work, no play.

Well, as of last night, while I was digging around in old external hard drives that I had found, 2020 me had done the greatest thing she could have ever done. She had saved a FULL backup of her soon-to-be dead laptop (and then completely forgot about it). When I tell you, I SHREAKED so loud that my boyfriend was concerned. I immediately dug into my EA folder, and lo and behold, all of my mods, old screenshots, and, most importantly, save files were there!

So that brings me to right now: I am sooooo behind on all of the content releases, and I'm not entirely sure what I've missed, but you bet I have been playing ALL DAY. I did buy the cottage pack (mainly for the chickens), and I think I'm going to slowly go through the rest of them as I find time.

I guess all of this was a long winded way of saying you might see my face pop-in from time to time for a while :-)

[toujokaname]

Just As I Am / Episode 1

Author: Kanata Haruka

Characters: Tetora, Hinata

"This time, I'll try my best to show that I'm a "man among men"!"

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Season: Winter Location: Yumenosaki Academy Garden Terrace

Tetora: Hmm~m, hmm~mm...

Hinata: My, my~? Why're you staring at your phone? I mean, you'd usually be all over the delicious food in front of you, Tetsu-kun.

Today's special is the galbi[1] set meal, which made a triumphant comeback thanks to your passionate request, right?

I thought you'd be overjoyed since you kept sending requests to the cafeteria saying you wanted to eat it again.

Tetora: Of course I'm happy! I've been grieving the way it disappeared from the cafeteria menu all this time!

So I really am happy they brought back the galbi special!

I'm really happy, yet... Hnnn.

Hinata: Oh dear, now you've started worrying again...

Hellooo~? Your meal will get cold if you keep at it like this~ If you don't want it, then I'll take it~

Tetora: Woagh?! This is my galbi!

When the galbi's gone, it turns into just a regular meal set! Spare me from that, at least!

Hinata: Tch~ I thought I could have one more dish for lunch, bummer...~

Well, joking aside. What the heck are you so worried about you'd even ignore your beloved galbi?

Tetora: ...Actually, I got a message from Anzu-anego saying that my "Feature Live" has been decided.

Hinata: Oh, that's great news!

I see, I see, so that's why you were staring at your phone instead of eating.

If that's the case, then you're troubled 'cause of that "Feature Live," right, Tetsu-kun?

Tetora: That's exactly it. This time, it's my solo live, huh.

So, I've been thinking about it again. What kinda "Feature Live" do I wanna do as the current me?

Hinata: I see~ But it's a little surprising that you're worried about such things.

If it were the usual Tetsu-kun, I thought you'd immediately say, "I wanna make it a live that feels like a man among men! Ossu!"

Well, but surprisingly, Tetsu-kun has a sensitive side too~ Like, if you trip over a pebble, it seems like you'll keep thinking about the cause for a long time, y'know?

Tetora: ...I wish you wouldn't make such a strangely realistic analogy.

At first, just like Hinata-kun said, I wanted to make it a "man among men" live.

But when I thought again about what a "man among men" means, I kinda became unsure...

Remember when I had my personalized outfit made?

At that time, I didn't have any specific preferences other than wanting a cool outfit, right?

Hinata: Oh~ You sure said that.

Looking back now, saying "I want a manly outfit" and then answering that you don't have any specific preferences wasn't very manly at all.

Tetora: Ughh...?!

Hinata: Answering "what do you want for dinner?" with "anything's fine" is as troublesome as it gets.

In that situation, a man among men should quickly reply with "Meat!" ♪

Tetora: You've changed the subject, Hinata-kun!

Hinata: Ahaha, my bad, my bad. But you get my point, yeah?

Tetora: ...Well, I do get it.

It's hard for me to hear when, even today, I was struggling to decide between the galbi special or the ginger pork special, or perhaps katsudon...

Uuu... I'm so pathetic! Not manly at all!

Hinata: Wow, a lighthearted topic I casually brought up is making an unexpected wildfire spread?!

W-Well, Tetsu-kun, calm down.

What to have for lunch and the live are on totally different levels of importance. Though it's understandable that you're feeling troubled.

And, look. When it came to the personalized outfit, after all that, we properly organized what you wanted to do with it, and then gave the requests to Anzu-san, right?

Tetora: You helped me out a lot back then, Hinata-kun. I was seriously grateful.

...Even now, I still believe the answer I gave to Anego was correct.

The ideal image I have in my mind. The cool appearance of "a figure that keeps growing while working hard" is the same as ever.

But, wouldn't that result in the answer being the same as before? If it's identical this time, wouldn't that lead to a contradiction?

Hinata: A contradiction?

Tetora: See, I'm saying that I wanna keep growing, but the answer's the same as before. Can you really call that "growth"?

Hinata: Ah, I get it. I think I understand what you're trying to say.

In short, if nothing changes from before, then it'll look like you haven't grown.

But the part of you that says "keep working hard and keep growing" is the part that shouldn't be changed so easily.

If that part changes, then it wouldn't be Tetsu-kun anymore.

Tetora: Yeah! Yeah, that's right. Because that's a part of me I don't want to waver, I end up worrying even more.

I need to think about the direction of the pamphlet, but I'm at a loss for what to do...

Hinata: So let's do it again?

A "Meeting to Discuss Tetsu-kun's Feature Live!" Something like that, while borrowing everyone's strength!

Tetora: Hm~mm. I would like to ask for help from everyone, but for now, I wanna think a little more on my own.

We shouldn't start thinking together until I decide what kind of live I want.

I feel like I need to decide on my ideal before moving forward.

Hinata: ...I see. I get it.

Well then, I'll be waiting for the moment when you're like, "Ah, this is it!"

And if you want, you can show it to us in person at the live! It'd be like a surprise!

Tetora: Ossu! I'm really indebted to you for all the support you've given me, Hinata-kun.

This time, I'll try my best to show that I'm a "man among men"!

 Galbi is a type of grilled meat dish from Korean cuisine.

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[campwillowpeak]

I'm so sorry for what you're going through!

I watched my dad succumb to cancer a few years ago and am currently supporting my mom's battle with cancer so I know it hecking sucks to see someone you love fade away.

While it is true that the hurt likes to linger, it can turn into comfort if you let it as well. After the initial grief becomes numb it will be moments that hurt. Times when you want to ask them something. Times when you get excited to tell them something only to realise you can't anymore. In these moments I've come to realise that they are reminders of the love we shared rather than that of a dying man suffering only to succumb to something none of us could've predicted or changed.

The last time I saw my dad alive he told me not to cry because he had made his peace and didn't want to suffer anymore and all he could hope for was that we, his family, didn't forget how to live just because he was gone.

I hope that you take the time to grieve and let yourself feel it. It is messy and hard to comprehend at times but it is all part of the path forward. I hope you find the fondness of the warmth and love that your dad has created in your life and that will always stay with you - no matter the time or distance that separates.

The hardest part has been seeing him like that...

I'm glad when I picture him in my head he's how he looked 5-10 years ago and not how he looks now..

It's funny, we both have the exact same hair, and it's very distinct hair... especially since he keeps his as long as I keep mine, so whenever I look in the mirror I see him too just how he was back then, really hope that never stops

I may share a pic of grandpa sloth here soon when I'm ready

[queenlucythevaliant]

Hi Leah! I have what is probably a stupid question if you feel like answering it? (If not, that’s alright too!)

Like a lot of people, I was brought up to believe in a very literal interpretation of the book of Genesis, told that evolution was a worldly lie, etc., but I’ve grown much more curious and open minded about other views in recent years. So my understanding was that there was no such thing as death until Adam and Eve’s sin? And I was wondering if/how evolution and natural selection and everything would all work if death had not yet entered the world?

I have a feeling this is probably a very common question, and certainly something I heard a lot growing up, but framed less like a genuine question and more as a sort of well-obviously-a-real-Christian-can’t-believe-in-evolution statement. (Which is such nonsense! There are so many Christians who believe in evolution!) But I genuinely would like to know because I’m sure there’s a good answer!

Hey Juliana! Not a stupid question at all, my goodness. People dedicate whole lives and careers to considering these things and I've seen a pretty wide range of views on the subject, so I don't have a simple answer for you. That said, I do think there are good answers to be had and I'd love to opine as best I can!

So it's my understanding that the Hebrew word for death, mût, can refer to physical death and/or spiritual death (ie being alienated or cut off from God), depending on context. A really great example of where it's obviously used for the latter is Ezekiel 18, because the whole passage is a warning about spiritual death. I've excerpted verses 20-24 below with some help from Blue Letter Bible:

The soul who sins shall die (mût). The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die (mût). None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live.  Have I any pleasure in the death (mût) of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die (mût).

I think it's obvious to any orthodox Christian (or heck, probably plenty of secular folks too) that this passage isn't talking about physical death, but about the death of a person's soul/the second death. This same word, mût, is also the word that's used in Genesis 2 and 3.

After Adam and Eve sin, they feel shame, try to hide from God, and try to avoid taking responsibility for what they've done. They realize their nakedness. They are alienated from God and from one another: something within their souls is broken and is now barreling straight towards complete separation from God in a novel way. Since spiritual death is a legitimate sense of the word die in Hebrew, we can actually read the passage pretty much at face value and see that this alienation between man and God is death coming into the world.

So that's that then, right? The curse is purely spiritual in nature and physical death has always been perfectly natural?

Yeah, no. I mean, clearly not, right? Jesus didn't just conquer spiritual death (though He very much did that), he also physically resurrected in the body. This is a pretty big deal. Throughout Scripture, physical death is treated as something for which we were not made: we do not welcome it and we are right to grieve it. We can learn the spiritual skills to die well, but death is still portrayed as the enemy. It will not exist in eternity.

However, I do think that this spiritual aspect makes it pretty clear that the death that came about as a consequence of the fall is specific to spiritual beings (ie humans with souls). Thus, I don't think there's any problem with acknowledging that purely physical deaths of animals without the Imago Dei occurred routinely prior to the fall.

(Also, to engage with YE creationism on its own terms for a moment: why would God create predators with claws and teeth and carnivorous metabolisms if they were not meant to kill other animals?)

But we are still left with the fact that physical death is an enemy, unnatural to the human condition, and furthermore that it is tightly bound up with spiritual death (no Platonic dualism here). Thus, the death that entered the world when Adam and Eve sinned must be both physical and spiritual in nature.

To the remaining question of how, exactly, that squares, I haven't got a good theological answer. This is as far as my current research and understanding can take me; from here, I can only share my own personal speculation.

I don't think it's a stretch to say that there is something inherently eternal in the image of God, and thus in the human soul. For my requisite Lewis quote, "You have never talked to a mere mortal." I speculate that when God breathed into Adam's lungs and endowed him with the Divine Image, whether in Mesopotamia or in Africa, Adam really was physically immortal, regardless of the fact that his ancestors had been dying for millennia. The Divine image is not one created for physical death, even when the material from which its bearers are sculpted has hitherto been mortal and fleeting.

So in summary, I think that the death that enters the world in Genesis 2-3 is both spiritual and physical in nature, and thus it is specific to spiritual beings. I draw this view from a number sources, including MDivs I know personally, but a good starting point is C. John Collins, the Old Testament theologian that I referenced in my other Adam and Eve post, if you're interested in learning more. I also tentatively speculate that the Divine Image with which God endowed Adam and Eve came with a physical immortality that they lost as a result of the Fall. That part is my own gloss.

Like I said before, I'm still young and I'm definitely not a theologian. Evolutionary biology is my academic wheelhouse much moreso than Adam and Eve. Like you, I'd like to keep learning. Ask me again in thirty years ;)

[shychick-52]

Weird writers asks- 1, 7, 10, 13 and 19!!!

OOOH, THANKS. :D

1. What font do you write in? Do you actually care or is that just the default setting?

Times New Roman, size 12. So, standard. I'm used to it, having written in that all my life, plus it's by far the easiest on my eyes. I know there's a trick with some other font that's supposed to increase writing speed or the amount you write, or something, but I always forget to try it!!! DX

7. What is your deepest joy about writing?

Breathing life into the characters and scenarios in my head. It's such a fun, almost surreal feeling. Writers are demi-gods, at the very least. We create life. :D It's like that one lyric in the 'Barbie Girl' song- "Imagination, life is your creation!"

I also love sharing my ideas about my favorite characters, including my headcanons, with others. Even though not many people read my stuff, I still love putting them out there. XD

10. Has a piece of writing ever “haunted” you? Has your own writing haunted you? What does that mean to you?

I've been haunted by so many wonderful writers' stories, including yours! In other words, a really incredibly-written, powerful story (often heavy on the drama, angst, and hurt/comfort) that stays with me for a long, long time that I can't stop thinking out. One that destroys me in the best way.

As for my own writing, it doesn't necessarily have to be angsty or dramatic, although those are my favorite kind to write about. It's often an idea that I can't stop thinking about, that I HAVE to write or I'll go crazy. Like 'Who Am I?' and 'Circumstances and Control'. And I can't stop thinking about where to take the story next, what to do with the characters (usually it's the multi-chapter stories that haunt me the most), and I lie awake at night planning out details, scenes, and dialogue. And even once each new chapter is posted, or the story is finished, I often re-read them to see if they're as good as I originally envisioned or if I still feel the same pride about them I felt in the first place (and I'm pleased to say they usually do hold up).

13. What is a subject matter that is incredibly difficult for you write about? What is easy?

Anything sexual (especially pure smut). I'm ace/sex-repulsed as hell. I don't have much experience writing or reading about sexual content, let alone... ah, personal experience (because I'm not comfortable with any of it), so I also wouldn't even feel confident trying to write it. (However, I did write a one-shot fenro story called 'A Definitely Real Man', which was SCARY AS HECK because I've never done anything like that before. But to my surprise, it turned out really well.)

Subject matter easy for me to write is anything angsty. Especially where loved ones' lives are at stake or are dead (with lots of grieving, suffering, and even self-blame). I also love writing about abusive (or dead) parents.

19. Tell me a story about your writing journey. When did you start? Why did you start? Were there bumps along the way? Where are you now and where are you going?

I wrote my first fanfic in high-school for the anime series 'Cardcaptor Sakura', which was a really short one-shot. (A friend of mine had introduced me to fanfiction, and after reading a bunch of it, I decided to give it a try too.) As the years went one, I wrote more and more fanfiction for different interests of mine and soon it turned into a life-long hobby to this day.

As far as original writing goes, during my university days I wrote the first two books in a planned-out children's book series I've always wanted to write and publish. Unfortunately, it went through a lot of hiatus and writer's block because I couldn't get the story and characters to work properly. So, I abandoned it until years later when I picked it up again with a whole new idea to make it work; I ended up scrapping most of the original storyline and characters, leaving only the bare bones intact. Since then, it's worked out much better! I'm currently writing the third book in the series and editing the first two, but I don't really know how many books I want the series to be. Maybe two or three more? (I'll probably never get it published, but who knows? At the very least, it's another fun hobby.)

[marblealphabetsoup]

Heya.

So... this account has been made separately from my main stuff. Maybe some people know who I am or what this is, but hopefully not all that many. I'm making this because someone suggested I let a few things off my chest that I've been keepin' quiet for a pretty long time.

The purpose here is to air my brain out I guess.

For starters, hi. You can call me Marbles if you want. That's not my name, but I don't need to share it, especially if this is what I'm doing.

For what I'm doing; I have reason to believe I'm... plural.

Wow. That was kinda hard to type. I mean, it's easy to spell, but it's not like I've ever really felt comfy saying that; not to my friends, family, so of course I'm saying it to a bunch of strangers on the internet!

Either way... known for quite a bit, tried to fight it, pushed it down, masked it for sooooooooooooo frickadiling long. Haven't really talked about it sans (heheh skeleton... I miss him) a few peeps who've had to live with something similar. That's not all I want to talk about, but I want to finally be honest about it... here we are I guess.

As far as I'm aware, it's not DID. I get distracted pretty easily, but I've never had any sort of blackouts or memory problems. Even when it's "someone else in the driver's seat" acting as a "pilot" I'm still watching, listening, and remembering the whole dealio. I just sometimes get kicked to passenger, though usually it's me just having to listen to the peanut gallery up there. I've usually got 1-3 passengers or co-pilots. If I had to take a guess, my brain has around 2-3 dozen maybe? Some only stick about for a day or two, but quite a few have been kicking for months or years.

Heck if they were real and watching this, currently imaging their mouths hangin' wide open with big ol' eyes. 'Cause... I mean, there's not really a way for me to know it's not just in my head, hence the airing my thoughts out *jazzhands.* But to them at least this would be a "big deal" or somethin' idk.

Yes, it is a big deal. You have no idea how proud I am of you right now, kiddo.

...

Recently I lost one of them. Let's refer to these guys as... my marbles. Eyyyyyy I've lost my marbles! Aha.... ah... I lost a marble and I think he's gonna be gone for a while... already lost him once, at least this time he left on his own terms. I don't know how to talk about this. How do you grieve someone who was only ever in your head?

Anyways, that's why I'm here and... I... guess I'm doing this.

[popcornaddict500]

man this is partially gonna sound weird as hell but big personal incoherent oc/grief vent down below

there's... something jarring to me abt losing oc ships I've had for SUCH a long time (in regards to being dumped by a close friend whom I had said ships with)

cause its like. these ships had almost become canon in my mind. I thought about them a lot, they were so Real to me.

not to mention the kids those ocs had together cause we literally made those together. designed those ocs together. I can't bear to part with them as painful as it is to keep them

I'm trying to cope but I find myself truly missing them and it's like.... i some weird way I want to find a way to fit this into a scenario. to idk work through the pain?

like like

Olivia waking up from what seemed to be a really long dream.

she had a loving husband and kids and everything. she was happy.

but she wakes up now as though it had never been- because that's kinda how it felt to me

looking around her empty bedroom. no husband, no kids, no proof of the life she had lived.

but it felt so real

it felt so long

but she's the lonely, haunted woman she was. not the happy woman finally finding peace in her family.

and she's not okay about that (neither am I)

same goes for my other ocs who were in ships with this friend. Adam, too. the one oc of mine they claimed was their favourite.

makes me look at him differently, even if slightly.

idk it's weird. those ships meant a lot to me as strange as that may sound. the things me and that friend made together meant so much to me. and I'm still struggling to deal with everything being gone now. what we did is still here, I can still read it, but it's like... it's wrong, now. it doesn't feel right to think of our ocs like that anymore as much as it pains me.

(bigger not oc related text coming in)

I'm not okay about it even though a few weeks have passed since it happened.

I'm still grieving losing someone so dear to me over a small issue that didn't need to happen at all. I was never given a chance to fix anything and it's left me with a ball of feelings I can't express. I couldn't even respond.

I miss talking to them, I miss the oc stuff we talked about, and so many other things...

maybe it sounds trivial to an outsider but the truth is I value my ocs and their ships a lot and when I've had ships for so long with someone I cared about this much it's like... a part of me being ripped away, when they ripped me out of their life, too.

you might've thought that by cutting me out of your life I would only lose being able to talk to you but. it's so much more than that. everything that was influenced by you. everything that i made because of you. everything I had collected in my mind and cherished such as the oc stuff. heck even some of my ocs were influenced by you and now are different for me because of that association. everything that reminds me of you, things I would've sent you if I was still able to talk to you. the stories in my mind of our ocs. everything that made you an important part of my life. it's all still there but now it tastes sour and miserable. tainted if you will. I lost someone I cared for deeply. someone I thought cared for me too. and it didnt even have to go this way but how the fuck was I supposed to know something was wrong when you never told me? why did you never tell me and then bail at the very end?

did our friendship mean so little to you that it was so easy for you to cut me off like I was nothing? I think, surely you must miss me in some way. surely you realize this wasn;t the right or the mature thing to do. surely you cared about me in some shape or form. surely you were happy knowing me and talking to me too. you wouldn't have stuck around for as long as you did otherwise.

before it all happened you said 'I rlly don't want to hurt your feelings'........ and then followed that up by doing. possibly the most hurtful thing you could have. being uncomfortable is one thing but not giving the other a chance at all to fix this supposed issue or even letting me respond to these- rather unfair and shallow claims you made about me is... so cowardly. I had hoped you trusted me.

I don't want to say maybe its better this way cause honestly it doesn't feel that way but. if you were fine treating me this way, someone who was supposedly one of your closest friends, then... maybe you weren't the amazing friend I thought you were.

especially because I would never treat you like this. all I ever did was love you. maybe there's another reason you did not talk to me? maybe you had some issues over on your end that you weren't willing to talk about which resulted in this big breakup? was it worth cutting me out of your life over?

I *seriously* hope you know that what you've done has hurt me in a way nothing has ever hurt me before. and it will continue to do so for a very long time I'm afraid. if you don't know, it's like... how could you do something like this and think I'd be fine? think I wouldn't be wrecked over it? truthfully I don't think I'll ever forget it.

sorry to whatever poor soul is reading this by the way lol, just had to get my emotional vomit out there. this isnt even everything lol

so yeah. emotional pain tuesday anyone?

[satansxlapxcat]

To the girls who's mothers traumatized them

Are you jealous of the girls with good moms too? Do you wish, like I do, that your mom was like the ones in the movies? You know, like in Easy-A or The Princess Diaries?

I haven't spoken to mine in almost five years. I almost typed three, but then it hit me. It's been nearly five years.

Only recently have I started allowing myself to grieve the fact that she wasn't who I needed her to be. Grieving for someone who is still alive felt like the weirdest concept to me when my therapist first brought it up. How can someone grieve for the loss of someone that's still around?

The thing that you're grieving though is the thing that little you needed most and that you would kill to have had. This grief not a feeling that is always at the front of my mind like when you lose a loved one, but as soon as someone talks about their mom and the great relationship that they have, it all comes rushing in. All of a sudden, I can feel my chest caving in and my throat getting tighter and tighter. I keep my mouth shut, I smile and nod, and I try not to let it show that it's killing me.

It's a feeling that has always been there, but I used to call it jealousy. Heck, maybe it still is on some level. When I was still a kid and living with her I would push it down because it was the only thing I could do to survive. To make it long enough until I was old enough to get out on my own. I couldn't let her know how I wanted to live with dad instead, otherwise she'd take her life. That isn't something I was being dramatic about - It's something she'd actually threatened to do once before. Now that I'm older I wish I would have called her bluff.

Grieving. I am grieving for what I deserved and only got glimpses of once upon a time. I am grieving the fact that I had to learn to mask my own emotional turmoil because how dare anyone be allowed to feel poorly when she had it worse. I am grieving the mom who I could have had friends over for a sleepover and who would have gone all out for snacks and movies and gossiped with us. I am grieving the woman who wouldn't have used me as a pawn to squeeze more money out of my dad for her own gain when he was trying to save up for my college.

Sure, there is still a lot of anger too and that's all I felt for a long time. The grief is something I've just started to allow myself to feel because it was easier to be angry than to let myself cry about it. I just wish I never had to feel like this. I wish she had been good. I wish she had been stable. I wish she hadn't pushed away everyone who cared about her. Most of all, I wish she could still be in my life.

But that can't happen. She is selfish, she invalidates peoples feelings, she has a victim complex, and most of all she is one of the most cruel people I've ever met. No one should allow someone like that in their lives. It's just worse when it's your mom and everyone tells you, "well, she is your mother you have to love her".

The thing is, she's not my mother. She's simply the woman who gave birth to me.

[luciana-silentstar]

‘19 update

Never know how to start these bc they’re always lame, but hi yeah still alive. I’ll start out saying I’m never leaving lmao, SSO has always had my heart and always will. I haven’t been playing much at all, and have mostly lost interest in the current game for various reasons... I’m really glad to see so many really love where it’s going, even if I don’t feel the same. However, as this blog’s original purpose has always been me posting whatever sh*t makes me happy, that’s how it’s gonna stay babey. On the bright side, me being painfully homesick for the old Jorvik has pushed me more into the art side of things; I had always planned to expand my idea of Jorvik/updated Jorvik, and Luciana’s place in it. She actually does have a backstory, and I’ve wanted to do things like flesh out the native plants and what not, as one of the things she does is study the wild, for example. So I’ve been doing things like figuring out what kind of native plants would be in Jorvik, etc. 

@ Ruth-Westside’s Jorvik reimagined paintings have only further inspired me to kick my own ass and further flesh out Luciana’s world, as has the world of RDR2; the lighting and landscapes has reeeeally got me into trying to figure out digital painting. Which is a bitch and a half. But I’m trying lmao.  I have chronic fatigue, two horses, a very active German shepherd and other hobbies, so like. I can’t say when I’ll start posting content or how often it will be. Could be within a week. I might spam and then disappear, rinse and repeat. I have no idea. Life has been a clusterf*ck. But really all I’m trying to say it: HI! I still exist! I still love SSO! I miss the old SSO and am working to bring to life what I loved about it and what I would’ve loved to see! Luciana is an actual character and this point with a backstory/relationships/personality/life and I wanna show that in art and writing bc she’s very very dear to my heart! I miss all of you and am glad to see so many still so passionate about the game as it is even if I can’t relate!

I really need to meet up with old friends sometime soon, because I miss SSO meetups. Someday. Someday I’ll post the million screens I have(that requires backing up, finding, and uploading, after hoping on my pc which I don’t always have access to), and will post other Original Content once it’s been made. Hell I have a painting I started like. Two years ago that’s SSO related that I DO intend on finishing.

Jorvik has been so, so important to me, since I was a little kid. It has such a special place in my heart, and it honestly tears away at me that I can’t visit it anymore. It sucks. But the memories? The literal thousands of screens? The friends? Some of the most treasured things in my life. Never gonna let it go, and it will never lose value to me. I hope you’re all doing well; stay frosty. <3

Have a WIP. I have no f*cking idea what I’m doing I hope you know. BUT if you zoom out really, really far, it looks like a screenshot! :D lmao. This is a learning experience for me but honestly slapping color on a canvas? Fun! Too bad I have no idea wtf I am doing!

[pocket-dreamer]

SPOILERS AHEAD -- What happened to the villains in NWH?

In case you didn't see the title, MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD.

I haven't seen a lot of content for this question, and tbh, the multiverse is in full swing with its branched timelines, so this means that every villain/Peter that went back to their specific timelines caused a branched timeline. Here's what I think happened in each of them.

Also, a quick note before I start, I've seen many people question exactly when everyone was pulled and when they returned. Some people believe it was literally a five-second window in the other movies, others believe that they were gone from their universes for the full 12 hours. I will try--with my albeit limited knowledge--to figure this out.

I can't really say what happened to Peter 2 and Peter 3, but I think that later movies will address that. For now, let's go with least to most complicated.

Sandman

Flint will go straight to his daughter, regardless of how much time has passed. Judging by how he rushes to Peter's aid in NWH, I assume he was pulled after Peter 2 forgave him. I hope he finds a good, not-at-all-potentially-villainous doctor to help his daughter and lives a quiet life outside of New York.

Lizard

Dr. Connors gets arrested either way, I think. The only change I can think of--especially depending on when Connors was pulled--Captain Stacy might live in this branched timeline. Would that save Gwen's life along the way? I'm not sure.

Electro

Max is easier because we at least know where he was pulled from--the moment of his death. If he's put back during that moment, then he's definitely a dead man. But if he was put back 12 hours later, it would be easy for him to quietly blend back into the crowd, but with the confidence he needs to get noticed.

Unfortunately, Max had nothing to do with Harry's reckless actions after he was injected, so Gwen would still end up dead. But, I think that Max would end up becoming an advocate for Spider-Man after Peter 3 disappears to grieve. And after Spider-Man returns, I bet Max would take Oscorp to court, and with Spider-Man as a witness, would at least get money for the damages. Sure, Oscorp might be in shambles by the end of the movie, but there's still someone running it behind the scenes, right?

Doctor Octavius

Now, this one is probably the most complicated, because if he was put back at the exact moment that he had Peter by the throat, a lot could have been avoided. Otto came back with the arc reactor, so he might be able to utilize it to neutralize his machine without any casualties. He'll probably accept jail time and comply with the police's demands. I don't know how prison works for a supervillain, but if he's released at all, I think he'll use the arc reactor to fuel more of his experiments, for a better cause, of course. Heck, he'd probably be able to successfully run the city on renewable energy just like he wanted to--maybe even in the same way. But instead of the tritium, he'd use the arc reactor, and it would work.

He'd fix the arm that the Goblin broke, maybe upgrade all of his arms with new and better tech over time.

He'd probably help Peter and Harry out in the final battle against Venom and Sandman--which would be pretty cool, ngl. I think Venom would be defeated a lot faster thanks to Otto's versatility, and with someone else to watch out for Spider-Man and MJ, Harry might live through it.

Otto would definitely become a mentor figure for Peter after that, maybe even offer him an apprenticeship/internship, and Peter would study under him until he sets out on his own. Aunt May would get an apology too.

If Otto is sent back 12 hours later, then this is the worst-case scenario for everyone. Either Peter replaced Otto and drowned with the machine, or Peter was able to get Mary-Jane to a safe enough place before the machine gets well and truly out of hand. In which case, the city might collapse, or the whole world might.

I assume Peter would have figured out a way for none of this to happen, but Otto would probably be put right back where he was...which would either be underwater or in the middle of a burning sun. Unless he can use those arms to swim somehow, the future's pretty grim either way.

Norman Osborne

Ironic how Otto's branched timeline was probably the most brutal...I think Norman's branched timeline would be the best thing that ever happened to Tobey's Spider-Man. And there's a LOT here, so let's unpack.

Norman's death in the first Spider-Man movie caused a chain reaction that resulted in Harry's bloodlust, his amnesia, his revenge, and his eventual death. By extension, that nearly destroyed Peter and Mary-Jane's relationship as well--the only confirmation that it worked was Tobey's dialogue in NWH.

Also: it's heavily implied that the Goblin is just a super distilled amalgamation of Norman's worst traits--one of them being his neglect towards his family. We never got to see the version of Norman that truly loves his son because the Goblin was in control for most of SM1.

So. Here we go: If Norman is put back during the final fight with Peter (it's implied that that's where he comes from in the first place), then it would be easier for Norman to convince Peter that the Goblin is gone, especially since Norman and the Goblin don't share memories. Norman also was put back without the glider, so imagine being in Peter's shoes, seeing Norman disappear for a few seconds and then appear in a modded suit, bemused, and probably confused as to how Peter suddenly seems fine "after being stabbed" (unless Norman remembers literally nothing because of the second spell's effects, then nix that last part). And I think, if Peter believed him, it would be easy for Peter to get Norman home without anyone noticing.

Now, aside from Peter, no one else knows about his alter ego. So as long as Peter keeps his secret, Norman basically gets a new chance at life. Without that familial neglect, he has the chance to actually be a father to Harry, maybe even ceding Oscorp to Harry out of both love and guilt (after all, the board of directors was vaporized). I wouldn't be surprised if he developed some form of PTSD and doubts his own actions for a while after despite being cured.

The second movie would not happen. Or rather, Otto's research would not be funded by Harry even if Harry did have control at this point. If Norman remembered the events of NWH, he would shut that mess down before it even started. And even if he didn't, Harry would have no reason to hate Spider-Man, so Otto still wouldn't get the tritium unless he took it by force.

However, the main event of the second movie could instead be Harry discovering Norman's secret vault behind the mirror. Harry might have a mental break, run away, Peter would reveal his identity to Harry to convince him to come back, and Norman would finally have to own up to his mistakes. But that's a headcanon--I have no idea what would happen here realistically.

However, I do think that Norman would play a pivotal role in the events of the third movie--specifically when it comes to Venom's influence over Peter. You can probably see where this is going. Along with Harry and Mary-Jane, Norman would witness the symbiote's effects on Peter's personality, maybe even how brutal Spider-Man becomes, and would look into it because it seems way too familiar. Norman and Harry would investigate the symbiote with Oscorp's resources, separate it from Peter, and kill it before it did any harm to anyone else--which means Eddie wouldn't die and neither would Harry. And Peter would forgive Sandman faster, so there would be no need for a final fight at all.

After that, my best guess is that Oscorp might become what Stark Industries was to Peter 1. Peter 2 could have his escapades funded by Oscorp, and Harry might still go vigilante as a sort of heroic take on the Goblin, helping Peter 2 here and there with crime-fighting. Overall, not a bad ending.

So what do you think? I haven't seen the Raimi/Webb movies in a while, so heaven knows I've missed something.

[cc-writesfor2dcharacters]

a/n: of course! i already envisioned something similar since i've written a scenario like this in my fanfic! so, thank you for requesting this! i hope you enjoy it! <33

Mikey x F! Shy Reader

Having the leader of the top gang means you're always in danger. People from other gangs that envy Mikey were trying to get to you as a way to get revenge to him. He was keeping it a secret because Mikey is aware of what might happen to you. He loves you dearly, that's why he just wants to protect you from this cruel world. Until now, you still don't get how Mikey even took a liking to you. You were timid and didn't like crowds. He's helping you get through that, while at the same time, he won't do anything to expose you to the dangerous world of gangs.

Although, rumors have started to spread that Mikey had a girlfriend. Girls in your class were devastated by this news, calling his girlfriend "unworthy" when in fact, his girlfriend is just right in front of them. And, you've been overthinking that you're just probably a burden to him in case the cat's out of the bag.

So, one night, you and your friend were walking along together while it was raining. You had to stay a little late in school since you were trying to finish a project. The two of you were just casually walking when a group of men who were driving a motorcycle suddenly approached you. That one guy who was the most intimidating out of all of them threw his cigarette in the ground asked, "I heard that one of you is the Invincible Mikey's girlfriend?" You signaled to your friend to run, but they were just too strong and held your friend captive. "If you move, I might take your precious friend's life, right here, right now." He threatened you as you clench your fist. And, you just had to watch your friend get tortured and beaten up by these disgusting men. The adrenaline in you started to rush as your vision started to get darker. Your emotions of anger and pain were battling. You're angry because you were too weak to even defend your friend. And you're in grieve pain for letting this happen in the first place. She's the only friend you've got and accepted your very introverted personality. With that, you've had enough. So, you have no choice but to run up to the guy and punch him in the face as hard as you could. You did the same to the other two he was with and kicked the other in his balls. You kept kicking and kicking them until they could no longer move. But, you felt that someone stopping you. Heck, you were even about to punch this person who was stopping you, but as you turned around you see Mikey and his friends. He embraced you, but you were struggling to get out of his arms. "Let go of me, Mikey! My friend didn't deserve this. And, I don't deserve to be your girlfriend as well, I'm too weak." You said as you cried out. You were thankful for the rain, as it hid your tears and emotions. Mikey rested his head on your shoulder and said, "It's my fault. You're too kind and innocent. I can't call myself your boyfriend if I can't protect you in this kind of situation. So, please don't blame yourself." You just cried in his arms. Thankfully, your friend was okay and gave you a thumbs-up as she thanked you for saving her.

As the men who ganged upon you and your friend, Mikey scrunched the hair of the guy who brutally beaten up your friend. "How dare you do this? I'm not the one to hold grudges but I'll never forgive you. I won't let you live your life in peace again. And, I'll remember each of your faces." Draken and the others kicked them out. Mikey went up to you again as he held your face, "Whoever messes with my girlfriend or my girlfriend's friends will have to face my wrath." He softly said while there was still a hint of conviction. His statement was both genuine and determined which is why it made you feel safe.

Now, you don't need to worry anymore as he'll do anything and everything he can just to protect the person he holds dearly in his heart.

[dreamersscape]

In Which I Attempt to Wreak Havoc Upon Panharmonium's Heart. Or Something.

Because I am an awesome friend, clearly, and possibly making people sad/verklempt is definitely an excellent way to (belatedly 😔 but I did start before the 15th!) celebrate Kakashi's birthday, right? ;)

I will admit up front that this is nowhere near as deftly structured and compiled as your Kakashi fanmix, @panharmonium, but that is precisely why I'm not even going to try to organize all these songs into individual playlists. Yet. Plus, I have a tendency to over-explain so this way I can better expound on why certain songs remind me of certain characters. Sorry that I sorta went a little... overboard?

Everything--except a few that aren't available on spotify, I'll link to them directly--can be listened to HERE.

What I'm Looking For - Brendan Benson | Kakashi → I may be a little biased with this one because it fits SO many of my favorite characters so well, somehow, but there's just something about the upbeat/tongue-in-cheek musical cues/delivery of lines such as 'I visit hell on a daily basis, and I see the sadness in all your faces' that just feels so Kakashi to me.

Happy Ending - MIKA | Kakashi → This is presumably a breakup song, but I enjoy it so much more in a non-romantic context (and the song itself isn't really boxed in with overtly romantic framing, so I appreciate that!). Anyway, some very important instructions IMO for listening to this with Kakashi in mind: everything before the bridge is about Kakashi up through his ANBU years, but when you get to the 'little bit of love' refrain, picture Kakashi meeting Tenzo, and then becoming Team 7's sensei, opening back up to Gai, adopting all the other leaf genin, assimilating Sai and Yamato into Team 7, and it keeps building with Kakashi gaining more and more loved ones to fill the hole in his heart, and then cry tears of joy with me! Just my personal suggestion. :D

Light - Sleeping At Last | Kakashi & Team 7 (/all his kids)

with every heartbeat I have left I will defend your every breath

→ I've seen this song used for ship vids and I'm all ????? about that because this is clearly a song about the love you have for your child! But I suppose if one of my favorite pastimes is aggressively re-interpreting love songs in non-romantic ways, I can't begrudge the opposite process... too much, lol.

Heroes - MIKA | Team Minato

your blood on me/and my blood on you/but to make you bleed/the only thing I wouldn't do/.../I wish there was a way/to give you a hand to hold/'cause you don't have to die in your glory/die, to never grow old

Long Lost Friends - Transit | Kakashi & Obito

how long/do you have to say that/this is not the person I used to know/you are not the person I used to know/.../because lately, you've been looking at me like you've seen a ghost/and isn't it obvious who's been missing who the most

→ What the heck! What the heck! What the heck! What the heck! What the heck!

Against the Voices - Switchfoot | Kakashi

'cause everybody knows/the hardest war to fight/is the fight to be yourself/when the voices try to turn you into someone else

Out of the Darkness - Matthew and the Atlas | Obito? Yamato? Kakashi? Itachi & Sasuke? Naruto & Kurama? → I'm a bit undecided about this one, or if I should just not worry about choosing one character and just let myself feel all the "inner darkness is not an innate characteristic, Danzo! They're just grieving/in a lot of pain, and they can find their way out of that dark place!" feels.

Save A Place - 1969 | Kakashi & Sasuke

so I'll keep away and save a place for you/and I'll only make the same mistakes as you/.../when all the blood all over your fingers is dried up/the pain will still linger

→ I'm not uber-confident in picking out really fitting Kakashi & Sasuke songs yet, but I hope this hits a lot of the right notes for you. :)

Thrive - Switchfoot | Kakashi

I'm always close, but I'm never enough/I'm always in line, but I'm never in love/I get so down, but I won't give up/I get so down, but I won't give up

→ See, it says right there that he's never in love! Not the crux of the song, and he's not always 'in line' either, but still! :)

Disarm - The Civil Wars | Kakashi & Obito

the years burn, burn, burn

→ I don't know how I keep collecting fictional relationships that work so well for this song, but literally every single line of this song hits so hard for these two?? Will never recover from this. (Also, I usually disregard when 'my love' pops up in the last line of the chorus, as the mood dictates. :) It's pretty incidental as is IMO.)

Renaissance - Paolo Buonvino & Skin | Sakumo & Obito & Kakashi & Naruto

let me show you one last time/let me show you one last sign/you can find it/I can't say that I can change the world/but if you let me, I can make another world for us/let me suffer all for you/make this vision all brand new/we can fight them/I can't say that I can win it all, [but] come with me and I will make my words stand tall

→ Okay, this is a very odd choice given that it's actually the theme song for a different show about the Italian renaissance (if you happen to see this, Mirjam, don't hate me!), but this could be IT! The "those who break the rules are scum, but those who would abandon their friends are worse than scum" anthem that's all about building a better world based on these principles! I really hope our sharing-a-brain talent translates to listening to this song in this way because I am feeling SOME KIND of way about this!

The Lament of Eustace Scrubb - The Oh Hellos | Kakashi → I really liked the song you chose from this album for your fanmix, so now I've feeling a tiny bit too on-the-nose with my choice, but I guess this is just a Kakashi album all around. 😆

Glass Heart Hymn - Paper Route | Kakashi(+ Obito) & Sasuke(+ Itachi)

memories as heavy as a stone/ I am empty, in my end you are my beginning

This Is Home - Switchfoot | Yamato & Kakashi (+ Team 7)

and now, after all my searching/after all my questions/I'm gonna call it home

→ All finding-where-you-belong songs are actually Yamato songs. True story!

Faust, Midas, & Myself - Switchfoot | Obito

you have one life left to leave/you have one life left to lead

→ Could this be any more perfect for Obito? It even has creepy-old-man!Madara!

Pluto - Sleeping At Last | Kakashi

Always Gold - Radical Face | Kakashi & Obito/Sasuke & Itachi/Naruto & Sasuke

all my life, I've never known where you've been/there were holes in you, the kind that I could not mend/and I heard you say, right when you left that day/does everything go away?/yeah, everything goes away/but I'm going to be here till forever/so just call when you're around

→ ...but mostly Kakashi & Obito because 'there were holes in you' 😭😭😭

Lemon Boy - Cavetown | Yamato & Kakashi → You already know the delights of this song of course, but I gots to be comprehensive. :)

Everywhere I Go - Lissie/cover by Sleeping At Last | Kakashi & Team Minato

danger will follow me now everywhere I go/angels will call on me and take me to my home/well, these tired eyes just want to remain closed

→ I chose the Sleeping At Last cover for maximum angst, 'cause sometimes it be like that.

Uneven Odds - Sleeping At Last | Kakashi

maybe your light is a seed, and the darkness the dirt, in spite of the uneven odds, beauty lifts from the earth

→ ...just like an earth style: mud wall :') Okay, okay, bad jokes aside, the seed metaphor of course makes me want to associate it with Tenzo, but this is clearly a Kakashi song!

Twenty-four - Switchfoot | Kakashi & Obito

life is not what I thought it was twenty-four hours ago/and I'm not who I thought I was twenty-four hours ago/still I'm singing spirit, take me up in arms with you/you're raising the dead in me/I wanna see miracles/to see the world change/wrestled the angel for more than a name/for more than a feeling, for more than a cause/I'm singing spirit, take me up in arms with you/and you're raising the dead in me

I'm Still Here (Jim's Theme) - John Rzeznik | Kakashi

and how can they say I never change?/they're the ones that stay the same/.../they can't tell me who to be/'cause I'm not what they see/.../and their words are just whispers/and lies that I'll never believe

→ Yeah, I might've accidentally imprinted on Treasure Planet as a 14 year old, and then someone made sure this song would forever live in my heart by making a fanvid of it with my favorite character from my robin hood show, but! He's still here!

See You Again - Wiz Khalifa (feat. Charlie Puth) | Kakashi & Obito/Team Minato

how can we not talk about family when family's all that we got?/everything I went through, you were standing there by my side/and now you gon' be with me for the last ride

→ I am being very unoriginal here, and there are in fact already fanvids made for these relationships set to this song (along with many others featuring different Naruto relationships), but I don't think I'll be able to rest until I translate the movie playing in my head whenever I hear this song now into an actually watchable format. After all, they have come a long way from where they began, and I intend to make that both as touching and ironically hilarious as possible!

Goodnight, Travel Well - The Killers | Kakashi → Admittedly, I got this idea from a magnificently crafted fanvid done for my robin hood show, but I genuinely think it would be really interesting to make something similar for Kakashi centered around the time he technically died but got better? I don't know how to explain it, but I think it fits quite well.

30 Lives - Imagine Dragons | Kakashi & all the people he's loved and lost → can be listened to here.

A Pound of Flesh - Radical Face | Kakashi

then today I wake up feeling easy/and find I'm on more familiar roads/I got a darkness wrapped inside me/but now it ain't so hard to let it go/so keep a candle burning in the window/I'm almost home

Hold Back The River - James Bay | Kakashi & life getting in the way of him being with his precious people (you may be sensing a pattern here) → @the road of life: Let! Kakashi! And his People! Hold! Each! Other!!! Also, 'tried to square not being there, but think that I should have been' is absolutely about Sasuke's defection and Kakashi adding it to his long list of undeserving self-recriminations.

The Fall - Imagine Dragons | Yamato & Kakashi → 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

Shadowman - K's Choice | could work equally well for Kakashi or Obito, I think

any time tomorrow a part of me will die/and a new one will be born/any time tomorrow/I'll get sick of asking why/sick of all the darkness I have worn/any time tomorrow/I will try to do what's right/making sense of all I can/any time tomorrow I'll pretend to see the light/I just might/.../and doesn't it make you sad?/to see so much love denied/see nothing but a shadowman inside

Paint - The Paper Kites | Kakashi & Team 7

still there's a wound and I'm moving slow/though it don't show, though it don't show/I've got a hole where nothing grows,/how little you know, how little you know

→ A song for just how much Team 7 doesn't know about their sensei.

Always Find Me Here - Transit | Kakashi → ...most likely at the memorial stone. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (why am I like this)

Taste - Sleeping At Last | Kakashi

it’s bittersweet, it’s poetry/a careful pruning of my dead leaves/it’s holy ground, a treasure chest/I'm on my knees and only scratch the surface/like fists unraveling, like glass unshattering/we’re breaking all the rules, we’re breaking bread again/we’re swallowing light ’til we’re fixed from the inside

Help - Hurts | Yamato & Kakashi

take my hand and lead the way/out of the darkness and into the light of the day/.../'cause I know what I've been missing/and I know that I should try/but there's hope in this admission/and there's freedom in your eyes/.../I can feel the darkness coming/and I'm afraid of myself/call my name and I'll come running/'cause I just need some help

→ NO ONE TOUCHE ME.

Your Soul - RHODES | A mish-mash of Kakashi & Tenzo and Rin & Obito & Kakashi and Gai & Kakashi vibes? → So like, 'oh you know when you're alone/I'm holding on and on and on and on/to your soul' reminded me of your 'when you're all alone...the only thing you really think about is dying' 'but when there are two of you...the only thing you can think about is surviving.' and now kakashi - who just saved his life - is asking him 'did you want to die' and yamato is saying 'no' there are two of them and yamato wants to SURVIVE. tags as well as Gai's steadfastness as a friend, and 'I just wanna hold your hand' made me think of Rin's "Well then, I'm just going to have to connect the two of you." while holding their hands, and the sunlight/'soul shine'/'your light' motif is just A Lot in this song!!

7 Years - Lukas Graham | Kakashi → Alright, yeah, there are already approximately a gazillion pre-existing Naruto AMVs for this song and even one or two focusing on Kakashi, but they don't capitalize on all the angst possibilities in many of the lyrics or reach the fluff potential of 'will I think the world is cold or will I have a lot of children who can warm me [when I'm old]' and I cannot abide that!

Putting The Dog To Sleep - The Antlers | Kakashi & Sasuke → Okay, on one hand, this song is One Big Oof. But I do like the (potentially odd) way I've conceptualized it for Kakashi & Sasuke? Like, the first half is Kakashi going through all the tragedies in his life and getting lost in ANBU, but then in the second half it transitions to him wanting to prevent Sasuke from having to be as alone as Kakashi once was and they can face life together? It makes me emotional!

Trust Me - The Fray | Kakashi & Obito

I found a friend, or should I say a foe?/said there's a few things you should know/we don't want you to see/we come, and we go/here today, gone tomorrow

→ There are a few lines that call Tenzo & Kakashi to mind, but mostly it's Obito & Kakashi.

The Lightning Strike (What If This Storm Ends?) - Snow Patrol | Kakashi → I had to, right? My mindscape is a little murky/scattered about what specifically I want to think about when I listen to this, but obviously it has to do with Kakashi in one way or another.

Kettering - The Antlers | Team Minato(???) → Honestly not sure if this will make any sense, but yeah, vague team minato vibes?

Swans - Unkle Bob | Kakashi & Obito/Rin/Minato/Kushina/Sakumo → They should be by his side always!!!

Looking Too Closely - Fink | Kakashi → I honestly feel rather ambivalent about this one too, but I can't deny 'truth is like blood underneath your fingernails/and you don't wanna hurt yourself, hurt yourself/looking too closely' always destroys me because... well, you know. I love suffering. :(

Souvenirs - Switchfoot | Kakashi & Obito & Rin

wolves - Switchfoot | Kakashi

snowfall for the battlefield/roses for the father's sons/see them red on the ground:/bleeding/when the revolution came/we were more than hungry men/we were hoping for more:/bleeding/end. begin again./all of my world is collision and spin/hope is a world that has yet to begin/awaken, oh sleeper/awaken, oh sleeper/a new day begins

→ I wanted a wolf-related song too. :)

PRODIGAL SOUL - Switchfoot | Obito, Itachi, & Sasuke; just all them wayward Uchiha boys

Coming Down - Dear Euphoria | kid!Kakashi & his relationships

the shell/that I wore/it wasn't for fun/it wasn't to make you/stick around/it was for survival/it was what I've learnt/it was for the sun/.../our love has grown/our love has flown

→ Another one I'm a little unsure of whether it makes sense outside of my head or not, but I like the vibes?

Ghosts That We Knew - Mumford & Sons | Kakashi & Yamato? → Hmm, can I maybe submit this as a Kakashi-&-Yamato-just-need-to-mske-it-through-this-war-so-they-can-have-a-bright-bright-future song?

All Is Well (It's Only Blood) - Radical Face | Kakashi → ...he said as he's bleeding out or after he's thrown himself in the line of fire protecting someone he thinks is a better person than himself...

Bleeding Out - Imagine Dragons | Kakashi

when the hour is nigh/and hopelessness is sinking in/and the wolves all cry/to fill the night with hollering/when your eyes are red/and emptiness is all you know/with the darkness fed/I will be your scarecrow/you tell me to hold on/oh, you tell me to hold on/but innocence is gone/and what was right is wrong

→ In a similar vein to the previous song. But goodness gracious! Were they NOT straight up describing Kakashi here?

Amaryllis - Shinedown | Yamato & Kakashi → Just tossing this one out there, not sure if it will make sense or if it's a reach... but I like it?

lost 'cause - Switchfoot | Kakashi & Sasuke

are we a lost cause?/or are we just lost 'cause/we won't be the future we refuse to see?/and if I'm your lost cause/it'll be your lost 'cause/you won't see me as I am, the possibility/that I'm not the enemy

→ 214 feels. (And before and after that, but yeah.)

Through the Ghost - Shinedown | Kakashi & Obito

so many silent sorrows/you never hear from again/and now that you've lost tomorrow/is yesterday still a friend?/.../everything that mattered is just/a city of dust/covering both of us/did you hide yourself away?/I can't see you anymore/.../did you hide yourself away?/are you living through the ghost?/did you finally find a place/above the shadows so the world will never know?/the world will never know you like I do ... like I still do

Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men | Kakashi → Just Kakashi having little chats with his ghosts, totally the most heartwarming way to conclude this section. 😅

Sleepyhead - Passion Pit | Kakashi → Just kidding! Here's a slightly less morbid song for the Most Tired Boy Of Them All.™ (Random aside: this was my customary song to listen to on my walks to 8AM organic chemistry classes; I found it strangely soothing! On a different occasion, after a particularly long day for her, one of my roommates didn't have the energy to make it to her bed but nevertheless requested a lullaby from us. So I obliged by playing this song for her, but she didn't seem to gain the same peace of mind from it as I did. 😄 I know it's not my place to propose anything like this, but it does amuse me to imagine bookends!Kakashi in these situations, even though it's not OChem classes he has to go to.)

General/Miscellaneous:

Rise Above It - Switchfoot | Ensemble

don't care what they're telling me/we can be what we want to be/.../just because it's law doesn't mean that it's fair/.../don't believe the system's on your side/.../the curse is spoken/the system's broken; rise above it

→ I mean, how could I not think about Naruto when this song also has the lines 'hear us sing tonight like the last night on earth/we will rise like the tide/like dead men coming back to life/we are rising, rising'? It's fun to be literal sometimes!

Doorways - Radical Face | Allllll the traumatized children → Someone has to put all those tragic childhood flashbacks to good use, after all.

Ghost Towns - Radical Face | take your pick of Itachi, Sasuke, or Post-Kannabi-Bridge!Obito

there's no comin' home/with a name like mine/I still think of you/but everyone knows/yeah everyone knows/if you care, let it go

Blinding Light - Switchfoot | Hey, Hiruzen? You may have coined the phrase, "children are the king" but I don't think you truly understand it... (insert Princess Bride joke here)

hey boy, don't believe them/we're the nation that eats our youth/.../still looking for the blinding light/still looking for the reason why/still looking for the sun to shine/all my life I've been living in the darkest night/still looking for the blinding light/to take me higher and higher

Brother's Blood - Kevin Devine | EVERYONE → ...but certainly so much you could do with Itachi & Sasuke, Obito & Kakashi, Shisui & Itachi, even Hashirama & Madara! Sakumo's teammates turning their backs on him and saying 'I don't know one thing about my brother's blood'?!?! There are SO MANY ideas I have for this song! It gives me chills and makes my brain scream.

We Need Each Other - Sanctus Real | Ensemble → Already mentioned this one to you, but I have to include it here for thoroughness' sake!

Whispering - Alex Clare | the Hidden Leaf's lost/ostracized children/orphans

who will care for the falling?/who will care for the falling leaves?

So this is probably a strange concept to come up with and apply to this song, but the 'whispering, whispering, whispering' parts brought Konaha's virulent gossiping/passing judgement about others and often kids they don't even know problem to mind, too, and yeah?

The World You Want - Switchfoot | Ensemble → If I were to make a fanvid set to this song, I would definitely keep a broad focus, but I can't deny that the lines 'you start to look like what you believe, you float through time like a stream, if the waters of time are made up by you and I, I could change the world for you, you change it for me' FOR SURE has strong Obito & Kakashi/Kakashi & Tenzo vibes.

Red Eyes - Switchfoot | Ensemble, but definitely many dashes of Uchihas 😄 → I would like to thank Masashi Kishimoto for creating a world where red eyes are a Thing of Importance so I can one day make a fanvid using this song in not just the tired or teary bloodshot-red eyes way, but in a very literal sense too.

TAKE MY FIRE - Switchfoot | The Will of Fire → 'Cause I think I'm sooooo clever. 😄

Above The Clouds Of Pompeii - Bear's Den | various parent & child relationships → This obviously derives from the not-caring-about-your-female-characters problem, but it always gets me that all the single parents in the Naruto universe are almost invariably the fathers! I guess sometimes you can safely guess that the mothers are still alive/exist, but either way we hardly ever get to see them. :/ The one exception I can think of right now is Kurenai, but maybe I'm forgetting another conspicuous single mother. Anyway, I don't know if this helps or hinders more a potential Naruto fanvid for this song, but regardless, it still gives me feelings?

Who We Are - Switchfoot | Ensemble → It just makes me inordinately happy that the chorus for this song starts with 'who we are (in the fever of our youth)', you know? :D

Brother - Kodaline | all the friendships we can stuff in here and then some → Quite a well known song I'm pretty sure, but I love how many dynamics one could showcase in a potential fanvid of this. And, not gonna lie, 'oh brother, we go deeper than the ink beneath the skin of our tattoos' deserves to be used in some sort of Tenzo 'n' Kakashi or Team Ro fan creation!

Special Bonus:

Shake It Out - Florence + The Machine | Kakashi & Obito → I'm not sure whether I would have realized how well this works for Kakashi & Obito on my own, funnily enough, but then I found this fanvid of it (containing only scenes you've seen naturally!) and it hit me like a ton of bricks. It's so well done!

[soniabigcheese]

Musing Aloud

NOT an attention seeking, I demand sympathy post but something that I haven't thought about for almost 27 years.

The worst Christmas I ever spent - there are two but this one ranks right at the top.

I'd lost my mum (she was my foster mum but still, she looked after me) in the August and I was still grieving. I'd had several invites to Christmas dinners but I really didn't feel up to it. Besides, I was struggling financially, barely able to afford presents for myself, let alone anyone else.

So ... my 'family' (brothers, sisters, birth mother and father) asked me if I could have dinner with them. And after much persuasion, I finally, reluctantly agreed.

Bearing in mind that they lived right across the other side of town, getting there would have been costly. And I wasn't driving. Heck, couldn't even afford driving lessons, let alone a car. They had a car and I was under the impression that they'd collect me and drop me off.

Nope. I was expected to get a taxi there ... and back, which would have taken a HUGE chunk out of my money. I hadn't even gotten anything in for a decent Christmas dinner, so I ended up having scrambled egg on toast ... all alone

So, many years later ... I occasionally look back and think about how tough it was and count my blessings that I have a home, used to have a job - getting antsy now and wishing I could return to work even for a couple of days but health just doesn't let me do that.

I don't associate with my siblings, haven't for many many years now. Maybe about 23/24? Can't be later than that. They must have thought I was loaded with money, but soon dumped me when they learned that I was struggling.

PFFT, families, who'd have them huh?

As I highlighted, this is NOT a 'poor me/want sympathy/demand attention post. Just a reflection at how far I've come