#analyze what i wanted but thats a given with how school makes you think you hate something becuz it doesnt let you do it

[this-should-do]

Firstly, here is a link to the song so y’all can listen to it because it is so good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWIjavxGNcc

Also tagging you @peepaw-william-says because you so kindly expressed interest in me writing this analysis essay yesterday :]

and fair warning everyone, its another long one, that once again is mostly uneditted aside from spelling and grammar lol and a few additions and removals :3 but this aint a school essay so i think im okay

Before I analyze the lyrics of Breathe, Desperately by From Indian Lakes, I want to quickly address how it creates tone through pacing and its instrumentals and how this applies itself to my interpretation in regards to Gordon, Barney, and their relationship during Half Life 2.

The song uses reverb heavily in this song, you can hear it far more easily on what I think might be the guitar, bass guitar, and the likely synthetic vocalizations. This reverb in music for me tends to lend itself to more nostalgic and dreamy tone which on a bass level is two tones that play a role in how I conceptualize Barney and Gordons relationships. Nostalgia is the far more important of the two concepts given the very obvious elephant in the room that is the 20-year time gap between 1 and 2. Nostalgia on Barney’s end plays two roles; first in between the the 1st and 2nd games and second during Half Life 2. Nostalgia for Gordon is simpler with only one main role.

In between the two games, as I’ve discussed in previous posts, barney develops a heavily modified view of Gordon based on the best memories he has of Gordon and the negative ones are warped into positive ones and therefore softened. So, Gordon ends up being one of his main feel-good thoughts he goes to for peace during the occupation, something he’s nostalgic for. Then during the second game once Gordon comes back, barney is forced to reconcile the heavily nostalgic and rosy memory of Gordon with the real Gordon, who outwardly, for the most part, has come to embody the worst of his attributes combined with an entirely new attitude borne of all the trauma he’s endured. This is a painful wakeup call for barney because for him, he has this figure representing most of what he misses about pre-combine earth come to life and its nothing like what he remembers for obvious reasons. So now he cant really look to this memory he has of Gordon because the real thing is in front of him and it feels wrong to fantasize over a fictional (not that he really realized it) version of his best friend now that he’s alive again, so not only is his main coping memory metaphorically taken away, he’s having to deal with the highly traumatized real life counterpart, which brings its own bag of sorrows.

For Gordon, nostalgia for a time before isn’t something he allows himself to think about often or really has the chance to, its more of a moment of weakness when everything has come crashing down around him and there’s nothing else to occupy himself with. But when he’s forced to unpack everything around the time gap, he too is faced with his memory of barney (and everyone else he knew) vs how they are now. Gordon’s memory of barney is far more accurate than barney’s memory of Gordon, but the real-life barney differs about as much as Gordon does to barney’s memory. Barney has outward changed far more than Gordon has, he’s lived 20 more years than Gordon has all while under constantly traumatic circumstances. He inwardly has 20 years of experience as well as 20 years of trauma. So even if he outwardly can almost act the same as he did before the Resonance Cascade, there’s still something always off about his actions that set off a bell in Gordon’s head, making Gordon’s nostalgia vs reality more subtle than barney’s but harder to root out because of it.

The dreaminess of the song also plays a role. Its far more general but, overall, it feels like it can represent both the fading of memories due to the passage of time, the haziness of memories due to trauma, and the haziness of the present moment during traumatic events.

Now to address the lyrics of the song, Ill be breaking down the song into parts, with a section about the lyrics that represent barney, the lyrics that represent Gordon, the lyrics that represent both of them, and the lyrics that represent their relationship.

Barney embodies the first two verses of the song:

I was once a quiet boy

Cleaning out my wounds but I

Never could keep my mouth shut

When I needed to

I could try to pry it loose

But the stone won’t move

And I wanna try to rip it out

But I’ve grown to love this thing too much

These lyrics tell us a little about barney’s learned inability to express his genuine thoughts and feelings unless under extreme duress. This is a characterization of him that I developed as an in-universe way to explain his overly casual and humorous persona in such a dystopian world (according to the developer commentary in episode 1, barney is written this way as a call back to the dark humor of the first game and isn’t given much more character other than that). I feel that this issue for him developed by early middle school at the latest from bullying by other boys and his brothers for being soft and expressing his thoughts and emotions (an idea that developed later than other parts of my characterization of him because of my class about American Masculinity im taking this semester).

This is a concept reinforced by the first verse, where it is the speaker reflecting on their younger self being quiet (an adjective normally associated with boys when they are more gentle and easy going compared to other more “masculine” boys) and having to clean their wounds (in this interpretation, earned from being bullied) and never being able to shut up when they needed to (interpreted here as him being earnest in his thoughts and feelings, a typically “un-masculine” thing to do). The phrasing of the verse also implies that this inability to “keep his mouth shut” is something he only experienced in the past, furthering the narrative I am proposing.

Now in the present during the second verse, the speaker discusses wanting to try to be able to talk about how they feel and what they think but they cant. They’ve stopped up that well very effectively to the point that they can no longer open it again. And even though they want to open it again they are also in conflict with themselves because they grown so attached to the rock that they’ve used to stop their emotions well. For Barney the rock is his casual humorous persona, which he uses to shield and obscure any form of vulnerability by the time he’s finished with middle school. And obscuring his emotions and thoughts is an incredibly useful tool in is repertoire during the combine’s occupation, especially when he’s working as a spy in the CP. So even though this coping mechanism obviously damages his ability to make and maintain close relationships with other people, it’s something he’s grown fond of because it firstly protects him from harm from the average relationship but its also a tool of survival under the combine. But it gets even more complicated when Gordon’s back, one of the only people he’s ever felt truly close to come back and now that he’s lost the true closeness over the past 20 years he finds himself unable to even begin to breach the gap between them due both to his own hardened emotional shield and Gordon’s own guarded emotions.

Gordon embodies the third verse:

Have I become the man I hated once

Or have my thoughts become clouded

By things I used to fear the most?

And is my heart full of the ashes I heard about?

Have I become the missing person

I’ve been trying to get you all to forget?

The first line in the speaker self-reflecting about how they’ve changed, and realizing they might’ve changed for the worse, into something that they hated once upon a time, and don’t seem to now but might still. And the second and third lines are them wondering if they’ve not changed but the world around them (particularly those that are frightening). This corresponds to how I view Gordon; I feel that before the Resonance Cascade, he was really rather non-violent, he didn’t enjoy violence (outside of fiction anyways). But after, violence has become his go to solution for most things, and his preferred solution because it’s simple and tends not to leave loose ends. It’s how he’s survived so long. But I feel like he also hates that it’s what he’s become, a creature of violence and little else. But the second and third lines are almost more meta than anything else, discussing whether or not Gordon as a person has truly changed in face of everything or if he’s only acting in self-defense.

The fourth line is about Gordon and his ability to feel and love others again. With the heart obviously representing said ability to love and the ashes being the fallout and trauma of everything he’s been through making it difficult to feel safe enough to trust anyone around him. This line is particularly strong for me because it immediately brought to mind gman telling Gordon to “wake up and smell the ashes.”

The final two lines are probably the furthest from literal and hardest to parse because the implications of the speaker being the one to try to get people to forget them, which doesn’t match up with how Gordon is able to act once he comes back in Half life 2. But if interpret them as internal thoughts on Gordon’s part as opposed to how he acts outwardly, it makes more sense. So, obviously Gordon being a missing person lines up incredibly well given his disappearance in between half-life 1 and 2 and the mythos that ends up building around him turning into the missing person as opposed to Gordon himself. And this “missing person” applies to both the general public and barney, as both end up turning Gordon into an icon in their own ways with the rebels viewing him as this messiah and barney viewing him as a perfect person, and both of these expectations weigh heavily on Gordon when he starts picking up on them and he desperately wishes they would stop treating him like he is more than he really is.

Barney and Gordon’s relationship, or at least how they are able to interact given the many, many circumstances, during Half-life 2 is represented by the chorus (this is ignoring the lead up which is grouped with the fourth verse):

We breathe so desperately

As if it’s the only thing we need

And we don’t care if it’s not

Breathing honestly

We’re burning out lungs with it

And we don’t care

We don’t care at all

The chorus is the speaker speaking of his relationship with another person where breathing is a metaphor for speaking. They (the speaker and unnamed other person) interact with each other on a surface level and not being able to get closer on a deeper level but both act as if it’s all they don’t need that deeper connection. The speaker also acknowledges in the 3rd and 4th lines that neither they nor the other person that (at the very least) they both don’t care if anything they breathe is a false pretense or lie even if it hurts to know that evidenced by the 5th line. The 6th and 7th line both reiterate that neither party cares.

In the context of barney and Gordon, this chorus tells us that during half life 2, they both are never able to feel the deep connection that they had before everything happened no matter how hard either of them wish they did. The only way they are able to interact is almost exclusively in situations that ensure that they never get the time to connect and break down the heavy mental and emotional guards they both have. But they both hold onto those surface level) interactions (often under duress as the only level of connection they’ll ever have so they are desperate for it but neither can say they want more so they act as if its all they need. Neither acts like they care that everything they say is a front and never what they really want to say. They both act like the loss of closeness doesn’t hurt and that feeling like strangers again doesn’t hurt them, even though its almost on purpose that they don’t try to get closer. So therefore, the last two lines end up feeling like for barney and Gordon, they’re not the truth but instead affirmations to try to convince themselves that that’s what they really feel. It makes almost the whole chorus a lie, saying that they don’t care about each other, just another lie to burn their lungs with. But they do care incredibly much, but at the same time, they don’t care. They don’t care that they can’t get closer because they don’t have the time to care, they don’t have time to think about how much they miss each other, there’s a war going on. They don’t care that not having the time to reconnect hurts because they cant. They care but at the same time they cant afford to care, so they don’t care.

The chorus lead up and fourth verse are lyrics that apply to both Gordon and barney as individuals:

Chorus lead up (note, this is an approximation as there are different people saying different things about what the actual lyrics are):

Buried alive now, buried alive now,

Buried alive now, cover your eyes now

This part of the song doesn’t give us much in terms of how it fits into the song’s narrative separate from my interpretation of how it fits barney and Gordon, so instead I will jump directly into my application to them. To put it simply, this part of the song is about how both barney and Gordon have had to bury their person hood and emotions deep down into themselves in order to protect themselves and survive.

For barney this starts as early as childhood to protect himself from bullying for being soft and goes even further as he has to act the part of the machine as a CP, where he also has to push down his individuality and humanity lest he be discovered as a mole. For Gordon its more recent during the Resonance cascade where he has to push down anything not strictly survival related in order to make it out alive, which continues on during half life 2, having to mantle this heroic persona that has developed in his 20-year absence. And the lyric “cover your eyes now” is explaining how burying their person hood and taking on these far more resilient personas is like covering their eyes in the face of danger, something that is an action of self-protection seen in childhood but ultimately if something is really a danger, it doesn’t do much to protect you, telling us that the personas that both Gordon and barney put on don’t do much in the long run to protect themselves from emotional hurt.

Fourth verse:

When you breathe the air

It tastes like medicine

And overwhelming days

Are nothing that I can’t hide

When you walk alone you think such foolish things

And so disappointed we are

With no one around to love

This verse is the speaker talking about the isolation that they and the unnamed other person feel without being able to connect to one another, the most obvious evidence of this is the last two lines, blatantly stating that they are disappointed by not being able to love someone else. Its further evidenced by the first two lines where even the air is sour and nasty. The isolation this verse exudes is made worse when looking at the 3rd and 4th lines where the speaker talks about hiding their own negative feelings, likely because they have no one to talk to about them.

In regard to Barney and Gordon during Half-life 2, the initial assessment of the meaning of this verse holds true, they both have to walk alone in their paths, isolated from others and each other, having to push past their pain to move forward. This verse is also far more depressing for barney and Gordon, I feel, as they aren’t just not able to communicate with each other, often times they literally are physically alone, especially Gordon, throughout the games. Barney, while physically surrounded by people, is still alone as he likely spends most of the time still undercover in a dangerous environment where one misstep could lead to his discovery.

The one line I neglected to address in my initial analysis of this verse is the line where the speaker mentions how when you’re alone you think foolish things. This line could mean a multitude of things, it could be about a generalized “foolish thing” or it could be directed to either the previous or following lines, either calling thinking that you can always hide your feelings foolish or that being disappointed when you have no one to love foolish. Or it could be saying both are foolish. I choose to interpret it as addressing both the previous and following lines. However, I also believe that the two lyrics the line could be addressing apply separately to Gordon and barney, with the previous line being more barney centric and the following line being more Gordon centric (however they do still apply to both, don’t get me wrong).

I think that the 3rd and 4th lines apply to barney more directly because a significant personality trait I’ve discussed for him is his consistent hiding and obscuring of his thoughts and feelings, particularly his stronger ones. And Barney for this most part recognizes that he does this (though there are times I believe that he does it unconsciously out of habit for even the simplest of things,) and he recognizes that its unhealthy, he sees how lonely it makes him, but he’s still stuck alone in his head.

With Gordon, one of his main conflicts that I write about is his inability to connect with people and then feeling lonely in the disconnect, even before the resonance cascade, though it was far less pronounced then. But after, he’s so alone all the time, fighting alone, travelling alone, with none to help him for most of his journey and he’s lonely and scared and when someone is there for even the shortest amount of time and then dies or leaves him alone again he’s disappointed, but he constantly admonishing himself over feeling the need to connect, its dangerous to get attached its foolish to want someone there because they’ll die like they have every other time, and it makes connection near impossible.

Further, the first two lines can take on a more literally meaning where instead of the air only seeming to taste bad, it likely literally tastes bad from pollution mainly because I highly doubt the combine cares much for air quality, as long as they get the resources they want from earth, this feeds into the line in the chorus about burning their lungs when they breathe, the air is literally harming them when they try to communicate to each other and its hurts even as they simply exist.

To sum up, this song is about the disconnect that barney and Gordon feel from each other and the people around them for a multitude of universal and personal reasons, and how much they both rely on the disconnect to protect themselves from harm and despise it for how much it hurts.

[writingpuddle]

Your hashtags make it seem like you’re very passionate about your recent reblog about one story having a trope being fine versus the entire trope being bad.. I’d like to hear more about your opinion behind it if you wouldn’t mind sharing!

thanks anon! i suppose all my exclamation points were a bit of a give away. i should clarify perhaps that what i am passionate is less that specific topic than the general notion of statistics.

(this got real long and a bit meandering, but i will not apologize, because i think its fascinating)

we as humans are...really bad at statistics. honestly, thats being kind. we are terrible at understanding statistics. you see a weather forecast which says 20% chance of rain, and while you know, logically, that means there is some chance of rain, your brain basically reinterprets this to: It Will Not Rain. 20% is the same as zero percent. if it rains, then the probability was actually 100%, and the forecast was wrong. but actually, it was 20%, and some random winds blew just right and your campfire got drizzled on.

statistical literacy is wildly important for understanding large societal trends and also wildly undertaught. (i am particularly salty that a few years after i graduated my province removed statistics from the high school math curriculum. i love math, i really do, but while i think theres value in people knowing about calculus and the ways we can use it, most people wont have to actually use it themselves. everyone can benefit from understanding how to read statistics better. in our current society, its almost a critical survival skill)

(i also want to add a caveat which is that while i love statistics, statistics are also incredibly easy to lie with. no, seriously. this is part of the statistical literacy i am talking about. if you like reading academic articles, i recommend this one, which discusses how if you analyze the data differently, you can often get large variations in results. if the pdf is not free for download, the unpaywall extension will grab it for you)

(relatedly, this is why i am of the opinion that you should be careful of any statistic that is presented in only one way. This Medication Doubles Your Risk of Blood Clot! (the risk went from 1 in ten million to 2 in ten million))

so, statistics are important. statistics reveal a lot about society. but we dont experience life as statistics, we experience life as a series of events (or anecdotes). large numbers are not something that we actually evolved to understand very well. we process the world through stories and examples, and we have to learn to think carefully about numbers.

(even watch: i am about to use an anecdote to centre this discussion. i use it to place my point somewhere, because thinking about it in abstract is difficult to do without practice. but it is also falling prey to exactly the fallacy that i am talking about)

i was discussing last summer an incident in which a Black athlete tested positive for marijuana and was given a temporary suspension. she claimed this was a racist ban, and a bunch of discourse ensued. (please note: i am not interested in discussing the validity of her specific claim, which is why im not linking to a specific incident. this could apply to any number of similar examples, and others have likely done more in depth analyses of the particular event. i am using it as a rhetorical device to discuss bias and how it manifests, and am not interested in debating about this one incident. pretend it is a fictional example, if you wish.)

with all those caveats out of the way, here is why this is a difficult claim to make: in isolation, there is very little substance to it. there was a rule, which a person broke, and they received the standard consequence for it. its hard to argue bias when the narrative is so linear. especially if we assume the situation has no deeper narrative (as we know, often stories like this contain more blatant bigotry, while only the softest version makes the headline.) there is little to support the idea that this was a racist decision. moderates might see this and, without more context, think that its a lot of fuss kicked up about nothing. because on its own, it is.

what makes this a racist incident isnt (necessarily) that it was a specific Black athlete that was hit with the suspension. its that there is a trend wherein Black athletes are more likely to be tested, and more likely to be punished rather than dealt a warning.

which returns me to my point, which is the statistics. literally nobody involved in this specific suspension had to be individually racist, or have racist motivations. hell, this individual suspension could be totally ideologically squeaky clean of racism. but on average, in the system, certain people are being hit harder than others, and that indicates racism in the system. but its hard to tease out that racism because every individual instance of it seems kinda wishy-washy. the trend is only obvious in aggregate, and we are, as ive said, very bad at understanding the abstract statistic, especially when we can look at an individual event and label it (we think) clearly.

we focus on the individual rather than the aggregate, which is a natural, and very human response. rather than address the racism in the system, the discussion becomes primarily about whether the people enforcing the ban are racist individuals.

(i emphasize primarily because this is still a good question to ask; you want to make sure there arent any explicit racists in the system! but it should not be the only question you ask, because there are systemic factors that could produce this bias without a single outright racist person involved)

a lot of systemic bias works under this kind of...plausible deniability schema. this athlete broke a known rule and faced consequences. how is that racism? that femme gay man keeps getting rejected from jobs, but there are lots of other qualified candidates, and its not like resumes can really be objectively classified as 'better' or 'worse.' some people will rank resumes differently. maybe the other candidates were just more qualified!

but when there is an average of femme gay men having trouble breaking into a profession, or of trans women struggling to find housing, or or or or...then it reveals something about the structure of the society that is happening in. the individual incident may or or may not be a manifestation of bias, but the totality is. it is even possible the hiring manager who has rejected all these applications is, themself, unaware that they are subconsciously judging these men as being less qualified based on their voice and bearing.

ie. it is possible to perpetuate bias without any conscious malice. and it is very frustrating to our brains, which like stories, when we cant find a clear villain and hero. when its just an evil hiring manager, the situation is comprehensible. when its a bunch of neutral parties that all have the same cultural framework influencing their decisions subtly in a negative direction, its harder to process. and also a lot harder to fix. being able to point to an Evil Hiring Manager is nice because we can boot that person, and the problem is fixed. it feels good to be able to fix a problem, and systemic factors are way harder to actually address.

which is also why its sometimes very hard to criticize things like media trends (yeah, we're looping back to that original post now, im getting there) because we are so much better at processing individual stories than statistics. the problem is often not a specific narrative--ie. a gay character dying in a story--but an overarching trend--ie. all gay characters in stories die. pick one single story out of this trend, and you learn nothing. it may be that in isolation, this story is moving and beautiful, that the death was narratively necessary, that it spoke to a lot of people. individually, the story could be a net good. and so when the trend is criticized, those who enjoyed the individual story, rather than have a more nuanced discussion about what the trend reveals about how our society treats queer people, and how we subconsciously think about queer narratives, people jump to defend the one story in isolation. the point of criticizing a trend is not (or should not be, or generally should not be) to say: This Story Can Never Be Told. it should be to ask: why is this the only story being told?

the question when looking at a trend, or a statistic, should be: what does this imply about what is going on under the surface. and well meaning people who are anti-bigotry can fall prey to whats under the surface. hell, people who are members of the groups in question can fall prey to whats under the surface. i'll give a fandom example (since i do fandom shit on this blog).

now most people who are in fandom would probably agree that trying to label one member of a queer couple the 'man' and one member the 'woman' is stupid. theyre both the same gender! thats the point!

but when you think of your favourite blorbos...you know, right? even if you vehemently disagree, even if you think that way of looking at relationships is stupid...you know. you know which one is on average treated within the fandom as taking each role. even by people who are vocal allies, or who are queer themselves. maybe your instinct is to push this knowledge away from you, to claim you only know it because other people are biased, but you do know it. you are aware of the general trend. we cant help it. we are part of this society, so we know about it, even if we dislike it. and even if we dislike it, we can still accidentally absorb it.

heres a metric i find interesting: when constructing an au of a queer couple based on a het story, which member of the queer couple gets the womans role, and which gets the mans?

even the most progressive het stories still, on some level, have absorbed the cultural context we live in. most stories, not being the Most progressive, will be saturated with many, many small gender stereotypes. it will influence what careers the characters have, what type of choices they make in the narrative, how they interact with the other characters, etc. its not always blatant, but its often an undercurrent (and sometimes it really is blatant).

one would expect, then, that with a queer couple, sometimes it will make sense to mold the het story one way, sometimes the other. but if i look at my own fics that are based on het couples...both of them i have the same character taking the mans role and the other the womans. and i know that falls in line with who fandom as an average treats as the 'woman' in the relationship and the 'man'.

now, two fics does not a significant dataset make, but i also have no evidence that had i not started to think about this trend, i would not have continued to accidentally follow it. and i would wager if you did a survey of all fics in a fandom, you would not find a vaguely 50/50 split, with half the time one character getting one role and half the other, but some kind of skew in the expected direction.

what does this mean? i would hope, in reading either of the fics ive just referenced, few people would walk out saying 'that was homophobic.' the stories themselves are almost irrelevant to the discussion. but it does serve as a probe. somewhere, in the bottom of my mind, whether i want it there or not, gender and sexuality stereotypes are still fermenting quietly. growing like long-lived weeds in places they were planted when i was so small i dont even remember it. tiny seeds planted daily by subtle interactions with the world. being aware of this makes me a little more able to prune back some of these weeds. to interrogate my own beliefs and counter them. and it came not out of a specific homophobic statement or act that i made, but a statistical trend that would be too subtle to notice in isolation. if i look at each story on its own, i can offer very good explanations for why i made the choices i did. but somehow i still managed to blindly find my way into a stereotypical cave.

i use myself as an example because i dont want to point fingers and say: These People are being bad. its not a valuable way to approach narrative analysis. if you are looking at broad media trends, the goal is to understand what societal beliefs and motivations might lead to that trend, even if that wasnt the specific motivation of an individual creator who happens to fall under the trend. every single creator may, individually, have a very good reason for the choices they made. but the fact that we all made the same choice tells us something. and maybe what it tells us is its time to explore some alternative choices.

no individual story needs to be at fault. but it is very hard to separate the statistics from the individual, because our brains are literally programmed to focus on the personal. a story does not have to be bad to be part of a trend. pieces of a trend can be good even if the trend itself is bad.

which is a very long winded way of saying that bias is statistical, and people are bad at statistics. when apes started to walk around and start talking, there was no evolutionary pressure into understanding exactly what a percentage means. it takes conscious effort to not take statistics personally. your favourite story doesnt need to be monstrous to spend time thinking about why a popular trope it happens to contain might be rooted in something you dont believe in.

i will leave you with one final bit of wisdom when it comes to statistics: be skeptical of any statement containing absolutes.

yes, even this one

[creacherkeeper]

im getting a little too in my family feels today and so INSTEAD of feeling those im just going to ramble for a second about why i fucking love paladin!aelwyn because. im. just like this i guess im coping leave me alone

cw for discussions of child abuse, maladaptive coping, drugs and alcohol, self harm, destructive tendencies, basically everything we see in canon and the implications

aelwyn is ... SO interesting to me because for as much of her interiority as we see, as much of her as we think we understand, as much as i could ramble about her character for hours, we know ALMOST NOTHING about her in actuality?? (besides ... one key thing)

(this is like 2k and probably incoherent someone please stop me)

okay. listen. almost everything we see aelwyn do in s1 is maladaptive rebellion against her parents and home life. the drinking, the drugs, the partying, perhaps some of kalvaxus (though i dont think we fully understand how much of that was forced on her as well, kalina WAS watching her when she was talking to adaine about it). you can say like, oh aelwyn is a party animal, she's impulsive, she makes risky decisions, she's bitchy and rude, and its like. okay but IS SHE ACTUALLY. because under her parents thumb she had an EXTREMELY limited amount of freedom, and usually when people are suffering from very little control over their life, they WILL act destructively over the tiny bit they can, either harming themselves or their environment or people lower than them in the pecking order, because in a way, that feels like a reclamation of autonomy. saying "you have so much power over me but can you stop me from hurting myself and destroying what you havent managed to claim yet?". its just like, kind of what human brains do and frequently has little to do with a persons actual personality or impulses, its just. desperate brains trying to control SOMETHING because autonomy is a fundamental human need and when thats taken away we get. very bad off. (this is one big reason eating disorders are SO common with abused kids.) so i think a lot of the s1 aelwyn we see is like. this is a very desperate, abused teenager "acting out" in the only way it is possibly somewhat safe for her to do so because, on a psychological level, the self destruction is weirdly the only emotional tether and its either this or just dissociate all the time (something we do see she has problems with in canon)

and yes, she did treat adaine horribly in s1. she fully did. obviously what we get in canon is what happens but a moment thats interesting to me is in episode 1 where adaine has attacked aelwyn several times, who either does nothing or just bounces it back, when she says "i never cast spells at you" and siobhan immediately retcons it and says "yes you do, all the time" (i havent gone back and watched this bit so i might be wording this wrong). obviously its an improv show and the canon is built between performers as they go, but that was interesting to me. that brennan hadnt intended for her to have fought back in that way. she definitely feeds into the emotional abuse from their parents and participates in all the toxicity there, but we know in canon that she did that because of overwhelming fear and self preservation. and that her self hatred because of it just fed back into the cycle and made her feel like she wasnt good enough to even try to break free from it. this is very common in golden child/scapegoat sibling relationships where the golden child SEES what the parents are capable of and becomes a participant in the abuse out of fear for their own standing. in any way siding with the scapegoat child not only directs abuse at themselves as well, but frequently makes things WORSE for the scapegoat because the parents will take out the challenge to their power on them even more. so, if aelwyn DID ever try to defend or help adaine when they were small, she would have VERY QUICKLY learned that made things worse for everyone. and just. sectioned that part of her brain off, as she's done with so many other things. (and i dont think im reading too much into the forest scene with the abernants to say their parents were VERY QUICK to turn abuse towards aelwyn if she stepped out of line even a little. like, you dont flinch when a hand moves unless. you know. dont need to say it just something to think about. as far as we saw in canon, she had done everything they asked of her leading up to the forest, and we DONT KNOW what happened in it but we do know brennan specifically called out how in broken spirits she was when adaine was summoned, even though they did the ritual to avoid all of the nightmare bullshit)

(the house party is literally a whole separate post but i think its fair to point out that 1) she was super under the influence when that was happening which DEFINITELY is in no way an excuse for her behavior but worth remembering when trying to analyze that 2) her losing that fight did canonically have DRASTIC consequences for her and even if she didnt know exactly how that was going to turn out, i think she knew how bad it might be. and she did not know adaine or any of the bad kids were going to be there in the first place)

all that said, it feels in some ways counterproductive to say that aelwyn is an extremely devoted and protective person (yes we're getting to the paladin shit i know i've been rambling a while) but i think that thats strangely ALL WE ACTUALLY KNOW ABOUT HER. because we've established that her self-destructive and abusive behavior in s1 is almost entirely psychologically scripted for her by her parents, we dont know how much of her villain shit in s1 was LITERALLY UNDER THREAT OF DEATH because we know at least killing the oracle was and we dont know how much of the rest of it was mandated by either her parents or kalina other than that she probably was under orders not to tell adaine the truth, and we know participating in all of this caused extreme self loathing in her that she refused to show to anybody and was too terrified to act on in any way

so, like. what does that actually leave us?

here's what we do know about aelwyn:

- of all the schools of magic, she went into abjuration

- the entire bbeg plan from season 1 hinged on aelwyn's complete faith that her level 1 sister was the most prodigious diviner in the world

- right after (?) the house party, she locked her memories where only adaine could find it with a note basically saying "theres so much bad blood between us but i know only you could find this"

- she desperately wanted to protect adaine and the fact that she was too afraid to do so made her hate herself (and her knowing that adaine now knows this is the turning point in their relationship)

- despite everything, even in the nmk forest, she still loved her parents

- the SECOND she is shown genuine love and affection and care from adaine, and adaine says whatever you do, i am here with you, all her actions from there forward are just about protecting adaine from their father, very nearly at the cost of her own life

- with what she probably thought were her last words (and would have been if adaine hadnt given her the tincture), all she wanted to communicate was how to help adaine and the bad kids, and how despite everything she had always believed in her

- at five levels of exhaustion, unconscious, she used her first spell slot after nine months of torture to build a shield around adaine

NOW we get to paladin!aelwyn. because, once everything is stripped away, the abuse and the control and the maladaption and the threats and the torture, EVERYTHING we ACTUALLY can glean about aelwyn's personality and inner core is that she's protective and devoted. and of course classes arent locked by personality, but that just screams paladin to me. its her WHOLE THING. adaine even says "wizards dont have heals, we dont care about other people" and of COURSE that isnt true for either of them, but? mechanically? aelwyn chose the wizard school that DID let her protect, and DID let her help, but i dont think, at this point, going forward, thats really going to be enough for her (and we could also talk about the parallels between them, how often adaine uses her portents to help other people)

i think a lot of the different reads on aelwyn come from this fundamental disconnect between her actions and displayed personality vs who she actually is and what she actually wants. and i think there are very different interpretations of what thats going to look like for her going forward. but i think, for a girl who's most hated characteristic about herself was her self preservation at the detriment of others, her perceived selfishness, and her fear ... isn't choosing to be braver and more selfless and more protective and shedding that self-preserving instinct for the betterment of others ... and MECHANICALLY being able to act on all those things ... the logical next step? i think its going to be a LONG TIME before aelwyn can love herself, but what other way is there to try? if adaine loves her, and adaine believes she can be better, isnt being better because she trusts adaine kind of a form of self love? saying, i dont believe in myself, but i believe in the person who believes in me, and maybe, in a roundabout way, thats the same thing. she was never able to TRY to be better before, because trying to improve even a little, even when people arent watching, when a harmful force has so much power over you and your actions ... like, the mental dissonance is honestly TOO much to even try, thats WAY more terrifying than letting yourself be bad, to the point where thats psychologically impossible for a lot of people. but now she actually has space and freedom and CHOICE and she CAN embrace the instincts she always had to shove down, she CAN be the person she knows her sister needed her to be

i dont know, i think theres an inherent love letter to yourself in wanting to be better and wanting to improve, even if you justify it by saying its for someone else. and now aelwyn actually CAN improve, and thats probably going to be extremely awkward and scary and there will be set backs and backslides for sure. but. i dont know. i think she wants to make up for lost time. because she never wanted the time to be lost in the first place. and if a protector is who she always wanted to be, whats stopping her from being that now?

[kanika-vargrhugr]

A brief rambling and some questions I have been thinking about lately.

Currently I am enrolled in a college class about the symbolism, ethics, and cultural importance of different lifestyles and attitudes about food, as well as analyzing how food is used in literature. One topic that has been coming up again and again is how food and the dinner table is the social center of our world - dinner dates are ever popular, friends go out to eat together, families gather for dinner after work and school, etc. Throughout class discussions about this, I have come to realize that I feel quite differently. While all of my peers seem to associate food with sociability and find eating alone sad, I find myself far less sociable during meal times. I believe this stems from my animality, due to the fact that I feel highly food competitive, a common trait among my theriotypes. Once I am given a meal (that I actually want) I eat it as fast as I can, and I would prefer to do so away from other people. I don't think of the meal itself as time to socialize, but rather during its preparation, or after we've all eaten.

I guess the one exception is people who eat like me. They're few and far between, but for example, my partner does it too. When I'm at his house we don't gather at the table to eat, we both just make our own plates, and then we sit down on the floor next to each other and we both wolf down our food without a word, and then put up the plates and thats mealtime. His parents always say its weird and not right, but I think its nice. Its a bit of silent companionship, but neither of us breaks the other's food boundaries, and we don't feel threatened that the other is going to mess with our plate. That's the only time I enjoy eating with a group, if everyone would get their own food and eat it quietly with me and not touch anything on my plate or comment on how I prepare it or ask if I'm going to finish it.

What are you guy's thoughts on meal socialization? Do you have any similar experiences or do you think about it a completely different way?

[imaginary-ghoulfriend]

Everything that is WRONG in "The Kissing Booth" movie series PART 1

This is the first post of a series that I’m thinking about doing here, where I go around the l aspect of movies, series,... (mostly rom/coms since they are better for social dicussions) and give my personal opinion on them. If you guys like this idea please let me know, and as always feel free to give your own thoughts on the comment section/ask box (and just remembering that, giving your thoughts and sending hate are two different things).

Let’s Start! 

Before jumping to the topics of discusion, let me start with a quick summary of the story. Elle (our brunnet female lead) and Lee (the sweetheart, yet dumb, supporting character) are best friends since, well... ever. And to maintain this so called friendship, both of them stabilshed a series of rules (don’t worry I’m gonna talk more about them eventually in the post). One rule in specific, is actually what  gets the plot of the first movie going and that is: No dating Lee’s brother (aka Noah, aka the womanizer popular white guy that every girl in the school seems to have a crush on for no apparent reason beside his looks and the fact that he has a motocycle). Anyways, long story short, Elle has a crush on him even tho this is against the rules and from that on the story is bult.

Of course that it has more into it, but I will be talking about in the corse of this post and the following parts. I just want yall to know the very basic thing that’s going on here before going more deep on everything. Now, buckle up and let’s start this shit!

LONG POST WARNING 

Part 1: THE MAIN TRIO 

ELLE EVANS, THE BRUNNET FEMALE LEAD

Let me begin by saying that I do aprecciate the fact that they are trying to make a female character that embraces her feminine side while also maintaining a masculine side, but... lets put some emphasis in the word “TRYING”, shall we? Cause even tho Elle is a very loving, funny, clumsy, and gentle girl, she is also very very very generic. 

Like, I did not start watching this movie expecting anything less than that, but god, was I wishing to be surprised for once. And don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate her character at all, she is indeed very fun to watch most of the movie, principally when she puts herself into strange situations. My concern with her persona is in reality related to another thing, because let me tell you something, just cause she plays video games and has a boy best friend, that doesn’t make her this so called “cool” girl or the “not like the others” girl.  

I feel like by now that should have already been known, and I also feel like a broken record having to repeat this over and over again, but being friends with a boy doesn’t make you better than any other girl, or different than girls that have mostly girl friends. Actually the Red flag 1# in this movie is that Elle has no female friends what so ever, and worse than that, the movie is constatly comparing her to other generic girls ( the poplular/only care about apparence girls, the goth with a attitude, the girls that are constatly frowning over boys,...) by puting them around her to make her apear more “cool” to the eyes of those watching:

 “She is cool because she doens’t care about aperence like those other girls”;

 “she is cool because she’s social, she talks with everyone” (this everyone being mostly boys);

 “she doens’t get shy when talking to atractive boys, she is so different” 

What they seem to be unawear (or maybe not so much) is that by doing this, they’re not only promiting a very machist point of view around girls, but also trying to imply that a girl can’t have any of those other features, because if they do they will not appel to the eyes of man. They show us the “wrong options” by enfassising bad behaviors that those girls have, to the bennefit of the one in the lead role, while also promoting female rivality in the process. 

And maybe in the first watch you will not notice all those things, but after analyzing it more deeply, you will see that the movie constatly try to build Elle’s character surounded by a LOT of sexist innuendos, masking it by putting up jokes to break this image (which is not very effective). They want us to believe that they are showing us this amazing and different girl, with dreams and ambisions, but in the end her hole personality is based on her relationship with two boys. And let me tell you something, things do not get ANY better in the second movie.

LEE FLYNN, THE GOOFY BEST FRIEND

I should ask this first before we start: why does your friendship need so many rules? and why breaking them is like the end of the world? 

Before anwsering those questions lets talk a little about Lee, the supporting goofy, kinda cute, clumsy character. 

Through out both movies my thoughts on Lee were very strong tbh. Like, I don’t hate him completly, I actually had fun with his character a lot of times, but I also can’t find myself liking him the amount that I should, given the fact that he is supposed to be the likable best friend who only wishes what is best for his bestie. And thats exactly where the problem lives: Red flag 2# is that what he think is the best most times isn’t, and whenever things go out of his way he gets an attitude about it. 

Most of my dislike for this boy and this friendship, is because of those stupid rules that shouldn’t exist in the first place. I understand that every relationship has a set of unspoken agreements, and I also understand that when you are kids you have those fun (very dumb) ideas like “lets make rules so our relationship stays strong”. But as you grow older, you should know what “rules” you should keep, and what rules you should burn down in the dumpster, principaly because your priorities as you grow change.

You and Your best friend shouldn’t be making your life long desicions based on a set of rules that you two put out together when you were infants, and that’s what pissed me the most about this movie to be honest. 

Elle shouldn’t be restricted about who she should date based on Lee’s dislike for her partiner, she shouldn’t have to go to a college just because her best friend wants her to go to the institute that he is going,... She is a grown person, she shouldn’t feel the need to ask for permision of her friend before choosing to do something, and she shouldn’t feel the need to keep things in secret because he might over react about it. 

At the same time, it also feels like Elle is using this as an excuse to not have to come over and make decisions for herself. And you can see this more clearly on the second movie, where her only two options for a collage is the one her best friend wants or the one her boyfriend is at. Like, she is 18 y/o and she didn’t even thought about a plan B? what if she wasn’t accepted by those two colleges in the first place? She didn’t think any of this through, before jumping full on board on things. She has all this time to train for a dance competition she never took part on before, but doesn’t have time to think about what she actually wants for her future, beside dating this guy that she doesn’t even know if he’s cheating on her or not??????? And you really want me to believe that she is this person who thinks everything before hand? No, I don’t think so. 

And before you say I’m going too strong on Elle, let me tell you that all of this also applys for the opposite situation as well. Neither of them should feel presured by not breaking those STUPID rules, because if they really are best friends, they should know that the most important thing is seeing the other happy. Being friends with someone shouldn’t give you this much anxiety, you shouldn’t feel the need to constantly be together or to have to do everything with the other, because if you aren’t around one another 24/7 you might lose eachother. Real bestfriends shouldn’t even be affraid to lose the friendship they have in the first place!!!!

Overall the only thing about this two that I can thank for, is their boy/girl relationship with no second intentions, because besides that, all the rest needs to FREAKING STOP!! Maybe a little time away from one another might be good for this two after all.

NOAH FLYNN, THE MAJOR ASSHOLE

I’m not even gonna try to sugar coat this one, cause to be honest I don’t want too. Noah Flynn is a butthole, and beside his looks (that can be totally dicussed since beauty is relative) he has no good or redeemed qualities. 

I can’t find words to express how tired I am to find characters like him in most rom/coms. The popular bad boy with no consideration for anyones sentiments and with a hole bunch of attachment problems and anger issues. He goes around playing with girls, acting like he is king of everything and that he can get whatever he wants by simply smiling and blinking his eyes. And yet, even with all this PROBLEMATIC behaviors, he still has the hole school fangirling over him like he is the last piece of man in the edge of this world (which is another sexist thought, to think that girls would only fall for this kind of dickhead guys). 

And once again, it’s given to the lead female the job to “fix” this piece of shit of a person, but let me tell you something: IT IS NOT HER JOB!!! 

It’s no girl’s job to try to change a boy for the better, his issues should be discussed with a terapist or a psycologist and that’s it. I’m so tired of this “a good girl can change a bad boy” narrative, like is their mission in life to get a really fucked up guy and make them turn good. No, it’s not, FULL STOP!!

I’m so tired of this stupid and toxic idea, this is disgusting (and I mean it). The amount of girls that end up getting in a abusive realtionships because of this disturbed idea that “he can change” or “he is not like this all the time”. You are his girlfriend!!! He shouldn’t be like that at any time!!!! 

Masking his temperament problems and abusive behiviours with small moments of compasion, small moments where he seem gentle and loving, only to moments later having him going around like a dickweed again. Saying things like: “oh, they where arguing and he just got carried away”, or “he wouldn’t act like that if the other hadn’t provoked him”. HE IS NOT AN ANIMAL, FOR GOD’S SAKE!!!! He is a human being, and if he can’t control himself around others, then he probably shouldn’t be allow to date someone in the first place! It’s not Elle’s, or any other girl, job to go around controling and fixing his shitty atitudes.

And the worse part of it all, is that when shit happens everything is put onto the girl’s shoulders, like he is her responsability after all. “He got into a fight because she wasn’t there”; “he sheatted on her because she fought with him”; ”he acted violent because she provoked”; “he wouldn’t feel jealous, if she weren’t wearing those clothes”,... 

It’s so absurd to see that when Elle is wrong everyone is so quick on their feet to say how wrong she was, how slutty she was, “because this wouldn’t happen if she trusted him” (and I’m not saying I agree with every single attitude of her, because I don’t). But when he is doing something wrong, everyone is changing the focus of the subject, or even worse, DEFFENDING HIM! 

HE IS JUST A CUTE FACE WITH A HOT BODY AND THAT’S IT!!!! To think so many girls that watched this movie want a boyfriend like him, trully is infuriating!! I keep asking myself “what if he wasn’t hot?” or “what if he wasn’t so high up in our society beauty standards?”, I’m sure if he had a different apparence our view and reactions over his persona wouldn’t be so passive. 

Noah’s Red flags scoore: +10,000

I feel exausted after writing all this tbh, I’ll be trying to post part 2 soon, because if you think this is over, let me tell you: IT IS NOT! I will try to go less hard on this movie in part two, I feel like I got a little carried away at the end but I needed to make my point clear. In the second part, I will be talking more about the kissing booth 2 and the rest of the characters, and since I liked the second one way more there will be less specific criticism and more a overall point of view of the plot, for now that’s all I have to say.

Thanks for reading :)

[anakinthetrashking]

Ok, so you reblogged my post about bnha fic recs and I also looked through the ones you linked and I LOVED THEM. If its alright to ask, would you happen to have more Protective Aizawa or possibly Dadmic or Protective Present Mic? Also Protective Midnight or Momnight? Only if you have! Thanks! -bnhastanning

I somehow stupidly lost my reply to this ask, not once, but TWICE. at the end, when i was almost done. im so sorry but this will be the crappiest version yet... (also! hello, fellow batfam fan... *spiderman pointing meme*)

I read a lot of fic and i loooooove sharing them with people, so thanks for giving me an excuse to do this!! :D

lots of fics, so im putting them under the read more! One of these days I’ll get around to making more organized fic rec posts...

Dadmic: only a couple, and tbh i think they have more dadzawa in them?? Secondary Colors by NaoNazo

"You got pushed down the stairs... and you're apologizing for it," he stated blandly. "That seems counterintuitive." "Um... sorry?" Izuku whispered. He was starting to shake a little, adrenaline flooding his veins and leaving him cold. He had no idea what Purple was going for with his blunt statements and the hand reaching toward his shoulder as if to steady him, but apologizing was generally safe. "You don't have to apologize, dude. I don't know your name, but I doubt it's actually Deku." "Um. Midoriya." Izuku peered sideways at Purple as they rounded the corner. "Izuku Midoriya. Deku is just, um, just what my... friends call me." He winced. "Sounds real friendly."

and Cat Days by Griffinrose

Izuku has a shapeshifting quirk. He's not the best at controlling it, especially under stress. So when tragedy strikes and he gets lost in the city, he's stuck as a cat. At least he found a nice underground hero to take him in?

Pied Piper by Blackholeca has some really great concerned Dadmic in recent chapters!!

If they wouldn’t give him a chance then the solution seemed simple, he’d give himself one. He’d force the world to see him, force them to recognize his hard work. He wasn’t missing a quirk, it was simply that everyone else had been given an advantage. He wasn’t broken, or useless, or incapable, and he’d prove it by outrunning all of them, he who was quirkless, he who had started in last.

As for momnight, there are also only a couple, and im also not caught up with these either. i have a little bit more of an excuse with these, as Indefinite by OwlF45 is really REALLY long, as well as intense. Worth the read though! I just gotta catch up! So much mindblowing stuff in that, and the Momnight is really sweet.

It comes with the package deal of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Midoriya gets another chance at life, but he must throw it away when that dreaded day comes. After all, a life for nineteen is more than a fair trade.

Or: the world will rise or fall, and it depends on one boy protecting Class 1-A to prevent the inevitable.

The other Momnight one I have is A Single Reason by TheDeepSeaWitch. Also really good, but really intense and I’ve had to take a break because I was getting a bit depressed, whoops. But I liked it!

Training begins the next day, and doesn’t stop for any reason. They wait for heroes, then for police, then for anyone to save them, but nobody comes.

It’s only a month before Izuku forgets their names. It’s a year before he forgets his own.

It’s only a chance meeting with an impassioned soul eight long, painful years later that saves them.

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

They thought they were lost forever, that there was no future out there for them with their scars so visible and the blood on their hands still pungent and red. But if they have the strength to try, then perhaps, one day, they may yet find their forgiveness, and rediscover themselves along the way.

The Reforming Villains AU nobody asked for.

For Dadzawa:

Flare Signal by achievingelsium, of course! Annie writes some of my absolute fav dadzawa content, so definitely check it out!!

AU. Midoriya Izuku shouldn't be surprised he ended up like this: hiding the secret of One for All from his own father, the notorious villain Dragon. The path to being a hero is a hard one.

Or; Izuku is an aspiring hero forced to work for his father’s villain organization. Then he runs into All Might.

Izuku Ya’broker by Dreamillusions, is a fic i loved a LOT.

Perhaps you should actually listen to the news every once in a while, so you wouldn't end up in these kinds of situations. What kinds of situations? Glad you asked. Look at Izuku, for example. You would think Izuku would be at home after school, safe and sound from anyone attempting to, you know, kill him. But no, Izuku decided to roam around. Because of a bet. This is the kind of a situation you shouldn't end up in. Don't be Izuku.

Butterfly by aconstantstateofbladerunner, is rightfully popular! It has some horror/suspense themes though, so if thats not your style, try one of Blade’s other fics!! She’s a seriously good writer.

The first over-night trip off campus since the training camp was supposed to be a fun break from more intense work back home.  But between a bleak introduction to chaos theory, a chilly reception from the locals, and the looming threat of a villain attack, Izuku has too much on his mind to properly enjoy the fresh air.  But those worries are a light breeze compared to the hurricane that accompanies what he finds on the outskirts of town.

Or rather, what finds him.

A House Divided Against Itself by BeyondTheClouds777, another one of my fav fics by a great writer!

"Become a villain," they said.

“I’ll be a villain,” he said.

He lied. He’s only there so he can tear apart the League of Villains from the inside out.

The scars we carry by Banana_Ink is a great AU with plenty of Dadzawa

Aizawa rescued Izuku from the league of villains and takes care of the child for now. Izuku has two quirks in this AU, one natural - Forced Quirk Activation - and one that AFO 'gifted' him with - Self-Heal. He has a pretty big handprint-scar on his face and started as a problem child, scared and wary of people. But Aizawa managed to help him slowly heal.

This AU is just some silly little thing I came up in my freetime and like to add to it as I go, so I don't have a plan at all. Mostly I write for fun so I hope you might enjoy this as well :D

Ticked Off by Xenolis is a fic that I just want to rec all the time,,, for some reason...

~ ON HIATUS/OCCASIONAL UPDATES ~ Midoriya Izuku attracted trouble. It was just a fact of life – the sky was blue, the grass was green, and Izuku constantly found himself in an absurd number of deadly situations. He was okay with that. Mortal peril was an average Tuesday afternoon for a Pro Hero like him. Being kidnapped was practically a holiday. Saving civilians as a building collapsed around him was easier than facing his worried mum afterwards. He had dealt with All Might's disappointed dad stare and only cried for two hours afterwards. A serial killing villain with an unknown Quirk would be no problem! ..but even Izuku had to admit that being sent back in time to his first day at UA wasn't on the agenda. Still, there was no-one more spitefully determined than him – he was going to make the most of it. Yeah, good luck, heroes and villains alike! Deku was here to cause mischief and love his friends!

Toward A Bright Future by LazyRainDancer holds a special, soft place in my heart. I always want to go reread it after watching the show and I always want to rewatch the show after reading it. it never ends

You wake up at UA, the highest ranked hero school in the country, with no recollection of how you got there. Unfortunately, those aren't the only memories you're missing. Still, you can't let a little amnesia get in the way of you warning the school about the attack you know will happen during Class 1-A's field trip to the USJ. After you deliver your warning, you're beyond shocked when the principal offers you a position as a TA for Class 1-A. You accept the position in hopes that you'll be able to use your Quirk to help protect the students. It'll be far from easy, but you're determined to do whatever it takes to change the students' future for the better.

The rest don’t really have Dadzawa? But theyre really good so I had to rec them anyway

once forgotten, twice removed by blueh, good writer for multiple fandoms

“Yes,” All for One agreed. “This will be the final resting place of All Might.” “You,” Midoriya Izuku said and paused, thinking over the words. He sounded taken aback. “You want me to help fight All Might.” “Of course,” All for One nodded along. “I can offer you double of whatever my counterpart is paying you currently, along with anything your little heart could desire. Of course, you would get to help out drastically—" “Did you happen to check what world you were pulling me out of when you did this?” Midoriya Izuku interrupted and it was said in such an incredulous tone that had the situation not been as critical as it was, All Might would have laughed. Also known as: number one hero Deku has been through a lot of things, but being thrust into an alternate reality where he’s All for One’s Successor is a first.  He has to navigate this world when his alternate self is a villain dead-set on killing him and all of this version of class 1-A. All the while, his friends search desperately for a way to get him back.

Office Space by Caelismylife quirkless izuku gets a job at UA analyzing quirks, HECK YES

It took a little time, but he eventually found himself with a job at UA. The revolving door of heroes was not in the contract.

To Repair with Gold by TitleUnwanted FEEEEELS

AU. Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me, biggest lie in the world. Tattoos, which appeared when quirks did, are when a person feels an impact on something they are told and it becomes inked on their body, the closer they show to your heart the deeper the impact it has on the person.

For Izuku this is a blessing and a curse.

An Accident at Workstudy by Galactic_Jax been enjoying this one!

Izuku is working hard to prove himself at his work study, but it's hard when Sir Nighteye has made it clear he's not wanted. But what happens when Izuku is caught in a villain attack on his way to the agency? Will a few revelations about his most recent intern's past be enough for Sir Nighteye to change his mind about All Might's successor?

Nice to Meet You? by Allwalkfree didn’t know i needed this until i read it           

Kirishima introduces Bakugou to his favorite senpai. In which over several encounters Bakugou and Amajiki learn to become tentative friends.

A Study in Firsts by Oceanbreeze7 dorm shenanigans AND feels

There’s a first time for everything. The first time everyone crammed in Momo’s room to study, a mess of limbs and books on her bed. The first time Mina burned crepes so badly the smoke alarm went off. The first time a jumpscare got Sero so badly, he flipped off the back of the couch. The first time Uraraka fell asleep at the table and accidentally sent it floating. The first time someone realized Todoroki walked far too quietly, and far too cautiously around the dorms to be normal. The first time Midoriya broke his toe on a door frame and kept walking through it. The first time Kirishima woke up screaming through the walls. The first time Tsuyu blanched at the sight of a needle. The first time Bakugo dropped, clutching the back of his neck with eyes scarily vacant and detonating everything around him until Aizawa had to intervene. It wasn’t always pretty, but the dorms were filled with firsts.

Hero Class Civil Warfare by Roguedruid extremely satisfying to read

Heroes lead by Bakugo. Villains lead by Midoriya. Seven days prep time. Three days for Izuku Midoriya to show why they should be glad he's not a real villain.

A Fleeting Smile by AnonymousTwit good bakugou content

Or a collection of fifteen Bakusquad one shots where someone outside of the Bakusquad catches a rare glimpse of a friendlier side of Bakugou Katsuki, and one time that is specifically reserved for the four people that he hates the least.

Hope this gives you something to work with!!! I have more(and am always adding) in my bookmarks on AO3, but this should be a good start! Hopefully you’ll find at least one that you love! have a great day!!!! -Ani <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

[sanguinarius-archive]

Hey! Could I get to know some of your headcanons about dickfigures/your designs for them? :D

ya ya sure!!!!

i already have my designs for them up if you havent seen, here they are!

as for headcanons idk how long this post will be so ill just add a read more for anyone who might not wanna scroll thru it all lol

red!!!!!

his real name is rowan bc i thought it was cute, also it means “little red one” which is eVEN BETTER

he’s nonbinary masc and bisexual! the self projection is REAL

he has adhd

most of my headcanons kinda flow into my own version of dick figures because i’m not very Satisfied with canon NJSJDNSKM so like. for example red doesn’t just kill people or whatever. he gets into fights and has scars and wears bandaids a lot bc of them

he graduated college with blue, he got a bachelor’s degree in fine arts (honestly idk how college works bc im a grade 10 baby so if thats like totally wrong just let me know also im. canadian so idk how american school system works LOL)

red got suspended a lot in high school but never expelled. mostly bc he got in fights that were mainly him protecting stacey from shitty people (he sees her as his sister so he was rlly protective) and the school wasnt really sure what else to do so they just. you know. suspended him a bunch of times hoping itd do something but it didnt

he hates his dad! reason being is bc when he was born, his dad was actually an alien able to disguise himself as human, so he wanted to take red back to his home planet cuz red turned out to be more powerful than anything his dad had ever seen. but red’s mom was like Nope, so she snuck out with him and his plush cat (kitty amazing) and they were never found. red is very close with his mom and is scared of his dad coming back someday

we know he canonically likes rlly loud music so im just gonna project here and say he’s a metalhead. at least, some form of it. he likes the alt scene music and industrial rock. examples being deftones, nine inch nails, skinny puppy, rage against the machine, kittie and others. it keeps him focused and calm

bLUE!!!

we know blue was bullied as a kid but i dont wanna say red also bullied him bc i feel like thats just wrong to me? MAYBE ITS NOT ACTUALLY but it just makes me sad so like. lets say red, being as protective as he is, stood up for blue a lot cuz he was like “oh this kid cant fight” so he knew what to do

blue dated pink for awhile but they mutually agreed to break up after blue realized this wasnt what he wanted (he came to the conclusion that he was gay, well, he knew for awhile but it was Internalized Homophobia)

he grew up in a very conservative family so to see the world completely differently by meeting red, ems (lt), pink and stacey was a very good thing for him. unfortunately even tho his family did love him, it was conditional so they stopped talking to him after he came out. thankfully he’d already graduated high school by that point

despite being emotional blue isn’t very good at understanding how he’s an emotional person. he’s able to distinct one feeling from another and analyze them, but it’s just... hard for him to kind of. process WHY he feels a certain way? which is what’s led to a lot of his struggles in getting closer with ppl

he loooves reading and writing we already know this but i mean come on. he also got a bachelor’s degree in english/ela. so he’s able to become a teacher ig but he doesn’t really want to? at least not for awhile yet

blue was ems’ first friend. at first he couldn’t understand why they had tics but decided he shouldn’t get into someone else’s business. he didn’t find it weird, just cool!

he and red would always pair up for projects if they had classes together!!!!!! blue would do the writing/research and red would do the illustrations. they always turned out really good even if it ended with red cramming it at the last minute

surprisingly hates broseph more than red. well i mean its not surprising, because broseph was always a huge DICK to him

blue’s real name is wyatt!!!!! i forget the meaning but i felt the sound of it and the meaning fit him well

piiiiink!!!!!!!!!!

she’s still in college, getting her doctorate to be an astrophysicist!

pink is very very smart and will help anyone who’s struggling with something in school. she was basically the genius who always got in the honor roll every year. but, she actually was really anxious especially with exams

pink encourages stacey to go back to school, and sometimes stacey does, but she always ends up leaving again. it’s a little stressful but pink has hope for her

she’s never drank one sip of alcohol in her entire life. she smoked weed once, but it felt weird so she didn’t do it again

ever since she and blue broke up she’s been very supportive of him bc she herself is bisexual!!! so she sees nothing weird about it. in fact, about almost a year later she started dating stacey

pink’s real name is lily. when she became friends with blue she met red through him and she was like “can i join your nickname thing” and they said “sure” so they called her pink. stacey sometimes calls her pinky or just pink but mostly lily

pink helped red with academics. even tho he was sometimes insufferable to work with (/j thats a Joke i promise she’s a very patient person) she didn’t give up on him!!!! in return he helped her out with some fitness stuff cuz pink was always insecure about gym, and later when she graduated she actually got into exercising bc of red!

she loves travelling and going for walks. she owns a lot of houseplants and she’s given them all names and takes very good care of them! she also owns an albino ball python named Velvet

STACEYYY!!!!!!!

stacey is nOT actually all about sex this time ok. i don’t like that. i mean she did have some personality in canon but it wasn’t much? anyways she just really likes to express herself thru tight/”risque” clothing like fishnets and leather and pleated skirts and thigh-highs and platform boots, all of that. basically she’s a goth girl but doesn’t really “act” like one

she’s really intelligent when it comes to animals and insects and will tell you anything you need to know. when she goes back to college she gets a degree in environmental science

stacey can play the electric and bass guitars!!!! she was in a band back in high school but it never really went anywhere beyond performances at parties in someone’s garage. not that she didn’t like it, looking back on it makes her feel happy, but she wished it continued. probably why she has a hard time going back to college bc she’s not sure what she really wants

stacey is a trans woman btw!!!!! unfortunately it was a little difficult in high school to be who she was bc some kids were jerks, but there were a lot of others who supported her which is good

she views red as her brother as well and they still hang out a lot

i haven’t really had time to focus on stacey and make headcanons and stuff for her so i don’t have a lot but... let’s say, secretly, she’s a scifi nerd. and for the sake of debate, let’s say she’s a marvel fan. if you count being a fan of deadpool as being a fan of marvel

LOVES GIRLS.... loves pink!!!

has very similar music taste to red’s!!!!!

emssss!!!!!!! (lt)

instead of being a stereotype of ppl with tourette’s syndrome, it’s just a normal thing that isn’t focused on a whole lot. it doesn’t make ems swear but if they get really really frustrated they’ll curse while doing one of their tics

ems is agender, i’d say they’re also ageless but i don’t really want to make them too “nonhuman” because i feel like that’s dehumanizing to people with tourette’s. so let’s just say most laws of existence don’t apply to them

they’re very friendly!

they’re an aspiring musician, just like in canon

ems is also big into horror movies believe it or not. they’re pretty critical of them though like most horror movie fans, and only like specific ones (i’m not a horror movie fan myself so i can’t say what Specific Ones they like ajsdhbjn just imagine they have good taste okay)

they r very artsy too and like doing crafts cause it gives them something to focus on. it’s just a hobby though it’s not something they’re Professional at

they love nature and flowers and trees and all kinds of plants and animals!!! they like to document what they see when they travel thru nature and stuff so they bring a camera with them (and their phone, but, you know whatever)

ems was never really affected by things people said to them regarding their syndrome. to them it was something they were born with, so they couldn’t bother to feel bad about themselves. in certain situations theyre able to control it but 90% of the time they don’t care about what ppl think

aaaand there u go!!! as for minor characters like raccoon, jason/trollz0r, broseph, dingleberry, they all exist (raccoon isnt a racist stereotype tho), i just dont focus on them a whole lot. most of my hcs for stacey and ems here were thought up on the spot since i havent had time to lay out all my ideas for them but i hope what i have here is good !!!!

also, red and blue ARE dating, and pink and stacey ARE ALSO dating. gay rights

[polar-stars]

👹🍅💥🏀 ⭐🍏 🐉 💧🐟🍇 🔮🌸🌷 ❤️ 🧡💚💗 for chieko Mika yasu shigeo kazuo please ;)

I’ve decided to answer these in multiple parts....I hope thats alright with you ;v;

This one will feature Chieko and next on will be Mika and so on...

But thanks for the ask ^^ The questions are really fun to answer

Chieko

👹 How does you OC act around different people and how does their personality change to match the environment they’re in? How do they act with: friends, family, strangers, children or their lover(s)?

Chieko’s behaviour mainly depends on whether she’s talking to someone her age or an adult. Though the closeness to whoever she’s talking is also a large factor. 

She’s very polite and well-behaved when talking to adults. If it’s authority-figures or people she admires, she’s very cautious with her words and tends to be a bit shyer. If she’s a bit more closer to them (Satoshi, Daigo, Shoji), she’s a bit more open and more comfortable to vent and rant though. 

With people her age, she’s usually more or less polite with strangers, but if you rub her off the wrong way she might become more snarky quickly. Around her friends, she’s definitely more than comfortable to rant and whine about how frustrating everything is. She’s definitely grouchier and quicker to nag, but at the same time she’s also more cheery (if she does end up in a good mood) and less stiff. She’s the same around her family and also the Ibusakis. 

🍅 How easily is your OC embarassed? What subjects make them flush and why? What event has made your OC the most embarassed they’ve ever been?

It’s rather easy to make Chieko fluster. She’s not much used to praise and compliments, so that alone can make her blush. It only gets worse if it comes from anyone she holds admiration for.  Given that she’s also pretty innocent in that regard, anything sexual will certainly turn her into a tomato as well. 

Then there’s also the feeling of being out of place. Chieko does have some insecurities about her looks and thinks of herself as insanely plain. When she’s put into a pretty dress and sent to a fancy party, at times (not always but sometimes) she tends to feel small and stupid being surrounded by girls that she thinks are just so much interesting than her. 

💥 Are there any emotions your OC doesn’t know how to deal with, doesn’t understand or hates having to feel? Any reason behind this?

Chieko is certainly conflicted about the attraction she harbors for Shigeo Eizan. She’s pretty confused about how she’s perfectly aware about how excellently he lies and how cruel he is, yet still she can’t help but to feel drawn to him despite the NUMEROUS warning-sings. She’s greatly inexperienced with love and lust to begin with honestly. She never had much of a Love 101 course so to speak, meaning she never really had any innocent teenage-flirting with a nice, uncomplicated kind-off guy but rather gets thrown right into the advanced course. 

Another thing she’s honestly rather unfamiliar with is true, deep grief but most of the kids honestly are. 

🏀 Does your OC have any skills that people wouldn’t expect them to have? Do they have a hobby or pass time that others would consider strange or weird? How did they learn this particular skill or pick up this hobby?

She actually knows archery. It was taught to her by Yuki’s father who’s just simply very enthusiastic about bows and arrows and wanted to show it to his grandchildren very badly. Chieko’s not perfect at it and she has less and less time to practice it when she grows up, but its still something not many would expect. 

She also knows how to play violin, which is also something not all too many know. She just wanted to learn it as child to impress kids at her school and because she liked the instrument honestly. 

⭐ Does your OC like to sleep alone or do they enjoy sharing their bed? Have they been to any sleepovers? Have they ever been camping? What did they think of the experiences if so?

When they were very young, Yasu and Chieko at times did sleep in the same bed. It was always rather fun for both of them, as they could tell each other stories till deep in the night and such. She also, to this day, at times has to share a bed with her little brother. Sleeping with Takahiro can be a bit more annoying, because Takahiro certainly loves to poke and tease his big sister a lot and falls asleep very hardly. However, once he is actually asleep, Chieko can’t really deny that another presence in bed is in one or the other way comforting. She won’t think of it as a great necessity though, until she actually shares the bed with a romantically loved one. Because then she’ll grow very fond of it. 

🍏 When your OC says “I had a bad day” what does that tend to mean? Is it really as bad as they’re saying or are they being a bit dramatic?

Chieko has a little knack for overacting a bit and she can certainly be a bit overdramatic here and there. Her saying „I had a bad day“ can very easily just be a string of just plainly annoying events that frustrated her enough to be grouchy for the entire day afterwards. 

🐉 How religious is your OC? Do they pray to any god(s) or do they not believe in that kind of stuff? What is their view of religion in general? Where do they believe people go when they die? If your OC is not religious why not and what do they believe in otherwise?

Chieko likes to say she’s an agnostic atheist. Personally she does not believe in any deity. However, she’s also one to pronounce that there’s no way of her safely knowing that there’s no deity or such. She just thinks that the proving of wether god/an afterlife exists or not is outside of mankind’s capabilities. 

Despite not being religious herself, she does think of religion as immensely interesting. Chieko’s a history-nerd in the end and the impact religion had on humanity all around the world is massive. And that’s just something she finds intriguing to analyze. 

💧 What is something from your OC’s past they’re the most ashamed of and why? What is something they’re really proud of? And lastly what is something in their past that could make them shake with dread?

There was a time in which Chieko, desperate to make female friends, would try to make herself out to be more exciting. She’d occasionally make untrue additions to stories she’d tell in an attempt to make them more thrilling or funnier. It’s something she has resigned off from long ago and she’s cringing whenever she thinks back to it. 

What she‘s, so far, most proudest over is getting invited to the inauguration party of Totsuki‘s new library wing. She got said invitation thanks to various teacher‘s recommendations as they named her as an excellent example of intellect on Totsuki.

🐟 What was your OC like as a baby? What were they like as a child? A teenager? An adult? How do you think they’ll develop ten years into their future? Twenty years? Will they live to old age?

Baby!Chieko cried quite a lot and mind you, she was fairly loud. Her parents always had a pacifier somewhere near because of it. Baby!Chieko was also fairly clingy to her father and would sometimes start to cry whenever he set her down. 

She remained a crybaby throughout childhood and would begin crying at any sort of slight misfortune. As a young child, Chieko was immensely shy and soft-spoken and she was practically famous for hiding behind her father’s legs at all times. At the same time, she showed a lot of intelligence early on and began reading and such at an early age while also always having a lot of enthusiasm when her father taught her something new. 

As a teenager, Chieko ultimately toughened up a lot more, mainly thanks to Totsuki’s rough environment and the fact that she had to fight repeated battles over the rights to her room. She’s not as easily brought to tears as she was a child anymore and she also became more snarky throughout the years. At the same time, she of course kept on expanding her knowledge in a wide array of fields and grew into a little genius. She’s capable of more than people give her credit for, but sadly barely any of the people close to her have noticed that she grew out of her former crybaby-self. 

Once she’s an adult, Chieko will have become a lot more confident. Both in her talents and also her looks actually. She’ll grow into someone very assertive. Career-Wise, she won’t become a chef that opens restaurants and stuff. She’ll probably keep on operating in the landscape of culinary, yes but in a different field than restaurant-owner. By the way, but once she’ll be a mother she’ll actually be much of a worrywart as her father was. 

🍇 Does your OC have any bad habits? Does your OC have any addictions like smoking or drinking? How did they fall into these habits and why? 

Chieko tends to overwork herself. Sometimes she just forgets to take breaks and then her mother finds her having fallen asleep on her books while studying for exams. 

She only drinks on Polar Star Parties. She’s a lightweight though and does not really know her limit all too well. In Polar Star she has Yasu there to watch over her and also generally trustable people, but her drinking around strangers could possibly be more problematic. 

🔮What does your OC think is their best trait. What is actually their best trait? What about their flaws? Are they one to admit these flaws or do they like to pretend they’re perfect?

Chieko herself would definitely name her intelligence as her best trait, but I’d say her best trait would be a combination of her hidden fighting spirit and a sense for justice. 

I think a flaw of her’s is that she does barely every allow herself to just let intuition take over out of worry to escalate a situation more than it already has. She makes her moves much more slowly due to overthinking and its also what mainly keeps her inner fighter and bravery hidden from most of the world. 

🌸 What’s a sentence that would make your OC’s day better? One that would make them laugh? One that would make their day worse? Why? What words would you have to say to them to completely ruin their day?

A sentence that would make her day better would be „I brought you green tea.“ She just greatly cherishes small gestures of kindness. It might not be much for the person who made her the tea, but it really makes her feel warm and fuzzy and like she matters to someone. 

Chieko is super easily peeved, so there’s honestly many things one could say to get her into a bad mood. One drowner is definitely when her dormmates confess they broke one of her things again. 

🌷 How much effort does your OC put into their looks? Do they care much about how they’re dressed or what their hair looks like or are they not bothered? Could they be considered a snob or a slob?

Chieko mainly puts effort in styling her hair and making sure her bun looks the way she wants it to look. She also takes pretty good care of her skin actually. 

On a normal day however, she wouldn’t be bothered to wear make-up or such at this point in her life. She thinks no one would notice anyway. Her casual wear is also mainly about being decent and proper in her eyes; wether or not it’s fashionable or not is second priority honestly. 

For some formal event, she’d put effort in dressing neatly and finding a nice (but still proper) dress to put on. However often her efforts just backfire, as she ends up thinking how silly she is spending so much time on make-up and dress when she’s really just a shadow on such a formal event. 

❤️ What inspired you to make this OC? How long have you had them? How have they changed in the time you’ve been developing them?

Chieko was the first fanchild ever created and I’ve had her since April or so 2016…I was just really excited about MarYu and wanted to try creating a fanchild for them. Because my OTP needed a kid ahshd. 

Chieko honestly hasn’t changed all too much personality-wise, although some of her more minor quirks and such changed from what I initially had in mind. What mainly changed about her is her story within SnKimiko. 

🧡 What traits of your own do you see in this OC? Are they a little bit self-inserty? Don’t be shy, we all put parts of ourselves into the creations we love!

Chieko comes closest to a self-insert of my Fanchilds. Thing is, that I also relate greatly to Zenji Marui to begin with, so what can you do? 

Chieko and I do have quite some things in common and also share a great deal of likes and dislikes. 

But in the end there’s still things about her that differ from me. Mainly the fact that Chieko does have an actual spine, while I’m a complete doormat. Her story about wanting to prove herself to a world that greatly underestimates her because of her looks and former crybaby persona is also something that I do not highly relate to. I’ve been underestimate here and there yes, but it’s not really a major theme in my life so to speak. 

💚 Are you writing anything with this OC or planning on writing anything for them? Do you rp with them or are they just for fun to mess around with?

I have….quite a few ideas for ShigeChi lately. Honestly I always have ideas for ShigeChi. I love them.

💗 Ramble a bit about this character!

Funfact, but the reason why I associate Chieko mainly with the color Blue is because Yuki & Zenji mainly wear blue in the colored version of the manga. Zenji’s polo shirt, which is colored orange in the anime-version, is actually blue in the manga while Yuki is rather often spotted wearing blue as well. 

So blue became not only Chieko’s favorite color but also the color I mainly associate her with. (It’s also my favorite color, yah) 

Another fun fact, but choosing a ship for Chieko was so chaotic. At first, I couldn’t really see her with anyone. Chieko is my precious baby and I needed everything to be perfect for her and out of the existing cast back then I just couldn’t really picture a very exciting romantic relationship for her with any of them. Later on I did eventually consider a few options…options that piled up more and more. There was a time where she had the most end-game-options to pick from. However, none of the options really did the ultimate „click“ on me. Finally I ended up developing Shigeo further and well…..

[prorevenge]

How a management consultant fired himself...

I am not exactly sure if its the right section to post in as its a revenge story but not a planned revenge.

​

It all started when I made the decision to work independently after school. Me and my still best friend came up with a project idea, unfortunately I cant tell too much about as its still ongoing but not yet finished.

Anyway, it is a project with the potential to throw off a lot of profit and became somehow known in our local investor scene, thats why we had serious offers very quick and were both happy to sign a contract with a fairly big company securing us 250k to work with. (I know it sounds like a lot but it was barely enough to cover our costs the first 6 months)

After the 6 months we had to present our progress in front of the comittee of said company, we all knew them except one guy. He was a management consultant and constantly interrupted us with bullshit, ok some of his questions were ''good'', but it was mostly just bad mouthing us. Because this presentation played a huge part in keeping this project alive and financed for another 6 month, we got more and more insecure up to the point where we both thought its over. We took a short break and argued about wether or not we should even continue this presentation, we came to the point that we should continue but our hopes were crushed. (Pls keep in mind we are both young and never dealt with people that demanding, the buisness world is rough)

Right at the moment we wanted to go back into the room the branch manager came to us and told us how we shouldnt mind said consultant too much as he is the son of big boss sister and is just here cause big boss decided that they needed to be checked through. This gave us a little of our lost hope back, and we went through the second part more confident kinda ignoring C (C is consultant now I shouldve given him a nickname earlier)

After the whole event was over we had to wait 3 days until we knew if we can continue working or had to search for a new sponsor AND pay a fine for not delivering what we promised.

3 Days went by fast and we got told that they wont finance the project again and that our contract was expired. FUCK!

Well fast-forward a lot of begging other sponsors going on events and trying to get someone to support us again. We found an even bigger company who was more than happy to help us out, they immediately paid the fine (gladly our old donor didnt take us to court cause we were within the time frame) and almost doubled our old budget (I cant talk in numbers its part of the contract).

fast-forward another 2 months.

We were on an expo, where people with ongoing projects in a specific field are able to present their stuff to investors behind closed doors. It was on this event we met the CEO's of the company we worked with at first and they were interested to say the least. You might guess that C was there as well, being dragged from table to table like a little kid always nodding to everything big boss said but never getting any approval from his side. As they approached our table and we started explaining their eyes lid up. Big boss offered us 300k for a 30% share, it was at this moment Mark (a consultant from our current donor) stepped in and talked with big boss for almost an hour just far enough away so we couldnt hear it. This left us alone with C and 3 other dudes. C went on about how we just talking big but wont be able to deliver and how he already analyzed us blah blah blah, always making sure big boss wont hear him. After big boss and Mark came back they presented us a payment plan, but we declined before they finished. Mark didnt understand but he was about to. We told big boss how we think that they arent the right donor as we already worked with them (He didnt know anything about it as the branch managers of each individual office are responsible for handling the financing of projects independently). We explained how C already analyzed us and that we think we dont fit into their business model. Big boss looked angrier and angrier with every second, eventually interupting us by asking C if we tell the truth. He tried to deny some allegations, but we kept on going, talking about how he disrespected our ideas and us as persons. This left big boss raging, basically screaming....

​

Big Boss: WHAT POSITION DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE TO MAKE SUCH IMPORTANT DECISIONS

C: I..... ehm...... ugh.... but they didnt even have a diploma and this guy (pointing at me) didnt even go to university.

Big Boss: WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? THEIR PROJECT COULDVE BEEN OUR FLAGSHIP, WE NEED THEM ON BOARD

C: I thought you wanted me to......

Big Boss: I WANTED MY SISTER TO STOP WHINING IN MY EARS ABOUT HOW YOU COULDNT FIND A JOB

C: But I.....

Big Boss: NO I AM TALKING NOW YOU JUST SHUT UP, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS AND YOU CAN BE DAMN SURE THAT YOU DONT HAVE A JOB TOMORROW. YOU LIED TO ME ABOUT (insert location of the office) FINANCING A DEAD END PROJECT. YOU TOLD ME THAT THEY WILL GO BANCRUPT IF I DONT STEP IN.

C: I thought......

Big Boss: NO NOT AT ALL, NOT EVEN A SECOND, THATS THE PROBLEM. NOW GET OUTTA HERE BEFORE I LOOSE MY SHIT.

​

After that 2 minutes of complete outrage he took a deep breath facing us and said double the first 2 months and 5% less share we just looked at Mark who laughed and said deal. We all gave each other hands C awkwardly standing a few metres away from us. Big boss faced him a last time telling him to finally get lost. C responded with how they carpooled which big boss ignored as he rang his mum and told her how she should pick up her idiot son. There he was a man in his late twenties getting picked up by his mum. We laughed at this incident as they walked away Big boss still talking with her mum on the phone explaining what her son did while completely ignoring C's begging. We felt GREAT. We knew that we didnt need to get another donor on board so we just packed and went out for a great dinner.

(source) story by (/u/ninasocean)

[lalineedshelp]

End of Semester 1

So as I’ve said, I go to BLANK university (quietly “sike bitches” the fuck out of anyone who thought they’d get my uni name). Just know that I still live in the same city I was born and raised in, and per my mom’s conditions, I go home on weekends. So logically, if I was going to stay home on weekends, I was getting a job as well. There was pros and cons to having a job on the weekends. Pros: I’m making obvious bank, and will be able to pay off my college loans on my own. Cons: had i kept up with my initial study habits from the beginning of the semester, it would have been nice to have weekends to doing homework instead of working from the moment I wake to... night (sorry I didn’t know a catchy way of saying this shit). So on weekends when I should have been focused more on some bigger projects I couldn’t. However, having a job, had I kept the aforementioned study habits, wouldn’t/shouldn’t have gotten in the way of getting homework done. Put quite simply, I got lazy. Fan fiction is way more appealing than homework, and I started to put things off. Before I was doing things weeks before they were due. Coming in towards the end now, I’m lucky if something is turned in. While my grades suffered, luckily I was able to fall back on my good grades from the beginning of the semester. 

So what was I doing then that I am not doing now. For one, I wasn’t skipping all the classes I was. Say what you want about learning the same material from the textbook, but going to class gave me structure and balance that I would’t have when I skipped. One or two skips a semester is fine, but I skipped way too much. Basically, the more I skipped the worse I felt about myself, the less I wanted to go and do homework. Its not even like I had difficulty doing such task, its just that I had been unmotivated to do anything since I was laying in a depressive slump in bed. Another thing I was doing was going to the library. In High school, I was very much a procrastinator and not even a small one. For my AP chemistry class every quarter I would save up all the homework assignments and do all of them and turn them in a week before the grade book closed. So I forced myself to go to the library. I knew that working around other people that were working would help me get shit done. I also know that I like to quietly shame those not doing work in my head, on the chance that I do look up and see people on instagram or twitter, and I didn’t want to be the source of the same ridicule, so of course I made sure I was always doing work to not get privately shamed. But then I stopped going and so did the work I was producing. 

I made a lot of steps forward my first couple of weeks of Uni, making sure to get rid of habits that I had in high school. But I also took steps backwards when it came to certain things. Even mental health took a back seat. After analyzing what went well and what didn’t work this semester, I’ve come up with a couple of steps to make sure I don’t fail in the following. 

1. Going back to the Library. 

Going to the library really worked for me. It made me more productive, and I was producing quality work that I turned in on time. Something that I did in this aspect that didn’t work was scheduling library time daily to fit with whatever I wanted to do on that given day. Basically I would give myself an out if I didn’t want to go to the library, which I ended up taking all of the last half of the semester. I already got a library buddy for next semester to make sure that we are both getting things done. We’ve also made a weekly schedule for the library, which basically has us living there, lmao. 

2. Going to Peer tutoring.

There is one class that I should have gone to and asked for help, but I got anxious and lazy and didn’t get the help I needed. I honestly might end up failing the class depending on how the final goes (which is tomorrow, and I am currently procrastinating studying by doing this, so we all know how that is going). Next semester I decided to take a engineering class as well as a calc class, which I know I will need help in, so I’ve also made sure to set some time aside in my week to do so. 

3. Google calendar. 

For me organization is not the problem. I can organize the fuck out of my time, and I do it well, thank you very much. My problem is making the schedule, and sticking to it when things are getting lazy on my side. So to add to my excessive list making, large desk calendar, planner, and future bullet journal, I will now also be using google calendar. If you think this is excessive, just know that I think so too, and I don’t care. 

4. Dropping classes that I know I wont enjoy/put the work in for. 

The one class (the one with the final tomorrow) that I think I’m going to fail is my comparative politics class. I should have dropped it when I had the chance, but because I a) bought the textbook and b) am very stubborn, I stuck it out when I should have visited my academic advisor and looked for a new class to replace that one. I also shouldn’t have rushed into that class and bought the textbook, instead, I should have really made sure I was interested in the class topics, and thought about the future (i.e. will I understand this class). While I love the classes I am taking next semester, if its not working its not working and thats that, I just need to drop it and find something else.

Over all, I’m hoping to be an even better student next semester, and staying that way all the way through. Wish me luck!

[sosa-sketch]

Fright or Flight: Chapter 2

Parings: Prinxiety // Logicality // Platonic LAMP

Story Summary: Virgil and Patton investigate the New Prince Castle, when a brutal accident kills Patton. Patton wakes as a ghost and meets friendly ghoul Roman, who has been haunting the castle for 20 years. Virgil is determined to bring Patton back to life and brings Logan, the ghost expert, to help him out. Time is quickly running out, and the four must work together to undo death. If only it was as simple as Logan made it sound.

Unknown to them, a secret entity in the castle does not plan on letting them succeed.

Previous Chapter   Next Chapter 

When Patton first met Virgil, his last intention was to become friends with him. Virgil had built up a notorious reputation over the first few months of school, and his grades did nothing to disprove his status. Patton wasn’t the type to judge a person’s character based on rumors nor looks. No one was a higher believer in the benefit of doubt than Patton! However, Virgil’s first impression did not help his case.

Virgil transferred into Patton’s English class the second semester due to a schedule change. When the teacher stated a new team project was to be completed, Patton did not shy away from offering to be Virgil’s partner. He understood how difficult it could be being the new kid in a class full of friends and cliques.

The project was hefty, an collection of novel analyzing, essays, vocabulary, and journal entries. Patton was not looking forward to the Shakespearean project-Shakespeare’s language was alien to him. It occurred to Patton that pairing up with the soon-to-be-dropout may not have been his best idea. Nonetheless, Patton refused to be jaded.

The first day of the project, Virgil refused to touch the work.

“There’s no way I’m touching this project.” Virgil sneered. “Especially about Shakespeare.”

“Huh?” Patton had not fully processed Virgil’s words. “Is it because you don’t understand it?”

“Sure.”

“Neither can I! I guess Shakespeare really has our brains shaken up! Maybe we can ask the teacher to go over it for us?”

The teen huffed and shook his head. Virgil laid his head on the wooden desk and his eyes slipped closed. He napped for the rest of the period.

His behavior continued for weeks. Patton had tried everything in his power to get Virgil to help him out. Patton’s seemingly endless supply of compliments and encouraging gestures served no help.

Patton’s mind had conjured countless excuses for Virgil since Virgil himself refused to give one. At the beginning the excuses had seemed feasible. Lack of sleep? Family issues? However, by week three, Patton was already scraping the bottom of the barrel, trying to justify Virgil’s dismissive attitude with clones and possible mind control. Virgil was no closer to lifting up a pencil, there were ten days left of the project, and Patton still understood little to nothing about Shakespeare. Patton was flying solo and time was ticking.

The final week before the project was due, Patton caught the flu.

Patton would chalk up the flu to the top three sucky sicknesses of his lifetime. His fever was raging, his skin drowning in sweat while the insides of him iced over. Patton couldn’t tell when being awake ended and when sleep began. The only alarm in Patton’s body was the churning in his gut that rushed him to the toilet.

Understandably, the project was the last thing on his mind.

Patton would not remember his Shakespeare mission until the Sunday before it was due, when he was shaking off the final remnants of the flu. The realization hit him like a train, but by the time he went flying off his bed and hurriedly logging on to his computer to check the time, Patton knew it was hopeless. There was no way he could get the project done in a few hours and counting. Not when all his energy was going into fighting of sneezes and headaches.

Patton was dejectedly scrolling through his email filled with newsletters from adoption sites and animal protection agencies when a subject line caught his eye: “English Project.” Linked to the email were word documents and an audio file. Perplexedly, Patton opened the email.

To: patpetspups@gmail.com

From: killjoy_2001@icloud.com

Subject: English Project

Patton,

so apparently you’ve been sick. class is way more quiet without you their, which is wierd.

i think i did everything you hadn’t done. it’s gonna be really mispelled and confusing and shit. sorry. i’m not the best with righting. feel free to fix anything.

get well soon.

-V

p.s. sorry for acting like a jerk. i owe you a explanation monday.

Patton hugged his computer screen and laugh with relief. He had no idea why Virgil was so nervous. His ideas were brilliant. A week later, Patton would see an A in his gradebook for the Shakespeare project.

There was a reason why Patton never lost faith in people.

True to his word, the next week Virgil explained his mistreatment to Patton. Virgil struggled with dyslexia. While he was getting tutoring in overcoming his learning disability, Virgil’s writing made him incredibly insecure. His old teacher always let him work individually, but the new teacher wasn’t having it. Before class, the teacher pulled him aside and told Virgil he was no different from any other student and would have to work with a partner. Virgil, determined to spite the teacher and anxious to seem like an “idiot” in front of Patton, would pretend to sleep the whole period.

“All your writing took was a quick grammar fix. The ideas were so good! I’m not just saying that to say that, they actually were! I could never think of something like that.” Patton reassured enthusiastically.

Virgil flushed a bright red. “I didn’t do much. Shakespeare is a lot easier to understand with audio.”

Patton listened to the audiobook of Macbeth that night. Virgil clearly wasn’t giving himself enough credit.

Virgil and Patton quickly grew close once the project was done. Virgil was still quiet, snappy, moody, and detrimentally insecure, but he began to open up more as the months went on. By senior year, Patton and Virgil was joined at the hip. Two peas in a pod.

Virgil had grown a lot since freshman year.

Being joined at the hip with Virgil meant that Patton got to understand Virgil by the simplest change in body language or expression. It also meant that Patton became aquatinted with anyone close to Virgil.

Patton already had a bad feeling while Virgil’s tone had shifted on the phone the night they were chatting about yearbook quotes. Remy sending Patton a text only confirmed the ball of dread in his stomach.

Rem: pat can we talk ?

Patton: You don’t even have to ask! Everything ok?

Rem: it’s about v

Rem: have you guys talked recently ? out of school

Patton: We talked last weekend. Over the phone. Why? Is Virgil fine??

Rem: idk. he came over to my house a couple nights ago at like 5 am. talked about some ghost shit.

Patton: He woke you up to talk about ghosts??(language!)

Rem: looking for affirmation that he wasn’t some obsessed ghost freak. i told him nah

Rem: but tbh he kinda is obsessed

Patton: He is passionate about his ghosts! But that’s not a bad thing.

Rem: v strongly disagrees. the whole thing about the yearbook and ghost quotes really messed with his head

Patton: I didn’t mean anything bad by it! It was just an idea! I promise! I’ll apologize to him!!!

Rem: wait no thats not what im saying. no one blames u

Rem: is he doing any ghost stuff anytime soon

Patton: Yep. He’s going to visit a castle!

Patton: Is that bad?

Rem: don’t you remember last time v became paranoid abt something? he pulled some real stupid stuff just to prove ppl wrong

Patton: Yeah. I know.

Patton: Gosh now I’m worried :(

Rem: i just dont want him doing anything he’ll regret on the trip. can u just…idk watch out for him pls ? ik v can take care of himself. but sometimes he gets into this headspace that’s self-destructive

Rem: tbh i dont like his ghost stuff as it is. i dont need him doing something dumb either

Patton: I understand Rem. That’s really sweet of you <3 <3

Patton: I’ll look out for him! I promise!!!! :-) :-)

Rem: ty. dont tell v abt this convo tho

Despite feeling uneasy about it, Patton understood Remy’s request to keep silent. Telling Virgil about their conversation would only push Virgil away and make him defensive. It’d be impossible to look out for him.

Virgil had already given Patton a way in. Patton had to talk to Logan for Virgil and get any supplies he might need. Patton loved visiting Logan in and of itself. Maybe Logan could help him out.

Logan’s business was located near small shops clustered along the beach. It was a hotspot for tourists, where knickknacks and souvenirs were sold and expensive attractions were advertised. Patton walked along here with Virgil sometimes, stopping at the arcade or mirror maze. Patton had met some of the most interesting people in the small touristy town.

Among the attractions was a dark blue shingled building with a pointy-roofed top. Painted letters on a wooden board spelt out “Afterlife Exposed.” Patton stepped through the door and a bell gently ringed, signaling his arrival.

At the sound of the bell, a tall, dark-haired man turned around. His navy suit blended in with the darkness of the shop. The man’s lean body was captivated beautifully in the suit. Patton quickly averted his eyes, blushing furiously.

“I have been expecting you-oh. Greetings, Patton. What a surprise.”

“Hi Logan!” Patton waved enthusiastically. “Who were you expecting?”

“No one. It’s a new rule Father has implemented. I must say it to every customer to ‘set the mood,’ as he calls it.” Logan dragged his hand over his face exasperatedly. “I find it quite ridiculous. But business shall be business.”

Logan’s father technically owned Afterlife Exposed. But he was always hidden in the back, gathering supplies or experimenting. Logan was currently studying entrepreneurship in college in order to take over the family business someday.

“How may I help you today, Patton?” Logan inquired, stepping around the counter to stand in front of him. He was even taller up close.

Patton filled Logan in about the New Prince Castle family murder and Virgil’s plan to investigate the castle for one of his ghost routines. Logan nodded politely the whole way through.

“I see. What an intriguing case. What exactly does he need from me?”

Patton shrugged cluelessly. “Anything you think might help, I guess.”

“What’s his budget?”

“A coffee and cake pop from Starbucks, if he uses his gift card.”

Logan rolled his eyes. “And he sent you to purchase something from here? Why, he couldn’t even afford a keychain.”

“Come on, Logan! He’s one of your most loyal customers and between us, he’s going through a rough patch. Can’t you help him out? Please?”

Logan massaged his temples and sighed. “Patton, it’s just not something the business can afford to do right now. My Father and I have been dealing with a sort of rough patch as well. You and Virgil have my sincerest apologies-truly, you do.”

Patton nodded dejectedly, “I understand.” Spotting Logan’s hesitant expression and tense form, he rested a hand on Logan’s shoulder and grinned. “Really, I do. I don’t blame you.”

Logan gave a small, tight-lipped smile in return. Gently shaking Patton’s hand off his shoulder, he clasped his hands together tightly. “Well, is there anything else I can do for you?”

“I’m not too sure.” Patton pursed his lips in thought. “Well, actually. I was wondering if you could tell me the dos and don’ts of ghost hunting. The yays and nays. The cats and dogs-actually no scratch that, both of those would be a yay.”

“With all due respect, Patton, I think Virgil has got that covered.” Logan reassured. “He must have asked me a dozen times prior to his first investigation.”

“Oh yeah, I know. It’s for me.” Patton corrected.

Logan raised an eyebrow in perplexion. Patton had never shown an interest in ghost hunting when Virgil wasn’t to be found.

Patton thought quickly. “I just want to understand more. For when I talk to Virgil. Sometimes I really don’t get half the explanations coming from the kiddo’s mouth.” It wasn’t a lie. “Just…how do you deal with ghosts?

“I see.” Logan clicked his tongue. “I’m sure Virgil could explain it to you more in depth. But, if you’re ever in doubt, chalk it up to one thing: respect. Is what you’re doing respecting the afterlife and their home? Are you portraying common courtesy? Treat them with the same respect as the living, if not more. There are exceptions, as with anything, but for the most part, that should keep you out of trouble with spirits.”

“Respect.” Patton repeated.

“You have strong morals, Patton. If you’re concerned about involvement with the afterlife due to your closeness with Virgil, I would not worry. Lack of respect is the last of your weaknesses.”

Logan pulled out his phone from the back of his pocket. “I apologize, I must return to my work. However, if you or Virgil have any more questions, feel free to give me a call.”

Patton gushed and thanked Logan, jotting down his number. Logan flushed a gentle red and held out his hand for a handshake.

“Pleasure doing business with you, Patton.”

Patton swatted Logan’s hand away and brought him in for a hug. “Thank you, Logan.”

Logan awkwardly pat Patton on the back before ungracefully untangling himself from the embrace. “I was only doing my job. Now, I understand it’s none of my business, but I recommend getting some rest. You look exhausted.”

“High school has permanently carved bags under my eyes.” Patton shook his head defeatedly.

Logan gave an amused smirk. “You sounded like Virgil.”

Patton beamed. “Like father, like son!”

Just as Patton was about to turn around to leave the store, something in the corner of the room glistened, catching his eye. “Hey Logan? Just one more thing?”

Logan hummed at him, encouraging Patton to continue.

He pointed to the object at the corner of the room. “How much can I get that for?”

 “Walkie-talkies. I sent you to Logan Berry, one of the smartest, most knowledgeable people about the afterlife in this town, and you come back with a Ghost Buster walkie-talkie.” Virgil grunted, dangling the toy by its antennae.

“You can have the Casper the Ghost one instead.”

“What? No! Ghost Busters is better, anyway.” Virgil groaned. “That’s not the point. How about advice? Did Logan say anything?”

“Just to respect the ghosts. Have common courtesy. Which you better be doing anyway, even without Logan telling you to do so.”

Virgil threw his hands up in exasperation and fell down into his sofa as the cushions engulfed the skinny man. “Obviously I respect them! The last thing I need is coming home possessed and cursed! He knows I know that. That’s really all he said?”

“Besides giving us his number.” Patton confirmed. “Which I already gave you.”

Virgil grumbled. “Whatever. One day I’ll get enough money to- wait. The walkie-talkies. There’s no way you could have bought them with my money, I would not have had enough. Please don’t tell me…”

Virgil got a glance of Patton’s sheepish look and groaned. “Patton, we have a rule! No buying each other anything!” He buried his head in his hands. “I can’t pay you back. You know that.”

“Hey…” Patton took a seat next to Virgil and laid a comforting hand on his knee. “It’s okay. They weren’t expensive. You don’t have to pay me back.”

Virgil looked at Patton in between his fingers. His voice was muffled against his palms. “You know how I feel about that, Pat.”

“Virgil, come on.” Patton pleaded.

Virgil shook his head. “Thank you. But, you need to return them.”

Guilty silence settled among the two, but neither made a move to leave. Both were lost in their own worlds when an idea struck Patton.

He nudged Virgil. “I know a way for you to pay me back without money.” At Virgil’s unimpressed look, he protested, “Seriously! It would mean a lot more to me than whatever these walkie-talkies cost.”

“Yea?” Virgil lifted his head from his hands. “What is it?”

Patton stared at Virgil’s stormy eyes as his heart pounded. In all honesty, this was the last thing Patton wanted to do. He was terrified. But, he thought back to the conversation he had with Remy, and the last time Virgil did something senseless unsupervised due to paranoia. “I want to go ghost hunting with you. At the New Prince Castle.”

Virgil’s jaw dropped. His eyes darted around Patton’s face before he shook his head and gave a weak chuckle. “Sure, Pat. Whatever you say.”

“No, I’m serious!” Patton insisted. “I’ll respect the ghosts and do whatever you tell me to do!”

Virgil was dismissing Patton before he could finish his sentence. “No, no, no. You hate ghost stories, Pat! Especially ones that are spooky and gruesome. You’d hate ghost-hutning. It’s dark and there’s lots of weird noises and tons of spiders. No way. I’m not adding more guilt to my conscience.”

Virgil made a move to get up from the sofa, but Patton refused to let the conversation drop. He grabbed Virgil’s hand and pulled him back to the seat. Virgil landed with a clumsy thump.  

“Kiddo, I know I hate all those things. I’m sure I’ll be scared. But, you’ll be there too! I love you more than I hate all those things combined.”

“Patton, we can do something else together. Go to the movies. Or bowling. Normal teen stuff.” Virgil reasoned.

Patton retorted, “But ghost hunting is important to you.”

“It’s not that important. It’s a simple hobby. I don’t care that much about it.” Virgil cut off.

“I know, I know!” Patton quickly backtracked. “What I meant was that ghost-hunting has been a cool way for us to bond. It intrigues you-a perfectly normal amount-and I like seeing you happy! Just like you go walking with me along the shops by the beach even though it’s super crowded and you hate it.”

“Patton, what’s your point?” Virgil grilled.

“My point is I want to try this thing that you enjoy with you. Just like you try things for me. It’s senior year, Virgil. No one hates thinking about it more than me, but we don’t know what things are going to be like after high school. I want to find a husband, start a family. Maybe study veterinary science. You could have a publisher for your writing, become a famous author, and move. I want to do this with you. I want to get over my fear.”

Patton stared at Virgil hopefully and held out his hand. “What do you say? One more big adventure for the dynamic duo?”

Virgil stared at Patton, looked down and roughly shook his head, froze, then stared at Patton once more. Virgil’s foot rapidly tapped against the floor, creating a dizzy, distracting melody. Finally, Virgil pulled his hair and glared at Patton. “You’ll be careful?”

Patton nodded eagerly.

“And you’ll stick with me no matter what? At all times? I want you in my sight.”

Virgil dramatically groaned, closing his eyes and throwing his head back. “I guess you can come.”

Patton shot up from his seat, whooping with joy and hopping around the sofa. “Thank you, Virgil! Thank you! We’re going to have such a great time!”

Virgil peeked one eye open and gave a soft grin. “Yeah, I guess we are. You’re sure you wanna do this?”

“Never been more sure of anything in my life besides my love for you and cats! I pinkie swear it.”

Patton and Virgil intertwined pinkies before Patton winked and let go, embracing Virgil.

“Let your moms know you’re going to be gone for the weekend.” Virgil smirked. “We have a haunted castle to explore.”

[wovenstarlight]

god i love bnha but youve all already seen the posts which are like “bnha had so much potential it couldbe been a story of how you dont need to fit in and have quirks like everybody else, you can still be a hero, but the mc just got a superpowered quirk and now its just your regular old shounen” so i wont go on about that

but anyway like. the idea of quirkless hero deku. if he had become a hero as is..... -it couldnt have happened with him still living where he did, growing up where he did with the surroundings he had. we already know how that played out in canon. if he’s to become a hero while being quirkless, he needs some kind of change in environment, yeah?

and like. i cannot pass up the chance to have him be friends with hatsume mei. imagine izuku growing up friends with her, he’d be enabled to live to full chaotic neutral potential with his eerily precise quirk analysis and her ridiculous machines and devices

im thinking that when izuku was about to go into middle school, maybe inko got some kind of job (promotion if shes already working) that had her be transferred to another area, which just so happens to be near where hatsume lives. izuku is so, so hopeful that these new folks will be kind, but then they learn he’s quirkless and three of them corner him outside after school and his hopes shatter like fragile glass as one of them uses their quirk to paralyze him and they all laugh-

and then this, this pink haired girl with weird glasses ducks under one of their arms and reaches into her pocket and pulls out, holy fuck is that a stun gun? and she zaps the bullies and grins very wide and they run yelling and izuku’s like “you saved my goddamn life” and pink-hair says “i saw your notebook! seems like youre pretty insightful, i wanna work with you” and thats how mei and izuku meet and become ride-or-die friends

they’re over at each others houses pretty much all three years of middle school. hatsume couldn’t care less that he’s quirkless- as long as he can hand her her tools when she needs them and tell her when she’s doing something wrong, she’s fine with him. and it’s so very refreshing for izuku to have this reinforcing presence who actually looks past his quirklessness. he picks up tinkering and whatnot, working on the software portion while hatsume irons out the physical kinks in her support devices, and she gives izuku all sorts of cameras he uses to record fights and analyze quirks afterwards. they talk quirks and robots together and mei comes up with so many new devices, half of them brought to life by izuku’s hyperactive imagination

when it comes time for entering high school, they both already know they want to go to yuuei. and izuku’s no idiot, he knows that hes disadvantaged by being quirkless. he’s been building up strength by helping mei in her workshop and learning to fight in martial arts courses, with the wholehearted support of inko and the hatsume family. even so he’s likely not got the simple advantage of Having A Quirk that everyone else does.

“if you don’t have a quirk,” mei wonders idly as she tightens another screw. “i mean, if you don’t have the biological power, then why not use an artificial one?” she puts down her screwdriver and pats the grip-strengthening glove she’s finished. “just use some of my babies.”

“oh,” says izuku, and he applies for yuuei and submits half a dozen equipment applications for the exam alongside.

lord but what about the exam... if he bumps into uraraka again he wouldn’t be so nervous, he might drop a gadget he’s carrying and ask her brightly about her quirk and they talk quirks and gadgets and heroes excitedly all the way into the building, izuku carefully steering the conversation away from his own quirk. he doesn’t get scolded by iida because he’s trained himself to scribble down his thoughts rather than mumble them (because he can hear mei’s eccentric additions better than way). besides, he’s too busy checking on his proto-jetpack and his electric pulse bombs(?) and his extendable staff and making sure they’re undamaged and usable

he’s a quick runner from all his training, so when he walks into the exam field he’s quick to seek out robots and throw his pulse bombs at them (press once for an electric stunner that’ll throw off a human for a few seconds, press twice for a larger pulse that’ll disable any machinery). he racks up points quickly, and then the zero-pointer comes out. izuku goes “ah, fuck!” when he sees uraraka lying prone and bolts to grab her, yelling for the students running away to help him get her to safety. this tall purple-haired student comes running back, visibly nervous at how close the bot is getting.

“uraraka-san, i know you’re exhausted, but use your quirk on me,” izuku says urgently. uraraka clumsily slaps him and he grins, instructing the purple haired kid (”ah, my name’s shinsou,”) to piggyback her as far away as he can get. then he jumps up using his jetpack to fly up to the ‘head’ of the zero-pointer, and tries a pulse bomb on its surface. all it does is make a panel pop off, but that’s enough for izuku- he grabs a handful of the exposed wires and rips them the hell out. the zero-pointer slows to a stop, and then- the wires start sparking oddly, and izuku remembers that all the damaged robots flared with electricity soon after being broken. he shoves himself off the bot just in time, because the wires in front of him explode, and izuku’s blown back by the force of the explosion. it’s okay, he thinks, he can just jetpack himself to safety- and then he starts falling

down on the ground, shinsou looks worriedly at uraraka on the verge of passing out. they’ve had to keep stopping because she’s feeling so sick. he knows she won’t be able to release her quirk if she’s unconscious, so it’ll probably continue to take a toll on her. when he looks around, he sees iida nearby, teeth gritted as he desperately wars with himself about running away. “uraraka-san?” shinsou asks. “yes,” uraraka says, and then her eyes go glassy. “release your quirk,” shinsou orders, turning to the sky and spotting izuku almost immediately. shinsou turns back and yells to iida, making his voice sound desperate: “please! my friend here’s about to pass out! can you get us to safety?” iida looks over, startled: “oh, of cou-!” “i need you to catch that guy,” shinsou tells him, pointing at the falling izuku. “jump and knock him out of his trajectory, it should stop him from landing too hard.”

and that’s what happens: izuku is falling, uraraka on the ground panics, but then brainwashed iida zooms past them and jumps and grabs izuku. they both hit the ground hard, izuku grunting as his hatsume-reinforced shoes bite into his heels. iida gets knocked out of the brainwashing as soon as he slams into izuku, and is on the verge of turning and yelling at shinsou for manipulating him like that, but shinsou runs over and starts worrying quietly over izuku and uraraka and iida gets distracted. they all ask after izuku’s quirk, and he hesitates- “ah, thats...” when recovery girl shows up, ready to heal izuku’s twisted ankle.

later, izuku walks into class 1-a, and four different students bolt to their feet. “you-!“ yell uraraka, shinsou, iida, and bakugou katsuki. izuku freezes as uraraka continues, “you’re that guy with the electricity quirk! the one who took out the zero-pointer- you saved me, you-”

“deku,” bakugou whispers, panic leaking into his voice. “you’re- deku? you’re... you’re quirkless, what are you doing here?”

cue panic. after the initial shock and mild awkwardness about his quirklessness, uraraka, iida, and shinsou all band tightly together with izuku, quickly becoming his closest friends after mei. eventually todoroki joins their little group, and everyone learns not to underestimate the quirkless kid. all might does offer one for all to izuku at some point, but he hesitates and turns him down. “it’ll mean too much to the quirkless kids, you see,” he explains. “to have a quirkless hero. i can’t take that away from them. and besides, being quirkless- it’s part of me. i don’t want to throw that away.” and all might nods, understanding, and offers his limited guidance instead. even if he can’t give this kid power, he can lend him a hand while he fights through the world.

im hungry and havent eaten yet so i havent given thought to the rest of this story yet, but at some point in the future quirkless hero deku kneels in front of an indescribably happy and crying quirkless kid, and he hugs them and tells them they can be anything they goddamn want and damn it, deku’s gonna help them get there.

[shamelesskenz-blog]

piece 1

A few summers ago my family and I unburied a time capsule that we kept in our backyard for six years. The time capsule was given to my brother as a christmas gift, it was small, plastic, and purchased at Toys R Us. Nonetheless, it was the sentiment that counted.. Every member of my family had goals they kept in the capsule and checklists that we were hoping to achieve. There were some silly ones like my brother’s goal to become the fastest kid ever and some serious  ones like my mom and dad’s desire to make a more meaningful impact and travel to help in a third world country. I remember seeing their faces when they did not achieve their goal in the span of six years and hearing the sadness in my mom’s voice. In addition, there was one thing that really bothered me that she said, which was: “life gets in the way sometimes, and that's just how it goes”.

I completely disagree. It reminded me so much of Pixar’s film UP, where Carl and Ellie really wanted to go to Paradise falls, but they never did because they prioritized other things such as car payments, new furniture, and fancy dinners over making their dreams come true. Similarly, my mom and dad prioritized other things over their goals and therefore became sad when the goal magically did not happen. The point to this story is that sometimes we go through routines because we think that something will change, or maybe we are just so comfortable in our life that failing (because of change) scares us. Either way, routines make us eating, sleeping, zombies who walk through life until one day, years later we ask ourselves where the time went. I don’t want to go through routine or follow the same path everyone else does. I want to follow my passions and see where it takes me. But with a purpose of course.

Clearly, we are not a “potted plant” put on this earth to eat and sleep but in the time that we spend on this here, it is important that we do not waste time on the same path as everyone else or going through everyday knowing there are dreams that are unfulfilled. My answer to the  question “what should we be doing with our time? And who do you want to be in that time?” is: do what you love, be spontaneous, be proactive, go outside of your comfort zone, and strive to be the best version of yourself. I have big dreams to make an impact on our world. I want to motivate others, bring out the best in others and become the strongest most confident person unafraid of challenges and hurdles in my life.

I read a book a while ago which has since become one of my favorites. It’s called Into the Wild, and it’s a true story about Chris McCandless. I think a lot about this story, and how extreme and authentic it is. Chris decides to take extreme measures to stray from the common path in order to find happiness. In fact, he wanted to show himself and others that materialistic things and long resumes do not make you a better person. McCandless is the personified answer to the question presented above because he followed his heart, traveled on the road less traveled by, and still managed to be happy and kind to others. At one point in the story McCandless wrote “Greetings from Seattle, I am a hobo now! Thats right, I’m riding rails now. What fun, I wish I had jumped trains sooner” (Krakauer). Although McCandless did something illegal by not paying for the ride, he chose to live a lifestyle that most people frown upon. However, he tried something new and showed that happiness is not a result of having things or money but the experiences that we embark on.

In high school someone told me a quote that went: “A hearse does not tow a uhaul along with it to the grave”. I know these weren't the exact words but  it basically means that all the things that we associate ourselves with such as a fancy car, a big house, and designer clothes can’t follow us to our grave and only hold value when we are alive. Therefore, it makes more sense to spend time making memories and being happy doing things we love, because there is no price tag for happiness. As a result, McCandless defined himself based off experience and the people he met along the way. Additionally, he was able to do more in his last few years than most people do in their entire lifetime by going out of his way to be kind and meet strangers. Throughout the story, people explain how McCandless affected their lives and further explained how much of an impact he had on people.

In fact, I have a philosophy: every single person that comes into your life has an impact. whether that impact is small, big, negative, or positive you have changed slightly or dramatically because of that person. An obvious example would be our parents because they help shape us into the people we are today. However, a less obvious example would be a stranger who opens the door for multiple people. This person selflessly went out of their way to make other people’s day just slightly better which inspires a chain of people to do a kind deed.  McCandless influenced each of the people in his life which was evident from the story. When Krakauer tracked down a majority of the people McCandless came into contact with, they all said the same thing: he was an authentic, happy, genuine person that they would never forget. Clearly, McCandless made an impact on a lot of people and he wasn’t being nice to get money, food, clothes etc. He was in his purest, happiest form, doing something that made him feel alive.    

In our society, we are expected to be a certain way. All the people who veer off the common path are deemed to either be crazy, weird, or just simply looked down upon. However, maybe it is the things that the common person cannot see that make these “weird people” genius. An example  is an inventor. In the medical field there people who see a problem and invent technology in order to solve an issue. The inventor used creativity to do something that helps people through a way no one else was able to understand. McCandless worked similarly by creating/inventing his own version of a perfected lifestyle. He saw everyone living their life going through the same routine, and hitting the exact same milestones (college, job, spouse, house, family, retirement...etc) and he went down an alternate route that made him less favorable, but a person with more character and a greater impact on people. He tried a “normal” life, and became less than himself because he was going along the path that everyone else was taking. What McCandless did was instead of living a normal life being unhappy, he took chances and decided to be spontaneous in order to obtain his own happiness. I believe that living the same days over and over again (eat, sleep, work, repeat) makes people extremely similar to a plant, that goes through the motions in order to survive without ambition or character. Its sad to think that people would much rather stay comfortable to avoid failing. However, if we don’t gain experience, fail, and learn then we cannot grow to become the best version of ourselves. McCandless took extremes in his life without any hesitation or worry of what might happen. Although he died trying to live the life he wanted, he reminded those around him what was truly important in life and inspired others to stray from normalcy without fear of failure.

Now I know that I just spent a lot of time analyzing one of my favorite books, but the story of Chris McCandless truly inspires me to live without fear and follow passions no matter how crazy they are to everyone else. I think the people who tell you not to do something are hoping that you don’t succeed because they know they would be able to do it themselves. I want to achieve so much more than just academic wise here at UW. I want to surround myself with people that are so different than me, I want to grow in the way I view the world, I want to go out and explore Seattle, I want to adventure new places, I want to diversify my experience and get as much out of college as possible not just through classes. I have dreams of being a leader and helping others. I want to manage situations and help inspire others. I’m going to do the things I dream of and I’m not going to let anyone tell me I can’t. I want to travel the world, and experience culture, and do things that scare me. I think that my desire to adventure is linked to the curiousity that I have. I am inspired by expereince, and I create art and think deeply about how to problem solve from these expereinces. Sometime people don’t understand that. Doing something different from others can sometimes be lonely, but its also extremely worth it. McCandless was a unique person who lived his short amount of years to the absolute fullest, which is an inspiring message especially to those who feel lost. McCandless was ill prepared for his expedition to Alaska, but he tried things that others could not or would not and to me, that is what geniuses are defined by. He saw the world for what it was and decided to go against the grain in an unusual way because he had greater plans. In fact he set aside all fears and darkness from societal thinking and became a better and happier person because of it.

Everyday people put on their tunnel vision glasses and see the world through routine and structure, but this act not only a waste of precious time but it is also extremely limiting. I never want to be blinded so much to where I completely lose sight of the dreams I have. In addition, I want to be able to live day by day just like McCandless did without thinking about the destination. The next journey in my life is running with my passions and not being afraid of where it takes me. There's a whole world out there, and although I will not be living out of a hunting bus in the Alaskan wilderness, I will be living like McCandless: Without fear and hungry for adventure.

[levin-swort]

What did you think of Awakening's villains? Personally I felt very disappointed by them and how almost all of them were evil for the sake of evil or under a spell in some way. I like it when villains have backgrounds and sensible motivations.

sorry it took me so long to get to this ask! i wanted to make sure i had a good chunk of time to write this bc i love fea and disecting and analyzing its story hehe

yeah i feel like all of fea’s villains left a lot to be desired. i feel like Gangrel had a decent motivation but the whole Ylisse-Plegia conflict and history didnt rly hv a sound conclusion for how much they built it up. after playing echoes i kind of like Walhart as a villain but i feel like the rest of the arc is lackluster bc it relies a lot on telling instead of showing. i wish there were more hints to the whole stopping Grima thing on his end and more elaborations on what the state/little nation of Valm was doing before his conquest/personal exp that shaped him. Validar has no backstory other than being Grimleal and Robins father and like it rly irks me how shallow his character is and how little motivation is drawn out. like, why is he so deeply religious and devoted to Grima? what shaped his life? Aversa’s backstory and motivations r like... a lot more couldve been done with that. it couldve been rly cool if she wasnt brainwashed and instead emotionally manipulated and like Robin reached out to her in the last few chapters and she starts to realize what shit Validar is and these ppl (or at least some of them) r willing to offer her a new life surrounded by actually good and nice ppl and she joins them and is like fuck you fake dad. i cut Grima more slack bc of all the post awakening backstory lmao thats given to them. also, if we step back from finer details, hving Grima be more akin to a seemingly insurmountable, eldirtch force of fate makes for a p fitting final boss to overcome esp w so much of awakening being about defying predetermined destinies and fate

also, if we’re stepping back, viewing awakenings major villains as well as some other characters as representations of dif schools of philosphies and Chrom’s interactions w each of them adds a new layer to the story. i read this post and cried i love Chrom so much and this was such a cool analysis of awakening 

if they ever do a remake of awakening i hope they revamp the writing and flesh out a lot of aspects of the story (fixing many of the racist, colorist, transphobic, etc stuff in the game, removing all the pedophile pandering shit, explaining more ab villain motivations and nation histories, ppl actually mentioning the mark of grima Robin has [altho apparently in the artbook its just fucking invisible and thats why no one ever mentions it], more same gender supports and same gender marriages, also more supports for charas like Flavia, Basilio, Say’ri, and the spotpass charas, etc i could talk ab this for days lol),

[eljokerbabey]

🐰 💗 🐹 🌠 👀 🌟 🎁 💙 🐇 🌻 ⚡️ 🌺 ☁️🐬 🍄 😣 💥 🌷 🐶 👑 📚 🎀 🎬 🐼

🐰 what is one secret that you’ve never told anyone?part of me believes I don’t deserve long term consistent contentment and thus will never attain it, coupled with my apparent inability to maintain lasting romantic relationships, I often wonder whether I’m ultimately unloveable on a long term scale.💗 if you could hug anyone, who would it be? the girl reading this (meme’d) there are friends I’d like to hug right now I suppose. 🐹 what are some of your favourite Pokémon and why?Hitmonchan, babeyyyyyy. 🌠 if you were in charge of the world, what would the world look like?Clean energy, basic income, fantastical inventions and a lot less struggling👀 what was the most recent vivid dream that you had?They’ve been kinda scattered lately. Last night was something about a japanese school, but everyone spoke russian?🌟 what do you like about yourself? (must choose at least 3 things!)I’m pretty good at talking, I have a pretty high reading comprehension, and I am good at giving gifts🎁 what never fails to make you happy?the girl reading this (double meme’d)A few of my friends, being able to relax and work on a hobby. Sometimes some of these things don’t work, but I dunno, is it even possible to have something that always makes you happy?💙 what annoys you about some people? Inability to understand boundaries when told, and when they treat others with an obvious lack of empathy🐇 what do you always daydream about?I actually can’t see this emoji on my pc, but I’m guessing its this once since its the first one past the last question that I can’t see. I have a lot of daydreams, sometimes its about dumb stuff like romance or looking cool, sometimes its more fantastical like superpowers and quests, sometimes its stories I’m writing, sometimes it all overlaps.🌻 if you could change 3 things about the world what would you change? less guns, more responsibility when it comes to parenting, voting day should be a holiday, i dunno⚡️ if you had any superpower, what would it be and why?I like super speed a lot, especially at high levels with the bullet time and whatnot. Maybe teleportation, I think about both of those a lot. Flight too. I think powers that increase personal freedoms appeal a lot.🌺 which languages do you know? which do you want to learn?I only really know english, I used to know a fair bit of latin, and I know random utility words from a few other languages, but yeah, I only know english. I feel like I should learn spanish, and I want to learn japanese. I’d also like to learn russian, korean, chinese, french, and german.☁️ talk about your dream universe.I’m not sure how to interpret this. There are a couple ways.1. the universe that tends to manifest in my dreams? It rains a lot, there’s a strange Dream Tumblr that seems consistent in all the dreams it appears in. I have some level of magic abilities or superpowers, I might be married or dating? I’ve been stabbed a few times, there are spooky possessed artifacts, time travel occurs regularly, I have several houses. 2. An ideal universe? We as a species are united, and making contact with friendly aliens, technology has advanced incredibly, homelessness and poverty among our species is eradicated. Robots are people too. 3. One of the universes I write in? Too many not enough space here. Feel free to ask about them in private chat haha. 🐬 if you could transform into any animal/magical creature, what would you be and why?a crow or raven would be neat🍄 talk about someone/something you really dislikeI dunno, I don’t like a lot of things that are happening in the world, there’s a lot. On a personal level, I try not to  dislike interests actively. 😣 talk about some things that have been making you depressed/angry/anxious latelyI don’t really know what I’m doing, I go back and forth between feeling content and lonely, I worry that I won’t be able to learn to drive, I’m worried I won’t be able to register for classes in time, I worry about my parents staying healthy, I worry about my oldest cat’s health. I’m nervous I won’t ultimately be successful in life, or be given the opportunity to prove myself, or that I’ll be unable to make that opportunity for myself.💥 what are some unpopular opinions that you have?I feel like in some crowds some of my political ideas are, I think basic income is necessary going into the future, and I think guns should be more regulated. In general, I think people should let certain things go, or understand that mistakes are made almost constantly by everyone everywhere, and that sometimes you can just forgive someone for being misinformed or clumsy. 🌷 what’s your mbti personality and why do you think it suits you?I go back and forth between ENFJ and ENFP. I took it again a couple days ago since this came up with a group of friends, so currently I guess its ENFP. I think its pretty fitting, I tend to have lots of ideas, and pay very close attention to other peoples needs and actions. I tend to over analyze them too. 🐶 send me 3 fictional people and I’ll choose my favourite!uhhh, I think you need to send me the people for this one to actually work haha👑 who are your favourite celebrities and why? I’ve been into marvel lately so probably RDJ and Tom Holland. Cumberbatch seems like a stand up guy too. 📚 share 3 books that you love and your favourite quote from them.this is hard there’s a lot: “It was as if this night were only one of thousands of nights, world without end, night curving into night to make a great arching line of which I couldn’t see the end, a night in which I roamed alone under cold, mindless stars” - Interview With The Vampire“Holy shit," I breathed. "Hellhounds.""Harry," Michael said sternly. "You know I hate it when you swear.""You're right. Sorry. Holy shit," I breathed, "heckhounds.” - The Dresden Files: Grave Peril“Let's be friends based on mutual hate.” - Scott Pilgrim & The Infinite Sadness🎀 what’s your fashion sense like?uhhhhhh garbage. Right now its tshirts and tight jeans and jackets with the sleeves rolled up. Sometimes its plaid and paisley and jackets that look like indian rugs. Every day I wake up and a little chaos imp dresses me with dark magic.🎬 what are some of your favourite films?This is hard there’s a lotScott Pilgrim Vs The World, Kung Fu Hustle, Spider-Man: Homecoming (really pretty much all the marvel movies), and thats all that come to mind for top favorites right now🐼 if you could meet anyone, who would it be and why?I dunno, my soulmate, you know, get that one out of the way. Unless I already know them, then I just wasted my genie wish. Uhhh. lets go with like a famous person or something, Obama? no wait, Gordon Ramsay? I dunno. RDJ? NPH? Third famous person with three initials? Question too hard ask again later.

[theantisocialcritic]

Archive Project - December 5, 2013 - About Time Review

About Time, 2013 Richard Curtis Working Title Films 123 Minutes Watch the trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7A810duHvw -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My rule of thumb for movies has, for the last year, been to always avoid the romantic (and for that matter, even a regular-) comedy if a film less likely to succeed is coming out that week. Just this year Pacific Rim, Elysium and Kick-butt 2 all lost out to other lesser movies along those lines. I guess i've always kinda stuck up my nose to romantic comedies for no better reason than convenience and from watching About Time, i've learned my lesson never to judge a film for it's genre (for even it's trailer, or concept for that matter). Honestly, Go see this movie! I find the movies I like the most are the ones I go into blind without knowing what is going to happen. I'm about to totally praise this movie and I don't want to set too high of expectations. Go see it. Like NOW! Stop reading and go see it! If your still reading from this point forward, I promise I won't break into spoiler territory. I went into About Time expecting roughly what I saw on the trailer, a slightly clever comedy that looked entertaining but didn't seem worth the money. I don't usually mention the production house that makes individual movies, but I mentioned it for this film because this one in particular holds a special place in my personal history of movie viewing. Working Title Films is a British studio responsible for films such as the loosely adapted Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy movie (which I love) and the Cornetto-Trilogy (Shawn of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, The World's End). So seeing the logo for them, plus noting that a number of regularly occurring actors for them were showing up for this movie made me interested. At the time it initially released I was just starting school and I missed it's initially screening up until it was released in a late-arrival theater in Naperville, the Classic Cinemas Ogden 6. If you haven't seen the trailer, About Time depicts the life of a young british man named Tim Lake, played by Domhnall Gleeson, who is told by his father that all the men in his family have the ability to travel backwards in time. Being a awkward and lonely guy, he decides to apply his newfound ability to humbly find a girlfriend. He eventually meets Mary, played by Rachel McAdams (The Notebook, Mean Girls) and that is where my summery cuts off. Believe me, I have not spoiled anything here that isn't either explained in the trailers or ruins the movie for a potential audience member. Throughout watching the film I kept expecting it to take a nosedive at any given second into horrible clique territory, but to surprise every time the film appeared to be going in a predictable direction it turned 180 degrees and fled in the other direction. Its as though the writers of this film had a school teacher standing behind them the whole time smacking them with a ruler whenever they delved into clique storytelling. The story evolves as the characters do, constantly switching focus from character to character and fleshing out the relationship. Unfortunately in order to pull this off, the movie had to be long. REALLY LONG. About Time tends to drag on a bit, with several scenes seemingly set up to be the final scene actually being setups for further scenes. I wouldn't consider this a bad thing though. When I saw Prisoners in theaters, another obscenely long film, the length played into building tension and character development and worked very well. I think the same could be said for this film. I think it's important to note how real and genuinely human most of the characters in this film felt. Even though they are painted with a silly facade, they all have strong personalities, flaws, hopes and dreams and for that they felt relatable. Tim Lake in particular I felt was a really relatable character (maybe sadly so). He starts out the film a lonely, insecure guy and grows into a new person (thats not a spoiler, anyone can figure out that a protagonist probably has a character arc!). Heres a fun challenge, when you get to the end of the film, quickly reimagine how Tim was at the beginning and if your anything like me, your first response will be something along the lines of "holy crap". I got so immersed in the story, when I started recounting the film I was surprised how much distance the film had treaded. Some critics have talked down the film's story for the numerous plot-holes that come with making a time travel movie. To those who analyze the film and point out every hole, I say this. You have missed the point of the film. The point of the film isn't how he is time-traveling or what comes with it, it is about his relationships and how the ability to time-travel plays into that. I compare it to Terminator 2, another time travel movie, one full of plot holes but is still highly regarded because the film's focus is on the action and the characters. The best thing I can possibly say for About Time is that it will make me rethink how I approach movies. I have more respect now for this genre now that I can see how good it can be. Heck, I can admit it, this movie nearly made me cry near the end. If you don't me, thats tricking unprecedented. I usually don't cry about anything, except my job security for some reason. I can't remember the last time a film made me cry. It might have been Star Trek into Darkness but I sincerely hope not…. Heres the best way I can summarize it, About Time is a very good movie that has easily cracked my top ten films of 2013 list. It is very much worth seeing! I'm probably emotional and exhausted from writing this review in the middle of the night, so maybe i'm overlooking some severe problem in the film I didn't see. Honestly though, I don't care. This movie succeed in what it set out to do and for that it deserves all the praise! ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————------------------------ About Time is open in select cinemas and will be available on DVD February 2014. Thank you for reading! Live long and prosper!