#begins youth theories

[sunkendreams]

Can you write for an obsessive RZ!Myers with a Nurse love interest? I just like the idea of bonding with him over time as his caretaker. Fuck it I'm gonna encourage the man to make his masks if he likes it so much, they look cool anyway

(Ps. I love your writing ... the way you write for Vincent is so sweet❤

┊ 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓 ⠀ཾ༵࿇ ˼ — 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙨 + 𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙗𝙡𝙚.

┊ 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆(𝐒) ⠀ཾ༵࿇ ˼ — 𝙢𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙚𝙡 𝙢𝙮𝙚𝙧𝙨 ( 𝙧𝙯 ) 𝙭 𝙖𝙛𝙖𝙗!𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧.

┊ 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 ⠀ཾ༵࿇ ˼ — 𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙚, 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙗𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 & 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙚𝙡.

┊ 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒 ⠀ཾ༵࿇ ˼ — 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙤 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩 & 𝙄’𝙢 𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮 𝙢𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠! 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙧 𝙨/𝙤 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙧𝙯!𝙢𝙮𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙜𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙖 𝙗𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙨 !! :) 𝙄 𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 𝙮’𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮! ❤️

┊ 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓⠀ཾ༵࿇ ˼ — @peachygothgirl ; @mrs-heelshire ; @slasherfantasy ; @the-wordis-bird ; @suguruswife ; @iamcautiouslyoptimistic ; @vincent-sinclair-deserved-better ; @lttlegore ; @darklylucid ; @mehidktbh ; @the-anxious-youth ; @bloodwithpeachmilk ; @callmemeelah ; @dootys

*ೃ༄ ⠀𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐄𝐋 𝐌𝐘𝐄𝐑𝐒. (𝐑𝐎𝐁 𝐙𝐎𝐌𝐁𝐈𝐄.)

Smith’s Grove isn’t the easiest job — it’s mentally weighing and taxing, and when you’re initially hired on, you struggle to become acclimated to your peers. Some are despicable individuals, and some aren’t, but the atmosphere is dour, overall. Not every nurse and doctor at the facility really aimed to treat patients and offer the proper rehabilitation they needed. Sometimes, it felt more similar to a prison than it did a sanatorium. For you, you find happiness in helping other people, but the longer you stay, the more Michael becomes the only one tethering you there.

You’re one of Michael’s caretakers, between Dr. Loomis and another older woman who’s much more fearful and spiteful of Michael than she is kind and courteous. You have a feeling that she won’t last very long, or at the very least, retire soon from Smith’s Grove. Being the youngest out of the trio, much closer to Michael’s age, Dr. Loomis is keen on having you interact with Michael as much as possible, as if that might spark something. You’re apprehensive of the doctor’s weird experiments and suggestions, but you try to go along with it.

Michael is somewhat mistrustful of you at the beginning. You’re an unfamiliar face in the ever-evolving cast of doctors and nurses who attend to him, and he expects you to be shuffled out of the rotation soon enough. He never expects longevity with any of his caretakers — he knows that they won’t be staying after they’re around him enough. The longer they stay at Smith’s Grove, the more they deteriorate, the more disinterested they become. He expects it of you, Michael assumes you’ll be just another face to fade away into the recesses of his memory.

Of course, you do stick around — you don’t let Smith’s Grove pull you down into its bleak, melancholy environment. You’re a hard worker, determined and extremely driven to make sure everyone gets proper care and whatever it is that they need. Michael gets used to you, he gets used to seeing you everyday, and you become familiar to him, a commonality. Dr. Loomis is quick to observe Michael’s growing attachment to you, and the more you stick around, the more comfortable you become with him. You make valiant efforts to try and understand Michael, form your own opinions instead of relying on others.

You are convinced that Michael isn’t as evil and soulless as Loomis claims. There’s a spark of humanity to him, a sliver of emotion that’s been buried upon years and years of turmoil and a self-imposed silence. It’s been dormant for ages, which is the conclusion you happen to come to. Many of your peers at Smith’s Grove aren’t convinced by your ‘crazy’ theories, but it doesn’t exactly bother you. You’re content to continue your bond with Michael, but you aren’t pushy — you never prod or dig for answers like so many others have before, nurses, doctors, other employees alike.

Oddly enough, he starts to form some obsession with you that emerges into the creation of his masks, crafted with softer colors in mind, things of beauty, things of kindness. He likes showing you whatever he’s made, and you’re always more than enthusiastic to take a look and applaud the work he’s done. Michael’s behavior begins to resemble the antics of someone who’s infatuated, but he keeps it hidden, especially around Dr. Loomis. If there is anything that Michael is talented at, it’s suppressing things, hiding secrets.

Michael gets extremely protective and possessive over you, to the point where you’re the only one who can administer any medication to him or give him food. The guards start circulating rumors that you subdued Michael through sexual means, which isn’t true (yet ,,,), but the guard who started that rumor ended up with a plastic spork lodged into his left eye. Any tools were promptly taken away from Michael, and he could only be given meals that were all edible by hand — no utensils required.

Night shifts are usually the best for you — it’s silent during the night, and Michael is nocturnal, so you typically go in and check on him once every hour. Sometimes, the both of you will stand or sit in silence, and other times, you start rambling on about your day or something that you enjoy. Either way, Michael is content. Overnights are where you seem to bond the most, even if Michael doesn’t say a single word, you know that he’s listening. He shows more attentiveness toward you than he does anyone else, aside from Dr. Loomis, but he doesn’t care about the old man in the way that he cares for you. He wants you to be protected and safe.

You enjoy taking care of Michael — it brings you a sense of comfort and purpose, being able to help him physically and emotionally. Michael’s obsessive, possessive attachment to you is what drives him to find you after his escape, his drive to be with you, always. Each and every time, you are there to mend his wounds and clean him up, provide him with the best care and support that you can. Deep down, Michael likes it — he likes having someone to protect and love, and he likes having you to mend him and love him. Of course, his own twisted version of love, but love and an unhealthy infatuation nonetheless.

You feel drained and devoid of energy, your conditions worsening the more time you spend at Smith’s Grove. It’s inevitable, many warned you of such feelings when you were first hired on, but you wade through all of the negativity and hostile atmosphere with as much dignity as you can muster.

Night shifts come easy, though — most patients are asleep or sedated, perhaps both, and the folks on your rotation are relatively easy to get along with. Your daytime shifts are a monster themselves, with so many patients and an environment so hectic and chaotic that you feel like you might burst sometimes.

It’s almost peaceful at night, and your unit is as silent as the grave, save for one patient who's about as close to nocturnal as one can get. You’ve taken care of Michael Myers ever since you were hired on, one of the nurses under Dr. Loomis and perhaps the only one who showed no fear of Michael himself.

Groggy and drowsy, you decide to go for a walk, going toward the one cell that many are terrified to go near. Not you, though — Michael Myers is hopelessly infatuated with you, unbeknownst to you but known to Dr. Loomis, who’s often curious about Michael's antics. He’s attempted to dig into his feelings, why he might’ve latched onto you in particular, but he never offers up information. He never speaks.

The walk to Michael’s cell is relatively short, and you yawn as you creep across sterile, sparkling floors. The air is stale and smells like sanitizing products, a wet floor sign positioned somewhere within the corridor. A guard sits in a small substation, headphones lodged into his ears, his attention somewhere else entirely, and you can’t blame him.

Michael’s cell often fills other workers with a sense of dread, but not you. Sometimes, his presence is the only thing that keeps you sane at this facility, which sounds horribly ironic. You step in front of massive, wrought iron doors, incredibly thick with a singular window of bulletproof glass.

Your keys jingle within your pocket as you open up the door, and it’s as thick as your forearm, almost. You look a touch disheveled, dark circles underneath your eyes, uniform wrinkled, but Michael thinks nothing of it. To the behemoth, you’re beautiful — he will never see you as anything less.

He’s hunched at his desk, his breathing heavy and husky as he shreds at pieces of paper, adding the finishing touches onto a mask that he’s made you. The colors are all vibrant and cheerful, everything cut and crafted to try and capture your proportions. It’s more than flawed, but that’s what makes it perfect.

With his back angled toward you, the mountain of a man stuffed atop a tiny chair, Michael’s head perks slightly when his cell door comes creaking open. You linger at the fringes of the doorway, shutting it behind you as you wander around his quarters. Masks line every inch of cold brick, some far more terrifying than others.

“Michael,” Your voice is akin to the crooning of a dove, soft and tender. It commands his attention, and he shifts within his seat, prepared to present you with yet another mask he’s fashioned for you. You’ve taken some of them home, a handful adorn your desk at work. “You need anything?” You yawn.

His grunt is akin to the roll of thunder, but he does abruptly move from his chair. Any normal person might’ve flinched away, but you stand still, having to crane your neck just slightly in order to look up at him. Michael wanders in your direction, and to your shock, he looks astoundingly clean.

They must’ve made him take a shower, you think.

Those big, calloused hands fumble with the mask, glued and pressed together with bright shades of purples, pinks, and oranges. Michael reluctantly offers you another mask to add to your growing collection, and your lips curl into an exuberant smile.

“I like this one,” You muse, cocking your head to one side. You enjoy the patchwork pattern of the mask, the series of irregular chunks of paper that make up the whole. “Very pretty.” Your encouragement is always enough to make Michael feel content.

Michael lingers next to you, face concealed by the papery, orange veil, flaxen-blonde tresses hanging all around his head like a curtain. You keep the mask close, your smile still present, the keys jingling against your hips. There’s a stirring of foreign emotions within his chest whenever he glimpses your reaction at his masks.

“I think I’ll put this one up at home.” You chime, and even if Michael never answers you, it doesn’t phase you whatsoever. He’s listening — that much is clear. Michael often hangs upon every word that leaves your mouth as it is.

You remember the candy bar sitting in the pocket of your uniform, and you promptly unveil it. Everybody knows about you sneaking candy to Michael, and it’s happened so often that no one seems to tell you differently anymore.

“I brought you something, too.” It’s a giant slab of crunchy chocolate all wrapped in colored plastic, but you know Michael’s adoration of anything sweet. You’ve seen him eat much of the treats that Smith’s Grove offers — whenever they offer, at least. “Just our secret.” You muse, offering the candy to Michael.

He favors your company more than any other member of staff here — you wonder if they only keep you around for that very purpose, aware that you can subdue the man if needed. Michael’s grunt is relatively pleasant, and he sheds the wrapper immediately, sticking the candy bar through the gap in his mask.

Clutching the mask within your left hand, your brows furrow together when your name is called over the announcement system. It’s difficult for you to mask your disappointment, your gaze drifting toward Michael.

He’s used to you scrambling around, needed anywhere and everywhere. Michael grunts, wandering back toward his chair, sinking down atop the smooth surface as he continues to fly through his candy bar. He doesn’t want you to leave, but he’s powerless — for now, at the very least.

“I’ll be back in an hour to check on you.” You nod, and your countenance is both exasperated and exhausted, but you try your hardest to seem happy. You leave through the cell door, pushing it closed and locking it behind you.

Michael watches you leave each and every time, but whatever strange melancholy he feels is off-putting to him. It happens after you go, but he knows that it’ll dissipate as soon as you come back for your hourly rounds.

[artistfingers]

✧ Undercover AU Masterpost ✧

welcome to the Give Your Hidden Identities A Hidden Identity hijinks bonanza! a danny phantom no one knows AU featuring lots of silliness and maybe sometimes a little angst, focusing primarily on the newfound friendship between Phantom, Tucker, Sam... and Fenton.

this AU begins when the main trio are 15, at the start of their sophomore year of high school. After a lonely year of ups and downs since becoming Phantom, Danny meets Sam and Tuck for the first time while stuck in ghost mode... trying, and failing, to fly under the radar.

Undercover Phantom AU on Ao3

Everything is tagged Undercover Phantom AU

Comics are tagged Undercover Comics

Asks are tagged Undercover Asks

Posts by others are tagged Others Undercover

Below the cut is a compilation of core content (comics, ficlets, and text posts), in roughly chronological order! there's tons more in the tags, and I will do my best to keep this post up to date.

Updated: 10/18/23

Main Series [Ao3]

Danien [Ao3]

Vlad’s newest bit of tech revokes Danny’s ability to shift out of ghost mode, and he subsequently makes some new friends.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Bonus

Morbid Antisocial Youth [Ao3]

Not long after Sam and Tucker befriend Phantom, the opportunity to hang out like normal teens presents itself! obviously everything is gonna go fine, and everyone is gonna have tons of fun (●ˇ∀ˇ●)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

Fall Nights

Sam, Tucker and Phantom hang out, and get to know each other better.

Laugh | Full Moon [Ao3] | Trick-or-Treat!

That Fenton Kid [Ao3]

Amity Park is not a big town. Sooner or later, Danny is going to have to face Sam and Tucker—Phantom's new friends—as... well, himself.

His plan? Avoid that at all costs.

His success rate? Miserable.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

Chag Sameach [Ao3] | Tumblr

Sam invites a ghost to the annual Manson Hanukkah party, because that's just what you do in Amity Park these days—especially when your new best friend is none other than local ghost hero, Phantom.

A comic drawn for the Reality Trip Zine 2022 / @dpauzine

Interlude

Close Call

Aftershow [Ao3]

In a small-ish town like Amity Park, and an even smaller school like Casper High, word got around that year, carried in undertones, about The Time That Fenton Kid Ran Away.

(If Danny spent his first year as Phantom alone... if he didn't know Sam and Tucker when Circus Gothica came to town... what happened?)

Aftershow | Extras & Freakshow's potential return

Doppelgänger [Ao3]

His parents' upgrade to the Fenton Catcher couldn't have come at a better time; Sam and Tucker have really started to get on his case—both his cases—about how Fenton and Phantom should finally meet. And... so far, so good!

...or not.

Cover | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

Liar, Liar [Ao3]

…pants on fire.

Fenton's laptop provides Sam and Tucker with a lead.

Cover | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8

Extras

An Undercover AU Primer (+bonus comic)

Y'all wanted Angst? Y'all Got Angst

How did Danny get his powers?

Sam and Tucker begin to theorize about how Phantom passed away...

...and begin to make some connections between Phantom and Fenton (and test a theory)

More about Sam & Tuck: 1

More about Jazz: 1 | 2

Identity Crisis

Danny's identity slip ups | ...and Sam & Tucker's

Dash is a disaster bi | Dash's POV

WIPs and Process

Potential post-reveal convo

Everlasting Trio + Two Hands | Everlasting Trio Tag (post-main series)

[morkofday]

RAINBOW noun 1 an arch of colors vicible in the sky, caused by the refraction and dispersion of the sun's light by rain or other water droplets in the atmosphere

2 the unification of colors on a rainbow is often thought to symbolize equality because the rainbow takes all of the visible colors of light and combines them into one

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH! ♥ ↳ my favorite lgbtq+ characters in thai media i've (re)watched lately insp. I II III

some thoughts under the cut!

for pride month, i wanted to make something where i could appreciate some of the amazing characters i've come to love. so here they are, and here are some of my reasons for choosing them:

1) shin (tay tawan) - 3 will be free (red - passion, action, courage) i rewatched 3wbf for the third time at the beginning of the year. it is still one of my absolute favorite thai series, simply bc of its vibe and how much i love the main trio. amongst them, shin is my soulmate. he is the calm to neo and miw's chaos, the silence and peace to their roughness and noise. he stands in the sidelines, watching his two companions do their thing and doubts his place there. seeing him end up so happy and loved by so many ppl at the end gives me so much comfort ♥

2) akk (force jiratchapong) - enchanté (orange - creativity, enthusiasm, sociability) when it comes to akk and theo, it’s very hard for me to choose a favorite. i am absolutely in love with theo bc he breaks my heart. him losing his faith to love bc of his parents hits a bit too close to home tbh. but akk... he is so precious. he is lovely, sweet, ready to give his everything at all times. he never asks anything in return. he inspires me to be a better friend by being so selfless.

3) yok (first kanaphan) - not me (yellow - happiness, curiosity, deception) not me has such an amazing mix of characters it’s hard to choose favorites. i find something to love about all of them, but yok has a special place in my heart. i adore his passion - towards his art and his studies and the fight against injustice (and even his quest to seek out dan and then to stay with him). that passion inspires me and it's wonderful to see how in the series his passion inspires others too, allowing them to grow and be better ppl.

4) dew (ohm pawat) - dew the movie (yellow green - youth, hope, eternal life) i dunno if i have ever loved one movie this much or if i ever will. there is just something about this whole story that resonates with me. and then dew as a character in the middle of it all - his kindness, his hope, his faith, his smiles. his optimism in a world painted so dark is heartbreaking but also empowering. i wish there was more of him here. i wish he got his happiness after all the suffering ♥

5) khai (off jumpol) - theory of love (green - growth, luck, materialism) i rewatched tol a little after not me finished bc i wanted to see if it still felt as wonderful. i was a bit scared it wouldn't (i have changed as a person after all) but instead, it was even better. there were many things i noticed only after knowing the whole story and all those things made me ache for both khai and third. but in the end, i once again found myself appreciating khai's journey to self discovery and self growth. he works so hard to become better - to become a better person for third but also for himself. it makes me believe that we all can change if we truly want to and that no matter how many mistakes you make, you can still earn forgiveness ♥

6) tay (us nititorn) - kinnporsche (turquoise - calmness, empathy, secrecy) we see very little of him but in every scene, tay just Shines. he is absolutely amazing and i find his understanding towards everyone, especially kinn, such a huge strength. it requires a lot of patience to handle someone like kinn as a best friend, but tay does it bc he can see good in ppl. he can see into their hearts so easily. it's something i wish i could do myself.

7) fah (mek jirakit) - sky in your heart (blue - security, honesty, depression) i find it a little funny how obsessed with mek i've been ever since watching the gifted. there is just something about his face... but to fah, then. i feel like his character was somehow tailored for me to love. he's competent beyond words but at the same time just a human disaster. he has a big heart but he's gotten it broken so he's afraid to show it to anyone anymore. he's sweet and very caring but only to certain ppl. he hides behind this asshole facade, failing at keeping it up spectacularly bc that's just not who he is. am excited to figure him out and cry more about how prince slowly manages to heal him.

8) pran (nanon korapat) - bad buddy (purple - sensitivity, mystery, wisdom) it's amusing how many of us claim that pran is us. how can we all be him? but at the same time, it's so understandable. it's the collective queer experience i suppose - even a collective teenage/young adulthood experience if we consider what pran goes through. he falls in love and gets his heart broken; then turns himself to stone but never truly succeeds. he struggles with his parents and tries to fit his own hopes and dreams into his life in a way that would satisfy them. he's insecure but also strong af, loved by many ppl but incredibly lonely inside. no one gets him bc he's afraid to share pieces of himself to them. and then there's pat who wiggles his fingers inside all of pran's tiny cracks and pulls down all of his walls and it's so wonderful. it heals me as a similar person. we all deserve that. we all deserve to be loved like that.

9) thorn (suar kritsanaphong) - you’re my sky (pink - compassion, insecurity, comfort) when i started you're my sky, i didn't really find it in myself to like thorn as someone special to me. i rarely feel like that with the main characters so it wasn't unexpected. but he grew on me in all of his selfless, kind, idealistic glory. ep 11 still lives in my mind rent free bc it finally made me understand the tragedy within thorn. he's so ready to give up everything, to chase after this one dream - but he always falls a little short. there is always one more moment to wait, one more obstacle to overcome. one more tiny piece of himself to give up bc he cannot ask anyone else to be the sacrifice either. he literally gives parts of himself away anytime someone (fah) asks for it. and somehow i see myself in that too, how i used to ache after all the pieces i had lost. it was nice to see thorn finally receive some of those pieces back ♥

thank you if you were willing to read this far! happy pride month to everyone and i hope you all know that you are loved, appreciated, and deserve all the good things in this world ♥

[earthstellar]

Master Post of All My Transformers Analysis Posts and Essays!

Since I just realised I make a ton of these, and my Transformers analysis posts tend to be my most popular content, I figured I’d make it easy on people to find anything they might be interested in. 

I’ll update this regularly as I make more essays and analysis posts! :) 

Thank you for being interested, and I look forward to covering more deep dives into Transformers lore, culture, anatomy, and other subjects! :) 

27 July 2023: This list requires some updates-- I’m working on it! :) 

Listed in order from most recent to oldest:

Language and Communication 

TFP: Ratchet and Raf: Teaching Language is Teaching Culture

TFP Cybertronian Linguistics: Soundwave and Multimodal Communications

Various TF Media: Chirolinguistics and Cybertronian Sign Language + Disability in Cybertronian Culture

Language in TFP

---

Medical Analysis

Earthspark: Hashtag and Starscream’s PTSD

IDW 1: Drift and Rodimus: How to Approach a Hallucinating Ratchet 

IDW 1: Pharma, The DJD, and Psychological Resilience 

The Ecosocial Theory of Embodiment As Applied to Cybertronians

MTMTE / Lost Light: Velocity and Gaining Experience as a Medic 

MTMTE Analysis: Ratchet, Tailgate, and Cyclonus - Foreshadowing, Delivering Difficult News, and Receiving It

TFP Bulkhead’s Wrecking Ball Fists and Real World Industrial Drilling Bits

Cybertronian Medical Conditions, Classifications, and Causatives

IDW 1 Ratchet and Potential Pharmaceutical Abuse

TFP, IDW 1, and TFA: Cybertronian Cultural and Medical Distinctions Regarding the Physical Form 

Various TF Media, TFP, and TFA: What Are Cybertronians Made Of? Nanites and Human Equivalents (Uses my own FBC blood test results as example case study.) 

IDW 1 Rung and Cybertronian Psychology + Psychiatric Medical Practice in Canon

IDW 1: Tailgate and Stages of Cybertronian Development 

G1 - Basic Cybertronian Structural Anatomy (Storyboard Analysis) 

Various TF Media: Potential Risks to Cybertronian Health on Earth 

G1 Marvel Comics - Sleep, Stress, Syncope, Trauma, and Cybertronians

TFP - Cybertronian Medical Ethics and Best Practice Standards 

IDW 1 - Drift’s Tendency to Rely on Interpersonal Relationships for Sense of Self-Concept and Self-Identity 

TFP - Megatron and How Dark Energon Affects Him Psychologically 

TFP - Ratchet and the Use of Real World Psychological First Aid Techniques to Reassure Miko 

---

Politics, Society, and Culture 

IDW 2: Codexa and Going Immersant

IDW 1: Cybertronian Facial Markings: Spirituality and Grief 

TFP: Cybertron and the Functionist Indoctrination of Youth: Smokescreen and Ratchet

IDW 1 Beginning of the Decepticon Movement + Real World “Fire and Rehire” Workplace Abuses 

IDW 1 Folklore and Folk Magic in the Mines of Kaon

IDW 1 The Differences Between the Leadership Styles of Optimus and Rodimus

IDW 1 - Differences Between Optimus and Rodimus (Additional Commentary)

IDW 1 Cyclonus and Cybertronian Music History 

TFP - The Cybertronian Class System 

TFP / Aligned Continuity: The Nature of the Autobot/Decepticon Conflict 

IDW 1 - Interpreting “Same Face Syndrome” in Comic Art in an In-Universe Context: Drift and the Circle of Light 

TFP - The Timescale of Cybertronian History: How old is Cybertron and the oldest Cybertronians when compared to Earth and Humanity?

IDW 1 - Whirl and the Baby Scraplet: Semiotic Analysis 

IDW 1 - Exploring the Concept of Primal Lineage 

Holiday Special: Cybertronian Holidays and Celebrations

---

Cybertronians and Humanity

TFP: What if Cybertronians Never Adapted to Working With Humans? 

IDW 1 / TFP: Cybertronians and their View of Human Beings

TFP: Ratchet’s Assumptions about Human Capabilities 

G1 - When Bots Influence the Development of Other Civilisations 

TFA - Isaac Sumdak and Depictions of Human Aging in Animation

TFP - Ratchet and Raf: The Effect of War on Children 

TFP: Cybertronians and Road Rules / Vehicle Safety on Earth 

TFP: Ratchet’s Science Projects and his Memories of Cybertron

---

Miscellaneous 

TFP: Quintus Prime and the Quintessons: Colonialism in Space 

Earthspark - Optimus Prime’s Face Shield and Audience Accessibility 

TFP: Ratchet and Bulkhead: Comic Cover Analysis 

IDW 1: The Characterisation of Cop!Optimus and Revolutionary!Megatron - Analysing Audience Response 

IDW 1 The Autobot Code 

Meta Analysis: Hasbro’s Anti-Union Hiring Practices 

Meta Analysis: The Influence of Eastern European Sci-Fi Media on Western Sci-Fi (Including Transformers) 

G1: Character Designs Inspired by Real World Fashion Patterns 

G1 - Spike Witwicky’s Design vs Real World Fashion Pattern

G1: Transformers in Human Form: Character Design vs Real World Fashion Patterns

TFP - Kaonian Culture vs Real World Punk Scene

G1 Cybertron’s Colony World: Paradron 

TFP - Orion Pax’s Cybertronian Design Analysis

Meta Analysis: The US Military’s Involvement in the Cybertronian Presence on Earth and in Real World TF Media Project Funding and Production 

Meta Analysis: Iconic Music from Various Transformers Media (With Links to Audio)

IDW 1 / Meta Analysis: The Implications of Megatron Being Left Handed 

IDW 1 - One Sentence Analysis of Drift’s Character Development Arc as Biblical Narrative 

TFP - Miko and the Humans: Character Design and Development Discussion + Basic Character Building Workshop

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Thank you for being interested, and I look forward to covering more deep dives into Transformers lore, culture, anatomy, and other subjects! :)

(Bonus: Here’s the start of my TFP Russia AU concept, which is still in the works, the past few months have been...intense, lmao, but updates are being worked on!) 

Bonus 2: Here’s my master list of Transformers media available on the Internet Archive! Content is included from across a wide range of Transformers franchises/media. 

[natty-taffy]

the moon is beautiful, but she's more - [wanda x greek goddess!reader]

Summary: When Wanda runs from the present she doesn't expect to fall in love, and, most definitely not with a goddess.

Words: 1.4k

Just in case you aren't familiar with Greek mithology: ⋆ Diana is the roman version of Artemis, the Greek goddess of the moon, who is the twin sister of Apollo, the god of sun ⋆ Zephyrus is the god of wind ⋆ Persephone is the goddess of spring.

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

You had met Wanda two moons ago, while picking up olives from a fallen basket the wind had thrown on the ground, reminding yourself to have a small talk with Zephyrus about it later.

She had approached you with such uncertainty and lost eyes, that, at first, you believed her to be an outsider, but, at a second look at her, you paused completely, the basket of olives quickly forgotten. Her soul was yet to exist- you frowned slightly, wondering how on Earth could a human that hadn’t been born yet to stand right in front of you.

With curiosity getting the best of you- and taking both of you by surprise- you brought her alongside you, and, being a good host, allowed her to share your rooms for the night- there, she presented herself as Wanda Maximoff, a name you could not begin to understand for the sake of anything- and you, wary, but not wanting to lie, as Diana of Delos. 

The first thing you notice is that Wanda is a woman stranger than her name, probably of the strangest soul you have ever met- and this is saying something. Her mannerisms and expressions are of such that you’re often left confused by what she means.

(But you won’t tell her- she looks absolutely angelic while moving her hands everywhere as she speaks)

As for the second thing, you realize it as you catch yourself musing at her eyes, that shine with wonder at the moon (and somewhere in yourself, you feel flattered by it). It is that her mere, recent, new, presence manages to put you into a paradox of being on edge at the same time it gets you to relax. You can't really understand how, nor why, it’s a dangerous thing.

“You’re not from here, are you?” You find the courage finally to ask.

Wanda smiles, she knows exactly what you meant- there are memories behind her lips and longing on her eyes “No”

You nod quietly, resting your back against the white wall, watching as her red-hair shines under the moonlight, moving only so slightly with her rhythmic breathing.

“When are you leaving?” You ask, feeling your heart squeezing against itself in somewhat of a lame tentative of yearning for this woman you’ve known for three days.

But that's how it usually goes, not born for everlasting love and doomed to live the forever youthful longing of a promise, is where you find yourself tracing your path. It's not always this bothersome, you are often less affected by other souls, human, no less- but, once at every centenia, you allow yourself to embrace the bitter scent of loneliness that not even being surrounded by your hunters can take away from you.

You have got to be the most lesbian of all goddesses to ever exist.

Wanda, then, looks at you- her eyes travel through your face, it brings heat to your cheeks “I'm not sure” she answers with a shy smile, you feel a little like her accomplice in something you have yet to comprehend “Too soon”

She always seem to be one step ahead of you.

You hum, deciding to test one more theory you’ve had since the first time her rapid eyes found yours “Are you running from something, then?”

She seems to be taken aback by this- her eyes go back to the moon for a little-big moment and you’re left to believe she won’t answer you anytime soon, until- “Yeah” her timid voice answers, although in a not very convincing way “From me, I think. It's complicated”

You click your tongue, wondering what was underneath that- she couldn’t be a bad person, could she? You’d be able to tell it from the first moment.

But she did always sound too like trying to hide something, so you decide to press a little more “Tell me something about your world”

Wanda shrugs, not really enthusiastic “It’s the same as yours” but her posture becomes slouched, as if merely thinking about it drained her to no end “It’s just... lost”

“The same… world? Like a replica of this?” You try to understand, the existence of other worlds is not an alien concept for you, but they were always too different from each other- at least, that you know off. You frown as she shakes her head, once again moving her hands to explain it, as you endearingly watch.

“It’s the exact same one" She motions both of her hands to the sky and to the ground "but a while to the future” She ends up saying, looking at you, eyes big with hope, praying for you to understand.

But, alas, you can only follow her until the end of this line “What’s the future?”

“A long tomorrow” She smiles slightly, returning her eyes to the moon- you can’t help but blush at the attention “Like the one when a child grows to an elder, when a seed grows to an acient tree”

You smile at her- it's simple!, you muster, now curious to know how far her knowledge of the future world goes. So you ask, as nonchalantly as you can “How much is the future to you from me?”

Her grimace lets you know it’s not going to the direction you’re hoping “I’m about 2750 years away- after- you”

You can almost huff at her lack of response- what are years? Such a vague answer.

You do know the numbers itself aren’t close, but you can count to 2750 in basically no time, and that doesn’t sound like a big future “Naturally, how much is it?”

“Well, I’m 26 years old” She answers, to your dismay "A child grows to an elder in about sixty years"

Oh, you see, 26 is way too far from 2750. 

“So, when you said it was the same world from yours, but lost" You start with maybe a tint of fear "all of this is... gone?”

Her eyes aren’t easy to read, now, but she nods faintly “Yeah, from all I know, this is basically all rubble"

A dark shadow holds your heart- what happens in the future, that is powerful enough to bring your home to the ground? And if it is really true, if it's really as inevitable as she makes it sounds, you get the terrifying feeling that you’re also not remembered, or known at all. You fear of obsolescence, of forgetfulness is one to find you sooner than expected.

"In fact, I’m yet to be born" She continues, her voice shaking as she whispers the last word "In fact, my great-great-great grandparents are yet to be born”

You pretend to be shocked- as if her mere steps hadn't gave her away, on that fateful night, two moons ago. But you would be lying if you said it didn’t bring gloom to your heart to know that she’s this far from you- still, something tells you she’s needed on her world, more than to your heart, to find herself and whatever more she is running of.

"May Artemis walk you home safely” You bless Wanda, not to chase her away, not because you're happy she's leaving, only to let her know you understand her need to go so, even though you know your heart doesn't.

You have the feeling she isn't used to having her reasons understood.

Because she looks at you as if you have hung the moon (which you kind of do), then looks at the sky, smiling slightly “How are you so sure she’s still on my world?”

You twitch at her question, I don’t, but I really hope so “Because they’re immortal as long as at least one soul still thinks of them” you answer “And you can’t really have a daily life without the twins, without Persephone, without Hestia”

Wanda’s eyes fly back to yours, her mouth tries not to shake as clearly as it's already twitching “The twins?”

You don’t question her sudden change of behavior, it’s not your place for such thing, so you simply nod “Without the sun there is no moon, without the graces of Apollo and Artemis there is no day nor night” You explain, pointing at the moon with your chin “Chaos would rule the world”

When her chin quivers you fear of how much of that is true on her world “And what is to do, then?”

There’s a certain heartbreaking hope behind her words, and you wish to shield her from whatever have cause her this- then a haunting possibility passes your head.

“Did- did one of them disappear in your world?”

Her smile, that grew to be light to your eyes, is now gloomy as she clears her throat “My Apollo has” and, before you could even register the weight of her words, Wanda’s eyes find yours again “But the world is fine”

You think briefly before answering her, not wanting to come off as anything but by your truest intentions “You don’t seem fine” is how you begin, slowly “And I happen to think you have great power over your world’s well-being”

Her green eyes flash at you with the tiredness you would only find in a mirror; the weight to hold the world as it is “I will be” she looks like she has had her great share of battles herself.

You wonder if Wanda is, somehow, like you- she sure looks like she was created from heaven itself.

“Stay a little more” You offer, the moon shines a tone brighter and her cheeks a shade warmer- you approach her, playing with her ring filled fingers as she stares bashfully at the sea, this time.

You hold her index finger, discretely creating a new bright ring- it’s small shaped, blessed filled and carved with moon dust, love made “There’s more to the world than the chore of keeping it together-”

Wanda rolls her eyes before you can finish your speech “Hope”

And, because her stubbornness brings you to the beautiful edge of whatever-this-feeling-is, you allow her, but not before poking her nose “Love, missy” to which her red cheeks turn into scarlet “There’s a whole sky in display just for you, there are fruits ready to be found, there’s a silver sea to dive into and golden our skin-”

As it has become a habit, Wanda cuts you mid-speech again- only this time with the touch of a sweet surprise, as her lips come to rest on yours, softer than milk and stronger than fire, for a way too short-lived moment and, with a satisfied hum, she muses

“And there’s you, dear Artemis”

[natilieal]

izzy hands was an aristocrat before becoming a pirate

having an absolutely normal time on discord with @endrega23 @im-just-so-so and @disorientedfey

disclaimers: vague spoilers, 2k worth of justification & reaching for a headcanon. Also keep in mind I refer to blackbeard & ed separately – blackbeard as the persona, ed as the character.  

I’ve been thinking a lot about Izzy’s character and his motivations — and sure, he’s in love with the idea of Ed and bitter about Stede coming in and taking Blackbeard from him, but it all felt like such an overreaction until I realised: Izzy must have been an aristocrat in his youth. I think he was specifically some minor noble’s second son, kicked out or disgraced in some way, and then found his way into piracy and onto Blackbeard’s ship. Looking at Izzy through this lens, I think, makes his character make a lot of sense. And also it hurts my feelings so

I’m going to explain how/why I think this theory makes sense using a few different things: Izzy’s appearance in the show, his personality overall, his behaviour toward Stede, and that post about Izzy being the one to do the bows in Ed’s hair.

Izzy’s appearance

This part stemmed from this tweet and the subsequent thought that Izzy, aside from Stede, is probably one of the best-dressed and most ‘put together’ characters in the show. His appearance is incongruent with his character: sure, he likes order and structure, which could be represented through his outfit. But he’s also incredibly focused on being a stereotypical pirate and on remaining emblematic of the fear that Blackbeard & his crew spark. When he’s framed by Fang and Ivan here, he doesn’t look terrifying. He looks like he’s wearing the pirate equivalent of a three-piece suit. And sure, it could represent how repressed he is compared to the others on Ed’s crew but hear me out: someone so openly disdainful of finery taking the time to wear a buttoned, collared shirt? Taking the time to tie a ring into his necktie? Taking the time to tie a necktie at all???

The costumes in ofmd represent the characters, but they also make sense: it makes sense that Stede would take the time to put on his fancy outfits every day. It makes sense that Ed’s outfits get more intricate and fanciful once he’s on the Revenge. We’ve seen in the show that dressing nicely and taking care in your appearance are qualities emphasised by the aristocracy. It’s only in the final episode, once Stede finally divorces himself fully from his former life, that he starts dressing like everyone else in the show (ep 1 vs ep 10). So it doesn’t really make sense for Izzy, from the beginning, to be taking the time to dress the way he does – unless it was something already ingrained in him. Like, if he’d been raised rich, for example.

In the show, the only other character who wears a necktie is Stede. Ed does too, eventually, but his is a gift from Stede and symbolic of their relationship. Izzy has his necktie and his ring from the beginning. Why would he have those? Unless, of course, they’re a link to who he used to be before he became a pirate: an aristocrat, just like Stede.

A quick aside, but I also want to talk about Izzy’s hair. It’s styled – coiffed, to stay out of his face. It’s practical, but it’s still styled. When he gets punched later on, the first thing he does when he stands up is try to fix his hair. It could be to try and save face, to preserve that unshakeable exterior, but it’s such an unconscious gesture: who would think to do it, except someone who’s had it ingrained in them that appearance is important? And ofmd establishes there’s only one societal group in the show who cares that much about their outward appearance.

So now we have this image of Izzy, who, within the realm of what’s acceptable for a pirate, actually dresses quite nicely. He puts effort into his outfit; he has a collared, buttoned shirt, he wears a necktie, he buttons up his vest, he does his hair. Those are a lot of things for Izzy the character to do in order for his costume to symbolise his repression and desire for control. The only character who he is similar to here is Stede – who also dresses nicely, who is also repressed for a majority of the season because of his aristocratic background.

Izzy’s personality

This part stemmed from this post about the bows and also my general obsession with Izzy as a character. I’m going to break this section down into his behaviour in the show, his attitude toward Stede, the bows, and then general speculation/headcanons.

Izzy’s behaviour

First of all, I love this insane little man – but so much of his personality is, again, so incongruous to the rest of the show. There’s tons of posts about how Izzy is in the wrong genre, how he thinks he’s in Black Sails etc, and I don’t think it’s just to emphasise him as the villain. If you look at it through the lens of former aristocrat Izzy, he’s trying to act like what he thinks a pirate should be.

I’m going to point to another parallel with Stede here. at the beginning of the show, and in flashbacks to his family life, we see that Stede also has a preconceived notion of what pirates should be like; it’s a life full of romanticised adventure and violence. But then Stede gets a taste for the life of a pirate and says, “but what if it weren’t like that?”

Historically, Izzy joined Blackbeard’s crew around 16. I know ofmd plays fast and loose with history but hear me out – a 16 year old sheltered aristocrat with a romanticised view of pirates, joining the crew of the most terrifying pirate he can imagine. He would be incredibly easily influenced, there’d be a lot of hero-worship, and he wouldn’t be the kind of person to say “what if it weren’t like that?” Instead, he’d be seeing Blackbeard at his worst, and he’d think, “this is how it is.”

And if you look at Izzy as someone who joined Blackbeard’s crew as an impressionable child – as someone who was rejected by the aristocracy and allowed his hero-worship of Blackbeard to define his personality – his bitterness and anger in the show towards Ed, and towards Stede especially, make so much more sense. It’s not just Ed failing being at being a legendary pirate: he’s accepting and obsessing over the lifestyle, and the people, who rejected Izzy. Ed’s obsession with Stede is a betrayal of everything that Izzy is.

We know Stede lives rent-free in Izzy’s head. We understand that it’s because Izzy and Ed have a long history, and that he feels like he’s losing Blackbeard. But again, he becomes so resentful of Stede so quickly – almost comically so, and I think aristocrat!izzy again makes this all so much more understandable.

Izzy hates the rest of the crew because they’re not very good at being pirates. We see him berating them time and time again for lazing about, for not following orders. We know Izzy runs a tight ship and it makes sense for him to be infuriated with Stede’s crew.

The first time Izzy and Stede meet, Stede gets the better of him. After that first interaction in episode 2, Stede becomes an obsession for Ed – and it’s so clear that Izzy thinks Ed is going to kill Stede, or punish him in some way, for humiliating his crew like that.

And then Ed gets to know Stede, and Izzy watches him become obsessed not only with Stede as a person, but with all the trappings of aristocracy that Stede brought with him onto the Revenge. Again, looking at it through the lens of Izzy as a former aristocrat who unwillingly became a pirate, it makes sense. Izzy moulded himself into who Blackbeard needed him to be: his right hand man, ruthless and violent, everything the ideal pirate should be. Not only does he not get Ed’s approval or validation for it, but he watches Stede essentially get rewarded for not being like that at all. Stede, a naïve rich boy who is antithetical to everything that Izzy understands about piracy, and, by extension, the world, gets the attention and adoration of the famed pirate Blackbeard. Stede is not only antithetical to Izzy, but he’s also a physical representation of everything Izzy left behind; everything that Izzy rejected in himself, for Ed. Which, again, has to feel like the most extreme betrayal.

The post

So I’m sure we all saw David Jenkins confirming that Izzy did the bows in Ed’s beard which, first of all, absolutely ruined my day. Secondly, I think we all sort of assumed that Stede was the one who did it – mostly bc of the sheer romance of it, but also bc it, again, makes sense for Stede to know how to do those things. How and why does Izzy know how to tie bows? How and why does Izzy know how to style hair? Unless…………………………..

This, combined with Izzy’s overall appearance & general attitude toward Stede, really gives “the lady doth protest too much” vibes. More than that, I think Izzy is trying too hard to reject his ties to aristocracy, and hiding a lot of hurt behind it. In the show there’s a lot of ideas around that idea of rejection and the underlying hurt behind that rejection – Stede vs the aristocracy, Lucius’ “they can’t cut off my finger if there’s nothing to cut,” Blackbeard’s “love of a pet makes a man weak,” Ed throwing out everything of Stede’s in episode 10. Izzy, rejected and likely disowned or disgraced, finds himself at 16 years old on the ship of the most terrifying pirate in the world. Love of a pet – of anything, really – makes a man weak, and so Izzy rejects everything he used to be: rejects the soft trappings of aristocracy, learns to be bloodthirsty and ruthless and cruel, and rises through the ranks all the way up to first mate. And then his ultimate reward is watching Blackbeard become undone by everything Izzy has fought so hard to reject.

General speculation

Back to the original headcanon. I think Izzy grew up as some minor aristocrat; rich enough to be a little spoiled and a little sheltered, but also as the second son he’s always a little overlooked, never quite important enough to warrant fame or recognition of his own. I think that’s paralleled in his behaviour as first mate: he comes down too hard on the crew of the Revenge, is too strict & unyielding, trying a little too hard overall. Asserting the authority too forcefully, bc as the second son he always had to fight to be noticed.

I think this desire for recognition & validation is also really important: in the series, we see Izzy get angry at Ed time and time again because he’s not fulfilling Blackbeard’s legacy & instead is stepping back from the whole image. He takes the page out of Stede’s a General History of the Pyrates, points at the caricature of Blackbeard and says, “This is Blackbeard.” I think aristocrat!Izzy grew up overlooked and ultimately rejected by his family, and subsequently latched hard onto the idea of Blackbeard – he’s spent his life helping to build up the myth, obsessed with the fame and legacy of it all. For once, he has the chance to be remembered as something great. He’s not some noble’s overlooked second son; he’s Israel Hands, the right hand of Blackbeard. And instead, he watches Ed give it all up for Stede: an aristocrat, and, even worse, the first son. Fundamentally important in a way Izzy will never be. No wonder he ends up totally unhinged.

tl;dr a headcanon about former aristocrat!Izzy has taken over my life thank u for coming to my ted talk.

@endrega23 also wrote a meta ficlet about aristocrat!izzy here if u want to read it (u should)

[aloyxtilda]

A Love Beyond Space and Time

FANFIC: ALOY/LIS & TILDA

Author: GingerAnne aka @aloyxtilda

Author Notes: Taking place at the end of Horizon Forbidden West, Tilda Returns from the dead in a more enigmatic, “angelic”, youthful form. How is Tilda still alive? What has she done to herself to make it possible? Based off data points I've found across the 2 games and Zenith lore, I decided to write about my theory on how she may return for Horizon 3. Of course, turning it into a fun fan fic due to my love for this mysterious character filled with tons of secrets.

SUMMARY: Taking place at the very end of Horizon Forbidden West. The moment Aloy is forced to defeat Tilda in battle, she struggles to cope with the fact she killed the last person connected to Elizabet and the old ones -- Tilda. Aloy drowns her sorrows in constant machine battles and more bad ale than she can handle. But as our hero tries to calm the machines of a raging Hephaestus, a cloaked, white and gold hooded, mysterious being is found watching Aloy from a distance. Could it possibly be.....

CHAPTER 1 : The Beginning of The End

After the battle with Tilda, Aloy felt this sense of deep regret. Did she do the right thing? Was there any other way this could have ended differently? Why didn't Tilda just let her choose or stay and fight along-side her? The red headed huntress' thoughts raced in circles as she flew upon her sunwing. Aloy took a long ride to clear her head while the others stayed behind to gather anything they could from the space traveler's base.

Sylens poked around for any useful data. While Erend checked a few cabinets in the the desperate hope of discovering Zenith alcohol. Alva was scanning the area, incredibly fascinated with the nano technology within the walls of the structure. But Beta couldn't wait to get out of there. The poor girl sat on the ground with her knees drawn up to her chest. Her traumatized gaze was soon shook when her sister came flying in from above. A look of relief and joy spread over her face.

“Sis!” Beta waved to Aloy. “Thank goodness, I was getting bored. Can we leave now?” She begged.

“Of course we can.” Aloy smiled gently to Beta, hiding her pain. “I just have a few things I need to clear up before I head back to base. Erend just called me on my focus and told me he was packing up." The huntress gently touched her sister's shoulder. "You can go back with him. It'll be alright. I'll meet up.”

“Okay, I'll wait for you there.” Beta replied, a little disappointed that her sister wasn't going back with her.

“Hey!” Erend shouted in excitement. “They got fancy bottles of something here!” He held one up for the gang to see. “Looks like we're celebrating tonight.” He cheered as Sylens gave a light chuckle and shook his head. Beta ran over to Erend as she helped him load up some bags of Zenith salvage.

However, Aloy wasn't feeling any joy to celebrate. Her stomach was in knots and her heart sank deeper with each drop of light fading from the sunset. She walked over to the smoking pod that Tilda's hands continued to lay limp from. She gazed at them in some desperate hope they would move. 

“You coming with us?” Sylens interrupted.

“No, I'll catch up with you all soon. I got a few things I want to do first.” She replied, withholding her emotions.

“Very well. See you at the base.” Sylens responded with a gentle tone as the redhead nodded, keeping her face turned away from him. He walked slowly to the exit then stopped and looked back at her. “Aloy” He continued. “Don't let it get you upset. She did try to kidnap you – remember that.”

“I-I know Sylens.” She whispered, doubting he even heard her.

When everyone was finally out of the base, the sun had almost set. The stars began to twinkle beyond the soft, rose colored clouds as Aloy dropped to her knees before Tilda. She punched the ground and let out a long cry. An entire barrel of emotions streamed out of her. Anger for Tilda tossing her life away so foolishly. Anger for trying to kidnap her and force her to leave Earth to a terrible fate. And extreme regret for killing her. Did she have a choice? Aloy questioned her own morals as she sat and mourned Elizabet's ex lover who claimed to love her more than anything in the world. Then why? Why do this if you love someone? None of it made any sense to the brave Nora.

“I don't get it, Tilda. Why? This was such a waste!” Aloy began mumbling to herself as she struggled to get the blonde haired woman free from the pod. “If you were going to give your life, you could have done so helping me!” Her voice rose in frustration. Prying open the shaft and slowly sliding the corpse out, Aloy gasped at the lifeless, beautiful woman in her arms. Her light golden strands slipped through Aloy's fingers as she held Tilda's head. “I wish you just wanted to stay by my side...here – on Earth.” She whispered in Tilda’s ear as tears dropped down her cheek. “I would have given you that second chance.” She fought every nerve in her body not to break down as she laid a soft kiss on the woman’s cold forehead.

Aloy picked up the lifeless Zenith into her arms and carried her to a peaceful spot near the base. The ground was soft and easy for her to dig a grave. The red head couldn't just leave her in that pod to rot. Bad enough her conscious was killing her for taking Tilda’s life. And though she didn't know Tilda long, Aloy felt a deep connection to her. Perhaps because Elizabet was her lover or maybe the way Tilda had so much to offer. Her connection to the old ones. Her beauty? Her intelligence and incredible knowledge. All of it was attractive and inviting. She accepted her into her life so easily. If she had kept her word and didn't lie, they could have done great things together. Aloy thought of all the possibilities Tilda could've had with her. The stories and aid she could've provided in rebuilding Earth. Now gone – forever.

The Nora girl placed Tilda into the grave and said her goodbyes as she covered it with the last bits of dirt. After leaving some flowers on a piece of metal from Specter Prime she used as a tombstone, Aloy was finally ready to head back to base.

***

A couple weeks passed while Sylens worked hard to find any knowledge on what he could about Nemesis. Meanwhile, Hephaestus' creations were getting out of control. They began terrorizing the people of the Forbidden West. Aloy found herself having to help out fellow tribes from rogue machines that got stronger by the day. Gaia was only able to provide knowledge when she could but time felt like it was running out and still nothing on how to take down Nemesis.

Many things challenged our hero's mental state. The dread that Nemesis was on it's way caused deep anxiety in her heart. At times, Tilda's death crept back into her memory, haunting her conscious. Nightmares tormented her each evening. She needed a drink! Bad! A nice ale, maybe even a hot bath at an inn to clear her head. She deserved a break from being a hero for once. Aloy decided to head to Chainescrape. From there, she'd go to the tavern and meet up with her good friend, Petra.

When she arrived it was around dinner. She parked her sunwing on a nearby cliff and glided her way down into town.

“Wow look! It's the savior!” She heard someone shout out. Aloy rolled her eyes.

She made her way to the tavern where the music got louder, the crowd got rowdier and the entire place smelled like bad ale and the flesh of roasted boar. Aloy smiled knowing she was exactly where she needed to be.

“Hey, machine hunter! Over here!” Petra called out and waved down her red headed friend.

“Petra! So good to see you!” Aloy replied with a big smile and a touch of blush in her cheeks.

“Looks like you need a drink.” The inventor laughed and nudged her elbow into Aloy's old injured rib.  

“Shit, is it that obvious?” The huntress grinned and chuckled, trying to hide her pain from the nudge.

“Maybe. But don’t worry! The ale is on the house! So drink up!” The inventor slammed a mug in front of the Nora girl.

“Thanks Petra!”

They talked for what seemed hours as Aloy began feeling tipsy and soon very drunk. Petra continued to ask if the Nora was okay but she hid her sorrows well and drank more. However, a person caught her attention. A white hooded, cloaked figure sat in the corner across the tavern, staring at Aloy. The huntress squinted her eyes in the hopes of seeing more details through her blurry sight.

“Hey Petra, who's that?” Aloy subtly tilted her head in the direction of the enigmatic being.  

“I have no idea.” She whispered back. “Never seen them around here before. Looks like they traveled from a far away land.”

“Hm. Interesting.”

Aloy eventually got up. Petra offered to help her walk but the stubborn Sobeck refused it. She wished her friend goodnight and stumbled out of the tavern. The air was a bit cool as the stars glimmered beyond the passing clouds. She took in a big deep breath of fresh air and stretched, followed by a long, dramatic yawn.

“I should get to the Inn and call it a night.” She spoke to herself.

When the Nora girl made her way inside, the innkeeper greeted her.

“Ah! The savior of Meridian! Need a room? On the house!”

“N-No reallyyy, thatiss's not necessary – at all.” Aloy slurred. “I-I...I can pay!”

“Don't be ridiculous! It's not everyday you see a true hero walk among us!” They insisted and handed the girl a key.

“Can I-I gett a baath too?” She asked as best she could, struggling to hold herself up.

“Of course! I'll prepare the hot water for you. It’ll take a bit. Just head to your room and I'll assist you shortly.”

“Grr-eatt!” Aloy raised her hand in the air in a silly fist pump. She felt herself getting dizzier by the minute.

***

Aloy took the longest bath she's had in weeks. Letting the warm water heal any wounds, scratches and scrapes from her battles. Her muscles relaxed as her mind cleared of all negativity. This is what she needed more than anything.

The hooded figure came to mind. Who were they? Why were they starring at her in the tavern? Could it have been a member of the Quen? They wore a hooded cloak that was white with gold details. The colors almost resembled Zenith attire but could blend in well with the crowd. The huntress pondered if it could've been an immortal survivor but that made no sense. All the Zeniths were dead. Including one in particular who's face she couldn't remove from her thoughts.

“Tilda...” Aloy lowered her head and dipped herself under the water to drown her tears.

That’s it for now. I plan to write chapter 2 tomorrow. Let me know what you all think. Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoy it so far. 

[sepublic]

Amphibia...

​​Hahahahahahahahahaha I remember when after Season 1 of Amphiba finished airing, someone suggested the end credits were like a storybook, indicating Sprig telling someone, such as his kids in the future, the story of the human girl he met! Indicating of course that Anne and Sprig would get separated forever.

This was a very real and painful thought. And lo and behold it happened! GODDAMN IT AHFKAHFNWFOSFODAOSNS

I knew I would be inconsolable but that doesn’t change a thing, does it? It’s like seeing the eighteen-wheeler coming, it doesn’t matter if you noticed it or not, you still get run over by the eighteen-wheeler. Anne and Sprig could’ve died two minutes after they left each other and the other one would never know. They’ll never know nor get that closure. But like... They’ll never forget each other, as Leif didn’t forget Andrias!

I’m just. Amphibia Season 1 really was a different time, both for the show and for me, all things considered. It felt like a surreal proto-period before another phase of my life, so it feels weirdly nostalgic as a result. So to have it end is kind of reminiscent of Steven Universe ending, to me? Almost? I dunno. But I remember when it was just the Plantars and Wartwood. Just Anne. Just Sasha and Grime. We didn’t know anything about Marcy but had fanon of her as a mute mean girl. It was a different time! Just relaxed and nothing to worry about...

Ugh... OOOGGGG.... My heart. My Anne! Grime and Sasha leaving each other, I’ll never get over that. Andrias actually got his redemption and the chance to live out his days, doing honest work as a farmer! Yulivia, nice! And the Plantars... Polly grown up, as well as Sprig! And Maddie and Ivy. Toadie is Mayor and Toadstool pulled things for him! WALLY! The Mossman returning…

Sorry if I’m mostly concerned about Season 1 shenanigans. But Season 1 really was the start, right? It’s just... It feels so weird that it’s over. It’s been only(?) three years, which is like the perfect number for this show’s run. I just. WOW. Remember when we hyped up Valeriana? Remember the theories and lore? That talk of the monster frog? So much really has changed… I remember reading a crossover fic of Amphibia where Ford from Gravity Falls visited, while staying at a hotel! Not knowing what Amphibia would have in store. It felt like a truly different time then.

Just… MAN. I don’t know what to say! I looked forward to so much, so it’s so surreal to see how it ended and compare that to my past speculation and what I’d looked forward to back in 2019! It’s about the journey not the destination, but I won’t deny the destination also hits different… And we should never forget the beginning, either!

I need some time to just. Reflect. Think. Ponder my soul. It really feels like the bookends of another phase of my life, a relic from my younger past; And I guess that’s why I’m so melancholy. Amphibia is a lingering stray thread from my youth, tying me back to that part of my life. Now that it’s tied up, if feels like another step towards adulthood. And if I truly loved this show, I’d take its messages to heart and embrace this change and move on, accept the future. And I’ll do that, or at least try!

Man… Thanks for Amphibia, y’all.

P.S. In The Hardest Thing, Sasha Waybright is revealed to be attracted to women (and men)

[web1995]

SECONDARY BURIAL IN THE RAT’S PRIESTHOOD: WHY WAS CHUCKY CHEESE’S EFFIGY DESTROYED?

Cheese temples are an abundant, frequently excavated type of Neolithic archaeological site. The rat’s priesthood was clearly far reaching and embraced by millions of devotees (as a protector of children, gamblers, and harvests), and yet effigies of the rat himself are surprisingly rare— whether in the form of priest’s anthropomorphic costumes, or automatons. Recent findings, such as the unrecognizably dismantled automaton in Fig. 1, and a rare depiction of the destruction process in Fig. 2, have indicated that Chucky Cheese’s effigies were almost universally deliberately destroyed. 

Fig. 1

While human remains and burial grounds are not typically discovered within or nearby excavated cheese temples, the ritualized destruction of Chucky Cheese’s effigies closely mirrors burial practices in which the skull is broken. 

Fig. 2

In the authors’ opinions, this may indicate that the rat’s priesthood symbolically continued to bury their god as they once buried men.

Fig. 3

Discoveries of complete or even partial Chucky Cheese effigy heads, as seen in Fig. 3, are rare. The destruction, whatever motivated it, appears to uniquely target the rat’s face— or, to be specific, his skull. Though this violence was initially believed to be the actions of opponents to the rat’s priesthood, reading it as an act of desecration simply does not account for the scale on which it was done, nor for where it was done. All evidence points to this practice belonging to Chucky Cheese’s followers. 

Until recently, archaeologists and art historians could only guess at the motivations behind this practice. However, a recent finding (the Showbizpizza Tome) has provided astonishing new insights. 

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

Fig. 7

In Fig. 4, 5, 6, 7, we see selections from the Showbizpizza Tome in which the rat priest reader is instructed as to the proper ritual care for the rat’s anthropomorphic costume. Clearly a document intended to preserve Chucky Cheese’s dignity and educate his priests in his mysteries, the real revelation is that it also provides instruction in the destruction rites. 

Fig. 8

In Fig. 8 (also the complete context of Fig. 1), Chucky Cheese explains himself: “Ouch! That smarts, but is very necessary so that I am no longer recognizable as Chucky Cheese. After de-identification, I may be discarded.” This depiction of the rat god clearly indicates a belief in defacing (literally!) the body before burial, which invites new speculation as to the origin of the rat’s priesthood. 

Did the rat’s priests originally destroy human bodies before burial as well, before retaining the tradition in the symbolic destruction of Chucky Cheese? The theory may at first seem absurd, but consider Chucky Cheese’s words. Why must his skull be destroyed for a proper burial? Evocative of other Neolithic secondary burial practices, such as the (roughly contemporary to the rat’s priesthood) mass grave site found at Herxheim, at which people of the Linear Pottery culture broke apart a staggering number of human skulls with peri-mortem violence, Chucky Cheese insists on de-identification. 

Perhaps Chucky Cheese was originally a death god, and his priests responsible for the care of the dead. 

Fig. 9

Why continue symbolically enacting a formerly-practiced burial method, if that is the case? We know that many rat priests themselves were buried in “coffins” or cremated, and have yet to find any evidence of ritualized skull destruction done to any human follower of the rat. Perhaps Chucky Cheese’s status as a deity who protects vulnerable members of society— children and gamblers— contributed to a need to protect him in turn. In Fig. 9, a modern reconstruction of a cheese temple, we see a pair of mosaics depicting Chucky Cheese alive and well, alongside happy and healthy children. 

Fig. 10

The architecture of the cheese temples, as seen in Fig. 10, which depicts another angle of the temple reconstruction, is eerily reminiscent to our modern readers of something which immediately resembles a tomb. It is tempting to ascribe significance to this similarity, especially when so many other details appear to support a theory that the rat’s priesthood really did stem from a funerary order of some sort, but this sort of building may have had no such connotations to its builders. Even if the authors’ suggestion is correct, the style of architecture seen here could just as easily have had the opposite meaning in its context, and been an attempt to separate from the religion’s deathly origins. We must not make assumptions from our own perspective! 

Fig. 11

Fig. 12

Fig. 13

Fig. 14

Fig. 15

In figures 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15, we can observe the destruction pattern of effigies preferentially targeting Chucky Cheese’s face/skull. This pattern is undeniable, unlike tenuous connections such as the tomblike atmosphere of the cheese temples or basing an entire analysis on a single document. Regardless of its origin, the destruction of Chucky Cheese’s skull undoubtedly held a deep ritual significance to the rat priests. In Fig. 15, only Chucky Cheese’s eyes have survived. 

As a note, it is not possible to identify which of these effigies may have depicted figures other than Chucky Cheese, given the complete destruction of the skull. De-identification truly does appear to be the goal. However, it is possible to identify separate eras of Chucky Cheese’s depictions, indicating that this practice continued across centuries. 

How might Chucky Cheese have transitioned from a death god to the deity his priests seem to have recognized him as?

Fig. 16

In Fig. 16, we see a tentative timeline of Chucky Cheese’s depictions throughout the centuries, beginning in the 1977th century BC and ending in the 2012th century BC. 

Fig. 17

His earliest depictions are obviously chthonic (Fig. 17). Around the 1994th century, these associations begin to disappear, giving way to a greater emphasis on his physicality, energy, and youth. 

While he seems to have remained a protector of both gamblers and children throughout the prominence of the rat’s priesthood, artists increasingly placed emphasis on his status as a protector of children, foregoing the guise of a high-stakes gambler, and the chthonic imagery. Chucky Cheese became a young athlete, then a musician, then an unemployed man enjoying a life of leisure (Fig. 18 shows an effigy depicting a later incarnation). 

Fig. 18

This overall movement away from the underworld towards a celebration of life are an excellent reason to consider that the mysterious origins of the rat’s priesthood (lost to history) may have been outright connected to the dead. 

Fig. 19

Sometimes, the removal of Chucky Cheese’s visage leaves no doubt as to its former presence, as seen in Fig. 19, which shows a partially excavated cheese temple. This defacing is reminiscent of damnatio memoriae which occasionally assists in recognizing faceless portraits (as certain historical figures whose faces’ images were destroyed), and yet a ceremony with apparently opposite intentions— to honor the deceased— to praise Chucky Cheese, not to bury him.

Cheese temples and the rat’s priesthood remain a little-understood part of Neolithic history, despite the abundance of rat-associated sites and the many well-preserved cheese temple artifacts. It is our hope that this article has invited the readers to make their own studies into the subjects of Chucky Cheese, secondary burial (ancient and modern), Neolithic skull destruction, cheese temple architecture, death gods, and so forth, in order to draw their own conclusions. The field is always in need of fresh eyes and new minds to think outside the bun! 

[xiaq]

Ok I'm probably not going to say this right but after your last post I have have a question I guess? I don't really like sex and I love the idea of a relationship that doesn't require sex to be happy and healthy. I really relate to the whole not being anxious about taking a shower together or expectations or wahtever that you talked about but I've never experienced it before. Is that something you get from dating a friend? I guess I just want to know how you get to a place like that.

CW for sex talk. Hello friend. Apparently today is the day for Long Ass Ask Answers.

I wish someone had told me this years ago so I’m saying it to you now in case it saves you some angst:

Don’t settle for bad sex.

If you don’t like the sex you’re having, stop. If you don’t like having sex at all—neat! You’ll have so much time for other activities. You do not owe yourself to anyone, under any circumstances, even if you’re socially trained to think you do.

Listen. I took PhD qualifying exams in Feminist theory. And even I had more or less submitted myself to the idea that sex just wasn’t going to be that fun for me and I’d need to learn to deal or be alone.

I admittedly have very little sexual experience, but the experience I had up until my current relationship was lackluster. I wasn’t repulsed by sex, but it was eh at best and painful at worst and I’d never initiated a sexual situation in my life because A. ultra conservative Christian doctrine during your formative years can seriously fuck up your perception of intimacy in general (insert Youth Pastor Voice here: “men enjoy the act of sex, women enjoy the results of sex: children”) and B. I just…would rather do all sorts of other things. Sex was a thing other people wanted from me and if I cared about them I was supposed to provide it.

Objectively, I knew this was wrong. And yet.

Let me lay out some Inarguable Truths for you. Sex should not:

hurt (unless you want it to)

make you uncomfortable

make you feel dread or guilt before or afterward

be used as leverage

be coerced

be treated as a necessity by your partner

I told my current partner at the very beginning of our relationship (when I was trying to convince him that he didn’t actually want to be in a relationship with me) that I didn’t particularly enjoy sex, that I really didn’t like penetrative sex, and I that wasn’t willing to pretend otherwise anymore.

His response: “then we won’t have sex.”

Let me tell you, that threw me for a loop. I was expecting the more typical, “you’d enjoy sex with me” or even “what a waste.”

“Ever?” I asked.

“Ever.”

Well, okay then.

After a couple of weeks, I decided to try anyway. Not because I felt pressured but because I was curious. I thought maybe there would be one of those fanfic/romance novel moments and, suddenly, I’d love sex because I’d found The Right Person. Reader, I did not get my moment. Except for this time, I didn’t feel like I had to just suck it up. So we stopped. We made stir fry and cuddled and talked about the RMS Carpathia and Abraham Lincoln’s assassination (any nerds know what these things have in common?) instead. A+ evening.

A week later, he came to me, and after spending a surfeit of time qualifying what he was about to say with assurances that he didn’t expect anything from me, etc., etc. he told me he’d done some research because he was concerned there was an underlying issue causing my pain/discomfort. I hadn’t ever thought to ask my doctor because, at my pap/annual exam each year, they’d say my downstairs parts looked fine and send me on my way. Surely they would have said something? But I made an appointment with an OB and I brought a list of questions.

Did you know that endometriosis can make penetrative sex hella painful? Did you know that, if you have an autoimmune disease, even if you’re managing it well, you might deal with significant inflammation the week before your period, which can also make sex hella painful? Did you know that if you’re a small human you might just have a lower cervix which can (surprise) make sex hella painful? Did you know that there are things you can do to at least somewhat ameliorate these issues? Did you know that, when you stop viewing sex as an uncomfortable thing you have to provide and instead view it as an optional activity where you have full autonomy, you suddenly stop feeling guilt and dread at the very concept of physical intimacy and can actually, maybe, enjoy it? I do now. I didn’t for 15 years.

Do not settle for bad sex. Because if someone isn’t willing to sort out why you’re uncomfortable, and how to change your approach to intimacy to fix it, they’re probably not a good partner for you. If you simply don’t want sex and your partner insists on it, they’re probably not a good partner for you. There is a whole spectrum of reasons why you might not enjoy sex and I obviously can’t speak to all of them but Please. Learn from my mistakes. When you start drawing hard lines you're going to make progress, one way or another. Don’t let anyone convince you that you’re broken or undesirable if you’re not interested in sex. That’s a them problem, not a you problem.

I arrived to the place I'm at in my current relationship because I advocated for myself and said I wasn't willing to do something that made me uncomfortable. And my partner, who views me as a three-dimensional human being with more to offer the world than my body, immediately validated my feelings and agreed not to push my boundaries. Was the fact that we were friends for years helpful there? Sure. Because I already implicitly trusted him. But the important thing here is to know your limits and be willing to stick up for yourself. If you're explicit about your desires, it's easier to find the folks who are a good fit for fulfilling those desires.

[trinity-blaze]

Kingdom Hearts Theory: Minnie Mouse was Once a Princess of Heart

In the original Kingdom Hearts, we are introduced to the seven Princesses of Heart: Belle, Snow White, Alice, Jasmine, Aurora, Cinderella, and Kairi

Later however, in Kingdom Hearts III, we are shown that a princess of heart does not remain one forever, and there title is eventually passed on to another young maiden with a heart of pure light. Of the newest generation, we only know of three. Elsa, Anna, and Rapunzel.

Since we know that there are multiple generations of Princesses of Heart, it stands to reason that Kairi’s generation was not the first. Knowing this, I think there is a high possibility that Queen Minnie was a Princess of Heart in her youth. Likely during the period of The Country of Musketeers.

During the Three Musketeers movie, Minnie acts a lot like how a princess of heart tends to. At this point, Mickey already knows about outside worlds, having explicitly journeyed to the country of Musketeers. Perhaps this was due to the presence of a princess of heart in this world. 

The second piece of evidence that inclines me to this theory is Minnie’s proficiency with light magic without much evidence in regards to prolonged training. In Birth By Sleep, Minnie is easily able to banish Pete to a pocket dimension. Then, in Kingdom Hearts 2 escort quest, she is able to use the faith spell with seemingly no limit in regards to the amount of times casting in in quick succession. Even Mickey is shown to have limits when it comes to casting his magic, with him explicitly not casting time magic at the beginning of the final act of KH3 for fear of using up all his magic.

Minnie is only ever seen using very powerful, but not very precise magic. This speaks to her having large magical potential, but little in the way of training. Instead, her magical power likely comes as a remnant of her time as a Princess of Heart.

Ultimately, this is not a big theory, nor is it perception changing about the entire series. I just thought it was a neat thing I came up with and wanted to share.

[maybeijustwanttobeme]

Fear of the Knight: Chapter 4.

Pairing: Bruce Wayne x Female!Reader

Warning: swearing, spoilers, violence, mention of death and angst.

Summary: After a childhood and youth together, Bruce and [Y/N] live separate lives full of secrets. A new serial killer in Gotham unmasked the truth of the city, but the lies of Bruce and [Y/N] also were unmasked. What is the cost of the lies?

Notes: English is not my first language.

Masterlist: Fear of the Knight

I hope you enjoy it. Leave a comment if you want to be tag ⭐️

She needed to follow Bruce, but Harvey's hand stopped her. When did he arrive?

-You look tired, are you ok?

-I'm tired, but I need to continue working- She smiled at everyone and wanted to continue her way in search of Bruce.

-You are going to look for Wayne, right?- Harvey told her angrily and squeezing her wrist more; it was beginning to hurt.

-You're hurting me, and yes, I'm looking for him. – [Y/N] released herself from his grasp and continued her path.

It wasn't hard to find him. He was still almost at the entrance seeing an older man with a frown. She press his elbow to get his attention and gave him a sweet smile. Bruce loved seeing her smile somehow give light to his life. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about her; he was glad to see her well. Last night he was just thinking of her.

-I know that the other day we basically said goodbye. But I'm worried about you, it seems that you haven't slept in days, and is that a bruise? - she pointed to his cheek, and her face changed from sweetness to concern. [Y/N] shouldn't worry about him.- How are you? Do you need help?

-I'm right – he lied. But [Y/N] despite all the years, she still knew when Bruce lied so blatantly. The key was in his eyes, people who didn't know him didn't know how to read those beautiful blue eyes.

-Liar! But really, Bruce, the other day I told you that you have a special place in my heart, and it's true. If you ever need me, Alfred has my number, actually what if the next time I have coffee with Alfred you come? -[Y/N] was confused. Every time she saw him, she forgot how much she no longer wanted to love him, how much she wanted someone else to take his place in her heart.

Bruce didn't say anything. He was just staring at her, almost judging her, and those eyes were very similar to the dark vigilante, right? [Y/N] needed to stop looking into his eyes, but at the same time, she needed to look at them more. She had missed them so much. She missed him so much.

-I really thought we could leave the axe of war and at least be on speaking terms, but you're still mad at me for something that never…

-What were you doing with Falcone and Oswald? – Bruce interrupted her and radically changed the subject. He didn't want to ask why her wrist was red, but he had a theory about who might be.

-What? -[Y/N] didn't understand the question. Could it be that he stopped talking to her because of that?

-When you entered, you looked very familiar with them.

-Part of my job. So, coffee? – Bruce noticed how her body language and tone of voice changed to a defensive one.

-I…- Bella Reál interrupted the conversation. -Mr. Wayne.

-Bella, I think it's not very polite to interrupt a conversation - Bruce almost smiles, seeing [Y/N] annoyed by the interruption. He was surprised how [Y/N] could change her attitude so quickly, and at that moment, he knew she had the upper hand in the conversation.

-Well, I've been trying to reach Mr. Wayne. But his people keep telling me that he's not available.- Bella thought she could ignore [Y/N]. But it was always a mistake to underestimate her. Bruce would enjoy seeing his [Y/N] in some action.

-It's still not polite to interrupt a conversation and ignore people. By the way, I think you should first pay respect before starting any kind of negotiation. We know you'll be mayor, but this is still a funeral of the former- [Y/N] wasn't going to let Bella judge her for issues that she couldn't control and for mistakes she was trying to fix.

-[Y/N]…- Bella tried to interrupt her. -You should call me. We already had everything planned for another win, and you know nobody knows how to do those events like me.

-For corrupt people - Bella was trying to defend herself.

-I just do my job. They hired me because I'm the best, and you know it, Bella. My luxuries are bought by the percentage of my shares in my family's company. Just because I work for them doesn't mean I'm corrupt. Where could you work in Gotham without encountering corruption? Even in your team Bella. But, call me, I can assure you the best event and a much better outfit.- [Y/N] had been the winner of the conversation. Bruce missed seeing [Y/N] confident. In their last conversations, she was nervous, and he understood he had been a jerk to her but he needed her away from him for her safety and her happiness, but it was always a pleasure to see her being her.

-You're right, I'll call you.

-Little bird, c'mon- the three heard Oz call [Y/N] to come with them. Why does he call her little bird? Bruce thought. He remembered he called her like that the other night.

-Please call me Bruce. I hope we can have that coffee.- Seeing him, a sweet smile appeared on her face and briefly caressed his arm. They both felt that magnetic sensation again that they hadn't felt since they were 18.

As soon as she left, Bella got right to the point with Bruce about him having no involvement in the town. Bruce wasn't really listening to her. He followed [Y/N] with a discreet glance. She was with Oz, Falcone and according to his records, Harvey Dent, part of the DA's office but he hasn't seen him at 44 Bellow. [Y/N] looked comfortable, but he knew her well enough to know that when she played with her ring it was because she was nervous or uncomfortable, but she stopped moving. Bruce followed her gaze to see that she looked at Mitchell's son. Bruce understood the pain he was feeling.

But part of his attention went to the conversation of Gordon, Mackenzie, and Martinez were having about Colson's disappearance.

-Hey, Mr. Wayne! – Officer Martínez interrupted the conversation, and Bruce had to turn around, but that didn't last long. Screams and disturbances began to be heard outside. They all stopped and turned to see what it could be.

The screeching of tires was heard, and the people on the balcony began to move, except for one. Before Bruce could do anything, a car drove through the building. Bruce ran to protect Mitchell's son, not before glancing over to where [Y/N] was. Bruce shielded the boy's head and watched the man on the balcony walking away.

[Y/N] looked up at Bruce and saw that not only was he okay, but what he had done for Don's son.

The police began to surround the car.

-Get out of the car and show your hands!- Gordon yelled, pointing with a gun at the car.

The driver began to slowly descend, and to everyone's surprise, it was Gil Colson. He had another of the letters to the Batman, a phone in his hand and worst of all a bomb around his neck.

-There's a bomb around his neck! – someone shouted, and the mass terror started.

-Clear this place out now!- Gordon ordered.

Neither Bruce nor [Y/N] could move though for different reasons. Bruce needed to resolve the situation, and [Y/N] felt guilty for last night. She had told him he would pay for everything he had done, but she never hoped for such a violent thing, but she felt that she had wished for this tragedy. At the end of the day, Colson was right she had stolen from him.

Harvey tried to get [Y/N] to react, but she kept thinking about Colson. Harvey started yelling at her and trying to pull her away, but Bruce saw it, and he didn't need to be the best detective to know who had left her wrist red a few minutes ago. He wasn't going to tolerate him touching her like that. Harvey released her to be a mere expectant of what he already knew.

As an instinct, Bruce cupped her face in his hands and called her softly. Her eyes were closed, but tears could be seen falling.

-[Y/N], come on. We must leave.- He was not going to let anything happen to her. At least not right now.

-It's my fault, all the thing I've said… but…-[Y/N] couldn't speak, she had no air. Bruce got so close that their foreheads pressed together. He needed to calm her down. He needed to get her out of there.

-We must leave, sunshine.- she opened her eyes. She hadn't heard him say it for years, it was one of the many ways he used to call her, but it was one of their favourites. [Y/N] was pure light; she was his sunshine.

Putting his hand on [Y/N]'s back, they hurried off with Harvey behind them.

-Bruce, it's my fault about Colson, the things I said... – the paramedics arrived to treat [Y/N].

-I'll take care of it, Wayne- Harvey stated angrily. Despite being tall, Bruce was slightly taller than him. Both were trying not to beat the hell out of each other.

-I don't think so. I saw how you left her wrist- Bruce was trying to control his anger. At that moment, he was Bruce Wayne, not Batman.

-I thought you were the one who no longer wanted her in his life. Didn't you treat her like shit 2 years ago?- Bruce couldn't utter a word- That's what I thought, so leave us alone.- He felt the rage rising throughout his body. He needed to focus on Colson. That's exactly why he couldn't be with [Y/N]. She needed to be someone's priority.

-Go to Wayne Tower with Alfred- He approached [Y/N] before leaving to fulfill his duty to the city.

-I thought you didn't have a thing with Wayne anymore.- She could feel Harvey's judging gaze.

-Not your business- at that moment, [Y/N] couldn't fight with Harvey for anything and less for Bruce.

-It is my business because I'm your boyfriend! - he screamed.

-He is a lifetime friend and…

-Your ex-boyfriend!- he screamed again.

-I'm not going to discuss this right now. Colson is literally about to lose his head, and you want to fight for Bruce. I think you should grow up, Harvey.- she said before leaving him angry.

-[Y/N] don't leave me talking to myself. Your check-up isn't done!- [Y/N] ignored him.

-I need to go see what's going on- she said determinedly.

She approached Jim Gordon to see what was happening. They had known each other for not long, but she trusted him.

-Ms [Y/L], I don't think you should be here. In fact, you can't be here.

-Gordon, please, first Mitchell, then Pete and now Colson. I can't go. Just let me be here. I won't make noise, you won't know I'm here - he agreed with his head.

After starting the operation, Colson began to look for something no one knew what it was. After a few seconds, the cameras showed The Batman in the room.

She felt a tightness in her chest when she saw him there. As if she had left something she loved in that mess.

Tag list: @she-wintersoldat @angeliken @t-stark35 @cc13723things @aniya7 @xingqiusliegee @frozenhuntress67 @y-napotat

[autistic-sidon]

An attempt to explain Zoras aging

Hi! If you follow us, you probably know that we have been quite irritated lately due to the lack of understanding on Zoras aging in botw, particularly with multiple people here claiming Mipha is a "Predator" for being in love with Link. So, this is an attempt, from someone with a special interest in Zoras, to explain how we perceive their aging, and how it is not all that complex compared to how people make it. Let's begin!

Our first subjects for discussion with be Father and Daughter entrance guards, Rivan and Dunma. Let's start with dialouge for Rivan, look at this:

Rivan is over 130, so perhaps 140~ is a good range to place him at. And what of Dunma? Here is what she says:

She is less that 100! But, she clearly still looks and acts like and adult (In fact, she snaps at her father for being distracted). Some seem to think Zora don't reach maturity until 100. While I do think in Zoran culture 100 would be a huge milestone, Dunma shows that it is not when they reach maturity. So where is maturity? Well, Finley and Mipha can help us with that!

Finley states that she is at an "awkward" age where she is a young woman who hasn't hit her growth spurt. While I can quite clearly tell she is NOT a grown woman (please refrain from mentioning that gross ass side quest) she is definitely a teenager, likely just younger than Mipha was. Mipha wasn't small like Finley, so it can be assumed that she is already going through this "growth spurt."

Let's go back to Rivan for a hot second, he stated that he is "over 130" and we placed his age at 140. So, that means that 0-40~ are youth ages in zora, 40 getting on the preteen end, as Rivan states he played with Link when he was young. Obviously, he was old enough to have these fond memories, so he wasn't toddler aged. Likely a kid on the cusp of pre-teen phase. The same can be said for other characters who remember Link fondly, such as Bazz and Gaddison.

SO. Mipha here isn't fully grown, so she is likely past 40, maybe 50. She is STILL a teenager. She has very young views on the world, and again, she isn't fully grown. She is very clearly an adolescent. This should completely dissolve any claims that she is a predator, as when she knew Link as a young child, she only saw him as cute as anyone else would see a little boy. Finley, the other younger woman, is likely 30. Neither of these two have finished their growth spurt like Dunma, so the age to do so is likely 60 or 70.

Let's transition a bit. How can we determine how old a Zora is only using clues from the plot? Firstly, there is a proven method to tell a Zora's age based on the number of luminescent spots on their head and tail which I recommend reading here. (I will be calling it the spot theory!) After reading that, let's focus on what we can determine based on the plot. We have already determined solid age ranges for Rivan, Dunma, Finley and Mipha very easily using characters words alone, without immediately referencing the spot theory.

Determining their age range comes down to reading comprehension, as the only midly confusing character to place an age range on could be Sidon. Let's go over Sidon.

Using the Spot Theory on Sidon, he has 10 spots, 11-10 is 1, so Sidon is over 100. I thought immediately to place Sidon in younger ranges where characters like Ledo and Laflat are, adult characters that don't have concrete memories of Link, but seem to be over 100. They would like be 110~ as that would be too young to retain any information. However in Sidon's case, this didn't quite add up.

Take Age of Calamity, look at all the things Sidon was able to do as a "toddler." He was able to escape Zora's domain (twice!), hold a spear, identify a Lynel, and in the botw champions ballad DLC, he understands what Mipha is implying by, "Should fate ever part us." That last example is what got me. I don't care how bright you think your toddler is, there is NO WAY they will right off the bat (Sidon needed no hints, he understood what Mipha meant immediately after she said it!) understand a euphemism for death. Sidon did, and I now believe Sidon is a bit older than even I first thought, and significantly older than what the fandom believes.

I believe Sidon is still a little younger than say Rivan, however not by more than 5-10 years. "But tumblr user sidon-lovrr! Sidon can't remember anything from his early childhood like Rivan can! He must have been a toddler orherwise he wouldn't forget it all!" I get it, that's what tripped me up too! But Baby Sidon is waaaay to smart to be a silly little toddler and we both know it. I believe that, due to the intensity of the great calamity coupled with losing your sister, your father being the King, you now being the heir to the throne, and the overall high stress environment Sidon would have been in at such a young age compared to Rivan and others, Sidon experienced Dissociative Amnesia. Or more simply, has memory issues of that time period due to traumatic events. There are other questionable things, such as Sidon's "youthful" personality and baby Sidon being nonverbal. In my opinion, these can be solved by concluding that Sidon got smacked hard in the head with the Autism stick. (We're autistic don't smite us for that joke!!)

Sidon is likely in the same age group as Rivan, maybe 10 years younger. 130 is a safe place to put Sidon in my book. All of this I determined only referencing the spot theory once, which confirms my previous statement that understanding Zoran ages comes down to reading comprehension. I will end this off in sharing what ages lie in what stages of life to help clear up misconceptions.

0-20~: Infant to toddler

30~: Classic kid, not a teenager yet but has already learned and developed basic skills. They will remember things!

40-50~: Teenager! Mipha lives here!

60-100~: Fresh adults, Zoran society may not officially label them as adults until age 100, but they are physically mature before 100. This is Dunma's range!

100-150~: Young adult transitioning into the beginning of "middle aged" which is very broad and long for Zoras. Bazz, Rivan, Gaddison, and most likely Sidon are here. This category is a bit cloudy, but younger than 130 is likely still a young adult.

200-240~: Mid to late middle aged, nearing elder approaching 240.

250-300~: Early elder, not quite on the verge of death yet.

350-400+: Peepaw range, old ass motherfuckers. Think Muzu and Dorephan, who both have 7 spots 11-7 is 4.

That's about all! Stop calling Mipha a predator, but other than that contine to go crazy with your OCs and theories!

[true-blue-megamind]

FAN THEORY THURSDAY – Megamind’s Psychology

Special thanks to Sombertide-0for suggesting and discussing part of this week’s topic! If you have a fan theory you’d like to see explored, feel free to message me on Tumblr or look me up on the Megamind’s Evil Lair Discord!

And now, although Metroman threatens to fake his death AGAIN each time I say it: SPOILER WARNING!

Megamind has been through a lot. Anyone familiar with the film can clearly see that fact. However, that raises the question of exactly how his past may have affected his mental and emotional state. Thankfully, the fandom hasn’t let us down, and there are plenty of theories concerning the subject!

If you’ve read previous posts such as How Smart is Megamind, you already know that we’ve established our favorite animated alien truly is a super-genius. What is his psychology like beyond that, however? We’ve already partially touched on the subject in Who Is the Real Megamind Part One, in which we explored the Blue Defender’s personality on the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, but today we’re going to dive deeper, focusing on the nurture side of mental development. Grab your tissues because the old Megamind Pain Train has just pulled back into the station.

Before we get started, however, although this probably goes without saying, we’re dealing with childhood trauma and emotional damage here. Please consider this your trigger warning.

Was Megamind Select Mute?

This concept began when I was discussing an interesting aspect of Megamind’s childhood character with Sombertide-0on the Megamind Discord. (Thank you again for this suggestion!) He brought up something that I had never really considered before: Megamind may have refused to speak as a child.

“What if Megamind was mute, or like just didn't want to talk?”

At first, I wasn’t entirely convinced, but as we talked it over, I quickly began to see that the idea had significant merits. Not only that, it’s supported by evidence from both the film and what we know about psychology. Let’s begin by considering the first.

Near the beginning of the movie, we see the blue alien as a child, both in the jail where he was raised and in his classroom at the suspicious Li’l Gifted School. (That’s a whole other supposition in itself, covered in Six Dark Megamind Fan Theories.) If you look closely, you’ll notice that, regardless of his environment, we never see the extraterrestrial child open his mouth even once. Even while being bullied, the blue boy never once vocalizes any defense or complaint. Sombertide-0 pointed out that this could quite possibly be a psychological condition developed due to trauma. In short, Megamind could have been select mute during his youth.

“He's just silent the entire time, not comfortable talking out loud,” my fellow fan explained.

Real life studies backs this up. According to Psychology Today, selective mutism can develop when “a child experiences a trigger response” which leaves them unable to speak except to certain people and/or in certain highly familiar and comfortable surroundings. Selectively mute children almost never speak aloud in social situations, and display anxious behaviors. It’s not something the child does on purpose, nor is it, as many adults may believe, a form of shyness. The condition often manifests between ages three and six, and can last into adolescence.

That in itself sounds enough like Megamind. He appears to be entering first grade when we see him in school, which would make him five or six years of age: right in the life-stage when selective mutism is likely to develop. He seems nervous yet eager to be liked, however he never speaks a word. There is also further credible evidence that the creators may have made young Megamind select mute on purpose, and it has to do with triggers for the condition. Again, let’s look at the article on Psychology Today.

The neurological basis for selective mutism is thought to be a cascade of events in an area of the brain known as the amygdala, which receives danger signals from the environment. The anxiety from a situation perceived as dangerous to the child’s well-being causes a communication shutdown.

If seeing your entire planet destroyed then being left to essentially fend for yourself in a high-security prison filled with hardened inmates doesn’t count as “danger signals,” I have no idea what would. Furthermore, according to Lumen Learning, selective mutism can, sometimes, go hand in hand with separation anxiety. When a young child loses or fears losing an attachment figure—an adult caretaker on whom the child depends—due to illness, death, divorce, etc., that child can sometimes become select mute. This is vital because not only did Megamind lose his parents at a young age, but in the movie we also see him alone in his own cell when he is around six years old. The combination of being separated not only from his biological mother and father but then from the prison inmates who cared for him as an infant may have resulted in his inability to verbally express himself.

So why does Megamind have no trouble speaking later on? After all, he not only talks aloud as an adult, but has no trouble engaging in public televised evil monologues. The answer may lay in supervillainy itself.

It turns out that this may not be terribly unusual. (I’m referring to the triumph over selective mutism, not the supervillainy.) While some selectively mute children may require psychiatric counseling and speech therapy to overcome the condition, others do manage to conquer it on their own. However, that is most likely to occur when the child has a catalyst of some kind, something positive (or perceived as positive) which acts both as a driving force to work toward social verbal expression as well as source providing some feeling of power over their own lives.

Is it possible that, by acting out and embracing what he thought of as his destiny, Megamind found such a catalyst? We know from the movie scene in which he explains his plan to create a new nemesis that the blue man viewed supervillainy as his “purpose.” Did he cling to it so hard for so long because he subconsciously believed that being the “bad guy” and invoking fear in those around him granted him some sort of control, thus allowing him to become socially vocal? We may never know, but it’s a possibility.

Was Megamind’s Emotional Growth Stunted?

In the DVD commentary, Brent Simons, one of the writers, describes Megamind as having a “childlike mentality.” He goes on to compare the blue man’s actions to that of a preteen boy experiencing the pangs of love for the first time. “[There’s a] girl you like, so naturally you pull her hair. You kidnap her and bring her to you.” Is this true? Is Megamind, at the beginning of the film, at least, behaving with a level of emotionally maturity—or rather lack thereof—befitting a twelve-year-old boy?

According to one fan theory put forward on The Analytical Couch Potato, the answer is yes. This article points out that Megamind does, indeed, already seem to be in love with Roxanne Ritchi and “spends more time during the kidnapping trying to impress Roxie with threatening weapons and torture machines than he does actually trying to kill Metroman.” (Many other fans agree with this assessment, and offer some compelling ideas about why this might be. You can learn more by reading Why Kidnap Roxanne.)

Once again, as with the selective mutism theory, both the film itself as well as psychiatric knowledge seem to back this up. The then-villain seems to treat his fights with Metroman more like a game, again showing a lack of maturity. (Although, to be fair, the DVD commentary makes it clear that he usually goes out of his way to ensure bystanders aren’t injured, so it’s clear he isn’t entirely sophomoric.) As previously alluded to in Are There More Hidden Details in Megamind, we don’t see the first foreshadowing of the blue man’s heel turn both from Bad Guy to hero and from immature to mature until he confronts Hal in his apartment. During that scene, a TV behind Megamind displays a video game screen with the words “Game Over.” A few minutes later, the idea is reinforced as Titan utters the same phrase just before attempting to murder Megamind. This may be the DreamWorks’ team’s clever hint that the alien super-genius is going to eventually stop playing around and begin taking his role in Metro City seriously.

In fact, by comparing his fight with Metroman to his second battle with Hal/Titan, major differences become apparent. When facing the latter for the final time, Megamind offers no “witty back and forth banter” or overblown monologues. He is approaching the confrontation with a new grave and earnest dedication. While he may still possess the humorous, energetically playful personality we all love, the blue man has obviously matured a great deal in a short time.

Why might this be? The aforementioned article on the Analytical Couch Potato goes on to suggest that what we may be seeing here is the psychology behind Attachment Theory. This is where the separation anxiety we discussed in the last section may come into play again. Because he had no real parent figure, Megamind was emotionally neglected as a child—not surprising given his being raised in a prison—and thus he never experienced positive affirmation during his youth. (Indeed, Roxanne herself hints at this when she informs the jubilant crowd at the end of the movie: “he’s not used to positive feedback.”) That lack of positive reinforcement can cause a child’s emotional growth to stagnate.

This is not unusual, as the article points out, drawing information from psychologist John Bowlby’s work. In fact, Megamind’s motivations throughout the movie—from his choice to embrace what he felt was his proper social place as a supervillain to his ceaseless efforts to impress Roxanne—can be viewed as a constant quest to obtain some sort of recognition from those around him, and his lack of maturity can be directly linked to that.

“Those without regular stimulation and attention from caregivers suffer from delays in intellectual development,” the article explains. “Megamind’s mentality is very much still [that] of a child’s, seeking constant affirmation from his peers and loved ones in a way that he was not exposed to growing up.”

Again and again, we see this emotional immaturity come into play during the film, and if you look closely, you can see the blue man slowly overcome it as the narrative progresses. He not only kidnaps Roxanne because he’s unsure of how else to get her attention—although, as mentioned before, an alternate fan theory suggests that this may be partially due to an alien courting instinct—but he also behaves in a rather childish way while bantering with Metroman, creates some frankly absurd deathtraps such as the Boot Wheel of Death, completely disregards the inevitable negative consequences of hiding his identity from someone he’s dating, and argues with Minion in a manner that, frankly, sounds like a couple of teenage brothers having a fight.

Later on, however, he chooses to seek help in saving the city rather than fleeing Titan, recognizing both a problem that needs addressing as well as his own limitations. He turns himself into prison, displaying a willingness to atone for what he’s done. He apologizes for past wrongs, from criminal acts to his treatment of Minion, and begs that he and he alone, not Metro City, be made to answer for those crimes. Finally, of course, he shoulders the responsibility of Defender, coming to Roxanne’s rescue with the aid of his trusty sidekick and officially stepping into the role of hero afterward. Despite the fact that Megamind is estimated to be in his mid- to late-thirties at the time of the narrative, this movie can be viewed as a sort of Coming of Age story.

There are other fan theories connected to this subject, of course—it’s been suggested that Megamind may have an anxiety disorder, could be high-functioning autistic, and is likely going through a midlife crisis during the film—but I will leave it there for this week. (Depending on the response to this post, I may write a follow-up article addressing some of those other ideas concerning the blue man’s psychology.) At any rate, the mere fact that the team at DreamWorks, from the writers to the animators, created a character so real and complex he can be psycho-analyzed speaks volumes about the amount of dedication that was put into this film. We should all take a moment to appreciate that, as it’s something that makes the protagonist not only more interesting but also more relatable to all of us imperfect viewers out there. Until next time, I hope you enjoyed this Fan Theory Thursday!

[tehrisa]

A summary of Free! The Final Stroke - part 2

I laughed. I cried. I’m glad to finally be free from Free! after 9 long years.

The beginning was recaps of part one, showing flashbacks and montages describing Haru’s internal struggle about what he’s swimming for, and that maybe he’s actually better off swimming alone. This part had an acoustic version of Dried Up Youthful Fame playing over it, which was really good, highly recommend.

Flashbacks finish, and Haru is super focused on trying to be the best like no one ever was and beat Albert; so much so that he pushes away his friends and almost destroys his body by pushing it to the limit limit cuz he’s in it to win it.

Rin is also really regretting his fight with Haru at the end of part one and is contemplating what to do about swimming or something like that.

And Makoto is worried about Haru too, of course, and has a flashback of when they were kids and Haru lost a race to some older kids. Makoto wanted to support Haru and make him feel better, so he bought him an お守りcharm that he thought said 安心(relief/peace of mind), but it actually said 安産(safe childbirth) lol he was like 10 years old and couldn’t read.

Eventually Rin and Makoto go find Haru to reconcile with him on a random rooftop pool. Rin and Haru race. Rin hugs Haru and cries. Haru remembers that he’s most happy swimming together with his friends (you know, the same lesson we learn every season)

Then Haru starts training with literally all his friends to get ready for the 全日本選抜 (All Japan Invitational). Makoto and Nao are training the gang, and everyone else who didn’t quit swimming is working hard lol.

Also one important note: Rei and Nitori enrolled at Ikuya’s university, and Nagisa and the other Samezuka guys go to Kinjo’s university. Nagisa instantly forces Kinjo to be his friend and calls him Kin-chan, and surprisingly Kinjo goes along with it.

Anyway, the characters who qualify for the Japan National Team (and what kind of races they qualified for) are: Haru (freestyle), Rin (butterfly), Ikuya (breaststroke), Natsuya (butterfly), Asahi (butterfly), Hiyori (backstroke), Kinjo (freestyle), and Sosuke (backstroke); yes Sosuke too, I literally cried!!!!

They all go to the international tournament in Fukuoka. Ikuya got a bronze medal for breaststroke. Rin got a bronze medal for butterfly. Haru beat Kinjo in a freestyle race and qualified for the finals, but then becomes hospitalized for pushing himself too hard, oh no! Because of that Haru doesn’t get to swim against Albert and Kinjo in the finals, so sad.

After Haru heals up in the hospital, he does a relay (of course). First Hiyori, Ikuya, Natsuya, and Kinjo swim together in the relay in the qualifying round; that was cool. Then Sosuke, Ikuya, Rin, and Haru swim the relay in the final round (the absolute dream team). Haru gets to race against Albert in the relay, because Albert was like “Let me swim the relay. I want to settle the score with him”. During the relay, there’s one of those mid-swim euphoric character development moments where Haru saves Albert from his loneliness, ok sure. Haru’s team wins the relay, and Haru says to Albert “Let’s swim together again. I don’t hate your swimming”, and Albert says “There’s something about you”, so that makes them friends now I guess.

But after the relay Haru collapses again, oh no! All his friends rush to his side, fade to black, the end.

After the relay, Haru had to retire from swimming. He also became a famous athlete after that tournament (he was shown in the news and on billboards). They also show this one girl reading the news about Haru; we don’t know exactly who she is, but there’s theories that she’s maybe Aki from the light novel. And fade to black, the end, for real this time.

The credits roll with the new OLDCODEX song playing. The credits were a montage of literally every piece of official artwork that has every existed in the Free! Series from start to finish; everything from CD covers, to DVD covers, to random promo art, you name it and it was there.

But wait it’s not over yet. One year later Haru comes out of retirement after he did some rehabilitation. Haru and Rin go to Hungary for a tournament; Makoto also goes to support Haru. The last scene is Haru, Rin, and Albert in a race (not in Hungary, it’s probably Japan since the whole ensemble cast is there too). Haru is does one final a voice over: “The water is alive”....**pause for a montage of all the characters, and a shot of Haru reading his letter to himself from that time capsule that says “Even when you’re 20, I hope you’re still swimming”**....“I don’t mind waiting a while more to become a normal person” (meaning that he’ll keep trying to be the best swimmer, good for you Haru)

There’s other small things that happened here and there, including but not limited to:

-baby Haru crying in a flashback dreamscape

-Haru’s grandma

-Kinjo becoming friends with everyone (but the kind of friendship where he acts like he doesn’t care, but secretly does)

all the main characters having small wholesome interactions with each other (like Sosuke driving Haru in a car and being worried about Haru overtraining, cuz been there done that)

-Ayumu being revealed to be a either super rich or in the mafia

-characters suddenly appearing in a scene literally out of thin air on 3 separate occasions. 1. sosuke appears next to ikuya under a bridge. 2. natsuya appeared in the back seat of sosuke’s car. 3. rin appeared before asahi in a laundry mat. And I really mean they just appear, like Ikuya and Asahi were surprised, but Sosuke wasn’t surprised by Natsuya even though that one literally makes the least amount of sense, like he was just driving Haru in the car, and then one second later Natsuya is there for no reason, like ???? where did he come from and why is Sosuke acting like he was there the whole time, he wasn’t???????????

- a small side plot with no real conclusion about Kinjo’s trauma of his older cousin, Kiyofumi, and it’s not directly confirmed if he’s dead, but by all accounts deceased.

-Albert still not having much of a character trait other than “he’s lonely and good at swimming”. We don’t even know why he’s so lonely tbh other than he’s too good at swimming I guess.

etc. etc.

[queerpyracy]

For decades, the majority of people studying, recording, and even living queer lives believed that “rural queer life” was virtually nonexistent.

“We take for granted that rural areas and small towns are inhospitable to queer life, and always have been,” said Dr. Colin Johnson, a professor of Gender Studies and History at Indiana University, Bloomington. “And so the assumption is that queer history begins at the city gates.”

This theory is disproved daily by millions of people’s lived experiences and a rapidly growing body of documented historical evidence. A report by the LGBT Movement Advancement Project (MAP) estimates that between 3-5% of rural adults, and around 10% of rural youth, identify as LGBT, totaling approximately 3.8 million people.

In other words, the total percentage of rural queer Americans mirrors the percentage of rural Americans overall: around 15-20% of queer Americans live in rural areas, while around 19% of total Americans live rurally.

But the false narrative persists. In the public imagination, queer life is concentrated exclusively in urban centers like San Francisco, New York, Atlanta, and Chicago. And the logical conclusion that follows is that queer people either don’t exist in rural America or flee to the cities and never look back.

[Continue Reading]