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bnhaobservation · 7 months ago

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Quirk counseling: canon, the cultural references and what we can guess from this all (now with the bit about Chap. 431)

So, a recent ask I received pushed me to dig more into Quirk counseling, in hope I could offer better information about it.

Also thanks to @poppy5991 who helped me to expand the overmentioned ask adding to it things I forgot to mention. Hopefully this time I've covered things better. If not, I apologize.

2024-12-05 edit: As Horikoshi added a bit about Quirk counseling in Chap. 431 I've expanded this post to include that too. You can find it at the bottom of the post under the title "CHAPTER 431 AND WHAT IT TELLS TO US".

LOOKING AT CANON AND WHAT IT TELLS US

There’s not much about Quirk counseling as it gets mentioned, as far as I know, exactly 6 times in the whole 42 volumes (and the anime).

The first time Quirk counseling comes up, is after Shigaraki’s attack in chap. 22... and not much is said.

MIDNIGHT ‘Shōgaku-ji no “issei ‘kosei’ COUNSELING” uke tenai no kajira...’ ミッドナイト「小学時の『一斉〝個性〟カウンセリング』受けてないのかじら...」 Midnight “Didn’t he receive “universal/mass/simultaneous ‘Quirk’ counseling” in elementary school?” [Chap. 22- Ep. 14]

From what Midnight says we can infer that ‘Issei “kosei” COUNSELING’ [一斉〝個性〟カウンセリング “universal/simultaneous/mass ‘Quirk’ counseling”] is given in elementary school as kind of a group activity or class lesson as ‘issei’ (一斉) generally is used to say “simultaneous”, “all at once”, which should imply all the kids at elementary school (or more likely, all the kids in a class) get it at the same time.

For contest, Midnight brings this up because they think Tomura has too much power and was never taught to ‘control’ it (as in not to use it to do what he wants). So we can guess Quirk counseling would, in their mind, have given Tomura a better grasp of what was allowed to do with his Quirk and what wasn’t (with becoming a Villain being definitely on the ‘Don’t do it’ list).

The discussion about Quirk counseling won’t progress any further.

The next time Quirk counseling is mentioned is in chap. 165.

Ikoma Komari ‘Hai… shōgakkō teigakunen wa jinkaku keisei ni oite taisetsuna jiki desu...〝Kosei〟 no chigai ga ōkiku eikyō suru tame COUNSELING o okonai. Sukoyakana seishin o hagukumeru yō SUPPORT suru no desu ga... COUNSELING mo bannōde wa arimasen. Kono CLASS no ko-tachi wa watashi-tachi ni kokoro o tozashite shimaimashita. Watashi no sekinindearu koto wa shōchi shite imasu...! Desuga...! Yume ni mukatte hagende rassharu minasama to fureau koto de massuguna kimochi o omoidasa sete age rarereba…’ 生駒小麿里「はい…小学校低学年は人格形成に於いて大切な時期です...〝個性〟の違いが大きく影響する為カウンセリングを行い。健やかな精神を育めるようサポートするのですが...カウンセリングも万能ではありません。このクラスの子たちは私達に心を閉ざしてしまいました。私の責任であることは承知しています...！ですが...！夢に向かって励んでらっしゃる皆さまと触れ合うことでまっすぐな気持ちを思い出させてあげられれば…」 Ikoma Komari “Yes... the early years of elementary school are an important time for personality development... differences in “Quirk” have a big impact, so we provide counseling. We support them in developing a healthy mind... but counseling is not a panacea. The children in this class have closed their hearts off to us. I know that it is my fault...! But...! I hope that by interacting with all of you who are working hard towards your dreams, we can help them remember their honest feelings...” [Chap. 165-Ep. 79]

Here we don’t talk specifically of Quirk counseling, just of counseling and of how ‘differences in Quirk’ have a big impact on personality development, also adding that counseling is not a fix-it-all. Ironically though, all the kids in the class seems to be the same according to their teachers, ‘mondaiji’ (問題児 “problem children”) who’re always ‘hanko-teki’ (反抗的 “rebellious”/“defiant”) no matter what she does despite them all having very different Quirks, children who have ‘closed their heart’ to them (aka they aren’t listening to them anymore) and feel they’re better than anyone else and it’s clear with this class counseling didn’t work at all.

We jump at chap. 226.

CURIOUS ‘Inō no yokuatsu ni yotte jibun o koroshita fukōna shōjo, sore ga anata nandesho? Toga Himiko. ‘“Kosei” COUNSELING’, jita rikai no yugami o kyōseishi shakaisei no suri awase o hodokosu jōsō kyōiku (read: PROGRAM). Mochiron, kanpekina PROGRAM de wa naishi, kojinsa o yori tsuyoku kanjite shimau to iu mondai o kakaete imasu. Chi o nomi henshin suru, umaretsuki motsu sono inō ni yotte anata wa “chi” ni tsuyoi kyōmi o hikareru yō ni natta. Shikashi shin no fukō wa “akogare” to iu dareshimo ga daku futsū no kanjō. Chi to akogare kamiatte shimatta nitsu no yōso wa tōtei shakai ni ukeire rareru MONO de wa nakatta. Dakara, anata wa FUTA o shita. Jishin o yokuatsu shi kamen o tsukutta.’ キュリオス「異能の抑圧によって自分を殺した不幸な少女、それがあなたなんでしょ？渡我被身子（トガヒミコ）。『〝個性〟カウンセリング』、自他理解の歪みを矯正し社会性の擦り合わせを施す情操教育（プログラム）。もちろん、完璧なプログラムでは無いし、個人差をより強く感じてしまうという問題を抱えています。血を飲み変身する、生まれつき持つその異能によってあなたは〝血〟に強い興味を引かれるようになった。しかし真の不幸は〝憧れ〟という誰しもが抱く普通の感情。血と憧れ噛み合ってしまった２つの要素は到底社会に受け入れられるモノではなかった。だから、あなたはフタをした。自信を抑圧し仮面を作った。」 Curious “You’re an unfortunate girl who killed herself by suppressing her supernatural powers, aren’t you? Toga Himiko. ‘“Quirk” counseling’, it’s an emotional education (read: program) to correct distortions in self-understanding and other things, and to adjust for socialization. Of course, it’s not a perfect program, and it has the problem of making individual differences even more apparent. Your innate ability to transform by drinking blood has made you very interested in “blood”. However, your true misfortune is “admiration”, a normal emotion that anyone can have. The two elements that go together, blood and admiration, were never going to be accepted by society. So you put a lid on it. You suppressed your confidence and made a mask.” [Chap. 226]

Episode 109 should be the one in charge to transpose this scene in animation but episode 109 cut the references to Quirk counseling.

CURIOUS ‘Inō no yokuatsu ni yotte jibun o koroshita fukōna shōjo. Sore ga anata nandesho? Toga Himiko. Umaretsuki motsu sono inō ni yotte anata wa chi ni tsuyoi kyōmi o hikareru yō ni natta. Shikashi, shin no fukō wa akogare to iu dareshimo ga daku futsū no kanjō to chi e no kyōmi, kono futatsu ga kamiatte shimatta koto. Sore wa tōtei shakai ni ukeire rareru MONO de wa nakatta. Dakara, anata wa FUTA o shita. Jishin o yokuatsu shi kamen o tsukutta.’キュリオス「異能の抑圧によって自分を殺した不幸な少女。それがあなたなんでしょ？渡我被身子。生まれつき持つその異能によってあなたは血に強い興味を引かれるようになった。しかし、真の不幸は憧れという誰しもが抱く普通の感情と血への興味、この二つが噛み合ってしまったこと。それは到底社会に受け入れられるモノではなかった。だから、あなたはフタをした。自信を抑圧し仮面を作った。」 Curious “You're the unfortunate girl who killed yourself by suppressing your supernatural powers. That's you, isn't it? Toga Himiko. The supernatural power you were born with has made you very interested in blood. However, your true misfortune was that your fascination with blood and your normal emotion of longing were intertwined. This is something that could never be accepted by society. So you put a lid on it. You suppressed your confidence and made a mask.” [Ep 109]

It’s a bad decision as Quirk counseling was meant to become important later but that’s what they decided to do.

Anyway in the manga there’s something we can work with, if before we were told Quirk counseling helps in developing personality, here it’s clarified the help is aimed at helping people to act ‘normal’, so that they can have a correct perception of themselves as well as socialize and interact correctly, the problem is it suppresses whatever is judged ‘not normal’ in a person and Quirks often generate wild differences between what’s normal for a person and what’s normal for another.

The result of this is that Quirk counseling ends up remarking in an even stronger way the differences between people, by forcing them to suppress feelings that are dictated by their Quirk.

We then jump to chap. 370.

? ‘“Kosei” COUNSELING!” Kosei” kyōiku! Kore ga nise (read: mayakashi) de aru koto o! Wareware wa “katachi” o motte shitte iru!.’ ?「〝個性〟カウンセリング！〝個性〟教育！これが贋（まやかし）である事を！我々は〝形〟を持って知っている！」 ? ““Quirk” counseling! “Quirk” education! This is phony/bogus/sham (read: fake/deception)! We know it due to having this “shape/form”!” [Chap. 370-Ep. 152]

At this point we’ve a nameless heteromorph guy claiming Quirk counseling (along with Quirk education) is basically a sham, it’s not it didn’t work with that class of kids by coincidence, it’s just something that doesn’t really work with Heteromorphs.

While there’s not really an explanation we can guess that, if the point of Quirk counseling is making people ‘normal’, Heteromorphs, who in Japanese are called ��Igyō’ (異形 “abnormal”), have a hard time with it, since they’re not normal by definition and can’t really change/suppress their ‘not normal’/‘heteromorphic’ traits.

We aren’t told what Heteromorphs are told during Quirk counseling, and the thing is made more complex by how somehow in big cities there’s no discrimination, while in rural villages people still go for ‘chiharai’ (血祓い “blood cleansing”), beating and scarring Heteromorphs who dare to come into contact with not-Heteromorphs, no matter if it’s to save them.

We then jump to chap. 392.

? ‘HAI kyōsei shite ikimashou “futsū” ni. A HAI mō chotto matte kudasai. Sugu sotchi ikimasu. Etto… ē daijōbudesu. Sō desu ne… tsuyoi “kosei” o motsu ko niarigachi na tōsaku desu yo. Kono shakai de wa yoku aru koto desu. Tadashite keshite ikimashou.’ ?「ハイ矯正していきましょう〝普通〟に。あハイもうちょっと待ってください。すぐそっち行きます。えっと…ええ大丈夫です。そうですね…強い〝個性〟を持つ子にありがちな倒錯ですよ。この社会ではよくあることです。正して消していきましょう。」 ? “Yes, let’s correct it and make it “normal”. Ah, yes, please wait a moment. I’ll be there right away. Um... yes, it’s okay. Well... it’s a common perversion among children with strong “Quirks”. It’s common in this society. Let’s correct it and eliminate it.” [Chap. 392]

Here we see a person talking with Himiko’s parents. We aren’t told this person is a Quirk counselor but, I guess, that’s the idea. It’s hard to say if she’s Himiko’s teacher or an external figure, however it makes clear Quirk counseling is more or less what Curious said. That person thought Himiko being fascinated by blood was wrong, she actually calls it a ‘tōsaku’ (倒錯 “perversion”), albeit one she labels as common, and tried to force Himiko to suppress her feelings so she could perceive herself and socialize with the others in a ‘correct’ way.

An interesting difference between the manga and the anime is that in the anime that person’s talk is more streamlined... and we see her also talking with Himiko's parents.

? ‘Hai kyōsei shite ikimashou futsū ni. Sō desu ne… tsuyoi kosei o motsu ko niari-gachina tōsakudesu yo. Kono shakaide wa yoku aru kotodesu. Sei shite keshite ikimashou.’ ?「ハイ矯正していきましょう普通に。そうですね…強い個性を持つ子にありがちな倒錯ですよ。この社会ではよくあることです。正して消していきましょう。」 ? “Yes, let's correct it and make it normal. It's a perversion that is common among children with strong Quirks. It's a common occurrence in this society. Let's correct it and eliminate it.” [Ep. 158]

This might imply that in the manga that person is actually busy with more things at once, she doesn’t have a lot of time to dedicate to Himiko’s parents and therefore she doesn’t have a lot of time to dedicate to Himiko.

Back to the conversation though, regardless of the source, the person talking makes clear that what Himiko does isn’t just something that’s “rude”/“inappropriate” to do in society but that it’s a “perversion”, a common one, yes, but a “perversion” and she says so to her parents who were already worried she wasn’t human.

Chichioya ‘Mō nekko ga!’ 父親「もう根っこが！」 Father “Her core/roots is/are already– (gone/rotten)!”

Hahaoya ‘Ningen ja nai ko un jatta!’ 母親「人間じゃない子産んじゃった！」 Mother “I gave birth to a child that isn’t human!” [Chap. 392-Ep. 158]

And later

Hahaoya ‘Watashi-tachi ga waruin desu. Mō… tsugunai kirenai desu… ganbatta kedo damedattan desu… ano ko ha… akuma no konan desu.’ 母親「私たちが悪いんです。もう…償い切れないです…頑張ったけど駄目だったんです…あの子��…悪魔の子なんです。」 Mother “It's our fault. We can never make up for it. We tried our best but it was no use. That child is a demon's child.” [Chap. 226]

So Quirk counseling didn’t really reassure her parents nor solved Himiko’s problems. They weren’t going to accept that Himiko could have different feelings from the norm and help her to cope with them correctly, they just wanted to eradicate them from her. As she couldn’t, she was forced to suppress them… and since she couldn’t keep them bottled up forever they eventually exploded and lead her to hurt Saito.

The last time Quirk counseling comes up is at the end of the manga.

? ‘Tsudzuite wa TEAM-UP NEWS. INGENIUM, FROPPY, CREATI soshite URAVITY ga zenkoku no shōgakkō o megutte imasu. Teki (read: VILLAIN) hasseiritsu no genshō ni tomonai katsudō no haba wo hirogeru “HERO”-tachi sono naka demo-- URAVITY no uchidashita “kosei” COUNSELING kakuchō keikaku wa ima mottomo hitsuyō fukaketsuna katsudō to iwa rete imasu.’ ?「続いてはチームアップニュース。インゲニウムフロッピー・クリエティそしてウラビティが全国の小学校を巡っています。敵（ヴィラン）発生率の減少に伴い活動の幅を広げる〝ヒーロー〟たちその中でもーーウラビティの打ち出した〝個性〟カウンセリング拡張計画は今最も必要不可欠な活動と言われています。」 ? “Next up is team-up news. Ingenium, Froppy, Creativity and Uravity are touring elementary schools across the country. As enemy (read: Villain) occurrence rates decrease, the “heroes” are expanding the scope of their activities. Among them, Uravity’s “Quirk” counseling expansion plan is said to be the most essential activity right now.” [Chap. 430]

In this bit it seems that expanding Quirk counseling became a key factor in lowering the occurrence rate of Villains… which, of course, doesn’t seem to be possible since in almost all the other cases in which Quirk counseling was mentioned it turned out it either didn’t work (with the Masegaki elementary school kids) or made matters worse (Himiko and the heteromorphs). Is it a typing mistake as apparently the program already reached all the elementary schools so it didn’t need to be expanded and, anyway, didn’t work? Or does ‘expanding’ refers to actually put more resources and people in Quirk counseling so they can actually devote more time to the kids and help them better? Hard to say.

LOOKING AT THE CULTURAL CONTEST AND WHAT IT TELLS US

Counseling in Japan

While, of course, there’s no Quirk counseling in Japan, by 2006 Japan had school counselors (スクールカウンセラー) available in all the public middle schools. Prior to it though, this work was entrusted to the homeroom teacher (担任教師 ‘Tannin kyōshi’) and often also the school nurse (看護教諭 ‘Kango kyōyu’ ) who were meant to dispense discipline, encourage better conduct, increase motivation, provide career guidance, and offer advice. Those teachers though, were not trained in counseling, and it was often a duty they disliked, often choosing to use their classroom hours for something different than “moral education” depending on their personal educational agenda. Now instead, when problems arise, the teacher or the students or the students’ parents can ask help to the school counselor, which would also offer the plus of being a third party figure, so that they would be people not involved in evaluating students (and therefore have no conflict of interests with them) and would be professional in the field of psychology so as to offer better help to them.

Currently in Japan a school counselor visits a school about once a week to give children advice about various problems they face. School counseling is provided by clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and other professionals with expertise in mental health issues. In addition to advising children, the counselors can advise parents and teachers about how to handle their own day-to-day. A school counselor stands by in a counseling room where he or she listens to children’s problems one-on-one. Children can seek advice about whatever may worry them, such as relations with their friends, their family problems and uncertainties about their future and the counselor will advice them about how they should handle their problems while also talking with their homeroom teachers about what would be the best solution to each problem.

The problems with this system are often that the Clinical Psychologist isn’t also trained as a school counselor which leads with problems of interaction with the teachers, that there is confusion about the role of teachers and school counselors, and that there’s a HUGE stigma of shame at the idea of students or parents seeing a counselor. Much of the counseling that is now conducted in the Japanese schools is remedial with the individual as the focus; an approach that is contrary to the Asian interdependent view of self, an approach that seems to further exacerbate the student’s reluctance to see the school counselor.

It’s possible that Horikoshi, for earlier Quirk counseling, went with mix of the above, with it given both by the class homeroom teacher and by a specialist, or it given by the homeroom teacher only. It's not really clear.

Honne, Tatemae and Giri

Honne (本音 “true sound”) refers to a person's true feelings and desires.

Tatemae (建前 “built in front”, “façade”) refers contrastingly to the behavior and opinions one displays in public.

Giri (義理 “duty”, “obligation”) refers to the social obligations each person have.

Okay, fine, why should we care about these three words? Because Japanese people go to great length to hide their honne (true feelings) and show their tatemae (facade) so as to fulfill their giri (social obligation). They must do everything they can to avoid the disapproval of others, to avoid direct confrontation or disagreement. They’re completely justified in telling white lies to hide their true nature and present their Tatemae, so completely justified they can lie even in trial, that they’re expected to do so (remember when, in chap. 306, a guy said Enji should have just lied in regard to what Touya declared?).

Part of the Quirk counseling plan is clearly based on this, on teaching children how to show a socially acceptable tatemae and hide their own honne. This is what Himiko was taught, that her own fascination for blood was an unacceptable honne and needed to be buried inside herself if she wanted to be ‘normal’. That it was her duty to present herself as ‘normal’ and therefore show solely an acceptable tatemae.

Tōsaku (倒錯 “perversion”) and double meanings

As said before ‘Tōsaku’ means “perversion” and it’s used to describe how Himiko is fascinated by blood… but this is a word also used to describe sexual deviances… and Horikoshi clearly had fun with using words with double meanings in Himiko’s case, for example the onomatopoeia for sucking blood (ちうちう ‘chiuchiu’), sounds also like the onomatopoeia for kissing, Himiko is referred as a ‘ijōsha’ (異常者) which can be translated as “deviant” but also as “pervert” and so on. In short Horikoshi subtly create parallels between Himiko’s love for blood and the fact that Himiko’s way of loving people is not what in Japan is labeled as normal (she also loves girls and not just boys and would like to hurt people she loves). So, while Himiko’s problem of being fascinated with blood might seem distant from the audience as people in real world don’t have a Quirk that makes them fascinated with blood, the parallelism with sexual inclinations bring Himiko back into someone with whom people can relate and, in a way, someone that stands in parallel with Magne.

Heteromorphs, how ‘not normal’ they are meant to be and blood impurity

In English the word ‘Igyō’ (異形) had been translated as “heteromorph” but a better translation is “abnormal” or, more literally “not normal shape”. In a Quirk counseling program that aims at making everyone ‘normal’, who already starts with a name that states they’re not with a normal shape is clearly cut out of the race.

When Shouji talks of what was done to him he mentions ‘chiharai’ (血祓い “blood cleansing”) [Chap. 371] and, in the previous chapter, he was told he had ‘imi chi’ (��み血 “cursed blood”) [Chap. 370].

Japan is very invested in blood purity, in pre-Meiji era Shinto and Buddhist traditions considered blood (血 ‘chi’) a source of symbolic pollution or ‘kegare’ (穢れ “uncleanness”, “defilement”) with elaborate rituals of avoidance and purification, however, in the Edo period (1603–1868) blood gained the positive meaning of “lineage”/”life force”, overtaking the preceding key metaphors for heredity. This though ended up causing the solidification of a hereditary status system that placed certain groups of people as being permanently “polluted” because they had works tied with blood, like executioners, undertakers, slaughterhouse workers, butchers, and tanners called ‘eta’ (穢多 “great filth”) as well as beggars, street performers, prostitutes, convicted criminals, and the physically disabled among others called ‘hinin’ (非人 “not people”) which together form the group called ‘burakumin’ (部落民 “village people”) and were considered outcasts. Their own blood was considered permanently impure, they were subject to increasingly stricter sanctions that prohibited their contact and mixing with the rest of society by means of restricted residences, economic activities, special clothing, hairstyles, and tattoos and since now blood also was a term used to define lineage, its polluting property also came to be regarded as inheritable and permanent which is why people still don’t want to marry (aka ‘mix blood’) with people whose ancestors were ‘burakumin’.

This was also made worse from the 1900 eugenicist obsession with blood as a medium to modernize the Japanese race and nation.The pure Japanese blood, or “Yamato blood,” was now heralded as a refined superior substance to be protected or enhanced through social programs of reproduction and health also through eugenic marriage counseling services.

This ultimately expanded to include people who had mental illness or familiar with mental illness but also with people who are of not pure Japanese ancestry. We would probably talk about genetics. In Japan it’s referred as blood.

Blood type is, in Japanese mentality, also tied with personality and discrimination can be so high that some would just discriminate people with blood type B or AB as negative stereotyping credits the B types as selfish, and ABs as eccentric and unpredictable and therefore more prone to have a loose morality.

As a result even if Shouji being a Heteromorph is tied to his Quirk and his genes, the story talks about his ‘cursed blood’… and people could refer to it also in relation to how the Todoroki are related to a criminal, Touya/Dabi.

(Plus this also tells you why Himiko's fascination for blood could NEVER be accepted since things related to blood lead to impurity)

While all this doesn’t tell us much about Quirk counseling, it helps to get a better perspective on why blood is mentioned when Heteromorphs are discriminated and how strong discrimination can be based to blood ties, clearly making it something that can’t be overcome with just the discriminated person in question trying to ‘act normal’ by presenting an acceptable ‘tatemae’.

The series leaves unclear what exactly falls into the Heteromorph category because, if the problem is just the shape being not normal, things like having tapes in your arms or engines in your legs, or horns on your head also give you an abnormal shape. Overall we can assume that the more the shape is abnormal and hard to ‘disguise’ as normal, the more one ends up being considered as an Heteromorph (Shouji’s arms are a much more visible ‘abnormal’ trait than Iida’s legs or Sero’s arms).

Just so you know currently Japan lacks any law which prohibits racial, ethnic, or religious discrimination nor has any national human rights institutions. Although racism exists it’s a taboo topic. In the past in the name of national unity, the Japanese government identified and forcefully assimilated marginalized populations, which included indigenous Ryukyuans, Ainu, and other underrepresented groups, imposing assimilation programs in language, culture and religion. Japan considers these ethnic groups as a mere “subgroup” of the Japanese people and therefore synonymous to the Yamato people, and does not recognize them as a minority group with a distinct culture. This is why in the story Heteromorph discrimination isn’t punished but it could also be the basis for why the Quirk counseling doesn’t keep into consideration how Heteromorphs are different but tries to force them too to act ‘normal’.

Quirk

We’re all familiar with the term Quirk that in Japanese is ‘kosei’ (〝個性〟 always written between quotation marks) which, translated literally means “individuality” or “personality”. In a country that is group oriented, values uniformity and thinks standing out is bad, Quirks that instead grant an even more marked ‘individuality’ and that are unique to each person, should feel like a big deal… but also it you tie a superpower with your personality you might get some unpleasant combo that aren’t really meant to be. For example thinks at Tomura and at how his Quirk destroy/decay things. If you think that his Quirk is his ‘personality’ or tied to it, you get the idea Tomura is someone who can only destroy/decay, that has a destructive character, or that who has an animal Quirk has an animal character.

WHERE ALL THIS LEAVES US?

Japanese youths have been fighting so as to have their individuality recognized in various subtle ways but it’s still an ongoing battle. The same goes for the descendant of the Burakumin and for people in the LGBTQ+ community. Sadly most of those topics are kind of considered taboo to discuss in Japanese culture so it’s possible that Horikoshi’s attempt at saying that Quirk counseling would be improved is a subtle message that’s meant to say that in the BNHA world steps would be taken to improve the acceptance of those people and the recognition of each person’s individuality, implying more a change into mentality/education than a change into some institutionalized thing called ‘Quirk counseling’, hence he didn’t need to develop much how it would work.

Of course mine is purely speculation.

Ultimately, if we solely look at the story, how Quirk counseling work/is administered is hardly well explained in the story, and how is reformed is explained even less (saying just it underwent an expansion) as well as why Uraraka, who had no idea of Himiko’s problems with Quirk counseling, decided to focus on it. But it’s likely the cultural context that’s meant to make it work for Japanese readers using solely what little is explained as reference and, for them, improving it, is likely a big step.

For whose of us who are instead cut out from the whole cultural context, there’s just too little to work with and it feels forgettable and confusing.

Okay, my analysis originally was meant to end here but then chapter 431 was released and it talked about Quirk counseling and so I added this extra bit.

CHAPTER 431 AND WHAT IT TELLS TO US

In the volume version only chapter 431 we have a last mention of Quirk counseling, which ‘shows us’ a bit how it’s done now.

Uraraka Ochako ‘Masaka senpai-tachi no tsugō ga tsuku to wa‼ Kitto minna yorokobimasu!’ 麗日お茶子「まさか先輩たちの都合がつくとは‼きっと皆喜びます！」 Uraraka Ochako “I never thought my seniors would be able to make it! I'm sure everyone will be happy!”

Tōgata Mirio ‘Ore nankade ī no kana‼’ 通形ミリオ「俺なんかでいいのかな‼」 Tōgata Mirio “I wonder if I am the right person for this?”

Hadō Nejire ‘Nande sonna koto iu no? Fushigi!’ 波動ねじれ「なんでそんな事言うの？ふしぎ！」 Hadō Nejire “Why would you say that? Strange!”

Amajiki Tamaki ‘URAVITY no “kosei” COUNSELING ni kyōryoku dekiru nante kōei da yo.’ 天喰環「ウラビティの"個性"カウンセリングに協力できるなんて光栄だよ。」 Amajiki Tamaki “It's an honor to help Uravity’s ‘quirk’ counseling.”

Uraraka Ochako ‘Kono gakku no jidō no shiryō-me o tōshite moratta to omoundesu kedo nani yori daiji na no wa COMUNICATION desu. Ikken nan no mondai mo nai ko demo nayami o shimaikonderu koto ga ōi desu. Daishō towazu toku ni katei kankyō nanka shotaimen no otona ni hanaseru hito wa ōkunai desu. Demo jikan o kakereba kanarazu SAIN o dashiteru koto ni kidzukeru node shiryō ni tayori sugizu! Meyasu wa ikkagetsu teido desu ga naiyō shidai de zenzen hendō shimasu. Kazu wa ishiki shinaide otomodachi ni naru tsumori de!’ 麗日お茶子「この学区の児童の資料目を通してもらったと思うんですけど何より大事なのはコミュニケーションです。一見何の問題もない子でも悩みをしまい込んでる事が多いです。大小問わず特に家庭環境なんか初対面の大人に話せる人は多くないです。でも時間をかければ必ずサインを出してる事に気付けるので資料に頼りすぎず！目安は一か月程度ですが内容次第で全然変動します。数は意識しないでお友だちになるつもりで！」 Uraraka Ochako “I think you've looked through the materials about the children in this school district, but the most important thing is communication. Even children who appear to have no problems often keep their worries to themselves. Not many people, can talk to adults they meet for the first time, about problems big or small, especially about their home environment. But if you take your time, you'll definitely notice the signs, so don't rely too much on the materials! The guideline is about a month, but it can vary greatly depending on the content. Don't worry about numbers, just try to make friends!”

Amajiki Tamaki ‘Taihen da ne.’ 天喰環「大変だね。」 Amajiki Tamaki “That's tough.”

Uraraka Ochako ‘Zenzen! Jin'in no SUPPORT wa jūbun desu shi minasan sugoku teinei na oshigoto o sarerun desu yo. HAWKS ga monkashō ni kake attari kakusho ni kyōsan o tsumettari shite kurete “kosei” kyōiku no kankyō wa daibu kaizen sarete kiterundesu.’ 麗日お茶子「全然！人員のサポートは十分ですし皆さんすごく丁寧なお仕事をされるんですよ。ホークスが文科省に掛け合ったり各所に協賛を積めったりしてくれて"個性"教育の環境はだいぶ改善されてきてるんです。」 Uraraka Ochako “Not at all! There is enough staff of support and everyone does a very careful job. Hawks has been negotiating with the Ministry of Education and providing support from various places, and the environment for ‘Quirk’ education has improved considerably.”

Amajiki Tamaki ‘Jā ima wa jibun no tame no jikan mo torerunda?’ 天喰環「じゃあ今は自分の為の時間も取れるんだ？」 Amajiki Tamaki “So now you have time for yourself?”

Uraraka Ochako ‘Gimu toka… sekinin toka nai wake ja nai desu kedo ato kara tsuitekita mono desu. Yorokobu kao o miru no ga suki nandesu. Watashi ga yaritaikoto shitemasu. Tsuyu-chan mo hobo zutto TEAM-UP shite kureteru shi tomodachi to mo aeteru shi zenbu jibun no tame no jikan desu yo!’ 麗日お茶子「義務とか…責任とかないわけじゃないですけど後からついてきたものです。喜ぶ顔を見るのが好きなんです。私がやりたい事してます。梅雨ちゃんもほぼずっとチームアップしてくれてるし友だちとも会えてるし全部　自分の為の時間ですよ！」 Uraraka Ochako “It's not that I don't have obligations or responsibilities, but they came after. I like to see people's happy faces. I'm doing what I want to do. Tsuyu-chan has been teaming up with me almost all the time, I've been able to meet up with my friends, and so it's all time just for myself!” [Chap. 431] Now, I’m not 100% sure if the idea is to always involve Pro Heroes or ‘the supporting staff’ can be composed also of ‘not Pro Hero’ people, but we get a general idea of what the people who decide to take part to the project should do. They read the documents about the kids, they’re encouraged to make friends with them, possibly/likely involving them in a game in which they use their Quirk which will allow them to receive what we can call ‘Quirk positivity’. All this in order to help children to open up and talk about their (Quirk related) problems. This last for around a month then, if no problems are detected (or if they are but they’re solved by that time), the people involved move to another school.

Now… maybe it’s just me but this is basically what was done during the ‘remedial course’ arc with the kids from the Masegaki school, only, they’re given documentation about the kids and, instead than lasting one time, it last one month and it involves Pro Heroes, not Heroes in training who might not be interested in interacting with children but are forced to do it if they want their license.

In this sense the whole ‘expansion’ thing of chapter 430 finds it’s explanation. Heroes are expanding their activities (aka also taking part to other activities like Uraraka’s Quirk counseling program) and the Quirk counseling program is being expanded as well as now its scope isn’t anymore to just help children to fit into the standards of normalcy society created but to offer them Quirk positivity and to create a connection so that THE CHILDREN will be willing to talk about their problems with Quirk and with their family.

Storywise it’s a pity the original characters involved in the ‘remedial course’ arc aren’t mentioned as being involved in all this, especially Shouto (who not only had an extremely troublesome Quirk related family situation plus a brother with problems with his Quirk who almost killed himself, was targeted by a Villain, became a Villain and eventually died). Yes, we can picture they are, but, as far as canon is concerned, he isn’t mentioned AT ALL, not even as one of the sources of inspiration for how Uraraka’s project is structured (canon also didn’t show Bakugou or Shouto talking about their remedial course with classmates) but okay, this isn’t really related to Quirk counseling.

Now with all those additional info I can talk a bit of something else aka:

REALITY CHECK

Uraraka’s project is nice and well meaning but it’s also very fairytalesque, in the same way as Hawks claiming that Heroes having free time would be a good thing. It’s all well and good and, since BNHA is a tale, I’m sure it’ll work like a charm and if you want to stop reading here and enjoy such a happy world I’ll understand you.

However if you want to know if this will work in the real world…

In the real world, if the request for Heroes were to decrease because there are less Villains (and having less Villains would surely be a good thing), it wouldn’t mean people would hire the same amount of Heroes and keep on paying them just the same, we would simply have more unemployed Heroes or society would self regulate itself by simply giving out less and less Hero licenses. In short, society would NEVER allow Heroes to have more free time, it would just hire less Heroes or, in the very best case, pay them less. Sure, the problem can be solved with Heroes reinventing their job, for example volunteering to take part to Uraraka’s Quirk counseling project so as not to lose their job and their source of income.

With this though, comes a worsening of the main problem I see in Uraraka’s Quirk counseling project.

There is no mention whatsoever that the people involved are TRAINED to spot (Quirk related) psychological problems. Kids with psychological problems (due to their Quirk and family environment reacting badly to their Quirk) aren’t necessarily always showing a villainous behavior or a transgressive behavior (which is what Heroes are trained to spot), they can be acting as ordinary well behaving kids, or be meek or be people pleasers or vivacious but apparently harmless kids.

While it’s true that elementary school kids are generally more direct in their actions and reactions, some of them could have already mastered the fine art of hiding/masking things for fear of repercussions or due to them being educated to lie about certain things or even being made believe in such lies so they don’t even know they’re lying anymore.

Quirks, it’s worth to mention, don’t necessarily manifest at 4, they can manifest as early as their childbirth (see the luminescent baby or AFO himself), and sometimes a child can be born in a house where the ‘Quirk problems’ are caused by the parents’ expectations (think at how Enji wanted his children to have a certain Quirk and inherit his place). In short they might have been forced BY BIRTH to interact with ‘unpleasant’ situations and might have also been forced to learn to cover them up.

Fuyumi for example, lived in a toxic environment but, likely, masked that up well. Himiko took longer at learning to mask it up well, but her Quirk manifested when she was areound 3 or 4 and gave her a really strong instinct, for which she was left with zero family support (actually her parents’ reaction is completely out of proportion, kids at that age do plenty of stupid and gross things and then can grow up perfectly normal provided they’ve normal parents to guide them, there was totally no need to beat Himiko up and panic like that) and yet she learnt to mask it perfectly by the time she was in middle school, possibly even sooner as the journalists couldn’t find early signs and they likely searched for them like starved piranha.

In truth even professionals might miss the signs or might approach children in the wrong manner, causing more troubles than good because it’s a HARD job… so the idea that if completely untrained adult people who just read some data about the children (which might have been written by who already missed the signs or is misinformed about the real situation of the children) were to make friends with them, they would surely get them to open up or would surely notice signs that something is wrong and act in the appropriate manner to fix it is… well… very naïve.

It’s well meaning and it can surely help in some cases but, unless Japan had a REALLY ABNORMAL PROBLEM so that the TINIEST help would make a BIG difference, don’t expect the big change the press is talking about… especially if Heroes who have no more Villains to capture and zero interest in helping kids will be ‘forced’ to join the program so as not to become unemployed.

On the other side the lack of psychological preparation in people can be very well explained with how there’s a strong stigma in Japan regarding psychological problems.

The reason why real life normal counseling is often not used in Japan is because Japanese people don’t want to talk with a Clinical Psychologist (as said before now that’s the specialization a counselor needs to have) so Horikoshi’s ‘hey, but those people are normal, well meaning people, possibly even Heroes kids admire, not psychologists so talking to them doesn’t mean you’ve psychological problems so you can totally open up with them safely’ is meant to address this fear and, of course, it’s better to talk to an untrained person than not to talk at all so in this vein, this could be seen as an ‘improvement’.

I don’t know but I guess this is now really all we have about Quirk counseling.

Said all this, which is likely still an incomplete overview, I hope my ramblings will help people to understand Quirk counseling better. If not, I apologize.

#boku no hero academia #bnha meta #mha meta #bnha spoilers #Toga Himiko #bnha observations #bnha ramblings #Uraraka Ochako #Kayama Nemuri #Ikoma Komari #Kizuki Chitose #Iguchi Shuuichi #Shouji Mezou #Shigaraki Tomura

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gs29 · 5 months ago

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Behind the Mask: A Family's Promise

Behind the Mask: A Family's Promise Master list

Squid Game Master list

Chap 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Chapter Five: The Return of the Babysitters in Red

“Alright, listen up,” your husband said, pacing in front of the group of guards like a drill sergeant. Ji-ah, nestled in his arms, babbled nonsense, completely unaware of the sheer fear she struck into the hearts of these grown men. “You did okay last time. No casualties, no permanent trauma—good start. But this time? I expect excellence.”

One of the guards, the youngest, raised a hand. “Uh, sir, respectfully—why are we babysitting again?”

“Because my wife and I need a night off,” your husband said firmly. “And because Ji-ah likes you idiots.”

The group exchanged glances. It was true. Ever since their last encounter, the guards had become weirdly attached to the baby. Some of them had even started carrying little trinkets for her—tiny stuffed animals, makeshift toys, even a pacifier they found somewhere (they refused to say where).

Ji-ah let out a happy squeal, reaching toward the oldest guard, who immediately abandoned all sense of authority and reached for her like a grandfather greeting his favorite grandchild.

“…Fine,” he grumbled, cradling her gently. “But if she starts crying again, I’m out.”

Your husband smirked. “Good luck with that.”

And just like that, you and your husband left for your long-awaited night off, while the guards stared at the tiny human now ruling over them once more.

—

Hour One: The Calm Before the Storm

Ji-ah was perfectly content, chewing on a plush toy one of the guards had given her.

“She’s so cute,” one of them whispered in awe.

“She’s a menace,” another corrected, remembering the last time she had screamed their souls out of their bodies.

“She’s perfect,” the youngest sighed, already prepared to lay down his life for this child.

So far, so good.

Then she sneezed.

And absolute chaos erupted.

—

Hour Two: The Crisis

“She’s leaking!!”

“It’s just a runny nose!”

“She’s sick! She’s sick!!”

“NO, SHE’S JUST A BABY.”

The guards scrambled like Ji-ah had activated an alarm. One of them attempted to wipe her nose with his sleeve. Another tried handing her his glove. The youngest ran in circles in sheer panic.

The old guard—who, at this point, had officially accepted his role as Ji-ah’s unofficial grandpa—sighed, grabbed a tissue, and wiped her nose without ceremony.

The room fell into stunned silence.

“…You’re a hero,” one of them whispered.

—

Hour Three: The Escape Attempt

Ji-ah had discovered movement.

Specifically, crawling.

And she was fast.

One moment, she was sitting peacefully, babbling to herself. The next, she was gone.

“WHERE IS SHE?!”

“I TURNED AWAY FOR TWO SECONDS—”

“I SWEAR SHE TELEPORTED.”

The guards tore through the room, flipping over chairs, searching under tables, scrambling like their lives depended on it.

Then, in the corner, a tiny giggle.

They all turned.

Ji-ah sat proudly next to a stack of confiscated masks, clapping her hands like she had won something.

The youngest guard collapsed onto the floor. “She’s too powerful.”

—

Hour Four: The Return of the Parents

By the time you and your husband returned, the break room was destroyed.

Chairs overturned. Papers scattered. A single guard lying face-down on the floor, muttering, “So small… so strong…”

And in the middle of it all, Ji-ah sat happily on the old guard’s lap, chewing on a mask like a teething toy.

Your husband blinked. “…Do I even want to know?”

The old guard simply handed Ji-ah back to you. “Take her. Before she takes us.”

Ji-ah, well-rested and completely oblivious to the destruction she had caused, smiled up at them sweetly.

The guards, despite their exhaustion, melted.

“She’s an angel,” one whispered.

“She’s our queen,” another added.

Your husband rolled his eyes. “You guys are ridiculous.”

But as you glanced at the exhausted men—grown killers who had somehow been completely defeated by a baby—you couldn’t help but smile.

Ji-ah had them wrapped around her tiny little fingers.

And somehow, you knew this wouldn’t be the last time the guards babysat.

Not by a long shot.

#squid game #squid game x y/n #squid game x oc #squid game x reader #squid game x you #dad!#squid game x wife reader #squid game guard #squid game guard x reader #dad!guard

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lwieczorek08 · 4 months ago

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specific things that give me gender euphoria as a trans man

1. greasy food

2. tool sheds

3. how you remind me by nickelback

4. the whole lumberjack/cabincore aesthetic

5. digital cameras/camcorders

6. fucked up shoes (especially converse)

7. tank tops when they fully cover my chest binder straps

8. maximalistic room decor (fuck empty walls)

9. ceiling lights that are literally just a lightbulb hanging from a wire

10. intensely examining records of old rock bands i dont listen to at vinyl record sales to seem sophisticated

11. newspapers

12. drinking from glass bottles

13. campfire smell

14. grilled beef chuck steak

15. the colors on the gay pride flag

16. facial imperfections (acne scars, chapped lips, dark circles under eyes ect.)

17. typing with no caps like ive been doing up until now

~~~

might be updating this list tbh

#transgender #trans man #transmasc #lgbtq #gender #gender euphoria #please someone relate or i will explode

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istharoth · 6 months ago

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Dancing

Ritsu Shinjo & Fem!Reader | Fluff(I swear on my heart) | can be interpreted as romantic or platonic!

Wc:1k

If there's one thing that happens at Sinostra it's the usual money-making business, courtesy of Taiga's strange luck and Romeo's bookkeeping.

If there's another thing, it's the honor student cleaning up the casino with the other Sinostra students. She's gotten used to it by now, actually but it's still a bit annoying.

Just a few moments ago she was speaking to Ren about Christmas. Curiously enough, the ghoul didn't hate the holiday. It might've been because it was an indoor holiday or he liked the gifts he received.

She got him something from the list he had made, alongside him, she had given gifts to the other ghouls as well. Unexpectedly, her gifts were well received and she was even gifted a few.

Heck, even Dante had a gift prepared for her. That was most unexpected.

"Honor Student!" A Sinostra student calls from the other side of the casino, pointing at the stairs leading upstairs, "My family's calling so I'll be back quick!"

Without even hearing a response, the student runs up, a joyous look on their face. She looks down at the glasses she was cleaning, her blurry reflection facing back at her.

She looked...defeated. She's not sure what to call it exactly but defeated sounds right. Her hair went unbrushed for who knows how long, her eyes dead tired and her lips chapped from the cold. If Romeo saw her right now, he'd order her to take a break and make herself right stat.

She almost wonders if sitting on the couch back home, a blanket over her head, eating cereal dunked in milk, watching crappy shows on her glitchy television as the lights from the Christmas tree would provide her some respite.

She almost wonders if she'd feel comforted had she been at home and not Darkwick.

...Who is she kidding? She knows she would.

She's sure a few minutes have passed, maybe even an hour had passed but the students who left one by one didn't return. She doesn't blame them; working on Christmas night is something no one wants.

Stretching her arms, she glances at the stairs leading upstairs. Only one student coming down, he's still in his uniform.

How utterly strange. This student she knows ends all his business as soon as the clock hits 5 PM, this includes changing into more casual business clothing.

"Inspector," He nods in acknowledgment, smiling lightly. "Shinjo, hey," She waves, walking up to him. She had finished cleaning the tables but she needed to get the dirty rag into the trash before it landed on another table.

She didn't know what she was expecting but it surely wasn't Ritsu saying goodbye to the formalities to ask for a dance.

"Would you care for a dance?" He extends his hand, bowing into a curtsy. "Got hooked onto the Frostheim Christmas Eve party?" She raises an eyebrow, lips quirking up.

"If you need the specifics," He coughs, taking out a notepad from his breast pocket. "At exactly 14:35, at 29 seconds you were devastated at how you didn't have anyone to dance with on a romantic day such as today." He ends, putting the notepad back to where it previously was.

She pushes back her hair, smiling awkwardly, "Did you stalk me while I was helping Ren at Mystery Diner?" He scoffs, utterly appalled at the assumption.

"Of course not. See it as a safety measure." Right...she's definitely going to see it that way. Definitely.

"You should trust me." He hesitates slightly, "As a business partner, that is." She huffs, crossing her arms, and staring down at him.

"So it's alright to follow me around because you're a business partner? I'd rather you be a friend if you're going to continue this." Obviously, she doesn't want him to do so, but knowing Ritsu, the likelihood of him accepting friendship is non-existent.

He holds a thoughtful hand under his cheek as if seriously pondering it. "Let's do it then." She blinks in surprise, almost dropping the dirty rag on the table she just cleaned.

"Wha-??" She splutters, much confused at the unexpected answer. This is something she would expect out of Jin Kamurai and not Ritsu Shinjo.

Seriously! Why would Ritsu Shinjo, a growing paralegal want her friendship?!

"Because we are friends, would you care for a dance now?" He asks again, extending his hand. Staring at it for a moment, slightly hesitant, she sighs.

"I never learned how to dance." He frowns, failing to understand the problem. "Dancing isn't required for most parties held for my father's law firm. As my business partner," He coughs, apologizing for his wording.

"As my friend, all you'll need to do is be by my side." She can feel her face heat up, unbelieving of the fact she earned Ritsu's friendship. Was this seriously the Christmas miracle as said by all the 'Friendship is Power!' shows she watched as a child?

"Well, thank you, friend." He nods, very pleased with how things are going. He puts his hand on her shoulder, his other hand holding her own.

Ah, he knew waltz? That was unexpected of Ritsu Shinjo but at the same time, she could see him doing it.

Mirroring his actions, she places her hand on his shoulder, quickly moving her left foot upwards. Ritsu frowns at the sudden dance move. The first step is usually left to the men, yet here he was following her lead. He can't say it's bad, really.

"Waltz?" She chuckles, "It's not unexpected." He hums, quickly moving his feet, matching his pace with hers.

"Were you lying when you said you didn't know how to dance?" He asks, undoubtedly curious about the Inspector.

"I told you I never learned it, not that I didn't know it." She shrugs, moving her foot to her left, w a thing carefully as he mirrors her actions.

She almost wonders if the other ghouls of Sinostra knew how to dance. Taiga seemed like a hip-hop-free style type of person whereas Romeo seemed like a tango person.

Irrespective to anything else, she got her wish granted and she's overjoyed by the case of events.

Merry Christmas, Y/N-San." He mumbles, pushing a stray hair behind his ear. Calling someone by their first name is embarrassing but considering they were friends, it should be alright.

She blinks in surprise then giggles, "Merry Christmas to you too, Ritsu."

AN: Hi, hello, this is much later than when I was supposed to post it lol, but, Merry Late Christmas to all those who celebrate.

I hope you had a great time, and even if you didn't, I hope you can find some comfort in the following days and into the New Year's.

#istha rambles #tokyo debunker #istha fics #ritsu shinjo #ritsu shinjo x reader #FINALLY WROTE SMTH FOR HIM OMFG

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coquettexnightz · 2 years ago

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- 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒕𝒐𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝑳𝒊𝒔𝒕 -

• Day 12; Somnophilia: Stalker Season, Norman Reedus.

• Day 13; Menophilia: Smell It A Mile Away, Marko ( The Lost Boys )

• Day 14; Incest: Bossy Big Brother, Michael Gray ( Peaky Blinders )

• Day 15; Noncon: Babysitter Terror, Billy Hargrove ( Stranger Things )

• Day 16; Public: Concert Special, Slash ( Guns N’ Roses )

• Day 17; Vore: Virgins Taste Best, Marko ( The Lost Boys )

• Day 18; Spanking: Specifically Told, Alfie Solomons ( The Peaky Blinders )

• Day 19; Uniform: Short Skirt, Tall Socks, John Shelby ( The Peaky Blinders )

• Day 20; Step Siblings: Deceiving Big Brother, Henry Bowers ( IT Chap. 1 )

• Day 21; Tickling: “Now, Go To Bed.”, Alfie Solomon’s ( The Peaky Blinders )

• Day 22; Masturbation: Morning Welcome, Aemond Targaryen ( The House Of The Dragon )

• Day 23; Deep Throating: To The Wall, Dave Mustaine ( Megadeth )

• Day 24; Taking Advantage: The Stupid Cheerleader, Axl Rose ( Guns N’ Roses )

• Day 25; Pregnancy: Growing Inside Right Now, Tom Riddle ( Harry Potter Franchise )

• Day 26; Grooming: Stolen Child, Alfie Solomons ( The Peaky Blinders )

• Day 27; S&M: Corruption From The Dirty Boy, Joaquin Phoenix

• Day 28; Cockbulge: Best Friends Little Sister, Sebastian Bach ( Skid Row )

• Day 29; Incest: Just Real Close S’all, Eyeball Chambers ( Stand By Me )

• Day 30; Free Use: Wake Up At Dark, Billy Idol

• Day 31; Incest & Breeding: Nighttime Lullaby, Arthur Shelby ( The Peaky Blinders )

A/n; I changed maybe two or three of the topics because I had no idea what to do with them and they also weren’t very appealing per-say.

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shywhumpauthor · 2 years ago

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Surveillance Chapter 14

Get Away

Masterlist // prev.

Starts whenever Noah wakes up from All Alone (chap. 13)

Cw: noncon nudity (partly implied, non-specific, nonsexual), restraints, noncon drugging, build up to noncon surgery, mentions of death, noncon touching (nonsexual)

Noah came to slowly. His mind weighed with a heavy fog, it took him a while to open his eyes, and even longer to begin to gain his bearings. When he did, all he was met with was a dull, resounding ache that throbbed through every muscle, every bone, just painful enough to persuade him from moving.

He blinked heavily, willing the fog to clear from his vision, trying to make sense of his situation.

He laid on his stomach on something hard. An unrelenting surface, once cold but warmed by his body heat—he could tell as he twitched his fingers, feeling them touch something cool. Metal, he was able to discern in only a few moments. The stiffness of each joint suggested he’d been there for a long while.

After an attempt to turn to his side, he realized that he was restrained, tied to the table with a limb tethered to each corner by long buckles of stiff leather. The table was taller than he was, but not enough so that his arms could be stretched fully out in front of him and still on the metal, so they were splayed awkwardly at the elbows, makeshift cords digging into his elbows, connecting them to a hook on either side of the table in line with his chest, forcing his arms bent so the cuffs on his wrists would reach right, the two working together to balance his arms in an unyielding limbo where he could move them neither up nor down. In one of his arms, he noticed, blinking heavily, some sort of IV line was taped in place, a long and thin tube connecting that to some hanging fluids from a post to his right.

His legs were spread slightly, similar cuffs fastened around his ankles, connecting them to the bottom corners of the table. A strap that crossed the width of the table was pulled across the back of his thighs, about even between his knees and lower back. A similar one passed below his shoulders, tugged tight over his arms as well, keeping him pressed against the table. Tight enough to force some pressure to his chest, now that he was aware and thinking about it, breathing deeper than he had while asleep.

There was some sort of sheet, thin and stiff, draped up to his shoulders, allowing him a bit of decency. He could tell he didn’t have a shirt on, the way his chest felt against the metal with every slight shift.

Noah tried to reach back into his memory, to string together some possible string of events that led from when he was last aware—left alone for hours in the small, bare room, chained to the floor until Declan had entered, told him that everything and everyone he had cared about was about to be destroyed and bombed, then drugged him. Then he was here.

His stomach cramped uncomfortably, and he couldn’t tell whether it was from the pressure of his position pushing down on his abdomen or hunger. He couldn’t remember the last time he had had a full meal, even before the drugging.

He dragged his gaze up, willing his vision to focus across the room. It was a medium sized room, slightly raised ceilings illuminated with industrially fastened lighting beams. From the way his head was turned, he could just see out of the corner of his eye some sort of fixture protruding down, bright light shining down from one of the adjustable lamp heads.

The walls and floor were made of the same tiles, clean and dull. The walls were flanked with various cabinets and counters, a large screen mounted to the center of one, but it was turned off. A vent in the ceiling kept cold air pouring through the room, proving the sheet to be of little function as goosebumps raised all along Noah’s arms.

There were a few machines stationed around him, that he could see. A heart monitor, turned to silent but the screen still depicting every spike with his heartbeat, his oxygen levels, and whatever else. The IV pole, which he had noted before, regulating a steady drip of fluids to the line in his arm. With his increasing consciousness, he could only assume it was something to counter whatever drugs he had been put under. Other than that, he was alone in the room.

At least he had thought so. There was still a good portion behind him that he couldn’t see, unable to turn his head from the side of the room he was facing due to the manner which he was restrained.

He startled when he felt a hand on his back, a firm pressure right against the center. His throat felt raw, too dry to force any sound so that what might have been a scream came out only as a rasp of breath. That drew a chuckle from behind him.

“Oh my friend, it’s about time you woke up. You don’t have any idea how long I’ve been waiting.”

Noah could hear Declan’s grin, the way his words curled with his accent and fell low, menacing even without the intent. The hand on his back rested there for a few seconds, a firm pressure just under his shoulder blades before Declan pulled back.

“I wanted you to be conscious for this,” was all he said, before the sheet was pulled down to Noah’s hips, exposing his entire back to the cold air. A chill jolted up his spine, though he hadn’t felt like the thin covering protected him from anything, in its absence he could certainly feel a difference.

Noah didn’t try to speak. He didn’t bother to worry about what would happen—all he knew was that it would hurt, but that was the usual. He willed the worries that flooded his mind to go quiet. Fear would help him none. His eyes ached to fall shut, but that was the one urge he did not succumb to. He was vulnerable, but he didn’t need to give the single power he had away. He could prepare, at least somewhat.

Helpless. Painfully, pathetically helpless, but there was nothing he could do. Any sort of relief to unconsciousness had abandoned him, he was certain the drugs steadily flooding his system would assure he wouldn’t return anytime soon.

Someone dressed in dark blue scrubs passed in front of him, with them tugging along a rolling tray, setting that up only a foot or so away from the table. It was raised to about the same height as the table he was restrained to, and with a sickening feeling Noah pieced together what was happening.

The scalpels made that glaringly obvious.

Declan walked around to enter Noah’s line of sight, and it was just then that he realized how high off the ground the table was. It wasn’t really an important detail, just strange as he found his head nearly level with the man’s ribs. He was dressed in his usual, formal attire, a pressed shirt tucked into dark dress pants with his typical fitted suit jacket, cuffed neatly at the wrists and completed with a sleek tie. His hair neat, looking like he had just come from a meeting. He probably had.

He wore gloves, sleek white latex. Something small pinched carefully between his thumb, index, and middle finger. He held it out, close to Noah’s face. It took his vision a moment to focus.

“Do you know what this is, Noah?” Declan asked, twisting the piece between his fingers. Noah knew it was more of a taunt than a question. Preying on his vulnerability, another straw of insecurity to the ever-growing stack of not knowing. He knew Declan’s tactics by now.

It was metal, no bigger than a thumbnail. At first he thought it was round, but when Declan moved it a little closer he could see it was an odd shape, rounded edges into some sort of a rectangle. It was a dynamic piece, not flat but not evenly filled. There was a shallowly raised portion, with a small blue piece in the center. With the lighting, Noah couldn’t quite tell, but he could’ve sworn it was blinking, pulsing blue, ever so slightly.

Declan pulled it back after another moment, accepting his silence as enough of an answer. He carefully set the piece on the tray, his fingers dancing as he picked up one of the scalpels.

Something in Noah’s stomach twisted as Declan moved to the side of the table, his heart nearly stopping cold when he felt the tip of the blade press against the top of his spine. The disorientation from the drug clearing more by the second, it only took him a moment to understand.

“Let’s just say, my friend, that you will not be getting away from me anytime soon.”

———————————————————

Tag list: @pickleking8 @blood-enthusiast @t0rture-me @sparrowsage @enigmawritesstuff @whump-me (thanks for inspiring me to write the last few paragraphs and post this)

#whump #whumpblr #whump community #whump writing #its me coal #coal wrote something #whumpee #whumper #surveillance series #tag for noah #noah and declan #whump series #surgery whump #medical whump #drugging whump #torture whump

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vashsscoreboardofpain · 10 months ago

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WELCOME BACK SPORTS FANS ;D

Welcome to the last volume of Trimax. After so many months our journey through the manga ends here. Trimax Vash is ready to give his all one more time, and we are ready to witness how many pain points this guy can gather.

Welcome everyone, to volume 14:

Chap 1:

-1 "bad event" point for being shown livio being tortured. fun, thank you legato, we are setting up the bar tonight

-the contestant resists, thinks about, tries to reach another way...

-1 "traumatic event" point for, after so much emotional torture and the wolfwood flashback, being forced to kill another human. he shots legato in the face, making him an official killer.

Chap 2:

-1 "action" point for that reflex thing with his arm. he has been fighting for so many hours that the moment he felt someone's presence he pulled out his gun.

Chap 3:

-no contestant here! he's preparing for the next chapter

Chap 4:

-mental palace time! (or the after life who knows)

-1 "traumatic event" point for seeing the ghosts of people that died and he feels guilty about, or just straight up hurts

-1 "traumatic event" point for seeing everyone who is alive and he needs to protect because right now hes afraid of something happening to them

-1 "traumatic event" point for rem specifically. because thats his mom. which leads to

-1 "bad event" point thanks to rem fading away before vash could reach to her. fuck

Chap 5:

-now that he is up, 1 "bad event" point for immediately connecting himself to knives and the rest of plants...with a fucking cable in his neck! this man knows no limits

Chap 6:

-the contestant doesnt win any points in this chapter! but the audience is still crying

Chap 7:

-1 "bad event" point for still being forced to fight knives, even when everything is technically over

-1 "bad event" point for getting hit by chronica while protecting knives

Chap 8:

-1 "bad event" point for living in hiding once again for 6 months

-1 "traumatic event" point for the death of his brother. even after everything, he was still important to vash

-1 "bad event" point for getting kicked around for a bit by all the bounty hunters.

THINGS HAVE GONE FULL CIRCLE EVERYONE. THAT IS IT FOR TRIMAX VASH!

THE CONTESTANT LIFTS HIS FIST IN VICTORY, THE AUDIENCE CLAPS AND CRIES, WHAT A FINALE! LOVE AND PEACE!

The points in this round make 13 points, so TRIMAX VASH OFFICIALLY HAS 308 POINTS UNDER HIS BELT! IF STAMPEDE VASH WANTS TO CATCH UP HE HAS A LONG WAY TO GO

THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO HAS JOINED US FOR THE BEAUTY OF SPORTS. WE DONT KNOW WHEN THE BROADCAST WILL BE BACK BUT YOU CAN BET WE WILL BE HERE FOR TRIGUN STARGAZE!

UNTIL NEXT TIME SPORTS FANS!

#trigun #trimax #vashs score board of pain

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triaelf9 · 2 years ago

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If you are not reading Novae by @kaixju , you are MISSING OUT

I love so many things about it (the art, PANEL COMPOSITION of course) but also the characters pull you in and there's this soft, lovely feel to it when reading it.

What's a webcomic you enjoy?

Reblog and share yours, or post in the comments!

Tell us what draws you in and something about the story that speaks to you specifically, and share where we can read it!

#webcomics #boost #webcomic recommendations #queer comics

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floofanflurr · 2 years ago

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A master list of all the wonderful art and fanart made for Heart on the Table!

It's a long list, so I've put it under the cut!

These aren't all on tumblr- though some of them are! Some link to other websites such as deviantart.

(These also don’t include the pieces that I have drawn myself- to see those, sort by the #art on the table tag on my blog)

(There’s way too many of them for me to link.)

Frisk curled up in ball by HumanKK (Ch 1)

Thank You by SirLinn (Ch 1)

papyrus… by SirLinn (Ch 2)

papyrus... (redone version of last piece!) by SirLinn (Ch 2)

Movie Night by SirLinn (Ch 2)

Dinosaur Egg Oatmeal by SirLinn (Ch 3)

Carrying the Team by SirLinn (Ch 4)

Very Small Friend by SirLinn (Ch 4)

Failed Negotiations by SirLinn (Ch 4)

Pepper Prank by @random-autie-fangirl (Ch 4)

Frisk’s Drawing by random-autie-fangirl (Ch 4)

Frisk’s Drawing by salamandergandercoriander (Ch 4)

Frisk by SirLinn (Ch 5)

AN ANIMATIC FOR CHAPTER 5?!?! By SirLinn!!!

Coping Mechanisms by SirLinn (Ch 6)

Hair Ruffle by SirLinn (Ch 6)

Lean on Me by SirLinn (Ch 7)

Hysterical by SirLinn (Ch 8)

CRACK! - Commissioned piece by velvetwyrme (Ch 8) -TWs: blood, child death

Papyrus holding Frisk (Ch 8) by @sunsestart (Linked and shared here with full permission- the link is just to the image address as it is not posted online.)

A Comic of chapter 9 by yesiseeinteresting

One Last Look by SirLinn (Ch 9)

A comic of chapter 9 by spicykettchup (Ch 9)

*They are exhausted by SirLinn (Ch 10)

Flinch by SirLinn (Ch 10)

All Grown Up by SirLinn (Ch 11)

Safe At Last by SirLinn (Ch 12)

Heart on the Table by HumanKK (Ch 13)

Empathy by SirLinn (Ch 13)

The stuffed cat!!! by emeraldidentity (Ch 14)

The couch scene by HumanKK (Ch 14)

Still in Stripes by SirLinn (Ch 14)

Papyrus fight by HumanKK (Ch 15)

Papyrus sneaking in and Frisk by HumanKK (Ch 16)

"Everyone hurts me" by SirLinn (Ch 16)

[Friends!] by SirLinn (Ch 17)

Frisk on Undyne's shoulders by SirLinn (Ch 19)

Palpable tension - Frisk, Undyne, Papyrus at front door by @sunsestart (Ch 19) (Linked and shared here with full permission- the link is just to the image address as it is not posted online.)

Fancomic of Frisk's puppy dog eyes that Papyrus mentions in ch 19 by HumanKK

Various images from chapter 20! by HumanKK (Ch 20)

"You're on thin ice." by SirLinn (Ch 20)

Echo flower fields: collab by SirLinn and me (Ch 20)

Frisk in Pap's Boot by Jade (Chap 20)

Frisk's worst fears by HumanKK (Ch 21)

Frisk after their nightmare by cjhs-world (Ch 21)

*BAM! KAPOW!! The heroine appears! by HumanKK (Ch 24)

Various scenes up to chapter 24 by limonlupilav

No Specific Chapter:

Mr. Angel teaching Frisk to crochet by smilegirl64

Like father like sons by smilegirl64

Sans, Frisk, and Papyrus by bubblegumchapstick

#heart on the table #art on the table

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galaxythreads · 6 days ago

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Love the executioner fic so much!! The descent of time is so well written; I can’t wait till I’ll reread it from the start just to experience it all at once! Like all the foreshadowing and how Damian went from IMA GET OUT AND KILL YOU to ILL KILL. ??,, my ? sense of self? To what end? Bc he’s a little f*cked! In every way but the Necro way. Emotionally, physically,,, just how ppl like their angst. Anyways, I especially love the silly memes. They’re my fave part! Whenever I get the email update, I check your page first — they’re like a fun (mostly drama-scary) appetizer <33 ]:)

BUUT for the 4th pic for chap 15: is the kid holding a rock? A bomb? the deformed and charred remains of sanity? Im sure it’s very funny and Damian would prefer either option, but I can’t figure it out. (Tho idk if you’re allowed to clarify, since it’s without spoilers) <33

awww!!! thank you!!! i'm so glad that you're enjoying the fic. It's been such a delight to write. I'm so so so excited for one section that's coming up, chem and I wrote about 30-40k in 3 days for it. !!!!!!! (we're trying to post weekly right now, to contain ourselves, so we're like 5 weeks away from my beloved chapters though XD) ALSO!!!!!!! so glad that you're enjoying the angst. @chemical-processes and I are constantly teasing each other about how everyone just wants damian to be rescued and they aren't enjoying all the work we put into torturing this fourteen - 14 y/o - boy.

the picture in question is this, i'm guessing? let me know if it's the wrong one

which!!! for the record, lol, I had to explain this to chem, too, so no worries. It's a still from this vine which my brother saw during his formative years and quotes constantly. My sister actually gave him an avacado for his birthday as a meme like two (?) three (?) years ago, and now the only thing they give each other for their birthdays IS singular avacados.

anyways, my thought with this meme was Damian and blade vs the pencils, but i think i should have labeled it like "it's a pack of charcoal pencils!! thanks!!!" because i think it's such a specific reference everyone is having a hard time figuring out what it is. more people would know the audio than the child, me thinks? XD

also i'm very glad you're enjoying the memes. I started doing them for chem, so it's good to know she's not the only one enjoying them <3<3

#also there are SO MANY things that upon a reread of the fic you guys are going to shake back and forth in your teeth #some of which chem and i added retroactively because we realized we forgot to foreshadow lol #look the fic is 200k we had no idea this one specific thing would be important until much later #gaslight girlboss gatekeep #the executioner #wife tag #anon answered

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pinkcannibal · 1 month ago

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You posted?! Better believe I hopped right online!

Just read chapter 24, and I’m in awe. I don’t know how reader functions (I know I certainly wouldn’t), I can’t wait to see more of Sugar Mommy Marilyn, I just know she’s going to buy the prettiest outfits for her girl.

And the libary scene?! In awe, specifically at the idea of Marilyn just praising reader until she can’t do her work anymore, I think I need that biblically.

Now onto the big stuff! The audio book, I forgot to update your for chapter 23 so this updates chapter 23 and 24

22 chapters of eat your young is - 14:58:11 - nearly 15 whole hours, which is mindblowing

24 chapters of eat your young as racked up to a whopping- 18:31:00- 18 hours of pure Marilyn. Which is insane well done!!

oh my god!!! audio book anon ive missed youuu <33 im so glad you enjoyed the chap, feedback like this means the world to me and im so happy the library scene was received so well, bc it was my fav to write :'))

WOAH. 18 HOURS???? thats crazy omg, and its just gonna get longer hehe. thank you for the update!!!! i live for them <33

#asks #eat your young

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siamaskincare · 1 month ago

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14 Best Skincare Tips for Winter By Siama Skincare

Winter is a season of cozy sweaters and warm drinks, but it can be a challenging time for your skin. The cold air outside and heated indoor environments can leave your skin dry, irritated, and dull. To help you maintain healthy, glowing skin during these months, we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide of the best skincare tips for winter. For natural and effective skincare products, check out Siama’s collection.

1. Hydrate ₹Your Skin Inside and Out

Staying hydrated is just as important in winter as it is during summer. Drink plenty of water to keep your skin hydrated from within. Additionally, use a high-quality moisturizer that suits your skin type to lock in moisture. Look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and glycerin in your skincare products.

2. Switch to a Gentle Cleanser

Winter demands a change in your skincare routine, and your cleanser is no exception. Replace harsh, foaming cleansers with gentle, hydrating options to avoid stripping your skin of its natural oils. Cleansing milks and cream-based cleansers are great choices for maintaining a soft and supple complexion.

3. Don’t Skip Sunscreen

Many people associate sunscreen with summer, but UV rays are present year-round. Protect your skin from harmful rays by applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30 daily. This small step can prevent premature aging and reduce the risk of sun damage.

4. Exfoliate with Care

Exfoliation helps remove dead skin cells, allowing your moisturizers and serums to penetrate more effectively. However, over-exfoliating in winter can lead to irritation. Limit exfoliation to once or twice a week and choose a gentle exfoliant to avoid compromising your skin barrier.

5. Invest in a Good Lip Balm

Chapped lips are a common winter woe. Keep your lips soft and hydrated by applying a nourishing lip balm enriched with shea butter or beeswax. Reapply as needed throughout the day and avoid licking your lips, as this can worsen dryness.

6. Use a Humidifier

Indoor heating systems can make the air in your home dry, which can impact your skin. A humidifier adds moisture back into the air, helping to prevent your skin from becoming excessively dry. Place one in your bedroom or living room for maximum benefits.

7. Avoid Hot Showers

While a hot shower might feel comforting on a cold day, it can strip your skin of essential oils, leaving it dry and irritated. Opt for lukewarm water instead, and keep your showers short to minimize damage to your skin.

8. Apply Skincare Immediately After Bathing

To maximize the benefits of your skincare products, apply them within a few minutes of bathing. This helps to seal in moisture while your skin is still slightly damp. Start with a toner, followed by a serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen if you’re heading out.

9. Eat Skin-Friendly Foods

Your diet plays a significant role in your skin’s health. Include foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and walnuts, to maintain your skin’s lipid barrier. Fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants, like oranges, spinach, and berries, can also help combat winter dryness.

10. Pamper Your Skin with Weekly Masks

Winter is the perfect time to indulge in hydrating face masks. Look for masks containing ingredients like aloe vera, honey, or avocado for an added moisture boost. Use them once or twice a week for visibly softer and healthier skin.

11. Wear Protective Clothing

Shield your skin from harsh winter winds by wearing scarves, gloves, and hats. These accessories not only keep you warm but also protect exposed skin from dryness and irritation caused by cold air.

12. Visit a Dermatologist

If you’re struggling with persistent dryness, redness, or other skin issues, consult a dermatologist. They can recommend products tailored to your skin type and address specific concerns you might have.

13. Choose Products with Natural Ingredients

Winter is a good time to switch to natural skincare products that are free of harsh chemicals. Products containing organic ingredients like coconut oil, almond oil, and rosehip oil can work wonders for your skin. For high-quality, natural skincare products, check out Siama’s skincare collection.

14. Avoid Alcohol-Based Products

Alcohol can dry out your skin, which is the last thing you want in winter. Opt for alcohol-free toners and skincare products to retain your skin’s natural moisture levels.

Conclusion

Taking care of your skin during winter requires a bit of extra effort, but the results are well worth it. From staying hydrated to using the right products, these tips can help you maintain a healthy, glowing complexion all season long. Remember to adapt your routine to the needs of your skin, and don’t hesitate to seek professional advice when necessary. For more tips and premium natural skincare solutions, explore the offerings at Siama. Your skin deserves the best care, no matter the season.

Sources: https://blog.siama.co.in/14-best-skincare-tips-for-winter/

#siamaskincare #cosmetics #hair #hydrafacial near me #derma #healthcare #skincare

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cellsshapedlikestars · 1 year ago

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Hi. I’m gonna be thinking about your most recent chapter and smiling to myself all night. Maybe all day tomorrow and the next day too.

I already commented on AO3 but came here to add this:

Thank you for so much Jon POV lately. I’m pretending you did it for me specifically and I feel so spoiled and loved. 🥰🥰

I have been writing a lot of Jon POV lately!! 7 of the last 10 things I've posted. But when the POV feels right, the POV feels right 😌 (Also did it for you obviously!! 😘 This one even has pining Jon!!)

ANYWAY I'm so happy you're enjoying it and appreciating the Jon POV mood I've been in lately

(I got weirdly into stats below, you can read if you want lol)

It's so interesting that I think my personal favorite fics are mostly from Jon's POV?? While my statistically most popular fics are Sansa POV. In fact, by kudos, the first Jon POV isn't until #11, and that's one where it's mixed with Sansa's POV. The most popular single Jon POV story is at #12 with my texting one shot. The first multi chap Jon POV doesn't come in until #14, and that's one of my oldest stories so I feel like the amount of kudos is due simply to the length of time it's been up.

EDIT: ok I'm an idiot and forgot the mating game is dual POVs, so Jon's first appearance when sorted by kudos is #2, not #11 lol. I'm dumb. His first solo POV is still at #12

#cellsshapedlikeasks #how she died

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ctcaptaincorgi · 3 months ago

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Random, but I thought I'd release my notes on Pride and Prejudice from the second time I read it. So keep in mind that I frequently wrote my notes like I already knew and I also watched the Lizzie Bennet diaries before reading it for the first time so I'm using the names frequently used in that adaptation.

Chap 1: Opening quote. "Netherfield is let at last!"

Chap 2: Introduces the Bennet sisters

Chap 3: Introduces Darcy, Bingley, and Caroline. Start of Lizzy's dislike of Darcy, and Jane falling for Bingley.

Chap 4: Describes Darcy and Bingley more and why they'd be friends. They're truly a cat and golden retriever duo.

Chap 5: Musing on pride, Darcy, and Charlotte. "I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine."

Chap 6: Charlotte thinks Jane needs to show her feelings more to Bingley. Darcy likes Lizzy confirmed. Lizzy's asked if she'd like to dance with Darcy. Lizzy sass. Charlotte hates everything and everyone. "I have been meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can bestow."

Chap 7: Talk of officers. Jane's sick at Netherfield. Lizzy walks there. "Darcy said very little....[Darcy] was divided between admiration of the brilliancy which exercise had given her complexion"

Chap 8: Caroline roasts Lizzy. Bingley and Darcy aren't into that. Darcy gets to speak of his book collection. Accomplished woman scene! Darcy puts being well read at the foremost. Jane gets worse.

Chap 9: Rest of Bennets visit. Lydia asks Bingley to throw a ball. "Poetry is the fruit of love"

Chap 10: Darcy's writing to Georgiana, Caroline won't leave him alone. Speaking on Darcy and Bingley's writing styles. Goodness associated with being easily persuaded by friends. Bingley hates arguments. Darcy tries to ask Lizzy for a dance. Caroline makes fun of Darcy for his crush.

Chap 11: Caroline tries to talk to Darcy while reading, mission failure. Turn about the room. "Yours is to willfully misunderstand them"

Chap 12: Jane and Lizzy leave earlier than what their mom want. Caroline's thankful. Darcy doesn't want his crush on Lizzy to be obvious and has to try really hard. He's uncomfortable and can barely look her in the eye.

Chap 13: Mr Collins writes a letter to Mr Bennet. Collins visits and hints at potential interest in wedding one of the sisters

Chap 14: "My esteemed patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh-" Catherine de Bourgh lives in Rosings park. Catherine de Bourgh has a daughter. Mr Bennet determines he's absurd. Collins tries to read sermons to everyone, Lydia interrupts.

Chap 15: Wickham's introduced. Mr Collins has his eyes on Lizzy. Darcy and Bingley see the sisters. Darcy and Wickham have a stare down. Darcy is making a specific effort to not look at Lizzy.

Chap 16: So Wickham speaks... Oh yes, of his many troubles at Darcy's hand. Lizzy is fooled completely.

Chap 17: Jane doesn't think that Darcy could be that bad and that misunderstanding must have happened. Lizzy disagrees. Bennets look forward to the Netherfield ball. Mr Collins asks to dance with Lizzy in the first 2 dances. Lizzy hopes that she isn't the one he chooses to propose to.

Chap 18: Netherfield ball. Wickham's not there. Lizzy is miserable having to dance with Mr Collins. She's so surprised by a wild Darcy appearing she agrees to dance with him. Very awkward dance. Lizzy roasts at every opportunity. "'What think you of books?' said [Darcy], smiling." Darcy's mad at Wickham for the slander. Caroline talks in vagueness about Wickham doing wrong to Darcy, and Bingley being glad Wickham didn't show. Lizzy's angry and talks to Jane. Bingley doesn't know a whole lot. Mr Collins introduces himself to Darcy. Lizzy is convinced that her whole family is conspiring to embarrass her.

Chap 19: Mr Collins proposes to Lizzy. It goes downhill from there. Mr Collins is convinced that Lizzy actually will accept but is just saying no because that's what many ladies do. Lizzy proceeds to tell him every reason for why she wouldn't do that, why she's saying no, and that her no means no. He doesn't respect it and tells her that no better marriage offer will be given to her. She says heck no and leaves.

Chap 20: Mrs Bennet tries forcing Lizzy to change her mind. It doesn't work. Mr Bennet gets involved, and is on Lizzy's side. Mrs Bennet is more distraught. No one is helping her in this. Mr Collins says he gives up. Charlotte comes over.

Chap 21: Mr Collins isn't over it. He's angry at Lizzy and is directing his attention instead towards Charlotte. Wickham explains why he wasn't at the Netherfield ball. Caroline sends a long letter explaining that they're leaving for London and aren't coming back and hints at the idea that Bingley likes Georgiana. Jane's distressed.

Chap 22: Charlotte's plan comes to fruition; Mr Collins proposes to her. They kept it a secret from the Bennets for a day before Charlotte talks to Lizzy. Lizzy's not happy and it's concluded.

Chap 23: Charlotte's dad talks to the rest of the Bennets about Charlotte's engagement and Mrs Bennet isn't taking it well at all. Mr Collins and Charlotte are figuring out wedding details. Mr Collins visits the Bennets. Mrs Bennet now resents Mr Collins and Charlotte.

Chap 24: Caroline sends a letter. Jane and Lizzy talk of the possibilities of why Bingley's gone now. Jane remains hopeful but still depressed. Mrs Bennet is no help.

Chap 25: The Gardiners! Lizzy and Mrs Gardiner discuss the Jane and Bingley situation. Mrs Gardiner offers to let Jane stay with them in London. Mrs Gardiner seems a bit sus of Wickham.

Chap 26: Mrs Gardiner warns Lizzy who takes the advice into consideration. Jane leaves with the Gardiners. Charlotte gets married and before that, invites Lizzy to visit her anytime. Jane sends letters of her rough time, realizing she's been duped by Caroline and has lost hope in Bingley. Lizzy's sad for her. Lizzy hears that Wickham likes someone else and Lizzy's disappointed but fine with it.

Chap 27: Lizzy takes off with Maria and Maria's dad to visit Charlotte. Lizzy says bye to Wickham, they're both nice. Stop on the way is made to visit Jane in London. Jane is happy to see them but the disappointment is still evident and worn. Lizzy and Mrs Gardiner have a slightly heated discussion over the news of Wickham being interested in someone else.

Chap 28: Lizzy reaches Charlotte. Nice times are had, though Mr Collins still annoys her. She sees that Charlotte is actually quite happy and content. Miss de Bourgh and Mrs Jenkinson visit outside. Miss de Bourgh is sickly and small, and apparently "cross".

Chap 29: Meeting Catherine de Bourgh. Mr Collins makes sure everyone is ready and prepared to meet her. Catherine de Bourgh is judging Lizzy.

Chap 30: Mr Darcy's back! Colonel Fitzwilliam is introduced. Lizzy asks about Jane, Darcy is confused.

Chap 31: Lizzy and Colonel Fitzwilliam talk and she enjoys his company. Catherine de Bourgh notices and exclaims her enjoyment of music. "Darcy spoke of affectionate praise of his sister's proficiency" Aw.... Darcy is now embarrassed by his aunt being a loud mouth. Lizzy plays piano, Fitzwilliam sitting beside her and Darcy after some time comes to the piano to watch her play. Lizzy roasts him and Darcy tries to flirt. Lizzy recounts to Fitzwilliam how she and Darcy met and Darcy explained that he's introverted and shy. Fitzwilliam explains that Darcy has the people skills of an agoraphobic lobster. Lizzy realizes that Darcy doesn't seem into Anne (Miss de Bourgh).

Chap 32: Lizzy is startled to see Darcy visiting by himself, when she happens to be by herself. They jump between subjects with a bit of difficulty because Darcy is really awkward and when hinted at to choose a topic of conversation says "This seems a very comfortable house.[...]" At some point Lizzy's real confused by Darcy trying to sit closer then drawing back. Charlotte and Maria come back. Charlotte theorizes that he must be in love with her.

Chap 33: Lizzy's walking along the same route. Darcy keeps meeting her there, she informs him that this is her route, hoping she won't see him again. She seems him 3 more times. She finds this odd. She speaks to Fitzwilliam who winds up revealing that Darcy's the one behind Bingley breaking up with Jane because of some complaints against her. She gets a headache after considering the information and what those complaints could be. She stays at Charlotte's by herself.

Chap 34: "In vain I have struggled-" Lizzy rejects, Darcy is angry and asks why. Lizzy explains that she's insulted by the proposal and that he broke up Bingley and Jane. Darcy's color changes. Wickham's misfortunes are mentioned. "And this is your opinion of me!" Says that many of his actions and words could've been overlooked if he didn't injure her pride and just talked to her. "Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your connexions? To congratulate myself on the hope of relations, whose conditions in life is so decidedly beneath my own?" "I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed upon to marry"

Chap 35: Darcy's letter time. He explains in more detail why he broke up Jane and Bingley. Specifically that he didn't think Jane's feelings being deep, and acknowledging that he could've been wrong about the situation. And that "that total want of propriety so frequently- betrayed by herself, by your three younger sisters, and occasionally even by your father". Reveals that he did know about Jane being in London. Explains the Wickham situation.

Chap 36: Lizzy is conflicted. She continued to read over what the letter said. But she comes to realize all the contradictory things related to Wickham and that she had been deceived. She's ashamed at such a thing. She feels that knowing what happened and the fact that he can speak so affectionately of someone proves good in Darcy. And is horribly embarrassed that her family was what sunk Jane's chances, them plus what Charlotte warned of.

Chap 37: Darcy and Fitzwilliam left😭. Catherine de Bourgh doesn't want Lizzy to leave sooner than she thought. Lizzy insists that she must go in two weeks. Lizzy is still having a difficult time with the letter and the fact that she rejected him so harshly. She still doesn't entirely regret it though.

Chap 38: Goodbye between Lizzy, and Charlotte and Mr Collins. Lizzy sees Jane again.

Chap 39: Jane and the rest leave and meet the younger three out before reaching home. They presumably go to a restaurant where Lydia winds up likely hurting the two's feelings BUT ESPECIALLY JANE'S by saying how terrible it'll be that she'll be 23 and still not married and that she'd much like to get married first. Then she starts talking about officers leaving Meryton to leave for Brighton. She also mentions Wickham's being in Meryton. Lizzy ain't thrilled and is unhappy to be going to Meryton the next day because she wants to avoid him.

Chap 40: Lizzy tells Jane about Darcy's proposal and letter (except the Bingley part). Jane's all around shocked and Lizzy acts far less emotionally moved by such information than she used to be.

Chap 41: The officers are leaving Meryton and Lydia has a plan. Mrs Bennet speaks of having similar sadness to Lydia and Kitty. Mrs Forster invited her to go to Brighton with her. Lizzy tries to dissuade Mr Bennet from letting her do that but to no avail. She does tip off that Lydia needs to be corrected and that bad consequences have already happened thanks to her. Mr Bennet inquires to no real answer from Lizzy. Lizzy's given attempted reassurance. Confronts Wickham a bit when he asks about her time in Hunsford. She mentions Darcy being there and hints that she knows the real story because Darcy improved on acquaintance due to his disposition being better understood thanks to knowing him better. Wickham is cautious during the conversation about what she knows until she says that. He's surprised pauses in embarrassment and shakes it off.

Chap 42: Lydia's bad at writing. Kitty's personality is better without Lydia. Mrs Gardiner asked Lizzy to come to the lakes with her. That didn't work out. New trip plan, go as far as Derbyshire. Lizzy's alarmed, but figures that she can be there without drawing Darcy's attention. The Gardiners wanna go to Pemberly, she doesn't wanna do that and says so. They're going anyway. She asks if Darcy is there, and is told no. She feels curious to see the house without the threat of seeing Darcy.

Chap 43: One of my favorite shipping chapters to ever ship. Lizzy visits Pemberly and is amazed at the appearance of it, Mrs Reynolds guides her and the Gardiners through the building and garden giving the best reports of him. That he was always the sweetest and most generous child and would now do anything for his sister. And gives the option that Wickham turned out to be so wild. And that people who find Darcy proud, which is hard for her to see, only do so because Darcy isn't like the other men who are wild. This certainly changes her view of him. She takes a minute to stare at a painting of Darcy smiling which she noted he had done when looking at her a few times. She almost regrets not accepting him. Then, when she's literally about to leave, she sees him and his carriage she tries turning around but it's too late, he already saw her. Now they're just two tomatoes. They try to talk to each other what it's clear they're both distracted and it's incredibly awkward. Lizzy is distressed at having been seen and that it was despicable of her to have come at all. Her family then want to go around his property for 10 miles and see him while walking. This goes far better. They talk a little, he asks her to introduce him to her friends, which she almost immediately does. He speaks with Mr Gardiner, inviting him to use the lake and whatever equipment he needs anytime he likes. Mrs Gardiner is more tired so wants to the support of her husband leaving Darcy and Lizzy to speak again. She explains she had no idea he'd be there, and he explains the truth of it. And that with him was the Bingleys and his sister who wants to get to meet her. She's surprised. Before she knows it, they're back at his house, he invited her in and she says she's not tired so they stand there awkwardly until the Gardiners catch up. The Gardiners and Lizzy split from Pemberly and were puzzled at how what they heard is so contradictory to what else they heard and then saw in him. Lizzy wonders if he still might possibly somehow live her but quickly regrets the idea. A+, will fangirl over for the rest of my life.

Chap 44: Lizzy meets Gigi. She's basically just as shy and awkward as her brother. Lizzy also sees Bingley again who is very friendly and takes the opportunity to mention to her just how long it's been since he last saw her, 8 MONTHS. It gives Lizzy hope the fact that he remembers so EXACTLY and he says something else suggesting that he wants to talk more about Jane. Lizzy reflects on Darcy's improved manner of speaking. She's invited to have dinner with them. The Gardiners know what's up. Lizzy reflects on her gratitude to Darcy.

Chap 45: They come to dinner. Lizzy doesn't like seeing Caroline. Gigi is having a hard time speaking in the girl only group. She's unsure if she wants to or dreads see Darcy. Darcy's anxious for his crush and his sister to get along and get to know each other. Caroline's jealous at Lizzy's smiles because of Darcy, and that Darcy gives her any attention so she tries embarrassing Lizzy by mentioning officers in relation to her family and Wickham. Lizzy wasn't taking that lightly. She calmly but coldly replied but said no more. This solidified that she no longer had any remote interest in him and that Caroline had no clue about Wickham's history. Darcy's attention was further given to Lizzy for such a thing. Caroline decided to trash talk Lizzy when she left to Gigi then Darcy. Didn't work out so well.

Chap 46: Lizzy receives letters from Jane that Lydia has run off with Wickham. She rushes to get her uncle only to open the door and see Darcy. They're both surprised. Lizzy's frantic. Darcy can tell that she's not well, so has servants get her uncle for her. She tells him what's happening. She's horrified, though less surprised and blames herself. Darcy mostly watches with compassion as she sobs. Dinner plans are cancelled. Darcy leaves. Lizzy is sorry to realize that she now could love him right when it is the least likely to ever happen. Gardiners come in and hastily get to Longbourn.

Chap 47: Lizzy and the Gardiners talk about the likelihood of all going well and that she knew things about him that she chose to hide. Actually reach Longbourn. Jane and Lizzy talk of the distress. Kitty knew about Wickham and Lydia. Mary's deriving lessons from the situation. Jane hopes that there's real intention for Wickham to marry Lydia, but at least knows that was Lydia's.

Chap 48: Still distressing with the Bennets. Mr Collins even sent a letter about how embarrassing their situation is. He even told Lady Catherine of it. Mr Bennet is back and the rest of the Gardiners are heading home. Mr Bennet notes that Lizzy was right about Lydia going to Brighton and says he'll be far more cautious from then on.

Chap 49: Mr Bennet is back. Mr Gardiner found Lydia and Wickham. Unspecified amount was spent, assumed by Mr Gardiner to ensure they got married. Agreement of spending was made for Mr Bennet at the small but realistic amount. Mr Bennet hates the situation and wants to pay back Mr Gardiner. Jane tries to think positively. Mrs Bennet is told the news and immediately is happy that one of her daughters is getting married.

Chap 50: Mr Bennet regrets his spending choices. He doesn't want to get Lydia wedding clothes or invite her over despite Mrs Bennet's wishes. Wickham is quitticng the army, or at least thinking of it. Lizzy is regretting that her sister's choices because she finally thought that she could've been happy with Darcy but she'll probably never see him again...

Chap 51: Lydia and Wickham come visit after getting married. Wickham and Lydia are cheerful acting. Wickham obviously isn't as into Lydia as she is into him. Lydia is actually very obnoxious. Stop being a jerk to Jane. Mrs Bennet is so happy to see Lydia, everyone else, especially Mr Bennet, not so much. Lydia told Jane and Lizzy about her wedding and that Darcy was actually there. Lizzy wants to know so is asking Mrs Gardiner.

Chap 52: Mrs Gardiner writes back. She's surprised that Lizzy would ask about Darcy. Darcy went to London a day after the Gardiners and Lizzy left Pemberly. He found Wickham and Lydia and talked to both. Darcy said that he would keep his actions secret because of pride because what he was doing was beneath him. He said it was his responsibility to correct evil her brought on them. He went to Mrs Younge who eventually told him where Wickham was. He tried talking to Lydia about going back to her friends and family and stop what she was doing and he could help with that. Lydia was disinterested. Wickham never intended to marry her at all. Darcy and Wickham talked many times. Darcy and Mr Gardiner argued about who to pay for everything. Darcy won but said to give credit to Mr Gardiner. Mr Gardiner is happy to give due credit. Mrs Gardiner spoke to Lydia as seriously as possible and says she quite likes Darcy. Lizzy wonders about Darcy's motive, realizing how incredible his actions were. She wonders if he'd done it for her then thinks of other reasons. She talks to Wickham. Wickham's kinda gaslighting what he said at some correction.

Chap 53: Lydia and Wickham finally leave. Wickham is too scared to say another word of the former topic with Lizzy. Word of Bingley coming! Mrs Bennet wants him over, Mr Bennet is disinterested in getting him to come. Bingley comes anyway, and with Darcy! Mrs Bennet is nice to Bingley and cold to Darcy. Jane and Lizzy are anxious and embarrassed by their mother's behavior and for each other because of their respective love interests. Jane and Bingley start talking. Lizzy and Darcy are incapable of being able to do so. Darcy's demeanor is more similar to when he first came, barely speaks.

Chap 54: Lizzy doesn't understand why Darcy's there if he won't speak and is frustrated. Bingley's evident in his favoritism to Jane. Lizzy's getting unbelievably frustrated that she's not getting any opportunity to speak to Darcy because no matter what, they're seated and placed as far as can be. She's jealously annoyed at those who get to speak to him while she's hanging coffee. She takes the opportunity to ask about Gigi, it doesn't go far. Mrs Bennet is happy about the evening. Lizzy's happy for Jane, though Jane takes it as suggesting her and Bingley are more than what they are.

Chap 55: Darcy left. Bingley comes over so early no one's dressed. Mrs Bennet's freaking out. Jane doesn't wanna be left alone with Bingley even though Mrs Bennet is trying to make sure that happens. They're left alone twice, second time he proposes. Everyone is ecstatic, and Mr Bennet is actually happy about marrying off one of his daughters this time. Jane is incredibly happy.

Chap 56: Lady Catherine's there. She's even worse than ever. She tells Lizzy she heard a rumor that Darcy was going to propose to her which she thought silly and said to not accept. She and Lizzy argue. Lady Catherine insults her and Lizzy won't have any of it.

Chap 57: Mr Bennet gets a letter from Mr Collins telling him that Lady Catherine would come because she thought that Darcy was engaged to Lizzy. Mr Bennet laughs at the idea. Lizzy tries to take her reaction but is in pain.

Chap 58: Darcy's back! Lizzy and Darcy walk together. She thanks him for this involvement with Lydia. "I believe I thought only of you" PROPOSAL ROUND TWO. Lady Catherine made a big mistake in telling him. What Lizzy said actually deeply affected him and he's sorry about the letter he wrote her. They go into how their feelings have changed. He explains how bad behavior came from spoiled upbringing and that he is selfish. They talk about Jane and Bingley and how Darcy actually helped mend that too. Darcy is very happy to be engaged.

Chap 59: Lizzy tells Jane about her engagement and explains how it all happened. Darcy gets Mr Bennet's consent. Lizzy and Mr Bennet talk about if the engagement is a good idea. She explains how she came to love him. Mrs Bennet now likes Darcy.

Chap 60: Lizzy asks about when and how he started liking her. "I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun" They mention Lydia and Lady Catherine. Lizzy writes to Mrs Gardiner, Darcy to Lady Catherine, and Mr Bennet to Mr Collins. Lady Catherine's enraged. Mr Collins and Charlotte congratulate Darcy and Lizzy after fleeing.

Chap 61: Epilogue... Lizzy and Jane are married. Jane and Bingley move close enough to Lizzy and Darcy that they often visit a long time. Caroline and Lady Catherine got over themselves. Lydia and Wickham became so annoying to Bingley and Jane that he was contemplating giving them a hint at leaving. Lydia and Wickham become indifferent and are in constant money troubles, asking the older two for money. Darcy and Lizzy are happy to have the Gardiners over all the time anytime, they both love them dearly.

#jane austen #jane austin quote #pride and prejudice #elizabeth bennet #fitzwilliam darcy #jane bennet #lydia bennet #george wickham #lizzy bennet #the lizzie bennet diaries #charlotte lucas #colonol fitzwilliam #mr collins #charles bingley #georgiana darcy #these notes were SOOOO helpful during senior year of English while i was in high school

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