#credence deserved better

[obscurebelief]

First Shift (FB future HC)

Based on post-FB headcanons with Aurelius and Nagini getting together and having children. 

Got some inspiration from Origi. nals Klaus being there for Hope’s transformation.

Credence, now named Aurelius looked at his daughter with the same pride as any parent would. Tonight was a night that Nagini had feared for their child due to the blood curse. 

Not only did she receive her Hogwarts letter and celebrated, but her birthday was arriving at ten pm, that is where he wished Nagini was around. He did not know what to expect aside from what he was told, but she had left on unavoidable business no matter how much she begged for the night off. 

So he stayed with her. Their son was spending the night with Aberforth. While he stayed in their little cottage. 

He was reminded of werewolf transformations, but this was different, she would remain sane without potions, but the pain will still be similar the first time. He stayed with her as he remembered the first time his own Obscurus burst out. How afraid he was, in pain, confused. He refused to have his or any daughter deal with this alone.

No Maledictis or Obscurial should deal with being alone when they first transform, dangerous or otherwise. 

Melinda was sitting on the bed when it began. The cracking sound made her whine and writhe as her father comforted her. 

“I’m here. Let it flow, don’t fight it. If you fight against it, it will hurt so much more.” He did not allow her to think she was alone. He watched her breathe as she began to change. Bones breaking and realigning to her other form, her cries made his heart ache knowing there was nothing he could do to ease her pain. Slowly did her body change.

Only ones with the female linage would have the blood curse and to one day change and never become human again. It was a grief. But he remained proud of her. “Breathe deep.” 

She screamed out finally as she changed into another form unlike her mother’s. What had been his daughter, now lay a dark cat that shivered in some pain still before looking up at her father with the same dark eyes. 

“You’re so beautiful, Melinda.” He gently picks her up and walks to the door that he opened and sat on the porch with the cat. She stretched and moved her new form to test herself and her limits. “If you want to run, you may. Be back before dawn. Your mom will want to know you’re doing well. She will be so proud.” He smiles down at her as she meows up at him, hops down and began to run into Hogsmeade. 

Aurelius watching his daughter disappear into the night with a sadness and pride. His beloved and his daughter will one day be trapped in an animal’s body. He just hoped it will still be a long way from now. Or that a cure would stop the curse once and for all and make their animal forms nothing more than harmless Animagus forms.

[wizardingsouls]

tag dump seven ft. ensemble charas part 2 !!

[fangedmagick]

Territorial War of Siblings (VtM Lore)

It is almost common knowledge among New York’s kindred that the Barebone family are not friends and more enemies. 

Ask Chastity and she’ll say that Credence ruined her life and their goal. But ask Credence or Aurelius (same person) and he will give more detail that he killed their abusive and crazed cult leader mother and he accidentally hurt Chastity in the process. Mary Lou twisted Chastity that even in her un-life she carries her own twisted goals.

Credence had reunited with her after his embrace and escape. But she was to far gone, and tried to kill him in any way possible. He escaped with minor injuries, but he kept trying to mend the bond that he guessed was never there to begin with. 

But it all got to become a war of territory. He wanted to be left alone in his, she wanted everything. Finally the prince had to intervene due to Chastity nearly breaching the masquerade. But he begged she be spared, much to her rage. The prince ended the war but Chastity hated her brother more for sparing her life. It made her look like it was her fault when it was Credence’s fault. 

But the rule was set. No needless fight unless defense only. New York had no time for some old sibling rivalry.

Modesty, their youngest took her brother’s side but does not stay long in New York. Bad memories. And he himself leaves often to explore the world. Chasity is the only one that stays in New York.

Credence had no coterie of his own, save for the temporary kindred that come and go. Chastity has a herd of worshipping humans under her awe. Modesty explores, finding little reason to stay one place. 

In the modern nights, he has been known to find a few humans in Chastity’s territory and attempt to lead them out of her territory before they are found by her or her cult. He has a soft spot for some humans, only few know what he is. 

Every blue moon the Barebones have a territorial war for one reason or another. He does not start it usually, but he finishes it and leaves without care of the lives he took nor does she care about the lives spent, but her hate for him keeps growing. 

It is only a matter of time before one of them must meet the final death to stop this for good. And he dreads when that night comes and can’t bare to think of either dying for good. Because no matter what she does, he still loves his sister. 

[gentrychild]

so like, in the anyone AU where izuku can see the vestiges, how much screaming was there during the tartarus break in? and then in the later scene where afo makes breakfast? do any of them like... point out to izuku that this is not regular "afo to ofa holder" behaviour..?

Okay so you have to understand that as annoying as the vestiges are in this AU, they shut up when Izuku is working as a vigilante in order not to distract him when he is doing dangerous stuff and not endanger anyone's lives.

Tartarus was the exception.

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"I TOLD YOU TO ASK FOR TOSHINORI'S HELP! I TOLD YOU NOT TO GET INTO TARTARUS ON YOUR OWN!"

"The situation is under control!"

"THERE IS A TODDLER IN YOUR ARMS AND GUARDS WITH MACHINE GUNS RUNNING AFTER YOU!"

"All part of the plan!"

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"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH-"

"I am starting to believe you're acquainted with the gentleman... Ah, nevermind, he apparently knows I'm an OFA holder. Quite moving to finally see someone acknowledging that."

"Tell me, child, will he mourn you?"

"And just like that, my trust in an adult figure is once again broken."

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"I can't believe you gave me every reason under the sun to return that quirk back to All Might but you somehow forgot to mention the creepy guy who killed all of you."

"In our defense, we thought Eight had killed him."

"Now I am disappointed in All Might. I know he can do better than that."

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"I'm a good person. I don't deserve this."

"You're not a good person. But I was in the back room so tell me what he did this time."

"He hugged me."

"You're right. No one deserves this."

"Thank you, Second."

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"Alright, I am going to ask you a serious question and I expect a serious answer because I am self aware enough to know that I don't have the best sense when it comes to judging what's normal: should I give any credence to Todoroki's powerpoint?"

"..."

"Well, since we have been together for a while and a lot of us have gotten fond of you (you're like that feral cat who keeps trying to bite us and wouldn't hesitate to maul us for quirks treats), I believe we have to tell you the truth-AAAAH"

"Yeah, Ninth, as Hisa... I mean, All for One's little brother, I can confirm that he is creepy with everyone and not to pay any attention to that powerpoint. But if you want to call me Uncle, you can definitely do it."

"Thank you, First."

[unofficial-sean]

On Helicoprion's Pelvic Fins (or lack thereof)

For about a year, now, I've been wracking my mind on the subject of the latest reconstruction of the extinct holocephalan[1] Helicoprion[2]. By all other accounts the latest reconstruction, which can be viewed below, is the best it's ever been. The iconic Eugeneodontid[3] tooth whorl fits into the jaw in a logical way and lends credence to our present understanding of its diet.

But, as you gaze further posterior, you may notice something queer: no pelvic or anal fins. Now, a not-insignificant number of living chondrichthyes[4] lack anal fins. This is not out of the realm of imagination. But the same cannot be said of the pelvic fins, which aid in control and stabilization and also serve as the girdle for which claspers are attached to in males. All living chondrichthyes possess pelvic fins; from chimaeras like Hydrolagus colliei[5], to sharks like Hexanchus griseus[6], to skates[7] like Raja binoculata[8].

(Hydrolagus colliei)

(Hexanchus griseus)

(Raja binoculata)

So, why are they missing in our latest reconstruction? I made attempts last year to reach out to the researcher responsible for our modern understanding of Helicoprion, Jesse Pruitt (whose lecture on his research set me off on this journey), through LinkedIn, but I never got a response. Looking through my message history, though, the conversation appears to have disappeared, making me wonder if I'd actually sent it at all.

This morning, I tried again. I drafted up my question and reasoning and sent it to Pruitt's LinkedIn and ResearchGate profiles, and I sent it to the Idaho Visualization Laboratory (IVL) which made the Helicoprion model. I had expected considerable delay, but to my mirth, I got a response this afternoon.

On behalf of IVL, Leif Tapanila responded to my email with answers. As it were, other Eugeneodontids from the Carboniferous and Permian periods were preserved better than our Helicoprion specimens. Specimens of Fadenia[9] and Romerodus[10] were preserved very well with full-body imprints in consistent shale rock.

(Fadenia)

(Romerodus)

These imprints lack pelvic fins. Considering their close relation to Helicoprion, this absence was assumed for the visualization. I've inquired after Edestus[11], another Eugeneodontid of the same era, since there are many specimens and imprints, however fragmentary. I have yet to receive an answer, but when I do, I will update this post.

(Edestus)

I was determined to find some oversight, since holocephalan specimens from the Devonian period include pelvic fins in their reconstruction, but it seems the facts have dissolved my suspicions. I wanted to share this with you all, since I cannot edit Wikipedia articles (much to my dismay, as I have learned much and more in my studies of H. griseus that I want to add to its page). This knowledge deserves to be shared, since I find it ponderous.

Until next time,

[1] Subclass of chondrichthyes, containing contemporary chimaeras.

[2] Extinct eugeneodontid. Etymology translates to "Spiral saw"

[3] Order of holocephalan characterized by tooth "whorls" and inability to shed teeth.

[4] Class of chordate (vertebrate) characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton

[5] Chimaera known as the "spotted ratfish"

[6] Hexanchiform known as "bluntnose sixgill shark"

[7] Order of elasmobranch "Rajiformes," adjacent to rays.

[8] Rajiform known as "big skate" (no, really. haha)

[9] Eugeneodontid from the Carboniferous, Permian, and Triassic period

[10] Eugeneodontid from the Carboniferous period

[11] Eugeneodontid from the Carboniferous period characterized by its scissor-like teeth and jaws.

[candy-corn-slut]

I’ve been saying a lot that the show is not going to have a great first season bc tv shows rarely do. It takes time for the writers to find their footing, the actors to settle into the characters, the set design and all the various pieces to start to come together and be incredible. However. I believe the shows ability to improve will rely on the writers ability to take (good faith) criticism and make improvements. Whether the next seasons are better depends on a few things:

1. Timing, the kids already look much older than they did during the filming of season 1, if they put it off too long, the show runs the risk of stranger things-ing, a phenomenon where child actors become adult actors before their child characters become adult characters. We need walker to not be 25 when the last Olympian films (if it films). Disney will have to move quickly to renew and start filming season 2 to avoid this

2. Pacing. Maybe Disney will see the complaints about length and give the future seasons more/longer episodes. If not, the writers have got to account for that and they have got to be willing to make sacrifices. No one wants to see plot points dropped, but it’s not much (if at all) better to see all the plot points poorly carried out. The audience needs time to breathe. We need time for the points to sit. We cannot maintain this agonizingly quick pacing whereby one thing happens and we move on immediately to the next. It kills tension!

3. Tension. This show lacked tension badly. Almost every reveal was disappointing (when, as someone who has read the books so many times I can practically recite them from memory, in the books they are not). They are figuring things out so. quickly. And for what? To immediately move on to the next thing. Obviously there is credence for them knowing about the myths, percy being taught by his mom, annabeth studying this stuff since she was 7, but the tension in the books isn’t from a lack of knowledge, it’s an inability to immediately identify the danger because it looks different in the modern era than it was in the original stories. The lotus island was an island, it wasn’t a casino, it should have been harder to spot (even with the name), Procrustus (or however it’s spelled) wasn’t a fucking bed salesman. There is nuance. That’s part of why the books are so magical. They reframe old stories for the modern world. This is so lost in the show.

4. Characterization. Annabeth is so stoic. Percy isn’t very quippy. Grover is so sure of himself. None of these things are true in the books. Annabeth is geeky, percy is sassy (all the time, not just occasionally, I need more seaweed brain moments, him trying to place the myth), Grover has been badly burned by the ordeal of taking annabeth, luke, and Thalia to camp; by losing Thalia. The council doesn’t trust him, he sees himself as a screwup. His growth comes in the form of forgiving himself and becoming more confident. More willing to stand up for himself and his friends. (If you can’t tell I’m the most irritated by Grover’s thing). Sally has these moments where she (obv accidentally) makes percy believe she doesn’t want him??? Percy is so loved by sally, he has never once doubted that his mom cherishes him, even though he often believes he doesn’t deserve that, because he wasn’t a “good kid” (by his own metric)

If the writers are willing to tackle these (and other) issues, I think the show could be really great, even if it won’t be a beat for beat recreation of the books. But if the writers (Rick) stick their heads in the sand and insist that they know best and that every critic is unreasonable? The show won’t improve. It’ll be mediocre, and I doubt I’ll watch it.

[givemeanaccountalready]

Points of Origin & Paths to Take (Part 3)

1 / 2 / 3

This ‘series’ of posts isn’t dead. I’m just dragging my feet to see what second trial verdict Amane gets (and because of life stuff). I’m already going to be guessing for Mikoto and Kotoko. I’d like for Amane’s to be more solid. She deserves it.

Content warning for brain death, death of a loved one, and suicide.

Shidou & Mahiru: the Absence of Knowledge

Which will you choose / to deceive or be the deceiver?

I don’t just want to give / both giving and receiving are good things

Personally, these two intrigue me, but they don't ensnare me the way Haruka, Yuno, and Fuuta do. They were actually the pair whose 'absence of' was determined last, because I couldn't find the right word to describe what caused both their murders. Ultimately, I decided on the absence of knowledge.

My friend (the one who introduced my feral self to this fandom) and I actually disagree on Shidou’s crime. And I’m open to any disagreements on what I’m saying, particularly this one, because the absence of knowledge being the cause is kind of weak compared to the first two installments of this series. She thinks that Shidou is a lying liar who lies similar to Kazui, and that he killed patients to feed his God complex. Personally, I think he has more of a savior complex than a God one, and that he only considers himself a killer because taking his wife off of life support made him realize what he had asked all of those families of brain-dead patients to do. Had his wife (or sons) never been injured to the point of brain death where pulling the plug became a conversation he received rather than gave, Shidou wouldn’t have come to this conclusion. As in, Shidou literally didn’t know any better and when he experienced the same situation that his patients’ families were in, the man was crushed from guilt born of his newfound empathy. This theory sprouted from what Shidou said during his second voice drama and from the glitched line from the Trial One trailer:

“Not dead… Yeah, she’s definitely not dead… I finally understand what I’ve been robbing people of…”

I think that his insistence that he’s evil comes from his desire to die (and presumably to reunite with his late family), instead of him committing malicious medical malpractice. I’ve done some poking around and brain death isn’t something that can be healed. It’s beyond a severe brain injury; it’s when all brain function permanently ceases to exist and there isn’t a chance of the person breathing on their own, much less regaining consciousness. However, brain death can be misdiagnosed, even if the physician checks the entire brain. With this information, and I think that Shidou’s dedication to the Flower Person (probably his wife) from “Throw Down” is supposed to represent his devotion to proving that his wife wasn’t brain dead without a shadow of doubt, which may (probably) not be what he did for the patients in his care. Or that he probably pushed her up the line for experimental surgeries to try and revive her. Again, probably not what he did with his patients. It's possible that once his wife either succumbed to her injuries or he did take her off life support (symbolized by the Flower Person falling apart in “Throw Down”), he then fully realized why the families of his brain-dead patients hesitated to do the same and that's when he dubbed himself a murderer. You would think, Shidou’s glitchy line from the Trial Two trailer would dissuade me from ‘local man experiences empathy for the first time’ theory versus ‘manipulative serial killer’ one, but uhhhhhh yeah, let’s look at it:

“Hurry up and die already.”

I have a separate theory that involves that the Trial One trailer are the lines spoken AFTER the prisoners realize what they have done while Trial Two comes at the point of no turning back, when the prisoners doom themselves to committing their murders. Now, if I’m right… good for me, that adds credence to my belief that not only did Shidou have shit bedside manner, but also that he wasn’t doing everything he could to save his patients once he considered them beyond the point of no return. “Hurry up and die,” could have been said to a patient that was wavering between the brain death diagnosis criteria and he’s displaying his frustration with his inability to save someone else by being a callous dick, or maybe it’s his wife that he’s talking to since she’s the one kicking off his journey to empathy, and he’s asking her to die so he doesn’t have to feel the guilt of pulling the plug.

I would love for Shidou’s third video to show what exactly he meant when he said he was doing experiments in the name of science. He’s a relatively young doctor. I don’t think the hospital was letting him reenact Frankenstein. And not to sound flippant, but I think we’re probably going to see his family die in the third video. If the pomegranate/toe tag given to the older son in “Triage” means anything, it most likely will be a failed organ transplant. Maybe that son died on the operating table during a surgery Shidou pushed for. I think that Shidou, with his newfound empathy, will never forgive himself for pulling the plug on his wife and encouraging the families of past patients to do the same. I almost want to give him a Guilty verdict for the third trial, because I don’t think he’ll even heal unless he gets the rebuke he’s searching for. A little self-flagellation for the soul…

As for Mahiru, what does loving have to do with knowledge? By her own admission, she is a sheltered girl, and it wasn’t until the second music video that we got to see her boyfriend and, more importantly, how he ‘handled’ her love. Where Shidou lacked the emotional know-how to give him perspective, Mahiru lacked the practical experience to give her perspective.

I’m split between if this was supposed to be a suicide pact and Mahiru couldn’t go through with it or Mahiru, miss ‘I’ll pick up smoking if my love smokes’, encouraged and/or enabled the self-destructive habits of her boyfriend until he killed himself. Of these two prisoners, Shidou was found innocent while Mahiru was found guilty. Shidou seemed to have a crisis until caring for Kotoko’s victims gave him purpose (he seems to need to find the meaning in things in order to understand them but can’t see past his own biases). Mahiru, on the other hand, has a crisis of faith but ultimately resolves during her second voice drama that a life without love is not worth living.

I think that through all her denial, Mahiru knows she is at fault for her boyfriend’s suicide. In “This is how to Be in Love with You,” we see snapshots focused on Mahiru and what she thought of their relationship (her perspective only). Ignoring the lyrics, her song is a bop and a half and the video is fun and happy. Looking at the lyrics reminds me of what I felt when I read the lyrics to "Pumped Up Kicks” for the first time: concern. Her idea of love isn’t healthy or sustainable, contradicting her initial insistence that it was true and right. We don’t even see her boyfriend until Day 12 or so, and it’s his hand. In “I Love You”, we see him. He doesn’t have a name, but we now have a face to her victim. It’s harder to ignore the fact that her love killed somebody because now we see the effect of it.

The lyrics of her second song definitely have more bite to them compared to her first song. I do love the bridge in “I Love You”:

“Saying I love you, but doing what I did / I know I have no right, crossed and covered in sin / My love it scored an own goal, destroyed my love and me with its weight / Tell me, oh tell me, can’t I just do it right?”

I think this is the bridge. Whatever it is, the beat is great and the lyrics hit in terms of character development. And while I’m upset that Mahiru is in a lot of emotional pain over her verdict, I do think it was necessary. Her idea of what love is needed to be challenged which is what the guilty verdict did. Being in love isn’t just something that Mahiru desires (since her love misadventure is documented in a fashion magazine of a music video in “This is How to Be in Love with You” from her POV only), but something that affects her and another person. We see her boyfriend turn from healthy to gaunt in the blink of an eye. He fed her cake, and when she thinks she is returning the favor with a bigger slice of cake, it turns out that she’s feeding him rats. She now acknowledges that the love they shared wasn’t healthy, and while it was possible that she could have come around to this idea with an Innocent verdict in Trial One, I don’t think we would have seen the flashes of her skeletal boyfriend before the carousel stopped in her second trial music video. I think we would have only gotten an image of his healthy self until the very end when their unhealthy cycle stopped for good with his suicide.

In “This is How to Be in Love with You” Mahiru is in a bird cage when she isn’t in a magazine article. We get to see her clutch the bars of her cage and then turn away (confronting the idea that she could be wrong and then dismissing it). In “I Love You” Mahiru and her boyfriend are on a carousel when they’re not traipsing through the woods or snuggling on the couch in the ruined bird cage (Guilty verdict destroyed that schema). Mahiru’s insistence that it was just normal love falls apart as her shoujo filter flickers out and we see the reality of things. Hence, the cake turned rat image burned into the audience’s mind.

First, we saw Mahiru stuck in her own ideas (the birdcage), and then we saw her deal with the reality of what she has done (the shoujo filter dies and we see the carousel stop despite the best efforts to keep them going), so I think her third trial video is going to involve her moving around a lot as she heals up from her injuries and first trial verdict. She’s not going to get stuck in a mental cage or loop. At least… I’m hoping that she gets to develop the idea that she was wrong but she can get better and heal.

Just to sum things up, Shidou and Mahiru both seemed to have learned from Trial One, although this is more obvious in Mahiru. Their videos are almost guaranteed to get more explicit (or fill in gaps) in the next trial.

Shidou’s death wish is definitely returning come Trial Three. Looking through the lyrics of “Triage”, he is only fine with an Innocent verdict because his medical skills are needed. The end of the third trial means that his work isn’t needed anymore, so he most likely is going to argue again with Es for a Guilty verdict and the death penalty. Flowers are probably going to be in his third music video because they have during the first two, and I wonder if rotten fruit will make an appearance again. Shidou does seem to comprehend the gravity of what he did when he asked his patients’ families to take them off life support. Hopefully, his video will show that. That or prove he’s an unrepentant serial killer.

As for Mahiru, I’m curious as to what imagery she’ll have. Her first music video has a magazine and bird cage imagery. The second has her with her boyfriend in the forest and the ruined bird cage living room and a carousel. I want to say, now that she’ll probably step out of the cage or get off the carousel and then walk some kind of path as she takes us through what she did to drive (or, at least help push) her boyfriend over the edge. Maybe it will have a photo album motif? She could close the ‘book’ and set it down, showing that she realizes what she has done.

4 / 5

[dolphin1812]

I love that Hugo excuses this digression-within-a-digression as a “story-teller’s right;” he’s at least aware enough of how far from the main narrative he is that he’s explaining it.

(The digressions are fun to read, but they’re also fun to mock)

For all that Hugo claims he won’t “pretend” to write a history of the Battle of Waterloo, pleading ignorance to military strategy, he does speak of it a great deal. On the one hand, he says he does not write as a historian because it’s unnecessary; Napoleon himself, along with various historians, has already given excellent accounts of the battle. On the other, he specifies the framework through which he’s approaching the battle:

“As for us, we leave the historians at loggerheads; we are but a distant witness, a passer-by on the plain, a seeker bending over that soil all made of human flesh, taking appearances for realities, perchance; we have no right to oppose, in the name of science, a collection of facts which contain illusions, no doubt; we possess neither military practice nor strategic ability which authorize a system; in our opinion, a chain of accidents dominated the two leaders at Waterloo; and when it becomes a question of destiny, that mysterious culprit, we judge like that ingenious judge, the populace.”

Here, Hugo presents himself as two voices: his own (as a passerby) and the voice of the “populace.” In both cases, he emphasizes the people. As a “passer-by”, he sees the soil as being “made of human flesh,” prioritizing the ordinary soldiers (and civilians, as seen in the last chapter) who died at Waterloo over the famed generals who fought there. He also presents his perspective as being akin to that of the “populace” rather than the professionals (Napoleon, as a general, historians) who narrate the battle, asserting that the people are an “ingenious judge” and, consequently, are the ones who truly evaluate these sorts of events. Perhaps those historians and military figures are better qualified to describe the military and strategic aspects of Waterloo, but Hugo isn’t primarily focused on that; he’s interested in its impact, which is felt by the people who were there and the people who lived after it.

This return to the people is also contrasted with how he describes Napoleon as a “great man,” dedicating a full paragraph to questioning his stature before declaring that he deserved his fame as a general. While this does, in part, lend credence to his claim that Waterloo was lost for environmental (the rain) rather than strategic reasons, it also juxtaposes this “titanic charioteer of destiny” with those who live with the consequences of that “destiny,” whatever it may be. Hugo’s not exactly attacking the obsession with these “great men” here, as he praises the works dealing with them, but he is distancing himself from that kind of writing. Still, he also makes certain that his praise of Napoleon as a general is very clear, softening the prioritization of the people over him.

[emeraldties]

Are you Happy? Cour 2 Review:

This is fine. We're fine.

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR TIGER AND BUNNY COUR 2 BEWARE.

I'm a changed man after all this I'll tell you that. This is gonna be kinda long so... read at your own peril lol

Chronologically, this is a mess but whatever. I need to get this out there before I explode and accidentally spoil this for my friend.

We're starting off positive because we're making a sandwich right now and I really did enjoy this season. It definitely took a turn that I did NOT expect in a million years.

Fire Emblem. I loved their characterization in the Rising and this season in particular. That scene where they are talking to Keith about their suits was *chef's kiss*. How, despite amassing a successful company, when they became a hero they worried about what it took to be a hero. To have people look to you for protection, to feel safe in your company. It lends credence to the eventual conclusion Kotetsu comes to at the end of the season about what being a hero is. I loved every conversation between FireSky.

I want to know the source of Barnaby's new disability. I just wanna know. Phantom pain? Hundred power putting stain on a weakened knee. I MUST KNOW.

Oh, how the tables have turned. It's Kotetsu's turn to bridal carry Bunny.

Mattia... really had me going there was a second. Jesus Christ. I was sweating. Not again. Not again, please.

Blue Rose. I also really enjoyed her characterization this season especially. We meet her in season one as a hot-headed kid who just wanted to be a pop star, and now, we get to see her become an amazing hero. My little girl has grown up brooooo I'm so proud.

She's become so mature and her outlook on life has broadened in a lot of ways, specifically regarding her crush on Kotetsu (which I think we all, as kids, have had crushes on adults. It's up to those adults to not take advantage of those feelings if they do notice... which Kotetsu doesn't, not that he would ever do anything if he did). She let her feelings wash over her, and made healthy friendships with the other heroes to the point where her feelings for Kotetsu became something in the background. She didn't stop liking Kotetsu, she just accepted that it wouldn't happen. And I don't think season 1 Karina would have accepted that conclusion... you know with the whole "how to bag single dads" thing lol.

Golden Ryan? I'll kiss your boots any day

Kid. I love her. She's my child. It's whatever. Adoption papers signed. Shion hairclip is given. Been my kid for 7 years.

Origami and Bison's relationship is just so funny to me. I don't know why. It just is. They're stupid. They're too smart for their own good. They're buddy heroes.

Me and the homies know the real villains of this season were the Mayor and the police. Ouroboros just played their cards right.

Fuck you Mayor whatever and your approval ratings. Your son's a NEXT but I bet he didn't get shoved into a dingy little camp now did he? Segregation? I can't believe I'm saying this, but if Maverick were here this would have never happened. He had that man's balls in a chokehold. Sorry. Rant over.

I love you Doc Saito and your crowded little coffin of a lab.

Bunny, Tiger, and Lunatic teaming up? When I tell you I screamed. I fucking SCREAMED.

Okay. Now for the... NEGATIVES. Sorry. BIG SPOILER MASSIVE SPOILER TIME.

Yuri Petrov deserved better. I don't know what else to say. But also I knew that his arc would either end in death or reformation. I just wish it was the latter. I probably have more to say, but I haven't fully articulated it yet. But I'm sad.

The Nemochild's (I forgot her name) motive was a bit... lackluster. Hotness can't make up for everything I suppose.

I wish we had more work put into her in Cour 1, like Mugan and Fugan and Brahe, then maybe I wouldn't have felt nothing when she died.

Now, this is the Taibani nitpicker within me, so it's not a genuine criticism, more of a wish than anything else. I wish Kotetsu had gotten his hands on Mattia's drug in the middle of the fight and injected himself with it to save Barnaby. I think that would have been more dramatic and it would have made more sense why he lost his powers in the end. Because the drug would have unforeseen consequences, instead of the All Might "I used up all my reserves of power" moment.

Also, I'm gonna need some answers on this segregation thing. Conclusion? Please?

No drinks? No dinner? I've been robbed. And so has Kotetsu.

Not enough Ben. That's the real fatal flaw of this season. 0/10.

I said this was a sandwich so back to the POSITIVES:

I'm really interested in the way Tiger and Bunny depict abusive parents.

I think we see that with Yuri, Barnaby, and Cat. There is a bittersweetness. A soft underbelly to these incredibly strong characters. Despite all that their respective parents have put them through, there is still the ghost of fondness there. A refusal to treat their parents with the same flippancy toward their feelings their parents had all their lives.

Barnaby still keeps a picture of Maverick on his table, he got what he wanted. His parents' killer is dead. But that doesn't change the fact that Maverick had been his only pillar of support for so many years. Even if it was all fake. It's a trophy of a pyrrhic victory that he can't bear to give up or look at.

I was struck by how gently Yuri treated his mother. In season one, there is love there, but also betrayal in both parts. She blames her son for protecting her, and he blames her for not protecting him or herself. He regards her with coldness and resentment.

In this season, he seemed to have lost his fight. He brushes her hair, he doesn't argue, he agrees with whatever she says, he's attentive. In a lot of ways, he's forgiven her in a way she will never forgive him. But he hasn't forgotten. But he's gentle.

His relationship with his father is different. It's tainted. There's guilt. Grief. Sadness. Relief. Resentment. Love. It's a lot. I'm sure my heartbroken Yuri stans can articulate this better than I can.

Cat, she's the only one with an abusive parent who is alive, but she has shown tremendous strength. For the most part, she talks to a brick wall. Her mom doesn't take no for an answer. She pushed her daughter into a job that is made for adults but continuously treats her like an infant. She is a weird amalgamation of a helicopter parent and a negligent one... she's a beauty pageant mom. except with more guns and life-threatening situations.

Cat exerts her autonomy, she branches away from her mother and rebels against the very ideals that she had tried to instill in her. at the end of the day, your child is not a mini you, don't treat them like they are. And Cat's arc wasn't about admitting her mom was wrong for treating her that way, it was about telling her, putting her foot down, and standing up for herself. No take-backs, no backpedaling. Which is sometimes the hardest thing you can do, especially as a kid.

(still, her mom had every right to insist that she come along with her child to a CAMP filled with random people. She's still 13.)

Tiger found out about Mr. Legend. TIGER FOUND OUT ABOUT MR. LEGEND. And got a bit pissy about the fact that Yuri insinuated that he was anything like his father, and honestly, I think that was a really in-character response from both of them. Kotetsu wasn't tactful, and Yuri was accusatory. I really liked that conversation because it wasn't perfect, in a lot of ways they didn't say the "right" thing. And that made it all the more well-written.

THEY WENT ROGUE. BROOOOOOOOOO. AGHHHHH. TOGETHERRRRR. I'm not crying.

Barnaby is. That goes in positives. I just wish they animated Barnaby's tears because we've established that Kotetsu can really discern Barnaby's emotions with his eyes. It isn't a season end without a few blubbery tears and a bridal carry.

WHEW. I'm done. Holy shit. I feel like I haven't scratched the surface of what I think but I guess that's what ao3 is for.

There are a lot of loose ends, and I don't know if they will be tied. Crossing my fingers for a season 3 or a movie because I think they really have introduced a lot of cool concepts that I would like to see explored.

At the end of the day, I've just got a genuine love for all these characters, and I've loved this show since I was 13. Now I'm older, and a little nostalgia addled. And maybe that makes me see things through some rose-tinted cat frame glasses. But I gotta ask you guys;

Are you happy?

[extasiswings]

I’m so on the fence about being a Coma!Buck Truther. I agreed with a lot of the things you mentioned around doubts that that’s where the writers are going (particularly the fact that it doesn’t seem to be 911 OG’s style to do a full on coma dream). But the one thread of bts/spoilers that sort of pulls me to the coma!buck side is the ep title “in another life” paired with the BTS (pics/vids?) we saw of Oliver in that very Not Buck outfit. That’s the thing that —to me— is giving the most credence to the Coma!Buck theory, bc I can’t figure another way around that piece that doesn’t indicate someone is dreaming about a “what if” life.

Here, I’ll give you an explanation that makes it work without coma!Buck really easily:

That outfit? Screams “trying too hard.” I would not remotely be surprised to see Buck wear that with his parents, especially if they’re in a weird space with their relationship (likely not only because their relationship is strained and weird to begin with and we know the writers are throwing the sperm donor thing into the mix and that we’re going to find out how the Buckleys feel about it). It’s an outfit that strikes us as wrong and uncomfortable and not!Buck, but that makes perfect sense as reflective of Buck’s emotional state regarding the sperm donation arc and with respect to the complexity of Buck’s relationship with his parents and the way he does in many ways become someone else around them.

“In another life” doesn’t have to be about Buck dreaming about a fantasy life. We can already guess at the underlying theme: in another life, Daniel would have lived, in another life, Buck’s parents would have loved him the way he deserved, in another life, he wouldn’t have ended up the way he is, mired in abandonment trauma stemming from their neglect to the point where he feels like self-harm is the way to get attention and affection, in another life, he would have been a person instead of a collection of parts. Buck dreaming about what that life looks like does nothing—not for him and not for the audience. Instead, arguably the more effective and powerful execution of digging into that is by showing Buck’s reality—because we don’t actually know what their relationship looks like now, post-Love Me Anyway and Buck Begins. And what role does the sperm donation have to play? Will the fact that Buck has maybe been able to give another couple a child when he wasn’t enough to save the child his parents loved most be a positive thing in their eyes? Will it change things between them all for the better? (Or, more to the point—to what extent, even subconsciously, is Buck doing this because he THINKS it might do just that, and might finally get him the love and respect etc they withheld from him for so long?)

The writers have already raised this concept of fantasy vs reality, and even more specifically, the idea of fantasies not measuring up to reality (especially with regard to Buck). “In another life” everything could have been different for him and his childhood and his family—we know that. But there’s an uncomfortable reality that honestly no matter how his parents react to the sperm donor situation (or anything else he might do with his life)—positive or negative—Buck’s never going to be able to have that life, he can’t turn back the clock and magically erase the trauma of his childhood, the damage that his parents did to both him and Maddie. That fantasy isn’t achievable. If there is one thing Buck needs to realize it’s that there is absolutely nothing that is going to “fix him” other than him sitting down and actually doing the messy, painful, ugly work of healing. There is no “other” life—there is the one he has, and accepting that is the first step in his true recovery.

[sunspira]

this is really really good i've been trying to find words for it. it also leads into my feeling that a lot of white girls in general especially lily white american skinny white girls from evangelical christian south find words like beast disgusting slug gremlin as freeing and affirming and a departure from the restrictive dainty little box they were pushed into. but simultaneously a lot of girls who are not white find those terms degrading and insulting and misogynistic and not feeling to reclaim at all and are like "don't call me that 😑" because they have been boxed into a very dehumanizing and animalistic and dirty image pushed on them under racism and misogynior and have had the humanity to be seen as remotely delicate or innocent stolen from them for as long as they can remember as little girls. i think some anger towards her post coming from chicks who are not terfs is rooted in this disconnect.

i think miss cain is similar to a lot of white girls where she is completely unaware of how her white privilege impacts her self image and can make her oblivious to what words are inadvertently and inappropriately cruel and cut deep for women of color who love trans women but do not want to have their vagine called disgusting and beastly with thick coarse dark manly hair thrown back in their face by a white girl in an attempt to be affirming and feminist. by a white southern daughter of all things, which isn't exactly enormously privileged over me but comes from a world that is so , so different to me and a womanhood so linked to old americana and emblematic throughout media and is more mainstream. idk maybe if it was a black southern trans woman posting this it would feel more earned and have that affirming and box escaping impact for women of color. while coming from white queer people can be so sour tasting. now let's be really clear all that was NOT the intent and she was clearly saying all that directed at other white girls in her music scene who are very transphobic. I say this more the sense of us understanding why some trans women or trans positive onlookers from outside her very skinny white alt girl rebel scene found all that kind of obnoxious. i am always interested in how gender role defiance affirmation can be so different depending on if society has infantilized you or animalized you as a woman.

the post in question

i can definitely look at this girl and her blog and be like ok you're achieving fragile and delicate tomboy rebellious femininity better than me please don't tell me how gross dirty oily and beastly 'our' slug body is. like you're completely right ideologically and you and i should not feel ashamed of our bodies and being trans is a huge factor in this that i think gives her a lot more credence to reclaim masculinized insults. but every time girls like this do it there's some bitter taste in the mouth for sure and i think she passes so well as a cis girl who is also otherwise all those traditionally feminine things under white supremacy i struggle to see her trans marginalization over her other glaring privileges and perhaps that's why i and others felt annoyed with her too. which is why i needed to unpack for a while, both on my shortcomings and hers. not because she is in the wrong nor deserved hate but because women across backgrounds body types sexualities ethnicities races cultures nationalities have so many different forms of misogyny pushed on us. until what can feel revolutionary freeing and affirming for one girl can instead almost mimic the restrictive status quo beating us into a forcibly masculinized self image once again. this can be addressed collaboratively and in good faith though like by no means am i saying one girls masc presentation is oppressing or hurting me. only that some self expressions by women will feel a bit mid for other chicks and it helps and brings a sense of peace and unity to think on various greater reasons why and still love and accept gross gremlin feminism for what it is and the good it's doing

[riddle-me-ri]

Hey i was wondering if you could do a dano!Riddler x reader where the reader asks Eddie to watch Saw and he loves the traps

A/N: Hell yeah I can! Because he'd be all over that! I'm not gonna lie, when I saw the rat maze contraption around the commissioner's head I was reminded of the reverse bear trap. It wouldn't surprise me if Reeves also took inspiration from Palpat-I mean John Kramer (oops, it's the robe sorry not sorry) for inspiration. Hope you guys enjoy it! Also! anything both bolded and italicized is a quote from the film...no I didn't rewatch the first Saw for this...maybe...

Trigger Warnings: spoilers for Saw 1 (albeit it's like almost 20 years old rip), demented thoughts of violence and murder, cause duh. Although nothing is explicitly described, gore-wise.

Word Count: 1.5 k

Dano!Riddler x Reader - Wanna Play a Game?

Once Edward’s swirling vengeful thoughts got combined with indisputable facts he found. Facts that gave credence to his underlying hatred and proved that Gotham City is corrupt and that something has to be done. 

He had to do something. 

To don a mask, be a symbol for the city and its elite that chooses to reap not from what they've sown but from those that suffer and without consequence.

"Hey Eddie, wanna watch a movie tonight? I think you'll really enjoy this one!"

Ah, and then there was you. 

You deserved so much better. You deserved a city that cared, a city that helped, and a city that loved. When you two had met, Edward saw light for the very first time in Gotham. 

You two were regulars at the diner down the street from his apartment only to find out you lived in the same complex. It still confounds him that you were still here, you chose to stay here. That you chose to stay…and stay with him.

He had to do something, he had to make the city better. Better for you, to make space for your light to shine through. 

"C-Coming!" Edward tucked his pen in between the pages of his ledger, marked where he left off and pushed the pad to the side. 

The unmistakable sound of popping, signaled him to know you were in the kitchen. However he turned to look and the microwave was on but you weren't there. 

"Gotcha!" You wrapped your arms around his soft frame and leaned your head into his back. 

Ed jolted but instantly relaxed when he felt your familiar warmth. He placed his arms around yours and chuckled softly. 

"Did I scare you?" You asked.

He turned down to see your face squished against his green sweatshirt. Your eyes creased from your wide smile as you beamed at him. Beamed him with your light. 

He chuckled softly, “you did! You got me!” 

You giggled. You squeezed your grasp around him one more time before tending to the freshly popped popcorn in the microwave. 

“Go sit down on the couch. I’ll be right there!” 

“Okay, what exactly are we watching tonight?” 

“Well, since it’s spoopy season, I figured we can start with a modern classic slasher flick.”

Ed took a seat on the couch and bunched up the quilt over his lap. His head popped up at your statement, his eyebrows quirked in confusion. 

“Did you just say…spoopy?”

You nod. “Yeah, why?”

“Don’t you mean spooky?”

You shrugged, “but spoopy is cuter, and I’m cute so it’s well within my cuteness privileges to use it.”

Ed blinked to try and process this new information, but you are cute and he wasn’t going to argue that fact. He nodded, “point taken.”

“That also means you can say it too.” You hopped on the cushion next to him. Some popcorn flying out of the bowl. Ed laughed before taking the bowl from you so you could get under the covers and comfortable. 

When it finally hit Edward’s mind what you were implying. Ed’s face started to flush a faint pink color. Ed chuckled shyly, “i-it may take awhile to get used to that.”

“What spoopy?”

“Well, yes, but mostly being referred to as cute…” 

You smiled sweetly before you lean in to plant a sweet kiss on his cheek. “Just you wait, Nashton. I’ll have you believe a lot of things about yourself as straight facts!”

He shook his head bashfully, he doesn’t fully believe you, but he sure won’t stop you from trying. 

“Anyway, have you ever heard of the Saw movies? They’re pretty gruesome but they’ve become classics in their own right.”

“I-I think so…I’ve seen the puppet character on a tricycle, but that’s it.”

“Ah, yeah, that’s Billy, I think you’ll like it. Atleast the first one, there’s like seven or eight of these. The first three aren’t so bad. You ready?” You asked as you snuggled into Edward’s side.

“Ready when you are.” He smiled as he wrapped an arm around you, perfectly encased you into him. 

You pressed play. 

“I want to play a game.”

Little did you know of just how much you just opened up to Edward’s mind. 

The traps were primitive, solvable, but excruciating and gruesome. 

The victims, the people who didn’t appcreciate their lives. The panic and fear in their wide bloodshot eyes. Their fictional lives flashing before their eyes as they struggle to survive.

This is what Edward wants the mayor, the DA, the commissioner…most of all Carmine Falcone to endure. To bring forth his own renewal.

What if the traps weren’t solvable…well…not the traps themselves…

The scene with Jigsaw’s second victim began. A naked man named Mark is smothered in flammable gel but must use the burning candle to illuminate the safe combinations to get access to the antidote for a slow-acting poison running in his veins. Meanwhile, slowly cut his feet with every step he took on the glass-covered floor.

What if it was another puzzle they had to solve…a cypher…riddles…?

Ed’s eyes widened at that idea. You looked over and notice your boyfriend went pretty quiet, but it was obvious he was very engrossed in what was going on. You had a feeling he’d be into it. 

You just had no idea how right you were. 

Whenever a new trap, a new game as Jigsaw put it, showed up on screen; you felt Edward squeezed your hand but he never once wavered his view away from the screen. To say he was transfixed was an understatement. 

You had no doubt his mind was going into hyperdrive. Analyzing all the possibilities, the set-ups, the machinations of the traps, the clues, and how he’d escape and outsmart the killer. You didn’t doubt he would probably realize the twist to it all and how everyone left was theoretically connected.

Well, you were partially right. Yes, Ed did figure out the connection between the men in bathroom, and he did deduce Jigsaw to Kramer. 

“-sick of people who don’t appreciate their blessings! Sick of those who scoff at the suffering of others! I’m sick of it all!” 

Yes, Edward Nashton was sick of it too. 

As Jigsaw closed the doors on one of the victims, Adam, in the dilapidated bathroom to rot. The film ended and the credits began to roll. 

“Well, whatcha think, Eddie?” 

You shook him when there was no response. “Ed.”

“Hm?”

“What do you think? Pretty smart, huh? Amazing what two film graduates and a 1.2 million dollar budget can pull off…” 

“Y-Yeah, that…that was definitely intriguing.” He nodded. His brain was still taking it all in. This was how he could do it…how he could set forth his own renewal for Gotham, in his own way. 

You got up to put away the empty popcorn bowl in the sink and to get a fresh beverage from the fridge. Ed was still on the couch, lingering in his own thoughts. 

“Hey…uh..Y/N?”

“Yeah, babe?”

He inhaled a little, he wasn’t used to that term of endearment either. “Didn’t you say this was a series?”

“Yeah, they made like eight different ones…I think the last two were spin-offs though. Why?” You came back from the kitchen, you had your preferred drink in one hand, and a hot chocolate for Edward in the other. 

“C-Could we watch the next one, i-if you don’t mind that is…”

“No not at all, I’m surprised, you seem really into it.” You smiled, happy to see Edward enjoying something new, somewhat. 

You set your drink down and go to set up the next film. You didn’t even notice Ed had leaped up from his seat and ran back to his office. When you turn around to take your seat, you saw him with one of his ledgers and a pen primed and ready on a blank page. 

You quirked your eyebrow, “is there a quiz on this I’m not aware about?” 

He looked up at you and then down at his supplies. He chuckles nervously, “oh…uh…no, no. Nothing like that, I just…wanna jot down these clues. I can only imagine things will get more complex with every new installment.”

You shrugged, he wasn’t necessarily wrong, and with how his brain worked it didn’t surprise you. He looked pretty cute wrapped up in a quilt with his pen and paper. Pushing his glasses back in their proper position. 

“Have I told you how absolutely adorable you are, Eddie?” You took your seat again, right next to him and under the quilt. You wrapped your arms around his and buried your cheek into his arm. 

“Y-Yes you’ve implied it a couple times today…” He blushed. 

“Okay, just making sure I’m reaching my daily quota.” You kissed his cheek, and corrected his glasses for him when they fell off the bridge of his nose. 

You pressed play once again. 

I want to play a game. 

A game indeed…Edward thought as he started writing.

[atlurbanist]

Stop blaming Atlanta's streetcar for ridership failures and look instead at the urban design

There's a new, dimwitted rant against rail today from the libertarians at Reason. They argue that, because the current Atlanta streetcar is underused, any extension of it is bound to be useless.

This argument is similar to the one where people see a useless bike lane that lasts only a few blocks and they say "look! No one's using it! We shouldn't build any more!"

Unfortunately, Atlanta's failure to improve the land-use around the current streetcar (or to give it priority over car traffic during big events) gives these anti-rail rants a level of credence that they don't deserve. It's a damn shame.

It's been 13 years since the federal government awarded Atlanta a $47 million grant for the current streetcar. The fact that much of the route is *still* abutted by empty buildings and parking facilities shows a gross misunderstanding of how land-use and transit should benefit each other.

And the fact that the streetcar gets regularly shut down during big events in Downtown, due to car traffic, is so ridiculous I often have trouble finding words.

In short, Atlanta isn't doing itself any favors when it comes to making a good case for street-rail expansion. These libertarian rants should be easier to rebut. We should have improved the urban design of Downtown to a level that helps street rail make great sense.

We still can, and should. Better late than never.

[no-rest-for-the-doomed]

#43: Lunatic (2011)

Skillsaw makes damn good maps. A pioneer of the new age, countless mappers have been inspired by him and in turn, he was inspired by the classics that came before him. This is considered an early work of the mapper - and a true classic at that.

Lunatic has a little bit of everything with a newschool, dare I even say Skillsawian nature about it, his signature being a hot start scramble for weapons and not exactly prioritizing killing everything the instant you see it in favor of going to a vantage point or finding better weapons. On easier difficulties though, this isn't really an issue; you can play (mostly) however you want to.

A lot of this WAD's character comes from its animated textures (put to use cutely in MAP02's "Space Weapon Research") along with the introduction of the WAD's 2 new enemies, former humans that wield plasma and revenants missiles respectively. These guys can do some damage, so be careful with them!

The longest map of the set, 03's "Rocket Zone" is a masterclass in enforcing the usage of a weapon you would normally only use on mid-tiers in vanilla play - as the name would imply, you start with a rocket launcher and it does the bulk of the work for you through its 8ish minute runtime. You'll see lots of space imagery here too - lunar landers, rocket ships, moonbases and the bare moon itself - as well as a couple surprises. This leads me to the epic closer that truly defines this WAD for me.

I won't spoil the name of the map or its gimmick, but I'll just say it uses timed teleport ambushes and a MIDI choice that turns it into one of the most memorable experiences I've had playing Doom.

I don't think we appreciate Lunatic enough in today's era. Skillsaw is more widely known for his latter works, such as Valiant or Ancient Aliens (not to say they DON'T deserve credence; they're excellent in fact!). "Lunatic" is concise, every map is memorable, and it's widely accessible to players of all skill levels. It's the beginning of a dynasty that is still ongoing today with wads such as Heartland carrying that BFG-topped torch of uniquely Skillsaw design people know and love.

[gwyns]

I’ve seen multiple E/riel’s coming up with the the theory that Azriel and Mor are mates (which is why Eris brings her up), or Azriel was mates with Rhysand’s sister. I feel like they’re only coming up with these theories, because they know Azriel wants a mate (and SJM is a fated mates writer), and since Elain already has one, they know what that means.🤷‍♀️

why would eris bring up mor to az if they were mates? that makes zero sense lol eris brings up mor because he knows it's a touchy subject for azriel, and not because they're mates. because he knows az has been in love with her for centuries and gotten nowhere with her and he wants to antagonize him, it's as simple as that

i've seen the theory that mor and eris are mates/rejected mates being tossed around since acosf and that makes infinitely more sense than her and az being mates. not saying i'd want that for either of them, i don't, but it holds more credence within the most recent canon text. something e/riels are clearly allergic to

can they not bring up rhys' sister solely to fit her into their weird ass theories? idc if she's fictional she deserved so much better just let her REST

that's just it though, they know how sjm operates, she's a fated mates author who loves happy endings and who likes to pair off all of her main characters. they know az, elain, lucien and gwyn will each end up with someone but they don't want the latter two anywhere near the formers so they have to constantly jump through these hoops to make something work. i genuinely believe they just pull theories out of a hat or throw a dart at a spinning wheel blindfolded to come up with new ones

azriel wanting a mate and thinking he's unworthy of one is like the most basic foreshadowing. she's literally telling us who's getting a mate next

[skippyv20]

Timing is everything

Dearest Skippy.

It seems the final battle is well underway. I have to say the timing of all these memoirs which revolve around a certain family is uncanny. Its almost like a war of words isn’t it? The battle to control the narrative. It’s comedy gold watching them fight to tell the most damaging story. Oh dear do they not realise it’s over? The monarchy is centuries old. These current  players have been around for what? All of 5 minutes. The monarchy has been involved in every major coup around the world and back. I have to say though the frozen todger story was a delicious distraction. Chuckle chuckle.

All these tell all interviews, even one from an incarcerated criminal it’s almost as if that certain criminal has appeared as a warning. Perhaps my imagination is getting the better of me. Lol.

Also how dare a certain plastic looking so called self professed journalist, Royal correspondent, Royal expert, Royal pain in the arse moonlighting as a Royal adviser offer advice to an institution that has shaped world politics for 1200 years. To even suggest that these ridiculous stories have damaged the monarchy or perhaps wounded it or even scratched it is an insult to the average persons intelligence. To imply that the royals risk becoming a soap opera is as ridiculous as it sounds. His so called endgame will be given the scorn it deserves, to say it will have the same fate as previous failed plots would be giving it some credence. Cromwell he most certainly isn’t neither are most of the players. It makes me hanker after the good old days.

The PR machine is in full swing Royal style. The crown always wins. I prefer more politics from the monarchy than hollywoodesque glitz but then it does seem that hollywoods allure is waning. It’s time the monarchy and other institutions started listening to the majority and not the minority. This is how monarchies have fallen in the past. The monarchy is doing what it’s always done surviving and playing multidimensional chess very very carefully.

Sorry for the rant skippy.

Love cats xxx

Thank you cats….great rant…🙂❤️