#difficult math puzzles

[darthmaclunkey]

i got a new screentime app for my phone that requires me to solve wordles to open social media apps for a maximum of 15 mins at a time, and it's already working so well because i suck at wordle. apparently i only opened tumblr twice today. i mostly run this blog on a queue anyway but from now on if you see me rapidfire posting, know that i've just smashed a wordle to get there

[sevicia]

It makes me upset to see people calling AI stupid or just straight up saying "fuck AI" (even though it's in an art context) because it's like... I know and understand that the hate is directed at how it's being used currently and that people maybe just don't care like I do about this but it's upsetting because that's WORK. Not in a monetary sense at all but what everyone knows as AI didn't just sprout from the ground one day, it's decades of dedication and learning and development and collaboration to make a tool with the intention of making life better regardless of any one individual's intentions and it just makes me sad that there's so much panic around it, both from the whole "being replaced" thing that comes from waaay way back and also the very real concerns regarding generative AI. Like I can't just go up to someone and say "hey, isn't this cool?!" and expect them to understand I'm talking about AI as a tool and a product of passion and collaboration over time rather than a quick easy fix for when you want to see yourself as an anime character without having to learn to respect art first. I don't knowww it just makes me so so sad that something so beautiful is viewed in such a negative and strange light because the entire world refuses to slow down for a single second

[pygian-weapon]

I have a theory that people would hate math a lot less, especially in high school, if it wasn't for social contagion and media stereotypes

[satoshy12]

De-aged Danny at Gotham University with Jazz

After somehow waking up as a preschooler, Danny wasn't sure what to do. His parents and others were unsure of what to say or do. And as it turned out, they weren't even trying to fix it. As it's again Adorable baby Danny, they can fix it later.

Later Jazz was told to babysit her baby brother while their family was away, something with the G.I.W. or similar in amity park.

So she just took him with her to school. And the funny thing was that the professors accepted him because he didn't scream and make problems. He could stay and listen to the class.

+ Out of sheer boredom, Danny started working on the tests the students were taking, completely unaware that they were considered difficult.

To the teachers' delight, he aced every exam he took. From math to History or Art.

+

Meanwhile, Tim sat in shock, frozen in place until someone had to nudge him to move.

"What's going on?" Damian shouted, breaking the silence.

The engineering professor replied, "He didn't get first place on the test, so he's stuck like this."

"So?" Dick interjected, looking puzzled. "It's not the first time."

The professor added, "He lost to the little sibling of our top student."

He gestured to little Danny, who was strolling past them. Dick did a double take while Damian burst out laughing.

[ccccallsigns-au]

[THE CURVE FOR DAY FOUR PANNED OUT JUST HOW I HAD ANTICIPATED!]

[OF THOSE WHO DID SUBMIT, I DIDN'T CATCH ANY MATH ERRORS. GOOD WORK. HOWEVER....]

[ONE OF YOU TRIED TO BRIBE ME. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU. THAT ISN'T HOW THIS WORKS.]

[I AM... CONFISCATING THE BRIBE AS PUNISHMENT....]

[MUCH TO MY CHAGRIN, THE NEXT PUZZLE WILL LIKELY ONLY BE READY AFTER MIDNIGHT... BUT THIS MEANS I AM MAKING IT EXTRA DIFFICULT. HOWEVER, I WILL GIVE YOU ALL AN EXTRA DAY SO THAT YOUR TIME TO COMPLETE IT IS THE SAME AS EVERY OTHER PUZZLE.]

[BE READY....]

[icycoldninja]

Don't leave me (Sephiroth x Reader angst)

Summary: Sephiroth's abandonment issues get the better of him in the middle of the night, so he goes to you, seeking comfort.

---‐------------------------------------------------------------‐--------------Sleep was never easy for Sephiroth thanks to the shadows, voices, and eerie bits of music that often plagued his thoughts. His mind, when allowed to wander, was often like a bitter, wintery blizzard, with everything swirling around in one, massive, confusing, mental storm. In order to keep the storm from growing too large, Sephiroth often kept busy throughout the day, focusing his mind on productive, stimulating activities such as exercising, scheming in his office, or tracking down Cloud and his accomplices.

However, at nighttime, when his brain was exhausted and craved sleep, such activities were very difficult to complete, therefore, he turned to more ordinary practices of keeping his mind occupied, which, unsurprisingly, did not work. Math problems were easy for him, as were crossword puzzles, spot the difference games, hidden object puzzles, etc. Sephiroth could work through an entire high-school math textbook in under 2 hours and say it was "child's play". This level of genius was purely astonishing, and also maddening, as his troubled thoughts, of which there were plenty, were also very disruptive.

Sighing, the man rolled over in his bed and draped his heavy, fluffy wing over his face like most humans would with a pillow. Why couldn't he sleep?! What would it take for his goddamn brain to shut off and let him rest already?! He was so tired, he could feel his eyeballs ache, but he just couldn't rest. Why?

The swirling storm in Sephiroth's head raged on; he closed his eyes and gripped his pillow tightly, trying desperately to remember what falling asleep felt like so he could ascertain whether or not he was making progress.

Several more minutes passed, and Sephiroth felt his brain fog over. He relaxed completely, willing his consciousness to slip into darkness and finally, finally, allow him to rest. He expected to plunge into fuzzy nothingness, but was instead met with a cold, dark, empty void.

All around him, he could hear laughter. Deranged laughter; laughter he'd heard almost all day of every day during his childhood. How he hated that laugh. Sephiroth turned around, only to find that same man standing before him in the familiar, pristine lab coat that he knew so well.

Hojo.

He was glad he couldn't speak; to utter his name aloud would have stained and corrupted his tongue. He glared at the man with contempt, wishing he would just leave already. He'd seen enough of that cruel bastard, he didn't need to see any more. Hojo smiled at him, his thin lips twisting into a devious smirk. Looking at it made Sephiroth's blood boil. Where was Masamune? Now would be a perfect time to use it.

Hojo's smile slowly faded, his expression turning from evil glee to disgust. He was regarding Sephiroth with disgust. How dare he?! Sephiroth watched as he turned around and walked away, shaking his head. Good riddance, he thought. He never wanted to look at scum like Hojo anyway. Turning around once again, Sephiroth came face to face with a being he never expected to see in a place like this. His own, beloved mother: Jenova.

Now Sephiroth was beginning to wish he could speak. He wanted to tell his mother how glad he was to see her here, how much he loved her, how thankful he was to her for his mere existence. He tried to reach out to touch her, but she recoiled, frowning in repulsion. What was wrong? What did he do to make her feel this way? Sephiroth was at a complete loss; all he ever did was for his mother, so why wasn't she embracing him? Why....why didn't she love him?

Panicking slightly, Sephiroth extended his hands in her direction once again, but Jenova stepped back. Shaking her head at him, just as Hojo had done, the entity whom Sephiroth had dedicated nearly everything he did to turned her back on him.

Now he was scared. The darkness was more than just that; it was an all-consuming maw mace of his own twisted, fearful thoughts. He didn't want this; he hated being alone like this. Why did everyone leave? What did he do wrong?

The stormy void closed in around Sephiroth, surrounding him in a cloud of fear. He didn't like this, he didn't want to sleep anymore, he wanted to wake up!

And he did, springing upright in a cold sweat, panting heavily. His wing flapped loudly against the bed, shedding feathers everywhere. He looked around and saw he was the only person in the room, this notion terrifying him even further. In a fit of frenzied hysteria, Sephiroth flung the covers aside and stumbled out of his room, not caring that he was bashing various body parts against the door trim. He ended up in the living room, where you were still awake, working on the couch. As soon as he appeared in the darkened room, you stopped what you were doing and turned to him, confused. His legs, clad only in pajama shorts, were visibly and violently trembling; an unusual occurrence.

"Seph?" You asked, standing up and walking towards him. "Are you alright?" He shook his head, nearly collapsing into your arms. You cradled him for a while, pressing soft kisses to his cheek, waiting patiently to see if he would explain the reasons for his distress. After a few moments, he began to sob.

"Don't leave me," He croaked, clinging onto you tightly. "Don't leave me too...." You sighed softly, before taking his head into your hands and kissing him.

"I'm not leaving you, ever," You told him, running your hands through his long, silky locks. "I'm gonna be here forever. Don't be afraid." Sephiroth nodded, then sniffled and wiped his tears away. "Come on," You said, taking him by the hand and leading him back to his bedroom. "I'll stay with you tonight."

Needless to say, Sephiroth fell asleep easier than ever that night; the comfort of your presence, and the knowledge that you would never leave him lulling him into peaceful slumber.

[curtis-brothers-hug]

Sometime post-canon when Darry is trying to solve the puzzle of how to improve his relationship with Ponyboy like a particularly difficult math equation, Soda will just sit him down and be like:

“Ya gotta use your words.”

“What do you mean?”

“Ya gotta tell Pony you love him.”

“Course I love him.”

“Right. I’m sayin ya gotta tell him.”

“Tell’im? Like he don’t know?”

“Well - yeah.”

“What?! That’s the craziest - why does he think I do all this for him, huh? Why does he think I fought so hard to get y’all to stay with me? Why I take care o’him-“

“Hey, hey, I know that. But ya still gotta say it. Ya gotta look him in the eye and say it plain. Say ‘Ponyboy, I love you. I don’t regret takin care of you. I’m sorry I’m hard on you sometimes, but it’s only cuz I worry about you, and I wanna keep you safe, and I want you to succeed.’”

“Of course that’s why! What does he think, I get on his case cuz I ain’t got nothin better to do?”

“Course not. But Dar?”

“What?”

“When’s the last time you said any of that? Ya know, with words.”

“…………??………..?”

“……”

“Yeah, a’right, maybe you got a point.”

“See, I knew you’d dig it! So you can say somethin like, ‘Pony, I don’t really think you’re some scatterbrained kid who’d lose his head if it wasn’t attached. I’m just-“

“Yeah, but he is though.”

“………okay, so maybe don’t say that. Ya know what? Let’s just go ahead n cut that whole part out. We’ll work on it! Savvy? We’ll work on it……”

[fyiaa]

I’ve been thinking A LOT about Undertale AUs and what not

Here me out:

You know how there’s regular Undertale where Sans is lazy and Papyrus is earnest and the whole underground feels like a nostalgic dream? Well I was thinking about how things could be different in other AUs like Underswap and Underfell. (I know they are already different but this is just my opinion)

UnderSwap:

- Looney Tunes type of world

- Everything is colorful and all the characters do zany stuff in their day-to-day lives

- Sans occasionally carries a comically large hammer (I’ve seen this head cannon before and it is AWESOME), he LOVES science and math and uses them in his puzzles that he creates

- His puzzles would differ from UT! Papyrus a lot (Maybe instead of tile puzzles it’s just a bunch of Rube Goldberg machines that literally just open a door, clear the way, or are just there to be looked at. Instead of Crosswords vs. Junior Jumble it’s Sudoku vs. Spot the difference puzzles. For the puzzle with dance floor I was thinking how funny it would be if it was that scene from “The Emperors New Groove” with the levers, Sans could go on a whole rant about how he built it himself and how difficult the puzzle will be but never actually explains what it does until he asks Papyrus to pull the lever and it accidentally drops them both. Maybe even one Sans puzzle is just a rubiks cube.)

- Papyrus would just in courage Sans and even be like a sidekick in the pranks he would pull

- Basically UnderSwap is just 10x more lively and cartoony than Undertale

Underfell:

- Everything there is super serious and over dramatic

- The king is this like secluded and melodramatic guy

- Couples counselling is just a fight to the “death”

- Papyrus is second in command in the royal guard because he’s considered too “nice”

- Sans would be more like Rodrick from “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” when it comes to dealing with Papyrus

- Sans only ever calls Papyrus ‘boss’ when he’s antagonising him or is in a public/formal situation (behind closed doors it’s Papyrus or Paps)

- Papyrus uses his higher position to try and restore some peace within the underground (mainly Snowdin)

- Mettaton shows off his humanoid body early to impress the public and focuses on gaining popularity and fame

- Everyone in the underground is basically miserable because the king is miserable

Those are my head cannons that I had been thinking about for a bit. Some are kind of absurd lol

[divinationsanctuary19]

Your school year- Pick a picture

1 2 3

Let's see what's in store for you

1. Four of swords

This school year might feel like a blend of warmth and nostalgia, where golden moments of calm and reflection balance out the daily grind. The soft light streaming through the windows suggests that while the days may sometimes be long and tiring, there are quiet, beautiful moments of peace and connection. The setting sun hints at the passage of time, making this year feel both fleeting and significant, as if it's a chapter nearing its close but filled with the lingering warmth of friendships, shared experiences, and personal growth.

There’s a sense of introspection, with students leaning over their work, perhaps worn out by the challenges of learning but still present, still engaged. The classroom environment feels both familiar and comforting, with details like the plant on the windowsill and the chalkboard full of notes evoking a sense of routine. Yet, the light creates an atmosphere of change, signaling that this is a year of transitions, of small yet meaningful transformations, as students move toward the future while still soaking in the last moments of the present.

In many ways, this school year feels like a slow, reflective afternoon, where the pressures of academic life are softened by the golden glow of lasting memories being made—times of laughter, quiet study sessions, and shared frustrations, all colored by the light of a new beginning waiting just beyond the horizon.

I might ask: is this your last year?

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

2. Eight of pentacles

This school year feels like a challenging puzzle, full of problem-solving and deep concentration, much like the image of a student facing a chalkboard filled with complex equations. The blackboard represents the countless tasks, assignments, and hurdles students must navigate, with each equation demanding focus and perseverance. This suggests that this year is intellectually demanding, pushing students to their limits, forcing them to think critically and tackle difficult concepts, much like how solving an advanced math problem requires multiple steps and layers of understanding.

The student standing at the board reflects the weight of responsibility that comes with this year, where everyone is expected to engage directly with the material and take ownership of their learning. The open book symbolizes both guidance and the need for preparation—students need to keep studying, reviewing, and sharpening their knowledge to make sense of the more intricate lessons they face.

At times, this year may feel overwhelming, as if the answers are hard to grasp, but there’s also a sense of growth, where every solution found represents another milestone reached. There’s progress through perseverance, much like how working through a math problem builds resilience and sharpens skills. This school year, though tough, is a journey of learning to solve the problems that will ultimately lead to mastery and achievement.

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

3. The hermit

This picture indicates a school year marked by both challenges and growth. The winter sunset symbolizes the dwindling energy and long days of study, reflecting the fatigue and pressure that come with academic demands. Yet, the girl's determined stance atop the desk speaks of resilience and focus, indicating that despite the cold and darkness of winter, she remains committed to her goals. This year will test your endurance, pushing you to confront obstacles, but it also offers the promise of growth and deeper understanding. As the sun sets, it reminds you that even in times of difficulty, there is beauty and transformation waiting on the horizon. Embrace the struggle—it will lead to personal and intellectual strength. This year, expect periods where motivation feels dim, and progress seems slow, much like the lingering twilight before darkness. However, the card is a reminder that this is a temporary state. The key to navigating these challenges lies in harnessing your inner discipline and resilience, as represented by the girl's unwavering posture. Her determination in the face of adversity reflects the strength within you to persevere through difficulties, knowing that each step forward brings you closer to mastering both your studies and yourself. The winter sunset signals that while the external world may be harsh, there is an inner warmth and light—your own drive—that will carry you through the darkest days. The journey may be tough, but it promises a rewarding transformation, both academically and personally, as you grow through the process.

If you need a reading, reach me out

Check out my Patreon

[berrythep4nda]

HeadCanon time

Have this for today

///////

We all know the ninja trains their elemental power and physical strength together, fighting/combats/harsh or difficult movement/etc, it shows a few times throughout the series, but I like to imagine them having different individual training on their own struggle and needs outside of it (fun creativity edition!)

Either Wu introduce it to them or they find it themselves

Here are some of the ideas I thought about for each of the ninjas :

Jay - i feel like he'll enjoy playing puzzles, It can help his focus and create some images other than blueprints, it also helps him develop an ability to solve a problem from a different perspective (finish the puzzle from Whatever piece first) and he have a bunch of puzzle set collection with different size either he find from his parents place or the ninja buys some for him just for fun, he never gets bored of playing them

Kai - I'd put him in knitting, it can help with his patience lesson, he'll learn soft creativity and take a rest from his long history of black smithing (fire, iron, hammer, etc) (+control his fire power as to not burn the yarn)

Cole - i think pottery fits him, it helps him to learn how to manage his strength level, balance, patience and creativity, and it helps to express his joy in being messy in what he does, at the monastery that is

But I think gardening fits him in the flying bounty, there's a special room for his potted plants in the bounty and at the door hang a sign that said "Cole's green village", no ninja complains at the name, and Cole love that room very much, it helps him connect with his earth power while being high above the ground, who knows how many feet away they sometimes are

Zane - cooking, we can see that through the series, but I feel that fits him in a way, it helps him in terms of creativity outside of the book, he can make something new based on his knowledge on the use of the ingredients, baking too! He likes the warm soft/chewy-like texture, different from his hard cold metal

Nya- GIANT CANVAS WATER PAINTING, that's something fun she'll like, and she doesn't need to make a clear drawing, she can create an abstract base on her emotion/feelings, I imagine she'll love the freedom of pulling that brush wherever she like and the giant size of the canvas would be enough space whenever she have big thoughts, and the result doesn't have to be something logical, doesn't have to be something perfect in symmetrical and use, math isn't in the topic neither does wires and machine, she can create anything freely just how she want it to without thinking about the failing and the uses

Lloyd - oooo this one I'm not too sure, I was going for a bonsai tree gardening, with it being a long lasting plant and him being kinda immortal (I don't think he's immortal, he can just live long, what's the name for that?) he'll have something to rant to that he feels can understand his perspective

But now, I feel like he'll enjoy whatever his siblings do,

he'll play puzzle with Jay,

he would be a size example whenever Kai wants to make something wearable or Lloyd would even learn a bit or so by watching Kai

He'd be happy to receive a pottery gift from Cole, asking him how he made it or even watch him make it, he'll help at tending Cole's garden alongside Zane if Cole can't (sick/mission/etc), learning the meaning of flowers and what good they can make out of the plants

Zane, ooooh he'll have the first taste of Zane's successful new baked goods, he even let Lloyd steal a few cookies before dinner and kept it a secret between them, while the other ninja accused each other on who finished the last cookies

He would gladly be nya's model for her new painting or even play some color beside her with a paper or a smaller canvas, nobody is surprised when they find the both of them covered in paint by the end of the day

[skysometric]

Skysometric Design Retrospective, Part 2

Taking Shape (continued from part 1)

how does anyone decide on a personal logo? serious question, i have no idea. my old look as WillWare was a hexagon because i like hexagons, and it had a W because the name was alliterative. anything that has a deeper meaning than that is frankly beyond my creative scope.

so i'm Sky now, and i need an S in a hexagon, to continue the precedent set by my old self. well, duh, that sounds like a hole in one! i probably got the shape right on my first try, didn't i?

...of course not! do you know how many freaking ways there are to draw an S on an isometric grid??

now guess how many different ways i've drawn the letter W.

most of these initial attempts were to solve a simple logistics question: how do i inscribe the letter S without leaving any gaps in the hexagon shape? i'm sure i could've used some math to figure it out, but i much preferred treating it like a puzzle and fitting the pieces together.

on the left you can see this quite literally, "weaving" individual rectangles together to create the S shape. but even after a couple of attempts, i couldn't figure out how to close the gaps on the outside of the hexagon. the bottom shape is a fun experiment with taking this weaving concept to its extreme, at which point the S shape is no longer visible. (but it's more obvious if you remove the ↙↗ minor diagonal in the middle!)

on the right i decided to step back and try other methods, like a simple block outline – which i ultimately discarded because it looks a little too much like the Superman logo, or maybe the "cool S" everyone could draw back in school. but the two at the top are worth going into more detail!

wha? Gamecube logo? nah, i have no idea what you're talking about.

the first was an attempt to make an S in the style of the "New WillWare" logo, using isometric blocks. but it really did not pan out, and any other variations i could think of were too simplistic. this was the turning point that made me realize, yeah, there's no going back to my old look. it won't fit me anymore.

huh? Dropbox logo? nah, you're just seeing things.

even though i couldn't fit this one in a "regular" hexagon (where all six sides are the same length), i still really like the idea – a tight knit shape that shows its direction with a color ramp! the S is visible by following the colors from cyan to purple, a much more subtle look than the other in-your-face attempts.

all this experimentation was fun, but my heart was set on something closer to the "weaving" attempts i started with, fitting block shapes together into a larger hexagon. i could practically see the outline in my head! why won't the shapes fit together??

so i drew the outline, and the shapes naturally followed:

the moment of clarity.

i drew out the new shape several times to help me choose which order to layer the crossbar – should it go over or under the top and bottom? i chose to put it under the top and over the bottom so that the shapes "flow" downward, just like writing an S with a pencil.

and that just leaves one question regarding the shape: how does it look digitally?

"really fast mockup of... an idea" – November 17th, 2020 via Twitter, just twelve days after coming out.

it looks great! so now i have a stable base to work with and build a logo out of.

you may notice it's in different colors than the finished product – in fact, this uses my old color palette, just to make it quick to test the shape with. but now i have a difficult problem... i need colors, and those are historically my biggest struggle with graphic design.

to be continued...

[tayasui-mono]

I'm a big fan of Hannigram in airports or hospital waiting rooms finding a difficult puzzle of some kind (sudoku or crosswords or even maths) and then conversing seriously in their own little bubble while figuring out the answers. Imagine how much stimulation their brains need and how fast they think—they participate in a neighbourhood "treasure hunt" and maybe Hannibal needs to be very curious about the "treasure" to take it seriously, but they always win.

[yandere-paramour]

Do you have any Noelle headcannons? I love her and her kitty :3

Noelle Headcanons

Sometimes if Atalanta and Noelle have to go out of town for a while on business, Jamie looks after Sasha. Sasha loves Jamie's gentle demeanor and is hostile to Asteria. Ata's parents actually love Noelle.

Noelle is closest to her older sister Odette because they both raised the 3 younger sisters together. They text a lot but neither are big into phone calls. Sometimes they Facetime though.

When in her home, Noelle usually just wears grey sweatpants and a t-shirt and lets her hair down. She is rarely naked.

Noelle was really good at math as a child and still is. She does puzzles for fun like sudoku, logic puzzles, and NYT games.

That scar on her stomach was definitely from a knife fight. A teenager pulled a switchblade on her when she was like 13 and there wasn't time to dodge that slash. She was lucky it wasn't deep.

Due to sharing beds with her sisters, Noelle feels uneasy if she sleeps alone, so she just doesn't sleep often.

She finds it difficult to eat in times of stress, and when she's coming down from that stress, she has to stick to easy, bland things like rice, potatoes, toast, fruit.

She is not very strong and could not overpower anyone in a physical fight, but she is relatively fast, which came in handy when she was small.

Yes, she was born on Christmas Eve and yes, that is why she was named Noelle. Her mom thought it was cute. She disagrees.

Noelle and Odette share the same father but the 3 younger sisters have a different father. Noelle has never met her father because he disappeared. when she was a baby.

[midnight1nk]

Hey, not much of an ask as much as it is a bit of a theory I wanted to share, so I was just thinking with the latest episode, even though a lot of the main crew were there, including beeg, 4's kid, 4 himself doesn't show up. It could be just a coincidence but there's also been a LOT of igbp references for 4, which 100% definitely isn't concerning at all. And sry this is completely off topic, but we got meggy's parents. and lately with a lot of the episodes they've been showing a lot of members of the crew having problems with parents or childhood trauma or things like that, and with wpnz being have been a kinda terrible father, this wotfi or summer or whenever the next arc will be, sometimes theres a summer arc ya never know, theyre gonna give puzzles some kind of redemption bc, theyre paring the guy up that had daddy issues, with someone who is a terrible father. so ye, i wanted to hear ur thoughts (: ⭐

Hello, anon! Come on into the uh. void, it seems. The usual pillow fort's under construction unfortunately.

Theories are always welcome (and encouraged) here, let's see what you got! Why, yes, we were getting a lot of IGBP refs lately (*chanting* GOOP!4 GOOP!4 GOOP!4). Certainly concerning as a 4 rambler, but also having quite a field day with the other goop!4 theorists hehe. It's practically Christmas for us. I do wanna correct you tho that 4 did appear this episode:

Just in the background but he would be there, supporting his kid ofc ^^ Gotta be a caring dad for Beeg. But I get what you mean regardless, he's not right up and center in a frame like 3 or Boopkins were.

We are getting off topic there (whoops) and my 4 ramblings will have to be put on hold, until I'm freed from the void ofc. Now, in the real topic in hand: your theory. If the math is mathing, a moot of mine suspected that we might get a (mini)arc right around mid-June. Though it's all in good fun speculation so let's just say, the next one's coming soon. Anyway, it is true that we've been getting a lot of revisiting past memories and trauma, whether or not the Crew realized it themselves. I mean, we've seen a bunch from 4 for example. But, really, they all have been suppressing it, or be numb to it as a way to protect themselves emotionally. Simply put, they've been dodging the question

Now, about Puzzles getting a redemption arc, it's a difficult topic to talk about within the community. If you, anon, or anyone who has been following along with my posts, then you might be familiar of my named "redemption talks". If not, I'll still keep things short:

Everyone has a chance to redemption. It is not up to us as the audience to decide that for the character, and not for the Team if the reason is bc of popularity. That's for the characters to decide, and I do mean by chance, bc it has to come from a place of honesty and genuineness. There is a difference between "I have to change" and "I want to change", there's courage in that. If a character chooses to change, then commit. If not, then it's their choice. No one can force them to think otherwise. I've mentioned before but I'll say it again, no matter if you like him or not, you must admit that Puzzles is a tragic character. Her childhood, the mindset she grew up to have. And even then, there is a difference between sympathy and understanding. Let's be clear, I'm not forcing anyone to like Puzzles nor am I condoning her actions. She's definitely done some pretty messed up things. Simply, by what I mean, you get why Puzzles turned out this way. Stuck in the past. One other thing, redemption doesn't mean forgiveness. To redeem, that's what one person chooses for themselves. To forgive, that choice is only reserved for the other person affected by it all. It's why I don't expect 4 and Meggy to forgive Puzzles, and even extending this with WPNZ, I don't expect Karen to forgive her ex either. That is their choice and there's alone, even with proof of real change. Last thing to note, just bc you forgive, it doesn't mean you forget. It's logical that you won't, but regardless.

In short, redemption ≠ forgiveness ≠ forgetting.

Yeah, this is a short version but I hope yall get the gist. I suppose it's why I like the show so much, things aren't as black and white as they seem. It's complex, the type where moments have a different meaning. Well, enough of my rambling and back to the topic, it wouldn't be wise to give Puzzles a redemption arc this soon. For one, he's blinded by revenge, going against her narrative foil (aka 4). If psychology taught me anything, it's that she's not ready for redemption if she chooses to take it. It's kinda why I have Puzzles and 4 being "two sides, same coin" bc the two of them can't admit/accept the trauma they had. It's them saying "that's in the past" and "I can fix it" when it's clear that their actions are hurting them and the people around them. It is why 4 is affected by his own perfection, Puzzles with creative vision. But the root of it all? Loneliness, and there's never been a way for either of them to know how to handle that. For two, it just feels too early. I can't describe it but it's like a gut feeling I got.

Instead of redemption, I more see the Team centering Puzzles (and WPNZ) for character exploration. After all, there is so much we don't know about their history and the team-up would be a good opportunity for it. Like you said, it would be an interesting dynamic to have someone not knowing how to be a father and the other never having one to begin with. But above all, once again, it stems from loneliness, and being told of their "role" at a young age. It might give us a chance to see more of their character in-depth, and the potential of them having a connection. Naturally, I see Puzzles having codependency and WPNZ having to work with someone who isn't Karen (and that he's seen as a literal weapon for most of his life), that's only fair. I don't expect it to "force us to care" about them, but to understand. It is a nice theory you got there tho, I hope my thoughts explain how it would happen narrative-wise :) if that makes sense at all. I might just be sleepy

One thing's for certain, and with how things are going, we were merely in the first few chapters of this story

thanks for the ask, anon!

[bun-lapin]

Mayhem VS Mystery - Chapter 1

Summary: A mysterious letter arrives at Ramshackle and the first years assemble

Word Count: 1.2k Genre: Crack/Comedy Characters: Grim, Ace, Deuce, Jack, Ortho, Sebek, (oc) Yuna & Yuuji (intro post here) CW: swearing, halloween costumes, friendly bickering

A/N: The beginning of my first Halloween fic featuring the first years and my Yuu OCs where they pull a variety of pranks at NRC! The teachers will also get some screen time! Stay tuned~! <3

Next Part - Fic on AO3

Deuce looks over at Ace with a puzzled frown and asks, “Do you know why they wanted us to come over today? I’ve probably got at least fifty messages from them bugging me about it.”

Ace flips over the doormat in front of Ramshackle Dorm’s main entrance and picks up a small key. After unlocking and opening the door, he shrugs at Deuce and answers, “No idea. Your guess is as good as mine.”

They walk into the rundown, little building and make their way towards the lounge. Seated on the various couches and arm chairs around the room are their fellow first years: Jack, Epel, Ortho, and Sebek. Standing next to the lounge’s nondescript coffee table, Yuna, Yuuji, and Grim seem to be carefully studying a black colored envelope.

Looking up at the two Heartslabyul students, Yuna dryly remarks, “Look who decided to finally show up. Also, thanks for breaking and entering!”

Ace plants his hands on his hips and retorts, “Ya know, it’s not really breaking and entering if I used a key to get in here. You need to find a better hiding spot for that thing.”

Deuce shakes his head with a small sigh and asks, “Why did you two call us over so urgently? Did something happen?”

Yuna wordlessly holds up the black envelope for everyone to see. Opening it, she takes out a letter printed on expensive looking card stock and begins to read aloud.

“Dear residents of Ramshackle Dorm, in the week leading up to Halloween, I commission you to create as much mayhem as possible on campus. Bodily harm is not permitted but you may cause as much property damage as you'd like. The end goal of your work is to cause Night Raven College to be shut down for Halloween. In the event of your success, 10,000 thaumarks will anonymously be sent to you as a reward.”

Yuna looks up and glances over at her fellow isekai adventurer, “10,000 thaumarks? Is that a lot? What’s the conversion rate here?”

Yuuji scoffs and answers dismissively, “Ugh! Don’t ask me, I’m gay. Can’t do math.”

“Bullshit! You’re ranked second in our class, you nerd!”

Turning up his nose with a small pout, Yuuji defiantly replies, “Fine! I’m gay and I won’t do math! Happy?!”

Yuna opens her mouth to continue arguing, but Ace smoothly steps in between the two of them and put his hands up in a placating motion. “Alright! We get it! It’s a lot of money,” he says in a loud voice. Raising his eyebrows skeptically, he continues, “But why did you call so many of us here? Now that we know about this deal, you’ll all get a smaller cut of the reward.”

Crossing her arms over her chest, Yuna replies, “Considering there’s only one person in Ramshackle Dorm who can use magic, I figured it’d be too difficult to spread full scale mayhem across campus. That’s why I called you, Epel, and Ortho to help us out!”

Deuce, Jack, and Sebek exchange confused glances. Politely clearing his throat, Jack gestures to the group of three and asks, “If that’s the case, what are we doing here?”

Yuuji raises his hand and answers Jack, “Actually, I’m the one who called you guys here.” Walking over to Yuna, he snatches the paper from her hands and reads the rest of the letter aloud.

“For those not wishing to cause mayhem, you may try your best to locate me, your mysterious benefactor, and hand me over to the authorities. In that unlikely event, you will still receive half of the promised money and zero risk of academic retribution."

Glancing up from the letter, Yuuji explains to the room, “I’d rather not do anything that could cause us to be kicked out of school. Especially since we’re from another world and literally have no where else to go.”

Yuna lets out a short cough that sounds like, ‘Nerd!’

Ace coughs out, ‘Fun police!’

The two of them grin mischievously and then high-five each other.

Yuuji closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. In a voice filled with barely restrained fury, he says, “Would all of the good and responsible students please follow me so that we can begin our investigation??”

Turning swiftly on his heel, he exits the room followed dutifully by Jack, Sebek, and Deuce.

After waiting for the door to softly click shut, Yuna then turns to the remaining students and claps her hands together decisively. With an excited grin, she states, “Alright! Time to put on our costumes!”

~~~

Shifting the wooden oni mask over her face, Yuna knocks on the bathroom door and calls out, “Hurry up, Epel! Everyone else is already dressed!”

Epel’s muffled voice yells back through the door, “I’m goin’ as fast as I can! Y’all just hold on to yer britches!”

Yuna tilts her head, “...Britches?”

Wearing a black and white striped sweater and a black ski mask, Ace gestures towards Yuna’s costume and asks, “While we’re waiting, care to explain what you’re supposed to be? Are you some kinda demon?”

“Close! I’m a Namahage,” Yuna replies and strikes a menacing pose, her straw cape rustling softly around her small frame. “It’s a type of demon from my world that punishes naughty or lazy children. Yuuji’s dad would sometimes dress up as one and try to scare me and Yuuji when we were little.”

Grim taps his paw against Yuna’s leg and says, “Sorry to cut the cultural lesson short, but why am I dressed as a stinkin’ toy!?” Completely covering his entire head is a fuzzy, brown teddy bear mask with an adorable expression. Covering the rest of his body, Grim wears a full-body pajama suit made of the same fuzzy, brown fabric. In fact, if it wasn’t for the extremely cranky voice coming behind the mask, Grim would be indistinguishable from a super cute teddy bear plushie.

Yuna shrugs her shoulders apologetically and answers, “Sorry, buddy! If we’re gonna get away with massive property damage, we need costumes that completely disguise who we are! And since you’re the only student on campus that’s a small, magical cat-creature with flaming ears, it’s vital we totally cover up the fact that it’s you.”

Ace gestures over towards Ortho and remarks, “That explains Ortho’s costume then. He’s probably the second-most recognizable student on campus! Ya know, with him being a robot with flaming blue hair and all?”

Completely covered by a white bed sheet with two cutout eye-holes, Ortho wiggles his hands under the sheet and says with a playful laugh, “Hey! I’m not a robot! I’m a spooky ghost~!”

Floating past the small group, the resident Ramshackle Dorm ghosts give Ortho a sidelong glance. The smallest of the ghosts whispers to the others, “I’d almost be highly offended if that costume wasn’t so darn cute!” The other two ghosts nod silently in agreement.

Finally opening the bathroom door, Epel steps out and says, “Alright! I’m done! What do ya’ll think of my bona fide scarecrow costume?” He lifts his arms, clad in a red checkered shirt and denim overalls, into a scarecrow-like pose. Over his head is a burlap sack with rough, zigzag stitches hastily sewn over two frayed eye-holes and a gaping mouth.

The group stares at Epel in silence for a few minutes.

Dropping a heavy hand on Epel’s shoulder, Yuna gives him a thumbs up and simply states, “It’s fucking terrifying.”

(To be Continued)

Next Part

[tangledinink]

in an older ask (before the bracelet comic) you broke down, basically, the odds of donnie recognizing his family to different degrees on any given day... i'm curious, what would the odds be now, now that he has the bracelet?

Hell yeah let's do more Swanatello Math~

Let's say his family visits him eight times-- this time with the bracelet.

-> Maybe one time out of eight, usually less, Donnie will not be able to recognize them and will treat them as intruders, driving them off. There are occasions when he disregards the message of the bracelet or forgets it too quickly to be helpful.

-> Two times out of eight, Donnie will be able to recognize them enough to not view them as threats, but will not be able to organically recall any further details about them. He is confused and frustrated. He recognizes something is wrong, and can comprehend the research materials he's reading, but no actual memories are being pinged in his brain, leaving him in a very frightening, bizarre, uncanny-valley sort of space. He has to repeatedly reference notes and journals to try to puzzle the identities of his family together, which is upsetting and embarrassing. Days like these focus on providing comfort and support to Donnie, but the context that his research board and bracelet provide does make this easier to manage now.

-> One time out of the eight, Donnie will be able to recognize his family but struggles to comprehend his current situation or recall details surrounding it, though he recognizes something is wrong. He knows that Raph is here, and he remembers Raph fully, but has a difficult time processing why they're here at the lake instead of being at home; it's just not sinking in for him. Things in his brain are not matching up, and he is confused and frustrated. His family will have to re-explain to him what's going on, typically multiple times. Days like these focus on providing comfort and support to Donnie, but the jumpstart that the research and bracelet provide often makes this process much easier.

-> One time out of eight, Donnie will be able to recognize his family enough to not view them as threats, but will not always be able to recall further details about them. He's not able to fully process that anything is wrong unless it's explained to him, (usually more than once,) but even then it seems to overall elude him and not fully sink in. He will happily spend the day showing his lake off to his family, dancing with them, etc. His bracelet and research board help, but on days like these he often seems unable to fully retain this information throughout the day. These days are usually pretty frustrating for his family, but are overall lower-stress for Donnie, at least. False memories are common on these days.

-> Three times out of eight, Donnie is able to both recognize his family and recall details about their current situation. He remembers the family members who are currently with them, and sometimes even those who are absent, and understands that he is currently being affected by magick that manipulates his memory and patterns of thinking.

Overall, the bracelet has improved the situation. The family has to take care to try to be present as much as possible, however, as receiving this information from the bracelet and research board can sometimes be very scary or disorientating, and they've found that having someone around either during this process or immediately after is very important. Typically, if Donnie wakes up, receives the message from his bracelet, inspects the research board, and waits for the promised family to arrive... and then they don't, he'll panic and quickly lose trust in the information. He may react negatively to any family members once they do show up. Swanatello overall tends to do poorly when left alone, they've discovered.