#higgs is going to suffer but | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lethalchiralium · 1 year

Text

Play Pretend | Higgs Monaghan x GN!Reader

a/n: just a lil thing i kept meaning to post, nothing meaningful i just keep thinking about him 🥺

warnings: TW: allusions to self harm, allusions of suicide. higgs being a dick like always.

summary: You’re in it for something, he concluded. He needs help, you thought, more than he’s willing to take.

The fire that warmed your hands crackled softly, the cold breeze gently nipped at your ears and nose. You took a bite out of the lukewarm chicken that Higgs had managed to scrounge up, cook, and not actually burn. Your eyes didn’t dare glance away from the sight before you, the once highly feared man was now reduced to a man barely surviving. It was honestly a sight; his clean shave was now a dark scruffy beard, his usually short hair was now growing out and becoming wavy. You knew it was hard on him since you were an independent Porter and he couldn’t go and rest where you would, but it did give him a good shock not being able to be in control of everything.

Today was the day before you were able to finally go to your new shelter and finally be able to get Higgs into a real place.

“You’re starin’, sugarplum.”

You blinked quickly before giving him a soft smile. “Sorry, just zoned out.”

He answered with a grunt before beginning to devour the other chicken wing, and you couldn’t help but gaze at him from across the fire. If you had just met the man, you would’ve thought he was just a lost person from one of the Knot Cities; he looked harmless with that blank stare in his eyes. Barely spoke a word when you finally found him in front of the Middle Knot Ruins, you could’ve sworn that he was trying to get hung upside down by the BTs.

You looked down and took another bite, then looked back up to Higgs, who met your gaze with furrowed eyebrows. “Why are you starin’ at me for?”

“You just look very beautiful in this lighting.” You said and even though the fire had a warm glow, you could see his entire face flush red. He immediately looked down at his food and continued to eat and so did you, that inkling of doubt in your stomach for complimenting him was becoming bigger.

“Don’t compliment me.” He answered after a few more moments of silence; He chucked the empty bone into the fire, staring at it. “I don’t deserve sympathy.”

He tossed another bone into the fire and you decided to stay quiet. Time went by quickly, almost five minutes passed before he spoke again.

“You shouldn’t care about me.”

“I know.”

“Can’t you-“ He threw a bone at your head, it barely even grazed your hair as you looked at him. His face flushed red with anger, his body tensing, “-fucking hate me? Yell or something?”

You let out a breath, eyes boring into the stormy seas of Higgs’ own eyes. He was looking desperately for something to exploit, to gain leverage - there wasn’t anything he hasn’t used.

“Pass me the salt packet.”

The damn thing was stuck. All of these credits poured into this brand-new shelter and the terminal was stuck in the floor.

Higgs stood off to the side in the overhang, the heavy timefall thundered upon the cold mud outside. Your foot hit the floor again, hands in your pockets as you just kept kicking the damn thing. The man looked towards the timefall again, watching as the trees swayed in the strong winds; he took a step further into the shelter. The timefall looked peaceful to him - no matter how hard it was raining, he considered the timefall to be an ideal death. Suffering until the rain decided he needed to return to the Earth - he deserved to suffer.

His daddy was always right, Higgs concluded. The outside world was out to kill him, the timefall would wash him away, that he deserved to suffer for even breathing. He only turned away, looking to you as you moved backwards from the circle in the floor.

He was still trying to figure you out - no one gave pity without knowing they’ll receive something in return. You wanted something from him, he felt it in his bones; but he had nothing to give. Amelie had taken his power, his fire, his will to even stand, all of the friends he had once hate him now or have died by his hand. He had no possessions, no credits - what were you in it for?

“Finally.” You muttered as the terminal popped up from the floor. Placing your cuff link underneath the scanner, the menu popped up and Higgs looked back to the outside world. He deserved to sit under Timefall and wither away. Maybe flowers would grow from his corpse, only to wither a moment later - maybe cause a voidout. He’d love to finally end it, to finally be able to be at peace.

Higgs almost walked into the downpour if it wasn’t for your arm slithering around his own, pulling him downstairs. His gaze moved from the outside world to a tiny prison. You pulled him with you - not ahead, behind. Beside you. Like he deserved to live here.

Higgs has never wanted to blow his brains out this much until now.

But he held his tongue as he was pulled around, you flicked on the lights with a button on your cuff link hologram. He made a quick glance around the place, deciding very quickly that he wasn’t meant to be here.

“Get out of your head.”

You pulled him forward and down the hall, Higgs gave some resistance but quickly followed. Flicking on the light, you pulled him into the small bedroom and turned to look at him again.

“Sleep.”

You moved right past him, now standing outside of the room while still watching him. He gazed around the BRIDGES-style private room, condensed into a small room. He set down his dufflebag onto the floor before looking back at you.

If you weren’t still angered about the terminal upstairs, you would have sworn to God that he looked to you for guidance.

“You’ll be safe here.”

He huffed out a laugh.

“I’ll never be safe as long as I breathe, sugar.”

#lethalchiralium #lethal chiralium #death stranding #higgs monaghan #higgs x reader #higgs monaghan x neutral!reader #higgs monaghan x reader #higgs monaghan oneshot

91 notes · View notes

vampirepunks · 3 months

Text

Higgs Monaghan's MBTI + Enneagram Typology (pt. 2)

(disclaimer: this is my opinion based on deep character study, eight or so years of special interest in typology, and subjective interpretation. if you wanna argue, good luck finding my PDB. friendly debate is fine.)

MBTI: ENTP (Ne-Ti-Fe-Si)

Enneagram: 7w8

Instinctual Variant: sx/sp

Tritype: 782

(part one: mbti deep dive)

(Sam analysis)

As an ENTP, Higgs is right at home in enneagram 7. However, he's an interesting flavor of ENTP 7, due to his sexual instinctual variant, 8 wing + secondary fix, and emotional center in 2. Let's start with the basics.

Enneagram 7 Overview Basic Fear: Of being deprived and trapped in pain Basic Desire: To be happy, satisfied, to find fulfillment Fixation: Planning Trap: Idealism Passion: Gluttony

Deprived and trapped in pain, huh? Considering Higgs' backstory as an abused child locked away from the outside world, forcefully told there was no life outside the four walls of his home, denied the ability to explore and discover, punished for basic curiosity, this makes perfect sense. Higgs experienced extreme repression of his natural instincts, denial of his basic emotional and psychological needs, and had no means to escape the constant abuse he suffered. Remember, the common belief is that one's MBTI type is innate, while enneagram theory hinges on the acquisition of negative traits stemming from warped self-beliefs manifested by the impact of inevitable social oppression and possibly even trauma. The enneagram dips closer to psychology and sociology than MBTI (still pseudoscience tho, Naranjo was a hack and is very worthy of criticism) and thus is a lot more logical in its foundations. Hence, I strongly believe that any MBTI type can be any enneagram, due to the breadth of human experience, it's just a matter of conflicting cognition and instincts. Don't fight me on this one, y'all, I'm working on my sociology B.A., I can go back and forth all day about this stuff. I'm gonna get banned from PDB any day now for the arguments I get into.

It's not hard to understand why "be happy and fulfilled" became the crux of Higgs' pursuits. Enneagram 7 takes this most basic human desire, "be happy," and crafts it into an obsession. Until they overcome their fix and passion, 7 will never be satisfied. (cough cough, intelligent eyes in a hunger-pang frame... ahem. sorry, sorry, something stuck in my throat there. moving on.)

Enneagram 7 treats life as one grand stage, where anything can happen if you just want it badly enough. Thus, 7 is hedonistic, rebellious, undisciplined in one way or another, driven towards wish fulfillment, egotistical, persuasive, and extremely seductive, with some variants of 7 exhibiting charlatanism and fraudulence.

Sexual 7

Instinctual variants are the result of the enneagram type's passion invading an area of the social life and self, dominating its expression. There are three realms here: sexual (not always explicitly in the adult sense, this refers to one-on-one relationships, intimacy, etc), social, and self-preservation.

So, obviously sexual 7 is the result of gluttony + the sexual instinct. sx7 traits include: talkativeness, grandiosity and exaggeration, exhibitionism of personality and style, invasive tendencies, brazen audacity, obliviousness, magical thinking, relationship difficulties, self-indulgence, hypersensitivity, anti-hierarchical escapism, and intolerance for frustration.

Put simply, sx7 has their head in the clouds. Ichazo nicknamed this subtype "suggestibility." Although I really dislike Naranjo, he made an excellent point when he said, "The sexual seven is not earthly, but heavenly. He is not interested in the things of this world. It is the gluttony of the things of a higher and more advanced world. The sexual E7 is what we could call a dreamer[...] His passion is to dream, to go towards the sweetness of the imagined instead of contacting the ordinary and not so interesting reality."

Higgs is a showman. He paints everything in metaphor, in literature, in poetry, in history, in performances and masks and shadow theater. When captured in the literal view, Higgs' life is one tragedy after another, with no rhyme or reason, no grand answer to "why me," no satisfying conclusion to make an adoring audience cry for him. In the meta, fourth-wall breaking sense, the player becomes that for him. He looks us in the eye and asks, "Isn't this what you've been waiting for this whole time?" and prances around putting on a good show as we give him the attention and recognition he craves; we observe, we react, and a few of us see him. For a few moments, we live in his tragedy, we smile at his one-liners, we laugh at his bad behavior, and in those precious moments, he isn't alone. He's still at it, winking at the camera in the DS2 trailer when he quips about porters having to pull the trigger sometimes, a sly little, "I know what you did. You're not better than me. You get it."

But let's peel back that layer. Higgs is a mask. Let's talk about Peter.

Yeah, Peter, who was destroyed time and time again by his stubborn drive to believe, no matter how many times it got him hurt, nearly killed, even. Peter, who believed his way into stepping into a new world with a new sky. Peter, who believed his way into becoming a terrorist. Peter, who believed his way into Amelie's puppet master hands. Peter, who believed until the moment the carrot was snatched away and he met the stick face-first. Peter, the child whose only crime was being curious, became a grown man with his dreams shattered entire, with no innocence left to call his own, no one to save him, and no way out. So what was there to do but construct new dreams, nightmares made ideal, to build anew an image of himself as "the bridge that brings the extinction" in service of a greater power? Dreamer turned apostle, Saint Peter having the faith that he could walk on water. Except Amelie didn't pull him out when he sank. (Sam did, but that's a completely different conversation.)

Higgs built up a world of magic, because his real life was tragic, and in the end, Amelie forced him to bury the castle.

sx7 traps themselves in false hope, breezing through the world with witty speeches, talking, talking, talking, coasting by on charm and an energetic demeanor to mask their anxiety. This is right at home in the possibility-obsessed, silver-tongued ENTP, but the sensitivities of sx7 soften the ENTP personality quite a bit, amplifying their vulnerabilities and making them all too easy to manipulate. This is a personality that needs someone to protect them, and to teach them to protect themselves, which Higgs never had. Coffin tried, but fate had other ideas, and she became another loss upon his shoulders.

Self-Preservation 7 (secondary)

Now, on PDB, almost everyone has voted Higgs as sx/so, and I get why, but I believe Higgs is very social-blind and not countertype. The last instinct in a stack is a personality's blind spot, their weak point, the thing they struggle with, try to ignore, and overcompensate for. For Higgs, that's the social instinct. The self-pres and social instincts are conflated a lot in 7, due to this type’s inherent need for outward validation; their cool exterior conceals fear of inferiority and deprivation. 7 is arguably the most extroverted of the enneagram thus their self-preservation needs are heavily dependent on the presence of other people and having a clear role within a group. They often create family units and can appear similar to the so8 via their proclivity for creating a “tribe” for themselves, a group they nurture and in turn are protected by. Thus, sp7s are characterized as defenders in spite of their obvious self-interest. sx/sp 7s are often warm, charismatic people. Combined with an 8 fix, they're quite intense. In a well-read ENTP, this is a personality that could sell ice in the Arctic, and people gravitate towards their ability to sell their dream. "Together, we'll carry packages from sea to shining sea."

Many of Higgs’ deeper issues can be explained through the aforementioned developed Fe + social-blindness + a 2 fix in his emotional center. Having grown up completely isolated from the world, there’s no way he could be anything but soc-blind. His self-sacrifice is cognitive compensation for social deficiency and expression of a moral righteousness generated by his sx7-driven idealism, not an instinctual social egotism and rejection of gluttony. More on this when we get to his 2 fix. sp7 is the closest of the 7 variants to the literal definition of gluttony. They yearn for indulgence in every way.

Now, let's talk about that 8 wing and tritype secondary fix

Enneagram 8 is known for its aggression before all else, and it has a strong pull on any personality that has it in their wing or tritype. The 7w6 is flighty, much more risk-averse, and they work to satisfy their gluttony by seducing others into feeding their cravings for them, holding back to explore all possibilities, and they seek assurance that they're making the right choices, whereas 7w8 knows what they want and they'll take it if they have to. The 8 wing adds a heavy-handed, decisive edge to the 7 personality; 7w6 pushes back when the world closes in on them, 7w8 pushes forward against the world to make sure they're never restricted to begin with. Thus, the sx7 with an 8 wing displays much more sexual aggression (licking people!) and is inclined to show dominance. They're self-protective, they don't like to share their toys, and they won't let anyone take what's theirs. See: "gonna make [Sam] regret ever fucking with me and mine." This makes the 7w8 a powerful protector, a fierce enemy... and a nervous wreck prone to covering up fear with violence, anger, and provocation. This sort of aggression is a tendency in the standard 7w8, but with an 8 fix added to the tritype, it becomes a leading trait. This is particularly interesting in an ENTP, as they aren't typically aggressive by nature; they seek conflict for entertainment's sake, without malice, looking to test people and expand their own worldview through discourse. The ENTP 7w8 with an 8 tritype fix, on the other hand, takes up stronger convictions, greater stubbornness, and an impatience for people who won't bend to their whims. They often go looking to convince people they're right, getting frustrated when they aren't heard. ("You just don't get it, do you?") Further, when 8 invades the sexual instinct, secondary to a 7 fix, you get a personality that wants to possess the hearts and minds of their closest loved ones, fears abandonment, would die to protect one of their own, and knows better than to bite the hand that feeds.

Finally, the tertiary 2 fix

Enneagram 2 is a nurturer. 2 generously gives of themselves, constantly fixating on everyone else's needs. This is a personality that would give another person the shirt off their own back if they asked. Important thing to understand: their help isn't free. They might say it is, but 2 unconsciously expects to be rewarded and praised for helping others. Overall, this fits well with Higgs' secondary instinctual alignment in sp7. 7 fears being deprived, while 2 fears that no one appreciates them, and they mask this insecurity with a show of humility and an insistence that they were merely doing the right thing. They reason that if they meet everyone else's needs, their own needs will be taken care of in reciprocity. Meanwhile, they minimize those needs, making themselves as small and convenient as possible, denying they have needs at all. With an sx/sp alignment and a secondary 8 fix, this becomes a push-pull internal conflict between "I don't need anything, really" and "Give me what I need or else." I firmly believe that part of why Higgs' betrayal of Fragile was so malicious was a subconscious urge to punish her for not being... you guessed it... what he needed.

Let's go back to the point from post no. 1 about Higgs having highly developed Fe. In his youth, every time Higgs found himself in a new social situation, he responded with skepticism and instinctual aversion to social connection. It took time and persuasion for him to warm up to the idea of group politics; he’s only convinced when he realizes he’s needed and stands to have his own needs fulfilled in turn. Most people try to place Higgs' emotional center in enneagram 4 (which, when modulated by the sx-instinct and an 8 wing, can get downright nasty due to the fixation with envy and the aggression of 8) but frankly... I think that's lazy analysis.

Higgs’ initial reluctance to accept his DOOMS for what it was and subsequent secretiveness about killing to maintain it for his own survival screams 2. Higgs doesn’t self-victimize or wish to be special. Rather, he conceals his own needs and justifies his actions through a belief that he’s undertaking a selfless path. (“I’m an altruist now, I live to help other people[…] Community’s what it’s all about.”) He needs the world to need him and deteriorates when his role is threatened. In his time leading the West, people loved him and relied on him, but that wasn’t enough for him. Because he’s soc-blind and sx-dom, he only feels truly seen, fulfilled, and appreciated when he has attention and approval through a one-on-one relationship, such as with Coffin, Fragile, Amelie, etc., and he obsessively pursues the same recognition from Sam. (It’s worth acknowledging this is also indicative of disordered attachment, anxious-avoidant type.) When he fails, he falls back on the self-pres instinct, so… pizza, anyone?

Amelie initially lured him with the deceptive promise of enough power to create the better, freer, fairer world he was striving for. In his mind: save the world = save himself. Can’t save the world? Can’t save himself, time to take the whole thing down with him and call it mercy. That’s an unhealthy 2 heart center, believing he can only meet his own needs by rescuing everyone else, projecting his own turmoil onto others. He convinces himself he’s doing the right thing, giving the world what it needs. While his thirst for wide-scale justice is genuine, he exhibits an intense craving for attention, intimacy, and recognition, becoming suddenly naive and vulnerable when someone offers what he lacks. Conversely, he’s antagonistic, aloof, aggressive, and ego-defensive when his needs are denied or threatened.

Conclusion

Higgs' most basic of needs were denied from a young age, and as an ENTP, he's inherently driven to hedonism, has a need for an intellectual playmate/trustworthy equal, and craves a balance between novelty and safety, so he’s gluttonous towards intimate relationships and a sense of security. His sx7 alignment means he dreams big and loud, constructing kingdoms in his mind and a personal narrative where he's the hero in shining armor, free to explore the world as he wishes and save it while he's at it. His sp7 secondary means he thirsts for his own means of survival and the assurance of it, going out of his way to endear himself to others and become indispensable to guarantee that survival. His 8 fix means he's assertive, strong-willed, aggressively self-protective, and highly possessive of anything he views as "belonging" to him. His 2 fix means he needs others to need him, needs to feel important in his loved ones' lives, needs to have his efforts rewarded, needs a larger role to fulfill, and most of all, needs to know that he's allowed to need things. As an sx7, he's comfortable with wanting things, but that 2 fix means needs are unacceptable for him to express.

Becoming Higgs—embodying a self-righteous, pharaoh-inspired persona—was the only way he could cope with the injustice and deprivation he suffered. (Coffin: “There was such a fear in him, but beneath that a terrible anger[…] That poor boy…”)

Mature-but-unhealthy ENTP 782 at its finest. Feet on the ground, head in the clouds. In conclusion, I want to fuck him so bad it makes me look stupid. What a man.

#literally obsessed with the fact that he has the exact mirror of my personality type #intj: ni-te-fi-se. entp: ne-ti-fe-si. alter egos. he's 7w8 i'm 8w7. he's soc-blind and i'm soc-dom. so on so forth #i could fix him and he could make me worse <3 #to sum up: this is a horse girl movie and i imagine myself to be The Special Girl who's the only one that can ride (😏😏😏) the wild stallion #i'm delulu about it actually. very fun. highly recommend. but watch out it'll hurt your sanity forever and people will def look at u funny #:)))))))#✨✨self-awareness✨✨#mbti #enneagram #personality typology #character study #entp #higgs monaghan #death stranding #logan.txt

13 notes · View notes

coffeewritesfiction · 5 months

Text

Morning sun rising over Arkham, a glow of purple and crimson clouds interlacing the sky. She can't see it, even without the bandages wrapped around where her eyes should be, but the warmth kisses the light brown skin, and brings a smile to her lips. On the front porch she sits in the old rocking chair, left behind by some forgotten resident, and faces the sun. Fingers of sunlight run through her wavy brown hair, skimming over the messy braids and the dangling white fabric of her bandages. Bare feet move, rocking the chair, and it creaks with the birdsong in the dawn. Despite the suffering of humans, despite the passage of time, the birds sing, the insects buzz in the spring air. Despite the best efforts of human hands, she remains, rocking back and forth in the old chair, in her comfortable dress. Back and forth goes the dream, the vision she sees within her head, the sight that is not sight, the awareness that is not knowledge. Back and forth go the battles between bitter rivals beyond space, back and forth go the bees in the flowerbeds behind the silent Witch House. Back and forth goes the woman in the rocking chair, with her face both young and old, her hands in her lap, her lips in a smile. The sunlight flows over Arkham and in this moment, the Sleepwalker is satisfied.

@slenders1ckn3ss @jacqueswriteblrlibrary @redacted-metallum @actualblanketgremlin @higgs-space @phantomnations @mushabumi @assistantdirector--janson @aldhidbah @sabtael @yourheartonfireblog @jade-island-lives @carnocus @cecuesta @darkhorse-javert @comicgoblinart @lizadomuch @minutiaewriter @izzyspussy @passthebeat-blog-blog @dragonedged-if @andromedaexists @cyanide-latte @suckerpunchfemale @late-to-the-fandom @eldritch-flower @cljordan-imperium @royal1asset-if @pineywitch @fragrant-stars @mynameis40and4 @starry-voids @wubsbian @elbritch-kit @tousled-birdmad-girl @ajdoesthings @pen-for-sword @bee-barnes-author @noightwitchers

#writeblr #writeblr community #cthulhu mythos #wip: psi #writers of tumblr #lovecraft mythos

11 notes · View notes

hnnnnnnnm · 2 months

Note

tell me about this higgs fellow

Hello anon!!! :D

Higgs Monaghan (real name Peter Englert) is a character from the 2019 game Death Stranding, produced by Kojima Productions on the Decima engine and published by Sony. He’s portrayed by Troy Baker and serves as one of the major antagonists of the game.

I don't know if you know anything about DS nonnie but it's basically a game about rebuilding America via porters and the Chiral Network [which is basically the internet]. After the "Death Stranding" America and the whole world went to shit, with The Beach, BTs, Timefall, and Extinction Entities being massive threats to absolutely everyone. If you want a further explanation on what any of that means just shoot me another ask and I'll go in depth, but I'll explain what I need to in this ask :]

So in DS Higgs is a terrorist leader of a militant separatist group named the "Homo Demens", responsible for the nuking of Middle Knot City and the subsequent ruining of Fragile Express' reputation [a delivery company]. In the game he's introduced to the player somewhat early on, and he's portrayed as this kind of evil dickhead, who's obviously having fun causing chaos. He cracks a few jokes, breaks the fourth wall, is partially unnerving, but most importantly he actually summons a BT [a beached thing, souls stranded in the living world], which is insane because that just hasn't been done by a living human before in game. You can watch the cutscene here, it's so good.

In general Higgs is sadistic, violent, kind of creepy [both normally and sexually [?]], maybe even a tad boyish during a lot of the scenes with him. It's not until his journals, notes, late game, and the DS 2 trailer that we really see anything else. A sort of vulnerability, a past altruism [whether or not genuine is hard to say], a fucking nerd ass personality [he is obsessed with Ancient Egypt]. He's also incredibly jealous and prone to stalker like behaviour [that of which is born from jealousy, a desire to be special], which is a lot more interesting than the kind of otherwise cardboard personality we are given. I do say that affectionately, because Troys' performance is an absolute joy to watch and the writing for him is good, but compared to what we learn through otherwise missable items it's definitely kind of lackluster.

One thing we do learn early on though is that Higgs suffers a condition called DOOMs, which comes from Amelie and results in a greater connection to "the other side" It's characterised by a chiral allergy + greater resistance to chiralium, nightmares of world-wide extinction and destruction, and the ability to sense, see, or control BTs [dependent on the DOOMs level]. It is worth noting that those with DOOMs may also show suicidal, erratic, or homicidal tendencies, a trait also shared with those suffering Chiral Contamination - Higgs shows violent tendencies and - somewhat - poor impulse control. Higgs also fucking hates himself and is heavily nihilistic, so suicidal tendencies is likely LMAO

We also lean that the catalyst for his DOOMs was his uncles death, who had necrotised and popped a BT before he could be incinerated. We know that Higgs, then Peter, became a porter before joining a terrorist organisation, that the group died andthat he ended up becoming a porter AGAIN [a famed one too], before then joining ANOTHER terrorist group and betraying Fragile/joining Amelie. This man is up to no good and so easily susceptible to manipulation it's insane.

So I don't go full analysis TL;DR: Higgs is fucking insane mate

#I wrote so much but said absolutely nothing I Am So Sorry #if you have any further questions do ask! I am happy to talk #I also think it's worth mentioning that he has. a math equation #TATTOOED.#on his forehead #I feel like that kind of sums up his character better than I ever could

2 notes · View notes

dropsofnightshade · 2 years

Text

Recapping Chapters 51 - 60

Harry arrives at Hogwarts and is overwhelmed at the magic around him. He is Sorted into Slytherin with Daphne and Draco. Neville goes to Hufflepuff. Harry notices a teacher staring at him during the Sorting Feast; he later learns this person is Professor Quirrell. Harry meets Tracey Davis and Blaise Zabini, the latter whom triggers an unusual reaction in Harry.

On the first morning before classes the Slytherin first years are introduced to seventh year prefects, Grace Selwyn and Terrence Higgs. They meet Professor Snape. Draco asks Harry to meet him at lunch to speak in private.

Before Potions there is an altercation between Harry and Daphne on one side, and Draco, Theo and Pansy on the other. At lunch Draco speaks privately with Harry and Daphne. First he tells them a repeat of the altercation outside of Potions cannot happen again. Harry and Daphne refuse to let Theo and Pansy say things unchecked, but agree to put some distance between the pair. Draco tells Daphne and Harry that he asked his father about the Zabini family. They are a wealthy family Italian family. Around eleven years ago the family suffered a tragedy - the heir Gabriele Zabini died and the prime suspect was his pregnant wife. Draco thinks the unborn child could be Blaise. There was not enough evidence to charge the wife. Draco informs them the reason she was suspected was because her two previous husbands had also died in mysterious circumstances.

Harry feels uncomfortable in DADA. After class, Harry and Daphne meet Hermione in the library to answer more of the girl’s questions. Hermione suggests Harry and Daphne start a club.

Later in the week Harry has his meeting with Snape. He raises the idea of starting a club, and Snape instructs Harry to prepare an outline.

At the first flying class, Harry is friendly with Ron and Draco gets jealousy and gives Harry a cold shoulder. The first years have an exhibition match, and after Harry’s team wins, Draco storms off the pitch. Draco ignores Harry for the next two weeks. Harry and Daphne present their proposal to Snape, and after being sent away to workshop it more, the program is eventually endorsed and the Heritage Society (HS) is established. All of the first years but Draco and his group of friends sign up. On the second weekend of the school year the Quidditch try-outs are held. Harry is selected as the new Seeker. The first HS meeting is a success, with Harry and Daphne teaching their peers about magical cores, and the three different types of magic. The faculty meet and discuss the new first years - Harry is a popular topic. The staff are curious about the HS, but Dumbledore is wary.

Harry and Draco make up. Mabon is a success, however when the wider school population finds out, they’re angry they didn’t get to celebrate Mabon too. The Board later communicates that all students are permitted to practice wizarding traditions, with limits. A Ministry after school program is promised to commence in the New Year to teach wizarding traditions. Harry meets the Weasley twins, and promises to provide a Mirror Sphere test.

At the next HS meeting, Harry and Daphne teach their peers about Muggleborns and Squibs. Later Harry discusses over the mirror with Sirius, Arcturus and Aunt Cass whether it is possible his Parselmouth ability has something to do with his mother. Aunt Cass tells Harry about the research she is funding to develop an improved Heritage Test. Harry suggests they offer a Core Crystal to help. Harry talks about Blaise and Aunt Cass has a strong reaction hearing his surname. She implies his mother is very dangerous. Harry is told he cannot see Blaise outside of school.

On Samhain, Harry sneaks out with friends. After going to bed, Harry has a vision while dreaming and wakes with his scar hurting. When he and Blaise return to the ritual site, Harry asks Blaise about the writing on his Samhain candles. Blaise is shocked Harry can see the writing, and implies only certain people can see it. He can’t tell Harry anything else. On their way back to the castle, Harry and Blaise spot Quirrell in the forest.

During his first Quidditch match, Harry’s broom is Jinxed, and he uses wandless magic to counter the spell. Harry is left magically exhausted, but manages to catch the Snitch. The perpetrator is not found, despite the school launching an investigation. Harry goes home for a day to be seen by a Mind Healer, Evelyn Byrne, after his Samhain experience. Nothing is found.

Arcturus recalls a painting in Grimmauld Place had been Rhiannon Gaunt. They talk to her portrait and they are horrified to discover she was the cause of Bloodbane entering the family, which she is viciously pleased about. She declares Harry is her legacy, and he ruins her pleasure by informing her his mother was a Muggleborn. Arcturus then burns her portrait.

#recap #dark heritage

7 notes · View notes

resilientkitteh · 2 years

Text

Random Heartstopper Rewatch Fun! Episode 2: Crush

This will be a lot like my last post over the first episode so buckle up and on we go!!!

Okay so first off Charlie is adorable and awesome and I LOVE HIM. He can play the drums so well too which is EPIC!!! Anyways I love the way that Nick is like stalking his insta right now and like getting an even better feeling fur the type of person Charlie is! Also yay fur another cat purrson!!!

Kit's acting skills are on POINT and just fucking amazing! That picture where he thinks about how it must have been fur Charlie to be bullied in the corridors and such and the way that he is tearing up just gets me! Also they are adorable and I just really relate to constantly having to retype certain messages a million times XD

Charlie trying to figure out how to respond and like stop Nick from worrying and being so stressed about it that he shouts is a mood and I have been there! Also Nellie is the best little doggo ESA and I LOVE HER!!!! Points to Nick fur getting Charlie to open up, well done sir, very well done! Also awwwwww Nick cares about Charlieeeee!!!! I mean it's hella obvious to like everyone but it's still cute and Charlie's brain is stubborn af so he needs to hear that a lot!

And we are back to Ben the dickbag…FUCK you sir, okay?? Like you are being all nice and shit just so you can use this sweet little gay cinnamon roll and I really don't like you.

Charlie apologizing fur exposing that Ben is a dick is just…oh my goodness you adorable little cinnamon roll stop apologizing!!! Nick being super understanding and supportive here is such a win! I love it! Also dumb way to try and see if someone is straight Charlie…just saying lol But then again Nick is all confused soooo there is that. Nick's little smile when Charlie sends that heart emoji though!!!! Squeeeeeee it's adorable and I LOVE IT.

And we are at Higgs! Well done avoiding having someone assigned to look after you Elle! Seriously that sounds terrifying to me and just like it could end badly. Granted Tara is amazing but getting people to hang out with you because an adult is like do this thing please is not a fun time. Also Elle just go say hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

I really love the song Girls it's adorable and so accurate also it's nice to have so many gay songs in this showwwww!!!!!!!!

I LOVE how everyone is like "Nick is a massive heterosexual" and yetttttt it's like you don't know that. Just being masculine and good at sports doesn't make you straight!!!!!

Oh my goodness this convo with Mr. Ajayi is just like one of my favorite things ever! First there is "a question for the ages" which is incredibly accurate and I feel like so many of us have been there like shit we fell fur the straight person. UGH. Anyways onto his very accurate in my years at least line of "being a teenager is terrible" and I am like yaas an adult who gets it! Though I am sure he is also being somewhat overdramatic but like yeah it's not a fun time, or at least it's not fur a lot of us…

"I'm afraid you're just going to have to suffer then." Like I just love how open he is about it and like I gave you other solutions but you said no so alas that means you must suffer as all of us do when we fall fur a straight person. And also just Charlie being adamant of like NO I am gonna be his friend I don't care if it hurts I want to be near him! It's just precious!

Elle has a friend!!! I love how just nice and accepting and inviting Tara is, she is really an epic friend! Though I also had to chuckle at Elle's hesitation like…do you actually want me to come have lunch with you or were you voluntold? I get that feel.

Darcy has NO FILTER!!! Oh my goodness she makes me cackle so much! "Tara says you have no friends" also Tara's reactions to her words are always so fucking priceless to me. Darcy and Tara are purrfection together and I just really love their vibe and energy! They are so fun and great friends for Elle!

Nellie is adorable af and I love her! I also love how Nick is like showing off pictures of her to Charlie! Side note here, who hates animals so much that your kids can't have one?? Like even a little one or one that like has an enclosure or tank etc. That just bothers me is all anyways… Can we talk about how nonchalantly Nick invites over the OPENLY GAY kid!!!!!!!!! Like everyone thinks Nick is straight, he has some unfortunately homophobic people in his year and yet he is still just a great guy who wants to hang out with someone he really enjoys spending time with and doesn't seem to find it weird or anything. Just well clearly you have to come meet my dog then, obviously.

I swear you can see Charlie just light up when the idea of going to Nick's is mentioned and Idk I feel like (granted I was never really allowed out my house like ever) but going over to a friend's house is like a sign that you are close? So it's definitely not helping Charlie's intense crush on Nick but it makes him happy and he is starting to wonder if maybe there is something there? Or at least if he can spend even more time with his incredible and attractive new best friend. lol

The HAIR conversation with Tori just really sets up the whole adorableness with NICK in a few minutes and I FUCKING love it!!! Also Tori randomly appearing all the time is great and I am so glad I am not the only person who gets surprised all the fucking time by quite walkers. Charlie asking about his hair and Tori just insisting it LOOKS THE SAME is greatness and Charlie is just like why did I even ask you again? Clearly he is a little nervous and it's adorable and yeah I just love Charlie! They have a fun and yet very caring sibling relationship and I enjoy it! Nick being nervous about ringing that doorbell is precious and I am so glad he rang it!

The way that Nick and Charlie smile at each other whenever they first see each other is priceless and it makes my little shipper heart so fucking happy!!!!! Nellie is precious and adorable and I love how Charlie is like yep well I am gonna pet this doggo right now.

It takes Nick less than a MINUTE to realize Charlie got a haircut. I live with my partner and sometimes it takes me HOURS to realize that shit lol So yeah ummmm you are paying a LOT of attention to Charlie there Nick…just saying. And he just like immediately starts playing with it!!! AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Squeeeeee!!! I LOVE IT! And Charlie being like…um oh I didn't expect you to notice…Then Nick catching himself and instead of telling Charlie that he looks great he says that his haircut looks great and just AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! Like I saw you and what you were going to say just say it! lol Saved by Nellie whimpering to go out lol because like one of them would have had to keep going to fill the silence. Charlie's smile when he is like invited into the house is adorable!!!!!! He is so fucking happy!

The way that Nick just showers Charlie in compliments and words of affirmation is absolutely precious and it makes me so happy!! Squeeee also Charlie I love you but you are most definitely a nerd and at some point you are going to have to accept that. Can we talk about how much Nick seems to really admire Charlie? All those compliments and a list of things Charlie is good at is just so wonderful and with all Charlie has been through and is still going through it's so nice to see someone truly care about him for who he is and such and just AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Charlie putting his hand over Nick's mouth and practically sideways tackling him onto the bed is adorable and I just really LOVE how comfortable they are with each other!! AHHHHHHHH So fucking cute!!!! And I love how Nick is laughing the whole time he tries to fight back and get up. And as they sit back up and Charlie gets excited about something, Nick is just literally staring at Charlie with this goofy AF clearly head over heels in love grin on his face and it's precious and adorable and I LOVE IT!!! Charlie is staring out the window and doesn't notice it though.

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Just trying to get that out because like I LOVE THIS WHOLE snow day scene so fucking much!! There is a reason it won an award and just AHHHHHHHHHH FEEEEELS my fangirl heart! Like it almost makes me wish I liked snow lol Anyways lets get into it, yeah? So first off, they just look at each other and wordlessly move off the bed in unison because like they are fucking going outside together. I LOVE THAT CHARLIE IS BORROWING NICK'S CLOTHES!!!!!!!! It's in the comic as well which I LOVE but it's just nice to see it and to see like Charlie trying them on and being soooooo little in them because Nick is like a tank compared to him lol and of course that hoodie looks good on Charlie, Nick, you have a crush on him and a lot of people love having their crushes wear their clothes...just saying...lol

"Dance with Me" Is a beautiful af song and definitely one I binge listen to alllllllllllllllll the fucking time! It's also just so perfect for this scene and these two because as you listen to the lyrics I feel like they just flow well with what the boys are feeling!

Nellie coming to play with them makes me super happy too because like she is adorable, they are adorable it just multiplies the ADORABLENESS!!!! And while Charlie is loving spending time with Nick I think spending time with Nellie is good for his mental health as well! Nick and Charlie having a snow ball fight is amazing and I LOVE it! Also that shot with Nick like tossing the snowball and catching it before throwing, idk it just always feels very skilled to me granted I generally hiss at the snow and try to hibernate so maybe it doesn't take that much skill? The way Charlie laughs when he hits Nick and just the sass and the way that they are so comfy with each other and just honestly having a good time makes my heart so happy!!! Nick just playing dirty and tossing a handful of snow on Charlie's head is adorable as well.

"But I think I really like you" from Dance With Me is so accurate for this scene and just AHHHHHHHHH I LOVE how perfect this soundtrack is, okay??????

And then NICK IS PLAYING WITH CHARLIE'S HAIR!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHH Like how fucking cute and obvious can you be???? Which prompts Charlie to do the cute little nervous giggle and smile and just AHHHHHHHHHH then Charlie just starts making snow people and Nick is there just photographing him and I just CAN'T at how fucking cute and couply they ALREADY ARE!!!!!!!!!!!! And then Nick joins him and they have these two cute snow impressions that they make side by side hands nearly fucking brushing and just AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why are you two so damn cute??? My heart is gonna do an explode, okay?

Then in comes Nellie to join and make the selfies even cuter!!! I love the way they are both smiling in the photos as well as how they SMILE AT EACH OTHER after taking more photos and they are just both so clearly into each other!!!!!!!!! Nellie is laying on Nick but touching Charlie too and just AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I LOVE IT!!! So like couply and just like domestic-y though they aren't like married or anything I know but it's like homey and hopeful and precious and I love it! Also Nick just shouting more to the sky...I do that with rain so like I get it and he is adorable! I would also love so much more of this SCENE okay? I could watch all of the footage and just never be bored lol I LITERALLY repeat this scene almost every time I watch this episode! Skipping repeating it today was I am typing this monstrosity of FEEEEELS lol

I love Nick's cup and I don't really know why, I just do. I think it's cool that he has something that is clearly his I guess? Also yes Charlie is lovely, glad you noticed! Sarah Nelson is like a dream Mum, okay?

(about Charlie) "He's very different to your other friends, you seem much more yourself around him"

Nick, looking thoughtful and being like "Do I?" Then trying to spin the wheels to start his gay crisis as he is like what does that mean??? I think this guy is awesome, I want to spend all my time with him, he is adorable and cute and I just like so much about him and I feel comfortable with him...so what does this mean???? Or at least that is what I think Nick's internal monologue would sound like lol and that little chuckle at the end of it before the fade where he is like...yeah I guess you have a point there mum.

You can tell that Nick is like daydreaming about Charlie outside of the gate before he even pulls out his phone. Granted he is all sorts of confuse and not 100% sure why he needs to text Charlie but he does so out comes the phone. Imogen, I love you but go away you are not helping poor Nick! Random bit of info...hearing "your Mom" jokes doesn't sting any more so yay healing? Anyways onto the show! Nick now second guessing himself and his wants because Imogen opened her mouth and made him feel awkward about wanting to spend more time with Charlie so soon after spending time together...UGH Imogen...lol

Charlie watching Nick play rugby and his little smile AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH so fucking cute and adorable!!!!!!! Tao trying to act like he knows rugby lol you are fooling no one lol Why is he so anti Nick??????? I feel like he is just not being nice when he says "rugby king" and then of course Tao is meddling and has innaccurate and very dated information on Nick's feelings and I know this and I am just screaming at my tv like why doesn't anyone just fucking ask NICK??????? And Charlie you are spot on little cutie so just keep dreaming and make your move!!!!!!!!!!!! And he was definitely flirting with you Charlie, 10000000% Ah yes Tao, please tell Charlie the name of this girl so he can obsess properly, thanks.

Oh hey look at that! They just won, everyone is celebrating AROUND Nick and guess who he is fucking WATCHING? His teammates on the field? His friends? His coach? NO. He is staring at CHARLIE and watching him!! Gazing longingly at the other boy! And you know waving at him and such after the game like "that was fur you" kind of how sometimes football players like hold the ball up after scoring? Anyways definitely an action I associate with love for the recipient! And Tao is doing a meddle again...however we have to talk about this line!

"As your token straight friend, it's my duty to remind you that sometimes people are straight. It's an unfortunate fact of life." Like I just love the drama here but also the way that he is trying to sympathize with Charlie even though he is straight and Charlie isn't. Idk it's just a great fucking line to me. Isaac shipping Nick and Charlie is amazing and epic and I love that his reasoning is that he wants to believe in romance. I just really find him very endearing and funny. And when he's excited Isaac seems to talk rapidly which I do so it makes me feel seen.

Elle being like will you 3 calm down and talk at a pace that someone can understand???? Lol then her response to Charlie liking Nick just oh my goodness!! Why does he have to be straight??? Y'all need to just talk to the guy!!! Tao's sassy face about Elle being the cool and mysterious new girl is just fucking adorable and I love them together! Charlie trying to brush off his crush with Nick and I am like you aren't being stupid, your friends are being stubborn headed and asssssssuming! Then Elle caves to ask if she has the chance and we get to see a cute little group hug and I really enjoy how close knit they are and I love seeing them all happy!

Suddenly, Elle gets the opportunity to ask!!! I do think it's so funny with Darcy's pronunciation and her hilarious "accidental" gender change when she answers the question, it's just a very cute moment! And how Tara just gives Darcy so much shit in a loving way they are super precious! Elle is already putting it together that they might be a couple...y'all are not as subtle as you think okay??

Oh my goodness Charlie's little sad cat pouty face when he is thinking Nick likes Tara is just adorable and sad and he needs a HUG. Specifically a NICK HUG!!! Can we talk about how they added like the blackness around the edges to symbolize like negative thoughts, depression and anxiety in this? I love it so much because it is so accurate like you are seeing the world as it is but all that darkness and awful thoughts and shit is just creeping in around the edges until it threatens to block out all the light and the good. I just really feel that and I LOVE the accuracy of it. So anyways Charlie does a depressive zone spiral thing and then BAM! Nick manages to get him back to reality and be like hellooooo what's going on?

Then when Charlie doesn't really seem to come out of his funk Nick is like okay, lemme move closer to you, give you my undivided attention and see what is the matter! Because Nick is that in tune with Charlie's emotions that he knows almost instinctively that something is off! I feel like you only have that connection with a few people so I LOVE how close they already are and just how into Charlie Nick is!!! Also the face he makes when Charlie is clearly struggling to say anything like AHHHHHHHH MY FEEEEELS!! Charlie you sir are a chicken and the coming drama could be avoided if you just asked your question!!!! lol But nice save inviting him to your house! And Nick's little happy chuckle and smile at being invited and also possibly just having his heart warmed that Charlie wants him to come over while finding Charlie being nervous to ask absolutely endearing!

And we are back to the world's least subtle lesbians lol XD Elle has it figured out! Mwahahahaha! Darcy, never become a spy lol "admiring Tara's hands" oooookay. Yay for them trusting Elle and Elle having her own Higgs Trio!!!!

AHHHHHH how are their smiles so fucking cute! They are just like ahh yes its you and I love you so big smile of love! And Nick really can't play the drums but I love his concentration and effort lol Also he just has great facial expressions so well done Kit! The fact that Charlie just sits on this TINY fucking stool right next to NICK, his CRUSH, just baffles me! He is clearly like oh this is safe I am teaching him something but like he totally takes Nick by surprise and teaches him something VERY different. Charlie is just so into the beat and the music and enjoying having Nick there to show the drums to and Nick is like enamored AF with Charlie and staring at their hands because Charlie is basically holding his hands, and then he just stares at Charlie's face and watches him get lost in the beat and just smiles at him lovingly and it's absolutely precious and just AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He just keeps looking back and forth from Charlie holding his hands to the cute drummer's face and I am dead! Also Charlie you sir are one oblivious teen at times lol That awkward bit of laughter at the end is adorable and just ahhhh!!! Charlie seems to eventually realize how close they are because he gets up and backs away with a lame excuse but it's whatever lol

And then we are downstairs and they are watching a movie together and I LOVE THEM!!!!!!!!!!! Charlie is an adorable sleeper and watching Nick just like watch him and smile softly at him...and I feel like Nick knows without a doubt that Charlie trusts him at this point because like he is sleeping just out in the open next to him and it's not even that late so I hope he realizes that and it's part of why he smiles! And the fireworks as he puts his hand over Charlie's!!! AHHHHH!!!! And then he tries it again, but he just can't get his nerve to take Charlie's hand which is sad but also just fucking adorable!!!! Plus he now is aware that he wants to hold Charlie's hand so we have some progress towards his proper full on gay crisis so there is that. Also the way his heart is clearly racing is just so fucking realistic, it feels like that and I am just so glad with how it's portrayed!

Neither one of them wants the night to end!!!!!!!!! SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are so into each other and want to spend alllll the time together and it makes me so happy!!!! Nick I think the word you are looking for is "CUTE" not cuddly but I mean you aren't wrong with that choice...just not quite on the mark as to what you really are thinking...unless that means "I would really like to cuddle you" which is fair and far more accurate so well done! lol Nick's smile when he looks Charlie over again to affirm that he is indeed looking cuddly, is just so cute and nervous and into Charlie and I LOVE IT!!! And then suddenly Nick is hugging Charlie!!!!! Out of nowhere! And it takes Charlie by surprise so he like waits to respond and hug him back fur a bit like...tf is going on? But then he is like oh fuck Nick is HUGGING ME!!!!!!!!!! I need to hug him back! And I want to believe that they are both in their own little paradise regardless of any other emotions they are feeling in this moment. Just blisssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nick being nervous and not really knowing how to explain his need to hug Charlie so not really making eye contact as he leaves is just too fucking cute and relatable! I LOVE HIM! And he is like "see you Monday" trying to not make it a big deal but they both know it's a BIG FUCKING DEAL. It wasn't even a short hug, okay? This was like at least a TEN SECOND HUG!!!!!!!!!!! Not your usual hug length for a friend unless you haven't seen them in furever I feel like and especially not a good bye see you in a day one...but that could just be me...

"I don't think he's straight." First off Tori I just really love you, okay? You are a great big sister and I love the way you are there for Charlie. Secondly I love how you just magically appear all the time and can clearer read people better than Charlie lol I also want to congratulate you on being the first person to even entertain the idea that Nick isn't straight, besides Charlie of course. So yeah thank you!!!!!!!!

And start Nick's gay panic mode, like hard core! As in enough to start googling lol poor Nick that shit is so hard to understand!!!! I love you so much and you have such an amazing journey and we were all rooting for you every step of the way! Also you are adorable and just so aware of yourself that I applaud you on that and for really trying to understand rather than bury it even though it is scary!

CHARLIE'S text to his friends makes me giggle so fucking much! the capitalization for Hot Straight Boy and the fact that he is like um is this normal??? Also it was a LONG hug, okay? I counted! Tao's sassy response is just very Tao and makes me giggle though not my favorite idea to put in Charlie's mind.

Nick just looking through his pictures with Charlie and smiling is so fucking cute and sweet!!! And we have ALL FUCKING DONE IT! Don't you lie! So yeah again very cute and accurate and just AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! And the song, Why Am I Like This??? It's fucking AMAZING and I totally understand it so fucking much! I get that and especially when it comes to like some of the lyrics "maybe you don't really want me there..." and "thinking right over every single word of the conversation we just had" such an excellent portrayal of anxiety as well as potentially depression or some other side effect of a host of other mental illnesses. The music just fits really well with Nick doubting everything so much and being anxious about it as well as just being incredibly relatable in some way for so many!

Annnnnnnnd here comes Elle with the save of Tara is NOT into Nick! Huzzah! The way that Charlie sits up when he reads that text is adorable AF and like I did that, I remember doing that lol I mean I also do similar things when I read a great fic though soooo XD

And now Nick is trying to figure out why he wants to hold hands with and cuddle Charlie. Like seriously I am so purroud of you Nick! I know it's absolutely terrifying but you are doing it and I am so purroud of you! And thanks fur being true to yourself and showing us all that it can be scary but it's so worth it! And then it ends...as he hits send fur the search "Am I gay?" which is such a great ending but also AHHHHHHHHHHHHH my FEELS!!!!!!!!!!! I always want to scream you are into Charlie regardless soooo KISSSSSSS HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!

#my fangirl heart #heartstopper #heartstopper series #charlie spring #nick nelson #heartstopper netflix #nick x charlie #charlie and nick #heartstopper show #nick and charlie #heartstopper s1

12 notes · View notes

thetruearchmagos · 2 years

Text

Find The Word Tag Game

Thank you kindly @marinesocks , I've got a fair few more of these to get through at some point!

Favour

Well, this is odd. Anyways, rules are rules: Lieutenant General Gustav J Schmidt, one of my favourite main characters, hates most of the "special hobbies" he and his fellow officers are obliged to take on. However, while jousting (with actualhorsesn) and fencing are not his cup of tea, in his younger days as an Officer Cadet he used to one-up his classmates with his exceptional Mountain Climbing skills, frequently tasked with going far ahead of his comrades to mark the path, and generally showing off.

Under

"Do tell me, what's our speed and altitude, Dovey?" Lieutenant Commander Evren "Poker" Bayrak asked, a smirk creeping its way across their face, obscured under their flight helmet. Turning slightly to look upon the scene of the blue and white waves rapidly rushing past outside the polymer canopy of their Boxer Blazer strike aircraft, they could make a guess that the answer they'd get from their Air Technical Officer, Lieutenant Avery "Dovey" Piers, would make a civilian pilot pass out in terror.

Feet

"GAH!" Hitting the ground with a heavy thud, Tillery brought his arms to his face as the spindly ladder he'd fallen from collapsed down on him, accompanied by a labelled, blank box of some set or other of historically relevant documentation he was in no mood to feel sorry for. Mercifully, the written warhead missed its mark, and Nick staggered to his feet

Raise

Another missing word! Hmm... Unlike her husband, Higgs has far greater interest in the more active, and often violent, activities military officers are encouraged to pick up. Sharpshooting is actually a common activity for the pair, but unlike Gustav, Higgs is a medal winning competitor in Dueling, a form of martial art similar to fencing, but using a much wider variety of weaponry, and where physical contact and hitting are not only allowed, but fully expected within the sport.

Life

Memories of home, the thoughts of human discomforts of shipboard life, left rushing to keep up as they saw the speed gauge finish its ponderous journey to 500 knots. Piers rattled off half a dozen system updates as the beast was brought up for battle, and the symphony of technology echoed and rang around them in the metal confines of their cockpit, and human and machine became like one.

I'll be tagging @lividdreamz @moonscribbler @sanguine-arena @orphicpoieses , and @theprissythumbelina !

Your words are: Lock, Pluck, Terror, and Cave

And since I had to suffer through this, you lot will to!

and as always i’m adding my own rule that if you can’t find a word in your work then you have to tell me a fun fact about either your WIP, your writing process, or one of your characters ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

I suggest blaming @marinesocks for this!

#writeblr #my writing #writing #my wips #worldbuilding #writeblr tag games

3 notes · View notes

valiantdust · 2 years

Text

Chapter 5 - What We Became

Here’s a excerpt of the latest chapter of my heartstopper fanfic is! Read it on ao3.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Nat was robotic; even Maths failed to inject some excitement into the dullness that sank over the afternoon, as she suffered through each lesson to the steady ticking of the identical plastic clocks that hung over the door of every classroom. The only thing on her mind was rugby training, and the closer it got, the slower time seemed to pass.

At last, the final bell went and Nat dashed out of the classroom. She moved in a whirlwind, gathering her bags and books from her locker as she breezed through the corridors and out of the school. A few days before, she and Nick had done some careful calculations, and concluded that she’d have to run to Truham to make it to the changing rooms on time, which Nat had grimaced at. But now, in the moment, she was flying along the pavement, bag steady on her back, stretching her legs like a born athlete.

Nat only had a theoretical grasp of the Truham campus, but Nick’s directions had been so thorough she could have found her way blind. It wasn’t unlike Higgs, with the same style of building and carefully contained greenery that suggested the two schools had been built around the same time. The layout, however, was completely different, and Nat relied completely on Nick’s voice in her head, telling her where to go. She weaved through the buildings and occasional groups of boys who would look at her and double take, initially fooled by her short hair but confused by the blur of Higgs uniform that ran past them.

As she approached the changing rooms, a clamour of voices grew louder, and Nat slowed to a jog so she wouldn’t be too out of breath when she arrived. She rounded the final corner, and a large gaggle of boys came into view, milling around near the entrance to the changing rooms, some with their ties loose and first few buttons undone. A streak of ginger hair could be seen in the middle of the group, which could only be Nick.

Before Nat could gather her thoughts coherently enough to get nervous again, a voice came from behind her.

“Hey, Nat.”

She turned her head. Charlie was walking towards her, one hand holding the strap of his bag tightly over his shoulder, the other raised in an awkward half-wave. Instantly, her worries subsided. “Alright, Charlie?” she replied, slowing her pace so he could catch up and fall into step next to her. “Looking forward to practice?”

He pulled a face. “Yeah?” Charlie laughed. “Don’t tell them I said that, though.”

#heartstopper #heartstopper fanfic #heartstopper fic #nick and charlie #nick x charlie #nick nelson #charlie spring #ben hope #sebastian croft #alice oseman #osemanverse #fanfic #fanfiction #ao3fic

2 notes · View notes

vyragosa · 1 year

Text

i literally think fragile is in that red coffin

“Futures are fragile things, but my daughter's made of stronger stuff.”

“ But remember what a coffin's for. Preserving that which was most important to us. The precious, the fleeting. The fragile.”

#i really doubt it would be the 'recreation' of higgs and it also seems to be in physical world anyway with leaking tar #and we only see on screen fragile collapsing #whoever tried to assasinate her had a design #if it was higgs then that would mean his body physically made it back from that beach #AND that he was dying at the same time AND that a cult rose or that he established if he were to be dying #but if someone was trying to 'save' fragile then #if the loss sam is going to suffer is greater than just lou as it implies and during their travels she happens to be fatally injured then

0 notes

wugblogs · 2 years

Text

heartstopper comic thoughts! starting at chapter 4 since this is apparently an approximate post-show-events time, even though it's not quite the same

a lot more family right off the bat. hello David you suck.

nick looks stupidly adorable in comic form too.

my best friend Issac isn't here! :( Aled is probably also good though, we'll see!

completely not about the comic but is anyone else amazed at the existence of the tunnel? you just DRIVE through the OCEAN?

"is pizza French" i'm extremely disappointed in truman/higgs education if these children don't know what Italy is

distracted from the gay by being jealous I haven't been to paris

not eating big meals is just how some people eat but if it's being brought up in a fictional story... concerning...

[exasperated voice] tao. this boy needs more self confidence. well, so does charlie. this friend group?

*narrows eyes at Nick's texts with his dad*

also knowing French has been surprisingly helpful. didn't anticipate that.

Harry...is not a static character apparently. Hmmmm. don't know how I feel about this yet.

je n'aime pas tao triste :(

et je n'aime pas however tf you say eating disorder in French. charlie nooo. eating disorders is one of the things I have trouble relating to on a personal level but I'm gonna hate seeing Charlie suffer.

He says they're going to talk next week which I guess is probably normal for a family where your dad lives in another country? I dunno. Also, are regular people using Google translate or just having no idea what's happening here, because I see no English version.

nick's dad ISN'T COMING. that was my guess already but :( Nick doesn't seem super disappointed at least? I have 0 read on this relationship.

Unimportant, but I assume Nelson is his mom's name, and with the implication that his dad being in Paris has been the situation for a long time... he doesn't seem to be a complete deadbeat dad, but an involved parent choosing to live in another country seems unusual. I wonder what the family dynamic in general is like here.

the kissed IN THE LOUVRE

first tao/elle kiss IN THE LOUVRE

that's just unfair. where's my Paris trip. and cute girlfriend.

whoa it's Gay Teachers time

how many gay teachers do we even have wow like the students are one thing (hundreds of them and birds of feather, so having a bunch in the same story is almost expected) but usually you get maybe 1 Gay Mentor Teacher Type

can't believe even the adults are trying to embarrass me though. this flirting is terrible.

#heartstopper #stopping for the night so here's today's thoughts

4 notes · View notes

sregan · 2 months

Text

Review: Everything Everything's "Mountainhead"

Mountainhead is to my knowledge the first Everything Everything album truly sold around its concept. At least two of their previous efforts have had thematic through-lines - 'Get To Heaven' around radicalisation, extremism, and in vocalist Higgs' words 'becoming the Other'; and 'Re-Animator' playing with Julian Jaynes' bicameral mind theory. And of course their immediately previous album 'Raw Data Feel' was partially composed with input from an AI and toys with ideas of technology and the future. However, none have been teased with as strong a concept as 'Mountainhead' - set in a dystopian society where a cult is building a mountain by digging a pit, with the lowest members of society living in the pit and the highest on the peak - an immediately compelling metaphor for the rat race and inequality; and of course the title itself recalls Ayn Rand's 'The Fountainhead' and suggests a critique of that work's strident pro-capitalism message.

In practice I am unsure exactly how well this theme comes together - Higgs admits only about half the tracks on the album contribute directly to the theme, and it certainly doesn't seem to me like as a concept album Mountainhead is trying to be a 'rock opera', in the sense of having a story that develops throughout the album.

'Wild Guess' is the album opener, and it seems to me that it's doing triple duty as a re-introduction to the band ("Do you know where I've been (…) where are we now?"), a societal critique ("Take a wild guess" as to where things are going to go from here given the ominous political and environmental trends), and a scene-setting track for the album's concept. When Higgs sings "This is the most important thing you'll ever buy from us" this may be the cult of the mountain selling themselves to an unfortunate convert, or the band itself describing the album; an unsettling duality that blurs the line between the critical perspective of the band and the protagonist (something Higgs has played with on numerous occasions before). It's unusual for an EE song insofar as it begins with a long instrumental section, showing off the band's chops at, perhaps, the expense of an explosive opener. The use of almost barbershop harmonies is a high point. It's grown on me after a few listens and I now think it's above average for the album, despite a bridge that annoys me due to its mixed metaphors ("Nothing but endless fields of bodies swimming in the pit").

(As a note: I think there's a mistake in mixing in this song. At the end of the song, Higgs sings "Oh take a wild guess" while the backing vocals sing "You don't take it in". I think 'take' is probably intended to line up so it hits with some extra punch but never quite manages it)

'The End of the Contender' is a surprising and perhaps weak choice for second song despite being musically solid on its own. One of the singles released ahead of the album, 'Contender' is based in part on the viral video of Ronnie Pickering, a former British boxer who became involved in a road rage incident, raging "Do you know who I am?" (the cyclist didnt'). As such, other than a fleeting reference to Creddahornis, the snake at the bottom of the pit, there's relatively little sense of the album's concept and it's more of a personal meditation on former 'big men' who feel the world has passed them by.

'Cold Reactor' was the first single to be released from the album and remains probably the strongest song on the LP, as well as serving as the most concise description of the album's concept ("So we built the mountain by digging an almighty hole (…)But now the hole is deeper than anybody ever planned/And we're blocking out the sun"). Looking back after the release of the album, Cold Reactor suffers from its slightly schizophrenic premise; it is at once a description of the cult digging frantically to build the mountain, with the protagonist raging ("If God is the mountain he won't answer me a single question"), but also a description of isolation from the perspective of what seems like a shut-in only communicating with others through chat ("I haven't left the house in nearly thirty thousand days; I sent you/The image of a little yellow face") and perhaps planning an act of violence, a call-back to some of the themes of 'Get To Heaven'. It remains however an extremely catchy track with a devastating chorus ("I'm sorry Satan, but I can't do this evil on my own").

'Buddy Come Over' suffers from a weak, if memorable, chorus ("Empty but for us and the vomit/Elvis sitting dead on the toilet") and appears to be describing an individual familiar to the UK political scene - a "sucker for the law" who thinks "PC (has) gone mad". An excellent bridge with a genuinely menacing melody makes up for the chorus ("It's a golden age/I'm wearing half your face").

It's not clear if 'R U Happy?' is intended to be the concept album cult's pitch to members, a first stirring of dissatisfaction by the protagonist in their life ("The mountain is a lie") or a more general statement by the band. While some reviewers enjoyed the themes I felt it was a bit meandering.

'The Mad Stone' was the second of the three singles released ahead of the album launch and seems to be from the perspective of a real estate agent selling homes on the mountain and in the pit. It's a little unclear what part of the narrative voice should be understood to be from an actual cult member - is "I'm a Mountainhead too! What is that, a religion?" a telling aside from the same character who seeks belonging but doesn't seem to know what they're getting into, or two characters in a back and forth? The very rapid falsetto delivery of the chorus may not be everyone's cup of tea.

'TV Dog' should ring bells for listeners of previous albums, where 'dog' is used to mean someone falling prey to propaganda or easily led; who is learning to hear the dog whistles (e.g. 'Lord of the Trapdoor': "This is a whistle for only the dog. Can you believe you were nearly a dog?"). The song opens strongly with a harpsichord leitmotif that recalls 'Two for Nero' and the lyrics "Why is it always/Liars and ballgames/When I turn on the television?"). Sadly, as the song goes on, it seems to lose track of of the metaphor ("If it's not free will/Is it a treadmill?") and is rather short.

(UPDATE: This may be because the line in question was actually taken from another unused song which would have revolved around a shooting at a gym. EE have done this before when they fused 'Only The Dogs' and 'Come Alive Diana' to create the final version of 'Come Alive Diana', with the intriguing line "First I lost an author, then I lost a daughter's awe" sadly not pertaining to anything in the themes of the latter, having been lifted directly from the former.)

'Canary' returns to the themes of the album, while also perhaps developing the themes of the radicalised character from the previous song, with the 'canary under the ground' who gives into the "drumming of the hellkite priest". It suffers from a somewhat repetitious chorus and outro and, in contrast to TV Dog, feels like it drags on somewhat, despite a stronger through-line.

'Don't Ask Me To Beg' is one of the weaker songs on the album from my perspective; it seems to be broadly a breakup song, and despite some memorable lines ("If I'm gonna be tomorrow's bacon/You deserve a Michelin star") the second half lumbers along with the same issues as 'Canary'.

'Enter the Mirror' is clearly being positioned as one of the big tracks of the album, though to my mind it's probably the weakest. Its new-love theme sits uncomfortably coming immediately after 'Don't Ask Me To Beg' and the leitmotif of the chorus "Two! Men! Enter! The! Mirror!" feels worryingly familiar. It's not quite Michael Jackson's "The Man In The Mirror" but isn't far off, which gives it a presumably unintentionally comedic effect.

'Your Money, My Summer' clearly nods back to the band's early single 'MY KZ, UR BF', a track specifically about being confronted by an angry man after cheating with his significant other. Here the message is somewhat vaguer; does the money-splashing protagonist have the 'Babylon witch's' credit card after the breakup in 'Don't Ask Me To Beg'? Confusing matters is the line 'All summer my powers did fade', which seems like it recalls 'Lost Powers', a song about Alex Jones and the Sand Hook shootings.

(UPDATE: The meaning may be given away by the cryptic reference to Robin Hood's Bay, which seems to be referencing Bram Stoker's Dracula, who reaches shore in nearby Whitby after a shipwreck in the form of a dog. 'The dog's in the dinghy sun-tanned' thus seems to identify the parasitic protagonist as a figurative (?) vampire, whose fading powers of seduction may nod back to similar tracks such as 'Warm Healer')

'Dagger's Edge' wasn't a favorite of mine as it felt quite derivative and something I've heard before, both musically and thematically, though it's a lot stronger than the preceding three tracks and I can see why some have labelled it a high point. It connects, oddly, to 'Don't Ask Me To Beg' ("We've all become tomorrow's bacon/The customer is always right") as well as to the 'rancid hellkite' cult.

'City Song' was a standout for me with some evocative synths, and what seems like a nod to the structure of 'No Reptiles' ("They didn't know my name/I didn't know my name"). City Song has been excoriated by some for what is probably the weakest couplet on the album ("You are a woman, and I am a man/We live in the city, and we do what we can"). For my part I assumed this was deliberately trite and not a genuine attempt at a romantic line. It also has for me the best outro on the album.

'The Witness' makes for a strange closer to the album, with its 16-bit MIDI melody and vocals that seem to sit awkwardly on top. For me this (deliberate?) incongruity detracts from what are actually quite powerful lyrics - albeit feeling very cryptic and almost painfully personal: "And the way you wanted it never comes true/And the bird in the shed, it was looking at you/But you blew off its head because that's what we do/And I'll always believe in you". Should we understand the "blinding light" and "water falling" to mean the collapse of the pit and the mountain; the system ending and the light rushing into the darkness? The line "If you stood up in school and just burst into flame" suggests to me this is all still Higgs playing with ideas of martyrdom and terrorism left over from 'Get To Heaven', when the final two tracks on what is billed as a concept album haven't really engaged with the concept, dancing away to a city filled with light or a cryptic scene in a shed where the protagonist kills an avian 'witness'?

Overall ranking each song out of five I ended up with an overall average rating for 'Mountainhead' of 2.78, which is better than Arc and Re-Animator and comparable to 'Raw Data Feel'. However, it's quite front-loaded, with 'The End Of The Contender', 'Cold Reactor', 'Buddy Come Over' and 'Mad Stone' all in the first half. I feel the album progressively loses track of its conceit after 'Canary' and the second half is significantly weaker.

In terms of the overall narrative, you might construct something as follows:

The scene is set ('Wild Guess') with an ominous premonition of the end (the bodies floating in the pit), also serving as a re-introduction to the band itself and its new direction ("Where are we now? - Take a wild guess")

'The End Of The Contender' describes someone who might fall prey to the cult, who feels like yesterday's man and seeks purpose

'Cold Reactor' overtly spells out the setting and how it relates to alienation (the pit = depression and disconnection)

'Buddy Come Over' might (?) suggest attempts to find connection with other people in the pit

'R U Happy?' suggests the protagonist remains dissatisfied with their life

'Mad Stone' introduces a new character, the estate agent who by the end of the song has seemingly joined the cult)

'TV Dog' relates the cult to real-world media on TV radicalising people

'Canary' develops how the protagonists are manipulated and encouraged to sacrifice themselves for the good of the cult

'Don't Ask Me To Beg' suggests some kind of breakup or disagreement with the cult

'Enter The Mirror' sees the protagonist climb the mountain and reach the mirror, reaching some kind of revelation and embarking on a campaign of destruction and arson against the cult

'Your Money. My Summer' might or might not see the protagonist stealing money from the cult (it might also be from the perspective of the cult's leadership, enjoying the unearned fruits of their followers' labours)

'Dagger's Edge' relates the cult situation to the increasingly perilous real-world political landscape

'City Song' sees the protagonist attempting to rediscover themselves in the city after leaving the cult but still feeling unsatisfied

Finally 'The Witness' sees them return and dynamite the mountain, flooding the pit and killing the cult; their last victim is the canary, who saw them commit the crime.

Update: The 'bird in the shed' is a real bird who Higgs shot with an air rifle as a child, with the rest of the song being about "some fucked up stuff that happened to me in the pandemic"; my sense then that this was a painfully personal song seems to have been bourne out. While the lyrics are evocative, the almost chiptune melody and lack of connection to the album make it to my mind a poor closer.

#everything everything band #mountainhead #jonathan higgs

1 note · View note

theonethatslowlyfade · 1 year

Text

ENG The toss of a coin. A coin toss, held in Grayson's steady palm. While his body remained motionless, almost expressionless, his two minds clashed with the most fearsome fist fight they had ever experienced. Oh God, there had certainly been more terrible, but this was the last word for Bly, the straw that broke the proverbial vase. “A fucking coin! Do you feel better now?!" “He had a choice, and he chose to place his life in our hands. It could happen, we knew it.” “You made a fucking coin choose! A goddamn cent spent on every life you took!” “Bly, stop it…” “How to stop it, Monocle? Didn't you imprison me to make me reflect on my life choices? What kind of point does *this* choice make?!” His body shook as if by a tremor. The solidity of his legs kept him from crumpling to the ground, indeed. He began to shuffle towards the door with mindless automaticity, a heavy silence settling behind him. Higgs' body was still, stiff with death as if it had been hours and no more than a minute. The doctor only looked at his feet and hands, as if he were being piloted by an external agent. Behind him, Grayson ducked. He picked up the emaciated body of the pale corpse, the blond hair and petrified green eyes, and stood up with the respect due to the dead, loading him in his arms to lead him out of the room. Monocle opened the door for him, the wood moaned in a long, endless creak. “He told you he couldn't go over a certain limit, but no, who cares, right? He told you he could only answer three questions. You gave him four, and you wanted to give him one more! A coin toss was enough for you!” "..." “This man literally inhaled poisonous mushrooms in order to help you. Not only have you pulled the rope, but now you expect to wash your hands of it?” “We intervened, you were there too.” "He’s dead! We have... you let him die! You could have stopped them, you could have said no, enough questions, he is risking his life!” "But we didn't." “You didn't, that's the point. Not only you, but others as well. And what's worse is that you have entrusted his fate to a coin. 'If heads we ask him one more question, if tails we stop', were these Grayson's words or am I wrong?” "You're not wrong." “And you haven't thought about the consequences at all?” “Put it this way.” He went down the stairs, accompanied by Felicita, Hubert, Raven. A blanket of silence accompanied their steps, uncomfortable and wet as the humidity of San Francisco. “If he really was that incredibly good diviner… did he really didn't know what was going to happen to him beforehand? And despite everything, he decided to get out of bed this morning and come to the Lodge." “You cannot minimize it as a law of large numbers. It was a life, he was a man, whether he had a life left or not, whether he was old, young or with much left to give ... now he is dead. And I'm a doctor." Bly delivered a mental punch to One Eye, which he took. The doctor gave him another and another. His body began to shake uncontrollably, with his hand he grabbed the railing and in doing so he reached the last steps before heading towards the closest sofa. “I am a doctor and I will not tolerate your disrespect for life!” Before stumbling in his own footsteps, Moncole reached the sofa and threw himself on it as if on a floating buoy, a lifeline in the midst of the turbulent sea of clashing personalities. In his brain suffered many other blows; he started bleeding from his cuts, scratched by the Doctor's fury. "It was destiny." “There were possibilities! The future is never fixed!” “Bly, stop. Bly, he knew it!” “No he didn't know, Monocle. All he did was trust us one too many times!" He didn't know how, but somehow managed to calm him down, taking the last punch. Out of his mind he took the handkerchief from his pocket; a drop of blood came out of his nose. He wiped it away as he blankly watched Grayson and Hubert place the Rosicrucian's body on the pool table in front of Yurei. "I am sorry. Higgs..." “He has divined once too many” concluded the American with the Japanese accent, shaking his head disconsolately. “He will receive funeral with full honors.” Yurei bowed slightly, then apologized to them. “Excuse me, I have to go do a reconnaissance tour. Excuse me..." “Yurei?” “Yes, Monocle?” The "Japanese" looked at him curiously, seeing him tremble. "Could you walk me to my room? I'm... arguing with my brain. I don't think I can do it alone.“ "I think that I have understand." Yurei approached him and held out his arm, to which Monocle gripped tightly. Once pulled up to him, he limped after him, uncertain but on his own feet. He couldn't stop shaking even for a moment, but Lodge's patient companion helped him, walking him firmly up the stairs. It wasn't the first time this had happened in front of him. As they walked, his mind silenced the Doctor's cries of frustration, and he remained trapped in his corner, unable to do anything else. Finally arriving at the bed, Yurei meekly led him to sit down. Monocle thanked him with a nod of his head and with a wave of his hands he indicated that he was fine. Simultaneously in his cell, Bly sat up, wrapped his arms around his knees, and inhaling air, he began to scream his madness again. ITA Il lancio di una moneta. Il lancio di una moneta, tesa nel palmo fermo di Grayson. Mentre il suo corpo rimaneva fermo immobile, quasi inespressivo, le due menti si scannavano con la scazzottata più temibile avessero mai vissuto. Oddio, più terribili ce n’erano sicuramente state, ma questo era il colmo per Bly, la goccia che aveva fatto traboccare il proverbiale vaso. “Una fottuta moneta! Ti senti meglio adesso?!” “Aveva una scelta, ed ha scelto di mettere la sua vita in mano a noi. Poteva capitare, lo sapevamo.” “Avete fatto scegliere ad una fottutissima moneta! Un dannato cent speso per ogni vita che avete preso!” “Bly, smettila...” “Come smetterla, Monocolo? Non mi hai imprigionato per farmi riflettere sulle mie scelte di vita? Che razza di senso ha *questa* scelta?!” Il suo corpo fu come scosso da un tremito. La solidità delle sue gambe lo trattenne dall’accartociarsi a terra, anzi. Iniziò a trascinarsi verso la porta con un’insensato automatismo, mentre un pesante silenzio calava alle sue spalle. Il corpo di Higgs era fermo, irrigidito dalla morte come se fossero passate ore e non più di un minuto. Il dottore guardava solo i suoi piedi e le mani, come fosse pilotato da un agente esteno. Dietro di lui, Grayson si abbassò. Raccolse il corpo smagrito del pallido cadavere, i capelli biondi e gli occhi verdi impietriti, e si rialzò con il rispetto dovuto ai morti, caricandoselo a braccia per condurlo fuori dalla stanza. Monocolo gli aprì la porta, il legno gemette in un lungo, interminabile cigolio. “Ve l’aveva detto che non avrebbe potuto superare un certo limite, ma no, chissenefrega, giusto? Vi aveva detto di poter rispondere solo a tre domande. Gliene avete fatte quattro, e gliene avete voluta fare ancora una! Per voi è bastato un tiro di moneta!” “...” “Quest’uomo si è fatto letteralmente delle inalazioni di funghi velenosi per potervi aiutare. Non solo avete tirato la corda, ma adesso pretendi di lavartene le mani?” “Siamo intervenuti, eri lì anche tu.” “E’ morto! L’abbiamo... l’avete lasciato morire! Potevi fermarli, potevi dire che no, basta con le domande, sta rischiando la vita!” “Ma non l’abbiamo fatto.” “Non l’avete fatto, ecco il punto. Non solo tu, ma anche gli altri. E quel che è peggio è che avete affidato ad una moneta il suo destino. ‘Se esce testa gli facciamo ancora una domanda, se esce croce ci fermiamo’, sono state queste le parole di Grayson o sbaglio?” “Non sbagli.” “E non hai minimamente pensato alle conseguenze?” “Mettiamola così.” Scese le scale, accompagnato da Felicita, Hubert, Raven. Una coltre di silenzio accompagnava i loro passi, scomodo e bagnato come l’umidità di San Francisco. “Se davvero era così incredibilmente bravo come divinatore... davvero non sapeva cosa gli sarebbe successo d’anticipo? E nonostante tutto, ha deciso di alzarsi stamattina dal letto e venire in Loggia.” “Non puoi ridurti a minimizzarla come una legge dei grandi numeri. Era una vita, era un’uomo, tanto gli rimanesse da vivere o no, che fosse vecchio, giovane o con ancora molto da dare... adesso è morto. Ed io sono un medico.” Bly rifilò un pugno mentale a Monocolo, che incassò. Il dottore gliene rifilò un altro ed un altro ancora. Il corpo iniziò a tremare incontrollatamente, con la mano si aggrappò alla ringhiera e così facendo raggiunse gli ultimi gradini prima di dirigersi verso il divanetto più vicino. “Sono un medico e non tollero la tua mancanza di rispetto nei confronti della vita!” Prima di inciampare nei propri passi, Monocolo raggiunse il divano e ci si buttò come su una boa galleggiante, un’ancora di salvezza in mezzo al turbolento mare delle personalità che si scontravano. Nel suo cervellò subì molti altri colpi; iniziò a sanguinare dal naso e dai tagli, graffiato dalla furia del Dottore. “Era destino.” “C’erano delle possibilità! Il futuro non è mai stabilito!” “Bly, fermati. Bly, lo sapeva!” “No che non lo sapeva, Monocolo. Tutto quello che ha fatto è stato fidarsi di noi una volta di troppo!” Non sapeva come, ma in qualche modo riuscì a quietarlo, prendendosi l’ultimo cazzotto. Al di fuori della sua mente prese il fazzoletto dalla tasca; una goccia di sangue gli uscì dal naso. La asciugò, mentre osservava con espressione vuota Grayson e Hubert posare il corpo del Rosacroce sul tavolo da biliardo, davanti a Yurei. “Mi spiace. Higgs...” “Ha divinato volta di troppo” concluse l’americano dall’accento nipponico, scuotendo la testa sconsolato. “Riceverà funerale con tutti gli onori.” Yurei fece un lieve inchino, poi si scusò con loro. “Scusate, devo andare a fare giro di ricognizione. Con permesso...” “Yurei?” “Si, Monocolo?” Il “giapponese” lo guardò incuriosito, vedendolo tremare. “Potresti accompagnarmi fino in camera? Sto... litigando col mio cervello. Non credo di farcela da solo.“ “Credo di aver capito.” Yurei si avvicinò a lui e gli porse il braccio, a cui Monocolò si aggrappò con forza. Una volta tirato su, zoppicando lo seguì, incerto ma sulle proprie gambe. Non riuscì a smettere di tremare neanche per un attimo, ma il paziente compagno di Loggia lo aiutò, accompagnandolo su per le scale con fermezza. Non era la prima volta che succedeva davanti a lui. Mentre camminavano, la sua mente ammutolì le grida di frustrazione del Dottore, che rimase imprigionato nel suo angolo, impossibilitato a far altro. Finalmente arrivati al letto, Yurei lo condusse docilmente a sedersi. Monocolo lo ringraziò con un cenno della testa e con un gesto delle mani gli indicò di andare, che stava bene. Contemporaneamente nella sua cella, Bly si sedette, circondò le ginocchia con le braccia e inalando aria, riniziò a gridare la sua follia.

#rippers #rippers resurrected #william bly #ttrpg

0 notes

vampirepunks · 3 months

Text

Sam Porter Bridges' MBTI + Enneagram Typology (pt. 1)

MBTI: ISTP (Ti-Se-Ni-Fe)

Enneagram: 9w8

Instinctual Variant: sp/sx

Tritype: 963

(Higgs analysis)

MBTI Analysis

Like Higgs, Sam's MBTI is pretty easy to identify right off. Words I frequently hear to describe ISTPs: quiet, gruff, grumpy, grouchy, closed-off, etc. There are tons of these guys in fiction. Arthur Morgan, Daryl Dixon, Jim Hopper, John Wick, etc etc that should give you a sense of the archetype at hand. That good old, salt-of-the-earth, jack-of-all-trades, reliable tough guy who's a real softie deep down behind a facade of aloof moodiness and outward dissatisfaction.

ISTP describes Sam very well. He's resourceful, observant, direct, authentic, independent, steadfast, spontaneous, unapologetic, insensitive at times, private/reserved, and skeptical. For the most part, ISTPs are straightforward and easy to get a read on. True to type, Sam is usually grounded in his present reality, doesn't tend to leap to assumptions or go along with them when others do, relies on his own experience and resolve, and he approaches life with a level head. Behind that initial impression, ISTPs are one of the most difficult personalities to get to know deeply... or at all. They march to the beat of their own drum, keep their emotions locked down tight most of the time, and are very slow to trust. Prying and prodding doesn't work with these folks, unless you're looking to provoke an aggressive reaction, in which case you'll likely get it. Given his aphenphosmphobia, this goes triple for Sam for the broad majority of Death Stranding's runtime; we see a few examples of other characters pushing him to the point that he bites back, i.e. telling Deadman off when he brought up his wife and child.

Most of my character analysis leans on Sam's internal monologue from the Death Stranding novelization, as it's a very detailed peek inside his head, into his mind's inner workings and his overall emotional tendencies. Keep that in mind going forward.

ISTPs are one of the most introverted personality types, alongside INTJs, and are often social hermits, lone wolves with little regard for social norms and accepted rules. They're easily frustrated by a world built on social conventions that are based in emotional values, so they move through it at their own pace and keep their heads down. ISTPs are staunch pragmatists, quietly navigating life through material sensibilities and their own unique creativity; they're driven by instinct. Like ENTP (see: Higgs) they're attracted to novelty and freedom. And, believe it or not, ISTP is just as rebellious as ENTP, they're merely quieter about it, preferring to keep it to themselves unless pushed otherwise. The best concise example of this shared rejection of societal values that I can think of is Sam saying "covering the world in cable didn't bring an end to war and suffering, don't be surprised if it all comes apart when you try to do it again" vs. Ludens (essentially Higgs' perspective of the game in song form) saying, "a world covered in cables was never wired to last, so don't act so surprised when the program starts to crash." Looking closely, Sam and Higgs actually have strikingly similar worldviews, and Sam spends much of the novel wondering if Higgs has a good point beneath his madness, admitting only to himself that he understands the position Higgs is coming from. In spite of himself, a big part of Sam agrees with Higgs and empathizes with him. ISTPs are often dismissed as morally bankrupt, when in fact they always have their own moral code formed by their dominant logic and deeply-buried sensitivities. They're liable to snap if they're backed into a corner and have their personal liberty or privacy infringed upon. Autonomy is king to this type, so it's unsurprising that many ISTPs end up anarchists and libertarians.

Function Stack Breakdown

Ti (introverted thinking): Don't mind me, gonna copy a little bit of this from Higgs' post... shhhhh... Personalities ruled by Ti act based on logic over emotion, processing the world through what makes sense and where their curiosity takes them. They love puzzles, problems in need of solutions, and detail-oriented issues. However, in the ISTP, a major roadblock to the satisfaction of a good day's work is the involvement of other people. They prefer to work alone, or in small groups/with a close partner, as they're quickly exhausted by interpersonal politics. You point an ISTP to a practical job, they'll grumble about it and then gladly do it, by themselves, thank you. This is self-evident in Sam; as a solo porter, he's a rarity of self-reliance, which in the Death Stranding universe would be suicidal if he wasn't a repatriate, and it's still risky af. After all, the primary reason most porters have partners is to maintain their sanity, keep an eye out for chiral contamination and MULE syndrome, etc. It's stated multiple times that portering alone is ill-advised and only possible for those with a very strong force of will, which Sam of course has in spades. Sam's primary function of Ti manifests as independence of thought, as mentioned above. In describing Higgs as a truth-seeker, Sam acknowledged a value the two of them share, as Sam has a sharp eye for lies and a significant urge to uncover deeper truths about the world, other people, and himself. He's highly critical, filtering his observations through a cool and collected lens of rationality, not bending to the speculations and blind optimism shown by his colleagues, investigating matters on his own with careful footing, waiting for evidence before drawing conclusions. I.e., he thought it incredibly naive of Bridges to place such high hopes in the hematic weapons they created using his blood, based on the fact that they seemingly counted on them working as intended without testing them first. Unlike ENTP Higgs, Sam's Ti doesn't take second place to any idealism or restless imagination. Instead, his logic leads him, giving him the stick-to-itiveness to finish what he starts; he isn't intimidated by the minute details of a task, he just does what he has to do and gets the job done. Because Ti is constantly questioning everything at all times, genuine, earned trust is invaluable to ISTPs. Having a person they can be completely themselves with, entirely open with, someone who gets it, is a breath of fresh air to the ISTP, and is a precious rarity to them. Once you lose that trust, you'll likely never get it back. See: Sam and Bridget Strand.

Se (extroverted sensing): You can think of the latter three functions in a cognitive stack as "serving" the dominant function, which is especially true in the case of Ti-Se. Se's role as a function is observing and being present in one's external world, taking note of outward details and external sensory information, which is then fed through Ti to analyze and draw conclusions from. Secondary Se produces keen senses and a high degree of awareness. Thanks to the Se function, ISTPs remain in tune with their environments, notice details others might miss, and react quickly to threats and other stimulus. Unlike personalities that lead with intuition, ISTPs process the world in concrete terms, with few applied metaphors, projected meaning, or comforting illusions, taking the world as it is, not how it could or should be. This gets interesting when the tertiary function is properly developed.

Ni (introverted intuition): Ah, Ni, my oldest and closest friend, being an INTJ myself and thus Ni-dominant. I'm well-equipped to explain this one. Ni is more or less the opposite of Se (just as Ti and Fe are opposing forces in many ways), painting a layer of personal meaning and subjectivity over everything encountered in the world, highly concerned with personal insights and metaphorical/artistic value. Ni is extremely sentimental, clinging to the past with a fierce nostalgia, trusting one's own viewpoint and experience. Interestingly, even when it works unconsciously, Ni influences the ISTP personality further towards independent thought and the instills the innate desire to color outside the established lines in life. Ni seeks personal truth above all else. As mentioned in the Higgs post, the tertiary function is a point of conflict for all personality types, and it doesn't usually develop until middle age unless significant trauma work or self-awareness development occurs earlier in life. (Yeah, I copied that from the prev post, sorry not sorry). And... just like Higgs, Sam has both. Thus, his tertiary Ni is reasonably well-developed, though he does't share much of it with others... at all. He exhibits a well-tuned sense of what certain symbols and ideas mean to him, e.g. from novel: finding a worn-down bone on the Beach, getting incredibly sentimental about how nothing and no one gets the privilege of decaying anymore, feelings sad that life instead is erased from the world in such a brutal manner as necrosis/cremation/voidouts/etc. ("They weren’t returned to this world.") He gives into the urge to lick it on impulse (Sam do also be licking things!!), I presume in an effort to feel connected to the past, as well as curiosity. (Ugh, I love him.) Ne and Ni are extremely detached by nature, despite being defined by their creation of a desire to feel like part of the world, a craving for a sense of rightness and belonging. In the ISTP, Ni shapes the closely-guarded inner world. Hopes, dreams, self-esteem, the deepest of emotions: things ISTPs are extremely private about and protective of, only ever sharing with a select and trusted few, if at all. Ni operates in a going-between manner, using past experiences and insights to predict future outcomes and look forward with a sense of uniquely personal wisdom, which Sam employs quite often with his views on death, connection, humanity, so forth. There's a hushed sort of reverence and respect to his private inner world, buried beneath a layer of messianic guilt, shown in his attachment to history and relics of the pre-Stranding world. There's something so sadly ironic about a man who is the so-called "bridge to the future" holding deep sentiment for the past. Moving on... *sniff.* something in my eye... One more key function of Ni in the ISTP: deduction. Above all, Ni seeks patterns. It draws lines between things like facts, events, and symbols, interpreting their meaning. In a well-developed ISTP, the Ti-Ni axis works from a healthy basis of belief founded on logic, attaching significance to details to form a bigger picture. Example: Sam telling Bridges to study the blood on his broken boots, based on the fact that the BTs reacted to it "more than once." Ni plays a support character to a scientific approach here. Pattern -> deduction -> idea. The Se-Ni axis plays a similar role, as Ni contrasts established insights and sentiments with sensory information, connecting dots between things that might otherwise seem unrelated. Observe, then scrutinize; Ni helps Se to see the forest beyond the trees.

Fe (extroverted feeling): You can think of Fe in terms of group morality, the "us" contained in a person's principles. Because of Fe's role as a Ti-dom's inferior function, ISTPs can come across rather Fi-adjacent, being the rugged individualists they are. True, both IxTPs and personalities with strong Fi move against the grain in society and with their own principles, but in the ISTP, nitpicky, critical, skeptical, distrusting, reliable Ti dictates the approach. Thus, Fe is an awkward bedfellow, its nature highly empathetic, people-pleasing, and to an ISTP, inconveniently warm and fuzzy about things like community and partnership. As the inferior function, and therefore the point of insecurity, discomfort, and stress, ISTP's Fe makes them rather connection-averse; they're capable of great empathy, fellow feeling, and can get caught up in the idea of group harmony (more on that when discussing Sam being enneagram 9), but it's likely to leave said individual feeling drained and moody. Push an ISTP too far, too quickly in this area, and they're liable to leave and never come back... Oh look, that's exactly what Sam did the second time he left Bridges at the end of DS. Still, like any personality type, ISTPs grow and become happier people when they confront their inferior function and learn to occupy it in a healthy way, rather than solely relying on it as a rescue function in times of stress. Sam benefits from forming connections and nurturing this side of himself. Being the bridge, the rope, the strand. Doing so, and forming a strong connection with Lou, enables him to cope with his aphenphosmphobia again. (I say "cope," not "cure," it came back once, it can come back again, speaking as an agoraphobe whose issues come and go with variable severity. Lots of factors at play with phobias.) As an ISTP, Sam needs a balance between personal space/freedom and connection/community to be his best self. This is doubly true in light of him being enneagram 9.

Final thoughts before moving on

ISTP and ENTP share a lot of similarities in their emotional needs, as well as their general attitude about life, but they differ in taking a passive vs. active role in society, so it's no wonder Sam and Higgs have a natural sort of sun/moon dynamic... But let's focus on just Sam. Firstly, he's a classic example of the "grumpy but soft" trope, which is undeniably lovable. ISTPs don't form a large array of deep personal attachments, so the ones they do have are extremely valuable and lifelong if trust is maintained. This is a personality that would jump in front of a moving train without hesitation to protect a loved one. Lucky for Sam (and us), he'll survive! Heh. Seriously, though, ISTPs are loyal and devoted as fuck once they're committed. If you've played Red Dead Redemption 2, take a long look at Arthur Morgan (also enneagram 9!) and you'll see what I mean. While they aren't the best communicators, still waters run deep, and ISTPs are a wellspring of insights, an individualistic set of principles, and strong emotions with love and fierce passion to give. They’re unfortunately prone to getting bogged down in others’ expectations, doing what’s expected of them when they’re unhealthy enough to cave under pressure and slip into people-pleasing habits, doing as they’re told/asked, which fundamentally goes against their rebellious nature. Sam throwing himself headlong into the role Bridges expected of him (twice!) despite not believing in their ideals or methods is a key example. In such circumstances, ISTPs retreat into themselves and trudge along miserably, spite growing all the while. Hence Sam being crabby but subdued for most of the game, only to lash out fiercely at Higgs when provoked and then verbally unload all of his personal resentments—none of it having to do with Higgs!—while hitting him in the final fight.

ISTPs often have a thrill-seeking side (see: Sam laughing and cheering on the ziplines) because they love to cut loose, forget their problems, and have fun. Room to play, both intellectually and physically, is a core need. In these moments, ISTPs radiate joy and crave adventure. They love to joke around and laugh, for once, when they finally have an opportunity to do so. They’re not above playing devil’s advocate and indulging in a good debate if they have the spare energy for it. As an ISTP, Sam is headstrong, creative, and far more vulnerable than he lets on.

(part two: enneagram deep dive)

Tag list: @goldenbridgessss @pylonium

#mbti #enneagram #personality typology #sam porter bridges #character study #death stranding #logan.txt

9 notes · View notes