#i think this is highly possible given the evidence

[causticsodaa]

What I personally think is behind Suo’s eyepatch: A Delusional Theory

The title explains itself (heed the disclaimer please), so I’ll get straight to the point.

Firstly, I believe that Suo is blind in his right eye.

Typically, eyepatches are mainly worn by people who

Are recovering from surgery

Cosplay

Have eye trauma or are half-blind

The first point is immediately negated, since it’s confirmed that Suo has been wearing an eyepatch on his right eye since middle school at the earliest. I doubt that even the most extensive eye surgeries would need him to be wearing one for years on end. Most eyepatches are made out of adhesive material, whilst Suo’s is made out of leather. I won’t dwell on this point much since I don’t think this outcome is very likely, but I just wanted to bring it up anyways (lol).

The second point could be plausible, considering that Suo voluntarily draws attention to his eyepatch in his introduction, even stating that there is “an ancient Chinese spirit sealed” in it—there’s a story behind it.

However, Nirei’s question immediately disproves this. Nii Satoru is a very deliberate writer; I don’t think there would be any reason to include Nirei’s dialogue about a ‘past accident’ (more on this later) if it wasn’t meant to serve as foreshadowing or at least be somewhat true.

Theres also the fact that Suo directly agrees with Nirei’s claim, though his wording is very vague (ie. it’s what other people say rather than Suo himself confirming it).

I believe this scene is mainly meant to showcase Suo’s goofy side (backed by Nirei’s comment about expecting Suo to be more cold/aloof and with Suo introducing himself as Leonardo di Caprio); but I also assume that he decided to make up a story about his eye because he’s been questioned about it many times in the past. It’s obviously not true, but I don’t think that Suo would voluntarily wear an eyepatch for years on end just to look cool (not to mention the depth perception issues!).

It’s also important to note that Nirei’s information is scarily accurate as well. He even figured out that Suo hated natto despite how secretive the latter is, but I digress.

This leads me to the third point, which is what most of the fandom (myself included) speculates. However, I’ll be focusing more on the prospect of Suo being half-blind.

If Suo is blind in his right eye, he would have a white iris. Although many blind characters in anime/animation have their eyes closed or just lack pupils, some do have white/clear/sheen irises:

Additionally, some people who are blind do have ‘milky’ eyes in real life!

Even other animanga characters who wear eyepatches have some sort of eye trauma (if they aren’t pirates/concealing some power/forced to give their eyeball up for a contract, though WBK isn’t that kind of story) such as Hange Zoë and Asuka Langely Soryu.

Personally, I believe that Suo had injured his right eye in the past to the point of blindness, given with the evidence presented before. I can’t really provide any theories as to how this happened due to a lack of canon evidence, but it’s probably linked to why he tells Nirei to never close his eyes. It’s highly probable his right eye is linked to a traumatic incident of his past—though anything further related to Suo’s backstory prompts an entirely different conversation.

Theres also a possibility that Suo might have been born half blind as well, and uses his eyepatch to protect/cover it; though it’s merely speculation on my part (and I’ll talk about this theory more in a bit).

You’ve probably noticed that I’m drawing a lot of attention to the color of Suo’s right eye, rather than the cause of his blind eye. This is where my theory gets delusional.

Let me bring in our beloved protagonist of Wind Breaker; Sakura Haruka!

Wait, isn’t this a theory about Suo? What does Sakura have to do with Suo’s eye?

Although Sakura and Suo do have their stark differences, they’re also eerily similar (and this criteria applies to Suo + Nirei and Sakura + Nirei as well). The most prominent thing they have in common [design wise] are their ‘abnormal’ eyes (with Sakura having heterochromia, and Suo with only one eye visible), and how they’re somehow linked to some sort of past trauma. I (albeit briefly) went over how Suo’s right eye connects with a potentially traumatic incident earlier, so I’ll be focusing on Sakura in the meantime.

In the beginning of the anime, we see snippets of dialogue by people from Sakura’s past, which mainly consisted of a barrage of criticism and rude remarks towards him. This line in particular stands out to me:

Japanese society is very conformative both in real life and what we see in Sakura’s memories—being unique or looking different from the norm is 🆖. We see different people in the series poke fun at Sakura’s hair, but I feel like this comment hurts the most. You can’t exactly change your eye color easily without contacts, unlike hair in which you can style/dye it as you please (though I’m not trying to justify the mistreatment Sakura has experienced by comparing apples and oranges; simply put, it’s incredibly vile).

Because of the above, Sakura has been consistently ostracized in the past mainly due to his ‘weird’ appearance. This causes him to internalize those sentiments for years on end before coming to Furin. He then begins to project his insecurities externally throughout the manga whether it relates to his leadership skills or how he interacts with the other students (initially questioning why people can accept him given his ‘strange’ appearance and mannerisms). There’s also this:

Sakura used to cover his hair and eyes with hats/sunglasses, however it failed to work as people still avoided him. This is even shown in the anime!

Poor kid took all those comments to heart and internalized it to the point it essentially crippled his self-esteem—but who wouldn’t, honestly? Being constantly alienated and perceived as ‘disgusting’ by others causes a sense of distrust to a person, especially during their developmental stages (as Sakura experienced most of this as a child/teen), hence why I’m classifying this as traumatic for Sakura. Even though he’s in a better place now, the ghosts of his past still haunt and affect him to this day.

Since Suo + Sakura are written to foil/parallel each other at times, there is a chance that Suo might have also covered his eye for a similar reason to Sakura’s: he doesn’t want other people to know he is blind (either to not be perceived as weak, or Suo was ashamed of for a different reason—perhaps other people thought his blind eye was scary?). Maybe Suo was born with a blind eye, much like how Sakura was born with a “half and half” appearance.

As I’ve mentioned before, Sakura has heterochromia (wow no shit Sherlock); his left eye is yellow, while his right is black[ish-grey] (his eye is sometimes colored a light grey/blue but thats usually a stylistic choice)

Both Sakura and Suo’s character colors are based off their left eyes: Sakura’s being an amber and Suo’s being red (rather than mainly sappanwood but its a shade of red anyways—and Suo is usually represented with a bold red in other official/merch art so shhhh)

And if we were to follow my theory, Suo would hypothetically have a milky colored right eye and a red iris for his left as in canon. Do you see where I’m going with this?

Both Sakura and Suo would have their character color as their right eye (amber and red respectively), while their left eyes (black and white) would contrast each other. Black and white are considered opposites, after all.

If my (delulu) theory holds true, this could perfectly showcase Suo and Sakura’s differences and similarities—but instead of it being almost hidden through the layers of their unspoken relationship, they are physically represented through their character designs.

Okay, I know you’re probably thinking that this theory is too far fetched (hell, even I think the same). But hear me out:

There is another duo in Wind Breaker who have character designs that contrast each other: Togame and Choji!

Nii Satoru makes it a point to emphasize how different these two are—and it’s no secret given their designs: Togame is tall, beefier, and has straight dark hair while Choji is short, lankier, with light and curlier hair. Even their eyes contrast each other; Togame’s are thin, slanted, and green while Choji’s are wide, round and red[dish brown]. (I KNOW THAT HIS EYES ARE MORE BROWN IN THE ANIME BUT THEYRE COLORED RED SOMETIMES BY NIISATO PLEASE TRUST ME ON THIS)

Honestly, this entire section makes me want analyze Choji and Togame (must… control… my demons…), so I’ll just move on to my next point.

Additionally, Sakura is sometimes drawn with his hair slicked back, which makes him look eerily similar to Umemiya…

I believe this is entirely intentional by Nii-sensei, but if I speak any more I fear that I will start rambling about Umemiya/Sakura parallels like a madman. My point is, two characters with similar/contrasting designs do already exist in WBK.

And in the case of Suo and Sakura, these two elements could possibly coexist in their character designs via their ‘irregular’ eyes.

TLDR; Suo and Sakura are the only characters in the cast with messed up eyes -> If Suo’s blind in his right eye, it would be white -> which would contrast Sakura’s black iris thats also in his right eye -> this shows their differences -> but also reinforces the fact that they are similar since their left eyes are red and amber -> which are their character colors -> I am severely delusional -> and I need to be euthanized immediately

[theannoyingurge]

Playing with the idea that none of the bg3 villains are fully honest with Durge. Everyone is hiding some piece of the puzzle and happy to abuse the amnesia situation to their advantage. 'Cept Kressa. She's psycho, but she's an honest psycho. In another life, we might have been friends.

Edit: part 2 here

Ketheric is the first, most obvious example of this. He doesn't even bother to inform the other Chosen you've reappeared. (Myrkul is the god of exhaustion, so this tracks.)

Balthazar also 100% recognizes you and also doesn't even bother. To him, your amnesia means no tedious reunions with annoying Bhaalspawn who are big mad that he stole their brother's name and rib bones.

The Emperor is sometimes overlooked when piecing together Durge's history, but he admits to knowing your past if you reject him in Act 3 (stating "I know everything about you" while threatening to turn you into a puppet like Duke Stelmane). Whether or not he's posturing, he should at least be aware of your past with Gortash, considering you helped kidnap him in the first place. For evidence, see Gortash's interrogation notes, which open with "When we captured you". (Sure, this could refer to Orin, but I simply do not see these two working as a highly functional team. More on this and the timeline below the cut.) Naturally, despite traveling together for months, The Emperor wouldn't want to fill any gaps in your memory that might cast doubt on his trustworthiness or help align you with his enemy.

The Absolute might be lying about respecting you/your plan and preferring you over your replacement. I am of two minds about this. If you were attacked immediately after crowning the brain, there should be no basis for a preferential relationship. In that case, the brain is just stroking your ego and need for approval. However, I have doubts about Durge being taken down during the initial raid.** I think some time must have passed after crowning the Absolute, giving it the chance to develop a working relationship with you that it lacked with the other Chosen, which caused everything to fall apart after you were tadpoled. This also buys us time to kidnap the Emperor and bring it under the Absolute's thrall as described in Gortash's interrogation notes.

**Some of Gortash's other notes claim Durge was lost during the first raid, but his journals are full of contradictions. He leaves the House of Hope out of his memoirs entirely. He seemingly retcons history to present himself in a more favorable light, which probably includes intentionally diminishing the work of his allies (or erasing the painful memory of his nearest and dearest). In any interpretation, the brain definitely hates Gortash the most, and that's good enough for me.

Orin and Gortash paint somewhat conflicting pictures of you pre-tadpole. The difference here might be genuine (the honest perspectives of a little sister vs a business partner or lover) or it could be a manipulative game of tug of war over your budding and impressionable self image.

Now, I like Durgetash - but I like every possible interpretation of these assholes, not just the mutually reciprocated and/or sexy ones. It's conceivable to me that Gortash may have discovered Durge's crush on him via the Prayer for Forgiveness and played up their history in Act 3 as a defensive measure. Maybe Gortash always knew of Durge's feelings and used them to his advantage (Orin outright tells you this, but again, nobody listens to Orin. Sorry sis).

It's also conceivable that he knew Durge was the first to be tadpoled, considering how close their pod was to his workbench. The brain was given orders to transform the party (that were resisted several times), so Gortash's surprise that Durge still lives makes sense, assuming he even knew Durge was with them (he doesn't seem to be checking the scrying eyes at all. What kind of loser tyrant ignores his own surveillance system? I digress). His general relief and preference for them over Orin is also still valid. (I imagine he feels something along the lines of Durge being the one who got away, you don't know what you've got until it's gone, etc etc. Cue hysterical bonding as the long lost love of his life waltzes into his coronation covered in blood to save him from their psychotic sister and the poorly housetrained Netherbrain they left him full custody of. Yes he wanted full custody, but still.)

Puppy eyes aside, Gortash is a blackhearted pragmatist (he will turn on Durge if they give him the stones) and progress is progress. The first True Soul was an incredible breakthrough, and the show must go on. So just imagine the bricks he's shitting in Act 3 if Durge comes back and remembers the Wrong Things from before the nautiloid. What if they want revenge on him? Nope, not good at all. Best to position himself as Durge's only friend and most trustworthy partner. Regardless of how well he treated them before, Durge was willing to piss off Bhaal to spare his life. That's an extremely useful vulnerability right now, because he's about to ask them to do it again!

Lastly, I have no proof, but I strongly suspect that Sceleritas is fibbing about Durge's past as well. Partly because the Slayer form is severely disappointing in-game and canonically excrutiatingly painful, despite Fel claiming you've always wanted it. It honestly sounds like a way to sell an unwanted used car back to it's amnesiac owner who failed to appreciate it before. Bhaal isn't a full deity any longer, so take what you're given (and you'd better damned well like it!) I also call bullshit on tossing a coin to a beggar being the "worst" crime Durge ever committed against Bhaal (*ahem* looking at you, Gortash). Some dialogue with the Oathbreaker Paladin suggests we've tried somewhat consistently to be good in the past, and Sceleritas has a vested interest in making Durge worse, not planting noble ideas in their freshly lobotomized murder-happy brain.

[asgardian--angels]

mage viktor discourse again on twitter and all i can say in my little corner over here once again is, I don't know why the entire fandom takes it as canon that mage Viktor failed to save every world he manipulated.

Canon does not provide evidence of this. This is fanon speculation. It's a fine headcanon to have, but everyone talks about it like it's canon when it isn't. Canon is ambiguous about the outcome of the timelines mage Viktor altered. The little nods we are given point, in my opinion, towards the opposite conclusion, that he successfully averted destruction.

I've written meta on this before but in summary:

1) 'In all timelines, in all possibilities' is worded precisely, it's not 'out of all timelines'; the implication is that every time, Jayce brings Viktor back from the brink, not just in our timeline. 'Only you' doesn't refer to our timeline's Jayce, it refers to all Jayces. Jayce always brings him home. If Viktor continuously put the fate of each timeline in Jayce's hands and Jayce failed over and over, I don't think he'd say those words. And the way he says them matters. His words are tinged with wonder, not sorrow. As if over and over again, he is shown that Jayce saves him, and it continues to amaze him. He doesn't sound defeated, like this is the next in a long line of Jayces he's sending off to die. The feeling is that Viktor's faith in Jayce has not been misplaced.

2) If mage Viktor doomed every timeline, there would be hundreds (or more) mage Viktors. All running around manipulating timelines. I highly doubt the writers wanted to get into that kind of sticky situation. The tragedy of mage Viktor is that he is singular. Alone. Burdened with the responsibility of the multiverse. The emotional gut punch of his fate is ruined if other timelines led to the same outcome, and from a practical standpoint, having multiple reality-bending omniscient mages would rip apart the fabric of the arcane.

There are other points, such as there being only one corrupted Mercury Hammer and our Jayce is the only one to receive it, and the fact that if mage Viktor is as omniscient as he is implied to be, he could easily step back into other timelines and correct course, because it's highly unlikely he could sit still and watch things go down in flames. But these things can be argued elsewhere.

While I love conversations about mage Viktor's motives and selfishness vs altruism, the writers & artbook have expressed that Jayce and Viktor care greatly about Runeterra and want to fix their mistakes to save it, and that their reconciliation is symbolic of Piltover and Zaun coming together as well. Yes, they make disastrous decisions towards each other, making choices for the other or without the other, which has negative consequences for their relationship and for Runeterra - but I think fandom pushes their selfishness even past what's canon sometimes, as if their entire goal hadn't always been to selflessly help the world around them. Their final reconciliation is about bridging the gap that grew between them - the pain and grief and secrets, betraying themselves and each other - to mutually choose each other openly and honestly. Part of the beauty of their story, as expressed by the creators, is that in their final moments, they chose each other and took responsibility for their actions by sacrificing themselves to end what they started, together - and that choosing each other saved the world. TPTB have stated this - that Jayce and Viktor are the glue holding civilization together, and when they come back to each other, they can restore balance. It's when they're apart, when they hurt each other and miscommunicate, when they abandon their commitment to each other and their dream, that the greater world suffers. Their strife is mirrored in the story-world at large.

Mage Viktor is framed as a solitary penitent figure, damned to an eternity of atoning for his mistakes. He paid the ultimate price and now is forced to live his personal nightmare of exactly what he was trying to avoid for himself with the glorious evolution. The narrative clues we're given point more in the direction that he saves timelines rather than dooms them. If Viktor's actions kept killing Jayce, the very boy he couldn't bear to not save each time, it would undermine these narrative choices. Yes, Viktor couldn't stand to live in a world where he never meets Jayce, so he ensures it keeps happening. But in that same breath, he couldn't bear to see a world where his actions continue to destroy Jayce and destroy Runeterra. His entire arc in s2 is born of his selfless desire to help humanity, help individual people. He would not lightly destroy entire worlds. That's his original grief multiplied a thousandfold, and narratively it would lessen the impact of the one, true loss he did suffer, his own Jayce. It wouldn't make sense for him to be alright with damning other timelines to suffer the same catastrophic tragedy that created him. I mean, maybe I'm delusional here, but is that not the entire point? Because that's what I took away when I watched the show.

As I said, I love discussions about mage Viktor, as there's a lot to play with. All I wish is that the fandom at large would not just assume or accept the Mage Viktor Dooms Every Timeline idea as canon, when there is nothing in the actual canon that confirms this. Maybe people need to just, go back and rewatch the actual episode, to recall how mage Viktor is presented to us, and what it's implied we're supposed to take away from his scenes, and separate that from the layers of headcanon the fandom has constructed.

[mintharabaenrelore]

Minthara's Parents

"I'm sure my mother has missed me- she likes competition."-Minthara

I've been working on this post awhile and I'm so excited to share it with you. I referenced @lunastrophe's excellent post on the topic for several details, and R.A. Salvatore's "Homeland" played a crucial role.

*I will make an individual post on Minthara's relationship to her mother later on, particularly the psychology of it, as it is fascinating and utterly tragic.

Minthara is- or was- unusually close to her mother, who taught her how to 'survive the perils of society', but she says there was 'no love to be found.' Minthara's mother saved her daughter's life by shielding her with her own body when Minthara was an infant, and yet she later tried to kill her. Minthara intends to kill her- "[...] I only regret that I left before enjoying a matricide. That would be a memory to cherish."- but says it is 'returning the favor.'

What do we know?

House Devir fell from Lolth's favor in 1297 DR, when they were destroyed by House Do'Urden, due to Viconia's actions. Minthara describes herself as having been young and impressionable at this time, so she must have been in the early decades of her life. Therefore, she was likely born around 1270-1290 DR, leaving her approximately 222 years old in 1492 DR, the year Baldur's Gate III is set in.

Minthara is a Baenre. Her mother is confirmed to be Baenre, as in the epilogue, if you romance Minthara (I highly recommend it) she says her name is her mother's.

When Minthara is asked if her mother is still alive, she replies, "I expect so. If the world were to end, I think my mother would survive to rule over the ruins." At the epilogue party, she tells Origin Karlach, "I have a war of my own to fight, against my mother and her people [...]" which both confirms that her mother is alive and suggests that she is in a position of great power.

Minthara's mother is competitive (Minthara says this herself), resilient, and ambitious (Minthara says her mother likes Neverwinter because it is "ripe for conquering"), much like her daughter.

Minthara and her mother were unusually close- she held her as a child, taught her to "talk, walk, and then kill" and how to "survive the perils of society", gave her a torture rack for her 13th birthday, and they appear to have conversed frequently.

The fact that Minthara has committed avunculicide (the killing of one's uncle) confirms one of her parents had a brother. She also 'picked off' her 'siblings one by one', and Orin claims Minthara murdered her sister in the cradle to secure her inheritance.The first part of her name, "Min", means lesser/second, suggesting she is a 2nd child.

I believe Minthara's father is alive for the following reasons:

1. During the dryad love test, she lists her "-icides", (androcide, senicide and avunculicide). She does not mention patricide. She tells Wyll that patricide is the first step to greatness but she does not say she has done so herself.

2. When Minthara is describing how she and Orin are similar in some ways, she says that they both have "parents" who protect them with one hand and torment them with the other, rather than "mothers".

3. Minthara says (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vYBaYJgz_c, at 43:50) "I'll spot my father too, with any luck" at some point; @mogruith's research suggests that this line was mistakenly given to Minthara when it should have gone to Wyll, so it is not solid evidence.

But Minthara never mentions him- not even once.

So, who is Minthara's mother? *I don't think it's possible to figure out who her father is with the information I have

It cannot be Yvonnel or Triel Baenre, who are dead. Liriel Baenre is out of the question. Noori Baenre, I believe, is too young.

Yovnnel Baenre had 15 daughters, each a high priestess, acording to R.A. Salvatore's "Homeland".  The majority were alive, it seemed, around 1297 DR. The only two remaining in 1480 DR and thus during Baldur's Gate III were Quenthel and Sos'Umtpu. So could it be one of them?

Quenthel: No.

The firstborn of Quenthel Baenre is Myrineyl Baenre. In 1480 DR, 12 years prior to the events of Baldur's Gate III, she is in her last year at Arach-Tinilith. Baldur's Gate takes place in 1492 DR. It is obvious that Minthara is older than her, so she can't be Quenthel's daughter.

Sos'Umptu: Probably not, unfortunately. (I adore Sos'Umptu.)

Sos'Umptu, the keeper of the Baenre chapel, has been described as 'one of the least ambitious drow females her mother had ever known.' Minthara has also mentioned her mother having visited surface cities before, while Sos'Umptu hardly leaves the chapel if she can help it. These facts contrast with Minthara's portrayal of her mother as power-hungry and world-wise. Plus, I have never seen a mention of Sos'Umptu having had children.

@lunastrophe says in her post, "It seems that daughters of House Baenre – at least the eldest and the most important ones – were not allowed to have their own children while the matron mother of their house was still alive (from Siege of Darkness). Triel was free to have children only after she ascended to the position of matron mother, and the same went for Quenthel."

This all heavily suggests it is not Sos'Umptu- but it's not out of the question.

Could it perhaps be Merith Baenre, the second-most-powerful priestess of her House as of 1361 DR, considered for the role of the next Mistress of Arach-Tinilith? Perhaps- but Minthara has never implied that her mother is adopted rather than a genetic Baenre, and Merith used to be the daughter of a street sweeper before her clerical powers caught Yvonnel Baenre's eye and caused her to adopt her as a daughter.

So, who could it be?

I am inclined to think...

Zal'Therra Baenre: Zal'Therra Baenre- a cousin of Triel, and commander of the rearguard of the Army of the Black Spider in 1372 DR. The most promising of Triel's cousins, she seems to fit Minthara's implications that her mother is ambitious, brutal, and powerful, as the highest ranking House Baenre member of the army.

Not only is the description right, she is similar to Minthara as a warrior, the leader of an army. Even the second half of her name, 'Therra', is similar to Minthara's 'Thara'. Plus, everything about her is so vague that it's plausible she had children aside from Minthara- the 'siblings' she mentioned.

I have yet to read "Condemnation", though, so correct me if I'm wrong about anything.

Final notes: if Zal'Therra Baenre is a cousin of Triel, that would make Sos'Umptu, Quenthel, Jarlaxle and others Minthara's aunts and uncles.

[somethingsospangled]

i absolutely hate the argument that people have on the thunderbolts where it’s like “they could’ve protested against valentina and it would’ve been good! it was bad that they didn’t say anything”

ABSOLUTELY NOT????

Mind you, she was doing this all LIVE. if they were to interject, (1) valentina would’ve easily shut it down considering it was her who called the outlets to that spot so she had the upper hand on media control, (2) it would be an uproar none of them would be prepared for media-wise, none of those hoes have good PR and media training!!! everyone in the world would witness the meltdown and start encroaching on them which would be quite the nuisance to deal with and i highly doubt they would bother to go through all that mess.

at that point in the MCU, people were desperate for new superheroes. the superheroes that did already exist, were either sadly rejected by society or were seen as not enough just yet to be Earth’s prime protectors. this was clear with TFAWS in the effort to have a new Cap, but also very apparent in Thunderbolts where people were cheering for them during those small scenes. people weren’t willing to wait for Sam and the crew to come swooping in. The Thunderbolts get broadcasted theatrically, in a position Valentina knew they couldn’t easily protest, they sure as hell weren’t going to squash the people’s hope that valentina selfishly sparked for her own self interest.

also like they were not going to do so for primarily two reasons (in general, although i’d argue bucky’s interest manifest slightly differently and a lot more complicated).

- it’s plenty hinted they all ask valentina for a clean slate. yelena to be in the public scene to be able to actually do what she wanted (like natasha); john to be given a clean record (which in this case, is sorta that way bcs now he’s given a new chance to make a name for himself); ava to get help for her pain and suffering (now she’s in a position where people have to give her equipment to do good AND also have the incentive to do so). alexei was never going to protest finally being a superhero and working with his daughter at the same time 😭 bucky who wanted to be back on a team, and keep valentina in check (although it didn’t pan out the way he had hoped, this was better than nothing). bucky is a bit more complicated to talk about, but it really pisses me off how he’s being taken as a traitor to Sam when, if you actually think about it real hard, the situation made it virtually impossible to protest against. to us, it seems possible but that’s because we’re outsiders looking in who can’t proximately feel the potential consequences, BUT BUCKY DOES AND KNOWS. it’s all a complicated web of interests that merged together, and they’re all imperfect humans who, with the cameras all in their face and their positions now being broadcasted live to the entire world, had been pushed into a position where the only thing they could be capable of thinking at that time is: “this is not what we wanted, but maybe the only and the best thing we can work with.” they wanted to help the people, and they got the opportunity that could make that possible.

- bringing valentina down in front of everyone would also mean taking THEM down with her. mind you, everyone in that group (except bucky and alexei [+ bob if u count him as a victim that agreed based on incomplete information), was part of valentina’s schemes. they all interfered with her potential ousting by being her helpers in destroying evidence. protesting against her isn’t just a simple “we don’t want this thank you”. it would’ve prompted some level of an investigation against her and the team themselves on who they are, what their connections were, and what their previous/current business affairs. all of which could expose them for all the blood on their hands and could land them in solitary confinement for all we know. so even if they could protest, it really isn’t as simple as that and would mean their own doom too.

THIS WAS A LONG RANT but i’m irked at how people are taking the idealistic route of things as if all these contexts weren’t laid out in front of us to think about!!!! i would love to go more into detail about my thoughts on the movie but this shall suffice for now </3

[luminarystag]

Theory/Analysis: Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Luna were all in love with Harry

Whether or not they realized it

I’m not gonna talk too much about Ginny, since she’s the one Harry ends up with ultimately, but, re-reading the books, I think all of the core 6 kids were in love with Harry whether or not they realized it. Why do I think that? Well, let’s look:

Ron was in love with Harry:

This is one of the hardest to explain because I don’t think Ron understands that what he’s feeling for Harry isn’t just best friend-ship, and is actually love. But let’s look at the evidence:

Ron acts like an over-protective boyfriend. There are moments where Ron’s protectiveness genuinely comes across like something out of a fanfic. When he saw the scars on the back of Harry’s hand given by Umbridge, he pulls Harry’s hand up to his eyes to look while Harry desperately says it’s nothing. We’ve all read something like that in a fanfiction, haven’t we?

But it’s not just moments like that. It’s also that he is willing to stand between anyone and Harry. Take this moment from Deathly Hallows, when the Minister of Magic of all people, points his wand at Harry, and Ron doesn’t hesitate, not even for a moment, to stand up and take out his wand. That’s a bit beyond friendship protectiveness, wouldn’t you agree?

Or at the very end of Deathly Hallows, when Voldemort showcases Harry’s body to Hogwarts, and Ron breaks free of the curse Voldemort has them all under to yell in Harry’s defense. Again, that is way too intense for someone you only view as a friend

Ron declaration of loyalty to Harry is the most romantic moment in all the books

I’m talking about, of course, in Half Blood Prince when Ron says, “We’re with you whatever happens.” This is genuinely the most romantic line in all the books, and far outweighs anything between him and Hermione. And again, that’s a very intense and intimate thing to say to someone who is only your best friend

Hermione was in love with Harry:

Romione stans always get mad whenever anyone brings this up, but it is possible for Hermione (and Ron) to be in love with more than one person

Hermione’s most intimate moments in the series are all with Harry

This is another thing I don’t necessarily see brought up a lot, but all of Hermione’s most intimate moments are with Harry as the person she’s being intimate with. I don’t mean intimate as in they hugged. I mean as in showing genuine care and affection for others. A really talked about moment is Hermione beaming at Harry at the wedding between Bill and Fleur. Not Ron. Harry

But she also is the one who told Harry he was a great wizard and that he would be able to defeat Voldemort in their first year. Or beam when she hears that Harry called her the best of the year to Slughorn. She’s also very physically affectionate with Harry. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, brushed his hair with her fingers on the horcrux hunt, grabbed him by the hand and ran to show him the house elves in the kitchen. There’s no denying that Hermione is just drawn to Harry, and super affectionate with him

Neville was in love with Harry:

This is definitely the hardest to explain because I know for sure he doesn’t realize love is what he feels for Harry. But nevertheless, it’s all here. Neville’s grandma says that Harry is the one Neville speaks most highly of. Sure, that may not mean much on first glance, just that he personally likes Harry the best. But than you remember that he asked Hermione to the Yule Ball the previous book, and suddenly him speaking most highly of Harry takes on a new meaning

Neville also breaks into the Ministry of Magic, not knowing that Sirius is innocent. All he knows is that Harry is upset and scared, and insists on coming to help. Again, you could argue this is just loyalty, but it’s pretty extreme loyalty to break into the government to save who you think is a murderer for someone who’s just a friend. It makes me think there is more to what Neville’s feeling for Harry

Luna is in love with Harry:

Once again, a case of all of Luna’s most intimate moments in the series being with Harry

Her and Harry’s talk at the end of Order of the Phoenix is so beautiful. He is the only one we see her canonically tell about her mom to, and she’s the one who successfully comforts him, knowing exactly what he needs to hear in that moment in a way no one else, not even Ron and Hermione, know

Luna also recognized Harry through Polyjuice Potion because of the expression he had. That is so unbelievably intimate: that Luna can see through Harry’s magical disguise because of his expression and know without a doubt that it’s him. And they also have so many little moments of mutually knowing what the other needs, like Luna knowing exactly what to say at Dobby’s funeral knowing Harry couldn’t manage it, but he even internally thinks she said it for him

Conclusion

Honestly, if you disagree that’s fine, it’s just what I personally believe based on my last re-read and analyzing his relationships with his friends

[possiblylando]

HUNTER THE PARENTING: WHO IS THE GHOUL? (CHAPTER 5 VERSION)

Alright lads attempt to at sussing out the ghoul. Now we must first establish the ground rules I am following with this theorization. 1. There are at least 2 infiltrators currently present in the chapter house (Matilda & The Ghoul) 2. Our 2 infiltrators were working separately. (There is currently no evidence the Werewolves & Vampires are working together as such the Ghoul and Matilda working together to achieve their goals while knowing each others identities is highly unlikely.) 3. The Ghoul is present within the chapter house at this moment (This is an assumption based on the fact HTP is still a story. The ghoul just not being present would be weird and arguably bad writing as it would be a needless subversion that accomplishes very little in the story except having our main characters run around like headless chickens.) 4. The Ghoul is not anyone who has already died. (Similar reason in #2 as that would be odd writing to have the Ghoul be killed by Matilda unceremoniously. This is possible however I doubt it. This is essentially just to establish that I do not think the Ghoul is Fatigue.) 5. The present or lack of presence of the Delirium is not a deciding factor in who is the ghoul or not.* (While present in older editions, in 5th edition the Delirium is able to effect more supernatural creatures. As such someone exhibiting the Delirium during the Matilda fight does not discount them from being the Ghoul.) *If you wish to see more about the Delirium there is a good post on reddit which categories who we see and dont see under the effect of the delirium you can see it here; Delirious Eyes Guide Reddit Post

6. THE FLY IS NOT THE GHOUL WE ARE LOOKING FOR IN THIS SITUATION! (There is a very funny and horrifying theory that there are fly ghouls present throughout the series. If you wish to see more of that theory you can see it here; Fly Ghoul Reddit Post ADDITIONALLY! I will be using the timeline I've established in this post for many of the assumptions and theories made here. My own Arc 2 Timeline Tumblr Post

It's not necessary but if you want that companion piece it is present.

ESTABLISHING RULES COMPLETE!

Now we can start by ruling out the group who I am certain are not ghouls.

D, Kitten, and Marckus are not ghouls. No further explanation needed.

Matilda is not a ghoul; She is a werewolf thus excluding her (technically) from the conversation.

Occam is a solar sorcerer which would make him highly resistant to being ghouled. Additionally if he was a ghoul he would have already given the information to the regent.

Blacklaw is not a ghoul for the same reasons as Occam minus the solar sorcerery bit. Additionally it would be too convenient for the one major detractor of the D-Clan to be the ghoul. It would essentially be; Well he's bad and also the ghoul so there's no nuance there.

Next the characters whom I am mostly certain are not ghouls.

Fatigue is dead and thus him being the ghoul would be weird writing.

2. Brok follows the same reasoning as Remold with the addition that he was with Remold & Security for the entirety of the time when Occam was first attacked. Further more I do not believe Giles is the Ghoul. 1. His boss at the 99p store is already a ghoul (assumably; It's possible she is a vampire though its doubtful) and there seems to be no acknowledgement between them of such. 2. He was with Brok for the entirety of the time when Occam was attacked. Thus he would not have been able to give Grimal orders. Additionally I do not believe Harry is the ghoul. 1. He was with Marckus during the period of time in which Occam was attacked and thus would not have been able to give Grimal orders. As such these two are; Possibly ghouls but ultimately unlikely.

This leaves our actual list of ghoul suspects. 1. Elise 2. Simon 3. Grimal 4. Gloria 5. Amanda

Lets go over the evidence for each. ELISE

Elise has a lot of evidence stacked against her. 1. She stole from Giles and which ended up being a major crux in Occam's attack. 2. She gave Grimal the smokes and told her to find a place to cool off [Grimal claims not to remember this portion] 3. Elise was alone while Occam was being attacked and thus would have had open reign to move wherever and do whatever in that time. 4. As we now know due to Chapter 5, The chapter house map takes place AFTER Occam was attacked (due to Matilda being in the kitchen) which means Elise's position on floor 2 could've been her heading away from the security room after finding out Grimal did not have the hunter Data. 5. She gave Grimal her hair tie to hide the sunburn from Grimal attacking Occam. 6. D chose to interrogate her first which suggests he found her most suspicious (or that he thought she had the most useful information). Our next Candidate; SIMON (Spit)

Simon does not have as much evidence directly against him but he is still highly suspicious. 1. He was alone while Occam was attacked which would give him the ability to give Grimal commands. 2. He has been acting oddly all night. Giles claims this is because Simon is out of Ritalin. However as was established with Guy; The Regent is not exactly good at keeping her ghouls topped up. It's possible he was exhibiting symptoms of Blood withdrawal. 3. He filled his goblet with blood out of the line of sight of everyone else. It's possible he did this to switch his blood so he can not be identified as a ghoul. (However I do not know how he would do this.) 4. He was singled out by Fatigue as being rather unusual. It's possible Fatigue suspected him of being a ghoul (or some other afflicted being) and wanted to help him. (This could also just be Fatigue being a good guy and trying to help someone he could tell was suffering an episode) 5. He was under heavy effects of the Delirium (Lasted atleast the entire length of Audiolog 4.1 and until he was put into THE COLD TESSELATION) which would suggest he has every low willpower. This would make him especially susceptible to being ghouled. 6. He left the Security group early on to look for Giles' smokes since he claimed to have an idea of where they were. Next up; GRIMAL

Grimal has the most evidence against her. 1. Grimal was the only one (Aside from Matilda, who as previously established, Is not the ghoul) who was present in the security room at the time of Occam's attack. 2. She had a pre-established tendency of sneaking around the Arcanum vents and thus would know about and would be able to utilize the vent into the archives. 3. Grimal had a burn scar on her hand which suggests she was burned by Occam's solar sorcerery. She assumes it was a lighter burn however the length of the scar suggest it was Occam. This means Grimal attacked Occam and stole the Hunter Data. 4. Grimal already has pre-established ties to freedom and her lack of it. She is jealous Kitten has no arcanum oversight even saying he should be happy that he doesnt have to deal with it. 4a. In audiolog 3.7 Kitten talks about wanting to help the chapter house ghoul. Due to his connection to Grimal (due to being her EX) this would help further establish both of their characters in such an extreme situation. 5. Grimal has been established to be very physically strong. She was able to lift/carry Marckus (Who is like 6'5'' or some ridiculous shit) in Audiolog 3.3 and was able to CLAW THROUGH BATHROOM TILES (This was right before Matilda attacked; 43:21 in the C5 video if you want to check for yourselves)

Furthermore she was able to survive a direct (probably) full strength hit from Matilda and still had enough energy to drag herself away.

As has been established several times; Ghouls get increased physical abilities just by being ghouls so its possible her strength and durability are a result of that. (She could also be built different but due to the BATHROOM TILE CLAWING I doubt it) 6. Remold chose her and Amanda to "interrogate" first which suggests he found the two of them the most suspicious. (However due to them both being women this could be Remold being a misogynist.) FURTHERMORE OUTTHERE EVIDENCE 7. There are theories that Grimal intentionally put the hunter data in the smokes when she took them from Matilda and threw them to Giles. However I do not believe this theory as it would require a slight of hand skill Grimal has never previously shown. Additionally we know Grimal is very emotional and was clearly angry while throwing Giles the smokes. Evidence AGAINST Grimal being the ghoul. 1. Grimal has no memory (or atleast claims to have no memory) of the time Occam was being attacked. This suggests she was under the influence of the ghoul while she attacked Occam. However I do not believe this is entirely solid evidence to her innocence (As I will go into more later). Next we have; GLORIA

Gloria has very little solid evidence as to her ghouldom. 1. She was alone during Occams attack which would give her ample opportunity to give Grimal orders. 2. She was suspiciously quick to appear at the Archives (As if she knew Occam had been attacked already) Finally; AMANDA

Amanda is in the same boat as Gloria. 1. Her location before Occam's attack and during it are unknown. Matilda was not with her after Occam's attack due to her going to security and ending up with the smokes and hunter data. As such she would have been anywhere at the time of Occams attack which would have given her the chance to give Grimal orders. 2. Remold chose her and Grimal for "Interrogation" which suggests he found the two of them the most suspicious. (Thought again; Could just be Remold Misogyny I'm not sure) 3. Due to being a cleaner she could've been a ghoul before being hired and found a way to get into the Chapter House via getting hired. Bonus! 4. She mentions 'I'm just processing the fact Vampires are real' which could suggest either that she isnt the ghoul (due to not knowing vampires exist) or she is the ghoul (and is lying about not knowing about vampires to cover her tracks). This piece of evidence is completely pointless as it proves and/or disproves NOTHING! So... Of our 5 suspects; Who is the ghoul?

From most to least likely I would order our suspects as such. 1. Grimal 2. Elise 3. Simon 4. Gloria 5. Amanda We have a few potential routes. 1a. Grimal is the ghoul and DOES NOT remember attacking Occam. 1b. Grimal is the ghoul and DOES remember attacking Occam (And is lying). 2. Someone else is the ghoul and gave Grimal the orders to attack Occam. Now heres the truth nuke; I think 1a is what happened. We know the Chapter House Ghoul's Master is the Regent. Since the Regent is a 7th generation vampire (established in the kevin audiolog) this means she likely has ATLEAST the 3rd dot on all 3 of her base Tremere disciplines. 5th Edition is PROBABLY the version they're taking the most inspiration from for the vampiric abilities in HTP due to the older edition rules for Dominate being much weaker at lower levels.

These classic rules would not allow for the ghoul to issue any orders to Grimal as complex as crawling through the vent, attacking occam, then stealing the hunter data. However the 5th edition rule set would.

All of this is just to establish why I think 5th Edition's rules are the more accurate ones in the HTP verse. Heres what I think is happening in situation 1a. Grimal IS the ghoul but she did not willingly attack Occam. I believe she was forcefully turned into a Ghoul and may not even be aware of it (Thought she might be). The Regent implanted an order into Grimal's head using the Submerged Directive ability and removed/changes Grimals memories of being a Ghoul using The Forgetful Mind. So lets play this out. 1. Grimal is ghouled and turned into a sleeper agent. 2. When backed into a corner w/ the D-Clan's arrival Grimal's Manchurian candidate memories activate and cause her to attack Occam and steal the hunter data. (I believe the orders are something like 1. Protect your identity as a sleeper ghoul; 2. Steal the hunter data & return it to the regent) 3. Grimal returns to the Security room and forgets about her activates while in the Archives. She puts the Hunter Data (probably just somewhere on the table, maybe even in the smokes I'm not sure). 4. Matilda enters the room and sees what's happened and snatches the data and the smokes. 5. After Matilda leaves, Elise enters security and sees that Grimal has been burned. Elise wants to protect her friend (she might believe Grimal is the ghoul or was just controlled by the ghoul) so gives her the hairband. 5a. It's possibly Elise would've tried to divulge this information but she kept getting interrupted both by the Blacklaw D-Clan scuffle and Marckus barging in on her and D's interrogation then again when Remold wouldn't let her speak after Grimal's burn was discovered. Alright then what of the other options; I think 1b is the least likely option as everything surrounding the Chapter 5 Grimal reveal suggests Grimal really doesn't have any memory of the events. If Elise is the Ghoul Elise as the ghoul is rather straight forward. She robbed Giles, Gave Grimal the Key and Smokes, Used Dominate on Grimal and made her attack Occam and steal the Hunter Data, She then got to security too late and found the Data was already gone (taken by Matilda). If Simon is the Ghoul Simon went to look for Giles smokes which could suggest him being the ghoul. If he claimed to know where the smokes were that could mean he met with Grimal in the security room after Elise gave him the smokes then he gave Grimal orders. He returned to security later and found the Data & smokes gone (again, taken by Matilda) which then causes him to start panicking. If Gloria is the Ghoul Same story as Simon. She entered security after Grimal and gave her orders. She then left (perhaps returning later to find the data and smokes gone) and lingered around near the Archives being worried about Occam's safety. If Amanda is the Ghoul Same story as the past two. During the time she wasn't with Matilda she gave Grimal her orders, probably going to get the data later when Matilda wasn't around. I think Amanda is the least likely because she hasn't gotten enough focus to suggest she's the ghoul. Additionally if Amanda is the ghoul she probably would know the Data was hidden in the smokes and might've made more of an effort to get them from Matilda. CONCLUSION! From most likely to least likely I believe the options are as follows 1. 1a (Grimal is the ghoul and isn't faking memory loss) 2. 2(Elise) (Elise is the ghoul and manipulated Grimal) 3. 2(Simon) (Simon is the ghoul and manipulated Grimal) 4. 2(Gloria) (Gloria is the ghoul and manipulated Grimal) 5. 1b (Grimal is the ghoul and is faking memory loss) 6. 2(Amanda) (Amanda is the ghoul and manipulated Grimal)

[fluffysucker]

Miss Americana & The heartbreak Prince

Bucky Barnes x Reader (AU)

In no world were you meant to be together, but in every universe, you were meant for each other.

A/N: I present you grumpy sunshine wrapped in enemies(ish) to lovers with Beefy Boxer/Biker Bucky.

Written in Third POV. No use of Y/N. However, the reader is referred to as a female. Likes, comments, reblogs are VERY VERY highly appreciated.

Also, I tried to be as inclusive as possible. But my delusion couldn't be controlled I'm sorry.

Ngl this is for me more than anything.

Also, I'm thinking about making this its own universe and maybe write more of it. Tell me what you think

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

You hated Bucky Barnes, and he hated you.

The two of you should have never crossed paths. Your worlds should have never met. But the wall separating you could only hold for so long.

The infamous boxer was a phenomenon in his field. Unbeatable and astute, Bucky Barnes held his reputation with pride. He was stronger than all and the smartest the game had. His jab was as numbing as the winter. His techniques were as calculated as a soldier's. Bucky Barnes was as hard as nails. A legend.

To keep up with the notoriety, it was rumoured that Barnes and his team were also a biker gang. It was never confirmed, but the black leather jacket he always had on, the long hair touching his shoulder or tidied in a low bun, the motorbike barked in front of the gym, and the intimidating sense lingering around him. It was never denied, either.

In the mornings, Bucky Barnes ran a successful gym with his two bestfriends, Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson. Both played occasionally, but only Bucky was the professional, so they were more his trainers. They also trained other players and armatures. They tried to gain other normal customers, but it didn't always work. With a reputation like theirs, attracting customers wasn't easy.

It was usually the same for nights, unless they had matches. Most of their fights were held on Stark's property. He ran an empire, and boxing was the dominant centre, led by the biggest champion. And Stark lets Bucky have it his way, just like he likes. As long as Bucky keeps on bringing these huge numbers into their pockets, both are happy and content.

So it was out of the nature for Bucky to have zero interest in the new restaurant that opened up right next door to the gym. They had their regularly frequented places. The bar run by Romanoff and Belova, a couple of blocks away from Stark's property, was more than enough. He didn't even bother to throw a glance at it. Even after he knew that the owner had come by and given out menus and promised them discounts if they stopped by, there was still nothing.

Until one night. Bucky got carried away in training. He had an important match coming up. He knew his opponent barely stood a chance, but Bucky enjoyed the thriller of the game. The sweat and blood that go into it He didn't remember a time when he didn't want to do this. It was like it was programmed so deeply in his brain. He was made for this.

Everyone left, one by one. Until then, it was only him. After so many hours, he finally got tired. He threw his gloves aside and went to take a shower to remove the evidence of his hard work before going back home. As he was locking the gym's door, he heard his stomach growl, reminding him that he needed food. He was starving. Before deciding to wait and order food once he got home, the big sign caught his eye. They did indeed have a restaurant right next door. He admitted he was too tired to cook or wait for delivery. He needed food, then crashed into his bed. So maybe the closest restaurant would be useful.

Once he stepped in, he felt out of place immediately. His dark clothes and huge frame made him look like a stranger compared to the light-coloured painted walls. Some had flowers, and others had stars drawn on them. There were fairy lights in some corners. The aromatic scent was everywhere. Bucky almost winced at how bright and colourful everything felt. This was an alternative universe that he didn't belong in.

"Hi, how can I help you?" An even sweeter voice rang and caught Bucky's attention, breaking him from his trance of observing the place.

He turned around to find the prettiest girl he had ever seen standing behind the counter. Your beauty caught him off guard. He never believed someone could be so beautiful before. But here you were, standing. Taking his breath away.

He recovered very quickly and moved to stand in front of the counter. With the most loving smile, you handed him the menu. He took a look at the menu and wanted to laugh out loud. Dish names were just as cheerful as the atmosphere.

Out of habit, you started explaining and recommending stuff for him. He interrupted you, putting in his order. You didn't give it much thought but took his order happily.

You apologised for the lack of waiters, as it was almost closing time and it was only you. No answer. With his blank stare, you told him he could sit wherever he wanted. Only then did he notice the empty restaurant. It was just you and him. It was that late. So he took a seat at the nearest table.

Not taking much, you returned with his order. You placed it in front of him with a big smile on your face. You knew right away who that was the minute he walked in. James Barnes. The famous boxer who trains next door You have been praying after your small visit to them that they would be regular customers. The business was doing great. But the more, the merer. Always. Lots of people warned you about the men next door. But you didn't feel like they were as bad as people made them out to be. You were always so trusting, unless shown otherwise. So you were happy that, finally, one of them stopped by.

You moved away, letting him enjoy his food. Unable to fight your nature, you started talking to him as you continued cleaning the remaining parts of the place. No answer again. He didn't even bother to look at you. Okay. Maybe he had a rough day. Not all people are used to chatting.

Bucky was one of these people. His eyes widened as you started talking to him. People were never that friendly to him. People avoided him. Nobody tried to open up a conversation with him. He didn't know how to react. And he was too tired to try. So he practiced his other specialty. Silence. But even if he wouldn't admit it, Bucky found your voice calming. So he let you talk instead of just shutting you up.

You reduced your talking to a minimum. Only little remarks there and then to avoid complete silence. The second time, you heard his voice since he walked in and asked for the check. You brought the paper to the table he occupied, keeping your smile up and telling him that he got the 'neighbour discount' as you called it. You almost heard his scoff as you left him.

You had your back to the door, so you only turned around when you heard the door close. You didn't hear his footsteps, and most definitely, you didn't hear his goodbye, goodnight, or even thank you. Now that's rude.

You returned to the table to collect the check. But you found the review note you attached to every check empty. Not a single penmark. And that was more rude. You made sure that filling out the note only took seconds. You genuinely cared to hear people's opinions so you could be better and have the restaurant grow more.

So he didn't speak to you for more than two sentences. Didn't say thank you or goodbye. Didn't fill in the note. Okay, maybe you didn't want them as customers if they were all that rude.

It turns out they weren't that rude. However, Bucky was more rude than you thought.

A couple of days after Bucky's visit, you were surprised to see Bucky with another two men. You guessed they were Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson. The trio was all well-known. You doubted if Bucky was the one to recommend the restaurant. You weren't sure if he even liked the food. And you were right. He would be caught dead if he brought up the fairy world you called a restaurant. Even when it served the tastiest food he had ever had,

It was a slow day. No intense training or excessive fight preparation The three men didn't have much to do that day. So when Steve suggested trying out the restaurant, Bucky neither objected nor showed excitement.

So when they walked in, you couldn't help the feeling of surprise along with the tiny bit of happiness, hoping it would be a nicer visit this time. After preparing their orders and sending them out, you waited for a bit before you left the kitchen to greet them. Not before making sure you looked presentable.

With the small space and their loud voices, it wasn't hard to locate them. You approached them with a big smile and positive attitude.

"I wanted to make sure you were having a good time." You followed up after introducing yourself.

"The food is amazing. This burger is to die for." Steve was the first to compliment you, with Sam nodding and agreeing.

"You have one good chef." Sam added as he took another french fry into his mouth. "Send my regards to them."

"Actually, I'm also the chef." The statement caused a shocked expression to fill in their faces. They asked for details, and you briefly told them how you were the core of the small business as the owner and main chef.

The two men were polite, and they didn't seem annoyed by your chatty personality. In fact, they interacted with you and asked questions to learn more. And all they had to say were nice compliments. Except one.

"So tell me, sweetheart, what was the inspiration for the place? Was it a fairy garden or Disney's latest cartoon?" None of you were ready for the sarcastic comment Bucky threw at you.

You didn't let your smile break in the face of his sarcasm. Nor did you give much thought to the pet name. You put on a bigger smile now, looking at him.

"A bit of both." That's one thing about you: you refused to let the world change about you. You never reciprocate rudeness with rudeness.

"I can tell." Bucky was taken back by your response. He expected you to get offended, but you didn't.

"Thank you. It was my vision all along." You replied, your smile never leaving your face.

And that started your hate relationship with Bucky Barnes.

After that day, the men became regular customers. And it wasn't just the three men. Little by little, it was most of the team. First, it was just to try the good food. Then it was because they wanted to. They wouldn't admit it, but your place was like a breath of fresh air. Something so different from what they are used to. From what they are known for. From what people expected from them. And you never judged them, treated them differently, or asked about the rumours that followed them. So it was a calm change, but much needed.

But their favourite thing was yours and Bucky's constant bickering. Or more Bucky's. Nobody understood why Bucky was doing this. You never partook in his constant attempts to make fun of you. You always had a sweet response to fire back. You truly were the living embodiment of killing them with kindness.

However, he never stopped. Every time he stepped foot in the place, you claimed it was your biggest achievement. He had something rude to say. Something to annoy you with. Something to bother you. Sarcasm and jokes spilling out of him with no end whatsoever.

The number of times you wanted to punch him or snap at him right back was increasing. But you refused to give in. To let him win. He wouldn't be the one to change you. So you kept engaging with him only with gracious things to say.

Besides, you chose to think that everyone had their own battles and demons. And for sure, Bucky looked like he had lots of them. He looked rougher than most. His job made him appear invincible, but he wasn't. Nobody was. So he may drive you mad, but he deserves the gentle treatment you offered all.

Bucky had no idea why he was doing it. Why every time he saw you, he felt the urge to tease you. It wasn't like him. But he didn't fight it back.

"How are you, Tinkerbell?"

"You should buy green carpets. It will finish off the garden aesthetic."

"Here is the princess who got lost."

"The pasta was great, Barbie."

Stuff like this flew from him all the time. And not once did you get back at him. You stayed nice and polite. Your sweet self never crumbling.

There was something in you that drove him insane. Your warm eyes. Your bright smile. Your cheerful voice. Your positive mindset. Your kind heart. Your friendly nature. Your hard work. Your delicious food. Your colourful wardrobe of dresses, skirts, tops, and cardigans. He couldn't pinpoint what it was. Maybe it was all of it.

The deepest part of him knew why he was doing this. He liked you. He liked you so much. From the moment he entered your restaurant alone, the first time And the more he knew you, the more he liked you. You were special. And you were everything he wasn't. He thought if he got closer, he would be tinting you. He would bring darkness to your shine. A moral thing preventing him from speaking his truth. even thinking about it.

So he acted like a teenager. He made fun of you. In hopes of making you hate him. He convinced himself and the others that he didn't like your sunshine personality.

Until one day

It started off like any normal day. Bucky had a match coming up. So they all had something to do. The day was going fine. Up before Peter Parker, who was usually on reception duties, ran in and said there was fire in your place,

For a second, blood ran cold in Bucky's body. He heard ringing in his ears. Were you okay? He collected himself quickly, wanting to check for himself.

He threw the gloves away, almost pushing everybody out of the way to get out. And he was the first to see the chaos in the street. A firetruck was parked, and firemen were going in and out of your restaurant along with some policemen. His eyes were searching for you frantically until he spotted you.

You had some dust on your face and your white clothes. You were checking that everyone was okay and out safely. But you couldn't hide the quivering of your lips or your shaking body.

He couldn't help himself as he ran towards you. You turned as you felt someone approaching you. Without your control, your face softened, and tears blurred your sight once you noticed who it was.

"Bucky." You whispered as a way to ground yourself from all the mess that happened and is still happening.

Following his first instincts, Bucky pulled you into his chest, wrapping your trembling form in his arms and holding you so close to him. And the dam broke.

Sobs fled from you. Tears mixed with his sweat. Your fists gripped his white tank top. Your face hidden away in his chest.

You didn't know how it happened. You had been holding up well enough during it all. You had been managing the situation the best you could. However, when Bucky got here, your mind stopped working. Your mind gave up on you, letting your emotions hit you with full force, breaking down your bastion with no guarantee you would be caught.

But you were. You were braced by strong amrs, rubbing your back, laying small kisses on your hair, and whispering words of comfort in your ears. "I'm here. I'm right here." "You're okay. You're fine."

Your sobs ceased, but your body still shook against Bucky's. Tears remained to fall freely on your face. Bucky's hold was still firm but secure around you.

You only moved away from him when a policeman approached you, informing you that you were needed at the police station.

"I'm coming with you." Bucky's stern voice left no room for negotiation. It wasn't up to debate. He wasn't leaving you.

"I'll grab my stuff in a second." He turned to the policeman standing in front of you, making sure it was okay that he joined. And he got a nod of approval in return.

He left your side, walking towards the gym. He paid no attention to his friends standing by, who were puzzled by the encounter. And true to his words, he came back in seconds, his black leather jacket on, phone in hand, and wallet in hand.

He got to you, letting his hand wrap around your shoulder. The gesture was welcomed by you as you rested your head on his chest. Something about having Bucky spread calmness in you

At the police station, Bucky found out what really happened. It wasn't just fire. It was a robbery. A bunch of armed men attacked your restaurant, demanding money from you and all the people inside. As you are trying to handle the situation without panicking more, it was discovered that one of the customers was a cop, which sent the robbers into an unexpected turn. So they took all they could from the cash register and your own things before setting the kitchen on fire to run away without being caught.

Between talking with the insurance company, the bank, and watching security footage from your restaurants and the street, you spent the rest of the day in the station.

And Bucky didn't leave your side for a second of it.

He didn't leave you until you both got out of the cap in front of your apartment. And he didn't leave until he made sure you got inside safely.

Something about you being hurt sent Bucky into a spiral. Who was heartless enough to hurt such a sweet soul as you? To look at you and not want to give you everything? Bucky would never know. All he knew was that he never wanted to see you so afraid and shaken like today. To not see your smile lighting up your face. So he would do whatever it took to make sure you were always fine.

Which was why you found him by your building the first thing in the morning.

"You have lots of places to go today. Said I would join you."

And up until you were handed the keys to your restaurant brand new after the insurance company had finished the repairs, Bucky didn't leave you. He was always there. Helping you finish papers, going to the police station to identify the robbers, and buying new stuff for the restaurants. Everything. He was there for everything.

And you had to admit. It was lovely to have him. A helping hand you needed. Physically and emotionally. Someone to share this unfortunate journey with. And Bucky didn't bother it for a bit. And you appreciated having him.

So, it only felt right for him to be your first order after the reopening.

The truth was, you never hated Bucky, no matter how much you tried. His huge form, his steel blue eyes, his signature stare, his playful smirk. They all made you feel something. He made you feel something you couldn't quite understand. But it was a pleasant something. He annoyed you so much, but you never took it too seriously. Maybe he hated you, but you didn't.

Now, you didn't need him. You were ready to carry on with your life. He didn't know how to get back to normal. He couldn't. He couldn't pretend you didn't make his heart beat faster. You made his days better. But he was so unworthy of you. And he knew you could never look at him. Maybe you hated him, but he didn't.

He tried to get back to his life. Only training and matches. Only visiting your place with the others who quickly figured out what was happening. He needed to get you out of his mind. That lasted for two days.

When Bucky was closing the gym, he heard something coming from your restaurant. With a frown, he moved to see you still inside. He looked at his watch to check the time again. It was indeed late.

"What are you doing?" He didn't bother with greetings as he entered.

"Hi, Bucky." Your cheerful voice rang through the empty place.

"What are you doing?" He repeated his question, looking at the paper in front of you.

"I'm sending out advertisements and deal offerings to different places." You answered him with a smile.

"Sweetheart, do you know what time it's?" Bucky signed as he looked at you, looking clueless.

"C'mon, let's get you home." He moved towards you, taking the papers out of your hand and putting them down without messing them.

"But I have a lot to do." You tried to protest as he gathered your stuff and helped you out.

"It will still be here in the morning." And he was having none of it.

"I need to get the business going." You added.

"You can do that in the morning, too." Bucky led you out of the restaurant in spite of your complaining.

He took the key from your hand and handed it back to you after he closed up. You expected him to move away, but he didn't.

"How are you going to get home?" He hoped you wouldn't give him the answer he had in mind.

"It's not very far. I was going to walk." And it was it.

Do you not care about your safety, or do you think you are James Bond?

Bucky had to bite his tongue and not scold you right on the spot. He knew you were stressed about the business, so he didn't want to add more.

"Great. I was going somewhere there, too. Let me walk."

"You were?" You questioned him, not believing him, but he nodded quickly.

As a matter of fact, Bucky didn't have anywhere to go other than collapsing on his bed. But over his dead body were you going to walk back home alone in this hour

"Lead the way, princess." The return of the name, but a smile on your face. He may mean it as an insult. You didn't care. It sounded good coming from him.

And the two of you walked.

And somehow, without planning, it became a routine.

Bucky would finish at the gym and come straight to the restaurant. It didn't matter whether it was late or not. He would get in and wait till you were done with the day. Then he would walk you home. Sometimes, he would help with stuff, but most times, you would make him sit down and bring him tonnes of food you prepared just for him.

"You train so hard. Don't want to burn these muscles. Eat and rest."

You weren't stupid. You knew he had nothing to do with where you were living. Yet he still chose to go out of his way, walk you home, and wait until you got in. He was taking care of you. So you wanted to take care of him too.

It felt strange to Bucky. Nobody made sure if he was eating well enough, drinking enough water, and resting enough. Nobody ever did. Everybody treated him like he was a machine. Like he He needed nothing.

Then there you were. Feeding him with delicious food. Letting him relax. Laughing at his jokes. Your hands grazing softly. It was all foreign to him, but very welcome. And he was getting attached. He knew it. How could he not?

He had the sweetest and most loving person on the planet, showing him attention and care.

Bucky counted the minutes until he could be with you. Until he could walk you home, it would be just the two of you. You did most of the talking, telling him about your day or an interesting story you heard. He would tell you briefly about his day.

He loved listening to you. Every detail you shared with him. You were the first in his life to be carefree around him other than his family. You didn't let his stiff demeanour affect your friendly one.

The extra time he spent back to his place from yours didn't bother him in the slightest. He found it reassuring that he knew for sure you were safe at home. It was all worth it.

Every single one of Bucky's friends knew what was happening from the moment he asked to postpone a match to go somewhere with you when you're repairing the restaurant. And it became so clear when he stopped hanging out at Natasha's bar after matches, claiming he was tired. But, in truth, he only wanted to be with you. And the days he knew he couldn't turn it down, especially after a grand victory, he would be glued to his phone until you texted him that you were home. Then he may start celebrating.

Bucky almost punched Steve in the face when he brought up inviting you to one of the matches, or at least to hang out with the whole team at Natasha's bar. Bucky wanted you nowhere near this world. He couldn't imagine you watching him while he was fighting. You would never look at him again. Yes, you were kind, but in the ring, he was a beast. You didn't deserve to see how bad he could be.

That's why he never acted on his feelings for you. He knew he was falling for you. He knew from the start. But you deserved better. So much better.

Your radiant nature had no place near him.

He even tried to stop seeing you, feeling guilty for ever getting close to you. But he failed miserably. You gave him something nobody did. A light in the darkness.

So he bottled it and felt grateful that you even let him be your friend. Or whatever you were.

Before a fact came crushing. You were single.

The days following matches were usually very slow. So he left earlier than usual just to come and wait for you. As long as you wanted. He had a bandage on his forehead and a compression bandage around his hand.

Sometimes you forget what his job was. Until he shows up bruised and bandaged like this. You knew he was strong enough to handle himself. He was the best in the game. But you couldn't help the twinge of your heart at the thought of him hurt.

So you prepared extra food and drinks for him. Once it was evening, you kept your best table for him. You even brought the air freshener with the scent; he commented once that he liked it. Everything to help him relax.

You kept telling yourself you were only doing this because he liked to help everyone. But you knew it was very different. He was very different.

So when he stepped in, your big smile got bigger.

You tried to come and talk with him whenever you could, but it was a busy day. He had no problem. He enjoyed watching you work. You were so dedicated and smart. He wanted you to be the most successful chef and owner in the world.

But maybe he shouldn't have been watching. He should have paid attention to anything else. So he wouldn't have seen the man who had been flirting with you since he walked in.

It was taking everything in Bucky to not get up and throw the guy away. But he heard it. Your answer to his question "Yes, I'm single." And he was reminded of the cruelty of the world. You weren't his. He shouldn't be jealous. He shouldn't have been biting the inside of his mouth when the guy tried to touch your hand as you handed him his bill.

And he most definitely shouldn't be feeling like crying and burning down the world when the guy asked you out and left his number.

Wasn't that what he wanted? For you to have better than him. To have someone who wasn't surrounded by blood and pain. Someone who wouldn't defile your glimmer That guy looked decent enough. Maybe that was your chance to find love.

However, he wanted to tear that paper to pieces. He wanted to punch the guy for asking his girl. But you weren't his girl.

Bucky was conflicted by his emotions. He didn't know what to feel or how to think. So he did the thing he was the best at. He stayed silent.

You noticed right away the change in his mood. He wasn't the most talkative person, but this silence was different. He looked like he was somewhere else. Somewhere, that wasn't so nice.

"Are you sure that you are fine?" You asked as you came to a stop in front of your building.

You only got a nod as an answer.

"You know you can tell me anything. I'm always going to be here."

Your words finally made him look at you after you left the restaurant.

"You are?" His hesitant tone made you frown.

"Of course." You answered very quickly.

"Are you going to go out with this guy?" It was quiet; you almost missed it, but you didn't.

Bucky didn't know what happened. He promised himself he wouldn't bring it up. It had nothing to do with him. But he couldn't. It fell from him.

"Do you want me to?" Your reply was something he didn't expect at all.

You couldn't say you weren't disappointed when Bucky did nothing when the guy started flirting with you. You didn't know what you wanted him to do. But you wanted him to do something.

Instinctively, Bucky moved closer to you, standing right in front of you.

"No, I don't want to."

"Tell me why I shouldn't go out with him."

The space between the two of you was almost nonexistent. You were so close to each other. His blue eyes piercing into yours. His eyes were filled with something so warm that you couldn't quite figure it out.

Bucky didn't know how to answer your question. Why didn't he want you to go out with the guy? Well, he didn't want you to go out with any guy. So he threw caution to the wind and followed his heart.

You almost tripped, but his hands on your waist steadied you. The feeling of his lips on yours was something out of the world. His lips were a bit bruised, but they were soft. It was all so good that your mind stopped working.

Bucky was about to pull away and apologise profoundly when you didn't kiss him back. As he was about to move, your hands wrapped themselves around his neck, pulling him closer to you and kissing him.

The kiss was gentle, and it was filled with emotions. Loving ones. It sent electricity through your bodies. It spread warmth all over you.

Your need for oxygen made you break the kiss, hands still around each other, eyes only looking at each other.

"I thought you hated me."

"Never did. Not for a second, princess."

Bucky's lips smashed against yours once again. And it was like every piece was falling into its place. The puzzle was completed. The rainbow after the rain

You were the shining star in Bucky's dark sky. He may not deserve you, but he was going to do everything in his power to get you to shine more.

Because you were made for each other.

[carriesthewind]

Yeah so anyway, I'm making my response to this fucking garbage its own separate post in case people want to reblog it without having to reblog a scare-mongering lie.

This video pisses me the fuck off whenever I see it, and today I'm not in the mood to just scroll past.

Wow! Am I being lead to panic by scaremongering algorithm fodder completely unsupported by real evidence?! test:

The reason you think something exists is just what you're being told by a nefarious *them*, there is actually a conspiracy behind it!

I, an ordinary person with no expertise who critically examines the world around me, have uncovered this conspiracy.

"That's what they're telling you." (put the emphasis wherever appropriate for the conspiracy of your choice - in this case, it's on *telling*)

This new tech thing is actually a bad idea and the old school method was better - which clearly proves there must be a secret conspiracy, because why allow the possibility of incompetence and investor tech-hype when you can instead assume a highly-competent evil conspiracy?

I will now tell you my conspiracy theory while scrolling rapidly through a document without pausing or allowing you to actually read any of it. This allows me to look like I have proven my claims while doing nothing of the sort. Because do you really think someone could do that? Quickly flash a document on screen and just lie about what it says?

But Owl! This is real! A user upthread found the patent and it *does* prove it!

Yeah. I read the linked patent. Did you?

Let's quote the "real purpose" hidden in the patent, as claimed out in the video:

"The real purpose of these screens is to use the little camera at the top right here to scan your face and use AI facial expression analysis to judge whether or not you like the packaging designs of the product you're looking for."

This is complete made up horseshit.

First, let's look where the reblogger directs us, to column #4 on page 17:

"Preferably, each retail product container further comprises customer-detecting hardware, such as one or more proximity sensors (such as heat maps) , cameras, facial sensors or scanners, and eye-sensors (i.e., iris-tracking sensors). Assuming cameras are employed, preferably cameras are mounted on doors of the retail product containers. Preferably, the cameras have a depth of field of view of twenty feet or more, and have a range of field of view of 170 degrees with preferably 150 degree of facial recognition ability. Preferably, software is employed in association with the cameras to monitor shopper interactions, serve up relevant advertisement content on the displays, and track advertisement engagement in - store." (emphasis added and references to figures removed for readability)

That is the extent of the "nonconsensual data collection."

Now, to be fair, there is some stuff on page 18 and 19 which kinda-sorta-maybe has at least some relation to the claim in the video:

"Preferably, the controller/data collector is configured such that as a shopper stands or lingers in front of a given retail product container, the display associated with the retail product container changes yet again. At this point, preferably the controller/data collector has been able to use the customer-detecting hardware to effectively learn more about that particular customer, such as gender, age, mood, etc. The controller / data collector is configured to take what has been detected about the customer to determine which advertisement and other information to present to that particular customer on the display associated with the retail product container in front of which the customer is standing. By tracking shopper data in parallel with which advertising content is being served on all displays within the viewing range of the shopper, the retailer and the brands are better served, providing new analytics. As such, the system provides advertising, influence opportunities at the moment of purchasing decision, optimizing marketing spend and generating new revenue streams....

"Additionally, preferably all inputs collected by the IOT devices will be analyzed locally as well as remotely (via cloud) to provide the feedback inputs for the system to push more relevant/targeted content, tailored for the consumer. The analytics are preferably conducted anonymously, images captured by cameras are preferably processed to collect statistics on consumer demographic characteristics: (such as age and gender). This data is preferably subsequently analyzed for additional statistics for the retailers that are valuable for in-store merchandise layout design and smart merchandizing, including the ability to track the shoppers “traffic” areas, known as “heat maps”, areas were [sic] customers would concentrate more and spend more time exploring, etc." (emphasis added and references to figures removed for readability) (And note the repeated emphasis on preferably - they don't have a patent to do any of this.)

Which, like, not great! I fucking hate the idea of shit like this! But there is literally nothing here about monitoring your expressions to sell the data about how you react to packaging!

This isn't a nefarious plan hidden in the patent. It's tech bros adding on totally sick ideas about how they can sell this shit to walgreens. (Because to be clear, I'm sure walgreens's corporate office would love to collect and sell this kind of information. But just because they would, doesn't mean they can or are. And this patent sure as hell doesn't prove it.)

Because let me be clear: the image capture of consumers is so irrelevant to the product that it literally isn't even included in the claims section of the patent.

Because the patent is quite explicit and detailed about the idea they are selling big retails stores on - this is a better, new, innovative, tech-driven way to "provide an innovative advertising solution"! (The words "AI," "intelligent," and "machine learning" are deployed liberally, but in the same way that "blockchain" was a few years ago. It's advertising tech hype.)

I want to make it clear - the OP in the video is straight up lying to you. Whether for fun or profit or just attention, I don't know and I don't care. If you shared this, you probably should have know better, but everyone makes mistakes. OP, on the other hand, is just a fucking liar.

But Owl! What about "the senators looking into this"?

I don't know how to tell you this, but thing linked about is a press release by a politician's office. That doesn't mean it's not true, but it's not evidence on it's own. Like, the letter linked in the link included links to sources, but is not itself evidence (ooh, layers of links to actually get to a source, my favorite)(actually my computer wouldn't even goddam open the links to the source, I had to independently search for it).

Anyway, the letter to Kroger linked in the press release by the senators contains a single sentence and a single link relevant to the claim here (linked for your convenience because it sure as hell wasn't for mine). Unfortunately, this article is itself based on a goddam press release (That isn't linked! Again, you're welcome.)

And when we finally get to the underlying fucking source. "In addition to transforming the customer experience and enhancing productivity for associates, the EDGE Shelf will enable Kroger to generate new revenue by selling digital advertising space to consumer packaged goods (CPGs) brands. Using video analytics, personalized offers and advertisements can be presented based on customer demographics." So it's purporting to something *kind of* like the claim in the video, but an entirely different format completely unrelated to the thing the video is scaremongering about.

Now Kroger did actually start using the advertising screens in 2023. And you can believe what you want about the data privacy claims and the claims about not using video, just sensors (which remember is entirely consistent with the patent). But remember: being skeptical of a company's claims is fine and good! It does not mean you have proven they are lying, and it especially does not prove you have claimed they are doing something extremely specific! And most of the articles, and the letter from the senators, are (much more reasonably) concerned about so-called "dynamic" or surge pricing. (Which is not related to the screens.)

Like goddamn. Aren't there enough real problems with surveillance and price-gorging to be concerned about without having to make up fake ones? Hell, why can't we at least be concerned with the real problems with those dumb screens, which is that the a) make shopping harder and b) catch fire?

[argumate]

User: Okay, the person is mad that I quoted from memory and didn’t use exact wording. Please interpret this phrase, which I copied and pasted directly from their original post: “honestly the problem with the USSR isn't that it was atheist it's that it wasn't atheist enough, it not only replaced one set of vibes based governance with another, but it didn't even do a good job of crushing the church.”

How do you interpret this in light of our previous discussion?

ChatGPT: Thanks for providing the exact quote. Here’s the original statement:

“honestly the problem with the USSR isn’t that it was atheist it’s that it wasn’t atheist enough, it not only replaced one set of vibes based governance with another, but it didn’t even do a good job of crushing the church.”

⸻

Interpretation:

This statement is explicitly ideological and reflects a strong anti-religious stance. Let’s break it down piece by piece:

⸻

1. “the problem with the USSR isn’t that it was atheist it’s that it wasn’t atheist enough”

• This is a clear endorsement of militant atheism, suggesting that the USSR’s secularism was insufficient.

• The speaker isn’t criticizing the USSR for being too anti-religious, but rather for not being secular or anti-religious enough.

• They’re arguing that the state failed by allowing too much religious influence or not going far enough in eliminating it.

⸻

2. “it not only replaced one set of vibes based governance with another”

• This is dismissive of both religious governance and Soviet-style Marxist-Leninist rule.

• “Vibes-based governance” implies rule based on irrational ideology or emotional fervor, not rational, evidence-based policymaking.

• The speaker is criticizing both religion and Soviet ideology as dogmatic or faith-based—and implying that true atheistic governance should be rational and detached from ideology.

⸻

3. “but it didn’t even do a good job of crushing the church.”

• This is the key line in light of your earlier question. It explicitly laments the fact that the Soviet regime failed to effectively destroy the church.

• The word “crushing” is violent and final—it’s not about persuasion or cultural change, but outright elimination of the institution.

• Even if not literally advocating mass violence, the tone is clearly hostile to religious institutions and expresses regret that the USSR’s campaign wasn’t more effective.

⸻

Conclusion:

This reinforces your earlier suspicion:

The speaker is not anti-violence in principle when it comes to dealing with religion—at least institutionally. They are expressing frustration that the USSR didn’t go further in suppressing or destroying the church, possibly even through coercive or oppressive means.

Even if they try to walk it back later by claiming it was about nonviolent or cultural change, the phrasing—“crushing the church”—is aggressive and aligned with authoritarian secularism, not peaceful pluralism.

⸻

My Final Stance:

This statement is not anti-violence in tone, content, or implication.

It is, rather, a disdainful critique of the USSR for failing to fully eradicate religious institutions, with language that strongly suggests a comfort with, or even desire for, more effective oppression of the church.

If they now claim it was meant in a purely anti-violence or abstract philosophical sense, that interpretation is highly implausible given the language they actually used.

well I definitely agree that the USSR's secularism was insufficient, and that the state failed to eliminate religious institutions and allowed them to remain influential by tacitly backing down in the 1940s when under pressure from the nazis, and the critique of Soviet ideology as dogmatic and faith-based yes, and the tone is definitely hostile to religious institutions, no doubt about that.

however I don't think the rights of people should be infringed, so nobody should be imprisoned or killed for what they say or believe, it can't be illegal to hang out with your friends even if you read the bible together or pray to Mecca or do that falun dafa meditation thing or even god forbid study mathematics or something messed up.

and if that isn't clear from the post, I can only beg forgiveness and suggest that you read the several other thousand posts I've written on the topic of not killing people.

[recklessracoon]

Who you should fight Saiki K Edition

Saiki Kusuo: objectively a terrible idea to fight. He'd just try to throw the fight as quickly as possible and it would be very awkward for everyone.

Nendou Riki: I don't think he really knows much about fighting but he is big and highly athletic. Besides he's generally very nice. You probably shouldn't fight him.

Kaidou Shun: almost certainly the easiest person to beat in a fight on this list and he can be a bit of a prat sometimes. I'd say that you should challenge him to a fight but it would feel kind of mean to actually go through with it given his weak little string bean muscles. Also I think it's worth noting that he does carry around brass knuckles even if he probably doesn't know how to use them properly.

Hairo Kineshi: he knows judo and there's no good reason to want to fight him even if his firey determination can be a little overwhelming sometimes.

Yumehara Chiyo: You could probably win but why fight her? The poor girl's been through enough.

Teruhashi Kokomi : Don't fight her. There's a definite chance that she knows some kind of martial art for self-defense given her level of experience with being tailed and even if you win, you'd lose because everyone will hate you for beating up Teruhashi.

Toritsuka Reita: Go ahead, beat up the pervert. Unfortunately he could probably stand at least a decent chance in a fight if he could manage to get a martial artist ghost to possess him but if you get lucky enough he might fail to realize this, or be to overconfident to try this, or decide that it isn't worth the risk of being unable to evict the ghost from his body when the time comes.

Teruhashi Makoto : you should totally fight him, just on principle.

Mera Chisato: She's had a hard life and all evidence would suggest that she fights like a cornered animal, so no.

Kuboyasu Aren: the guy used to be be a gang leader known as the demon-killer of Ibaraki. Needless to say you probably shouldn't fight him.

Rifuta Imu: she's short and chuckable, but fighting her would be kind of mean, wouldn't it?

Saiki Kuusuke : He totally deserves a good thrashing (well, as much as anyone can) and it might improve his personality by humbling him but be warned he fights dirty and will go to lengths way beyond what most people would consider reasonable if he really wants to win which he probably does. Also he might get horny about it and make it weird and uncomfortable.

Aiura Mikoto: I saw someone (probably Nopsi) mention that she's got to be pretty strong to casually heft those big ole crystal balls of hers like she does and since I'm inclined to agree, I'd say don't fight her.

Akechi Touma : physically you could probably beat him in a fight, but emotionally, imagine the toll. By which I mean there's a good chance that he'd be able to guess and attack all your sore spots.

[ncoincidences]

Parallels between Voldemort and Harry’s parents

Throughout the book series, Voldemort mirrors Harry. However, their parents’ relationships mirror each other too. I’ll be taking evidence from OoTP and HBP to draw out the parallels I've observed between Tom Riddle Snr/Merope Gaunt and James Potter/Lily Evans.

A small thank you to @pangaeaseas for discussing this with me <3

The “impossiblity”

“And they ended up married?” Harry said in disbelief, unable to imagine two people less likely to fall in love.

Upon viewing Bob Ogden’s memory in chapter ten of HBP, Harry conceives the notion of Tom Riddle Senior and Merope Gaunt coming together as highly impossible.

She had clearly loathed James and Harry simply could not understand how they could have ended up married. Once or twice he even wondered whether James had forced her into it. . . .

This is Harry’s reaction in chapter 29 of OoTP, after viewing Lily and James in Snape’s memory. Both are Harry's instantaneous impressions of their dynamic. In both cases, their coming together is stated to be as unlikely as possible.

2. One wants the other’s attention; the other doesn’t give it James’s free hand jumped to his hair again. […] “All right, Evans?” said James, and the tone of his voice was suddenly pleasant, deeper, more mature. […] “I’m surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK.”

“Good lord, you’re right!” said [Tom Riddle's] voice. “That’ll be the son, I told you he’s not right in the head. Don’t look at it, Cecilia, darling.” “Always in the garden when he passes, peering through the hedge at him, isn’t [Merope]? And last night —”

Here, the narrative speaks for itself. The dynamics are clear; there’s one who is seeking the other’s attention, but the other greatly dislikes them, or any association with them, and wants to get away as soon as possible.

3. Popularity, social class differences and blood status 3.1 - Popularity

“You can imagine the gossip it caused when the squire’s son ran off with the tramp’s daughter, Merope.” “Look, Harry, what you’ve got to understand is that your father and Sirius were the best in the school at whatever they did — everyone thought they were the height of cool — if they sometimes got a bit carried away —”

Both male characters are quite popular and paid close attention to by the people around them.

3.2 - Blood status One comes from an old, Pureblood family - Merope, James The other comes from the Muggle world - Lily, Tom Sr

3.3 - Social differences There’s a distinct divide of wealth between Merope and Tom Sr apparent to anyone at first glance, and even stated by Tom. The Gaunts are considered as “tramps” by the Riddles and all of Little Hangleton. The Riddles are incredibly well-off, owning a manor, substantious amount of land, and a horse, indicating prosperity that contrasts against Merope's struggling life.

James comes from an old, wealthy family, contrasting against Lily’s midlands lower-middle class background.

4. First glimpse I won’t be considering photographs and the Mirror of Erised as first glimpses of Jily here.

Both relationships, before coming to fruit, are viewed by Harry through memories. Then, he is given an interpretation and/or an explanation by someone with a clearly biased view, whether it be positive or negative.

4.1 Dumbledore’s opinion, critical of Merope -

“Personally, I am inclined to think that she used a love potion. I am sure it would have seemed more romantic to her, and I do not think it would have been very difficult, some hot day, when Riddle was riding alone, to persuade him to take a drink of water.”

4.2 Sirius and Remus - Being James’ best friends, and more involved in the scene Harry had witnessed, they have a forgiving opinion of James… However, the clarity that Harry seeks for regarding whether Snape’s accusations against James were false or not is not completely received and by the end of the discussion, we see:

Sirius frowned at Harry, who was still looking unconvinced.

However, James is also favoured by the narrative. In the following sequence, Sirius advocates for him,

“Look,” he said, “your father was the best friend I ever had, and he was a good person. A lot of people are idiots at the age of fifteen. He grew out of it.”

There’s no one to defend Merope. Her ugliness and desperate poverty makes her out into such a woman that only a man who is love-potioned or under the Imperius Curse could marry her. Any other notion is unthinkable.

I’m not suggesting that she absolutely didn’t love potion Tom Snr. Or that Dumbledore is way off the mark in his guesswork. He has evidence in the form of rumours circulated by the villagers of Little Hangleton. (Going on an aside here, but HBP is a book that focuses on the rumours circulating about Harry, his discomfort around it and its distance from the truth. I have to wonder why Dumbledore gives the rumours such substance while basing his theories of Voldemort's parents.)

Right off the bat, he doesn’t consider the idea that there may have been some “likeable/attractive” trait within her to catch Tom's attention, or a positive development in her character away from her family, like James “growing out of it”. He immediately tells Harry, “I think you are forgetting that Merope was a witch.”

5. Marrying young & conceiving early Lily and James die at twenty one, marrying very soon after Hogwarts, and expecting Harry at nineteen. Merope dies aged nineteen.

6. A love triangle Morfin taunts Merope with Cecilia, the Muggle woman who is seen with Tom Riddle Sr as they pass by the Gaunt’s house. Considering that Tom calls her “darling”, she is, most likely, someone he likes in a romantic sense.

From Deathly Hallows, we learn that Snape loved Lily and turns spy for her. A spark of his jealousy is observed in chapter 33 of the Deathly Hallows -

The moment she had insulted James Potter, his whole body had relaxed, and as they walked away there was a new spring in Snape’s step…

Of course, this is where the similarities end. Divergences like Tom Riddle Snr leaving Merope and her losing the will to live, create a bitter ending to Voldemort's parents' story, as compared to the ‘happy ending’ James and Lily lived for a few years before getting killed.

The differences between the two relationships lie in James' story reflecting personal growth and development in the relatively accepting environment of Hogwarts. While Merope, who has been denied and abused all her life in Little Hangleton's isolated village, finally gets the chance to exert her control and power on the life she can now lead by her own.

A difference in morals, setting, family background and the means they use to pursue their relationships contrast their stories.

[lacunammmm]

Care to talk about Nighteye? Bc what has this asshole done to warrant his arrogance? Nothing.

He tortured his FEMALE employee. We don't have basis to assume he would to that with the male characters, maybe, maybe not. But he did with the only female one we saw.

And he insults Izu bc ...how dare you?! Mirio is the best(he isn't) and while he dies...the insult is never mentioned, and he is right. Bc fuck you Izu.

Am and Mirio cried about his death and....fuck what Izu is feeling.

Some fics make his agency deal with investigation but canon show us how this man is stupid and can't plan shit. It was a lucky thing Izu was there bc this could have lead to many many deaths.

I just....he is on the same level of Aizawa (they enter in the club "we hate Izu") but the thing is...he was killed. He didn't get consequences for his actions, he just dies.

(i don't even get why he was AM sidekick)

Well, I'm treating the tickle torture thing as how Nighteye disciplines all his sidekicks. What sense would it make, I reason, for him to have bought/created that machine just for Bubblegirl? Yeah, she's the token girl of the crew, but I wouldn't assume he only tickle tortures women unless told otherwise. I wouldn't compare Nighteye to Aizawa because Shota is only meant to be an antagonist for the first time you see him. He's an asshole but he stops singling Izuku out after he impressed him at the aptitude test. Aizawa's a toothless dragon. A dog who barks and never bites. He pairs Izuku and Bakugo together for the finals, yeah, but the narrative and Izuku think Bakugo is his rival and friend. Even when they broke the law to go rescue Bakugo, he still doesn't do a single thing. Izuku and Bakugo get into a fight unsanctioned after curfew and their punishment is cleaning duty and house arrest. It created one of the most unintentionally hilarious scenes in the series where Iida comes to mock Izuku for being under house arrest, despite Izuku having previously come to save Iida from his own attempt to murder a guy in cold blood. I'm not saying Aizawa isn't toxic, by the way, just that he's a visible tumor you could operate on vs Nighteye being sepsis. Nighteye is legions worse since his big idea was to bully a kid out of his quirk. He taught Mirio to prioritize the mission and the agenda over innocent victims, leading to them letting a victim walk back to a man who abuses her, and because this is MHA, no one gets punished for that braindead decision. He then dies and never has to answer for anything after learning that his quirk wasn't infallible. It was a cheap way to write him and his quirk out of the series. Now, since you want to read me dunking on Nighteye, I suppose I'll talk about how he was also an idiot who wasted his power. There's three possibilities for how Foresight works: -1, the MHA world is deterministic. "Fate" exists and everyone's destiny is written before they're even born. Foresight lets you glimpse at the structure of the world, its true nature. No one is actually responsible for anything they do. The only way to defy fate is to have immense power like Izuku and Eri, and to have the collective wishing energy of a bunch of people. Everyone who can't do this is a puppet. -2, Foresight actually takes the chaos of the universe and it forges it into order. It enforces a path on the future that cannot be changed or deviated from meaningfully. The use of Foresight does indeed rob people of their free will and set everyone on the path Nighteye sees. -3, Foresight shows a highly likely outcome, and the reason things seem like they can't be prevented is because by acting on this information, you enforce the prophecy. It's self fulfilling. Given the evidence, I lean towards the first one. This page and the events in the final war arc convince me. https://imgur.com/842jJkw So, Deku and Eri were fated to lose to Overhaul. The original timeline said he was meant to kill Deku, capture Eri and escape. They twisted fate thanks to their powers and the wishing energy of everyone's hopes and dreams. When we first see these pages, we can assume that it's the rationalizations of a dying man. But then the series does it again in the final war arc. So. -Nighteye had a 100% accurate means of telling the future with the exception of special cases that he'd never seen before involving wishing energy. -He didn't use this to create a 1984 dystopian society where criminals are caught moments after they do their crimes.

-With his power, all he needs to do is have someone he predicts the future of sit at a computer in the future. They'll slowly scroll down the pages that are filled with notes for Nighteye to read in the past. It'll include all of the details on new inventions, on what crimes were committed, on who becomes a big hero. And in the present day, this is used to ensure heroes always win. The events he sees are welded in time, but having access to the real names and locations of villains moments after they flee is invaluable for law enforcement. Not to mention how this could effortlessly let you win the lottery and abuse the stock market. You could take blackmail information acquired from Japan's spies and use it in the current day and age. You could plot strike teams for every single crime that happens before they happen, and then have your squads take people out without them ever having a chance to fight back, your guys perfectly countering their moves. The man could have been more powerful than All Might. A GOD who turned Japan into the strongest, richest and most politically powerful society on the planet. But instead his legacy was that he was a nobody hero who trained the eventual number 1 hero because he was obsessed with All Might and wanted to create another version of him. I'll end this by saying that the original fated timeline was WILD. Overhaul escapes with Eri, Midoriya's dead, OFA is gone, Mirio remains quirkless, Nighteye dies, and...what, the villains win? The League would want to go fight Overhaul as revenge for Magne but do they even stand a chance against him? If he took out Midoriya, probably not. The story doesn't go into the implications of what happens in a world in which Overhaul won that fight and fate was allowed to continue its designs, but that universe is fascinating.

[wandering-trader-joes]

Okay in light of the Wicked: For Good trailer finally dropping, I hereby present to you: my two random theories (or rather, one theory and one opinion based on new evidence) about the events that will transpire in the movie version of Act 2. Spoiler warning if you don’t want to know what happens in the stage show.

Theory/Opinion Number 1: Glinda is indeed the person riding away from Kiamo Ko in the opening of Wicked Part 1.

Not sure if this is a commonly held opinion or not, but I’m now convinced. In the trailer, we see the hooded figure on horseback again at Kiamo Ko, but this time they’re riding towards the castle instead of away from it. This is significant because I don’t believe either Elphaba or Fiyero would have a reason to sneak into Kiamo Ko, but Glinda absolutely would (and is all but directly stated to do exactly that in between March of the Witch Hunters and For Good). We also see that in the For Good scenes, she is wearing a dressed down version of her purple/blue dress and doesn’t have her crown. That means that it is no longer nonsensical for her to be hiding her outfit under the cloak, which would have been the case if she was wearing her giant ass No One Mourns the Wicked dress and/or had her crown on her like she is/does in the musical. And finally, the new clip is taking place during dusk/sunset, which lines up with the way it looks in the other shots from that scene at Kiamo Ko.

Theory Number 2: Glinda’s new song comes at the very end of the movie, just before the finale.

Ariana Grande is quoted saying that Glinda’s new song shows us an important transition point for her character that happens mostly offstage in the original production. I’ve been trying to figure out what that could apply to — because there were a couple good options — and I think the trailer just gave me the answer. There is a lot of focus in this trailer on Glinda looking very determined and sad in her No One Mourns the Wicked dress, specifically with her walking back into the attic from Part 1, resolutely putting on her crown, and walking towards her bubble with spiky wand in hand. That last part is particularly relevant, given the song is supposedly called “Girl in the Bubble” or something like that. I think that the transformation that the song is going to explore is Glinda’s choice to honor Elphaba’s sacrifice by fully and truly committing to the role of Glinda the Good. It would definitely make sense, as that happens almost entirely offstage in the musical. We see Elphaba encourage her to do so, and we see her acknowledging to the Munchkins that she wants to try, but we don’t really see the part where Glinda herself makes the decision. And I think that the sort of tortured motivation we see in her as she re-dons her crown and presumably leaves for Munchkinland is highly supportive of the idea that the movie is going to go deeper into the conclusion of her arc, whether that ends up being through song or not (but it will probably be through song because it’s literally a musical). Which is going to make me so so sad in the best way possible.

Anyways, those are my thoughts. Maybe this is obvious or has already been said, but I needed to get the speculation out of my brain. Happy trailer release day :)

[asteroidfieldgame]

Some thoughts about setting up for Stormlight 6: loose threads from Wind and Truth (massive spoilers):

Battar was presumably pulled into Taravangian's recreation of Kabranth. Now, she's with the rest of the Heralds, and knows about, and possibly where to find it.

Retribution identified Hoid as the last threat to him on the planet, and destroyed him. But Hoid probably isn't the most invested being not in his control. Nightblood is either not a threat in his view, out of his ability to destroy or detect, or is close enough to a Spren to be protected. The other highly invested beings are all protected (bondsmith spren, Navani, presumably the Heralds, possibly the unmade).

Taravangian's emotional side seems to be taking over much more. Last time he encountered Hoid, he cleverly messed with him and erased some memories. This time, he simply destroys his body immediately, allowing him to heal elsewhere, with his investiture fully intact. But now that he has no more restrictions, he could have messed with him much more, or even potentially unmake Hoid.

Are the Voidspren protected or does Retribution plan to keep using them? He didn't seem to reclaim them. He seemed to think he would need to deal with Ba Ado Mishram, which either means she's protected or he's afraid to directly confront her while Odium likes her more than him.

Speaking of Shards leaving, is that a major concern for other Shards? Is Harmony at risk of losing Preservation if it finds someone who really really hates change? Or is that more of an Odium thing? Maybe a bad example; Preservation would hate changing vessels. Unlike many of the original vessels, the power actively chose Taravangian, so if anything it should be less likely to leave him. Or this is evidence for my earlier theory that Cultivation intentionally made it so Odium would be drawn to him on his stupidest day, but will become misaligned with his intent as he continues and goes back to his normal schemy ways.

Cultivation is really stupid. Despite being repeatedly claimed to be the best at seeing the future, Taravangian, Dalinar, and even Moelach and Renarin ran circles around her.

Who claimed Dalinar's soul, or maybe his cognitive aspect? The only ones who it seems could do something like that are the Oathpact (who doesn't seem to be doing that), another Shard, or maybe the Nightwatcher. The ones I could see claiming his cognitive aspect could be Cultivation, Valor, or the Nightwatcher - he presumably died with valor and she was name-dropped a bunch for someone who wasn't in the story, or Cultivation or the Nightwatcher could still lay claim to him. Or maybe the power of Honor wants to let him die, but if so I'd think it would oppose animating the Blackthorn Spren. Even without intervention, a sliver like him could potentially survive for a while as a cognitive shadow, perhaps indefinitely. I realize he stretched towards the beyond, but it's unclear exactly what survives in a Cognitive Shadow.

Jasnah is set up for a very interesting arc in the back half. Before, I questioned how a novel would focus on her, since she seemed to be much more self actualized than the other main characters and soon-to-be main characters, and having already reached the 4th ideal her character development seemed to be 80% done off page. Now, after her huge and basically single-handed failure in Thaylenah, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory as her past mistakes were thrown at her, I'm excited to see where she goes next. I hope she figures out how to Elsecall properly soon. Szeth was able to do it by focusing on his quest even though he was previously unable to.

Shallan has 2 main options: go worldhopping or be saved by Jasnah or Navani. Navani seems a bit stuck, but maybe Jasnah will figure it out. However, I don't see Shallan waiting around for years, and I doubt Jasnah will have such a potentially major piece of character development off page, given how much has already been off page. Unless, flashback chapters extend into the timeskip, in which case I could see this happening.

[itspikamefan]

FUCK FUCK FUCKITY FUCK

Spoilers under the cut

I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN! OUT OF ALL 3 TRIO MEMBERS! AND ALL THE GODDAMN TRAPS! God fucking dammit... Oh Mai my beloved Daughter... You deserved so much better (Atleast you got your Student Interview?) ...Regardless, we have a case to solve, and despite what it may seem, I believe we may 8 suspects this time. We'll go in order from most to least suspicious

Yanagi Shigeki: The only student that I think is completely outright innocent despite not appearing in the Body Discovery. Minus the fact he was trapped in the Medbay all night, he definitely would not have touched Mai to harm her in any form unless everything we know about Shigeki turns out to be a lie.

Tamba Ruiko: Again, very close to Mai, highly unlikely Tamba would intentionally or unintentionally hurt her. The only reason she's more suspicious that Takeshi is because she was not trapped or prevented from killing Mai. She did however, have a broken leg that would probably have made her useless against Mai. Not to mention she definitely wouldn't have set all those traps just to set off her own paranoia. So she's cool.

Ojima Takeshi: While I did heavily suspect him this chapter, and last trial, I do believe Ojima is MOST likely innocent? There is a still a possibility that Drunk-jima (AKA Maybe Ojima's alternate zoned out self) is responsible for this entire event. However, since a Killer can not trigger their own body discovery... I'm opting to believe Ojima is innocent. In that regard.

Wada Masanari: Slightly more suspicious than Ojima as he was rarely seen for large periods at a time and was seen briefly by Tamba entering and exiting the Arsenal for some unknown reason. However, considering how small he is and how big he would need to be to get the job done, not to mention he was the other person to discover the body, Im opting to believe Wada is innocent.

And now our Final 4, all of whom I believe are most likely equally suspicious so I'm not going to rule any of them out. But still, I'm going to rank them on my own personal list regardless

Hiroaki Nakamigawa: Was missing for the longest amount of time, was sup-ed up on drugs that would've given him the courage to fight Mai, had knowledge on the Arsenal's weaponry, and has been actively itching to get out and end the game. He's the least suspicious of the most suspicious though, considering he was actively sick from being poisoned by the coffee and he was VERY active across the Investigation. Then again, it could all just be an act to set us off from him so Im still keeping an eye on him.

Hasegawa Ken: The most suspicious amongst the students in my opinion, so if my other theories do fall through THIS MAN is my primary suspect. Definitely would've used the Arsenal to grab what weapons he could. Had been studying people and could have predicted their patterns, is one of the few students who likely knows about the camera, and just generally has been very suspicious this whole time. Now of course, this is all provided my other two theories (Which I think are both likely) are false. However, for the mean time, if there is a student Killer, I'm placing my bets on our Ultimate Quiz Show Contestant.

Down to the final 2 and neither of them is any of the remaining alive students! In all honesty, I think both of them have likely possibilities, considering we've reached the endgame of the Killing Game. However, as for which one I think is MORE likely, well... I'll save that one for later

Theory #1: Hayashi Mai Sacrifice

I think there is a very very strong possibility that Mai killed herself ala Suicide in order to finally end the Killing game. That wouldn't explain a lot of the missing evidence, but then again it's possible that the staff intervened to make it LOOK like a murder, which is why the entire school is so clean of evidence. "But Mai was stabbed all the way through!" I hear you say? Well, if you remember back to Feudal Japan, Samurai had a particular method of Seppuku they would do to ensure they would not bring dishonor upon their family... A single sword directly to the stomach, piercing all the way through... Sound familiar? Now, I do think Mai is also not stupid and didn't set all those bomb traps up for her classmates... Especially since she took most of the brunt herself... Which brings to the more likely theory

Theory #2: Staff Interference

We're getting to the end game, people are freaking out, and Yonekura needs her results for the first killing game... So... What does she do? She has one of her staff kill Hayashi Mai. If she can rig the game so that no students would be allowed to leave the school alive, then her research would still mostly remain true and she could move on to the next killing game no problem. This works especially considering her and Yonekura planned for EVERY student to go missing permanently. Not to mention the entire Arsenal being emptied out could have only been done by someone that had some place to hide it. And since the students never found any of the Bombs or Swords used in the Murder... I have a pretty good guess as to who would have had the time to take it all.

So my current top theories is either Hayashi killed herself, The staff killed Mai, or Hasegawa killed Mai. At the end of this post I'm leaning towards 2 and 3, maybe even with a sort of mix? But regardless this case is fucked, Hayashi deserved to live, Von you were incredible as both her voice actor and director of this series... And YEAH. I'll see you all at the final trial. PEACE!!!