#this is evidence of the blogs downfall

[bennyden]

User hamatoanne's fic plagiarism

Hello, I’m the author of The Android, an AO3 Robot OC x Reader fic that was plagiarized by hamatoanne on Tumblr in her Aemond x Reader story, System Error. You can read my AO3 post for more info about the issue. As you can tell by the timestamps on AO3 and the screenshots of her now-deleted story, mine was posted months before hers. I didn’t want to make this public, but it appears Anne has not learned her lesson and is grasping at straws to keep her readers in the dark. She’s been deleting her stories to hide evidence of her plagiarism. I think you deserve to know who your beloved writer gets her words from.

I don’t know this fandom, but I’ve heard you guys can get pretty crazy. Control yourselves. The only one who needs to take responsibility is Anne. Don’t send hate to her mutuals. Don’t send hate to her followers. Don’t stalk or harass or dox anyone. Read through this post and form your opinion.

First bunch of screenshots: A side-by-side comparison of her story (now deleted) and mine (still up and linked above). I took screenshots in advance in case something like this happened so I’d have proof if I needed it. I decided to compare the first chapter of my fic with the first part of hers. I could do the whole thing, but I’m a busy college student and I think just a quick skim of the pictures below is enough for people to see the extent of her plagiarism. 

I have screenshots of her entire post, but I don’t want to make this too long to scroll through and Tumblr posts cap at 30 pictures. I’m assuming some of you have already read her story multiple times, so you’re familiar with the words. If you haven’t, then I should warn you that the fic that she plagiarized is very not SFW. I’ll let you know where the not SFW content starts so you can skip it. 

On the left is my story. On the right is what Anne posted (and took down).

Not SFW content starts here. 

Not SFW content over.

Finally, I DM’ed her. This was just before I posted to The Android on AO3 about the situation. To summarize, I wrote about how I would go about the situation and how hurt I was about a bigger creator stealing from me. I admit, I was too kind and too much of a pushover. I just wanted things to go quietly. She later replied with this and deleted her fic immediately. 

“I was completely stupid for not giving your credit” Why do they always play dumb? You copy that much and can’t even think to put my name there? You credit the artist but not the person who basically wrote your whole story? The story that gave you over 3k notes, so much more clout than any of your other stories has earned you? Total BS.

“I had every intention of giving credit where it was due…But I forgot” Right. Sure. Of course. If she felt guilty about plagiarizing, she would not be so shameless to accept praise like she did. I have examples of where she happily thanked people for complimenting "her work”, but didn’t want to bring other blogs into this, especially since they were none the wiser to her plagiarism. Ironically enough, someone even gifted her a badge for being a good writer the day she replied to my DM. She tagged that post “#a breath of fresh air on a horrible day”. I wonder why her day was horrible. Whoever gifted her that badge deserves their money back.

My thoughts when approaching her DMs were:

If she wants to keep up the story? Fine, just edit the post to say that it was heavily influenced by my story and leave a link to the original. I don’t mind. The readers will see that, click my story, compare the two, and think, “Hey, that’s not just inspiration! She plagiarized!” and her downfall would start from there without me having to do anything.

If she ignored me and didn’t fulfill that request, i would take matters into my own hands and expose her on her own post. Even more damaging.

In the end, she chose to delete the post entirely, getting rid of the evidence and her clout. I actually didn’t expect this outcome since I thought she’d like the clout too much, but I guess she decided this route would be the least damaging to her reputation. Everything was swept under the rug for now. 

And like a fool, I said thanks and went on with my life. But I decided to keep track of her. Because while I was too cowardly to do anything, I knew there would always be someone in the crowd who would take action. And it seems like people did. 

After reading the supportive comments from readers of my fic, I started to regret how lightly I handled it. I wanted to be mature even though I wanted her entire blog to fall and her reputation taken away. But I didn’t want to be a “bad person”. I wondered if I should keep pursuing the issue. I realized that my overly-people-pleasing behavior might lead her to continue her ways. I decided to speak out because others might’ve had their works taken by her and that my silence wasn’t helping. 

Next is her post, now deleted (I wonder why), about how she’s been so sad and how she’s going to be deleting her old stories and starting over. I’m likely not the only one she’s plagiarized from if she’s deleting other stories. At the time, I only saw supportive replies and reblogs on it, but maybe she deleted it after people started calling her out? Idk.

She’s playing the victim game pretty hard. Acting as a kind underdog even though she’s the big creator who stole from a nobody like me. I know I said on my AO3 update that people shouldn’t send hate to her (and even censored her name after she deleted her story) but I guess I’m a little happy that people sought to call her out on her shit. I wish I was as brave. 

Later, a nice person (we’ll call her Bob because she asked to remain anonymous) DM’ed me directly with a kind message. After seeing this, I decided I should take action and expose all of this since Anne obviously hasn’t learned and wants to keep it all hidden. Bob confirmed that I’m not the only victim of Anne’s plagiarism either.

Bob asked that I not use screenshots of our DM’s so here is a transcription of the important parts:

“Hey! I just found out that one of your fics had been plagiarized by someone in the HOTD community. First of all, I am tremendously sorry that happened…”

(For Bob’s privacy, I won’t explain her relation to Anne. Just know that Anne has refused to message her back).

“I definitely think you should make a blog post. with side by side comparison. I am still completely gobsmacked that she pilfered your entire story word for word and changed a few things. We found evidence that she had plagiarized multiple stories. Not just yours. We found out her mermaid!aemond fic was entirely stolen as well as a few others. She has quietly deleted them and hasn't spoken on them since.”

“We surmised that she takes ‘underrated’ fics from different fandoms and changes the name and that's it. It's almost like she believed that stealing from other fandoms was going to draw less attention than stealing directly from the HOTD fandom.”

So if you noticed that one of your favorite Aemond fics is gone, now you know why.

‘But benny, she still wrote her own sentences and just changed it around to fit aemond!’

Fanfiction is transformative. You know what the source material is and who created it. You know you’re not reading a copied and pasted text with maybe some words and sentences switched around. This wasn’t fanfic. According to Google, plagiarism is defined as, “the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own.” (See what I did there? I credited Google. Is it so hard to give credit where credit is due?) She copied people's work, didn't give credit to the source material, and claimed it as her own. That's plagiarism.

I wouldn’t have had a problem if she properly credited me and linked the original story. I wouldn’t have had a problem if she didn’t blatantly copy and paste the entire text and premise. I wouldn’t even require getting permission to write a story based on my fic if she had satisfied those conditions.

She’s a 27-year-old grown-ass woman with enough free time to simp over some blond guy with an eyepatch. I’m a 21-year-old college student who only posts fics during the summer and winter because that’s when school’s on break. I’m too busy writing lab reports and essays to be an active writer online. The fact that she can disrespect smaller writers so tremendously should not be acceptable. The fact that she also deceived her devoted readers and friends about her "works" is also unacceptable.

What can you do about this? To be honest, I don’t know what to do. I’ve never had to deal with this before. I want to be a good person and say, “Don’t send any hate to Anne, don’t harass her. Just unfollow her and stop supporting her.” But that obviously hasn’t taught her anything. She’ll just make a half-assed apology, maybe go on hiatus, maybe disappear, and then pop up again under another name to steal from another creator. If you have any ideas on how to deal with this, please tell us. 

She can try to block me or delete her posts, but the evidence is out and the damage is done. Anything she does to hide this mess will only make it worse for her. I’d appreciate people bringing more awareness to this issue, especially if it can reach the eyes of others she’s taken from. 

Thanks for reading.

[inbarfink]

Okay, I’ve been considering it for quite a bit and I think that if Tumblr existed in Japanifornia… most of us would probably not be aware of the series’ main characters.

Like, lawyers just don’t tend to be high-profile publicly-known figures. Even within True Crime communities or the coverage of high-public-interest cases, people don’t tend to focus on the lawyers as much more than a representative of the defendant and the legal system as a whole. And yeah, you can say this is just because real-life lawyers are Boring and if they did the kind of Bonkers Shit AA Lawyers do we would pay attention to them… but we do actually have textual evidence that Japanifornia treats lawyers not-too-differently than real life.

Mia’s murder, and probably the uncovering of all of Bluecorp’s dirty dealing, was highly talked about, but Phoenix’s actions in court went kinda ignored. And note that this is the case where Phoenix literally defended himself and broke the Demon Prosecutor’s five years winning streak, and that wasn’t enough to draw eyes to his part in this whole case. 

And that’s also generally consistent with how characters treat Phoenix throughout the rest of the games. By the AJ Trilogy era, it’s clear that Phoenix has made quite a name for himself… in the legal world. If you are yourself a lawyer or another sort of legal professional or just unusually interested in court proceeding, you know the name ‘Phoenix Wright’ 

But if you’re just a regular person who cares about the law the Regular Amount, you probably have no idea who this is.

So I’d guess most of Japanifornian Tumblr would probably be aware of a lot of the cases in the games, especially considering how many of them concern, like, corporate corruption and organized crime and legal corruption and international politics and the entertainment industry and other such stuff that makes it likely to get national/international news coverage. And also so many of them are so bizarre and wacky and are thus prime meme fodder…

But most people wouldn’t necessarily know the name of the lawyer the Nickel Samurai blackmailed to defend him after he ordered an assassin to kill the Jammin’ Ninja, or even how involved that lawyer actually was in Matt Engarde’s downfall.

But there would probably be a small mini-fandom of Tumblrina Lawyers and other legal nerds who are ABSOLUTELY obsessed with the WAA, and trying to collect any piece of info they can find about their adventures. 

(That’s also another aspect to consider, the general public in Japanifornia does not have full knowledge of everything we get to see in the game. News coverage of the smaller cases would be extremely minimal and very regional - and even the bigger cases probably won’t give you a full line-by-line record of everything that happened in Court. Apollo Justice was, like, the Biggest Phoenix Wright Stan in the Universe and he had very choppy and partial knowledge of the Gramarye Trial. We have to consider that even folks who are trying to keep track of the AA Lawyers in-universe would not get the full picture from the media. And that’s before we get into fake news and rumors.)

And meanwhile, the rest of Tumblr would probably treat that Fandom the same sort of bemused delight we give to, like, the extremely dedicated gimmick blogs. Like, you’d probably see less posts about Phoenix and Co. as you’d see posts memeing about the fact there’s a Tumblr Fandom for ‘some random law agency in Japanifornia’, they’d be like five thousands people in the notes going “There’s a Tumblr Fandom for WHAT? WHY IS THIS THE FIRST TIME I’M HEARING ABOUT THIS??” and then one person from the WAA fandom going “NO YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND THIS IS THE GUY WHO UNCOVERED THE PHANTOM HE’S JUMPED OFF A BURNING BRIDGE ONCE YOU LITERALLY TALKED ABOUT A TRIAL HE DID YESTERDAY YOU JUST DON’T KNOW HE WAS INVOLVED”. 

Now, that’s all for the Defense Attorneys. The Prosecutors have a bit more publicity. I mean, Phoenix literally heard about Prosecutor Edgeworth on the news.

But also… I do think this publicity is highly regional. Like, Phoenix ended up stumbling on newspaper coverage of Miles because he lives in the same city as him. I’m guessing that most of the series’ Prosecutors are at least casually known not just to Legal Folks, but also generally to people within Los Angetokyo and people involved in Japanifornian Politics… but also not much outside of that sphere either. Again, the series does establish that they are not that well-known amongst laypeople even when they are famous amongst other lawyers

And are generally recognized by fellow legal professionals and journalists and people involved in criminal activity. So the situation with them won’t be that different than with the WAA, they might be a tad more high-profile, depending on how many Tumblr users are specifically from Japaniforina and wanna make memes about the local politics… but those who will get really invested in their misadventures won’t be that different from the kind of people who’d get really into Phoenix Wright. 

Klavier is the obvious exception. Like most Famous Lawyers, he’s actually primarily famous for something other than law. It’s just that in his case, instead of politics, it’s being a world-famous rock star. There’s plenty of textual evidence that the Gavinners are an actual household name and they’d probably have a pretty sizable Tumblr Fandom, but… well… while I assume any casual Gavinner fan knows that Klavier is also a Prosecutor, I’d guess only the insanely dedicated fans and the Haters looking for something problematic would actually start digging into the records of the cases he worked on. But then again, Tumblr does have a lot of insanely dedicated fans and Haters, so maybe Legal Misadventures Involving Klavier would be kinda mainstream on Japanifornia Tumblr.

[azulsluver]

Hey hi hello!!! I hope you're having a nice day today! If it's not a bother, I'll be leaving a request for your bully!au. Maybe with a reader who's a hot head? Like, the moment they start acting up, readers already in their face asking questions like "why the fuck are you being such a dick?" Normally, reader could conceal this if it was the normal twst, but the moment the twst guys start slipping, reader is already confronting them on why they are being such assholes. You know how narancia from jjba acts like when he's stressed or mad? Yeah exactly like that! Pulling out the knife out too. Reader doesn't care about their reputation, so they wouldn't care less if they were threatened by that. I love your writing too!!! I always look forward to it when I open Tumblr. Thank you for reading, and have a nice day!!

This is not gonna end well…BUT THANK YOU BEST COMPLIMENT OF THE BLOG!!! <333

Buncha rambles, dunno where this was gonna lead so sorry if this isn’t what you wanted 😅

tw. yandere, bully!characters, mentions of stabbing/murder, manipulative!reader for the win 🏆

No one is gonna side with you. The bystanders do absolutely nothing till this point, reputation is very important and they don’t want it being dirty with yours (lmao ironic). Besides people like Lilia, Malleus, and Jade—they find your “hot-headed” personality attractive.

You’ll get picked on more yes, these students are much stronger than you by far, but you wouldn’t go down without them having a piece of your mind. Calling out on their schemes will make some embarrass— Cater, Ace, Epel. Others will be more aggressive or try to turn the situation around and blame you for overreacting.

Pulling a stunt as trying to knife one of them? May be successful if I’m honest. Depends on who you choose to do so, you won’t be alone in a group of two, they’ll always be another watching or tagging along. They’ll keep in mind to not let you be near any sharp or heavy objects, you clearly can’t handle being by yourself.

I can see a hot-headed reader making it far for themselves and not fall too deep into the victim pit. Standing up for yourself is already hard enough, you’re going against people who are training to become said mages. But at the end of the day everyone is still human no matter how cruel they are. They aren’t bullet proof nor emotionless. Get them to hurt, physically or mentally, with their guard down you can successfully have them under your thumb.

Reader who butts in first and steps up, show some respect around here. This will help you gain sympathy from bystanders and a little chance for them to befriend. That’s where Jack comes in. You’ve shown him you were worthy of helping and not just some runt who lets people walk all over them. This won’t be enough to overthrow any housewarden or powerful mage, but it’ll do.

People are not gonna enjoy your pushy and rude attitude for long, the pros and cons don’t weigh as equally. Especially when the cons lead to death.

“Oh but why don’t they get in trouble?”

Because they know how to clean up a scene and fast. Also who would believe you, a strange person who came out of the coffin when you weren’t supposed to be there. No one trusts you and won’t take your side, and since this is a bully!AU people tend to look the other way if murder is convicted. You aren’t all that important with little to no background, the perfect victim to get rid of.

And Idia gets rid of the evidence if there’s any camera involved.

You can’t just go around and stab people at random, let alone pick a fight. What you need is strategy. Be more self aware and focused, as difficult it is to talk to a brick wall, it’ll crumble if you stay long enough to experience it’s downfall. For those interested in knowing who can actually lose to a let’s say…neutral reader (fairly strong enough and a good amount of willpower), my take is on Riddle, Deuce, Ace, Azul, Jack, Epel, Rook, Vil, Idia, Malleus, and surprisingly last Sebek.

Should’ve switched the surprisingly for Rook because wow. Show them who’s boss babe, besides your cowardly counter part they are doomed if you’re more dominant. Not in a weird way lol, take the wheel of your life outta their greasy hands!

[kratioed]

GOW | NORSE MYTHOLOGY: “VÁLI & NARFI” It’s clear that “Hel” will one day appear in future installments, as hinted in both GOW (2018) and Ragnarök, but anyone who is a myth enthusiast knows that Loki had other children besides his monstrous offspring in Norse Mythology because interestingly enough, GOW’s wiki community decided to include "Váli & Narfi" despite no evidence of their existence whatsoever throughout the Norse era.

Of course, it’s also a fandom site; while they can be a reliable source, said sources on their encyclopedia are sometimes inaccurate. Knowing the impossibility of their existence, I also thought about how they can coexist throughout the GOWverse (EDIT UPDATE 2/1/2024: Recently, the GOW's wiki community updated Atreus' "uncertain future" category and the links to Váli's & Narfi's wiki pages no longer existed. Doesn't mean it'll stop me from enjoying my fun! 😎). And the more I thought about it, the more apparent it became that they’re essential for the franchise…but it’s more like my personal headcanon rather than my “crack” theory. And so- I thought it would be fun to share my overly long detailed analysis with those who are fixated on Atreus’ other (im)possible children as much as I am because I need this to get it out of my system since they have been living rent-free in my head for almost a year just now.

Not only I'm doing this for shits and giggles- but also because this blog is now officially a Váli & Narfi stan account! Kratos would have LOVED his grandsons if they ever appeared in GOW, but it's very unlikely that would happen. This analysis would be a long one...so bear with me!

I think it would be poetic for God of War to end off including Váli & Narfi (alongside Atreus) for the final conclusion of the franchise. And yes, Hel would be an adult in this timeskip, contrary to popular belief that they were children in Norse Mythology. Despite their unfortunate demise, their backgrounds are nothing like their half-siblings’ in the Norse Mythos, making them the most ordinary of all Loki’s children. But you know what?- The concept of Váli & Narfi being the epitome of normality of all Loki’s offspring gave me an a idea; I’m not sure if anyone has noticed, but Váli & Narfi (from Norse Mythology) exhibit some similarities to Kratos & Deimos. Before the Olympians (Athena and Ares) pursued one of the brothers due to a doomsday prophecy, Kratos & Deimos believed they were mere mortals during childhood as they still fit the epitome of normality as children, similarly to Váli & Narfi. They’re also gods at birth, but the only difference is that Váli & Narfi most likely knew about their divine nature, whereas Kratos (excluding Deimos) only discovered it later in adulthood (a silly parallel, but I still think it counts). Another example would be in the parallel dynamics of Váli & Kratos, as they both had experiences where they succumbed to their primal instincts in different circumstances; Váli unwillingly turned into a wolf and killed his brother driven by primal instincts under the Æsir’s (or presumably Odin’s) influence, almost similar to how Kratos was deceived and unaware, killed his first wife and daughter fueled by his primal desire for blood under Ares’ influence. While Váli’s fate remains unknown after Loki's Punishment, we can infer that both Váli & Kratos are the only survivors other than their brother. While the deaths of Narfi & Deimos are an obvious parallel, they're also linked to Bounds and Punishment in distinct ways; like Váli, Narfi was punished with his entrails used as bounds in retribution against his father, as well as due to his relation with Loki while Deimos, on the other hand, was bound and punished due to his existence as the "Marked Warrior" (same thing goes with Kratos since he too was also bound and punished at one point in Ascension).

Also; they were all subjected to violence as children inflicted by Gods. Consequently, it ultimately led the downfall of both Æsir & Olympians, as predicted by their prophecy. The prophecy of the "Marked Warrior" bringing destruction upon Olympus began the moment they abducted Deimos. The sufferings of Kratos' family (including Sparta and Pandora) at the hands of Gods contributes the downfall of Olympus. Their tragedies are the major cause of Kratos' justified vengeance to destroy the entire pantheon, ultimately leading the devastation of the Greek world.

In Norse Mythology (with my limited knowledge); Odin's and the Æsir's retaliation on Loki's monstrous children, particularly Fenrir, due to prophecies contributes their downfall in Ragnarök, especially with their involvement in Loki's Punishment. However, I believe that the suffering of Váli & Narfi at the hands of Æsir Gods is the primary cause for Loki's justified desire for vengeance- the Æsir's use of Narfi's entrails, his own son, as restraints adds insult to injury, intensifying Loki's anger. Obviously, Loki joined forces with those against Æsir Gods with his army of Hel's people while the events of Ragnarök lead the devastation throughout the lands.

But since this is GOW- I found this YouTube comment, which I've kept for quite some time, that perfectly said my thoughts out loud:

With the absence of Loki's Punishment; not only Kratos saved Váli & Narfi from Æsir's (particularly Odin's) wrath, he also prevented a similar tragedy that would inflict upon his grandsons the same way that Gods once inflicted upon him and Deimos as children (for now...just because Loki's Punishment never happened in Norse era doesn't mean they're safe. It's possible that the fates of Váli & Narfi could still happen in different scenarios- but this is a happy ending I'm talking about, so let's keep it that way 😌).

Now, moving along!- Notice the quotation marks around their names in the title post? There's a reason for that. It would have been so simple for Santa Monica to have Atreus name his sons "Váli & Narfi" as everyone expected from Norse Mythology, but I have to object. For several reasons; from what I've heard, there has been a debate about whether Váli is a son of Odin or Loki, or both Valis existed as sperate characters. Additionally, in GOWR, there's already a boss character named Vali (The Oath Guard), which I assumed it's a cultural practice for parents to name their child after a Norse god in Scandinavian countries (correct me if I'm wrong)- but I find it unlikely for Atreus to name one of his children after an Æsir (or any god in general). Similarly, Narfi shares a name with another Giant unrelated to Loki whatsoever. And given the wide variety of Gods and other mythological figures we've seen from Greek Mythology depicted in GOW, it wouldn't be surprising if other Narfi and (particularly) Váli Odinson were to mentioned or featured in future installments. And lastly, "Loki" is known as Atreus in GOW. "Hel," obviously, will be given a different name in the future. If Santa Monica can give "Loki" & "Hel" alternative names through creative liberties...then they can do the same thing with "Váli & Narfi." HERE'S MY IDEA: If you're not aware or need a reminder, Atreus gets to learn about Deimos during "Animal Instincts" side quest. Whether you choose to bring Atreus or Freya doesn't matter, it doesn't change the fact that Santa Monica had intended for Atreus to know about his uncle. It's still canon either way. And ngl "Death can have me when it earns me" from Kratos' line seems kinda foreshadowing...but I digress. Kratos named his son after Atreus of Sparta, the man who smiled in the darkest times, reminding others of the presence of humanity among war machines. I've also seen some suggestions that Hel's name could be Faye, Laufey, or even Calliope...but for "Váli & Narfi"...imagine how emotional it'll be if Atreus were to name his sons, Kratos (II) & Deimos (II). Váli Kratos II; named after his grandfather, was once a monster with the ability to change and open his heart into a benevolent god, symbolizing as the beacon of hope. And Narfi Deimos II; named after his great uncle, whom Atreus had known but never met, but wishes they had, honored his uncle by naming his son after him. There are hearsay, or statements from Cory Barlog (correct me if I'm wrong), that Kratos couldn't bring himself to name his son after Deimos due to painful memories. Atreus, on the other hand, is open to idea of his own son bearing Deimos' name...

EDIT UPDATE 3/7/2024: Just recently discovered in Greek Culture, it's common for children to be named after their grandparents- in which, aligns with my case for "Váli" to be named after his grandfather! Even though "Narfi" is named after his great uncle, I like to imagine this also apply the same thing in the context of GOW!

And also!- besides Narfi Lokison having a similar name with the other Narfi, it gets a little more confusing that there's a alternate version where Narfi's brother is named "Nari," and this time, Narfi is the one who turned into a wolf and kills Nari.

But Narfi's name later changed to Váli...

I initially assumed this version of Narfi & Nari was created due to speculation about Váli being Odin's son instead of Loki's or error translation. Nevertheless, this gave me another idea... Small reminder that Kratos sees himself and Deimos through Speki & Svanna. How about we merge both versions (Váli & Narfi / Narfi & Nari) together? Both can shapeshift into wolves, establishing their connection to Loki. Not only they mirror Kratos & Demios through Speki & Svanna, but also made them character foils for Kratos & Deimos (and considering the fact that Kratos mistaken Speki & Svanna as boys while foreshadowing his doting relationship with his future grandsons 🥺🥺🥺 lemme be delusion).

Because if you think about it...both his father and uncle are reunited once again, reliving their childhoods together through "Váli & Narfi" that Kratos & Deimos never had as children.

And that's about it! If you managed read through this wall of text, then congratulations!- here's a quick idea of what I envisioned Váli/Kratos II as your award:

He has his grandfather's looks in youth (which I tried to replicate) along with Kratos' amber eyes and Atreus' freckles. Narfi/Deimos II, on the other hand, is difficult to imagine...but it's very obvious he was born with the iconic birthmark like his great uncle. Anywho, hope you guys enjoy this read! It took me months to get this finish.

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

Yandere Bakugo x Black reader

He loves it. The sight of your ebony arms wrapped around his waist. The squeeze of your thighs around his. The pulsating heat of your crotch lightly smashed against his. 

He loves you. The light moans of your relaxed sleeping humming on his ear. That softy grip of your fist in his blonde hair. The absent sleepy kisses you left just below his earlobe.

His dewdrop. The yang to his Ying. His chocolate goddess. His beautiful black wife. 

It had been ten years since you've been together 3 since you were married and he couldn't be happier. So many obstacles, so many hurdles-gone, obliterated by his devotion alone. Perhaps he felt a sense of injured pride, because he can't share his triumphs with the woman he calls his wife. But how do you tell the icon of purity that her legacy was stained. Right. You don't tell her. You burn the evidence, bury the body, and clean up your trails. Being a rising hero with his results made it childsplay. Merely an 'accidental casualty' during a fight or 'a villain's plot to kill a witness.' It was just too easy. 

But if he learned anything from his rival counterpart was that his cockiness would be his downfall.

He pushed the escaped curls from her bonnet into his nose. Inhaling the sweet aroma of cocoa butter and argan oil, his crimson eyes rolling to the back of his head. He fervently sniffed more than he ever could while you were awake. Even in your union you forbade him from so much as touching your do let alone smelling it. So he took advantage only giving pause when feeling the twitching flutter of your lashes along his jaw. 

"Mmmmmm."

You cozied into him further plunging yourself into the clutches of sleep you never fought. You were still asleep, the vibrations of your musing lulling yourself to sleep and rousing your needy husband. 

You woke up to the wet and aggressive kisses against your neck-your breast- your stomach- your--

"he-Hey mister! Hands off! I have work later and I want to be able to focus."

You held your hand inbetween your angry husband's eager tongue and the spot between your legs he wanted to taste. Using that hand you pushed your husband up and out of the way rising from your posisition on the bed. Now hand on his peck you maneuvered around him to reach the suit you had ironed the night before. 

"You could...stay...for longer..." Katsuki spoke kissing against any unclothed skin he could find. You chuckled, swatting him off as you worked your way into your suit fixing your tie as the last piece. 

"So? How do I look?"

You made a turn as you shrugged with your arms.

"I think you look like you want to come back to bed with me."

Knowing the risk you leaned forward to kiss him deeply and stopping his searching hands from messing up your work. With one last peck you were on your way leaving the apartment you two cozied in.

As you revved up the engine you replayed the image of intimate time you had. The warmth of his large hands. The gentleness of his kisses. And even the obsessive smelling in the morning. How do you keep a demon happy? You satisfy him, satiate his desires and feed his idea of control. The way to satisfy your demon was by cleaning up the traces of his crimes and limiting his...exposure to more. 

Arriving to the warehouse you parked your car grabbing your badge and heading inside.

"Miss (Y/n) hello detective Shinso, serious enough you can get involved in it?"

"Yeah your hubby went and offed the spouse of some 'activist nut'. Apparently he ran a hate blog where he'd been trashing you for weeks."

"Well? How'd he do in the clean up?"

"Come and see for your self."

He guided you to the taped off crime scene where the ground was charred and the remains included were blackened with the same care.

"Finger prints unapplicable. The burns got rid of that problem for us. And look at number 4 evidence we found on 'em."

"A link to the Paranormal Front? Well isn't that convenient."

Pocketing the evidence you looked around realizing the team had begun to move out and new evidence being placed.

"So we have a motive and witness?"

"Done. And done. Witnesses are going to be some random nosy teens and death will be caused by illegal drug incident."

"Perfect, then we can use this baby as a ticket for disguise."

Walking away from the warehouse and into your car you unlocked the passenger side as the detective got in.

"Any idea who's the lucky disguisee?"

"Maybe Toga or Sato? His build seems to match the guy pretty well..."

"Ohh and not your husband? Dude's pretty good at playing the meek when he isn't screaming half the time."

"Nooo way he'd be on to us in a second it's best he stay out Heroes Association business."

[elizabethan-memes]

Hi there,

Love your blog! Do you know much about The Duke of Norfolk's relationship with Cromwell? I'm currently re-watching the Tudors and unfortunately the Howards are cut out by Season 3 and 4. I read a theory recently that the Howards including the third Duke wanted to take out Cromwell because he took down Anne Boleyn. Is there any truth to that? Would love to know if there is.

I don't think Anne Boleyn's downfall helped, but I think Cromwell and Norfolk already had plenty of reasons to want each other out of favour. Cromwell was Wolsey's servant, after all, and Norfolk was very sensitive to hierarchy. As an aristocrat he was very aware of 'new men' like Cromwell, Wolsey, and yes- More too. More was the grandson of a baker, so in Norfolk's eyes he's only one generation higher than Cromwell, son of a brewer.

And while Norfolk supported the Break with Rome, he was a traditionalist in terms of religion. And while More, Cromwell, and Wolsey were all enthusiastic about renaissance humanism, judicial reform in favour of ordinary citizens, (and also critics of enclosures) these aren't policies that benefit the likes of Norfolk. More is often portrayed as friends with Norfolk, but the only real evidence I see for that is the hagiography written in the 1550s- at a time when Cromwell was controversial at best, while Norfolk was supporting Mary I. When More's grandson was born in the 1530s, it was Cromwell his parents chose as godfather.

Norfolk is often portrayed as boorish and uncultured, which is a gross simplification. But Norfolk preferred medieval chivalric literature to ancient literature. Erasmus called such medieval literature 'barbarous fables' and perhaps Cromwell would agree- certainly, Cromwell and More both loved Erasmus' New Testament, Cromwell learning it off by heart.

Also, Cromwell had a 'genuine and selfless' (Macculloch) friendship with... Norfolk's wife Elizabeth. If Cromwell needed more reasons to despise Norfolk, Elizabeth would give him PLENTY.

So Cromwell and Norfolk really have no shared culture, their worldviews and goals don't align. I think Norfolk would want Cromwell out, even if 1536 never happened.

[bg3fandomcritical]

Re: the 'Did Mystra Groom Gale?' Debate

My stance on whether Mystra groomed Gale has recently shifted. I initially agreed with the popular fan theory, but upon closer examination, I believe it's an oversimplification of their complex dynamic. This theory gained traction quickly despite lacking canonical evidence. I am posting this here because I don't want to risk being blasted by the popular blogs for this.

The game doesn't explicitly detail Mystra's involvement in Gale's life before the events of Baldur's Gate 3, leaving room for interpretation. Labelling it as "grooming" might not fully capture the nuances of their relationship.

The only evidence hinting at grooming is Elminster's early involvement in Gale's life. As Mystra's tasked helper, Elminster might have been preparing Gale as a potential chosen. Gale's prodigious talent during a period of magical instability would make him stand out. However, this is mere speculation and doesn't fully align with the definition of grooming.

Gale's folly is his ambition, curiosity, pride, and belief that Mystra truly loved him in return. While he is not entirely to blame, he's not without flaws. He was undoubtedly singled out as special from a young age and happened to love his natural talent, making him vulnerable to Mystra's influence.

Gale's connection to Mystra is a mix of love, devotion, and perhaps obsession [with magic]. As a mortal deeply passionate about magic and its goddess, his relationship with Mystra could be seen as a manifestation of his spiritual and intellectual pursuits. It's more an intense admiration for a divine entity embodying his values and aspirations.

Conversely, Mystra's actions towards Gale could be perceived as manipulative or strategic. As a powerful deity, she may cultivate relationships with mortals to further her agendas. Forgotten Realms lore hints at her seducing her chosen and observing them before revealing herself. However, solely labelling her actions as "luring" mortals for manipulation oversimplifies her character and interactions.

In fact, their dynamic could be interpreted as an exploration of the exploitation of those with immense talent from a young age by those seeking personal gain (money, power, fame, etc.). Inevitably, there's a fall from grace, as reaching a certain height leaves only one direction to go: down. This perspective adds another layer to the complex power imbalance in their relationship.

Ultimately, their relationship raises questions about divine-human interactions and the boundaries between love and devotion. The power dynamics and blurred lines between worship, admiration, and manipulation create morally ambiguous situations that don't neatly fit real-world concepts.

One analogy could be a mentor-mentee relationship, where the mentor holds significant power and shapes the mentee's beliefs and behaviours, blurring the lines between guidance and manipulation. Similarly, parallels can be drawn to charismatic figures or organizations that exert influence over their followers' beliefs and actions.

My interpretation is that Mystra may use intimacy to make her chosen more pliable and prevent them from harming or disobeying her. Gale's curiosity and ambition led him to his downfall, by seeking a lost part of the Weave* that ended up being an artifact of destruction. Her punishment was likely for disobeying her and not remaining an obedient puppet.

*Gale was only doing his job when he went looking to return a piece of the Weave to her, he did not know what the orb was until Act 3 of the game. He went looking for this because he thought that he was loosing her favour. Gale is known to be curious and disobey authority when he has his mind set on something, fully believing in his own abilities to pull it off and that Mystra wouldn't punish him if something went wrong. I do think Gale wanted to be her equal but ascending Gale was not something Mystra was willing to do, but instead of telling him she distanced herself from him, leading to Gale doing what he did. I think that Mystra knew what Gale was doing and let him fall on purpose to teach him a lesson.

Their relationship highlights the consequences of divine influence on mortal lives. Mystra's actions, intentional or not, shape Gale's choices and impact his fate. This underscores the moral complexities of gods' interactions with mortals and the ethical implications of using divine power for manipulation.

In essence, Gale and Mystra's relationship is a compelling exploration of power, devotion, and agency within divine-mortal dynamics. It prompts players to consider the ethical implications of such relationships and the nature of free will in a world where gods interact with mortals.

To be clear, I believe Mystra is in the wrong and shouldn't be idolised, but I don't think she groomed him in the traditional sense. I don't think Gale was in the wrong for the actions he took either, as he only ever had good intentions. He had no close relations to keep him grounded. We don't know to what extent he tried to make friends, but it is clear that he was wrapped around Mystra's finger in more ways than one.

Dumbing their dynamic down to grooming or to Gale being pathetic is doing both of them, and the games writing, a disservice.

Thank you for coming to my TedTalk. I get if you don't want to post this due to the length, if not posted here I will suck it up and post it on my blog,

.

[taehyungfirst]

im gonna RANT sorry but what the actual FUCK is wrong w this fandom, especially solos ?? i go on twitter for five fucking seconds and see “jungkook leave bts” and “jungkook go solo” trending on twitter ?? and also the fucking mass cancellation of borahae evidently. like what the fuck is wrong w all of these ppl and how can they dare to call themselves armys ?? i love bts endlessly but i will say with my fucking chest i hate this fandom so much and im honestly so ashamed to be associated w these freaks. thankfully i have found you and few other blogs on tumblr who seem to be normal and level headed but my god the majority of the fandom is absolute dog shit.

i’m sorry but like can u imagine jungkook seeing that shit trending? he’d be so upset and confused. like what do these idiots think, he’s gonna see his fans trending “jungkook leave bts” and be like “damn yeah u right thank guys, imma leave” ??? obviously NOT. absolute fucking dumbasses.

Chapter 2 was great artistically, but it was the absolute downfall of the fandom. Solos and akgaes triplicated because they dropped the ot7 mask, they started getting more likes on twitter and people instead of blocking and reporting, started fearing them and now they’re over there able to trend shit whenever they’re bored.

Saying Jk should leave bts is so stupid tho 😭 you must be blind and deaf, and you must have never watched one of his lives. They’re so annoying they don’t even realize how dumb they sound ugh

A cleansing is needed and that cleansing will be 2025 cb when they will realize they’re not disbanding.

[terraliensvent]

Do u think terraliens would have been a good species if they actually stopped fucking around and listened to the suggestions and shit

oh absolutely

for a little context, i used to be really into deviantart cringe stuff on yt back in the day, and something i got from that is even if someone is rude or dookies all over ur work, there are two things to do

1. take it with a grain of salt, they will never know you and you will never know them, if it bothers u too much then go outside

2. take it as an excuse to improve. someone saying “this thing is bad” can hurt, but also it can be a motivator to yourself to make it better

thats why i think drama blogs can be helpful in some sort of way, if other people can see what the deep issues are and explicitly say it and give critique, and you just throw it away because of where the info came from, then im sorry but i dont really think you want to improve

now granted they dont have to look at drama blogs and thats fair, thats just a lot of my own opinion

BUT

when you open up suggestion threads and when people suggest the same things over and over directly to you and you either deny it or ignore it because “too much work!” then i think youre lazy.

using the “draw the terra above” suggestion thats been given several times, people in the threads have given various examples of the concept working perfectly in other servers, howltars has over 2k members and their “draw howl above” channel seems to work perfectly fine. when given evidence that new things CAN work and things that members want CAN be implemented, mods shut it down and say its too much work and we dont have the staff! (despite how every time someone says to hire more we’re apparently bursting at the seams with mods)

i think thats why theres so much resentment built up, they kinda refuse to listen to anyone who isnt in their little clique and they never show any progress on anything besides more trait restrictions and adopts. (a reminder that the species still does not have a.) trait sheets and b.) actual written lore, and its been over 9 months since release. i can make an infant human in the time it takes terralien mods to make a trait sheet but sure what we need is more useless forageables)

also i hate how they always kill a suggestion thread by saying “things are getting a little heated” when someone says anything even slightly negative. we get it guys nobody is allowed to say anything that isnt absolute brown nosing, its such a convenient way for them to say “were actually never going to do this now because one person was being a meanie :(“

i joined terras pretty close to release, so ive seen them use every excuse under the sun to not really make any changes. it sucks because the base concept is pretty interesting and when i wanted to leave and find a new species nothing really had the same kick. bad moderation is and always has been the main downfall of this species

[smokingtiger]

SMOKINGTIGER DIRECTORY

Hello, I'm smokingtiger, a chronically ill college student in their twenties studying linguistics and the Korean language. I think I'm most well known on this platform as someone who gives their unsolicited opinion on all things bangtan and bangtan ship discourse. I've been a fan of BTS since 2015 so I have seen this fandom in all of its most vibrant moments. I am a major defender against toxic solos because I ride and die for all seven members of BTS, so slander against any of them will not be tolerated!

I don't subscribe to any particular pairing but I am not someone who hates rps! Usually, I just like to give an outsider/neutral point of view on certain pressing questions that this fandom has towards certain events, so that's what I'd considered to be the biggest chunk of this blog.

Feel free to shoot me an ask about any particular pairing/fandom event and I'll try to evaluate it. I'll be your personal therapist if you want, so if you just want to wax poetry about why you think something is the way that it is, come and do it in my askbox. I do have a busy schedule so it does take me a bit to get from ask to ask.

A GENERAL SUMMARY OF MY ASKS

Does Jimin Make Jungkook Uncomfortable? | The JAKSAL, 1108, and Osaka Chronicals | Does BTS "feed" shippers? | Why People Ship Celebrities | The Problem With Declaring "Realness" And My Feelings Toward Shipping in General | How Shippers Become Solos | Despite Everything, Taekook | Fanservice & Camera Cuts | GCF in Tokyo: Points & Counterpoints | How I Feel About Fanfiction | Military Service Dos and Don'ts | Enlistment Frenzy | HYBE/Kpop Boycott 1 | HYBE/Kpop Boycott 2

ASK BOX COURTESY

If you want to talk about a topic and you're referencing certain moments/interviews and it's a viable source you can link, I'd appreciate it if that info was also included in the ask. If you can't find it, it's fine, I always do a little digging if I need to. I like to have access to what's being said so I can properly form my thoughts around it.

I typically do not address things/images leaked by sasaengs unless they become incredibly widespread and/or relevant to what I'm talking about. I try my best not to spread things like that and/or promote material posted by stalkers; think of it as outside evidence not properly submitted to a court.

If you leave a heated ask in my inbox and it contains information I have previously addressed, I really won't take your anger seriously; I'm someone who gives little care to outbursts unless there's actual merit to the conversation. I just think that if you take the time out of your day to write something lengthy like that, you can also take the time to check my previous asks or tags using the very useful Tumblr search option on my profile. I think that would be best to clear up any chance of miscommunication, because nine times out of ten, some of my angry anon questions or concerns have already been answered and/or addressed.

Also if you want to ask me something privately, just let me know that you want to start a DM, I have no qualms with that.

And as a final reminder: this page is primarily ship neutral, but if you get confused by the occasional ship post from me, it's usually surrounding aus. I write; it's a hobby of mine that I've been trying to get back into after years of illness plaguing me. I've explained that I don't necessarily think that any ship in BTS is 'real' and that I'm not rooting for any particular pairing -- but I do engage in the creative 'shipping' aspect of the fandom, so expect some fic and au posts. And yes, as a writer, I do favor certain ships (mostly due to the dynamics), but like I said, I'm not cheering for them or praying for the downfall of another. When it comes to legitimate points outside of the creative zone, I treat them all equally. I'm somewhat mentally stable... Just somewhat.

Thanks for stopping by!

[nataliaphantomhivesblog]

What are your current fandoms??

OH MY GOD!!! I WAS WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO ASK ME THIS!! LETS GOOOO🥳🥳🥳

1. Black Butler<3

It would've been incredibly distasteful to not put this beauty on top of my list. I have been a fan of this one since 5th grade, the literal backbone of my insanity.

I may complain monthly over the agnoizingly short chapters, but the narrative and storytelling in this manga is one of my favorites ever.

Although you didn't ask, I have the need to mention: Ciel Phantomhive is my child!!

And yes, I am still awaiting Prince Soma's return.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a sebaciel wierdo and my space doesn't welcome the romanticization of pedophila. "waah waah but it's fiction!" okay?? my account is dedicated on fictional stories and characters and I don't want your wacky shit here. Thank you in advance.

2. Bungou Stray Dogs!!!

What a crime it would've been if I didn't mention the reason my account grew in the first place!!

BSD has such a special place in my heart. Tbh bsd saved me during the downfall that was 2021.

I think people who aren't new to my blog know I'm a sucker for Soukoku. I've made extensive analysis on their relationships for 3 years now. When will this brainrot end!?!?

And oh, of course I am forever greatful to the lovely @ryuuaka713 for collaborating with me on various post, I couldn't have done it without her!! Hope life treats you well! You got a tumblr friend always rooting for ya<3

ALSO: If any of you ever want to ask me anything regarding bsd that isn't Soukoku, please do! I love bsd as a whole and would be happy to answer<3

3. Berserk

Let me make one thing clear!!! I am NOT a berserk reddit fanboy who completely ignores and neglects the narrative of this story in order to fill whatever inner void that needs to be filled.

I am suuuper passionate about the Golden Age Arc and the Pre Eclipse era of Berserk, it would be impossible to shut me up about it.

I could go on billion rants about Griffith's character and his actual complexities throughout the narrative. (no, he isn't emotionless, that would destory the whole point of the story lol)

Also I want to give a not-so-subtle shoutout to @bthump for validating every single thought I had while reading Berserk and always providing textual evidence. Thank you for being the light in the darkness of this fandom!

4. Death Note

sighs yes I am still in the fandom of an anime that has only one season and ended so poetically that it makes perfect sense that it doesn't have a continuation yet my brain screams for content when obviously it will never happen.

Before anyone asks, I am not team Light or team L, both of them are selfish people and used others lives in order to beat one another.

I am a constant defender of the fact that the Death Note consumed Light. Not only is it textually stated; but it's visually stated

(Light's eyes get wider and more innocent looking for a reason when he forgets the death note guys!!!)

Anyways, this story is absolutely awesome and I think most people can agree with that.

I don't rewatch this anime often, but when I do I get shooked by the big brain plans and big brain confrontations lmao.

5. Moral Orel

"MORAL OREL SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN CANCELLED!! FOOLISH PEOPLE FEARED IT SPOKE TOO MUCH FACTS" I scream into a void, tears fill my eyes as losing my religion by R.E.M plays in the background.

Seriously though, I love this show; a literal masterpiece. I don't think theres any show that made me incredibly concious of how my own family's dynamic worked as this one did.

Has amazing takes of the human condition and contains life long lessons.

I once made a long post about the generational abuse of moral orel if you want to check it out!

Anyways, if you haven't had the glorious chance to watch this masterpiece. PLEASE DO!! I BEG!!! The whole series is out on youtube!

we don't talk about the first 3 episodes!!!

6. Sonic!!!!

I never post anything sonic related on my blog, but I adore Sonic! Not only my childhood, but it continues to pump off amazing content and games.

Fun fact: I have a cute mini sonic keychain my friend gifted me, I take it with me everywhere!!

DID YOU KNOW THAT KELLIN QUINN FROM SLEEPING WITH SIRENS WAS INVOLVED WITH THE SONIC FRONTIERS SOUNDTRACK!?!?!? AAAAAAA I LOVE SONIC GAMES MUSIC AND ITS DIVERSITY

Nobody asked, but my favorie character is Knuckles and Shadow for anyone who wants to know! (No one wants to know but I HAVE THE NEED TO SAY IT.)

anyways yes, I love Sonic, I am at arms-lenght with the fandom since i'm... well... not much into the furry stuff that goes on. But theres lots of fanmade content out there that is super cool!

IN CONCLUSION!?!?!?

I have lots and lots of other fandoms im in but i fear i will go on forever if I keep on talking.

Thank you so much for reading all the way through and please, don't ever hesitate to ask me anything related to any of these fandoms above. Hyper analizing stuff is my speciality after all:D

[derekscorner]

Fated Rantings: The Grandest of Orders Part 2

The Babylonia Front

For the first part I incoherently rambled about FGO and some Chaldean cast. There was no rhyme nor reason to it, I was trying to get my brain churning but more importantly they were things that I've wanted to say for a while.

I began this Fate journey with lore videos and FGO and for the near two years since I've slowly crawled through it as I watched other Fate series. I finished the initial Solomon arc about a month before I did the anime.

In other words I had lot to get out of my system and I didn't even touch on everything. FGO, the mobile game, is novel length in each singularity. There is too much to remember nor squeeze into a blog post.

So I just got out of my system what still stands out to me...which was mostly Mash praise but enough of that! Let's talk about the actual anime~

The Age of Gods babyyyyy

I was actually very curious to watch this even though FGO's anime only covers singularities six, seven, and the finale against Goetia. Even then singularity six and Goetia are made into movies.

FGO's only real anime is the adaption of singularity seven the Babylonia Front. My curiosity for this story was only made stronger thanks to the mobile game itself.

It had unexpected highs and spectacle to it. Everything from seeing how Rin's personality can distort Ishtar into a jewel obsessed girl failure to seeing Gilgamesh while he was a live.

A demigod in the flesh, a Gilgamesh that was focused on being a king. Hell, we even got to see Merlin!

Merlin is usually locked in his tower but thanks to time paradox tom foolery he makes an appearance.

This era of Fate's world fascinates me because the gods still exist. Sadly, it's toward the end of their reign but the physical and metaphysical still interconnect.

This the era that the mages of the modern Fate world desperately cling to with their ways of secrecy and lineage. They can only hope to reach the root and obtain true magic, they can only hope to have magecraft as potent as Medea.

It is a truly fantastical setting and the kind I adore. It is probably the closest we'll ever get to seeing a truly magical place within Type-Moon.

The actual expanse that the age of gods covers is also quite long. The only thing I know of older than this age would be dragons. The pinnacle of evolution and mystery and beings that radiate magic just by breathing.

Type-Moons history is actually full of some crazy stuff. Dragons older than the gods who themselves had been shaping life since dinosaurs walked.

Machines from a dead universe whom the Atlanteans worshipped as gods and who eventually became the Olympian gods of Greece.

A white titan that slew gods left and right, the very being that set the age of gods towards its downfall. The same titan that killed Ares, took his sword, and uses it to this very day if summoned as a servant.

Things get wild and inconsistent with history. Either due to mage society hiding events or due to events seemingly having no evidence due to the age of gods ending which separates mankind from the reverse side of the world.

The metaphysical space where things like the Underworld, Heaven, or other such mythical places actually exist.

What about the Age of Man?

I gush over this because it not only shows the rich history in this world but it also really highlights how important Uruk is to the Age of Man and the planet's future.

Gilgamesh is a smug bastard but that confidence is not without merit. Even Romani, a man of the current day, is amazed by Gilgamesh's city planning and the sheer smooth machine that day to day life is in Uruk.

The anime, more so than the game imo, really highlights how important Uruk is to the future. Humans have existed for a long time, probably longer than science claims in the Fate world. However, mankind's age didn't begin till here.

Modern society traces it's origin to Uruk as Gilgamesh ran it in his final chapter of the Epic of Gilgamesh. When he became a wise king he founded a society so fundamental to human life that the entire human race ran with it.

They made alterations, societies fell, they improved upon it, they keep changing based on the environment. Nothing made by man is perfect, even Uruk, but it's fundamental.

It's the last singularity but it's the only one that Solomon himself tampered with because he knows the age of man starts here.

The anime will make you feel that through Mash, Ana, and Fujimaru. The mobile game had you do missions with the same purpose in mind but that doesn't do as well as seeing it in motion I think.

Watching Ana say she hates humans only to become attached to an old woman running a flower shop, seeing Leonidas train soldiers, Ushiwakamaru and Benki coming home after a long day battling beats, everyone gathering at Chaldea's own embassy like it's a home, Gilgamesh stopping to learn a new game being played children, etc.

It is a lot of small things that add up. You gain a true grasp of how people lived in this city. You could make a whole spin off of Uruk and it's day to day events and I would watch it.

I want to drive home how much I enjoyed those little scenes. It not only fulfilled my world building itch but these moments of humanity at it's purest made the various dialogues between inhuman characters more interesting.

Ana & Merlin

The most standout to me is the scene of Ana and Merlin discussing what it means to be an inhuman surrounded by humans. Merlin actually has a few good scenes of this topic but this one is the best for giving you insight into the minds of them.

Sure, you also have servants but many of them were human once. Ana, Merlin, and even Gilgamesh were not and so their views on humanity is by far more intriguing.

For Merlin, emotions are a lie. He feeds on human dreams to have and comprehend emotions. He openly admits he likes humanity as a whole but not individuals.

Ana, beings the goddess who becomes Medusa, has hatred for man and god but she also can't help but love them. She's even fearful of that love in a sense.

You have to keep in mind that Medusa is a very old myth. The one you know of about Poseidon raping her and Athena cursing her is actually the most recent one despite being a couple thousand years old. Both in Fate and our world her myth goes back further than this with no clear point of origin.

Ancient Greece did not have a solidified religion. The city states had a shared origin and a shared pantheon but the stories about said pantheon could vary based on the city and the age of that myth. Assuming it was even put to written record in the first place.

Ana in Fate is a nod to this. She was originally some long lost earth goddess before becoming what she was. Her hatred of the gods is solely the fault of Olympus but her hatred for man is from perceived abandonment.

Between Heaven's Feel and FGO I've come to have a soft spot for Medus as a whole. Conflicting feelings aside, she didn't deserve it and knowing that her curse caused her to eat her sisters and become a monster is just tragic.

I'd love for them to do a game or show with Medusa as your main servant one day.

Abandoned Gods

The contradictory nature mentioned above in regards to Ana is shared with all the gods we meet in the anime as well. Even the beasts of humanity have this conflicted feeling albeit the things they're conflicted on differ.

Tiamat in particular having the worst case of it by far. She's become a beast of humanity but she's original a primordial goddess. A dragon from which the primordial sea sprang.

She's trying to destroy humanity to keep it, she doesn't want her "children" (aka all life) to abandon her again. Knowing that and her true fate within this universe makes it arguably more tragic than the mythology of her murder via Marduk.

And to give you context of that I need to elaborate a bit on the planet.

The planet itself is a sentient being and in a rough sense humanity is it's progeny. The end goal of human evolution, as seen by Gilgamesh via his clairvoyance, is leaving the planet for the stars.

This growing separation from nature and man is the reason that the Counterforce even exists. As humans grow they become more at odds with the planet thus the Earth has two predominant forces.

"Gaia" who is the planet's will and "Alaya" the collective will of man. However, there was only originally "Gaia" and as the planet took shape so too did beings to shape it.

The oldest I know of is Ea. Yes THE Ea from Mesopotamian mythology. Ea shaped the world only for Tiamat and her husband to come after and seed life into the world he shaped.

So yes, when Gilgamesh boasts that his sword split the heaven's and earth he's being literal. Gil's sword of rupture is quite literally Ea's "sword" he used in those early days of creation.

What makes this a tragedy is that Tiamat, Ea, and Abzu predate death. They cannot kill Tiamat in the anime because she does not know the concept of death. She is truly immortal.

When Tiamat and Abzu's job was done they were chucked back into the void. Tiamat has been in Imaginary Number Space this entire time. No, I'm not explaining Imaginary Number Space. It's a concept bordering on zero. (complicated)

In this sense, once Tiamat was dethroned by Marduk she was just left to her own devices in the void all alone and I find that incredibly fucked up.

That gives her no right to just wipe out all life but that level of used and abused is wrong.

I legitimately felt bad for Tiamat here because I knew this expanded backstory. She wants to cling to humans in an unhealthy way since she's now a beast but at her core that is because her love as a mother is boundless. A facet of her that is true in IRL myths as well, in our myths she killed her husband for her children's sake.

I also found the anime did the final exchange with Tiamat much better because it boils down to a normal man and the mother of life. She asks him what she did wrong but he can't answer that.

Fujimaru can't answer that for her, all he can do is thank her for bringing life to the planet and say goodbye. It's so sad....

The planet wasn't even kind to her here. I mentioned Gaia and Alaya earlier, well the Throne of Heroes is originally something they use. Alaya is also known as "the Counterforce".

Summoning heroes as servants is a human ritual but the basis for it is what Alaya does when the mankind or the planet is in danger. One of those core dangers are the beasts of humanity.

The whole reason Hassan appeared is because the conditions for that were right. Hassan was sent to that era as a Grand Assassin to instill the concept of death into Tiamat. The planet itself was making sure that she truly died here.

Other Goddesses

Now I gush about Tiamat due to some bias but truthfully this abandonment issue is felt by several other gods as well. Quetzalcoatl does not seem to peeved yet she also pushes for people to do their best. "If you want to survive show it to me" in a sense.

Ishtar and Ereshkigal are heavily influenced by Rin Tohsaka's personality so it's hard for me to say how much of what they say is their true feelings. Given how Ishtar is said to behave in Fate/Strange Fake I'd wager her true feelings aren't represented.

Ereshkigal however I think is. She states that she thinks it's okay for people to blame what they don't know on the gods but she only says this because she knows that the age of gods is ending.

Soon man will seek answers for their issues and not gods for comfort or scapegoats. She'll be abandoned and she's yet to even truly enjoy their presence.

I'll admit, I felt a bit of pity and attachment for Ereshkigal as well. She just wants out of the cosmic basement and it's so sad that she can't. She did not choose to be there and as a goddess of death humans have nothing but fear of her.

She cages souls for centuries for a semblance of companionship.

Out of all the silly things the game did to make servants faun over Fujimaru it was only Ereshkigal's scenes that I believed due to this. She, very badly, pretends to be Ishtar to have talks with Fujimaru.

They're cute in the anime but I liked the games version of these moments more since the conversations were more frequent and longer. I could easily believe that she's grown attached to him.

Hell, I even found it funny when Ishtar was asking Mash things about the MC due to how obvious Ereshkigal is about her feelings.

And while many a Fate fan will gush over that due to some...questionable self insert delusions I found it cute for her but endearing. She's never had a human not cower in fear of her let alone one talk to her normally.

She so desperately wants a friend that I hope she escaped her cosmic basement once Kur disappeared to the reverse side of the world.

She so desperately wanted love that I fully feel that her feelings as a goddess against humans made sense. If the gods era truly ends she may be forever alone.

Let's rapid fire shall we?

This too has not gotten quite long but I don't have it in me to make a part three so I'll gush about smaller things I enjoyed.

Such as Ishtar. I thought I'd have a bigger segment on her but she's basically just Rin that flies. My biggest impression was;

"The fact that Ishtar can be bought off with jewelry is by far the funniest thing Rin did to her personality."

And that still stands. I loved her character to be blunt, she was entertaining and she had some amazing scenes. The animation of her shooting Venus as a noble phantasm is gorgeous.

I also love how both Ishtar and Ereshkigal suffer from Rin's "girl failure" moments. But, again, that's due to Rin. Rin's mentality is...well it is what it is but what it is is such a perfect match for Ishtar they meld in a good way.

You could say the same about Ereshkigal, I know, but Ishtar isn't trapped in a cosmic dungeon for eternity. That backstory gave Ereshkigal ever the slightest bit more uniqueness to her character.

Also, fun fact, this Ishtar couldn't find her bull of heaven because the real Ishtar summoned it. So in a weird way Fate/Strange Fake had an affect on the FGO timeline.

Quetzalcoatl my throttle

She was an amusing character. I found nothing too stand out but nothing offensive. She did however have some of the best fight chorography in the anime and her noble phantasm was hands down the best one.

She drops kicks with the force of the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs. Just put that into perspective, she is kicking with the force of a meteor. A meteor that wiped out most of the life on earth.

And before anyone asks, Quetzalcoatl is a woman because the Mesoamerican gods in Fate's lore were parasites that took on hosts. They were deified over time and this female form is simply Quetzalcoatl's latest host.

No, I will not comment on the voice. The poor accent is a part of the charm and I will die on that hill!

Hassan the Goat!

Between the sixth and seventh singularities in both game and anime form I have come to respect the beast that is Hassan I. This man is to be feared.

He made a primordial goddess aware of death. He even beheaded Ozymandias before he was even aware Hassan was in the room.

I also like that we got to see a grand servant being summoned in the intended way.

Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and Kingu

I won't make too long a segment on Gilgamesh since I'd really like to do a post on him one day. I haven't yet simply because I haven't seen his depiction in the Extra timeline and I'd love to see Strange Fake.

He's a complex character and the later entries seem to lessen the bastard you'll see in Fate/Stay Night to a degree.

But I will say that I enjoyed seeing him alive and as the wise king of Uruk. I was also impressed by the sheer magical power he had to summon several servants in a means closer to how they're meant to be summoned.

None of the man-made ritual used by a grail war or Chaldea.

The dynamic between Gil and Kingu was interesting though. Fuel for that eventual Gilgamesh post in the future.

Technically, Enkidu doesn't appear in this story however that bond he has with Gilgamesh is so profound that it affects Kingu and it's interesting to see how Gilgamesh treats Kingu due to it.

It is also through Kingu that we see how the citizens of Uruk felt about Enkidu. It really paints this beautiful relationship that's hidden just off screen. Still, Kingu was never truly his own being at the end.

That also goes to show just how powerful Enkidu's own persona was. Enkidu may have seen themselves as just a weapon and disputed it when told otherwise by others but that fact alone proves it to be true.

Enkidu was far more than a tool otherwise their influence wouldn't have been so great. Sadly, Kingu could only be more than a tool when fighting against Tiamat.

Siduri deserved better

That dynamic also made me curious about Siduri. When I was playing Samurai Remnant Gil says her name once and between the game and this anime I got a real glimpse of a person truly close to Gilgamesh.

He may deny that and Merlin isn't wrong when he says Gilgamesh only sees value in what humans make but there are exceptions to every rule.

He didn't necessarily value her as highly as Enkidu but I do believe that on some level Gilgamesh valued her as a person.

Her fate as a lahamu was just heartbreaking. I didn't even realize it when playing the game....

Conclusions and other things

All in all I really enjoyed the anime and the games story. Probably far more than I could squeeze into either of the two posts I made. I'm sure I'll be kicking myself for forgetting to add something later.

(like the passive aggressive banter between merlin and romani)

Get mad that I didn't elaborate on something as much as I had intended.

(such as Ushi and Benki)

Still, I'll stop here. I can't write anything else, my brains fried.

I loved this story and I'm sad so much of the anime will lose impact when the mobile game eventually shuts down. Bye for now~

========================

For my other experiences with Fate go here: https://derekscorner.tumblr.com/tagged/fated-rantings

[zazzander]

Dosgred Disappoints: Character Bloat

One of the biggest downfalls of this manga is the sheer number of characters. The author loses sight of the main cast very quickly, to the point that it gets really confusing what’s going on in the story.

I’ve spoken about Chapter 1 already. In that chapter, we meet: Rou, Haruna, grandpa, Keiichi, and Koichi. This is, presumably, our main cast. It makes sense that they are all introduced in the first chapter.

As I said in my previous post, the story fumbled it’s introduction of the cast. By the end, we don’t know much about Rou and Haruna. We know even less about Keiichi and his brother, Koichi.

Chapter 2 gives more information. The brother’s dynamic is solid. They're on good terms, nothing much to see there. As for the twins, Haruna blogs about her brother which is lowkey kind of weird. She seems to have no hobbies outside of this – again, weird. Like she says ‘Rou’s going to a local middle school’ even though they are twins. Surely, they would both be going. So this blog is seemingly for the benefit of Rou's fans back home.

Everything going fine... until Page 22. Things start falling apart from here.

On this page, we are introduced to Rou’s middle school ice hockey team. Despite Rou and Keiichi both being walking distance from the same lake, they apparently don’t go to the same school. This isn’t crazy, it happens all the time, but it was a little confusing because it seems unlikely they live close to two middle schools considering this is supposed to be Hicksville.

(The author is inconsistent with the size of this town. For example, there isn’t any major shopping location nearby. It’s primary industry focuses on a single large factory. Yet we have evidence of multiple middle schools and apparently four skating rinks.)

The entire middle school team is introduced all at once – yikes – and here begins the character bloat. There are four main guys on this team. Their role in the story is basically to convince Rou to play a game of Ice Hockey. That wouldn’t be a big issue but for the fact that their story completely takes over the plot.

Considering that this is the first time Rou and Keiichi play agaisnt each other, you’d think that would be the priority. He’s the rival! Rou and Keiichi are the main characters and should be the focus. Instead, at the start of chapter 3, we meet even more characters. This time, some guys on Keiichi's team (but not Keiichi's friends).

Now, in chapter 3 we have a total of 11 "important" characters. I have to class these new guys as important because they get flashbacks. You heard me, these random kids get flashbacks but actually important characters like Rou and Keiichi don't.

It's a really strange choice. Yes, it explains why the match means something to these boys, but it feels like a waste of time for the overall story. Rou and Keiichi should be the most compelling characters right now! This kind of minor character exploration is something that should happen much later.

We get hints at Rou-Keiichi conflict in chapter 4. The members of Oino high’s team, including Keiichi’s brother, show up. Oino's coach watches the game. He’s got this unreadable expression. Considering how often we see him, and his involvement later, we probably have to call him relevant character #12.

Basically, he’s watching the game and he should be watching Keiichi BUT he's actually focused on Rou. Rou plays weird but he’s clearly got talent. This is potentially such a big deal for Keiichi and a means of solidifying their rivalry. If this coach expressed an interest in this random newbie over him, Keiichi could get all huffy about it. He might try to play better to get the Oino coach's attention.

That doesn't happen. The coach's commentary is unknown to the players themselves.

By chapter 8, we are introduced to yet more characters. This time it’s several guys on the Oino team. Plus, we get reintroduced to a figure skater who had been Rou’s rival before he quit. I didn't call this guy important before, but since he's here again and gets a speaking role, he gets upgraded. "Important" characters: 15.

Dogsred gives us no time to breathe as it mostly ignores Rou yet again to depict high school championship finals. Now, I do understand why we need to show this game.

Oino loses here. Suddenly, there’s a team even better than they are! And that’s crucial because this is going to be Rou’s team soon.

Rou makes the choice to go watch this game rather than the ice skating. This symbolises how invested he’s getting in the sport.

However, the choice to depict the entire game is where the story suffers. Hears an alternative way to present the same plot information but without losing sight of our main characters:

Haruna tells Rou about this ice skating tournament and he seems like he might go, missing out on watching the championship game.

POV switch to Keiichi, there’s a break in the game and he’s gone to get snacks with/for his friends (does Keiichi have friends? I assume so, he’s the captain of his middle-school team there’s so many characters it’s hard to keep track).

Suddenly! Rou shows up. He's here to see the game, after ditching his sister and the ice skating tournament.

The boys argue. This is a good chance to really establish why they hate each other.

Then, while they were distracted, the final part of the game starts. Oino is losing!

Keiichi ignores Rou in favour of cheering on his brother. The game ends in a loss.

Keiichi gets huffy at his brother. “I can’t believe you lost! It’ll win us the championship next year!”

Basically, we focus the story on the character interactions because the two main characters aren’t on the ice. We don’t know the people playing (outside of Koichi who is by-and-large just Keiichi’s older brother at this point).

Regardless, this choice can be forgivable. Chapter 12 however… cannot.

In chapter 12, the author decides to completely ditch the main plot to focus on the rival high school, Sameoh. We meet several members of the team. That's twenty characters with names, personalities, and the makings of a plot. Twenty!!!

Then for all of chapter 13, we focus on these guys as their hometown get hit by a tsunami. This is a big setback for them – and completely derails any tension that was set up by them ending that 19-year streak the main team, Oino, had going. LIKE WHAT. I’m so serious right now, that undercuts all the tension.

It is only now, in chapter 14, that we finally arrive at Oino high school and Rou signs up for the actual team he will play for. That’s so late, guys. Arguably too late.

I’ll use an example of a hugely popular sports manga that started the characters in middle school too: Haikyuu!! Do you want to guess what chapter Hinata arrived at Karasuno High? Chapter 1. That manga covered Hinata's entire middle-school journey in less than a character. Now, Dogsred doesn't have to be that quick, but at minimum this moment should have come within the first five chapters.

This is what I mean by character bloat. The plot has been bogged down by all these unnecessary characters.

The good news is the next few chapters focus on the try-outs.  We meet no new characters and the reader has a chance to get their heads around what's actually happens. That ends in chapter 18, when we get the backstory of random two defence players on the team. Relevant character count #22.

That being said, after trawling through all of this, the story has several great moments. There’s a lot of potential here – I just think the manga needed some serious reworking before it got picked up for publication.

What do I mean by that? Typically with sports manga, the introduction has three main plot points to hit: why does the MC love this sport, some kind of set-back in middle school, and them joining up for their high school to achieve their goals. Now, Dogsred didn’t have to hit every one of these beats. Big Windup, for example, skips the first one.

In Big Windup, we start with the MC’s “set-back”. Mihashi was hated by his middle school team because he was a terrible pitcher. He signs up to his high-school team and is allowed to be the pitcher because they don’t have an alternative. Mihashi really wants to play baseball though, despite his shy demeanour. It's clear he loves baseball, even if we aren't given an exactly "why".

Within the first few pages, Big Windup jumps into it's MC joining his new team and fills in backstories later. Dogsred could have done the same. Start with a flashback of Rou’s decision to change sports and jump forward to him walking onto the field to join the ice hockey team. Everything else can be elaborated on later. To hint at the past, a couple characters could recognise him as “the Rabid Prince” but Rou brushes off their questions.

We could even have Keiichi recognise him from the lake and him go “but you’re a figure skater!” and have a brief flashback to their fight on the lake.

All in all, my point is that this manga meanders and runs breakneck at the same time. It tells us about all these random characters who don’t matter. Because of that, it got lost.

The good news is - Dogsred seems to have finally gotten back on the path! Now that Rou is in high school the plot is moving forward at a much more standard pace. I guess we’ll see where it goes from here.

[pretty-please-just-let-me-sleep]

Restless Nights

Aki Hayakawa x Reader (I don't think there's any mentions of gender and if there is please yell at me because there's not supposed to be)

Fandom: Chainsaw Man

CW: manga spoilers!!! mentions of character death, angst, implied nightmares, hurt/comfort (but mostly hurt), unrequited love, non-sexual bed sharing, aki makes for really good angst sorry

1st Person

This is sfw but I have explicit content on my blog, minors, do not interact with my content. I don't want y'all here.

Aki Hayakawa had an expiration date far sooner than anyone his age should.

It was painfully obvious to everyone including myself; I mean, the Curse Devil alone was evidence enough but with the impossible, unwavering goal of killing the Gun Devil I wouldn't be surprised if death came knocking next week. It shouldn't hurt me as much as it did, I was trained not to be phased by friends' deaths given the profession and typically avoided friendships altogether but it'd be a lie to say I was okay with it.

Truth be told, I'd fallen for him entirely. It was stupid, of course, you'd have to be blind not to notice Himeno's attempts to stray him–I most certainly didn't have a chance–but the strain in my heart at the mere sight of him couldn't be helped. The thought of being his was lovely but even if he wasn't so cold and closed off; his contracts were so detrimental the idea of a future with him was nothing more than a pathetic pipe dream.

The only comfort I had was knowing I wasn't alone in being rejected or simply having their affections ignored. Himeno obviously but even his new buddy; the Angel Devil were so clearly in love but he never bat an eye at them. Not in the way they wanted him too at least. I suppose Angel would never admit that though, probably scolding me and giving the lecture on how he's a devil first, an angel second. It didn't matter. We both understood that we'd sit on the sidelines, helpless to aid in the prevention of his downfall or end up like Himeno. Whichever came first.

I had seen him less and less as of late though. It was to be expected. I suppose Makima was closing in on the Gun Devil so it came as a surprise when I was told that I would be looking into very likely rumors of a devil a few cities away with Aki. Nonetheless I took the job graciously and headed to the train station with a backpack containing sleepwear for both of us.

Upon arrival I called him, not catching sight of him anywhere. As the phone rang longer I felt my patience dissipating. I had no doubt he'd shown up, I was told he'd be here before me, but this was supposed to be my day off, we'd have to stay the night at a hotel, and I was already tired from the week. If it weren't for my paranoia about Aki's well being and a guttural feeling that as the Gun Devil grew closer to being killed Aki's time grew nearer I would've said no to going. But. The man I was in love with would be dead soon, I should enjoy whatever fleeting moments I can take. After all, his best case scenario was only two years and a few months.

At the third ring a small poke on my arm signified the presence of the man I was looking for. I smiled.

"Glad you found me, wanna get going?" He nodded in response, giving out a ghost of a smile. I grinned and took his hand, selfishly stealing what small contact I could. As I headed to the train he stumbled slightly. Slowing I looked back at him. He may not have said anything, claiming he was just fine without it, but there were small things I'd noticed that he was clearly struggling to adjust to after losing an arm. The most apparent being the few times I had been able to come over and needing to help him cook. He hated it and it was obvious. Prior to his bout with the Darkness Devil he was always ready with an intricate dinner before anyone was walking through the door. I shook the thought.

We boarded and sat in silence, the only noises on the train being the occasional sound of shuffling, rustling paper, and soft whispers. It was nice. I glanced at Aki to see a calm expression gracing his features as he gazed out the window. Moments like this were rare and I made a mental portrait of the way the afternoon sun seemed to make his blue eyes shine as it hit them. I looked away soon after though. He'd called me out for staring before and I didn't want to upset him. He didn't want a relationship, that was made obvious. The train ride would be long. I opted to sleep on the way there.

Upon arriving at the somewhat rural city (though just about every town and city tended to look rural when coming fresh from Tokyo) we asked around. Quickly able to surmise that tip about a devil in the area was correct and taking residence in a decrepit old house on the edge of town. It bolted after seeing us, immediately heading into a wooded area bordering the yard on the house. It was rather weak, the most difficult part of killing it being how good it was at fleeing. After taking care of the body we found a hotel close to the station we'd be departing from the next morning and checked in.

I sat on the couch and gave Aki a tired smile. He returned it before heading to the bathroom and starting hot water for a shower. I followed him in, setting his clothes on the counter.

"I'll go after you so don't take to long okay?" I said before leaving, closing the door behind me. He groaned.

"You act like I'm known for long showers," he muttered though it was audible through the door. I giggled in response before returning to the couch and staring at the ceiling. I had contemplated trying to find something on tv but I was tired and the thought of putting effort into anything right now felt like a chore. He was out quickly as promised, hair down and looking exhausted. Going to one of the beds in the room and pulling back the covers to tuck himself in he was out almost immediately.

After taking my shower and putting on a tee shirt and sweats I let my gaze fall on Aki for a moment. It wasn't a common occurrence to see him at peace to begin with but after Himeno's death he seemed perpetually distraught. Sighing I turned the lights off and muttered a small good night before getting under the covers of the other bed and letting myself drift off.

☆☆☆

I woke up to the sound of crying and turned over to see Aki, still asleep, whimpering as tears fell from his closed eyes. I avoided letting any come to my own at the sight as I climbed out of bed and padded towards him.

"Hey... hey, c'mon. Wake up," I whispered as I shook his shoulder gently. He opened his eyes slowly before quickly sitting up, startling me slightly. Bringing a hand up to his face he wiped away his tears and let out a shaky breath.

"S-sorry," he mumbled. His voice was broken and barely audible. I shook my head and after a moment of hesitation rubbed circles into his back.

"It's okay. You've gone through a lot, you can cry about it if you want to," I offered. It felt stupid coming out of my mouth but seemed to strike a nerve as he looked up at me, his brows knitted and eyes were glossy with tears. He pulled me by my waist and buried his head into my stomach as sobs racked his body. I brought my hand not busy rubbing circles into his back to his head, holding him close and petting his hair.

"Please stay with me tonight," he mumbled. I almost didn't catch it, his voice was weak and muffled by my shirt. But I did. I sighed and moved to sit on the bed before laying down, gently pulling him with me. He curled into himself and nestled further into me. I knew it would hurt, that this was likely the only time he would show anyone, let alone me, any type of vulnerability. That if it had happened to be someone else here who was kind enough to show him compassion and knew him well enough he would've likely had the same reaction. It didn't have to be me. He just needed a warm body and if that's all he ever wanted from me then so be it.

I was utterly whipped and just for tonight I could fool myself into thinking he cared even a fraction about me in the same way I did for him.

[smokingwithjohnny]

What are some of the alternative history topics that I'll explore in my blog you may ask?

Great question! Here are some of the alternative history topics that I'll explore in my blog, "Smoking With Johnny":

Tartaria: The Lost Empire - Delving into the mysterious history of Tartaria, a vast empire that spanned Central and Eastern Asia, and examining the evidence suggesting its sudden disappearance from historical records.

The Genesis 6 Conspiracy - Exploring the ancient texts and legends that hint at the existence of a race of giants known as the Nephilim, and investigating the possibility that they may have been the result of genetic engineering experiments conducted by extraterrestrial beings.

The Hollow Earth Theory - Examining the intriguing idea that the Earth is not a solid sphere, but rather a hollow planet with a vast inner world, and exploring the potential implications of this theory for our understanding of history and human origins.

The Lost City of Atlantis - Investigating the legendary city of Atlantis, which is said to have been a technologically advanced civilization that sank beneath the waves thousands of years ago, and exploring the various theories about its location and the reasons for its downfall.

The Philadelphia Experiment - Unraveling the mystery surrounding the alleged Philadelphia Experiment, a purported military experiment conducted by the US Navy in 1943, which is said to have resulted in a ship and its crew being teleported through space and time.

The Roswell UFO Incident - Examining the infamous Roswell UFO incident of 1947, in which a rancher in New Mexico discovered debris from a crashed flying saucer, and exploring the various theories about the origin of the craft and the fate of its occupants.

The Mandela Effect - Investigating the Mandela Effect, a phenomenon in which a large portion of the population shares a false memory of a significant event, and exploring the possible explanations for this strange occurrence, including the multiverse theory and glitches in the simulation.

These are just a few examples of the many alternative history topics that I'll explor in my blog.

I believe that by smoking cannabis and questioning the mainstream narratives, delving into the mysteries of the past, we can gain a deeper understanding of our world and our place in it.

[0perfectimperfections0]

CTA: Lou

Personality: Architect - INTJ-T

66% Introverted

70% Intuitive

78% Thinking

99% Judging

63% Turbulent

Introduction | Architect (INTJ) Personality | 16Personalities

So, I've done this with a few characters from my "A Bug's Life" blog. And it's essentially where I go to the website 16Personalities and answer the questions according to how I best believe the characters would. I base my responses off of how they are portrayed in the movie. Responses do vary as I do have to take some creative liberty with questions that don't have an apparent answer in the movie.

Now, this isn't a bullet-point list of Lou's traits. The link above will direct you to the website with the results and further information about this archetype. Do with it what you will. What I'll be doing for this post (and others like it) is explaining why Lou received the answers he did. I'll be using contextual evidence from the movie to defend my reasonings and will give fair warning on parts where I took creative liberty.

Because let's be honest, the movie doesn't exactly do good with character development. I don't think any of the characters actually changed in a self-reflective way throughout the movie.

<><><><>

Introverted

Okay, I somewhat feel like this one is self-explanatory. But, Lou does seem to have this self-destructive mindset that leads him to be only 66% introverted.

We obviously see in the movie that Lou is almost always seen with other dolls. Aside from when everyone goes home at the end of the day. The "alone" part is more of a mentality than anything else. The fact that he doesn't confide in the other dolls or feels unsafe to disclose information with them.

-> He doesn't previously tell the Spy Girls his relationship with Ox. They are surprised to find that the bunny already knows Lou after they've kidnapped him.

-> This one's no surprise: He has kept the secret of him being a prototype for God knows how many years

There's a destructive path he stays on throughout his life and during the movie where he craves attention and being around people, but at the same time, he's constantly lying and pretending to be this other person. It's like, so badly wanting people to like you enough to be around you (or in Lou's case, stay) but also so terrified that they won't like the real you.

Coupled with that is Lou's tendency to keep dolls longer than he knows is allowed. They'll leave at some point. Based on the movie, it seems like dolls usually stay for maybe three or four months before the Gauntlet takes place. Still, Lou forms groups with some of them. The Spy Girls, are my main example for this. He knows that they'll leave, but it's almost like he's trying to eventually gaslight them or persuade them into staying. He's this line in the latter portion of the movie when he reaches his downfall.

"Are you really going to let them take over? After everything I've done for you?"

It doesn't work, obviously, but I can't help but wonder if he would have said similar words when the time came for them to leave through the portal. If his actions toward them were merely a compilation of reasons for them to feel obligated to stay.

Intuitive

This is a fun one that kind of veers away from the depressing backstory of our little blond. It involves imagination and thinking beyond just the present time.

Despite the fact that Lou is in the position he's in, it seems like he learns to make the most of it during times. I think back mainly to his training and when classes are held. The factory doesn't have any reign over him as far as how he specifically teaches.

He jumps into figment possibilities and theoretical situations. He has fireworks shooting off into the sky. The man has whole songs that he's most likely written and orchestrated himself. There are flames shooting up from the catwalk and at the top of the stairs. The platform glows with multicolored squares.

There's no doubt that he's creative. If he were to give Uglyville and its inhabitants a chance, he would surely flourish. Because Lou is essentially doing the same thing that the Uglies do at the end of the movie. He's bringing color and life into such a drab Institute. All the greyscale buildings and scenery are dull. But Lou is trying to spice things up with everything he adds to it.

And, regardless if this is another tactic of his to get dolls to stay, I think he enjoys it himself and still has to have a lot of imagination to pull this stuff off.

A counterargument to this would be: "But what about how he doesn't like the Uglies playing with the glue? Or when UglyDog dances to distract the metal dog? Or when they use their own imagination to get past all the hurdles he puts up for them?"

My answer: He really has to shut them down.

Like, the factory is still there. There's an invisible line that Lou can't cross that's between what he can do to make things his own and what he can't do because the factory still has rules in place for him.

A note right quick: Anytime I mention the factory's control over Lou, it should be noted that I'm taking creative liberty with the statements. Because the movie never specifies how much influence (if any) the factory has with the dolls or Lou.

Thinking

I love this one. I love it mainly because it seems like this is a forced trait Lou has trained himself to have. I was earnestly surprised when he got "thinking" over "feeling" because it would make more sense if he was guided more by his emotions, right? I mean, so many of his mistakes have been traced to his lack of control to hide or quickly amend his emotions.

But that's where thinking comes in.

A creative liberty I've taken on the movie is that Lou sent Ox to the recycling pipes in a blinded heat of emotion. In my prequel (it's not finished so don't get excited) I have it leading to the point where the two brothers eventually split. Ox and Lou have this whole plan that if Ox can prove he's perfect enough then the robots and the factory will allow him to stay with Lou. However, Ox can't quite shake the desire to go to the Big World.

To make things short: Ox runs Gauntlet, Ox almost goes through portal, Lou is devastated by the potential betrayal and abandonment, Lou's emotions take over.

I say all that to say this: Lou has conditioned himself to push his emotions back for the sake of not getting too attached or losing control again.

Maybe he feels remorse for leading Ox to his potential death. Maybe he doesn't want to seem sporadic to the other dolls by the influx of different emotions.

As I and my best friend Natalie also theorize, Lou was not made with emotions. Therefore, he has limited to no knowledge of how to handle them and thus finds it easier to simply push them away altogether.

I came back from a coffee break in the library and forgot my previous thoughts for this section SO I'M MOVING ON.

Judging

Now, I should probably explain that judging in this sense is not the "wow, you're ugly" kind of judging. This is the opposite of prospecting. Essentially, it deals with how people prefer to tackle goals.

People with the Judging trait prefer to have backup plans, strict deadlines, and explicit ideas for how to execute their plans. So on and so forth. This is the opposite of people with prospecting who prefer to "cross that bridge when they get there."

Lou shows this a lot with the fact that he teaches. Teachers have to plan out their lessons and are working with a timeline. Lou also seems to have this plan set in place early on in the movie on how to deal with the Uglies. I believe the only time he changes plans is when he meets the Spy Girls in the pipe after Mandy and Moxy's abduction. As well as when he (most likely) made the minute decision to run the Gauntlet with them.

Not much needs to be said for this one, so I'm jumping on to our last point.

Turbulent

Ya'll are gonna be surprised by this one. The two options Lou could have gotten for this one are turbulent and assertive. Assertive is self-explanatory, but to add more depth, it regards their self-reflections.

Turbulent essentially means that Lou lacks self-confidence. That may come as a surprise because the movie portrays him as an arrogant, self-righteous person. On the contrary, most people that are like that are actually insecure.

Let's be reminded of the fact that Lou keeps his true nature of being a prototype a secret. It's kind of the main thing about him that isn't revealed. He also says this during the scene in the pipes:

"Everyone says: Oh Lou, you're so nice! You're the best! Do you know how long I've worked for that adulation?"

How long he worked for the adulation. He had essentially been trying to improve his reputation with the other dolls. He's tried proving himself to them. Now, the movie sets it up where the other dolls are working on their appearances and behavior to gain rapport with Lou.

So, why would Lou feel the need to have a good reputation with them? He's the leader.

This is also taking creative liberty, but maybe it's to convince himself that he can be a prototype and still be loved. He was so insecure -- and still is -- about his true nature that he was doing everything in his power to gain their love and adoration in case there came a day when they found out he was a prototype.

Now, this begs the question as to what he's been told about himself to believe that being a prototype is a bad thing and that others believe the same. But I won't dive into that for this post.

And imagine his surprise (which is scene during the scene where they toss around his fate with different options) when all that work he put toward gaining their adoration was still for nothing. The fact that despite all he did to show himself as a nice, genuine person (regardless if it turned fake, it had to be real at some point) was in vain. And the only thing they cared about was the fact that he wasn't a real doll.

But there's my long rant on that. Again, if you'd like to read more on this personality type, which includes: romantic relationships, friendships, workplace habits, and more then feel free to click the link at the beginning of this post.

And here's the tentative list for the next CTA's I'll be doing, unless I get an ask for a character prior to me writing it.

Mandy

Ox

Moxy

Nolan

LuckyBat

Wage

Babo

Tuesday

Kitty

UglyDog

Some characters that are given some limelight (like Lydia) are being excluded from this list because they are not given enough screentime/dialogue in order to fill out the personality test accurately.