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ear-worthy · 1 year

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Spectacular Failures: A Podcast That Declared Victory About Defeat

In June 2019, a business podcast was released by APM Studios that defied convention.

Why? Because business podcasts that celebrate success are as numerous as the pixels on a 4K television. Inspirational stories about Jobs, Gates, other quasi-demented tech startup wizards appear like pop-up ads on podcasts earnestly attempting to revel in the success of others.

The message is clear to aspiring entrepreneurs” “You can be like them.”

On June 17, 2019, this new podcast appeared on the business landscape.

It was different, maybe even blasphemous.

The new podcast focused on failure.

And not just run-of-the-mill failures like Gymboree, Things Remembered or Payless.

These were colossal failures. The defeats that people talked about for years. The failures in which even casual observers said, “What were they thinking?”

That new business podcast, was, of course, the Spectacular Failures podcast.

In its words, here’s how the podcast self-described: “Host Lauren Ober tackles some of the most spectacular business failures of all time, and what could have been done to avoid them. Some of these stories are shocking. Some are funny. Some are just downright sad. But each one will give you a totally new perspective on big business… and big failure. “

“Business successes can certainly teach budding entrepreneurs what to do,” begins business expert Clay Burton. “And business failures can also teach aspirants what not to do.”

Origin story

The podcast was sponsored by the prestigious Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota and is produced by American Public Media (APM).

At the time, APM produced a host of well-known programs and podcasts including BBC America, Marketplace program and podcasts such as Decomposed (about classical music and its impact on society), The Splendid Table about food culture, The Uncertain Hour about origin stories and a growing roster of other well-crafted podcasts.

In June 2019, Spectacular Failures broadcast its first episode about the failed amusement park of former tel-evangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. Heritage USA was built by the Bakkers’ PTL Club in York County, South Carolina. The concept was a Christian-themed amusement park with the King’s Castle as its centerpiece. Opened in 1978, the park attracted more than six million visitors a year at its peak and employed about 13,000 people. By 1986, a high-profile sex scandal, tax violations, financial malfeasance and wild overspending had driven out the Bakkers and tel-evangelist Jerry Falwell took over the park. By late 1989, the park was closed due to bankruptcy and remained in ruins until 2013 when it was purchased by real estate developers.

“There are plenty of business failures in our economy every year,” begins business expert Clay Burton, “but I think Spectacular Failures does an excellent job finding those failures that relate a morality tale of how these business failures violated key basic rules of business success such as customer focus, a willingness to adapt to changing market conditions and prioritizing quality over profit.”

Burton points to the episode about Schlitz Beer and how its drive to put cost-cutting and profits ahead of delivering a quality product ultimately alienated loyal drinkers.

The next episode about MoviePass and its clumsy and often-comical attempt to upend the purchase process in the movie theater industry led to angry customers, massive losses and a founder with a propensity for self-denial. Interestingly, however, out of the ashes of MoviePass and its subscription-type model for movie attendance, large movie theater chains like AMC (AMC Monthly Pass) and Regal (Regal Unlimited) have developed and marketed their own subscription model with sustainable pricing and simpler terms of service.

Style and substance

Spectacular Failures didn’t just abandon the familiar playbook for business podcasts — earnest, sober and pedantic — it unearthed a quirky tone that seamlessly switches between being hilarious and whimsical. And that playful mood emanated from host Lauren Ober, who easily navigates the serious with the silly. Ober’s resume includes hosting and producing WAMU & NPR’s The Big Listen. Before hosting, Lauren was an award-winning public radio reporter, producing stories for outlets like NPR, 99% Invisible and Criminal. Ober once won a regional Emmy and is a graduate of the Transom Story Workshop, Syracuse University and American University.

In the episode about the largest funeral home consolidator you’ve never heard of called the Loewen Group, Ober detailed how the hubris of Ray Loewen ultimately upset the industry and its customers, culminating in the group’s loss in court against a Mississippi funeral home owner who won a $500 million lawsuit. In the episode, Ober highlighted her grandmother on her father’s side who was so comfortable with the concept of death that she was considered “a professional funeral goer.” Ober’s Dad was interviewed and describes the unique wish of the grandmother to be laid out at the viewing in a particular nightgown. Ober then knitted her grandmother to the bankruptcy of the Loewen Group by describing how “Grandma Ober” had paid for entire funeral expense in advance and how people felt a community closeness to the local funeral home and not to some corporate giant trying to slash services to make its “roll-up” strategy successful.

A Kodak Moment

One of the most fascinating episodes from a business strategy perspective had to be the long and painful decline of one of America’s iconic companies — Kodak. Host Ober and her team gave us the long-time employee perspective of how the company splashed around in the shark-infested waters of technological change before finally drowning in denial, missteps and missed opportunities.

The Kodak episode brings up the essential question for any dominant business. Do you stick with your profitable product or service despite the fact it is being supplanted by innovation, or do you move away from your historical cash machine and step into the uncertain domain of new markets replete with uncertainty, lower profitability and questionable customer acceptance?

Spectacular Failures deftly presented listeners with the ultimate business irony. While Kodak’s film business was shrinking, the company did pioneer new digital photography innovations. Despite its technological progress, the company could never abandon the security blanket of film’s profitability and largely ceded the digital market to competitors that eventually resulted in Kodak’s demise.

Three of a kind trumps two pair

The last episode of season one was undoubtedly its most difficult.

The episode was about Donald Trump’s multiple failures in the Atlantic City casino market. In such a polarized political environment, Spectacular Failures and Ober deftly thread the needle by focusing on Trump’s cascading gaffes in Atlantic City, ranging from the construction of the decadently ornate Taj Mahal casino and Trump’s cannibalization of his business by owning four casinos in the same market.

The podcast detailed the intercession of Trump parent Fred in an illegal bailout of his son that was ultimately caught and fined by the state’s Casino Gaming Commission. As Trump endured multiple bankruptcies, the podcast rightly notes that Trump himself had very little at stake financially and the real losers were banks, investors, vendors and consumers.

Season two and beyond

After the success of season one, Spectacular Failures produced a season two that was released in August 2020 and ended in October. Episodes of note included fast-fashion retailer, Forever 21, Countrywide Financial, and Pan Am. The podcast was hitting its stride.

Then Spectacular Failures disappeared. But the show’s episodes are worth your ear time, despite the podcast no longer actively producing episodes.

Listen to Spectacular Failures, seasons one and two, here.

#podcast #business

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hydrus · 2 years

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Version 492

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I had a good week mostly cleaning code and adding some things for advanced users.

highlights

If you are in advanced mode, the file sort and collect controls now have a 'tags' button. This lets you determine which tag service that particular sort/collect applies to. If you are this tag-clever, let me know how it works for you. This tag button is the same thing that autocomplete dropdowns use, and I expect it to soon get a 'multiple location' makeover like the file button did with multiple file services.

The archived file delete lock (under options->files and trash) gets a pass this week. If you try to delete files that are currently locked, it now makes a popup with a button to see those specific files, so you can decide what to do. The duplicate filter also handles the different situations (like 'archive both files' + 'delete the worse file') better.

The duplicate filter also now shows if one or both files have an ICC profile.

The shortcut actions to 'move page selection home/left/right/end' now try to stay on the same level if you hit them several times. If you use these actions, try them out through a mix of page of pages and you'll see how it works now. It remembers the current level within three seconds of the last move event. This was requested by several users, and there isn't a nice way to do it so I hacked an answer, so let me know what you think.

full list

sort and collect updates:

for big brain users, the collect control now has a tag domain button. it only shows if you are in advanced mode (issue #572)

the sort control also has a tag domain button hidden behind advanced mode. it applies to system:num tags and namespace sorting

the collect control now appears on all import pages

archived file delete lock:

the duplicate processing action code now no longer archives files that are due for deletion right before that deletion. this was hitting the archive delete lock

if archive delete lock is on and the 'other' file in the duplicate filter is archived, the option to 'this is better, delete the other' is now disabled

if you attempt to delete a delete-locked file during normal browsing, or if an automatic system like export folders wants to but fails on some, a popup is now made with a button to show the files that were filtered out so you can review the situation and fix it if you want

I am considering adding a dialog to say 'hey, this is locked, want to send back to inbox?' to fix these situations in a nice way, but I think this is probably a bad idea in terms of workflow, design, and my sanity given all the edge cases and potential future expansions of lock rules. maybe I'll add a simple 'delete and override lock checks' option, but a lock is a lock tbh. for now, I will focus on this better UI feedback of currently delete-locked files and make it simpler for humans to remove any locks

misc:

using black magic, I have made it so the shortcuts for 'move left/right one page' 'and 'move home/end' do not dip down to the lowest level of a neighbouring page of pages for the next command. it now stays on the current tab level for three seconds after the most recent move command. this works in testing but may be jank in some IRL situations, so if this matters to you, let me know how it works out

fixed a bug in 'do a full metadata resync' that meant unprocessed row orphans were not being deleted, which lead to lingering 1950/2000-style processed gauges that didn't actually cause any work to be done on 'process now'

the duplicate filter now shows if one or both files have an icc profile. for now the score for this is always 0, neutral

I think I have reduced general lag on some busy clients

code cleaning and minor fixes:

refactored file viewing stats management to a new database module

refactored file physical storage management to a new database module

cleaned up an ugly bridge that made inbox/archive work and moved it all to a clean new separate database module

improved some client file physical storage repair code, both in how it repairs and how it recovers in the current boot

updated the yes/no dialog texts when you apply 'not related' or 'alternates' to a selection

added a bunch of tooltips to the 'speed and memory' options panel. also clarified the example image sizes in number of pixels

improved how my grid layout propagates tooltips from the widget to the text when the widget is compound and in its own layout

consolidated where the delete lock test occurs to just one location for db, gui

added infrastructure to filter and report delete-locked files. callers no longer care about specific lock rules, opening this up to future expansion

cleaned and simplified some duplicate action processing code

cleaned up some file collect code, optimised it a bit too

the sort control now only changes sort type on mouse wheel events if the mouse is over that button

renamed 'tag search context' to 'tag context' across the program, mirroring a recent change with the location context, and gave it some bells and whistles. in future, the tag context will hold multiple tag services

wrote a new button to edit tag contexts

next week

Next week is small jobs. I have a bunch of different things piled up that I want to get to, and I'll see if I can catch up with some longer term bug reports too.

#release

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nixonnixon36 · 2 years

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foldagerborg8 · 2 years

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ive-tumbled-down-a-rabbit-hole · 3 years

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Rain in Gotham

Meet Cute Monday 13

A sort of meet cute. It's a meeting at least.

Text in [ ] is meant to be french but it required more brain engagement than I have available to translate and construct so cheated instead so I didn't butcher the language.

Masterlist

MCM Masterlist

Next Sunshine in Metropolis

…………………………………………………...

Marinette's week had been hell. Interning tasks at Style Queen were starting to get more challenging with Audrey's increasing demands since opening a new office in Gotham… why was she chosen to go here, who knows?!?! Who the hell understood Audrey's logic?

The interning (which counted towards her grade!) was impacting her ability to keep up with her online assignments easily. Why did she choose Style Queen to intern at? She had experience with the Bourgeois! She knew it would be challenging to keep on top of everything, but even still…

Running through the rain, she was about a block away from her shared apartment when she felt her phone go off. Speeding up she managed to duck into her apartment building before the heavens opened even more. Groaning, she could hear someone playing loud music already as she looked at who had messaged her. Reading the message she felt like she could cry. Making a rash decision she quickly wrote a message.

To Luka: [r u @ ur Gotham Appt?]

To Luka: [could I crash there? Maddie is planning to have 'guests' round for a 'few drinks']

To Luka: [why did Audrey set me up to have to have a house share?!]

To Luka: [I can hear the music from the entrance!! And it's not even decent :'(]

To Melody: [I'm in Japan with Gami at mo. U have a spare key to appt right?]

To Melody: [Kim and Max may b there. Kim had a competition or is gonna have a competition. Can't remember dates but know they had plans on crashing.]

To Melody: [this is the third time in a fortnight. R u ok Melody?]

To Melody: [wish u'd just move into the appt. Or house sit for me. Would make us all feel better.]

To Luka: [Ta Lulu. I'm fine. Just can't face dealing with crowds/noise today.]

To Luka: [I'm starting to think it might be simpler.]

To Luka: [I just don't wanna deal with drama it would cause tho]

Marinette had wanted to have a quiet evening catching up on shows and eating ice cream before having to deal with the looming assignments. She knew that the music was coming from Maddie. She knew that her plans were now down the drain. She knew Maddie's text of a few pre-drinks translated meant a lot and a house party till late and THEN going out. Which indicated she'd be home early in the morning?! Sleep wasn't on the cards.

Thank Kwami for Luka for being the amazing friend he was. She was extremely grateful that he (Jagged really) decided to buy an apartment in Gotham so they could have a place to stay when visiting her. It was a weak attempt to get it for her but she had refused, though after having to live with Maddie it was getting more and more tempting.

Sighing Marinette looked back out the door. The pelting downpour from earlier finally was starting to lighten to a heavy stream of water leaking from the sky. She still didn't really trust public transport or taxis in Gotham. It wasn't dark yet. If she dashed she should make it to Luka's place in time. Maybe…

_______________________________________

Okay, she hated her life decisions. Luck was not on her side as the rain decided to act like a continual tap. With the winds included meant that she was soaked through and cold on top of it and travelling took much longer as she worked against the weather. Only a few more blocks and she'd be at Luka's apartment her mind supplied.

As she bundled into the elevator she auto piloted, pressing the top floor buttons and shivered. Even now Marinette was out the weather she could feel the cold seeping into her bones. Being attuned to a ladybug was now not helping her at all. She stumbled out onto the top floor Marinette fumbled for her key to Luka's apartment and tried to get the door to open.

After a few (lots) of failed attempts she gave up and knocked heavily hoping Kim or Max was there. Kim gave amazing hugs and she craved having the familiar warm embrace after an awful day. She could hear faint shuffling and noises coming from the apartment and faintly smiled with relief that Kim was in and leant against the door waiting for him or Max to let her in.

Waiting a few moments later and the door opened and she tumbled into Kim's arms. He'd changed the shower gel he used but his it was familiar warm muscles that she fell into were bliss compared to the cold. Suddenly the whole days… weeks… everything, it felt like a deluge of emotions rushing to the surface and Marinette cracked. Large sobs and overwhelming exhaustion shook through her body and she let it out leaning against Kim trusting him to protect her like he did when they were small. She felt his arms slowly wrap around her and stroke her back in comfort.

_______________________________________

Kon stared at the woman in his arms. This was not what he had expected when he answered Tim's door. He knew it was too soon for the takeaway delivery despite what Tim and Bart said, but having a sobbing drenched freezing cold woman in his arms was not what he had anticipated when answering the door to Tim's nest. Given her distress and tears Kon cautiously wrapped his arms around her and stroked her back, unsure of what else to do.

It was only due to his super hearing he could make out her woeful mumbles about not being able to go home, Luka saying to crash at his and that she was relieved that he and Max were here as she could really do with seeing some friends. Not really understanding why, he succumbed to the urge to tighten his hold on the woman and start to hum a tune he'd heard Lois use on Jon when he was upset hoping it would help soothe the woman. She tightened her embrace to him on the humming appearing to melt into him in comfort. He knew there was a big mistaken identity going on but he was drawn in to try to help her. He was a hero after all.

"Kon? What's taking so long with the food? I'm staaarrrrrrrrrrrrvinggggg!!!!"

Bart's voice echoed down the hall, semi preceding his inevitable speedy arrival as he came in the pursuit of food.

"Errrrrr Kon? Whose that? That is not our take away?"

Before Kon could reply the tearful woman looked up from Kon's chest and took in her surroundings. The look of sheer panic that crossed her face as she took in that she wasn't where she thought she was as she started to fight to escape Kon's grasp. Kon glared at Bart before he went back focusing on the distressed woman.

"Shhhh…. Hey there, it's ok. You don't need to panic. I think you've got the wrong address but you seemed so distraught I thought it would be best to comfort you first…."

As the woman blushed a brilliant red, Kon released her from his arms and rubbed the back of his neck. This was so awkward. Why did he go along with this, it would have been better if he told her first. He was a genius, except in social situations. Kon was thankful Bart was about. As Bart, being Bart, quickly stepped into help.

"Hey, Miss. You're drenched. You can't go back out in this weather. You'll get ill."

In a snuffly voice Marinette started to reply, “I’ll be o..” when her phone started blaring out Jagged Stone, “Excuse me, I need to get this.” Picking up the call she put the phone closer to her ear.

"[MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG WHERE THE HECK ARE YOU?!?! ARE YOU OKAY?!?! HAVE YOU BEEN KIDNAPPED?!?]"

Marinette immediately tore the phone away from her ear as she heard Kim screech down the phone. Kon winced at the volume while Tim entered the hallway to investigate why food was taking so long.

"[Heeeey Kim…. I'm… I'm ok. Are you at Lulu's?]"

"[YES!! NOW WHERE ARE YOU?? MAX AND I ARE WORRIED! IT SHOULDN'T TAKE THIS LONG FOR YOU TO GET HERE! AND IN THIS WEATHER!! DO WE NEED TO COME AND GET YOU… MAX SAYS WE NEED TO COME GET YOU. WHAT COORDINATES ARE YOU AT??]"

Marinette shrank into herself biting her lip with anxiety as she heard Kims loud worry. She could easily picture him pacing and Max fretting.

Seeing the woman curling up, Kon placed a grounding hand on her shoulder gently rubbing it slowly in hope that she may find it reassuring from the shouting she was receiving. He didn’t completely understand the language but he could hear underlying anger within the tone. The twitch of a small smile he got suggested it may have helped.

"[I got the wrong apartment building… I'm sorry for worrying you. I’ll look at the map when I finish the call and work out where I am. It shouldn’t take much longer to get to his.]"

"[DC ARE YOU SAFE? NEVER MIND MAX HAS FOUND YOUR COORDINATES! WE WILL BE THERE IN TWO TICKS!!]"

"[NOoooo!! Kimbo! I promise you I'm ok. Max *doesn’t* need to *magically* appear to save me. I will ask the people whose apartment I knocked on where I am and work out how to get to you. I'm not completely hopeless, I can look after myself! Don't snort! I am perfectly capable to head over to Lulu's you don't need to come get me.]"

"[Like hell are you coming over on your own in the dark DC. See you soon.]"

Marinette looked at her phone and groaned that Kim had hang up on her. She glanced at

the men in front of her before timidly stating, “Ummm, sorry about that. My friends should be here shortly. I’m sorry I got the wrong address. I’ll just go downstairs and wait for them.”

The men shared a glance seemingly to have a silent conversation, and before she knew what was happening the red head grabbed Marinette and started to drag her into the apartment. Looking over his shoulder he shouted to his companions.

"Go grab some towels Kon. Tim can you see if Steph or Cass have left some clothes here. She isn’t going to wait to be collected drenched."

Kon shook his head at Bart's antics as he encouraged the woman into the bathroom to dry off in a very Bart like manner as he wandered off to find some towels, leaving Tim to close the door and go find some dry clothes.

_______________________________________

Less that 5 minutes later huge banging noises could be heard at the apartment door. Marinette had just been given some clean clothes to change into before the man she cried on said to stay in the bathroom before standing guard in a protective stance.

She could hear loud shouts and crashes from outside the bathroom. It was only when the noise got closer, she groaned and figured out it was Kim. Cautiously she exited the bathroom to find Kim in a headlock by the man she cried on (she really needed to get their names) and Max being restrained by the red head.

“MARI!!! YOU’RE OK!!”

“Yeeeeesssss, I told you I was. I would have been fine to make it to Lulu’s on my own once I figured out where I went wrong.”

“From your location and starting point, you took a left instead of a right two blocks back. Almost the correct location. You got the right floor and apartment number which indicates you weren’t completely out of it. Taking a taxi would have been far more efficient in this weather Mare. You know the cold doesn’t agree with you. We were worried that you’d pass out on route to Luka’s.”

Kon looked at the dried woman, Mari, and saw her friend’s assessment was correct with the shivering she was still doing. Dropping the guy he was holding, Kon grabbed the blanket off Tim’s sofa and went to drape it around the freezing woman rubbing her arm to try get some warmth into her.

“He’s right. You’re cold still despite getting dry clothes on. We have a takeaway come soon which will help warm you up. Let get you a warm drink now though. You’re still shaking.”

The guy Kon was hold, marched up and shoved Kon aside and wrapped Mari up in a hug and glared at Kon over his head. Max rolled his eyes at his boyfriends antics.

“[You can let Mare go Kim. She appears fine. Just cold.] You mentioned Mare was drenched when you found her. Thank you for making sure she dried off and warmed up. She really would have passed out. I’m Max by the way. The glaring overgrown monkey is Kim who is hugging Marinette.”

“[Nope! Can’t hear you Maxie. She had me worried.] Lulu would kill us if we didn’t make sure she was safe Max. I’m being extra sure she warms up, plus Mare gives good hugs.”

_______________________________________

An hour later Marinette found herself on a sofa with the remains of a Chinese takeaway, the blanket still draped over her and sandwiched between Kon and Kim. Both appearing to be protective of her. Kon trying to keep her warm and Kim fussing that she wasn’t eating enough. They all seemed content chatting away around her allowing Marinette time to collect her thoughts and process the chaos she had unintentionally created. She was drawn into conversation by the Redhead opposite her.

"Are you okay? Kon mentioned you said couldn’t go home and were planning on crashing at your boyfriends."

Bart managed to say between mouthfuls of what was left of his meal. Marinette, drawn out of her head, blinked before nodding in reply. Taking a breath.

"Not boyfriend. I'm…. okay….. It's been a bad day… week and I… thought Kon was someone else… Kim… who you spoke to... I didn't mean to have a breakdown on you…"

She shot a guilty look towards Kon before looking down at the bowl of food in her lap. Kon understood now why she had him confused with her friend who shared a similar body shape to him and seemed to be treating her with a similar protective streak.

Marinette still playing with her food in the bowl she whispered.

"Thank you… for all this. I’m sorry I ruined you trip Maxie, Kimbo. And I wasn't expecting this level of kindness. You didn't have to do all. It's Gotham, you don't even know who I am?!"

Her breathing shuddered as she felt the weight of the day catching up with her. Looking up with shimmery eyes darting between all the men. She felt Kon gently place a hand on her back and make soothing motions. She sent him a weak but thankful smile in response before leaning into his touch, closing her eyes savouring the warmth. He seemed to exude warmth and comfort which she was craving after having the cold seep into her bones and the disaster of the day. Moments later, panicking that she was being weird so returned her gaze to the food she was pushing around in the bowl.

Having still avoided the question Kon, still rubbing her back, enquired "Is your home life safe?"

"My housemate is…" .

Kim laughed, “Housemate! That selfish excuse of a person. Mare! Luka told us this would be your third time staying at his apartment this week!” “Fortnight,”

Max continued where Kim stopped, “It’s the same difference. Statistically speaking you are increasing your visits there with each month passing. Living with *her* is stressing you out, which increases your stress with work and studying. And it’s too near Crime Alley for any of our likings.” “It’s out of the immediate radius,”

“The probability of you getting caught in an attack, mugging, robbing or trouble is 79.92%. Just move into Luka’s for us.”

Kim stared in horror at Max. “That probability is too high!" “I’ll be fine. I'm walking luck."

"Gezhekjxk, this is Gotham!" Tim choked out but was ignored by the Parisian trio.

"Agreed. Best way for us to enact Plan H is to now drag Jagged into it.”

"Nope. Nuh uh! No way! You *do not* get to call Uncle J! He'll insist on a bodyguard as well as buy me another Penthouse and… and… just go overboard. I can't live like that! I'll be trapped. I like faceless living."

Marinette pouted, crossed arms and collapsed backwards into the sofa next to Kon and grabbed the blanket to cocoon herself.

"Mare…"

"Nope! Please guys… just… just no!"

Bart shared a look with Tim before smirking at Kon. “Kon’s a bodyguard, I’m sure he would be willing to assist. Timmy is in a similar position and is rather well known so often has Kon assist. But also has a list of others he uses. I’m sure he’d be willing to offer up Kon.”

“WHAT?!?!” “What!!” “Interesting”

Kim and Max shared looks. They’d observed the closeness that Kon was getting to their friend. It was a perfect “Ayla-esque” solution before grinning back into the room.

“Pass me the details and I will look into it. Thank you, Tim, Bart”

Next Sunshine in Metropolis

#maribat #maribat au #ml x dc #dc x ml #mlb x dc #dc x mlb #marinette x kon #kon x marinette #konette #konetto #ml crossover #meet cute monday #meet cute

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professorpski · 2 years

Photo

Legs Like Giraffes, or It’s the 1970s: McCalls 8257

For most of the 20th Century, fashion silhouettes took the typical female body and stretched it or squeezed it into a shape that only a handful of unusual women actually possessed. Bare legs in public made their debut with the mini-skirt which left men ogling and women turning to pantyhose in the 1960s. By the late 1960s, pants became the far more comfortable option and women bought pants in relief. Since pants were only seen on women for active sports wear or dirty work, it took a few years for enough people to agree that women in pants were properly dressed for work or any other public occasion. As you can see, once pants were embraced, the supposed length of women’s legs shot up accordingly. By 1975, somehow we measured 4-5 times as long from foot to waist as from waist to shoulder. Which is most unlikely.

This style move came along with an attempt to simplify home sewing. So here, you see how the usual waistband and zipper were abandoned for a pull-on elastic waist. Simpler to sew, true, but also lumpier with so much fabric drawn in at the waistline. Such waistlines were impossible to keep neat with a belt over it (trust me, I tried) despite what the illustrator drew for the skirt version on the right. These garments were made of wovens, not knits, so they could not have that close-to-the-body waistline that our leggings currently have. You best bet if you like the look is to try some rayon challis or silk crepe with enough weight to be pants. The also recommend lawn and cottons types, but I would use those only for the square top.

Another style move was the use of squares in the one top. This was probably inspired by the failed experiments of the era turning wash cloths, dish cloths and bandanas into clothing. And also possibly inspired by some attempts to use bias cuts without the effort of an entire dress. See how they take a square piece of fabric for the sleeves and simply let it drop along the bias. You can also see what a range of lines was being offered in this decade with the squared neckline and sleeves versus the curved tie-in top which features a large back collar, akin to the bertha collar.

Notice too, the range of looks : from the sporty/casual woman in pants and the squared top, to the daring woman in the tie-top with low neckline and bare midriff, to the more demure look of a long skirt and the squared top. Which seems to cover the whole range of attitude towards the results of the fashion and sexual revolution of the 1960s.

This pattern has been re-issued in modern sizes and you can find it in your local fabric store, or here online: https://somethingdelightful.com/mccalls/m8257

#mccalls patterns #mccall pattern company #mccalls 8257 #1970s fashions #women in pants #1970s #vintage sewing #vintage dressmaking #sewing #dressmaking #making #makers #costume history #dress history #fashion history #vintage fashion #diy #diy projects

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violet-knox · 3 years

Note

heyy :) I saw that your asks were open and of course I read your rules before coming here and I was wondering if you can write an adult snape fic where the reader is a fellow professor that he’s know from his childhood and they start to rekindle thier relationship

thanks in advance and keep up the great work !! <33

Gifts of the Past

Pairing: Snape x Professor!Reader

Summary: Severus thought his week couldn’t get any worse after finding out he’d need to teach his Slytherin’s to dance until Dumbledore announces the arrival of a new Professor joining the staff.

Word Count: 6207

A/N: So when I read these requests, this idea formed in my head and I couldn’t help but merge them (side note: as the first request didn’t specify a gender while the second did, I adhered to the first). I hope both requests were satisfied while also providing a unique piece to the ever growing list of snape x reader stories on here and I hope you enjoy it! Thank you to both anons (I’m assuming you’re two different people) for your asks and your kind words!

Also I know the gif I picked is suggestive but the reader is gender neutral which I’m proud of because it was very difficult to keep it that way with the dancing scenes. I just thought the gif was so beautiful when I found it, just look at that cuff 🤤 but the gif choice doesn’t hint to the reader’s gender or race as it may appear.

Nothing could have brightened his mood more than the thought of him walking into the Great Hall and finding the entire school deserted. It was really the only way Merlin could make up for the hand he’d been dealt this year and every other year since Potter invaded Hogwarts. This year however, the boy was clearly attempting to test his natural gift to bring trouble as the past three years hadn’t provided him with sufficient danger to prove his talent. It was bad enough he’d brought such a dangerous tournament to the school, but of course he had to go and get himself picked despite being underaged. Severus felt like he hadn’t gone a day without stressing since Dumbledore first made the announcement about the Triwizard Tournament and just when he thought things couldn’t get any worse, the old Wizard had to instruct the head of houses to prepare their students for the Yule ball, as if the schools only Potion’s Master didn’t already have enough on his plate.

He’d spent the rest of the day sulking after his attempts to persuade the Headmaster someone else should take up the privilege of teaching his Slytherin’s to dance failed. Sleep could barely find him last night as he kept hoping he’d wake up from this nightmare, that the universe would cut him a break, but it was clear as he walked by the tables housing the school’s guests, his eyes shooting Dumbledore daggers as he passed the smiling man on his way to his seat at the high table, that he wouldn’t rest so long as Potter slept under the same roof as him. He slouched in his seat and waited for the day to begin so he could look forward to its end, staring so hard at the table before him, he was sure it would eventually catch fire if food didn’t replace his rage soon.

Dumbledore stood and cleared his throat to make his morning announcements, Severus finding himself focussing his anger towards him the more he rambled on about the first task and the current status of the tournament. His resentment towards the man only grew as he mentioned the Yule ball until he introduced the new professor who would replace Septima Vector for Arithmancy until the end of the year, a very familiar name washing away all his anger and replacing it with absolute horror. His head snapped to the side as he watched you stand with a smile, waving at the students who clapped for you. Severus’ eyes widened as he forced himself to join them, giving a few shallow claps but finding himself unable to slip out of the astoundment he found himself in.

You smiled and looked over towards Severus as you sat back down, sensing everyone’s anticipation for breakfast to begin. You caught his eye and saw the shock written all over his face before breaking your stare and shifting your eyes to your lap. At least the expression on his face told you he hadn’t tried to ignore you when he’d walked right past you this morning to his seat at the high table. There were no words to describe how you’d been feeling today. Nervous about your first day as a professor at Hogwarts, concerned about being accepted into the family of staff, anxious to see Severus again after all these years and absolutely heartbroken when he didn’t even acknowledge you as he walked past you like you meant nothing to him.

The food appeared in front of you not long after you sat down, but you could hardly find your appetite as you felt Severus continuously glancing your way every chance he got. You did your best to chat with your new colleagues, keeping up polite conversation as they ate while you picked at your food. You watched Severus chug whatever beverage was in his goblet as he left his own plate completely untouched. He was the first to leave the table, watching with a frown as he slinked away behind some side door with no idea where it led. You let out a small sigh as you sat back in your seat, beginning to wonder if this career choice was a good idea. When Dumbledore approached you, mentioning Severus was now teaching at Hogwarts, serving as Potion’s master and Head of Slytherin, you felt excited. You’d missed him over the years since graduation, finding yourself regretting a lot about your relationship as time went on. But you’d taken this job offer as a sign to reconnect, a second chance to do what you didn’t have the courage for back during your school days.

You were so naive back then, thinking letters would be enough to keep you in contact with him after graduation, that you were closer to Severus than it seemed, but it was nothing more than a silly illusion created by your imagination. Looking back, you’d found yourself always claiming there was no good time to tell him how you felt, that you really liked him as something more than just a friend, but that was just an excuse for the fear you held onto every time you thought of him rejecting you. After seeing how close he was with Lily, how he buried himself in his schoolwork and made new friends when their friendship burned to the ground, you’d tried to push yourself, to be there for him and show him there was still someone in his life who thought he was worthy. But no matter what you did, you felt nearly as invisible as you did now, and perhaps in all these years since the war had ended, nothing had truly changed.

One by one, professors and students began to file out of the Great Hall and as the room emptied, you slowly began to find yourself in complete distress, unsure of what to do about Severus, about this job and your possible conflict of interest. Pushing through, you tried to ignore your feelings and all thoughts of the Potion’s Master to focus on your classes. The day went by faster than you’d initially thought, each class easier than the last as the students seemed to accept you and your teaching style. Before you knew it, dinner had rolled around and knowing Severus had skipped lunch, eating nothing at breakfast, you anticipated seeing him already seated at the high table when you entered the room. Pausing a moment, you debated on what you should do, but your heart had already decided for you, your feet walking faster than you could process until you found yourself taking a seat next to him.

“Hi Sev.” You spoke in such a low voice, soft yet reserved, like you were introducing yourself to a complete stranger. It saddened you that you felt so nervous with Severus when you used to be so close once upon a time. He looked back at you with those wide eyes of his and the more you stared into them, the more you felt like you didn’t know him at all.

“(Y/N).” He stated your name with just a hint of surprise in his tone like his child-self was introducing you to him. He’d spent the day with such a headache thinking about what happened this morning, about you and everything that’s piled onto him. When he thought of you, he remembered the childhood friend who’d stuck by his side, who he’d taken for granted and who he could talk to about anything. But he struggled to feel that way again, to feel comfortable enough around you to open up to you and he wished that wasn’t the case. He needed someone to talk to, he needed someone there by his side these past few miserable years, but he could see now that he truly wasn’t deserving of such a thing, that he’d forever spend his life alone because that’s the card he’d dealt himself all those years ago and he had no right to try and get back what he’d lost.

“It’s nice to see you again.” You smiled, hoping this dense air between you would lighten with a bit of small talk. You wanted to tell him how much you missed him, his friendship and how close you once were. Everything was so much simpler back when you were eleven, still new to Hogwarts and oblivious to the world’s problems. Now, everything was different. You were both grown adults with responsibilities, changed as people and you weren’t even sure you’d mix well with him anymore.

“You too.” Severus happily retorted your attempt at making small talk, desperate to clasp at anything that could restore your lost friendship. Even as food appeared before him, he made no notion of filling his plate, his attention instead lay completely with you. “I-I had no idea you were joining the staff this year.”

You broke your gaze from his eyes and looked down at the table filled with food, your goblet was full and ready to be drunk, every other person in the room already indulging themselves in a well deserved meal. Looking over at Severus’ plate you found it as empty as yours, like he hadn’t even noticed the food had appeared as his eyes continued to study you while you slowly began to fill your plate, feeling less and less hungry as the seconds ticked by.

“It was a last minute decision,” you said, continuing to avoid his eyes as you began to nibble on a muffin. Severus watched you a moment, feeling comfortable enough to eat for the first time that day as he picked up a sandwich.

“I’m glad you decided to take the job,” he said, keeping his gaze on you as much as he could before munching on his food. His tone sounded so sincere and you couldn’t help but stare at him, wondering how he truly felt about you being here. This morning, you’d felt so hurt by his cold shoulder, almost ready to quit if things didn’t go as well as they did during your first lesson for your classes throughout the day. Now, here he was claiming to be happy you were sitting here beside him, and you so badly wanted to believe that.

“Oh?” you asked curiously, hoping he meant what he said, hoping there was a chance to at least regain your old friendship. “Because it didn’t seem that way this morning.”

Severus’ eyes suddenly took on the weight of the world as he looked down at his lap. You could feel his own disappointment in himself, his shoulders slouching, his hair falling over his face in the same way it always did when you were kids. Clearly things hadn’t changed that much, and you were almost happy to see you still knew him as well as you did.

“I apologize. I admit, you’ve caught me in a rather unpleasant mood,” Severus stated, feeling guilty for how he’d acted this morning. You were right. He should have said something to you, noticed you before Dumbledore spoke your name or at the very least came to find you earlier in the day to apologize sooner.

“What’s on your mind?” you asked him, relieved his stiffened attitude wasn’t the doing of the fact you’d re-entered his life. You turned your body towards him and began to feel like a child again, meeting Severus outside in the courtyard to talk about your day, to let him unburden his issues on you as you comforted him.

“There was a Head of House meeting yesterday. We were told by the Headmaster the responsibility of preparing the students for the Yule ball lay in our hands.”

You smiled, surprising a giggle as you remembered the night of Slughorn’s party, Severus tripping over his own feet when you asked him to dance with you, though you didn’t blame him for it after he’d just gone through his growth spurt. He had no such excuse now of course, but you could tell he hadn’t danced since that day, that he worried about how a lesson may go with his students, especially after the reputation you heard he held as a professor at Hogwarts.

“If you’d like, I could help with your lessons,” you offered without a second thought.

“You would do that?” Severus looked at you in awe, rather stunned by your selflessness after how he’d treated you. He couldn’t believe his luck, how you’d shown up just in time to help him with a secret he’d been dreading would be the talk of the entire school after he failed to teach his students to dance. He could only imagine the loss of respect he’d gain after working so hard to earn it all these years, how the students would make fun of him, how he’d never be able to step foot in the staffroom again without being ridiculed.

“Of course. Anything for an old friend.” You sounded almost hurt as you spoke, knowing he’d likely see you as nothing more than an old friend. But if the universe had placed you in this new job, pushed you to him, perhaps you were meant to take the second chance and risk your current relationship with him. You were after all being trusted enough to help him develop his dancing skills, something you were sure the scary professor of the dungeons wouldn’t easily entrust to anyone. “Care to begin after dinner?”

Severus nodded with a smile, a look of content settling on his face and for a moment, you could have sworn you saw his eyes twinkle, something you hadn’t seen since the first day he’d stepped foot on Hogwarts grounds. You both continued your meal, Severus feeling calmer as he continued speaking with you, catching up on what you’d been up to all these years. Thoughts of the tournament, the upcoming war, the Potter boy’s knack for finding trouble slipping his mind if not for a brief moment. He allowed himself instead to turn back the clock to a time much simpler than his current life, a time where Lily was still alive, where he still had a friend who cared about him. He’d taken for granted so much of his life as a boy, so much of his younger years spent filled with hatred and resentment towards those he blamed for making him miserable that he’d missed all the good parts he could only hope to regain now as an adult. You were the one constant in his life, the one thing that didn’t complicate his life, the one person he could count on and he’d completely dismissed what you had to offer. He was a fool for focussing on what he didn’t have rather than what he did have, a greedy teenager who should have seen what was right in front of his eyes.

Finishing off your food, you followed Severus down to the dungeons once the crowd of students had scattered throughout the castle. You walked alongside him, unable to help yourself from smiling at how easily you’d both settled back into your old selves, back to when your only concerns involved grades and who would win the next Quidditch match. You felt oddly nostalgic as you looked around the potion’s classroom, the layout exactly the same as when you were a student. You took your time to look around as Severus wove his wand and cleared some space. Walking up to the desk at the front of the room, you picked up the old quill sitting next to a pile of scrolls in the corner.

“You still have this?” You smiled as you ran the tips of your fingers along the feather, still intact and preserved rather well after all these years. You could still remember the look on Severus’ face when you’d given him the quill set you’d spent the majority of your money on for Christmas in your seventh year; complete shock with a dash of regret that he couldn’t afford something equally as stunning. He’d promised that one day he’d repay your kindness, that when he’d made something of himself, he’d buy you something worth ten times as much as the quill set that had gotten him through his Potion’s Mastery and all his days as a professor.

As time passed, the memory the quill held began to fade and slowly, he’d forgotten the promise he made. He walked over to you and took the quill from your hand, realizing just how much he truly had to make up for after all these years. He set it back down on the desk and began to wonder if Merlin had sent you here for a reason, if his redemption wasn’t just about protecting Lily’s son, but about reconnecting with those who’d supported him, who he’d brushed away and to take the second chance at a normal life he was being offered.

“I never thanked you properly for that gift,” he said under his breath as he stared at the quill, now the centerpiece of his desk, a new reminder for what he owed you. His eyes filled with longing, the sparkle you saw earlier slowly dwindling away as he hung his head low. You looked at him with such awe. Life had not been kind to him since graduation, that was clear through the weight he carried. He frowned when you asked him what he’d been up to since you last saw him, flashes of all his mistakes, all his sins passing before him. You could see it and it pained you to know that he hadn’t lived through the dreams he’d once shared with you as a child.

“You don’t need to thank me Sev, that was a long time ago,” you told him with a smile, beyond touched that he’d kept something as simple as a quill when you knew he could afford much better now. He’d taken care of it, even kept the original nibs that came with the set and the inkwell which no doubt had to take a chunk of his time just to clean it out and refill.

Taking his hand, you led him to the center of the classroom, turning to face him, gently positioning his hands to begin your first dry run of the dance you would soon share with him every evening before bed. His limbs obeyed you as you took his hand and pressed yourself to him, closer than you’d been all those years back when he’d first danced with you.

“Just, take it slow and let me lead. And then we can switch,” you whispered to him as you began to sway across the floor. The room fell into a soft silence as you led him, his feet struggling to follow yours at first, but he was a quick study as usual. Eventually, you felt confident enough in his movements to let him lead, switching position as you continued to sway in silence, Severus’ eyes lost in yours until the minutes passed by, turning into days. Before you knew it, you’d spent every evening after dinner for the past week with Severus, dancing with him for hours until it was time for bed.

You’d never felt so close to someone as you did with him now, like that missing part of your soul had finally found itself again. A week had passed, yet you felt like you’d lived here for years as he had. Every time he held you in his arms, your heart slowed to match his even beat, your eyes flickering between his and his lips. You wanted to tell him how you felt about him, how much you’d admired him, how you’d always loved and cared about him even when he didn’t notice you, but every time you tried, your heart collapsed in on itself, stopping you in fear of ruining what you had now just like it had when you were kids. The emotions you felt when he pulled you closer were too much, when he looked deep into your eyes and gave you that smile like he was trying to bring you both back to that night at Slughorn’s party, how different things may have turned out if he’d known how to dance. Perhaps you would have had the courage to tell him how you felt then, kissed him before he’d tripped over himself. Time was such a delicate fragment in the ensembled artwork of the universe, affected by every movement, every word spoken by every human being on earth.

Looking into his eyes, you saw that same twinkle he seemed to only let shine for you. It had been him who’d insisted he needed to practice again and again every night. It was him who’d always led you to his classroom, locking the doors and even bringing music to keep you both company as you danced the night away. He was as mysterious as the students had said, as lonely as your colleagues had told you, but you didn’t want to believe it. He was still that boy you met in the library in first year no matter the life he lived.

“Severus?” you whispered, his face so close to yours, his hands holding yours tightly. He looked at you with wonder, waiting for your words, for the question he knew you’d kept on the tip of your tongue since the day you'd arrived. He feared it, worried about what you may think of him if he answered it truthfully. He had yet to share everything about his life, how he’d betrayed your memory, his promise to you, that he was to blame for the death of their friend. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

You sounded so nervous, your eyes shifting down to look away from him and his concern suddenly grew. He stopped his motions as he held you still, waiting for the words he feared would slip your tongue. His hand tightened his hold on you, needing you to stay with him, to keep him company. You’d become the only thing this past week that kept him at peace, that kept him alive. He looked forward to your evenings together, the thought of simply swaying through the classroom the only thing keeping him whole.

“What is it?” he mumbled cautiously, a bit of resentment present in his tone.

You’d terrified him, you could see your words worried him to no end. You couldn’t tell how he would react if you told him the truth and you weren’t sure if you could handle it. You’d both cherished every moment you had together again, cherished the past, the present and the future you could see alongside one another, but you weren’t sure how much you could bear the days if all he saw in you was an old friend. Thoughts of how happy he’d seemed the last few days roamed in your mind, playing on repeat, bleeding into your childhood memories. You could almost feel your emotions reciprocated as you looked at him, your chest pressed to his as you leaned in, Severus frozen in his place, his mind blank with awe.

Words could never be enough to describe how you felt, to tell him how much he meant to you. But Severus was never one with words anyways, never caring for them as he always read people better through their actions and as he did so now, he wondered why of all the people in the world, why of everyone you’d met in your life, he was the one you wanted to be close enough to press your lips to his. He wondered what made him so special, why he was so lucky to have you showing your affection for him through the gentle touch of a kiss. Your lips were barely parted, moving slower then he had when he danced with you. He could feel your nerves as you kissed him slowly wither away when he kissed you back.

Your hands grasped at him, and for a moment, when he felt you pull your hand away from his, he thought the moment had ended, only to be snapped back into it as your fingers were buried in his hair. Your free hand tugged at the ascot he wore, Severus finding himself pulled into you as you walked backwards, your lips never leaving his. You moved your lips eagerly until your back hit the wall, pulling Severus closer as you encouraged him to press himself into you. He moaned into your kiss, his hands wrapping around you, one pressed into your lower back, the other between your shoulder blades. His senses heightened as he tried to memorize the feeling of your kiss, of your figure under his fingertips, your chest against his, your legs entangling themselves with his.

You were almost disappointed when you both parted for air, huffing as you tried to catch your breaths, but the look on his face was more than worth the loss of contact. He looked as if he was still questioning reality, like he wasn’t sure about your intentions and of course, as before, words couldn’t help him make sense of the situation. Your hand slipped out of his hair instead and cupped his jaw, your thumb swiping across his cheek as he nuzzled into your touch. You could see the weight of the world returning as his smile weakened, his eyes closed as the soft sound of the music filled the room.

It broke your heart to see him like this, like he found himself unworthy of love, like he thought himself destined to be alone. You began peppering him with light kisses over his cheek, his nose, his jaw, what little skin of his neck you could reach until you finally saw his smile returning to his face. He opened his eyes and held his hand up to press against yours, still nuzzling into your touch as the twinkle in his eyes sparkled brighter than before.

“I’m not the same person you once knew,” he whispered, his heart breaking with every word, his instinct to push you away overtaking his need to have you as close to him as possible. He could hardly believe you felt this way about him, that after all these years, he’d been blinded by his own hatred to see what was in front of him and here he was trying to ruin what had yet to even be explored.

“Well, I’d be willing to get to know the new you if you’ll allow it,” you said softly, smiling as you showed no interest in running away from the spark between you.

“(Y/N), there’s something about my past you should know-”

“Sev,” you interrupted him when you saw the hurt in his eyes, the pain he brought on himself during such a sweet moment. You’d waited years for this day, and you weren’t about to let him ruin it when you knew he needed a moment like this. A short period of time to simply exist in the presence of someone that loved him, to forget the rest of the world and live in the moment. “You don’t have to tell me anything now.”

You knew he wasn’t ready, that he was only pushing himself to tell you whatever it was weighing on him because you’d kissed him. But you could wait until he was comfortable enough to share, until the time was right and now was not that time. You’d learned a lot this past week, how truly stressed he was, how the Yule Ball was far from the only thing that had him stressing every second of every day. He needed a chance to relax, to find harmony in his life and whatever secret he wanted to tell you would do the exact opposite.

Severus smiled as he felt the tension ease off his shoulders, the sound of the music returning to his ears. He reached down and took your hand, slowly stepping away as he led you back to the center of the room, offering to finish your dance, unable to thank you enough for all your patience, for everything you’d ever done for him. You happily obliged and danced the night away once more, looking forward to repeating your new routine tomorrow and the day after that until the holidays finally arrived.

He couldn’t count how many times he’d danced with you, how many kisses you shared in between, yet this morning felt nothing like the last few weeks. Today, he was to dance in front of his entire house with you, to teach them what you’d taught him and though he was utterly grateful for your lessons, he couldn’t stop the shaking pressure he felt for his reputation and the reputation of his house. He wanted to make you proud today, to help his students excel and to keep the school from spreading awful rumours like it had when he was young.

Tightening his ascot, he smoothed over his robes and ran his fingers through his hair a few times, sighing as it lay as flat as the pancakes he’d never managed to master whenever he cooked for himself. He held his head up high as he left his chambers and walked down the hall to his classroom, met with the majority of his house already waiting outside his door. You were nowhere to be found and he could hardly wait for this day to end. He let his students shuffle inside as he prepared the room for the lesson to come, minutes passing by as more students passed through those doors, but you had yet to arrive. Time was nearing and he was beginning to worry you had decided against aiding him in this particular lesson. He looked at the clock and sighed as the seconds hand passed twelve, indicating time was up.

“Gather around,” he commanded the room as silence fell around him, all eyes gleaming at him with anticipation as he felt his heart pounding with fear. “The Yule Ball, is a celebrated event taking place on the night of Christmas Eve; a tradition carried out for centuries and as students of the hosting school, students representing the house of Salazar Slytherin, I expect nothing less than an adequate performance from each one of you when the night arrives.”

Severus spoke to each of his students, walking down the classroom, eyeing each and every one of them. He did his best to keep his mind off of you, trying to stay focused on the task at hand instead, but you’d been at the forefront of his mind for so long and as much of a skilled legilimens as he was, even he wasn’t susceptible to the effects of the love you had for him.

“Now, the core event of the evening will of course be the dance. As such, today’s lesson will concentrate on the development of your dancing skills,” Severus froze in his place, losing his train of thought as his eyes met yours. You stood there with a smile behind all the students, closing the door behind you. “A demonstration will be presented, and you are each expected to pay attention as none of you will leave this room until you’ve performed well enough to uphold the reputation of your house.”

You pressed your lips together as you watched him address his class, rather taken back by his dominant presence. You couldn’t believe this was the same shy boy you’d met all those years ago, the same one that would rather be left alone than be placed in front of a room like this but you felt oh so proud of him and everything he’d accomplished thus far. “Professor (Y/L/N), if you may join me.”

He held out his hand for you as you stepped forward, the students parting like the sea as they stared in awe. The shock on their faces shouldn’t have surprised you, since you’d had many of them come complaining to you about all the Potion’s assignments they were being dealt, but you’d known Severus for so long now, you couldn’t imagine having any other relationship with him than the one that had blossomed over the last few weeks.

Severus led you to the centre of the room, waving his wand and allowing the music to fill the room before positioning himself waiting for the right moment to begin gliding across from floor with you. His eyes never left yours, his feet moving so elegantly. It felt nothing like the dry runs you’d done with him over the weeks, like he was almost trying to impress you. You missed how close you were to one another as you danced now, eyes all on you. But most of all, you missed the twinkle in his eyes, the smile he wore on his lips as he held you so sincerely.

“Pair up and start practicing,” he ordered and immediately you watched his students obey. It wasn’t at all like what everyone had said about the Potion’s Master. It wasn’t fear that commanded them, it was the respect and admiration they had for their Head of House that pushed them to follow his instructions without question. You smiled at him as you both continued to dance, the students following your movements, many of whom continued to look over to you as an example.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” you whispered to him. Slowly throwing your arm over his shoulder to get as close to him as he’d allow in front of the students. “I was looking for this.”

You showed him your wrist and watched him let his guard down if not for a split second. His eyes analyzed the old green ribbon you had tied around your wrist, almost as well preserved as the quill he kept on his desk. He watched it disappear as you placed your hand back over his shoulder, memories of the first time you’d wrapped it around his wrist for good luck when Slytherin was playing Gryffindor in his first year during the Quidditch finals swarming his mind. That was of course, the one and only time he saw his team win the Quidditch cup during his days as a student, his first and only time to have worn that ribbon, giving it back to you in complete dismissal after the game. He’d abandoned you that night, choosing to party with his housemates who he hoped to fit in with over the simple celebration you’d invited him to. You looked so hurt the next day and it took a long while before you spoke to him again. But despite the horrible memories, the guilt he felt now, you’d still kept that ribbon and it warmed his heart.

“I thought since you were so nervous about today, I’d wear it for luck,” you told him, hiding the fact you’d tossed the ribbon in the bottom of your trunk after he so rudely dismissed you, never to see the light of day until now. You’d debated tossing it out throughout the years, but you could never do it. It served as a reminder for what you’d almost lost, for the love you still carried and the potential your relationship with Severus had.

“(Y/N), I-I’ve been meaning to ask you,” He whispered in such a low voice, you could hardly hear what he was saying, his words spoken for your ears and yours alone. “Would you accompany me to the Ball?”

“Of course, I will.” You happily accepted his proposal as you continued to sway in his arms, your conversation coming to an end as a new song began. Severus stepped away from you, his hair covering his smile as he composed himself to address the class, instructing his students to continue practicing. You both spent the remainder of the evening helping the students, waiting to be alone once more as rumours spread throughout the school of Professor Snape’s dancing and his surprising partner. Many had looked forward to the sight, wondering how he may fare on the dance floor, though no one expected to see the grace in his movements and the chemistry between you.

He’d spent all those nights with you in the hope’s rumours wouldn’t spread through these walls, but he supposed there was no avoiding it and if talk had to have spread, he was at the very least glad it didn’t tarnish his reputation. You and he would of course never hear the end of it from your colleagues; the first of the Hogwarts professors to have a chance at maintaining a relationship whilst holding a job at the school, many of whom still remembered teaching you as students. None of it mattered to him though. They could all talk as much as they liked, he would forever keep you close to his heart, safe from the rest of the world and cherish every moment he had with you so long as you allowed him in your life. He was utterly grateful for the second chance he was given, the one good thing to appear in his life amongst the sea of never ending darkness and he couldn’t have imagined any better way to combat it than to do it with you.

A/N: Can you tell I’m not a dancer? 😅

So this didn’t turn out exactly as I’d hoped. It doesn’t feel as organic as I wanted it to be, but then again, I can’t really expect it to feel organic since the dance lesson wasn’t in the books. Still, it was fun to write and I found myself restraining myself from going on forever with this story. I hope you found it refreshing and entertaining nonetheless. And who knows, maybe I’ll do a part 2 one day with the actual Yule Ball 😁

As mentioned previously on my schedule update post, I’m discontinuing my tag list so this will be the last time I tag anyone on any one-shots. Thank you all for sticking with me, your support truly means the world to me and I hope you’ll continue to read what I have planned for the future 💜

@sleepysnapesnake @wanderingtrails @darkthought15 @bush-viper-cutie @fluffymadamina @dracos-mudblood @mitchiesdungeon @severuslovebot @ravenhopeflyte54 @cuddlebunny0330 @flowerdementia

#Severus Snape #Severus x reader #Severus Snape x reader #one shot #Snape x reader #my fanfic #my writing #pro snape #snapedom

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rocksandrobots · 3 years

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Fanfic Fashion - Engagement Gown

So in this episode, Rapunzel tries to booker a peace treaty with the Saporians by canceling the Day of Hearts and replacing it with a new holiday called ‘Unity Day’ to symbolize, what she hopes will be, the end of the second Saporian/Coronian war.

The Saporians surprisingly agree to the truce, however Rapunzel’s idea of ‘Unity Day’ is just to repurpose and repackage old Hearts Day traditions.... this goes about as well as you would think.

Anyways she talks Varian and Honey Lemon into participating in the ‘new’ tradition of signing the ‘Shampanier Scroll’.

Below is a segment from this episode... so spoilers

Varian starred up at the hastily repainted ‘Happy Heart’s Day’ sign in annoyance. All they had done was cross out the ‘Heart’ with a big red X and then wrote the word ‘Unity’ above it. It was tacky and lazy, and it pretty much summarized everything that was wrong with Rapunzel’s plan. They hadn’t even let the paint dry completely before hanging it up and the rose-colored paint ran down the banner making it almost ineligible.

It made Varian angry. This was their best shot at ending the war and Rapunzel threatened to ruin it all with her thoughtlessness. And the worst part about it all, was that the princess genuinely was trying. She wanted this peace more than anyone, but she was unfortunately too inexperienced and shortsighted to enact her attempts at diplomacy with any sort of tact.

She barreled on through with her ideas, ignoring how pressed for time they were, paying no heed to the nuances of history, culture, and tradition, and generally failing to listen to anybody. It was a surprise that Andrew and the rest of the Saporians had even agreed to go along with this mess.

It was more than surprising; it was suspicious.

Varian would have much rather spent the whole event with the Captain helping to maintain security. He didn’t trust Andrew to keep his word anymore than he trusted a storm cloud not to poor down rain. Unfortunately, Rapunzel had insisted that his participation in the festivities was vital to the negotiations.

Many of the smaller villages were sympathetic to the Saporian cause, including most of the former residents of Old Corona. As one of them, Varian was one of the few people in a position of power that they trusted. Seeing him agree to the truce and take part in the ceremonies could help to bridge the gap between the islanders and the folks of the mainland, which in turn could put pressure on the Saporian forces to keep up the peace.

It was all just political theater, and Varian hated it. He hated having so much responsibility. He hated having to plaster a smile on his face and pretend that everything was okay when it wasn’t. Mostly though he hated how his private affairs had become public spectacle.

Everyone knew that he was in love with Honey Lemon. That was no secret. The townspeople even referred to her as ‘the alchemist's wife’, which made Varian cringe whenever he heard it. Not only was it inaccurate, but he also felt that it was disservice to Honey Lemon herself since she was a brilliant chemist in her own right. Still their relationship, as rocky as it was, had always been between the two of them up to this point, and not some show for people to gawk at.

“I got the scroll!” Rapunzel sang out, carrying a roll of paper with her.

“And explain to me again how this is any different from just signing Herz Der Sonne's journal?” Varian asked, exasperated.

“It’s a scroll.” She said, pointing to it as if such a superficial change mattered. “Also it belonged to General Shampanier, the person who helped to end the first war, so it’s both Saporian and a symbol of our new truce.”

Varian folded his arms and looked at her as if she was the dumbest person alive. “General Shampanier? The same general who is still deemed a traitor by the Saporian people to this day... Gah, Rapunzel! Why do you think they all hate Heart’s Day to begin with!?

Rapunzel only looked up at him with big wide eyes and a pout on her face as she clutched the scroll. It made him feel guilty, which only made him even angrier. He wasn’t the one who was jeopardizing everything that they had worked for with their stupid schemes.

“Well, then just don’t mention that it belonged to her.” A voice behind him gently suggested.

Varian turned around when he heard Honey Lemon’s voice, and his breath caught in his throat at the sight of her.

She was radiant.

Varian had sewn a new dress for her, just for the occasion, along with Faith’s assistance. His friend had found some old tablecloths that the royals were just going to throw away. Instead they had rescued the material and together had made a fancy ball gown of linen and lace, with Faith giving input to the design. Varian knew nothing of fashion nor of women’s undergarments, and was grateful for her advice. Especially, now that he saw what it look like on the love of his life.

It was cream colored and trimmed in off-white lace. Both the skirt and sleeves proofed out in soft folds of fabric, framing her already slender waist which was fitted in a golden threaded stay. The collar was also made of lace and hung off the shoulders revealing Honey Lemon’s swan like neck, which was adorned with a simple gold chain. Varian wanted nothing more than to trace kisses along those shoulders and hear her gasp in delight whenever he would reach the nape of her neck, but not here. Not with everyone watching them.

Instead he reached out and kissed her hand. As always, she wore the platinum promise ring he had given her back in San Fansokyo. He kept it’s matching half on a chain close to his heart. He had been but a boy, foolishly high on his own hype, when he had first proposed to her, and she, perhaps foolishly herself, had believed his grand proclamations. He had broken so many vows since then, made her cry so many times. He didn’t deserve her, and yet here she was, still refusing to leave his side. Hopefully today would be the day that he could finally give her the other half of that ring and keep his promise.

He tucked a stray bang of her hair out of her face and behind her ear and then in the same motion caressed her cheek. She nuzzled his hand and held it there with her own hand. She looked up at him with the sweetest smile, and his heart melted. He could get lost in her hazel eyes forever, the rest of the world be damned. Everything else about her was appealing to look at as well. From the delightful dimple in her chin, to her elegant long nose, to her fiery read hair that refused to stay in place. It was all imperfectly perfect, just like her.

“Do you like the dress?” He asked her.

“I love it.” She breathed. “Especially, the flower crown.”

Varian had spent hours that morning making the blasted thing. It was still February and there hardly were any blossoms to be had, and so he had scoured the country side looking for them. The end result was less grand than he had hoped for, but Honey Lemon had seemed to like the simpler style. It was an Old Corona tradition for bride-grooms to pick the flowers for the bride’s crown. True they weren’t having an actual wedding, yet, but Varian wanted Honey Lemon to feel special on this day, anyways. Just because the ceremony was performative, didn’t mean that his love for her was.

#varian #honey lemon #varilemon #of rocks and robots #spoliers

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linkspooky · 4 years

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Eren and Historia

Eren and Historia have a connection to one another. No, I don’t think they are romantically connect, nor do I believe they are co-conspirators plotting to destroy the world together. However, the narrative is pushing the idea that Eren and HIstoria are somehow connected and continually pushing them next to each other. Eren kissing Historia’s ring is the trigger for his vision that commits him to the path of destroying the world. Eren uses Historia as a reason to accelerate his plan. Eren confides his plan solely in Historia. The reason this line is drawn between the two characters is that they are CHARACTER FOILS. Eren and Historia are two people who seem like opposites but they’re actually incredibly similiar to one another. Almost too similiar to ever et along. The extreme similarities between Eren and Historia, and their character foiling underneath the cut.

1. Historia’s Regression

So I’ve gotten countless asks on my opinion of Historia’s behavior in the final arc. My opinion is that we’re being shown the result of her regression to her pre-uprising arc self. Is this the best writing choice for Historia’s character? I do not know. There are two schools of literary analysis that boil down to “Is the writing good?” or “what is the author trying to say?” and I much prefer to stick to the latter. I think the text is attempting to portray Historia regressing on her character arc, and as a person to mirror Eren’s own regression.

Everybody is regressing in the final arc. Armin lets his poor self-esteem sabotage his decision making ability like he did in Trost. Mikasa is struggling to find a way to live without Eren and see herself as a person seperate from Eren because of her codependent nature, once again like Trost. Annie wants to pretend that this all has nothing to do with her, like in the female titan arc. Hange can’t make a decision without Erwin around and wants to leave it all up to him even though he’s literally dead. The characters in the final arc are written as still struggling with what we think they should have gotten over with in earlier arcs. Heck, Jean still beats up Reiner over what happened to Marco.

It’s not because after all this time the characters haven’t progressed in their character arcs at all. It’s because the story structure of Attack on Titan is chiastic. The beginning and the end are written to mirror each other.

Chiastic structure, or chiastic pattern, is a literary technique in narrative motifs and other textual passages. An example of chiastic structure would be two ideas, A and B, together with variants A' and B', being presented as A,B,B',A'.

Sometimes instead of character development being a straight journey from point A to point B, it’s instead more like a helicopter hovering around the point, continually circling it. The character has brief moments of revelation where you think they’ve had their big change only to regress later. Lemme use this example from Tokyo Ghoul to illustrate my idea.

A character seems to be progressing, and we believe they are, only to regress in the end. I think narratively there is a very strong reason for Isayama using this style of character development. Every single major character is either a child soldier right now just barely on the cusp of adulthood, or they like Levi were child soldiers at one point or another. The adults, few that they are, are all either cast as incapable of acting as strong decisive role models (Hange) or are killed off eventually (Erwin).

It’s like what Magath expresses in his final words, these children were never allowed to have a normal life because of him. If the narrative is about the evils of using child soldiers on both sides, both the Scouting Corps and Marleyans, then it would make sense that every single character is portrayed as either a child unable to grow up or an adult that has continually failed them.

What we are being shown is every major character with an arc struggling with being unable to truly grow past who they were as children. Even when given the oppurtunity to grow, they falter with it, because they are child soldiers stunted by their trauma and that’s not an easy thing to overcome. Rather than a straight line we’re shown a circular process. Gabi and Falco are the only characters being shown with fully straight line arcs, but they are also far simpler than the other characters because they are children, and not stunted adults acting like children. Armin is passive, day dreaming, indecisive like he was when he was a child. Mikasa is overly attached to Eren like she was when she was a child. Heck, even Connie’s major flawed decision this arc is wanting his mother to return. Whcih is a symbol of wanting to return to the safety of childhood that he was suddenly and abruptly cut off from.

Okay, that was a long tangent but I hope I have made my point on what I mean by regression. Eren and Historia are paralleled with each other because they more than anyone else, are regressing to their childhood selves. Where we see at least hints of progress with other characters (Armin, MIkasa, Jean) indication that they will eventually rise to the responsibility of adulthood we see only stagnation for these two characters. It’s because once again Eren and Historia are incredibly similiar as people. Heck, even the fact that they’re regressing the most is paralleled. The same chapter in which Eren declares he’s using the child Ymir’s power to destroy the world, we’re shown a flashback of Historia first and foremost.

Eren empathizes with little girl Ymir, and Historia was told as a child that she should learn to be like Ymir, always kind and always putting others first. They both see themselves in Ymir and it symbolizes why they are connected, because deep down they are both that powerless little child.

There are two big connections between Eren and Historia immediately. Number one is that the inciting incident of their trauma is the same. Yes, Historia grew up in a household where she was eteranlly bullied and belittled where Eren grew up fairly love and secured but they both suffer from the same traumatic incident.

A titan suddenly killed the person who was the symbol of unconditional love and security in their lives, for Eren it was his mother, and for Historia her older sister. In a situaiton where they were completely powerless, they watched a titan kill their security and destroy their home and are rendered homeless children after that point. They both join the titan corps as a way of survival. The reason that Eren is shown encouraging his father to pull the trigger and completely eliminate the Reiss family, is because narratively these two events are supposed to be connected. They’re narrative parallels. Eren suffered the loss of his mother which is the root of his trauma, and then has a hand in inflicting that same trauma on Historia.

They are two people connected by the nature of their worst trauma and what it did to them. Every time they try to progress as people, they instead regress because what happened then was so fundamanetally damaging it robbed them of the ability to be able to grow up. They will never feel like they have the security that children need in order to grow into adults.

Historia and Eren are mirror images even in their lives. Eren is an ordinary child given an ordinary childhood. Historia was marked as different from birth and raised as a special person. However, they ended up in relatively the same position. They both regress. The nature of Eren’s regression should be obvious because he’s trying to destroy the world. In essence Eren has remained the same character all throughout, his primary goal was to kill all the titans beyond the walls, it’s just his target that has changed.

So, let’s focus instead of how Historia has regressed. I will say before I begin though that Eren and Historia regress as opposites. Eren will always choose to be active, even if it means stealing agency from others. Historia will always choose to be passive, even if she has power over others. When they are pushed into a corner by circumstances they fall back on their worst habits and that’s why we see them regress. Externally, they have different mechanisms to handle it. Eren steals agency, Historia gives up agency. Internally, it’s practically for the same reason, because whatever security they have is continually ripped away from them leaving them unable to grow as people.

So what is Historia’s regression? Basically Historia, like Eren is lacking of a sense of self. Historia has no consistency deep down to show who she is. Even with most of the other characters as childish as they can be have this, Mikasa is overprotective and likes family, Armin is a dreamer who wants to explore the world, Annie is self centered and wants a peaceful life. Eren even comments about this in regards to himself when comparing himself to Eren. Eren centers himself around violence, war, and his hatred. Armin has something else besides fighting, in order to build himself around. Therefore, Eren considers himself lacking as a person in comparison to Armin. Who would Eren be if he wasn’t trying to destroy all the titans? That’s a difficult question to answer.

Historia is much the same way. Historia builds herself and her self of identity around the roles that other people ask her to play. The little girl Ymir is kind because she always did what others ask of her. Historia is always performing some role for the sake of everybody around her.

I wouldn’t say that Historia’s arc in Uprising ends on a triumphant note, but rather an ambiguous one. The arcs aren’t lines, they’re circular. Historia even questions herself if she’s moving for the sake of herself or others.

Here is how I see uprising. Your interpretation might differ. Historia steps out of the role of Krista. Historia, tries to be herself for a moment. At the end of the arc, rather than true liberation Historia chooses to step back into the role of queen. The only slight progress made is that she doesn’t entirely listen to Erwin’s orders. However, even her act of slaying a titan within the wall was a pre-planend action, a performance. It’s just one Historia altered slightly to give herself a more centered role.

If Historia is not someone moving to help others than who is she? We know she’s spunky, angry, etc. etc. but as a character she hasn’t really developed goals or wants and needs outside of that. We continually see her on the brink of that point, but never quite crossing the line.

Eren and Historia are at the center of their existence very performative people. The reason nobody quite understands Eren is that he’s always putting on an act around other people.

Eren and HIstoria even doubt the same things in chapter 68. That is to say, they doubt themselves. They doubt if they are really truly people who are capable of moving for themselves. Eren sees himself as someone who has nothing special about him, and therefore doesn’t matter. Deep down he’s always viewed himself as a weak and pathetic person. Historia doesn’t think she’s capable of making decisions for herself. It’s because they’ve been continually made to feel helpless all of their lives, that they doubt themselves to this degree.

Their response to this is to perform for everyody else around them. Eren si continually performing as this super strong, determined child ready to fight the whole world. Whereas, Historia is performing in the roles that other people give her. She is Krista Lenz. She is the queen Historia Reiss. She is, always, always, always, what other people need her to be. Whereas, Eren performs what he wants to be, which is powerful.

When Historia and Eren break down it is shown just how deeply similiar they are inside. They become what they continually are made to feel like, helpless children. Eren is constantly boasting about how he is going to kill all the titans, and yet deep down he’s always believed that he was all talk and that for him there was nothing behind those words.

It’s the same for Historia just in an opposite direction. Historia is constantly talking about helping people, but deep down she doesn’t see herself as a genuinely altruistic person. Not only does she see herself as helpless (therefore incapable of helping people because she can’t help herself) but she sees her motivations for helping people as selfish.

In the Uprising arc we even see this parallel. I mean I know many people interpret this as Historia’s big moment of independence, which is also a valid interpretation. I’m just giving you my interpretation. I also see this as Historia having a massive mental breakdown in the middle of a crisis moment. When they are pushed to their absolute limits and they can no longer pretend, Historia and Eren both break down and we see what they view themselves as. Eren sees himself as a crying and begging child insignificant, unpowerful, and helpless. Historia sees herself as a selfish child and a bad person. This is also something that reflects their upbringing. Historia was continually made to feel selfish due to being an abused bastard, for wanting even the most basic necessities a child needs like love and security. Eren had his security ripped away suddenly when his mother died and he was at the time, a helpless, crying child only able to watch.

When Eren breaks down he says the same thing always. Nothing has changed from back then. Nothing has changed from when I saw my mother died. When Historia breaks down she says she can’t live up to the expectations of other people around her.

Eren and Historia both see themselves as fundamentally unable to change from who they were as children, and that’s why we see them regressing to their most childlike selves here in this final arc.

2. What is the point of Uprising Arc, then?

I know I read uprising differently from most of the people on this site. However, I’m not saying that Historia didn’t grow in Uprising at all, or even that she doesn’t have a chance to grow. Honestly, I think Uprising does a good job at portraying the complexity of Historia’s character and why it’s really, really hard for her to grow in a straightforward manner. She’s not really the heroine of the story where she defeats the bad guy, and then overcomes her flaw in a dramatic fashion at the end of the arc.

Okay, so I’m going to try to address how Historia’s arc is still... you know, an arc, even though it doesn’t continue on in a straightforward fashion from Uprising. Uprising isn’t pointless because it shows us the great depth and complexity of HIstoria’s character, and also establishes why it is so hard for her to change. It’s not a straightforward arc, more of a dig into her psyche. Historia steps out of the role, Historia tries to be true self for a moment, Historia steps into another role at the end of the arc. It may seem pointless to read it this way, but I’m going to try to dig in from this point forward to show the complexity that this demonstrates.

So, like I said Historia is a character who lacks a sense of self. The reason that Eren perceives this of her so strongly that it’s what forges their friendship in this arc is because Eren is the same way.

Eren picks up on the fact that Historia was always striving to meet the expectations of everyone around her, because Eren is very much the same person. The kill all the titans thing is an act. Everyone around him believes it to such an extent that not a single person, even his closest childhood friends understood him enough until it was too late.

Eren also tells Historia he sees her as a normal girl, because it’s who Eren wants to be accepted as, but feels like he never can be. Before I go into uprising itself there’s the big inciting events for both of them that lead into where their characters are in the lead up to Uprising.

Eren and Historia both have a moment with their respective love interests in the prelude to this arc. Historia begs Ymir to come back with her so they can both live on as themselves. Mikasa tells Eren that he doesn’t need to be able to defeat titans, that what he did for her was showing her the small kindness of wrapping her scarf around him that day was enough for her.

It’s Mikasa and Historia who reach out, but Ymir and Eren both refuse that closeness. Eren chooses to fight, and Ymir chooses to sacrifice herself to Reiner and Bertolt.

I know a lot of people take issue with this writing choice, but sorry this post isn’t about the quality of the writing, just how it all comes together in the big picture. The point is, Historia and Eren are both offered what they have always wanted which is to live as themselves with a person who loves them for who they are only for it to get them taken away.

There’s also an interesting irony written in Ymir’s death. Historia has always idealized the path of a martyr. She always thought living a good, selfless, altruistic life is what would earn her the love of her sister.

Part of the problem is, the only source of love both Eren and Historia has was taken away so suddenly. Historia got the idea in her head, that all love was conditional and she had to act good in order to earn that love because love was never freely given to her. So Historia’s martyr act is a way to earn love. However, Ymir’s choice inflicts upon Historia the pain other people feel when she decides to martyr herself.

The path of the martyr isn’t a good one, it’s thorny, and wracked with pain. What Ymir does is a genuine act of altruism. She makes a choice out of sympathy for both Reiner and Bertolt who have suffered all their lives just like her, and also a belief her sacrifice will buy something for HIstoria in the bigger picture. It’s at least partially an altruistic decision, and Historia’s not happy about it at all, she’s downright bitter. Because, Historia isn’t the altruist deep down inside she pretends to be. Historia idealizes self sacrifice and selflessness, but when faced with the harsh reality and consequences of such behavior she realizes this is not what she wants.

Ymir’s death throws the narrative Historia has always held onto into question, because she’s now the victim of somebody else’s self sacrifice. By killing herself, Ymir has also deprived Historia of her place in the world. Which sends her into self doubt. This moment of reflection is once again where we see the real Historia.

Eren calls out the fact that Historia is actually very selfish. When she’s not performing goodness, most of her worries and actions are centered around herself. Everyone is out risking her lives, and Historia is kind of busy like “Who am I? Why won’t people love me for the real me?” These questions are selfish because they are focused and centered around the self. Historia is, egocentric in the way a child is, and the way that Eren is, because she doesn’t have a fully developed self.

Uprising is where we’re shown very clearly that rather than having a centralized sense of self, a goal to focus herself around, all of these things normal characters have Historia is someone who wildly swings between two.

Historia is indecisive on whether or not Krista or Historia constitutes the real her. There is the act that Historia portrays on the surface as someone who always worries about others, and then her history (Gosh, golly gee I wonder why her real name is Historia... obvious symbolism is obvious). The question for HIstoria is which one she should let efine her, is she defined by the trauma she accumulated by being born into this world, or the person she wants to be. Historia’s failure to reconcile herself between the two extremes is what results in her behavior, as swinging back and forth between both.

I don’t believe that the point of uprising is to show Historia finally reconciling these two, but rather to show her wildly swinging between the two. HIstoria is someone who wildly swings between great feats of selfishness and selflessness.

We are given several hints of Historia’s progress in this arc, but also several unhealthy signs of her back sliding. For exmaple there’s the scene where Levi infamously bullies Historia into calling herself the queen. One this scene fundamentally demosntrates what Historia’s problem is, she can’t make decisions or act for herself because she doesn’t really know what she wants.

And when Levi beats her up and pushes her, she decides to perform again. Now the question is if you see the final climactic scene of Uprising as her triumphantly overcoming this cycle or falling back into it. My interpretation is that it portrays the swinging between.

HIstoria, confronted with the feelings of insecurity she’s had since childhood unable to feel consistently loved or that she was even worthy of love is about to fall back on her mechanism of total and complete selflessness. Believing that her self sacrifice will at least mean she was a good person that meant something to the world, that her self sacrifice will earn her something. The reason that Eren yells I’M NOT NECESSARY is it’s because what their trauma made them feel like, and deep down what they’re afraid of hearing.

Historia first appears entirely passive and selfless, then she takes an active role and screams she’s the worst girl on earth and she’d rather let the whole world die than sacrifice one person. Her response isn’t to reconcile these two entirely divergent selves, but rather we’re being shown her flipping between them.

Historia declares one moment she doesn’t care about the rest of the world they can all die, and the next moment she says that if there’s a crying child she will always help. What we see is not a reconciliation so much but rather a flipping between, because it’s Historia’s tendency to swing back and forth between the two.

Here’s my defense of my point. Uprising ends on an ambiguous note. As I’ve said above uprising doesn’t end on Historia becoming her full realized self, but rather wondering if she’s become her full realized self.

Not only that but everything that seems like it was forward progress initially in uprising becomes undone later. Erwin is freed in Uprising, Erwin dies the next arc. Eren says he doesn’t need to become a special person to change the world, Eren is back on his bullshit by the time skip. The uprising puts the good guys in charge of the government and so now the government is no longer an obstacle to the path of saving humanity. The Jaegerists come take over in a second uprising, and the government becomes an obstacle once more. Even the decision they made to never feed Historia to a titan in order to sacrifice the world, is something the main characters go back on as they debate on whether or not to have her eat Zeke. Everything that seems like it’s forward progress becomes undone.

So why would Historia’s arc not become undone, too? This isn’t a question of quality of the writing. If you think this is a bad writing decisoin you’re completely valid I just am trying to remind you this isn’t the place to have that discussion. The deicsion to regress however, portrays the conflicts the characters are dealing with as cyclical ones. My argument is that as a whole Attack on Titan is being written as a cyclical story where characters circle.

Eren and Historia are just the two biggest contenders of this regression. Which is why we see them conspiring together in this the final arc. (Yes there is a problem with Historia being mainly offscreened) however narratively the decisions we are shown Historia making in this arc are all passive ones. Also ones meant to pacify the people around her.

Eren will always choose to be the activest character he possibly can, and to take agency even if it means stealing it from others. Historia will always choose to be passive, and will give up agency even if it means people steal things away from her.

We are kept mostly out of Historia’s head. We are also kept mostly out of Eren’s head. What we are being shown recently though is a continuation of what we witnessed in uprising. Uprising ended with the question of if Historia is Krista Lenz, or Historia Reiss unresolved.

This scene is Eren browbeating Historia into submission so she’ll go along with this plan. However, for HIstoria it’s also a confrontation with both sides of herself that she has shown to other people. Eren is basically telling HIstoria there are two wildly different hers, there is the Historia who would sacrifice herself, and the Historia who would say fuck the entire world she’s not sacrificing herself even if it makes herself the enemy of humanity.

My argument is that the story has gone to great length to portray that to some extent, both of these HIstorias are real. Historia is someone who swings between wild feats of selfness and selfishness. Historia can say both of these things and mean them, that she wants to sacrifice herself for the sake of the world, fuck the world she wants to be herself.

The same way Eren can imprison his friends, tell Mikasa she’s a slave, tell Armin he’s useless and that he’s despised both of them always, and also believes that he’s doing all of this for the love of his friends. Eren can say both and mean both, because he also does this inconsistent swinging back and forth.

The foiling between the two of them shows how utterly broken Eren and Historia are as people due to the neglect they faced as children. It’s not actually a question of whether they are good or bad people. (Though Eren, is a jerk). It’s to show how unhealthy these mechanisms are. They mechanisms they rely on to survive, do not allow them to grow or develop all the way as people so they remain stunted. Historia is still in an incredibly unhealthy and precarious position in regards to her identity. Eren’s mechanism is to take agency, Historia’s is to give it up, the result however is the same between the both of them.

We see Historia make a choice. In all fairness we don’t know what that choice is. However, we also know what she didn’t choose. She knew what Eren was going to run off and do, and what he was planning, and she didn’t stop him.

Another important part of the final arc is showing how everybody else’s decisions also led to Eren doing what he did. Armin’s choice to never confront Eren’s real self turned him into Eren’s enabler. Mikasa’s inability to try to live without Eren, made her completely unable to see this coming. The scout corps in general was unable to stop Eren, because they didn’t understand him. Historia also made a choice to enable the situation to happen in some way, because she didn’t choose to just... tell somebody else what Eren was planning, or stop it.

While yes, she may be trying to stop it all on her own. It’s still a choice she made that’s frighteningly similiar to the choices Eren has been making all along. That is the choice not to trust people, the choice not to openly communicate what she inteded, the choice to instead go off on her own and try to solve everything by herself.

That’s also the choice she always makes when backed up against a wall, and therefore it’s a sign of regression. I don’t think Historia is conspiring with Eren or even agrees with him. However, I do think she has made a similiar choice as Eren which is to try and attempt to solve everything on her own without trusting the others which is why we’re seeing her get so much foiling with Eren in this the final arc.

Historia will overcome this regression when rather than swinging between Historia Reiss, and Krista Lenz, that she is both, and always has been both. You are who you are deep down inside. You are also who you pretend to be. The choice to show Historia’s wavering between makes her arc longer, difficult, more frustrating, but it also shows how hard it is for Historia.

It shows the struggle of someone like Historia with lifelong trauma. How hard it is for her, not to be a queen, or a good girl. How fundamentally, it’s difficult for her to even juts be a normal person. And how in the end that’s what she is fighting for, to rediscover herself as a normal girl once more after being denied that by the environment around her her entire life. Historia too, can be a normal girl in the face of all that trauma.

#historia reiss #eren jaeger #aot meta #attack on titan #attack on titan meta #attack on titan theory #eren meta

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watermelonbird · 3 years

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A fanfic of Quackity learning how to care for his employees, starting with a slime

I sent an ask about this and you wanted to tagged so @dreamsclock here this is!

Charlie is a weird dude Quackity has to admit. His decision to recruit him seemed smarter at the beginning. Learning about the slime makes him more hesitant to include him in anything. But right now he’s acting odder than usual.

¨I am a normal human and since you are also a normal dude, can I ask you a question, person to person?¨ Charlie asked, pushing into Quackitys office.

¨Fine, keep it quick¨

¨Well, my head hurts? And I am kinda achy? And I feel super warm? And-

¨Charlie! That is all just normal human stuff, that if you were a human, you would know, and since you definitely are a human, these things must be normal to you!¨

¨Us humans are some strange creatures, aren't we? Charlie says with an attempted smile on his face.

¨Mhm yeah, just get out of my office.

Charlie did not realize being a human would be this difficult with all the pains and gross feelings people have to go through. He just wishes he could go back into a nice damp hole.

Quackity called a meeting of some of the members of Las Nevadas.

¨I need some dirt on Karl and Sapnap because they have a riviling country or territory or whatever type of paradise that Kiniko Kingdom is. And that can be dangerous to my whole operation!¨

¨I think, and this might be a dumb guess but perhaps its a Kingdom? Just an idea¨ Purpled muttered.

¨I don't need any of your fucking sass.¨ Quackity rubbed a hand over his face, carefully missing his scar, ¨this is why you dont work with teenagers, they all fucking suck. You and Tubbo and Tommy and even that Ranboo kid was an annoying pushover!¨

¨Dude, it's obvious that the only reason you want to spy on those two is because you miss dating them! It's fine. Love fails, you gotta move on¨ Foolish sighed

¨Where Charlie? I want a nice person who respects me!¨

¨I respect you Quackity and while I do not know what Kiniko Kingdom is since I have kinda been in isolation for a while, I would not mind checking it out!¨

¨Course Fundy, you're such a good pal but I want you to lay back and relax, you don't have to worry about what's happening at all.

¨Cool, yeah yeah I understand¨

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Quackity walks over to Charlie's room which was right next to his.

¨Slimecicle, what's been up with you? I'm a very busy man and I can't afford for my spy to get lazy, you understand me?

¨Ah, well I heard that when humans get sad or feel bad we just lay down so¨

¨We don't have time for this Charlie! We dont have time for your stupid crisis! I need you to suck it up because that's what humans do!

Quackity grabs one of the slime man's arms and immediately regrets it looking at the slime residue that rubbed off on him. He pulls up Charlie and fixes his shirt.

¨Besides we’re friends and it really sucks that I am working my ass off and you are just lazing around because of a little emotion. Nothing like that has ever held me down!¨

Charlie yawns, ¨You make a good point Quackity of Las Nevadas.¨

¨Of course I do, and I´m so excited to see the info you catch of the residents of Kiniko Kingdom, you can do that right?¨

¨Sure! I got you, friend!¨

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Charlie knew he wasn't being the best friend to Quackity but he was not feeling as good and goopy as usual.

But this was his first official spy job and he was gonna do a great job and extra show that he does not need to be killed! Quackity gave him slight directions but seemed strained talking about this place. Charlie wondered if it had anything to do with the drama of their recent relationship and if they were still together or not. But he's sure that this spy job is for purely professional reasons and totally not a pathetic attempt to see if his exes miss him!

Charlie went along the path he was told but he saw a small damp looking hole and decided to jump in. He had really missed this environment. The Casino was always really warm and Charlie wanted to ask Quackity to lower it but the one time he did, the duck hybrid got teary and muttered that if his fiance was here, the heating system wouldn't be necessary.

Slimicicle had felt lightheaded the past few days and he figured a nap would be the perfect way to rejuvenate. Not thinking about his mission or when he was expected back.

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Quackity was kinda freaking out, It had been hours after when Charlie agreed to come back, he knew he was a bit absentminded but he should have realized when it got dark it was time to come back. He knew that his fiances were jerks who abandoned him but would they attack or even worse kill an innocent slime? He knew he should have done a simpler first mission, he just wanted to hear any news on his fiances and figured this would be a smart way to get info.

Quackity sighed, ¨Hey Purpled, I'll have to rescue Charlie, fucker managed to mess up even the simplest of tasks¨

¨It's obvious you care for him, don't put up that bs with me, I really don't care about you enough¨

¨I don't! And as your boss, you don't get to use that voice with me¨

¨Okay bossman¨, Purpled mocked

Quackity ran out of Las Nevadas and into the forest. He briefly wondered if this was running just to find the corpse of the slime. Or would there be tiny broken Charlies? He shook his head, not wanting to focus on grim things like that.

¨Charlie? It's me! Quackity from Las Nevadas! Your friend! Charl-

He got cut off by falling into a crevice.

¨Oh my god, this is just the type of hole he would have liked¨ Quackity sniffled

¨Oooh can I meet this He you´re talking about? Because I also really like this hole!¨ Charlie exclaimed

Quackity reached out, putting his hands on Charlie's slimy cheeks

¨You're okay? I was so worried!

¨I just sat down in this hole and fell asleep

¨Well I am glad that you learned how to sleep I guess? But man, your face is really warm right now¨

Charlie leaned his head further into Quackitys hands, ¨Mmhhm¨

¨Are you- are you sick?¨

¨Doesn't that mean cool cause if so yeahh¨

¨No buddy, that's not what that means, it means you don't feel well

¨But you said to suck it up if I don't feel well? And you neverr take care of yourself?

¨Well, uh, exceptions can be made of course, if you're feeling bad enough! Which I never am! I sometimes may feel a little down however Its an easy fix that for me, working more totally helps with!

But I guess for you, you'll need someone to take care of you? Is that true? Quackity sighed, already knowing he would regret this but whenever he was sick he just imagined his fiance's caring for him again and he thinks maybe, maybe he should help Charlie

¨Ugh come up and out of the hole, let's go home.¨

¨Well Quackity of Las Nevadas while I would love to go back, this hole is comfy and damp and the environment I should be in. Las Nevadas is great, however it is hot, and I always feel like I am melting in the housing units .

¨Oh, how about I fix your bedroom up? Make it chiller and more¨, Quackity gags ¨damp¨

¨Really? You'd do that? Thank you, friend!

He hops forward and does a partial hug with Quackity, not having the strength to fully embrace him.

Quackity picks the slime up in a bridal style carry with Charlie being in awe.

¨Wow, you're really strong

¨Yeah buddy, and I'll fix you up and you'll be perfectly fine. Uh, just for work reasons, I totally don't care for you.

¨Quackity from Las Nevadas, I think you're being sarcastic and I love you¨

“... I love you too”

#slimecicle #quackity #my writing #dsmp #sickfic #found family #they are family and Quackitys doing his best rn #las nevadas #I am ignoring the torture and manipulation rn oops #melon writing

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mariabrowne · 3 years

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Workshop - Self portrait. As suggested by Eoin, I began working on a larger scale. I did most of the shorter pieces with charcoal on newprint and found working vertical and the marks made in newsprint challenging. On a second attempt, I focused on the lower portion of my face on A2 and found this more successful. The photo contains my dogs paw (for scale). I failed to get my likeness within the 20min piece on A1, but my determination may have come through. I added blue paint to the sketch after the class. It hasn't increased the likeness but has maybe added a little interest.

I have looked again at the work of Francis Bacon, which I have enjoyed for some years and that of Frank Auerbach, who I was introduced to in Semester 1. There is an unsurprising similarity in styles given that the two were acquainted with each other. Bacon paints with a cruel eye, even on himself. Auerbach lashes on the paint, always searching and sometimes landing. I have chosen a simpler sketched self portrait below. It is wonderful.

#Painting #Self Portrait #@eoinmclsad #StoryResearch #Story

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spewagepipe · 3 years

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On RPG Worldbuilding, Part 1

Ginny Di recently released a couple of videos about the "mistakes" that a fledgling DM might make when world-building (although what she actually explains are mostly failures of the D&D game, not the fault of any DM). In light of that, I thought I might offer some of my own advice on the subject.

D&D is a fundamentally incomplete, broken game. Stripped down to its core rulebooks, D&D has no setting in which to play – only a very bizarre, misguided explanation of how to create your own. So before you can even start to play, you'll have to complete a shocking amount of bullshit homework/chores – and the product you'll get at the end is probably going to be complete garbage if this is your first attempt.

Advice #1: Play Fiasco instead

By far the easiest way to circumvent this problem is to just stop playing D&D. Fiasco requires neither prep nor a Game Master, and it's generally set in the real world, so the world-building is done for you. World-building creates shared context and a common point of reference for the players – there's no simpler way to do it than using the real world.

Advice #2: Play Lasers & Feelings instead

Lasers & Feelings requires more "world-building" than Fiasco, but because it's completely free and its rules fit on a single side of 8.5x11" paper, there's even less effort required to go from zero to play. The "world" of L&F is the pastiche of Star Trek and Flash Gordon that already lives in your mind – and all of the concrete details beyond that get hashed out in play instead of in advance. L&F will help you get comfortable with filling in lore-related blanks on the fly, a skill that you'll take with you into any other game you try.

Advice #3: Play Apocalypse World instead

Your first session of Apocalypse World operates much like L&F, relying on a pastiche of post-apocalyptic fiction, while you improvise the specifics. Then, using the story ideas generated in session 1, you'll refine that vague world into a more specific one to last the rest of the campaign. This streamlined process will teach you effective prioritization: you save time and effort by leaving blanks and uncertainties that to fill in later on when it becomes convenient or necessary. For the here and now, you focus on establishing the facts and lore that are consequential for only the current plot threads.

Advice #4: Play Blades in the Dark instead

When all else fails: play a game that already has a world built-in. Blades in the Dark has a digest-sized rulebook, but it contains a unique, rich, flavourful and evocative setting. It packs all that into a tiny space because the world is built using strategies like AW's: everything is tightly-focused to support the particular play-style of BitD, and the rest is "left blank", creating space for that world to evolve to suit your needs as you play.

#ginny di #D&D #rpgs #tabletop roleplaying #fiasco #lasers & feelings #apocalypse world #blades in the dark #world building #worldbuilding #essay

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skaylanphear · 5 years

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None of y’all are actually understanding The Puppeteer 2 (spoilers ahead)

Okay, so it’s been a LONG time since I’ve written any meta on this show. Mostly because a lot of episodes are now focused on things I don’t care so much about, BUT I was rather inspired by Puppeteer 2, especially since SO MANY PEOPLE seem to be missing the entire point of the episode.

Now, I’m not giving the writers of the show a ton of credit--they have their good and bad moments. But given the obvious budget of this episode as well as the sheer amount of dialogue, I think it’s pretty fair to assume at least some thought was put into this episode.

So, first and foremost, there were a few points made during this episode.

Let’s start with the Wax Museum and why it’s so pertinent to this episode. The Wax Museum is made entirely up of celebrities. Though we have encountered Adrien and his status before, this is one of the most direct ways they could have drawn attention to it. There is a clear line in this episode--Adrien is a celebrity, his friends are not. Yes, the akumas had wax statues, but the victims and their akumas are not the same people, so to say.

So here we have an “honor” that is only ever granted to celebrities (wax figures) and we have Adrien coming in to work on his. But before that, we have a constant back and forth in the car as to why Marinette is even there--is she Adrien’s friend? His lover? Just a fan of wax statues? This is important because it is less a reflection of Adrien and Marinette’s characters as it is Marinette’s own, let’s say, psychological confusion over how she views Adrien. We’ve seen here make stupid, flustered claims about Adrien before, and these conversations are forcing her to face that head on, even if Adrien remains oblivious as always.

During the conversation up to the top of the building, we are faced with more of this confusion. Namely, Adrien’s interpretation of his relationship with Marinette versus her own. Granted, Nino brings to light a lot of the problems, but he is less the cause so much as the vehicle with which Marinette’s own inability to be honest is being portrayed. Her behavior causes confusion, even if Adrien is unable to fully grasp that (which is all the more part of the problem). Alya, Nino, and Adrien are ALL responding to the issue of Marinette’s feelings in different ways, because THEY are confused as to what she actually wants and what they’re meant to be doing. Marinette says one thing and then backs out a moment later. As someone who recently went through something similar, my initial indecisiveness to admit my feelings to the person I liked caused a lot of back and forth confusion for the people I had told. Marinette’s situation has spiraled FAR beyond that, which is all the more reason we’re getting these vastly different interpretations as far as how her friends are meant to be reacting. The POINT is that her indecisiveness and timidity is confusing and this is becoming a problem.

The other thing that I think is interesting in the following scene--which will lead me back around to my main point--is the fact that despite having come with Adrien to support him because the wax stuff is going to be long and boring, all his friends abandon him when he’s literally trapped in the vice of “celebrity.” Granted, Nino and Alya leaving is a bit of a device to move the plot forward, but Marinette also leaving kind of wraps the whole thing up in a neat bow. She’s supposed to confess and ultimately can’t. And instead of staying with Adrien as a good friend should despite her inability, she leaves as a flustered mess.

Adrien is now alone, his hand clamped in a wax trap. In a lot of ways, this is extremely symbolic of his status as a celebrity and his friends not being a part of that. That Marinette left as a flustered mess only makes this worse, especially since she left him in a manner that is very similar to how a flustered fan might react if they become overwelmed.

This is important because we’re now seeing a very clear implication that though she desires to know Adrien and has done many things to be a good friend to him, Marinette is still haunted by this “idea” of Adrien that she has that isn’t at all factual. And while I don’t think it’s celebrity worship, as some would argue, I do think that the metaphor of celebrity worship in this episode is a very good use of Adrien’s character. We are seeing that Marinette interprets Adrien in a light that is not entirely realistic, which doesn’t help anyone.

This metaphor is only further expanded after her discussion with Tikki. While Tikki’s advice might seem helpful, what it really does is further support the notion that Marinette’s entire infatuation with Adrien is shadowed by false idealizations. She creates a persona to act as in order to communicate with him. She is literally creating a role for herself that she thinks will allow her to exist in Adrien’s, I guess, “proximity” so as to allow her to “get what she wants,” so to speak. She’s acting--as in, she’s lying. Just as much to herself, I think, as she is Adrien.

And this whole thing is only made worse by Adrien’s “prank.” He symbolically becomes nothing more than a wax statue during the entire time that Marinette is playing her “role.” She even goes on a tangent about all the great characteristics he has as a statue, highlighting a lot of shallow aspects of why she’s attracted to him. Granted, I think there’s more to it than that (her feelings, I mean), but she’s so confused by the “more” that it’s hardly relevant if she can’t voice her feelings in the first place, beyond how “perfect” she thinks he is.

Now, this is the “cringe” part of the episode that everyone is complaining about. But to be honest, I really didn’t think it was that bad. It clearly shows Marinette’s idealization of Adrien, as well as the “form” Adrien has within that idealization. That she said all the silly things she did (again, playing her role) and kissed him, while embarrassing, is wholly within her character. Given her tendency to fantasize on extreme levels, I think I’d be more surprised if she didn’t try to kiss Adrien’s wax statue. I get people are annoyed with Marinette constantly being the cause of bad things, or the butt of jokes, etc, but I don’t think that this situation is wholly unfounded given her personality. It was very in character for her to act that way, and I think it made a rather valid point about her feelings for Adrien. After all, she and Adrien may be “friends,” but they’re clearly not close enough for him to feel certain about what she really thinks of him, so she can’t be that close to him, which means there is a bit of shallowness on her side as far as her feelings, even is she would prefer it be different.

Now, another complaint people have been voicing about the episode is “why can’t Marrinette have a tastefully handled confession like Chat?” And while a lot of you didn’t seem to realize this, the episode actually addresses that.

When Chat Noir flirts with Ladybug, she actually stops fighting to ask him how he so easily is able to express his feelings, because she has such a hard time doing the same thing. He responds with some line about how the people you care about should know how you feel, but the whole point of that episode was to illustrate the differences between Adrien and Marinette, and kind of explain why Marinette’s confession is so long in coming while Chat Noir has confessed, like, two or three times now.

For better or worse, Marinette’s inability to be honest about her feelings for Adrien is a huge conflict surrounding her character and has been from the beginning. Much bigger than Chat’s conflict over his feelings for Ladybug, which tend to be addressed in a more, let’s say, lighthearted manner than Marinette’s feelings for Adrien. Adrien is a very forthcoming person. He likes to think the best in people and is very honest about how he feels with almost anyone. And while I think he should probably re-evaluate the behavior he thinks is acceptable from other people, he mostly deals with any kind of conflict straight out. He doesn’t sit and stew like Marinette does, he doesn’t even waste time thinking about Chloe and Lila. Adrien would much rather think about the good than the bad. In fact, he would much rather ignore the bad (which is probably why he tried confessing so many times--likely hoping for a different outcome. Optimists, amiright?)

Marinette is NOTHING like this. She will sit and stew and plan and make herself anxious and scared and angry over things that would slide off Adrien’s back like water slides off ducks (thank you, Crowley). Marinette confessing is a much bigger roadblock because of this difference in their personalities. And it’s also why she gets all sweet on Chat for his reasoning behind why he can express his feelings so easily, because he makes it sound so simple, which is exactly what Marinette needs. Not overly complicated plans (Nino and Alya) or anything like that. She needs to be able to push back on her anxiety, walk up to Adrien, and just say it (much like how she kissed his cheek in the finale of the last season). No attempts made by her to confess will EVER succeed so long as there is any kind of convoluted plan surrounding it.

The writers were literally giving the viewers a direct comparison between Adrien and Marinette as far as how they deal with their feelings and y’all missed it because you were too busy being mad. While Adrien overly simplifies situations--which can be both good and bad--Marinette is more likely to overly complicate things--which is also both good and bad. Where Adrien might fail to see how complex a situation is, Marinette will, whereas Adrien is able to make things simpler where Marinette cannot. You even see it in their fighting styles. Adrien ALWAYS goes for the obvious physical attack, while Marinette is the one to strategize. IT HAS BEEN A LITERAL PART OF THEIR PERSONALITIES FROM THE BEGINNING AND YOU ALL MISSED IT! ��

The point of this episode was to illustrate Marinette’s issues with her feelings for Adrien, as well as draw comparisons between them so as to better understand why Marinette’s attempts to confess ALWAYS FAIL!

Until Marinette can pull back enough to see Adrien less as a terrifying mountain to climb and more like a simple set of stairs, she will not be able to reach him.

And that is the tea.

#miraculous ladybug #ml #mlb #the puppeteer 2 #meta #me stuff #adrienette

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