#you're there to solve a problem and the way the situation develops you end up in a position where you can affect the outcome

[skyheld]

coming into orzammar as a city elf warden and getting to chose who'll be it's next king sure is something

[furiousgoldfish]

Which ones of these arbitrary trauma-induced rules do you follow?

No spending money, ever. what if you need it later and your life depends on it.

Assume that all strangers are 3 seconds close to becoming hostile. fawn to keep them friendly.

No delegating tasks. no telling other people to do things you could potentially do yourself. what if they mess up.

Assume that everyone will consider you a burden if you do 1 single mistake that inconveniences them. do all that is possible to not make that mistake.

Do not admit when things are going wrong. wait until theres no other option but to ask for help, and even then consider not doing that.

Always act like you're okay. not doing so might make you seem 'not normal' and 'accused of being crazy and unstable'.

Do anything for friends, even if it sounds weird, dodgy, illegal. you want to prove that you're fun and easy going and helpful and useful and extremely cool with anything.

Never let it show if you're suspicious of someone. never say out loud that you think their intentions are bad. that might set them off.

If hurt, hide and isolate. Do not let anyone see you hurt.

Do not ask help for problems you feel are your own responsibility to solve. Even if you don't see yourself solving them successfully. If you can't do it, assume nobody can help you.

Help others to try and build positive relationships. Don't accept help so you don't end up relying on them for anything.

Do not start things that involve help or participation from other people. People are not reliable.

Assume that institutions, government, police, social services, and any kind of groups of people are all considering you a nuisance, and would attack you on sight, in every single situation. Never rely on them or assume they would do anything else.

No arguing, confronting, or standing up for yourself unless the situation is absolutely unsurvivable otherwise. Lay low until doing otherwise is seriously damaging your mental health and ability to live.

Give up on hopeful social encounters before they disappoint you. If you have to interact with people, assume the worst is about to happen.

No allowing yourself to idealize, or dream of positive future with people. It's a trap and your expectations need to be either extremely realistic or low.

Assume that fancy and expensive things don't exist for you. Despise them and get away from them.

No comparing yourself and your life to how other people live. It causes depression and despair. Other people's lives and standards of living are none of your business.

Do not showcase any skill or brag about any achievement. Jealous people can destroy you for satisfaction.

Assume people think the worst of you and don't consider changing their mind. Just try to keep out of their way.

Do not display anger. You don't want to be called insane or get arrested. You don't know what people could potentially blame you for if you're openly angry. But other angry people are dangerous and you need to get away from them.

If you follow more than half of these, you have a trauma-induced problem. These are not normal or healthy. These are not developed in a healthy environment. These are extremely self-protective, isolating, ruled by terror of the world and the people living in it. If you follow these, something bad has been done to you.

[inferno-0]

Sorrow / All Titans x reader / (Headcanons)

────────────────────────────

Your sad mood greatly affects the Titans. Let's see what they will do in such situations

Sorry for the English

────────────────────────────

Godzilla

* I think he will cheer you up in every way. Starting from a gentle poke of the muzzle in the back and ending with swimming on the ocean in order to somehow develop your head, clouded from despondency.

* If you do ask to be alone while he is trying to calm you down, he will do it. Of course, the Titan will not take its eyes off you.

* In another situation, when you

want to share your problem, then Godzilla will listen to you carefully.

Although he doesn't really understand human problems and how big they are for you, he will still try to give you the best advice.

* Or you can make it simpler. Take a nap with him in the colosseum. In the event that helicopters infiltrate the lair, its tail will push them out of the way if a warning growl does not help.

Mothra/Mosura

* With this Moth, we can already consider that all problems are solved. It understands the magnitude of your burden, soothing you with a soft chirp that caresses your mind.

* Go to her for advice, as if to a psychologist. But you don't need any money or anything else for this.

Just give her a happy smile.

* Mothra, the whole personification of her own Mother. Do you want a hug?  A kiss on the back of the head? Anything, sunshine.

The main thing is your joy at the moment.

Because it hurts her to watch your sad face, from which bitter tears are almost dripping.

* But if you need solitude and just to reflect on yourself, she will give it. Just don't draw harsh conclusions.

In any case, stay with her and share everything that disturbs your soul.

Rodan

* I don't think that you can somehow come to despondency with him. Joke after joke and all despairs are forgotten in an instant.

* You automatically develop laughter at the sight of him. Even if he does something normal for both of you, you still giggle quietly.

Rodan is too charismatic, that's all.

* But if you're really desperate, which even Rodan can't remove. There is already an emergency here. Titan panics and just doesn't know where to go. Since he is not too good at advice and in the end you have to calm him down, not you.

Which makes you really laugh.

* This Kaiju is not stupid enough to raise his problems above yours. He will remember the moments and words you said during his bad mood. How they supported and praised.

But there are great difficulties with the council.

* Rodan still wants to help you, despite his flaws, which he hides behind a wall of humor.

King Ghidorah

* First of all, who? And secondly, who to destroy? Such questions haunt you when these Three notice your depressed mood.

Ni intends to kill those offenders in the same way as Ichi, who can't see your sad face. These two do not seem to understand at all what to do, except for bloody murders.

If only Kevin purrs your side in his own way, trying to cheer you up.

* When they find out your reason for being sad, they are a little confused. Especially because there is no such person who has morally ruined you. It's just your problem that ruined your mood.

* But. These three are ready to listen to you at any time. And it doesn't matter if it's a big problem or a stupid one. Just cheer up with the cold breeze around Ichi's neck and fly to create storms over cities, spilling out emotions.

The rest will pass.

* Although they are cruel, they have interesting ways to send joy.

King Kong

* He knows how to support. Of course, he also does not understand half of it, but he gets away with saying something nice about you.

If it weren't for Jia...

Which also once, no, still supports him in certain situations.

* Kong can also pat you on the head, although it is more like ruffling your hair in different directions, from which you have to spit out.

But this is not bad, it lifts the mood.

* If you need to be alone, then good. He understands this and knows what it is like to want to be alone for a while. Just be careful.

* Kong is also good at advice to some extent. The main thing here is for you to understand what this Titan is trying to convey to you.

Shimo

* This girl already understands everything and accepts all your heavy burden. Your sad mood greatly disturbs this Titan, she just can't help but turn

* But sometimes you are ashamed to talk about your problems, given the situation in which your companion found herself. Moreover, she was able to survive it and walks around with a fresh memory about it.

* Her eyes are too charming... Especially the muzzle, which leans to the side in an interesting way. You just can't keep sharing your problems when you have such a miracle in front of you. All thoughts just float behind your back.

* Shimo gently nudges you to the side as a sign of support. Convincing that all problems will pass over time, the main thing is not to go down and not to lose self-control.

* If everything is really bad for you, then she will allocate a whole day and night for you. Share, complain. Whatever you want.

She will listen to you attentively, purring.

────────────────────────────

[gristlegrinder]

part of what makes IBS so fascinating to me is its position both within the world of Tyria and the story it was trying to tell, and the larger metatextual circumstances surrounding its development. because, like, The Icebrood Saga is a story that's, IMO, largely about placing individual actions in complex systems of power, and what happens when those systems begin to unravel.

-> Can you help us deal with Bangar? Aurene: He's a part of a larger web. Strands connecting to strands. Cut one out and nothing changes, not really. Aurene: It's hard to explain. But seeing how those strands connect... Taking one life won't solve your problems. (x)

so, like, you have Ryland, who talks about "playing his cards right" but has really been dealt a bad hand from the start and can only keep playing bad cards - the one decent play he gets in Turnabout to try and get out of the game gets interrupted by an arrogant bastard killing Cinder, and it's downhill from there. it's not necessarily that it was always going to end the way it did with him, but you're fighting an uphill battle against his upbringing, against his relationship with Bangar, against all cultural context. he insists that Jormag didn't coerce him into anything, and that's true; he ends up as Jormag's champion because, at least from Ryland's perspective, there's really no other option by the time he has the bow in his paws.

likewise, you have Braham, wrestling with being the norn of prophecy, slowly (slower if Champions didn't have to be rushed out of the door, I imagine) coming to terms with what exactly that means. he knows from the beginning that either Jormag dies, or he dies. he knows this, and knows that it's always going to end one way or the other. the prophecy unfurls, and Jormag awakens, and it becomes more and more obvious how it's supposed to go. He bonds with Primordus, because there's really no other option by the time Jormag is threatening to freeze the world ten times over to ice their brother out of existence. and sure, it might still destroy him even if Jormag doesn't kill him, but he doesn't get the luxury of thinking about that.

and then you have the Commander, who should be in control of the narrative, because in-universe they're the Commander and out-of-universe they're the player character, but there are multiple points where that agency is taken away from you - Smodur bombs the bunker and interrupts your negotiation, Ryland puts a bullet through Smodur's skull. you're always going to try and save the farm, but not every problem has an easy solution. the Legions are built on centuries of war and violence and hypervigilance against external threats; Bangar is not an isolated bad actor but a product of that system, and the gears of the war machine churn on both sides of Drizzlewood. you (and Aurene) are largely an audience to the family tragedy - tragedies, plural, both the relationships between Rytlock/Crecia/Ryland and Jormag/Primordus - as they break down.

"The Balance" isn't sustainable in its current state, but there isn't really a good alternative at this point. you can't back down when you're three dragons in (we tried that after Mordremoth, and Balthazar wouldn't have it and Kralkatorrik couldn't stomach it), and Jormag and Primordus (mostly Jormag) are threatening to escalate as the encroaching void eats away at them both. there's this real sense that they just have to make the best of a bad situation, and hope that the damage is minimal. the universe itself is on a cresting wave and it's about to crash, heading into End of Dragons.

so you have all of that, and it's also the chapter of GW2 where the developers are hit with major studio-disrupting internal problems and a fucking global lockdown. your story gets interrupted, there's not much you can do about it, but you have to keep going and make the best of it, even when the fate of arenanet itself seems uncertain.

what happens in the aftermath, after the dragonstorm clears?

[dress-and-impress]

(cal if you see this pls dont read it has spoilers)

Now that The Dragon Prince Season 7 has been released and the processing has died down imma just share smth right her right now... the whole "Ezran vs Rayllum" thing did not affect me AT ALL while watching it. Was totally unfazed by it becasue I knew they were gonna all be friends again by the end of it... and have no opinion about who was right and who was wrong (That's not to say I didn't feel weird about it. I very much did). So, here is my presentive of each character in this situation:

(picture obviously from a poster of TDP promo)

Ezran:

As every Ez stan knows, he's a young king and has many difficult and challenging decisions to make. He was NEVER prepared to take the throne and when he did it was with such honesty, patience and love for EVERYONE, human, elf and even villain (as per talking to Aravos and Karim about their views and perspectives). BUT when the love he had got taken advantage of, he lost it. Like I would too if you spend all this time building a bridge (hypothetically and in a way literally) with people perceived as "the enemy". His perception of the world became a blur and the innocence he had was shattered in a million pieces. When Callum left he was undoubtably confused but MORE determined to put his fathers killer to justice instead of asking why (like he usually does).

Callum:

Now he's a very controversial side because you either love him or hate him. Very quickly though i find it really strange how he keeps saying that Rayla does everything for others and wants to do something "for her"; the quazar diamond scenario in season 6 and at the oddly adorable bridge scene at the end of season 7. To put it quite plainly, Callum has no idea how to make himself happy, so he makes other people happy. But you're probably thinking "Callum pissed off Ezran and ditched his brother for his gf". Yes. He did. Callum was a mediator in the situation (or tried to be) and once he knew both sides couldn't be happy he had to choose. Ezran, his half-brother and King who has kingdoms and allies that support him no matter what. Or the girl he loves and spent years thinking about and wants to make up as much time as possible with her AND who regretted running away without asking for any help from Callum.

Lets refer back to the moments before Rayla decided to leave (on Callums birthday). She was determined to find Viren and finish what they started and Callum didn't want her to so they made a compromise. BUT THEN Rayla left as we know. Alone. With nothing.

Rayla:

We have no idea what Rayla spent those 2 years doing trying to find Viren but lets list a few things we know (from when she breaks Runnan out of prison); She had to say goodbye to her birth parents who she thought she was going to bring back from Virens coin, is banished from her home and cannot go back and is basically determined to have some form of stability in her life. Quick note, Rayla and Callum are not concerned about Aravos because they think he's still in the pearly.

Rayla has made a lot of impulsive decisions throughout the show and it should be expected that she would betray Ezran's trust and make things difficult for Callum to prioritise the need to get AT LEAST ONE OF HER PARENTS HOME SAFELY. Her mind was an utter blur and filled with emotion she didn't know how to express. The only thing Rayla wanted to do was solve the problem. TAKE ACTION on the one thing that's making her feel that way. She's done it before and will continue to do it.

So to sum up watching that scene and processing it, you need to understand all sides. The emotion, the determination and challenges that came across the three of them. It gave their characters development and gave us an opportunity to explore WHY the characters feel the way they feel or make the choices they choose to make. It was never a "right or wrong" thing but more so gaining growth and maturity that decisions need to be made regardless of how painful it may be.

[swiiivet-screamathon]

Touchy touchy?

(Mostly regarding Syrupy, tried to keep it compliant regardless but just like all of syrupy im not as concerned about it)

Smilk: Will touch other people without mercy due to it being an effective way of getting people to do what you want-- does a lot of shoving, pushing, pulling & most forms of physical teasing. Will absolutely NOT reciprocate if touch is given to him, if he does not like you he will immediately pull away and probably laugh at you. However if he likes your he will pretend you don't exist and let you kinda do whatever you want, he'll internally be appreciative but he will not tell you lmao

Cacao: Thinks very little about touching or not touching others, if he thinks it will help his point he will, if he doesn't then he won't-- mostly hands on shoulder if he does anything at all. Post Choco reunion + awakening he wants to get better at initiating with his friends & family though, being so used to being reclusive and internalizing emotions means he's not great at showing those he loves that he does indeed love them, so he's definitively trying. Will do his best to reciprocate with what he understands to be appropriate, but does not always land. If you're lucky you can get one of his bear hugs and it's the best hug you'll ever get.

Lily: Due to her upbringing of being isolated because of her scent she automatically tends to stay physically far away from everyone as to offend everyone the least possible, so never initiates any kind of touch as she's internalized that it gives bad reactions. She's only ever physically close to Pv who has continuously assured her that it's okay, which has kept her sane honestly lol, so given lack of practice she doesn't really know what to do but does always try to be as close to him when the opportunity arises. Besides budding shoulders she tends to play with other persons hair or hands if she can get away with it. With her awakening however she's gotten significantly more comfortable with being confident in herself and trusting those around her to speak up instead of just assuming what they feel about her, however "more confident" doesn't mean "problems solved", she's still working on it, and she still has to learn how to allow herself to be touchy. She has gained a strange relationship with touch because of these two developments in her life, in one hand because it's happened so rarely to her it's ended up becoming a very personal and intimate act only done by very special people, but also doesn't automatically view it as more than it is, its not like its her love language or anything, so has little qualms with reciprocating anyone else who initiates, though is usually confused about it if you're not a friend+.

Pv: He touchy friends he touchy family he touchy strangers he touchy everyone he touchy YOU touch touch touch-- First and foremost its an indication of a relationship forming of any kind, metaphorically and literally bridging the gap, tends to see it completely platonically and is so instinctual about it he barely even notices that he almost always has his hands on whoever he's talking to. He'll almost always have every conversation include at least one hug variation, he'll emote through you, he'll mostly try to keep an hand onto whoever he's speaking to, he'll pat you a lot, just all the touch. However that's all in non-serious situations, he's not an idiotic baby lmao, he's gonna keep his hands to himself if its serious, though being as compassionate as he is any opportunity to reach out he'll at least consider, even if he's quite good at knowing what's appropriate. Is trying to teach the rest of the gang to be more comfortable with touchy both cause of his own habits but also as said a couple sentences ago it's a very effective way of bridging a gap.

[flameohotwife]

So I always thought the canon pairings in AtLA had good writing/development but all the Aang and Mai bashing has made me decide to rewatch the series because shippers of a certain other ship called them "abusive" and Aang sexist. But honestly, I love how Mai calls Zuko out on his jealousy and possessive behavior in "The Beach" and Aang is always supportive of Katara's dreams, even refusing to be trained by Pakku because he's sexist to Katara. I like that Sukka teaches kids watching the show to treat women with respect but also Kataang and Maiko in the examples I mentioned above are also good examples of feminist moments in the show too.

YES! Anon, say it louder for the people in the back! There are so so SO many amazing feminist moments in this show and honestly I loved watching it with my kids (multiple times, haha) for that reason. I don't remember growing up with media that showed SO may instances of how girls/women could stand up for themselves in those types of situations. I love how Katara stood up to Pakku (with Aang's support! His little "Go, Katara!" makes me smile every time) and also how she CONSTANTLY takes boys on in fights, from pirates and Rough Rhinos to the taunting kids that subsequently get frozen where they stand ("oh, a girl has her ways") and anyone who insults Aang. How SHE is the one to defeat Azula in the end. How the WHOLE SHOW starts with her rant against Sokka's sexism. How Suki finally put's Sokka in his place. How Toph had to be played by "a really BUFF guy" in EIP because the Fire Nation couldn't admit to being bested by a tiny, 12-year-old girl. How Mai won't let Zuko treat her like a possession with no agency of her own. How she is the one to save HIM in the end at Boiling Rock (how's that for a damsel in distress?). How Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee are trusted by the Fire Lord to perform tasks even the highest generals can't achieve. How the show is relentlessly turning sexist stereotypes on their heads and making viewers question what they think they know.

Beyond the feminism (which you all probably already know I adore so much), I love that each of the leading boys has learning experiences wrt less-than-ideal behaviors towards girls/women, because in real life boys (and girls, too!) are GOING to make mistakes as they're learning and it's important to show how they can move beyond those mistakes and not forever be defined by them. Zuko learns not to be a possessive asshat like he is in The Beach (at least, we don't see him act that way towards Mai again--he might as well have broken up with her via text and not given her the option to follow him to the "good side," but he never acts possessive again. Baby steps). Aang learns he can't just solve their relationship problems by kissing Katara when she's confused. He gives her space and she clearly thinks he's learned from it by the end (really, by the next episode). Sokka learns not to be sexist and that sometimes girls are going to be stronger/better fighters than he is AND THAT'S OKAY. Good, even! It doesn't make him "less of a man" or anything like that, and we don't hear those sexist ideas come out of his mouth again. ALL of these make great talking points for parents watching the show with their kids, too.

Kids make mistakes. They lean on stereotypes or prior experiences and sometimes that bites them in the butt. AtLA shows that we can teach kids hard lessons. Not only can we fight back against injustice but we can improve ourselves when we've been the ones to mess up. And I really think that's something special.

Thanks for sending in your thoughts, anon! You're so right.

[quibliography]

We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor

Synopsis:  This novel is about RobertJohansson and the future he didn't expect to have. Bob was thrilled to be part of the cryogenic program that would freeze his brain upon death for reanimation in a more technologically-advanced future; he just didn't expect to wake up suddenly a century later as a digitized version of himself. But with the emotional settings turned off, he's able to take all of it in stride. Especially when he's suddenly jettisoned from the planet on a mission that will hopefully save humanity from itself.

My Quibs: This is my kind of book - heavily nerdy without being overbearing about it, lightly philosophical without being too biased, cheeky, and a bit self-deprecating. Granted, don't take this book very seriously. It's more like a stupid sit-com you turn on for some entertainment. Firstly with the characters: there really is only one character replicated a hundred times over, who is also our tour guide and narrator. The author is a self-proclaimed software engineer (much like Andy Weir who wrote The Martian) and so the character development is pretty standard: Bob is a self-assured but self-aware human who thinks his dad jokes are funny. I think he's fun to ride with but another reviewer described him as obnoxious. I could see that to be true if you think giggling at nerd references is obnoxious. It's true, Taylor nor Bob are witty, but we can both be five-year-olds pointing and laughing at a stupid fish face. That's who you're stuck with for 500 pages. [Edit: Having started the second book in the series, i must say that I fully agree with how tedious his humor is now. As an adult, it's fun to play on the same with a five-year-old but after a couple hours, I really want to have an adult conversation with an adult again.] Secondly with the world-building, or should I say universe-building: he paints an interesting scenario and then proceeds to play his own version of make-believe. Again, another reviewer commented that Bob gets lucky a lot but I didn't focus so much on how Bob solved the problem. I was more interested in the problems that Taylor created. How would you react if you woke up the next day and you were a bunch of data in the cloud? That everyone and everything you knew had been long gone for a century? 🤔 Bob realizes his "endocrine simulation routine" is disabled and basically represses his emotions for the first several chapters and when he does choose to turn it on, we don't see his reactions/process. Which is fine by me. I'm more curious how I would write that story if my character was given this situation. How would you feel if the only way to fulfill a functional necessity and social desire was to make a version of yourself? 😬 Bob's lucky that he got along with most versions of himself and that those he didn't get alone with could leave for other parts of the universe. I suppose this concept ended up being more like a parent-child relationship than a self-reflection idea, but if I were to write it... Anyways, I thoroughly enjoyed the thought exercise that was We Are Legion and I'm looking forward to other hypothetical situations that Bob gets himself into. [Edit: I made it about a fifth of the way into For We Are Many and Taylor doesn't really open up any new themes or scenarios. It's starting to read more like rambling except because he has so many more new Bobs to cram in, each Bob chapter is only four or five pages long. I feel like I'm just reading reports from coworkers. This will be a DNF unfortunately.]

Should you read it? It’s like a beach read for nerds. (But just the first one...)

Similar reads? As another reader mentioned, this is clearly in the genre of Smart Guy Talks Nerd Directly To You ala The Martian by Andy Weir and Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.

(Spoiler Alert!) I went into the story 100% blind and so I didn't want to list more thought questions before the spoiler warning in case others wanted some plot points to still be a surprise. For instance, after Bob reaches his initial destination, the book really branches out into several stories. Normally I would struggle with tracking multiple unrelated story lines, but luckily the writing is simple enough that it wasn't as difficult as I expected. 1. Bob goes back to Earth to see if humanity is okay. 2. Bob goes further and discovers a planet with sentient life on it. 3. Bob goes further and finds viable uninhabited planets. 4. Bob goes further and encounters a hostile probe that was launched from a different country. #3 and #4 didn't really interest me so much. But #1 and #2, while really exposing the god-complex of nerds and scientists, still posed an interesting question. How would you handle dictating the remaining world population as it's least-biased savior? Would you know how to mediate a group of desperate world leaders? And this is my bias here, but I like seeing science-driven civilians being forced into a military-esque command position. (It also happens in Stargate: Atlantis.) And finally the other question: Could you be an in-actionable observer to nature? Should you be? If you were motivated to take action, how far would you be willing to intervene? This reminds me of a BTS clip of Planet Earth where the film crew in Antarctica, who normally promise not to intervene in any natural situation, ultimately did help a young penguin out of a hole in the ice. I guess it had fallen in and would've been left behind to starve but the crew, after weighing the pros and cons, decided to quickly pop the penguin out of the hole. There are other examples in Planet Earth where a small mistake like that will ultimately kill an animal (I think an elephant wandered off and got lost and was presumed to ultimately die) and it's portrayed as a consequence of life. But this time, they intervened. Bob's study of the Deltans reminded me of that again. Although Taylor exaggerates everything ten times over for the sake of literary drama but the question still exists.

What did you think of We Are Legion (We Are Bob)?

[katsona-the-katsequel]

Human Heart, Aigis' Heart

Here comes Aigis' story!

___________________________________________

I am the humanoid tactical weapon Aigis. I am an Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon developed in the Kirijo Group's lab. I am the cutting edge of modern military technology, and the culmination of many years of shadow research. Though my body is mechanical, I also possess a human-like mentality, and I am the world's most powerful Persona User. I am particularly renowned for my sturdiness, and just like the story of the Aegis Shield from Greek mythology that gave me my name, I am truly undefeatable, impenetrable, and invincible.

Yes. I was supposed to be invincible.

However, at Gekkoukan High School, where I was currently studying, I never had a chance to use this excellent weaponry in my student life.

To borrow the words of Yukari-san and other female classmates, I felt like a little blue or depressed.

"...Well, today is the 4th, so...um, Aigis-san. Please tell me how you would feel about it."

Oh, by the way, we were currently in class. Professor Toriumi was asking me to respond. I was just thinking about it, but as a cutting edge humanoid tactical weapon, my brain is capable of parallel processing, so I won't miss any questions. But...

"What's wrong? Is modern Japanese too difficult for returnees? There's no need to think about it so deeply."

The text we were currently reading was a novel called "Kokoro" written by a man named Natsume Soseki. I didn't seem to have a good enough understanding of this "Kokoro" yet. After about 32 seconds of silence, the teacher spoke to me in a manner that could be perceived as slightly over-the-top, perhaps trying to give me a clue as to the correct answer.

"He proposed to her over his best friend K, and she ended up committing suicide... I wonder what Aigis would think in that situation?"

"If it were me... I would think that my friend would have committed suicide."

"...It's not the same as it used to be. Give it a twist! Give it a twist!"

"Could it have been a murder disguised as a suicide?"

"Why?! This is Soseki! Don't turn a masterpiece of pure literature into an Edogawa Ranpo mystery!"

"In terms of motive, the young lady is the most suspicious... but we need to check the absence certificate..."

"Listen to me! Listen to what I'm saying!"

As usual, Toriumi-sensei exploded, and soon the bell rang to signal the end of school. If this were a plan for me to kidnap "Miss" from my best friend K, it would be easy... But even for someone with a mind that can summon Personas, understanding this "heart" was not as easy as it sounds.

"Well, you are human beings, but it's still hard to understand other people's feelings. Isn't it okay to worry so much about it?"

My precious friend nodded enthusiastically to Junpei's words. It was lunchtime now, and we were on the rooftop. I'd asked the two of them to come over to get their opinions on how to solve the problem I was currently facing.

"However... the reality is that 'humanness' is an essential skill for my school life. If communication with civilians is hindered for any reason, then my mission will also be hindered."

"But it seems like you're getting along well with the other kids in your class."

"No, I feel like I'm a total stranger in the so-called 'high school girls' community. I can't even fully understand how to communicate via cell phone email..."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"For example", I said, taking out my cell phone and showing them the email I received from Yukari the other day. It said, "Tell Kirijo SP I'll be late (^_^)."

“This?”

"Normally, the term SP refers to a bodyguard who provides personal protection for important people. So I told the Kirijo Group's security department that Yukari would be coming home late that day."

"Well, that's..."

"For some reason, they gave me a strange look."

"I guess."

"That night, Yukari was very disappointed when I heard that SP was an abbreviation for Senpai. But that's not all. In another email, I saw the phrase "H/K" and it took me three days to realize that it was an abbreviation for 'By the way', if it was 'H&K,' I would know that it was an abbreviation for the German gun manufacturer Heckler & Koch."

"That's something the average person wouldn't understand..."

"What is the point of using gal characters? It is unreasonable to make 'juko' read as 'ta', or 'ju' read as 'sa', and to increase the amount of information that would take only one byte to two bytes. It's inefficient."

"Now now now. That's what being a high school girl is all about. Besides, you don't need to be bound by those norms, Ai-chan is human enough... Ah, that's right."

Suddenly, Junpei stood up as if he had just thought of something.

"What's the matter?"

"From now on, if you want to ask for advice like that, I think it's best to get advice from someone in the industry."

Saying this, Junpei smiled happily. This kind of human-like smile is essential to camouflage one's appearance as a human female, and yet it was something I lacked. I wondered if I could acquire a smile like that...?

"And so, I'm your special lecturer, Takeba."

"I-I'm your assistant, Yamagishi."

“Junpei, in the end, didn’t you just want to use Aigis’s troubles as an excuse to have some fun?”

The situation was incomprehensible.

Afterwards, we met up with Yukari and Fuuka, and for some reason we ended up inside Karaoke Mandragora in Paulownia Mall.

"Well, well, well, don't worry about the small details! Going to karaoke with friends after school is a typical thing for high school girls to do, right? I think it's important to start with the formality, you know."

"Is that so? Junior high school girls go to karaoke on their way home from school... I get it. But in that case, shouldn't we invite Mitsuru-san too?"

"I-I think Kirijo-senpai is a bit different from the average high school girl..."

The details were unknown, but it was profound.

"Okay then, let's start with Ai-chan. What will you sing? Anything is fine."

"Singing, huh? It's my first experience, but I'll do my best."

"Okay then, do your best!"

...

"It was an unexpected situation."

"Well, my head's still spinning..."

"I thought my eardrums would burst..."

"Well, well, I guess that can't be helped, huh?"

It was an unfortunate accident. The moment I turned on the microphone to sing, a terrible cacophony occurred. The electromagnetic waves emitted by my engine resonated with the speakers, causing a phenomenon known as howling. It was like a sonic bomb.

The force of the blast was devastating. All the drinking glasses were destroyed, and the karaoke equipment in the next room was also damaged.

"The electromagnetic seal at the core was perfect, but no one had thought about the drive motors at each joint..."

Was this a feeling of despondent feeling? Was it impossible for me, after all, to acquire the abilities of a normal female student? As if to cut me off from such thoughts, Junpei spoke as cheerfully as ever.

"Well then, let's pull ourselves together and move on to the second high school girl staple! Let's go take a purikura photo!"

".. Purikura?"

I was a little wary of the words I had no memory of, but since it was Junpei's plan, I replied with a firm yes.

"I'll give it a go... Yes!"

"All right! Let's go to to Game Vanick!"

"So...what is a purikura?" Junpei took a big tumble.

...

"So this is Purikura... Print Club? I see."

According to Junpei, it was a device for processing photos taken of several people with stickers. Apparently, taking photos with friends and sharing the stickers was the basis of high school girls. I didn't really understand the intention behind it, but if this action was necessary for the operation, I couldn't run away. Desertion in the face of the enemy was punishable by firing squad.

"Okay, let's go."

"Okay, let's have Yukari and Fuuka together. Um, the background is this... the frame is this... OK, let's start. I'll press the button."

"Come on, Aigis, strike a pose."

"A pose, is that it?"

"That's right, smile smile."

"Eh, a smile...?"

Before I could even process what was happening, a sound similar to the clicking of a camera was heard, and shortly afterwards the stickers were dispensed from the receiving slot below.

"Uh... Wait, my smile is a bit stiff, maybe?"

"She's not laughing."

As Yukari had said, the expression on my face on the photo was what you might call expressionless. As a weapon, I didn't have the ability to change my expression depending on my emotions.

"Let's try again, shall we?"

"I think that attempt would be futile. The fact that I cannot express a smiling or crying face is due to my specifications, so there is nothing I can do about it."¹

When I said that, everyone looked at each other and then burst out laughing.

"What's the matter?"

Without answering my question. No, as if they had no time to answer, everyone continued laughing. "What are you talking about... hehehe... Ah, Ai-chan, as expected of someone who has been maintained by Ikutsuki-san... Hehe."

"Ugh, that's painful... What kind of pun was that?"

"It can't be helped. Ahahaha."

"It's weird if Ikutsuki says it, but if Aigis says it its charming.”

I understood. Although it was not my intention, it seemed that what I said was a pun, a series of similar-sounding words used to create a sentence. I was a little confused, but I was also happy that all of them enjoyed it.

"Huh? You can smile."

"Eh?"

I was surprised by Junpei's sudden remark.

"Were you laughing?"

"Yeah, I saw it too."

Fuuka agreed with Junpei. I saw.

Was I laughing?

"That's right. She has a better smile than our unsociable field leader."

At Yukari's words, that person turned away as if it didn't matter. Now that I thought about it, this person didn't show his feelings on his face very often. Still, he was doing a great job as a leader and seemed to get along well with his friends. Suddenly, I thought of one thing and spoke up.

"Am I of any help?"

"Huh? What's wrong all of a sudden?"

"I can't behave like the so-called 'high school girls'. I'm not good at karaoke or photo booths. I can't understand the human heart. But even so, is it okay for me to be here as one of your friends, as a member of SEES?"

"Of course!" Junpei answered loudly.

"Was that what was bothering you, Aigis?"

Yukari also spoke in an exasperated tone, followed by Fuuka.

"Aigis, you were worried, weren't you?"

"Worried... Yes, maybe I was." What I must do was defeat shadows together with everyone else. And to protect that person. If I couldn't act like a female student, then perhaps I was not up to the task, perhaps I was not living up to everyone's expectations. It was these thoughts that were making my processing unstable, and now it seemed that even I had finally realized this.

On the way back from Paulownia Mall, Fuuka came up to me and said,

"You know, I think that if you get anxious because you don't know what the people around you think of you, doesn't that mean you have a great heart?"

“Is that so?”

If so, I was glad, for I, who was troubled by my inability to understand the mind, was relieved to learn, paradoxically, that it was the mind that troubled me by things it found difficult to understand.

"The human heart is a mysterious thing."

"We all feel the same way."

Everyone was together... that's something that made me happy. I suddenly took my cell phone out of my pocket and looked at the photo I had taken earlier.

"We have matching ones."

When I said that, Junpei and the person walking in front of me looked a little surprised.

This time I was aware of it too. It is at times like these that humans laugh.

I am Aigis, a humanoid tactical weapon. I sometimes worry because I can't understand the human heart, but I am a lucky Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon because there are people who care for me.

___________________________________________

¹. They're not being jerks. Aigis accidentally made a pun.

I sometimes forget Minato is there 😭

Tag List: @kerto-p

[tribow]

I've been playing Rivals of Aether 2 and noticed the Steam reviews have become mixed. Curious, I checked why that might be the case.

It mostly just seems to be a coincidence that it became mixed. A good amount of people left a negative review around the same time. Some of it is because the game deviated from Rivals 1 gameplay, but like....the first game isn't going anywhere. You can still buy it/play it without any issue. Do you know how many fighting games would love to have that luxury?

A good number of the RoA1 crowd think RoA2 plays like Melee/Smash4/Ultimate now, but....no. Melee's gameplay is way more precise with way less emphasis on defense, Smash4 plays way slower, lacks movement options, and punishes unsafe aggression, and Ultimate feels like fencing....so aggression without the approach (if that makes sense). RoA2, to me, is a game that heavily revolves around counterplay. I never felt like I was in a situation where there was absolutely nothing I could have done to prevent a loss, albeit, that's because I'm actually aware of the game mechanics.

A large amount of review also complained about how the game feels to beginners and this is a criticism I couldn't counter if I tried. As of right now, the game severely lacks tutorials and singleplayer modes to help you get better. This is being addressed, but it's gonna be a while. Right now there's some very basic tutorials and an arcade mode, but nothin too helpful. This wouldn't feel as bad if there were casual multiplayer things to do...but there isn't. People rarely play free-for-alls and that's the closest thing to a casual multiplayer mode the game has. Unless you have friends who have the game, you're outta luck.

There also seems to be server issues. I haven't had problems myself, but depending on where you live, you might have problems. RoA2 uses server-based rollback with no peer-to-peer options as of now, so if you're super far from the servers they have, you might experience the lag problems I've seen other reviews complain about. It's something the devs are aware of and will likely address, but solving networking issues is a slow process and it might not be as important as finishing new characters on schedule.

Speaking of that schedule, RoA2 is a live service game, probably one of the best. There's no slimey predatory practices here. No FOMO, no P2W, no money-hungry nonsense. All future characters will be free, the singleplayer modes will be free, and stages will be free. Which is great, but it also reveals that this game isn't necessarily "Feature Complete". Like I said earlier, there's barely any singleplayer modes/tutorials. However, RoA1 released in a very similar fashion. I'd argue it was even more scuffed than RoA2, so I'm not surprised. Yet, some reviews are very surprised.

I'd blame communication for this one. I think some people expected the game to be completely done, but the team has a ton of work to do. It's work that they need money to get done while financially supporting their effort. It's why there's a live service model to begin with. Without support from the community this game's fate could end up like Rushdown Revolt (cool game btw).

This is what baffles me about many of the reviews. They need the community's support. They can't address a lot of issues without that support. Why not encourage people to give it a try anyway? Their support would go towards improving the game anyway. Most of the negative reviews aren't complaining about the game heading in a bad direction. It's just not currently in a state that they would call very good, but they believe it will be very good as long as the devs keep working on it.

???

Isn't that positive? I don't get it.

Look, if you believe in the game, give it support. If you like how the game plays and just need more features, give it support. If you never played the game and are new to the genre, I'd buy the first game unless you don't mind playing a game that's in active development.

Give it support.

[wendichester]

𓂃˖ ࣪ 𝔠𝔬𝔪𝔭𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔟𝔦𝔩𝔦𝔱𝔶 𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔦𝔫𝔤

˚₊‧꒰ა khi ☆ sam winchester ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ ⋆˙⟡ where aquarius, capricorn, capricorn meets taurus, virgo*, capricorn. ⟡˙⋆

𖤐⭒๋࣭ ⭑✧˖⋆𖤐⭒๋࣭ ⭑✧˖⋆𖤐⭒๋࣭ ⭑✧˖⋆𖤐⭒๋࣭ ⭑✧˖⋆𖤐⭒๋࣭ ⭑✧˖⋆𖤐⭒๋࣭ ⭑✧˖⋆𖤐⭒๋࣭ ⭑✧˖⋆𖤐

ꔛ. meeting each other,

✧ what’s the most likely way for you two to meet?

given your aquarius sun and capricorn moon, you're someone who’s independent, but you have a deep emotional side that sometimes pulls you toward the darker, more serious stuff. sam, with his taurus sun and capricorn moon, would probably be investigating a supernatural occurrence where you just happen to be. maybe you're researching something on your own or you get caught up in a mess. sam might initially think you’re too quirky, but also notice that you're intelligent and serious when it counts. the two of you might cross paths when you both realize you’re after the same thing—be it solving a mystery, chasing a monster, or saving someone.

✧ are you a hunter or a civilian?

you’re likely a civilian who finds themselves in a dangerous, supernatural situation—maybe you’ve been looking into the occult, or you’ve had some weird experiences, but you haven’t fully crossed over into the world of hunters yet. sam’s a hunter, so he’s going to be concerned that you're out of your depth. he’s used to seeing civilians get dragged into this world, so you’d probably be on the receiving end of his protective instincts. he would want to keep you safe, but he’d also respect your independence and intelligence.

✧ what’s his first impression of you?

sam would immediately notice your aquarius energy. he’d see you as interesting, maybe even a little eccentric. sam’s drawn to people who are intelligent and thoughtful, and with your mercury in aquarius, you’d have no problem engaging him in deep conversations. he’s intrigued by your confidence and would be impressed by your ability to keep up with his intellect. your venus in aries would make him respect your independence and drive, but also wonder if you're too spontaneous for his more methodical ways.

ꔛ. friendship compatibility,

✧ how would the friendship be like?

the friendship between you two would be a mix of intellectual and emotional bonding. with sam’s moon in capricorn and your moon in capricorn, there’s a deep emotional understanding that makes you both feel secure with each other. sam’s more grounded and steady, while you bring that spark of aquarius energy, which would give the friendship an unpredictable edge. sam would appreciate how genuine and loyal you are, and you'd admire his calmness and ability to hold things together. expect some deep talks, some long silences, and moments where you just get each other without saying much.

✧ how would it begin?

it would start slowly, especially since sam is a little cautious at first. he might notice you from afar, intrigued by your quirkiness and independence. maybe you’re both involved in solving a case together, or maybe you run into each other when you’re both after the same monster. there might be a little tension at first as sam tries to figure out your level of commitment to the whole hunter life, but once you prove yourself, he’d warm up to you. your wit and your deep understanding of things would draw him in, and you’d quickly develop a bond over shared values.

✧ quirks and fun things about it:

✶ expect a lot of silent moments where you're just comfortable around each other. ✶ sam would be the type who would enjoy taking care of the more serious aspects of life, while you’d be the one who brings the unexpected chaos—maybe you’ll suggest crazy plans or offer some unconventional solutions to a problem. ✶ there will be plenty of debates where you challenge each other’s viewpoints, but you’ll respect each other deeply.

ꔛ. romantic compatibility,

✧ are you compatible? is there a chance for friendship to develop into more?

oh yes, you're compatible—but it might take time for things to develop. sam’s a bit more reserved when it comes to relationships, and you're not the most open either, so the two of you would probably need time to warm up to each other. your venus in aries and sam’s venus in gemini can create a connection where you both like to keep things interesting. sam’s more about stability and comfort, but your venus in aries would make you crave excitement and passion. your relationship would be a blend of spontaneity and security, with each of you offering something the other is missing. there's definitely a chance for friendship to develop into something more because both of you have a lot of emotional depth to offer.

✧ what type of relationship would it be?

this would be a steady and nurturing relationship—sam’s earth sign energy brings a grounded, stable vibe, while your aquarius energy brings that touch of unpredictability. you two would balance each other out. you might pull him out of his shell a little bit, helping him explore new ideas and experiences, while he would give you that emotional security you secretly crave. expect a slow-burning romance, where you both get to know each other’s depths before it fully blossoms. trust would be the most important part of this relationship.

✧ what are your love languages according to the charts?

✶ sam's love language is probably quality time and acts of service. he’d want to spend time with you doing things that deepen your connection, and he’d show affection by doing things like taking care of you, fixing things, and making sure you’re okay. ✶ your love language is likely words of affirmation and physical touch. you’d want someone who verbalizes their feelings and shows affection in ways that are meaningful, but not necessarily overwhelming. with sam, you’d get that blend of emotional stability and tender care that makes you feel loved.

ꔛ. scenario, ₊˚⊹౨ in a relationship ৎ ₊˚⊹

it’s a quiet evening after a long hunt. sam’s sitting on the couch, his legs stretched out, a book in his hands, and he glances over at you—watching you as you finish some task. it’s been a long day, but there’s something calming about the way the two of you just coexist. sam closes his book, shifts next to you, and gently pulls you into his side. you’re not saying much, just enjoying the moment. the warmth of his touch gives you a sense of peace you never thought you’d find with anyone. he looks down at you, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “you’re not so bad,” he murmurs softly, his thumb tracing your hand in quiet affection. you smile up at him, your heart full. it’s not perfect, but it’s your perfect. and it’s everything you need.

ꔛ. overall, score : 8 / 10

this relationship has serious potential. it's rooted in a deep emotional bond, and while there may be some bumps in the road (mostly due to your aquarius independence and his taurus stubbornness), the two of you would balance each other out. this could be a long-term, stable relationship, filled with growth and understanding.

ꔛ. navigation 𓂃˖ ࣪ all drabbles ; compatibility readings ; support my work .ᐟ

* since the birth time of sam hasn't ever been mentioned, I've placed him as a virgo rising, since it's the sign that makes more sense to me.

[thecurrator]

𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 @chimi-cheese-fries

Your ideal match is…Isagi Yoichi!

Isagi is one of the rare friendly and tolerant guys in blue lock, able to get along with many of the pricklier personalities. So while he might have been a bit intimated by your rbf, at least he wouldn't think badly of you for it. On that note, it's easier for you to navigate social situations with him by your side, as he has no problem keeping up conversations and covering for you when you're having trouble. He's like a breath of fresh air in that way.

He had a bit of trouble talking to you at first since you're more reserved, but once he managed to find a subject you're really interested in, things got easier for him. He doesn't push you to talk about yourself and is happy to bring up less personal stuff like something funny happening around you. He's also the type to talk more when he's interested in a certain subject, so you both takes turns being the listener for conversations.

He also has a tendency to say harsh things in the heat of the moment (see: his fight with Yukimiya in the Bastard Muchen vs Manshine City match). However, unlike 98% of the cast, he's willing to apologize when he realises he's wrong, which doesn't take too long! This trait of his makes him one of the healthiest guys in blue lock.

The both of you share a love for sweets! If you haven't tried kintsuba before, that's the first thing he makes sure you try. He'll be a bit disappointed if you don't like it, but it isn't a big thing worth fussing over. The both of you tend to visit cafes to try their deserts there. He's always on the lookout for new cafes and only tries them with you, even if he has to wait weeks until you're free.

Matching you with Isagi because of your love for puzzles seems a bit obvious, but come on. Besides the whole puzzle metaphor he has going on, Isagi is definitely the type to like games that challenges his brain. He would love solving puzzles and playing other brain teasers with you. He can get quite competitive, but he never gloats. When he thinks he's been getting too long of a winning streak, he'll lose on purpose to make you happy.

Your love languages match perfectly! The both of you value quality time, so you're always finding opportunities to go on dates or each other's houses. Isagi is happy when he's praised, so your words of affirmation are always appreciated. Sometimes they're just what he needs to end a bad day on a happier note. He's really caring, and often takes care of you in an attempt to make life easier for you. A sweet boy for a sweet person.

Finally, your zodiac signs are highly compatible! Aries and Leo are grouped under the same element and therefore share a great understanding of each other. Their communication starts with the right amount of energy and shyness with a sprinkle of respect.

Runner-up: Yukimiya Kenyu (It was close. Close! But your liking of puzzles reminded me too much of Isagi haHA)

Your sibling is…Mikage Reo!

A charming extrovert to balance out your introversion! He's really good with people, so he can help you to navigate social situations and make good impressions! If you want to. If you don't want to, he's also good at making smooth getaways from the crowd, bringing you with him. Your maturity vibes are the same so I can't tell who's the older one. Maybe twins?

Things were definitely less quiet and boring for him growing up with you compared to his status of being an only child in canon. He's always eagerly waiting for the times when you feel chatty because you're happy or really interested in the subject so he can listen to you talk. Most of the time he's the one rambling to you though, since you don’t really like talking about myself.

Your parents place high expectations on the both of you to perform well in school, but Reo also naturally developed his ambition on his own, so he's as proud of your academic achievements as his own. The both of you are book smart rather than street smart, and likely give off this intellectual vibe that makes people afraid to sound stupid when talking to you both.

Again, he's very extroverted so you likely felt tired around him when you both were younger because he was constantly looking for you. But he started making lots of friends he could hang out with starting from middle school and needed to spend more time studying to maintain his grades, so you finally had more quiet alone time. He also grew out of the desire to sleep in the same bed as you once he reached middle school, so you could finally have your own room. Or floor. Up to you.

He takes advantage of your love for food and often invites you to new or popular restaurants/cafes to spend time with you. Sometimes he doesn't even order anything other than a drink, he spends the time talking to you about everything noteworthy that's happened to him the past week while you eat. He always hopes the food is good and makes you happy enough to tell him what kind of week you've been having as well.

He isn't chatty all the time though! There are times when he hangs out with you in bed to read during a rainy night. He'll be reading business books but hey, reading is reading. You can put on some background music too, adding to the ambience.

Your tendency to blurt out things that seem harsh has hurt him a few times, especially when you both were younger. Even though he's rational and level-headed, he's surprisingly sensitive to the words from those he cares about. He's quick to forgive you though, as long as you apologize, whether verbally or through actions/a gift. Overall, a healthy and close siblinghood.

[ladyinbooks]

Our of your 6 protagonists (deuteragonists?) who do you like best and who did you have most fun writing? Is there a relationship out of the three that is most special to you?

What will happen if someone puts all of them in a room?

Oh lovely Anon, you're asking the tough questions here! (And I thank you for it - it made me think hard about who I like and why! ❤️)

I have to say, I love all of them - particularly as I'm writing them. I think there's some kind of weird little switch in my head, so as I work through a fic, what tends to happen to my characters is they go from concepts on a page that I've plotted out, to my precious little darlings and I end up with a lot of feels. So I suppose truthfully any time I'm writing about one, they sort of have 'favourite' status. (At the moment Lysander is up there, but so is Retvja.) However. If I absolutely had to choose, or face the loss of (I'm trying to think of something threatening here, let's go with:) all chocolate forever. Then I'm going to pick my special little guy. My first baby. The one who very politely came up to me as I was sitting on a bus, and belted me over the head with the fact that he was in love with Jason Lane, and I'd better do something about it. (Samiel. It's Samiel.)

In terms of who I have the most fun writing, I think I really do have to say all of them, because they all challenge me in different way. I love writing Samiel for his fierce bravery, and his cunning. He makes me think about how someone with his past would develop, and how that manifests. I love writing Jay for the politicking, and the fact he gives me grey hairs as I try to work out what he's up to and how he's going to solve problems. I love Hess for... honestly, I just love how much fun it is to write him skirting the edge of 'too far into evil' on a regular basis. I love writing Dan because he makes me feel angry and brave, and sometimes I need to channel my own frustration into a character who will fight against all odds. I love writing Lysander/Hiraeth because he's like an onion - he has layers, and we're still peeling them back, and it's so much fun to share his self-discovery with you all. And I love Damas/Aubrey because honestly he's (as a lovely commenter put it) playing 4D chess with the rest of the galaxy, and I think he's more vicious than we've seen so far (and it's so much fun to write someone who absolutely hides their true face).

Oooh, if someone put them all in a room together? I think Samiel would be having the time of his life bitchily judging everyone else. Jay would be with him, but probably working out how to navigate the whole situation without offending anyone or starting a war. Lysander/Hiraeth would probably be trying to make friends with Dan, and Dan would be fending off Hess's attempts to kill Lysander/Hiraeth because of that. Damas/Aubrey would be in a corner taking mental notes on who he needs to kill or ally with (I have a horrible feeling he'd actually want to try and get Hess onside somehow...)

[eolewyn1010]

Charité, season 4 - episode 4

I'm here to spoiler, and don't say I didn't warn you!

"Two more Paleobacterium deaths" - not Maral's very first patient tho! He will conveniently stay alive until the very end.

Does anyone else think it'll be a depressing blow to Julia to come home and find that, when Maral finally puts in an effort into unpacking boxes to furnish their new home, all she unpacks is her work stuff?

"Extreme heat wave continues" - but we won't show our protagonists sweating! They have to look like models.

It's not that actress' fault, but her facial structure reminds me uncomfortably of season 2's Magda Goebbels. Plus, she's 1st, dressed like she has too much money (and she probably has if she can afford 4 in vitro treatments), and 2nd, remarkably unscathed for someone who has recently been in a car accident that ended fatally for another participant.

Julia. This woman is pregnant and very freshly widowed. Refer her to grief counseling?

Nurse Kachel is only around to literally open doors and talk some platitudes in Berlin dialect, huh?

Nice of Maral to give away a ticket for an event she planned to go visit with her wife. Oughta be good for the marriage.

Also, what do you mean "men's team or women's"? Does that mean sports are still segregated in a way that makes them inaccessible to nonbinary people?

Dylan, just report her. At this point, her trying to treat a patient is illegal. She should not even be in the tract.

With the background that Ferhat probably attempted suicide at some point, it feels hypocritical of him to be opposed to his patient choosing death over a living situation he deems unbearable.

Wait a minute. She's 16 weeks into pregnancy and already knows her baby is gonna be a boy. But Julia's test was the first that turned up the microplastic poisoning? How quickly does that develop / how incompetent was her previous doctor?

Come on, Julia, you can't be surprised that she's desperate to keep the baby.

I'm not entirely sure why they have to plant the child back in at all. If they have artificial (and completely disease-free) wombs at their disposal, wouldn't it be the safest course to keep the fetus in there until maturity?

It's very rude to develop a revolutionary kind of surgery and then not haste to train others to do it when it treats an issue that a ton of people worldwide are likely to have. 1st season at least had a reason for not many doctors knowing a certain kind of surgery - modern medicine was in its baby shoes and worldwide networking was scarce and slow. But with all that technology? Get teaching!

If you're suicidal, try romance! It solves all depressions! ...Honestly, fuck Ferhat. For someone who also gets to do psychotherapeutic treatment, he's so bad at human emotions.

Marlene is one of very few characters this season I give a damn about, and she's being stood up by this dumbass Ferhat. Ugh.

Maral. Wine is not a balanced diet.

"You wanna talk about your work? No, I get to complain about my work now!" Maral, you suck as a wife.

And then, literally just after that, she has the absolute GALL to accuse Julia of not listening to her about her problems! What the actual fuck. Maral, you suck as a wife!

You also have no right to deny Julia information about her son.

"From my perspective, yes." Have you ever talked to your wife in the past weeks, even once? Sheesh.

That telling-off was so overdue. So obviously, the next thing Maral does? Get drunk, be a workaholic, and go to extremes to prove a point! Woo! It's feminism when it's women who make the bad choices! I hope she knows she's on one level with Robert Koch now. And that is so not a compliment.

Discount Daniel Sträßer would seem even shadier if I he weren't surrounded by bad CGI.

Thanks, Nils, for calling Maral the asshole that she is.

Emilia, if you think Charité has to protect its precious reputation, you go and solve the medical mysteries yourself.

Wow. Wow, Ferhat. This episode is titled "Courage", not "Violation Of Your Patient's Bodily Autonomy". wtf, why is this guy a doctor.

Dylan, you should have Maral arrested. She's a walking (ok, lying-down) breach of infection protection law.

Way to go, Julia! And please change your gloves before you operate any further. That's fucking disgusting.

Does anyone else find it sus that Dylan, Maral's declared but male rival at the hospital whom she keeps trashtalking and tyrannizing at work, gets to look so much more affectionate with her than her actual wife?

Thoughts on this season's questionable queer rep aside - my problem is that Maral's behavior doesn't feel as though she wants to save lives. It feels like she wants to prove at any cost that she is right. That is an unsympathetic feature in everyone and a potentially catastrophic one in a doctor. And Ferhat isn't far behind. Are these supposed to be protagonists?

[babytarttdoodoo]

Since you're at work, any advice for job applications/interviews?

Oh, that's a bit out of left field! I have sat on interview panels before so this will hopefully be helpful - bear in mind it will be very UK-centric, though!

(Yes, the whole job hunting song and dance is performative bullshit. It helps to know the steps, though.)

Applications

When they ask for a cover letter, CV and/or application form, don't just regurgitate the same information over and over.

Cover letter: Pick out keywords from the job advert and frame those things as skills you have or opportunities for you to develop. Example: "I see my project delivery experience as being a real advantage in this role, and look forward to expanding my skillset with management responsibilities." CV: Keep it brief and for the love of god make sure it's easy to read. Set it out like [Job Title] > [Company] > [Years] > [List of relevant responsibilities and successes]. If you've had a lot of different roles, keep it to the last five or so. Application form: Questions about skills/experience are looking for anecdotal/situational examples of you applying those skills. Take every chance you can to mention professional development or learning opportunities i.e. all that stuff you do that isn't actually in your job description.

If you're asked about salary expectations, I normally round my current salary up and then add 10-15%. For example, if you're making £24,675 then set £27,500 as your minimum level for a new position. If you make £102,825, that becomes £115,000. Make sense?

Interviews

Being super early is almost as inconvenient as being late. 10-15 minutes ahead of your interview is plenty. If you're running behind, don't be afraid to call and let them know - they will appreciate it and might be able to push your slot back.

Take examples of your work if possible. At the interview for my first job, I took along some video projects I'd worked on as a student. In the interview for my current job (six years later), I whipped out a powerpoint summarising my input into the last project I'd worked on. Even if it isn't requested ahead of time, prepping something is worth it.

There's no way to predict everything they're going to ask but if you come with a few strong answers ready to go, things will go smoother. Look at the job description and make a few notes on any correlating projects/experience/achievements you have. Specifics are great and you can absolutely refer to what you've written down as you talk.

Expect to be asked about challenges you've faced professionally or failures you've overcome. It's fine. Frame your answer around what you learned from a situation that went wrong. Make it sound like you saved the day if you have to. They're not looking for you to self-flagellate - they want to know you can handle pressure and problem solving.

Always, always tell the interviewer that you're speaking to other potential employers. It's a good thing to throw in at the end like "Oh, and just so you know, I am interviewing elsewhere so my availability might change". (In my experience, this has resulted in a faster answer on whether an employer is seriously interested.)

Feel free to message me if you want advice on anything more specific! I'll do what I can :)

[thewritingarchives]

How to write fanfiction: A practical Guide

Fanfiction is supposed to be fun, both reading and writing it. One of the most fun parts of it is the fact that there are no rules, and that's why this is by no means intended to be a handbook that must be followed in order to write.

There are as many works out there as there are writers, and some of the best books were made breaking the rules of how writing 'is supposed to be'. I wanted to make a list of advice that I found useful to get over the fear of the blank page. It’ll probably not help absolutely everyone, but if you don’t know where to start, these might give you an idea on which way to go. 

1. When is it happening?

Is it a filler episode between two important episodes? Is it the aftermath of a tragedy that the show doesn’t dive on? Is it not even in the original timeline of the series? It doesn’t have to be an exact timestamp, but knowing if you’re writing pre-canon, post or in between can help you organize the characters’ thoughts and ideas, as well as the events that take place. 

2. Decide what is the story that you want to tell

Most of the times, it’s not enough to know which characters you want to use in your story to write a fanfiction; you need to know what you want to happen to them, too. Some people can just sit down and start writing without knowing where to go (and it’s a great exercise to do) but a great way to ensure that you’ll finish the project and won’t leave it as a w.i.p. is thinking about the story that you are trying to tell. It doesn’t need to be a huge story, which leads to the next tip…

3. If you’re just starting, keep it simple

If it’s your first time giving writing fanfiction a go, don’t dive straight in the 100 chapter novella; the chances of you not finishing it are big (it's a hard task, even for super experienced writers!), and it’ll only demotivate you; Instead, try starting with a one shot, and slowly working your way up longer works. This way, you can also practice developing your writing itself without having yet to care about the particular skills and abilities needed to write a longer piece. 

4. What’s the conflict of the story?

Even one-shots need a point of conflict; it’s one of the most important differences between a bulletpoint list of headcanons and a fanfiction. And it doesn’t need to be big, no one needs to be dying; If you’re writing a comfort fic, the conflict might as well be that there isn’t enough sugar to bake a cake. But conflict doesn’t only allow us to develop the story and the characters,it also help us see the story’s basic outline, thus making it easier to know what needs to be written to finish a piece. If we know what the conflict is, we have an easier time knowing what needs to be said in the introduction to set up to the middle of the story, and we know what problem needs to be solved in order to write the ending.

5. Outline the basics of the characters you are going to use

There are no laws that state that if you’re writing fanfiction, characters must be as close to canon as possible; But if you want to write them like this and you aren’t sure how, this tip is for you: think about every character you’re going to use and pick three adjectives that would describe them. Generally, to keep it balanced, I recommend picking one positive, one neutral, and one negative. Now, when your character is faced with a particular situation, ask yourself how would someone with those traits react? Once you write it, read it again. Does it feel like something that would actually happen in the book or the show? 

6. And they lived happily ever after?

So you wrote the whole story, and now you're struggling with giving it an end. Well, the first thing you need to know is that sometimes, no resolution is a resolution. Perhaps your characters don’t beat the bad evil at the end of the story; perhaps the lovers don’t end up together. What’s important is that, whatever happens, it's something that remains logical to the trouble that arose during the middle. 

These tips don’t work just for fanfiction, of course, but I tried focusing my advice on that particular type of writing. If they were helpful and you used them to write something, feel free to tag me! I would love to read it. Also, if you have any questions about writing, or want some general tips, feel free to come to my inbox and I’ll do my best to help. 

Until next time!