#(uva is one of my dream schools !!)

[gen4grl]

timeskip zero crew + written bios below !

with the sv cycle coming to an end, i’d thought i’d share my timeskip zero crew designs! friendship and the impact it can have on an individual has always been a key feature of pokemon - with sv easily executing that theme the best. zero crew has an extremely special place in my heart and think i speak for everyone when i say i'm gonna miss this group a lot ♥︎

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

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JULIANA

♡ Originally from a small island in the North Paldean Sea. Homeschooled until her family moved to mainland Paldea where she started her public education at Uva Academy.

♡ Socially awkward, clumsy and struggles with organisation. Not the best with words but a fantasic listener. Booksmart and tends to be a people pleaser to a fault.

♡ Despite her awkwardness, is obliviously confident. Confessed her feelings and asked Arven to be her boyfriend after Area Zero, believing it was just a one way crush. Definitely was not and have been dating since.

♡ Was extremely overwhelmed starting school with no clue what direction she wanted her live to go in. After the events of Area Zero and collecting Herba Mystica, realised she wanted to become a pharmaceutical scientist with the goal of making Herba Mystica more wildly available in a medicinal format for people and their pokémon. Cites Director Clavell and Jacq as her biggest inspirations.

♡ Still considers Carmine, Kieran and the former BB League members some of her closest friends. The groups enjoy traveling together between Paldea, Kitakami and Unova together.

♡ Enjoys beers, fried food, karaoke & visiting the night markets in Porto Marinada.

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NEMONA

♡ Graduated with distinctions in all classes but dreams of making a name for herself outside her wealthy family. Currently works fulltime at Uva Acadmeny as a battle studies teacher with the end goal of becoming Champion.

♡ Lives in a high rise apartment in the center of Mesagoza overlooking the battle court. Absolutely loves the lively and fast paced energy of the city.

♡ Despite being extremely outgoing, struggles with making and maintaining friendships. Holds Juliana extremely close to her heart as she believes she was the first person to ever really 'get her'. First came out to Juliana after the groups adventure to Area Zero. Currently crushing on Carmine.

♡ Often mistaken for being a 'tomboy' but has quite alot of interest in typically 'feminine' things but has trouble connecting and expressing this part of her. Particularly likes plushies, collecting perfume and playing piano in which she is extremely gifted.

♡ Detail oriented and enjoys organisation. Wakes up at 5:30 every morning and runs from Mesagoza to Levincia no matter what she did the previous night.

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ARVEN

♡ Only child of the late Professor Turo. Originally withdrawn and standoffish; after learning of his fathers passing, became extremely family & friend focused. Would love to have his own family in the future. Considers Clavell a second father.

♡ Originally specialised in traditional savoury Paldean dishes but developed a love for baking after making Juliana macarons for their first Valentines Day together.

♡ After graduation, worked as a dish hand in a small bar in Porto Marinada. Worked his way up to line cook while occasionally doing pokémon walking and sitting on the side. Currently the manager of the new Mesagoza Patisserie Soapberry location. Spends his income on renovating the lighthouse where he lives with Juliana, Mabosstiff and Miraidon.

♡ Prized possessions include his fathers old lab coat and journals recovered from the Zero Lab. Gifted an oddly familar version of the presumably lost Violet Book by Juliana after her return from stuyding at Blueberry Academy which he keeps in his nightstand.

♡ Due to his unique upbringing and feelings of isolation; is very protective and easily jealous in both platonic and romantic relationships.

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PENNY

♡ Originally from Hulbury, Galar. Daughter of former Galar champion, Peony. Currently lives in an old industrial loft with Atticus and Giacamo in downtown Mesagoza. Loves city life but misses the small beachtown vibes of her hometown. While developing a closer relationship with her dad after gradution, has no intentions of moving back home to Galar.

♡ Prefers to keep her circle small but cares deeply for her friends to a point of getting herself in bad situations to help them. Still learning how to put herself first in certain sitations with help and advice from Arven.

♡ Works full time for the Pokémon League doing admin work. Does occasional hairdressing on the side mostly for friends and mutuals. Specialises in bleaching and alternative cuts and colours. Originally a brunette - wouldn’t be caught dead with grown out roots.

♡ Has a terrible diet consisting mostly of cup ramen, sushi and whatever the cheapest energy drink is. Sleeps around 4 hours each night after spending her after work hours gaming online with Kieran; excluding Wednesdays where she plays Magic the Gathering with Team Star.

♡ Homebody who loves reading + collecting manga and crafts; particularly sewing and knitting after being taught by Attitcus.

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#pokemon #pokemon sv #nemona pokemon #arven pokemon #penny pokemon #juliana pokemon #rival nemona #trainer nemona #trainer arven #trainer penny #trainer juliana #pokemon scarlet and violet #pokemon scarvi #pokemon scarlet #pokemon violet #pokemon art #pokemon fanart #pkmn #pkmn scarvi #pkmn sv #Arven #penny #nemona #my art <3

[certifiedproblemcauser]

maybe its just cassiopeias battle theme getting to me but the story of pokemon sv just felt so...REAL, yknow? like yeah theres the whole past/future thing, but individually, the stories with nemona and arven and penny are so...down to earth? and realistic? it’s so easy to get emotionally involved and actually feel empathy for the characters because it’s not that far removed from real life

you have nemona, who gets so caught-up in her passion and dream that she gets drawn away from the people around her (you see it especially in the post-game, where she has trouble understanding that not everyone shares her feelings towards battling and that she’s been semi-ostracized from the rest of the people at naranja/uva), until she finally finds someone with that same passion (the player character)! and not just that, but someone who is actually good at battling! that rivals her! that can regularly beat her! it’s that wanting to find someone to be on even ground with

then there’s arven, who has a shit relationship with his parent(s?) and feels like he’s always been second place to their work. he’s really only got his pet dog, who then gets horribly injured because of said parent’s work. so of course he feels resentment towards them. and then he meets someone who might be able to help! and it’s someone who shares that same connection with their own pokemon (including the one that was thrown upon them with no choice [korai/miraidon])! and not only do they offer to help, it succeeds!! it’s that wanting someone to walk with you, to listen to you, to offer to help, even if it might not work, and it working just being a bonus at the end.

and there’s penny, who was bullied so horrifically she stopped showing her face at school. she and her friends get together and say ‘hey. we’re done. if you don’t stop, we will retaliate.’ and getting in trouble for calling out other people’s bullshit. you go through the whole team star quest thinking that it’s some far-off do-gooder who doesn’t really have any stakes in the matter besides getting the glory of being the one to end team star (who, at this point, is believed to be the ones who bullied in the first place, and who knows, maybe that’s where they were heading. [regarding the opening scene with penny, that is]), until you find out that it’s someone who has a direct relationship with all these people. and you find out that shit wasn’t like it was made out to be (the ‘they’re my greatest treasure’ bits almost made me cry ngl). and you find out that the entire situation was friends wanting to protect other friends. it’s that wanting the best for others, even if it means something bad for you, even if you think you deserve it, and having someone stand beside you and take it on with you.

i just. man. sv makin me feel shit at 6am

#i did NOT mean for this rant to be so long #i got cassiopeias theme goin and i am FEELING rn #i have no idea if i explained it well enough but i tried #i genuinely think this is the best story pokemon has ever done #and it was done so well!!!!!! #i actually CARE about these people!! #the twists made perfect sense but still worked as twists! #the characters felt REAL #and i think thats the most important part #i could genuinely put myself in their shoes #pennys bit fr hit real damn hard #pokemon #scarlet #violet #pokemon scarlet and violet #sv #scarvio #pkmn sv #penny #arven #nemona #rant

[mightyflamethrower]

Before her stint with Dove, Bryant was busy ruining a white student’s life over a “misheard” comment at a Black Lives Matter protest in Charlottesville in 2020.

Earlier this year, University of Virginia graduate Morgan Bettinger described how a woke mob ruined her life with false allegations while she was a student at the university. It took more than a year before investigations at UVA cleared her completely of the allegations, but those behind the fake charges suffered no repercussions.

Bettinger’s problems all started after Bryant claimed on social media that the white student had said the Black Lives Matter protesters would make “good speedbumps,” despite there being no evidence of her having said that.

The rumor then went viral on social media, resulting in Bettinger becoming the subject of a campus-wide scandal, and being investigated by the university.

One year later, the university’s Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights (EOCR) concluded that Bryant did not actually hear the alleged “speed bump” comment firsthand.

Moreover, the only witness who corroborated Bryant’s claims were discredited, as the witness was caught contradicting both themselves and Bryant during interviews.

While Bettinger was vindicated, her reputation was destroyed, she said.

“Just because [the EOCR] found the correct answer, in some sense, didn’t get rid of everything I had just gone through,” she told Reason. “This whole situation has had a huge impact on my life. The university has never had to answer for what their actions have done.”

Bettinger, a first-generation college student, now “lives in a state of limbo,” the magazine said. Her father, a police officer, had died of cancer six years before the incident. And her dreams of going to law school feel completely out of reach, given the black mark on her record and her new reputation.

[9-tales-of-wandering]

Hello people of rotomblr!

I'm Marius! I am a writer of travel reports and gay fiction for all age groups and a huge history nerd. After completing my studies at Uva-Naranja, I was actually expected to return to my home region and work a different job. However, thanks to a very supportive group of friends and my partner pokemon Spot, I decided to pursue my dreams and Spot and I have been on the road ever since.

I am also somewhat of a trainer and have competed in a couple of gym challenges... to mixed results. I will admit me and my pokemon are not the strongest team out there but we have heart and we do pretty well being constantly out on the road.

My askbox is pretty much always open and I don't bite (and Spot only bites when you don't acknowledge her status as supreme diva of the universe) so please feel free to reach out whenever!

(More team info for people who depend on screen readers plus other pokemon I have caught on my journey and some fun facts about me and my team under the cut)

My team

Spot (Alolan Ninetales) (Ghost Tera type)

Piotr (Poliwrath)

Gregory (Gengar)

Precious (Altaria) (Fairy Tera type)

Lucien (Roserade)

Romeo (Umbreon) (Fire Tera type)

Other Pokemon I caught (and where they currently are)

3 Eevee (I gave these to my siblings as my family can't afford to just get them starters as accessibility where I'm from is hard)

Cyclizar (my trusty Cyclizar, Zooms, is currently enjoying lots of running around at his own leisure at my aunt's place in Paldea)

Monferno (currently with my family being fed lots of good food and keeping them warm)

Camerupt (same as with Monferno)

Piplup (also with my family. mostly because my mum loves the little one)

Luxio (my dear Luxio, Eduardo, is always up to something)

Arboliva (she's beautiful, she's grace, she's in Mesagoza)

Fun facts about me and my time

✨️ Spot and I met during a particularly harsh winter in my home region when she (still as a Vulpix back then) followed me on my way home from the school I went to prior to the Academy in Paldea.

✨️ Spot likes it when we just sit somewhere cosy and I brush her fur for hours and talk to her (and somehow it kinda feels like she talks back).

✨️ Eduardo was my second ever pokemon and is always up to something.

✨️ Gregory was fully evolved when I caught him.

✨️ I am constantly on the go and don't exactly have a huge budget (not doing badly financially - just feeding a full team and myself and having to find accommodations) so when I have some extra cash I really like putting that into a spa day.

✨️ I got gifted an Ice Stone for my 5th anniversary of being with Spot and that's basically the story of how she evolved.

✨️ Lucien has an intense rivalry with my friend's Meowscarada.

✨️ Piotr was the only time I ever saw a pokemon egg hatch and raised that myself.

✨️ Piotr likes to imitate my movements when I cook.

✨️ Spot looks like a shiny when she terastalises (and on that note - no I have no idea why here Tera type is Ghost but before I met her I wanted to be a Ghost-type specialist)

✨️ Precious is the only wild Tera pokemon I ever caught and I got given my Tera Orb because I talked the teachers into it after catching her.

✨️ Precious likes to come out and stare at the moon for hours during nighttime.

✨️ Romeo was given to me as an Eevee by a very eccentric playwright.

✨️ Gregory has such a soothing presence.

✨️ Romeo knows Flamethrower. A move I'm 100% certain he shouldn't know. I've always assumed it's linked to Terastalisation and Tera Blast not working outside of Paldea.

// OOC

This blog is being run by a queer adult (20-something). The admin of this blog uses he/they pronouns. There will be no explicitly sexual content but mild explicit language is possible. Mentions of violence will be tagged but are also just extremely unlikely. I just like pokemans. Me and my OC, Marius, have a lot in common.

#pokeblogging #pokemon #pokémon #pkmn irl #rotomblr #about me

[worksinprogress1]

The sky was grey and heavy as Arven walked Miraidon to what would be its new home in the Lighthouse Laboratory. Penny and Nemona followed behind, carrying supplies for the creature. Arven shifted the bags of Pokémon food he’d been carrying into one arm and stroked the creature with the other, trying to quiet its whining.

“I know,” he whispered. “I miss him, too.”

Not long after the annual treasure hunt, Florian’s mother had been transferred to a new location for work and they’d had to move away. They’d been forced to leave Miraidon behind, and Arven to try to find one of his father’s old lab techs to look after it. He wasn’t looking after it himself longer than he had to. It was just too much of a reminder.

There wasn’t much to be done at the Lighthouse Laboratory. The three students put down a giant pet bed for Miraidon, scattered its toys, fed and watered it, and they were done. Arven had called Penny and Nemona out for emotional support more than anything.

“Thanks for being here,” he said to the girls, sitting down on one of the old tables in the laboratory. “You know, I played it cool in front of Clavell, but losing my dad is... well, it’s a lot to process. I mean, apparently he did love me, but now I’ll never get to actually spend time with him. It kind of hurts knowing what could have been. But hey, at least now I have you two.” He gave them a smile. “Between that and all the schoolwork I have to catch up on, I won’t even have time to think about it!”

The two girls exchanged an awkward look.

Penny was the first to speak. “Actually, my parents are sending me away to live with my weird uncle Looker in Kalos. Probably for a whole year. They found out about the whole Team Star and stealing millions in LP thing and want to scare me straight.”

Arven got up, fists curled and teeth gritted. “Seriously?! But Geeta and Clavell let you off with community service for all of that! And you have a job lined up after graduation. How many 14-year-olds can say that?”

“Yeah, but they said that ‘it’s still a felony,’ and ‘I need to learn to respect the rules before I run into someone who won’t let me break them.’ It sucks.”

Nemona spoke up next. “...And Geeta wants to train me up to be the new head champion. Which means I’m leaving the Uva Academy, too. I’m really sorry, Arven.”

“Oh. Well, at least I’ll be able to reach you by flying taxi since you’ll be in Paldea.”

Nemona shared a pained look with Penny. “…She’s starting by taking me to a world championship event in Hoenn. It’ll only be for a few weeks!”

Arven felt like the lifeline he’d caught was disintegrating. He’d be all alone at school again, at the time he most needed not to be. It took him a second to blink back tears and figure out the right response. “Oh. Well, that’s amazing! I’m so happy for you. Are you excited?”

Finally released from the expectation to act sympathetic, Nemona’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “So excited! You have no idea. I’m going to get to battle some of the strongest trainers in the whole world! Up until a while ago, even meeting them would have been a dream come true!”

“Great. You’ll finally have some people who can keep up to you. I’ll watch all your matches.”

“If you can find time while digging yourself out of the homework pit,” Penny quipped. “But yeah. We’ll be watching. ...Assuming uncle Looker lets me. Or I can find a way around his rules. Which I will.”

“You heard it. We’ll keep in touch,” Arven agreed, crossing his arms. “Assuming Penny can go a couple weeks without doing something stupid and getting her phone privileges revoked.”

Penny jabbed his arm. Arven jabbed her back.

Nemona smiled. “You guys are the best! Yeah, let’s keep in touch!”

---

Nemona squinted into the sunrise as she tried to make out whether the flying taxi on the horizon was La Primera’s or if she still had a while to wait. She’d shown up twenty minutes early. Some might call that overkill, but one couldn’t take this too seriously, and Nemona had read that Geeta liked to be early.

As the flying taxi neared, Nemona could see that it was Geeta. She stood up and ran to it, getting in before it even touched down.

“I’m glad to see that you’ve kept your passion for battling,” Geeta said. Even in the early morning, her image- the suit, the elaborate hair, her gentle smile- was just as flawless as she’d been every time Nemona had seen her. It almost hadn’t sunk in yet that she’d be working for her. She’d be spending the next few weeks learning to be just like her.

“Oh yeah! I’m not gonna let you down.” Nemona replied. “Oh my gosh. Do you think Cynthia does autographs? Do you think I could get a picture with Blue’s blastoise? Or maybe...” Nemona caught something vaguely disapproving in Geeta’s eyes. “Uh, sorry, I’ll calm down.”

“No, go ahead,” Geeta assured her. “It will be best for you to get your excitement out now. Once we’re at the airport and especially once we’re there, you’ll need to keep that excitement under wraps. You’re representing Paldea, after all. You have to act like you belong with the other champions, because you do.” Those last three words were a jolt of energy to Nemona’s heart. “No autographs. Pictures are fine so long as they look professional.”

“You got it!.”

As it turned out, they had plenty to talk about on the flying taxi ride and then the flight to Hoenn. Nemona already knew a good deal about the champions and the teams and strategies they used, and Geeta helped fill in the gaps of her information. After getting settled at the hotel, it was late and Nemona was tired, but her energy came right back when she told Nemona that some of the champions were already competing.

“I thought that the tounament didn’t start until tomorrow?”

“The brackets will be announced tomorrow,” Geeta explained, “but for now some of the champions are doing some unofficial one-on-one matches to warm up the audience. Would you like to watch them?”

“Watch them? I want to join them! Let’s get down there,” Nemona replied, already running for the door to their hotel room.

“No,” Geeta said gently, making Nemona stop dead. “I’d like us to watch them from here, where we can discuss what they’re doing. It will be an important lesson for you.”

“Okay.” Nemona sat back down on the bench next to Geeta.

The television displayed the tournament arena. On one side of it, Diantha strode in alongside her gardevoir, mega-evolving it to the audible delight of the crowd. On the other, Cyntha glided down from the bleachers on the back of her garchomp, sliding off of her at the last moment and landing nimbly on her feet as the creature took her position in the ring. 

“Begin!” shouted the referee.

“Garchomp, Poison jab!” Cynthia ordered. Her garchomp lunged, her claws coating themselves in purple fluid.

“Ice punch,” Diantha returned. Gardevoir’s fists covered themselves in ice, and she countered the first jab. Garchomp was darting in and out of Gardevoir’s range as Gardevoir stayed stationary, blocking only as many quick but relatively weak jabs as it took and clearly taking more damage than it was dealing.

“Wait, why's she doing that?” Nemona asked. Gardevoir didn’t have the attack or speed for this, but with her special attack, a good dazzling gleam would have-

“Because,” Geeta explained calmly, “This is what everyone came here to see.”

“Ah,” Nemona said as she watched the garchomp’s speed and footwork.

“Dazzling gleam!” Diantha ordered. Gardevoir gathered energy and blasted a powerful beam of pink energy from her outstretched hands.

“Dig,” Cynthia retunred. Garchomp quickly dug into the ground, only its tail getting grazed. Earthquake would have been more powerful and maneuverable, but this was more of a sight to see.

“Send it into the earth, Gardevoir,” Diantha ordered. The gardevoir ran over to the hole and sent dazzling gleam down into it, filling the hole completely and leaving pink light overflowing from its edges. A roar of pain emanated from it. And yet, Cynthia seemed unworried. She closed her eyes and smiled as the ground behind gardevoir opened up, releasing pink energy and a battered-but-still-fighting garchomp, her claws coated in poison. Gardevoir barely had time to look back before a powerful hit took her out.

“Cynthia and Garchomp are the winner!” the referee announced, pointing his flag to Cynthia. The TV screen showed a close-up of her smile before cutting out to sports commentators.

“Wow!” Nemona beamed, clasping her hands together in excitement. “Man, it’s like they’re coordinating with each other in real time to give everyone the best show possible! Like, to show everything their Pokémon are capable of, while also trying to win as a second goal. That must be even more challenging than just winning!” Nemona gripped the pokéball at her belt, her body yelling at her to go and try out this new challenge.

“Yes, exactly,” Geeta stated. “You are a great trainer, Nemona. You will have no trouble at all upholding the Pokémon league standards, I’m sure. But I’ve brought you to this tournament so that we can work on your image and showmanship. Part of a champion’s job is representing their region, after all. There is much to attend to- we’ll need to design you a perfect outfit and figure out your trademark mannerisms and a team including a trademark Pokémon.”

“Oh, man, a trademark Pokémon!” The mere thought that one of her Pokémon could be as iconic as Cynthia’s garchomp or Diantha’s gardevoir... or Leon’s charizard or Steven’s metagross or... Nemona couldn’t help it. She let out some little squealing noises.

Nemona smiled. “Yes. I suggest you make a list of candidates for that role. We’ll go over them tomorrow morning and find just the right one.”

---

The heavy door that separated the prison from the outside world slammed shut, nearly making Penny jump. Looker walked in front of her and gestured for her to follow.

“This is what happens to people who break the rules,” Looker explained, stone-faced as they passed by cell after cell, each one containing two miserable, dead-eyed prisoners, two cots with thin mattresses and thin blankets, a metal toilet, and little else. 

“People won’t keep giving you free passes forever. And there won’t be a warning for when they won’t. Every rule you break could be the one that puts you in here! Yes, even now. Stealing as much currency as you did could have given you more than two years, and you would have been transferred to a prison just like this at sixteen.”

Only if you get caught, Penny thought as she followed behind him, but she thought better of saying it. She settled for nodding along instead, with a face that she hoped said “I’m taking this seriously,” but might have been more along the lines of “how much longer until you shut up?”

“I love you, Penny! And that’s why I have to do this. You’re going to work here after school for the next semester. Maybe the next year if it’s necessary. I promised your parents, so tomake sure it’s all the time you’ll spend there!”

The two ran into a gruff-looking security guard, who Looker handed Penny off to for a tour of the facility and explanation of her duties.

It was late by the time Penny was off work, done with dinner, and could escape to the room that Looker had her set up in. It matched the rest of the house in containing a functional amount of furniture- in this case, a bed, a desk and chair, a bedside table, and a closet with hangers- but nothing else. When one worked for the international police, one moved too frequently to make a house a home.

Penny sat down at the desk and pulled out her rotom phone, only to realize that its usual rotom had been replaced with a sharp-eyed parental control one. When exactly Looker had managed that was beyond her. Penny sighed. It was a good thing she’d prepared for just this situation. She opened the window and then dug into her eevee backpack and pulled out a plastic baggie of dead batteries interspersed with red and green loose wires.

“Want a snack?” she asked the rotom, firmly holding her phone in one hand and dangling the bag in the other.

The rotom nodded vigorously. Penny could feel it trying to get loose and float over, but she held the phone firmly. The rotom pulled until it popped out of the phone. Penny threw the baggie out the window, and the rotom chased it out. She closed the window, got up, and laid down on her bed, ignoring the creature as it tapped the glass. This should give her a few hours at least.

The phone’s screen was filled with new texts from Arven, Nemona, and the ex-members of Team Star. She could respond to them later. For now, she brought up the internet and typed “how to get fired from a prison job without getting killed.”

If Looker was going to give her a hard time, she’d give him a hard time right back.

—-

Late morning light filtered through the curtains as Arven laid in bed, phone in hand and Mabosstif curled up on top of him. He was missing second period and had missed his classes yesterday as well, but who cared? Clavell wouldn’t suspend him while he had nowhere else to go, and he was almost beyond caring if he took an extra year to graduate. He was scrolling through a some long-winded excited ramblings from Nemona when he heard a knock at the dorm room door.

“Arven?” came Clavell’s voice. Arven scrambled out of bed, almost kicking Mabosstif in the process. Thankfully he’d gone to bed in his clothes the night before, so he could pass as having been up for a while. He’d say he had to catch up on some important school project and had thought it was more important than a couple missed classes. Hopefully that would make Clavell go away.

Clavell opened the door and stood awkwardly in the doorway, looking like we wasn’t sure what to say. After pausing for a moment, he crossed the room, sat on Arven’s bed, and gestured for Arven to sit next to him. Arven obeyed. “How... how have you been handling the professor’s death, really?” Clavell asked.

“I’m fine,” Arven replied.

“...And your three friends being away?”

Arven closed his eyes and looked away from Clavell. “I’m fine, alright? I’m used to not having anyone around. It’s fine! Just punish me if you’re going to and go.”

Clavell took a deep breath. “I’m not going to punish you, I just thought...” Clavell shook his head as though reconsidering something. “Actually, very well. There is something you can do for me as punishment for the missed classes. Two exchange students are arriving today from Alola. If you could give them a tour and get them settled into their dorms, that would be wonderful.”

“Okay,” Aven replied. He had a strong sense that this was to get him moving or to cheer him up somehow. He would have thanked Clavell if it weren’t being framed as a punishment.

“Excellent. Stop by my office and I’ll give you the details. And let me know if you need anything.”

Hours later, the flying taxi touched down in front of the academy, containing a green-haired girl in her early twenties, a little boy playing on a gaming device, and their luggage.

“Hey,” Arven said to them. “Welcome to the Uva Academy. My name’s Arven. I’m going to be the one to show you around.”

“Mallow,” the green-haired woman replied, “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too. first thing’s first, let’s get you guys set up in your dorms. I’ll lead the way.”

Arven navigated the crowded halls, checking every so often to make sure that Mallow was still following.

“So, what brought you to the academy?” Arven asked.

“Well, I aged out of being a trial captain- that’s like our equivalent to gym leaders, and only people under twenty can be one- so I thought I’d try to figure out what I want to do next. I’m probably going to be a cook, though. Alola is just so good for growing ingredients. Berries are the obvious ones, but you wouldn’t believe how many medicinal plants grow there. Maybe I could be some kind of healer!”

Okay, Clavell had definitely put him up to this to cheer him up. “Wow, you’re into cooking, huh? Me, too. And as for medicinal plants, trust me, I know more about those than I ever wanted to. But at least the little collection I got out of it can make anything taste great.” Arven stopped in front of their dorm room doors and turned to Mallow. “The teachers let me use the home ec lab so long as I’m out and it’s clean by the time it’s needed. Want to show me what you’ve got?”

“Yeah! Oh boy, I knew I didn’t bring those dehydrated rawst berries for nothing!”

“You brought dehydrated rawst berries? Oh my God, we need to put those in a stew, right now! I swear, they’re like the only thing that’s better dehydrated. Or un-dehydrated, as they’ll be once we’re done with them.”

“Sounds good! But only if you show me which of those healing herbs we can add to it!”

“Oh, you bet.”

“Can I help?” the little boy asked. Arven realized that he hadn’t spoken until now. He didn’t look older than eight or nine, maybe ten, and between the short, round physique, the bad haircut, the quietness and the resting grouch face, Arven predicted that he’d be spending most of his free periods at the academy alone, and that was if he was lucky enough to fly under the radar of bullies.

“Of course you can join us, little buddy!” Arven replied, giving him a big smile.

Mallow smiled down at the younger boy. “This is Sophocles. He’s also a trial captain. He invented a machine that can summon totem Pokémon, and he’s made a lot of other really cool stuff, too! His parents wanted him to come here so he could expand his horizons and hopefully make some friends.”

“Oh. He’s good with tech, is he?” Arven’s brain had practically shut off once he’d heard that, and it was currently screaming at him not to do what he was about to do. “Do you like robots, little buddy? Have you worked on them? Ever programmed anything?” he asked, crouching to get down to Sophocles’ level. Hopefully his voice sounded less suspicious to Sophocles than it did to his own ears.

“Yeah,” Sophocles replied nervously.

Arven’s heart was beating hard, the way it did when one was about to do something that could get them in immense trouble. “Oh, well, in that case the academy might just have a special field trip for you. I’ll be leading you on it, alright?”

“Okay.”

Arven stood up straight again. “Pack for a couple nights. I’ll meet you right outside Mesagoza at eight tonight.” Arven started for his room to pack. Going back to Area Zero would be risky, even with a gym leader-strength trainer coming with him. And who knew what the distant future would be like once they got to the time machine. But maybe, just maybe, Sophocles would be able to reprogram his dad, get him to come home and act like a parent to him.

Arven looked back to Sophocles and Mallow, the latter of which had definitely realized something wasn’t right. “Uh, your room numbers are 309 and 310. See you guys for your tour later,” he called out before running off.

[common-grounds-blog]

Tragedy Strikes Again 

On Sunday November 13, 2022, once again tragedy struck a school campus. At The University of Virginia, a shooting occurred just minutes after a charter bus returned to the campus from a field trip to Washington D.C. The Suspect of the shooting who left three classmates dead that day was a part of that class field trip. The suspect was identified as Christopher Darnell Jones Jr.,  age 22. UVA stated that Jones was a non-playing member of UVA’s football team in 2018.

According to school officials, he was not currently a member of the team and hadn’t been for “over a year.”

Police stated that all three people killed in the attack were football players, but the motive for his heinous act is still undetermined. 

Among the three identified victims are Juniors, D’Sean Perry, Lavel Davis Jr. and Devin Chandler. Also, third-year player running back, Mike Hollins, was one of two people wounded in the attack. 

Second-year student on the trip, Ryan Lynch, told Philadelphia TV station Jones pulled out a gun as they arrived back and pushed one of the now-deceased football players, saying, “You guys are always messing with me.”

Lynch also stated the gunshots “just kept coming, more and more gunshots – just wouldn’t stop,” he said, the gunman then “just sort of walked or skipped off the bus.”

The campus went on a 12-hour lockdown during the search for Jones, who was later found an hour away from UVA in Richmond VA. 

He faces three charges of second-degree murder and three charges of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

-

For the past 6 weeks I have written a current event every week, each week the headlines are full of new shooting stories. 

I just saw in the headlines near my hometown that a gun store has been robbed twice in the last two weeks. It was also stated that it was the fourth gun shop to be robbed in an 80-mile radius. 

Is there an obsession with guns? Is there a huge influx of depression and loneliness? Is this caused by gang violence? 

Whatever the case there needs to be an end to this. 

I have found through different studies that the most impressionable time in a person's life is roughly around age 12. My dream and desire is for people to genuinely and wholeheartedly LOVE the youth. Proverbs says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.” It should be our duty to believe in, pour in, train up, love on, teach and encourage the next generation. If we love them then and teach them then, while they are most impressionable, I genuinely wonder what our futures could look like.

Sources: USA Today, New York Post, CNN, CBS News

[finchleaf]

hey sorry i haven’t been around for a while :) basicaLLY since i stopped posting i came out to my mom (got the “it’s just a phase”), had my birthday, toured a couple of universities, took the sat, and got my driver’s license !! also that’s my dog sadie :’)

#flpost #studyblr #notes #high school #lookrylie #studyvan #sonderstudy #philologystudies #myhoneststudyblr #heyzainab #athenastudying #jeonchemstudy #(uva is one of my dream schools !!)

[lunarliza]

JJ Maybank Must Die | Chapter 1: Popsicles

fuckboy!JJ x Reader 

series masterlist

JJ Maybank is the island’s most infamous fuckboy- not that you ever cared. But when a group of tourist girls come to your surf shop crying to you about him, you agree to help them plot revenge. Sabotage is all fun and games, until you find that the playboy you were sworn to ruin happens to be falling head over heels for you.

Yes, this is based on John Tucker Must Die lol

note: so this is my second JJ fic! I’m so excited for ya’ll to read it. it’ll be more light-hearted and shorter than DLS :) 

“Come on... come on! This one right here let’s go!” you yelped. The crowd behind you was practically chattering on their fingernails. 

The seven year old boy in the water paddled as hard as his lanky arms could take him towards the daunting wave. 

“Now Gavin now! Stand up!” you shrieked as the boy hurriedly went through your instructed steps, tucking his knee, and thrusting upwards as the wave got close. Then, before he even realized, he glided rigidly along the wave as the board carried him across the water. 

“Hooray! Awesome job Gavin!” The flock cheered and rushed to pat the boy on the back, his dad lifting him up in his arms. 

The child scuttled towards you and threw his arms around your neck. You chuckled delightedly. “Alright everyone! That’s it for our surf lesson today. Be sure to check out the gift shop on your way out!” 

You waved bye to the guests as they made way to return their boards to the hut, some handing you rolled up cash, with thankful smiles. 

Once the coast was clear, you jogged back to the hut only to find Sophia, your best friend and lazy co-worker, lounging with her legs stretched on the checkout counter of the tiny surf shack. She hung a lollipop in her mouth while her eyes glued to her phone screen. 

“You know, when you asked me to find you a job, I actually thought you meant one where you actually work.” 

Sophia popped out the sucker and threw you a glare. “I did work! See!” she pointed her hand at the sign hanging beside the door that read ‘OBX Surf and Sports’, “I put that sign up this morning.” 

“It’s crooked.” 

“Bleh, bleh, bleh,” she mocked, “Nothing I ever do is good enough.” You chuckled and shook your head at her. 

You peered out the giant window at the front of the store, surveying the empty beach. This was going to be the rest of your summer. At sixteen years old, you were one of the Outer Banks’ surfing all-stars and spent your days working as an instructor for the second year in a row. 

Customers loved you and your ability to work with all ages rendering you the title of ‘Top Instructor’ at the shack- which didn’t mean much seeing as 90% of the employees were amateur teenagers. 

Nevertheless, you were determined to keep that title, as whoever brought in the most satisfied customers by the end of the summer wins a $5,000 scholarship. And you needed that money bad in order to attend your dream school: UVA. 

Along the beach, you caught a glimpse of your competition, Cody, and instinctly groaned. 

On any other occasion, you really didn’t care about what people did with their lives, but something about your arrogant, sleazy, five-foot-seven co-worker grinded your gears. 

He was always man-splaining to you and the other girls at the shack or kissing ass to your boss. And you knew well he was after the scholarship too- your scholarship. 

“Look at him,” you sneered to Sophia as she joined you at the window to death-glare the boy. He was prepping his group on the sand for their session and looked absolutely despicable in his shorts that were inches away from exposing his little one. Emphasis on the little. 

“Ugh, he’s making them do jumping jacks again,” Sophia pointed out, crinkling her nose, “God that poor old lady. Can he be any more extra?” 

“I need to look away, I think I might vomit if he ever flashed me.” 

Your best friend snickered at your hatred as you waxed down your board for your next lesson. “Did the group of girls check in yet?” you asked. 

“Yeah, they’re sitting and waiting at Eye Sickles,” she informed, referring to the popsicle food-truck next door. “I can’t believe they really signed up for the month-long surfing program. I didn’t know people actually paid for that.” 

“You’d be surprised. These tourists will buy into anything, trust me,” you said before heading out the door. 

You walked up to three tourist girls lounging on the fold-out tables and chairs at the food-truck. They were mindlessly typing away on their phones, looking as bored as ever. 

“Alright, do I have Annalise, Maia, and Arabella?” you announced with your work-smile on. They peered up from their phones and nodded with blank faces.

“Awesome,” you continued, trying to maintain your enthusiasm, “I’m y/n, I’ll be your instructor! I see you guys signed up for the month-long pro-boarding program which is great. Have you guys ever surfed before?” 

“Nope,” a blonde girl replied, “Our parents found this online and said it’d be good for us to learn while we’re here. We’re from Richmond, Virginia.” 

“Oh cool!” you jeered, the fake zeal was oozing at that point. “Well, I’m happy to be spending the summer with you guys. I’m going to have you guys grab a board and we’ll head down to the sand to go over the basic motions.” 

The trio followed you into the hut and picked out a board from the beginners section. You noticed the blonde one giggling with Sophia at the stand for a bit before joining you on the sand. She had a leader-like quality to her while the two other remained quiet but friendly. 

“Alright so, just for formalities, who’s who? That way I can identify you better,” you asked as the girls situated their boards along the shore.  

Not shockingly, the blonde extended her hand to you first. “I’m Annalise,” she greeted a little sullenly. You shrugged off her attitude, attributing it to her being a bougie tourist. 

“I’m Maia,” a tall, jet-black haired girl said next. She had a very athletic body and came off as the quietest one of the group. 

“And I’m Arabella,” the last one chimed in. Her hair was a fiery orange and she had piercings run along her ears and nose. 

“Alright cool! So now, we’ll start off with the movements you’ll go through once you hit the water. You want to start off flat on your stomach and paddle towards the waves. Make sure you have full control of your board at all times,” you began as the girls copied your demonstration on their own boards. 

You heard sniffles come from the group, but ignored it to continue your spiel. You could hardly read any of their expressions through their giant, bug-eyed sunglasses. 

Just as you were about to explain the importance of balance- you favorite part of the lesson- you saw the blonde sit up on her board in irritation and start sobbing through her glasses. 

“Annalise come on, it’s not worth it,” the tall one, Maia, reasoned as the Annalise shook her head furiously. 

“I can’t do this right now,” she cried before bolting back towards the shack. 

You watched her in utter confusion. “Was it something I said?” you asked the remaining two. 

The orange one shook her head and gave you a sincere look through her glasses. “No, she’s just really upset about this guy,” she turned to her friend, “Come on, let’s go check on her.” 

At that point, you had no choice but to follow the group towards their distressed friend. This was definitely coming out of their session time. 

The three of you plowed up the sand to find the girl, Annalise, sprawled on Sophia’s shoulder at the tables as she cooed her like a baby. You wanted to cringe. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay. He’s a piece of shit anyways! Trust me, he did the same to me too,” your best friend comforted and petted the stranger’s yellow hair. 

“What’s going on?” you questioned at the scene. Sophia glanced up at you with a pleading look. 

“It’s JJ.” 

Oh brother. This dude again. JJ Maybank was the Outer Bank’s most infamous fuck boy. Him and his friends threw parties all the time at the Boneyard- ones you have yet to attend- and he effortlessly earned his reputation by sleeping with any girl he could get his grubby hands on. 

By this point, he’s broken half the hearts on the island with girls moaning and groaning about him left and right- Sophia included. You remembered her wailing the day he ghosted her after they did the nasty. It wasn’t a pretty day... or week for the matter. 

You didn’t understand what the big deal was with the guy. You’d gone to school with him since the first grade and he’d always been that guy that rolls in the mud during playtime in elementary school. And he still was that guy to this day.

You heard all the cringey lines he’d pull on girls at school that would get them swooning and you swore he was running a voodoo business because no one in their right mind could fall for that. 

But everyone did. Except for you. 

“What? Did he ghost you too?” you gestured towards the wrecked weeping girl.

She nodded and blew her boogers into the tissues Sophia brought out. 

“I-I, well, we met him at a party this weekend and he took me to this little hideout on the beach. He told me that he never met anyone like me before and said all this other shit. Then we had sex there, which I never do in public, and he said he couldn’t wait to see me again. And he never called me after!” 

Though you thought her public display was a little too... public, you did feel sorry for her. The guy was a tool, and these tourist girls, especially, didn’t know any better. 

“Don’t worry,” Sophia assured, resting a hand atop hers, “he did it to me and everyone at school. We all fell for the trap.” 

Maia and Arabella joined the sitting girls in a piled group hug as the ones in the center sputtered in tears together. You couldn’t bear to watch, but for Sophia, you awkwardly joined in anyways. 

The rest of the surfing session consisted of the girls pulling up their own chairs and  bad-mouthing JJ, along with all other men, as everyone licked their popsicles. 

You sucked on your mango one, not minding the little break as it was the easiest $150 you ever made. The girls weren’t as hoity-toity as you first thought. They apologized for wasting your time and promised to leave five-star reviews about you. Even better. 

As evening rolled in, you found yourself laughing and joking around with your new-found friends. They told you wild stories of their private school shenanigans back in Richmond while you and Sophia filled them in on life at the OBX. 

“This day was incredible,” Annalise beamed, dazed after her fourth popsicle. “Can’t believe we all bonded like this over a guy,” she chuckled, “I just... gah, I wish we could get him back somehow. Make him feel how we feel!” 

“You should,” you agreed, “Why don’t one of you guys go to the parties and try to seduce him and then leave him hanging? The trick with men is to withhold sex from them and they’ll be helpless.” 

Everyone’s face lit up in excitement at your idea. “No, totally! We could definitely do that!” Sophia exclaimed with wide eyes. “So who will it be? Who’s our hamster?” 

“Not me,” Maia objected almost instantly, “I have a boyfriend back home so no seducing will be done on my part.” 

“Arabella then,” Annalise suggested, nudging the girl beside her. 

“Alright...” she agreed, fiddling with the string of her bathing suit, “I guess I could take one for the team.” 

“There we go!” you cheered, “You just march straight into that party, grind on him a bit to leave him hanging, then proceed to embarrass the shit out of him! Problem solved!” 

-----------------------------

note: do not worry! more drama to come 

chapter 2

#outerbanks #outer banks #outer banks imagine #rafe outer banks #outer banks fanfiction #john b obx #obx fanfiction #obx imagine #obx #jj obx #jj x y/n #jj x reader #jj maybank #jj #jj maybank imagine #jj maybank fanfiction #jj maybank x you #jj maybank x y/n

[talkslikejuneyeahyeah]

Reasons Why I Will Forever be #TeamPeter:

He drives his mom’s minivan instead of his own black Audi so Kitty can ride with them to school.

He actually initiated their kiss in seventh grade and it wasn’t because of a spin the bottle game. They were alone and he just went for it. It was also his own first kiss.

“I started liking you…Why do you think I kissed you that day at McClaren’s house back in seventh grade? It’s why I went along with this thing in the first place. I’ve always thought you were cute…’

Years later he still remembers the smell of her shampoo, and asks her if she could go back to it when she starts using a new one she stole from Margot.

“I’m sleepy.” He closes his eyes and snuggles against me. “Tell me a bedtime story, Covey.”

He asks her to go with him to an estate sale and he gets her Mocha Sugar donuts on his way to pick her up.

He pushes her to negotiate with the estate manager for the reindeer she wanted and then he convinces him to give it to her for free.

He leaves her a note asking her if she could take the bus the next day because he wanted to give Kitty a ride to school in his Audi so she could show it off.

“Wait, I thought I was your dream guy,�� Peter says. Not to me, to Kitty. He knows he’s not my dream guy. My dream guy is Gilbert Blythe from Anne of Green Gables. Handsome, loyal, smart in school.

He bakes fruitcake cookies for her from scratch.

He gets insanely jealous whenever Josh is around.

“‘Then just in case,’ Peter says, and he leans his head out and kisses me on the lips, open-mouthed and sure… When he pulls away, Peter’s smiling. ‘Night, Lara Jean.’”

He tells his mom about her.

“He looks at you a lot, Lara Jean. When you’re not paying attention. He looks at you, to see if you’re having a good time.”

He wants to be the last call before she goes to sleep.

He reads all 7 Harry Potter books to get her references.

He gets her the expensive necklace that she’s wanted for years for Valentine’s.

“My hands fly to my mouth. It’s my necklace, the heart locket from his mom’s antique store, the very same necklace I admired for so many months. At Christmas when Daddy said the necklace had been sold, I thought it was gone from my life forever. “I can’t believe it,” I whisper, touching the diamond chip in the middle.”

Yes, he spends time with Gen and won’t tell LJ the reason why she needs him (her dad was having an affair with a young girl and she had no one to confide in but him), but him keeping Gen’s secret actually means he’s a genuinely trustworthy person.

“No. When I get you back, I’m gonna put that necklace back around your neck and pin you.” He tries to hold my eyes with his own. “Like the 1950s. Remember, Lara Jean?”

He plans a Sixteen Candles themed surprise party for her eighteenth birthday.

He gives her a Sleepless in Seattle inspired promposal on top of the Empire State Building.

He has Kitty teach him how to French braid Lara Jean’s hair.

He goes all the way across town in the middle of their trip to get her cookies from a place she’d always wanted to try.

He plans her dad’s bachelor party.

He still hangs out with Kitty even when they’re broken up.

He suggests the sky-lanterns for her dad’s wedding as an asian tradition to acknowledge her mom on the day.

He stands up for her in front of their whole school and gets suspended for it, and tells her “I did it for us. It’s you and me, kid.”

He tries his best to reassure her that they can make it long distance. He even considers transferring to UNC when she doesn’t get into UVA.

He doesn’t sleep with her on Beach Week because he feels like she’s saying goodbye.

He still remembers the first time he ever saw her at the first sixth-grade assembly, when she had a backpack with her name written in glitter and her hair got caught in her chair.

He is constantly fighting for them.

He writes an amended contract that says:

#I am invested in this fictional relationship #team peter #peter kavinsky #noah centineo #tatbilb #to all the boys: p.s. i still love you #lana condor #covinsky #jenny han #tatb2 #always and forever lara jean #lara jean and peter

[alifeincoffeespoons]

a moony has spawned in the server, chapter thirteen

r/collegeadmissions Posted by u/twoheadedmoony 19 hours ago | 1.7k points

The unstoppable tide of tomorrow

Tomorrow, I’ll know where my future leads.

Logically, I know that my future isn’t predetermined just by which school I go to. If I get into Brown, I’ll be over the moon. I’ll sing and dance and hug my parents and maybe even confess my feelings to the guy I like. The last one’s not that likely, to be honest, especially since he lives hundreds of miles away, but who knows? And if I don’t get in, life goes on. I’ll submit my applications to my fifteen other schools, cry a little, and accept it.

After all, Brown has an early decision acceptance rate that’s less than twenty percent. All logic says that I’ll get rejected, or at best, deferred. I’m not a legacy. I don’t have any connections. I don’t have any hooks. I’m just another mediocre applicant with impossible dreams.

But at the same time, I can’t even imagine not getting in. Maybe it’s just hubris, and I’m just Sisyphus, trying fruitlessly to push the boulder up the mountain again. I’ve tried to reason with myself, with that part of my brain that insists upon being annoyingly, unreasonably hopeful. I’ve tried out the rejection simulator (thank you to whoever made that, by the way) and read the “we’re very sorry to inform you” on the webpage with Brown’s seal ten, maybe twenty times, to prepare for tomorrow.

But I’m just so fucking hopeful. Despite everything, that little voice in my head asks, well, why can’t you get in? One of my closest Internet friends got into her dream school, Wellesley, this past weekend. The next day, she sent me a photo over text of her dressed in her new Wellesley sweatshirt, grinning and holding up a cookie cake with Wellesley’s logo on it. My closest friend IRL got into UVA yesterday. When he told me, I could practically hear the relief in his voice. Why can’t that happen to me?

This is the worst part of college admissions. We all have to realize that we aren’t special, not at all, and even if we are, sometimes, that doesn’t matter either. You won a national science competition? Well, congratulations. The guy whose application was read before you has a dad who donated a library to the school, so you’re getting deferred anyway.

But realizing that is so, so hard. And even when you do realize that, the hope doesn’t go away. If it did, I wouldn’t be pressing inspect element on my Brown portal, trying to CTRL-F for the word “acceptance.” If it did, I would be able to sleep tonight without tossing and turning in my bed, a bottomless pit in my stomach. If it did, I wouldn’t be so fucking terrified.

In any case, tomorrow at 7 PM Eastern Standard Time, it all comes to an end. When I click the Status Update on my Brown portal, my future will either be set in stone, or just even more uncertain.

read more on ao3! 

#wolfstar #remus x sirius #remus lupin #sirius black #harry potter #hp #marauders #mwpp #james x lily #jily #harry potter fanfiction #hp fic #marauders fanfiction #my writing

[momentous000]

Americanized: A struggle with identity and culture

This is a reflective essay I wrote for my first semester college english class. It was the first college essay I was assigned to write  and I found it intimidating, realizing that my writing skills will finally be put to the test. I wanted to share my story because I know that I am not alone in struggling with these experiences. I am still struggling with balancing two cultures and learning to make peace with feelings of frustration and shame. 

As first-generation immigrants, my parents are unfamiliar with the American education system, specifically, college in its entirety. While my parents have been supportive of my education, they do not have the knowledge or time to guide me along the process. As a result, I was forced to become independent within my academic journey. In becoming self-reliant and navigating through The Academy on my own, I struggled to balance my cultural and academic identity.

Growing up, my parents instilled in me the importance of education as a foundation for success. The guidance they provided was limited to: “Be a good student,” which meant, “earn good grades.” To please my parents, I finished my homework, studied dutifully, and earned fridge-worthy grades throughout my academic career. They congratulated me on every report card, with the same phrase: “Good job, anak, keep doing well,” my father would always write on every report card. With every A I brought home, they sounded like a broken record, it started to feel like they were mocking me. Their response was so superficial, so focused on the letter grade. I graduated high school with a 4.2 GPA, decorated with cords. According to my parents’ definition, this proved I am a good student. They were proud of me.

Nevertheless, I know a good student is not defined by the grades they earn. I consider myself a good student because I value and apply the knowledge I learn beyond the classroom setting. But, the more I learned, the more I withdrew myself from my family to focus on my studies. In prioritizing my academics, I struggled to balance my Filipino identity. The more serious I was about perfecting my academic skills, the more I held my parents accountable for the same standards they placed on me. While dealing with my perfectionism and familial expectations, I feel compelled to further conform to the academic standards of the Model Minority Myth. A model minority is a racial group whose members are perceived to have a higher level of success compared to others. The media often portrays Asians as a poster child for this myth, using seemingly positive stereotypes, such as “all Asians are good at math.” Not only does this have detrimental effects on diverse Asian ethnicities, but also race-relations in general.

As a result, the Model Minority Myth and my parents’ expectations forced me to bolster my sense of agency. Both conditioned me to attach my self-worth to my academic accomplishments. As a second-generation college student, would I become another prized possession, a trophy, for my family? My older sister, fortunately, went through the college experience before me, attending Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) and successfully transferring, and graduating from the University of Virginia (UVA). Despite our similar paths, the future of my education solely rests in my hands. I must have exigence because if I do not, how will I repay my parents for their sacrifices, if not for an educated daughter destined to pursue a better life than theirs?

For this reason, I adopted the habits that eventually isolated me from my family, such that of Rodriguez in Scholarship boy: “with ever-increasing intensity, I devoted myself to my studies. I became bookish, puzzling to all my family. My ambition set me apart.” Like Rodriguez, when I was in high school, I would come home every day armed with knowledge I was eager to share with my parents. My eyes lit up, almost alarmingly, chattering on about Crime and Punishment. Yet, as I was rapt in my speech, my mother’s eyes glazed over. She curtly commented on how all the books we were reading were too old, too Eurocentric:

“Fyodor… ano? Russian, talaga? Why do they make you read those books?”

“It’s a classical novel, mom. It brilliantly explores morality and religion—”

“He murdered someone? Wow! Don’t start thinking like him!” “The author didn’t commit a murder. Raskolnikov is a complex character that—” “Why all the books you talk about are old? No modern or Asian?”

“Well, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad—”

“Do you have to write an essay on it?”

“Yes.”

I started to feel contempt against my parents’ way of life. Their philosophy was “not only different but starkly opposed to that of the classroom,” as stated by Rodriguez.

While I am adopting the identity of a scholar, according to my parents, I am becoming Americanized. In his song Kuya Derrick, Nak, a Filipino-American rapper, shares his similar struggles with maintaining his identity: “Our parents wanted us to grow up in America without becoming American.” My parents assumed American education was stripping me of my native culture because they claim The Academy has a standard, monolithic, mindset. Despite explaining The Academy’s emphasis on not only diversity in ethnicity, but as well as in thought, I do agree with them: I am struggling to be proud of, to retain, my Filipino identity while simultaneously becoming a member of The Academy.

In our image exercise in class, I chose the image with a group of people surrounded by thought bubbles and collaboration. I interpreted the frenzy of intellect as an example of scholars sharing their insights in The Academy. As an introvert, I see myself as the first person from the right, the one listening and contemplating the ideas they learned. While I do not see my introversion as a problem, my analytical thinking exacerbates my shyness and self-criticism. These issues not only hinder my contributions, but growth in The Academy. Currently, I am weighed down by the “Panic Monster.” To guarantee my successful transfer to UVA, he is always awake in my mind, pressuring me to confine myself in the yellow walls of my aunt’s attic, suffocating me with the constant transfer of knowledge. The only way to shut him up is to obey his orders: study and the “Panic Monster” takes a nap. To make the most of my college experience and to better engage in The Academy’s frenzy of knowledge, I plan to become more confident in my skills and embrace a hint of extraversion.

Now that I am paying for my education, I feel a profound sense of determination to take advantage of my resources. I do not want to be a passive student, just dutifully doing their work and waiting for two years to go by. I will participate in class discussions, connect with my professors, and take honors courses to grow further as a scholar. I will exhaust this campus of its resources by taking advantage of the tutoring centers, getting free merchandise from Student Life, and joining campus clubs such as the Honors Club and the Pride Alliance. To refrain from wasting the precious days of my “Life Calendar,” as Urban explains, I will further challenge my shyness by becoming involved outside of NVCC’s campus. I will explore Annandale, instead of constantly being cooped up in my aunt’s attic, and meet new people from various backgrounds in one of the most diverse colleges in America.

My parents, like most immigrants, wanted me to succeed and pursue the opportunities they missed. They were living their American Dream vicariously through me. I should be grateful for their sacrifices. While they do not have the same intellectual curiosity as I do, I take for “granted their enormous native intelligence,” as Rodriguez confessed. While I have an English accent in Tagalog, my parents can fluently write and speak in our native tongue. While I am forgetting the language, they manage to speak both English, Tagalog, and even a regional dialect, though they have an accent. While I can quote classical literature, they can cook a variety of traditional Filipino cuisine that I enjoyed eating growing up and still do today. While I held contempt for them, imagine how heartbroken they felt when they witnessed their child becoming increasingly disconnected and foreign from their family. I want to learn more about my roots, I want to study my history.

I strive to express gratitude towards my parents’ strength in moving us here after political persecution and extrajudicial killings of human rights advocates in the Philippines forced us to flee and seek refuge in America. I strive to reclaim my Filipino identity and culture by being less judgmental, and truly understanding my parents’ way of life, our culture’s way of life. I must not let the rules of The Academy and my Eurocentric education consume my identity. I aim to learn how to cook traditional meals, learn our rich native history, and respond to my parents in Tagalog.

footnotes:

A reference to the first Academy, founded by Plato. It is also used to describe the overall intellectual work and environment of colleges or universities.

anak means child in Tagalog, the main language of the Philippines.

“What”

“Really”

“Older brother”

The name Tim Urban coined for upcoming deadlines during his TEDTalk on procrastination.

#immigrant #immigration #essay #college essay #paper #model minority myth #intersectional feminism #filipino #filipinx #south east asian #pacific islander #lgbtq #reflection #introspection #tagalog #literature #dark academia #light academia #asian american #americanized #filipino american #nak #plato #ted talk

[omgreading]

I read while waiting for a load of laundry to finish washing. I kept forgetting about it and had to rewash it twice, so I made sure I got it in the dryer last night!

Right now it feels like nothing is going on. Things have happened, the promposal, the regular proposal, and meeting Margot’s boyfriend, but it all feels kind of meh. It just feels like things aren’t happening. I was wrong about her getting into UVA, so that was a cool surprise. I still think she might end up going to North Carolina for school instead of the other ones in Virginia where she was accepted.

This book is making me feel regret about my education and teen years. I never finished high-school. I got my GED two years after I should have graduated and had to start out at a tech school because I didn’t have SAT/ACT scores to get into a regular college with. I regret so many things about my life, but my biggest regret has always been my education. I just never had these experiences. I never worried about SAT/ACT or where I would go to school, even though I made it to my senior year. Almost everyone in my family got their GED, or they never went further than highschool, so I don’t think any of us knew how to prepare for it. I wonder how different my life could have been if I had better guidance.

A few years ago, I got accepted into my dream school for my undergrad degree, but couldn’t afford to go, so that was a major letdown and I can at least relate to Lara Jean about that.

#bookly #always and forever lara jean #jenny han #booklr #bookblr #tatbilbseries #poc #pocfem #fem #asian #2020books #book thoughts #spoiler #spoilers #omgposts #omgbphotos #omgabout #ya #contemp #romance

[allyvampirelass29]

Chapter 7: Game Changer

A HEROES Fanfiction   Angel Before the Fall Series By: Allyssa J. Watkins

”PLEASE!!!! DON'T!!!! Oh GOD, DON'T hurt him!! I'll show you how it works, take it, I'll do it, just....... NOOOOOOO!!!!"

Ally screamed out into the surrounding darkness, her panic shaking her awake, and she hugged herself, frightened and trembling. Where-? Her head felt heavy, like her prolonged slumber had been unnatural, like- like she'd been drugged..... WAIT!!! The tranquilizer!!! NOAH BENNET!!!!

"SYLAR!!!! SY, are you here!?!?"

Even her voice sounded heavy, it wouldn't carry, and she rested her forehead in her hand, disoriented. Where was here? Her breathing slowly leveled out as she realized the paralyzing horror she'd just witnessed, was only a hallucination, drug-induced, not real.

You wouldn't have to ask if I was here, Beautiful. Believe me, you'd know........

Her heart started to race, even though she knew it was the drugs talking. Sylar's voice drifted unaccompanied by its dark, gorgeous form through her mind. She could almost feel him, encircling her from the shadows  behind, hands on her shoulders, lips against her ear, hearts eclipsing, beating like clocks ticking, in perfect time.

She exhaled deeply, brushing the long dark hair from her eyes, feeling groggy, not quite all there, caught between the pulling threads of nightmare and dream, trying to make sense of her strange surroundings. It was all a void. Darkness. Silence. Nothingness. But...... no, hold on, there was a light, a flickering rectangle of light cast in the corner from an apparent hallway, vague shadowy forms dancing on the opposite wall.

It was then that she noticed the numbness in her right arm. Had she slept on it wrong? How long had she been asleep? No, wait..... that couldn't be it. She could only feel it in one spot. Her fingers flew to her forearm and she was shocked to find a bandage there. From the tranquilizer? No, that dart had landed on her- She quickly turned, crossing her arm over her body, feeling beneath the silky strap of her tank top, to find yet another bandage on her shoulder blade. WHAT did they do to me!?!? She thought frantic, suddenly scratching at her wrists. They began to itch terribly, both of them. It was relentless! She went to scratch again, horrified and confused. Oh NO!!! Two more bandages encircled each of her wrists, and a sickening revelation came to light. Experimentation. Noah, NO!!! She bit her lip, feeling worried. If Noah found out her secret, knew how to use her blood, he wouldn't need her anymore........ and he'd dispose of her without a second thought. Especially considering who she was now romantically entangled with.

"Hell yes, I want to get tangled up with you." She felt a wonderful shiver run down the length her spine, and sighed, happy. Sy's voice was the only thing keeping her from completely losing it, after Noah and Company had done GOD knows what to her. Why did it itch SO much!? She scratched furiously, too nervous to peek under the bandage, and her fingernail caught on something else. A bracelet? No, that can't be right, she wasn't wearing one. She felt along her wrist above the bandage. A strap, a thick woven strap, but why? Had she been tied to something? She struggled to lift herself off what appeared to be a cot, scurrying to the only corner of the room, (if it was a room) that had any visible light. Her eyes had begun to adjust to the darkness, but still nothing looked quite real. Was she dreaming again? She had to sit on the cold concrete, with her legs tucked under her, angling her wrist just right. Suddenly, the shadows on the wall raced away, dispelled at once, the glow in the hallway finally bright and stilled. Light glinted, reflecting off her wrist. She leaned closer, curls spilling over her shoulder. It was a watch. More chills. A broken watch. Her breath caught in her chest as she recognized each crack in the crystal, the all black face, the gleaming white numbers, the black nylon band, and a single name appearing ghost-like beneath the 12 and the hovering second hand........ SYLAR.

**********

"Man, it's like waiting for Christmas. If Christmas really sucked." Peter yawned, straightening his bullet proof vest, as he stood in the small foyer, of the PRIMATECH outpost.

"I hear that. I want it to happen already, and at the same time, not at all. Are we sure he's coming? What if we're way overestimating his affection for this girl?"

"Na, you should have seen the look on his face when I pulled her away from him. I only saw him for like a second, but he was foaming at the mouth livid, and something else...... something off. Something I'd never seen from him before. If it was anybody else, I'd say he looked heartbroken."

"Ha yeah, if that guy had a heart to break. Wow, he's got it bad for this one huh? He did totally freak when I put her screams in his head full blast."

"How many times are you gonna clean that thing?"

Parkman smiled, checking the chamber on his Glock. "Sorry, old habit. It used to keep me calm on overnight stake outs."

"Bet you never had one like this before."

Parkman chuckled, "Oh yeah, tons! Telekinetic magic man killers trying to burn the whole world to the ground, his index, the murder weapon. Just another Tuesday."

Peter smiled, but it faded just as quickly as it had come. He suddenly felt really strange, like every inch of his skin was prickly. He'd only felt like this once before....... Something wasn't right, and it was making him anxious, and extremely jittery. Sylar should have been here by now.

"Hey Matt. Did you check the perimeter in the last hour?"

"Yeah, all clear. Why?"

"I don't know...... I don't feel right, I feel off, like something's wrong, and I can't- I can't stay still."

"Whoah, relax, Peter. Something IS wrong. We're waiting for Killer Finger like it's his surprise party. Ha I guess in some ways it is. God, he's going to be so pissed, in for one HELL of a surprise. You really should have a gun in your hand Peter. Believe me, it helps."

Peter started to pace back and forth, raking both of his hands through his messy jet black hair. "No, no, we gotta go. We've got to check it again, where's Noah? How do we know Sylar's not already here, waiting.......?"

"C'mon Peter, there's like five snipers on the roof, surveillance cameras freaking everywhere, motion detectors, armed guards at every entrance, hell, a rigged up tear gas bomb out back. No WAY is he getting in without us knowing. Noah went to the lab, he's with Mohinder. Chill out, okay? You need another drink."

"I'm gonna sweep the perimeter again, stay here. I gotta move, my skin's like crawling."

Parkman handed Peter the radio, and he pressed the side button, raising it to his lips. "Hey Noah, it's me, I'm going to give the outside another once over. I-"

Peter flinched as he heard the sound of glass shattering, quickly followed by the poised click of a gun, over the radio, and something huge being knocked over with an awful CRASH, Mohinder yelling in the background.

"NOAH!!! MOHINDER!!!! What the HELL was that!?!?" Peter yelled, his hand clenched on the radio his knuckles turning white.

Peter and Parkman were both startled by the sharp, screaming sound of the emergency siren, piercing through the silence, red lights flashing frantic across both of their faces, and before either of them could make a move, the steel storm door in front of them retracted, sealing itself shut.

**********

"It's really quite extraordinary. At first every solitary test I ran, came back negative for abnormalities in the blood. Cell count, normal. Bone marrow, normal. Not even one trace to suggest Miss Watkins has abilities of any kind. And then...... sure enough, in a blink of an eye the sample beneath my microscope would vanish as if it had never existed at all. Like a magic trick, and a most ingenious one, at that.

"Something tells me you didn't call me all the way down here for another dead end." Noah said with a crooked smile.

"Indeed no. You see, cells respond to different light in different ways. Sunlight, infrared light, florescent light, even firelight, and were Allyssa to have her ability in a microbiological capacity, the right light could be just the agent to unveil such deception. I dabbled, played around a bit, took more and more blood, and made quite the astounding discovery."

Noah followed a gleeful Mohinder to the table, and Mohinder put a slide with Ally's blood under the microscope. "If you wouldn't mind, Noah, could you switch off the lights? For this demonstration, I will need complete darkness."

Noah nodded, "Yeah, sure thing, but make it quick. We have an unwelcome guest on his way, and remember I'm not a genius, so keep it junior college level at least, and save the impressive Harvard words for later?"

Mohinder chuckled, "Fair enough. For the record, my vocabulary was already advanced, far before I attended Harvard Medical School."

"I don't doubt that. They probably didn't even deserve you," Noah smiled, walked over, flipped the switch, and the entire PRIMATECH laboratory went instantly dark. Mohinder clicked on a glowing black light wand, holding it over the sample, and Noah leaned in, curious, anxious, eyes focused. So much was riding on this. One girl's secret could save the world.

"Nothing's happening, Mohinder. Except, of course, your shirt glowing. Is that part of the presentation?"

Mohinder looked down at his iridescent white dress shirt and smiled. "No, merely an entertaining side effect. Patience, Noah. Nothing is happening........ yet. Fascinating isn't it? The black light or UVA light on its own isn't strong enough to coax the clandestine cells to the surface. To stop the refraction and thus end the illusion, we must create a disturbance."

Mohinder began clicking the black light repeatedly on and off, until it flashed, frenzied like a strobe.

"Don't give me a seizure, I mean it."

Noah leaned a little closer and in the beats between flashes, to his unsuspecting amazement, Ally's cells began to move, the blood shimmering, looking purple in the black light.

"Well I'll be damned. You- You did it, Suresh!" Noah looked at the both literally and figuratively glowing doctor over the top of his glasses, his own smile widening.

As the blood shimmered with the smooth movement beneath the surface, there somehow appeared to be double sets of cells, vibrating at the same time, and then, in the next flash. The first set, the mirage set vanished, and only the second set, the real set remained.

"May I present, Miss Watkins' actual cells."

"My God. That's remarkable! I don't know how you figured out this one, but it's the game changer we've been hoping for. Do you realize the possibilities, the things we could do with this blood!? The applications are......."

"Infinite." Suresh finished with gleaming brown eyes, and an enthused grin. "Were we to present these findings to the world, you'd be looking at the next Nobel Prize Winner."

Noah arched an eyebrow, in a reprimanding, paternal way. "You do know we can't do that, right?"

Mohinder chuckled with a nod. "Of course, I am well aware of the detrimental ramifications. The world isn't ready for her, for us, for any of it. But the revelation itself is enough to rejuvenate my long stagnant mind, and make me feel like a great scientist again. Knowing all of the Specials we're going to save, slip right under Nathan's nose, in the guise of complete normality. That, My Friend, is worth more to me than all of the Nobel prizes, medical journal publishings, and magazine covers in the WORLD."

Noah clapped Mohinder on the back, grinning again like a proud father, and for the first time in a long time he felt real, tangible hope. Ally's blood, and Sylar's death were going to give them an advantage they never dreamed. "You ARE a Great Scientist, Mohinder. A prize winner if there ever was one. You'll get your magazine cover one day, I promise."

Mohinder and Noah's excited smiles instantly vanished, along with the dark blood on the glass slide.

"Damn. Now if I can only neutralize this unfortunate disappearing act long enough to use it, we can begin trials."

"You'll get there. I've known this girl for eight years, and you've accomplished more with her blood in one day than I ever could. Her secrets aren't safe anymore."

"She is a woman of mystery. Even science itself fails to rationalize the inclinations of the heart. Perhaps her cellular structure will enlighten us as to her peculiar attraction to Serial Killers. Oh! Which reminds me about your other request....... I took x-rays, scraped skin samples from her palms and tested them to excess."

"And-?"

"And...... unfortunately, you are mistaken, Noah. She doesn't have any tactile manipulation susceptibility present in her skin, not a trace. Besides the conducting tissue, and influx of electrical current in her blood stream needed to use her forcefield ability, her hands are entirely normal. My Diagnosis? Contrary to previous theories, Sylar Gray does in fact, have a heart, vulnerable to the violent affection of love.

"Damn it. That's what I was afraid of."

""Hey Noah, it's me, I'm going to give the outside another once over I-"

Peter's voice crackled over the radio, interrupted by glass shattering as it hit the concrete floor, and Noah pulled his gun, expertly cocking the hammer, training it on the far corner of the lab, in one swift motion. There was a loud groan, Mohinder's panicked voice yelling, and Noah took off running full speed at him, as he saw the shadow of the giant refrigerator start to fall forward towards him. "MOHINDERRRR!!!!!" NOAH yelled as he slammed into him hard, knocking him out of the way just in time, as the refrigerator landed with a horrible thud.

"NOAH!!! MOHINDER!!!! What the HELL was that!?!?"

Horrified, Mohinder raced toward the felled refrigerator, like a mother after her injured child, completely devastated. "NO, NO, DAMN IT NO!!!! MONTHS of critical research, revelational discoveries, rare bloodwork, destroyed!!!!"

"You're ALIVE, Mohinder! That's what matters!! Keep moving!!!"

"Noah, PLEASE! Help me!" Mohinder frantically rushed to flip the giant refrigerator over. "We MUST salvage what we can!!!"

"Damn it, Mohinder, THAT was SYLAR!!!! We've got to go after him!!!!" Noah yelled, exasperated.

"Noah, you don't understand!!! We NEED this research." Mohinder looked at him desperately, and Noah sighed, holstering his gun, rushing over, leaning down, and curling his fingers under the refrigerator. Just as the two of them flipped it over, the emergency siren flooded the room with its awful screaming sound, red lights flashing violently.

"This - This isn't right. No, it can't be."

"It's empty. You sure this was the right fridge?"

"Positive. He took it all, Noah..... every vial...... including........ Mohinder looked at Noah horrified, not wanting to say it out loud.

"Including what!? What the HELL was in here!?!?"

"A highly aggressive anti-regenerative serum."

"Meaning?"

"A solution that metabolizes in the blood, and slows any enhanced rapid healing process. Noah....... I don't think he intends to use it on himself."

Suddenly the sirens went dead, and a girl's terrorized screams blasted through the intercoms. Noah ran like hell through the darkness, out into the hall, his heart shattering like all the glass scattered on the floor, tears in his eyes, raising his pistol. It was the one sound that he'd fought, prayed, so hard he'd never have to hear. The reason he did what he did, so he'd never have to know this abject nightmare...... his little girl screaming for her life.

"Hello Boys. Now it's a party, huh? So nice of you to wait up for me. Claire, shhh, Daddy can't understand you when you're screaming hysterically. You took something of mine, Noah. Now, I'm going to take something of yours........"

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 

#sylar x oc #gabriel gray #heroes #noah bennet #peter petrelli #matt parkman #mohinder suresh #sylar #primatech #angel before the fall

[venus-says]

Kamen Rider OOO Episodes 33-48 + Movie

And the Journey goes on.

Yes, I'm late. Things happened in the weekend that kinda slowed me down, I also still don't know how to properly write about endings so please bear with me. XD Since I'm posting this a little later I decided to include the movie already so it kinda makes up for the late upload.

This final point of OOO can basically be divided into two parts, the set-up for the end and the ending per se. So since there's this division I'll be dividing this review into parts as well, tackling first the movie, then the first "half", and the finale for last.

Starting with the movie, I think it was decent, it had nothing that made me overly excited about but it was quite entertaining. I don't have many reference points for Kamen Rider movies, but I think I liked OOO's movie more than I liked W's because it felt like something isolated but at the same time it felt part of the story, you know? Like, if this was split in a two-parter special and aired anywhere in between episodes 36 and 38 it would feel like part of the original progression of the story and not like an event that was completely isolated from the show. I don't know if I'm making myself understandable or not, but it was neat at least for me.

I don't think this movie had a message that it was trying to pass if they had I sure didn't pick up, but everything was so cool in it that I think it's more than okay. I liked the alchemist on her human form, her minions were quite fun, I also love the way she used her powers to gather cell medals, she was a good one-off villain. The movie-only power-up was decent, I like the design, I love that is very orange, and I like theme of the animals (I would love to see what GREED would come out of this medals), I think the Cobra powers were a little cringe and I still don't buy the backstory of this medals, but as a one-off power-up, it works.

For the things I don't like about this movie, I would say it's basically the action? I think it was very lackluster and a bit confusing at times. I really don't like the final fight, I think the alchemist worked better as a humanoid rather than a giant CG monster and I can't remember much of what happened there, I also think the whole thing of the GREED appearing to offer help is not very realistic to their characters, but it gives for a very awesome scene with all forms of OOO fighting together, I still don't think is something that would happen like that but it was cool as heck I can't deny it. The last point I don't like is Fourze, but I'll keep my points for the first Fourze review.

With the movie out of the way let's talk about the first portion of these episodes covering episodes 33 to 42. I think these are very interesting episodes, I have a few minor issues but overall is a good sequence of episodes and they give a proper build-up for the finale. What is more interesting to me is how the lore of the GREED was expanded on and how dark and sad GREED's lives are and how horrifying the process of becoming a GREED is. What hits me the most about the GREED transformation process is that this is happening to a character I like so much and seeing Eiji going through all of that really hurts because he's a precious boy and it hurts me to see him suffer. I also like having this new info because it gives us some explanation for why Ankh is such a jerk and why he clings to Shingo's body so much making him more sympathetic which they really needed to be able to pull off the ending in such a solid way as they did.

There are only two major things I don't like about these specific episodes. The first one is the GREED revive/reunion, when I first saw that Uva was trying to revive Mezool and Gamel I was very excited to see all GREED together again, but then they're revived and they do nothing relevant after it until their utter defeat. Their betrayal to Uva after their revival brought a very interesting point later on, but other than that the other Ankh and Dr. Maki were the only ones to do something relevant so it gave me that constant feeling of "why?" in the back of my head when thinking of them.

My other problem with it is Gotou becoming Birth. Gotou's arc has been all over the place and a huge roller-coaster with good and bad moments, but when it came the time for him to achieve his climax it was... lackluster. And I say that because they had a very strong build-up for it but they ended going by the easy route and it just felt weak in the end. I know I said I didn't want to see Akira go, but they had such a strong build-up for it, the bullet on his head starting to render him down and connecting that to his goal, he betraying the boys in order to get his money, and then he brings up that he wants the money not to be an altruist good guy but because he wants to do an illegal surgery to save his life???? C'mon this SO STRONG, SO POWERFUL, it could've been amazing if he had gone like that. But no, Akira is good, he really wanted the money to make that medical school, he didn't even die and made Gotou go through a horrible experience like a jerk. I can't stress enough how disappointed I was by that, yeah it was cool seeing Double Births later on but I was disappointed. At least Erika was more present in this part since now she works with Gotou and she was as amazing as ever so this plot wasn't as bad because of her.

The final stretch was both odd and very strong at the same time. I say it was odd because of the way GREED were getting "killed" one after the other especially after them not doing much since their revival. I really liked seeing Kazari being the first one to be defeated, and Mezool in her full power was very cool and strong. But it was kind of a let down for the most part. But even with that I enjoyed this final part concerning the GREED, seeing Ankh's betrayal was amazing, Uva becoming the "final boss" when he was the first villain we met was also very symbolic and it came to happen on a very good way, and while Maki's GREED form didn't last long it was still very cool.

My favorite thing about this ending was Eiji succumbing to his desire for power, which one wasn't something I didn't expect, and two was very well played out. When that Yummy with dream controlling powers attacked Eiji and what came out of it was Earth I though what Eiji's desire would be was something related to saving people, but I never expected it would go down to power, which is a very dangerous desire to have when you have purple evil coins inside you trying to turn you into a monster. I really like that fight between Eiji and Ankh in that beach where they were discussing a few of these points, it was so emotional and strong to me it was definitely the higher point of this finale.

The final two episodes are weird, both in the TV version and in the director's cut. There are things that are missing in the TV version that the director's cut fix, but there are still things in both versions that are "missing" to me. In the things the DC fix we have how more smooth the ending feels with added scenes that connect the events better, the DC also gives Gotou a better and more conclusive ending, Ankh has a better closure and they kinda make the fact than Ankh is just an arm have a deeper meaning that is missing from the tv version, so I'd say the director's cut is the definitive version of the ending.

However, as cool as seeing Maki getting thorn apart and being turned and consumed by a black hole was, there are things in this finale that it still lacks. I could come here and spent ages talking about how it was a Kougami Ex-Machina how those original medals came to be a part of the story, but that's not important my major problem comes from another aspect. My biggest problem with this ending is that it actually lacks an ending. I don't know, maybe it worked for other people, but to me, it felt like it was missing a more concrete conclusion. Like, I don't think it needed another scene to be added, but I think we needed at least a monologue from Eiji to settle things down for him, yeah we see that he finally overcome his trauma and is traveling again and that he's looking for Ankh, but we don't get to see the full scope of what that final fight caused him and I think it was an element that would help to make this ending feel more rounded.

Regardless of my complaints, this was a very good ending for a very good series. My first impression of OOO wasn't the best, but the show won me slowly with each episode making me like it more and more each time even though the problems I had at certain points, and now I really hold this series close to my heart... I dare to say I like it more than I liked W (Don't let Shotaro see this please XD).

And this was the end of OOO, how do you feel about this season? Have you watched recently? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Since I'm behind schedule for this, today we'll have a double feature and later at night we'll have a second post going up for this week's episode of Zero-One so I'll (hopefully) see you all there. Bye, people. o/

#Kamen Rider OOO #kamen rider

[parkerwhitmore]

hello buzzfeed friends, do we have a treat for you! straight from the west wing, we’ve got an exclusive interview with parker whitmore: america’s favorite first son! now, we over here at the entertainment section aren’t interested in the political stuff, we’ve only got weird questions for him. but luckily, kara had a great idea: why don’t we get him to pick out the best songs to one day replace our national anthem after society collapses. he was really into the idea: he gave us, like, 50! but we condensed it to the best of the best! we hope you enjoy as much as we did, readers! 

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY

1. toxic by britney spears

 “have you ever considered that britney spears is the real president? no? good, because that’s totally not true, at all, and i know nothing about that rumor. but this song just... speaks to the souls of the american people. it starts playing at the club and you hit the dance floor. it unites us as a people.” 

2. national anthem by lana del rey

“we all wish we were the kennedy’s. i mean, i live most of my life in the white house and i still wish i looked that good. somehow, lana bottled the essence of that wish that we were in camelot with them and just turned it into this absolute banger.” 

3. hey ya by outkast

“listen. we all knew this was going to be on here. it’s the only song that makes my mother’s cold, dead heart start beating again. it hits that hard. oh, shit. i didn’t mean that, it was totally a joke, please leave that out? thanks. anyways, andre 3000 please return my calls.” 

4. party in the u.s.a. by miley cyrus

“miley might not be a good southern girl anymore but she still wrote the best song about america ever written. star spanged banner who? america the beautiful what? sorry i only accept this and that one song about getting drunk at 7/11 as my favorite songs specifically about my country.” 

5. footloose by kenny loggins

“no, i’m not taking constructive criticism on this one.” 

6. let’s go crazy by prince

“i once heard this song at 4 am when a party was winding down at a frat house in uva, when i was still in school. literally, the place returned to full swing by the time the elevator tried to bring us down. we kept partying until 2 pm.”  

7. hollaback girl by gwen stefani

“before i heard this song, i had no idea how to spell bananas. now i know it’s b-a-n-a-n-a-s. thanks, gwen. america salutes your service to our country.” 

8. american woman by lenny kravitz

“lenny kravitz is literally the coolest dude in real life, but this song changed the landscape of america with it’s praise of the american woman. it made people all over the country realize that, shit, maybe we should tell this one american woman to let us be. she should definitely stay away from me.”

9. american girl by bonnie mckee 

“this is it! the 7/11 song! god, i try my best to live like this. alcohol in a slurpee, chillin at waffle house, that kind of american shit. it’s so fun, you should try it. just like, follow her instructions. she lines it out pretty well in the first verse.” 

10. born in the usa by bruce springsteen

“i legally have to include this because if i don’t bruce springsteen will personally have me murdered. but this song is okay i guess, my parents are way more into it than i am. so like, old people in america. we have to represent everyone and all that jazz. also if there are photographs of me as that bruce springsteen album cover: they weren’t me and i definitely didn’t go to that frat party.”  

11. no diggity by blackstreet

“it’s got nothing to do with america i just think it’d be fucking awesome if they started blasting this when we won a gold medal. could you imagine a russian and an english guy having to keep a straight face while the american winner cries to this? god, that’d be awesome.” 

12. boys of summer by don henley

“if you’ve never driven with the top down and the wind whipping through your hair while this plays: you’ve never lived. that’s my opinion and i’m sticking with it, there’s nothing you can do to change my mind.”

13. love in america by jtx

“this is going to be a controversial choice, but have you considered: it’s so cheesy it’s fun to listen to. like come on, in the chorus it literally lists the three best things about america: sex, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll.” 

14. dynamite by taio cruz

“i got to live in a world where this was #1 and it was the time of my life. we got to party to this, i still turn this up the second it comes on the radio. taio cruz must have sold his soul to be able to make this song slap this hard.” 

15. american boy by estelle (feat. kanye west)

“i know it’s technically not about all of america but just... one american boy. but that’s enough for me, this song goes hard and that’s all i have to say.” 

16. american idiot by green day

“okay listen, i know this one’s a bit much. it’s all about what they hate about america but i think it’s a good song and it let me headbang in my dorm room when i was mad at my mom in college, so it goes on my playlist. thanks billie joe armstrong, you’re the best.” 

17. american pie by don mclean

“a classic. another old people song, but a better one this time.” 

18. sweet caroline by neil diamond

“if you don’t buh-buh-buh in the middle of this song, you’re either dead or not from these great united states. we play it when we try to figure out if people are secret foreign agents.” 

19. stacy’s mom by fountains of wayne

“if you can’t live in a country where stacy’s mom is the hottest person in it, what’s the point?

20. livin’ on a prayer by bon jovi

“this song is art. i know it’s overplayed and old but it’s art. it’s about the american dream. we’re always just halfway there. whoa-oh. lemon on a chair. you know the lyrics. i don’t have to explain them to you.” 

#hshqtask030 #i hate myself for this guys #if you don't listen to it i'll drop dead #hshqtasks #playlist