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#is just never mentioned. if you haven't read the book you literally would not know that that's what happened to her
eddiemunsonsmum · 5 months
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My thoughts on Flight of Icarus/Eddie's portrayal in the book vs the show.
Flight of Icarus SPOILERS!!
Was explaining the book to my husband and I think I finally nailed how I feel about the way Eddie was written/Why I feel that way.
So, without offending anyone, hopefully. I’m pretty sure like 90% of the Eddie fandom relate to the “freak” experience. Being a loser or nerd. The weird kid. The one that gets bullied because of their interests or there is just something “different” about them. (neuro-divergence or being queer as quick examples)
If not those specific aspects of the Eddie we perceived in the show. Perhaps you relate to having a hard or tremulous home life. Bad parents, financial strain, food insecurity Etc. 
Nearly all of us relate to Eddie in some if not multiple ways. He’s one of us. He made us feel seen and heard. He felt approachable and… regular. Like a normal dude that we would be able to make friends with. He had a normal and very human reaction to the horrible things he witnessed in S4. He had big feelings about the situation and wasn’t afraid to let them out in frustration, anger and sadness. 
(which for a lot of us neuro-divergent people tends not to be a choice. It just happens)
We saw him act this way repeatedly throughout the show. So reading the book… It felt to me like it was written by someone that thought Eddie’s life experiences made for an interesting story in theory but she had never felt those things in practice. I could be wrong. I know very little about the author. I’m also absolutely not saying that people can only write about things they have personally experienced or that anyone writing lives they haven’t lived will write them badly. 
What I’m saying is that I personally felt a lot of Eddie’s inner monologue and dialogue did not reflect the way someone actually living his life would feel. He is very self-depreciating. But he had a lot of crappy things happen to him in a short span of time and majority of his reactions to them boiled down to “oh well, moving on” 
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Serious Spoilers. Stop Reading if you haven't finished it.
He stared down the barrel of a gun repeatedly, watched someone get hit by a car, placed himself in very dangerous and stressful situations repeatedly, had his house burn down, lost his Mother’s last precious belongings, used his bare hands to stem the bleeding from someone that was shot in front of him, begged his Father to stay; literally saying “I need you” and then watched him walk away, he lost his dream, best friend of 10 years and the girl he liked. All without a single tear? Barely a mention of how he felt beyond his heart hurting while he was finding out his Dad lied. Then a few days later (I think? Was it days or weeks?) he’s got enough drive and energy to blackmail someone?? That’s not the Eddie we saw and related to in S4. 😅
I felt there were multiple opportunities for the writer to branch into Eddie’s emotional intelligence and/or perhaps even neuro-divergency and the struggle to regulate yourself under stressful or sad situations. Which again, Eddie in S4 seemed to struggle with. Something a lot of us related to. But it felt as though she was scared to give him too much personality in any direction besides sarcastic. Even then, he doesn’t really come into his own as the sarcasm king until the end of the story.
It felt safe. Like she played it in a way that she knew the majority of the audience would at least be okay with. But in doing that, she failed to recognise the reasons those 90% of us I mentioned above, love Eddie. This book to me, felt like it was written by (for lack of better wording) a “mean girl” that was pandering to and trying to make money from “the freaks”. Eddie’s thoughts and feelings were watered down and did not reflect the Eddie that Joe gave us at all. 
I’m in NO WAY saying that she should have taken my or even the majorities headcanons into consideration or that any author is obliged to change their plot, character etc to pander to the masses. What I’m trying to convey is that I feel like she did that anyway. She watered Eddie down to try and make him palatable to a wider audience. But she didn’t bother to do any research on what the wider audience wanted or liked. Which makes it come across as a very obvious cash grab. She was oblivious to the fact that 90% of her audience already loved him for who he was and accepted him wholly. So she changed him (or perhaps didn’t change him and went with what he was supposed to be before Joseph changed him) because she wanted 90% of the fandom to buy the book and basically failed to realise we were going to buy it anyway and now we’re all disappointed. 
Hope this makes sense. Again these are just my thoughts and feelings and I’m aware I could be wrong and others might not feel the same. I don’t want to argue about it in my inbox. I am someone that struggles to keep thoughts inside my head and I process things better out loud or written down. So if you don’t agree, scroll on please and take this as an open journal post. 
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luvrhischier · 8 months
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i don’t know // jack hughes
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pairing: jack hughes × reader
word count: 1.2k
warnings: mentions of hands and fingers accidentally getting cut off by ice skate (doesn’t go into detail)
a/n: i wrote this in like ten minutes so i don’t really know how good it is
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You heard the door open before the sound of keys falling on the small hallway table and a heavy bag being dropped on the floor. You placed the book you were reading on the coffee table.
"Honey, I'm home!" He joked
"Living room," you quickly responded as you rolled your eyes with a playful smile. 
You waited for him to appear in the living room. Once he did he smiled before quickly walking to you giving you a kiss. You giggled when he pulled away and laid on top of you, trying and hoping not to crush you.
"How was practice?" You asked as you began to run your fingers through his hair. He just groaned and buried his face in your neck. "That bad, huh?" 
"I mean, it wasn't bad, but it also wasn't good," he mumbled from your neck. 
You just sat there in comfortable silence. That silence broke when he quickly sat up in excitement, pushing against you and crushing you. You groaned loudly and curled your body. He looked at you with wide and sympathetic eyes.
"Babe, I am so sorry!" He quickly stuttered as he helped you sit up. 
"What was so exciting that you had to crush me before telling me?" You muttered, still a bit winded. He mumbled another sorry when he saw your face up close.
"There's gonna be this fundraiser event down at the arena and they're gonna let people just come and skate with the team. They're also gonna have all these cool booths and prizes and I was really hoping you'd come," his eyes were filled with so much hope and yours were filled with so much dread.
"Would I have to skate?" You asked trying seem nonchalant.
"I mean that's kinda the whole point," he said.
"Yeah, no, I'm sorry. I'm gonna be busy that day," You quickly said before going back to your book.
"I haven't even told you when it's gonna be."
"When is it?" You asked still not looking up at him.
"This Saturday," his voice was questioning and suspicious.
"Yup I have this thing with…you know...Monica from-" before you could finish he gently ripped the book from your hands making you finally look at him. "Hey! Give that back!" You tried reaching for it but he quickly moved it to the other hand. 
"No," he said like a child refusing to share their toy. Finally he raised his arm with the book in his hand above his head. You tried jumping for it but your efforts were futile.
"Maybe you actually are 5'11," you said as you crossed your arms. His jaw dropped.
"You know what, I'm going to let that one slide. Now why won't you come this Saturday?" 
"Like I said, I have a work thing," you said, your eyes wondering everywhere, never making eye contact with Jack.
"You're lying." 
"No I'm not!" Eyes still focused elsewhere.
"Yeah you are, you avoid eye contact when you lie and you start tapping your foot." He pointed. Both of you looked down and saw that your foot was indeed tapping. You forcefully stopped it. "Now answer my question because my arm is starting to go numb," he begged. you didn't say anything, hoping he'd give up before you could say anything. But, when you finally looked at him and his stupid puppy dog eyes you caved. 
"Fine!" You groaned as you fell down on the couch. "I don't know how to skate," you whispered, almost completely inaudible.
"Babe you have to speak up." He sat next to you but not before tossing your book across the room. You watched as it slid across the floor.
"I don't know how to skate," you mumbled, only a little bit louder.
"Come on, I'm not gonna let this go until you tell me and I can actually hear and understand what you’re saying. I will literally become the most annoying human being alive if I have to."
"Can't become what you already are." You rolled your eyes, falling back on the couch.
"I'm also gonna let that one slide." He turned his body so he could see your face and began to tap your thigh nonstop trying to get you to confess.
"You're acting like a child right now." 
"I know." He shrugged. Finally you had had enough.
"I don't know how to skate!" You almost yelled in an embarrassed tone. You pushed his hand away and faced away from him. It was quiet before his laugh filled the air. It wasn't just a small laugh, it was a loud and annoying laugh. You groaned before standing up and heading to your room. "You better get real comfortable because your sleeping on that couch tonight." You picked up your book.
"No, come back. I didn't mean to laugh," he said while he continued to laugh.
"I'm going to kick you out completely if you don't stop," you threatened. Finally, but slowly, he stopped, holding his stomach and wiping away a few tears
"Okay I'm calm now." He let out a big breath to fully calm himself. "Now what do you mean you 'don't know how to skate'?"
"I think my statement was pretty straightforward." 
"Babe, I am literally a hockey player. I skate for a living and you're telling me that you, my girlfriend, don't know how to skate?" He was in shock.
"Well 'must know how to skate' wasn't exactly on the girlfriend application, now was it?" You argued.
"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" He asked as he made his way over to you.
"Exactly for the reasons you said. 'I'm a hockey player. I literally skate for a living,” you mocked his voice. He rolled his eyes as he placed his hand on your waist. “Plus, you just almost died of laughter because I finally told you. This is exactly what I was trying to avoid.”
"Why do you not know how to skate?" 
"When I was a kid I was scared I would fall and someone wouldn't be paying attention and would end up slicing my fingers, or my hand off. I didn’t want that so I refused to learn. I'd be fingerless or completely handless. You would have a handless girlfriend. Is that what you want?" 
"No, not really. I want you to keep your hands. You do some pretty amazing things with them," he smirked as you punched his shoulder.
"I'm telling you my deepest and darkest secret and you still find a way to turn it around like that," you scoffed and turned to walk away from him.
"Nope, come back, you're not going anywhere." He pulled you back. "Come with me this weekend and I will personally make sure your hands and fingers stay attached to your body and I will teach you how to skate. Please," he begged.
"I don't know," you sighed.
"If you won't do it for me then do it for the children. The poor, sick children who need this fundraiser to help them with their treatments. Could you live with the knowledge that you could've helped them but you didn't?"
"You are a sick and twisted individual," you exclaimed.
"Only sometimes," he joked, still waiting for an answer. His puppy dog eyes were back.
"Fine! Whatever i'll go. But just remember that if I loose my fingers or my hands that you'll have to use your own hand for the rest of your life." He chuckled but then he really imagined it for a second and his face fell. He did not want to risk it.
"We're most definitely getting you a pair of gloves just in case."
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ridreamir · 7 months
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Hey!if you write for Arven would you be willing to do platonic Headcanons for him?
Yes I could! I haven't been writing on here but I am open to it!
(Just to let you guys know though I am in school full time so I might be a little slow haha, here's a short post!) This could potentially be interpreted as romantic! There isn't any romance explicitly stated but they are kind of close/friend date scenarios almost just to let you know!
__________________________________________________ Some platonic moments with Arven might include: Going out into the forest to forage for ingredients, since you two already made such a duo trying to hunt for Herba Mystica! He's constantly reading new foraging books and is very careful, it almost makes you wonder why he doesn't do so hot in his other classes. He does have reading glasses, but he's too embarrassed to wear them in front of others. That could partly be the reason why he's been flunking, but then again a big part of passing class is showing up and he's the type to want to be everywhere but the classroom (except for Mr. Saguaro's class of course!) Sitting in fields and having picnics, making sandwiches together! Arven is a next-level chef so he carries around a mini hot plate and pan so he can cook things up on the spot, and most of the time it ends up incredible. ...Sometimes though, you've both been prone to burning certain ingredients or accidentally mixing the wrong things. Not to mention how often you drop stuff. Those sandwiches often go to Koraidon and Miraidon because they're quantity over quality type lizards.
If it weren't for his health, Mabostiff would also be feasting. Arven is really careful with his diet, and you're not sure his dog friend always likes being denied a gross burnt burger sandwich but it just goes to show how much Arven really cares. You both like to take naps in the grass, but you've found him snoozing in some very odd locations. He's usually propped against a rock or tree in the shade, or lying with his arms folded. Needless to say, you have nearly tripped over him before because he literally will choose any spot that looks like it might be even remotely comfortable.
He doesn't seem like it, but Arven is an incredibly strong trainer, and if he put his mind to it he could absolutely beat the gym challenge. You never really catch him training, but his Pokemon eat Michelin-star-level meals daily so you're starting to think that might be the secret to his incredible strength. Speaking of strength, he suffers from mild back pain from carrying that huge heavy pack around 24/7, but he'll still do wild and crazy things. He's not the most outwardly athletic in terms of sports but he's really good at hiking and climbing, and he's gotten very strong physically from exploring Paldea. When exploring, he's constantly trying to feed you. He's not the type to pull out trail mix either, he'll literally stop and park in the middle of nowhere if he finds out you haven't ate in a while and will sit there and angry-cook a whole meal in front of you. You do annoy him a little sometimes, but you think that he might have such a hyperfocus on food because of his childhood. It's not a fun topic for him though so you never try to pry. He knows you're a busy person, but somehow you always find time for each other. You're still attending the academy together at least, so it's not hard for him to stop by and check in on you. He's been barred from wandering off too far because of his grades, but you're not going to rat him out for sneaking out (partly because you come along and could get in trouble for encouraging him.)
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I need to gush about Origins and discuss Duncan okay, listen- DAO is so good for a plethora of reasons but it’s the origins, the thing that it’s literally named after. Which origin you play is the important decision on the players part that has an impact on everything you do, especially if you go hard into the roleplaying of it all, it makes me want to scream. I adore it so much.
So Duncan, right? Great character, love that dude. I read The Calling and he's one of the best parts of that book. If you haven't read it, I recommend it just for Duncan alone.
I enjoy reading opinion pieces on Duncan, especially when the poster mentions which origin their warden is. I find it so interesting because your origin can change your entire perception of him.
Playing as Aeducan or Brosca? Duncan has great respect for dwarves just as the dwarves do for the wardens. Duncan’s your hero. He saved your life. You would’ve been executed or left to rot in the Deep Roads if not for him. And since the wardens are so respected, it’s honestly an honor to join them, no?
Playing a Cousland? You’ve lost everything. Duncan not only does what he can to keep your father alive long enough for you and your mother to find him, but he saves you and gives you a shot to avenge your family by becoming a warden.  
Playing as Amell or Surana? Your best friend lied to you about being a blood mage and chances are you tried to help him escape rather than turn him in, and now he’s gone and Greagoir demands you be punished. But here comes Duncan to conscript you, to take you away from the prison known as the Circle of Magi.
And I know this can vary depending on how you play or what kind of character you’ve created, but I believe you’re waaaay more likely to have a better opinion of Duncan in these origins… but if you play as Mahariel or Tabris?
Mahariel’s more obvious, here. You’re Dalish, and odds are, you and Tamlen are on the same page about humans. Duncan, a human, dragged your ass back to your clan after the eluvian gave you the blight, and sure, that was nice of him… except when you go looking for Tamlen and Duncan destroys the mirror, he’s so dismissive. He doesn’t care about Tamlen. There’s no point in going looking for him, he’s dead. Also you have the blight and Duncan’s taking you away from your family to make you a warden and no, you have no choice in the matter. He'll force his hand if he needs to. Say goodbye, forget about Tamlen, you’ll never see your family again, you’re a warden now. Hope you have fun involving yourself in all these human affairs while everyone points out how different you are!
First off, I think most Mahariel players would agree that they’re still not over Tamlen. How many of you had the thought, “If we look just a little longer, we could find Tamlen and make him a warden, too!” only for Duncan to ruin that? I don’t blame any Mahariel for throwing a fit when he and the Keeper agree you need to go, nor do I blame them for any ill feelings toward him.
And Tabris? This one is personal; my canon warden is a female Tabris, Rosalie, and Duncan really gets to me.
Rose's already being made to marry a man she's never met, some human nobles made their first attempt to crash the wedding, and now here’s this other human waltzing in. Duncan is such a little shit here, too. When you try asking him to leave, he actively tries to push your buttons just to see what you’ll do. But that’s nothing. When Rose and the other women are taken by Vaughan and his buddies, Soris and Nelaros go to Duncan who pulls his bullshit “wardens can’t get involved, they must remain neutral, best I can do is give you a sword and crossbow, good luck.”
Duncan KNOWS what will happen to those women but nope, can’t get involved. Wardens must remain neutral, can’t upset the nobles. I firmly believe that if Duncan had gone with them, Nelaros wouldn’t have been killed and maybe they could’ve made it to Shianni in time, and that infuriates me.
And yeah, in the end it’s Duncan who saves Rose from the guard, but you expect me to be okay with going with him? Alone? After everything that just happened?
It almost feels like Duncan was more interested in testing you, to see if you COULD get out of that situation or what you’d do when the guard showed up. That gives me a lot of complicated feelings about Duncan, and the way the Grey Wardens do things in general. Because let me tell you, Rose hurls that “Wardens must not involve themselves, they must remain neutral” out the fucking window, even post DAO after the blight is over and things return to “normal” for the wardens.  
Side note, I like to think that the wardens out at Weisshaupt or wherever contact Alistair at some point like "What the hell is Warden-Commander Tabris doing over there??? She's breaking every rule we have??" and Alistair's just shrugs like "My wife killed an archdemon to end the Blight and survived, she gets to do whatever she wants forever and honestly, I love that for her."
But anyway-- I get it, Duncan. The Grey Wardens were booted outta Fereldan once before and we don't want a repeat of that. Sure. Fine. Makes sense...but also Rose doesn't give a shit about that? She may come to understand it eventually but that doesn't mean she accepts or forgives it, or would ever be willing to adapt the same attitude.
And I'm not even going to get into everything with the Joining and Ser Jory, because oh my god.
Everything Duncan does influences Rose's views on the Grey Wardens and their duty, like if there was ever anything she and Alistair have straight up argued about, it's Duncan and the concept of "being a warden is an honor."
And I think that's neat. Duncan's a consistency in every origin and even though he dies so early on, his influence remains with the warden no matter who they are.
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nekodatta · 3 months
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Finished the Indigo disk DLC and want to dump all my thoughts about THAT post credits scene somewhere.
So, HEAVY HEAVY SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED IT COMPLETELY.
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I can see that Game Freak wanted to make a "stable time loop" thing where we end up being the reason the Raidons have that name (we call them Mirai/Koraidon because the prof named them that, turns us they named them that way because they heard it from us), AND possibly give them the inspiration for the AI too (so.... It's our fault? Whoops?), but the thing is.... To be a time loop/classic bootstrap paradox, it has to actually follow a logical, circular line.
The professor we meet says and does things that make this impossible and contradict how things went in the timeline, and actually BREAK the loop:
- they act like they've never seen the Raidon but already have a son (and since they imply they've been away from home for a while, Arven is definitely not a toddler in their point in time)... their research diaries mention managing to pull the first Raidon BEFORE Arven was even born. ("I was expecting one new life to treasure, but what fortune to be blessed with this gift (the Raidon they just pulled)as well!")
- Most importantly, "our" prof giving us their book creates the situation where Arven shouldn't have it to do pretty much all the plot, because it wouldn't be there anymore.
- When they get the Briar book they say "maybe I should go home and read it..."... Like it's implying that they would actually go back home after finishing the research. The game seems to put a weird emphasis on this like it's supposed to be a solution but... We know it's not because they still stay away from home in our timeline even if they got this book.
- If you choose the dialogue option asking them if they are the AI, they say something like "An AI...? If it existed it sure would be convenient". So they are definitely from a point in time wayyy before they had the idea of making the AI (which is after they got abandoned by their partner and left all alone to go paranoid PPP mode, which again, is definitely after Arven was born)
- the notes from "our" Professor where they say "I met a kid and they gave me a white book" don't say anything about them giving the scarlet/Violet book away in return... Could be they simply didn't write it, but again... if they really met "us" like it seems to imply and for them it all happened years before even the main plot, then the Scarlet/Violet book should be REMOVED FROM THE TIMELINE FROM OUR (and Arven's) POINT OF VIEW.
The thing about time loops/bootstrap paradox plots is that they are paradoxes because they create a LOGICAL line of events that can only happen with an impossible event (time travel).
An example of how they could have made a bootstrap paradox plot:
Have Briar come to the crystal pool and meet her own ancestor Heath, giving him her "original" version of the book (or even just that one page where he mentions MEETING SOMEONE THAT GAVE HIM THE VERY PAGE WITH FORMULA HE WROTE what was up with that Game Freak??) that then Heath ends up "writing"... That's a classic bootstrap paradox where the book's existence itself becomes the paradox.
Instead we get a case where the professor's book, the key to the time machine AND the herba mystica plot, literally JUMPS the whole timeline because it fucks off with us in the post credits/the "future" from the prof's point of view lol
I'm not sure what to think: on one hand, I get the feeling that game freak wanted to make a time loop plot but screwed it up/didn't fact check their own writing/didn't care enough to make it have actual sense (sigh)
On the other hand, those and other things said by the professor could imply we meet a version from a slightly different timeline ("Maybe you are not actually from MY future", and them mentioning that their research involved pulling things from DIFFERENT timelines, explicitly using TIMELINES), and... That getting the white book is somehow going to help THIS version of the profs go back home for a somewhat happy ending for that Arven...? A part of me wants to think that it's that, a scenario in the line of "things didn't work out for our Arven but somewhere out here you helped another Arven get their parent back". This could also set up a Ultra sun/Ultra moon scenario with "Scarlet and Violet 2" games where we play through THAT timeline and "save" the professor... Maybe....?
But the note in the underdepths suggests that "our" professor ALSO had the white book and we know how that turned out for them lol
Why do WE even need to get the prof'a Scarlet/Violet book? It was fine where it was, lost in time with the AI so that no one can turn the machine back on.
So all in all: I kind of want to believe it's the second scenario (that's how the whole thing makes sense at least)... But knowing Gamefreak nope, they just botched the time loop idea by doing the ONE thing that doesn't let it make sense lol
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boreal-wood · 7 months
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Alright wise guy, what are your thoughts on the theme(s) of the first Mistborn book. This is literally an excuse for you to ramble about it, have fun.
VOID I LOVE YOU SM
So spoilers for Mistborn: The Final Empire! If you haven't read it, please beware because under the cut, Here There Be Spoilers (and also beware, Very Long post under the cut!)
The big running theme in The Final Empire is trust. Who can one really trust? Is it worth it to put your life in the hands of other people? What says they won't betray you as soon as it becomes favorable to do so?
Honestly this really is what Vin's character arc in the first book is about. At the beginning of the book, she's trapped in a low-level street gang where everyone is always out to get everyone else. Heck, the second time the audience ever sees her use her powers is when she is helping her boss betray a business partner.
Vin's brother has beaten into her the idea that she can trust nobody, not even him. Everyone is always out to hurt her or take advantage of her, and if she does not prove her immediate worth to her group, then at best she will be kicked out.
This, of course, is not helped by the fact that she is part of the literal slave class! Which is a whole nother essay tbh.
Then Kelsier takes her in and everything changes. There's a scene early on in the book, after vin formally joins the crew, where Kelsier and his men are all laughing and enjoying themselves while plotting their Big Plan™. And Vin, who does not trust any of them, is on the outside, quite literally. She's outside the room, watching them plan, wishing she could be included but not allowing herself to, because at this point in the book she still thinks they could betray her at any time.
I think now is a really good time to mention that being a Mistborn is built on secrecy and paranoia. Mistborn are literally the nobility's assassins. They hide their identities under hoods that blend into the mist so as not to be seen. So their powers cannot be used against them or their Noble Houses. In broad daylight they have to pretend to be normal people, or at best, regular Mistings. They can't trust anyone with the truth that they are Mistborn.
(Heck, even a quarter of their powerset- Copper and Bronze- create mistrust. With Bronze, after all, one can hear the allomantic pulses of burning another metal. Copper, on the other hand, blocks that; the use cases for these two metals lies in paranoia that someone else can use their Allomantic powers against you.)
Anyways! So we've explored some of the different aspects of mistrust in Mistborn, so what's the counterargument?
In a word: Kelsier.
Kelsier shakes up everything that Vin believes about how relationships work. He introduces his crew as something different- despite being a thieving crew, they operate under a principle of trust and camaraderie. "My crews rely on trust," Kelsier says at one point. In direct contrast to the dirty, paranoid crews Vin worked with before, Kelsier's crew is welcoming, understanding, and trusting of her.
But Kelsier's trust isn't just talk, either. When we learn that the crew believes Mare betrayed them in their last heist, Vin asks Kelsier how he could love Mare even though she betrayed him. Kelsier answers that given the choice between loving Mare and being betrayed or never knowing her, he would choose loving her. "I'd rather trust my men than worry about what will happen if they turn on me."
In the same passage as above, Kelsier poses a question to Vin: where has she been happier? with the old crews that we built on lies and suspicious, or with Kelsier's crew, who trusted each other and let their guards down? It's a rhetorical question, and the meaning is clear: Vin and Kelsier both are happier for risking themselves in order to be loved.
I don't think I've nearly done this topic justice. There are a million more points I could pull out and point to, but I want to end with my favorite quote from The Final Empire. It's from Vin, in Chapter 32. She says:
“Once I may have thought you a fool, but… well, that’s kind of what trust is, isn’t it? A willful self-delusion? You have to shut out that voice that whispers about betrayal, and just hope that your friends aren’t going to hurt you... Distrust is really the same thing, only on the other side. I can see how a person, given the choice of two assumptions, would choose to trust.”
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imjustli · 3 months
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I feel like I should preface this by saying I haven't read the books, so don't do any unnecessary spoilers. (You can spoil this particular thing though, because I need to know if I should prepare to fight Rick Riordan.)
The monsters. I'm so normal about them.
So, from literally everything, it's pretty clear that "monster" is a derogatory term. Both in universe and out of universe, it has negative connotations. The way many of Echidna's children (+Medusa) react to being called a monster, makes me belive it's actually pretty similar to a slur.
And what even is a monster? We know Echidna's children are, but it's not just Echidna and her kids. Medusa is also considered a monster, but she has nothing in common with the other "monsters" other than having twisted vaguely animal-like characteristics. But the centaurs also have animal like characteristics, and so does Grover. Yet they aren't monsters.
Not to mention, Echidna's children are likely told, from the moment they were born, that they are monsters and can never belong with the gods and demigods. And they definitely don't belong among the humans. So if you are told, for as long as you can remember, that you could never belong, of course you stop trying. Why would they ever pretend to be anything but a monster if nobody gives them any chance to be something else?
And here's the thing. If everyone I met called me a slur, and then suddenly I met a kid who is willing to look past it, I'd probably adopt them (Medusa. The other 2 were still sceptical, but Percy was nice to her, of course she tries to ally with him. It's still a bit "I'm not like those queers, I'm a good queer" (not saying the mosters are a queer allegory, just making a comparison with Medusa's attitude), but tbf she's actually not like the other monsters, as in Echidna is not her mom (I think)).
However, and I'm not saying that I'm pro the murder of children, but if I was regularly called slurs by people, and I got a mission to kill a child, and they called me a slur within 2 minutes of meeting me, I'd probably go ahead with it.
It's not a case of their actions being good, murder is generally a pretty bad thing to do, but their actions are understandable. And it's a case of the "monsters" (for lack of a better term) having the capability to be good, if someone just GAVE THEM THE FUCKING CHANCE FOR ONCE.
Anyways, if Echidna's children (not her, she's kinda awful for different reasons. This isn't about her. Or maybe it is. She could probably also be better. Idk what I think of her yet. Give me a while) don't get a redemption I will show up at Rick Riordan's doorstep and challenge him to a fist fight.
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ssamrachaa · 6 months
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Dating HCs: Psychopath Diary (2019)
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Requested by: Anonymous
Request/Prompt: Hello 🤗🤗 I just saw that you take requests for kdrama, but didn't specify which ones. So if you haven't watched Psychopath diary than you can just ignore this. Can you please write dating headcanons for Dongsik, Dongchan and Inwoo? Thank you ❤️
Characters: Yook Dong-sik, Seo In-woo, Yook Dong-chan
Tw: mentions of an accident, mentions of murder, mentions of getting into fights/getting beat up, slight mention of being targeted/kidnapped, very slight mention of sexualized comments (literally very slight), please let me know if I missed any others!
A/N: this probably needs to be edited, but I hope you enjoy your request, anon, and that I managed to satisfy you with this! Tomorrow I will release my second request :) (also if you haven’t watching this drama I highly, highly recommend it! - it’s so incredibly underrated and I’m so glad to have done a hc for this show as my first request)
Dating Dong-sik would include...
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- he is the embodiment of innocence
- literal perfect boyfriend
- so pure
- the most respectful person anyone could ever meet.
- every time he picks you up for a date, he always has flowers for you.
- he loves date nights where you two watch cheesy horror movies and superhero movies. you always love how excited he gets watching them
- his favorite thing would be to hold you in his arms and run his fingers up and down your arms as he lulls you to sleep, or he would love to be on the receiving end of it.
- he loves to lay in between your legs, his head resting on your stomach as you run your fingers through his curly hair.
- sometimes when you like to tease him (affectionately), he will pout and whine, but one kiss makes that all go away.
- After the accident, he would follow you around like a lost puppy as you were the only one he trusted
- when he gained his newfound confidence (believing he was really a serial killer), he was at first scared about hurting you and if you knew about who he was, but when he knew you were oblivious, he loved to show off for you (his favorite being Chil-sung bending over backwards for him and doing anything to make him happy)
- would fight anyone who dared say anything rude about you or catcall you (he would likely get beat up but it’s the thought that counts 🫶🏼)
- he loves the ability to stand up for the one he loves
- but anytime he does get into a fight, you’ll scold him while you clean up his wounds (babying him the entire time and threatening to kill whoever hurt him)
- his favorite thing about you is his laugh, he loves how you’d laugh whenever he did something silly.
- he loves taking you to the park, holding your hand as you gush over the atmosphere, or taking you to cafés to hear you ramble about the new books you’ve read.
- he also the type who would send you “I love you” texts multiple times throughout the day. He can never get tired of saying it.
- ex: “just texting to let you know I love you ❤️”, “have I told you I love you today yet? Because I do”, “going into a meeting now. I love you!”, “can’t wait to see you soon - I love you”, “I’m on my way home. Want me to pick up some dinner? I love you!”, “Baby! I love you! Also… I got into a fight again… can I come see you 🥺”
- This man would do anything for you
- You may also get targeted by In-woo because of your relationship with Dong-sik, but that’s a story for another time 🩵
~~~
Dating In-woo would include...
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- you would never know who he truly was underneath his facade. You’d never know about his red diary, or his secret office or where he went at seemingly random times at night because you would never assume he was doing anything bad.
- when he’s around, you have his undivided attention.
- you two would definitely cuddle, you’d make him do skincare routines with you, you’d beg him to watch dramas with you (which he will never admit he loves and also give him ideas for date nights)
- he would be so loving, always kissing you when he leaves anywhere and bringing you back something to show he hasn’t stopped thinking of you
- at work, he will always get caught smiling at random times because he’ll just think about you (yu-jin isn’t very fond of it, but she’ll get over it)
- he will never take you around his family because he is not fond of them, mostly his brother who has made one too many sexualized comments about you and made you uncomfortable.
- he will never put you in a situation where you’re uncomfortable. he’d rather die
- rather than say those three words, you’d often hear something along the lines of “you know I’d do anything for you, right? Anything,”.
- he loves how you would never push him to do anything, knowing about his complicated past
- he’d be so protective of you.
- he would never want you to figure out who he is not because you would report him, but that you would be scared and hate yourself for not realizing.
- the last thing he’d want was for you to be scared of him and regret loving him, but he knew it was inevitable so he would protect you at all costs
- he always likes to act like you’re so bothersome and he doesn’t enjoy your company because you’re “too energetic”, but the second you leave his side, he thinks up many different ways to make you come back
- He loves to approach you from behind while you’re cooking and wrap his arms around your waist as he buries his face in your neck, placing light kisses there.
- he loves buying you expensive merchandise, buying you your favorite snack, holding you in his arms, kissing you or anything else he knew you loved
- if anyone one every bothers you, just know they will soon end up missing because he just cares so much
~~~
Dating Dong-chan would include…
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- to everyone around him that knows him, Dong-chan is reserved, quiet, likes to keep to himself.
- except when he’s around you.
- he’d be extremely vulnerable, always being at your house, letting you dress his wounds and take care of him at times
- he honestly wouldn’t believe he deserves the care he receives from you after his years of being bullied, but you’d prove to him that he deserved it all and more.
- Truthfully, I think Dong-chan would prefer home dates rather than being out and him risking your safety with his bullies. It’s where he felt comfortable being himself. Not that you minded of course.
- when it’s just the two of you, he’s loud, excited, and so energetic
- it’s really the only time his family sees him with a consistent smile
- and anytime he isn’t with you, 99.99% of the time he is texting you (he likes to tell you the only reason he has a phone is to text you because otherwise, he doesn’t touch it)
- he loves to play video games with you and sometimes dance to whatever new song you’re obsessing over
- (he likes to pretend to be jealous of your obsession with popular idols, but he secretly thinks it’s cute and finds it funny how you gush over grown men - a lot of teasing usually happens 🤭)
- Any moment he got to spend with you was perfect for him.
- I could see him as the type to like superhero movies (something he may have inherited from Dong-sik and I mean he is a teenage boy), so many of the times (usually at his house) you’d be in his arms on the couch, watching the movies for hours.
- Dong-chan’s mom loves you and always insists having you over their house because she loves the influence you have on him. she also loves to spend time with you (you’re like the daughter she always wanted that she hopes one day you will officially take that title)
- Everyone around you can see just how much his mood improves when you’re around.
- Dong-chan would be a little hesitant to be in a relationship at first because he thinks you deserve better than someone who gets beat up often, but you always reassure him that he’s the one you want.
- He’ll probably have a few panic attacks here and there, but as long as you’re there to help him, he’ll definitely be okay.
- After Dong-sik stands up for Dong-chan, you will immediately be able to see the admiration the younger has for his older brother. He’ll ramble in amazement of how his brother stood up for him and got beaten up just for him (he’ll never know it was also you who ran to his brother to beg him (alongside Chil-sung) to help your bf because you were scared for his safety.
- Once his bullies are gone, he’s more confident and would love to take you out to arcades, cute photo spots, his favorite restaurants and others. Anything to make you smile
- His background on his phone is a photo of the two of you on one of your many dates. Anytime he looks at it, he gets the energy to go on with his day
- You make him happy and show him that he’ll be okay
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ineffablydelighted · 6 months
Text
[How exploring the Ineffable Husbands' dynamic in Good Omens can help us figure out what the show/book is all about, Part 3.1/?]
Also called: This human has, apparently, too much time on her hands and will be trying to Effable the Ineffable for [...] hours.
Hiya, Angels! 👋
Hope you're all doing well!
First of all, if you randomly came across this analysis, I guess you would expect me to entice you to read the first two parts beforehand... And you would be absolutely right.
"Obviosleh."
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And since I'm nice [and because I fully understand the importance of saving people as much effort as possible to catch a larger audience - Duh 😇], here are the links for Part 1 and Part 2 🥰 so that everyone is on the same page as we dive into Part 3.
As I previously announced, we'll dissect our favorite pair's next two encounters today which are S1 3004 BC (Noa's Arch, The Flood) and S2 2500 BC (Job's ca-
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[future me rereading this before dropping - Yep, nope, not happening just yet]
By doing that, I will try my best to prove to you the main point of my analysis I've revealed at the end of Part 2.
Repeat after me: Good Omens is a philosophical essay disguised as comedic/satyric/romantic fiction.
[Yeah... here she is, already giving orders strong recommendations... I'm so Metatroning you right now.]
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[And, since I'm at my best when I'm Metatroning people, this is the moment I'm gonna take to strongly recommend you to ingest the human matter of your choosing - Num num num.]
*In Crowley's voice* OOookaay, let's start!
3004 BC (Mesopotamia - Noa's Arch, The Flood)
In S1, Right before this encounter happens, the scene starts by making us, the audience, witness Aziraphale very badly lying to God about the flaming sword, an event that I already mentioned in part 2 because of the contrast it was considering he did tell the truth to a newly Demonized Crawley in comparison.
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BUT [Yay, first "but" of Part 3! Are you having fun?], I really want to talk about this bit some more because that remains one of the scenes that, to this day, bugs me THE MOST in Good Omens as a whole.
To sum things up, you're telling me that GOD:
BOTHERED to pop in to ask one of their Angels a question.
That the said Angel seemed suuuuper anxious about from the start: looking everywhere aimlessly, almost asking them WHAT A DAMN SWORD EVEN WAS... basically giving away EVERY TELLTALE SIGN, both in their voice, mannerisms, and the simple fact that they were literally back to the wall, that they were about to LIE, proceeded to give God the UNanswerest answer EVER:
"Oh, must have, uh, must have put it down here somewhere."
And God just... just... LEFT THAT LYING ANGEL ALONE?! Just as quickly as they arrived?! No arguments, no further questions, no reckoning, just... NOTHING. HAPPENED?!
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HUH?
WOT?!
WHO?!
WHO THE F DOES THAT?!
WHO DOES THAT?! That is a real question! WHO?!
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IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY. SENSE!
THE F-
I mea-
I'll never recover from it.
Oof. Okay, I'm fini-
I NEED an answer in Season 3! This is all I ask! I don't need the world to be saved, I don't need Alpha Centauri, man, I don't even need Aziracrow to reuni- [okay, no, can't say that, even if I like being dramatic, I take that back, this is all I want and all I've ever wanted, please, I just need to see Aziraphale in a white dress and Crowley demanding him to remove his 200 yo jacket on top of it because it "absolutely ruins it", please!] I. NEED. ANSWERS.
*clears her throat* Yeah. So. I'm perfectly fine with this scene. Moving on!
Aziraphale and Crawley meet in Mesopotamia during the year 3004 BC.
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Crawley is the first to notice and to greet Aziraphale VERY enthusiastically. Which is, first of all, cute, but also an indicator that they haven't seen each other in a very long time, more precisely, since Eden (a thousand years prior to be exact). We know that because the first thing Crawley says after his "Hello, Aziraphale!" is the direct continuation of their conversation back in Eden:
"So, giving the mortals a flaming sword. How did that work out for you?"
Aziraphale answers what will never cease to bug me:
"The Almighty has never actually mentioned it again."
Which still peaks my interest because it could mean two things, and pretty different things at that:
One, God and Aziraphale never directly interacted again and nobody from the Main Office ever asked him about the flaming sword at all, which made Aziraphale believe that God never asked them anything about it.
OR
Two, God and Aziraphale DID directly interact again but the flaming sword subject has never been brought up once more.
Given the way this sentence is constructed and the emphasis on "actually mentioned it again," I'm more inclined to believe in the second option, which would be a very interesting thing to pounder:
Aziraphale might have a "privileged" relationship with God considering they probably interacted somewhat directly and more than once.
I'll go back to it later because we need to keep that in mind for the Job's case encounter.
Crawley says that it is "probably a good thing" until his attention is drawn to what is happening around them.
Then, they will debate the subject of the day, which is pretty much the same thing as before but formulated differently and condensed:
What is the point of Good and Bad? Do these concepts even have a meaning or not?
The main difference between the two previous encounters compared to this one is that this time, Aziraphale and Crawley are both active in the debate and do find common grounds here and there. It is shown cinematographically: they share the screen.
Aziraphale explains to Crawley that God got "a bit tetchy" and wants to drown the human race (well, at least the Middle Eastern humans) and Crawley takes that announcement astonishingly, which still aligns with his creator-at-heart persona.
"All of them?"
Insists Crawley.
Aziraphale first tries to mitigate what appears to Crawley as an extreme reaction by stating that Noah, his family, and their spouses will be spared but you can see that he, himself, doesn't really believe in what he tries to say.
"But they're drowning everybody else?"
Crawley really, really cannot comprehend what is happening.
"Not the kids. You can't kill kids."
This reminds us of their very first meeting because Crawley, here, judges God and tries to put himself in their place. Again.
Aziraphale answers with a worried nod: both because he is scared (his Fear of God cannot be anything but present at that moment) and because... he agrees.
And THEN, Crawley says that:
"Well, that's more the kind of thing you'd expect my lot to do."
Now that Aziraphale is more inclined to be part of the debate, Crawley tends to be more forthright about his opinion:
If God can do what Satan and his demons do, what is the point of separating the two? Are they, really, that different?
And, more so:
Is God a Good being anyway?
If Good or Bad exists, of course. [Oh, yes, I know I'm annoying. 100% aware. 😁]
To Aziraphale, it is clearly the case, and that is why he tries, again, to mitigate God's actions:
"The Almighty's going to put up a new thing, called a rainbow. As a promise not to drown everyone again."
A rainbow, huh? How interesting...
A rainbow is basically a demonstration of the union between Water and Fire. God and Satan. Good and Bad. Blah blah blah.
Almost as if...
Nahhh...
Almost as if they both needed to exist at all times!
Also, Aziraphale almost sounds like he is interpreting the rainbow as God's excuse for having a tantrum.
Which Crawley responds with a very sarcastic:
"How kind."
That's when Aziraphale cannot bring himself to follow Crawley's opinion any further (even if it is clearly shown he DOES agree, he is just SCARED to be).
After telling Crawley that he cannot judge God, that's when the "Ineffable" word is brought up again. This time, by Crawley. Because he already knows what Ineffable means to Aziraphale:
I am not important, or mighty enough to judge God and I am not supposed to. I am supposed to do what I am told, no questions asked.
Does it sound repetitive? Yeah, because it is 😅 That is Good Omen's main theme, after all.
This story is, as I mentioned before, a satire. Of religion, but also, of the concept of hierarchy, and the danger of ideologies as a whole. "Ineffable" is an ideology. "Ineffable" literally means "so emotionally overwhelming and powerful that you cannot translate into words"...
But Good Omens wants to bring you to ask yourself: cannot or don't want to?
Aziraphale is a character who doesn't want to think by himself because he is scared of a higher power (hierarchy). But he cannot just... stop thinking. Oppositely to Crowley, who kind of always, naturally had that ability.
Therefore, that makes it difficult for the both of them to understand each other [Oh yes, we'll talk about that further when we finally talk about that S2 finale that left us traumatized. According to my rhythm and how my Muse is an erratic bench, I'd say this conversation will occur in about a year or two.] Just as it is difficult for any of us to understand the people who think dramatically differently than us. Good Omens is an invitation to debate with people who do not share our views. That is how we stay open-minded and prompt to change.
Basically, folks: don't blindly stay in the boxes you're in.
Hierarchy is heavily criticized too, because it is a big cause - if not the main one - of people staying put in their respective boxes. Religion is a box among many others, hence the fact I prefer to say that GO mocks ideologies as a whole.
But hierarchy can be different things, and, more so, can use many different tones towards its subordinates: hierarchy can be nice, and affectionate (family, for instance - or not, definitely not always). Hierarchy can also be threatening, physically or mentally, or both (dictatorship, for instance).
Basically: hierarchy can either come from love or fear.
Or... well, both. That's how you get... propaganda? That is the most blatant example that came to my mind. We tend to associate love with good. We also tend to forget how often love has been used as a weapon.
Good and bad are...
[You know the end of the sentence, now, do you? If not, it means I haven't harassed you enough, so let me remind you]
Good and Bad are always mixed up. If they exist.
Anyway, I feel like I'm starting to digress.
.... Actually? I'm not done with that segment just yet.
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[You right now.]
Hierarchy can also come from... habits. History. Some hierarchies that we are under today are still there because of how long they have been installed, but not really because they are that relevant anymore. I am not going to bring examples here because I do not want to offend anybody and because you are more than capable of interpreting this statement in a way that speaks to you.
We'll talk about this more when we'll reach the... Jim/Gabriel subject. [In about a year and a half.]
ANYWAY. Moving on to a lighter reflection:
Romantically speaking, Aziraphale remembers that encounter because Crawley displayed strong empathy and concern during that whole meeting.
He asked Aziraphale how he was after the flaming sword incident,
He could not comprehend how killing kids was okay,
He bothered to alert Noah about the escaping unicorn.
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[Also, maybe, because damn - Also, it might come as a surprise to you who have seen me fangirling over Crowley for the last 3 parts but my favorite is actually Aziraphale 🤣]
After this conversation, The Flood starts and neither of them is protecting the other from it. Because of habits (after a thousand years spent on earth, they know this will not hurt any of them), but also as a way to tell us, the audience: they have started to realize they were in this together.
[Insert the "We're all in this together" Disney's High School Musical song right here... Yeah! I'm a Millennial, how could you possibly have guessed?!]
They are Equals.
Another really important topic in Good Omens, by the way, but it is time to dive into one of my favorite encounters between Aziraphale and Crowley and-
Huhhhh. I feel like analyzing two meetings including a whole episode in only one part might feel too heavy (to me, at least). So... I guess see you next time? 😅
Bye, Angels!
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[No, no, I'm not saying you are "sssuckersss" okay? Just wanted a Crowley gif.]
Need help to find the rest of this analysis? I've got you covered! Follow me, Angel 😇
Previous - Beginning - Next
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nikethestatue · 2 months
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I can't believe people still haven't understood that the next book is Elriel. Like it's so clear.
SJM had said in interviews:
- She wanted to write books for the sisters.
- That she was making research for Elain's book.
- she said she left crumbs for Elain's book in ACOSF.
- she said that Nesta would see throught Azriel's secret (his secret to tell never hers - the confirmation in Az's bonus chapter that it's Elain)
With all of that, since ACOSF and with the "crossover" in HOFAS, we see more of Azriel.
It's obvious. It was already obvious before the leaks of HOFAS but now even more.
I've been a casual reader my whole life, (this is the first time i'm active in a fandom) the only logical and obvious choice is Elriel.
No one needs a master degree to understand ACOTAR, I love those books because of this too. I wouldn't have picked it up otherwise.
To end on a more positive note, I really like your fics. They are the highlight of my day when I see a new chapter posted.
I know. 3 years later, and I am still confused about the whole thing. 3 years later, and I am perplexed by 'I am sobbing with happiness' from a Gwynriel after the HOFAS Bonus.
I step back, assess and then ask, Gwynriel where?
I dont know. The whole thing is just baffling. The absurd confidence is also incredible.
Like SJM literally NEVER mentioned Gwyn outside of Nesta/ Valkyries, and only when prompted too. Yet she mentioned multiple times Elain's book, Elain's story, research for Elain's book, I knew what I wanted to write about in Nesta's and Elain's books, I left breadcrumbs for Elain's book....
Like has she EVER mentioned anything related to Gwyn and getting a book of her own? Even when she spoke of other characters outside the sisters, it was Mor. Maybe Lucien. Maybe Amren. The OGs.
Gwyn is gonna get her own book? Like what?
And as time passes, it becomes more and more obvious how fantastical it is.
(thank you! next update next week! gotta read HOFAS)
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love-byers · 9 months
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🚨CALLING ALL BYLER TRUTHERS THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!!!!!!🚨
i literally have not posted in months because i've been EXTREMELY busy preparing for college, but things have calmed down a bit so i'm making time for some good old byler
now i don't know how many of you were involved in byler twt in august-september of 2022 but there were a couple of huge theories that are still talked about today
the ones i'm gonna be talking about in this post are:
birthday gate
will byers/harry potter parallel
will and mike teaming up in s5 & getting stuck in the upside down
if you don't know what birthday gate is, you've been living under a rock, but to summarize:
in s4 when el is being bullied by angela and the other kids at the skating rink, there's brief clips of the scene through a retro handheld camera with the date in the corner. the date in that scene is march 22nd, 1986.
march 22nd is wills birthday. we know that because in s2 when will is possessed by the mike flayer, joyce attempts to bring him back by asking him if he knows what march 22nd is; his birthday.
that would mean that the day when mike, will, and el go the roller rink is will's birthday—and no body, not even joyce or jonathan, mention it. the duffers said that it was an accident and they haven't watched s2 in years. this is complete horseshit. there are several direct references to s2 in s4, such as max saying "that's presumptuous of you" to lucas just like she did in s2. also,
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idk about you but REALLY seems like they're teasing us about his birthday not really being forgotten.
there's several other theories about what this means but the most popular is that vecna has taken the other's memories about will to target him and make him feel like no one cares about him. all of vecna's victims are carrying some sort of trauma, and he can only target them when they're emotionally vulnerable. why is he targeting will? that's a whole nother rabbit hole.
this is where the harry potter theory becomes relevant.
i don't know where the picture is but the duffers posted their inspo board for s4 and there's a shit load of movies and tv shows, including harry potter and the chamber of secrets.
there's a shit ton of parallels that i won't get into, except these:
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(all of these harry potter plot points are in both the book and the movie)
in chapter one of chamber of secrets, harry is sad and angry because it's his 12th birthday and no one remembered. the dursley's have never acknowledged his birthday, but he expected ron and hermione, his new best friends, to send him letters like they promised, but they haven't. not only did he get none on his birthday, he's gotten none all summer.
sound familiar?
if birthdaygate is true, this is an obvious parallel. will's birthday was also forgotten and it makes him sad. however, in chamber of secrets, it's revealed by dobby that ron and hermione have been sending letters all summer—but dobby stole them so that harry would think no one liked him and he wouldn't go back to hogwarts. some people think that vecna could be paralleling dobby as he took the others memories of wills birthday. but since i'm a byler loser, i wanna talk about this: there's another theory that mike was actually trying to call will awhile they were apart, but the phone was always on hold because of joyce's telemarketing job. wills thinks mike doesn't care about him, but mike was really trying to reach him the whole time. i made a post about this that's pinned on my account, feel free to read and come back
there was another theory on byler twt/tiktok that will and jonathan will move into the wheeler's basement since they're back in hawkins with no house. this was just supposed to be a fun 'what if', but i realized that this could also parallel chamber of secrets.
ron weasley realizes that something must be wrong since harry hasn't written back all summer. he and his brothers take their dads enchanted flying car to rescue harry from the dursley's. after that, harry stays with the weasley's for the rest of the summer. in the movie it's only like a day or two, but in the books it's about a month. if will byers moves into mike wheeler's basement i'm going to lose my shit.
here's where it gets fucking crazy
when september first hits in the camber of secrets, harry and the weasleys go to king's cross train station to go to platform 9 3/4 where the hogwarts express is waiting. ron's parents and siblings go through first, then harry and ron. well, ron and harrry try, but they just run into the wall. the platform is closed and they're stuck on the other side.
HELLO???????? WILL AND MIKE ARE GOING TO BE STUCK IN THE UPSIDE DOWN FUCKING CONFIRMED
ron and harry stupidly decide to take the flying car to get to school instead and catch up with the train, which ends in a bit of a disaster (they crash into the womping willow).
this could play out in s5 in a lot of different ways, but here's my theory
maybe all of the gang will be in the upside down for some reason and mike and will are left behind. this is really interesting if vecna is actually paralleling dobby, because dobby is the one who closed off the platform. there's a theory that vecna is targeting mike as well because he knows mike makes will the happiest. maybe he traps them both in the upside down to take out mike first. or maybe, like dobby, mike (ron) is trapped by accident. i also think it makes sense that mike and will being in the upside down would parallel ron and harry flying next to the train. in stranger things we all know that the upside down looks like hawkins, but isn't. there are several times that we see characters in the upside down communicate and work together with characters in the real world.
do you see what i mean about it just making sense? mike and will in the UD working together with the others in the real world to get to the same place or goal, just like ron and harry got to hogwarts with the others on the train, just in a different way.
anyways i'm losing my fucking mind byler is endgame
also, the duffers are rarry shippers CONFIRMED
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madamefluffnstuff · 15 days
Text
Reunions and Confessions
Fandom: Elder Scrolls Online
Pairing: Bastian Hallix x Ebonymist (Fem!Khajiit! Vestige)
Rating: T
Warning(s): Reconnecting with long-lost family, Romantic confessions, Mutual Pining, Mentions of a rough past, Near Death Experience. Bastian is a lil clueless and Ebony is shy for quite literally the first time in her life.
Words: 1,687
AN: @alaxon had requested a while back if I could write out my Ebonymist confessing her feelings for our dear Bastian. I had already had it planned out but kept getting distracted lol. But- I am happy to say it's finally finished! If you're curious, this is what she looks like! (Art by @soft-and-horny, their commissions are open!)
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Ebonymist lounged on her rented bed at the Cloudy Dregs Inn. The book that had been sitting on the nightstand when she arrived made for decent reading material, but it was more to distract her from the agonizing waiting. Bastian had left a few hours earlier to meet with his long lost sister, Clairene. He had offered his Khajiiti companion to come with him, but she didn't want to intrude- this was for him, and he needed to do it himself, if nothing else to heal his hurt heart.
She was pulled from her thoughts as the sound of familiar footsteps caught her attention. Her sensitive ears twitched, trying to locate the sound. Just as she was about to pinpoint the source, there was a knock on the door.
"Yes? Who is it?" She called as she set the book down.
To her surprise, the door opened and in walked Bastian.
"Bastian! You're back already?"
He gave a sheepish smile, "Yes, it- It didn't, well. It didn't last as long as I was thinking it would. She is a countess, after all. She had business to attend to."
The Khajiit nodded. "Makes sense, I suppose. Did you get to talk to your sister at all?"
"First, before I go any further, I want to get something to eat. I'm starving."
"...Your sister didn't even feed you?"
~*~
Their ordered meal from the inn's kitchen arrived sooner than they expected. Ebony didn't eat much, she was too excited about what her companion would tell her of the meeting with his long lost family. As she watched him eating, her... complicated feelings began to well in her gut. His focused gaze, his polite mannerisms, how fierce he was in combat-
How he cried out in horror when he first watched her fall from the Worm Cult assassin that snuck up behind her. Silent as the grave, their presence only made known when she felt the puff of their smokescreen and the jagged dagger slicing into her shoulder blade. As the air was forced out of her lungs with a choked scream, the stinging, burning sensation rapidly spreading across her back meant only one thing- Worm Venom. Realization sunk in as Ebony's vision started to blur and she began to panic.
Bastian's voice laced with terror and dread and pain- the "pain" part stunned her. She was still conscious enough to somewhat register his tones. Countless fights and heroic escapades and such a sound never left his throat. While she lay bleeding out, scrabbling unsuccessfully for a potion in her pack, Ebony could barely make out his blurry form running toward her.
It was when he was kneeling over her, the acrid smell of his staff burning tickling her nose, her heartbeat slowly and hollowly beating in her ears, and his fear stricken voice saying "I'll make them pay!"- there, something in her brain clicked.
She shook her head a little to clear the memory. Bastian didn't notice, as he hadn't looked up from his plate. He was clearly enjoying the amicable environment of the inn room, with his dear friend. Still, Ebony was more interested to hear what had happened with Clairene.
"Well. Now that you've eaten," she said calmly, "Why don't you tell me what happened?"
"I don't even know where to begin," Bastian replied quietly. "My sister and I haven't seen each other in twenty-five years! She remembers me as a two-year old child, and I don't remember her at all. What if we have nothing in common besides a name?"
Ebony smiled and hummed a purr, "You'll figure it out."
"For the first time since we started down this road, I think I believe that, too." He stared into his cup and slowly nodded. "But we have so much time to make up for. And the thought that I missed the chance to be a part of this family decades ago is almost too much to bear."
The pain in his voice nearly broke Ebonymist's heart. It was all too similar to the tone he used back then. Her tail tip curled a little at the thought.
A moment of anxious silence passed. She broke it with a soft "Can you forgive Count Auzin for that?"
"For all I know, Elmonde Auzin saved my sister's life by lying to her," he immediately replied. "And it's obvious that he loves her with all his heart. They are happy together. ...For my sister's sake, I can set aside old sorrows."
Ebonymist smiled again. She adored that about him, his willingness to compromise for his friends- and now family. Plus, these were unusual circumstances. Were she in his shoes, she could definitely see herself doing the same thing.
"But I am done with the Silvelles."
"As am I, Bastian. If we ever run into them on our travels again, you might have to hold me back."
"That won't be necessary, my friend," he nervously chuckled.
She gave a slight smirk and her ears twitched in amusement. "Can't promise that."
He stifled a laugh at that, then sighed. "Well. It's late. I spent longer there than I expected to, and I'm sure you need your sleep too."
Her head snapped up. "Oh no no, that's alright, I don't mind!" That came out a little faster than intended, she cursed herself mentally.
"Oh don't worry about me, I don't want to bore you," he started to stand up. "You've done so much for me, so. You deserve some rest after this journey." In reality, Bastian was mentally and emotionally exhausted from this ordeal. From discovering Clairene, to tracking her down, to rescuing her... he was worn out and needed rest himself. But he also didn't want to be rude and say that out loud to Ebonymist, who nearly bent herself backward to make this possible.
Ebonymist, on the other hand, felt her heart suddenly leap into her throat and she froze. Bastian, understandably, took her silence as permission to leave and he bid her a friendly "good night". He stood up and made his way to the door and began to open it-
Before she knew it, the Khajiit blinked and she was standing next to him with her hand clamped around his wrist. She felt herself say "Wait-", but the sound didn't register in her ears. The same earlier feeling of anxiety in her gut returned, which was soon replaced with creeping dread as she feared she royally messed up.
They both jumped when she grabbed his wrist, both equally surprised at this sudden reaction. Bastian blinked. As he waited for an explanation for her action, they locked eyes. He could see something odd; Anxiety? Desperation?
No. Pleading.
The mage was very much puzzled by this. Ebonymist, one of the strongest, most resilient individuals he had ever met in his life, acting like this.
"Eb?" he asked. "Is... something wrong?"
A small silence followed, before she quietly answered, in a voice just barley above a whisper, "I... I don't want you to go."
He blinked again. "You don't?"
Ebony was silent a moment before her ears drooped and she shook her head no. He felt her hand trembling against his wrist.
"I've never seen you this nervous," he relaxed his stance a bit, if nothing else out of morbid curiosity. "What's the matter?"
"I..." she averted her gaze. Now or never, she thought. "I- I want you to stay. I want you to spend the night here. With me."
The following silence was deafening. Neither one moved. All Ebony could hear was her heart pounding like a war drum in her ears. Bastian slowly reached over to the doorknob and pulled it closed. Then he turned his undivided attention to the anxious Khajiit.
"You know I have to go soon, but... This is clearly important to you. So I'll hear you out."
Once they sat back down at the table, he realized he'd had so much on his mind this evening, he barely noticed her. Now that she was sitting in front of him, it was clear as day something was on her mind; her normally alert ears were turned back, and her tail tip was twitching back and forth.
She took a deep breath and laid it all out. Her feelings for him, how much she cared for him, how valued he was as a companion, how he had been occupying her thoughts as of late- ...Perhaps that was a bit much.
Bastian laced his fingers and rested his chin on them, thinking as he let this sudden information sink in. Every second that passed felt like a literal eternity to Ebony. "Well... I have to be honest. I had suspected that was your intention. It seems I was reading you right, for once."
"For once?"
"You can be hard to read sometimes. Not always, though. Remember when I mentioned in the Valenwood market, "I don't have a romantic partner back home, but I know a girl who would get mad if she heard me say that"?"
Ebony scowled at him. "You did that on purpose."
He chuckled, "Perhaps. Your reaction gave me an inkling I was right, though." She rolled her eyes.
He continued, "But, after that, I had some time to think on it. And, well." His hand reached across the table and carefully clasped hers. "I can't picture myself with anyone else, especially not with someone who hasn't done as much for me as you have."
"Are you saying-"
"We're definitely partners in arms, and in crime, depending on the situation. So... how about we be partners off the battlefield as well?"
Bastian barely got the words out of his mouth when Ebonymist jumped up and launched herself into his arms, the biggest smile on her face as she hugged him. "Yes! Yes! A thousand times, yes! Oh Bastian you have no idea how happy this made me!" She nuzzled her face into his chin.
The mage laughed as he spun her around, reflecting the sheer joy radiating off of his partner. Today was definitely a chaotic day. But it definitely ended in the best way possible.
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Special thanks to @rvnwtch for helping! <3
Tag List: @lithiumrev, @arisenlicious, @alaxon, , @itheliaapologist, if you want in on the tag list plz let me know!! <3
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fireemblems24 · 3 months
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Scarlet Blaze Ch 15 (Final)
Last one, everyone! After this, I finally get to play Spiritfarer which I got on . . . Christmas 2022.
NARRATION
Last chapter. Finally. Killing so many people in this route is really awful. Especially since you just . . . don't in the other two.
I think the last chapter will take place at the monastery.
Oh, great, does this mean I have to protect Bernie's dad in this route? I hope Rhea kills him, like gets this badass cut scene where she cuts him down for perverting her faith by using it as a propaganda tool.
So TWSITD showed up and is attacking Rhea and the Empire.
They're mostly after the "beasts" (aka Nabateans? Or humans?)
I wish this meant that we teamed up with Rhea, but we know Edelgard would team up with TWSITD first.
Catherine and Rhea got a cool moment together though.
Yep, we have to protect Count Varley, gross.
MAP
No side battles! This final chapter will be super quick, which is nice.
I'm VERY curious what the Golden Deer students say after Claude's moment last chapter lamo.
And if any Lions mention Sylvain :((((
OMG, Ignatz is savage. He only cares about painting the battle. No mention of Claude.
Yuri wishes he could kill Varley instead of save him. Good for him. He really feels more suited for AG/AM/SS/VW than SB/CF/GW.
Well, at least Mercedes mentioned Sylvain. And Ingrid and Annette. Saying they died for what they believed in and admires them for it, since she could never.
Poor Ashe is having a crisis. Still had no idea wtf he's doing in the Empire's war camp. Honestly, this game made him so much more interesting.
Linhardt also has no fucking clue why he's here. I swear he does nothing but complain every map (in a funny way) and wish he was doing literally anything else.
Lorenz is more concerned about his future bc of Claude than worried about him. Man, guy really has no one loyal to him lol.
DOROTHEA & CASPAR C
I swear I did a much better job getting supports in GW and AG.
Caspar has a bunch of books, and Dorothea's horrified by the idea that he'll use them in training.
Caspar plans to read them. Dorothea teases him. Apparently Lin made similar comments.
Dorothea makes him promise not to hurt the books. A woman after my own heart.
Caspar's like, did you know my dad reads! Dorothea's like, yeah . . . how do you think he got his role if he didn't.
Dorothea tells a story about an unlearned commander who studied strategy in books and improved to become legendary.
The only stupid part of this is thinking you can read and understand complicated books in 5 days and become an expect in 5 days. For once, Caspar was the smart one being like, uh, I need more time.
MERCEDES & LYSITHEA B
This support is SB locked, but neither characters are Eagles. It may be the only support like that in the game. But, hey, new Mercie content, I'll take it!
Mercedes comes across Lysithea in the kitchen, trying and failing to cook.
The fruits she wanted to use are moldy though. Lysithea has an idea to use something else for the fruit - a sugar syrup.
Lysithea has dedicated her time to learning how to cook because of how good Mercedes' cooking was, so she credits Mercie for the sugar syrup, which she learned because of that.
Baking also helped Lysithea learn the importance of taking breaks.
Mercie calls her a wizened old grandma, lol.
They arrange a tea party.
SHEZ & LINHARDT A
It starts with Linhardt saying they haven't learned anything about Shez's powers. I wonder how funny this sounds if you get it after the special chapters.
Linhardt says it's find because the war is almost over, so there's less need and chance for the powers to go out of control.
Shez pretty consistently wants to continue working as a mercenary after the battle.
He also seems to have no desire to stay in Enbarr lol.
Linhardt wants Shez as a personal bodyguard. Honestly, not a bad choice.
Then Linhardt says something like "spending the rest of my life with some random bodyguard" and then makes an excuse to leave. so he wants to stick with Shez for life. It's kind of sweet.
EDELGARD & PETRA A
Their only support
Edelgard comes across Petra praying to Bigid gods. In Brigid they pray in nature rather than in churches in Fodlan.
Edelgard asks Petra why she's risking her life in the war because it's bad for Brigid.
So Brigid will only be freed if Petra remains alive.
To be fair, it's because she doesn't know the new leader. Still feels a bit icky for Petra.
Edelgard warns about "tricks" the enemy will use. She really has a beef with anyone using tactics.
Petra just says she's happy to fight and can't run while everyone else remains and fights.
Edelgard says she can't back out, which true, but she could've just not started one. But that's in the past I guess.
Overall, came across better than the Houses one where Petra didn't seem like an equal.
EDELGARD/LYSITHEA/HAPI PARALOGUE
My plan is to have Edelgard and Shez make the other two adjuncts and see if I can't beat the paralogue that way.
It's about TWSITD, which isn't surprising given that character list.
God, I've made SB Shez so fucking stupid. Never understanding anything. It's so funny.
So is this about Cornelia? They found one of her old hideouts.
I had Shez shrug about joining. Hapi got offended.
They're talking about Hubert. I wish he was here. He's my best unit.
I wish Cornelia showed up. She's so fun, but sadly she did not.
They didn't find anything. Hapi was mostly chill about it. Edelgard and Lysithea were more bothered.
Shez could show concern or change the subject. Obviously I made him change the subject since SB!Shez is not intelligent.
CASPAR/LINHARDT PARALOGUE
Like the last time, I just plan to adjunct Caspar and let Shez and Linhardt do all the work.
They're arguing if Caspar saw a ghost or not. Linhardt remains unconvinced.
Lamo, their dads showed up and Linhardt's dad called him a "fountain of positivity" when he brought up their could die any day.
Linhardt is also upset that he has to help.
We're hunting down Empire people who've turned against Edelgard.
I had Shez not want to go lol.
The main battle changed to defeating their dads. I don't think I'm supposed to take this paralogue seriously.
Linhardt had no fun.
Bergliez gave Caspar some gaunlets, and I could either be happy for him or jealous. I obviously picked jealous since it's fun to pick the dick answer lol.
FINAL BATTLE
Why is the S rank reward Edelgard's axe? This is the last battle, right? Is there some post game stuff? Because I'm so ready for this to be done (I don't think I'll do it).
Funny, Edelgard is the one defending the monastery this time, and Varley. Imagine your final battle being about protecting Varley. Ugh.
Only 40 points for the final battle?
Just killed Catherine :(
Cyril just showed up. Rhea's so concerned. Not looking forward to killing a child :((( He died too. This is by far the bloodiest route. I swear no one even dies in AG, and in GW it's only Sylvain's dad.
This can't be it, right? That was too easy. And Cyril as the final boss makes no sense. I'm betting it's a Thales and Rhea fight.
Rhea turned into a dragon. Badass. Glad she was the final boss poper and not Thales.
Spoke too soon. I think they're both here now.
Think I beat it. We're at a cut scene now. Thales is doing magic shit. Rhea attacked him and just ignored Edelgard and Shez like they weren't worth her notice lol.
Wait, that's it?
Rhea pushes Thales off a cliff? So RHEA's the hero??
There's no way they could've survived that - Edelgard. My girl, Rhea is a fucking dragon and Thales can warp. I have bad news from you. Also, Byleth survived a fall too so . . .
What happened to Dimitri? I don't think I killed Claude either?
Is that really it? The war just keeps going. The war just keeps on with no end in sight. Hahahaha. You mean I played how many hours for THAT? I'm going to laugh my ass off if all 3 routes end like this. What a cheap way to avoid killing any of the lords.
OMG. What a stupid ending.
Except for Rhea. She got the big hero moment lol.
I kept waiting for another battle. Esp since there's an S rank reward that's Edelgard's axe, so Idk what's going on.
OMG, this is going to take FOREVER. They're showing the MVP of every single side battle and not just the main ones. I'm only at ch 6.
There was a lot more variety in MVP than I thought. I thought it would be the Hubert show, but it's pretty varied.
Ok, so around ch 10 turns into the Hubert show. I like seeing battle data though, so I sat through it.
Ok, so you get a letter from the person you get a whistle from. Aww, I eventually won Hubert's trust, and he admits he and the army needs us. Glad I picked him.
Wait, no paired endings? That blows. I hope this isn't a new trend since Engage didn't do that either (I love paired endings)
Ok, so it looks like some stuff would carry over to another playthrough on this file. So, in the future, I'd replay AG over my GW or SB playthrough to at least get 2 on the same one. I can't see myself replaying SB or GW. It's not like the story would matter since I could just skip it, but the gameplay is pretty much the same, so why not play the route with my favorites and the most unit choices on top of that?
So you can carry over supports and even unit level. So I could play Dimitri as the absurd level he's at in level one if I saved over my AG file? Because that would be funny. Probably boring. But funny.
Still feels good. One down. Two to go.
xxxx
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Meet the Writer Tag!
(Thank you so much to @mysticstarlightduck for tagging me! Sorry I took so long lol)
This is me!
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(I don't normally wear this many accessories/jewellery lol. But I wish I did! I love it sm)
Three Fun Facts About Me:
I have never been in a relationship before. Ever. The only experience I have in that department is through other people's stories, not really my own. And by that, I mean that I'm used to watching my friends/people around me getting in and out of relationships, and listening to songs about romance and love and heartbreak... but not really relating to them due to not having any of those experiences myself (but it's alright, tho. It'll happen when it happens! In the meantime, I always have my made-up ships from my writing lol).
My favourite book growing up was "Matilda" by Roald Dahl. I thought Matilda was such a cool girl growing up lol. And lowkey relatable in a lot of ways. No, I wasn't a child genius. But she kind of fits into the archetype that I always found comfort in due to being that kind of person myself. Smart/intellectually curious, bookworm, introverted/independent, genuinely kind and has a heart in spite of being seen as cold by others (another example of this is Huey from Boondocks. Been rewatching some episodes of that show recently and wow... forgot how crazy it was lol. It's good, tho).
Christmas is my favourite holiday! 🎅❄️🎄I do get why some people may dislike it, I guess (like, my younger sister isn't a fan, and she's explained why... I get it. The over-commercialisation of it takes a lot of the "specialness" out of it, you know? Distracts from the actual meaning behind it and all. Plus, it can suck if you're just feeling sad and lonely during a time of celebration for everyone else. Aside from that, technically Easter is more significant if you look at it from the lens of which Christian holiday is most important). But I love the joyfulness and festiveness. Makes me feel all jolly and cosy inside. Plus, I love singing Christmas carols. And presents. And Christmas movies. I just love Christmas lol.
Favorite season:
Autumn. Or fall, as some others prefer to call it. That's when my birthday is!!
(Second place is summer because that's holiday season. Plus, that's when my sister's birthday is.)
Continent where I live:
I live in the UK, so Europe.
How I spend my (free) time:
Writing (duh)
Writeblr stuff (tag games, making OC playlists, answering questions, communicating with followers and having discussions with them about writing, etc)
YouTube (mainly watching videos... but I do want to start making videos myself at some point. Stay tuned for that, I guess)
Studying/school assignments (I'm in university)
Listening to music
Singing
Watching movies/TV shows
Reading
Eating lol
Are you published?
No. It'd be cool to be, though. Pretty sure I've mentioned this at least once before, but I want to self-publish the Stephanie Smith saga once I'm done with it.
Introvert or extrovert?
Introvert. 100% introvert lol. I feel most comfortable within myself when I'm by myself. As a kid, I was so painfully shy that the thought of going up to someone and asking a simple question would terrify me lol. As I got older, though, I was super duper lonely, and I realised that I had no real friends because I was keeping myself all closed off in a tight shell, so I'd literally force myself to open up and become more social and make friends with other kids. I practised it, like how you do with any skill. Now it's not so bad. I'd say I can carry a conversation with someone fairly well, even if I don't know them so well.
Favorite meal:
Ooooh.... this is hard. I love most foods lol.
I think I'll go with something a little bit more traditional. I'm Kenyan, and one of my favourite meals that I've grown up eating is chapatti and stew (any kind of stew, or soup. But my mum would usually make this stew with kidney beans. That was a big hit growing up). Haven't had it in almost a year, tho.
Aside from that, I love pizza. And Nandos.
Tagging: @clairelsonao3, @exquisitecrow, @mister-writes, @winterandwords, @mjparkerwriting, @e-everlasting-g, @erieautumnskies, @annethewittywriter, @writingwithfolklore, @ashwithapen
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personasintro · 10 months
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yeah i know damn well he really did love her as if you’re not mentioned it 173838 times in the ff for the entire books so why you get offended everytime someone calling you out that kiko is indeed your fave character and this is literally kiko and jk ff instead of jkxreader. stop being hypocrite maybe
you always make excuses for kiko actions or how jk being ass towards yn in behalf of kiko
yet you always make yn character being miserable and pitiful. she have no self respect no matter how you try to convince your dumb followers that she’s not. not only she let jk use her for distraction and she actually being so pitiful that she often being insecure abt their friendship all the times. she even scared that jk will neglect her again, she let jk treat her like a shit and get away with it every damn time. why her pathetic ass always being the one waiting, following and apologize to jk first ? but jk would never ever do the same for her
even till the last chapter, yn still the one being pitiful miserable and embarrassing herself again asking jk for sex after calling it break just a week ago when jk don’t even give a fuck abt the break things lmaooo she always make fool of herself
i often seeing yn characters being dumb,weak and miserable in other ff but at least the yn character and jk character bond is strong that even tho things went downhill, ppl know their feeling is mutual meanwhile in your ff, after 57 chap, reader still the one being more whipped towards jk and jk character still being attached to his beloved ex and barely showing the same feeling like oc do
before you answer with lame “nobody ask you to read, you can read other ff” again
yeah i get it, but still some lil criticism after reading 57 chapter of your story is allowed right ? 🤷‍♀️
I'm sorry I haven't read this till the end but it's so funny to me how someone can get a mad over the way I write my story 😂 y'all are literally grasping at straws at this point.
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nofomogirl · 6 months
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Book of Life in Good Omens
This was initially supposed to be part of my "Metatron's manipulation" series (link goes to Part 1 of currently 7), specifically the "alternative offers" post I'm currently working on (which will be Part 8). But I've decided it would work better as a separate thing. Allow me to run more freely in any direction my nasty little heart desires. So here you are.
It's hard not to speculate about the Book of Life, considering how many times it was mentioned this season, how big it is, and how nothing seems to come out of it yet. It's also hard to speculate about it, considering how little we know about it. But let's try.
Facts we have from the show
Right after Gabriel appears at Aziraphale's bookshop, Michael calls Beelzebub to inform them that if anyone is found helping Gabriel, Heaven is prepared to use Extreme Sanctions, aka. Book of Life.
When Beelzebub summons Crowley to Hell, they tell him that they heard anybody Heaven finds involved with Gabriel will be dealt with, meaning Extreme Sanctions.
Crowley doesn't initially believe it's a real thing, he insists it's just something they used to joke about to frighten the cherubs.
Beelzebub finally explains what it is: erasing from the Book of Life which equals erasing from existence - "they won't just be gone, they will never have existed".
After Gabriel and Beelzebub are gone, Michael threatens Aziraphale directly, insisting she is authorized to remove the name of anyone who helped Gabriel from the Book of Life.
Metatron shuts her down by saying she doesn't have the authority to do it.
They're... not very helpful. More gossip and hearsay than facts.
A quick look at Christian tradition
It has such a concept as a Book of Life, however, the titular Life is not literal but rather a commonly used metaphor for salvation. It also has a counterpart, the Book of Death. Having your name in the Book of Life simply means being destined for Heaven; having your name moved to the Book of Death equals being condemned to Hell. I've never once come across either of them mentioned in any other context than that of judging human beings (though admittedly, I haven't read that much on them).
So, not very helpful either, and it looks like Neil took only a name and made his own rules.
Possibly. Because we don't know any rules yet. We have no idea who can access and use it and when. We think we know that if you remove someone's name from the Book of Life you erase them completely from existence, but it might not even be true.
Honestly, I wouldn't be all that surprised if The Book of Life turned out to actually be a celestial boogeyman Crowley initially believed it to be. It wouldn't also be inconsistent with the original Good Omens spirit, where supposedly great things turned out to be insignificant and/or easily solved in the end.
But just for the fun of it, let's pull at what we have in Christian tradition and what we know from the show.
Combining the two
Extending the use of both the Book of Life and the Book of Death to supernatural entities is not much of a stretch. However, if this was the case, removing Aziraphale's name from the Book of Life would mean his Fall, not erasure from existence. In fact, this would be exactly how the Fall would happen - you remove an angel's name from the book of beings meant to be in Heaven and move it to the book of beings meant to be in Hell, and you get a demon.
It also explains how it could be done the other way - a demon's name could be removed from the Book of the Death, reentered into the Book of Life, and bam! fully angelic status restored. After all, we were made aware this season that Fall could be reversible.
Honestly, it would make a lot of sense to me.
In the Resurrectionists minisode Aziraphale tells Crowley: "I am good. You, I'm afraid, are evil. But people get a choice." If you were a little taken aback that Aziraphale says things like that at that point and found it somewhat jarring, that's because it kind of is. The line is taken directly from the original book, where it was explicitly stated that Aziraphale and Crowley only started developing free will on Earth, due to extended exposure to humans. It was part of their "going native" and what made them different. But in the show, it's quite clearly not the case.
When it comes to morality, angels and demons in the show are a lot like people. They're neither static nor quoy, at least not inherently so. They're fully capable of growth and change and making their own decisions, both good and bad. So IF we agree, that being assigned to either Heaven or Hell is a reflection of someone's moral status, and someone's moral status can change with their choices and actions, it's logical that there is a mechanism that technically allows them to be reassigned as many times as necessary.
It also makes sense that Heaven would block that mechanism after the Rebellion and the Fall, and insists that whatever side anyone is on, that's final. All that's left is to fight each other.
Is it show-canon compliant?
There's one major issue with that theory - nobody in the show seems to perceive the Book of Life this way. It's synonymous with literal life ie. existence. It's not tied to Fall in any way. There's no mention of the Book of Death.
How do I defend against it?
It's not that hard, really.
As I've pointed out already, nobody seems to really know what they are talking about. The Book of Life? It rings a bell, there was such a thing, although maybe it wasn't, maybe it was a joke... Nobody is a reliable source of information and I'm pretty sure that whatever we will learn about the Book of Life in season 3 will prove information from season 2 to be incomplete and misleading.
Of course that doesn't exactly support my theory, it's just not an obstacle it seems to be at first glance.
And just in case it wasn't clear, I'm not really trying to predict where the story will go, but rather speculate for the fun of it.
So, I merrily speculate several reasons why there are two books whose purpose is to decide who belongs in Heaven and who belongs in Hell, but everybody in season 2 believes there's one book whose purpose is to decide who exists.
Reason #1: The truth about two books was hidden by some higher-up in Heaven, possibly Metatron, to hide the inconvenient fact that all there is to being an angel or a demon is to be entered into an appropriate list. That can be edited. Unlimited amount of times.
Reason #2: The misinformation was created and spread by the Metatron specifically for this situation. He expected that whoever might meddle with the whole Gabriel affair would either be a demon, who you cannot exactly threaten with falling, or Aziraphale, who might not care enough for that to be effective.
Reason #3: Everyone's knowledge comes from before the Fall. So it's partly forgotten and partly censored, but above all, before the Fall, when everybody's names were in the Book of Life, they might simply have misunderstood the meaning of having your name removed from it, as it's never happened before.
Reason #4: Erasing someone's existence completely is in fact possible if you remove someone's name from one book and never enter it into the other.
(Please note that this generates a lot of questions on how exactly you move names between the two books if being in neither means you don't exist and never have. There would have to be some security measures to make sure people won't just disappear during transfer.)
Reason #5: Being erased from existence is a metaphor for the fundamental transformation you undergo when shifting from an angel to a demon (and possibly vice versa). Especially if you consider that a supernatural entity wouldn't probably just have their name moved, they'd most likely be entered under a new name. So they would be the same being but not the same person anymore.
Pick any combination of the above.
Who should fear the Book of Life?
The book is first mentioned when Michael tips Beelzebub that Heaven is prepared to use it against anyone found helping Gabriel. Beelzebub later conveys the message to Crowley, plus an extended explanation.
The key word here is anybody. If Gabriel was helped by both Aziraphale and Crowley, they were both risking punishment.
But Crowley acts as if only Aziraphale is in danger and indeed, when Michael brings it up again, in the finale, she only threatens Aziraphale and completely ignores Crowley.
Why?
Crowley can be easily explained by his continuous disregard for his own safety. But Michael? Why did she call Hell to warn Beelzebub how serious Heaven was about it if she wasn't ready to actually go through and punish a demon? Does she not realize how deeply Crowley was involved? Does she think Aziraphale did it on his own? Is she reluctant to actually administer the punishment that feels outside her jurisdiction? Or is she simply more focused on Aziraphale because he pissed her off?
If we assume my theory about the Books of Life & Death is correct, then Michael's threat was an empty one for a demon, whose name was no longer in the Book of Life anyway. But if we assume my theory is right, then none of them should be aware of that.
However.
If we assume my theory is true minus Reason #4 (the loophole that actually allows for someone to be permanently destroyed from existence), let's think about the theory that Metatron blackmailed Aziraphale into taking his offer by indirectly threatening Crowley's existence.
Aziraphale is unaware of how it all works. He picks on Metatron's threat and interprets it in accordance with how he believes the Book of Life works. He comes to the conclusion that if he doesn't obey, Crowley will be removed from existence. But Metatron actually means the metaphorical erasure I described as Reason #5. He means the destruction of Crowley's personality and most of his self. The trauma that would happen if Crowley underwent the transformation that is the result of being moved from one book to the other. At the same time, Metatron says that if Aziraphale becomes the Supreme Archangel, he could make Crowley an angel again. This would happen by removing a demon's name from the Book of Death and entering him, possibly under another name, into the Book of Life.
Yes, I have amused myself during the weekend by creating a theory in which the thing Metatron threatens Aziraphale with if he doesn't obey and the thing he promises as a reward if he does IS THE SAME EXACT THING.
Spread the news to all the angst-loving mostly canon-compliant fanfiction authors!
Removing things from existence
As a final point in this post that has long run away from me and I'm not sure has a point any longer, I'd like to remind you of something.
Mentioning the Book of Life in season 2 is not the first time that the concept of removing something from existence and making it so it would never have happened appears in Good Omens Universe.
Please remember Adam Young, the Antichrist, who faced Satan at the Tadfield Airbase and declared he was not his father and never had been. Reality listened to him and Satan disappeared. However, it didn't change the timeline, didn't erase the events that already happened, and didn't exactly strip Adam of his powers.
What does it mean?
No idea.
Thank you for your patience.
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