Welcome Aboard

I apparently have followers now??? Hi I'm Talina, or Tina. I like Destiny, Transformers, My Hero Academia, and loads of other stuff. Pardon my dust, it's been years and activity is slow. I have a fulltime job that makes me sleepy...

[talinaprime]

I've never posted a Nettle-11 timeline???

And I realized during timeline crafting that Nettle-11 never knew Tallulah Fairwind because she died during the Great Ahmkara Hunt (GAH).  Oops.  In theory that makes her Vanguard the third or fourth Hunter.  Aparajita-4 or Kauko Swiftriver.  OR MAYBE THERE ARE MORE HUNTERS THAT WERE CAUGHT IN THE DARE I DON’T KNOW THERE ARE ALREADY TOO MANY!

Nettle-11 gets rezzed by Dart right around when Kabr and Praedyth are lost to the VoG somewhere in the Siberian Arctic.  She had died out there because in her previous life she had remembered that her purpose lay within a snow covered place.  It wasn’t Mars (too red), Europa was off limits, so she came to the logical conclusion that exploring the Arctic would be a good place to start.  Naturally Nettle-10 would run out of resources and die due to cold exposure.  There’s more to her pre-guardian life, but I’m not writing about that right now.

Nettle-11 get’s picked up by the Six Coyotes in their bandwagon a little time later (this is when Dart gets her name).  She arrives shortly after the Battle of Burning Lake has concluded.  Hunter Vanguard is heading the operation on the Moon (until lore says otherwise), Saint-14 is out on his crusade which makes Zavala is in charge of Titans, and Osiris is doing as Osiris does (Ikora is attending all the meetings in his stead).  The Great Disaster happens shortly after she finishes basic training, but she’s late enough that she isn’t asked to fight on the Moon.  Instead she takes off into the Cosmodrone.

Nettle-11 spends most of the time in the Cosmodrone learning Eliskni and comm tapping.  Then she sends her translated notes to the Vanguard.  Zavala and Ikora see her reports and forward them to Saint-14, who uses that intel to track and eliminate Fallen leadership. (Saint-14 also sends letters to Nettle-11 in thanks.  Nettle-11 remembers a charging Exo with Saint’s colors crashing into a winged machine.  She never says anything).  Despite being out in the field all the time, she gets a rep with intelligence under ‘Fallen Comm Cracker’.

Eventually, Nettle-11 joins Ikora’s hidden network with plans to intercept Eriana-3’s team (an exo curls digits around white threads, spinning them until a white curtain is dispelled, more bronze machines advancing) on the moon.  (Her Hidden ID is D427)  Most of her time is spent watching the House Exiles until Eriana-3 (dancing fingers across a datapad, muttering), arrives with Toland the Shattered, Eris Morn, Vell Tarlowe, Omar Agah, and Sai Mota.  Nettle-11 asks that the fireteam wait until she can set up a distraction for the local Eliksni that scavenge the area and that Toland.  After she sabotauges an Eliksni ammo depot, she returns to find the fire team gone.  So begins Nettle-11’s vigil.

When the Guardian arrives on the Moon, it’s with Zavala’s permission.  He doesn’t know that Nettle-11 is stationed on the Moon.  She spends most of this time distracting Eliksni from the Guardian’s presence.  When they wake the Hive, Nettle-11 sees her transmat out.  (Strength, Care, Authority, a Rifle, the scream of a banshee, Doctor-)  The moon is opened once more, and Nettle-11 begins forwarding House Exile movements to Zavala.

Things begin to pick up.  It’s Nettle-11 who finds Eris Morn and helps her ship escape the Hellmouth.  Nettle-11 is joins the fireteam of the Crota’s End.  She supports the Guardian with the Void at her fingertips as they strike Crota down with a hive sword.  When the House Wolves rebel, Nettle-11 meets the Reef’s crows and trades intel.  She leaves the moon to other hunters and begins cracking Wolf comms.  She meets Variks, she finds the Tangled Shore, meets the Spider, and spooks them all when she speaks perfect Eliksni.  (Oh I’m sorry, was this supposed to be your secret code language? -Dart)

Then Oryx arrives.  The Fallen are smart enough to avoid the Dreadnaught.  Oryx comes for them anyway.  Oryx tries to capture her as well, but the Hive God is occupied with the Guardian who struck the final blow.  Nettle-11 does not step foot on the Dreadnaught.  Her time is spent on the Shore with Spider’s Crew, slowly eradicating all the new Taken (did you think that there weren’t Taken on the Tangled Shore?  There were, but now there aren’t), the occasional Crow appearing with communication from Variks and Petra until the Taken are dead or confined in the Prison of Elders.  Then she begins assisting Cayde-6 (a flourish, a shot, the start of a fire, a spray of white), in tracking down the Scorned Barons.

Shiro-4 (a flash, bronze bodies fall), and the Guardian deal with the SIVA outbreak in the Plaguelands.  Zavala and Ikora ask her to assist with Fallen code breaking, but Nettle-11 finds that SIVA has permanently altered the comms into something alien.  After the static from SIVA is removed, Nettle-11 translates the silted, robotic sentences.  They disturb her.

Nettle-11 is in the Reef when Ghaul arrives.  The red legion systemically destroys all communications and prevents air travel.  Nettle-11 is Spider’s Den waiting for the legion to pass when she feels it and Dart drops out of the air, only reflexes letting her catch the customized shell that contains her ghost.  Dart’s voice crackles, Nettle-11 drops to her knees and- (watches as the bronze Minotaur brings it’s foot down, hears the scrunch of metal, feels the pain as it all goes dark) blackouts.

No one notices.

Nettle-11 wakes up to a lightless world and decides that makes things a bit difficult.  She was tracking down the Scorned Barons for Cayde-6 (a warning, a shot, a bronze body crumples), but her Vanguard isn’t responding.  Neither is Ikora.  Instead she get’s transmissions from Zavala about Titan.  Dart isn’t doing well, but with their ship Nettle-11 shoots the Commander a message about the Eliksni activity on Titan.  She doesn’t mention Misraaks, the Forsaken.  Then she returns to Spider’s to continue tracking Pirrha the Rifleman.  Her light returns to her in an appropriately dramatic moment.  Araskes has trapped her, Pirrha is lining up her shot, when light ripples through the system and surges within her (The Banshee ROARS) and she grabs as many knives as she can, spinning, running, and then she’s killed by Pirrha.  But not dead for long, Dart gets her back up before the Trickester can confirm her body and then she finally springs her own trap on Araskes forcing the Rifleman to retreat.

Nettle-11’s response to Osiris’ return is “typical Warlock logic”.  Then she pauses before admitting that it’s also “a very Titan response”, to try and bare the entire world alone.  Really stupid too.   She’s not the person to go through the Infinite Forest, nor does she respond to Ana Bray’s SOS regarding Rasputin.  Her hands are full with the Prison of Elders, Cayde-6 (a deck of cards, glimmer chips, snow), and helping Petra lock up various Red Legion officials.  Finally the Scorned Barons are put away and maybe she can relax.

Cayde-6 (flashy, confident, skilled), is overconfident.  He takes the Guardian with him to the prison.  He should have taken Nettle-11.  He should have been cautious.  He is now dead.  Nettle-11 mourns her friend, following Hunter tradition of taking up her favorite Vanguard (but not mentor, just a friend, she’s not the Guardian).  The Guardian kills Uldren Sov, but Araskes and Pirrha are her kills.

Nettle-11 leaves behind Eliksni to study the Scorn.  A strange mix of Taken energy, Ether, and Hive Ritual stitch together their bodies… and something else.  Nettle-11 finds it all disturbing.  So she focuses on answering the call from the Dreaming City.  She raids for the first time since Crota to fight Riven.  She watches as the cycle begins.  Then she speaks with Mara Sov for the first time.  She asks about House Wolves.  Mara casts her out.

Nettle-11 isn’t interested in Ada-1’s foundry, the Drifter’s schemes, or Calus’ gifts.  Nettle-11 works with Spider to once again clean the Shore, and spots something interesting.  It’s Uldren Sov.  He has a ghost.  But it’s not Uldren Sov.  His posture is all wrong.  His eyes are bright, but scared.  He curls in a white sheet.

Not Uldren.  A young guardian.  A guardian not ready for the Tower.  Nettle-11 fights to meet with Mara again.  Nettle-11 has some glimmer, but she has always been a forward scout, and she needs the Queen’s vaults in order to save a young guardian.  She tells Mara about the young guardian that has her brother’s voice.  Mara throws her out again.  Nettle-11 fights again to enter.  Her plan is to have Mara pay Spider to ‘protect’ Not Uldren.  It takes her two more visits to get the glimmer and message delivered to Spider.  Spider himself is easy to convince, she just has to pass along the glimmer and pretend to be a messenger with no idea as to the contents.

The discovery of the Pyramid pushes Nettle-11 to return to the Moon.  She confronts the shades that she had previously walked among for decades to arrive at Eris’ side.  The Guardian slays Crota’s shade, but Nettle-11 is busy helping Eris.  Nettle-11 remembers Eris and Eriana-3 (weaving a song with wires and gunshots as bronze flies) and their fireteam.  She remembers regretting letting them entering the Hellmouth.  After the Shades haunt Eris, they come for her.  Nettle-11 looks at each guardian Shade and remembers finding the body torn apart by desperate House Exile then left to freeze and burn in the sun on the barren Moon.  She remembers ignoring the bodies for fear that revealing her presence.  Now she and Eris quietly put the remnants to rest.  Many of the Shades remain, but Nettle-11 begins to feel a sense of peace.  Returning to the Moon makes Dart nostalgic.  They whisper about what they’ve lost, how far they’ve come.

The Undying Mind is destroyed in a very Titan manner by Ikora.  Nettle-11 notices because of the Vex on the Moon.  She hasn’t fought Vex since hunting House Wolves on Venus.  She had forgotten…how familiar it was.  But it’s Saint-14’s (a resounding headbutt) return that stuns her.  Every Dawning she returns to the tower to greet Eva Levante.  This year Saint-14 (laughter, chilling, a machine roars) greets her in the Tower.  And he remembers her.  He calls her sister, thanks her for her intelligence during his crusade.  It’s strange how warm he is.  Nettle-11 learns that the Guardian fought across the Vex timestream to save him.  He asks for her help in building the relay network.  She helps set up the relay on the Tangled Shore.

Rasputin takes out the Almighty in a show of power.  Ana Bray should be proud.  Then the Darkness arrives and Rasputin is gone.  Nettle-11 doesn’t join Eris and the Drifter in their attempts to commune.  Spider has been keeping her away from the Eliksni crews, but she still listens to comms and hears rumors of House Salvation.  Someone is uniting the Eliksni, but Nettle-11 is uncertain as to who.  Not Misraaks, his House is Light.

Nettle-11 arrives on Europa before the Eliksni attempt to harness Darkness.  She watches the hum and chatter of Riis-Reborn in it’s full glory.  Spots Variks recording, sees Eramis leading.  But she also sees the Dark in Kridis, the wrath in Phyksis, the cruelty in Praxis and knows that this peace won’t last.  She contacts Misraaks, giving a warning and a time to prepare as she slips into the city to try and contact Variks.  She’s unsuccessful.

Instead she spots Elise (TRUTH).

She follows her former leader, sees her contacting Eris and the Drifter.  Memories sing, but Nettle-11 doesn’t reach, just basking in the feeling of being near Dr… Bray.  Yes, that’s Dr. Elise Bray.  One of the Good Brays.  XXXXXXX was also a good one.  She fills Nettle-11 with hope and purpose in simply existing.

Nettle-11 returns to providing reconnaissance, when Variks calls for aid, it’s not the Guardian, but she who answers.  When Eramis makes contact, Nettle-11 and Dart make sure to reply in Eliksni, telling her that she could have had something beautiful, that Riis-Reborn could have been a gem, but her ambition and bloodlust have ruined it.

[talinaprime]

Have I ever talked about Nettle-11's relationship with Cayde-6?

Nettle's been around for most of the Hunter Vanguards, so she did spend some time in the field with Cayde-6 and Shiro-4 and Tevis and Andal Brask and that crew. Mostly before she went and started living on the Moon, when she was still learning eliksni language in the Cosmodrome.

She didn't like Cayde-6. Morale is an important part of team adhesion, but she believed Cayde-6 was a little too informal. Later on, after she returned to the DSC, she would learn she disliked him then as well. She never wanted him dead though. So when word gets out about this new eliksni faction calling themselves the Scorn and they were responsible for Cayde's death? Well, she's worked with the Spider before. While the Guardian was tracking the Baron's, she spent most of her time observing the Scorn and reporting back to Ikora.

Cayde's death was avenged and Nettle-11 entered the Dreaming City.

You could say that Nettle-11 didn't care for Cayde-6's death, but she focused a lot of time and energy tracking Scorn movements... she misses having a Vanguard...

[talinaprime]

Savathun's death doesn't end the deal. Every week, Nettle-11 sits cross-legged in the mire, within rocky outcroppings hidden by brush, waiting for the Hive to come. The first visit after Savathun's death is tense. They arrive with knives unfurled and charge. Nettle-11 refuses to fire a single shot. Instead, she has Dart initiate the data transfer.

"There will be an attempt to break the pyramid," she tells them from cover. "Will your faction object?"

The hive acol-no they are a Hunter now, simply snarls... and leaves. Dart's voice chirps, "I received a small data packet. Nathan will try to convince them that violence is unnecessary next time."

She tilts her head in a silent question.

"Nathan is their ghost. Or they call her Narthan, but Nathan is pretty close."

Nettle-11 nods. There was no information gained, but a transfer was successful. She hopes next time will be more successful.

Next week they ask about the Cabal.

"I'm not part of that operation." She says truthfully. "My job is tracking and control of Scorn operations. Do you have any information regarding that faction."

The Hive Hunter snarls. Dart gives a confirmation ping. She nods and leaves the Hunter, not turning her back to them quite yet.

Every week is a gamble. Will this be the time that they won't show up? Would another Hive take their place without the Witch Queen to order it so? Is Nettle-11 going to have to explain to Ikora Rey why she is not killing a specific Hive Hunter?

Nettle-11 isn't good at Gambit. But she is good at Crucible Control. She keeps the meeting spot hidden and monitored. The Hive Hunter has yet to lead other's to it. So she waits.

The fourth visit they speak.

"You do not fire upon me." They snarl. "Immaru wishes to know why."

"You may tell Immaru that as long as information continues to change hands, I will remain nonhostile to Hive ghosts... despite advisement stating otherwise."

The fifth visit they ask, "You always have more information, why do you continue this deal when it does not seem you profit from it?"

"Because my mission is to track and control Scorn. Not Hive Risen elimination."

"It can not be that simple."

"It is for me."

The sixth visit they arrive first, sitting cross-legged as they wait.

"I fail to understand you," they growl.

"What is your name?"

"I am Ad-Naur."

"Ad-Naur. You might be free of your worm, but you are still trapped in the Deep."

They hiss and get up to depart.

"When you are ready to see beyond the sword logic, you will know where to find me." Nettle-11 calls to them as for the first time, Ad-Naur leaves their back open.

[talinaprime]

Hypothetical

What if instead of Savathun, newly raised in light, was not found by her most trusted wizard...

But by Crow?

Discuss.

[bonesingerofyme-loc]

It’s not ours

I’ve seen people refer to the Traveler a few times as ‘ours’ or how the Hive tried to ‘take it from us’. Which would follow, since that was pretty much the reaction of the Vanguard in-game and the angle Bungie took with the marketing for the expansion.

The Light isn’t ours. Nor is the Sky. Nor is the Traveler. Merely because the Traveler chose to make her stand at Earth does not give humanity the ultimate right to make decisions for the Traveler or to exert our control of her. The Traveler gifted us the Light, it didn’t swear to be ours and ours alone.

Consider the wager. The Sky stands as gentle complexity. A good kingdom ringed by spears, where the strong defend the weak and life blooms in multiplicity. The Deep stands as the blade edge, the kingdom of war, that eliminates all life until there is only the last man standing.

By that Wager, the Traveler gifted us the Light. Upon us were weighed no demands and restrictions were not emplaced. The Light is to do with as we will, because it is will that the Sky loves. Choice and the freedom of it. When warlords rampaged in the Dark Ages - did the Traveler chastise them and tell them no? When Rezzyl Azir threw down his burden and turned his face from the Sky, did the Traveler yank hard his reins and tell him ‘no’? When the Iron Lords slaughtered the warlords, when they crushed ghosts underfoot to break the cycle of violence, did the Traveler chastise them for not finding another way?

What we do with the Light is what is meaningful. For good or evil, right or wrong, each action and choice we take is precious and so the Traveler cannot, will not, speak. To speak would be to influence us and tarnish that precious choice.

By contrast the Deep commands. Though it gave us stasis, it constantly speaks to us, gives us hints, eggs us on, teases and leads us. It has demands of its own and what we want is not secondary - it is immaterial.

This may seem an aside, to explore the purpose of Deep and Sky, but I am illustrating a picture.

The Sky wishes for rich life and vibrancy of disagreement, of concord, of strife and peace. The Sky wishes for life, in all it’s beauty and pain. 

When we claim the Traveler as ours, when we claim the Light as ours, when we look at the Lucent Hive with trembling limbs and curling lips and find palms on stocks and blades aquiver, we are asserting the Deep claim.

We are saying that “We alone are right. We alone are mighty. We alone may be the only Shape.” The Deep demands a single champion, the Light cherishes a billion. For us to jealously hoard the Light and the Traveler is to make us into the only champion of the Light. We are perverting it’s purpose.

Does it mean it is wrong that we fought off the Fallen, that we warred with the Cabal, that we threw down the Osmium Dynasty?

No. 

For that is the freedom of choice the Sky desires for us. And besides - they wanted us dead first. It is never morally wrong to fight for your life.

But the Traveler is showing us a truth. We are beloved, we are precious - and so is all life. Perhaps humans did indeed have a spark that caught the Traveler’s eye, all those centuries ago, which is why She laid down here to fight. 

But it was hubris to ever think that the Light would be ours alone. Ghaul was not deserving of it, because he demanded it, because he tried to steal it, because he impugned on free will.

Savathun chose to die. She accepted her fate, she took all her cards off the table, she threw them away. She wanted the Light, yes, but she did not demand it. She did not hold the Traveler at gunpoint, she did not try to tear Light from it’s body. She asked, and she died. 

At the end of her long, long life, Savathun finally had faith.

Now the Lucent Hive are blessed. Truly blessed. No tricks, no stealing, no magics. And we war on them. 

Again, that is not inherently wrong. The Light is freedom. For us to clash is natural. But the other side of the coin demands recognition too. The Lucent Hive are just as worthy as we to wield the Light. So while we may fight and while we may be at odds, the day will come when we must expect, and should expect, not to be. For the Light is not ours, and it is not theirs. It is the Light, it is given, and none can claim it solely. To do otherwise is to mantle the Deep, and that is a path none should tread.

We were asked to survive the truth, and it was not what was implied. The truth to survive was that all things change and that our humility should be reminded to us. The truth that our precepts were wrong. The truth that we always knew, but maybe had set aside.

We serve the Light. The Light does not serve us.

[talinaprime]

Big brain warlock over here is probably right, but that doesn't mean hunters and titans have to like it.

[talinaprime]

Nettle-11 doesn't care about Savathun stealing the light at first.

Similar to how she didn't care about Crota until she found Eris' ship trapped among the House Exile, or Oryx until he decided to make it personal. Her attention, her hunt, had always been the Fallen on the moon.

Make no mistake, she was pleased that House Light was finally allied with the Tower, she had been quietly been pushing for better communication since the House Wolves had splintered. But House Exile and their nobility had been absorbed by House Dusk, so she followed them to Titan... then to the Tangled Shore.

She did not avenge Cayde-6 but she did set her sights on the Scorn. On their movements, how the differed from Eliksni, and their leadership. Fikrul was tagged and she tracked carefully through the Shore and the Dreaming City.

When Eris returned to the Moon, Nettle-11 sent data on old Exile caches. When Eramis ran to Europa, Nettle-11 followed the broadcasts. When Mithrax called for help, Nettle-11 answered first.

So when word came that Scorn were moving and it was due to Savathun possessing Osiris? Well, Nettle-11 focused on what she knew: the Scorn.

But she did visit Savathun once during her imprisonment. It went something like this:

"Ah, you're one of the Guardians that slayed my brother and nephew."

"I am. Do you hold a grudge?"

"What would be the point? I certainly miss my brother, but we had grown apart."

"You didn't answer."

"No, hunter. I hold no grudge."

"You do not plan to come after me for vengeance like Oryx?"

"Goodness, no, I have other things to worry about."

"Okay. I'll leave you alone if you leave me alone."

"A non-aggression pact? For yourself or do you speak for the Vanguard?"

"Just me."

"I certainly won't attack you. But the rest of the hive may choose otherwise."

"I'll take your word for now."

"Are you not worried that I am lying."

"From what I've heard, you're lies are more subtle. And you have nothing to lose."

"Quite right."

So Nettle-11 goes on her way until Savathun is spotted on the rediscovered Mars surrounded by Scorn. And they meet again.

"Do you remember our deal?"

"Of course not. Funny how you Guardians know that we are reborn without memories, but you're so quick to condemn us for what we don't remember."

"We had a deal to not attack each other. I would appreciate it if you tell your brood to leave me alone as well."

"And what do you have to offer me?"

"I specialize in tracking Scorn and predicting their course. I would offer you all data I retrieve to your new Ghost network."

"Oh, I think that will do, but I can't promise that all my lucent will behave."

"That sounds like a management issue, and I will defend myself."

"Very well, I'll give the order that you and your ghost will remain unperturbed..."

"Nettle-11, and Ghost unit Dart."

"Yes, Nettle and Dart. Immaru will spread the word."

And they haven't seen each other since. Luckily, Immaru is keeping Savathun's deal, probably because they send in excellent data. Also could be something to do with the Lucent Hive having bigger problems.

[talinaprime]

Quick Witch Queen Spoilers below

I both love and hate the Witness design. Seeing them come our of the flowing wall, a shifting pattern making up there for that always ripples to the final shape, their frame cutting up into the frame while smoke billows from their neck to create a second shape, symmetrical to the first, all to a single point. Beautiful design so sharp, very edgy and what I wanted. Then he turns around and that's a face with bulbous eyes and a nose and I hate it. WHY DID BUNGIE NEED TO GIVE THEM A FACE I HATE IT.

[talinaprime]

General reminder for Witch Queen tomorrow. Savathun may act like the dastardly, cunning villain she is...

But your honor, she's a nerd.

So you better believe I'll be screaming NERD at the screen every time she uses big words.

[talinaprime]

I’m taking a hard left turn in terms of fandom.  Bare with me.

So imagine a Star, let’s say a Giant Blue Star.  This thing is huge and in this case, has rings of molten liquid space debris.  Oh there are planets, mostly Gas Giants and they are very far away from the actual star.

Then this star begins to collapse in on itself. These things happen, and usually end in a Black Hole. The important part right now in my hypothetical is that as the star shrinks, becoming denser, it pulls things into the space that it once occupied. Physics say that when something is put into motion, they stay in motion, so now we've got a bunch of liquified rocks, gas giants, more rocks, and various gases, and all sorts of rapidly changing elements (of the periodic table) causing strange reactions.

Except slow this down because this shit takes millions of years to happen.

Still with me? Because this is where things get weird.

The Giant Blue star stabilizes, becoming a White Dwarf. That's not impossible, just improbable. Then all of the solar system, still in motion because Newton is the most dangerous sonovabitch in space, crash into the Dwarf.

And somehow, the Dwarf does not collapse. Not even when the biggest Gas Giant, roughly half the size of the Dwarf, slams into it. There's a bunch of crazy space dust making even crazier space dust, and the Dwarf is slowly enclosed in a space dust shell that is liquid and gas and the beginnings of a solid coat somewhere in between.

But that's not the craziest thing. The Dwarf... pulses. Ba-Dum, Ba-Dum. Oh sure, the pulses take a lot of time to complete, more than a human lifetime, but they do happen. It pulls in its surroundings, condensing matter, then pushes out, shattering it. Again and again. Layers are formed, the shell hardens. Gases create a thick, irradiated atmosphere. The Dwarf becomes a Core to a Planet.

And that's how Cybertron is formed.

[talinaprime]

These nerds obvs haven’t read the books of sorrows, otherwise they’d know that the Hive Goddesses kill each other regularly as a way to say “I love you”.  Which isn’t healthy, but it’s been happening for literally millions of years at this point, chill out Savathun…

Honestly I could see this as a convoluted scheme to bring back Oryx.  Oryx was all about Learning New Things and the Need to Understand Them, and that’s kinda what Queenie is doing.  

Then of course there are the Witch Queen spoilers…

[talinaprime]

Savathun: Yo can I hide here from my murderous sister?  K thanks dudes.

Xivu Arath: Bitch we murder each other all the time, get back here.  

Oryx: Lol, I’m actually dead.  

[talinaprime]

These nerds obvs haven’t read the books of sorrows, otherwise they’d know that the Hive Goddesses kill each other regularly as a way to say “I love you”.  Which isn’t healthy, but it’s been happening for literally millions of years at this point, chill out Savathun...

Honestly I could see this as a convoluted scheme to bring back Oryx.  Oryx was all about Learning New Things and the Need to Understand Them, and that’s kinda what Queenie is doing.  

Then of course there are the Witch Queen spoilers...

[gentrychild]

I was wondering if you or your followers could help me find a specific fic in which Izuku can use Shigaraki’s quirk. This specific fic had Izuku lose his hand at Kamino and the doctors accidentally reattached Shigaraki’s hand, leading to Izuku being able to use Decay. Thanks!!

They reattached the wrong what? O.O

Fic finders, ASSEMBLE!

[talinaprime]

I know this one! Possession Is Nine-Tenths of the Law by AngeliaDark

[talinaprime]

I'm waking up

To Ash and dust

They gave me drugs

And they probed butt

This is it

Colonoscopy

[hungrytundras]

Hey if any of you could take a guess, how fast would you say a wind spiral could fly for distance?

Like how fast and for how long?

[talinaprime]

Hummingbirds. They're basically hummingbirds they even fall into torpor instead of sleeping. So if the average flight spiral is a scaled up hummingbird, I would get a ratio of hummingbird to spiral sizes to determine average flight distance and double that for wind, cause they dont have to fight air friction.

[jinogasux-fr]

OH HOLY SHIT?

[talinaprime]

[swiftwidget]

MHA Chapter 301 Analysis

“The Wrong Way to Put Out a Fire: Part 1” 

  ***SPOILERS AHEAD***

_______

Who was Rei Todoroki comparing her children to and which child did she see peeking through the door that day?

Chapter 301 is incredibly revealing and shows that a flashback based upon a single character’s point of view is not and cannot be read as the full story. 

What we knew of the Todoroki family - specifically Enji and Rei - mainly came from Shouto’s flashbacks during the Sports Festival and what we essentially overheard the family discuss when the focus is turned on them. 

However! It isn’t the full story! It can even be misleading! 

That is a mind-blowing way to write in a series like this. Just 100% good use of double-meaning and reread value. Horikoshi is honest-to-goodness impressive.

_______

Chapter 301 reveals at least the first half of the downfall of the Todoroki family structure and life. 

We have a marriage built upon an agreement. 

A man with growing power and influence marrying the daughter of an old-money family that had lost its prestige over time. Both parties understood that they had their part to give. Enji gives Rei’s family a continued connection to power, influence, and money while Rei offers her ice quirk to create the kind of child Enji Todoroki wants.

Enji as the Hero Endeavor has at this point already given up on becoming Number 1. He’s seen the gap between himself and All Might and judged that he comes up short. He simply isn’t able to bridge that gap, but he believes a child of his can - given the right quirk combination. 

Enji and Rei have their first child, Touya, and have a second, Fuyumi, to be his companion and support. 

Enji told Touya what he was going to be, built up the expectation (and pressure) that he’d teach him to be the Number 1 hero. But Touya’s body and quirk don’t match. His quirk harmed his body. At no fault of his own, Touya was judged as incapable of fulfilling Endeavor’s vision. 

All Touya wanted was his father’s attention and affection. He pushed himself to prove he still could be a great hero with his quirk, and hurt himself trying to get the attention he needed as a child. 

Enji, being an extremely well-written flawed character, wants two things: 1) to continue his vision and 2) to get his first child to stop hurting himself. So, he does what he believes would solve both problems. Continue pushing for the successful mix of quirks. His thought process likely being: If Touya could see that he couldn’t bridge the gap and wouldn’t have to, surely he’d stop. 

But to Touya, he’s being replaced. Left behind. Erased. 

Being cast aside and told to try something else only fuels his desperation to prove himself. It fuels his anger too. He continues to self-destruct. 

And he lashes out. 

Where was Rei during all of this? 

Rei, meanwhile, had been upholding her end of the marriage arrangement. Having child after child put her under more and more strain, exhausting her. Maybe she believed that Enji’s plan would get Touya to stop. Maybe she believed that they all had their part to endure to be in this family. 

Then, Touya lashed out at her and the infant Shouto with his flames. 

I think this will be continued in the next chapter, but this is what we already know:

Touya lashed out at Rei and Shouto when Enji pushed him away

Shouto lived mostly separated from his siblings for the majority of his childhood, including Touya who was still present

Enji put Rei in a mental hospital when she poured boiling water on Shouto

Touya’s “death” occurred shortly after Rei was sent to the hospital

If Touya lashed out only once, there wouldn’t be a need to separate Shouto from him for so long. It’s likely Touya lashed out more than once. As sad as it is, it is also possible that he was not put through proper therapy and instead was sedated or punished. 

If Touya wasn’t getting the help he needed and he lashed out with his fire more than once?

How do you stop your child from burning you, your other children, or himself? 

How do you put out a fire?

You pour water on it. 

You use whatever water is nearby. Over and over for as many times as he ignites himself. 

That was Rei’s job as Touya’s mother. When he was upset and burst into flames, she said it herself: “We have to cool him down!” 

So when Shouto overheard her talking to her mother in his flashback, what he understood was that he was being compared to Endeavor and his mother couldn’t stand to raise him anymore. 

But what did Rei see? Who?

She saw Touya as he was when his hair was still turning white. Her baby boy, Touya, overhearing her compare the children to him and rejecting him. Saying she shouldn’t be the one to raise Touya because she can’t help him when she can clearly see he needs help. And in that state of extreme stress, she thought Touya had come to lash out again. 

So she grabbed the water she had on hand and poured. 

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This chapter is incredibly revealing and just the title card itself seems to point in this direction. 

“That’s why I’m here.” Rei is stepping up again to put out a fire. This time hopefully the right way. 

Enji was a terrible father, but not just for the reasons we believed we knew. He never let go of his vision and expected Touya to give up for the same reasons he did. Endeavor pushed Shouto to succeed not only for his vision but also to save the life of Touya whose drive he couldn’t understand. He was and is an extremely flawed and desperate man. 

Rei hurt Shouto, but not because he reminded her of Endeavor. She was scrambling to put out Touya’s flames, trying to do what she could with what little support, mental stability, and options she believed she had available. Pushed to the brink, she slipped up and mistook Shouto for Touya. 

Enji and Rei are both incredibly well-written flawed parents. We’re only now seeing the fuller picture.  

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This is in part a continuation and expansion of this post. 

This post is based on my real-time realization discussion on the Toshinoumu discord manga chat page. If you want to read the Toshinoumu AU/ “I Am…” Series, check out our @toshinoumu blog for more information. 

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Additional fun/sad fact courtesy of @aoimikans​: Rei’s favorite flower is a blue lily. Lily roots and bulbs have been used for medicinal purposes. They were boiled into teas to treat stomach disorders, fevers, and assist women in labor. They have also been used topically to treat sores and burns. The essential oil is used to help treat depression. 

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ALSO I SEE YOU DOCTOR YOU CAN’T HIDE! 

[talinaprime]

@swiftwidget

I have more fuel for your theory. Rei never makes eye contact with Enji during any of the flashbacks until we finally arrive at the end of the chapter. Rei seems to avoid really acknowledging Enji, she situation, or things that remind her of Enji. Touya looks like Enji, therefore she doesn't look at him. Fuyumi and Natsou are different enough, they're fine, but I dont recall Rei ever making eye contact with Shouto until after the Sports Festival.

Chapter 301 provides a lot of context and seems to start as a Touya flashback, but eventually becoming a Rei flashback, becoming more disjointed as the reader tries to decipher what's going on as both Rei and Touya are mentally ill, getting worse with time, but while Rei avoids her conflicts, Touya is a fighter.

TLDR Enji, Rei, and Touya should have been seeing therapists since the beginning to get the mental health they all needed. But seeing Rei standing strong and making eye contact is telling to me of how far she's come.

[talinaprime]

Fireteam Birds! Fireteam Birds!

Look if Saint-14 doesn't know about Crow's past life as told by Osiris I'd be shocked. Crow mutters in the HELM that he should talk to Saint about Titan recruits. So he's met Saint.

Osiris took him clothes shopping. He and Glint helped make Crow his new digs.

Finally, Crow mutters about wanting a fireteam. He's probably imagining being on The Guardian's fireteam. But listen.

Crow's been adopted by Osiris in all but aloud, similar to how O14 was declared canon only recently but we knew for a whole year that there was more to it.

I want Bird Dads and Fireteam Birds Are Go, okay?