So Y’all Have Seen Multiple Posts On Aot (attack On Titan/ Shingeki No Kyojin) Is Trash. Or More Precisely

Fighting Words

Attack

Advance, assail, assault, beset, charge, drive, foray, hurtle, launch, lunge, maul, press forward, push, rush, storm, surge

Break

Blast, breach, carve, cleave, cleft, crack, cripple, crunch, demolish, destroy, disable, disfigure, disintegrate, divide, fragment, impair, mangle, mar, perforate, pulverize, rend, rift, ruin, rupture, sever, shatter, snap, splinter, split, wreck

Enter

Access, barge in, barrel in, horn in, infiltrate, intrude, invade, penetrate

Explode

Blow up, bomb, burst, detonate, erupt, fragment, go off, ignite

Fall

Collapse, descend, dive, drop, fall prone, header, lapse, plummet, plunge, slip, slump, sprawl, topple, trip, tumble

Fast

Agile, electric, fleet, hasty, nimble, quick, rapid, speedy, swift

Grab

capture, catch, clasp, grasp, grip, latch on to, nab, seize, snag, snatch, take

Hit

Bat, batter, bash, blow, bludgeon, box, buffet, bust, chop, clobber, clout, cuff, flail, hammer, haymaker, jab, knock, lash, paste, pummel, punch, rabbit punch, slap, slug, smash, sock, strike, swat, swipe, thrash, thump, uppercut, wallop

Jump

Bounce, bound, hop, jerk, jolt, leap, pounce, rise, skip, spring

Kill

Annihilate, behead, dispatch, eliminate, eradicate, erase, execute, exterminate, extirpate, finish, immolate, liquidate, massacre, murder, neutralize, obliterate, purge, slaughter, slay, snuff, terminate, waste

Run

Bolt, dart, dash, escape, flee, gallop, hurry, lope, pace, scramble, race, rush, sprint, whisk

Scream

Bark, bellow, call, cry, holler, howl, roar, screech, shout, shriek, wail, yell, yelp

Shoot

Blast, fire at, gun, open fire, nail, pick off, plug, pop, pull the trigger, salvo

Stab

Cut, gash, gouge, hack, hew, impale, incise, lacerate, pierce, prick, puncture, slash, slice, stick, thrust

Stop

Avert, bar, block, cease, check, defend, deflect, fend off, guard, halt, hold off, keep at bay, lull, obstruct, parry, push back, prevent, rebuff, repel, repulse, resist, shield, stave off, stun, ward off

Throw

Cast, catapult, chuck, eject, fire, fling, hurl, launch, lob, pelt, pepper, pitch, project, propel, shoot, shower, sling, spray, strew, toss

Other

Accelerate, ambush, barrage, barricade, beat, bombard, buck, bushwhack, brandish, careen, clash, cleave, clench, clip, collide, crash, crawl, creep, crush, damage, dance, disappear, dodge, emit, exhaust, expel, fence, fly, freeze, frenzy, glance, grapple, grind, hasten, heave, hem in, hook, leave, lift, lurch, maneuver, net, onslaught, overtake, overwhelm, provoke, pursue, push, rally, reach, recoil, regress, retreat, rigor, rive, scatter, shove, shrivel, slip away, smatter, splatter, step, strain, stretch, strive, stroke, struggle, suppress, swerve, swing, swish, swoop, thrash, twirl, upset, urgent, vanish, vanquish, volley, waylay, wield, wither, wrestle, yield

How to escape after being buried alive in a coffin.

It could happen to anyone. People bury a person alive to scare them or to get rid of them. In this situation, rely only on yourself.

Do not waste oxygen. In a classic coffin there’s only enough oxygen for about an hour, maybe two. Inhale deeply, exhale very slowly. Once inhaled - do not swallow, or you will start to hyperventilate. Do not light up lighters or matches, they will waste oxygen. Using a flashlight is allowed. Screaming increases anxiety, which causes increased heartbeat and therefore - waste of oxygen. So don’t scream.

Shake up the lid with your hands. In some cheap low-quality coffins you will be able to even make a hole (with an engagement ring or a belt buckle.)

Cross your arms over your chest, holding onto your shoulders with your hands, and pull the shirt off upward. Tie it in a knot above your head, like so: This will prevent you from suffocating when the dirt falls on your face. 

Kick the lid with your legs. In some cheap coffins the lid is broken or damaged already after being buried, due to the weight of the ground above it. 

As soon as the lid breaks, throw and move the dirt that falls through in the direction of your feet. When it takes up a lot of space, try pressing the ground to the sides of the coffin with your legs and feet. Move around a bit. 

Whatever you do - your main goal is to sit up: dirt will fill up the empty space and move to your advantage, so no matter what - do not stop and try breathing steadily and calmly. 

Get up. Remember: the dirt in the grave is very loose, so battling your way up will be easier than it seems. It’s the other way around during a rainy weather however, since water makes dirt heavy and sticky. 

123 Ideas for Character Flaws

Character Flaws

Absent-minded - Preoccupied to the extent of being unaware of one’s immediate surroundings. Abstracted, daydreaming, inattentive, oblivious, forgetful.

Abusive - Characterized by improper infliction of physical or psychological maltreatment towards another.

Addict - One who is addicted to a compulsive activity. Examples: gambling, drugs, sex.

Aimless - Devoid of direction or purpose.

Alcoholic - A person who drinks alcoholic substances habitually and to excess.

Anxious - Full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear of danger or misfortune; greatly worried; solicitous.

Arrogant - Having or displaying a sense of overbearing self-worth or self-importance. Inclined to social exclusiveness and who rebuff the advances of people considered inferior. Snobbish.

Audacious - Recklessly bold in defiance of convention, propriety, law, or the like; insolent; braze, disobedient.

Bad Habit - A revolting personal habit. Examples: picks nose, spits tobacco, drools, bad body odour.

Bigmouth - A loud-mouthed or gossipy person.

Bigot - One who is strongly partial to one’s own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ.

Blunt - Characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion. Frank, callous, insensitive, brusque.

Bold - In a bad sense, too forward; taking undue liberties; over assuming or confident; lacking proper modesty or restraint; rude; impudent. Abrupt, brazen, cheeky, brassy, audacious.

Callous - They are hardened to emotions, rarely showing any form of it in expression. Unfeeling. Cold.

Childish - Marked by or indicating a lack of maturity; puerile.

Complex - An exaggerated or obsessive concern or fear. (List specific complex.)

Cruel - Mean to anyone or anything, without care or regard to consequences and feelings.

Cursed - A person who has befallen a prayer for evil or misfortune, placed under a spell, or borne into an evil circumstance, and suffers for it. Damned.

Dependent - Unable to exist, sustain oneself, or act appropriately or normally without the assistance or direction of another.

Deranged - Mentally decayed. Insane. Crazy. Mad. Psychotic.

Dishonest – Given to or using fraud, cheating; deceitful, deceptive, crooked, underhanded.

Disloyal - Lacking loyalty. Unfaithful, perfidious, traitorous, treasonable

Disorder - An ailment that affects the function of mind or body. (List the disorders name if they have one.) See the Mental Disorder List.

Disturbed - Showing some or a few signs or symptoms of mental or emotional illness. Confused, disordered, neurotic, troubled.

Dubious - Fraught with uncertainty or doubt. Undecided, doubtful, unsure.

Dyslexic - Affected by dyslexia, a learning disorder marked by impairment of the ability to recognize and comprehend written words.

Egotistical - Characteristic of those having an inflated idea of their own importance. Boastful, pompous.

Envious - Showing extreme cupidity; painfully desirous of another’s advantages; covetous, jealous.

Erratic - Deviating from the customary course in conduct or opinion; eccentric: erratic behaviour. Eccentric, bizarre, outlandish, strange.

Fanatical - Fanatic outlook or behaviour especially as exhibited by excessive enthusiasm, unreasoning zeal, or wild and extravagant notions on some subject.

Fickle – Erratic, changeable, unstable - especially with regard to affections or attachments; capricious.

Fierce - Marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions; inclined to react violently; fervid.

Finicky - Excessively particular or fastidious; difficult to please; fussy. Too much concerned with detail. Meticulous, fastidious, choosy, critical, picky, prissy, pernickety.

Fixated - In psychoanalytic theory, a strong attachment to a person or thing, especially such an attachment formed in childhood or infancy and manifested in immature or neurotic behaviour that persists throughout life. Fetish, quirk, obsession, infatuation.

Flirt -To make playfully romantic or sexual overtures; behaviour intended to arouse sexual interest. Minx. Tease.

Gluttonous - Given to excess in consumption of especially food or drink. Voracious, ravenous, wolfish, piggish, insatiable.

Gruff - Brusque or stern in manner or appearance. Crusty, rough, surly.

Gullible - Will believe any information given, regardless of how valid or truthful it is, easily deceived or duped.

Hard - A person who is difficult to deal with, manage, control, overcome, or understand. Hard emotions, hard hearted.

Hedonistic - Pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, especially to the pleasures of the senses.

Hoity-toity- Given to flights of fancy; capricious; frivolous. Prone to giddy behaviour, flighty.

Humourless - The inability to find humour in things, and most certainly in themselves.

Hypocritical - One who is always contradicting their own beliefs, actions or sayings. A person who professes beliefs and opinions for others that he does not hold. Being a hypocrite.

Idealist - One whose conduct is influenced by ideals that often conflict with practical considerations. One who is unrealistic and impractical, guided more by ideals than by practical considerations.

Idiotic - Marked by a lack of intelligence or care; foolish or careless.

Ignorant - Lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact. Showing or arising from a lack of education or knowledge.

Illiterate - Unable to read and write.

Immature - Emotionally undeveloped; juvenile; childish.

Impatient - Unable to wait patiently or tolerate delay; restless. Unable to endure irritation or opposition; intolerant.

Impious - Lacking piety and reverence for a god/gods and their followers.

Impish - Naughtily or annoyingly playful.

Incompetent - Unable to execute tasks, no matter how the size or difficulty.

Indecisive - Characterized by lack of decision and firmness, especially under pressure.

Indifferent - The trait of lacking enthusiasm for or interest in things generally, remaining calm and seeming not to care; a casual lack of concern. Having or showing little or no interest in anything; languid; spiritless.

Infamy - Having an extremely bad reputation, public reproach, or strong condemnation as the result of a shameful, criminal, or outrageous act that affects how others view them.

Intolerant - Unwilling to tolerate difference of opinion and narrow-minded about cherished opinions.

Judgemental - Inclined to make and form judgements, especially moral or personal ones, based on one’s own opinions or impressions towards others/practices/groups/religions based on appearance, reputation, occupation, etc.

Klutz - Clumsy. Blunderer.

Lazy - Resistant to work or exertion; disposed to idleness.

Lewd - Inclined to, characterized by, or inciting to lust or lechery; lascivious. Obscene or indecent, as language or songs; salacious.

Liar - Compulsively and purposefully tells false truths more often than not. A person who has lied or who lies repeatedly.

Lustful - Driven by lust; preoccupied with or exhibiting lustful desires.

Masochist - The deriving of sexual gratification, or the tendency to derive sexual gratification, from being physically or emotionally abused. A willingness or tendency to subject oneself to unpleasant or trying experiences.

Meddlesome - Intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner, given to meddling; interfering.

Meek - Evidencing little spirit or courage; overly submissive or compliant; humble in spirit or manner; suggesting retiring mildness or even cowed submissiveness.

Megalomaniac - A psycho pathological condition characterized by delusional fantasies of wealth, power, or omnipotence.

Naïve - Lacking worldly experience and understanding, simple and guileless; showing or characterized by a lack of sophistication and critical judgement.

Nervous - Easily agitated or distressed; high-strung or jumpy.

Non-violent - Abstaining from the use of violence. 

Nosey - Given to prying into the affairs of others; snoopy. Offensively curious or inquisitive.

Obsessive - An unhealthy and compulsive preoccupation with something or someone.

Oppressor - A person of authority who subjects others to undue pressures, to keep down by severe and unjust use of force or authority.

Overambitious - Having a strong excessive desire for success or achievement.

Overconfident - Excessively confident; presumptuous.

Overemotional - Excessively or abnormally emotional. Sensitive about themselves and others, more so than the average person.

Overprotective - To protect too much; coddle.

Overzealous - Marked by excessive enthusiasm for and intense devotion to a cause or idea.

Pacifist - Opposition to war or violence as a means of resolving disputes. (Can double as a merit in certain cases)

Paranoid - Exhibiting or characterized by extreme and irrational fear or distrust of others.

Peevish - Expressing fretfulness and discontent, or unjustifiable dissatisfaction. Cantankerous, cross, ill-tempered, testy, captious, discontented, crotchety, cranky, ornery.

Perfectionist - A propensity for being displeased with anything that is not perfect or does not meet extremely high standards.

Pessimist - A tendency to stress the negative or unfavourable or to take the gloomiest possible view.

Pest - One that pesters or annoys, with or without realizing it. Nuisance. Annoying. Nag.

Phobic – They have a severe form of fear when it comes to this one thing. Examples: Dark, Spiders, Cats 

Practical - Level-headed, efficient, and unspeculative. No-nonsense. 

Predictable - Easily seen through and assessable, where almost anyone can predict reactions and actions of said person by having met or known them even for a short time.

Proud - Filled with or showing excessive self-esteem and will often shirk help from others for the sake of pride.

Rebellious - Defying or resisting some established authority, government, or tradition; insubordinate; inclined to rebel.

Reckless - Heedless. Headstrong. Foolhardy. Unthinking boldness, wild carelessness and disregard for consequences.

Remorseless - Without remorse; merciless; pitiless; relentless.

Rigorous - Rigidly accurate; allowing no deviation from a standard; demanding strict attention to rules and procedures.

Sadist - The deriving of sexual gratification or the tendency to derive sexual gratification from inflicting pain or emotional abuse on others. Deriving of pleasure, or the tendency to derive pleasure, from cruelty.

Sadomasochist - Both sadist and masochist combined.

Sarcastic - A subtle form of mockery in which an intended meaning is conveyed obliquely.

Sceptic - One who instinctively or habitually doubts, questions, or disagrees with assertions or generally accepted conclusions.

Seducer - To lead others astray, as from duty, rectitude, or the like; corrupt. To attempt to lead or draw someone away, as from principles, faith, or allegiance.

Selfish - Concerned chiefly or only with oneself.

Self-Martyr - One who purposely makes a great show of suffering in order to arouse sympathy from others, as a form of manipulation, and always for a selfish cause or reason.

Self-righteous - Piously sure of one’s own righteousness; moralistic. Exhibiting pious self-assurance. Holier-than-thou, sanctimonious.

Senile - Showing a decline or deterioration of physical strength or mental functioning, esp. short-term memory and alertness, as a result of old age or disease.

Shallow - Lacking depth of intellect or knowledge; concerned only with what is obvious.

Smart Ass - Thinks they know it all, and in some ways they may, but they can be greatly annoying and difficult to deal with at times, especially in arguments.

Soft-hearted - Having softness or tenderness of heart that can lead them into trouble; susceptible of pity or other kindly affection. They cannot resist helping someone they see in trouble, suffering or in need, and often don’t think of the repercussions or situation before doing so.

Solemn - Deeply earnest, serious, and sober.

Spineless - Lacking courage. Cowardly, wimp, lily-livered, gutless.

Spiteful - Showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt; motivated by spite; vindictive person who will look for occasions for resentment. Vengeful.

Spoiled - Treated with excessive indulgence and pampering from earliest childhood, and has no notion of hard work, self-care or money management; coddled, pampered. Having the character or disposition harmed by pampering or over-solicitous attention.

Squeamish - Excessively fastidious and easily disgusted.

Stubborn - Unreasonably, often perversely unyielding; bull-headed. Firmly resolved or determined; resolute.

Superstitious - An irrational belief arising from ignorance or fear from an irrational belief that an object, action, or circumstance not logically related to a course of events influences its outcome.

Tactless - Lacking or showing a lack of what is fitting and considerate in dealing with others.

Temperamental - Moody, irritable, or sensitive. Excitable, volatile, emotional.

Theatrical - Having a flair for over dramatizing situations, doing things in a ‘big way’ and love to be ‘centre stage’.

Timid -Tends to be shy and/or quiet, shrinking away from offering opinions or from strangers and newcomers, fearing confrontations and violence.

Tongue-tied - Speechless or confused in expression, as from shyness, embarrassment, or astonishment.

Troublemaker - Someone who deliberately stirs up trouble, intentionally or unintentionally.

Unlucky - Marked by or causing misfortune; ill-fated. Destined for misfortune; doomed.

Unpredictable - Difficult to foretell or foresee, their actions are so chaotic it’s impossible to know what they are going to do next.

Untrustworthy - Not worthy of trust or belief. Backstabber.

Vain - Holding or characterized by an unduly high opinion of their physical appearance. Lovers of themselves. Conceited, egotistic, narcissistic.

Weak-willed - Lacking willpower, strength of will to carry out one’s decisions, wishes, or plans. Easily swayed.

Withdrawn - Not friendly or Sociable. Aloof.

Zealous - A fanatic.

From The Character Therapist

How I Teach Men Not To Talk Over Me: from one feminist to another, when basic respect is lagging and conversations are impossible

I’ve done this to several men, and they catch on rather quickly. You’ll be able to have a conversation right then and there, and it works long term too - they might’ve forgot their manners by the time you talk to them again, but by repeating this, they’ll eventually learn to let you talk without you having to do this at the start of every convo. Source: I have a very stubborn older brother, who eventually learned too.

1. When they interrupt you, stop talking. Don’t try to raise your voice or battle them. Be completely quiet and wait.

2. Ignore everything they’re saying. Do not actually listen - just wait until they shut up. Don’t make a point of anything they say, do not answer to anything they say, do not refer to anything they say here. Literally do not listen a single word. Let them rant as long as they want.

3. When they finally shut up and wait for your reaction, say: ”I wasn’t done talking.”

4. Start over whatever you were saying when they interrupted you. I don’t care if it was a 10-minute explanation of rocket science. Start. Over. Repeat you original thought, but do not add anything related to what they just said while talking over you. That gives them the idea that it’s okay to interrupt you, you’ll still listen and pay attention and they’ll get their point clear without having to listen to yours. (It’s especially funny when you get done and they expect you to keep going talking about whatever they talked over you. The face when it sinks in that you didn’t listen a single word is glorious.)

5. If they interrupt you again, return to step 1. If you find yourself repeating the cycle over 3 times, tell them: ”you’re not letting me speak. Either you listen and wait for your turn, or our conversation ends here.” If they try to make excuses, laugh it off or keep interrupting, end the conversation. Prove them that if they wont let you speak, they’re not worth your time.

Why does this work? First, because sometimes talking over is internalized and men don’t actually notice they’re doing it. Being vocally called out makes them realize it and pay attention to it - especially if it happens more than once. Secondly, by refusing to aknowledge anything they say when they interrupt you, they’ll soon realize they will not get their own point across if they keep doing that. Peoole and especially men have the need to be heard and paid attention to when they talk - when you make it clear that by talking over you, they will not have your attention, they’ll learn to wait until you’re done, because they know that’s when you will be paying attention and actually listening.

Go my darlings. Have some actual conversations where your point of view is just as valid as his. Demand the basic respect of being heard. You can actually have some interesting conversations with men when they’re forced to listen too, when being louder is not going to make them feel like they’re dominating the conversation or winning the argument.

we’ve all seen this idris elba gifset right

bonus:

levi hates dad jokes

Gabe: Dad, can you pass the salt

*David and Javi both reach for it*

Gabe: *Takes salt from Javi* thanks Javi, sorry dad

David: * Holding back tears* It’s fine

Isayama shares a sketch of Game of Thrones’ Davos Seaworth!

ETA: Isayama has added a sketch of Jorah Mormont in another new post!

In his blog post accompanying this sketch, Isayama states that he binge watched (All six seasons in three weeks) Game of Thrones as he drew the manuscript for SnK Chapter 88, which will be officially published on December 9th in Bessatsu Shonen’s January 2017 issue. He also notes that the show has influenced some of the story construction of SnK, though he did not go into specific details as to what parts exactly (Thanks @suniuz for the summary!).

ETA #2: Bessatsu Shonen staff have shared an image of GoT’s Japanese Blu-Ray alongside Isayama’s calligraphy of the well-known GoT quote “What is Dead May Never Die” in Japanese, as well as his signature chibi Mikasa recommending the show!

ETA #3 (December 28th, 2016): Isayama shares one more sketch in his last blog post of 2016, saying that he “tried to draw Tyrion, but this is not Tyrion.”

Hello! I was wondering if it was okay to request relationship headcanons for Armin? Thank you in advance <3

Hello hello, thank you for your request! I accept any and all requests so yes, of course! Thanks for your patience, and I hope I did him well. This being my first attempt at an snk character here. Enjoy~

When Armin has a crush on someone, he tends to be a little more quiet when he’s around them in order to figure out as much about them as possible.

That and he didn’t want to say anything too crazy that would likely run you off. It seemed like the best strategy. He wouldn’t be mute per se, he would just dial down a little. It was great, so far, since —

He would learn more about you.

You would remain oblivious to his morally grey opinions.

He would be a good listener in your eyes. A safe place.

It was a total win-win-win if you asked him.

Unfortunately, while he’s busy concentrating all his efforts into winning you over and proving he was a good fit for you, he didn’t factor in certain people around him.

People like Eren.

“Why do you get so quiet around [Name]?”

Armin chokes on his soup, eyes widened in horror at Eren’s lack of tact, especially since you were sitting right there.

“W-w-what do you mean Eren?!” He mumbles softly, a panicked smile twitching on his face. “There isn’t anything going on!”

Eren blinks at Mikasa. “Hey, Mikasa, don’t you think so too?”

Mikasa, having secretly known about Armin’s crush on you, kindly shuts down the whole ordeal before you started to catch on.

“Eat your food before it gets cold, Eren.”

Armin shoots her a grateful look.

Since Eren was one of the biggest influencers of their group, it wasn’t long before the rest of them began to tease Armin about his crush on you, despite Eren still not figuring out what was going on.

Now that too many people knew, and it wouldn’t be long before you’d hear of it in passing, Armin decides you need to hear if from him first.

He doesn’t like how his days of admiring you from afar are over, but he couldn’t contain the excitement of finally knowing. He tells himself he doesn’t fear rejection, and that he doesn’t really deserve someone like you; equipping himself with that, he’s ready to approach you.

It was during one of your frequent chats that he confessed.

“I don’t know if you’ve heard about this yet but I’m in love with you.” Armin says with a serious expression.

“…. Huh?”

His expression falls. “Um, uh, was that a bit too forward? Or did you not hear what I said? I, uh,” his eyes dart around the room, as if what he wanted to say was hiding somewhere. “Ah, you know what, I’m sorry. Let’s just forget this happened, I’m sorry.”

“Armin.”

“Yes?”

“I’m going to kiss you.” You warn in a fit of giggles.

“Wait, WHA-”

To this day, you never lose an opportunity to remind him of the cute noise he made when you kissed him.

Or the even cuter noise when you told him you loved him too.

Your relationship with Armin was calm and secure. You knew this would be a lifelong commitment, however long your lives may be.

He wasn’t afraid to talk to you more, to tell you about his less than noble opinions, and he was reassured whenever you’d support him any chance you got.

The emotional bond is strong because he’d taken the time to get to know every facet of you, and you embraced every facet of him.

Intimacy though was a bit of a grey area. Armin would be nervously careful when it came to kissing the first time around, and then nervously aggressive when he’d ask to try again. It was really endearing though.

You’d have to lead first, but then he’d always snatch the reigns and finish it each time.

As soldiers, your duty was to serve the crown and protect humanity from extinction. Everyone had their own goals and agendas, but inevitably they’d have to fall in line.

Armin didn’t like you being caught up in this, but he didn’t want you away from him either. For someone as decisive as him, he’s really torn when it comes to you.

It takes time and a whole lot of it too until he’s comfortable with it.

You two don’t really go on dates given where you are in life, and it didn’t really matter to either of you since you’d already spend as much downtime together as possible.

He’d fuss over you though in the most overbearingly non-overbearing way.

If he’d have disagreements or arguements with you, he’d seek out his friends for advice, but not really follow their advice.

Eren would always say “Talk about it and don’t hold back”, and Mikasa would range between letting you be, and to just be there by your side. Sometimes he’d follow Mikasa’s advice, but usually, he’d just wanted to talk to them to vent.

He sees you in his future though. He doesn’t know what’s in store for him and you, the Survey Corps, humanity even, but he does know one thing — he’d want to explore the world with you too.

How was it? Sweet? Drab? Missing something? Great?

Let me know what you think!

I take requests for Attack On Titan, Boku No Hero Academia, and Naruto.

It came out a bit short (in my standards) because in the snk-verse, they don’t seem to have a future. Thanks, Isayama.

Connected by time and tide

Not a new theory since many have already theorized about the meaning of Native Americans and their culture and what it has to do with this story. What we know is that Native American culture is brought up very often by Ms. Grant, we have a totem pole right behind our dormitory, there are Hopi prophecies and references to animals and spirit guides left right and center.

What is interesting is the connection between Native American history around Arcadia Bay, the town and its wealthiest and most powerful family – The Prescotts.

The Prescotts are currently building a huge estate complex in the forest behind Blackwell, and as we know from Ms. Grant, the area around Arcadia Bay once used to be peacefully shared between Native Americans and the pioneers that colonialized this place. Without fear or violence, she says they found a mutual symbiosis and thrived together. Which is far from is happening in Arcadia Bay right now.

Everyone in Arcadia Bay knows that the Prescotts are nothing but trouble and the game emphasizes that many want to leave the town. It also tells that Prescotts own pretty much everything the light touches. The people are no longer in peace and thriving – they are either owned by the Prescotts or want to leave because the town no longer offers them jobs or safety. The homeless woman says that “[the good] days are dead, like anything in [Prescotts’] way” and Kate says that “There’s something evil about the Prescotts (…) Something to do with death”.

The Prescotts have stirred the peace and Arcadia Bay decided it was time to stop that. Indeed, Arcadia Bay may be – as few already noted – referred to as a sentient being. Samuel does this a lot when you talk to him throughout the week.

Samuel is one of those I believe has a connection to the world around him. He seems to almost communicate with the fauna around Blackwell, and in his mysterious sounding way tells Max things about Arcadia Bay and her powers. Yes, Samuel doesn’t explicitly know about Max’s powers, but I believe he does know about Arcadia Bay wanting to fight back.

He buries the birds that died near the Tobanga and does so by creating a cairn above them. “We’ll find out if the souls of the birds move on” he says, “Unless it’s fate…Then it doesn’t matter”. The same kind of cairn has been seen by the cliff at the end of Chrysalis, where Max has no idea when and why it was built. I am assuming Samuel has something to do with it, but what – or who – lays buried there is a mystery. Since he tells Max to stay on her path, that she’ll find what she’s looking for and that “Rachel is waiting too”, it seems like he knows Rachel is gone – like he seems to be waiting to know if the spirits of the buried birds have moved on. He just doesn’t know anything else.

Samuel is also the person who confirms that the Doe is Max’s spirit animal. “Could be a sign of your destiny” – Max’s destiny was to find Rachel and find out what happened to her and the other girls. In Dark Room, Max proceeds to ask Samuel whether he thinks we all have a destiny, to which he replies that yes, we do, “in many different timelines”. He says that Kate believed something different, but simply needed more helpful spirits like Max. Rachel is Max’s helpful spirit. After her passing, she took the form of Max’s spirit animal to guide her to the truth. Only Max could see her, and she has been guiding Max all along throughout the game.

When Max calls herself powerless, Samuel states that she is the opposite of Max. He always tells her to keep prying - to keep doing what she is doing – and warns her not to get stuck in the Vortex Club. He doesn’t believe anything ever ends, “especially time”.

Samuel senses something bigger is coming to Arcadia Bay and he doesn’t like it at all. As we can recall from earlier, he said Max and Arcadia Bay “are connected by time and tide”.

The Prescotts are disrupting the peace and quiet of Arcadia Bay and it is trying to fight back. That’s why Max has gotten her powers – think of it not as a curse but as a gift of power. Some historians claim that different Native American tribes living in places where tornadoes happened often had “an ability to turn or reroute storms away from people in their path” and that “such a person with the right knowledge or personal power could do this”.

Some Native Americans know when a tornado will strike, because nature and the land around them talks. They simply have to listen. That way, they can warn their people in time. Native American elders say that “Tornadoes are not evil; they reset the balance in nature”.

The Prescotts tipped this balance and unbalance is what rules Arcadia Bay right now. To cleanse the land once ruled by peace, it is spawning a tornado to do so. The land has been talking, with weather changes, animals acting out of it, dying. In alternate timeline, the tornado was still going to happen, but Max didn’t receive her powers because she never triggered them. She never tore a photo, she never had the need to save Chloe that day – she was partying with her enemies from the other timeline. The tornado is happening because the Prescotts are in power and dark things are taking place in Arcaida Bay  - but in the original timeline, we have the means to help people and maybe, just maybe, tip the scales back without the need for a tornado.

Max received her powers to alter time and – what I believe – warn the people around her. We know that she got her power after ripping the photo she was supposed to hand in to Jefferson and that saving beings doesn’t alter anything. She can use her power to alter a blue jay’s destiny – saving it, she lets it live and later, the bird has made a nest, laid eggs – new life is starting thanks to Max.

The spirits guide her, the land grants her power to make a difference – tip back the scales or let the tornado cleanse it all. If Max can find a way to bust the Prescotts (and Jefferson with them since he is connected to Sean), the tornado may hopefully be prevented and the land will heal thanks to her.

If we instead choose to let the tornado happen, the land will be cleansed from what caused the unbalance and it will make way for people to start anew – which won’t come without a cost of wiping off the town.

P.S.: Many wonder how Chloe is tied in to the two choices we’re forced to choose from. I believe that if we let the tornado do its cause, Chloe will live and we will leave Arcadia Bay together with her. If we – and thus Max – find out a way of busting Sean Prescott and/or Jefferson through the events of Polarized, we may use this to go back to the start. If this means we need to let Nathan shoot someone – be it Max or Chloe – in order for the cascade of events to lead to Prescotts and Jefferson’s demise, then someone will get injured and possibly die. That someone can be Chloe.

It will be up to us – as Max – to choose how we want to deal with the bad guys. Both things come at a cost – so choose wisely.