#// *even if i post gaming clips but WE'RE WORKING ON IT

[monmuses]

QUICK LITTLE UPDATE BEFORE I FORGET!! BUT!! I LEAVE FOR COLLEGE IN ONE WEEK!!

this is important because i will be doing a couple of things before the new year. one big thing is a NEW INBOX! i will wipe every ask i have left over once im done with replying to asks. which means, i will reply to as MANY asks as i can while i work & pack my things.

second thing is NEW SCHEDULE!! classes are set and im gonna try to land a part-time job but i will be somewhat busy with classes as i will make that my main focus. BUT! my queue will start back up when i officially start college on the 8th of January!

it's gonna be a new start and its hopefully gonna be MUCH better than last year. i promise nobody is gonna be left behind in my replies or asks nor will i dip anytime soon, but im slowly figuring shit out and will be doing replies as often as i did for this year.

anyways i love yall and hopefully we'll kickstart 2025 to a much smoother and exciting start. :)

[xxplastic-cubexx]

this cliff took more lives than i could on my own im losing it

[crushh-existz]

Streamer Ellie HCs

Warnings: lower case intended..., NOT proofread at all..., its actually so shit so shh

-loser!ellie who made it through freshman and sophmore year of being a complete loner other than Jesse and Dina keeping her company but even then, she had absolutely no classes with them after freshman year.

-loser!ellie mid sophmore year she got bored and streamed her playing filled fortnite squads (it took her 4 hours trying to set it up with the most grainy ass camera she could find from joel that he used when he worked in customer service. she also got 10 views MAX!!)

-loser!ellie she looked back at the footage after school one day and her ass went onto capcut and put the most stupidest clips she could find of herself and posted it on one of her many alt accounts on tiktok.

after rewatching that bitch at least 20 times and giggling her ass off, she went to bed swaddled in her dino sheets

she didn't even realize she had fallen asleep at around 2 am and woke up super late, forgetting her phone at home

-loser!ellie had to sit through all her classes bored as FUCKK without her brawl stars to get through her boring classes (dont ask it was the stupidest mobile game i could think of and idk anything abt it) and the only game that wasn't locked away by GoGuardian was slope.io (her highscore is 23)

-loser!ellie went about her day as jolly as one who is drowning in assignments could be. she hung out with jesse and dina at lunch and surviving her last two periods before walking home humming her favorite songs pretending she has her phone and wired headphones (that most definately need to be retired after 6 years of torture, half of which were from joel using them)

once she actually got home, kicking off her butchered converse onto her bedroom floor as she flopped onto her bed

-loser!ellie finally got to open her phone to browse through her notifications and streaks dina for some reason made her keep, she noticed a fat chunk of them being from tiktok

at first she thought it was just jesse getting home early and sending her posts but it was actually from her stupid capcut video (she didnt even remove the watermark at the end)

her video for some reason blew up.. she literally flew up to sit on her bed scrolling through all the comments.

"wait why r u actually funny"

"mind you this is my first impression of u"

"why is ur camera quality worse than my dead grandmas health.."

"in my mind we're actually bestfriends come out im in ur closet."

of course among that, theres also random hate comments like

"this pmo" and petty shit like that.

she giggled by replying to them with the most stupidest things

@/player222schesticals im js a natural arent i

@/user283678383257819 i hope it lasts

@/therealauthormorgan911 erm tell her dust i said hi

@/divaa283628 how'd u know i was a scissor sister dafauq

-streamer!ellie immediatly after she called dina "DUDE IM FLIPPING FAMOUS"

dina thought she was high off her ass and told her yeah right before hanging up on her ass.

ellie then proceeded to send a link to her alt and dina was actually blown away

"woah els.. you should pay me to be your manager."

-streamer!ellie laughed in her face (she asked dina to manage her shit a week later)

-loser!ellie's following grew and she branched her gaming to other things, mostly shorter story games that she finds off steam for 1 cent. every so often the game is actually really good with life changing plot (ellie's bawling by the end of it)

obviously she still plays stupid shooter games like fortnite and OW but she's too scared to touch COD (too many sweats she says)

-streamer!ellie absolutely LOVES to troll on GTA with Jesse it's literally her favorite thing to do EVERRR!!! the public js eats it up like candy, putting her in comps whenever she would accidently blow herself up or something (again dont know anything about this game at ALLL!!!)

-loser!ellie absolutely loves scowering tiktok for stupid little edits of herself and saving them all

she's quite cocky behind the screen and loves interacting w/ her community online but gets so awkward when she gets recognized in public or at school for the few audio clips of her going viral (it's okay cuz dina and jesse help her through it!!)

--

A/N: okay chat these were just heehees and haahaas bro. i randomly decided to do it and I thought it was funny and lowk sat there and actually wrote w/o stopping.. tbh there was more to this but like i cringed and deleted all that but i liked it up until this point. there were probably part 2 if i figure out what to write and probably x reader version too FHEIWF anyway its fr shit but this was js for funsies ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ

[brainddeadd]

luke had a massive crush on the social media girl at umich but it was never the right time and she had graduated before he did. they lost contact a bit and he didn’t know where she ended up going so when he gets to the devils he realized she’s the social medial team there…. they finally get together

Luke Hughes had a crush. Not just any crush—the crush. Ever since his sophomore year at the University of Michigan, he'd been captivated by the girl who ran the social media for the Wolverines' hockey team. Whether she was filming behind-the-scenes clips or making witty posts about their games, she always seemed to be around, with her bright smile and camera in hand.

But it never felt like the right time. Between the chaos of school, hockey, and his nerves getting the best of him, he never made a move. Then, suddenly, she graduated. Just like that, she was gone from campus, and Luke lost track of where she went. They exchanged a few DMs, but it fizzled out quickly. Life moved on, and Luke threw himself into his hockey career.

Flash forward, and Luke had just been called up to the New Jersey Devils. The excitement of making it to the NHL was overwhelming, but it came with the expected anxiety of adjusting to a new team and city. He walked into the Devils' training facility for his first media day, feeling a little jittery, when he froze.

There she was.

Standing there, camera in hand, laughing with a few of the other media team members.

He blinked, sure he was seeing things. There was no way—no way—she was now working for the Devils.

His heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, it wasn’t the nerves of making his NHL debut that were rattling him. It was the same girl who'd haunted his thoughts since his days at UMich.

"Luke?" she called out, noticing his stare.

"Y-yeah. Hi," he stammered, feeling like a sophomore all over again.

She smiled, just as bright and warm as ever. "It's been a while! Guess we're on the same team again."

Luke swallowed, trying to hide the redness creeping up his neck. "Yeah... crazy, huh?"

From that moment on, they ran into each other constantly. Whether it was during team interviews, behind-the-scenes content shoots, or just passing in the hallway, Luke couldn't help but feel like fate had given him a second chance.

This time, he wasn’t going to let it slip through his fingers.

---

Weeks went by, and their interactions grew more frequent. They joked around during team shoots, shared stories about UMich, and slowly, the tension between them built until it was palpable. Luke couldn’t deny it any longer. He had to do something.

One evening, after a big win, the media team was finishing up their content. The locker room was clearing out, and Luke found her still editing clips from the game.

"Hey," he said, walking over, his hands tucked in his jacket pockets. "Got a minute?"

She looked up, smiling softly. "Yeah, what's up?"

He hesitated for a moment, then decided to go for it. "You know, I've had this massive crush on you since our days back at UMich. I never did anything about it back then, and I regretted it when you left. But now... we're both here. And I don't want to miss another chance."

She blinked in surprise, her eyes wide. "Luke..."

Before she could say anything else, he spoke again, his nerves finally giving way to honesty. "So, what do you think? Want to grab dinner sometime? No cameras, no media, just us?"

Her stunned expression softened into a grin, and she nodded. "I think I’d really like that."

Luke let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Finally, after all this time, it was the right moment.

[mortish-writes]

[Play Bride of Shadows for Free] [Patreon Edition]

The Patreon for Bride of Shadows is live! All that whinging yesterday and it only took a few hours for them to approve it.

What's in The Nightborn Edition?

Right now, not a lot of extra stuff apart from Night V of the Zealot route. When I started writing Bride of Shadows, my aim was to avoid paywalling the story. I know from experience that there's no better time for romantic escapism than when you don't have money. So instead of clipping Bound/Unbound modes from the free version or stopping it after x amount of nights, I opted to make a version with early releases and fan-chosen extras. Each month, we're going to have polls on things like additional tendencies, story branches, and features that will be exclusive to The Nightborn Edition. Your version will have a lot of extra choices and even a few unique story lines.

I took the liberty of adding one much-requested feature to the new edition, and that is a brand new Bound Mode which has an MFM-poly story line and an optional Valdricht only route*. In this mode, Valdricht and Serax will have a platonic maker/progeny relationship. Starting in Night VI or VII (depending on your route) Bound mode players will be able to choose whether to try to juggle the passions of both ROs, or go deep down the Valdricht rabbit hole. Or you can make two save games and do both.

This Sunday we'll have our first poll relating to some baby stuff and I'll be posting an excerpt. Apart from that, I'll be pretty hands-off for the next few days as I focus on finishing the Heretic Night V route. As soon as that is done and edited, it'll be added to The Nightborn Edition as an early release. Then we'll have some polls that will let you shape Night VI and the upcoming NSFW content. I'm dying to write the NSFW Zealot scenes.

The extra content aside, the Patreon will go a long way toward helping me to write Bride of Shadows full-time, which means more content, more quickly, for everyone.

What if I can't/don't want to subscribe to Patreon?

The Nightborn Edition will be available on Steam once the Bride of Shadows IF is complete. I don't have a date on that, it will be dependent on whether I'll be able to write full-time this year. If there is a subscription service similar to Patreon that works in your country, let me know and I'll see about setting up an account.

For everyone else, the free Bride of Shadows updates will be one week after each Patreon update. They'll still have all the content I'd initially planned, including the NSFW stuff!

I donated on Ko-Fi, can I have a free month?

You sure can! In fact, I've already sent messages to everyone who gave a Ko-Fi donation. You should have a link waiting for you that will give you one or more free months of Darksinger membership, depending on how much you donated. If the value of your free months doesn't meet or exceed the amount of your Ko-Fi donation, let me know because I may have sent you the wrong link. Likewise, if you didn't get a message, let me know. I might still use Ko-Fi in the future, either for alternate memberships or goal funding, but for the time being Patreon isn't as temperamental with payments and NSFW content so I'll be focusing on that.

I am one of the two people who donated on Itch.

First of all, you're wonderful. Second, feel free to message me for a link to a free month of the Patreon or the March Nightborn password if you aren't able to do Patreon.

The Patreon page looks so boring and plain.

I KNOW! But I'm not allowed to make it look pretty until I finish Heretic Night V and the new Elovyr map. It's a rule I made because I know I'll sink at least a full day into making it look fancy. Also, The Nightborn Edition store page is basically identical to the regular game. It's driving me insane, too, but that's gotta wait. Writing always comes first.

Final Note

Please remember that the new edition is a work-in-progress and that the extra content will be added as patrons begin voting on it. Right now, it's very similar to the free version, with only the new Zealot night and some hidden variables. The Heretic route is under construction to make some updates for the new Bound mode and will not be playable until the Heretic Night V update next week.

Thanks for reading and supporting my writing. Even if you aren't able to subscribe to Patreon, I appreciate you just following me, chatting about the story, and sharing it with others who might enjoy it. I am grateful every day to be able to write and share Bride of Shadows with you.

-Mortish

*I hear you barking. I know you want a Serax-only route. Maybe it can be a thing later. I kind of have an idea of how we can make it work. Give me some time to think it through. I don't want to promise any story routes until I know 100% that they'll work in the context of the broader plot and that they'll be satisfying.

[littleglutton]

VOICE KINK - AN AUDIO SHOWCASE

I'm going to begin posting these weekly, where I will showcase a specific Card/Date/Secret Time/Memoria with some of my favorite voice lines attached! Zayne is my main, so I will probably be working through his cards first for the time being, but I promise I will eventually get to everyone! All of the actors are incredible!

If you haven't found the time, the desire to look-up, or even just missed out on Zayne's spiciest Secret Times, I've brought you some morsels to peak your interest and hopefully even your love of Zayne's voice.

Today, we're focusing on the absolute sleeper-hit, that is, Silent Poem. I will never be over this particular secret time. Those who disagree can pry it from my cold, dead hands, and it will still live on in my memory.

I'm going to let this card ruin you all now too...

I suggest using headphones so you will also be able to hear every delicious detail! This whole card is quite suggestive, but for the love of God, the last three clips are pretty NSFW so PLEASE do not listen to this in a public environment if you're foregoing headphones!

I think I had a mini stroke when he said this.

I would also just like to preface this by saying I think Zayne has some of the best audible kisses in the game. They are JUICY.

Still alive? These next ones might just end you. I placed the MDNI banner, because these are by far the most intense parts of the card and there are definitely...noises...in the background. However, this is also officially in the game itself, which does not yet have a Mature rating, so do with that what you will.

Have you ever wondered what he sounds like when he...you know..? You can stop wondering now.

CHEEKY BOY! the levels of both playfulness and pure filth are astounding.

"Say my name." I think we have actually ascended now.

Roll call! Is everyone still in one piece? I'm definitely not!

This card RUINED ME in the best possible way. I went in completely blind when I was collecting all of these cards and was focused only on the gorgeous artwork.

Honestly, I went into this card expecting heartache, pain, and LORE. What did I get instead? Something completely unexpected and deliciously filthy. (AND YES, IT'S ALL OF THEIR CARDS, THE VISUALS SCREAM LORE BUT THE CONTENT SCREAMS "HOW IS THIS GAME NOT CONSIDERED 18+ YET?!)

As I've mentioned in my last three posts highlighting this man's sensational work through Tomorrow's Catch-22 banner, I am already this VA's biggest fan. He has my favorite voice of all the LI's (this is NOT hate, they are all PHENOMENAL and fit their characters incredibly well!)

Zayne's voice just happens to hit differently for me. It is definitely not for everyone, as clearly expressed by those who find him too stiff or monotone. And I agree, his voice is stiff. It absolutely is monotone when you first meet him and even through the first few dates and interactions you have with him. But here's the thing - it's supposed to be. He's supposed to be that stoic, unapproachable, awkward man who you really can't get a read on.

It's not as sinfully deep as Sylus', or dreamy like Xavier's. It's definitely not as playful as Rafayel's and it's not quite as charming like Caleb's.

Zayne's voice is dulcet. It's not incredibly deep, but it is pleasingly low and he speaks with an even, gentle cadence. Once you pass all the cute awkwardness of the first few dates, you start noticing it more and more. The difference becomes stark, so much so that people have even questioned if it was a different VA. But nope, same voice - just different situations and definitely different levels of intimacy!

(I also think with the OG 3 VAs, they evolved so much from all of their original content and have made these characters their own! Sylus' VA came in as a heavy-hitter from day one, he's incredible! I can listen to his voice all day. Caleb's voice is taking some time for me to really enjoy, but listening to some of his Secret Times have gotten me to fold a bit)

Zayne really hits his stride when him and MC are past that "will we, won't we" flirting phase. After that he's just an absolute menace, and his stoic voice suddenly comes alive with teasing and deadpan humor. You can hear the smiles and laughter in his voice, even if you don't always see it in his expression. And I think the VA does such a lovely job of it. He shows you that Zayne isn't cold or shy at all, and that beneath that reserve he's incredibly confident and flirty with MC.

Ok...I can go on and on and on (and I will in other posts, probably) so I'll pause here for now. Hope you had as much fun listening as I did clipping these. Hope they inspired some dreamy thoughts about our dear, big snowman and that he does indeed have some heat to him!

As always, see you in the next one.

If you have any suggestions/requests for upcoming showcases or even certain lines you want me to focus on, let me know!

[a-land-lacking-sleep]

A brief thought on the parallels of the Subway Bosses, The Tao Trio, and Warden Ingo's place

@waywardstation just made an amazing post on her thoughts of Warden Ingo's parallels to Kyurem. Nothing in the game directly connects the two, just like nothing in the game connects the Subway Bosses to the Dragons in Generation V. But the connections are still there regardless, because Game Freak made sure to fill Unova with so much symbolism.

These are the basic thoughts that connect each Man to their Dragon.

Subway Boss Ingo - Ideals; Aspire to greatness, never give up in your journey

Subway Boss Emmet - Truth; You are who you are, there is no need for a mask

Warden Ingo - Void; What is there when you lose who you are? No drive for greatness, nothing to mask. Ideals, Truths, nothing matters except the ground beneath your feet.

In each game that they appear, Ingo and Emmet are relatively flat characters. In Gen 5, they have enough personality to stick in your mind, and nothing past. And in PLA, Ingo's whole personality is "I lost my memory and am depressed, but have hope". Instead, we end up looking at word choice, and in the Subway Bosses cases, other media.

Subway Boss Ingo, across most media, embodies Ideals. He has his eyes to the future, always pushing himself and others to continue onwards. He frames battling and training as a journey ("What can I see after winning, winning, and winning? Where is my destination?"; "Your talent has brought you to the destination called Victory!"; "There is no terminal called End in your life!"), most often when he is victorious. He seeks to create his Ideal self, and wants to push others to do the same.

This comes up in Pokemon Masters EX as well, where the "no terminal" line returns (in an appropriately spooky tone), he also spends time in the Day With Ingo story event talking about how he seeks to better himself and "break through the mold of [his] past self". This event is also the first time he mentions the phrase "greater heights", which appears another 6 times in various snippets in Masters. And finally, we have a triple whammy of travel metaphors for growth in his level up lines.

For Subway Boss Emmet, his connection to Truth is admittedly a bit more tenuous. He doesn't have any tendency for truth-seeking or investigations (outside of the famous behavior in the manga where he likes to eavesdrop on drama, which gossip isn't exactly truthful), but what he has is a strong showing of being truthful, even if he ends up being blunt or disrespectful.

As a consequence of his writing in Japanese giving him a very casual way of speaking, the English translation has him speak in shorter clips, just the bare essentials. The naked truths of his thoughts. He doesn't seek the Truth, or give a Universal Truth; Emmet is True to himself and to those around him. (As a side note, I love when people give power to other usages of the word True through Reshiram. I did it in my fic with a turn of phrase, but I've seen it done beautifully in other works too).

In Pokemon Special, Emmet doesn't hide the truth of why they asked White to train on the Battle Subway ("We're studying you as an example of a Trainer who gets overwhelmed and loses every battle!" "That's not nice, Emmet."), not because he is intending to be rude (Ok, a little bit), but because that *is* what they are using her for. In the games, he speaks of how Pokemon battles can be decided on luck ("I won against you. But I think I just got lucky."), because the Truth of the matter is, you can be highly trained and just have a bad day or get hit by a critical hit. But, most importantly, he believes that battles must be serious for them to be fun. Because what fun is there in putting up a fake fight, when you could just be True to yourself?

Now, to speak on the connection of Warden Ingo to Kyurem, we must first understand what Kyurem is to Zekrom and Reshiram. On a surface level, it is a Husk, a leftover revenant that can be reassembled into a simulacrum of the Original being. But looking into the actual symbolism of them all is where you find threads of connection to the Warden.

Reshiram, the Dragon of Yin, is representative of a more static element, receptive of change but passive in how it does so. It is a recursive existence that reaches out and pulls back towards itself - Everyone has an individual Truth, but that is still able to be changed by The Truth. However, one does not go out and change The Truth, only altering the perception of it while it passively exists. You cannot change what is already there, only create something new. In comparison, Emmet is never really shown to focus on the future, but rather on the present. He knows of the Truth in his life, and while it can be changed by present actions, he knows that he cannot go back to change it, so there is no need to try, or to hide it.

Zekrom, the Dragon of Yang, is active, ever expanding, and pushes up against those around it in it's search for Ideals. Ideals cause you to seek out a goal, to leave your home, your comfort zone, and push away from the past. To represent Ideals is to be in constant flux; Settling into a form makes you into a Truth, as an Ideal is a goal, something attainable, yet unreachable. We've gone over Ingo's future-forward gaze, constantly thinking about what is to come. Life is a journey, and every step you take in life is a step to self-improvement.

Kyurem is a Husk, a Shell. According to Bulbapedia, it is representative of Wuji ("Without a roof"), the absense of Yin and Yang, or "The Ultimate Nothingness". For this reason, I personally also attribute to it Mu, a concept of non-existence and negative space, specifically the lack of something normally there (modern Japanese actually uses "mu-" as a prefix the same way English has the suffix "-less"). Interestingly, the Japanese transliteration of Wuji is "Mukyoku" (lit. Non-polar, another translation of Wuji), connecting the two concepts neatly. In short, Kyurem represents Nothing and Everything.

Kyurem was supposedly the Original Dragon, the deity of Unova that represented Truths and Ideals in unison, a embodiment of Yin and Yang's harmony. In a sense, the Original Dragon was an embodiment of Everything, Unova's spirit of unity. Then, with the war between the Twin Princes (another pair also frequently compared to Ingo and Emmet, in case you think I forgot my boys), it was split into 2, but secretly 3, parts. This third secret part became Kyurem, a being lacking in its original qualities, leaving Nothing but the Husk.

Now, finally, we can get to everyone's favorite uncle, Warden Ingo. His connection to Kyurem is probably the least intentional of them all (which is saying something, because I'm honestly convinced that the Subway Bosses' own connections aren't intentional, but rather just a result of how Unova games were written with Truth vs. Ideal being ingrained heavily), but there still is one. As Wayward says in her fateful post, "Warden Ingo is an empty husk of who he once was ever since he was separated from his life, and from Emmet." Ingo as the Subway Boss may not have embodies the Everything that the Original Dragon has, but pairing with Emmet so closely still meant that Truth and Ideals mixed so cleanly that it might as well have been Everything.

However, the most important connection for Warden Ingo are the concepts of Wuji and Mu. To be "the Ultimate Nothingness" or "Non-Polar" means to be devoid of Everything, yet still have the capability to be far more than Nothing. The singular concept of Mu may mean that Warden Ingo is missing who he is and was, but that is not who we grow know in the game; We connect with a man who is slowly piecing together his sense of self, remembering facets of his past and growing happier with who he can be. Thus, the Mu transitions into Wuji, a void that isn't Empty so much as lacking.

The importance of distinction is that Mu is by nature Empty, while Wuji is Empty and Everything, limitless and confined. Similarly, Ingo is devoid of what made him him (His drive for self-improvement is impaired, even while he pushes the player to climb to greater heights), but becomes something new in the meta-narrative of the story. His actual, plot-related story ends when you quell Electrode and he becomes a challengeable NPC at the Training Grounds, but he becomes something of a kindred spirit in the greater plot of the game. He's like you, a Faller who has lost themselves, and also like you, an avid battler who pushes the system to it's limits (especially in the Path of Solitude).

In short, the connection between Kyurem and Warden Ingo isn't anything in the text, as Kyurem has no explicit in-game theming attached to it like Zekrom and Reshiram, and Warden Ingo doesn't have strong philosophical points that seeps out of the words he says to you. But when you look at the meta-theming for Kyurem, and subsequently Warden Ingo's meta-narrative, the connections become clearer.

Does some of this make no sense? Of course! A lot of this is extrapolating what was said in Wayward's post, and what came from my head as I thought of it. A lot of the connections of the twins to the Dragons has been discussed since 2010, but for all intents and purposes, Warden Ingo is a different character from Subway Boss Ingo. Narratively, he is the same person, hence why his appearance is a tragedy in Legends Arceus, one which we never get to solve. But on a meta level, he functions so differently, and lives so differently, that the themes he inhabits do not match up to the Subway Boss in any way. To end this on a sad note, Warden Ingo is exactly like Kyurem - Broken. He has lost what made him whole, and we've been shown that just reinserting Ideals isn't enough. Hopefully, if Game Freak decides to touch upon the Warden once more, we can find a way to reinsert his Truths as well.

[ben10-lostandfound]

Moving Forward

So, we've come to this. Perhaps the beginning of a Bennaisance as it were.

-Dwayne Mcduffie's website updated and gave us incredible insight into the inner workings of the UAF Era, as well as Dwayne's original vision for Omniverse.

-We've had new merch drops, such as these Ultimate Alien bag clip blind bags, or these two shirts. And we're expecting a collab with Daylight Curfew.

-Some other rare media was recovered, like Game Generator 5D, or the (unfortunately useless currently) installer for Ben 10 Alien Force: Bounty Hunters.

-We've had ongoing updates to the official Ben 10 Roblox game, most recently they've added Slapback, Ultimate Cannonbolt, and skins for Grey Matter in the form of Omniverse Teen Grey Matter and Brainfrog. And we'll be seeing Surge added as a code unlock once the game hits 60k likes. (Which you guys can help with.)

-The new run of comics by Dynamite Comics slated for 2025.

-Ben getting to appear alongside some of his classic CN brethren in Jellystone!: Crisis On Infinite Mirths. (which currently has yet to release outside of the Comic Con screening.)

-And most recently, the popup marathon being recovered for the first time since April 2008, ending a long search for the original event.

So, where do we go from here? If I didn't know any better, I'd be tempted to say my work is done. But I know that isn't the case. There's always going to be something.

What about the live plays that debuted Rocks, Squidstrictor, and VilEon? More rare and interesting concept art that could turn up at any moment? The missing Hyperscan cards? An actual playable version of Bounty Hunters or Omniverse: Rise of Heroes?

To close out this post, I just want to thank every one of you who've stuck with me for as long as you have. Despite the ups and downs, I've really enjoyed doing this blog for as long as I have, it's helped me make something of a name for myself in the fanbase.

I've gotten to help preserve the history of our favorite kid superhero. I mean, a lot of the stuff might've not even turned up if it weren't for me making noise about it. 2025 may just be the year we get to see Ben at his full potential again. And perfect timing too, since that'll be the franchise's 20th anniversary as well.

-Rahk-Zi, Galvan Archivist Extraordinare... and the real admin, Roxana Sinclair.

[cleolinda]

Just for fun, here's five minutes of my very first time playing the Silent Hill 2 remake, having never played a video game before. (My voice only.) I grabbed my phone and turned on Voice Memo because I got stuck in the parking lot and felt like I needed to record struggles this dire for posterity. I recorded this a week ago, so all the issues I mention have since been fixed, including my (in)ability to move forward. (Nobody had explained the importance of the camera in doing anything to me.) If y'all are interested, I can also post a shorter clip of my most recent fight, which shows how far I've come. I have strategies now. I'm such a brave little toaster.

I originally posted this on Patreon with a transcript, so I'll include that below, long as it is. Volume advisory: I do yell a lot.

[Comments directed at James, my player character, are in parentheses.]

Okay. I don't know how much this is actually going to pick up, but I'm just gonna voice record this while I figure out what's going on. This is exactly as bad as I thought it would be. I've had to mute the sound because it's just [laughing] James making weird grunting sounds every 30 seconds—of impatience!—because I can't figure out how to make this man walk. 

And I'm on a laptop [rather than a console]. So we're just living our life here as best as we can. And I even have a touchpad mouse. I have an external mouse coming in tomorrow, maybe. 

Okay, okay, I'm trying to get him to go back into the bathroom because my understanding is that there's a whole bunch of graffiti in there that you would actually— (Why are you not turning left?! Why are you walking BACKWARDS? What are you DOING?) I've already been yelling at him for like two minutes now. (JAAAAMES. What are you DOING?)

Okay, achievement ["No Turning Back Now"]: I tried to leave. Good for me. All right. So— (BUDDY!) What—what's the Sprint command? I don't know, I don't know. Um—Escape. Settings: uh, Controls? No... Controls View? Here we go, here we go. L shift, how would I have known that? Quick Turn... oh, Rowing. I don't need rowing for like another 16 hours, we're fine. Okay, move camera on the touchpad mass—touchpad mOuSe. It's fine. We don't have a problem with that. Combat—I'm gonna have a problem with that, but not yet. Um... there are some mouse commands that I may end up remapping to some letter keys... depending on how the mouse does or doesn't work for me in terms of distance from my hand. We'll—we'll see. I'm used to—I've been using a touchpad mouse for years now, not gaming. It would be very strange to be using an external mouse. So I may just remap some stuff. [I did not. For the combat tutorial, I did use an external mouse.]

Okay, Interact, Extended Movement is “E.” Okay. Space is Zoom, escape: Main Menu, we learned that one REAL GOOD. Um... Map... Flashlight... Okay, we don't—we don't need that right yet. [Sigh.] W-S-D-A! Don't need Row, okay. Sprint. L shift is Sprint. That is what we need. [My obsession with “sprint” is because this man walks as slow as a turtle and “leisurely trot” is the only thing that’s going to get you anywhere.] Okay: Resume. 

Like, the music and sound effects are beautiful, I mean, sure, but right now this is—he's—he's very tired of me dealing with stuff. Come on, (WALK, buddy.) Shift? Can you—how do you SPRIIIIIIIINNNNNT??? 
[Unconvincingly:] All right, no, we're fine. We're fine. We're gonna be fine. So we're walking—oh, we gotta go to the car! Okay! I forgot we even have to do that! We're not getting anywhere without the map!

[Tiny voice:] Really... wanna go back into the bathroom... Maybe we try that when we… are further along... in our ability to move. 

This is a nightmare. I—I didn't think it was actually gonna be this hard for me to learn. I thought it would go a little faster. 

(Come on, buddy, what are you doing? What are you doing? E, can we interact? WHAT are you DOING?!) Oh my God. Okay, what's it—HE’S LOOKING AT IT!! [Which indicates he wants me to do something with it, but “interact” isn’t coming up.] HE’S LOOKING [tiny, despairing voice:] at it. He's looking at it. 

(Babe, what do I have to DO? What do I have to DO?!) 

[Sigh.] Maybe I do need my sister here to... tell me what to do on an extremely basic level. 


It says... does it mean lower shift? What does it mean? [It did mean left shift, like I was pressing, but nobody told me you had to hit “sprint” and “walk” at the same time.] Forward, back, right, left, sprint. Quick Turn... okay, forgot about that. E...? Yeah, and I think by Extended Movement, they mean like a traversal.

Oh... oh, my sweet lord Jesus. I didn't think it was gonna be this hArD!!! It's not hard. It's not hard at all. If you're a normal person, if you're a gamer, this is not hard at all. If you're me and you play Hello Kitty Island Adventure, it's hard. Okay. I am so glad I did not actually just start recording [video] cold. I know y'all would love to watch me just run James into a tree. I know you would love that, but we're not doing that for—half an hour, if I'm lucky. 

Okay, come on, buddy. What are we doing? E!! Oh thank God. Oh, thank God, we've got the map. Okay. Space: Zoom. Back. [Vehement mouse clicking sounds.] Back. Mouse. MOUSE. [Sigh.] I swear to the Lord Jesus Christ, come on—he has very nice nails. [James does. I don't know about Jesus.] He really does. He has very nice hands. I will say when I started the game—remember, this is something I have seen on a very large TV many times. Even I sat back and went, whoa, the graphics are really good. Like on a smaller laptop, even I went, holy shit, that's so good. 

(BUDDY?! GO BACK!! YOU HAVE!! THE MAP!!!)  

OKAY. No, no, this is FINE. This is FIIIIIIIIINE!!  

I'm alone in the house right now. My dog is not here, my dog would be barking his head off, going, what is—

OKAY!! OKAY. [Extremely tiny voice:] That was—that was fine. 

I was hitting the wrong part of the touchpad mouse... because I was thinking of it as an external mouse and I was hitting the top of it… [tiny, exasperated voice:] not the bottom of it… like I normally would. 

NO, IT’S FINE. IT’S FINE, OKAY? I know, he's looking around, he's like looking at his hands and he's like brushing something—he's like, “What are you DOING? What are you DOING?” 

(I'm sorry, that was the car door. I didn't mean to make you bump into that.)

We're doing good. We're doing fine. Come on, yeah, we're gonna walk backwards a little bit. How's the camera? We want it up a little bit, we want it down a little bit? Beautiful reflections, beautiful reflections. I had to work with the resolution because he looked very... WIDE, and boxy, and I had to get it set on my monitor's resolution, which is, I think... oh, I don't even remember what it is. This is a new computer. 

Okay, I'm gonna have to stop now. I can't scream anymore. But good luck to me.

[wardensantoineandevka]

ngl, I'm really exhausted with how many like works of fanart, both serious and meme-y, have extensive kvetching in the work or caption about how people do not like the way the Lucanis/Rook romance happened—even on memes and jokes that involve other romances!

I'm tired of trying to look up video clips of Neve/Lucanis romance scenes and the description and sometimes even the intro to the video is a long rant about how upset people are about the execution of Lucanis/Rook romance.

like, I am a grade A complainer (and I'm complaining right now), and I think it's valid to feel upset that it isn't what you want or expected, but it's EXHAUSTING for me to constantly feel that a solid quarter of Lucanis-related posts including fanart contains a rant about how much people don't like that the romance doesn't do what they want or expect.

yes, vent art, I know, but it makes the space really exhausting. it's alienating when even otherwise nice posts or works because it just has this thrown in.

are we not all tired? why are you limiting yourselves to creating predicted on how upset you are that you don't have what you want? why are we spending our energy on kvetching about how we don't have what we want instead of, like, doing the transformative work where you do get what you want?

it just feels like we're just getting trapped in this tar pit of complaining that the romance isn't what you expected or wanted to the point that it is deeply shaping the way people even make transformative works ABOUT that relationship, that people are starting to be unable to separate it FROM their grievances to the point that they're allowing this dramatic shadow of "the game didn't do it how I wanted" cast over all their work that's trying to imagine the ship otherwise.

[lucy90712]

Hello can you make a kenan x reader fic where he feels guilty for breaking up with reader to concentrate to his career?

"Babe we need to talk" Kenan said 

"Sure what's up" I said 

"I'm really sorry but I think we need to break up I need to focus in my career right now and I love you I really do but nows just not a good time" he said 

"I-it's ok I I get it" I said sobbing 

"I'm sorry baby but it's for the best I can focus on my career and you can focus on school to be the best lawyer anyone's ever seen" he said 

He gave me one last kiss before leaving for me to probably never see him again or at least never kiss him again. As soon as he was gone my sobs got even louder as I thought about our time together. We had our one year anniversary just a month ago and I thought we were happy Kenan was doing well at Juventus and I'm happy at university being challenged to learn more. I truly thought we were happy together but I guess I was wrong and now I've got to figure out who I am without Kenan as he taught me so much about myself that I'm not sure if I know what I am when he's not helping me learn. 

~~~~~~~~~~

It's been 3 months since Kenan broke up with me and I can't lie things haven't got any easier  I just can't seem to escape Kenan when I look at my phone there's a post about him, when I turn the tv on there he is and when I walk around I see kids wearing a shirt with his name on. I really hoped that over time my feelings for Kenan would go away but that hasn't happened at all I'm still very much in love with him and miss his presence more than anything. For weeks my friends have been trying to get me out of my post break up depression but nothing has worked all I want to do in my free time is curl up and reminisce on the memories I have with Kenan with tears streaming down my face. 

Being without Kenan has impacted all areas of my life my friends have given up on me and I've never spent so much time in bed in my life but I have channeled my sadness into my university work because when I'm doing work that's the only time I'm not thinking about Kenan. Some would say that's a good thing but I know myself and at some point I'll hit a wall and everything will come crumbling down even more than it is already. 

After working on an assignment all day I got back into bed to watch a movie but of course when I turned the tv on the news was playing a clip from the Juventus game earlier where Kenan got sent off. Seeing him so angry as he went for a challenge he knows better then to go for made me sad we broke up so he could focus on his career but as far as I've seen he hasn't been playing well at all. It makes me wonder if that wasn't really the reason he broke things off or maybe he regrets his decision but that's probably wishful thinking. Just as I was about to turn the tv off and feel sorry for myself my phone rang with a call from my best friend so I had to answer it. 

"Hi" I said 

"Do you have any plans for tomorrow?" She asked 

"I mean other than uni work no" I said 

"Great we are going out shopping then we are going to get you a new outfit so you feel good about yourself then we are going to a party and before you say no that's not an option we're going" she said 

"I'll go but no promises I'll enjoy myself" I said 

"We can work on that one I just want you to get back to being yourself and not letting that selfish dickhead take away your happiness" she said 

"He's not a dickhead" I defend 

"He really is he broke up with you just after your anniversary and now he's not even playing well that's a dick move and I know you still love him but you can't honestly think that what he did was right" she said 

"I suppose you're right" I surrendered 

"Thats progress well I'll see you tomorrow be ready by 10" she said before hanging up 

I really don't want to go to a party but maybe it will be good for me to get out and see some other people who knows maybe I'll even meet someone and I'll forget about Kenan all together. That sounds like wishful thinking but you never know stranger things have happened in my life. 

Kenan's POV

Seeing the red card didn't exactly surprise me I knew that what I did was wrong I would never usually do something like that but I haven't been myself the last few months since I made the stupid decision to break up with y/n. I regretted breaking up with her as soon as I did it but I was too stubborn to go back and tell her that I'd made a mistake in hopes she'd take me back. I really thought I needed to work on my career and that y/n was going to be a distraction but as it turns out she is what kept me focused. Ever since we broke up I've not been the same I didn't play well at the euros and I definitely haven't started the season well with Juventus in fact I don't think I've been this unfocused in years. 

After getting sent off I just sat in the locker room thinking about life and all the bad decisions I've made over the last few months until the rest of the guys came in a looking defeated which told me all I needed to know we lost and it's probably all my fault. I didn't want to look them all in the eyes as I know what they are thinking and I don't want to see the disappointment in their eyes. 

"What's going on with you man?" Weston asked taking a seat next to me 

"Don't worry it's nothing" I said 

"Come on man no offence but you've been awful this season something must be going on" he said 

"I broke up with y/n and I regret it everyday everything reminds me of her and I can't get her out of my mind" I admitted 

"If you really can't stop thinking about her then tell her she'll either feel the same way and you can get back together or she won't and you can try and move on" he said 

"How am I supposed to talk to her she blocked me after I left her crying at her place and I didn't think she wants to hear from me" I said 

"If you want her back you'll find a way and if it's meant to be the universe will help you out" he said patting me in the back before walking away 

He was right there is no point feeling sorry for myself and doing nothing about it I either need to get over myself or try and change things. I still have y/n's best friend's phone number so I decided to text her and try and find a way to be able to see her. Predictably the first message I got back was filled with all of the things she thought about me but then she did say that the two of them are going to a party tomorrow so I can go and if y/n wants to talk to me then she won't stop her. That was good enough for me even just a chance to see her and try and explain myself is enough for me. 

~~~~~~~~~~

All afternoon I've been thinking about seeing y/n at the random party I'm going to crash at one point I talked myself out of going but then I realised that was stupid as this might be my only chance to see her and tell her how I feel. After convincing myself to go I got ready then contemplated my life decisions again in the car on the drive there. Once I got there I put a hat on so hopefully less people would recognise me as I'm not here to attract attention I only want the attention of one person and she'll hate if I turn up as the centre of attention. 

There was so many people in the house that I was wondering how I was going to find y/n but then I spotted her from across the room. Her best friend was nowhere to be seen but there was some guy stood next to her and I could see from where I was stood that he was trying to flirt with her but she didn't seem at all interested. I can't blame the guy for trying though she looked so incredibly beautiful she had on a dress which clung to her figure in all the right places but it also brought out her eyes making them sparkle like they used to when she was happy with me. How I wish I could see her eyes sparkle like that again as we cuddle while watching a movie in bed. It was only then that I realised I was just staring at her from across the room and I was only brought back to reality because the guy gave up with trying to get her attention and walked away muttering to his friends probably something unkind. 

I knew straight away this was my chance she was on her own and I know she hates to make a scene so hopefully I can convince her to let me have just 5 minutes to talk to her. I'm hoping those 5 minutes will be enough to be able to show her how sorry I am for what I did and how much of a mess I am without her because that's the truth I'm a shell of my former self without her. 

Your POV 

I was ready by 10 just like I said I would be but just like I thought I didn't exactly enjoy myself. We went shopping and I was made to buy a new dress because apparently it was perfect for me but I didn't think I looked that good in it it was just like any other. We stayed out shopping pretty much all day until we had to get ready for the party which I really didn't want to go to but I wasn't going to be allowed not to. My best friend did my hair and makeup for me so all I had to do was put on the dress and get in the car which I managed but I definitely wasn't smiling. 

We got to the party and there was a lot more people than I was expecting most of which I didn't know I was hoping my best friend would stick with me but before I knew it she was gone so instead I just stood over the other side of the room on my own. I was really hoping I could go all night without talking to anyone but of course that idea was too good to be true some guy quickly came over to try and flirt with me but I didn't want anything to do with him so I paid no attention to him. It took a while for him to get the hint but eventually he left me alone and I thought that would be the end of my excitement for the night but I was wrong so very wrong. 

Seconds after the guy finally left me alone there was someone else walking towards me. I recognised him instantly and nearly broke down in tears again as I tried to find a way I could get away. Any route to an exit was far too crowded and Kenan could manage to get to me before I could get away. I was trapped and had to just resign myself to my fate and try not to cry in front of everyone which will be difficult as I already want to cry and Kenan hasn't even said anything to me yet. 

"Y/n will you come outside with me for just 5 minutes so we can talk" he said

"Ok" I replied 

Seemingly without thinking he grabbed my hand and led me through the crowd towards the garden. Feeling his hand in mine had my heart racing if I were to close my eyes and pretend that the last few months hadn't happened I would probably feel happy but instead I'm just nervous I don't want him to break my heart again because I don't think I can handle that. He led me to a quiet corner of the garden where he finally let go of my hand and just stared at me for a few moments. 

"Y/n I know you probably don't want to see me but I have to apologise breaking up with you was the worst decision I've ever made I know you probably don't care but I've been a mess without you I can't focus on anything other than how much I miss you" he admitted taking me by surprise 

"Kenan" I started to say 

"I know you hate me for what I did and I would too if things were the other way round but if you miss me at all please can we give this another go I'll do everything right this time I promise" he said 

"Kenan I really do miss you too I never stopped missing you but you hurt me I haven't stopped crying for months I can't just go back to how things were just like that" I said 

"How can I show you that I'm not going to hurt you again" he said

"It won't just happen overnight but I'm willing to give things another chance but we have to take it slow until I feel like I can trust you again" I said

"Can I kiss you?" He asked 

"Of course" I replied 

He put a hand on my cheek as he leant down pressing his lips to mine. It was in that moment that I realised how much I really had missed him as the kiss felt better than any kiss I've had before even our first kiss together which was pretty amazing. We both pulled away smiling from ear to ear as we finally have each other back after months of being miserable. 

[flightyalrighty]

Hi, it's me again, flightyalrighty! (๑•̀ㅁ•́ฅ✧

Anyway, about the whole Sonic versus the Police thing, yknow, punk era Sonic. I don't think Shadow had ever seen that punk side of Sonic? He's more exposed to his heroic side, so will it affect his perception towards Sonic? It's been so long since I've read Archie Sonic and Shadow seems to have little screen time as far as I could remember, I'm just picking up the IDW comics since it's starting to intrigue me. Plus, he was busy trying to destroy or save the world in the games (SonicA2 of his first appearance and with 06 where Sonic keeps running around with the princess from Eggman) to even properly notice Sonic's rebellious spirit. Is your comics going to have some panels about Sonic exposing his hidden distaste towards the authority to Shadow and others(?) I would love to see punk era Sonic in action again ᐠ( ᐛ )ᐟ

Btw, I've seen some clips from TikTok n YouTube of your panels and they intrigued me, glad I managed to find you on Tumblr! Been waiting patiently for your updates ٩( ᐛ )و

Hi! While I've allowed some people to dub my comic on Youtube, I've most certainly not allowed for anyone to post my comic on TikTok, and it sucks to hear about that, though it's unsurprising. Now, on to the question:

I wouldn't necessarily say Shadow got very little screen time in Archie! In the main book, sure, he wouldn't pop up as often as, say, Knuckles (I think?) but the guy did have like six arcs in Sonic Universe (seven if we count Worlds Collide) where he was one of the main characters (or at least showed up a bunch again if we're counting Worlds Collide), and 24-28 issues of Shadow is nothing to sneeze at! That's about a fourth of that series's run if I'm doing my math right!

In the early Flynn days of Archie, he was also showing up seemingly at random. He appeared in issue 160 for seemingly no reason (was he really just there to wish Sonic a happy birthday) iirc, and shows up in that Enerjak Knuckles arc to get his ass kicked, to name two off the top of my head.

Remember, Shadow is the second most popular character in the franchise, and Archie was well aware of this. They were absolutely using him to sell books.

To be honest, though, and now I promise I really am answering your question, I think Shadow's already seen Sonic's rebellious spirit plenty within SA2. Busy destroying the world or not, Sonic was rebelling against him, and he was doing that successfully. That is, I believe a part of what made Sonic so intriguing to Shadow.

Now, at this point in Infested, Shadow considers himself an extension of G.U.N. Sonic rebelling against them is, in a way, rebelling against him once again. That said, it's different now. Sonic wasn't just being annoying and getting in his way, he was wasting time and looking to run off and put more people in danger. His rebellious spirit, the thing that Shadow once found admirable in him, is now a threat to the world he's currently trying to protect.

This version of Shadow, based on Archie Sonic with events from the games as part of the canon, is also willing to believe that whatever mistreatment he takes from the military is justified. He's already done plenty of harm. He knows what he's capable of.

That comment, though, from Sonic. That comment about how those special handcuffs were already built and ready for Shadow. How far in advance did they begin work on that thing? How long had it been in storage, waiting for him? Was it right when he had joined them? After the incident with Black Death and Eclipse? Were those handcuffs born from a cruel pragmatism and paranoia from an organization he'd already sworn total loyalty to, or simply in response to what has already occurred?

This will haunt Shadow.

[pavaal]

masagoto mobamenco masterpost

because i'm going through an intense samurai flamenco resurgence, i decided to re-translate all of the masagoto conversations from the mobile game and put them in one post! most of them are basically the same as they once were, just reworded for clarity or flow, but there were a few that were outright incorrect that i will go back and edit into the original posts. eventually, i'd like to re-translate the ones between masayoshi and mari as well as between mari and goto, but i don't have the original text for those on hand!

i managed to find some voice clips from the mobile game as well, and while some of them are buried in my translation tag, some of them are new to me so maybe one day i'll post them too! for now, this is all i have the energy to do.

i've vaguely organized the conversations by topic, but all of them are special because it's masayoshi and goto talking to each other... big love.

TRAINING

Masayoshi: I've been doing really well lately! Goto: Be careful, you're the type of person to mess it up when you're at your peak. Masayoshi: Please don't be mean! Goto: But am I wrong? Masayoshi: …no, you're not…

Goto: Hey, it looks like I've gotten a little stronger. Masayoshi: Congratulations, Goto-san! How much more until you become the number one officer? Goto: That's not how the police force works!

Masayoshi: I'm really starting to see the results of my training. Goto: You're getting hit less? Masayoshi: I've become able to withstand Ishihara-san's punishment! Goto: Wait, there?!

Goto: I've been feeling pretty good lately. Masayoshi: That must be the results of your training! Goto: I haven't been doing any training, idiot!

Masayoshi: I've gotten a lot stronger! Goto: But you shouldn't try doing everything by yourself. You know you can rely on me, right?

Goto: You people are always going on about "training." Masayoshi: Training is essential for a hero! You train too, don't you, Goto-san? Goto: I do not. What I do is just plain hard work. Masayoshi: Hard work is also essential!

Masayoshi: I've gotten a lot stronger! Goto: Good for you. Seems like all that training is working for you. Masayoshi: Yes, but I'm not done yet!

Goto: All right, seems like I've gotten a little stronger. Masayoshi: Congratulations! I need to be careful not to fall behind. Goto: Aren't you way past me already? Masayoshi: Th—that's not true! I still have a lot of work to do!

CURRY

Masayoshi: Goto-san, you like pickled radish with your curry, don't you? Goto: Yeah. It just feels like they go together in my mind. Masayoshi: Then, what about rakkyou (pickled scallions)? Goto: I'd eat them if I had them, but I wouldn't go out of my way to make them.

Masayoshi: What do you usually eat during work? Goto: I usually just grab whatever I'm feeling like at the moment. Masayoshi: And what do you feel like eating now? Goto: …talking to you makes me crave curry…

Goto: So, why do we only ever eat curry? Masayoshi: Heroes mean curry, and curry means heroes! Goto: Okay, but I'm not really trying to be a hero or anything. Masayoshi: Goto-san, there's a hero inside of all of us. Goto: You're dropping that line now?

Goto: Even though we're always eating the same thing, I somehow never get tired of it. Masayoshi: That's because the taste of instant curry changes slightly depending on the manufacture date! Goto: What?! Masayoshi: Yes, it's always getting better! Goto: Wait, why are YOU proud of it?

Goto: Do you ever cook at home? Masayoshi: I'm a bit embarrassed to admit it, but I can't cook at all. Goto: So that's how it is. As for me, I can't really make anything but curry. Masayoshi: But that's amazing! Please cook for me sometime! Goto: Yeah, yeah, if I feel like it.

Goto: Where do you usually buy your curry? Masayoshi: Sometimes I buy it from the supermarket, but I usually order it online. Goto: So that's why you never run out. Masayoshi: I'm prepared to have curry at any time!

Goto: You really love curry, don't you? Masayoshi: Yes. Of course part of it is due to my love of heroes, but my grandfather also often made it for me when I was a kid. Goto: Oh, really… Masayoshi: Yes, so I suppose it's nostalgic for me.

Goto: What's your diet like? Masayoshi: Well, I eat curry at home, and at work I get something from the convenience store. Goto: That sounds pretty unhealthy. Masayoshi: Don't worry! Ishihara-san makes sure to keep me on track. Goto: Oh, well, that's fine then.

Goto: You're a model who loves curry. That's gotta be tough. Masayoshi: It's not too bad. Goto: But curry has a lot of calories, doesn't it? Masayoshi: Whenever I eat too much curry, Ishihara-san puts me on a special diet. Goto: …………what do you mean? Masayoshi: …um, let's just say it destroys your appetite for a while.

DAILY LIFE

Goto: What's wrong? You look down. Masayoshi: Yeah… things aren't going well for me. Goto: Look, I'll watch something with you, so cheer up. Masayoshi: At a time like this, the only solution is the Harakiri Sunshine movie! Goto: Where'd that energy come from?

Masayoshi: I'd like to go on a trip the next time we're both free. Goto: I think if I went somewhere with you, it'd be nothing but trouble. Masayoshi: But wouldn't that make a fun memory?

Masayoshi: What do you think I could do if I wasn't a model? Goto: I dunno, a cheerleader? Masayoshi: I don't think that's a career. Goto: Then a golf caddy? Masayoshi: In other words, I'm loud?

Goto: Your grandmother was a flamenco dancer, right? Masayoshi: Yes, so I believe that's where my grandfather got the "Flamenco" part from. Goto: Does that mean he's the "Samurai" part? Masayoshi: Of course not. But it does seem like "Hazama" is a samurai family name. Goto: Wow…

Masayoshi: Goto-san, would you like to watch a DVD? Maybe a Blu-Ray? Or how about a Laser Disc? Goto: Don't give me that housewifey 'would you like a meal? A bath? Or maybe…?' garbage!

Masayoshi: If I had to compare Goto-san to an animal… Goto: Do NOT say dog! Masayoshi: Do you have some history with dogs?

Goto: Now that I think of it, I lost a day off because of you. Masayoshi: Why are you suddenly bringing that up? Goto: Well, when I remembered it, I got pissed off. Masayoshi: Please remember my apology too and forgive me already!

Goto: So, what was your first impression of me? Masayoshi: Hmm… "he should stop smoking in non-smoking areas."

Masayoshi: What was your first impression of me? Goto: A naked pervert. Masayoshi: …please tell me what you thought after I properly introduced myself. Goto: A pain in the ass. Masayoshi: You thought of me that way…? Goto: What? That WAS my first impression.

Masayoshi: Omawari-san wa~ Goto: What's that song? Masayoshi: It's "Inu no Policeman!" Goto: What's with that title?! Masayoshi: I don't know, but Flamenco Diamond was singing it the other day. Goto: Ugh, I feel sick…

Goto: What would you do if you found 1 million yen? Masayoshi: I'd take it to the police station. Goto: Well, yeah, I guess you would… Masayoshi: Of course!

Goto: What would you do if you found 100 yen? Masayoshi: I'd take it to the police station. Goto: What, even though it's just 100 yen? Masayoshi: What if the person who lost that 100 yen desperately needed it back?!

Masayoshi: Goto-san, you're actually very strong, aren't you? Goto: What do you mean by "actually"? I'm a police officer, so I can do kendo and judo. Masayoshi: What kind of special attacks do you have? Goto: If we're going with that, wouldn't every officer have to know them?

Masayoshi: What do you want for your birthday, Goto-san? Goto: I dunno, a day off? Masayoshi: That's not much of a dream. Goto: Fine, then I want to live a peaceful life. Masayoshi: Let's make that dream a reality!

Goto: What do you want for your birthday? Masayoshi: When I was younger, I would have asked for hero merchandise, but now I want world peace! Goto: I can't do that. Masayoshi: That was a joke! But let's work on building peace together.

Masayoshi: Are you a good driver, Goto-san? Goto: As a police officer, I have to prioritize safety.

Masayoshi: Recently, my occupational disease has been flaring up… Goto: Occupational disease? From being a model? Masayoshi: When I get my picture taken, I can't help but strike a hero pose… Goto: Oh, that's what you meant? Masayoshi: It's very serious!

Goto: So how was it, being chased all over town? Masayoshi: I never expected such a thing to happen to me! Goto: Well, you did have a bounty on your head. Masayoshi: I was worried you were going to sell me out… Goto: As a police officer, that would have looked bad. Masayoshi: "As a police officer"?!

Masayoshi: The police are always taking care of me. Goto: Let's just hope we never have to "take care" of you in a different way.

Masayoshi: Goto-san, why did you choose to become a police officer? Goto: Well, you know… a few reasons. Masayoshi: Because you love justice? Goto: Don't lump me in with you.

Goto: So, I've been thinking, and aren't you the one who's causing trouble for everyone? Masayoshi: What is that supposed to mean? Goto: Well, I've been swamped at work since the moment I met you. Masayoshi: But maybe that just means I'VE had a lot to do since I met YOU! Goto: No, it started when you became Samurai Flamenco.

Masayoshi: Hmmm hm hm~ Hmm~ Goto: What are you doing? Masayoshi: I'm doing maintenance on my equipment! Goto: As hardworking as ever, huh?

Masayoshi: Hmmm hm hm~ Hmm~ Goto: What are you doing? Masayoshi: I'm sorting my collection! Goto: There's a ton of stuff here…

Masayoshi: Don't you see a lot of scenes in manga where people become friends after punching each other? Goto: I don't really get it myself. Masayoshi: If that's the case, shouldn't I have many more friends? Goto: In your case, you're just getting punched. Masayoshi: I suppose it's important to talk with our hearts before our fists… Goto: I think that's better for you.

Masayoshi: About how many texts do you send a day, Goto-san? Goto: Huh? Only when I've got some free time, so not that often. Masayoshi: But you're really fast about replying. Goto: I do have a habit of checking my messages, at least.

Masayoshi: Goto-san, that's not burnable garbage! That's non-burnable! Goto: Oh, oops. Thanks. Masayoshi: There's no need to thank me. Separating garbage can be difficult. Goto: You do your recyclables too? Masayoshi: Of course! Goto: Every household needs a person like you.

Goto: So, what do you do in your free time? Masayoshi: I work out or watch DVDs!

Masayoshi: Goto-san, what do you do in your free time? Goto: I usually just have a smoke or text my girlfriend.

Goto: Why don't we watch a movie once in a while? Masayoshi: Which would you prefer, Red Axe or Harakiri Sunshine? Goto: I said "movie." Masayoshi: I heard you, so which theatrical release would you prefer to watch? Goto: Why are my only options hero movies?!

Goto: Which is more important to you, modeling or Samurai Flamenco? Masayoshi: Both, but if I had to choose, it would have to be Samurai Flamenco. Goto: But no matter how hard Samurai Flamenco works, he doesn't get paid. Masayoshi: Being a hero isn't about money! It's the path I chose from childhood. Goto: I have to admit, your determination is impressive.

Goto: I get pissed off whenever I compare the size of our places. Masayoshi: Well, it's not really "mine." It's from the agency. Goto: It's still not fair. Masayoshi: Then, would you like to use half of it? Goto: I can use the whole thing since we're always together anyway. Masayoshi: That's quite selfish of you.

Goto: Why am I surrounded by freaks? Masayoshi: Birds of a feather flock together, as they say! Goto: Shut up! You're THE "bird"! Masayoshi: Then that makes us "together"! (This one needs a little explanation. "Birds of a feather" in Japanese is "類は友を呼ぶ," directly and awkwardly translated as "a [specific] type calls its friends." Goto accuses Masayoshi of being the textbook example of "a [specific] type" and Masayoshi returns by saying Goto is the textbook example of "[his] friend.")

Goto: Ever since I met you, it feels like it's been nothing but losing tickets. Masayoshi: Really? I feel like meeting you was like winning the lottery! Goto: …shut up, you stupid optimist. Masayoshi: I mean it!

HEROES

Masayoshi: I wish I could shoot beams too… Goto: Don't be a nuisance. Masayoshi: Get ready for my special attack! Flamenco Beam! Goto: Seems like something that would make your opponent start dancing…

Masayoshi: I wish I could shoot beams too… Goto: Don't be a nuisance. Masayoshi: Get ready for my special attack! Samurai Beam! Goto: You're like a foreigner who doesn't understand Japan at all.

Goto: Hey, just wondering, but is it really okay for a hero to be wandering around in the middle of the night? Masayoshi: W—Well, it's for the sake of peace. Goto: But the phrase is early to bed, early to rise, right? Masayoshi: That's more like health advice…

Goto: So, how do evil armies build their bases? Masayoshi: By forcing the citizens to work. Goto: Can regular citizens really build a base like that? Masayoshi: Then I guess they have to find some really talented construction workers… Goto: Sounds pretty tough…

Masayoshi: What kind of cybernetic surgery would you like to have, Goto-san? Goto: I don't want cybernetic surgery in the first place. Masayoshi: But it's a must for any hero…

Goto: So once the city is peaceful, will your work be done? Masayoshi: Here, yes, but there could always be evil lurking elsewhere in the world. Goto: What, so you're planning to go on a journey? Masayoshi: I don't know yet. I can't be sure of what I'll do until the time comes. Goto: Ishihara-san will get pissed at you. Masayoshi: I do get the feeling I'll never escape…

Goto: It's time to give up Samurai Flamenco. Masayoshi: Goto-san… Goto: …or else I'll have to get serious about chasing you down. Masayoshi: ……that absolutely sounded like a line from a show. Goto: ………….can you listen when people are talking?

Masayoshi: These days, it's standard practice for a hero to upgrade their costume as they get stronger. Goto: Huh, I guess so… interesting.

Masayoshi: My suit is cool, right? Goto: It's lame. Masayoshi: Um, I'll assume for the sake of argument that you mean "it's lame in a cool way." Goto: Not "it's cool in a lame way"? Masayoshi: That's just an insult.

Goto: So, are all heroes rich? Masayoshi: Of course not. Goto: But they have bases and weapons and stuff, right? Masayoshi: Well, yes, but that's due to the support of people around them… Goto: Isn't that a little too convenient? Masayoshi: It's just typical!

Goto: In the end, don't most fights get resolved through force? Masayoshi: Please don't be so blunt about it. It's just what happens after everything else has been exhausted. Goto: Isn't there some hero out there that can talk a monster down? Masayoshi: …some monsters don't have ears. Goto: Isn't THAT being blunt?

Goto: You haven't been able to give up on this hero thing for years, huh? Masayoshi: Yes, I've been preparing all this time. Goto: So why now? Masayoshi: Something in my body was screaming, "it's time!" Goto: You just felt like it?! Masayoshi: It was my heart of justice, crying out to be released!

Masayoshi: I wonder where heroes are supposed to park their motorcycles… Goto: In the parking lot, right? Masayoshi: That doesn't feel right. Goto: Okay, so then, the motorcycle runs on its own, and then it comes to the hero when it's called. Masayoshi: It's not a horse!

Goto: If you think about it, all those hero weapons and stuff are a violation of the Sword and Firearms Act, aren't they? Masayoshi: Well, yes… Goto: Which means you can't use swords or guns, okay? Masayoshi: It's okay! My weapons are stationery.

Masayoshi: Goto-san, isn't it about time you joined the team? Goto: Don't ask me like it's some casual thing. I'm not going to do it. Masayoshi: Goto-san, won't you join us in the fight against evil? Goto: Just because you made it serious doesn't mean I'm going to say yes!

Goto: The evil army doesn't attack while the heroes are transforming, huh. Masayoshi: Well, I think it's because they do it really quickly, or maybe they go out of reach… Goto: Huh. Being a hero sounds tough. Masayoshi: I think it's even harder for people who can't transform.

Goto: Why don't you get a motorcycle? Masayoshi: I did consider it, but there are various issues with parking and one-way streets… Goto: What a grounded problem to have. Masayoshi: Real life is different from fiction.

Masayoshi: Goto-san, let's have a strategy meeting! Goto: Oka—wait, don't try to trick me into saying yes to your freaky plans! Masayoshi: But what if it's just a little? Goto: Even a little is too much! I'll never get back out!

OTHER PEOPLE

Masayoshi: I had a terrible dream about Ishihara-san last night… Goto: What did you do? Masayoshi: I asked her to become Samurai Flamenco with me… Goto: Dream-you is kind of a reckless idiot, huh? Masayoshi: But you did it with me! Goto: What was I doing there?!

Goto: Is Ishihara-san really that scary? Masayoshi: Goto-san, have you ever had a woman dig her talons into your face? Goto: Ugh, nevermind, I get it…

Masayoshi: You know, Ishihara-san really likes cats. Goto: Really? I didn't expect that. Masayoshi: And if you add ~nyan to your sentences, she'll forgive you for anything! Goto: That one's definitely a lie! Masayoshi: I'm telling the truth!

Goto: Is MMM really that popular? Masayoshi: Yes, it seems like they have a truly enthusiastic fanbase. Goto: It's scary to think they don't know what Mari is really like. Masayoshi: Yes, I agree…

Masayoshi: Shishou is such a wonderful person! Goto: I think he's pretty fishy. Masayoshi: What do you mean?! He's the famous Kaname Jouji! Goto: Yeah, no, that's exactly why!

GIRLFRIEND

Masayoshi: Goto-san, do you ever fight with your girlfriend? Goto: Yeah, sometimes. We usually make up within the week, though. Masayoshi: "An occasional argument is the sign of a healthy relationship," right? Goto: Hmm… more like "we're so close that we're not afraid to go all out."

Masayoshi: Goto-san, what's your type? Goto: My girlfriend. Masayoshi: And what is your girlfriend like? Goto: Like I'd tell you! Masayoshi: Huh…?

Goto: Why do so many freaks like me? Masayoshi: That's not true. Goto: You're the freakiest of freaks, so you don't get to say anything. Masayoshi: Then, what about your girlfriend?! Goto: She just has a unique worldview! Masayoshi: (Isn't that what you call being a freak…?)

Masayoshi: Goto-san, if you had to choose between your work and your girlfriend, which would you choose? Goto: My girlfriend, duh. Masayoshi: No hesitation, huh? Goto: Of course not.

Masayoshi: You know, you can invite your girlfriend over any time. Goto: No way. I can't risk the flirting. Masayoshi: I would never flirt with your girlfriend, Goto-san! Goto: No, I mean her. Masayoshi: Your girlfriend would flirt with me?!

[batsplat]

about 2007 motegi, i’ve really thought a lot… when valentino congratulated casey on his title, he specifically mentioned his championship t-shirt. from my observation there wasn’t anything particularly special about it, it might just be valentino’s joke

but casey really cared about valentino’s actions… he not only wanted valentino’s verbal congratulations but also asked just like why didn’t you come shake my hand!!! i should get the same treatment as nicky!!!😠

(vaguely following on from this and this post) oh I remember the shirt, it's actually one of my favourite bits of niche valentino/casey lore!! valentino isn't JUST being a facetious dickhead here, his name is literally on casey's 2007 championship shirt as one of casey's heroes:

isn't this crazy?? I've never been able to find a great source for the actual list of names, so god knows how exclusive this club was... apparently casey also had the names of his ducati crew on there, which is a nice touch tbh. but he had valentino's name on that shirt!! given how by this point he was already mad at valentino for switching up towards him, it's such a funny choice to make. literally nobody would have questioned his exclusion! you're competing against the guy! idk, I love it when casey does something just a little unexpected like that, really makes you want to poke at the guy to figure out what his deal is. and pleasingly, we do also have an actual clip of valentino commenting on the shirt:

Yes, like I say before, it's a great pleasure that one of my fans wins the world championship - so I think half is also mine!

look at his smirk. insufferable. just a fantastic dynamic they've got going on, isn't it

but I did NOT know about casey complaining about not getting a cooldown lap handshake. and. lol?? casey?? come on. some dignity, please. I can't believe they actually got valentino to respond to that. reminds me of a similar-ish 'controversy' from 2010 about how jorge was accused of deliberately ignoring future teammate ben spies coming to congratulate him on the cooldown lap, as like... a form of sophisticated mind games ig. at least there it wasn't actually spies complaining. you can tell that even casey upon reflection probably decided this wasn't a legitimate grievance by how he's not brought it up again since... valentino did have a pretty nightmarish motegi race for annoying tyre-related reasons, so was understandably not in a great mood, and he was not in fact the defending champion... so like. I checked the footage and reckon valentino probably could have worked a little harder to get over to casey, but also this is obviously an extremely petty thing to complain about

and while we're talking petty, the ghostwriter of casey's autobiography thinks that casey was also pissed at valentino at the next race in phillip island for *checks notes* having a special helmet design at casey's home race? incredible scenes

literally started off the infamous phillip island streak with a spite win. your regular reminder that casey says in his autobiography that he doesn't use his rivals to motivate himself

estoril, the race before motegi, was also the race where they had their little table football date [ed.: originally thought it was at motegi itself rip. nope, table football was at the first matchpoint race]

so late 2007 is when casey really starts going in on how valentino had cooled off towards him AND talking about not liking valentino's tone in the press, that valentino wasn't as complimentary of him as he'd been at the start of the season... which might be true, but casey wasn't exactly a shrinking violet either when answering questions about valentino. as an example, this is how he's talking about valentino in july of 2007:

"This rule is not good and we need more tyres," Rossi said earlier in the week, "The problem is for the show because, at the end, it is the tyre that decides the race." "At the beginning of the season, Valentino and the others were all for the new tyre rules," Stoner points out, "but, as soon as they don't win, the rule is crap. I've had my bad races this year, especially in Germany, and I'm not complaining about the tyre rule. "They can moan and whinge about it as much as they want, but it shows that [Michelin] has had such an advantage in the past. This season, they cannot bring a tyre in just for the race [and] it's a matter of relying on the company that supports you to do a good job."

"moan and whinge" steady on casey

valentino over the years has talked about this rivalry far less than casey has... which includes not being all that interested in diagnosing when things soured interpersonally between the two of them - beyond saying a couple times in 2010-12 during the pettiest phase of the feud that casey hadn't gotten over laguna. mostly this isn't that big a problem because valentino's side of the rivalry is so much more straightforward, but it's still obviously not ideal. it's that relative scarcity which makes the following interview answer from 2009 one of my other favourite tidbits:

"He bases his sentences on the results. Even at the beginning of 2007 he was giving me a lot of compliments, then, after winning the World Championship, he started with heavy criticism."

isn't it lovely that casey thinks valentino switched up his tone towards him because casey started winning, and valentino thinks casey switched up his tone towards valentino because casey started winning... just nicely mirror each other, don't they. such good foils

so taking all these pieces of evidence together... you get a really nice sense of how casey by end of 2007 was all over the place wrt valentino. he misses valentino being as friendly to him as in years past!! he liked valentino congratulating him by rubbing his head in qatar 2007 :) enough to mention that parc fermé interaction THREE TIMES in his autobiography!! doesn't appreciate not getting his hand held after sealing the title :( is increasingly surly that whole year about how nobody is giving him enough credit for his successes :/ is building on a reputation already established in 2006 for being rather an outspoken character when it comes to complaining about everyone in complaining range... but also has an issue with valentino being rude about him in the press :| but still puts valentino on his championship shirt on his list of heroes <3 like... buddy. what is going on here

part of what's going on ofc is that casey takes offence incredibly easily and valentino can be a pretty offensive character. now, again, I really don't think valentino was doing that much in 2007, but obviously my standard for 'valentino being reasonably respectful to rivals' is probably rather different to 2007!casey's standards. it's the malice casey reads into valentino's actions that I reckon is mostly misplaced... like yeah sure valentino distances himself from championship rivals, but. y'know. that's pretty normal behaviour. the fun thing about 2007 is that knowing valentino's entire feud history, you're sort of primed to read it as valentino being the aggressor... but if anything, casey is generally openly ruder towards valentino than vice versa. now obviously, valentino at this stage is a lot better at the subtler, under the radar nastiness that must be infuriating to be subjected to... but y'know, at the end of the day valentino still isn't openly attacking casey. and when discussing this rivalry, it's crucial to acknowledge what an extremely prickly character casey is - that's what makes it so enjoyable!! even better, he's an extremely prickly character who is very ready to make enemies but is ALSO kind of weird about valentino rossi specifically

and yes, having a valentino rossi complex is basically part of the job description if you're a motogp rider of a certain age. still, always important to acknowledge that all of valentino's feuds with younger riders involved guys who were already A Bit Weird about valentino going into the rivalry, which inevitably affected how those respective rivalries ended up laying out. what's so fun about it is that all three of them express it in completely different ways - from jorge's somewhat deranged level of dedication to analysing valentino's every breath, to marc's overenthusiastic commitment towards imitating valentino and beating him and also throwing himself at him at every opportunity, to casey's rather more repressed approach where he's simultaneously extremely sensitive to any possible offence on valentino's part while also kind of wishing they could be friends...? or something? I don't even know what casey's after! doesn't help that he's subsequently retconned this period where he like... kinda looked up to valentino, sure, and respected him and all that - but certainly no mention of putting valentino on championship celebration shirts. so we still have quite a limited amount of evidence at our disposal, but I would gently suggest that casey's cool, composed 'didn't even care who I was beating' rhetoric doesn't quite match up to reality. and casey thinks that valentino got more critical of casey because he was losing and valentino thinks casey got more critical of valentino because he was winning... and the thing is, they're both going to be somewhat right!! attacking rivals from a position of strength is actually kinda part of both of their preferred MO's - it's a similarity between them that plays into how casey at times gets to play the valentino role in this rivalry. so yeah, casey will have almost certainly gotten even mouthier once he could get away with it. but equally, even though valentino wasn't escalating hostilities by his standards, even just his natural process of distancing himself a little from his direct title rivals and getting a tad snarky about them in the press wasn't exactly being well received by casey. and thus they can both say with some justification that the other rider was a lot friendlier towards them at start of the year, and both will have reacted to this in a way that helped further gradually ramp up the level of hostility. lovely stuff

still, you do have to come back to how imbalanced this rivalry was wrt how emotionally invested the pair of them were. having a firm grasp of their dynamic in 2007 is key to understanding how the whole thing subsequently played out, in part casey was less guarded and just a little more likely to let a few things slip... valentino wants to beat this challenging new rival, but I reckon he's mostly being sincere in that his main frustration in 2007 is feeling like he's not even able to fight casey at all for bike/tyre reasons. it's a rivalry he generally enjoyed when they were actually going at it! a comfort zone rivalry that really isn't all that emotionally messy from his side. even if he'll maybe still imply casey's compliments of him were never sincere, seeing how they dried up over the course of 2007... or perhaps joke about casey putting his name on his championship winning shirt, how at least he's losing to a fan... something fun about how valentino is always aware of that idolisation dynamic and is capable of playing with it, just a little. even with casey

whereas for casey, this isn't a game. casey really enjoyed valentino being nice to him and is ever so sensitive towards valentino pulling back. casey thinks valentino isn't giving him the credit he is owed and escalates his rhetoric in response. casey puts valentino's name on his championship winning shirt and then complains valentino didn't hold his hand. poor casey... it'd all be easier if he just didn't care, but that's the one thing he could never quite manage

[ehh-is-the-name]

TPOT 10 spoilers 'cause BH makes me insane

I mean, c'mon. You can't see this thumbnail and think things are gonna be ok for you mentally if you like blackhole. Like you know what's coming to you.

First things first, let me just scream into the void for a second-

HIS NIGHTMARE IS KILLING PEOPLE AND LETTING THAT CONSUME HIM?????!!?!?

AAAAAAAAAGUH MY HEART??!!???!?

Man- I love Blackhole and this episode just drove the stake into my heart. The fact that he, himself, is a being who causes death by getting too close to people made me writhe in BFB. But actively showing the extent of how it affects him—ack! He knows he causes death, which is why it's so important for him not to kill people, and why he's so strict about the pact rules!!

It makes so much sense... BFB 1 had it all laid out, and TPOT 10 sewed it together.

From the way he was hesitant about helping Flower!!! We know- he knows he's gonna end the world by getting closer, but he gives into it anyway. Instead of putting his foot down to Flower, he gives in to his feeling of wanting to be closer to people—from the way he's so happy about being shrunk—and more later. Then we get that whole thing with everyone about to die.

We know if Four never came, everyone would've died. Blackhole knows that too, from the end of his nightmare. More specific to this clip though, from the scene with Pie and LIY, since he literally just gave in to the urge to get closer and he wants that to never happen again. As a singularity in space, he could appreciate the planet, and life on it, more than other objects. He could see them all interact but never actually interact with them (besides talking), so at this chance of being beckoned, it makes sense that he'd just go "eh, fuck it, alright" then IMMEDIATELY regret his actions. Although his nightmare was about being afraid he'll "give into murderous urges", it can also be interpreted as him being afraid to let go. Something clearly stated in the last scene of his nightmare...

Queue TPOT 10 scene from clip above (I'm so mad that it's only 1 video per post on here)

Over the season we've seen him go from preventing death to just not killing people. It's morphed into his own cut-throat rule for the pact, which, in this context, is fair to see why. He joined the game via him not caring about the consequences, and it's stuck with him, so seeing everyone over and over get away with things made him HAVE to re-enforce to himself that he wasn't allowed. Death PACT doesn't kill people. HE doesn't kill people. He can't allow himself to let go of that regiment.

Obviously, this causes problems in the team- we see the clip. The thing that gets me the most is that this is bona fide trauma we're working with—Fanny telling him to #get-over-it kinda rubbed me the wrong way. And OK! I know- I know that's not exactly what she's saying but that's how it felt, and I know she has every right to be upset 'cause he was fuckin' over his team, but again that's just me! (The fact they got on the same page was enough for me anyway.) I digress, his "obsessive nature" was essentially just a response to everything that's happened to him—it's what makes him feel in control of himself. Poor BH's got trauma bad :(

I think what really twists that knife for me is that... the guy really just wants to connect with his peers normally- He wants everything to go back to normal, and that's one of the reasons he compromises with Fanny. On some level, he knows he's gone too far, but he's just afraid. Even at the end, he can't bring himself to kill Tree, even though he knows it'd be better with the new "focusing on life" angle. Did you hear that shakey exhale? Man's going through the wringer. Obviously, he won't overcome his trauma in an episode, but it's a good step to just playing and enjoying the game.

Anyway... There is probably a shitton of fans that are looking at this like "Yeah no shit Sherlock" but hey! Be nice. Some of us are slower than the others, and by some of us, I mean me. I needed this punch in the face to really see how death was impacting Blackhole's mental state and now I've word vomited my thoughts out.

[wanyouzi]

For the new saga, I have some of my own ideas, well, I hope many people will accept them, but unfortunately, in my country, many fans don't listen to what I say and just want to hear what they want to hear(My English level is not very good, the following are machine translatisee):

What I'm saying is that everyone has assumed Jay's goofy animations (which I would consider goofy enough) as the official established plot (note that plot and storyline are different, the storyline serves the plot). But in reality, Jay's first album did not have the long animations found in his new album, at most there were some short clips to help understand the storyline. The animators at the time drew their animations based on their own interpretations of the lyrics and their own imagination, creating excellent works one by one. Later albums saw Jay adding more and more long animations, it is likely that he did so because he saw more and more animations and wanted to try it himself (or at the request of his fans) to create his own animations. Jay has also said that he is not good at visual design, so he may have known that the animations he designed would not be good. (It seems that they were used to help understand the storyline, telling us that we're going to drown here, or that we're about to fight here.)

So, I think that what Jay thought of can be considered just one of the countless works, and if you don't like it, you don't have to watch his works.

In summary, the plot was something that Jay had thought out in advance, but the storyline was not. His animation was simply his own idea of the storyline, so if you don't like it, you don't have to watch it. (I think there will definitely be an animation where Ody has an epic battle with Poseidon, both of them getting badly hurt in the process, and Ody just barely wins in the end. Even if there isn't one, we can create our own, again, to reiterate, the plot is predetermined, but the storyline is free.)

Regarding the plot where a mortal defeats a god, and in the end, Poseidon is injured and says "Please," if you simply cannot stand this scene, then you can stop reading here and leave (thank you for your cooperation).

Epic, in essence, is a large-scale, adaptation and re-creation of the original work, rather than being completely based on the original classic. Why could Ody defeat Poseidon? It's not about who is stronger or weaker, it's about skill counter! Skill counter! Didn't Jay post his setting for the gods earlier? In his setting, even Hermes can fight Poseidon. Then, it makes sense for Ody to wear a windbag like Hermes and use speed to fight Poseidon. If Poseidon were as powerful as in myth, the fight between Hermes and Poseidon would be a joke, let alone Ody. (Of course, the jetpack is a little bit unrealistic.)

There's also the fact that Ody is fighting with Poseidon directly, which is just not realistic. Does Ody have to be the same wise and cunning as in the original? I think a human, no matter how powerful, is still just a human. After going through so much pain and suffering, he would break down, lose his mind completely, and give up. Let's not talk about the original here. In Epic, Ody is already a completely different person from the beginning. Epic's Ody would feel guilty for killing a baby, would he? He would, right? He would just pat himself on the back and walk away without any burden. Epic's Ody is suffering from the goddess's harassment on Calypso's island, would he? He would, right? He even had a child with the goddess.

For me, I would rather accept the epic version of the Odysey. If the epic version of the Odysey, which has endured all the sufferings over the past 20 years, can go home immediately, but then be stopped again, and still be able to play mind games with Poseidon as before, then I suggest abandoning the epic version and going back to the original work. The original version of the Odysey is more in line with everyone's mental standards.

Finally, I ask loyal readers not to curse me 🧎🏻‍♂️. If my opinion has made you uncomfortable, you can simply exit. Please don't curse me, I really fear it. Thank you for your cooperation 🙏🏻.(However, I welcome friendly discussions.)