#[i left it open esp from the latest episode]

[yllwjktscult]

Mornings- Lottie Matthews x reader

!!disclaimer- english is NOT my native language so there for sure will be grammar mistakes!!

felt really sad after latest episode esp seeing lottie so sad, so here i come with a cute silly thing to cheer the mood up (mainly my own bye bye)

!!not platonic!! (my first and maybe last not platonic post about yjs, idk we will see im testing the waters. Last time i wrote smth like that was a decade ago when camren was still a thing✋🏻😔)

WC: 1,3k

TW: none, maybe too cute ✋🏻😭

╚══ ❀•°❀°•❀ ══╝

You woke up earlier today. Usually its Lottie who wakes you up with kisses all over your face until you open your beautiful eyes for her, but today, you woke up sooner than her and even tho you wanted to wake her up the same way she does, you wanted her to rest.

Yesterday they had a game and she was so tired after celebrating their win. Poor girl got little too wasted and damn it was hell to drag her ass into her bed, all she wanted was to cuddle and hold you. But eventually you made her change clothes and cuddle you to sleep. And damn god her grip on you was tight before she dozed off with slight snores.

With a chuckles at the memory, you throw the duvet off yourself and quietly leaving the sleeping beauty in her room.

You have been here way too many times, at Matthews place, and at this point you memorised it inch by inch, that even if you were blind you could find your way around here without an issue.

You greeted their maid who asked you if you wanted something. With a polite smile on your face you declined and told her to just enjoy the morning and rest, that you want to make pancakes yourself. After little convincing, the maid just smiled at you and let you do your thing as she went to drink her coffee with the other one.

You prepared your pancake paste and just enjoying the morning, you made sure to make even for the maids.

They liked you and you liked them, you were always so kind to them and whenever you were there, they talked with you and you got so caught up with chatting with them, that Lottie had to literally steal you away from them sometimes, either grabbing you by the crook of your shirt or you hand.

You were soo deep in your thoughts as you flipped your 6 pancake that you didnt notice that tall ass gremlin sneaking quietly behind you. She sneaked her hands over your waist and putting her head on your shoulder "You left me" she mumbled into the crook of your neck and kissing it gently. You turned around to face her, her hands still around you. Your heart melted at the sigh of her. Her fluffy hair, her still sleepy beautiful brown puppy eyes staring at you with adoration and love and the slight pout on her face.

With a chuckle you kissed her cheek and said "Morning Lottie" completely forgetting the pancake in the pan as you stared at her, pouting at you cutely "Morning my love" she answers you while a sweet smile creeps on her lips, the pout leaving her face completely after you kissed her cheek. You both just stare at eachtoher, smiling like idiots in love, because oh well you both were so deeply in love with eachtoher and both of you are idiots, a big ones.

You leaned in and pecks her lips softly. A hum of approval leaves Lotties lips as she closed her eyes savouring the sweet gesture "Im still mad you left" she says with a frowny pout. You giggled at that, oh god you were so in love with her it was disgusting.

Natalie gagged every. single. time you two were lovely dovey in front of the team. Not that she was disgusted by it, it was a reflex. Natalie usually started laughing after she gagged just like you two and the rest of the team. Tai and Van were like proud parents. Jackie and Shauna smiling wishing they had the guts to tell eachtoher how they feel and Misty was watching the both of you with adoration.

You two were so utterly in love it was nauseous.

"You gotta be more convincing for me to forgive you" said Lottie and you smiled, knowing exactly where this is going. So you leaned closer to her face, kissing her all over her beautiful face. Her cheeks, her forehead, her jaw, her temples, everywhere but her lips. She started giggling at the display of affection and love. Her pouty-sulky expression completely melting at your gesture "Oh god i love you so much" she says between giggles as she holds your cheek "i love you too" you said with a huge smile on your face.

You will never get tired of hearing those words from her nor tired of telling her. She leans in, capturing your lips in a sweet innocent kiss, or so you thought.

That giant ass gremlin whos your girlfriend had other plans. She lifted you like you weight nothing on the countertop, standing in between your legs as she kisses you slowly. Her hands that were on your waist are now resting on your hips. You gasped and giggled at that, not expecting that, but well after all, you should. You should know she would do this.

You smiled into the kiss and your hands that were on her shoulders slowly traveled in her hair and on her cheek, bringing her face closer to deepen the kiss. Her tongue slightly brushing over your lower lip. And as expected, you parted your lips a little. The kiss was slow and sweet, making your heart skip a beat as her tongue brushed over yours and you both moaned at the sensation as the kiss deepened and your stomach fills with butterflies with that one specific flip that made you feel glad she lifted you on the counter to sit, because if you were standing your knees would buckle and get all wobbly.

You both were so lost in the sensual, slow kiss full of love, both consumed by eachtoher souls that you ABSOLUTELY forgot about the now burnt pancake in the pan.

That was until you smelled it.

You opened your eyes with realisation, putting your hands from where they were into Lotties chest, pushing her slightly away. She whined at the loss of contact.

You smacked her shoulder lightly as you jumped from the counter top, grabbing the pan and flipping now the burn as hell pancake into a plate "You are forbidden in the kitchen next time im cooking, you are distracting me way too much" you shot her a glare with a pout. What a terrible day, the perfect pancake ruined because your girlfriend was sulky that you left her to sleep.

Lottie giggled and hugged you once again from behind as you held the pan "Im not sorry at all" she kissed your cheek and then nuzzled her head in your neck, savouring your scent that brings so much comfort to her and the one she loved so much (she would never admit it to you, but she bought the same perfume you use and sprays it on her clothes when you two cant be together, or when she misses you, or when shes just feeling soft.. so basically almost all the time).

"I know you are not" you say playfully and hands her a plate with few pancakes and hands it to her "now eat it snd let me finish it"

With a chuckle she kissed your cheek again and grabs it from you. Sitting on a chair nesr a table and eating it, all while she stares at you, working in a kitchen. Making pancakes looking so carefree and so domesticated.

Lottie heart jumped in her chest, the thought of waking everyday with you by her side, making food in a kitchen and living together making her so happy. And she cant wait for more mornings like that in a future. With you. In your own house you both live in, happy and together.

After that you told the maids that you are sorry for the burn smell and how Lottie distracted you, they laughed at that, knowing how Lottie is.

They appreciated you made some for them. Their hearts swelling at the thought you see them as humans too and not just maids, workers or as a property.

You and Lottie told them your goodbyes as Lottie, once again, had to drag your ass with her. Wanting you all for herself.

You spend the whole day cuddling in her bed, watching silly movies. Kissing and talking.

It was perfect saturday for both of you.

╚══ ❀•°❀°•❀ ══╝

[inkedmyths]

S1: E22 "Devil's Trap"

Brought to you by hey so each and every one of you who made me watch this. You all suck. This is the worst. I hate it here. What sort of BULLSHIT was that—

This episode featuring: Odd interrogation techniques, family dynamics, bodysnatching, and one deeply upset Ink

Banging opening music

I will not fall doooown... when push comes to shove I will rise above... jammin

Here we fuckin go the boys are off to save or avenge their dad

[ Kayla asks if one of the opening montages has used Carry On My Wayward Son. I said no, because I would definitely remember that. ]

Where are we

What the dog doin

Holy water and whiskey. Mood.

Oh this be Bobby

[ Kayla and Crepe cheer. They love Bobby. ]

SCREAMS. JOHN JUST HAS THAT AFFECT ON PEOPLE (referring to when he threatened to shoot John) oh I like him already

Satanic Roach Hotel

Ohh. Bad year. Most years 4 possessions, but this one had at least 27...... well thats rough

UH OH

MEG

DEAN

Fuck off Meg

"Chuckleheads" GREAT word use Meg

GOTTEM

Okaaaay interrogation time

"Where's our father, Meg"

"You didn’t ask very nice"

"Where's our father, bitch"

Goddammit whys he so funny

Oh shes posessed

I dunno about innocent

Oh good news bc it means they can yeet the demon, yea?

"Hit it Sam" (begins praying)

[ Winchesters latest hit single in Christian Rap sweeps midwestern protestant congregations as a big hit! ]

Dean buddyyyy

Uh getting spookyyyyy

This is wild. Interrogation via exorcism

What the fuck are u gonna do here like what do u do

Shes dead but not but whats up

UHHHH WELL THATS FUCKING. SOMETHING

Hello ma'am

That sucks ass. Being exorcised certainly doesn't seem fun, esp when you got dropped from a building

A year............ bro.......

Poor gal...

As I went down to the river....

Oh she gone.............

:(

:((

STOP ZOOMING IN ON HER DEAD FACE

"You guys think you invented lying to the cops?" lmao thanks bobby

"I won't even try to shoot him this time"

[ Crepe asks Kayla if Meg is the woman Bobby has buried in his garden or if that's someone else. Concerning. ]

SCREAMS hes making the car safe and Dean is like MY CAR

Dean just wants his family to stop being self sacrificing. Hypocrite

Sunrise Apartments!

Building full of human shields... thats a problem

Pull the fire alarm lol

Oh those people are SO posessed

Yep there he is, tied u— hm. I don't. Like that actually

"I've got a Yorkie upstairs, and he pees when he's nervous—" Dean for funniest liar

THEY STOLE THE FIREFIGHTERS FITS

Demon? Demön?

Holy water!!

Hes still breathing hes not dead yet

But he might be posessed

Oh just had to check

Uh oh someone else just got posessed

And another....

Aha... the colt

[ Kayla: Uhhh I'm here for the colt stuff - the Winchesters]

2 bullets left!

Alright. Now what

Fambily

Dean can and will kill for his family huh

Uh oh zappy lights

The demon's here!

Uh oh

Something is wrong

OH

OH SHIT

Sam going AAA

AUGH WHATS HAPPENING

I DONT KNOW

WHAT IS THISSSSS

Bullshit bullshit

Me: DEAN WAS RIGHT

Kayla: and why was he right :)

Me: Bc he would have been pissed :(

Kayla: and never proud :)

Kayla: (therapy voice) and how did that make you feel

Me: I hate it here

Kayla: elaborate on that

Me: I haaaate it here

Kayla: mhm mhm (writing stuff down)

"What are you and God going to do?" dammmn

Justice for WHAT

Oh so a demon cares about its family

Good for him but also you were already trying to kill them before??

Yeah? Why?

What's your angle here

Huhhhhh. What the fuck do you want with Sam

"I really can't stand all your monologuing"

Oooough hitting him where it hurts damn

OOOH DAMN DEAN THROWING SHADE BACK

How are u guys goimg to get out of this

Oh shit oh SHIT

AAAAAAAAA

OH THE LEG!! SMART!!!!!!

Oh fuck man

Bro it fucking leaving

Well this is an Awkward Family Ride

Kayla: awkward family ride abt to

TRUCK

What the fuck what the fuck

WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS

BRO WHAT

THATS IT FOR SEASON 1??

BULLSHIT

---

My so-called friends then proceeded to point, laugh, and heckle me for the next 10 minutes. This is bullshit I hope you know. Stupid goddamn cliffhangers stupid Winchesters and their STUPID FAMILY NONSENSE—

[antiloreolympus]

9 Anti LO Asks

1. Alright I get exaggeration in drawing characters and maybe I just noticed but Hades ears look huge in the latest chapters????? I draw myself but it’s so noticeable and huge it looks terrible. Also the shade of red of Persephones eyes looks terrible, she should have done like a pale red or just not do “red eyes for coolness” it just looks terrible and doesn’t add anything to Persephone design at the end of the day

2. Like I still do enjoy bits and pieces of LO, I’m interested to know how it’s gonna end, but Im just constantly disappointed in the writing now 

3. I’m the latest non fast pass chapter I still can’t take Persphone seriously. Idk if it’s the writing or whatever but RS just puts certain plot points at a halt. The last cliff hanger “am I a fertility goddess” and in the next chapter We don’t get answers we’re looking for might as well of not made that a cliff hanger if Demeter want going to give us much. Persphone asking if a fertility goddess means there’s a “few extra carrots” was the dumbest line. Was she being sarcastic? I can’t tell because the fascial expressions are often drawn a little weird. If Persphone is the “straight A” smart student she is, I would think she’d have more critical thinkng skills of why Demeter is hiding the fertility goddess status. Idk I think if RS is gonna write cliff hangers like that she should make sure those questions get answered not dodged or else Dont hype that scene up

4. Oook I have a wicked dumb theory that’s either far from happening or ACTUALLY happening. So remember in that one episode where RS left open another can of worms in ep. 148 at the very end where Kronos was a whole ass skeleton just saying “well well well”. I think that Persephone’s gonna turn giant again and maybe try to fight Kronos if he escapes and she might be all like “YoU cAnT hUrT hIm AnYmOrE!!” And judging by the art style, it’s gonna look goofy as hell and it’s gonna be another “yasaas queen gettem!!!” Moment. I can’t with this goofy ass comic Dx

5. lmao you guys werent kidding about the pom pin, it looks so out of place and passed on. its literally a circle with some spikes on top, how is that so hard to draw a few times over? my god rachel is lazy and overworking her poor team. then again their names arent on it, so why would they care if its bad? let rachel take the fall for it.

6. its not even an ancient greece thing but rather basic history that the rich and powerful did not wear white, their MO was always to show off they had money to afford fancy threads and dyes, so they'd always want colors and elaborate designs instead of undecorated white. maybe shes trying to base it off marble statues, but its well known by now that even those were brightly painted and colonizers from england actually whitewashed them for an aesthetic, so idk where her research is in any of this.

7. idk man maybe its just me but youd think a series that is trying to force a glamorous idea would actually put in the effort for the clothes to look nice, but instead theyre all just boring flat cloth and thats it. no pattens, no accessories, not even interesting cuts or folds or even different colors instead of "white" (its just pink or grey) or black. even in the beginning it tried to make up for it with sparkles to give the illusion of shine, but now it doesnt even bother with that.

8. White didn't even become a thing for brides until Queen Victoria was married in 1840, thousands of years after the timeframe of LO, so why would they have that symbolism in Persephone? More so, as other anon pointed out, Greek weddings especially loved yellow and reds for brides, so why would she be in plain white? Then again the gods of LO somehow have Versailles and 1980s American fashion before either country existed, so RS doesn't care to be accurate in mythology or basic history it seems.

-----FP Spoilers-----

9. Very true on the FP stuff. I think comedic use of a person being a bit jealous of their partners closeness to another can usually be done fine when it’s used not too seriously and the topic is moved on from quickly., but hades instead is just so mean and cruel to hermes for what, having an actual chemistry and friendship with persephone that wasn’t forced on by others and with her dependent on him? esp Bc we know how violently possessive hades is of her for no reason, so what could have been playful jealousy under a better writer is instead him being an asshole about it. persephone being jealous over hera was not done well but it at least made a little sense in the context (doesn’t make it good context) and she didn’t lash out at the people in question, but hades just looks like he’s legit angry persephone has a life and relationships outside of him. i think Rachel was going for “romantically possessive” (which isn’t romantic but go off) but instead he just looks like a creep.

[cisthoughtcrime]

just watched the latest Westworld episode (s3e5) and want to braindump some thoughts about this season as I continue to procrastinate, so spoilers under the divide. if any of y’all watch westworld, would be interested to hear your thoughts too.

ok gonna try to keep this short and not overcritical but probably gonna fail on both counts.

I’m still definitely enjoying watching it and I’m likely gonna keep going until it ends, but it doesn’t feel like it’s the same show anymore so much as a spin-off. At first i thought it was just the fact that so little of it is taking place inside the park and the cast has been decimated, but this episode made me realise that s3 has been so unoriginal compared to the original premise. (again: still enjoying it, still watching on it, not shitting on it for the sake of a superiority trip. There are a lot of derivative shows I really enjoy but Westworld isn’t usually one of them).

the original premise’s underlying subject was subtle and existential and imho was very good about laying out the ingredients for the viewer to draw their own conclusions about what the show was trying to say (from the big philosophical questions like “what is humanity/consciousness/free will anyway?” to the implicit societal critiques like “morality is performative and when no one’s looking humans act different”).

I think what’s bugging me about s3 is that we finally broke out of westworld and we’re in a futurescape i’ve seen a thousand times before in scifi.

The downtrodden ‘different’ (white male) outcast disillusioned with The System and omnipresent surveillance who meets the sexy motorcycle-wearing black-leather-clad badass woman who saves him from his mediocrity and validates his disillusionment and recruits him to help dismantle the system and free the sheeple? Check.

The reclusive European gazillionaire who owns an island, has a seemingly-self-contained tragic backstory that will no doubt have one or two vestigial elements that come into play at pertinent times to blindside the audience and/or main character, and espouses his dream of a utopia derived from his trauma but that isn’t really a utopia? Check.

Everything is automated but people are still empty inside so everything the rich do to poke their ennui with a stick is the same ol’ combination of colourful hypersexualisation/orgies/prostitutes, sadism, and synthetically-made drugs that do whatever tf the writers think will play best visually while brushing off the chemistry of it all with whatever the newest version of ‘flux capacitor’ is? Check.

That’s not to say these tropes are all necessarily scorched earth. I mean, worked for The Matrix and Altered Carbon and whatever. I’m gonna try to wrap this up by synthesising what it is that actually bugs me about this in Westworld S3 specifically:

i said earlier that previously Westworld was good about talking around the core concepts and plot, leaving us to infer the patterns and parallels (which tbh is kinda what i credited for the show’s popularity, ie the fact that there was so much to discuss and so many connections for the audience to make in such a creative world of philosophical and moral questions that ofc people would latch onto it and hypothesise wildly). But eg in this episode, when Dolores sends everyone their profiles, the human-host parallels spoke for themselves and seeing people’s reactions in the streets reinforced so much (base human nature, free will, the validity of the hosts’ emotional reactions, flawed attempts to standardise reality at the expense of individuality) but Bernard softballs it in with “they’re breaking their loops,” which hamhandedly shoves the “ooooooo humans have been the automated drones all along, that’s wack man” down our throats as if that hadn’t been a staple of speculative fiction since before Aldous Huxley and as if it weren’t the sort of blatantly fucking obvious thing you or the person watching with you would gasp aloud after a twist or reveal. Not saying I disagree with the criticism of complacent routine, it’s just... we get it already and we got it since whatever grade school essay we had to write on Orwell or The Giver, no? There’s also the “human over-reliance on tech” critique which has been there since S1, but until now it was kinda baked into the background of the main satirisation of hubris in the face of mortality and self-knowledge; now ‘human over-reliance on tech” is the exact weakness that the show keeps overexplaining has opened the door to human extinction.

sidenote: twice so far they’ve alluded to the human ‘real world’ being a simulation (Maeve in War World and Liam’s stoned friend on that rooftop bar), so if this season’s big twist is that the real world is just one of the ziptillion simulations run by the Serac’s machine I might just stop watching and pretend it ended after s1, esp if part of the twist is that Dolores or Maeve somehow merge themselves into the fabric of the simulation/become one with it. don’t even get me started on if serac is a host bc what a cop-out that would be.

I’m setting aside some of my other issues with the show to focus on how weirdly narrowed/streamlined/hemmed-in this season has been. i really want to like caleb but ffs his whole arc so far is simultaneously far too recognisable and far too self-insert-gratifying when the only new thing added to his stock character is the fact that Aaron Paul is playing him now instead of Sam Worthington or Jake Gyllenhall or whichever from the parade of recognisable-action-actors who are Misunderstood and Pouty until sexy miss unreadable fulfills his call-to-adventure fantasy complete with kiss/sex either during or immediately after a big fight scene.

Now that the rich intriguing world we started in has been largely explained and almost entirely killed off, we’re left with loyalty to a few fave characters in this (admittedly aesthetically pleasing and coherent, but still) standard vision of the future, where we already know Dolores’s story and motives and are kinda waiting for Caleb to catch up, and the only questions left really are kinda linear by Westworld standards (what’s Dolores’s plan, what’s gonna happen to each of the characters, like basic unanswered questions in any plot), and they keep recycling the same plot points (’oh they’re a host too?’ or ‘this host can’t trust their own thoughts/memories/actions because they’ve been damaged or tampered with’ but now kinda cheapened bc the setting is different and no one in the show expects them to be hosts but everyone in the audience does).

TLDR

There is nothing special or specific about this future-world that connects it to Westworld. A futuristic theme park of hyperrealistic humanoid AIs designed to facilitate the consequence-free catharsis of the stunted rich elite could be transplanted into any technologically-advanced future where extreme wealth-disparity and omni-surveillance are still problems, but that describes basically every scifi show that isn’t about space or apocalypse. But that’s part of what made the park such a strong concept, and also why i expected/wanted them to have come up with a more original outside world. If the park can fit anywhere, why did they choose such an uninspired world? It just feels like these creative interesting characters left this creative interesting world, took a wrong turn at Albequerque, and ended up in an extra-preachy Black Mirror fan script.

and again: i don’t hate this season, i’m still watching and enjoying, but i’m really disappointed by the reveal of this world.

[quintessencx-blog]

@doesntfollowrules liked this [x] for a starter

❛ ronnie why are you looking at me like that? i told you i’m fine. whatever chuck said doesn’t mean anything. i’m still me, okay? is there something else you’re not telling me? ❛

[casually-inlove]

Good evening ~ Have you seen the latest trailer of Psycho-Pass season 3? If yes, may I ask what your thoughts on the trailer are? Also, who was your favorite character in season 1? (I’m guessing Shogo? :) )

Oh hallo thar! Why, yes, I certainly have. Admittedly, it left me quite unimpressed so I’m not expecting anything big from the 3rd season. If anything, it might flop as bad as the 2nd season did. It appears they are not bringing the old faces as main charas, and while it’s confirmed Akane and Kougami are returning, they have been listed as supporting characters, meaning it could be a short cameo. Since Urobutcher isn’t at the helm of the project, the writing quality is likely to be wanting. The trailer itself gave me some Ghost in the Shell vibes, esp. the beginning. From the looks of it, they aren’t going to pull a big villain here (afterall, no one can best Makishima at that department). Instead, a shady organization might be the primary antagonist.

I’ve noticed a few fun things though. If I’m not mistaken, someone in the opening mentions “Bifrost”, apparently (?) referring to that glowing golden orb – a hub of sorts? Bifrost is a notion from Norse mythology, a literal bridge that connects the realm of men with the realm of gods. And considering that the people in the opening are seen “joining” something, some network connection perhaps, it brings up a question who “the gods” are here? Could it be that Sybil is “gods”, and this “Bifrost” is a technology that somehow allows tapping into Sybil System? 

Peculiarly enough, around 1:22 - 1:23 you can see a hellish wolf-like (or dog-like) figure appearing in the trailer. A monstrous wolf, Fenrir, is yet another prominent figure in Norse mythology. According to the myth, Fenrir eats the Moon and brings about the beginning of the Ragnarok (the apocalypse). Could it be hinting that the Sybil System will be brought down, plummeting Japan into chaos?

Anyway, those are just wild ideas. Still, I’m pretty sure they are deriving some elements from Scandinavian folklore. Considering S3 is just 8 episodes long, there isn’t enough time to pack lots of action here.

Aaaand, bingo! Shogo IS my favourite character. Sadly the dub doesn’t convey his charisma one bit, so only the Japanese version for me. I have never been keen on the characters that quote philosophers and literature non-stop, but Shogo won me over. He is a truly scary villain to my mind. What’s scary is that he is absolutely right about Sybil, he wants to destroy it just as passionately as viewers do, and with that, it’s easy to forget that in reality, he’s a brutal murderer. Once you find yourself agreeing with him, you know he’s won. His murderous tendencies aside, Makishima is a fascinating character with a lot of poignant ideas. One of my favourite scenes is when he fights gang and tells them people have lost their ability to assess the danger in front of them – that line rings very true to life. Overall, Makishima’s machinations were what kept me watching the show. 

[hypmicwritingbutbad]

hewwo may i request a friends to lovers hcs (but more short term) for samatoki and ichiro? (separate) thanks!!

Here you go anon!! I might have misunderstood what you meant by ‘short-term’– I interpreted it like the s/o has only known gotten to know them recently rather than being classmates or childhood friends. If my dumb brain got it wrong or you’re unsatisfied, drop me a message and I’ll make the changes! Other than that, please enjoy (･ω<)☆

Samatoki

It’d always been lonely in your old little apartment complex

While things were often nice and quiet, you’d often wished for a friendly neighbour you’d be able to chat to and get to know for the longest time

One day you received word from the senile old landlord that new tenants were going to move into the apartment next to yours: a young man and his younger sister

On the day itself you’d given yourself a pep talk so you could muster enough courage to drop in for a quick introduction and pass them a little welcome present

Your first meeting was a little hectic: when Samatoki opened the door, the sight of this scowling, intimidating thug nearly made you drop your welcome loaf of bread out of fear

You’d honestly felt out-of-place sitting in their cramped little living room in awkward silence, but you got along well with his sister who took an immediate liking to you

She saw you as an older sister to go to for girl talk– and so that resulted in you dropping over frequently to watch over her while brother was out

Soon enough, your visits became an everyday routine; you’d come with snacks and a home-cooked dinner, and in return the Aohitsugi siblings became adjusted to your constant presence in their little flat

Over time, you’d discovered that Samatoki wasn’t really as unpleasant as he made himself appear

Sure, he had a hot temper, no filter between his brain and mouth, and the two of you often bickered for the stupidest of reasons–

(“Oi, you left your frickin’ makeup bag in the bathroom yesterday night for the fifth time this month already.” “Well that’s cause I know you ain’t gonna steal it, unless… Sama-chan, you wanna use it??” “Shut up, you damn woman!!”)  

–But he was a surprisingly good listener and would often lend a patient ear to any worries you often needed to get off your chest during private 11PM conversations after his sister went to bed

Plus he was a sucker for your homemade omurice (often demanding seconds with a bashful scowl on his face), and you’d always wanted someone to cook for

One day, the three of you’d been sitting in the kitchen, eating a dinner that you’d prepared in their kitchen as usual

You’d just finished telling Samatoki about what some idiot coworker of yours did when imoutoki’s voice breaks the silence

“When will you and niisan get married already?”

And Samatoki immediately chokes on his rice, so you spend the next five minutes hitting his back as he splutters away

You’d initially take it as a joke and laugh it off, but the serious earnestness in imoutoki’s eyes—

“Niisan always talks about how nice you are… Oh, and he did once say that it’d be nice if he could eat your food for the rest of his life…”

—and Samatoki’s beet red complexion would take you by surprise

“What even are you saying?” You hear him hiss at imoutoki under his breath, flustered, “I thought I told you I don’t—“

But with your heart beating loudly and your head giddy with adrenaline, you’d reach out to latch onto his arm and pull yourself closer to him

Smiling at imoutoki with a wink in your eye

And saying “Oh, very soon.” as Samatoki’s face only gets redder and his words more garbled

Ichiro

The two of you first met at one of Japan’s biggest cosplay cons, with you in a cosplay of Fullmetal Alchemist’s Winry that took you ages to put together

You’d been walking about - albeit a little shyly - and taking pictures with anyone who asked nicely when you bumped into him:

A young man, looking distraught and frantically searching about

Concerned, you’d stopped him and asked him what was wrong

It turned out that he’d lost sight of his younger brothers, so you spent the rest of the day helping him search for them 

When you finally located them crying at the Lost and Found, he’d apologised sincerely for wasting your entire day– though he did stop to compliment your cosplay with genuine awe dusting over flushed cheeks 

“I know it’s been a rough start, but my name’s Ichiro! If you don’t mind, maybe we could go grab a bite to eat together– my treat, of course, to make up for today!” 

Things just hit off from there: you’d often chat with Ichiro on SNS (esp after the latest episode of the intense anime you both like and get embarrassingly emotional over), and occasionally meet up with him

As you grew closer, he  even took an interest in your cosplay projects; he’d come over just to see your latest exploits with Asuka’s complex bodysuit, or perhaps Saber’s iconic blue armour

While he enjoyed helping you sew, he’d never really showed interest in cosplaying one himself

(But it was still fun as you both often played a game to see who could suggest the most obscure thing for him to cosplay– like bald Orochimaru or Sakata Gintoki in a clown costume)

One day as the two of you’d sit together in his apartment, sewing and putting together props in your usual fashion, he’d stop his work in the loudest of fashions:

Dropping his sewing scissors, slamming his hands onto the table and psyching himself up with a few intense exhales

He’d look you in the eye and yell: 

“Will you be the Winry to my Edward!?”

And honestly it’d take you by complete surprise— you’d blink at him, unable to process anything from the pure shock of it all

And even he’d grow bashful, sinking back down into his seat and mumbling “….cosplay! I-I mean, it’d be nice— I want— agh— let’scosplaytogethersoonalright!!”

Before you’d cut him off with an embarrassingly loud gasp 

“Winry and Edward end up together, right? They’re the OG couple…?” ��Y-yeah, they are!”

And you’d simply grin up at him, grabbing his hands. “Ichiro you big nerd…! I’ll be the Riza to your Roy, the Kagome to your Inuyasha, the… Oh my gosh!! I-in the first place, what kind of confession is that?? You big nerd!!”

And his confession would honestly be the best thing to ever happen to you— after all, if he’s to be your boyfriend, there’d be no more escaping the inevitable couple cosplays…

[sapphicscholar]

I feel like nobody pointed this out, but I really hate the fact that Eliza kind of brushed off on Alex's pain. When she went to the balcony to talk with Kara, she said something like Alex is not a closed off person and that she's more worried about Kara? I'm not saying Kara is not hurting, but it has been 6 months, if she really want to care, it shouldve been months ago, not when her elder daughter is there, hurting cause she broke up with the person that made her be herself (1/2)

(2/2) I dont know I just feel like Eliza really cares more about Kara than Alex and it makes me feel so sad. Eliza and Alex barely even talked in the whole episode, and it just feels weird to have a mother, ask about her younger daughter’s emotions after a break up that happened 6 months ago, rather than her elder daughter that broke up with her FIANCEE yesterday. I just feel like the writers really at least couldve a scene between Alex and Eliza talking like how they did with her coming out.

Yeah, it was an odd oversight (I say as though that’s not a statement that could characterize the majority of the post-Adler show writing, even down to the writers’ inability to maintain a consistent internal timeline). On the one hand, it makes a little bit of sense with Eliza’s characterization, insofar as we’ve seen Eliza falling into the mentality before where she assumes that Alex’s strength is something intrinsic to her, rather than something she took on and developed as a kind of armor from the time she was 14-years old an alien arrived at her home, changing her life forever (thinking here of Eliza’s, ”Alex, you are the strongest of us all; your father always said that” from 1x20, or Eliza’s speech from 1x05 about how she was harder on Alex because Kara had already lost so much and she didn’t know how to do anything but accept her, while she could push her daughter to do better because she believed in her, even if she didn’t show it in the best or healthiest of ways). So in that sense, sure, maybe Eliza thinks that Alex can handle it and worries about Kara dealing with yet another loss (and, I’m operating under the assumption that Alex, in trying to maintain her newly improved relationship with her mother, tries to talk to Eliza on the phone semi-regularly and likely mentioned her frustration and worries about how Kara was, or, more accurately, wasn’t, coping with the loss of Mon-El).

All that being said:

1) The fact that Eliza said Alex isn’t closed off (which, weird…but okay, maybe we’re trusting that she noticed that change in her daughter under Maggie’s influence) should have made it more likely that Eliza would go talk to her daughter. If she still thought Alex was closed off and unwilling to talk about her feelings, maybe giving her time and space to process on her own would have made a bit more sense, but if she thinks Alex is willing to be open, she should have fucking gone to her and let her be open and break down and have her mom there for her (esp since we got the whole line about what it means to be a mom and have a child in pain)! But instead we just see her calling Alex strong and brave…again…and leaving her to deal with it on her own.

2) Given how excited Eliza was about the wedding just three episodes prior to this one…no way does she simply ignore the fact that it’s not happening anymore and act like it’s just some breakup that Alex will get over soon enough. It ignores the characterization that the writers had literally just given to her. Plus, knowing that all of this happened supposedly because Alex is dying to have children, it seems like something that someone who is, you know, herself a MOM might be able to speak to with a bit more understanding. 

But at the end of the day, it seems to come down to the post-season 2A writers’ unwillingness to consistently give Alex’s story the time and emotional depth it deserves. In the same way that we’re supposed to overlook the fact that Alex and Maggie waited until what seemed like days (at most a couple of weeks) before the wedding (wine in those decorative jugs they were drinking out of in 3x05 doesn’t keep like wine properly sealed in bottles, so it can’t have been far out from the date) to have any conversation about what they wanted their family to look like (literally the basis of pledging to spend the rest of one’s life with another person), we’re also supposed to believe that Alex and Maggie will choose to never see one another again (at least for the duration of the season), that Alex will hop right into bed with someone new in a matter of a short few episodes after losing the love of her life in a fairly amicable (if still heartbreaking) way, and that Alex doesn’t need much outside help to get over her loss, as though it didn’t just rend apart the life she envisioned with the woman who finally helped her to be herself. 

Oh, and of course making sure that we saw Eliza talking to Kara about her own breakup and how devastating it was just sets up whatever emotional foreshadowing they think we need to be properly surprised (lolz) and moved (double lolz) when Mon-El shows up with his new wife next week and the focus can go back to Kara’s grief over him, rather than the more comprehensive narrative of emotional trauma we could get that focuses on her loss of him as just the latest in a string of losses that have shaped her entire life (her planet, her home, her family, her first real friend on earth, her foster father–twice, her aunt and only remaining connections to her home planet, her boyfriend, etc.). 

I’ll end now because otherwise I’ll rant for days, but I like to think that Eliza, while certainly not perfect as a mother, has grown and come to better understand the ways she failed Alex after Kara’s arrival and Jeremiah’s “death,” and has worked to fix her relationship with her older daughter since the Thanksgiving episode in season 1, even if that development was left off screen. And I think the Eliza we’re led to believe she became would have been there for her daughter, would have sat with her and let her cry or yell or vent–whatever it was she needed–just like I think Kara wouldn’t have immediately yelled at Alex for taking one freakin night to be a “mean drunk” after losing the love of her life. But I suppose that’s left to fanfic because it’s just too much to expect the show writers to do their job when they have a self-insert character they’re so desperate to bring back and give more screen time to at the expense of their leading fucking heroine and her co-leads. 

[survivormarmoreal]

Episode #10: “He wanted to have this ginormous dick energy" - Brian

Well losing Keaton wasn't in the plan. He was one of my closest allies. I may have screwed things up with Brian. Maybe if I can come up with a lie good enough, we could believe me. Sharky knows that I liked Keaton so maybe theres still trust there. Hopefully. Im still working with Nathan but hopefully he still wants to work with me even though Keaton is gone. I know for sure that I have Bryce. At least that's one ally but who knows.

OKAY OKAY OKAY. Thank fucking GOD. Everything worked out. All the other votes were for Matt so there is no question who is a liar. Because everyone is a liar. But it doesn't matter because our plan worked. Matt is still here. I'm still here. AND KEATON IS NOT!!! Now of course everybody is scrambling to apologize to me. Nick is like oh it was so last minute. Maynor is like "i liked you both so it would keep you both". Nathan is spewing some nonsense. Bryce honestly kind of owned up and laughed it off which tbh i respect. And of course my girl Anna checked in and I told her we are golden. Because we are. Anna was 100% up front with me about this plan so I trust her A LOT now. I told her Brian and I didn't tell Matt about the plan, which is a lie, but it's the smart thing to tell her because it keeps her from being put in another tough position. And I never told Matt Anna was the leak. So Anna should be safe from any fallout after this vote. Nothing to do now but move forward and hopefully Matt or I win immunity and the FB Bois can carry on.

Update: I'm sure as hell not winning immunity because I only got 3 out of 25. Embarrassing. Physical threat who?

Bryce is my final 2.  There, I've said it.  I'm 100% solid on this man as my fellow finalist!  I really hope that we are able to navigate our way to finals together... like, we have our plans, we spilled all the tea... basically Nick and Maynor just continuously lied to me, and like... idk... I feel like Bryce could be lying, but I just feel too good about this connection that I think it's a real final deal.

So fuck me with a spoon and call me Sally because I finally feel amazing about an ally to the end.

Also, we have our "potential vote order."

8. Nick - A goat that could just be brought to the end.  He's not too bad, but he's also someone who could easily replace me in the Sharky-Matt-me trio. 7. Annabelle - Break her duo with Nathan up while also breaking her trust circle with Sharky.  I think it would be ideal for me to take her out now. 6. Sharky - He's the biggest threat and you can't keep the biggest threat around for too long, no matter how much you trust them.

Top 5: Me, Bryce, Nathan, Matt, and Maynor.  This isn't the cutest final 5 ever, but I feel like this sets me and Bryce up for the best final 2.

5. Biggest challenge threat, whoever that may be. 4. Biggest challenge threat now (if it's final 2).  If it's final 3, then biggest jury threat. 3. Final loser (if it's final 2).

1+2. Me and Bryce.  Kings.

omg so brian is my f2 now and thats so iconic... so we think the boot order is gonna be like nick anna sharky and then reevaluate for comp threats.... like so i didnt want to vote matt bc i didnt want to lie to brian bc i really wanted to work with him but nathan convinced me to anyway esp bc we knew anna voted matt already and then GHOSTED. but then matt played idol so someone (maybe nick) prob told him/sharky about the plan... sketchy anyway it worked out bc i hate keaton and am happy hes gone. so when tribal ended i noticed sharky brian matt werent leaving call and they were all the minority voters... well majority bc of the idol... so i went into damage control. it was so iconic bc i didnt even pm sharky or matt just brian bc i really only felt bad about lying to him bc i wanted to work with him so much and matt doesnt respond that much and well sharky maybe i was a lil bad feeling about lying but w/e. i just joked around with them didnt hide anything and was my usual charming self... so i was honest with them about what happened bc i realized like i dont want to work with ppl who lie to me. i forgot if i mentioned this but like keaton and nick refused to tell me they were voting matt even tho we were all supposed to be in on it. and while everyone else was lying about why they voted or when the plan was formed i decided to be forth right. idk if thatll come back to haunt me but hope not NNNN. i was on that call for 7 hours. thats dedication NFJAJDFSHKAJS although they were all iconic and fun to talk to anyway so wasnt that hard but i sleep at midnight the latest usually and it was 2am. but w/e i pushed through bc tiredness is passing but positioning myself properly is NECESSARY. once it was just brian and i we shared everything or at least i did KJFASDKJFA he kept being a lil shady but i think it was fair bc i did just lie to him. i told him about nathans vote spy and the og absolem (minus nick) alliance and all the stuff ppl were saying and he told me about how he knew of matts idol bc he himself had a vote steal and they traded info. so loved that tbh!!! like if we have to use it this round itll set us up good it think, plan is to take out nick bc he can be goated to the end and flipped to and we dont want that. then anna bc shes good at comps and wanna split nathan/anna up. then hopefully work with maynor/nathan/(maybe matt) to vote out sharky bc if he gets to the end he'd win we feel like. after that we gotta see who we can beat in comps so we can beast our way to the f2. we think its f2 bc how days line up but like im bad at math so KFJASDHFJSD. anyways me and brian are like the michele and cydney that make it to the end so get ready for that. sorry nathan, thank you next!

I dont know if i said it last confessional but losing Keaton at the moment was really bad. He trusted me and was working with me. But now it looks like Matt want to start a little alliance. Sharky wasnt bad, was just happy it wasnt him, and Brian not mad but upset. I think i literally may be working with everyone left. Scream team with Sharky. OG Dinah with Brian. Shatter but still together me nathan annabelle and bryce. My rams alliance with bryce. And nick talks to me but is only one who hasnt said we should work together.

So we out here still! I am really happy that the idol play worked and it seems to have shaken the 5 who voted against myself, brian and sharky a lot. they are all seemingly panicking and its quite amusing to watch ngl. However, I am pretty sure I can capitalise on this to my own advantage, to swing the numbers my way or at least to take myself to like 5th (which for me is always a good placing). I am sure as hell not done playing yet so woo lets go bitches!

worried brian is closer to matt than me... annabelle once again ignoring. i dont know how to have a convo with matt like on call sure easy love it on discord? not happening. nick... maynor seems off today but we still chatted for a while... maybe im over? whomst knows! love ain

These questions were all out of left field like wow. I didn't even get to read all the questions. I randomly looked at a question and picked a number. I actually knew more of them than the ones I picked. I only got one right and that was Mickey Mouse and I don't even like him that much. Lets hope people are thrown off by these questions and panic like I did.

So Nathan has come and apologized. I really do believe his plan, although it was super selfish, was to get our group of 4 further. So I'm not mad. But the thing is that more so than Nathan lying it showed that he has real POWER in this game. He was able to get a 6 person majority to do what he wanted and convinced them all to lie to me and Brian. So he won't be my next target because he has my back but I don't have his anymore so he better watch out. Nathan is the biggest threat left in this game.

Okay so it's seems all is at peace. Anna had been worried that Nathan would come after me but it seems that passed. And The Jock Destroyers Alliance actually seems to be on the same page for once. Nick is just seeming like an unknown to all of us and we want to cut down on unknowns this late in the game. None of us can guarantee Nick is with us and that is worrisome. So as much as I've tried to work with Nick these past few weeks it might be time to cut my goat loose and move on with a new flock. I guess we'll find out.

I WON IMMUNITY!!! My wig is flown... now I can be more ballsy over the next 24 hours.  I want Nick gone.  For Nathan and Sharky to think that they're the ones doing this, though, is so annoying because I was literally the one to open this can of worms.  In addition, the reason I want Nick gone is because I want him out of Sharky's ass.  I don't need the two of them to be besties anymore!  I know Sharky is OK with voting him out, but I know Nick thinks him and Sharky are like besties so...

I think that 5 that voted Matt last round were thrown into a tizzy when Keaton went, and so I'm just out here like... lemme revel in the chaos!  Maynor and Nathan both were so anxious for my reaction... Nick went explaining to me right away what happened... ugh!!  My mind is so big... Sending Nick home this round will be one step closer to fulfilling my top 2 fantasy with Bryce.  I love it so much.  I really hope all goes to plan, but I am immune so I can't really be too worried since I'll still be here after 24 hours lmfao!!

I would love to be the hero by the end of this season, but I already see my villain arc coming up, and I'm left sitting here like... well, it was bound to happen.  The second I turn on Sharky is the second I hit that arc, and it's a plan that's coming sooner rather than later!!

i feel like... im going home its so quiet like brian won immunity and pushed on nick so like he should go but its just so quiet hm.

Well. It looks like it might be me. 🤷‍♂️ No one hs been talking to me so I guess its may be my last day!?

So the vote is either between Me or Nick tonight. And i dont like that. Going to see if I can get Nick and atleast 2 other votes to atleast make it a tie. The only other option right now is to take out Sharky. Im looking to try and get Bryce, Nick, and hopefully Nathan. Brian is safe. That leaves Matt, Annabelle, and Sharky. So like 🤷‍♂️ Imma go out fighting if its me.

So like, this tribal is really quite quiet, but seems to have a clear target in  Nick. SOmething of which i will HAPPILY take for myself, as I am just fed up of getting voted atm lmao. Like yes please just give me 1 round of respite then you may come for me again cause I will be ready. I feel close to Maynor and Nathan, mainly cause I have worked on them over the past few days so i feel good about myself and where i stand. will I win? probably not. Am i ok with that? no but if I have to settle I will

Okay for once it seems like there isn't much scrambling. I could be completely wrong and I'll get sent packing but who knows. It should be a quick and easy vote for Nick.

I jinxed it. The moment I said it should be easy NICK GOES OFF IN THE TRIBE CHAT. Trying to basically threaten all of us with the idea that he may have another idol. THEN BRIAN CALLS HIM OUT. And he puts Nick on blast for leaking the Matt plan to us. Which he did do. BUT Anna is actually the one who told us. So Nick either actually has an advantage and will save himself (in which case I don't think I'm his target) or his whole game just BLEW UP. It's messy messy messy.

Well Nick just ruined all the possibilities ih trying to save him. Nathan doesnt seem like we could get the votes so that also gets rid of Annabelle because they are very tight. So my vote is gunna be Nick but just watch its actually me. 🤷‍♂️  I would die but nothing i can really do know.

maybe im boo boo the fool??? theres been iconic fights and stuff and now nick is gonna vote me which is rude but he says hes voting maynor but i doubt that bc maynor tried to save him earlier this round so idk whats happening ppl are saying like dont worry he doesnt have the votes but what if he idols or what if ppl flip or like i dont want any vote against me in the first place. all these ppl so stable bc they arent the ones getting voted. the AUDACITY nick has when ive put up with his bland unanswering self for all these weeks to vote me on his way out??? no ty!!! maynor is like the most NNN idk he just has the worst pokerface i went with his annoying save keaton plan last week and im pretty sure he is going to vote me now too like... maybe dont do that what happen to the stupid :rams: :rams: aries thing we had going... make it add up!

Looks like I’m going home... the only chance I have at staying is if bryce gets out but I’m worried that’s not going to happen... I guess we will see wha happens in a few hours…

AHH!!  So I got into a fight with Nick earlier.  He wanted to have this ginormous dick energy in the main chat about powers he has and how he KNOWS who mentioned his name... girl, you know NOTHING!  He still thinks I've voted for him twice, and highkey if I had read my PMs about the idol before 7:45pm, then I would've voted for him exactly Z E R O times.  So fucking ugly...

So yea, I fought him.  And I'd say I won.  I just hope everyone sends his ass home.  Bryce and Nathan are updating me on, like, everything, and we have Maynor who just is beyond sketchy with his PMs.... I really just... WHEW.... I hope Nick's straight ass goes home and it isn't Bryce.

This tribal is going to be one big fat mess... but like i’m ready for it

I dont really want to do Nick tonight but its the best thing for now not to rock the boat. Im just hoping that everyone isnt lying and its some how me tonight. 🤷‍♂️ Just need to trust people who are saying they are doing Nick. But having a weird feeling and hopefully its a false alarm.

Tbh Brian not voting makes me feel sketch about tonight. It may be nothing and just me being worried that my name was thrown out. He said he was going to sleep early but he could have voted early for Nick so like. 🤷‍♂️ Paranoid and im going to die.

Nick is voted out 5-1-1.

[recentanimenews]

My Week in Manga: February 20-February 26, 2017

My News and Reviews

In a few more days and March will be here and in a few more days the winner of the Tokyo ESP manga giveaway will be announced. Never fear though, there’s still a little time left to enter for a chance to win the first omnibus in the series! Simply tell me a little about a favorite psychic/esper from a manga. (A quick note: Normally I announce giveaway winners on Wednesday mornings but, because I have an all-day job interview on the 1st, this time the announcement will likely be made sometime on Wednesday evening instead.)

As for some interesting things I came across last week: The National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo has created an online archive of early Japanese animation. An English-language version of the site is currently in the works, but even if you can’t read Japanese if you click around enough you’ll find the some of the videos available for viewing. The University of Michigan’s Center for Japanese Studies recently hosted two master rakugo artists–Yanagiya Sankyo and Yanagiya Kyonosuke–and has posted a video of one of their events. The video includes a brief introduction to rakugo, a demonstration and performance, and a question and answer session.

There are also a few podcasts worth mentioning (though I haven’t actually had the opportunity to listen to most of them yet): The most recent episode of Comic Books Are Burning in Hell is devoted to the late Jiro Taniguchi. Tofugu started a podcast not too long ago and recently talked with Alexander O. Smith about What Makes a Good Japanese Translator? (Smith does a fair amount of video game translation but translates novels and manga as well. He’s also one of the founders of Bento Books.) Vertical Comics recently started a podcast, too, and the first episode of the Mangocast is now available for listening.

As for crowdfunding efforts for queer comics, the end of February has seen quite a few Kickstarter projects launch: The Husband & Husband campaign is hoping to publish the first volume of the cute and funny webcomic in print. The Dates anthology, which focuses on queer historical fiction, is back for a second volume. (Though I haven’t written a quick take for it yet, I have the first volume and it’s great.) The Go Get a Roomie! project is raising funds to print the second volume and reprint the first volume of the webcomic. And finally, Digital Manga’s most recent Kickstarter has launched–Juné Manga is working with Velvet Toucher, a Japanese artist living in the United States, to release Eden’s Mercy.

Quick Takes

Guardians of the Louvre by Jiro Taniguchi. I’ve read most but not quite all of Taniguchi’s manga that has been released in English, but his recent passing reminded me that I hadn’t yet read Guardians of the Louvre, the latest one to have been released. One of the most remarkable things about Guardians of the Louvre is its full-color artwork. The volume is actually part of the “Louvre Collection,” a series of comics commissioned by the Louvre that feature the museum and its collections. (Hirohiko Araki’s Rohan at the Louvre is part of the same series.) Taniguchi is an extremely versatile creator; while some of his manga are action-packed, others are more introspective. Guardians of the Louvre is definitely one of the latter. The story is a quiet and contemplative exploration of art and inspiration, following a manga creator who is visiting Paris on his own for a few days. He falls ill soon after he arrives but pushes through in order to visit the Louvre. And so when he seems to start slipping through time, meeting artists and historical figures associated with the museum, not to mention the embodiments of some of the works housed there, he’s never quite sure how much of his visit is based in reality and how much is a fever dream.

He’s My Only Vampire, Volumes 1-3 by Aya Shouoto. While I don’t actively avoid vampire manga, I also don’t actively seek it out. Usually there has to be something a little “extra” to catch my attention. In the case of He’s My Only Vampire, I had decided to seek out more of Shouoto’s work available in English while waiting for more of The Demon Prince of Momochi House to be released. He’s My Only Vampire is kind of an odd series and at this point the manga doesn’t seem to have a clear direction. It’s as if Shouoto is either trying to do too much at once with the story or hasn’t quite decided where it should go yet. It can still be pretty entertaining from time to time, though. Shouoto’s artwork, even though anatomy seems to occasionally go out the window, can be lovely and sensual, too. So far the best part of the manga is the three main characters–Kana, the strong and spunky heroine, Aki, the titular vampire and Kana’s long-lost childhood friend, and Jin, a high-school delinquent who has recently discovered that he is at least part werewolf. Personality-wise and the relationship-wise they’re all sort of goofy and their interactions can be quite amusing. The story is taking some darker turns, but I think I prefer its humor.

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Volumes 1-4 by Shinobu Ohtaka. I know quite a few people who love Magi and have heard plenty of great things about the series but despite those facts it’s still taken me this long to finally get around to reading the manga. Magi more or less starts out as a dungeon crawl which, while highly entertaining, isn’t exactly the most compelling narrative for a series that’s already over thirty volumes and still ongoing. But after the first dungeon crawl (and I suspect that there will likely be more of those in the future) Ohtaka begins delving into the characters and their motivations while exploring the vast world in which the live. In part Magi is inspired by One Thousand and One Nights but Ohtaka does not strictly adhere to those stories and characters, instead creating a complex world that is reminiscent of but distinct from that work. Magi really is a great series, with plenty of magic, mystery, and adventure; I can easily understand why it’s so well-loved. The artwork is clear and attractive, the settings and characters are interesting and well-realized, and the story, worldbuilding, and action are engaging. I also particularly appreciate that the women can be just as badass as the men in the series and in some cases are even more so.

NewsPrints by Ru Xu. My introduction to Xu’s work was through the beautifully illustrated webcomic Saints for Rent. However, NewsPrints is her debut graphic novel. Published by Scholastic the comic is aimed towards middle grade readers but it can be appreciated by older readers, too. NewsPrints, while still being very approachable, actually tackles some pretty weighty subject matter–war, propaganda, identity, and so on. The comic is about Blue, an orphan who is hiding the fact that she is a girl so that she can work as a newsboy for the Bugle, one of the only newspapers that actually reports the truth. The Bugle has taken in and cares for other orphans as well, but Blue is afraid that she won’t be able to hide her secret much longer and may lose her newfound family because of it. The city she lives in has very firmly entrenched ideas about what is and is not appropriate for girls to do. Blue is embroiled in an extremely dangerous situation when she meets and becomes friends with Crow who is also hiding a secret, one that could greatly influence the course of the war. Though NewsPrints tells a complete story the ending is left fairly open. Apparently a sequel is currently in the works; I’m very curious to see where Xu takes the comic next.

By: Ash Brown