#(i mean jiji talks but otherwise)

[weedle-testaburger]

possibly my favourite very specific cartoon trope is ‘bitchy cats with hidden secrets’

(i’m counting nibbler as a cat bc he fits this trope too and i love him)

[the-fandom-is-now-my-life]

Hi ! I wanted to say I love your work a lot, especially those stories about Tokyo Debunker characters going to the future !! Would you mind doing one with Sho please ?

A bun in the oven

Cw: Hyde slips a future potion into Sho's drink without him knowing, reader described as pregnant

Wc: 1,2K

Notes: if there is something in the new chapter that contradicts anything in here, no it doesn't (haven't gotten around to reading it jiji)

For some reason this doesn't read like I wanted it to but it's kind of cute sigh

Sometimes muscle memory takes over when Sho cooks, zoning out and looking at nothing while cutting vegetables or mixing batter, more than once freaking Leo out at his zombie like state.

It just came so naturally after spending so much time in his hobby, mincing garlic, salting water and reducing the sauce. It isn't until he dips his chopsticks in his mouth that he snaps back.

An horrible itching and burning inside his mouth waking him from his trance. He quickly throws aside the offending chopsticks and hurries to the sink to fill a glass of water.

Without a care, he throws his head as he chugs the water faster than he ever shotgunned a beer. Not even caring to wipe the droplets slipping from his lips to his chin and down his neck.

There is only one reason he would cook something like that, he thinks, god-damned Leo and his hellish spicy things. He always tells him that he won't taste anything but the chili oil and jalapeno but he just rolls his eyes and tells him to do as told.

That damned brat, how can he even eat this bullshit without losing his tongue? Maybe he lost his sense of taste after chewing on his special artifact so much, he insists it doesn't taste like anything but some anomalous chemical in it must have ruined his tongue.

Footsteps sound behind him but Sho doesn't pay it too much mind, must be leo, he thinks while swishing water inside his mouth and spitting it out. The last time he spits it out he is lucky it didn't go up his nose at the unexpected hug. Arms wrapping around his waist and someone's head resting on his shoulder.

A soft voice talks just behind him, the sweetness dripping from it too real to be Leo's “Thanks for cooking for me, love, I know you hate spicy with your whole soul after Hyde tricked you” was that…? If Leo was pulling his leg again he swears to God he will never tell him anything ever. Just one time he tells Leo he likes to spend time with you -maybe a little too much to be like friends- and he has never known peace since. Whenever Leo gets slightly bored his little crush is something so easy to exploit, teasing about white day's gifts, sending him photos of couple's discounts at stores, links to rings with obnoxious remarks like ‘Better hope they have cheap taste’ or ‘your food truck better be making some good revenue otherwise I see it hard. I'm not lending you even one yen’

Ripping him away from his thoughts, the muscles under his skin tremble and shudder as if an electric current went through them as your lips fall just beneath the angle of his scapula, an almost mockingly honest ‘mhwa’ follows as you get away. Luckily you didn't do it as he was pouring the blistering oil in the bowl or when he was cutting the garlic, Sho is sure he would have spilled oil all over himself or sliced his finger open.

“Whatever. It should be ready” he mumbles as he drags the cutting board and pot where the oil was boiled to the sink to scrub them.

Without a peep you grab the bowl and walk off to the kitchen island.

“So how was the truck today?”

“Hyde was hanging around all day and wanted to watch how I did everything, such a nuisance.”

“Like a little kid! Maybe that is why he was so happy at having a nephew, he wanted someone close to his maturity!”

Letting out a small laugh to let you know he heard you, his mind starts chewing and begins to understand what you said. ‘nephew’ stands particularly up, he is Hyde's only sibling, so that would mean… no, there is no way, is it?

And for once, he turns around to see you, not dressed in school uniform and loafers with tidy and neat hair but rather you are on the stool wearing a t-shirt he has been thinking about buying for a few days and your hair on a messy bun. But that is seen as normal over your hand, spotting a ring over the sage's ring, resting over a very noticeably pregnant stomach.

Oh, fuck, it wasn't a prank, that fucking masked creep truly got that damned potion. That is why he was so fucking annoying to get him to share a drink. He should have known it wasn't from the goodness of his heart. Was he getting back at him from when he stole his beers? Immature bastard.

“Huh? Is something wrong” lazily you lean back and look at him wondering.

“... No, not at all”

Leaving the dishes halfway done, he sits on the stool next to yours and stealing glances at you

“baby, he is kicking, have a feel” without giving him a second to pull away his hand lies flat against your swollen stomach, and soon is greeted by a harsh kick from the depths of your body “he is kicking like crazy”

“Are you sure it isn't because… he hates spicy” it takes him a second to not call that an ‘It’. He does like you, maybe enough to have a serious relationship and not just mess around like he always does but it's a wide jump from the ring around your fingers and having a fully fledged family.

“If that was why then your son shouldn't make me crave spicy food!”

“Are we sure it's not Leo's?” He jokes, unsure how to continue the conversation, and gets a smack in the arm while you laugh “hey, I think it's a fair enough q-” suddenly another smack lands on him but this time it's harsher and directly on his face, accompanied by such and annoying voice.

“Shohei-kun~~” his brother is hunched over him and slapping his face, there isn't much worry on his face as annoyance, as if him being out of it because of something he slipped in his drink “finally~♪ I would have thought ghouls have a higher tolerance to potions but doesn't seem like it”

Sho’s hands fly to Hyde's collar, or so he thought, his body must still be halfway asleep given how easily he dodged his grasp.

“No need to get so aggressive so soon! I just wanted you to tell me how your future was going to be but I doubt you are speaking, right?” Wobbly kneeling up Sho only is capable of snarling a string of curses making his brother, who rolls his eyes and helps him up on a chair.

“You should get better in a few minutes, how about you tell me all about your little dream when I come back~?” And hurriedly he rushes out of his own office to dodge a book thrown by his little brother.

Sighing into his arms, it seems that the only way to calm his stomach and stop his head from spinning was closing his eyes and anchoring himself to the desk. Stupid Hyde and his stupid potions.

Cracking his left eye slightly at the buzzing of his phone, he is faced by the only text he couldn't stomach to answer right now. Even a text from Leo or Hyde would be better.

Senpai: Sho, are you fine? I couldn't find you at recess

Senpai: call me when you see this, don't make me worried!!

He should call you but how could he look at you in the eye after that “damned masked freak”.

[cacaitos]

overall regarding my last batch of questions, i think on simpler terms, if not talking about the plot itself, ItK is a story about stories, and, just like with characters in-story, how they can fabricate and enthusiasm (or antipathy anyway) for violence and dubious situations lol.

i mean, on a textual literal manner, ichi and kakihara’s fight is just a typical murder scene with unfortunate(?) results. it can easily align on ‘villain so powerful they wish to be defeated’, ‘be careful with what you wish for’, ‘they had it coming’ things of that sort, people arent unreceptive to those stories, specially bc both the characters are horrible people. it’s satisfying to see people you hate die.

on a second level, it is a ‘romance’. yes it can sound redundant due to the oversexual nature of the story. so it’s not so much on the figures but on a practical level, as a tool. much like in hate and revenge, the weak beating the strong or a slighted person enacting justice, romance too requires empathy, if not stright sympathy, for either/or parts, and is no stranger to use hate (conflict) as its driving force. so, catharsis is not achieved, maybe, through conquest, but by the synthesis; the resolution of said conflict (otherwise it’s moreso tragic). 

despite on numbers it’s more appropiate to say that ichi is less worse that kakihara (on an age=experience way) he is wimpy, volatile, undecisive and declares explicitly and loudly he wants to hurt ppl the audience is inclined to feel empathy towards (women bystanders, and not violent yakuza), so he’s underisable, maybe too close to someone you would meet irl. while kakihara hurts the weak, yeah, but it’s violent yakuza like him (and not like you), and instead of contempt he’s moreso *neutral about women, in contrast of ichi’s strong (specially influenced by the fact he’s atraccted specifically to them) opions on them. we spend most of  the time with him, and even by force of shared space and time, one logically understands what he wants. 

so now both for the strength of hate (that you want them both to suffer) and for romance (that you want them both to meet, because one is compelled to the interaction of engaging characters), give way for the third layer of conflict: what’s the correct reaction when the story through legal means has lead you so that this fight happens (standard) but that by asosciation is also leading you to cheering on what’s subtextually, and in a way that’s coherent and directly resulting of the first two elements, an rape scene (or play or whatever). it doesnt negate the entertainment and satisfaction of violence and retribution nor that this is all but verbally what you’ve understood and rooted for kakihara to search and find. i don’t have an answer, to be exact, either.

**************************************************

the fact that jiji too acts like a puppeteer of his own crafted stories in-story, and we ourselves cannot trust what he says, reminds the reader of the presence of the author. the author has provided the story pure characters: ichi, while being close to beinng the character we know the most about his past of the main 3, has his and our understanding of it disturbed and unreliable in almost every way; we don’t really know why kakihara is so perverted nor why jiji has such a god complex. not like we’ve really needed to know, deliberately; they don’t exist (or at least feel divorced) as characters with a rich internal life beyond what’s necessary for the plot to advance in the limited space of this manipulation, violence and fetish galore story.

jiji, as an internal author avatar, too is the onwer and director of this story, more so than the protagonist (ichi) or the main character (kakihara); he creates the beats and makes the plots and charactes move forward. now where do i want to go with this section, flimsy as it may be. by making more evident the ways a creator will use narrative tools more to the likes of a herding staff, specially the kinds to create strong and divisive emotions i think it’s more convinient to, therefore, analyze this ‘rape’ scene in the practical and utilitarian way it was, just possibly, used for.

**********************************************

i’ve previously ‘joked’ on how authors will use a woman in a trio to make the two other male characters sublimate emotions (in the neutral way of the word, could mean like could mean murder intent) towards the other through, often hurting her or putting her aside in the process. obviously this is in great part bc of subconscious misogynistic tropes and the likes. nonetheless i will treat it as both subconsious (to some level) and a deliberate exemplification of how those female characters are used just as other intangible narrative tools are.

in that line, then, the internal position of women, real or fictitious, is to further and connect the male-male sociality. be it as validating factors in a competition, like with the twins; suzuki’s family to bribe him into paying for the murderer's fee; jiji using karen to cheer ichi into killing again, and in the process, through phonegirl, validating his outlook on women. this isn't necessarily true of all female characters in the manga, but the last one, on top of manipulating ichi to do his bidding again together with his killing instructions, it also establishes the method through which ichi and kakihara will complete their respective arcs and bring the audience satisfaction.

***********************************************

now, the problem is to disect whether the way female characters and kakihara (we’re still on the rape plotline for this case) are related is linear or retroactive. if linear, then the women are to be taken as stepping stones that set up the ‘mood’ with which kakihara's and ichi's arc climaxes are to be taken, like the paragraphs state above. if retroactive, then if the author is to assume its demographic, it would use a male character and his probably more closer approach so that their uncomfortablility is then passed more sympathetically to the rest of female characters.

the linear interpretation can look more objective re: the crafting of a narrative: jiji leads ichi to kakihara and the reverse through these series of events and interactions. jiji and the author channel ichi's growing, heterosexual, desire into drawing out kakihara's, through juxtaposition. however this interpretation has a weakness, since there's a gap between how the audience should feel about these women (since it's, for all the flaws of the work, portrayed that's bad they're abused), and how they should feel about kakihara's active desire for that hurt (the part that one is supposed to grow enthusiastic for). how are they supposed to set up the mood if they're so hard to reconcile? how's the audience to respond? or is it just A Fact to take on regardless of the audience reaction, for the sake of the story and story only? on the flipside, if that breach is intentional, is it then that it involves the audience as a Gotcha! in the you don’t want it bc you want it paradox, say, similar to ichi’s conflicted stance on his fetish, or in a sort of *sympathy for kakihara’s? so you wish this fight to happen, but do you endorse its unrelying dynamic too, hm? - prefacing the seoncd one saying i think it can be quite weak, and asume more about a vague reader than the text or its intent itself, since what i intuit this from also lacks enough emphasis it that were to be the case, but alas, moving on. if the interpretation is retroactive, now this is not only addressing the last fight but how kakihara interacts with men through the entire manga. for starters i don't think there's something inherently affeminizing about submission, structural, consensual or nonconsensual (abuse), nor do i think that's the way a good chunk of homosocial relationships of the manga are meant to be read as. but that kind of association is not lost to the manga either, I would argue intentionally, presumably aware of its genre demographic too (seinen, horror). 

kakihara, while doing his fair share of torture as the victimaire, it’s understood this is often a reflection of something he wants done to him (others he’s just a bitch). done to people he lacks respect of (everyone), his underlings, adversaries, etc. his fixation with penile mutilation (of which it’s not like we skip a lot of precisely, for emphasis) is also self reflective. of course on a literal manner this is humilliating (and if taking into a account gendered dynamcis, emasculating). ***as crazy as this may sound, i feel that the violent scenes towards women are oddly, contained? (not like it feels better like that) looking back (and knowing how male authors can be) when they’re about sex, they’re sex; when they’re about violence nudity (or moreso the sexualized framing) is avoided, or at least enough it doesn’t distract from the barbarity. so strangely enough for a manga, this male-directed genital terrorizing (empasized by the shared male perpetrators), in concept, depiction or focus (even if it’s just piercings), appears maybe close in numbers to the previous. even if not so, overall there’s a looming threat of male-targeting violence than usual. so at the moment ichi cuts kakihara’s dick up (ei. it literally ignites his danger instincts, and symbolically castrates him) it materializes the female role of the performance of the victim. how does the presumed audience, the audience of a horror, react to this, closeups and all? weaker, similarly, stronger?

**this is barely revised lol i think towards the end i lost focus but whatever i hope you get what i mean. this is mostly rambles to overexplain lol.

[starlight-time-machine]

Week in Review

03/10/2024 – 03/16/2024

Sunday

Week 5 of missing Cipher Academy.

Monday

I was pretty excited for today’s episode of Game Changer, because the Sam Says episodes are usually some of the best and I love Lou, Jacob, and Vic…but unfortunately this one fell short of my expectations. The general vibe felt like they pushed slightly too far into the psychological torture range, and the players didn’t really put up a good fight so it was just beat down after beat down, coupled with really hard prompts that cost them tens of points at a time. And what was the purpose of the swear jar if those points didn’t end up going to anyone…just another kind of mean thing to tack onto their other commands… The episode ending with everyone losing a bunch of points and Jacob only winning by chance feels like such a far cry from the mind-boggling triumph that Ally ended the last Sam Says episode on. I don’t know, I think this game might be getting a little stale, and unless they can get players who can match Sam beat for beat, future episodes are just going to keep raising the stakes and making the players miserable, and I don’t really want to watch that.

Manga Monday time…Girl Meets Rock is fun. I genuinely forgot that Tamaki existed, but she works well as a stand-in. My points about the other possible guitar members still stand, though. Also fun to see Rin continuing her weird girl era.

Undead Unluck is great, it’s so gratifying to get these lore drops every chapter. And Top getting his super bombastic literally around the world finishing move is fantastic, and a great cap on this arc.

RuriDragon is okay…someone did a Twitter thread praising its translation, so now I overanalyze the dialogue whenever I read it…and it actually kind of annoys me. The writing strikes me as trying a little too hard to be young and modern, but the translator doesn’t actually know what young people talk like. The mom’s dialogue felt the most egregious to me – I get that she’s supposed to be like a millennial mom, but the way they wrote her dialogue feels so unnatural and stilted…it got to the point where it was actively hampering my enjoyment. But I don’t want to come across like a bad faith “all localization bad” Twitter guy…and I often have this same complaint with the dialogue of adult fiction novels, so it might just be me who’s the fringe weirdo who doesn’t know what normal people sound like. It was cute seeing Ruri and her mom hang out, though, I feel like we don’t get a lot of strong mother daughter relationships in anime or manga. But if I’m being honest…I do want the story to get some sort of direction soon…otherwise I think I might drop it.

I can’t believe they did the “only one bed” trope in Dandadan. I like the frog design sense of this world… Momo and Zuma are a cute duo, and the last scene was super sweet, but I couldn’t bring myself to enjoy it because not only are Momo and Otarun obviously endgame, it’s kind of tiring that all three conventionally attractive guys in this friend group are interested in Momo (I mean the mecha otaku guy is also interested, but it’s played off as a joke because of course it is)… I can accept it with Jiji because the “childhood friend with whom you have a different sort of bond” thing was an interesting dynamic, especially as Jiji and Otarun became friends in their own right, but this is getting a little ridiculous… I need the non-Momo and non-Otarun members of this group to start being interested in each other!!! Give me some unexpected ship fodder!!! It’s ripe for fun teen drama, why are we concentrating all the guys on Momo and half the girls on Otarun when, by default, a bunch of those affections are going to end in failure?? Ugh.

Magilumiere whatever. Shigemoto and Sakura bonding was cute, but the rest of the chapter was just typical basic manga comedy stuff. Oh no this anime girl made some shockingly bad food, who could’ve guessed…

Chainsaw Man okay…I’ve been trying to ignore it, because being a mangaka is such a hazardous career and we’ve lost so many big names in recent years…but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss the more detailed art style of Part 1. Finer linework aside, even the panel layouts of Part 1 felt more memorable and unique…it’s just a bit of a shame. I guess I just wish the whole industry was better, but there’d have to be so many changes for that to happen.

I can’t tell if I’m just having an off day where I find everything annoying, or if everything being slightly disappointing is making me have a bad day…agh.

Okay, at least the Undead Unluck episode was pretty good. The constant stops for attack name title cards were a little annoying for the fight’s momentum, but I get that they’re just trying to emulate the pop that those titles have in the manga. I appreciated some of the artsy direction, like Juiz shoving Remember in Victor’s head or the Andy/Fuuko kiss at the end…that panel was what got me to read the manga in the first place, so I have a soft spot for it. It’s also fun that this episode released around when the new manga chapter did, as we have these parallel discussions about soul and what they mean in the context of this world’s rules…it’s impressive that Tozuka really had things planned out to this extent.

Rewatched Succession season 3 episode 3 because I wanted to feel something (and watch something good to make up for the rest of today). This episode holds a special place in my heart for being the one where, when I watched it for the first time, I finally “got” the show. I had enjoyed season 1 and 2 a decent amount, but I kept waiting for bigger and more dramatic moments typical to a corporate drama, only to feel let down by the bathos and subtlety that Succession often likes to employ. But this episode was the one where everything finally clicked for me, and I understood the themes and tone that the show was trying to convey. The shifts of power between Kendall and Shiv are so subtle but gratifying to watch play out as this conflict intersects between the corporate and the personal and the familial – the Rape Me scene and the long Kendall walk down the hallway are both already all-timers, but the FBI raid at the end and Kendall watching it with the most ambiguous expression on his face is really just the cherry on top. As always, everything in Succession is firing on all cylinders at all times, but it’s done so masterfully that you don’t even notice it unless you’re actively thinking about it. It’s such a feast.

Tuesday

Against my better judgement, I’m watching Evilive, another Korean drama. I haven’t had good luck with K-dramas in the past (I’ve only watched two but they both pissed me off), and I’m sure this one is also rife with over the top ridiculous drama that’ll annoy me (oh boy this guy’s the EVILEST GUY and he’s gonna drag this other guy into his OHOHO EVIL SCHEMES for the ULTIMATE EVIL), but…goddammit the gifs of the big evil guy interacting with the older glasses guy were so intensely yaoiful that I had to see what this was about… They may not actually be gay, but I can enjoy the tension nonetheless.

So far it’s been okay. There were some eye-rolly moments, but I also enjoyed some of the more artful direction and shot composition.

Wednesday

Started watching Nisemonogatari because I needed something to pair with my dinner and it’s pretty fun so far. As ever, Monogatari’s set design feels so surreal but familiar, like they’re trying to capture the feeling of a location rather than its actual architecture. I think it’s fair to say that that’s my favourite part of the show so far. I only got through two episodes, and they’re a bit slow in terms of story, but I’m looking forward to learning more about Araragi’s little sisters.

Thursday

粉蒸肉 and DunMesh make a great pair, especially when today’s episode was as fantastic as I was hoping it’d be. It had an equal dose of everything – kinetic action, comedic moments, genuinely harrowing stakes, and a great hook for the ending. It was a given that the group’s well laid plans last episode would immediately go awry, but seeing each member of the group improvise and contribute their skills to the eventual victory is incredibly satisfying (as Laios says, they couldn’t have done it without everyone being there. Shoutout to Chilchuck for the knife throw that made me yell out loud when I read it for the first time). But Laios sacrificing his leg to get the kill is the highlight of the fight, and it really demonstrated his determination and love for Falin. I also love how they had to systematically cut through the dragon’s organs before finally finding Falin’s bones – DunMesh’s down to earth approach to the cycle of life and death and consumption makes their task feel all the more insurmountable and real. I really can’t wait to see this arc conclude next episode. (Also Marcille’s magic runes had sound effects that reminded me of Cardcaptor Sakura, and I liked that.)

Friday

I’m happy to see that Undead Unluck is continuing its strong episode streak, especially when Anno Un is one of my favourite characters and his backstory is so uniquely painful and heartwrenching…his family just being him and his mom drives the tragedy home even more when he seemingly disappears… But Anno finding meaning in his art is so important to me personally, and I feel like Tozuka really poured his heart out through this character. The other highlight of the episode was BUNNY!!!!!!!!!!!!! BABY GIRL AGOO BNUUY!!!!!!!!!!! SHE’S SOOOOOOOOO CUTE AND BABY AHHHHHHHHH She’s reading manga!!!! NOOO SHE’S GETTING SLAPPING AND TOSSED AROUND AND HER LITTLE “WEH” AND THE WAY SHE’S SO SQUISHY AND ROUND AHHHHHHHHHH This was such a good episode. AND THE PREVIEW WITHOUT ANY NARRATION WAS SO CHILLING AND THEMATICALLY APPROPRIATE BECAUSE NOW ANNO DOESN’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Also wow Sean really got sliced in half huh. RIP, you’ll do better next time.

Saturday

Went outside for once, so there’s nothing for today.

[notalisonyet]

Reflections: Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)

Kiki meets another witch who seems like a snob but nevertheless takes time to answer her questions; she might be showing off and acting fancy, but she isn’t mean or (too) rude. Jiji says the cat is stuck-up, but later he says the same thing about a different cat and learns otherwise.

With all the other times characters act like snobs, is Kiki guilty of this too, in her early treatment of Tombo?

Osono: the warmth and comfort of being welcomed by a stranger into her kitchen to share a hot drink—not as a daughter but also not quite as a friend, seen as still a child but able to make her own decisions, given extra kindness and understanding but not indulgence.

A silent baker shamelessly showing off—for the cat.

An artist in the woods, independent and following her own path; and, we learn, she has previously had to break from her old practice of copying other painters.

This aged dog is an artistic ancestor of Heen in Howl’s Moving Castle.

Kiki, you need to say thank you to that dog.

Someone you care for is in mortal danger, and there is no hope for him but you, and yet the one special thing that makes you able to help is the thing that isn’t working at that moment.

“There are still times I feel sad . . .”

By the end of the movie, Kiki still doesn’t have a special skill or focus. She flies . . . which is the basic thing that all witches do. This always leaves me dissatisfied; but perhaps the point is her acceptance that right now, being able to fly on a broom (and talk to a cat) is enough.

Miyazaki elements: the flying machines, and flight in general; the need to find a balance between old ways and new ways; expressive faces as always; and a girl with grim determination as invisible power courses around her, making her hair rise up.

[itstimetowritecl]

Finding the Magic Within, No Broomstick Required

“If I lose my magic, that means I’ve lost absolutely everything.” -Kiki

One of my favorite movies growing up was Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), and I still look back at it fondly due to the thematic exploration of ‘finding the magic within,’ the challenge of overcoming self-doubt and uncertainty that comes with growing up and struggling to fit in. Even as we reach adulthood, finding that magic within is not always easy to attain, as no one is ever fully immune from this struggle.

Kiki’s story is culmination of this journey, perhaps in some ways literally since as a witch in training, magic is a part of her daily routine, and using a broomstick is vital for her success in the ‘Witch Delivery Service.’ Being a witch of course makes her a bit different than her peers, but it is okay at first given she did not share this gift with anyone, and spent her life mostly in isolation. Because doing otherwise would require her to be vulnerable, which is something Kiki has established as a worrisome failure to avoid.

Being out on her own independently proves the ultimate test for Kiki, as her self-confidence and beliefs are challenged by the real world which isn’t as black and white as she believed. Kiki soon struggles to make deliveries, loses the ability to understand her talking black cat Jiji, and soon finds herself unable to fly. The magic is temporarily lost as Kiki struggles with the grief and doubt that comes with ‘losing our way’ in the expectations and uncertainty of life, and wondering if we can recapture the magic again. Life, as Kiki knew it, seemed forever changed in a terrible way.

Kiki’s journey is one of a powerful message, as she is eventually able to relearn the ability to fly by finding a new perspective on the gift of flying, namely, the gifts that come from accepting what makes us unique and sharing them with others, our own magic within. While rescuing Tombo is a key plot development, this is major undertaking for Kiki because she no longer has Jiji to guide her. She must look within to the find her magic instead of relying on the reassurance that Jiji often provided. This large step to trust herself without needing Jiji and learning through her mistakes allows Kiki to regain confidence and resume broomstick flying, because she allows herself to be vulnerable.

While Kiki does not regain the ability to understand Jiji, it serves a reminder that in life change is not always avoidable, and sometimes it will shake us to the core and evoke those worrisome fears and uncertainties keeping us from reaching our potential. But with time and dedication we come to realize the real magic comes not from whether we meet expectations and demands of the outside world, but rather, is deep within us. We may not need to fly on a broomstick like Kiki, however, the struggle to find one’s self will always keep us grounded until we work through the fears and doubts keeping us from finding the magic.

No matter how challenging or unexpected life can become, we too can find our magical gifts like Kiki - except no broomstick is required.

[quirklessidiot]

Title: coward :: brat Pairing: Y/N x Miya Atsumu  Genre: angst, romance, and very slow burn [ex to lovers au] Warnings: Cursing, alchohol, mentions of unprotected sex, unplanned pregnancy, and mentions of abortion

Synopsis: you finally see Miya Atsumu after six years, meanwhile, he feels pain when he realizes that you settled down with someone else that wasn’t him. notes: i um want to thank yall for supporting this story im- crying T-T I’m happy to inform everyone that i’ll be updating this twice a week every monday and saturday! yay!!! i was able to finish editing and im writing the last two chapters now. stay safe and big love to each and everyone of you <3

previous   next   masterlist   

“...Uh, Youta-Kun, Yuuto-kun, I thought you guys weren’t allowed to go.” Sugawara laughed nervously, knowing all too well where this would lead. He’s familiar with over-enthusiastic boys, in fact, one of those over-enthusiastic balls of sunshine was here right now entertaining them.

“K-Kaasan says it’s alright.” Yuuto lies but Sugawara quirked his brow, it was so obvious that he was lying.

“Yep, she did!” Youta grins, trying to help his twin but like him, he’s failing drastically.

“Then you won’t mind if I call your okaasa-”

“No!” Youta and Yuuto yell in unison. This made other people turn their way, Miya Atsumu watched the pair in amusement from afar. He noticed that they were late and that Sugawara had caught on to their scheme of joining in even without the parental consent, “We won’t join!” Youta proclaims, “Right, yu? W-We’ll pick up balls!”

Hinata feels his eyes glimmer at those words and decides to help them convince Sugawara but in the end, the twins were forced to be benched while the grey-haired teacher had to go back to the faculty to call you.

“It’s alright,” Hinata ruffles both their hairs, “We’ll try to come back next time and I’ll be sure to help convince your ‘kaasan.”

“Hey don’t plant false ideas in their head, Shoyou.” Atsumu grins, lazily jogging to their side. He directs his gaze to the twins that seem to oddly remind him of him and ‘samu when they were younger. The boy's gaze lingered a bit too long on him,unlike other kids who stared at him in awe, these ones were seething, “What are ya lookin’ at, kid?”

“Wow,you’re as mean as your brother.” Yuuto notes, eyeing him up and down. 

“Yeah.” Youta echoes.

Atsumu quirks a brow, this was quite the new reaction. Never in his life had a kid told him that he was mean as ‘Samu also how did they even know his twin brother?

“Now, now, don’t you think you should cut me some slack?” Atsumu tried to jokebut the twins remained unamused by the blonde’s antics, somehow Atsumu felt a sense of familiarity from their monotonous reactions.

“No thanks.” Yuuto crossed his arms, “The fake Atsumu made ‘kaasan cry and since you look like him, you might make ‘kaasan cry too.”

“What he said!” Youta agreed loudly, copying his older brother’s action.

Atsumu was just plain confused now, he admitted that Osamu had an attitude sometimes when he was annoyed but letting a mom cry in front of her kids? That’s definitely new and not-so ‘samu like (after all, he was apparently the nicer one between them)

“What’s the name of your okaasan-”

“Youta-Kun, Yuuto-kun, Your mom will be picking you up at the gate! Please go there now.” Sugawara cuts him off, Youta and Yuuto stand up and eye him for a bit.

“We’ll defeat you and your brother! Just wait and see, we’ll be as big as you and that other jiji!” Yuuto exclaims and before Atsumu could retaliate, they’re running off to the opposite direction. Hinata was laughing beside him, clutching his sides because apparently he was too petty while Sugawara looked at him with an apologetic expression.

“I wonder why L/N-san didn’t allow them to go, she’s usually very supportive of their hobbies, especially volleyball.” Sugawara frowns, suddenly voicing out his thoughts. Atsumu felt his shoulders stiffen at the sound of that familiar name. 

Osamu revealed he saw you last week then these kids suddenly confessed that his twin made their okaasan cry, he’s never seen you cry throughout your relationship (save for that night when you first me but you guys weren't together yet so that didn’t count). Maybe he was mistaken? it might be your relative or a common name.

After all, you were clear about not wanting a family.

“You know their mom well?” Hinata inquired,  Atsumu seems to be listening closely now, wanting to confirm if the person that Sugawara was talking about is you.

“Oh yeah, we're around the same age so I’m much closer to her than the other moms.” Sugawara blinks, “Those boys have to listen to their okaasan more. She’s raising them on her own since their dad died before he even got to know that L/N-san was pregnant. She seemed to be longing for him whenever he’s mentioned.”

A crease appeared on the blonde's forehead as he was suddenly in deep thought. It couldn’t be, right?

“Uh, Sugawara-san, may I know the name of the mom? Her last name sounds kind of familiar.” he questions, pretending to be nonchalant but inside, he feels like he had his heart on his throat.

If it was you, he’d feel those things that he desperately tried to hide behind his confident jokes and laughs. 

The pain.

The pain that you chose someone else and was open enough to the idea of starting a family. If that guy probably hadn’t died, you’d be together, happily raising those boys he had just met a while ago. Happily married, something that Atsumu tried to mention one fleeting moment while you were together back in college but you immediately shut the idea down and left him a month later.

The pain that you fell in love in a span of moments unlike Atsumu who relentlessly tried to gain your favour and follow you around like a lost puppy.

“Oh, her name’s Y/N L/N.”

Thankfully nothing unexpected happened after what the twins did, they ended up having to pick if they wanted their video game rights removed for a week or cancel their plans with their favorite ojisan who was coming by a few weeks from now, they chose the first one on that.

They had even mentioned that they met the real Miya Atsumu and although you felt like your heart lurched out of your chest and your shoulders stiffen at the mention of that man --- their father---  they simply had called him a rude jiji like his brother much to your relief.

“L/N-san, we seem to have a problem.” Aiko frowned, handing the papers to you, “The director of the advertisement department wants a bigger budget, do you mind running it through him again? You have to go to the studio though, I heard they’re doing some photo shoot now.”

You nodded in reply, taking the papers from your co-worker. The studio was a bit far so you ended up having to commute to get there, “What a nuisance.” You muttered, you needed to buy a second-hand car soon when you had enough money. It would definitely be easier for both you and the boys, “Uh excuse me? Is Nakamura-san here?” you asked the secretary on the front desk.

“And who are you?” the secretary snapped back, still typing away on her computer.

“Y/N L/N from the finance department, I have to run through the new budget liquidation with him.”

The secretary one-eyes you and the ID on your neck for a split second, “You better be quick, the boss wants only five minutes per guest since he’s personally handling the shoot today.” was all she replied, handing you the pass. You muttered a quick thank you and made your way up to the studio, whoever the model was today, they must’ve been big for Nakamura to handle them personally.

“Oh-ho, is that who I think it is?” a very, very familiar voice calls out.

“Inunaki-san.” You greeted, trying to maintain yourself, were these the big clients that Nakamura was handling? The black jackals? good fucking gracious, god must hate you.

“Wow,” he shakes his head, feigning amusement, “You’re still so calm and cool.”

You narrowed your eyes at the insult but you waved it off, “And you’re playing for a national team, congratulations.” you replied in a blank tone, your senior probably knew what happened between you and his fellow member. You wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if he reacted the same way as Osamu did.

“We’re actually doing a shoot now, would you like me to call Atsu-”

“No.” your usual calm tone switched to a colder one, “I’m working now and so is Miya-san, please don’t bother yourself.”

“Gee,” he raised his hands, signalling defeat, “Just say you don’t want to see him. You don’t need to be so cold to me, my dear little kohai.”

“I have to go back to my job, I’m on the clock here.” You ignored his previous statement, “It was nice seeing you again Inunaki-san.”

Before you could give him a chance to reply, you headed towards the studio. You took a deep breath and mentally calculated to three.

one. 

It’s been six years, Miya Atsumu would ignore you. He wouldn’t care about the girl who left him out to dry in college. He’s got a girlfriend now, a model who has legs for days and looks ten times better than you and acts more like a girlfriend than you ever did.

two.

Yes, that’s right, he wouldn’t care.

three.

You entered the studio, you could feel the air tighten around you as soon as you heard that laughter. The one you used to hear everyday and never get tired of. For all the laughs you couldn’t do, he’d do it for you and boy, was he patient around you since you didn’t smile a lot back then (who were you kidding? until now you still had the same problem except when the kids were around)

You want to stop and stare, you want to admire him and his glory that you were very much proud of.

Yet your legs continue to carry you to your boss, the laughter seems to have ceased and you could hear someone asking him what was wrong.

“Oh, L/N-san?” Nakamura greeted you, “You’re here for the renewal of the budget?”

You nodded feverishly, your legs seem to be turning into jelly because you want to collapse from the nervousness and thank god that you wore some make-up before arriving here, otherwise, they would’ve noticed how pale you looked, “Everything seems to be in order,” He nods, scanning the sheets and handing them back to you, “Are you busy right now?”

You glanced at the wall clock, checking the time to see if you could extend your stay and Nakamura is quick to pick up on it, “Ah right, you’ve got kids to pick up. It’ll be quick, just help set up the blocks there and you’re free to leave.” he orders.

You nodded obediently and slowly turned to the side only to catch the very familiar chocolate brown eyes of the blonde. You feel your heart hammering in your chest and your feet turn cold, it had been six years since you last saw Miya Atsumu and he was still as winsome and exhilarating as he was back then.

You may have seen him a lot on television but seeing him, right here, a few feet away from you was different. Taking in a big gulp of air, you started working on the set-up as quickly as you could yet you could still feel his burning gaze remaining on you, “Tsum-tsum, lay off her will you.” came Inunaki Shion’s loud voice snaps him out of his daze.

Great, that little twat had to make an appearance.

“Y/N-san you should really say hi,” Inunaki teased as soon as you finish your set-up.

“Oh? You’re Y/N L/N?” the orange one gushed, quickly up on his feet, you recall him as Hinata Shoyou, Youta’s favorite orange-haired ninja, “Sugawara-san’s friend?” 

You hesitantly nodded, “Oh, you know her Sho-kun?” Shion asked, seemingly amused by it all.

“What are you all crowding here for, Hinata?” Another asked, peering in them closely. This one must’ve been Bokuto, another favorite of Yuuto.

“Sugawara-san’s friend! she’s the mother of those two boys in the training camp who had to go home early!” he suddenly turns to you and then grins, “Ne, ne, the boys really seem to want to attend one of those. Why don’t you allow them to join us-”

“Forget it, Hinata.” Atsumu suddenly speaks out, that warm voice that you were accustomed to seemed cold and menacing now, “She won’t allow it.”

Shion notices the tension between you two and when he’s about to usher the energetic duo away back to the dressing room along with the other members, you let out a quiet sigh and spoke out, “I was on my way to leave, please don’t bother yourselves.” You simply replied, you didn’t waver and stared at him dead in the eye, this could be the moment to end it all and cut ties with him officially, “I apologize for what I did back then, Miya-san. I should’ve told it to you in person. I offer my sincere congratulations to you for making it this far.”

The blonde clenched his jaw, it seemed like he wanted to say something to you yet when he realizes the usual calm and collected demeanor you're putting up, he decides against it and leaves you alone by storming away first.

Hinata and the guy named Bokuto looked at you --- completely puzzled and lost like a deer in the headlights --- before following the blonde, “You truly are in a whole ‘nuther level, Y/N.” Shion whistles, “Heard you’ve got two boys now though. Congrats, where's the poor bastard?”

You continue to watch the back of Atsumu Miya. Finally, it seemed like he’d left you alone and probably for good this time, “Gone, off to a better place.” was all you replied.

Inunaki notices the longing in your voice, a completely unfamiliar emotion he had never seen back then even when you and Atsumu were together. It seemed like you and Atsumu were both the poor bastards in the end.

Miya Atsumu sleeps alone that night.

He doesn’t call his girlfriend back despite the several missed calls, he doesn’t reply to the unanswered text of his brother and his teammates. All he feels is pain tonight, pain because of your very dry apology, pain because of your bland expression. Pain because you didn’t seem to care like that time six years ago.

He shuts his eyes tight and he feels as if he’s back in college, back to that winter night where he received that dreaded phone call from you after you disappeared from him. He remembered those days clearly, your apartment had been cleaned out and paid for, you weren’t answering him on social media, your phone line was also unresponsive and he couldn’t even call your family since you never mentioned anything about them at all.

You both may have been intimate for the past two years but when you disappeared, he had the frightening realization that he didn’t know you at all.

He didn’t want to push you out of your comfort zone, he wanted you to lead the relationship but right at that moment, he wished he pried just a bit since he was worried about you.

Then in the midst of his anxiety, it came, that phone call.

“Atsumu.” your usual calm voice filled his ears and he suddenly feels the weight of the world is removed from his shoulders, thank god you were okay.

“Y/N? Baby? Where are you?”

“Out.”

“Where outside exactly?” Miya Atsumu dryly asks, “It’s cold, you shouldn’t be out now and wandering about. Would you like me to pick you up-”

“I can’t do this anymore.” you suddenly cut him off and the line goes quiet. The blonde feels the world around him quiet down too when he hears those words that he wished he heard wrong.

“What’s, what’s wrong? Y/N, are you alright?” 

“I don’t know,” You mutter, “I’m just tired.”

“Tired of what exactly?”

“Of you, of us…”

“Y/N, are you saying what I think you’re saying?” 

“Yes.” Your voice remained dead calm as if you just hadn’t broken his heart in a million pieces that moment, “Let’s stop this here now, Atsumu. Let’s break-up.”

“That’s…” He tries to keep the mood light, praying that this is one of your dark jokes, “That’s not funny, Y/N.”

“It’s not supposed to be since it’s not a joke.”

Your response was curt as usual and he doesn’t know whats worse, the fact that you’re breaking up over the phone or the fact that your tone remains stable and the same.

“Y/N, don’t do this...Baby don’t do this over the phone.” His tone seemed desperate at this point, “I’m not stopping this until you tell me what's wrong between us, you have to give me something to work with Y/N. Is it something I did?”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean ya don’t know?” Atsumu started to raise his tone when he notices how unaffected you seem at the other line.Frustration slowly started to bubble in him, the accent turning thicker as he got angrier, “Y/N ya can’t just disappear out of the blue and call me one day and tell me you want to break up! Do you think I’m some sort of fling? Some one-night stand or fuck buddies? We’ve been together for two years, Y/N. Two whole fucking years, What’s wrong? Do you not love me anymore?”

“Yes.”

The line went dead silent again and he hates it, he doesn’t know what to say as his face contorts in sadness and confusion. 

“I don’t…” He starts to feel a lump grow on his throat when he hears how easy it was for you to say, he knew he was in love with you more than you were with him. Many had pointed out how dangerous and how painful it would be on his side in the end, he couldn’t believe it would hurt him this much, “ I don’t fucking believe you, say it right at my face. Where the hell are ya? Let’s talk this one out in person.”

“Don’t bother, I just don’t want to see you again.”

“Y/N you can’t just-”

“I can and I will.” You cut him off, your voice was growing more and more detached and he feels like he’s back to that moment two years ago where you didn’t spare him a glance and treated him like a scrub, he hears a hefty sigh on your side and the next few words is another bullet to his heart, “I’m sorry it had to end this way, Atsumu.”

“You…” he shakily replied, trying to mask his grief with a painful chuckle. He wants to be mad at you, he wants to yell at you but for some odd reason, he couldn’t bring himself to,  “Jesus christ, you really are something, Y/N. You just broke my heart over the the fucking phone and all you could do is say sorry?”

“Sorry.” you say, like a broken-record on repeat and he hates it. He hates how he feels like this was nothing for you.

“Don’t you dare say that again when you don’t mean it-” He spat and before he could finish what he had to say, the phone line went dead. He tried to call again but it seemed like you had used a payphone. Out of complete vexation, he hurls his phone right across the room towards the blue photo frame with the both of you in it.

The sound of broken glass shards and ragged breathing is the only thing heard in the quiet apartment.

It’s not even the peak of winter that night yet he feels so numb and cold.

taglist [closed]

@fortheloveofiwaizumi​ ;  @svtbitch ; @ryaaaax ; @kiyoomile ; @lovedanii @juno-multifandom ; @gyubit17 ; @saeranoppa ; @nixxona ; @kyomihann @shorttstackk ; @itsmattsunshinehere ; @missingmystogan​ ; @Etherynaw ; @volleybloop​ ; @imcravingyou​ ;

[armysantiny]

NCT Dream: Their s/o is passionate about working out

Pairing: ot7 x gender neutral reader // NCT (Dream)

Genre: fluff, humour, headcanon

Includes: going to the gym, teasing, watching a drama, workout schedules, bribing with coffee, exhaustion, 

Word count: 1.59k

Warning: I swear like, once or twice lol, Chenle’s one talks about dieting for a moment

Rating: PG

Networks: @kwritersworld, @kdiarynet, @kpopscape, @ultkpopnetwork, @kpopcontentcreatorsclub, @k-dinernet, @lovesick-net, @whipped-kpop-creators, @kafenetwork, @ficscafe, @dreamwritersnet, @neoswitchnet, @nct-writers

Tagging: @teeztheflag, @the-rooftop-fight, @cherry-hyejin || Taglist Form

An: I had fun writing this lol. I would pay good money to watch this happen irl- members under the cut! Oh yeah - @alicanta77​ more Jeno!

마크 (Mark)

Something about Mark tells me that he’d be kinda chill about it? You know?

As long as you’re enjoying it, he’s happy

And you’re getting healthier for yourself, so nice!

Flirty (or attempts at flirting lol) comments whenever you come out of the shower

And then you suggest going to the gym together

Not that he doesn’t want to

But he’s seen your workout routine

Safe to say this boy is intimidated

“Wait, wait, wait - go with you?”

Mark doesn’t mind working out

In fact, it’s quite relaxing

But he knows you’re very strict with your sets

He will be sore in the morning if he tried to keep up with you

Tries to bribe you with coffee-

Doesn’t work and you (lightly) drag his arse to the gym

Safe to say he is tired when you two get back

You get out of the shower and you can see this guy knocked the fuck out on the sofa

Let the teasing begin~

Poking at his chest and giggling when he pulls you into his chest

“Markie~ you’re not tired already, are you?”

Doesn’t reply, but sleepily smiles and ruffles your hair

Soft :(

런쥔 (Renjun)

Oh God, this is going to be fun

Renjun doesn’t really go to the gym unless he has to, or really wants to

So he doesn’t mind that you enjoy going to the gym

Bettering yourself, good for you, you know?

But dear God when you mention that you want him to join you

Yeah...good luck with that one

Will come up with every excuse under the sun

This mf really tries pulling the ‘I’m a foreigner, I don’t know Korean that well’ card on you

Like he doesn’t know how to speak Korean- (probably better than you too lol smh)

You kinda just deadpan him and he drags himself to get ready

Whining! Every! Single! Second

From start to finish I swear, Renjun complains constantly omg

When you two get home, the sigh of relief he lets out is loud

“Come on Junnie~ it wasn’t that bad!”

“Babe, I am going to die - how will you make this up to me?”

You come out of the shower after he’s already done and find him pretending to be asleep

“Well, if you’re asleep, I guess I’ll watch the new episode on my own”

Gets up immediately

No way you’re watching it without him

“Oh? I thought you were dying? Looks like you’re fine now~” 

Rolls his eyes but he’s smiling

Hugs you and you two catch up on your drama

Cute :(

제노 (Jeno

Considering Jeno seems like the kinda guy to really enjoy working out, I think he’d really like that about you

Like, you’re his gym partner and his romantic partner, what’s there not to love?

That’s probably how you two met each other-

Loves comparing your workout schedules

This time though, Nono wanted to give your workout routine a go

“Are you sure baby?”

Not that you didn’t think he could do it, you just didn’t want him to be too sore to practice the next day

But he’s stubborn lol, and you just oblige

It’s honestly so cute

You’re not even halfway done and he’s already starting to have second thoughts

Thing is, you made it seem easier than it actually was 

Obviously you’re feeling a burn from working out, but Jeno is struggling

Takes multiple breaks before you’ve had your first break

You get home and Jeno is already feeling the effects

Laughs when you tease him about it

“How...how do you make it look so easy?”

“Practice~”

Denies that he’ll be sore in the morning and you just shake your head

You wake up in the morning and dear God he can’t move

“Don’t say it...”

“Say what? That I told you so? Okay, I won’t~”

동혁 (Donghyuck)

Oh Imma enjoy this one

As much as Hyuck loves that you enjoy working to better yourself

Do not get that man anywhere within 10ft of a gym

Literally only goes to work out when he has a schedule

Otherwise, you’ll never see him suggest going

So to who or whatever possessed him to jokingly suggest that he should join you in the gym

This guy has some choice words - possibly some swearing involved, who knows?

His dramatic ass will literally put on some over-the-top denial when he sees the smile on your face

Hyuck knows that smile

“Come on hyuck, it won’t be that bad!”

“Oh but it will. Y/n, do you want to kill your boyfriend?”

“Oh stop whining you~, you only have to do it just this once~”

You have to bribe him with his favourite food before he even considers going

And even then, it takes him forever to get ready and go

You’re already on your way and he still tries to weasel his way out of it

Because holy shit your workout is intense

Is dying 

Remember when fullsun here had to carry Jeno and he screamed because Jeno was taking the piss out of him?

Yeah - he does that

This mf really tries asking you to carry him when you get home

You do it anyway-

When you carry him bridal-style, he wraps his arms around your neck and ‘swoons’

“My knight in shining armour~”

Cue rolling your eyes at him, but smiling because you love this man too much to be annoyed

Gosh he’s a brat child sometimes but you love him

재민 (Jaemin)

Heyy, 1/2 of my Dream biases, let’s go!

We’ve all seen Jaemin reveal his abs right?

This man is fit-

So obviously, he does work out a fair bit

If not with you, then definitely with Nono

But let’s be real-

Jaemin is literally the least competitive person ever - if not just for NCT

Cannot and will not compete for anything even if his life depended on it

So when you ask him if he wants to join you on a workout session while you’re about to sleep and he agrees-

You’re surprised

Then again, he’s just so tired (poor bby) that he’s barely registering what you’re saying

Until you remind him the following day

Sighs as he drinks his first of many coffees he’ll have

He wants to try and weasel out of it

But you’re giving him puppy eyes and oh gosh you’re adorable oh noo

He can’t say no :(

When ou two start, oh good lord his respect for your dedication increases tenfold

You do this five times a week?

His body hurts in ways he didn’t know he could hurt

Hits you with his ‘sexy~’ when you get out of the shower

Pretends to take pictures of you

“There we go! My star model show me those angles!”

Laughing fits

Even if you’re both sore (Jaemin more so), y’all are so cute

Gimme this please

천러 (Chenle)

Okay Daegal’s dad you’re up next!

I feel like Chenle really encourages you to keep up with your workout schedule

Probably helps with the dietary requirements that come along with it

Supportive boyfriend over here

We live to see it

Enough getting sidetracked, let’s continue

You’d be sitting together for breakfast and its workout day

This man’s curiosity gets the better of him and he asks if he could join you

He’s always been interested in exactly what exercises you do to stay is such great shape

When you go into detail, Lele kinda sits there wide-eyed for a moment

Granted, he works out too to stay healthy but damn your workout is intense

No wonder your body is as muscular/toned as it is

Be he would be lying to himself and you if he said that it didn’t intimidate him

You could probably throw him with little effort-

When you two do get to the gym, oh dear God is Chenle already exhausted

How do you manage to keep up with it?

Scratch that - exhausted doesn’t even begin to describe how he feels

You get home and Chenle is just...dead

Takes a shower and refuses to move once he gets in bed

Prepare to drag his ass out of bed the next day - he aint going anywhere

지성 (Jisung)

This is going to be interesting! Also 2nd Dream bias!

Of course, since Jisung hasn’t revealed his abs, we don’t know exactly how defined he is

But I think it’s safe to assume that Jisung is pretty well built

And he finds it really cool that you’re so dedicated you are to your workout routine

But dear God this kid doesn’t want to work out if he can help it

As much as he loves you, he would be a dirty liar if he said that you don’t intimidate him from time to time

You could probably bench press Jisung without thinking about it

Okay - I’m exaggerating, but you get the point

Kinda like Hyuck, whatever possessed this kid to ask you if he could join you must of had it in for him that day

You smirk, he realises what he just said and starts backing up

“Wait, wait, wait - let’s talk about this!”

“Uh uh, you suggested it JiJi. Come on, it won’t be that bad”

He kinda just goes -_-

Not bad? Not bad for you, you mean-

Does anything - and I mean literally anything - to get out of it

When you aren’t buying it, he deflates  and joins you

Is going through it by the time the two of you are halfway

Send help lol

You get home and he’s like “Yeah - never doing that again.”

Help this child lol

[athenaquinn]

Chosen || Shiloh & Athena

TIMING: Just before Christmas (December 2020) LOCATION: Shiloh’s home PARTIES: @evanescentform and @athenaquinn SUMMARY: More questions get answered. Alternatively, *eyes emoji*. CONTENT: mentions of parental death, mentions of past abuse, brief internalized homophobia

Shiloh had recalled once upon a time she had agreed to do some baking with Athena - that agreement itself felt like years ago. While she really hardly had the energy for it, she knew she shouldn’t reject an offer to do something considering most of her day was spent asleep. If she was going to get out of this slump, she had to do things like this. Baking was fun right? She remembered how much fun it was and while her most recent attempt didn’t turn out so great, this time she was going to do it with a friend. What could go wrong? Thankfully, Athena gave her some time to clean up and have her place not look like a mess. Shiloh was hardly one to keep a mess so the fact that she had clothes lying about and unwashed dishes here and there was frankly, very embarrassing. So once the place looked more or less clean, she went into the shower and managed to get ready just in time to hear a knock at her door. The knock caused Jiji to run up the stairs and Shiloh couldn’t help but smile at her shy cat as she heard his bell jingle up the stairs. Opening, her smile widened to greet Athena. “Hey, it’s good to see you. Come in,” she gestured for her to step inside out of the cold.

She was still curious about Shiloh after all these months. After the carnival she hadn’t been left with any solid answers and Athena hated that. Hated not knowing things. Shiloh had all but completely disappeared for the past couple of months - and so when she’d heard that Shiloh was back in town, she had quickly reached out - because they’d never gotten around to baking before Shiloh had gone away, and it was as good an excuse as any to get to talk to her again, to get to know her better. To see if she could find any sort of way to answer the questions she still had. She’d brought over a few cookbooks in her tote bag, but otherwise was dressed as normally as possible - wearing a fleece jacket, her fingers fiddling with her ring before she paused and knocked on the door, standing up taller as Shiloh opened the door. She was just slightly taller than Athena, though not so much so that it was too much. “Hey.” She grinned. “I appreciate it,” she moved inside, pulling off her fleece. “I’m glad we’re finally getting to do this!”

A bit of a nervousness washed over Shiloh but it wasn’t strong so it was simple to ignore with a smile. She hadn’t spent time with Athena since the carnival and she was interested in getting to know a potential friend better. It was also nice to spend time with another person because she was becoming a shut in. It didn’t help that last she went out, her nerves - or her “hunter senses” as her cousin explained - felt like she was surrounded. “Yeah, me too. What do we have in store for us today?” Baking made Shiloh feel better. That much was a fact. Sure it was some hard work but the end product was delicious and stuffing her face with sweets seemed like a great way to spend the rest of the day. “I went grocery shopping the other day so my pantry is full of probably anything we could need. All purpose flour, cake flour, spices, sugar….” Shiloh would list it all but Athena got the hint. If anything maybe Shiloh didn’t have food coloring but she didn’t tend to use that anyway when she baked.

“I mean, I’m down for anything.” The nervous energies that seemed to be increasingly present in her life didn’t help that one bit. It didn’t help that something had been feeling a bit off lately, though Athena pushed it aside as excess nerves - from Lydia to Amanda to everything still with her parents, and everything normal on top of that, it was almost too overwhelming, but baking helped with that and she liked Shiloh’s company. Which made her hope and pray that she wasn’t supernatural. “I’m real good with cookies and things like that, but I think we’d talked about maple scones, so if you’d like that we just need maple syrup or something in that vein, so if you have that, awesome! If not, we can do whatever your favorite recipe is.”

“Maple scones sound delicious. I actually have maple syrup.” Shiloh walked over to her cupboard. “I bought it a few days ago cause I wanted to make some gingerbread and maple cookies.” She chuckled at what she would say next. “Haven’t gotten around to gingerbread though.” Grabbing the jar she set it on her island for Athena to inspect and make sure it was what she needed for maple scones. “Maybe we can work on them later if I don’t scare you away with my baking skills.” Not to say Shiloh was unconfident in her capabilities, it’s just that no two people cooked similarly in her mind. Maybe Athena was a mess in the kitchen or maybe Shiloh was the messy one in her eyes. Shiloh didn’t think she made too much of a mess when she baked, but she’d be lying if she said that was one of her priorities when it came to baking. As long as it tasted good, the mess it left was worth it.

“Good. Maple scones it is then.” That was easy, but scones always required a certain level of precision, and that was something that Athena appreciated. Maybe it would mean that they would have some time to talk - though she wasn’t exactly sure how much more she could question Shiloh, or how responsive the woman would be to more poking and prodding. “I don’t think you’ll scare me away with your baking skills. I’m not so easily scared.” She winked. Glancing over to the fridge, she couldn’t help but notice a small rainbow flag stuck on with a magnet. That much pulled at her curiosity, but she certainly wasn’t about to ask anything, at least not yet. She hardly used the word bisexual herself yet, even though she knew that was what she was - or that was what it seemed to be. “Gingerbread is good.” Her mother had been big on that. “I’m just relieved you’ll get to try maple scones. It’s a rite of passage.” She smiled, “I mean, not really, but they are a great sort of scone, at least I think so.”

Shiloh knew how to make scones - what kind of English girl would she be if she didn’t know how to make that! She began to grab all the things needed like flour and sugar and bowls and measuring cups. She laid it out on the counter for Athena to inspect. “Do you use anything like cinnamon or vanilla extract in your maple scones?” Shiloh asked as she looked through the cupboards for exactly those ingredients just in case. You never know what might be in one’s recipe won’t be in another’s for the same thing. Shiloh chuckled at Athena’s comment, however. “How are they a rite of passage? Is it something your family makes for the holidays?” That got Shiloh into thinking about some family traditions she had come into contact with. “You know I had an ex girlfriend whose family baked fritters - they have a name I just can’t remember it now - but they were really good and easy to make. I remember I went to their place for the holidays and I impressed them with my skills.” She snorted as she said that last part, surprised she could even recall such a positive memory even if things had long ended with that specific ex.

“We could use a bit of vanilla, why not?” Athena shrugged. She knew that some of the recipes did call for that, and it added a bit of excitement to the whole thing - besides, maple and vanilla were two flavors that blended together well, and she could be completely willing to compromise especially if it meant she’d talk to Shiloh more, possibly be able to figure out if anything was up or if whatever hunch she had was too far-fetched. Which was possible - she did know that she sometimes was quick to judge, and nothing about Shiloh set off her senses, but there was something in the way that the two of them had talked and the way that Shiloh held herself once they’d actually met that made Athena wonder if there was something more. “Oh, just living in Maine is all. My mom makes gingerbread.” Made. “Sorry, made. She - anyhow, no, I just like maple scones and I like to encourage that love on others, too.” At the mention of an ex-girlfriend, Athena’s gaze shifted over to the rainbow flag again. “Oh yeah? That sounds cool! Maybe you’ll have to teach me how to make those sometime. If we do this again, that is, I mean.”

“Oh, are Maine and maple syrup a pair?” Shiloh asked, bringing her index fingers on both hands together as she spoke. She wondered if other American states had a food pairing as well. Her thoughts were interrupted when she caught Athena correcting herself. Shiloh didn’t know what to say. She had experienced a loss herself but that was nothing compared to the loss of a mother. She only knew her cousin for a few months, this was Athena’s mother. Oh boy. “Tell you what, after we do these maple scones today, next time,” Shiloh reassured, “we can do gingerbread in honor of your mother. How does that sound? After that I can show you the fritters. When I remember what they’re called.” Shiloh hoped that would turn the mood around even though Athena seemed to be holding it very well - Shiloh would argue better than she had. But people mourned in different ways. “See - now we have two baking plans in the future!”

“I mean, sort of. Blueberries even more so, but maple syrup is big up here.” Athena watched Shiloh carefully. Maybe she shouldn’t have corrected herself on the mother thing, but her mother had been big in town, and there had been a news article about her, and it didn’t take a lot for Shiloh to find that out. So really, it was on Athena for her phrasing. Except she was now being offered sympathy and she didn’t know how to hold onto that when she wasn’t supposed to be sad for her parents, no matter how much she still put on a face of that. No matter how much she could still hear her parents’ voices sometimes or feel her mother braiding her hair. “No, it’s really fine!” She grabbed one of the bowls for a moment, before setting it back down on the counter. “I’d much rather have the fritters. Those sound new and I’m down to try new things.” She giggled. “But for now, we’ve got to get you to like maple scones.” She looked back over to the fridge. “I, uh, that flag is nice! Have you had it for a while?” She winced at her own awkwardness - she was supposed to know what to say, it was her brother’s job to trip over his words. “Regardless, we should get started. After all, this plan has been in the works for a few months now.”

Blueberries and maple, huh, good to know. Shiloh was taken off guard by how Athena didn’t seem interested in making gingerbread in honor of her dead mother but, like she was well aware, people grieve in different ways. Shiloh was probably pushing her to do something she wasn’t ready for. She was thankful Athena could set her boundaries and decline the offer. “Fritters it is then.” Shiloh let out a small chuckle, hoping to ease her own nerves with that laugh. “I mean, if you want to just make it a two-time thing, I understand.” Shiloh teased with a shrug, trying to make it seem like she was genuinely upset over being unable to bake for a third time with Athena however, Shiloh couldn’t keep her smile contained, giving herself away. At the mention of a flag, Shiloh was confused before turning around to look at her fridge. Her eyes darted from the fridge to Athena with a widening smirk. “Uh, thanks I got it at last year’s pride.” Shiloh said as she started to scoop some flour with a measuring cup. “Hey, I don’t know about you but I think I can multitask being gay and baking.” Shiloh teased.

Neither she nor her brother had ever really been taught how to fully process grief, that much she knew. Athena sighed. “It’s - well, I appreciate you offering, but I think sometimes it’s best to move past things.” Better than yeah, I don’t want to honor my mother because she and my father hurt me and my brother for years and were manipulative and dealing with the fact that I killed them is still really complicated. “Oh, no.” She let her hands fly up to cover her face. “Not what I meant.” She really was tripping over her words in ways that she hadn’t really experienced much at all before today. “That makes sense! Did you go with anyone, or just to see it all?” She couldn’t help but laugh at Shiloh’s next remark. “Yeah, well, I’ve always been good at multitasking.” She took in a deep breath, because she’d used the words around Ariana and her brother, and even, finally, some of her friends, but Shiloh was still someone new. “So being bisexual and multitasking should be just fine.”

“I understand.” Shiloh completely respected whichever way Athena wanted to grieve. After all, it was her own loss. Shiloh was still trying to figure out how to honor her deceased relative. As well as the seemingly loss of her family’s entire bloodline. Prior to her discovery, she was fine honoring her parents just by living the happy life they would have wanted for her but now she was wondering if they would have wanted another life for her and she couldn’t help but feel she was disappointing them in some way. At the very same time she wasn’t sure she could stomach killing living beings, be them supernatural or not. “I did, I went with a girl I was seeing at the time and a few friends.” Shiloh answered with a nod realizing that Athena nerves might be for a reason other than that Shiloh was still a relatively strange person to her. Athena was gay as well and given how much it took for her to say that, Shiloh was betting on her own discovery being a new one. It was cute and Shiloh was happy to see it. “If anyone is good at multitasking, I’d give it to the bi’s.” Shiloh joked hoping it might calm Athena’s nerves a bit.

“Good.” Athena nodded. Shiloh might have been one of the most confusing people that she’d met, but at least she seemed to take almost anything that Athena threw at her in stride. She only hoped that she wasn’t secretly some sort of supernatural creature, because she did like spending time with her, and Athena wasn’t sure if she could handle being close with too many supernatural beings. “That sounds nice!” Was she trying too hard? She hoped that she didn’t come off that way, because being seen as over-eager only got one so far. “Good one.” She raised an eyebrow. “No wonder I’ve always been good at it.” It was okay to joke about something like that, right? No matter how much she was okay with accepting it, there was a certain part of her that felt like she was wrong for what she was, like this made her less of a golden child (though being less golden in her parents’ eyes might have not been so bad, given everything). “I mean, I’ve been cooking in some capacity since I was basically in preschool, though back then it was a lot more just cracking eggs and dumping the ingredients into a bowl. At least now I’m allowed to use the stove.” She winked at Shiloh. “I think my parents had me bake because it got me to chill out - sometimes I had a hard time concentrating as a kid, though at home was always better.” Of course, any of her concentration issues had always been due to anything supernatural around her, but being given things to concentrate on or think about that weren’t that certainly hadn't hurt.

Shiloh chuckled, resting easy that the nerves were all gone from both of them. Maybe. It was better to keep things light. No talking about dead relatives. Shiloh needed this, some normal, easy time where the most nerve wracking thing was telling someone you were gay. Shiloh understood the fear that came with it. You never knew how someone would react. Thankfully Shiloh had been blessed with a pair of incredibly supportive parents. Not everyone was so lucky. “Oh really? So better than sit you in front of a tv they just put you in the kitchen?” Shiloh asked with a smile wondering if that may have been a gender thing too… but she would rather believe her parents were good people than not. The last thing she needed was to bring up a dead parent’s bad side. “You know I was always an active kid growing up. I could never sit still. My parents put me in sports and ever since I did that my restless energy was just sapped. They couldn’t take a little kid just running around the house, I guess. Sent me outside.” She joked about her parent’s intentions although she recalled her cousin saying things about hyperactivity and being a hunter. It made the fact that she had been feeling drained even more worrisome. Before she would hardly ever stay in bed past 7am. Now she was getting close to sleeping in until the early evening and late afternoon.

Athena fiddled with her necklace this time, her fingertips twisting the small golden cross around and around. “In fairness, I like baking more than I like TV anyhow. Besides, it lets me have more control over how things turn out than watching a show does. You can’t decide what happens for that, but you can when it comes to baking.” She gave a small, half-shrug, dropping her hands from her necklace. It was true - she knew that even as a child, she’d needed to have some sort of control over everything around her - which was part of why everything that was going on now, while not incredibly large in the grand scheme of things, unnerved her so much. “I’ve done soccer practically since I could walk and then I started track in middle school and I did field hockey in high school, so I get you.” Her face scrunched up. It was reading too much into it, it had to be. “I’m lucky that my parents knew how to handle me, and also that they told my teachers that my concentration issues were due to me having a higher understanding of the material - which meant sometimes I could go to the gym if I finished my work early back in elementary school. Which meant a lot of trips there, because I finished my work early a lot.” She made her way over to the sink, giving her hands another quick rinse off.

Shiloh tilted her head as Athena went into detail about her childhood. It was interesting. The need for control, the fact that whenever she’d finish her work she’d go to the gym. “It sounds like you must’ve made your parents very proud.” While it was a little strange Athena did seem someone who was successful even in her youth. “I did horrible in school.” Shiloh added with a smile, knowing it was a complete opposite to what Athena’s experience was but her family never placed their affections on how well she did in school just that she was a good person. That’s what was important. “I suppose it was some sort of anxiety, which I received medication for it later in life but I just couldn’t focus. Every little thing, a sound, a smell, it was too distracting for me to pay attention. I used to get the worst migraines over it.” Shiloh’s brows furrowed as she recalled the difficulties she had growing up. Her parents were always supportive of their daughter but it didn’t mean they had all the answers. “It got better when I joined sports. Which is around the time I started to take medication and things were easier to just… turn off. Like I didn’t have to listen to every sound in the world - I can focus on what I needed to.” Shiloh ended it with a shrug. “Plus girls proved to be something I found my attention easily centered on, so.”

“Well, they did say I was their golden child!” Athena shrugged, her hair falling over her shoulders. “Sorry, too much enthusiasm.” Maybe, in another life, she would have been that way - over-enthusiastic in the most genuine of ways. Not falsely put on - though she could be enthusiastic about certain topics, so much of it was to keep up her family’s image - and sometimes she found that she still didn’t really know where her parents’ image for her stopped and whoever she - Athena Joan Quinn - was began. But that was far too much to think about in the middle of baking and accidentally coming out to someone all in one. “Everyone’s different, I guess?” She shrugged, though her lips did purse to the side at the mention of focus - of smell - and she knew that Shiloh wasn’t a werewolf and though Athena was aware of other species who had heightened senses but she also knew that she did - her whole family did, and the words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. “This is gonna sound, like, super weird,” but I don’t care, “did your lack of focus ever pick up more around certain people - I mean, like - other than thinking about other girls. I - well, I think I did that too. Maybe. Not that,” she felt her cheeks flush, “I mean, not my point - did you ever feel restless or like your skin was crawling?” Was this too much to ask? Probably, but now that she was out with it, she wasn’t about to dial it back. She didn’t do that - much like she didn’t apologize, though at least that had started to change - just slightly - but backing down from something seemed useless, and if she had messed something up with all of this - well, then she could simply never talk to Shiloh again.

Shiloh had to stop what she was doing and listen because from what she was saying it felt… relatable. “Restless like you can’t relax?” Shiloh tried to think about it when she was growing up and she recalled feeling it once when her parents and her went hiking and she woke up in the middle of the night in the tent and started bawling her eyes out and wanted to go home. But that was it. She didn’t feel it again until… she moved here. She looked up at Athena and met her eyes - that probably said it all. “I haven’t really not been restless since I moved here. I thought it was just my medication…” She trailed out as she inhaled deeply. “But it was something else.” Did Athena know what it was? Did she seem like a complete idiot and Athena had no clue what she was talking about? She could only wait and see how she responded to all this and in that moment Shiloh didn’t know how to feel.

“Sort of, yes.” Athena nodded. If they were getting somewhere, she didn’t want to back away from it now. She didn’t especially want to think of all the times when she’d been little and even though she’d know what she was for as long as she could remember, being surrounded by the feeling of wanting to crawl out of her own skin when she was just trying to concentrate on schoolwork had never been something fun. Even if it was for a better purpose, in the long run. “It’s probably not your medication.” She remembered - from ages ago - Shiloh mentioning that she was adopted, which could explain the lack of knowledge on many fronts. “Sometimes, even after living here my whole life, I still feel extra restless.” Especially lately. “It wasn’t your medication.” She reaffirmed, repeating herself. “Oh?” She raised an eyebrow, straight up. “Do you know what it was?” Baking briefly forgotten, she shifted to look up at Shiloh. “I - well, based on all you’re saying, I might have an idea, but you can trust me. You can tell me.”

Shiloh chewed on the inside of her lip. She hadn’t told anyone this yet and the fact was she wanted to tell someone so bad. Shiloh never really had problems trusting others but she had been told to be wary to tell others supernatural things but maybe since this was concerning herself she didn’t have to be so secretive. She just worried Athena would hate her if she found out. “Uh, I found out about my parent’s past. What they were. What… I guess that makes me.” Come on, just out with it. She looked up at Athena, realizing she was worried about getting judged by someone younger than her - not that her opinion didn’t matter but… Athena was young and hopefully more open-minded. But how was she to start everything? Should she explain the supernatural? “My parents were something called hunters. They were killed by things they hunted and… I was taken in by two loving people. But I’m not… normal. That’s what my cousin told me. He was like them. Like me.”

She watched Shiloh carefully - though she’d always been one for action (too much waiting around made her feel antsy, even still - no matter how steady-handed she had the ability to be), Athena also knew that she excelled at observing others. That just simple observation could tell a great deal about someone, regardless of whether or not they were supernatural or not. Her parents had always believed that was the best way to exploit someone’s weaknesses. Watch and then act. Athena knew that she’d leaned more into the act side of it all. Perhaps that was part of why her father had wanted her to watch his surgeries so much. Patience does us good too, Athena. She could hear his voice just as she looked right over at Shiloh. Her fingers found her ring - a reminder of one of her moments of failure, but also a reminder of why she had to keep to keep going - and they fiddled with it, waiting to see what Shiloh was going to say. Even though she was practically positive she knew what she was going to say. She offered a small, genuine smile to Shiloh. And there it was. Hunters. She kept her expression neutral for a moment, waiting to see if Shiloh had more to say. Cousin. Followed by a reminder that she’d been adopted - by perhaps two humans, which would explain why Shiloh had been so confused about her lack of focus. About how she’d had struggles in school, and for a moment Athena frowned. These people had been unaware of Shiloh’s gift. “It’s okay.” She let a smile cross her face again. “I know I was right about there being something about you.” Another nod. “I’m one too.” She moved her hand to rest against Shiloh’s arm. “This means that you are extraordinary, you know that? Also, if you need help, I’m always happy to offer tips and tricks. First one. Don’t just go telling everyone about that.”

Athena was smiling. Why was she smiling? Shiloh felt on the verge of throwing up at knowing this - how could anyone be happy to hear this. Wait - did she hear her right? “You’re a hunter?” Shiloh asked just to make sure she had heard her correctly. Maybe this was why she was smiling. This 100% was why she was smiling. She took Athena in with that knowledge. This girl had had suspicions about her and she was a hunter. Did she even want to be friends or was she just trying to find something out. But she wanted to be friends now, right? Athena had always been nice to her, so it couldn’t have been a lie. “I-I don’t know.” She said as she shook her head. “My cousin tried to teach me - did teach me something so I can protect myself but when I killed -” She closed her eyes realizing that Athena had no idea what had conspired between her and her cousin. “I killed something. Someone.” It was someone. Someone was that thing. It wasn’t a thing at all. “I don’t know if I can do it again.” I don’t want to. Shiloh didn’t realize tears were coming down her face until a drop fell on her hand. She immediately started wiping her eyes. “Sorry, it’s just been… a lot lately.” It was all overwhelming. She was nine years old again and crying because everyone and everything was too loud. “But thank you… for not hating me.”

“Yes.” Athena replied - there was no need to dance around it now. They were both hunters and she felt incredibly relieved. Even if Shiloh was stammering and seemed less sure of herself than usual. Not that Athena really had much of a usual to base things from, given that she didn’t know the woman all too well, but she liked to think of herself as naturally gifted in reading people (at least as much as she could be), and whatever was going on now was different than at the carnival, even when Athena had actually spiked Shiloh’s slushie with silver just to see if she reacted. Something, not someone. It’s no longer someone, once you’ve done away with them, and even if it is, what does it matter? Except that Shiloh was new to all of this and that meant that overwhelming her with more information was probably not the best choice for right now. “It’s a learning curve.” She couldn’t remember if she’d cried the first time she’d killed something - which had happened before she and her brother started their proper hunting. Couldn’t remember if she’d cried when watching her father’s operations, but she didn’t think she had. Even at age six, she’d watched with intense fascination, committing everything that he did to memory, just in case he asked about it after. “Don’t - you don’t have to say sorry, Shiloh. It’s fine.” Wonderful, sacred, beautiful, even. “I wouldn’t hate you for that, never.”

Shiloh swallowed roughly and nodded as she regained composure. It was a relief to know there was someone out there whose first reaction wasn’t rage - not that she had experienced that - yet. But she feared her loved ones’ rejections. Evelyn. Skylar. Sniffling, she felt okay to talk now. “I have a lot of questions,” Shiloh started. Even with her cousin she asked far more questions than even he had answers for. A lot of her questions would probably forever remain unanswered. “But, the first thing I wanna ask is--can we bake these maple scones first because I’m starting to get hungry.” She let out a soft chuckle hoping that the redirection would turn the conversation back to a positive note. And normal. “I’m just not ready to talk about hunter things right now, but thank you so much for giving me a chance to.” Shiloh appreciated that tremendously and right now she was forever thankful of Athena and hoped the two of them could have a good friendship in the future.

[crazyrandomfucker]

Marichat May Day 14: Chocolate

Summary:

After several Valentine's Days with akumas, the cats tear down a bit when they are offered some chocolate from Marin and Marinette.

------------------

If someone were to see the feline superheroes of Paris, they would see two very serious teenagers looking in all directions, as if they were waiting for something to happen when least expected. In reality, they were doing that, but they were actualy stressed and jumpy. After all, it was Valentine's Day, a day of happiness to many, but also a day of sadness, wrath and depression for others. And of course, Hawk Moth, Mayura, Papilionidae and Le Paon had to take advantatge of the situation and create powerful akumas and/or amoks every single year. Didn't they had a loved one to spent the day with and they were so bitter about it that they had to ruin the day for everyone else? Sometimes Chat Noir and Kitty Noire wanted to use their batons to bat the villains to the next month, but they didn't go to the battlefield that much.

They were on the lookout for the whole day, relentlessly patrolling the streets of Paris with their full attention to even the minor signal of an akuma appearance. They went across every single street, road and alley of Paris at least five times, making sure that everything was in order and with their batons ready to call Alya and Alen so they could post about the akuma on the Ladyblog and the Lordblog. However, the villains seemed to have taken things more calamly this year, because not a single feather or wing was seen on the whole day. Actually, it were the cats who, after patrolling without stopping for the whole day, were utterly exhausted to the point that Ladybug and Lordbug had to call them and tell them to go to rest.

Nonetheless, the cats had different plans for the rest of the afternoon. They headed towards the Dupain-Cheng bakery to see their favourite civilians of all times and see if they could complain a bit to them and get pampered for once. Althought they actually doubted for a second, thinking that they must have been enjoying the day with someone else as a date. But they still went all the way to their house, comfirmating that they were inside and apparently hadn't gone anywhere on the special Saturday. They where about to descend to the building when they saw Marin and Marinette come out to Marin's rooftop spot with a trait filled with pastries, chairs, a thermos and cups. They poured the content from the thermos inside the cups and made a toast before gulping down whatever was in the thermos. When they looked up after drinking, they spotted Chat and Kitty with baffled faces and they gestured for them to come, to what the cats made sure to comply.

"Fancy seeing you two spying on us on such a day" says Marinette smirking.

"Oh, no, we weren't spying on you, we actually were coming to see you when we saw you two coming out with everything" says Chat Noir.

"Yet you stayed on the other roof observing us from afar, which I believ it's considerd to be spying" says Marin grinning. "But given the day, I can guess what you two were doing outside".

"Oh yes? And what exactly do you think that we were doing?" says Chat.

"Well, I'd say that you were going to a date and used your powers to get across the nassty traffic more easily, but I know it's because you've been all day on the lookout for any akuma or amok" says Marin.

"He's right, and let me tell you, it's so exhausting" says Kitty sitting on the floor.

"Don't sit on the floor Kitty, we brought extra chairs because we supposed that we'd saw you today" says Marinette as she points to the chairs behind her.

"Well then, if you don't mind me..." says Kitty sitting on a chair in front of the Dupain-Cheng twins.

"So you were expecting us huh?" says Chat Noir.

"Of course, we thought that we'd either saw you patroling around here or that you'd come a bit" says Marin.

"Looks like the later was the good one" says Marinette.

"What can we say, we love spending some time with you two" says Kitty.

"That we know Kitty, because we also love spending time with you two like this, just casually chatting without any duty or any responsability" says Marinette.

"You're exaggerating Princess, spending time with two alley cats like us must be tiring rather than something loveale" says Chat Noir.

"Well, even if you sometimes act like mangy alley cats, I'd say that the overall is quite enjoyable" says Marin. "We wouldn't be this friendly otherwise. You wouldn't get as many treats for sure".

"And we're thankful for the treats" says Kitty smiling. "They are the sun of our lives, making worth all the shit that keeps happening in this cursed world".

"So poetic" says Marinette giggling.

"We are cats of culture after all. Poesy, music, anime and literature, we're fluent in the four of them" says Chat Noir.

"I'm not sure if you should include anime in that cultural group, but anime is certainly great" says Marin.

"There are endless animes that can't be forgotten and everybody knows about regardless if they watch anime or not" says Kitty. "To mention some of them: Dragon Ball, Inuyasha, Naruto, Ranma1/2, One Piece or the Ghibli Studio movies".

"I love the Ghibli Studio, their movies are so good, so touching and interesting" says Marinette.

"I mean, what type of bitter person do you have to be to not like Ghibli Studio?" says Chat. "They are classics!"

"I remember that my favourite Ghibli movie when I was a kid was Ponyo. Now I would say that Princess Mononoke is my favourite" says Marin.

"I'd say that The Howling Castle gets the first place for me" says Kitty Noire.

"Me too! I love The Howling Castle, it's so moving" says Marinette.

"I'd say that the Ghibli movie I enjoyed the most would be Chihiro's Journey" says Chat Noir. "That and Kiki, because it had a black cat".

"How could we forget that time you were on a Ghibli movie? says Marin chuckling.

"Nah, if I had to represent myself with a black cat from the cinema I'd say I'm Scat Cat from The Aristocats" says Chat Noir.

"Does that makes me Duchess or Mari then?" says Kitty Noire.

"If I had to put you as a cartoon film cat, I'd say that you're more like Jiji than Chat" says Marinette.

"So I'm the one who appears on Kiki delivery service then?" says Kitty amused.

"Well, you're basically what one would expect from a talking cat: sarcastic, playful and terribly loyal" says Marin. "Just like Jiji".

"And here I said that I was like Scat Cat because cats are the only ones who know how to jazz" says Chat Noir.

"Not sure that you know how to jazz kit-cat" says Marinette giggling. "If it's anything like your serenades, I'd rather not listen to it".

"You hurt me with those words Princess" says Chat dramatically.

"Well, then I guess Mari could make you a bit happier for today" says Marin, leaving the cats confused.

"So we're doing it now?" says Marinette. "We're giving them tha right now?"

"Sure, why not? We were going to give it to them anyway" says Marin.

"What exactly is what you are giving us" says Kitty Noire curiously.

"Don't you know that curiosity killed the cat?" says Marinette flickering Kitty's nose.

"But Princess, satisfactio brought it back" says Chat.

"Guess we have to go for it then" says Marin getting up and going with Marinette to his room. "Stay here for a moment".

"What are they going for?" says Chat curious.

"I don't know brother, but I'm also very interested about it" says Kitty.

"Good thing that we didn't leave it that far then" says Marinette as she comes back with Marin, both hiding something behind them.

"Here you go" says Marin as he gives a gift to Kitty while Marinette gives one to Chat.

"Woah, what is this?" says Chat examining the wrapping paer and the shape of the box.

"You're supposed to open it to know that brother" says Kitty Noir as she opens the gift, revealing chocolates.

"We wanted to give this as a token of gratitude for always being there and saving the city so many times" says Marinette.

When they see the chocolates, Chat Noir and Kitty Noire let some tears fall, moved by the gesture from Marinette and Marin. The designers were worried at first when they saw the cats cry, but the cats quickly explained that they weren't sad, but moved by the appreciaton that Marin and Marinette had showed them, giving them some chocolates on Valentine's Day as a thank you for doing their job as heroes. The fact that someone appreciated thir work after relentlessly having to patrol the city all day was simply so emotive for the cats that they couldn't help but to shed some tears, specially because it was a gesture from their favourite civilians, their friends and the ones who valued them just as much as Ladybug and Lordbug.

When the cats finally calmed down, they thanked the designer duo and hugged them tightly, showing their appreciation for them and also thanked them for always being there. Sure, maybe they didn't have a romantic relationship between the fur of them, but they had a much more valuable friendship than any other relationship they could ask for. The cats promise to return the gesture like it was usual on animes, by giving something to them on the fourteenth of March, to which Marinette and Marin laughed quite a bit, but they were happy about ti either way. They now had soomething to look forward that March after all.

[icequeen-shiva]

alright, you know what

about two weeks ago maybe by now, i made a post about how i’ve recently hit 200 followers and i’d like to do a q&a again, and even with a reblog from someone more ~*popular*~ than me, and multiple reblogs once a day for a few days by myself, i didn’t get a single fucking question. not one. earlier today i posted two pictures of myself where i felt pretty (i’ve since deleted them) and nobody i actually know of liked it and i got asked by a stranger who doesn’t even follow me if i had any nsfw pictures. i don’t get asks anymore, i don’t get shit. and that tells me that, you may be following me, but you aren’t connecting with me. and i feel that. i get on tumblr and i don’t feel like i’m friends with fucking anybody. and i did that. i know i did that. 9/10 times i let my fear of rejection and embarrassing myself overcome my desire to talk to people, so i don’t do it, or i let it fizzle out and we go our own ways and we don’t become friends. 1/10 times i actually function as a human being and make a connection or at least something that sticks a little.

so here, below the cut, is a comprehensive (loosely) list of things that i like, in no particular order at all, besides tickling, because apparently both sides of this need a little help connecting on any front.

scooby-doo

beetlejuice

the addams family

the sims

the mcu

classic disney animations; my favorites are dumbo, the great mouse detective, the rescuers, sleeping beauty, and oliver and company (it’s old enough that i consider it in the classic category)

~modern disney animations too; my favorites are treasure fucking planet, coco, and... i’m a sap, beauty and the beast. rise of the guardians too even though it isn’t disney.

musicals; i can’t pick a favorite just fucking ask me, but i don’t know a lot of newer ones honestly

empire records

the greatest showman still

cats (i mean the animals but i also like the show even though it is Weird As Hell)

my cat in particular

alice in wonderland

stranger things

space jam

tsum tsums

elvira, mistress of the dark

dice

kiki’s delivery service and specifically jiji things

winnie the pooh i don’t even fucking care i LOVE HIM AND ALL OF HIS FRIENDS

silly hats

playdoh

interesting earrings

exploring libraries or big bookstores

true crime mysteries; my favorite youtuber for this is georgia marie, bless her. i also watch bella fiori and kendall rae

fictional mysteries too

i have a kind of fascination with jack the ripper and with the lizzie borden case

shipwrecks! i don’t know why but shipwrecks fascinate me! why did they go down? all the stories that went with them!

i once read a novel that was told as a series of letters, or journal entries, by people on the titanic, including the iceberg and it was THE absolute saddest book i have ever read in my life. like, obviously i knew what was coming, but i got attached to the characters, the letters made them alive and it was just like... NO. NO I DON’T WANT THEM TO DIE. I KNOW THEY’RE GOING TO BUT THEY CAN’T. and it was awful. i had to put it down and cry.

cryptozoology

the bermuda triangle theories (i’m not saying i believe sOmEtHiNg’S gOiNg On but i think some of the theories are interesting)

ghosts

the nancy drew computer games

monopoly

i still play a lot of my snes games; my go-to time killer and head-clearer honestly is kirby’s avalanche. i also play a lot of super mario rpg legend of the seven stars, super mario world, kirby’s dreamland 3, and donkey kong 2 and 3

final fantasy x in which i’m guaranteed to call almost (i can’t stress that enough) every character at some point “my child”

hyrule warriors, i know it’s not a tRuE zelda game but it’s fucking fun

same with fire emblem warriors

red dead redemption

kingdom hearts

the uncharted series

splatoon but i don’t have it wahhhhh

mind you i am not very Good at videogames, i just like to play them anyway

game grumps

ninja sex party

jacksepticeye

markiplier

monty python

crocheting

tea

harry potter

classic rock. pretty big on queen lately. i like tom petty and the heartbreakers. i like joan jett and the blackhearts.

i just... like rock. across the board. i like the offspring. i like some rage against the machine songs. acdc on the radio makes me happy. def leppard on the radio makes me happy. beartooth, starset, powerman 5000, as long as it’s got a good beat and good stuff going on behind the vocals then i’m gonna be happy. i’m way more into the guitars and the bass and everything going on instrumentally than i am vocally, honestly. the whole big guitar solo to van halen’s “you really got me” and then that bassline that comes in, that bassline is sexy. it’s so simple but i LIKE it.

anyway music as a whole gets me right in the heart and can lift me up when i am at my literal worst point

it’s hard for me to name a favorite or specific bands that i like because there’s so many and i’m not really picky about it. 

pop vinyls

good ol’ vines

buffalo wings

mac and cheese

grilled cheese

dr. pepper

i drink a l o t of dr. pepper

pretending i know how to do makeup well

history; i watch a lot of expedition unknown and mysteries at the museum, and sometimes i’ll watch a free documentary on youtube if it catches my attention. last weekend i explained the donner party to my boyfriend. just.. on a whim. because i’d just watched a thing on it and he said he didn’t really know what it was. i’m that person.

OH I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THIS BACK AROUND TRUE CRIME BUT I READ A BOOK ABOUT H.H. HOLMES AND HIS MURDER CASTLE AND THE CHICAGO WORLD’S FAIR. it was by erik larson, i believe. larsen? i could google this. devil in the white city. there’s been talks to make it a movie. it’s a good read though i will admit i skipped a lot of the fair parts because i was there for the murder.

i also read a book about the lusitania by the same author and i was like ohhh my goooood what. it got a little boring sometimes, i had to push myself to keep going, but i would read dead wake again.

csi: miami reruns are the greatest thing don’t @ me

dark purple and black aesthetics

just like... witchy aesthetics. those colors and black cats

if you haven’t noticed by any selfies i’ve posted, i do have my lip pierced and i love finding new lip jewelry. i have a new opal stud in and i love its look

leather jackets

combat boots; i have a galaxy print pair and a pair with classic marvel comics stuff printed on the inside and you can fold down the sides to show it. they’re my faves.

owls

drunk history

the first 5 seasons of supernatural and i still have a soft spot for the winchesters and castiel

i’m slowly making my way through watching the librarians

i’m also making my way slowly through watching the magicians

(american) football

nature walks

going to the zoo

going to the aquarium

like really take me to either of the above and i will lose my shit

road trips

savannah, georgia

the smokey mountains

last august i drove by myself from ohio to boone, north carolina for a friend’s wedding and that wedding was smack on a mountain top and it was the coolest thing i think i’ve ever done

roller coasters BUT NOT EXTREME ONES baby steps ok

log rides tho, i don’t know why, i always love the water rides

ren faires!

cosplay, even though i’m not exactly active in it myself (but i want to be; one of my offline friends is an actually-getting-kind-of-internet-famous mei from overwatch cosplayer)

cards against humanity

foosball

pool but i suck at it

speaking of pools i love swimming ... but i suck at it, i just like boppin’ along in a pool

cookouts

summer

there is nothing like being out in the middle of nowhere in summer when the evening starts to fall and the sky is dark, dark blue and there’s a sea of shimmering lightning bugs out over a field. it’s beautiful. it’s peaceful.

there’s nothing like sitting outside on a calm spring night and listening to the spring peepers (they’re frogs) either.

if you couldn’t tell, i live in the middle of nowhere. i have to find enjoyment in the little things.

campfires

dancing around said campfire, you cannot have a campfire without good music. this is when a lot of my classic rock education came to pass.

elephants

my favorite books are the abhorsen trilogy by garth nix, tied with the serpent’s shadow by mercedes lackey

i am trying to get into comic books by way of the youtube channel comicstorian. they break comic books down for you and read them aloud with the images, altered slightly to avoid copyright strikes (and that’s all made very clear, it’s not done sketchily), and it’s been really easy for someone like me who doesn’t just have a comics store close (and i would otherwise continue on as i have been, forgetting to ever look for them on the internet). i listened to injustice 1 and 2, and they covered the game. i’m actively following scooby apocalypse, and there was some teen titans stuff i went all the way through up until now. i don’t think it’s finished yet from what i remember.

i love museums

candles

i actually kind of collect tea sets

i also have a collection of sand art bottles AND IF I’M EVER AT A FESTIVAL OR A FAIR WHERE THERE IS A SAND ART STAND YOU CAN BET I AM GOING TO MAKE ONE

yugioh duels; i’m definitely just a novice and it’s just a fun pastime my friends got me into when they found their giant binders of cards again

i’m not actually that big on pokemon, i don’t know a lot of them but it’s still fun and i know some. but i did love pokemon go when my friends still played it (don’t really have time anymore, and it kept crashing way too badly on one of their phones anymore anytime they tried to join a raid and it just wasn’t fun as a group then)

i don’t have any but i like the ~look of crystals and would like to have some, not for my own aesthetic but i just... like having pretty things!

listening to the rain

how the air smells (at least where i live) after a long rain and everything is just cleansed

depression has stopped me from writing for a long time but, in my heart, writing has always been something that has touched me ever since i knew how to do it and could put my stories down on paper instead of having to just talk about them... so i’m going to include that here

root beer floats

hotdogs

hard dip ice cream (if you don’t know what hard dip means... as my boyfriend didn’t... it means ice cream that you have to use a scoop with, not soft serve)

soft serve’s good too tho don’t get me wrong

strawberry milkshakes

this isn’t even stuff that anyone would need to know on this site to befriend me at this point, nobody’s gonna message me like HEY I READ YOU LIKE STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKES ME FUCKING TOO

you’re cool if you do that lmao

so bad they’re good creature features from the 50s and 60s

the old godzilla movies

i like the moon more than the stars, but i like them too

flower crowns

bouncy balls

original skittles

this has gone on way too long, nobody is reading this, your mom’s a hoe, goodnight

no she’s not, i’m sorry, if you got this far then i hope your mom is a nice person

[k-bajii]

baji baji baji baji baji baji bajiiiiiiiiii❕

hi 🥺

i’m lowkey scared for the presentation i have today cause i know how fucked up my internship coordinator can be 🥺 like anytime i have to do something slightly important, something shitty happens what throws up my whole mood and mindset 😩 mom told me about some rlly concerning news regarding my two-year-old nephew in indo and it’s been bugging me since the day she told me 🥺 i just wanna cry and hug both you and eonni, cause you’re both my safe heaven 😭 even jiji can join if they want

anyway enough rambling on my part, i’m sorry for that! i love you sayang and i hope you’re not overworking yourself again 🥺🤍

Senn, don't ever apologize for rambling to me, you know I love and encourage you to speak your thoughts regardless of what they are.

I know you're gonna do amazing with your presentation and if your internship coordinator thinks otherwise, I'll talk to him privately 😈 I've been meaning to speak with the bastard anyway...

I'm sorry about your nephew and I hope he'll be alright 🥺 we can talk more about it when you get home, okay? I'll call jiji and baba to come over and I'll come to get you from the station. did you want to pick up anything on our way back?

[swordboiis]

I just had a thought.. Im not exactly sure if this would be possible but if the saniwa is so powerful and stuff, this could be fun: What if when it all ended and the saniwa had to return to her own time and so she must turn the whole cast into swords again but instead she send them to her own time without realizing it xD Just imagine her face while taking a stroll with her friends and suddenly a bunch of hot looking dudes show up her tail, calling her "ArujiSAMAAAA!!!"

These two requests are fundamentally the same so I figured I’d talk about this a little and do the reactions of the boys specified in the second request all in the one post.

This is a scenario I’ve thought about quite a bit, especially since I began playing the game. It’s not like the fight will go on forever, eventually, one side will trump the other. Naturally we’d assume the player/Saniwa and your swords will be the winning sword. But what comes next? These two requests have the two different halves of what I think about.

The first, being that at the end of it all, the swords are allowed to live out the rest of their new lives in these human bodies. While that sounds nice, it’s not really realistic. You can’t just return to current day society with countless young men who, officially, appeared out of nowhere. I mean, this is assuming you as a Sage weren’t hired by the Government and had no way to turn them back into their previous forms.

That leads me to my next point, as both requests mentioned the Saniwa having to return the swords to sword forms. In assuming it is within their power, I think just bringing yourself to do it would be so hard. You gave them life, they fought with you, lived with you, they experienced so much. Emotions, hunger and pain. Not all the experiences were good but it’s incredible, and for you to turn them back into weapons, it would be taking away this world from them. This is getting a bit long so enough food for thought and here are the requested reactions.

Kashuu• “We’re no longer useful huh…?”• Oh god how this hits home. But this time, it wasn’t that he couldn’t fight, this time everything was ending because the fight was over. • He wanted to be proud that he stood by you to the end, but it hurts so much that everything is over now. • He respects your decision and doesn’t want to risk making things any harder on you, since he knows how kind you are so he keeps a brave face.

Mikazuki• “Hmm I see. I hope these remain fond memories for you then.”• You can see it in his smile, how sad he is. But he won’t voice it, he knows you were likely set on this from the start. • He is disappointed how quickly time had seemed to fly by, selfishly, he almost wished the battle would never have come to an end. • Would probably have helped as much as he could, encouraging the swords much less willing to accept your decision easily though he wasn’t happy with it either.

Ichigo• “Thank you for bringing us all together in the first place, Aruji-sama.”• The hardest part for him is having to be separated from his brothers all over again. Yes, they’re not the only family to be broken up, but he would have taken so long to even join your ranks it wouldn’t have felt long enough. • Too busy being strong for his brothers to allow himself to feel sad about it. • Does all he can to avoid thinking about it, he figures there is no changing your mind, no other options, he just tries to be happy about all the good they did.

Tsurumaru• “This is really the end huh? Try not to miss us too much.”• Tries to keep things light hearted but everyone is feeling hurt and scared, including him. • He would keep all his worries to himself, wondering if things really had to be this way. In this back of his mind wondering if he could convince you otherwise or why they hadn’t really thought about the end beforehand. • Like Jiji, I don’t think he’d be able to keep all the sadness from showing, though he was trying his hardest. Only really succeeding in not letting himself cry at all.

[jacobtmcelroy-blog]

Top 25 Anime Movies

Similar to the way I made my top 50 anime series list, I am going to list my top 25 anime films. This was another extremely tough list to make and several really solid films didn’t make the list. Several highly regarded anime films I have still yet to see (Your Name, Marnie, Princess Kaguya, Steins;Gate movIe, etc), so I will only be listing ones that I have seen personally. I am also holding off on anime films dubbed in the past year due to recency bias. (in the easiest way to explain possible [Boy and the Beast and Only Yesterday for example]...)  I promise I will try to limit the amount of Studio Ghibli films to an extent to give a little more variety... On that note, let’s get this list under way.

25. Dragon Ball Z: Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan (1993)

I have watched the many DBZ movies many times, and admittedly most of them are mediocre to somewhat awful. A few stand out, but none of them stand out more than Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan. The movie feature the title character Broly, who is by far the most interesting DBZ movie villain. Besides the solid villain, this movie features some of the best fights in the franchise alongside the series’ signature comedy and fun. (Dubbed by Funimation)

24. Tokyo Godfathers (2003)

So, what happens when a homeless gambler, a runaway, and a trans woman find a baby in a dumpster on Christmas? Well, one of the most down to earth and light-hearted of the great Satoshi Kon’s films. (will talk about him more later...) Tokyo Godfathers deals with some tough source material and has a nice twist ending. The comedy is also played up well from the main trio of unlikely heroes. While my least favorite of Kon’s four films, it’s still a really fun watch particularly during the Christmas season. (can’t seem to find an official dub of this one unfortunately)

23. Psycho-Pass: The Movie (2015)

The two season series I like to refer to as Se7en meets Minority Report released a movie in 2015. As one would expect from as great of a series as Psycho Pass, the movie delivers on most fronts. While the movie doesn’t bring all that much new to the table, it’s better than the second season of the show and is highly entertaining throughout. The bodies still explode when shot and the looming sense of “Big Brother” remains from the series. A reunion between two characters from the first season was the highlight for me personally. (dubbed by Funimation)

22. Redline (2009)

Let me get this out of the way first. Redline’s story has a lot to be desired. A LOT. However, the thing that makes Redline such an enjoyable watch is the incredibly unique and exhilarating artstyle and animation. Madhouse always has great animation work on all of their movies and shows (so good Madhouse was used in Kill Bill’s animated segment), but this could honestly be one of their finest works. The expressions of the characters, the violent racing of the many unique racecars (the focus of the film), and the nosebleed effects are stunning. Even if you don’t like racing or think the plot is lacking, Redline is worth a watch to marvel at its art. It’s pretty damn entertaining too.(dubbed by Manga Entertainment)

21. The Cat Returns (2002)

While not the deepest of all Studio Ghibli films, The Cat Returns is by far the funniest, at least in my opinion. At only 75 minutes in length, the tale of Haru, a clumsy high school girl, rescuing a cat prince is an underrated gem from the studio. The Baron, who first appears in Whisper of the Heart, appears here in a much bigger role, masterfully voiced by Cary Elwes. The film never takes itself too seriously, but it’s a blast the entire run time. Give this one a try if you’re in the mood for a quick, quirky anime film. (dubbed by Disney)

20. Millenium Actress (2001)

Ah, another fine work by Satoshi Kon. Millenium Actress is the story of the life of a now elderly actress who searched her entire life for a man she fell in love with at an early age. While the story has been done before, the aspect of Kon’s second film that makes it so great is the narrative and the way the story is told. Chiyoko, the main character, is being interviewed for a documentary on her life by a super fan and his less energetic cameraman. The interviewer and cameraman begin to actually appear in her flashbacks as characters in her many points in life, and it makes a really cool perspective. Not the fastest paced film, but Millenium Actress is definitely worth a watch. (dubbed by Bandai)

19. Summer Wars (2009)

Mamorou Hosoda’s name is another you are going to hear a lot the rest of this list. Summer Wars begins innocently enough with a girl making a guy pretend he is her fiance in order to please her family and mainly her grandmother. On top of this plotline is the criminal activity occurring inside an advanced social network named OZ, which the male lead happens to be a part-time employee of. After a malicious user begins to take over the network’s world and begins to leak into the real world and things begin to unravel with the family, everyone must overcome their differences and defeat the enemy. Hosoda’s film is entertaining, a nice family-building film, and looks great on top of it. On a final note, I’m really happy to see Funimation have the chance to dub a high quality film like this. Michael Sinterniklaas and Brina Palencia are both great as usual. (dubbed by Funimation)

18. My Neighbor Totoro (1986)

My Neighbor Totoro is an adorable film. That’s all there is to it. Totoro is the mascot of Studio Ghibli and maybe even Japanese animation for a reason. The film itself is very simple and bit odd, but that does not make it any less likable.There are just many fun set pieces put together including the famous umbrella scene, the climax scene with Catbus, and the sense of imagination and adventure you only feel as a child rolled in one.Of note, the newer dub by Disney is much improved and has solid early work by the Fanning sisters. (dubbed by Disney)

17. Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001)

Those familiar to the anime world most likely know of how good the series Cowboy Bebop is. Those who have not seen the series yet should do themselves a big favor and give it a watch. The Movie is almost as good as the series itself. It gets a little more talkie than it should at times, but otherwise Bebop: The Movie is a solid addition to the great space western tale of the Spike Spiegel and the Bebop crew. The best part of Bebop: The Movie (other than the stellar jazz score) is that it feels like a reunion. We thought there was nowhere else to go with the lovable cast of the series, but then this movie appeared and brought all of them back for one last hurrah. Oh, and the dub is still fantastic. Bang. (dubbed by Sunrise)

16. Kiki’s Delivery Service (1999)

Kiki’s Delivery Service was a huge hit when it was released in Japanese theaters in 1989. There is no wonder why. Studio Ghibli delivers another simple, but enjoyable tale of a clumsy, young witch named Kiki. I find Kiki to be one of the most likable Ghibli leads due to her great determination to accomplish something yet feeling like she’s not good at anything. Some nice set pieces and being thoroughly entertaining throughout makes Kiki enjoyable for any age. On a final note Phil Hartman turns in his final performance in an animated film as Jiji the cat. As one would guess, he’s great. (dubbed by Disney)

15. Porco Rosso (1992)

Similar to The Cat Returns, Porco Rosso is one of the less deep Studio Ghibli entries. But man, is it a fun one. Porco Rosso follows the adventures of an anthropomorphic pig nicknamed Porco, a former Italian military pilot, on his zany quest to fight an overconfident, but very talented Texan pilot named Donald. The main two characters, Porco and Donald, alongside good supporting characters are some of the most fun in any Ghibli’s film. This is aided by some great dub performances, specifically from Michael Keaton as Porco, Cary Elwes (again!) as Donald, and Brad Garrett as an unsuccessful pirate rival. Watch this one for some fun and the pig puns. There’s a ton. (dubbed by Disney)

14. Wolf Children (2012)

Wolf Children is one of the slower films on this list, but that does not make it any less good. Directed by Hosoda, same guy who did Summer Wars, Wolf Children is the most mature of his films that I have seen. While the initial subject matter of a woman having children with a werewolf (wolf form) sound a little strange and questionable, the rest of the film is full of heart as Hana raises her werewolf children on her own without any help. Through the highs and the lows, Hana grows and so do her children. As one can expect, the character development is really good here and helps lead up to a very satisfying, yet bittersweet ending. This movie may be a feels trip, but I highly recommend it. Funimation does another nice job here with one of my favorite performances from Colleen Clinkenbeard ever. (dubbed by Funimation)

13. Whisper of the Heart (1995)

Here I present what I feel to be the most underrated Studio Ghibli film to date. Whisper of the Heart was directed by Yoshifumi Kondo, which means this movie was the first hit from the Studio not directed by Miyasaki or Takahata. Sadly, this was the only film Kondo was able to direct for the Studio due to his unfortunate death only a couple years later. Kondo’s gem contains the least fantasy elements of the Studio’s films, yet it has one of the most taut, well-told stories of the group. WotH is a coming of age story with a focus on romance between a girl and the boy who checked out library books before her. Don’t miss this one like many people have. (dubbed by Disney)

12. Princess Mononoke (1997)

The placement of Princess Mononoke on this list may be controversial to many. (possibly because of the length...) However, that does not mean that I don’t love this film. Mononoke is a much darker and bloodier entry than most Miyasaki films, which I like for a change of pace honestly. The fantasy elements are strong in this entry and the characters are stalwart as well. Every character in the movie has different motivations and it makes for a compelling story. Everyone, good and evil, wants something for a different reason and the resulting clashes make a compelling watch. (dubbed by Disney)

11. Madoka Magic Movie 1: Beginnings (2012)

Don’t judge a book by its cover: the movie. Beginnings is a movie that covers the first seven to eight episodes of the wonderful twelve episode anime series. To those unfamiliar with Madoka Magic, this is no Sailor Moon. It’s kind of like the combination of Sailor Moon and Neon Genesis Evangelion, which makes for quite a different kind of magical girl series. One not for the faint of heart... What makes this film so good is the way each girl develops as a character and the way that each slowly unravel as worse and worse events keep happening. This is a great summary movie and a good alternative to those who prefer watching movies over series, even if the series is only twelve episodes. (dubbed by evil over-pricing Aniplex)

10. Ghost in the Shell (1995)

When Ghost in the Shell only finishes in tenth on a list, you know there is going to be true quality in your top ten. Ghost in the Shell is a cyberpunk/sci-fi classic that deserves the praise it gets. The Major is an absolute badass, the villain is pretty cool, and there are many memorable action scenes and mind-bending scenes. GitS is one the smartest sci-fi movie I have seen overall due to its exploration into what it is to be human. Why is this classic not higher? No clear reason. Maybe it is because I like the GitS: Stand Alone Complex series better than the film (one I notably forgot on my top 50 series list). Still fantastic nonetheless. (dubbed by Manga Entertainment)

9. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)

Hosoda’s first film is my personal favorite of the three appearing on this list. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a nice blend of the slice of life genre with sci-fi. When a normal, clumsy teenage girl in Japan discovers she can “time leap” backwards, she uses it in many fun and manipulative ways. As with most time traveling series and movies, this usually does not end well for the main character doing the time leaping. What makes Hosoda’s film so enjoyable is how likable the characters, particularly Makoto, are and how well the story is constructed. That is rare for a time travel story. Overall, this is one anime film I’d recommend for almost anybody. (dubbed by Bandai and owned by Funimaiton)

8. Howl’s Moving Castle (2005)

Howl’s Moving Castle is probably my first or second favorite movie released in the dreadful movie year of 2005. I’ll probably make another list one day to talk more about that. Anyway, here’s one of the more divisive Miyasaki films. Some think it’s amongst his finest while others put it near the bottom. Personally, I think it’s one of his best. The main character, Sophie, is trying to break a curse put on her by an evil witch that turned her into an old woman. She believes a young sorcerer named Howl may have the fix for her. While curses are a very common plot device in Ghibli films I think the execution in HMC is excellent. Not quite as excellent as Christian Bale voicing Howl’s giant bird form in his Batman voice, but it’s a close second. (dubbed by Disney)

7. Evangelion 2.22: You Can (Not) Advance (2009)

While every film up to this point have been really solid works, here is where we hit the top tier. I went through these seven and rearranged them several times and am still not sure if they are in the right order. Oh well. Here’s a fantastic film and sequel to start with. Evangelion is a sequel to the first Evangelion “rebuild” movie that retells the story of the story of Neon Genesis Evangelion. The first entry was great, but the sequel was a huge step up. What makes 2.22 so great is it fixed big issues from the original series and made the (f’d up) cast more developed and likable. (besides Shinji’s dad. He’s still an asshole) The art and animation is also beautiful. Watch this on blu-ray if you possibly can. (dubbed by Funimaiton)

6. Spirited Away (2001)

Not my number one, huh? Spirited Away is an anime film masterpiece. The ending being a little loose is the only thing I think holds it back a bit, but it did so much for anime in the United States that I can forgive it for that flaw. From the memorable characters and scenes, Spirited Away is magical. I cannot say much more that has not been said a million times, so I just end by telling you to watch this if you have not. (dubbed by Disney)

5. Parika (2006)

I would be lying if I did not say Satoshi Kon’s final film is one of the strangest I’ve ever seen in any medium. That being said, it is absolutely terrific. Paprika tells the pre-Inception story of entering dreams and the madness that lies within some minds. From its thrilling opening sequence to its explosive conclusion Paprika can be described as nothing less than a thrill ride. I struggle to talk about this one much without spoiling the entire film, so just do yourself a favor and watch it. Just don’t do it before bed like I did, or you’ll have really weird dreams. (dubbed by Manga Entertainment)

4. The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (2011)

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a classic, zany anime series that established slice of life character archetypes for a decade after its release. However, not everybody is as big on it as I am. Whether it is the mostly comedic feel, the Endless Eight arc (seriously, it sucks), or annoyance at Haruhi or Mikuru, most people see it as an imperfect series. However, I don’t hesitate to say The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya is as closest as you can get to a perfect anime series film. The film takes a more serious tone and uses it to develop Kyon, the main character, and Yuki, one of the more underdeveloped characters from the series. What results is a “It’s a Wonderful Life” type film combined with the best portions of the twenty-eight episode series. This film doesn’t feel at all like 160 minutes. It looks gorgeous too. Unfortunately, you have to watch the series to watch this gem. (dubbed by money-grubbing Aniplex) [NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON DVD OR BLU RAY!!!!!]

3. Akira (1989)

KANEDA!!!!!!! I do not think I have to say much here either. Akira’s reputation is so good even outside of the anime realm that I don’t think I have to say much. The animation to this day is stunning, the writing has inspired sci-fi/cyberpunk films to this day, and it’s one of Quentin Tarantino’s favorites. Just talking about it makes me want to go watch it again. Do yourself a favor and do the same. (dubbed by Geneon (RIP)/Funimation)

2. Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986)

I have always loved Castle in the Sky. I just didn’t realize how much until recently. Castle in the Sky is the perfect blend of action, Studio Ghibli fantasy, and memorable peaceful scenes. Laputa’s plot is simple. A girl with a special ability and a boy who helps her race against a group of pirates and the military to find the fabled Castle in the Sky, which is supposedly filled with treasure. The pacing will please children and adults and only a heartless person could not find at least a couple of the characters likable. The main villain, Muska, is one of the most evil PG level villains I have seen in any cartoon movies. He’s voiced perfectly by the always terrific Mark Hamill, who sounds a lot like the Joker at times here... In conclusion, Castle in the Sky is a terrific fantasy film and a Ghibli masterpiece. (dubbed by Disney)

1. Perfect Blue (1998)

Now, this was my toughest decision of the entire year so far. No joke. After thinking about what would be my number one anime film for several hours, this one kept popping up near the top. The reason may be how inspirational this film is to my own writing. Maybe it’s the similarity to one of my favorite live action films of the last decade, Black Swan. Maybe it’s just a damn good film. Perfect Blue mashes the horror, mystery, psychological genres, and anime into a blender and produces a masterpiece. From the creepy stalker character (possibly the creepiest looking character ever drawn), to the lightpole dancing/hopping scene, to all of the actual murder scenes, Mima’s spiral into insanity is a journey unlike most others in film. Satoshi Kon directed this film and it shows. Perfect Blue encapsulates his use of gore, overall weirdness, nudity, and other elements for what I believe to be his best work. Like Madoka Magic and Paprika, this film is not for the faint of heart. Just a warning. If you think you can watch Perfect Blue, do it. You won’t regret it.(dubbed by Manga Entertainment) [NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON DVD OR BLU RAY!!!!!]

[kwibu]

Ohhh! Seeing AoE II reminded me about playing Heroes III for years I don't think I'll ever stop loving this game. I never played horror tbh but god I watched too many Amnesia, Outlast or FNAF gameplays. I'll check Overcooked though! I don't think I ever heard about it. My housemates only play Gothic and The Sims which is pretty weird combination lmao. I also always want to try The Witcher, mostly because I know a lot about the saga (although I can't bring myself to finally start reading it).

There's no streamer I really like I think, but if u have ur favourites I'm ready for recommendations! Studio Ghibli is really out of this world when it comes to creating that calm lovely mood. Kiki is really nice! I watched it not so long ago so at least I remember. I also made totoro cookies once... came out quite well except that totoro was blue instead of grey because somehow my black color turned out to be really dark blue lmao. I can say Spirited Away is great so I'm sure you'll like it too

I think I'll try Laputa soon, for some reason I'm in a mood to watch it! And right, Vision! God I really forgot the fact that he wasn't in Endgame. I guess they went for love story with him and Wanda a little too much lmao but it's not like I'm surprised, it always happens in movies... I'm actually very curious about Wandavision show Marvel announced so I hope they'll make something interesting this time.

The only thing I can say about Pratchett and his Disc World is that there's no need to read his books in order. There's also no need to read all of them lmao they're not always connected anyway. But actually I can recommed The Colour of Magic, it's the very first one and it's great. Mort too! I'm actually looking for something new to read so thank u! I saved all the titles and maybe I'll try to read something soon after like a year...

I had my motives though, everything I read last year was connected to my thesis that's why I was too tired later to read for fun haha. Murakami's books are strange in overall. I kinda liked his "Trilogy of the Rat" too but it's... kinda ridiculous. Not like Tsukuru isn't but the last one from the series is really wild. I understand what u mean about Cloud Atlas though, it can be tiring, but the ability to write a book like that still amazes me.

I only keep thinking about what kind of flower I want because too many to choose haha. The more I think the more I want it actually which is pretty fun because I wasn't sure like two days ago. And oh my god I was thinking about your tattoo, sorry! But u got me, I kinda want to do something nice instead of revealing myself in dms so just wait! 💎 (I also enjoy talking to you a lot, I don't enjoy this poor character limit though)

If you mean Heroes of Might & Magic then I’ve heard of the game but never played it, otherwise I don’t know what game you’re talking about lol. Some of those older games just ... Never get old. Ever. I want to play The Witcher too! I tried the first game but it was a bit boring because it’s very outdated, I yet have to try the second one, and I really want to play the third one and I own it but neither my pc nor my laptop can run it properly rip. Maybe in a few months of working I’ll have saved some money for a better pc!

I actually don’t watch game streams, it gives me sensory overload real fast because the screen moves in every direction but you never know which one because you’re not the one controlling it. My sister watches a lot of streamers but I never keep up.

Haha, blue Totoro is valid too! I’m currently embroidering him, it’s fun. I did Jiji from Kiki’s Delivery Service before and in the same design I’m now doing Totoro. I have to take it easy though or my hands’ll start to cramp. Did you watch Laputa yet? 

Wanda and Vision are the best couple in the comics imo and I’m sad there was very little of them in the movies, but at least it was in the movies at all, you know. A scarlet vision show?? Really?? I have not heard of this!

I’ll put The Colour Of Magic and Mort on the list! It’s good to have an idea of where to start, haha. And yeah, I know the feeling. I read a lot as a child and then in high school I completely stopped reading for fun because I already had to read so much for school. The past month I just haven’t had the focus to read, probably because of the heat. It was 40C here a few days ago, rip. I fled to my parents, who live near the sea where it’s about 5 degrees cooler than here and have a house that’s a lot better isolated than the lil student house where I live. Was it doable where you live?

Understandable, all flowers are pretty how to choose?? I looked up the meaning of certain flowers once but I already forgot everything oops. Maybe it’ll  help you make a choice?

Oh that’s what you meant! Oh thank god. My brain panicked for a moment because I couldn’t find anything about having to make something for your assigned Carat and I was like help!! I’ll try and make you a moodboard later this week too! Should be fun!

And yeah, the character limit, rip. I remember in the good old days where there was no character limit, haha. But the gif limit back then was 300kb so I guess at least something’s improved, haha.