#Context: guy can't see without his shades at all

[lesiasmadness]

What now, smart guy?

[creative-kny-fics]

Are you taking requests? 

If so could you do lee!tanjiro and ler!giyuu? I don’t have anything particular in mind, just something fluffy and light hearted.

I understand and it’s totally okay if u don’t wanna do this :)

Ur work is amazing and keep it up! <3

Aaaaw thanks! Sorry for the delay, for the moment, I wasn't taking requests, but now I am!

(Note: The fic is set in the future)

Ler: Giyuu Tomioka

Lee: Tanjiro Kamado

Tanjiro narrates: Finally, a world without demons, a dream longed for from generation to generation, I still don't believe it, we have lived so much, but at the same time, lost so much...

Sometimes I wonder, what would have happened if maybe, and only Perhaps we would have met in another context?

The only thing that kept us in "contact" was the objective of exterminating demons, but after the dissolution of the brotherhood, each one took their own path, for example, Shinazugawa-San left, we don't know where, I usually send him letters but, he doesn't answer them, at least it makes me somewhat happy to know that I am still close to Tomioka-San and Uzui-San and his wives.

'Giyuu-San! Hello! How are you doing?!'

'Huh? Hello Tanjiro! Good morning. I'm fine, I'm still getting used to this, but I'm fine'

'It seems like I came at the wrong time, going somewhere? ?'

'Actually, yes, but you can come with me. I don't think Uzui will mind you accompanying me, after all, he appreciates you, right?'

'I suppose I can accompany him. I trust that Nezuko will be in good hands with Zenitsu and Inosuke. Let's go there!'

Tomioka-San, he looks so different now, I'm glad he smiles more now, his smile is pretty, of course, every smile is beautiful (NOT SHIP)

Giyuu Narrates: Who would have thought, before I used to stay away from my hashira companions, but not anymore.

'Uzui-San! How are you doing?!'

'It's you Kamado! Wow, I think Giyuu brought you with him, I'm glad!'

'Tengen-Sama... Shhh... The baby is asleep... Hello guys, excuse me, but could you please lower your voice...?'

'Oh, sorry, let's go talk somewhere else, shall we?'

'Uzui-San, do you have children?'

Oh, what a shame, I had never told Tanjiro about it, although of course, I found out some time later.

'Hinatsuru-San, you look tired, would you mind if I take care of the baby for you?'

'You're very kind Tomioka-Sama... But, I can handle it...'

'Hinatsuru, love, you haven't slept well these days, I'm sure Giyuu can take care of the baby, after all, she's asleep and she's someone heavy sleeper'

'Well, maybe it's also a good time for Tanjiro to meet Himiko...'

Oh, right, I forgot. Himiko is Suma's daughter, but I don't know what happened, apparently she is still not used to it, that is why Makio and Hinatsuru help her.

'Wo-woah... She... She is just like Miss Suma...'

'Right? Although, it is not yet known, she may end up having Uzui's behavior hahaha.'

'Yeah, I guess...'

'Does the baby weigh you down? If that's the case, I can...'

'No, no, it's okay. It's not the first time I've carried a baby'

'I realize that, the baby seems to feel very comfortable with you'

Tanjiro narrates: It's been a long, long time since I've seen a baby, at least not this close.

I usually saw them but I didn't have time to spend time with them, so when Giyuu-San handed me the baby, I got nervous, it had been a long time since I had held someone so small.

'Looking at her better, she looks a bit like Uzui-San... Is her hair a bit white or is it the reflection of the sun?'

'I don't think so, maybe you're right and the baby has some white locks like Uzui'

'I think so... And... What color are her eyes? Do you have Miss Suma's eyes or Uzui-San's eyes?'

'Someone is very curious hahaha. But, to answer your question, she has a mix of both, they are a shade of red, maybe next time you come, you will find her awake and you will see her eyes'

A shade of red...? I thought... I thought I had already closed that episode in my life... I know I can't relate the slightest thing to my family, but, I can't help it... The last time I saw red eyes in a baby, it was in Rokuta, the youngest of my siblings...

I, I hadn't thought about it... They are no longer here but their memories are clear in my mind...

'Tanjiro, is everything okay? Are you crying'

'Hu-huh? I'm sorry, I guess, I have mixed feelings, I'm fine, I swear.'

Giyuu Narrates: I think something I said has hurt Tanjiro, I don't know exactly what, but for his tone of voice to have changed so drastically, it must be something painful.

'Tanjiro, you don't need to lie. Look, I don't know what happened or what made you sad, but I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.'

'I know, Giyuu-San, I know. They're just my thoughts... Don't worry...'

'Can I try to cheer you up?'

'Huh... I think I know what you mean, sure, I guess, but what about the baby?'

Smart guy, although he had a point, the baby couldn't be left unattended, what a dilemma.

'E-eh...! Gi-Gihiyuhu... The ehehehe bahahaby!'

'Kid, I'm just sliding my fingers up and down your neck, is it that bad?'

'I-I mhmhmhm dohohohon't ahahahaha knohohow...! I'll le-lehehet yuhuhu ti-tickle meeee, buhuhuhut when the ba-baby isn't aslehehehehep!'

'Well, you promised. Honestly, I can't consider this tickling. You know well that I tend to be much worse than this, it's not even a warm-up, you're just too ticklish.'

'Yohohou tohohoho... Aaaah!! Gi-Gihu-Gihiyuhuhu!! Ahahahaha!!! Pleheahasehehe!!'

'Think better about your words when you address me, Kamado Tanjiro.'

[fumifooms]

Don't really reblog or leave comments all that often, but I've been reading your Delicious in Dungeon deep analysis posts for a few days now and honestly I can't wait for that Kabru (& Mickbell) party rundown. They're a fine set of adventurers, if in dire need of people more capable of handling monsters.

Speaking of Mickbell's relationship with Kuro in particular – I think it does generally tend to be perceived from Mickbell's side, whether positively or negatively (which makes sense to some degree, since Kuro's perspective wasn't presented in full until the World Guide), as if Kuro isn't himself a maladjusted adult who spent an unspecified amount of time starving in a cage, his family situation unclear beyond "permanently out of contact", and is yet as overprotective of Mick as Mick is of him. I do recall a panel where he furrows his brows at the sight of Mick sitting on Inutade's shoulders, but other than that he is less aggressively isolating and self-insistent and more... coddling, I'd say, or overtly abiding. Kabru should have found Mickbell some books on kobold language tbh.

This is not intended as a criticism of the earlier webweaving post so I apologize if it does have shades of passive-aggressiveness – it's an incredibly on-point assessment of Mickbell's relationship with Kuro and his reasoning. Thank goodness Mickbell isn't a master magician, or else he'd make for a rather tasty dungeon lord (and Kuro would probably end up in a cage again, if not worse).

[context: ask sent on april 14th, soon after I posted my Canines web weaving]

Don’t worry, I loved getting your ask and didn’t read in any hostility! I didn’t want to reply before finishing my party masterpost-analysis (🤡 man it’s been too many months) but Kuro fans are begging for scraps and clamoring for Kuro meta and content everywhere I look including my askbox and man. Man yeah I should throw a bone you guys’ way at least in the meantime. The thing though you see is, one does not simply talk about Kuro without trying to cover every ground and every single piece of info we get. I’ll end up repeating myself a lot on this in my longer upcoming post but that’s just how analysis tends to be, so flash Kuro segment focusing on the Mickbell-Kuro dynamic

In a way I talk less about Kuro because compared to Mickbell his situation feels more straightforward to me somehow, the abused is usually the one who gets empathized with and liked more over the abuser so I don’t feel the same need to explore and explain. But… Kuro is not only generally hard to read but has so many layers. Kuro is both a self-effacing follower who’s communicative but polite & behaved and somewhat stoic, making it hard to gauge how much he’s voicing himself or even repressing, and functionally devoid of the ability to speak most of the time. He emotes in doglike ways but mostly because, lacking words universal body langue and cues like growling are the only way he can emote and communicate, not unlike how tone of voice is what’s important when talking to say, a pet dog. Kuro’s extra where he talks with Kabru is truly the Kuro bible, without it we’d have a much kess clear vision of how he lives his situation with Mickbell. And… It’s whiplash inducing and disconcerting when we see then that Kuro has everything rationalized, that Mickbell is still an angel in his mind and this is normal, just a guy who’s a little insecure that he must bend every which way for if needed.

Mickbell & Kuro’s relationship is fascinating because they each have a totally different view of the relationship. Mickbell thinks he holds the reigns, he’s the employer, the master, he’s manipulating Kuro consciously to some degree and withholds things like salary or permission to talk with others from him, and he thinks this is how he gets Kuro to not leave him. Kuro has seen through the matrix and pinpointed Mickbell’s insecurities and has decided he must do everything in his power to never make him anxious or upset and be his emotional support, EXCEPT that hilariously he seems to genuinely think Mickbell is a kid. He’s 22. Like, tallman equivalent of 27. Kuro is 18. Kuro has chosen to stay consciously and keeps choosing to stay because he wants to, because he’s chosen to devote himself to Mickbell’s wellbeing. In Kuro’s eyes, before being employer and employee, Kuro is the guardian and protector of this sensitive kid that he must follow and protect at all costs. What everyone is seeing as wage slavery doesn’t even register to Kuro because he’s never really thinking about the money, he dgaf. Kuro could choose to snap Mickbell in half with his jaw at any second and is more emotionally mature than Mickbell, but otherwise the power imbalance both financially and manipulation wise and using whatever he can to keep Kuro where he wants him is 100% tipping the scale towards Mickbell.

The amount of miscommunication they have for being each other’s most important person + person they spend most time with is insane, but tbh I think part of it is that Mickbell is terrified of what would happen when Kuro becomes fluent in common. Not only because Kuro would have the whole world of opportunities open up to him then (and in Mickbell’s mind, who would pick him over the world?), but because then the relationship would inevitably shift, Mickbell would lose some of that power imbalance, he would have to do more listening and both of them would have to learn to know each other better, and rectify wrong assumptions. It’d remind Mickbell that Kuro is truly his own person with a lot of thoughts and it’d make him feel less safe in being able to keep the relationship secure…

This all is why I’m less into mickuro in general, because unless Kuro puts his foot down one day for both their sakes, the status quo would just… Keep going, on and on. Canon supports this too, since Kuro’s profile in the complete adventurer’s bible in the post-canon blurb mentions very pointedly he’s still being worked for peanuts by Mickbell. Kuro being able to speak fully would make it a bit healthier I think like I talked, but Kuro would still be complacent to Mickbell’s unhealthy obsessive needs and man… Man……. Mickbell feels safe only when taking and Kuro wants nothing more than to give, if that makes sense, and that might be a shaky decent enough way to live for them but it also is far from healthy the way it is. I also don’t think getting that house he wants would fix Mickbell. Could even be a huge breakoff point if Kuro mentions his dreams is travelling around.

So yes I definitely agree with your assessment of Kuro being coddling and overly abiding. Both of them are very protective of each other like you said, the difference being that Kuro is selfless and even self-sacrificing with it meanwhile Mickbell is more selfish and possessive. (Although his overcontrolling nature does to some degree come from a protective place. Which would especially if he sees Kuro as helpless because of his language barrier or the way they met. But moments that go towards this is him being worried for Kuro after the chimera fight, after being stung by an aquatic monster in a monster tidbit, Mickbell often mentioning being worried the union or Kabru will steal Kuro away in a borderline trafficking undertone. Beyond just the care he shows him on the regular like washing and brushing him for hours ofc. Mickbell is not uncaring, his worrying and insecurities just bring his worst instincts out of him. Ehem Mickbell tangent over, my apologies.)

I know Kuro also being possessive is a common reading, but I don’t think I really agree 🤔 The support for this is the way he frowns at Mickbell being on Inutade’s shoulders, but I think that and the other hostile over Mickbell behavior he shows fall more in live with being protective. From Kuro’s perspective, Mickbell (the kid who must be protected who might fall and break his neck at any moment or something) is now on the shoulders of this very tall stranger he just witnessed pull off a sneak attack Laios’ party with ease, not something considered particularly honorable or trustworthy, and now she’s handling Kuro’s most precious thing in the world? Yeah better watch them like a hawk. Also remember, this is on top of his language barrier meaning he hasn’t had the same opportunity as others to converse with them and understand what they’ve been saying and thus form bonds outside of "my party trusts you for now so I’ll follow their lead." He also explicitely distrusts Izutsumi. I’ll also say though, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say Kuro doesn’t know what to do with himself when he’s not looking after Mickbell, there’s the secret studies sure, but his whole life is always centered on him otherwise, so I can definitely imagine this being out of a restless feeling as well, though if that qualifies as possessiveness depends on the behavior it causes imo.

Other times where he growls or such is also defensive in nature. If anything, Kuro unlike Mickbell with him seems very alright with Mickbell making friends with the party and forming relationships outside of him. This does go in line with his "Mickbell is just a sensitive young lad I must do my best to protect until he feels safer and better, I want him to be happy and healthy" mentality. Near the end, we even see Kuro encouraging Mickbell to go towards other half-foots and implicitly join the half-foot union, the very same that Mickbell has told him would take Kuro away from Mickbell. So if it’s for Mickbell’s sake, even if Kuro might feel afraid of change or losing him to some degree (I don’t think he feels threatened bc he doesn’t think Mick would leave him), Kuro is even willing to endanger his situation/relationship/status quo with Mickbell.

Kuro is peak guardian angel……… 🥺😭

You’re also right Kuro is very maladjusted, with his past it feels very unsurprising Kuro would end up like this. Having a language barrier alone is extremely isolating: not being able to really communicate with others is his default with or without Mickbell, so it isn’t innately alarming or anormal to him, even when someone actively tries to make it harder for him. This is of course without mentioning the experience of being taken away from your homeland suddenly, and brougth against your will to a country you know nothing of and have no resources or knowledge to live in. Who knows how long he’s been in a cage— and as we see the living conditions were awful, similar to Izutsumi’s when she was part of a freak show. He was visibly starved and food was all the payment he could have wished for and that + following this guy who got him out of his chains were all the motivations he needed. And this makes sense for the overprotectiveness on both ends, Mickbell is all too aware of how particularly vulnerable kobolds are as targets and Kuro’s second interaction was mauling a guy who was trying to hurt Mickbell. Mickbell did "hire" Kuro as a bodyguard first and foremost, after all. Mickbell was scared of Kuro at first, echoing how he reminds Kuro during canon that his snarling is scary and not to do it. Even at first, the professional aspect to their relationship is a very shaky facade, it’s always been more like mutual aid that evolved into life partnership. Kuro was used to being alone, Kuro was used to having nothing and being starved and beaten, Kuro was used to having everyone dismiss him as a beast that’s not worth even trying to talk to, so of course Mickbell seems heavensent.

Man. The fandom has been so scary esp with the anime wave, Mickbell discourse is something I never expected would be so divisive 😭 Sometimes I hear things about Kuro like "he’s too smart to be abused" which is not only as a broad statement untrue but also harmful and vile. Abuse is complicated!!! You are bending over backwards to justify literal Mother Gothel behavior!!! No one is telling you you can’t sob over Mickbell and want mickbell & kuro fluff oh my god let’s just not normalize well known abuse tactics such as isolating them and controlling their finances and social circle.

Ok fun last ending note, it’s also interesting to note their dreams for the future and directly contridactory. When they have some money saved up, Mickbell wants to settle down with a house with Kuro, and Kuro wants to travel the world with Mickbell. Ohh to be a guy who’s been denied ressources all your life and has lived in constant danger who now wants nothing more than to have the ideal of a stable peaceful life, vs being a guy who’s been kidnapped and traded around and denied your freedom for so long who wants to see the world you’ve always been kept away from…. They’re each other’s world but they’re not a place they can live in, not sustainably not while thriving…….

Ahh, mickuro, mickuro, the ouroboros of codependence…

[crystaleclipse10]

Dragons Rising Season 2 part 2 teaser breakdown

my thoughts and feelings regarding the DR s2 part 2 trailer. I have not watched any external analysis. this is pure unfiltered me

it might be a long one especially with pictures lol

ig? spoilers below

So we start off strong with Beatrix punching someone or something. Given the red landscape, I'm thinking it's Lloyd in his vision. So that's great. Very interesting that they keep bringing her up in the visions but we haven't seen her yet. Maybe she'll show up in the Tournament?

And may I just say that Source Dragon looks beautiful! Still in Lloyd's vision. The crown she's wearing is glowing and that might be significant. Could be showing her powers? Whatever those are. Fire or Motion would be my guess.

Lloyd has a little close-up shot with him looking pretty worried. Could be in the vision still and I'm guessing it is given the red shading around his face. So yay another confusing/angsty Lloyd vision! That's what we're here for!

We get a good look at the Tournament place! Idk if it's a palace or what. (again, haven't watched any other reviews.) But it's very big and colorful. The little TV in the background shows Lloyd doing something, probably fighting.

Whoever this guy is, ringing a bell. Could be the start/stop of fights, that would be my guess. No idea who that is but he'll likely be significant and say some lines.

KAIIII! Kai in the Netherspace! Still in his Climber Suit and I'm glad. We've seen people change outfits when they probably shouldn't have so I'm glad they didn't (yet) with Kai. He goes through an upside-door and walks into a room with at least three of the Forbidden Five! They're all facing to the right with their heads bowed. One of them is glowing and might be sitting on a chair or throne. There's no waaaaaay that'll EVER be significant (can ya hear the sarcasm??). I can't WAIT to see how they're gonna deal with him in there cause there's no way Kai won't get into a fight. I hope if he does it's to protect Bonzle. He's the big bro ever <3

GROUP SHOT! Wyldfyre looks tamer with her new hair lol. And Cole's back with the group YAS! LLOYD IN HIS MASTER OUTFIT FINALLY! And all the suits look so cool. Riyu in the back—I wonder if he's competing or what cause idk how they're gonna deal with a dragon who apparently has a lot of potential, given the Source Dragon of Energy last season. Also Arin and Sora being excited is so wholesome cause they're just kids. Meanwhile the others (minus Wyldfyre) have already been in a tournament...

Back in the Realm of Madness! But uhhh why is the Dragon Matriarch from Season 1 there?? And she looks injured. Reunion with her and Riyu. I hope she's okay.

Wylfyre being Wyldfyre...she might be defending someone given her expression and the wall of fire.

Sora killing it at the obstacle course (part of the fights maybe or training—not sure yet).

The same guy who let the Ninja into the Tournament is on a hover device holding a phone on a selfie stick, so I'm gonna guess he's the announcer for the fights or social media watching them.

Arin and Sora shot with the background doing that thing (idk what it's called lol) when they learn something shocking. Probably with epic music cause it's Ninjago. Without much context I have no idea what the revelation is but I sure can't wait to find out.

Cinder with...fire??? It looks like Wyldfyre's Heat. Idk. Is that was smoke is supposed to look like?? I don't remember that at all from last season. If he can use Heat then Fy is in trouble.

Sora racing through the undergrounds with a little dragon coming up beside her. I have to say it looks very cute. Not sure who it is or why Sora is down there but they could be helping each other escape or smth (idk if you all have a better idea lmk).

Master Lloyd (hehe) fighting someone at night. I'm hoping it's not part of the normal Tournament but it's getting caught doing smth at night cause that's more fun imo. In that whole sequence he's only playing defense—just blocking attacks—and not trying to land a hit of his own. It would be crazy if he's fighting Jay. That would give a reason for no offense. Also the attacker's outfit is new.

Jiro and Zanth fighting Imperium guards! They could be with Beatrix since Imperium stopped fighting dragons. I wouldn't be surprised if there were still guards loyal to the ex-empress.

GEO!!!!

We've been here before... Hopefully Fy has a better time (though she gets blasted back by Cinder using Shatterspin in the video soooo idk). If Cinder is using Shatterspin, the Gong of Shattering and a wolf mask are readily available for him.

Sora gets trapped by spears. She's got a new weapon too, more like a staff, glowing with her color. Did she make it? I hope so.

Lloyd gets snatched by a dragon. Still in his Climber Suit so probably ep 11 or 12. He's falling but it doesn't rly look like he's worried about it? More like a controlled glide. Also yeah that's Heatwave. So happy he's finally getting more screentime.

The Source Dragon of Motion! She looks awesome! ... That's the Monastery of Spinjitzu below. Holy Creation she is HUGE! I'm guessing this happens at the end of the season.

Sooo that's the teaser. I am so very normal about this.

I'm curious why they didn't add more of Kai in the Netherspace. It could be more of a secret thing like how they hid Jay so far in the series by not putting him in ANY trailers or promo clips. Lots of mystery surrounding him. PLEASE let him fight the Forbidden Five at some point!!

If anyone reading this has more information, please don't share it because I don't want spoilers other than what has been officially released by LEGO.

Ik it's not too in-depth for an analysis but hey it's all based purely on what's in the video so spoiler-free! Hopefully the paused moments help. It's so fast I had to rewatch at 0.25x speed TWICE.

Season 2 part 2 coming in October!

I should add a link. https://youtu.be/D494MQMV34k?feature=shared

[hunny-pp]

i've been forgetting to yap abt it, but i think there's smth crazy abt the dynamic between su jue and yu ran (as if you can't tell w my fervent shipping of them)

read more for length

the clear black and white visual designs between them but within that they have the shared colour of similar shades of purple, in a way showing that they balance and compliment each other. Yu Ran representing light and justice while Su Jue is his shadow, doing all the dirty deeds - but I like that the reason why they work together so well is because they have a bit of that light and darkness in the other

like there's something INSANE about yu ran over the fact that he KNEW that su jue could take on masculine disguises (and almost exclusively we've only rly seen her w the exception of being yu xu disguise herself as men) and KEPT HIS MOUTH SHUT when his co-workers were explaining that her one weakness is her inability to disguise as men.

he was willing to let a powerful political and his superior get murdered, resulting in another man becoming a scapegoat for her. Granted, he went through that moral length so she can get some kind of justice for the abuse she went through by li tiangang, as well as knowing that if she went through with her original plan she would have been framed as a scapegoat and it'd set back esper rights by MILES, but he also WANTED the talent she possesses. He has a very ruthless side, succinctly put by his go/chess analogy of making the necessary sacrifices.

the reason why he thought so highly of su jue despite her terrible reputation, it's because he could see she has good in her, he knows she's always had a desire to use her powers to stand up for the little guy, to toy and mock with people who abuse their power. She was the person that INSPIRED Yu Ran to start standing up for himself, and to start wanting to do that for other people, leading him to be a politician. That compassion hidden within su jue is what ultimately convinced her to take the high road and let revenge run its course without her interference, inadvertently saving her life.

In the same way su jue does a lot of dirty work and is a lot more ruthless in ways yu ran cannot be for the sake of his personal values or public image as a gentle and benevolent politician, Yu Ran ALSO did some shady shit in order to save her life, letting someone important get murdered and another man imprisoned for it just by keeping quiet about the truth of su jue and convincing her (with yu xu to help) to take the high road. It goes both ways, it's why they work.

also just some other things that come from my shipping brainrot:

su jue liking the colour ivory for its purity (i wonder who's the same colour.....................)

also doing the gay mirrored single earring thing

yu ran's horns and su jue's tails almost opposite in the color wheel, and i know in some pieces, yu ran's horns are much greener too

also the inherent symbolism and dynamic of the fox vs deer....predator vs prey animal.........

anyway this is my yapping abt why im so obsessed with su jue/yu ran💖, if anyone's got context or a way i can watch the story events where yu ran's got his titties out and is tied up bc i stopped playing around there, much appreciated i need it for my fuel

[peachjagiya]

https://x.com/kkookphoriiaa/status/1829638151029297417?s=46&t=NoNSkUCz0AjpyK3SPEWIXA

First of all it's crazy that jikookers are eating up what some random man says about the members when we've now heard from jikook themselves that they didn't even see each other during hiatus (but guess who did!). Besides that, ignoring how it's also wild to judge these things from one episode of a reality tv show, I think it's important to remember taekook are both introverts (as per their mbti video). Meanwhile, Jimin's an extrovert. I think Jimin can appear as super close to any of the members because of this quality. Taekook's introvertedness manifests in different ways at times but I think they both clearly have moments where they're more low energy, while I think Jimin's someone who's generally more high energy. I think Jimin's playfulness and touchiness with all the members also plays into this. Of course he's going to seem closer to the others if you have no other context and look at everything on the surface. It's just so annoying to see taekook labeled as awkward and distant time and time again, especially now when there's such clear proof that's not the case? I'm pretty sure taekook hung out the most out of any other pairing in BTS. Most people aren't making the effort to hang out with someone they're distant with and choosing to never meet up with someone they're much closer to. This narrative is just so tired and it sucks that it constantly gets regurgitated if taekook aren't all over each other 24/7, which I don't expect them to be. Some taekookers do this too to an extent. I just wish they could coexist peacefully without people thinking they hate each other lol. It's always the smallest things that are the most telling between them too. Tae playing songs and JK knowing them already, them both singing To Find You which we know JK sings to Tae, more often than not walking with each other throughout the show, constantly sitting beside each other, JK climbing to encourage Tae before he jumped because he knew he was scared, JK constantly mentioning Tae when he wasn't in the pool with him and Jimin, JK immediately going to give Tae and massage, also taking photos of him right when he wakes up, etc. Idk if this is controversial but I actually think jikook lack a lot of the softness taekook have.

No shade to that guy's opinion but...

It's literally just his opinion. 😂😂😂 I can't believe they're using it like "see?? Seeeee?"

(I also hope nobody is reporting him. Let him live. Who cares?)

Also I tend to tune out when someone says V. It's like a sign that the person is either a jikooker being obtuse or someone who has eaten only what they've been handed rather than going to see if there's anything better in the fridge.

(I know what I mean 😂 I might just be hungry.)

[mysterythief]

Ahsoka Rant: Colors and Fallen Jedi

It's Saturday, so I finally have time to sit down and write this analysis for Ahsoka that I've wanted to do on the importance of colors in Star Wars, and how it directly correlates to Ahsoka and explains the title for episode 4: Fallen Jedi.

Star Wars has always identified the hero and the villain of the show through colors and costuming. Anyone can walk into a Star Wars movie and without any other context identify the good and the bad guy based on the fact that the good guy wears light colors and the bad guy wears dark.

Don't believe me.

Phantom Menace:

Attack of the Clones:

Revenge of the Sith:

A New Hope:

The Empire Strikes Back:

We see this light vs dark costuming choice in most Star Wars media. Our biggest exceptions are:

Anakin: After the Phantom Menace Anakin is always in dark colors. And even then his costume takes a gradual change to Darth Vaders full black.

(Attack of the Clones vs Revenge of the Sith. You can see his costume gets darker)

Luke: In Return of the Jedi, when he is close to giving into the dark side.

And now Ahsoka (up til ep. 5):

What is soooo interesting about the first 4 episodes of the Ahsoka show, is that you can't identify the good and the bad guys just by looking at their costumes. Everyone in the scene above is wearing dark colors. And they are all shades of grey.

The purpose of ep. 4: Fallen Jedi is to show that every Jedi we have seen up to this point in the show is a Fallen Jedi. They all carry aspects of the Jedi, but none of them are true Jedi.

Lets start with Baylan and Shin. The first time we are introduced to them mirrors the first time we are introduced to Qui-Gon and Obi Wan.

Hoods over their heads, mysterious, walking side by side. Exactly how we know the Jedi to typically appear. Obi Wan and Anakin, even Luke, all typically enter a new area this way.

I would describe Baylan as Lawful Evil. He still believes in the practices of the Jedi, but not the Jedi code. He has Shin wear an apprentice braid

They stay together so he can teach her at all time.

And he keeps his word to Sabine.

But his morals reflect that of Vader. And his fight to rescue Morgan Elsebeth mirrors Vader fighting the Rebels at the end of Rogue One/ beginning of A New Hope.

The most interesting aspect of this duo is the Shin has the lightest costume of the two (It's also lighter than Ahsoka and Sabine's costumes). It is closer in design and color to the typical Jedi outfit, while Baylan still wears Clone Wars armor.

Baylan is the Jedi who fell during the Clone Wars. He feels he only knows how to destroy to create something better. Shin is still an apprentice, doing purely what her master tells her, and could go either way in the force. Her costuming suggests that her fate could swing and Ahsoka and Sabine could sway her away from the dark side. Either way, they have both certainly fallen from the Jedi Path.

Ahsoka is also fallen Jedi. Soon after meeting Ahsoka again we get this exchange between her and Hyuang.

Ahsoka flat out tells us that she doesn't follow Jedi protocol. Though those of us who know Ahsoka from the Clone War know that this is literally nothing new. AND THAT'S THE POINT. Ahsoka was taught a mix of the Jedi code and a Warrior code, because that's what Anakin had to teach her to keep her alive. Ahsoka has been a fallen Jedi since the accusation that caused her to leave.

Unlike Baylan, Ahsoka doesn't follow standard Jedi teaching practices. Sabine doesn't have an apprentice braid. They don't stick together

And even when they are together, Ahsoka keeps a purposeful distance, like she's afraid of the responsibility.

And like Baylan, her outfit mimics her Clone Wars armor (from season 7)

Baylan even directly addresses this to Ahsoka. That she only knows how to fight.

A Jedi should know other ways, other options. But all Baylan and Ahsoka know is how to fight. (Which is why Anakin's lesson to Ahsoka in ep.5 is soo important. Look forward to another rant from yours truly on it more in depth.)

Knowing that Ahsoka has been a fallen Jedi for such a long time, seeing her in her fallen Jedi state, makes her transition to Ahsoka the White in ep. 5 so much more powerful, because seeing the main character finally in light colors tells us what we knew all along. That there is sooo much good in Ahsoka, just like there was good in her master before her, and his before him, etc. And we finally get to see Ahsoka in live action not as the fallen Jedi who has been picking and choosing her responsibilities, but as the Jedi Ahsoka is. With so much love, compassion, and kindness. I'm so excited to have the Ahsoka that we all know and love back!

[enough-spider-noir-stuff]

Writing from Hobie's perspective about ATSV is actually super interesting because he has like, zero of the context we do from ITSV. Like, about the dynamics between the characters.

Like, Peter B? Wonder what Hobie thinks about him. Like, okay. There's Miles and he hasn't been allowed into the Society yet because "canon" and these people he's very close friends with haven't deigned him important enough to contact anyways. Okay. That's not looking good.

Now, Gwen Hobie has some context for. She's stayed over with him canonically, he probably knows she was kicked out and her dad tried to arrest her. She doesn't have options outside of the Society. Frankly, they have a concerning and incredibly messed up amount of control over her. (Also that's a perfectly valid reason to hate Miguel, especially since Hobie has a predisposition against authority figures like that. How much Miguel's motives are understandable is also entirely irrelevant in this case.)

So, Gwen didn't contact Miles. Or she did, but only very recently and it immediately spiralled out of control. But it makes sense why she didn't try to reach Miles. It makes sense because she literally did not have a choice.

Peter B on the other hand? That's the only other OG ITSV-gang member Hobie gets to know, from what we see in canon. He's obviously also close to Miles and they mean a lot to each other. But he, too, kept Miles in the dark about everything. He's trying to stop Miles from saving his dad.

Peter B isn't a special case within the Society. Basically everyone is ready to put canon over saving actual lives. But this guy here should have another motivation. And he has nothing stopping him, really. He isn't dependant on the Society. He doesn't rely on them, he can live without them. And still he chose not to visit Miles.

Now it's a bit more complicated than that (and also we're moving into headcanon territory).

"It's not that simple" is easy to say. Peter B has a baby and has to take care of her first of all. He has responsibilities. He's acting according to what he thinks is the right thing, he believes in canon, so why shouldn't he wait a few months and then comfort Miles and help Miles and do all the proper things to do without endangering an entire world or even the multiverse? It's not good, it's not easy, but in the grand scheme of things it's the only right thing to do. Right?

But now we have Hobie, who thinks a lot more than he lets on. He literally built a dimension watch, okay. He's a punk. This guy is smart as shit and he questions everything, especially when it's portrayed as a universal black-and-white truth, especially when going along with that universal truth keeps you in line and just following what the power structure - in this case Miguel - wants you to think.

He's an anarchist. He's a punk. He fights the system. He fights against societal norms - against the society of his home world just as much as the Spider Society. It's a horrible place he comes from, we know that, and community, the punk community, leftist community, whatever, it's the only thing he can likely actually rely on. Okay, headcanon territory, but we're still very close to ATSV and comic canon, I think this is more than reasonable. "If you don't control your government, people want to kill you." (- Anti-Flag). He has canonically killed cops and in the comics it was also the literal president.

If you don't look after your people, your friends, your community, then what are you doing? That's all you have. Community is the core principle of everything. Survival in a world that tried to kill people like you. Being strong enough to fight against that system and bring about change. You can't do any of this alone.

So, whether a rule from above makes sense or not - and this whole canon thing feels dodgy as fuck anyways - friends go first. Friends before government, before absolute rules with no room for any shades of grey.

I think, with what Hobie was able to think and see in ATSV, he wouldn't trust Peter B. At all. This guy chose the rules over a friend. He chose conformity over community. That's the people who enforce the government's rule even without being cops themselves. That's the ones who make the world worse through inaction.

If Hobie was in Gwen's shoes, I think he'd have gone after Miles regardless, but - and this is headcanons based on the comics, but it adds up okay - but Hobie never had the chance to fit into a system in the first place. He never would have been accepted, never could have kept his head down if he tried, or he wouldn't have ended up the face of a revolutionary movement. Comics Hobie evidently didn't give a shit about consequences when they stood up against Osborn and the Venom cops. "I'm a radioactive suicide machine" - he wasn't in a good space of mind, but I think the attitude fits. Fuck consequences, fuck the future you might never even see, what matters is that you do the right thing for as long as you can, and that might be just now and never again. ("That's the way I like it baby, I don't wanna live forever.")

Gwen doesn't think like that and she's scared and drifting and dependant on the Society. It's not the right thing, maybe, but it's somewhat understandable. She's a kid who just lost everything.

Peter B has no excuses.

I mean, every character acts in accordance to what they think is right. They all have a point, in their own ways. That's honestly the beauty of the spider-verse films - there's no paper cutouts, all those characters have their own motivations (all understandable in their own right), and the conflicts are natural.

And it's so so so fun to actually get really deep into Hobie's perspective to explore all of this.

(Also anyone, feel free to add on or anything really, i just pulled this out of my ass but it's so interesting sdkjcsncdhbaks)

[talesfromsiteredacted]

Random Things Dr. Cimmerian Said Asleep

Dr. Cimmerian is, first, typically a ray of sunshine. Second, he has a bad habit of dozing off while reviewing reports. And drooling on a few here and there. He does say some weird shit while asleep, I blame the copious amounts of coffee everybody consumes. Once more, without context!

"Peaches? With long pork? Pushing the boundaries of fine cannibal dining I see, Ferdinand. I'd suggest some shiraz or a nice zinfandel."

"Yoshi! Put down that D-Class right this instant! He's a very boring serial killer. The nice Chaos Insurgency guy next to him would taste better, not that we condone a humanitarian diet here."

"Dyo, honestly... the crinoline is outdated with good reason, namely it's too damned impractical. Stick to corsetry."

"Eighty kilos of gunpowder, twenty kilos of iron nails, a further twenty kilos of roofing tar? In her skirts? I've heard people say 'If I'm going to die, you're coming with me!' before, but... that's hard-core. No wonder they stopped burning witches after that. Woman was a massive legend, but not a witch. A REAL witch wouldn't need all that to make burning her a bad idea."

"Clef... your ex... Woman has an entire magazine warehouse of issues. And you put your junk in the crazy. Never. Sleep. With. The. Crazy."

"Dad? Why is the beer growing mushrooms?"

"AAAAAHHH! WHO THE UNHOLY HELLS GAVE 096 A FUCKING CLOWN SUIT!"

"Put down the cake knife and walk away, Dr. Bright. You knew when you asked Mabel for German chocolate what you're in for. Besides, you could just hit her with her own terrible cake. Not that O5 would condone that, of course."

"Uh... Ben? Is it me, or are the daisies staring us down?"

"We actually nailed jello to a tree once. Clef bet Kondraki $200 he could figure out how it's done. Benny almost ate his sword over that one. Turns out you can do it, provided you simply nail the unopened box to the tree."

"Cain, can you locate in the notes where anyone asked Dr. Matthieu for his opinion?" A pause. "Nowhere? Huh. As I thought. Thank you."

"Whomever said you couldn't herd cats never was at my Aunt Martha's house. All she had to do to herd cats was just touch the food bag, and every cat in her house came running."

"WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO FEED THAT POOR IDIOT TO 682? He's going to get an upset stomach."

"Uh... Agent Dimitriov? I think you might have forgotten part of your uniform. Aren't your knees cold?"

"Are you sure we can't just yeet him out of the airlock when no one's looking? Yes, I know the spaceship is on Earth still, but it's far enough off the ground for terminal velocity to become a factor. Just push him out of the vent."

"You hit the Scarlet King in the junk, with a hammer? And survived? Okay, Abel... I take it back. You're not just a Semetic badass, you're THE Semetic Badass."

"How? How in the hells did you manage to shoot yourself in the back with no one else around you in a sealed room? The fuck you mean, 'The Invisible Man has a gun?' Admit it, you had someone shoot you to get out of Peanut-sitting again, didn't you?"

"Coffee. Extra large, heavy on the cream and sugar. No, larger than that. Larger." A pause. "What do you mean, you don't sell by the gallon?"

"Dr. Gears. This is the SCP Foundation. Sarcasm and pessimism are practically survival mechanisms here. Give the kid a pass."

"NOOOO! COME ON, WHAT THE BLUE FUCK DID OREGON DO TO DESERVE LENNY? YOU UTTER BASTARDS!" In the middle of a meeting with the Ethics Committee, eyebrows were raised, and coffee spilled.

"Run."

"I, too, would rather be under the sea, in an octopuses garden in the shade. You thinking what I'm thinking, my dive brother? Right. Let's leave these landlubbers and go hang with the fishes."

"Funny, 035. First, we can't KEEP you dressed, now you're out here looking like a weird ass male version of Rogue from the X-Men. Malicious compliance is acceptable, I suppose."

"You keep making poultry explode, Alto. Perhaps your charming assistant should give you cooking lessons?"

"WHY IS EVERYTHING ON FIRE?!? AGAIN?"

"Screw the files! Don't let 999 burn! That little blob of joy is my only reason to live."

"That's it. Get me a team of ten really strong D-Class, a case of 100 mph tape, a tranquilizer gun fully loaded, the electric purple snow leopard furry suit in lost and found, and a camera. Let this be the last time anyone sees Bright butt in public."

"I'm not above blackmail and we both know it. Gimme. The. Pie."

"Simon? I think this might be above my skill level. Can you please get Dr. King to calm down?"

"I can't believe Agatha talked him into a mankini. Didn't need photo evidence though."

"WHO THE HELLS TAUGHT THE KETCHUP PUPPIES TO 'FETCH THE LEG'? Max? That's... honestly impressive. Pity about that guy from MC&D, though. He did have it coming, to be honest."

"You ran... the Bible... through the Clockworks? On "Very Fine". And, got basically over a thousand pages of 'Try not to be an asshole, mmmmkay?'. Experiment inconclusive. Run the 'Communist Manesfesto' through next, my accountant is curious."

"Why are you here? Basically, 343 likes a joke as much as the next person. Oh. You meant why are you in the Femur Breaker? Well, we gotta get 106 back in containment somehow. That's where you come in. For what it's worth, I'm sorry about this, you seem like a lovely fellow."

"They're just firing arrows at us. You have an SMG, shoot them back. Some MTF agent you are."

"He's dating THAT? I've seen less silicone in a RealDoll. And, better fashion sense, for that matter."

"Wait... hold the phone, Abel. You're older than Jesus, but never had a cannoli? Rabbit, my girl, this will not stand. Cannoli the man!" A brief pause. "I KNOW, RIGHT? Whomever invented the cannoli deserves a sainthood."

"Primitive and outdated concept on a crutch!" Preceded by a thump.

"New Bright List entry: 'Dr. Bright is no longer allowed to access the Cursed Clown Nose of Improbability under any circumstances. No, not even to prevent an XK Class Scenario.' Noted. This item #857, or 858? I lost track."

"WHAT kind of butter? Oh. I thought you said something altogether more horrifying."

"JULIAN, YOU ABSOLUTE WALNUT! You forgot Quinn's birthday. Of COURSE you're in trouble for it. I got you covered though. They're still into lemons and tea, right? You're golden. Lemon blossom tea set, courtesy of the fine folks of Etsy. Pay me back on Friday."

[etherealzx]

I´m kind of in the mood for soft Abbacchio in an Everyone-Lives! AU. could you write just him and his GN! S/O reminiscing about what has happened over the whole week Vento Aureo took place?

I´m sorry if this is too vague-

im so happy about all these abbacchio requests, out of all the bfs i have from jojo, he will always be my number one babygirl

Reminiscing (Abbacchio x GN!Reader Fluff)

author's note: this takes place in an alternate universe where everything is the same, except everyone in the bucci gang survives :)

You heard a sigh come from beside you, prompting you to look up from the book you had been lazily reading. You looked to your left, to see your boyfriend sitting up against the headboard, smiling to himself. It was long past the time that you two normally fell asleep, but neither one of you could seem to get to sleep that night.

"Can't sleep?" You asked him quietly. He turned to face you, still smiling.

"What, you expect me to just sleep nice and soundly after the crazy ass week we just had?" he asked sarcastically. You rolled your eyes playfully at his sarcasm.

"The word 'crazy' doesn't even begin to do it justice," you replied, earning a small chuckle from Abbacchio.

"Can't believe that little bastard actually managed to pull it off. I gotta hand it to the kid, he has earned my absolute respect. I still think he's an annoying piss-ant, but he's got balls like no other." He said as he crossed his arms. You couldn't help but giggle. You knew exactly who he was talking about, even without context. Deep down, you knew he didn't really hate Giorno the way he let on. You would never say this to Abbacchio's face, though.

"Talk shit all you want, but he really is incredible. The kid sacrificed his entire life and took so many risks to get to where he is now. I couldn't imagine doing those things at his age. I mean, he's only 15! He's done a lot in that short life!" You said, feeling a twinge of protectiveness for the new Don. You almost saw him as a little brother of yours, and you felt the need to defend him, especially against Abbacchio.

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say," he scoffed. He could be an asshole, but you knew that he was just being sarcastic.

"I still can't believe you guys managed to take out the entirety of The Hitman Team in just a week," you said, smiling at your boyfriend.

"Tell me about it. When Illuso pulled me into that mirror, I thought it was over for me. Good thing Moody Blues came in clutch," He chuckled. "Of course it did baby, you always kick major ass in fights," You said sweetly, subtly trying to make him blush. However your words were true, and you meant them 100%.

A faint pink appeared across his cheeks. You could see it even through the darkness of your shared bedroom. He smiled, wrapping his big arm around your shoulders and pulling you in closer to him. He placed a kiss on your cheek, making you turn the same shade of pink as him.

"I'm serious! They couldn't have done it without you, Abba," you said, looking up at him. "Without you and your stand, they would have never been able to discover the boss's true identity. I'm so proud of you."

He smiled at you, eyes filled with adoration. He wasn't used to getting praises like this, and it made his heart swell. Placing his thumb and his forefinger on your chin, he lifted your face up towards him. He leaned down, pressing his soft lips onto yours. You melted into the kiss, breathing in his musky natural scent. You could kiss him for hours and never get tired of it, especially when he was in an affectionate mood like this.

You peppered his cheeks with soft kisses while he wrapped his arms around your waist. Him being so much bigger than you was so comforting, his big arms almost engulfing you as he held you close. It made you feel safe, like you were at home. You said a silent prayer, thanking God or the Universe or whoever for keeping him safe. You couldn't wait to spend the rest of forever by his side.

[pinkprimrose05]

Pink's ARC-V Highlights - Volume 2: Beware The Blue

Warning: Very Long Post, Contains Spoilers

Okay, uh, I lied. I'm not only here to talk about theories and potential foreshadowing. This series also serves as a quick recap of all ARC-V episodes and the cool moments in them -regardless of relevance to the plot- sprinkled with a generous drizzle of ramblings from yours truly.

If all goes well, you can expect fairly consistent updates, where I cover a few episodes every time. This one, for example, will go over Episodes 3 to 7, since those are the ones I managed to watch this week.

(I. hate. midyear finals.)

If that still piques your interest, then I hope you enjoy the read!

(And yes, I know Yuuto is purple, but purple is technically a shade of blue so the rhyme still works-)

__________________________________

1) Episodes 3 & 4, OR: The obligatory "No card is useless!" Duel.

We pick up where we left off with the You Show crew, and the mishaps of Learning How To Pendulum At The Unholy Hour of 3 A.M. I must applaud the sheer lack of braincells between Gongenzaka and Yuuya, because wow, I can't believe they both forgot that Duel Replays are a thing.

(This is why only Yuzu has a 60%+ winrate.)

Fast forward through school-flavored pain, and we now introduce everyone's favorite banana peel...

... whom I highkey want to punt off a cliff.

Look, I love Sawatari. I really do. But good Lord, I forgot just how insufferable he was this far back in the show. I had to refrain from punching my screen several times through the back half of Episode 3, because Shingo, you idiot, who the fuck told you it was fine to put 8-year-old children in mortal danger for a bunch of shiny new cards??

Suffice to say, it took me a good while to actually like him after this atrocious first impression... but hey, at least he gets humbled with style!

As far as early-game Duels go, this one is actually not half bad. The "weak card wins you the game" trope is a bit cliché, but Yuuya gets props for turning it into a pretty light show with Kaleidoscorp and Block Spider, and then using said pretty light show to win the game in one turn.

Another thing is that this Duel introduces Action Traps! Gosh, I would have loved to see more of those later down the line. The concept is pretty neat, and the negative effects create an interesting risk, where a Duelist has to stop and think if they really need to grab an Action card, regardless of the potential ramifications of it being a Trap.

Oh, and did I mention that Sawatari gets roasted to oblivion before the final direct attack? Because he does. Yuuya went above and beyond to make this as entertaining as possible to his friends, and as humiliating as possible for Shingo... for which I ultimately have to thank him, because that's the spark that eventually turned Sawatari into the flashy dork we all know and love.

... And because he deserved an asskicking at the time. Sora did well knocking him out, actually.

..

..

Speaking of which—

__________________________________

2) Episodes 5 & 6, OR: That one time we adopted a war criminal.

I actually kinda like these two episodes. They're nothing particularly special if you look back (well, unless you're subscribed to the theory that the stadium in the first minute or so is the same one from Leo's flashback in Episode 126), but hey, at least we get to "properly" know our beloved sugar gremlin!

God, I love Sora. He's actually pretty terrible at disguising his position as a spy- like wow, he keeps outing himself as suspicious every time he makes a snide comment, even without the context of who he actually is. I think he could only afford to slip up so much because no one could ever guess that he came from a world-invading organization in a reality parallel to their own.

... And also because everyone thought of him as a mere child with a bit of a quirky, mischievous streak. I mean, who can ever think ill of such a sweet little guy?

(Yuuya can, but that's because Sora was annoying him on purpose lmao. It's good that he wasn't fooled by the cutesy act, though; that means he could read Sora better than most, despite his deflection and the constant switching between cutie pie and smug bastard.)

As for the Duel, it isn't much to talk about. The first few Duels are usually for exposition and showing mechanics, and in this case, we just see what happens when a Pendulum monster gets destroyed.

Short answer: It goes to the Extra Deck instead of the GY.

Long asnwer: Yuuya goes through a minor existential crisis, because his mishmash of a strategy comes crashing down the moment Odd-Eyes is out of the equation. How does he deal with that, you ask? Hysterical laughter, that's how.

(Goddammit ARC-V, isn't it far too early to make me question the protagonist's sanity?

... actually, don't answer that.)

Aaaaaaaaanyway, we also get to see the reintroduction of Fusion summoning!

(Look at this cool animation. So clean. So awesome.)

Fluffals are actually a very good Deck to showcase the different levels of complexity of the mechanic, and they get bonus points for the contrast between the cutesy plushies and... whatever animatronic shit the Frightfurs have going on. I am now reminded of how glad I was to see the older summoning methods getting a neat glow-up, especially after ZEXAL booted them out of existence in favor of focusing on Xyz.

(And on that note, I feel the need to stress that it's Xyz, not XYZ. Please. It's been twelve years. Stop confusing the game mechanic with the Union cards, people.)

__________________________________

3) Episode 7, OR: The one I actually wanted to talk about all along.

Oh this. This. This is where the plot finally starts to move forward. Nothing against the previous episodes, but I did say before they're mostly there for exposition, and that, by nature, is bound to be a little boring.

Unlike here.

I'd like to start by talking about Yuzu, because we have to admit: this is the first time she's relevant to the story as herself, not as Yuuya's friend or as a student at You Show. And boy, does she make it count.

She busts Sawatari on her own, and literally calls him a hundredth-rate Duelist. To his face. In front of his lackeys. Yuzu was ready to take him on, even when she was alone and locked in the warehouse (again, Shingo, what the fuck??), and I'm fairly certain she could've backed up her words given the chance...

Except, well, she wasn't given the chance.

I'm actually willing to let this one slide, because Yoot's interference doesn't invalidate Yuzu's ability to handle this by herself. I see it more as a precaution on his part, and also a chance to learn more about LDS and Academia that he simply couldn't pass up.

There's also the likely possibility that he genuinely didn't know how Duels worked here, and couldn't risk Yuzu getting hurt if he could help it. It's clear that Yuuto was aware she wasn't Ruri at this point (wow, good job man, you're not as colorblind as everyone else), but still didn't wish to involve an innocent bystander in conflict... which actually makes sense, considering his moral code.

And besides, the Duel was still pretty cool! There's something inherently awesome about setting a full backrow board on Turn 1, and the first time I saw it, I was absolutely shooketh.

(Also, there was a copy of Mystical Space Typhoon among the set cards. Something tells me that Yuuto knows it doesn't negate, and that is definitely praiseworthy, because it means that he actually reads the damn cards.)

Even Sawatari gets kudos for Monarch representation. And also for showing us that Prismatic foil and different rarities do exist in-universe, just like in GX. It makes me wonder why most Duelists don't use them, buuut I guess that was just a throwaway detail that they used to highlight Shingo's spoiled rich brat disposition.

ANYWAYS, moving on to more important matters!

Like dark matter. Which exists in space. Which is the theme of many Xyz cards. Among which there is one Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon.

(HAIL THE T-POSE ALTERNATE ARTWORK!!)

Don't let the lesser requirement of 1 Overlay Unit fool you; the anime version is still worse than the one we got in the game... though it does, at least, have better OTK abilities against non-Xyz bosses.

I still laugh at the fact that it left Sawatari with exactly 100 LP. Poor guy probably thought he could pull a protagonist comeback, but alas, he forgot that he is not the protagonist...

Well, at least he gets a shot at the role in Episode 139, but we're a few ways away from that right now.

And speaking of stuff that we're a few ways away from...

*shakes Yuuto* Did you just- DID YOU JUST FUCKING NAMEDROP ACADEMIA???

I don't remember this at all. I thought he just asked about the significance of the LDS pin and left. What the hell? Why does none of the characters talk about it then? Not Sawatari, not his goons, not even Yuzu? What??

This is really, really weird. I may have to look into it a little more later on, but for now, we return to a bewildered Yuzu... and her absolute party pooper of a plot device.

Yes. You know the one.

(FuckyoufuckyoufuckyoufuckyoufUCKYOU)

This stupid bracelet and the subsequent events following its activation bring us to a point of great frustration that I would like to touch upon, that being the cast's crippling inability to tell the counterparts apart from each other. Brace yourselves, Duelists; this might be a bit of a long tangent.

*inhales*

Okay, look, there are two sides to this issue; one that can be excused in more than one instance, and one that makes zero sense, no matter how you spin it.

The excusable side is the visual confusion. I understand Yuzu's shock at the situation as a whole, not helped at all by this odd fellow who strongly resembles her best friend.

(And before you say Yuuto doesn't resemble Yuuya for shit, yes he does, if only because the goggles' band is holding his bangs down.)

One must also remember they were locked in a now-wrecked warehouse, so the lighting conditions are bound to be rather bad, and it might be difficult to see clearly as a result. With all that in mind, I can forgive Yuzu for confusing their looks.

The inexcusable side, however, is the auditory confusion. The counterparts -every single one of them- don't sound the least bit similar to each other, even in the English dub.

They could look straight up identical for all it matters, but their voices are so wildly distinct I cannot begin to fathom how anyone can ever confuse them. You could technically make a case for excluding Yuuri and Yuuya since the sole difference between them is voice tone (at least in the sub), but the former is not a subject of comparison right now, and Yuuto's voice is far cry from the latter.

In conclusion of these two factors, I only have one thing to say:

... This is stupid.

This is so, so stupid.

It's so fucking stupid it's not even funny, but it is what it is, and as with every single time anyone talks about this issue, we'll just have to roll with it and be glad when a character doesn't take the bait.

*sigh*

__________________________________

Well, this should be everything for now, and *checks post length*.... holy shit I didn't think it'd slip from me this much. If you somehow managed to reach the end without dozing off midway through, then you deserve a cookie.

Thanks for reading, and see you soon, Duelists!

[istadris]

I have a love-hate relationship with Transformers Animated and its fandom.

Some context : I first discovered the show through fanfics during my first foray in TF fandom. Granted, it may have coloured my expectations of that show, but still.

On one hand, I genuinely love the intent of TFA. They clearly tried to go in a different direction. Making Optimus a young, PTSD-ridden underdog whose character arc is about gaining confidence and becoming the OP we know and love; expanding the lore of Cybertronian society; themes like the consequences of war, socio-political stakes, dubious scientific research, propaganda, espionage, militarized society, and so and so; character arcs and subplots spanning throughout the seasons...

They really tried something.

On the other hand, I can't think about all of these very good things without being frustrated, notably because this complexity doesn't go as deep as it should have been.

We scratch the surface of Cybertron without getting on it (granted, the show being interrupted plays in it, so I'm not holding that against them), and most importantly, while we are shown again and again that Autobot society is flawed, we never see the Decepticons as anything else than the assholes they are.

Maybe it's a pet peeve of mine, but in my opinion, if you are okay with giving shades of grey to the good guys, you should do the same with the bad guys. Because otherwise it sends that message that no matter how low your good guys stoop, they were right to do so. And when the context of your story is a heavily militarized state bolstered by fear, propaganda and racism/specism, that's...that's not a very good look on you.

(And this time you can't blame the show being cancelled, the script for season 4 seemed to go in that same direction)

It's all the more frustrating that the fandom is convinced that there are more nuances in TFA than there actually were. It makes for very good fics; it makes for frustrating meta, when everyone insists on woobifying the Decepticons.

(For the love of everything: TFA!Megatron is not IDW!Megatron)

To be fair a good chunk of my frustration also comes from Sentinel and his treatment; it illustrates what I dislike about this show. Yes, he used to be a friend of Optimus, let the propaganda turn him into a fanatical jerk, and there are several hints of him feeling guilt under the resentment concerning the Elita incident. But then we are also shown a completely incompetent dumbass who somehow manages to keep an important rank despite being just...stupid. For real, I could get behind Sentinel having a high rank if he was shown as competent ("he's an asshole but an efficient one, we need him"), a plant/puppet for the Decepticons, or at least that more characters gave him what he deserves ? Granted, it's very satisfying to see him fail, but it's also frustrating when you think of his potential.

So yeah, this is what TFA leaves me with : good idea, good execution, half-assed philosophy

[measuringbliss]

Spider-Man Read-Through 047: Mayhem By Moonlight (ASM 187-190)

MASTERPOST

In this batch, Captain America fights Spidey!

We also see kidnappings. A LOT of kidnappings.

Last time, a lot of things happened. Peter almost graduated, Betty dumped Ned, but it looks like she'll go back to him soon if Spectacular Spider-Man is anything to go by, we met Big Wheel, Peter Parker was hot, he also proposed but it backfired, oh and Doc Ock died in a side novel!

Here's a status update for Aunt May: she's been moved to a nursing home. Good for her!

Want the art style update?

Well. They tried!

So Peter's still hard on cash because he refused merchandising offers, yes, even the edible underwear, which I now want to see. He gets closer to a house guarded by SHIELD agents, and thinks about the date with Betty that he didn't outright refused. OoOOooh!

Spidey ends up stumbling upon none other than Captain America, who eventually makes him leave after a short fight. Cap's here to rescue a kid who's been taken by Electro. The latter hasn't appeared in 8 years of SM magazines, would you believe it?

Why is this panel so good when most of the others are... not?

Anyway, unfortunately for Electro, the kid he stole from his parents has "the Plague", so he yeets him and tries to absorb all the power station's power. Obviously, he dies, just like the Lightmaster a few SSM issues ago.

This issue had me flabbergasted for a myriad of reasons. The strange fading, the Ditko-style layout, the weird pacing... It's a strange one!

#188 opens with another kidnapping!

What do they want with Jameson Jr.?! Oooh, I don't like that. I don't like that one bit!

Meanwhile, at the hospital...

Betty, that's really not an appropriate outfit for that kind of place, what the fuck.

Anyway, I really love how Peter's upper clothes are drawn, I don't know what it is about them, maybe it's the shading, but it works. But Betty, for the love of all that's good in the world, what the fuck.

In a seedy bar, Jigsaw, aka the most nothing villain ever, wants to do a heist, but without any super-beings involved, because it's too much of a mess otherwise.

Liz brings Peter to a midnight cruise with their friends, which is fun because I like to see this cast interact. Of course, MJ's also there for her monthly ASM cameo where she dates a random guy.

I need more drama. Go further! Peter, you have to sleep with her. Gimme soap! I need soap. And Ned has to come back, of course.

And while Harry and Liz watch them from the sidelines, we learn that it's Liz who said to MJ that Peter would be there in the first place. I wouldn't be surprised if the same thing happened at the disco...

Jigsaw and his crew suddenly get on board and more importantly, I'm starting to get used to that weird shading.

Like... I can't deny the style.

So Jigsaw kidnaps (what the heck, how many of these are we going to see?!) Harry and Liz.

Hah, the third panel is a new one. Some of these panels (here, the middle one) also look like they could be taken out of context and displayed in a frame.

Spidey's main worry is that Harry relapses on being the Green Goblin. I think he'll be alright for a few years, but who knows!

In his hideout, Jigsaw's so clueless that he decides to let the lovebirds go.

That's a cute scene, aww <3

An interesting chase follows, with Spidey eventually coming face to face with Jigsaw and challenging him to pull the trigger and use his last bullet.

Okay, that's... good.

That's a lame final panel, and might the shocking guest star be Man-Wolf? Hopefully I'll really be surprised.

This reminds me that Marv Wolfman was also the one to write most of Tomb of Dracula, and I'm not exactly fond of the direction the comics took after the first issues (which I found much more interesting). I should continue reading Dracula, shouldn't I?

...We'll see about that.

#189 time!

That's a great first page!

Peter says his goodbye to May (can't he visit her at her new home though?) and that asshole finally gets his comeuppance.

Later...

I'm sorry Spidey but I kind of... don't care about all that. At least it's a nice recap. On the right... It looks like the Kingpin's son, or Silvermane, or that guy who made the Spider-Slayer several times. Are we getting another Slayer storyline? Please, no!

We then get a quick scene of Marla comforting Jameson (after all, his son's still missing!).

A r m s. They could probably choke me both.

Oh, I recognize those lips. It's that asshole for sure. Can't be bothered to remember his name.

OKAY OKAY. FIRST OFF. Once again, the shading in the first two panels is amazing, I love it, I don't understand it but it's absolutely beautiful. It's also there in the lower panels.

But also! That kinda dubcon-ish kiss! That's my jam. Love it. Excellent.

When we see Spidey again, it's several hours later. Methinks there was more than kissing here...

Soon, a mummy attacks J.J., and Spidey defends him.

The right panel is neat.

Of course, Man-Wolf's under the bandages, and he kidnaps his dad. That's the end twist.

#190 time!

As predicted, Smythe's the culprit. He calls himself Spencer, but I thought it was Alistair. Regardless, I recognized the haircut and the lips. Turns out Smythe's dying thanks to regular exposure to radiations in his attempts to rid the Earth of Spidey.

I don't mind this as long as you regularly show sexy Peter too.

Almost there!

In a belated continuation of the Daily Globe's rivalry plotline with the Bugle, we get a glimpse of their offices, where the chief orders an underling to print money. Figuratively. They might go after Peter...

So Jameson's genderfluid. I knew that haircut was dubious!

Jameson successfully gets through his son, but Smythe's really angry and orders him to throw himself in the ocean.

This is stupid! I hate it! And showing me beautiful legs won't make me appreciate this bad ending more! It sucks! It really does!

...And then Jameson Jr disappears before he hits the water. What.

Well, this is still stupid, just differently.

In the letters, a fan also thinks that recent issues had a Lee/Ditko vibe. And the team answers that it was intentional! Good to see I wasn't just hallucinating. Also, the team says that the next issue features the "final-forever" Spider-Slayer. Ugh.

[shadow-turtle-234]

Also, hope Gallade-Brittany doesn't mind, hi! Animation Associate here, LO, hello!

You are seriously damaging your wife's art skills, and I can tell, even without following your wife's posts. Her artwork deteriorates every single time I see it!

The proportions of EVERY piece MO draws is OFF by a large margin! Hell, look at the two images you posted in your initial response to your anon (we know it is your anon, Lily. TURN THEM OFF ENTIRELY OR STOP SENDING YOURSELF ASKS. PICK ONE.) - the body proportions mimic that of someone who is learning how to draw fucking anime styled characters. Even the most recent one!

Her use of linework varies without common thought, as displayed here (one element of the recent artwork looks like it is traced from Crowne Prince's HGS thumbnail but that could very likely be the thick lineart in comparison to every other piece of the piece), and the green witch character (I don't know her name) is out of proportion entirely, in comparison to the Henchwoman character right behind her. Your SI Gardevoir (lets be honest, that is EXACTLY what G is) and your Comic counterpart are so outta proportion that it makes my eyes bleed. G's head is way too damn big for her body (not too sure how tall they are in Pokemon's canon in comparison to humans), and C!LO is drawn off model every time cuz big boobs, tiny waist is the rule you established (we all seen the stream where you demanded MO to draw your rantsona with a skinny waist and giant breasts. Don't pretend it doesn't exist) must be followed. Hell, her commission work is also shit!

The character is outta proportion in an uncanny way, which makes the likes of BUTCH HARTMAN FUCKING BLUSH. And that guy actively scams people over $200 for a terrible art piece.

Also, let's talk about the shading and lighting here, shall we? That barely exists in your wife's pieces. You have the base colors and then a dark hue of said colors. There is barely any sensible lighting, when there is, it is such shit and doesn't mesh well.

For context, here are some pieces of my own work before and after rendering:

Apologizes for FrostBlazer, this is the only piece that has a flat color and finished example in my files. My other WIPs are in .MDP and I can't really pull them up like .PNGs or .JPEGs.

Simple shading and simple lighting with a less than stellar background.

I know your wife can produce high quality artwork! We have seen it in the past. But your rule of half-assing and "Only listen to me, Mikay - Me, the one who doesn't know jack shit about art" is actively damaging her skills and I can only see it faulter further and further the more you request this sort of laziness from her!

aww, i'm not the Brittany Gallade Stalker anymore? guys, i lost one of my titles. i don't know who i'm anymore! as long i'm still one Brittany then i guess i'll be fine... but also... i hope i don't have to tell people to not go bringing up my posts to LO. not because i mind she responding, i know she'll anyway if she feels like posturing about something, but because i have said many times before to not interact with her, period, just to see a reaction out of her. i encourage people to not interact with her at all. the whole point of this blog is to spread awareness about her and deplatforming her. i can't do that if people just keep validating her platform by going to interact with her. plus, we all know she'll only use it as more fuel for her own victim narrative so, really, why would you want that? i know it's possible that LO send herself that message, but just in case i want that said: don't interact with LO. don't watch her videos directly, don't try to get a response out of her. moving on... who is going to tell LO that this the very first time she openly talked positively about the art of her wife? (it's rethoric, don't actually do that). by that i mean, she just uses the art of MO, whines in stream about how MO isn't drawing pokemadhouse fast enough, whines about how she has a life that impides her being exploited even more and talks about how many more fanart she'll keep ezqueezing out of her.

oh, and i'm meant to assume that the quality of her art has nothing to do with why you aren't showing your avatar anymore in any of your videos?

those two pieces of art are actually an example of the kind of problem that people do notice with MO. when she's doing things fast enough for you not to whine about it and churning out as many fanart as you want, it looks rushed. it looks unfinished and halfassed because you constantly tell her to make art that way. that can't be healthy for any creative person, just about in general. the fact that she's not even being paid for it speaks badly of you as a partner and a boss. that's not me saying it, it's a fact. one piece of art here and there is just a perk of having an artist as a partner, but you very much has abused that by having MO making entire animatic, multiple visuals for videos, an entire webcomic that you want fully coloured, animatic for that webcomic and all without any paid at all. but when MO can have all the time of the world and there's no wife telling her to forgot anatomy, it looks just so much better. for one, the color choices for the character designs are miles better than whatever is that you're asking her to do for your OCs. there's more flare, life and drama in that one picture of the green character that has ever been in all of pokemadhouse. i don't know why you won't just let her dress saige with something nice for once.

i literally said that MO on her own is a decent enough artist. funny enough, that's the one point that all critical blogs agree on. it's really quite transparent the kind of gasligting you're doing when people can clearly see me saying as much in that message, but still choose to present it otherwise and just ignoring entirely the rest of the point. your constant request for art from her and telling her to halfass it to make it as quickly as possible are my issue. a seasoned artist can do with a quick workflow because they know what they're doing, but MO is not there yet. so all you're really doing by using her like a slot machine for more art and fanart with your weird ideas of "right proportions" is keeping her away from actually learning. for the record too: i call you LO because Lizzy and Courtney, with Lizzy's blessing, wear the last name Orchard better than you. we went over this already.

[kae-karo]

Somehow only just saw the wip ask game. Artist!Kaeya x Zhongluc?

hello dear !!! alksdfklsdfj VALID and an excellent choice!! for context (x)

artist!kaeya x zhongluc was inspired when i saw a piece by this artist on twt (x - alas, it appears they took the specific art down 😔) and my first and only thought was 'rich married zhongluc seduce artist!kaeya and get him to come live with them' and it spiraled a bit from there lmao

skilled but struggling artist!kaeya weasels his way into an upscale art gallery where well-known art connoisseurs zhongli and diluc find his art (and him) very appealing. they each independently commission pieces for each other respectively, though kaeya gets a bit of a weird 'these guys are flirting with me' vibe and suggests that the next time they meet, it be with both zhongli and diluc present. lo and behold, though, they are ofc still flirting with him lmao

ANYWAY this leads to them basically giving him a room at their veritable mansion and any and all art supplies he could desire as well as a steady salary and fully use of all the mansion's amenities. and, ofc, oh my god they were roommates lmao

a snippet, one of the pieces that keeps me intrigued by this au cause i really wanna deal with kaeya feeling like he can't be too personal with his art cause if it reflects him, it'll be bad (forgive the formatting, this bit has yet to make it out of my discord lmao):

the next canvas is smaller, more intimate. it has to be. he paints limbs, far more than there should be, and he doesn't care to correct it. they tangle and twist, almost inhuman but not quite. inhuman for their number, for the way that an arm extends under a chest and over another shoulder. legs that twine once more than they should be able to. he doesn't think about the uncharacteristic saturation of his colors - when did he last paint without dulling it all to shades of brown and gray? but bright greens serve as cool backdrops to all shades of yellow and orange and red. colors - colors, and he finds diluc there, and zhongli. sees the blue he never meant to paint, and finds it surreal not to hate a piece of himself spilled onto a canvas. finds this alien, strange depiction to be the most he's ever felt like himself, and he collapses back onto his heels with a breath heavy with relief and exhaustion in tandem.

send me a wip name from this list (x) and i’ll tell u about it!

[hanzajesthanza]

i am 100% biased give me calanthe uwu

omg i got bingo again

"they are so cool looking": iconic emeralds look. i can't see an emerald green dress, an emerald tiara, emerald rings without thinking... it doesn't matter if it's a modern look or a setting-appropriate one, she has a trademark on that shade of green...

"they're deeper than they seem" + "didn't get enough screen time": i think the loss of pavetta is really overlooked by the fandom, but especially in how it affected calanthe. i think her depth is right there on the page, but it just gets overshadowed by the ciri as geralt's destiny and violent deaths and razing of cintra which take up all of the attention. and i think it's important to remember the vision geralt has in the sword of destiny of calanthe, battered and with arrows

a scene i would have liked to see is something like the razing of cintra written out, but in the last memoirs of calanthe before she leaps, in the same kind of manner that tissaia's last words were written in her letter in time of contempt. emhyr's recounting of what happened those years ago made it seem both emotionally distant and chronologically distant, and i think a flashback to calanthe in lady of the lake could contrast the account emhyr gives in ch 9, and remind the reader of the context...

"they work better as part of a dynamic": calanthe losing her mind over trying to protect pavetta is everything, and calanthe fiercely protecting little ciri... the order of events of calanthe immersing herself in research specifically to protect pavetta from the law of surprise, only to lose her because she didn't spend enough time with her and duny had an opportunity to work his way into her life and groom her, and from there having to live with this evil in her home, trying to save her, but she's already been lost... that shit is insane and i think it parallels geralt and ciri so much in terms of 'losing a daughter but she's already been lost to you for a while but it's your own fault but you didn't intend that' ...

and i dislike emhyr but i think calanthe is the contrast to him in so many ways, i enjoy the dynamic of her not allowing him to take an inch, re: what i said in the "didn't get enough screen time" portion, she's fiery (like ciri!) and loving, whereas emhyr is cold and calculating, almost detached. so it's good to see them interact for this reason

"they've never done anything wrong in their life": best queen. without her, we can see in blood of elves how all the other monarchs were lost. cintra was a beautiful place because of her work put into its economy and social relations. and in her personal relations, i think it's actually insane that some (coughs n*tflix) try to paint her as the bad guy for wanting to have duny executed. he was a creep show from the beginning...

here's where i would put, not "they were done dirty by the fans," but "they were done dirty by the author" because whenever i've read a question of price i think it's a big plot hole that geralt doesn't kick duny's ass... but we have to have our dramatic reveal at stygga i suppose so... but like... essentially... how can you read a question of price and not just yell at the book "she's RIGHT"...

i understand sapkowski leaves it for readers to make our own judgements but considering that it takes seven books to get an answer, i feel like the narrative should hate duny as much as is appropriate. at least this can be achieved in the audiodramas' portrayals of the characters

send me character opinion bingo now that i'm off hiatus (bingo post)