#Fun fact this is the second version of this. I did two versions despite the fact that this is the most headache-inducing enemy for me

[theprincessandthepie]

LOOK AT HERRRRRRR <3333333

[loathemetc]

Some thoughts on leitmotifs in Deltarune Chapters 3 and 4.

Now that I've played the game and had time to let my thoughts stir a bit, I think it's about time I start getting them out there. Obviously there are a lot of musical motifs throughout the game but I wanna talk about three of them specifically.

The first would be the lost girl motif. While in Chapter 2 it was mostly just used in direct relation to Noelle, we see it being used a lot more for emotional moments when she's not around in chapters 3 and 4. Most notably it features in Raise Up Your Bat, the song from the rhythm game segment. Tenna talks about December and the music video channel she used to watch right before this, and the song was first mentioned in the "currently listening to" section on Noelle's blog, implying that this is an in universe song that Dess was a fan of. The fact that said song features the motif therefore makes me think that it's the origin of the motif. Lost Girl plays at such emotional moments because in a way, it's the ghost of Dess's favorite song haunting the narrative. And I just think that's neat.

Second is the so-called freedom motif that plays in direct relation to the secret bosses. In Chapters 1 and 2 this plays in THE WORLD REVOLVING and BIG SHOT, the secret boss fight themes for both Jevil and Spamton respectively, as well as The Circus and Dialtone, two other songs related to them. In Chapter 4 again this motif plays in the fight with the Hammer of Justice, in the song called... Hammer of Justice. And again this is a secret boss fight, where the "Air crackles with freedom." Pretty straight forward.

But strangely, this motif doesn't obviously play in Chapter 3. There's a short string of notes in the Knight's battle theme, Black Knife, that sounds kind of like it? Which would make sense, given the Knight holds a shadow crystal just like those other three bosses, but it's not enough for me to really make an conclusion on. But the Knight having the shadow crystal and no one else in chapter 3 having one is interesting right? Almost as if it's the one who's been handing them out, but since this whole chapter is about waiting for the Knight to arrive, there was no time for it to give a shadow crystal to Ramb.

Weirdly though, it does play a second time in Chapter 4. And this is a double spoiler warning, if you've beaten Chapter 4 but haven't reloaded your save after beating it, go do that right now, you're missing out on something major if you don't and I'm going to be talking about it.

Went and did that? Alright, cool.

So that was a pretty fun extra boss right? Good time was had by all. But you probably noticed that despite being some sort of secret boss, there was no freedom motif in the song Catswing, and no shadow crystal. Which again makes sense, these are just more Chapter 3 darkners. So why am I even talking about this?

Well, one of the mini games you unlock after this, BATTAT, has its own song called Air Waves. And this one... does, have the freedom motif...? Which is weird right. Still no shadow crystal, and this isn't even a boss fight. But there's that song. The only weird thing about this game is that it does seem to be an actual fleshed out version of the cat clicking mini game from the sweepstakes update and just like that game, the IMAGE_FRIEND smile can appear here too. Which is certainly weird, but the IMAGE_FRIEND smile appears twice in Chapter 3 and once in Chapter 2 with no freedom motif attached.

I could make a guess here, like maybe the Mike conspiracy board calling direct attention to Kris's dislike of Asgore's conspiracy board is a tease for a real Mike secret boss in chapter 5, but I was kind of under the impression that the giant realistic microphone was the real Mike, so I don't really know.

It's worth noting that the mini games names seem to be french words, Jongler and Pluey being Jongleur and Pluis, french for Juggler and Rain respectively. My french has never been that good though so while Battat definitely sounds like a french word I can't really put my finger on it. It's probably also just a word that describes the mini game though. Probably doesn't mean anything deep but if it secretly does hey at least I mentioned it.

Okay that was too many paragraphs about the freedom motif. Air Waves is weird. Really damn good track though. The drum line is also like one note off from Bad Apple's which is funny. Moving on!

So notably while the freedom motif is tied to the secret bosses, Chapter 3 does have a secret boss track that lacks the motif. BURNING EYES, the theme of the fight with... Eram? The shadow mantle? It's hard to know really whether to trust a track name or sprite file name on what to call this thing because the game gives us nothing to work with really. It's a strange and irregular boss battle, with Zelda-like gameplay and against a character we can't even identify at all. But despite that, the theme does give us something to work with, a motif. Just not the freedom motif.

It's... Power of NEO.

And I know what you're thinking, I thought we were done with Spamton NEO. And I think we are. But Spamton NEO is not the only reference to NEO in Deltarune. Jevil, Queen, and Tenna all mention it. THE TRUE AND NEO CHAOS, Noelle creating a neo dark fountain, NEO shows, NEO programs. Queen and Tenna use it just like a stand-in for new but that's what makes the choice of words so conspicuous.

You could argue, sure, that Jevil, Queen, and Tenna are all characters who have history with Spamton. The fight for the shadow mantle even comes soon after a scene where Tenna talks about this. But I think there's something a lot bigger here than just an Undertale reference. I think we gotta ask ourselves something.

What IS the power of NEO?

In Undertale the motif plays twice I believe. In the fights with Undyne the Undying and Mettaton NEO, both people determined to protect everyone from being killed by you. Now Mettaton did a pretty poor job at that but it's the thought that counts, right? You could make the argument that the power of NEO is determination, Queen even uses the word when referring to Noelle creating a dark fountain, the power to create, to make new?

But does this really work for where this motif plays in Deltarune? In the case of BURNING EYES, definitely not. BIG SHOT is interesting though because it plays in two contexts, and the weird route context could arguably put Spamton in the same spot as Undyne, but his motivations are far more selfish.

But let's try looking at it from another perspective. For a long time people have suggested that MEGALOVANIA isn't Sans's theme but rather the theme of the player, or Chara, or whatever. A theme of violence, of malice. But what if that's actually Power of NEO? After all, in Undertale it only plays against bosses on the no mercy route. In Deltarune, not only is Spamton a violent malicious and selfish person, but you're also forced to fight him on the game's own version of the no mercy route. And of course, Spamton is pretty famous for comparing Kris to himself.

The fight for the shadow mantle has dialogue that is all the way up this alley. "There! That's what I wanted to see. Flickering red, like pretty little flames... Your eyes can't hide it Kris. Without play... The knife grows dull. Haha... well, enough of that. We both have work to do." Getting the Shadow Mantle and using it to get through the Knight fight even puts you on the path to being able to kill the titan spawn instead of purifying them, so I've heard. I haven't actually beaten the Knight yet. I'm sorry it's really hard. But if that's the work that has to be done... The mantle or eram or whatever even accuses Kris of enjoying what we did in the weird route, knowing they could say it wasn't really them. It's hard to say how accurate of a character judgement this is, though. Because genuinely what the fuck is this fight. I'm losing my mind.

It's honestly really hard to conclude anything at this point about what the power of NEO is exactly, but I feel like we'll be hearing about it more in the future. It curiously isn't mentioned at all in Chapter 4 from what I can remember, but it's also a chapter with several main antagonists who don't speak at all and a secret boss who didn't even look at his shadow crystal, so.

NEO means new, of course, we can't forget that when thinking about this. I believe there was someone who wanted us to create a new future with them...?

Curiouser and curiouser.

Of course I'm also obligated to mention that the IMAGE_FRIEND smile appears in the shadow mantle fight as well, what even is up with that thing. It's pink and yellow eyes tie directly to Spamton's glasses and the buttons on the oddcontroller, and the Hammer of Justice mentions Chapter 5 will be about a field of pink and gold, so... I guess we'll find out.

MINOR EDIT: Apparently on the Switch 2 version of the game, the mini games are slightly different, with Battat and Jongler being replaced by Air Waves and Main Performance. Obviously the song "Air Waves" plays in the game Air Waves here instead of Battat. As far as I can tell the IMAGE_FRIEND smile doesn't appear here at all, but it is by far the most pink and yellow of all the mini games. So this doesn't really change much but it's definitely worth noting, so I did.

[pyrodolls]

a request.... yandere bi han self aware x readerrrrr

SELF AWARE! YANDERE BI-HAN X READER

WARNINGS: average yandere tendencies such as possessiveness and delusion, ooc bi-han cuz it's for story purposes, gender neutral reader, lowercase intended

A/N: still a diehard sagau fan after all these years lmao. i made my kung lao self aware fics over a year ago inspired by sagau/sahsrau fics, and i was surprised by how much people liked it. so here i am with a version with bi-han. perhaps you guys may get another version of this with another mortal kombat character... maybe a character that just happens to be a sexy a-lister. (also?? is this like... SAMKAU?? self aware mortal kombat alternate universe?? can we make that a thing?? idk. i'm excited to keep writing this.. uh.. samkau?? stuff.)

- sub-zero was always your favorite character. when mortal kombat 1 was announced, you were overjoyed by seeing his inclusion on the roster, and his new design. you didn’t mind all the changes the new timeline made; you just wanted to have some fun and watch your favorite man kick some ass.

- you wanted to play the story mode as soon as possible before being spoiled by other fans on social media. but when you did, something strange seemed to happen with your favorite character.

- during the story, when you finally got to play as him in a later chapter, he was much more powerful than any other character so far. it's as if fights were over in an instant, with the enemies only needing one hit to fall. but you assumed it was just a harmless glitch. it was a new game and all, so it wouldn’t be abnormal for there to be some bugs here and there.

- but the more you played, the more conscious the game felt. not only was sub-zero the only character with strangely powerful abilities, but he was the only character you could play as. every time you tried to play as someone else, the game crashed. he also seemed to have voice lines when you went idle. if you let the game run while you left to take a break, you could hear bi-han through your headphones saying something along the lines of: "where do you think you’re going? you must come back."

- incredibly uncomfortable by these occurrences, you turned off the game, hoping it was just a glitch that'll be fixed overnight. but as the game was closed and you went to sleep, there was an emptiness on the other side of the screen.

- bi-han was at a loss for words. he felt an otherworldly presence being emitted nearby. he just couldn't put his finger on it, until you controlled him. his body didn't feel like his own. he felt you control his strikes and protect him from attacks by moving his body like a puppet on a string. despite the initial discomfort of losing self-control, it was still a warm, exhilarating feeling. he felt as if his force grew under your guidance. you made him feel stronger, and that's all he's ever wanted. but when your control disappeared, so did the warmth and power. he felt empty without you. his heart ached as your presence faded. you weren't completely gone, but it still upset him that you weren't guiding him anymore.

- especially when you shifted to guide kuai liang. how dare that failure of a brother take you away from him? and how could you leave him so easily, so quickly? he didn’t do anything wrong, so why leave him?

- he was fueled with a rage he never felt before. not just from the betrayal of his brother, but from the betrayal of you. a warm, advantageous figure that he never knew he needed, suddenly taken away once he got the chance to feel you. he had to fix this as soon as possible.

- he tried to guide you, just as you did for him. he did this by making sure only he could be controlled by you. nobody else can have his strength. with you by his side, his power will never be rivaled again. in order to convince you of this fact, he decided to show off a bit and defeat every opponent he faced within seconds. if he showed you how unstoppable you two can be, surely that’ll persuade you into never leaving him again…

- he thought his plan was working. until you powered your device off, and he was stuck in the cold abyss once more. bi-han is used to the cold. it was nothing new for him. but now that he’s finally gotten a taste of you, and felt you? he can’t stand the bitter, soulless atmosphere of his fictitious life anymore. without you, he has nothing. it’s tedious, and lonely. as much as he hates to admit it, he needs you. badly. desperately. he was your favorite, wasn't he? so why leave him? he did so much for you, to keep you from deserting him. he upgraded himself and downgraded everyone else, so you know he's the only one for you. he was clinging onto the hope that you’ll be impressed by his skills, and you won’t betray him again. but this time? he may just lose his mind. come back. you must come back to him.

[mangocurist]

ngl i almost forgot about this wip because of yesterdays excitement LMAOO anywayyyyy MORE ZINCEWAM CONTENT (followup to the prev drabble i wrote, but like. longer this time)

before we start though. @daylilie @jumped-for-the-yaoi @nevervoterfrauded You two. Be Normal. no more than 30 max reblogs for u two each or i will NEVER post again. got it ? Okay now have fun reading !!!! (sowwy for the ooc aspect thats just inevitable LOL . on the bright side i did get through wemmbus first vid w zam on uu soooo hopefully ill get more in character after that!!)

𓇢𓆸࿔°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:˚°❀⋆𓇢𓆸𓇢࿔°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:˚°❀⋆𓇢𓆸𓇢࿔°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:˚°❀⋆𓇢𓆸࿔𓇢

“So the server mechanic is that when you kill someone, you gain an extra life?” Wemmbu asks as he trails behind the green-clad version of a person he swore to never think about again, doing his best to focus on the surroundings instead of the Prince stood in front of him. 

They’re walking back to the place they’d spawned, and Wemmbu is… nervous. 

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Pretty simple, I think. Way easier to keep track of than something on like, I dunno, Bliss or something,” Zam— not the one he knows, but a different one, who he’s not (yet?) sure he can trust— says, picking at the thrice-bitten nails on her one remaining hand (his Zam had also had a problem with nail-biting, but he had stopped letting Wemmbu see his bare hands about a week before the betrayal, so Wemmbu supposed he would never know if that was still true) nervously as they stand by the border of the spawn chunk, waiting for the person who’d dropped them off here— which, according to Zam, was another SpokeIsHere— to show up once again to take them back to her home server. 

(Ironic, wasn’t it. He met his Zam searching for Spoke to kill and ban him, and he meets this one because Spoke, a friend that Zam trusts found them— found him, somehow, and brought them here.)

He’s still not sure if going to Zam’s home server is a good idea, but… for all his possible misgivings about his own Zam, there’s no reason not to give this one the benefit of the doubt. If worse comes to worse… Wemmbu still has ways to get out. “Oh, though, it’s not… it’s not really like, a life, though. It’s a heart. You know. Like with gapples, but, uh, they’re permanent— or as permanent as long as you can keep yourself alive. And it’s not hardcore, so at least you’ve got that going for you! You know, not having to worry about permanent death if you get farmed a few times. I’d… know about that last bit.”

“Yeah, okay. I think I get it.” Wemmbu’s voice is still a little raspy and his nose irritated from the conversation they’d had only thirty minutes ago, and it’s a little embarrassing to be face to face with Zam when he’s like this, so he turns away, trying to make sense of the things she had told him. “Uh. You– Zam. Can you, uh, give me a second? I think I need a second. You know, to. Uh. Think, and stuff.”

“Sure! Sure. I… I’ll go, uh. Over there. By the, um, the crater-pond thing, can you see—? You can see it from here, I think.” Zam waves his hands over at a small pond off in the distance, just barely visible in the chunk border. “I’ll just— yeah. Um. Go ahead, I won’t be listening. Take your time, man. Um. And let me know if you… you know, change your mind on going to Lifesteal. I won’t be mad, I promise, I just… don’t really think it’d be good to leave you here.”

Wemmbu wants to tell Zam just how right she is, that it’s probably one of the worst ideas to leave him alone back on Unstable, after everything that’s happened— but he doesn’t. Instead, he just watches as Zam starts to jog off over to the pond, the scrappy green cloak around his shoulders billowing in the wind as he runs. 

It’s so… unfamiliar to him. 

He’s not sure what to make of it, what to make of Zam and the fact that there’s a pin on his cloak of Wemmbu’s face even despite her own misgivings about him (because this Zam’s Wemmbu wronged her badly, too, and he doesn’t know what to think about that either. He isn’t sure what to make of Zam at all, and the worst part is, even though the likelihood of Zam lying is as high as he’s ever known it to be, Wemmbu believes him almost fullheartedly). He’s not sure what he should think about the ribbons and hairclips and trinkets that represent the people this Zam loves (or loved?) and how she wears her hearts on her sleeve, literally, with a heart count of fifteen hearts earned from people who cared about Zam enough to give him a part of their own vitality.

How was it that someone who lived on such a seemingly cruel server had turned out better than the Zam Wemmbu knew? Why didn’t he get to meet this version of Zam earlier? Why did it have to be another version of him, with cruelty running through his veins and bloodshed in his heart, that met Zam for the first time on Lifesteal?

Goddammit.

Wemmbu doesn’t know what he wants. 

He buries his head in his arms as he sits down by a rock next to what looks like a man-made explosion. Oh— wait, that’s right, hadn’t Zam said something about this too? Something like how this was one of the servers used to test for her Wemmbu’s orbital cannon nuking. Which… yeah, okay. That was totally something he would’ve done, before the Prince Zam Empire and everything that happened afterward.

The Prince Zam Empire… no. Nah. Let’s not— yeah. Don’t think about that, man. Just don’t even go there. 

Wemmbu slouches forward slightly, lifting his head just so to see if he can catch sight of Zam instead of getting himself stuck in his head again. 

She’s made a fishing rod, somehow, and is currently looking like he’s going to town on the tiny pond. The green cloak— so very unlike the Zam he knows, with a deep crimson red cloak trimmed with fur and decorated in jewels upon jewels— pools around her shoulders as he yanks back fish bit by bit, the metal arm where his left hand should be glinting in the sunlight as the eternal sun beams down on them. 

He sighs, and stands up, stretching each of the spider legs he usually hides underneath his shirt as he does so. Depending on how long Spoke’s going to take to pick them up, Wemmbu may as well spend some time getting to know this Zam better. There’s no use speculating about what is and isn’t there, if he doesn’t know anything about her besides her trauma.

“Hey, Zam,” Wemmbu calls as he nears the little pond, giving Zam a nervous wave as she smiles back awkwardly at him. “Uh. Can I…”

“Yeah! Yeah, uh, feel free to join, if you want. I— I’ve fished a few rods out already, so let me just, uh—” Zam places down an E-Chest (which Wemmbu now belatedly realizes is probably where he’d gotten the rod from in the first place) and pulls out an anvil, a shulker with a few books inside and three fishing rods, before combining them all and handing Wemmbu a new enchanted fishing rod. “Here. Use this.”

“Thanks,” Wemmbu says, the word feeling unfamiliar on his tongue, not only because he doesn’t usually thank others genuinely, but also because he can’t remember the last time he thanked Zam. “Uh. So… do you… ugh. Do you like fishing, usually?”

Zam laughs at that, a mannerism so similar to the Zam Wemmbu knows (no, knew) that it makes his heart clench. He— fuck. He has to stop associating them with each other. It’s seriously not good for his heart. “Oh, not really, but it’s funny cause recently, a lot of the more serious convos I’ve had have been while fishing. I guess it’s just cause there’s just like, nothing else to do here. I mean… unless you could figure out how to get the orbital cannon working.”

“Huh? Orbital cannon? What do you— what do you mean, man?” Wemmbu glances over (perhaps a little quicker than he really should) at Zam, who shrugs. He hopes he doesn’t sound too desperate to her to start on a new topic. No offense to fishers, or anything, but. They’re kinda boring, just a bit.

“I don’t really know much about it, cause I was usually, uh, you know, doing my best to like, not exploit— actually, you don’t know because I didn’t go into detail on the Season Four stuff— but. But! This used to be the testing server for hacks and stuff. When, uh, Wemmbu… Lifesteal… was president season five, he used this to test out his cannon thing. And Squiddo— I did tell you about her, right? She kind of also found admin powers and used this server to test her stuff out too. That’s where the elevator down to the void came from,” Zam points over at a deeper crater hole some blocks away from them. “And, uh— yeah. So, I guess, if you could figure out how to build your own little cannon here then there’s that to keep us busy until Spoke comes to pick us up.”

Wemmbu glances down at the fishing rod in his hands, almost missing the tug of a fish on his string. In the shaky reflection of the water, the red of the salmon’s scales in his hand looks almost like the blur of blood. “I… well. I guess I don’t… really know.”

Liar.

“Well… well, I mean, that’s okay too!” Zam clasps her hands together, fishing rod left forgotten at their side as he takes the salmon away from Wemmbu’s hand, depositing it in a bucket that he hadn’t noticed before. It swims around the bucket excitedly. He wishes he could be like that salmon. “Um. You know! Like, whatever you wanna do is fine by me.” 

“I want…” Wemmbu sighs. Whatever, sure, he’ll put all his cards on the table. Who even cares anymore? Not him. “Fuck, dude, I— whatever. I wanna like, get to know you, but it’s like– I just don’t know where to start.” 

Zam looks at him, short golden curls falling into her eyes as he does so. “That’s okay. That’s, like, totally okay! It’s great, even, cause I want to get to know you too, Wemmbu. And I don’t think we, you know, have to really know where to start with this stuff. We can just– you know. Go. Like— like, you know, right now! What’s your favourite colour and stuff, you know?”

Despite himself, that manages to wrench a laugh from Wemmbu. “What’s— what’s my favourite colour? Dude, is that— is that the best you can manage?” 

Zam beams. It makes Wemmbu’s chest hurt a little. “It made you laugh, didn’t it? That means it’s pretty great, in my eyes.”

“You know— you know what?” Wemmbu says, and then, because he can’t help himself but try to ruin every nice thing that comes his way, adds on, “I can see why, uh, why people liked to torment you, back on your home server. Like— like, dude, you’re… seriously… way too open. Too… you’re too…”

“Loud? Unusual? Trusting?” Zam shrugs. “Well, I know that already, dude. But I don’t care.” 

She doesn’t look affected in the slightest by his words, and— god fucking dammit, Wemmbu, god dammit, stop thinking. Just stop thinking. He reminds Wemmbu so much of his Zam and yet at the same time, when she says things like this… it makes him want to mace something. Maybe himself. 

“I just… you know. I think I want you to be happy. You— you know? And I think… I think we can try working on that, you know, if you come back to Lifesteal with me. It’s… well, actually, it kinda sucks, and all that, but, like. It’s my home. And everyone on there isn’t trying to kill each other for real unless we are, but like, we’re not right now, and I’m doing a really bad job of selling this shit so I’m just gonna stop now,” Zam says, practically all in one breath. “I just think. I think I want to see you be happy. You know? And I want to be your friend, and it’s not because I couldn’t make peace with the other you or anything, and— are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Wemmbu says, and yet, even as he says it, he can feel the wet trail of tears making their way down his face. He sniffs— his nose is still fucking irritated from half an hour (or more?) ago and it makes him feel honestly disgusting, and he tries to wipe away the tears staining his face and collar. “I— I just—”

“Do you want, like, um— a handkerchief or something?” Zam looks so concerned, and it makes Wemmbu almost choke on an irrational peal of laughter, because she’s never been concerned for him, but this is a different Zam who’s kind and bright and so much like the Zam that Wemmbu misses, and he can’t fucking deal with it. “I can— fuck, dude, I dunno what you, uh— fuck! Fuck, I’m sorry, I’m just not good with this kind of stuff—”

“You’re— you’re fine,” Wemmbu coughs, and he brings up a hand to his face. “I’m. Fine. We can— um. If you want me to go— to— uh, your—”

“Lifesteal,” Zam says. “You want to come back with me to Lifesteal?”

“I— can give it a try,” Wemmbu manages to choke out, and even through his tear-blurred eyes, he can clearly see Zam’s radiant grin.

[winniefrezcomics]

(Not sure if this is a sfw question 😅) but do Perry and Iris ever have any kids or adopt any in the future?

Tysm for adhering to the rules page mwah mwah 😙💕, this IS sfw but this was def the right blog for it lol (questions about the future directed AT the ask blog boyos will probably just confuse them and make Dev’s head hurt wheeze)

ALSO thank u for finally giving me an excuse to finish this wip I’ve had sitting around forever wheeze, the answer to wether or not Perry and Iris ever have kids is a RESOUNDING YES- eight of them, to be exact! (And that’s NOT counting the ones they fostered!!! If you ask IRIS how many kids they have he’ll say ‘DOZENS’, and he has the majority of them in a group chat ;w; 💕)

These fam-babies are all human versions of designs belonging to beloved mutuals!! 💕

(please comment to claim your babies djdndndjdjdjdjd I don’t know all y’all tumblrs 😭)

Also More rambling and doodle comics under the cut bc I need to put all the Dad content in one place wheeze

Perriris’ co-parenting journey started after one of Perry’s students had to be rescued from a terrible home situation, but was having so much trouble in the foster care system that Iris (who had been wanting a baby for DECADES anyway) BEGGED his husband to just adopt her themselves, and it went shockingly well!!

However, once thier daughter started asking about a baby sibling, Iris suggested that he and Perry try for a biological child again, despite having never succeeded in the past. Perry’s retirement from his teaching job was fast approaching anyway, but as much as he loved the idea, he knew that is was possible his body just couldn’t do it…

So he does what His older brother Timmy did, back when he was only ten, and wishes on a star.

This wish leads to the birth of WESLEY AND ANNIE, thier biological twin babies! Fun fact about them: because PERRY is a wish-baby (wished for by human Timmy, granted by fairy Timmy) that makes the twins DOUBLE wish babies! (Wished for by Perry, granted by Dev 🥺) so the two of them have a ton of residual magic in thier systems, much like thier daddy! I imagine when they were newborns is when it was the strongest, and Wren would always be the ONLY one to see them do anything unnatural, so she’d constantly be Candace-Flynn-style trying to convince her parents the babies were magic lmfao

Once they start fostering more regularly, Perry and Iris Fairly quickly develop a reputation for being excellent foster parents, especially when it comes to children other fosters have deemed “difficult”- any child that is enough of a little shit to remind Iris of himself as a child gets IMMEDIATELY scooped up be he and his husband, and several of them have never left 💕🥰

MIDDLE PIC DRAWN BY @zennyzach / @perisprinkles - THANK U AGAIN SOBS I STILL SCREAM CRY AND THROW UP ERERY TIME I SEE IT // V POS 😭🥺💕💙💜

They also designed Annie, and Wesley was designed by @phobylee / @theharbingerofdoomtime ! 💙💜

(This second comic is no longer canon bc this was before I decided Wes and Annie were bio children but I included it bc it’s still cute ;w;)

[umishiqu]

☀️ explaining kalim’s poison recognition abilities

this is a little short because all i’m doing is compiling and emphasizing information from the main story into one post. this does go into detail with implications, but any specific timelines on when or how these skills were developed are left out because i refuse to sleuth for information on the scarabab’s timelines with each other 😂

i made a rant in the comments of a tiktok video explaining this information so i might as well post it lmao

kalim says in book 5-34 that he “studied” poisons. there’s two methods he describes taking specifically to make sure he doesn’t consume poison. the first is knowing or having reassurance that the food isn’t poisoned in advance, which is the method he mostly takes in events when he’s asked to eat something (tamashina mina, playfulland). someone else (in both situations, this job falls on leona, but in book 4 this job went to grim) would eat it first to give reassurance that it isn’t poisoned, and then kalim would eat it afterwards. this also comes up in jamil’s school uniform personal story, where kalim is reassured by eating the cafeteria food because everyone else is eating the same food.

something even funnier to think about with this method: he outright just denies allowing riddle to bring any food of his own into the party kalim’s throwing in kalim’s school uniform personal story. this implies a few things that i’d rather unpack elsewhere lmao

in the case that doesn’t work, the second method is knowing if it’s poisoned or not as soon as he takes the first bite. the second method, along with the use of quotations around “studying”, implies he had to consume non-lethal doses of poisons to understand if the food has been poisoned or not at a first bite rather than conventionally study through text or descriptions of the poison’s tastes. this one is just an implication seeing as the quotation marks aren’t in the Japanese version (translations: ShelBB on YouTube), but you can deduce how much it implies about this particular method for yourself.

these are both measures similar to internal business controls - preventative (eat food with the assurance it’s not poisoned) and detective (eat food detecting at the first bite that it has been poisoned). he specifically mentions that, when it comes to his poison recognition skills, he’ll have a better chance of detecting even magic poisons if he “brushes up on his sensory abilities”. jamil says that for a person like kalim, who is insensitive, using sensory abilities to detect poison is a long reach. kalim says that he doesn’t know until he tries. despite what Jamil says, in the climax of book 5, it’s implied that kalim did brush up on his sensory abilities (intuition) since he knew vil was going to poison (or incapacitate) neige in some way, having the same expression jamil had before his ob.

fun fact: that intuition comes up again when leona talks about kalim and his charisma/money, doing things either intentionally or unintentionally to reach an end result (further relationships). in the context of knowing whether he’s poisoned or not so that 1. kalim enjoys a good meal, and 2. so that a surviving kalim can forgive the other person if they do poison his meal, the idea of the ethics of care coming into play with Kalim’s intuition in general is relevant.

intuition is something kalim is currently working on; although a lot of other events with kalim’s luck does imply he had this skill to some capacity, and just had to realize and apply it practically.

[angrycloudloud]

If we asume "Imagine Dragons" exist in the Arcane universe. That means every group or artist we listen through the show could exist in Runeterra.

.

.

.

But!!!! I offer you all the idea (my headcanon) that every musician from Earth have their own version of themselves making music in Runeterra.

Which leads to my headcanon that Viktor listens Conan Gray and Alec Benjamin. The first one because he has discovered that Jayce frowns everytime he blast on the lab "Bourgeoisieses", because Viktor could be with the Bourgeoisieses but he hides in the lab and let him alone dealing with them. (Viktor ironically playing "Heather" and "Sweater Weather" by The Neighbourhood whenever Jayce starts to talk about Mel, the song of choosing depends on Viktor's mood or how annoyingly in love Jayce sounds while talking.) Viktor can't listen to Ricky Montgomery, specially "Mr. Loverman" because something hurts inside him when he does and he doesn't like it. Jayce sings Abba whenever it starts to play. Viktor only sings under his breath "Money, Money, Money" and "the winner takes It all". Both of them sing (try to sing) "Bohemian Rhapsody" because they know the lyrics by heart, but Jayce always ends laughing when one of them doesn't get to the high notes.

Jayce is a Taylor Swift fan.

Viktor is an eclectic music listener and Jayce hates to let him pick the music. Because one moment he is all chill with a cool pop song and the next one is just fucking screams and death metal that gives him a heart attack while Viktor swears it is what he listened back in the Academy when he couldn't sleep because of exams. And after that hell of a song ends, there's a heart breaking indie song that gets Jayce so close to cry... He had to ban Viktor from choosing the music of the lab for a month.

Vander listens to country songs.

Silco listens k-pop because Jinx blast it at three am and he has no option.

Vi had a mcr phase, but also Caitlyn had a mcr phase but she did it so quietly almost no one noticed. Now both of them listen to lesbian artists together, and Vi only likes those indie songs because her cupcake likes to kiss her face whenever she is too focus on make fun of the lyrics.

Jinx secretly listens Mitski.

Vander and Silco had a song when they were young before the bridge, a song they sang to each other at first just making fun of the fact that everyone thought they were dating, after a while, It became their song. (The song is "Just the two of us" neither of them could listen to It again, Vander took the disc out of the machine of the bar and keep It on his room because despite everything that happened he hasn't the heart to throw it away. Silco found It when he took over the last drop after Vander's death... And he hid the thing out of sight but where he knows where it is... Sometimes when he miss Vander he thinks of playing the damn song, but he can't.)

Ekko and Mel can sing and rap but they don't do it in public because they didn't feel like It. Mel had sing to Jayce to calm him down one bad day when he saw Viktor in a pretty bad stage. Ekko only sings for the children of his community, he and Jinx doesn't know but once when she was even younger Isha spent a whole afternoon with the Firelights watching Ekko perform for the other children and despite Isha couldn't heard him, he vocalize so well she could understand the lyrics and follow the little dances the other children and Ekko made for the songs. (Sorry for that one) I feel like Ekko listens to everything too, but in a less chaotic way than Viktor does.

Singed only listens to german opera and children songs. The first one because he is evil and the second one because of Oriana.

And if i come up with more things i imagine these people listen to i'll write It on a reblog to this post.

[dg-outlaw]

Different Flavors, But I Still Enjoyed Both Treats...

... and why I think you should watch both, especially if you skipped Captain America: Brave New World.

* Spoiler free post below the cut *

So I just finished watching Captain America: Brave New World... after seeing Thunderbolts*. Why did I see these in the opposite order of their release? Investment, marketing, and reviews.

Investment: I often don't see movies right away in theaters mostly because of health safety given the last few years of dealing with Covid in the world. My wife is my go-to movie partner and without going into details she's at higher risk of health complications if she gets sick so we often wait for the general crowd to die down. We also try to make an evening out of it when we do eventually go out to the movies. We pick a movie we're confident we'll enjoy, we get some food, maybe a drink or two, and we have fun. All that to say, because of time and money we don't see every movie in the theaters even if we do eventually want to see a certain one.

Marketing and Reviews: I think given the recent floundering of MCU movies and Marvel trying to find what works, the marketing of Brave New World was a bit off in hopes of getting people back in the theater. Via some trusted reviewers I follow and the general consensus online, the overall review for BNW was that it was a watered down version of the action/political thriller that has been the tone/genre of the Captain America series. The exception being The First Avenger which is more of an action/war film. That said, I think the better description of the Cap series is that they are dad movies and I think this is where Marvel missed the mark in trying to market this film. Instead, I think they wanted this movie to be the shot in the arm the MCU needed.

Yes, The Winter Soldier took most of us by surprise and injected a different tone into the MCU, but at it's core it's a action/political thriller wrapped in a superhero movie. It's also an excellent film and (IMO) still one of the best MCU films. But again, the Cap films are dad movies and I don't say that as an insult as I enjoy a good or even a mediocre dad movie. In fact, look at the supporting actors in three of the Cap films; The First Avenger - Tommy Lee Jones, The Winter Soldier - Robert Redford, and Brave New World - Harrison Ford. These are your classic dad movie actors and somewhere somebody knew this and knew these actors would get dads (and people who enjoy dad movies) in theaters or at least on couches watching "some goofy superhero movie."

So why didn't BNW wow fans or reviewers? I think the answer to this is two-fold. One, this movie wasn't the popcorn action spectacle that many of the later trailers marketed it to be. Yes, it had action and spectacle, but it was within the more muted tone of the movie's genre, though it still had plenty of action. Two, it wasn't the second coming of The Winter Soldier. While it touched on certain political themes and involved Sam Wilson trying to navigate a political environment as the new Captain America it didn't go super deep, but I think that's fine because... it was a dad film, and I enjoyed it. The Winter Soldier changed the game and gave us something new, but I don't think this film was meant to do that. It was meant to entertain, whereas Thunderbolts* ended up becoming the actual gamechanger the MCU has needed.

Sadly, I trusted reviews a little too much and when it came to deciding between watching BNW and Thunderbolts* in the theater, I chose Thunderbolts*. And despite my enjoyment of BNW, I'm glad I chose Thunderbolts*, but I don't hold that against BNW. Cap 4 fits well within the Cap series, maybe more so than Civil War because it isn't trying to shoehorn in a bunch of other things like a mini Avengers movie and introductions for future films like Spider-Man and Black Panther. Was it as serious in tone as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Disney+ series? No, but I think it stuck the landing better than that series did. If anything, I was more disappointed in the Disney+ series because that series set up and opened the door for some interesting political/social commentary, but bailed on those things in favor of action and spectacle in it's finale, along with overall poor pacing. BNW is a solid action movie, a solid dad movie, and didn't bite off more than it could chew, and I hope we get more of Sam Wilson's Captain America in the future.

So while Thunderbolts* is inspiring all new memes, fan art, and fanfics, I hope that if you're a fan of the Cap series in general or fun, Sunday afternoon dad movies, you give Captain America: Brave New World a chance. Thunderbolts* was great and I'm eager to see it again, but I'm glad I gave Brave New World a chance.

[cacti-are-like-flamingos]

Living Waters...

Gojo Satoru x Reader x Geto Suguru

The Cursed Trio | Desert Oasis

...

Before setting off for the day, you made sure to grab an extra hairband, anticipating that Geto might need one if his broke. As it turned out, he had the same foresight, which wasn't all that surprising considering the amount of times you'd lose them.

Another curious fact, for some reason, everyone came to you whenever their uniforms got a tear or two simply because you had once mentioned liking to sow things back together

You swear Gojo would do it on purpose considering he always had his stupid fucking infinity on. Geto, on the other hand, likely made sure to be just a tad bit more reckless with his uniform before turning it into you.

He actually liked to watch you work, eyes entranced by the way your hands move and manipulated the fabric --- all while you hummed some tuneless melody under your breath

Moving on

Did you know that Gojo accidentally revealed to Yaga that you had a fondness for unique plushies? Since that day, Yaga began surprising you with a new plushie every day. Sometimes he'd toss them straight at your face, while other times, he'd leave them outside your door.

As the days passed, your room became a plushie wonderland, and you realized you needed to have a serious conversation with Yaga about this overflowing collection.

Despite your talk, the "plushie issue" remained unresolved. However, every Friday after class, Yaga started setting up the classroom to teach you how to knit as a way to compromise.

With this newfound skill, you took matters into your own hands and began creating mini-plushies of everyone around you.

For Kento, you designed a stylish cream business suit that perfectly complemented his rather bland calm personality. You also created a matching outfit for his best mate, Habaira, but in a sleek black color. Habaira was overjoyed with the gesture, though he playfully joked that he looked like his mini-plushie was ready to attend a funeral. Kento couldn't help but chuckle at the comment, a rare small smile gracing his lips as he softly muttered a heartfelt 'Thank you.'

For Ieiri, you crafted a unique plushie, dressing her in a doctor's coat and adding her trademark little cigarette, capturing her essence beautifully. She was absolutely thrilled when she saw it, expressing her excitement with a lazy smile as she kissed you on the cheek.

Yaga received a miniature replica of his current look, which he proudly displayed by placing it next to his computer monitor in his office. Sometimes, you'd catch him smiling at it.

Gojo's plushie was a fun challenge, with a spiky-haired version of him sporting a blindfold instead of sunglasses. Gojo playfully teased you about making a second version because you just couldn't get enough of him. You threatened to take it away, and he protested, holding the plushie just out of your reach. Lanky bastard.

(You never did see that plushie ever again tho, wonder what happened to it)

As for Geto, you searched the internet for some fashionable outfit inspiration and dressed up his plushie accordingly. He later humorously referred to it as his mini shaman (the fashionable outfit was a shaman's attire. Sorry not sorry) , but he assured you that he genuinely loved it. In fact, he liked it so much that he transformed it into a keychain for his bag, carrying it with him wherever he went.

I should mention that by now, your fluency in Japanese had improved dramatically. However, out of a sheer habit, both boys had the tendency to order for you. Then again, they also ordered for one another. Everyone in this fucking three-way has memorized each other's orders like the back of their hand.

You know their coffee orders by heart; Geto knows both of your favorite meals by heart, and Gojo knows both your and Suguru's favorite sweets by soul. (Sorry not sorry)

You all take turns treating one another, but often it's Gojo who insists on paying for you and Geto, given his big-boy bank account. (You will never reveal to them how somehow Mei Mei has become your sugar mama and pays you for simply existing, on the daily)

Geto can't ever drink your or Gojo's coffees because they're just too sweet. It's so sweet it could put a diabetic into a coma. So the two of you happily share taste-sips with each other.

On the other hand, Gojo couldn't handle the intensity of your and Geto's meals due to their overwhelming spiciness. Just the aroma wafting around would bring tears to his clear sky-blue eyes. As for you, vegetables weren't your preference, so Geto would kindly slide his plate close to yours, allowing you to discreetly transfer the unwanted veggies onto his plate without creating a mess on the table.

Gojo would then tease you for your preference, mocking you as he likened you to a small child. So properly, the only adult response was to engage in a game of footsies with him under the table until, accidentally, Gojo hit you a bit too hard, causing you to flinch and squeak. Geto noticed your reaction instantly, and he gave Gojo a piercing glare, silently warning him to be more careful. Gojo, feeling a bit awkward, focused on stuffing his face to avoid eye contact with Geto.

Ah, nothing like a protective mama Geto

Whenever you're trying to avoid Gojo and his endless taunts, you have a clever strategy: hiding in his dorm room, a place he never imagines you'd willingly go. As he spends the entire day searching the school high and low for you, you're actually inside his room, peacefully resting or just relaxing. Oftentimes, you snoop. Hehe

You possess like some Gojo-detector, giving you the ability to sense when Gojo is about to return to his dorm room. The moment you feel he is messing you, you swiftly sneak out unnoticed. He never manages to catch you, and the mystery of why his bed sometimes smells like you remains unsolved for him. That is until one night, he stumbles upon your favorite bracelet tucked under his pillow, the clasp broken.

You can't escape him anymore

Geto finds solace in your room, partly captivated by its enchanting fragrance. The persistent presence of an oil diffuser emanates an aroma that seems to be woven from the fabric of dreams. Its sweet and gentle, a lingering scent that holds a subtle allure, almost addictive in its embrace.

Lost in the allure of the ambiance (doesn't help that you like to keep your room dark and cold with blue lighting) Geto spends literal hours nestled amongst the plushies, lulled to sleep by the whole scenario. Whenever he departs from your room, the decent clings into his clothing. Leaving a trail of flowers behind that informing others of his presence in your room.

Speaking of him

Sometimes, you wake up in the dead of night, feeling something off. It's as if you possess a strange, innate ability to sense when someone is going through a rough time. Perhaps it's connected to your Cursed technique, or maybe your soul simply has a way of recognizing their distress. Regardless of the reason, you find yourself instinctively reaching for one of your pillows and following the invisible trail of energy.

Tonight, your focus settled on Geto's room. He had entrusted you with a key long ago, allowing you to enter his private space when desired.

You approached the door with a gentle, single knock (you have this specific way of locking that involves lightly tapping on the door with your nails. Much like a cat would) before letting yourself in. And there he was, sat up on his bed, his blankets tangled around his lap as beads of sweat trickled down his face. A haunted look in his eyes.

Geto prided himself on being able to maintain a stoic poker face, but even he had to admit. Out of your little trio, you were the one most attuned to their emotions. You could read the warning signs long before they fully manifested.

You slipped into his bed, performing your nightly ritual of unraveling his locks from the right bun he wore to sleep. Quietly, you would always mention how it wouldn't do any good for his hair and how it might give him more morning tangles (knowing well that you yourself slept with your hair loosely tied). Yet, with tender care, you gently massaged the palms of his hands, hoping to bring him back to the present, back to you.

And he came back to you, blinking his lovely onyx eyes as they lightly widened at the sight of you in your nightgown, sitting right next to him, his hand in your grasp as you cooed him back to safety.

No words were truly exchanged; that was for the morning routine. So, for then, the two of you simply settled back into his bed. His hand never left your own as you slowly placed it onto your chest, just where your heart would be.

Your heart beat, calm and strong, lulled him into a dreamless sleep.

...

(A/N): As I was writing this, you fuckers kept blowing up my phone with the amount of likes you were giving my shit. Like damn, I see now we have some early risers here. Goddamn.

I have such a headache rn it's not even funny.

The idea of being a Gojo-detector is rather humorous, isn't it?

Wonder what Geto dreamt about that had him so distressed. Is it the start of something or just your everyday PTSD?

Drop a comment

Feel free to buy me a 🦩

Hope you enjoyed!

Edited: 7/24/2023

[the-100-days-of-junkan]

Day 97

Smile by Kayleen756894

Same as when we covered Burning Lungs, check the tags for this fic before ya jump in cause it gets pretty dark even within the first chapter. 

It’s a big day for the project people, I mentioned back on Day 60 that there were three fics that I consider directly responsible for this entire thing since they’re what set me on this path of a comically large amount of Junkan. And today we FINALLY talk about another one of them, even if I admittedly did cover a little bit of my history with this specific story during Day 60 for the sake of context. Apologies if I repeat myself a few times!

The previous few days I’ve been covering fic first, then the art. For this day however I’m going to cover the art first, along with any other bonus facts I have, and THEN i will do my best to adequately sing the praises of today’s stories.

Also let it be known that the music I put on while I read through the whole fic in preparation for today’s ramble was “LEASE” by Takeshi Abo. 10 hour loop too. Someone will find that funny probably, maybe even you!

(This is another long one, get ready)

Before I address the art I might as well have a little fun and discuss the order I decided to do these in, interesting I know.

Days 91-92 were easy, the first Soft Fic and the first fic to use the Non-Abusive Tag, they had to be the opener. Day 93 was one of the longer stories so I did that one first, since I did read each story before working on the art. From there it’s a pretty simple pattern of “Short Fic followed by a longer, more serious fic that I gotta psyche myself up for.” And it was done pretty much with todays subject in mind, but we’ll get for it. 

You’ll notice I have two different art pieces today, the reason is simple. I wasn’t very happy with the initial art, so I made a much more direct adaptation of a scene from the first chapter to go with it. And in a rare instance I can also bring you some early versions of the initial piece!

From the initial sketch you can see that this was supposed to be a proper cover for the story, as I wanted to feature scenes from each of the three chapters, that middle shot is one I’ve had in my mind since the first time I read the story. Those who have read the fic can probably recognize each one. The second image was almost the final version of this. I scrapped the lower portion of the art for a few reasons. The flames of burnout were miniscule but still present, though rest assured these would not come into play until after the point of when the fanfic art is all finished. Secondly, when I was supposed to work on this art, a power outage hit my house. This also meant that in terms of making the art I only had the first chapter read, anything else was purely memory (Like I said though, I read the full fic for todays ramble, rest assured). And thirdly, I kinda, just thought it didn’t look good? And as you can see this version had details cut despite how far into the process it was, fully removing the expressions outside of the two smiling. Cause y’know . . . “Smile.” Plus in retrospect the eyes, while striking compared to the rest of the art, look kinda fucking silly?

Why didn’t I like the end result? Honestly I think I was just in a bad headspace at the time due to the combination of the power out stressing me out, and just generally speaking my mental health has never been the most structurally sound aspect of myself. I’m good at drawing, not so much being well put together. Looking at it now, while I think the piece is a bit esoteric and might not be what I’d make today for a piece based on this fic, I like it a lot.

And at the end of the dead even if I didn’t like how the first one turned out, I’m pretty happy with it! Even with perfectionist brain bitching at me that I could have done Junko’s hair a bit better at the given angle. Just a straight adaptation of Junko and Mikan’s first kiss from Chapter 1. The most interesting note on it’s creation is that I had to make last minute changes to Mikan because I realized her hair needed to be a lot shorter and more well put together, as earlier in the fic Junko does fix it up a bit. 

Oh! I did also send the second pic to the author herself as a way of introducing myself and showing appreciation, so that’s a bit of added sentimental value! Kayleen’s an absolute treat by the way, super fun to talk too, great insight on writing, you should absolutely check out the rest of her writing! I’m not in most of the fandoms featured say for RWBY, but based on the quality of her writing on the Danganronpa side of things, I feel confident recommending anything she’s published in the past, present, and future!~ 

Speaking of writing, I should probably like. Talk about the god damn fic, huh? Well. Nope! I still have more fun facts!

I almost didn’t adapt Smile! I knew for certain that Kayleen needed a spot on this list, it would have felt wrong otherwise. And there were two fics in mind for adaptation.

“Smile”, obviously, and “Soft (But only for Her).” My earliest plan was going to be to just do both. However I only had 8 days to work with, and spoilers, Day 98 is in fact a returning author, so I didn’t want to take up half of my slots on two authors, I wanted to show my appreciation to as many as I could during this string of the event before going back to my own stuff for the last two days. So I thought it over, and decided that Smile was too important to pass up on this project, leaving Soft (But only for Her) for later.

I did have a full plan for it though, unlike Smile where I didn’t really have an idea going into it. I’ll tell you what the plan was gonna be.

Most people would be curious which of the around 30 wonderful one shots I could have chosen to adapt, I’ve already done one of them with the very first chapter in that collection! However you my audience, are not most people. There’s a good chance you’re reading this paragraph, rubbing your temples and resigning yourself to the fact that I was very much going to draw art based on every single piece of that collection. Because yes I was just gonna adapt all of it. Was gonna make a big collage out of all of em, even the chapters that have so much angst I struggle to even read them cause they make me too sad! I’d still do it too. I probably will. When you least expect it. 

For now though I really wanna draw something based on Chapter 25 when I have the time. I wanna draw art based on a lot of other fanfics actually, I’ve just been pretty swamped. But rest assured, to those of you who’ve written a Junkan fic and weren’t featured. Rest assured, I have my eyes open, I’m always looking that tag over, and there were definitely some stories omitted that I really wish I could have included IN the project. Give it time. My self control grows weaker by the day!~

Okay, okay. NOW, I should be able to talk about the fic. Probably.

So I’ve told this story before, but now you’ll get to hear it in a bit more detail compared to before. Will hopefully not be too repetitive for ya’ll!

So once again we jump back a few years during say, 2020, MAYBE early 2021. I find a fic that includes Junkan when I was simply trying to find Ikuzono. It ends up being pretty cute and makes me curious, “I thought this ship was super toxic? How is this one so cute?”

So, I look around the tag, still not sure how to Navigate AO3 even after gaining a lot of experience through the power of many late night tokomaru binges. And as you already knew or could guess, I came across Smile.

At the time it only had 2 chapters, which normally might have turned me away at the time, I wasn’t a desperate animal like I am today. However I guess I either ignored that, or just didn’t care, too curious to see what else this ship could entail.

So here I am, sitting in my bed, writing this ramble, trying to figure out once again how to talk about one of the fics that set me off on this obsession with Junko and Mikan as a softer, loving couple. That and also a fic that is much more serious in terms of its tone and content, as this fic, like Drowning, is one of the only fics in this stretch of the project that is definitely set in the main canon of DR. Serving as essentially a new origin for Junkan as a couple prior to the tragedy. 

I’m sure I’ve said before that when it comes to how I view Junko and Mikan’s relationship, that Val’s work is basically the primary blueprint for how I interpret and portray them. However that’s for the Non-Despair AUs, while there is some bleed over in how I handle Canon portrayals (And I admittedly haven’t done a lot with a serious interpretation of that), in my brain this story, Smile, is the blueprint of how I view a canon timeline version of Junkan. That might just be bias from it being the first fic I read that like, but it does kind of help that this is just one of the most excellently written interpretation of these characters I’ve ever bared witness to.

The first chapter was originally supposed to be a Standalone according to the Author’s Notes, and it really works as one! It’s a very complete story that’s super well put together, and ends very satisfyingly if you just stop after finishing it. I’m extremely glad it continued, as I don’t think my obsession would have come to fruition when it did if not for those following two chapters. But maybe I’m wrong cause this fic certainly knows how to hook you on a ship!

I was god damn mesmerized reading the first chapter. This has to be one of the saddest takes on Mikan’s character that I’ve ever read. Burning Lungs comes close however we never get to actually see things from her perspective, that’s all from Junko’s outsider point of view. Here we get to see it all from Mikan’s perspective, all of it, the sad stuff, the extra sad stuff, the stuff I don’t really know how to talk about because I’m inadequate with this kind of subject matter. And some gay panic, because it’s not Junkan without at least a little gay panic somewhere in the mix.

Junko is really god damn good in this first chapter, she’s god damn good in the whole fic but we’re talking about chapter one right now so i’m specifying. She has such a mysterious aura around her the entire time, and not just the obvious “Oh she’s planning the tragedy behind the scenes,” but also the mystery of how she feels about Mikan! It’s something left up to viewer interpretation in the first chapter, and to a much lesser extent the following chapters (I say lesser extent cause it does eventually lean into her having real feelings for Mikan, just being super confused by them. At least that’s how I look at it). Everytime I read one of these stories that serve as an origin point for these two’s relationship, it’s always really interesting to see how things initiate. It’s pretty much always Junko initiating of course, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a fic where it was Mikan who made the first move? If there is I’m having a severe lapse in memory it seems, or I’ve misinterpreted! The point of course being I really like the way Junko handles things here, saving Mikan from her darkest point, all that good shit! 

And the kiss? I drew it for a reason, it’s amazing. From the buildup to the way Mikan has a rare instance of boldness and grabs Junko’s tie? The grabbing the tie part makes my brain explode, the fact that Junko herself was surprised by it is even better. I love it whenever Mikan can actually get Junko surprised or flustered. It’s great!

I feel like I should be more detailed, more meticulous, but it really is a struggle trying to be in depth when discussing something this good, I wouldn’t consider it my strong suit? 

So let’s try moving onto chapter 2! I do at least have a story with this one but that can be for when I finish desperately trying to talk about the chapter itself. 

It’s lovely! Big shock! We get to see the two of them just acting like a normal couple for a bit, and even better we get to see the two partaking in some sleepy cuddles. That scene also does one of those Junkan things I fuckin love where Junko just, fucking reads Mikan’s mind. I know that’s not what she’s doing but also it’s funnier to put it that way. I just like Junko putting her analytical ability to use by reading Mikan and understanding her finer details. It can be used in all kinds of ways, cute ways, funny ways, saucy ways, but this might just be my favorite way? Her being able to tell when Mikan’s about to spiral and snapping her out of it quick. 

Their date is lovely by the way, love the drive there, the conversation is just a treat. And I really like the reference to the grenade scene from the DR3 anime, I might not have fond memories with that series like, at all, but that one clip of Junko tossing the grenade and Mukuro (We’ll get to her) catching it is just a really fun bit of energy. It’s also just fucking funny because it reads like they practiced that shit for like 2 fuckin weeks- Sorry, distracted. Anyway I think the scene is both a fun reference, and another good way to kinda remind of us the darker parts of this storyline underlying the softer surface. Junko is in fact trying to burn the world down, she just also happens to have a tooth rotting-ly sweet relationship with a very sad nurse. The moments where Mikan unintentionally peers into that world, whether hearing an explosion or seeing the red roots of Junko’s true haircolor, I love it all!

Great moment with Mikan helping that kid from bullies, always love to see Mikan flourishing in these stories (foreshadowing)! I think it is very funny that the small child just immediately clocked that Mikan and Junko were dating, the kid either has a crazy gaydar or Mikan and Junko are the least subtle people alive . . . okay yeah it’s that second one.

The following scene is great too, fuck those parents, and fuck yeah to Junko coming in for the clutch as she is one to do in this fic. The kiss to follow? Fantastic. Junko’s joke about exhibitionism? Also fantastic. The part where Mikan says she’s gonna go see her parents- Fuck.

Okay so, I’mma make the assumption that if you’re this deep into my ramble you’ve probably read the fic already. And if you skipped out on the fic due to the subject matter noted in the tags, you can probably already tell by my apprehension that everything in this fic from here on out is like, the opposite end of the spectrum from all the sweet (albeit ominous) stuff we’ve had up till now. And you’d be correct, and I quite frankly don’t know how to talk about it, like, at all. There are parts of this that I do wanna talk about from this and the following chapter, but also I feel neither confident nor comfortable explicitly discussing what happens to Mikan here. Even if you can probably already tell.

Still, I must show my respects to the literature and it’s author, so I will do my best. Apologies if I fumble here.

I’m still not gonna talk in depth about Mukuro here, but I do like the conversation leading up to this scene, before Mikan shows up. It’s something that was going to inevitably come up, because yeah, Junko can make Mikan fall deeply in love with her, but that won’t exactly prepare her for being complicit in the apocalypse. There’s a part of me that’s curious what her gameplan was before the end of this chapter happens, how was she going to try and turn Mikan over to her side 100% and make sure she’s ready. The world will never know.

Junko’s great at the end of this chapter, not just the comfort she provides. But the way she, in the words of the story, Snaps. That line? That stuck with me when I first read this. I think it’s the moment that confirmed for me personally, that yeah, Junko does love Mikan even if she doesn’t understand it. And it wasn’t just that moment that stuck with me, it was the whole fic by this point.

That’s right, it's story time. So when I found this fic, there were only two chapters. And I wanna remind ya’ll that before this fic I read a fic so silly, soft, and fluffy that it made me question what this ship could be. Jumping from that, to this was definitely . . . Whiplash?

What happened after that is fun, because I don’t fucking remember. I think unironically the amount of stress that ending put me under just from the shock of it, made me fuckin black out?? Which by the way, huge kudos, it takes some really fucking good writing to get me so invested that I get real life stressed as shit because of bad things happening to the characters. But anyway, I didn’t actually just, black out from stress. But everything after that is so blurred that it’s borderline incomprehensible, I try to remember past that point, and it’s like looking at memories put through a paper shredder before being put back together by a toddler doing a handstand. 

All I can say for sure is that starting from the morning after, I was obsessed. I woke up, and kept fucking checking to see if Chapter 3 was out yet. I hadn’t checked the time of the latest update, I still barely fucking understood how AO3 actually worked. I’m pretty sure it was through this fic that I learned that when a fic updates it moves to the top of the page for a given tag. This was also way before I had an AO3 account, so I couldn’t just subscribe or bookmark it. I’m sure I read other fics at this point, probably including Kayleen’s other works? But the timespan between Chapter 2 and 3 feel like white noise, whatever I read didn’t exist in my memories by the time that story ended. And god damn did it end.

When Chapter 3 popped up, it was late I’m pretty sure. I don’t know what I was doing at the time, maybe looking at manga online, talking with friends over discord dms, failing homework over online school, maybe even doing some of my own writing since i’m pretty sure this was back before my passion for it died out. Whatever it was, I dropped it fucking IMMEDIATELY. I needed to see this ending, I needed that catharsis.

So I layed in my bed, in a house I was still new to, and read the god damn chapter.

It was perfect. One of the first times to my knowledge where I’ve had the satisfaction of reading an unfinished fic and getting to actually see it end.

Where do I start, what do I even say? Anything I say just kind of boils down to “Junko and Mikan are perfectly written and I love their interactions and also god dammit I feel so bad for Mikan.”

The scene on the rooftop is great, I remember in one of Kayleen’s other fics Mikan shows concern for Junko’s eating habits, so getting to this scene and seeing the reverse was nice. And like, god, Junko’s so good in this. I get she’s trying to start the end of the world but she’s doing such a fucking good job here. Sure, she asks Mikan to kill her parents right after this, which might not be the most normal way of helping your girlfriend through a severely traumatic experience, but that’s just Junko y’know? 

Should I talk about Mukuro now? I should probably talk about Mukuro now, I really wanted to wait like one more scene but fuck it we’re talking about Mukuro now. 

Have I ever really talked about Mukuro in the context of Junkan? I know I’ve definitely made note of her, and I’ve obviously included her in these pieces with varying degrees of prominence. But I don’t think I’ve ever noted how I think she’s is one of the most interesting and amazing assets of Junkan as a ship. Calling Mukuro an asset feels like a disservice, but I lack the words to adequately describe what I mean here. 

The Despair Sisters are already one of the most interesting dynamics in Danganronpa, and a pretty versatile one at that based on the various interpretations I’ve seen of these two. And I think adding Junkan into the mix is just lovely, because it adds an outsider perspective, but not just that, it’s the outsider perspective of someone who’s closer than anyone else due to Mikan dating Junko. Bonus for the contrast of Junko pampering Mikan and shit talking Mukuro, even if I believe that shit talking is just a very layered way for Junko to express that she does care about Mukuro as a sister. 

And I think Mukuro and Mikan is a really fun dynamic too! I love the idea of Mikan finding love through Junko, and then in turn getting a second person in her life that cares about her. Mukuro being Mikan’s bodyguard bare minimum is great, protect that sweet little nurse you desaturated girliepop you. But I think the way their dynamic can evolve overtime as Mikan continues to date Junko is great. 

Mukuro getting to see firsthand how Mikan is changing Junko for the better, even if it’s in a canon timeline where Junko’s still like, very locked in on the apocalypse. She’s getting to be happier in a more genuine way, which I’m sure Mukuro would be grateful for, and that just makes her caring about Mikan’s wellbeing all the better.

Plus like, something I don’t think about often, at least not until very recently, but if Junko and Mikan are dating, and inevitably get married. That does just kinda mean Mikan and Mukuro are sisters in law. And, I fuckin love that? Mikan not only gets an amazing relationship with Junko, but she also just gets to have a sibling, something that to my knowledge she doesn’t have in canon. It’s that found family stuff that I love, even if the found family in this case is a bit more literal rather than just being a metaphor. And Mukuro gets a new sister, one who cares about her just as much as Junko, but is just significantly better at expressing that by comparison. I think Mukuro would really appreciate having a sister who like, hugs her without slinging an insult, or just getting any kind of open, visceral appreciation without having to read between the lines. 

I love to see Mikan with plenty of friends, she has a bunch of dynamics that I appreciate. But I also have a lot of appreciation for the idea of Junko and Mukuro being the only people she cares about, the only people she needs to survive. 

Where was I- Oh right.

Kayleen’s depiction of Mukuro and her dynamic with our other two primary characters is amazing. Spectacular even. Fucking perfect perhaps. It does everything I love about the Despair Sister’s dynamic without bordering into uncomfortable territory like some facets of the main canon does. But what I especially love is her dynamic with Mikan in the few moments we get to see them interact. A protector, a friend, and eventually a sister to her, it’s amazing. The scene when Mikan wakes up to Mukuro watching over her while Junko is away is phenomenal, and I love Mikan’s concern for her given the way Junko treats her, which does look pretty bad without the deeper context. The moment at the very end of Chapter 2 where Mukuro just heads off to (I assume) kidnap Mikan’s parents after just sharing a look with Junko, it’s another one of my favorite bits in that scene.

And of course, the scene that lead me to start yapping about Mukuro like that out of fucking nowhere, her talking to Mikan about Junko’s test. It’s great how she tries to help Mikan come to a decision without forcing anything. But also finally giving some more confirmation that Junko definitely feels something for Mikan, expressing how many changes in her demeanor she’s noted. And the reveal that Junko routinely struggles with Nightmares whenever Mikan isn’t around?? Fuck I love that. God dammit. 

I feel like I should talk more about this scene, but I feel like I kinda did? To an extent? A lot of what I just said about Mukuro’s place in this dynamic kinda sums up a lot of the great things about this scene. So I suppose we move on.

The buildup to the big scene of this chapter is wonderful of course, not much to say there. And I admittedly just really want to talk about the scene that follows.

Because god it’s everything I was hoping for when I finished that second chapter and had no idea whether I’d see this scene or not. 

The reveal is great, and as grotesque as I anticipated. I do cringe a little reading some of the details, not the modern dickhead definition of cringe either I mean the “Oh god fuck that’s brutal” kind of cringe. And it is so perfectly contrasted by Junko being Junko, love the idea that Junko and Mukuro just nabbed up these people and didn’t explain a goddamn thing until this very moment where they finally figure out that this crazy bitch is dating their daughter. Mukuro punching Mikan’s dad in the face was fucking great too. 

And the buildup to what comes next, is so god damn good. It feels weird out of context celebrating it, but the scene where Mikan breaks? Fucking spectacular. The distortion on the word Red hits like a fucking truck, and also speaks to my childhood of being a creepypasta kid because i’m like, half sure that’s the zalgo text filter, correct me if I’m wrong of course. Point is it was an out of nowhere detail that perfectly emphasized the tensity of what’s about to happen.

And I can go on another tangent now, because this is something I have had no opportunity to talk about during the entire duration of this project. At least not to my memory or knowledge.

I love Angry Mikan. I love the Mikan that snaps and is fully over the edge, not willing to deal with anyones bullshit. I of course have criticisms of Chapter 3 in DR2, but Mikan’s reveal of her true self, or I suppose the herself prior to the NWP, I love that moment. 

I’ve never depicted Angry Mikan before, but someday I really want to. So until then I take great enjoyment in seeing such a rare side of Mikan, which itself is even rarer in these fics. I think counting this one there are only 3, maybe 4 other fics off the top of my head where we get to see Mikan fully lose her temper. Now of course, I could be suffering another lapse in memory, or I just haven’t read the other stories that feature it. I only think I’ve read like, 90% of the Soft Junkan out there, I can’t confidently claim I actually have for certain, so maybe I missed it! 

Point is, seeing Angry Mikan is a treat. And here especially is fucking amazing, the verbal teardown, the havoc of it all. It’s great. And Junko just adds to it with her sheer excitement (which is putting it lightly given some of the dialogue), getting to see Mikan finally become, from her perspective, the best version of herself. Someone who can survive alongside her. 

When things start moving, it’s amazing. A small moment I really love, and the moment I was originally gonna wait for to talk about Mukuro with. Her offering up an assortment of firearms from “Her personal collection.” is just, weirdly wholesome? The things I get to say talking about this ship I swear. I dunno, it feels like such a small, personal moment and offer that only Mukuro could provide, and feels like the perfect cap to Mikan and Mukuro’s dynamic throughout this fic.

Also, fucking enamored with the the presence of a Rocket Launcher. Funniest alternate timeline sitting right there, imagining Mikan with a fucking rpg over her shoulder is hilarious.

Junko offering the reverse side of the weaponry coin is lovely too of course, but it’s the wonderful stuff I’d already expect with Junko, so much less of a pleasant surprise like Mukuro. I do appreciate her keeping a knife used on Mikan’s father as a trophy though, imagine that over the fireplace.

Anyway I don’t know how I could really explain to you why the torture scene is nice. It’s catharsis, it’s just catharsis. I don’t even remember how fucking long I waited to read this moment but it was so worth it, Junko and Mukuro joining in to help setup equipment was also really cute . . . i feel like i shouldn’t be calling segments from a torture scene cute. Hm. Well anyway, I can say that while I appreciate its existence, I’m also glad Kayleen chose not to drag it out for too long. Ironic coming from the most excessive bitch around here, but it probably would have been a bit much if it took up the grander majority of this chapter.

Which means we say goodbye to Mukuro and return to our regularly scheduled Junko and Mikan moments. 

And yeah what do you want me to fucking say, it’s amazing? Because it’s amazing as fuck, yeah. I’m running out of ways to just say how fuckin much i love this, but i’ll persevere best I can. 

I mentioned way earlier that I love it when Mikan catches Junko by surprise, and we get more of that here. Though in this instance I think it’s better to describe that this is the first time Mikan just gets the upper hand on Junko, who’s struggling to fight back in the conversation because she’s already struggling to figure out her feelings. And it’s really lovely to see Mikan fighting past Junko’s own insecurities, especially when she regards herself as a bad girlfriend. It’s great, and it’s more of that role reversal I love. 

The book analogy near the end of this conversation is so good, it’s sappy as fuck but that’s why it’s good. And Junko leaning into it despite how lame it is makes it all the better, and I only noticed on this recent reread that there’s even a cheeky V3 reference as well, clever!~ 

The kiss is of course great, and I think i’ve just fully fucking run out of ways to talk about how much I love Junko and Mikan kisses in these stories. Thank god there isn’t one in tomorrows fic- getting ahead of myself. 

Rip to Scissorhands, thanks for the gay but you will not be missed.

God damn amazing fic, so well written. It’s one where I have to be in a very specific mindset in order to read it, as that middle chapter really does stress me out enough to be a bit of a roadblock. But admittedly this most recent reread wasn’t the worst compared to the previous few times. That said the fic definitely had it’s effect on me like usual, my body felt all kinds of wild ways, my heartbeat was a lot more intense, breathing a bit wacked out, my nerves up. The whole shebang, so good fucking writing. Equally bittersweet considering that, at least I assume, the normal events of DR are going to follow this story, even if not immediately. So Mukuro’s gonna die, Junko’s gonna die, and then Mikan’s going to have her brain undespaired and probably lose all her feelings towards Junko (Though I will admit, the idea of Mikan after the actual events of canon still having feelings for Junko while not being a remnant is pretty interesting). 

However, I can live with that. It’s still an amazing story even with main canon in consideration, and I think I’ve run out of things to say here. 

Tomorrow is the last fic based art in the event, Days 99 and 100 are all on me. And by process of elimination you probably have an idea of what Day 98 is, you may even know the exact fic. 

I said there were three fics that were vital to me reaching this point in my life, being this obsessed with Junkan as a ship.

The Third Fic, Everything You’ve Ever Dreamed, is the fic that sent me spiraling into brainrot to the point of snapping and drawing art of it behind closed doors, eventually snapping me into drawing more Junkan than I imagine most if not anybody ever has.

The Second Fic, Smile, is what got me obsessed with the ship in the first place, of course only enough to enjoy reading it in secret, which would lead me to EYED.

All that’s left is The First Fic, which you’ll see tomorrow. The fic that made me bother to even give this ship a chance in the first place. Hilariously, I will probably not yap about it nearly as much as the previous two, even if I love it. 

As always, Reblogs, Comments, and Little Notes in the Tags are appreciated!~ They always make my day!~

[katyspersonal]

What's up with Ranni's eyes exactly?

Thinking about the fact that Ranni's real body is missing an eye

By the way her ghost face is put over her doll's face, this is the same eye that is "sealed" on doll's face, too:

Was she, perhaps, born with one eye, like Messmer? Radagon's red hair is a curse of the Fire Giants, so, Fell God who was malformed and one-eyed! Messmer was born with a single cursed eye (that also got replaced by Marika later), and his own curse also has too many connections with Fell God to ignore! Maybe Ranni, as daughter of Radagon, just happened to inherit similar malformation?

At the same time, Melina has purple "dusk" eye calling back to Destined Death's powers sealed by Maliketh, so maybe Ranni's left eye similarly foreshadowed something Radagon(Marika?) were afraid of? Heterochromia of Doom. I am not too sure about this one, since theme of Ranni forging her own fate despite all is a big trait of her character, so it being foreshadowed from birth would just not fit.. However, Radagon/Marika setting self-fulfilling prophesy of sorts by removing the "sinister" eye would be fun! It could have only fuelled Ranni's curiosity towards the forbidden! What was it that her father feared SO much to do this? Isn't it interesting to investigate into?

Alternatively, maybe Ranni herself removed this "wrong" eye, that conflicted with the Two Fingers and Erdtree, and placed it in the doll's body! So, that guaranteed her spirit would glue to the doll's body as well as it did? Again, not so sure about this one, because if merch version of herself is of any indication, she has no trouble travelling between vessels that we know of!

Well, there is also another potential explanation:

Ranni herself is an Empyrean, and discarded her fate as one by discarding her Empyrean flesh! But the eye is a crucial thing in this equation! Maybe her eye got obliterated upon the act of killing her Empyrean flesh on itself as a proof of losing her right as one, or maybe removing it manually before "dying" was necessary!

And it seems like one eye is enough, there is no second eye cross as far as I am aware... Though I sort of enjoy the idea of her indeed having heterochromia and just left eye being golden (or maybe orange, like Miquella's eyes are)! Her second eye would be pale blue like on her ghost+doll faces (minus the glow of course), as it is a very sorcerers thing to have. Rennala has blue eyes, Sellen has blue eyes, Seluvis and Miriam have blue eyes...

[fanterfane]

Dullahan Diplomacy! (Palmtop)

After having her head cut off and stolen by a headless woman, Palmtop knew she was in trouble. For one, she should be dead, she had no body. But for some reason, the magic of the monster kept her alive and breathing. In fact, she felt completely fine, as if her body were still below her but in a pocket dimension or something. If anything, the most discomfort was from how the dullahan who'd stolen her crown was playing with her. The light squeezing of powerful thighs on the sides of her head were discomfortingly pleasant, despite making her fear that she was about to get a watermelon treatment... Thankfully though, it seems like the headless woman had other plans for the bodyless head. Palmtop was gonna be the new powerful top for a powerful body... Whether she wanted to or not, the power that came from being plopped on top of that body instantly corrupted her. She couldn't tell if she was acting normally or not, but she didn't care anymore... She was powerful now, and nothing was gonna stand in her way... This is one of the finished versions a YCH auction I did earlier this year! I had a lot of fun working on it! I view it kind of as a spiritual successor to dullahan dilemma. I've always been fascinated by the concept of head swapping and head stealing and symbiosis so, this exemplifies those ideas for me! I hope you all enjoy it, and look forward to the second one being posted next week :3

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[itsafablefolks]

I realized I never talked about Willow Tree March and I sure do have thoughts so here goes!

Overall- this isn’t Icarus at Fable or Fable at Icarus in particular, it’s more just about them.

The tree that will die without leaves is the tree Fable created, that then got wacked to gold (and eventually other things). It’s meant to reference how Fable’s tree doesn’t have leaves anymore, and also how a lot of Fable’s actions are superficial. This could have very easily been Momboo’s Tree, but I wanted to poke at Fable and keep the animatic more Ic & Fable centered. (Thank you to Abby who found the reference of the tree at the correct angle and the correct version (shout out to Family Reunion)).

The first refrain is Fable-focused- Icarus dying (again and again and again) and Fable trying to fix it. What he leaves behind is the resets- the history of the world and people forgetting, over and over again. While we don’t know exactly what happens to the papers that Fable ripped out of As It Is, the visual of them all piled up is really cool. The last frame of this section is the wacked Purgatory portal from the ending of the Skulk Reset. That’s the only reset where (to my knowledge) Icarus wasn’t in direct danger. The reset happens because there is now no way to get Fable out, or at least it has become much more difficult. And they all still die- the world still gets reset.

The second refrain is about Icarus. People still die (both Centross and Rakai), despite Fable’s promises otherwise. What Icarus leaves behind is nothing- or more realistically, the memory of a nebulous “Quixis” that maybe changed things, and helped Rae. (Side note- that frame of Ic glitching with “what do you leave behind” is the reason this animatic got made). The finale frame is the only one that can reasonably be said to be Icarus at Fable, because at this point Icarus has gotten with the program and understands that we all still die.

The ending has Icarus glitching through Quixian to Quixis, which works two ways – the people of Lodestar Grove think Quixis had a hand in killing Fable, and its also accurate. The current Quixis did kill Fable – they just weren’t Quixis at the time.

Fun Facts!

Fable’s what will you leave behind took so many iterations to figure out- originally it was just the one page, then it was multiple but I didn’t like the framing, and then we figured it out (thanks Abby)

Most of the time I listen to the song of the animatic (and related songs) while drawing, but when drawing the frame of When the Pieces Crumble, I put on comically upbeat music because I was thinking about it too much and not getting any drawing done

The frames are in chronological order

All of the frame changes are on the beats of the music to the best of my ability, and the glitching on the end happens in time as well.

[magentagalaxies]

"tour of duty" (the filmed version of their 2002 tour) in general is just kind of a bizarre point for kids in the hall that i haven't really talked to any of them about but is hard not to notice when you look at their entire canon. like it's certainly good - there are some tour-original sketches that i highly enjoy and some live versions of filmed sketches that take a fun creative spin on it, but in general things just feel noticeably strange.

buddy cole specifically tells the fur trappers to "fuck off" (buddy very rarely swears and across all the buddy material i've watched for the documentary he's only said "fuck" 3 times across forty years). danny husk wins an award for being a high school vice principal and at&love isn't acknowledged in the bit. the "is he?" sketch has been revised to pack in as many euphemisms for gay as possible, putting the bit on top of another bit. and of course i have my chicken lady thoughts but i don't want to bias anyone else bc i genuinely want to know what your takes are before i share mine.

and again these aren't all bad choices - i think the danny husk vice principal monologue works really well and may not work as well as a different character despite contradicting the Husk Lore™️. but they're all very distinctive choices

idk there's two reasons i personally give for why tour of duty is so strange (to me at least, maybe other people don't notice). the first is that it comes less than 3 years after their other tour-film, the 1999/2000 tour "same guys new dresses" (also available on youtube!) i fucking love SGND and i'll be up front that it's my preferred kith tour video. but part of what makes SGND so special is that it's not just a recording of the live show, it's a full tour documentary following the guys traveling across the country performing together, occasionally showing full sketches but also delving into the stories behind why the sketches played out the way they did. and, sure, sometimes that means cutting out a sketch that i wish i could've seen in full (rip power of the suburbs) but my life is so much better for having seen the "laser eye surgery gossip" or knowing how much drama that goddamn robot-dog-prop caused.

so to then see tour of duty as a straight-up recording of the live show leaves that element of mystery, that we don't get to know why choices were made because we only see the end result. there was a conscious decision not to shoot tour of duty like SGND - the tour doc didn't do well financially, and they also had more of a reason to document that tour since it was their first time working together since the disastrous fallout of "brain candy," and first big national tour since the show ended. the circumstances were just very different

and that's true both personally and politically bc the second suspected reason for tour of duty's weird tone is you can obviously tell 9/11 just happened. two sketches directly reference it - bruce and mark's businessman characters sell scam patriotic products that are all just a rubber band, and buddy cole visits the middle east and ends up having sex with saddam hussein (tho fun fact this concept was written BEFORE 9/11). but the event casts an obvious shadow, especially since both the buddy cole bit and the danny husk monologue were recycled pieces from scott's cancelled one-man-show which was set to debut in new york city on september 19th 2001.

it's also interesting comparing this to SGND. the late 90s are often remembered through rose-tinted glasses due to a generally good economy in the united states and a lot of the social tensions with disenfranchised groups still bubbling under the surface rather than being talked about openly. SGND doesn't reference contemporary events much, but the closure of AT&Love from the KITH finale is undone since the economy has re-entered "rock-on fashion," and buddy cole comments on the Y2K computer bug being underwhelming. (i also went on a super long tangent on how the original show reflected the socioeconomic climate of the 90s but that's a whole other topic i need to go to bed)

i don't know how the KITH feel about "tour of duty." i can't know how much this strangeness was felt for them backstage, and i think in some regards it can only be picked up on as an outsider, albeit an outsider who has watched so much KITH content to know how their work evolved even when not on television. all in all, i'm glad "tour of duty" exists and even the swings that didn't really land for me are still admirable as creative choices.

it's also cool to analyze as someone who has now been to a KITH live show over 2 decades later and got to see those behind-the-scenes conversations play out. the bellini benefit also featured a lot of strangeness, caused by a limited rehearsal schedule and one of the cast members being unable to attend due to illness, but they absolutely exceeded these limitations to put on a very fun show. we did film the performance and rehearsals and that show is going to be released eventually (i'm not in charge of it but the person who is also works on the buddy cole doc so i'm involved). i don't know if it's going to be presented more like SGND or tour of duty or something completely different, but it'll be cool to be part of KITH live show canon

[ym-loreposting]

Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Timeline Placement

Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is a crossover between two mystery gaming series... Professor Layton and Ace Attorney. Officially, this game is set in its own parallel world separate from the canons of either series, as stated by Shu Takumi (the creator of Ace Attorney and a writer for the crossover itself):

4Gamer: Did you decide on a particular point in the timeline of the Gyakuten Saiban series where the Naruhodo and Mayoi in Layton Kyōju VS Gyakuten Saiban come from? Takumi:  Not really. In the Gyakuten Saiban series, there is a clearly defined timeline, but this is just a game for fun, so it is set in a parallel world that is unique to Layton Kyōju VS Gyakuken Saiban.

Despite this, there are several clues in the crossover that allow it to be placed in the timeline of both series. It is a fun exercise which I will be going over here. Spoilers for both series and the crossover follow.

The crossover in the Professor Layton Timeline

The timeline of Professor Layton consists of the six original games featuring Hershel Layton as the protagonist (Curious Village, Pandora's Box, Lost Future, Spectre's Call, Miracle Mask and Azran Legacy), the movie Eternal Diva and the titles Layton Brothers: Mystery Room and Lady Layton: Katrielle & The Millionaire's Conspiracy. These last two are set several decades after the original titles and feature Hershel's adoptive children. New World of Steam, which is set to release in 2025, is set a year after Lost Future, the original game that is set latest in the timeline.

There are no exact dates or years given for the games in the Layton series, but the time between each is more or less known. Relevant for the crossover is that Luke, Hershel Layton's apprentice, uses his design from the original three games, which are all roughly set within the same year. Layton also has the university office he has in these first three games, as opposed to the office he has in Spectre's Call, Miracle Mask and Azran Legacy (which are all set before the original three games).

Left: Luke's design in the first three Layton games and in Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. Right: Layton's office in Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (top) and Layton's office in Lost Future.

Left: Luke's designs in Spectre's Call, Miracle Mask and Azran Legacy. Right: Layton's office in Azran Legacy.

A fun fact here is that in original versions of Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Luke used his design from Spectre's Call. But nonetheless, these details place the crossover somewhere between Curious Village (the first game chronologically where Luke has his original design) and Lost Future (where Luke leaves Layton's side to go live in America). We can get more specific however.

In the crossover, Layton and Inspector Chelmey of Scotland Yard know each other. This detail places the game between Pandora's Box and Lost Future, as Layton and Chelmey meet each other for the first time in Diabolical Box. Chelmey supposedly also appears in Curious Village, but is later revealed to actually be Don Paolo in disguise.

So in conclusion, a hypothetical placement of Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney in the Professor Layton timeline would look like this:

The crossover in the Ace Attorney Timeline

The Ace Attorney timeline consists of two main trilogies and two duologies of spin-offs. The first trilogy is set in the latter half of the 2010s and consists of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Justice For All and Trials and Tribulations. The second trilogy is set seven years later in the mid 2020s and consists of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice. The two spin-off duologies are the Great Ace Attorney and Investigations series, the former of which is set about 100 years ago in the late 19th century and the latter of which takes place a month after Trials and Tribulations.

The timeline of Ace Attorney is more rigidly defined, as each case in each game specified the dates it takes place and each year is known (aside from those of the two Great Ace Attorney games, but those do not really factor into the placement of the crossover as they are set in the distant past).

There are a few references to events in the Ace Attorney timeline in Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney. The first turnabout of the game, the English Turnabout, features a character called the PC Badger, the mascot of the Metropolitan Police. He is based on the Blue Badger, which received the design the PC Badger is based on in Rise from the Ashes (the final case of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney), placing the crossover after.

Later, during the Golden Court, Phoenix Wright cross-examines the parrot Cracker. He comments that the situation feels oddly familiar, referencing the events of Turnabout Goodbyes (the fourth case of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney), where he cross-examined the parrot Polly. But given Rise from the Ashes is after Turnabout Goodbyes chronologically, this doesn't say much.

The crossover also has references to Trials and Tribulations. Maya Fey says the catchphrase 'Zvarri' a few times, which she picked up from detective Luke Atmey in the Stolen Turnabout (the third case of Trials and Tribulations). And when they are exploring ruins under Labyrinthia, Maya can comment that some of the statues there look similar to a statue of Ami Fey at Hazakura Temple. This is a reference to Bridge to the Turnabout, the final case of Trials and Tribulations, and so would place the crossover after Trials and Tribulations. While the statue also appears in the Stolen Turnabout, Hazakura Temple is never mentioned in that case.

But this makes things complicated, as Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney can only be set during a pretty small window of the timeline. Bridge to the Turnabout takes place from February 7th to February 10th of 2019. Meanwhile, in Apollo Justice, it is shown in the flashback portion of Turnabout Succession that Phoenix lost his defense attorney's badge on April 19th of 2019. During the events of the crossover, he is still a defense attorney.

So the crossover has to take place somewhere in that two-month window, but we can narrow it down further. During the credits of the crossover, it shows Phoenix defending a case back in America and standing in court against his rival, prosecutor Miles Edgeworth.

This is notable because during Trials and Tribulations and afterwards, Edgeworth is abroad studying foreign judicial systems. He only returns briefly to America during Bridge of the Turnabout to help Phoenix during the case. In the first Ace Attorney Investigations, which is set in March of 2019, it is revealed that Edgeworth went back to traveling abroad after Bridge to the Turnabout. He only returns to America during the events of Investigations and mentions he spent the previous month away from his office.

Investigations takes place from March 12th to March 17th and its sequel, Prosecutor's Gambit, takes place from March 25th to April 8th. Given how busy Edgeworth is during these days and the fact Phoenix and Maya can be seen in the background doing their own things in both games (The Kidnapped Turnabout in Investigations and Turnabout for the Ages in Prosecutor's Gambit), it seems rather infeasible the crossover takes place in these time frames. That leaves the 8 days between the two Investigations games and the 11 days between Prosecutor's Gambit and Turnabout Succession as possibilities.

The crossover takes place over the course of six days (including the prologue in London). Phoenix and Maya arrive in England per plane and it takes 10 hours to go from Los Angeles to London (and about 14 to 15 from Japan if one wants to take the Japanese versions of Ace Attorney into account). So an extra day can be tacked onto that, coming out at a total of 7, as Phoenix and Maya arrive in London during the first day the game takes place on. The crossover thus most likely would take place between Prosecutor's Gambit and Turnabout Succession, as that gives a few days to spare, tough a placement between the two Investigations games is possible if one assumes that Phoenix and Maya travel to London during one of the last days of the first Investigations game.

[multifunctionalnitroglycerin]

The Locked Tomb Series Names and Symbolism #4

Hiya folks! Hope you are all doing fine and dandy. This series ofc couldn’t be complete without our beloved Sex-Pal in the count. Now according to wiki there are two figures that inspired the Master Warden, Παλαμήδης, the Greek mythological hero that took part in the Trojan war, and Palamedes the Arthurian knight. I am more well-versed in the Greek myths than I am in Medieval plays, I admit, but I will do my best to do justice by both these inspirations.

            But first things first, some etymology. There are two most prominent versions for the etymology of the name Palamedes or well, Παλαμήδης. In the first one, it’s a derivative of the verb παλαμάομαι meaning devise/contrive and invent. Aka the inventor that devises plans (Or concocts schemes, depending on how you want to see it). In the second one it is believed to derive from the verb παλαίω => παλεύω aka fight and μήδομαι => σκέφτομαι, συμβουλεύω aka think and advise. So, Palamedes would be the one that thinks abt the battle and gives advice for it. Both etymologies I feel fit our inventive strategist, The Master Warden of the Sixth, to a t.

Let us now begin with the Greek hero from the Trojan war. And no my pals, this is not yet another Iliad reference, for our proclaimed hero does not actually appear in the Iliad. His first appearance is in what has been known as the Κύπρια, a well-known epic of the ancient Greek literature that despite being quite famous during the classical period, has been lost to the sands of time. Long story short, this epic is a part of the Trojan circle and follows the conclusion of the Iliad. Palamedes’ story is one of many included in the epic that counts I think 11 books.

            Truth to be told, Mythological Palamedes did star in quite a few epics, tragedies and other works that refer to the Trojan war or the time after it, but for the sake of keeping the post relatively short, and since I do not quite have the time to hunt down every ancient text reference and draw a parallel to the Master Warden, we’ll mostly reference the most relative ones and I’ll leave a list in the end, in case some of you do want to go hunting ancient texts.

            I’ll start with a fun fact. According to a Trojan priest of Hephestus, Dares the Phrygian, Palamedes was described as tall, slender, wise, magnanimous, and charming. Now I cannot speak for everyone, but well, to me that sounds like Palamedes Sextus.

            In general, there are not many direct parallels that I can make between Palamedes the Euboian and Palamedes Sextus, bar for the most obvious one, that they are both ingenious. Palamedes the mythological figure was accredited with inventing part of the Greek Alphabet, lighthouses, navigation, coins, the division of time into months days and hours and a few board games, with κύβοι being one of the most prominent (to my understanding it’s the equivalent to dice). Palamedes Sextus on the other hand, figured out the secret to Lyctorhood, necromantically bound his soul to his skeleton, saw through Cytherea’s ploy, exploded himself, created a bubble in the River in which he persevered until Camila could glue his skull back together and he figured out a way to co-exist with her, in her own body, without killing them both, plus the Grand Lysis and Paul’s creation.

            What mostly sticks with me from the above, among others, is navigation. One Palamedes is the inventor of it, and the other, though by that point is Paul, seems to know a way to the Tomb via the River. The river that even God struggles navigating – at least with other people on the way. So, could it be, that Palamedes -that beat even Cassiopeia in time survived in the River – figures out a way to truly navigate this sea of the dead?

            Two smaller parallels we could draw from mythological Palamedes are 1. Pal seeing through Cytherea’s ploy, the same way that Palamedes the Euboian saw through Odysseus’ ploy when he wanted to avoid fighting in Troy and played mad, plowing the earth with a horse and an ox throwing salt in the holes.   2. The syphoning challenge. This story also includes Palamedes butting heads with Odysseus – not going to lie to you, they were evenly matched in genius – although according to some accounts it’s Palamedes who was the brightest and most ingenious of the Greeks - , but Odysseus never forgave him for uncovering his ploy and may or may not have orchestrated Palamedes’ murder – only in this analogy Pal is Odysseus. In a time of great hunger for the Achaeans, Odysseus was sent to Thrace to find wheat and returned empty-handed. Palamedes mocked him, and Odysseus replied that for all his ingenuity he too would return emptyhanded. Palamedes did embark on the quest and was successful, returning with shiploads of supplies. In the syphoning challenge, Pal is Odysseus, the one who turns up empty handed, refusing to risk Camila’s well-being once he figured out how the test worked. And he is also the one that tries to talk Harrow out of completing the challenge. Harrow much like the mythological Palamedes jumps in the opportunity to prove herself – through the challenge’s objective had little to do with proving one’s self, as we saw – and succeeds, obtaining the key.

            All in all, the biggest parallel’s we can draw here, is that Pal like his mythological namesake is a genius inventor and strategist, a bright necromancer and brighter scholar still. He is the Odysseus in Harrow’s Palamedes and vice versa.

            And now that I drew the parallel with Odysseus I cannot unsee it. He made his body the Trojan horse that exploded in Cytherea’s face. He was stranded in the River – the sea of the undead, of the souls and corpses and all that nice stuff – for however long it took Camilla to piece the skull together, like Odysseus lost in the seas. He found his Ogygia in Camila’s mind where he stays safely stored until his stop in the island of the Phaeacians – Naberius’ body. A brief stop gathering supplies, gathering courage before going home. Back to Camilla, but now as one. There is no him and her anymore. They have had a home in each other, and it’s time he returned to it, burning down the ruins of the past, and getting reborn as something new, together, as one. (Cam and Pal are a phoenix metaphor if I have ever seen one.)

            Onto the Arthurian Palamedes now, our friend was a knight of the round table, and makes his first appearance in an expansion of the Tristan and Iseult legend, as a knight vying for the princess’ hand, much like our beloved Sex-Pal wanted Dulcinea’s affections. There are no Trsitans in this world however, merely Cytherea as an imposter.

            Now what is interesting about the Arthurian Palamedes, is that according to various tales he is the hunter of the Questing Beast – a multi animal snake like monster that he, Percival and Galahad are tasked with exterminating. In most versions the hunt is futile and bears no results. After Palamedes converts to Christianity however, releasing himself from the worldly entanglements, he is finally able to slay the beast after the other two trap it in a lake. My theory here is that the Questing Beast, Beast Glatisant or whatever you want to call it, is a Resurrection Beast, perhaps even Varun the Eater. And the Warden has “converted to Christianity” by ascending, aka completing the Lyctorhood process. He shed his mortal shell, disentangled himself from the coils of mortality and worldly needs, becoming very much the equivalent of the “converted Palamedes”.

 Practically, to sum up, Pal through Lyctorhood and Paul could be the one to slay the Resurrection Beast that is Varun the Eater. With the help of two other individuals – for some reason I feel one of them would be Pyrrha – they trap Varun in a “lake” – could be the Tomb, could be the First, could be yet another metaphorical body of water – and he is the one who end the RB that allegedly killed and consumed Cassiopeia the First.

That’s the post folks, now the list of ancient Lit that I promised:

Ἀπολλωδώρου, Βιβλιοθήκης Ἐπιτομή, 3.7 /  Apollodorus, library epitome 3.7 (But he, not wishing to go to the war, feigned madness. However, Palamedes, son of Nauplius, proved his madness to be fictitious; and when Ulysses pretended to rave, Palamedes followed him, and snatching Telemachus from Penelope's bosom, drew his sword as if he would kill him. And in his fear for the child Ulysses confessed that his madness was pretended, and he went to the war)

Ὑγίνου, Μύθοι, 105/ Hyginus' fabulae 105

Παυσανίου Ελλάδος Περιήγησις,/ Pausanias' guide to Greece

Γοργίας, Υπέρ Παλαμήδους Απολογία / Gorgias Palamedes’ Defense

Ovid, Metamorphoses pp. 13.34-60, 308-312

Virgil, Aeneid pp. 2.81-85

Plato, Apology 41b

Take care of yourselves! See ya on the next one!