#I'll go with the closing thoughts one since unless something big happens I don't think I'll have much to add for a final review

[mahou-furbies]

Now caught up with Mermaid Melody Aqua

When this originally started my involvement was mostly about gawking at Lukia's design and I only read a couple chapters before dropping off, but now I'm caught up. Aannnddd how do I put this... it's hard to gauge how critical I can be since this is clearly aimed at a younger audience, and also romance stories aimed at tween girls are already such a punching bag, but... this is the first time I'm considering if I should give a mal rating of 1/10 to a manga. I've read other Nakayoshi series and for the most part have been able to find something like or at least end with a wishy-washy "I'm not in the target audience but I guess it's okay for what it is" sentiment, but this one just has so many issues, in addition to a myriad of stuff that personally pisses me off.

The story is about the original series' heroine's teenage daughter Lukia, who, as anyone who knows anything at all about this manga, looks exactly like her mother for no reason. The ocean is in danger again and Lukia has to marry this one merman to prevent a catastrophe, but she is in love with a human boy, who doesn't know about her mermaid identity and is into both her human and mermaid personas separately and struggles to choose. There are also some magical girl battles. So not that unusual of a shoujo premise.

I tried to think of what my biggest issue with the manga is, but it turned out to be difficult since there are so many to choose from. For starters, I can't think of anything I like about Lukia. Obviously for someone who is into fun anime designs her look is an immediate 0/10 for being an exact copy of an existing character, but it also makes the story harder to follow at times when it's difficult to tell if a character is supposed to be Lukia or her mother. But even apart from the character design she's just so bland, and doesn't have much other passions than lusting after a boy and doing the plot, and even with the plot she's just sort of passively stumbling through. Like in the part where she's being pushed to be with her fiancé and she just limply goes along, and overall it feels as if she spends like 95% of the story looking flustered.

The boys are pretty generic shoujo love interests, and in general in control of the situation while the heroine blushes and follows. They also have little else going on outside chasing Lukia, and get into arguments with each other over who gets her while she feebly stands on the side (her opinion is irrelevant).

However despite the people in the main love triangle being extremely unlikable to me, somehow I'd say that the returning MMPPP cast draws the shortest straw in terms of characterisation. The former heroine Luchia has two roles; either she is the butt of the joke as an embarrassing mum, or an obstacle to Lukia's romance who pushes the arranged marriage, and both are depressing when you consider how she was originally a typical magical girl heroine. More often than not Luchia and her friends are more often than not written like immature teenagers, and at their lowest swoon over how attractive Lukia's fiancé is (all the while the readers are shown how unhappy Lukia is about having to marry some rando).

Lukia spends majority of the series thinking about men, and she doesn't really get proper friendships to balance that out. At the beginning the series does introduce a new mermaid as a friend to her, but they quickly fade into being just an accessory to Lukia. It feels like when the series wants to have a "the heroine is doing fun stuff with her girlfriends!" scene, it just has Lukia hang out with her mum and her mum's friends (who never grew up), which is kind of cringe.

Then there's the fanservice aspect; this is a shoujo series but it sure likes to have Lukia wear tops that show off her sizable rack and skirts short enough to show her butt cheeks. In one scene Lukia is just flat out naked so the main guy can walk in on her. And the mermaid tails have been drawn to display the curves of their legs, which to me creates a kind of grotesque effect when it looks like their feet have been cut off from the ankles.

Then finally some complaints about the overall storytelling, it's just so clunky. Like Luchia reveals that Lukia is a mermaid and already engaged, and Lukia runs off in anger. Next page she is introduced to the mascot and has some banter with him, and two pages later it's already the next day and we're at school. You would think that Luchia would at least try to talk a bit more about how her daughter's life is about to take a huge turn, but apparently nothing that was important enough to show to the reader happened during this time. In general there are a lot of moments where transitioning from one scene to another, or even from panel to panel, is noticeably clumsy. Characters also feel like they act just however the scene needs them to.

I am aware that there are plenty of women and girls who are into this kind of love stories where a big strong man shows up to swoop the blank slate heroine off her feet (just think about the popularity of Twilight and 50 Shades), and I would imagine that Mermaid Melody Aqua is aimed at 12-year-old girls who want a "sexy" romance with hot boys totally devoted to the viewpoint character. But I've never been there so I can't relate, and if I had to think "well someone else probably likes this" every time I think of writing a review I could never criticise anything. So let's just close with the sentiment that with the laziest character design imaginable, wet rag of a heroine, super conservative gender roles in the romance, inconsistent and dull characters, undignified portrayal of original series heroines, unappealing fanservice and overall weak writing this is a good contender for my least favourite manga ever. The story isn't over but it's hard to see how it could crawl out of this hole.

[mrpenguinpants]

Turning Red

— He's always so serious that they can't help but wonder what kind of emotions he's hiding underneath. Good thing you're around.

— Dan Heng, Gepard, Blade + Jing Yuan

Slight spoilers for Xianzhou and Kafka's companion quest.

[Masterlist]

I've fallen into the Honkai train, but here we are. Also, I know Jing Yuan doesn't fit this prompt but I like him so who cares.

Dan Heng

"Dan Heng! We need one more person to play Celestial Jade!" March hollars down the hallway only to receive no response. It makes her pout, biting the inside of her cheek as she taps her foot restless against the floor, "If you don't come soon then I'll be the one in trouble you know!"

Again no response...

She's checked his room and the archives, and yet no sign of the man. The Express is only so big so surely he didn't wander off somewhere outside right? Maybe you know where he is? Dan Heng seems to talk to you more than he does with her, so maybe he gave you a heads-up that he was going somewhere? It's not a solid plan, but it's a plan nonetheless so she marches her way to your room.

"Hey, have you seen Dan Heng anywh-" March starts as she opens your door only to stop mid-sentence since the eyes of the very man she was looking for are staring right back at her. "Ah. Oops."

Her eyes slowly trail down from his and ah- she understands why he was missing. You're curled up around him, arms haphazardly laid across his waist while your head is cushioned by his chest. Dan Heng doesn't seem to find your sleeping position bothersome, if anything it looks like he's trying to slowly nudge you closer without waking you up. One hand is on his phone, probably typing away on the databank, while the other is curled around your waist. His chin rests on top of yours contentedly as his white and turquoise coat is used as a mock blanket, leaving him in the black turtle neck.

Dan Heng looks like he's about to say something but you shift and mumble something in your sleep and they both go still. Scared that they may have accidentally woken you up and the Express doesn't have enough space for March to run and hide from Dan Heng but thankfully, you seem to settle down and return to your dreams. Thus, March and Dan Heng are locked in a staring contest before she slowly reaches into her back pocket without breaking eye contact.

"Don't you dare," Dan Heng whispers as loud as he dares, although his pink cheeks don't do anything to make him look intimidating.

"Oh, I think I dare," she grins too widely as she raises her camera, making sure it's on silent before she starts to bombard her gallery with a pink Dan Heng because he can't stop her unless he gets up. The most he can do is turn his face away but it shows the world his red ears. Once she's satisfied, she's sticking her tongue out and darts out of the room. She expects that two things will happen. Dan Heng will hunt her down and make her delete the pictures, but not before she sends them all to him. As soon as the door closes and March walks down at the end of the hallway she let her mini explosion commence because Geez! That was so cute! Who knew Dan Heng could be so adorable! Why can't she have that with someone special, this isn't fair!!

Gepard

Gepard Landau. The prestigious young captain of the Silvermane Guards who belongs to the noble Landau family. A personality of righteousness, a good family background, and on top of that he sure has a pretty face. The absolute perfect man.

What a boring guy.

That's the only thought that runs through Sampo's mind as he observes the blond hair man talking to his subordinate from a distance. The two of you are supposed to be on break - he knows this because it makes the other Silvermane Guards more relaxed so it's easier for him to run around - and yet Gepard has his back straight and looks as if he's never heard of what a day-off is. What a shame that those pretty blues only have eyes for reports.

"This part here has been causing some issues for our intelligence team," he hears the subordinate say and Sampo's eyes shift to you. He's heard of you before although not as much as Gepard. A simple errand girl who frequently moves between the Silvermane Guards and the Neverwinter Workshop to deliver messages and supplies. Nothing incredibly remarkable but you're a kind person who keeps to themselves. Sampo thinks you and him could get along if you didn't hang around Gepard so often.

"Let me see..." Gepard mumbles and leans down closer to read the fine print before you turn your head to the side and plant a small kiss on his cheek. Despite the cute gesture, Gepard doesn't change or make any expression. He simply steps back into a polite distance, a hand coming up to loosen his collar as he clears his throat, before reprimanding you on workplace-appropriate jokes. You don't seem to take offense to his lack of response, just adorably hiding your smile behind your paper before waving goodbye to the Captain. Meanwhile, Sampo is coughing violently behind his fist because what the hell was that? So much build-up only for a lackluster ending? As a man of the dramatics, it's too much for him.

"Seriously, there's nothing fun about this guy," Sampo sighs, shrugging his shoulders as if to console himself. He's about to turn and leave but the rushed clinking of armor has him looking back at the Captain.

"Seriously..." Gepard mutters before hiding his face behind his hand. Even from this distance, Sampo can see how red the Captain's ears have gotten just from a simple cheek kiss.

Blade

Kafka thinks you're cute. Really cute.

Everyone in the Stellaron Hunters hides their true emotions behind multiple masks and it's refreshing to meet someone who wears their heart on their sleeve. Although it could also be because you're incredibly bad at hiding your feelings. Even if Kafka wasn't as skilled as she is with reading people, you do a piss poor job. Still, it's fun for her and that's the important part.

"Oh? Back so soon?" Kafka greets you as you step out of the alleyway. Even if your face isn't plastered across the Xianzhou like Kafka's and Blades, it wouldn't look good to be seen conversing with them. Plus you rather like being able to walk in broad daylight without the fear of the Cloud Knights chasing you down to slap some cuffs on you.

"Yes ma'am. We can depart when you're ready," you salute and she can't help but laugh at your cute mannerism. It makes you falter the slightest bit but you hold your pose.

"Good. Good. It must have been hard to pilot a ship so close to the Xianzhou without being detected. Especially given," she makes a gesture at Blade, "recent events."

You only nod at her hidden meaning before she's suddenly stepping into your personal space. You can only make a small noise before her arm is wrapped around your waist pulling you closer to her, and you pointedly ignore how her chest is pressed against yours, and her other hand raises your chin until your lips brush against hers. With her so close, she can see the pink in your cheeks growing and how tense your body is against hers. Your eyes dart from her down to her lip before catching yourself and instead looking behind her. It's cute.

"Would you like a reward?" she whispers next to your ear.

"Don't tease so much."

"Oh," Kafka blinks twice, turning her head to her companion as she lets go of your chin so she can press her fingertips against her mouth like one of those posh ladies when they find out about the latest gossip, "how out of character Bladie."

He doesn't dignify her with a response, just closes his eyes and goes back into his meditation. His face fell into that perfect stone that she could have imagined that he spoke. But those piercing eyes carving their way into her bones are unmistakable that even if they are closed, she still feels watched. But she relents and drops her arms around you before sending you off back to the ship. They'll join you soon.

"That's interesting," Kafka muses, she rolls her fingers as thin magenta strings appear before being flicked away with her wrist. Blade shouldn't be able to register anything but herself and yet, he seemed to notice you.

Jing Yuan

Yanqing has the sneaking suspicion that his General is sneaking off to slack off again. While he knows Jing Yuan is incredibly busy and he tends to do things discreetly, this getting far too strange. The General always has a complacent smile, but recently, it's been a tiny bit more genuine every time he waltzs in. For someone so tall, at least in Yanqing's opinion, he's able to slip past everyone and it's impossible to get in contact with him until he suddenly appears hours later. Yanqing would know, he's blasted the General's phone only to receive a cute emote and a "Surely my lieutenant is more than suitable for this, no?". Does it make Yanqing swell with so much pride that he forgets about Jing Yuan slacking off, maybe, but that's beside the point.

"General, what exactly are you doing in your... "off time"," Yanqing words slowly, unsure of what he was asking is considered a pry into Jing Yuan's personal life and if he will get upset with him.

"You're making it sound as if I'm doing something depraved during this "off time"," Jing Yuan chuckles at how fast Yanqing turns pink at his implications. Yanqing's hands quickly come up in a placating nature as he shakes his head so hard that his ponytail smacks against the wall.

"N-Not at all General! I was just curious- but you don't need to answer if it's something important!" Yanqing struggles through his words but luckily, Jing Yuan doesn't seem to take offense. If anything, he finds it amusing as he rubs Yanqing's head like an overactive puppy. It makes Yanqing huff and shoos away the offending hand before crossing his arms, expectantly waiting for an answer.

"It's not anything that needs to be kept as a secret. I'm simply taking a walk around Xianzhou to distress. You should take some time to do so as well, training every single day without a break will only lead to weary bones and stiff muscles," Jing Yuan advises which Yanqing nods carefully along to. Although Yanqing's eyes drift from the General's eyes to mouth, he seems more...softer around the edges? Even though he's the only one here, it looks like Jing Yuan is speaking to someone else through him.

"Are you sure you're not doing something indecent?" Yanqing deadpans to which the General laughs. He reaches over to ruffle his disciple's hair again before crossing them behind his back and walking ahead. Seriously, Yanqing thinks as he fixes his hair back into place, he can never get a good read on his General.

[error501blog]

Race, Live-Action Casting, and Ninjago

I'll start by saying something everyone can agree on.

No Chris Pratt.

Now that's out of the way I want to state my purpose for this rant. It's to spark discussion. I want to hear other people's ideas and perspectives. I'm one Asian American out of literal billions. I know after typing everything out I'll feel bad, but this feels like a discussion the fandom needs to address. Every perspective is worth considering and thinking through.12

I'm not worried about the casting. Warner Bros. is a big studio that doesn't want any negative press. At least, Kai and Nya are going to be Asian. I'm worried about the other Ninja, mainly Lloyd. But I think the studio doesn't want to be cancelled, so that's not my number one worry. My number one worry is Garmadon. If Garmadon is in the movie, will his skin be literally black? his can be sidestepped if Garmadon isn't included period. But the Hagemans love their emo dad. Still, I don't want blackface Garmadon.

My theory is the casting will have a similar model to what Avatar did in it's live action. There were white voice actors, now they're played by a diverse cast. Kiawentiio is amazing, but not as tan as Katara was in the animated series. (That's a discussion within itself) There was a controversy with Ian Ousley. I'm not going to get into those topics, but they did happen.

However, the worry for many comes from the fact Ninjago is more racially ambiguous than Avatar: The Last Airbender. Almost all the characters-with exceptions being the Water Tribes and Sun Warriors-are Asian. Avatar: The Last Airbender has characters with a variety of skin tones and facial features. Ninjago has almost all of it's characters with yellow skin. Which is typical for LEGO, but feels iffy in an Asian inspired world. The fact everyone has yellow skin lends to an almost race blind world. However, names come from countries. Completely human characters have blond/ginger hair. Lloyd and Master Wu have blond hair. Master Wu is especially weird because he has the aesthetic of the Hollywood wise old Asian martial arts teacher there to help the protagonist. But he's blond.

In a cartoon I can suspend my disbelief. In the show I can't see facial features. Everyone in Ninjago has the same eyes, unless if you're a robot, one of the very few women, or Lloyd. I can live with this in an animated show from the 2010s.

In live action films, there are close-up shots. People will stand next to each other. I know what real life people look like when I'll see the movie. This shouldn't matter to me. I shouldn't care so much, but the history of whitewashing roles in media is too vast. We interpret the world through race.

White is the default in the US. Examples being Ghost in the Shell Warriors TV series. Asian roles for media set in Asia for Asian roles are cast by white people with white people since 1961.

What I want to know is the world of the live action going to be Asian inspired? And the better question: should it?

I don't know.

Ninjago since day 1 has had a tenuous at best relationship with race. It is clearly in an Asian inspired world. Everyone knows Ninjas come from Japan. However, it's just an aesthetic.

The worldbuilding is very Western. If we compare to Avatar again, there is no use of any Asian philosophy in Ninjago. Avatar is chalked full of allusions to Buddhism and Japanese Imperialism. But, Avatar is a more well thought out show than the show where one of the main characters gets sent into another dimension and becomes evil, violates the Geneva convention then is given no acknowledgement and I hate it.

Ninjago when giving us culture that seems Asian inspired to me fails spectacularly. (The Kabuki from Chen's Island. That's a Tumblr rant within itself) The most obvious example being the yin and yang marriage proposals. They have Google! The writers could've gone down an internet rabbit hole for a variety of cultures. But we have this clumsy, "Will you be the Yin to my Yang?" It's stupid and I hate it.

However, Ninjago in the Wildbrain era started to move away from the Asian aesthetic. One could make the argument it started in Rebooted, but I'm saying Wildbrain era to keep this post short. We go to a pyramid in Secrets of Forbidden Spinjitzu. We meet the Ice people from the Never Realm which I think are inspired by the Inuit. I'm not too sure.

Dragon's Rising has done away with any resemblance to Asian culture. Sora is Japanese name, so maybe? But all the resemblance is from the old show. It's a fantasy show. They are a soft reboot. They could make their dragons look like literally anything in this soft reboot and they stick to the Western style ones. It's this big fantasy world, why am I not seeing any allusions Asian folklore?

But can't I blame Ninjago when they fumble so hard when they try. It's a lose lose situation. But research isn't worth it. Is a culture too inconvenient to even research? Because everything seems absorbed from other pieces of American media. Yin Yang has nothing to do with marriage-at least to my knowledge. It has to do with Daoism. There is no research or attempt. The show hasn't done a legitimate attempt in it's full run and that's sad.

We're seeing that when the Hageman brothers write they don't shy away from the Asian aspects of the world. Or maybe there was less understanding of Asian representation when the show first aired so they could do whatever they wanted. (And Wildbrain and Dragons Rising are more popular so have higher stakes if they fuck up too bad) This is racist, but it isn't coming from hatred. It's coming from ignorance. If this came from hatred why make a show about ninjas?

The Hageman brothers have demonstrated ignorance in their writing. I've been saying Asian instead of specific countries because everything is so monolithic in the show. It would be amazing to have this world for a big franchise shown to kids around the globe. (Especially to Americans who might not watch a show with an authentic cultural world if it didn't tie to Ninjago) But that's not going to come from them. It's never going to come from them.

Authentic Asian representation was lost when the writers were picked. I have no doubt there'll be sensitivity readers, but there'll most likely be a cultural erasure. I'm not mad at the Hagemans. I'm not even mad at Hollywood. But I'm disappointed in Warner Bros.

Please respond with your own opinion. If you agree or disagree with any of my points. Hell, if I said something racist let me know. I want this post to get people thinking and talking about their own opinions on casting and writing.

[eliotlime]

End of October Update

There's got to be a less clunky way for me to title these things but maybe I'll figure it out after a few posts.

Anyway at the top of the order I want to say that uh... the Abacelsus zine is not happening by halloween unforch.. I just started school part-time and it being part-time is still kicking my ass! So tentative release date will be on 11th November unless something else happens....

On the plus side I'm done with the cover so all that's left is the back page and cramming all 24 pages full of drawings 👍

-> As I've said at the end of my previous post I want to make more blog style posts so here's me trying to do that, more under the cut

🔐Abacelsus Zine

I'm still deciding on whether i want to print it A5 or B5 but I'm leaning towards A5, though for the digital release it doesn't really matter lol

As mentioned, I'm done with the main cover so I just need to fill this entire thing with stuff, I said 24 pages but really the total page count is 30. I'm just not counting the cover and the blurb stuff.

I'm half taking a break with this at the risk of burning myself out and half paralysed with starting it. Plus I've kind of been more into Axl & I-no hilariously but I'll always love A.B.A. I think the lack of any real info really lends her well to interpretation which is always fun.

I've never really been one to engage in fandom so I'm probably going to be doing my own thing. That being said if anyone has any suggestions feel free to drop them in my strawpage or ask box :)

🥤 Strawpage & General Socials

The bugs make my pages so decorative, I gotta draw more bugstyle guys.

Speaking of strawpage, I made one of those! It was really fun, I have a short OC info tab with descriptions of some of my main guys. I'd love for you to check it out.

This kind of acts as my ask box for twitter since there's not one there and apparently it's basically my main social media site these days so I'm just mirroring my experience here over there too.

Hilarious timing considering that it's basically collapsing on itself once again, I'll probably still be on that damn site until it implodes but I also have a Bluesky account for those that care about it.

The sky follower bridge extension is really useful for bulk following people from twitter to bsky

I'd love to post there more but there's not a queue function and that's very important to me as someone who is not American and lazy to remember optimal timings.

Did you see? I also have a new pinned for this blog! Wanted to make a new one for a while now, always thought the old one was so freaking long. All the old info is still on my about and faq page though I don't know who actually looks at those.. a relic from years past..

☹ School

Sigh, like I mentioned earlier I'm doing school again! At my big age, but I'm having fun so far! It's part-time but it's still kicking my fucking ass! It's the main reason why I'm a little disoriented this month honestly.

Do you like it? I spent an entire Sunday making my class miro board look niceys and then proceeded to get nauseous from cybersickness afterwards LOL

I'm doing a UI/UX course and I have to say the funnest part about it is making personas, it's like making OCs. Don't particularly like writing though.. but also that's a lie considering the numerous amount of paragraphs in this blog post alone haha

🎁 Merch

I've also gotten confirmation that I'll be boothing again next year in Febuary! So I gotta start locking into making more stickers and general merch. I say this a lot but I do need to look into opening an online store because I just have tonnes of stickers and stuff lying around waiting till the next time I do a convention which is kind of a shame.

Oh, but I will say that if you are from Singapore and would like anything from my previous convention catalogue feel free to shoot me a DM on instagram and I can mail it to you locally, shipping's $2 SGD.

➰Closing Thoughts

All in all, been kind of busy this month with school and various loose threads from September but overall I think I'm doing better! I've also been cooking lately and truthfully that's my biggest achievement this month haha, been also getting really into canned fish. Yummy!

Oh and a last thing is that I've been itching to animate again so I'll end this post with a WIP of a gif I did last night/morning. I almost always never finish my animations but here's hoping this one actually makes it to the colouring stage haha

No prizes to anyone who can guess who these two because of course.

Thank you for reading! I know I can't expect everything to be done in a single month but I just wish I could do everything without getting tired or cybersick! If you'd like to support me, here's my ko-fi page and my itchi.io & gumroad as well.

If you have any questions or just generally want to talk to me, my DMs and askbox is always open! Any professional enquires can be sent towards my email as well: eliotlime@gmail.com

XOXO, Stay weird!

-Eliot :)

[1-800-rh]

(Haven’t written in a few years so my writing skills have diminished over the years but promise to get back into it ! Also this is the first chapter to my book Insanity on wattpad . Enjoy <3 )

Rodrick Heffley X Fem!Reader

LIFE WASN'T PERFECT, Y/n definitely made it all feel better. Just a hug from her or a simple 'hello' was enough to make him flushed. He would deny it to anyone who asked but deep down he always did have a crush on Y/n . Their parents had lived next to one another since way before either teenager was born. It made the rough days easier for Rodrick as when he would argue with his parents, he'd climb Y/n's side of the house & up to her room.

"There's my Romeo." She would say . He would just roll his eyes & enter her room. She knew exactly what it meant when he'd climb through her window . Rodrick only did this when he didn't want the altercations to get physical. Tonight was a little more different. Y/n said her usual sentence as she pushed the window up, but this time Rodrick ignored her. She sucked on the inside of her cheek as she watched him throw himself on the purple bean bag directly from her bed.

"Was I interrupting anything?" She shook her head & eyed the open textbooks on her bed . "Nope. I was simply going over my notes, nothing important." He tapped his drumsticks against his thighs & let out an exasperated sigh. "I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not."

She chuckled & took her spot on the bed again. "No , i'm being serious. It wasn't anything too important." Y/n closed her books & set them to the side - the floor side of her bed. "What happened tonight?" She let the question linger for a couple of minutes before regretting it as it just roamed in the air. "It was just a stupid argument about my bandmate , Bill. I swear it's like they don't ever listen or care what I have to say."

"Maybe it's in their best intentions that they don't li-"

"You sound just like Greg." He said. Y/n sunk in her spot , arms crossed on her chest. "If it's not Manny or Greg saying something they don't care. It's whatever. The moment my band makes its big break , i'm skipping town." He rested his chin on the palm of his hand as he eyed the girl across from him.

Maybe it was his teenage mentality that he thought that everything was shit or that life sucked . Maybe he was right & his parents only put on this facade to display to the rest of the world that they were the perfect all america family . Maybe it was the pathway he took that made his parents so disappointed that they rarely mind him any attention. But no one knew the reality , unless it was the Heffley's.

Y/n brought her knees to her chest , resting her head against them. "I'm sorry to hear that . Truly I am. Um...on the topic of your band , have you decided what songs you're gonna perform for the rock festival this year ?" She said.

"Bill & Drew were thinking we should perform Projectile Diarrhea Diper but I dunno. I think it's too soft for the festival." He finally stood up to stretch his legs , Y/n lifting her head up to watch him. "I think you guys will be amazing no matter the song. I'll make a sign that says 'I Heart Löded Diper' & scream at the top of my lungs when you guys are up."

Rodrick chuckled & began fiddling with the bracelets he wore. "Oh god ." He said. Y/n gave him a sly smile & jumped out of bed . Though he swore to kill anyone who hugged him, he only allowed her to do so . She didn't know it but she was his safety net & he felt as if he could count on Y/n no matter what.

"Do you wanna spend the night ?"

"Can I ? Do your pa-"

"They're out of town . They've been out of town for the past three weeks . Beats being alone in the house to be honest." She said. Y/n bent over to open the lowest drawer on her dresser , revealing to Rodrick all the clothes she had neatly folded for him from every time he spent the night.

As she was distracted, Rodrick couldn't help but stare at her ass ; he turned a beet red when she caught him staring but refused to say anything as she thought he was staring at something else. " You can help yourself to the 'Rodrick' drawer I keep for you. "

"Stalker much?"

"Fine by me, I'll more than gladly toss all your clothes you've left in MY room . More room for my actual clothes ." She batted her eye lashes in an egotistic fashion. Rodrick threw his arms in defeat - giving an obvious eye-roll - before pulling out his plaid pajamas & a random black shirt that once may have been a band tee but the words were barely visible.

She watched him fix up a little bed area on the side of her bed , though they had shared the bed multiple times, he felt comfortable sleeping on the floor . It was Rodrick after all, he could sleep anywhere regardless of the situation. "You know you could always just share the bed with me." She said . He shrugged & laid himself on the padded flooring, regretting it instantaneously & jumping in bed with Y/n .

The clock read 3:25 A.M. Rodrick had laid in bed for the past five hours , unable to fall asleep. Y/n laid next to him, dozing away. He sighed & got out of bed . Normally he could fall asleep within the moment his head hit the pillow , but the continuous flashbacks of the argument kept him up.

He walked over to the window , cracking it open halfway & sparked up his blunt. He leaned over the window sill & looked out into the early morning darkness. Y/n stirred in her sleep before slowly moving around . At times he thought about running away in the early hours of the day , but the thought of Y/n kept him from doing so. He couldn't imagine his life without her not by his side .

•

"Rodrick , I have had just enough of this little 'my bands gonna make it.' talk. It's not gonna happen. I want you to get your shit together & use your head for something good." Rodrick scowled & stared at his destroyed drum sets. Frank pushed past him & walked down the stairs. "I have let this charade go on far too long."

Rodrick tightened his fist before pursuing after his father. "Get my shit together, really ? How about you get your shit together." He yelled.

"For over a year now , mom has been the only one providing for us. Day in & day out. What do you do ? You just sit on your ass all day playing with your stupid military toys."

Frank was face to face with his eldest son . Susan only watching from across the room. "Greg has started selling his video games in order to try to help out because we're barely scraping by ."

"Rodrick, sweetie , I think that's enough. Frank , come on honey , just sit down for dinner with us." Susan pleaded. The younger boys only sat watching their eldest sibling & father going back & forth.

Frank scowled. "Listen here , I am your father. You respect me as such. " Rodrick glared at Frank & scuffed. "Well you're doing a shitty job at it ."

Everything happened to fast . Susan watched in horror as Frank back handed Rodrick , causing him to stumble back . "Rodrick !" Greg jumped out of his chair .

"Take Manny & go upstairs please." Susan muttered to Greg as she stood up & walked towards the fighting boys. Rodrick grabbed his father by the collar . " I SAID ENOUGH." Susan shouted.

Only it was a little late, Frank had managed to push Susan off himself & Rodrick . The grown woman was now on the floor . Rodrick watched at the scene in front of him & could only glare at Frank as he disappeared towards the set of stairs.

He helped his mother off the floor. "I'm sorry , mom." She gently squeezed his hand & hugged him. "It's fine sweetheart. Just go check on-" Her sentence was interrupted due to the commotion that was coming from Rodrick's room. They both ran & to their horror found his room completely destroyed.

His band posters were all ripped into pieces. His drums that had been destroyed were now in pieces, damaged beyond repair. His drumsticks were snapped in half . His bed sheets were now sprawled all over the floor right alongside his bed. His dresser had been tipped over & a majority of his clothes had been torn to shreds.

"I bought you all of this . Since I'm doing such a terrible job at being a dad , buy yourself all over your shit from scratch." He crossed his arms & stood in the middle of the room. Susan had her hand over her mouth , too stunned to speak.

"Go to hell." Rodrick muttered to Frank as he ran down the stairs . His mother kept calling after him saying that everything could be resolved but he continued ignoring her & made his way out the front door.

•

"Rodrick ?" He spun around to find the girl climbing out of bed & making her way towards him. He chuckled at the sight of her messy hair. "Sorry I didn't mean to wake you up." She shrugged & reached for the lit blunt.

Y/n took a hit & sighed , the smoke releasing as she did so. "Couldn't sleep ?" She said . He shook his head. "Not really. I just had been tossing & turning. So I thought it was the perfect timing for a smoke." He took back the joint & took a hit as well , burning it out before storing it away.

"Can I ask you something ?"

"Yeah of course Rodrick."

"Do you think that in a different universe we have better families ? As in we don't get shitty lives ?" She stayed quiet & began shutting the window.

"I think we do ." Y/n walked back to her bed , reprising her spot from earlier. "I hope we do . Sometimes I feel like i'm going insane from living like this." Rodrick sighed in relief. He knew that no one would understand him like she did .

Now high & sleepy , he headed back to bed . "Goodnight Y/n."

" 'Night Rodrick."

[jadeylovesmarvelxo]

Arrival ❤️

Summary; Heavily pregnant reader waiting to give birth, anxious, overprotective Eddie and Kit excited to be a big brother to his baby sister a few days before your due date.

Warnings; So much fluff, Dad! Eddie, anxious, overprotective Eddie, more fluff. Minors dni

Part Two to Family

💕

If you enjoyed this pls consider liking, reblogging, etc.💕

I don't give anyone permission to copy, repost or reuse my work.

🌸💕

It had been two and a half years since you and Eddie had confessed your love and exciting things were happening.

The two of you had just married last year in a beautiful intimate ceremony with only your close friends and family in attendance.

A little after your wedding you had found out you were pregnant and no one was more excited than Eddie at the prospect of having a little one in the house.

There was exactly three days to go until baby girl Munson was here. Your due date was fast approaching and your boys were displaying different emotions now the time was drawing closer.

Eddie who had been uber-protective the whole pregnancy was even more so as the days ticked down, he was an anxious daddy-to-be and was impatient to see his baby girl.

Kit was equally as impatient as his dad but very excited too, he began talking about what he could do for the baby and it was very sweet watching him grow even more excited at the thought of being a big brother.

"Can she come out yet mama?" he whines and Eddie nods along with his son. It warmed your heart when Kit called you mama, you loved him and Eddie made it clear that he adored it too.

When it first started happening you thought your heart would burst, it happened so naturally and now he said it all the time.

"She's comfy in there clearly, but it's just a few more days until she makes her grand entrance into the world. Unless I go past my due date" you tell Kit and he pouts.

So does Eddie.

"Princess, I wanna meet our angel" he whines and you squeeze his hand while Kit gently rests his head on your belly and talks to his little sister.

She's full of energy today, kicking happily when she hears your voice, Eddie or Kit, she loves when the two of them play the guitar for her.

As Kit is talking to his little sister you feel a twinge of pain and wince. Eddie strokes your hair.

"You okay sweetheart?" you nod and just as you relax the pain comes again and it lasts a few seconds longer.

"Eddie, something is happening" You hisper and his eyes go wide.

"Shit! Are you in labour?" it's possible and you get up ruffling Kit's hair he looks worried.

"Is the baby coming mama?" you are about to speak when it hurts again.

"I think so baby, I don't think we have to rush yet" Eddie kisses your hair.

"I'll get the bag ready and phone Wayne just in case princess" you agree with this and as the hour passes the twinges get a little more intense.

Eddie has the bag all set up and Wayne is coming around soon, the three of you watch a movie and it isn't until you get up to get some hot chocolate that things ramp up.

"Baby, sit down I'll get you more hot chocolate" You smile and tell him to sit with Kit.

"I'm fine Eddie, I can get it" Just as you get into the kitchen you feel wetness trickle down your legs. There's a puddle of water on the floor.

"Eddie! My waters have broke!" The calmness you felt before gives way to anxiety and the prospect of giving birth.

Of course, you thought about it a lot leading up to this but you were trying to focus more on enjoying your pregnancy (the three weeks of bad morning sickness not so much)

"It's okay princess. Stay calm. Everything is going to be fine, I'll be with you every step of the way" he assures you and Kit who hates seeing you in pain.

"Mama will you be okay?" you nod breathing slowly.

"I'll be fine honey, don't worry okay?" Wayne arrives fussing over you but you reassure him all is fine.

"I know Kit will be worried but please try and get him to stick to his bedtime as much as possible, you know how much he loves to watch Disney movies so maybe put that on after his bed"

Wayne grins. "Darling we will be fine. You just focus on being calm and go have that baby yeah? Can't wait to meet her" You return Wayne's smile and and kiss Kit on the cheek, hugging him tightly.

It's not often you and Eddie are both away from him, maybe for date night or when he stays the night at Wayne's or Steve and Nancy's but it's not possibly days away.

Eddie is next for the cuddles and you struggle to hide your tears, when you are outside Eddie kisses your forehead.

"He will be fine princess" you let his words sink in and squeeze his hand as another contraction hits.

Better get moving.

💕💕

The drive to the hospital was a fast one, Eddie had a few choice curse words for some of the very slow drivers.

All the while you battled your contractions which had gone from not too bad on the pain scale to hurting like a bitch.

Once you got into the hospital and into a room everything felt more real and you were anxious as hell but couldnt wait to meet your little girl.

Eddie wouldn't leave your side and did anything to help you feel comfortable. Whatever you wanted he got and you did your best to stay as calm as possible.

You read a little and Eddie put on your favourite movie and the hours seemed to tick by slowly.

As time past your contractions became closer and closer together and your doctor was telling you it was time for the baby to come.

"Well Mrs Munson, looks like your baby girl is coming fast" Your grip on Eddie's hand tightens and he smooths your hair away from your face.

"You got this princess, you're badass and amazing and beautiful and this baby is going to be the luckiest little girl ever" his words make you tear up but you're quickly distracted as Doctor Green tells you to push.

It feels like hours as you push, the pain has you gripping onto Eddie's hand for dear life, not once does he wince or complain, he just strokes your hair and cheers you on.

"Come on sweetheart, one more push, just one more. You can do this" he urges and with all your strength you push one last time, a piercing cry fills the air and there is your little angel.

Eddie is crying, your crying. She's perfect.

Doctor Green takes her away for a moment and Eddie cuts the umbilical cord, gently holding baby girl Munson, he's holding her like she's the most precious thing in the world, she is so precious.

Ever so tenderly he hands her to you and the rush of love you feel is overwhelming, wonderful.

"Hi baby, I'm your mama" Eddie holds out his pinky finger and she latches onto it with her tiny hand and it melts your heart.

Eddie's eyes fill with love. "Jesus" he sobs as he looks at her in awe then he looks up at you.

"I love you so much, princess" You stroke his cheek and kiss him softly.

"I love you too Eddie" he's beaming with happiness.

"She's an angel, let's have another one sweetheart" this makes you giggle.

"Definitely in a couple of years stud" he looks delighted at this and holds you close to him as you both stare at your little bundle of joy.

💕

Eddie was in love, he had his little princess in his arms while you rested and he was so full of love for you, little Willow and Kit.

His family, his beautiful family that he couldn't believe he had, sometimes he had to pinch himself at how much of a lucky bastard he was.

You had been at home for over a week now with Willow and she was doted on by everyone. Kit was taking his big brother role very, very seriously and rarely left your side or Willows.

Pretty much like Eddie himself who was very protective of his girls.

Willow moves around for a second, her face scrunching up for a second as a soft cry escapes her lips, he rocks her gently and she quietens, her lips forming an oh shape as she sleeps soundly.

He sings to her, a lullaby his mother and Uncle Wayne sang to him when he was little.

He wishes his mother was still alive, and wonders what she would think of Willow, of you, she would love you both he has no doubt.

Your arms slip around his waist and he smiles at you, his heart bursting with love.

"Get some rest sweetheart. I've got her" You settle beside him.

"Wanted to hear you sing" this makes him smile and he carries on singing, eventually Willow is lulled into a deep sleep and he places her in her crib.

You're dozing too and the sight is so fucking cute, he guides you back into bed, curls up beside you and wraps his arms around you as you fall asleep on his chest.

His last thoughts are of you, Kit and Willow before he falls into a deep slumber himself

❤️

[braveheartstoryteller]

What does Sora know, or what is he aware of? Has been a question on my mind since taking a closer look at the Round Room scene in Dream Drop Distance. Is it possible that he knows more than we think? I've been toying with this idea in my mind for a long while. It sparked when I noticed something in the scene's animation. In further away shots in the second half of the scene (such as just before Xehanort makes his attempt to make Sora his vessel) we see Sora's eyes wide open. Where as any close up shots, that we get in the beginning, Sora's eyes are mostly shut. So what happen in between? Was all the commotion, enough to make him semi-aware? That's the answer, if I am honest, I sort of wanted. I mean think of the angst potential? (I'm a fan-fic writer okay?) But, I am the type of person to look at all possible options first, and see what is the most plausible answer, and even look at real-world explanations. The real world explanation, is limited animation. While I don't know if this exactly what they would term what they are doing, it is what I personally call it. It is something that is done in all main-line KH games up to KH3. Where unless it is needed to convey what they wish, or it is a close up shot, sometimes they will limit what they animate or draw. In the case in question, those far away shots could be that limited animation. They do go as far as make the iris of Sora's eyes dark and undefined, in order to match what Sora's eyes are at this time. They are like black-blue dots.

So this big, big question might all be chalked up to a shortcut made by the developers. *sigh* If though, this isn't the case, and there isn't another explanation, then what might that be? Well of course there is the obvious one, and I've already mentioned it. The best evidence to back this idea up comes from BbS. When Ven first arrives at the Land of Departure, his eyes are the same unfocused, endless blue orbs. Yet he shows some sort of very limited awareness, though he gets overwhelmed very quickly. Then later when he finally wakes up, his eyes are still the same.

So these eyes don't necessarily mean unawareness. However, when looking at Sora's case, the text does explicitly say that Sora is asleep. This is what pulled me to the most plausible answer (save the real-world one, which no one really wants) in my mind. If there is someone watching, perhaps it is Ven, Roxas and Xion. When Riku goes to wake Sora up, he has to answer three questions, all posed by these three. And before that, Ven showed some sort of awareness, by protecting Sora with his armor. We see a heart hover over Sora right after he drops to the deepest darkness. Considering the armor appears after, it could be presumed to be Ven. So in a way, those three were Sora's guardians, even if they couldn't do all that much. If this is the case, then that smile at the end of the game by Ven could have a deeper meaning, as not only is it about the Dream Eaters, but also that everything is now as it should be. Still, I'll always wonder. What does Sora truly know? Eyes don't lie, ya know. Do you think I am barking up the right tree, or do you have thoughts to add? Feel free to reblog and tell me!

[m-musings]

Winging It: Buggy the Clown X Winged! Fem! Reader Pt. 2

A/n: ehhhh this part is definitely not as good as the first but i still like it and that's all that matters! also, i forgot to say this on part 1 but lmk if you want to be added to the one piece fic taglist or any other taglist!

(part 1 here! :] )

Word Count: 2k Summary: Being sick of the duo dodging their problems, the other pirates take the matter of Buggy and (Y/n)'s relationship into their own hands. Warnings: a bit of angst but mainly fluff.

It had been about 3 weeks since the incident on the island, and tensions between Buggy and (Y/n) were at an all time high.

What was once friendly camaraderie was now an awkward mess of a thing. Any contact they had before had been limited to only seeing each other when absolutely necessary. Avoiding each other in meetings with the crew or eating alone during mealtime had become a common practice for the two.

If Buggy needed something of (Y/n), he would make one of the others tell her in his place, just so he wouldn't have to face her. (Y/n) even began skipping show rehearsals to spare the both of them from anymore embarrassment or heartache.

No matter how hard she had tried, Buggy had pretty much stopped acknowledging her existence all together and vice versa.

It did hurt (Y/n) to not be around him as often, but she still didn't have the courage to face Buggy again, no matter how much she just wanted to run up and throw her arms around him in an affectionate embrace.

"Thinking about the clown again?" A voice called from across the table, pulling (Y/n) from her thoughts.

(Y/n) lifted her gaze to look back at Alvida, who was waiting for a response with one eyebrow lifted in question.

With a saddened nod, (Y/n) tentatively picked at the food on her plate.

"Am I that easy to read?..." Half-heartedly laughed (Y/n) as she pushed a piece of potato from one side of her platter to the other.

"Kinda, yeah. You've been like this ever since the day I had that meeting with you guys.."

"Well, that's pretty much when this whole thing started. It sucks, but I can't change what happened back there."

"Why don't you two just make up already, then? It's obvious that you both like each other. A little too much if you ask me..." Alvida grumbled as she took a sip of the drink in her hand.

"You dont get it, 'Vida. His face after he said was just... utter disappointment. Almost like he hated himself for having feelings for me. And then, he just- just walks away without another word! I never want to experience that feeling ever again!" (Y/n) groaned, burying her head in her arms now crossed on the table.

"But have you even thought about asking him why he walked off?"

"Of course I have! I tried to a few days afterwards but every time I got close, he said he was busy and left me standing there like a fool! So, obviously there's no point in making the effort anymore."

"Maybe not, but if there's one thing I know about all this sappy shit, it's that you'll never find out the truth unless you talk it out."

"Sure, I'll do that when that Luffy guy finds the One Piece! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a meal to eat." (Y/n) snarked before angrily stabbing into a piece of meat on her plate as the female captain stood up from the table.

Alvida simply sighed, shaking her head in response before turning around to go order around some of the Big Top crew to do some work around the ship.

The next day, (Y/n) was flying above the boat, watching out for a town that laid on the northern part of the Polestar Islands while thinking about her conversation with Alvida.

As she scanned the skyline, her attention was captured by Cabaji shouting for her.

"Hey, (Y/n) could you come with me for a while? I need some help with something below deck! Mohji said he'd take over as lookout for you for a bit."

"Uh, yeah, be down there in a second!" Called (Y/n) before closed her wings and soared down to land directly next to the unicyclist.

Following him as he lead her down a hallway in the sleeping quarters of the ship, Cabaji looked behind to give (Y/n) an almost apologetic smile before turning to face forwards again.

With a confused look on her face, she started to survey her surroundings warily as the two continued to strut through the ships underbelly.

As (Y/n) and Cabaji reached the door, she saw Buggy and Alvida approaching not far behind.

(Y/n)'s posture instantly become more rigid as she looked straight ahead to avoid eye contact with the man she had been dreading to be around.

"Captain."

"(Y/n)."

The air was thick with apprehension as the two pirates silently stood side by side, trying not to bump into each other in the restrictive space.

"Ok, so the problem we're having is right in this room. Both of you can come and take a look." Said the raven-haired acrobat as he motioned to the dwelling before him.

The winged girl and red-nosed man leaned forward to be met with a little room full of buckets, brooms and mops.

Taken aback, both chanced a glance at one another before spinning their heads around to see an anxious looking Cabaji wringing his hands together.

"Cabaji, what are we doing at the supply closet?" Buggy sighed as he irritatedly placed a hand over his eyes.

"Yeah, there's nothing here but cleaning stuff and old wine barrels."

"Well you see, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for what I'm about to do to you two because it's for your own good!" Cabaji winced with regret, suddenly reeling back before shoving (Y/n) and Buggy into the room.

(Y/n) hissed in pain, barely managing to recover when she peered up and saw Alvida smirk at her before slamming the wooden door shut.

"Hey wait! What the hell is going on?!" (Y/n) asked as she got up from the floor and began to pound on the door, which was refusing to open.

Buggy pushed himself back up and tried to turn the handle, only to find it had been locked from the outside.

"Cabaji! You better unlock this door now or I'm shooting you out of a canon!" Growled Buggy as he started banging on the door too.

"No way! We're not letting you two out until you idiots finally talk it out! I'm sick of you guys avoiding each other all the time!" Alvida yelled from somewhere outside the door.

"You can't do this!" (Y/n) exclaimed as she used all her force to push against the panels.

"I can if it's what gets you both to have a normal conversation for once! Now talk or I'll come in there and make you talk!" Alvida stated with a barking kind of chortle.

As Buggy tried to use his devil fruit abilities to knock the door down, (Y/n) tried to search for any other way out of this predicament while the pair heard Alvida and Cabaji's footsteps recede back down the hall.

After scanning every nook and cranny and seeing that there was no escape from the small space, (Y/n) heaved out a morose sigh and flew to a small chair in the corner of the room opposite to the door.

"She's right, y'know... we have to talk about it at some point so why not now?"

Buggy's rampant banging on the wood slats stopped abruptly at her words as he almost growled with a scowl carved on his usually jovial face.

"There's nothing to talk about..."

"Oh really? You really don't think deserting me on a random street after calling me yours warrants a conversation? Or don't think ignoring me every time I even take a single step in your direction deserves an explanation?!"

"I don't owe you an explanation, I'm your captain and what I say or do goes. End of story!"

"Well then stop acting like my captain and act like my friend, Buggy! Just fucking talk to me!" Hollers (Y/n), angrily standing and stomping on the ground.

"See, that right there, that's the problem! I don't just want to be your friend or your stupid captain anymore! I want to be your everything!" Asserts Buggy, pointing a gloved finger in her direction.

Oh...

"Because... well because, I love you, (Y/n), and I want to spend every moment of every day with you..." Buggy admits almost inaudibly, his shoulders slumping in surrender.

...

Oh.

"You... love me?" (Y/n) quietly repeated, the fury in her eyes slowly subsiding.

Realizing he couldn't change the subject anymore, he threw his hat on the ground before leaning on the door and sliding down to sit against the scratchy wood floor.

"Of course I do. Everything you do drives me crazy. From the way you actually laugh at my dumb jokes to way you smile when you're flying above the crowd when we perform, I can't take it anymore! I want to spend every second I can with you and it kills me inside that I can't."

"Who said you can't?" Inquires (Y/n), who tiptoes over and sits down across from the clown pirate.

"You've made it pretty clear that you're not interested. For god's sake, i flirt with you all the time and you never seem to reciprocate any of my attempts."

"I never even knew that's what you were doing!" Scoffs (Y/n) as she throws her hands up in exasperation.

"Really? I thought I was being so obvious!"

"In my defense, you flirt with a lot of people."

"I do?!" Buggy questions incredulously.

(Y/n) laughs in reply, shrugging her shoulders as she nods in confirmation.

"Aw, shit.... I screwed myself over, huh?" Whined Buggy as he squinted with a sheepish look on his face.

(Y/n) then shakes her head and draws Buggy in by his shoulders into a tight hug. For a brief moment, Buggy hesitates but promptly holds her in return, though ever so slightly tighter.

"No, you didn't. I still love you, Bugs."

Buggy's worried face drops and he pulls away from (Y/n) before red begins to bloom all across his painted face.

(Y/n) slaps a hand over her mouth at the shock of what she had just confessed to the man she cared so deeply about.

"What did you just say?..."

"Don't make me repeat it..." (Y/n) implores with her face growing darker as well.

"No, say it again.... Please."

As Buggy's desperate eyes bore into her own, she took a deep breath before grabbing the green-eyed pirate's hands into her own.

She then lifts the both of them from the ground and leads him to stand in the middle of the closet, the only noise being the muffled sound of their hearts beating fast in their chests.

"I love you, Buggy. I have for a long time now. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before..."

"No, I'm sorry, pretty thing... I should have just heard you out back then. Apparently, even the lady I adore more than anything can't save me from being dumb. Can you ever forgive an old sea dog like me?"

"Hmm... sure I can. Under one condition."

"Anything. Just name your price."

"Kiss me?" Requested (Y/n), looking up at him through her lashes.

Buggy chuckled deeply before tugging (Y/n) closer to him and placing a gentle, gloved hand on either side of her face.

"I think that can easily be arranged." He whispered before placing his lips upon hers, careful to not let his nose get in the way.

All the weeks of strain and struggle began to melt away as the kiss grew longer and their passion grew stronger.

As they continued reveling in the time in each others touch, (Y/n)'s wings unfurled themselves from her back and wrapped the two of them in a sort protective blanket, shielding them from any prying eyes and warming both their bodies and hearts.

"Ahem!" A voice calls from the doorway.

Buggy and (Y/n) separate and peek behind her feathers to see Alvida and a whole crowd of pirates standing behind her with amused looks on their faces.

"It's about time!" She grins before the whole crew behind her begins to cheer raucously.

(Y/n) looks up to face Buggy with an ecstatic smile before she leaps into his arms and nuzzles her face into the crook of his neck.

With a grumbling laugh echoing in his chest, Buggy wraps his arms around her and places a soft but sweet kiss upon her forehead.

"I love you, Buggy." Murmurs (Y/n) as her smile grows wider.

"I love you too, angel." Buggy mutters in (Y/n)'s ear, still holding her as they go to celebrate with the crew.

[pluppsauthor]

Tag Game: OC Questionnaire!

BIG post, a compilation of every time I have been tagged for this (that I can find) and haven't already answered (I think)

Thanks to taggers at the bottom this time so I can jump right into it! (I'm doing each set of three with a different character from Frequency: Forsaken, since it lines up perfectly)

- - - - - - - [In order of appearance: Zenith, Kyr, Reven, Ino, Dawn, Dusk]

1. What genre of story would you rather be in? (as opposed to the one they are currently in)

*light laughter* "You're implying I'm in a story, one whose genre I'm not entirely sure of. But, knowing me, thinking of myself as being in a "story" is not a foreign thought to me." "As for what genre I'd like to be in. Something calm and nice, like a gentle romance or fairytale of knights and princesses."

2. Do you think you'd survive the movie A Quiet Place? (must stay as silent as possible or alien creatures hunt you down)

"I would need to stay silent? Hmm, I think I would do fine. I can't see, and despite having another form of perception, there are some things still out of my world. I could very well accidentally make a sound without knowing what caused it. My power is also silent so... that would help I think. Overall, I think I would do fine."

3. What's your idea of a quiet get-together with a close friend?

*light chuckle* "I've spent a lot of time with the friends I've made, but I think my favourite has to be sitting quietly by a calm river. The subtle sound and warm silence is really comforting to me. So anything like that would suffice."

4. How do you do on roadtrips?

"Roadtrips? Those aren't really a thing. But if we're talking about long journeys, just give me something to eat and someone to talk to and I'll be fine."

5. Do you have any rituals you stick to in daily life?

"Eating, sleeping, normal stuff. I don't really have "rituals" I do, I just coast, see what happens and go along with it."

6. What would your Halloween costume be?

*laughter* "Well I want to say a dragon, but that would be too obvious." *silent thinking* "OH! What if I was a knight! I can transform into a dragon, then I would be the princess, the knight, AND the dragon, just like those old fairytales. That would be good!"

7. How do you make decisions? Long deliberation, or impulse? Logic or emotions?

"I think things through. As much as I hate it, the amount of times I've given into my emotions is... staggering. I think fast, and act faster, no time for emotions to get in the way."

8. What is the best thing that could happen within five minutes after waking up? Does it signal that the entire day will be good?

"Not bleeding out or missing any limbs. So long as I'm in one piece and not dying, that's enough. And, no. No day has ever - Or will ever - be a good day unless Dusk is dead."

9. Is there anything that you find difficult that you feel should be easy?

"Dying."

10. Who's your favourite person?

"I've lived a long and storied life. To choose only one being who has impacted me the most is... cruel. Most of those I remember being fond of are gone, and I have long since forgotten their names. But they were, friends, of mine once, yes. Now, however... I suppose Dusk is most similar to those I remember remembering."

11. What food can you not stand?

"I don't need to eat, but I can. There was a time, once, where I did need to eat. That time was when I truly enjoyed food. I think my least favourite was something bland, I think it was nothing but basic grains and uncooked plants. It was terrible, so much so that I still remember it today."

12. Do you have any pets?

"I've had a few over my life, none currently however. They live such short lives, it makes me sad to grow close to them."

13. What's your favourite book?

"I haven't read much, on account of being raised outside of the system and being a wanted criminal for the majority of the rest of my life. I read one, once, it was some fictional book about some myth or legend. I think it involved a snake that ate itself or something."

14. Do you like your job?

"Job? That's a funny way of putting it. If you mean being a part of the New Season, then no. I don't like it, but it is a necessity, something that needs to be done."

15. Who would you kill for?

"I'm not one for revenge, mostly. I think if anyone else here in the New Season died. Dusk, Zenith, Kyr, even Ino. I think if they died, I might track down and kill whoever killed them. But if someone threatened ME, I wouldn't hesitate to kill them first."

16. What is your favourite thing to eat?

"Favourite things are for the rich and the comfortable. I will take any food that is edible, regardless of taste. I suppose my "favourite" would be any cooked meat. It really doesn't matter to me."

17. What is one of your lifelong goals?

"Well... that's a tough question. I don't think I have one. I want to help the New Season, seeing as I'm one of the people who founded it. But... that isn't really what I want to do." "I guess I want to tear down the Everden family, seeing how they are the reason my life ended up like this. But I'm not sure what comes after that, if anything."

18. Do you have any fears?

"After... I don't even want to talk about it... but, after that, I REALLY don't like jellyfish. I'm also afraid of forgetting, I don't want to lose my memories again."

- - - - - - -

Thanks to (inhale) @tildeathiwillwrite (here), @illarian-rambling (here), @kaylinalexanderbooks (here), @sunglasses-in-the-bentley (here, here, and here)! Love you all! ❤

As for who I will tag, no pressure as always, I will tag: @mk-writes-stuff, @phoenixradiant, @diabolical-blue, @somethingclevermahogony, and open tag. ❤

I'm back now from vacation btw, was out for the last week or so. Now that I'm back I intend to do some old cobwebs (tags) I've been tagged in.

[rindousbbg]

Hi hi <33

Here for a matchup, if you don't mind <33

I'm female(she/her) and would like to be matched with a guy from Tokyo revengers.

Many people describe me as quiet, kind, helpful, independent and smart, I'm definitely introverted and an INFJ. I'd consider myself ambitious as well since I've got a big academic dream I'm working towards. A passion I've got is helping others, although I like to do it "anonymously"/in a group and not alone or face to face in person.

In my free time I love playing the guitar, reading, listening to music and going on walks. I'm quite shy and not really talkative when you first meet me, although that changes when I'm comfortable around someone, then I can talk a lot haha but I'm also quite a good listener. <3 I also have negative traits such as being selfish but also insecure sometimes. (Insecure more often than sometimes lol)

In a soulmate I'd look for someone understanding who unconditionally loves me besides my bad sides <3 I don't mind someone with a good sense of humour or intellect. If I had to pick some "ideal traits" for him to have it'd be quiet, intelligent, caring and protective but I'm very adaptable and will love someone if we really understand, support and love each other, regardless of their appearance or whether their personality is like the one i described as ideal. <3

Some things I don't like is when he's controlling and manipulative obviously. I despite people/guys who try to make their gf/wife/other women a typical "house wife" for cleaning, cooking and raising children. I'm a pretty independent person and would like my partner to accept that and give me freedom to do some things my way and not insisting on me having to rely/depend on him.

A physical thing I cannot stand under any circumstances is smoking. I HATE the scent of it as it's closely connected to a traumatic event in my life that left quite a deep scar on my mental health, so every time I'm around a smoker I feel nauseous and immensely triggered, that'd be a deal-breaker. I'm not too good with children either so if my match up would value children a lot it'd be quite difficult.

My love languages are spending quality time together as well as words of affirmation. (I give quality time and receive WoA the most but I'm chill with it being turned/other love langs) I'm not too big on physical touch and gift giving, as i feel somehow guilty when someone buys something i want for me </3

I think that's everything, I hope it wasn't too much haha

Thank you in advance already, ik I'll already love my match up if it's made by you haha 🫶

Here's your matchup!

You got...

Ken Ryuguji.

• Draken would admire how independent you are. Being kind to others and being helpful. Not that he would mind if you weren't as helpful.

• Draken would understand why you want to help others by being anonymous. He won't pressure you for that.

• Although when you first met, you were so shy and reserved later opened up to him and made him feel happy that you are comfortable around him.

• Darken won't blame you for being selfish and insecure. Let's be honest we all are humans after all. Even he would tell you to choose yourself over anyone.

• Daraken is mature and would understand your problems quite well even without you saying anything about it.

• He isn't the brightest person in the room but still tries to light your mood up by cracking some silly jokes that took years for you to understand. (He's trying)

• He would support you no matter what. He's very understanding and supportive. But he would still stop you if you were doing something wrong.

• Will always be there for you when you need and protective. But not overly protective, he knows when to protect you tho.

• He won't force you to do things you won't like. Either you say it yourself or nothing will be happening.

• He won't pressure you to have children unless you want one. Although he would like the thought of it in the end you are the one who's giving birth so depends on you.

• He's not someone who's good with words but you can count on him to spend quality time with you. Although he's great at giving some good advice if you needed.

hope you like it! Thanks for requesting!

[anneapocalypse]

I got to the scene last night that I'm sure everyone spectating my Urianger Problem has been waiting for me to get to. 🥺

I knew the scene with Moenbryda's parents was coming (it pops up in basically any youtube search for "Urianger" no matter what you're actually looking for), but I didn't know when or how it would go, and so it still managed to surprise me, in the manner of "I'll just turn in this quest and go to bed OH SHIT WE'RE HERE"

It was really good, even more so than I expected, not just in how much emotion it gets to show in Urianger but in how it brings a lot of his character setup full circle.

It was good to hear someone tell him Moenbryda's death wasn't his fault, especially someone he might actually believe, at a time when he might almost be ready to hear. I don't think he'll ever completely stop feeling responsible for it (especially given that what he says on the moon implies he was just offscreen when it happened and he could have stopped her and didn't). But it's clearly that it's been mostly shame over his part in it that has kept him from contacting her parents since, and now that he knows they don't blame him... maybe he can finally make some peace with it.

I love the anecdotes about the two of them in childhood. That Moenbryda was the one who sought out his friendship, that she acted as a protector when he was bullied, completely tracks and fits the pictured I'd already tentatively formed of them. That Urianger is a nerd (affectionate) even by Sharlayan standards is something we definitely already knew (I had the thought early on, which I think a lot of people had, "...Do all the archons talk like this? Ah, no, he's just Like That") but the story Moenbryda's parents tell just confirms it, that he was not just a loner but a bit of an outcast. Even in a culture like Sharlayan's, kids are kids. I love having a clearer picture of their childhood together and how they became the friends they were.

It's clear that Moenbryda's parents were also a big part of Urianger's childhood, and that they love him like a son too.

Which, to me, really raises again the question of Urianger's own family. To the best of my memory, he has never mentioned his own parents. Even upon arriving in Sharlayan, where they presumably live or at least did, he says nothing about visiting them. This wouldn't be particularly unusual for another Scion--Y'shtola, for example, rarely talks about herself period, so her not bringing up her family or childhood unless it's directly relevant to the current quest isn't particularly noteworthy. But Urianger seeking out Moenbryda's parents, and particularly the way the writing frames the Warrior of Light as someone he feels close to and trusts, both in the way he confides in them on the moon and in the way he thanks them for being present at the reunion--it draws attention to the fact that he's never once spoken of his own family. In that context, the fact he makes no mention of visiting them on returning to Sharlayan becomes meaningful. Either he does not have a relationship with his parents, or they are dead. To be honest, I was beginning to wonder if he was an orphan. I'm told there's a very brief mention of his parents in the lorebook, and it's to say they weren't around much in his childhood, and we have no idea if they're even alive in the present day. (Thank you, @farfromdaylight 💜)

And all of this adds context to who he is, his tendency to self-isolate while also longing for companionship and to place his trust in others. I wonder who he would have grown up to be without a Moenbryda in his life--I imagine someone far less trusting, with a more cynical outlook toward others perhaps, without someone in his formative years going out of their way to defend him and befriend him (I especially loved the bit about Moenbryda reading the same books as him because she wanted to understand him), without these surrogate parents who clearly loved him and cared for him. I imagine having those people in his life has gone a long way toward shaping his faith in other people, even when they're very different from himself.

It was so bittersweet to hear how happy Moenbryda was to hear from him, calling her to Eorzea. I feel like it really can't be understated how much Louisoix leaving her behind, while taking her best friend, hurt her, and I feel some kind of way about the fact that his approach to that was "I won't tell you why, figure it out" instead of just... I don't know, giving her a choice? Saying, "I understand you have doubts, and I want you to choose your own path; I'll respect you whatever you choose." I can see there that classically Sharlayan attitude of "I alone am burdened with the knowledge of What Is Best, and it is my duty to protect everyone else from the burden of this knowledge," which Urianger very much picked up from him. (I've talked about this before, but I have a lot of feelings about the influence Louisoix seems to have had on the Scions as a whole and I don't think the effect is wholly positive.)

There is probably a lot more that I could say (and there is definitely a larger Thing I want to write about Urianger once I'm done with Endwalker) but overall it was a really great scene. None of was especially surprising or jarring, which I think is a sign of how strong his character arc has been; it's a really strong payoff to a lot of great setup. It has me thinking about a lot of things and I want to roll around in it for a while.

[thatonesalmonlingnamedspike]

the weirdest fucking thing just happened - a storytime on tumblr

OKAY. SO. HERE WE GO. THIS WAS... SOMETHING.

so pretty much my father is the co-owner of a small little cafe(since his brother, and my uncle was the owner and they're super close) that's named after the name of my grandfather, so lets just call it... Cup's. [[ REDACTED ]]. i like to help the both of them cook things(despite often setting things on fire.) and take some orders. HERE'S WHERE IT GETS INTERESTING.

very few of the customers know i'm the adopted kid of the co-owner of the place, who i'll call Salmon. him, the co-owner, works there as an employee as well. one day, on a weekend, this random Karen and her bratty kid walk in. now, as it was a weekend, it was a bit busy. i'm usually just a waiter on these kinds of days, since i'm no good under pressure, especially with food. i walk over to the Karen's table, with this usual dumb, big smile, and receive there order. now, i don't exactly remember what she ordered, probably a sandwich or something, and i went to the kitchen to give her order. i was standing next to the register with this nice dude who worked there, looking for people that needed anything, and then i spot the kid, running around, screaming, stepping on people's feat, touching, eating, and knocking over people's food. the mother didin't seem to care, and was now very annoyed by this, and i put my hand on the kid's shoulder while he was running. and just stared at him, and told him not to run around in the best voice i could muster, and he started crying and ran back to his mother.

(guys i'm notorious for making 5 year olds cry in a Walmart with my neutral expression that looks like a death glare don't judge me)

his mother was fuming because of this, and came to me stomping, and this is how the conversation went down. the entitled mother said, "How dare you stop my child?" Me: "He was running around and was annoying other people, didn't you see? He was touching their food!" Entitled Mother: "He's a child! He can do whatever he wants to do!" Me: "Well, yea, but not unless under supervision." Entitled Mother: "Do you even KNOW WHO I AM?" Me Thinking: "Ah, sh*t, here we go again. I've seen enough of this to know how *THIS* is gonna go." I knew what was gonna happen, so i thought of playing along. Me: "No, ma'am, i don't." Entitled Mother: "Well then you should know i am the WIFE OF THE OWNER OF THIS RESTURANT! And you have made a HUGE mistake and i will make sure your face will NEVER be seen here again, because you're getting fired!" Me, thinking in my head: "HUH?! I thought she'd go for a sister or friend but she went for a wife, and now we're gonna have some fun." "Ma'am, I don't think you even know his-" (imma call my dad by 'salmon') Entitled Mother: "HIS NAME IS SALMON!" i was kinda shocked that she knows my dad's name. very few people knew that anyway. Me: "Ma'am, i'm very sorry i acted rude towards your son, but please, don't get me fired." Entitled Mother: "Well, you should have thought about that before you stopped my son from having fun." Me: "B-But ma'am, he was anno-" Entitled Mother: "SHUT UP!!" i don't do very well against someone yelling at me, so i was literally about to just cry right then and there..... she goes to the register and asks for the manager. my dad came out and talked to her about what happened since my uncle was out sick. Entitled Mother: "Your employee has been harassing my son! I want him fired NOW!" Salmon looked at me and said, My Dad/Salmon: "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but i can't just fire them without any reason." Entitled Mother: "Do you even know who you're talking to? I'm the wife of the owner of Cup's! And i can't stand the employee here." my dad got the biggest grin on his face and started laughing. Entitled Mother: "WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?" My Dad/Salmon: "I'm sorry, i'm telling you, again, i'm sorry for the inconvenience caused, would you like to have a refund?" the entitled mother went into total rage mode. Entitled Mother: "You know what?! I'm calling my husband, and complaining about you and your employee, i will get BOTH of you FIRED!" now the way that she got my dad's phone number is because we had it on a board outside as we gave home deliveries so that people would order on call and you would get it dropped off. so she called that phone number, and my dad's phone rang. Karen, the E.M., was shocked. he picked up the phone, and with this smug Hat Kid smile, said, My Dad/Salmon: "Yello, this is the co-owner of Cup's, how can i help you?" Karen's face went from red to complete white. like if blood was drained from her. he then said, My Dad/Salmon: "Yes, I'm the co-owner and the manager of Cup's, and you, are in no way me or my brother's wife, and the employee you want to be fired is my child." she looked at me, and i just could not hold back my laughter anymore. and just then, her order was ready. but until then, she was already embarrassed enough with the whole time, her kid crying in the background. she dragged her kid crying by the arm, and didin't even take the order. i got to eat her order after that while sitting outside. :)

[partiallypoison]

okay, so i wanted to write a post with a bit more information on the mcr reunion zine, since i already have a lot of people interested :)

please note that nothing is set in stone. there needs to be A LOT done before i even think about applications. the most i've done is a lot of research and gathering my thoughts about what exactly i want. however i wanted to explain myself better in case anyone is on the fence about whether or not they want to participate!!

warning: i typed way too much but hopefully it answers any questions you might have at this stage <3

first and foremost, it’s going to be a charity zine. regardless of size, i don’t want to do this for profit. that money is going to be donated. which charity, i’m not sure, but i’m open to suggestions!

for the subject matter: it’s going to be about mcr’s reunion and everything surrounding it. i want the zine itself to be almost like a scrapbook, in that it captures events of the reunion. a summoning video, the shrine show, the foundations of decay, specific shows and/or parts of shows (speeches, outfits, drum sayings, songs played for the first time in years, singing with openers/special guests).

you won’t be assigned your topic unless you don’t specify one. however, it’s first come, first serve for topics. i won’t have twenty people drawing cheerleader gerard. you have to submit multiple topics in order of preference. if you don't get any of your assigned topics, i'll do my best to assign you one as close as possible/work with you to adjust it so it's not too similar to others'.

yes, you can work on the same show/topic as someone else as long as what you want to do is different than the other person. example: two people want to do the 9/11 brooklyn show. one wants to do something about playing skylines and turnstiles in new york city on 9/11 and the meaning behind it all. the other person wants to do an art piece about desert song being performed for the first time in years. both can be in the zine, because they're different, even though they're the same show.

writers are a bit different. they can write about something if there’s already two art pieces about a show, but only one writer can do that topic.

both of those things can change, of course.

i’ll create a list of as many topics as i can think of for inspiration. the list won’t be the only topics allowed, though! there’s like 70+ shows to choose from with different things happening each show lol

depending on how many participants there are depends on how many pieces you can do. i’d say maybe two, unless you’re doing art and writing, then possibly more. if you want to do multiple pieces, i'd have you let me know in the application.

however, i wouldn’t give you all of your preferred topics at once. you’d get your first one, then i’d continue down the line. your second one would be like going back into the queue for your second show and getting renumbered hahah.

the zine will be in chronological order, with mostly art and a few written pieces here and there.

i am open to different forms of art (illustrations, collages, etc.) and writing (poetry, analysis, etc.).

collaborations are always welcome, and even encouraged!! make something with your friends!!!

there WILL be an application process, especially for something this size. i’m picturing something big, with lots of participants spanning across different platforms (hopefully). you will need to include examples of your work in it in order to be considered.

HOWEVER, i don't want people to be discouraged because of the fact that there will be a chance you will get rejected. my goal is not to reject people. my goal is to create a huge project created with love by as many people as i can get. this is a love letter, and i want it signed by as many people as possible. that's why i'm opening this multiple art forms and writing!!!

depending on the size, there may or may not be merch! prints, stickers, charms, buttons, whatever. that just depends on how many people we get for the zine itself. you can apply to do merch, or if you're not selected for the zine, i might reach out about you doing merch instead :)

and yes, i will be looking for people to help me organize this. i’ve never done this before, but by god do i want to do this for my chemical romance. if you have experience organizing big zines, please reach out to me with the name of the zine you helped organize and what you would be willing to do to assist me. i'm doing a lot of research but i know i wouldn't be able to do this on my own. i have some friends willing to help but i don't think any of us have organized anything like this before!

i think that's about it. i'll hopefully have something more concrete than just my thoughts and ideas within the coming month or so. my goal is to have this ready for pre-order by halloween (aka the First Day of the reunion) at the latest. maybe by 9/12 (aka mcr's 22nd anniversary). the next thing you might see from me might be a sideblog for the zine, and then hopefully more information about the zine itself.

thanks for your interest! feel free to ask questions, but know that i might not have answers yet.

[posttexasstressdisorder]

So yeah...it's November...

We have not been given time to process the freak-ass crazy shit that happened in October, and a lotta freak-ass crazy shit went on.

Not sure why, just feelin' the need to report/vent while I sip coffee out here on the tumblr front porch with all the other old tumblr geezers.

Phase 2 of "Octember" has begun in a mix of good/weird/painful shit to work through. A lotta ghosts. Felt both Char and Kyle intensely the last few weeks: my two Gemini Ghosts. They're here but they're not here, and part of you wants them to stay and part of you wants them to leave you alone.

And yeah, money is still front and center in that assortment of emotional intensity. Much gratitude and thanks for the help that has gotten the rent and electric bill paid for yet another 30 days (you know who you are!).

My calculations this month were just a tiny (and ironic) amount off. After the dust settling, thinking I'd gotten it all considered, I ran through the numbers this morning before I left for the credit union, and saw I'd shaved it a little too close and after all was said and done, I was gonna be (drum roll please) $1.16 overdrawn. lulz.

No worries, I thought, being the resourceful hobbit I am I remembered I had a roll of quarters in the murse (what I call my patagonia shoulder bag) for laundry. Peeling off $1.25's worth of quarters, and laughing valiantly with the teller, I asked her to put that in with the roomie's half of the rent and bills.

Total came to a "lucky number" in her culture, and so I didn't think anything of it and got my rent check printed out and came home. Thought I'd (just to be sure) re-check the acct, much to my chagrin I'd mis-read the amt it was gonna be OD'd and hadn't put in quite enough quarters. So I'll head back over there tomorrow and deposit another quarter and laugh with the teller again. I don't wanna be overdrawn by ELEVEN CENTS. Handy dandy visual aid:

Yeah, I laughed, but goddamnit I am so fuckin' tired of the stress of this. The self-inflicted big lady ringing the bell paradin' yer ass around screaming "SHAME! SHAME!"

And then you just shut up and figure out what to make for dinner with what you have left on the eve before you go to the store.

October this year was a hard month on the planet. Lots of thin-veil coincidence/hoo-do shit, lots of miscommunicated things with roomies, with people while out, communication was hard, still is, but it seems to have lightened up some. Almost like gravity is getting stronger and pulling on us all more. Collective angst, personal angst, community angst, all of it just rushing up and saying hello at once.

One big angst for me has always been my fucking TEETH. My parents both had notoriously bad choppers, I know mine have been in need of workin'-on for awhile. I hadn't been to the dentist (before this round of visits) in well over 10 years. I had no insurance for most of my adult life, so I just never thought about it, unless something broke. Had several "It's cheaper to pull than fix" decisions about 20-25 years ago, and lost several back-teeth along with root canals and crowns on what was left. In short, a hot mess.

I have had Medi-Cal since I got into a wreck 3 months after i moved here (7 1/2 years ago), and just never thought that it might cover dental, since no other "insurance" I ever had in Texas ever coverd it. So once I figured out I can get my mouth looked at and worked on for nothing, I started the appointments a few weeks ago.

All of this leading up to this past Monday the 30th, when I got both the updated Covid jab and the current-season's flu-shot, and then went and got my mouth wrenched on and drilled and vacuumed and what-notted for a solid hour. Things have definitely progressed even in the last ten years. I thought I was looking at another surgical molar removal, but no!

They were basically able to use some kind of polymer that they put on and then the assistant pulls the trigger on a UV light-pen to "cure" it, and they do that several times, and completely rebuilt a broken tooth, and frankly, I'm amazed. It feels like the original tooth before it went south, and very little to no pain. And they numbed me up better for that than the last fucking oral surgeon who cut out my lower right back molar back in Texas did.

So a mix of crazy up/down shit, and then trying so goddamn hard to get the money thing right, and then still fucking it up, but comically inept. New-old tooth rocks, they want me back in April to do something else, and I'm fine. They told me to use a "hydropick" and I just looked doc and assistant in the eye and said "there's no money for things like that, I'm "I-brush-with-baking-soda-poor", and the assistant left and came back with a toothbrush, some floss, small bottle of mouthwash, and a little plastic syringe to use with warm salt water to flush the spaces under/between the crowns.

So mouth happy but goddamn, I have been sore for the last few days. Jab site almost done hurting, tooth as well, but muscles not quite recouped from the "Dentist Chair Death Grip"...I put my whole body into it and basically seize up and close my eyes and let them have their way with my mouth.

"Just lie back and think of California, dear!"

[timoswerner]

hello. i’ve been reading your thoughts about conte and i agree with some of your thoughts. i’m also reading comments from people and trying to get a better understanding about the situation. if you suggest we should sack him, who do you think would be a good replacement? considering that whoever the manager is, it’s still gonna be a challenge if the owners or the club keeps doing nothing to back the manager. as i understand it, this situation has become a cycle and it can’t be fixed by only changing managers (or do you think it actually could?) thank you! sorry if you have talked about this before and i probably missed it.

hello!! this ended up being really long so i'll put it under a read more

so to be completely honest i don't really have an answer on who i think should come in next. i know tuchel's name keeps getting thrown about and i did like what he did at chelsea (he's the only chelsea manager i've ever liked whilst they were managing them haha) but surely at some point we have to move away from the ex-chelsea manager thing lmao it is a little bit embarrassing us always going after their castoffs. i'm really torn on poch coming back because i think it might be too soon, but then at the same time, there's only really 5 players left from his time so there's plenty of new ears that would be listening to him and he would play better football than we've got now. i know a lot of people still think potter could do a job but i think he'd be out of his depth with us too, i've not seen a single thing from him at chelsea that makes me think actually yeah he'd be a good fit for us, and i wasnt overly impressed with him at swansea (cooper did better with a worse squad) so i personally dont want him anywhere near us. after poch i was actually like 'i'd settle for howe' and i think he's done great job at newcastle but unless they sack him for a big name or something, he's not leaving them for us. at this point in time though i really just feel like anyone but fucking conte, i shouldn't be physically at matches thinking if i closed my eyes i could easily fall asleep lmao. it's awful that my dad (and others) didn't go to the north london derby of all games because they just can't stand to watch us play right now.

i do agree that we shouldn't just keep sacking managers. the only club that's worked for is chelsea but they thrive from chaos lmao and we are not them. we have been better when we stuck with a manager. however, conte isn't showing me anything that makes me think 'yeah he just needs a bit of time to sort this out'. but whatever happens even if we don't sack conte now, he's not going to be here in the summer and i've said that since the start of this season. there's no point in backing a manager now if he's not going to be here in the summer because then you just end up with a new manager with a bunch of players that aren't his own and especially with the way conte loves older players.

i think the whole backing managers thing isn't necessarily black and white. personally i think conte was backed last january in a way that poch never was. conte was definitely back in the summer with the likes of richarlison - i'm still shocked we paid so much money for him (i like him but i'm not sure he's worth 60m to us - but maybe we'll get more out of him next season). we've also cleared out players under conte (okay some only on loan but they're not physically at the club) which we didn't seem willing to do before him. when you look at poch's last summer he was backed with the money we spent on ndombele, lo celso and sess and clarke - but firstly it was too late, and secondly especially with ndombele it wasn't money well spent. sess is the only one still at the club and bless his soul he's not having the best time. so i think there's an element of we actually are willing to back managers now, but we just don't seem to be spending the money well. paratici is now the one who is meant to be dealing with all this, and i think it's unfair that when it's a signing people like they praise him but when they don't like it they blame levy. i think paratici's signings have been a bit hit and miss, and i don't trust his taste in managers at all. i don't think he's the guy for us, and all the stuff with the investigations in to juve leave me a bit nervous tbh.

i think levy needs to accept these big superstar managers just aren't for us. we are never going to act like chelsea when it comes to spending money, so bringing someone in who complained that chelsea didn't spend enough money for him was never going to work. i think we need to take a step back, get someone in who is actually willing to work on a project and plays somewhat progressive football. i was willing to give mourinho a chance and move away from how i was used to watching us play in exchange for actually success with trophies, but after him and now conte (who is absolutely shite in cups lmao) not working i just want to go back to enjoying watching my team. if we're not going to win trophies i'd rather we play with some flair and excitement than not win trophies still and be absolutely horrific to watch. i also want my manager to feel like he is part of the club, and not someone who's just doing us a favour and we should all be so thankful because he was successful at other clubs, you know?

to sum it up - a change in manager to someone who is actually willing to coach and improve players does fix a lot of problems, but the club need to take a look at themselves. if you are not going to back a manager and spend the money like chelsea then don't bring in managers that can only work with that. go back to what we know works and is sustainable but just spend money more wisely when we do spend big, then we will be grand.

i know a lot of people found windy annoying for being very anti-mourinho but i think his little blog post here sums up how i feel quite well too

[cloud-nath]

Okay, I gotta talk about FFXVI. This will be a text wall, you have been warned.

Of the modern-era Final Fantasy games, this one is easily my favourite. I grew up with Final Fantasy in my life, but frankly I hadn't planned on getting this game at all, since I didn't really get into XV or XIII, and I didn't have high hopes for this one. I played the demo, and that was more than enough for me to buy the full game.

The deluxe version, no less. My credit card wasn't overly happy with me for that one.

I loved the story, the battles, the music was mind-blowing, and I will be buying that soundtrack as soon as humanly possible. Clive was a great protagonist (a beautiful, loveable moron), and while the levelling up system was utterly painful, I really loved this game, and think it could easily be a contender for Game of the Year.

As for my thoughts on the ending... Spoilers below, last warning...

I cried a lot. Like big, wailing crying. I had suspected the ending would play out as it did, so I knew it was coming, but I sobbed when it happened. The Ultima fight was my second favourite fight of the game (the Titan Lost fight comes first every time; it was a masterpiece), but it felt inevitable that all three men (Clive, Joshua, and Dion) would meet their end at Origin.

Do I think any of them lived? No. It felt fairly obvious that none of them survived: Dion fell into flames after having burned his body out putting Bahamut against Ultima, and Joshua also ran out of juice, as it were, containing the piece of Ultima he had sealed inside of himself. Clive completely burned himself out, and the red star burning out at the end was symbolic of Clive's life burning out. Jill knew it, Torgal knew it, everyone else needs to accept it.

After all, that's the world he, as Cid, sought to build: a place where people like them could live and die on their own terms. Clive knew he would lose his life, but that was his choice. He died on his own terms. It's painful to come to terms with, but that's the narrative until I see something official that says to the contrary.

With the epilogue, which is what makes people think one (or maybe both) of the Rosfields survived, I personally think it's a red herring. I don't think either Clive or Joshua wrote the book: I think Jote wrote it, in Joshua's name. She did, after all, swear a duty to protect the Hideaway, whose crest is on the book's cover. I'd wager she had input from Jill and Gav, but I think she wrote this mainly to tell Joshua's stories from their travels together. To honour someone she cared so deeply about.

The only other tenuous possibility is that Joshua survived. Clive did, after all, use the aether he absorbed from Ultima to heal the wound in Joshua's chest, so of the three of them, Joshua would be the only one I could have seen surviving. But I see no official evidence that any of the three of them survived, and until I do, they're all gone.

As for DLC, I'd like to see some, for sure, but I don't think it'll be a disservice if we don't get any. It feels like we could, with the last line of the epilogue being "Where one journey ends..." (paraphrasing but close enough), but I don't think it'll be anything connected to the Rosfields. I think it'll either be looking into the lore before Clive's journey started (like looking at Leviathan's loss), or looking at things from someone else's perspective. Maybe we'll see what happens with the Hideaway with Gav taking up the mantle of Cid, helping to guide Valisthea through the stormy times ahead as they adjust to a world without magic.

All in all, I loved FFXVI. The ending hurt my heart, but not all endings are going to be happy, no matter what we may want. If subsequent DLC gives irrefutable proof that anyone from that final fight survived, I'll be very happy indeed, but I don't see the Rosfields returning to the game now.

Unless you play Final Fantasy Mode in New Game +. Then you can scream at the levelling up system all over again as the enemy levels leap up way faster than you could ever hope to.

Oh well. Back to Valisthea I go!