#I'm thinking on doing themed lineups like this

[mc-illustrations]

Seasonal Tieflings ✨

[kyouka-supremacy]

—

[mirai-e-jump]

TV Life, 9/20/2024 Issue ft. Kamen Rider Gavv Cast Members (translation below)

Publication: September 4, 2024

Chinen Hidekazu x Hino Yusuke x Miyabe Nozomi

"What were your thoughts when you read the script?"

Chinen: I finished reading it in an instant due to how interesting it was. The more I read, the more I was drawn into the world of this show, and my excitement grew so much that I couldn't wait to play the role.

Hino: Me too. I was so curious about future developments, that every time I read the script, I couldn't wait to get the next one (laughs). Every character that appears is full of personality and intricately intertwined, making this a show that I think children, as well as adults will enjoy.

Miyabe: Naturally, the dialogue is interesting and fun to watch, but each and every character actually has their own problems and insecurities. I thought that the depiction of them growing while confronting these issues was wonderful and gives a human feel to the story. I'm personally encouraged by Shouma and the other's hard work and dedication, so I'd like to do my best to deliver the feelings I have to the viewers as well.

"How do you personally view the roles you play?"

Chinen: Shouma's a cheerful and energetic boy who loves to eat. He's usually innocent, adorable, and incredibly charming, but he's also a very mysterious character from another world. I think his clumsy side and his ability to work as hard as he can in everything he does is what'll make the viewers want to cheer for him, so I'd like to keep that in mind as I perform from now on.

Hino: I play the role of Hanto, a young man who works as a freelance writer, and who's pursuing info on the enemy Granutes. One of the unique characteristics of Hanto is that his feelings towards the Granutes are stronger compared to the others, so I'm always conscious of how to express that in my performance. Going forward, I hope you'll also make sure to pay attention to the development that causes him to transform and become Kamen Rider Valen.

Miyabe: Sachika's the gyaru president of the general store "Hapipare." She's really upbeat and energetic, and she's the kind of person who could just go up to the cool and difficult to approach Hanto and say, "Hey there!" I have no gyaru qualities in my everyday life (laughs), so to prepare for the role, I looked at works in which gyarus appeared and incorporated them into Sachika.

"So, to reference the theme of sweets, how would you compare each other to sweets?"

Hino: Because Hide looks so cute and has some fluffy vibes, I guess he'd be a marshmallow. He's perfectly white and pure just like a marshmallow. Truthfully however, because he also has a strong and unshakable core, he'd be candy filled marshmallows!

Chinen: Those exist?! (laughs). Still, being told I have a strong core makes me happy. Nozomi-san would be yokan.

Miyabe: Yokan?! How surprising (laughs).

Chinen: In contrast to the role she plays, Nozomi-san's usually a very refined person, so when I thought, "What elegant sweets are there?," I came up with yokan.

Miyabe: Thank you. Hino-kun is……

Hino: Huh? You seem stuck (laughs). There's tons of variety and something for everyone, isn't there?!

Miyabe: Since he's always positive when communicating with us and the staff, he's a friendly person, so I guess he'd be dagashi. The fact that he's loved by all ages, genders and generations is also appealing.

Hino: I'm relieved you gave a good answer (laughs).

"And, TV Life will start running your "Relay Series" beginning with this issue."

All: Alright! (clapping).

Chinen: Our seniors had also decided on their title. What should we do?

Miyabe: It should include "Gavv."

Hino: Definitely! I'd prefer it to be catchy and easy to remember, but…

Miyabe: I think serializations are a place where each person's individuality can come out, so how about "GavvPare!," which would be a lineup that reflects the essence of Gavv? (from "onparedo" = lineup)

Chinen & Hino: Oh~! Sounds good!

Miyabe: It'd be great if people could get to know the show and us throughout the series.

Chinen: Yeah. The first one will be mine. Once again, we look forward to your support over the coming year! _

GavvPare! Vol.1 (Chinen Hidekazu)

Q. Tell us your memories of sweets!

A. When I was a child, there was a rule in the Chinen house where sweets were only allowed on weekends, and so that in itself lead to a strong desire to eat sweets. Naturally, I didn't take eating them for granted, so I was really happy to spend time on the weekends choosing and eating my favorite sweets. By the way, when I had a craving for something sweet on a weekday, I'd chew on sugar cane as a substitute for sweets. (laughs).

[kingdomoftyto]

I'm crying laughing, the DVDs are even worse than I remember... Season 1's menus are silent with a single static jpg of the same key character art they use for everything else, and the episodes on the Season 2 discs don't even match what's listed on the box! Absolutely stunning lack of shits given. Truly unparalleled. But I really shouldn't be surprised given... well... everything about how this series has been treated since the very beginning.

Time for a quick ~✨PHANDOM HISTORY LESSON✨~ to give newer/less hyperfixated folks more context for why the graphic novel being as great as it is is such a HUGE deal:

Danny Phantom was one of Nickelodeon's MAIN cartoons, in its time. It was a central pillar. One of the top three or four of their lineup, which is saying something when the competition includes the cultural juggernaut that is Spongebob.

Despite this, and despite its superhero theming making it perfectly marketable, it got basically ZERO official merch.

What little we did get was often ugly and very, very cheap. The dedication at the start of the graphic novel that jokes about collecting the Burger King toys? That's because it was some of the most notable merch the franchise EVER had. (I sadly do not have any of it. There was no BK in my hometown. Here's a pic from the internet, though, to give you an idea.)

If you think I'm exaggerating about that being the most significant physical merch to come out of the series, consider that the first video game had an entire menu option specifically for the Burger King promotional tie-in:

That video game, by the way, was one of only two ever based on the show. The first was an adaptation of "The Ultimate Enemy" in the style of a short sidescrolling beat-em-up, and the second was themed around "Urban Jungle" and (as far as I can tell--I've only played the first couple levels) was an arcade-style scrolling shooter. Both were for the Gameboy Advance, and both are...... fine, as far as cash-grabby video game tie-ins to kids' shows go. This was pretty normal for the time, so I suppose we did okay in that department, actually. They're not GOOD, but they're playable and have at least a bit of effort put into them.

But besides those two video games (plus a handful of simple, long-defunct Flash games on nick.com)? In the decade and a half since the show ended?

Nothing.

No books, no games, no comics, no web shorts--unless you count mega-crossovers with every other Nicktoon (a la Nicktoons Unite), or soulless promotional material like "Fairly Odd Phantom" (which, trust me, despite being the first new DP animation in over 10 years was not even worth the effort of watching).

...I think there was a limited edition FunkoPop once?

So yeah.

A Glitch in Time is not just the first cool, well-made thing we've seen from the franchise in a while. It's the first THING we've seen since the show. PERIOD. And arguably the first worthwhile supplementary material to EVER come out of the show, depending on how you feel about those GBA games and the Nicktoons crossovers.

This franchise is widely beloved even now, almost 20 years after it first aired, and it feels like that fact is now, finally, FINALLY getting some official recognition.

PLEASE read A Glitch in Time. Tell other people about it. The series--no, the fans--deserve this (and more of this, if the folks in charge see enough of a response and decide to grace us with any followup). It's LONG overdue, but better late than never.

[theminecraftbee]

also i think i'm going to make the final lineup for the school rescue committee as follows (with the actual mythological/legendary/literary figures for each persona being a thing i'm willing to take suggestions on; they're all meant to be famous lovers/members of pairs, though, to fit with the theme of this persona game being 'bonds between people'):

joel: our protagonist and wildcard, he is whatever the party needs him to be, as is typical for a persona protagonist. his first persona, however, is still pygmalion (and is the only one i have strong design opinions on; if there's ANY opportunity to make empires references...) uses knives.

skizzleman: physical damager. also has agi skills but he's in the vein of like, chie junpei or ryoji, in that he mostly just gets those to make battles a little easier early on, and he REALLY should only be doing damage with heavy physical skills. i'm sure this doesn't have a self-sacrifice metaphor in it at all. has enkidu as his persona. uses brass knuckles.

scar: early-game magic user, largely focused on magic and status ailments, although he gets some healing too (largely because he had to when it was just him and grian, is the implication; once another healer joins the team it becomes abundantly clear that the correct tactical move with scar is to use him as a magical nuke and ailment setter). leaning towards majnun for his persona. uses bows.

grian: dark and light skills, with a particular focus on instakills. i think he's the "balanced" earlygame party member, with an equal spread of physical and magic skills and fairly even stats... which ironically makes him good earlygame, but much worse lategame. he's probably a little fine with that, though. his persona is signy. uses lances.

impulse: our party healer! gets zio skills. not too much to say about him, his stat spread is "party healer", just mentioning its a little unusual he joins late as the party healer. i am REALLY UNCERTAIN with him for what his persona should be; for some reason my brain is offering "odette" but i'm not sure i can justify it. uses axes.

mumbo: NAVIGATOR! mumbo is the navigator. he's like, trying his best, man. also not much to say here, a navigator is a navigator. his persona is ariadne.

gem: a late-game powerhouse and bufu user, as well as the late-game guy who comes in and gets almighty skills. she's focused on pure damage i think, but also gets a number of interesting buff skills maybe? i'm picturing her in the same general combat archetype as like, naoto, for the record. her persona is atalanta. uses swords.

and i THINK that makes the entire magical mountain crew, for the entirety of the school rescue association!

[extra-vertebrae]

Hello! I followed u an eon ago on a different account, and am so excited to see ur art come up on my feed again. Idk if this is the best place to send this; Id feel awkward sending a whole email for this and I dont have a twitter anymore (dumpster fire.) i love all ur designs, but I keep coming back to ur pokemon ones. I’m so fond of them. It makes me want to experiment w body horror art.

I know ppl have sent u mean-spirited asks in the past abt them. I just want to say: I went thru ur old art and said a variation of “aww, a cutie!” Or “oh, poor babyyy :(“ in the occasion that their breeding has created things like chronic pain. At no point was I thinking. Idk, they were ugly or mean (to the pokemon franchise)? To me, ppl like that just have bad taste 🤷🏽‍♀️

I do wanna see more of ur original stuff, certainly! Im just being nostalgic rn.

Thank you so much for your message! I'm glad you still enjoy those old designs, and that they're inspiring you to give body horror themes a try!

Thankfully most of those types of messages are gone, though I'm sure my lack activity in the Pokemon space since then has probably helped a lot in this regard.

Haha, I still find a lot of them pretty cute, too. There's some good design shapes and ideas in some of those older pieces that maybe I can recycle and refine or develop into something new someday.

I definitely would like to share more original work; I'm going through a sort of transitional phase with my art at the moment, so there isn't much to share that I legitimately feel like posting. I can, however, share this lineup of vehicular characters that were sketched up some weeks ago for Funky Town:

I've always had a general appreciation for mechanical shapes and design; I've learned that that general appreciation runs deeper than anticipated, so hard surface focused / adjacent design has been where my mind has been at recently.

[zimt-deathnote]

Hello,

I am an art student (art on instagram link in my account, I am too lazy to post on two different platforms), and I love your art style and creativity, you are incredible ✨

I am at that point in my studies where I am getting decent at at least some of the techniques, but struggle using them to give life to my own ideas.

Do you have any advice on character design and environment study? I admire how you manage to give so much personality to your characters just with body language, it’s amazing, I have lots of trouble just managing to make mine look like themselves in two different sketches. Every time I feel like I got it right I lose it the moment after :(.

Where do I start when I want to study for a project, and how do you organise your work?

Thank you for reading, I hope this ask finds you well ❤️

Hi there!! Thanks for reaching out!! <3

Yeah character consistency can be tricky! My go-to strategy for character design is to break them down into their most basic idea. Can be a colour, a shape, a line. Look at this concept art from Inside Out:

The more complex you go, the more tricky, complicated and hard to get right in different drawings will be. That's not a bad thing but you should always keep the very core idea of a character in mind when designing and drawing. If I may add some of my own things in here:

I settled for a very angular Mello and in contrast a rather round Matt. In canon, they're both pretty round, so I thought I'd break that up for a more interesting duo dynamic. For me it's also helpful to think of your character as a map with set distances and points of interest. Take Mellos focal points like the beak-y pointy nose and his blocky hair and the rest doesn't matter that much anymore if you only get those features right. I don't know, I'm super bad at explaining, there's a reason why I'm not a teacher :'D

Maybe you could try to draw your character as tiny or as quickly as you can, that also works well for me. Because you absolutely can't get lost in details and have to break them down to what really matters.

When I see complex characters with tons of tattoos and complex scars or wild hairstyles and details that just absolutely don't matter to the overall design, I always think of the poor poor animators that would have to animate that character if they were part of a TV show haha

As for environment study?? Bruh, I'm as lost as you.

Where to start on a project? Anywhere, as long as you start. Sitting in front of a blank paper is the worst thing. Drawing bad is better than not drawing at all. Look at other art, maybe even copy some, trace some, anything that helps you get into the flow.

Organising things is a supreme dicipline. I would say I give my best to stay organised but fail miserably. But I had people tell me I'm insanely organised, so... No idea. Taking the whole Death Note AU thing as one big project, I try to keep things seperated by characters, eras, themes or places, depending on what makes sense and throw all the files in the respective folders but it's getting more cluttered by the minute... What helps me if making overviews, like lineups of characters or something like this:

Colour chart where I can just pick the colours and not rummage through my files to find a fitting reference for different characters.

Oof that turned longer than I wanted, I hope you can at least find some helpful information out of my rambling :'D

[13as07]

Shogi Partner #1

(Shikamaru Nara)

[Artwork is not mine! Credit to Pixiv Id]

Requested by: Anonymous

Word Count: 3,385

Warnings and/or Pre-Notes:

Name Calling: Baby Girl, Fawn

Age Gap

Power Imbalance (Teacher/Student)

Borderline Pedophilia

Choking

Titty Play

Cheating

———————————————————————

"Come along," my Father orders, his long fingers waving me forward, trying to beckon me along.

"I don't get why you can't keep training me," I mutter, dragging my feet as much as possible. There's not much stalling to do since Dad is only a few steps away, but that doesn't stop me from trying.

"We've talked about this, Baby Girl," Dad starts his repeated speech, slinging an arm over my shoulders once I'm close enough for him to grab onto. He uses his hold to stop any attempts at escaping and to continue moving me forward. "You just graduated from the academy and despite how amazing of a shinobi I am, I'm not equipped to train you in the things you excel at. Your dear Dad is great at the bronze department, not so much the brains department."

     "So, what? You're going to thrust me into the arms of Uncle Genma?"

     Dad lets out a rippling chuckle, his arm bending upward to ruffle my hair. "Uncle Genma hates all children, besides you. I'm not going to tempt that changing by asking him to train you. Besides, there's a Shinobi five or six years older than you that'll be better fitted as your Sensei. He's got the whole brains thing going for him too. I think you two will be a nice challenge for each other."

     "Whatever you say," I mutter under my breath, not fully believing Dad. Since the end of the war, he's been set on finding the best-fitted Sensei for my 'brains' as he calls them. No one on the lineup has been beneficial enough for my Father.

The few that have passed him have ended up getting shot down by his best friend; Genma, who swears that they're either not smart enough to keep up with my 'growing mind' or give off perv vibes. I'd be more than happy to continue my training under Dad or with one of his friends, but I haven't gotten much of a say in who I train under, the event about to unfold being example one of that.

Our walk falls into a comfortable silence, Dad's body heat fighting off the beginning of the autumn chill that crawls across my skin. My eyes bounce around the landscape, looking over the same scenery I have the whole of my life. At least it's the same scenery until I'm pulled left, cutting through the border lines between Akimichi territory and Nara territory.

     It doesn't take long until official markers of Nara territory filter into my sight, their clan symbols and a million different deer-themed decorations littered all over their property. I stay silent but eye Dad, trying to figure out who exactly he plans to have take over my training.

     Soon enough, the distinct replica of every clan's headquarters filters into the landscape too, seeming like a sore thumb in comparison to the other architecture of the grounds. However, that's the case for almost every clan. Still, I stay silent as Dad leads me into the round building.

The same muddy green and smoky grey coats the Nara Clan Center as it does the rest of their grounds. Unlike the prosperity, the space is decorated with pictures of past Chiefs instead of antlers and artworks featuring the deer population.

"Hello," Dad greets the receptionist, his usual flirty airiness set in his voice that's always present when he's speaking to a woman he finds attractive. The only bigger flirt in the village than him is Uncle Genma. No wonder neither is married.

"Hello," the lady returns drily, unamusement in her tone. "How can I help you?"

"My daughter and I have a meeting with Shikamaru."

"At ten-thirty, yes, you do. It's currently ten-fifteen, Namiashi-San."

Dad shrugs his shoulders, eyes lazily trailing the wall before falling on the blonde again. "Better early than late, right?"

I almost gag at the sight of him checking her out, not an ounce of embarrassment on his face when his eyes lag on her chest. "Dad?"

Instantly, my Father's flirty act ends, his full attention on me. "Baby Girl?" He calls back, his usual gentle grin back on his face.

"You're acting like a pervert."

The color washes out of his face at the same time a satisfied smile crawls onto the lady's. A pout settles in place, enjoyment still swimming in his eyes. Slowly, his smile returns as he opens his mouth, ready to tease me back.

"It's good to see Iwashi isn't the only one keeping Genma and you in line, Raido."

Dad's eyes stay on me for a second, a soft encouraging smile being sent to me before he turns toward the mystery voice. "Ya, my daughter does a pretty good job at keeping my head on my shoulders," his voice rings out, an arm going up before resting on my back when I move to tuck myself into his side again. "Say hello, Baby Girl," he encourages, rubbing my back as he smiles down at me.

"Hello," I obey, slowly lifting my eyes off the ground to look at the person Dad has been talking to. Standing in front of us is a tall man, a few centimeters shorter than my Father, but still tall. He's a slim guy, the sort of beautifully slim that makes my cheeks heat up. Youthfulness is still melted into his expression, aged more than mine but not enough to be more than five or so years older.

     "Hey," he greets, a blank expression on his face, making him seem even more handsome. His skin is pale and flawless, reminding me of freshly fallen snow. The rest of his features counter his skin tone but in a perfectly fitting way. The dark raven color of his hair is a nice contrast, especially paired with his dark-slitted eyes. I wouldn't be surprised if this guy walked straight off a photo shoot.

     "Remember last week when you said you'd do anything for a decent shogi partner?"

     "Ya," the guy carefully answers, slowly turning his focus back to Dad.

     Dad clasps his hands onto my shoulders, gently pushing me toward the young adult. "My daughter has been undefeated for the past few years. Even beat Genma a handful of times."

     "Genma's strategy is sloppy."

     "Come on Shikamaru. Just one game."

     "Why? What do you expect to gain from me playing a game of shogi with your daughter?"

     "Well, I've been looking for someone fitting to take over her training now that she's graduated from the - "

     "No," the man - Shikamaru - interprets, a tad of emotion swirling on his face. Disgust, maybe? Repulsion? "I have enough on my plate. I don't need or want to play teacher."

     "Come on," Dad repeats, pushing me closer to the guy. The scent of pine and cigarette smoke mixes together and melts off him, only adding more heat to my cheeks. "She's smart. So smart. Choza says my Baby Girl reminds him of you at her age. It's a beneficial situation for both of you. One lesson per game of shogi. It really is - "

"If I say yes, will you leave me alone?" Shikamaru butts in again, his fingers pressed to his temples and rub circles into his skin.

"Yes."

"Fine."

                      ————————————

     The Fawn I've been responsible for since... how long have I been playing shogi with Namiashi-Chan? I rest my chin on my folded hands, my eyes glued to the game board as I both wait for her to play her turn and think over how long our agreement has been going on.

     She's been visiting me for lessons and a daily game since she graduated from the academy. My little Fawn graduated on time so she was what? Twelve? I think so. I was twelve when I graduated.

     She just had a birthday three or four months ago. I know she did. Tamari and I took our son to it. How old did my Fawn turn? Sixteen? Seventeen? She's six years younger than me. How old am I? I was nineteen when Shikadai was born and he's four. So... I'm twenty-three, which makes my Fawn eighteen.

     My eyes flicker up to glance at her, taking a quick look at her face. Over the years she's gotten better at hiding her thoughts and feelings during our games, but her eyes still widen and shrink in time with her thoughts and feelings, hence 'fawn'.

     We had to leave early from her party because Shikadai had a meltdown when we told him no more cupcakes. She tried hard to hide her disappointment but it shinned in her eyes.

     My Fawn looks nothing like she did when I left her party. She's empty-faced, her eyes glued to a single spot in another attempt not to give away her plans. During my leave from her party, her eyes were misty, and jumping around to avoid looking at me.

     I'm not dumb or oblivious. I'm aware of my Fawn's feelings for me. She wears them quite openly, especially in recent years. Even now it's written all over her choices and body language. The bright lipstick to pull my attention to her mouth, the loose top and dangly anbu tags to pull my eyes down her shirt.

     The anbu tags are carved with her father's information. The anbu tags worn with age to the point the 'do' in Raido and the 'mai' in Namiashi have started to fade. The anbu tags that had a section of chain replaced last month. The anbu tags that softly rise with my Fawn's breasts every time she breaths.

     Not that I'm paying attention to the easy lust trap my Fawn set up. That would be inappropriate for multiple reasons. She's freshly eighteen. I met her when she was twelve and when I was seventeen. She's my student. I hold multiple layers of power over her; teacher, a village chief, Hokage advisor. I'm married, with a son. Happily married… Very happily married.

     The sound of a playing piece clicking against the board snaps me out of my thoughts. Disgust with myself crawls up my throat as I yank my eyes away from my Fawn's chest. My eyes focus on the board instead, trying to figure out the play she made.

     Now that her turn is over, Namiashi-Chan leans against her propped-up leg, her cheek squishing against her knee as she rests her head. Her lips are pressed tight together, the telltale sign that she found a hole in her strategy. Now, I just need to find it. "You're unusually quiet today," I comment, filling some of the space as I try to see what she sees unfolding on the board.

     "Am I?" Lips back thin, hiding away the red paint lacing them.

     I wonder if she smears her lipstick when she puts it on. Tameri always manages to put it on perfectly and complains when I mess it up. I bet the boys Fawn plays with like her lipstick smeared if there are any boys. I wonder how hot it would be, Namiashi-Chan's lipstick getting ruined because of her lips wrapping around my -

"Yes," I yelp, cutting off my train of thought. "Yes, you've been really quiet today." I think I'm going to be sick.

     My Fawn's head tilts more, eyebrows pushed together as she looks me over. "I'm just thinking," she mutters, concern quickly water-falling over her features. "Are you okay, Sensei? You look like you're going to throw up."

     "I'm fine." I'm just having perverted thoughts about you because of your slutty red lips and wide open top that teases the spilling of your titties. Oh, and your father's anbu tags. I'm sure your dad enjoys the fact men trail over a symbol of his career before looking down your shirt. "Sorry."

     "For what?"

     Calling your lipstick slutty and talking about you like you're a prostitute instead of a high-ranked shinobi. "Being so busy recently. Temari has been anxious about Shikadai starting preschool next week." Technically, not a lie... I think.

     I wouldn't know how Temari is feeling. The last year has been rough for us. Constant fights about my work, about our son's future, about her want to move us to the Sand Village, about both of us refusing to retire to ensure at least one of us will come home alive. I can't just leave my Clan, retiring as a Shinobi and moving out of the village both mean that would have to happen. I refuse to abandon my post as chief. It's not what would be good for my people. It's not what my Father would want.

     "It's alright. When you told me Temari was pregnant I figured your plate would be fuller. Don't worry so much, Sensei," my Fawn tries to comfort me, her lips spread into a smile. It's concerning how red her lips are. It can't just be lipstick.

     My eyes trail over her father's tags again, wondering how plumper her breasts would get if she got pregnant. Temari went up a full cup size. Would my Fawn's boobs grow that much too? How round would her belly get? How adorable would she be waddling around stuffed full with my child? My child... Shikadai. Temari. Fawn... baby deer. A fawn is a baby deer, and Namiashi-Chan is a baby adult.

  ��  Another wave of nausea hits me, the acid of my stomach roaring to try and get out. Why do my thoughts keep wondering? Especially to a place as dark as that? What kind of man thinks about impregnating their student? A girl they've known since before her teen years? A terrible man. I'm a terrible man.

     "Sensei?" Namiashi-Chan whispers, pulling my attention out of my thoughts. Once I'm focused on her again, the perverted dark thoughts come crashing down again. She's leaned across the table, concern forcing her cherry lips into a deep frown, and her hand pressed against my forehead. "Are you sure you're fine? You're really pale and your forehead feels warm."

     Instantly my eyes drop down, investigating the way this position makes her chest look. Her boobs are pressed further up, teasing the neckline of her shirt even more. The thought of sliding my dick between her tits flickers through my mind, making me feel sicker, my disgust with myself only deepening when my dick twitches. "I'm fine."

     "Are you sure? Do you want me to fetch you some medicine? Or water?"

     Her big doe eyes are locked on me, drowning in worry and drowning my penis in a rush of blood. I wonder how her eyes would look while sucking me off. How'd they look while I'm fucking her? Like this? Round, soft, and so full of life? Or would they be more hardened, focused, constantly changing depth like they do while she's concentrating?

Before the head on my shoulders can get a say, I'm leaning forward, trailing my nose across her cheek as I get in position to kiss her. My hand jumps, fingertips sliding under the chain lying across her neck. The second my lips brush against hers, my hand falls into place below her jawline, wrapping around her throat and gently gripping it. Enough for my Fawn to feel the pressure but not enough to cut her breathing short.

A second of shock runs through my Fawn before she's present in the kiss too, her lips still slightly pasty. Something that makes me feel worse about myself but equally good brews in my chest, knowing her lipstick is still wet because she put it on just for me.

My fingers tighten around her throat, testing the waters of her reaction. A small hmph of pleasure spills from her, getting sucked down my throat when I part my lips. My tongue slips out, forcing its way into her mouth, another sound bubbles from my pretty Fawn when I get my way.

Again, the head straining against my pants wins out the command war, my free hand finding its way to her waist. I ball up the material of her shirt, yanking it upward until the hem is sliding against my fingers. My touch slides under Fawn's shirt, slowly trailing across her ribs before tracing the band of her bra.

The sounds overflowing from Namiashi-Chan are as sweet as the taste of her mouth, coated in the flavor of sugar and the lingering mint taste of her toothpaste. "Shikamaru," my name comes out shaky and jumbled as it gets eaten up by our kisses. How long has it been since I've heard my name in such a way? Breathless. Sweet. Needy. Intoxicating.

My fingers squirm their way under her bra, sliding upward to cup her breast. It's warm against my palm and as soft as I'd expect. My Fawn has always looked soft, sweet, and innocent. But, I'm not stupid. I know the stuff teenagers get up to. I wonder what the list of naughty things Namiashi-Chan has done consists of.

A jagged moan jerks out of her lungs when the pads of my fingers find her nipple, twirling it between them before pinching it every few seconds. I pull back from her, less than half an inch to suck a breath into my burning lungs.

I take the time to look her over, picking at the reactions she's having to my attention. Her chest is heaving, lips parted with her tongue threatening to poke out as she pants, and her eyes are half hooded, a perfect mix of the soft doe eyes I enjoy so much and arousal. My little Fawn is a sensual type it seems, getting excited simply from touching. I wonder how excited she'd get if I touched her elsewhere.

Her hand which was resting on my forehead for a fever check is now gripping my shoulder like a lifeline. Like I'll vanish into thin air if she lets me go. "Namiashi-Chan?" Her eyes widen a tad from her name rolling off my tongue, the reaction making my dick ache even more. She's so aware of everything all the time, as perfect of a mini-me as a student could get. I wonder how aware she'd be of my tongue twirling her nipple instead of my fingertips.

My request sticks in my throat, feeling like the only thing holding my sickness down at the moment. What in the world am I doing? I shouldn't have kissed her, I shouldn't be touching her like this, I shouldn't have caused her to look at me like she is right now.

"Go home," I whisper, reluctantly pulling my hands off of her. Instantly they feel chilled without my Fawn's body heat to keep them warm. Her neck looks empty too, without my fingers wrapped around it.

"What?" My chest hurts at the sight of her emotions crashing down.

Her eyes are wider, dewy from my order, but still swirling with lust. The corners of her lips are pointed down, her forehead scrunched with confusion. My poor Fawn, emotionally wrecked and upset because of me. Her chest is still pumping, an attempt to keep her emotions in control and locked down I'm sure. Young girls are so emotional, so easily swayed to tears. That doesn't mean I feel any better about coercing her tears.

"Go home, Namiashi," I repeat, trying to keep my tone even and soft. I'm the adult in this situation, the teacher, the person of power, this is my fault, not hers. Does she know that? I hope she does. "Tell your father to meet with me tomorrow as well. I would like to discuss my replacement as your Sensei."

"What? No," she babbles, her tears winning the inner battle and sliding down her cheeks. I bet they're as sweet as the rest of her.

My chest feels wallow because of the sight, because of what I've done and what I have to do. If I can't control myself, I can't be around her. It's the appropriate response in this situation. It's what's best for my Fawn. It's what's best for my marriage and for my son too. That doesn't mean it hurts any less, having to walk away from her. Knowing I just destroyed Namiashi-Chan's whole world, that I held her heart for less than five minutes before shattering it. Knowing I lost another one of my shogi partners.

"Go home."

———————————————————————

———————————————————————

[hopeinthebox]

how do u curate your playlists? they're so good (listening to the glen powell one rn lol)

dearest anon, please know you've made my entire summer with this ask <3333 (here's the playlist in question)

now while i recognise you probably weren't looking for a legitimate breakdown of the process here, you've inspired me to take a deep dive, and i'm prone to getting carried away (and yes, i read high fidelity recently and rewatched the film and the series. but i'm sure that has nothing to do with it). so here goes, under the cut:

Lizzy's Guide to the Delicate Art of Making a Playlist

#1 - What's the Point?

There has to be a theme or mood or connecting thread for the playlist. That being said, as long as it makes sense to you, you've pretty much got this covered.

What's the story? Is it based on a mood, an event, a time in your life, a person, a character, a genre, an era, etc. etc. There's plenty to choose from, so there's plenty of playlists to be made. Go crazy, get weird with it.

(In this example, the overarching theme is: Glen Powell Hot (Twisters Edn.) with a sub-theme, if you will: Country Music for Beginners.)

#2 - Song Selection

Once the theme is set, I gather a few tracks that spring to mind immediately. In this instance:

• Why'd You Come In Here Lookin' Like That - Dolly Parton

• Cowboy Take Me Away - The Chicks

• Country's Cool Again - Lainey Wilson

All of these are fairly self-explanatory if you have been caught up in the Twisters press tour at all recently. No further comment.

From here I flesh out the ~general vibelist~ with more tracks, some classics and some deep cuts. I'm cross-referencing my own musical knowledge, previous playlists, spotify mixes (god forgive me, the occasional algorithm picks), and other user's Powell playlists (topgun-heavy, but you certainly can't blame them).

#3 - Order Matters

There's got to be some sort of flow to the playlist front to back, unless your theme is audio whiplash, for example.

Now here I am a devout follower of the High Fidelity rules, which are as follows:

Track 1 - Open with a killer - sets the tone, gets people invested

(Here, Lady Gaga's You And I ~ it's a banger, and it's country enough to get away with. Can't bring out the banjo prematurely, we'll lose people)

Track 2 - Bring it up a notch - let them know we're just getting started

(Alannah Myles, Black Velvet ~ country-ing it up a notch but staying firmly in the mainstream, because again, we don't want to scare anyone)

Track 3 - Cool it down - now we're settling in

(Chris Stapleton ft. Dua Lipa - I Think I'm In Love With You ~ Dua keeps us firmly rooted in the crowd pleasers, and we can sneak in some Stapleton)

N.B. There is a rule here that I don't abide by, the "only one track per artist" - there's three dolly tracks in this lineup alone and i stand by all of them. Provided you're not adding an entire album or two, I think you can get away with it.

Anyway, this three-track run fires us into a classic (Islands In The Stream) which melts into Tyler Childers and suddenly we're knee deep in Kentucky and you didn't even know it.

The trick is to not overthink it, which is always easier said than done. Ordering only has to make sense to you from start to finish. This journey's gotta go somewhere - throw in a few peaks and troughs, and the songs are just connecting the dots along the way.

#4 - As Does Shuffle-ability

Now, having said all that, I feel like this is a safe space to admit I am a chronic shuffler, so a degree of shuffle-ability is required.

All this means is that your underlying theme is evident throughout. Any wildcards are going to make sense wherever they pop up.

With this one, the thread of country through all of these tracks is what ties the theme together (saving a horse). There are some classics (Faith Hill, Willie Nelson), soul-heavy tracks (Secret Sisters, Leon Bridges), and and few more pop-adjacent (Haim, Ashe) but they've all got that twang - so it's shuffle proof.

#5 - Points for Presentation

A good cover, title and description can offset a multitude of sins. Don't underestimate the power of presentation.

Duration comes into play here also, where anything shorter than half an hour feels like it has nowhere to go, but over three hours feels insurmountable. Unless you're going for a compilation, year in your life playlist, or some background low-fi stuff, keep it tight.

And there you have it folks, my (lengthy) guide to playlist curation. Final note, don't love it and leave it. If you come across something new, jostle things around to get it in. Similarly, if something doesn't fit anymore, toss it. The beauty of the modern mixtape is you can edit it as little or as often as you like.

If you made it this far, I'm personally sending you a little kiss on the forehead. And to the anon who inspired this article of a response, I can only apologise. MWAH

[kradogsrats]

If Soren seems to have gotten sick when he was a toddler, do you think Lissa left shortly after Claudia was born…? Maybe that doesn’t quite line up, actually…

Okay so I saw someone ask Aaron Ehasz a similar question about the timeline of Soren's illness re: Viren's dream vs. the events presented in Puzzle House, and I cannot remember where it was but his response was something like "hm... well you should probably believe the show."

Which immediately made me go "oh my god was Soren actually dead for like three to five years and Kpp'Ar was looking for a unicorn horn to resurrect him in a manner similar to the Star magic spell that 'restores bodies to separated spirits' and then instead Viren stole Ziard's staff from him and used that??????" which is a) insane, and b) has several reasons it probably isn't the case. But it's a thought I had.

Anyway, let's look at our contrasting sources:

Puzzle House

Puzzle House establishes the following sequence of events:

Soren is ill to the point of dying

Kpp'Ar disappears

Soren gets better

Lissa leaves

It's also implied that this was all pretty recent, between King Atticus's concern for Viren and Soren's for Claudia:

So, how old are all these extremely precocious young children in Puzzle House?

Well, Sarai is... quite pregnant. She's got a pretty small frame, but I'd still put her at like 30 weeks, minimum. Ezran is pinned at 10 in the official character lineup. (In s4 he says he was "nine years old" when Harrow was killed. Given his March birthday, he is probably fudging that a bit since s1 starts mid-May so he was pretty recently 10 at the time.) Viren also puts Harrow's coronation and Sarai's death at nine years earlier, at which point I would estimate Ezran at roughly 6-8 months, given how he is portrayed.

Also given the mid-May start to s1, we also have Claudia at almost 17, and Soren at about 18 and a half. Soren is about 18 months older than Claudia. So between all of that, we can probably ballpark Puzzle House at about one year before Harrow's coronation. This puts Soren at about 8 and a half, and Claudia at almost 7. (And Callum at about to turn 5, if anyone's keeping track.)

Given the way it's spoken about, I would not put Soren's recovery at earlier than 6 months prior, and probably more like 3 or so. This roughly lines up with the estimates I had for everything before, so idk go me or whatever.

Strangers

We do also have a third source for details on Soren's illness, which is the Strangers short from Reflections. This establishes that Soren was old enough to remember details about that time:

If Soren was the age he appears in Viren's dream, then a) he probably wouldn't remember any of it, and b) Claudia would have been an infant. Now, an infant can definitely cry in their room until morning, but I do think the implication here is supposed to be that she was old enough to understand what was happening and have emotions about it.

Additionally, Soren thinks of the slow breaths practice as something he did therapeutically for a long time:

Basically, I think it's pretty clear between this and the info in Puzzle House that the Puzzle House timeline is accurate, but Soren initially developed what was actually a chronic illness much earlier.

Viren's Dream

Now, what about Viren's dream?

It's incredibly difficult to pinpoint ages of children in animation purely visually, so I'm mostly basing an estimate of 2-3 years old for Soren during Viren's dream off of his demonstrated stage of linguistic development and the fact that he's able to run. He could be delayed in one or both areas, though.

Viren dreams of Soren turning to stone, similar to how Thunder did (and how Viren does in the opening). This is interesting in that the implication is certainly death, but it also has heavy ties to dark magic and the other themes of Viren's dreaming, which I would say put it as more related to something along the lines of a "sealed fate" rather than literal death. Dreaming Viren knows what he didn't know when Soren was that age, and probably developed his first recognizable symptoms—that this illness would come close to killing him, and Viren would give up everything to save him.

There's also a possible implication there that dark magic was actually what caused Soren's illness in the first place, which could be something interesting to explore. (And I've definitely seen people explore it, before.)

Anyway, like most of Viren's dream, it's accurate but not literal.

TL;DR: Dreams are fucking weird, and Claudia was still probably between six and seven years old when Lissa left the family.

[fishyishy]

A3! Translation - Hyodo Kumon SSR 【MANKAI Treasure】 Treasure Hunt: KUMON (1/3)

Director: What's up, Yuki-kun?

Yuki: Yeah, that's fine

Kumon: I'm homeee!

Tenma: I'm home.

Juza: I'm home.

Director: Ah, welcome back everyone!

Yuki: Welcome back. Looks like its a full lineup of the Yosei University members.

Taichi: Hehe, we just happened to meet at the school cafeteria~.

Yuki: Hmm...with so many people on the way back, it must have gotten insufferably hot.

Kumon: That's not the case at all! It's so much fun being able to talk about the lectures while taking detours to get back home!

Director: (Haha, looks like Kumon-kun is enjoying his time at Yosei University)

Taichi: Or rather, what's on the table is... Kyucchan's birthday bromide!?

Director: That's right. I was looking at Kumon's bromide photoshoot we took the other day.

Kumon: The bromide is now finished. It was super duper fun taking the photos.

Tenma: Wow, they're all really well taken. Won't the fans be happy to see this too?

Tsuzuru: It's all sparkly and makes your birthday feel special. The accessories are luxurious as well.

Taichi: I know right~! Also, hasn't Kyucchan become more grown up since he's become a university student!?

Kumon: Really!? I'm super super happy to hear everyone's compliments!

Juza: ......

Tsuzuru: Juza? Is something wrong?

Juza: No....it's just, how should I put it... he's grown up.

Tenma: So you were just having the feeling of your brother growing up.

Kumon: Niichan! I'll always be your cute little brother!

Yuki: Uh huh, if that's what you want to do.

Tenma: If the bromide is done, then it means that project must be coming up soon right?

Director: That's right, it's about time to start preparing for Kumon's birthday project.

Yuki: This bromide's costume is so sparkly and treasure-like, so it's a "treasure hunt" themed project.

Kumon: Yaaay! I've been looking forward to my turn ever since this project was decided!

Taichi: The birthday boy will receive a note with hints and use it to find the present and member who prepared it!

Tsuzuru: I think they also shoot the video by themselves.

Director: It's for personal records and memories. It should give off the same feel as home videos.

Juza: I see.

Kumon: I can't wait to see who will get what! I'm super duper uper excited~.

Tenma: Kumon's birthday treasure hunt looks like it's going to be interesting.

Director: ---Yes, please bring a camera and the hint notes.

Kumon: Yesssss! Thanks! I'm excited for the treasure hunt!

Kumon: Okay, let's turn the camera on... and open the hint!!

Kumon: Etto, what's written is........"Daily special braised pork meal set"?

Kumon: This is.... definitely that place!!

Director: (It looks like he immediately thought of a place)

Kumon: Well then, I'm off director!

Director: Alright, have fun!

I next

please let me know if there are any mistakes !

[boxwinebaddie]

hallowhallowhallow~ my dear, sweet children of the scandy eye-man-candy korn! sorry for the trick, my treats ( ...>.>;; thiiis is why i try not to make promises about postin 'cause, before there was jersey, there was he(a)rsay aka me, the og unreliable narrator w/ great hair *flips* )

either way...it's not you; it's me. more specifically, its a fkn MRI that i have to schedule that i have been avoiding like the plague -- and all my responsibilities along with it. most regrettably of all, dearlings...

i missed the most chaotic bisexual day of the year! :( nOO! perolike call me randy marsh the way i RUINED stan's birthday AGAIN! ( also, aaa!~ can you believe ravenstan turned 22? not my eyes leaking :'} rs really is my fkn angel and my sweet son; i mean that. mi amorcitooo~

...i feel oddly motherly things for him in this chilis <333 ( also he really Hates his bday, but i promise him and jersey did something very cute for it xx ) BUT! more on that later, beloveds! because i am breaking my silence to make a Very Important Announcement:

I Put Jersey In COSPLAY. ;)))))

( ljsDsjldskds crYiiiiiN i'll fix the spelling l8r )

basically! every year for ravenstan's faux, goth heaux, celebprettyboy birthday ( aka HALLOWEEN <333 ) they throw gayven a MASSIVE star-studded, spooky-ooky pacifistic majorRAGER; its THE party!

( probably at whatever the fanciest hotel or hottest nightclub is in NYC at the moment -- or maybe i'll have it at the iconique sicktorian manwhorsion so that rs and jk can sneak off into stan's greenhouse and have a *british tolkien vc* cheeky lil snog ala the climax of rm ;) )

but every year, crimson dawn gayng does a themed group halloween costume ( last year, they went as greta gerwig barbie characters; jimmy went as alan, marj was weird barbie, keny was ken, naturally, and ofc, blonde ravenstan had to go as barbie; it was...Necessary. yw.

ALSO, very important to me that you know that kenny and ravenstan were specifically in the Legendary Hot Pink Cowboy Jumpsuits -- i just KNOW yersey was crying and throwing up; my man looked so GOOD...and bent over an Unncessary Amount Of Times; jail foreVA! )

BUT THIS YEAR!!!!! THIS YEAR!!!!! BECAUSE STAN IS A CRINGEY, BOYFAIL LOSER AND STANIME ENJOYER ( y'all are going to have to pry that hc from my Cold Dead Gay Hands! its is the Right answer! so either get with it or get steppin! Cry! Cope! LAME ASS DORK BOY RAVENSTANIME NATION, WE ARE SOOOOOOOOOO UP LOL! )

they are going as CHAINSAW MAN CHARACTERS. ( am...azing ;-; )

okay...so the lineup Might change? but as it stands atm, i am thinking jimmy is denji ( that...makes so much sense to me, i fear ), KENNY AS POWER IS THE RIGHT ANSWER SORRY, marjorine's hair was already a pink/red color, so i think makima is also just...right...yeah? but, uh...

aNYWAYS WHATS IMPORTANt???!!!! IS THAT RAVENSTAN IS AKI AND THEYRE FORCING JERSEYKYLE AT FUCKING NERF GUN POINT TO GO AS ANGEL!!!! ITS NECESSARY!!!! IT IS THAT SERIOUS.

like...oh my GOOOOOD. if you don't know what the hell i'm talking about, you might have to do some light googling BUT??? WHEN YOU DO PLEASE TELL ME YOU CAN SEE THE VISION. i love you so BAD, pierced and yatted up, edgy boy punk rock ravestaki with his hair up,

( shoutout to when teri ~hi teri~ told me that putting stan's hair up is a nina influenced event...too real; speaking of his hair? i think he is...still a little blonde, like maybe just the bottom half or MAYBE oOOH? ill do his lil eboy curtain bangs because...wow. delicious. thank you god. also i know his makeup and his guyliner was FIERCE, BITCH!

also...i am bringing the lipring chain back bc it is my FAVORITE edgy rs hot topic display acessory -- which means it's Also jersey's bc he has...what? TASTE! /for metal, taco bell cinnamon twists, **achem!** a passion for fashion...and also v pretty twinky nerdy emo boys. <3/ )

BUT UHHHHH...listen. if ANYONE ELSE ASKED, jk would tell you to kys and gut you. but...sigh. ravenstan is actually god's angel, HIS EYES ARE SO BEAUTIFUL AND BLUE AND LARGE, like??? when he reliquishes the matte black golden retriever puppy dog pout, bats his very long dark eyelashes at you, juts the lil stanopener ringed lip out at you and his eyes sparkle like gothboy rapunzel from tangled...it really is SOOOO over. i would fold. jerseykyle...did fold. sorry, king.

RAVENSTAN ALSO NEVER, EVER ASKS FOR ANYTHING?! like he is SO nice and selfless and kind. he never, ever, EVER asks for anything. jk actually like actively has to try and force him to ask for things; its his lil project because God Forbid that man do one less than saintly or self-indulgent thing...fyi, its that every year he asks for a Sword...

WHICH IS SO INSANE, LIKE ABSOLUTEly NOt--did they...get him a sword...i--maybe? oh my god. i knOW HE SCREEEAMED KSLSDkj )

but back to cosplay!jersey ( god, i love my life. when i tell you this was an epic win for pathetic loser gamer boys everywhere LIKE HAHA i got my FINE ASS preppy office siren boyfriend to wear The Outfit ) which...actually isnt that different to what he usually is wearing, tbh?

( also...getting ur messy eboy bf to wear any kind of suit and get all cleaned up, is actually a net win for normie preppy office siren boys everywhere so he Also Won; like it really is just worth it to see rs roll up his sleeve w the TAttoOOS WWWWHEEEW with the hair tie in his mouth while he puts his hair up...jk like E-Excuse Me *goes Feral* )

the halo was sooo cute btw, als the cheekbone guylighter? HOOOO. so...beautiful. i also think he got a little guyliner or shadow...just so i can have ravenstan homoerotically applying his makeup pre-party ;)) BUT THE IMPORTANTE PARTE IS THAT WE GET GORG SWOOPY FARRAH FAWCET JERSEY WITH HIS HAIR STRAIGHTENED WHICH rs also like E-Excuse Me *GOES FKN FERAL* in...SAAAAANE.

it was probably so long and luxurious, it was rs' finest work literally. i know it was steamy in that bathroom. unfortunately god bless him, rs is probably a little autistic ( y...eah...yeah ) and jk kept trying to make out with him, help, bc he's very cute when he takes his medication like a responsible king to combat the severe gaydhd and laserfocuses really hard on what he's doing ( ilysm transmaquilladorble rs xxx <333

he does all his makeup, btw, bc he's shaky asf and doesn't like to inconvenience the makeup artists; they just clean it up for him...he's rlly good, btw ) does the squint and stan lipbite and tilts his head and very gently holds your face...Wowza, truly. jkyle was like u are so beautiful to Me. rs like....what do you MeAN actually ethereal 6ft tall avant garde haute couture european vogue italia supermodel boy whose hair i am straightening in this lil bathroom in my big ass ratty teeshirt with my dumb eboy hair back in this headband sitting on the the bathroom counter trying not to hit my inhaler like a vape every five seconds because this does not feel real to me??? sklhdk In Luv! )

but yeah...super best cosplay stanime boyfriends DEVOURING! i also just want them to do the serran wrap kiss and have it go viral. also x2 if you are looking for them, so sorry, ik, they pregamed a little too hard and looked a little too fine and are probably making out and ruining the extensive labors of stan's beautiful star tattooed emo boy silver ringed tan hands one of which is in jkyle's very lucious straight hair and the other one is probably hiking up his dress shirt...woops!

Amen Gaymen.

[justafriend-ql]

2024 gmmtv bl + gl predictions/wishlist

okay okay, i know it's only july. but i'm a little crazy, so i'm already thinking about the 2024 lineup. some general observations that are informing my predictions:

the 2023 lineup features 9 bls and 1 gl (out of 22 total series). 2 of the bls are ensemble casts (our skyy 2, only friends). so we can probably expect ~10 ql series next year.

as a general rule, it seems like gmmtv's main pairs will get a series every other year or so, although some popular pairings may be mains two years in a row.

they also seem to give lead roles to one or two new main pairings per year - usually pairs that have been floated as side couples in series that aired the year prior (e.g., milklove, perthchimon)

*please note that this is entirely speculation and i don't intend to start any wars in the notes. also: i will be talking about the pairs from an analytical/business perspective; if that makes you uncomfortable, i recommend you just keep scrolling*

bl predictions (in no particular order)

winny x satang series

rationale: given the success of their pairing in my school president and the many fanmeets/brand sponsorship events they've had together this year (including some solo events abroad), this is almost a guarantee. genre prediction: i'm guessing it will be a romcom with a bit of a darker/angstier edge to it, since winny and satang are great at the enemies to lovers trope and are talented dramatic actors.

2. pond x phuwin series

rationale: since fish upon the sky, these two have been a very popular pairing (particularly in thailand, it seems). along with joongdunk and geminifourth, they're part of the 'new gen' group that gmmtv has do a lot of fanmeets/brand sponsorship events (which means $$$ for gmmtv). their last series, never let me go, aired mostly in 2023 but was scheduled for 2022, so a 2024 series would be in keeping with the every-other-year rule. genre prediction: i think their next series will lean more towards the romcom end of the spectrum, given that never let me go was a lakorn and (regrettably, in my opinion) wasn't as popular as fish upon the sky.

3. gemini x fourth series

rationale: this is another no-brainer, really. this pair is so wildly popular that they're already having a solo concert together. both are very good actors (and performers) despite their young age. gmmtv would be stupid not to capitalize on their popularity and skill. genre prediction: probably still romcom, but with a little more "maturity" than my school president. they're young, but that hasn't ever stopped gmmtv from upping the intensity of the physical intimacy, in particular (e.g., phuwin was 19, about the same age as gemini and fourth, when never let me go was filmed).

4. first x khaotung series

rationale: though these two certainly aren't bound to the branded pair model, they excel when they act opposite to each other. the eclipse garnered a lot of popularity for them, and that's only going to grow after only friends. genre prediction: these two can carry heavy, emotional scenes and dark themes extremely well, so it'd be great to see them in a darker genre (the eclipse, while dealing with heavy topics, still had a lot of lighter romcom moments). personally, i'd love to see them lead a p'aof production, which might be likely since p'aof worked with (and was impressed with) the two of them on moonlight chicken. a period drama with these two would be super interesting.

5. neo x mark series

rationale: these two are the wildcard pairing in only friends and were originally the side couple in cooking crush (before they switched out mark due to overbooking him). this is consistent with gmmtv's tendency to float a couple in a series or two before giving them a series of their own. they're both in the same boat, having been relegated to the "funny side character" role for a while, but they have tremendous potential to do more, and gmmtv seems to recognize that now with their decision of casting them in only friends. genre prediction: hmm this one is tricky, since these two can do romcom and drama equally well. if i had to guess, they'll give neo and mark an "edgy"/"sexy" sereies because they're willing to go there and they can execute it well, which isn't necessarily true of all other gmmtv pairs.

6. force x book series

rationale: okay, i know i said gmmtv usually doesn't give pairs a main series two years in a row. but in forcebook's case, i think it's likely. for some reason that i don't personally understand, enchante didn't seem to resonate with a lot of people, but their popularity has skyrocketed since a boss and a babe and will only grow more when only friends airs. i think gmmtv will go with the momentum and give them another series in 2024. genre prediction: forcebook have done two romcoms already, so hopefully they'll get to branch out into another genre. personally, i think a mafia-type series led by these two would be really sick.

gl predictions (in no particular order)

gmmtv is testing the gl waters with milklove-led 23.5 this year. given the popularity of idol factory's gap the series (which surpassed 2gether's viewing stats by a wide margin), gmmtv will need to invest in the gl market in order to remain competitive. that's why i think there will be at least 2 gls in 2024, rather than just one.

view x june series

rationale: view and june will star in dangerous romance and 23.5 this year, indicating that gmmtv is looking to brand them or at least give them main roles in 2024. they're both talented actresses who have a lot of experience and can easily handle heavier material. it's just a matter of how well they're received as a pair in the series that air in 2023. genre prediction: we don't know what their dynamic will be like in their 2023 series, but i think a lakorn-style, enemies to lovers narrative would suit view and june well and give them a chance to showcase their great acting skills. a sci-fi series would also be really neat!

2. sizzy girl group series

rationale: this one might be more of a personal wish than a likely prediction, since gmmtv hardly gives sizzy the time of day. but! jan and aye have played queer characters before, and ciize has repeatedly expressed interest in doing a gl (even talking to jane about being paired together). they're all great actresses and performers (sizzy concert when??), so it really would be amazing if they got their own series. genre prediction: i'm feeling a rom-com for them. my personal dream is a series about a literal girl group of performers (like sizzy itself) so that there can be original music for each episode like in my school president. bonus points if nanon can guest star as their slaytastic manager (i'm never getting over their love score collab).

ensemble predictions (in no particular order)

given the growing number of branded and un-branded pairs within gmmtv, gmmtv will have to lean more into ensemble series (like only friends) in order to give everyone screen-time.

a light-hearted romcom (like our skyy 2)

rationale: this would be an opportunity to give airtime to any branded pairs that don't have their own series, or more work for popular pairs. a light-hearted romcom with a stacked ensemble cast would be a huge moneymaker for gmmtv with lots of fanmeet/concert opportunities (like my school president). cast predictions: we could see many members of the my school president gang (geminifourth, markford, potentially also aun and prom) here. this could also be a chance to float new gl pairings!

2. a more mature, jojo-style series (like only friends)

rationale: other production companies are ratcheting up the heat of their series; gmmtv will do so too in order to stay competitive. for better or for worse, sex sells, and like only friends, a series like this would attract a lot of attention and excitement on social media. cast predictions: this is where some of their older, more established pairs come into play. we could see jimmysea or offgun here. or even joongdunk or pondphuwin, since these two pairs are being pushed in the direction of higher heat. this could look like a mafia or gang-war style series, or maybe something with paranormal/horror themes.

bonus: things that probably won't happen but i would desperately like to see

namtan, tu, ploypach and/or prim gl (please i'm begging i would DIE; can you imagine a period piece with these four?? the costumes alone would have me on my knees)

joongdunk/pondphuwin vampire series (i don't care if it's cringe; did you see joongdunk's dumdum performance??)

breaking up branded pairs (imagine, for example, if joongdunk/pondphuwin switched partners; or winnysatang/markford; or jimmysea/forcebook)

fluke pusit main series (i mean, come on)

midnight museum season 2 khathadome canon (not brothers, please be serious)

okay, that's it. feel free to add your own predictions/wishlist. remember: these are just my own ideas and opinions! don't take anything i say too seriously haha

[raayllum]

Loyalty and Love :: A Miyana Meta

In S4 and S5, one of the most interesting side characters introduced, upon further reflection, has definitely been General Miyana of the Six Horns. Although mostly there to be a trusted confidant and sounding board for Karim, in S5 she's allowed to be a lot more active and interplay a lot more with themes the show is steadily more explicitly exploring in regards to love and loyalty, which is what I'm gonna talk about today.

So without further ado, let's get into it.

The first time we see Miyana is in the tent with Karim for Janai and Amaya's initial engagement announcement / celebration.

It is worth noting, I believe, that Karim initially didn't want to tell Janai about is concerns over her marriage, but Janai urged him to be honest with her about what was bothering him. (Talk about a catalyst for unwanted consequences). Given that Karim is clearly close to Amaya to have seen her effect on Amaya ("Well sister, it can finally be said: you have met your match... Janai, I have nothing to criticize about Amaya. I love Amaya! She is strong and funny, and she makes you happy") as well as for Amaya to consider the marriage merely "officially" making him her little brother. Miyana and Karim might've shared similar reservations and worries about the humans' continued, growing presence in 'New' Aurea, but we simply don't know enough to say; perhaps she brought muttering from the other Six Horns to him, and that was the initial seed (or the other way around).

When the incident with the architect and the Soul flame candle happens, though, Karim starts to lose his impatience.

K: This is the problem! Like all the other humans, even your wife-to-be thinks this is a joke. [...] You know what must be done. Call a Tribunal of the Six Horns.

And this is also where we start to see the political implications of Miyana and Karim's relationship. But first, a few assumptions:

Miyana is close enough to the queen to be sent to report news to her, something we see only Kazi and Gren do to either Amaya or Janai (5x07)

Janai trusts Miyana with the Sun Seed and is comfortable operating on a first name basis (5x07), particularly in Amaya's absence

Miyana leads the lineup of the Six Horns, likely indicating either senior-ship or authority among the group

Karim and Miyana have likely been together for a while, but are seemingly not wed. Janai refers to him as "kid brother" which indicates a more prominent age gap between the siblings (anywhere from 7-10 years in my experience) and does not mention Miyana when she says, "I'm supposed to criticize your love life, not the other way around" (4x02)

Either Karim and Miyana have kept their relationship entirely secret, or Janai knows but does not disapprove, and assumes she still has Miyana's loyalty due to her continued presence at camp even after Karim's exile / not helping him when he asked in 4x09. I personally lean toward her not knowing due to their late night scheduled rendezvous, but you can interpret it both ways

Either way, they clearly care about keeping their relationship secret as when he goes to her quarters in 4x08, Miyana says, "What are you doing? We shouldn't be seen together" (showing that they are both politically minded enough to be willing to stay a secret for no other apparent reason, too).

Given that Janai and Miyana have both worked as prominent generals and her close relationship with Kairm, Miyana has likely known the Sunfire royal family for some time (possibly since childhood)

Miyana is not the first to cast judgement, either, at the trial's end, with everyone else changing their fire first. (This could indicate the opposite of what leading the line did, and that she is in reality the lowest of the Six Horns, or could not be custom at all - who knows?)

After all, we know the outcome Karim wants - punishment and "justice" and that by calling the Horns, he will likely get what he wants, as he knows Miyana will likely side with his choice as well. This is supported in canon since the Horns likewise unanimously vote that Lucia is guilty even with Amaya's testimony; it is singularly Janai's decision of what she is being sentenced to that spares her.

It's implied that when Karim left the tribunal angrily, he was waiting at the wall to meet Miyana when Janai intercepted him, given that it's his and Miyana's meeting spot later than episode, and she playfully chides him for being late.

Miyana doesn't seem particularly upset herself about anything that happened at the Tribunal, even if Janai certainly didn't go with what sentencing Miyana had had in mind when choosing guilty as a verdict. She also doesn't seem super shocked that Karim is going to well, conspire to go against his sister (which is treason) but to be fair, she is mostly there to 1) establish that they're in a relationship and 2) so Karim has an excuse to say his thoughts out loud so the audience can hear them. You can, however, also read this very laid back reaction as one of well - future loyalty, as we'll soon see, but also perhaps a sign of caution, which is Miyana's most valuable trait in contrast to Karim's more impatient nature. And if the previous implications are right - Miyana and Karim both putting their political power over being open about their relationship, it would make sense that they must politically agree / have values that align beyond just "your values should match up when someone is your partner" y'know?

"These things take time." This is, of course, the last thing Karim wants to hear after learning about Janai's 100+ year plan to restore their people's peace and security, a day that neither them nor their potential children will leave to see, so he doubles down accordingly.

Miyana being more cautious/patience makes sense, too, given that she's not nearly as irate about Janai and Amaya doing well, anything, at this point as he is.

Miyana's emphasis on "Did he win?" (a focus on securing victory and hedging your bets/choices correctly) over Karim's "He did, but the point of the story is not who won. The duel stopped the war" and stopped the clash between siblings, which is ultimately what Karim wants. He never thinks that Janai will accept the duel, but that she will abdicate, leave with her wife, and they can both get exactly what they wanted, particularly since as Janai said, "I never wanted to be queen" (4x02) a perspective that has changed because of the Tribunal he urged her to call and because of her growing bond with Amaya (4x08).

So by this point in the story, we know that:

Miyana is close to the royal family

She cares about her own political values and power enough to be willing to hide her and Karim's relationship for their mutual political gain, particularly in situations like the Tribunal

She's caring, patient, and less irritable than her partner

She's cautious and plays the long game - not stepping in to help Karim in 4x09 when she sees the tide has already turned against him, knowing she'd be more valuable remaining at camp until she can make her own play

She thinks through more of the angles (such as questioning what will happen if Janai accepts the duel, which Karim never really considers as an option)

S5 doesn't really give us any new information - it just doubles down on all of these, but allows her to do so independently without Karim's own pushing. Rather, Pharos arriving and almost implicating her serves to tell her what Karim wants, even if she doesn't know why yet.

This 'demand' tells us more about Karim in some ways than it does Miyana. It shows that he misses her, it indicates that he trusts her still which this episode later proves, and it's a way to give her an excuse to see him again, which we know he desperately wants (but we're gonna talk a lot more about their final scene, just you wait) that she may not be able to take without causing suspicion otherwise.

It's also why he cries when she does show up in 5x09, because when she didn't in 5x08, he thought she'd truly betrayed him and changed sides (hence why he was maybe more angry at Janai and Amaya than he previously ever had been before, given what he'd 'lost' to them), believing retrospectively that his love had truly forsaken him.

But she hadn't. Because she betrayed Janai instead.

Karim isn't in a particularly good place at the end of season four, either, with losing his duel (but having his life spared) and his political machinations and future for his people blowing up in his face. But he's in an undeniably worse one (at first) in 5x09, having tried to legitimately kill his sister (which wasn't the initial plan in 4x09) and failed, enlisting a dubious assassin who also abandoned him when it suited her, getting his ass kicked by Amaya, his plan to heal Sol Regem and get his aid indefinitely stalled without the sun seed, losing the love of his life, and losing his mother's ring, to boot.

It is quite literally only because of Miyana that absolutely anything gets turned around and even before Miyana reveals that she's absolutely changed the game in his favour, Karim is still emotional and overjoyed to see her (and we start to see their, let's say Parallels, come to light...)

Amaya: You abandoned him. You broke his heart.

Callum: Well, some things have changed, but not everything: I would do anything for you.

Opeli: Don't you want to know what she was up to? Why she did all this? Callum: If she didn't tell me, she has a good reason. [...] Rayla, I was wrong. I waited too long. I hope you know—

In spite of less than ideal appearances, in spite of perceived or actual abandonment, in spite of apparent indifference, they've stayed loyal to one another through everything. As they clarify tearfully to themselves, Miyana's Love for him is Synonymous with her Loyalty. They are one and the same.

You might say that she would Do Anything for him. Even when quite literally everyone and anything else turns against him, she is in his corner - and makes all the difference. I dunno about you, but I kinda have to respect it.

Which, okay, yeah Miyana is loyal to Karim because she loves him. Duh. Why does this matter thematically? How does this develop one of the other major explorations / notions of the season? Well...

(Cut lines from Finnegrin's Wake) Finnegrin to Callum: Seems to me that love's got a tighter grip on you than those chains round your wrists. So I'll do you a favour and set you free.

A slave to your loyalties.

Your loyalty? My love.

Interesting, don't you think?

TLDR; Miyana's love and loyalty to Kairm helps reinforce the "in the name of love" motivation that we increasingly see the main cast be embroiled in over the course of Arc 2, for better or for worse, with interesting implications for her history with the Sunfire Royal Family, and possible reaffirmation setup for Callum and Rayla moving forward.

[project-sekai-facts]

Isn't there Minori's image color on the logo? Like there's paw prints and minori is the only character who has a dog besides hona. Would they do that? Could they pull that off? Since they dgaf anymore?

i'm dying over on discord about this rn

those aren't...member image colours. those are VBS/WXS/MMJ/LN unit colours.

Rui and Nene work too, but it’s pretty much confirmed that Tsukasa and Emu are the fes cards, so is clpl cruel enough to put 3 of 4 wxs members on lim rateup 8 days after wxs lim rateup?

I need to stop saying things...surprise rui lim? even if it's not rui or he's just 3* or something I still don't think it would be Minori. She already has 6 lims. I mean they could give her a 7th but there's still characters on 4 lims, that feels a little too unfair even by colopale standards.

Under the assumption that it is indeed all units except Niigo then Akito/Rui/Honami (based on the title colors) + anyone in MMJ except Minori for the 3* (based on green being a secondary color). However if you wanted to say those were member colours... Akito/Honami/Nene/.....KAITO (???).

I'm gonna tentatively say Akito/Honami/Airi/Kaito still, but I wouldn't be surprised if the lineup was Akito/Honami/Rui (darkfes 2.0) with no 4th card to balance the fact there's 3 fes cards. Then an MMJ 3* card. Basically there’s no Niigo and that’s all that we can tell from the logo.

Also I think it might be sports themed? There's a frisbee and some dog paw prints so maybe like that frisbee dog game from wii sports resort LOL. Akito gets over his cynophobia event.

[sirignatius]

My thoughts on Persona 3 Reload

I recently finished Persona 3 Reload and it has definitely been a journey. I wanted to sort out some of my personal experiences with the game and share a few details that stuck with me. Spoiler warning if you keep reading! I included some thoughts on certain parts of the game, including some clips of the ending cutscene, so keep that in mind if you haven’t finished it yet!

Persona is such a dear series to me. After finishing P4 and P5, P3 was the last one I needed to play to complete the modern Persona lineup. So, when Persona 3 Reload released on February 1st, I was really excited to play it, but I had to hold off since I was right in the middle of finishing my thesis.

March was just absolute chaos for me: I went through some personal hardships and, finally, turned in my master’s thesis. Easily one of the most stressful periods of my life. Thankfully, I had some incredible friends by my side, supporting me through every step, then and now. I honestly couldn’t have made it through without them.

In the meantime, I figured it’d be better to hold off on P3R for a bit, partly because of its heavy atmosphere and the darker themes, but also because I honestly wasn’t in the best mindset to enjoy it.

For the record, I’m just obsessed with the Persona OSTs, but I wanted to stay away from the new P3 soundtrack so I could experience it in-game. But of course, ONE song managed to sneak past my defenses and land in my playlist. On my way to work, Color Your Night came on for the first time, and honestly, my jaw just dropped.

To this day, I still think it’s a beautiful song! I listen to it almost daily, along with a bunch of other tracks from the game. I wasn’t expecting something so intimate yet so upbeat, and it totally blew me away. Thinking back, I honestly think it gave me that extra push to finish my thesis so I could finally start the game.

This is not meant to be a full game review, but as I played, I felt like P3R wanted to clearly distinguish itself from the original P3. Where the OG game had this edgy, darker vibe, P3R felt more like a celebration of life in comparison. I haven’t played the original, but I’ve listened a lot to its OST, and you can tell they tried to step away from that feeling while honoring Shoji Meguro’s masterpieces.

The interface design is just chef’s kiss. I'm obsessed with the pause menu. It feels like every time I hit pause, time just stops —a little break from all the stressful thoughts, like looking at the world through a calm water barrier. Can we take a moment to appreciate how gorgeous that menu is??

I love how the designers went all in for the water aesthetic: it’s in the menus, the color schemes, the little effects on the music tracks ( like that bubble sound at the start of Full Moon Full Life, 0:28 if you are wondering :] ). They really nailed it.

Then, there’s the endgame. It hits hard with the “take responsibility for your actions” thing, especially after December 31. Choosing to fight to the end completely changes the atmosphere—the color palette gets less saturated and the music takes a more nostalgic tone (Living with Determination, Memories of School, Memories of the City; I find that last one quite disturbing). It’s like the game is telling you that everything comes to an end. It wouldn’t be as impactful if it didn’t. I feel like these songs are the MC’s memories of all the places he’s been in the past year, knowing things will never be the same.

It’s especially heartbreaking on that last day when the MC talks to all their confidants, and they start sharing all the things they’re planning to do soon. Shoutout to Koromaru-san, the goodest boy of them all ;-;

And then, that final scene with Aigis absolutely destroyed me. I wasn’t ready. I like to think she’s using that moment to show us how she’s found her own purpose, and even though she feels sorrow for the MC, she’s learned how to keep going. It hit me so hard. The moment itself is sad, but the atmosphere feels so calm and gentle, like floating on a cloud. And then, after the cutscene, it’s over, and I’m left in tears—not just because it ended, but because of everything we, as the MC, left behind along the way.

And as the game closes, we get Memories of You. After years of listening to it out of context, I finally realized it was the ending theme all along! If you haven’t heard the English lyrics, please do—they’re beautiful, like a love letter from Aigis, saying she’ll be there to protect and remember you forever.

This ended up being a bit of a brain dump, so I hope it makes sense. Please feel free to share any thoughts you may have about the game if you feel like it! And thank you if you read all the way to the end! Truly, thank you so much.

Final shoutout to my dear friends for all the support they gave me through everything. I hope I can also protect them forever as well.