#VOL 9 NEEDS TO COME IMMEDIATELY

[utimatepicgamer]

the struggle of being a nekuyan fan when the eng translation takes a while and you don’t know how 2 read japanese…

[crownmemes]

Mean Sentences, Vol. 9

(Mean sentences from various sources. Adjust phrasing where needed)

"I don't think I'm better than everybody else. Just you."

"You're not righteous. You've got issues."

"Touchy, aren't you?"

"You know, you're not quite right."

"I'm getting tired of your insecurities."

"I don't really know what to say to you that would tell you how contemptible I think you are."

"Is all of that fresh-scrubbed earnestness just an act, or are you truly oblivious to the wreckage you leave in your wake?"

"You're like a bad omen. Always around for my misery."

"No excuses. You're better than this. It's pathetic!"

"I don't think your intentions are honourable."

"Honey, you look horrific!"

"You may just be the most gullible fool I've ever marked. "

"Hey, I immediately don't like you."

"You're a despicable little termite, you know that?"

"You have a cruel streak. I hadn't realised it before."

"You are not as charming as you think you are."

"This is just you projecting your own intimacy issues on everybody else!"

"At this point, you must be beginning to comprehend the stunning totality of your failure."

"I don't want you. I never wanted you."

"I think you have a problem with your brain being missing."

"I'm not trying to make you feel bad. Well, maybe a little."

"Has anyone ever told you that you're very much like an arachnid?"

"Coming from you, that means almost nothing."

"The day you die, your family will rejoice."

"How come you can't be smart like that?"

"Maybe you are intelligent, but you're also crazy!"

"Do you know what your sin is? It's pride."

"Tell me, were you always like this, or did it come on suddenly?"

"You always ruin everything!"

"Every move you've made since you were a child was born of selfishness and self-pity."

"Christ, you're like a walking cliché!"

"Do you think I don't see through your pitiful subterfuge?"

"Everything is not going to be fine! Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"I'm starting to think you have a little too much time on your hands."

"You always were shifty, ever since the day we met."

"That hat makes you look like an idiot."

"I cannot abide useless people."

"When do you get so fragile?"

"I'm very sorry - did I give you the impression I was asking?"

"I'm adopting a façade of caring."

[devildomwriter]

Satan & Cats Vol 1-4

21-14

Satan: “…The cleanup is going to be a nightmare.”

The floor is now littered with books which all seem to be about cats

Satan: *blushing* “Hey, why are you looking at me like that?”

MC: “Have you been cheating on me? …With cats?”

Satan: “If looking at pictures of cats in books counts as cheating on you, then…I guess? Heheh, are you actually jealous of the cats?”

21-14

MC: “Do you like cats that much?”

Satan: “Well, I wouldn’t collect books about something unless I like it, obviously.”

27-16

Cat: *HISSSSSS*

Satan: “Come on, it’s okay. Come here. If you get all angry like that, you’ll end up opening up that wound and making it worse, you know?”

Cat: *growl*…

Asmodeus: “Is that Satan with…a cat?”

27-16

MC: “What’s going on, Satan?”

Satan: “…! …Nothing. I just happened to spot a cat over here, that’s all.”

27-16

MC: “What’re you doing here?”

Satan: “What, is there some problem with me being here? I just happened to spot a cat over here, that’s all.”

29-7

Satan: “Go ahead, see if you can seduce me.”

MC: “Meow?”

Satan: *blushing* “…! …You pass.”

35-14

Satan: “That’s not MC. That’s a cat. It’s a newborn kitten that can’t find its mother, I’m sure of it. And it’s crying out, desperate for help…”

35-19

Satan: “No, I didn’t imagine it. I definitely heard something. It was the sound of a cat meowing.”

35-19

Satan: “I mean, think about it! If a tiny kitten who’s just opened it’s eyes started meowing at you in a weak, fragile voice, hungry and trembling with fear… Would you be able to resist the urge to scoop it up in your arms? Hm?”

Lucifer: “The rule here is “Do not touch.””

Satan: “I take responsibility for my actions. And I regret nothing I did…nothing.”

35-16 Hard

Lucifer: “Satan, when it comes to anything having to do with cats, you’re incapable of thinking rationally. That’s a problem, and it needs to change.

Satan: “…I regret nothing. I just like to help cats in need. That’s all.”

Lucifer: “You may not have regrets, but you still need to consider the consequences of your actions. First of all, anytime you happen upon a cat, you immediately decide to bring it home with you, which…”

39-15

Satan: “Oh, right. I heard you’ve got this place in your world known as “Cat Island.” …In Japan, I think. Have you hear of it? Because I’d really like to go check it out sometime. With you, naturally.”

41-9

MC: “Cat documentaries.”

Satan: *blushing* “Wait, what? You have documentaries about cats in the human world…? Oh, I want to see these documentaries. No, I have to see them. Actually, let’s watch them right now.”

42-16 Hard

Satan: “I don’t believe it…”

Asmodeus: “Satan, do you recognize this thing?”

Satan: “I do. I’ve seen one of these on DevilTube. There was a cat riding on it.”

46-7

MC: *Put on the cat ears*

Lucifer: “The cat ears? How exactly are those supposed to help…”

Satan: *gasp*…!

Satan takes 222 damage.

Beelzebub: “The cat ears actually worked…”

Lucifer: “…Huh?”

Solomon: “Still, they barely did any damage at all. The Demon Lord Satan has 870,000 HP total.”

Lucifer: “Damn…! Someone get us a real cat, and fast!”

47-9

Satan: “I was planning to spend the day thinking up new cat video hashtags to search on Devilgram…”

47-17

Satan: “I also want to get home soon…so I can watch more cat videos… I can’t wait to watch my cat videos…”

47-19

Satan: “I’d like to head back soon, too. I want to watch cat videos on Devilgram. …So bad it’s killing me.”

47-19

Lucifer: “Uh oh, the TV screen… It’s showing video footage of cats now! Be strong, Satan! Don’t give in to them!”

Satan: “…!”

Leviathan: “Oh no, we’re really in trouble now! It’s a group of sleepy kittens…and they’re starting to doze off!” *gasp* “…look! They’re all nestled up against each other and are falling asleep…!”

Satan: “They’re… They’re so cute…”

48-12

Asmodeus: “What are you looking at, Satan? …What am I saying? As if I even need to ask. You’re watching cat videos, aren’t you?”

Satan: “I’ve never thought of searching the hashtag “FrolickingWithADuck” before. Wow, have I been missing out… And don’t you just love this one too, Asmo? “FriendsWithAHamster.””

48-A

Satan: “What I wouldn’t give to be able to watch a nice, soothing cat video right now…”

49-10

Satan: “And a Pretty Kitty special to go with that.”

Simeon: “…Wait. What did you just say? They want a Pretty Kitty Special…?”

Satan: “Yeah. It’s a new menu item I came up with. They’re pancakes in the shape of a cat’s paw. They’re soft, fluffy, and flavored with maple syrup. These are guaranteed to become the café’s signature dish.”

Simeon: “Ahaha… They really are cute…”

Mammon: “Man, he’s sure is crazy about cats.”

49-12

Luke: “Aha… Looks like we found Satan. Hmm, he’s staring at his tablet with a really serious look on his face. I wonder what he’s doing… Trying to understand the current economic conditions in the human world? Or studying a foreign language, maybe? Wow, he really is committed to the pursuit of knowledge…”

Mammon: “Nope, wrong. That’s the face he makes when he’s watchin’ cat videos.”

Luke: “Watching cat videos…?”

49-12

Satan: “As you can see, I’m busy.”

Mammon: “Busy?! You’re just sittin’ here watching cat videos!”

49-12

Luke: “…! Right! Right, exactly. Simeon’s totally obsessed with the cat cafes they have here in the human world! He’s now seriously considering turning the Angel’s Halo into a cat café as well…!”

Mammon: “For real?”

Luke: “Shhh! Quiet, Mammon! Which is why we’ve come to you. As a cat lover, we were really hoping you could advise Simeon… And you know…to do that, you’d need to understand how the business is run, right? And what better way than by working there part-time?!”

Satan: “Why didn’t you say that to begin with? In that case, I’m glad to help.”

49-12

MC: “You know, every day cats show up at the café…”

Satan: “Cats…?”

Luke: “…! Right! Right, exactly. Really, really cute cats…kittens, in fact!”

Satan: “Did you say kittens?”

Luke: “Mmhm. Three of them…actually, wait. Maybe it was five?”

Satan: “Five kittens…”

Luke: “They always show up as soon as they get hungry, and we feed them! Wow, they’re just adorable! They like to hang out in front of the café and play. When they wrestle, it’s like little balls of fur rolling around!”

Satan: “Let’s go. Now.”

Luke: “…Huh?”

Satan: “You said you needed someone to work at the café, right? I want to let Simeon know I’m interested before he gives someone else the job.”

49-12

Satan: “Looking forward to working with you.”

Simeon: “Likewise! I have to say, you’re a lifesaver. I feel much better knowing you’ll be here.”

Satan: “Okay, so…let’s talk cats.”

Simeon: “…Excuse me? Cats?”

51-4

???: *meooow*

Satan: “Just a second, all right? I’m on the phone. Calm down.”

???: *meooooow*

???: *mrooowr*

Satan: “Ow! …Hey, don’t climb onto my shoulder. Quit digging into me with your claws!”

???: *rrraaaar*

???: *hiss*

Satan: “Whoa, hey! Da Vinci…Michelangelo! No fighting!”

51-7

Satan: “You see, I was in the middle of testing out a new flavor to add to our drinks…That’s when the cats started going crazy…and long story short, I ended up wearing the flavoring instead of tasting it.”

Simeon: “You know, that wouldn’t have happened it you hadn’t let them into the café to begin with…”

Satan: “Well, can you blame me? They’re such an improvement. I mean, what’s a café without cats?”

Simeon: “Right. That’s my first point of confusion, actually. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Simeon: “Anyway, don’t blame me when Barbatos makes you pay for this later. He looked QUITE angry about being forced into filling in for you at the café.”

Satan: “I mean, he should be happy, right? He’s surrounded by cats, after all. Sounds great to me.”

52-19

Satan: “I do like cats, sure. But you know I don’t have a pet cat, right?”

52-A

Leviathan: “Well, apparently he was in charge of yesterday’s cleanup, which was a total nightmare. Something about there being cats everywhere? I don’t really know what the deal was.”

Lucifer: “So this was another one of Satan’s messes, then…”

52-C

Satan: “They’re gone! I don’t see them anywhere! Where’d they go?! My little Monet! Da Vinci! Munch! Rembrandt! Vermeer…!”

Barbatos: “Ah, looking for that group of cats with the fancy names? I returned them to the various witches and sorcerers that owned them. They’re back home now.”

Satan: “Wh…what…?!”

52-C

Solomon: “Satan, get ahold of yourself. This is no time to be standing there in a stupor because the cats are gone.”

Satan: “…Yeah…yeah, I know.”

52-16 Hard

Satan: “But I’m waiting on a little friend of mine, a cat, who’s going to show up outside on the terrace soon. They’re looking forward to some tasty kitty treats courtesy of Satan.”

52-16 Hard

Satan: “…MC. If a white cat shows up on the terrace outside, do you think you could feed them a few treats in my place?”

53-14

…a movie about three adorable cats who set off on a journey together starts playing…

Satan: *blushing* “Wh…! …It’s a black and white bicolor, a tortoiseshell, and a tabby… and they’re relaxing in the sun, all curled up against each other. That’s so…so cute!”

53-14

Satan: “Those cats are so cute…”

58-15

Lucifer: “My hobby is music, whereas you prefer reading, don’t you? And you love cats, but if I had to pick one or the other, I’d go with dogs.”

58-16 Hard

Lucifer: “…I just got a call from Barbatos. From what he says, Diavolo suddenly transformed into a cat just now.”

Leviathan: “C…come again…?!”

Belphegor: “You say Lord Diavolo…turned into a cat…?”

Leviathan: “Ooh…not that… That’s treading on the most sacred of sacred ground…”

Satan: “Okay, what type of cat did he turn into exactly? I’m curious to know the breed and color of its fur. Are there pictures?”

59-1

Satan: “I was trying to say it can ALSO be used as a vehicle for cats, even though it was designed to be a vacuum cleaner.”

Leviathan: “Oh no…uh-uh! That’s a lie, and you know it. You were totally convinced it was a thing cats ride on!”

59-4

Satan: “Crowe, play the theme song to “Another Purrrfect Day for Kitties in the Devildom.” At max volume, please.”

60-22

Satan: “…There are several cats who come by the manor for food each day. Make sure to take care of them for me. If you’re on the job, I feel like I can rest easy knowing they’ll be okay. But keep in touch. Let me know how the cats are doing every day. Got it? Every day.”

60-22

Satan: “…Anytime you want to give me a ring, do it. It doesn’t have to be about cats.”

63-9

Satan: “You told me to come, so here I am. But I don’t see any cat—“

Mammon: “MEOW!”

Satan: “…?!”

Mammon: “Meoooow!”

Satan: “What the…? What’s going on?”

63-9

Satan: “…He looks like Mammon, but he sounds like a cat…”

Mammon: “Meow meow meow!”

Satan: “…Come here, you. Who’s a good kitty, hm?”

Mammon: *hiss*!

Satan: “Aww, there’s no need to be frightened. Come here, it’s okay.”

Mammon: *HISSSSSS!*

Belphegor: “…I guess Satan just loves all cats no matter what?”

63-11

Belphegor: “Satan said he’s going to hang out with Mammon for a while. Apparently he enjoys watching cat-Mammon play with cat toys.”

64-A

Satan: “Because the truth is that I don’t want to be stuck here with cat-Mammon, either.”

Mammon: “Meow?!”

Satan: *blushing* “But every time he starts meowing at me, I feel this urge to keep playing with him. I can’t help myself.”

64-A

Mammon: “Meow meow meow meow meoow!”

Satan: “…!”

Mammon: *purr* “mrrooow.”

Satan: *blushing* “Gr…so cute. I know it’s Mammon, but he’s just too cute…!”

67-14

MC: “Cats, books, number four.”

Luke: “Cats, books, number four? That has to be Satan!”

67-17

Lucifer: “By the way, Satan…you forgot your “cat cookies” back at the house. You know, those cat treats you normally carry around with you everywhere. I grabbed them and brought them with me. Here.”

Satan: “Oh, thanks.”

68-19

The sorcerer MC commands you…Come forth, feline… Satan: “What the…?!”

Cat: “Meooow!”

Satan: *gasp* “You’re… YOU’RE SO CUTE! Come here, kitty! How’d you like some cat treats?”

70-15

MC: “A cat!”

Leviathan: “Can you summon a cat here, MC?”

MC: “The sorcerer MC commands you! Come forth, feline…

Cat: “Meooow.”

Satan: “…! What’s going on? Where’d you come from, little guy?”

75-12

Luke: “Satan, are you planning on drinking that milk off of a plate? Wouldn’t you prefer a cup?”

Satan: “Oh, um. Yeah, I find it’s easier this way.”

Luke: “Aha… …What do you think, MC?”

MC: “I’m thinking that’s for a cat.”

Luke: “Yep, my thoughts exactly.”

Or

MC: “He’s taking that to a cat, isn’t he…”

Luke: “So you were thinking the same thing I was, huh?”

Or

MC: “That has to be for a cat!”

Luke: “You wouldn’t think that Satan would be so easy to read, but sometimes he is…”

Satan: “Wh…what? Why are you two looking at me like that?”

75-12

Satan: “On the way home from school, a kitten came up and started rubbing up against me! So I took it home! And I’m secretly keeping it in my room!”

76-2

Asmodeus: “MC showed us the pictures of you as a puppy. You were just adorable!”

Mammon: “Wh…! MC! I told ya to keep that a secret!”

Asmodeus: “That was the result of a failed potions experiment on your part, right?”

Beelzebub: “Mammon looked pretty cute in that picture.”

Satan: “Yeah. So much so that I started thinking a dog might actually make a good pet. You know what a cat demon I am. I thought I was going insane.”

80-19

Leviathan: “A cat bookmark? Aww, Satan, isn’t that cute…” *nudge* Satan: “MC and I bought a matching pair of them when I went up to the human world that one time.”

80-19

Satan: “That was a really nice gift shop, they had all sorts of cat-themed stuff. We should go there again the next time we get a chance, MC.”

[thatgirlonstage]

It's been so long since I thought about 07-Ghost and then you resurrect in the year of our lord 2024. I might have to reread it, it's been *so long*

LISTEN

I PLAYED

MYSELF

IN THE STUPIDEST

WAY

POSSIBLE

I’m doing a fandom fic alphabet bingo thing, right, except that now 9-1-1 is in the mix bc I was frothing at the mouth to turn Evan Buckley into a mermaid and I’m gonna be annoyed if I get all the letters and then there’s just an annoying 9 hanging out at the start so now it has to be alphanumerical and I straight up don’t think I have seen or read something for every NUMBER, especially going strictly on “it has to start with the numeral and Ao3 has to sort it that way.” (Eg: Re:Zero doesn’t count for 0, it counts for “R”)

So I am literally just like. Clicking around at random into ao3 categories to see what other fics already exist for certain numbers in case they might be shows I can watch to solve this problem I’ve created for myself. And I google 07-Ghost and get told “this is a sci-fi/fantasy show about a boy with amnesia” and I’m like cool, that sounds reasonably like my shit, I’ll check it out, but honestly if zero is a number I have to leave off that’s okay, I can live with that. I need to emphasize I had never in my life heard of this show. I knew nothing about it going in except what I’ve just said.

I watch the first episode and I’m like cool this seems reasonably like my shit, also, that homoeroticism with Mikage tho 👀 as long as they keep doing that it’s definitely at least worth sticking around for lmao

(At this interlude I DID see the cover of the first volume and get told what magazine it was published in so I was clued in that Certain Things Were Happening On Purpose, but still, yknow, whether or not the flavors are gonna click was still up in the air.)

I watched several more episodes.

And it ate

my damn

brain.

I don’t know if I can pinpoint the moment that first Got me but I can tell you that the moment it went from “oh no I’m obsessed” to “o h n o” was the fucking,,,,, underwater prison scene, because he SMILED and I perished and I’ll never be okay again. (I’m legally obliged to note that I fucking wept at Mikage’s death but it did have to be Frau who carried me over the line of “I am enjoying this anime” to “I need the rest of this story Fucking Immediately”)

SO THAT BY THE TIME I REACHED THE END OF THE ANIME I ALREADY KNEW I WAS GONNA HAVE TO GO BUY THE MANGA BECAUSE I NEED. TO READ THE REST OF IT.

BUT THE DAMN THING IS OUT OF PRINT

Some of the volumes are still reasonably easy to find but SOME OF THEM ARE NOT and I’ve just spent WEEKS intermittently trawling secondhand book sites waiting for someone to post vol 4 at a reasonable price because for weeks the only copies that have been available are posted for five hundred american dollars

(Thank you random eBay user who posted it for an actual normal human price to pay for a book the other night I owe you my fucking life)

(“Just read the scanlations” I’ve heard they’re not great? No idea if that’s just detritus rumors from old fandom wars or what but still, I do wanna have the physical volumes anyway)

So anyway. Hi. Hello. I’m fucking delighted to discover you know this show. Can I come scream at you about Teito and his boyfriends? They’re in love and it’s ruining my life.

Points at Evan Buckley. Somehow this is all your fault.

[cultivating-wildflowers]

2024 Reading - September

Another productive month. Which I know would rub some readers the wrong way, and sometimes that mindset isn't great for me either, but as a girlie who likes her lists? I'm happy getting to check off stuff.

The biggest accomplishment this month was FINALLY finishing The Disorderly Knights. It took me so long that by the end of the story, I'd already forgotten what happened at the beginning. But it's done, and I have the next book on my shelf. For next year. Maybe.

Total books: 10  |  New reads: 9  |   2024 TBR completed: 2 (1 DNF) / 29/36 total   |   2024 Reading Goal: 63/100

August | October

potential reading list from September 1st

#1 - The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown - 5/5 stars

After hearing people rave about the movie and then the book, I snagged a cheap copy from my local used bookstore and decided to check it out.

It was so so worth it. Absolutely breathtaking. All of the assorted narratives--the different characters, the historical background, the technical details--came together so perfectly and resulted in a captivating story. I love every bit of it. I cried.

#2 - In the Forests of Serre by Patricia A. McKillip - 5/5 stars ('24 TBR)

This is exactly the sort of story I was craving. Absolutely spellbinding.

More like this: I had the sense this story reminded me of something else I've read, but I'm blanking on it just now. If I remember, I'll come back here. It might have been a fairy tale kind of story. It's a bit like the first Earthsea book. Perhaps Robin McKinley, Patricia C. Wrede, Madeleine L'Engel, Shannon Hale.... Diana Wynne Jones. It feels like a Ghibli movie.

#3 - The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol 2 by Beth Brower - 4/5 stars

A fun installment! I am quickly losing track of the cast, but I can totally see the author's vision of this being a delightful period drama.

#4 - The Disorderly Knights by Dorothy Dunnett - 4/5 stars

Note to anyone I've recommended this series to: I unfortunately have to retract that hearty recommendation and replace it with...several caveats.

I finished! Honestly, I don't know why it took so long, because once I made myself sit still and read it was easy-ish going; I just had trouble sitting still.

Ok, so "easy" is not the right word. With this series, the first half of each book tends to be a slow build-up, while the end careens rapidly downhill to the conclusion and the ever-brilliant (and painful) reveal.

And, uh.... This got much darker and more intense than I was prepared for. (If I made a habit of reading more in this line, I might have seen that coming, but epics aren't my usual fare.) Narratively, it all worked very well, but it was right on the edge of what I can tolerate.

Still, with 200 pages left to go, I absolutely planned to keep reading the series, well aware that it would be...an experience. Then I saw a blurb for both Book Four and Book Five, skimmed some super vague reviews for Book Four ("Five Stars. owowowowowowowowowowww") and freaked out. And, against all my usual inclinations, hunted for spoilers. And now I'm scared. (But, weirdly, less stressed about the conclusion? Which is an odd experience.)

#5 - Od Magic by Patricia A. McKillip - 3/5 stars (audio)

This confirms my suspicion that McKillip is one of those hit-or-miss authors for me. The first book of hers that I read was The Changeling Sea, six years ago, and I remember absolutely nothing about it. Then In the Forests of Serre blew me away. Od Magic? Another middling story.

Don't get me wrong; McKillip's writing is gorgeous. It immediately draws you in, connects you to living, breathing characters, and paints the most vivid pictures. But the story here just kind of...wanders along. It's a pleasant journey, but not very exciting.

Note: I didn't dive into "Od Magic" because of how much I loved "In the Forests of Serre". I needed an "O" title, and realized McKillip had a few. 😅

#6 - Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones - 5/5 stars (reread, audio)

We all know I love this. 'Nuff said.

#7 - Yours From the Tower by Sally Nicholls - 4/5 stars

Another Tumblr rec! And a read that had the unfortunate pressure of me getting to it on the heels of 1) a so-so fantasy and 2) a historical fiction adventure that wrung me out. I did my best not to go into it with any expectations outside of being pleasantly charmed, and charmed I was. 90% of it was a fun, light read with just a touch of drama, but my stars, the end had me rolling. There's something so fun about epistolary novels when it comes to twists and big reveals.

#8 - Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher - 5/5 stars (audio)

A gorgeous little story.

#9 - Bryony and Roses by T. Kingfisher - 4/5 stars (audio)

Largely enjoyable, but the ending felt rushed.

#10 - The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories by Susanna Clarke - 4/5 stars

An impulse pick from the library. I wanted something short and sweet and discovered this after finishing Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. As is becoming a habit with Clarke's writing, I enjoyed this book. I loved the variety of styles and tones within the collection.

DNF*

The Element of Fire by Martha Wells - Not a bad story, but by the 15% mark I remained bored and vaguely confused and unable to pay attention, so I gave up. I like Wells's writing style (obviously), but this was evidently her debut and is a bit dull around the edges. For some reason it reminded me vaguely of The Curse of Chalion, which I love, so might be worth checking out if you enjoy Lois McMaster Bujold. Goodreads also shows that fans of T. Kingfisher might enjoy this one as well. (Note: Paladin's Grace [below] also had the same general feel as The Element of Fire and The Curse of Chalion)

The Anthropology of Turquoise: Reflections on Desert, Sea, Stone, and Sky by Ellen Meloy ('24 TBR) - I was hoping for a more scientific exploration of color. Instead, this book is a collection of (in my and my friends' opinions) weirdly stuffy, stilted essays. I don't usually mind slow, descriptive/lyrical writing, but this is something else. If you don't mind a deeply personal and conversational writing style and a book you can sit with for several months, definitely check this one out, because it has merit; it's just not for me.

Zao's Tales by J.A. Sommer - I'm still vaguely unclear on how this book arrived on my shelf (it was a gift from my mother and she bought it to support someone?). Decidedly not for me. Also...now I don't have a "Z" title for my alphabet challenge lol.

just kidding, I found another one that was kind of on my radar and ordered it from the library, whoo

Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher - I'm learning that Kingfisher really straddles the line on what I'm willing to tolerate content-wise. This one was a "no" based on that.

The Sea at the End of Everything by Emily McCosh - The writing style was not for me. Sorry, Ruby.

*I'm starting to wonder if I should bother recording books I DNF.... They make up fully a third of the books I've picked up this year.

Currently Reading:

The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks - just started

[ohanny]

pit babe x tfln vol 2

way: i'm drinking until i'm someone else’s problem.

winner: did you put 9 pounds of birdseed all over my car?

sonic: you weighed it?

alan: is 36 too old to fuck a college student? THIS IS BOTH IMPORTANT AND TIME SENSITIVE.

north: nothing but goodness could come from two friends getting naked. just think of all the good advice and other things we could give to each other!

kenta: i told my therapist about the other night and he actually whistled and said ‘wow, that is not good.’

charlie: how many times do you have to sleep with a guy before you get him to kiss you?

babe: i had a dream i dropped the L word and immediately threatened to kill myself.

alan: you probably shouldn't be having nightmares about expressing affection.

kim: i’ve decided to see your threat against my life as you flirting.

sonic: taylor swift needs more songs about threesomes. i'm not sure she gets me anymore.

way: i’m trying to think of an appropriate time to say ‘when i suck other dicks they seem like training dicks compared to yours’ but i really can't think of a good way to say that.

pete: problem. drunk. stepbrother hitting on me again. help.

about winner: wow, when i’m done with him, he's going to have to pop his collar in necessity and not just douchery.

[sineala]

Fic: Trust Fall

Trust Fall (39106 words) by Sineala Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Avengers (Comics) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark Characters: Steve Rogers, Tony Stark Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Fluff, Love Confessions, Getting Together, Everyone Is Poly Because Avengers, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Past Drug Addiction, BDSM, Humiliation, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Coming In Pants, Hopeful Ending, Avengers Vol. 9 (2023) Summary: Tony needs someone who cares about him, bandages, a jacket, ibuprofen, dinner, a lasting romantic relationship, a nice time in bed, and assistance committing federal crimes. He gets them. In that order.

Just in time for the release of Invincible Iron Man #8, I have written a Steve/Tony h/c story set immediately after the events of #7, because I got to the end of the issue and decided that Steve needed to come over and pick Tony up off the floor. So that’s what I wrote.

[mofffun]

Music Collection vol.3 repo

note: i don't know a thing about music somebody please please do a musical analysis of king-ohger some day

There's still no "Mysterious Debut" from ep4!!! Did you guys forget it??!!

1: I didn't even knew i needed the narration bgm but thank you narration bgm. recgonized it immediately.

2: this is my favourite (non-obstructing) version of instrumental Zenryoku King so far

Shugoddom 2 years after: there's still kind of a solem march disciplinary rhythm but it feels more upbeat and cheerful than authoritarian

N'kosopa: my instinct reaction is: freedom. contrary to Shugoddom, i don't hear a single instrument as the melody it feels more background noise in a good sense. As in it suits the environment as opposed to dominating the scene. Maybe you can make a theory about there's no single driving force and N'kosopa is all about community

Ishabana: I don't have much of a reaction to it but i think it's more… subtle? as in v1 was very much announcing Himeno's appearance and you're supposed to fall head over heels for her and v2 is "I'm exerting beauty regardless of your worship"?

Toufu: it's so fun. you know you're in for a ride. wouldn't be out of place if it plays at the mall during new year.

Gokkan: I LOVE YOU. this part brainwashed me back in 27 and i kept thinking if this is the Gokkan theme or the Shugddom theme because they share that orchestral repeat and it plays into Jeramie and Gira transforming (btw Jeramie is not in that medley). In the middle it turned sombre again but the melody comes back on it's like regaining control and the song is proper balanced!

8: i think this is an earlier bgm we don't hear as often now. very comforting while alluring you to a bedtime story. i like the strings 1 minute in

9: YES JERAMIE'S CHOIR DEBUT SONG IS HERE. *blast it at highest volume* love the wind chimes 0:37-0:50 you really need to turn it max to hear, and it stops when the drum starts building tension. there's beats of "8. A story wiped from history" at the end too.

10: i see it… ep26… buganarok national day *wipe tears*

11: 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 RITAAAAAAA

12: violin INFERNO!!! i love this one. my strongest impression of it was in ep11 the orphans griefing about Gira. What do you mean it's called "A king's compassion for his peole" 😭😭

13: the! the touching bgm!

15: love Dugded's theme. SW vibes if i say so, knowing Hidetsuna did use SW as an inspiration for chapter 2. strong impact the first time i hear it.

16: i can sing along to this

17: ?… OH "Racles's schemes"!! Hello old friend! Another one to sing along.

(these dug themes are melting together for me…)

20: Does this share some sounds with "18. Uchuuoh's Iron First"???

22: compared with "Assemble! The five kings", I like the ch2 assemble theme is more [穩重]… more mature and grounded. There's still the same insipiring quality but a sense of you can really trust them to take care of everything instead of just raging on an adventure. I guess it's they are working better as like a team.

ringtones:

gira/racles: evil vs hero. will believe racles's ringtone is the official shugoddom anthem.

yanma: THAT'S OUR PREZ! (anything i can say will never be as GOAT as Hidetsuna-san designing a wblue matching ringtone)

himeno: afternoon tea

rita: i hadn't noticed there's a "dun-duh" after the chibi moffun chirps. Rita is always getting calls and always cutting their ringtones short 😂 sorry Rita but gotta say the sharp chirps is not good for my ears

kagu: i almost forgot his bgm is like this 😂 very fitting i guess

jeramie: medieval european bard

out of the 8 the only one i'd consider using is probably jeramie's. and maybe yanma's racles song 😂

now we need a retro rpg with the ringtones as bgm

insert songs:

Pride and Brave: ooh the full song is much better than just the ed segment! something about Takatori-san's voice being nostalgically reassuring. Like the crossover itself, very traditional-flavoured sentai. I always thought of "Waking the King" as an "ura-OP", the OP King-Oh would have if it's born 10 years earlier, and this is the special edition crossover movie dancing ED.

Just we go: This is the "image song" of ch2 so it hasn't been used in the show yet. Contrary to "Waking the King" this feels more like an "ura-ED" but not a dance one, closer to a Rider ED. The lyrics is very affirming of the kings' journey this past (three) year(s) - that i feel like, a message that i receive from the show, is you can always make up for your mistakes and you always have a second chance, and the lyrics is saying that. It maybe the same vague hopeful words but it's about taking everything that happened to you, ackowledged how hard you fought, to protect your home and then facing the future without reservations. cliche of cliche but it works!

I'm still alive: I love this song. I've waited for it since ep 2. TWO. (now it's released the crown of longest-waiting bgm is passed to Mysterious from ep4).

and I feel so sorry and mean if I critique the grammar because the artist and team worked hard on it and musically it's wonderful! The grammar just takes it a little bit out of immersion. Now i'm curious if the lyrics has a japanese blueprint that better convey the message. Reagrdless, it's interesting to think of the english language is part of Yanma's antique/retro hobby. Maybe English is an antiqudated language on Chikyuu so the gramma is odd to modern Chikyuu ears.

[iamafanofcartoons]

Rabbit Debunks Hbomberguy’s “RWBY is Disappointing Video” and explains why the Critics are wrong about RWBY.  Part 1 of 2

Making a thread reacting to the hbomberguy RWBY is Disappointing video.

Mostly as a refresher and also because there’s been a lot of dissension regarding it so why not.

Intro Calls it R (Rue) By lmaoo.

You’re not supposed to pronounce the W So the gist of it, is that he feels like it has great concept that could be interesting, but fails to execute it in any meaningful way???

Like overall it’s bad but there’s few good glimpses-

Of what could be a great show.

I guess for now I guess I can give it the benefit of the doubt and assume good intentions so far.

No words on the History of Monty Oum and RT history.

I mean it pretty much all checks out

Though immediately admitting your bias against the show takes the validity of some of your criticisms away ngl.

So he loves the Red Trailer but brings up the views it gained and then brings up the views of the episodes (Vol 1 ep 1 and 2) as a sort of gotcha like “oh see the trailer is more popular than the episode like look at the 15M to (episode 2) 6.8M ratio!!!”

Like those are two-  Wildly different things my guy

But what’s up with that “Red Like Roses Part 1 is the best composed music Jess has ever done” take?????

That’s wild asF fr.

Like no way you listened to the soundtracks of V1-3 and still have that opinion.

Like it’s amazing but????

“Does she get the scar from the fight or from something else, oooo mysterious”.

Is this a bit????

She so obviously gets the scar from the fight so I hope it’s just a bit lmao.

Also the complaint about Adam is so weird?

“He’s so obviously a bad guy that it doesn’t make sense”

“Since there’s already wolves set up as the baddies in the series”

Like, it’s not word for word what he said but that’s the gist of it?

It’s a bad and very nitpicky complaint since there are many series with more than 1 antagonist and antagonistic force.

I don’t know.

Saying “it’s coming from a well meaning place” but then saying it’s extremely bad, followed up by an intro song saying that RWBY is lame and it sucks all while dedicating it to Monty is…. So disgusting??? And very disingenuous???

Using the ending of Vol 2 as a point in your “they don’t know their story” when Ruby is laying down all the things that they have yet to solve (leading into the new volume and this laying down the groundwork for it)

It’s obviously in your face my dude.

Ah damn, a little out of order, but is there instances where Miles or Kerry  acknowledges good faith criticism? Panels? Deleted tweets? Anything?

Mainly just curious if it’s true that they haven’t and he just didn’t do the research by saying he “has a hard time finding any”

Another thing. Forgot to mention.

Really wish he prefaced his complaints about the voice acting and writing that he understood that the studio itself was amateurish and small with not a lot of budget to work with. (Unless that’s true) not that there isn’t criticism but that- There are TANGIBLE reasons why it’s the way that it is.

Where Do We Even Start?

Uhhh they never dropped the Dust Theft plot line????

Volume 2 was literally the culmination of the dust theft and the reason is because of Cinder’s plans.

Another thing that’s in your face but just, weirdly you gloss over???

“The intro doesn’t set up the story properly… leaves out the fragile peace between the nations…. Leaves out faunus… leaves out semblances…”

Quite literally, the intro talks about things that weren’t even revealed until Vol 4 to 9. The intro is good and sets up what it NEEDS-

Like sure you can say “oh but it’s only added till later when they got the story that they wanted to tell straight”

Mate, a pro tip for a lot of writers renowned/acclaimed have admitted that some of their works or some of their best writing decisions were made by the seat- Of their pants.

You think Naruto, one of the most iconic and popular anime of all time would have spun into how it is just off the intro of the first episode?

What about Bleach?

ATLA?

One Piece???

There are so many instances where the intro just isn’t all encompassing bc- That just isn’t how story writing goes.

You can have the best most rigid outline in the whole world, but at times you’re gonna go off script because there’s something you want to expand upon more or explore.

Ends off this segment by saying that RWBY’s story is interesting and it has neat ideas (backahandedly by adding “to write a wiki about”) but the storytelling only gets worse.

Which, I sort of disagree with???

It’s not stellar by any means, but I chalk that up with them- Not having the sort of resources available.

However from what they managed TO put together it was coherent enough to convey what they were meaning to portray.

Though I do have my gripes with certain aspects of the first two volumes.

But from V3 on? It’s only gotten- Stronger.

Yes I harp on V5 a LOT and it’s still one of the weaker volumes, but the conversations and character dynamics where stronger than they’ve been.

It was mainly the animation in the last few episodes of the giant fight that I just, wasn’t vibing with at all.

Worldbuilding and Conveyance

So next he talks about how aura was explained.

Bringing up both Harry Potter and ATLA and how they tell it as an example.

Following it up by making a rwby edit to make it seem as if it was mundane and boring.

Which isnt the case at all.

If you- Actually take the time to watch the scene.

It's about 1:20 long and while the explanation of what Aura does is being told to the viewer, it shows Ren taking down the King Taijitu with his aura.

It's another valid form of story telling because it's not just two characters talking on screen.

it's also giving us an insight of how it would be put into action.

"No one just happens to have full on speeches prepared in case anyone is to ask"

Uhhh, have you met Weiss?

Even the examples you gave literally is Hermione and Katara.

"Why does Jaune not know about this?

When he came from a long line of hero's and monster Hunters."

Idk, how does Naruto not know about Chakra despite 8 years as a academy student.

He probably just skipped out on it or didn't take it seriously enough.

He never went to- A prep school like Signal either.

His transcripts were faked, so you could easily say he went to Beacon with nothing more than a Dime, A old Rickety sword and a dream lol.

Also Pyrrha is super smart and also a really great battle tactician.

Of course she would be able to- recite what Aura does word for word.

It's not mischaracterization.

You just want to twist that narrative against her.

And not just that, I feel a strong mischaracterization of Jaune.

If Jaune is played off as an idiot for jokes, that's cool. But if he's shown to just not- Understand or doesn't know about the world at large, then that could hint at the fact that Jaune is more than just an idiot.

He's probably born in the sticks/boonies.

A country bumpkin if you will where Hunters aren't all that well known nor pop culture.

It doesn't dumb down the other characters.

Because Weiss is frustrated herself that someone so famous isn't recognizable by anyone and everyone in the world.

Same thing with her and the SDC

For Christ sakes, he only knew Pyrrha from a cereal box be fr

Well he brings up the Jaundice thing and yeah that's fair, a lot of people have gripes with that (i'm not one of them) and brings up how Pyrrha is only really a character for Jaune's development as a fighter and romance option but not much else on her own.

Which... Yeah I kinda- get that too.

Like, I liked Pyrrha too, but I do wish she had more to do in V1 and 2.

But in V3 is where she shines.

Hell there were so many people who did cry and got shocked by the end of Vol 3 even with the amount of screentime she gets.

"Praise RWBY for being feminist and progessive cause most of the mcs are women... But Jaune has 4 episodes dedicated to him, and has the coolest girl in school flirting and helping him become a stronger warrior."

Jaune isn't the main character.

How I've always viewed RWBY and JNPR has always been: RWBY as the protagonist and JNPR as the deuteragonist.

They hold about the same amount of importance because of how close their teams are.

So of course you're going to want to give the deuteragonist development and screentime to.

And yes Jaune had Jaundice.

RWBY still has an ABSURD amount of episodes dedicated to them as well so the balance/ration will always be in RWBY's favor regardless of how you feel about Jaune as a character and Jaune's importance to the story.

Same goes for the rest of NPR

"The writer's dont know what Yang's semblance is.

It goes from her being angry, to it being her taking hits and she transfers that energy back to them by hitting them again, and then temper tantrums, and then re-xeplain it as a redirection of energy stored from hits."-

Uhh, no.

Her semblance has always been about redirection of stored energy from attacks and aiming them back at the opponent.

Every single time we see her use it, it's always after she's taken several hits.

It's probably still possible to use it without taking hits, but its more than- likely less powerful.

He goes on to talk about how semblances are abstract and only gets mentioned 14 episodes later.

Which sure ok, but the gist of them and how they work are still easily within the story.

Could they have expanded upon it more earlier on? Yeah they could.

But to sit there and say, "When Pyrrha used her abilities and Ruby and Weiss look at her like she was weird and surprised and confused she has powers too"

no no no no no, that is grossly misreading the scene.

Pyrrha has kept her semblance a secret from anyone and everyone.

No one knows what it is or if she even had one.

They were just confused by what she did, why her hand glowed black, and why her hand was out.

It had nothing to do with them being confused about why someone else had a semblance, but more so they never knew what Pyrrha's was.

and also, the reading of Semblance = magic is both meh and eh.

Like if you looked at any and every single semblance that exists in RWBY, every single one of them have to do with concepts that has nothing to do with earth, wind, fire, and water.

Whereas Magic in the series- has Maidens throwing storms, lightning bolts, fire, ice, etc. at any enemy they choose.

That's the major difference between magic and semblance.

Magic is divine, naturalistic. Semblances are more man made if that makes sense.

Man he really does not like how semblances are portrayed/exposited.

Like it's been just as long as he harped on for Pyrrha expositing the aura scene.

like the exaggeration that he's going to, to explain this is kinda crazy

It's not a semi complicated concept at all, like he said it was.

It's very easy to follow and very easy to understand. he brings up Emerald and Cinder knowing about it, but doesn't bring up the fact that Pyrrha had to have put it in her application for Beacon or her personal- record that only Beacon has track of.

A record that they broke into with the helps of Watts, but not just that.

But Mercury also figured it out because he's an intelligent fighter just like Pyrrha is.

You can just say that Pyrrha's opponents were all just dumb for not figuring it out.

But no, it's just bad writing I guess.

Brings up WoR as an example of not being able to tell the story completely and labels it as homework.

It's not necessarily out of the norm though.

There are lots of character guides, extra material that expands on characters, worlds-

nd ideas that you can't really put the time in the show to do.

Like let's look at the first 3 volumes and how most episodes where 12-15 minutes long.

And even then they were still trying to get the hang of writing for something so massive as RWBY.

Having extra material so readers can get a better understanding of the world around them isn't bad. because even then, most everyone knows who Faunus are.

How Aura works, what a semblance is. all of these on a surface level.

If you want to dig deep, thats what WoR is for.

Unless you just wanna insult the show and embrace ignorance?

Some Positive Examples

Such a nothing complaint really. 

Just Miles and Kerry's writing vs Monty's character acting (in terms of how he conveys the four in a team fight (example being Team RWBY vs Mecha Roman)). 

I mean, I dont know what to really say here.

"The writers are so busy writing drama and wacky skits to explain why they're friends while Monty is putting in the REAL work with the fight scenes and showing how close they are and how far ruby has come at becoming a leader."  

Yeah... Cause that's what writers and animators do

Briefly touches on Ships and how Monty, Kerry, and Miles referenced them in the fight. (also decided to call it creepy since Ruby is 15 and the other girls are 17...

Which isn't that bad??

Like Sophomore and Senior in High School really).

Wasn't Ichigo Kurosaki 15 and Naruto not even 13?

Also says they didn't make a name- for Ruby and Yang because of the certain fans that ship those two together so they avoided that one altogether

.... Which yeah??? Did you want them too lol??

I can't seem to see his point of bringing this up because on one hand it feels like he's admonishing them for it, but  on the other hand he seems... like he's a little upset that they dont have a team attack name?

Maybe just at the inconsistency of it. Which i can understand.

I would have maybe came up with one that isn't fandom made so they can have a cool SISTERS team attack, like Rose Dragon!

Ends off this segment talking about more Miles and Kerry vs Monty (with Shawn being added in).

Another example of writing vs character expositing through animation by using the Pyrrha vs Mercury fight as well as the exposition between Emerald, Cinder, and Mercury.

Lots of talk about animation being weird and how he's seen worse animation but the stories were good enough to overlook it.

I'd be a broken record by stating this again and again.

But just look at what they had to work with. Look at how divided the writing and the animation- really were with Monty coming up with new characters that the team had to shove in last minute.

Look at Poser even and how the engine was something really only Monty and Shane (oops I made a mistake in that other post) could work to the level that they did.

Look at RT and even CRWBY at the time.

And now look where they are now.

You can't tell me that they've gone downhill when most of your gripes that you've complained about are/have been fixed in the later seasons.

Gonna end it here and make it a 2 parter. This thread is-

Long enough and I'm tired extremely lol.

I'll do a QRT tomorrow and start it back up. 

If anyone has more to add or correct me on, feel free to QRT anything you feel i didnt do a good job of explaining or just missed in general.

Any help is appreciated.

https://twitter.com/PhonyMangaka/status/1653898140678856704

[themattress]

A look at Dragon Ball Z's sagas and the incarnation I prefer them in: manga, anime, or Kai.

The Vegeta Saga

Manga: 48 Chapters (Vol. 1 - 5) Anime: 35 Episodes (Season 1) Kai: 16 Episodes (Season 1)

This one is really difficult. The arc is a good one in all incarnations, of course, but I especially love both animated renditions. The original anime has strengths like filler episodes that flesh out the year between the major Saiyan battles quite well and provide more development to characters like Gohan and Piccolo, and even spotlight characters that were underutilized in the manga (in Launch's case, not utilized at all!), but weaknesses like filler episodes that are particularly bad and contradictory to canon material, plus the battle with Nappa and Vegeta having more padding stuffed in than is necessary. Kai loses those weaknesses, but it also loses those strengths. On the plus side, it feels perfectly paced, with 8 episodes before Nappa and Vegeta arrive followed by 8 after their arrival. So, which version gets the victory?

Well, the winner is....

The good filler in the original anime is very good, but the bad filler is literally story-breaking levels of bad (ex: the space pod Goku came to Earth in gets blown up, and then when it's canonically needed for the story no reference is made to the fact that it was ever destroyed), and more importantly than that, Kai has the only consistently good English dub of the saga.

The Freeza Saga

Manga: 87 Chapters (Vol. 5 - 12) Anime: 72 Episodes (Seasons 1 - 3) Kai: 38 Episodes (Seasons 1 - 3)

Let's rule out the anime right away, because its filler and padding was more often than not atrocious and dragged the whole thing down in spite of the arc's soaring highs. Kai retains those highs and trims the fat, with almost half the amount of episodes. However, a few things it couldn't quite work around such as Captain Ginyu's pointless return in Bulma's body and the fight between Goku and Freeza getting interrupted by a fight between Gohan and Freeza still ended up remaining. The pacing is still slightly better than the manga's and seeing the battles and transformations all fully animated is always a plus, but as a minus Toriyama's writing is more consistent as Toei's aforementioned retained additions are just that obvious.

So, when weighing them carefully, I've got to give the nod to....

The original manga arc was immediately iconic for a reason. Also, it's the only version where Vegeta says that Zarbon spilled Freeza's secret of being able to transform...and Zarbon actually did so! Yeah, in both anime versions they totally forget to have Zarbon say that to Vegeta, so it comes out of nowhere when Vegeta says the line to Freeza! When you make such a monumental narrative blunder, you just can't be the definitive version of the story.

The Cell Saga

Manga: 91 Chapters (Vol. 12 - 19) Anime: 77 Episodes (Seasons 4 - 6) Kai: 44 Episodes (Seasons 3 - 4)

It's a nigh-perfectly paced and utterly riveting story arc in all three versions, so each version's weaknesses being minor compared to their strengths. So this one is practically a coin toss!

But the coin lands on...

It's the best of both worlds. Truer to the manga with a lot of filler excised, while maintaining great animation and voice-acting that the anime made possible, plus keeping some of the better changes such as how the final epic beam struggle between Gohan and Cell plays out. Also, I much prefer the arrangement of the Kikuchi score here compared to the original.

The Buu Saga

Manga: 99 Chapters (Vol. 20 - 26) Anime: 92 Episodes (Seasons 7 - 9) Kai: 69 Episodes (The Final Chapters)

This arc was never gotten right in any version. The manga's goes further and further off the rails and gets rushed to a flat, underwhelming conclusion; the anime's drags on too long and the many battles against different incarnations of Buu grow tiresome; and Kai bafflingly keeps in a lot of the anime's worst additions which feels totally against the original point of Kai.

But the lesser of three evils is....

At the very least, when this arc starts to get really bad in the manga, it goes by fast. It's mostly in the last two volumes and you can read through it easily. That's way better than spending 22 minutes after 22 minutes after 22 minutes putting up with the decline in quality.

But that leads me to my big Hot Take: Dragon Ball Z is a legendary anime, important to and cherished by many, myself included. But nowadays there's....really not much of a good reason to watch it. Kai is far more in line with the original manga and actually goes at a reasonable pace. 167 episodes is still lengthy; longer than Dragon Ball's 153 and Dragon Ball Super's 131, but it still falls under that reasonable umbrella, whereas 291 episodes just feels way too daunting, especially when not being broadcast on a weekday-by-weekday basis.

So aside from checking out episodes here and there as a curiosity, I wouldn't recommend the original Dragon Ball Z to anyone anymore. Maybe I'm going to HFIL for that, but it's true!

[kyraxyrespace]

A Story That’ll Never Be Finished (early-Vol 9 fanfic)

Back in May of 2021 I just felt myself shrivel at this reminder I began to speculate what Vol 9 would be about based only on the brief after-credits scene we had at the end of Vol 8. I started on it, but never had the time to finish it despite the lengthy hiatus we as a FNDM went through. Now with Vol 9 out and finished, I don’t have any plans on continuing the story. However, I wanted to share the brief start of what was thought of but never to come.

Please enjoy.

The repetitive, gentle sound of waves lapping against the shoreline lulled Jaune out of his unconscious state. His mind worked slowly, and only dimly registered the feeling of soft sand beneath his person. Then, as he got to his knees and gave his surroundings a look around, his mind snapped into place like a rubber band. He glanced around more frantically, his hand reaching down to his waist, feeling a degree of relief that his Crocea Mors still occupied his body. It did not alleviate the consternation he felt while taking in the unfamiliar environment.

He pulled himself up to his full height, his right hand touching his weapon. Narrowed blue eyes roamed the horizon, taking in the lush, tropical island. He kept quiet, listening for any sound that would give away another soul in the area, and was equal parts relieved and torn that he heard nothing at all. The water continued to lap behind him, and the wind rustled the leaves, but there was no sound - human, faunus, or animal - to be heard. The enormous tree situated up on the hilltop caught Jaune’s attention; considering its size, it wasn’t that hard to miss.

Although he was apprehensive of where this new land was, he did at least know one thing: he got here by falling from the walkway. And if he was here after falling into the void, then there was reason to believe that Team RWBY was here, too. He needed to link back up with them and find a way off the island; there were loved ones waiting for them in Vacuo. The notion that his friends were alive - not lost to the void like he had thought - spurred him into action.

He didn’t have any clue which way to go, so he picked to go to the right. He took two steps forward in his intended direction but stopped as his ears picked up on a noise coming from behind him. He placed his hand on the hilt of his broken sword, listening to the noise to differentiate if it was friend or foe. It was too faint to actually understand, but it was high pitched enough that he didn’t think it was a Grimm. He spun around on his heel, his eyes narrowing as he tried to pinpoint the cause of the sound. There was something coming his way, and he was able to determine it was in the shape of a person. He blinked, and his heart skipped a beat as he was able to pick out the person’s distinctive white hair and knew instantly who it was.

“Jaune!” Weiss shouted, her voice easier to recognize the closer she came to him.

“Weiss,” Jaune breathed. Then, louder, “Weiss!”

He jogged toward her, closing the gap so she wouldn’t have to run so far. When he determined he was halfway toward her (he was taller, his legs longer, so he traversed the distance in a shorter amount of time), he came to a stop, expecting Weiss to do the same. He was shocked when she didn’t slow down at all; she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Jaune released a breath of surprise, and his left foot readjusted itself to keep him from tumbling backward. His arms, on instinct, wrapped around Weiss to keep her steady.

His surprise over her jumping onto him turned to relief that he could hold her. When Winter had returned to the pathway empty handed, Jaune’s heart had dropped. He hadn’t seen what had happened to Ruby, Blake, and Yang, but he had guessed. Knowing that he had been steps away from getting Weiss somewhere safe, just to lose her, turned his insides cold. He couldn’t mourn her loss immediately; the void had been compromised, and he and Winter had to get to Vacuo. Even the logical knowledge that the team had to have survived if he had didn’t provide the amount of relief he felt holding her in his arms. He had to will away the tears threatening to form in his eyes.

Jaune, believing they’d held each other long enough, began to withdraw his arms, expecting Weiss to do the same. It was probably the first time since Beacon’s initiation that they held each other; it was certainly the first one Weiss initiated. To his surprise, she moved reluctantly. She tightened her hold briefly, before unlinking her arms, moving them down until they rested on the boy’s elbows.

“What happened? How did you get here?” she asked, her voice raised in concern.

“The pathway collapsed,” Jaune answered. “I made a jump for the portal, but missed it.”

“And my sister?” Weiss asked, her face twisting up at the memory of the last time she’d seen Winter.

“She made it through to Vacuo,” Jaune replied.

Weiss’ shoulders dipped as she released a breath, exhaling the tension she’d probably been feeling since she arrived on the island.

“Have you come across anything?” Jaune questioned, giving their area a look around.

Although he had only spotted Weiss, he was hoping it was because he had only put focus on her, and that her teammates were actually somewhere close by. His heart plummeted a bit when he saw Weiss shake her head, her braided hair flowing back and forth with the motion. She removed her hands from his elbows, relocating them to sit comfortably on her hips.

“You’re the first person I’ve come across,” she answered. “You’re the only thing I’ve come across.”

“That’s unfortunately true for me, too,” Jaune admitted, sighing a bit at the end.

“...Do you think the others are here?” Weiss asked, looking for his opinion.

“They have to be,” he answered immediately, scanning the horizon over the empty water. “We’re the only island.”

“That we can see,” Weiss pointed out.

Jaune frowned at the truthful statement. They were only on one side of the island, so for all they knew, there were other patches of land on the opposite side. They needed to get to the other side of the island which would take time walking. Jaune blinked and looked back at Weiss, who raised an eyebrow up in questioning when she saw him staring at her.

“Weiss, can you summon a Queen Lancer?” Jaune questioned.

Weiss’ eyebrows raised upward in confusion, wondering what had spurred him to ask such a question. It was telling how far the two had come that Jaune could read the question on her face without her even having to verbalize it.

“If we can get an aerial view of the island, we could spot our friends easier.”

Weiss’ eyes widened in comprehension as she followed along. She gave a sharp nod at his earlier question and took a step back from him. She pulled out her Myrtenaster and produced a summoning glyph in the open space to the left of them. Weiss approached her Summoned Grimm, stroking the hornet’s face affectionately. The Queen Lancer was becoming a fast favorite of hers, only second to her Arma Gigas. She moved to its side, Jaune following. She hopped up first, taking her place at the front of the insect. Jaune hopped up behind her, sticking his hands in the gap between its protective plates. Seeing that her passenger was secured on the Summoned Grimm, Weiss willed her Queen Lancer to launch them into the air. The flying-insect took air, flying above the tree lines, facing the enormous tree. The two looked down on the tropical island below them, checking for any sign of movement, any familiar shape of their friends.

Jaune was looking off to his right, blue eyes scanning the sandy beaches. His eyes focused on a lump laying just inches from the lapping waves. His heart beat in excitement.

“Weiss.”

Weiss looked over her shoulder at Jaune, and then to her right. She spotted the lump as well. She directed her Queen Lancer in its direction. The hornet sped as it made its descent, and the closer it got to the lump, the easier it was to see its features. The lump was a person. Weiss’ eyes widened as she identified the person. Jaune didn’t wait for the Queen Lancer to land. Without warning, he hopped off the creature.

“Jaune!”

The boy rolled, got back on his feet, and rushed to Penny’s fallen body. He dropped to his knees beside her, blue eyes staring in anguish at her pale body. His hand hovered over the three holes created from the claws of Cinder’s Grimm arm.

[camillabanilla]

Hot take:

In terms of breakdowns, this could have been worse.

It needed to happen. It was a poison building up inside Ruby and instead of lancing it safely, it built until it bust and it got pus and infection everywhere. That's what happens when you let this shit go unaddressed. Ruby is still a kid, and was an extremely socially awkward one at first to boot. No one thought to check to make sure she has the tools to deal with her shit at this level and to conduct self checks to ask herself "Am I okay?"

But also she wasn't ever *supposed* to be a leader at this level either, she's supposed to be a kid in a school still.

The rest of her team honestly needs to step up their game and take care of their leader. Clearly they love her, and they care. If Ruby had told them "I'm not okay" they would have dropped everything. But poor Rubes couldn't vocalise that, no one told her that what she's doing is extremely unhealthy in the long run. So this is how it comes out, the only way it could.

Nothing she said was something she couldn't apologize for, and her team immediately forgives her for. Even getting spicy over Yang and Blake. We know past Ruby would have been over the moon happy for them, but right now she's mad that they're finding happiness when she's having the worst time of her life. With time and care, Ruby will eventually be okay. Unless Neo/The Blacksmith gets to her first. I really hope this isn't where CRWBY decides to double down on the Little Red Riding Hood thing and have Ruby hunted by the scary things, right when she can't defend herself.

The breakdown itself, not so bad. We can come back from it (which is my personal metric for these kinds of things: is there irreparable damage, how much can be salvaged and how do we fix it). It's what might happen next that has me worried. If someone/something else gets to Ruby before her team does, that's not good. Fortunately she has Little!

Assuming we get end Vol 9 on a semi positive note, WBY will be more careful with Ruby, check in on her more often, maybe be careful with what they're putting on her plate and delegate. And hopefully Ruby will see the warning signs in herself where she needs to ask for help and admit she's not okay.

Jaune though. There has been irreparable damage. Not saying his trauma is "worse", just different. Both him and Ruby will be forever changed after this, but I'm worried for him because his change has already happened and he's been this way for *years*.Even if he does go through the life/rebirth cycle of the Ever After he won't ever be the way he was. Neither of them will be the same ever again.

[renyen808]

A Week Later, I Cannot Stop Thinking About…

Hey everyone! Let’s talk about the newest movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU): Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, directed by James Gunn. I’ll let you know when I get to the spoiler section of my post. 

(Credit: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Wikipedia Page)

Ever since Avengers Endgame, I don’t think I cried as much in another movie besides this one. Maybe Black Panther last November, but there were only certain places that brought me to tears. From beginning to end, this movie sent me on a roller coaster of laughter and (or with) tears. 

I do agree that this film is more on the emotionally intense side, with the animal abuse situations and the dark themes shown throughout the movie, but I enjoyed the film nonetheless. Just note, if you have not watched the film yet, be prepared for scenes of animal abuse and very minor gore (Some may disagree with the gore, but it caught me off guard). 

(Credit: Duniaku Article)

I loved every scene, and although I had issues with the pacing at first, I enjoyed this movie from beginning to end. From the get go, this movie draws the viewers in and doesn’t let go until the very end, showing that this is indeed the last ride. Guardians Vol. 1 stole the hearts of audiences with its infectious chemistry, engaging story, and loveable characters, but fell short when it came to the villain (love Lee Pace though). Guardians Vol. 2 upped the ante and gave us a fantastic villain, built off the already amazing chemistry, gave us many laughs, and showed to not only meet, but surpassed its predecessor in terms of likeability and quality. Vol. 3 builds off of what 2 established and gave us the ending that not only the Guardians, but that we deserve.

When it comes to movie reviews, I rate things on a scale from 1 to 10, 10 being the absolute best, and 1 being the absolute worst. I don’t do 1 to 5 because I am afraid I will do some dumb rating like 3.3 out of 5. So, for consistency, I will only use whole numbers to rate things. 

(Credit: Deadline Article)

For me, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 gets a 9 out of 10. Although there were some criticisms and pacing issues, this film showcases why we all love the MCU to begin with. I cannot gush enough about this movie. Gunn’s direction and writing is perfect for this final ride, choosing to subvert expectations and take viewers on what looked to be a predictable journey, but instead gave us a story we didn’t think we needed. The seasoned actors performed at the top of their game, and invited new characters with open arms. So, now I am going to go in depth with the movie, basically a summary of what happened, which means the SPOILER WARNING is now in effect! I will have a border for the next section, and will have spacing so that people who don’t want to see it have the choice to not. With that, it is the end of my review! If this is where you are leaving us, thank you for taking the time to read my post! If you enjoyed reading it, share it with a friend who may also like it as well. Comments are always welcome, but keep it nice. Everyone is entitled to their opinions and shouldn’t be attacked because of them. If you want to hear audio versions of these articles, you can find them on my YouTube channel ‘Screen and Joystick’. Thank you for reading! See you in the next post!

SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! 

Hello to everyone who has read this far! So here is a quick rundown on how the spoiler section will go. If you’re familiar with the Dead Meat Channel, for movie review podcast episodes, they go over a quick summary of the movie and share their thoughts along the way. This will be similar to that, where I will go through each section of the movie and share my thoughts and insights. 

So, the movie starts with baby raccoons (trash pandas) all in a cage, and immediately I’m in the feels. I mean, it’s a bunch of baby animals in a cage. Innocent animals. When the cage is opened, the babies scatter, but one looks on to the being with curiosity. This curious one is our beloved Rocket. 

(Credit: Brick Fanatics)

Before we move on, I need to commend Bradley Cooper for the amazing voice acting and Sean Gunn for the amazing motion capture for Rocket. He CARRIES this movie, and although people may think that StarLord or Gamora are the main protagonists, Rocket is the main protagonist and this is proven in this movie. It’s Rocket’s world and we’re just living in it. 

We cut to the present day, where Rocket is sitting on Knowhere, minding his own business. Then, the opening credits play with Radiohead’s Creep as he walks throughout Knowehere. Although at first, I was a bit disappointed by the lack of action during this part, I have grown quite fond of why Gunn chose to do it this way. In Vol 1, we see Quill dancing to Redbone’s Come and Get Your Love, an iconic scene where he is dancing on Morag trying to get the Orb, and also where a 2023 Rhodey proceeds to call him an idiot for dancing and singing. In Vol 2, we follow Baby Groot as he dances to Electric Night Orchestra’s Mr. Blue Sky as the other Guardians fight off an Abilisk, which is the weird tentacle monster thing. Each Guardian interacts or ends up in frame with Groot as he dances, but it is cut short when Drac is thrown into the speaker, ending the song and dance abruptly. In the Holiday Special, a band, played by the Old 97’s, in Knowhere sings an original song titled I Don’t Know What Christmas Is (But Christmastime is Here). Although the people of Knowhere don’t dance, Groot excitedly dances in the background. Here, no one is dancing. We follow Rocket as he is walking around Knowhere, where he passes by all the Guardians at one point or another. It ends with Nebula carrying a passed out Quill walking with the other Guardians in slow motion and the title card appears. With this, it establishes the solemn tone that is prominent throughout the whole movie, and it also establishes the fact that this is Rocket’s story. Rocket then retires to his room as Nebula puts a drunk Quill to bed. Kraglin is trying to use the arrow and Cosmo shows him up with her telekinesis, which ends with Kraglin calling her a ‘bad dog’. Everything seems calm at first, but then, shit hits the fan when Adam shows up. 

(Credit: Quora)

We were teased about Adam Warlock in the post credit scene to Vol 2. He was currently being created in his cocoon. We were just given his first name, so we all knew who it was: Adam Warlock. It was rumored that he was going to play a big role in Infinity War and Endgame, but, as we all know, that didn’t happen. So, Gunn had Adam all set up, and he wasn’t used for the one thing Kevin Fiege asked him for. So, here we are now, where we meet Adam Warlock in the MCU for the first time and I really enjoyed what Gunn and Will Poulter did with him. Although people just saw him as a man child, that’s exactly the point.  I get that Adam is supposed to be this strong, all powerful character, but he is just a baby here, a child even, so I forgive him for being the way that he is.

So, Adam Warlock breaks through the wall of Rocket’s room and attacks him. Rocket initially gets away and Nebula begins attacking Adam with her new arm and Groot tries to fight him as well, but in the scuffle, Rocket is fatally wounded, and they cannot revive him due to an internal kill switch placed in Rocket by his creator, the High Evolutionary. They find out that the company that sponsors him, Orgocorp, made the code for the kill switch, so they leave Knowhere, leaving Cosmo and Kraglin in charge, and travel to Orgocorp on the Bowie. 

Now, this is the start when I thought the pacing was a bit slow for me. During this part, we have a funny scene involving Quill, Mantis, and Drax talking about humans and life on Earth as they infiltrate the shields of Orgocorp. They are then boarded by the Ravagers, led by Gamora, who was Nebula’s contact. Quill is initially upset about Nebula hiding the fact that she kept in contact with her sister and chose to not tell him. They figure out that they need to get into the planet and retrieve Rocket’s old file, since it must have a reverse to the kill switch. Quill, Mantis, Drax, Nebula, and Gamora leave  the Bowie in these suits that reminded me more of Among Us than 2001: A Space Odyssey. Once they made it to the planet, there is this tiny spot where Quill and Gamora talk, and she calls him Quinn. There is another joke where Mantis and Drax discuss the private channels as Nebula creates an opening. 

(Credit: TL;DR Movie Reviews and Analysis)

They make it inside and this is just James Gunn cameo central. First, the main woman controlling the security is Jennifer Holland, an actress that Gunn worked with on Peacemaker and his wife, whom he married in 2022. Secondly, the main security guard wearing the ridiculously large orange suit is Nathan Fillion, a long time friend of Gunn’s who has been in many of his projects, which includes the first two Guardians and Gunn’s directorial debut Slither. The woman that Gamora takes hostage inside is played by Daniela Melchior, who plays Ratcatcher 2 in Gunn’s Suicide Squad. 

So, they are inside and get their disguises on, but in a panic, accidentally send their Among Us space suits into…space. They split up inside with Mantis and Drax trying to find a way to get Groot to come in or a ship for them to take, while Quill, Nebula, and Gamora go and get Rocket’s file. Drax and Mantis make it inside, thanks to Mantis’ little joke that makes the gatekeeper fall in love with Drax. The other three were able to retrieve the file, but got themselves caught and this is the first of many instances where we were tricked into thinking a Guardian was going to die. Drax is shot multiple times in the chest, and it does not let up until Quill uses a trick he learned from Rocket during their prison escape in Vol 1: turning off the artificial gravity used in their enemies suits. Drax is revealed to be okay and Groot comes in with the Bowie to save them. They watch Rocket’s torture on the file, which makes all of the Guardians angry and discover that the kill switch reversal had been removed, which leads Quill to believe it was a guy he passed in Orgocorp.

Now, I just brushed through this part because this is the part that felt extremely slow to me. I mean, I was happy that everyone got a chance to see what the High Evolutionary did to Rocket (more on that in a bit), but all this stuff felt a bit slow to me, like the bland soup before the beef wellington prepared by Gordon Ramsay himself. The only things that it achieved to do was 1. Give them a chance to see what happened to Rocket, and 2. Gives Quill an idea of who wiped the code from his file. I really enjoyed seeing people I recognized and will never pass up on humor, but it kind of pulled me out a bit with how slow and how recognizable some of the cast were, not that using your friends and family in movies is a bad thing. I believe that you are able to choose whoever the hell you want for your movies, doesn’t mean I won’t complain about it when I have an opinion on it. 

So, after deciding to chase that guy, Gamora and Quill have a spat, which ends in her throwing him into a panel and rushing to call who she believes is a Ravager awaiting her signal to be picked up. What she doesn’t know is the one that was supposed to pick her up was accidentally killed thanks to a misunderstanding from Adam. The ravager was kidnapped and about to be interrogated, but Adam wasn’t sure what to do to intimidate him, so he killed him. So, Ayesha and Adam follow the Bowie as the others suit up to go to Counter Earth, a planet created by the High Evolutionary.

(Credit: Inverse)

Now, I haven’t really talked that much about Rocket and the High Evolutionary’s scenes, so I am going to take the time now to discuss it. Rocket’s name when he was in captivity was ‘89P13’. He was part of batch 89, which includes his friends. Lylla, an otter with mechanical arms. Floor, a rabbit with robotic legs and voice, and Teefs, a walrus in a wheelchair. When Rocket first meets them, he is unable to stand or speak at first, before just muttering “Hurts”, and this broke my heart. This poor thing’s first word was about the pain he was experiencing. Throughout Rocket’s torture there, his intelligence actually surpassed the High Evolutionary’s own, with Rocket discovering an error the High Evolutionary overlooked in his experiment for ‘a perfect society’. Rocket and his friends were all under the impression that they will soon join this perfect world, but the High Evolutionary, with no remorse, states that he and his imperfect friends weren’t invited to the new world, but rather they will be killed. In a state of desperation, Rocket creates a key that opens the doors to their cages, freeing them all. He and Lylla embrace for the first time, having been separated in two different cages, and this is the most unexpected death. I thought that Lylla would at least survive, but she dies right as she is freed by the High Evolutionary by a gunshot. Rocket cries in agony as Teefs stays quiet and Floor cries out “Rocket, Floor, Teefs go now!” She is screaming this in fear because her best friend was just killed. Rage soon overtakes Rocket as he brutally attacks his creator. In the ensuing chaos, shots were fired towards Rocket and his friends, so Rocket returned fire. When the attackers are reprimanded, he turns and sees that Floor and Teefs were shot and killed as well. Heartbroken, Rocket flees and escapes on a ship, flying away into the forever and beautiful sky. 

These scenes were sprinkled through the previous section with the Orgocorp stuff and it made me so upset to see Rocket and what happened to him, which is why I believe that the High Evolutionary is the MCU’s best villain in this new era. I loved some previous ones after Endgame, like Shang Chi’s Wenwu and Black Panther’s Namor, but something about the High Evolutionary being pure evil with no redeeming qualities is something fresh, after having so many sympathetic villains. Now, there is nothing wrong with a sympathetic villain, majority of my favorite MCU characters were sympathetic villains before (Loki, Wenwu, Killmonger among a few), but ever since Endgame, everyone is trying to recreate that same magic that Josh Brolin did with Thanos. Ever since Endgame, we have had sympathetic villains from Shang Chi (Wenwu), No Way Home (Norman, Otto), Multiverse of Madness (Wanda), Love and Thunder (Gorr), Wakanda Forever (Namor), and just recently, Quantumania (Kang). This is way more than Pre-Endgame MCU, where the only sympathetic ones were one every phase. Here, the High Evolutionary, played perfectly and brilliantly by Chukwudi Iwuji, is an evil mastermind who is trying to create what he believes is the perfect society, using Rocket and his other experiments as mere stepping stones in his path to greatness. One line that he said that I will mention later is not only one of the best lines Gunn ever wrote, it is probably the best thing a villain has ever said since Thanos. Iwuiji did a perfect job playing a villain that I not only hated, I despised. 

(Credit: Digital Spy)

Now, the Guardians are making their way to Counter Earth, where they are surrounded by human animal hybrids. They are able to befriend a bat woman (side note: did not know she was a bat in the movie, had no idea what it was), who helps point them in the right direction on where to find the High Evolutionary and the guy they are looking for. So, Drax and Mantis were told to stay with Rocket as Quill, Groot, and Nebula went to confront the High Evolutionary. This is when the first ‘F***’ in the MCU is placed. Now, they make their way through different neighborhoods and see how they live here on Counter Earth. They make it to the High Evolutionary’s base, built in a pyramid like shape. Nebula is not allowed inside thanks to her arm, so Quill and Groot enter while Nebula waits outside. Quill sees the High Evolutionary with his own eyes and the rage and fury behind them is unmistakable. He sees the other Guardians as his family, and the fact that this guy tortured someone in his family, it made him so upset.

Before continuing, I just wanted to say that I do not blame Quill for everything he has done. We have seen throughout his time in the MCU that he is an emotional individual, I mean, hell, he hasn’t found a healthy way to cope with the loss of his mother, because the mere mention of her death, he is sent into a fury filled fit. Quill has been running his entire life, running from these feelings and as a way to continue running, you retaliate. In this case, he retaliates with anger. Since a lot of people blame him for hitting Thanos since he killed Gamora, I just think that this is exactly how he would react, since everyone near and dear to him has been killed (his mom, his girlfriend, his father figure). I mean, if someone killed any one that I loved, I would not even begin to explain the emotions I would feel and what would happen to the person that did me wrong. Although it is wrong that he did punch him, I feel it reflects him as a character, and sure you can hate and blame him, but it had to happen, according to Strange.

So, Quill confronts the guy he saw, which catches the attention of the High Evolutionary, who at this point told him to wait. They talk for a bit before Groot reveals that inside his torso was a bunch of guns, including Quill’s guns. They attempt to kill everyone inside and Quill tackles the guy out of the building, mind you, where they were, it was around 1,000 feet in the air. He is airlifted by Groot to safety and they successfully retrieve the device. 

Now, while this is happening, Drax steals a motorcycle and he and Mantis go towards the pyramid, which is starting to rise into the air. Them, along with Nebula, board the ship and are nearly killed thanks to the ship going into space before Drax opens the door to get inside. Meanwhile, Gamora is back at the Bowie, and finds herself trying to protect Rocket from Adam, who is seeking to kidnap him for the High Evolutionary. Just as all of this is happening, the HIgh Evolutionary is blowing Counter Earth up, starting over again. This is interesting, because in that moment in the theater, I had turned to the people I was with and said, “He is playing God,” much like how many believe He threw the asteroid that killed the Dinosaurs (I am not saying I believe in this, I do not, but I find the similarities between the two). As the planet is blowing up, that is when Drax, Mantis, and Nebula board the ship. Gamora is trying to drive the Bowie (although very poorly) and saves Quill and Groot. Meanwhile, Ayesha is killed in the explosions as Adam tries to save her. He ends up on the Bowie and they all fly off the planet. 

(Credit: Quora)

Quill begins trying to save Rocket, but Rocket begins to hallucinate his friends in the afterlife, Lylla being the first to see him. He laments how apologetic he was for letting them down, and Lylla explains that he did not. He asks to join them and she agrees, which is when he begins to flatline and Quill and Groot begin to panic. Quill is yelling in anger as he frantically tries to resuscitate him. Meanwhile, Rocket begins walking to his friends, but Lylla stops him. She explains that it is not his time yet. They ‘kiss’ and she calls him her raccoon before sending him back, with him saying “I’m not a raccoon.” He is sent back to his physical body, where he desperately gasps for air. Quill and Gamora are able to heal him and the three guys embrace, Gamora happy that he is okay. 

Nebula, Drax, and Mantis are able to communicate with the others on the Bowie, and they are all relieved to hear Rocket (especially Nebula). The three on the ship are captured and they all go to save them. Meanwhile, prior to being captured, the trio find themselves surrounded by caged children. Nebula and Mantis tried to talk to them, but they were unsuccessful. They freed some of them, but then, that is when Quill is able to talk to him. Once they are captured, Drax shows he is able to communicate with the children, which irritates Nebula. They are then lowered into an arena, surrounded by three Abilisk, the battery eating creatures from Vol 2. To everyone’s shock, Mantis is able to befriend the creatures, allowing them to escape. 

Meanwhile, the others, including Rocket, board the ship and decide to save them, but they are all reunited thanks to Mantis. They were going to leave, but the trio told them about the children, and the ship is beginning to blow up (More on that in a bit). Rocket lets out that he is “done running” and turns back to save them. Groot, not even thinking about it, follows Rocket, and slowly, every Guardian, including Gamora turns out and they go back to fight the High Evolutionary.

(Credit: Nerdist)

Now, I want to discuss what happened. The High Evolutionary wants to restart his entire experiment, starting a new colony with Rocket’s brain once he captures him. This starts a mutiny on the ship, and this is when he drops the line I mentioned earlier. He says, “There is no God, so I stepped in.” and this solidifies my stance that he is an evil mastermind and the best MCU villain in a while. Just as this is happening, Kraglin and Cosmo brought Knowhere to the ship and began firing at it. In response to this and the mutiny, the High Evolutionary expands a blast of energy, ending everyone’s lives quickly inside that room. 

Quill and the others, before freeing the children, have to fight through a hallway. I wish I could go into depth and explain it, but I want to shout out Ryan Arey on ScreenCrush who made a full breakdown video on it. Please go and watch it, he has a frame by frame explanation on how amazing this shot was. I will share the link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHevly-Nz_M 

Quill and the others free the children as Cosmo creates a link that allows the children to run to safety. As they were evacuating, Rocket finds himself in the animal area of the ship, and finds a similar cage that he found himself in when he was younger. He opens it and sees all the babies looking at him. He looks up at the paper and shows that these are in fact ‘Racoons’. He attempts to grab and save them, picking up the ones he dropped and looks around in sadness at all the other animals before the High Evolutionary comes to attack him. He attacks Rocket and ends with him calling him “89P13” before Rocket corrects him by saying “The name’s Rocket. Rocket…Racoon.” He finally admits he is a racoon and fires at him, blasting the High Evolutionary back. The High Evolutionary gets back up and charges at Rocket, but Groot pushes him back into the arms of Drax who throws him over his shoulder and bodies him. Drax then throws him into the air as Quill fires his gun at him. Mantis attacks him, followed by Nebula blasting him into Gamora, who fatally stabs him and proceeds to peel his face off. They look at him as Rocket chooses to spare him, since he is “a fricken Guardian of the Galaxy”. 

They save the children and all the animals and Cosmo barely hangs on before fainting. Everyone but Quill makes it over, since Quill went back for his Zune that he dropped. He attempts to make it out and uses the blast’s momentum from the ship exploding to blast himself towards Knowhere, but is unable to make it back, earning a heart wrenching scream from Mantis. Groot attempts to rescue him, but is unsuccessful. Just then, Adam saves Quill after Groot saved him from the ship blowing up, bringing him to Knowhere and he survives, ending up in a group hug with everyone except Gamora. 

(Credit: Men’s Health)

Quill catches Gamora before she returns to the Ravagers, explaining how he is finally ready to move on and let her go, truly coming to terms that the Gamora he grew and fell in love with was gone for good. She laments that they must have been great before they parted their separate ways and I really loved how this ended for them. Quill and Gamora’s romantic relationship was one that I thought was the most natural throughout the movies, and seeing it finally come to fruition in Infinity War was great, but it did not last long, and this just shows that even though she was a big part of who he was as a new person, he is finally ready to move on from that chapter in his life and into a new one, which flows right into the next part.

Quill shares to everyone that he is going to return to Earth, having been moved by Rocket’s mantra. He is going back to Earth to see his grandfather. Mantis decides to also leave, not really knowing anything about herself, since she has always done what Ego and the Guardians wanted. Drax volunteers to go with her, but Nebula reminds him that she needs help on Knowhere. He reluctantly agrees, and Rocket is devastated to know the Guardians are ‘over’. However, Quill tells him that the Galaxy needs it’s Guardians, and hands leadership of them over to Rocket, all of them giving Rocket a Ravager salute. It ends with Groot being the last one to do his salute as he says “I love you guys,” and at this moment, I whispered, “Oh my god,” as I began to bawl my eyes out. I have always loved Groot and Rocket throughout the course of the films, and I always tried to figure out what Groot is trying to say, so to finally hear him say something else, and the audience finally being a part of the Guardians made me feel not only sad that it was over for this team, but heartwarming because of how much love they all have for one another. It is truly an amazing job by James Gunn for creating a team with such infectious chemistry.

So as Florence + The Machines The Dog Days Are Over begins to play, we see everyone gets a bittersweet ending. Rocket and Groot dance with each other on Knowhere as Father and Son. In the mid-credit scene, Rocket is leading a new team which includes Kraglin and his arrow, Adam Warlock, Cosmo, one of the children whose name is Phyla, Adam’s pet Blurp, and Groot, who has grown way past his predecessor. Quill returns to Missouri, where he is reunited with his grandpa. Mantis and Drax part ways as she and her friends the Abilisks travel with her on her journey of self discovery. At the climax of the second part of the chorus, Drax finally dances, having been able to go back to becoming a father thanks to the children he saved. Him and Nebula dance with the children as they stay behind to raise them and rule Knowhere, Nebula explaining that she can give them everything she never had growing up. The movie ends with everyone howling into the sky, and it ends with Rocket howling, finally happy. Also, in the post credit scene, it explains that Star Lord will return, so we will see what that brings us.

(Credit: IGN)

Before we end, I wanted to share that I really did enjoy how things ended here for the Guardians. Every single one of their endings played into their character so well, so much so that I was upset that I haven’t even thought of it myself. I touched on Quill and him constantly running earlier in the post, but the fact that he is finally ready to return to Earth for the sole purpose of being there for his Grandpa shows he has grown so much over his time with the Guardians. Gamora returning to the Ravagers and not staying fits perfectly with this version of Gamora, since she has no personal ties to the team besides Nebula. She found a new family with them, the Guardians aren’t her family. Drax, I feel, had the most rewarding ending ever. After fighting all his life, wanting revenge on the ones that wronged him, he was never able to do one thing because his family was gone: become a father. Now, thanks to all the children, he is able to live that part of him. He seems truly happy to be a father, and I know he still misses his wife and daughter, that part will never leave him, but the fact that now he can continue on and raise these kids, giving him back the chance that he lost, makes me feel so happy for him, and it is the perfect sendoff for Drax. Nebula has also been wronged her entire life. Taken away from her family at a young age, constantly put in a sibling rivalry with Gamora, losing everyone but Rocket in Infinity War and Endgame, and gaining it all back and learning to move on from her trauma. She is now able to give back and raise these kids the way that she wished she was. Rocket and Groot are still Guardians of the Galaxy and I am so happy that Rocket made it through. He is the heart of the Guardians and without him, nothing would be the same. 

(Credit: Fandango)

With that, it is the end of my explanation and I thank you for reading this far! If you enjoyed reading my stuff, share it with a friend who may also like it as well. Comments are always welcome, but keep it nice. Everyone is entitled to their opinions and shouldn’t be attacked because of them. If you want to hear audio versions of these articles, you can find them on my YouTube channel ‘Screen and Joystick’. Thank you for reading! See you in the next post!

[hotarutranslations]

Homare and Mei Are Going To Hokkaido Tomorrow!

Evening

Thank you very much everyone for your reactions, towards the autumn tour schedule announcement😌🫶🏻

Of course I know all of the announcements before everyone, Things have already become a fact for me,

It becomes the right thing when its first announced, that is,

It feels uneasy like, will it be alright.. The feeling is unconditionally always there, Thank you very much for the encouragement, it was like it was wiped away!

"Morning Musume '24 Concert Tour Autumn WE CAN DANCE!"

FC Advance Reception, Goes until July 26th at 5:00PM

I'm sure you'll need time to check your availability but…

Don't forget!! To finally apply!!

I am indebtedddd to,

The venue when it comes to the first day🥺🥺 Zama and Hachioji as well🥺🥺 Its already been the lasttt~🥲🥲

I have too many memories!! I love those venues!!

Its still a bit away, but its already 2 months away,

Bit..by bit.. its progressing but..

Its reallyy good..

I don't get it, but I get it..😎😎 lol

As for that autumn tour,

Its kinda like, As expected, the 2nd half of the year is set-- 🤔💭lol

It already looks like, summer and single release and events related to the single and fests and PayPay Dome and Rockin' and Autumn🫣🫣

!!

Immediately tomorrow! Homare and Mei are having an event in Hokkaido!

Details💛💚

I think this is the first time for a single event!

Our live in Hokkaido is the day after tomorrow but, The 2 of them are working hard the day before🤍 Everyone in Hokkaido, by all means

That's right, its amazing, It suddenly feels like I'm in the second halfff--

lol

I forgot to most a normal photo yesterday too

Those who keep track of my blog updates only on X probably think "how many times is she going to use this picture?"⚠️ Its not my favorite or anything, I just keep forgetting to post a picture…⚠️

Play▶️List

Graduation Announcement Blog🐣🪽

Hello! Station #531 I also talk about my graduation in this video

📺Hello Pro Dance Gakuen Season 11

Every other Thursday at 11:30PM~ Learning Locking from HIYORI-san

📺Sendai Broadcast "Ara Ara Kashiko" Ishida Ayumi Goes~! I appear once a month as part of the AraKashi Family

The previous shows, and makings, are on OX VIDEO STORE!

📺Otoboke POPS

TokyoMX August 17th (Sat) 9:30~10:00PM Ishida, Sakurai, Yumigeta are appearing

Thank you for following.. Instagram💙🩵

💿 August 14th new single✨ "Nandaka Sentimental na Toki no Uta/saiKIYOU"

̗̀📣Cheki Sign Talk Meet Announcement

̗̀📣Limsta

🪩The MusiQuest 2024 July 21st (Sun) PiaArena MM

We're challenging a new festival stage❤️‍🔥 Absolutely, Definitely, Thank you for your support❤️‍🔥

🪩Hello! Project 2024 Summer ALL OF US "Vega" "Altair" From July 13th~September 1st Traveling To 7 Cities Nationwide All Hello! Project groups are performing🔥

⚾️"Hawks SUMMER BOOST" July 28th (Sun) Mizuho PayPay Dome Fukuoka

After the match, we'll be having a live!

📚July 20th Release "non-no September" special issues cover is, Morning Musume '24

.💎

Releasing on July 23rd

"Up To Boy vol.341" September Issue I will be on the 7net limited cover page

.💎

📻Morning Musume '24 Morning Jogakuin ~Houkago Meeting~

Airs Every Saturday, On Radio Nihon at 12:00AM~

Past Broadcast Episodes Are Available →Program Details

I visited as a guest🪽 "Sayashi Riho and The Time From Now On" presented by Meiji Bulgarian Yogurt

see you ayumin <3

[deludedfantasy]

Trimax Vol 9 Ch 4-6

Honest to god, I don't think I'm going to survive next week considering what the last half of this volume did to me, especially the last chapter. I'm an emotional pile of goo right now. But here are some thoughts, and more reasons Nicholas D. Wolfwood makes me wanna cry.

Ch 4

The chapter with death in the title is number 4 again…stop with the symbolism Nightow, I can’t take it.

The fact that Livio doesn’t even need the vials to regenerate fucks me up for one very specific reason: what did they do to him to make him that way? I mean, what barbaric fucked up shit did they do to a little kid to put him into that body and turn him into a literally unkillable man? What they did to Wolfwood is horrific, but what they must have done to Livio is worse. 

There’s something about the way Nightow draws Wolfwood when he’s spitting blood and covered in it that makes it at once horrifying but so hard to look away from. It’s just so dynamic.

Wolfwood just keeps getting hit! He’s barely keeping up with Livio. He had the advantage of surprise earlier when he first shot Livio, but not anymore. Also, Livio is fighting to kill, unlike Wolfwood. He doesn’t have to be careful or pull his punches. 

But Wolfwood isn’t stopping, despite the frankly ridiculous amount of bullets he’s been hit with. This is the first time we’ve seen him be so determined to do something. He’s not giving up, not for anything, and there’s no doubt in his mind about what he’s doing.

I suddenly can’t help comparing this to the first time we saw Wolfwood in a fight, back when he was battling Ninelives. He was absolutely feral and unhinged during that fight and dealing with so much internal doubt about what he was doing. But now…when he has a clear mission, Wolfwood is just as cold and focused with purpose as Vash. 

I mean, it’s certainly still pretty reckless with the way he fired that rocket when they were so close together but there’s a lot more intentionality to it is what I’m getting at. 

Oh my god, the way he embraces Livio when he shoots him. This is his only way of showing love and mercy right now. He’s pinning him in place for the shot, but also begging for him to live through it. So much love in such an act of violence. 

Ch 5

YEAH GET FUCKED CHAPEL. WOLFWOOD IS A SMART FIGHTER!!! He doesn’t just rely on brute strength. He’s calculating and quick on his feet and he didn’t get any of that from you!!!!

Chapel gave that little boy a weapon that is bigger than him, a literal cross to bear. I also might be mushing different canons but it fucks me up that it’s specifically the gun that is called Punisher. So when Wolfwood is called Punisher or Nicholas the Punisher, he is literally being called a weapon and a tool, having his agency taken away from him. When he is Punisher, he is a weapon of the Eye of Michael, theirs to wield as they see fit. At times, he forgets he was ever a boy named Nicholas. 

Chapel truly made his own enemy by taking on Wolfwood as his disciple. One way or another, there would’ve come a day where Wolfwood’s better nature would win out over Chapel’s indoctrination. It’s just that with the way this world works, it happened this way.

Oh, those creepy dudes with the crosses on their backs who’ve been watching this whole thing are back and now they’re coming for Wolfwood. But not on Chapel’s orders?

Livio is somehow up again except the body language is so different. It’s much more open and bombastic, as opposed to the reserved, resigned way Livio carries himself. Big props to Nightow for how he portrays the differences between Livio and Razlo because it makes this whole section so chilling. 

I love how immediately Wolfwood sees that it’s not his brother. It might be the same body, but it doesn’t move the way he knows him too. Despite how long they’ve been apart, Wolfwood still knows him so well. 

Absolutely insane how he has a third arm hidden under that jacket so that he can use three massive Punishers. It’s cool but also scary as fuck. Peak character design right here. 

Ch 6

Ok, I don’t know a whole lot about DID, but the way the Eye’s doctors describe it seems pretty accurate from what I’ve read about it. Which like, big props to Nightow because when this was being written, I’m not sure there were a lot of positive or correct portrayals of it out there so the man did his research. 

Also, it really puts that earlier scene where Livio is crying about how he misses his parents into a new perspective. He was severely, severely abused by them and he still misses them. Is it because he doesn’t remember because Razlo always took over in those moments? Or is it more complicated than that? It also seems like Razlo killed his parents and Livio probably doesn’t remember that. 

But now it also makes sense why Razlo is the way he is. All he’s ever experienced is the abuse. He’s never been around for the good moments, the times when people showed Livio kindness, so it makes sense his philosophy would revolve around brutality and nihilism. If people are gonna hurt you anyway, why not hit back as hard as you can? Who does being good even matter if everyone you encounter is evil?

I’m gonna keep harping on this, but I love the way Nightow shows the separation between Livio and Razlo. When it’s Livio, the right side of his face is exposed, but the left is covered by a skull mask. It’s like a representation of his other half, the killer and the death omen. When Razlo is in charge, the mask is gone and the left eye is wild and wide open, while the right is obscured by his hair, like Livio is hiding behind it, refusing to acknowledge what’s happening. It’s the scared little kid hiding behind his dark shadow again. 

Wolfwood is having a very bad time right now and things aren’t looking good, at all. Livio was a good fighter, but Wolfwood could outsmart him. Razlo is literally so strong, so fast, and so powerful, that Wolfwood can’t keep up. He’s just being thrown around like a rag doll. 

“Even in a fight to the death, you still gave thought to your opponent.” Me, sobbing on the ground: WOLFWOOD STILL CARES. HE CARES SO MUCH. HE LEARNED FROM VASH AND HE DOESN’T WANNA KILL HIS BROTHER, EVEN THOUGH RAZLO IS ALSO A PART OF HIM. 

Somehow, someway, Wolfwood sees a path to redemption for Livio. He isn’t going to give up on him again. He failed him once as a child. Now, he’s older and he won’t let that happen again. That’s why he won’t kill him.

Cue incomprehensible sobbing noises. Wolfwood himself once believed he couldn’t hold the ideals of an immortal, that human life was just misery and killing, because that’s the way it had to be. And despite how much Vash scared him at times, Wolfwood couldn’t help seeing something beautiful in his ideals. Some small kernel of hope, to be more than a demon or a devil. 

Wolfwood gives himself this moment to be overcome by the beauty of Vash and everything he believes in, and everything he now believes in himself. It’s such a pure expression of love and devotion. Like, look at him, he’s on his knees. 

What Vash believes in isn’t easy, but that’s the point. Doing the good thing is hard. Sacrificing to do the good thing is hard. But also, Wolfwood realizes that sometimes, to do the good thing, to do the hard thing, without killing in the process, you have to put yourself on the line.

Wolfwood has always feared death. Above all, he wanted to live. Vash taught him that he has a choice about who he wants to be, yes. But the reckless way Vash has conducted himself has also taught him giving up his life is worth it for what he believes in.

It’s heart-wrenching, because this is the moment that Wolfwood truly and fully embraces Vash’s ideals and becomes the person he wants to be. But it’s also the moment he decides that he’s going to die for this. He’s going to die to save his home, and the last lines of this chapter, white against a white background really seal in his decision. 

Any other time he’d been on the verge of death, he’d probably heard that iron bell tolling. I imagine it was a funeral bell, telling him that his end is near. He knows he should hear it now, but he doesn’t. Because the threat of his impending death doesn’t matter anymore. It doesn’t scare him. He will die, and he’s okay with that. 

Okay, I’m gonna go curl up in a ball and cry now. I’m not gonna survive reading volume 10 next week. 

[mrlnsfrt]

Commanded by God

Context

This post will be focusing on the story of Jesus walking on water, found in Matthew 14:22-33 (this event is also described in Mark 6:45-52, and John 6:15-21). Whenever we interpret a text, context is our best friend. In this case, Matthew 14:13-21 describes what took place immediately before our key study passage. Before we read about Jesus walking on water, we read about Jesus feeding the five thousand.

Jesus feeding the five thousand

The account of Jesus feeding the five thousand is found in all the gospels (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14) highlighting the importance of this event. I like what Craig Bloomberg has to say regarding this event.

Rather, feeding the five thousand—providing bread for Israel in the wilderness—almost certainly was meant to call to people’s minds God’s supernatural feeding of the Israelites with manna in their wilderness wanderings in Moses’ day. Jewish tradition had come to believe that the Messiah would repeat this miracle of abundant provision of food on an even grander scale. The promise of Ps 132:15 and the somewhat similar miracles of 1 Kgs 17:9–16 and 2 Kgs 4:42–44 also provide important background. The collection of twelve baskets (one per apostle?) may well have been intended to call to mind the twelve tribes of Israel. Again we see evidence that Jesus is creating a new Israel out of those who will follow him and foreshadowing the messianic banquet (as also in 22:1–13; 26:29). He must therefore be the Messiah. Applications of this passage must focus on Christology and spiritual sustenance rather than making vague and sometimes false promises about God meeting all our physical needs. John develops precisely this spiritual import of the miracle by placing Jesus’ “Bread of Life” discourse, given in the Capernaum synagogue, shortly after his account of the feeding miracle (John 6:26–59).

- Craig Blomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 233.

John 6:14-15 also provides us with key information for properly understanding the events that followed the feeding of the five thousand.

Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

 Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone. - John 6:14-15 NKJV

This context is important because it helps us understand why Matthew 14:22 begins with Jesus immediately making His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side. Jesus was preventing the crowd from making Him king by force. This is something His disciples would also have been interested in and I believe this gives us important context for this study.

Dismissing the multitudes

Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. - Matthew 14:22 NKJV

Jesus is in a hurry to get His disciples on a boat and out of there, then He goes to send the multitudes away. As I mentioned earlier, John 6:14-15 adds some context to this. Jesus noticed the crowd was planning to make Jesus king by force. I imagine the disciples were very excited about this, wouldn’t it be great if Jesus lead the revolution against the Romans? He can heal the sick, He can provide food for everyone… Clearly, Jesus is the Messiah, what better time than now to begin a revolution? But instead of seizing the opportunity and building momentum Jesus made His disciples get into a boat and sent the multitudes away.

Alone time in prayer

And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. - Matthew 14:23 NKJV

When was the last time you deliberately spent alone time in prayer?

Have you ever chosen to be by yourself so that you could spend time in prayer without any distractions?

Jesus was very intentional about spending time alone in prayer. The timing here however causes me to wonder about several things. I tend to spend time in prayer when I need something, but here Jesus is prioritizing alone time in prayer after a great victory! He had just fed 5,000 men (not counting the women and children who were also fed [Matthew 14:21]). According to John 6:14-15, the men wanted to make Him king! This sounds like a victory to me. So why would Jesus want to spend alone time in payer after a great victory?

I Jesus aware of something that we are not?

Reflecting upon this I am reminded of the story of Elijah (I have a whole post on The Depressed Prophet) and how after his great mountaintop victory, where he prayed and fire came down from heaven (read my post here). Elijah flees and asks to die. It seems that after a great victory, Elijah was very much susceptible to an attack from the enemy.

Could it be that after we experience a spiritual high, a victory that clearly came from God, we become a little careless and therefore more susceptible to temptations?

I cannot say for sure, but I believe there might be something to this. I wonder if it is connected to a temptation to believe that because I have achieved victory, and because this great thing happened, I have already arrived at my desired state and therefore no longer need a deep connection with God. Or perhaps I take that connection for granted and neglect my prayer and devotional time.

Though the reason is not given, the biblical text is clear that Jesus chose to send everyone away and spend quiet time in prayer on the mountain by Himself. This prayer time is so significant that Matthew and Mark refer to Jesus at prayer only here and in Gethsemane—cf. Matt 26:36–46). (Craig Blomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 234.)

Meanwhile, at the boat…

“But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.” - Matthew 14:24 NKJV

Mark 6:48 describes the wind as being against the disciples and their boat, and John 6:18 says the sea arose because of the great wind. This contrary wind or storm reminds us of Matthew 8:23-27. Also, the word translated in the New King James Version as “tossed” is βασανίζω (basanizō) literally means torture, torment (Mt 8:6, 29; 14:24; Mk 5:7; 6:48; Lk 8:28; Rev 9:5; 11:10; 12:2; 14:10; 20:10+); (James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997). This same word is used in passages like Matthew 8:6 and Revelation 9:5 referring to demonic hostility against people. It is possible that there is an occult element at work here because the disciples could have easily completed this lake crossing since the lake was approximately four to five miles wide. (Craig Blomberg, 234.)

Let’s recap all that is going on.

Jesus just fed five thousand men, possibly ten to fifteen thousand people altogether. The men are so impressed they want to make Him king by force. Jesus then made His disciples get into the boat and go to the other side while he send the multitudes away. Jesus then goes up the mountain by Himself to pray and stays there until evening. Meanwhile, the disciples are being tormented by a storm.

Imagine the emotional rollercoaster the disciples must have been experiencing. The amazement and excitement of witnessing Jesus feeding a multitude by multiplying five loaves and two fish. The disappointment of being sent away at what seemed like a key opportunity to seize power and public support. Now the disciples are facing a storm. They are probably scared, tired, frustrated, and perhaps angry. While Jesus is praying His disciples are being tormented by the storm, but it is worth highlighting that their boat does not sink, they are not destroyed and no one dies because of the storm, though I bet they experience a lot of stress and anxiety because of the storm.

Jesus goes to His disciples

Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. - Matthew 14:25-26 NKJV

Fourth watch, here’s a brief explanation I found helpful:

The ancient Hebrew world divided the night from sunset to sunrise into three watches (Judg 7:19; Lam 2:19), but the Romans used four (Mt 14:25); and their influence prevailed in the evangelists’ chronologies. Jesus’ approach to the boat therefore occurred between 3:00 A.M. and 6:00 A.M. - D. A. Carson, “Matthew,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 344.

Since Jesus finished praying and went to the disciples sometime between 3 and 6 in the morning we know He spend considerable time in prayer. Now He is ready to go to His disciples, however, He does not do so in the way they expect and by approaching His followers in an unexpected way Jesus caused not only surprise but also fear.

“It is a ghost!” The disciples cry out in fear. Like the disciples, we are not very good at discerning what God is doing. We become scared, confused, and unsure of what is from God and what is from the enemy. Here is Jesus coming to them and they are afraid of Him, confusing Him for a ghost.

Do not be afraid

But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” - Matthew 14:27 NKJV

Jesus calms the fears of His disciples with three statements.

1 - “Be of good cheer” Θαρσεῖτε tharseite from θαρσέω meaning to have courage. For other places it is used see Matt 9:2, 22; 14:27; Mk 6:50; 10:49; Jn 16:33; Ac 23:11 (The Lexham Analytical Lexicon to the Greek New Testament (Logos Bible Software, 2011).

In Greek, the expression is a single word and another place it is used is John 16:33 where Jesus says,

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33 NKJV

Jesus tells us to be of good cheer not because life is easy, but because we have Him by our side to protect and strengthen us.

2 - Jesus also said to the disciples “It is I.” The original Greek is awkward and clumsy, εἰμι ἐγώ (eimi egō) a literal translation would be “I am.” (Actually it would be “to be” or “to exist”, “I” but that is even more awkward) Now you catch a small glimpse of the struggle of the Bible translators. They can translate “take courage, I am” and it might sound like Jesus is a little sleep deprived and struggling with His sentence structure. So they smooth out the translation by having Jesus say “Take courage, it is I.”

The issue is that when you translate what Jesus said as “It is I” instead of “I am” you miss something that I am sure the disciples caught. Jesus was making a reference to Exodus 3:14 (see also Isa 43:10; 51:12) where Moses asks God for His name and God replies “I am.” The Greek sentence structure is odd because it is a Hebrew phrase spoken in Greek, it is not simply Jesus saying “It is I,” This is Jesus saying I am God! Jesus is claiming He is God, the God who spoke to Moses from the burning bush, the God who delivered Israel from Egypt is not there to deliver them from that storm and not only that, He came to deliver us from our sins.

3 - Finally Jesus said to them “do not be afraid.” I love what C. E. B. Cranfield, wrote regarding this.

“If it is a result of obedience to Christ’s command that the church or the individual Christian is in a situation of danger or distress, then there is no need to fear.” - C. E. B. Cranfield, The Gospel according to St. Mark, 3rd ed., CGTC (Cambridge: University Press, 1977), 228.

Jesus told His disciples to get into the boat and go to the other side therefore the disciples do not have to be afraid, they just need to trust that the same Jesus to told them to go will make sure they arrive safely at their destination. When we are doing what Jesus commanded us to do, we have nothing to fear.

Another quote I really like comes from the book Christ’s Object Lessons.

As the will of man co-operates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent. Whatever is to be done at His command may be accomplished in His strength. All His biddings are enablings. – Christ’s Object Lessons p333

Command me to come to you

And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. - Mathew 14:28-29NKJV

Peter replies to Jesus with a unique and unexpected request. Peter asks Jesus to command him to come to Jesus in the water. Why would Peter ask for this?

This question from Peter has been bouncing around in my mind for a while. For me, this request emphasizes the idea that Jesus enables us to do that which He commands us to do.

The Bible names 12 disciples (Matthew 10:2-4,Mark 3:13-19,Luke 6:12-19) but only Peter walked on water. It is not that Peter was better than the others, it was just that Peter was the only one interested in doing something extraordinary at God’s command. While everyone simply wanted the storm to end, Peter wanted to walk on water with Jesus. While everyone was afraid Peter was asking Jesus to command him to do something extraordinary.

Does our fear and lack of faith keep us from doing what God is commanding us to do?

Is it my fear that keeps me from being honest?

Is it my fear and anxiety that keep me bound to my addiction?

Is it my fear that keeps me from being humble?

Is it my fear that keeps me from loving others? From caring and helping those who are in need?

Does my fear keep me as a mere spectator, when God is calling me to be actively involved in blessing those around me?

What happens when we begin to think about what God calls us to do, as things that God enables us to do?

I get to rest on the Sabbath day.

I get to be honest.

I get to be faithful to my spouse.

I get to forgive and even love my enemies.

I get to not steal.

Peter wanted Jesus to command him to come because Peter knew that with the command Jesus would also provide the power to achieve it.

Our faith walk with God is not about our abilities, it is about God’s abilities. It is not about our power, it is about God’s power.

Remember the words of 2 Corinthians 12:9a

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

Keep your eyes on Jesus

But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” - Matthew 14:30 NKJV

We can never forget that we are only able to do what God commands us to do because He enables us.

 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. - Philippians 2:13 NKJV

We must never think we can do it on our own by our own strength and personal discipline. Because if it is up to us, we will always fall short. Also whenever our focus is taken away from Jesus we are in danger of sinking. Peter becomes distracted, worried, and overwhelmed by the strong winds and waves. When his focus shifted from Jesus to the situation around him he began to sink. But Peter was quick to ask Jesus for help.

Jesus spent many hours in prayer earlier, and it is crucial to spend time in prayer. However, in times of great need, quick prayers make all the difference in the world.

Just be careful about the entirety of your prayer life being made up of short desperate prayers.

Why do you doubt?

And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. - Matthew 14:31-32 NKJV

Why do we doubt?

Why did Peter doubt?

He saw Jesus walking on the sea. Peter walked on the sea himself. Why did he doubt if he was doing what God called him to do?

Peter doubted because his focus shifted from Jesus and what Jesus commanded him to do and what he was doing by Jesus’ power to the boisterous winds of the storm raging about him.

When we allow the worries of the world around us to fill our minds, and when we spend more time concerned about politics and other things that are beyond our control instead of looking to Jesus and considering what He is asking us to do we can find ourselves sinking. I am not saying you need to stop watching the news and get off social media, but just be honest with yourself and consider the dosage and the effects.

How much time do you spend considering spiritual and eternal truths compared to the time and effort you spend looking at the boisterous winds blowing all around you?

I am not saying it is easy. I am not even saying I always have the proper balance, but I do believe it is important to understand this truth. What we choose to focus on, what we watch, read, and listen to, shapes our reality, hijacks our focus, and molds our thoughts.

When you choose what to watch, what music to listen to, and who to follow on social media, you are choosing your future thoughts. I am not here to tell you what to consume, but I do want to make you aware of the impact it has on your life and on your destiny. God enables you to do what He calls you to do. But you can only do it in Jesus, and never on your own.

The Son of God

Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.” - Matthew 14:33 NKJV

In case you didn’t know this, Jesus is the Son of God. There is no room for doubt regarding this in the Bible. It is up to you whether or not you wish to believe this. But if you wish to walk on water regardless of the storm raging around you, I invite you to belive in Jesus, not only that but for you to give your life to Him, and take His invitation to walk with Him. Focus on Him and everything will be okay. I am not saying it will be easy, I am saying it will work out in the end. Not because of your efforts and abilities, but because Jesus is our Lord and Savior and He enables us to do that which He commands us to do.

For additional reading, I recommend The Desire of Ages chapter 40 - A Night on the Lake