#also sidenote I think the shattering killed him full stop which is one of the reasons we have skykids (megabird Trying Again?)

[lightkidshenannies]

I like to think that prince alef was allowed to decorate and accessorize as he wished, to distinguish himself in whatever way he pleased. and after going through the trials, his appearance was quickly controlled - he's The Chosen One, after all, they have to Maintain His Image. and after Ascending as King Resh he has (gradually) lost all sense of his former identity, so his appearance, while regal, is sort of bland and blank. like an automaton - a semi-impersonal extension of The State

[deltadex]

(Be prepared, this is a brain dump)

I can't stop thinking about the fact that the emotional turmoil is going to be through the roof next season, especially for Vi and Caitlyn. During their struggle to de-escalate the war they've found themselves in, the mini-battles taking place in the back of their minds will be just as alive.

It only hit me now how much Caitlyn has been through in such a short time. She survived two explosions, witnessed many of her work colleagues die (which I assume is the first time she has experienced death), was taken hostage twice (first by Ekko then Jinx), and had her life threatened several times (e.g. held at gunpoint). I imagine it's still to hit her too...

And then there's the chance her mother won't survive the attack on the council, which will leave her devastated, if not in denial. The fact that it's caused by Vi's sister only makes this more complex and difficult to accept. The same person Caitlyn let Vi go after on the bridge, the same person she didn't want to sell out to the council, and the same person she chose not to incapacitate at the tea party. I don't think Caitlyn is going to become driven by revenge and try to kill Jinx, but I can definitely see her lose her cool.

Meeting Vi and getting to see the Undercity somehow became both a blessing and a curse, and I think it's possible she'll act upon the frustration caused by the circumstances they find themselves in. Thinking about this now it doesn't seem so unrealistic that we will see a Caitvi interaction "we'll probably hate" (e.g. Caitlyn lashing out at Vi. Nevertheless, I think she'll realise pretty soon afterwards that Vi isn't to blame for the mess their in).

Next season is where Caitlyn's character arc is really going to gain traction and I'm excited (and frankly scared) to see "a different side of her".

Vi also has her own struggles leading into season 2. She'll still be reeling from seeing her sister choose to walk away from her. The hope of "getting Powder back", the only thing on her mind for the past seven years, was shattered in an instant. On top of all this there's the huge possibility of Warwick (AKA Vander) being thrown into the mix. Finding out Vander is alive will rock Vi to her core and add to the barrage of emotions she won't have the time to feel.

(Sidenote: There's so much chaos going on already with the war and now there's possibly gonna be a blood-thirsty werewolf-man on the loose too? What a curveball! )

Besides Caitlyn and Vi's individual struggles, there's also the unresolved tension between them after the "Oil and water" scene. They don't quite know where they stand with each other, and I'm really curious to see how soon they'll address it.

Then there's the fact that Caitlyn probably overheard everything at Jinx's tea party before she was wheeled in, and just thought: "You were right Vi. I don't know anything about you." Up to this point she knew very little about Vi's past, and she still doesn't have the full picture.

Caitlyn is inquisitive, sometimes to a fault (e.g. "How do you not know if your sister is alive or dead?" "What, you don't have parents?"), and I wouldn't be surprised if she wanted some answers after everything she just heard. And even if Vi would rather forget about the past and avoid talking about it, Warwick is going to arrive and open up those old wounds. When she recognizes him, she's going to be distressed and Caitlyn's going to want to know why. This could lead to some heated conversations, especially if Vi is reluctant to share and Caitlyn is insistent on asking questions.

At this point, everything is happening at such a fast pace that they won't have the opportunity to have the heart-to-hearts (and mental breakdowns) they so desperately need. In some ways, their internal struggles are just as difficult to address as their external ones, and once they're able to reinstill peace in their world, they'll have no choice but to face them (you could only hope Arcane will be kind to us and have them crying in each other's arms by the end of the season)

There's this simple, great quote from Helen LaKelly Hunt: "Conflict is growth trying to happen", which is a really positive way to see Caitlyn and Vi's situation. I'm optimistic that if they overcome these challenges, they will not only grow as individuals, but will end up with a relationship that's stronger than they ever imagined.

Anyway, thanks for reading my brain dump ❤

[theconstantsidekick]

Power Broker (3) | b.b

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x Stark!Reader, Past Steve Rogers x Stark!Reader

Genre: Fluff with a touch of angst.

Summary: Bucky breaks out Zemo. Sam suggests they need help handling him, seeing as he can push Bucky’s buttons unlike anyone else. So they go to the only person who can handle both Bucky and Zemo, the only Stark left in the Superhero business… well kind of. Only problem is, she seems reluctant.

Warnings: None I can think of. Swearing?

a/n: These are snippets of scenes that introduce y/n into the story as a character without making drastic changes. The plot points remain mostly same as they take place in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, except that y/n is also a main character with them. The rest of the MCU events stay the same as well. No drastic retcons. The reader is not only a Stark but also enhanced. Thanks for you support. And oh, I guess the tag list is open?

sidenote: y/f/n is your full name. y/n is a shortened version which you prefer to go by.

Power Broker (2) | Power Broker (4) | Series Masterlist

The butler walks out of the cockpit, handing out a glass of champagne to Zemo, “Apologies if that's a little warm, the fridge is out. But I will see if there is some good food in the galley.”

Zemo replies something in sokovian, to which the butler replies with a chuckle. And while Bucky does not understand the language, he makes a mental note of not putting anything in his mouth. 

“It's good to have you back, sir.” The butler says before making his exit.

Zemo takes a sip of the champagne, and then says, “You don't know what it's like to be locked in a cell,” he pauses and then, the asshole adds, “Oh. That's right. You do.”

“Why don't you tell us about where we're going?” Sam asks frustrated. 

“I'm sorry. I was just fascinated by this,” Zemo ignores Sam completely. “I don't know what to call it, but this part seems to be important. Who is Nakajima?” He says while pulling out a little red notebook from between the pages of the book in front of him, Bucky’s red notebook. 

Bucky’s on him in a second. His left arm grasping at Zemo’s throat, “If you touch that again, I'll kill you.” He warns, fury evident.

“Y/n! This is the sorta thing you’re here to stop!” Sam screams out to Y/n who is sitting away from the three men, in her own little corner, behind Sam.

Bucky can see her shrug nonchalantly in his periphery. His grip doesn’t loosen.

“Y/n!” Sam calls out more desperate now.

She exhales audibly and then, “James.” That’s all she says and for reasons even he cannot understand quite well, his body very willingly complies with her silent request. He sits back down.

Zemo rubs a hand across his neck and then says, with his voice breaking only a bit, “I'm sorry. I understand that list of names. People you've wronged as the Winter Soldier.”

Bucky is about to counter, but suddenly something flies across the fuselage. Landing sharply into the wall next to him, and there is a sound of glass shattering. It’s Zemo’s glass of champagne, broken and scattered in his hand. At first he thinks it’s a knife, due to the sheer force of the impact, and the way it remains embedded in the wall. But a second later, when the shock wears off, he realizes it’s a ballpoint pen. Y/n’s ballpoint pen. The three men turn their heads over to the lady in the corner.

Y/n is looking out the window, so terrifyingly calm, that Bucky’s kinda scared. Her gaze doesn’t falter as she says, “Next one’s gonna stain red.”

Well, fuck.

“As I said, I do apologise. But it is quite an interesting read. You’d like it as well,” Zemo pauses, shoving away all the shards of glass off of him, cleaning his hands with a hankerchief. “You too make an appearance in it.”

Yeah, this was a horrible, bad, stupid, dumb idea. Bucky’s gonna kill Zemo himself. Because somehow that—that manages to break Y/n’s calm, who looks back at Bucky, only for a second. And then she turns her gaze to Zemo, “What?” She asks, confounded.

“You’re on the list. Has James not told you?” Zemo asks, smugness clear in his voice. 

5 minutes, empty room, Bucky’s metal arm and Zemo’s very soft yet bashable head, that’s all Bucky can think of as he glares daggers at the Baron in front of him.

“Why?” She asks. Bucky’s eyes flint back to her because, for the life of him, he cannot understand why she sounds so confused.

“Is it not obvious? To make up for his wrongs,” Zemo replies.

“What wrongs?” She sounds even more confused.

...Has she? Has she lost her memory? Is she okay? He really should’ve checked in on her sooner.

“Perhaps for being responsible for the assassination of the couple who took you in, gave you a home. Perhaps for brutally beating the man you called your brother into a pulp, with the help of your lover, Captain Rogers…” Zemo pauses and begins to grumble, “well former lover, now I presume.” He lets out a breath and then, “Or perhaps, for all the times he broke you down while you were with Hy—”

Bucky can’t fucking breathe. His heart is in his throat and he thinks he can hear his hands shaking. The metal clinking.

But Zemo is cut off.

“—Prison really screwed up your head, didn’t it?” She asks, smirk on her face. That vanishes with the next words, “That was Hydra… All that was the Winter Soldier, not James.” 

Well fuck, times two.

Bucky can see a smile creep up on Sam’s face.

“If that is what you believe, then why drop a building on him?” Zemo counters.

Y/n just laughs. And once it fades, she asks, her words mocking, “Are you sure, you’re the man who broke us? The man with nothing more than a ‘can—do’ attitude and thirst for revenge who managed to singlehandedly break The Avengers?” She fixes him with a pointed look and adds, “Cause that man would've researched me enough to know who I was, what I did… choices I’d made. He’d know I would never blame James for shit that was never in his control to begin with.”

Zemo, for once Bucky has to admit, is at a loss for words.

So Sam cuts in, “So did you lose control? With the building I mean? In Siberia?”

“Nope” She says, popping the ‘p’. Bucky thinks he might really like the way that makes her lips pop out.

Wait, WHAT?

“Then?” Sam asks, before something clicks in his head, Bucky can tell because Sam’s wearing that look. The look he wears when he’s figured it out. “Oh hell nah! That was—”

She cuts him off, “—me, very politely telling Steven, to lose my number.”

And all three of them look absolutely confused. 

Y/n looks away again, ending the conversation, right there.

There is a silence in the air as all three settle back into the seat. Sam breaks it again. “I've seen that book. It was Steve's when he came out of the ice. I told him about Trouble Man. He wrote it in that book. Did you hear it? What'd you think?” He asks Bucky, excitement clear in his voice, cutting all the tension in the fuselage.

“I like '40s music, so…” Bucky answers.

“You didn't like it?” Sam asks, offended. 

“I liked it.” Bucky tries to defend.

“It is a masterpiece, James. Complete. Comprehensive,” Zemo cuts in, “It captures the African-American experience.”

“He's out of line, but he's right,” Sam says reluctantly. “It's great. Everybody loves Marvin Gaye.” 

“I like Marvin Gaye,” Bucky defends, eyes flickering back to Y/n who sits quietly looking out the window, unbothered.

“Steve adored Marvin Gaye,” Sam states.

Zemo butts in his ugly head, “You must have really looked up to Steve. But I realized something when I met him. The danger with people like him, America's Super Soldiers, is that we put them on pedestals.”

“Watch your step, Zemo,” Sam warns.

Zemo continues, unfazed, “They become symbols. Icons. And then we start to forget about their flaws. From there, cities fly, innocent people die. Movements are formed, wars are fought.” He pauses to look over at Bucky, “You remember that, right? As a young soldier sent to Germany to stop a mad icon. Do we want to live in a world full of people like the Red Skull?” Bucky wants to throw himself off this plane. But with how bad his luck had been, he might even survive that. “That is why we're going to Madripoor,” Zemo finishes.

“What's up with Madripoor?” Sam asks, “You guys talk about it like it's Skull Island.”

“It's an island nation in the Indonesian archipelago. It was a pirate sanctuary back in the 1800s.” He informs Sam, but his gaze is fixed on Y/n at the back.

“It's kept its lawless ways. But we cannot exactly walk in as ourselves. James, you will have to become someone you claim is gone.” Zemo pauses and turns over to look at Y/n whose jaw is slightly clenched, which seems to be the only indication of the fact that she’s even listening. “And Y/F/N will have to become someone entirely different.”

“What? Why?” Sam asks, alarmed.

“She’s quite famous in her motherland, Sam,” Zemo answers, “Not many are capable of crawling their way out of a broken little orphanage in Madripoor to become one of the world’s most revered heroes. For the residents of that nation, she’s quite the alluring fairytale come true.” Zemo smiles.

Read part 4 here. Find series masterlist here.

tag list: @thisisparadisemylove​ @justab-eautifulmess​ @intothesoul​ @buckyisperfect​​ @aryksworld​​

[old-castlegachi]

AFO MANIPULATED TENKO INTO BECOMING THE BROTHER HE NEVER HAD

or why AFO really took Tenko in.

so I saw this post by @jae-the-hyung​ and, well, I started to think:

The first OFA holder looks a lot like Tenko; there is the mole (which Nana shares), and his hair looks a lot like Tenko's. To me, the most telling is OFA's pose. It's a very…Tenko gesture, the half-grab hand-reach. So, hear me out while I expand on this; and what this could potentially mean for the ending of AFO and Tenko's redemption:

I've also thought AFO's hatred for Nana Shimura is a lot harsher than his hatred for other OFA holders (and I'll get to Toshinori in a moment). I mean why did he literally villainize her last descendent? I'm supposed to believe that he made Tenko into Tomura so it'd be ironic punishment against Toshinori, that he did it only to hurt Toshinori. He took in a thoroughly traumatized 5-year-old, continued to abusively manipulate him for about 15 years because…it would really hurt an already guilty prone All Might…?

The claim he chose Tenko as a successor is also moot because he took Tenko before All Might crippled him, and AFO is effectively immortal. He didn't (and I doubt he even now does) need a successor. So, all in all, it sounds like a lot of work for not a lot back, unless –

AFO got something else out of it.

I think my theory makes more sense if we bring in this theory (I can't find the post so link me if u know it), where AFO believes he killed Nana Shimura before she managed to pass on OFA; and, as such, AFO didn't know about All Might before he debuted. His brother's quirk, OFA, was back in the family line; and Nana Shimura hadn't the time to pass on OFA yet. So, AFO had finally liberated himself and won the battle of OFA and AFO.

I think AFO found the rest of the Shimura family (curiosity or maybe he had plans) but he saw an opportunity in Tenko. If Tenko Shimura is a direct descendant of OFA, and AFO believed he'd killed the last of OFA's power lineage; then AFO is without a remnant of his brother for the first time.

If AFO wants a sick attempt at closure, then Tenko is the perfect host for it. Tenko is delicate-hearted (is my fav term to use for him), he dreamed about being a hero and was abused for it, and is already prone to self-harm (scratching). He is a little brother, and Tenko is still very young and, I personally headcanon, quirkless.

Even if you don't believe AFO gave Tenko his quirk in full knowledge that it'd awaken destructively; it still resulted in the death of the rest of the Shimura family. AFO took Tenko's memories, but left the crippling emotions, so Tenko had no way to heal from the trauma. He kept Tenko isolated and retraumatized him by having him kill people who attacked him, and he praised him and gave him gifts (look at the number of belongings in his room over time) whenever Tenko acted like AFO wanted him to act.

sidenote: from the start AFO cast himself as Tenko's Sensei, claimed Tenko would be his successor; except Tenko doesn't even know how to take care of himself, let alone an empire. And evidence that AFO is aware of this? He appointed Kurogiri as Tenko's babysitter. (@thyandrawrites​ has more meta on this).

The entire relationship AFO built between himself and Tenko was how AFO determined OFA should have acted. His brother should've been wholly dependent on AFO, he should've realized AFO was their savior, should've begged to help AFO do his work, should have clung to his every word! I would not be surprised if the first OFA holder's name was revealed to be Tomura.

AFO manipulated Tenko into becoming Tomura Shigaraki. Not just to hurt All Might, but because it was cathartic for him. He derived a sick pleasure at having 'his brother' finally follow his beck and call, after decades of his 'rebellion' ruining his plans for the world. I'm not surprised he talks to Tenko 'affectionately' (condescendingly) he has masterfully manipulated himself as the center of Tomura's world, (exactly as it should have been).

So, what does this mean for Tenko's redemption? In the panel below, he tells his family "Don't reject who I am":

Tenko thinks being a villain, a being of pure destruction, is who he truly is; and his family, in their attempt to save/stop him are denying him that. If my theory holds true, then Tenko was not destined to be a villain. The destruction inherent in 'Tomura Shigaraki' is not his true self. Tomura Shigaraki is actually AFO's wish of another person entirely!

Once Tenko finds out that AFO's brother was called Tomura, or that AFO molded Tenko into his ideal for Tomura, or that he is a direct descendent of OFA – then the inherent belief that Tenko was destined for destruction has shattered. AFO put himself in the role of mentor and a benevolent savior but when Tenko finds out the truth, AFO would've betrayed one of the few things Tenko believed in.

I might be gaming but I know I'm not the only one who hopes that Tenko (and the LoV) will end up killing AFO, and maybe this is the catalyst.

tl:dr Tenko is a direct descendent of OFA. AFO raised Tenko to become his idealized version of his brother OFA. Tenko will find out that AFO does not see him as his own person. Tenko (and the LoV) will finally rebel against AFO.

[italicwatches]

Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online - Episode 05

I am full of food and have set some aside for a friend. It’s a bit late, but let’s do this. It’s Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online, episode 05! Here we GO!

-We begin with the other team, prepping for their big final hunt and getting all excited about it…Also, incredibly hard to translate language puns.

-Meanwhile, M is having a real bad day. Like, really bad. Possibly his worst. And…Well, M insists that if he dies in the game, he’ll die for real.

-First, question. I’m not saying he’s lying yet, but what fucking idiot would thus enter into a PvP Battle Royale? If you’re trapped in the game, you keep your fucking ass in the starter town(hai, Kazuma desu) and farm low-level PvE mobs for enough credits to get by!

-Second, well I just found my screen cap and we’re only a minute in.

-Because LLENN calls bullshit, this isn’t SAO. …Now tell her what was on that letter, you dumb idiot. He hands it over without resistance, and it’s from Pito, of course, telling him…That if he survives an entire hour, she’ll be super impressed. But if he dies a cowardly death, or after the hour mark, she’ll totally kill him for real. …Dude, you can’t let Pito get into your fuckin’ head like that.

-BULLSHIT YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT WOMAN IS CAPABLE OF

-Opening!

-Sidenote, what the fuck was his plan if shooting LLENN in the head had worked? Take on the entire enemy team himself? She’s not a political enemy, you can’t trade her corpse for fucking safe haven.

-And we’re back. So, whatever the actual situation is, M is fully convinced that PIto will legit murder him in legit reality if he loses. Do you have any idea how obsessed she IS with the original SAO?! With the idea of death games, and of putting your life on the line?!

-And LLENN puts out the question I just wanted to know. And his plan? Kill her. Become team leader. Resign, which wouldn’t count at suicide by the strictest definition of Pito’s terms, and would kick him out right away so he could make a run for it.

-…You’re a fuckin’ idiot and you took her way too lightly, man. So here’s the actual factual plan. She’s gonna go shoot the other team full of red pixel dots. You’re gonna go hide somewhere. If she dies, you can bail out or whatever. Peace.

-And then she’s off, barely stopping long enough to retrieve her cool hat before she’s off like a rocket and putting together a battle plan…What’s her best tools? Simple, the core thing she’s been pouring XP into since day one. At least in terms of this Squad Jam, she’s the fastest woman alive! Run, LLENN, run!

-Meanwhile, M is trying to convince himself he wasn’t in the wrong here…And then with one last war cry, LLENN’s out of comm range.

-She’s moving at full force, sprinting over a dockside…And finds herself having just jumped into the enemy team! Behind cover, return fire! It’s a vicious high-speed duel with their forward scout, as she desperately tries to find LLENN…But gets out-played, taking vicious shots! LLENN gets glanced in the shoulder, but reloads far faster when the mags run dry, and blasts the gun right out of the other woman’s hands!

-She starts calling for reinforcements and goes for her sidearm…But it’s far too late, as she gets bisected with gunfire! The rest of her team arrives just in time to watch her collapse, and for LLENN to fucking book it behind some rocks when they pour it on! The heavy gunners are going full force…

-And the sniper tries to pin her down, but the wildly desperate LLENN somehow outruns them all, even as she tries to ignore that little bit of her lizard hindbrain that doesn’t realize this is just a game and FUCK FUCK FUCK THIS IS PRETTY LEGITIMATELY SCARY FOR HER

-Episode 05! “Leave the Last Battle to Me”

-While the other team make a point of taking their fallen comrade’s gear…They’re gonna get vengeance for you, and claim that gold, friend. Don’t you worry.

-Back with LLENN, she takes stock. Down to 70% HP. Only six mags left, and two plasma grenades, and a knife. Not a good set of odds. She’s running into the lion’s den here…

-But she remembers what Pito taught her. Never fire randomly or in desperation. If you can’t say with certainty where you’re aiming and why, then all you’re doing is giving away your location and fear to the enemy. Center, focus. Always act with intent.

-And LLENN starts to put her focus together. She can do this. She will do this. Deep breath, get moving. They’re gonna get eyes on her…

-And then two shots ring out. One in her back. One rips through her mag carrier. She stumbles, staggers, takes another shot as she falls down there side of the cliff, barely pulling through with about 30% of her HP left…The leader starts pushing the rest of her team to herd her in…

-As LLENN realizes she fell for a fucking trap. They used their Bullet Lines to draw her in! But she can still move. She can still run. Everything hurts, but if she can get from cover to cover…

-She’s got multiple sharpshooters on her…And when they pin her down, the big guns come out! LLENN is stuck, pinned, and desperate…

-When she gets a plan. She throws a grenade just over the rock, starts counting…And the instant it goes off, she sprints, letting the ball of plasma catch their fire and block her escape! MOVE! FUCKING MOVE!

-The other team…Well, she’s earning their respect. Pulling shit like this solo? Little rabbit’s good.

-While LLENN manages to get out of the line of fire, and the pain’s starting to wear off. She can focus, and think…But that leaves her needing to think of a plan. Right now, she’s got a real problem. Her victories come from being up close and personal…

-That’s right, LLENN-chan! Wait, who’s…

-…LLENN.

-LLENN, sweetie.

-You need to log out.

-You’re hallucinating.

-Because I refuse to believe your gun is actually talking.

-Anyways, P-chan tells her to go forward, to use her speed to get in and god dammit why does P-chan have anime eyes. No you cannot meet senpai!

-At least LLENN has the smarts to realize she must be losing her mind.

-But eventually, the enemy team is hunting her down, and she’s chilling on a rock. Looking for her? They shoot…And she just fuckin’ dives away from it, before racing in! DAKKADAKKA, big gunner down! The sniper’s caught in too close, unable to get a solid shot in,, and instead gets lost to a plasma grenade!

-LLENN eats a glancing blow, ends up spiraling down with about 25%, and caught under two Bullet Lines with her gun out of reach…

-When a shot lances through the air, hitting a grenade on the other gunner’s belt! She’s lost in fire, and it’s down to the leader in the thick…

-While the last two members of the team, watching from afar, get eyed by sniper fire! M, is, back in the game! They’re on the run, but LLENN’s got this…

-As she races in against the leader!

-And eats a roundhouse kick to her tiny, vulnerable stomach that sends her into the far wall. Soooo that’s not great.

-Yeah, that hurts real bad. The leader pins her down hard, and puts round after round into her chest…But it doesn’t work?! HOW?! WHY WON’T YOU DIE?!

-She put the scanner in her breast pocket. The scanner is indestructible.

-It’s the frying pan of GGO.

-And that gives LLENN enough time to whip her head away from the next shot, for the leader’s mag to run dry! LLENN flings a P90 mag at her, forcing her to step back, giving our tiny pink devil enough space to just magdump!

-The leader ferociously grabs that P90, trying to rip it out of her hands, to snap it in half…You’re good, little one. Good enough to piss her off. What’s your name? LLENN. Yours? Eva. Everyone just calls her Boss.

-You ran dry, didn’t you.

-So did you.

-And then the other gunner arrives, the last one still armed! JUST FIRE, you fool! One of them has to survive, that’s all!

-But she hesitates. For a singular moment too long. Her machine-gun gets shot apart, and in a final play, she throws the boss her sidearm magazine!

-Eva whips her pistol up, catches it perfectly…And LLENN finds it to her head. But P-chan will protect her! Shot after shot echoes across the desert landscape…

-And when it’s over…LLENN still stands, with P-chan filled full of damage…It shatters in her hands, and, uh, guys?

-Guys?

-P-chan was her power limiter.

-So this is bad.

-Very bad. With a furious roar, she dives in with her knife, tearing Eva’s thighs open! Back and forth, cross cut that puts her on the ground, and then a vicious strike to the chest! LLENN eats a punch before she can land it, loses all but her last 1% of HP…

-But the knife went up. And she catches it with her free hand, diving it CLEAR THROUGH EVA’S NECK! Crimson neon sprays from the wound, she hits the ground in a heap…

-And LLENN almost eats a sniper round to the head from the last surviving member. But M draws her out by standing firm, and the two snipers cross counter with bullets. The enemy sniper drops…And then so does M.

-But then the fireworks go up! TEAM LM IS THE WINNER OF THIS FIRST SQUAD JAM!

-LLENN arrives to find M’s…Got his pack on backwards and it took the shot. You ridiculous man you scared her half to death. But that, is, the, game!

-This first ever Squad Jam lasted just shy of an hour and a half, and they fired 49,810 shots! Jesus. I wonder how many of those were out of P-chan.

-Credits!

-Aftercredits! The real world. When a tiny adorable schoolgirl comes up to Karen, because they noticed she got her hair cut short and it turns out this whole group always admire Karen when they see her walking by, thinking she’s so elegant and graceful like a model and this is the moment when we’re supposed to realize that this is Eva’s squad. Like, you see it, right?

-But, yeah. It’s an interesting thing, conflicting height complexes…But Karen managed to push herself forward. It might sound silly, but…The sheer wild desperation of a VR game, of fighting for her life again and again, was what locked it in for her. She realized she could endure.

-And indeed, one of them calls the head girl, Saki, Boss, and Karen doesn’t quite put it together yet, but she ends up making some adorable younger friends. …Gahhhh, it’s impossible.

-And then Saki comes up to shake her hand. For defeating the Boss, I now bestow upon you the rank of Big Boss. You’re a hell of a player, LLENN. She’s gonna totally kick your ass next time though, little rabbit. Bring it on, you amazon.

WHAT A FUCKING FIGHT THAT WAS, am I right? God damn! Constantly on the edge of the seat, taking LLENN down to her final most desperate tools! Oh that was delicious.

I cannot wait to see where things go from here. We’ll see next time, in episode….Well looks like 5.5, of SAO Alt: GGO! Wait for it!

[shirtlesssammy]

13x22: Exodus

Then:

Gabe came back to save the day!

Now:

Sam’s alive! And Lucifer just wants to be part of the gang, and to get to know his son. Dean is in protective Mom mode and tells Gabe to kill Lucifer. All the anger and hostility causes Jack to fly off to safety.

To keep some semblance of order, Cas puts the angel warded handcuffs on Lucifer, while Lucifer tells the group that they have about 31 hours before the rift closes. Rowena’s holding down the fort, and not looking too positive about the whole situation. Also, Sam sets his phones timer for 31 hours. A: Won’t the battery run out before then? And 2: Shouldn’t you maybe set it for 29 hours or something just to be safe?

Dean checks in with Sam to make sure he’s ok, and he is. Dean just thought he lost his brother, and Sam just thought he died. This was a worthy hug.

Now Sam, can you at least clean your blood off your neck? Yuck.

Sam tells Dean that he will handle Lucifer.

Meanwhile, Jack’s off alone reeling from meeting Lucifer for the first time. He flashes back to the video of his mother (was this new footage or from earlier?), and Sam (so protective, so parental), and then to the security guard he accidentally killed and au!Kevin dying for the “cause”. Oh, sweet little nougat (at what age does he have to reach before we have to stop calling him our little nougat?).

Cas escorts Lucifer from point A to point B at the camp (like, where were they going?) Anyway, they take a pit stop so Luci can be snarky and Mary can punch the devil in the face (again). Yay!

Mary is 100% badass and I love her, but do you ever stop to think about how great it was for Sam to have Dean raise him and not Mary or John? They were a mess! Sam and Dean show up to tell Mary they need to start heading back to the rift to make it home in time. Mary tells them she’s not leaving. There’s work to be done here. She’s fought beside the people here. There’s too much to fight for. That goes over like a lead balloon. Sidenote: Mary’s makeup is on point in the AU. Maybe it’s not such a bad place after all?

Cas, Jack, and Lucifer parley and Jack wants to listen (UGH) to what Lucifer has to say.

Lucifer tells Jack that he can ask him anything. “Why does everyone hate you?” Lucifer makes some good points (and some icky rapey Buckleming points, ugh), but nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.

Back in Dean, Sam, and Mary land, Dean’s arguing against fighting the good fight, and asks Sam to back him up, but Sam being Sam, he agrees with Mary. “Wait, what?” Dean asks, incredulous. “Mom doesn’t want to leave these people.” Dean’s poor face. Sam suggests they bring them with, regroup, and come back stronger than ever. Just as Dean questions the ability to cram 25 people through the rift, a VERY dramatic Cas arrives to tell them Jack is now with Lucifer.

Lucifer has a one on one with Jack but TFW interrupts, trying to make it clear to Jack that they’re his family, not Lucifer. Jack then calls Lucifer his father (BIG UGH).

The group heads out to the basecamp.

Mary and Dean get some time to talk. Mary wants Dean to give Jack a break. Man, Mary’s conversation about Jack learning about Lucifer, and seeing him for who he is through his own eyes. Dean should be taking notes on how to think about his own childhood, and his own memories of John.

Gabriel, who was off scouting, comes running at the group alerting them to incoming angels. Battle stances commence, and then the angels just disappear into smoke. It seems the handcuffs don’t work in the AU and Luci just smoked them all, and then dissolved the handcuffs. Oops.

It seems the basecamp is Singer Auto Salvage --it’s not in Sioux Falls but it’s damn nice to see that sign again. And it’s not our Bobby (Goddamnit, where is he?? Andrew Dabb, how have you failed us on that storyline?), but he’s just as much a curmudgeon. Dean asks about Charlie and finds out Ketch and her went off to find an angel kill squad.

Lucifer and Jack continue the family reunion. Lucifer tells him all about the other archangels. Ok, Buckleming, you get one pass if you scripted that high five. It was funny and cute. I give 90% of the credit to Jack though. They meet up with Gabriel.

Gabe can barely hold in his hostility for Lucifer. GABE!

Charlie and Ketch find the angels, but it’s a trap! They’re captured.

Team Free Winchester try to convince the leadership at the camp to head over to Sam and Dean’s world. “You want us to follow you through some magic door that’s gonna blast us the hell out of here and into some fairy tale world where everything’s pretty?”  DUH. Just do it, Andy!

The AU campers will talk about it. At the end of the meeting, Bobby comes up to tell Sam, Dean, and Mary that Charlie and Ketch were captured.

Ketch and Charlie are having a great time hanging with angels. Eating angel food cake, playing ring toss with halos. The whole nine yards. Or, urgh, Ketch is getting tortured and interrogated for the resistance base location. Ketch snarkily resists their efforts, earning my grudging respect. (Boris: Ngl, watching Ketch get tortured was kind of poetic. But he’s on his big redemption arc so I guess it’s also sad. Remember folks: Ketch killed Magda!) Then they bring in the big guns. AU!Castiel, complete with insane lip twitch. AU!Castiel does not look well, as evidenced by his non-floofy hair and rogue eye that's probably gone bad from incessant “reprogramming.”

In the resistance camp, TFW interrogates the human that betrayed Charlie and Ketch. I only picked up on this in the rewatch, but Dean nods to Cas to start and stop his mind meld on the guy. I know this can be seen as teamwork but I'm sort of super duper gutted by that. I keep remembering how Cas oftens sees himself as a tool and I feel like he's in that role right now – an instrument of torture wielded by Dean Winchester.

Anyway.

shudder

Cut to Lucifer whining to Gabriel about how boring it is to wait for an attack. Gabriel is quietly amused at Lucifer's desire to rush out and be big and heroic to impress Jack. “I've known you since the stars were made,” Gabriel tells him and he thinks Lucifer’s full of shit. “Humans are innocent and beautiful,” Gabriel says (while I whisper to him that I suddenly really really love him). Lucifer’s motivation for his corruption of humanity was down to jealousy, plain and simple. Lucifer pulls a single man tear which... Whatever, Luci.

Back with AU!Cas, he hones in on Charlie. “Everyone has a breaking point,” he tells her before he tries to suck her mind out of her head. (I'm definitely NOT thinking about how AU!Cas hit his breaking point. He's broken. Shattered. A sharp blade of pain.) There's a ruckus outside, saving Charlie momentarily. It's Mary and TFW! They bust in and defeat the angels guarding Charlie and Ketch. Outside, Castiel confronts AU!Castiel.

Cas tells Castiel that he's grown used to humanity and that he prefers humans to angels. Despite this, they both agree that they're the same, and then Cas kills AU!Castiel. I have a whole headcanon about this scene. Ready? Okay. AU!Castiel is broken, tortured by Heaven into existing as a mere weapon. Cas sees this and recognizes his fate, his horrible scars and terrible weaknesses. He sees the soldier. He sees the broken person. And he kills him easily because he views it as both mercy and necessity. AU!Cas is irredeemable, so damaged is he. Now, all he can do is rest eternally in the Empty.

Let's take a hug break.

Cas shakes it off (OR DOES HE?) and everyone reunites at the camp. Bobby announces to the Winchesters that they're all planning to head back with them. Super! It's time for a PARTY BUS! Dean fixes a school bus (Natasha fans herself) and everyone piles onto the bus to head out. Sam runs after Jack and tries to keep him from fulfilling his promise to kill Michael. Sam wants them to regroup and plan a good attack and Lucifer agrees. Jack...listens to Lucifer and then calls him “father.” Yikes, Jack.

The vehicles, packed full of many of my favorite characters, head down the road to the rift. Eek! I sure am glad those rifts mostly only open just off of roadways. When they arrive Sam sees the rift is starting to close.

Rowena's exhausted on the other side, desperately trying to keep the rift open. Everyone files in and through. “About bloody time,” Rowena greets Castiel breathlessly. On the other side of the portal, angels zoom in. Michael arrives with an impressive wing display.

Lucifer and Michael begin to fight while Sam, Dean, and Gabe just....stand around picking their noses, I guess. Until Gabe decides to start fighting Michael. Michael pulls out his archangel blade and they fight. We're feeling pretty good about it until Gabriel gets knifed. NOOOOOOOO every time! 

Sam angrily pushes a weakened Lucifer away from the rift and then jumps through. The rift closes behind him leaving Michael and Lucifer behind in the AU.

In the bunker it's a PARTY. Sam thanks Rowena. Charlie and Ketch have forged a friendship (odd but I’ll allow it). Dean and Cas share emotional stares a.k.a. an “eyefuck.” Jack is sad.

Bobby gives the troops a rallying speech and everyone experiences warm and fuzzy feelings. I mean, I certainly do. Look at all their friends! Take that, Team “All My Friends are Dead.”

Back in the AU, Gabriel lies apparently (possibly? definitely?) dead on the ground with charred wings. Lucifer and Michael plot together to get back into the Winchesters’ world and strike a deal. Lucifer will get his son and Michael gets the world. Booo bad deal.

Party Quotes:

What do we do about Lucifer?

You are who you choose to be.

I am not your “sport”

That may be the dumbest friggin’ idea in a landfill of dumb ideas.

You want us to follow you through a magic door that's gonna blast us the hell outta here and into some kind of fairy tale world where everything is pretty?

For whatever reason, I got a good feeling about you two.

See you on the other side, bitches.

And you’re an ass clown.

Way to go, DAD!

Want to read more? Check out our Recap Archive!

[weerd1]

Star Trek DS9 Rewatch Log, Stardate 1905.09: Missions Reviewed, “Move Along Home,” “The Nagus,” and “Vortex.”

In “Move Along Home” we get a delegation from the Gamma Quadrant known as The Wadi, referred to DS9 by a Vulcan science ship (and who says the Vulcans don’t have a sense of humor?) and though Sisko is in full dress and ready to be a diplomat, The Wadi just want to play games. When Quark however starts to cheat them at Dabo, they bring up their own game, and the unwitting pawns are Sisko, Kira, Dax, and Bashir.  Not knowing they are playing for their lives in a holodeck type environment, Quark dives into playing against the Wadi. When Odo informs him of what’s going on, the stakes get higher.

Not one of the stronger episodes of the season, but we do get what may be a momentary look of recognition from the Wadi when they see Odo. And it is a nice bit of character development for Quark that he really doesn’t want to see the four player-pieces hurt (or perhaps he just doesn’t want to suffer the consequences thereof). The reveal of “it’s just a game, there was never any real danger” is better than “it was all a dream.”  Mostly. Sidenote: This is the first episode I didn’t see first run and hate to wait for reruns as it aired two days after I left for Basic Training in 1993.

The Ferengi—and most notably Rom—finally get defined for good in “The Nagus.”  The highest ranking businessman and therefore ruler of Ferenginar comes onto the station with his son. They are preparing to hold a conference of other Ferengi businessmen in order to decide how to exploit the Gamma Quadrant.  Grand Nagus Zek (established as an unforgettable character by Wallace Shawn) soon declares he is ready to retire, and then names Quark as his successor. At first delighted, and later overwhelmed by the position, Quark goes to Zek for advice; however, Zek promptly dies, leaving Quark at the mercy of Zek’s son, and Quark’s own brother Rom as they plan to create a vacuum for promotion (Literally- they are going to flush Quark out an airlock). They are stopped at the last second by Zek who has faked his death to test his son, who has failed by acting so directly. Quark meanwhile is glad to lose the mantle of Nagus, and impressed Rom has the “lobes” to take action.

This is the first time we see Rom acting like the character we know he will be later- not so much with the violence (which is clumsy and ill-planned) but in his demeanor. We see how the Ferengi will go for the rest of the show too, establishing a commentary on unfettered capitalism, while also providing a good juxtaposition to discuss how the Federation deals with values so very alien to its own.  There’s a great B-Story where Sisko is becoming concerned Jake is being badly influenced by Nog (Rom’s son, Quark’s nephew), but instead Jake is taking it upon himself to teach the Ferengi boy to read. Really neat to see the seeds of the relationship here when you know the great places it’s going.

Odo gets a clue to his origins in “Vortex.” A lone traveler from the Gamma Quadrant gets caught up in one of Quark’s schemes and ends up killing one brother from a pair of Miradorn twins.  When Odo has him in custody, the man recognizes Odo’s species, telling Odo he has seen other “Changelings” and that they used to live on his world, but moved on. The man it seems is actually a fugitive from his own world which is a bit totalitarian, but when Odo is taking him back, they stop to see if they can find the Changeling colony world.  Chased by the surviving Miradorn twin, it turns out the man has no current knowledge of Changelings, but has hidden his daughter, the last survivor of the family his homeworld killed here.  Odo devises a plan to save them all from the Miradorn, and when they are approached by a Vulcan vessel (I like to think it’s the same one who sent the Wadi: pointy-eared bastards) Odo convinces them to take father and daughter to Vulcan as refugees.

This episode does give us some hints at Odo’s background, but also raises some huge questions.  At one point, Odo disguises himself as a glass on a tray; what happens to Odo’s mass when he shape shifts? Assuming he’s about a 180 pound guy, he’s obviously not a 180 pound glass.  How does that work.  Later in this episode, he is hit by a falling rock and knocked unconscious, then later wakes up holding his head.  HE HAS NO CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. Why does this affect him at all, when earlier in the episode as a glass he got shattered? Hmmm.

Next Voyage: A huge shift in Bajoran leadership occurs when they cross “Battle Lines.”

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Kado 7 (includes notes on Kado 6.5 + Tsukigakirei 6.5) | Boku no Hero Academia 21 | Grimoire of Zero 7 | Royal Tutor 8 | Tsukigakirei 7

Kado 7 (includes notes on Kado 6.5 + Tsukigakirei 6.5)

Some notes on the recap: It’s interesting they styled the title card to be like a silent movie, but the embellishments in the top corners are high-tech. Tsukigakirei’s recap was a slog because it awkwardly cut, but because of all the indications of time and the fact there’s already a narrator, this show fits a recap style much better (but the titlecards and changing of the eyecatch make this ep feel fresh, which is great!). Also, it seems I was wrong about how it had been three days since Kado’s appearance (see ep 5’s commentary), because the counter hits 5 days when the first passengers are released.

Wait…that “brain” was a device???

“Hi Setten”, LOL. Also, I found out “kado” (with this combo of kanji -> 過度) can mean “excess” or “immoderation”, and “setten” means “settings” or “options”...I first remember seeing the word in the Boueibu game, where “setten” of course would refer to things like “volume on/off” and that.

Apparently, the Google CEO’s name is Sundar Pichai…I thought it was Larry Page and Sergey Brin as co-CEOs, but I guess I was wrong…Also notice Ward’s iPad says “ihou sonzai” (anisotropic being).

Oh flap. Adam’s pulling a Great Fitz here…

I’ve seen the “I can’t dry my laundry!” screenshot before, but seeing it in context is funny all over again. In fact, it makes it even funnier.

I was worried about how the show might get a little too philosophical after ep 6’s end, but it’s good to see Hanamori retains his sleeping capabilities. *stifles laughter* They even rendered Hanamori’s bedhead.

“Kado comes here, and instead of running, they find a way to market it.” – It’s an interesting, yet extremely obvious point that we tend to ignore because we’re so used to it. That’s why tourism – even fake tourism - sells. Why do I bring this up? Because I want to, for one, and because I hope to exploit this angle for Half-Paid Heroes. (I wanna know how to make Kado cake, too…)

CR subbers, I thought Gonno’s first name was “Takumi”?...

That’s cute, it’s a helicopter landing spot, complete with “H” marking.

If I didn’t know any better, I might’ve called Shindo zaShunina’s sidekick. (LOL)

This “stacks of books” scene is something like what I imagined when I wrote White Parasite’s La Luna’s hideout in the mountains…that’s one of the reasons I’ve been able to give Kado and zaShunina an unyielding love. Also, I thought the promo 2D Shunina looked creepy, so this 2D shot of Shunina stole my heart!!!

The cube seats remind me of those child corners in libraries and that, where you have mini stools for playing pretend. Oh. Speaking of which, it reminds me of this Rubik’s cube.

Okay. I thought Kado would be a show devoid of such things, but let’s play the game of “What drugs were the producers on today?”

Okkkkkkkkkay. (stifles laughter) Did you realise the Shunina heads made a heart, with the “real” (existing in the normal dimensions) Shunina in the middle? Hahaha…

Wait. That screaming thing in episode…2, I think it was? The bit where Shindo grabs his head in agony?...was Shunina giving him (Shindo) the sense of the anisotropic? Ahhhhhhhhh. That makes sense now!

“They were good humans.” – Just in case you didn’t forget Shunina is an extradimensional bishie being. I guess it’s kind of along the lines of Kai’s (Royal Tutor’s) “You’re all good boys!”, which is true both there and here. In most cases (except maybe Shunina and Ward), the boys of Kado are good boys.

A bookmark. For an avid reader like Shunina (or myself…haha), it’s a perfect gift. Just make sure they’re not so heavy they fall out of books, because then they’re useless.

They put the festival scene in 2D! (It would be a cost cutting measure for sure, but…you know what I said about 2D Shunina previously? Yeah, that.) Also, it just goes to show you even a high concept sci-fi show like this goes for the jugular in depicting fanservice for the “people who like hot guys” and “people who like tsunderes”. However, did Shunina change his own clothes? Did Shindo or someone else get the yukata for him? Does Shunina even have the concept of “changing clothes”???

Fake Nintendo Switch. I’ve also seen this screenshot making the Tumblr rounds before.

LOL, giant turtle. I like turtles.

Haha, negotiating even at a festival. I LOLled too hard at the line, “What is buttered potato?” (but I also like buttered potatoes…I like a lot of things).

“Saraka-san, zaShunina, you, and the turtle will be in group B.” This typo’s the same case as the Gonno one earlier this ep.

“Are there any negative effects?”

How do you lose an anisotropic being at a festival? I actually hope he isn’t being rabidly devoured by a bunch of girls who think he’s hot.

Just seeing the credits reminded me that Shinawa was absent this ep (which was good). Also, has Natsume appeared in every ep’s credits so far? I don’t remember because I normally don’t watch credits.

Boku no Hero Academia 21

“Sparking Killing Boy”, LOL.

The more I watch Mei, the more I feel like I’m watching The Truman Show (where there’s one woman who advertises things near the beginning of the movie).

The belt transformation refers to sentai heroes.

Hmm…I agree with Deku on Aoyama’s strategy, since his laser is best used from afar.

That was an unexpected (for me) win for Tokoyami. I knew his Quirk was good all around, but I thought Yaoyorozu would win for sure. It’s just the difference in confidence, eh?

“…focussing on the shield Yaoyorozu made.”

I kinda get what Uraraka’s saying. After all, she might end up dragging Deku down one day by relying on him too much.

Grimoire of Zero 7

It annoys me how tavern girl looks so similar to Zero.

Why do fantasy travellers (or Brock in Pokémon, for that matter) never have big packs? You’d think they do…

The colour of the night sky in this episode is pretty.

This wolf’s like Sonic (One Punch Man). Such a sore loser.

Hey wait, did Thirteen see her…uh, assets? Did he dress her wounds?! Eep! I do not ship this. *shakes head*

Royal Tutor 8

Ouch, Licht, you got burnt! On the other hand, I agree with Bruno that he should sleep forever, noting past comments I’ve heard him (Licht) say.

Ah, the zoo. What nostalgia that brings. I’ve been to the closest zoo at least twice…thrice…four times…? I don’t remember anymore, but the zoo is always a fun place.

It’s smiling, ReLIFE style!

Braunbar (with umlaut over the second a) is German for…wait for it…brown bear.

Bunnies can bite you when you least expect it. From my experience, they don’t draw blood though. (How do I know this? There’s one outside my window as I speak. He’s probably someone’s stray, although no one’s come for him so my family have had to take care of him.)

Shut up, Licht! That’s not comedy, that’s just killing time!

I still wonder…how does Kai actually wear that jacket? It must be troublesome to put on if he’s always wearing it like that.

Ahhhh! Dangit, Kai’s too good for words. The only thing that can quell my “fan of bishies” heart is fangirl screaming.

Those “tricks” of yours didn’t work, Licht. Get out. Besides, Bruno, I barely remembered that brick joke.

My heart sank a little when I saw they weren’t using the cheesy live-action version of the ED. Still the next episode looks like it will address some plot-critical things, and I’m worried for Kai because he’s the sort who can’t get over his problems easily. (As a sidenote, a similar tabloid article shtick was used in SGRS, so I welcome this plotline.)

Tsukigakirei 7

Vita Sexualis is a Mori Ougai work, so I’m kinda on edge about it…knowing Bungou’s Ougai, that is.

Why does this ep’s title sound like it should be a Boueibu one instead???

These (mostly still) shots of theme parks just make it seem like the staff are scrounging for money.

According to the omake at the end of one ep, you’re meant to ship Roman with the teacher (as ick as that is), so I can understand why Roman’s on his lonesome.

Stop egging her on, Hira! She’ll get nervous! (I say that because I don’t like roller coasters much.)

I feel like the word “viva” is being overdone, attendant person. Google-sensei says the word means “live (verb)”, so it doesn’t make sense at all.

Hira’s freckles really don’t seem to be a mistake. Also my brain can’t make sense of “sorabune” – the word for ship/boat is “fune”, but it doesn’t become “bune” when attached to another word...not that I know of, anyway.

Yamashina? We’ve never been told Roman’s surname before…

Potori Water, LOL. Parody on Pocari Sweat if you didn’t know that.

It’s nice that they didn’t do the full-on “can on face at aumsement park” thing I’ve come to expect from romances, because Detective Conan kinda solidified that as the norm for me.

The Big O in this case isn’t an anime, it’s a Ferris wheel.

Josei Next Door did a CR article where she suggested people needed to talk to each other more, and while it was on The Royal Tutor, sometimes I wish Akane and Kotarou would talk to each other properly too…welp, I spoke too soon (sort of).Why “sort of”? Because Kotarou is speaking to Hira, but he ain’t speaking to Akane.

I feel a twinge of guilt in that I wanted Chinatsu’s and Hira’s dreams to be shattered to make way for the canon couple, and Chinatsu’s tears exacerbate that feeling. I guess this is what it’s like to be a shipper, eh – to ignore the feelings of couples in order to get your own way, knowing your dreams may not even become reality? (But can’t these kids all be happy??? It could easily be a “pair the spares” situation, now that I think of it.)

The takoyaki’s nice, but that background with the screaming girl is creepy…It appears to be a parody on Beavertails, for some odd reason. Why is there a Canadian product being used as product placement in an anime (and why a product I’ve only ever heard of from a Canadian TV show, to boot)???...*record scratch* Okay, I’m weirded out, and I admit defeat. Beavertails exist in Japan.

Couple selfies. That just goes to show how much trends can permeate culture…hey, does that mean people may one day use memes in anime? (Even though anime creates memes?) It’s meme-ception!

It seems live action footage was used for this show, if you look closely, and it’s not just the OP I’m talking about…

Finally, a part of Tsukigakirei I can get behind! These night scenes are so real! If it weren’t for Kotarou and Akane, I’d think these scenes to be photos and not animation at all.

I get this feeling that we’ll end with either their graduation or them as adults, with Kotarou telling their kids “…and this is how I met your mother.” Which would be awkward as all get out, but okay. (I haven’t seen How I Met Your Mother by the way, although it sounds like a scenario that would happen in it…)

Aw, dangit. They got their kiss interrupted. At least it wasn’t by Chinatsu, that would’ve caused more tears on her end.

Mireta (used in “Did you see the fireworks?”) seems to be an odd formation of mieta, but in slang, people break the grammar rules all the time, so I’d suspect people break the spelling rules too.

I was surprised to find out this ep’s ED LINE chat is a wife to a husband. That confirms my How I Met Your Mother thoughts, somewhat. (The husband had overtime and got the wife juice. It seems they were going to an event, because the wife says to check the invitation guest list...and so on, so forth.)

Oh? There are more omakes? I’ll watch ‘em someday when I’m bored…I guess.