#also the one complaint i have for it is that it has these neat 'next up we're gonna talk about....'

[always-a-joyful-note]

I just binged like....twelve episodes of Monstrous Agonies and...

A) I am in love with the V.A. (their voice is just beautiful; think WTNV Cecil with his sleep-inducing voice but more on the soothing/calming side) B) Advice column radio segment for the creature community/people of the night (as they call themselves) is SO brilliant (it's kind of fun to go "hm...not the advice I'd give" and then do a double take as you realise you're forming opinions on the problems of (probably) fictional races). And C) It's SO unexpectedly funny....just off what I've recorded, you have lines like

"which muppet is the sexiest"

"a social klutz with all the grace of a roller-skating donkey"

"if my father wants to take up with some american floozy, then more power to him"

"she does sound rather unfortunately american, but they really can't help it and usually mean well"

and most importantly

[adobe-outdesign]

Have we gotten a houndoom line review yet?

I love how GameFreak's response to Pokemon's Satanic Panic problem was to make a hellhound the next Gen. And not just a hellhound, but a really good hellhound! I like that they went a more subtle route with Houndour than the Cerberus option by basically taking a Doberman and adding hellish motifs to it—black with fire-orange accents and white bones all over its body. Also nice are the shackles, which are likely a nod to how Cerberus is sometimes said to be chained.

Houndoom is even better, and does everything an evo needs to by expanding greatly on the original. Now a full-grown Doberman instead of a puppy, Houndoom has gained a pair of ribcage horns on its head, moved the skull to its chest, added an extra layer of shackles, and added a classic pointed devil tail. These all build upon the base design and themes wonderfully, and both stages are very distinct.

My only (very minor) nitpicks with Houndoom are that the skull on its chest could've been more skull-shaped as it looks more like an alien head, and the head is a weird shape. I hear a lot of complaints that it has no ears, but it has no ears because it has horns and there was no room for both on the original teeny tiny sprite. However, the Diglett-shaped head isn't quite anatomically accurate, making it look a little strange once you separate the horns from it.

(Also, side note: judging by the sprite above the chest skull and ribs were supposed to be a collar, which is a really neat idea that I kind of wish they kept. No big deal either way though, it still looks good regardless.)

I hear a lot of people say they wish [X] mega was an evolution, and like 90% of the time I disagree with them. Megas are generally handled differently than actual evos—evos often make drastic changes to the body shape and progress the Pokemon's theme in a notable way, while megas typically stick close to the original design and just add Stuff(TM). There is some overlap, of course, but generally speaking a good mega won't necessarily work as an evo and vice versa.

All of that is to say that mega Houndoom is one of the only megas where it could (and should) have been an evo. Every theme is expanded upon, the body shape has advanced pretty drastically, and there are about as many changes between it and Houndoom as there are between Houndoom and Houndour. It doesn't technically matter one way or the other, but megas are a rarely-appearing gimmick whereas evos are permanent, and this is a great design that should be used more often.

Anyway, this design is pretty perfect. It has a more muscular body than Houndoom with greatly improved head anatomy and longer legs (especially evident when you see all three lined up next to each other). The bone elements go from the small skull on Houndoom's chest to a giant wrap-around skull with tusks, as well as bigger horns and more ribcage bones. The shackles on its legs have also been broken, which is a great detail, and it's added a pitchfork motif in both the tail shape and the face markings.

My only minor nitpicks with this design are that the red claws feel a little distracting; keeping them orange might've balanced the colors better. Also, the orange on the chest should've gone under the bottom of the skull, as it creates a bit of a tension point as-is. Otherwise, this is pretty perfect all around.

Overall, a great line. There's a clear theme, each stage progresses in a logical and obvious way, and the designs are well-balanced. 10/10 would go to Hell again

[lunawings]

While I was in Japan during March 2024, I was able to visit the Pretty Rhythm Rainbow Live 10th Anniversary Exhibit. This is my favorite anime of all time, so it was an incredible honor.

Unfortunately, you could not take pictures in many areas and I always try my best to be respectful and follow the rules. So, I will describe it.

The walls of the first room were covered in several tapestries depicting each individual episode of the anime, so you could reminisce about everything that happened as you slowly walked through the room. In the middle of the room, there were several exhibits perfectly recreating every single paper, notebook, sketch...

Hokkaido itinerary? Wakana and Bell's test scores? Momo's Happy Rain costume sketches? Naru and Bell's manager applications? The score to pride? Any piece of paper you can think of that appeared in PRRL, it was all HERE! Recreated with meticulous accuracy...

The next room was the photo room where you could take pictures in Prism Stone or in front of Rinne's feathers.

Something else they had here which was really neat, was all of these mini photo ops of various scenes from the anime that you could put your plushies or figures into! As I rarely have someone with me to take photos of myself at events like this, and I rarely post them even when I do, NGL I loved it. I wish I had brought something! I did have a PAF Naru on my bag I could have used, but it would have taken time to unpin her so unfortunetly I did not.

The next room contained an exhibit of various merch from throughout the years.

Unfortunately, there wasn't really much merch to look at in the classic section. Just the guitars, some stones, and the Smart Pod Shot. But I definitely think there was more than that back in the day! There has to have been because I own at least one thing that was not in here (a pool bag) haha!

They also had a REAL prism guitar on display, which apparently they are actually going to sell at some point!?

The last part of the exhibit before going to the gift shop, was a hallway with messages from all the voice actresses and the director. This was also a zone where photos were banned, but I remember in the director's he acknowledged Rainbow Live as being the only Pretty Rhythm season to achieve a 10th anniversary celebration and ended his commentary with "Glorious Pretty Rhythm" hahaha. Next was the gift shop...

Which was honestly super disappointing... I was prepared to spend a lot of money here, but in the end, I barely bought anything. Everything, EVERYTHING good was blind and the stuff that wasn't was just so expensive.

Like, they had this set of Hiro cards with his magazine covers and debut poster and I really wanted them but when I actually saw them it was like... 2,000 yen? FOR THREE CARDS!? Those tiny little cards you can see up there below the keychains?

????????????

Am I missing something!?

In the end I bought two Wakana boards and two clear files. And the one blind thing I couldn't resist was the Prism Stone badges... which turned out to be Otoha x2 and one Ann. Gah.

I also might have bought a Wakana plush doll, but she was sold out. Out of all the Rainbow Live girls she was the only one sold out both here and at Tokyo Station Prism Stone.

And here were the bonuses I got. Including, yes, the AiPri card. So for people who saw me posting it over on @pretty-idol-hell, this was where it came from.

I also got a very special letter, which I am saving to translate at a later date...

Outside the event was an up and running Pretty Rhythm machine, or so I thought. Wow, no line! I said to myself as I happily bounced up to it only to find the coin slot taped over and a sign reading it could not be used. Darn. (I know there's no prism stones left in the wild, but come on, there's no free play mode...? Well, I guess even if there was they wouldn't want people loitering around the exhibition.)

Anyway, as you read I did have a few complaints, but it still makes my heart happy that this event existed at all. I loved all the time and effort that went into making all the recreations of things!

[bluedeedeedoop]

My Thoughts on Tales of the Empire; mostly Barriss (spoilers ahead!)

Ah hello all, i have had some days or so to think since watching the show and to say it has completely wiped me of my life force would be... pretty accurate tbh. BUT I HAVE FINALLY DECIDED TO POST MY THOUGHTS. will this cover my entire though process that im sTill working through? PROBABLY NOT! my thoughts are very unorganized and very unstable! ANYWAAAAYS.

Now I just gotta say overall, the show itself definitely passed the test. To be completely honest, i wasn't really paying attention to the Morgan parts as i was the Barriss parts, since it was literally what I was looking forward to this entire time.

Though I will say that the first Morgan episode was pretty neat! it was crazy seeing that perspective of the Nightsisters again and god did they make Grievous fucking terrifying. Honestly, bravo to them, it was amazing. I diiiiid end up just.. kinda spacing out the rest of it tho unfortunately cuz i just wanted to see barriss..

Visuals 10000/10. stunning, amazing, phenomenal, gahdamn. the animation was so smooth and fluid and uGHH it was amazing throughout the entire show. Acting amazing as always. BUT GOD I CANT GET OVER HOW AMAZING THE ANIMATION WAS.

NOW.

In my opinion, they got her character pretty on the dot. I am SO glad they did. I was rlly rlly worried they were totally butcher her character and make her unrecognizable to all of us but oml they didn't completely disappoint us, she has her morals, SHES STILL A HEALER! Im so happy from that.

Now although i did enjoy it, i do have my own little complaints.

Now okay one i noticed since the trailer and has REALLY been bugging me; where are her hand tattoos??? idk i guess i just wasn't expecting them to just be gone?? they couldn't have just forgotten them.. right? I dunno, but unless someone has a genuine answer for that, imma just keep drawing them on her in the future.

??????

Alright another thing i've been seeing ppl post about is how come she looked so old at the end? I am also confused on that and i've seen multiple theories. She should only be like 30-35 max right?? Because i'm assuming the last episode took place a the time in Rebels where the inquisitors were after the force sensitive children, and Ahsoka was around that age a the time, so why is Barriss any different?

I suppose the one i think makes the most sense is the force healing? I guess it could take a toll on her over the years causing her to look more aged, but still, i'd really prefer an explanation. Also what happened to her hair coverings?? Is that not her culture?? I dunno, again, i really need an explanation. I suppose that maybe her perspective has changed since trying to come to terms with her new life, and her ditching the coverings is a way to free herself from her past? Honestly i have no clue but i just need a lot of things answered.

That's mostly my complaints on it! I just felt things weren't explained enough but to be fair, they only gave her like 3 15-ish min episodes?? I really think they got some explaining to do. Which brings me to my next points.

I'm like... 98% sure that the "old friend" is Ahsoka that she was talking about. Who else would it be?? Like cmon. And if it is Ahsoka, why did we not get to see anything about the moment of confrontation? or at least more of a mention? I guess they wouldn't rlly wanna rush that scene, and tbh, im glad they didn't. It's not some "we talk for 5 min and everything is fine" type of situation. it'll take time. time to rebuild that trust. time to discuss. YEAH. I've heard many people state how it would be more likely and realistic to see a novelization of that and i agree. I would want it to take time, showing the build of the relationship over time, going on further into the story as we watch their strong bond mend from the trauma it's faced. I'm not saying this as a crazed Barrissoka shipper, i mean it that I would genuinely want to see how that confrontation is handled, as do many others and not just as a ship!! It's been a decade! the fans wanna know!

And my last point.

I.believe.Barriss.is.alive.

The more i rewatch it, the more i believe it. the first time around i had my doubts, but something tells me they are NOT done with her character. At least before the stabbing scene anyway. There's too much stuff that's left unanswered for it to just end that way! I dunno man, but Lyn's "i'm going to get you out of here" sounded way too determined for a "im going to move your body out of here" type of thing yk? maybe she could sense she was still alive, just barely hanging in there? I don't think they are done with Barriss Offee, and I wont think so unless we see her corpse being fucking BURIED. Not to mention the UNGODLY amount of parallels of that scene along with them exiting the cave. I've already seen so many point it out. Post-Vader and Ahsoka fight on Malachor?? Back when we all thought Ahsoka may or may not be dead?? sounds familiar hello?? Also a parallel from earlier in the show itself when Barriss saves that unnamed jedi! she HEALS them when they were going to be left there. Something tells me the same fate may happen to Barriss. Idk call me crazy but i will say it again, i don't think they are done with her story.

Thank you for reading my very unorganized thoughts! this has taken me longer to write than expected because i did not predict this to make me have to step away from making SEVERAL times- but yeah! lmk what yall think! and yes you can be expecting some art here and there! i know i've been slacking- Also lmk if u want me to post my crazed Barrissoka thoughts! because aHa i have them. i have them a lot. send help.

ALSO KEVIN KINER I GOT MY EYE ON YOU. BRO NEEDS TO RELEASE THE SOUNDTRACK BEFORE I DIE.

[agaypanic]

REQUESTS ARE OPEN!!! Could you write a girl next door kind of thing with Reese? Like reader moves in next door to the Wilkersons and initially they don’t get along but eventually he asks her out 🤭🤭

Being Reese's New Neighbor Headcanons

Masterlist

Request Something!

A/N: warning for underage drinking at the end

***

Reese almost immediately got on your nerves

While moving in, you saw him staring at you through his family’s window

But then again, you were a new neighbor, and his whole family was also watching the moving process

You didn’t think too much of that

It was a different moment that started your irritation

“Oh my god!” You screeched, jumping away from your window. The sound of breaking glass startled you out of the little organizing groove you were in, and you grew both scared and pissed as you realized that the broken glass was from your window.

You picked up the baseball that had rolled on the ground towards you, no doubt the cause of the incident. You looked out your window to see a boy your age, your neighbor, and probably the one who threw the ball. He moved an already broken piece of the fence that divided your properties to the side to get to your side.

“Hey.” He said, now at your window. You gripped the ball tight, angry about his nonchalance. “That’s my ball.”

“I figured.” You did your best not to sneer. You reached out the window to drop the baseball in his hand, quickly pulling back without cutting yourself on the broken glass.

“I’m Reese, by the way.”

“Y/n.”

He seemed like he was about to say something more, but you wouldn’t know because you shut your curtains and walked away, trying to figure out how to tell your parents that the house already had damages.

Despite trying to avoid him, you ended up having to spend a lot of time with Reese

You both walked to school

You shared a few classes together 

It felt like hell

“Hey, wait up!” You heard Reese yell behind you, and you immediately wanted to break into a sprint. More often than not, Reese would walk to school with you, much to your dismay. The two of you seemed to have a bit of a habit of sleeping in, so occasionally, you’d rush out of your houses at the same time and speedwalk to school. “Y/n, come on!”

“It’s not my fault you’re slow!” You shout back, staying at your brisk pace as you hear his thundering footsteps behind you.

“Oh, shut up!” He said when he finally caught up to you. You gave him a quick glance and snorted at how much of a mess he was. 

“You look like you just rolled out of bed.” It was true. Reese didn’t have time to gel up his hair today, so it was messy and had strands sticking out in every direction. His clothes looked like he had just thrown them on, not bothering to straighten anything out. And his backpack was zipped open, loose pieces of paper threatening to fly out.

“I feel like it.” He muttered, running his hands through his hair to try and make it look more neat. “Did we have any homework today?”

“We have homework every day, Reese.”

“Damn it! Can I copy off of you? Just this once?”

“No way, Reese.” You say, rolling your eyes. “And it’s not just ‘this once.’ You copy me like every other day.”

Having to hang out with Reese all the time makes you eventually warm up to each other

You start coming over to his house every now and then to help him with homework

You tell him it’s so he’ll stop copying your work, but that’s only half true

When you leave the house and forget to grab something for breakfast or lunch, Reese miraculously has some food for you in that mess of a bag of his

He says it’s because your complaints about being hungry annoy him, but that’s only half true

“Okay, now carry the two.” You instruct, watching Reese work on a math problem. You had slowly fallen into a routine of coming over to the Wilkerson’s to study and such. Malcolm was very grateful for you, because now that you would come over, Lois wouldn’t force him to help tutor his brother. “Good job, Reese.”

“Thanks.” He said, ears heating up a bit at the small praise. “Can we take a break now?”

“Yeah, sure.” You laughed at the slight whine in his voice, but you were glad to pause the study session. The two of you had been working for about an hour now, and your eyes needed a rest.

The two of you sat in silence for a bit. Then, feeling the familiar empty feeling in your stomach, you groaned. 

“What?” Reese asked, eyes snapping over to you.

“I’m so hungry.”

Reese rolled his eyes and grabbed his backpack. Wordlessly, he dug around for a bit before pulling out a sandwich and a small bag of chips and placing them on the desk in front of you. You grinned and opened the bag of chips. Instead of saying thanks, you offered him a chip. And instead of saying you’re welcome, he took it.

One night, the two of you were at a house party

The two of you had snuck out together

Looking at the time and seeing how late it was, a slightly drunk Reese stumbled around the house to find you

He found you in the kitchen, carefully pouring yourself another drink

You jolted at the sudden feeling of a hand gently clutching your arm but soon smiled brightly when you saw Reese beside you.

“Hey, Reese!” You squealed. It was safe to say that you were a bit tipsy. He smiled at your excitement before remembering why he was trying to find you in the first place. 

“Y/n, I think it’s time to go.” He almost had to yell over the music. But you heard him.

“Boo!” You pouted, bringing your newly filled cup to your lips. But Reese covered the top with his hand and took it out of your grasp, setting it on the counter. “Hey!”

“I’ll make it up to you later. Now come on.” 

Reese dragged you out of the house, and soon you were walking home together. You shivered a bit as a gust of wind hit you. Noticing, Reese let go of your hand to shrug off his jacket and put it over your shoulders.

“But then you’ll be cold.” You half-heartedly protested, wrapping the jacket tighter around you.

“I’m fine.” Reese shrugged.

You don’t know what came over you, but you grabbed Reese’s hand, interlocking your fingers with his. He looked slightly surprised at the action, but didn’t protest it.

Sooner than you hoped, you reached your houses. The two of you snuck along the fence dividing the properties and got to your window.

“Hey, Y/n?” Reese asked in a whisper as he helped open your bedroom window. “Do you maybe wanna, like, go out?”

You turned to him, confused.

“We are out.”

Even though he was trying to be quiet, Reese couldn’t help but laugh.

“No, I mean like a date.” You perked up at the word, surprised expression soon turning happy.

“Oh my gosh, I’d love to!” Your response was a bit too loud, so Reese shushed you. You giggled and spoke again in a whisper. “I’d love to.”

With dopey, drunk smiles on both of your faces, Reese helped you climb through your window and into your room. He was about to go through the broken fence and into his yard when you quietly called out his name.

“Your jacket.” You said, suddenly remembering that you were wearing the piece of clothing. You started to take it off when Reese stopped you.

“No, no, it’s fine.” He stared at you, eyes a little glassy. “It looks good on you.”

You suddenly yanked him by the collar of his shirt to bring him close enough to plant a kiss on his cheek.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Reese.”

***

Malcolm in the Middle Taglist: @rattilol

Reese Wilkerson Taglist: @hollymaybank @theogirlovermattheogirl

[randomgurl2326]

Andromeda and Perseus: Destined

Chapter 1: Platform 9 3/4

Harry Potter Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Moodboards

Welcome back to Andromeda and Perseus: Destined, I am so ready to continue this crazy journey. This story will of course have lots of angst, smut, and fluffiness. Thank you guys for reading this story and trusting me💚💜

September 1st, 1991 Y/N and Mattheo’s Room, Malfoy Manor

Years passed, and things had changed for the Core Four. Each had grown and gotten their own personality; Mattheo was the fight starter (they found this out when one day the four were wandering around Diagon Alley and some kid a year younger than them pushed Mattheo. He wasn’t having it. Mattheo was also eight at the time), Draco was the dramatic one (his flair for unneeded fashion and over-the-top monologues and complaints explained that for itself), Theo turned into a shyer, studious boy only really talking much with his close friends (this only happened when his mother had died a year after the Infamous Day of Tag), and Y/N… well Y/N was stuck between fear of her father returning and acting like the perfect pure-blooded princess and turning to what the muggles called ‘punk’. So, as to say, much had changed.

Recently, the Core Four received their Hogwarts letters. Speaking of which, the twins were currently–excitedly–packing their trunks. The sounds of hushed whispers and the click-clacks of their trunks being filled to the brim with personal items and closed filled the otherwise quiet room.

The twins' room was humongous, each half of the room was completely different. Mattheo’s side was stuffed with Quidditch posters of whatever team he had deemed acceptable enough of his attention this season, a window next to his messy bed, and a half-empty walk-in closet that usually held his broom and his multitudes of fancy robes that Draco had convinced him were fashionable.

Y/N’s half of the room on the other hand was tidy to an extreme extent. Her walls were covered in posters for The Weird Sisters, The Cauldron Stirrers, and (her personal favorite, though muggle-linked) Mötley Crüe. Y/N had more memorabilia than Mattheo did, her desk and nightstand riddled (ha! See what I did there? No? Okay…) with enchanted polaroids she took with Theodore, Mattheo, and Draco (mostly with Theo). Her bed–unlike Mattheo’s–was neat and made, she also had drapes over her bed.

“Y/N/N, I swear if you don’t stop going on about how History of Magic or Ancient Runes is gonna be the most fun at Hogwarts, I will Avada myself,” the voice of little Mattheo Riddle clearly agitated at his sister’s ramblings.

“Mattheo, you clearly don’t understand the-” the younger Riddle’s voice is cut off as Draco comes barreling inside with his bursting trunk, and bleached blond hair.

“What does Matty not understand? Other than the obvious of course,” with his words he gets yells of protest from the older twin and a pillow to the face. “Just telling the facts!”

Y/N laughs at the two boys antics, “My nimrod of a brother simply cannot comprehend the sophisticality of what Hogwarts has to offer.” 

Mattheo mimics her words wordlessly and groans closing his trunk. Draco decides to speak up, “No surprises there, he couldn’t tell the difference between a werewolf and a puppy.” Again, a pillow is thrown at the blond’s face. “Again, facts… Anyways, I thought your,” Draco points to Y/N, “favorite part of leaving for Hogwarts would be seeing your best friend again.”

Y/N rolls her eyes, “Obviously, but the academic parts of Hogwarts can’t be ignored. Over the summer, I’ve been reading Hogwarts, A Hist-” Mattheo interrupts his little sister, rolling his eyes, “We know, you haven’t put the bloody thing down.”

The Riddle girl glares at her brother, “As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted: I’ve been reading Hogwarts, A History, and it says that the enchanted paintings inside of Hogwarts have receptive and cognitive memories, meaning they remember everything from any previous year they’ve been hung and enchanted inside of the castle. And the ghosts have stories of the time even before the infamous Wizarding-Muggle War of 1408. They’ll have so much to tell from what they’ve seen.” Y/N’s eyes lit up as she talked so passionately about what she’s learned over the past summer. She was especially excited to tell a certain Italian boy what she had read.

Draco and Malfoy give each other a look at what the girl had been going on about. Out of the two boys, the latter decides to pipe up first, “Oh, yes, so very riveting. I’m sure Rita Skeeter will love to-”

“Children! Time to go,” the saccharine voice of Narcissa Malfoy calls to the children. The three eleven-year-olds beem to eachother and pick up their trunks to run down the stairs. 

As they race to the landing they come face-to-face with the motherly face of Mrs. Malfoy, and the emotionless face of Mr. Malfoy. Narcissa walks towards the children and leads them with her arms across their backs. “We’ll be apparating to the platform, darlings. Have you three got everything?” The three children nod excitedly.

Lucius’–the long-haired vulture–voice rings out, “Very well then. Let’s get going, can’t be seen when the filthy mudbloods start to show.” At this, Narcissa gave her husband a disapproving look at his choice of words.

“Everyone hold each other's hands, come now,” at her motherly voice, everyone comes together to attach to the patriarch to apparate, whether begrudgingly or not.

September 1st, 1991 Platform 9 ¾

The children all gasped at the look of the red and black train, all three in awe. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy let go of the children and turned to them. “I want you three to have the best first year at Hogwarts, you hear me,” a rare smile graced Narcissa’s face as she addressed the children, “make sure not to get into too much trouble, and take care of each other no matter where you are or who you’re with. I need you three to stay true.” Narcissa kneels down to give all three of them a much-needed hug, all accepting the form of affection.

The four of them pull away, “Do you promise me, my darling?”

“Yes, mother.”

“Of course, Cissy.”

“You know it.”

The chorus of the three children almost made the tears lining Cissa’s eyes almost threatened to spill over, “Good.” She turned to her husband and whispered, “Say goodbye to the children, Lucius.”

Lucius grunted and addressed the children, “Yes, well, enjoy the year children. Be on your best behavior.” At the words, Draco hugged his father’s legs unexpectedly. Lucius moved backward at the sudden feeling and patted his son’s back and for a split second affection seemed to come across his face. This time it was Draco’s turn to speak, “I’ll miss you, Father.” The older blond gently moved his son off of him and faintly smiled at him, “I… I’ll miss you as well, Draco.”

Draco smiled and stepped back to the smiling twins. “Well, my darlings, I guess this is goodbye for now.”

Y/N and Mattheo smile, “We’ll see you again in the summer, don’t worry.”

“Yeah, don’t worry, Y/N/N and Theodore will keep us in check,” Mattheo’s words followed with a mischievous smirk and nudged his sister, “Isn’t that right, Y/N/N.”

Y/N scoffs at her brother’s words, “I just hope you and Draco won’t need to be kept in check. Maybe with Harry Potter in our year it’ll give you some incentive to do so.” At her words, the infamous Riddle smirk comes through.

“Right, you are, dear Y/N/N. Now, off you go. You must be so excited, I know I was,” the motherly Malfoy chuckles and prompts the children, “Go on and have fun, be safe!”

“Farewell, children. We will see you again at Christmas,” with the words of the long-haired Malfoy, he and Narcissa apparated back to Malfoy Manor.

“Alright, cousins, let’s go find a nice spot on the train,” with Draco’s beckoning the twins followed. All three turned, following Draco to get on the train. Once inside, they start walking through the overflowing paths through the train car. Amidst the crowd of students on the train, a mop of brown curls stands out to the younger Riddle twin,

“Teddy!”

...Previous Chapter -- Next Chapter... ——————————————————————————-

Yes! The second (technically first) chapter of Andromeda and Perseus: Destined is up! I'm so hyped!

Also, I'm sorry that I got this out a little late, I know I said I would be updating every Sunday, but my Tumblr drafts on mobile stopped working so that was really shitty. But, I did get it out nonetheless, so I call that a win. Also, I had robotics comp yesterday and we fucked up majorly, especially in software (which is what I am), and I was pretty pissed about that.

Anyway, here is chapter one of Andromeda and Perseus: Destined! I hope you enjoy it, and please send feedback🙏. I love you all!!!💚💜

Taglist:

@elsie-bells @cinderellawithashoe @niktwazny303 @claranunez @hanversace @desiray562 @jetblackpayne @fandom-life-12 @hanversace @trshngyn @silencionyx @c-dizzle99 @starmansirius @ssc7514 @amwhy

[mha-grievances]

Alright, I’m bored again so I’m going to rank all of the arcs from best to worst:

Great:

1. Hero Killer Arc: This arc and number 2 on this list proves that MHA had such potential. Watching Izuku grow and his efforts/impact on other people being acknowledged was great to see. We’ve got fantastic growth for the three main characters and a very good antagonist(despite some issues I have with Stain’s goal). Best of all, no Katsuki.

2. Shie Hissaki Arc: another great arc with a lot of great fights and characters. Watching Izuku vs Overhaul was thrilling and being introduced to The Big 3 and some cool pro heroes was a treat. There are some issues I have with this arc, such as how Overhaul’s motivations suck (he sees quirks as cooties when he literally has the best quirk in Japan) and that some characters could’ve been developed more (I would’ve loved to see more from the Eight Bullets and Nejire), but it was overall a good experience. And again, no Katsuki.

3. USJ Arc: Other than Katsuki’s dumbass endangering everyone and not getting called out for it, I had a blast with this arc. Solid character interactions all around and a fantastic fight to end it all off.

4. U.A Festival Arc: Gentle was a breath of fresh air in terms of villains and I really enjoyed his fight with Izuku. This would’ve been number 3 if not for the fact Izuku gets yelled at for doing his job and Katsuki gets another point added to him being a Gary Stu by revealing yet another talent he has that he shouldn’t.

Good:

5. Entrance Exam Arc: It was a solid setup for getting to know Izuku, All Might, and the world of MHA. It was one of the few times that the narrative wasn’t sucking on Katsuki’s dick too.

6. Forest Training Arc: The final arc that I’d consider good. We’ve got some solid moments here. Fumikage going berserk, Mezou carrying everyone to safety being introduced to the main LoV members, Izuku vs Muscular, and the character of Kota were nice additions to the series. We even got to see some of 1-B, even if it wasn’t much.

Alright:

7: Meta Liberation Arc: Now we’re in the area where these arcs aren’t bad, but they clearly exist just to set things up. This is an arc that would’ve been fantastic if it wasn’t for the fact it led nowhere. Yes, a good chunk of the LoV received fantastic development but the MLA were so lame, and by that, I mean they’re introduced here only to serve as canon fodder in the next arc.

8. Pro Hero Arc: I don’t really have any complaints about this arc nor do I have anything to say outside the fact Endeavor’s fight with the High End was pretty neat.

9. Hideout Raid Arc: only reason this isn’t in the “good” or “great “ category is cause it was centered around Katsuki. All Might vs AFO was a fantastic conclusion to the first saga of MHA and I liked seeing the rescue squad in action… even though Katsuki made it a pain to be rescued.

10. U.A traitor Arc: I don’t really care about this arc for two reasons, one is that the foreshadowing leading up to this moment sucked and that we never really got to spend enough time with Yuuga to care much about the reveal.

Bad:

11. Endeavor Agency Arc: Now we’re at the part where I dislike all of these arcs. This is an arc that Katsuki ruins due to him being a shitty character. Him yelling at a trauma victim to stop talking about her trauma in her own damn house was obnoxious. Katsuki didn’t need to be in this arc whatsoever. Remove him and this arc would’ve had a much higher rating for actually tackling Endeavor’s character and relationship with his family in a solid manner.

12. Sports Festival Arc: The Sports Festival Arc would’ve been fantastic it is weren’t for certain points. First off, this is where the Katsuki dick sucking really began. Shota acts like a mouthpiece for Katsuki even though the people booing him were right in the fact that he could’ve ended the fight easily. He also wasn’t taking Ochako seriously at all, literally announcing “it’s time to get serious” once her strat failed. He should’ve lost against Shoto too seeing as Shoto’s ice is a direct counter to his quirk. Finally, Katsuki had no right listening in on Shoto and Izuku’s conversation and demanding anything from Shoto, a point that’s never addressed. Secondly, all the Gen Ed kids were assholes for no reason. Who in their right mind sees 1-A going through a traumatic experience as them seeing themselves better than everyone else? Yeah, Katsuki gave off a bad impression but he’s just one guy. Finally, this was the arc that introduced Hitoshi, a failed attempt by Hori at tackling the idea of prejudice. Instead of someone bitter at the world for being screwed by society, we got an entitled bitch.

13. Remedial Course Arc: as much as I love Gang Orca, this arc served no purpose. Katsuki gives off a line that feels undeserved seeing as he’d go off undermining people afterwards but this arc’s biggest flaw was that it really didn’t have to exist.

Crap:

14. Battle Trial Arc: Now we’re in the really bad arcs. The Battle Trial Arc is once again ruined by Katsuki. Despite being told by All Might not to fire that explosion, he still does. Yes, he aimed it in a way that it wouldn’t kill Izuku, but the fact that All Might was worried that it could’ve killed Izuku meant that firing that thing in a narrow hallway could’ve seriously injured him. Katsuki suddenly switching up his fighting style despite having no formal training’s the first instance of his plot armor showing up, with the second being that he wasn’t disqualified. Katsuki being afraid of 1-A’s potential went nowhere cause he ended up winning the Sports Festival and would undermine 1-A constantly. Finally, Izuku telling Katsuki about his “borrowed power” was dumb. Everything else was fine though, but not enough to make up for Katsuki’s flaws.

15. Paranormal Liberation Arc: Would’ve been much higher but there are several glaring flaws. Izuku defending Endeavor’s character was one of those moments where I audibly groaned. Katsuki’s plot armor kicks it up into turbo gear by having him have a quirk awakening, surviving an attack that should’ve destroyed his stomach with zero consequences, and giving him an unearned “my body moved on its own” moment.

16. Quirk Apprehension Exam: This arc introduces Shota… and makes all of his flaws known to the audience. I have several posts going over why he sucks and this is the episode that shows it all off. Only thing keeping this from being ranked lower is cause we were also introduced to 1-A.

Shit:

17. Star and Stripe Arc: We’re close to the bottom of the barrel now. Hori introduces a character he never foreshadowed once despite Star and Stripe being the top pro hero of another country and immediately kills her. It does nothing to the plot either. “Oh but it nerfed Tomura” that’s what Hori tells us. Do we actually see what quirks Tomura lost? In fact, after this, his quirk evolves to counter Eraserhead’s. At best all this arc did was stall for time.

18. Dark Hero Arc: what a waste of potential. This would’ve been ranked lower if it wasn’t for Ochako’s speech, Izuku vs Muscular 2, and Izuku helping that fox lady. What makes it shit though? First off, Izuku suddenly unlocks the rest of his quirks. Secondly, 1-A thinks that the best way to get Izuku back is to show up, beat him up, and then kidnap him back to U.A. Third, the pros were offering Izuku no support. He was hungry, tired, and dirty, yet not once did any of them think “hey, if we’re using him as bait to draw AFO out, maybe we should keep him healthy so he can help us once we ambush AFO”. Fourth, Katsuki’s role in this arc. He demeans Izuku in front of his friends, daring to compare Izuku’s desire to protect everyone to him having an ego, and then gives an absolutely poorly timed and terrible apology. God this arc sucks.

19. Joint Training Arc: Oh look, another Katsuki dick sucking session. Sorry, but 1-B does not redeem how awful this arc is. Katsuki’s praised to the moon and back, insults his classmates and the former OFA users with no repercussions, and earns yet another victory. “But he saved Kyouka” but not out of being a good person. He only wanted the victory. Maybe this could’ve been a good step if Katsuki’s arc wasn’t Hori’s attempt at speedrunning a character arc. Yui getting beat by Ochako so effortlessly will forever bother me as one of Yui’s 5 fans (this girl has a 5/6 A+ skill stat, which is higher than Ochako’s). Also, Hitoshi’s here, but he’s actually tolerable here so I’m not going to rant about him.

Super Shit:

20. Provisional License Arc: This is going to be a short write cause there’s not much to be said. It’s yet another Katsuki dick sucking session where the narrative wanks him off. Then there’s Kacchan vs Deku 2, which if you’ve read any of my blogs, you know that this was once my least favorite moment of the series. If you wanna know why this moment was so crap, I have dozens of posts about why it does. And yes, I said it was once my least favorite moment. What’s to come somehow managed to beat it in terms of sheer crap.

I can’t think of any singular phrase to describe how terrible this arc is:

21. Final War Arc: How ironic that the end of the series is also at the end of this list. Where do I even begin? Well, there’s Miruko being the subject of someone’s gore fetish for the third time, AFO overstaying his welcome, Izuku hardly even doing anything, Tomura getting BS power ups up the wazoo, AFO and Izuku never meeting, the mutant portion being handled poorly, Dabi somehow gaining a power up that ultimately served no purpose, and Ochako and Himiko’s portion also being wrapped up poorly. However, what really makes this arc the bottom of the barrel is the dick sucking. Somehow, Katsuki’s able to last the longest against Tomura. Somehow Katsuki manages to score a hit just because he scared Tomura. Somehow Katsuki managed to survive having his heart, arm, and chest blown out via amateur surgery with absolutely no injuries despite being dead for like 5 min without a damn heart and heart surgery not being an answer for a broken arm. And finally, Katsuki gets yet another quirk power up and is now able to compete with AFO. This is THE arc where it’s clear Hori wanted Katsuki to be the protagonist and god damn I will argue that The Room and My Immortal is better than this clusterfuck of an arc.

[utilitycaster]

In regards to episode 92, I feel like they could've kept the shock factor and had that reveal of aabria right at the end of the episode, allowed bh to reach the encampment and continue their discussions even if the episode was shorter than usual and still end with orym sending to dorian (I wonder if liam knew that him sending to dorian was going to kick-start the swap) and sending everyone off screen to allow aabria to come in and send everyone off like she did. Plus, then we could've gotten a post credits description like we would get in the EXU episodes, and I feel like it would've tied in better + the people who were anticipating this episode would've felt more satisfied

Hey anon!

So I agree with you on this. I do think at this point I'm going to make a moratorium on "here's how they could have done it differently" anons just because I feel like I've covered it pretty thoroughly. Let the below indicate my general feelings in one neat summarized place; anons are still welcome to chat about other things but at this point what's done is done, we'll see the end of that combat in a couple weeks before returning to Bells Hells. While I would never stop someone from complaining as I love complaining and think refusal to do so or shaming thereof is unhealthy, I also think there's a point where you need to say "ok, this isn't really productive anymore" and to be clear, I'm not saying you've reached that point, but I think I probably have.

I was incredibly excited for a Bells Hells episode in the wake of FCG's heroic sacrifice and an exploration of their grief and anger and complicated feelings and loved the first half so I do feel rather like Lucy yanked away that particular football while I was mid-kick.

I'm not opposed to experimentation with the format, and some of it has been great, but I think a lot of what has made this campaign harder to connect to at times has been that it feels like it keeps accelerating and then supddenly pumping the breaks at odd times and this is yet another case

I liked EXU Prime and Kymal well enough (and that well enough is doing, to be honest, heavy lifting) and I really like the Crown Keepers as characters but I have always, from the start, been like "so are we going to discuss the uh, week-long memory loss or the Blightstar as a ship that carried a vestige and showed up in the port of Emon with everyone dead? are the Nameless Ones going to ever have like. motives other than 'be a cast of thousands that serves as an obstacle'?" and so, while the biggest complaint is, again, "Not Now" it's also like...you're giving me something that I've always had a potent combination of fondness and exasperation for and you're driving the needle further into the exasperation zone. To be clear: some of this might be addressed next episode! I really hope it is! But if it's not it's like well I saw these characters I like but the plot still is focusing on everything I care least about.

I actually do not like the post-credits descriptions in EXU Prime. I feel they're symptomatic of the above reservations about the Crown Keepers, namely, it feels like we were informed about what was supposed to be the focus without it being earned within the story (eg, in the case of EXU Prime, Myr'atta). I know a lot of people like this, but it doesn't work for me.

[delightfully-deranged-dagur]

I redesigned my TD OCs. So I made a little evolution of all their designs. Part 1/2

Alex

The Attention Hog didn't have many changes. He stayed consistently orange but other things changed.

His beach-y look got more stylish and his hair got more swept back and changed in color.

He's still desperate for attention. That never changes.

Augustus

The Religious Do-Gooder didn't have many design changes but he certainly changed in concept.

Originally he was just a religious guy that went wild during the show. Feral!Auggie got dropped in favor of making his arc a bit more serious.

He's still a sheltered religious kid but his journey of learning about the real world will be taken a lot more serious instead of making him a joke.

Cherry

The Competitive Dancer barely changed. She only had one design before this and all that changed was making her a bit more modest. And adding some green.

Not much to say about her otherwise. Except some new additions to the cast will change her story arc a bit.

Darla

The Visionary had a big and very noticeable change in her 2nd design. The moon afro has become her signature look and the main reason I don't wanna draw her from the side.

Her outfit also got more darker in color. Which make the lighter part of her outfit stand out more.

Diego

The Zoologist is a design I haven't shown off before. Because originally he and his sister would be newcomers in a 2nd season.

Also not much to say about his redesign. Just cleaned up the original.

Personality wise he's a peacekeeper, he loves animals and is basically the team leader. He's also a bit of a neat freak but he tries not to be obnoxious about it. Tries.

Finn

The Workaholic got a lot less saturated as time went on. He's duller colors reflect how much passion he has for all his jobs. Not much.

His hair got cleaned up, the uniform less cluttered, a new shade of blue. And his stubble got more youthful. He's only 18. He doesn't need to look like he's in his 30s.

Flo

The Rebel Rocker based on Floyd Pepper from The Muppets!

Her outfit kept looking more pirate like so I just leaned into it. I made it her brand. Her hair also got longer with her bangs supposed to resemble Floyd's mustache.

Gabriel

The Pretentious Goth also has only 2 designs. And the redesign looks a lot cleaner then the original.

Darker colors, refined his outfit, a bigger hat and restyled hair makes a world of difference despite the similarities.

His opinion of you hasn't changed tho. He still thinks you're below him.

Isa

The Botanist is the 2nd half of the Globetrotting siblings. Unlike a certain other pair of siblings, Diego and Isa have a much healthier relationship. They're still competitive af tho.

Her design didn't change too much. Her colors did however. The dark orange looks better next to Diego's blue and makes her stand out more in the cast overall.

Now she may not look like it, but this gal is the Owen/Sugar/Ripper of the season. She's a total slob and it drives her brother insane. Not that she ever listens to his complaints. Or other people's complaints. She's a handful.

Janus

The Hippie bases on Janice from the Muppets!

Like his inspiration he had some prominent lips that got removed in the 2nd design. But were brought back in the new design. His pink also got softer.

His name however was the thing that changed the most throughout his development. Starting with Jason to Jonas to finally Janus. Which is pronounced basically the same as Janice.

I've been having a lot of fun redesigning them all. I hope you all like them as well.

The other 10 will be posted soon.

[genderfreak6969]

OC x reader h.c come get y'all's food (aka, big beefy murder men)

Cori Fallen (OC) x GN!reader

TW: mentions of murder, stalking, possession and NSFW.

Still working on art for him 🤩

INFO:

🐍 Cori is trans masc, 6'4, and chubby muscled up. He can and has will strangle a person for you.

🐍 He also, is being told to stalk you by a demon that is also obsessed with you but shhh we don't talk Abt that he just sometimes goes all demon mode on you.

🐍 he's actually really soft and caring when he wants to be.

🐍 he works as a maintenance guy.

🐍 and a bowling alley attendant.

🐍 and a cashier.

🐍 and the attendant at the stingray touch pool at the aquarium.

🐍 and... Ok so he basically gets jobs at places you frequent to keep an eye on you. You're not sure how he has the ability or time for it all but it's happening.

🐍 you have a sneaking suspicion that the demon he's in contact with does more than just possess him in that regard. He always seems to replaces a missing person.

SFW

🐍 his favorite activity is being the big spoon and wrapping his arms around you and not letting you leave until you absolutely HAVE to.

🐍 he hates most of his jobs, but as long as he gets to see you it's worth it.

🐍 my man will never let you out of his sight. It doesn't even matter if you know he's watching or not.

NSFW

🐍 really really really wants you to know he's yours, will buy you flowers, snacks, drinks, stuffed animals, anything to show it. It's all your favorite.

🐍 he is your plug. he does grow weed. It's like 1 weed plant. It's named after you.

🐍 doesn't get sarcasm.

🐍 You jokingly say 'i hate you' and he full body SOBS.

🐍 you spend the next 10 minutes comforting a 6'4 very hairy beast of a man.

🐍 oh he has your engagement ring already picked out, and ready to go.

🐍 ok in a situation where you're not all receptive to him he's one mean son of a bitch.

🐍 duct tape rope ECT ECT.

🐍 his second favorite activity is pegging you, his strap is purple and he got it based off the toy you own.

🐍 don't ask how he knows what toys you own.

🐍 He bites! He loves leaving bite marks, after you fuck expect to need to cover up all the bruises and hickeys.

🐍 He likes being tied up too, if you ever feel dominant just tie him up and go down on him, you'll have him literally begging for you to fuck/peg him.

🐍 One time while you where working a regular hit on you while Cori was there. Cori fucked your brains out and claiming you as his. You never saw that regular again (Until Cori presented you with their preserved heart in a jar. Labeled all nice and neat. 🫀)

🐍 he's a switch at heart, but don't think the power dynamic changes how threatening he can be.

🐍 infact he's probably more threatening when he's bottoming.

🐍 he is whiny and loud when he bottoms, you've gotten multiple noise complaints.

🐍 he loves breaking you when he tops though.

🐍 making you cum and beg for more is was gets him off. If you're not so overstimulated you're sobbing by the end of the night hes not happy.

🐍 low-key has a breeding kink but he would rather throw himself into traffic rather than admit it.

[essaytime]

Thank you so much for the links! I’m not going to answer the asks so I can keep them in my ask box but I will be checking them out when I get back from London. Also do you have any recommendations for things to see at the British Museum or London in general?

- @iron--and--blood

The last time we were in London there was really only one day for sightseeing, the rest were too busy - on top of that, we had three hours in the British Museum and the Roman section was closed due to some issue, so besides that I only have hazier and hazier memories from April last year and the other two times, when I was a child, but I'll try my best.

BRITISH MUSEUM

The Ea-Nasir tablet is, you know, itself. Iconic. You'll have to watch out for it though, it's pretty small (Room 55 or 56, I think 56) and it's just titled "Complaint about delivery of copper" or similarly. Next to it is a piece of Hammurabi Code and on its right some of the Epic of Gilgamesh.

In the same room - or the next room? - there are figures of Mesopotamian doggies and they look insanely cute, very unfitting for the very serious names they have

There's also a neat little swallow on the Egyptian section

The ever-present ghost of my dad most noble history teacher would politely encourage you to take a look at Ram in a Thicket in the Room of Our Lord 55, next to the Standard of Ur

When you exit the Egyptian section upstairs, not the Rosetta Stone one, the other one, there is some fresco (I think it was a fresco?) and it has a fantastic cat. I forgot to take a photo the last time

You can find very funny-shaped drinking cups in Ancient Greece

You are, as well, allowed to touch the copies of the reliefs on Ancient Greek section, a privilege which my friends gladly utilised to sort of immoral extents. Dignity aside, if you'd like to live your Alcibiades in a symposium dream, that's the occassion. I do wish I had the photo with it taken like I was offered to, but we had to go find the teacher. I regret. It was a fun team activity.

South and Southeast Asia is amazing, very pretty exhibits

I don't really remember the rest of the sections because I was a child then and I was very tired. This miserable occurence shall be fixed. I've heard the Enlightenment section is great.

In case you intend on buying something, the shop is most wonderful and you can find all sorts of objects in it. I bought myself a nice medieval-styled brooch, but boy, did I have a hard time choosing. Watch out for the Japanese frog pin.

EVERYTHING ELSE

I profess a great love for the National Gallery, though the last time I was there I was ten. Titian's paintings will forever remain in my heart. I suppose seeing Holbein's Ambassadors is a great experience, but frankly, I don't remember them at all from visiting. Maybe I was too little.

The Wallace Collection is so pretty! They must have closed the exhibition about dogs already, but it's very pleasant to look at. I think that's also where Fragonard's The Swing is.

Natural History Museum is undoubtedly good, though it's not really what I'm interested in, except for the animals. On top of that, the last time I've visited it I had a Zoom meeting and had to frantically hide in corners trying to be as quiet as I can and still explain my view on a Marcus Aurelius quote.

No clue what is going on at V&A right now, but they always have something good.

Never been in the Westminster Abbey, only seen it from outside - and it's already impressive. However, my history teacher says it's stunning.

Same goes for St Paul's Cathedral, only seen it from outside, but it's beautiful

Trafalgar Square is a classic for me, I love this place, and if you visit the National Gallery you're going to be there anyway. Horatio is watching.

I don't like the Thames that much, it's always so dirty, but that's where most of the famous buildings are. They're really close to each other, closer than I thought, most of them. The London landmarks are pack animals.

Watch out for the sculptures near the Parliament! I wanted to take a photo with Fawcett, but I didn't have time.

Chinatown was very fun to visit for me, but I was over the moon anyway, so I don't know how much of that was really Chinatown.

Pray think warmly of all the exhibits from me (them, not the means of obtaining them), and if you happen to see anything from the Shang dynasty, I don't know if there is, think thrice warmer:)

[theblogwithoutfear]

Thoughts on the Ahmed run (spoilers)

I know we're only three issues in, but I thought I'd ramble about the current state of the union

My main complaint is the memory loss story--it's a little disappointing. I was hoping that arc would go further and have a lasting impact on Matt; but he remembers everything so fast. Within the first issue he was back in the suit, and it feels like he moved on so easily from the trauma of everything.

Idk, I think it makes his sacrifice from Zdarsky's run feel a bit meaningless.

However, I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt, and wait for a while to see how it goes.

I'm loving Matt as a priest at the group home. It feels a little bit like a nod to the Netflix show, with Sister Maggie and the orphanage. Maybe I'm just reading into that, idk. I realize a lot of people hate when the comics start taking things from the show--but I don't mind in this case. Plus, seeing Matt interact with kids is always a win for me

And the religious overtones/dark imagery? The moral complexity of his head vs. his heart? The duality of what he does in the day vs. the night? Love it. give me more.

I do miss lawyer Matt, though. It's been a hot minute since we've seen that, and I'm really hoping Ahmed will take Matt back to his roots at some point.

I'm torn on the artwork. There are some BEAUTIFUL panels (this one is one of my favorites) and the coloring is so vivid and dynamic. And Matt is hella attractive in this run so far, so that's a big plus

but also, there's something a little too... like... shiny? About everything? Things look polished almost, in a way that's a little weird. Sometimes the faces don't feel very defined.

I also think there's less weight in the artwork. The movement is a lot less dynamic and fluid than the last run. Everything feels a little like it's floating, the punches don't carry much weight, and it just makes everything feel... lower stakes, I guess.

I don't know, I'm a big Checchetto fan, and his artwork felt really solid and grounded. So maybe I'm just still adjusting--I'll give Kuder some time before I really make a judgement call.

Because again, there's still some really beautiful and dynamic things here. He's doing neat things with panel placement/shape, which breaks up the page nicely and has cool effects on the pacing

I've also got mixed feelings about the tonal change thus far. Maybe this is a hot take, but I'm not into quippy Daredevil. I think he functions best as a character when he's really serious. He's usually got a gravitas that really informs the way he conducts himself. The quips in the latest issue take away from that, at least in my opinion.

Then again, Mark Waid made it work really well. Ahmed could very well be trying to do something similar. Again, it's something I'll reserve judgement on. I'm not against a lighthearted Matt, per se. I just think the darkness makes the storytelling so much more compelling and grounded (which is the reason I think people are also tired of the quippy humor in the MCU lately).

I hope the goofiness isn't going to be a long-term thing, but I feel okay about it for the time being. Especially since it's only every so often (at least so far). The run overall still feels fairly gritty and grounded.

I'm intrigued to see where he's going to take Elektra as the Woman Without Fear. I was pleasantly surprised by that arc in the Zdarsky run (wasn't much of an Elektra fan until recently, tbh) and I'm curious to see what's next for her. We haven't seen as much of her as I'd like so far, but hopefully that will change.

All that being said, I'm actually really enjoying this run so far. I'm not enjoying it quite as much as Zdarsky, but I still think it's really excellent. Ahmed's doing some interesting things with the character, and I'm really excited to see where he takes it.

Anyway, I'm curious to know if anyone else has thoughts on the run thus far. Opinions? Thoughts? Vehement disagreements?

(bonus picture because I'm obsessed with the priest vigilante look)

[syncopein3d]

The Warm One Part 5: Would You Say No

Part 4: Silk

CW/relevant tropes: living weapon, lady whump, magic whump, traumatic restraints, implied past injury, off-screen whumper, off-screen emesis, servant caretaker, other species caretaker (Orc), pedestrian nudity.

The Wrath of the King awakens from a nightmare of pain, shivering with cold. This is not new. Her skin hurts all over, but that isn’t new either, and it’s not so bad now. What’s new is that she is on a soft mattress, loosely wrapped in a silk sheet, instead of in a pile of shoes on the closet floor. She definitely didn’t crawl this far. A sleepy fumble at the back of her own head reminds her that her hair hasn’t been brushed out. Now she remembers her Orc, her manservant for perhaps two months now. Aldo has put her here, patient with her fidgeting and complaints.

The room smells like hot oats. The weapon squints crusty eyes open. There’s a little table with a tray on it next to the huge bed. It looks like porridge and tea, with little pitchers of milk and honey and a sugar bowl. The oatmeal is still steaming.

“I thought it might be easy on your stomach,” says a now-familiar deep voice. Also enters her view belly-first. He always keeps his velvet tunics very clean and neat. She wonders if it’s because he’s self-conscious of how much fabric it takes to clothe him. One of his garments would make a tent for her.

“Shall I help you, Milady?”

The weapon scoots upright, reaching back to drag pillows behind herself. “I can manage,” she croaks hoarsely, arranging herself cross legged. “Thank you. Can you find my robe?”

He sets the tray carefully across her knees.

“Of course, Milady.”

She starts with the tea. It’s lavender and pineapple weed today. She wonders if Aldo is deliberately avoiding giving her the black tea the Master of Sorceries makes her drink on social occasions. Perhaps surprisingly, for someone yanked from the lowly vocation of carrying wood, he does seem to be getting on fine with the other servants. There’s no saying what he does or doesn’t know at this point.

She pauses to shrug out of the silk sheet and into the soft, worn gray robe. Aldo smooths her ratty hair out of the way and prevents the tea from spilling. The weapon shuts her eyes for a moment. Now that the worst lingering pain from sorcerous punishment has faded, the warmth of his hands feels very good, smoothing aches away.

“Mrem,” she says, or some articulate half-purr like that, and sips her tea.

“Shall I work on your hair after breakfast, Milady?”

The weapon nods, turning with the fragile teacup in her trembling hands to look at the big windows. The curtains are drawn back, admitting a weak light. Something about the paleness of it on the rugs suggests snow to her. It’s still early morning.

“Has it snowed?” she asks. They’re on the second story, and from the bed she can’t see the ground. The fire crackles quietly in the comfortable space between her question and his answer.

“Yes. No walk today, probably,” Aldo says.

“Even when I’ve been bad, he gives me the day after a Ceremony to myself,” she says. She snorts. “For practical reasons. He can punish me if I fall, but I might still tear something expensive. A lot of the clothes are two Wraths old.”

“Is that why they’re too big?” Aldo asks. She’s never told him to speak only when spoken to. He does it automatically when the Master can hear, she’s noticed, but otherwise he doesn’t seem bothered.

“No, that’s because they were altered from the last woman right after a campaign, when I was in better flesh,” the weapon says. “I think he chooses girls just so he won’t have to have new clothes made.”

“Are his new?”

“Of course they are. Silly Aldo,” she says. She can see him mulling over her remark about the campaigns as he carries the tray away. She ate about half the porridge with honey and drank all her tea plain. She turns her back to the side of the bed as she sees him return with the hairbrush. A careful hand stops her tipping into the indentation he makes in the mattress as he sits.

He begins untangling the knots with his fingers first, ever so gentle. She sighs, shutting her eyes. Nothing has ever felt better than this, she is certain, this feeling of big warm fingers working on her hair. Pleasure, gentle and harmless and undevouring, beguiles her for some minutes. Only when he’s done brushing and is braiding her hair loosely does the weapon rouse sufficiently to ask, her voice soft:

“Aldo, if I asked you to do something you didn’t want to do, would you say no?”

“I think I would,” he said. “But I also don’t think you would ask that, Milady.”

“If I asked you to rub my back and my neck, would you wish to say no?”

“I would not wish to say no.” There’s no particular hesitation.

“Are you afraid for your life?” she persists huskily, looking back over her shoulder and up at him. He gently pats her jaw to get her to look forward, and she obeys without thinking and afterward wonders why. His hands are steady with the brush as he answers.

“No, Milady. I don’t think you mean me harm. But if you were to be in so much pain the bracers didn’t work, if you were to strike me down by accident, I would not fear that end.”

“Why?” she asks.

“If you lie on your stomach, will that hurt?” he asks, instead of answering.

“Yes,” says the weapon.

“On your side, then.”

He helps her so that she doesn’t just flop down, easing her weight into the mattress. She slides her arm under the pillow where her cheek rests. The aching scar that covers the front of her torso is draped in soft wool. She loosens the robe’s belt a little more. “Why?” she persists, slightly muffled. She can hear him set the brush aside.

“I’ve lived well enough. Married, had a child, been to war.” His tone is thoughtful as the big hands come to rest on her shoulders, covering a lot of her shoulder blades. Warmth seems to radiate clear through her even through the robe. “I enjoy my life, but I would leave it without regrets. No one depends on me.”

“I have done only one of those,” she says. “I suppose I am glad to leave… no one alone…” The hands on her back begin gently kneading, careful. They stop at her little groan.

“Does it hurt, Milady?”

“It makes the pain less. Please don’t stop.” He resumes. The weapon is silent for a while, in thrall to the relief brought by touch and radiant heat. When a huge hand closes around her throat from behind, fingers stopping before they close around her windpipe, it doesn’t occur to her to be afraid. And she doesn’t need to be. His calloused fingers knead very gently, middle knuckle resting in the hollow at the lower back of her skull under her new braid.

She wonders, half-awake now, how long it will be before the Master threatens to take him away. She knows she’ll give in. She would go to the Ceremony again tomorrow if it meant there was a chance this could happen again.

“Aldo,” she whispers after a while.

“Yes, Milady.”

“You can go, if you like.”

“Are you cold?” he asks. He stops, but his left hand rests lightly on her shoulder.

“Yes.”

“Did I scare you?” he asks. It’s not a mocking tone. It’s almost neutral, but there’s something else there. She’s heard the Master try to do it. He just wasn’t real.

“No,” the weapon says. She laughs a little. “You’ll never scare me. But it’s wrong that I chose you. Wrong that I keep you here.”

“It’s less wrong that it’s me. I don’t mind keeping you warm,” he said. He doesn’t say ‘Milady.’ She notices that. Because now he isn’t answering as a servant.

“All right, then,” she says. “Help me get under the covers.” He does, as carefully as always. As she listens to the sound of him removing his shoes and belt, she says, “All of them think you’re swiving me.”

“You didn’t seem like you wanted that,” Aldo says, sliding in opposite her. He still has his velvet tunic and trousers on, and she still has her robe as she edges in toward him. He lays an arm around her under the covers as she burrows in closer to his belly. A bony knee curls up between them, protecting her scars. He pats her back reassuringly.

“I don’t,” the weapon says. “But I like this. I’ve never been this happy.”

“Even though it hurts?” Aldo asks.

“It always hurts. Until now I was alone.”

“Well,” Aldo says. “You’re not alone now. And neither am I. Go to sleep, Milady. Everything is all right.”

No one’s ever said that to her.

Everything is all right.

Maybe for a while, it will be.

Part 6: Spring Campaign

[miloscat]

[Review] Antonball Deluxe (NS)

Wario meets Arkanoid meets Punch Ball Mario Bros.!

Having wrapped up my Wario Land fest, I picked this out of my backlog due to it taking some inspiration from the big goof. Summitsphere had previously published Annalynn, which models itself on arcade classics of the early 80s, and this likewise remixes ideas from retro games both popular and niche. Their next game is actually a direct Wario Land homage, but it's not out yet!

Antonball started as a pair of Game Boy homebrews made in just a few days: one a mashup of brick breaking platforming, and the other an expansion on Hudson's Punch Ball Mario Bros., which is itself a neat little remix of Mario Bros. but with a ball projectile. Antonball Deluxe fleshes both of these out, and adds a head-to-head brick-breaking Pong-esque multiplayer mode reminiscent of one of the faux-retro games in the underrated Game Center CX 3. All in all it's a nice package.

The Wario inspiration comes in the design of the main character Anton and the general tone, as well as a shoulder-barge attack that can be used in mid-air. You can also do a high-jump that looks a bit like the backflip in Donkey Kong 94 (you see, this game is very citational!). In the primary game mode, you use your moves to platform around the single-screen stages in order to body block the bouncing ball and break all the bricks. Sometimes there are enemies or hazards to avoid, and powerups to claim. There are 30 stages but I wasn't able to finish them all, as it gets super hard and it's all too easy to let balls slip past you.

I had a better time with the Punch Ball mode, whose story focuses on Anton's coworker Annie. Annie was specifically added as an equal but feminine counterpart to Anton's Wario-like depravity and goblin charisma, something the Wario series itself has always lacked. There are actually a bunch of unlockable characters, by the way, that you can freely use in any mode including the Waluigi-esque Danton, versions of Anton in different art styles, Anton's dog and Annie's cat, guests from other indie games, and—my favourite—the punny "Ant on Ball". It's an ant on a ball.

Punch Ball by its nature is less twitchy and more about carefully manoeuvring and stunning enemies with the ball so you can knock them out, with a variety of foes with different behaviours, some even interacting with the ball in interesting ways. Some clever level design gives you another 30 stages of fun in a quite different format, even though it uses the same movement engine and controls. The Switch version I played also comes bundled with what was DLC on PC, with two extra joke characters and level packs based on the original Game Boy homebrews.

Silly designs and jokey art permeate this collection, and the interstitial cutscenes add a lot of character to this wacky little world and its denizens. Full disclosure, the illustration and some cutscene art was done by my friend Cameron Reigle (hire him! commission him!), but even if I didn't know him I would be in love with the art in this game, from the goofy cutscenes to the moody backgrounds to the chunky pixel art. It's actually a shame for me that the sequel is going in a slightly different direction artistically, because the look of Antonball is so much fun (there's a grid filter on by default, but it looked better to me when I turned it off)!

I'm impressed by how Antonball was able to hone in on specific mechanics from retro games and remix them in such fun ways. It comes together really well in this package, even if I think the progression in the Antonball mode could have been a bit more merciful. I couldn't engage much with Vs. mode on my own, but I have no complaints for Punch Ball mode, it's great. Actually speaking of multiplayer, both of the solo modes can be tackled in simultaneous co-op with up to four players, which is nice. What else can I say? Check it out!

[otakween]

8-Man vs. Cyborg 009 - Volume 2

Love a good 2 volume, short read every now and then. Unlike BGOO Parts, this one didn't outstay its welcome. Nothing ground breaking here, just some crossover fanservice like in the Devilman crossover. Fun times. Interested to see what's next for these franchises.

Ch. 7

8-Man tells Joe and Francoise about his past romantic drama with his secretary Sachiko. Francoise apparently "saw" Sachiko's presence when they were in 8-Man's office and wanted the tea lol.

If they're not gonna let Francoise fight, like ever, can they please introduce another female fighter or something? I'm getting really fed up watching her smile blandly on the sidelines or be a damsel in distress. Like if she's a pacifist, fine! But she's also the only girl cyborg so it feels insulting.

The two page spread of the demon God statue was a good jump scare. Let the final showdown, begin!

Ch. 8

Lol I guess the manga heard my complaints because they finally let Francoise shoot a gun at least. Also, her heightened senses finally did something useful. Alright, fine. You win this time mangaka...

Wait, what the hell!? Pyunma's back to his old racist design! THIS MANGA CAME OUT IN 2020 WTF??? (Good thing I didn't pay for this one lol).

Honestly, it seems ridiculous that Skull would just ignore the other numbers cyborgs. There's no way they wouldn't come after their kidnapped friends...just makes him look really stupid.

The Black Ghost minions were drawn all cutesy in like a chibi form. They look like they could be villains from a Mario game or something lol. Not very intimidating.

Ch. 9

Yaaay 008 pointed out the 8 thing =D lol. Glad he gets to contribute to the battle even though there's no water around lol.

Francoise has a weird bonding moment with Dr. Daemon because he saw her in a ballet once. He's definitely the chiller of the two evils but he's still actively working towards world domination and perpetual wars? I don't think this is really a "there's good in him" moment...

8-man sure loses his arms a lot. Guess they're just trying to emphasize his mechanical body.

I swear they used the EXACT same tactic to topple the demon God statue that they used to topple the Atlas-type robots in BGOO Parts! (006 digs a hole and then 005 pushes the big enemy over). Felt weird to see that used back-to-back in manga published so close to one another. Both times they emphasized it as some kinda ingenious strategy.

Ch. 10

Awe, I really liked this finale. They wrapped everything up in a nice, neat bow and sometimes that's all you want.

So Dr. Daemon was actually playing the long game and never allied with Black Ghost at all! Rather convenient lol. Does they mean the gang wouldn't have been able to defeat both enemies at once?

I completely forgot about Joe's juvenile delinquent backstory. Why do I feel like that doesn't fit his character at all? He's such a bland do-gooder now...Anyway, having 8-Man explain that he was a cop on the scene at the time of Joe's escape attempt was a clever way to tie the two series worlds together in a believable way.

So I guess Dr. Daemon is still not a great guy but not that evil either? I don't know enough 8-Man lore to make a conclusion lol. He seemed pretty okay with the heroes dying earlier, so I guess he's just all for himself.

This chapter got all Ghost in the Shell-y with the reveal that Skull isn't a real person, just a robot with implanted memories. Pretty brutal that he decapitated his own lackeys to prove a point what the heck...what if they weren't robots!?

So Black Ghost is dead "for real" now...riiiight. Until they inevitably get resurrected again for some future manga.

I was kinda shook to find out that Joe's hair is a wig (or maybe it's actually implanted into his scalp? IDK). It doesn't actually make any difference, I just never realized that was the case.

Dr. Gilmore and Dr. Tani being science bros was cute. Also enjoyed seeing Ivan (and his one eye) very briefly.

Nice picturesque ending with Joe and Francoise dropping 8-Man off at Sachiko's house and validating his humanity. Wholesome cyborgs supporting cyborgs.

Omake - Duel

A closer look at some 8-Man/Dr. Tani lore. I kinda wish they didn't include this tbh because it ended this volume on a depressing note.

Damn, if I was Ken I'd probably resent my dad too! Ken was like "you only love 8-Man!" and Dr. Tani was like "that's not true!" but then the second Ken dies Dr. Tani's just like "meh, at least I have 8-Man" lol. Poor Ken!

Speaking of poor Ken...that's one severe widow's peak. On top of having a craptastic life, he's also balding? Oh the humanity!

Dr. Tani acted like Ken being a cyborg with a human brain was a revelation of some sort? Sooo...if Dr. Tani wasn't the one to turn Ken into a cyborg, who did?

Ken's hero suit (or villain suit, I guess) literally just looks like he sharpied some fake pecs on lol. What a weird design choice.

As far as 1960s manga go, I think I prefer Cyborg 009's art style because it's more over-exaggerated and stylized. I think this allows it to hold up more. 8-Man feels more traditionally drawn (more proportional characters).

I'm kinda glad I got a glimpse into the authentic, OG 8-Man for greater context, but I'll also probably just read this again someday if I ever get to that part of MAL haha.

[4nstars]

(Hi,yes I know I post every minute,SUE ME)

Ranking the SDV bachelors/bachelorettes even though nobody asked! (Some changes were made as of 8/11/24 because I felt it was a little cringy)

Shane:My husband,Yes I'm biased. Again,SUE ME. 10/10 Also bro,why does everyone trash his room? Homie is still depressed,Depression doesn't just fly away like a fairy when you get married. His room is still gonna be a little messy,be just a teensy bit more mindful.

(Bro I sounded so cringe when I first posted this wtf)

Alex:9.5/10. He is a gym bro,therefore I need to kiss him(Quote from a tiktoker). What is interesting to me is that he's a little jelly after you marry Haley,But she says nothing after you marry him(Correct me if I'm wrong,I checked the wiki to make sure,but I could be wrong). His story is so sad but so endearing at the same time and that's why if I don't romance Shane,I romance him<3

(He's never getting his loved gifts from me though.)

Harvey:9/10. Listen...LISTEN. That "Take my whiskey neat" video converted me. I used to be,not a Harvey hater,but a Harvey disliker because he takes my tools and money even after MARRIAGE!! But..That tiktok changed me. He is a little bit of a sweetheart,I must admit.

Elliott:3/10. I'm about to upset a lot of people. I don't really like him..His gifts are complicated(for me atleast) to get and he never leaves that damn shack unless I've already left. He makes me so mad. But,he is a good candidate for marriage and I respect those who marry him.

Sam:10/10. GOLDEN RETRIEVER BOYS FOR THE WINNNNNN!!! I love Sam more than I love myself. I mainly romance him,Alex,and Shane. His gifts are easy,he's a cutie,and I just love him<3 Sam romancers for the win!!

Sebastian:9/10. BLACK CAT BOYS FOR THE WINNNNNN!!! Sebby is like me,but a young adult emo man(Idk if Seb is actually emo so don't take that offensively emo community,I love you guys<3). I too love both Sam and Abigail and spend my days mostly locked up in my room. I also love the rain. Twin,Where have you been?

Abigail:She feels like that song "The girl next door",Do with that as you will. I really like her! 8/10. The fact that (SPOILERS) she's the wizard's daughter(or atleast speculated) is crazy!

Haley:Cue "Good Luck,Babe!" By Chappel Roan

Ehem..Pretty sunflower mean girl with a nice redemption arc. 10/10

Emily:She makes me feel like I'm zooted. All of her cutscenes just feel like she's drvgged you and it scares me. 6/10.

Leah:She lives in the forest,She's canonically gay(She has more positive reactions towards the female player which it could be argued that Alex is gay because he has more positive/less sexist reactions to the male player,but you believe what you believe! I just think Leah is for the girlies.),AND SHE'S LEAH! 10000/10.

Maru:WOMEN IN STEM. I REPEAT,WOMEN IN STEM. Her dad sucks but hey,she's amazing and that outweighs everything. She's so so so sweet and I love her<3 My only complaint is that I like her earlier design more. 9/10

Penny:Her mom sucks. If Pam has no haters,I'm dead. I'm not opposed to Penny,I think she's okay..But I don't like the whole "Shy girl" thing,It feels like she's that one 1950's housewife that never spoke up for herself. I think she's okay,but the reason some people romance her gives me an icky feeling..5/10

THERE'S MY RATINGS!! Remember,all opinions are different and mine isn't the right or wrong one. It's okay to have a different rating than me! I love all stardew valley players equally<3