#and in my defense i havent actually watched it yet

[somedudenamedruiz]

Yknow, I've come to the conclusion that I think about what characters' mouths look like, maybe an abnormal amount.

As a certified fucked up teeth haver, every single one of my little guys gotta have SOMETJIN a lil fucked, you know?

Anyways, here's a list of JRWI charecters and their tooth headcannons caus I have a strange amount <3

Riptide:

Chip has an incomplete cleft lip, a chipped front tooth, extra canine teeth on BOTH the top and bottom, and a gold tooth somewhere on the bottom. He does not brush his teeth very much. Normally, only does if he's bullied into it. Depression is a bitch, man.

Jay Ferin has a minor overbite. Not a very bad one, but yeah. She also does not brush her teeth as much as she probably should. She will not be telling Chip that.

Gillion Tidestrider teeth that work like sharks and are constantly renewing. That does not mean he doesn't get fucky teeth, though. Sometimes, he'll just get an extra tooth or two before one falls out. And he'll just be kind of uncomfortable for like, a week until one falls out. (Extra: Chip has tried to play off some of Gil's teeth as shark teeth before, to sell them.)

Ollie has pretty spaced out teeth and just doesn't have one of his molars. Also chipped a tooth at some point. Honestly, probably during the Electrodon fight.

Gryffon has an underbite, and very prominent bottom canines. More so than bears normally do. They poke out like small tusks when he closes his mouth.

Arlin has extra canines on the bottom and a tooth gap. Also, golden molar.

Caspian has a snaggle tooth. Is this a fish joke? Possibly.

Lizze has a tooth gap and a gold tooth on her top row. Opposite of Chip's.

Old man Earl is missing several teeth.

Drey Ferin's scar that goes over his eye hits his lip as well. Also his canine teeth are further forward than the rest.

Prime Defenders:

Dakota Cole has buck teeth. Both are chipped and have had fillings put in SEVERAL times. The fillings keep getting chipped as well, though. (Me fr.)

William Wisp has a minor overbite. It used to be very bad. He had braces for multiple years. He has a permanent pouty lip because of the overbite. (May or may not just litterally be how my teeth worked. Sue me.)

Vyncent Sol has more teeth than a human does. Idk why. it just feels right. Weird fuckin elf boy. Also he gets a tooth gap <3

Ashe Winters has extra canine teeth on the top. After The Trickster, her teeth remained sharper than normal.

Mark Winters has a tooth gap, and the lizard half of his face has sharp teeth.

Malard Conway has just like, a couple too many teeth. Just enough to freak people out a bit when they notice. They are sharp. (I wnat to hit this bastard fuck with a pipe, bro, I hate him so much he's amazing.)

Apotheosis:

Peter Sqloint has generally misaligned teeth. They're just a bit wonky.

Rumi, when they are, yknow, Rumi, has perfect teeth. Cause, of course they do. Rumi is like that. When they are Elena, though they have shap teeth, and like, 4 extra teeth on the bottom, behind the regular ones.

Blood in the Bayou

Rand honestly has kind of gross teeth. He's been smoking for fuck knows how long, and is a depressed wet cat. He does not brush his teeth. Also, he has extra canines.

Rolan actually has pretty straight teeth. Had braces when he was younger, but not for a long time. Slightly prominent front teeth, though.

Kian Stone's canine teeth sit further forward than the rest of his teeth.

Becky had a tooth gap.

Rachel Rand has braces. Teeth were generally misaligned, and she had an overbite and minor crossbite.

Wonderlust

Runt canonically has buck teeth, and we love her for it <3 She also gets an overbite to me.

Troy had misaligned teeth as a kid and had braces because of it. He will deny it until the day he dies.

WD (MY GIRRLLLLL) Has a crossbite and extra canine teeth.

Riply has a tooth gap and is missing one of her premolars

Blink is a bird.

[reaper4thekill]

RUNS N SLIDES IN* GUYSB-[CRASH]

GUYS G UYSGUYS GUYSGIYSD.

Um.

Mob psycho x Hatchetfield series crossover AU.

Is this anything?

[velvetvexations]

If the parallels to ace discourse weren't enough already, now I once again have to deal with people i thought were chill and reasonable suddenly dropping their takes on how they think asexua- sorry, I mean trans men, are not really oppressed and actually have privilege over everyone else and are basically not queer at all Time is a circle and i want out out oUT OUT OUT

Thankfully you never have to worry about me having a bad take because everything I say is written in advance by the Transmasc Council's Chief of Enacting Transmisogyny.

I don’t know if this is transmisogynistic or not but I’m just so tired of the claim that “the moment a trans man transitions and is seen as a man, he gets all the privilege” Okay TRFs, what about YOUR privilege before YOUR transition? When people perceived you as a man, did you not have privilege?

The logic would go that transmascs get it because they want to be seen as men but for trans women it's an unwanted state and also people can sense that they're women telepathically and treat them accordingly anyway.

Hey wanna hear something fun. Out of the 77 or so people elected to public office in the united states, 6 or so were trans men. With the majority being trans women. It's so fun hearing about how structurally privileged trans men are compared to trans women when there's only been 6. Fucking SIX. of us elected to public office. with at LEAST 50 trans women elected. In the united states. I'm so fucking tired. I mightve miscounted, there mightve been one or two that I missed, but honestly that does not bring me much comfort!

Fascinating.

sharing this here bc i like how accepting velvet nation is of gender journeys: i am a trans man but i feel like i very much was and will continue to be my father’s daughter? not in the sense that he doesn’t respect who i am but in the sense that that is the framework of how we understand each other. my gender is 100% man and daughter is simply the word i use to define our relationship :)

That's really cool! Glad you have that with him.

Got my first profile-screenshot-share (afaik) because someone was pissed at a comment I made! I’ve hit the big leagues! Now im just waiting for my first drowning :P - @genderglass (is a sideblog, so I can’t send asks from it :/)

Congratulations!

hiya velvet! ok 2 things: 1 i am happy to know there is another trans person who is tall and 300lbs+. i am only 5'9 but it made me happy to know this is a thing we share. i can feel v alone as a bigger trans person a lot, so i am grateful. 2 ok so i havent seen unsleeping city yet but i just watched the new time quangle and my god murph grew cody walsh in a lab for me. hes literally me at 12. jersey native with an "emo haunting anime cons in 2004" look and personality? that was literally, genuinely me. gotta watch that season ASAP!

I should warn you Cody gets dunked on pretty hard. It doesn't feel to me like Murph likes him very much lol but I haven't watched the Quangles because I'm a lot less interested in live stuff on average aside from Jake and Amir's live IIWY episodes which are always real funny.

In the defense of the person saying the t4t sex jokes are sexual harassment. I HAVE seen people responding to transfems posts on here talking about (supposed) intercommunity problems with jokes about how actually transfems and transmascs are having sex or whatever, which I think is kinda gross and inappropriate. However, most of the examples I can think of were transfems doing it, so.... take that as you will

TRFs complaining about "trans women and trans men are fucking" being sexual harassment and then justifying throwing their forcefem fetish at random men is funny, in a cosmic sort of way.

i just saw -*- say that trans men face no oppression unique from trans women (wrt reproductive rights) bc trans women lack access to reproductive banking. Buddy. Reproductive banking is incredibly expensive and very rarely covered by insurance. Everyone except wealthy ppl lack access to reproductive banking. And I'm sorry if this is rude to say but lack of access to the opportunity to become a parent (which is sad! and wrong! and at different levels applicable to every queer person in the world!) is simply not equivalent to forced pregnancy, which is a violence and a trauma forced onto someone and not a *lack* of opportunity. I don't even disagree necessarily that trans women are more vulnerable than trans men and do believe I have privilege over trans women as a trans masc but hoooooly shit. That's an insidious fucking false equivalence and I still don't get *why* trans mascs can't just have space to talk about the problems unique to us.

The Transfem Council will happily let you talk about your issues as long as you submit your statement in triplicate to their editorial department 15 days in advance.

Everyone posting about how I have to prove myself and earn their trust is just proving themselves to be someone not worth talking to. I don’t think people should have to bend over backwards or do something to prove that they won’t be terrible to you, actually. Thats fear and trauma speaking, not social courtesy. It’s not normal and should not be normal to automatically distrust everyone to a point of prematurely ostracizing them. And if anyone wants to argue a large enough proportion of the trans community in ANY demographic acts poorly enough to warrant that sort of suspicion they don’t have a leg to stand on.

It's not even fear and trauma. Most of them are just using Literal Fear of Man as an excuse to do this shit, although if they want to argue no, they really are all just shaking with abject horror whenever a man draws near, I guess they must believe in Andro Phobia, right?

[the-moon-files]

Who do you think you could beat in a fight? like no weapons, not power gloves/bracelets, just bare hands and a dream.

BARE HANDS AND A DREAMMMM

who let u be this funny kota lmao

Tbh, me v. anything stronger than a chicken or a chuchu, they winning.

Ive only Just started going to the gym, i have very little muscle that isnt from carrying groceries, so hands down, not many things i would realistically fight in botw/loz games in general

If ur talking abt the Links tho?? Uh, none. 💀

Im not that delusional (yet), i mean i guess if u wanna get creative with it, I think, personally,

I could beat some of them in a drinking game lol

Like maybe Sky, Hyrule, Four, Wild, and (to his lightweight dismay) Legend, just bc im not a lightweight so thatd be funny

But general strength? Nah probably none of them

But u wanna hear my delusional takes on this, like if i would just swing regardless of actual strength discrepancy,

Weirdly enough, Hylia? LMAO

*

(Warning, Hylia bashing, if u like her a lot for whatever reason and are going to feel the need to comment in her defense, pls find another post to do that on, this rlly isnt that serious)

*

Alright, let me explain, let me explainnn

So i saw LU blogs defend this better than me, but basically Hylia (not Zeldas) is like lowkey another root cause for problems in Hyrule, she kind of encourages this endless cycle of abuse of "heroes" or mortals, to enlist in this eternal battle against Demise/Ganon, when he's technically immortal, and she should be fighting him herself.

Or at least not making mortals (who can Die) fight for her, especially with the setup being a SINGULAR MORTAL. like not even an army of mortals

(Like i get it, its for stupid-plot-not-rlly-thought-out-reasons so the games get to exist, but suspend ur disbelief pls, assuming this is now a real universe that ive got dropped into)

There are other reasons, like how she possesses every Zelda lowkey against her will, or without her permission to be in her body at least, and that she sort of? I thought, like? Wants to to be with Link every time? Feels kinda creepy?

Idk that one may not be true, but there are way cooler blogs out there that have a nicer receipt list of beef with Hylia, pls find them

But most importantly, if u take nothing else away from this, its that, someone out there, in the depths of LU tumblr, gave reasonable, logical, justifications about how Legend could take down Hylia on his own.

She's basically all magic, so if she suddenly had no more magic in this scenario, im betting that i could at least tackle her and turn it into a bar fight lol

Revenge for all the Links u could say,

I actually thought abt making a fic that had smth like this premise, but eh, ive got so much to write abt rn i havent taken it on

Plus, hey, who doesn't wanna fight God a little?

Hope that answered ur question! Or at least was entertaining!

Sorry if u rlly like Hylia for whatever reason and i just shat on her for like a small paragraph, idk, just unread it or smth

(Im still watching a playthru of SS, but i think i also could specifically take Ghirahim in a arm wrestling contest, ok thank you, good night)

Peace out,

🌙

[eternally-tired-muffin]

First off, I absolutely love the Hashira surplus AU. I see lots of somebody lived/everyone survived AUs since I have an Ao3 addiction, but none really go in the direction you’ve chosen. I think the idea of twin pillars is nice to think about, but unless they work best together and are messes without their other half it wouldn’t really make sense to just count them as one if they’re perfectly fine independently. Kind of like how Daki and Gyuutaro work in canon, I suppose. So if Sabito lived, he would undoubtedly become the Water Hashira first and end up leaving Giyuu at Kinoe despite him eventually catching up in strength and qualifications. Same with Shinobu, if Kanae survived then she wouldn’t have room to become a Hashira with the 9 max rule. All in all, I really like what you’ve done with it and how you’ve built off canon. I don’t have any direct questions, but definitely wouldn’t mind to read about anything you haven’t got a chance to share or small details you havent been able to fit anywhere! Have a good day/night and sorry for rambling lol-

AHHHHH THIS IS THE SWEETEST THING OMG T^T

I'm glad that you think this take on everyone lives makes sense! I tried to change 1 thing at the start and have the ripple effect come across naturally.

In terms of things to share, thank you so much for asking! This au is my baby so I'm thrilled to yap haha. I have a lot of projects I'm passionate about, so the actual drawings will come out very slowly, though I will answer asks and plot questions as they come. I'm currently working on the comic where Kanae meets Nezuko, so have a sneaky WIP page :P

The recent arc has also got me thinking about how the infinity castle arc changes.

MANGA SPOILERS FROM HERE!

I've decided to commit to saving everyone, as the core principle of this au, so the upper moon fights are going to go down differently. At the moment, I haven't fully decided, but my initial idea is this:

Instead of Giyuu, Sabito joins Tanjiro in fighting UM3. In canon, Giyuu acts as a parallel to Rengoku, with themes about weakness/strength and duty (who 'should' live). In this AU, Giyuu doesn't have the same survivor's guilt, and Rengoku doesn't die. As a result, it isn't thematically important for Giyuu to go up against Akaza. However, Sabito was present in the mugen train arc, and he narrowly survived the encounter. I think it makes sense for him to go up against Akaza with Tanjiro (who was stuck as a witness last time) and get to see how they've both grown - Tanjiro getting stronger and Sabito getting smarter. Maybe he learns Giyuu's defensive form?

Since Giyuu is free, I think he'd join in the UM1 fight. Having a defensive fighter could influence the battle. I have to be honest, I haven't reread this arc in a minute (so it is fresh when I watch the movie) so I can't quite remember how the fight goes down, but I think Giyuu would be there from the start. They just manage to keep themselves together as more allies join and overwhelm UM1.

I haven't used Rengoku here - I haven't decided his status after the mugen train arc. He lives, but I don't know if he is fit for battle. He may join Uzui and his father in protecting Nezuko. Perhaps he rallies the kakushi and the medical team with his large presence and still well above average physical abilities.

UM2 is a bit more complicated. Shinobu's drive for revenge is a key part of her character, but in this AU, Kanae survives. This is another thing not set in stone and may change. At the moment, I think in this AU, Douma has a habit of eating his victims alive. He taunted Kanae, managing to bite off her ear, so while Kanae manages to survive, she is truly affected by this fight. Shinobu despises him like in canon. In terms of the UM2 infinity castle fight, I'm not sure how to administer Shinobu's poison. It could be that Douma eats an arm or leg, but Kanae arrives in time to help. I'm also currently thinking that Aoi* might join Kanao.

*I haven't committed to her role yet (in addition to knowing basic medicine). She could be a poisons using demon slayer (like Shinobu) or someone who blended the role of demon slayer and kakushi - this is worth its own post though.

All of the speculation around the inifnity castle is just a draft, though! I would absolutely love to hear any suggestions/ ideas, so please feel free to reply/ reblog/ send an ask :D

AU masterpost

[isa-ah]

so heres my pitch for what happens before dimple shows up in the icmhwau:

teruki and mob are hanging out in the middle of one of black vinegars soccer fields. its after school and the sky is heavy and grey, but it hasnt started to rain just yet. mob snuck a milk carton on his way out so he could come see one of the stray cats that sometimes wander onto the school grounds. this one he knows from sitting by for terukis soccer practice over the last few months.

while hes bent down, making soft sounds and petting it, teruki is standing behind him, hands jammed in his pockets and sneering bc he doesnt do. exactly great. not being the center of attention. hes tapping his toe and waiting for mob to get it over with so they can go when theres this big crack of thunder overhead and the cat goes skittering off toward the trees- just as the sky opens up and theres one of those heavy late spring downpours.

teruki is taken offguard, bracing for the rain, when he realizes hes still stood there dry. mobs got a hand up, having thrown a barrier over them reflexively, and humming his disappointment. he stands, dusting his knees off, and when he turns around teruki tries to look like he hasnt just been standing there watching the whole time.

"can we go now?" rude. but no more rude than he usually is, so mob doesnt really mind. he hums his affirmation but pauses, and then shakes his head. teruki frowns and turns fully toward him in response.

mob kinda stands there, hands flexing and unflexing cause hes really not good at putting things into words in this au. it drags on long enough that teruki is just starting to pull away with a scoff when he is stopped cold like he took a stone to the head.

"teru."

that gets his attention in a big way that makes his stomach roil. mobs never addressed him like this before- maybe a soft hanazawa-kun when he needed to, but the nickname cuts straight to the core and he is on guard immediately.

"i.. was thinking."

and now he is feeling outright defensive. a thousand scenarios playing out right like is mob sick of this? is this going to be bad news? is he trying to sugar coat it? and then, worst case scenario; mob steps forward, and starts to reach for him. his hands are small and bruised, little scars and bandages wrapped around his fingers. teruki put those there, and it feels like an intimacy too sacred and mortifying to be broached.

so teruki panics.

"DONT TOUCH ME!" slapping his hands aside. "you just laid hands on that disgusting vermin, its probably diseased."

and mob stands there looking so shocked teruki feels a thrill of success. derailed. whatever was about to happen has been successfully derailed. he preens, starting to turn to pull the lead before mob can recover, but mob speaks before he can get very far.

"cats are actually very good at grooming." tone flat, dry. it gets under terukis skin. mob never objects.

"yeah right. like im going to hear about hygiene from a brute like you." baseless, and mean, the kind of cutting comment he throws around easy but it seems to catch mob off guard this time.

hes frowning, brows turned down and his hair ruffled by a wind that cant reach them through his barrier. teruki sneers and mob shoves him, hands splayed into his ribs in frustrated defiance. teruki scoffs and pushes him tumbling back onto his ass, standing over him.

& its just instinct tbh, at this point, learned experience from watching teruki get backed into corners with his mouth, when mob mutters, "youre mean." and when teruki looks surprised, he continues. "youre a very mean person."

which teruki is taken aback by. "oh, as if! you dont have a high horse, not when youre just some commoner who happens to listen to instruction better than the rest of them. like you havent picked plenty of your own fights, too." that sort of thing. "its embarrassing that youd even try to come after me when youre just some- some nobody."

& its clearly reaching its mark bc as teruki talks, mobs curling his fingers into the grass and bits of dirt and torn blades are starting to curl up into the stagnant, humid air around them. his hairs started to lift and he looks unhappy.

"oh dont look so surprised. you knew what this was. and beyond that- you dont scare me, kageyama. i could kick your ass and still-"

hes cut off by this dizzying woosh, this spike of energy that makes his head spin, and the vertigo only intensifies as he looks around and realizes the barrier is gone; its not that the rain isnt landing on them, its that the rain isnt landing at all.

mob was definitely not radiating unadulterated power like this last time. he may have.. miscalculated his approach.

& you can imagine it from there. teruki panics and lashes out first, which pushes mob over the edge and suddenly theyre fighting and its UGLY. it makes their initial fight look like a joke. it makes the soccer field look like a battleground. it knocks teru half conscious, held by the throat in mobs sweaty, burning grip with blood dripping into his eyes when hes got an abrupt sense of nausea and something eye piercingly green shoots out his nose with an unceremonious, "oh jesus, kid."

im not like, a writer, but you get the idea. fill it in to be better than i could do it LOLOL mob tried to finally put into words, somewhat, what he feels about teruki, which made teruki FREAK because he doesnt know how to be vulnerable like that, he lashes out at mob, mob lashes out back, the autistic immovable object vs the unstoppable adhd force leading into an rsd death spiral. messy. awful. mob knocks the snot (dimple) out of him lololol

[joculatrixster]

HOLY SHIT YOU'RE INTO SLAY THE PRINCESS... idk if this was asked already it's been so long cough but who are your favorite Voices, Vessels and endings of this game? Tell me all about what you love about them and the game in general.

i llove the game! been following it since the first demo actually!! i have been a fan of tma for a while so when i saw Jonathan Sim was the narrator i was intrigued, i watched manlynaasshero(shout out, also got m into the purrfect games which fun fact i had the top blog for until i delted it) play the demos but played it for real w the pristine cut, i did a full playthrough w a friend w multiple endings and alt routes but i havent done everything yet since ive been busy w other games-

ok so my favorites lets seee...

i definitely have a big paraniod, sceptic, and cold bias, they r just sooooo like oh my god im squishing them and wringing them out like rags.

paraniod bc the nightmare was my kinda "the real slay the princess starts here" ending allll the way back in the demo, the fucking heart liver lunges thing? i did it on beat the entire playthrough w my friend, i thoguht and still think its such a banger addition to what could be a one note character showing how hes Preservation Instincts not just Paranioa, he stemms from a defense mechanism like all the others and is always the one in our corner even if he doesnt rlly Want To do All that

sceptic bc hes just kinda? fucking cool? his name makes u think of the paraniod or chested, u think he just questions everything or maybe is a bit snarky but actually hes more like that toxic older brother who does whats "best for u" even if it hurts u??? like he refuses to accept their happy ending, one of the few voices who goes AGAINST Preservation simply bc he doesnt fuck w the idea of being a puppet but also lacks the real wish to cause harm like the stubborn or the oppertunist(who i would argue PREFERS endings where harm is caused bc it makes him feel more in control a la the dragon but thats for another day) hes literally just selfishness in its truest form he does whats best for LQ but not whats right for him.

cold is si damn cool. hes the most hesrtless route but he votes to save LQ, he follows the narrators whims to the letter but he chooses the option thats the most interesting even if it goes agisnt what anyone else wanted, hes lowkey suidical but only out of bordem?? he also goes against the best intrest but what even Is His Intrest? ud think a voice born from a cold hearted slaughter like him would be well...cold hearted? but hes lowkey not? hes muted, sure, and pretry monotone but he does things not due to cold hard logic nor due to what is objectively the best for LQ but bc of personal intrest or disinterest w the actions others take. him and the smitten r in my head like kinda opposite forces of burning passion and extinguished empathy but both of them do what they want and not what LQ needs???? sceptic is selfish but he at least puts LQ first even if in doing so he seizes LQ's autonamy, cold just does what brings the most new experiences which again is Crazy from the guy born of monotone motions but also makes complete sense

contriarian too tbh is another big one but thats bc its so charming that he could be there for the ending just. randomly, yhere, and me and my friend got the stranger first bc they r a bastard like that soo our "true" princess was her and her 5(i counted!) headed glory. he even stood up for us for the bit when everyone else wanted to stab us, what a stand up guy lol

favorite vessel is the sprit hands down, she is the cloest one to understanding the LQ and i had a viseral reaction of crindgw and discomfort playing through the princess and the dragon(can u tell its my favorite route yet?) seeing her perspective and seeing how she is willing to literally forgive her killer of she just gets a taste of the freedom denied to her in life(and he kills her, and she is just. how should she feel? tried? hurt? angry? she forgives him, bc what else can she even do?)

dude i fucking loooove meta narrstives and warped characters in eldritch places, this was a specifc list of niche narrative intrests that all came together to make the PERFECT game exploring the themes of the narrative! the only issue is im so fucked i cant even make any games like this anymore bc it just will never be stp...never ever...the art the music the writing all 100/10 literally changed my brain chemistry its so fantastic!!! every voice every vessel every dialouge option just captivated me like a toddler and cocomelon it was talior made to make MY nerouns activate so much

[definitelynotshouting]

(Hunger au) I'm going into ecology and it's fascinating looking at your au's ecosystem, especially since this doesn't necessarily seem driven by natural selection and instead by just. The universe creating what it needs, with a purpose in mind. That's so different from our world that it's fascinating to think about the implications. Rather than existing to take advantage of and respond to resources and selective pressures, theyre basically creating said resources/pressures. The watchers are having to manually adapt to survive after a bottleneck effect, which to be fair even if there was natural selection they'd probably have to cuz adaptation takes a looong time in species with long reproductive cycles. Do they have a genome? Or are they just being arbiters of mutation themselves (by that i mean theres no genome so theyre changing their species themselves since theres nothing to mutate)? Do offspring inherit traits? What does this mean for natural selection (cuz like. If they survive differently depending on how their traits match up to the environment and selective pressures there is)? With the seekers gone are expected to have a population rebound barring any other selective pressures/fitness independent factors on their population? Their reproductive strategy seemingly aligns with the low pressure they're facing... I read a paper to understand this and it's really cool:

(From https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-42562-7)

They seem to be an r-selected species and invest a lot in their offspring, but they just naturally have low infant survival rates. This is the sort of species that does not do well in the long run so that adds urgency to their efforts to edit themselves.

All this to say that I'm rotating the concept of an ecological system that has one of ecology's core tenants (evolution) heavily altered/removed. Tis fascinating.

between you and chem anon im going to have a heart attack over sciency people looking at my silly au /lh

I really did want to go like vastly different from how our world works since this is such a video game setting-- it was really fun to noodle about what a universe made out of code instead of DNA would look like!!! and having the universe be quasi-sentient, affected by a form of evolution itself as well (thank you julien gough for the universe evolution theory that i have wholeheartedly adopted into my worldview).... idk its led to some very interesting worldbuilding for sure 😂😂😂

Watchers-- or any entity in this universe, actually-- dont really have a genome like we'd understand it. Instead, theyre made up of code and code blocks, which i guess would sorta mimic that to a certain degree, but its more tipped in favour of computer programming than biology. The whole au sorta just wholesale marries the two together, along with physics and chemistry (i am currently percolating on how crafting works in this au rn and my current idea involves the concept of the crafting table acting somewhat like a catalyst, which. okay dont take that as gospel yet i havent fully cooked on that one) etc etc etc.

But the Watchers did intentionally change their coding to help defend against the Seekers when they were being hunted into extinction!!! Watchers already had a natural affinity for deep coding, so while it took a lot of effort and caused a lot of damage to themselves, they managed to rapidly change their code structure (aka this universe's version of genetic makeup) to get better at, well. Watching. Seeing the Seekers coming far enough in advance to run before they got there became their primary defense against getting voraciously hunted, and by the end of it the Seekers starved out and went extinct bc they'd gotten so adept at avoiding them.

Offspring is interesting because in my mind at their base level (so genetically/code structurally speaking), Watchers are identical clones of each other. They reproduce asexually-- think uhhh mourning geckos and some species of aphids, which reproduce via parthenogenesis. So yes, in a sense they do inherit traits, but its in a direct line from the parent as a genetic copy. Their memory codes and surface code layers are what differentiate themselves from each other

Reading this chart is so interesting.... i'd say you're right in that Watchers would be considered an r-selected species!! I think if they werent like. Essentially made out of tissue paper thats constantly getting damaged and having to be repaired, they would be able to bounce back to the point of population rebound for sure. The problem with that though is there are only about 40 Watchers left-- thats how bad and out of control the situation got. And since they have such a long reproductive cycle, and such a high infant mortality rate, and their experiment with Grian went so wrong, AND the universe formed Listeners to replace them via direct competition (Watchers cant feed from Listener-infected Players!!), they are unfortunately headed right for extinction too.

Hopefully this makes a modicum of sense and isnt just me totally talking out of my ass wkdnjedjkejdke but i hope this answered most of your questions!!! Im really glad you like the direction ive taken this, its a lot of fun to conceptualize a world that works on different rules than our own :]

[crguang]

childhood friends to anything else is actually so important to me. like childhood friends to strangers w some level of unrequited love? like idk the your absence shaped me in ways your presence couldn't? is always so ugh, like the bittersweet stuff if they ever meet again and one of them is so changed in their time apart and it'll just never be like that again. was rereading some greek myths, the tragedy and like lost opportunity and the yearning is always amazing. but like that au fits so well w kafka, i was thinking abt it and the au also kind of reminded me of the one from folklore, like if you wanted me you really should have showed and if you never bleed you're never gonna grow, but we were smth don't you think so. but also im being kind jumping the gun and being self indulgent rn like what if come back...be here from red. like "told myself don't get attached but in my mind I play it back," if I had know what I know now I never would've played no nonchalant," idk...

ok I saw ur posts abt cheryl having like inconsistencies, and like a slight southern accent, but i personally don't hear it. speaking from experience when I open the game but accidentally just listens to kafka's voicelines (I still smile every time, i even still giggle sometimes, smth is very wrong w me), but idk abt more recent stuff. i also just don't like southern accents, so I might be in denial. and yeah there's barely any fics w her nowadays (she needs to come back fr), but also your kafka is just like...the best. revolutionary in fact, like you get her so bad.

-🌠

ANONNNN I LITERALLY LISTEN TO THE 1 WHENEVER I THINK ABOUT THAT AU… ITS THEM. “i persist and resist the temptation to ask you if one thing had bene different, would everything be different today?” and “in my defense, i have none for never leaving well enough alone, but it would’ve been fun if you would’ve been the one” IS SO KAFKA STILL REMINISCING A DECADE LATER. folklore is a must whenever i write them, you should listen to seven as well it’s my favorite song from the album and captures the innocence of childhood so well. i was never a childhood friends to lovers fan but they changed my perspective fr. the bittersweetness is killing meee i cant handle this angst of grieving both what could’ve been and what has been, i just want my girl happy😞 when the person you’re missing is right in front of you but not there at the same time how do you even process that. you should watch the movie past lives they’re literally that movie to me

i dont hear the southern accent either, in my opinion she just sounds lazy/bored at times but maybe it’s cause im not attuned to all the subtleties in her pronunciation so perhaps there are traces of it and i just dont hear it😭 i also still giggle whenever she says the “thanks, you’re too good to me” healing voice line hdjsnfnfjfjggjjdjdhd cause i am too good to her actually. also “oh, bye bye~” will always get me idccc she sounds so cute im gonna die like that’s my baby

i should go scout ao3 for kafka fics its the only platform i havent gone through yet, tumblr fics just tend to be short and sweet thats why i like it there but there’s nothing lately oh my days we’re in a drought. at least we still have artists😣

[desinyschildrenjkjm]

are there a lot of reactors being weird about shipping and jikook so far? I haven’t watched any yet but I was planning on tuning into a few once the actual show starts airing, but now im second guessing. that’s such a shame if true. it’s weird because they don’t really need to address shipping at all? no one is going to call them a shipper simply for watching a variety show between two members unless they’re making shippy comments. if they’re just watching and reacting normally like they would with runBTS or anything else like that there’s nothing for them to be defensive about? its sad and weird that so many feel like they need to make a statement about it. imagine if they had to say they’re not a shipper before tuning into suchwita or bon voyage? the whole response is so weird to me on so many levels. i feel like tkkrs harassing them before the show even airs because theyre defensive and scared of people shipping jkk has impacted things as well, but i could be wrong. i hope theres a few reactors out there who dont feel like they need to make bizarre shipping comments before watching ays. bringing up shipping is just so messy and unprofessional to begin with and it just opens the comments up to that kind of discourse, how disappointing.

I dont really want to name names and ppl can form their own opinions on reactors but yeah i was trying to enjoy reactions but ppl keep making patronizing disclaimers and lectures and it is so difficult to watch them squirm and be weird and defensive and rude so im kind of soured on watching reactions for this and plan to enjoy it offline, digest my thoughts, and then see what ppl are saying here...but i havent watched many of the reactors on this or anything so hopefully some can act normal.

[sairitaikutsu]

Writing practice cuz i havent written anything in a while

Not salt raiders but this is based on my own experiences. Sry <3

“Eat shit. Actually.”

This was her fifth loss against him today. It’s no secret that Marin was better at…most videogames in general than her twin brother Jaun, yet here he was, beating the absolute life out of her like it was nothing.

The two were playing a fighting game they bought for themselves during the holidays, and since then, they were nothing short of obsessed. Jaun was interested with the story and characters and while Marin shared his sentiment about the game, she was having fun being behind the controller for a lot of the times they played. She loved actually playing the game.

However, Marin still hadn’t decided which character she’ll main. It wasn’t like there was a plethora of fighters in the roster, only around twenty of them with a few others locked behind an expansion pack, but she didn’t have the patience to learn every single one of them.

She didn’t know the moves and combos for any of them, currently playing as a soldier with superpowers, but as much as the adrenaline was rushing, none of the moves seem to have a drastic impact on Jaun’s main, a nunchuck-wielding pyromancer.

With every button Marin pressed, her frustration grew worse as she could do nothing but watch her character take it all. It was as if her controls weren’t working (even though they were in good condition), and her pride was even more hurt seeing another victory from Jaun, the latter cackling as they watch the victory animation play out.

Clearly, this fighter wasn’t suited for Marin’s play style.

Marin groans and chooses the option to select a new fighter, waiting for Jaun to do the same for it to work.

“I will have my vengeance,” she says, half-jokingly. Jaun says nothing as he lets Marin choose another character.

Marin eyes the many close-up images of the fighters, seeing which one was promising. Her brain then supplied her with a memory from when she was playing through the game’s Story Mode. There was a character who created clones and utilized portals, and he was kinda annoying to fight in her opinion. Luckily, he was playable.

Another match between her and Jaun begins. She just wants to win already.

Marin starts with her go-to combo for fighting games, alternating between the front and back punching buttons, before doing the same with kicking. To her surprise, the character did have a combo for her go-to attack, and it felt impactful on both the opponent and her sanity. She continued trying out whatever was possible, even pausing the game momentarily at one point to read the character’s special moves.

Soon, she finally won. Even though it was one win over Jaun’s six more in total, Marin was content. She at least knew which character she was most comfortable playing, the one that suited her “random bullshit” play style the most. Her main, her in-game identity.

The more she played as her new main, the more powerful she felt. How else was she going to describe it? The longer she played him, the more comfortable she was with doing his special moves and combos. Sometimes she’d find herself lost in the idea of winning, letting her fingers do the job pushing buttons and her muscle memory do the work for her.

Contrasting Marin’s anxious, introverted personality was her aggressive attack-based play style. Sure, over time, she learned to be more careful, going on the defense when necessary, but she always tried to attack as soon and quick as possible. Honestly, who wouldn’t? The first hit sometimes decides whose victory was promising and who needs catching up.

And Marin knows she can’t afford to miss.

[pansypr3p]

which mcr songs do u skip (i skip wttbp and all of bullets)

ALL OF BULLETS? you are so fucking lucky i like questions. bullets haters besides this one anon need to fucking leave i love bullets and if you dont we cant be friends im sorry. bullets forever. anon stays until they run out of questioms bc im having fun.

okay, but, i am going to get yelled at by my boyfriend and also probably everyone for this, but listen to me, i follow whatever the autism tells me to do, so it is not my fault. blame her (the autism).

NA NA NA —

this is genuinely! one of my favorite songs! okay! in my defense! i fucking love her! and this entire album! danger days lover! but, because shes so popular, it doesnt give me the right mcr vibes for when im in a "literally only listen to mcr for 5 days" state, which is all of the time. i listen to mcr and decaydance and a few other people almost exclusively. so.

PLANETARY (GO!) —

yeah its one of my favorites and yet i skip it all the time. i couldnt tell you why, because i genuinely do love her, but i know i do it bc every time i do i wait like 5 mins and realize i skipped her and yell at myself for it.

S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W —

I HAVENT BEEN SKIPPING HER LATELY, OKAY? but again, i usually have a very specific vibe im matching and scarecrow is a.. lower toned song i suppose? its not quite as faced paced or loud, and its often that im just less in the mood. but the fact that its the same beat as the snowflake song delights me so ive been listening to her more.

SUMMERTIME —

see above, honestly! its a very sweet and tender song abt love and i absolutely adore it, but its just not my usual mood.

DESTROYA —

this song feels too dangerous to play most of the time. it feels like if mcr was like 500x scarier (and subsequently 500x hotter) and that is terrifying because i can barely stand them now. if i listen to her more than one day a month i pass out and go into a brief coma. so sorry. shes too hot for me.

THE END. —

wrong vibes! nothing against her . i love her .

WELCOME TO THE BLACK PARADE —

MASSIVELY overplayed and yet so so underappreciated !!! ugh!!! i love wttbp, but i cant stand it by virtue of "no one knows her like i do" and "the part of this song that is the Wrong Vibe is Way Too Long"

I DONT LOVE YOU —

GREAT SONG FUCKING LOVE THIS SONG however she also suffers from... wrong vibe

CANCER —

see above

MAMA —

i LOVE mama. like. SO much. as much as EVERYONE does. but she also suffers from. Overplayed

TEENAGERS —

teenagers was the first mcr song i ever heard and also the first song i ever actually liked - shes just another overplayed one. to be clear, im not like, AGAINST the ones i call overplayed, they just rub me wrong bc of how often i hear them. theyre played because theyre GOOD tho.

DISENCHANTED —

im obsessed with disenchanted and i always will be, but for me to enjoy her i have to be focused and when i play music (always, in the background, 24/7, literally no i am not kidding i have music playing rn and im watching a show) i am not able to focus on her enough :/

BLOOD —

saying i "dislike" blood is disingenuous because i i find it hard to dislike any mcr song. if u take all the layers apart it drives me crazy i couldnt possibly dislike any of them even a fucking little. but plainly im just not usually in the mood for her LOL

HELENA —

the worst case of overplayed so far. she gets on my nerves bc of that. shes a great song! objectively! but this is the closest i could get to disliking an mcr song

TO THE END —

tbh? dont know why i skip her so much lol

IM NOT OKAY —

the intro is amazing but its not suuper interesting as a song to me ? surface level enjoyment at least, like, id have to focus like i focus on disenchanted to enjoy her properly

GHOST OF YOU —

wrong vibes

[castlebyersafterdark]

perhaps you don't want to speak about mike x el here, but as a gay man in the fandom, can you speak a little on your opinion of how that relationship was set up and played out? was it expected for you as a het relationship, did you find it intriguing or cliche, sweet or boring before byler became clearer? after you started realising byler was a real possibility, what did you think of mike x el in retrospect both in the show and for the show as a work of art in modern culture?

+ sometimes when i've seen takes defending queer stories against anti-woke people, some folk have even said that queer people have been 'putting up with' straight stories for decades and are just as sickened by them as homophobes are with queer stories. i'm interested if this is a defensive slap back or an actual truth for many people. do you enjoy a heterosexual love story in the right context? do you think how they are handling this specific love triangle works well as a plot twist and thematic message in ST?

i know its hard to tell cos its open ended but just in terms of where we're at now, i would love a gay man's opinion on this classic trope of superhero girl x 'straight' nerd boy and his gay bestie.

I'm down for talking about anything and everything here! I havent gotten anything yet I won't address haha. Mike/El is an important aspect of the show even if I don't support the ship or want (or think) it will be endgame.

I guess when I first watched the show I was honestly a very casual fan and even though I really liked Mike, the mike/el relationship just seemed like a typical little thing s1/2 and it didn't really mean much to me. Like it was fine, it was minimal and kinda cute I guess? I honestly was pulling for Joyce/Hopper from the beginning because one, Winona is such an icon and part of the draw when I heard about the show. Always loved her. And I had (have) a huge thing for David Harbor so I was really hoping they got together in the show. I guess this answers your question if gay guys care about straight ships - of course we do! At least I do. I care about 'story telling' and I just want more story telling in media that reflects more than just straight love stories. (I was also so shocked and blown away with excitement about Robin's reveal in s3 - tons of love for the gay ladies as well!! It was very exciting when the show added that.) So yes, of course I'm latching onto gay ships in fandom and really pulling for them playing out for real in the media itself. (For another instance, I love Jonathan/Nancy in the actual show, but I only read Jonathan/Steve fics. Just for fun! I don't really 'ship' them. I like the idea but not for the show. If that helps explain my mindset?)

For comparison to another fandom (I've since ditched) - Marvel. I liked SteveBucky because it made sense and the subtext was there, but I knew the MCU are cowards. I liked SteveTony because the dynamic was interesting to read in fic. I liked SteveThor because hot superhero dudes fucking is hot. (Sweet Steve Rogers, what a 🚲 hahaha). And then I liked ClintNatasha because they were in love and should have been together. For me, it's always half storytelling, half fandom fun.

Until season 4 threw me into a tailspin, MikeEl was just... boring and I didn't really care? But what they did with Mike and Will s4 was eye opening and exciting and it'll honestly be a huge disappointment and a deeper conversation about terrible rep and storytelling choices over how they wrote this love triangle if the worst comes to pass. A gay kid's trauma and feelings to prop up this generic and boring and very cliched pair of MikeEl? They aren't a game changer, they aren't really something to root for at this point? I do feel some sort of way knowing the potential for a Byler reveal is considered a plot twist. Wish a gay love story wasn't a shock factor, but society hasn't gotten there yet so, it is what it is unfortunately and this is a major mainstream show so... it is shocking. But I'll feel so proud for them having depicted this amazing story. Really gotta wait and see how they build and reveal season 5. I want to trust them! With a very beautiful slow burn. Otherwise.... so much to unpack.

[glasmotte]

Tagged by @corpse-of-bandersnatch – Thanks for the tag :D

Last song I listened to: Young and Menace by Fall Out Boy

Currently reading: I dont read anything rn

Last watched: Grave Encounters

Currently obsessed with: nothing, I know, weird flex on the we-are-all-obsessed-with-smth-here-website BUT in my defense, i have a very active social live atm its actually concerning like ive never touched that much grass in my life before, making plans with me is similar to trying to get a doctors appointment and im surprised i havent suffered social burn out yet.

Anyway, im tagging: @flowercrowngods @swampcreature

[namuneulbo]

week ninety-one

i had tuesday and wednesday off this week and i had a morning shift on monday so afterwards i went shopping. i needed pyjamases and i found three !!!! i wont need anymore in a while. one was just a pair of pants, one was a pink barbie set and one was a black more lingerie-esque dress. i havent tried sleeping in the dress yet.

tuesday! i was off work! i went to watch oppenheimer w my dad in the evening. it was so good omg. i really liked it and god i love cillian murphy. i also found out ss height hehe i told him how tall i was weeks ago when he asked me but i never got to find out his. ive been thinking ab it a lot bc back then he said i wasnt much shorter than him so i held my expectations low but he exceeded. i think hes a very nice height :)

wednesday was piercing day!!! i got another piercing in my lobes. i went w t and we went by bus. we talked the entire way there and then we went for breakfast at a café and then we went shopping while waiting for our piercing appointments. i had a mozzarella and pesto filled croissant at the café and it was so good but the coffee i had was extremely mid. i got a phone case from tiger and i got a pair of loafers from h&m.

the piercing hurt more than i thought it would. my first lobes, and my first piercings ever, were made w a piercing gun and the pain was quick and not even really there. i healed just fine from them so i actually wanted to do that from the beginning but nowadays thats the same price as just going to an actual piercer so yk. afterwards me and t walked round a few places trying to find a restaurant. t suggested this pasta place and we went but they only had two things on the menu at that hour so we decided to look for more places and ending up where we always end up, hesburger.

i slept the entire bus ride home.

i woke up feeling like shit on thursday. i had sensed it a bit the evening before but it was really bad in the morning so i decided to call in sick from work. it was insane, dude. i first call this girl whose like a bit of an upper employee who was at work at that hour and she doesnt answer so i message her. i give her some time to reply and when she does she told me to call the boss. i absolutely despise talking to her. everything she says is said in such a negative and mean tone and shes always hissing. literally get teary-eyed whenever i talk to her im not even kidding and shes made me cry before. anyways, i call her and i tell her ive been feeling poorly all morning and she just hangs up? so i get pissed off and send the same thing through text. she doesnt reply but i never go to work that day and no one says anything ab it.

later in the day i go to the store to go buy soda and chips. i go for a little walk afterwards and it was very nice apart from the fact that i was wearing too much. i got home and just played a bunch of gta.

saturday! i had another work shift although it was shorter. it felt way longer though which is rare for mornings. i was supposed to go to the pharmacy after work to go buy a specific nose spray but ofc i forgot. i was already pissed off but i changed out of my work clothes and dressed up a bit and it made me feel better. i wore my new loafers.

i once again forgot to go to the pharmacy and realized after i already went shopping and ordered food so it was a bit panicky considering i got ice cream from the store. it turned out fine though although going to the pharmacy w a bag of fast food is something im not planning on doing again anytime soon.

today i had work for five hours in the morning... OR SO I THOUGHT. it was 10 minutes before my shift was ‘ending’ when my colleague walks up and asks when i want to go on my second break. i was like “what? i have two?” and he was like “u have three.” and i tell him i end in ten minutes and he was like “what? no ur not?” and we checked and i had indeed the wrong time. in my defense it was one of the lists that the boss said might change so i just had the old shift written down in my calendar TT i had to stay for another two hours... i managed though since yk,, it kind of helped getting through the hard part which are the early mid-hours thinking i was gonna go home soon and then after realizing my shift was longer it was still just two hours but it still annoyed me a lot.

ive been talking a lot w s. i reallyreally like talking to himmm and i still dont know if were flirting or not but like im def more on the positive side. yesterday he asked me if he should shave or not which i consider a thing guys only ask if they like u so :) im probably just bullshitting that though. i think weve got something though bc we literally talk all day everyday. ah, hes so fun.

sotw: bring me the horizon - pray for plagues

[its-no-biggie]

i know i already talked a lot about characterization but its not just that. SO much of these first few episodes is really good storytelling, especially when compared to stampede. the difference is staggering

rem is introduced way more gradually- 8 episodes in and we still dont even know what she was to vash! all weve gotten is her name and a memory of her singing. but we do know that vash loved her and now shes gone and that a lot of his morality comes from her. which is extremely good to establish early on

vash being non-human is also revealed way more gradually- at first you think he might just be really talented or have Protagonist Powers but over time youre like. oh this guy genuinely might not be human (which obviously i knew going in but that means i can appreciate how subtle it is in this version). we havent even seen his prosthetic arm yet!

i also really like that so far NOTHING has tied back to millions knives. the closest thing weve gotten to any knives content is vash being cryptic about the origins of his gun. i really like millions knives as a villain and i understand that stampede needed to introduce him early to properly escalate in only 12 episodes but. having him be behind EVERYTHING did a major disservice to vashs character imo. so im glad hes taking longer to show up this time and vash can have his self-contained conflicts.

even wolfwood hasnt appeared yet! (he actually will next episode- i watched the preview lmao) i miss him but im glad he took longer to show up bc the pacing is working much better so far. getting us really attached to vash before throwing wolfwood into the mix is gonna be really good for my attachment to both characters and their dynamic

and like. a lot of this stuff boils down to the pacing. the latest episode i watched is a good example because theres a direct comparison i can make to stampede (unless there are two separate scenes in the original where a sand steamer gets attacked by pirates and the main characters have to defeat the pirates AND stop the steamer from crashing. i think its safe to assume these are adapted from the same scene, even though theyre surprisingly different). theres a few things this scene accomplishes in both adaptations-establishing that vash is proficient with lost technology, having vash defeat an unbelievable number of enemies while still refusing to kill any of them, and having vash put himself at risk to save the people on the ship.

the 98 adaptation flawlessly succeeds on all counts- 1) the lost technology is something vash had on him, and the kids reaction tells us not only about vash, but about the setting. "how do you have this?"- not only is he in possession of something thats apparently extremely rare and mysterious, but he also knows how it works. its subtle but effective. 2) vash not only avoids killing the pirates, but even bandages up the ones that he shot in a moment of /self defense/ (and the kid reacts extremely strongly to this- its a significant moment). him defeating them happens mostly offscreen but given how injured he is its still framed as extremely impressive even without putting too much focus on it. and 3) we are shown that vash is injured WHILE hes bandaging up his ENEMIES and he refuses to even take a moment to bandage his own wounds! he fights through the entire ship while injured because he doesnt even consider taking care of himself first. its not a grand heroic sacrifice to save the innocents, its just a clear demonstration of his priorities.

and while stampede DOES accomplish the same general goals, its a lot less well-crafted. 1) vash finds the lost technology in the ship, that the viewer didnt even know existed until they found it, and when he uses it he gets a shocked reaction but its a very brief moment because they need to get back to the action. 2) vash defeats a hallway full of pirates without killing them and all we get is a throwaway line from meryl marveling at his ability to take down so many guys- nothing about his refusal to kill (although there was more significant emphasis on vashs stance on killing earlier in stampede, so i wont necessarily fault it for skipping on that here). and 3) his sacrifice to save the ship is his prosthetic arm getting broken- it creates a tense moment for sure, and its certainly a reckless move, but theres a difference between sacrificing yourself in a life or death moment and intentionally neglecting to care for yourself for the sake of others. its not necessarily worse, but it has different implications about his character, and thematically i think the 98 version suits the story better.

those are the similarities between the 2 scenes. and the differences are startling- the 98 version spans 2 episodes while stampede crams it (mostly) into 1 while ALSO having time for a whole side plot about wolfwood and screen time for some minor villains who are associated with millions knives. like- the pirates have almost no relevance in the stampede version. most of the episode is focused on the villain from wolfwoods past and the guards hunting down vash and the crashing ship. its a lot at once.

so while the 98 version slowly builds tension and spends a lot of time on the characters like the pirates and the kid who has a whole character arc because of vash (that establishes the themes about repenting from sin extremely well, might i add), the stampede episode is all running! shooting! angst! lore! characters youve never seen before! its exciting and dramatic and certainly fun to watch, but thematically and tonally it may as well be a completely different story. it touches on repenting from sin a little bit, specifically in reference to wolfwood (cannot WAIT to see how wolfwoods whole "im beyond saving" judas schtick develops in 98 btw. given how much i liked it in stampede and how well 98 does at character development i have high expectations.) but again, its very fleeting and its one of the only times we get that in the show.

i know im kinda shitting on the pacing of stampede a lot in this, but i do wanna say- slower pacing isnt always better. the higher tension in stampede makes for more exciting action scenes and its what made me watch the whole thing in 2 days. it clearly set out to be more fast paced and exciting and it certainly succeeds at that. im even a little worried that as we start getting into more familiar territory, the pacing of 98 will be too slow for me and ill lose interest (like how i cant get past the first couple parts of jojos. i want to get into it but the action is so SLOW). i doubt it, because its doing a really good job of building intrigue, but it will certainly be slower going. the appeal of those big exciting action scenes just isnt there for 98 the way it is for stampede- and maybe thats more faithful to the manga, but if i had to guess i would imagine that the action in the manga is plenty exciting. i mean just look at wolfwoods fucking cross- you dont give a character a weapon like that and have them NOT use it. so anyway, the slower pacing is a bit of a double edged sword and as we get out of the introductory phase i may change my tune. but for now i think it really works

and while there are a lot of adaptational decisions that i believe do a disservice to the story, they did manage to cram all of that story into 12 episodes impressively well. that episode on the sand steamer is a great example- the fact that they managed to keep the bones of that segment while combining it with a wolfwood plotline and ending with the reveal that vash is a plant and it WASNT an incoherent mess is honestly super impressive. its unfortunate that so much story had to be crammed into 12 episodes in the first place, but skipping over characterization and worldbuilding for a remake is honestly forgivable, and much better than skipping important chunks of the story (which they may have also done. i dont know yet. but given the overall positive reception ive seen, id guess its nothing too heinous. other that the removal of milly, obviously, which is a crime punishable by death). i mean even fma brotherhood skipped over all the character introductions and jumped right into the plot lmao

anyway uhhhh stay tuned for the next update i guess. itll probably be soon because im sure ill have Thoughts about 98 wolfwood

it has been one (1) day since i finished trigun stampede so obviously its time to start trigun '98. thoughts so far

WAY better start. i was definitely right about the brotherhood effect- this version is easing you into the characters and setting way better, where stampede kinda assumes youre already familiar and just jumps right in.

this is ESPECIALLY true for vash. these first few episodes are way better at establishing just where he got his reputation- like, in stampede you really only see one town that gets ruined and blamed on vash, and then all the other stuff thats attributed to him happens offscreen. and then it turns out millions knives was behind all the thefts, which is what vash is wanted for in the first place. we HEAR that vash causes destruction wherever he goes, but what we see is really just him taking the fall for his brothers actions. but im only 3 episodes into 98 and vash has already destroyed 2 towns and been impersonated by multiple criminals. and they all seem to be unrelated incidents- he just gets mixed up in shit. he seeks it out. he CHOSE to be that billionaires bodyguard and he CHOSE to get involved in the bank robbery, because thats who he is. hes not unfortunate, hes MEDDLESOME. the characterization is completely different and so far i like the 98 version better (although admittedly the stampede version does play into the christian metaphor much better, assuming that millions knives represents "evil" or "sin")

additionally, the emphasis on how he doesnt live up to his reputation works a lot better when meryl just straight up refuses to believe hes vash the stampede lmao. like in stampede hes this kinda goofy and slightly airheaded badass pretty much right away, but in 98 hes so chaotic that even though all the evidence points to him she still refuses to believe he could be THE vash the stampede. like he seems straight up incompetent but hes NOT hes just less overtly badass. and just in general the slower pacing gives us a lot more insight into his character! its really really good and it adds a lot of much needed context to stampede.

also. milly????? milly my beloved???? my darling my sweetheart my babygirl milly????? WHERE was she in stampede. this is unforgiveable. the dynamic between meryl and milly is SO much more fun than roberto and meryl holy shit i fucking love milly

overall theres a lot more differences than i expected! im curious which one is more faithful to the manga but atm i would put money on 98. i can already see why a lot of the changes would be made to go from this one to stampede, to condense a huge arc down to 12 episodes and have it stand on its own. a more faithful adaptation isnt necessarily a better adaptation, and while i wish some of the really good stuff from 98 had made it to stampede, i understand that 12 episodes isnt a lot and within the context of a remake you can reasonably leave out a lot of character-heavy stuff. plus, since 98 was made before the manga finished, stampede will probably have better execution on things like foreshadowing and the major themes. overall im having a great time with both and im really stoked to read the manga (assuming the momentum will carry me that far..... adhd is a fickle creature lmao)