#anyway this scene comes later in the novel i just thought it was neat and wrote a draft of it now

[fallloverfic]

Solo Leveling Episode 11 Thoughts

This episode had me screaming in joy! Spoilery thoughts for the anime, novel, and manhwa below:

The job-change portal opening effects were so pretty. Did not expect it to be that neat! Also still love that it's purple (that's a manhwa thing). It's a nice little hint of what's to come >:3

Sung Jinwoo's fights were also really amazing! Just the movements all looked gorgeous. They were fun to watch! Him ripping apart the knight with his hands was amazing. Also really loved the animation on the archer.

And we finally get character art of Yoo Jinsung! Yoo Jinho's shitty older brother at last. He shows up a little in the novel, but doesn't appear at all in the manhwa (other than in reference), so it's neat to see him. Poor Jinho at this terrible meal with people who are awful to him. Jinho looks so sad seeing his brother, with how much is on the line and how awful their relationship is and how their father pushes them to do well. This is really a miserable time for him. I like the extra anime expansion here. It's fun to see more to these characters. I'm wondering if they're moving up a novel-only event (Jinho goes to a dinner party later, where Jinsung also shows up), or if they'll have both? It'll be interesting to see, anyway, particularly given if this is replacing that, it's removing one character who does show up in the manhwa, which is odd, given the anime's tendency to expand on characters.

It'll be cool if we meet Hunters outside Europe, North America, and central/east Asia. So Jinsung's useful for something, anyway.

Yoo Myunghan just watching his older son being a dick to his younger son and doing nothing about it. Great father, there. /end sarcasm

It's fun to see Jinwoo thinking about the pitfalls of his choices in stat placement and what this or that stat might do. Yeah, intelligence might be important <.< For someday <.<

I really love that we get to actually see the investigation for Jeju. They only talk about it afterward in the novel and the manhwa. Also always appreciate more Choi Jongin time XD And we get to see the team early (hey Son Kihoon)! And the women in all their still shitty manhwa outfits :D Like just... why with Gina and Lee Bora's outfits (mostly Gina, Bora is... whatever)? And is there a reason y'all can spend bank on Igris and aren't able to properly draw boobs in shirts (or give Gina actual pants)? (That was rhetorical, I know why.)

I do love the reminder that Jinwoo is still wearing a literal dog collar. We just can't see it cause it's invisible. Bless. Truly, bless. If only any of his husbands knew

Igris' introduction is just -chef's kiss-. The train of his helmet, the slow sweep. His armor is gorgeous. He looks amazing.

The fight is incredible. Words don't do it justice. The sound design, the sudden dash forward, the slow-mo, the destruction after attacks emphasizing just how strong Igris is and what kind of hits Jinwoo is taking/avoiding... It's visually gorgeous. Just the way Igris moves or even stands is beautiful.

The anime kind of switches between very clean and shiny and close-ups that are kind of gritty (not sure how to better explain it), and I like to think it's a nod to Dubu's art (this is volume 3, chapter 8 in the Ize Press release). Igris in the manhwa has that kind of gritty visual look to him.

I think it's just the difference of close-ups and farther away shots, because overall the anime just did this really lovely blend of the manhwa's style and its own thing that just looks truly incredible.

And we get another anime-only scene with Go Gunhee and Woo Jinchul, and some chat with Choi Jongin!

The colors in these outside shots are just really pretty. Choi Jongin looks lovely.

Jeju never ended for Choi Jongin, poor man T-T Love all this extra anime angst, bless.

Meanwhile, the fight with Igris and Jinwoo continues to be amazing. The sound design, the art, just ahhh. It's so good. Love the emphasis on Igris' legs and hips. He leggy boi.

Igris ripping out part of the floor to throw at Jinwoo is my everything. I just love when characters do that lol

For all my criticisms of Dubu's art (and I don't hate his art, he drew wonderfully, he just wasn't perfect), I prefer how Jinwoo sitting on the throne here looked in the manhwa. I think the anime makes it more understandable for why Jinwoo didn't break the armrests/his legs when falling onto the throne, because the chair is wider, and given who was supposed to sit in the chair, it makes sense it's bigger, but still.

(I flipped the anime shot horizontally for better comparison). (Though thinking about it, it's funny to imagine this again as a parallel universe with one Jinwoo leaning to his right, and the other one to the left... so Igris can sit between them aldkjlajda)

Igris just looks so good. I could take a bajillion shots of him standing.

I also love his belt. Just admiring all the little details on him in this art style. He looks amazing.

It's interesting we get these moments with Sung Jinah and Park Kyunghye (Jinwoo and Jinah's mother). Another anime addition, which isn't bad! It highlights just how much Jinwoo has on the line, and that people are waiting for him. Also still love how much Jinah loves her brother T-T She made him dinner!

The music for the attempted beheading is so nice. The soundtrack for this series is incredible, and it's used really well. I love how soft it is initially, and then how it explodes with Jinwoo fighting back (I could barely hear it first watch initially, and that was almost neater, effect-wise, but listening with the volume up, it's also just a lovely track).

There's something really compelling about Jinwoo shoving Igris across the floor, making the metal of Igris' armor heel scrape over the ground. Top/bottom discourse in action aldkjalj

The rest of the fight was also really amazing! The way the style changed during the kill shot is always really fun :3 It works wonderfully here. Igris defeated!

And now... the trial of stamina. While the time for his daily quest ticks down. XD And again, Jinwoo thinking about using something rather than just doing it lets someone knock the teleportation stone out of his hand. >.< Ah well.

This episode was amazing. Just phenomenal overall. Loved it. We finally have Igris, best boi XD So happy.

Looking forward to the resolution of this and the season next week!

More episode thoughts:

S01E05

S01E06

S01E07

S01E08

S01E09

S01E10

S01E11 (you are here)

S01E12

[dyingturn]

Au where an actor that acts for the best seller uhhh visual novel yttd has isekaid/transmigrated to the actual game. And now has to survive without tipping others off that they're not actually the character.

Alright, I really love actor aus, I haven't seen much on ao3 that is about yttd but I was just thinking, man, I would love to combine this with isekai/transmigration aus and here we are.

In the actors world, yttd was pretty popular. And having the opportunity to play as their favourite character is just like a dream come true. Seeing as how their character is just like them, personality and appearance wise, they just relate to them so much.

But while memorising the script from their trailer, before the shooting of their first scene. Their vision blurs and before they know it they just passed out.

And when they woke up, they saw a familiar place, the room that they were introduced to, to where their first scene would happen. The first trial room.

Okay, before anything, I haven't really figured out which character is actually gonna get isekaid so uhhh here are some thoughts

- they cannot remember their real name nor the names of the actors

- uhhh, I'll probably edit to add some here, idk

- it's only them who was isekaid there (but it would be interesting if there was someone else with them and just panicking because they have no idea if this character's actions became different because of their actions or its just someone like them

If its...

Actor! Sara: has read and played the visual novel. Has never met actor!Joe and they do rehearse sometimes. When they woke up in the game, they figured where they were and thought for a moment (huh, those lines seems similar-- it's the lines from the game!) And acted their lines word per word. And as they walk around they noticed the lack of cameras, the director's yell of cut or just the overall setting. Their motive of playing their role to avoid suspicion is mostly because of Joe.

Actor!kanna: has only read the script, they know about their character from the description of it from the directors but they have not read/played the visual game. When meeting actor!kugie they immediately became friends, often media described them to be sisters-- even acted on a movie. So So they realized they have a role as sisters in yttd series, they often rehearsed their lines. Waking up in the first trial, a!kanna were traumatised. They thought it was just scene, but halfway through they noticed the lack of cameras and immediately went to action and tried to help kugie. But it was too late. Their motives of playing their role is mostly due to them being terrified and not knowing what else to do.

Actor!reko: has played the game and read the script. They haven't met any of the actors, but they have heard of actor! Alice, since they have been watching some of his movies. (She thinks the game was neat, it had some banger of sound tracks too) I have no clue what reko's first trial actually was so, uhhh, their motive to playing their character is to just avoid suspicion.

Actor!nao: she's a new aspiring actor that has played/read the visual novel, it was amazing! They even made an art about it! Actor!mishima was actually the person that got her the role, since they know each other from... (plot convenience, I'll add something after), but what made her go there was to meet actor!reko, or who'll play as her. Anyways, the first trial, confused but played her part before asking mishima some things like, where Is this? Are we done shooting? Etc.. before realizing this was the game, and her motives for playing her part was to avoid suspicion from mishima.

I'll add the others later, I need to sleep hahaha.

[themortuatorium]

A Compilation of Flashbacks in Chronological Order

As God’s favorite jester I’ve been doing my part getting friends of mine into Good Omens by ceaselessly joking about it. I wrote this moreso for one who wanted to see a timeline of the flashbacks between season 1 and 2, and how they now correlate with newly given context. I thought that was a neat idea, which someone else out there might find neat to see as well.

I tried to keep them all as summaries to encourage drawing personal conclusions, rather than insisting upon my own, but got a little poetically analytical at Soho 1967 anyway. That scene continues to mean so much to me as a hopeless romantic, just like it had the first time. Included also are some snippets from the novel, where I felt the context they provide can still be considered canon to the live action adaptation.

Spoilers to follow for season 2 of Good Omens if you haven’t seen it. Though I don’t know how much sense it will make if you read it anyway. I’m relying on you to have seen all of it in order to fill in the blanks.

BEFORE TIME (S2)

Aziraphale and Crowley meet for the very first time. Crowley, still an angel, is busy setting into motion the Pillars of Creation when he asks for an extra hand. Marveling at the stars themselves, Aziraphale pities how it will all be gone in 6000 years time. Crowley is indignant to the idea the stars he worked so hard to help create will only be “wallpaper”, and decides to speak with someone of a higher authority – aspirationally, God; realistically, only the Metatron, due to the office space nature of Heaven’s bureaucracy – later on about it. As stars fall, Crowley shields Aziraphale with a wing. Deflecting off what appears to be Earth’s own solar system[*].

[*] “Because, underneath it all, Crowley was an optimist. If there was one rock-hard certainty that had sustained him through the bad times […] then it was utter surety that he would come out on top; that the universe would look after him.” (Good Omens novel, p304)

EDEN (S1) – 6000BC

Aziraphale and Crowley meet for the very first time, a second time. Now a demon, Crowley opens their soon-to-be 6000 year long discussion over the concept of morality – “I don’t see what’s so bad about knowing the difference between good and evil.” - and logical fallacy in an infallible being – “Not very subtle of the Almighty though, is it? Fruit tree in the middle of a garden, with a ‘Don’t Touch’ sign. Why not put it on top of a high mountain, or on the moon?” - Crowley

As the first rain begins to fall, Aziraphale shields Crowley with a wing[*].

[*] As Adam and Eve turn away from the Garden, perspective affords enough of Aziraphale’s wing to look as if he’s covering them too. A foreshadowing of sorts for the role he plays as a guardian angel to humanity.

THE ARK DAY (S1) – 3004BC

Aziraphale and Crowley, after presumably not seeing much of each other since Eden, get a chance to talk at the proverbial water cooler. Crowley is shocked to learn Heaven – on God’s order – are planning the Great Flood, which intends to drown everyone within the local region of Mesopotamia, including children. There is a visual gag when Crowley asks “Not the kids, you can’t kill kids?”, both children and young goats run past the two, which ends up relevant to his actions in Job.

“That’s more the kind of thing you’d expect my lot to do.” - Crowley

BOOK OF JOB (S2) – 2500BC

Crowley has a permit from God to do whatever he wants to Job; Aziraphale, having not got the memo, goes to intervene. Several notable themes become established in this flashback:

Initially Aziraphale is relieved to find that it’s Crowley, most likely recalling their conversation about the Great Flood. He insists on his belief that Crowley is, at heart, a good person. But as the angel Crowley once was, rather than as the person he currently is.

Aziraphale also finds himself standing in a similar position to Crowley during 3004BC, in disbelief that God would do something so cruel to Job for no reason. The Great Flood had reason, however weak. Job, on the other hand, is a reasonless wager.

It is the first time, maybe even the only time, Aziraphale and Crowley really listen to what the other is saying with empathy. Visually, they appear stranded together at sea.

“But what am I?” “You’re just an angel who goes along with Heaven as far as he can.” “That sounds, um.” “Lonely? Yeah.” “But you said it wasn’t.” “I’m a demon. I lied.” - Aziraphale & Crowley

GOLGOTHA (S1) – 33BC

The next time we see them together is at the crucifixion. Most likely they’ve run into one another between Job and now, but possibly haven’t been afforded conversational amounts of time. A significant moment for both characters in different ways, which will become their ongoing pattern. Crowley informs Aziraphale of his change in identity, no longer going by Crawly[*]. Aziraphale now comes across as numbed to the cruelty of Heaven, with the context of Job behind this scene. Unsurprised, albeit unaligned with the events taking place.

[*] A fact he’s more than willing to share with Aziraphale. One can assume Hell only learns this vicariously, if at all: “What’s he going by these days?” (Ligur, S1); referred to as Crawly in 1941 by Furfur throughout (S2, subtitles pending corrections per Gaiman); “Changed his name? YUCK!” (Hastur’s book on Angels who walk the Earth, wherein Crowley is mentioned in the entry on Aziraphale, S2)

(In season 1, they have encounters during 41AD, 537AD, and 1601 that aren’t especially necessary to summarize for any new context now provided by season 2)

EDINBURGH (S2) – 1827

The philosophical discussion on moral grey areas is opened.[*]

“But people get a choice. You know, they cannot be truly holy unless they also get the opportunity to be wicked.” “Yeah, but that only works if you start everyone off equal. You can’t start someone off [poor] and expect her to do as well as someone born in a castle?” - Aziraphale & Crowley

“Trouble is there’s never enough murderers. […] No one cares if you cut up murderers.” “If we can’t cut, we can’t learn. If we can’t learn more, a lot more, then how on earth are we going to win the battle against monstrosities like [tumors]? I’m just trying to save lives, and teach students. I either end up with a Knighthood, or condemned as a Resurrectionist and hanged from a rope.” - Dr. Dalrymple

Crowley behaves carelessly, drinking the entire glass of laudanum both as a good deed to prevent Elspeth from committing suicide, and as an excuse not to be held responsible for doing good (being a demon). He has a microsecond of confidence that Hell did not notice, before being dragged down.

[*] Just a fun fact, in the novel this conversation is had in 1020, and again in 1023 when Crowley manages a suitable comback. I always thought that was really funny.

ST JAMES PARK (S1) – 1862

Crowley and Aziraphale have a clandestine meeting at the park, wherein Crowley asks him for holy water as “insurance”. One can assume that whatever happened in the “quite some time” between 1827 and the 1860s to Crowley has him acting in a more calculated manner. The couple had never been especially discreet in their meeting one another before now, Crowley appears to be the one creating the distance. He refuses to actually tell Aziraphale what he needs it for, other than “insurance”. The lack of communication causes an argument that splits them apart, all on the grounds of a misunderstanding.

THE BLITZ (S1) – 1941

After not having spoken for a little over 90 years following their fight in 1862, Crowley arrives unannounced and unexpected to crash Aziraphale’s nazi spy church party. It is, ostensibly, a grand gesture on his part. Unlike any other time they’ve met, he’s there solely of his own choice with no strings attached or Arrangements to be honored.

Crowley places his trust in Aziraphale to protect them when the bomb drops. Aziraphale’s faith in Crowley is rewarded by his selfless act of saving his books. They are both rewarded by God with falling the fuck in love.

THE BLITZ (S2) – 1941

We now understand Crowley’s actions at the church were a dangerously large sacrifice of his own well being: rescuing an angel (something already known to be frowned upon), entering hallowed grounds (something a demon cannot do unless invited, implying he has to of been, at some point, by some angel, or at the very least an angel has to want him there – the angel is Aziraphale, sorry I don’t prescribe to the former arch angel Crowley theories), harming humans Very Directly even if in an indirect manner, the list kind of goes on.

But the couple are absolutely honeymooning, interacting again after so long. Despite Crowley trying to keep a distance between them, by disengaging at the mention of being friends, he falls back easily into their routine of goofy shenanigans. Arguably, as careless as he had been in 1827.

They’re confronted later by Furfur with evidence of their fraternization, Aziraphale’s sleight of hand causes it to be only a near miss. It’s the first time the audience gets to see Aziraphale do something that protects Crowley, from a kind of harm that would go beyond being discorporated.

SOHO (S1) – 1967

More of an analysis than a summary:

It stands to reason that Aziraphale is a smart enough being, the events that happened in 1941 were enough for him to put two and two together about the kind of danger Crowley is actually in being his friend. The constant surveillance he’s under, and Hell’s penchant to find out. Giving him the holy water implies more about the significance of their relationship to Aziraphale, that it is above all else worth protecting. I can only imagine, the reason it happens over 20 years later, as opposed to “immediately”, is simply because Aziraphale didn’t find it absolutely necessary to do. Only after he catches wind that Crowley intends to rob a church, aware of the risk he poses to himself if not scrupulously careful handling holy water, does Aziraphale find more than enough reason to give him holy water and trust him with it. It’s the least he can do in that moment.

At each other’s grand gesture, they ask the same question of what they can do to say thank you. Interestingly, they give the other the same answer, in a different way to mean mostly the same thing:

“Forget about it, would you?” - Crowley

“You go too fast for me, Crowley.” - Aziraphale

They’re both always going to be in danger of being together or helping each other, so long as Heaven and Hell exist and they exist within it. Until something can be done about the system they’re stuck in, it will always be this way. Distance between them, then, must be inherent. Aziraphale can’t afford giving Crowley reasons to act carelessly, he’s proven himself far too capable of doing so. Crowley can’t afford Aziraphale getting close, because he knows he will get careless. Of course, it’s not what either of them actually wants. What they want is to spend an infinite amount of time together, doing an infinite amount of things, within an infinite universe full of infinite possibility.

[dairedara]

I found your account just for by that I follow the "Christianity" tag and you seem neat and cool; I have a question, what on Earth is the story behind you having such a complex and novel belief system? It's just, really kinda rare for people to "do their own research" to an extent of coming away with spiritual practices that look like a fancy salad with a bajillion different parts, y'know?

Hi!! Thank you for this question, this is a story I’ve been wanting to tell for a while now :)

I was raised in lukewarm Christianity— baptized Lutheran, went to church usually just for events or with non-denominational friends. Because I didn’t go to church regularly, my faith developed in a very individual sense. I have always felt connected to nature and seen it as divine in some sense, which I think influenced my pantheism later in life.

I had a crisis of faith very young. I went to an ultra-Christian summer camp with a friend, which was a lot of fun, but also basically my introduction to modern fundamentalist Christianity. There were sermons twice a day, between the swimming and the flag football, and I distinctly remember borrowing my friends’ “kid’s Bible” which had a bright pink cover because for some reason my dad’s KJV from the 70s was unfit. (I didn’t think much of that at the time, but now I do think that kind of radicalized me. I think that so many modern Christians are only ever exposed to the Bible through a specific lens, and therefore can only possibly come away with the interpretation of their pastor/denomination/youth group leader/translation instead of developing their own genuine, unadulterated view of the Bible.)

But anyway, our camp counselor took turns interviewing us, and when it came to me she asked me this question: when did you know you were saved?

I was nine years old, had absolutely zero life changing experiences under my belt, and was also incredibly devout. I answered: I always knew, because I was raised with the fact that Jesus loves me and he died for me. She wasn’t satisfied with this answer and kept pushing me until she gave up. The question greatly confused me, and when I came home, it triggered a chain reaction. I realized I couldn’t pinpoint a specific moment in my life that would explain my religiosity. I prayed for some sort of sign that I was doing the right thing and received nothing in response. I became, in essence, an atheist.

In middle school, I got my first tumblr account, and I learned about Wicca through that. I’ve always been interested in world mythology and I thought it was insanely cool and insanely right that people still worshiped the gods from those stories, although at this point the only pagan faith I knew of was Wicca, and for some reason I thought you could only pick two gods, one male and one female. Since I liked Celtic myth, I picked Cerridwen (Welsh) and Lugh (Irish). This lasted for like one week, and then I found out about Hellenic (Greek) polytheism, which felt much more right to me. I started doing a lot of research into reconstructionism (basically, using the tools available to us to replicate, as accurately as possible, the religion and religious practice of a person from one of these ancient polytheistic societies). Recon tumblr was very dramatic in the early ‘10s, it probably still is, and I was intimidated and amazed at the same time. Around this time I also got introduced to the theological debate scene and was really interested in the mechanics of belief.

A year or so into this, I had what was probably the most intense religious experience of my life. A whole-ass vision, during a time where I was awful mentally, and in the middle of a crazy thunderstorm. I won’t go into the details here, but it pivoted my path a little and I became interested in Roman polytheism. I built a relationship with the Roman gods Juno, Mars, Venus, Apollo, Jupiter, Minerva, and others. I also got super interested in the idea of religious syncretism that is pretty much exemplified by mid-to-late Empire religion, and encountered deities like Mithras, the Egyptian Isis and Osiris, and Etruscan deities. At this point I was a baby Latinist and experimented with composing my own prayers outside of the very proscriptive rituals in Roman tradition. It was a very comfortable and beautiful practice for that time in my life, and it grew into a very easy rhythm.

My shift to Celtic paganism was pretty sudden and intense. I felt very lost in my identity and began exploring the religious practices of cultures through my genealogical research. I always that Braucherei (Pennsylvania Dutch magic) was cool, as a PA Dutch person, but I couldn’t wrap my head around using the Bible for that kind of mystical practice. I explored Welsh paganism because I have some Welsh roots, and read the Welsh epic Mabinogion. This is a really fascinating work because it seamlessly incorporates indigenous tradition with a Christian framework. Unlike the Irish cycles, it’s not set in pre-Christian Europe. The characters believe in God, they make Christian oaths, and yet they have supernatural abilities and lifespans. The first branch is particularly of interest to me because the character of Pwyll is put into the medieval archetype of the God-honoring feudal lord, and yet he’s relatively unconcenered when he meets Arawn, the king of the Otherworld (also known as Faerieland, etc.). I then read the Irish Cycles, which do lean a bit more Christian-y because of the very strong monastic tradition in Ireland, but they’re no less cool and definitely struck a cord with me.

Meanwhile, in my academic life, I was graduating high school and trying to figure out what the hell I wanted to do in college. I’ve always wanted to do Classics, but I began to become super obsessed with Medieval Latin and the early church. My best friend’s family had recently converted to conservative Catholicism, of all things (this was incredibly weird for her), and asked me to go to Christmas Eve mass with her because her parents wanted her to go with them. I readily accepted because it was a Latin Mass, and it was a lot of fun for me because church Latin is very easy and I got to translate something other than Virgil and Livy.

I became really interested in trying to reconstruct what someone in the early British or Irish church might have believed. Christianity in Western Europe was not introduced in a particularly violent manner, unlike what we see outside of Europe or even just in Slavic nations. Indigenous traditions were not systematically erased. Instead, Christianity diffused throughout the culture. It is very likely that my Gaelic and Brythonic ancestors at some point worshiped pagan gods at the same time they honored Christian Saints. St. Brighid, after all, was either syncretized with or is a development of the Irish goddess of the same name– I, personally, treat them as a single entity and she has done so, so much for me. In modern pagan (and Christian!) spaces, Christianity and Pre-Christian traditions are treated as two completely separate, incompatible worldviews, but if that were really true, this transitional period wouldn’t exist. We wouldn’t have religions that draw from both like folk Catholicism or Haitain Voudoun.

My journey to pantheism was pretty easy, all things considered. While I was worshiping Celtic gods alongside venerating Saints and the Archangels, I was coming to terms with the fact that I did really and honestly believe in fate. In neopaganism or modern spiritual spaces in general, you sometimes see this idea of “the universe.” As in, everything happens for a reason, and the “universe” is bringing you certain things or taking them away. I kind of organically combined this notion of the universe with my belief that nature is divine (which I suppose could be called animism) and came out with what I think could be called Spinoza’s pantheist god. I never felt a moment that drove me to God because God is everywhere, and there is no separation, in my mind, between the mundane and the divine. Gods and Saints and Angels and even our deceased ancestors are intermediaries between it and us.

Here’s a list of some beliefs of mine that I didn’t mention specifically mention but I think are important nonetheless:

I believe God(s) exist because every single culture in the world has religious traditions of some sort and similar ideas of religious experience, even if those cultures did not ever interact. If we can trust our physical senses to determine reality (ex. I am touching my laptop so I believe it exists physically) then our spiritual experiences are real and valid.

The God of Abraham specifically made a covenent with the Jewish people and so “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” only applies to that tradition– I also do believe that Adonai/YHWH, based on anthropological evidence, is a member of the Canaanite pantheon and therefore no more or less “powerful” than any other little-g god. YHWH, in my opinion, is not the same entity as the pantheistic God, which encompasses him and then literally everything else ever.

The Bible is not inerrent but everything in there is in there for a divinely inspired reason, even if that reason is so we can understand past cultures and historical context.

Religion tumblr is very weird for me because I can’t tell if I fit into the Christian or the Pagan space more. Christo-pagans are not that accepted in the pagan community and the idea of fate or “everything happens for a reason” is very controversial. Obviously it’s confusing for most Christians, too. Feel free to ask about literally anything– my faith is definitely a Frankenstein’s Monster situation!

[bardnuts]

OK HELLO my apologies for that aggressive intro I can totally see how it would come off as me coming to bite your head off. I promise I'm here with glee

I'm a hypermobile horse girl with a vendetta against Yarros for how dirty she did Violet

The best way to portray the EDS mindset is that there are no free actions. Some things, however, cost more than others. Run out of little energy points, and you could be down for multiple days.

The pain of EDS is a warning bell-- You can acknowledge it and push through (in fact, you have to for most of the day), but you do so by acknowledging that you'll pay for it later. It's kind of the lifestyle that you have to adopt where you reach your limit of what you can give without hurting yourself longer than a day, and stop there. Violet, though, was too special to ever get knocked on her ass. Boo! Lame!! Hiss!!!! Dull!!!!

Riding any kind of creature in a hard saddle with EDS can be a nightmare if you're not prepared for it. Saddle blankets are your best friend, but so is having fat. Violet should've been doing her best to get some fat on herself, not just that weird leg workout. She should've been bruised black and purple, because fragile blood vessels will do that to you.

I would've loved to see her seek out accomodations, or maybe fashion her own cane or crutches. It would've been cool to see her be visibly disabled beyond being just uwu tiny and pale and sometimes having some badass wraps. Also pain makes a person bitchy. Where were her days when she was too tired from giving all her energy to getting out of bed to be nice. Where was it.

Anyways there's more but it sounds like you got some good perspectives out there. Sorry for getting overexcited, hope you have a cool day

HEY!! Thanks for coming back, misunderstandings happen and I'm stoked to talk about this book because I have thoughts on it. (ftr to anyone reading this PLEASE send me asks about books I post about because chances are I could go on about them for hours).

I'm glad you're giving me more context here. When I read Fourth Wing I had no frame of reference for what EDS was like or even what specific disability Violet actually had. Hearing that there are interesting things Violet could have done in-universe to mitigate some of her symptoms (e.g. putting on fat, which incidentally would have been a pretty radical thing for a woman in a fantasy novel to try and do). I wish we'd gotten to see her pain and disability be more than an inconsistent trait that gets brought out only when it can do something cool for the plot.

Knowing what you're telling me now, the things that happen to Violet in the novel seem to be pushing the edge of absurdity. I wonder if Yarros--who, of course, is well within her rights to write a wish-fulfillment fantasy about overcoming a disability she has in real life--got carried away with the "wish fulfillment" aspect to the detriment of the actual story and representation.

Also, just to clarify, I did enjoy Fourth Wing but I also knew while I was reading that it wasn't a good novel. Disability misrepresentation aside, I could say a lot of really unkind things about it (or, I suppose, I could give it a real good ole-fashioned Criticism) so let me know if that's something you'd like to hear. I say I enjoyed it because it held my attention and there were a couple of moments that hit my "oh that's neat" funny bone. It has some fun scenes, but it's junk food. Just like the vast majority of poorly edited, heavily marketed YA "romantantasy" that's the standard fare for major publishing houses these days.

I do want to hear more of your thoughts, as many as you have. I also wish we'd gotten more Violet bitchiness. That could have been fun. She's a cardboard cutout (but then, so are all the characters).

[llycaons]

ep31 (1/2): things are not so bad yet

tw: eye horror

I had to watch this on my mobile hotspot because my apt's wifi sucks in the living room :( anyway this is one of the most fucked up episodes in the show

but first: a happy boy planting lotuses. bare legs look. he's so handsome I love him

wq watching fondly 🥰 you know I love a lesbian wq reading but there's subtext in this episode that points readily to her having a thing for wwx

there's also subtext that she has a thing for jyl so pick your tragedy ig. the one sibling she definitely isn't into is jc

I love this face it's so cute!!

like here. she sees the invite and pauses heavily on lwj's name. wq isn't a selfish person by any means, but it's easy to see her settling into their lives here, content, with wwx, only to be reminded that the outside world - and someone wwx shares a deep connection with - is still out there

but when she hands over the invite, she only mentions jyl. so who can say

previously, wwx tried to keep wq from discovering the visit from his siblings because he didn't want to make her feel guilty, I think. but she doesn't seem guilty now, she just seems...taken aback. a little reluctant, if still perfectly pleasant. it's easy to read as self-denial. I think in her life, whatever she's wanted, wq has practice in self-denial for the sake of the group. that's something that lends itself rly well to a wlw reading

I thought it was three month/100 days this entire time....we went to my cousin's three-month, they rented out the whole upstairs of a restaurant and we had like eight courses. she's like, nine? now

I always feel bad for this baby in this scene. wonderful symbolism and all, it comes back really well later on. but this poor child is clearly not having a great time at the shoot

STOP this hurts so bad. wwx loved jl so much already and worked so hard and wanted to give this gift to him!!! and he never will know!!!

okay this is one of the things that was much better done in the book. in the novel wen ning attacked jzx BECAUSE of wwx's animosity towards jzx, long-held since childhood. obviously wwx didn't want to kill jzx in that moment, but he really did lose control of wn and wn acted on what he perceived wwx's feelings to be

in the show it was su she taking control of him and directing him to kill jzx, which despite my bias even I can agree is a weaker dramatic narrative

what a way to start this fight. wwx was almost DEAD dead

LEGEND. zixun has had altercations w wwx in the past and is a prominent member of the jin family, so the fact that wwx didn't remember him is genuinely so funny

YESSSS tell him

THIS EXPRESSION IS SO FUNNY. the doubt.jpg. like 'you really think you can do that? YOU? kill ME?

well he can still hurt wwx with his words I guess 😭

oh he tried so hard. he had such good intentions. he would have been a good dad

I find this aside neat bc we barely see jyl with other jins. jzx has accepted her into his family but is willing to go over her head for revenge and apologize later. and he's clearly panicked and afraid about this curse, which is really nasty

BUT jzx is loyal to his wife!

zixun talking about wwx like any association with him is a stain that will affect everyone he comes into contact with is so representative of how the cultivation world sees wwx and he knows it. they're talking feet away from him

FUCKED UP!!!!!!

IT'S NOT PARANOIA IF THEY'RE REALLY OUT TO GET YOU

if wwx had agreed to stand down, I don't think jzx would have tried to kill him. but who can say what zixun or the panicked archers would have done. and once they get to koi tower, I don't see any way out for them

dang, fucked up

and then-

you can see the instant he goes FUCKKKKK

DROPPING HIS SWORD HE DROPPED HIS SWORD

[yourdeepestfathoms]

just an original story snippet because that anon i got yesterday flattered me (and because i love my girls and my idea)

  “The moon will fall February 17th, 4350--”

  “Oh dear. THAT’S an embarrassing situation to be in. Better take the long way to class to avoid that--”

  “The sun will explode way before then, but I can’t see when it’s too blurry too blurry can’t see further--”

  “MY PARENTS ARE GETTING ME A PUPPY?! Oh shoot. I just ruined the surprise--”

  “A plague will come. A plague will come. A plague will come--”

  “I know the answers to the exam and my peers don’t, hehe--”

  “I know when my mother will die, but I don’t know how to save her. I can’t save her. When I try to save her, she dies--”

There are hundreds of voices in this room. Hundreds of people talking over each other, rambling silly teenage thoughts and dark prophets of the future, babbling and gibbering and chattering like noisy jungle birds. Listen to what I have to say, they whisper. Listen to what I Saw. But they aren’t listened to, no one listens, so they keep shouting over each other until it’s a din of conflicting comments and arguments.

The weird thing is, though...the voices didn’t come from any person. The only people in the room were Lee and Keaton, behind one of the doors, and Michael, wearing an old, ripped trench coat and pacing between two tables covered in wicked-looking knives, scissors in various sizes of huge, and wrinkled papers filled to the brim with information. None of them were speaking.

  “I should warn Olivia to not try out for the school musical, she’s just going to embarrass herself--”

Keaton began to tremble against Lee’s side. Her eyes are wide and glazed with terror. Lee followed her gaze, tilting ever so slightly around the door so she could see more inside, and froze.

Nearly-depleted bulbs cast dim, horror movie-like lighting across polished wooden shelves and carved out cubbyholes, and the jars full of disembodied tongues that hold them. The muscular remains of finished lives howl and thrash, repeating themselves ad infinitum, slapping the glass walls of their confines until they clank and jiggle. The stench of it is thick and ripe. A choir of dead voices vying for attention.

Lee nearly vomited. Keaton trembled harder, and she can see tears glinting in her multicolored eyes. How many times has she seen this scene in her visions? Could she still hear their thoughts without a brain to read from?

  “Oh, that’s it!!!” Michael suddenly roared. Lee flinched, but tightened her muscles to keep from hitting anything in her surprise. “Shut it!!”

He reared around to glower at a particularly rowdy group of tongues that were writhing so violently that their jars were about to topple right over. They don’t obey his command, they can’t, and continue to speak: “I make the team in soccer?! Oh my god--” “Mom and dad are getting a divorce--” “The fire alarm on Thursday won’t be a drill--” “John F. Kennedy will be shot on November 22, 1963--”

That last comment from a spongy, paler tongue on the top row of jars. It does damage to itself as it threw itself against aged glass.

  “Just take a breath, Michael,” Michael began to mutter to himself. He rubbed his temples with his middle and index finger. “It’ll all be worth it. This will all pay off soon. Just focus.”

  “DAVID IS CHEATING ON JESSIE?! OH THAT GODDAMN BITC--”

  “I can’t take this!!” Michael stormed out the door, his long trench coat fluttering darkly behind him like the wings of a black moth. Lee and Keaton wait for a minute, with Keaton confirming that he wasn’t coming back by listening to his receding thoughts, and then crept out into the room.

The smell was so much worse inside, like a mix of fresh rot and week-old decay. There was a certain humidity in the room, too, most likely to preserve the tongues, and it made the odor that much worse. Lee tried to breathe through her mouth, but the air was so thick with stench that she could taste decomposition on her tongue. She careened sharply to the left and vomited into a small black trash can- the most normal thing in the entire place.

  “Well,” She breathed out shakily. “He’s probably going to notice this.” She set the trash can down tentatively and turned to Keaton with a wry smile. “Is there any way that you could rewind to before we enter and warn me to NOT breathe through my mouth?”

Keaton didn’t answer. 

She’s staring intently at the wall of jars. Her cropped, coppery hair has gone all tufty and frizzy, as though the relentless noise around her has made it stand on end. She kept clenching and unclenching her fists like she thought this just was a bad dream or vision she could claw herself out of. But it was very, very real. And the next ear-piercing prophecy proved that.

  “I’M ADOPTED?! AND MOM AND DAD ARE GOING TO TELL ME AT THE CHRISTMAS PARTY?! ARE YOU SERIOUS--”

  “I didn’t know.” 

The whisper was mute beneath the din of cries. Lee moved closer to hear her young companion better, but didn’t ask her to repeat herself. Keaton looked up at her with terror in her eyes.

  “I didn’t know about this.” She said. “I didn’t see it.”

  “Ever?” Lee asked. “Not once?”

  “Not once,” Keaton confirmed. Her voice is painfully tight and she looked like she was about to spiral into a panic attack. “I didn’t know...”

She stepped forward slowly, cautiously, like she thought the tongues may suddenly grow bodies and attack her. She gently picked up a jar that held a soft pink tongue with a blue blemish over the bumpy expanse of taste buds, remnants of a blueberry slushy. It did wild flips in its confinements, fresh and sinewy as eels, squawking out things about boys her bad-at-love best friend was crushing on, but then went still when raised. It now sat silently at the bottom of the jar with its tip flicking patiently like the tail of a slithering snake.

  “I didn’t know her,” Keaton whispered. She really is shaking- the jar is being rattled so badly that Lee was afraid that she might drop it or it may completely shatter. Her sun-moon eyes are hazy with tears on the reflection against the glass.

Lee crept closer and peered over her shoulder. The tongue flicked its tip again, like it was addressing that she was there, that it knew who she was and it could spit out prophecies about her at any moment. At the top of its jar winked a small gold plaque that read: Hayley Grace Ross | Age: 17 | Best known for: Visions of an alternate universe where time runs backwards | Death: January 13, 2019 |

  “I didn’t know any of them.” Keaton choked out. She’s crying, now. She gently cradled the jar close to her chest with a haunted expression and the tongue inside squirmed its way against the glass like it was returning the embrace in a strange, but sad postmortem, disembodied way.

Lee gave her a saddened expression. She’s gotten quite good at comforting Keaton, but she knew not to pry right now. Not when she was so obviously shaken by this.

She turned, wanting to give the girl some space, and saw a jar on one of the several tables. It’s decorated, unlike the others, swathed with sparkling threads of silver and gold around the lid and studded with small sun and moon pendants. She picked it up and read the plaque, which looked like it had been recently shined: Keaton Morgan Fox | Age: 15 | Best known for: Very specific and clear visions into the future, perfected mind reading, time loops | Death: N/A |

It was empty.

There was no death date.

  “Beware the one born of the sun and the moon,” Whispered a wrinkly old tongue with cracks over its surface. “Seething with darkness and sparkling with anger.”

  “Awakened from the blood of an unwanted womb,” Chimed in another tongue that was missing taste buds. 

  “And drenched in the carnage of the futures she hides.” Murmured a third.

  “Beware the one born of the sun and the moon,” Said all the tongues together. “With too many secrets and too many eyes.”

Lee shuddered and turned to Keaton, finally realizing why she was so distraught.

They were standing in a room full of the severed tongues of murdered Seers. 

She was surrounded by her own kind, dead and trapped forever.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Into The Woods

Warnings: noncon sexual acts; vaginal, anal.

This is dark!Lumberjack!Bucky and explicit. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: You’re sent to make a delivery to the man in the woods.

Note: This is for @imanuglywombat​ and @nellblazer​‘s Lumberjack Challenge. I couldn’t see if they were accepting dark fics so if they aren’t, I guess it’s just another fic lol. But anyways, the challenge inspired me.

Thank you. Love you guys!

As always, if you can, please leave some feedback, like and reblog <3

“You sure Dezy isn’t going to make it?” You asked as you helped Gerry load the crate onto the trailer. 

“I’m sorry, I got all the other deliveries sent out with Milo but this one’s too far for him.” Gerry grunted as he closed the back of the open-top trailer. “I don’t know what’s gotten into Dezy. Second day in a row and yet I hear he’s down at the Horse every night.”

“Well, he’ll run out of beer money sooner than later,” You sighed as you pulled on your gloves. The air was starting to bite as the brief autumn was turning. “You sure you can manage without me?”

“Slow day in the shop,” He shrugged. “You just be careful.”

“Alright. I’ll do my best.” You climbed up onto the four-wheeler and fumbled with the thick key with the grizzly bear charm attached to it. “Maybe next time give me the easy ones.”

“I’ll tack an hour of overtime on your pay, how about that?” He chuckled. “You need to get out anyway. I know this place is small but you can’t spend all your time reading those harlequins in the dry good section.”

“They’re not harlequins,” You turned the engine and raised your voice as you gripped the handlebars. “They’re fantasy, Ger.”

“Sure, sure,” He backed away. “You go or you won’t make it back by sundown.”

“Never far off these days,” You mused as you revved. “See ya, Gerry. Don’t forget to down stock the fishing wire.”

“Which one of us is the boss?” He called after you as you pulled out, the small trailer rumbling behind you.

You turned off at the end of the street, past the business fronts that looked like cabins. The town looked straight out of Western but with more snow. The first of the annual powder had yet to fall but you could feel it coming. You headed over the lumpy tundra past the sparse trees that grew thicker the further you got. The paths turned narrower and you steered slowly through the damp forest.

You only went so far out when your uncle took you ice fishing and rarely in this direction. You slowed as the path grew more uneven, carefully traversing the thick roots and deep valleys. The noise of the engine bounced off the trunks of trees around you. It was more than an hour before you reached your destination. At least, you thought you were in the right place. Weren’t too many cabins hidden in these trees; well not many still inhabited.

You pulled into the clearing and killed the engine. You hopped off the ATV and stretched your legs, your thighs tingled from the rumble. You went to the trailer and open the door and slid out the heavy trunk. You braced yourself before you lifted and gave a grunt. You’d packed the load yourself. You carried it past the old motorcycle and the neat stack of wood which marched the way to the broad front porch. You slowly ascended the three steps up and set down the heavy crate beside the door.

A bench made of logs, likely by hand, stood just a few feet from the front door, a woven blanket folded over the seat. The curtains were drawn within and you started to wonder if there was anyone there or if this was just another forgotten scene. It all seemed so eerily still.

You knocked and waited for an answer. Nothing. You tried again with the same result. Then, after a cold silence, you heard a door open and snap shut but it wasn’t the one before you. You turned as a man appeared beside the far corner of the porch. He appeared disturbed by your presence as he emerged from the old shed, his flannel jacket marked with patches of dirt and his dark hair poking out from beneath a woolen cap.

“He usually just leaves it there,” He clapped his gloved hands together as he brushed away the filth. “Thanks.”

“Uh, sorry,” You turned and ambled down the steps. “I didn’t realise.”

“Don’t be sorry,” He stayed near the corner, kicking his foot up onto the stump where an ax waited to be used. “Better get going before the sun beats you.”

“Sure,” You went back to the four wheeler. His eyes bore into you as you climbed up. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. I just--”

“Thanks,” He said again. “Driving out here all this way. Appreciate it.”

“No problem,” You turned the key. “Have a good day, sir.”

The engine roared to life and you carefully turned around, the empty trailer clattering behind you. You couldn’t help but feel him watching you still. You wanted to look back, but didn’t. You twisted the throttle and delved back through the treeline. You hoped Dezy would get his shit together, you weren’t keen on doing deliveries.

🪓

The next day, you were back to your usual fare. You stood at the long counter of Elk’s General, watching the locals as they wandered in and out, perusing the aisles of groceries, clothing, or novelty goods. You rung them through on the outdated till and smiled after them as they left with their paper bags.

The usual midday lull came and you pressed flat your latest read on the counter. You crossed your arms over the edge and bent over the pages, losing yourself in the fantastical medieval setting. Gerry didn’t mind so much as you kept an eye on customers. 

The rusty bell above the entrance tinkled and you looked up suddenly. You turned your book over before you could lose your place. You stood up straight and smiled at your newest customer but froze as his eyes met yours. It was the man from the day before, to whom you had delivered the weeks worth of goods.

He ignored your usual greeting and marched over to you. He planted the bill for his delivery on the counter.

“I ordered six cans of maple beans. I have only four.” He said plainly.

“An oversight. I’m sorry, sir. Just a moment.” You gulped and flitted off to check the shelf. There were only the tomato beans in stock. You went to the back room and checked there. Nothing. You returned to the counter. “Looks like we’re all out but I’ll make a note to have them delivered when we get more. Or we can remove the charge from your bill.”

“Keep ‘em on,” He said as he reached into his pocket. “I can wait.” He unfolded the worn leather wallet. “I have to pay my account anyway.”

“Sure,” You reached to slid his bill closer and keyed the amount into the machine. “You could have called--”

“I don’t have a phone,” He growled as he counted out the bills. “I don’t like to be disturbed.”

You took the money and counted it. You avoided his gaze guiltily. You sorted the bills in the cash door and handed him his change. His gloves brushed your skin and he tucked the money away with his wallet.

“Good book?” He pointed to the novel.

“Alright, so far,” You answered quietly.

“I read his other one. The one set in Ancient Egypt. It was… interesting. Not my usual reading material though.” He tapped his fingers on the counter. “You have a good day, miss.”

He turned and left you as you returned his farewell. The door snapped shut behind him and you looked back down at the book. You opened the front page and read the list of works by the same author. You’d have to look into them.

🪓

Several days late, you were helping Gerry restock shelves with the newly acquired truck. The night before, you’d helped unload it and left it for the next day to sort through. Dezy sat behind the counter, half-keeled over on the stool, trying not to puke into his hands.

“Damn shit is hungover again,” Gerry muttered. “I got a whole list of deliveries today and he can’t even stand straight.”

“I can do it,” You offered. “Long as he can manage the till.”

“I don’t know if I even trust him to do that,” Gerry said. “You sure you wanna do the deliveries?”

“We got any of the maple beans on the truck?” You asked.

“A good amount.” He said.

“We owe two cans to-- well, I didn’t get his name. The man who lives way up in the trees.” You frowned, only then realising you new nothing about him. In that town, everyone knew everyone.

“Mr. Barnes?” Gerry reached over into the box and moved around several items before pulling out a can. “Quiet man. Doesn’t like to be bothered. Must’ve scared Dezy good to get him to shut up.” He took out two more cans. “If you’re willing to head up that way, you give him and extra can on me. He’s the only customer in town who pays on time.”

“Sure,” You stood, thankful not to be forced to kneel all day at the shelves. “The list?”

“Pinned up behind the counter as usual,” He caught a box of Corn Pops he hit with his elbow and swore. “Take a radio. Snow’s comin’.”

“Will do,” You said. “I should be that long.”

“Chill blowin’ in from the lake, bundle up before you go too.” He said.

“You sound like my mother.” You laughed.

“I feel like you’re mother,” He shook his head. “Now go, before I get sentimental.”

🪓

Gerry was right, it was cold. The four-wheeler seemed slower as the wind swirled around you. You stopped by each house and knocked before leaving your haul. You smiled away tips and bid each resident a good day before you rushed away under the protests of another delivery ahead of you.

Your last would take the longest, though it was the smallest. The tree cans rattled around the trailer so you stopped at the shop before you continued on and detached it. You placed the cans in a small box and secured it to the seat behind you with bungee cords. You fixed your gloves and pulled your cap over your ears before you set out once more.

The sky grew paler the later it got. A harbinger of snow. You took the same route as before, getting off once to push the ATV over a fallen branch caught beneath it. You carried on, the frigid air lashing your cheeks.

You drew up to the clearing as you had before. The motorcycle was gone, likely pushed into the shed in preparation for the first snowfall. The piles of wood had grown taller and the front door was open, the screen door a poor barrier to the looming winter.

You unhooked the box and climbed up the steps. You bent to set it down and be off. You looked up as you sensed something on the other side of the screen door. The man, Mr. Barnes, stared at you through the mesh, a mug in hand. You stood and smiled nervously.

“Your beans. An extra can for the inconvenience.” You said. “Have a good day, sir.”

You turned but caught yourself before you made it down one step as he spoke. 

“It’s pretty cold.” He remarked as he took the box in his free hand. “You like coffee? I just made a pot.”

“I appreciate it,” You turned to him. “But I don’t mean to impose on you.”

“I wouldn’t ask if you were,” He said stiffly. “I’d feel worse letting half a pot go to waste.”

“I don’t know, I should--” You glanced behind you at the trees.

“You came all this way to give me beans in this,” He held the door with his elbow and stepped through. “You don’t like coffee, I got tea.”

You took a breath as you looked back to him. “Sure. I’ll have some coffee.”

He nodded and stared at you. He blinked and moved to hold the door open. “Well, you wanna come inside? Or do you prefer your coffee frozen?”

“Uh, yeah, okay,” You kicked yourself and stopped right before the door. You smiled awkwardly and offered your name. “I just… figured you wouldn’t want a stranger in your home.”

“Bucky,” He returned and waved you inside. “Not many strangers in town. Not really.”

You entered and he followed you. The entryway was lit by an antique lamp and the front room was entirely dark. You knelt to unlace your boots as he stepped around you. You kept your coat on as the wind continued to seep in behind you.

“Kitchens just down the hall past the stairs,” He said as he continued across the wooden floor. 

“Okay,” You slid your boots off and stood, following his shadow to the kitchen. 

As you passed through the doorway, he placed his mug on the table and went to the cupboard. He took down another thick ceramic cup and sidled over to the stove. He filled it from the percolator and returned to the table to place it before you.

“Milk? Sugar?”

“I’m fine, black is good,” You accepted as he slid the cup over to you.

You sat, hesitantly, and removed your gloves. You tucked them in your pocket and wrapped your hands around the steaming cup. He pulled out another chair and sat. He looked into the mug and slowly drank from it.

“I didn’t know anyone still lived out here.” You said.

“Sometimes,” He answered carefully. “Spring and summer I spend working the lumberyards south of here.”

“And you live all the way up here?” You wondered. He gave you a sharp look. “Sorry, it’s just… curiosity.”

“I like it,” He shrugged. “It’s quiet.”

You nodded and resigned yourself to silence. You listened to the wind outside and looked around at the tidy kitchen. Most of the original structure remained, renovated but not replaced. Even the curtains seemed to be of another era; faded but without holes or tears. All the way up here, time always seemed to stand still.

“You finish your book?” His voice jolted you.

You looked back to him and sipped the hot coffee. You nodded again.

“I did.” You answered. “It was alright.”

“Just alright?” He asked. 

“I’ve read better and worse,” You said. “It was… entertaining.”

“Mmm,” He mumbled and drank his coffee. You mimicked him, eager to leave.

Ten minutes of silence and stunted small talk left your mug empty and your stomach gurgling. You stood and nervously teetered on your feet.

“I should go. It’s snowing already.” You glanced out the window.

“Sure,” He rose and gathered up the mugs and took them to the sink.

“Thank you.” You said and turned rigidly to head through the door. 

You trod down the hallway and stopped to pull on your boots. You adjusted your cap and shoved your gloves on. He neared and you pushed open the door and glanced back at him.

“Coffee was good.” You said.

He caught the door behind you and you marched across the porch. You rushed down the steps and shivered as you neared the four wheeler.

“Be careful,” He said in monotone. 

“I will, thank you,” You called back as you climb onto the seat. “Enjoy your beans.”

He waved and you turned the engine. You backed up and turned around. The snow had already left a thin powder across the ground. You steered into the trees and carefully began to weave around the trunks and along the uneven forest floor. 

The snow thickened the more it fell. You had to slow as the ride became more precarious. The downfall formed a thick carpet beneath the tires and soon, even beneath the shroud of branches, the snow formed a curtain all around you, making it nearly impossible to see. You stopped and left the motor rumbling.

You pulled the radio from its holster down beside the wheel well and turned the dial until you picked up the signal. It was static and crackled.

“Gerry? Gerry!” You held the speak to your lips. “Gerry?”

“Yeah, i--me, ---okay?” His voice went in and out.

“I’m okay but the snow is… I can’t see. It’s going to take me a while.”

“Wha-- breaking up--” The radio broke off with a high pitched scratch.

“Damn it!” You shouted and tried fixing the dial. It didn’t help.

You sat for a moment and put the radio back. You couldn’t stay and let yourself get snowed in. You’d have to keep going, slow but steady. You carefully pulled past the trees, blinking away the flakes as they gathered on your lashes. You stopped again to pulled your scarf higher over your cheeks and pressed on.

The third time you paused, you realised you were lost. A brief lull allowed your vision to clear and you had no idea where you were. You kicked the side of the ATV and cursed. You grabbed the radio again and turned it on.

“Gerry?” No answer. Several more tries with nothing but static.

You hung your head and clicked the radio off. You gripped the handlebars and looked around. You’d have to turn around and try to trace your way back but the snow was starting to get heavy again and--

“Hey,” You jumped as the voice sounded from behind you. “You okay?”

You turned to find Bucky standing by a tree. “How--”

“Looks like you just went in a big circle,” He said. “You’re about ten minutes from my place.”

“What are you doing out here?” You asked.

“Wanted to grab some kindling before the storm got too bad, then I heard you.”

“Kindling?”

“Dry it out, obviously, but might run out of what I have before this clears,” He looked up. “Look, it’s only gonna get worse. Why don’t you wait it out?”

“I don’t-- I can’t--”

“There’s more than enough room for both of us. Might be a bit dusty but… Wouldn’t feel right letting you get lost out here.”

You exhaled and looked at the radio.

“Alright,” You relented.

“I’ll lead the way.” He came up beside the ATV and passed to the front. “Just don’t get too close.”

“Okay,” You turned the throttle just a bit and kept a snail’s pace as he guided you.

He barely seemed bothered by the gusts or the deepening snow. Even as the air turned almost completely white, he didn’t waver though you squinted to keep an eye on him.

“You like beans?” He yelled back to you as he broke through to the clearing around his house.

“Maple beans?” You asked dryly.

“They go great with toast,” He said as he continued onto the shed and unlocked the wide doors. “Warm you right up.”

🪓

You sat at the table, alone. Bucky had excused himself after clearing his own plates. You still picked away at the beans and sausage, listening to the movement above. You scooped the last few bites up and swallowed, washing it down with a gulp of water. You stood and went to the sink to rinse your plate. As you set it in the rack, you were startled by a creak behind you.

“I cleared a bedroom for you. It’s a bit dusty around here.” Bucky said as he leaned against the door frame. “Bit cold, too. Sorry about that.”

“It’s alright,” The windows shuddered. “Better than out there.”

“I put some clothes out too. Might be a little big.” He explained. “Dinner okay?”

“Yeah, it was…” You tried to smile. “Alright. Um, just one second.”

You neared him and he moved aside. You went down the hallway to where your jacket was hung and pulled the radio out. He watched you as you fiddled with it and the speaker crackled on.

“Gerry?” You held it to your lips.

“Kiddo?” He said, clear but not entirely.

“I’m okay,” You said slowly as you held the button down. “Staying until storm clears. Call in morning.”

“Roger, kiddo,” He returned. “Be safe.”

You turned off the radio and placed it back in your coat pocket. You looked up at Bucky as he stared at you dully.

“Just wanted to make sure someone knew,” You said. “Wouldn’t want them to worry.”

“Of course not,” He said. “You want a beer?”

“What?” You were thrown off by the sudden offer.

“Beer. If you want you can grab a book from the study,” He pointed to the doorway opposite the front room. “Sit in front of the fire where it’s warm.”

“I’ll take the book,” You said. “I’m not much for beer though.”

“Hot chocolate? Tea?” He stepped a little closer.

“I’m fine,” You squirmed. “Thank you.”

‘Just let me know if you need anything,” He said softly. “Haven’t had a guest in a while but… I can be accommodating.”

🪓

You read three chapters before you found your way upstairs. Bucky showed you the room he’d prepared for you but didn’t say much more before he closed himself into his own. You changed into the long sleeve tee he left you and the jogging pants with the drawstring waist. You tucked your feet into the wool socks and rolled under the blankets. You were still cold. The top floor was entirely untouched by the fireplace below.

You drifted into a shallow sleep. Maybe an hour or two before you woke, shivering. You sat up and  reluctantly climbed out from beneath the covers. You took one of the blankets and wrapped it around you as you shuffled to the door. You slipped through, carefully not to let the hinges whine and plodded through the dark down the stairs.

In the front room, the fire burned a low amber. You crept over to it and took a log from the wrought iron basket just beside it. You placed it over the coals and stoked it with the poker until flames began to lick. You held your hands to the glow until you were no longer shaking.

You took a cushion from the couch and dropped it on the carpet. You laid down before the fire, wrapping yourself in the blanket as you basked in the warmth. You listened to the violent winds outside, softened by the heaps of snow which had gathered all around the cabin. Your eyes closed as you began to sink into the darkness around you.

You dreamt of the four wheeler, of the snow swirling around you, of losing yourself in the pure white. The trees curled and clawed at your as you were thrown from the seat. The snap of twigs filled your ears and your eyes snapped open. The fire popped as it burned, the room lighter but not much.

There was a heaviness around you. More than just the quilt, the thick arm wrapped around your middle held you close to the warmth at your back. Startled, you wriggled against the body and a groan slithered along your ear.

“What the--” You hissed as you grasped his wrist, his hand tucked beneath you. “What are you doing?”

“It’s cold,” His breath was hot as it seeped into your scalp. “You were shivering.”

“Let me go,” You tugged on him.

“Shhh,” He hushed. “It’s early.”

“Dude, not cool,” You pulled harder on his arm.

“Stop,” He said more firmly. 

“Get off of me.” You growled.

“You’re not a very gracious guest,” He snarled as he retracted his arm, only to grab your shoulder and push you flat on your back.

You latched onto his wrist, he was strong. He didn’t budge.

“You’re scaring me.”

“Scaring you?” He removed his hand. “How? What do you think I’m gonna do?”

He sat up, his broad shoulder stretched the waffled shirt he wore as he rubbed his eyes. He pushed his head back and took a deep breath. You pushed yourself up slowly beside him.

“What do you want me to do?” His hand settled on your thigh and he squeezed.

“Stop,” You tried to push his hand away and he flipped it to grasp yours. 

His grip slipped to your wrist and he twisted. He wrenched it over your head until you were forced onto your back. You cried out as he leaned over you, the blanket slipping entirely from your bodies.

“Came all this way for a few cans of beans,” He whispered. “Really?”

“Stop!” You repeated. “Please.”

“But you’re cold,” He uttered as he leaned closer. “You need to warm up… you’re shivering…” His nose touched yours. “Or… shaking?”

“Get--” His lips smothered yours as he shifted his body atop you. 

You struggled as he released your wrist and reached down to grab your knee as he forced his legs between yours. He bit your lip as he pulled and his hand clawed at the waist of the loose pants. He pulled until he snapped the string within and you kicked around him.

“What are you doing?” You beat on his shoulders. “Stop! Stop!”

“I don’t talk to people, they don’t talk to me,” He snarled. “I keep to myself. Even that dumb delivery boy of yours knows better.”

“No, no,” You slapped his chest as he sat up suddenly. 

He tore the pants down your legs until they were around your knees and pushed them up. The fabric kept you trapped beneath him, legs bent to your chest as he leaned over your once more. He brushed his nose against your cheek and snarled.

“You asked for this, honey,” He sneered. “You just couldn’t leave me alone… The way you smile at me, I can see it.”

“I was just--” You pushed against him. “--doing my job. Please, get off of me.”

He moved against you, his thighs pressed to yours as he felt between you. He pushed his own pants down and you tried to shove him off of you with your legs. You only made yourself dizzy.

The fire flickered against you, setting shadows across his features, his blue eyes caught the flame and glowed sinisterly. His rough finger tickled your cunt as he guided his cock along your folds. You grunted as you fought harder beneath him. He pressed along your entrance and you gasped, a horrified scream as he impaled you in a single thrust.

“Go on and scream.” He said. “No one will hear you. No one but me.” He jerked his hips and you cried out again. “I kinda like it.”

He moved his hips in sharp, short thrusts. He grunted with each, lower and lower, almost like satisfied purrs.

He sat up and hugged your legs to his torso as he rutted faster. He clung to you as if he was desperate, as if he couldn’t get enough. You scratched at the carpet. You whimpered each time he slammed into you, each tilt of his hips harder than the last. The clapping of your flesh mingled with your voices. You closed your eyes, holding back the sobs that threatened.

And then he stopped. Suddenly. He stayed inside of you as his grasp on you loosened. His body quivered and a low growl rose from him. He pulled out of you and pushed your legs aside to that you fell onto your side. Shakily, you pushed yourself, on knees and elbow you tried to crawl away, your pants tangled around your feet.

He grabbed your ankles and dragged you back as you slipped onto your stomach. He climbed over you, pinning your legs between his. He kneaded and pinched your ass, dusky, thick breaths rose from him. 

He pressed his thumb between your cheeks and you reached desperately for anything to get away. The edge of the carpet rolled in your grasp and you kicked your feet with a panicked whine. He pressed his thumb against your asshole and you shook your head as he buried your face in your arms. He pushed inside and you let out a shrill cry.

He poked in and out of you, your tight ring burned around his thumb. He withdrew it and forced his index finger in, then added his middle. Your pained groans only seemed to encourage him as he stretched you around a third finger.

He pulled his hand away and bent his arm over your shoulders as he lifted himself over you. He lined himself up with your ass as his hair hung around his head and brushed the back of yours. He took a breath and you held one in. He entered you slowly, letting out a choked grunt as you strained around him.

The tears pricked at your eyes and your arm shot up as you blind grabbed at air.

“Please, please, please. Stop.” You begged. “I can’t--”

He pushed deeper and your voice fizzled. He pulled back and thrust in again. Every time, he went a little further. Soon he was buried in you to his limit and you couldn’t breathe or move. He held himself inside of you and shuddered.

He began to rock and you moaned. Despite the pain, the fire that radiated from your core, it felt good. The more he did, the better it got. The pressure built, unlike any you’d felt before, and you gulped and groaned against the carpet. Shocked by him, by yourself.

He got faster and faster. Louder two as his snarls filled your head. You tensed and then in an instant, your strength drained from you. You came, harder than you had ever in your life. You murmured as your head lolled and he kept going.

He lifted his head and his fingers gripped the back of your neck as he lifted himself over you. He hammered into you from above as you lay prone and helpless beneath him. He exclaimed and you felt a warmth flow into you. 

He stopped and fell atop you. His weight held you down, suffocated you. His arm stretched up and he grabbed your hand, twining his fingers with yours.

“Stay as long as you like,” He rasped. “Snow’s not letting up anytme soon.”

[joneswuzhere]

hello join me in thinking about some books and authors that are, or might be, part of s5′s intertextuality

5.10 in particular offered specific shout outs, and also u know i’m always wondering what might be ahead so i have some ideas on that:

- first, as mentioned in a previous ask post, i know i wasn’t alone in keeping an eye out for 5.10 parallels to the lost weekend (1945) the film that gave episode 1.10 its name and several themes - or to the 1944 book by charles r jackson which the film is based on

- s5 has not been shy about revisiting earlier seasons, especially s1. altho i feel that 1.10′s parallels to the lost weekend centered characters other than jughead (mostly betty), a 1.10-5.10 connection involving jughead and themes from jackson’s story (addiction, writers block, self reflection) seemed v possible if not inevitable

- but like,, , for a hot minute after the ep, i was really stumped on understanding how anything from the book or film could apply, even tho the pieces were almost all there

- jackson’s protagonist don birnam goes thru and comes out the other side of a harrowing days-long drinking binge that could be compared to jughead’s one-night hallucinogenic writing retreat

- but jughead is struggling primarily with traumatic memories, not addiction and self control like birnam. and tho drinking activates birnam’s creativity, it paralyzes his writing as he gets lost in fantasies; he’s never published anything. jughead’s drug trip recreates circumstances that already helped him write one successful book. even the rat that startles him mid-high doesn’t line up with birnam’s withdrawal vision of a dying mouse, symbolic of his horror at his own self-destruction thru alcohol

- and maybe the most visible discordance: in the film there’s a romantic motif around a typewriter. first it’s an object of shame; birnam’s failure to write, tied up with his drinking, makes him flee his relationship. he tries to pawn the typewriter for booze money and finally a gun when shooting himself feels easier than getting sober. but with the help of relentless encouragement from girlfriend helen, he quits drinking, commits to her, and focuses on typing out the story he’s dreamt of writing. rd goes so far to avoid setting any comparable scenario that jughead has brought a wholeass printer into the bunker so there can still be a physical manuscript to cover in blood by the end, even without his own typewriter. the subtle detail of his laptop bg image is a little less noticeable than his avoidance of betty’s gift

- tabitha might be closer to a parallel than jughead is, but she’s still no helen. both refuse to take advantage of the inebriated men in their care, but birnam takes advantage of helen, financially and emotionally. jughead refused a loan from the tate family and now has resolved to deal with his shit before he considers a relationship with tabitha. instead of helen’s relentless and unwelcomed attempts to get birnam sober, tabitha reluctantly agrees to help jughead trip safely bondage escape notwithstanding. she even helps him get the drugs.

- whatever potentials exist for parallels to jackson’s story, they were not explored for this episode. ok so why tf am i even talking about this? what was there instead?

-  i have arrived at the point

- s5 has been revisiting s1, not directly but with a twist. and jughead’s agent samm pansky is back. u may recall, pansky is named for sam lansky

- jughead’s trip-thru-trauma is a story device tapped straight from lansky’s book ‘broken people’

- lansky is like if a millenial john rechy wrote extremely LA-flavored meta but just about himself no jk very like a modern successor to charles r jackson. both play with the boundary between memoir and fiction. lansky is gay; jackson wrote his lost weekend counterpart as closeted and remained closeted himself until only a few years before his death. both write with emotional clarity and self-scrutiny on the experiences of addiction, sobriety, and the surrounding issues of shame and self worth

- i feel like a fool bc after this ep i had been thinking about de quincey and his early writings on addiction (c.1800s), but i failed to carry the thought in the other direction, to contemporary writers in the genre, to make this connection sooner

- lansky’s second book, broken people, follows narrator ‘sam’, mid-20s, super depressed, hastled by his agent to write a decent follow-up to his first book, but too busy struggling with his self-worth and baggage from several past relationships. desperate, he takes up an offer to visit a new age shaman who promises to fix everything wrong with him in a matter of days. not to over simplify it but he literally spends a weekend doing psychedelics and hallucinating about his exes. jughead took note

- unless u want me to hurl myself into yet another dissertation about queer jughead, i think his parallel to sam - who, unlike jughead, has considerable financial privilege and whose anxieties center on body dysmorphia, hiv scares, and his own self-centeredness - pretty much ends there

- But,, the gist of the book could not be more harmonius with a major theme shared by the 2 films that inform the actual hallucination part of jughead’s bunker scene: mentally reframing past relationships to get closure + confronting trauma head-on in order to move forward

- so that’s neat. what other book and author stuff was in 5.10?

- stephen king and raymond carver get name dropped. i’m passingly familiar with them both but u bet i just skimmed their wiki bios in case anything relevant jumped out

- like jughead, carver was a student (later a lecturer) at the iowa writers workshop. also the son of an alcoholic and one himself

- i recall carver’s ‘what we talk about when we talk about love’ is what jughead was reading in 2.14 ‘the hills have eyes’ after he finds out about the first time betty kissed archie (at that time he does not respond as would any of carver’s characters)

- this collection of carver stories deals especially with infidelity, failings of communication, and the complexities and destructiveness of love. to unashamedly quote the resource that is course hero, ‘carver renders love as an experience that is inherently violent bc it produces psychic and emotional wounds.’ very fun to wonder about the significance of this collection within the s2 episode and in jughead’s thoughts. and maybe now in the context of the s5 state of relationships. or, at least, the state of jughead’s writing as seen by his agent

- anyway pansky doesn’t want carver, he wants stephen king

- i have too much to say about gerald’s game in 5.10, that’s getting its own post someday soon

- lol wait king’s wife is named tabitha uhhh king’s wiki reminded me of his childhood experience that possibly inspired his short story ‘the body’ (+1986 movie ‘stand by me’) when he ‘apparently witnessed one of his friends being struck and killed by a train tho he has no memory of the event’

- no mention of that in this rd episode but memories of a train could be interesting to consider with the imagery that intrudes on jughead’s hallucination. i still feel like it was a truck but the lights and sounds he experiences may be a train

- ok now we’re in the speculation part of today’s segment

- if jughead’s traumatic memory involves trains, then it’s possible this plot will take influence from la bête humaine <- this 1938 movie is based on the 1890 novel by french writer émile zola. this story deals with alcoholism and possessive jealousy in relationships, sometimes leading to murder. huh, kind of like carver. zola def comes down on the nature side of the nature-vs-nuture bad seed question (tho i should say he approaches this with great or maybe just v french compassion). also i can’t tell if this is me reaching but, something about la bête humaine reminds me of king’s ‘secret window’ which we’ve observed to be at least a style influence on jughead post time jump

- but wow a late-19th century french writer would be a random thing to drop into this season, right? then again zola also wrote about miners, which we’ve learned are an important part of this town’s history + whatever hiram is up to this time.  and most notably, zola wrote ‘j’accuse...!’ an open letter in defense of a soldier falsely accused and unlawfully jailed for treason: alfred dreyfus. archie’s recent army trouble comes to mind.

- since the introduction of old man dreyfuss (plausibly Just a nod to close encounters actor richard dreyfuss, but also when is anything in this show Just one thing) i’ve been wondering if these little things could add up to a season-long reference to zola’s writings. but i had doubts and didn’t want to speak on it too soon bc, u know, it’s weird but is it weird enough for riverdale??

- however,,,

- (come on, u knew where i was going with this)

- a24′s film zola just came out. absolutely no relation to the french writer, it’s not based on a book but an insane and explicit twitter thread by aziah ‘zola’ wells about stripping and? human trafficking?? this feels ripe for rd even outside the potentials here for the lonely highway/missing girls plot.

- that would add up to a combination of homage that feels natural to this show

- anyway pls understand i’m just having fun speculating, most of this is based on nothing more concrete than the torturous mental tendril ras has hooked into my skull pls let go ras pls let go

[teeth-and-tea]

ANIME & MANGA I HAVE BINGED IN THE LAST MONTH: May 2021

I've Been Hunting Slimes for the Past 300 Years and Now Ive Maxed Out My Level: incredibly long name aside, cute af slice of life that suffers Same Face Syndrome. I'm still happy to watch it because of how feel good and fluffy it is though, Im probably gonna forget about it in two or three years tho. 8/10.

Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro: I found out this was a webcomic first and suddenly all the HORNINESS made so much more sense. A Femdom, Degradation, Humiliation, Dacryphilia Bullies to Lovers story disguised as a high school rom-com which, I'm not going to lie, misses SKEEVY CITY by mere inches on a regular basis. However, I'm a Dom/Switch and this entire relationship sets off my dom brain center like New York City just shy of midnight. So if you're into that sort of scene, this anime is for you. If not, it's still fascinating but you're probably gonna be a little put off by how mean the Girl!Bully is to the guy MC. Unless you find out something about yourself, in which case, congrats! Stay safe, sane, consensual, and learn about the traffic light system on top of safe words, I promise you'll have a better life in general after that. Still Ongoing, currently 10/10.

Fruits Basket: IM GONNA CRY I LOVE THIS ANIME SO MUCH???? The original anime came out when I was in... I think middle school and my parents were really strict on what I watched so I never got to experience the first wave and I never bothered to watch the show ever after I moved out of the house years later. However, now that I'm much older I honestly can say this is one of my favorite anime to date, and all the characters are charming, lovable, with their own problems that I can connect to or sympathize with, and I love the MC which is always a treat tbh. Except Akito. Akito can suck a sandpaper dick. I'm only on S2 tho so no spoilers! Anime 11/10.

Monster Girl Doctor: went in thinking it was gonna be a monster girl who's a doctor with a homoerotic assistant (her name is SAPPHY okay sue me for thinking it) and ended up watching the entire dubbed harem series. Honestly, I've seen worse and this one has consistent follow-through on interesting characters and backstory enough for me to shove aside the blatant under-monstrousness of the female monsters and the harem-ness of everything else. Dubbing is honestly really good, which is a treat, and the monster designs are not the worst and the MC is tolerable. Honestly, I don't mind having watched it! The mix of cgi and the traditional animation together work pretty strangely though, and it often doesn't flow super well. 7.5/10

So I'm a Spider, So What: Dubbed version which honestly isn't that bad. Took me a bit to get into it, but after realizing that it's got a mismatched timeline a la The Witcher, it made so much more sense. Heavily done in cgi, and you can definitely tell between the 2D and 3D animations, but not the worst in the world. I went in not expecting much but it ended up being an Issekai I can stand and even enjoy. On god has a decent story... with the spider. I'd be a liar if I didnt say I skipped some of the human parts just to get back to the best part of the show. 8/10.

Somali and the Forest Spirit: I'm so fucking nostalgic for this thing it makes me want to go and hug my dad. About a human girl under threat of being eaten with a monster-dominated world. Very obvious "humans fear what they don't understand" message but instead of the humans learning tolerance it's what happens when they get annihilated first so like, kudos for the mangaka for having the guts to do that. I cried like a baby regularly. It's really good, I watched the dub and ID WATCH IT AGAIN!!! 9/10.

To Your Eternity: Oh my god. O h my g o d. Fell in love on the first episode, ngl. About if an immortal being learned how to be a person from scratch. I love it. HOWEVER. Keep a box of tissues on you at all times because you're gonna need them. I'm only on EP7 because that's all that's out right now but just know. I love it. Not for everyone but certainly for my "what do we define as human and the human condition" ass. 12/10.

Those Snow White Notes: A sports anime without any sports. About shamisen playing which is cool because I never realized how cool this instrument was??? Its neat af. OP1&2 are by Burnout Syndrom so know theyre fire. Gonna be real, its pretty alright, but not extraordinary. You can tell they were using the characters as archetypes rather than actually characters which kinda kills a lot of the emotional value you could've had, but I'm still gonna watch it. It doesn't make me cringe as hard as other sports anime tho so I consider it toptier in that regards but if you're a big sports anime fan you might be bummed out by it. Every single musical performance is INCREDIBLE tho. A solid 8/10.

Toilet Bound Hanako-kun: THE ART OMFG IT'S SO GORGEOUS. Listen, if you took coptic markers and gave them an animation budget with some manga panel direction thrown in there, that's this anime. It's beautiful. Gorgeous. I'm in love with the aesthetic every second. Story? Really good. Characters? I love the MC and his evil little twin brother asshat. Demons? Not super imaginative but I'm carrying on happy as can be anyways. Dubbing? A bit shaky at times but I found the voices charming if a little off for some of them. I'm already waiting for the second season with popcorn at the ready. 10/10.

Prison School: I watched this directly after Hanako-kun and it was like I got slapped in the face by sweaty unwashed titties and some fedora wearing schmuck's piss kink. No character is likable or redeemable. I finished it, but at what cost? 2/10 and only because a character shit his pants and I laughed.

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle: watched this right after Prison School and it was NECESSARY tbh. Its so CUTE and honestly, im not even kidding you, the fucking funniest anime I've seen in months. I watched the dub and the VAs are having the time of their lives working on this anime not just giving it their all but literally just going ham. Its great. If I read this im sure id be bored outta my mind but the VAs giving it a joyous performance make it an insta fave for me tbh. 9/10.

Sk8 the Infinity: i watched the dub with my bro and I can confirm that its a spectacular show because we both loved it and we have vastly different tastes. Incredibly SUSPENSFUL AND STRESSFUL for an anime about skateboarding but we finished it in a single sitting tbh. The last episode is not dubbed for some reason but we still loved it. Like if Free! was less obnoxious but the only fan-service here is Joe ♡ a beefcake who owns my lesbian heart. I think there's exactly one named female character tho and I legit couldn't tell you what it was if there was a gun to my head. So, over all, 9.5/10.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: I'm going to be entirely honest, I went in thinking it was going to be a boring isekai of no value. I was right about the Isekai part. It was honestly pretty interesting and focused on nation building like you're playing civilization rather than the usual "Get Stronger" narrative or "Get Some Pussy" narrative most isekais take which is delightfully refreshing. Granted there are flavors of that in this which means it doesn't alienate the big isekai watchers out there, but it's not the whole dish and it doesn't make me want to cringe the same way others do. You've got a slime MC just vibing and building a nation of monsters nbd. Does lose points for making the female monsters more humanoid than their male counterparts but makes them back by only doing perfunctory fan-service and nothing that makes me want to cry... except the butt sumo episode but in fairness it was all a terrible dream. Literally, the MC refuses to dream anymore after that. solid animation, decent voice acting, decent story, made me realize how HUGE this is in the Light Novel community???? There's like 18 fucking novels and that's WILD. 8.5/10.

MANGA:

Spirit Photographer Saburo Kono: a one shot special by the mangaka of The Promised Neverland! Honestly a really delicate touch of both super creepy and really touching, and I'm not gonna lie I'm bummed that this isn't a bigger project but the single chapter makes it a good taste for their style. I've been wondering if I wanna read/watch The Promised Neverland and now I think I will. 10/10

Deranged Detective Ron Kamonohashi: from the mangaka of Hitman Reborn comes this Sherlock and Watson derivative! Not even 20 chapters out yet with a sort of spotty schedule, I honestly love it even thought it's exactly as you expect. HOWEVER. Kamonohashi the "Sherlock" character uses mental pressure to kill all confirmed murderers and it's up to Toto the "Watson" character to save all those people before Kamonohashi kills them! It's just recently introduced a "Moriarty" family of crime lords (not a big spoiler don't worry it was obvious) so the tension surrounding Ron's past is amping up rn. Personally, I think the art is GORGEOUS, the characters engaging, and the story quick enough to keep my interest. Most mysteries are solved within a chapter or two so you're not stuck 20 chapters into one locked room mystery which is just peachy tbh. RN, 10/10. If this gets an anime, I anticipate a legion of fangirls who ship the two main characters along with their many friends. I've been alive too long to believe otherwise.

Don't Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro: Yeah I read the manga after I watched the show. A slower build than the anime, but it works for the format, if theyd done the same with the show then I don't think it wouldve done as well. Honestly? Cuter tbh but just as horny. You dont start really LEARNING about your character until like, chap 65 tho and no real "drama" happens until like 75. A good chunk of the chapters are like 8pgs so its a breeze to get through. I love these slow burn idiots of the century. 9.5/10 because you can DEFINITELY tell the mangaka does hentai too.

Yugen's All-Ghouls Homeroom: one-shot by the mangaka for Food Wars, it's no wonder there's this constant perviness from the MC, a guy who can see and exorcise spirits. Takes place at an all girl's finishing school with KICK ASS monsters tbh, kinda bummed its not longer. The MC? Blatant monsterfucker who is also a CONFRIMED monsterfucker???? Idk i vibe with that single emotion. Everything else is hit or miss. 7/10 for monsters and cool concept, lost points for the MC very pointedly being okay with admitting he'd wait for the teenagers to be adults tho. Creepy af. Could live without that.

Hell's Paradise: I finished the entire 127chps in 3 days and I was really enthusiastic about it 90% of the time thinking about how deep it was and then I actually thought about it and I ended up being very neutral about the whole thing tbh. The art is fantastic tho, but DEFINITELY deserving of the M rating. Tits. Tits everywhere. But not tits to be ecchi over, no, monster hermit tits on beautiful women-ish figures. Now generally I give that a pass but a huge theme in the story is that men and women are "no better than one or the other" but like, lady tits are what you see 99% of the time. Men tits are few and far between. I call bullshit on most of the "deep" themes is what I'm saying, so it's like the mangaka was trying for those deep thoughts but missed the margin a little too far for my preference. That being said, the MC is a married man who loves his wife which automatically makes him my favorite character so like... idk so many good things, so many misses, but overall really spectacular themes and imagery. Unique but classic all at once. It's getting an anime and I have NO IDEA how much censorship they're gonna be doing but they're going to be doing SO MUCH. Oh yeah, and one guy is a plant/human hybrid who fucks a 1000 year old plant-hermit which makes him a canon monster fucker. And one canon non-binary character who I, a nonbinary, actually like. So like... gosh I've got mixed feelings. 8.5/10.

Choujin X: From Sui Ishida, mangaka to the mega hit Tokyo Ghoul comes this brand new manga!... Of one chapter, lol. Not really binge-y because it's just the one chapter out right now but I'm already keeping my eye on it. The grasp on anatomy in the art is PHENOMENAL and you can see Ishida flexing his art skill which is great. Can't give a true rating but I'm giving it a tentative 9/10 because I'm excited to see more.

Shag&Scoob: technically not a manga, its an ongoing webcomic I binged an subscribed to in one day and I just think it deserves more attention. Starts off funny with "what if Scooby Doo had a gun" and has been led to "what if all cartoons are aliens that survive and receive their powers by the humans that love them in an epic war with Martians." On god, its good. I finished the current series in a couple hours so it's a breezy read, highly recommend it. 9/10.

To Your Eternity: Yeah I watched the anime and then finished all current 143 chapters in like 3 days. GOD IM WEAK. I don't buy physical manga unless I know I want to remember the story forever and I'm already budgeting for the current books out. Yeah, this is a good series. That being said, definitely not for the faint of heart or those who suffer under common triggers like suicide, molestation, death, etc. It's all framed as bad and necessary to the story don't get me wrong, but it's there and has lasting affects on the characters. Incredible story telling by the creator of A Silent Voice. Keep tissues nearby at all times. 12/10.

[fangirlinglikeabus]

in what is quite possibly one of the worst decisions in my life, i’ve decided to read every classic doctor who novelisation, in story order. because i’m incapable of doing anything without recording it, i’m posting my thoughts as i go - whether i liked it, how different it is from the original, if i think it’s worth it. full disclaimer, this won’t be an exhaustive list of changes because i don’t think i know any serial well enough, and my own opinions of the original stories will probably influence how i react to them written down. anyway...here’s season 1 (under a read more because it turns out i have an unfortunate number of opinions on the novelisations of 57 year old episodes)

doctor who and an unearthly child by terrance dicks  i guess if you’re a completionist?? there’s a few minor differences, including the odd decision to change ‘eh? doctor who?’ to ‘eh? foreman?’ and have the doctor introduce himself as the doctor, but honestly this just kinda hammered in the dullness of the caveman plot, and there’s some neat aspects of the first episode, like the pov shots, that are lost by just slavishly converting What Happens into text. end result is something i found significantly less interesting than the original! feat. the complete absence of susan’s flaming-skull-torch scene, barbara being described as ‘bossy’, and the narrative voice lumping barbara and susan in as ~the girls~ even though one of them is a grown woman and the other’s teacher. also really wish terrance dicks had cut out the racist line about native americans!

doctor who and the daleks by david whitaker oh god, this is so much better just on a ‘feels like an actual book that can stand on its own’ level. it also changes a lot more, including adding a new opening (which actually makes the doctor creepier because it takes place far away from housing so ian and barbara have a much greater reason to suspect him) and fleshing out the final invasion sequence a bit. susan also goes by ‘susan english’ in this because apparently whitaker decided that foreman was too subtle. we get some ian/barbara stuff here but personally i wasn’t too into it: they don’t know each other before the book starts and whitaker introduces some weird arguing drama i don’t care about or understand, so a lot of the appeal of their relationship (imo) wasn’t there, and unfortunately that made for some frustrating reading that hurt my enjoyment of this. speaking of our favourite schoolteachers, it’s from ian’s pov, so scenes without him are either cut out completely or told to him later on. this book also made me pick up a lot more on how masculinity is coded in the story (not really a fan of that!), but unfortunately even in print i can’t tell any of the thals apart. 

the edge of destruction by nigel robinson full disclaimer i am 100% biased because edge of destruction is one of my favourite season one stories, but i really liked this. mostly changes are just adding bits onto scenes (barbara’s ‘how dare you’ speech gets lengthened for one - pretty sure it adds some of her lines from an unearthly child but i’m not certain) but it also adds entirely new stuff which takes us deeper into the tardis than they could on tv (for obvious budgetary reasons). plus we get a bit of a recap of what’s come before, and apparently susan doesn’t know who dickens is. there’s a few bits which i feel were a bit overexplained (we can probably extrapolate the doctor was ‘furious at his ability being called into question’ without being told) and the opening doesn’t quite have the confusing energy of the tv version’s imo, but overall a pretty well realised novelisation - although it does have the recurring ‘girls’ problem which i complained about with dicks, and there’s this weird uncomfortable bit at the beginning where susan’s appearance gets compared to that of an east asian person in a way that struck me as orientalist.

marco polo by john lucarotti this ABSOLUTELY highlighted that apparently the details of marco polo don’t stick with me too well. i think it’s mostly following the script, which is fine, because lucarotti at least doesn’t feel like he’s phoning it in a la terrance dicks’ an unearthly child, although there were a few bizarre uses of indirect speech (like it would just switch in the middle of the character talking), as though he was hurrying onto the next bit. we get a brand new-ish opening, which is understandable because obviously these novels weren’t serialised to go one after the other like the television series. the big change that stood out for me is that ping-cho gets an Actual Love Interest, and unfortunately it isn’t susan :(

doctor who and the keys of marinus by philip hinchcliffe hinchcliffe writing this is so odd to me. it’s like if they got barry letts to novelise the happiness patrol or something. ANYWAY keys is terry nation’s best contribution to doctor who, and also happens to be my favourite of the season, but this doesn’t add much particularly - apart from, bizarrely, giving altos long blond hair. there is absolutely no plot motivation for this, he just looks like that now. hinchcliffe has some nice descriptive passages, but i’m also pretty sure ian didn’t slap barbara in the original and he does here so uh. that’s kinda bad.

the aztecs by john lucarotti same weird thing with indirect speech, but this one definitely benefits from being 3 episodes shorter than the last story lucarotti novelised. there’s a lot more detail gone into about aztec culture and details which is nice and interesting, definitely the thing that stood out most for me here and i think it’s almost worth reading the book for that alone. uh...aztec warriors wear less than they could probably get away with on screen so ian goes around shirtless if you’re into that? we have some stuff about gods which is fine and interesting until it veers into stuff i suspect may be putting christianity on a pedestal a bit - that’s not great given the colonial context! - and tlotoxl has gone full shakespeare’s richard iii with a hunchback and limp which smacks of ableism to me and isn’t fun at all. oh yeah, and the doctor’s ‘i made some cocoa and got engaged’ line had the wording changed so like...what’s the point. 

the sensorites by nigel robinson i mean i guess?? i actually like the sensorites quite a lot, and this is competent as an adaptation, but it also genuinely doesn’t add much to the story apart from a few nice descriptions and some (sigh) much less nice orientalism. remember that description of susan in the edge of destruction? the sentiment’s back with ‘asiatic’, and the sensorites come in for a bit of it too. overall not one of the greats of these books and tbh i don’t really have much to say about it either!

the reign of terror by ian marter so, funny thing about this one, it was written before anything about translation circuits was canonised, and to get round that...ian marter just decides that everyone in the tardis crew starts speaking french. barbara’s better at it than ian, apparently. as a story it doesn’t really add much, although i do really like marter’s descriptive passages. it does double down on the gaoler’s creepiness, including him leching at susan, but that’s not a fun addition! i found the plot a bit easier to follow when it was set down in prose honestly, even if it did make me notice more the dismissive way the lower class revolutionaries were treated at the beginning - they’re drunk, or slovenly - but i think that anxiety about the descent into chaos is common to a lot of french revolution stories. 

[asgardian--angels]

Some more Good Omens Book minutiae

There have already been some good posts highlighting trivia and changes between the book and show (a couple are here and here) so I thought I’d add in some more that might be useful and haven’t been overdone yet. Ones I think are most helpful are bolded!

Crowley can see in the dark (because he’s a demon, not because he’s a snake)

Crowley does eat (and notes that sleeping is enjoyable after a heavy meal), but on at least one canonical occasion Aziraphale takes Crowley’s portion of food for himself (angel food cake, to be exact, and he does it without needing to ask) so infer what you will about how we never see Crowley with food in the show

Crowley does read, or at the very least it mentions him attempting to calm his nerves by reading a novel

Aziraphale learned magic when he took a class in the 1870s taught by famous stage magician John Maskelyne

Aziraphale takes his tea without sugar

Crowley does not like to shapeshift, because he is afraid he’ll forget how to turn back 

It’s not terribly clear but somewhat implied that Nanny Ashtoreth and Brother Francis were NOT Crowley and Aziraphale (they reference a ‘team’ working for them) but that the two did exchange and compare notes on Warlock’s progress frequently. So thank Neil and Co. for the screenplay choices. Additionally, Brother Francis never actually did any real gardening, he just miracled everything to look perfect

When Warlock was 6 years old, nanny and gardener left and were replaced by two tutors, Mr. Harrison (evil) and Mr. Cortese (good)

Aziraphale will employ any means “short of actual physical violence” to discourage customers in his bookshop, including unpleasant damp odors and glowering looks to anyone who walks in

That clunky watch Crowley wears was custom-made to have the time in 20 world capitals as well as the time in Hell, which was always “Too Late”, and whose battery burned out years ago but he never noticed so it kept working

In 1653 Aziraphale added his own annotations to the proof sheets of a Bible published by Bilton & Scaggs Publishing (the same as who published the Nice and Accurate Prophecies), adding a bit about losing his flaming sword (basically the dialogue in the scene of the series where God confronts him at the gate in episode 3), and is now known as the Bugger Alle This Bible, one of a special collection of misprinted Bibles Aziraphale is proud to own

Aziraphale does watch films. This includes one documentary about gorillas making nests. He also makes an Exorcist reference.

For 6000 years Aziraphale thought dolphins were fish

Crowley watched Mary Poppins on TV at Christmas one year

Aziraphale buys his clothes, while Crowley manifests them

Anathema refers to Crowley and Aziraphale as “two consenting cycle repairmen” :)

Anathema’s bicycle is named Phaeton

Aziraphale’s bookshop is situated directly next to another bookshop called ‘Intimate Books’ and he occasionally gets confused customers that wrongly come into his shop

Anathema is British, not American, in the book

Adam has an older sister named Sarah

Aziraphale is the first angel to own a computer

After the non-Armageddon, Adam alters reality to send Warlock on a plane to America, because Adam thinks America is a cool and magical place and that Warlock deserves something good. (We do not find out if Warlock’s life improves, only that he liked England because it was ‘a good place to be an American’)

Crowley was so impressed by how diabolically mundane the warranty conditions for computers were that he sent a stack of them down to Hell’s ‘Immortal Souls’ agreement department with a memo saying ‘Learn, guys’

When Crowley trapped Hastur on his answering machine, he considered taking the tape and playing it in his car until it became Freddie Mercury, but he decided even that was taking it too far

While NOT show canon, in the book the combination to Crowley’s safe containing the holy water is 4-0-0-4, the year he “slithered onto this stupid, marvellous planet” (Neil has stated that the combination in the show is meaningless and was the default for the safe they bought)

In the book, it does NOT expressly say that Crowley destroys the plants he deems failures, just that he leaves and returns an hour later with an empty flowerpot

Crowley’s flat contains a bedroom, office, kitchen, lounge, and bathroom, each “forever clean and perfect” because he doesn’t really “live” there, as well as a fridge stocked with gourmet food that never spoils and the fridge isn’t even plugged in

Shadwell believes that Aziraphale is a Russian spy

Crowley and Aziraphale had both visited Shadwell’s apartment exactly once (and Aziraphale was rather disgusted by the state of the place)

In the book (as opposed to the show) Aziraphale is full aware (and nonplussed) that there’s only a 50/50 chance Heaven would win against Hell in Armageddon, and that it doesn’t matter for humans so much anyways because everyone will be killed horribly as civilian casualties during the war itself (a hilarious and very bitchy speech absolutely worth reading, when he possesses Marvin the TV preacher)

The road to Hell isn’t paved with good intentions, rather with frozen door-to-door salesmen, and young demons go ice-skating down it on weekends

Madame Tracy’s real name is Marjorie Potts

Aziraphale has “neat, copperplate” handwriting

Crowley is an optimist

It turns out, Hastur’s murder of the telephone salespeople prevented a Crowley-esque domino effect of thousands of people getting angry from the calls and passing that anger on and on, thus actually spreading a wave of low-level goodness across London

In the book, the M25 wasn’t actually on fire, but rather an inexplicable glowing combination of “pain and dark light” called infra-black, and was both 700 degrees Celsius and -140 at the same time. The Bentley spontaneously combusted when crossing it.

When Crowley meets Aziraphale-as-Tracy, he does say ‘Is that you? Nice dress’ but the TV version added the ‘It suits you.’ However in the book he also says ‘Aren’t you going to introduce me to your new body?’ :)))

When Adam acknowledges Crowley at the airbase, Crowley feels true terror for the first time in his life, because while Hell could make you cease to exist, the Antichrist could make it so you never existed in the first place

When Aziraphale makes the soldier disappear, he actually was transported back to his childhood home in America where his family lives

In the book, to get them both home from Tadfield Crowley steals a Jeep from the airbase

Crowley and Aziraphale are deadass just referred to as ‘the couple with the bottle [of wine]’ one time

There is no body swap scene at the end, because there didn’t need to be; in the book, the stakes of Aziraphale and Crowley’s Arrangement were not nearly as high. A big deal was never made of it, as they were too unimportant to warrant the attention of their superiors. Retribution never came. While they could get in trouble (and Crowley was threatened many times) for defying orders concerning the Apocalypse, little mention was made of their friendship being a crime. Thus, they never had any real reason to deny being friends, and were much more comfortable with their loyalties and each other. This lack of tension marks the biggest divergence between the series and book, and creates a starkly different (and interesting!) dynamic for the characters in the show.

Just me but I get the distinct sense that book Aziraphale and Crowley are already an old bickering married couple and this explains the distinct lack of pining lmao.

Anyway, I hope these were enjoyable or helpful!

[marshmallowgoop]

nah the post was good, sorry i made it too board for you to undersatnd that, i was just curious of the whole show because i found mixed views of it on tumblr... and while i only watch a few clips AFTER it finished(the OVA didnt come out yet) i was curious about it and its problems. im one of those people who can go into somethign with spoilers anyway

while looking for KLK fics to read later, i find they arent many AUs of the show, especily since the show doesnt have as many fans as it used to. some of them are either incompleted or just one chapter and i dont know any dounjinshis. ya know any AU doujinshis and/or fanfics, if not you know any neat AU ideas/headcanons of the show i can write/draw about(i dont do crossovers sry)

reading your posts you have mention your fairytale AU you wanted to write about, you still doing that or you stop long ago? if you have more plotpoitns abotu it care to share(i'm curious abou your backstory for ragyo)

I'd describe my feelings on the show as "mixed," too. This post probably sums up my thoughts best.

Regarding AUs for the show, I think it's worth noting that regardless of Kill la Kill's popularity, its English-language fic scene has always seemed relatively quiet—at least, from my perspective, anyway. (I remember a popular fic writer once published a Kill la Kill piece, and it did very well for a Kill la Kill piece, but the author found the low engagement to be incredibly discouraging.)

The doujinshi scene seems to be much more happening, but unfortunately, I'm not very well versed in that area and don't think I can personally recommend any AUs, sorry!

But for English-language AUs, there have been some lovely ones over the years. I compiled a rec list here that includes a few. It's true that a lot of fics are incomplete, but incomplete works still deserve love and attention. After all, many works become incomplete because of a lack of interest.

As for my own fairytale AU... I'm sorry to say that it may never happen. I tried to continue it as my National Novel Writing Month project last year, but I only got a few thousand words in before switching gears to an "original" piece instead.

Thank you very much for the interest, though! Ragyo's backstory has changed a bit over the drafts, but I think the basis has always been one of the Indian tales from the Konjaku Monogatari, called "About King Prasenajit's Daughter Ugly Adamantina" in Marian Ury's Tales of Times Now Past: Sixty-Two Stories from a Medieval Japanese Collection. The story describes a princess born so ugly that she's hidden away from the world in a small hut. It turns out that her ugliness is because of a sin in her past life, but once she repents, she becomes spectacularly beautiful. Ragyo's story is similar, except her ugliness comes from a wicked woman's heart, and she becomes beautiful in a different way, a way that maybe has something to do with the Uchide-no-Kozuchi, or wish-granting mallet, quality of the demons in the AU....

[visarcana]

Hitomi and the time passing on Gaea

In the latest chapter I referred to an implication that Hitomi’s body doesn’t age the same as the Gaean characters... I decided to translate the short excerpt from the novels where I got it from. It comes right in this scene we see in the anime in Episode 22:

So this is right after the council meeting in Asturia, where Van declares his intention to kill Folken and Allen his intention to keep Hitomi in a cage... everybody is just having a great time, in general. In the anime, we have her think of Naria’s loyalty to Folken, before a wolf’s call interrupts her thoughts. In the novel, there is a bit more so I decided to translate that bit. Yes, if you’re wondering, the novels are like that, they pretty much trace the anime but here and there, you get an extra paragraph or something; I try to hunt those down and translate them to have that extra lore. Here, it was the random use of the word “toilet” that got my immediate attention, lol. 

Anyway, my ramblings got longer than the actual snippet so I’m just putting a cut here...

The novel plays the scene a bit in a different way than the anime; she thinks of Van saying he wants to kill Folken and has a vision of little Van and Balgus overhearing some men badmouthing Folken. In the anime, this scene is placed a tiny bit later, when the old wolfman gives Van the message that Folken waits for him in Fanelia, making it seem a flashback rather than a vision. And don’t get me wrong, it works great there with the music and all. 

But you know what, I always thought all these scenes from the past were in fact Hitomi’s visions, even when they are sometimes presented as random flashbacks or even cold starts in the anime (like the one if Folken reading the scroll to Van in the beginning of this episode). After all, this is a story from her POV, mostly. 

So I’m actually happy to see it sort of confirmed by the novels and that’s how I’m going to treat them all in the fic; as things Hitomi knows about. I mean, I already did in chapter 8 or so, Hitomi tells Van she knows how close they were with his brother when he was small. And he slams the door in her face, same as he did in the anime when she mentioned this. 

Anyway, that’s not what I wanted to talk about here! The novel has one more interesting addition to this scene, as Hitomi ponders things before her sleep. This is a translation of a short excerpt from Novel 5.

Chapter 17 Sorrow (or Sorrowful Heart, to be literal)

p. 192-193

Hitomi looked at her own hand, staring at her white nailtips in the pale moonlight. Her nails were neat and trimmed, glowing back faintly at her.

When was the last time I cut these?

All the same, she ran her hand through her fringe.

She had seen Merle clumsily cut Van’s overgrown forelocks before.

I didn’t think much of it at the time...

She caught herself getting suspicious. It seemed like her hair wasn’t growing.

Did it stop? Could it be that for her, an inhabitant of a different world, the time had stopped here on Gaea?

No, that can’t be, she shook her head.

If that was the case, wouldn’t I also stop feeling the need to eat?

She still got hungry, she ate, and she did the rest of it, too.* Hitomi felt a bit of relief realizing that. 

Other than that, there was nothing else strange about her.

How long has it been since she came here? She didn’t keep an exact count of the days, but Hitomi thought it hasn’t been half a year, yet.

The dazzling twin moons in the night sky also kept overlapping, changing their positions and rotating in their trajectories. Even though she could not recall a clear process of waxing and waning.

Deciding not to give it anymore thought, Hitomi slipped under her sheets to sleep.

An animal howl from the distant mountain reached her ears as she lay down with her eyes closed.

Wolves?

She shot up. The energist on her chest glowed intently.

“Someone is calling!”

Maybe the wolves she got to know?

“Van?!”**

Hitomi changed quickly and sprang out of her room, the sound of her sneakers hitting the floor in subdued, yet rapid pace.

*  She says she goes “to the toilet”.

** It’s a bit ambiguous because I know from an artbook that the wolves actually call Van’s name in their language there. So it could be that she connected the dots of the wolves and Van, but she also could understand the wolf language, as she is wearing the pendant.

Okay so here it is, the insinuation that there is something weird about her body on Gaea... while other things are normal. I wonder if the “Otherwise, there was nothing else strange about her” includes her period? I guess that was TMI to include in the novel, but the anime staff actually put some sanitary products into her bag, so they definitely thought of it at least a bit. Or is this how she knows that it hasn’t been six months yet? It is, all in all, quite mysterious, isn’t it? Is it just her keratin-based stuff that doesn’t grow or grows slower? Or is she just being anxious? As usual, it doesn’t really put more light onto the whole situation but it’s still interesting that this was added to the novel.

[sillyfudgemonkeys]

Comic buff with a thought, I notice the P5MM art and composition is more striking and closer to p5's art and style than the other manga, which is fine, but kinda... flat. (I find myself thinking there's something missing when I read it, then I look back at P5MM and I notice how there's more clever paneling, imagery, and stylistic choices akin to the games in it (like that one goro panel ya had a rant about) and I realize what's missing) That could be why P5MM is brought up more, just a guess. I dunno how you feel about all that though, I'm curious.

Under the cut cause it gets long cause of pictures:

I am very big on art style and visual presentation. I do actually judge a book by it's cover (manga, game, movie, show, yadda). If I find something pleasing to my eye I'll read it.....even if the contents are trash. Domestic Girlfriend is one, horrible manga (didn't finish, was holding out for Momo, aka best girl, and getting closure for her....then I bounced). Didn't watch the anime (didn't need to I was way ahead in the manga I think), but I know that opening is wasted on it. ldskfjaf Don't invest your time into it, it's not worth it, you would probably learn better morals from P5.......probably. But yeah I found the art style pleasing enough to try it out (I's not amazing by any means, but I like looking at it....or did.....that writing man....dat was bad ;w;).... *waves hands vaguely in air* yeah.

Fun fact, it's why I got into Persona. I happened across an ad for P4 on the PS2 in the Gameinformer magazine, it showed a screenshot from an animated cutscene plus one of the fully body art for the chars and I was like "Yes this is my jam!" (which only doubled down when I read what it was about, and it was a murder mystery and the article also talked up "the mystery of the glasses" which fakldjsalkfs yeah). So yeah it really clicked for me.

Tbh it's why I'm probably going to get back into freaking Bleach, and it's why I got into it and Naruto over One Piece (I don't think I'll ever read ON I'm sorry). Tite Kubo has sexy art what can I say? Can't trust a thing that man writes now but eh. It's also the reason I read a lot of Shojo (and now Yuri) manga, cause their art style is usually what I find very appealing (even if I've read the same gd shojo love story just by a different name for the 1000th time, give me the flowers and sparkly eyes! they are my life blood!)

And I've mentioned I really like Saito's art style. I've (attempted) to color some of his pieces on top of animate some manga frames (most of which I haven't actually published......I...I should....get around to finishing those up....haha...aha....haaaa). I really like his art, it's pleasant. But even with good art, I can still see past it and see what BS it's peddling and it can hamper my enjoyment of it. If I don't look at the context of the scene or the words on the page, I can be down with it. But when I'm reading.......I get annoyed. I balk at anything with Goro. I guffaw whenever Makoto's on screen (cause Saito nails her from P5, she acts useful but really she's useless but the narrative views her as useful it ironically makes her useless......it's the weirdest thing I've ever witnessed >.>). Like Saito really.....gets P5 it seems, down to it's flaws even (tho he can actually make the good parts of P5 shine, or at least parts that P5 failed to execute....execute in a way). But he also makes the flaws.....shine that much harder for me.

Now the Reg manga? it's nothing special art style wise, in fact it starts off VERY wonky, and while still wonky, has gotten a lot....better/cuter (esp Ryu). Not like shojo cute just.......I wanna squish their wittle faces cute (at times when it's not serious).

Like when it comes to Reg Manga these are the two pieces that have appeared in it that I feel kinda hit the P5 mark in terms of style:

(look at Mona, coming into this world like the pustule that he is 8U)

Which isn't much, but it's something. At least Reg's AOA is better looking than the anime. 8U

But I dunno, as the chapters go on, the Mangaka allows for more cuter expressions, and I just like their neat:

(btw I colored that page)

I dunno, it's not as overtly cutsey as Saito:

But they are still charming in a more simple way (without out having them go full chibi), it subtle but it gives it flavor. "Silly why are most, if not all those pics of Ryu and Anne?" I dunno guys maybe you should ask them how their backs are doing, cause they're the ones who are carrying the Reg manga when it comes to this! 8U

Tho I do think the first ch or two of Reg does a better job capturing P5's feel than the rest of the chapters, I think the mangaka is just.....bogged down by exposition and the game's BS that a lot of text on their pages so it almost reads like a novel:

ALots of text, not the most dynamic of framing with the panels. It's kinda eh. I haven't really read the manga past the 2nd dungeon tbh (I mean......as the residential #1 Makoto hater, I think that's fair.....that I'd start to zone out during my least fav dungeon....and then continue zoning out during my 2nd least fav dungeon askfdjaflk)

But during the first two dungeon arcs, I liked how.....bad the PT were at thieving, I liked how green they were. It was obviously a learning process. I also like some of the fight choreo (Saito did the best hand to hand one in the series in P4U's Yu vs Sho....which I actually animated....spoiler.....no I have no released that...my dumbass wants to tempt fate and see if I can redo it in color even tho it took me 4 days non stop to get that animated in just black and white.....but I am a fool so alas 8U). I mean it's not mind blowing, but it was simple and decently thought out, which is more than I feel like we usually get (esp with the anime shows....or at least P4/5's).

But I think what draws me in is....it's lack of P5 style. P5 style has them being still oh so cool despite being new at everything. It's tired me out. P5's how identity is style. It's....style over substance (gonna rile some feathers with that....Cvit(?) vid title). But P5 is overtly stylish, to the point it......weighs on me. Drags me down. Tires me out. I don't think they're cool, I'm bored with it. Ironically, Reg manga lacks that, which......def would make someone (and me usually) give it much of a passing glance. It's very basic I guess. But.....consider me, being in P5 hell, surrounded by all it's nausea inducing stylishness, sees a small break in the hellish hurricane to see.......normalcy. It kinda makes me connect better with the kids (kinda, it's still P5).

They feel like normal kids, trying to do their thing (sometimes trying to look/act cool and failing), and.....it's just the absolute antitheses to P5's brand......and I think that's why I like it. KLFJDSAFLKJA;

Anyway, who knows, maybe when I catch up on Reg in english and re-read MM with the official translation I might change my mind about a few things, or at least how I rank them. But for post length sake, and my sanity sake, I think I should keep the anime and mangas out of the "Which entry do you hate least" post......because I should just make another post where I go into both mangas as well as compare and contrast the anime! :D I'm just delaying some insanity for later haha....

Wait.........I just remember Day Breakers exists......and I liked it....still do....don't have much issue with it. Well shit, that is probably the one entry I hate the least. fklsdjfalkjdfkla;jsL;FJljsfdlskafaj *sobs* nO NO, I committed, and that's just a sad loophole. fdklsajflakfj *sobs* I still need to the game thing, cause let's be honest, the games are where it counts.

So right now my ranking for manga/anime is:

Daybreakers>Reg manga> MM>>>>>>>>>>TV Show Anime and it's OVAs (may the burn in the hell fire from which they spawned)

Oh, one last thing, forgot to put it in but I dunno where to put it now. I like how the manga tones down the pervyness some:

I mean Ryu is a fellow monkey. u_u .......but it's for the best I don't have to see his ape expression. ;w; (iirc the pyramid scene was a lot shorter/faster, but that's by the grace of reading and books rather than animation I suppose).

[silverselfshippingchaos]

[dorky-self-shipper] 🎫 here’s a gush pass :3 feel free to gush about whichever f/o you want, however much you want, then send this ask to 3 other selfshippers

Oh, my friend!!! Ahhh thank you so much for sending this in!! I have been a bit iffy because some things in my life have been piling up, but!!! I am so excited to dig into this!!! I really need a good gushing session haha!

Today's target for gushing hours with your girl Ash is none other than Yaag Rosch!

This ended up being pretty long, and is a mix of lore, screaming, keyboard smashes, his gorgeous design, and more screaming.

Saying that this man lives in my head rent free is an understatement. He is all I think about it. Honestly, I think it's funny considering Yaag's role in FF13. He's only around in the first game, and shows up in like five cutscenes.

Also. We get crumbs of him in the novels. More on that later. Back to the game.

All he does is "hey yall suck" "your lives don't matter" "uhh i need to kill you guys" "oh wait no i'm not evil" "*dies*"

But!!! He's very cool!! His character is so interesting to me. He's so driven to do whatever it takes, but beneath his actions, there's always an edge of hesitation. He seems like he comes off as so sure of himself, but... I'm not sure about that. Now, I can't say anything for sure because the writers hate him, I really liked those few moments where we get to see his actual thoughts.

For example, "Do you think we want to Purge our own people?!" And things like that where you see him question his orders. I feel like there's a lot of underlying hatred, distrust, and overall fear of the system.

Also, his development from "They aren't people, they're targets." to "I'll trust in your humanity." Gets me every single time.

Also don't get me started on his "if this is my punishment... i accept it." when he's bleeding line.

I am here to gush, not analyze. But both are happening anyway.

I feel as though he puts a lot of thought into what he says and how he acts, and I really do admire that.

For context, Lieutenant Colonel Yaag Rosch is this military higher-up guy. I remember seeing him for the first time and my jaw simply dropping. I know that these games have a history with hot villains. After all, I am an FF7 fan. I have seen the SOLDIERS, I have seen the Turks, I've seen Rufus. They're all hot.

There. I said it.

This intro scene gave us some damn good food. Like??? The silver hair??? The ponytail??? The scar on his forehead??? The overly dramatic speech about how the protagonists need to be eliminated??AJKLFNAWKJFNAWKLJFNWILEN.

(Also, I'm beginning to see the resemblance he has to Felix. I am a very predictable woman, aren't I?)

I am actually going to scream. He’s so handsome!!! His jaw!! His eyes are such a pretty color too!!! I wanna give him a kiss ahhh!! Especially on his forehead scar!!! He's so... woah.

Also, he has a really, really nice voice. Like??? WOW. I want this man to like. narrate my life. Here, lemme find some clips of him talking.

Here. Enjoy.

This one is a fan favorite as well.

It's not a Rick roll. I promise.

..... Unless?

Anyways, as time went on, I realized that he's actually such a deep and interesting character?? He gets done dirty by the writers and the game, but the potential he has makes me so excited!! There's so much material to work off of!!! Truly one of the more interesting villains the trilogy has to offer. Honestly, it's kind of difficult going through the second game knowing that he isn't there.

However, it's also difficult going through the second game because I??? Can't beat?? The goddamn boss fight??? I'm also playing on easy mode. I didn't struggle this much during the first game either. What the hell, Ash.

Back to the actual topic.

I'm gonna start off with his design before we delve into s/i lore and fun tidbits.

(His coat is so cool... Do you think he'd let me wear it? I'd probably waddle around in it because he's pretty tall and I. I am not.

He's around 6'2 (around almost 188 cm..? I think?), but take into account his boots too. Which means that normally he's slightly taller. That means that he's about a foot taller than me. That means that I'm pretty much the perfect height to bury my face in his chest. *screams*)

Talk about a kickass design. He's really cool to look at. Not only, uhm, *blushes*, but because of how cool his outfit is too! It does a really good job of portraying that "heyyy i'm super importtanntttt" energy that he has. He carries himself like he's the shit. And you know what? He is.

He's pretty professional. Minus the times he gets kinda pissed. The novels say, and I quote,

"They said he was the most straitlaced man in PSICOM - if you put serious and stubborn in a military uniform, you'd get Colonel Rosch."

And yeah. That basically sums it up.

Also, there's this scene where he gets all pissed and pulls out his sword and I'm over here like *insert debby ryan hair thing here*. I'm telling you, it's always the sword boys that get me. I'm sure you've noticed that by now. I don't know what it is but. It's a thing.

Oh!!! Oh!!! Speaking of the *tucks hair behind ear*, there's this one scene where he's chasing the protagonists. And he goes, "Clever, aren't you?"

*SCREAMS*

That scene is truly a masterpiece. Thank you for the good food, Squeenix. I remember having to take a moment to just pause and regather myself. Actually, I had to do that the first time I saw him too-

I wasn't alone at the time when he was introduced so I was just silently like "ohmygodhellosir ajrfnaklwenjklwenjklrn" but oh my GOODNESS.

My s/i works with him! She's pretty much his right hand woman. She always has reports and intel on all their missions ready to go! I find it cute how well they work together, be it for mission-related matters, or just when they're relaxing together.

Just like pretty much all of my other s/is, she's a raging academic and total nerd. In the first game, they basically live on this human paradise called Cocoon. It ends up not being so great because the gods want to murder humanity but anyways! Education is pretty much free and you can study whatever you're passionate about. That's why she has studied just so many things.

She's not exactly the type who aspired to join the military, but alas! Things happened. I like to think of it as a "heyyyy y'all needed my help once and then once turned to twice and twice to thrice and then i never left" type thing.

Oh, and then she fell in love with Yaag while she was there.

Her cheery attitude is a direct opposite to his, but they're also able to have some very serious conversations with each other. I love their dynamic so much! Also, he can get a bit softer when he's opening up to her and,,, Soft Yaag??? Hoo boy.

Her motives and beliefs tend to align a bit more with the Cavalry branch, but i feel as though she fits in better with PSICOM. Also, the book describes the soldiers to be a bunch of dumbass dorks and just the thought of her smiling and cracking jokes with all of Yaag's men make me super happy.

Oh and she gets a cool uniform too! Because I said so.

Now, they've known each other for years by the time the end of the first game rolls around. They're happy together, maybe even engaged! It can go one of two ways here. He either dies or he doesn't.

I like adhering really closely to canon with my ships (*laughs in genesis angst*) but I also think it would be a blast if he were to survive.

In the novels after his death, some recordings of his are found. It's basically him talking about how the government sucks from the inside. A character finds these and reveals them to the public to get rid of the old government and an invite a newer one that actually cares about the people. However, it's never quite stated how he got those recordings. And that's where Ash steps in.

She brings them to his attention and helps him out, but then returns to live with the rest of the remaining soldiers in that camp they set up in the second novel. They all look up to her as a leader-type, which I find is really funny because she doesn't exactly have the qualifications? She worked with PSICOM, but was never exactly a soldier. But hey, it's right after the world (quite literally) fell apart, I don't think that anybody cares about that.

Also, there's another chapter where Snow ends up visiting, and she has a friendly chat with him!!! She helped out the protagonists a little bit near the end of the first game, so they have a slight idea of who each other are, but that doesn't exactly change the fact that she fell under the category of villain for a lot of it, despite not actually being a bad person. I also think that their dynamic would be fun. Snow also just makes me really happy LMAO.

I think that this version of Ash is really fun just because of how much the experience hardens her? She spends a lot of time grieving. Also!!! Whether or not she makes a cameo in 13-2 (maybe near the ruins early game?) is totallllyyyy up to you hehe! I think it would be neat for her to talk to the protagonists of that game, especially since Yaag was the one who orchestrated the Purge and at the ruins, there's a huge monument of the names of people who were killed there.

Also, whether or not she has a son here is up to you. I like to think of all my ideas all happening in alternate timelines so everything I want can happen without stepping on other events? I imagine their child to have Yaag's pretty silver hair with Ash's brown eyes.

Also, 13-2 is about time travel so like. The protagonists meeting their child in the future when he's all grown up? Good stuff.

But hey, in the main timeline she's alone after Yaag's death. She helps the other characters. I also think that in time, she does work for the Academy? I mentioned that she's pretty nerdy earlier, so that definitely helps out. She's super cool!!! Such a badass!!!

Now, on the flipside of things, what if he survived? Then what happens? shameless self promo

Yaag still has those recordings, and they do still reach Captain Rygdea. They both live in the small village that the remnants of PSICOM created. It's a sweet life. Are fankids a thing in their future? Yeah, probably.

I feel like Yaag would be a really good dad. I headcanon that he has a very strong relationship with his own father as well. He's caring and stern, but also knows when to turn down the serious scale. The novels also say that he likes kids!?!?!? I know I've screamed about this point like 24892 times on my blog. But.

It's so cute??? Who would expect this super serious and mean man who quite literally says that the protagonists aren't people, they're targets to like children of all things???? It really is my favorite thing ever just because of how cute it is. I also have a few tiny cousins in my family, so him playing with them makes me very soft too.

("Would you please stop tugging on my hair- Ash, this is not a laughing matter!" "Oh, but it so is.")

I think that detail really helps hint at him having a more gentle side? And I adore that.

Also, I mentioned how Snow pays a visit to the PSICOM camp after the events of the first game? I think that would be very interesting with Yaag there because before Yaag dies in canon, Snow says, "Stay alive. We'll see you when it's over."

And now he finally gets to see him. The conversation would get surprisingly deep and definitely dive into Yaag's motives and real thoughts about his actions in the game. I really enjoy the few interactions those two have in the game.

Anyways, now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's dig into the meat and potatoes of this ship.

In 13-2, they get a separate dlc side story just to themselves. Because I said so. I'm not sure how the plot of this works, but it's basically them exploring Gran Pulse together. Maybe to map things out? Maybe to get better acquainted with the world they thought was a hell their whole lives? Maybe there's some sort of big mission they have to do? We'll figure it out.

Basically, it's a whole side story of them exploring and kicking monster ass together. The combat is regular 13 combat.

Yaag has his sword along with some explosives (we see him carry some grenades at the end when he blew himself up). And Ash also has a sword because I like swords.

In the game, usually only l'Cie, or magic god slaves, can use magic. However, after the fal'Cie (magic gods) go poof at the end of the end of the first game, some normal humans can use magic? It makes no sense and exists only for plot convenience, but I'm not complaining because it makes my plot easier too.

My point is, Ash can use magic! Because A) she's quirky mage material B) we need a balanced team C) Every single version of Ash so far has been a mage. D) I like magic a lot. Would be my go-to as well.

Also, if you're interested in how they work in battle, roles divide up very nicely between them.

Yaag has: -Commando (physical attacks) -Sentinel (beefy tanks) -Sabuteur (debuffing enemies)

Ash has: -Ravager (magic goes brrr) -Medic (i think you know) -Synergist (buffing allies) -Commando (physical attacks)

Maybe Yaag could get medic too to balance off the load in battle? They're a blast in combat because they really do compliment each other.

Anyways, back to the adventure.

It's the two of them traveling around. The main focus of it is their conversations as they travel. There's a lot of fun banter. Ya know how like when you're walking around in Naughty Dog games and your characters are just chatting? Yeah. That.

Their conversations are super random and they cover pretty much every single topic ever. They go from really serious to them just being stupid. I love their friendly banter.

Also, when they set up camp and are about to sleep, we get to see sleepy Yaag in action. And do you know what that means?

It means we get to see Yaag with his hair done a bit looser, maybe even down!!! Yaag with his hair down is all I want to see. It's what we deserve. It's what we need. The day that I see Yaag with his hair down is the day i achieve true happiness LMAO.

It's what we need.

Ash playing with his hair??? Yes, I most definitely think so.

Oh and there is totally a "Yaag, I'm cold." "Allow me to help remedy that. *pulls her closer*" type moment because they're cute like that.

All in all, their travels are really fun. Maybe somewhere around there they run into the protagonists? Either from the first game or the second game. I think that would be a fun mess.

I feel like Yaag can show a softer side of him around her and that makes me really happy. He deserves to be happy and I love him very much.

I think about him all the time, and just the thought of him holding me makes me so happy. He really is just adorable.

Before I wrap this up, I have a few more things I want to speak about! Firstly, allow me to share one of my favorite pictures of him because oh. my. god.

*screams*

The urge to backhug him!!! Ahh!!! He's so cute!!!! I just wanna hold him aelajflanef.

One of my favorite pre-relationship moments from them is this one time where Yaag is pretty down in the dumps, and Ash is talking to him about it and offering her advice. And as she talks, she gently places a hand over his (they're seated side by side btw). He looks up at her in shock, and she takes back her hand is like, "O-oh! I'm so sorry, I should've asked first, I just thought tha-"

And then he just snatches her hand back and gently holds it. You can see the tips of his ears burning red haha! I think that they're pretty cute ajfwnjklef

She always tries her best to take care of him, too! He needs a hug, and she is more than happy to provide. She always tries to remind him to eat his meals on time and such, even if she can be questionable at following her own advice at times. She can also be a bit of a tease sometimes, so he can get pretty annoyed (not really, he thinks it's cute) sometimes.

However, he also does his best to take care of her. Would he pull the "that's an order." card after she refuses to rest, pulling several late-nighters for work? Yeah. Probably. He's very caring, even if he can come off as very serious and scary sometimes.

To wrap things up, I love Yaag Rosch.

Thank you for your time.