#at this point my Kenji might as well be a different character

[goldy-engine]

Rewriting Kenji

Okay so im fixating on Kenji Right now. Which has made me think a lot about things, I don’t think a lot of people talk or even think about him but I’ve got a lot to think about regarding Him AND I’ve also thought about how I would rewrite him as a character. Since he was introduced in the BWBA era and just about the end of the series all together. He hardly had any character to him, as did most new characters, but O so badly wish he did. His design is not bad given that the 0 series Shinkansen are pretty simple in terms of colours in general. I actually think he could of had potential if he was introduced earlier and not just for marketing/toy purposes. There’s so much they could of done in regards to him being an electric engine in general or his speeds, or his relations with others because of being an electric engine, or if it’s easy or hard for him to get along with other engines. And some other detail is that his class was an older electric class I’d say, I mean his class of engine is retired from what I’ve read. Though obviously he is not that old, he still isn’t extremely young either. The 0 series Shinkansen were first built around 1963-1964 whcih is only 4 years after the Br 42 warship (Diesel 10) class was built. Just thought that was interesting.

Anyway, so this is how I would rewrite Kenji as a character, mostly simplified version of what I think because I have rewrote Kenji as a character in my mind to a point I forget how he actually is in canon

-for the basic personality I think I’d write him to be curious but a bit anxious too. I somewhat introverted, or struggles to talk to new people. I don’t know to me he gave off sort of an anxious or introverted sort of vibe. I think for relating.

-despite being a bit introverted, he hates being alone, since that was one definite thing I could get from him as a character from the episode Kenji on the rails(I think that’s the episodes name) that he was scared to travel alone. I think he’s got a fear of being alone in general. Maybe I’m reading way too much into a character marketed for children but I don’t know.

-random thing, I headcanon his favourite animal is a great white shark, that’s why I give him shark teeth and eyes when I draw my humanoid design for

-for character relations, I would of liked to see more of Kenji and Hiro, to see their contrasts and similarities. Perhaps talking about what they remember of Japan and comparing their experiences from different times. Since Hiro is already pretty calm and more relaxed than some of the other characters I think he and my Kenji would be really good friends, Hiro could be someone he can have that he doesn’t feel so anxious around.

-I want to pretend Hiro and Kenji never left Sodor.

-episode ideas could include maybe something that involves the diesels, I want to know what Diesel 10 would think of Kenji. Or another episode idea could be some sort of scenario that involves both Kenji and Duck, id like to see how an old fashioned and proud steamie would contrast with A mostly modern electric engine who (atleast mine) sometimes struggles with being an electric, and being apart of a huge change when it comes to travel yet his particular class isn’t really used anymore. I think a good episode idea that could be relatable or give some form of lesson could be learning how to cope with anxiety and not letting it stop you from being around others or being really useful. Maybe how to deal with stress too.

Nobody ask me where I pull this all from, I don’t know, thats how I’ve managed to characterised Kenji in my mind

[msp9]

THIS IS MY LIKES AND DISLIKES OF CHAOS THEORY ⚠️Spoilers below cut⚠️

When i first finished this season, I too like some people, was skeptical about it. I get why some people say its bad, I just thought it was very different from cc. At points the characters didin't feel like themsleves, the way some of them were written and the designs gave me a real hard time to get used to them. Also i felt as if it was just too much to process at times so i rewatched it and my final answer is that its a good show the pacing is incredeble, the plot, the suspence and character development. i just had a hard time getting used to everything new? Ig. I'm still doubting whether its a 10 but sure thing is that it was a very good first season its a easy 9/10. So here are the thinks i liked abt it:

-THE WAY THEY POTRAYED EVERYONES TRAUMA/STRUGGLES , Sammy having anxiety, Yaz overcoming her ptsd, and KENJI. MY BOY. That must have been the best breakdown i've seen in animated series. Whoever wrote that scene. Wow. It was the best thing in the whole show honestly. His vision gtting blurry, having truble breathing. The panick. Wow. I CANNOT SAY THIS LOUD ENOUGH.

-Ben and Sammy duo? Hello? Im srry to say but you might just be better than Yaz and Ben duo. Idk i really loved them.

- "Benjamin."

- Showing Yaz is doing better. Despite her ongoing struggles, she has clearly grown and matured the last 6 years, and the way she calmed Sammy in the sinking van? Ig all those therapy sessions and college paid off. That scene is a clear illustration of the progress she has made. I mean sammy did say "i can tell shes still struggling" but there wasnt really a clear scene of her getting stuck in place as she used to. So my guess is that it was just Sammys anxiety and the fact that they didint talk much. Bc then Sammy was surprised how she kept herselve together. So yeah

-YASAMMY. NOTHING MORE TO ADD.

-UM SAMMYS CHARACTER?? HELLO? GLOW UP, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, i loved her sm. She moved up to my top 3.

And her anxiety? It was so well shown too

-the fight between Sammy and Yaz felt so natural and not at all forced. They both had valid points and in the end they did understand each other and were on the same page.

-Ben being Ben in almost every episode

- Yasmina's "boo."

-Brooklynns design?? Majestic to say the least.

- ingore what i said ealrier abt the acting out of character. They do remind themsleves they just grew

Well, all except Ben...

-Kenjis new voice actor, he did a real good job, as much as it doesn't sound like him, he really captured some emotional scenes very well.

- The robot lady. THEY REALLY SAID TAKE A WOMAN AND MAKE HER CREEPY ASF. I was genunanly creeped out. And the detail that at the ranch if u listen closesly u can hear the whistle. Hell nah that was scary.

-Benrius Ben and Darius friendship, okay actually u can't tell me u didint feel it too, the tention between ben and Darius cmon we all know what u are Ben stop making up girlfriends in Europe

-Brooklynn turning bad, or from what we are told worked for bad people ig. Personally as much as it shocked me, im sure theres a good reason as to why and i cant wait to hear more abt in season 2.

-I can now undertand what everyone meant in reviews saying "its more mature" not only in the more death and dinos but it woyud be kind of confusing for a younger audience to undertsand some stuff in this show.

-I really liked Daniels kon death, maybe it wasn't necesarry but im all in for that dark death scene.

-Lastly the comment Sammy makes when Ben asks how bumpy got pregnant, and the yazs smirk. Gurl i was suprised they added that but i loved it

Now, the things that i didint like and why:

- First of all, Darius being in love with brooklynn. I mean i get it but i also dont get it. In my opinion, there shouldn't have been a different reason as to why Darius was the most effected by her death. They were close and she died. Its okay to be really effected by someones death and not bc u liked them, and i also do believe that the reason for him not showing up the night she "died" should have been smth more serious. Then again i get it bc now he felt a lot more guilt bc it was for a not so important reason he didint show up and thats why he didint tell anyone. Well axtually it isnt that bad, but i just felt it was forced for the plot. This again could be bc i started to like kenlynn and now they turned the tables completly but sure.

-Brooklynns voice actor. I just couldn't connect her to brooklynn? She sounded a lot different, not a major bad thing it was just hard to get used to.

-Ben having a gf, or supposedly having one, u telling me this man has a gf:

I thought it funny but yk that man is a homosexual

- and lastly, Brooklynn being alive. This might sound bad but it made sense for her to die. And i was kinda lamed out that she wasnt dead. (Pls ironically enough, just weeks ago i begged for her to be alive.) But like the way everyone suffered bc of her death, going throught the 5 stages of grief, and the way the show was played. It just would have been better if she died, all those flashbacks, the emotional moments, i mean its not gonna be the same when i rewatch it bc i know shes alive. Anyways enough abt this.

Actually i have nothing more to add to my "bad stuff" list but i might come up with smth later. Bc i will be rewatchibg it obviously. Ig lastly i just wanted more episodes how dare they cutting the season of right there.

[campfam4lyfe]

Got any campfam aus or ideas in the works?

hey anon! I wouldn’t say I have any ideas in the works, because I have what I like to call commitment issues when it comes to writing fic.

This means that while I have an abundance of ideas, outlines, and wips in my Google docs for the fandoms I’ve been in. I’ve never actually finished a fic and posted it.

In fact, the only single time I have, (diff fandom!) I am not counting properly, because it was a collab with a close mutual, and a lot of the legwork was them. I had the initial plot bunny and was going to leave it as a one off tumblr post, but my mutual rlly liked the idea and we bounced drabbles and such back and forth. We wrote a bunch of snippets and put them together in a doc, until we had cohesive chapters, as we filled the empty spaces with more and more work, ending up to a total of 18 chapters. It took us a year and a half to post it, and that was mostly my fault, as where my mutual had finished most of their allotted sections, different hyperfixations kept pulling me to other unfinished works. This is why I won’t promise anything—I don’t want to disappoint anyone.

But, that being said. I do have ideas, hcs, and aus! One that is currently consuming me, was actually inspired by this one other post I saw recently. (When I find the post ima link it dw!) OP of the post was saying that there should be a Carmen Sandiego au for CC and I jumped on that SO fucking fast anon. I LOVE Carmen Sandiego, and have since it first aired when I was in HS.

So. Here’s some of the Carmen Sandiego au thoughts copy/pasted from my Google docs. (Yes I do always write out my outlines as if I’m taking to someone but that’s bc i sometimes end up sharing the doc link with some friends)

JWCC Carmen Sandiego AU:

Y’all know Kenlynn is my JAM and so is RedCrackle. So obvi I thought of mixing the two right? But here’s the thing. While I love Carmen/Gray, I am also in love with Carmen/Ivy and Carmen/Julia.

So with that in mind. Kenlynn is going to take a backseat for a second (meaning tho they'll become a thing and obvi they will bc they are a constant to me, theyre not the center of this), and my fave girls YASAMMY will be at the forefront of this au.

I’m thinking. Carmen Sammy. But I’m not entirely sure about whether or not that’s what I want? It could be argued that Sammy’s love for her family is a core driving force in her character, and Carmen doesn’t KNOW her family. But also—a huge plot point is that she’s looking for her mom. So. Tentative Carmen Sammy.

MANTAH CORP AS VILE MANTAH CORP AS V.I.L.E MANTAH CORP AS V.I.L.E

So I figure not everything is going to be one-to-one. This means I am placing Kenji in the role of Gray/Crackle. His story is going to be different tho, bc whereas Gray was a recruit, with MANTAH CORP AS V.I.L.E that means Daniel is already on the board. So kenji trying to make his dad proud? More likely than you think.

(I just wanted my Sammy&Kenji besties. Bestie betrayal can be just as good as romantic betrayal)

I’m sure you know where I’m going with this if we’re not going the redcrackle route. Thats right. YASMINA JULIA.

I considered at first, YASMINA CARMEN and SAMMY IVY, but in the end the need for Sammy Carmen was too great.

So I also considered Dave and Roxxie as Chase and Julia but, I decided to scrap that idea for now. You know me, at some point I might revamp most of the au anyways lol, now is not a time for fine tuning it’s just a tentative starting point.

Torn between DARIUS as Player or Brooklynn as Player. I considered Ben of course, but I think we need to put him on an island at some point—he needs a Bumpy, no matter the universe.

WAIT. REVISITING BEN AS PLAYER. BECAUSE DARIUS AND BRAND AS ZACK AND IVY. This means no Carmen/Ivy vibes but since we ditched the Gray/Carmen as well in this au I think it’s fine.

Ben still has to end up with Bumpy somehow tho? Original Ben plan, when Darius was a Player candidate, was Ben is also a V.I.L.E recruit.

V.I.L.E having a faction that deals with genetics and cloning (in addition to like. Kash and his robots) and ending up with a dinosaur—Bumpy! And that being Ben’s flip to the other side/Team Sammy. He defects and steals Bumpy on his way out.

Okay I’m a little too attached to that, so yeah. V.I.L.E recruit Ben, so Brooklynn as player??

Oh! She doesn’t have!!! IRL friends!! Brooklynn being an Internet famous vlogger as in canon. So we get that running gag of Sammy and Brooklynn always being in contact and Brooklynn being a big part of the heists through investigative work and such, yet she’s constantly on the other side of the globe? Sammy needs to be in Sydney but Brooklynn is in New Orleans. That kinda stuff.

Works with Brooklynn having traveled all over the world, she can also do those factoids player does—she’s got the deets.

Oh!???? THATS HOW WE GET MY FAVE DUO OF DINOSTAR BESTIES!!! They both love their facts. They’re nerds.

Mae as shadowsan? Tentatively?

Okay. Player Brooklynn. Except instead of being home most of the time, she’s usually on the go. She’s talked to kenji a few times during Sammy and Kenji’s V.I.L.E recruit era.

Kenji as the Gray of this au. he’s a V.I.L.E legacy. he became friends with sammy his recruitment year, and he'd talked to brooklynn a few times, due to sammy introducing them because kenji was curious about whether or not sammy has friends in the outside world, and sammy noticing brooklynn feeling a little left out/jealous that sammy had friends she was hanging with in person rather than over a phone call.

kenlynn kenlynn kenlynn

does he recognize her voice from her vlogs? does he even watch them? i dont think hed be a brooklander, guys got a lot on his plate and thats impressing his dad

ben is a V.I.L.E. recruit. maybe a bit of mime bomb, in that he was. not as close? with the other recruits. i do think having ben come in as a recruit the year sammy defects would be cool tho. so he doesn't know her as "black sheep" or whatever code name V.I.L.E refers to her as. he'll first meet her as Sammy.

yaz as JULIA!!!!! a junior agent? a former athlete. trying to make it make sense, but i think it fits.

omg. yaz. is alex rider basically holy shit

was thinking of dave as chase, and decided that i was going to keep it.

roxxie as the Chief.

mae as shadowsan.

yes. it IS because i want a roxxie/mae/dave love triangle and that need's final form was ot3

DARIUS AND BRAND AS ZACK AND IVY. i dont want their mom to be dead. but i dont know WHAT happened to her and why theyre involved in this life of crime? i love the og carmen&ivy&zack meeting. and i love that they were involved with racing. trying to find a way to incorporate it and make it make sense

important question.....is darius and his dad's great shared love still dinosaurs?

OR IS IT CARS? RACING?????? BRAND BEING INVOLVED IN THE RACES BC IT WAS IMPORTANT TO DARIUS AND THEIR DAD AND DARIUS CANT DRIVE YET

AND. SAMMY. AS CARMEN!!!!!!

okay so carmen's dad was a former V.I.L.E. agent who left it all behind for the woman he fell in love with right? well. obvi this au isnt a one to one. like there clearly have been changes in characters and dynamics. but i think involving elements from this could work. lemme map it out to make sense

okay so in cc sammy spies for mantah corp despite her parents not wanting her to. meanwhie carmen's dad defects from V.I.L.E., i think shadowsan was there and so was the chief and he dies.

okay so--sammy's dad was a V.I.L.E. agent, fell in love, defected. V.I.L.E. catches up with him, and does A.C.M.E. and in the fallout, the house collapses. A fire? an explosion? they think sammy died. (im not killing off sammy's dad bc damnit she needs a happy ending)

yaz losing faith in the system and having her hot girl summer being romanced by the pretty thief she's supposed to be catching

ben ditches VILE/Mantah Corp with Bumpy and meets Darius at some point--oh!!!

mae/shadowsan joins Team Sammy at the end of s1 i think? okay, so, when she joins, she brings ben, a fresh defector with her.

obvi ben left after he stole bumpy from them

at some point during their occasional talks, kenlynn became friendly with each other. then The Train scene happens. and kenji is promptly deemed a disappointment and dealt with the way gray is.

brooklynn ends up coming across a memory-wiped kenji during one of her vlogs. he doesnt know he knows her, just that something about her voice seems familiar.

brooklynn brings it up and the other are Concerned but also have a lot on their plate rn/dont truly trust him again or are unclear on whether or not they should. darius/brand bc their experiences havent been good so far, and sammy doesnt want to risk them. but he was still one of her first friends. shes torn

brooklynn making contact with him. smth smth she ends up needing a camera man for one of her vlogs and kenji volunteers. they grow closer during her sporadic visits. he asks her out.

DANIEL KON HAS ENTERED THE CHAT. SAMMY NEEDS BROOKLYNN TO DO HER THING. SHE MISSES THE DATE.

Meanwhile, that entire interactive ep??? of carmen sandiego with the julia/carmen??? THAT. THAT HAPPENS. YASAMMY DANCE AND WE GET THAT SCENE YOU KNOW THE ONE

[sharkyy599]

Another thing, you might not realize this, but you OC "Octavius" could be seen as racist to some. His middle name "Kenji" originates from Japan, so he's Japanese, but that's obvious because of his exaggerated eyes. You intentionally make his eyes wider and even slanted, and there's no way that wasn't put to make it clear that he's Asian, along with his pale skin and haircut. Not to mention, he's an octopus character. This can be seen as irony due to Japanese people eating sushi, or as a reference to Japanese "tentacle porn" (seeing as Octavius is portrayed as attractive and sexy). Both instances are offensive in their own way. I'm saying this to try and help.

Ok. I think I see your point, so I'm going to explain myself, hopefully without offending anyone

I am not Asian, I cannot speak for Asian people, but I will not sweep it under the rug. Yes, Octavius has eyes that are different from all my other OCs. They are wider.

I won't lie, it WAS subconsciously to make it obvious that he's Asian (specifically Japanese), BUT it was not because I'm racist.

You see, I love cartoons, and it was common for Asian characters to have these eyes.

I noticed this and went, "Oh. Is that how people portray Asian characters? And they don't get backlash for it? Well, if Hispanic characters are portrayed with tan skin like mine, I guess this is how it goes with Asians!" Unfortunately, my ignorance has led to a potentially offensive OC. I don't get what you mean with the skin and hair though? That's just pale skin and hair?

As for the other thing, I don't know what the fuck you're talking about with "tentacle corn", but I'm scared now. Sure, it can be a little joke that Octavius is an octopus and octopus is common in sushi, and sushi comes from Japan, but how would that be an attack towards anyone? I don't understand.

I also don't understand how you think making a minor scared to draw her own OCs is solving any problems. I admit, maybe I'm a bit ignorant and careless, but now I'm terrified to be called a biggot for anything I do.

Just leave me alone.... please

[tulipe-rose]

Nakahara Chūya, and Miyazawa Kenji... Quite the unique bunch, aren't they?

The allegedly 'inhumane', gravity manipulating beast, and the temperamental, often starved sunshine child.

They're explored separately throughout the Manga, and are given their moments to express their characters through words and actions. At first sight, they'd be rendered polar opposites. However that may be true to an unknowing outsider, their current knowledge would never allow them to understand, to comprehend what lies within.

One loyal dog, another morally grey sweetheart.

They do meet once during the main plot; multiple times during the spin offs and once during the anthologies. They're portrayed to be an admiring boy with his idol. It's truly an adorable sight to behold.

The feared Mafia executive, and the loved, yet feared agency part timer.

It's a pity that they'll most probably never get the right opportunity to connect with one another. Their past experiences and sorrows are the key factors that would assist them to truly understand each other's emotions, as they both know what it's like to grieve over loved ones. They both know all too well what it's like to be the strongest; to be the pillar of support that everyone depends on in certain situations; their trump card. They both harbor abilities that are mighty, double edged swords, unstoppable when provoked, even harmful to oneself when pushed to their wits end. The weight of responsibility could weigh on them akin to dead weight, but they persevere through it, and they manage to make it through victorious. It's truly fascinating however, that the difference in environment could impact the path taken, and ideals followed by each. The way by which they choose to handle predicaments they're to be put in reflects the duality of humans that are infinitely similar and different concurrently.

Bottling up their issues and emotions isn't foreign to either. One due to his upbringing, and the other solely because of the fact that he has no time to deal with them. Life is moving, and the mafioso cannot afford to be held up by pitiful emotions. He is capable of destressing using quality wine in the safe confines of a bar table. The young blonde on the other hand is a stranger to pitiful anger, sadness and irritation. He has been brought up to never feel the need to be anything but happy. Yes, it might have effectively impacted him, making his perspective and views brighter, much more optimistic and inviting than most. However, a certain perspective would claim that variety in emotions is what makes us human; I'd leave it up to debate, yet I personally believe that with enough care and attention, the young Miyazawa could open up, even if a little to peak of anything that bothers him. That'd be the peak of character development. Another colossal issue that is faced by this superhuman fourteen year old happens to be how he chooses to handle his hunger. He could be half starved to death, yet not a single complaint would leave his lips. He's far too accustomed to it. He doesn't acknowledge it anymore, and that is not healthy.

A lost soul, and another wandering one.

I dare say Nakahara sees a fragment of his youth in the blonde countryboy. Nakahara would go to unimaginable lengths just to keep the boy's smile genuine; to keep it cheerful and glad to be in existence as ever. He'd try to reserve the boy's happiness, because he was too familiar with it being stripped away.

They might just be the shoulder that both of them needs to lean on, cry on in case the infamous ginger winds up lost to the alcohol.

If only the mangaka gave it a serious chance.

(TD;LR I firmly believe in and support the Chuenji sibling dynamic.

Petition to allow the Miyazawa family to adopt Chūya, aye in the comments if you agree.

Hope you liked this pointless piece of meta that literally no one asked for. I'm pretty sure most of my points have been repeated over and over by other people, but never hurts really.)

[seaescapologist]

Since I've been waiting for Year 4 of the story for so long, kind of wanted to ramble for a bit, both about my impressions and theories. So, spoilers below the cut.

So now that it's confirmed that it was Elliot who was watching MC. I am even more convinced, that Elliot's sixth former associate (the only one that hadn't been caught by the Ministry) is probably why Ollivander noted that there is something familiar about MC. It also all better explains an actual reason why Elliot needed Daniel, since even if he simply wanted an ally at Hogwarts, a third year no matter how talented at potions is a bit of an odd choice (especially if they are the only one).

Also I feel like it also adds fuel to the fact that Hagrid was sent with a letter to MC intentionally, and not because they now do that for all muggleborns. But not as certain about it.

Still wonder about Winifred's warning though. Since it wasn't just about him watching. But that he will try to pose as a friend, which Elliot did both with Daniel. But also now with his 'friend of all' speech. At this point I am more inclined to believe it's less of a kind of 'seer-like' prediction, and more likely a warning from that Sixth Associate using Winifred as a conduit. After all if it was someone who knew Elliot well enough, they might predict what he'd try to do just based on their experience, especially if something like that happened with NOTME. And it'd make sense that it's down in a roundabout way, if that person doesn't want Elliot to find them, approaching MC directly isn't an option.

Also been thinking about Elliot's true motives and what caused his falling out with original NOTME. Admittedly it's all more of a conjecture. I have a feeling that NOTME (and more specifically that Sixth person), found some way. To give/amplify magic. Though I obviously don't think it would be that simple, there likely is a price and some limitations. And there was a conflict as to how to use it, maybe even if they should at all, depending on the price of the power (or maybe Elliot straight up wanted the power to himself). But something like that fits with the name of the game 'Magic Awakened', right? It would fit why Winny abilities (I'd say it's fair to say legilimency), became so much stronger if that sixth person indeed used her as a way to warn MC, so they likely had a contact with her. So I do wonder if MC's magic was 'awakened' in this way.

Anyway, mostly done with theories, so more of a general thoughts about Y4! Originally Y4 felt a lot weaker than previous years, but it definitely picked up at the end, I enjoyed those final parts. Even if in part we are roughly back where we ended Y3. Well, aside from Cass being set up as a friend of course. And part of me hopes that Kenji was set up to transfer to Hogwarts (he has motives - finding a cure for his curse AND he clearly seems to be more welcome there at this point), but that might just be wishful thinking on my parts. But it would be a nice way for the game to add another Forbidden Forest and dance companion, without it feeling like they came out of nowhere.

I hope Y5 finally gives focus to MC. They finally got a chance to shine in Y4 (but mostly everyone did). But it'd be nice if they finally started feeling as a protagonist. Also kind of wish they weren't just framed as an all-rounder. I'd prefer if MC had their 'own thing' too, like all companions do (ideally based on our choice of course. but either way something would be better than nothing). Magizoology and transfiguration still seemingly not tied to anyone right (like Ivy's expertice at charms, Daniel's potions etc)? Would be neat if in Y5 MC got a chance to become an animagus. Especially with Abigail and maybe/hopefully Kenji transferring, it especially could come in handy.

What else? Ngl, I was a bit disappointed about Winny's character, maybe because it's so completely different from how she spoke/acted in both Y1 (flashback) and in Y3, so maybe I built up some expectations in my head? Or maybe because I wasn't expecting to get a clarification about her warning so late, so i felt robbed. But I am still curious about Warrington family. Even back in Y1 it felt odd how Ivy's grandmother chose to handle it. But now, despite previously apologizing for hiding things from her, once again we learn things were hidden thanks to her instructions. Idk, there is something there. Recently stumbled upon a concept of Ivy's and Winny's mother, so maybe it all somehow ties back to whatever happened to her.

On a final note. MC punching Viggo had no business of being so funny, one of the highlights of the year for me! So yeah, don't know if anyone read all this. But it was nice to put my thoughts in writing even if they are all over place.

[ctl-yuejie]

What did you eat yesterday Season 2 - Episode 7

(yes, I jumped over episode 6, but I watched it at 3 am and just had a lot of feelings and not that many thoughts)

this episode reenforced my opinion that the show's writing is among the best in the slice-of life genre. the way themes and story-threads are introduced to come back in later episodes or get featured from a different view point makes this show not only feel well-rounded and well thought-out but it makes you think and reminisce since everything feels so real. The show treats its premise seriously: Shiro-san and Kenji being 50 and late 40s respectively is not treated as a surface-level story setting but it does the work of really dissecting and deep-diving into how these two people would view the world. Their outlook on life is so so different from mine, not only because I'm not a gay man in Japan but because of our age difference. We might share similar experiences but how we react and think about the same issues couldn't be more different. I love that I can never predict what tone the next scene might set and it feels like talking to a queer elder sharing their story. You can learn something just by listening and gain new perspectives.

Shiro-san losing a friend, thinking - yet again - about death and not having any children of his own is contrasted with how solemn but peaceful the funeral is. Here is Shiro-san imagining how tough things must be for the widow and - what he assumes - three young children only for the children being old enough to have kids on their own. It perfectly illustrates the kind of bubble in which we might experience our lives. His former classmates talk about becoming grandparents and here is Shiro-san just having started finding a way to accept his complicated emotions of not granting his parents grandchildren. It not only feels like two social circles colliding but how unintended alienating it can feel to be queer. And sometimes it just hits you that there are people around you that are both similar and very different to you. And an excellent way to connect the theme of marriage and children to the past episodes but from a very different viewpoint.

The same way Kohinata and Wataru are so important to the story. They can be comedic relief while never feeling cartoonish but they also offer more variety in how a gay couple can live together paired with the generation gap between the three and Wataru.

While writing is fantastic, this show equally is indebted to the stellar performances by Uchino Seiyo and Nishijima Hidetoshi. The way Uchino Seiyo can carry pure joy in his voice gets me everytime he calls for Shiro-san off screen. The way they both move inside the supermarket and as a couple, the way they embody their characters so thouroughly is never not giving me joy.

favourite moment: Kenji realising that Shiro-san wants validation by the supermarket lady and being overjoyed at that fact and that Shiro-san will wear his glasses more often.

food talk

Not only was this another fantastic episode, I am craving some nabeyaki udon now and i wish i had brought back more yuzu kosho from japan. I wish I could get my hands on fresh clams here. Never tried clam soup with just clams but it looks delicious. And I wish I could get fish roe here.

production corner

I really commend this show for making this flat so congruent with its history. you understand why shiro rented it in the first place. you can feel both their styles coming together and also the different times they might have purchased things. it is not planned by an interior designer but has a consistent style that feels very them.

[antlerhorror]

i'm going to info dump about this and maybe nobody will see it! but this story means so MUCH to me.

imagine you're in the grishaverse okay, you have shadow summoner and sun summoner and holy shit those are teenage criminals that collapse an entire government system because they want money, isn't that incredible? the whole world is a mess, this is true, but what about ... the ocean? who's crossing the seas and making that, too, a laborious task for anyone minding their own business? we already know pirates are a vaugly established group in the universe; everyone insists on calling nikolai one when he presents as sturmond. so where exactly are these pirates?

here enters the ocean's disgrace, a renowned crew of cut throats and criminals who scour the seas for plunder, particularly with the ravkan navy because fuck those guys, am i right? led by imani oakfor, queen of the seas (penned by @riverstyxsarts), this band of pirates is both comic relief when you need it and a look into the lives of characters we don't usually see in the shadow and bone setting. they're different.

imani oakfor, transwoman pirate captain of the ocean's disgrace and renowned for her ferocity and her cruelty ... with enemies, that is.

bones, a disgraced fjerdan who insists he's too old for work and has an infinity for incredibly bad romantic novellas ‐ and he can't even read.

hawk-eye, son of ambassadors turned pirate and imani's lover. once thought to be dead for years, he now makes it a point to be a cocky bastard.

kenji yào, autistic map-maker and bathtime extraordinaire. he's a squaller who's afraid of birds - no, seriously, he is. petrified of them, really. currently dating hare and another member of the crew.

hare hamilton, the quickest thief on the seas. just a young boy from the wandering isles who made due to survive and got a mother figure out of it somehow; imani might as well be his mom for how well he treats him.

fleur meijer, a runaway from the navy after she realized just how bigoted those assholes are. certified woman lover with a heart of gold and courage like no other.

and so many more characters. you don't quite understand how honored i am to write a story with someone so so talented and make entire worlds out of something that im passionate about. these guys invade my brain more than the canon cast of shadow and bone do! i know this was a bit of a doozy but let me know if you want to know more. it's my special interest at this point <3

[aparticularbandit]

still in the prologue of my katawa shoujo replay, and i want to say that like. i know one of the points of the game in terms of its writing is how well it writes characters with different disabilities, and i think i'd rather get into that with each character later (maybe with their routes, maybe with their introductions, etc.) - but like.

one of the things that's jumping out to me is just how much the player character - who has only recently realized he's disabled - reacts in very negative terms to disability when the term is first applied to him. we don't know what hisao thought about disabilities or disabled people before, but we can see his immediate reaction to being called disabled and having to go to a different school for disabled people instead of his normal school and how he automatically assumes that's worse. the disgust he has towards being disabled himself and having that term now mean him.

and even the depression that he has towards his medication and how he has to take so many at night and so many in the morning and how they might as well just be saying to stay alive instead of other information and how he still wants to be what he sees as normal vs. disabled, how depending on your choices as the player he can bump against what the school's head nurse tells him to do, how he panics over something happening with his heart because he doesn't know what's the disease and what's just his new normal - he doesn't know when to be scared.

and even in the introduction the wondering over whether he's allowed to ask and if that's awkward and some characters are more willing to have this conversation and some aren't and some are more blunt about it and some aren't and looking at his appreciation for how different characters address their disability (particularly with lilly and the shizune-misha combo so far, but also with rin) and how other characters react to someone else's disability (their care of him but also how accommodating people are with hanako's social anxiety (not the disability that is blatant but one that is there nevertheless)), like--

even in the prologue, the care the writers took with all of this is very evident.

part of hisao's arc is coming to terms with being disabled, and that starts with his denial and depression. it starts with the comparing and the learning about others and the changing of his life and the grieving over that change.

...and then there is also kenji. who has. other issues.

[nejishadow]

Part 1 of Tomozuki drabbles and things!

Yep that's right, the even rarer of the two Kenji rarepairs gets an entire post!

I'm taking a break from writing anything big after I finished the Tomozuki 5 chapter, so thought I should start gathering all my ideas and ramblings again Like the kenjikoto posts, you're free to expand on / finish these ideas for fic or art, just let me see! Inspiring people is a huge boost to my drive to create!

Guest Starring Makomoru, because they keep finding their way in here, Kenjikoto and tomozukikoto / tomozukimako! [Ryoji x Kenji x Makoto] (I haven't decided what 3 way ship name makes the most sense)

My tired brain is just thinking of morning clinginess

I see both Kenji and Ryoji being people who hold like a pillow and don't let go. Great, Tomozuki is comfortable while they sleep! Until they need to get up. Kenji trying to wriggle out, but Ryoji is locked on. Try to slip out or push him off? He's adjusting to lie half on Kenji. Now even more stuck. Kenji just gives up and accepts he's gonna be lying here for another hour

Vs Kenjikoto. Makoto needing to get up, still tired and hazy. Kenji curled up around him? He just drags Kenji up with him. Both slowly shuffling so they can stay connected during the morning routine. Kenji staying mostly asleep until Makoto makes them both coffee. Then it's Makoto's turn to curl back up against Kenji until they need to do anything

AKA I love and adore soft daily domesticity

----------

Ryoji's first winter, totally absorbed with just watching the snowflakes fall down And gets nailed back of the head with a snowball by Makoto

Who then points next to him, blaming Kenji Kenji barely able to stutter, no he didn't - before Ryoji's tackles him into the snow without a second thought

Kenji flailing that this isn't equal at all, why does a snowball get you tackled, now stuck under Ryoji Ryoji too busy laughing to get up, and hey Kenji's pretty warm, it feels nice. Might just stay here

Makoto hitting them with more snowballs cause they're in no place to stop him

----------

This one I can't decide if fully in character, it's more just funny idea for Tomozukikoto.

Kenji maybe just a little bit jealous or insecure about some things. Like every time Ryoji kisses Makoto, Kenji has to as well, don't question him on it! So Ryoji sometimes just kisses Makoto's cheek just to tease Kenji, and then Makoto is stuck between two guys who won't stop being affectionate, which you think wouldn't be bothersome but he's trying to get stuff done

Also can twist the idea to be that Makoto and Ryoji can tell Kenji's being a bit under the weather due to insecurity, so Makoto hugs first (since he's kinda bad at it), Ryoji hugging them both and now Kenji is stuck in the world's strongest hug.

"Makoto and his two boyfriends who are over affectionate in different ways (dog and cat)" just presents a lotta cute funny opportunities ha.

----------

If Kenjikoto is "streetlights shining on rain slicked concrete, kissing under umbrellas where only we exist" vibe Then tomozuki is definitely a "clear skies with salt spray, tinging our kisses as we hold each other in the sun, wishing the moment could be bottled" vibe to contrast

Combined, they're something like "sitting on the boardwalk in the rain barely fitting under cover, enjoying everything nature gives to us, hands locked in our own bubble - own time"

----------

Overthinking Ryoji again Does he know how to swim? Like how much of Makoto's actual knowledge and skills does he have?

Because tomozuki beach date. If he can't swim, Kenji can at least be there to keep him from drowning, also an excuse to hold hands forever. If he does know. Can throw himself into increasingly bigger waves and actually do all the fun beach things with Kenji.

Ryoji standing up after getting bowled over in the water, hair plastered to his face. Kenji going up to help push it all back and. Oh. They're really close. And were Ryoji's eyes always so pretty?

Then the choice of

they get to kiss because it's cute and romantic Or

another wave knocks them both over and get to laugh (and still get to kiss)

----------

I'm stuck with a headache so I've just been thinking of kenjikoto and tomozuki and how they show affection more

Like the idea of each of them having a way or place they kiss more often

Ryoji is forehead and nose

Makoto corner of the mouth and hands

Kenji the cheek. Maybe a hand if he's feeling brave or trying to be gentlemanly

Makoto leaning on people or pressing up against them when they sit. Ryoji lying himself across people or finding any excuse to touch them. Kenji keeping their fingers intertwined, squeezing extra firm when they hug.

----------

Kenji eating lunch, and Ryoji leaning all over him, prob stealing food when Kenji isn't looking

Hidetoshi then approaches them... What does he want?

"I do hope you know excessive PDA can wait until after school. I swear, it's like you're glued together… We won't need to talk about this again, right?"

Ryoji straightening up, holding his hands placatintly, "Not at all, I completely understand, Odagiri-kun! I won't you cause anymore trouble~"

A hmph and Hidetoshi leaves -- he does not like Ryoji, the guy is causing scenes that he has to deal with constantly -- and the second he's gone Ryoji snuggles into Kenji even closer, now he's gotta enjoy it before he's caught right?

Kenji's been blue screened since Hidetoshi mentioned PDA. They're not dating, Ryoji's just friendly! PDA, how dumb is that?! … And then gets stuck thinking about exactly how touchy Ryoji is with him vs anyone else. Realizing he never sees him doing this to anyone else, at least not at school.

Ryoji too busy cuddling to notice.

Go hide on the rooftop if you wanna be all cutesy, Hidetoshi will find you otherwise

----------------------------------------

Raincode AU Ideas

Since I started Raincode, my brain connected dots and ended up at: MC Kenji and Shinigami Ryoji. Ryoji is Thanatos, after all

Yuma being the most "normal" guy, Kenji made sense to me to fit the role. Everyone just like "nah, no way This Guy could be important." Surprise! He's got a pact with death (I could see Kenji trying some ritual like that anyway, thinking it's some dumb thing people only do in shows but whoops it real!)

Shorter than everyone else

Everyone underestimating him cause he doesn't look like he fits the part

Overthinking and overreacting because what is going on

Thinks his memories are worth trading for a pact?

I think there are all Kenji-core actions ha!

Also imagine shinigami's lil ball form But Thanatos? I squish

Planning / plotting issues come from most of the WDO team having such distinctive personalities, it's hard to equate to someone in P3. Might have to go off powers instead Makoto as Vivia is the only thing I'm 100% set on. Mitsuru for Halara I like a lot too, but I'll have to finish the game before coming back and solidifying everything

--------------------

Ice Skating AU (+ Makomoru)

Makomoru ice skating AU. An excellent pair who's won many competitions, and gotten runner up in even more, still competes to try and get ever better. Started out as rivals in singles, and one day realized they were stronger as a pair than alone.

Kenji has always looked up to Makoto, dreaming of one day they'd be good enough to skate in competitions together (childhood friends AU?), but Kenji was never as good as Makoto. After seeing Makoto flourish in doubles he knows he also wants to try, but it keeps falling apart before his eyes.

Kenji's been stuck in singles, stagnating, because his doubles partners fall through, get frustrated with him, or aren't compatible physically, or Kenji was never their first choice so they would leave him for someone else first chance they got.

Enter Ryoji! Up and coming singles skater with great potential. Was also very inspired by Makoto and Mamoru and how beautiful pairs skating can be, wanted to try doubles, his coach also thinks it'd be good for his training if he worked with others for awhile. Everyone else has partners, so he gets Kenji

Kenji a bit jaded after so many people dropping him, also at himself for not improving at the pace he wants. But… things actually go very well. Ryoji adapts to Kenji quickly, and Kenji understands and can follow Ryoji easily. Plus Ryoji's height + strength means they can do more dramatic moves then Kenji was able to before.

Even after just a few weeks of training, Kenji can understand why Makoto flourished, why he glows when he and Mamoru skate. Ryoji also starts to improve, wanting him and Kenji to reach great heights together. Over the months, Ryoji genuinely starts to fall for Kenji and how... normal he is, compared to so many skaters he knows. How dorky and determined, but down to earth he is.

Both of their final goals are to stand with Makoto and Mamoru on the podium

Also also I love ice skating outfits, they're so fun

--------------------

Ryoji Lives AU

Ideas about a continuation of Chapter 5 of "First Kisses - Tomozuki Edition". Because I can't leave anything bittersweet alone

Ryoji, many months after March, just. Standing. In the middle of an open space, seemingly looking at nothing. No scarf, but so clearly that's Ryoji. How had Kenji forgotten Ryoji? It's been so many months, Ryoji's here. He's frozen in place, unable to look away from that tall form.

Ryoji, seeming to know he's being stared at, turns and meets Kenji's eyes. Realization, light sparking as eyes widen. He remembers

Both see each other and just know. That's their person. We got taken away from each other too soon Ryoji jumping into Kenji's arms and so badly not wanting to let go.

But neither remember much else. Kenji knows this is Ryoji, knows he was important to him. But who was he to everyone else? Nobody recognizes him

Ryoji knows this is Kenji, that's the ring and scarf he gave him, so tenderly cared for. But why'd he give him those things if he was coming back? Some form of promise?

Both having to help each other as all the memories click back into place, defying fate and everything else.

A confusing and patchwork overlap where it's a lot of relearning and rediscovering But they still fall in love / stay in love through it all. Ryoji has too big a heart to ever forget the people he gave everything to.

Probably recall more and more as he meets SEES again, eventually will remember enough to tell Kenji the whole truth. And they've been through too much for Kenji to leave him for that

[campfam4lyfe]

So good to meet another Brookji/Kenlynn fan! What do you think that will happen between them in JWCT season 2 (or later seasons)?

YESSS ANOTHER BROOKENJI!!!!!

okay so, honestly, i have like. zero clue. of what i think will actually happen, because there could be so many different roads for them to take. i know what i want though, and that is a kenlynn endgame. i understand why they broke up, i do. but to see their faces as it happened. the devastation--neither of them wanted it. but kenji had to do it, and i dont blame him.

but guys! brooklynn loves the camp fam--she keeps their picture up on her mystery board. she kept it as her lockscreen. she loves them. i also have to say, that brooklynn loves kenji. as a boyfriend, as a lover--as her person. darius says she was real broken up about the breakup, and she clearly had regrets. she told darius about how and where it happened. she kept that video with the "brokwie bear" and "kenji wenji." she has that video because she couldn't help but film him bc she thought he was being cute. it was one of the first things they saw when they decided to look through her phone! she loves him!

and kenji loves her--his grief over her death, his anger at the people he suspected of being involved in her death--the constant "where were you's" to darius--he needed to know why he wasnt there. that bit where he says "be honest with me. if you loved brooklynn, and mean, really loved her, why werent you there?" broke me, absolutely, cause goddamn ouch. like. he loves her, so he couldnt imagine not showing up if she called him. to the extent where he needs to know why darius wasnt and its like. does he, somehow, blame himself a lot? is that a veiled, *i* could have been there, why didnt she want me there?? devastating stuff.

but. thats all s1 stuff. youre asking about season 2 and onwards! so. what i think will happen--okay, so, you remember how in the end of s1 cc they showed ben was alive? and then we got a ben&bumpy episode that spanned the near-month he was alone. im wondering if they'll do that with brooklynn at some point. truly, i dont know. its possible, but maybe there going to reveal it in pieces, like flashbacks.

i want to know how brooklynn survived. the extent of her realtionship with ronnie, and about all the stuff she'd uncovered abt the dino smugglers since she started till now.

but also, i want a reunion so so bad, and since CT was handling everything else so well, i think theyll do a reunion justice too. and that means i think they will give some of the characters space to be angry. obviously i think there will be relief--who wouldnt be, to find out your friend is alive? but then i think there might also be betrayal, or anger or both.

and maybe also a little horror. brooklynn lost her HAND. and those moments leading up to it must have been terrifying.

i want the fact that she has lost a hand to be addressed. for instance, she can't drive her motorcycle anymore, at least not without a proper prosthesis. and its clearly something she liked doing--her helmets! one for her and one for kenji. just. AHHHHHH you know???

i want kenji to be wooed, let brooklynn woo kenji CT writers, let them woo each other.

i realize i keep meandering and never properly answering your question. im so sorry! okay--i think things will be tense, probably, with relief mixed in, but also a lot of hurt, and some anger. i think brooklynn will have her reasons, its a matter of whether or not the camp fam can accept those reasons or not, after all, we cannot force anyone to accept our apologies. i think they will however, though it may be at different stages for different characters. i think kenlynn will be able to reconcile, and im hoping for a "i knew youd come around/dont ruin it" call back. (my biggest hope is for that ghost line callback tho) but i also think brooklynn will have to show kenji that she does value his time and being with him, and just, him. which, i think its clear she does, but she got a little too consumed with her mystery for a hot sec.

[tinglyalloy]

So, my Kunikida theory.

*inhales*

Alright. Since I made my first post, complete with awful grammar and spelling, several different pieces of information have come to light - number one. Kunikida's notebooks are all made by one person. Number two. Atsushi's ability serves as a beacon towards the book. There might be other pieces of information that I've forgotten and then I will update this post in due course.

Let's try to organise this. In this theory, I will refer to the Book with a capital letter and Kunikida's notebook with a small letter, so the Book and the notebook respectively.

Next, I'm going to list out the information we know so far about the Book and the notebook.

The Book: Completely indestructible and impervious to all abilities. Anything written on its blank pages will come into existence, but it must follow the narrative of a story and make some kind of sense. Thought to be created by an ability.

The notebook: (I'm pretty sure) that it is indestructible. Anything Kunikida writes on its blank pages will come into existence, but he must have seen it at least once before and the object must also be smaller than the size of the notebook. Created by either Calyrle (I think that's how you spell his name) or Kunikida's ability, I'm not sure.

Already, there are quite a few similarities between both of them.

Now, onto who has possessed the notebook and Book.

The Book: The Special Division formerly posessed one page, now in the hands of the DoA. Dazai has, at some point, come into contact with the book - after leaving the mafia, so either during his two years of hiding or during his time in the ADA - to create the alternate universe of Beast.

The notebook: It seems to continually follow Kunikida. Of course, he might have several seperate notebooks, but if you look into the locations that he has it and all of the damage that it goes through, I think it is more likely that his ability allows him to summon the notebook. Quite crucially, Dazai, being Kunikida's partner, has access to the notebook.

In terms of possession, if Kunikida's notebook was somehow related - or maybe even is the actual Book - Dazai has the perfect opportunity to get it.

Other trivia - the Book is in Yokohama. Atsushi's ability is drawn towards it.

Now, these two pieces of information fit in with my theory - Atsushi joined the ADA, with the second person he met being Kunikida. Kunikida also (quite obviously) lives in Yokohama, so this works as well.

I think that I've gone over everything we do know. Now to what we don't know that may be related to my theory

- Where the physical book currently is

- What Dazai did in his two years of hiding

- Almost everything about Kunikida's past

Relating to the last point, we know that he joined the ADA about three-ish years ago, and before that, when he would have been nineteen, he was a maths teacher at a ‘licensed school’. He must have been incredibly smart in order to be able to be a proper teacher at 19, or it might just be a plot hole. Or, it could be neither, and he’s been lying about his past. 

With most major characters, we know a decent amount about their childhood. We know more about Kenji than Kunikida. Considering that Kunikida can be considered at least a secondary main character, this lack of information seems a bit odd to me.

Now, I’m going to move on to possession.

Kunikida having the book fits in with Dazai managing to access it for Beast, but where does the Special Division fit in? This is stretching a bit far, but if we assume that the Special Division got the page around the same time that Dazai used the book for Beast, there is the possibility that Dazai gave the page to the Special Division. Why? This is going further and further, but maybe to reverse the damage that creating the alternate universe for Odasaku could cause (this end bit is complete speculation.) Anyway, due to Dazai’s connection with Ango, he could always give in a page.

One point about why I think Kunikida’s notebook is indestructible:

- It’s been blown up at least once

- Torn apart at least once

And each of those times, especially after Kunikida blew himself up to let the rest escape, he’s somehow managed to get the book back despite not being able to access his locker - which, if we assume Wan as relatively canon, is where he keeps all of his notebooks - which means that it might be almost summoned towards him - specifically, his breast pocket, which is where he always draws it out of. 

Another random similarity between the Book and the notebook is that a page doesn’t need to be connected to the actual body of the book to work. The DoA is able to use the page without it being connected to the Book, and Tanizaki is able to use the switchblade page without it being connected to the notebook.

TL;DR The Book and the notebook are incredibly similar, both in the way that they summon objects, and all of the other random trivia fits in with the theory that Kunikida’s notebook and the Book are connected. This doesn’t mean that the notebook is the Book itself, but I don’t think its unreasonable to expect that they are connected.

If I’ve forgotten anything, please let me know! Thanks :D

[campbenji]

s4 trailer thoughts:

First of all:

How you like the Mosasaurus now Benny? /j

Boat didn't make it so they're getting stuck there for 2 other seasons. Cool 😐 (these poor kids istg-)

So this island has desert, jungle AND tundra??? There has to be some sort of dome around the island that allows it to have different ecosystems cuz you don't see that everyday

One of the executive producers said that BioSyn and InGen weren't the only ones cloning dinosaurs, sooooo Mantah Corp yes or yes??

Kenji still has the beard... well, it was nice to live in delusion for a second

Sammy showing concern for the dinosaur's wellbeing again, and with how Mantah Corp seems to be treating the dinosaurs, makes me think we might roll back to the "dinosaurs are still animals" plot point

WHAT IS DARIUS DOING UNDERWATER

That scene where Ben is alone better be a short moment and not a whole episode this guy lost "alone time" rights after s3

Doesn't look like robo dog will be on the campers' side

SABER-TOOTHED TIGER PREHISTORIC ANIMALS TRUE AND REAL IN JWCC

BROOKLYNN TOOK THE 7 THOUSAND DOLLAR JACKET OFF EVERYONE CHEERED

Can't believe it took a desert for her to do that how weren't you dying because of the humidity???

Is Kenji falling off a dune?

WHY IS DARIUS ALONE???

Are we not going to acknowledge how the T-Rex sounded like it ate the Kentrosaurus's head off?

(about the Spinosaurus) That's her! That's my favorite giant lizard!

Looks like we're getting Brooklynn leader arc instead of Yaz, and I'm HERE for it too

I said I wanted an episode where Darius couldn't be the leader and the other campers would have to figure it out, BUT THIS ISN'T WHAT I MEANT. Darius is missing from various scenes in the last parts of the trailer, and with the rest standing outside what seems to be a Mantah Corp facility, things are pointing out to Darius being kidnapped, and the others going to rescue him (Rescue Mission book I see you). I'm begging please let him get a good rest and a couple of apologies by the end of the season he deserves it and needs it.

Actually, I was almost completely sure this season was going to be Kenji-centric, but the trailer just made me do a full 180 and decide this is 100% a Darius season, which, about time he's the freaking main character.

In short, I won't know peace until December 3rd. These remaining 23 days are going to be a wild ride.

[ctl-yuejie]

thank you for the challenge @slecnaztemnot !!! I will try and see what gifs I can find to underline my points.

the top 5 might get dominated by moonlight chicken

Moonlight Chicken - Wen smiling at Li Ming and Heart

He just knows. This was the first show I watched with Mix and his eyes delivered so much fondness, tenderness and pensiveness. This show had the running theme of queer men in between different "generations" and I loved how Wen was a mentor to Li Ming when he was fighting with his uncle and how his care for Li Ming explicitely not only came from a general feeling of fondness and consideration for Jim but also his role as a gay elder. This is a man who displays a pride flag on his work desk and used to put up pictures of his boyfriend in the office. He is the one to reassure Jim that being gay isn't something you can "infect" someone with. That it is not a failure in raising a child if the child is gay. So he knows as soon as Li Ming introduces Heart. And he is so gentle and careful with them. Just observing. Probably heartfelt that this generation is showing affection like this. His eyes seem to connect with the audience while he isn't even facing us, telling us that the kids are going to be alright. And he will see to it, if he has to.

2. Moonlight Chicken - Uncle Jim and Li Ming's heart-to-heart beer drinking + subsequent hug

Everything about it was so soft, tender and wonderful. How Earth and Fourth played off each other in this scene was marvelous. The bashfulness, the teasing, the reconcillation. My heart hurts in the very best way. The back hug in the next scene was the cherry on top of the beer foam.

3. What did you eat yesterday? Season 2 - Onions, two chicken thighs

If you know, you know. I could also just put the whole second season on this list. but instead I will make proper gifs in due time for the most fantastic moment that was so tender and full of love that not just the characters had tears welling up in their eyes.

the way shiro-san takes in their space and how much Kenji does for him/ for them. the realization this this is the happiness he wants. the comparison to his ex only drives home the point that this is about finding yourself in love with someone you didn't expect it with and how a relationship that you didn't expect and cannot anticipate since you had no preconceived thoughts on it (or even expectations of) can be the most happiness inducing thing for you. the whole point of Kenji going out to buy the onions shows us and Shiro-san how much he cares for him and how he wants to do his part so the both can find respite and support in each other. And at the same time Shiro-san, as we find out in ep 11 he always does, thinks about what Kenji would enjoy most out of his cooking.

4. My School President - Pinky Touch

The perfect pinky touch. No notes. The butterflies I felt when this happened. Very soft and tender.

5. The Sign - Cuddling

Adding another show for enrichtment onto this list. There has been cuddling in BL before, but hardly does it ever look this tender, everyone melting into each other and relaxing. And they also gave us the scene of them waking up in each others arms (I HATE it when a series thinks they can cut the part where they wake up in each others arms. It is almost more important than the initial snuggling).

Ask me my top 5 BL anything

[magicbench]

When playing the routes I noticed the differences in descriptions or progressions with each LI!! Is kenji by chance one of your favourites, Ive taken notice in how fondly and explicitly described as handsome he is - he’s super cute! By far one of my favourites, who is yours?

I admit I might have been a bit more enthusiastic writing certain routes, and you are right...Kenji was one of my favorites x) I love all the characters the same, but for different reasons, though the following three are the ones I'm really fond of :

- Toshio : He is my number one and I'm totally biased. He is the one I cried the most while writing his back story and forging his personality. I find him the cutest too because I'm weak for submissive/possessive (but not in a drug + cage way) characters. - Haru : Close to be number one as well, but is in second position. I'm really fond of Haru because we actually have a good amount of common points with each other. Because I failed to write him correctly, people misunderstood my intentions, but...I do love this character from the bottom of my heart so I really really want to be able to write him in a way people can see how much love I have for him in the remake. - Kenji : Please, hold gently. He is baby #2 after Toshio ;-;

And of course I also looooove Ikki, Yuta and Ryu! It's honestly hard to pick ONE favorite, but yes...I'd go with baby Toshi if I really had to choose ~ Something that I haven't tell until now (or maybe I did on my discord server?) is that I also really love the characters parents backstories as well, and I think it might greatly contribute to my actual love for their kids. Yes, even Toshio's parents x) I really do hope I'll be able to show more of them as well in the remake! Each parent has something to tell and I think it would be interesting to see how their kids ended up being what they are as teenagers, and later, adults because of the experiences and interactions they had with each others ~

[swan2swan]

So, where do we go from here? 

Camp Cretaceous Season 4 Prediction (LONG): 

As much as I’ve argued that we need to stay on Isla Nublar the whole time, turning right back around after that final sendoff would be too much of a forced “Return to Status Quo” for a story that has propelled itself forward so much. The kids did it. They won. They got off the island. I feel like we've explored almost everything we needed to (what's left? The bamboo forests? The gardens?), and though we never saw Triceratops or Stygimolochs or got chased by Gallimimus, we can't just go back after everything's increased. The only Big Challenge remaining on the island is the volcano, and that's six months out.

But the story’s nowhere near done, because we have four major plot threads that need to be addressed before the show ends:

1. Most immediately, we have the dinosaur in the closet. Is it a baby Scorpios? Blue? A Monolophosaurus? A Dilophosaurus? A baby Ouranosaurus? A baby Baryonyx? Jeanie? We don’t know, but odds are that it’s going to throw a wrench into the kids’ plans to return home. 

2. The state of Sammy's family and the ranch are still in flux; what will happen to them? Did they get all the money they needed from lawsuits? Does Mantah Corp have dirt on them? Are they going to try to interfere with Sammy because she Knows Too Much? They were set up as villains for a reason.

3. Darius and Kenji's strained relationship is a setup for future conflict.

4. We need to see Bumpy again. This isn't something that “needs” to come up, but the fact is that she's one of the main characters—bringing her back is essential to the story's quality, and we're not missing that thread. She either needs to get off the island, or we need to see that she lives afterwards.

Considering all of these things, I can rule out a lot of options: we're not getting chased right back by the Mosasaurus, and the creature in the ship isn't just going to wreck the engines and send them back. They're less than a hundred miles off of Costa Rica, so even if they're cruising at a cautious ten miles an hour, they should be able to see the shore within twenty-four hours, which means we're not going on an island-hopping adventure, either. You need dinosaurs, too, so nothing generic will happen.

Thus we can consider:

1: The kids are on the mainland of Costa Rica, and lost in the jungle or mountains. Just because they found their way back to mainland doesn't mean that they're going to find a port, and if their stowaway or the Mosasaurus causes problems, they can crash easily. If it's a Scorpios Rex baby, they'll have to hunt it and capture/kill it to finish their mission from this season. The problem with this option is that it just retreads the threat from the last season, which is boring; if it's a Monolophosaurus (or two), then it might not even impact things...so, I don't think the “kids in the jungle” plot is going to stick. I give this one a “D”.

2:  The kids run into a patrol vessel before landing. Isla Nublar is under quarantine. While they're on the boat, their rescuers/captors unleash the creature (which could be Scorpios!), and now there's a tight opening adventure on the boat. Thrilling, but not much of a big season if it's just a navy vessel...which leads me to:

3:  This is the only way I think we go back to Nublar, and that is if they meet up with a patrol boat, and then the creature in the hold (a small Scorpios???) rampages through the ship. They put it down, but the noise attracts the Mosasaurus, which wrecks the boat and puts them right back on Nublar—separated and with a bunch of adults alongside them. With a cast of much-more-plot-vulnerable adults to care about now (perhaps including Roxie, who joined the crew?), the stakes are higher and the kids are guides—maybe even separated at different points on the island. Not a big fan of this idea, though—again, it's retreading, and the number of excuses for “military-trained adults can't radio for help” is slim. So, I give it an “F”. But let's refine it a little further:

4: The kids get picked up by a patrol boat that is actually working for Mantah Corp—and they discover the dinosaur that has snuck aboard. Seeing an opportunity, Mantah Corp excitedly takes the kids to their secret base...on Isla Sorna. Though the dinosaurs on the island are mostly extinct and sick from disease, the abandoned island was perfect for a field laboratory. Specimens to study, buildings that already existed, a quarantine keeping prying eyes away...there's a whole organization here now. The kids escape from captivity (as they do) and find themselves wandering around a new island with new dangers: all around them are long-decayed skeletons of dinosaurs from the past, and hunting them are bizarre creations from Mantah Corp's labs. It's an island of ghosts now, and the kids need to escape...and perhaps, when they do, they find that they only have enough fuel to make it to one place: and it's the place they never thought they'd return to.

This plot covers pretty much every base—the stowaway, Mantah Corp, the relationships, and a chance to return to Bumpy—and gives them a proper, probable reason to go to Isla Sorna that isn't “Fate decided that it would be fun if they went to a different island”. I give this one “B-to-A” probability.

However...

There is one other major option:

Three. Year. Timeskip.

There are only two things holding me back from leaning into this: one is that it would deny us the sight of the kids reuniting with their families. We need that. We need some sort of triumphant return home. The other, simpler, more obvious problem is the monster in the hold; that kind of cliffhanger seems like it should come up. Obviously both of these problems can be solved via flashbacks, or a prologue, but...the need for new models and such would be an issue, because “budget” has always been a thing.

The other major problem, obviously, is the fact that the kids would need a reason to come back together. Maybe they all gather together for an anniversary and a dinosaur attacks them; maybe they're all being interviewed; but a far more interesting, compelling, and obvious motivation would be this:

Bumpy is alive and in danger.

Thus, all six kids (well...at least two would be adults now...) go running off to find and rescue Bumpy. They're bold and independent, rebellious and reckless: they each go to save their dinosaur friend, and they end up running into each other and ultimately facing Mantah Corp, who is one of the major power players in the prelude to Dominion.

This one has the ultimate story potential, in my opinon. You have Kenji and Darius meeting again with death glares because they left on poor terms. Ben has adjusted. Yaz and Sammy have had three years of yearning, notes, and problems (or maybe Sammy vanished...). And Brooklynn has had to forge a completely new life for herself, because she can't deal with internet fame anymore—everyone asking her about the island wherever she goes was just too much.

It directly sets the stage for Dominion, allowing glimpses of the world as it will be in the movie. Maybe the kids set more dinosaurs loose from Mantah Corp's (land-based in this one) laboratories as they free Bumpy. Maybe they become renegades and outlaws—forced to live in the wilds of California, Nevada, or Mexico. They're no longer looking for rescue, but for refuge. Maybe Claire has a sanctuary, a real one, that they have to get to. This would make it a full-scale adventure in a world filled with dinosaurs. Whatever they brought back with them is out there, too...and perhaps an old, scarred nemesis they never thought they would see again.

The biggest drawback to this is that the show hasn’t been running long enough for kids who started it to connect with the grown-up forms of the characters, but also...at the same time...it could work? I dunno, I give it “B” probability, A+ potential. 

Other thoughts that could work in any of these:

Roxie is working for Mantah Corp. She's unemployed, combat ready, and bitter at InGen...also, she'd look great in a uniform.

Brand is involved in any mainland shenanigans.

Dodgson. Dodgson. Can we get Dodgson here?