#but i do think their dynamic as FRIENDS as ALLIES is really nice

[wright-anyth1ng-agency]

coming out as the number 1 monix monosix whatever HATER. THEY ARE 9 YEARS OLD AND THEY ARE BEST FRIENDS.

(WARNING THE TAGS ARE JUST ME RAMBLING OMG IF YOURE NOT A LN FAN IGNORE THIS POST SORRY I HAVE THE LN TISM. mawtism. if u will.)

[shinidamachu]

inuyasha, kagome and jealousy: why their feelings were justified

disclaimer: I'm aware there's a debate about whether or not inukag was officially, canonically dating during the series and that the answers tend to change according to the source material embasing them (manga or anime), but despite using manga panels to write this, I did it purely out of practicality and have no intentions of opening this particular can of worms right now. The point I'll be trying to make for @inukag-week's bickering prompt is that their feelings were valid regardless.

Inuyasha and Kagome get criticized a lot for the jealousy they feel of each other.

People seem to think that Kagome is not entitled to that sentiment because she chose to stay by his side knowing what it entailed and, more often than not, was the one telling him to go see Kikyo, so it's not fair of her to resent him when he actually does.

On the other hand, they claim that precisely because Inuyasha goes to see Kikyo, it's hypocritical of him to get mad at the fact that Koga is constantly showing just how much romantically invested he is on Kagome, as he has no ground to stand on.

Their feelings, however, are completely justified and no other scene proves that better than this manga interaction Sunrise mercilessly cut out:

Inuyasha is once again jealous of Kagome and Koga's proximity and he lets his frustrations out in no uncertain terms, but then Kagome makes a good point: what righ has he to be upset about it when he is also close to Kikyo? It's exactly why he gets flak in the first place. And his answer to that question is very interesting:

She may think Inuyasha is diverting, but he's really not. That's the briliance of this exchange: they are both right and they are both wrong on their assumptions.

Of course that, from Kagome's perspective, Koga putting his arms around her is not that big of a deal. They have no history whatsoever and she made it clear since day one that she wasn't interested. If he still wants to shoot his shot, it's all she can do to lay a friend and ally down gently.

Plus, it doesn't hurt that Koga's interest on her is such an ego boost...

Or that it turns the tables on Inuyasha to make him feel insecure and worried for a change.

Or that, in a twisted way, it actually reassures her of the feelings he tries so hard to be nonchalant about.

It might be a little petty of her, but how any of that even compares to Inuyasha kissing Kikyo? To Inuyasha meeting her alone even though she did terrible things to the two of them? To everyone constantly talking about how he still has feelings for her?

Surely he must know, after everything they've been through, that it can't compare, that he is the one Kagome is in love with. And since he does know, how dare he ever doubt her?

And of course that, from Inuyasha's point of view, Koga putting his arms around her is a huge deal. She complains about how every time he sees Kikyo they "float off into their own little world" but the truth is that except for the kiss she laid on him and the goodbye one they shared when she passed away for good — none of which had romantic conotations —, his interactions with Kikyo were pretty sterile, especially if juxtaposed with Kagome's interactions with Koga.

Kikyo is dead and isn't romantically interested in Inuyasha, nor is he romantically interested in her, but Koga certainly is into Kagome. Just because it isn't reciprocal yet, doesn't mean it hasn't potential to be.

Koga is the one regularly inserting himself into her personal space and she lets him, even though he did terrible things to the two of them. And so how can he be sure she doesn't like it? And how exactly is that different from the dynamic they share? Was she, after all, just being nice with him too and nothing more?

Surely she must know, after everything they've been through, that he only leaves because he has a duty to fulfil, but that he will always come back to her, that she is the one whose shoulders he puts his arm around. And since she does know, how dare she ever doubt him?

It's a classic case of miscommunication, but one that actually makes total sense, because they're just two teenagers navigating through extremely complex feelings in the worst possible circumstances.

They don't have the bigger picture the audience has and even if they did, their judgement would still be clouded by their jealousy, which keeps they stuck into their own perspectives.

And what makes even hard for them to get over these feelings is that they don't come from a place of ownership at all, but rather from a place of insecurity.

That's why Koga and Kikyo make up for such formidable rivals for Inuyasha and Kagome: it's not about the competition — the audience knows there isn't really one —, it's about the insecurities they bring out of the pairing, because they were carefully designed to do just that.

From the very beginning Kagome was being compared to Kikyo for being her reincarnation. She starts the story already having to measure up to her in power and once Kikyo actually enters the scene, Kagome is also taken aback by her beauty and elegance, but more than that: she feels like she can't compete because Kikyo "died for Inuyasha." One day he might return the favor.

For his part, Inuyasha has Koga to deal with. A good looking, uncomplicated man who has taken a like to Kagome and has absolutely nothing holding him back from pursuing her, while he has nothing to offer but a difficult past, an unstable present and an uncertain future. One day she could grow tired of it all and realize that Koga could give her everything he couldn't and leave for good.

In conclusion, all that jealousy is rooted in insecurities and in the fear of losing each other, which are completely understandable and absolutely valid .

The differece, I think, is that the narrative lets Inuyasha express his feelings of jealousy directly towards Koga, from insults to actual physical fights, without grand repercutions, while Kagome is never allowed allowed a similar outlet

But that's a topic for another day.

Special thanks to @kitramune for helping me with the panels.

[the-ellia-west]

hey i’m aro/ace and saw your post on writing romance and it was really helpful,,, but do you have any tips for writing enemies to lovers? mostly enemies-allies-lovers pipeline

Oh Absolutely! Thank you so much for the ask, love!

How to Write Enemies to Lovers for Dummies

Alrighty! So, the key to Enemies to Lovers is Banter. They need to be the type of Enemies to trash talk each other

Before we begin here's some fun psychology facts that make Enemies to Lovers even more fun!

1. If you think someone is hot, you can't/don't actually hate them

2. The opposite of love is indifference not hate (use these as you will)

Anywayssss

Step one!

Writing Enemies to Lovers is the same as normal except that you add on the extra step of them being enemies first, adding more drama and banter throughout

So, you have to make them enemies, naturally. Figure out why they're enemies, why they would specifically hate each other instead of someone else.

Step two

Preferably, make it personal.

Make their arguments and fights feel more like they're fighting each other, and not the actual battle if they're in opposing organizations or something

Step three

Close proximity

Now that you've established how they usually act around each other and their usual banter, find some way to force them into close proximity.

Like one switches sides and the other is now their boss, they're kidnapped together, their bosses go missing, ect.

In close proximity, you want to jeep their former dynamic, but it slowly turns at the least, a bit more polite because they have to work together

(Think about how they'll try to undermine and push each other away according to their personality and morals - but of course make sure it doesn't work and they're still stuck together)

Step four

Give them a 'maybe we could have been friends' moment

Like have them look at each other after a while and go: 'maybe you're not so bad.'

Any of these variations

Step five

Make them talk

Eventually, your characters will be alone together, and they have to talk.

(It's best if one or both of them are in an emotionally vulnerable state)

One of them can ask the other a strangely nice or vulnerable question, they can tell them something, anything really

Examples: 'Have you ever thought about dying?', 'do you ever miss home?', 'you know... I always thought you were better than me.'

Step six

Have them be slightly more compatable by having them voluntarily work together, like coworkers or comrades rather than friends

Step seven

The friends stage

Have them be more friendly and trusting, partners in crime, good friends, and have that slowly develop (make sure to keep their trademark banter throughout)

Whatever level of friends, whether it be aforementioned partners in crime, kinda friends, normal friends, best friends, ect.

Step Seven

The falling for them

Then we develop the crush and eventually fall in love, *refer back to my other post*

[joohanisms]

Thinking about xdh (mostly gaon and jooyeon tbh) with a partner who is into being overstimulated

Like all of them would indulge you but gaon (a menace) and jooyeon (a munch) would be ready to test that out right then and there

OH. OH NOOOOOO WHY WOULD YOU AWAKEN THE JOOYEON THOUGHTS IN MY HEAD

xdh with a partner that is into being overstimulated 💭💫

cw: overstimulation, oral, fingering, mention of penetrative sex, dom/sub dynamics (punishments), edging, toys, mention of safeword, mention of squirting, mention of thigh riding

omg. i'll talk briefly about everyone but i'll leave jiseok and jooyeon for last because i have a lot of thoughts hehe

gunil

you would have to ask him to do it to you.

he's soooo respectful unless you ask him not to be LMAO

so as soon as you cum and ride it out, he'll usually stop.

unlesssssssssss........

you either tell him beforehand, before he even pulls his cock out, that you're in the mood to be overstimulated orrrrr....

you're getting close and between moans and whispers of his name, you tell him not to stop after you cum. to keep going, please, keep going.

jungsu

our polite boy!!

much like gunil, you'd have to ask.

i don't see him much as a punitive dom, but if you tease him enough (which is a LOT. he's really patient, especially when it comes to you), you might get overstimulated as a punishment.

i loveee punishments that are more like a treat because it's so obvious what you wanted it in the first place LMAO

so yeah maybe he has you riding his thigh while he holds a vibrator do your clit... maybe he's drilling into you and his thumb won't leave your clit... maybe he's fingering you nonstop on all fours, while he presses you into the mattress.... who knows!

seungmin

look he's a menace all right

even though overstimulating is not his favorite - seen as he's more of an edging guy - he really enjoys it.

likes to rile you up so badly that you barely need anything to cum, and even less to be overstimulated.

if you like a little pain-pleasure, he might give your clit a little nip after all is said and done. as a treat <3

hyeongjun

hmm jun was a little harder to write tbh... i don't see him being crazy about roughly overstimulating you, even though he DOES really like the red streaks your nails leave on his back

but his favorite form of overstimulating you is by making you cum with his fingers or his cock. letting you catch your breath slightly. and then moving down your body to lick you clean.

like, syrupy, honeyed strokes of his tongue - slow, lazy, tasting.

it's not like the rest of them, where overstimulating is more of an extension, if not a part of, sex. it borders on aftercare, with how soft he is.

it's never stimulation enough to make you cum again. just enough to drive you a little crazy.

(if you want more, though... just ask. he'll eat you out nicely <3)

jiseok

if you're into being overstimulated as much as he is into overstimulating, gaon would have a field day everytime you had sex. be it penetrative, oral, fingering, whatever.

he'd be soooooo delighted to overstimulate you in any way.

i think i've said before that he DEFINITELY has a vibrator.... yeah it would be one of your best friends fr

jiseok sees the vibe as an ally instead of an enemy (as all men should) and is soooooo okay if you ask him to use it on you when you want it a little rougher!!

(but tbh the first time you asked he did get a little pissy. all like oh am i not enough for you???? do you need more???? but that quickly escalated into overstimulating you out of spite

but dw i'm so sure that when you started having sex he would've gone over the Yes And No list of kinks and things you both like + set a safeword so that spite was.. mm.. calculated. and after that it just became a staple in your sex lives,

but anyways!! jiseok is completely fine with the vibe and any other toys he could use in his favor) (also omg have y'all ever thought about double penetration with him...... now you have)

when he's overstimulating you he will keep going until you physically push him away/say STOP or say the safeword (plus with time he'll pick up on your tells to know when it's time to stop so you won't even need to do anything <33).

and again, as much as all the other guys would indulge you, he gets such a kick out of making you give him all you have. he gets impossibly hot and bothered and hard.

if he comes and keeps playing with you, he gets hard again in record time.

the aftercare is always so good after he fingered four orgasms out of you <3 won't have you lift a FINGER!!

jooyeon

now our jooyeon our lovely boy

the first time he overstimulated you was by accident.

he was just sooooo focused on eating you out - and as we know he loves it and gets genuine pleasure out of it - that he barely noticed you had already cum and kept going until the hands tangled in his hair threatened to rip his locks out.

but he's not dumb!!!! he DID notice you came twice more before you pulled him away!!! do not think he'll let that slide!!

and so with playful mutual slutshaming, it became a thing <3

whenever you want to be overstimulated, just... let him be. don't pull him away, don't tell him to stop, just let him have his fill. believe me, he won't stop unless you stop him.

guy loves eating pussy what can i say

has made you squirt before and if he's feeling playful he will try his damn hardest to get you to do that again. well, he's playful until he actually gets his bangs wet. then he's so fucking horny.

does this thing with his tongue on your clit that if he makes you cum and keeps doing that, you're cumming again in the next 30 seconds. he loves it <3

[lets-try-some-writing]

Do you have any ships that you enjoy, from any transformers media!

Been curious

Y e s

But I have a specific scenario where each is to be applied because I'm picky like that.

Oplita: The OG ship. Would die for them. Perfect for a particular brand of pre-war or post-war fic and absolutely delightful to engage with in a well crafted AU. Their interactions in a good fic never cease to leave me feeling all bubbly inside. Life goals ngl.

Starop: Post-war and or peacetime fics are my jam for these two. Although sometimes a nice flavor of hidden romance is lovely as well. I adore the way they play off each other in well crafted fics. I love when Starscream is the bad cop and Optimus the good cop.

Jazzop: Perfect for a bled of Pre-war or during the war. Jazz is a delightful foil for Optimus and I love seeing writers showcase the shift between his relationship to Orion and then to the Prime. Also it's a brilliant ship to showcase potential rebelliousness in them both.

Optiratch: Two idiots who can't take care of themselves taking care of each other. Need I say more? Their tender interactions always leave me screaming and demanding more. I love it, and I adore their deep connection, especially in TFP.

Dratchet: I have not read the comics enough to know as much as I would like about them, but they are CUTE and I will die on this hill.

Cyclonus/Tailgate: Same reasons as above.

Rodimus/Soundwave: .... Blame The Echo Garden. That one fic changed my entire view of them.

Megasound: Blame G1 and Prime for this one. "Don't leave me Soundwave." Gets me every. single. time. They are simply perfect. They've been together for so long and while I LOVE the friendship dynamic and the slightly toxic ally/master situation, the ship, when done well, makes me happy.

Megop: It's such a well known ship, but honestly, I am PICKY about it. I enjoy it in pretty much any setting, but I am disgustingly picky about what flavor I enjoy. Thus far, I've only liked Megop done by a few close friends and like, three random fics in my bookmarks. Very good for angst obviously.

Knockout/Breakdown: It's practically canon and I do NOT see it enough. When done well, they are adorable.

Prowl/Jazz: Thus far, I enjoy the concept but have yet to find a fic that sucks my soul into them. I really do think they are cute on paper though. The fanart has me intrigued.

Windblade/Starscream: Have not read enough of the comics to give a solid base for them, but I like the look and the chemistry.

Aaaand I think that's all for now. I am sure I secretly like more but have forgotten for the time being.

[pico-farad]

I've been watching Vrains for the first time, and I finished season 1

some thoughts below (a lot. a lot of thoughts below)

Setting & Setup

The setting is a very smart choice, and the highlight of Vrains in my opinion.

The aesthetic is relevant, it integrates well with Konami marketing its mobile games, and it neatly deals with the problem every Yugioh series has to address of how to make consequences for duels that can be safely broadcast on children's television (aka the shadow realm / sent to the stars problem)

The virtual world opens up so much possibility in how to present things. 

In the character and setting designs, obviously, but also, the duels have their own visual identity. They don't need to play cards on a duel disk or hold cards in their hand, cards will just appear and disappear in pixels (it also probably saves on their animation budget). The duel grid and other visualizations can show up as they're relevant. And seeing the character take gashes to their avatars is dramatic while still being kid-friendly.

Every Yugioh needs its peanut gallery to react to the duel and be explained to, and Vrains incorporates them the most easily of any series, since they don't need to be physically present.

Kill the frog and the pigeon though.

On the topic of duels, I like both link summoning and speed duels.

I like the spacial/positioning element of link summoning, it puts an additional layer on top of "little monsters make big monster."

And speed duels have all the advantages of turbo duels, allowing for dynamic action, visual metaphor for the tide of the duel, and the ability to change locations without sacrificing pacing, all while requiring less suspension of disbelief than card games on motorcycles. It's easy to take for granted, but the heist sequences wouldn't work at all if they had to be standing duels. 

I also liked this about season 1 of 5Ds, where there's two modes of dueling (turbo duels and ground duels). The contrast between speed duels and master duels is fun.

Skills are cool too, though I feel like they could have designed better ones. Seeing Yusaku drop below 1000 got kind of predictable.

And finally, there is rich thematic potential in this kind of virtual setting. Themes about our relationship with social media, video games, artificial intelligence, and tech corporations are very relevant and have depth. I don't have the highest of hopes for Yugioh tackling them, based on how this first season has gone, but I'll withhold judgment on this until I'm finished.

Yusaku

I like Yusaku. He's blunt, but he's not edgy like I thought he would be. He's actually kind of nice toward Naoki when they meet. The three things tic is charming. I like his hacker deck, it's probably my favorite protagonist deck theme after Elemental Heroes.

Yusaku's problem is not that he's boring per se, but he isn't really put in any interesting situations in S1. 

A lot of his duels are just him being challenged to a duel he has no interest in (Go, Blue Angel, Ghost Girl), he beats them, and they don't actually end up forming a relationship or establishing a dynamic. Because their characters don't have anything to do with each-other except mutually not wanting the bad guys to do bad things.

Yusaku gains allies, but he doesn't make friends. He starts off with his only real relationship being Kusanagi, and that doesn't really change by the end of the season (and his relationship with Kusanagi is not very developed either).

Now, there is a reason for this, which is I think the core of Yusaku's character in S1. It's that due to the traumatic event of his childhood, time has stopped for him. This is very real for victims of traumatic events, being unable to move forward in their lives, develop relationships or think about the future, because their minds are still stuck in the past. This is why Yusaku seeks his revenge. It's not revenge he's seeking, it's closure.

This is a theme that's worth exploring. The problem is that I don't really think they explore it, not sufficiently enough for me to give them credit. If they were exploring it, they could have shown Yusaku reckoning with the divide between him and others in a number of ways. 

Most chiefly, by forcing him to make friends anyway. This is Yugioh goddamnit. The opportunity was right there with Naoki, but it's just played as a joke. Instead, most of this theme is squeezed in at the end of the final duel vs. Revolver, and without the proper build-up, the moment of Yusaku renouncing his revenge and reaching out to be friends with Revolver doesn't land nearly as strong as it could have.

If there is one relationship that Yusaku maybe develops though, it's...

Ai

The relationship between Yusaku and Ai should be what the show hinges on, based on the premise, Ai's status as the "partner," and glimpses I've seen of them through fandom.

Ai is the inciting incident of the story, his existence drives the plot forward, because Hanoi wants him, but Yusaku has him, and Ai doesn't want anything to do with either of them. This premise is gold. It's rife with dramatic potential. Ai is forced to work together with his captor. Yusaku is forced to work together with this goddamn annoying AI. They are both just trying to use the other, but end up developing a bond.

Or at least... that's what I think should have happened...

Very little happens between them in season 1, and it either goes nowhere, or comes out of nowhere. Ai tries to escape, but that thread is just dropped and forgotten. Various Hanoi guys hint that the Ignis can't be trusted, but it doesn't really faze Yusaku because he already doesn't trust Ai. The same thing happens when Revolver reveals that Ai is his counterpart from the Lost Incident and has known it this whole time.

There's only one turning point in their dynamic, which is in the second to last duel vs. Revolver, where Ai uses his body as a shield so that Yusaku can use Storm Access. And even then, Ai says it's because if Yusaku loses, Revolver will kill him. But that's been their entire dynamic for the season anyway? Why is this positioned as the emotional moment where they become partners?

By the end of season 1, they're... allies. The same as the rest of the characters on Yusaku's side. But if there was one character Yusaku should have made friends with, it's Ai. Especially if they are positioning for a humans vs. AI conflict.

His design is cute though.

Go

Go's problem is that he needs to be integrated into the story and cast. Aoi at least has a relationship with her brother and Ghost Girl. Go is connected to... some nameless orphan children, a nameless manager, and a childhood orphan friend who shows up for 5 seconds, is put into a coma in order for Go to have a motivation to duel Genome, and never appears again.

Go isn't a best friend character, and he's not a rival either. He's not even a friend character, period. He really just seems there to be a third duelist.

Does he even know about the Lost Incident, or why Playmaker is even fighting Hanoi? Go has no clue what the plot even is, how can he be involved in it? My guy is living in a different story.

It's a shame, because Go does have some interesting bits to his character. Being a charisma duelist is central to his character (unlike Aoi, whose relationship to charisma dueling seems to end at being a cute idol girl), which could have been used to explore the culture of Link Vrains and the performativity of online spaces.

This is tied to some kind of theme he has going on of dueling for others vs. dueling for yourself. It's brought up in contrast to Yusaku, and why he initially dislikes Playmaker. All of that could have been interesting, but it doesn't really get a full treatment.

Revolver

Revolver is fine as a season 1 antagonist. He's not really a character yet, but I'm interested in where they take him from here. His backstory is sympathetic honestly. It's a pretty familiar and tragic situation, where a child narcs on their parent, who isn't even a good parent, but then comes to regret it.

I also think Revolver is sympathetic because I would nuke the internet in a heartbeat.

His Link Vrains design is cool. Mirror Force is funny, so are the gun dragons. The final duel vs. Yusaku was sick honestly, I loved the extra extra link.

Anyway, I still enjoyed season 1 and think there's room to take a turn for the better. In my experience, there's two kinds of yugiohs, the ones that start off strong, and the ones that end strong. My suspicion is that Vrains is the latter.

On to season 2! Time to meet everyone's favorite Salad king :^)

Hm? Was there someone I missed?

ha ha...... you get your own post, Aoi.

[justallihere]

I️ LOVE and ADORE Xaden going from “I️ don’t care about you or your feelings 🙄” to “Why wouldn’t I️ come for you and take you home? 🥺”

It really reminds me of this post where someone made the commentary about Xaden refusing to coddle and be nice to Violet, even downright being an asshole about it

To giving her his flight jacket because gods forbid Violet be cold for the 2-3 minutes they would’ve stood in formation!

Love love love that growth for him, like yes king! Tell us how much you love her through your actions! Give her that flight jacket and everything!

Chapter 35 was such a GIFT! I️ loved it so much! From Mira and Xaden shelving their dislike for each other for V’s sake and just mother henning her! Loved Xaden taking care of her and reaffirming that she can be upset at the threat against her hair and the autonomy she would have been robbed of, had Aetos actually cut it. I️ love how gentle he was, making sure she was okay, even arguing with Tairn about it on the flight home because their whole dynamic in canon is just over protective dragon meets over protective enemy to mutually assured destruction to lovers, and amari give us mercy that Violet gets injured around either one of them.

I️ was so shocked and legit almost cried at the confession because bby boy X was NOT letting her think that he didn’t love her! Really gives a whole “Aretia could burn and I️ wouldn’t care as long as I️ had you.” vibe to it and I️. Am. Not. Okay!!! I️ am not normal or sane about this love confession! V is getting some HONESTY out of this man without having to jump through 5 million hoops or questions about it. X really just said it with both tiddies and his full chest!!

I️ also really loved the display of Rhi and Xaden’s conversation. He knows how much Rhi means to Violet, and having her best friend with her is the best thing for her! I’m so nervous and excited to see if you include a convo with the rest of the squad about her torture sessions and just showing how much they all love her! Cam was right! Everyone who knows Violet Sorrengail is a little bit in love with her!!

I’m curious if Violet is gonna think about how she basically begged for her mom to come with them to Aretia, when she was freed and I️ wonder what Xaden would have done if Lilith had actually planned to go with her daughter… thoughts and theories I️ suppose!!

God Alli, there are so many little things about this chapter that I️ adored and so little time to write about it! I LOVE this fic so much that I️ always am ready to read the next chapter immediately! So ready!! I️ hope this doesn’t pressure you too much but I️ did want to say that I️ adore this fic so much!! 10/10 would highly recommend!!

Also I️ hope my sleep-deprived ramblings made sense lol! Thank you for such a wonderful story and I️ cant wait for the next chapter 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

Xaden’s growth has been so fun to write. Just the little moments of his growing respect for Violet, realizing he actually likes her, falling in love—it’s been one of my favorite things about this fic

Thank you! I had a great time with the two contrasting sides of Xaden in this chapter: the version of him who loves Violet and will wipe her tears and do anything for her, and the version that is just an absolute asshole to anyone who isn’t her 😂 if your name isn’t Violet Sorrengail he really doesn’t give a fuck

There’s some squad bonding next chapter 🫶🏻

Violet will definitely be reckoning with that conversation with her mom at some point—Lilith said she’d come, but will she really? Xaden would let it happen for Violet, of course, but it wouldn’t be an easy adjustment lol

Thank you so much for reading and for this ask, I appreciate you 🩷🩷🩷

[orlissa]

So we still have a little over 1,5 months left of this year, but the lovely @readthelastpaage asked me what were the best books I read/translated this year, so... here you go. I left out my rereads and highlighted the ones I translated in blue. It's a... pretty mixed bag, I think.

R.F. Kuang: Yellowface After Athena (young and brilliant Chinese-American author) dies in an absurd accident, her “friend” June (struggling white author) steals her nearly finished manuscript, works it over, and publishes it under her own name. Chilling tale about guilt and the publishing industry ensues.

Rebecca Ross: Ruthless Vows I needed to includes this because of reasons. The second of Divine Rivals, a story of two, well, rivals falling in love through letters sent by a magic typewriter, while the war of the gods rages around them. Simply beautiful.

Jeff Bishop: A Heavy Dose of Allison Tandy High school senior Cam dated Allison Tandy, the girl he is still obsessed with, for years before they broke up just before new year’s. Three months later Allison was in a car crash and has been in a coma ever since. Only when Cam gets some heavy painkillers after his knee surgery, he starts seeing Allison, and the girl is determined to get him to move on. Is it just the drugs, or does Allison really appear to him?

Naomi Alderman: The Power When girls suddenly start developing shocking (literally) powers worldwide, the order of the world and gender relations start to change. Not necessarily for the better. Chilling dystopic observation of gender dynamics.

Emilia Hart: Weyward Stories of personal trauma and abuse through three women and several centuries, with a touch of magic. Brilliant book, but beware, there are a lot of triggering stuff her (detailed description of domestic abuse, rape, basically at home abortion…)

Lora Beth Johnson: Goddess in the Machine/Devil in the Device Andra, along with her whole family, was meant to be one of the million people to colonize a new planet, but when she comes out of stasis, she is all alone in a strange new place, where the remains of technology are hailed as magic and she is believed to be a goddess. The language of this duology is insane–the author basically came up with a whole new dialect.

Jennifer Lynn Barnes: The Inheritance Games series When financially struggling Avery is informed that a Texan billionaire left all of his fortune to her, instead of his family–with whom now she needs to live together for a year–, she suddenly finds herself surrounded by dysfunctional family dynamics, heaps and heaps of dirty secret, and a bunch of puzzles and mysteries. I read the whole series this year, and although I’m not yet totally on board with The Grandest Game, this series is just fabulous.

Jodi Taylor: Just One Damned Thing After Another First book in chronicles is the St. Mary’s institute, where historians travel back in time to study the important (and not so important) event of history. British humor, some darker themes, and a bunch of chaotic energy.

Margaret Rogerson: Sorcery of Thorns I won’t be able to give a proper summary here, but books and magic and demons and adventure and books and romance, oh my. Or Elizabeth, who spent her whole life in a library full of magical books that might attack you at any moment, gets tangled up in a scheme that might bring on the end of the world. Which she and her allies need to prevent, obviously. There is also a sequel novella, which is mostly just a fluffy epilogue, but it’s just so nice.

Holly Jackson: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder British teenager Pip needs to do a special project for her last year of high school, and she chooses to examine the effects of a murder that happened in her sleepy little town a few years back – only what she really wants is to find the real killer, because she’s convinced that the police got the wrong guy. I absolutely loved the whole mystery and the multimedia nature of the book. (I know that there is apparently a version of this where it all takes place in America, which that sounds odd to me? It was so quintessentially British.)

Hannah Bonam-Young: Out on a Limb Win was born with an underdeveloped hand, but she doesn’t let is to slow her down. However, after she gets into a one-night stand with Bo, who lost a leg to cancer, at their mutual friends’ Halloween party, she ends up pregnant, so she and Bo decide to give this whole co-parenting thing a chance. Just a really nice feel-good romance story, made even more authentic by the fact that the author has the same hand issue as Win.

Taylor Jenkins Reid: Daisy Jones & the Six Story of a fictional seventies rock band told through a series of interviews done decades after the events. Intriguing tale of music, drugs, and personal dynamics.

Hannah Grace: Daydream I know that Hannah Grace’s work is kinda controversial (some love it, some think it trash), but I’ll always defend her, because of her works are very much pro-mental health and pro-cutting out toxic pieces of shit out of your life. And she is getting better with each book and she really did find something with this one. Sweet slow-burn romance with heavy emphasis on mental health.

Kristen Ciccarelli: Heartless Hunter This is what I’m reading/translating now, and although I’m only halfway through, I’m in absolutely brainrot over this. In a world where witches once reigned and now are being hunted, Rune, shallow socialite by day, secret witch saving vigilante by night, decides to try and seduce witch hunter Gideon to get some information out of him – only Gideon pretty much has the same plans to prove that Rune is that witch saving vigilante he’s been hunting.

[kirisakiss]

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ Blog introduction

— Hi guys ! I’m Maru and I made this blog to post about diabolik lovers and my oc Hikari! I’ll do a proper introduction post to her, but to tell you a little about her:

Hikari is an 18 years old girl that's sent to the Sakamaki mansion by Karlheinz, with the mission of charming everyone in the house.

— Some of her lore

Hikari is one of the multiple experiments of Karlheinz, a magic modified human being. She was adopted alongside the Mukami brothers from the orphanage, but was kept locked in Rotigenberg for a long time as Karlheinz experimented with her.

Thanks to Karlheinz experiments, Hikari developed enhanced senses, a perfect health and an "immortality" close to that of a turned vampire, that meaning she doesn't age or die as long as she doesn't get killed.

Due to the nature of her existence, Hikari is considered to be one of the first prototypes of an "Eve" and is nicknamed "Lilith" by Karl because of that.

— Some facts / headcanons / ideas I have

She coexists with Yui, and she would appear in More Blood as a rival at the start of some routes due to her mission, and as an ally / alleged love interest in some endings. In the next games, Hikari would become another love interest for Yui :) I also think it would be cool if after finishing the games, you had an option to play as her and unlock more of her lore.

Hikari doesn't really have a defined love interest; she has a love-hate relationship with Laito, and definitely has a crush on Shu, but I feel like she could have really interesting dynamics with the other characters.

She's 167cm tall (so, taller than Kanato and shorter than Azusa), and her birthday is on January 25th, a few days before Kou's.

She was created in like 2015 and started as a self insert, but then I made her an OC lol.

In the orphanage, Hikari became very close with the Mukami brothers and the day they decided to run away, she tried serving as a distraction.

Like Kou, Hikari was exploited in the orphanage and sold for profit, this made them bond and become very close friends.

And that's it for now guys, enjoy that little CG edit I drew of Shu and Hikari :), have a nice day!

[starrylayle]

"Don't get me started on jegulus" actually please get started I'd like to hear your thoughts on it because your take on wolfstar and the oc-ification of some characters is so refreshing to see (tbh my first reaction to jegulus was just confusion on how it started and how quickly it got popular lmao)

ahh this makes so happy to hear that my post resonated with some people!! Was worried i was in the minority lol.

Anyways, abt jegulus -- i acc had a reaaally long post about how much i hated the dynamic (in canon compliant ish works -- Jegulus in aus is fine ig) but i deleted it lol.

I think the core reason why i dislike the pairing so much is that I feel like it the ship goes against everything James stands for. We don't know a lot about James' character in canon, but what we do know is that he had a strong sense of justice, and fierce loyalty to his friends and his cause, which ultimately led to his doom. I just can't imagine that James would associate with someone even a little bit bigoted. This is not to say i think James is a saint, i think he could be an ass sometimes (snapes worst memory lol) but i think he'd draw the line at someone who was associated with 'evil'. James had a very black and white view of good and bad and i just don't think it would make sense for James to date reg, esp as he is becoming a death eater. James may be a dick but he is also the biggest ally to ever ally !!

The only jegulus fics I have read are 'Just Lovers' and 'Choices'. Just lovers is a non-voldy au so i don't really have a problem with their dynamic there but choices on the other hand,, oh boy.

Spoilers for 'Choices' by MesserMoon btw (TW for talk of SA):

Regulus' friends rape Mary. And instead of feeling disgusted on the victim’s behalf, (who has been his friend for 5 years) James instead feels upset because it tarnishes the ‘good’ image he has of reg in his head. Thing is when a similar situation happened (The Prank ™), James was upset that Sirius would do such a thing but he also felt disgusted on behalf of Remus. Where was that energy here, huh?? I’ve even seen comments villianising Mary (the rape victim).

The thing I also hate about their dynamic is that it is basically an ally of the oppressor and ally of the oppressed. The problem with that is that when you are allied with the oppressor, you become an oppressor yourself (and reg does; he does terrible things) and that subsequently makes the so-called ally of the oppressed in cahoots with the oppressor as well. This brings so many parallels to real life where people say that they are an “ally” but become friends with/date a racist/rapist. “Oh but they’re nice to me”. its just a little ew.

And in other jegulus canon-compliant-ish fics, sometimes instead of James' character being watered down its Regulus' character. Like, he's not as morally grey, not as complex etc so it makes sense that James would agree to date him. I feel like jegulus as a ship ruins the core of what made their characters so interesting in the first place.

That being said,,, i do love me some canon-compliant unrequited jegulus. Regulus goes to hogwarts, gets so mad at Sirius for ditching him or whatever, but falls in love with the very guy that stole sirius away. He also has internalised homophobia because he's a Black brother so imagine the angst. James potter goes against everything he stands for,, sirius betrayed him,, but perhaps they're right abt smth?? Perhaps he needs to do smth. alone.

sorry for rambling but these are my thoughts on jegulus !! Anyways I feel like I should reiterate that this is a personal preference!! I think it ruins core of these characters, i prefer jily and i love me some unrequited gay pining for the boy who you're brother replaced u with. But this is just a personal preference !

oh and just a side note if it ever led to a decision where james had to choose between sirius and regulus -- no matter how much he 'allegedly' loved regulus, he would choose sirius, no questions asked.

[katniss-evermeme]

Some disjointed thoughts about the SOTR cover/synopsis reveal from this morning under the cut:

The longer I look at it, the more I don't actually hate the cover? From the response I had seen on Panem Propaganda's post this seems to be an unpopular opinion, but I think the cover actually works. The "nightlock purple" (as one commenter called it) is a good choice since it foreshadows the poisons in the arena and Maysilee's use thereof, and it could possibly hint to how Snow got rid of Haymitch's family after the Games (poison is, after all, the perfect weapon for a snake). The way the snake and mockingjay are joined together + the spikes in the middle make me think of the crowns they give the victors, but it also reminds me of a lyre, which could be a nod to the theme of music in the previous books if intentional.

I do think the snake returning from the TBoSaS cover is significant, especially since the mockingjay is drawn in a similar style. This could just be to keep consistency in the prequel covers, but personally my current theory is that it's an allusion to Lucy Gray. The snake and mockingjay are connected, yet they almost look like they're fighting with one another. Which, of course, brings Snow and Lucy Gray to mind once more. I'm not saying that Lucy Gray did or didn't survive in the prequel, but if she did I think she's likely to make an appearance here (whether Haymitch recognizes her for who she really is or not). Even if she doesn't make a physical appearance, and she truly is dead, I think we'll continue to see her memory haunting Snow at the very least, especially since this is the first time a tribute from Twelve has won since Lucy Gray. It could even be an additional reason why Snow chooses to use Haymitch as an example for the other victors.

Despite being a Haysilee shipper back in the day, I'm really interested in finally getting to see what Haymitch's girlfriend was like. That one has been eating at me since... 2014, maybe? It's going to be nice seeing him have someone around that makes him happy before we have to get a full box of tissues and bawl our eyes out, I just know that one is going to hurt a lot.

That being said, I'm curious to see which of the female tributes mentioned in the synopsis will end up being Maysilee. I showed the synopsis to one of my siblings, who assumed the opposite one that I did, which in turn made me realize that it could really go either way. On one hand (though less likely, in my opinion), there's "the young friend who is nearly a sister to him", who it would make sense for him to ally with (especially since Katniss doesn't mention Haymitch having any other allies during Catching Fire). That said, it sounds like this girl may be in the 13-14 age range; I'm guessing she'll be a bloodbath victim, which is why Haymitch doesn't have the chance to ally with her. But if this does end up being Maysilee, it would be a really sweet twist on their dynamic compared to how many people jumped right in to shipping them without considering a platonic explanation (guilty as charged here, not even going to try to deny it). On the other hand, there's "the most stuck up girl in town". If she ends up being Maysilee, I think it's going to be really fun. Maybe that's not how I've always characterized her, sure, but it could always be a case of Haymitch getting a bad first impression of her too. In either case, I'm picturing a reenactment of What Is This Feeling from Wicked, and it's glorious. Which is certainly a fitting comparison, because the two of them later becoming allies means that we'll get to see them get closer, which will be really sweet as well since they got off on such a wrong foot. Either way, I'm excited to see their dynamic be explored, regardless of which tribute she is. It'll be nice to have more than just a few pages to go off of for Maysilee's characterization now too.

There's not much to say about the other male tribute, but I can already tell he'll be at least a little fun to read about. I definitely think his description of a "compulsive oddsmaker" sounds like someone for Haymitch to bounce sarcastic comments off of, so that's something to look forward to for sure.

[basedkikuenjoyer]

Jojolands: A Charming New Addition

Well that was quick. We start off with some backstory, you know shit gets real when Araki opens with a geography lesson. We did end up recruiting the new guy! As people have pointed out, early villain turned ally with a lost little sibling fueling his backstory is immedately reminiscent of Polnareff which is neat. But here he is, the one and only Charmingman! Which of course its a musical reference...to The Smiths. Eh, I thought they were pretty pretentious even before Morrissey went all racist so not my favorite nod in this part. That's Dragona and you'll have a hard time topping my love for Smooth Operator. Coast to coast, LA to Chicago...

Where was I? Oh yeah. My lack of fondness for The Smiths aside, and I can at least respect that's a solid reference with some lyrics that play nicely into his backstory, Charmingman is a welcome addition to round out the five-man band. I loved the aesthetic of his stand in action and am more than ready to see more. This bit of him and Jodio was so fun too, immediately asking what kind of music he likes instead of other more pertinent questions. I still have high hopes Jojolands will feature my favorite core cast. And his backstory reinforces the sibling dynamics that seem to be a core idea for this part. I'm also not fully up to date on Part 8 but we have a potential rock human? Also gotta note we're keeping up this theme of hostile police which is pertinent to a modern day American setting.

Moving on, I love this dude. Just materializes out of the aether when a cutie is talking about souvenirs. Accurate. And lookit! The fancy schmancy watch made its way back to Dragona just as hypothesized. The lava rock works in mysterious ways. A lot of this chapter was getting us back home and introducing the new guy, but especially with talking about similar concepts in Egghead for One Piece it is intriguing we skipped over the conclusion to the fight and we have this bit of weirdness. But where that really came to a head...

Aww yeah Meryl Mei! It's not just that she's pointing out oddities in their return. There's an ominous edge to this, I don't know how much we should trust this lady so it troubles me that Dragona seems to be the one closest to her individually. How does this one girlboss do so many different jobs? Worth pondering given this series has a huge running theme of bad guys with time powers. Just something to think about. Hope she's not wicked because I do like Meryl but you could have a great twist having her pull the rug out from under the gang.

Still, we're back home and ready to likely embark on something new. I liked the trip to another island, fun picking up a new friend and working Rohan in the way we did. The panels of him tossing money around on the beach to study the lava rock were classic Rohan weirdness. Personally I hope we get a couple of chapters now to play with the characters a bit. Flesh them out more. Usually Jojo's parts spend a little time on that after the first big leg of the story it seems. Something like Jodio & Dragona taking their mom Barbara Ann out and having to deal with a weaker stand battle could be solid or just letting them live their lives as some weird things happen. We have such a good group and setting I'd hate to spring too fast into heavy plot stuff while we're still figuring this part out.

[choicesmc]

Chiamaka x Fiona: The Analysis

okay, self indulgent post here <3 

I just find chiamaka + fiona’s relationship so fascinating. because they could’ve been happy, they could’ve lived a nice, long, stable life + fiona really did trust and love her. So part of this is post is to explain why fiona trusted her + illuminate a little of how their relationship developed and worked <3 <- ive put too many hours of thought into this 😭

it is also incredibly long so under the cut it goes ♠️

The Beginnings 

Fiona + Chiamaka are, essentially, high school sweethearts. While they didn’t date during high school, they hung out a lot and worked on various things together. It helped that they had pretty similar interests + even at the beginning of their friendship, their respective families were already teasing them for their relationship. (You know the: ‘Is she your girlfriend?’, ‘His in love with you, obviously!’ <- that sort of thing)  

One thing to get out of the way is that Fiona was very different in high school. He was not the flamboyant team player he is now. High school Fiona was quiet, intimidating, and stern. He took control of most group projects and almost always sought leadership roles <- he wasn’t really liked because he often crossed the line between ‘strong leader’ to straight up ‘domineering’. None of that was on purpose though and I doubt Fiona was even aware of the majority opinion on him. 

Meanwhile, Chiamaka was sunshine personified. She was nice + persistent + kind + caring + helpful + supportive. And, from the outside looking in, it was a grouch x sunshine romance story. You know, the ray of sunshine slowly worming its way into the grouch’s heart. They looked made for each other with complementing personalities + appearances. It wasn’t that hard to imagine their dynamic stretching into the future with a wedding + children. They really did fill their stereotypical roles well with Chiamaka being the kind mother, the warm half, of Fiona’s masculine domination. <- Caricatures of the ideal marriage, in a sense. 

But their relationship didn’t really start to pick up till college. 

College

Chiamaka + Fiona went to the same college. It was a private college a decent drive away from their hometown and it was very much a blossoming period for Fiona + Chiamaka + their relationship. For them, it was the first time he was really away from his upbringing + family + the first time he’s meeting a really wide variety of opinions. For their relationship, this is the period they begin to really know each other. 

Fiona learns more about queer struggles + identities and, while not identifying himself with anything (<- he really tries not to think too hard about it), he does shift closer to an ally. He’ll defend his gay friends to Chiamaka + sign petitions + attend protests. Chiamaka, for the most part, doesn’t comment much on it but importantly doesn’t say a word of this to his parents. It’s an unspoken thing between them <- fiona gets to explore this new world without fear of repercussion for the first time in his life + what he considered support. (sidenote: this is the period where Fiona adopts the name Fiona. <- prior to this, his given English name was Peter.) 

On Chiamaka’s side, college was a test run for marriage. I’m not entirely too sure how ‘in love’ she was with Fiona but I do know that she’d spent her high school years surrounded by the idea that she was in love with Fiona + marriage was the best possibility for the two of them. Now that they were in the same college + away from external pressure, this was the chance for her to figure out if marriage was really in the cards for the both of them. 

So, she kept his secrets, she cooked for him, they made time to spend with each other + what they discovered surprised and enchanted them. Fiona started to become a little more flamboyant, started wearing a wider range of colors, took interest in her make-up, and took more of a backseat role in their relationship. To be clear, Fiona wasn’t tossing on skirts and wearing lipstick <- but he was branching into blues + greens + oranges (and in general taking better pride in his appearance) rather than the dark blacks + greys + whites he’d grown up with  and he could tell brands apart and knew Chiamaka’s favorites. Chiamaka found that she liked being able to pamper Fiona, liked seeing him dressed up + liked the more natural confidence he had when he was <- this was still heavily policed, though. None of them stepped too far out of their roles. 

For example: Chiamaka pampered him with food. She’d make his favorites, take him out to places and order for him (even if Fiona would pay at the end of the night), and cook with him –leading him around the kitchen in an area of life where she was allowed to dominate. Fiona learned that he really really liked giving gifts + as he came more in touch with different interests, he very much set his eye on buying the best he could for her. They were stereotypically ‘feminine’ gifts (ie necklaces, rings, dresses, makeup kits) but he’d developed quite an eye at picking them out.  

That’s how they fell in love. By being more than their roles, by finding the different shades, by plugging shades and gaps between boundaries where there were none. They both knew, instinctively, that this was something they’d have to keep to themselves. The nuances of their relationship –the truth that traditionally lines were more blurred and fluid than they appeared– was something that they knew wasn’t acceptable in public. 

For Fiona, this was the best he could hope for. Was it everything? No. Absolutely not. But it was a way to live an honorable, respectable life within the constraints of society + family pressures. It was having his cake + eating it too. It was something. 

Chiamaka saw it a bit differently. (Not that Fiona realized that at the time.) For Chiamaka, college was a time to explore. It was four years to get weird deviations out of her system without repercussions. When college was over, she had to settle back down + be ready for weddings + motherhood. And she planned ahead too. Fiona + her could have their fun, inverting + playing around with social roles –but not forever. In the end, they’d have to go back to their respective roles.  

(sidenote: Chiamaka originally came for a biomedical degree before switching to education. Stated reason? To give fiona the choice of a demanding career since she’d be available for their future kids.) 

Of course, the four years came and went + she realized this wasn’t something she could get ‘out of her system’ so the both of them decided, in public, they’d fulfill their social roles + in private they’d continue as they currently did. <- Again, this was not something they actively sat down and talked about, this was mutual understanding of what they were doing. They were on the same page, just different lines. (<- I’d attribute this to their long friendship prior to their romantic relationship) 

It wouldn’t be wrong to call them soulmates at this time. What changed this was their engagement. 

Engagement Period

They were engaged the day they graduated (sidenote: <- this is a retcon, i initially imagined them getting engaged later down the line but i like this better). Literally. Fiona sang the national anthem at the beginning of the ceremony + then got down on one knee + proposed to Chiamaka much to her delight. 

But this also marked the end of their idyllic life. Now, they were back under the social rules that had governed much of their life + this time with a detailed discomfort with it. Needless to say, it was a struggle to re-adjust. Fiona found escape in academia; first working in research and then as a professor. Chiamaka found it easier to adjust. She’d already internalized that college would be a phase and, yes, it turned out to be a little more permanent than she’d wanted but, ultimately, she spent her four years ready to return while Fiona had not. 

And she helped him edge back into the stoicism he grew up in, y’know? When things were too hard, there was always the knowledge that once the both of them were alone, they could slip back into the fluid, real relationship they’d developed together. It’s not really a surprise that Fiona trusted Chiamaka in addition to loving her. There was real and genuine joy in seeing her wearing an engagement ring. There was real adoration during the wedding planning period. For the record, the same could be said for Chiamaka. With Fiona was a side of her that only existed around him, Fiona was a safe place for her. <- The difference was: this is her limit. 

She was still very much raised in a traditional Nigerian household with traditional beliefs. Where Fiona was gallivanting and flirting with queer ideas, Chiamaka was still bound to her family and community. Yes, there was still freedom, but it was a leashed one. She was expected to keep her family in the know, to continue familial bonds and be their eyes and ears in what Fiona was up to. As I said earlier, she took advantage of this position to cover for Fiona. <- She fed just enough info that things were realistic without telling the full extent nor truth of what Fiona was up to. This was a protection but it also meant she was never really free in the same way Fiona was. 

While she had grown, she hadn’t grown as much as Fiona had assumed. <- Notice how much of their relationship was assumed. They don’t talk much about their problems but they tend to be on the same page but “different lines” (<- heh quote from earlier that now makes more sense, i think im very clever). This is where it came to bite them in the ass. 

Fiona assumed Chiamaka was like him: constrained by social pressures and fighting for a haven of respite [in him]. Chiamaka assumed Fiona had simply grown and stretched his beliefs without true change: he was an ally, fine. But in the end, Chiamaka assumed that was something he could drop as easily as he’d ‘picked’ up.  

That was a problem.  

The End <3 

Now you get why Fiona told Chiamaka about his bisexuality. Why he came clean about his gender nonconformity. Why he was so shaken and blinded sided in [worse than heartbreak], <- fic, and somehow mistaken about the limits of his fiancée’s acceptance. 

Hopefully, you’ll also see Chiamaka in a more sympathetic light. <- I tried to do that in the fic as well but y’know…. kinda hard to do that in that fic. D: 

Even more, i get to dump all these thoughts about fiona x chiamaka out of my head finally!! 

As always asks are greatly appreciated!! <- I really hope y’all liked this despite its length :) 

[starlostlix]

GUYS I KIND OF LOVE SK8 THE INFINITY

[This ended up being kind of a review/discussion about the show so enjoy whatever the hell I'm talking about here.]

I binged the show this afternoon and.... wow.

I love the skateboarding sequences. The animation is so fluid and the skateboarding tricks they do are wild. I do not know the details of how animation works but I think it must have taken a lot of effort to make it look so good.

The plot is relatively simple in terms of the main skateboarding beefs/tournament (it even has a beach episode!) but it's effective because it feels more grounded. An underground skateboarding group with competitions could probably exist which is quite interesting.

It's the characters that really make this show. Reki and Langa and their dynamic, with its ups and downs, are so compelling, and Reki's issues with his own self-worth and skill are so human. Langa's growth in skill in skateboarding is so interesting to follow and his joy at the sport after his dad's death (and his previous passion for snowboarding) is reallly nicely done. Them becoming distanced and coming back together again because they realise that skateboarding is enjoyable due to each other is so sad but also beautiful when resolved. "Reki my love... of skateboarding" is maybe my second favourite dub line of the series.

Joe and Cherry (aka Matchablossom) have a great dynamic together, with their history with Adam is really interesting (speaking of that I'm convinced young Cherry had a crush on Adam, oh and Cherry should have kept that lip ring). I love a married-couple-style bickering duo with their endearing nature shining through in small moments and that's really sweet. Plus they act as mentors to the younger characters and that's really fun. Cherry relying on the calculations of his AI assistant vs Joe being more brute and somewhat reckless in his technique is quite an interesting comparison between the two and I appreciate their childhood best friends backstory.

Miya is also really great, and his struggles with balancing competitiveness and fun are compelling. The small parts we see of his backstory of him losing friends because he got successful is really interesting. Shadow is also really fun, at first a minor antagonist and eventually an ally. Him becoming a chaperone to these kids is really funny and his different presentations in and out of the skateboarding world is really cool.

Adam... where to start really. Well I was quite uncomfortable at some points with the way he acts towards Langa (a minor) and he's a bit... intense at points which I feel mixed on. That being said, his character is really really interesting - a politician with an outlet in an intense skateboarding persona and an abusive family makes for a very interesting antagonist and his ambitiousness and need to win as a driving force explains how he really pushes himself and the limits of skateboarding. His desire to find his 'eve' - someone that can truly match his skating - is really intriguing (I only wish he wasn't pursuing a 17-yr-old Langa for that considering it's romantic connotations). His dynamic with 'Snake' - his childhood friend turned secretary - is really interesting too (as is Snake's actions and motivations in general).

To me so many people in this show feel queer-coded. Joe Cherry and Adam are such a messy trio and it's kind of comical that Cherry could be seen to have had feelings for both of them. Reki and Langa are so awkward and they clearly like each other a lot in a way that feels romantic ("show her she's a lucky girl" kind of speaks for itself). Adam is Adam, I don't really have to say much else there tbh.

Also THE THEMES!!!! THE THEMES!!!! Loss, friendship, passion in your interests, the desire to have FUN rather than be competitive all the time, what an interest can mean to a person (which as an AuDHD individual is something I feel attached to in this show in particular), etc. It's really well done in this show and there is loads to talk about but they honestly deserve their own in depth posts (which I may do eventually you never know).

STUDIO BONES!!!! DROP SEASON 2 AND THE MATCHABLOSSOM OVA AND MY LIFE IS YOURSSS!!!!

I enjoyed the show a lot and it's a very fun and well made series despite its short runtime.

There's a lot that can be talked about but to put it simply, I am now a SK8 fan.

[daboyau]

Hi!

4.) When did you become a fan of TMNT?

18.) Who is your favorite villain?

19.) Who is your favorite ally?

27.) What is something you love to see in TMNT art/fics?

28.) What is one thing you would like to see explored more in TMNT art/fics?

33.) What is your favorite thing you've made for TMNT?

Sorry there's a lot 😅 You don't have to answer all of them if you don't want to.

I hope you have a great rest of your day/night :]

I once more take forever to answer asks. Thank you for your patience. O7

i do genuinely love answering these, so no apologies for asking a lot allowed! (I am gently whapping you with a rolled up newspaper)

4. I’ve been a fan for as long as I can remember! I’ve been watching them for my entire life, and my mom likes to tease me about the fact that if I ever disappeared when I was a toddler she’d inevitably find me planted in front of the tv, watching reruns of the 80’s series.

18. So I love Baron Draxum, but he becomes less of a villain later, so I’m going to say…2012 Baxter Stockman. I think he’s so silly but also he can be genuinely menacing at times, because he genuinely wants to hurt the turtle boys so it is a really interesting and unsettling contrast/dynamic. He’s actively plotting the murder of foes and allies alike, yet nobody can ever get his name right. I love it.

19. APRIL O’NEIL!!!! Every version of her. I love them all. April is universally the first human to throw herself wholeheartedly into their lives, no matter if she plays the role of sister figure, best friend, love interest, etc. It’s fun and sweet and I am a SUCKER for found family.

27. I love everything all the time. Next question. Serious answer though, I think a trope I really enjoy in fic/art/etc is when the boys get to go a little bit feral. Every iteration is so sweet and goofy no matter how serious their series gets, so when that gets turned on its head and the characters get to go buckwild it is soooo cool. ESPECIALLY when they still get to keep their silly traits threaded through the story. Another thing I adore is when they bicker like actual siblings.

28. Splinter gave four siblings who are close in age literal weapons. No way they never had murder games and knife chases when someone got too mouthy. Ngl I think it would be fun to see something about that. On a more general note, I want to see more about April and her thoughts on her place in the world.

33. Oh…. This is hard…. My kneejerk answer was Eat the Dark, because it’s the first fic I ever wrote for Rise and people were so nice when leaving comments on it that it made me want to post more of the things I wrote. But… i think I’m going to go with the Rise Hunger Games au, because that’s the thing that connected me with so many new friends. 💚💚💚

[rescue-ram]

Do you ever think about what BJ, Charles and/or Potter might've been like if they'd been early season additions?

Oooh inchresting question :3c

I think Charles could actually fit in in early season MASH pretty easily and well. DOS is very very funny, and he'd be a nice compliment to Frank. Like I think they would actually play off each other really well in really funny ways, I think Charles would fully manipulate Frank while being slightly disgusted by him and they'd have a really funny dynamic as antagonists, I can fully imagine the way Larry Linvelle and DOS would play off each other and I wish it existed 🥲 In my ideal world, he'd be the fourth Swamp Rat, and the uneasy FrankCharles vs TrapHawk rivalry would free Margaret up for the sort of independent story lines she got after Frank left in the actual series. I'm not sure Charles himself would necessarily have the room for the softer character moments he got in the series in this scenario, but just on a character dynamics level I can fully imagine him fitting into the vibe of S1-3.

(This actually gave me a bit of a fic idea for this AU where Charles steals a weekend pass to Tokyo TrapHawk scammed off of Henry, and like we cut between Charles impersonating Hawkeye as he tries to get back to the hospital he worked at before being at the 4077th to beg for his old job and keeps running into people who vaguely know Hawkeye and Trapper trying to track him down and reluctantly talking him into coming back before he's caught and arrested for deserting his post, maybe with them getting one night of bonding over unseemly cavorting before going back...)

Potter, if Henry was still the CO, could actually be kind of an interesting recurring character I think? Like after The Trial of Henry Blake maybe the higher ups want a tighter more military eye on the 4077th, and Potter fills that roll of the outsider who doesn't quite get the madness and wants to impose some discipline on the camp- whether he then gets trolled or won over, eh. I think he could work, and it would be fun to see him interact with some of the characters, but I'm less interested in him than hypothetical early season Charles.

BJ I think would be the hardest fit- because he is, before anything else, a replacement Trapper and if Trapper is already there... Well, Charles can still be an antagonist even if Frank is there, but can BJ really join the TrapHawk axis without third wheeling? I think he'd ultimately suffer a similar fate as Oliver, where the writers wouldn't know what to do with him apart from letting him tag along... And I don't think he'd cause enough friction or drama to be interesting in that regard, you know? He'd be like a lot of the recurring characters we see in the early seasons- a nice guy our heroes like, but I don't think he'd work as a compliment to Frank and he wouldn't bring enough spice to be an interesting addition to TrapHawk since he and Trapper would both be filling the "best friend" role... I mean now I'm thinking on how you COULD make him work, maybe leaning fully into his stochastic prankster side and having him be a third power against both TrapHawk and FrankMarg, or giving him a new buddy to ally with and play off of like Radar or Klinger, but I just think he'd be the trickiest to fit in you know?