#fetch season 5 is best anime

[thesperitz]

The True Identity of Lu Guang

A Link Click Theory

Ok guys, we all learn from the ending of s2 that Lu Guang is actually his future self from the ‘original’ timeline possessing the Lu Guang from the current timeline. But clearly, there’s more. Something else.

No known age or blood type? That’s a bit strange, isn’t it? I understand the age thing would have to do with the diving-back-in-time itself, but blood type?

And what’s with all the cat symbolism?

All three main characters do have animal counterparts, but Lu Guang is the only one with so much cat merch in the donghua. Qiao Ling has her bunny phone case, but that’s it. And Cheng Xiaoshi doesn’t own anything dog-related.

Lu Guang literally wears a cat pyjama set for most of season 2.

Ok, so why’s the cat motif important? This is where it gets interesting.

The one possessing Lu Guang is a cat.

Stick with me yall.

So remember Elizabeth, the cat Cheng Xiaoshi brought in the chibi episodes? Lu Guang refuses to take it in, and he gets super upset after the cat scratches him. 

Not only does his behaviour in this scene reflects catlike coping strategies, but his and Elizabeth’s behaviour in the two shorts reflect typical cat mating behaviour. 

Elizabeth seems to want Lu Guang’s constant attention and rubs against him.

She also rolls over on her back in a ‘seductive manner’, despite only knowing him for like, a day. 

These behaviours are more frequent in cats in heat (cats can reach sexual maturity as kittens). Elizabeth even begins to dislike Cheng Xiaoshi, possibly because she sees him as a threat in what should be a safe territory, or competition she just doesn’t want.

But cats do these around humans anyway, so how does it relate to Lu Guang being a cat?

Well, don’t forget he exhibits cat mating behaviours too.

While only female cats go in heat, male cats can respond to pheromones released from these females. These pheromones are powerful attractants that can travel through air, able to communicate their reproductive status and desires to potential mates. The males can detect these pheromones and engage in behaviours to pursue the female.

This response can include vocalisations + roaming to find the source of the pheromones, displays of physical prowess/aggression to fight off competition and impress the female, rubbing, following of females and unusually affectionate behaviour.

The presence of Elizabeth’s pheromones could have been what triggered Lu Guang’s sudden liking to her. 

Now we can’t say Lu Guang displayed all of these behaviours, but not all male cats do. We can say, however, that he was particularly attached to Elizabeth, quite unusually indeed.

Remember when I mentioned his unknown age and blood type? Well, if you add the context of a cat possessing him, then it makes sense. Obviously, cats age differently to humans - a 1 year old cat is just 15 in human age, while a 5 year old cat is well into their 30s. 

As for the blood type, cats have 3: Type A, B and AB. Compare this to the 8 human blood types, O+, O-, A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+ and AB-. It makes sense for these to be ‘unknown’ in Lu Guang’s character bio, to hide this twist.

All of this seems like far-fetched speculation based on observed behaviours and what-ifs. But how does a cat possessing Lu Guang fit into the narrative?

Okay. Imagine you’re a cat, just a street cat living your best life, and you somehow wake up to find you’re in a new place, with a new body, new feelings and new memories. You can also suddenly talk to humans, whom you’ve previously had a many dice rolls of experiences with. If you feared for your safety from these humans, wouldn’t you try to pretend nothing’s up?

The cat that found itself possessing Lu Guang sure did. It adopted Lu Guang’s entire identity. I believe the incident occurred some time before the events of the donghua. If you’ve ever read the Link Click manhua, you may have noticed that Lu Guang is written ever so slightly… nicer? Softer? 

If the manhua is set before the donghua, and if the cat started possessing Lu Guang between these times (perhaps in the ‘original’ timeline), Lu Guang’s colder personality in the donghua is explained.

It would be a major plot twist to find out the Lu Guang we know isn’t human at all. 

Some other details that point toward Lu Guang’s feline secret:

He likes sleeping, sunbathing and gourmet food. Obvious cat behaviour

His assigned flower is the forget-me-not, completely safe around cats, while Cheng Xiaoshi’s is the daisy and Qiao Ling’s is the hyacinth, which both happen to be toxic to cats. 

He can’t tolerate spice (please do not feed your cats spicy food)

if you look closely, sometimes his hair kinda looks like it has cat ears.

Hes just generally catlike, yknow?

Not to mention, HIS SLIT PUPILS IN EVERY. SINGLE. OFFICIAL. ART.

It’s more obvious if you compare it to other characters.

In conclusion, this whole time, Lu Guang has been possessed by a cat.

Thank you for coming to my TEDTalk. *mic drop*

[the-letterbox-archives]

What's up friend!!!!

I would love some rambles about Tales From A Dying Heart if you're down for it???

Also, love your blog <3

file (1)1-21-0610: ask response

thank you honeybe <3, i'd love to give a ramble about tfadh!!

i'm not sure how much i can go on about without spoiling, since the books aren't out yet, but i think i can talk about what i've found of the characters!

i mentioned this in a previous ask, but since the heart itself is the narrator of the stories, and it hates human love as it believes it obstructs its creations from happiness. so in order to strip the protagonists of the impact their love leaves on their identities, the heart gives them false names related to other aspects of their lives (this in tandem with the memory deterioration makes it so the people, if they were ever recovered, have no semblance of their past lives and their capacity for love). i'll give a quick preamble about all the protagonists' false names.

book 1: lady (a tortured heart)

lady's name comes from the title of 'lady,' quite a high position in medieval europe, where this world is slightly based on (but there's not much content there because the story is about the heart and these guys, not their world). lady has faced many hardships, but something she was always able to hold onto was her title; something the heart remembered.

book 2: sweetheart & crow (a dedicated heart)

sweetheart and crow's names come from the heart doing word association with their personalities; 'sweetheart' being chosen because she is a... well, a sweetheart. simply put, she's a very kind person, beloved by all (the heart is not very creative). crow is named after the bird, because crows are considered smart (by bird standards), something that reflects crow's personality as well.

book 3: winter & pyre (a distant heart)

winter and pyre are unique protagonists (though i won't say why yet), and their names are inspired by the two opposite temperatures/seasons; winter being named after the winter season, coldness, and natural disasters that occur in the cold like blizzards and snowstorms, and pyre being named after summer, warm temps, and natural disasters like wildfires and droughts.

book 4: dancer (a free heart)

dancer is named after her occupation, kind of. when she was in better health, she loved to dance, and it was integral to her identity. as her condition worsened, she couldn't dance anymore, but the heart took pity on her and bestowed her a name to reference her best days.

book 5: rook (a cautious heart)

rook is a bit far fetched, i liked the name as-is and had to work backwards with the meaning. in chess, the rook moves in a straight line, and is also sometimes referred to as a tower, elements i associate with strength of character. this is completely paradoxical to rook as he is known in the story, but it holds some meaning in his past life, when he was more self-assured.

book 6: vex (a vengeful heart)

vex's name comes from the word vex, moreso in relation to the term 'vexed,' which can't really encompass all the rage that defines her, but is a solid stab at it. to be fair, there's no single word to adequately describe vex's anger and suffering. the heart tried nonetheless.

book 7: chalice & hunter (a desperate heart)

i've already done a bit on chalice, so i'll just restate that: the heart recognises chalice as a prince, fond of wine and gold, describing chalice's ring's as "golden palms," focusing chalice's identity on his rich, royal status, using his expensive items as the cornerstone of his existence. as for hunter, he's named after his job, he's a bounty hunter and also hunts for food. this still places him below chalice socially, since he's just a hunter and chalice is a prince.

book 8: hornet & dove (a lingering heart)

hornet and dove are named after those animals. the violent, stinging hornet paired with the gentle, peaceful dove. a true match made in hell, and representative of their personalities outside their relationship.

book 9: maestro & muse (an artful heart)

maestro's name comes from the word 'maestro,' meaning an artistic master (usually in a classical music context, but this maestro is related to painting), and muse's name from the word 'muse,' simply a source of inspiration. these names serve to describe their relationship, but it is also effective apart; maestro is obsessed with artistry and being the best, and muse is often just a subject, not a creative herself.

book 10: opal (a defenseless heart)

for opal's name, i searched for pretty, valuable gemstones, and was drawn to the black opal. in the story, opal is often a commodity for others, so that ties in well to the gemstone name.

book 11: aegis & mouse (a protective heart)

aegis' name comes from the word 'aegis,' and describes how he protects his sister (and less often, himself) from harm, being the older sibling and the de-facto responsible one. mouse's name comes less from the stereotypical timid nature of mice (symbolically), but more how small and agile mice are, how they tend to slip through the cracks and go to places they're not supposed to be in, like mouse herself.

book 12: seeker (an honest heart)

seeker's name comes from her role in the heart; she's 'seeking' the truth, 'seeking' those who've been lost, 'seeking' a new life for everyone, without the heart's presence. the heart does not respect seeker enough to grant her a name that honours her past life.

[gale-gentlepenguin]

Gale's Rankings: Best Ash Ketchum

Now this sounds like a weird Ranking topic, but with over 20+ years of Pokemon anime to sift through, I can tell you there are some differences.

This Ash:

Is very different than this one:

And not just in animation styles.

So I should go over the rules.

I will be distinguishing each Ash on the Tried and True method. Based on Ash's Hat. For Example, Ash in the Kanto league, Orange Islands, and Johto Ash are all the same Ash, as they have the same hat. But once he goes to Hoenn, Its a different Ash

I will be ranking them based on Personality, Pokemon team, Competence for experience level, Performance and Overall Charm.

In regards to Competence for Experience, I mean how skilled he was shown to be compared to how he is in the region

I will not be including Manga, or spin offs. Purely the anime. Movies will be included if it benefits Ash

This is a personal list and I would love to hear everyone's thoughts.

____________________________________________________________

7. Black & White Ash

This... this ash at his lowest point in my opinion.

Also 2nd lamest companions. Iris was fine but the green haired Connoisseur annoyed me.

This was around the time the anime tried to do a soft reboot/retcon within itself and had Ash still say he is 10, even though he already went through 4 regions.

This Ash isnt a terrible person or anything, but ... he is kind of an idiot in battle. He gives advice and there are times he's mature but he loses battles he has no business losing. His team is also pretty unremarkable in Unova, even with all 3 starters. He never fully evolved any of them, the only Fully Evolved pokemon from Unova being his Krookadile (His best pokemon aside from Pikachu) Leavanny and Unfezent. (Which he switched out HALF THE TIME)

His pikachu also lost to Trip (a bargain bin version of Paul) who JUST GOT his pokemon recently.

But that is nothing compared to his embarrassing performance in the Unova League.

He made it to the great 8 and ended up losing to Cameron. Who if I had describe his incompetence, it would physically hurt me.

This Ash off the bat was not going to win any Leagues. But you would think with his experience he would be better... but he wasnt.

6. Sun and Moon Ash

I hate this iteration of ash... personally dislike him.

This Ash is likely the most immature we've seen ash since Kanto. Most of his maturity is gone in the first half of the season. His battle tactics may not be as bad as the previous ash (With this Ash actually WINNING his league). But its hard to say if most of those wins feel earned. Unlike later entries on this list, this Ash stumbled into incredibly powerful pokemon (two of which are basically legendaries), but to this Ash's credit, his Incineroar and Lyconroc were trained up and earned. I also enjoyed seeing the dynamic of this ash had with his friends in alola, along with the professor. I do think this Ash didnt deserve his Win in the league... mainly because the league was hardly official in terms of rules. It was basically a tournament with half of the people being his friends. But thats me nitpicking. This Ash does show to grow and strategize better than the last Ash, so I will give him props. But thats all I am giving him. Well Okay, Pikachu helped hard carry in this season

5. Journey's Ash

This Ash is... well he is technically the most skilled Ash as he can use all the tricks and did win the Master Class. But I dont get why.

Side note Gou is the worst Companion in the entire series dont @ me I know I am right.

This Ash STUMBLES hard into all his strong pokemon. Gengar, Dragonite, Dracovish. Sir Fetched and Lucario are the only two he needed to help evolve. Also, what is up with that unbalanced Team Composition? Half weak to fairy and dragon, Half weak to ground types. How did Cynthia NOT sweep?

That may have been Nitpicking a bit, but I still stand on the former point, most of his mons were strong at the jump. In Alola, the two legendaries he finds he at least has to evolve. Sure they are legendaries, but still.

I also just found this ash a bit too kidish until the end at the master class tournament.

Now did Ash deserve to be the very best? Yes. Did this iteration of Ash deserve it... Meh. At least it wasnt Unova or Alola Ash.

I do like that this Ash actually remembers his journey and tries to improve on it... though I am still pissed at a LOT of the retcons they did.

It did give us a lot of epic battles and Pikachu's epic clash.

4. Ruby & Sapphire Ash

Now we are at the Ash's I actually enjoy.

This Ash is a more refined yet still Childish Protagonist. He has been around the block and still has his child wonder. Yet he is more brazen and intelligent. He is more strategic compared to his previous iteration and will go into battle's with clever strategies. His team is also fairly balanced, His Sceptile being the star of the show, but his hoenn league team was nothing to sneeze at, His Swellow, Glalie, and Torkoal did work.

His placement in the great 8 in Hoenn showed his improvement and was a solid placement for him at this time. After this we really got to see Ash improve in the Battle Frontier.

Now the Battle Frontier is similar to Ash in the Orange Islands, the main difference though is that this is a more mature ash with some more serious opponents. Ash had a larger arsenal of pokemon and if it wasnt for all the experience he had gained, he likely would never have beaten Brandon and his team of incredibly strong Regis

Ash had his MVP companion Brock, and was accompanied by May and Max. Max being the young curious kid helped let Ash be more mature, while May still being new to pokemon let ash give advice as well as explore new avenues for strategies by watching Contests

Out of All the Ash's I would say he is the ash I look to to show his growth.

3. Original Ash

The Original, The start, the hyper active, comedic Ash that I grew up with.

Ash in the start was a complete noob and was stubborn to a fault. Its funny how he doesnt earn Half his badges through battles at the start. His pokemon usually joined him instead of being caught, and a chunk usually left for other reasons.

This Ash does grow and has the most heart out of all the ash so far. He cares about his pokemon and this is the closest Ash to capturing the magic of a trainer on their first Journey.

During the Orange Islands and Johto he does grow a bit, learning new strategies and showing himself capable of winning. He even bests his rival Gary.

And Of course this Ash had a team of strong mons, Charizard, Pikachu, Heracross, Squirtale, Bulbasaur, Pidgeot, Lapris. and a HERD OF TAUROS! Bayleaf, Quilava, and more.

And of course the OG companions, Misty and Brock. Though tbh I never cared for Misty. She was Mid.

2. Diamond and Pearl Ash

This was VERY hard for me to decide. Ash from Sinnoh is honestly some of the Best Ash I have seen.

We see ash grow and develop a lot more of the iconic strategies and out of the box thinking we know him for. Ash had met his antithesis in Paul and would clash with him only to have one of the best battles in ALL of Pokemon in the great 8!

This Ash had The OG Brock by his side, along with Dawn, who in my personal opinion was a superior coordinator companion to May. I liked May but Dawn managed to vibe with Ash much easier in my opinion.

Ash's team with Gliscor, Torterra, Buisal, Staraptor, Gible and Infernape were a solid team base, and Ash's Pikachu also being a star in its own right

I loved the maturity of this ash, as well as the frustration he felt when being beaten by Paul at every step. He even began questioning his own ability when Paul's cutthroat tactics seemed to show such results. But it was shown through Infernape why Ash was in the right.

This Ash also should have gone farther than top 4, but dude faced DARKRAI AND LATIOS. Not Ash's fault the had to deal with the one trainer with a game shark. It did feel like Tobias was created SOLELY to stop Ash from winning. But even the final's opponent couldnt beat the darkrai while Ash at least did.

Still salty on that.

1. XY Ash

Yes, Kalos Ash is my favorite Ash. Sure Kalos as a region and a game was MID. But Mega evolutions, the battles, the way Ash grew and developed. This Ash was SUCH an improvement from Black and White Ash that it felt like this ash was from Diamond and pearl. It is Ash at his best. His most mature, his most energetic yet not annoying. This Ash is the cool ash that your GF tells you not to worry about.

Serena Clemont and Bonnie were solid compatriots. Bonnie being a better max, and Clemont being the dorky yet fun inventor. While he isnt Brock, he is still a fun character. And of Course, Serena is best girl. She didnt lose her bike to Ash's pikachu, so points. She knew him from the past, the cute crush never felt forced. It also made the times when they argued really hold weight. Ash realized he effed up when Serena was pissed.

Now for the team. Ash earned his OP team. He evolved all his pokemon save for Pikachu and Hawlucha, into the strong powerhouses they became. He was competing against Mega evolutions AND Winning. He and Greninja even bonded so hard he got a unique form. AND THAT THEME FUCKING SLAPPED

His fights in the Kalos league top 4 and final match were INSANE!

His rivalry with Sawyer was interesting, especially with how Sawyer overtook him when he was in a slump only for him to push back hard.

His rivalry with Alain also had some depth that I wish was explored more.

This Ash deserved the Win in Kalos. But even so, his fight with Alain in the final was intense and epic.

It shows how Ash went the POLAR opposite of his Unova iteration, it showed how Ash struggled and grew on the level of Sinnoh, and it showed how he was a leader in his own right. This was Ash at his best.

[picturejasper20]

could you create a star vs the forces of evil episode guide?

I'll try my best

Star vs The Forces of Evil is mostly a character driven series like other modern animated series that have overall arcs. This means the focus is usually on the characters and their relationships. The romance shipping plot regardless of its quality plays an important role in the characters and continuity too, so, i'll consider some episodes essential to understand what is going on.

The episodes that i consider most important are marked in black like this. Adding (Don’t skip) to episodes that shouldn’t be skipped when watching this series.

Let's start:

Season 1

This season is mostly episodic. I think a good part can be skipped but is still worth of watching some of the episodes for the character dynamics and such. 1)"Star Comes to Earth": Introduction to the characters and premise of the show so yeah (Don't skip) / "Party with a Pony": Introduction to Pony Head, a recurring character (Don't Skip)

2) "Matchmaker": It gives context to why a recurrent character becomes a troll / "School Spirit": Star character development + gives some idea of how she was raised

3) "Monster Arm": Marco character development episode + monster arm that gets mention a few times in the series / "The Other Exchange Student": Somewhat fun episode, can be skipped.

4) "Cheer Up, Star": Star centric episode, can be skipped/ "Quest Buy": Introduction to Quest Buy Store, can be skipped

5) "Diaz Family Vacation": Introduction to Mewni and Star's father (Don't skip) / "Brittney's Party": Can be skipped

6) "Mewberty": Important lore about Mewmans (Don't skip) / "Pixtopia": Some lore but i think it can be skipped

7) "Lobster Claws": Crucial lore and start of Star trying to understand monsters (Don't skip) / "Sleep Spells": It does have some stuff about the Reform School for princess, so worth of watching

8) "Blood Moon Ball": Introduction to Tom Lucitor, Star's ex-boyfriend and recurrent character, also important lore (Don't skip) / "Fortune Cookies": Introduction to Toffee as antagonist (Don't skip)

9) "Freeze Day": Some crucial Marco development + introduction to his crush on Jackie (Don't skip) / "Royal Pain": Star's father, River, shows up in this episode

10) "St. Olga's Reform School for Wayward Princesses": Very crucial episode for plenty of reasons- Introduction to Miss Heinous as main antagonist (later in the series) (Don't skip)

11) "Mewnipendance Day": It explores past about Mewni and Star stars to change her view about monsters (Don't skip) / "The Banagic Incident": Can be skipped

12) "Interdimensional Field Trip": Somewhat good character for Star / "Marco Grows a Beard": Fillerish episode

13) "Storm the Castle": Season 1 finale- Toffee gets ¨defeated¨ and the wand gets destroyed. Introduction of magic destroying spell (Don't skip)

Season 2

This is when the series becomes more serialized, meaning that there is more continuity in between in contrast to Season 1. This season is rather slow burn but a good part of the episodes help with setting up stuff and development.

1)"My New Wand!": Explores the consequences of Season 1 finale (Don't Skip) / "Ludo in the Wild": Sets up Ludo as main antagonist+ great character development for him (Don't skip)

2) "Mr. Candle Cares": Important character development for Tom Lucitor and his relationship with Marco (Don't skip) / "Red Belt": Marco centric episode, can be skipped

3) "Star on Wheels": Star centric episode, can be skipped/ "Fetch": Star centric episode, can be skipped

4) "Star vs. Echo Creek": Some Star character development / "Wand to Wand": Important for Ludo's villain arc and Star's (Don't skip)

5) "Starstruck": Introduction to Mina, recurrent character (Don't skip) / "Camping Trip": River and Star episode

6) "Starsitting": Introduction to Buff Frog's tadpoles/children - tied with segment B (Don't skip) / "On the Job": Buff Frog episode- important for plot arc (Don't skip)

7) "Goblin Dogs": Introduction to Kelly, a recurrent character (Don't skip) / "By the Book": Continues Ludo's villain arc and Star magic training (Don't skip)

8) "Game of Flags": Star and Moon's relationship development (Don't skip) / "Girls' Day Out": Star centric episode, can be skipped

9) "Sleepover": Explores Star's crush on Marco (Don't skip) / "Gift of the Card": Miss Heinous villain arc (Don't skip)

10) "Friendenemies": Important development for Tom Lucitor character (Don't skip) / "Is Mystery": Buff Frog- Ludo villain arc episode (Don't skip)

11) "Hungry Larry": Can be skipped / "Spider with a Top Hat": Important to understand Wand lore (Don't skip)

12) "Into the Wand": Important wand lore and set up for Toffee later on (Don't skip) / "Pizza Thing": Can be skipped

13) "Page Turner": Introduction to black/dark magic (Don't skip) / "Naysaya": Crucial development for Marco and his relationship with Jackie (Don't skip)

14)"Bon Bon the Birthday Clown": Mid season 2 finale- Explores Marco and Jackie dating and Star's feelings about it. Star using a dark magic spell and losing the book of spells and Glossaryck to Ludo (Don't skip)

15) "Raid the Cave": Follow up to Season 2 midfinale (Don't skip) / "Trickstar": Can be skipped

16) ¨Baby¨: Lore about Star's magic and mention of Eclipsa queen (Don't skip) / "Running with Scissors": Introduction to Hekapoo and Marco gets his own magic scissors (Don't skip)

17) "Mathmagic": Introduction to Omnitraxus Prime (Don't skip) / "The Bounce Lounge": Can be skipped

18) "Crystal Clear": Introduction to Rhombulus (Don't skip) / "The Hard Way": Ludo villain arc and the Toffee hinting to be coming back (Don't skip)

19) "Heinous": Heinous episode (Don't skip) / "All Belts are Off": Can be skipped

20) "Collateral Damage": It has some parallels to things that happen later on / "Just Friends": Explores jealousy from Star on Marco dating Jackie- build up to Season 2 finale (Don't skip)

21) "Face the Music": Season 2 finale part 1- Star getting a crush on Marco does get revealed to others + losing the book of magic -Ludo's backstory and family and Moon looking for Ludo (Don't skip)

22) "Starcrushed": Season 2 finale part 2 Star tells Marco her crush on him - Moon and the High Commision fights Ludo, who is revealed to be controlled by Toffee- Star is forced to leave Earth and go to Mewni (Don't skip)

Season 3

This season has the film ¨Battle for Mewni¨ at the start so all those episodes shouldn't be skipped for a reason. After it the main arc is about Eclipsa and the mystery of why she was really imprisoned centuries ago.

1)"Return to Mewni"/ "Moon the Undaunted": Part of the Battle for Mewni special- follow up from Season 3 (Don't Skip)

2)"Book Be Gone"/"Marco and the King": Part of the Battle for Mewni special (Don't Skip)

3) "Puddle Defender"/ "King Ludo": Part of the Battle for Mewni special (Don't skip)

4) "Toffee": Final part of Batte for Mewni special- Ludo and Toffee get defeated- Start for new arc about Eclipsa (Don't skip)

5) "Scent of a Hoodie": Yikes episode, but it explores Star missing Marco / "Rest in Pudding": Star is able to get Glossaryck back (Don't skip)

6) "Club Snubbed": Important for Tom character development (Don't skip) / "Stranger Danger": Eclipsa introduction (Don't skip)

7) "Demoncism": Important for Tom's character- Star and him get back together (Don't skip) / "Sophomore Slump": Marco missing Mewni and wishing to go back-breaks up with Jackie (Don't skip)

8) "Lint Catcher": It explores Marco adjusting to Mewni and being given a place in the castle (Don't skip) / "Trial by Squire": Follow up to the previous episode, i think can be skipped

9) "Princess Turdina": Somewhat important for Heinous arc (Don't skip) / "Starfari": Star tries to learn more about why the mosters get mistreated (Don't skip)

10) "Sweet Dreams": It is about Star getting new powers (Don't skip) / "Lava Lake Beach": Marco realizes his feelings for Star- Kelly and Marco relationship development (Don't skip)

11) "Death Peck": Star helping the monsters plot (Don't skip) / "Ponymonium": I guess it can be skipped but it explores Pony Head family and why she is the way she is.

12) "Night Life": Marco and Hekapoo episode- Star powers lore (Don't skip) / "Deep Dive": Important lore about magic (Don't skip)

13) "Monster Bash": Monsters plot and important reveal about Miss Henious being Meteora (Don't skip)

14) "Stump Day": Holiday special-Can be skipped / "Holiday Spellcial": Sequel to the first spells wand episode, can be skipped but worth of watching.

15) "The Bogbeast of Boggabah": Star and River episode. It brings up the Eclipsa plotline at the start so (Don't skip) / "Total Eclipsa the Moon": Plotline about Eclipsa's past and mystery (Don't skip)

16) "Butterfly Trap": Eclipsa's past and mystery reveal (Don't skip) / "Ludo, Where Art Thou?": It explores what happened to Ludo after Battle of Mewni (Don't skip)

17) "Is Another Mystery": Monsters plotline- Development for Tom (Don't skip) / "Marco Jr.": It brings up how Marco is going to have a little brother, otherwise uhhh... skippable.

18) "Skooled!": Miss Heinous/Meteora past explored (Don't skip) / "Booth Buddies": This episode... Star-Marco drama romance that has an impact later on so (Don't skip)

19) "Bam Ui Pati!": It explores Pony Head after Skooled episode / "Tough Love": Sets up for Season 3 finale-Eclipsa and Meteora arc (Don't skip)

20) "Divide": Part 1 of Season 3 finale- Star looks for Moon going missing while the others deal with Meteora (Don't skip)

21) "Conquer": Part 2 of Season 3 finale- Meteora is defeated and the throne is given to Eclipsa- Hints of Globgor arc for Season 4 (Don't skip)

Season 4

The first half of the season is the people getting used to Eclipsa being their new queen. Some episodes can be skipped but they help with exploring this new status quo. Around Episode 17, all episodes must be watched since they are one big plotline arc building up until the series finale.

1)"Butterfly Follies": Explores consequences of Season 3 finale and lore (Don't skip)

2) "Escape from the Pie Folk" : Explores lore and Moon getting her memories back (Don't skip)

3) "Moon Remembers": Moon gets her memories back (Don't skip) / "Swim Suit": Globor plotline (Don't skip)

4) "Ransomgram": Skippable episode / "Lake House Fever": Explores Tom's character and the consequences of ¨Booth Buddies¨ (Don't skip)

5) "Yada Yada Berries": It is tied to Eclipsa being the new queen / "Down by the River": Monsters-Mewmans conflict under Eclipsa's rule (Don't skip)

6) "The Ponyhead Show!": Tied to Eclipsa queen plot / "Surviving the Spiderbites": Important Globgor lore (Don't skip)

7) "Out of Business": Can be skipped / "Kelly's World": Marco and Kelly start going out (Don't skip)

8) "Curse of the Blood Moon": Important from characters-lore (Don't skip)

9) "Princess Quasar Caterpillar and the Magic Bell": Ludo's gets redemmed (Don't skip) / "Ghost of Butterfly Castle": Sets up Mina as main antagonist (Don't skip)

10) "Cornball!": Monster-Mewmans conflict / "Meteora's Lesson": Mewni backstory lore (Don't skip)

11) "The Knight Shift": Marco becomes Eclipsa knight / "Queen-Napped": Skippable episode

12) "Junkin' Janna": Tom and Janna episode- Mina villain arc (Don't skip) / "A Spell with No Name": Wand spells episode- can be skipped

13) "A Boy and His DC-700XE": Marco and Tom episode, fun but i think can be skipped /"The Monster and the Queen": Eclipsa and Globgor plotline (Don't skip)

14) "Cornonation": Mid season 4 finale- Globgor gets released and meets with Eclipsa. Eclipsa being new queen plot gets mostly solved (Don't skip)

15) "Doop-Doop": Stars has issues with Tom- Marco's little sister is born (Don't skip) / "Britta's Tacos": It explores how Jackie has been doing after breaking with Marco

16) "Beach Day": Skippable episode / "Gone Baby Gone": Meteora and Mariposa development i guess?

17) "Sad Teen Hotline": Star and Tom break up- continues plot line from here to Season 4 finale (Don't skip) / "Jannanigans": The teens find their way back to Mewni (Don't skip)

18) "Mama Star": Lore and plot (Don't skip) / "Ready, Aim, Fire!": Reveal of what has been going on in Mewni in meantime (Don't skip)

19) "The Right Way": Mina villain plotline (Don't skip) / "Here to Help": Star and Marco confess their feelings to each other-Mina villain plotline (Don't skip)

20) "Pizza Party": Mina villain plotline- important reveal (Don't skip) / "The Tavern at the End of the Multiverse": Star decides to destroy magic to ¨solve the problems¨ (Don't skip)

21) "Cleaved": Series finale- Mina gets defeated- Magic gets destroyed- Multiverse freaking implodes and Mewni and Earth get merged together into one world somehow (Don't skip)

[missroserose]

I posted 3,126 times in 2022

That's 1,027 more posts than 2021!

237 posts created (8%)

2,889 posts reblogged (92%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@missroserose

@atimewillcomeforsinging

@beauandarrow

@accordionsrule

@naamahdarling

I tagged 2,997 of my posts in 2022

Only 4% of my posts had no tags

#stranger things season 4 - 344 posts

#ambrosia watches - 332 posts

#supernatural - 298 posts

#*snicker* - 99 posts

#well put - 89 posts

#sam and dean - 87 posts

#tumblr culture - 75 posts

#fanart - 75 posts

#cute animals - 72 posts

#sam winchester - 71 posts

Longest Tag: 137 characters

#thanks so much my friend. i genuinely appreciate the personalized attention and hopefully i won't be quite such a time-suck going forward

I sent 1 gift in 2022

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Whumptober Day 23: Tied to a Table

Did it hurt?

Sam tears his attention away from the anxiety ratcheting tighter in his chest, focuses on the way Cas is buckling thick leather straps over his wrists.  He’s always wondered why people ask that, when they see tattoos—it’s practically the whole point of the exercise.  The anticipation and dread twining in his gut, the focusing presence of the pain—and then, of course, the aftermath.  The floating, giddy sensation—the potent cocktail of adrenaline and oxytocin coursing through his bloodstream—

Cas finishes strapping him down, then meets his eyes.  He wears the same patient, careful, focused expression he has whenever there’s a task to be accomplished; interrogating a witness, fetching a Biblical fruit from the ends of the Earth, going to war against the amassed forces of Heaven.  “Are you ready?”

Sam tests the straps; they creak against his strength, but hold tight.  “I’m ready.”

Castiel nods in acknowledgement, but hesitates, a line of worry creasing his forehead.  “I don’t believe that Dean would like this.”

Sam feels a muscle next to his eyelid twitch; he’d hoped Cas hadn’t noticed that he’d made the request when Dean was off on an errand.  “Dean doesn’t get to make this decision.”

“What decision?”  Cas’s expression is almost painfully earnest.  “What is it that you’re hoping to accomplish?”

Sam imagines articulating the sensation that he’s experiencing.  I’m hyperventilating, and there’s something winding tighter and tighter in my chest, and my heart is pounding, and something’s not right and I don’t know what it is.  I need to be set right again—need to know that I’m still me—

He shakes his head, gives an encouraging smile that he suspects doesn’t reach his eyes.  “It’s okay, Cas.  I just—need to be sure.”

“Very well.”  The angel steps back for a moment, considering; after a moment, he undoes his belt, steps forward, places it between Sam’s teeth.  “I’ll do my best to be quick.”

And he plunges his arm into Sam’s soul.

*

It’s nothing like getting a tattoo.  Sam would know.

Every neuron in his brain is firing, desperately sending signals that make no collective sense.  His skin plunges into a glacial lake, while it chars and blisters in an inferno, while delicate insect-feet crawl along each and every axon.  And overlaying all of it is the one sensation he can parse, the system so primitive that there’s nowhere for the signal to become entangled—pain, full-bodied, and more-than-bodied.  If it were merely his body he could dissociate, could step aside and let his physical form handle it, but this goes deeper, this penetrates all the way down to the core of his awareness, where the searing ice-fire of Cas’s grace brushes against his fractured humanity—

—and it’s over.

Sam pants for breath, throat raw where a moment ago, he was screaming.  His jaw aches, there are tears on his face, and his body is nearly weightless.  Cas takes hold of the belt; Sam’s jaw pops as he pries his teeth away from the leather.

“Well?”  His voice is hoarse, but the tightness in his chest is gone.  He already knows the answer.  But it’s comforting to hear Cas say it.

“Your soul is intact, or as close to it as someone with your history can expect.”  Cas makes the pronouncement, face neutral, then cocks his head slightly.  “But I suspect you don’t need me to tell you that.”

Sam leans back, looks at the ceiling, gives a wan smile that he suspects is more than a little ghoulish.  Considers not answering, but Cas deserves the confirmation.  “No.”

“Then why?  Our relationship has not always been smooth, but I have never enjoyed causing you pain.”

“No.  It’s not about that.”  Sam closes his eyes, drifts for a moment, opens them.  “Are you going to undo the straps?”

Cas looks at him, and for all that his expression remains neutral, Sam abruptly remembers that this is one of the few beings to out-stubborn a Winchester.  “You are engaging in dangerous behavior,” he says, stolid.  “I don’t yet know the cause of this behavior, which suggests that I should not let you loose.  If, perhaps, you were able to explain your actions to me, I might find myself more certain of the correct course of action.”

Sam lifts his head, stares up at Cas for a moment—and then, a little painfully, he chuckles.  “Cas?  Are you blackmailing me?”

Cas folds his arms.  “I have stated my reasoning.  Please give me yours.”

His head is a little too heavy to hold up for long; sighing, Sam lets it fall back against the headrest, lets his eyes lose focus just a little.  “Okay.  Let me work out how to explain it.”

“I have no immediate time restrictions.”

Sam considers making Cas wait for it.  Something about that angelic immovability makes him want to be petty…but no.  Cas’s concern, however ill-aimed, is genuine…Sam lets his brain freewheel for a moment.  “Do you ever—take a bath?”

Sam can almost hear the way Cas’s brow furrows.  “My grace usually maintains my vessel.   But…when I was human, I experienced bathing, yes.”

Okay.  Shared experience.  They can work with this.  “Do you remember how it felt, when you first got in the water?”

See the full post

73 notes - Posted October 24, 2022

#4

Whumptober Day 3: Impaled

“Sam!  Sammy.  Stay with me.  Sam—”

Sam’s eyes flutter open.  There’s something wrong, something big—big as his body, not-right like his body (bigger than Dean, Dean’s his big brother, he should never be bigger than Dean)—something in his body.  It’s not painful, really,  which should be good except that it’s not;  it’s that blunted edge, the adrenaline-dulled oh shit sensation that tells him something really bad has happened, Dean’s words fluttering haplessly nearby—

“Dean?”  His voice feels rusty, though he can’t have been dazed for long; they’re still in the cave—the lair—the ghoul had thrown them around, not fun but not unusual; he’ll have bruises tomorrow, he always does, Dean teasing him she must’ve been a wildcat in bed, Sammy, was that as fun as it looks—he hopes he hasn’t cracked a rib, he did that once he was eighteen and they fought a werewolf, went off to college with a sharp pain in his side every time he breathed deep for months—

“Sam.  You’re gonna be okay, you hear me?  I’m gonna get you out of here.”  

Dean’s using his don’t-you-dare-argue-with-me voice, the one that makes Sam marshal his thoughts into an argument on instinct, frustratingly fuzzy as they are.  “You and what—” He tries for a moment to think of the word, images of people carrying supine figures on stretchers, before they slip through his mind, desert sand through an hourglass.  “—pallbearers?”

“Don’t you fucking say that, Sammy—” The ragged edge of desperation in Dean’s voice wakes Sam up a little, forces his focus, and he finally manages to look down, and see the jagged end of wood sticking out from his lower abdomen.  Gut wound, his brain supplies, clinical, detached..  Probable perforation of lower intestine.  Survivable with access to proper treatment.  Otherwise, likely death due to either blood loss, infection, or sepsis.

“Hey.  Hey.”  Dean snaps his fingers, gets Sam’s attention, goes back to whatever it is he’s doing—winding frayed rope around wood, scraps from the ghoul’s lair.  “Remember that time with the naiad, when you got caught in the water and twisted your ankle and I had to carry you out of the cave?  You couldn’t have been more than fourteen, but you were already growing—God I wished we’d found the thing the year before, when you were still a skinny little stripling—”

“Fifteen,” Sam says, because clearly that’s the most important thing  right now.  And then, “You shoulda researched.  Naiads can cause flash floods.  Since they’re.  Water spirits.”  The words are becoming slippery, thoughts tangled like cooked spaghetti.

Dean waves a hand, goes back to whatever he’s doing  with the wood.   “Whatever, you were already a Sasquatch then—”

Dean, Sam tries to interrupt, but his mouth doesn’t want to form the word.

“—how much more of a Sasquatch can you be now?  Give me a minute to get this sledge together—”

Dean—

“I’ll drag you out again, get you fixed up—”

“Dean.”  The word finally makes it out, importance breaking through the muzziness that’s settling over him.

“Yeah?”

Sam has to line up the syllables, make sure he can get them all out in a line.  It’s important, he knows, though the why of it all has receded into the mist.

“‘M not sorry.”

“‘Course you’re not, ‘cos if you hadn’t distracted that watery bitch when you did, she’d’ve turned me into Dean soup, and then you’d’a grown up without such a handsome bastard of an older brother—”

“No.  About—now.”  The words are thick on his tongue, and he swallows.  “Thirteen months ago.  Came with you when you asked.  Almost didn’t.”  He pauses, takes a breath, a stab of pain somewhere in the vicinity of his diaphragm.  “Not sorry.  Was eighteen months...I almost missed.”

“There’s gonna be plenty more.”  Dean’s voice has changed, from ragged cajoling to desperate confidence, that certainty that he can make things happen by sheer force of will.  “Don’t you give me those puppy eyes, Sammy, you’re not gonna be rid of me this easily.”  Thumps resonate through Sam’s head, as Dean knocks together a couple pieces of wood—or maybe that’s Sam’s heart, beating with wild gratitude at the way his brother’s glaring at him, as if daring him to even try dying—

“Don’t want to leave,” Sam manages, and though his eyes have closed he can almost hear the expression on Dean’s face change, the pause in the thumps as he processes this.  “Knew it could end like this—but it’s worth it—”

“No.”  That resolution again, quieter now, certain—the ragged desperation gone, the joking gone, nothing but pure reality, the world changing solely to accommodate Dean’s view of it.  “No, Sammy, we’re not gonna end like this.  Remember what you told me once?  We’re heroes, and heroes don’t die like this.”  Dean’s by his side now, grasping his hand.  “So just hang on. I’m gonna get you out of this, and I’ll get you to the hospital, and we’ll get you a shitty motel room, and I’ll find a gig to make some money and you’ll watch shitty cable TV and bitch at me every day when I bring home dinner.”  Sam can hear the smile.  “It’ll be a great vacation.  Just…stay with me, okay?  Promise me.”  The grip grows abruptly tighter.  “Promise me you’ll stay.”

Sam manages to flutter his eyelids open, shapes his lips around the words.  Hopes that the sudden warmth and pressure in his chest is solely affection, and not some new symptom, hemorrhaging or—he focuses on Dean’s eyes, on the certainty in his face.  “HBO,” he finally says.  “Not shitty cable.”

It’s worth the effort, the way Dean’s face lights up.  “For you, Sammy?  I’ll get us Cinemax.”

98 notes - Posted October 3, 2022

#3

See the full post

142 notes - Posted August 21, 2022

#2

Episode One: The Hellfire Club

…and we’re starting off with a current events trigger warning. Oooof.

153 notes - Posted May 29, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

“A subscription box with several new species of moss each month. We can call it Lichen Subscribe.” Yeah, my husband is Like That even when he’s half awake and muttering to himself. 😂💕

1,072 notes - Posted August 25, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[poophissuperior]

Best Pet Gift Ideas for the Holidays in 2023, Like POOPH

If you're wondering where the time has gone and want to avoid the chaos of last-minute shopping, you can start planning your lists for the holidays. We've looked at physical stores and various websites to create a nice selection of presents. All you need to do now is start wrapping. From POOPH Odor and Stain Eliminator to fetch balls and cat trees, discover the top gift ideas for the holiday season.

1     Why POOPH Is a Great Gift

When the time comes to give a present to anybody who owns a pet, you simply cannot go wrong with the powerful POOPH spray. Countless testimonials indicate that the pet odor remover is indeed effective, thanks to its efficient combination of water as a solvent, surfactants, and other natural ingredients working together. POOPH is used to manage odor on various surfaces, including waste treatment centers, landfills and recycling facilities. It works on all organic aromas and is completely SAFE for people, pets and the planet. Animal lovers may also appreciate similar POOPH products made to combat the stink of kitty litter and skunk, as well as lawn, garden & turf.

2     Tug of War Toys

Engaging in an old fashioned game of tug of war with your dog is a great way to fulfill their need for physical exercise, regardless of whether you can go outside or not. This game also helps canines understand boundaries and rules, especially during their teething phase when they tend to nip. Playing tug of war can also be a valuable tool in teaching your dog the "drop it" command. Both puppies and adult dogs get to fulfill their natural instinct to tug, while preventing undesirable habits, like eating Daddy’s shoes.

3     Fetch Toys

If you are a dog owner, you’re most likely familiar with an obsession of playing fetch. No matter how many times you throw a ball, frisbee or plushie, dogs always come back for more. To satisfy their cravings, look for a tough rubber one that can withstand even the toughest chewing, and still be ready for another game. It should be lightweight and waterproof, making it perfect for playing in any environment, whether that’s in your house, on the grass or even in the snow.

4      Cat Tree

When it comes to felines, they almost always appreciate a nice cat tree. It's important to choose one that’s nice and tall (4 to 6 feet), with well-staggered platforms. This allows your pet to exercise by moving from one stage to another and gives them a quality stretch. Most buyers prefer ones that are covered in long-lasting durable carpet, rather than fleece or plain wood. It doesn’t hurt to look for cat trees that come with scratching posts and spacious perches for sleeping and playing. Don’t forget to use POOPH to deodorize your kitten’s cat trees every so often.

5      Cat Tunnel Bed 

If you're looking for a versatile toy for your furry friend, you may want to consider getting them a bed that doubles up as a play tunnel. It's purr-fect for pets that enjoy burrowing and hiding, providing them with a cozy space to take a nap or play around. Meanwhile, the added dangling toys at the entrance gives them something to keep them entertained. If you have two energetic kittens, they'll likely have a blast chasing each other through this multi-purpose toy.

Thankfully POOPH is here to help keep all of these toys nice, clean and STINK FREE! POOPH Odor and Stain Eliminator instantly fights off all organic smells and gets rid of unsightly blotches. Our Kitty Litter Odor Eliminator and Kitty Litter Box Saver are specially formulated for the unique stink that only comes from our feline friends and their funky litter boxes. And don’t forget our Pet Odor Eliminator Laundry Additive to freshen up your pet’s bed, blanket and toys.

[legion1227]

South Park: The Stick of Truth. A Game Review

I was sitting on this for most of this year. In March, it will have been ten years since its release. It was played on a whim, and it was fun.

Not too far from my university is a store that sells typical nerdy stuff such as Funko pops, board games, and retro video games for the PS3, PS2, etc. One time over there, I saw they had a copy of South Park: The Stick of Truth for the PS3 for cheap. Having never played it before, I bought it. As society strays away from physical media to embrace digital, I still welcome owning physical copies of various games, movies, etc, for a multitude of reasons. Getting to play Stick of Truth was an intriguing experience: Especially on the PS3.

If you're somehow unaware, the long-running animated sitcom, not counting this shit first-person shooter for the N64, released its first video game in the franchise back on March 4th, 2014. Based on the hit series, the game follows your created character, a new kid, who moves into the town of South Park and becomes engrossed in an epic fantasy role-play adventure with the other kids of South Park. After customizing your character's looks, you pick classes ranging from Fighter, Mage, Thief, and Jew. As tempting as it was to see how the Jew class fared, I opted to play a Fighter as I just wanted to hit people really hard.

To put it simply, it's an engaging and fun game. To get the cons out of the way, the game didn't run smoothly, and I suffered performance issues regarding load times and immense lag at times. I blame that more on the fact that I played on the PS3 though I'm sure it would've run more smoothly on a different generation of consoles. I also believe that some of the writing and jokes are a little weak during some of the first half of the game. I love South Park and grew up watching it and still enjoy it to this day, but some of the humor at first wasn't doing anything for me.

However, as the game became more preposterous over time and went more over-the-top with its humor and concepts, it became a lot more hilarious to me. Combat-wise, Stick of Truth works off turn-based combat, and to get a successful hit on your opponents or block attacks, you need to have immaculate timing. My timing was shit most of the time, but I still managed to beat the hell out of other kids, animals, the homeless, and the plethora of other enemies presented throughout the game. You get to have a companion with you throughout the game as you battle with fan-favorite characters like Cartman, Kyle, Stan, Jimmy, Kenny, or Butters. Everyone has their own unique blend of moves and hilarious one-liners or otherwise, but I find Butters was the best companion with the most consistent, high-sustaining damage and landing significantly damaging attacks. The others have their uses, but honestly, I just stuck with Butters for almost the entire game.

The side missions were amusing as they went beyond typical fetch quests, allowing you to travel around the town to fight ridiculous enemies or find people hiding about. This game was tailor-made for South Park fans, full of references to storylines and iconic episodes from the seasons out at the time. I thought the game was good, but it wasn't elevated to greatness for me until about the section where you must travel to Canada. As an RPG fan, I prefer two other games I played this year, like Persona 5 or Final Fantasy X. But as a South Park Fan, this was a wild game I got to experience for the first time and reminiscing on old episodes on bits I haven't seen in years. One of these days I'll get to the sequel, The Fractured But Whole, and maybe even one day, that new attempt at the first-person shooter, Snow Day, releasing in 2024.

In short, Stick of Truth is a pretty great game somewhat for RPG fans and especially for South Park Fans. I'd say give it a try if you haven't already, but the game has also been out for almost ten years so there's a chance that you have played. I prefer other RPGS, but the care put into this? I gotta respect that. 4/5.

[liopleurodean]

Season 9, Episode 5: Dog Dean Afternoon

Who's playing?

Doggo!

That's kinda freaky

Uh oh

If I get a dog, I want that breed

Dude.

That's just weird

Choking is like. The least efficient way to kill someone

That's better

...what's buffalo milk?

Dean, watch your words

Truth

Yeah

Huh.

I miss tiny smartphones

Gonna start looking up their aliases (this is Poison)

Interesting

That's real fur?

That is strange

Dean is learning things

And a dog!

Is it a squirrel?

Huh.

So go for the hunters first!

Oh no, a vegan bakery

How does he know that?

Yup!

Sounds nasty

Yeah, sounds about right

Heh. Yeah

Ouch

Right

The Colonel?

At least they get it

That ain't Mace

Very snakey

Not both

Nah

Ah, ye olde smartphone game

He's cute!

Oh, poor kitty

Poor kitties!

Oh. He's gonna eat them 😭

Nonononono

That was... Not great animation

He didn't say anything

So... the animal he eats determines his powers

It's an idea

Aw, cute pupper

Interesting

Do you?

Ooh...

Sounds about right

Everything

Heh. That's true

Yup

Give it a second

Mm... didn't it?

Here we go

He's got a point

HES MR ROBOTO BITCH

I normally don't condone swearing but that audio lives in my head rent free

Nice

FETCH

Tiger balm? Like the workout stuff?

Acting like a dog

Oh no

Dean 💀

THE GRUNTING

You can see the light dying from his eyes

RUH ROH

Staring contest

No kidding

Fair

Really?

Dude. Chocolate

Awww

THE PIGEON SCENE

Yikes

Yup

How dare you.

Absolutely!

Absolutely valid.

I call it justified

Best feeling in the world

Absolutely not

WE

Dean.

THE MUSIC 😭😭😭

SAMS FACE

Poor lady

And adorable!

That's awesome

Did you?

Milk bones?

Fair

Weird

Yeah, it's nasty

Sorry, Sam

Yikes

Sorry, they don't really have the right lifestyle for it

Oh boy

Oh, you have no idea

THE BACON COMMERCIAL DOG

Indeed

Yeah, fair point

THE RODENTS

Awww the poor mice

Exotic

Interesting

That could be handy

Mix and match

Surprise inspection. Happens all the time

Yup

Always a good bet

Chameleon.

I doubt it

That's what I thought

He has no idea

Dude. If he eats angel, what would happen?

Interesting

Neo

Bad idea

Wendigo time

...he can smell it?

Yeah

The mice would come in handy

Dean, that was poetic

Play dead?

Oh that's horrifying

Pre-dog

Ew, it's raw

Does it?

Rip

Go Colonel!

Someone better wake up

Do it, I dare you

Oh boy

Yeah

In Baby? Aw, man

Nooooo

Just gotta wait for Miracle

...remnants of demon blood?

Uh oh

Mm...

[hadeschan]

WE’RE SORRY, THIS ITEM HAS SOLD OUT

item # PK0004

RARE Pra Kaew Morakot Phithee Chalong Yee Sìp Haa Buddha Sattawat, Si Kaao, Ut Pong Pump Yant Tukkata Chao Khun Nor. A cast crystal glass statue of the Emerald Buddha in Rainy Season Attire, made by Wat Suthat Thepwararam to commemorate the Anniversary of 25th Century of Buddhism. the First Consecration/Blessing Ceremony was held at the temple of Wat Suthat Thepwararam, Bangkok for a non-stop 3 days and 3 nights started on Sao Ha Day (Feb 12, BE 2500) attending by 108 Guru Monks including Luang Phor Lee of Wat Asokaram, Luang Phu Toh of Wat Pradu Chimphli, Phor Than Klai of Wat Suan Khan, Luang Phor Tay Kongthong of Wat Sam-ngam, Luang Phor Ngern of Wat Don Yai Hom, Luang Phor Tan of Wat Thammasain, Luang Phor Rung of Wat Tha Krabue, Luang Phu Seng of Wat Kalayanamit. And it was re-blessed by Chao Khun Nor of Wat Thep Sirin for 3 months of BE 2513 (CE 1970) Buddhist Lent, and under the base was stuffed with holy powder blended with plaster cement, stamped with a black ink seal of a Cabalistic Writings in shape of a dolly Meditating Buddha (Yant Tukkata), and Thai number 13 to mark the year BE 2513.

……………………………………………………..

“The transparent glass, the crystal rock has been mesmerizing and luxurious, “the elite among stones”. And crystal glass associates with concentration and perseverance.”

……………………………………………………..

BEST FOR: Thais believe that the Emerald Buddha gives favorable omens, and strengthens auspicious omens which bring positive role in their lives. Anything you wish for, and it could change your life for the better. It brings endless food with wealth & prosperity. Klawklad Plodpai (it brings safety, and pushes you away from all danger), Kongkraphan (it makes you invulnerable to all weapon attack), Maha-ut (it stops gun from shooting at you), Metta Maha Niyom (it helps bring loving, caring, and kindness, and compassion from people all around you to you), Maha Larp (it brings Lucky Wealth / wealth fetching), and Kaa Kaai Dee (it helps tempt your customers to buy whatever you are selling, and it helps attract new customers and then keep them coming back. Ponggan Poot-pee pee-saat Kunsai Mondam Sa-niat jan-rai Sat Meepit (it helps ward off evil spirit, demon, bad ghost, bad omen, bad spell, curse, accursedness, black magic, misfortune, doom, and poisonous animals). And this amulet helps protect you from manipulators, backstabbers, and toxic people.

……………………………………………………..

The holy powder stuffed inside this statue was collected from many Guru Monks of the period and holy powder crushed from the broken Pra Somdej Bang Khun Phrom amulets of Somdej Pra Buddhachan Toh of Wat Rakang kept in the chamber of stupa/chedi at Wat Bang Khun Phrom (Wat Mai Amataros), Bangkok. And it was stamped with a black ink seal of a Cabalistic Writings in shape of a dolly Meditating Buddha (Yant Tukkata), and Thai number 13 to mark the year BE 2513.

……………………………………………………..

THE MAKING OF THE THAILAND’S 25TH BUDDHIST CENTURY CELEBRATION BATCH OF AMULETS.

This Batch of amulets was made to commemorate the 25th Century of Buddhism in BE 2500 (CE 1957) or Pra Kreuang Chalong Yee Sìp Haa Buddha Sattawat, in Thai. The Royal Thai Police Commander General. Pao Sriyanonda was Master of the Ceremonies.

The Consecration/Blessing Ceremony on the Batch of BE 2500 amulets was held at the temple of Wat Suthat Thepwararam, Bangkok for a non-stop 3 days and 3 nights started on Sao Ha Day (Feb 12, BE 2500), attended by 108 Guru Monks namely:-

1)Prakru A-komsoonton, Wat Suthat Thepwararam, Bangkok

2)Prakru Soontonsamadhiwat, Wat Suthat Thepwararam, Bangkok

3)Pra Yanapirat, Wat Suthat Thepwararam, Bangkok

4)Prakru Piboonbannawat, Wat Suthat Thepwararam, Bangkok

5)Prakru Soontonseanlajarn, Wat Suthat Thepwararam, Bangkok

6)Prakru Pisansorrakit, Wat Suthat Thepwararam, Bangkok

7)Pra Maha Suan, Wat Suthat Thepwararam, Bangkok

8)Pra Amnuay, Wat Suthat Thepwararam, Bangkok

9)Pra Palat Suphod, Wat Suthat Thepwararam, Bangkok

10)Prakru Visitvihangarn, Wat Suthat Thepwararam, Bangkok

11)Pra Suthamteerakhun (Luang Phor Wong), Wat Saket, Bangkok

12)Pra Archan Sa, Wat Ratchanaddaram, Bangkok

13)Pra Palat Pang, Wat Mahathat, Bangkok

14)Pra Visutthisomphothi, Wat Phra Chetuphon, Bangkok

15)Pra Vorawetkunachan, Wat Phra Chetuphon, Bangkok

16)Prakru Thapanakitprasat, Wat Phra Chetuphon, Bangkok

17)Pra Indrarasamachan, Wat Phra Chetuphon, Bangkok

18)Prakru Vinaiton-feuang, Wat Samphanthawong, Bangkok

19)Prakru Pakk, Wat Bungthonglang, Bangkok

20)Prakru Ganlayanovisut (Luang Phor Geun), Wat Borom Sathon (Wat Don), Bangkok

21)Pra Archan Mee, Wat Suan Phlu, Bangkok

22)Pra Archan Muan, Wat Na Wong (Wat Rong Heep), Bangkok

23)Pra Luang Vijit, Wat Saphan Sung, Bangkok

24)Pra Archan Hoon, Wat Nuan Chan (Wat Bang Kuat), Bangkok

25)Pra Rachamolee, Wat Rakang, Bangkok

26)Luang Vichitchasoton, Wat Santi Thammaram, Bangkok

27)Prakru Sophon-ganlaya-nuwat (Luang Phu Seng), Wat Kalayanamit, Bangkok

28)Prakru Pawwanapirat (Luang Phor Phon), Wat Nang, Bangkok

29)Prakru Tivagorn (Luang Phu Gleep), Wat Taling Chan, Bangkok

30)Prakru Pairoj Wutthikhun (Luang Phor Toon), Wat Pho Nimit, Bangkok

31)Prakru Yannasit, Wat Ratchasittharam (Wat Plub), Bangkok

32)Pra Archan Ma, Wat Ratchasittharam (Wat Plub), Bangkok

33)Pra Archan Huan, Wat Pikul, Bangkok

34)Pra Maha Teerawat, Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen, Bangkok

35)Pra Archan Jaai, Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen, Bangkok

36)Pra Archan Inn, Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen, Bangkok

37)Prakru Kijjapirom, Wat Arun Ratwararam, Bangkok

38)Prakru Vinaisangvon, Wat Prayun Wongsawat, Bangkok

39)Pra Sukkhum Thammachan, Wat Hong Rattanaram, Bangkok

40)Prakru Phrommavinit, Wat Hong Rattanaram, Bangkok

41)Pra Archan Inn, Wat Suwan, Bangkok

42)Prakru Viriyakit (Luang Phu Toh), Wat Pradu Chimphli, Bangkok

43)Pra Preecha Nontamunee, Wat Molee, Bangkok

44)Prakru Palat Chaeng (Luang Phor Chaeng), Wat Si Rattanaram (Wat Bang Phang), Nonthaburi

45)Pra Palat Young (Luang Phor Young), Wat Bang Chak, Nonthaburi

46)Pra Archan Somjit, Wat Pa Ka Riang, Ratchaburi

47)Luang Phor Tan, Wat Thammasain (Wat Kaew Fah), Ratchaburi

48)Prakru Bin, Wat Kaew, Ratchaburi

49)Pra Inn Kemachan, Wat Chong Lom, Ratchaburi

50)Luang Phor Ngern, Wat Don Yai Hom, Nakhon Pathom

51)Prakru Sangglavichai, Wat Pra Prathom Chedi, Nakhon Pathom

52)Pra Archan Samniengm Wat Wayruvanarm, Nakhon Pathom

53)Luang Phor Tay Kongthong, Wat Sam-ngam, Nakhon Pathom

54)Pra Archan Plaek, Wat Sra Bua, Pathumthani

55)Prakru Palat Tung, Wat Taim Tawaai, Pathumthani

56)Prakru Bovon Thammakit, Wat Bodh, Pathumthani

57)Prakru Sophon Samachan, Wat Nong Bua, Kanchanaburi

58)Prakru Visutthirangsi, Wat Nua, Kanchanaburi

59)Pra Mucharin Molee, Wat Mutcharin, Pattani

60)Prakru Rod, Wat Pradoo, Nakhon Si Thammarat

61)Phor Than Klai, Wat Suan Khan, Nakhon Si Thammarat

62)Luang Phor Lee, Wat Asokaram, Samut Pakan

63)Pra Archan Buth, Wat Mai Bang Pla Kot, Samut Pakan

64)Pra Archan Sawang, Wat Klang Suan, Samut Pakan

65)Prakru Sirisorrakhun, Wat Tai Hat, Samut Songkhram

66)Prakru Samut Soonton, Wat Puang Malai, Samut Songkhram

67)Prakru Sutthi Sara-wutthachan, Wat Sadet, Samut Songkhram

68)Pra Archan Auang, Wat Bang Kana Thong, Samut Songkhram

69)Luang Phor Rung, Wat Tha Krabue, Samut Sakhon

70)Luang Phu Thong, Wat Don Gai Dee, Samut Sakhon

71)Luang Phor Tinn, Wat Pa Lelai, Suphan Buri

72)Pra Archan Tam, Wat Pra Loy, Suphan Buri

73)Luang Phor Kreun, Wat Sang Kho, Suphan Buri

74)Luang Phor Príng, Wat Vorachan, Suphan Buri

75) Luang Phor Eiang, Wat U-thong, Suphan Buri

76)Pra Vorapot, Wat Aranyikaram, Chonburi

77)Prakru Thammawutthikun. Wat Samet, Chonburi

78)Luang Phor Laai, Wat Ratbamrung, Chonburi

79)Luang Phor Boonmee, Wat Pho Samphan, Chonburi

80)Pra Phrom Nakarachan, Wat Chaeng Phrom Nakhon, Sing Buri

81)Luang Phor Pare, Wat Pikul Thong, Sing Buri

82)Pra Chainatmunee, Wat Borommathat, Chainat

83)Luang Phor Hom, Wat Chak Mak, Rayong

84)Pra Archan Meuang, Wat Ta Pare, Lampang

85)Prakru Uthai Thammathani, Wat Tao U-thong, Prachin Buri

86)Luang Phor Seng, Wat Si Prachantakam, Prachin Buri

87)Prakru Soonton Thammaprakat, Wat Pho Pak Plee, Nakhon Nayok

88)Kruba Wang, Wat Ban Denn, Tak

89)Prakru Sawan Viriyakit, Wat Sawankanivas, Phrae

90)Prakru Chan, Wat Klong Ranong, Nakhon Sawan

91)Luang Phor Aan, Wat Pra Yat, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya

92)Pra Archan Jaem, Wat Wang Dang Nua, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya

93)Prakru Lek, Wat Bang Nomko, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya

94)Pra Archan Mee, Wat Indraram, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya

95)Pra Archan Waan, Wat Dok Mai, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya

96)Luang Phor Naai, Wat Ban Jang, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya

97)Luang Phor Nor, Wat Klang Ta Rua, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya

98)Luang Phor Jong, Wat Natang-nok, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya

99)Pra Athigan Jor, Wat Pradoo Lokkachet, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya

100)Luang Phu Si, Wat Sakae, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya

101)Luang Phor Chit, Wat Maha That, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya

102)Luang Phor Thongsuk, Wat Tanod Luang, Phetchaburi

103)Prakru Piboon Seanlachan, Wat Pho Gru, Phetchaburi

104)Luang Phor Top, Wat Sawang Arun (Wat Chon Dan), Phetchabun

105)Pra Sawan Nayok, Wat Sawankharam, Sukhothai

106)Pra Boran Watthachan, Wat Ratchathani, Sukhothai

107)Luang Phor Pi, Wat Lan Hoi, Sukhotahi

108)Luang Phor Thongdee, Wat Sadej, Samut Songkhram

……………………………………………………..

THE EMERALD BUDDHA

The Emerald Buddha (Thai: Pra Kaew Morakot, or Pra Phuttha Maha Mani Rattana Patimakon) is an image of the meditating Gautama Buddha seated in a meditative posture, made of a semi-precious green stone (jasper rather than emerald or jade), clothed in gold and about 66 centimeters (26 in) tall. The image is considered the sacred palladium of Thailand. It is housed in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Pra Kaew) on the grounds of the Grand Palace in Bangkok.

……………………………………………………..

THE SAO HA DAY

The Sao Ha Day is the Saturday, the fifth day of the month on Thai lunar calendar, and according to ancient Thai Astrology, the Sao Ha Day is the day of “Keun Reu Ram Ha Kam” which means New Moon or waxing crescent moon of a Lunar Phase, and “Deuan Ha” which means fifth month of Thai Lunar Calendar / Month of April. It happens once in every 2-3 years. And the Soa Ha day is the most auspicious day for having Buddha amulets Blessing Ceremony which the highest power of “Kongkraphan Chatrie” (being invulnerable to all weapon attack), “Klawklad Plodpai” (pushing you away from all danger), and Maha-ut (stopping gun from shooting at you or the gun aiming at you would miss the target).

Thais believe that people who were born on this day would be protected by Thep Pra Sao Devaraj (God of Saturday), Thep Pra Sao was created by Hindu Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva crushed 10 of great Tiger Kings into powder, and wrapped with purple and black pieces clothes, sprung with elixir of immortality. The Saturday people were born with auspicious blessing from Thep Pra Sao Devaraj with prestige, and power to win over all difficulties in life.

Thep Pra Sao Devaraj AKA Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter.

……………………………………………………..

CHAO KHUN NOR OF WAT THEP SIRINTHRAWAT

Chao Khun Norrarath Rachamanit (Chao Khun Nor) was born on Saturday, 5th Febuary BE2440 and was the eldest of the family of 5 children. He was in the first group of students of the 1st Official University of Kingdom Siam, later known as Chulalongkorn University. After completing his studies, Chao Khun Nor became an officer of the Royal House of King Rama VI. He became the closest attendant to the King and he was promoted to serve at the King’s chamber and attended to the King’s daily needs. After the death of the King Rama VI, Chao Khun Nor was devastated. He left the palace in BE 2468.

His parents wanted him to get married with a lady teacher after seeing Chao Khun Nor was in lament over the death of the King. However, before the marriage would be engaged, Chao Khun Nor told his parents that he wanted to enter monkshood.

Chao Khun Nor ordained on 23th March BE 2468 at Wat Thepsirintravas, a day before King Rama VI was cremated. He became a monk as thamboon (making a merit) for the King Rama VI. Chao Khun Nor was a devoted vegetarian who consumed only a meal a day and decided never to leave the monkshood. He was ordained by Somdej Phra Buddha Ko-sacharn (Charoen), who was also his preceptor. Phra Putwiriyaaigon, the abbot of Wat Sommanatwiharn and Phra Udon Seelahkon Wat Thepsirin were the Dhamma teachers.

STRICT OBSERVANCE OF THE 227 PRECEPTS

It is widely believed that Chao Khun Nor could accurately predict the future by looking at finger and palm prints. When the villagers heard of that ability, all of them flocked to the temple asking him to tell them their future but they were declined by Chao Khun Nor. Despite that, many people continued to visit Chao Khun Nor very often even though they know that they will most probably go back empty handed. They all came for an assortment of reasons ranging from offering presents, to seek a guidance about their problems and to ask Chao Khun Nor about their future lives. Chao Khun Nor was very uncomfortable, pity and sad with all these human beings.

When the villagers offered things to Chao Khun Nor, Chao Khun Nor advised them to bring those to other monks as he strictly observed the 227 provisions of moral precepts. Chao Khun Nor also mentioned that one would similarly accumulate merits when giving offerings to other monks. This made the villagers unhappy and felt that Chao Khun Nor looked down on them. They people brought the matter up to Somdej Phra Buddha Kosacharn (Charoen).

When Somdej Phra Buddha Kosacharn heard this, he asked Chao Khun Nor about this matter. Chao Khun Nor explained that the reason he did not accept the offerings or attendance from the villagers because he was ordained for the purpose of making a merit to King Rama VI. Besides that, he also needed to maintain good concentration in order to study the teachings of Buddhism. In order to succeed, he needed to have no connections to the outside world. All the people who came to visit him brought along the troubles of the world, which adversely affected his concentration. When Somdej Phra Buddha Kosacharn heard his reason, he sympathized and agreed with him.

Chao Khun Nor had strictly observed the 227 precepts, he did not accept any form of offerings from the villagers. The room in which he lived was very empty and consisted of only the basic necessities. There was even no electric lighting. Chao Khun Nor did all his readings in the daytime. When Chao Khun Nor went back to his room, he would lock the door and stay inside. No one ever knew what he did in his room and he never came out to receive guests. He never accepted anything from anyone with the exception of his nephew who would bring vegetarian food from his mother. Chao Khun Nor spent most of his time in his monk’s house.

At the temple, they placed some skeletons of dead people to aid the monks in the development of their insight. The intention was to remind the monks that the female body would eventually resemble this ugly state so that they will refrain from sex and impure thoughts as well as to reinforce the rule of impermanence. LP Parn of Wat Bang Nom Kho Ayutthaya also practiced in such a manner.

WATER AFTER WASHING CHAO KHUN NOR’S FEET COULD CURE SICKNESS

It is a daily routine for Chao Khun Nor to walk back to the monk’s house. There were 2 things that were significantly different with him. Firstly, he did not wear any slippers like the villagers and walked around barefeet. The second and most remarkable was that he always walked on tip-toes and his heels never touched the ground. No one knows why he walked like that but it was assumed that it was a kind exercise for his leg muscles. Before stepping into the monk’s house, he would wash his feet in a basin and dry them.

A village was hit by a deadly disease and one of the villagers was instructed to bring an empty bottle to Chao Khun Nor to ask for some holy water to try to cure his fellow villagers but was declined. The villager had no idea what to do and how to get holy water from CKN to appease the villagers. Out of desperation, he decided to take water from the basin used for washing Chao Khun Nor’s feet and brought it back to his place to give to the sick. Nobody knew the origins of the water and what it was used for. After those sick people drank the water which they thought was holy water given by Chao Khun Nor, all of them were miraculously cured. This greatly puzzled the man who brought back that water to the village.

When this rumor spread out, people who heard it, then all rushed towards Wat Thepsirin to ask Chao Khun Nor for this special holy water but he denied having given any to anyone much to their disappointment. When the villagers heard Chao Khun Nor’s reply, they were all very confused as to where the holy water came from.

The monk staying next to Chao Khun Nor couldn’t stand it anymore as more and more people flocked to the temple and decided to clarify to the villagers once and for all that Chao Khun Nor had never given any holy water to anyone. However, there was one man who came to beg for it but was declined. He also witnessed the same man taking the water from Chao Khun Nor’s feet washing basin but at that time, he did not know what the man was doing.

When the origins of the “holy water” was established, all the villages rushed to take water from the basin. Some waited around for it to be filled up and immediately emptied the basin. This made it a very hectic job for the person responsible for topping up the basin as he had to do it numerous times a day. Finally, the basin was placed in Chao Khun Nor’s room to stop all trouble.

MIRACLE AT THE AMULETS BLESSING CEREMONIES

There were reports of strange incidents happening when Chao Khun Nor made incantations. On the fateful day of Saturday, 25th April BE2513, a photographer was assigned to take photographs of him consecrating a batch of amulets and was busy snapping pictures of the long and elaborate process until it was finished. After the photographs were developed, there was something strange and remarkable about a picture in which Chao Khun Nor was sprinkling holy water on the amulets. The wooden brush that was used to sprinkle holy water emitted white light from its tip. There were many people who were present at the ceremony but the light was not seen by anyone there. It only showed up on the picture. Everyone was amazed as they could not find any logical explanation for this. However, everyone agreed that it could not have been caused by the actual physical sprinkling of holy water itself.

There was another strange incident on Saturday, 5th December BE 2513. There was a big ceremony at Wat Thepsirin and many people came to witness the event. Chao Khun Nor announced that it was going to be the last time he was going to make incantations for the blessing of amulets. In a photograph, the flames from the candles which were lined up directly in front of the principle Buddha statue were “swaying” as if there was a strong wind blowing. However, all the windows and doors were shut during that time and there was no wind at all. The flames should have been completely still. Everyone who was at the ceremony were astonished when the picture was shown. This particular picture was taken when Chao Khun Nor was making incantations in front of the principal Buddha image in a temple and Chao Khun Udomsarasophon was blessing the amulets with holy water.

Based on the pictorial evidence taken during the ceremony, there was widespread belief that the strange incidents were the result that Chao Khun Nor was already an arhat.

……………………………………………………..

*with Certificate of Authenticity issued by GUARANTEEPRA (G-PRA)

……………………………………………………..

DIMENSION: 3 inches wide from knee to knee / 4.40 inches wide at the base / 6.20 inches high

.…………………………………………………….

item # PK0004

Price: price upon request, pls PM and/or email us hadesamulet@protonmail.com

100% GENUINE WITH 365 DAYS FULL REFUND WARRANTY

Item location: Hong Kong, SAR

Ships to: Worldwide

Delivery: Estimated 7 days handling time after receipt of cleared payment. Please allow additional time if international delivery is subject to customs processing.

Shipping: FREE Thailandpost International registered mail. International items may be subject to customs processing and additional charges.

Payments: PayPal / Western Union / MoneyGram /maybank2u.com / DBS iBanking / Wechat Pay / Alipay / INSTAREM / PromptPay International / Remitly

****************************************

[hi-im-greenjunipertree]

it's spooky month

time to soup post about fetch with ruff ruffman again haha

[taki118]

Go Watch the Venture Brothers

So just heard the complete and utter Bullshit news that Adult Swim has cancelled one of (if not the best shows) they have the Venture Bros. This series is one of those shows that for WHATEVER reason never got to the level of fandom Rick and Morty has even though they’ve been at the genre parody game longer and in my opinion better. 

The series is about Rusty Venture former boy adventurer and failing super scientist who in an attempt to keep his head above water in debt goes around with his two boys Hank and Dean, and bodyguard Brock on misadventues while various legal archnemisis go after him, such as the Monarch. 

So if you never watched or never heard of this 7 season series let me give you a break down on why you should, 

1) Art Style & Animation

Venture bros is one of those rare Adult aimed animated series that that really truly tries to utilize their medium to the best of their abilities. Season 1 had like such a small budget and corners had to be cut so it can be a little hard to watch at times. 

But with each passing season they get a little better, a little more fluid, go just a little harder and it truly feels rewarding to watch. Like seeing an artist you follow online improve over the years. Like they COULD have stayed with the choppy and stiff animation from season 1 it fit right in with its fellow adult animated shows but it didn’t. They strove for quality to have something that matched the story they were telling.

2) The Writing 

Venture Bros has some of the tightest and consistently great writing of ANY serialized show I’ve seen, adult, animated or other wise. Wanna know why? Cause it’s all done by TWO people (save for like one ep each season where one other person is allowed to touch their baby). Yeah TWO people and they work their asses off every season to interject, humor, refrences, parody, plot and character development in equal measure. 

3) Character Development

Um yes in case you were wondering that’s right an adult animated show has CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT  that holds as the series goes on. Not to give spoilers but characters will go through changes in alignment, relationships will develop and change, some characters will go through negative arcs where they are straight up unbareable for a season before coming out the other side even better than they were before. There is no end of epsiode or even end of season reset. Characters, settings, and dynamics all change over the course of the show and it feels just so god damn good.

4) Story Development 

Just like the characters the story of the Venture Bros grows and changes each season. Things that are set up even as early as season one are paid off as the series goes on. Like not to be that bitch but you know how RIck and Morty teases an overarching plot ALL THE TIME but like will often just spit in the face of fans hoping for more than like one episode a season addressing it? Yeahhhhhhh that doesnt happen here, fans are consistently rewarded for putting the time in to rewatch and really think about what happened in the series. Characters that are seen in the background or are just referenced by other characters will be brought in to be recurring characters, things that start off as a small detail or gag will be given larger relevance and each time they do this you get that “OH I remember that from last season! So thats what it was!” The writers WANT you to rewatch, they WANT you to analyze and they WANT you to theorize, and they give you a show that gives back the time you put in.

5) Parody & Reference 

This series does a great thing with parody. They make real characters  who are just as enjoyable as the characters they parody, they make story lines that both poke fun at the absurdity of the media but shows the writers love for it. So often parody and references are just used to mock the thing but with Venture Bros you feel the love and care so when you know the thing being parodied you can laugh but feel good about laughing cause they are never laughing at a thing maybe you cared for in your youth but rather laughing with it.

And it’s never just one thing. When they parody a thing its often layered with other things to make it even more unique. Scooby-Doo is overlayed with famous criminals, Laura Croft is mixed Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, GI Joe is given the look of the Village People and so on. They never go for the easy joke or reference. Hell theres an episode that starts with them reciting the lyrics to David Bowies Space Oddity for really no reason other than they could. They weave these things in naturally with their setting and characters so nothing feels out of place. Like if you dont catch a reference or parody you dont feel like “I think this isa reference to something?” like a LOT of things do not just adult animated shows. You arent taken out of the moment cause it all feels so natural. 

6) The Characters 

God damn these characters, I could go on for hours about these characters. From main to one off these are some of the most likeable characters you can find. I mean it when I say I can’t think of a single character I wish they had cut cause they are all so well created. Even the ones I hate i have fun hating cause they were made to be that way. I’ll be good though I’ll only talk about my absolute top faves.

- The Monarchs

You ever sit and wish villain couples could have functional  healthy relationships? Well look no further than Malcom Fitzcarraldo aka The Monarch and Dr. Shelia Girlfriend (yes that is her last name). The Monarch is a high strung impulsive saturday morning cartoon villain whos tendency to over react is only matched by his unspecified hatred of Dr. Venture. And Dr. G is his nonsense partner in crime who will cut a bitch if they don’t play by their admittedly weird rules. Both characters are great on their own but are better together. Though that doesnt mean they always get along. Like a real couple they have their ups and downs they fight, break up, make-up and grow stronger in their relationship with each season. 

- Shore Leave

Ok ok so I want you to imagine James Bond, mixed with GI Joe simmering in a cocktail of the most flamboyant gay men you have ever seen and you have one of my favorite gay characters/characters in general. Shore Leave is a member of OSI (the shows SHEILD/GI Joe parody organization) he’s loud, brash, flippant, sassy and highly competent at his job loving every second of getting to beat bad guys down within an inch of their life. I love seeing him play off the stoic Brock and the two have this great brotherly dynamic that’s never called into question. He also gets to have a very cute romance with Al the Alchemist (who is also great). I could talk about this man all day.

- Dr. Rusty Venture

They did such a good job with this man. He’s a self serving, sexist, perverted, whinny, self important asshole and yet you feel pity and genuine sympathy for him and want him to succeed. You can see how Dr. V was given a raw deal by his father who seemed to care more about his adventures than his sons well being and how this molded him into the bitter man he is today, but on the flip side you can see where he chose to use that as a crutch for his worst behaviors and impulses. Seeing him slowly grow and change and be an actual good father to his boys while all the while still be a giant dick is actually really great. 

- Dr. Byron Orpheus 

Ahhhhh Dr. Orpheus part Dr. Strange Parody part busybody stay at home dad, he’s just such a delight. Dr. Orpheus is a divorcee, with an unfulfilling job of maintaining order to the cosmos (which isnt as hard as one might think), and uses his magical ablities in ways most of us would (ie menial tasks and home chores). Overly dramatic and affectionate Dr. O is a delight whenever he appears, but he’s at his best around his daughter and old friends The Order of the Triad. 

Again I can go on but all these characters ranging from main to recurring are crafted with the utmost care for you to want to see them succeed or fail, to see them again even if you know it’ll never happen, and want them to cross paths with other characters. 

The Venture Bros is one of those series that I will ALWAYS recommend even to the pickiest of humor tastes. But if you don’t believe its as good as I said or don’t think the concept is to your tastes I’ll recommend a few eps that I think best show off the base idea of the series without giving much away. In terms of plot and spoilers, though somethings wont make a lot of sense. 

- S1 ep10 "Tag Sale – You're It!" - Dr. V is having a yard sale so of course all manner of costumed weirdos show up.  - S2 ep5 "Twenty Years to Midnight" - basically a fetch quest around the world to save the planet with daddy issues - S3 ep2 "The Doctor Is Sin" - Again daddy issues but with one of the best recurring characters and a great showcase of the series deeper emotional plots - S4 ep6 "Self-Medication" - Really embraces the parody as Rusty goes to a former boy adventurer support group.  Anyway the show is 7 seasons with 80 episodes, please go watch it. I will never forgive @adultswim​ for cancelling what was to be their final season. And in closing GO TEAM VENTURE!

[itsthesinbin]

Early Game Tip/Guide for Stardew Valley

A friend of mine has been having trouble with the EARLY early game, so I wanted to help them out. This’ll cover the very early game, and then I’ll cover some tips for the FULL first year. I’ll be putting the whole thing under a read more so it isn’t cluttering ppl’s dashboards.

I’ll have a general idea of what to do the first 3 days or so, and then move to general tips/year 1 tips!

If this gets good reception, I might do other guides if people need them! Just ask and ye might receive sfdgfhfsdgfs.

I’ll also update this if I remember something else or get an idea from someone!

Day 1

First thing, of course, is get your parsnips planted and watered. Go to Pierre’s afterwards. With your 500g, buy 3 green beans, 3 potatoes, and 2 cauliflower. While cauliflower, overall, sells for more, invest in POTATOES in your first spring. You’ll sometimes get an extra potato when you harvest them, so you can get more money overall.

Make sure to get 50 wood for a chest as well. Put your extra tools away that you aren’t using for extra storage space.

After those are planted, go to the south (Cindersap Forest, where Marnie’s Ranch and Leah’s cabin are located). Go ALL the way south to the sewer exit at the bottom right of the area, over two small bridges connected by a tiny island with a single maple tree on it. The area down south will sometimes spawn spring onions. Check this area every day in spring in your first year. Spring onions don’t give you MUCH energy, but it’ll still be good in the long run.

Chop down as many trees as you can or pick up any foragables you see (check the beach as well for foragable shells) to try and reach level 1 foraging. Once you reach level 1, you can get tree seeds- acorns, pinecones, and maple seeds- and can craft field snacks.

Do NOT chop down the tree stumps right now unless they’re in the way! Tree stumps still spawn tree seeds, and chopping down stumps do NOT give you foraging experience! Only chopping the tops of the trees give you experience!

Check ALL the trash cans (just make sure a villager doesn’t see you bc they hate it), because sometimes food items or algae/seaweed pop out. 

Don’t be afraid to eat foragables like dandelions, leeks, and horseradishes as well for energy.

Overall, if you can’t get enough energy-restoring items, don’t be afraid to go to bed early day 1.

Day 2

If you didn’t do it yesterday due to energy, go around your farm and scythe ALL the weeds/fiber you can. Sometimes they drop mixed seeds. Mixed seeds are random seeds you can plant. They’ll either give you parsnips, potatoes, or cauliflower seeds. But that means free seeds to plant! Easy profit. DO NOT CUT DOWN ALL YOUR TALL GRASS.

Willy will send you a letter. Go get the fishing rod, and fish in the ocean outside of Willy’s shop. Sell him any fish you get directly until about 2 pm or so, then go to Pierre’s with your new funds and get more seeds. Ideally potatoes, but if you wanna get a head start on an achievement, buy one or two of every seed- except fruit trees. You’ll need to sell one of every crop eventually. But you don’t have to worry about it right now if you don’t want to- you’ll have many more springs to come.

Check down south for spring onions. If you have level 1 foraging by now and can get tree seeds, shake the trees as you pass by. You get them more often by chopping them down, but shaking the trees can yield tree seeds for field snacks.

Spend today fishing, after that! Fish makes good money, and if you’re REALLY in a pinch you can eat the fish straight out of the ocean/river/lake. Or any seaweed/algae you fish up. Sometimes you’ll also fish up Joja Cola- a trash item you can consume for a little energy.

Day 3

It’s raining today, so you do NOT have to water! It always rains on Spring 3. If you’ve gotten money from fishing again after your initial stint, buy more seeds- you don’t need to plant them right away if the idea of all the watering is daunting, you can save them for when your first harvest is done and you need to replant.

If it’s a good luck day, spend the day clearing out your farm area around where you’re planting. Good luck days are the best for chopping trees because you’ll get more wood than on bad luck days.

If it’s a neutral or bad luck day, go fishing! You might fish up trash more often, but you’ll still be getting fish to sell! You can either ocean fish and sell to Willy directly, OR try at the mountain lake next to Robin’s house. Largemouth Bass are GOOD money early game.

No matter what you do, remember to check for spring onions!

General Early Game Tips

Check the tv EVERY day! It’ll give you tips, recipes, and you can check your daily luck and the next day’s forecast.

Build a Silo BEFORE building a coop or a barn! You’ll get a quest to build a coop after your first harvest. Do NOT do it right away. Get a SILO first, and then scythe up any grass on your farm! Don’t scythe all your grass (the tall grass, not the weeds that give you fiber/seeds) before you get a silo, because hay from Marnie is expensive at 50g per piece of hay.

Advanced tip for the previous one: Build ONE silo, and put a chest next to the silo. Use the empty barn/coop once you have it to grab ALL the hay from your silo and place it in the chest. Continue to scythe your grass and get hay, repeating the emptying process until all your grass is gone. That way you have a stock of hay before you get animals.

Once you have a steady supply of food and the mines are open, go to the mines as OFTEN as possible. If the day is neutral, good, or great luck, go mining! You’ll wanna get a head start on resources, and selling gems is good early game.

Wait for a rainy day to upgrade your watering can! Upgrading your tools takes two days: the day you give it to him, and the day after. Check the tv for when the next day is raining, and THEN upgrade your can.

Do NOT build the first sprinklers you get. Once you reach level 2 farming, you unlock the sprinkler crafting recipe. The basic sprinkler only waters 4 spaces, and it is a WASTE of copper and iron. Wait for the quality sprinkler recipe at level 6. It’s tedious to water, I know, but the quality sprinkler waters the 8 surrounding tiles vs the basic’s 4. A better use of materials.

Keep at least 1 to 5 of everything! You may end up with a lot of chests, but keeping a lot of things is REALLY handy. You’ll get little fetch quests from the bulletin board outside of Pierre’s shop often, and keeping a backlog of items helps with completing them- which gets you money and friendship points with the villager in question. This includes crops, fish, and mining materials like quartz and gems. I’d also advise keeping minerals from geodes after donating one of them to Gunther, as some are good gifts while others are used for fish pond requests.

Don’t forget animal tools! Marnie sells a bucket for milking cows, shears for shearing sheep, and heaters for your barns/coops! It gets real cold in winter, so animals need a heater placed in their respective buildings. Put one in every animal building you have- you only need one, don’t worry!

Make wild seeds! Wild seeds produce foragables for their respective seasons. Sell the spring, summer, and fall seed packets instead of growing them. The spring, summer, and fall wild seed packets sell for MORE than if you grew the seeds and sold the foragable items. Do NOT sell the winter seed packets!

General Year 1 Tips

Try and get level 4 foraging before Spring 15! You’ll get a passive perk that just says “+1 Berry harvesting”. From Spring 15 to 18, there are salmonberries in the bushes around Pelican Town. Whether you have level 4 foraging or not, collect these berries! It’ll help a LOT if you get two per bush, but if you check every single day you’ll get a lot of berries no matter what your foraging level is. They don’t give a LOT of energy/health, but because of the quantity you’ll get you’ll be fine.

Fish at the mountain lake when you have downtime! Largemouth bass are VERY valuable early game, if a bit tricky to catch.

Use low profit crops for energy! If you have extra parsnips from spring, you can either turn them into pickles later or keep them for energy/health.

Mushrooms or Bats! After a certain amount of profit is obtained, Demetrius will come to you and ask to use your farm’s little cave for an experiment. He’ll ask to either use it to cultivate mushrooms or invite a species of fruit bat to the cave. Mushrooms are produced every day, and you’ll get a random assortment of every mushroom species available (although their rarity plays a factor in how often they appear). Fruit bats leave you a slow supply of fruit- usually foraged berries, but sometimes fruit tree fruit as well such as apples, oranges, and cherries. Mushrooms are generally more valuable and common mushrooms provide good energy, while fruit bats are good for artisan goods and for gifts as fruit tree fruits are universally liked by everyone.

In your first summer, invest in Blueberries! In your first fall, invest in Cranberries! Both blueberries and cranberries give multiple harvests, and multiple berries per harvest. That means they’ll keep producing AND give you 3 berries per harvest. While the melon and pumpkin sell for more, you can get a few hundred berries within one season- upwards of a thousand if you plant a Lot like I do.

In the beginning of summer, you’ll unlock the bath house. The bath house is a hot spring building to the north in the mountains, initially blocked by boulders. You can sit in the water to regain energy!

Plant tree seeds outside of the bath house area. ALL the dirt around the bath house can have tree seeds planted. You’ll most likely get a bunch of pinecones, as there’s an abundance of pine trees both on your farm and in Cindersap Forest. Plant as many as you can, and let them grow to make a wood farm. I can get a full stack of wood because of how many trees you can plant.

Save some crops to sell at the END of a season! If you’re hurting for money, split your current harvest in half if you can and sell half. Put the other half away in a chest (preferably next to the shipping bin) to save for the final day in the season. That way you can be SURE you’ll have a decent amount to spend at the beginning of the next season.

Work on preserves jars and kegs asap, once you unlock their recipes. Preserves jars make jelly (from fruit), pickles (from veggies), aged roe (from fish eggs), and caviar (from sturgeon eggs). Kegs make wine (from fruit), beer (wheat), pale ale (hops), juice (veggies), and mead (honey). Buy some hops in summer and save them for when you get kegs! Hops also produce EVERY day, so be prepared for a backlog of hops!

Try and get animals in summer! Save spring for bolstering your wallet and equipment. Don’t worry about upgrading your coop/barn all the way right now, just get started on animals because animal products are very good your first year.

Upgrade things in winter! This can mean tools, or buildings! By winter you should have a GOOD bit of money and resources. Upgrade your tools as much as you can (you can do a lot of mining for ore in winter), and upgrade any coops/barns you have. You don’t HAVE to upgrade your house yet if you don’t want to/don’t plan on getting married anytime soon so, as you should have salmonberries still if you managed to collect a lot,  cooking isn’t a necessity. Mushrooms from the cave or fruit from the bats could also help here.

Buy animals in winter! If you can upgrade your coop/barn, get animals now while they don’t need to go outside. It’s a good idea to get pigs now if you can, as they take a long time to grow. That way they can come out fully grown and ready to get you truffles.

Winter seeds are good money! Every few levels, you’ll be able to craft wild seeds for each respective season. The winter seeds sell for more than just their packets alone, so grow them if you can! You can multiply the crop each time you harvest them most likely, so you can make a lot of money off of the foragables.

Mine and fish! Since you don’t have too much to do in winter, use the time to fish and mine for extra money and resources!

[sortofanobsession]

Death is in the Details - Our Flag Means Death (Post Season 1 fic) Part 2

Part 1, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6(Ao3)

Summary: More talk, but this time it's in Barbados. The Widow Bonnet looks into rumors of pirates and vandals in the area. She then finds a visitor in her studio. Mary is supportive and full of information. The Bonnet family lacks self-preservation instincts when it comes to fearsome pirates.

wordcount: 1k+

Warnings: Mentions of vandalism, defacing gravestones, violence, death, mauling by animal, fake death, confusion. Swearing.

Chapter 2: Theatrics and Vandalism

The town seemed to be abuzz with talk of pirates. The Widow Bonnet had sat in Evelyn Higgins’ sitting room to better understand the gossip. One very specific ship had been in the area. One she knew from the model that had been her anniversary gift. A memory she used to avoid thinking of, but now made her laugh. That stupid model had made her so angry. She had painted a few versions of it as a way to remember the good it seemed to bring to her. That model, that ship, had tipped the scales in her favor by starting a cascade of events that earned Mary Bonnet a life she loved. The town was atwitter with talk of Blackbeard. She wondered if she might actually catch a glimpse of the most feared pirate of the seven seas. The one that Stede adored. But there was more to the gossip, someone had vandalized the graves of the Badminton brothers. Mary did her best to hide her grin by taking a drink of her tea. Nigel and Chauncey Badminton were brutes. They had been bullies. So many people had turned a blind eye to how they had treated Stede when they were young, and then the crown had rewarded them for their brutality with fancy titles. She found it hard to believe Stede had a hand in it, but she hoped he did. She was proud of her ��late” husband. The new and bold version she’d learned to appreciate. The Gentleman Pirate, the Stede that had been happy she was happy. The Stede that somehow overcame and outlived his tormentors. Good for him. She wished she could tell him about this. 

“There had to be more than one, with how cracked the stone was,” Evelyn stated.

“Or one very angry one,” Mary counted. 

“Possibly, but the poor groundskeeper had to scrub the remaining marble, someone drew a skull on one with a black powder. The other looked like a crude drawing of a-”

“I think I get the picture,” Mary had grinned. 

“It was quite amusing,” Evelyn admitted. 

Mary had stayed a bit longer at Evelyn’s, but something had her taking a longer way home. She’d opted to walk. The others would probably call her foolish, what with vandals and pirates about. To be honest, Mary didn’t fear the dreaded Blackbeard. Though she did hesitate when she noticed the door to her studio open. She knew it had been closed. She thought about going to fetch Doug but something in her told her not to. So she held her head high and squared her shoulders as she approached the open door. A figure was looking intently at one of the paintings of the Revenge. 

“Can I help you?” Mary asked. 

“These are yours?” the figure asked. 

“Yes,” Mary stated plainly. 

“You’re the Widow Bonnet?” he asked.

“That’s what they call me,” she nodded. She took a good look at the man as she moved into her studio. He may have looked different than so many had described him, but she had little doubt of who was standing in her studio. “And you’re Ed, aren’t you?” She saw his shoulders stiffen. She let out a small laugh, which earned her a glare. “Sorry, Blackbeard.” She took another step closer despite the glare. “I’ve heard about your own artistic display, or at least I assume it was yours. I cannot see many others defacing the graves of two Royal Naval Officers.” She grinned when she saw the tiniest twitch at the corner of the fearsome man’s lips. “Though I’m glad someone finally did, the marble monstrosity was hideous. Naval heroes who died serving the crown,” Mary let out a bitter laugh. “They were rotten to the core and tormented Stede before his trousers reached his ankles.” Mary shook her head. “The town knew but no one cared. Boys will be boys. I’m glad he outlived them.”

“Not by much,” Blackbeard said. “You were there when he…” the man’s statement seemed to trail off into nothing. She was close enough now to see tired eyes and tension in his shoulders. “Was it truly as gruesome as they say?” he asked.

Mary looked at him with surprise. “Did he not find you?” 

The pirate’s brow furrowed. “He’s dead.”

She couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her, schooling her features when a murderous look took over his features. It was a look that would terrify most people. Mary would admit it made her take a half step back but it didn’t stop her. “Stede’s not dead my dear,” She told him. “It was a convincing scene, or what did he call it. A fuckery?” 

“Fuckery? He-but-” Mary stopped the man’s stumbling words by putting a hand on his arm. 

“As I said, it was a very convincing scene, the leopard might as well be an overgrown house cat, no jungle cat. Stede had the entire thing planned. We all had our roles. Come with me,” she didn’t hesitate to tug the fearsome pirate’s arm, her hand going to his wrist as she led him to the house. “Stay here,” Mary said as she left him at the foot of the stairs. The fearsome pirate saw movement out of the corner of his eye and turned. A young girl stood in the archway. 

“I thought your beard was supposed to be black?” She stated. 

Blackbeard couldn’t believe how little fear this family seemed to have. Then again, they were Stede’s family. The lack of self-preservation seemed to be a family trait. “When you see dad, tell him I still have it.” She held up what looked like half of the petrified orange Stede had found at Jim’s family tree. She giggled at the bemused look on his face. “He took the other half with him when he left.”

He was just about to ask the girl to see the orange when the girl’s mother reappeared. “I was supposed to burn these but well it got a bit hectic after everything and so we hid them until we could find a better time. I guess it slipped our minds. We’ll right that this evening but since you are here now,” She handed him a bundle of papers that were filled with writing and sketches. 

“What are these?” he asked as he stared down at words he couldn’t read. “What do they say?”

“What do they-oh,” Mary said with a soft smile. “Here,” she said taking back the papers and spreading them out on the table. “His plans for the…” she glanced back to make sure her daughter was out of earshot. “For the fuckery,” she said in a hushed tone. “I told you he had every detail planned, no mistakes. It had to be perfect.” Mary smiled. “You see, it started with him apologizing for ruining my show as a way to get the town's attention.” Mary went on to carefully explain the whole thing. Part of the way through Ed sank down into what was usually Mary’s chair at the table. When she had finished telling him how Stede had left town in the very carriage people were to think killed him she put a hand on the pirate’s shoulder. “He pulled it off without a flaw.” She smiled. “No one doubted it at all.”

“Why?” was all Ed had managed to say.     

“What?” Mary was unsure what he was asking.

“Why would he do this?” He gestured to the papers.

“Because he wanted to make things better, he wanted a new start, for all of us.” 

"I have to go," Ed said as he quickly stood up. 

"Wait," Mary caught him before he reached the door. Ed looked up to see a nervous look on her face. "He left us everything and took a rowboat. If you haven't seen him, then-"

"I will find him," Ed didn't know what he'd do when he did. He hadn't thought it was a possibility to ever see Stede again. He was still angry about being left without a word. He was angry at himself for not being able to protect Stede from Badminton. But a bit of hope had taken root in him in the painter’s studio. Hope that grew stronger with every word from Stede’s wife. He couldn’t believe how she seemed to share it all so easily. Stede had told her about them, and not just as co-captains. The look in her eye, the gentle touch. No, she knew it all. Things he’d thrown Lucius overboard for, but he didn’t harbor any ill will against the woman he’d been left behind for. She hadn’t asked for any of it and was now giving him a purpose. Something to keep his feet moving, to keep the wind in his sails. 

"Then give him this," she handed him a small folded paper. He opened it to find a drawing of a large cat that seemed to be in a child's hand. "Louis thought it was funny, I'm sure Stede would want to see it." 

Ed nodded carefully folded it and tucked it in his pocket. Only Stede's son would send his father a picture of the animal that was meant to maul the man. They were a strange family, but they worked better than Ed's had and they do seem to care for one another, even if it was in a bizarre fashion. 

"He loves you, you know." Ed's head snapped up at the not widow's words. "He loves us in his own way, but you, he just didn't know what it was until…" she glanced back to make sure her children weren't around. "Until he realized I was willing to kill for it. He also realized most would die for it. And well in his own way, he did. Find him, Ed. He is looking for you."

[anime-onlys]

Spring '21 anime list: What I tried, what I'm watching, and first impressions!

Shaman King (2021)

I hadn't heard about this show until the reboot was announced, and it seems neat so I'll give it a shot! Hesitation isn't quite the right word, but I am watching cautiously because there's a lot about early 2000's anime that should stay in the early 2000's. I'm prepared to take a certain amount of product-of-its-time-ness, but only so much.

I really like its unique visual style. It feels like it's got a similar vibe to Soul Eater and TWEWY with its chunky proportions and face design, and the squash-and-stretch animation really lends itself to comedic moments. I feel like there are some eminently cosplayable designs in my future.

Character-wise, it's only been one episode but I'm taking a liking to Yoh. Based on the OP I hope that Ryuu will be an early-antagonist-turned-loudmouth-friend like JJBA's Okuyasu or Sk8's Shadow. That's one of my favorite character tropes.

The World Ends With You the Animation

My friend is a huge TWEWY fan, so our group was really looking forward to this anime. I saw a little of the gameplay when the Switch version was released, up to the end of episode 1's plot. I know it's going to be excellent story wise, and I already may be planning on making cosplay of that Reaper with the skeleton hoodie.

I love a unique visual style and an awesome soundtrack, of course TWEWY already had that coming in. The CGI Noise are a little clunky, but allow for some really great fight sequences. The characters' CGI models are nearly seamless with the 2D. It feels like the plot is moving fast, but according to my friend they just skipped some fetch quests and puzzle solving that wouldn't have been interesting to animate.

I'm really looking forward to this one each week!

Dragon Goes House-Hunting

One of those "eh, we'll give it a shot" shows. A bunch of us have been eyeing real estate lately, so at the very least it's topical. If done right, the concept could be fun!

We spent most of the episode HATING the dragon's character design. Its proportions are just...awkward in every way. The neck is extremely short and thick and leads into a human-muscled torso, the arms are tiny twigs, and the legs are a little too human and a little too thick to be anything but unnerving. It's bad.

Oddly, except for the dragon, the rest of the creature designs are pretty great! In contrast to a lot of anime, they let them be really non-human and had a good design sense. The humor was solid, the Monster Hunter references were on point, and the character interactions were fun. The OP is GREAT, too!

We'll be continuing this one! If you can make your eyes stop hating you for forcing them to look at the Monster Factory reject of a dragon, I'd say give it a shot.

You Can Make A Mug Too

Now that Yuru Camp is over, we wanted another lighthearted anime that might teach us something while it's at it. You Can Make A Mug Too was one of our picks to sample because one member of anime night has recently acquired a kiln.

My impression is an approving but unenthusiastic "Fine, really." You can definitely tell it's an anime made to bring in tourism to the town it's based in. The characters don't really grab me, but they set up a solid emotional backbone for the story. The production quality isn't stunning, I was hoping for some nice pottery wheel animation but didn't get any.

It's probably a decent show, but we won't watch any more because of the next one on the list.

Supercub

Going straight from You Can Make A Mug to Supercub was like going from store-brand ice pops to fresh gelato. I can already tell this is my favorite anime of the season, hands down.

First, the production quality is excellent. The backgrounds are beautiful, the score is understated but well done to the point that Debussey's Clair de Lune felt like it had been made for the scene it was used for.

More than the production quality alone, this anime's direction is exceptional. It takes 'show don't tell' and uses it perfectly, using body language and soundtrack and shot composition to communicate as much or more than the sparse dialogue. Like, they made my heart skip a beat with nothing but color grading. THAT kind of exceptional.

I haven't spoken much about the plot because I really have no idea where it's going to go. Will we fill in why Koguma is so alone, or will we only move forward to seeing her connect? Will the past of that Supercub come back to haunt her? This feels like an anime that can and will absolutely wreck me, but at the starting line all I can say is I'm READY.

If you only watch one thing this season, watch Supercub.

Continuing anime:

My Hero Academia Season 5:

This season is interesting because for the first time, I think I'm going into it with almost zero spoilers (Dabi's real name is the only one I have). The only plot spoiler I thought I had, that Hawks was somehow working with the League of Villains, was revealed at the end of episode 1. I really enjoy going into things blind so I'm looking forward to this season!

However, the OP is the most disappointing thing out there. Nothing about the song, animation or composition is memorable or even noteworthy. Bones and MHA have access to all the money and talent in the industry and they best they can do is "Fine, I guess".

Yuukoku no Moriarty season 2 (Split cour):

I really enjoyed Moriarty's first season, but the second part of a split-cour always has the risk of running off the rails. What I enjoyed most about the first cour was the reverse-whodunit formula: Here's a terrible noble and the people they hurt, how does Moriarty get rid of them while making it look like an accident? The end of cour 1 started to focus heavily on Sherlock and I don't want the show's namesake to end up sidelined.

Knowing Irene was coming, I was really hoping for a Scandal in Belgravia that follows the books...at all, where the end of the story is that Irene escapes with the photo (except this time aided by the Moriarty brothers). Few or no Sherlock adaptations actually want to engage with the sexism of the era or today's, and just want to paint her as a blackmailer or temptress instead of a woman holding onto the power to protect herself. The beginning was extremely promising, but that went off the rails pretty quick. I still haven't yet seen an adaptation of Irene Adler that I like.

Zombieland Saga: Revenge

I watch this show because it's fun and ridiculous, and I get to hear Mamoru Miyano having the time of his life in the recording booth. I love this show because it always ends up surprising me with its solid emotional backbone. It looks like this season is shaping up to be more of the same!

What blew me away was this episode was the first time I saw a CGI dance sequence that I LIKED. Ever. The characters used different mocap so they weren't eerily in sync, the song and dance itself was well made and supported by excellent camera direction and shot composition, there were 2D cuts to closeups of the dancers as well as audience, and they actually pushed facial expression!

It's a good time. Give it a shot.

[imnotwolverine]

The Monster’s Lair - A Belle Tune

Vampire!Henry x Belle - multi-chapter

Chapter 1 - A Belle Tune | Chap 2 >

Disclaimer: Dark adult fairytale - stalking, mild injury, angsty vibes

Author’s note: Here we go dear readers, a whole new series!! As I was setting out the plotline I kept saying to myself; “Let’s make this 3-5 chapters, a short series, okay, Wolfie?” ...Welp... Apparently I have many talents, but writing short series is not one of them. I’ve tried again and again to reshape the plot into a shorter, snappier version, but I just couldn’t. So, here goes; 12 chapters of broody vampire Henry and sweet Belle. I hope you are ready ❤️

Word count: 1.991

Reading music: Agnes Obel - Tokka 

(Link to my Masterlist)

-

It was the first day of Autumn, summer finally past, as a tale of old was sung anew.

The land was cracked open dry and dusty after months without rain, the crops starting to fail just before harvest season. It made the tensions run high amongst the town folk, their worried eyes aiming upwards. The air had been thick for days now, the clouds drifting heavy and grey on dreary skies, foreboding a long awaited storm that just wouldn’t break.

And yet, not all were worried. At this moment the morning air felt slightly cheery too, as a soft tune wove through the ancient pine tree forest that lay like a prickly blanket over the rolling hills. 

It was a familiar tune, sung by a familiar woman’s voice, her pale skin and dark braided hair a sight he saw often in these parts of the land. Before her, two mutts sniffled happily, their wet noses pushing through the fallen leaves and shrubs that covered the dry forest floor. 

From the shadows of that same thicket, he was watching her, watching her rosy lips curl up in that dreamy smile, her feet kicking her blue skirts with confident strides.

Belle, he knew her name by now, was one of the few who dared to wander so close to his grounds, his domain, her skirts rustling as she conjured a book from the depths of her pockets. Always reading. 

At first he had been somewhat surprised to see a woman of her position even owning a book, a proper book. Her father was but a poor horse handler and her family long deceased. 

But, indeed, she could read. 

With an elegant hand she brushed down her skirts before sitting down on that same fallen down tree that she used everyday; her hide-out whenever the weather allowed. Clicking her tongue she instructed her dogs to lay down, her hand flicking through the book, returning to the page where she had left off a day ago.

Away from the snarky remarks and jealous whispers of the town folk, here she could read as dawn cracked over the horizon, her presence welcomed by the listening embrace of the forest and its inhabitants. The birds quieted their song and the mice and squirrels halted their squabbling, just long enough to look and listen, bewitched beady eyes watching the pretty woman as she started to read aloud.

It was an old and leather bound rendering of Apuleius’ Cupid and Psyche, an ancient fairy tale, the book nearly falling apart as she brushed her fingertips over the yellowed, vulnerable pages. She had read it a dozen times now, and yet the monster couldn’t help but listen, his lips moving in a silent joined recital. He knew the words by heart at this point.

What exactly she did by the day time he couldn’t tell, his disposition making it impossible for him to visit town when the sun was out. And thus he would just imagine it. Perhaps she worked as one of the chambermaids for the Les Comtes. Perhaps she helped her father in the stables - he had seen the old man during the nights many a time, his rough hands being ever so gentle with the handsome beasts that belonged to the Les Comtes. In fact all was owned by the Les Comtes, the family so rich that almost all villagers worked for their estate and businesses.  

Far too soon Belle’s voice would silence again, her finger tracing the page she had ended on, memorising it before gently closing the book, her eyes looking up through the thicket of the tree branches, watching those looming clouds up above. He knew what she thought; it was going to rain and she probably couldn’t return to this spot for a long time.

After the rain would come hail, winds, winter. And as it goes with reading outside, her natural reading nook was simply not able to hide her from the elements, and, with her reading hobby sneered at by the town’s folk, this might very well be her last reading session for this year.

With a sigh she got up, calling for her dogs and making her way back to the village, long skirts kicking, her book hidden back in the depths of her pockets. Oh, how he was going to miss her. Even if it was just for a day. Here in the forest he was awaited by an eternal nothingness. No job, no destination, only empty days that wove into a long string of months, years, centuries.

Returning to the crumbling ruins of his castle, the grande structure long past its glory days, he wandered endlessly through its halls, dust collecting on items that shouldn’t ever run into such disuse. Plates, cups, the fireplace, the beds. For centuries now he could not feel the pleasure of the simplicity of life. The food ashen on his tongue. His eyes, though closed, never truly resting. His skin no longer feeling the comfort of a warm hearth. His still beating heart but a mousy whisper of its once roaring strength.

Watching those heavy clouds above the treetops, he knew that it would be long before he would get to hear her voice again. A storm was looming, the long dry spell finally coming to an end and taking with it the long awaited rains. He knew it was a necessity, the listening critters around him feeling desperate for food now winter was soon to arrive, but he couldn’t help but feel a deep disappointment all the same. Because with the dreary days would come even more dark hours for him, the last sparkle of joy ripped from his life until spring would probably come again.  

—

‘Another one dead.’ The hunter growled, heaving the dead dog’s body from his cart, the boneless heap of bled out sinew and fur unceremoniously dropping to the dusty ground. With the ongoing drought, food has become more and more scarce. Crops were failing, wild animals were roaming nearer to the village and despite their best efforts, the hunters had great difficulty to actually catch anything. Something strange was afoot in the forest and rumour was about; it was the beast!

‘So no luck then.’ Arthur said in a hushed tone, his old knees cracking as he squatted down to inspect the remains of the hound. And indeed. Neck cracked, jugular torn, the required strength for such an act belonging to no less than a bear..or beast..of sorts.

‘Twas a mad dog anyways. But still..’ The hunter squinted, looking out over the yellow grassed meadows, to the edge of the forest where that monstrous beast hid away. ‘..we must see to it. The darn thing must be done with once and ..for..’ He blinked, then looked at Arthur with mild confusion. ‘Is that Belle?’ He pointed at a figure that appeared from the tree-line, two dogs at either side of her light blue skirts.

Arthur pushed himself up with a groan and also squinted his eyes, his sight no longer what it had been. ‘If it’s a pretty thing with two mutts, a dress of blue and a smile for days, it must be Belle.’ He said, his vision too blurry to discern anything that resembled his daughter. The hunter gruntled his disapproval, though not denying that it was indeed Belle, his strong, broad shouldered frame turning back to his cart to bring out what few rabbits and pheasants he had managed to catch in his traps. ‘You ought to bring some sense in that girl, Arthur..’ He warned, bushy eyebrows frowning as he looked back at the girl, her skirts twirling as she threw a stick for the dogs to fetch.

‘She is just so very much like her mother.’ Arthur sighed, not fully agreeing with the hunter’s sentiments as his lips curled in an amused smile.

‘Tcould be the death of her, old man. The beast is out there, I know that much. In fact. There’s a meeting in the town hall by sundown, in case you wish to join.’

‘Good..good...’ Arthur nodded, only half-listening now, his eyes finally managing to focus on Belle as she kicked her legs over the wood log fence near the stables he worked, her face all smiles and skirts a muddy mess.

Oh..Belle!

--

The shutters of the barn-like town hall shuddered, the wind outside picking up and the torch flames dancing wildly in the draft. It was a busy night, the floorboards creaking as the town’s men got up from their benches to express their bewilderment and frustrations, loud “Aye’s” and “Nays” echoing in the air as the discussions roared.

Now the food reserves of the town were running low and people had to ration, the tension was near tangible. Winter was coming and the people felt as restless as the storm that was picking up outside. The pigs needed to be fed, the elderly were struggling, sickness was spreading and all fingers pointed angrily at the direction of that wicked forest. The Beast’s forest.

‘Dear people! My people!’ Old Master Le Comte stood up from the throne-like seat that was situated right at the head of the hall, his fatty fingers balancing a shiny cup of wine. He raised his hand to calm the uproar, old furrowy brows raising up to show two grey, beady eyes. ‘Say AYE and agree, that we must see to the end of this beast for once and for all. He threatens our livestock, steals our hunted bounty and his cursed evil talons bring us only disease and misfortune. This drought? I would not be surprised if it were by HIS design!’ He exclaimed.

The town roared up with enthusiasm, fists raised in the air as a loud ‘AYE’ resounded front to back. In fact only the old man Arthur sat quiet, far in the corner, thinking fingers pulling at his moustache. He had discussed the matter with Belle and all she had to say was; “It is indeed quite practical to make a simple minded animal responsible for all your sorrows. But is it right to kill it because you conjured an image of beastly proportion, fed by your own fears? From what I heard he only has killed those who came too close..far too close.” 

‘HELP HELP!! The church! A FIRE!’ The large doors of the hall swung open as a young man burst through, arms waving in despair, the discussions regarding the monster quickly forgotten as everyone made haste to stop the flames as they quickly swept around them, the simple wooden structures of the inner town feeding themselves like perfectly dried logs to the hellish bonfire.  

Arthur looked up from his daze and slowly followed the hastened crowd outside, his feet no longer so fast as he felt a sudden, surprising coolness in his neck. A wet coolness. With a question in his eyes he looked up at the darkened sky, feeling another drop on his wrinkly skin. Rain? Did the gods bless them just in time? Would all be well?

A conclusion made prematurely, as a new alarm was struck from the village’s heart.

‘THE BEAST! TIS THE BEAST!’ The loud screams came from the village square, Arthur’s attention immediately drawn back to the people that sped past him. Oh no..oh no...BELLE! She was alone, she was..

*FLUNK*

With a loud thud Arthur smacked to the ground, his eyes blinking in shock as he saw the person who had bumped into him rush passed, the silhouette of the person already fading from his vision as all he could do was claw into the dusty road, eyes seeing all black.

Oh no...he thought, his body now fading out of consciousness. Belle! She must be warned! She was all alone! The beast..Oh Belle..the beast..and...Belle...

With heavy blinking eyes he scratched and cried, trying to gain the attention of people rushing by, but failing. None could hear or see him as the storm drowned out his wails and the night hid him in unblinking dark, leaving him with little else but hope, hope that Belle’s joyful tunes would indeed not be ended at the slashing of beastly claws, like the hunter had warned him for this morning.

Oh Belle, dear Belle..

--

Chap 2 >

--

General Tagsquad: @harrysthiccthighss​ @tumblnewby @magdelen69​ @thereisa8ella​ @mary-ann84​ @darkbooksarwin​ @summersong69 @madbaddic7ed @luclittlepond @maroonmolly​

Vampire!Henry Tagsquad: @elinesama​ @i-cant-remember-my-old-login

If you want to be added to or removed from my tag lists, shoot me a message! 

[tabloidtoc]

In Touch, April 26

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Duchess Kate's revenge on Meghan Markle

Page 1: Contents

Page 2: Spring Cleaning -- it's that time of year again, and these products can help -- Nina Dobrev cleaning her floor

Page 4: Introducing Real Housewives All-Stars -- the most beloved table-flipping, drink-tossing, backstabbing stars from Real Housewives NYC, New Jersey, Atlanta and Beverly Hills casts are uniting for an all-star series on the streaming service Peacock and since everyone knows group trips make for the wildest episodes, the show will be filmed for two weeks at a Caribbean resort

Page 5: Angelina Jolie seems to be turning into quite the social butterfly as just weeks after her casual dinner with Ellen Pompeo then DJ Diplo posted an Instagram video with a woman who looks an awful lot like Angie, Number of the Week -- 2.25 million dollars fetched for Tom Brady's rookie football card, Gratitude of the Week -- Lena Dunham explaining how Glenn Close once cut her out of a too-tight corset at a black-tie event, Wife of the Week -- Megan Mullally on introducing her husband Nick Offerman to society, Makeover of the Week -- Iggy Azalea revealed bright green locks

Page 6: Crib of the Week -- Jerry Seinfeld's Colorado hideway in Telluride for sale, Winner of the Week -- Pete Davidson finally moves out of his mom's house on Staten Island and gets his own pad, Loser of the Week -- Bridgerton fans because Rege-Jean Page who plays the Duke of Hastings has confirmed he will not return next season

Page 8: Up Close -- Lady Gaga in a wedding dress playing Black Widow Patrizia Reggiani on the set of House of Gucci

Page 10: Brioni house ambassador Brad Pitt strikes a pose for the brand's Spring/Summer 2021 campaign, Nicole Kidman who will play Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos shares a cheeky on-set pic, Kate Beckinsale straps her cat Clive to her chest in a carrier

Page 12: Planet Hollywood -- stars give back for Earth Day -- Zac Efron shows how bees are affected by pollution on his show Down to Earth with Zac Efron, Gisele Bundchen picks some herbs, Kelis working in the garden

Page 13: Nikki Reed and her chicken, Bella Hadid gets down and dirty sowing 1500 lavender plants at her family's farm in Pennsylvania, Jenna Fischer and her new orange tree

Page 16: Dwayne Johnson shows off the fruits of his labor in the gym, Christopher Meloni joked that he's a big boy after fans notice his ample behind on the set of Law & Order: Organized Crime, Madonna and daughter Lourdes Leon pose for a selfie, Katy Perry standing on a toilet in the American Idol bathroom

Page 20: Kim Kardashian has officially become a billionaire, but not everyone in her family is congratulating her, as sister Kylie Jenner is annoyed because Kim is being so smug about it -- Kylie is proud of her makeup line, and she thinks Kim basically just copied her business model with KKW Beauty and Skims -- meanwhile Kim never misses the chance to point out to her whole family that none of them would be rich or famous without her, they'd be nobodies -- when Kim found out Kylie might be a billionaire, she made it her mission to do the same because she's famously competitive and Kim didn't just set out to best Kylie in business, she wants to destroy all of her sisters and this is natural sibling rivalry but of course Kim is acting like it's war

Page 21: Rapper and actor DMX, real name Earl Simmons, died at age 50 after being on life-support for a week following a heart attack at his New York home -- the father of 15 had long struggled with substance abuse, which reportedly triggered his cardiac arrest -- he showed few signs of trouble in his final days: his fiancee Desiree Lindstrom shared a video of the healthy looking and upbeat star jamming to a Michael Jackson tune, and his final single X Moves was released the day he died, but secretly, he was struggling

Page 22: Cover Story -- Meghan Markle snubbed by the royal family -- Meghan was banned from Prince Philip's funeral as her husband Prince Harry returns to the U.K. for the first time since Megxit -- the royals truly are hoping to heal the rift with Harry, but the chances of that happening are slim if Meghan is around because the family just doesn't trust Meghan anymore

Page 24: Prince Philip's life in pictures

Page 28: Is Tiger Woods hiding something? The investigation into the golfer's horrific car crash is concluded, but questions linger

Page 30: True Crime -- Till Death Do Us Part? San Diego mom May "Maya" Millete vanishes after making an appointment with a divorce lawyer

Page 32: The Big Interview -- Margaret Josephs of The Real Housewives of New Jersey

Page 36: And the Oscar goes to...these must-haves for that virtual soiree you're hosting on Hollywood's biggest night -- Lady Gaga with her Oscar

Page 38: Fashion -- Long Live Tie-Dye -- this psychedelic print is still going strong -- Addison Rae, Kourtney Kardashian

Page 40: Animal Overload -- my dog looks Hoda Kotb

Page 46: Horoscope -- Taurus Renee Zellweger turned 52 on April 25

Page 48: Last Laughs