#goku is so. fucking hard to figure out.

[mclynch]

urmm quick and dirty thing i havent posted any art in a while but i thiiink ☝️ i have figured out how i wanna draw these two

[tobiasdrake]

Haven't had a chance to talk much about the Ginyus yet, so here we go. Talking about the Ginyu Tokusentai/Ginyu Force/Dairy Special Forces requires putting them into context with the greater Dragon Ball universe around them.

Something that has always been incredibly limiting for Dragon Ball's worldbuilding is that, despite much of the brand being about presenting Goku with new ladders to climb, Goku doesn't climb ladders. He leaps from ladder-top to ladder-top.

What this means is, Toriyama had a tendency to be hyperbolic with the challenges Goku was presented. Toriyama doesn't pit Goku against powerful foes. He pits Goku against the most powerful foe, then has to sit back and figure out another arena for Goku to go fight the champion of.

This creates issues of perspective. We don't get to see a lot of development of the worlds Toriyama creates because Goku only shows up to fight the Very Most Powerful Guy and then leaves. And this also means we don't get to see what being the Very Most Powerful Guy means relative to people who are not.

If you followed Dragon Ball Super, you might have noticed that issue with the Tournament of Power. The way the story leaps straight from "Multiple universes exist" to "Goku vs. The Strongest in Universe 6" and then to "Goku vs. The Strongest Guy in the MULTIVERSE!" without even stopping to breathe.

What is that universe even about? Who knows? But this guy sure is their STRONGEST GUY. And that's something that's been with Dragon Ball... honestly, since all the way back at the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai when his second arc adversary was the Earth's legendary ultimate martial arts master.

The whole concept of aliens enters the Dragon Ball universe by way of Raditz introducing the Strongest Alien Race in the Universe.

Shortly after that, Goku is fighting the Strongest Saiyan, who is technically referred to as Strongest in the Universe... right up until a retcon introduces the Planet Trade Organization and Goku fights Frieza, the Actual Strongest in the Universe For Realsies.

So. Yeah. It's hard to get a sense of perspective for how powerful our guys are when they leave Earth because they only ever brush elbows with outlier titans.

But to give some idea, we already know that Earthlings are considered to be a pretty weak species.

Raditz's arrival retroactively explains Goku's destructive Oozaru transformations. This thing?

This is the Doom of the Earth. The planet-killer meant to exterminate every last human being on this planet. Boy, sure would be fun to be in the ring with that, huh?

It's also clearly touching down outside of the ring so I don't know why this wasn't a ringout. Since when is the waiting room's rooftop considered part of the stage? But I digress.

When Goku was three years old, his Oozaru was measured to be sufficient to slaughter this world. That is how weak Earth is on the scale. By contrast, Namek is considered to be one of the more powerful worlds. Vegeta describes Namekian fighters as "extraordinary".

That's something we get to see for ourselves, when Extraordinary Namekian Fighters happen to Frieza Force soldiers like a typhoon.

This is what's considered extraordinary on a standard galactic scale. These are three warriors from one of the stronger races in the universe tearing apart soldiers whose job is to exterminate races. Once they start fighting, Dodoria reads their battle powers as 3,000.

For comparison, Raditz was said to be equivalent to a Saibaman at 1,200. We never got a read on Nappa but he found the idea of Kakarot being at 5,000 unbelievable enough to go into denial, and he shit himself over 8,000.

So, with that in mind, we can understand that these nameless Namekian nobodies are pretty fucking tough, well within the realm of Saiyan ability. They're also familiar with advanced martial arts concepts like ki suppression that the Planet Trade doesn't understand.

There's probably a reason why, despite Namek apparently being well known to the Planet Trade, nobody's seen fit to gentrify this one yet. This is a fight Frieza's more elite forces can win, to be sure. But also, there are easier pickings to be had.

And then we have the Saiyans, said to be the most powerful race in the universe. Raditz, a loser scrub who doesn't know a thing about martial arts, is able to thoroughly humiliate Goku and Piccolo in terms of sheer stats, even after Goku's been trained by Popo.

This guy is the Saiyan equivalent of Appule. Goku's been personally trained by God's right-hand attendant, and Piccolo is the reincarnation of God's evil counterpart; These are not humans of this planet, but two guys who demonstrated five years ago that they're in a realm beyond the humans.

And this loser is still doing this to them. This is what a low-rate Saiyan looks like.

And this is what a Saiyan elite looks like:

Like I said, we're never given an official reading on Nappa but he found 5,000 BP to be ridiculous for Goku to have and 8,000 to be unthinkably terrifying. The Daizenshuu pegs him at 4,000, but they also peg Piccolo at 3,500 which would mean Piccolo and Nappa are closely matched.

I don't know about you but I don't see it. But that may just be me.

In any case, this gives us a general understanding of how powerful the races of the universe are. Earthlings weak. Namekians strong. Saiyans strongest. And then there's outliers.

Throughout the universe, there are... mutants. On rare occasions, an individual is born to a race who have vastly, unbelievably, ridiculously, stupidly tremendous ki.

The Planet Trade employs these mutants for their upper staff. Zarbon and Dodoria are mutants, as are the Ginyus and even Frieza himself. Especially Frieza. The reason we've never gotten elaboration on Frieza's race is because Toriyama didn't want Frieza's traits to be taken as indicative of a whole people.

According to interview, Cold was born with abnormally high power and cruelty for his race, and these traits were passed down to his son Frieza. Whatever species they came from, it is nothing like them.

They're not the only ones. The Planet Trade collects and employs these uniquely ultra-powerful mutants for its elite forces. The Saiyans are the strongest race in the universe, but these mutants are the strongest individuals in the universe.

To grasp how powerful these guys are relative to the rest of the universe, we need to talk Saiyans again for a moment. Raditz? Raditz was the yardstick for what the bottom-tier of Saiyans was. He made Earthlings look like trash, but he would have been eaten alive by those unnamed Namekian warriors.

However, a Saiyan's true strength lies in the Oozaru. Goku as an Oozaru was meant to be able to reduce the standing population of the Earth to 0. Raditz, as an Oozaru? Would still have gotten his teeth kicked in by Vegeta, the Saiyan super-elite. He is so ridiculous, he could win a straight fight with the planet-killing Oozaru.

...I mean, not after being beaten within an inch of his life and taking a Genki-Dama to the face, he can't. But if Vegeta were still at the top of his game, this would be a very different fight.

Meanwhile, the Ginyu Force.

So. Yeah. By the time we get to them, we are far beyond the ordinary limits of the universe. Saiyans are the strongest race, and Vegeta's pressing up against the limit of Saiyan ability. He's one Zenkai away from breaking through the Saiyan ceiling. Goku already has.

And these mutants they're up against are the most powerful freak aberrations of unexplained super-ki ever to have occurred anywhere in space.

IIRC it's never directly stated but for reference, Broly would probably be considered a mutant. Whether he is or isn't, he makes as a pretty solid equivalence. These guys are to their respective races what Broly is to Saiyans. What Uub is to humans.

This is all vital context for understanding the way the Ginyu Force fights.

Because.

Like.

You need to understand.

These guys suck.

On purpose.

From a technical standpoint, they're not good fighters. They're sloppy. Poorly trained around big showy moves that are meant to look cool. Style over substance.

This is because they can get away with it. They are the most powerful beings in the universe; Powerful on a scale that is an order of magnitude beyond everybody else that exists. Even the Saiyans look like shit next to these mutants.

Saiyan super-elite hits Recoome with everything he's got right in the face at point-blank range.

And the mutant takes it like a fucking champ. Vegeta's about to be killed by a man who keeps pausing to do this.

The Ginyu Force is badly trained on purpose. Which isn't to say that they're trained to lose fights, but rather that they aren't trained to compete with an equivalent rival. They can afford a martial style focused entirely on showmanship because there is no competition for them. They're too powerful to ever lose fights. Nobody else in the known universe even compares to their mutant might.

Which, as previously noted, is something Frieza is also afflicted by, in different ways. There is no reason for the Ginyus to hone their skills the way the Earthlings do because. Like. Who's going to challenge them? They're naturally born into being top of the field by a wide margin. They're going to auto-win every fight they ever involve themselves in, so their idea of self-improvement is centered instead on looking as cool as possible while they do it.

This is precisely what the Muten-Roshi worked so hard to prevent Goku from becoming.

Something else I mentioned before is that Trunks demonstrates his serious goal-oriented nature by never naming any of his techniques. He has some distinct and identifiable moves, but none of them have a formal name that he shouts out when firing them. He's here to get the job done, not to show off.

The Ginyus are in the opposite boat. They know they can't lose fights, so they are absolutely, 100% here to show off. They name the shit out of their techniques.

Flying knee? Nah, bro. That is a Recoome Kick.

Running in and throwing a punch? Nuh-uh. Recoome Mach Attack.

Lobbing a ki blast at the opponent? Crusher Ball.

These basic attacks are given huge, flashy names. And, I need to specify, they're English names. Moves like the Kamehameha or Taiyoken or Sokidan or Makankosappo also have names but they tend to be Japanese names with descriptive meanings.

Turtle Destruction Wave, signature move of the Turtle School of martial arts.

Fist of the Sun, an intense blinding art.

Winding Ki Bullet, a remote-operated bullet of ki that Yamcha can manipulate how he likes.

Demon Piercing and Killing Light Gun, a Mazoku technique that pierces and kills.

This is not the same thing. These guys are screaming exotic English words to look cool while throwing hands. "RECOOME KICK!!!" Recoome screams in English as he throws a kick.

There is only one other character in Dragon Ball who fights like this.

That's right. Recoome Kick is the same kind of thing as Satan Miracle Special Ultra Super Megaton Punch. All shouted in English as well. The Ginyu Force is what Mr. Satan would be if he was as formidable as the world believes he is.

They're showmen, even moreso than the Earthling martial artists who were born for a tournament stage. Hell, some of Recoome's moves are inspired by pro wrestling.

They are the ultimate demonstration, both of the unquestionable might of the Planet Trade's human resources, and of the absolute waste that is the Planet Trade's capitalist philosophy towards martial arts. The PTO doesn't train warriors; They scout the strongest guys their money can buy and give them marching orders of "Get 'em." Their super-elites are no exception.

Except the Captain.

Much like Vegeta was with Nappa, Ginyu is the only one who gets it. He sees Goku's reading and immediately assesses that Goku's suppressing his ki. Ginyu knows his shit. He's just never drilled this kind of information into his soldiers, opting instead for cool-looking battle poses.

It makes sense that he understands ki suppression. He's Frieza's highest-ranking officer, and Frieza is the universe's unparalleled master at ki suppression. The lengths Frieza has gone to for the sake of suppressing ki....

But he hasn't taught it to his men. They're learning flashy modeling poses instead of martial arts.

I guess I can see the logic. Powerful as they are, why would it matter? Those three extraordinary warriors earlier were also suppressing their ki, but a range of 1k to haha actually 3k doesn't mean shit to the Ginyu Force. If nobody's true strength can match them then why waste time on tactical study?

But unlike his soldiers, Ginyu himself has the spirit of a martial artist. He doesn't waste time on battle poses or scream "GINYU FLYING PUNCH" in English when he throws a punch or do elaborate two-minute windups for his signature moves.

He's even pretty good at reading people. Ginyu lowballs Goku at 60k before the fight, but reassesses after he's traded blows with Goku a few times and estimates 85k instead.

Goku's official non-suppressed Battle Power at this point in time is 90k. So 85k is a pretty fucking good estimate for a guy who can't sense ki. Ginyu knows his shit. He's as reliant on tech as the rest of the PTO but he's experienced enough to have a strong understanding of what various levels fight like.

This is especially impressive when you remember that he's never fought someone at 90k before. Remember, further up, when he first judged Goku as 60k? He was getting excited about his lowball 60k estimate and saying he's never had a chance like this before.

If he's never fought 60k, he's certainly never fought 85k. He just. Knows enough about how lower levels fight that he can apply that knowledge and extrapolate to higher levels. It's an impressive estimation that demonstrates his experience. Ginyu isn't just the second-most powerful guy in the Planet Trade. He's the best martial artist in the Planet Trade, bar none.

He's also got a... theoretically cool ultimate technique that utterly sucks in practice: Body Change.

He may be the best martial artist in the Planet Trade but he's got nothing on martial arts master and analytical counter-fighter Son Goku. It takes Goku no time at all to realize that Ginyu's technique sucks. He doesn't know how to fight with Goku's ki.

Ginyu-Goku thinks this body will give him 180k BP because that's what he read on the Scouter when Goku used the Kaio-ken. But not only does Ginyu not know how to perform Kaio-ken, he doesn't even know how to use Goku's ki at all. It's not his. It doesn't work the same way. In Goku's body, Ginyu's reduced to a distressing 23k BP when Jeice reads him.

He's not just failing to put out Kaio-ken power. He's getting his teeth kicked in by Krillin. It's embarrassing.

I've heard the theory go around that Ginyu started out weak and worked his way up via Body Changing anyone that was ever stronger than him, but I'm not convinced that's the case. Because this right here? This seems like a critical flaw. It's hard to believe he'd be entirely ignorant of this drawback if he's ever seriously used this technique before.

Ginyu being incompatible with a Body Changed host's ki doesn't seem like something an experienced Body Changer would need Goku to explain to him. In practice, the hypothetically awesome technique is bad for reasons Ginyu wasn't able to foresee, not unlike when Tenshinhan brought Shishin no Ken/Multiform to the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai. Or Goku's first time attempting Super Saiyan 3 in a living body. Cool in theory but a massive fucking oversight costs him the entire fight.

This seems more likely to be something Ginyu, the only real martial artist in his crew, developed in his own time and showed off to his men. Something he's never actually stress tested, that he's been sitting on and waiting for an opportunity to use in the field.

Whatever the case, it pins an unexpected and interesting capstone on the Ginyu Force. They're a group of clowns who can get away with clownishness because they were born into unparalleled privilege. And they're led by a shockingly well-educated and capable martial artist who's never worked the kinks out of his ultimate technique for lack of adequate competition in a universe that could rarely hope to ever challenge even his weakest man.

[floating-mid-air]

Safe and Sound

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Fun Fact: Future Trunks was my first love as a kid, so it's nice to finally write something with him in it. This is also a bit shorter than my usual fic length, but I'm happy with how it turned out. As always, DM's/Comments are always open if you have any comments, questions, or concerns. 

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Masterlist

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Paring: Future Trunks X F Reader

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You slide the glass door open, stepping out onto the balcony. The crisp air of the night sends chills down your spine. Gently, you shut the door, not wanting to wake Trunks. You lean over the wooden railing, taking a deep breath, the fresh air invading your lungs. It's been a long day… a constant string of lengthy, neverending days. Bleeding into even worse nights.

You shift your gaze upwards, staring at the night sky. Small amounts of light illuminate from the stars, with no moon in sight. You weren't able to sleep. You never can, tossing and turning for hours before coming outside. Nights are just always the worst. Nothing is worse than absolute silence, with nothing but your thoughts to keep you company. 

Your heart flutters, your entire body growing stiff, as a loud creak comes from behind. Your body enters fight or flight mode, and in a split second, you instinctively press a button on your watch. A gun materializes from it, appearing in your hands. You aim it straight at the figure's head. "Woah, easy there." A familiar voice invades your ears. You immediately recognize the man standing in front of you as Trunks, his blue hair tousled, giving him a charming case of bedhead. Trunks holds up his hands. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

You sigh in relief, slowly bringing the gun down. Your hands tremble with every movement. "Fuck… sorry." You call out faintly, pressing the button once again. The weapon disappears from your hands. He takes a few steps towards you till he's standing right by your side. "Did I wake you?"

"No, not exactly." The blue-haired man shakes his head. "I just… can't sleep when you're not beside me." You turn to him, taking in his features. His blue eyes lack their typical shine, with notable bags under them. It looks like he hasn't slept in weeks. Your relationship with Trunks is complicated. You've never really had the time or the luxury to define it. Sometimes, you feel like a couple… other times, you feel like strangers. And yet, every night, you're beside him. Whether you sleep or not.

 "Rationally, I know we're not in danger," You mutter, turning back to the scenery. "But… every time I close my eyes. I see it. I see… him. It's like he's haunting me."

Trunks places his larger hand atop of yours, gently stroking it with his thumb. "I know what you mean. I get jumpy every time Goku's in the room." There's something about his touch that puts you at ease. Even the simplest gesture can calm your mind. He somehow always knows exactly what you need. You tilt your head, resting it on his broad shoulder. "We're timelines away. You're safe. We're safe."

"I know…" You speak softly, leaning on him. "It just feels like we can never catch a break. Things are too quiet; it's unnerving. There's this small voice in my head that won't shut up. Everything is just too… good."

"We deserve good. After everything we've been through." He intertwines his hand with your own, his long fingers tangling with yours. "There's been so many days… where I didn't think I'd wake up the next. I'm not sure if there will ever be a day when I'm not on edge. I know it's hard… but we can finally breathe for once."

"I don't know if I can. I feel like I'm always looking over my shoulder. Just waiting for the next awful thing to happen." You take a deep breath. "Though, there is one thing that makes me happy here."

"Yeah?" His eyebrows shoot up, a hint of curiosity in his voice. "What's that?"

"Well, it's us. Well, technically, not us. But the younger versions of ourselves." There's a piece of you that envies your younger counterparts. But it's greatly outshined by the comfort you find in it. They get to have the childhood you never had. "They're just so happy and carefree."

"I know what you mean. They get to have the lives we never had the chance to live." He laughs. "Though, they don't seem to like each other much." You've noticed that, too. The pair do not get along at all. You've seen them interact a handful of times. Little Trunks usually sticks to Goten like glue. Opting to stay away from the younger you. 

Several times, you've watched the miniature versions of yourselves fighting. Both physically and verbally. You'll never forget the looks on their faces when they found out that you and Trunks are kind of an item. They were appalled; it was hard for the kids to understand how any version of themselves could end up together. You, however, find all of their interactions adorable. But at the same time, it's a bit strange. It's like watching yourself... but it's an entirely different version of you. You see bits and pieces of yourself in her, but it's also like she's a completely different person. She looks like you did; she sounds like you did, but she hasn't had to grow up fast like you did. So maybe that's where the discrepancies stem from.

"Well, yeah," You grin. "The whole apocalyptic society made you so much less annoying."

He lightly swats your arm. "You're such a jerk," you giggle at his words. "But you're my jerk." 

"Ya… I guess I am." You sigh. Trunks is your rock. He's your stability. You haven't had a home in a long time… but your home is with Trunks. Whether it's a destroyed society or an alternative timeline. He's all you need.

"Hey..." He calls out to you softly. "Talk to me. I wanna know what's going on in that gorgeous head of yours."

"It's just. I wanna be carefree like that." You squeeze his hand, desperate to feel him closer. "I don't want to have to fear for my life... or yours ever again. First, it was the androids. And now it's that monster. It feels like it'll never end. Even if Goku and your father help us and take down Black. It feels like there will be something else around the corner."

"Hey, listen to me," he whispers, cupping your face with his hands. The warmth of his hands envelops your cheeks. "We're safe. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. You mean way too much to me. Everything I do. It's all for you… for us… for our future."

"You see a future with me?" Your eyes widen. 

"Are you serious? That's not even a question." The man scoffs at you. "I want you. I want to spend my entire life with you. And even after that. You're all I need."

"Trunks..." You breathly call out, your voice barely a whisper.

"I'm not done." He cuts you off. "I love you. And don't you ever forget that."

His words ignite a fire within you, filling your body with a warm sensation that causes your face to burn hot. "I... I love you too." Before you even know it, you're returning his affection. You know things will get better. As long as you have Trunks by your side. The first step to recovery for you is a sense of safety. And here in this moment, with Trunks by your side. You've never felt safer.

"Come on." He grabs your hand, pulling you back towards the door. "Let's get back to bed. We both need some sleep." He leads you back inside, straight to the bed. Maybe, for once, you'll actually get some much-needed sleep. 

[destiny-smasher]

What do you like about Nemona

Gahhh, fuck me, that's a bit hard to summarize.

But I have been meaning to do a write up to explain it to people in my personal life. Maybe this is a good excuse to get around to doing so. I'll try to cover the important stuff while not getting as deep into specifics as I honestly could. It'll still be an informal short essay, though, lol

In Pokemon SV, the player enrolls in a fancy Academy on a remote island nation of sorts (inspired by Spain). They meet Nemona after choosing their starter Pokemon, and Nemona offers to the school's director to adopt a starter herself to 'coach/mentor' the player character. You see, unlike any other 'rival trainer' before her, Nemona is already a Champion. Before your character sets foot in the Paldea region, Nemona has already gone through the entire song and dance of Gym Battles and all that, and attained the highest rank a trainer can in the region. She's completely obsessed with Pokemon battling and has become bored of being 'the best' because no one wants to battle her, for various reasons. So she views you, a newcomer, as an opportunity to test herself as a 'mentor/senpai/big sis' figure as well as essentially 'New Game+-ing' herself for sheer love of the game that is Pokemon battling.

People consistently call her 'the girl Goku', but I ain't seen Dragonball Z, so I can't comment on that much. But she is a very enthusiastic, cheerful, determined, battle hungry person who is very into self-growth and self-improvement. At the end of the day, she wants a true rival, someone she doesn't need to hold back with, and who she can look to as a consistent figure in her life. She is very eager and hyperactive about connecting with people through battling.

A lot of people who play the game get offput by her, and she gets branded as a 'yandere' archetype (ie obsessed with the player character to a horror-inducing degree). She gets meme'd as being 'creepy' and 'obsessed' and all that, depicting her eagerness as mental illness and a bad thing.

(gif from a fan animation)

When her behavior stems from positive emotions and a desire for mutual growth and connection, not specifically ownership or possession -- to Nemona, a person who just obeyed whatever she would want of them would defeat the point. That's not what a rival does -- they push back, after all. Within the context of the SV plotline, she is bored of being Champion all by herself, and wants to train someone else to reach her same level, which is why she is so invested in you, the player character, following you around everywhere and being that 'big sis' archetype. There's some selfishness in there, for sure -- she wants a proper rival for herself, someone she never has to hold back with -- but given her social obligations and reputation within the Academy/region, she also I think wants to prove she is capable of handling herself as a mentor figure, prove to herself that she didn't become a Champion by luck or accident (if she can help someone else do what she did, then it wasn't just a fluke, she really does know what she's doing, etc.), and also help prove to her fellow students that she's really not as intimidating as they think she is.

And yet, people both in AND out of the game are quick to write this intense, protective behavior off as 'insane' and 'creepy' -- and as someone who very regularly got called a 'creep' through to the end of college for literally just trying to make friends,' I almost take it personally when I see people label Nemona as a 'yandere' type. It has its comical use and all but I still find it kind of hurtful in a way.

(Art by MagDraws)

Because that's the thing -- if you pay attention to what little story there is in SV (it's not exactly a complex narrative), Nemona's character is essentially a metaphor for neurodivergent/queer people who have hearts bursting with affection and passion for their hobbies yet who struggle with loneliness and isolation as they put off most people from keeping them around.

But at the end of the day, Nemona is just neurodivergent, her special interest is Pokemon battling, and she is simply desperate for human connection -- and battles are just the way she feels most comfortable doing that.

And the world would be a better place if people like me or Nemona were able to become self aware at a young enough age to start managing our behavior, (which she is shown to be learning to do!) while ALSO having a general population that is more open-minded and understanding to the idea that 'oh huh that person's brain is electrically overcharged and they love people and hobbies maybe way way more than I do but that's FINE as long as they're not hurting anyone'

As a youth, I just... kinda got great grades, made honor roll, etc. And it felt like I wasn't really trying? So adults around me thought I was 'gifted', or 'naturally talented'. But in reality, I think I was just neurodivergent, and since I struggled to make friends, and physically wasn't able to see them outside of school due to various factors, I just... ended up focusing on my schoolwork instead. So that's one way I relate with her retroactively -- she is a model student, yet ironically has a bad reputation amongst many.

(HOWEVER, Nemona comes from a RICH family and I came from a poor one, there was some big racial tension dynamics at play in my early gradeschool years, familial breakup shit, soooo there's some very different dynamics at play there)

Another thing I adore about her and connect with in a way no one else in my life does -- she loves one-on-one competitions with others through battles. I don't love physically fighting people, I'm a super non-violent person in reality. But I love fighting games, it's my favorite genre. And there's specific philosophical elements to enjoying fighting games that I think most people don't click with that she and I do.

She is here to GROW, to learn, to improve, to have fun regardless of winning or losing, because the act of spending time engaged with another person, figuring each other out, testing yourselves mutually, is enjoyable and edifying regardless.

That 'warrior's path' of self improvement and enjoyment and growth regardless of the outcome of battle is something I very much connect with and it's great to see a character who feels likewise while also having elements of interpersonal struggles in spite of or even because of the way she functions differently than other people. Again, I don't know much about Goku, but I get the impression he is good at making and keeping friends, while Nemona is bad at it.

On top of this, Nemona has extra wrinkles to her character -- she's physically disabled. The game is vague about it, as Pokemon always is. But she wears an arm brace because she throws a LOT of pokeballs with all the battling she does, and she seems to have some kind of issue there, physically. Also, despite how GOOD she is at battling, she is terrible at catching Pokemon, and seemingly at doing the exploration aspects of being a trainer. She canonically has poor stamina and wears herself out easily -- which, given how high-energy she is as a person, probably happens constantly. So it's also strongly suggested that she spends time not just training all of her Pokemon (she juggles multiple teams, yet another fighting-game esque thing I relate with, as I tend to juggle many characters and not stick to a single main or team), but she also trains herself, physically, to try and keep up with her 'mons, but also as a means of self-growth/improvement in general.

I won't post the examples but trust me, there are many subtle but intentional nods alluding to her being physically disabled, and being BAD at core elements of what we expect a Pokemon trainer to be -- exploring the wilderness, catching Pokemon, etc. But she's so passionate about it, she doesn't let her limitations stop her,

So it creates an interesting internal tension imo because she is not only very queer coded, very neurodiverse coded, but ALSO disabled coded. But she hides her internal struggles by essentially avoiding having to confront them, generally speaking (which itself is ripe for narrative development). Sadly, the game never brings this to a head in way (it's Pokemon, so of course it doesn't). But the ingredients are all there, especially when you add characters like Penny, Arven, and Scarlet into account -- as well as implied expectations from her rich family, or from the leader of Paldea, Geeta, who implies she wants Nemona to be her protege. And I haven't even mentioned that Nemona is Class President, meaning she's actively taking on social responsibility for her peers even though she gets shit talked behind her back for being so obsessed with battling and getting in people's faces with her over-eager desire to bond with/battle them.

This right here -- this is the specific core element of her character I personally connect with that, somehow, no fictional character I've met so far has put into the exact right words with enough context for me to believe them.

From my youth to even now as a full grown adult, I have experienced this feeling my entire life, whether with family, at school, at the workplace, even in most online spaces -- an 'invisible wall' between me and everyone else, and for a VERY LONG TIME I had convinced myself it was because something about me was 'broken' and 'not right'. But now, in part thanks to characters like Nemona, and the discussions around/about said characters, I can see that my brain just functions differently from other people, and a I grow and self-teach myself how to manage my own behaviors/expectations, I can better appreciate all kinds of relationships in life without needing to let go of or sacrifice that internal flame that used to threaten to consume most people I cared about -- that fear of being 'too much' or 'too intense' in my own ways (ways better expressed through text interaction than in person, to be fair, but again, MOST of my social life has been online my entire life, so yeah).

Like Nemona, I found people in my life who accept me for who I am, and blablabla all that cliche shit. But in Nemona, as I do with a rare few other characters in media (Vi from Arcane, Luz from The Owl House), I see a specific element of myself I don't elsewhere, and sadly did not see often growing up. A balance between ferocity and determination paired with unending affection and love. A desire to never give up on people, no matter what, and to be open to change both internal and in others. In Nemona's case, specifically, that element of neurodiverse passion matched with sheer loneliness -- that 'invisible wall'.

No matter what, she never gives up, in battles or socially.

I could go on into specific examples but I've said enough here to get the ideas across, I'm sure.

Oh, and as a sidenote, I think she has a great character design -- it's SIMPLE but recognizeable. The combo of color-coded gear (red/white/black, my favorite outfit color scheme), a arm brace, and accented hair. Her design feels like a plausible human being, but with a bit of 'anime bangs' syndrome.

I should probably mention -- I don't like Pokemon SV as a video game! I am like 160k words of fanfiction into telling a Pokemon story and I think the game itself is stinky garbage barely holding itself together with duct tape and a corporate prayer.

But unlike any other generation of the franchise, Pokemon SV presents a cast of characters with defined personality strengths, weaknesses, and varied backstories, who start the game as strangers, and by the end begin to dip their toes into 'found family' territory. For the first time in the entire franchise, I actually give a shit about the characters, about seeing them grow and connect with each other, because the overarching theme of SV's story, what little it has, is about isolation, outcasts, loneliness, and how found families form.

And Nemona's kind of the heart of all of that, the endlessly hopeful, energetic, eager one that will never give up on you, that irrationally throws affection at you, seemingly for no 'good reason' -- because just being a person who tolerates her and her 'too much'-ness is itself reason to be grateful for your presence in a world where she feels isolated from most everyone else simply by being herself.

Maybe this answers your question!

[monosanimegenericzone]

Hunter x Hunter: troupe brainrot part what

okay i had some thoughts saved up

so with the flashback chapters + several months of brainrotting about these stupid bugs.

types of character progression arcs i think the troupe would have. thats just me tho

so by reverse engineering each member of the troupe i have a few definite conclusions of their character arcs based on other anime that i rather enjoy.

uvogin - wind breaker. i have not read the manga but this guy going from the strongest to THE STRONGEST is definitely fitting. plus learning how to do more with his fists than just destroy (pure headcanon fight me i love this man) is just really cool.

alt. just any generic shonen "power through and you win" character arc. eg. goku, deku,

like hear me out. he was already crazy strong, bro threw a brick so hard it made shalnark flip at least three times. (also shalnark's head is thick as hell for not DYING to that)

learning nen just opens the gate to this idea of being the strongest man on earth so all of his fights that actually count as fights would be his struggle to the death.

i dont know who exactly he fought that would ever make him struggle, but early days uvo having to gon-style power up to punch GOODER is going to consume my available brainspace until the day i die.

pakunoda - death note. tell me right now to my face that homegirl did not have to wrap the cops around her finger SEVERAL TIMES. homegirl has the suit jacket and all, she is rocking six figures AND the spider tattoo, i just know she had to lie her ass off to stay off record.

which she is. she is still off record by some fucking MIRACLE.

like she's the only one of the troupe i can see having an actual permanent estate away from home. we have no idea what the troupe does in their free time, but i know for damn sure she actually puts that money to good use.

SO I KNOW FOR DAMN SURE. she has gotten at least one detective on her ass connecting her back to the troupe that she has to conspiracy theory into believing its not her

i have a few good scenes stored up in my notes and god DAMN. she could put in some serious work.

shalnark - monster. johann liebert with a twist of lime. need i say more.

manipulator. the only one of the troupe that we know of. (illumi and kalluto dont count) so boy had to struggle on his own for inspiration.

add on the complete disregard for human life and this apparently flippant judgement of life and death and holy shit you've got one fucked up little dude. add on the lack of untraceable fingerprints and other dna and wow. that's ONE FUCKED UP LITTLE DUDE.

i dont know if he'd have one persistent guy after him his entire life. i think he keeps his trail clean. but good lord it'd be funny. imagine that's how he loses the long hair. he finally kills the tail that's been after him for 10 years and then makes the chop because he no longer needs the calling card.

nobunaga - demon slayer. its swords and martial arts. tell me to my face that ain't him. im watching demon slayer rn and all im thinking about tiny nobunaga getting his ass BEAT by old man sensei until he learns how to use the damn sword.

im sorry but i am loving demon slayer for the training arcs. i am throwing nobunaga onto that big ass mountain, throwing him in the river, throwing him into the dirt.

nobunaga getting the sass knocked the fuck out of him to a point he genuinely loves the art and carries that goofy aah sword around him everywhere.

i dont have a good third bullet. sword man go brr.

thought i had more but i do not. i mean i have a fully fleshed out bonolenov story arc but it does not map onto any outside characters i know. same with kortopi and mayyybe shizuku.

i'll revisit this when i have more thoughts but these are thoughts i have.

[rfswitchart]

What Redemption Means to Me

With the passing of Akira Toriyama as well as some things going on in my life, I think I'd like to talk about something that means a lot to me in writing... Redemption Arcs. Obviously, Vegeta's gonna be talked about here. Hunter from Owl House, sure. And I'll even throw Zuko from ATLA in here for free.

All three of them are considered evil right off the bat. They don't hide that they will do cruel and horrible things to either get their way or because it's fun. Then we find out that they weren't really evil so much as horribly abused and used to serve a purpose (Vegeta was basically handed to Frieza because King Vegeta and the rest of the Sayians were oppressed. Hunter did everything for Belos, who he thought was his uncle, and that Belos 'cared' for him. Zuko was 'dishonored' because his father said so, not to mention he got his face burned by his father.) And that their behavior is a reflection of the suffering and lives they've had. That, of course, is why we see them change...

Vegeta, on his dying breath in the battle against Frieza, basically told Goku everything about the fate of the Sayians, crying tears of anguish because he couldn't avenge his people after what the alien tyrant did. His heart changes even further when he has a relationship with Bulma and they have Trunks and Bulla. Does he lapse back into old habits and desire to defeat Goku? Sure. But even when he becomes Majin, he realizes that his family give him something strength can never give him. Love, the love of family long lost, and hope that his species will live on through his children.

Hunter, meanwhile, meets Luz and it made him question if helping his uncle is worth it. This was further compounded after kidnapping the Entrails when he realized he was hurting Willow and would rob them of their palismen to feed Belos and grant him a longer life. After seeing he was just a disposable puppet and clone of Belos brother (That he murdered,) Hunter fled to Hexside and eventually befriended Gus. Hunter lived a sheltered life and is saved by friendship and love (yes, Hunter and Willow were basically in love from the get go. Y'all need better media literacy if you think otherwise.)

Now, Zuko is a little different. Sure, the Gaang did help him figure things out and help him see the error in his ways, but who are we kidding. The thing that truly put Zuko on the path of good was his uncle, Iroh. Iroh never lost faith in his nephew, even when the boy lost his way and betrayed him. He always tried to show Zuko the right path to follow and give him advice when he needed it. Granted, it couldn't help Zuko make a decent cup of tea, but hey, he did at least come to understand what was right and gave him the tools to forge his own destiny.

Personally, I like these stories because my life has also been a redemption arc of sorts. Stop me if you've heard this one before. I was bullied and abused by family, classmates, friends, and lovers. I hurt people and lashed out because I was hurt and scared, even people I care about. And then, realized I messed up and having people who genuinely love and support me, I started to change into a better, more loving and compassionate person. Characters like Vegeta, Hunter, and Zuko are the kinds of people I am. People who have been misguided and done wrong, but also have worked hard to become much better people. No one is ever beyond redemption... I mean, unless you're Frieza, Belos, or Ozai. Fuck them.

[yeowangies]

Powerful

❧

PAIRING: Goku/F!Reader RATING: Explicit CONTENTS: Established relationship, Explicit Sexual Content. WARNINGS: PEGGING. WORDCOUNT: 876

Summary:

He had a mischievous, ardent gleam in his eyes that gave away what he had in mind the second he walked into the house that day.

Notes:

First submission for kinktober! I'm not doing every day, but I have plans to do at the very least 5 days (but hopefully I'll get to do more), and some prompts are intertwined with spooky, halloweeny themes 😈

Day 1: Pegging

You could tell what Goku’s mood was just by looking into his eyes. It was something that came with years of being together, understanding of each other in silence. You knew for sure he got you just as much, even things you tried to hide out of embarrassment or fear. 

When he came home from training in the evening, you knew for sure he had missed you. And immediately noticed that he hadn’t only missed you, but all of your body as well. Kissing you, touching you, pleasing you. He had a mischievous, ardent gleam in his eyes that gave away what he had in mind the second he walked into the house that day. 

It still took you a bit by surprise when Goku reached for the strap in one of your drawers when you were getting ready for bed. 

You didn’t do that often, and most of the time he verbally asked to do it. Your heart jumped in your chest when you saw him confidently approaching the bed while holding the toy and the lube in his hands. 

It was never a shock to see how unashamed Goku was about intimacy; you figured it had a lot to do with his upbringing (or lack of); yet it was still a thrill to see him squirm submissively while you got him ready, two fingers sliding in and out of his ass carefully, making him groan loudly every time you reached that tender spot inside. 

“Oh, fuck!” He grunted, eyes clenching shut and back arching when you curled your fingers just right. 

You couldn’t help but stare with eyes wide open. You’ve done this a handful of times but it was still crazy how Goku could open himself up for this, spilling curses that he rarely even saed in his daily life. You had his cock in your other hand, softly stroking, and he was already leaking.

How erotic, this sight of him, spreaded underneath you. 

Leaning down, you captured his lips in a sweet, messy kiss, pouring in it your adoration for him. Goku returned it just as sloppy, wrapping one arm around you, threading his fingers in your hair and tugging hard. 

“Honey…” He begged, looking at you through hooded lids, face red. “Put it in, come on…”

How could you say no?

Taking out your fingers, you sat up, keeping your eyes on his face as you repositioned yourself, nudging his rear entrance with the tip of the strap. 

“I like it when you beg.” You grinned, completely pleased. 

“I know.” Goku smirked, and your heart fluttered. 

The skin between your legs throbbed as you slowly slid the toy inside, stroking his cock at the same time. He didn’t particularly like a slow pace, and while you knew you couldn’t really hurt him, you always tried to be mindful at first, pulling in and out at a steady, careful pace.  

Goku kept his eyes on your face before lowering them to your hand on his dick for a brief moment. His smile wavered and his chest heaved as if he was under great stress. 

“Harder.” His eyes bored holes into yours while he reached for your hand, pushing it away from his dick and tugging at it to bring you closer. 

You complied, more than happy to do it. With both hands holding his hips, you pulled out before pushing back at once. Goku grunted, throwing his head back against the pillow as you picked up the pace, snapping your hips against his, aiming to please him. 

When you stroked his sweet spot, his back arched and he let out a loud, incredibly sensual moan that made heat pooled in your abdomen. 

“Fuck!” Goku groaned, smiling and with eyes shut. “Feels so good!”

You felt pride in being the only person to see him like this, the curves of his body showing off with every flex of his muscles as you snapped your hips against his with earnestness. Running a hand up his chest, caressing his skin, he flinched when you pinched his nipple, gasping just at the same time you thrust into him particularly hard. 

“You’re so fucking gorgeous.” You purred, settling your hand on his waist as you put all your effort into fucking him as hard and as fast as you could.

Goku was too far gone to even reply, you knew by the look in his eyes, darkly gleaming as he gazed at you. His cock was bouncing with your every move, smearing precum all over his abdomen, and you couldn’t keep your eyes away even if your life depended on it. 

You have been going at it for just a few minutes, but you immediately noticed he was getting close to his climax. Muscles tensing, jaw clenching, head lolled back. No matter how many times you witness it, it was always a sight to behold. He was truly beautiful, and it was all because of you.

The strongest man in the world, in the universe, flinching and flushing underneath your touch, completely and willingly submitting to you, to your touch and your thrusts and your kisses. You’ve never felt more powerful. And you couldn’t wait to do it, over and over again until he was completely satisfied. 

[tigsbitties]

talk to me about karin

Okay I yapped WAYYY more than i meant to um

Sexuality Headcanon: Bisexual probably. I don’t have any super strong thoughts about this is just feel it in my heart. I’m not sure if that’s something she knows about herself or not though. no time for dat goku. I’ve seen the specific take before that Karin is bisexual with a preference for women but subconsciously likes daan bc he’s effeminate and that’s fun i think. i dont need some queer eyepatched foreigner getting my dick hard :/

Gender Headcanon: I’ve tossed around the idea of him having transmasc swag before— not in a “rude and assertive woman has to be a man” type way (something i see people swear up and down is both common and a problem? but i literally almost never see anyone headcanon canonically female characters as eggs so what’s the truth.) but more so as an extension of the “i know i’m right about this why doesn’t anyone believe me” theme going on with his character (tangent unrelated to this but i think a character who was constantly gaslit growing up who now can’t accept being told they’re wrong about anything bc of the fear of being put back in that situation to be super fucking interesting. Karin i love you.) like spending your childhood being talked down to and having things you know to be factually true about yourself and the world around you be repeatedly denied is a transgender experience i think. i’m not sure in mainline canon this is something he’d ever fully figure out or act upon but you never know.

I think in a modern day au he’d have a deeply cringey teenage truscum phase because stupid fucking Dalia doesn’t believe he’s trans bc “you were such a feminine little girl growing up 🥺 who’s making you do this why are you drifting away from me after all i do for you 🥺🥺” so he takes out that pent up rage on Daan (also a teenager on tumblr in this hypothetical scenario) who he sends anon hate to for triggering his “second hand dysphoria” and will not believe daan when he says he’s cis bc he “types in all lower case” and “has a carrd” . they meet in person years and years later for unrelated reasons with no memory of this. This is a lot of words for a headcanon I don’t even follow consistently I realize.

also jesus pocketcat can you fuck off? he’s wearing his dysphoria jacket.

A ship I have with said character: I am a huge daarin guy to like a HUMILIATING degree. i know that’s like. the most basic ass redditor wholesome chungus ship choice a person could have or whatever but it’s something that canonically has a lot going for it i think. You have to understand that first and foremost i live for banter— which they have in spades, their party talks are so fucking funny. I love having them both as party members when i play through termina— god especially the one about Daan’s soft hands? Why do you know they’re soft? did you feel them? are you susssing this out by just looking? i don’t know which is worse. jesus christ.

but besides that i think this little bit encapsulates a lot about what i find interesting about their dynamic. Karin’s insistence that Daan, because he is visibly wealthy, must be prissy and fragile to over compensate for insecurity at coming from a well off family— completely unaware of the fact Daan has spent large chunks of his childhood fending for himself in the woods. Daan’s complete disinterest i’m giving a serious response because this is such a bizarre thing to get caught up in. “just making small talk” you’re unwell.

The two of them def go beyond “characters i ship for fun”. i do think they’re two halves a whole in that you need one to fully understand the character of the other— like Karin is someone born into aristocracy who has rejected it both because of the ways it’s hurt her (created a scenario in which a malicious adult had unfiltered access to her bc her parents were too busy to care for her making paying someone else to do it more convenient) and more broadly the way it hurts those at the bottom of the class system (which is most people) and how Daan is someone born and horrifically abused at the bottom of that system who managed to weasel his way up the ladder and gain the necessary tools and education to survive at the cost of making a spectacle of, and by extension reliving, that abuse.

Likewise i think the two of them have more aligned goals than they realize. At the end of the day i think both them genuinely really do want to help people— regardless of what subconscious hang ups or insecurities are part of that want. For as stand offish as she is and her tendency to antagonize those who probably don’t deserve it, Karin is deeply passionate about the welling being of others and will do anything she thinks is necessary for a greater good— even if it may come across as exploitative or insensitive. Like there is definitely 100% an element of ego to it— the idea of “if i help others then that makes me a good person™️ and i should be praised for being a good person™️” is totally there— but it’s not all there is to it you know?

Likewise Daan being a doctor coexists as both a testament to his own lack of agency in his life and how his body can be used and discarded how anyone else sees fit if it’s for a greater good and as something he does because he cares about other people and wants to put good into the world. Like even if he comes to the conclusion that the people of prehevil are too far gone to be helped in a way that matters, he still makes the effort to figure out if something can be done about it. And i do think it’s a testament to his character that he mentions his primary clients he sees are prostitutes— people who are made to feel ashamed and dirty for their occupation, something he can empathize with and would want to help without judgement. I like the argument Daan and Karin have in the slums about why these people are sick and what they should be doing about it, because at the end of the day no matter how badly their personalities may clash they want the same thing. Alright buddy you got two options here. you can either have someone help you to affirm their ego or as a form of self harm. those are your choices. choose wisely.

I also really like that like. Karin’s an atheist in the actual sense of that word where she doesn’t believe in gods or magic in a world where that stuff is very tangibly real and Daan is an atheist in the way characters in christian movies are atheists where they do believe in god they just have personal beef with him. do you understand. i like this party talk a lot

In general i think they strike such a good balance with their clashing personalities of having very real issues with each other that are interesting to explore while also having banter that is genuinely really fun to read in a game so often as unpleasant as termina. I’ve seen people complain about people watering down Karin’s “genuine hatred for daan” for the sake of fluffy ship content— and i can see that broadly from the angle of “art and fics about on these two tend to focus on them arguing in a light hearted cutesy without exploring why they clash in the first place” but also like? idk i think “genuine hatred” is a bit strong for what in the game itself largely leads to comic banter. I think there can be emotional complexity intertwined with lighthearted scenarios. I don’t think anyone’s light hearted daarin post canon is hurting anyone or necessarily means they “didn’t understand” the source material.

In general the appeal to me from a romantic standpoint comes in the form of seeing how these characters who have already established strong feelings towards each other in an incredibly short amount of time could potentially develop if given the chance to. And i don’t even think i see them ever “dating” per say? I think their relationships with the concept of romance in a traditional sense would be very complicated and not something easily applied to each other— but i think in a post canon scenario where they’re both still alive there’s plenty of opportunity for an emotional intensity to form there— one that’s not entirely negative or positive. I think like it or not they have the best chance at understanding each other, even if it takes work to get there. Also their soul types match. if you evennnn care.

TLDR: they’re this image to me

A BROTP I have with said character: I don’t think i’d have a strong opinion on it if it wasn’t for the sheer amount of cute art of them, but i’ve become super endeared to Karin and Abella. less “BROTP” and more “thing i ship just less than the thing i mentioned above” . not something i have incredibly strong opinions on currently but i’d love to listen to someone who does speak about it. OH OH ALSO the post about Daan, Karina, Abella, and O’saa being in a polycule? Literal Peak. that is like the perfect cast of characters we have reached scooby doo levels of perfect character group.

A NOTP I have with said character: Not a fan of her and Pav but not something i care about or think about that much.

A random headcanon: I can totally see her being the type of person who doesn’t like cats and thinks they’re obnoxious and asocial and yadda yadda until a stray sort of worms it’s way into her apartment and she can’t get rid of it and now she has a cat forever. Its so annoying and she hates it sooo bad (it is the most spoiled animal on the planet). I can also def see her needing to get glasses at some point— mostly bc i think it would look nice on her. adds an extra layer of “old man who wants to sit on his chair read his newspaper and smoke his pipe”ness to her. I also crucially think she has OCD but that is a topic way better suited for another day I HAVE YAPPED ENOUGH. OH OH and i know her jacket was probably given to her by one of her brothers which if true makes me wanna eat sand and die but it would also be really funny if the unspecified “he” who gifted it to her was like. a scorned ex lover. Daan and Karin being each others rebound is an idea that makes me laugh way harder than it should.

General Opinion over said character: Karin is definitely one of the fear and hunger characters of all time to me and it makes me really sad to see her get reduced to “bitchy delusional woman” bc of her, very understandable given the everything, paranoia and stubbornness. Her backstory especially fucks me up so bad i feel a little insane that i never see anyone talk about it? like jesus christ. I think she’s a character who is both deeply entertaining and has a lot of emotional depth that makes her really fun to poke at.

[ciaossu-imagines]

Using this reaction prompt, here are some scribblings for the Sanzo-Ikkou! I hope all my Saiyuki fans out there enjoy!

Send ‘You, my bed, NOW’ for the character’s reaction of your’s wanting to sleep with them.

Sanzo

Sanzo doesn’t like being given orders. At all. His first words in response would be along the lines of ‘Fuck off’ or ‘No’. And sometimes it’s because he’s really not interested in anything sexual at the moment and he’s just not feeling the mood but a good ninety percent of the time, it’s simply because he’s contrarian and doesn’t take being ordered around well at all and he’s going to refuse just to be a brat right back to the brat he thinks you’re being. If you genuinely want to instigate sex with Sanzo, this is definitely not the way to do it.

Hakkai

Hakkai will know exactly what you’re after. He knows what you mean and the look in his eyes and the slightly naughtier hint to his smile lets you know that he knows exactly what you want. But he will pretend he doesn’t know at all. He’s just so confused. Are you tired? If so, he’ll gladly tuck you in. Are you worried about his sleep? Because he’ll reassure you that he’s sleeping fine lately but thank you for your concern. He’s going to tease you so much with his feigned ignorance because, seriously, that was your attempt at seducing him? He’s torn between the fact that he thinks you’re cute being so forward and the fact that he wants you to put a little bit more effort into seducing him. He’ll at least guide you into a spot where he’ll have you saying more of things he’d like to hear from you to instigate sex and you’ll probably learn to never pull that line on Hakkai again.

Gojyo

So, Gojyo’s a pretty simple man sexually and if you say that to him…well, who is he to refuse a request from someone so gorgeous. So his only reaction would be to smirk, say something like ‘yes ma’am’ and…well, get to your bed right away.

Goku

Goku is initially going to be really confused, at least in the moment. It doesn’t matter if he has a little bit of sexual experience by then, he’s still always going to be pretty pure-minded. His initial reaction is definitely going to be wondering why you want him to go to your bed and his first words would be something along the lines of ‘But I’m not really sleepy’, because that’s what he’s assuming. He’ll fully tell you that, if you’re tired, he wants you to go to bed but he’s just not really ready for bed yet and that he’ll come sleep with you later. It’s going to take a pretty significant amount of time for Goku to clue into what you had actually meant by that statement, at least a couple of hours unless one of the others let him in on your meaning behind the words. When he does figure it out though? Boy is going to be kicking himself HARD.

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball Super 048

What’s that?  The Zamasu Saga doesn’t suck enough?��  Well, what if we throw in some Pilaf!

In the future, Trunks flies into a rage and attacks Goku Black for killing (ha!) Mai.  But it doesn’t work.  Black is too strong, so all Trunks can do is throw his sword like a boomerang to spoil Black’s aim, then use a Masenko to cover his escape. 

By the time Black locates Trunks, he’s already launched the time machine, and he disappears into the past before Black can figure out what’s happened.  All he knows for sure is that Trunks is gone.

Meanwhile, in the present day main timeline, we find this world’s Trunks doing a math class in his home.  I guess Bulma hired a tutor or something.   Also, he’s got Pilaf, Mai, and Shu taking the classes with him. 

This is another huge problem with this arc.  In a lot of episodes, time is pissed away by having the Pillaf gang uselessly comment on whatever is happening.  We’ll see this demonstrated later, but in this scene Pilaf does a whole bit when Trunks struggles to solve a math problem.  Everything just turns into this long, drawn out nonsense whenever Pilaf is nearby, because he doesn’t understand what’s going on with the plot, and no one ever explains it to him, and yet he feels compelled to babble endlessly about it.  And the people making this show thought you really wanted to see every second of this. 

There is a scene here which I appreciate.  I must have missed it on the first viewing in 2016, but Mai thanks Trunks for letting them live in the Capsule Corp. building.  This happened off-screen, but according to Trunks, they seemed to be having a hard time, and the house has plenty of rooms, so why not invite them to live here?  The way the Pilaf Gang have been lurking around so many major characters lately, it’s probably not much of a stretch that they ran into Trunks recently. 

The point of this, of course, is that Trunks is sweet on Kid Mai, which is meant to reflect the apparent relationship between Future Trunks and Future Mai.  This saga keeps insisting that this somehow matters, but it never leads to any profound connection.  Pilaf and Shu keep talking about it anyway, though, so that’s another tedious thing to sit through.

While they eat lunch on the balcony, they notice the time machine arriving in the backyard, and Trunks is astonished to find his future self inside.  Of course he doesn’t realize it’s his future self just yet.  Starting out, he’s just confused by the resemblance, and he doesn’t understand why Bulma keeps calling him “Trunks” too.  Pilaf speculates that Future Trunks is actually a secret love child Bulma had long before she married Vegeta. 

Much of this episode is an obnoxious game of telephone.  Trunks gets Pilaf to get Shu to get Bulma, who then tells Whis to tell Vegeta to tell Goku to tell Korin to get a senzu bean for Future Trunks.  This is like watching someone dial a phone in a movie.  You don’t have to show this part, dammit!

Also, everyone keeps freaking the fuck out in this episode, which is just really annoying. 

Oh, Korin’s playing limbo.  But he admits he doesn’t enjoy it much. 

So Trunks finally gets his senzu bean and wakes up to see his parents and Goku.  And he attacks Goku, mistaking him for his mysterious enemy in his own timeline.  And that’s the cliffhanger. 

Oh, and Beerus and Whis tagged along, because they have absolutely nothing to do with this nonsense, and shoehorning them into a story arc is just one more bad move to add to the pile. 

That’s a nice gazebo, though.   Gohan and Videl probably made out in there once or twice, don’t you think?  Sorry, I’m just trying to distract myself from this.

[basedkikuenjoyer]

Oh darn, I forgot my queue ran dry. But it's a nice, rainy day off and an old story has been on my mind. Let's call it Thursday Afternoon Toriyamaposting this time. I like Dragon Ball. Especially colloquially to mean I like the part where Goku's a weird kid from the mountains. The Z arcs have some fun parts but it's just such a roadmap for what I don't like in anime in others but I loved early Dragonball. It has a magic that made it so popular, really hitting at that common trend of popular manga featuring a clash between old and new. The Red Ribbon Army saga is where that fully feels like it comes o fruition which is why I love it so much.

It all starts with Muscle Tower, which like a certain first act I'm extraordinarily fond of works as an overture. This little moment has always been a favorite though. Girl save Goku, tells him of troubles, he sprints off to smash them, a young Eiichiro Oda is taking notes. But here Goku stops and figures out what snow is for the first time. The theme won't fully mature until the great side story of going to the city to find Bulma but it's here. Up until now Dragonball's world was hard to get a good grasp on. The Red Ribbon Army was a great vehicle to solidify that through. What technology they had, their operations beyond the magic balls that could make Red taller. Talking about inspiration, I wonder how much Toriyama took from Cyborg 009 here. That one wasn't afraid to rip from ongoing Cold War headlines, but the RRA clearly draws from the Axis Powers. Which by that point felt quaint and campy. Seriously, even the relatively clean landmark Japanese manga of the 80s has the hero dunking on foppish Germans and Japanese caricatures. Speaking of.

Then you have this weird usage of a past series. Arale and Penguin Village just end up being a theater of combat because fuck you that's awesome. Goku should have brought Arale to Namek. Look how fearsome she is. But honestly, also cool how the Red Ribbon Army keeps coming back. My favorite part of Z is when we're dealing with rogue androids of their making. Because you have 8 in this early part of the original arc it ends up being one of the most brilliant connections in the whole series. Saw they had come up again in Super, probably need to check that out.

[dballzposting]

hey i just related a probably significant life experience to dragon ball and thought you would give me the least normal answer out of anyone i could ask

so i just got back from therapy with my glasses BROKEN IN HALF in my pockets because i was so tense and crying so hard I CRACKED THEM LIKE A FUCKING PENCIL WITHOUT EVEN NOTICING WHILE TRYING TO CLEAN THEM

and i remembered "hey GT Trunks had glasses" so i wanted to ask you specifically if you think that might have been something that happened to him too because i feel like he could very well get to that point of stress in GT specifically like in a meeting he would get so stressed but try to disguise it and try to clean his probably fake glasses and end up breaking them in half

also it could work in your brain as well because i figure that getting bullshit pseudo psychoanalyzed by SON GOTEN would do that to him too but i don't think he would cry in that kind of situation i feel like hes too Vegeta to cry if Goten ever said something remotely true about him in his rambles spawned via Gohan books he should not have been reading because you know how a broken clock is right at least whatever the fuck the saying was?? well i feel like if that ever happened Trunks would just instinctively break anything he had in his hands at the moment or alternatively if Goten said something so wrong it offended Trunks to the point of violence, which should be a lot because he probably prides himself in being civilized and The One In Control when he really fucking isn't but he tries to be even if its pretty fucking shallow he gets points for effort

Also Future Trunks would probably break something he was holding by accident if you scared him, kinda guy to go super saiyan on accident actually even if it's like once in a blue moon because personally at least i think Future Trunks LOOKS like he would a very calm and understanding person and he is about trivial topics! but he's very emotional and prone to anger otherwise, at least TEEN Future Trunks is very prone to act first before thinking even if it might seem that is not his preferred approach to most situations but like he does act rather rashly all throughout Z so i feel like you could scare him into breaking something or anger him enough to make him go super saiyan accidentally (additionally he would feel bad after realizing he had broken something because yknow when you don't grow up with much you don't really wanna be breaking shit even if your situation gets like better and all? not something that would happen to present trunks, who is rich and should be kicked in the balls or something)

But then again there is Old Man Super Future Trunks (He is forever 17 lol)(He is a 30 year old man in Super)(So he's not even that old but like even Goku looked at least a bit older at 30)(Actually no he didn't he kind of looked the same he did at 18 at 29 never mind) Who i believe is a lot more calm by nature of just being.. Sadder. That is a sad man right there he is pretty fucking miserable but he still has hope he always has hope that's his thing anyway he is soo sad i don't think you could scare HIM into breaking anything or turn him super saiyan on accident i feel like he has his strenght under control these days and if you made him angry enough he would have a very toned down reaction unless it was like a universe threatening deal in which case he would go berserk like he would've as a teenager yknow as he does

also back to the glasses.. I like the idea of the glasses not being fake for some reason i think trunks should get glasses since saiyan hybrid vision CAN deteriorate as seen with Gohan being BLIND AS FUCK so i feel like at some point Trunks would end up damaging his vision since well- i'm pretty sure it was just like flavor text somewhere but Future Trunks enjoys tinkering with machines and as we previously discussed (months ago the fucking bra electric car saga) Trunks would probably be alright with hardware at least, so i find it fun to think that young Future Trunks would try to like fix the dragon radar or something and he'd be either holding it comically close to his face or he'd be completely hunched over like a shrimp and Bulma would walk in and be like "Ooh there is something wrong with his eyes. fuck." and Future Trunks would be like "Oh yeah that makes sense.." and his Gohan never really got to the point of needing glasses but he would probably choose something Gohan would have for his new frames

And if Present Trunks was in that same situation he would drop to the floor defeated and punch it like he was just told he was gonna die tomorrow because he thinks glasses are for nerds and he isn't a fucking nerd and he would refuse to wear them and years later he would be like "Shit i do need glasses alright i'm the smart one anyway i can rock that shit"

This would however not happen to "relatively normal for a saiyan" grown ass man GT Trunks. He would notice if something was wrong with his eyes and get his dumb fake glasses some real lenses.

ok bye goodnight i have nothing else to say EXCEPT look at this picture i found in trunks' wiki

that's it. buenas noches, gente *se cae la lona en la carpa de circo y quedamos a oscuras*

i think it's important to get that sort of energy out when you have it .. Im glad your broke your glasses. But the expression of such energy is more effective and consummate when you are really aware of how your body feels when feelings come on and when you move your muscles. Next time you should break your glasses with more attention and purpose and while really feeling through how it feels to engage those muscles in order to discharge the energy mobilized more efficiently. if you can. for greater healing. If it's not overwhelming in the moment . Not that I care or anythinf .....

Trunks takes his glasses off to clean them as a way to create space between himself and what bullshit these executives are spinning in his meeting room .. And then he looks down and in his hands there is just. Shards. Crumbs if you will

THANK YOU for seeing and acknowledging that Goten "bullshit pseudo psychoanalyze[s]" him. Thank you for knowing that it's bullshit and inspired by his cursory-not-really readings of Gohan & Videl's books. It's so important

I think that it's interesting to see Trunks as someone who purposefully keeps himself composed and calm, even in front of Goten, ESPECIALLY in front of Goten, because Goten just does not work like that. And with all of his time with Trunks, he should be able to see through Trunks's exterior, so even if Trunks is putting up a front (which Goten would take offense to since theyre such good friends), Goten would see through it no problem. And if Trunks doesn't succeed and in that moment breaks his glasses in his hands, Goten would probably definitely notice.

I don't know what he'd say ... Goten would be on again about Trunks's emotional armoring and how his circumcision factors into that (he had a brief conversation with Videl about certain theories by Wilhelm Reich ONCE and now he thinks he knows things and he believes what little he knows 100%). And Trunks takes his glasses off to rub his eyes because he's sick of hearing about his circumcised pingo. And then Goten says something about how Trunks's skin always goes cold when Goten tries to give him kissies and Goten thinks it's because that Trunks rejects the feelings of affection in that moment because he doesnt trust Goten with his feelings since Goten, despite always being emotionally available, has always been player 2 and the younger one, and Trunks doesnt think he can trust little Goten with his feelings + he doesnt want to burden him with that + to give Goten his feelings would admit that Trunks isn't that grand or cool and that his momentous inner self is actually totally manageable, thus retroactively delegitimatizing the way that he's kept to himself his whole life, tobbling Trunks's entire self-image. And Trunks wants to say that this is bullshit but he wants to put his glasses on first and he moves to do that but they're just fucking shattered in his hands

Very interesting about Future Teen Trunks ... I definitely thought that he was calm, careful, and utilitarian. But I also remember watching it and feeling strongly "you can tell he's 17" and maybe that's what I was seeing? The passionate conviction that is perhaps orchestrated with more fire than is due? If he accidentally broke something he would have a proper burial for it like Gohan taught him.

Future Trunks in dragon ball super would not break anything ever becasue he's trained himself not to but I think that deep down he still wants to. He feels feelings and he just wants to squeeze really hard. He just wants to snap something. But he refrains. And that sucks

Future Bulma WOULD notice her son's eyesight. Present Bulma would not. This is becasue she does not notice that her own eyesight is not thsat good. She would be like "here put these goggles on so you can see better" she doesnt think like "hey maybe he and I should wear glasses ALL of the time" becasue she deosnt need to see that well unless building something sooo. Lol. Her vision is good enough. When everyone else can see something she can't she assumes it's just because they're a warrior and they train. If she saw her son hunched over trying to build something she would be like "Stop playing all those video games, you're ruining your eyes!" and then she goes to stare at a screen for 11 hours coding something

Im glad you remembered Bra Software Legend i really liked all of that

HE WOULD FALL TO THE FLOOR AND START PUNCHING IT!!! HE'S NOT A NERD!! But then later he would be cool with it because it makes him look smart and he IS the smart one anyway so it works. HE JUST CHANGES THE CONNOTATIONS OF THE GLASSES SO THAT IT SUITS HIS SELF-IMAGE .. so that he can justify WEARING THEM and BEING ABLE TO SEE!!! thats so perfect ... he just redefines reality

You're right if GT Trunks had to put real lenses in his frames then he would. And quit it with this shit

That's a nice picture Vegeta's such a cunt

*circus closes for the night*

[thelastsaiyanprincess]

Did you read or watch em all? It took forever for me to go back and read DB but in my defense, it wasn’t on Cartoon Network when I could watch it.

Or if you wanna crack open a surprisingly vitriolic topic: what is your stance on Bulma and Yamcha lmao

i watched them all!! there's a bunch of filler that i skipped like the stupid garlic jr arc and the other world tournament but ive seen a good 80% of it! at some point i'll go back and watch the rest of the dbz movies and filler cuz i wanna see goku and piccolo learn how to drive 🥴 and then the scene when goku fights caterpie and gets... well, y'know 🤫

BUT OK SO REGARDING BULMA AND YAMCHA (putting this under the cut because it turned into a doctorate essay)

aight so boom

i want people to keep in mind that these two met as teenagers. they were still basically kids, they both dreamed of having the perfect boyfriend/girlfriend, and their chance meeting seemed like fate. right? well, one hard lesson u learn when you get to be my age 👵🏽 is that people change drastically from ages 16-21. you're discovering who you are, struggling with figuring out what you want in life, struggling with growing up and suddenly being an adult and not knowing wtf you're supposed to do. what happened to bulma and yamcha is something that happens to a lot of high school sweethearts.

they grew, and they grew apart.

realistically, i think this is what happened. yamcha got over his fear of women and gained some confidence in himself once he got comfortable being around bulma. he gained some fame as a martial artist and started interacting with other girls, maybe started to get along with them better than he did bulma and started to question if the two of them were really compatible.

bulma probably learned that she shouldn't just choose a guy just cuz he's attractive and for the sake of having a boyfriend. maybe she wanted something out of the relationship he couldn't give her. or maybe she realized she didn't actually like who he was, and had been blinded by her attraction to him.

there's a million hypothetical reasons why it didn't work out, but this much is true. bulma and yamcha's relationship was always kinda rocky. even in OGDB they were constantly fighting. i don't think yamcha necessarily "cheated" on her, but i think their problems came to a head at one point and things could've been interpreted that way. unhealthy relationships can get really messy, especially when you're a young adult, and ESPECIALLY if it's your first relationship.

i know there's that controversial Future Trunks line that people say was mistranslated ("Mother said he was unfaithful.") but even toriyama himself made a comment in an interview saying yamcha was a fuckboy lol. even though that was mostly said in jest.

me personally, i don't think he outright cheated. i imagine/headcanon that he probably did something dumb as fuck, and bulma interpreted it as cheating. or maybe he just simply couldn't commit the way he wanted to and that hurt her. either way, yamcha is still a stand-up guy, and i don't think it's fair to assassinate his character just to dunk on him with VegeBul. and this is coming from a VegeBul stan!! i mean, they were on friendly terms even after she had Vegeta's baby and married him! so clearly she still valued him as a friend. i don't think she would've invited him around if he was truly this horrible cheating bastard.

[nnugatoryextravagance]

YO YO YO!!! I HAVE SILLY QUESTIONS!!!

1. Out of all your ocs, which one is your favorite?

2. Out of all your ocs, which one could beat up goku and how

3. Do you prefer cats that go "mrep" or cats that go "mrow"

4. If you have a fursona, what species is it? If you don't, what would the species of your fursona be?

5. Your Most hated food?

6. Your Most hated musical artist/band

And finnaly

7.

Oh my sweet god I owe you my life I love answering silly questions

1 - Favorite is definitely my boy Onycraft..... the fucking guy ever I stopped using him for a hot minute but ngl I couldn't be happier to have brought him back, probably corny to pick my oldest oc ever but call me ohio because im corn as fuck

2 - Ok this is almost definitely cheating but i think, safest bet would be my guy Alendren solely because hes from some race of space giants who literally create planets and goku would be like a tiny bug in his hand

In terms of a relatively fair-er fight though (not immortal and not unfathomably massive) I'd probably go with my other guy Yoholeio, due to both him being a very skilled marksman who collects guns and me currently having no reason to beleive that you cannot just shoot goku if you tried hard enough even though I know you said "beat up" but the idea of some middle aged monster guy shooting goku is too funny to me to not mention (I have not watched dbz in, probably a solid decade btw but its ok)

3 - My god I could never possibly choose, my cats do both....... mrep mrow dual weilders when I get out their food or when I exist anywhere ever

4 - Unless a palm tree counts as a fursona I dont, but I think if I had one it'd probably be... star nosed mole, I love those thangs also because i cant fuckig see and my legs are weird and I yearn for the soil

5 - Green Beans, worst thing I have ever eaten in my entire life and bear in mind I have literally eaten dry dog food before, I would genuinely eat shitty cheap brand dog food kibble before ever eating green beans again, I WILL die on this hill

6 - Thats honestly a really hard choice because theres, so many that I hate but its like not due to their music I just hate the people, also I am terrified of bringing any discourse near me because all the ones that come to mind first are other figures on the internets and im paranoid

7 -

[skeleetrom]

I finally figured out why I'm such a fan of SSJ4 Vegeta, especially compared to how much I love Goku and Gogeta in the same form.

It's the fucking skinny jeans.

More specifically, it's how hard they clash against the fur color and how they make Vegeta appear almost top heavy compared to Goku and Gogeta's very baggy pants that are both in warm colors. So I made a (very rough) minor edit to the design, keeping the civilian clothes look but changing their size and color. Turned the top of the pants into almost a belt because I liked how it looked.

What do yall think?

The edit itself is Frankensteined together from this Dokkan render and manga panel. I originally wanted to use Super Vegeta, but I couldn't find a good enough pic of his legs.

[evilkitten3]

#Vegeta#king vegeta#clone vegeta theory#i have actually seen the clone Vegeta idea before as well#and I did sort of think about intentionally engineering him for durability#But I was thinking about it from the angle that if I knew my species got stronger from almost dying and I wanted the strongest kid#id want to make a kid who was extremely good at almost dying#which means being very good at not actually dying#Not as a way to have him last longer with Freeza rip#anyway they should slap a GMO sticker on Vegeta for this

^also very good and YES omg give that boy a sticker

i am pretty impressed that you read my whole infodump and more than happy to respond!!!!

the idea behind the steward(s) finding a new successor was that, as children of the previous king, they would of course want to be sure that whoever succeeded their parent was strong enough that they would have been able to beat them if they'd been born sooner, but a lot of it is pretty shaky bc like many empires there was a certain "we can't possibly fail!" vibe going on (*cough*rome*cough*), so it's relying on an assumption instead of a fact. vegeta ii had her strengths and weaknesses and her self-confidence was both of those.

vegeta iv is aware of most of this. some he learned prior to getting shipped off to frieza, and some he bullied out of nappa after raditz made a comment about how both he and vegeta had been named against tradition (gine did not give a single flying fuck about tradition, to the point where if saiyans had lasted long enough for her to be considered an older historical figure, she would've driven historians absolutely bonkers trying to figure out What This Lady's Deal Was). however, he mostly chooses to believe that his dad totally thought he'd be strong enough to beat frieza, which is something he seems to have decided was his job after the planet blew up - all vegeta iii explicitly told him to do was survive (oops did someone get attached to their clone son? for shame)

an absolutely massive part of saiyan culture, manufactured or not, involved pride, and while actual family connections as we understand them on earth weren't much of a thing (to be fair, it's hard to have a loving family when your whole species is biologically designed to feel mostly Fight), there was some semblance of familial honor– hence why vegeta feels that trunks defeating goten is an acceptable stand-in for beating the then-dead kakarot himself, but also why raditz reacted so violently to... basically everything about goku. bc of that, the idea of stewards (what the king's children become if the king dies before anyone kills them) was that the ex-princes wouldn't want to disrespect their own lineage by implying that their parent could've been beaten by someone unfit to be king

escallion is someone i would genuinely love to talk more about but i actually do plan to write something with her in it at some point, so i want to keep some things to myself. however, there are a few things i don't mind sharing:

escallion was a natural birth, which was rare bc most female saiyans would rather be fighting that carrying a baby, and while you definitely can do both, it's a bit inconvenient. bc of this, natural births became associated with feats of strength (they aren't– gine gave birth to most of her kids the natural way; saiyan women have a much lower obstetric death rate than human women for... a lot of reasons) and touga felt that as the partner to the new king she needed to prove herself. escallion's birth actually added to that superstition bc of her unusually high power level at birth. escallion and vegeta iv didn't hate each other, but they had a very difficult time getting along bc circumstances sort of put them as rivals for future king-ness, and also bc vegeta iv was the saiyan equivalent of a massive nerd (read: kept breaking into the archive to read books and learn things). more on her eventually.

ok so i'm gonna need to make an entirely separate post for my hc of saiyan names, but to sum it up: saiyans aren't given names when they're born. they're given numeric placeholder names, as saiyan infants have a very high mortality rate, once they've lived at least a year (usually two or three) they get a child name, and once they pass what's basically a "does this kid have any chance at all of reaching adulthood" test, they get a "true" name. as mentioned earlier, gine gave all her kids their true names right out the gate, so that's why kakarot has an actual name instead of a number name.

in vegeta's case, frieza basically just said "well he's gonna be vegeta eventually so skip the process bc i don't care about your culture", which resulted in vegeta being almost exclusively addressed as "your highness" or "the second prince" by pretty much everyone but his dad (touga mostly just said "boy", which doesn't have the exact same implications as it does on earth, but is still kinda odd). he actually doesn't really remember this bc the planet blew up when he was like five and both nappa and raditz got used to calling him vegeta pretty quickly. he only knows this now bc of the aforementioned bullying-nappa-into-answering-his-questions. he's less insecure about it than he otherwise might be bc at that point nappa was the only (known) living saiyan who'd gone through proper naming traditions, but it still annoys him that he never killed his father like he should've (to be clear, there was never a point where vegeta wanted his father dead, and this irritation is almost certainly stemming from denying that he's sad his dad is dead)

saiyans are pretty much entirely fight-oriented to an almost comedic degree. the saiyan language has words separating things by gender/sex, but the vast majority of them are pretty much exclusively medical terms, so it'd be very weird to use them in every day conversation unless you happen to be a doctor. the only real exception are the words for an individual's parents and even those are flexible unless one parent actually gave birth naturally. bc of this, there's no separation in the saiyan language between words like "prince" and "princess"; it's just the same word. bc many earth cultures view women as weaker, a female saiyan raised in a saiyan society who showed up on earth would probably refer to herself with mainly masculine terms (not necessarily with pronouns, but with basically everything else– i.e., "prince", "king", "lord", "mister", etc.; a female saiyan would be very unlikely to use a word that her translator told her implied weakness in any way. the exception, as always, being gine, who is generally considered by most saiyans to be kind of a weirdo at best anyhow)

saiyan relationships are sorta like. the opposite of how it works on earth, in a sense. "romance" isn't really a thing. not that they don't experience what humans would understand as romantic feelings, but more that they don't really differentiate between that and other ways of having strong attachments to people. if two people are attracted to each other and want to bang, they can just. go do that. a saiyan wanting to be in an exclusive one-on-one relationship with another saiyan is seen as very strange unless it's royals, which is really more of a political partnership than anything else (and even then it's generally assumed they'll sleep with other people if they feel like it). there are exceptions- the word for this translates basically to "exclusives". an exclusive can either be a saiyan that actively wants to be in a one-on-one relationship, or a saiyan that doesn't necessarily desire that but chooses it anyway bc they like a certain exclusive enough to drop everyone else for them. having said that, people in exclusive relationships don't typically refer to the latter of those two definitions as exclusives; they're usually called "others" (example– bardock and gine would both be considered exclusives by society at large, but between the two of them only gine would be referred to as such, while bardock would be "Gine'Bahl" (gine's other) or just "Bahl" (only by gine herself; it literally means "my other")

@blueper-saiyan

#Not sure if I’m allowed to pull out these tags as a separate reblog#but that is an interesting and fucked up theory I like it#and absolutely want to hear the long version#vegeta

you absolutely are as far as i'm concerned but since op's post was getting a bit long i'll respond here

dbz always reblog i have a theory that there's actually a reason for this it stems from my theory that vegeta's mom doesn't exist bc he's a clone of his dad basically it eventually become obvious that frieza was going to take whichever kid was heir to the throne so king vegeta (kv i guess) went ''aight we need a Super Baby (no tuffles allowed) and i'm the coolest guy on the planet. need a baby me'' so he gets a bunch of the buffest nerds imaginable (be real saiyan scientists like the job bc they get to fight physics) and start working kv: i need this kid to last as long as possible we're gonna need to buy some time scientists: got it boss *proceed to make the universe's most ridiculously hard to kill infant* how's this kv: excellent. frieza catch! frieza: oh this is adorable! i'm going to traumatize it =) <-an extremely brief summary of my hc

(^the tags in question)

ok so first there are a couple of things i need to get out of the way ahead of time– namely, i'm not the first person to come up with the vegeta-is-a-clone idea; the first person i saw with that idea was someone who wrote a fic i read a while back that i'm blanking on the name of at the moment, and while their version is massively different from mine, the core concept of clone!veggie is more or less the same

the second thing is that i get way too into world building sometimes and so a lot of pieces of my hcs get mixed up with one another and often don't fit in with established canon (which isn't like abnormal or anything but i want to clarify that i already know some of this doesn't perfectly slot up. in my defense the db timeline doesn't even match up with itself half the time)

the final thing is that while i've seen bits of the anime and the first handful of super episodes, i'm mostly a manga fan, so i view any non-manga parts of dragon ball as free real estate

buckle up, i was not kidding about the length (*immature snickering*)

SO.

first and foremost the relationship between the tuffles and the saiyans: the tuffles are described as being a peaceful yet technologically advanced race, but in my hc, they're a bit more complicated than that. for starters, i don't see how a supposedly peaceful race is going to have high-tech blasters, and while it's possible that they're for defensive purposes, it... really doesn't give off that vibe. also they were super into some fairly questionable science, some of which objectively involved human experimentation (or... humanoid experimentation, i guess)

jumping back to the future for a sec: gohan. gohan is a half-human, half-saiyan male hybrid, and while two separate species somehow producing a hybrid child isn't unheard of, male hybrids are almost always completely infertile. and yet, gohan grows up and has a kid (another explanation is gohan and videl are t4t, which i also love, but it doesn't really fit into this). so how are saiyans and humans not only capable of reproducing together, but capable of having children that can also reproduce? my theory here is that saiyans are genetically modified (early) humans– tuffles arrived on earth sometime prior to homo erectus finishing the jump to homo sapiens, grabbed a handful of various lab rats, and got to work.

this would also explain why saiyan tails look the way they do. to elaborate, here's a spider monkey skeleton:

notice how the tail is made up of more vertebrae that continue along the same curve as the rest of the spine. meanwhile, goku's tail looks like this:

it juts straight out, almost perpendicular to his spinal cord. to me, that does not look like how tails work– it looks grafted on. in the video game kakarot, bulma even makes goku a fake tail for him to fish with that he can just... stick right on there. i know dragon ball science is already broken af (someone please explain to me how dr briefs isn't basically a deity for inventing capsules), but if the tail is a genetic trait that didn't evolve naturally, it makes some sense (in the way anything in dragon ball makes sense, that is)

so– saiyans are a highly adaptable species that seem to be able to eat basically whatever, can both endure and dish out catastrophic amounts of damage, are biologically driven to fight to the point where it's hard to imagine how a society full of them could function at all, get stronger whenever they recover from being seriously injured, can transform into giant apes, and yet have a glaringly obvious weakness that can pretty much completely incapacitate them if you know about it? they seem designed for war, and not in the natural evolution-is-just-funny-like-that-sometimes way.

what we know about the tuffles sort of differs from source to source, but the most negative opinions come from the saiyans– according to vegeta, the tuffles basically treated them as slaves. which... yeah, that adds up, given everything.

anyway, here's where i divorce from canon entirely bc according to gt, king vegeta iii is the one who led the saiyans in the war against the tuffles, which raises... honestly so many questions. so i'm ignoring that; it was vegeta i and he was never officially king, but more on that later. i also need to note that the whole "saiyans lived on planet sadala, fucked it up, and moved to planet plant which later became planet vegeta" to my knowledge is not manga canon but since i like the general idea, i sorta moved it a bit.

in my version, the saiyans and the tuffles both lived on planet sadala, but the war between the two species got a little out of hand and the planet was kaputski (to be fair, if you suddenly got to turn into a giant ape and wreak havoc on the people who were possibly enslaving you, you might go a bit overboard too), so the saiyans stole all the tuffles' ships and gtfo'd (this is why everyone was so sure the tuffles were gone. bc typically blowing up someone's planet is a good way to get rid of all of them. at least in theory– i'm sure frieza can tell you all about how well it works in practice)

back to vegeta i– he wasn't a king, technically, but he was the saiyan who started, led, and according to all saiyan sources (which are biased but w/e) finished the revolt, and chose to die on the planet in an act of heroic sacrifice and/or symbolism and/or his daughter twisted a fact or two bc propaganda is a game we all can play, and the new planet they landed on was named after him. said daughter took the same name, declared the planet and the king to be one and the same, and set about conquering the shit out of it. so vegeta ii was technically the first king but if you asked her she was the second and also disrespecting her father and probably also about to be killed via spear (oh btw king vegeta ii is famed for her giant war spear which was very cool and intimidating and probably didn't see much use outside of ritual combat bc it's honestly more efficient to just blast people but all the statues and art and whatnot have her with it)

i'm going to take a minute to gloat about vegeta ii bc honestly she's one of my alltime favorite ocs that i've made, despite the fact that i don't intend to ever have her show up in anything (yass gurl haunt that narrative!!!) but basically she's a deeply respected figure in saiyan culture, although she died way before any of the saiyans still alive in dbz were born (except nappa), bc she... basically built saiyan culture from scratch. pretty much all the core beliefs the saiyans as a people had were from her very deliberately and surprisingly sneakily forcing them to be developed bc she was fully aware that the saiyans needed more than a love of battle to actually survive as a society independent of the tuffles. she basically had the whole thing set up and ready to last and become a proper empire but unfortunately the one kid that lived long enough to succeed her (by killing her in combat, obviously, and yes the others all tried and died– she's an important figure, not a nice one) ran face first into frieza and we all know how that went down

anyhow, vegeta ii's reign (which lasted a crazy long time bc she lived way longer than she should've and almost certainly used some kind of not-so-great method of living that long, but in her defense she needed to make sure at least one of her kids was cool enough to be in charge, so what's a few war crimes between monarchs) pretty much cemented all the saiyan pride and identity that vegeta iv is so fond of, and not just bc she was his grandma either.

the reason i have to get through all of that to explain my clone!vegeta theory is bc i need to explain why king vegeta iii became king in the first place– under vegeta ii's system, anyone could challenge for the throne at any time, regardless of who they were. her own children were expected - but not required - to do so, and if she died before an heir could kill her in glorious combat, the princes would become stewards and have the duty of finding the next king (who couldn't be one of them. fight and die for that shit like a real saiyan or no throne for you). however, there was actively incentive not to do that bc A) whoever's in charge has to actually be in charge and therefore gets to fight way less, and B) in order to become king you had to be ritually stripped of your identity as a person with the understanding that if you died during your challenge your name would be stricken from all records, none of your family or friends would ever acknowledge that you had ever existed, and you would simply cease to be (the afterlife doesn't follow these rules but most of the saiyans who are there still do, including the ones who by saiyan law no longer exist. say what you will about saiyans; they're a dedicated lot)

so anyway vegeta iii (before becoming vegeta iii – he had a different name bc names are super important in my version of saiyan culture but if i get into that here we will literally be here for the rest of the week - but i'll call him that for the sake of my sanity) is somewhat reluctant to challenge for the throne bc none of his siblings have managed it (not that they exist anymore whoops), but one of his colleagues/presumed ruling partner (not gonna get into saiyan relationships here either sorry) has been pushing him to do so for a while now

i think i've gone through a few names for vegeta's not-mom, but the most recent one is touga (from tougarashi, or capsicum annuum, and yes i was thinking of neon orange glimmer song by the mountain goats when i named her), so i'll call her that. touga is a pretty saiyan-y saiyan– she's violent, temperamental, proud, strong, and so forth, but another thing she is is deeply, deeply loyal to her people. she's also very aware of vegeta iii's weaknesses (such as "will probably care a little too much about kids if he has any" and "may make decisions based off of feelings instead of cold hard practical logic" and "seems likely to develop emotional attachments to family members"; you know, normal kingly failings) and has the lady macbeth-esque stainless steel go-fuck-yourself coldness to make up for her future husband's pathetic little morals or whatever

anyway, touga pushes vegeta iii to go for the throne bc holy shit his mom has been alive for way too long but also she has faith in hi or something and duty and whatever and dude do it if you ever want this saiyan tail, and eventually he caves and goes for it. he fights his mom, wins, gets a shiny new king name and is all set to run his kingdom. and then king cold shows up.

now in between killing his mom and our favorite chilly boys coming to town, vegeta iii and touga have had a kid, prince escallion (who is a girl ftr but i can't get into saiyan thoughts on sex/gender or the language or even escallion herself in this post bc we will never ever leave). escallion is pretty neat, just the strongest baby in history or whatever, but then post-cold arriving and politely yoinking the saiyans into his empire, rumors start spreading that frieza miiiiight be wanting a saiyan under his personal command. no prizes for guessing whose palace he's looking at for pickings. obviously the only prince they've got is not someone they can afford to lose, but they need a sure bet on super-infants and can't afford hoping for a genetic bingo, so vegeta iii assembles the universe's swole-est scientists and has them get started on making the Coolest Baby Ever (by cloning him, the king, bc he's the strongest but also bc frieza is an asshole and likes playing mind games with people so let's be real he's taking one of the king's kids no matter how tough they are)

so vegeta iv gets made (and named inappropriately but that's frieza's fault and a story for another time so ignore it for now) and eventually tarble is born and almost immediately sent off just in case frieza decides to be a bigger dick than usual (spoilers: frieza is going to decide to be an even bigger dick than that), and vegeta gets to spend the first few years of his life with his dad, big sis, and not-mom until he gets shipped off to go be a child soldier/slave/distraction, at which point frieza goes ahead and blows up the planet. there's more to it than just that, but i may actually want to write it out some day, so i'll keep the rest to myself for now.