#haikyuu meta?? sure why not

[kimbapisnotsushi]

okay no see the thing that made me really, really sad about hinata and the thing that made me really, really root for him and love him and want to see him win it all was how, like, people kept DENYING him. and i'm not talking about spectators in the stands going "omg he's so short haha, can he really do anything?" i'm talking about how his own team and how everyone who knew them in some way - as much as i love them - could never really separate him from kageyama. they were the freak quick duo, karasuno's number nine and number ten. they were amazing! so brilliant, the two of them. and hinata thought it was a way out, at first. he thought it was a way over the summit. he thought it was the key to being someone better.

but a key goes both ways, you know. it can lock you up just as much as it can set you free.

and hinata had to be so, so frustrated. everyone was finding ways to move forward except him. everyone expected him to stay stuck. and you could argue that that's not entirely true, sure, that he was always training, always trying to catch up, and they encouraged that. but nobody ever expected him to be more. nobody ever expected him to go beyond what he had with kageyama - they all thought that was enough for hinata. they thought he was fine like that because it worked for the rest of them. they underestimated how much he wanted to be capable. they didn't get how much he wanted to stand on his own two feet.

and that wasn't fair to hinata! it wasn't fair that hinata, who loved to play and loved the game and loved volleyball so so much, was the only one being left behind! he wanted to change that but nobody was trying with him!!! so of course he got impatient!! of course he was reckless!!! of course he was carving his own opportunities!!! there was no way forward otherwise!!! because if we take a minute to think about how training would have gone while kageyama was at tokyo, let's be honest — it probably wouldn't have gone well. nobody else can do with hinata what kageyama could do with him. hinata would have been held back. he would have felt useless. practicing serves and receives was stuff he was already doing constantly before that, and it wasn't teaching him anything. yeah hinata was a little bit selfish and a little bit shameless but being so finally got him somewhere!!

all hinata ever wanted to do was fly, even if it meant straying from the flock to do so

[currymanganese]

"About the Blogger" Meme

Thanks to @all-inmoderation @bioloyg & @imliterallyjustablackgirl for tagging me! ❤️

Star Sign(s):

Sagittarius Sun, Virgo Moon, Pisces Rising <- What does it all mean? No idea! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Favorite Holidays:

Eid, Divali & Christmas <- Not for religious considerations, I associate them with having lots of delicious food, which is precious to me. 🤰🏽

Last Meal:

A slice of pawpaw (papaya), stew chicken, black eyed peas, white rice and sorrel juice. <- #grateful thanks mom 😔

Current Favorite Musician:

Khruangbin because Mark, Laura and DJ are all super talented and disciplined musicians, but also because I want the band's lead guitarist, Mark Speer and the bassist, Laura Lee, but especially Mark Speer, in ways that would shock and alarm you, like IDK anything about his personal life, but I think I'd combust if I met him. Mark if you're reading this that smut chapter in my songfic WIP was only possible because I just know you're good with your-[GUNSHOTS] <- He's not reading this, finish the meme! 😤

Last Music Listened To:

Total Control by The Motels for a The Bear meta post that I did and Hope Tala's "All My Girl's Like To Fight' from my small playlist of songs that I headcanon that Syd and Carmy from The Bear (2022) listen to. The playlist serves as a writing aid for me because regardless of the actual musical tastes of Syd and Carmy in the show's canon, this is a small sample of what the two of them like to listen to as I've characterized them in my fic.

Last Movie Watched:

Precious (2009) I was traumatizing myself and [SPOILERS]

Carmen Berzatto in my WIP fic, because Syd insults him using a gif from the movie and Carmy ends up watching this film so he'd understand the reference because he is a loser and is obsessed with his totally platonic coworker and he wants to know everything about her. 😔

Last TV Show Watched:

Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, @devisrina convinced me, but I haven't finished watching it yet and I'm not to sure when I'll resume because The Bear and Sydcarmy still have me in thrall. 😔

Last Book/Fic Finished:

Last book finished, Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson. Last fic finished.....I shan't say - I'll describe it though - it was a seedy, sketchy, funny, smutty, crack ship one shot gag fic on AO3. I'm ashamed of myself, some of those words in that fic were in The Bible, but chile........anyways. Moving on!

Last Book/Fic Abandoned:

Last book I stopped reading - Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson - Dalinar Kholin, you stupid cunt, why do you always-[GUNSHOTS] <-Girl walk away from the book if it's stressing you that bad, c'mon now - the fictional character's dumb decisions can't hurt you. I'm actually planning on finishing it someday, but I watched The Bear when I was a quarter of the way through the book and now I am totally useless for almost everything else.

Currently Reading:

Ten Myths About Israel by Ilan Pappe, get a free ebook copy of it here while you can. Also the Gaza Diary by Ziad, a 35 year old Palestinian man.

Last Thing Researched for Art/Writing/Hyperfixation:

High blood pressure and pregnancy, and maternity leave in the US of A, and before that CBT case studies and CPTSD and ADHD, and before that meningitis and sepsis. <- All for my current Sydcarmy WIP.

Favorite Online Fandom Memory:

The day Richonne went canon, or rather that era. <- Love it when racists suffer, schadenfreude can be something so personal. 🥴

Favorite Old Fandom You Wish Would Drag You Back In/Have A Resurgence:

I want Star Wars and BNHA to be good, but alas....Next question. <- Anyways these franchise/series are making money hand over fist still, nobody cares if I never care about them again, but I do love the ship Inko Midoriya/All Might from BNHA and I ship UkaTake from Haikyuu!! <- I had a lot of fun in that niche marketplace for a time.

Favorite Thing You Enjoy That Never Had an Active or Big "Fandom" but You Wish It Did:

The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery FUCKS severely - I'm glad that it got a boost on here with The Blue Castle Book Club. Ms. Montgomery put her whole pussy into that book, every single cell and I relate to the book's protagonist, Valancy, quite a lot.

Also, The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner has a smallish, but fairly active following on Tumblr, but it deserves the energy that is devoted to some more popular YA fantasy/historical novel series. <- All of these books are re-readable af, 10/10 no notes.

Tempting Project You're Trying to Reign In/Don't Have Time For:

No such thing because I am unemployed. <- have mercy on me O God! It's been the first year of my adult life that I haven't been in university or running myself through the gristmill of capital and I feel trapped and anxious and fed the fuck up. I hate it here, goddamn!

Sorry to end on such a bummer of a note, but thank you for reading if you've read this far and please, regardless of if you were tagged, play along if you can! I've seen a lot of my mutuals tagged in these things before, so apologies if you've already done this, but*

@vacationship @anxietycroissant @bulabujalam @tvfantic87 @devisrina @dreadfuldevotee @mod-doodles <- please come back to me, Mod, darling, I miss you! 🥲 @jub-jub @pureseasalt <- bestie I miss you too! @ashluvsu4ever @cchickki @parrradiseeee @margaery-bonaparte-said-so @seleneofthejungle @prowitchazel @gardenianoire @artemis0404 @polymorphposting @hauntedstrawberrygiver @justabovewater20 @monetbonet @sab-teraa @agoodworkerdoes @melfinawins @melaninerd @iwantadecentblogname @persephonelovesbooks @november-rising @yannaryartside @bitchqueenofthebitchsquad @waywarddeee @myelegieseulogizeme @paddington22017 @ruethrills @techliche @erins-quinn @sydcarmyfan @lunasink @perkedelktg @couldbemaybe @msmoiraine @darkostudios-blog @angelica4equity @theonlyamazingtazmin @mswyrr @chansoooo1-blog

*pretends all of your blog names rhyme with pikachu*, I choose you!

[daz4i]

Hi hi my love!! ^^ So you asked for asks right? :3 I realize a lot of the times when I send you these I tend to ask you to rank stuff lol so I guess I'll lean into it? How about top 5 (or 10 if you have enough) anime series or top 5 (or 10) animated movies? :3 It's pretty general but I figure it should give you a lot of room to go over some of your favorites ^^ Sending love and good wishes!!! ❤️

ehehe thank you my love 🥺👉👈🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

i wanted to do both but then i did the top 5 anime and i got very carried away with my explanations so i kept it as just that. anyway:

1. haikyuu!! probably my favorite show ever tbh. i think hq has a perfect story, like it uses its genre to do everything right, and its impact on the outside world is amazing as well. as for the series itself, it's just beautiful (ignoring that one episode in season 4) and has a very unique style, stellar voice acting, awesome soundtrack, delicious symbolism, and it really gets you hyped for volleyball :P it's very easy to get attached even to the most minor character bc the story is written in a way that lets almost everyone in this HUGE cast (well over a 100 or even 150 named characters, i'm pretty sure) shine, and you're guaranteed to find someone you like. the only downside is you'll probably end up rooting for every team so eventually a team you like will lose a game (likely to another team you like) and that hurts every time fr. and still!!!!! it manages to be so feel-good and optimistic and really gets you pumped and inspired!!!! i think anyone who is even just open to try sports anime should check it out, it's def one of the most accessible I've seen in that genre (in a sense that it doesn't expect you to already be familiar with the sport to understand the story)

2. honestly?? osomatsu-san. probably bc it's very dear to me like emotionally, season 2 was still releasing when i was stuck in the hospital for a few months, and it was like a light i held onto every week (i was also following a few mangas back then but those were harder to follow. due to oso-san's skit nature it was always a good time) and i mean, ichi was my first f/o before i even knew that term existed hehe. it's one of these shows i wouldn't actually recommend to anyone unless i know they're ok with gross or edgy humor but i do think it's really good, i love how meta it is, and i think it uses its premise to deliver maximum entertainment!

(oh my god that was so much gushing abt a silly skit show i am so sorry <- guy who wrote most of the hq gushing after typing this part up. he was not aware)

3. ok so this one's really niche, idk if any of you have even heard of it heh. it's called bungou stray dogs-

ajdkflhlh while i have my gripes with how they adapt the manga, i do still think it's a very good anime as is. it was good enough to get me hooked on the story and characters and want to learn more and follow the story further, yknow? it's beautiful and i love its use of colors for symbolism, it has really great voice acting, and the energy is kept up throughout it enough to remain engaging. it's honestly a show I'd recommend everyone to at least try 🤔!

4. persona 4!!!! from one mediocre adaptation to a GREAT adaptation. i think p4's anime is really really well made - it manages to translate a game this long into a coherent and interesting story, gives its characters time to shine, and maintains a perfect balance between fun and emotions. also it has probably the best dub I've ever heard. naoto's anime voice dni. also i think episode 26 is a true masterpiece i think everyone should watch it

5. ngl. it's a three way tie for me. between shows i only watched once and don't have a lot of attachment to beyond that, but i think they're really good for very different reasons. gekkan shoujo nozaki-kun / great pretender / blue period. i won't go into details on why i love them all bc this post is already long enough. but if you're reading this you should check them out 🫡

also if this post convinces you to check out any show mentioned here you legally have to tell me ok? esp if you end up liking it 🧐🔥🔥

[reinedeslys-central]

EXACTLY

I love this fandom for what we bring to it - I am in love with versions of canon so much more character-driven and more interesting and the ONLY reason I'm still in this fandom is for the hcs and the fic and the fanart and the meta.

And yes that's one of the biggest saddest things about this whole issue. I talk to my friends about this sometimes, and she always beats down on the series for its writing problems while I have to say, like - no MATTER how good/bad it was. We loved it so very much because it was fun and magic was cool or maybe our friends liked it or whatever. Weird kids unite, or something. And now we can barely even touch that part of our childhood without feeling guilt over it. I always wanted to join Pottermore or play Hogwarts Legacy years ago when it came out, never ended up doing it. I always wanted to earn enough money to buy merch for myself and now I can't even bring myself to dig out my old kid's Harry Potter costume for halloween. I dreamt of having my own place someday or expanding the family with a list of books to introduce them to, like PJO, the hunger games, pride and prejudice, copper sunrise (and maybe sign of the beaver, I never finished it so I'm not too sure about that one), dianne wyne jones and liz kessler books, haikyuu manga, etc. I always - I always thought harry potter could be something I could hand down from my childhood to theirs, even pointing out the problems along the way. But I could never, anymore. No matter the work of thousands of people that have made the franchise what it is - all the movies, the merchandise, etc. - who put their love and time into harry potter that's just - yeah, radioactive now.

And all of this, too. I know enough about Ilvermorny to know I'd probably be a Thunderbird but as soon as I read about it's history I was just immediately like - nah, bro. No way. Absolutely no way their magic system works like that. The traditional european methods of schooling don't even make sense for nomadic tribes. In such a world you're assuming that there are already issues with colonisation and completely ignoring the prior existence and culture of their magic system. You had such an amazing, powerful chance to explore history and do indigenous cultures some modicum of justice, and you just ... didn't.

and, again - why go to the trouble of planning out an even WORSE answer to your worldbuilding problems? If she hadn't said anything, ppl would prob assume there's schools for every country, maybe more in the cases of indigenous tribes (esp in the great north) and larger population, highly ethnically diverse countries like india. instead, she went to the trouble of SPECIFYING that there are only 10 schools of magic. What, is the magical population that low? If yes, WHY? 2-layer worldbuilding, my guy. It's not an uncommon writing tip.

I just - it sucks. It sucks.

@sardonicplague @bubblegumpatty @sennakoshiba thanks for your tags and sorry about the screenshots. I would have included them all normally if I could but it didn't really make sense that way. Let me know if you'd like me to remove them.

the thing that sucks most about Joanne Rowling being a terf is that she is actively hurting real life trans people every day.

the second worst thing about joanne being a terf is that the Harry Potter intellectual property is So Much Larger than her. look at the credits for just one of the harry potter movies. every single one of those people put YEARS of time and effort and dare i say love into those films. think of all the people involved in theme park design and operation who put together the wizarding world park lands and detailed them so lovingly and fully

and yet even though the intellectual property of harry potter is so much larger than joanne, she's poisoned the whole well

i feel so. so immensely sorry for every person involved in the harry potter ip who isn't jkr. doubly sorry for every trans person involved. it's fucking sad

[theladyofsarcasm]

I was outlining a new fic idea over FaceTime with my best friend and the ao3 tag she comes up with to describe it was “iwaoi gain self actualization through helping kagehina” and god, what a line!! this is deeply incoherent but the complexities and nuance contained in kagehina and iwaoi as parallels and foils (as individual characters and relationships) really are the driving force of my brain rot.

we have the setter spiker connection, of course, and the two seijoh karasuno matches really drive it home. Oikawa and Tobio comment on the similarities themselves (when backed into a corner they’ll always set to their partner!! that’s why they can read each other so well! also iwaoi’s reaction to “as long as I’m here, you’re invincible is peak, ok) and then later we have the time skip with Oikawa and Hinata both going abroad to Argentina and Brazil to further develop their skills. we have Oikawa and Hinata being drawn together through their hunger for volleyball, the struggles of being alone in a foreign country, and their connection to Tobio as forces that challenge and better him (they are his two biggest influences after all!!). they forge their own independent relationship on that beach and it’s equal parts and hilarious.

Iwa’s role in this is so fascinating as well because there’s so much there that’s hinted at. I could write volumes on iwaoi but I love love love the little glimpses we see about his relationship with Tobio—aka I make fanon mountains out of canon molehills. He’s a good senpai!!! We all know about That Scene™️ and how he defends Tobio; Tobio, hilariously, seems to only remember Iwa’s declaration of “the best team of six wins” and not much before that. Tobio respects him so much and thinks he’s cool! Iwa shakes his hand, ever gracious in defeat when they play for the second time. They lovingly insult and throw their best friends across the room in the same way (am I saying that Iwaoi greatly informed how Tobio views volleyball and relationships? Yes. Come on now, they must have spent a lot of time in the kitagawa gym together before and after practice. He chases after them and there’s that one panel of iwaoi graduating from kitagawa that I’m pretty sure is included in tobio’s flashbacks/backstory in the blackadler match). Who else can relate to Tobio’s mixed feelings about Brazil arc but Iwa? There’s also the fun bonus of Iwa being solely in Tobio’s corner at this point; tobio and shoyou share most of the same friends which could lead to a potential conflict of interest (God help yacchan, tadashi, tsukki, and suga when these morons argue) but tobio can reliably confide in Iwa without it getting back to Shoyou. the possibilities of iwakage friendship/mentorship are endless and I’m here to scream about it, whether it on the Japan national team, middle school, or during the time skip. I also think the dynamic between Iwa, Tobio, and Oikawa is so interesting (jealousy, affection, respect, resentment, oh my) and when you throw Hinata in the mix it’s even more fun.

I have some more vague thoughts on Hinata and Iwa as parallels that go into more angsty territory, particularly about self-worth and how the seijoh karasuno matches mirror each other in the last point. my boys are sad!! they couldn’t make the last point count!! their volleyball careers are different yet similar as they take unconventional paths to fulfill this promises to their respective setter soulmate. in a way, we have kagehina achieving what iwaoi was unable to, which is part of the reason I think kagehina getting together first is an excellent catalyst for iwaoi self reflection time. we have kagehina getting to nationals together and standing on the world stage side by side at the Olympics. Iwaoi are on opposite ends of the court, separated but still connected nonetheless.

I’ll probably add more to this as I write more of my fic/reread the manga and rewatch the anime, but TLDR; kagehina and iwaoi are my favorite relationships in haikyuu and they’re constantly rattling around in my noggin in the worst game of pinball ever.

[thefledglingdm]

tsukishima meta..... 2!!

so a little bit ago i went off in this post about tsukishima and why i think he is the way he is and how his horrendous attitude during the show is a sign of his horrendous self-esteem and his fear of caring too much. and now i want to talk about how that feeds into the infamous but iconic running gag/character beat of “shut up yamaguchi”/”sorry, tsukki!”

this post got super long, so everything is below the cut!!! a lot of what i say in this post is based on the previous one, so def read that first. 

at first this whole interaction and dynamic bugged me. how could someone as sweet and hardworking as yamaguchi stay friends with standoffish, mean, lazy tsukishima? tadashi deserves better!

and then i thought about it more. how we know the behavior we see of kei throughout the first few seasons of haikyuu is unusual for him. how kei gradually grows more and more sullen, moody, and withdrawn throughout the first and second seasons. how yamaguchi is concerned and worried for him.

we know tsukishima’s self-esteem sucks. it’s bad. we see that established in how he thinks about himself and volleyball. but i think we truly see how low he’s sunk in his interactions with yamaguchi. that’s where we realize what an internal wreck he’s become.

so to start, we know tsukishima isn’t just walking around telling yamaguchi to shut up every time he talks. we see plenty of examples of that.

or

and there are other examples! they’re friends!!!! equally snide and kinda little shits. tsukishima is definitely the meaner of the two, but yamaguchi is down with that. he plays along. tsukishima isn’t telling him to shut up all the time. so when does that start? and how?

at the start of the season, he’s moody and a little dismissive, sure. i’m not saying this is a good character trait, or that he’s not a bit of a jerk. he’s 15.

but as time goes by, we start to see the rise of the “shut up, yamaguchi”/”sorry, tsukki” interaction as it plays out time and again. and i started to realize that tsukishima doesn’t just say that whenever he wants to.

or

or

or

tsukishima doesn’t tell yamaguchi to shut up willy-nilly. he says it specifically whenever yamaguchi is saying something nice about him. whenever yamaguchi is proud of him, is excited for him, is sticking up for him, is happy to see him and spend time with him. it’s a fascinating verbal expression of his own low self-esteem.

don’t be happy for me, tsukishima is telling yamaguchi when he tells him to shut up. don’t be proud of me. don’t encourage me or cheer me on. i don’t matter. i’m not a good player. i’m nothing special. i’m not, i’m not, i’m not.

i had a lot of thoughts about the tsukishima/yamaguchi fight scene the first time i watched it. i thought it was abrupt and kind of out-of-character. but on my second watch, i realized it was actually a confrontation a long time coming.

like. please watch the full scene again because the build-up is fascinating. screenshots will have to suffice.

that little “and” is what really did it for yamaguchi, i think. the final straw.

that? that is the face of a man and a friend who has had just about enough of this. which is why he really lets tsukishima have it.

and again here

i think it’s really telling that this fight isn’t yamaguchi calling tsukishima a massive tool after he’s been a snide, mean little prick for the entire series up to that point. which, frankly, i think he would have the right to do a little, since he has not been fun to be friends with lately. but yamaguchi doesn’t do that. he doesn’t call tsukishima out beyond calling him lame a few times.

he calls tsukishima tall. he says he has brains. he has instinct. he is a good player, naturally gifted in mind and body, and he could be so much better if he let himself try. if he opened himself up to caring, to the possibility of being hurt.

yamaguchi screams because he won’t let tsukishima tell him to shut up. he shakes him so he will listen and maybe have some sense knocked into him. he grasps onto tsukishima and when he knows there is nowhere for him to run, no way to deflect, no way to tell him to shut up, he tells him:

you are incredible. you are gifted. you are capable. i believe in you. you are worth the effort. this is worth the effort. i care about you.

and you are going to listen to me. 

and that is what breaks tsukishima of this funk. that is what convinces him to get off his ass and try. to do something. it’s by no means a smooth, linear process. but it’s yamaguchi’s words that finally break this pattern and give tsukishima a path forward.

(also, that scene with yamaguchi yelling at tsukishima takes place right after we see the moon covered by clouds. and since “moon” in Japanese is “tsuki,” we see all the running analogies of him and the moon, and having yamaguchi run up on tsukishima to scream the sense back into him when the moon is covered....  and then it came back out after yamaguchi said his piece.... poetic cinema. the animators of this show were geniuses.)

and it’s once tsukishima has had the sense screamed back into him that we see his self esteem start to improve. he learns to take a freaking compliment, for starters:

(feat. hinata rolling on the floor screaming, which was such a good character moment.)

and he, in turn, can finally support yamaguchi.

it’s a long and difficult journey. but together, they forge a path forward - as people, as friends - and continue to bring out the best in each other.

(screenshots are pulled from here and here.)

[kuroken-lovechild]

How haikyuu characters would play genshin impact:

//featuring me nerding out about mbti types 😔

Karasuno

Hinata

As an ESFP he would probably choose his main based on who feels good to use

Quick movements, lots of jumping, strong = XIAO MAIN (probably finds the flashiness and edginess cool and enjoys the button mashing too)

would aggressively compete with kageyama on who can beat spiral abyss the fastest and with the shortest time

unfortunately they’re both not very good (initially because kenma helps him out after)

Would try to follows the plot but dialogue goes over his head

Does not understand stats other than attack at first

Wish impulse is real and never has any primos

would attempt to talk to every npc

Kageyama

META SLAVE

Has no idea what wishing/gacha is at first and builds his starters really well

Then he found out and currently mains Ganyu, Zhongli, Hutao for the big numbers

gloats about his first 5 star to hinata

Does not talk to NPCs at all and barely digs into the story

only there for spiral abyss and to make his characters stronger

Tsukishima

Didn’t wanna play until yamaguchi dragged him in to have someone to co op with

Appreciates the story and lore more than the gameplay aspect

Eula, razor (cv uchiyama kouki) main—easy to build, easy to use

Doesn’t care about wishing either

Got Eula by accident and now holds it over kageyama’s head

Has really good artifact RNG that it infuriates kagehina (gloats about it to fan the flame 😚)

Yamaguchi

he’s infp he chooses based on characters he likes 🥺

Diluc, albedo, ayaka main

(i can’t explain why I think he’d like those three, it just Makes Sense)

Co ops with tsukki and yachi, plays both dps and support

Spiral abyss makes him anxious but he pushes through anyway!!

Daichi

Starter team king 😩

Feels bad about switching his regular team out FJDFJDJJDDJ DAICHI

Probably a casual player though

Plays to coop with suga and tanaka but they carry him through domains

he’s trying his best

Suga

Mains based on whoever’s fun to play too!!

but enjoys more of a challenge

Childe main

Waiting for Scaramouche to drop hAha 🥲 and harbingers in general

Appreciates the plot and is very interested in lore!!

Diligently does spiral abyss

Doesn’t quite wish on impulse, but if theres a character he likes he’ll spend everything on their banner

Asahi

Does not play, got too scared (see: haikyuu ova)

Nishinoya

Rolls VERY much on impulse

Similar to hinata in that he also likes playing playstyles that feel good

Xiao and/or yoimiya main

(xiao because he’s short jk)

Probably raised Rosaria and planned to use her

Plot who???? we only care about world exploration and fighting in this house

Tanaka

wished for all the women, raised all the women, uses all the women

valid

Primarily mains Rosaria, ningguang and Lisa though

sorry beidou you remind him of his sister too much

waiting for signora like many of us are

Coops with noya and has INSANELY bad rng luck

Yachi

Also chooses based on characters’ personalities

gay, mains sucrose and jean

isfj child and probably feels bad about the underrated characters :(

uses amber, xinyan and qiqi too!

Raises all characters but hasn’t raised anyone to 90

Coops with yamaguchi and uses jean (as healer, support, damage dealer)

Talks to NPCs and sympathizes with their sad backstories

Gets too anxious to do spiral floors 9-12 too (mood)

Seijoh

Oikawa

Oh boy

this ENFJ 3w2 guy? you KNOW he’s gonna be the best

As long as it doesn’t clash with volleyball of course

Very VERY competitive in abyss

Has one character hed get attached to but doesn’t limit himself to using them only

Incredibly focused on team synergy, carefully crafts teams to bring out the best in each character

Tests best damage output too

But also he’d probably use meta characters and secretly raise the ones he actually likes?

Current fave: Yoimiya

Uses strong characters for coop but uses his faves for single player domains (or coop with iwaizumi)

Likes characters but surprisingly wouldnt be too invested in the plot

does not whale out of pride

Iwaizumi

Geo user

Uses characters he finds respectable in the storyline + hard hitters

Razor, klee, jean main but unaware of the family relationship

Sometimes uses beidou although her burst takes too long sometimes

Pretty casual player, only started because of Oikawa

Hanamaki

obviously he and matsukawa would make zhongli pillar dick jokes

Kaeya and beidou main (he thinks they’re cool)

Not that impatient to wait for bursts to charge or has a lot of energy recharge

whale

Matsukawa

……. Hutao main

funeral home

Would use qiqi and hutao together for the meme then grows to genuinely like qiqi

Saves up for a really long time then spends it all at once

Kindaichi

Doesn’t play much tbh

Offline for a week, comes back to do commissions for one day, leaves

Kunimi

Hed be pretty good

but lazy and forget to do dailies

then buy welkin moon instead

Focuses more on the story too rather than gameplay and points out loopholes

Mains whoever he has in his team with good synergy (like chongyun xingqiu xiangling)

Kyoutani

Rage quits 5 minutes in after hearing paimon’s voice 😔

Throws his phone at the wall

Yahaba

Simps for jean

Mains jean

Dedicated to dailies and spiral abyss

But doesn’t wish that much

Was the one who tried getting kyoutani into it and suffered the consequences

Nekoma

Kuroo

ENTP king raises a whole arsenal of characters for spiral abyss

I cant see him really getting attached to one in particular ?

makes zhongli pillar dick jokes every chance he can get

but also uses him for utility

Wants to try using a whole bunch of characters and wishes on every banner

But uses the meta ones with good team comps

sparks twitter debates with ….. interesting takes

“_____ is completely shit”

Kenma

OH BOY HES A GAMER GAMER

Whale whale whale whale

He’s tony to

Best synergy teams, understands the value of elemental mastery, REALLY values good supports, calculates possible damage numbers

Kazuha, zhongli, bennett, venti are a staple in his teams

Helps hinata and kuroo until kuroo teases too much by deliberately playing horribly

mildom and youtube streamer like murase ayumu

Appreciates story and lore very much too

Yaku

he’d LOVE the children

Probably would use characters that remind him of family members and friends

Klee, diona, qiqi, chongyun, xingqiu, razor, bennett

does spiral abyss but not obsessively

Lev

KENMA-SAN!!! LETS PLAY TOGETHER!!!

I’m sorry he would not know how the game works

Doesn’t do the ascension quests and gets stuck at AR 26 with 500k extra points

Thinks he’s amazing but it’s because he’s stuck at world level 1

I’m sorry lev ily but ……. its the truth

Tries pulling for everyone too and mains the first 5 star he got

(childe because he’s russian AKSHDKDHSKSHS /j)

Wants diluc and xiao because they look cool but gets Mona instead (doesnt understand how to use her)

Yamamoto

Also raises the women like tanaka but + kaeya

Lev complained to him about getting Mona while he’s wanted Mona for months

Not really a dedicated intense gamer EXCEPT for during those battle events

Fukurodani

Bokuto

WANTS THE STRONG AND COOL LOOKING 5 STARS

Eula, zhongli, diluc, xiao

but doesn’t know how to build either

doesn’t understand stats

would feel really bad for qiqi

Wouldn’t like signora for hurting venti :(

Wouldn’t like childe too :( until he plays the story quest and sees the ruin guard cutscene

then starts sobbing because of what a good brother he is

“AKAAAASSHI I wanna do that too!!!” then he dies

Tries to use childe but doesn’t understand the cool down management

Mispronounces and misspells tartaglia (タルタリア)

for more info on how bokuto plays genshin see Kimura ryohei’s YouTube channel ✨

Akaashi

the true childe main (just like me)

Uses characters based on utility

but mains whoever reminds him of bokuto FJDHFJFJDKSJ

Very good supports but unlike Kenma, he chooses and builds supports around his main

also uses very good supports so people won’t realize he’s using childe for the cv kimura ryohei (everyone knows anyway)

Literature nerd appreciates the plot, writing and deep lore too

Konoha

Tries pulling for everyone but has REALLY bad luck

Has really good characters but never the one he wants

loses all 50/50s and has a c4 qiqi

Ends up maining qiqi as dps

sorry konoha i didn’t mean to slander you

Shiratorizawa

Ushijima

does not know how to play or build

Uses whoever he has (aka starters)

Only plays because tendou downloaded and made an account for him

Doesn’t know how to ascend characters or farm

Forgets about talents (me)

Weirdly good RNG and doesn’t realize it 😩

“Let me look at your account wakatoshi-kun”

“Sure”

“You didn’t tell me you had 6 of jean’s Stella fortuna???”

“What’s that?”

Tendou

this man pulls for the seiyuus

Mains childe, hutao, mona for 5 stars

childe and hutao’s instinct based quickswap playstyle works so well for him!

jokes about cosplaying mona then actually does

Knows how to build, grinds, and manages ushijima’s account for him

Probably whales too

Shirabu

Meta meta meta meta

But f2p meta

Loves setting up reactions

More into the lore too and researches theories

Remembers actual names of boss drops

Semi: so how many of those buttplugs do you have again

Shirabu: 💢stop calling them buttplugs, they have actual names 💢

VERY diligent with battle pass, dailies, achievements and spiral abyss full stars

Until he //SPOILERS gets into med school and has no time for shit

Inarizaki

Atsumu

Would have a crush on a character I just know it

Invests heavily on his faves and is great at utilizing each of them

fussy . complains about a certain unit and how they can improve

or complains about how the game can improve to osamu

Osamu: yer just saying that cuz you couldn’t get a high score

Archons main (already saving for the tsaritsa)

Wouldn’t have a main dps but several hard hitting supports

Whale and falls victim to the weapon banner

Osamu

More casual player than Atsumu but still tries to get higher than him in events and spiral abyss

If atsumu’s a whale, osamu’s a dolphin

Great at dodging

Catalyst user!!

Mains ningguang, klee, yanfei + other catalyst supports

Also uses keqing

Kita

the man appreciates routine aka VERY diligent with dailies, battle pass, farming

“if you do things properly results will follow” or whatever quote he said ✨

Starter team but raises other characters for abyss

Reads dialogue and appreciates the plot

Barely gachas

Aran

will defend TO THE DEATH the underappreciated characters

Has empathy for noelle 🥺🥺

Noelle, Barbara, xinyan, bennett, children user 🥺

Talks to every NPC and loves the backstories and lore

also would feel really bad for qiqi

Suna

Uses the tall men and women and builds them all as dps (childe zhongli diluc kaeya beidou ningguang jean lisa rosaria eula)

He’d probably make a support character a dps tbh

Disregards team synergy for the shits but somehow manages to do domains and abyss

Itachiyama

Sakusa

c6 everyone

leaves

[theheightofdishonor]

Do you ever think that fandoms over analyse stuff?

I've been a fan of ships in haikyuu and honestly lot of meta makes me feel the characters are so much more intimate but then if this wasn't the intent of the writer would you be disappointed?

Almost always, yes but as long as you're aware that there's a good possibility that subtextual crumbs won't get followed up on, it's all in good fun. This is especially true with ship meta. Like it's one thing to analyze every episode and compile boatloads of meta on why Keith and Lance are in love and a wholly nother thing to convince yourself that they'll end up together in an explicitly textual way. Like, the distinction is important. Ship meta, when not related to canonical ships, also tends to be a lot of extrapolation (especially true in haikyuu where the only canon pairing is tanaka and kyoko)

Personally, I've been in fandom too long to care about the author's intentions all that much. Sure, sometimes they can be interesting (forever curious on which ships in hq Furudate intentionally left crumbs for and which ones he didn't) but overall, I care more about what's on the page as far as analysis goes. Plus, most of my ships tend to be the sort that I don't expect the author to ever canonize ie kurodai.

[sawamura-daichis-thighs]

For the writer asks! - 5, 8, 14, 19 and 20 💖

ahh, thank you!! ٩(◕‿◕)۶💖

meta asks:

5. What character that you’re writing do you most identify with?

I'm primarily writing for JJK (& a bit of Haikyuu!! too) atm, so I'd have to say Megumi. He's always struck me as a more introverted character than broody or stoic; he's pragmatic but has moments where emotion overrides his logic, cares so much about his few close family/friends, and is developing confidence in himself/his abilities, all of which I can definitely relate to. Also, we both think Yuuji is the epitome of goodness and sunshine, so there's that lol.

8. Is what you like to write the same as what you like to read?

Overall, yeah! Sometimes I get in a mood for some light angst, but not often, which is why the majority of my fic is hurt/comfort and fluff. I also enjoy reading long fic, as well as fantasy AUs (I'm actually a huge sucker for pirate/mermaid AUs!), though I don't really write them myself anymore.

14. At what point in writing do you come up with a title?

Oof, usually at the end right before posting. Very rarely do titles make themselves known to me beforehand or during a fic. I usually just browse through my pretty words tag until I find something that feels right lol. I think plant kisses like seeds and love's only demand is that we fall are the only titles that were 100% known before the fic(s) were written.

19. Is there something you always find yourself repeating in your writing? (favourite verb, something you describe ‘too often’, trope you can’t get enough of?)

For sure! Y'all know I love tropes like first kisses, friends-to-lovers, sharing a bed, and nightmare-induced h/c. I've written a couple of fics using some variant of the phrase "hands out in front of [them] like [they're] placating a wild thing", because the symbolism of earning the trust of a frightened creature in relation to emotionally fragile characters is just *chefs kiss* to me, and I know I use "startled out of [their] reverie" a lot. I give a lot of attention to describing heartbeats and eyes too, I think. (Sometimes I get a little too in my head about it when I realize I'm reusing the same tropes/adjectives/phrasing but I figure that's just my writing style.)

20. Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)

Ugh, I wish I could answer this question for LOD because I could probably ramble about that for a while, but since it's not published yet I hope this is okay! I remember writing this section of on purpose, i love him and wondering if anyone would catch on to the double-meaning:

Love is the greatest curse of all, he remembers Gojo saying once, not directed at Megumi but hollow beneath his breath as if he were reminding himself, and although his eyes had been covered Megumi could tell his gaze was far away, focused on some distant memory that he couldn’t begin to imagine. Of all the lessons Gojo’s taught him over the years, this is the one that Megumi understands best.

He fell in love with a dead man, after all. The fact that he manages to return doesn’t make that fact any less true. Still, despite knowing this can only end in tragedy, Megumi chooses Itadori anyway. Grabs on with a white-knuckled grip and refuses to let go no matter the inevitable agony because Megumi’s a sorcerer and sorcerers exist to exorcise curses and Itadori Yuuji the boy deserves to be loved wholly.

Which is that Megumi, as a sorcerer, intends to exorcise the "curse" of love by allowing himself to love Yuuji unconditionally (Idk if that makes sense??). Also, it's a bit of a parallel to SatoSugu's relationship, though ItaFushi's is (hopefully) headed for a better endgame.

[chibinekochan]

Hmmm, I dunno why I imagine this but, what happens if MC made the brothers (+undateables if possible) watch human world anime, what anime should it be??

Sure I will just use anime that I watched. I'm calling myself out here lol.  

These are just recommendations to them, not really a reaction. It would just be you and them sitting somewhere being comfy and cuddling with you while watching any of these.

                                                   Leviathan

Kaguya-Sama: Love is War (Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen) - No brainer here. It's a romcom with a lot of shojo insider jabs. It's funny and meta. Also the main characters are cute together. (JUST DATE ALREADY)

     Pretty Rhythm (and it's male version king of prism)

sion)- So this is an ice skating/idol kinda think. It has music, fashion, and some good drama. It gets very strange. This series is a delightful drug trip. Especially the king of prism movie/series is something else. Well I just want Levi to wtf about it with me. 

(Yeah it can get a bit boring since it's an idol anime. Much like the Pripara series, but like at one point one girl gets processed by a dress. Where else can you get that?)

                 Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! (Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei Bu Love!) - It's a magical boy series. It's 90 percent comedy and 90 percent gay, the rest is hot springs. It's honestly a lot of fun. As a lover of magical girl anime Levi will surely enjoy this spoof of the genre. (Also watch Cute High Earth Defense Club Happy Kiss!)

           Zombieland Saga - Zombie Idol girls. Enough said. It's honestly fun to watch.

*Literally every anime you have ever seen*

                       Satan

The Case Files of Jeweler Richard (Housekisho Richard-shi no Nazo Kantei)- This one is like a detective story but with gemstones. It's very interesting. It has some interesting facts and it's a bit like Holmes and Watson but without murder. *Also Richard looks very good*

                                        Ascendance of a Bookworm (Honzuki no Gekokujou: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen)- A girl that loves books gets reborn into a world where books don't exist, so she has to find a way to make them herself. This is a very good anime. The heroine is very knowledgeable and it's a fun anime to watch. (Dr.Stone is also an anime that is a bit similar to this one, so might as well watch that too.)

             Beelzebub 

Yakitate!! Japan - An anime about making bread in Japan. It's an a bit older anime and it's pretty long but it is pretty interesting. It follows a typical sport anime formula but with bread.

             Haikyuu!! - Volleyball anime. The boys are pretty hot. *My fave is Kenma.* 

           Asmodeus

Free! - Hot boys in swimwear. What else do you need? *You all watched this one already*

Yuri on Ice - Ice Skating but with romance. *I don't need to explain this one.*

                          Lucifer 

Chihayafuru - Japanese poem memory sport? I'm not sure how to explain this but just picture a sport anime but with more drama. It's somehow very interesting. * I dunno how good it fits but it got poems so well?* I recommend regardless.

                Kono Oto Tomare!: Sounds of Life - School/Sport/club anime but about learning the Koto. It has classical music and an interesting drama. Even some romance.

                  Mammon

Senryuu Girl - This one is about a girl that just communicates with Senryuu poems. She doesn't speak and the anime doesn't “fix” her. The boy in this one is an ex delinquent but a very good boy. It's very sweet.

Astra Lost in Space(Kanata no Astra)-some teenagers get lost in space. (It's much more than that but I don't want to spoil anything). Good drama/mystery, nice locations and good romance. Mammon might learn something from the resident Tsundere.

             Belphegor

Uchitama?! Have you seen my Tama?- Anime about cute cats and dogs but they look like humans sometimes. It's cute and funny, the episodes are pretty short and lighthearted for the most part. *One episode is heartbreaking*

Mewkledreamy - Magical? Girl anime. They go into other people's dreams. (I dunno why I watch this one either. I think it was the cat plush)

               Barbatos

Black butler - Not to call anyone out but you know. He is one hell of a Butler.

                  Diavolo

                                       Dance With Devils- I just love this anime so much. Demon musical with romance. I just feel like he will enjoy this one. *I use every excuse I can to at least add one otome anime lol*

Simeon

My Roommate is a Cat (Doukyonin wa Hiza, Tokidoki, Atama no Ue.)- It's about a guy that adopts a cat. It's cute and it's sad and the cat is very cute. Also the guy is an author.

                            Luke

Pretty Cure - The entire library of all the different series. That will keep him busy. It has some good friendship and team lessons. Also magical girls and pets. 

Yumeiro Patissiere - is a very cute anime about a girl that wants to become a Pastry Chef. It will probably give you diabetes.

                            So here we go. Shoutout to the 500 anime that I didn't add.

Feel free to add some of your own.

              Check my Obey me! Masterlist for more content          

[linkspooky]

Another Haikyuu ask! (Hope you haven't answered this one yet. XD) Which are your favorite ships and favorite platonic relationships? :3

I’m not sure about my favorite platonic relationship I’ll have to think on that more. However, I can do a meta on my absolute favorite ship in the series which is Bokuto and Akaashi. Everything I love about the ship is in the story itself. I think Furudate explains their dynamic perfectly. Let’s explore them some more under the cut. 

1. We are the Main Characters of This World

What makes the relationship work so well is how much Bokuto and Akaashi complement each other, and contribute to each other’s development without really ever becoming codependent. They are two separate people with two seperate lives. They are total opposites. Yet, they’re kind of the same person. 

One of Bokuto’s central flaws is how much of a weirdo he is. His eccentricities make him more needy than other people, more demanding, harder to deal with, harder to figure out. Bokuto has these dual aspirations to stand out more than anybody else (because he’s a bit of a diva), but also to have people surrounding him who can just keep up with him, because the reason his eccentricities are a flaw that hold him back is because his behavior can sometimes isolate him, or drive other people away. 

Bokuto is uniquely driven, and he doesn’t find a lot of people who naturally share that drive. Bokuto can be a little confusing, but often people don’t really make the effort to try to understand him, or keep up with him. Bokuto seems like a big weirdo, but he’s actually quite serious and focused it’s just what he’s focused on is different than what everybody else focuses on.

Bokuto’s foiling with Kiryu is just that. Kiryu can’t really understand Bokuto so he kind of projects this false image onto him. That’s why he can’t overcome him at all or even face against him in the tournament. But, sometimes Bokuto’s own friends and teammates will do that too because they can’t keep up with him.

Bokuto’s flashback shows us, he sort of puts all of himself into the things he’s serious about. People who don’t understand that get left behind. So, what Bokuto both respects and needs in a person is someone who can put all of themselves into something and disappear into it, to take things seriously the way he does. Bokuto says he’s just having fun but nobody takes more fun seriously than him. He wants someone who puts their best effort into keeping up with him. 

Which is why Bokuto so uniquely values Akaashi. On the outside Akaashi just looks like a normal person. He’s not a star setter like Oikawa, or Kageyama. He’s not someone who is playing volleyball in highschool who is aiming to be a professional or even in the top 5 like Bokuto. However, even though Akaashi is not a star player, when he does something he puts all of himself into what he does in the exact same way that Bokuto does.

These are the two things which are emphasized in Akaashi. He may not be a star player. He may not be an extraordinary talent. Yet, he always overanalyzes every situation, and puts a tremendous pressure on himself to give all of himself to the team and Bokuto. 

On the outside they’re opposites. Bokuto is a star and Akaashi is just a normal person. Bokuto is the center of attention, and Akaashi is someone who quietly drifts to the side. Bokuto is high maintennance and Akaashi is low maintennance. Bokuto is loud and extroverted, Akaashi is quietly and extremely introverted. 

However, inside they are incredibly similiar because they both put this tremendous pressure on themselves. Akaashi at first views himself as a star player, but when he meets Bokuto he starts to see himself as more ordinary. 

I think much like Bokuto’s, Akaashi is also someone attention hungry, and someone who wants to stand out and be important he just never externalizes that desire because Akaashi keeps everything inside of himself. 

However, when he met Bokuto he didn’t really lose his place as a star. He didn’t suddenly become a normal person. When he found Bokuto he found a place where not only he was needed, but his passion was needed, and his dedication meant something to someone else. He actually started to care about volleyball more because he felt like his efforts were being rewarded. That’s why he put so much focus on Bokuto’s compliments. Akaashi isn’t a star player, but he’s Bokuto’s star.

The Fukurodani even comment on Akaashi as a secret weirdo. Inside he’s a lot like Bokuto. He has the same sense of showmanship, the same desire to stand out, and he wants someone who puts as much effort into things as he himself puts in. So, Akaashi may lack that star quality, he might not stand out, but he still puts all of himself into what he does and Bokuto sees that, and recognizes it as a special quality of Akaashi’s. Which in turn makes Akaashi feel recognized. 

But it’s not just Bokuto and Akaashi needing each other. The two of them work well together. Bokuto works better with people who will put the effort into keeping up with him. Akaashi works better with people who recognize him and his efforts when he’s so low key about everything. 

They’re internally very similiar so Bokuto knows Akaashi pretty well. That’s part of why Akaashi feels so much from Bokuto’s praise, because he feels like Bokuto knows him. He feels recognized. More than that. Akaashi is a drama queen the same way Bokuto is. It’s just Bokuto externalizes all of it, and Akaashi keeps it inside. 

It’s not a one way relationship. It’s not Bokuto being the baby and Akaashi being his caretaker. When Bokuto sees Akaashi break down, not only does Bokuto uniquely undertand the reasons why Akaashi is breaking down the same way that Akaashi puts so much effort into understanding Bokuto, but also Bokuto will perform better to pick up the slack because that’s what Akaashi is always doing to him. Neither of them ever really baby each other, because both of them expect so much out of the other. They’re always lookig at each other. 

When Akaashi and Bokuto are together they’re both stars. Even though to everybody else it looks like Akaashi is a normal person, and Bokuto is a star player. Akaashi’s efforts mean so much to Bokuto, that they end up both uplifting each other to star status. They are the stars of this world. 

[monkeydlesbian]

going on a haikyuu sports meta rant thing ok GO!

there’s something just so inherently GOOD about the teacher/student dynamic within a team or between two players. like hinata and bokuto, kageyama and sugawara, tsukishima and kuroo.

you have coaches of course. they’re there to—well—coach, obviously. they teach you the proper technique, show you the plays, work a little on your mental game. but no one really knows the game—how it’s played in real time, how it’s evolved over the years—as well as the players.

just today, at my OWN soccer practice, me and a freshman goalkeeper were putting our gloves on and jogging to the goal to get set up for a scrimmage. i went in first, played for a little, and then we switched.

when she went in, she asked me if i could point out anything that i saw she was doing wrong and help her out. i said yes, of course, and told her to ask questions if she needed to!! but i didn’t really understand how important that could’ve been to her until later.

i genuinely felt like kuroo telling tsukishima how to read block when she asked me how to set herself up on a corner kick. i felt like sugawara telling kageyama to basically chill out when i noticed her set position was pretty tense. as for the comparison of bokuto and hinata, we both just love soccer. our love for the sport keeps us going.

and the funny thing is, i’ve been in her place. i’ve had older goalkeepers telling me to relax my set position, i’ve had older goalkeepers remind me that soccer is FUN, i’ve had older goalkeepers instruct me on how to attack the ball in a 1V1.

enough about me, though. i guess what i’m trying to say is that, sure, coaches are important. of COURSE they are. they’re an integral part of a players growth within their sport.

a player needs a coach. but you know what a player needs just as much? a player needs teammates, acquaintances, good teammates and acquaintances that will be there to help teach them things and help them realize things that they hadn’t realized before.

as a sports player, i feel like the team and player dynamics is why i’ve fallen in love with haikyuu. i’ve been on bad, horrible, teams with horrible environments, and i guess that’s why haikyuu is so refreshing.

i need teammates and other players to guide me just as much as i need my coaches. so did hinata, so did kageyama, so did tsukishima.

they needed that guidance, and look where they are now.

[sourestlemon]

So. I made a bet with my friend that I could get through Omegaverse Haikyuu fanfiction because he says I can’t so if I read https://archiveofourown.org/works/13330632/chapters/30514041 that I’m going to get free icecream and twenty bucks.

But still, Bokuaka! Bokuaka is beautiful, I should rant about it more actually

This is me talking about this fic as I read, so it’ll be updated until I finish

Note, I’ve finished and it’s very very long. You’ve been warned

There’s my review and meta at the end of this as well as some critiques

Spoilers ahead.

“The Jewel of Seijou”

THE WHAT NOW

IWAOIIII

Bokuaka is so fucking cute dear god.

Oh. It’s sinful now

Ushijima better stop throwing shade at my boi’s

“"I can't believe you all think that you can go against the crown and live!" Ushishima says silencing them all. The alpha was slowly emitting his pheromones wanting to show them all his superiority. No one said a word against him. "Toru! I didn't know you'll be as lowly to use your family name to gather us here!" The alpha seethed to the omega that could have been his wife. Iwazumi hackles raised and bared his lips at the beginning of a growl. "And you!" Ushijima turned to Bokuto full on emitting his pheromones making the rest of the alpha's shoulder hackle cautiously and Oikawa to cling at Iwazumi. But Bokuto meet Ushijima calmly, unfazed by the bloodlust while Akaashi was frozen to his spot but didn't show any emotion.”

So what we get out of this paragraph is

1) Bitchy Ushi. I love Ushijima don’t get me wrong he’s precious but like. This fic Ushijima? Son of a bitch walking up in here like “Toru! How dare you be so lowly—“ and fucking trying to dominate everyone.

2) Protective Iwaizumi. Protect the precious Seijou Jewel. Do it, fight for him, protect him he’s scared.

3) Is Ushijima salty because Oikawa didn’t choose him? Oh god, he is isn’t he.

4) Akaashi’s go to emotion isn’t emotion.

5) Shits about to go down, Bokuto is gonna flip eventually, if Ushi threatens anyone—it’d probably be Oikawa or Akaashi seeing as they’re omega’s—I can see Bokuto and Iwaizumi just flipping their shit.

God I’m way to invested. Why did I read this

USHIJIMA IS A COWARDLY LITTLE BITCH IN THIS FIC, STAB HIM HINATA

D O I T

Awww Kageyama cares, Tsukki cares

OH MY GOD TENDOU!

More people came surrounding them. "What the hell," Akaashi recognized Iwazumi's voice.

Iwaizumi’s reaction is the only respectable reaction.

Wait this has major character death in the tags

Fuck

Everyone has decided that Oikawa and Akaashi must be defended but just once I want them to flip their shit and kill someone. Just once.

Bokuto, Lev and Iwaizumi all want to protect Oikawa but Iwaizumi doesn’t even fucking trust em.

Why does everyone act like Nishinoya not wanting to move on so quickly is a bad thing? It’s perfectly reasonable and I hate how everyone is like “What’s wrong with you, do you not like us?” And getting super standoffish or snappish simply because Nishinoya loves Asahi so much and doesn’t want to feel like they didn’t need him.

I really don’t like how Nishinoya/Tanaka/Ennoshita became a thing in this fic. It would be cute if it didn’t just happen because Nishinoya was desperate and if he wasn’t he wouldn’t have fucked Tanaka.

Oh dear god I don’t want Kenma to die.

Oh thank god it’s okay.

Fuck I forgot they had boobs

Did Bokuto almost name the Kuroken baby Oya but changed last minute?

BO ISN’T COMING BACK IS HE?????????

I’m feelin a little sniffly. I might fucking cry over an Omegaverse fic. Oh how the mighty have fallen

Oh my god the stars. I don’t think Bo is coming back y’all. I’m so nervous

The fuckin royals aren’t getting Keiji. No. Nuh-uh FUCK THAT SHIT

THAT’S BOKUTO’S MATE STAY AWAY FROM HIM

-cue mac worrying about oikawa because seijou is allied with fukurodani and an easy way to tear seijou away from the alliance is to kidnap oikawa and iwaizumi might split to keep him safe and ushi fucking knows this and possibly tendou also oiks is pretty as fuck-

BOKUTO IS OKAY!

Iwaizumi making Bokuto promise to save Oikawa if things went to shit makes me so worried but the same time his lil speech made my IwaOi heart so happy.

Suga bby...

BOKUTO JUST KILLED A FUCKING CHILD

Tendou, Ushijima I never thought I’d say this but I fucking hate them right now. They better not hurt the other best Boi’s.

Ushijima is salty as fuck confirmed.

"You truly are a piece of art," Ushijima said gently ...."But not as beautiful as him," the alpha muttered as he threw the omega to the floor.

So, this little snippet sent disgusting shivers down my spine for two reasons.

1) Ushijima just yeeted Akaashi, my son and

2) Any reader knows who the ‘he’ Ushi is talking about is, the only person in this book who is said to be as beautiful as Akaashi. You guessed it, the boi who rejected Ushi-fucking-jima, Jewel of Seijou himself Oikawa Tooru.

The thing that grosses me out the most about this paragraph just on its own is that Ushijima is either guessing about what Oikawa looks like, or he actually knows which overall just gives me the heebie jeebies because Oikawa definitely didn’t want that. What makes my skin crawl in this little snippet is what Ushijima would do when if he got his angry little hands on Oikawa—or Iwaizumi, but Iwa would probably be killed or used as a bargaining chip.

Hmmmmm, I’m pretty sure Ushi is in love with Tendou but the beauty statement still stands possibly???? Unless specified otherwise, because Akaashi and Oikawa are canonically considered the most beautiful people in the fic.

Also this entire chapter just makes me feel so gross, fuck Ushijima man. Fuck him.

My Ushijima loving heart hurts reading this fic.

I just want Akaashi and Oikawa to straight up kill someone. Please, anyone who I don’t care about

I FUCKING SEE THE MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH WARNING AND I DON’T LIKE IT

FUCK

FUCK

FUCK

NOT BOKUTO

WAIT IS HE ALIVE

I WANNA SEE MY LITTLE BOY

HERE HE COMES

I WANT TO SEE MY LITTLE BOY

"I came right on time," Bokuto forced out his voice cracking with emotion. "Now I can engulf you in my arms and brighten your days despite the absence of the sun. You will no longer have to endure the cold winters alone. I'll be with you, I be there for you and our child," The alpha vowed his hands itching in need.

"Are you going to leave us again?" Akaashi needed to know. The omega already knew that he wouldn't be able to survive being apart from the alpha. He knew that he wouldn't win the battle with the overwhelming loneliness.

"The seas could dry up, the mountains could turn to pebbles, the trees could die and the whole world could be on fire and I still won't leave your side."

That was all Akashi needed to hear as he leaped into his alphas arm and let go of all the pain he has held in

I’m not crying I swear

They walked together side by side and Akaashi finally faced them. They were both beaten, bloody, and torn butinstead of feeling satisfaction he felt remorse. They both looked at him with soft, wide eyes, and he realized that this was the moment they were waiting for. They wanted to see the child that they both desperately wanted and Akaashi decided to give them a parting gift.

Akaashi had won, he had won from the very beginning and he held his trophy who was a small babe with golden orbs, with mutant white and black hair. He hadn't lied to Tendou when he had said that the baby looked exactly like his father.

OH MY FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOD I’M SOBBING DON’T TOUCH ME

Meta and Review

So I just read A/B/O for the first time and I knew absolutely nothing about the entire trope that Mpreg existed and to stay the hell away from it. Please remember this in the meta and tell me if there way of dividing characters is ever specified or if it’s just decided by top-bottom dynamics.

Wow.

The story was pretty good outside of what I’m about to talk about. I liked the ships and most of the buildup, the worldbuilding seems solid, the war and UshiTens situation was really interesting to me and it made Ushi and Tendou a bit morally gray and could’ve talked about how people could do bad things for what they thought were the right reason and everything was clean cut.

Overall? Eh. Could’ve been done better

Not onto the rest

This doesn’t seem as toxic or inherently bad as most fics I’ve seen, I didn’t really like how Omega’s are always inherently feminine—the dresses, jewels, how they’re seen as inherently weaker and sometimes helpless, how they’re always referred to as “my lady”—and aren’t really given another choice because they might have the ability to reproduce in A/B/O but they aren’t women. It’s okay if a man is really feminine but for all of them to be? It rubbed my the wrong way.

I wish that the power structure was handled different in A/B/O in general. Omega’s seem to be treated like they’re helpless and I just...don’t like it? Omega’s might be submissive but that doesn’t make them physically weaker and if it did, I would’ve thought they would have picked up some other useful skills like diplomacy or strategy.

As usually, my example of how a character could’ve been handled better is Oikawa.

He’s my favorite character and I adored him but he just didn’t really deliver. It felt like he was being treated like a kid throughout this entire fic, it didn’t seem like he was doing anything during the war. Even if Omega’s don’t have a lot of physically prowess and abilities, what happened to Oikawa’s strategic and analytical nature? Why was it never mentioned in any of Bokuto’s POV sections because out all the leaders of the Allied Kingdoms, Oikawa is the best strategist—Kuroo is the exception, not the rule and I thought they should’ve been working together because smort boys—but he was simply hidden away.

Now I have no problems with all the protective IwaOi scenes when they’re in immediate danger—it makes perfect sense if Omega’s are physically weaker but have other usable talents that are taken seriously—and Oikawa simply can’t talk his way out of said problem.

I do however, have a problem with cowering Oikawa. That feels so OOC at the beginning of the first scene I cited, where is all of the quick wit and worthless pride from the show? Now, it makes sense for Oikawa to start getting scared and simply slip behind Iwaizumi once Ushijima tries to dominate everyone and all the Alphas start freaking out if Oikawa is at an actual, physical disadvantage—I feel like the alpha’s their have similar frames, or at least most of them do. Bokuto, Ushijima, Kuroo and Iwaizumi are jacked and beefy, everyone but Iwa is relatively tall too. Now, Oikawa’s tall too but he’s much thinner and leaner. I’d be scared too if everyone could break me like a twig if it came down to it—but no ??? Apparently at the first sign of any conflict he just gets scared??? He doesn’t know what’s going on in his own fucking kingdom ???

This is not Oikawa.

I didn’t like how they treated most of the Omega’s actually, it felt like they were just reverted to helpless damsels in distress. What happened to Kenma’s observation skills? Nishinoya’s everything?

More importantly, what decides Alpha’s and Omega’s? Is it up in the air like gender is? What are Beta’s then? It can’t just be who’s top and who’s bottom, that would mean the alpha-beta-omega- status wouldn’t be decided until you had a mate

From what I’ve seen in the fic, it goes by ship dynamics but what if the characters who had more strategic, cunning, observant traits and weren’t as buff and muscly would be Omega’s and had the brain power while characters who relied more on physical prowess would be Alpha’s and dominant in a purely physical way sometimes while characters who were an odd combination of the two would be Beta’s.

Going by my logic, instead of the top being the alpha and the bottom just being an omega without any personality it would be...

Bokuto- Alpha, like he was in the story. He’s definitely more physically inclined then Akaashi.

Akaashi: Omega, same as in the fic. Not to say he isn’t athletic but he relies more on his mind.

Iwaizumi- Alpha, like in the fic but from a purely physical standpoint and because he can rein Oikawa in when his friend starts going nuts.

Oikawa - Beta, he’s quite powerful but he’s also manipulative, strategic and his mind is scary as fuck.

Kuroo- Beta, he relies on his physical prowess and dorkily perfect brain a lot so he’s also a mixture of both.

Kenma- Omega, physically he’s a twig but his mind is what makes him the brain of Nekoma

Hinata- Alpha, he doesn’t use his brain a lot and has a lot of physical power

Kageyama - Beta, he’s pretty smart when it comes to volleyball and he’s also physically strong

Suga - Omega, he’s quite clever and his brain power out ways his physical prowess by a landslide

Daichi- Beta, he firms strategies and relies on his brain, plus his killer thighs

Tsukishima - Beta, he has his hue fur and athleticism but his brain power is also strong as fuck

Yamaguchi - Beta, he seems to be really people smart and eventually his serves are pretty good.

Can Betas get into a relationship with other Betas? I don’t know or care, we stan Alpha-Alpha, Beta-Beta and Omega-Omega ships here

I DON’T KNOW IF THIS IS HOW IT WORKS THO

do I have to read more

[thyandrawrites]

what did you think of haikyuu's ending? (unless this isn't something u wanna discuss ofc!)

Hey anon, I'm so sorry for the late reply. I saw the message when I was busy and then forgot about it fhhdhdj my bad.

Anyway, to answer your question... To be completely honest, I always read haikyuu as more of a past-time manga, not focusing too much on it, you know? So my thoughts on it were always shallow observations and nothing was particularly meta-level (aside from maybe when I talked about nekoma).

So since my reading was pretty casual and not very invested, I always mistakenly perceived haikyuu's main theme to be something different from what it actually was. So that's why when nationals cut off and then there was a timeskip I was so confused and unsure if I liked it or not. Cause I had been expecting something different from the story, but Furudate went a completely different route than what I assumed would happen. Then, since the very last arc was focused on Hinata (a character I'm not fond of) and his rivalry with Kageyama (a theme I also wasn't fond of), I was pretty meh about the whole thing.

At some point though I came across a post that changed my understanding of what Haikyuu was actually about, which I will link here because I find it interesting. This... Changed so much about my perspective and made me realize that I had been reading the series under the wrong lenses all along, and basically gave a good explanation for all the little things that had always made me lowkey salty.

So I eventually ended up reading the remaining chapters with a different attitude, and I was able to enjoy them more. To this day, Haikyuu is quite possibly the only manga series I finished whose ending didn't leave me bitter or disappointed. Sure, there are little things (like, I wish Kuroo had appeared sooner but it made perfect sense for that asshole to make a dramatic grand entrance at the end, deliver one (1) cool line, and then disappear again, lmao) but they're very minimal and I feel like Furudate did a good job of wrapping things up, even going as far as giving us career information for ALL the characters who had made an appearance, and that's. Big. Cause there's a lot of them. And most manga series, esp big name ones, usually fail to deliver on that front or leave massive loose ends, you feel?

Anyway, I parted from haikyuu with my heart feeling light, and that was a good feeling because that series meant a lot to me a couple of years ago, back when I was neck deep into the fandom, and I'm glad that my limited understanding of its themes was eventually corrected before I could come to dislike something that I had previously enjoyed so much :')

[comicteaparty]

November 8th, 2018 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on November 8th, 2018, from 5PM - 7PM PST.  The chat focused on Anacrine Complex by Sae.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB START!

Good evening, everyone~! This week’s Thursday Book Club is officially beginning! Today we are discussing Anacrine Complex by Sae~! (http://pigeoncomic.com/)

Remember that Thursday discussions are completely freeform! However, every 30 minutes I will drop in OPTIONAL discussion questions in case you’d like a bit of a prompt. If you miss out on one of these prompts, you can find them pinned for the chat’s duration. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is fun and respectfully appreciating the comic. All that said, let’s begin!

QUESTION 1. What is your favorite scene in the comic so far and why?

RebelVampire

i liked the whole sequence in Lee's head. illustrative wise it was really creative and had so much subtle detail that helped breathe that sense that they were not in the real world. not to mention the color balance really leaves you feel kind of ominous

ShaRose49

What criticism? Man, I agree! I loved the sequence in his head, it was cooler to me than Inside Out in many ways cause it reminded me more of my own head

I think Lee was my favourite but Ben was so funny he reminded me of Hinayana from Haikyuu

Superjustinbros

Hello there~

ShaRose49

Hinata

Is what I meant to say

Hi!

Superjustinbros

Pleasure to be here ^^

ShaRose49

My favourite scene was probably the scene in Lee’s mind too-but I also loved the Jujitsu scene, and the scene at the beginning with Ben and Lee and the explosion

The pleasure is all ours

And I just found out that I have nowhere to be this evening so I’ll probably be chatting more than I thought

RebelVampire

fantastic

Superjustinbros

http://pigeoncomic.com/page/4

Looking through, I found this one charming

ShaRose49

It was a ton of fun

RebelVampire

i think ben is my favorite. cause while hes not as serious or practical as lee (which lee is a precious angel), i like how he has to basically interpret everything as a game. and i think they just make him really unique and entertaining

i like ben and lee as a package though. i think they have an interesting personality mesh that isnt quite perfect for drama but isnt quite completely opposite so they can work together and achieve common goals. like its that perfect blend of subtle awesome that not a lot of comics can achieve

Superjustinbros

http://pigeoncomic.com/post/170447488832/spider-ben-spider-ben-does-whatever-a-spider-ben This one was also good, the effects especially.

ShaRose49

Yeah I think characters were this comic’s greatest strength, which is the most important part of a story to me

AAAH that was great

Superjustinbros

Oh yes

Characters mean lots to me

Of you write them well and provide enough side-material to back them up

RebelVampire

yes that was definitely a fun scene. in general i like how the powers are visually depicted. i think it was a great choice to give them all diff colors schemes and aesthetics. it makes them stand out and you can always tell who is doing what.

i also love the random pigeon cameos.

these are the most photobombing pigeons in the land

Superjustinbros

Giving powers different colors is part of the fun, IMO

mathtans

Made it. You can probably guess at my favourite scene.

Superjustinbros

Glad I don't live in New York City then

Let me guess

It's loaded with puns

mathtans

It's where the trigonometry was used to knock the guy out. ^.-

Superjustinbros

o

mathtans

Also, Ben was using degrees, rather than radians, implying that it is coming from his own experiences rather than some meta-math in the environment.

'Course he uses the imperial system too, for whatever reason.

RebelVampire

that scene made me sad with jealousy because even when i was good at math, i always sucked at mental math. XD

mathtans

The sequence in Lee's head was pretty cool and creative. I suppose I felt I couldn't get as into it, I think because it just represented such an invasion of his privacy. (I liked how Lee addressed the whole "manipulation" thing later.)

Heh. I think that sort of mental math is beyond most people.

The visual depiction of the math-type powers as more cubic/angular was a nice choice too, I found.

Superjustinbros

>Rebel mentions math while Mathtans is in the chat(edited)

mathtans

Math's good stuff.

Superjustinbros

yes

It was my best school subject

till they stopped teaching it after tenth grade

mathtans

Actually, I kind of hate it when "doing mental math" is presented as some kind of superpower. I don't feel like that's the case here, because being able to judge distances, monetize portions of food, and hit precise estimations isn't the same thing as "I can multiply real fast". So that was good.

Superjustinbros

Yea

mathtans

Incidentally, how does magnetization powers give one the ability to X-Ray? Maybe I missed something in my science classes.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 2. Of all the characters, Lee seems to have the past that is most covered in mystery. What do you think happened in Lee’s past that caused him to have such a core of guilt? Was it related to Ana or was there something else going on? What even was Lee’s relationship with Ana? Why do you think Lee turned to illegal car theft activities, and what do you think caused him to go clean? Why do you think Lee is so desperate to patch things up with Sterling? How do you think Lee even knows Sterling in the first place? What do you think any of this has to do with the comic’s opening scene? Lastly, do you think Lee will manage to meet Sterling? If so, what do you think will happen?

mathtans

I think Lee and Sterling worked together in the past, maybe in a post-doc or something. There was that flashback sequence with the motorbike (I think that's what it was?) and stuff.

RebelVampire

arent mri machines basically just giant magnets?

i assume they took creative license based on that

mathtans

Ahh, maybe they are, right. Can't bring metal in and such.

RebelVampire

which actually explains why ben has that headache meltdown everytime hes near lee using his powers

cause like an mri machine, lee is pulling those metal shards

causing more damage

good job lee

lightlybow

Creator here, hey guys!! I'm so happy to see this discussion! To address the x-ray thing, there is a bit of creative license applied for sure. Lee can't literally see people's bones like in an x-ray, but he can sense metal objects and magnetic fields. I just had to find a way to visually represent that, and x-ray visuals felt like something that would be a really quick read for most of my audience.

And yeah Rebel, you're right on the money! Lee can easily move the little bits of metal around in Ben's brain if he isn't careful

mathtans

Right, the metal shard pulling thing I figured. (Also, I tend to agree with Lee that the guy should get that checked out! It cannot be good for the health.)

Oh, hihi creator! Must be early morning for you I guess.

Superjustinbros

Hello Lightlybow!

ShaRose49

Will Ben not have superpowers if the metal is removed?

RebelVampire

tbf going to the hospital might not do ben any good. cause if theyre in his brain thats already a very dangerous surgery

Superjustinbros

D:

ShaRose49

But will he get killed if he doesn’t remove the metal?!

mathtans

I feel like he might be able to calculate a way to deal with it mathematically. I mean, it was the substance on the metal that gave him the abilities, right? And it's supposed to be healing or something, so that's probably why he's still functional.

ShaRose49

Yikes wow but still

mathtans

Removing metal from head before wounds close seems prudent. shrugs

lightlybow

Ding ding ding! Ben's powers do come from the metal! Idk how many details you guys want...

Superjustinbros

Now that's why he can't do the surgery then, cause, well.

He loses the powers

ShaRose49

I think Lee worked with Sterling and they both love the same woman and that caused a rift between them. Maybe Lee tried to win Ana away from sterling or left him when he needed him because of Ana. This may be the biggest cause of his guilt since the thought of talking to Sterling is the only hope he has

But what if it’s unhealthy for Ben to have that metal??

mathtans

Ahh, interesting. (I mean, what do I know, right? ^.- ) Maybe Ben will learn that he doesn't need superpowers to be a cool guy. Particularly if he retains the fighting techniques.

RebelVampire

it is definitely unhealthy for ben to have metal in his head, especially around lee who can make it worse. XD i dont forsee ben wanting to give up powers tho

mathtans

Sha: I'm kind of with you, but I'm not sure Ana necessarily caused a rift directly... I feel more like maybe Lee decided he just couldn't work that close to them any more, and went looking for other work.

Illegal work, possibly.

Maybe he's got a bit of self loathing or something.

lightlybow

In terms of metal in the head/ injuries! There are reported cases of people living normal lives with shards of metal stuck in their brain matter. I was going off those when writing Ben, especially a case of someone who shot themselves with a nail gun and turned out to be just fine

Superjustinbros

That's an interesting piece of trivia

I have heard of people living with bullets lodged into their brain for years

as an example

mathtans

I've heard of that stuff, possibly even seen an XRay one time. Gives me the willies.

RebelVampire

yeah its definitely possible. but basically no mris ever which limits diagnostic tools ppl can use

which is not good cause mris are super powerful

im gonna go out on a limb and assume ana is dead or potentially in a coma. and that lee is (or assumes he was) the cause because whatever he used to contain the medicine that sterling had him built

and thats where his guilt is

mathtans

Lee's kind of my fave character, actually. Ben is too eager to treat everything as some kind of game, and Veda has no respect for boundaries.

RebelVampire

and that what happened between lee and sterling is they both feel responsible for what happened

and while lee wanted to move on, sterling wanted to obsess

mathtans

Rebel: If that's the case (interesting theory), maybe Lee just feels like if he'd stuck around (assuming it happened after he left), he'd have been able to do something.

RebelVampire

yeah.

alternatively

maybe ana is just sick in the hospital

and sterling is obsessing trying to save her

mathtans

Maybe he even has a theory for how to fix things but Sterling put a hit out on him and refuses to hear anything.

RebelVampire

and while lee should be supporting her he doesnt have the strength too

mathtans

Either way, if they end up talking, I feel like it would be near the climax.

Superjustinbros

Seconding Math

ShaRose49

I don’t think Ana is dead, otherwise this would be a lot like Miraculous Ladybug is recently

RebelVampire

i forsee that, but i also hope they dont wait till the climax. and that they hug and talk it out. and while they patch some things up theres stuff about the disease that fall to deaf ears on sterling's part(edited)

mathtans

I don't follow the reference, but okay.

ShaRose49

Sorry Miraculous is a silly romantic superhero cartoon that I love for some reason

RebelVampire

yeah i go back and forth on ana being dead. although i think we can at least assume something bad happened to her

mathtans

Just want to say, I thought putting in that scene of Sterling was a great move. I'd kind of pictured him having gone all "mad scientist", so the idea that he's kind of tortured and trying to fix things was an interesting window.

ShaRose49

Yeah I felt sorry for him he’s like an even more realistic Hawkmoth sorry I keep referencing Ml

ML

I love the realism in the drama for this comic

mathtans

Plot twist: Ana is actually one of the pigeons. Things went terribly wrong.

RebelVampire

yeah i really liked what that scene of sterling did

cause it knocked him down from enigmatic evil overlord to tortured human soul who is trying to fix something he doesnt know how to fix

lightlybow

OMG MATH

I'm crying

RebelVampire

ana is trying to tell lee shes a pigeon this whole time but lee just doesnt get it

lightlybow

all the pieces are falling together

mathtans

Ana tried to use the bird woman to get her message across. That also went badly.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. Much of the current events of the comic are now being driven by Veda who wants to save her sister. Do you believe all Veda really wants to do is save Dani, or is something else going on? Do you think Dani is being held against her will, or might there be a reason she doesn’t want to see Veda? How exactly do you think Veda became exposed enough to the medicine to gain her powers? Is Veda so aggressive with her powers because of desperation to save her sister, or do you think it’s telling about what Veda does for a living in some way? At the hotel, we also see Veda get sick for a moment. Do you think her sudden illness is revealing? What about her words as she looked in the mirror? What consequences do you think this “sickness” will have for the group as a whole?

Superjustinbros

Math does it again

But I do wonder if there is some kind of dark secret to the pigeons, and why they're everywhare

lightlybow

"That also went badly"

ShaRose49

I think Veda is trying to save her sister, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there was another motive as well. I think she gets fatigued severely from using her powers too much

Superjustinbros

I mean, magic exists in this world so that wouldn't be far out of the ordinary

but back onto the subject

RebelVampire

on a tangent i liked lee's convo with the old lady because it was so utterly ridiculous on so many levels. like who approaches some old lady on the bench and assumes she knows a lot about pigeons just cause shes showing them mild affection.

ShaRose49

Wait magic?! I missed that

Yeah but he was desperate lol

junebugjo

More like superpowers

Superjustinbros

As in, the en mase of pidgeons being a result somehow of everyone having powers

ShaRose49

Yeah I don’t think this was magic I didn’t get that at all just superhero sci-fi

Superjustinbros

lol

ShaRose49

Magic and sci-fi together can annoy me sometimes I just love my scifi

RebelVampire

i do think veda is trying to save her sister. but part of me wonders if its not just that her powers exhaust her. what if veda has the disease too and thats actually why she was exposed to the medicine? that is my out there theory

ShaRose49

Oh yeah....

That could be it

I wonder if people get the disease if they get the powers or if the powers don’t actually cure you

RebelVampire

oh man thatd be ironically sad. that the cure comes with the disease

mathtans

Sorry, in and out as the little one makes a fuss. I wonder if Veda's trying to save her sister more for herself than for her sister's sake. Like, she feels guilty over letting her go in the first place. (And what other doctor is she going to take her sister to if they get out? I mean really.)

RebelVampire

yeah i thought that too

about where would veda even take her

lightlybow

Yeah there aren't really any other doctors who can solve her problems but she's desperate

ShaRose49

Yeah Math could be right. (I’m doing Laundry right now lol) good luck with your little one!

RebelVampire

any other doctor is probably gonna tell her theres nothing they can do but make her comfortable and manage the symtoms

and give a death time estimate

lightlybow

*curently

*CURRENTLY DANGIT

Superjustinbros

Guess doctors aren't common in this universe or soemthing

junebugjo

Well doctors who can cure the disease aren’t

RebelVampire

well doctors who can cure this specific disease, yes XD

lightlybow

Junebug! Hello!

junebugjo

Hey!!!

RebelVampire

to answer another question on the list, i think dani's imprisonment is a bit of both. that sterling 100% is holding her but that even if veda came dani would tell her to go away for some reason. maybe to protect veda...or maybe veda and her had a fight just like lee and sterling had a fight. and later on that fight is something lee and veda can bond over

junebugjo

Certainly the fact that her ailment can’t easily be cured by someone else is a motivation for Dani to stay with Sterling

mathtans

Or maybe Dani also has mind powers and can tell that Veda's not being real sincere or something.

Superjustinbros

Hello Junebug~

lightlybow

Something the future script will touch on is whether the Cure is more important than the Person. If their physical health should be prized over their emotional well-being

RebelVampire

that sounds deep

ShaRose49

Hmm. I don’t know I wonder if Lee and Veda will start to like each other. Probably not but they do have some things in common

junebugjo

I really want them to(edited)

ShaRose49

What good is emotional well-being if you’re sick as a dog? You need a combination of both I guess

junebugjo

I desperately need them to be begrudging friends / partners in crime

ShaRose49

Haha

mathtans

He is a chick magnet. (That was a good line.)

Superjustinbros

Good one Math

RebelVampire

i feel like before lee and veda can get along they need to have a huge fight. like get all their reservations an stuff out in the open air. cause at the moment the entire relationship is kind of soured by veda's emotional blackmail

lightlybow

Yeah as it stands there's not much room for "getting along"

Superjustinbros

Yeah, that there's pretty twisted

junebugjo

I’m just a big sucker for characters like Veda esp if she goes through some good ol character development

lightlybow

wink wonk

RebelVampire

i think of the characters veda is the most likely who's gonna grow too. cause right now shes toeing that bad guy line a bit too hard

QUESTION 4. All these super powers are caused by one thing: Sterling and his magical Anacride medicine. Why do you think Sterling developed this medicine in the first place? Does it have something to do with Ana given the number of times she’s shown when talking about the disease it cures? What is going on with Sterling currently given he refuses to let families see those in his treatment program? Are there some sort of detrimental side effects he can’t control, or is something else afoot? Do you believe he can fix everything, or are the powers and other side effects now permanent? Also, what do you think happened to him that landed him in the hospital during one flashback? Finally, what does all this mean for Ben given that he has metal dangerously embedded in his head? Are Ben’s powers really caused by a brief exposure to the medicine, and will this journey change him in some way?

Superjustinbros

Character development makes the world go round

junebugjo

Ana could have the disease

Also is the uh medicine named after her

I feel like he could be desperate to find her a permanent and less detrimental cure so he goes through others not caring what happens to them so he can save Ana ?

RebelVampire

omg

i never connected ana's name was in the word anacride

junebugjo

I just now saw it capitalized and was like ???? Maybe ????

lightlybow

DING DING DING

junebugjo

Do I win a prize

Lol

lightlybow

Yes you get a pigeon. Here

junebugjo

I will take good care of him

Superjustinbros

Aww

RebelVampire

thatd be a sad approach is sterling was using everyone else to test the medicine before testing it on ana, assuming shes a victim. but now im wondering if maybe she isnt a victim. maybe she helped make the medicine but she had a falling out with sterling and now sterling hopes that if he makes the medicine succeed ana will love him again

Superjustinbros

Maybe

junebugjo

I feel like Ana has some dark side to her

mathtans

Okay, back, mostly. Oh, good call on the naming! Didn't register that.

junebugjo

Like she at least a little bit fudges the lines when it comes to pharmaceutical experimentation but wouldn’t go as far as sterling would idk

mathtans

Remember there was that flashback scene where Ana was actually helping Sterling due to his heart problem or whatever. I think maybe SHE developed the medicine, and Sterling's trying to perfect it for her.

So I guess similar to the "love me again" idea.

Except maybe it's just in her memory.

'You will be the last victim of this disease'...

RebelVampire

well tbf, the only viewpoints weve had of ana are those from ppl who love her in some capacity. so to them ana is probably an angel. so her having a dark side would not surprise me at all cause nobody is perfect an all that jazz

and yeah i considered that too, math. that this could just be a "last victim of the disease" sort of thing

mathtans

Ana is actually an NPC in the story.

She hands out the quests.

As a pigeon.

RebelVampire

its a good thing they have ben. he will figure out you have to accept the pigeon quests in order to progress the story

Superjustinbros

I shall do that o_ o\

Give me all them challenges

lightlybow

The clues were there all along. There she is, pigeon # 62

mathtans

Yeah, some of the "deluded Ben" stuff when Lee first found him was amusing. I'm glad it didn't become an overlong gag though.

lightlybow

http://pigeoncomic.com/post/162180122762/the-horror

Superjustinbros

For a sec I thought those were bats

mathtans

Speaking of amusing things - I liked some of the little background naming things. Like the diner that had been crossed out and it's like "Al's now" or whatever. Or the donut box saying to drink juice.

lightlybow

I'm so happy you noticed

mathtans

My favourite was the self defence book. "This convenient book is going to show you how not to get punched in the face".

Superjustinbros

The best kind of book

lightlybow

And in Ben's apartment there's a statue of Han Solo with the words "_ shot first" and the name is covered

mathtans

I think it also had a picture of the Matrix in it or something.

junebugjo

THATS MY FAVE

the Han statue

mathtans

Ahh, I interpreted that as "Han" (the statue) "shot first".

lightlybow

Oh I see!

mathtans

Probably why Ben's roommate moved out. A Star Wars disagreement.

lightlybow

Anyway I'm glad you guys enjoy the stupid jokes in the flavor text

junebugjo

I almost walked out of watching a new hope bc my friends all said exactly the opposite of who I think shot first

Superjustinbros

Always fun when the author sneaks in background gags/jokes

lightlybow

OMG

mathtans

I wonder what's in the van. Like, is it more of the drug? Could they actually analyze it before they do the run? (Though, they probably don't have time for that.)

RebelVampire

i assumed it was more of the drug

although

that begs the question of how its made

cause youd think sterling would make the drug in his lab

mathtans

Maybe he outsources.

junebugjo

Maybe ingredience

mathtans

Right, just gotta mix it with fructose.

lightlybow

The drug needs to go through a special process of pressurization and maturation before it's viable... so Sterling designs the drug but no one knows if it will work for a few weeks until they test it

mathtans

It's important to be mature about such things.

lightlybow

pun game on point

mathtans

Oh, nice detail about Lee's card being demagnetized btw. Hadn't occurred to me.

Poor guy.

lightlybow

In that pigeon comic it's implied that he keeps breaking watches too. It's really inconvenient!

Superjustinbros

Well, I guess it's almsot the end

RebelVampire

having magnetic powers sounds like all kinds of trouble. cant take him camping cause hell throw off the compasses. although you could use him to hold metal screws for you without them getting lost

mathtans

Right! I remember noticing that. Guess it does make it easier to fall off the grid.

Superjustinbros

In that case cya, and thanks for the great reads, @lightlybow

It was great metting ya.

mathtans

I wonder if Ben will compare him to Magneto.

junebugjo

He should

ShaRose49

I wonder what Dina!s gonna be like she looks like she could be a sweet but tortured soul

lightlybow

Great meeting you too @Superjustinbros !!

ShaRose49

He already did compare Lee to Magneto!

I remember he said “You totally Magnetoed him”

mathtans

I am clearly not paying enough attention. Must have read it as magnetized. It makes sense given his Marvel references.

lightlybow

Omg rebel I just imagined Veda sticking screws to Lee's face like "Here, hold this"

ShaRose49

Omgosh

mathtans

I could see that.

Anyway, definitely pulling for Lee. Guy can't seem to catch a break. Hope his mental demons are appeased.

lightlybow

Me too, buddy. Me too

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- THURSDAY BOOK CLUB END!

Sadly, this wraps up this week’s Thursday Book Club chat for now. Thank you so much to everyone for reading and joining us! We want to give a special thank you to Sae, as well, for making Anacrine Complex. If you liked the comic, make sure to support Sae’s efforts however you’re able to~!

Read and Comment: http://pigeoncomic.com/

Sae’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cottonart

Sae’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/lightlybow

Comic Tea Party- Thursday Book Club

Next week’s Thursday Book Club will be about Skeletons in the Closet by Niah. For participants, you have the next week to read as much of the comic as you would like~! We hope to see you on Thursday, November 15th, from 5PM to 7PM PST for the chat in #thursday_bookclub!

Comic’s Main Site: https://tapas.io/series/Skeletons-in-the-Closet

[fencer-x]

Hi! I know that Free! has been letting you down lately, and I don't even know if you still care for it and the fics your wrote for it, but I really wanted to praise you for everything you've written for it. I love how in character everyone is, and your AUs are incredible, I'm sure you've heard a lot due to your Pacific Rim fics, but I have never seem someone expand an universe so much, it's one of my favorites! I hope this year's new season pulls you back, because I'd love to read more from you!

(same anon) After all the Free! fics, I went and read all of the others (you even got me into Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi, I can't believe I've never watched it before!).Some stories made me wish there was more after the ending, because you created such an interesting universe or situation, I don't know how many times I've read "For All Appearances", and even the Merman!AU and Pirate/Siren!AU were so amazing! You also made me wish for more Haikyuu!! (And maybe No.06?) I just really love your writing!

(same anon again, but it's the last one!) I was also wondering if you are part of any discord server out there? I've been seeing some posts about Sharkbait, and just last week I saw a Victuri one! You just seem nice to talk to, and write a lot of meta with, that's why I'm asking! Keep being awesome and thank you for your contributions throughout all these fandoms! (I also hope my English was ok, after all these asks!)            

Thanks for these nice, fun comments! *blushes profusely*

As you can probably see, your asks were amazingly timed RIGHT as actually exciting new Free! content came out XD So I’m feeling a lot more excited for the new season than I was, say, 12 hours ago lol.

It’s definitely been a fandom that has given me a lot to work with, both canon-wise and character-wise, and I sometimes wonder if I’ll be able to find another fandom I feel that inspired by (I LOVE YOI, probably more than I loved Free! even at its peak, but I don’t feel like I have to add too much to it! It’s just perfect as it is! And so many others are writing great things for it already XD).

I dunno if I should be glad or apologize about SekaKoi XD; It’s another fun fandom as far as interesting characters go, but lord is the canon a train wreck. You just can’t tear your eyes away and at the same time you’re like, “Why am I still reading this..........???” XD

I haven’t had much time of late to hang around on Discord servers--around the time I started to hear about them, I also started working on a huge fic that I’m STILL working on for Harry Potter fandom, so I haven’t had a chance to catch my breath XD The fic will be finished in the next month or so (and released around August, yay!), though, so hopefully that’ll be just in time for new Free! content to get excited about :3

I’m always around on tumblr, though, either via asks or messages, so anyone who feels like gabbing, hmu!