#honestly my interest in blue lock has been waning for a long time so hopefully the new season will be the thing to get me back into it

[snaillock]

this fandom dry as shitttttt cause why am i barely seeing anyone talk about the new trailer? i know there are people talking about it if you scroll enough through the blue lock tag but for an animanga fan base that just had a season 2 of it’s anime drop? it’s a whole damn desert up in here.

anyways here are my thoughts on the trailer and the upcoming season:

good god blue lock deserved a better studio if i’m being completely honest here.

i really really don’t like the harsh look of the dominant and completely black shadows. i feel like it just does not at all fit with the art style and just clashes weirdly. it just gives off the vibe of them trying something and just going too far with it.

ofc a lot of stuff about the art direction is pretty subjective and everyone can have their own thoughts about it. personally, i don’t enjoy it that much and a lot of the screencaps are pretty unappealing to look at.

also not sure if this is just me but i have always hated is how absurdly lean the characters’ bodies looked in the anime. not completely sure if this is a thing unique to this anime or not. in the manga, they obviously looked fit and athletic but it was still believable that they were teenage athletes that have only really played on a high school/local level. meanwhile the adaptation made it appear like they have 0% body fat and are completely dehydrated. they looked like they were on steroids or some shit. is ego over there sneaking tren into their bloodstreams when they’re sleeping? and it certainly does not look this pet peeve of mine will get any better in season 2.

anyways onto the more positive stuff i’m looking forward to:

one thing i am excited for is isagis final goal in the u-20 match. i love that specific chapter in the series and i do feel like they’ll put a lot of effort into that part since it’s a pretty significant moment. so yeah i do have hopes for that. same with rin’s backstory. based on the little clip of it in the trailer, it does seem promising and i bet they’ll do a good job on that as well since it is a defining moment for his character.

another thing im quite happy about is my pookie sae’s new design. i’m so happy they changed his look to reflect the manga art style improve post-second selection arc. he looks soooo goodddd!

i’m also hella excited for the additional times. i really enjoyed those the first time i watched the anime and definitely was a little sad when i found out they weren’t canon in the actual manga. so i can’t wait to see what they’ll add to the characters this round.

even if the new season does inevitably its noticeable flaws, i bet i still will be extremely hyped when watching just like with season one. this series doesn’t fail to make me feel like a typical sports bro in a bar whenever someone makes a goal. and you bet my ass will be tuning in (🏴‍☠️) each and every week.

[syeko]

Taking Care of You Chapter 3

On AO3 and down below!

The next time Marinette woke, she found herself snuggled up against her never-ending mound of pillows on her chaise longue. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she noticed a light weight on top of her, the soft fabric of one of her blankets enveloping her in an enticing cocoon that lulled her back to sleep, propagated particularly by the waning sunlight flitting through her window.

She smiled lazily, her muddled mind somehow making the connection that Chat Noir must have taken care to cover her during their impromptu nap. A different kind of warmth blossomed through her this time, wrapping her heart and soul with tenderness that lulled her back into the cozy confines of her chaise setup. Her eyes had barely fluttered shut again before they shot wide open, limbs flailing as she registered many things all at once, the bombardment of thoughts making an undignified squeak spill past her lips.

First: Chat Noir was in her room

Second: Chat Noir was no longer in her room.

A glance to her side and towards the rest of her room confirmed this, the events of earlier rushing over her like a bucket of cold water. Shoving the blanket off of her legs, Marinette padded through the small space, blue eyes searching for a familiar pile of black leather and golden locks. She’d even pushed up the trap door, doing a quick scan to solidify that Chat was in fact, no where to be found.

She let out a stuttering breath, unsure whether to feel relieved or disappointed that she’d awoken to an empty spot next to her, the war of emotions making her slightly queasy as she slowly closed the trap door. Turning back to her room, she pursed her lips.

“Tikki?”

“Marinette!”

A familiar ball of red floated into her field of vision, eager to flit about freely in the room. Marinette smiled at the kwami, keeping her voice light even as she saw the familiar twinkle in Tikki’s eyes. She was content to play dumb for a while.

“Did you take a nap too?”

“Marinette…”

With a sigh, the teen hero let her facade drop, knowing that she couldn’t avoid the lecture for long. She wasn’t one to disregard Tikki’s advice, and held her dear friend’s opinion in high regard, but she also wasn’t keen on adding another bucket of feelings and conflicts to her already, frankly, overflowing well. So she decided to saye them both the trouble by launching into her explanation before the kwami had a chance to begin.

“Listen, I know you’re mad at me, Tikki, but I couldn’t just leave Chat Noir out there either. Believe me, comprising our identities is the last thing I want too, but I was careful.”

Marinette found herself in the middle of her room, pacing as she continued to explain herself.

“Marinette-“

“Besides! It wasn’t anything that serious, right? It was just some dumb side effect that I didn’t just completely make up because I actually have no idea what’s wrong with him or if what I said was true. I mean I think it is, it makes sense! But what if I was completely wrong he’s going to think I’m an idiot-“

“Marinette!”

The girl in question paused, groaning when she realized she’d been rambling.

The red Kwami floated up to her, nudging her cheek gently and Marinette couldn’t help but smile at the gesture, the knot in her chest beginning to loosen.

“Sorry, Tikki.”

“Marinette, I’m not mad at you,” her friend spoke up, a tiny smile working its way onto the little god’s face, “I think what you did for Chat Noir was very kind, and something that I don’t think anyone else could have done better.”

Marinette smiled wanly, the words of her tiny friend further dispelling any anxiety she still had.

“Even Ladybug?”

Tikki giggled, “I don’t know Marinette, you’d have to ask her.” The kwami’s expression turned serious once again.

“But most of the other things you said were pretty accurate as well.”

At that, blue eyes widened.

“Really?”

Tikki nodded and Marinette’s eyebrows furrowed at that, unable to keep the slight hurt out of her voice when she spoke next.

“Then…how come you didn’t tell me? Chat didn’t seem to know what was going on either.”

“That’s because it’s been a while since any of this happened to any of our previous wielders I think, so honestly I don’t think we even expected it to come up. I’m not 100% certain about Plagg, since he’s been let out less than I have,” an unreadable expression passed over Tikki’s face, one that Marinette’s interest was immediately piqued by, as the dark look was not usual for the little god. She bit her lip, frowning as she held out her palm for her friend to settle in.

“Wait, why wouldn’t Plagg be let out as much? I thought the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous were supposed to be used together.”

“Humans are biased and believe many different things over the years, Marinette,” Tikki sighed, the sound small, “You already know what happened to Chat’s reputation when more information about his abilities spread. Creation and Destruction are equally important and one cannot exist without the other, it’s how the world works, and it’s how the Miraculous operate as well. Both are extremely powerful forces, but so is fear.”

The teen hero let the words wash over her as she sunk into the plush rug underneath her feet. A heavy silence settled over the two of them as Marinette recalled the earlier days of Ladybug and Chat Noir, when skepticism towards the duo-particularly towards her partner- was much more common. With a sigh, Marinette rubbed her eyes with a free hand, dispelling the thoughts and memories of particularly nasty articles, knowing that it would do no one any good to dwell on the past.

“Right. So,” she looked down at her tiny friend, “The reason Chat is experiencing these urges and uh, instincts, is because we’ve been wearing the Miraculous for an extended period of time? And it’s nothing serious right?”

Tikki nodded, “For the most part.”

“Then…why haven’t I felt anything?”

At that, Tikki hummed, a small paw coming up to her cheek in thought.

“It could be that you just need more time. It’s very possible that Chat Noir has been using the Miraculous much more often than you usually use it, or you’re just taking a little longer to get to the point where he is right now.” The kwami finished off her sentence with a shrug. Marinette nodded slowly, the answer satiating her curiosity for the moment.

“I don’t doubt for a second that the silly cat is out and about way more often than I am.”

Marinette sighed, content to let the matter drop for a moment before freezing.

“Wait, you didn’t answer my question! It’s nothing serious right? It doesn’t seem serious- more cute than anything if I’m being honest.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them, heat immediately flushing her cheeks.

Tikki giggled, and the sound soothed Marinette immediately. If Tikki was laughing and taking her time, then Marinette knew that she didn’t have anything major to worry about, at least for the moment.

“You think Chat Noir is cute?”

“The cat mannerisms are cute,Tikki,” Marinette tapped the red kwami’s nose with a small smile, “it’s different.”

“Of course,” Tikki blinked to dispel the knowing look in her eyes, “but to answer your question Marinette, I don’t think there should be an issue. He’s probably more confused right now than anything, and I hope Plagg doesn’t give him a hard time with it. While it’s not dangerous in nature, there could be some unintended side effects or downfalls if a holder comes to be out of tune with their body during a fight.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m sorry Marinette, but I’m not exactly sure of the details myself. I’m mostly aware of my own instinctual effects, but even then it’s been a while since I’ve had a wielder who was exposed this long.”

Marinette bit back a groan, lips downturned as she mulled over what her friend said. It seemed that everything related to the Miraculous was shrouded in mystery and unknowns, and getting a complete answer for any of her questions was becoming more and more of a rarity as time went on.

“Then I’ll guess I just have to find someway to get him to say something about it later when I’m Ladybug, hopefully his kwami knows a little more about that.”

Tikki rolled her eyes, but not without a hint of fondness, “I think that letting Chat know that you’re there for him in suit would be beneficial, Marinette. But, I wouldn’t count on Plagg to be extremely helpful.”

“Of course not.”

With a sigh, she pulled herself up, letting her tiny friend flutter up to settle on her shoulder. Marinette opened her mouth to speak once again, but a splotch of red on white on the corner of her desk caught her attention. Curiously, the ravenette shot a glance towards the kwami at her side, eyebrow raised. Tikki answered by floating off her wielder’s shoulder towards what Marinette now saw to be a single red rose places neatly atop a small paper.

“It seems like Chat Noir left you a thank you gift, Marinette!” Tikki beamed excitedly. Marinette echoed in her light laughter as her fingers ghosted over the silken red petals before her eyes were drawn to the pencil underneath the green. Chat’s now familiar signature stood out to her at the bottom of the page, underneath surprisingly neat scrawl and her lips tugged upwards before she was able to stop them.

Thank you for the pawsitively lovely cat nap, Purrincess ;)

- See you soon

“Silly as always, mon chaton,” Marinette whispered fondly, eyes soft as she tucked the note into her nearby journal to properly tape in later.