#i don't really have a dog in this fight as i'm not that absorbed by the bridgerton fictional universe to invest in reading 8 whole books

[lemonhemlock]

(same anon from the last Bridgerton ask)

I've read all the Bridgerton books and I don't see how ppl think they're more problematic than the show. There is however discourse between show! watchers and book! readers a bit like hotd but not that level of toxic? At least I haven't seen it be as bad.

The books make more sense and explores topics like marriage to save reputation (Anthony/Kate) or second chance love and fertility issues (Francesca/Michael) and Cinderella story (Benedict/Sophie)

Definitely recommend reading books to anyone who hasn't because again they actually make a lot more sense. Like S2 Bridgerton is so different from books it's insane (Kate never stole Edwina or whatever it is the show makes it look like she did, her and Anthony actually married because they're caught is a weird position lol). S1 is somewhat more in line with things but overall in books they don't bring the Queen up 24/7 or have mean girl Penelope. To me book Penelope is a much much better person! She's not a mean girl lol she's actually the one on the receiving end of the bullying most times, her and Eloise's friendship never goes down either plus in books Colin is the first person to find out about her being lady W!

Not sure if you know but Francesca's second love interest in the book was called Michael Stirling but the show gender swaped him and made him Michaela a lot of book! fans were mad at this lol personally I just ignored it. At that point too much has already been changed about the stories so I really wasn't even invested in the series as a whole to care about it.

Bridgerton unfortunately has gone done the same path as a lot of other newer series like hotd and it's completely disregarding book! canon and making the shows into fanfic versions of what the writer's think is cool or serves as shock factor for general audience.

i have to say, anon, you are in the minority in preferring the books to the show! i sometimes would put videos in the background discussing the differences and, not to say i paid super close attention, but they seemed almost universally of the opinion that the show is superior

of course, that was before season 3 aired. and not to say the series didn't have its flaws back then, too. i do remember thinking that the plotline with anthony getting and staying betrothed to edwina was pretty contrived and not a true obstacle, for example.

overall i thought seasons 1 and 2 were a silly goofy time and decent viewing for having a little fun, but season 3 was a massive letdown in quality. i don't have high benchmarks for quirky TV but i do want it to make a minimum of sense when it comes to conflict-construction, characterisation and the flow of the plot, which is becoming a rarity these days

as far as fluff tv goes i guess i'm left with only The Gilded Age to look forward to now

[lymtw]

Miss You Already

"Toji, you do this every time." You have your massive bear of a man clinging to you, watching you through the mirror on your vanity as you apply lipstick. He watches your fingers mold around the cylindrical make up product, before his attention shifts to the dark, bloody shade of red that you're smearing on your lips.

"Do you really wanna go? You don't have to. You can stay in with me," he suggests, wrapping his arms tighter around your waist.

You smile at him through the mirror, already noting the subtle longing expression on his face, though, you haven't even left, yet. "I'll be back, baby." You drop the lipstick into your make up bag and zip it up, taking one final look at yourself in the mirror to see if anything needs to be adjusted or tidied up.

"You don't have to go," Toji repeats, slowly dragging a hand up your body to cup your breast. Almost instantly, he feels your nipple harden and press against the material of your dress. "Stay and look pretty, just for me," he murmurs, rubbing the stiffened peak. His other hand pushes up your dress and makes its way between your thighs to tease you over your panties. "I'll take such good care of you. You won't even be bummed about ditching your friends."

You let out a soft sigh, when Toji's fingers apply pressure to your clothed clit, the sultry sound followed by an equally seductive laugh, as you gently pull his hands off of you and turn around to absorb the neediness he's doing a poor job of hiding.

"It's just a couple hours," you assure, but clearly, that's not enough of a reason for Toji to relent, because he wordlessly takes your hand and puts it on his clothed hard on. He moves your hand back and forth over the bulge, not breaking eye contact with you for a second. "I know, honey," you coo. "I'm sorry. I swear, i'll let you do whatever you want to me when I come back, okay? I'll make it up to you."

"No, doll. Please," he almost whines, walking into your embrace and burying his face into your neck. "Stay," he pleads, brushing his lips over your delicate skin. "I want you."

"Baby." You laugh, letting your hands settle on his back.

He's nosing at your neck and your jaw, getting strong whiffs of the pretty scent you spritzed on. "Need you, pretty. Please don't."

You don't know what it is about going out, that turns Toji into the clingiest man ever. Your friends tell you that their partners practically push them out the door and say that it's fine for them to go out, as long as they act responsibly, and yet here you are, fighting for your night out.

"Alright, Toji. Come on," you say, patting his back. He pulls away from you and follows you to the bed. "Sit, baby," you instruct, when he just stands there, staring at you like a dog that's about to be abandoned. He does as you say and sits down on the bed, watching as you climb up and sit on your knees. "Pull it out. Come on, let me see it," you say, with a sly little grin.

He lifts his hips and pulls down the waistband of his sweatpants and boxers, freeing his drooling cock. He then wraps his hand around the length and smears his oozing precum over it, eliciting a few quiet, low groans. You crawl over to him and straddle his lap, holding his gaze with a soft smile on your face, when his hands go under the skirt of your dress to move your panties aside.

"I know you don't want me to go, baby," you start. His leaking tip meets your warm, soft skin and instantly, a chill runs down his spine. He pushes the tip in and you begin to slowly lower yourself onto him. "I-I know," you utter, trying to keep it together as you take in more and more of him. Once you're fully seated, you let out a sigh, and wrap your arms around his neck, leaning forward to speak softly into his ear. "I'll be back in a couple hours. Before midnight, love." You raise your hips and lower them again, luring a small, but needy groan from him. "You have my location, so you'll be able to see where I am."

"Mhm," Toji hums, dragging his blunt nails up and down your back.

"And you'll know when I'm on my way home," you murmur, kissing his earlobe and giggling at the sight of the lipstick that transferred onto his skin.

"Yeah... That too, mama," he replies. His hands go lower, beneath your dress, again, to rest on your ass for a mere second before he starts rubbing and squeezing it.

"And—fuck, baby—you'll see when i'm right around the corner."

"Twenty s-seconds," he says, breathily, as you leave more kisses on his ear.

"Right, twenty seconds," you say, pressing a kiss to his temple, knowing it'll leave a red lip print behind. "Twenty seconds, and the car-" you cut yourself off with a sharp gasp, lured out by the feeling of his fingers reaching your clit and rubbing it. "Fuck," you moan, when he bucks his hips up to meet your movements. "Twenty seconds and the... the car, will be parked in our driveway."

"And then you'll be home," Toji says, certainty riddling the statement.

"Then, I'll be home," you confirm, pressing a kiss beneath his eye, then another one on his cheek. You hear his low chuckles and when you lean back to look at him, he has the most lovestruck expression on his face. "What? You like my kisses?" You ask, reciprocating his loving gaze.

"Your lipstick is smudged," Toji says, his eyes pinpointed to the color that escaped the lines of your lips. You still look gorgeous, even with that slightly messy detail. His breath catches when you roll your hips on him a little faster and lean in to decorate his face with more a your warm, affectionate kisses. "Fucking love your kisses, ma." He can see hints of the color you left on his skin through his peripheral vision and he notices that each time you pull away, you have less color on your lips. By the time you finish covering his face and the side of his neck with kisses, the pigment that once was on your lips, remains as merely a faded blush.

"It's all gone, doll," Toji groans, breathing a little more heavily as you up the pace of your hips one more time. He sounds like he's just as close to his peak as you are.

"I know... It's okay. Do I still look pretty?" You ask, your breathy laugh mingling with the sweetness of your sultry sounds. Without a warning, Toji leans in and kisses you in a manner full of affirmation. He's guiding your hips, assisting you in quickly bouncing up and down his cock, now. Every sound you make is sealed in the kiss and greedily devoured by him, and when you both cum, the kiss gets sloppy and you lose synchronization, leaving both of you to just moan, groan, and pant into each others mouths. The overly tight grip he uses to still your hips to avoid overstimulation, would be painful if you weren't so blissed out by your orgasm.

"Fucking gorgeous," Toji mumbles. He tilts your head slightly to expose the side of your neck and presses gentle kisses along the area, just before sucking on the delicate skin and leaving his own longer lasting mark on you. "There you go, pretty baby. Gave you a little peck, too," he says, after rubbing the small patch of his saliva into the mark.

The sight before you makes a lazy smile curl on your lips. Toji's entire face is scattered with your red kiss prints—even his lips have a slight tint to them. He looks loved, and by the looks of the soft expression on his face, he must feel like it, too.

You slowly lift yourself off of Toji and he fixes your underwear, patting the front, before letting you get off the bed. You head to the bathroom to fetch him a towel, and once you hand it to him, you make your way over to your vanity and use a make up wipe to remove the previous layer of lipstick, so you can reapply a new layer on a clean slate.

You see Toji looking at you from his spot on the bed and smile at him before zipping up your make up bag. Once you feel satisfied with the way you look and you finish buckling the ankle straps of your heels, you go over to Toji to say goodbye.

"You look like Valentine's Day incarnate," you tease, running a thumb over one of the kisses on his cheek. He wants to smile, but all he can think about is how in a minute, you'll be gone and he'll be spending the next few hours alone. You see that same longing look from before return. He looks so soft and it's chipping at your heart, but you can't fall for it. He does this every. time. It's only a couple hours. You'll be back with him before you know it.

"Take a nap or try to sleep through. When I get back and finish dressing down, I'll slide right into bed with you, alright?" You offer him a soft smile, and wait for him to respond so that you can go.

Toji sighs, like it physically pains him to watch you leave. It's not going to be as easy to get to sleep without you. Getting a taste of your loving just made him want you to stay even more, but he knows he can't keep you from spending time with your friends. They don't see you every day, and he does. He wakes up to you every morning, he spends the rest of his day with you when he comes home from work—with the exception of those few times he accepts invites to hang out with his colleagues. Even on those rare occasions, he's never experienced you trying to convince him to stay home, because you know, at the end of the day, he'll take his place next to you in bed. Plus, it's not like you're sleeping over at one of their houses. When you're done hanging out with your friends, you'll come home, and you'll sleep next to him, as always.

"Yeah, okay," Toji says, finally letting up, to avoid holding you back any longer. "Call me for whatever reason. You know you don't need one."

You lean down and leave a dark red kiss on his forehead, then wait for him to meet you halfway for a peck on the lips. "Love you," you murmur.

"Love you, ma," Toji responds, catching one more sweet smile from you, before you leave the bedroom and set out for your night.

[leyyvi]

It's 3:04 in the afternoon when you're buried nose-deep in writing your research paper. And though you've been trying to focus on it for the last half hour, the only thing on your mind is literally all of the other things you need to get done. Clean your room, do the dishes, finish that late assignment (it's been almost a week now!) Shit. Too many things to do, and there's never enough hours in the day to feel like you can finish them.

You may or may not have been tipping over the edge of a breaking point for a while now.

But you've been convinced that it was hidden fairly well, at least from your friends. They don't press more than a simple "good luck with your paper" or "talk to you soon" when you tell them how busy you are.

However, your boyfriend definitely notices.

Levi isn't one to not speak his mind when something bothers him. In fact, he's pointed out several times in the last week that you shouldn't be overworking yourself. Out of anyone you know, Levi knows your limits the most. And he must see it where you don't, considering he's walked into your apartment with his copy of the key and is now standing over you, a paper bag in his hand as he glares down his nose.

"Hey," you mumble, turning back to your laptop screen in front of you. But the laptop is forced shut by a veiny hand, replaced with the plop of that same paper bag Levi was just holding. "Whats that?"

You pout when he slides the laptop down the dining table.

"Lunch. You need to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"I know you are, don't fight me on this. Please just eat with me. Forget about your work for a minute."

He pulls out the boxes in the bag, revealing a couple of sandwiches. Fine, maybe you're a little hungry.

"You didn't answer my calls so I had to guess what you would've liked," Levi murmurs as he slides the boxes toward you. You mutter an apology, but he's not mad. He waves it off, simply telling you to eat and "stop worrying about shit for one damn second."

With anyone else, it might've pissed you off.

When you're absorbed in your work, it's hard to gather energy to talk to other people, let alone even take care of yourself. And yet, somehow, Levi is the one person who manages to read you like a book. For some reason, he's able to pick up on your bouts of silence and understand what you need. You always wondered how he can do that.

And though he's yet to say "I love you", you wonder if gestures like this are close enough to that.

He doesn't ask about work, merely sits with you and eats in silence. The brief moment of quiet feels good, comforting even. Especially in Levis presence. Despite his coarse language and tendency to maintain a glare most if not all times, you've always found him to be so... Stable. A steady wall to lean on when the world makes your stance tremble.

You really love that about him.

When you two have finished, Levi promptly cleans up the table. You assume it's okay to go back to work, but his hand lands on yours when you try to pull it back.

"You're done for the day," he says with a firm stare. The usual one he gives when he absolutely refuses to listen to any counterargument you might come up with. "We're gonna go for a walk, take you outside. Just get out of this shit and breathe some real fresh air."

"I'm not a dog," you grumble as he holds out his hand to you now to help you stand.

"Mhm," is all he says.

You two walk around the neighborhood, Levi having taken away your phone in an effort to keep you from too much more screen time. He'd return it if you really asked, but you're thankful for the restriction in all honesty.

Usually, Levi isn't the one to initiate an exorbitant amount of physical contact. It's you who tends to absentmindedly cling to his arm while you're talking. And it's generally you who comes up behind him to cover his eyes and make him guess who, despite the fact that he already knew just from the sound of your footsteps.

Most often, Levi does attend to little touches here and there. The back of your neck, the edge of your hip, the top of your thigh, along the line of your jaw. And now in this moment, it's when Levi steps up a little and takes your hand completely in his. It isn't anything new for you to hold hands, but it's rare for him to be initiator.

You appreciate that. Those moments where he's willing to be more brave about touching. It's calming, feeling his fingers between yours as your arms sway with every step.

"I'm sorry for being so short with you lately," you sigh, staring at the cracks in the sidewalk you step on. Levi always seems to make a subconscious effort not to step on them, even now.

"It's nothing. I'm always short with you, anyways..." He trails off quietly.

Your sudden snort startles him, obvious with the incredulous look on his face as you burst into a tiny fit of laughter. His brow raises in confusion.

"That wasn't even close to being a funny joke and you're still laughing?"

"It was funny to me! You're always funny."

"You're the only person in the whole world who thinks that."

"Must be why you're dating me, right?"

His hold tightens around your hand. "I'm dating you because I l-"

Levi cuts himself off and inhales through his nose, pushing his sunglasses up to hide his eyes as he recomposes himself. "I'm dating you for a multitude of reasons."

"You could be more specific."

"If you keep talking I'm gonna have fewer reasons," he clears his throat, hovering his free hand over his eyes to shield himself from the sun, leaving remnants of the summer's heat on his skin.

You smile, for the first time in a few days, actually. "I thought you were trying to make me feel better."

"Hmph." Clearly, Levi has nothing else to say.

[lovelizards]

"Now, Meres, can you tell me what it is you've done wrong?"

The weight of the slender man's legs as they crossed at the ankles and rested on Meres' shoulder was nothing compared to the intense pressure he felt under his master's cold gaze.

How long had it been since he'd been punished?

The moments where he found himself on his knees begging for forgiveness were few and far between in the last few years.

Since he was broken in, Meres had always been a good dog.

No matter what the order was, no matter how fraught his sleep was with the nightmares of things he'd been forced to do, he had done them without questioning.

"Meres." The slender man spat his name like an insult.

"F - forgive me, my lord, I -"

"I asked what you did wrong. I'm waiting for your answer."

"Ah, forgive me, I - I -" Meres hesitated, because the answer wasn't exactly as clear as he thought it was. Should he just apologise for everything all at once? Surely the punishment would be easier if he just got it all out and admitted his mistakes.

The slender man sighed, nudging his head with the side of a shoe.

"You've never been the brightest dog, but must I really repeat myself a third time? Don't you know you shouldn't do things you'll have to ask forgiveness for in the first place?"

"Y - yes, of course, my lord...I - I have been hesitant in following your orders. And - and I've been too familiar with your possessions. And - "

The slender man interrupted him with a kick to the face.

It was the shock of pain rather than the force of it that knocked him, unbalanced, onto his back. Hot blood streamed from his nose and he coughed on it.

With a heavy sigh, the slender man stood up, and put pressure against one of his legs with the flat of his shoe, straining the muscle. Meres grimaced against the pain, but dare not utter a sound.

"Usually I wouldn't care about a neutered dog playing with some wild bird, but it seems like that filthy thing is a bad influence on you."

"A - a bad -?" Meres coughed, "No, she - Iska isn't -"

"Don't you know how cunning a mage is, Meres?" The slender man's tone softened, "they will say and do anything for their own benefit. Did you suppose breaking the tether I have on you would win her over? That the two of you might run off to a happily ever after?"

Meres didn't dare meet the man's eyes.

It was true that he'd been trying to fight against the enchantment.

Iska had said only the weak-willed could be controlled. She...had believed in him, that he could fight it. The arcane mind control that sometimes blinded him and caused him to lose hours, days at a time in a haze -

He had thought if he could break it, maybe...maybe they could...together...

But the slender man knew, he always knew. There was no escaping him.

"Forgive me, my lord...it - it wasn't because of her, I - I get headaches...that's the only reason..."

Meres did his best, but the fear made his voice break. It felt impossible to craft any kind of lie in front of his master.

"You poor, sad beast..." the slender man sighed, "I can see that mage has truly gotten her talons into you."

"N - no, my lord, it isn't like that - I - I only - aagh!"

The slender man gripped Meres' face tightly, his palm flat against Meres' eyes and fingers pressing painfully against his temples.

"Listen to me well, Meres. Are you listening?" The slender man tightened his grasp and caused a shooting pain to rocket through Meres' head.

"Agh - y - yes, I - I'm listening my lord -"

"There is nothing for you in the world except serving me. What would you be without me? I gave you what pittance of magic you were able to absorb. I gave you a purpose. You were nothing when I found you, and you'll be nothing again if you ever were to leave."

The slender man's words rang and echoed strangely in his head, humming almost like a song, tolling low like a bell.

Meres clenched his teeth against it, but with his eyes forced closed there was nothing he could do to distract himself from it.

"That mage's very blood flows pure with mana, she is a mage the likes of which you could never begin to imagine. Even when I break her, she will still be more than a pathetic mutt like you."

The slender man was right. Meres was nothing. Not strong enough to defend himself. Not strong enough to break the mind control. Only as good as his strength. Nothing...nothing...

"A powerful mage..." Meres mumbled, feeling a strange numbness in his fingers, "Iska is..."

Iska...Iska...the name echoed again and again in his mind.

Somewhere, swimming in the fog, like a weak flickering light against a darkness, he found her face. The soft of her lips, the brush of her fingers, her sharp eyes and her voice like a melody when it called his name.

"Poor Meres," the slender man said gently, "so strong of body, yet so weak of mind..."

"Yes...I - I am weak. Forgive me, my lord...I never meant to..."

The slender man slowly pulled his hand away, but Meres kept his eyes closed. He wanted to keep the image of Iska in his mind for as long as he could.

The only light he had ever known in this cold, dark place.

"Retire to your room. I am busy now, your punishment will come later."

"Yes, my lord..."

Meres stood, his legs aching. He finally opened his eyes, wincing against the pale white light of day filtering in through the curtains.

He could feel the beat of his own heart, not racing, but drumming a steady march. Maybe...when he told Iska how he'd been fighting against the enchantment...

Maybe she would reach out to him, touch his face gently.

And if they could...somehow...leave this place...

Even if he became nothing, as long as he was by her side...

Then maybe some day he could see her smile at him.

And that would be enough.

『 Previous / Next 』

[puffyducks]

DCRC Week #24 (Part 1)

Today we're reading PKNA #20: Mekkano AKA Gorthan reads a single line of Shakespeare and has a full Steven Universe moment. Peace and love on the planet Earth and all that.

GUYS LOOK IT'S GORTHAN!!! Remember? From Trauma? I told you guys to remember so if you didn't this one's on you.

Anyways he's about to crash and die a fiery death.

Bro is fighting for his life NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO BE QUOTING THE LITTLE PRINCE!!!!

Oh ok nvm he's self aware

Once again we bear witness to the fact that Donald is so fucking teeny tiny. All it takes is one big fuckig fist to grip his entire head. Manlet.

Idk why this part made me laugh so hard but literally all it took was for him to bitch slap the gun out of PK's hands and it's like Oh. Well shit.

Scolds Uno and Gorthan for saying hi to each other then IMMEDIATELY makes a corny joke that's infinitely more disrespectful than anything they were doing

I found this random technological doohickey that fell from the sky and idk what it does but now I can use it to power my giant scary machine, THIS IS A GREAT IDEA!!!!!

Ooooooh somebody's jealous of the indomitable human spirit oooooh 🫵

BRO HAD MEASLES????

Makes a robot that absorbs things into its body and then gets mad when it. starts absorbing things.

"I hate you as much as you hate me" y'know I'm getting distinct flashbacks to a certain OTHER villain who claims to "hate" PK but still regularly works alongside him and exchanges casual banter... a certain somebody who likes to raid things........

Damn that's deep.... idk how fast the Evronians end wars though you guys are doing a pretty shit job at invading Earth

Oh NOW you think it's bad??? You just watched it rampage through like half the city 😭

YOU GUYS CAN DROP THE "MY ENEMY" THING YOU CLEARLY LIKE EACH OTHER

Wait LOVE??? Ok jumped pretty quick there let me just revise my last sentence - YOU GUYS CAN DROP THE "MY ENEMY" THING YOU CLEARLY LOVE EACH OTHER

It's right behind me isn't it

Ok now that Gorthan got fucking owned and absorbed into a giant metal horror creature IT'S TIME FOR BURTON LA VALLE ohh yeah baby

Uuuuh there's not a lot to say here it's just Burton La Valle beefing with a dog. If this DOG doesn't stop ruining my shots I'm sending his ass to the GLUE FACTORY!!!

Anyways, with the bonus comic out of the way let me just say: I love this story. Insanely lukewarm take, I know, but the conflict between PK and Gorthan here is just SOOOO interesting man. The constant back and forth between whether or not they're enemies, because sure, they SHOULD loathe each other given the circumstances. They constantly reiterate through dialogue that they HATE each other, and yet, through the story we see that both parties hesitate to take any definitive action against the other. PK does a pretty good job of reiterating it himself here:

There's something so interesting about the way in which Gorthan falls in love with humanity through our literature. Every part of his instinctual self tells him to hate us, and yet he just can't. Perhaps it's self-important of us as humans to assume that anything we do could be so moving, but idk. I think it's beautiful to fall in love with humanity through our ability and drive to create. The Evronians don't have the luxury of feeling and creating, they're pretty automatic beings that just kinda exist to follow orders and conquer stuff. It's a pretty fuckin dismal existence, thankfully most of them aren't really conscious enough to think about it critically. I mean Gorthan was but he got immediately kicked out so...

Anyways idk what I'm really trying to say here other than good story, Gorthan is a good character, I WISH we got to see more of him after this but we don't really. Go read The Little Prince.

[ashlynniis-bracketeers]

E.G.OBLAST {Antonblast/PMoon}

Merry Crisis, have some crossover silliness.

So me (and a few other people I know that are into both PMoon and Antonblast) have been trying to make Antonblast character/Abno E.G.O pairings... because Funny™. I've drawn other E.G.O pairings, but I don't think they're up to the same quality as the ones I'm posting here, so I'll probably redraw those lmao.

I'll put those older ones under the cut, though. Easier to do "indirect" things like that on Tumblr lmao.

This will be a lot of text, so I'll put all of my explanations under a cut. Big ol' thing.

I hope you like it!

Cut time.

Annie: I drew the Annie one today in Krita.

She's an obnoxious hellion (affectionate) at the best of times, only going on the Kick-Satan's-Ass Adventure for the sake of causing carnage, so I felt that Singing Machine for all of its annoyingness (Can't have too low of one stat... but also can't have too high of another! Fuck off) and tendency to cause chaos would fit her. Meat Lantern could probably also fit. Not sure what Limbus Abno/E.G.O could fit her, though...

Decided to give Annie both versions of the Harmony E.G.O weapon (Bazooka from LobCorp, grinder guitar from Ruina), with Ruina's suit (because SM doesn't have a suit in LobCorp) and LobCorp's gift. She deserves both weapons, it'd let her do maximum chaos. Meanwhile, her Corroded form is basically just the Singing Machine itself with eyes, legs, her morningstar in its mouth, and a silly hat. Basically an exited dog made of buzzsaws lmao.

The text reads: How about we made some REAL noise? (Awakening) - Louder, LOUDER! Better, make it better, make it LOUDER, LOUDER, LOUDER!!! (Corrosion)

Satan: I drew this one (and Freako's) in MS Paint lmao.

For his LobCorp/Ruina E.G.O, I decided to give him Sanguine Desire. As for the explanation, well... have you seen the Red Shoes' quotes in Library of Ruina + Corroded Sanguine Desire Rodion's quote? All for a more vivid, luscious shade of red. Honestly, his ass is not Awakening if he gets his hands on that E.G.O, he's Corroding immediately lmao.

I actually do have a Limbus E.G.O in mind for him: Blind Obsession (Dream-Devouring Siltcurrent). His obsession with becoming the Reddest of the Red is all-consuming and does nothing but leave him miserable, as does the DDSC's desire to sink into the dark depths as to "shine brighter than anything in that dark place". I also think that the guy that desperately wants to be red getting a very blue E.G.O (which is also Pride-affinity, also blue) is rather funny lmao.

I don't know what kind of hooved legs he has, so I based his skeletal leg in his Corroded form off of horses.

I didn't write any quotes for it, but I managed to figure some out in Discord chats: C'mon, now. Just a little cut here..." (Awakening) - Red, red, RED! RED, RED, RED, REDDER, REDDER, EVER MORE RED! GIVE IT TO ME, ALL OF IT! (Corrosion)

Freako Dragon: Also drawn in MS Paint.

Dragon with a body made of pachinko balls, and his associated sin is Greed... but Greed isn't a Sin Affinity in Limbus, seemingly absorbed into Gluttony. I felt that Effervescent Corrosion would fit, replacing the pachinko balls with pearls.

For the Corroded form, I put multiple pearls in the clam mouth to look like his body curled up inside it, like a dragon protecting its hoard. I colored the join-circles with the same colors as his eyes when he's charging in his fight.

I'm not really sure what LobCorp/Ruina E.G.O would for him... Old Faith and Promise, the literal gambling-mechanic Abno, doesn't have its own E.G.O rofl.

The text reads: Hah! Sticky. Stuck in your head, huh? (Awakening) - Come here! Come and try to claim my riches! (Corrosion)

Also, here's the other pics

Hex Nail Brulo (because... er, "attachment issues").

Blind Obsession Satan (see above, under Sanguine Desire)

Pleasure Anton (substance abuse themes + red + UR HEAD ASPLODE)

[prettycottonmouthlamia]

I still do play F/GO but it has definitely become more of my side game instead of my main game. F/GO is in this kind of weird state that I'm going to attempt to elucidate my feelings on by writing it, and while I'm here I'm not going to spend too much time talking about the writing because I haven't really actively followed the story since LB6 and a significant portion of that was me trying to see what Tenochtitlan's deal in OC3 was as well as reading Traum to my general suffering. I do think F/GO is massively spinning its wheels on the main plot but I digress. Apparently OC2 is really popular.

The core gameplay of F/GO is not...bad. I don't know if I would say it started from a particularly inspired place, but it is still a turn-based RPG with a relatively simple overall structure. I regularly play RPGs like Dragon Quest or Earthbound, frankly this isn't really that bad of a system. It does fairly often get used in interesting ways as well. Boss fights in F/GO, especially within the last few years, have been generally quite good. They're very often using the mechanics to tell a story or illustrate something about the boss. Barghest steals your Command Codes in battle because she's the devouring black dog who consumes everything powerful in front of her. Cernunnos explodes on your party every time you hit him because he's basically a corpse reanimated by the collective curses and grudges of thousands of years. ORT is shown to be hulking and extremely difficult to defeat though a massive raid battle where you constantly throw your entire repertoire of Servants in front of it, over and over again. Every single time, they fail. Their information gets absorbed by him. You can't use them again, and you literally are incapable of even delaying his progress.

The issue that F/GO has is that it is not a game that is a visual novel cut by climatic boss fights. Instead, to get to those really good boss fights, you often have to do _dozens_ of absolutely lame ass fights. There's a huge amount of dead air. In a game like Arknights, every fight does need to be handled with a modicum of different strategy and every event and story chapter has new gimmicks to throw your way. Sure, there are jokes that you can just throw overpowered 6-stars at everything, and yeah not all of the event mechanics are good, but they are there. In F/GO, 95% of the content can be handled the exact same way, only allowing for some slight differences depending on what flavor of DPS you're feeling on that day.

When none of the non-boss fights are remotely interesting, when they are all some kind of bland loop em all gameplay, the game grinds to a mind-numbing halt. This isn't helped by the fact that there are so many combat nodes in any given story chapter. I do like the harder content they've put out to a point, but I do often struggle to get much enjoyment out of the game right now mechanically.

[a-twistedheartslonging]

Okay so i finally got it down after dumping word vomit and then editing word flow into my notes so here we go! Still rough but eh it's concepts and stuff.

Inspired based on the initial magic mirror quote/diagnosis for magicless yuu: “The Dark Mirror: I sense no magical power from this one. Soundless. Colorless. Shapeless. Utterly vacant. Therefore, no dorm would be appropriate.” which made me think well if the soul is empty of magic then maybe it can take in magic. If the reason it's senses no magical power plus it notes the soul is funky. Dark mirror even had to pause and notes…. "Your soul is unclear to me…" Then my “soundless and colorless and shapeless” soul is obviously probably different than other souls magic mirror sees. What if the soul could absorb some magic and do some funky stuff y'know? Lightning rod absorbtion type of situation.

Dark Mirror roasting our soul in front of orientation like "look at this bland ass empty soul mf. Murky ahhh" /j

Still Essentially all the canon event shit but like to the left cause my Yuu is a chaotic dipshit (affectionate) who discovered that they can essentially absorb and thus utilize magic to an extent but only if it's direct source and it unfortunately causes some side effects. Namely changes in appearance - sometimes chimeric depending on what was consumed/absorbed- plus odd sense of hunger/emptiness due to filled up soul and resulting emptying when out of magic. Think blot effects but not really blot cause the earth soul is funky and don't really have blot capabilities since blot comes from magic producing folks who are stressed and we don't make magic and this yuu is basically a blank vessel conduit with lightning rod type of abilities but only for direct magic. if spell fire hits then whatever free fire magic but if the spell fire makes other real fueled fire then ouch! Or if curse is flung but again it depends. Plus it is absorbed and retained and if there's a fair amount of it in the blank slate soul then changes happen but like no blot so you just look funky plus abilities. You can burn it off cause your shapeless funky blank slate soul is just a conduit/vessel. Personally wouldn't want to cause i want that back up magic y'know lol. also grim will have to fight me for those stones cause I'm gonna eat em up once i genuinely figure out my abilities. Again canon is like in the room but not really y'know. Mostly cause there's a "magic less" human who can eat up your magic spells and become a bit chimeric depending on the amount inside and also what was absorbed or outright consumed. Crewel keeps a sharp eye on our mouth movements cause now he has to live Knowing one of his students might snack on a piece of his magical ingredients for magic gains- he's that meme of dog owners wondering what the hell is in their dog's mouth. Also magic absorption changes based on how far removed it is from just magic versus enchanted etc plus still a limited vessel so like gotta increase the capacity but also plan out what to absorb and keep and not run out etc.

Thats pretty interesting.

Being able to absorb and consume magic would be rad, which also makes me think of being able to steal it.

[davycoquette]

Questionnaire~

Thank you for the tag, @drchenquill!

1. Is writing a hobby or way of life?

I always call it a hobby, but almost always prefixed with some form of, "greatest," "most important," or "favorite." I think way of life fits a helluva lot better. I've been writing since I can remember.

2. A journal full of writing notes or a clean, completed manuscript?

The journal one. I have like 900 I'm actively writing in at this very moment.

3. Who (or what) is your writing inspiration?

Cormac McCarthy. The love I have for my shitty characters. The agonizing unignorable need to put words on paper or screen.

4.Which is worse: someone you "idolize" reading your first draft or listening to you sing?

The singing one. I am not ashamed of my writing, but I have been taught to be ashamed of my singing lmfao. Which is weird and dumb because singing isn't something I go around telling people I can do decently - I don't tell people, "Oh, I sing," or, "I'm a singer." So, I have nothing to prove on that front, yet... I don't think I could make a peep of noise if someone said, "Sing me a song." Meanwhile, even when my writing's not at it's best, I'm like, "Yeah, I'm a writer. Here's some shit I wrote that isn't good. Sometimes I write good stuff, though."

5. Has writing from someone else's POV ever changed your own perspective?

I mean... in the literal sense, sure. A story looks different from the eyes of a character. By the same token, it helps me "understand" when people make choices I've not personally made. I think, for this reason, it's important to write about characters with different belief systems than we have - to write about them as sympathetic people with complex emotions. Not just to villainize or cathartically punish them, but to explore why people do the things they do and what life events might drive them in that direction. But cathartic character murder has its time and place, and who am I suggest what others write? Y'all do y'all.

6. Tumblr, AO3, LiveJournal, or FFN?

I have not used LiveJournal since I was a teen - is it still a thing people use??? That sounds nostalgic and fun. Not sure what FFN is; something to do with fanfiction? I only write original fiction, so that rules it out if so. AO3 is very cool, but the interface isn't my favorite. Also fanfic-heavy, so I never know if I've got a place there. Tumblr always freaked me right the fuck out, but the Writeblr community has proven to be my favorite writing community I've discovered online. And in a very short timespan, I might add!

7. AO3 wordcount, and are you satisfied with it?

I do not use AO3 but wordcounts can never be high enough 😎

8. What movie/book/fic gripped you irrevocably?

Probably too many to count. Little House on the Prairie A Separate Peace The Road Fight Club (recently rewatching this was humbling because it showed me how much of my writerly personality seems to be inspired by the way it rearranged my brain chemicals) Bullet Train (I fucken love this movie) Lawn Dogs Box of Moonlight Harold and Maude (book & movie) Pride and Prejudice (book & movie)

9. What’s the highest compliment you’ve ever been given, and have you been given it?

I've received some absolute banger compliments, and I don't want to dismiss any in favor of others. My favorite compliments are often ...questions? Just things that let me know people really did read, absorb, and are interested in things I wrote. Also, my love language is when people think about me of their own volition. So, any time people come to me apropos of nothing or say "this reminds me of you/your characters/your writing, I giggle and kick my feet and do a lil' happy dance.

10. What defines your writing style?

Gritty, casual. If it was art, it'd be the kind with the sketchlines still visible. Deep, silly. Visceral, I hope.

Taglist and blank template under the cut!

@albatris

@capnmachete

@harmonic-melodii

@illarian-rambling

@michellekarnold

@nathaniel-zellos

@sableglass

@saturnine-saturneight

1. Is writing a hobby or way of life?

2. A journal full of writing notes or a clean, completed manuscript?

3. Who (or what) is your writing inspiration?

4.Which is worse: someone you "idolize" reading your first draft or listening to you sing?

5. Has writing from someone else's POV ever changed your own perspective?

6. Tumblr, AO3, LiveJournal, or FFN?

7. AO3 wordcount, and are you satisfied with it?

8. What movie/book/fic gripped you irrevocably?

9. What’s the highest compliment you’ve ever been given, and have you been given it?

10. What defines your writing style?

[oceansprompts]

Best of Daredevil: Cutting Edge

quotes taken from the Marvel novel, Daredevil: The Cutting Edge (1999) by Madeleine E. Robins // adjust pronouns and lines as needed.

Can I bring you a cup of coffee? I'm already on number seven or eight… I forget which.

Wouldn't you like a chance to go, I don't know, live on a beach somewhere, drinking rum punch or something?

I'd rather go to hell, I love this. This is what I do.

Don't look at me that way; I'm not the one who drank a dozen cups of coffee a day and never got any exercise.

Not bad for a skinny blind kid from Hell's Kitchen.

Not as flashy as Spider-Man, maybe, but not too shabby.

What is this guy, a zombie?

You moron, he's not the perp!

Okay, Mr. Off-the-Rack, what else did you leave behind?

It's okay, you've been very brave.

It was a kind lie, kindly meant.

Don't ever let me lose you.

Pleading "blind man walked into the door" again, your honor.

Yaaaay for the good guy!

So, he was the wall you ran into?

Triumph and hell, all at once. I wish you could have seen it.

How about dinner tonight? In a real restaurant. Like grownups.

Off to Rykers. Another day in Fun City.

Have fun storming the castle!

Maybe I should get Seeing Eye cat?

Well, of the two, I guess the brain's more important.

Doesn't it seem a little too tidy? The pink ribbons and all?

A problem? My dear, I trust you implicitly.

Who put this guy in a position where he can talk to the public?

Not me, I'm naturally suspicious.

Tooth extraction would be more fun than what I'm writing.

I can't smell anything, my food tastes funny…

I'm wasting away to a shadow of my former self.

Two-bit mouthpieces! He actually said that? Who writes his dialouge?

Why not just wave a big, huge red flag that says something suspicious here?

I will be the soul of discretion.

Try not to break any of your well-informed friends too badly loking for information, okay?

Right, everytime you come in to chat, I wind up doing renovations. New plate glass, new tables, new ribcage…

Are you just a discipline problem in the making, or do you have something useful to contribute?

Anyone got anything they want to share with the class?

Naughty, naughty.

No breakage, this time. They're learning.

A little judicious flattery can work wonders.

You're all flipping wild cards. That's part of your charm.

I don't like lawyers!

Call any hour of the day or night.

Don't throw the card away, I'll know.

Okay, hero, play brave, competent, [disabled] person.

Oh, I already do, but make me love him more.

He sounds like the kind of guy who pulled the wings off butterflies and tortured puppy dogs.

Basically, your overprivileged sociopath.

I wasn't always the polished gem you see now.

He has the business ethics of a piranha.

Judiciously applied, the business ethics of a piranha can be very useful.

Make it good, boyo.

If you like it hot, but I gotta say, man, you oughtta use a little caution.

I'm touched by your concern, but I promise you I'm well armed.

Well, the only thing to do with a bully and a coward is face him straight on!

Now it's time for bed, close your weary eyes and dream of me.

You're a darling, but I'm too tired to argue about it.

This is where I'm going to die.

You have great bone structure.

Well, look. The neighborhood avenger. Come on, you wanna play?

Spread the word, sweetheart.

I couldn't... fight him...

You stayed alive, you did the right thing.

Bullies... never give in to... bullies.

You did good, remember that.

Oh my, really bad night.

I don't deserve you.

You roll in here looking like someone shot your dog, so I figure I can be self-absorbed and ill-tempered some other morning.

Listen, sweetheart, whatever you did, it's not your fault.

If anyone's to blame, it' me.

I find I'm old-fashioned enough to prefer talking to a live human being.

Lies. All lies.

I don't think they're ever leaving. I think they like it here.

It's air conditioned, the coffee's free, they get to point and laugh at the poor people trying to work.

Nothing more than crushing piles of work. The usual. What's up?

You'll have to make this the "For Dummies" version.

Heartbreaking. You expect setbacks, but we were so close!

I mean, it worked ⸺ it just had this damned baggage with it.

Well, I'm over it. Grieved, moved on.

So you think because she's a babe that she's capable of planning murder?

Ow! Be careful! You don't know your own strength!

If I were afraid of you, would I be sitting here?

Thank you so much, I really look forard to proving I'm not the monster I'm sure I seemed the other day.

Reduces me to a screaming hormonal pulp?

Don't you think you ought to relax a little?

You really don't like being challenged at all, do you?

I have to do something, and this is what I can do.

My point is, I love you, and I don't want to have to bring you flowers at St. Clare's.

Be careful. That shiner is just beginning to fade; you don't need another, and I do need you. Okay?

Once again, it's all the fault of the guy in the tights, jeez.

It's as tired as I am.

Okay, genius, what now?

What are you gonna do, kill me?

Come on, I'm doing the best I can.

Stay alive, [name]. I'm here.

What are you, Iron Man?

Look, I'm going to close my eyes and rest for a while, don't let anything exciting happen while I'm out, okay?

Are you sure you're supposed to be scolding me in your weakened condition?

I was just trying to distract you from telling me you were right about it.

I hadn't planned on scolding you about that until you were strong enough to fight back.

You say the absolutely perfect thing sometimes. You really do.

I never know whether you're as clumsy as you seem, or just playing a very, very crafty part. Well, you're not dead yet.

That the way you treat all your dates?

Cosmic irony: man with no sympathy has a heart that beats sympathetically.

Hey... I'm one of the good guys, right?

Look at me. I look like... the Hulk's baby sister. And it's going to get worse.

I'm not stupid. I played a risky game and I lost. I lost it big and I'm going to wind up a monster.

Tell me about the colors.

Tell me what you hear.

Anyone here ever ask you what the most beautiful word in the English language is, you can tell'em: home.

Hey you, having a good time?

With you? Always.

We could rent a movie, then curl up on the couch together and ignore it.

That sounds good. We could even forget the movie.

Even better, I love you a lot.

That is what keeps me going.

[thesongweave]

"Stay with me tonight. please."

Gale x Tav (Alathea "Thea")

Act II

It's late, I'm on mobile, I can't sleep, so have some fluff stuff

They had only been in the shadow-cursed lands a few days when they found the Last Light. Being that there were so many of them in Thea's company, they made camp outside, as per usual, so as not to overcrowd the already crowded Inn.

Everyone else had already retired for the night - no need for anyone to keep a watch, there were plenty of Harper's and a few Fists around in the Selunite protective bubble for that.

Yet, Thea found she could not sleep; well, trance, really. She did not need sleep, not like humans did. The point was, she could not rest.

Tossing and turning in her bedroll, she finally threw the covers off with a frustrated sigh, which earned her a curious, half-sleepy look from Scratch. With a smile and a scratch behind the ears, Thea soothed the dog back to sleep.

Quietly, the bard slipped from her tent to observe her surroundings. Very few were up at this hour - whatever hour it was in this gods forsaken land - and those that were did little more than nod to acknowledge Thea.

A flickering of light caught her eye then - candlelight? Focusing, she realized it was coming from Gales tent. Before she realized what she was doing, she found herself standing at the entrance, reaching out through the connection to let him know she was there.

The two of them had made great use, and great progress, in learning how to use the powers of the tadpoles. Not only were they useful in combat, offering unusual psychic abilities, but the communication it allowed was...unique.

The tent flap opened to reveal Gale looking ever so slightly confused and concerned.

"Not that I mind your company ever in the slightest, my friend, but - why in the world are you up at this hour? Shouldn't you be resting?" Gale himself sounded tired, and looked it, especially after having expended most, if not all, if his magic earlier that day fighting shades and monsters

Thea smiled a bit sheepishly. "It's not for lack of trying. I just...couldn't. But why are YOU up so late?" Her brow arched in question.

With a soft chuckle, Gale waved her in. The tent, of course, was warm and inviting, books stacked wherever they could fit. And where there weren't books, there were pillows, plush and soft. Thea caught the scent of lavender and rose water, which she had come to associate with the wizard.

"You caught me. I couldn't sleep either," he resumed his seat amongst some cushions, and Thea followed suit, finding a spot as close to Gale as she could.

They had been dancing around each other for weeks now, sharing looks and quick, soft touches, sitting as close together as they could without being on top of each other...

It was driving Thea a bit crazy, if she was honest with herself.

"What are you reading...?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing to deep, I assure you. Just something light - if I'm honest, I haven't really been, ah, absorbing it like I should." Gale rambled on. What was the damned book, anyway? Just something he had found hidden amongst the rest, but he had been staring at the pages without really reading.

His thoughts had had him more occupied lately, and now that the focus of those thoughts was sitting right there...

Gale tried to bite back a yawn, and failed.

"I - oh. Should I go...?" Thea tried to not feel a little dejected. She had just sat down, and now he was tired??

"No, no. Please - don't go? I mean. Unless you want to, of course." One of them had moved closer to the other; Gale noted they were side by side. Thea was close enough he could wrap an arm around the small elf, pull her into his lap --

Instead, he reached out, fingertips brushing the soft, tanned skin of her jawline, tracing it from chin to the base of her ear, resting right at her neck. Gale didn't realize he had leaned forward, other arm reaching out to wrap about her waist.

To his surprise - why was he surprised at her anymore? - Thea had not pulled away. They had found themselves in situations like this a few times now, always dancing closer and closer to...to what?

Gale knew how he felt, of course. It took him some time to admit it, then come to terms with it, but yet he had tried in vain to deny it. To deny her and how madly in love he had fallen.

He couldn't tell her. Not yet. Maybe he shouldn't at all, not with Mystra's command ever present in his mind.

"Gale?" She whispered his name like a secret, like a treasure, breath tickling his lips. The bards eyes, a deep green with flecks if gold to put emeralds to shame, we're half lidded; Thea gazed at the human through thick lashes.

Hells, he thought. Hells take me. He couldn't deny what he wanted, not any longer. She was so close, he just had to lean in just a little more to close the gap...

"Thea - " the question was on his lips, in the way he said her name. Could he? Did she want him to?

The fingers at her neck looped around to the back, giving the gentlest if nudges. The elf leaned in at the motion, lips pressing to his. Carefully, tenderly at first.

Questing, questioning. Was this okay? Was that what he wanted? Was that what she wanted?

Gales eyes drifted shut, taking in the feel of that new contact between them. The tenderness, the closeness. Gods, it was everything he had wanted, had dreamed of what it felt like. The wizard let out a sound - something between a moan, but not quite a whimper, either.

He had been so touch starved for so long, he had forgotten what a kiss could be. It was like opening a river dam. Gaining courage and encouragement, he pulled back just long enough for a breath, before meeting Thea's lips again - with a bit more passion, this time.

Thea felt like she was in fire in the best way. With a quick and practiced ease, the elf situated herself in Gales lap as he kissed her again; she met his kiss eagerly, all want and passion, tangling her fingers in his hair.

Whatever she has expected this night, well, this wasn't it, but hells take her if it didn't make her giddy. She'd known for a bit how she felt for the wizard, but had held back - the last thing Thea wanted to do was make things awkward if he didn't feel the same. But, it was hard to deny this dance they had been playing at.

It was over all to soon, and it was Gale that had reluctantly pulled away, out of breath and panting. He looked up into those darkened green eyes, his brown ones nearly black with desire. Again he traced her jaw, this time stopping at her chin, using his thumb to brush at her bottom lip.

The pleased sound Gale coaxed out of her from just that simple touch - it made him want more. He wanted to see what other sounds she would make for him.

Thea tilted her head in the silence as he studied her face.

An idea came to him, but it would take a day or two to prepare....

The wizard fought down the urge to simply act on his desires right then. Damn self control, he thought.

"Gods, I'm sorry. I - Should.. should I go?" Thea shifted nervously in his lap, moving to disentangle herself from him.

Gale shook his head, clearing his throat. The hand at her waist held on, urging her not to go.

*No, please. I...I would rather you stay. If you would." His voice was low as he eyed her up and down.

"Stay with me tonight. Please?"

Thea nodded, carefully shifting herself from his lap as Gale but back another sudden yawn.

"I would like that. But perhaps we should try that sleep - resting thing."

An amused grin graced his features as he nodded in agreement. A few minutes later found the pair curled up in his bedroll, Thea's back pressed against his chest comfortably. Her White-blonde hair tickled at his nose, a few strands catching in the stubble of his beard.

They drifted off quickly and easily, Gale finding it was the best sleep he'd had in weeks, if not since this whole... adventure, began.

[utytimeline]

Thoughts on UTY (Pacifist Version)

Reactions from when I first played Pacifist, and observations I made as the game progressed.  A lot of these will be outdated by the time I get this list compiled, but it’s a faithful list of my reactions.  No spoilers, plz.  I haven’t done Geno, betrayal kills, or boss kills yet.  (I kinda don’t want to, these are my babies.)

Long post ahead.

Ruins

Questions

Clover is the narrator, aren't they? I don’t think Chara’s even in this game.

What happens if we don't leave a tip at the lemonade stand?

Is there a way to wake Decibat after he goes to sleep? (I know that's cruel, I'm just curious.)

Dalv keeps talking about a friend, talking like he thinks he will meet them again- Kanako?

Dalv is mistaking us for the human that attacked him, isn't he? The one that made Chujin decide to kill the next human?

Who was leaving Dalv corn? My best guess is Ceroba- that she's felt sorry for him this whole time.

How to look in Dalv's locked doors/drawers? (Probably have to kill him. That... is gonna hurt. I like Dalv, he's a sweetheart.)

Observations

Decibat's music volume decreases the more you stay silent. (Which makes me think all battle music is being generated by Clover, not the monster.)

"Penilla draws near." (Italics added for emphasis.) *facepalm*

"Rorrim" is "mirror" spelled backwards.

Also, "Dalv" is "Vlad" spelled backwards, so might Rorrim be Dalv's personal mirror? Seems to fit, Dalv is extremely tidy.

Dalv's furniture's "fine craftsmanship" is probably Chujin's work.

Other Thoughts

I feel like a sponge cake with 2x absorption should have an effect where it absorbs damage for at least 2 turns.

Snowdin

Questions

Does the Snowdin ice block ever move? The guy that comes here from the Dunes just stands there and does nothing. Perhaps I need to check very late in the game, return from the last SAVE in New Home or something.

What kind of creature is Mo? I looked it up, and all I can find is "he looks like a raccoon." Yeah, I can see that, but he's kinda reddish-brown, so maybe a red panda? I also considered the possibility that Mo could be a tanuki, a Japanese raccoon-dog (and yes, it looks like a raccoon) that supposedly tricks people, especially tricking them into buying drinks- and Mo is a drink salesman.

What are we to make of the human on the wanted poster that Marty describes?  She said they wore a hat like ours, but they came from space.  I can’t think of a single equippable UT item that seems outer spacey.  And since she’s describing a wanted poster, I don’t think she’s talking about Red (the monster she thought was a human).  My first guess is that some monsters may equate the Surface with outer space, since they’ve never seen either (and many monsters are obsessed with the stars- Starlo and all the monsters making wishes in Waterfall, for instance).

Observations

Flowey: "We won't be anywhere near your fancy surface air for a while." (Italics added for emphasis.) He sounds... jealous? This was when I first realized that Flowey's only playing nice, but I still have no clue what he’s really planning.

"Snowy" is just barely recognizable in "Snowfall."

Mo's theme is easy to recognize because not only does it use the Sega Genesis soundfont, it even includes the Michael Jackson whoop from Sonic 3&K.

Ice Wolf was when I started to realize that Yellow isn't that long before UT. (Yeah, I know, Flowey should've been my first clue, but I simply assumed he couldn’t be Asriel, that he was someone else that somehow turned into a flower.  Anything can happen in these games, after all.)

The Shufflers are all named after things you do with a drink: Toast, Swig, and my favorite, their leader Rephil (Refill).

The Shufflers scold Clover for starting a fight, but later Axis is the one trying to drag us into a fight.  I guess battles can go either way.

Shopkeepers have full animations, it's not just facial expressions.

Yellow finally gives us real puzzles. Some of them even take a bit to solve.

Flowey makes a comment about mailing ourselves to Asgore.  He clearly already knows about resets, so I think it’s likely that he’s seen the moment (at the end of The Dunes) that the whales start shipping people by mail.

Other Thoughts

Frostermit is so adorable. I need a Frostermit plushie.

Mo makes me think of what Spamton must have been like before Gaster (no, I'm not suggesting a connection, just that's what he made me think of- but given the other, more obvious DR inspirations throughout the game, I think it’s possible they were going for that kind of character).

Headcanon: Insomintot is related to Knight-Knight. They both inherited a genetic tendency to fall asleep when a human sings.

I love the UGPS jingle, it's so cute.

"(The remnants of a snowman. Once full of life. Now full of potential for new life.)" This line is a little creepy, to me. Clover may not realize it, they're probably just joking, but WE know that some snowmen in the Underground are alive, and I'm wondering what happened to this one.

I don't know if it's the same soundfont, but the Honeydew Resort theme reminds me of Final Fantasy: Mysticquest.

I actually picked "minor scales" when talking to the cellist at the resort, because I actually do like minor scales.

Being a Shadow the Hedgehog fan (the character, not just the game), I got a chuckle out of the description of coffee bean ammo. What do you mean, you can't eat the beans???

I haven't actually noticed any 4th wall moments, but Martlet's message on the second ball puzzle, the message that apologizes for making it too high to see and says the human must be very good at guessing, makes me think it's a very obscure allusion to the fact that Clover is being possessed by the player. There aren't enough moments like that in this game for me to go all crazy with lore and theories, but it's a nice touch to see such an allusion.

In all fairness, Marty has some craftsmanship abilities. Unfinished, shoddy workmanship notwithstanding, it still takes some knowledge of mechanics to make a water-powered door lock.

I just love Marty, she’s so sweet, I want her to be my little sister.

Waterfall

Questions

Why does the Royal Guard bother to survey their prisoners on “auditory ambiance” and things like that when they’re just gonna deliver the SOUL to Asgore???  I mean, isn’t the victim (except Red, apparently) usually dead before they get this far???

Observations

Not sure, but I’m guessing this is a different river than the one we travel with River Person.  Not only do we never meet River Person, but the colors of the ground and plants behind Ava look like the marshy sections of Waterfall that we never get to walk in.

Other Thoughts

I love how we never actually visit Waterfall (unless you count the post-credits scene), we just float past it.  Acknowledgement of the source material without actually copying it.  And gave them that much more time and room to include an entirely new area (2, if you count the Wild East as separate from the Dunes).

The mention of a Royal Scientist threw me off.  I totally did not expect Alphys, I thought this game took place many years before UT, and I’ve seen no Gaster references in this game at all.

The Dunes

Questions

More of a complaint than an actual question, but… if they wanted to make a Zelda reference, WHY OH WHY did they have to do the Death Mountain rockfall???

Since the Dunes are so near Hotland, could the gigantic Swelterstone be responsible for Hotland’s heat, too?

Since El Bailador calls us a “Sentinel of Silence,” how will killing Decibat affect the fight with Bailey?

If you do well in the Bailey fight, does he stop saying you don’t love dancing as much as him?

How to move the sunbathing (wait, what sun?) cactus that blocks that one road?

Observations

The Dunes is where I noticed that the battle theme changes depending on the location.

Sea Tea still increases SOUL speed.  Loved that they kept this in.

Same black slime that we met in MTT Resort Hotel.  And still outraged because of an elevator.  Feels like he’ll never find a working one.

Bowll being a china bowl shaped like a bull is probably a play on the phrase “a bull in a china shop.”

Clover got the green healing flowers (the ones in the Omega Flowey fight) from Violetta.

I sucked at Mew Mew Love Blaster, but I watched a walkthrough, and DID THEY SERIOUSLY GIVE MEW MEW A “BIG SHOT”?!?  (Coming back to this after finishing the game, I went, “yup, they did.”)

Other Thoughts

“Vigorous Terrain” is my favorite location theme, but I still haven’t figured out whether there’s any significance in it being a remix of “Your Best Friend.”

That first tumbleweed, the one that comes rolling out of the hole in the cliff, had me like “wut?”  I did love how they replaced Undyne’s rocks with tumbleweeds.

I also love the mines music.  The first few notes remind me of Zelda’s Lullaby (from LOZ).

I actually missed getting a free pickaxe because the monster’s trivia question about the Royal Scientist threw me off.  I still didn’t realize this took place after Asgore hired Alphys, I thought it came WAAAAY before that.  (This also finally confirmed for me that Flowey is, in fact, the same one we know from UT, Asriel.)

I tried not to make a lot of comparisons to DR, considering this isn’t even canon to UT, but I did feel like the mouse attack in Bowll’s fight was very similar to that one attack in the Maus fights in DR.  But I think the Maus fight itself was probably a reference to some old video game (can’t remember which one, it just always felt familiar), so maybe UTY was making the same reference.

Was stunned to see Undyne look-alikes in the Mines, was more surprised that they mentioned her, and was the most surprised to find that they’re not related.

Clover has a very cute animation for hopping in the mine cart.

I could not figure out Bailador’s fight mechanics, and tbh, I got thru it on an absolute fluke (and the silver scarf).  I had to look up a walkthrough later to realize you have to move into the right space AND press the action button when the color lights up.  I thought it was just being in the right space.  Every rhythm game controls differently, it seems.

Wild East

Questions

Do mail whales keep notebooks full of potential rhymes, like Marty and her notebook full of puzzle ideas?

Is “designated naptime” a reference to siestas, or did Star just not want to overwork everybody?

“A ballet shoe could be lethal if used enough times.”  Um.  Got anything to share there, Blackjack?  “Don’t question my morality!  I’m not prepared to speak on it!”  OKAY, I REALLY NEED YOU TO SPEAK ON IT NOW….

Can we get into the locked farm cellar?  (Preferably without killing anyone?)

Observations

Animals still living in the Underground at least provides some explanation for where monsters get their food (in addition to the corn).

The BEST part about the health overcharge?  You don’t lose it when you SAVE!  He might be a plague doctor, but Doc works absolute miracles.

Star paid double price for the gun he bought us.

They actually take around 15 paces for the dual (I lost count).  (And yes, I spelled it “dual” on purpose.)

Moray comments that Star made them walk around with a rubber snake in their boot.  I looked it up, and it looks like the first and most well-known movie to use that “snake in my boot” reference really WAS Toy Story (although it has origins outside of film from farther back).  So Starlo also watches animations (as long as they have cowboys).

Vengeful Virgil’s comment that not caring about others’ feelings is what makes him a villain, comes while we’re on our way to console Star after his cocky selfishness drove everyone away.  This was not a coincidence.

Every monster has a magical ability, and Starlo’s is literal “bullet time” (he can slow you down).

^This also makes me wonder: remember how he flew backwards in slow-motion when we shot him in the dual?  I wonder if he was using his bullet time on himself for dramatic effect.

Star’s family: his dad, Solomon (the sun), his mom, Crestina (the moon), and a brother who’s name I never found but looks like a 4-pointed star.  (I’ve seen people call him Orion, so I’m going with that, for now.)

Star has several sticky notes in his dad’s almanac, and keeps dad’s almanac on his own bedroom nightstand.  Seems like Star probably took his life on the farm seriously before he left home.

Star also apparently had an interest in outer space.  Possibly some confusion stemming from Toy Story?  (I actually started headcanoning that Toy Story got him into cowboys, and put together a fic on that.)

Not sure where the term “space cowboy” originated, or what Clover’s actually referring to when they say it about Star, but the first use of that phrase that I’m finding is a Steve Miller song from 1969 (referenced later in Steve Miller’s “The Joker” from 1973, the line that a lot of people associate with Steve Miller: “some people call me the space cowboy, some call me the gangster of love”).  The phrase has been used numerous times in multiple ways since then.

Seems like Star sewed his own outfit.

Other Thoughts

Picked “no” when Star asked if monsters die when you ride them into the sun cuz I thought the whole town would converge upon me, heh.

Was honestly surprised that the dummy finally showed up.  This was the first time I tried using the FIGHT option, and it turned out to be rather difficult.  I am not looking forward to Neutral or Genocide.

Star tells Ceroba we’re as good of a shot as him, and she goes, “Really?  A child?”  Still not entirely sure whether she’s poking a bit of fun at Star, but I don’t think she is.  Star doesn’t take any offense to her comment for himself, and her sprite when she speaks next, saying she’s “impressed,” looks extremely surprised.  (In all fairness, despite Blackjack’s claims, Star actually is really good.)

I suck at them all, but the mini-games in UTY are all so fun.

Love the change-up to the battle animation during Feisty Four’s attack, how they switch between characters and even team up.

“A tumbleweed rolls by.  It says hello.”  Well, why not?  I mean, the rocks and cacti are sentient.

The first mention of Kanako at The Lab had me in tears, because, like… we KNOW what happened to her.

Steamworks

Questions

“The Steamworks was the main power source of the Underground.”  This statement confuses the timeline a bit for me.  The Core is now the main power source of the Underground, but my understanding is that the Steamworks was operational long after Gaster died.

I NEED TO KNOW WHAT THAT LAST AWARD ON THE WALL SAYS.

Does the story change at all depending on what parts you use for Axis’ gf?  (Also, I wonder how many of us just picked up the first 2 or 3 items and then realized there’s way more than 4 items to choose from and wished Ceroba would let us start over.)

Is there a way to fix the grandfather clock?

Does the grandfather clock say something different if the time on your PC actually is 6:26 on a Monday morning in spring?

Observations

Ceroba telling Clover to wait in the corner, kinda refers back to her doubting that a child could be as good of a shot as Star.  She has very little respect for Clover at this point.  Not entirely sure if it’s just because Clover’s a human, or if it’s also because they’re just a kid.

Don’t think I missed Flowey’s comment about The Lab.  He clearly does NOT want us to go there.

Ceroba must have some kind of dimensional satchel, herself.  I don’t see how else she can carry the hunkajunk we built (not to mention pulling her staff out of hammerspace).

BTW, “dihydrogen monoxide” is just water.  Vendy probably just called it that to make it sound poisonous.

Vendy said their last boot up was yesterday and that their creator always comes by on Mondays to restock them.  Sadly, the grandfather clock is stuck on 6:26, Monday morning.  Kinda feel sorry for Vendy.

Guardener is actually nice.  She even grows a flower just for the bot that came late.

Telly-Vis starts using the bullet patterns of other monsters during the “reruns” portion of the fight.

You can cheat on the Axis fight if you have the silver scarf.  Just deliberately miss Axis when you ping-pong the red balls for enough turns to heal up.

I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m guessing that Ceroba would get mad and ditch you if you kill one of the robots, turning the run into a Neutral.

Other Thoughts

Screw those water puzzles at the start of Steamworks.

DAT MUSIC, THO.

I’m not gonna try to discuss Ceroba’s growing respect for us.  That needs a whole analysis post of its own.  (Well, everything about Ceroba needs its own analysis.)

Axis rolled in and I was like, “Oh, no, another one.”  Seems like we just keep running into these darned toaster ovens on wheels.

Axis music is fire, tho, all of it.

I swear I hear some DR inspirations in the music.  Haven’t learned the names for all the tracks yet, but at one point I thought I heard Digital Roots (when Ceroba’s fiddling with the generator) and at another I thought I heard Card Castle (the room where you build Axis’ gf).

A game mechanic I love: Ceroba’s shield effect (well, as long as it’s shielding Clover).

A mechanic I hate: Jandroid’s slippery floors.

I also love the manta ray ferryboat.

Mo’s level of professionalism is off-the-charts.  He ain’t about to let a little thing like his clothes and his stand catching fire ruin a sales pitch.

Being a Christian, I’m not going to share what I really think of the Axis chase.

Loved seeing the return of popato chisps.

I swear, I thought all that white stuff was monster dust at first.  Walked into the Science Division and nearly burst into tears.

I hope somebody finally has chance to either fix Guardener or shut her down properly once they reach the surface.

Conveyor belt puzzle caused me trouble because I kept trying to box up trash.  Took me a while to realize “red” and “blue” referred to the highlights around the objects.

I’ll talk more in depth later, but I love how Clover has this calming effect on Ceroba when she’s chewing out the productivity bot.

Believe it or not, I didn’t get caught by Axis in the fireplace room!  Go me!  (Actually, it’s really not that hard….)

Still not entirely sure what I think of Axis deliberately handing us a “weapon” just to give himself an excuse to attack us.

I’ve said this before: he took me an hour and a half to fight the first time.  I really hate the mechanics in his boss fight.  And it was especially humiliating for me because I’d only died, maybe, 3 or 4 times before him.  Didn’t have any trouble with Starlo, and while I never did get the hang of Bailey’s fight, I think I only died to him once.  Guardener was responsible for the other deaths.

I love how Ceroba’s been insulting the Steamworks the whole time, but I don’t think she ever insults Axis.  That was her late husband’s baby.  And then she even gives him tips on dating.

Ceroba finally respects us after the Axis fight.  It takes remembering why she needs us for her to be able to press on with her mission.

Chujin’s House

Questions

Woodworking, robotics, SOUL research, video game designer, loving husband and father- I know Chujin was kinda old, but how DID he find time for all this???

Marty finds Kanako’s room to be unsettling.  Not sure why.

Clover doesn’t like the gas stove and worries it will cause a housefire.  I’ve wondered before whether they came from an orphanage.  Did they lose their family in a fire?

“The Founder’s Crest.”  Who are the Founders?  Founders of what?  Or is this just a reference to something I’m not familiar with?  (Possibly something in Japanese culture?)

Was Chujin actually that much older than Ceroba?  Or did he just age rapidly because of his research?  If boss monsters only age when they have children, how could he have become so old before marrying Ceroba… unless he’d already had, and lost, one child before?

I’ve been told there’s a secret behind Chujin’s grave.  Will have to check it out the next time I do a Pacifist run.

Observations

Strange that Ed found the trapdoor so easily when Ceroba didn’t know about it until Chujin told her.  Ceroba must not have covered it up properly before locking up the house.  Possibly also Chujin somehow arranged it with her that he would be the one cleaning the dining room.

I feel like Moray’s the smartest one of the Four.  They knew it was a good idea to send for Marty.

And THIS is where Marty gets smart.  She takes charge in Star’s absence.  The Four listen to her, even Ed (reluctantly).  And SHE’s the one telling us to stay on track.

(Ok, she’s still a bit naïve- she doesn’t seem to consider that Chujin’s paper with her name is actually ABOUT her.)

The drawings on Kanako’s bedroom wall: Dalv, the monster on the Dunes swingset, her family… and a flower?  Well, I mean… a lot of little kids like to draw flowers, so that might not be anything.  Also a drawing of what looks like Axis lying on the floor.

“Nuh-uh!  Kids shouldn’t mess with knives!”  Nice little reference there, dev team.

And, of course, it’s Flowey who makes light of Ceroba’s mission, calling it a “science fair project.”  Well.  He has every right to say whatever he likes about SOUL research.  Doesn’t he.

Of course, we didn’t get Star’s letter in time because Ceroba wouldn’t let us check the mail.  But I highly doubt she planned it that way, as she had no idea the Five would be snooping around her old house.

Other Thoughts

Starlo is so. completely. PISSED.  And… uh, he has a right to be.  Like, she’s doing a lot of what he just did- lying and scheming and using Clover to fix her own problems (those two are a match set, I swear….)  And he’s torn.  These are his two friends, Clover being the human he practically worshipped, and Ceroba being one of his closest friends (not to mention the love of his life, but I digress).  He doesn’t want anything to happen to her, but he can’t let Clover get hurt, either.

The fact that Moray sent for Marty as soon as learning that Clover was in danger just seals in the idea that Marty is part of the family.

…how long has that corn chowder been in that fridge, anyway???

I’ve already discussed my thoughts about Chujin in other posts, a lot of them still in queue.

Hotlands

Questions

Kinda wonder what could’ve made Clover suspicious about the wall to the left of the UG Apartments.

Never did figure out where the “rain” was coming from.  I figure it’s just a leaky sink upstairs or something.  (I’d thought at first it was from the janitor cleaning the hallway, but that’s on the other side of the building.)

Observations

I’m sure everyone recognized it, but in case someone didn’t, Bailey’s in the colored tile room.

I think Muffet herself blocked the way thru Hotland, renovating for her pastry shop.

Mr. Cursor mentions a 10-sided die.  They have some version of D&D in the Underground.  Probably more like… idk, Houses and Humans?

Working for Mettaton must have taken quite a toll on the janitor.  He doesn’t look nearly so tired or decrepit here.

There was a flier on the bulletin board in the Wild East that was advertising the acts at the UG Apartments.  The band we saw in Honeydew Resort has a gig at the Apartments on Fridays.  So, this game- or at least by the time we reach Hotland- is on a Friday.

Other Thoughts

The monster candy is butterscotch-flavored.  *nods*  Of course, what else would it be?

Poor Heats.  Defeateeeeeeeeed again….

Star can actually survive drinking magma.  I’ve got headcanons about this boiling in my brain….

I thought Know Cone said he was just gonna look at Hotland from a mountaintop…?

New Home/Pacifist Ending

Questions

If there’s an elevator leading to the castle, I’m guessing that means at least one of the other endings has us actually fight Asgore.

How exactly does Kanako’s mask give Ceroba superpowers?  I feel like it might be a reference to Japanese mythology, but I know very, very little about Japanese mythology.

How exactly does Clover have the ability to see into Ceroba’s memories?

I kinda hate myself for asking, but… what happens if you choose FIGHT after you beat Ceroba?

Observations

Star is the one asking Ceroba if she’s gonna kill them all because while he doesn’t know all the details, he recognizes the headspace she’s in.

Other Thoughts

Not only am I thrilled to finally get to explore some of New Home, I’m absolutely in love with the design and the music.

I think when Ceroba says she lied about Kanako, she’s not saying she lied about Kanako falling down, or about sending her to the lab.  She lied about having any hope that Kanako would return safely.

How the heck do frikkin’ cherry blossom petals have so much attack power???

The dash mechanic took me time to learn, but if Toby ever decides to steal from Yellow, I hope he steals this :P

My reactions to Ceroba’s plan: “But Chujin specifically begged you NOT to use Kanako!  How do you think you’re honoring his memory by going against his final wish?!”  “Oh, I see, finishing the serum was his death wish.  That’s still no excuse to use your own daughter, tho.”  And finally: “…oh…”

I tried to get thru the game without cheats (except for being on easy mode) but I did have to turn on auto-fire for Ceroba’s final phase.

[caldeiras-random-fandom-thoughts]

WTF! NO!

*Spoilers for Chapter 117 of Bungou Stray Dogs*

This chapter broke me.

BRAM!!! NNNNNNOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

At first, I thought Bram was alright but then he is gone. But I'm glad he is able to reunite with his family after so long and we don't have to worry about the vampires anymore since Bram said his ability will vanish when he is gone. 😅🥲

But the flashbacks to when Bram had his family and how he was able to fulfilled the promise he made to his daughter with Aya really is a tearjerker. It was so bittersweet and I know I am gonna need a tissue box for when this scene gets animated (if there is another season of the anime).

Although I am interest in the relationship between Aya and Akutagawa. Bram left Aya to Akutagawa's care it seems and if there is a resolution to this arc and everyone who's left survives, what would Aya and Akutagawa's interactions be like? Is Aya going to return to her life while Akutagawa protects her from the shadows while continuing his work with the Port Mafia? Will Akutagawa keep protecting her and stops when Fyodor and the Divine figure of Amenogozen is defeated ? Is Aya going to have interactions with the other Port Mafia members if Akutagawa continues to follow Bram's last wish/order ? Or is Akutagawa going to leave her with the detective agency when this is over ? There are so many possibilities for her and Akutagawa going forward if it turns out well in the end and if Akutatgawa chooses to follow Bram's wish for her after the showdown.

Also KUNIKIDA NNNNNNOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

WHY ?!?!?!?!!

But i am curious as to why the Divine figure of Amenogozen is absorbing the particles that after the person had passed. Is he absorbing their power/ability or what ever remains of their life essences and using it to fueled himself?

At the end it seems like Tanizaki is his next victim (Although I really hope he is saved some how. Please save him!!!!!) And things seems to be catching up to the anime, which means we are about to see Akutagawa and Atsuhi vs Amenogozen fight. Hopefully it is in the next chapter

That's all for now

- Ria

[clawsofakiller]

Wolverine #49 Sabretooth War Spoilers alert and personal analysis

I am so so so sleepy rn so i can't use my byelingual skill to translate so here we go machine translation! I don't don't know what I'm talking just sleepy. I didn't take meds just sleepland lacks of me.

Try not to argue with me about my opinion as I would not have done the same to others, thank you very much.

Organize your thoughts.

Doug threw Sabretooth into his victims perspective extracted from his memories to make him feel the pain of his victims being beaten, tortured and abused by him, he thinks Sabretooth has been holding on to these memories because of guilty feeling and that guilt shows that there is still goodness in his heart. When he tries to talk therapy to tell him that everyone has a chance to be good, sabretooth laughs and says that he can't feel guilty at all and that he keeps remembering these memories just because they make him feel good, and he's proud of them, and he's so good his ego bursts up, and he says that, Douglas simply can't accept that there are just people who are born differently in the world, and that not every wounded child needs hugs and cookies, and that the evil he did is what hegenuinely wanted, and even if he were placed in the victims' situation, he couldn't understand their fear; he could only explain the feeling as physical: just a racing heartbeat. And their pain, even if experienced by him, only nourishes him.

This is the evil of man. If a tiger were to experience the pain of a deer, it would only feel anger and fear, it would think it was fighting and losing against another tiger, being killed and eaten, but Creed knows that he is dealing with himself, and his narcissism has reached the point where it is horrifying to watch, and he derives pleasure from his lurid image and deeds, even though he can practically feel the pain, and more than anything else, it is pride. He is proud of his overwhelming power, being in the position of the victim makes him more aware of his power, thus he is proud to be the abuser, the one who has the power to destroy others, he knows that being in the position of the victim is only temporary, he still has the chance to go back to his own body and continue his abuse, this is a complex emotion, it's a human emotion. This part I think is sexually suggestive, Creed absorbs the pain of his victims so his body shape becomes bigger and bigger and his power grows, according to psychoanalytic theory at this point he already has an erection(well obviously he enjoyed it so much) because of what he feels, combine this with the line where he says he feels his blood flowing, he feels vigorous, because the carnal feeling is the life force and is also the force of the libido, and at this moment his libido must be bursting at the seams! Until he breaks through the cocoon that binds him, which again is a metaphor for birth, he rips open the cocoon and is covered in mucus and, is reborn, but he rips open the mother's body and is born on his own, and instead of cries he is accompanied by a primal roar. Someone is born differently, Victor confronts his psychiatrist, Doug, and he says so. The text accompanying this panel is taken from Icelandic historian and poet Snorris Thurluson's Norwegian Kings' Saga, which describes Odin's berserkers, and I'll translate it roughly: (I'm sorry I translated those lines into Chinese and it doesn't look quite the same when translated back to English)Odin's men rushed forward without armor, they were fierce as dogs and wolves, they tore at shields, they were strong as brown bears and bison, they could kill their enemies with a single blow, and yet fire and iron couldn't hurt them a bit. This is called the Berserkergang.

I really like how this whole issue shows his psyche, it fits the definition of psychopath in psychiatry, how do they feel regret when they don't repent or have deep emotions, nor normal human emotions? If there was any possibility of getting better it was lost decades ago due to permanent frontal lobe damage in the X mansion. Everything is doomed. Being born as human without the possibility of being human, some people are destined to traumatise the world, they are like natural disasters, compounded by their causes, rare and unpredictable, even harder to stop, and bound to leave broken walls wherever they go. it's nature, it can't be changed.

And Camo died before sharp comment: Graydon and Victor are the same, Victor can not let go of Logan's obsession, Graydon can not let go of his father's obsession, they are not family, they simply have the same bad blood just! His family may have genetic mental illness, after all, chained his mutant children in the basement every day with pliers to pull teeth does not look like a normal person to do things.

[danketsuround]

sunday six!

it's *looks at clock* almost 6:50pm here and i have work tomorrow morning so i want to post this now. hi everyone. i feel like it's been forever. tagging usual suspects @overdevelopedglasses @four-white-trees @futilecombat @fire-tempers-steel (a lot of you have f urls...) @c-cw-f-saeko @passthroughtime (i think that's all of you? lol) (same thing applies, share if you want, don't if you don't!)

same thing this week. BUT. i changed it. i want to try writing from reiko's perspective. i wrestled with this for a little bit on my priv....

but actually it ended up being very fun and i'm having a good time with it. she is SO. crazy to me. massive control freak lady. one of kuwana's many tests from god.

anyways sorry lol this post is really long. the last thing i posted has been scrapped for parts so when i eventually post it you will see how frakensteined it has become.

okay here you go wahhh! (mildly nsfw? not really but)

Reiko pushes his shoulder and pulls back, wipes her mouth feverishly like she’d caught something just now. She’s certain she looks pathetic crawling out of his lap and sitting on her knees, like a scuffed-up little girl in a green meadow. She looks down from her cat-scratched cloth bed and into the river of carpet and clothing below.

“I don’t want to anymore.”

He looks at her, but he says nothing. She can see his tired round eyes sparkle as they absorb disappointment. It trails to his eyebrows and his mouth, but he fights it.

“Okay,” he says with unwavering neutrality.

There it is! His obedience is as attractive as ever—her knight in cloth armor. She stares back at him. His resolve is almost defiant. He must have caught on to her little games by now, so he must also know that he should take her anyways—but that was a line he never crossed. She would be thankful for his restraint if he presented any real danger, but instead, now, she’s just annoyed that he won’t play.

He doesn’t comfort her either—rub her arms or embrace her convincingly—just sits and looks at her and waits for her to throw him back into the dog house. He wouldn’t refuse her, surely, but his lack of refusal is a refusal in itself! A refusal to play her game. She’s been outsmarted and admits this with a deeper kiss—the only thing a woman cornered by affection could do.

“Don’t play with me,” he somehow musters mushed under her lips. “Please. Not tonight.”

“I do as a please,” she replies sternly.

He moves to her neck. “Yeah. I know you do.”

[hamliet]

Emerald and Mercury, Chemical Wedding

So Hamliet wrote a meta about Renora, Bumbleby, White Knight, and Rosegarden getting chemical weddings (several posts for White Knight now since they just had their second one). But at the time I remarked that I didn't see any specific symbolism for Emercury.

I was dumb, and I'm sorry. There is a wedding, and it's very clearly coded as one, and I missed it. Lulz?

It's from the same manuscript as Yang/Blake's first wedding, and Renora's. It's less directly referencing the specific imagery in that neither Em nor Merc are using lances or riding animals, but it's still packed full of obvious symbolism.

The point of this image is actually that fights are often symbolic of chemical weddings. Think Jaime and Brienne having a fight with swords in front of a river in A Storm of Swords. There's a specific risk of penetration involved here (yes that's subtext), and the first chemical wedding is often violent. I'm not going to get super into the Freudian penetration symbolism because that's not really what happens, but I am going to point out that Mercury and Emerald do penetrate each other's armor symbolically here.

If you look at the framing when the fight starts, it's comparable to Weiss and Jaune's before their second one begins.

Emerald is in front of sunlight and fire. Mercury, associated with the moon, is in the shadows. Emerald is associated with red as well.

But the fight starts off with Emerald essentially asking Mercury what am I to you? But she includes Cinder in this, which is a sign of immaturity, because Cinder is explicitly paralleled with a parental figure here (Marcus). Don't bring your parents up in romantic situations, kids.

And Mercury responds kind of cruelly:

Emerald: I mean, there has to be something you want from this, right?

Mercury: Salem's promised us everything. We win this thing for her, we'll be top dogs in her new world. What more do you want?

Emerald: I just... (sighs) Cinder was the only family I ever had. She cared about me, taught me things... But without her here, I don't know if what we're doing--

Mercury: Wake up, already...

Emerald looks at him in shock upon hearing this.

Mercury: Cinder doesn't care about you! She doesn't care about either of us!

Emerald: You don't know what you're talking about!

Mercury: You're in denial. And if you're gonna start having a crisis of identity or some crap... keep me out of it.

Still, Emerald does directly tell Mercury that he and Cinder are family to her. That's pretty clearly implied.

Emerald then starts to meet Mercury where he's at. She responds to him with fights and kicks, and only when she does that--using a language Mercury understands, because for him family=pain and physical violence--does Mercury open up to her.

In fact, this is the specific framing of the exact moment he tells Emerald about Marcus stealing his semblance. He's stepped into the fire, absorbing qualities from Emerald.

Whenever Mercury makes important statements, he says it in front of the fire. For example, he tells Emerald "I think I'm right where I'm supposed to be" in front of fire (scene below).

The fight also takes place in a vault that is very much modeled on a church. I mean, don't tell me this isn't a church. It's a church, a classic wedding allusion.

The ending pose is both of them unified in light and shadows, staring at Tyrian in horror.

Because Tyrian is another key factor in this. He interrupts the wedding. He does a very creepy pose over Mercury and using his tail to make the subtext extra creepy. This makes it pretty clear that Tyrian is Emercury's Adam or Cinder/Curious Cat--an antagonistic Mercurius who represents a threat to not just Emerald and Mercury's relationship, but their very live.

I would also bet this scene foreshadows exactly what will happen later, since elevated, second chemical weddings in RWBY tend to be inverses of the preceding ones.

My prediction is Emerald and Mercury physically fight it out at some point. Tyrian will intervene and go for Emerald, but Mercury will get in the way and not allow Tyrian to kill Emerald, and they'll defeat him together.