#i said it's fluffy arc but i just can't help it

[yostresswritinggirl]

pretty random idea but... does cyno gets like a sense of warning whenever reader gets in a near death situation? since their life is the foundation of his contract would he get a feeling of his contract slowly becoming "invalid"?

if so, then he would have felt it when he was sprinting across sumeru during the incident, he could feel that the contact was slowly "deteriorating" by the minute, that his beloved was slowly dying. that would make it much angstier

or when one of the times reader decided to be reckless during their stay in the avidya forest actually fucked up them badly and almost died as well?

it's interesting to see how this goes

-cyno lovebot anon

From that incident alone, Cyno already deduced that strange feeling and what it points to. Exclusively for near death situations, specifically your near death experiences.

But just because he knew what it entails to doesn't mean he's gotten used to the feeling. It manifests first as a growing dread in his gut, and then it punches him from the inside as he stumbles when he stood, catching himself with the edge of the table as the other Matra looked up at him in concern.

It's something akin to a numb heart burn, struggling to gulp as it grips around his throat in a tight chokehold, daring him to speak through the pain. The general coughs through the closing airway, willing himself to exhale (shakily) as he raises a hand to stop the Matra sharing his table from standing to presumably help his sorry state.

"Where?" He growls under his breath as he gripped his head. 'Ardravi Valley,' a deep voice echoes in his mind alone before he's rushing out in a violet flash.

When Tighnari told him that you shouldn't be alive at this point and that some kind of celestial being is keeping you from death, he didn't think much of it until now. "Ow, ow, ow!" Except now he's thinking that divine intervention was simply him all this time.

"You're very lucky you only pulled a muscle from all that." Looking up from the shore, his eyes glared with an unreadable expression as he eyed the ruin giant above.

"First time I was cleared to explore beyond Avidya Forest and this is what happens." You exhale a laugh that lacks humor. And as much as he would like to brush off the incident, the way you tremble under his hands gives it away.

With your back turned to him as he tried his best to massage the back muscle, you luckily can't see the disappointed scowl plastered on his face. But it wasn't out of simple annoyance, no, it was a mix of many worries that rivaled the uneasy void in his heart.

And the many, many things he wanted to say in that moment. Even the spirit within him stayed deathly silent.

Your whole body locked up in tension at the sudden, foreign contact on your back. You opt not to turn your head in great hesitation and another unnamed feeling, digging your nails into the grass below.

Only when Cyno leaned away from that moment of weakness did you finally have the courage to talk. "Please don't tell Tighnari."

The General sighs. No matter how wrong, how bad of a decision it was, he could never say no to your happiness.

"Alright, I won't." And against his better judgment, against the overwhelming guilt still weighing on his shoulders, he plants another kiss on your back.

Sorry I got carried away with this, lovebot anon xd but yes, it is definitely a thing and the spirit had a dreadful realization that their connection to him may be the reason why reader (and Cyno) are such death flag magnets

[signfromeywa]

I have to say: I love your blog 🥰. I love everything, your OCs, the lore you show little by little, the interesting but fluffy couple dynamics. Etc etc.

I just came here to leave my opinión about Turner and Ana

I feel that, to a certain extent, Turner needed that avatar more than Ana. The circumstances in which he received it were not the best (oh Ana... 😭) But from what I understood from that little story you wrote, Turner was basically just hours away from dying, It's interesting to see how his character arc is basically that he was given a second chance to live and he must learn not to waste it and start a new and healthy one.

As for Ana... Her relationship with Ean'tu is interesting, usually in canon and fanfics involving a relationship between a Na'vi and a human, the human has an avatar that they then transfer to. I'm not complaining, but I feel like it's wasted potential to not explore a dynamic where the human STAYS human. We are talking about a romance that has every chance of failing... but it doesn't, that despite biological, physical and cultural differences, it prospered until it became something beautiful ❤️ even if it ends tragically 💔

Hello! Thank you for your kind words and all your thoughts about my characters 🥰 I am happy that you enjoy them and my blog!

To Turner:

Yes he needed that body even if he would never have dared to ask for one. He always thought he was not worth a second chance in life. He feels damn guilty that he has the body and the second chance and his friend Ana is not. This thoughts keeps him awake at night.

But also he learned to accept the new body and find joy in his new life doing the training from the Na'vi and Mo'at helping him, to accept the body. He needed a lot of spiritual training to get one with his body, because it was a traumatic event when he moved to his new body. It needed time to heal.

About Ana:

Ana and Ean'tu love each other despite the differences in species. She never had and never will get an Avatar. Ean'tu always said, he is aware that she is different, she is human. But he loves her the way she is. He fell in love with a human and thinks she is beautiful in the way she is. He doesn't want to change her. He wants the real Ana by his side.

Also Ana doesn't see the need in an Avatar body. Yes it's hard in Pandora that she can't breathe the air. Also the size difference and that she can't eat everything that grows on Pandora, but still she takes all that burden to be with her husband. To live along with him! She knows from the beginning she doesn't have an Avatar and that she falls in love with Ean'tu, a Na'vi! She knew that this would come with problems she has to overcome and she did! But still they can be together!

Even if they would offer Ana a Na'vi body, Ean'tu and Ana would not want it. He loves her like she is and she knows that he fully accepts her how she is. He loves her pale skin and her brown hair with the little pointy nose. He likes how elegant and filigree she is. He is madly in love with his human wife. And of course what really counts is the soul.

He would recognize and love her in every form and color. 💜

(also both are aware that she will not live as long as Ean'tu. But they still stay together and Ean'tu will be with her till she dies and he is prepared 🥺💜)

[atomic-taco-muffin]

Havent been here in a hot second, Vanitas x fem reader smut where reader is. like a princess,, opposite of van and her and van have a fuck buddies type thing goin’ on? And like . Van is constantly coming to her when he’s pissed or stressed OH and reader is in love w him but he’s unsure? sorry to be a bother lmfao

So sorry to answer this so late! But I hope you enjoy this

Vanitas x Fem!Reader: Your Highness

Warnings: Filthy ass smut, degradation, get my boi Vanitas a redemption arc now Square! Fuck-buddy/friends-with-benefits relationship

Rating: NSFW under the cut

Vanitas, from the moment he was torn out of Ventus' body by Xehanort, has been told he couldn't feel anything except hatred and darkness. Yet, when he met you in Radiant Garden, he could've sworn he felt his non-existent heart skip a beat. He had to have you. And so began your relationship with him. What started off as a one-night stand turned into you being fuck buddies. But over time, you started to develop feelings for him. But you knew it would be impossible to be with him. He was always gone, only coming back to fuck you ruthlessly after a stressful day with the Organization. Until one night...

                                                          ☽✧☽✧

As you prepared for bed, a dark corridor opened, and Vanitas entered your room. He looked the same as the past few times you've seen him. Angry, disheveled, and covered in cuts and bruises. Neither of you said a word as you took him to your private bathroom and began cleaning up his wounds. As you took care of his bleeding lip, you thought about all the times he'd kissed you. How it was rough and passionate. You wondered if he ever knew how to be gentle if someone of the darkness could be gentle.

"You're staring," he muttered.

"Sorry," you quickly replied before going back to taking care of his injuries. You then noticed how he didn't wince the multiple times you've taken care of him. Was it something he learned or something he refused to admit? In all honesty, it made you that much more in love with him. You wanted to learn more about him.

"What're you thinking about?" he asked.

"Nothing," you replied.

"You're lying. I can see it in your eyes." Dammit, how did he know?! "So what's going on in that head of yours?"

You debated on whether or not to tell him the truth. That you were in love with him and wanted to be more than just fuck-buddies. That you wanted a real relationship with him. Vanitas tilted his head, curious about what was going on inside your head. You took a deep breath and told him the truth.

"I think I'm in love with you," you said. Vanitas froze, not expecting those words to come out of your mouth.

"You know we can't," he sighs.

"I know, but I can't help but be in love with you. I wanna be with you. I know I'm a princess and you're a being of darkness but I want you. And not just the sex. I want the real you. I wanna know what makes you tick, what your likes and dislikes are-"

"(Y/N)...we can't. The closest thing we can have is what we already have. I can't put you in danger. My father will punish me if he found out." Your heart broke at his words. You understood where he was coming from, but the words still stung. "This is probably the last we'll be together too."

"W-what do you mean?"

"...Tomorrow, Father's making the Organization go to war. Against the seven lights. I don't know if I'll come back. Which is why I came here. To be with you one last time." It broke your heart even more to hear these words, but you didn't refuse. You needed him just as much as he needed you.

"Okay," you replied. And with that he crashes his lips onto yours.

NSFW under the cut

Vanitas picked you up and brought you over to your bed where he then tossed you onto the fluffy mattress. You landed with a soft bounce and Vanitas crawled on top of you with a seductive yet predatory look on his face. You couldn't help but bite your lip and rub your thighs together, which didn't go unnoticed by him.

"Needy, aren't we?" he teased.

"When it comes to you, always," you replied. Vanitas smirked and began kissing your neck, leaving hickeys and bite marks all over it. You moaned softly and arched your back closer to him, wanting more of his touch and his kisses. Vanitas's hands trailed down your body reaching the hem of your night shirt.

"May I, your highness?" he teased. You nodded and he gladly pulled your shirt off, revealing your beautiful bosom. When you tried to cover yourself, Vanitas quickly yet gently took your wrists and pinned them above your head.

"None of that now, gorgeous," he said seductively. You whimpered under his intense gaze, but couldn't deny just how sexy it was being pinned underneath him. Vanitas then began kissing your chest, leaving bite marks and hickeys along your breasts and your nipples, eliciting a gasp from your lips. Vanitas chuckled, loving the sound that was escaping your mouth. He pulled away, satisfied with the amount of marks he left on you.

"That's more like it. Now those pathetic suitors will know that you belong to someone else," he said. He removed his shirt, revealing his abs, and making you bite your lip. He took notice of this and chuckled.

"Like what you see, your highness?" he teased. You blushed in embarrassment, which only fueled his entertainment. The two of you began making out again and Vanitas trailed his hands to your sleep pants, teasing the hem of it.

"May I?" he asked. You nodded and he took off your pants and your panties. Vanitas had to hold back a moan after looking at your beautiful pussy. You took notice of this and decided to tease him by grinding your pussy against his clothed crotch. Vanitas groaned and rolled his eyes back, loving the feeling of your teasing.

"Fuck baby~" he moaned. He needed you more than anything right now and you needed him. After enough teasing from the both of you, Vanitas took off his pants and lined up his cock against your entrance.

"You ready, baby?" he asked, wanting your consent. You nodded and wrapped your arms around his neck. He nodded back and slowly pushed himself into your tight, warm cunt. The two of you moaned, feeling the incredible amount of pleasure just by him being inside of you. Vanitas was kind enough to give you time to adjust to his size and when you gave him the okay, he began moving. The feeling of him thrusting inside of you was amazing! It was like you were made for his cock and his cock alone. As much as he felt amazing, it was not enough for you. You wanted him to go faster. To go harder.

"Vani~ Harder~" you moaned. Vanitas smirked and began fucking you harder and faster. You moaned loudly and arched your back again, the tip of his cock hitting your G-spot. Vanitas knew just by looking at your expression that he had found your G-spot and continued the pace, making sure to hit that spot repeatedly. You could feel your orgasm starting to creep up and you clung to Vanitas, not wanting to stop.

"Ugh, fuck~" Vanitas moaned, feeling your pussy clench on his dick. "Cum for me, baby~ Make a mess for me~"

As if on cue, you cream all over his dick which then caused Vanitas to cum deep inside of you with a loud moan. His orgasm felt so good that he ended up collapsing on top of you. The two of you stayed like this for a while, not saying anything. Just holding each other in post-orgasm bliss. After a moment of pure silence, Vanitas pulled away and looked into your eyes.

"You okay? Did I go too hard?" he asked.

"No. I'm okay," you replied, smiling up at him. Vanitas smiled back and kissed your forehead before standing up and getting something to clean you up with. After cleaning you up and getting you some water to drink, the two of you lay in bed together until the both of you fell asleep. When you woke up the next morning, Vanitas was gone. But there was a note on your nightstand from none other than Vanitas himself. You picked up the note and read it, tears welling up in your eyes.

(Y/N),

If you're reading this, then it means that I have left to fight in my father's war. I don't know if I'll make it out of this alive and come back to you. If I don't, then know that I love you more than anything in this cursed universe.

May your heart be your guiding key,

Vanitas

[risingshards]

Spring 2024 anime review!

It's time for my annual anime season review! I had a lot more shows to watch this season than last, which at times got a bit hectic! It's not quite done yet but it's done enough that I think I can put this up. Warning: Long post incoming where I ramble about the many anime shows I watched and personal reflection about how Going Through It™ affected my watching.

Laid Back Camp Season 3: My fav of the season, I'm obsessed with these camping girlies and any more time with them is always a treat. The combo of the suspension bridge arc with the wacky over the top arc is a fun jarring one, and the last trip was so sweet. Rin and Nadeshiko felt even gayer this season which is impressive, they're the most girlfriends to me, Chiaki and Aoi too (or maybe I should just ship full camping polycule???) It was only a few second scenes too but I love that they added Aya into the later arcs as well. I've been in a rough place mentally for a while and it kicked into a new gear this summer, so the comfort vibes of the show hit differently. I'm a super anxious person so chill times where everything is OK is such a nice escape from the world. Shout out to the OP/ED for being my favs this season! Also highly recommend both sub and dub, because the dub cast is SOOOO good once more. Celeste Perez is so fantastic as Rin, and Morgan Laure Garrett does an incredible performance as Nadeshiko. The whole cast is so great I could ramble on and on about them.

Whisper Me a Love Song: Not technically done yet as eps 11 and 12 are delayed, but in spite of the production woes this one has my heart this season in that "I love the manga and am happy to see this animated, I am hyperfixated, and warts and all I love watching it and get way way WAYYYY too sensitive about it seriously chiral go touch grass instead of having anxiety attacks about an anime" kind of way. The voice cast is SO perfect and everyone fits their characters so well and it's a treat to see the manga adapted. Himari and Yori's fluffy relationship was so sweet and I teared up a lot at their big moments. My beloved Aki got so many delicious angsty scenes while also showing her as not a bad person, just someone who's caught up in a crush while heartbroken about her true love leaving her (a true love that she didn't even realize was true love). Speaking about that true love, Shiho getting to be a feral cat storming into the proceedings is a treat, and I love that we get to see her earlier in the anime than in the manga.

The downsides ofc are the production that delayed two of the episodes, and now has the last two pushed to a later date, and my big qualm is the festival getting skipped over (well still kinda animated in the visual comic they released with the voice actors doing great on it), that's a bummer. I can see structurally what they were going for, 6 eps for Himari/Yori and 6 eps for the very popular Aki/Shiho storyline, and having the 'lost' ep voice acted helps a bit. But ughghggh even with all that...IDK it's still my babg and they're my babygorls so I'm rooting for 11 and 12 to be really great and for me to not engage with any fandom discussion about it LOL. Like I said this one had my heart this season, and when something latches onto your heart like that, I think it's good to cherish that a bit.

Jellyfish Can't Swim in the Night: I heard the buzz a few episodes in about this and was hooked pretty quickly. The animation quality was great, I adored the characters, and I loved the queerness in it with the nonbinary talks, trans yakuza ladie, the kiss, and while I wish they went more in on the romance, we still got a lot of queerness that I don't want to count out. It's another case where I really need to disengage with what people think about something when it's special to me (that might be the moral of the season, honestly). My big downside for this is it got a little too stressful for me, the big fight towards the end of the show kept me up at night. I might be going through it pretty bad if watching anime does that to me BUT we stay silly.

Train to the End of the World: I didn't realize until I saw a post about it like yesterday that this had the same director as Kill la Kill and Gurren Lagann and in hindsight yeah that tracks. This was such a wild ride, I love a good journey story and this scratched that itch well. A group of girls go on a weird, hilarious, and heartfelt journey via train through a bizarre world? It made me really want to write a journey story. Funniest show of the season by far, crazy visuals, fun action, each episode being a strange little journey on its own helped the vibe.

The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio: This was a really cute one, bubbly gyaru x stoic girlie is a fun dynamic. Going by the structure, I assume this was the first 3 light novels adapted, since each arc was 4 eps IIRC. I hope the light novels get translated here because I'd love to see where the story goes next. My downside to this is this one also got STRESSFUL stressful in that like social kind of way as the main duo deals with stalkers, assholes online, shitty voice directors (I hope that voice director that was giving Yasumi a hard time gets super fired in season 2) and that took away from the fluff at times. Still was a definite highlight of the season.

Nijiyon Animation 2: Maybe even weirder than the first season, I was really glad to get more of this one, weekly 3 minute adventures of a wacky gay harem really is good for the soul. I love the vibe of like "yeah we're doing this premise this week let's just go with it" that a lot of the episodes had. Do Season 3 cmon!

Vexations of a Shut in Vampire Princess dub: I am a big stan for Vexations, and this dub has not disappointed so far (I think just one or two episodes to go for it), VERY well cast with Brittney Karbowski (of Railgun fame) putting in a STELLAR performance as Komari, showcasing all the facets of Komari's personality, like her spoiled bratty princess side, her anxious about being plopped into a dire situation side, the theater kid performance that helps her through this, and many other sides, it's really fantastic work by her. Vill, Sakuna, and Millicent are standouts as well (every Millicent scene I needed to pause afterwards because wow 🥵).

I also watched the back half of Dungeon Meshi (which is so big rn that I feel like I don't know what to add? It's great!), the new Spice and Wolf which was nice, Bartender: Glass of God which was VERY chill, and a coworker friend rec'd Condition Called Love, but I did not really enjoy that one.

All in all despite the bumpy road, I was really happy with this season and got SO much yuri. I do still need to watch Girls Band Cry and will rectify that soon, I just had way too many shows to watch at once.

Next season I am mainly looking forward to My Deer Friend Nokotan, and started watching Suicide Squad Isekai mainly for the ED lol. Next season big goal also: Chiral touches grass and her hypersensitive ass stops getting so worried about what other people think of the anime she watches and to just enjoy the anime hyperfixation while it's in full swing like this.

[asterefflores]

I saw the post about angst in your story. I want to put a comment but mine might be just too long and this app is just not ready for it xD, so I drop it here.

For me, the angst in ur story tilts towards the darker side. It's not just sad, unhappy stuff. I don't know how to articulate it in human language (istg), but I find it remarkably balanced and just feels right. It feels fitting, somehow.

Each arc in your story unfolds at the perfect moment, revealing itself in due course (what am i talking about). Tbh, your story might be considered heavy. I said this numerous times already (maybe) but I love the world-building in it (even tho my brain needs to restart every time).

The characters' backgrounds and the reasons why they are in their current state are intriguing. Moreover, although you introduce certain angsts, what I admire is that you never dwell on them excessively. They are relatable, logical, and not exaggerated or cringe-worthy. They are in the right amounts.

It's like, the story holds multiple layers of surprises each time you unveil the answers to the readers' questions of "why." Also, the angst within goes beyond than just sadness, contain/hiding various emotions and elements of irony.

I remember how the other readers and I went crazy (for fun) with theories in the comments when it was first revealed that Cale had a connection to the Secret Kingdom. We all anticipated something light and fluffy, but oh my goodness, jahahshfhf it took a darker turn that caught us off guard in the most unexpected moment. I love that aspect, and the transitions between each arc are incredibly smooth.

I also love every one of your original characters, (wait you already knew this ajshfkh) but duh, I've never had this much love or enthusiasm for fanfic before. I have a huge crush on your art and writing. It's therapeutic for me to see and read them. Thank you for the artwork and stories, even your daily shenanigans at your office @Xwitter are entertaining to follow up. Love isn't enough to describe how fascinated I am with your work.

I know, I throwing so many compliments for you on this one. I can't help it. I hope you don't mind🧍🏻‍♀️if you mind, I'd still going to do it. So I hope you still don't mind.

Please have a good day 🍀 (Please rest...)

I like to keep the characters realistic with logical responses in any case according to their traits and their back stories and whatnot, I don't like dwelling on anything too much in the plot, sure the angst part is important but if used too much it'll ruin the story not only for readers but also for me lol, it'll feel like I'm forcing it on the characters when, logically thinking, they wouldn't stay depressed for long or behave in certain dramatic ways, based on the way their brain works and all.

And yeah, well, my fanfic was indeed meant to be simple at first you know, but I naturally turn any plot I write heavy and dark with time, and it gets worse gradually but I try to hold back and be reasonable before I mess up at some point lolol

I didn't know you find my transitions between each arc smooth, I'm really happy and thank you for letting me know, all this time I stare at my stories and ask myself "Are there even arcs? Isn't it all a mess? Does anyone notice the transition? Is there even a transition?" Then laugh at my own writing and say it is what it is and keep writing anyway while confident that I'm doing everything wrong somehow XD

And you know, when I introduced OCs in my fanfic I was very sure no one gonna care or pay attention to their parts (except maybe my close friend lol) so I'm really glad to see some readers come to love them eventually, though I think Tristan is getting most love than the rest but that's expected considering his character and his role with Roksoo and Cale lol, I expected many readers would hate his role as their father but now the majority is cheering for him xDD

About my office shenanigans, you just made me recall how my followers on Instagram used to like and anticipate my stories about my daily life at work lolol I didn't think anyone would find joy in them also on twitter/X but glad you enjoy my comical work life 🤝🏻

Lastly, ofc I don't mind, at all, you don't know how many times I read your message and made me smile the whole time, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me 💕💕💕

And I'm trying to rest, I think I'm resting— ok, the fact I don't even know if I'm resting says enough lol but I'm working on it *cough

Thank you again and take care you too, have a good day 🌸🌸

[arleniansdoodles]

(Warning this is super long I'm so sorry) Absolutely mcfreaking reeling from that charged backfist of a chapter. I have no words. Yang what. What is wrong with you. He really slaughtered five schools' worth of students and masters, killed his adoptive father, orchestrated the murder of his little sister, secretly went back and raised said little sister from the dead, decided to let her wake up ALONE IN A POOL OF HER OWN BLOOD SURROUNDED BY THE BODIES OF HER FAMILY, left her to fend for herself at the ripe age of 11, and then fucked off to the mountains to be a super-doctor. BROTHER. Like yes Yang, it was really cold of Sifu to not let you save your family with the talisman, and your feelings of heartbreak and betrayal are absolutely valid (I would even excuse the attempted theft of the talisman honestly, he was just trying to save them!) especially when he saw you as a son, BUT HOLY SHIT YOUR RESPONSE WAS TO BECOME A MASS-MURDERER! Yin and all those disciples didn't know anything about the talismans, you could have just killed the masters in a slightly less public way and have been basically fine! Jinfeng literally has Infinite Money Glitch: The Talisman, you guys can pay off anyone! I'm so flabbergasted at Yang I can't even express it fully. How do we come back from this bro 😭 I know Fajar actually did kill Yin and now they're besties, but Yang literally left her in a wuguan full of bodies!!!! She could've died or gone insane and Yang just allowed it! How tf was she supposed to turn away from vengeance when that's literally all you left her with! And the fact that she managed to do that anyway and you're just???? Punishing her for it in every way besides physically attacking her????

You know what? I'm gonna go fight Yang a bunch until I get an achievement or something, he deserves it!

Hehehehehehhh XDDD This was me while reading through your message lmaooo:

That said, I think you're probably the first person I've seen who's gotten this angry at Yang (aside from a few other characters in the fic)! 😂 Game-wise, him reviving Yin in the prologue made the most sense to me out of all the other theories (not that there are a lot imo), and it also works with the implications of the post-credits scene, so I was more than ready to add it to the fic with maximum angst! XDD

Of course, this all means Yang is an even bigger douche than before 😅 There were a million other ways he could've gone about stealing the talismans without ruining Yin's life, but ah well, I had to stick to that part of canon for this fic 😂 I personally think he didn't have this mindset eight years ago; like, how much of his current thinking is actually him and how much is part of the talisman's influence? But even then, it was still a horrible move to make, especially where Yin was concerned (hence why I came up with the Dawn!AU where she lives! hehe). And his entire arc overall was one of my struggling points while writing, because how DO you come back from this? How do you have the happy ending with all the fluffy rainbow and unicorn feels?? Would a happy ending for this even be happy for Yin and Yang's relationship after all he's done to her? So that was quite interesting and tricky to work with XDD

All in all, I'm happy you enjoyed this chapter!! Though I'm sorry it got you worked up loll 😅 Hopefully beating Yang to a pulp helps! 😁 And no worries at all about the long messages; I really appreciate you taking the time to write all this!! Thanks again! 💗💗

[kinopioa]

Nowhere full depth as last time, but

Wow Mimic, you really don't give a shit about making an effort for this disguise, huh? It's laughable how Silver struggled with this (honestly out of nowhere, nothing indicated they were near the ocean) enemy, but you just...sneering and going evil eyed tops that

Inversely, huh. Was expecting Silver to be treated as the lone idiot for not trusting Mimic, but no, here's Whisper. That said...that means this arc will literally be less than 4 issues

Unless this is Mimic disguising as Whisper, but the writers are generally too quick to reveal that

Anyway, Sonaze stuff

>I didn't see too much. Edit, someone noted he meant Blaze's world. Even so, he literally had to go looking for materials to help Tails craft transportation machines, interacted with many stage elememts, and Sky Babylon is exquisite with floating platforms and machines. Oh, and dolphin riding

2. Yeah you probably shouldn't have brought Blaze to a literal multi story tall building. IDWSonic the inconsiderate dumbass

Once again, Flynn retreads upon something game Blaze already went through Rush 1. Cuz clearly Gens doesn't matter.

Unrelated, can't tell if Flynn or Aaron made the flub, but why is a Sonic Mania stage reffed? Isn't Classic stuff barred from use in "Modern" context?

Similarly, NPCs in Unleashed note daytime Sonic being tolerant of the cold, despite thin short fur

We almost no OCs reffed, darn

What could've been a sweet moment is ruined by Knux punking (hurray for Sonic X nostalgia...), and a blatantly ripped SA2 quote for pandering

Otherwise, this was fluffy filler that isn't too bad

Except that...why is Blaze with Sonic? And the art by Reggie last issue made it seem like Sonic was going to Frog Forest/Lost Jungle, not Spagonia

It doesn't help that this comes out of nowhere. Why is Blaze here? And no, reading an ANNUAL filler comic shouldn't be requirement, Flynn. Stop doing that!

Also makes this more odd. The 2022 annual...is apparently recent to events for Issue 57-62 (this is the same vacation somehow). Like what the heck!?

Also, we really interrupted Knux Amy for this? Why isn't this for another annual?

My head hurts thinking how poorly planned this all is

Sad cuz...Aaron's art is good, Valentino's colors good, and even Evan seems to not draw Silver with round eyes for neutral expressions

@randomthefox @darklightheart

[fluffypotatey]

thinking about how mei could contain the samadhi fire again. like yeah sure it could just be bc of her dragon ancestry like nezha said (its like pokemon logic, dragon type beats fire type). but also what if it's not. what if it's some other reason.

in the s4 openings, mei takes a way more prominent role than she did in the s1-s3 openings, fighting alongside mk. almost like she's gonna have a bigger role in this whole arc or something. mei contained the uncontainable flame and was able to use and withstand it without destroying the world. and now the jade emperor's power doesn't have a vessel, and nezha's seal won't hold forever. are u picking up what im putting down (<- high on copium)

GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO "Fluffy's Long Answer Responses," AND TODAY WE WILL BEGIN WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL ONE RIGHT HERE :)

Mei and the Samadhi Fire

aka, something i think about a lot & am hoping to see her wield once more T^T

so, I honestly will be super disappointed if the reason why we don't see the Samadhi Fire anymore is because her dragon abilities "canceled out" the fire (which would diminish the Grand Power™️ of the fire since it's supposed to be an end all be all power that can and will extinguish reality).

HOWEVER! while reading the lmk wiki (something i tend to do if i want to make sure i'm not just pulling stuff out of my ass for nothing) i found this:

The Rings of Samadhi are three special rings that were created by Tang Sanzang to seal away the Samadhi Fire. After the Samadhi Fire was reforged, the rings often acted as Mei's weapon of choice, being one of the ways she can utilize the Samadhi Fire

and

Pyrokinesis - After Season 3, Mei was able to create common green flames, which succeeded her powers to control the Samadhi Fire, which she, according to Master Subodhi, could no longer wield

and

Samadhi Fire - At first, Mei had difficulty controlling the fire because of her fear of hurting someone with it. In "Embrace Your Destiny", Mei eventually learned how to surpass her doubts about controlling the Samadhi Fire by being trained by Red Son, and used it to destroy Lady Bone Demon. Because of her dragon heritage, Mei can't be harmed by the fire, but still has to control it through controlling her emotions

so....what the fuck is this?

i am so glad you asked, deary >:)

we were already made aware that Mei's miraculous ability to avoid earning irreplaceable burn scars from the reality breaking fire is no thanks to her dragon heritage despite being mortal. this is most likely why Ao Lie was able to withstand the flames that first time thanks to his scales, BUT dragon scales can only do so much. the fire will still fight against it's vessel (host? body?) unless they are able to commune with it and "embrace" the fires.

as Red Son said, Mei is "strong enough to contain" the fire, but with training and meditation, she could be able to wield it. it's similar but also different to when Mei first got her dragon sword. even without its special abilities, anybody could pick up the sword and claim it as their own, BUT only a chosen few are deemed "worthy" of fully wielding the sword in it purposes (protecting one's family and home).

so, yeah, thank you dragon ancestry for preventing mei from burning herself and the wold into a crisp. the rest of what Mei does, that's all her. and i want to focus on something else the wiki says: "the rings often acted as Mei's weapon of choice, being one of the ways she can utilize the Samadhi Fire."

hey what the fuck????

AYO???? EMBRACE YOUR DESTINY WTF?????

YOU'RE JUST GONNA DROP THAT AND NEVER COME BACK TO IT???? I THINK THE FUCK NOT!

*coughs* anyway....where was i?

right, so, in helping Mei wield the fire (because i'm assuming just raw-dogging it would be suicidal for any beginner trying to use the Samadhi Fire), she converts their original purpose of containing (since they are no longer the ones that need to hold on to it) and reverse engineers them to help her current the fires to her will???

at least that's what it looks like to me. also, lmk we should absolutely bring this back. Mei with the 3 rings hovering over her whenever she summons the flames. can you hear me lmk, are you listening, can you hear me breathing down your necks as i plead-

but then, after s3....it's like the fire left her??? or is more dormant than before. HOWEVER (i love this word btw) as @gumy-shark said, Mei shows up in the lmk intro more often. so, let's do a comparison, yeah? of s3 and s4's intro (just to show how Mei is being inserted into a more prominent role in the intro itself starting now lol)

ok, ignoring the beautiful paused piece of MK's smushed face, these 2 pictures occur at the same place in their intros. MK flying into the TEA car, and MK and Mei flying into an ancient Chinese towers while in the scroll. and in the next two,

their placement ALSO happens at the same time (also the lighting is very similar....huh, i wonder why?). what do we notice? no Mei on the left side of the first pair, and no MK on the left side of the second pair. just MK, our lovely main character (also, has anyone else gotten a kick out of MK being a letter away from MC? no? just me....that's fair) and just Mei, our beloved dragon girl. because while Mei's story was also important in s3, the main plot focused on MK trying to regain his powers and defeat LBD. HOWEVER, in s4, we have both Mei and MK in the scroll trying to save their friends, and when they split up, BOTH characters meet someone important to their past (Subodhi being swk's mentor so like MK's mentor grandpa??? and Mei meeting her literal ancestor, Ao Lie) and BOTH come to learn something new about themselves.

HOWEVER >:) while Mei's encounter leaves her more self-assured and solid about her place and identity, MK's encounter leave shim with more questions, some denial, trauma, and the works (hooray!)

anyway, what can this tell us about the upcoming season? well, firstly, i believe Gumy is right! this is sort of like lmk's "subtle" way of showing that Mei's role will become more important to the narrative. they're telling us, "hey, don't forget about her. don't ignore her storyline just yet." and yeah, we should not :)

we still don't know the whole story on why Mei doesn't wield the Samadhi Fire in s4 (is she scared of it? did she decide it was better to only train and meditate with it? is she even aware that she can still use it? or did she give the 3 rings (now her rings bc she reconfigured them) to Nezha for safe keeping and hope for the best? WE DON'T KNOW!) and that is a pretty significant event to just ignore.

like, yeah, sure, it's brought up by Master Subodhi but all he says is, "as someone who once wielded the Samadhi Fire," WHICH GIVES ME NOTHING! he also mentions that Mei has the potential to be even powerful if she just took a minute to think before letting her impulses rule her, but i'm not mad over that. but, that does give the hope that Mei in the following season will have an arc where she attempts to slow herself down and think about the consequences (and she's done it before!! her actually thinking about how "Wukong knew the risks")

so yeah, i am in agreement. and my theory is, at the end of s5 is when she "reawakens"/summons the Fire once again, now that she is more confident in her powers and strengths and takes the time to consider her options on how to defeat something big (i wonder who 👀)

[benevolentcalamity]

Baldur's Gate 3 Companions: An updated perspective.

Gale: Could also get away with being called Brian. Mans has the most red flags in the entire game. And why do I say that? WELL, would you want a guy that talks about his ex all the time and would explode if you didn't romance him? Not sure what the deal is there but I dunno if I have what I need to handle all that. His sorcery is cool though, I'd fuck him for lessons.

Karlach: Literally the biggest golden retriever energy in literally any game I've seen these past few years. Seriously, you could tell her "Well... I could go with you, cause I have nothing better to do" and she'd be like "Not because you want to?" With these massive puppy eyes. Wish they did more with her character, because a purehearted person of her race? GOOD LORD I EAT UP THAT SHIT. Karlach, please marry me

Astarion: More red flags. But here's the thing, he's honest and upfront that he's toxic and full of absolute crap. Arguably though he has the most well-done story of, again, any game I've played these past few years. From how he's slowly unlearning the toxicity of 200 years of PURE SHIT, to managing to open his heart up to Tav, to the agonized, broken cries upon killing Cazador if you choose the Spawn ending. Legitimately, this is when 'I can fix him' comes true - mans is wonderful... After all the other stuff. (Please do not drop the building on him or kick him in the balls.)

Shadowheart: Imma be upfront, I hated her guts in Early Access. She's the kind of person I'd hatefuck and move on, cause ain't no way I'm associating with followers of Shar. HOWEVER, they did good giving her a redemption arc. She's still annoying and quite frankly not the greatest traveling buddy, but I can stomach her way more. (So maybe we'd be doing it.)

Lae'zel: I loved you in early access bb, and I still do. Literally, the Githyanki are savage and coldhearted by nature and their culture, so you can't exactly blame Lae'zel for just echoing what she knows. On the other side of the coin everything she's done and said was out of the kindness of her heart. She wants you cured in the only way she knows, and she wants what's best. So, if you dare bring your hatred for her in my askbox, be prepared to catch these hands. THOU DOTH NOT WANT THESE HANDS.

Minthara: Respectfully, ma'am, I don't vibe. Drow elves are sexy. What's not sexy is trying to kill me in my sleep, trying to get me to give in to the evil force inside me, etc etc etc. Also, what happened to your fluffy hair in early access? Girl that's your one redeeming quality. Can understand trust issues though, that I'd be willing to get you help with if you'd stop trying to murder me. Seriously, I love a woman that will actually just kill me, but some of us don't wanna meet our dads yet. (Ha... ha... ha...)

Halsin: ... Oh, so THIS is the bear man... Ngl man, I'm digging it. Man is big so he definitely gives wonderful hugs. Probably cuddly as a big bear, too! Would fuck Halsin, would not fuck him as the bear. Some of you might call me a coward, but MONSTERS are my jam, not actual animals. Y'all can do as you please, though. But generally, this man is probably the sweetest big man. Huge arms? Check. Gentle personality? Check. Would kill a person for killing a child? Check and mate.

Wyll: Still don't know your deal, man, and quite frankly I'm too afraid to ask.

Emperor: ... Aren't mindflayers cold, heartless beings that reproduce by putting tadpoles in your brain? They don't have dicks, right? Does someone wanna fill me in? ... I don't know what the deal is here.

[siesporamor]

What are your opinions on all of the main couples in SL?

LMAO, it took me so long to answer this ask, but I just have so mant thoughts. I'm not sure if the question is about endgame couples, so I'll just talk about whatever I want.

Putting this under a cut because I'm not a monster.

Lutteo is... fine. I don't hate them, but I also don't like them. Leaving aside my own headcanons for the characters, they just don't work for most of the show. Matteo in seasons 1 and 2 is a complete asshole who doesn't deserve Luna. Just to list some of the shit he does: flirts with her while he's still with Ámbar, kisses her without her consent, sometimes borderline harasses her, is a dick to her best friend, prioritizes his career over their relationship even when he ends up hurting her, never listens to her perspective and assumes all of her criticism is in bad faith. I especially can't get behind the s2 storyline, where Luna is incredibly upset by Matteo's behavior—saying he doesn't have a girlfriend during an interview and staging PR relationships, or insulting Simón live—, but he brushes it all off with the excuse that it's essential to his career and tells her she's envious of his success. And he's somehow surprised that Luna would defend her childhood best friend when her boyfriend publicly humiliates him online?

That being said, when Matteo finally becomes a decent person in s3, I think they mostly work as a couple (still don't ship them). At that point, though, does it really matter? I'm not going to forget the first two seasons. If Luna absolutely needed to end up with somebody, because amatonormativity, she deserved someone better.

Lumón is objectively the best Luna ship. They're childhood best friends and know and take care of each other like nobody else. Still, when I see such an adorable m/f friendship, I grab onto it and would rather it stayed platonic, because there's enough romance in medias.

Simbar gives me life. I'm honestly obsessed and, as I've already said, they're one of my OTPs and the reason why I started watching Soy Luna. Ámbar and Simón are characters I already love on their own and they complement each other so well. They have a great premise (dating-someone-for-a-revenge-plan trope, my beloved <3), a believable enemies to friends to lovers arc (also a favorite trope of mine), fluffy banter, delicious angst and tension, domestic scenes to balance it out, great chemistry, and the actors work their asses off in emotional scenes. They communicate, support and respect each other like a healthy couple would do. Simón is the first person to see the good in Ámbar and push her to be the better version of herself. Ámbar also challenges Simón and his perspective. While a bit dramatized for narrative purpose (don't date people to fix them), that's what a relationship should do (says the aro who's never even had a date in her life).

Gastina may not be endgame, but they are in my heart. They're adorable, have excellent chemistry, and them bonding over shared interests is both realistic and cute. While cliché, I like the FelicityForNow plotline and I think it gave Gastina a solid basis that makes it impossible not to root for them. Forever mad about the route s3 took, especially because it didn't have to? They had Gastón's actor available for a couple scenes, they could've filmed the finale with him or just slapped a clip of him onto a tablet screen, then keep his and Nina's relationship going through texts, it really wasn't that hard. To me Nina goes to college in Oxford and they get back together again, I will accept no other option.

Pelfi is such a sweet ship! It's a bit of a Simbar 1.0, in the sense that Pedro formed a genuine friendship with Delfi and helped her become a better version of herself. Even if Delfi back pedaling in s2 was random and made their relationship arc a bit weird, narratively speaking, I always enjoy these two. They're such cuties and them staring at each other with heart eyes in s3 >>>

Yamiro is considered a main couple, I guess? They can be cute, but I'm not particularly fond of either Yam or Ramiro and I also headcanon them both as gay, not to mention they hurt each other and argue a bit too much for my taste.

Thanks for the ask, I hope I interpreted the question correctly!

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC REVIEW: Match Me if You Can by Swati Hegde

3.5/5. Releases 6/4/24.

Vibes: Emma, heroines who gotta learn, slow burn, friends to lovers

Heat Level: 2/10

Mumbai-based Jia spends her days writing silly listicles for women's magazine Mimosa. On her off time, however, she works on her anonymous blog, giving what she thinks is very real talk... even if she's in denial about her own true feelings. She wants to get upgraded to a new column--but the only way she can is by helping her coworker find love. Thing is, Jia herself doesn't even realize that her longtime family friend Jaiman has a thing for her. Maybe... more than a thing.

Alright--if you're at all familiar with Jane Austen's Emma, I'm sure you can tell that this is an Emma retelling. I've actually been seeing a lot of Emma retellings lately; but that's not a bad thing for me, as Emma is by far my favorite Austen.

The skinny on this one is that, at least from my perspective it's very cute and well-written. It's a romcom with wit, and there's certainly a lot of chemistry between Jia and Jaiman. I love the setting (it's shockingly rare to find an English-language romcom novel that isn't set in America, and even harder to find one set in India). I enjoy the tone. It's not reinventing the wheel; it goes in the directions that a lot of Emma retellings do. For me, too... I don't mind that it was closed door, per se. However, there were moments cut off in a way that left me thinking "but why?"

The answer is that it was the author's prerogative, and that's valid. I just feel like we were kind of left in a place where there was teasing--and if there wasn't going to be anything, why tease, I suppose?

But nonetheless--if you want a light, fluffy romcom that happens to be closed door, and if you love Emma, I would recommend this.

Quick Takes:

--One way in which this book differs from Emma and that Jia and Jaiman have what I'll call a near-miss about a year prior to the novel's beginning. To me, this was really clever. First off, it swerves away from the typical Emma setup, adding a little tension that I really appreciated. Second, it makes Jia a more interestingly human character, to me. She knows there's this tension, she knows there's something between herself and Jaiman, she just doesn't want to confront it.

--Personally, I think modern Emma retellings arguably work better in a setting wherein matchmaking is still a thing. Jia is nothing if not a consummate matchmaker, and I feel like this plays so well in a book set in Mumbai, where matchmaking is a feasible career (not that it can't be in the west--but it's less common, obviously).

--Like I said: this is a slow burn. Jia and Jaiman have known each other since childhood. Feelings have been there for a long time. So while I understood, and to an extent I mean, it's there in the material... I just wanted them to kiss. I wanted something to happen. Although the book is closed door, that doesn't mean they can't get together earlier in the novel (I'm thinking of a closed door romance by Alexis Hall that I enjoyed not so long ago). It did drag a bit for me.

And ultimately, for all the theoretical tension, that lack of interaction in a romantic sense did keep it from going as far as it could have. I don't mean sexually--I mean as a love story.

That being said--if you're not sure about sex scenes, if you like a slow burn, and you want an Austen update that makes sense... This could be great for you!

Thanks to NetGalley and Dell for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[kenkaodoll]

Kamiya Dojo Monogatari Tale 67 (JUMP SQ 23/08)

About Kamiya Dojo Monogatari:

Tales of Kamiya dojo is written by Kaoru Kurosaki and published along with the “Rurouni Kenshin Hokkaido” arc in JUMPSQ. The tale involves the Rurouni Kenshin character in daily life that takes time between Kenshin and Kaoru marriage until the epilogue chapter in the original manga before the Hokkaido Arc. Until this month (July 2023) there are a total 67 chapters in Tales of Kamiya dojo. This is an unofficial translation. 

Previous Story: https://www.tumblr.com/kenkaodoll/720207739778891776/kamiya-dojo-monogatari-tale-66-jump-sq-2307 

The Kamiya Dojo. Now the sacred dojo was overflowing with soft, fluffy rabbits. At first, Kaoru lost her composure, not knowing what to do with this rabbit-covered situation, but as she stroked the rabbit's fluffy fur, she gradually regained her composure.

“I'm starting to feel like I can go along with them. Don't you think so too, Kenshin?”

“We can't leave them in the dojo all the time, so let's build a rabbit hutch in the backyard.”

Kenshin and Kaoru were somewhat taken by the soothing feeling of the rabbit and they felt that they could keep it.

“Then may I come sometimes and pet them?"

Even Tsubame, who was rarely assertive, unusually expressed her own opinion. The power of fluffiness was truly amazing.

“How cute—“

“They are cute.”

“So cute!”

Kaoru, Kenshin, and Tsubame stroke the rabbits with a smile on their face. Only the word ‘cute’ came out from their mouth. 

“Hey you all! Don’t forget about our problem.”

“Ah, Yahiko. You don’t think rabbits are cute?”

“No, I don’t talk about how cute they are. What we need to talk about is what we're going to do about them, okay?”

“Oh, that's right. Then, I will make a plan for the construction of the rabbit hutch.”

Kenshin stood up.

“Are you sure you want to keep them?” Yahiko asked.

“I mean, they are so fluffy.”

“What are we going to feed them?”

“They'll probably eat grass around here. They're rabbits, after all.”

Kaoru was eager to keep it, but Yahiko was against it.

“Even if you build a rabbit hutch, how are you going to clean it? They will just drop their poop all over the place and never clean up after themselves. Besides, they will probably have a lot of babies. Soon there won't be enough room on the dojo grounds.”

“Oh, really?”

Kaoru’s eyes got bigger.

“Come to think of it, I've heard that rabbits are having a lot of children.”

Tsubame said.

“Cute is not enough to keep a living creature, you know.”

“I see, that is true. But we can't keep them in the dojo forever, so we have to give them at least a temporary home.”

“Even if we can't keep this many rabbits at home, what should we do then?”

“I'm sorry, but Tae-san said we can't take them into Akabeko…”

Yahiko argued rightly, Kenshin pondered, Kaoru was troubled, and Tsubame had no choice but to apologize.

It's a roundabout way. In the end, no good ideas came to mind, and the four of them were at a loss.

Then,

“Wow, why are there so many rabbits here? They're so cute!”

“Kyaw!”

Misao and Kenji's voice.

Misao and Megumi had just returned and were surprised to see the state of the dojo. They had taken Kenji out for a walk to make time for Kaoru to practice. Although training every day is a battle against oneself, she could do it with the help from her friends. 

“They were thrown into Akabeko?”

Megumi was disturbed when she heard Yahiko’s explanation.

“What do you think life is worth? I'm going to call the police first. I'm off.”

But Kaoru stopped Megumi as she was leaving the dojo.

"Is this matter really that big to deal with the police? Why don't you just keep them at home?"

“I don't think so. I heard that there is a tax on rabbits in Tokyo. I think it's a daily tax, so you should be charged on a daily basis for just one day of keeping rabbits.”

“Eh! Tax?”

“Do you still want to keep them? These many rabbits.”

“...”

Kaoru shook her head.

“I can't believe if I'm going to have to pay taxes…”

“Unreasonable,right?”

“Why are you taxing such an adorable thing?"

Misao was furious.

“The Meiji government can’t be forgiven!”

“This is a big subject, Misao-dono. However, this is the first time I've heard of a tax being placed on such a thing,” Kenshin replied.

“I heard it when I was at Kanryu's place. He said the rabbit market was great before the tax was imposed on them and he said he made a lot of money from it. Just before the tax was imposed, he got some information and decided to stay out of it, so he won a lot of money and started to be an arms dealer with the money he made.”

“Kanryu... He's a man who's only smart with money, isn't he?” Kenshin commented.

“Why didn't he use his brain for something else? I remember it well because at that time I had just come out of Aizu, and I thought Tokyo was a dreadful place to tax rabbits.”

“I see..”

“Well, I don't care about Kanryu.”

Megumi cut off the topic. 

“This is harassment against Akabeko, so we can't handle it on our own. I think the first thing we should do is go to the police station and ask for advice. Let's ask the police to take back this large number of rabbits,” Megumi added.

“Ah...my fluffy bunnies…”

“What a pity…”

Kaoru and Tsubame looked regretful. However, they could not turn their backs. The rabbits were fluffy, but if they didn't want to give them up, they would have to pay taxes on them.”

“Besides, we have to find the culprit, don't we? So this is the police's task.”

Kaoru was taken aback by Megumi's words.

“The culprit?”

“Because someone is harassing Akabeko, right? We have to catch them."

“I see, that's one way to think about it.”

Kaoru nodded as if she had gained a new idea about it.

“You... Maybe the fluffy bunny rabbit has made you stupid? Or were you always stupid from the start?”

“I'm not stupid, you're being rude.”

Kaoru was annoyed, apparently she was a bit more stupid in front of the rabbit.

・

For the time being, they loaded as many rabbits as they could onto the big two-wheeled cart, and the group headed for the police station.

They approached a police officer standing guard with a six-foot pole in front of the police station.

“Excuse me, we bring this...”

Kaoru stammered and pointed to the bamboo basket filled with rabbits on the platform of the cart. It was difficult to explain.

“Something like.., property lost?”

Megumi, who couldn't bear to look at it, changed the explanation.

“A lot of rabbits were thrown into Akabeko.We think this incident is a case of harassment”

Hearing the word "incident," the police officer on duty straightened his posture.

“Is  Akabeko the beef hot pot restaurant?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Is it the one that was shot and wrecked by a cannon bomb two years ago?”

“You talk like a jerk, don't you? But, yes. That's the Akabeko that was destroyed by the cannon attack before.”

When Megumi confirmed twice, the policeman straightened his back even more than he had straightened earlier.

Then, he saw Kenshin came pulling the big two-wheeled cart.

“Oh, from Kamiya Dojo…”

“Yes, I'm glad you know about our dojo!”

“So, Akabeko... I'll immediately report to my superior.”

The policeman’s color face changed and he strode quickly into the station.

“I hope Akabeko didn't make a bad impression on the customers. 

Kaoru looked a little worried as she saw the policeman's back to her.

“That incident was so big. That's why we changed the uniforms to western style and made the waitresses dance, to try to erase the bad impression,” Yahiko said.

“It can’t be helped,” Tsubame added.

“But some customers patronize us because they think it's a good omen that we're going to win the jackpot.”

“It's a saying, isn't it?”

Misao was impressed.

“Daa.”

Kenji also chimed in.

While they were talking, the policeman from earlier came back.

“Please come to the chief's office, everyone.”

Because it was Kenshin who came and brought up Akabeko's harassment incident. It took the chief’s attention and it seemed that the chief had decided that this was his case.

“Where should I put these rabbits?”

Kenshin asked the policeman.

“Ah, the officer will take care of them for now!”

The policeman took the handle of the big two-wheeled cart from Kenshin.

“Please take good care of them.”

“Yes, sir!”

The policeman saluted quickly and let go of the handle of the big two-wheeled cart. The cart lost its balance and spring upward. The cages on top of it almost spilled over the ground. Just before it hits the ground…

“Oops!”

Quickly, Kenshin catched the handle and the cart returned to balance.

“When you let go of something like this, you should do it slowly, that you should.”

“Yes, sir! Excuse me!”

The policeman this time held the handle of the cart properly and carried the rabbits to the back of the police station.

・

Then when they all went into the chief's office.

"Hello, Himura-san and everyone here.”

Chief Uramura greeted Kenshin and the others.

Everyone greeted Chief Uramura and immediately got down to business.

“I heard there was a mass dumping of rabbits in Akabeko.”

“That's right.”

Kaoru answered on behalf of the others.

“I heard that if you keep rabbits, you have to pay taxes on them. That's why we can't keep them at home.”

Kaoru was dejected, but Chief Uramura replied with a smile.

“Oh, that law was repealed last year in June.”

“What?”

Everyone was surprised in one voice.

It probably didn't help that the information from Kanryu over three years ago was out of date.

“There used to be a crackdown on the rabbit market because the price was swelling, and then some people went bankrupt or made huge profits from fraud. However the trend has died down, so we eliminated it last year.”

Everyone was stunned by Chief Uramura's explanation.

Notes: The explanation about the rabbits tax can be read in the previous chapter

.…..to be continued in chapter 68……  https://www.tumblr.com/kenkaodoll/726821717591408640/kamiya-dojo-monogatari-tale-68-jump-sq-2309

TLnote(1): translating Japanese is so hard because the sentence structure is very different compared with English. Also the style of writing is different, plus there’s a lot of figurative, poetic language and things that don't make sense if it’s directly translated into english. So forgive me if this is very weird to read, and please tell me if you want to give corrections. 

TLnote(2) I will provide the original Japanese text for correction if any of you who read have better knowledge of the Japanese language. Just dm and I’ll send the file.

TLnote(3) Dtninja had translated some earlier chapters on his website. You can go and check on there

Read the rest of the story here: https://www.tumblr.com/kenkaodoll/686193523858538496/rurouni-kenshin-tales-of-kamiya-dojo?source=share

[x-atlas-x]

51 & 52 !

Oh yaaay!! Thank you for the ask ^^

51. Share a scene of healing (it doesn't have to be magical or literal~)

I won't lie, I'm struggling hard to find a scene like this in my drafts. I guess that goes to show how much angst/smut I write :,) A very, very true sign that I need to write some more fluffy stuff... Let's try to do that now, shall we? (I'll be continuing from my Separation fic!)

Yugi and Atem had been sitting on the couch for what felt like hours. They barely managed to eat dinner and then wound up there accidentally. Their hands were intertwined tightly between them; they were too afraid to let the other go. They were afraid of being separated again.

"...I'm sorry for yelling at you," Yugi whispered.

Atem's grasp on Yugi's hand tightened and he murmured, "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have screamed at you. I just wish that I was better at this—all of this. I'm sorry that I'm bad at it."

"That's not something you should be apologizing for. I never thought about how difficult this might be for you. You're not used to being alive and I completely forgot about that," Yugi turned to face Atem, smiling gently when their gazes met. "I should've been supporting you more instead of assuming that you knew what to do."

"But, I'm not a child," Atem reminded him as he took Yugi's other hand, stroking his thumb over his knuckles. "I don't want to be treated like I'm a child or a baby. Please don't make me feel stupid and dumb again. I—" Atem hesitated, then swallowed thickly and mumbled, "I can't handle that again."

"I know. I don't want you to feel like a kid and I'm so sorry that I made you feel so bad," Yugi muttered and leaned forward until their foreheads bumped together. "I'll do better, I promise. I'm going to do what I said I'd do when you came back to us: I'm going to take care of you the way you deserve to be taken care of."

Atem's eyes welled up with tears and he wound his arms around Yugi's torso, yanking him close and echoed him, "Will you let me take care of you, too? The way you deserve to be taken care of?"

"...After I help you learn to be independent. My priority is making sure you're taken care of and that you're capable of standing on your own—the same way that you showed me to duel without your help. I want to return the favor."

Atem laughed softly, "This is honestly a constant trend of us returning favors to one another."

Yugi shrugged with a playful grin, "That'll just be what works for us."

52. Share a scene at night!

For some context, this is a scenario that takes place during the Millennium World Arc where Yugi and the gang have actual bodies and get taken to the palace, where Yami is. :)

One night, when everyone had gone to sleep, he chose to leave. He wrapped his cloak tightly around him and snuck out without any of the guards noticing. He breathed a sigh of relief when he made it out successfully, taking one of the horses from the stables. He failed to realize that he wasn't alone.

"Pharaoh?"

He jumped at the sudden voice and whipped around, relaxing when he saw Yugi standing by the stable doors. His arms were crossed and his face was marred with worry; his brows furrowed and lips turned downward.

With a hand pressed to his chest to soothe his pounding heart, he whisper-shouted, "You scared me!"

"And you shouldn't be out here. What're you doing?"

"Why is it your business? You're not meant to be out here, either. You should be in your room and sleeping.

"So should you," Yugi glared at him. "We can sit here and argue for as long as you want, but I'm only keeping you from whatever it is you're doing."

Yami peered over at his horse, then released her reins and hugged himself, "I need to leave and explore the area. We'll never be able to get out of here if I don't further history. Bakura has to be somewhere in this world and I have to find him. I have reason to believe that he's the final enemy I'm meant to face before we're returned to our—your home."

"You shouldn't be going alone, then. Let me come with you."

"Absolutely not. You're staying here where you'll be safe. Go back inside."

(If anyone wants to send an ask: Questions)

[authoralexharvey]

This Or That Tag (Alternate)

Was tagged for a different "this or that" game by @flowerprose so thank you! Sorry it took me so long @.@

Also tagging: @linaket, @galactic-mystics-writes, @toribookworm22, @redbloodprose, @sabinabardot, @alistonjdrake, and @vhwrites. Have fun!

Historical or futuristic?

Both have their merits. When reading, I will go for just about anything. When writing, however, I tend to stick to more historical frames. The closest I get is I've done some contemporary pieces before.

Opening or closing chapter?

Both are difficult for different reasons. In terms of writing, I think I'm better at the opening. In terms of reading, nothing is better than a really satisfying ending.

Light and fluffy or dark and gritty?

There's a time and place for everything, but I tend to write darker more often.

Hard or soft magic system?

I write hard systems pretty regularly. I like having the rules and how they can be their own source of conflict.

Stand-alone or series?

I can barely finish one book, let alone a whole series. Standalones all the way.

One project at a time or always juggling 2+?

I am constantly hopping between different things in various stages of completion. Helps when I get bored with one of them for whatever reason.

One award winner or one bestseller?

I am torn on this one. I'm kind of in the "neither" camp but also in the "why not both" but if I was really forced to choose, I'd probs go award winner.

Fantasy or sci-fi?

Fantasy makes me feel less stupid. I'll read sci-fi, but a lot of it goes way over my head.

Character or setting description?

I like both and I will not be forced to choose. Setting helps ground you in the world, which I think is just as vital and important as being grounded in the characters themselves.

First or final draft?

Final for sure. If I can get that far, it's the "I have and completed and accomplished something" for me lol

Love triangle in everything or no romantic arcs?

I think romance is a core part of the human experience for a lot of people (not all, obvs). That said, this answer depends on if it's a forced/arbitrary triangle or if there's actual depth and sense of choice in either option.

But really my answer here is "why can't it be poly?"

Constant sandstorm or rainstorm?

Rainstorm for sure. Plants need rain. I don't think I would cope well with a sandstorm lol especially not a constant one.

[noveltyreads]

Seoulmates by Susan Lee Book Review

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

If you need a happiness boost, you have to read Seoulmates.

I absolutely devoured this book from start to finish. It was light, fluffy, absolutely readable and I found myself falling deeper and deeper in love with it with every page. It had everything I wanted: a summer romance, friends to lovers, angsty teenage main character and soft, actor love interest who honestly just needed a hug. This book has been on my to-watch list of 2022 and when I managed to get the ARC of it on NetGalley, I practically screamed in delight. 

Seoulmates follows main character Hannah whose boyfriend just broke up with her, claiming they have nothing in common. When Hannah's childhood best friend, and now up and coming K-Drama actor, Jacob Kim comes back from South Korea, Hannah uses his knowledge to aid her in getting Nate to be with her again. What Hannah leaves out of the equation is her developing feelings for Jacob as they uncover what really went wrong that caused a rift in their friendship previously. 

This book is told in two perspectives: Hannah's and Jacob's. I think this worked perfectly with the story and it allowed us to get further glimpses into their characters including their vulnerabilities and their desire, ultimately, to be loved. Hannah was trying to fit in with her American friends thinking that in order to do that, she needed to shut out the Korean part of her Korean-American identity. This in turn made Nate and his friends drift away from her, making the very thing Hannah was shunning out the thing that set her apart from the others. You could see the toll this took on Hannah and how underneath that angsty girl facade, there was a girl who just felt scared, sad and vulnerable. I could see how she just wanted to feel okay again and how she felt like in order to do that, she needed to prove herself worthy of Nate's affections. In the end, I'm glad she developed on her self-worth and self-esteem, realising that maybe things would never have worked out with him to begin with. 

Jacob on the other hand was seemingly living a dazzled life in South Korea but the truth was far from it. He was an actor in a popular new K-Drama show which just got renewed for a second season. After a PR disaster, his management tells him to take a holiday while they deal with the problem. Jacob and his mum and sister decide to head back to San Diego for the first time in years. While Jacob questions his future on a TV show with restrictive rules on what he can and can't do, he starts to feel a little bit stressed from the pressure his manager and co-star put on him, telling him he's not good enough at his job. Eager to take a break, Jacob tries getting as far away from the spotlight as possible with the company telling him not to bring any attention to himself. Jacob's internal struggle was with being good enough for other people and you could see this conflict between what he loved doing (acting) and the expectations others had on him to be up to par. 

I loved how both character's flaws were really shown in this book and I think that's why I found I could relate to the characters as much as I did. Hannah was angsty but you could see how much she cared especially with how she wanted to become an immunologist to help people with allergic reactions after seeing how it affected someone she knew. While she tried hiding it on the inside, you could see past the facade and I liked how the book dealt with breaking down those shields Hannah put up around herself. Jacob was slightly more transparent in my opinion, but I loved seeing how gentle he was with Hannah and his compassionate and warm nature. 

On top of the characterisation, I really liked the family dynamics between the Cho's and the Kim's. I love books with family at heart and great banter and it makes me so happy when said family dynamics also come with home-made food and cooking. This book made me hungry for Korean food so my recommendation is to have a few snacks on hand while reading this. 

All in all, this book made me happy, with cute, relatable characters and deep themes. Minus, the vomiting scene at the start, this book, to me, is close to five stars. 

ACTUAL RATING: 4.7 STARS 

[ram-de]

[Read] Linus Baker ~End

Let's begin with how I've turned into waterworks by the time I read the last 50 pages. I couldn't stop. The House in the Cerulean Sea is wonderful and endearing, and I love my parents Linus and Arthur and cool auntie Zoe ajsdgAJSGDASJDSDGF

I felt like it's so wonderfully built, the characters, the world it lives, the story itself and how it unfold. The contrasting lives of the very mundane and dull life Linus once had when he got a taste of his true home by the ocean he never even saw before, the sunlight that beams, the loud kids with slightly eccentric nature, and ofc LOVEEEE aaughh

I'm too tired and I can't think of what to write. I teared up a lot HAHAHA so I'll sleep and write what I thought later. But for now. Sal's poem... Talia holding Linus' hands for the adventure... Lucy referring to Sal as his brother... Theodore giving a peek of his hoards of treasures... Phee and her bush daisy... Arthur's secret... Lucy being tucked in his bed before Linus left... Zoe's frustation before the train depart... Linus' wake up call... Arthur's "stay".... And again, Sal's poem but this time spoken loud by Linus. THERE'S A LOT OF WATERWORKS... THEY'RE SO PRECIOUS TO ME NOW... EXACTLY... FOUND FAMILY TROPE... AUGHSHHSHSHDHH

I need to sleep now...

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I WILL WRITE MORE OF MY THOUGHTS TOMMOROW

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Edit. 2 days later.

I haven't wrote my thoughts last tommorow. Oh. Okay, ahem,

My thoughts about this book is that it's really wholesome and fluffy as a whole. It's hopeful and the tone as a whole is incredibly cute most of the times. And mostly that is because of the kids, Linus' slowly coming out of his shell and how they interacts with one another. It touches a lot about differences, about prejudices, morals and about family (or lack-thereof). Treading lightly in delicate issue such as abuse and putting light on it with gentle lights.

I was going to say that I thought since there's like, 6 kids, not everyone is given the same amount of spotlight and character arcs. I felt like for some like Phee, Chauncey and Theodore. They can feel like a little bit one-dimensional, though then again, it's a portrayal of children and I'm not supposed to think too much over it. I liked Sal's arc, the repeating usage of his soft voice and poetry and the presence his poem the first time he said it and the last time Linus' proclaimed in his speech, which is absolutely chilling to the heart both of the times. I liked Talia's presence, being the first kid to meet Linus and dare I say I felt like he's closest to her the most. Her clinging to Linus' hands, and being round buddies (as she said) is very warm. And of course, Lucy. It surprised me that although in the story he was made to be this, like, super dangerous kid, I felt like he's not... The center of it, with Linus, at least. (I felt that with Sal, actually). But still I felt he's well portrayed, and I grew fond of him the most. The commander for the adventure journey, fear of the spiders in his mind, standing up for Sal and calling him his brother.

I don't know what else to say. I feel full and satiated. It's a journey, alright?

The ending is the cutest, I swear. Adoption, becoming fathers... What else do I need to say. I... There's a bit of me that felt a bit irked, since... Well, about the thing with Linus wanting to help the kids, etc. But ended up quitting his job on the spot the moment he got the news that Extremely Upper Managament approved his recommendations. The Orphanage isn't going to be closed down. Things like, what happens, then? I forgave it, because I don't think the story needs more complications and angst but I don't... I'm just nitpicking a bit.

I am now craving for more fantasy-ish story. I think Mr. Klune did really well with his worlds and words. Under the Whispering Door Next? ;)