#i started rambling about gundam right back at you

[super-seiyajin]

okay, i appreciate the time and care you put into laying all of this information for people to read! i had no way of knowing this much was happening, that's for sure

i still don't like how many people on the Destiel side of the argument have dismissed us left and right though. it's mean :(

this poll got me giddy because it convinced some people to give GWitch a try, and i love seeing new people get sucked into it! but for every comment that said they tried out GWitch and really liked it, there were ten more going "who are these stupid lesbians" or "who cares about these girls anyway" and just. generally bad vibes.

people always overlook femslash in favor of mlm pairings, sometimes even if the men haven't met. so this win also feels vindicating for us sapphics because finally, finally we're being seen! people finally can't ignore us, not anymore! that's kind of an explanation for a lot of the votes that don't know Sulemio, y'know? even in AO3, yearly statistics compilations include an overall ranking of which ships had more works, and then a different ranking, one with just femslash ships. the reason for that is how people only focus on men that, more often that not unfortunately, are white. i say unfortunately because there could be a banger mlm ship with at least one guy of color and people will put two straight white guys together instead.

in comes GWitch, first Gundam series with a female protagonist, who also happens to be a WOC.

i'll admit I'm not familiar with the entire 50 years of Gundam history because I only watched GWitch. i'm not into mecha, so i was just aware Gundam was a very big franchise, one I'd probably never interact with.

flashforward to a few years and, on the 2nd of June, 2023, i'm crying my eyes out because Suletta and Miorine are actually married, and Suletta's sister says Miorine should listen to her sister-in-law every now and then.

there's people saying misinformation about how Sulemio never hugged, how the finale was written by interns(?), how it was confirmed they weren't married after the show ended, and it's made me feel really bitter. Miorine calls Suletta her groom proudly on multiple occasions and even yells out "I'm that girl's bride" when people demand to know why she's defending someone that might be a criminal. During episode 11, the historic hug happened, where Miorine told Suletta to never lose a duel, which Suletta happily agreed to. you may wonder what that means! if Suletta lost a duel, she'd have to transfer her status as Miorine's fiancee to someone else. neither of them wanted that as early as episode 11/24.

fastfoward to June, 2023, and they're happily married, living in the countryside with Suletta's family, and Miorine still clings onto that woman like she'll disappear if she doesn't.

so, i don't like when people undermine all that. director Tomino Yoshiyuki fought execs left and right to make those girls married and happy. when Bandai Namco, the company responsible for merch sales, first stated their marriage was actually "up to interpretation" to appease Chinese censorship, fans around the globe gave such a harsh pushback that Bandai was forced to apologize, and nowadays they recognize Suletta and Miorine are wives. people don't get to minimize something that big. the staff fought for it, we fought for it, the cast fought for it, all because we like these characters. it's not fair.

Anyway if I really wanted to throw some stones in these glass houses I'd ask where the beautiful canon yuri ship advancing us beyond the era of barbarous queerbait - the one that got officially married in their blessed canon - is keeping their official kissing gifs.

They have those, right? One of the perks of being real canon and married (since Destiel canon doesn't count).

...oh.

Oh?!?

You mean they didn't show an official canon kiss on screen despite making it super blatant that there was a non-platonic relationship going on here??? And then the anime studio after making it super gay by doing a political marriage plot from ep 1 tried to walk it back to being "open to interpretation" by downplaying the relationship in the final episodes and editing out parts of interviews that said they were married post-canon?????? As in your fandom had a brief QUEERBAITING SCANDAL due to NETWORK CENSORSHIP?????????

[anarchic-miscellany]

Gundam SEED: A Dubbing Journey

More fun physical media tales! "Gundam SEED"

It's not the best Gundam series, but it's good fun and the first iteration of "Gundam" which I watched. Hence I have a sense of nostalgia for it, despite its flaws (looking at you 48 episode length...).

Anime is already a fairly niche field, despite the hilarious jokes and mainstream creep us filthy degenerates are making into modern society. The age old "debate" I guess, between those of us who have never seen the sun, seems to be between watching in the original language with subtitles, or watching it dubbed.

My personal thoughts go towards the dub. Aside from the fact that there are dozens and dozens of brilliant actors in this field who make the material fantastic and more accessible (Tara Platt, Yuri Lowenthal, Colleen Clinkenbeard, my homie Kirk Thornton, Steve Blum, Michelle Ruff, Wendee Lee, Kari Wahlgren, Todd Haberkon, Joel McDonald, so, so, so, so many others) to simply ignore the dub through snobbery is to disregard the hours and hours of effort and work put in by hard working, under-appreciated actors across the field. Voice actors are my jam.

So, "Gundam SEED" came out in 2002/2003 but was dubbed by the Ocean Group with Bandai in 2004, released by Beez on DVD. It's a good dub: No "Baccano!" or "Cowboy Bebop" but then again, what is? There are some great actors in this (Andrew Drummond's brother Brian plays the best character: Andrew Waltfeld THE DESERT TIGER, Lisa Ann Beley is the ship's captain, Trevor Devall from "Cowboy Bebop" and "Team America" as Mu La Flaga, Samuel Vincent as one of the two leads and, for some god-damned reason Brad "Light Yagami" Swaile as one of the best characters) as well as some lesser known names in the industry but also great in their parts. Chantal Strand is a standout as Lacus Clyne.

The dub was an excellent work, and my first exposure to the series, it's great.

The series was released on DVD, but had a rather short run: the always excellent Beez released it in the ever delightful format of five episodes per disc and one disc per box, their usual M.O.

I am going somewhere with this, bear with me.

So far so good.

In 2014 the series was re-released in HD, fine. Excellent! More of Beez's back catalogue coming out again and to the forefront is always a good thing.

However.

The dub was redone.

The actors, for the most part, were completely replaced from the top down. Gone were Matt Hill and Samuel Vincent as Kira and Athrun, gone were Drummond and Swaile. Everybody has been changed, right down to the lesser known actors playing some major parts in the series.

And they are the people who I want to talk about.

Bill Switzer, Sarah Johns and Lisa Ann Beley are not ever going to be household names, nor ever known truly amongst the clique-like cult who follow weaboo shit. But I am going to focus on these three people for a moment.

Respectively, in the Ocean Dub, they play Sai Argyle, Lt. Badgiruel and Captain Murrue Ramius, all fairly major characters in the series.

And they were replaced.

Bye, so long, farewell, hope that you got something out of the experience.

This isn't about rambling about how "the new dub sucks" or "Grrrr, change is bad" (well, maybe the latter a little) because, in all honesty, I haven't watched it. Heck, maybe it's fantastic!

But on a more philosophical level, I guess, consider this:

Mr Switzer, Ms Johns and Ms Beley have put a lot of work, time and effort into those parts, they're actors underappreciated, underpaid and glossed over in an already niche field, and then the one big piece of art they get to do, the one big part they have to be remembered and loved, is forgotten, soon to be washed away by the new dub. Sounds dramatic, sure, but now in future should Gundam SEED be sought out by people hoping to catch up on Gundam (though, why you'd start with "Gundam SEED" like a moron when the fantabulously gay "Gundam Wing" exists I shall never know) or just picked up and watched it's more likely that one will watch the remastered dub, and Mr Switzer and co will be banished and forgotten by history.

I guess what I wanted to say was simple:

Remember forgotten art, remember obscure actors, writers, producers and the like. All art has meaning, be it terrible, great or forgotten. Every piece of art has effort and love put into it by some people.

Don't let Bill Switzer and Sarah Johns and Lisa Ann Beley be mere forgotten footnotes.

Buy a DVD of something obscure and forgotten. Remember the effort put into it.

[eyfey]

The final Origins OVA!

we are WAR!!!!

okay why in the world did they make a giant space axe??? like???

and just for the ONE guy too?????? did he request it????

yknow what i bet he's gonna do like a cool robot beheading or something with it later and that's the whole reason they put it in the show huh.

I forgot this is the first like- actual big battle where they're employing the mobile suits.

It's interesting to see the contrast between them and the like fighter jets, which is what they would've been effectively replacing.: A small quick maneuverable ship with guns, but this one can also just kick you

War (TM)

oh he really does look like a red comet out there huh

love when she dresses like an actual supervillain

LITERALLY ON THE RED CARPET

WILD

i like how Char was surrounded by fangirls who all backed off the SECOND Garma showed up

also they sure do love lingering scenes of these two staring into eachother's eyes- wonder what that could mean :3c

wait why are we reviewing art now. Whoms't is this man.

okay hold on now there is NO reason to make a paper shredder be a guy

hello?????????? literally just walking into an enemy ship like???????? what is the plan here??????????? worst strategist ever?????? the second you got on board your gunship can no longer threaten to destroy them because they have a hostage now??????? like your enemy is free to just grab you and fire on your ship at will????????????????????????????

oh right nvm i forgot this is Char he's got plot armor

y'know Kai feels like a completely different character in Origin. In the original series he was kind of a little shit but not a BULLY- self centered if anything, but otherwise morally neutral. In Origin though he's like proactively being malicious?

sir.... you can't just walk up to the military and ask them about military secrets....

WHY EVERYONE MEAN TO HARO

STOP IT!!!!! STOP KICKING HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

literally a MIRACLE they did not throw you in prison

:^(

lol they fukin robbed u dude

fucked up your whole house

I think I missed out on the plot points where this political twist was explained/set up - I do not rember who this man is, nor do I fully understand why he is saying these things or the full Implications

Like uh, my (probably incorrect) understanding is: he's an important general(?) from the non-zeon army, but was held hostage by zeon, and then freed as part of Kcyllia's(?) plan(?) I totally missed what her plan was tho: is it just to keep the war going????? I'm p sure mr oldie wasn't briefed and is just a pawn in their weird 5 dimensional chess game the Zabi family is playing .

(this is what happens when you do your neopets dailies instead of paying attention when characters start to ramble)

this is like the 3rd time a character has said "humans looooove war" this episode.

ITS WEIRD TO SEE THESE FUCKERS ACTUALLY SHAPED LIKE PEOPLE INSTEAD OF WEIRD EGG BEINGS

weird 2 me how he can close he eyes without closing he eyes

and I guess it ends on "btw we will NOT stop a war!!"

oh wait no we also get a post-credit peek of the boat!!

actually it is ending i think...

(they never did anything with that giant space axe from the beginning for the ep...........)

-

Final thoughts on Gundam: The Origin

I think I went into Origin without any real expectations. I maybe thought it would be entirely Char focused? but in the latter half it shifted to a more general "what's goin on with this war" type vibe. I guess it accomplishes what it sets out to do: give us more backstory on how the war from 0079, fleshing out the the politics around it and the characters who partake. There were some wild things happening but mostly it was a lotttt of people talking about War. Felt kind of like a lorebook rather than an actual story, especially for the latter half, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Up Next!* MS Team, Thunderbolt, and War in the Pocket (side stories that took place during the events of 0079) Looks like Thunderbolt is a movie but the other two are series so this is going to be infinitely easier to schedule time to sit down and watch.

*I'm following a watch order rec from reddit, which seems to be more or less chronological order

[adracat]

G Witch 18 thoughts

Hello, gwitch. You have no idea how painful it's been without your sweet, agonizing content. I'm asking you politely to never leave us like that again. Isn't it enough that Suletta is suffering, why you gotta do us dirty like that too?? Since we cleared that up, let's begin

This is the face of pure copium. God, those wide eyes unwilling to look at anyone else. That dumpster platter of terrible food choices. That artificial smile as she rambles about inconsequential bs. Yeah, that's divorced wifeguy behavior right there.

And Schwarzette finally debuts! It was hinted previously Jeturk had dealings with Shin Sei gundams but here it's confirmed. The suit isn't complete yet but close enough and only revealed to Guel after its commission. Prospera is so shameless and unrepentant. I suspect she enjoys toying with Mio in particular.

But Mio isn't considering war profiteering and staunchly refuses to announce the Schwarzette as a joint Jeturk/GUND-ARM weapon. She wishes to follow the pacifistic ideals of the original GUND. She's come far from the Miorine we see at the start. Really proud of our girl!

I adore that they remind us of her core motivation. Overtly, keeping her promise to Prospera in exchange for Suletta's 'freedom'. But also her promise to protect Suletta just as Suletta strove to fulfill her promises to Mio. It doesn't seem enough for either of them, but this is the cope episode.

Prospera is really dipping her fingers in all the pots to see if one's a winner. It's not unexpected she wouldn't bet everything on one horse, though for now she has the most sway with Miorine's faction and therefore insurance. Humoring Shaddiq's wish for Gundams makes sense if Mio fails the vote. Prospera is a master at improvising.

This scene was a fav. Love they stated outright Mio is falling into the same trap as Delling by deciding someone else's life without their say. Mio is sympathetic and wants Suletta freed from everything, but crucially misses what Suletta herself wants.

Her shame and regret has become a malignancy in the wake of 17. The girl's confidence was already low but now it's sunk into a black hole of internalized self-loathing. Suletta convinced herself she was never good enough and it was her fault from the start. WOOF

Ok WTF LAUDA. Way to stomp a girl while she's down. Idk what even the point was on his side. Catharsis? Petty revenge? Guel is back, the holder again, and Jeturk is saved. This was just unnecessary. I felt close to neutral on him after his reunion with Guel and talk with Mio but now I wish him a merry misery again. Kinda cool he thanked Chuchu though. Very weird he still has a hateboner for Suletta still.

Love you Chuchu. It's great that she was tired of Suletta moping around and acting like nothing was wrong. She said what we were all thinking and now Earth House is going on a field trip to see Mio. I love her philosophy of 'what would Nika do?'

Shame about what's actually happening with Nika

Speaking of Nika, she's currently watching the sparks fly between our resident shitheel 5lan and Norea. She'll have to bury them both at this rate. This convo was so good though as 5lan shows a rare bit of insight and lampshades their similarities. They're both empty tools. We also learn how Peil functions and it seems to be a meritocratic system with the real Elan Ceres at the top.

Mio is showing her Relena colors once again. Even if a show of force could potentially open negotiations like Prospera suggests, Miorine is committed to pacifism. Admirable, but will it work? Aiding earth would be the accomplishment they need to prove themselves to Benerit.

As an aside, I'm very tickled Guel has become Mio's lackey. He's so bullied, even if they do marry (Doubt) he's destined to be furniture. Man just doesn't have Suletta's inherent wifeguyness

I wish we could get a peek at Prospera's thoughts here. Does she find this childish? Nostalgic? Bitter, after everything she's experienced with GUND and Vanadis? Her mentor would love Mio, but Dr. Cardo is dead along with their original dream. I've said it elsewhere, but there's a terrific irony that Mio, the daughter of her killer, would uphold Cardo's ideals where her students failed.

Quick bits, Bel was arrested by the Space Assembly League (interesting swerve) and Martin spilled his guts to a Haro with Secilia eavesdropping (hilarious) Will Bel spill the tea on Prospera? Will Secilia reveal he sold out Nika? Digging these little micro dramas.

OH HI KENANJI. Honestly, he was probably the last person I expected to escort Mio but it makes perfect sense Rajan would send Dominicus to protect her. HOOoo I want him to talk with Prospera. If she trolls him the entire time or finds time to murk him that would be peak. I like his design and lax attitude but he's still a dirty corpo cop.

Oh Suletta. Even though she can fill her list and go to school in peace, she isn't happy. It's all empty now without Mio by her side. It's hard to watch but you're still heartened by how much she values her. Gay yearning 🥺

Most of us knew it was coming but it feels so good to be vindicated. Repli-children sounds way cooler than clone. Gotta love nonsense sci-fi phrasing. That leaves HOW exactly this was done (I still sideeye Notrette personally) but that's one more mystery solved. Since they're all young and around Eri's age, you have to assume the failures wore on Elnora. This might explain her lack of significant emotional attachment to Suletta. After twelve iterations and only one success, you only have so many shits to give.

Damn, Eri. Everyone is taking the chance to suckerpunch Suletta while she's vulnerable. Still, she has the same motivations as Mio but they're giving Suletta everything but what she actually needs. Suletta craves validation and purpose. Freedom without those things is hell. Good intentions, terrible execution

Prospera is such a great character. You think you understand her but then she adds another facet to the mix. Whether this is a genuine sentiment or for Eri's benefit is unknown, but I like to think she's being truthful. It doesn't excuse her manipulation, gaslighting, or destruction of Suletta's family and sense of self but it's... something? An undoubtedly patronising sort of care and far from what she feels for Eri; all that's left of the loving Elnora we see in Prologue. But it makes her complex and not the mustache twirling villain you expect. Very good writing.

Stonecold to leave Suletta sobbing in space as everything she loves soars out of reach. I need her to wake up and smell the self-actualization coffee next episode. Mio might need it too if our intrepid peacemaker gets in over her head. But that is a tale for another week

That was certainly a GWitch episode. WE'RE BACK FOLKS

[okami-zero]

*incoherent anime screaming*

So just watched the latest episode of G-Witch, and per my usual, my rambling is below to avoid spoilers.

To say that I wish for Prospera's head on a gilded platter would be the closest I could get to the emotions wound up by this episode.

Now, I absolutely love Guel's return. He grew up a lot while he was away (and now has some fun PTSD! /s). But Prospera almsot gleefully abandoned her flesh-and-blood daughter for her tamagotchi stuck-in-Permet-because-of-her literal ghost-in-the-machine revenge. I will not let her pretend this is for Eri's benefit at all (and Eri deserves better). This is vengeance, pure and simple. She will blame the death of her husband and colleagues on Cathedra and Delling. She will blame Eri being made into a Gundam control system on Cathedra and Delling. She will blame the suffering Suletta is being put through on Cathedra and Delling (and being the duplicitous madwoman she is, throw Miorine in there for the last one). Only one of these is feasibly true. The last two are directly her choice to carry out and do.

And they just HAD to use Happy Birthday, didn't they? Fuck, this series is going to give people depressive episodes when hearing that song by the end of it all...

I will give Guel the props he deserves, he did very well considering he still hasn't processed everything that happened in the attack on the Plant and his accidental/self-defense patricide. He is becoming a fave. And his confession to Suletta was adorable.

So, we saw Suletta's heart absolutely break in the episode and dear gods, it has been a while since I have seen something that fucking tear-my-heart-out-and-stomp-on-it emotionally raw (Demon Slayer had a couple, need to get back on that). And you know "Lady" Prospera is going to capitalize on that shit (she probably knew form the start, so she gets to keep her little puppet, despite Miorine's intent).

Now we saw some of Miorine's reaction (not sure if she could hear Suletta or not), but all we really saw was the hesitation. Even when she pressed the button, the reluctance. And we know the girl is good at throwing up an imperious front. But I want to see how she really feels about this. I mean, we saw how fiercely she faced down Prospera for Suletta's sake. But I want to see what seeing this girl, who had basically placed her heart in her hands, who was willing to do so much for her, that was so in love with her - I want to see what seeing Suletta's heart break right in front of her did to Miorine. Because as good as she is at putting up a front... I don't believe that is something she could have done easily. And probably only had one shot to do it.

So yea, Prospera's head, gilded platter, let's make it happen!

(Seriously though, Prospera is an excellent antagonist here. She has a bit of the whole "revenge for my family" vibe from Char and Zechs, but she's just completely around the bend. And AGAIN with the creepy Bene Gesserit ladies! They always seem so fucking eager to just stab everyone in the back soon as they turn around. And Shaddiq, you tricksy mofo, I see you. You and your Treize Khushrenada vibe, I see you.)

Also, kind of sad Norea missed Elan#Five with that pencil, not gonna lie...

[sturmovik]

Rambling about Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury’s ending

I've been absolutely loving every episode of the season up until Episode 23. After watching that episode, I felt a bit... disappointed? frustrated? It was like ep.23 was trying to cram Gundam Unicorn's 1-hour final battle into a 20-minute episode and it didn't feel as satisfying as the previous episodes. 

I didn’t have any problems with the plot beats, just the pacing really, it felt pretty rushed - that’s where my worries started. The pacing was like they're trying to wrap up as many plot threads in case they don't get another season, while still wasting time introducing new elements to the story (like SAL apparently being massive despite being a non-entity for 90% of the story, oh and they have a giant laser! surprise!), as a result we lost some precious time that would’ve been better spent on the main conflict between. I was bummed Quiet Zero was disabled so quickly, and was totally unconvinced Prospera would suddenly back down after never being able to confront Delling AND possibly losing Eri. Not to mention the time wasted on Lauda’s pointless tantrum.

Then we go to my post-episode 24 thoughts: 

Man did the last 4 episodes felt incredibly rushed. I didn’t notice it much in 21-22 cuz I was still giving the series the benefit of the doubt but after watching 23-24 it becomes apparent these last episodes were really sprinting to the finish.

It feels like they wanted to have an ending that could be considered conclusive - wrapping up as many ends they could - in case they dont get to do more G-Witch, but also they made it so that everyone who's still alive gets to survive to the end so that they can expand into more stories later.

The combination of those two factors are what ultimately leave me a bit disappointed, but I'm still surprised at how well they managed to stick the landing despite all that; it wasn't ideal or amazing but i'm thankful it didnt end terribly. I actually love the forgiveness ending for Prospera and Eri, it's consistent with Shakespeare's "The Tempest" BUT because the end was rushed it doesn't feel completely earned, like there shouldve been a longer period of rage/vengeance and at least an intense emotional confrontation with both Kenanji and Delling. G-Witch needed at least 12 more episodes, preferably more.

Given how great the first 20 episodes were, you can bet they would've had more character developments, conflicts, twists, and major deaths IF ONLY Sunrise gave them 48-50 episodes instead of 24. But I guess they didnt want to take that risk. I kinda hope the success of Vinland Saga S2 gives them some more confidence if they ever decide to do a sequel series.

I mean, they have to do a sequel series and/or spin-offs, right? I'd be seriously disappointed if they don't; the Ad Stella timeline is one of the most interesting and well-written Gundam AUs they've ever created, and my personal favorite AU. So much potential for many different stories in this timeline.

Also, the ending scene w/ SuleMio was cute af, but no kiss? not even on the cheek? booo

Final verdict:

Prologue + Episode 1-21: 9/10, my favorite Gundam AU series

Episode 22-24: 6.5/10, barely sticks the landing to get a good enough ending. Needs a sequel series to become truly satisfying and get some new writers to help Okouchi because he seriously fumbled these last episodes.

[everydaydg]

Some thoughts on 0080 (Spoilers)

(As per usual, this whole thing is just a huge ramble that may or may not be coherent so I apologize for that in advance)

I dont usually run into media that hits me like a brick.

Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket is a heartbreaking story that brilliantly utilizes the concept of the "one year war", established in the main series, to truly bring a tale that perfectly complements the values of Gundam with an amazing critique on war.

Where do I begin...

It all takes place in a small neutral colony (A colony is like a small city earth in space). It’s a beautiful place.

0080 is a beautiful series to look at, the colors are so vibrant, the animation is great, the retro-future look everything has is a treat to the eyes.

It’s a normal town with normal people living their daily lives.

The main PoV in the whole OVA is that of an elementary school kid, Alfred Izuruha

and this is the thing that makes 0080 unique from all the other side stories

In making the main PoV that of a childs instead of a soldiers, we get to see how war has influenced the youth in this colony and how Al reacts to the reality of war.

The way "War in the Pocket" critiques the indoctrination of children into war is amazing and leaves you disturbed at the sight of a whole elementary school exited for a possible next war after witnessing the horrors of this one.

The pacing of the whole thing is a bit slow but it’s the good kind of slow. It sets up everything, the world, the characters, the factions and their roles in this story, the relations between some characters.

It builds everything slowly and then it shows you how it destroys it.

Seeing this lovely world with a dark side introduced in the first three episodes ONLY FOR THE LATER 3 TO HAPPEN... GOD...

(Start of Spoilers)

Seeing Bernie slowly treat Al like a younger brother and grow fond of him is so sweet.

Bernie and Chris being cool around each other.

The Zeon team hanging out, they are not good people but they all feel like drinking friends

they deserve a better life than fighting for the war.

Alot of time is spent with the characters, its a very personal story.

I apreciate the restraint on action on the entire thing.

Every time there is action, something horrible happens.

Heres some thoughts I had in the middle of watching the final few episodes

-I fear -What will happen -Yknow -I have seen some of UC before -But the fear that comes every time a MS is brought up here -Every time... every time something horrible happens

My thoughts haven't changed.

The action is brutal.

Everything is brutal.

and after those peaceful days... everything happens.

The wipeout of the Zeon team

Bernie's resolve to fight for the colony, to protect for Al's home from the nuclear threat... ONLY FOR THAT THREAT TO BE TAKEN CARE OF OFF SCREEN.

The heartbreak of seeing this young guy throw himself to death for no reason anymore.

Seeing Bernie's recording that scene... it’s everything 0080 stands for



"Don't hate the Gundam pilot and don’t go hating the feddie soldiers because they are like us, you and me. They are just people simply doing what they think is right, that’s all. I know that it’s hard but try not to hate them".



Everything ending with the dramatic irony of Bernie asking Al to say hi to Chris and Chris asking Al to say goodbye to Bernie.

and back at the elementary, hearing some of the most chilling words ive ever heard at the end of a show.

"Al don't cry, cmon! You know another war will start soon and when they close the school we'll be able to check out all the cool stuff! it'll be more than this time!"

It hurts.

I will never forget this. what a cruel way to get back into gundam.

10/10

Thats all I got in me atm. I know its a incoherent mess as is most of the things I write about media. I deeply apologize for this wall of text

[roseofblogging]

Rose's Media of 2023 Round-up

Well, now this is truly going to be a Rose Rambles post

I am truly awful about remembering what I watched/read. Maybe I'll be better about that in 2024. Maybe not!

Noting that these are not necessarily all things that released in 2023 (but many are); they're just what I discovered at the time.

Favorite book: The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa I bought this book in May 2022 from the Powell's bookstore in Portland while I was there on vacation. I'm very slow getting around to books due to my TBR being so long (and I go through it slowly because my day job is book editing). I was motivated to read it when some Splatoon friends started a Discord book club, and this was our first pick. It's dreamlike and strange. Some might find the vagueness on the rules of what's going on unsatisfying, but I didn't go into the book trying to figure out exactly how their world worked. It's much more about the experience and quiet horror of forgetting things and people. I had just gotten a diagnosis for ADHD shortly before starting this novel and was already in a headspace of reconciling just how poor my memory can be (slightly different, as ADHD most impacts working memory, but still). Definitely recommended, but go in knowing that it's slow and thoughtful rather than heavily plotted. Runner-up: Lore Olympus

Favorite live-action movie: Tár This is a tough one. I really, really enjoyed both Barbie and Oppenheimer, but I have critiques of both. However, Tár (which came out in 2022) just really floored me with how intense it was and how anxious it made me (in a good way!). Runner-up: Talk to Me

Favorite live-action show: The Fall of the House of Usher Not one of Mike Flanagan's best, but still very good! I don't think I can say anything about it that others haven't said already, but it's beautiful, haunting, tragic, and very well-acted. Runner-up: Andor season 1

Favorite TV anime: Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Suletta Sundays were THE BEST! I really wish this had some tweaks, maybe a part 2 fleshing out some other things (as a lot of worldbuilding started to feel rushed), but I was a big fan of all the references to Shakespeare's The Tempest and Revolutionary Girl Utena, and even sooome similarities to Evangelion (some, not many). Guel became my favorite character for much of the show, but I also love Suletta not only for being our first female Gundam protagonist, not only for being our first queer woman of color Gundam protagonist, but because I really enjoy stories about replicas/clones of redheaded characters. (This is funny because I'm replaying Tales of the Abyss right now.) 2023 wasn't one of the strongest years for anime, though. As much as I loved Witch from Mercury, it's got some weak points. Nothing really hit the same high point of the end of the first part. Runner-up: PLUTO

Favorite animated movie: The Boy and the Heron This is not my favorite Miyazaki movie by far, but it is one of the ones to feel like a very targeted attack on my post-college life! It's weird, the pacing is a little wonky, but I love its ideas and themes so, so much. I still need to see this in the English dub (I've heard wonderful things), but the original Japanese cast is fantastic. This is a very sad movie that does not seek to manipulate a viewer's heart. You know how a lot of movies know how to cue tears with swells of music? I'm not even knocking that for being manipulative--I like it! But I was so impressed with how deeply The Boy and the Heron (aka "How Do You Live?" as the English translation of the Japanese title goes) affected me without any tricks--just heartfelt moments that might have meant nothing to others. (The bread scene made me choke back tears in the theater.) This movie is about grief, but it's also about creative legacies. It's hard to watch this and not think about how there's really no one to follow in Hayao Miyazaki's footsteps at Studio Ghibli. His potential predecessors have either died or seemed uninterested (in the case of his son, who seems content not to pick up the mantle). Runner-up: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (reeeeally only because of its cliffhanger ending... It doesn't feel like a finished story.) Honorable mention: Suzume (I gotta at least mention it, because it's my favorite piece of media about dead places).

Favorite video game that is NOT SPLATOON: Tears of the Kingdom I actually had a very fun time piecing together story beats and exploring, but I still stand by it not being one of the stronger Zelda games imo. I know some people still have not played, so I'm being vague on purpose, but I actually greatly enjoyed Zelda's presence in this game compared to Breath of the Wild.

[multi-facets]

Anime Rambling.

[Warning: There's a lot of improper language, upsetting statements, misogyny, and references to violent acts in this post.]

I recently had a short chat with @und8e2ff (hi there [waves]) about misogyny in anime and anime fandoms, and they encouraged me to say more from my point of view. So since it's a Sunday and there's not much else to do now that most of my chores are completed (aside from working on my novel), I figured "eh, why not."

Fair warning: I'm coming to this subject with my own experiences and biases. If you want a truly smart commentary on this, I'm not the right person to ask.

I was a younger teen when the North American Anime Boom of the '90s hit. I'd seen anime before and simply never known it ("Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid" on VHS, "Grimm's Fairy Tales" on Nick Jr, and "Warriors of the Wind" on VHS at five or six, for instance), but now shows like "Sailor Moon," "Ronin Warriors," "Dragonball Z," and "Mobile Suit Gundam Wing" (to name a few) were taking over the airwaves, and audiences hadn't seen plots or animation like theirs before.

Magical girls. Giant mecha. Transforming boys. Screaming warriors. It was all a massive hit, transforming American entertainment and art in ways that could never have been predicted in the '90s. Several webcomics kicked off by imitating their style. Conventions started become more varied in what they could offer. Dubbing looked like a viable career. Fansites sprang up, the fanfiction scene that had been around for ages suddenly exploded thanks to newbies, and fan reactions ranged from "That scene was so moving!" to "I did some research, and that symbolism is compelling," to "I love everything about the art and the style," to "The politics are hard to follow, can anyone explain?" to "How was this phrased in Japanese, does anyone know?" to "Holy crap this is a lot more censored than I realized," to "OMFG I FUCKING HATE MIAKA/RELENA/CHIBI-USA/MIA THEY'RE SUCH BITCHES WHORE SLUTS CUNTS I'M GONNA KILL THEM ALL THEY'RE ALL SO USELESS THEY DESERVE TO BURN IN HELL HEERO/RYO/PICCOLO/TAMAHOME/DARIEN/KURAMA IS MINE ALL MINE DO YOU HEAR ME MINE!"

.... wait, what?

Yeah. That- That was a thing. It was disturbing to see the sheer vehemence, vitriol, and sheer HATRED female characters in anime were getting. There were sites slamming them at every turn for their behavior, their clothing, their skill sets, their roles, and personalities. No female character could do anything right. If they were modest homemakers who were genuinely happy to be married with kids, they were reeling feminism back a hundred years. If they were action girls, they were stealing the show from the men. If they were outclassed in any way, they were useless crybabies. If they were aloof political figures trying to survive a rocky political climate, they were frigid bitches.

And most of this was coming from girls and women.

Now, folks more articulate than me have pointed out why these reactions happened, and the essays are varied and well thought out. But back then, in the thick of it, I only saw an insane amount of immaturity, insecurity, low self-esteem, jealousy, envy, rage and hatred against fictional female characters for the "crime" of being cute girls or attractive women around adorable boys and hot men.

I could be wrong, of course: Like I said, I'm talking about this now through several years and my own experiences and biases. But when you find posts saying (for instance) characters like "Fushigi Yuugi's" Miaka deserved to be raped because she's such a stupid bitch and doesn't deserve Tamahome.... yeah, that sticks with you. Back then, I don't think any of these people had much perspective or understanding, or even empathy. I didn't even fully understand just how fucked some of these characters' lives were until much later, but I still wasn't advocating for their deaths.

Like- okay, I'm sorry, but there's still lots of sexism in anime. Female characters always had to be less powerful than men in combat, or they were non-combatants. Setsuna Mudo of "Angel Sanctuary" flat-out tells the demon princess Kurai, an impressive dragon-summoning sorceress despite her relatively young age, that women are supposed to be beautiful so men will want to protect them. Some female characters don't get a chance to shine unless there's a minimal male presence. Go Nagai's first run of the "Devilman" manga was cut short, so he took it out on Miki Makimura by having her killed in the story, and ever since then, there is barely any incarnation of her that doesn't get murdered or just have lousy luck, and she almost never truly has a chance with Akira Fudo, the boy she loves. Admittedly, I don't know if Nagai-sensei wrote it all like that because he thought it was the only way the story could go, or if he really did make Miki the target of his disappointment, but he has hardly ever thrown her a bone, either.

As for what the characters were going through, Chibi-Usa was over nine hundred years old, but she'd been stuck as a child for that long and was clearly suffering from survivor's guilt and PTSD. Usagi herself was FOURTEEN when she saw the scope of evil she was up against, and heard she was caught in a tragedy in her last life. Saori Kido of "Saint Seiya" was admittedly a spoiled brat, but got a severe reality check when her grandfather died and she learned she's the incarnation of a GODDESS with all the attached responsibilities that go with it at what was originally thirteen years old! But guess what, that lead to character development!

Relena Darlian saw her father get caught in an explosion, and before he died of his injuries, he told her she was adopted, which is a hell of a thing to tell your shell-shocked kid before you croak. And Relena would later be yanked into politics as a puppet while struggling with her lost innocence and attempting to uphold ideals too big for her to handle alone. Hell, how do we know she wasn't suicidal when she yelled for Heero to come kill her? I'm not saying she didn't make some foolish choices, but hell, she was what, fifteen when her life went tits-up? It's not often we make good decisions at that age!

Nasute Yagyu/Mia Koji of "Yoroiden Samurai Troopers/Ronin Warriors" was seventeen when Japan went to Hell, and instead of freaking out, she stole a policeman's bike, pedaled to the epicenter of the crisis, protected a lost child, and demanded that the heroes stop competing against each other and work together. And it worked! And when her poor grandfather died as a result of the Youjakai's/Netherworld's forces targeting him, Mia got to work through her tears to become the expert the Troopers/Warriors needed. Ryo even tried to tell her that she really should take a moment because of her loss, but she kept going because she was still badly needed and her grandpa entrusted all his work to her.

These are just a few examples, but I kept seeing fans, especially girls, who had absolutely no empathy about any of it, insisting they could be stronger, better, smarter, more helpful, more powerful. (That's called hubris, y'all.) The fanfiction scene reflected this, in which female characters were treated like shit, tortured, raped, murdered horribly, drastically misrepresented to make the self-inserts look better, or just written out entirely so the fans could write themselves in and.... usually do exactly what the female characters did. Or they would die heroically cradled by the hero they coveted. Or they would write reams of yaoi that still forced the male characters into heteronormative roles. (Again, just a few samples.)

I'll pause here to say there's nothing wrong with wanting to be part of a story that means a lot to you. I just rarely saw any well-done, non-hateful examples of it in those days.

And y'know what? These fans wouldn't even HAVE their pretty boys in giant mechs if female fans in Japan hadn't set a precedent! When "Mobile Suit Gundam" was CANCELED during production (we nearly had a world without Haro!), a letter-writing campaign saved it, and who wrote the majority of those letters? Girls and women from fifteen to twenty-five! They saved "Mobile Suit Gundam," and it became a franchise that is still a worldwide hit!

I was very, very confused about all this as a teenage girl, and now that I'm forty-one, I still don't really get it, especially since sexism is still a problem in media and reality. (This was all happening during the "Girl Power!" trend, too. It was so counter-intuitive. Why weren't we banding together to support the female characters and try to get more women in media? Why weren't the fans inspired to try writing their own things if they were so disappointed with female characters instead of lashing out?) There are even male content creators who get upset when their work is aimed at men, but also draws a large female audience that gets them paid.

But it does make me wonder what those hateful fans would think if I was able to go back in time and tell them "Hey, there's a series called 'Gundam: The Witch From Mercury' and it has a lesbian couple as pilots. Yeah, no pretty boys front and center this time, we got some awesome young ladies showing their stuff instead."

And I also wonder if, now that we're all older, they'd have the experience, perspective, knowledge, and empathy to look back at their behavior and say "How embarrassing. I wasn't being kind at all."

Because hell. Like I said: It's not always easy to make good choices as a teenager.

[insertbrowsinghere]

Okay, all of this was going to go into a bunch of tags, but it became too much, so after putting propaganda in the submission I made, I'll put propaganda here, this time with what I understand to be the whole story ("I understand to be" because many of my interpretations could be wrong). This will include up to this week's episode worth of spoilers, since ep 21 killed me in regards to Prospera and I'm so glad this poll is here for me to talk. I will also be going into a little too much detail for people who don't know everything about the series but are still curious about this 0/10 mom.

So Prospera started out as Elnora Samaya, and had both a husband and daughter. She was part of a group working on Gundams, a type of mobile suit (/giant mecha robot as a descriptor) which had the catch of taking the lives of those it was used against and those using it. However, after the Vanadis Incident, a full on massacre was committed on the people developing this tech, one which included Prospera's mentor and husband. Some time after, Prospera's daughter, Ericht, ended up growing weak and dying as well.

After this, Prospera ended up confining her first daughter's spirit to the Gundam she escaped with. Then, she ended up trying to replicate this daughter's genes, and did this until she ended up with Suletta, who dealt with most of the toxicity I'll be talking about here.

Suletta, frankly, was not raised to have autonomy. She grew up with her mother, her mobile suit sister who she did not know the truth about at all and several people on Mercury, the planet her mother took refuge on, who kind of hated her. Fun! Anyways, she was largely raised as a tool of revenge, to the point where Aerial, aka Eri, kind of understood that Prospera was dragging Suletta into her revenge and was more than a little upset when Prospera said she would enlist her in the same school as the daughter of Delling Rembran, who was heavily tied to the Vanadis Incident and the one who outlawed Gundams. Though it turned out that Suletta was super excited about going to school. and Aerial was a bit happier about the idea after that. Though sending her to school was indeed planting seeds for revenge. It's also worth mentioning that she was taught the phrase "if you run, you gain one, if you move forward, you gain two" as a child, a phrase which would be heavily used in her manipulation later on. She was also absent for a lot of milestones in Suletta's life, but I think her being really busy is more excusable than a lot of things.

I do not remember too much about Prospera's role in most of season 1 and the wiki can't help me here, so this might devolve into rambling, but stick with me. Her first appearance was when Suletta was put on trial for the possession of a Gundam, where Prospera showed up was like "yeah it's totally not a Gundam. just trust me on this one". it was indeed a Gundam. However, while she was suspicious as hell, she wasn't an especially horrible mother for a while? This kind of continues for her next big appearance, where she interacts properly with Miorine for the first time. Since a lot of her revenge plans have to do with Mio, it's suspicious, but not her being a horrible mom. Then Suletta gets put on trial for having a Gundam again, Miorine created a whole company on the spot (what a girlboss) just to keep Suletta and her robot sister safe, and Prospera stays entirely away from this action, not making any attempts to head back and actually be there for her daughter. Then Suletta goes to ask Prospera if Aerial was a Gundam, since Prospera had raised her entirely on the idea that she wasn't one. Prospera was like "nah. she was a gundam this whole time actually", and Suletta ended up just accepting that instead of being at all mad about it, despite the fact that she had every right to at least be concerned. I think this is where a lot of the foreshadowing towards Prospera's relationship with Suletta is, as well as the first signs of the way she raised Suletta to never question her.

Skipping over her generally being suspicious to get to the real meat and potatoes of everything, in episode 12, Suletta and Prospera reunite in the lovely form of Prospera killing several people in front of her. They were about to go after Suletta, but I have seen some slight theorizing about how much of that was Suletta actually making enough noise to draw them closer and how much was them being lured closer so that Prospera could shove a lesson in Suletta's head. Theorizing isn't the point of this, though. She ends up brining up her gain one vs gain two message again, and basically uses it to say that if it's in defense of another person, killing is totally okay, actually, no matter the other options. Suletta decides to use this message to heroically kill a man right in front of her bride and smile about it. Fun

Said bride, Miorine, doesn't blame Suletta much after this, though Prospera does kind of try to play both sides of the situation, telling Suletta that what she did was 100% justified and telling Miorine that Suletta totally went too far there (ignoring that she told her daughter to do that). Between this and my next point, the reveal about Eri being Aerial happened. When Miorine returned to school, she and Suletta had a talk about the murder thing, where it was revealed how little autonomy Suletta was raised with. Her mother, at that point, had fully and intentionally convinced her that everything she said and did was right, and Miorine realized that Suletta would both completely give up all her dreams and would kill just because her mother told her to. Realizing just how bad Prospera's manipulation was, Miorine ran off to go yell at her, and Prospera decided to make it a good ol manipulation attempt.

Miorine ultimately ended up rigging a duel against Suletta to make it so that Suletta wasn't her bride out of love and a desire to keep Suletta safe from war and all that, something Prospera hadn't shown any sign of considering. After that, Miorine, Prospera and Guel, who had won against Suletta, all headed off, since Mio was taking on the role as the head of a company and Prospera was involved in that and playing behind the scenes. Suletta ended heading over to possibly talk to Miorine, ran into Aerial, was given all this lore about her being a clone and was found by Prospera, who decided it would be nice and fun to tell the girl she raised to trust her every word that she was now on her own. It was to keep her safe, and I hate that it was, but it was too little too late. Suletta ended up finding companionship in her Earth House buddies, and Prospera ended up turning Miorine's nearly successful attempt at negotiating with people on Earth into a mass murder event that was Prospera's fault but was pinned on Miorine.

Getting to the reason I wrote this, episode 21, which has ruined my life today. So, here, Belmira, a former colleague of Prospera's, and a guy I unfortunately entirely forgot the name of, decided to have a talk with Suletta that her buddies ended up coming along for. At this point, it was established that Prospera was trying to go forward with a plan called Quiet Zero, which would hopefully allow Eri to live on again, but could kill many others, and kind of already had. They wanted to stop this, and gave Suletta the option of just talking her mom out of it. Suletta didn't agree to this, solely because she knew Prospera would never listen. She had realized, at that point, that Prospera only card about Eri, and nobody else, including her, despite Suletta having been raised by her. She knew she meant absolutely nothing to Prospera in that moment, and she wouldn't stop for a second for her. Suletta was presented a second option, that being basically to piolet a Gundam with the catch that she not only wouldn't be protected from the horrible things which kill Gundam piolets without Eri taking it on for her, but the fact that the suit they had was one which could kill her horribly especially easily. When presented with the options of either persuading their mother to do something and potentially dying horribly, most people with a good relationship with their mom would choose the first one! But Suletta has a horrible relationship with her mom, and is only now realizing it. She basically admits in this episode that she knows she has zero worth to her mother, and doesn't even try to talk her down from doing horrible violent things because she knows there's no point.

It's also worth mentioning that the part of this scene I found the worst was that Suletta admitted that she still loved her mother, solely because this is immediately after she admitted that she did not mean enough to her mother for her to even consider listening to her. This whole scene made it clear that risking her life was a more viable option than just talking. Yet she still loved her. As well as this, all of the reasons she gave for loving her mother were ones she gave Miorine when she realized how much control her mother had over her. This shows a lot of development on Suletta's part, because she went from listening to her mother blindly to loving her but knowing she's wrong, but it also shows that her conditioning is still there. It also shows how unconditionally she loves her mother, which sucks when you consider how conditional Prospera's love for Suletta has always be. Suletta loves her mother, while Prospera loves what Suletta represents and can do for her, and doesn't love her beyond that.

Basically this whole thing is my way of saying I don't like Prospera, I think she's extremely toxic and her decision to make a child trust her every word and then later tell her to do things on her own despite how much she'd done to the contrary sucks. This was not touching upon that much of her relationship with Miorine because that's a completely different can of worms

Round 1: Match 15

Beatrice Horseman (Bojack Horseman) vs. Elnora Samaya/Prospera Mercury (Mobile Suit Gundam: the Witch from Mercury)

Beatrice Horseman

CW: nonconsensual drugging, fatphobia - The show examining the complexity of generational trauma through the character of Beatrice Horseman and how the abuse she inflicted on her son Bojack affected him in his adulthood. She showed little compassion and love for her only child, resenting him for “ruining her life” and constantly reminding him of this throughout his upbringing. - She constantly abuses her son, forces him into humiliating performances as a child because that’s the only value she sees in him (as she openly tells him), neglects any emotional needs he has even when he’s begging for support, insults and berates him non-stop, and blames him for her own unhappiness openly. She calls him at one point and tells him that he’ll never be happy and that he’s incapable of it. Then later, with her alleged Granddaugher, she sneaks her an addictive weight-loss powder into her coffee, literally causing her to have an overdose, all because she’s slightly chubby, and thereby causing her serious trauma as well. - read more here

Elnora Samaya/Prospera Mercury

- that one post that said “gundam witch from mercury asks the bravest question. what if gendo ikari was a milf” - Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss champion, willing to use and discard a daughter in the name of her quest for vengeance—regardless of her probably genuine love for her. Talking about Prospera is difficult without spoilers, but there’s something genuinely chilling seeing how her daughter Suletta deliberately warp her own perceptions in response to the slightest prompting from her mother. - read more (and mind the spoiler warning at the end for ep18) here

mod notes: bojack horseman perfectly balances pathos and dark humor in creating the character of beatrice. she's undeniably awful, but extremely compelling in ways that can be heartbreaking and infuriating, but also fun and even hilarious, what a show

also the phrase 'milf gendo ikari' will live in my head rent-free from now on. that's powerful propaganda

[skylights2000]

Gundham, Kazuichi, Fuyuhiko, and Hajime React to S/O saying ‘I love you’ for the first time:

Gundham:

The first time you told Gundam you loved him was kind of by accident.

You were sitting on a stool inside the Tanaka Breedery, quietly observing your boyfriend. Watching him fuss over the animals was something you found endearing. He was so good with them, and in return, they were good to him.

Jum-P, who had been sitting on the counter clambered up your arm and onto your shoulder. You looked over at the little hamster and smiled. “He’s cute, isn’t he?” You whispered, as if you were telling it some great secret. The little hamster squeaked happily, and your smile widened. “Glad you agree.”

You glanced back at Gundham to find him crouched next to the puppy pen. He was petting an adorable white puppy. It had fluffy fur and a single brown spot on its back. It stared up at him with big brown eyes, its tail wagging happily. You leaned your chin on your hand as you watched them. You never got tired of seeing the smile on Gundham’s face when he was around animals. Your heart felt light as you watched him, unaware of the peaceful smile on your own face.

“I love you.” You thought in your head. At least, you thought that it was in your head. Judging from the way Gundham stared at you, eyes wide and mouth hanging open, you quickly realized that you’d said it out loud.

Well shit. No going back now, you guessed.

“I love you.” You repeated a little shyer but no less sincere.

Gundham pulled his scarf up, but you could still tell he was smiling. “I-I’m quite fond of you too.”

Kazuichi:

You told Kazuichi you loved him for the first time because you just felt like it. It just felt like the right time to finally say it.

You were sitting on your couch with Kazuichi’s head in your lap. He’d been exhausted when he arrived at your apartment for your date, so you’d suggested just staying in tonight.

The movie you were watching had ended long ago, but you hadn’t moved to start another. You’d both been incredibly busy lately, and you were more than happy to enjoy a quiet night with your boyfriend. You twirled a strand of his hair, lost in your own thoughts. You hadn’t been able to see each other in almost two weeks, and this peaceful moment felt well deserved. You planned to enjoy every second of it too.

You had a serene kind of smile on your face as you watched him sleep. He’d tried to stay awake, but when you started humming softly to him, he was gone. You giggled softly when he shifted, his grip tightening slightly on the hand you had resting on his chest. He mumbled something incoherently before settling back down again. You felt warm affection spread through your chest.

“I love you, Kazuichi.”

You nearly jumped out of your skin when he sat bolt upright, nearly falling off the couch as he turned to look at you.

“Wh-What’d y-you say?!”

It took your brain a second to catch up to the question, but once it did, you smiled sheepishly.

“I love you.” You repeated, scratching your cheek nervously.

The few seconds that Kazuichi just stared at you felt more like hours. Then, he turned pink to the point that you began to wonder where the blush ended and his hair began. He flashed you a sharp toothed grin. “I, um, I lo-love you too.”

Fuyuhiko:

You told Fuyuhiko out of fear.

Fuyuhiko had showed up at your apartment, covered in forming bruises and cuts. He had a large gash across his side.

“Ah shit..got blood..on your floor..”

You grabbed his wrists, tears filling your eyes. “I don’t give a fuck about that!” You pulled him further inside, locked the door, and led him into the kitchen, trying not to focus on the trail of blood as you searched for your first aid kit. He knew the drill, and he knew better than to argue, so he just unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off his shoulders, inspecting the wound grimly.

You crouched in front of him and began cleaning away as much blood as you could. You held the rag against the wound as you rifled through the box for the gauze. As soon as your fingers closed around it, you pulled it out, using your teeth to tear the seal. You unraveled it with one hand and began to wrap the bandage around his waist. Once you were done, you sat back on your heels.

You didn’t even realize you were crying until Fuyuhiko held your face, wiping your tears with his thumbs. You covered his hands with your own, clasping them tightly. “I hoped to tell you under better circumstances, but if anything happened..” You swallowed against the lump in your throat. “I need you to know that I” You looked up at him with a watery smile. “I love you. I love you so much that it hurts sometimes, but I would never take it back because you mean so much to me. I don’t ever want to imagine my life without you, so please..” You squeezed his hands. “Be careful and come home safe, so I can love you again and again for as long as I live.”

“Tch, yo-you’ve always b-been so sentimental.” He mumbled, but his hands slid down to rest on your shoulders. He always tried to act so tough, but that act always seemed to crumble when it came to you. Especially seeing you cry.

You could see the blush slowly spreading across his cheeks. “Quit worryin’ so much. I’ll always come back to you.”

Hajime:

Hajime was actually the one that said ‘I love you’ first. Well..sort of?

You and Hajime were holding hands as you walked through the park together. He wasn’t quite sure how the conversation started, but you were excitedly talking about cake.

“Chocolate cake is a great classic, and if you make it right, it can be super fluffy and nice. Vanilla is good, but my favorite is spice cake! It’s good by itself or with cream cheese frosting. Personally, I like it with the frostin-“

“(Y/n)?”

You paused and turned to him sheepishly. You’d been rambling again. “Yeah?”

“There’s something I want to tell you?” It came out sounding more like a question, but you nodded anyway.

“What’s up?”

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “We-Well I..”

“You..what?” You prompted gently.

You watched curiously as pink blossomed across his cheeks, slowly turning to scarlet.

“I, um, you just..” He stuttered, waving his hand in the space between you as if that would suddenly make you understand. “I just, I think I mi-might, y’know, lo-lo..” He cut himself off, but you’d already figured out what he was trying to say.

You smiled sweetly. “Are you trying to say you love me?”

His mouth snapped shut, and he looked away. He turned red all the way up to his ears, and you fought the urge to coo at how cute he looked.

“Y-Yeah, I..I love you!”

You couldn’t fight back the grin anymore, and you pulled him into a hug. “I love you too, Hajime.”

[bokunoheroanalysisforthefuture]

Alright, chapter 8! And man is there a lot to talk about here. I don’t really have any pre-content things to say, so we’ll just hop right into it today!

[No. 8 - Rage, You Damned Nerd]

I swear, this first page has a LOT to talk about on it, so I’ll go from panel to panel and do some rambling thoughts on each segment. 

First off, UA doesn’t actually handle the costumes the kids get! It’s support companies affiliated with the school that does - which makes sense, since the school has to focus on teaching their support students before letting them get their hands on actual costumes that these kids might be fighting in.

I mean, they seem to be allowed to practice on like, minor support stuff (read: Mei making Izuku his new gloves post-Nighteye or somewhere around there) but not full costuming, which is… actually a bit reassuring? But also explains some of the lag time in getting costume repairs / upgrades since they’re probably busy companies. It also explains why there probably aren’t major alterations to any costumes besides between the summer and winter variants, since it would be time-consuming to remake these costumes so regularly.

(It still doesn’t excuse some of the costumes the kids got, but that’s more on the whole ‘eye candy’ thing for readers than actual practicality, so whatever.)

(Also, I can’t get over the fact that Snipe has a support company. Fucking Snipe. Guess we know another canon or likely-canon Support teacher.)

Next we get a preview of what the kids sent in for specifications for their costumes:

We get a bit of insight into a few of the characters - as background stuff, we get Shouji, Mineta, Aoyama, and Sato. Mineta got pretty dunked on for char design and costuming, and Aoyama’s costume almost looks like a magical girl outfit like this, which honest to god would have been fantastic to see him in. More interesting (at least to me) are the other three: Ochako, Tenya, and Katsuki.

Ochako first, because that pressure point thing is interesting, and I dunno how often those actually come up in fics besides a passing mention, like. What if her support bracelets / neck piece broke during training / a mission / whatever? Would she suddenly have to fight through the nausea? By the point of current canon (War Arc) she’s probably trained enough that she doesn’t need them as much, but man, it could be an interesting little thing to explore, like, post-Kamino.

Tenya is a bit surprising, since we know he comes from a well-off hero family. Logically, this was before the whole Hosu / Ingenium plotline was really developed, so Tenya didn’t have that to fall back on, or it could be argued that the support company that Ingenium is associated with also works with UA. Alternatively, it could be that either Tenya didn’t want to rely on his family (which seems silly when they’d know how to work with his quirk best) or UA is very firm on ALL costume stuff going through them…

But then again, Katsuki. Oh god, Katsuki. What fucking support company looked at this kid and went ‘yeah we should give him a way to store more explosives AND give him bombs’ and just. Did so. Why did UA not vet that. Maybe the support company didn’t realize how strong his explosions were without the gear, but UA, man, I just. I suppose they had no way of knowing how reckless he’d be with them, but honestly, after the battle trials, they should have been fucking yoinked from him so damned fast. 

Anyways, onto other parts of Katsuki’s costume, we see he’s a fucking dork. Possibly what lowered their guard. ‘Something scary’ and ‘Dynamighte all over’. What the hell, kid. At least your designer stuck close to your design… including the huge-ass clunky gauntlets. Man, the Musketeer Trio movie poster ones are so much better looking and so, so streamlined. Works of art, they are.

Moving on, we get a bit of a flashback to ~three weeks ago, which by the calendar would be around March 20th? So a few weeks after the Entrance Exam. And Izuku is only NOW getting around to updating the quirk registry? Izuku baby seriously, how the FUCK did none of the UA staff notice the ‘quirkless’ on your application form at any point before this?

But yeah, he’s worried about his registry, so he calls Toshinori, who explains the update process. It gives the example of someone who might alter their stuff with updated information, with one or two allowed - though major ones aren’t accepted. Toshinori then says it’ll probably be okay since he started with nothing, then tries to correct himself to ‘definitely’, only to get cut off because Izuku accidentally hangs up in a panic when Inko calls out that she’s home. Haha poor Toshinori, and poor Izuku, the two anxious dumbasses. 

Anyways, moving on from that is Inko showing off the jumpsuit she made, with Izuku surprised. She admits it’s not the coolest, but she based it off of the design in his notebook (the one we saw back in chapter 1). She tells him she regrets giving up on him back then, and how he never quit regardless of her faith. She apologizes and says from there on she’ll be cheering him on with all she’s got. 

Izuku’s narration notes that it’s a symbol of his mom’s love, and that he couldn’t wear anything else, even if it’s not ‘efficient’ or ‘cutting edge’. (Or even at all decent looking.) And it’s also hinted through the present thoughts on it that it’s meant to be an homage to All Might (the smile and the hair pieces) which is just such a dorky thing.

We get to the wide-spread of hero costumes, which- wait a second.

That’s Momo’s initial hero costume design???? Why did Hori not stay with that??? It’s a LOT better than the stuff we’ve seen her in later! Like, sure, it’d still be improved with the main opening being her stomach and not her chest, but this still looks like actual human clothing and not a sexy Halloween costume variant of her hero uniform. Fucking hell, now I’m even more mad.

Tsuyu’s costume meets the approval of the discord server as basically ‘no changes needed’ asides from maybe the goggles being a bit bulky.

Tenya’s costume, I’m sorry, I know it’s an homage to your brother / family, but were the additional pipes really needed? Also, the helmet isn’t a bad idea since he goes fast, and bugs in the mouth/teeth have to suck, but it just looks so damned Gundam-y I can’t help but laugh a little.

Shouto… nah, too easy a target.

Aoyama is Aoyama. I’m actually a bit disappointed now that it’s not a magical girl costume, but alas, I suppose even Hori couldn’t be that brave.

Kaminari… I forgot he had that headset thingy. 

Don’t really have much else to say about anyone else, so let’s move on.

Izuku bugs out a bit about Ochako’s costume/appearance, while she compliments his more practical looks and laments not being specific, saying it’s a bit too puffy and curvy for her. Which means it’s more the accessories which seem to be her issue with it over the main costume itself? Huh.

Anyways, after All Might confirms they’re all there, he notices Izuku’s headpieces, which are a match to his costume, and has to turn to muffle a laugh for how obvious a reference it is. Tenya steps up, asking whether they’ll be doing cityscape maneuvers again since it’s the same field used in the entrance exam. Izuku thinks to himself how cool Tenya’s costume is, while All Might explains that they’re moving onto step two - indoor anti-personnel battle training!

He explains what while villain battles are most commonly seen outdoors, statistically the worst crimes and villains are more likely to be found indoors. Confinement, house arrest, black market deals… the clever villains luck indoors to avoid heroes. Which is why the class will be split into teams of two and pit against each other, heroes versus villains style!

Ah, Tsuyu. Calling him right the heck out, as expected. All Might then notes that in this scenario, the fight won’t be against disposable robots. 

This entire page is just fucking hilarious. The class and all their questions while All Might is shaking with nerves. The fucking cheat sheet he uses to try to get back on track. Him being questioned on the lot drawing, and shaking while Izuku accidentally ends up covering for him. I just. All Might was not prepared for this mess and it shows. He was doing so much better when it was the one on one stuff with Izuku.

But yeah, Izuku notes the scenario is like from a western comic plot, and he’s also the one who ‘realizes’ the lots are like when heroes from different agencies have to team up for emergencies without prior warning. 

Lots are drawn, and we have our teams:

Izuku’s so stressed out because he still can’t really talk to her, while she’s excited to be teamed up and calls it ‘fate’ that it happened. All Might draws the first two teams to participate, and… team Izuku and Ochako (as the heroes) versus team Katsuki and Tenya (as the villains). Both Izuku and Katsuki are alert from this development…

Which makes this a good point to cut off, since it’s halfway through and we got a lot of information to chew on already. Second part should be out this weekend (hopefully). 

[witchmd13]

21 and 25 for the writing ask? 💖

21) what do you think when you read over your older work?

mostly that I still like the same themes. I’m way better than I used to when I wrote my first Gundam Wing back in 09? 08? I still wasn’t very good in writing in English back then so my writing was all over the place. One thing hasn’t changed is that I still love to ramble when describing a scene I love. 

25) copy/paste a few sentences or a short paragraph that you’re particularly proud of

I’m particularly proud of the opening lines to And He’s Still Left with His Hands, the started the whole story and put together the entire idea.

Arthur never quite knew what to do with his hands.

Arthur was a warrior, has been trained to be one since he could walk. His first memory of being told he was going to be a knight was when he was three, but he had a feeling his father had been talking about it long before that. So it came naturally to him, holding a sword, knowing how to swing a mace or string a bow and arrow. He knew what he was supposed to do with his hands then; don't let the other person come too close, move your hands like you've been taught until you get your shot and go for it, a single well-aimed blow. His hands had purpose then, to protect what he held dear.

This is from my current WIP that I’m particularly proud of:

There were words of polite welcome that seemed to materialize on Arthur’s tongue purely on instinct, a result of drilled royal etiquette for years. There were bows, not from the Druids, they didn’t trust him enough to offer that amount of loyalty yet, and Arthur was fine with it, more than fine, as long as he was doing what he believed to be right. As long as he was there. There was shuffling feet and eyes glancing around and premeditated smiles. His voice filled Arthur’s world again. He wasn’t the leader of the arriving party, he wasn’t the one greeting Arthur, but he was there, near the front, too young and too stoic and too ethereally encompassing that Arthur found it hard to breathe. By the gods, he was an arm length away from Arthur. Arthur’s eye barely fell on him, but could see only him.

Thank you for the ask 💛💛 sorry it took me a bit long to answer!

send me a writer’s ask, please!

[shsl-fluff]

DR2 boys with a S/O who’s on the chubbier side and is a insecure about it? I love this blog by the way!

Sdr2 boys with a S/O who's insecure about their body!

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu

Fuyohiko was never really in tune with others' emotions, or his own.

He didn't really pick up on how self conscious you were until one night you spelt it all out for him when you were drunk

After that, he tried to find ways to comfort you when you looked upset about your body. 

"Don't say that shit about yourself, (Y/N)" he said suddenly, looking at you.

"You're not fat or ugly or whatever the fuck you keep thinking you are. You aren't. You're so beautiful" 

He kissed you, holding you close. 

"I'm not good at talking about this shit… about confidence or whatever… but you're fucking stunning to me."

"And please let me know if you feel upset about your body. I'll tell you this all again, you know. And… find shit to help you feel better"

He truly did mean the best, yet had problems verbalizing it. 

He started to throw in more bashful compliments towards you whenever you looked nervous.

"Your hair is nice today" "I love your smile" "that outfit looks pretty on you"

He wasn't used to helping others with emotional help, but was more than willing to learn 

Gundham Tanaka

Gundham never really cared about the size or shape of your mortal vessel. 

That's why he was caught off guard when, before your date night, you said that you were afraid your dress made you look bad

"My gorgeous majesty, why do you think that?" He asked, taking your hand

You were starting to cry as he pulled you into his arms. 

"My love, how about instead of going out, I pamper you at home?"

You nodded shakily

He bought take out and put on your favorite shows and brought the devas to cuddle with you.

He kissed you all over and over, something which he didn't normally do. 

He didn't often initiate touch with you (or anyone) but did love it when you did hold each other close.

"My (Y/N)?" He asked after a while

"Yes?"

"I… don't understand something about your mortal ways…"

"What do you mean?"

"How could someone like you feel so much shame for your body? Your body will not follow you to the afterlife, it is just a mere vessel for your spirit."

You listened to his musing quietly. You weren't sure what to say, and he just kept going.

"Especially someone whose beauty rivals those of the vessels of succubi and incubi"

"I... I don't know, Gundam…"

"And… My love… If you ever do feel this way again, tell me so I may treat you like the diety you are"

Hajime Hinata

Hajime was always self-conscious, being in such a great school with no talent to speak of.

He was able to pick up on your unease when he spent time with you and the others before any of the others. 

"Hey, (Y/N)? Are you alright? You look… upset"

You told him you were fine and didn't want to talk about it

"Well… if you need to, you have my phone number, ok?"

A few weeks later around midnight, you needed to talk about it. 

You called him, sobbing your heart out. 

"H-hey, hey! Calm down, okay? What's wrong?"

You let your emotions spill. About how you felt large and ugly, and the sore thumb of the group. 

He listened to you talk for hours, comforting you the whole time. 

"Don't worry, (Y/N). No one thinks you're any worse looking, ok? I know that me just saying that won't cure all of your anxieties, but.. I hope it helps"

Whenever you looked anxious, he would pull you aside and help you calm down, telling you how no one saw you any differently than any of your peers 

You two started to hang out on your own after a while, and you slowly felt yourself gaining feelings for him. 

You ended up asking him out, and he told you that he actually loved you too.

It was so lovely to spend time with him

He loved giving you gifts and often showered you with compliments

Imposter (Byakuya)

Byakuya noticed how nervous you looked in your dress/tux during date night at a fancy restaurant. 

"What's wrong, (Y/N)?" He asked with his cold voice

"I don't know, Byakuya… I just don't feel comfortable in this. It makes me look to… big…" you kept your eyes down

He got a waitress quickly and got the food packed in boxes and left with you. 

"Come along, (Y/N). We should go somewhere quieter" 

You followed him, quietly asking "are you mad at me? I'm sorry"

"Of course I'm not mad, there's nothing to be sorry for. Let's talk"

He sat down on a bench and you sat next to him. He looked you in the eyes.

"(Y/N), don't ever be ashamed of yourself. If you don't like your appearance you can change it to be one you love, but being heftier or traditionally unattractive is nothing to be ashamed of."

"And if it makes you feel any better, I think you look amazing… but that's the thing. You shouldn't listen to me, or anyone else. No one decides how you should love yourself but you" 

Byakuya knew he should have listened to his own words, but he had no identity to begin with with…

You guys went home early that night and spent the night at home together. 

After that, Byakuya started to go shopping with you more and helped you find clothes that you felt nicer in

He wanted you to feel comfortable in your own body

He wanted you to feel comfortable with your own identity.

Kazuichi Soda

Soda loved every single thing about you, including your body

He loved showering you in gifts and praise, especially about your body after he found out you were so self conscious

He would compliment you every single day about something new

It never felt forced or fake, either. 

It was all genuine and from the heart

He always did what he could to cheer you up when you were upset. He made you a few little toys to help keep you distracted by intrusive thoughts when you were alone

Whenever you went clothes shopping together, he would shower you with compliments.

"Are you sure this doesn't make me look… big?"

"Of course not! Why would I lie to you, (Y/N)? It makes you look cute/handsome, just like normal"

"It does?"

"Of course"

When you were at home together, Soda loved holding you close, wrapping his arms around your waist and just staying like that for a while, rambling to you.

"I love you, (Y/N)."

He knew that you wouldn't be instantly happy with yourself or your body, yet he wanted to help

Nagito Komaeda

Even before he was in a relationship with you, Nagito could tell you were always a bit anxious

He was a friend of yours for a few years before you finally asked him out

You both started to open up to each other a lot more

Nagito started staying at your house for longer periods of time, too.

One day, you just started crying to him.

Crying about how you hated your body 

He just held you close and rubbed your back

When you finished ranting, he whispered soft, sweet words in your ears. 

Words about how beautiful your body is, how sweet and kind and generous you are. 

After that, he would make sure to check on you when you looked upset.

He would go out of his way to compliment you more than normal.

You both had the habit of talking bad about yourselves, and heIp catch each other before either of you get to upset  

When his luck was causing problems and he didn't want to be around you, you would talk to each other for hours on the phone

It was really comforting to know that you were never alone when you needed love.

Nekomaru Nidai

Nekomaru was always concerned about your health

To you, it was a shock someone as fit as him would ask you out on a date, and then another after, and became your boyfriend

You had honestly assumed it was some sick trick, or out of pity

One day, while you were walking together, you decided to ask.

"How could you like someone like me, Nekomaru? I'm just… ugly"

He looked at you in shock before sitting down under a tree, patting the grass next to him

"Why would you think that you're ugly, (Y/N)? Even if you're on the larger side, it doesn't make you look worse than others!"

"But you care so much about health, and I don't look healthy"

He let out a hearty, loud laugh. "BMI is bullshit, (Y/N)! Lots of healthy people have high BMIs, and some of your ability to lose weight is in your genes!"

His laugh warmed your heart. You just smiled at him. 

"And if you do want to feel healthier, then you're doing all the right things! Taking these walks with me, drinking and eating everyday, pacing yourself, even getting out of bed on hard days" 

He ruffled your hair, smiling. 

You two sat there for a little while, staring at the sky before getting back up and finishing your walk

He would give you more opportunities to join his exercises or design routines for you if you were concerned about your health

On his break days, you would both cuddle up on the couch and watch TV, snacking on whatever, not caring about all the little calories. 

Teruteru Hanamura

Teruteru honestly had a bit of a preference for larger bodies

Not to a point of it being a fetish, of course. He just found them pretty.

That being said, he didn't fall for you for your body.

He knew your body made you anxious, so he showered you with praise and love. 

He liked doing so in public to see how flustered you'd get,

but if it made you really uncomfortable, he would mostly keep affection at home, throwing in just a little bit of PDA when he felt particularly playful

Every day he would ask you what you wanted for dinner

Some days you would sheepishly say that you wanted something, but were afraid it would make you look larger

After assuring you that being large wasn't a bad thing, he would make you what you wanted. 

His food always cheered you up when you felt self-conscious 

[thekingslover]

Sending so so so much love and I am thinking of you and I'm so sorry, it sounds like you're in a terrible situation right now. If it does help to be distracted then: can you tell me the story of how you started posting dean/cas fics? Or recommend some songs and why you like them so much? Or both? Or neither if you're not feeling it, just sending lots and lots of love and all my best wishes for things to be ok

thank you em, you know i love you and appreciate you.

i would LOVE to tell you about how i started posting deancas fics, because its a long story that changed my life for the better. (under the cut)

i’ve been writing for a long time. my ffnet account hints at some of my older fics - sailor moon, gundam wing, fallout, dragon age, etc. all het. pairings. my tumblr, at that point, existed mainly for me to reblog doctor who gifs (ten x rose) and edits of aragorn. then, one of the doctor who blogs i followed started posting all these gifs from spn. then, she posted the reunion scene from 8x02, you know the one. i watched it to see what the hubbubb was about. then I watched it again. I must have watched it a hundred times. i wrote my first deancas fic that night. it had been my first m/m story. i found out i wasn’t entirely straight a few months later. i found out i wasn’t entirely binary a few months after that. i owe that scene everything that i am.

but anyway, i wrote deancas fic here and there but the blog itself didn’t kick off in a big way until after 8....8x18? the one with meg? we’d maybe been baited again and everyone was very upset. fandom was just so. sad. i’m not great at expressing myself through meta or anything, so i ficced instead. Over the course of 24 hours, I wrote 50 deancas fluff ficlets. It was the Destiel Fluffathon, I called it. people really seemed to appreciate it and the blog took off after that. never really looked back.

thank you again, em. it helps to think about good things. sorry if i was rambly

[despair-tummy]

A bottom heavy Gun.dam X Hajim.e fic for a trade.

[[MORE]]

Hajime held back a sigh, taking a moment to shut his eyes and rub his temples. College life was difficult, he expected that. But the number of tests to study for and essays to write was starting to wear him down. He glanced at the clock, it was roughly two in the morning. Fortunately, his classes for tomorrow (or more like today) weren’t going to start until later in the afternoon, so he figured he could stay up later and squeeze in a bit more studying before he called it a night.

He sat cross-legged on the floor, a textbook in his hands, a neat collection of jot notes on the floor and a bottle of water to sip from as he read and added to his notes. A yawn escaped his lips, he tiredly rubbed his eye. Maybe he should get some coffee? Or the very least a snack to give him some energy.

The moment he set his textbook aside and stood up, the door to the apartment room he and his boyfriend shared had opened. Right away Hajime was hit with the greasy smell of fast food the moment Gundam stepped inside, armed with a brown fast food bag under his arm.

“Praise me, mortal, for I have brought salvation to this pitiful realm!” Gundam announced as he strode on inside.

“Oh sweet, you bought food,” Hajime said, watching him set the bag down on the coffee table.

“But of course, what kind of supreme overlord of ice would I be if I didn’t provide those loyal to me proper provisions,” Gundam announced as he dug through the bag, which was packed with copious amounts of burgers.

Unlike most people, Hajime didn’t comment on the amount his boyfriend got. He grew accustomed to Gundam bringing home large quantities of food at random times, especially when it was late and he was in need of a snack. He fished two burgers out of the bag and allowed Gundam to have the rest like always.

Gundam’s recent spike in appetite often led him to do this often, Hajime supposed it was just the freshman fifteen’s way of sneaking up on them... well primarily his boyfriend.

Both of them unwrapped a burger from its paper wrapping and tucked into one. It only took Gundam three quick and large bites before his burger was gone, sure enough, he reached into the bag for a second one.

Ever since they started attending college, his boyfriend developed a taste for fast food. And it showed. Hajime wouldn’t call Gundam fat, but the influx of food seemed to go straight to the lower half of his body. Giving him a very pear-shaped figure, especially if you took into consideration just how big the extent of his thighs widen too, his plump and round not so little rear, and just the smallest little hint of a soft tummy. Once again, not exactly fat, getting there? Possibly. But... well for a lack of a better word, he was thicc.

“Feast, for tonight we will put our abilities to the test!” Gundam announced loud enough for the neighbours next door to them to yell at him to be quiet. Hajime guessed it was only a matter of time before they eventually complained to the landlord. But to be fair, these walls were paper thin.

“Thanks for grabbing these, I was thinking about getting a snack,” he spoke, deciding to stop thinking about any future noise complaints and to focus on eating.

Hajime unwrapped his burger, biting into it as he watched Gundam start his second one. As per usual when his boyfriend ate, he tore into it with gusto. Polishing it off in three big bites, still chewing the last bit as he reached into the bag for another. Repeating the process for each and every burger.

Gundam must have been on his third one by the time Hajime finally finished his first. He was too distracted watching Gundam eat, packing away each and every burger like it was nothing.

“Do you intend to let that power restoring morsel go to waste?” Gundam inquired as soon as he swallowed.

“Huh?” Hajime blinked, only now just realizing how long he must have been staring. He looked down at the second burger he had in his lap. “Oh... you can have it if you want.”

He handed over the burger to Gundam, who immediately snatched it up and unwrapped it. Finishing the patty in record time before letting out a satisfied burp.

“The supreme overlord of ice thank you for your generosity,” he said, using a napkin to dap the grease off his lips.

“No problem, they were pretty filling anyway.” a bit of a lie, Hajime easily could have eaten a second one by himself, but truthfully it was more satisfying to watch Gundam quickly eat another burger like it was nothing.

“Heh, after such a feast of power I would prefer to sit in my throne and oversee the realm, but even I must keep our castle in the proper balance!” translation, he normally would laze about on the couch watching television but needed to clean up the mess of burger wrappers.

He watched as Gundam turned around in order to pick up one of the many paper wrappers he carelessly tossed over his shoulder and on the floor during his binge. Hajime tried not to stare at his boyfriend’s rear, but it was getting ridiculously hard not to by the sheer roundness packed into Gundam’s pants. How did those pants even fit-

It was almost comical how it happened, as soon as Gundam bend over his tight pants just couldn’t keep it together any longer. A loud rip filled the small apartment and Hajime had a front-row seat to see the wardrobe malfunction. The large gaping hole exposed the pale white skin of Gundam’s ass. Hajime felt his face turn pink, why did his boyfriend insist on going commando with that invisible underwear nonsense he rambled on about?

Luckily (or maybe unluckily) he didn’t have to think about it too long, Gundam’s hands flew to the massive tear in his pants in a desperate attempt to cover it.

“It... it would appear my ancient garments had lost their power.” Gundam managed to say, though it was with much less confidence than usual. Making his embarrassment as clear as day.

“It would appear so...” Hajime muttered under his breath and sighed. “Do you have a pair of sweats or something?”

“But if course! The great Gundam Tanaka has thousands of powerful garments!” he announced, making his way over to his room to change.

A few long minutes later and Hajime’s boyfriend still had yet to return.

“Gundam, you okay?” he called out.

“Hajime, it would appear I am in need of some of your special essence.”

Hajime held back a sigh, wondering exactly what Gundam got himself into while doing something as mundane as putting on pants.

He made his way to the bedroom, and sure enough, there was Gundam, with a pair of black yoga pants on... well, almost on. The stretchy fabric hugged his thick thighs like a second skin but failed to fully cover his rear, leaving half of his ass spilling out. Gundam’s hands gripped the pants, he tugged at them in a desperate attempt to pull them out his ample bottom. But to no avail, all that did was cause the two pale masses to jiggle in a way that reminded Hajime of gelation.

“It would appear I alone do not have the power to wear this garment, but perhaps if we combine our power I could defeat whatever curse this garment is hiding.”

Hajime’s face flushed red at the request, but still, he nodded and made his way over.

“So, do you just want me too...” he grabbed the waist of the pants.

“Yes! Tame the beast in the way of my quest of wearing this garment!” Gundam confirmed.

And so, with as much strength as Hajime could muster, he began to tug alongside Gundam. It was a miracle Gundam could even get it passed his thighs on his own, he could only imagine the struggle to do so. Because it was proving to be a tough battle to get the pants to move the last few inches to properly cover his rear. It took an embarrassingly long time, but together they managed to get his pants over the rest of his round bottom.

“The garment is finally on! I knew it couldn’t overthrow us!”

Hajime had to wipe a drop of sweat off his forehead. “I didn’t expect it to be such a workout.”

“Heh, with powerful being such as myself and ancient garments like these, it is normal to have an energy-draining fight,” Gundam said, a trickle of sweat dripping down his forehead, showing he was equally tired from trying to get the pants on his bottom-heavy figure. Hajime doubted all the burgers he ate before helped. “But even beings such as myself need to save mana. Tomorrow I shall venture out into the deepest depths of this realm in search of a garment worthy of being worn by the supreme overlord of ice!”

“If you’re going out shopping, mind picking up some milk then?” Hajime requested. “We’re all out.”

“But of course, it is the least I could reward you with,” he said before he took a glance at the clock. “Hmmm, it would it appear my quest had taken up much of your time.”

“Huh, yeah... I still got some material I gotta cover-“

“Nonsense!” Gundam interrupted. “You used up so much power to assist me even while on your quest for forbidden knowledge! You must recover otherwise you’re abilities will be useless.”

“I understand, but I’m not even tired.”

“Then I shall assist you with your slumber!”

Before Hajime could get a single word in, Gundam grabbed his arm and somehow positioned him to have himself sitting on the bed, with Hajime’s head resting on his pillow-like thighs.

“How’s this? Do you feel yourself succumbing to a peaceful slumber?” Gundam asked.

Hajime’s cheeks flushed red, but he couldn’t deny how comfortable his boyfriend’s thighs were... He didn’t want to get up and study, just stay here and listen to the sounds Gundam’s full stomach would occasionally make.

“I..l guess I could rest my eyes for a bit,” he answered, finding his eyes growing heavier the more comfortable he got. Especially when Gundam ran his fingers through his hair.

“Rest my dearest dark prince, when you awake you shall be refreshed with a plentiful amount of power for your next quest.”

It wasn’t long before Hajime found himself fast asleep with his head comfortably resting on Gundam’s lap.