#i've cracked the code gang

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

book 7 part 8 thoughts!!

***THIS POST CONTAINS MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR BOOK 7 PART 8 OF THE MAIN STORY!!*** Please note: this is NOT meant to be a summary or a translation; these are only my initial thoughts on the events that roughly unfold. There may be details overlooked or misunderstood in this post, so PLEASE do not use this as a translation.

Right off the bat, we're starting off strong with a video presentation from Idia!! He uses many MMORPG terms and analogies to better explain his concepts, even referring to allies as "party members".

The video is ~3 minutes long and the artwork used are Takashi Mifune-sensei’s LINE stickers. Yana says she is particular about functionality like Idia is, so she is pleased that they were able to implement this video. “Please watch Idia’s debut as. YouTuber!”

AGKVTIUOD8VQFVE IDIA SHROUD ASKS US TO LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE IF WE LIKED HIS PRESENTATION....... . . .. ...... .. . . . . .. . . . . I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU, IDIA... You popped off on the editing fr...

Idia tells us that there the population of Sage’s Island is roughly 20,000!

He basically explains his plan to defeat Malleus. Idia's going to fuck around with stuff in his own dream to make cheat codes to debuff Malleus (ie remove his invincibility). The others shall distract Malleus so he doesn’t catch onto what Idia is up to. Yuu, Grim, Sebek, Silver, and Ortho will infiltrate the dream worlds of classmates, "wake" them, and then recruit them to their cause. They will then lure Malleus into Idia's dream, at which point all the recruited students will JUMP HIM 🤡 Truly, the power of friendship but the NRC way…

Idia grants everyone the ability to DREAM FORM CHANGE!! By saying that phrase, it opens up a menu where you can magically change your outfit in an instant. The NRC boys are becoming magical girls… ✨

akjlfabidfbefeqof Grim has fun changing into his various Anniversary outfits! Ceremonial Robes, Labwear, Apprentice Chef...!

Silver and co. hop into Epel's dream! (Idia keeps in touch with everyone via his tablet while he stays behind in his own dream.)

Everyone at NRC seems to speak in the same Harveston dialect as Epel. And, well... here's apple boy...

IS THAT EPEL’S HEAD ON JACk’S BODY????????!!!!!?!?!?!!!?!?

THIS IS LITERALLY THE BUFF NATSUKI DDLC MEME 😭 I MEAN I WAS KINDA EXPECTING THIS BUTNIT FLOOKS SO FURGINGNGGGF GS CURSED

Anyway, the group just casually walks up to Epel and tells him everything is a lie??? And when Epel's world starts to go all wibbly wobbly, a dream!Rook and dream!Vil show up to praise him. Rook says he has heard rumors that Savanaclaw wants to recruit Epel for their own dorm, while Vil praises Epel as being both strong and beautiful, a perfect fit for Pomefiore.

I like that the implication is that while Epel still has a desire to be in a "tough" dorm like Savanaclaw, this dialogue seems to also say that he now also finds value in Pomefiore. This is why dream!Rook and Vil are tugging Epel in opposite directions; his soul must like BOTH options. Further proof is that Epel is still a Pomefiore student in his dream, he is not in Savanaclaw. To keep him under the sleep, the dream is trying hard to appeal to both sides of Epel's wishes.

So we battle the fake Rook and Vil!! Then Epel's memories come flooding back to him; the cracking glass effect is so pretty and calls into mind a mirror shattering as Epel gains his lucidity.

(Rook and Vil get similar "glass breaking" scenes upon waking, so I'm only going to comment on Epel's here and leave it at that!)

Cut to black to explain the situation to Epel!

Ortho invites Epel to join their "party" in Idia's dream! Then I believe he uses Epel's dream data to project a hologram of buff!Epel to remain in the dream while Epel joins the gang to hop into the next dream.

Next up is Rook's dream, and--

YUP, THAT'S A YEEHAWING ROOK HUNT IF I'VE EVER SEEN ONE 💀 I thought for sure his in-game 2D model would have larger arms (like, at LEAST Leona-sized arms, if not Jack-sized)... I guess not though, because we cannot have nice things/j

I love the extra detail of the leaves being stuck in the brim of his hat!! dfhlbafbiapia and bro just walks around with a quiver of arrows and a bow strapped to his back at all times...

ahbfg8yoadf9pbaegpb ROOK JUST DROPEPD A FUCKING BOMBSHELL ON US???????? Apparently Vil is a student at RSA and is besties with Neige???????????? BRO'S HEAD IS FR WRITING OUT FANFIC ABOUT HIS TWO MOST BELOVED IDOLS HOLDING HANDS AND GIGGLING TOGETHER

Uhhhh long story short, Rook runs off to his room and we chase him. What we find is--

YEAH THIS IS ROOK'S ROOM??????? It's probably what is depicted in his Savanaclaw Dorm Uniform SSR too. Note the split bed and the completely different carpets in the SSR artwork.

AEBFYVQEVYOFBQB THE WAY THE ROOM IS PERFECTLY SPLIT DOWN THE CENTER AND IS JUST STACKED WITH MERCH (including Tsum Neiges and Vils????????!????!?!?!?!?!??!!!!)

Rook starts to chuckle menacingly and pops off about his hyperfixations to us???? Then he wrangles us all to sit down and watch DVDs with him for the next *checks notes* 5 HOURS?????? AM I READING THIS CORRECTLY????? Rook... HONEY... THE WORLD IS ABOUT TO END, WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO DO THIS...

We keep trying to talk to Rook, but he isn't quite waking up yet. So we have an aside with the gang and Epel suggests... RECREATING OUR VDC PERFORMANCE??????? ? ?? ????? He shows Silver, Sebek, Grim, and Ortho the dance moves and the show goes on!

Rook is lured to the VDC stage and we get a new Absolutely Beautiful rhythmic with our current squad! Unfortunately, the vocals are the same as book 5, so we do not get a new variation with Epel, Sebek, Silver, Ortho, and Grim singing.

I love Love LOOOOVE that Epel is the center here!! He took the initiative to suggest the idea as well as teach everyone, and now he's REALLY walking the talk by serving as the "leader" of the group.

Watching the NRC Tribe makes Rook's head hurt and he starts to remember...!!

Well, wouldja look at that... Here comes dream!Neige and RSA!Vil to distract Rook. They say they are inspired by the NRC performance and start to perform Everyone Yahoo! This entrances Rook, making our task of "waking" him all the more difficult.

aihfboyfpie LMAO THEY'RE SO DRAMATIC?????? Vil steps up to defend Neige, and Neige is all like, "Nooo, Vii-kun! If anything were to happen to you, I'd be crushed by sadness :((" ROOK... IS THIS WHAT YOUR MIND COMES UP WITH...

Rook points an arrow at them and cries about how he betrayed Epel... (AYO LIKE THE HUNTSMAN????) and now he has to destroy Vil and Neige, who are "proof" of his betrayal. It makes him cry even more because he can't think of harming them, even if it's just a dream...

Anyway, time to pummel the sparkly duo! You can see from the battle sprites that RSA students seem to use REAL ASS SWORDS to channel their magic instead of magical pens. Man... Imagine being handed a writing utensil and then glancing over at the next guy and seeing them holding an ACTUAL WEAPON.

If you look closely, you can tell that Neige and Vil's pommels, grips, and rain guards are slightly different. Apparently, every RSA student has a unique one? WOW, I feel like NRC got ripped off then??? Cuz only the dorm leaders get unique items or staves to channel their magic and everyone else has the same standard issue magical pen but with a different magestone color. The only exception to this for the average student seem to be Diasomnia kids, who have baton style magical pens in their dorm uniforms.

Rook fully awakens and we rinse and repeat what we did with Epel (cut to black to explain things to him, make a hologram Rook to leave behind, and invite him to join us).

The last part of the update has us venturing into Vil's dream.

OMG, WE'RE IN FAIREST CITY??? AT QUEEN'S FILM STUDIO???? We just visited this place in a recent event! What perfect timing... I see you, clever TWST devs!

I swear that Vil's outfits are getting worse with each new one I see him in, but that's probably just my fashion sensibilities clashing with his 💦 I thought from the initial silhouette that we would be getting a slightly older Vil to show us how his values have changed since book 6, in which Vil declares he is always beautiful no matter what. Him being older would truly drive that point home; I feel this was a missed opportunity but maybe it wasn’t possible because these dreams don’t seem to be taking place in the “future” but mostly center on the present or past? Something, something, magic limited to what can be imagined and maybe the magic can’t reach that far “ahead”?

aefyeyovfyvqvf HIS NEW HAIRSTYLE KINDA LOOKS LIKE CROWLEY'S, DOESN'T IT...

Here, Vil seems to be highly popular + considered fairest of them all. Additionally, a certain SOMEONE has been relegated to being his mere assistant (and uh, Vil is somewhat demanding of them):

VIL... THIS ISN'T HELPING YOU BEAT THE MEAN GIRL ALLEGATIONS, SWEETIE...

On a more serious note, I think this raises an interesting point about Vil’s character. Try as he might to get over his envy of Neige, it’s clearly still something so deep-rooted in Vil, right up to the end of booo 5. Now this element also permeates in his dream world. Neige “has” to be demoted in so Vil can stand on top—but is that really “fair” to Neige?? Is it truly Vil’s jealousy that informs the dream of this, and thus the dream is spinning this shallow, easy victory for Vil’s satisfaction??? Because the noble Vil I know of in book 5 wouldn’t consider this a real “win”. Very fascinating topic to ponder!

Vil has Neige toss us out, which Neige does. The dream is preemptively acting this time, with dream!Neige coming at us. We make a getaway and somehow whack the head of the announcer + have Rook usurp his role.

As Vil is walking down the red carpet, Rook announces the various sins that Vil has committed. Vil panics and demands that someone shut Rook up, but then he starts to realize things aren't quite right.

We try to intervene, but Neige gets in the way and ultimately Vil is pulled deeper into his own darkness. Everyone else plunges into the dark with Vil?? I was worried that we'd have another battle map segment but thankfully there was none!!

We're back in the VDC backstage hallway area and stumble across a horrifying sight. Neige is on the ground (next to an empty bottle of apple juice) and all Seven Dwarves are surrounding him and sobbing. Ortho runs a scan on his vitals and Neige... FLATLINES...

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?????? THAT VIL ACTUALLY INTENDED TO KILL NEIGE IN BOOK 5????? 💀 Dude... No wonder why Vil was feeling so guilty and screaming that his actions were so "ugly"...

Epel uses his UM to encase Neige in a magical glass coffin to keep him safe. Then they run out onto the VDC stage and hear the announcer declaring that NRC has won. Vil is there soaking up all the attention and praise until we confront him.

Just as he is starting to "awaken", the darkness comes back and Vil alone is taken.

What I find really adorable here is that both Epel and Rook rush to his side and try to pull Vil out of the darkness. They're... OFFERING THEIR HANDS... TO HELP HIM OUT OF THE MIRE... OFFERED HANDS... A MOTIF THAT HAS BEEN IN TWST SINCE THE PROLOGUE... 👁️

Vil finally faces off against his Phantom. Like Idia in the last update, Vil willingly assumes his OB form to do battle. These fights seem very symbolic in the grand scheme of things. Idia and now Vil, confronting the worst, most unsavory parts of themselves, their inner demons, and rising victorious, proving that they have become better people… It continues the little bits of character growth that we’ve been seeing in each of the past books!!

He rises from the darkness and joins up with everyone else after conquering the fight!! The update ends here.

Okay, there's a LOT to talk about????????

The highlight for me was definitely Idia's presentation. It was very fun to watch because of the slick editing and it was a silly way to lay out the plans. I appreciate that we get to see Idia's strengths on display here; he can get long-winded and throw in lots of eccentric gamer slang, but you can also see how quickly he's able to tailor a complex plan together while accounting for many variables. adfhlboafoiyebif I UNDERSTAND THE IDIA HYPE NOW, I UNDERSTAND IT ALL...

(Side note: I did not know where to insert this, so I'll do it at the end! BONUS POINTS TO IDIA FOR RIGHTFULLY CALLING MALLEUS SHALLOW 💀 because his understanding of constitutes as happiness truly IS shallow. Once again, Idia slays with his brutally real words...)

I already said my parts about Epel and Rook's dreams when they happened. It was great seeing how their characters have developed, especially Epel! I never much cared for him, but I really appreciate all that he has done this update.

This pretty much confirms that future updates will have us visiting every remaining classmate's dreams and "waking" them. Admittedly, I'm both excited and worried??? Because that's a TON to cram in, and I worry that not everyone will get proper screentime or development. On the other hand, I'm hype to see what their dreams are like and what other limited SSRs the game might throw at us.

I feel like with the reveal of Vil OBing to fight his Phantom/"inner demons", we'll get similar scenes with the other OB boys coming to terms with what they've done and where they can go from here. This... might lead into the highly desired and speculated about Overblot series of SSRs, which I theorize will be the limited SSRs for each of the OB boys. I'll definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for those, TWST... I wonder if we'll get a Neige card eventually too??? Since we did see his battle assets exist this time. Will Chenya get one too, assuming he comes in a futureHeartslabyul update??

Aaaaaah, next time... Scarabia... 🤡 I'm so hype for that, Scarabia is like my second favorite dorm next to Octavinelle!! (SPEAKING OF, WILL WE FINALLY GET EEL FORM CARDS FOR THE TWINS...)

I’m sliiiightly concerned for Silver because bro used his UM no less than, what? 4 or 5 times this update alone??? He used his UM to enter Yuu’s dream and then Sebek, Lilia, AND Idia’s. Presumably, he also has to use his UM no less than 13 more times (12 more for the remaining boys + 1 more time to return them all to Idia’s to ambush Malleus). And even worse, he has to transport an increasing number of people each time. HOW TF IS SILVER NOT OVERBLOTTING????! 😭

bxjsgwjwnwkcbjsbs This update was nonstop WTF moments sandwiched between genuinely heartfelt moments. It’s been really rewarding to follow along and see how the Pomefiore boys have changed since we first met them all the way back in late book 4, early book 5. Looking forward to seeing how the other boys play out!! (… Book 7 is fr about to be 200+ parts long 😭)

[neragufetta]

That is a code, your honor

I stayed away from Link Click in order to avoid any spoiler, to the point I only discovered today that episode 1 of the Yingdu chapter was released last friday.

There is a long frame by frame rewatch already waiting for me but, at this moment, I only want to focus on this frame in the opening:

I don't know if anyone has already done it but I've cracked the code and I wish to share it with you.

Yes, that is a proper code and is fully decipherable, if you want to solve it yourself I'll share some hints on how to do it, otherwise you can just skip to the actual message section down below.

Have fun!

HOW TO DECIPHER THE CODE, step by step

The message is in English, lucky for us non-Chinese viewers;

2. the code uses a substitution cipher, which means every symbol corresponds to a specific letter and that letter only.

With these two clues alone I think you can already approach the message, but if you wish for more hints, here they are:

3. I could think of two different ways to decipher the code, one takes longer but it requires only one cipher; the other one is easier but there is a twist to keep in mind.

4. The longer method consists of classical substitution cipher solving approach: symbols, or set of symbols, that occurs more often in the message can be correlated with letters (E, T, ...) or words (THE, AND, ...) that occurs more often in the english language.

5. The easier way is to recognise that the symbols belong to a well known cipher: the pigpin cipher! You can google it, see the pic below

or just check my solution:

-XLI LIEVX SJ XLI JSVIWX E WYHHIr- -MG WTVIEH EQSRK XLI ERMQEPW JSB- -VIGXMRK IPITLERX XS HSYWY XLI JPEQI- -MJXPC WTVIEHMRK QIWWEKIW SJ YVK- -SAIZIV SRPC GEVIH EFSYX JPIIMRK- -XLI JSVIWX WYGGYQFIH XS XLI JMVIW-

HIXIVQMRIH XS TVIZIRX WYGL XVEKIH- LMVIH E HIXIGXMZI XS YRGSZIV XLI- HMWGSZIVIH AEW FICSRH XLIMV AM- MQEKMREXMSRW

LI FIPMIZIH XLEX XLI OIC XS- XS IPMQMREXI EPP TSXIRXMEP- MKRMXI XVSYFPI

Wait what?! That is not a solution! True, and that is the twist: pigpen alone doesn't solve the code, you need one more step, another substitution cipher.

6. This is a Caesar Cipher with key 4!

from: E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D

to --: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

THE ACTUAL MESSAGE

-(t)he heart of the forest a sudde(n)- -ic spread among the animals fox- -recting elephant to dousu the flame- -iftly spreading messages of urg- -(h)owever only cared about fleeing- -the forest succumbed to the fires

Determined to prevent such traged(y)- hired a detective to uncover the- discovered was beyond their wi- imaginations

He believed that the key to- to eliminate all potential- ignite trouble

THE BLABBERING

Already many interesting things everywhere!

This message implies the existence of 5+ people: the writer of the message; the target of the message; the hired detective; the "He" mentioned in the third paragraph; the "all potential" trouble igniters (at least 2, I'd say) that should be eliminated. The blond woman seems to be the target, since the message is under her cup of tea; Liu Xiao could be the detective but I bet he is the "He"; the trouble igniters are definitely Lu Guang, Cheng Xiaoshi and the whole gang. The other two characters are way less obvious, we can only assume their identity based on which one is missing; I can only speculate that Vein could be the detective, but he could also be your basic assassin; Finally, Xia Fei could be the writer of the message, if we accept the idea that he and the woman might be somehow blood related.

Then, we have the proper content of the message: a burning forest is mentioned and we know from S2 that a forest appears in Lu Guang's memory of CXS dying (and in the opening as well). Why so much emphasys is placed on the forest?

The next sentence "determined to prevent such traged(y)" might be the most revealing: what is the tragedy? The forest on fire or something else? If it's the former, how can the fire be prevented it it has already happened? Either, they dive back in the past and change it, which we know is no-go option, or the forest on fire was a vision from the future and there is someone (Liu Xiao?) with the ability to either foresee or actually dive in the future, completing the past, present and future pattern.

And this is all coming from just one frame. One Frame.

Welcome back to the delightfully hellish Link Click.

Edit: Guys, I'm so silly, a few second later the cup is removed and the code becomes visible almost entirely...a part 2 is required.

[ma4chestier]

hey, remember when I thought literally no one was talking about umemiya's backstory's backstory?? yeah, well this guy @loganelfreeces just opened my eyes with the most insane analysis I've ever seen, bc these characters appear in less than two chapters and I'm not really the kind to overanalyze stuff but this made me think more than Im used to and I'm grateful for it.

seriously, if you havent read their post please go, its amazing!! what I'm about to say its practically just a response to what they were saying so I recommend reading it either wya

first off i want to start saying that i cant shake the feeling that umemiya and shitara share the same personality in the sense that they act all friendly and goofy to protect others from unnecessary trouble, like if we're talking about how umemiya acts i can tell he somehow copied or adapted himself to shitara's sense of responsability when it comes to emotional support

then there's that conversation shitara has with the other caretaker about the old furin, and i did get the feeling that shitara was talking about himself in some way, tho i wasnt sure if he had been a furin student, but just some acquaintance to the people there. him being a former student makes sense given that he knows a lot about furin insights and takes responsability on what they do around town

i can see shitara playing a major role in the future, but since the last time qe saw him was when umemiya was 14 years old, i hardly think we will see him again, OR as you pointed out, when umemiya graduates.

if im not wrong, it has been aprox five months (?) sicne sakura entered furin, so i think we're close to that

the one person i really dont think will appear again is umemiya's savior. why? because he couldn't see his face, it wasnt shown, we didnt got a name, not even a nickname, and as you were saying, he's an adult probably out of town that will never appear again

it will be one hell of a twist if the savior happens to be related to someone else, like being suo's martial artist brother or sakura's acquaintance, but i hardly believe he will appear again. yes he was influential in the story, and yes he shared with us some very important information about the old furin, but that was his role at the moment, and the story was going on about umemiya and shitara.

so, yes, shitara will probably appear again in some important scene, and no, the savior will probably not appear ever again

and IF we're talking about a third party, the other guy shitara and the savior mentioned, I hardly believe they will give us more insight on this. there's still a high chance this will get more focus in the series as the events starts to unfold in something more large. i think, if anything, nirei can crack the code of this mysterious saviors and the old furin secrets, I believe in my notebook guy!! (tho I really like how you connected the "serious/calm and goofy/loud" duo, it makes total sense)

OTHER THING THAT I REALIZED I THOUGHT YOUVE POINTED OUT BUT TURNS OUT I JUST IMAGIEND was that shitara and the other girl mention that because of all the gangs messing up the town the police had turned a blind eye to all these and left the town without doing their proper job, so that lefts us with no reliable adults available to put a stop to those crimes. there's no teachers in furin even tho its a school. the townsfolk rely on the furin boys. there's hardly any picture of parents anywhere, not even in conversations. shitara is the first adult to be relied on by someone in the entire series, and i think that alone says a lot about the guy and the future of the series in general.

I BELEIVE IN NII-SENSEI TO GIVE US AN ASNWER TO ALL THESE, THEY'RE AMAZING ON WHAT THEIR DOING AND I CANT WAIT HOW ALL THESE TURNS OUT!!

aAaaAaA im done.

[grifff17]

Audiodrama Sunday 10/13/2024

Happy Audiodrama Sunday! Last week I didn't get a chance to make one of these, so strap in, I've got a lot of shows to talk about this week. I may write this one more rushed than previous ones for that reason.

@midnightburgr - New Welcome to the Horizon. Verge’s secret finally comes out, I love how they set up verge having 4 arms in the last main feed episode. Bringing up the black exclusion law was so brutal, I’m from Oregon and somehow didn’t learn about that law until my senior year of high school, really felt like my education failed me there. Also the song was so good, audiodramas with original music is my favorite thing!

@brimstonevalleymall - It's back! I thought this show was dead! I decided to give it a relisten in prep for season 2, the standout scene was Trainee and Misroch’s heart to heart.

Dear Liisphyra - Season 4 finale. The ad read for an opposing radio station interrupted by a technical issue was so funny. I keep thinking I should submit a question to this show but I never get around to it.

Rude Tales of Magic - I finally started the Nethermurk campaign. this campaign is so quoteable. Both “if we die we die together” and “Hot dogs are made of boys” in specific silly voices are burned into my brain.

@breakerwhiskey - It's back! Much sooner than I expected. I can't wait to see what direction the story goes from here, an inconsistent upload schedule is really interesting given the framing device of the show.

Case Study IREC-A59 - We have communication! I love good “humans are space orcs” worldbuilding. 

Skyjacks: Courier's Call - I loved the overcomplicated discussion of code phrases. Erin breaking character and cracking up when Fenton figured out the curse was so funny. The worldbuilding that magic items come from someone trained in magic caring about an object for a long period of time is such an incredibly cool detail. I may steal that for a dnd game at some point.

@starfallpod - Season 2! Lots of new characters in this one. I like the orphan kids a lot. What is functionally a giant dragon mechsuit possibly coming to life is truly terrifying, though it seems likely that the kids stole it.

@lostterminalpod - Season 17! This show has such cool worldbuilding, it's a truly unique take on a post-apocalyptic world. My favorite part of post-apocalypses is always the theme of hope, which Lost Terminal nails.

@storiesfromylelmore - ItMe really knows exactly how to pull at my heart. Rion wanting to get rid of his werewolfness was heartbreaking, and Keryth sneaking out to make healing potions because she keeps injuring herself to give Rion luck was just as brutal.

Starwhal Odyssey - The quote “in the cutthroat world of interdimensional restaurateurs, theft is pretty common” really sums up this episode. I love all the tenants we're getting to meet, the tabaxi family based off the cast's cats is incredible.

@worldgonewrongpod - This episode got unexpectedly real, it really nailed the whole vibes of this show. Anyways, I'd want to meet the ghost of Alan Turing.

@kingmakerpod - Love to have the Kingmaker gang back for season 2.  A lot of pieces moved into place to set up this season, including what I'm guessing is World War 1! Getting more into the alt history and politics of the setting is very cool.

That was a lot. Hopefully I'll be able to keep up with future weeks.

[princeasimdiya12]

Bucchigiri Finale Thoughts

So I watched Episode 12 earlier today and had some time to think things over. And unfortunately, I realized that I didn't like this episode very much. Granted there are a good amount of moments that I did enjoy and contributed well to the main themes of the series. But there were too many moments that I felt undercut my enjoyment of the show. So fair warning, a lot of what I have to say is fairly critical and kinda negative. If you agree or disagree with anything I've said here, feel free to reblog this with your own comments. And if you're not into negativity, feel free to ignore this.

But I will start by mentioning the things I did like.

Just like everyone and their gyoza-making mothers, I loved the final fight scenes. The choreography was well executed and I thought the animation was top notch, both when it came to Senya vs Ichiya and Arajin vs Matakara. I really liked how in depth they went with the fighting sequences and the dark colors fit really well with the tone of the drama of the scene. The emotional range between the fighters felt incredible; the actors truly gave it their all when going about their fights.

And the part with Arajin mustering the power to save Matakara was beautifully done. I was in awe when Arajin brought up how Matakara became the very monster he tried desperately to destroy which really got a crack on his defenses. The sequence of Arajin reaching out to Matakara's inner child to help him out of his despair was gorgeous. Especially since Ara-chan used the Friendship Stone both to help the inner child and later when telling his old friend that he's not alone anymore. That was really great and genuine character growth, especially since Arajin accepted that he was in the wrong for leaving him all the time.

And as I mentioned in an earlier post, I did love the first scene with Arajin meeting Matakara for the first time. But as a twist, it was Arajin who was inspired by Matakara's dedication to being a Honki Person and volunteered himself to train alongside his new friend. That was a great twist and it adds new depths to how Arajin was actually inspiried by his old friend and not the other way around like we believed for so long.

So those were the parts that I genuinely enjoyed. Now for the parts I didn't really like..

On one hand, while it is nice that Zabu wasn't brutally beaten to subconsciousness, I do kiinda wish that he did have to be hospitalized. It just feels so off-putting how he's relatively okay despite being brutally mauled by Matakara only a few hours ago. Especially since Marito and Kenichirou wound up in the hospital after losing to Matakara. Plus I feel like it undercuts the drama and severity of the situation by having Zabu be fine enough to look for Matakara. It doesn't help that he and Komao don't really do much apart from running around trying to find their friend.

Also, I hope I'm not the only one but did anyone else feel uncomfortable with this scene?

I understand that Mahoro did it in a desperate bid to bring her brother back but the way she described Kenichirou here was just... gross.

Not insane, not weird, not quirky, not even ridiculous.

It was just gross for me to see her dehumanize one of the few dark skinned characters on the show. Even if he's not black/black coded, it still rubs me the wrong way that she would say those things so casually. Especially since Japan can be really casual when it comes to making racist/offensive remarks to brown skinned people in it's media. Plus there are tons of other ways she could have referred to him without calling him a gorilla. Like meathead, blockhead, oaf, ogre. Any other insult could have worked and been more acceptable than the ape insult. And it's unfortunately consistent since she did call him a gorilla during the Gang War Arc.

And then there's this part...

I don't know if it was Mahoro's doing or if that's what the original nurses did, but it was just uncalled for. Both for the unspoken racism and for how it doesn't even apply to Kenichirou's character. Out of the three banchos, he's always been the least violent and was always shown to be tranquil and easy to work with, unlike Marito and Akutaro who were more unhinged, wild and violent in comparison. There shouldn't be any reason for him to behave so violently that the staff would resort to shackling him like an animal. Especially given how defeated he looked when Matakara beat him in a fight.

Another reason why I dislike this scene is because the characters involved (Mahoro, Marito, Kenichirou) do nothing to contribute to the final duel between Arajin and Matakara. None of these characters actually show up until the end when Matakara apologizes to everyone. You could have made it so that during the apology scenes, the two gang leaders could have shown up while covered in bandages or crutches. There really isn't a need to show us Marito waking up since we could get that later on in the end with Matakara apologizing to Siguma Squad.

The same can be argued for Zabu, Komao, Outa, Jabashiri and Hagure. Even though they spend most of their time hunting down Matakara and Arajin, they don't exactly contribute to the final duel or offer any words to the main heroes. They just show up and the duo resolve their problem like nothing.

Regarding Ichiya's secret of him dying, while it's not the worst reason for him to be so insistent on fighting Senya, I do wish there was more build up or at least some hints to it. It just feels like a random reason for why Ichiya developed his grudge against Senya. It's not the worst reason and it does make sense for why he wanted to die like a Honki Person instead of to a random illness, it just leaves a bad taste to how it happened to him out of randomness.

And wow, Arajin is never going to overcome the internet hating him for being a perverted simp mc.

In a way, it makes some sense since Arajin's character arc was never about respecting women or learning that there's other ways to be a man apart from stealing a girl's virginity. That was never the focus as the story wanted him to confront his mistake of abandoning his old friend and not running away from his problems. That said, this still won't look good for him since fans are going to be turned off of Bucchigiri because of his perversions and how the show doesn't encourage him to change.

And as I've come to realize, the show itself doesn't seem to mind with the characters not growing out of their negative vices. A critique I have is that the show doesn't go out of it's way to challenge the beliefs of these characters or push them to grow into better people. Arajin is perfectly okay with being rude to everyone while pursuing a girl just so he can lose his virginity to her, Mahoro continues to lust over her older brother and has no interest in anything else, Marito is still a bloodthirsty bad boy who lives and breathes fighting, Kenichirou doesn't mind repeating high school as long as he gets to run Minato Kai, even Yayako prefers to act like a bubbly airhead rather then act like a responsible and respectful adult. And even with Matakara's corruption arc, he doesn't really recognize how harmful his idolization of Arajin was since the focus was more on his loneliness and trauma of being alone. Maybe because I'm spoiled by Mob Psycho 100, but it saddens me to see how these characters don't grow into better people or make an effort to change themselves. Especially since there can be potential for all of them.

And while I'm glad that Arajin and Matakara were able to become friends again, it feels like a letdown that there's no build up to it. It just rushes straight to them becoming friends again without acknowledging their negative attributes. Th same with puppy boy getting everyone to just accept him with no repercussions or consequences. It feels like letdown as there were no serious consequences for his actions. Like he could just go on a despair-induced rampage again and they'll just keep accepting him. On paper it's rather wholesome, but it does feel contrived if everything just works out without problems or how Matakara doesn't need to work hard to earn their forgiveness. That would have been for a greater character moment and to show Matakara taking responsibility for his actions. But we never see Matakara doing that and him being accepted by the gang feels rather hollow. It's technically nice that he has his friends back and that SS won't have his heart on a stick, but it feels hollow.

Speaking of taking non-responsibilities and being accepted by the gangs, Akutaro is now back with the NG Boys and they're accepting of him?

I really do wish we could have had a scene that explains how the heck he was able to win back his old gang despite them professing that they weren't going to let him beat them around like before. It just feels offputting that Akutaro is back in charge and has their respect with zero explanation or even any build up to it. He spent all his time trying out different jobs and activities but nothing to suggest that he wants to go back to his old club again.

Not to mention that this is still bad news for Minato Kai since Akutaro still has his hatred for Kenichirou and still longs to destroy him. And given how he also hasn't grown out of his negative vices, it's more than likely he'll come up with a new plan to destroy them albeit a different approach. Though the other gangs will be aware of him trying to wreak havoc on them again, I sincerely doubt that that'll stop Akutaro from having his revenge. And with the NG Boys and Girls behind his back, he definitely has a shot at it.

Then there's the resolution with the Nyan Nyaight Love segment. While it was endearing with the Receptionist wanting to help out the Customer, I'm just trying to wrap around the logic behind the Receptionist accepting him again.

It doesn't make sense to me how he'd be accepting of the guy who abducted one of your prized cats, lose her, and then just welcome him back with another cat. It's setting up a cycle for the Customer to fall in love with a new cat only for him to become obsessed with her and then try to steal the cat out of "love". And while the show focuses on him learning to lose his shame of visiting NNL, it doesn't try to challenge his dependency on cats for company along with his hostile jealousy.

Is the Receptionist aware of this potential problem and how it can happen again to another cat? Is the manager of NNL willing to accept the Customer again along with the risk of jeopardizing his business? I can't imagine how difficult it must be to promote a cat only to lose it because of a depressed nutjob.

Also, to the anon who was grossed out by Arajin's mom, I'd like to give a complete apology to you for refuting your claims. Because this...

This was not necessary.

I mean, it is interesting to know that Marito shows attraction to girls/women which gives more depth to his character. And while it is weird for him to hit on an older women, it's still technically okay since it is normal for teens/youth to show attraction to adults that catch their interest.

But what isn't okay is Yayako's reaction to his attention.

Again, she is a grown woman getting over excited because a teenage boy is trying to hit on her. And she's okay with this? Like ma'am, not only is that concerning because of the blatant age differences but you're also a married woman (according to the additional info). How are you so lenient with being hit on by a guy who could pass for your son? Like really? I used to think of Yayako as a quirky, wholesome woman who needed to not let her son treat her like trash. But now I'm seriously questioning her values and how she treats everything in her life like a soap opera.

In regards to Mitsukuni being in a coma and waking up, it was... okay. Like I'm happy that Matakara will get his big brother back and they'll be able to move into an apartment like they wanted to. But I feel that the reveal of him being in a coma undercut alot of the emotional turmoil Matakara went through. I don't know, it just feels rather hollow knowing that Mitsukuni was always there and was going to make it out alive while his little brother was running around like a war machine. It's conflicting in all honesty.

But what isn't conflicting was how much I really didn't care much for Senya returning in the last shot. I wasn't moved by Senya showing up in the last scene or how Arajin secretly missed him. Maybe it's because of how Arajin constantly yelled at him or acted like he didn't care. And while he does care in his own way, I just felt disinterested in the reunion and I had no strong emotions of Senya returning. It doesn't help that the part with Senya and Ichiya "leaving" didn't really have alot of emotional depth to make the reunion more impactful. Senya not coming back would not have me upset.

And those would be my thoughts on the final episode. For those who stuck around to read all of this, I thank you for doing so. And to those that stuck around, I apologize for the excessive negativity. And like I mentioned above, you're more than welcome to reblog this with your thoughts and whether you agreed, disagreed or have something to say regarding my post.

Thank you all for taking the time to read this along with my other posts for this ridiculous show. Your feedback means alot to me and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Nana na na, Nana na na, Nana na na na na...

[aidenwaites]

The graphics aren't super flashy, but I wanted to throw something together like this since I got lucky enough to have a lot of time to dedicate to reading this year <3 none of these are in a particular order.

Honorable mentions:

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. Bones and All by Camille DeAngelis. The Warm Bodies trilogy by Isaac Marion.

Honorable mentions (movie edition): Lisa Frankenstein, Stalker, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Hundreds of Beavers.

Top reads (Released this year):

1. The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman. An adventure-fantasy story for anyone who's ever loved arthurian legends. A young knight arrives at Camelot only to find that Arthur has died at the battle of Camlann, and the Round Table has all but fallen apart. Those that remain embark on a quest to determine Camelot's fate in Arthur's absence. Lev Grossman was the perfect person to write an arthurian story, as he's got a style that lends itself so well to walking the line between the grounded and the fantastical.

2. Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle. A Hollywood screenwriter is told that the queer leads of his horror series either have to stay in the closet or end in tragedy. While grappling with this decision and its impact on his career, all of his former movie monsters begin to manifest in the real world. A commentary on the state of the film industry that very much hit home.

3. Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky. A household model robot finds that it has killed the human it serves, and it does not know why. As it leaves to look for a new human to work for, it finds a world that has broken down, forgotten itself, and gotten stuck in endless loops of faulty and contradictory lines of code. Reminiscent of Asimov's robots, and full of charm.

Top books (Read this year, but published any time):

1. Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist. 12-year-old Oskar has an obsession with serial killers and bloody true crime stories. He's lonely, heavily bullied at school, and surrounded by adults who have overlooked his struggles. When a gruesome murder happens in his town and a strange girl moves in next door, he gets caught up in something larger than himself. This book goes to some very dark places, to the point it makes it a hard recommendation to just anyone, but there's an extremely sweet friendship at the center of it that has made it stick with me. And I don't know that I've ever read anything that understands how fear feels when you're 12 years old like this one did.

2. Christine by Stephen King. Nearing the end of their last summer before graduation, Dennis' best friend Arnie falls in love. It's a 1958 Plymouth Fury that barely functions, bought from a bitter old man who can't drive her anymore. As Arnie grows more obsessed with the car, the cracks in the other parts of his life start to show, and soon enough, the bodies start to pile up. This one really left its hooks in me, and if I didn't feel like I still needed a larger backlog of books I've read at work for work purposes, I probably would've read it another couple of times by now. I love love loved the narrative style.

3. Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer. Decades ago, a strange border appeared around the Forgotten Coast in the Southeastern US. The Biologist on the twelfth expedition to enter Area X keeps a journal detailing her experiences in this strange, new landscape. No one has been well-enough prepared for what they find. The start of the Southern Reach quadrology, and Vandermeer's best-known series. Extremely difficult to describe, but extremely good, too. At the core of it, it's a story about trying to understand the things that you never truly can; alien wildlife, the course of nature, the wider universe, other people.

4. The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez. "Two young men find themselves with the task of carrying a weakened goddess across a continent in order to end an empire's reign" is technically the premise, but it doesn't really do it justice. Told to you as if you are in a theater, watching a play, two young men find themselves stuck together with what little remains of an ancient, long-held-captive goddess. The lore and the history of this world runs deep, and it's some of the most unique and incredible mythology that I've read in fantasy fiction. Highly highly highly recommend.

Nonfiction (Really the only nonfiction I read this year, shhh)

1. Unmask Alice by Rick Emerson. An investigative look into the life of Beatrice Sparks, the woman behind the Go Ask Alice and Jay's Journal "diaries" that held high praise and influence during Nixon's War on Drugs and the Satanic Panic. The book takes care to really set the stage on the culture and the world that these books came into, as well as how they affected it. It also takes care to handle the subject of the young men or women that did or did not really exist behind Sparks' published diaries. Tragic in parts, and there have been some fair criticisms of the writing style Emerson chose for the book, but it is a good thing that a full, comprehensive, easily-accessible version of this story exists. A lot of people who were influenced by these books remain unaware of the scam artist that existed behind them, and it's just.. tragic that she held so little regard for the lives she affected when she published them.

2. American Scary by Jeffrey Dauber. A history of horror in America, both real and fictional, and how they influenced one another over the centuries. It's very, very long, and very dense, and comparable to a textbook, but its still been an enjoyable read. Dauber covers a *lot* in this book, and I think for anyone with a strong interest in the history and in analysis of the genre, it's worth spending a while picking at. It's also heavily citated, with about a thousand different sources that Dauber has pulled from, so it sets you up pretty well to find something to read on any one of the more specific topics Dauber moves through.

Films!

No One Will Save You (2022): A really creative, really fun home invasion movie. With very little dialogue, No One Will Save You tells the story of a lonely young woman who's largely been ostracized by the people in her hometown. On the night that aliens invade, she has to fend for herself in order to survive. The performance by Kaitlyn Dever really knocks this one out of the park.

The French Dispatch (2021): I've seen other people call this movie a loveletter to journalism, and it really, really is. A publication called the French Dispatch is set to shut down after the death of its founder. A sort of anthology, the film takes us through a few of the publication's most memorable or iconic stories. I haven't seen much of Wes Anderson's work yet, but I've seen enough to know that his style *really* really worked for this one. It's funny, it's touching, it's stylish, and it was a really good ride.

In a Violent Nature (2024): A movie I liked so much that I started a film blog as an excuse to write a review, and then failed to continue that blog after writing it. Pitched as a slasher film from the slasher's POV, it's a great blend of the slasher format and the more slow, atmospheric kind of horror that's associated with the art house genre. This movie is, visually, very beautiful, employing a style reminiscent of 35mm photography. The performances were fun, the kills were great, the experience of watching it in a theater was a really good time. I really enjoyed it!

Let the Right One In (2008): One of two adaptations of the book of the same title. This one is incredibly atmospheric, and really captured the emotion of the original story. The performances are fantastic- it's just a really, really solid adaptation. I do also recommend the American remake, Let Me In, as it makes some interesting choices in not only remaking the film, but in adapting it specifically to an American setting.

And finally, closing remarks: raise your standards for queer fantasy literature and read The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez.

[spiel-mit-mir-ein-spiel]

Bad Romance~Rammstein part 14.

You sat on the backseat of the car next to Richard. He silently smoked his cigarette and you sighed. ''Sorry for slapping you in the face, i knew you didn't hit Lily on purpose but something in my head snapped'' You apologized while looking at him. He looked back at you and looked at Lily who sat in the passenger seat next to Till. ''I'm really sorry Lily'' Richard spoke softly and Lily looked back at him. '' It's okay Reesh, but don't try to fight Paul again'' She chuckled while Richard started to smile. ''Or otherwise i might have to slap you again'' You gave him an elbow while you smiled and he nodded. ''Not fuck with y/n or Lily, noted'' he laughed and a smile creeped up Till's face. He didn't smile often but when he did, it was sincere.

''Okay girls, we lead you inside, stay close to us'' Till looked sternly and you nodded. You have Lily a small gun and took the one you had hidden in your boot. Richard looked surprised before smirking. He and Till sneaked into the building and signed for you and Lily to come inside. You pulled your hoodie over you head and put on your facemask before loading your gun. You though about the things Paul had learned you. Always check every corner before your next move and always keep your gun loaded. Even tho the boys had checked every corner, you still did what Paul did. When the coast was clear , you looked around. The bank was burned for like 50%. ''What the hell did you do to this place?'' Lily looked at Till with big eyes. ''We were burning the place untill Olli&Christoph got hit'' He said looking around. ''By who?'' You knew you shouldn't ask those questions because it was none of your business but you did it anyway. ''The other gang'''Richard lead us to the hall towards the fault. '' Other gang?''Lily her eyes grew even bigger and you sighed. You wished you hadn't asked. ''We have to be carefull they won't appear again so you need to hurry up'' Till stayed closed by the two of you while you got in the fault and Richard had his gun loaded in case they would appear. Lily cracked the code and you went in the fault. Little pieces of black, burned money was scattered all over the ground and you sat on your knees digging for the USB card/stick. ''Fuck, i can't see shit!'' Lily frantically said and you grabbed the mini flashlight out of your pocket. ''Yes, i've got it!'' Lilly grabbed the USB card/stick while grabbing your hand and ran out of the fault. She gave it to Till who smiled. ''Thanks girls, now get the hell out of this hell hole'' Richard growled while checking the halls. You followed him untill you heard two men talk behind you. You grabbed your gun and held it in front of you. Till and Richard grabbed Lily and you before pulling you behind them. Lily and you shared a scared look and you swallowed hard. '' Was the message not clear enough?'' One of the man pulled his mask off and you startled. The half of his face was burned. '' Shut up, this has nothing to do with you'' Till put his gun against the man's head and he started to laugh hysterically. In response you grabbed Richard's arm out of fear and he looked quickly over his shoulder. The other man pulled out his Flamethrower and aimed it at Richard. Lily pushed Richard out of the way when the man started to fire his flamethrower. Richard stumbled to the side and looked at Lily in shock. The man started to fire his flamethrower again and everything went very fast. You managed to pull Lily out of the way and suddenly you saw flames and smelled burned flesh before you were in incredible pain. You felt two strong arms around you, push you through the ground and put the flames out. You saw Richard and Lily started shooting and Till hooverd above you. ''I will get you home safe, i promise. Flake will take care of you'' His voice was soft, something you hadn't heared before. You nodded before everything went black....

You felt two strong hands around who carefully picked you up and put you on a cold, hard table. You opened your eyes but everything was blurry. ''What the fuck happened?'' Your heard Paul scream in anger mixed with worry and your vision went clearer. ''Paul?!'' you wanted to set up straight but Flake stopped you. ''Y/N, listen to me. Your arm is heavily burned. I need you to stay still while i will remove pieces of clothing before this starts to infect. It's gonna hurt but i will be very carefully'' Flake tried to comfort but you started to panick while you arm hurt like hell. '' I want Paul. NOW'' you screamed and within seconds Paul stood beside you. ''Oh my god baby.. '' You heard the panick in his voice so you knew it was bad.. You looked at him before looking at your arm. You flesh was completely burned from your shoulder to your fingertips. You looked at Paul while your face turned white and your vision went black..

[enchantedlandcoffee]

Just finished another great fanfic and need to express a growing frustration somewhere (congrats I guess? Or sorry, well both probably. Love your blog btw if it helps). I love hurt/comfort, it's my favorite genre in fics so I tend to eat them all up but why oh why is it always louis getting (physically I mean) hurt??? No matter the AU (fantasy AU, Mafia/gangs AU, Crime/FBI/Cop AU, modern AU, ect) why is it that 99% of the time if someone's gonna get shot/stabbed/poisoned/sent to the hospital for any reason you can be sure it's HIM?!! Let Harry be beaten up 2k24. (on a side note, if you know any works fitting in that 1% slot I invite you to rec them to me!! Please and thank you <3)

Actually find it a little but funny, a lil bit ironic (🎵) that lots of tags in this fandom on louis posts are any variations of "I need to fight harry" and yet I've hardly find any fics where he gets even a bit physically hurt. You bunch of cowards. Or liars; y'all are actually after harry and that's why you keep trying to get rid of louis in some dramatic way in every other fics in any universe. That's it, I've cracked the code. (can you tell I'm drunk and sleep-deprived yet?)

Also in terms of characters development, I find that having your loved one get hurt is an even worse position to be in? Depending in the circumstances; the terror, the incertitude, the wait, the feeling of guilt, feeling powerless to help/do more, ect. I'd love to see louis more often in that seat and get to see how he'd deal??

In conclusion: Don't be afraid to beat up harry's baby angel's face (or any other part of his ridiculously nice body). I'm rooting for you.

Anon, I don't - I don't even know where to start with this? I'm not sure why you've sent it to me of all people, and honestly I'm concerned.

I've never noticed if Louis gets hurt more in fics tbh, I'm normally focusing on the story more than anything else. I've definitely read some fics where Harry has been injured so maybe you're just looking in the wrong places?

I think the best thing that you could have done was message one of the many blog rec accounts we have in this fandom and ask them for fics where Harry gets hurt? Instead of ranting at someone who doesn't write the genre you're mad about?

I hope you find what you're looking for?

[astrxlfinale]

Wanted to give this a spin when I saw it on the dash! Less imagery though, and more me writing out the thoughts. So let's dive into it!

Will get a wee bit lengthy. So under a read more it goes.

1.

A character that got me into Star Rail was genuinely the Trailblazer themselves. I think anyone who's come to know me is not surprised AT ALL with this once interacting with me. There's a shared energy I love making full use of, reveling in their share of chaos, their certainties and their comical doubts. Just the way they wholly dive into the experience is a quality I can relate in enjoying myself.

Not to mention I'm just a fan of their design in general. Even if it looks like they're ~somewhat~ cosplaying the Express itself, all of the golds and blacks really compliment their set up.

2.

In this game it feels like a main is harder to come by, since I'd primarily need me a gang to get things knocked out. Though! If there's a character I've pinned a lot of commitment into, it'd be Firefly! Holding her at E1S1 and been spending the whole of 2.3 burning up TB power at her domain. I've really come to enjoy the Oppressive playstyle of just having enemies not do jack shit. Cutting through defenses, playing around with the high speed to boot.

It's playstyle that's suffocating on opposition and that's how I want it. After getting stunned, DoTted, blown up, one shot wiped. Finally I can have an effective means to supply that same hell onto my enemies. So working to the point of cracking open a high pivotal damage point is fun to me, it rings familiar to RPGs like Octopath Traveler that also had it's own break mechanics.

3.

As for a character I come to love? I think I might've answered that accidentally on number one. LOL. I'm a full on Trailblazer fan here! Characters like them feel a little hard to come by in this era where Nonchalance is revered and hailed supreme. So characters that can showcase passion? I'm absolutely all for.

4.

Dr.Ratio. While I love the pointed passion, dealing with someone like that would genuinely be agonizing for me to deal with. It'd just be the condescending note that would honestly, make me want to tell him to fuck off. Then again I'd have no doubt that arrangement would be just fine with the both of us.

5.

I really want to get Silver Wolf onto my teams! Though, I've heard that not having that starter Light cone would make the curve of getting her improved more of a genuine hell. I'd be willing to work on that struggle, especially if it means I can find my 'cheat code' around weakness types. Playing the game made me learn just how much more tanky enemies are if they don't have the specified weaknesses on them.

Not just in breaking (which adds more vulnerability.) I'm literally doing 20% less damage, and I'm nowhere close to the point of nuts artifacts where brute forcing becomes a viable option.

6.

I believe Gallagher has the closest example to my eye color. (Mines is brown.)

7.

Dan Heng! (I have black hair.)

8.

Honestly? I don't think any of these characters share a solid match of personality for me. Similarities for running around with chaotic thoughts with the TB can be shared, but as it stands I'm too laidback. I do share Qinque's MO for wanting to make work related lifestyles as amicable and amendable as possible. Just enough, never above and beyond, especially when you're aware of the field you're in.

9.

For the time being right now. I'm saving for a Silver Wolf rerun, though, I will admittedly try my luck on Feixiao. That depends on if their kit appeases me however, gotta see how flexible it is with the balance of characters I have. (I know I'ma need another Harmony at this point. Robin may on the rerun radar as well depending on how Feixiao works.)

10.

Firefly! From the shade of dual hair colors, the sunset eyes to the way that energized spirit green can shine within them. There's a lot of her features that brings plenty of appeal to the table. I love how her outfit works like the prismatic wings of either an insect or a fairy, also giving off that appeal similar to stained glass despite being cloth. A lot of it just mesh to be a joy to the eyes and in kind, how it can work with either shades of fire she utilizes.

Not to mention the SAM unit itself! Human sized Mecha (or close to it) can easily win some appeal points for me. The way it operates as armor, and plays upon the concept of ignition for fierce strikes and high momentum just feels into the value of momentum, which is another big plus for me. There's also that dichotomy between the form, which adds a charm point when you see those respective 'modes' shine through to what she's externally showing.

11.

Destruction!

Characters who thrive in the fight, risking damage and turning that struggle into strength through various means will always speak to the fiery side of my soul. The gameplay style where you're balancing that vitality as much as your enemies are working to deplete is interesting to me. I love that measure of control, and how the enemy has to deal with me on multiple fronts as much as I have to deal with them.

Part of me wishes they'd come to do a mini rework on the Destruction TB for this reason. With their healing factor being only outside of battle, and how there isn't much usage for sacrificing high vitality for empowerment, it leaves a lot to be desired when you catch an eye on more modern units.

12.

Imaginary! Primarily for the creation appeal that many of the characters utilize with it. It's an Element that really highlights the creativity of a character, and gets them to really show off what they can literally bring to reality when given the chance. I for one, will always come to recognize the appeal they bring to the table with that.

[tomiyeee]

Can I head canon Mikey and Leo’s eye colors from you please Also do you have a Fic of this AU that I can read

of course! i don't own eye color headcanons, i just picked whichever ones looked the nicest with their designs in my opinion 😂 glad you liked them enough to share that hc though! 😊💕

-

and i'm assuming you're referring to my rise genshin au? which i actually don't...have a story for at all, since i don't have a very good understanding of genshin's story/lore to begin with. this au is in all honesty pretty surface-level, at least on my end 😅

however! i've actually had a couple people write their own ideas for it. i'm not sure about actual fic fics, like on AO3 or anything since i've not gone looking, but i've had a few things people have sent in my inbox (sorry it's taken me so long to answer these! i'm not trying to ignore y'all, i promise.. i've just been busy + somewhat overwhelmed by social media in general ;-;)

i'll leave them under the cut for you (and ofc anyone else who's interested!) to read :3

from @snekplush:

Random ideas for the genshin tottmnt au my brain thought of without my concent:

Draxum is a yokai who lived through the cataclysm and knows about Ei making puppet vessel things. Maybe its because he met scara before he turned all fatui. Either way, he knows and bcs of this he wanted to try experimenting creating something similar with artificial yokai to be super soldiers to protect imazuma >:D It never actually worked though because he doesnt know that Ei used khaenriah technology to do that, and he doesnt have access to that. Eventually he cracks the code somehow after hundreds of years of research. And thats how the turts were born >:D

And then since he knows scara is a puppet he found out he became a harbinger. As he looks down at the four artificially made turtles and remembered how Scaramouche once told him about how his mother and creator, Ei, betrayed him because he wasnt fit for his purpose of holding the gnosis, Drax decides this is probably not a good idea. Also he feels a bit guilty because like albedo, they’re like artificial yokai. Artificial, but still yokai. Knowing that Lou Jitsou is someone who travels often, he dumps the children onto him so he doesnt have to worry about them destroying inazuma. That or he found out the khaenriahn orginins of puppet people, and since he experienced the cataclysm thinks theyre too dangerous and then dumps them on splinter. Use this idea however u want :D

-

from an anon:

For your rise genshin AU I feel like that everyone would just like Raph I feel like that he would just get along with everyone because of his leadership and kind nature but I also feel like there will be many misunderstandings about him like you know looks like he could crush you with a finger in actuality it is a kind person not that could be described as The most cinnamon rolls of cinnamon rolls I feel like that all of them would be like but Raph would be the most liked in my personal opinion.

I may have already asked you this but it’s basically a continuation from the last one I feel like that Ralph would get along with itto well it would probably be roped into him And his gang’s shenanigans

Why do I just imagine Ralph taking singing lessons or just singing along with Venti I just popped into my My head and it just seemed a bit funny that Ralph invented just doing like a song and Venti fighting away just to make a melody that just makes it work And people stop joining in a fight I have just make like Geo construct like head and create like a percussionist melody and everyone’s joining having a little bit of fun in Then They do a bow in just the Mora is thrown everywhere

[ilikekidsshows]

"Ah, yes, my secret honor button"

Ah, yes, "honor" is Shredder code for "overwhelm them with numbers"

"Nothing is more honorable than ganging up on your enemies with your entire clan"

We always say there's twenty Foot Ninjas, April says there's twelve, I count fifteen

He actually cracked a smile. He's been waiting to get to team up with his sword buddy

"Nice, there's a bunch of swords I've wanted to talk to Leonardo about"

"After we beat the Shredder, right? After we beat the Shredder, right?"

[thesillykittyworld]

How you and Mr. Wolf met

Imagine: Instead of that grandma (Professor Marmalade) making Mr. Wolf go soft, it’s you 

Implied: masc or male reader; f/c = favorite candy 🍬

"Okay, gang, we do it like we always do: get in, distract, steal, get out. Got it?" Wolf explained this to the group in the car.

"Got it!" Shark, Piranha, and Tarantula shouted, and Snake said it in unison.

The group stepped out of the car. Wolf and Snake went into the bank first; Wolf did his usual suave walk with one hand in his pocket, and Snake slithered by his side. Tarantula went up the side of the building and into the vents, while Shark went into the bank disguised as an elderly woman; yes, bonnet, cane, and all. Lastly, Piranha went into the bank behind Shark and snook off to the side to take care of the guards near the vault.

-

"Hello Hello, can we get some assistance here?" Wolf rang the bell three times at the register as if he didn’t see the office workers cowering in fear on the side of the office

"Man, it’s hard gettin’ good help these days, huh, Snake?"

"Yeah, bud, but hey! What can ya do?"

"Well, I guess we’ll take our leave; goodbye everyone! Hope you all live to prosper!" Wolf shouted to the frightened customers.

Snake and Wolf walked out of the bank and did their version of a fist bump; their side of the plan was complete.

-

"Okay Piranha, the locks are disengaged; it’s go time," Tarantula stated while typing the last of the informative code into her system.

"Ohhhh, you don’t have to tell me twice!" Piranha smiled darkly in his guard disguise, then turned the corner to be met with actual guards.

"Well hello, fellow guards, a lovely day we’re having. The boss said I get to guard the vault now, so you can all go home." announced Piranha with his arms crossed.

The head guard and the largest man shouted, "Ha! You think a puny guy like you could guard this large vault? Don’t make me laugh!"

"Is he talking to me?" He asked the other guards, "Oh, I know you're not talking to me!" and that was the last of that conversation; the next few noises were teeth being knocked to the ground and noses being cracked.

-

"Shark, quick, make a distraction!" Tranaula yelled through the headset.

At that very moment, hundreds and hundreds of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters dropped out of Shark’s coin purse, followed by a raspy, "Oh dear, can someone help a poor old lady pick up her change?" from the "grandma"

- 

Snake slid inside the vault and swallowed the money, then slid past the still-distracted customers out of the bank’s front doors into the awaiting getaway car.

"Okay, we got the money now; let’s get out of here," Snake smirked at Wolf.

"Wait a minute, where’s Shark?" Wolf questioned.

"God, that idiot’s still in here; I’ll call him so we can get out of here-"

"No wait, this- this is perfect; more money." Wolf smiled smugly while rubbing his hands in a cartoonishly evil way; thinking of robbing the people whose only focus was helping an old woman pick up her change.

"No, we already got our money. Now let’s go."

"C'mon, sweetheart, there’s no such thing as too much money; I’ll be back in a few minutes," replied Wolf while swiftly stepping out of the car.

-

Right now, you were just trying to find out where the candy store was.

You heard that it was by the city’s bank, but you had no idea where that was :(

You were using your phone's maps app when you came across a tall figure.

"Sorry, Mister, I didn’t mean to bump into you." You spoke sadly.

"Yeah, yeah, get out of the way, kid. I've got a job to do." He said as he picked you up and put you on the opposite side of him so he could get to the bank.

He stopped in his tracks once he felt a tug on his sleeve.

"Um, do you know where the candy store is? I heard it’s by the bank, but I don’t know where it is." You whispered sheepishly.

"Look, little guy, I don’t know where the candy store is, and I don’t really care. Now, let go." He tried wiggling his arm to make you loosen your hold on his sleeve, but you were a persistent kid, as you always have been.

"Pleaseee Mister! I just wanna find the store so I can get my favorite candy!" You gained confidence as you spoke loudly; you weren’t gonna go home empty-handed.

At this point, Wolf was super confused. Usually, he could give a person, let alone a kid, one look, and they would be running halfway down the block away from him; why hadn’t you?

"Okay, okay, don’t yell; that’s my ear right there. See look." He turned you around. "The candy store is right down this block; just keep going straight and you’ll see it. Now-"

He didn’t even get to finish his sentence before you hugged him tightly.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mr. Wolf! Do you think they have f/c? I hope they do because then I would’ve come there for nothin’ " You grumbled in the last sentence.

"Yeah, yeah, don't mention it; now go see if they have your candy." Wolf teased you while patting your head subconsciously.

"Okay, bye-bye, Mr. Wolf. Have a good day!" You beamed while waving at him until you bumped into someone else.

"Hey, be careful, kid!"

"Okay! I will!"

So he just interacted with a kid, and they didn’t scream at the sight of him, which was a first. He interacted with a really nice kid just trying to find the candy store; he tried not to overthink about you tightly hugging him or the way your eyes lit up when he told you the location of the store, or your continued smile when he patted your head. Wait.

He patted your head!

He called you kid and little guy!

Where did that even come from?

Why was his tail wagging?

-

He numbly walked to the car and stepped in.

"You okay, Wolf?" Snake spoke up, noticing Wolf’s demeanor. 

"Oh yeah, yeah, man, I’m good; didn’t get any more money sadly, but I'm good." Wolf shook his shoulders to get the memories of you off his mind.

"Yeah, okay." Snake suspiciously turned his eyes back towards the road as the car started and they began to drive home.

Yeah, Wolf had a lot to think about.

[urlocalbaker]

@whatisbernardthinkingabout

Ur boyfriend coded

Also boyfriend material

Save me Krampus wants me back

No.

He can't

I've found a home

Here

With you, Curtis, adaira, and Powder

We're unstoppable

We are icons

In a gang

Help me

Im on crack

I miss you

I love you

Marry me

Im not okay

on christmas

You weren't there

I was so angy

but

I love my cat

Krampus

He is a dick

Help me

Save me

Im not okay at all

Jingle and Holly are perfect

Best friends

I want to kiss you

Im on meth

Help

Your favorite baker,

Neo

Please send help

I want a kiss for mismas

[its-little-ohme]

Walter O’Brien x Male Oc- Sharpshooter pt.1

Word count: 1071

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You should know that taking 5ᵗʰ street decreases your eta by 2 minutes."

The car I've been watching for the last hour takes the next right onto the road that would take it to the 5th street route. "There we go, now I'll be able to see yalls happy faces all that sooner. See you at the garage." I climbed down the fire escape to slip through the window into the garage, otherwise known as the scorpion headquarters. I couldn't help the cheshire like grin I had plastered on my face, which was noticed by Sylvester who sat at his desk analysing the equipment the team and I had been testing.

"Judging by the expression on your face, I would say the comminicator worked."

"Not only did it work, it had a farther reach then I could have predicted. Who knew car radios could

be so susceptible to my scrap radio's frequency. It makes you think how possible it would be to

cast a higher frequency able to be picked up by

more cars giving way for stalkers to talk to their pray."The Scorpion team and I had been working on a one way radio to allow me to communicate with their transport of choice without the possibility of someone listening in, like the possibility is with cellular devices. "Do us a favor Thomas, and don't let your morbid sense of humor get us in trouble." Toby strolled in, with the rest of the gang behind him, back from their drive.

"I make no promises Dr.Curtis,"I reply, the corners of my mouth inching higher up on my face. "I'll make sure to give the Fbi a heads up for a potential future stalker." "Oh come on Cabe, don't down-play me like that, I'm already a stalker, keeping my eyes on both you and our wonderful band of misfits."

"You call us the misfits, but somehow you are the strangest of us all." Happy, uncharacteristly like her name sake had a smile of her own growing. "Happy, You flatter me. Now someone tell me, how clear was the signal? Did the connection get fuzzy around towers, hospitals? Did you try changing the station? If so-"

"Thomas I need you to scope for our next mission, I'll bring you the data on the radio as soon as it's typed." And there was Walter. The leader of Scorpion, with the fourth highest IQ in the world, and the reason any of us are here today. He brought in people that others cast aside, who excelled in certain things, and because of that, make them a vital part of the team.Their special qualities goes as followed. Walter O' Brian: The brain of all tricks. He could think himself out of a metal box, screwed shut, that is if he wasn’t afraid of tight spaces.

Dr. Tobias Curtis: The personality detector, a puppy of a man who has the most personality out of all of us. His blind spot? Happy Quinn of course the focus of most of his thoughts.

Happy Quinn: Our mechanical expert who is as tough as nails, with a personality of steel. Don’t let her do the emotional stuff a mission might require, you won’t get far.

Sylvester Dodd: Our Tech expert the man behind the chair, he may be physically weaker than the rest but his brain is no joke when it comes to cracking codes.

But of course we also have our supporters,

Cabe Gallo: The former Fbi agent who takes care of our back when were in potential physical harm. He's also the one who gives us government tasks which gives us a pay-check.

Paige Dineen:The literal mother of the group. and the emotional backbone to our otherwise logical group.

Ralph Dineen: Son of Paige and the youngest genius to grace the garage. Scorpion has taken him under our wing in order to give him the support none of us had when growing up.

And me, well I'm the sharpshooter, mastering in

long distance mathematical problems, and the lookout for the team whenever they go out on missions.

"Hmm? Another mission already huh? Well alright what do you need me to do? "Walter began towards the stairs," follow me, and Cabe come with, you'll give Thomas the play by play." Cabe grunted, and both of us followed Walter to the white board on the second level.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nothing beats basking in the sun expecially on a day like this where there is a bit of wind cooling the sweat that starts to firm on my brow. The sky is a dazzling, radient beacon of energy and warmth, I have to close my eyes in order to take it all in. It's all interrupted when my radio starts up.

"Thomas we need an exit." Walter's voice comes

through, and I'm reluctant to focus on anything other than the rays of the sun, so I fumble for the radio with one arm, the other covering my face.

"Roger, looks like there's a window on each floor of this building your in, pick one and jump!"

"Thomas, Tobias is being questioned by security, they haven't spotted me yet, but it's a matter of time before they catch on that we're not supposed to be here, distract them."

With a sigh I roll on to my stomach and start fiddling with the scope of my rifle. Spotting Tobias in a window on the far right I also see that

three more security agents are making their way over. "Three more on your way Walter, I'm going to have to make a little noise." I find a fire alarm that doesn't have anybody near and set up my shot, but then I'm forceably rolled over and a rag is shoved into my face, while my arms are restrained by my side. I'm fighting to get out of this stranger's grasp, but my breath gets heavy which causes me to inhale what ever chemical they put on this damn rag. My vision starts to blur, but before I pass out I make out the static of the radio as one of the men apart of this attack picks it up appearing to speak to Walter on the other side. Walter, and Tobias are now by themselves about to be captured, and there is nothing I can do to help them or myself. That's my last thought as my world goes dark.

[sonicboomseason3]

movie!shadow learns to accept the systemic powers that be after sonic's cop father gets through to him (thus replacing amy's role in sa2) and seeing that these people are ultimately working for the sake of the greater good. then he goes to have dinner at olive garden with the whole gang + the gun commander where wade offers to adopt him (just like in those ao3 fics) so now shadow too has a cop father and as a bonus has an aunt in the fbi. that's it that's why the knuckles series focuses so much on wade, they're setting him up for the movie. i've cracked the code

you know at this point this is far from the main issue but given the scu's track record i highly doubt they would even bother portraying maria's death in a faithful manner. or at the very least they wouldn't do it without pulling a "oh but that was just a one-time little oopsy from the military, we're not actually bad guys!"

[asexualsoup]

Okay okay wait... I think I know what happened to Nureyev during What Lies Beyond. Not joking. 

I’ve been relistening to this episode for a while, trying to figure out where the heck he went. He obviously didn’t escape on the Ruby 7 and we know since Tools of Rust that their other car was wrecked beyond use. So he HAD to still be on the Carte Blanche during the interrogations in part two. So where the heck did he go? 

For a while, I’ve just been assuming that he hid in the walls somewhere, like Juno and Dark Matters also assume. But that doesn’t make any sense. We know tech exists that can let you scan for people in a single location (see: Stone Unturned). Dark Matters could have just scanned for some dude hiding in a wall somewhere, but they didn’t find him. 

But then, in What Lies Beyond part two, I found the answer. And it hit me like a punch to the gut... 

Buddy says she saw a Dark Matters agent putting on Agent G’s uniform after their death. 

We all assumed that detail was just there to make Sasha’s Dark Matters sound messy, but what if it’s actually a Nureyev clue? What if that was Nureyev?! We know he has a knack for hiding in plain sight! And it’s not like it’s out of the realm of possibility for him, as he essentially did the same thing on New Kinshasa in Angel of Brahma, both when he and Mag took the guard uniforms AND when he pretended to be a corpse on the floor. 

Hiding in plain sight. Just like Vespa hiding in the wall in Shadows on the Ship. 

THAT’S where he went. 

THAT’S why Dark Matters didn’t find him on the Carte Blanche. 

And that’s also why Nureyev knew when AND how to rescue the crew from prison in Clean Break. He showed up there WITH DARK MATTERS. 

He’s infiltrated them before. He could do it again. 

...long story short, Kabert made a mistake by giving us another week to ruminate on the finale. I’m going conspiracy crazy over here.