#just one more trauma for the conga line

[annaofaza]

Does anyone know how Wolfwood's backstory (killing his abusive dad and then presumably getting adopted by Chapel right after) from the 98 anime came about? It's not in the manga, but I was wondering if Nightow had any input, if it was an old idea of his that got dropped, if it was completely made up by the 98 writers, etc.

[azulock]

so I wanna requests the guys as dads, I remember at some point you said you wanted to do something like this and I really wanna see it

Time to rull up my sleeves, cause I did say I was gonna do one of those right? Back when I got annoyed that all I found was girl dad this girl dad that and I got tired of all the typical gendering going on in dad fics.

Ryusei Shidou

Girl dad in the most chaotic way possible. Tiaras coexist with bows and arrows as a princess fights off an invasion. Every doll and plushie has a tattoo made either with a sharpie or from a patch attached with hot glue. Every tea time is a mafia family meeting that always involves an assassination plot. And the barbies live very intense lives that inevitably delve into wrestling like storylines where each one has a gimmick, a long standing feud, and a clear thirst for blood.

Chaos may not be the best thing to keep an organized home, but it's good for mental development. And much like a kid, Shidou also thrives in creative chaos. He isn't the best at practical things, especially the ones involving routine and quiet time, but he has got his uses. Very good at wasting his daughter's energy until she drops straight into a deep sleep. His antics are also good at convincing her to eat pretty much anything. And of course, great at entertaining her so you can take a break.

Oliver Aiku

Boy dad but like he really doesn't care, he'd be giving the same extremely affectionate, and even a bit clingy, treatment to his kid no matter the gender - sugary sweet nicknames included. Probably heard people saying he coddles his son too much, treating him like a princess, but Oliver is good at playing deaf. Tho, that kid gonna have to fight for the right to have his feet touching the ground, cause dad wants to carry his offspring everywhere. Sure to raise a boy as clingy and openly affectionate as him.

Those reflexes honed for football are quite good at catching a kid before an ugly fall. And he's actually good at the general everyday stuff, surprisingly patient too. Takes a genuine interest in the things his son likes, so when the boy shows sudden interest in colorful nail polish, he'll show up to a match with badly painted soft purple nails. Likes sleeping on the floor with his boy, when asked why the floor and not the bed he brings up the old man excuse of "the floor is good for my back".

Reo Mikage

Girl dad and he was ready for a little princess, but what he got was more of a cave dwelling gremlin. He was expecting frilly dresses and tea time but he gets a little girl who likes bugs, playing in the mud and digging things from the ground. It hits him as a surprise but he adapts to that, and as much as he isn't very excited for the cleanup afterward, he is always eager to entertain his girl's odd interests. If buying dinosaur fossils weren't such a legal can of worms he'd buy one just to bury it for her to dig up.

If he wasn't convinced to go to therapy before, now is the moment to convince him. Just gotta say he should do it not to become like his dad and he's gonna be booking the appointment fast. Will be reading child pedagogy books and shit like that to make sure he can be a good and understanding dad. Really just trying to kill his family's trauma conga line at himself - wants his daughter to trust and count on him in the way he never could with his dad.

Michael Kaiser

Boy dad but to the gentlest, sweetest of souls, a little boy who seems to have absolutely nothing in common with his dad, aside from some physical traits. It at the same time shocks and scares him, because the world out there is not kind to sweet people. But while the boy is at home, Kaiser can keep him safe. It does frustrate him a little bit when he tries to get his son into football but the boy is more into art than sports, but he learns to move past that. Truth is, he wanted the boy to mirror his traits a bit more, so this is a humbling experience.

That poor rose tattoo of his does not see a day of peace after his son learned to color. Tho, Kaiser gets used to the shaky new roses drawn on his skin fair enough. And he actually considers getting a full tattoo of just lineart and not colors just to let the boy color in. He's not the most patient so he has a bit of a hard time getting used to the whole parenting thing, but he does try his best. Also, whenever he takes his son out somewhere he makes their clothes match in color scheme.

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[punksalmon]

Tell us more about this Escape ending AU that you are completely normal about.

WELL, if you're asking

(i first received this ask in 28th of JUNE, but waited for my uni break so i could be as self-indulgent as possible)

the Escape AU is first and foremost my obsession with (1) epilogue-type stories as a way to deal with the conseguences of a plot (which is especially promising with funger's trauma bonanza) and (2) domestic gay people (which is ALSO especially promising with funger's trauma bonanza). i also like when the domestic couple are kind of freaks.

the background for the AU is mostly based with my number of playthroughs with the game, in particular that as soon as i had the girl and knew what exactly her ending was, i would go after literally any other ending just so she could live.

to say the summary of the dungeon-canon, ragnvaldr goes in the dungeon after le'garde to kill him and enki goes into the dungeon after the ritual of ascension, and they just join forces for survival; the girl only comes after, and because ragnvalr is partly in this whole quest because his child was murdered, he becomes somewhat protective of the girl, and then of enki, to the point of doubt about when does this affection and desire to protect is for them on their own, and when it's just comes as a second hand for the family ragnvaldr's lost. enki isn't arsed with any of it at first, but as a feral cat gaining the literal first modicum of care in its life, he starts to become less sure of how far he'd gone to obtain success when it puts this other people at risk, even without understanding (or accepting) any of it. and the girl is, verbatim, "unused to kindness of any kind" - she literally deserves the world.

the ending E, as exactly "underwhelming" as it is, is a reflection of this sense of care the characters develop: it doesn't matter what the dungeon does offer (and what really the characters do achieve in it; i personally like the idea of them facing Le'garde as the Yellow King in the dungeon, for the pathos of it all). the most important thing after the conga line of misery that funger is, is that for people that at that point had no reason to live, they suddenly get one. for it, they leave behind the dungeon and the promises within.

i still like to think that this sort of decision is not without unrest - i don't think enki would do well as a house wife, and this tension of "did i make a good choice? is this really what i want?" is interesting. i also thing ragvaldr has a little parasocial thing going because of his previous family, and i also think that idea is interesting.

as always, i like to see characters go through the ringer and then try to build a happy ending (or as happy as it can be) out of it. i feel that's a sort o theme anyone can find comfort in. and yes, i do like thinking of the funniest possible nuclear family unity Oldegård would ever see (pair of parents + one kid + a dog). (and i do like thinking about rag and enki doing it nasty. who said that.)

thank you for the ask and literally anyone who has the minimum interest about my brainworms… i loved thinking about them to write this. it also made me draw again (miraculous), so here's a little something.

first leaving the dungeons.

[jadeleechsupportgroup]

Bittersweet

malleus as therapy.

cw: mental illness, suicide mention/ideation, overdose mention, psychological trauma. no gore or horror though.

(wrote this a while ago. based on a real life event for me.)

“It is difficult for me to understand.”

Malleus’s voice draws me out of the fog of my own mind and back to reality like the tether of a wayward life preserver. I wonder what he would think of this comparison.

“What is?” I ask, hoping not to make it too obvious that I wasn’t listening. I was, at first. I just have a lot going on right now. I always do.

He slow-blinks, catlike, lizardlike, dragonlike, his spring green eyes focusing on me a bit more purposefully. “That humans treat birthdays as occasions to celebrate,” he says, possibly repeating himself, to my sheepish guilt. “They have such short lifespans, yet they are so eager to lose another year each time.”

“Oh.” I clutch my stomach. I feel sick, and not because I ate too much cake. “Well, it’s not that simple. I-”

Deuce and Ace and Grim have started a conga line. I instinctively wince away from the noise, even though they're my best friends and I love seeing them happy, because the whole room is too loud and too close and I really think I might hurl.

“I, um, I’ll be right back.”

I set my paper plate aside and dart - slink - scrabble away from the chaos. I feel an episode coming on, or maybe it’s been playing for a while now, like a show I put on Netflix and left forgotten on autoplay until it asks me if I’m still watching. The brambles of unwanted memories tug at me with sharp fingers.

I wind up in the Diasomnia courtyard. It has benches under trees. It has a fountain. It has fog because of course it does, it’s Diasomnia. I sit on a bench and shut my eyes and grit my teeth against the acid burning through my stomach.

[ ping ]

My phone wants my attention. Normally it’s superglued/surgically attached to my hand, and muscle memory politely shoves me toward checking it, but I can’t look.

[ ping ] [ ping ] [ ping ]

The messages flicker before my eyes as clearly as when I first read them.

[ ping ]

It was weird, I had thought at the time. A couple vague posts from my friends popped up in my feed at random. Eventually I messaged one to find out what happened.

[ ping ] [ ping ]

Overdose, they’d said. Insulin and antidepressants. A month’s supply of hoarded medications. Suddenly the posts made awful sense. Claws gripped my heart and made it hard to breathe.

[ ping ]

“I had almost forgotten that humans can tell lies.”

Malleus’s voice startles me out of my woeful thoughts. “What?” I ask stupidly.

He gazes down at me. His features are shrouded by the dark, but I can see the downward turn of his mouth and feel the intensity of his eyes. He’s concerned. “You said you would be right back.”

I turn away from him and look at the ground. “Sorry,” I mumble. “You wanna sit down?”

He does. His presence warms the air next to me. I want to isolate myself - it’s so easy - but I make myself scoot closer to him so he can at least hold my hand.

“A lot of people hate birthdays,” I blurt out abruptly. “Like, they gripe about getting older, usually.”

My hand curls up tighter. He’s so different from me, all soothing heat and composure and grace to my sharp edges and cold, jittery nightmare of an existence.

“Is that what troubles you?” he asks quietly. His voice helps.

“No.” My voice wobbles, about to fall off the balance beam. This was not how I pictured having this conversation. In fairness, I had hoped it was a conversation I would never need to have. “A couple years ago. Something bad happened.”

Malleus is yet unfamiliar with many a human habit and social convention, but it seems he has learned at least one from me. He lifts one arm and rests it along the back of my shoulders.

My voice goes strangely cold and steady.

“My friend died. Killed herself. She overdosed and had seizures for ten days until they took her off life support the day before my birthday.”

The words linger like the bitter fog of my breath in the air. He says nothing.

“I hate my birthday now. I’m mad at her for doing this to me. I hate myself for being mad at her. I hate it because it could’ve been-”

My voice hitches as if caught on a sharp edge. If I open my mouth to try again, I know I’ll choke on tears.

“It could have been you?”

He poses the question as delicately as the touch of a fallen petal.

I’ve already cried over this so much that I don’t think I can ever cry again. But I’m finding it hard to breathe, the air escaping from my chest in erratic puffs of visible vapor.

[ ping ]

I hated the group chat they’d made. A dozen semi-strangers propping each other up with worthless promises that she would be okay, even though I knew the moment I heard the news that she wouldn’t make it. So many people lamenting how sad it was. So many “my door is always open”s.

“I think I understand.”

Malleus speaks close to my ear. I fall into his embrace as though collapsing under the weight of my words.

“It is not about celebrating the loss of a year,” he says in a soft murmur, “but the completion of one that might have been lost.” He strokes my hair. “As if conquering a great foe in battle.”

“Mhm. Slaying the dragon.”

It’s out of my mouth before I can stop it. But he laughs.

“I should hope not. It is my birthday, after all.”

“Yeah. Sorry I’m making you miss it.”

“All is well.” He leans his head against mine. “I do not believe I am missing anything.”

I want to accept this as a wistful sentiment, but I make myself stand up. “Well, contrary to popular belief,” I say, taking both of his hands in my own, “birthday parties aren’t exclusively for you.” I give a light tug to pull him to his feet, and he rises with the poise of a dancer. “They’re also for your friends to eat cake and play games and be super obnoxious. So you shouldn’t leave them hanging.”

I never thought I would find the lights and crowd noise of a party welcoming, but I welcome it. Malleus keeps a hand around my shoulders - protective, comforting - until he’s certain I’ve recovered enough to stand on my own. I’m not quite up to joining the conga line, but I help myself to another slice of cake and some bonbons and a cup of punch.

“Feeling better?”

Lilia winks into existence next to me.

I’ve given up asking how he did that or when he showed up or anything else to the tune of fact-checking him against reality. “I forget you two can hear a pin drop in the next zip code,” I say as flatly as I can.

He gives a light laugh and pats my head. “I only want to make sure you are well,” he says.

“I think given my track record it’s safe to say that I’ve never been very well, Lilia.”

A strange expression settles over his eyes. Something knowing. Something…aged.

“It is never easy to face a monster in battle,” he says. “No matter your experience, your skills, your preparation- every confrontation is unique.”

I hold eye contact with him and sense I am speaking to a very different man.

“Do you know the meaning of bravery, young one?”

“Something something not being afraid of things?” I offer.

His smile politely declines my suggestion. “Silver made that mistake as well.” Lilia reaches over and taps me on the nose. “To be fearless is not to be brave, child of man. True courage lies in having fear and choosing to fight regardless of it.”

My gaze sweeps back to Malleus. Sebek is losing any composure he might have had due to a smear of frosting marring his lord’s white blazer. I look down at the half-finished cake in front of me. “It never stops, does it?” My voice comes out in a half-whispered croak. “I’ll never win.”

Lilia ruffles my hair. “You won’t know unless you try, young one.” His smirk never wavers, but it looks more genuine. “Besides,” he says with a knowing glance at my band of idiots - Grim balancing precariously atop Ace’s shoulders and trying to place a birthday tiara around Malleus’s horns - “it is hardly as though you are fighting alone.”

[atqh16]

I think something some fans don’t take into account about Wei Ying never telling Jiang Cheng about the golden core was because it was most likely an incredibly traumatic experience for him. Imagine going through surgery without any anesthesia and being forced to endure excruciating pain for two days and one night. Even after he came back he still couldn’t bring himself to even think about it. Let alone explain to JC.

Another thing is how he was probably terrified that his brother would hate him for it. He knew it was an incredibly invasive decision that he had decided without Jiang Cheng’s consent. That he had taken that choice from him even if himself did feel like it was necessary to help his brother. Imagine having to deal with that terrible trauma alone. Followed almost immediately with being thrown into the burial mounds and being trapped there for months right after being stabbed. From the height he was thrown he definitely got horribly injured from the fall as well. Not even having his cultivation to help him protect himself. The headcanon that he ate corpses is very unlikely and according to the wens there was some trees there that grew fruit and there was some source of drinkable water. But I think Wei Ying would have still been immobilized from pain for days before he could even move.

I’m not one who likes to compare traumas. I think it’s redundant and doesn’t help the situation. But I think it’s still pretty fair to conclude that Wei Ying had it way worse. In addition to all of this, he might not have been related to Jiang Fengmian by blood but he was still the only father figure he’d ever known. His grief at losing him might not have been as intense as JC’s but it was still there. Not to mention the grief of losing their entire sect. The guilt he must have felt since it happened when Wang Lingjiao was demanding he be punished. Even if it was just an excuse for the Wens to attack the Jiangs.

Not to mention he was also dealing with the pain of having been whipped by Zidian. Something that could take weeks to heal. And he had to deal with all of that silently because he had to prioritize keeping his brother safe. Especially since it was JF’s last words to him.

I just cannot take people who vehemently condemn his decision to keep that secret seriously. Especially the ones that accuse him of simply being avoidant. I think it was more than understandable and even borderline justifiable. That’s not even mentioning how he was ostracized after the war for a type of cultivation he had no choice but to choose. Not even being able to explain why because it would reveal everything to JC. Being told over and over that he was basically a monster for doing so. Saying that he was dealing with a conga trauma line would be an understatement.

[got-into-worm-by-mistake]

Like, full caveats that I'm still only on Arc 6, and I doubt I'm the first person to say this but like...

I'm actually starting to wonder if like... Trigger Events aren't actually it?

Like, when I think of the characters that I know detailed stuff about their trigger events at this point (Taylor, Amy, Vicky, Brian), it's all pretty clear that for all that there was one specific moment where the powers activated (The locker, vicky bleeding out, the foul in the context of the parents, beating up that guy who was going after Aisha) it's all at the end point of a prolonged process.

Taylor - all the bullying Amy - years of latching onto Vicky as the one source of affection in her life Vicky - years of parental neglect over her not having powers Brian - even things with Aisha and his dad - the distance, the shit relationship with dad, the knowledge shit was probably not going great gnawing at him until it all hits?

It seems pretty clear that it takes more than just the one single horrible experience, to trigger? You need a lot to trigger, a whole process, a whole conga line of trauma and bad experiences culminating in the 'worst day' that is the moment you latch onto in the aftermath.

Like, yeah, Capes are all kinda messed up (unless they got their powers from a vial, though they too may be messed up in a different way) but I think you already needed to be pretty messed up to have a trigger?

It just seems to me, based on what I know that if someone who is actually normal and well-adjusted and so on has a good life and is doing just fine has the kind of horrible traumatic experience you'd associate with a trigger... well they wouldn't trigger, usually?

Am I on to something or am I just overthinking shit?

[sadhornydemons]

Rapid-Spoiler-Season-Speculation: Full Moon Edition

Following the lead, but hopefully not completely on the coattails of many great theories, I'll throw my ideas into the wind and hopefully only end up half wrong.

Stolas's bed curtains can be seen, this appears to be his magic displaying the day's info.

Stolas still has his bandaged arm. Cue panic, then duet song.

Afterwards, IMP returns from a mission, Loona has the book.

Time is 10 minutes until 6pm, clock out time! At least for Blitz who has removed his jacket.

Get in bitch, we're going shopping at the Asmodues private reserve safe, emphasis on privates.

(Fizz, unless Stolas is in full demon mode, that thing will murder his cloaca and not in a good way)

Meanwhile, waiting, worrying.

(Blitz, isn't not gonna fit!)

"Stolas, you don't have to turn on that red light." ♪

And as everyone and their second cousin predicted, Blitz freaks out. As to how long the talk went, or what exactly was stated, we'll have to wait and see. But we get a taste of Blitz cursing Stolas out.

Stolas is roughly still in the same place, as the earlier scene, as he gives what seems to be a closing goodbye. Although dialogue can easily be mixed in a trailer.

And at some point we get this moment of Blitz, with a sad expression(?), seemingly reaching for Stolas in what appears to be inside.

Then being teleported outside (by magic)?

Also referenced in a fantasy sequence here:

Did Blitz say some very terrible things to Stolas before the full details of the Asmodean crystal and Stola's intentions for their relationship were made clear to him? And then regretfully try to make amends? That's full speculation on my part, but considering what we get in what appears to be a follow up scene between these two:

The most common theory I've seen and can still believe myself is that this scene will take place in the Apology Tour, but I think it's actually taking place in Full Moon. This entire episode will probably be focused on these two and the preceded scenes (even with missing parts) aren't enough to fill a full (and heavily anticipated) one.

On a commentary note, and not to pick sides, but Blitzø Buckzo, what DID you do?! That bird didn't balk when you were torching his beloved Loo Loo Land to the ground and now he looks like he's 2 seconds away from releasing the hellhounds on your ass.

But on a positive note, he's at least outside, drinking wine and reading a romance novel. Not knocking down absinthe with the houseplants or burning all of Blitz's horse drawings in effigy. It's more of the 'My lovelife is in the shitter, Gabriella' vs 'He'll never love me and I'll die alone next the ice cubes' mood of earlier. But either way, dude looks PISSED.

A mocking angry bow. Blitz has a smile, but maybe it's just because they're talking instead of Stolas ignoring him.

(book is still in hand) "Do you have any kind of remorse for what you do?" matches the mouth movements. Yeah, I'm pretty sure this is directed at Blitz. Unless Stella happened to drop by at a bad time to pick up her mail (what happened?!!)

Judging by the sky, it now appears to be morning.

(note the roof and curtains behind Stolas, they're now under/inside a fancy canopied tent) Owl is still angry.

Blitz has kicked back his feet, making himself at home. Stolas's pose is familiar but possibly still mocking, based on his earlier expression. Does Blitz want to solve their problem the usual way and Stolas may not bite this time?

End of my speculated/confirmed sceencaps from this episode, save maybe for this:

Granted, this could be a scene from any of the Blitzø-Conga-Line-Trauma-Storyarc of this season, but I'm thinking it may end this particular one. Leaving Stoltiz in a not great, but possibly getting things out into the open place.

Leading into the Apology Tour!

[tumblingxelian]

Crossposting from SV:

https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/iwiw-rwby.125050/post-32676154

Regarding the expectation of perfection, yeah, I don't think the team expected it. The one who could be arguably said to have put the most "pressure" on Ruby is Blake as we saw in V8, but having faith in someone isn't the same as demanding perfection. & Blake showed she was fine stepping up and trying to help or support Ruby when she needed it.

The others applied even less pressure, at least knowingly, but none of them are aware of how Ruby had internalized Ozpin's lesson (& from what I know of Coco Second Semester does not make his lessons better)

But Ruby definitely took a lot of these things to heart in a way likely never intended. & more to the point that likely wouldn't be nearly as bad if not for the trauma conga-line the last volumes have been.

For instance in V8 Ruby does seem briefly hurt by Yang noting that following her lead hasn't worked out, but Yang's language is still rather casual, this isn't her trying to deliver some cutting barb to wound Ruby's pride. & given their reunion in V8 it didn't have a lasting impact... Up until V9 landed because with everything that went wrong, suddenly those words pack a lot more sting.

In regards to Yang & Ruby in particular, one thing I find interesting is that in early volumes, even after Ozpin's leader talk Ruby was more comfortable showing uncertainty, discomfort, fragility and the like.

Especially around Yang. She was sulking in V2 about Blake not coming to the dance and feeling overtly helpless, she was fine with being uncertain about her decision to reveal the WF's location to Ozpin & co, also in V2.

But more integrally, in Volume 3, after everything had gone to hell what is the first thing Ruby did once she could move under her own power?

Was it go to her dad for comfort? Seek Qrow for advice? nope, those two came to her, with Tai mostly being used for an intel update and Qrow being prodded for info, and only seeing a flash of vulnerability.

The person Ruby went to was Yang, Yang who she was surprised to find wasn't in a good head-space, and who when Ruby asked what to do couldn't answer her, seemingly leaving Ruby unsure of what to do. In essence, there have been periods where Ruby also expected others to be more sturdy than they could otherwise be expected to be. This isn't a jab, just an observation.

More integrally however, in V4 we see Ruby really hit hard on the repressing.

Oh she did it before, the fact she's modelled her entire persona after her missing mother and was raised by a girl two years her senior should already make it clear she's gonna have some issues. But it becomes a lot more overt with her being all smiles around JNPR but sad when unseen until she's hitting a breaking point. One that is... Sort of countered though of questionable help by being told she's inspiring.

The time we really see it break in in Volume 5 when Yang & Ruby reunited, she cries, she fumbles her words, she gets a damn hug.

But then, the next day, she sees that Yang is not nearly as recovered as she's trying to act. When Yang is upset & removes herself from the situation to calm down and mourn silently, its Weiss who has to help her out of it, because Ruby has no idea what to do.

That's not just her sister in there, its the girl who raised her, & this stuff is not Ruby's forte, but more integrally, Yang is the one who has always been 'all right', the one who Ruby could turn to whenever she needed and who she never had to worry about in combat.

But she's not OK the one person Ruby could always rely on is more fragile than Ruby ever realized, and so clearly, Ruby can't go to Yang with her problems either.

& thus closes her final person to really, properly, well and truly reach out to.

& the thing is Yang would have no idea this is happening!

She didn't hear Ozpin's speech, or Ruby re-phrasing it. She wasn't present when Ruby was really building her walls in V4, and any that existed before that will have been interwoven with Yang's own issues and thus be something she deemed as normal the same way Ruby deemed Yang's self sacrificing penchant as normal.

Put simply, Yang isn't aware that Ruby's mental image of her has shifted and so is not aware that Ruby no longer sees her as someone viable to reach out to.

None of which is helped by the fact Yang canonically admires Ruby and so is prone to see the best, strongest, most idealized side of her, and so like Ruby would need to be told Ruby needs help before keying into it.

Both these girls are very traumatized and damaged and they care about each other so god damn much, but also just cannot wholly see one another.

Its agony, I love it.

[crimeronan]

Horrible thing to happen to (amnesia whammy’ed) Hunter: inner Hunter being basically destroyed because Luz as a concept is so central to his sense of self that without her it’s just. Not really there anymore?

The mental image in my mind is like. A mosaic of shards suspended in the air in the shape of a golden guard shell. Who doesn’t really know what’s going on but is So, So, scared, confused and disoriented. It’s like a ghost.

Anyway the memory retrieval gang(tm) has to go on the prerequisite memory retrieval trauma conga line(tm). But there is no guide there is no explanation for anything. At first. But as the mystery (the very obvious situation) of what’s happened unravels and some more recent surface level memories come up, the inner Hunter starts to get more and more Not Having A Good Time. And frantic. He doesn’t want them to See This. He doesn’t know what it is behind that next painting but he Knows that They Can’t Know.

I don’t have a good way to end this. The mental image of Hunter (re)experiencing his worst trauma greatest hits one after another in front of an audience and desperately still trying to protect Luz from his Horrors(tm) is captivating me.

also imagining luz getting darius and raine up to speed as quickly as possible because she probably has the best sense of the kind of things they might find.... both of them are horrified and have to rapidly suppress their own feelings about the situation.

on raine's end: i KNEW something was wrong. i should have been more insistent, i should have done something, i should have intervened sooner

on darius's end: he could have told me. he must have KNOWN he could have told me. did he not know that?? why The Fuck did he not tell me??

also i'm very very Very soft for luz doing her best to communicate with the inner hunter, even when he's at his most insubstantial. then as he gets more solid, he starts interacting more with the mindscape, which mainly means fighting them.

luz being like "i KNOW, but we're trying to HELP." and then eventually realizing that hunter isn't targeting darius or raine with Nearly the same persistence as her.

if she's in the worst of her guilt spiraling then it's Possible she'd go "oh, he saw me kill belos, he thinks i'm dangerous".... but i think she'd more likely put two and two together. because she realizes he's not trying to Hurt her, he's just trying to pin her where she is and keep her out of the memories

she's like "...you don't want me to look?" and he just. wraps his arms tighter around her. and she's like.

okay. i won't look. darius, raine, can you go on ahead?? come back and get me if you can't repair a memory yourselves. i'm gonna stay here with him.

[atopvisenyashill]

god that person is soooo full of brain worms or something because like even as a dany lover, i see everything you’re saying about her as great observations based on the text. She’s young, she’s traumatized, of course when she gets over to westeros it’s not going to end as well as she hopes. The only thing I can pray for is that George writes her end better than D&D did because it was atrocious how her most trusted advisors went from being her biggest supporters to acting like “no actually her grief from losing her best friend and two of her dragons who were as much like children to her as anything could be means she’s just as mad as her father”, especially when Tyrion never knew Aerys!! I would love to see her descent into madness, see how all of her losses stack and utterly break her, but the way those two switched up real quick was honestly disgusting to me

YEAH like I think the biggest issue with the show is that she’s surrounded by characters who are pale imitations of their book selves or characters she’s just NOT supposed to be interacting with like that. There’s no doubt in my mind that Tyrion is going to flip sides & it’s probably going to spell her doom, but the Tyrion in the books is in a vastly different, much darker place currently than the Tyrion she met in the show and that’s going impact their dynamic MASSIVELY. Varys is NOT some monarchial marxist aksjdj he’s a mad scientist trying to hand make the perfect king bc he’s seen the destruction caused by bad ones and he thinks he’s Above It All when in reality his traumas as a slave inform his bad behavior just as surely as they inform Melisandre’s. The show doesn’t want to engage with all of that though so Tyrion & Varys just kind of nonsensically flip on her for *checks notes* acting the exact same way she’s been acting for years when they never had a problem with her stupid behavior BEFORE s8.

And i go back and forth on what I think is going to happen but ultimately YEAH i do think george is going to write an ending that is much more fitting and also, despite what the targ nation people insist upon, TRAGIC than what we got. It’s going to hit harder, it’s going to be thematically interesting, it’s not going to be george going for the ~cool~ or wow shocking plot line the way those two idiots did!

But definitely the thing that hit my rage button on that one is this idea that like first of all, dany isn’t somehow mentally ill or that the presence of mental illness is a weakness or moral failing. I don’t know how you even exist on terros without developing something deeply unhinged in your brain, and dany meanwhile has a conga line of trauma and some ancient blood magic and incest cooking in HERS, i don’t think i’m saying anything out of pocket by saying “yeah i think she displays some patterns of behavior that are worrying when you essentially have a pet nuke.” but two it’s also like - ALL of these people are insane!!!! lannister, stark, tully, martell, baratheon, targaryen, greyjoy, on and on, they’ve all lived through at minimum one but some of them several wars that completely upended their lives and killed a lot of their family, and then got thrown into stressful situations that require a much more delicate hand than any of them are capable of. that’s the whole series!!! it’s just a bunch of insane people going “yeah exactly girl let’s do it” and “it” is usually war!!!

[goldeneyedgirl]

Sonya! (Imagine, for a moment, that Tumblr Staff actually fixed the bug that means I have to screenshot and tag you @sonyawix for replies.) I missed you!

Jasper's just there realising that a couple of decades of training and practice with the Cullens was no match for a tiny teenage girl who looks at him like he's the second coming. She did more for his self-esteem in one night than anyone has done for him since he was human.

Jasper's softer in STL and his trauma has already been sorted, organised, and filed in his mental storage unit so he just has to simp over worry about Mary-Alice. Mary-Alice has the trauma conga-line but it gets pretty soft for both of them starting next chapter.

But it's why Jasper chapters are usually easier to write.

And listen, we all switch hyperfixations. I read a whole bunch of MCU fics that had Correct Vibes but Incorrect Takes, and beautililies had to stop me from writing MCU fic before I worked on Jalice fics. Also the idea I am carrying 70% of your Jalice experience is fucking wild. What do you want? I feel like I need to give you something because 2024 was not my most active year ever.

My little Mabel has recovered from the infections she had well, but decided to keep things interesting and acquired an ear infection which has since been upgraded to a double ear infection because what's more fun than a lot of credit card debt? Even more credit card debt! She is why I can only stare longing at Coach bags and not own fun stuff like that.

And honestly, I join you in solidarity that my sister and father are also Shitty Fucking People. Sometimes, people are rancid, and we just need to salute their bullshit and carry on our merry way.

It is law that if you bring up Anathema, I post something. I picked this scene WIP because Alice being a dramatic teenage girl is somehow so funny in my head? I can't wait to get to a scene where she's dramatic in front of Jasper and he's just "...you're adorable, you know that right?" And she's like, "absolutely not."

But for now, Alice makes a small scene.

“This is to never get back to the Clearwaters,” I could hear Freddie saying to Charlie Swan in a low voice. “Any of them. I trust you, Charlie.”

Charlie sighed. “Fred, I’ve known you a long time, and I don’t like this at all. What is so important you have to meet with them alone, without Sue and Billy knowing?"

Silence, and I was tempted to creep up the hallway to be able to hear better.

“… This is about Alice and her well-being. If… I have reason to believe that if Sue, Harry, and Billy knew more about Alice’s … health and genetic make-up, they would be deeply unhappy."

That was most likely an understatement. I had a feeling that if Sue found out that I was biologically half-vampire, I would be persona-non-grata in the Clearwater household. There was a fifty-percent chance that Harry would hunt me for sport, honestly. His aim with a shotgun was second-to-none.

//

Dr Cullen had brought his wife, and there was something almost funny seeing them in our home - they were both dressed in very stiff, fancy clothing, standing in the entrance looking awkward. I was in the kitchen finishing the washing up in pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt; both Freddie and Charlie were still wearing work clothing.

The apartment was still mostly in the late 60s style from when it was built. Lots of brown and yellow. Freddie always intended to renovate, but we never seemed to get around to it - moving all the books would take us days, and we’d have to stay downstairs. It was cozy up here, and if we made any changes, it would be to clean out the third floor.

“Hello Alice.” Mrs Cullen smiled so warmly at me, but I felt oddly shy, offering a little wave as I put plates back into the cupboard.

“Turn on the coffee maker, love, before you go,” Freddie said, and I got the message that this wasn’t going to be a meeting I was included in. I wasn’t upset about that; somehow Dr and Mrs Cullen were far and away more intimidating than Jasper was. Somehow the golden eyes and the pale skin that looked so right on him made me nervous around them.

Thankfully, Dulcie was having dinner with her brother’s family tonight. It meant we could have this meeting at home and she’d probably bring home left-over dessert. Hopefully that really good blueberry donut thing that Mrs Stanley usually made for Dulcie’s birthday.

It also meant that whilst I had been told I wouldn’t be joining in on the meeting today, there was no one in the house that would check to make sure I was wearing headphones and watching movies on my laptop instead of eavesdropping for all I was worth. And in my defence, I had to know what Freddie was telling everyone so I didn’t mess up the story later on. It was just planning ahead.

//

“He can read minds?” I shrieked, giving myself away instantly.

Charlie Swan swore, sloshing his coffee in surprise, as the rest of them spun around to look at me in the hallway.

“Alice,” Freddie groaned but I didn’t care that I would be doing extra cleaning this week or whatever as punishment.

A girl’s mind is private. There are things happening up there that die with me, okay?

Things like me contemplating the logistics of having sex on a gurney now that I’d met Jasper and realised he was a foot and a half taller than me, and probably 100lb heavier.

Or the fact that whilst my visions hadn’t been instructional, so to speak, they had given me a certain amount of reference material to reflect on. I might never have been a Girl Scout, but I do like to be prepared.

And the idea that one of the Cullens could mind-read and had probably told the entire family that a good fifty-percent of my brain power was solely dedicated to what I had seen of Jasper’s body in my vision at any time was… not ideal. Not at all how I planned to integrate myself into their lives. I was aiming for lovable future daughter-in-law, not mouth-breathing creeper.

“Edward considers the contents of everyone’s mind private, unless harm would result in keeping it secret,” Mrs Cullen quickly reassured me. Please. I had seen Leah and Seth together; I knew what siblings were like. There was no way in hell that Jasper hadn't been informed that I had absolutely noticed he was ripped when he helped me up.

“I’m taking a lot of emotional damage learning this,” I said slightly hysterically. “Can he hear everything?”

“Only when he’s present.” Was Dr Cullen laughing at me? He looked amused.

“Alice,” Freddie sounded tired. “There are brownies in the downstairs freezer if you want some dessert.”

Huh. It was bad if Freddie was bribing me with the catering supplies.

“That would help,” I said, trying to walk through the kitchen to get a knife with some kind of dignity. “You understand why I would be uncomfortable with a teenage boy reading my mind, right?”

“I think we’re all on the same page about that,” Charlie said. He didn’t look amused.

"Alice, I really don't think there's anything in your head that Edward Cullen would worry about," Freddie said, obviously trying to sound comforting and mostly made me want to slam my head against a wall.

"I've had unmonitored access to the internet since I was eleven and no boyfriend! Or girlfriend! There's plenty up there I don't want Jasper's brother knowing!" I snatched up the cake knife and looked over to see Freddie looking like he needed a drink, Charlie Swan looking the most uncomfortable I had ever seen him - and that included the ass-injury incident - and Mrs Cullen trying very unsuccessfully not to laugh at me.

"And now I've made it worse. I'm calling Cynthia!"

It's not the fact that my father was a vampire that makes me a freak. I manage to do that all by myself.

[mamawasatesttube]

With timkon who do you think fell first? And who fell harder?

GOD ive been turning this over in my head all day and it's so hard to answer in those terms i feel like!!! theyre SUCH a friends to lovers in my mind that they just melt into each other so hard. augh lets see though okay okay lemme try

i DO think they both had crushes on each other in their yj98 days. (i mean... "i know i'm gonna die i just wish i could talk to kon one last time" ???? "hey robin anyone tell you your voice drops like an octave when you get all commander-like" I KNOW WHAT YALL ARE.) but i DON'T think either of them realized it. they were both just kids still way too deep in the closet for that.

tim DEFINITELY started going off the deep end wrt kon's death. i think he was still figuring out the whole "bisexuality" thing while getting whammied left and right by shock/trauma/grief all steamrolling him flat in the world's worst conga line, so i don't think he fully registered that the feelings he was having were explicitly romantic, but he was definitely feeling ways. i mean, like. he absolutely kissed cassie as a substitute for kissing kon. when he actually put it together that thats what he was doing, though... i don't think it all really came together for him until after he was done brucequesting and actually got to breathe and let himself process. he was already head over heels at this point. he just didn't know.

for kon, i think it's this really slow, gradual thing, where feelings of friendship melted into a very deep and intimate bond without words somewhere between "best friends" and "romantic partners", again without him really having the self-awareness to put that sort of label on it. post-resurrection kon is just so introspective, i think it just sorta comes to him one day that, like, oh. he'd like to be close to tim forever. he knows he's into guys at this point but bc of his sexual trauma + dating history i do think it takes him a HOT second to clock that this feeling of intimacy and comfort is, in fact, romantic attraction.

so "who fell first" and "who fell harder" is just so confounded by both of them not even fucking realizing they fell for each other for so long kjsdfjksd like arguably they both fell pretty early, and tim fell REALLY hard while kon was dead, but i also don't think they REGISTERED that at all!!! theyre a lil stupid!!!

that said. when they have both figured out they're into each other, kon is def the one who's pretty calm about it like oh :) i love tim and i just want to be near him all the time. whereas tim is out there like oh my god he's holding my shoulder. he does that all the time i will not overthink this but oh my god what if he would hold me more WAIT IM NOT GOING TO OVERTHINK THIS and im NOT going to daydream about OHHHHH MY GOD he put his jacket on me oh fuck oh fuck im going to be normal im NORMAL is that his favorite cologne i can still smell on the collar. oh GOD did he just notice me sniffing the collar of his jacket like a creep ah fuck okay im a creep im a weirdo what the hell am i doing here WHY is this not actually distracting me from the way i can definitely still smell his cologne shit shit fuck-----

(and then they kiss. eventually. <3)

[beevean]

a star ⭐ AND a query: are there any particular notes you have for Rain or What We've Lost and What We've Gained?

Ohhh!

Not much to say about Rain, it just came from a prompt and the idea that Hector would be "odd" enough to prefer rain over the sun. I'm not particularly proud of that one, to be honest, although I liked writing from Rosaly's POV and I took the chance to flesh her out a bit without straying far from what we know of her: she's disgustingly cute, she trusts Hector unconditionally and doesn't judge him for his weirdness, she's traditional in many aspects including having prejudices but willing to meet Hector halfway, and in short she embodies the better qualities of Christianity. I tried to incorporate other symbolisms, such as comparing Hector to a snake echoing his edgy moment in PtR, or Rosaly coming to appreciate the rain because it does kind of resemble his beloved in a way. And as I said in the notes, I just wanted to write a fully happy Hector for once lmao, let the man have one joy in the trauma conga line called his life :P

WWLAWWG is dearer to me, because I wrote a big part of it after suffering a loss - Julia's words about Isaac and her blaming herself for not loving him enough resonate too close to how I was feeling back then. I have all the feelings about her relationship with Isaac :) and i might have teared up a little when i wrote "i just want my big brother back!"...

It's worhty of note that it was born out of an idea that has little too do with the general theme of the fic - that Hector and Isaac can't have children due to their powers, something that would weigh on Hector when married to Rosaly as he'd see it as yet another consequence of his mistakes - and then spiralled into a much more wholesome headcanon that at last fixed all my grievances with the idea of Hector going to live with Julia. Maybe in the game Rosaly's makeshift orphanage doesn't exist... but nothing stops me from integrating it into the setting >:) I also go absolutely feral over the idea of Hector becoming Dracula, but this time in a positive way: by welcoming unwanted children and actually raising them with love, not to use them ;A;

Julia is a fascinating character for me to write, because she is a big big liar lmao. "Unlike her brother, whose thoughts and emotions were akin to a river in flood, and unlike Rosaly, with her clear, crystalline honesty, Julia was a placid lake, surface smooth and undisturbed." I could have phrased it better, but I liked the imagery here: Rosaly was gently honest and Isaac was brutally honest, but Julia hides everything behind her smile and slightly witty attitude, and Hector knows that something is lurking under the surface, and it's only a matter of time before it breaks the illusion. makes you wonder why she's like this...

I also tried to make Hector sound a little different here. This is post-CoD Hector, this is a Hector that has fully affirmed himself and his own agency. He's no longer the boy who would let himself be eaten alive to fill someone else's void :) it was very important to me that he took the decision to remove himself from a toxic situation, while still not looking like he was simply running away: I'm proud of myself for the idea of leaving the Devils with Julia, who in Kojima's art is shown taking care of them. There is something to be said that in theory, Julia would be an even better companion for Hector than Rosaly, because she fully understands Hector's powers and "curse", and being shunned because of it, and they can both be fully themselves around each other. This alone makes me imagine that the two would keep in touch through their lifetime, even from a distance.

(similarly I like the part where Hector muses that trying to assign blame on one person is eventually a futle endeavor, becase "it would always return to its starting place". You can't run away from grief, and what's the point in blaming dead people or yourself?)

And as I said in the notes, it's funny to me that it's the very first fic that used the Hector & Julia tag lol. But I still feel I wrote them as rather romantic, even though it wasn't my intention, perhaps for the moment of vulnerability they share together. I suppose you can read them as having the potential to fall in love, but kept apart by their trauma, which is the whole point of the story lmao.

and finally, this

“Then I’d better start packing as well,” she snorted, “for you seem hardly willing to part with your money.” “With all due respect, one hundred gold for a short sword may be on the excessive side–” “I’m simply teasing. Forgive me, but your pride is too easy to prickle.”

was a heartfelt jab at the game, specifically at my first playthrough where I didn't know how to stop being too poor for her shop :P

[soosoosoup]

What’s your opinion on each of The Snack Pack? (And Creek)

Do you think they should own Branch an apology for how they treated Branch for many years? (Except Prince D and Tiny, of course because they weren’t there/born yet, and I know Creek probably won’t-)

The worse part was that they liked BroZone but have been treating Bitty B! (Poor Branch!😭)

I feel like Pop Village needs to own Branch an apology. How older generation did to Branch, the fact no one takes him in just because he’s grey! (And other reason I think) which is worse. I’m not sure about King Peppy.

The new generation just went along, following older generation.

They have been treating Branch in a bad way, not just Branch! Bitty B who was once part of BroZone Band.

I’m not sure if anyone ever thanked Branch what happened during the pot scene, only Poppy did thank him. He was singing! He did it to bring the hope back! He have done so much for Pop Trolls. Not just Branch, Bitty B did!

Don’t forget about Bridget, she said she thanked him sure, but she should not say “I guess” because without him. They would have been caught sooner!

How would Viva think about what they have done to Branch?

How would Bros especially John Dory, think about them? What would they do with that?

Now about DJ Suki

Do you think she would be back? I miss her but I’m not sure if she will be back. I wonder where she went…

I know TrollsTopia showed that but I don’t feel like it’s canon and because she wasn’t in TWT and those series are not canon so yeah

so so sorry for making you wait like a couple days, been pretty busy and didn't notice 😓.

Ah, the snack pack. I must confess that I don't really think much of them 😅eheh. At least when first watching the movies, they kind of just blended into the background as more character were introduced with the sequels. But!! I am quite a fan of how they're expanded through fan works!!

Yeah pop village can be quite harmful, toxic positivity was pretty ingrained into their society. probs bc it seemingly ‘works’ for all of them. The older folk can forget the pains of the past and the young can grow up happy. But for those it doesn't ‘work on’ (branch), it is very invalidating. But I also see the harm they do as unintentional mostly. They probs think that at this point Branch must not want to be happy. For the snack pack they’re probs like 'come on man this again? just lighten up and sing along' while like totally ignoring what is burdening him. Though I mostly see that as the failing of the older generation who at the very least needed one person to step up and work through the traumas that's being buried for Branch. Could have really helped him process and cope growing up.

While it would be nice for some apologies to be given, I doubt Branch would ask for it (it would be a conga line of ppl saying sorry, yeah branch would get tired of that real quick lol). Oh and thanks you’s would be great too, maybe theyre were some and we just didn’t get to see it. That’s how i hc it anyway :)

I’m sure the bros would be very unhappy to hear B grew up as an outcast, and viva would as well, but even more so I see her being disappointed by their disregard of the possible danger of bergens & their erasing of her and the putt putts.

Ahhh and Creek. He's always a joy to have, he makes things interesting lol. I think before the whole 'betraying your people to certain death' he was just a troll, a condescending troll who thought very highly of himself, but just a troll nonetheless. But yeah he’s def not a good person after all that was said and done. This guy would need to apologize for days!

DJ Suki's been missing!? how did i not notice that? Perhaps if the next movie had more snack pack suki could hopefully come back. Come back dj suki, i need to know more about you!

[mywingsareonwheels]

Some things that Morse doesn't know about Thursday in s9 of Endeavour (and may in fact never find out).

(Spoilers behind the cut, also CW references to child abuse, alcoholism, violence, and a mention of elder abuse.)

that Thursday taking the job in Carshall was Bright's idea, not Thursday's, and that Thursday needed to be talked into it by Bright specifically because he knew he'd be leaving Morse behind and was unhappy about this for both their sakes. (Honestly I adore Bright and I think he was right to do this, and right in gently encouraging Thursday in s8 to let Morse move on and grow away from them all, but it is still an important distinction!)

that Thursday missed him achingly when he was away (although I think that scene late in 9.1 makes it clear that Thursday would have told him if he'd thought Morse could cope with it... ;-)).

that Sam had a dishonorable discharge, which the family are covering up not because they're ashamed of him, but because they want to protect him.

the full extent of how unwell Sam is and how much this is manifesting in behavioural problems (although Morse has noticed a fair amount of this and knows something is extremely up, but the full degree of it, and how badly it's affecting the whole family? I don't know). Thus, the extent of exactly how desperately worried Thursday is.

that Thursday is a child abuse survivor, specifically of physical abuse from an alcoholic, and that this is his first time in adulthood sharing his home with an angry alcoholic who is (now Thursday is older and Sam in something like his prime, alcohol aside) physically stronger than he is.

(the punch at Strange's stag do is so much more upsetting in that context, I note, as is Thursday's instinctive placation. There's paternal kindness and loyalty and generosity in that moment, but I think there's an old trauma reaction too; it read to me awfully like an emotional flashback. It is extremely fortunate that Sam is very decent indeed deep down, seems shocked by his own action, and is doing better by the end of the episode. Sam is one of two men (the other being Morse) that I would not trust Thursday to even try to defend himself against.)

that Thursday finally gave into Lott's blackmail over Blenheim Vale at the point that Morse's life was threatened. When he talks about the pressures via "family"... he meant Morse, not just Win, Joan, Sam, Charlie, and (arguably) Strange. There were a range of threats, but that seems to have been the final straw, especially as it was the most explicit.

the phone call Thursday got from Ronnie Box trying to encourage him to get out of the situation (and Thursday refusing; he may have taken a while to talk into the new Blenheim Vale investigation but he wasn't going to abandon it once committed until it was that or let people he loved get killed; when the threat was only against himself, nah, nothing doing).

that Lott tried to kill Charlie, and Thursday still doesn't know where Charlie is; what Charlie's done to Thursday is horrible but still, yikes.

that Thursday was dreadfully worried about Morse at the wedding (that's Word of Roger, rather than in the script, mind you, but it would be extremely out of character if he hadn't been).

Morse does go through an awful lot in series 9, but the sheer fricking trauma conga line of Thursday's life in that series, all while he's trying to pretend everything's just fine... ouch.

None of it justifies Thursday's serious fuck-ups and wrongs in 9.3 of course! But I think it's absolutely crucial not to see Thursday entirely through Morse's eyes at any point in s9, because there's such a lot that Morse doesn't know, and for the first time Morse is liable to be far too harsh on his old mentor, not too gentle on him. Thursday is not okay at any point in series 9, and seems to spend the whole of 9.3 breaking down.

(I hope it goes without saying that I am very much of the opinion that Thursday should have told Morse at least some of all this!! But I find it very understandable that he didn't, especially as mostly he wasn't protecting himself, but Sam. Gaaaaah it's all so tragic!)

(Yep, I know I keep saying this, but I actually would find it deeply out of character for both Shaun Evans' Morse and John Thaw's Morse to reject Thursday and even his memory entirely for what happened. Even with the v limited data he knows. Protecting him by never talking about him to anybody while sharing a detailed (if perhaps coded) correspondence with him for the rest of the time they're both alive? Infinitely more likely. And can't you just see Thaw's Morse being that leeetle bit silently smug about still being closer to Strange's father-in-law (or possibly ex-father-in-law) than he is. ;-) )

[rmorde]

Trigun Manga Reaction

Now unto Volume 1 - Chapter 4

Meryl sums up Vash so well. He gave the bounty to the people that hunted him.

AND he also gave food to Kuroneko.

I must say tho. How did they get salmon? I get that the Plants can produce them. But... how? Do the Plants produce them as raw whole fish? Live fish? Neatly sliced fish? The production of water and energy is really easy to imagine. However, specific stuff like this bewilders me.

Also, I like the '98 a little better because the townspeople are more involved - showing remorse and gratitude at the same time.

Another incredible double spread. I like the massive scale of the ship is drawn. But I'm distracted by Meryl and Milly's hands here. It's so funny how to communicates so much fury and incredulity.

WAIT. WHAT?!

So, the tracking device stuff happened way earlier?!

It's interesting how these sequence of events were re-arranged in the '98 with minor changes. Yet even with that, the "spirit" of the characters stayed true.

Meryl and Milly are competent with their jobs. It's just that Vash is a bit "very much" and they constantly have to adapt to the string of unfortunate events shenanigans he always inevitably get involved in.

LMAO!!! This never gets old. But why is the other kitty not here too?! I guess the reddish brown one is a'98 original.

Another interesting double page that makes me wonder... How does it look in a book format? Wouldn't there be some warping in the middle that may affect the full picture?

I'm curious because I'm reading the Overhaul version atm since the official English release, apparently, is not exactly stellar with the translation (Hopefully not John Werry level). Anyway, the pages are cleaned up so the art is great for the double page spreads.

Oh. I like the composition of the info dump in here. Have the travel route arrow on the map connect Text Box 1 to Text Box 2 is quite clever.

Wasn't able to say it before but Tristamp Tonis broke my heart. Compared to his '98 and manga counterparts... It's not fair! Plus his ruined relationship with Vash...

AHAHAHAHA. So silly! Poor Vash.

After coming off from Tristamp, seeing this in the manga and remembering how it was in '98... holy fucking shit Tristamp Vash had it worse. So so much worse. That poor iteration of Vash didn't even got the chance to breathe or be appreciated like this by the people on screen. It was just one long trauma conga line.

Or maybe it was a problem in pacing? Tristamp went hard and fast with its story pace (practically JJK style) unlike here in the manga and most definitely unlike '98. The latest Trigun adaptation left no room for filler-y stuff like this... I wish they did tho.

But augh... thinking about it, maybe it's for the best that Studio Orange didn't because Roberto would definitely feel like a Milly replacement and earn more fan ire (which would totally be understandable imho). The production will be tougher too since it means more animation to do especially "anime physics" character acting which, as I mentioned before, is rough to do in 3D.

However... Vash deserved a lot more comfort in Tristamp not to mention even more character dynamics between Meryl, Wolfwood, and Roberto. Sigh. It's the JJK Pacing Dilemma all over again for me.

I remember this too from '98! And it is still funny. I can still hear the VA's "drunk" voice.

AHAhaha...Ha... One of the things that flew over my head as a kid and then finally understood as an adult.

But I wonder if there are ulterior motives here too? Like trying to tie Vash down more to the town - perhaps a good night with a woman would make him hesitate to leave? Not that he ever would as obviously seen in the panel and the next.

Idk. Maybe I'm reading too much into it now.

Sigh... Another sweet Tonis moment. Tristamp Vash was robbed!

I shouldn't laugh but AHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA!!!!

OMFG AND VASH PULLED A NIGHTMARE FACE BECAUSE OF IT TOO!!!

Idk. '98 faithfully animated this but the manga seems funnier to me. Can't explain why.

The kid has more spunk in his intro on '98 tho with his backtalking to Vash.

Really really good shadowing...

I'M SORRY WHAT?! WAS INTO SODO- Wait wait wait.... Let me check something...

So, in the OG JP Dub it was implied. Maybe. Who knows if the translation was accurate?! However, in the ENG Dub it was not. Just a general "He always trying to get at me!"... I always thought that he just meant that the "Uncle" is physically abusive and not sexual.

OKAY! Now it makes sense why this kid was worried that his story was "too impossible" to be believed. He straight up used the term "sodomy". Children suffering from such threats or abuse won't usually say it so formally (?) like that (or as I believe but I'm not knowledgeable on this). It was a red flag of a lie. Hmm... small change but quite an impact.

Huh... If you ask me, I think dish duty is much better than the cashier. Customer service gives me the hives.

However, '98 I think made the right call to have Meryl and Milly work the cashier. It suits them especially since they used it as an opportunity to bully Vash!