#kaiju fans eating good these days

[roxynychus]

So, I get that going from a somber, thoughtful horror/war film like Godzilla Minus One to saturday morning WWE wackiness like GxK within a week is some major tonal whiplash. However, I think a lot of people forget even the original Showa Godzilla series really only took itself that seriously for two movies before going right to the first King Kong vs Godzilla, which is basically a comedy, and the franchise has been pinballing back and forth between different tones ever since. Now we even have philosophically charged hard sci-fi esoterica like the Netflix anime on the side, as well. Personally, I like that there's two or three different versions of Godzilla on the market at any given time. We love a king with range!

[hoshinasblade]

i would like to apologize in advance because this sounds so rushed lol i just want to take a break from the angst. if u have any nsfw prompts, please send me an ask, i would like to write some more. THIS IS NSFW, MINORS PLEASE DO NOT INTERACT.

sex is good.

but sex with hoshina soshiro is better.

it is saturday - on second thought, it may be sunday already, you can't really tell because it might well be past midnight. the entire day was spent replenishing the contents of your fridge - a grocery date has been the routine since you started dating soshiro. the dinner was a hearty meal that you enjoyed just as much as making it with your boyfriend - soshiro is meticulous and thorough in his cooking, and sometimes you even hesitate to offer help in fear that you only be a liability in the kitchen but tonight he trusted you with cutting some onions and peeling the potatoes.

the plan was to watch a movie you chose, cuddle and fall asleep in each other's arms. but your first mistake was that you did not research what the flick is about - it was the first thing to appear when you googled "what to watch with significant other" - so you were surprised that it was not even at the twenty-minute mark, and there is already a steamy scene.

"why's the guy eating her face?" soshiro wrinkled his nose before hurling criticism at the movie's leading man. he was licking the woman's chin now, and you cringed a little.

"don't be mean, soshiro. you kiss exactly like that," you responded but only to tease. more than anyone, you know that the truth is the opposite, but you are not about to tell him that. hoshina soshiro is already cocky as it is, you do not want to pile "excellent kisser" into the list of his achievements. unfortunately for you, one of the man's fatal flaws is his predictability, and so you waited for the dramatic reaction to come.

soshiro stole the remote control from your hands. you were comfortably leaning on him while watching, but now he turned to face you. "kiss me then", he dared, the challenge sounding more like a command. the room was dark, save for the light from the television. "come on, don't i get to defend myself? where's justice in that?" he narrowed his eyes at you, a taunting smirk forming on his lips. you're not surprised - an experienced high-ranking officer plays to his strengths, and hoshina soshiro does so well in provoking you to action.

as if on cue, the woman in the film moaned, but you and soshiro weren't even looking. he is focused on you this time, waiting for you to bite his dare. you were trying your best to steel your expression, but amusement was apparent in your eyes when you caught soshiro staring at your lips.

the flesh is weak indeed.

you felt soshiro grin into the kiss, happy with his victory - you initiated first contact, your lips touching his gently, your breath mingling with his. "can we turn that shit off please?" soshiro suggested, his left hand connecting with your cheek, his palm spanning up to your jaw, his thumb at the corner of your lips. you parted your mouth and licked the finger while making eye contact with him. "fuck it", soshiro cursed before grabbing you by the shoulders and pulling you into him.

it was not hard to bring you under him, and this is hardly your first time being intimate with the vice-captain of the anti-kaiju defense force's third division. it is embarrassing to already be this breathless when soshiro has barely done anything to you. his weight partially on you, he is impossibly close as his lips find the soft spot near your throat. you closed your eyes tightly, feeling soshiro drag his kisses lower and lower until he had to lift the collar of the blouse you were wearing so he could reach the skin the fabric was covering.

soshiro groaned when he discovered you were not wearing a bra underneath. he took off your clothes in one smooth motion and you did not resist. he nibbled at your collarbone, his breath fanning against your already heated skin. the temperature rise is apparent, and you feel burning up. "do you still think i kiss like that?" soshiro asked you, but the question almost did not register with you. your laugh turned into a sharp gasp as he trailed kisses down the valley of your chest, his deft fingers now working on the sensitive buds of your breasts.

"oh my fucking god", you swore. you are sure soshiro could hear your heartbeat now, and your pants got heavier as he held both of your wrists down the mattress over your head, limiting your movements.

"stay still for me," he requested, continuing his descent down your body. "baby."

soshiro had always preferred calling you by your name but he is also very generous with the pet names when he wants to get something from you. so far, his trick has never failed him.

"s-skip", your voice was husky from the tension. "skip that, i want you now." it's not that you are bored by foreplay, it's just that you are too wet now and if your boyfriend spends one more minute tracing patterns on your skin, you're afraid you would throw a fit.

impatience looks good on you, he was tempted to say. soshiro finally relented and released your arms from his grip. he kneeled in front of you, parting your legs. enough to make you squirm, soshiro seemed to be enjoying this game - he has a particular habit of taking his time with you, but as he takes off your pants and underwear, you realized he is just being torturously slow right now. a rough groan escaped you when you felt him bite you lightly; you clamped a hand over your mouth in reflex.

"you drive me crazy", soshiro said as he snatched your hand away, putting it at your sides. he gives you one final searing kiss before entering you. the world melted away.

your brain could not keep up with soshiro's actions anymore. one second you are looking up at him, and the next he had flipped your positions, your body hovering his now. your thighs on both sides of his torso, you relied on his hands on your hips, guiding you through the motions. up and down, up and down, you did not want it to end, and when you paused to catch your breath, soshiro had taken it upon himself to fuck up into you. "i'm close," you warned him when he picked up the pace.

that didn't take long, he thought. this is not your first rodeo -pun intended - so he knows you are more likely to cum faster when you are on top of him. ever the gentleman, he held your waist, lifting you a little, pushing inside you at a speed and angle that felt so good your body seized.

"soshiro, f-" he didn't cease moving, his mouth latching on yours, silencing your loud moans. tremors consumed you, a hot flush crawling from your belly outwards until your toes were curling with pleasure.

chasing his own orgasm now, soshiro did not have the self-control to stop the way his hips were moving, one of his hands left your hip to settle on your tits. you arched your back at the sensation. "say you want me to come inside you", he told you.

"i need you to come inside me." soshiro did not need to ask twice. scared that your knees would give out, you leaned into him and stared at his eyes.

desire overwhelmed soshiro and you watched him combust.

"you okay?" soshiro was the one to break the silence, your body slumped over his, unmoving. "did i hurt you?" the two of you are still trying to recover, and it warms you to know that even in this situation, his first thought is to find out if you are well. eyes still shut, you did not respond.

soshiro smacked you in the ass.

"you literally just fucked my brains out." and you're literally still inside me. you aimed to sound more forceful, but exhausted from your earlier activities, it came out weak. your head on his chest, you heard the rumble of his chuckle.

"oh god", he replied. "i gotta let you choose the movie next time too", he said, his hand on your hair.

you sighed quietly, sleep threatening to claim you. in the background, you can still hear the faint dialogue of the movie you and your boyfriend were supposed to watch.

[imjustasimpxd]

Something Old, Something New

(Chapter One)

➬ Ken Sato x Fem reader

Summary : At first glance, Ken Sato seemed to have it all. With money, fame, and success surrounding his name, there was nothing he couldn’t get his hands on. They say money can buy happiness. That may be true to an extent, however, can money buy forgiveness? Unfortunately for Ken, no amount of money and influence can turn back time and change the past. No amount of bribery can erase the fact that he had chosen to abandon his wife in favor of pursuing his baseball career. That awful decision he made took place five years ago, when he was just starting out as a professional athlete. But now that he’s matured and had time to reflect on his actions, can he hope for a chance to rekindle his marriage? Or should he accept defeat and live with the consequences of letting the only woman he’s ever truly loved slip away from him?

Word count : around 2,500 words

Warnings : mentions of abandonment and neglect, arrogant Sato, sad reader, mentions of regret, angst

Author’s notes : comments and reblogs are appreciated!! I appreciate all feedback on my writing so that I can know what you guys liked and what you think I should improve on

Disclaimer : this is a work of fiction and should in no way, shape, or form, be taken seriously.

Side Note : This fic, and everything else I’ve written on my blog is mine and only mine. I work very hard on everything I write so do not, under any circumstances, modify, copy, or stela my work.

Ken Sato. Looks, wealth, talent, charisma, and confidence rolled into one good looking package. 

The mere mention of his name was enough to cause an uproar of fanatics screaming and shouting in excitement, as if they were a pack of wolves howling at the moon. 

Though he was mostly known for his impressive baseball career, being named one of the most eligible bachelors in sports didn’t hurt his credibility either. If anything, playing the part of the charming ladies’ man only increased his popularity, especially to any of his adoring fans that were women, which most of them were.

After becoming one of the biggest celebrities in both Japanese and American sports, there weren’t many people who were ignorant of a household name such as his. Every man wanted to be him, and every woman wanted to be with him. 

To the public eye, Ken Sato seemed to have it all. But looks can be deceiving, can’t they? Especially when it comes to a man who’s spent years hiding his true feelings behind a veil of humor and charisma. 

No one could know how much he was struggling to keep it all together, or the depths of the affliction eating away at his heart. He was Ken Sato after all, and Ken Sato wasn’t weak, he was a legend, and legends never died, they prevailed. So, he must too.

No matter how much the reporters hounded him, using every possible tactic they could think of to pry into his personal life, Kenji never gave them more than a shred of minuscule details. Feeding them like rats, giving them only the bare necessities to satisfy their hunger for a short while before they came crawling back, demanding more. 

He never let them know more than he wanted, more than he felt like sharing, and frankly, there was a plethora of details he didn’t feel like sharing. 

His reputation of perfection probably wouldn’t uphold itself that well if the media knew about all the things he was wrestling with. Between being a newfound parent to a kaiju infant by day and a masked vigilante known as Ultraman by night, Ken didn’t exactly fit the cookie cutter version of “having it all together.” 

And if that wasn’t enough, then the shame he harbored towards a decision he made almost five years ago would definitely topple the pedestal he comfortably built his identity on. 

The press loved gossip, and they’d fight tooth and nail for even the smallest scintilla of drama. Twisting innocent words and blowing frivolous details out of proportions was the job of reporters. So, imagine the headlines they’d make if those reporters found out any real insiders on the life of the world-famous baseball player. 

Imagine the sales they’d make if a journalist ever got ahold of the information about his past, the same past he’s been hiding away from during his time back in Japan.  

He’s thought about calling, maybe writing a letter to express some form of condolences, but what if word got out? What if the press found out about the woman he used to be married to, the same one he abandoned five years ago in order to pursue his baseball career. 

Forget his most recent batting record, a scandalous story such as that would make headlines from both sides of the Pacific Ocean, and then there really would be nowhere else for him to hide from his past, lest he fancied moving somewhere more remote and secluded. 

If that day came, if Ken Sato was exposed for the decisions he made before becoming famous, then his reputation might take some irreparable damage. 

That’s why he was so closed off towards reporters, towards his teammates, towards everyone. 

Never let anyone close to you and they can never betray you. That’s how Ken Sato lives. 

At least, how he did live, before a little reptilian creature crawled into his life, forcing him to realize there were things that mattered more than wealth and fame.

Before taking care of a kaiju infant became the priority in his life, Ken Sato had rooted his worth in the success of his career. So once that career took off, offering him all the success and affluence he could ever want, he began to realize just how little he really had. 

Despite the riches, the popularity, all of it felt meaningless with no one to share it with. He could’ve held a party with hundreds of guests, surrounding himself with countless people all desperate to please him. Nevertheless, none of it would fill the emptiness engulfing his heart; knowing that no one he interacted with would ever see him as more than a means to financial gain and an increase in social status. 

He had a world full of convenience and opportunities at his fingertips, and yet, he never felt more detached from reality. 

His family was complicated, his friends were more like business partners who benefitted from their relations to him, and the one person he had ever felt truly comfortable around probably hated him now, after being dismissed in favor of baseball. 

In the end, even in a room full of dedicated fans, Ken Sato felt alone. 

However, then that little kaiju infant came along, and everything started to get better. Caring for a child, though tiring at first, gave Kenji something to work towards; a purpose that mattered more than advertising for energy drinks or scoring another record breaking hit at home plate. 

Emi finally gave him the one thing he always wanted, the same thing he always pretended not to need: family. 

After that, baseball didn’t seem to matter as much as it used to, unless he was teaching it to Emi. And all the wealth he had acquired over the years didn’t hold the same value as before, unless he was spending it on his adopted daughter. His lifestyle remained the same, but his heart was in a different place, a more peaceful one. 

Winning championships were more rewarding when he had someone to win for, someone to celebrate with afterwards. And now that he’d repaired the relationship between him and his father, things were looking promising for his future. 

But there was still one more roadblock, one last regret preventing him from moving forward completely. 

You. The woman he’d been married to for a whole year, and, regretfully, the same woman who asked for a divorce due to his neglectful and inconsiderate disregard for her. 

He was young and immature back then, foolishly believing the pursuit of his baseball career was more important than maintaining a healthy marriage. He was arrogant, thinking that extravagant gifts and vacations would keep you happy and secure his role as a provider. 

But he was ignorant to think that being married to you meant he no longer had to earn your affection. All the money and gifts in the world couldn’t make up for the fact that he was never home, and that you were never his priority back then. 

Every morning he’d wake up early, well before you, just to attend practice. And every night he’d come home late, just after dinner, claiming he had needed to stay longer than normal to practice more. 

You’d set out a plate for him, but after his baseball career started taking off, he didn’t really have the time for things such as family dinners or game nights; or so he said. 

He’d usually come home and skip dinner, taking a shower or going to sleep instead. You didn’t necessarily blame him for that, it was only natural for him to be tired from practice. But as the days of barely seeing him turned into months, and he started traveling consistently for his games, you started to feel more like a stranger to him than his wife. He was your husband on paper, but, in the confines of your home, you barely knew how to keep a conversation with him anymore. If you were being honest, you didn’t even really know him that well anymore. 

At least, not as much as you used to. Things were different when you first got married, he wasn’t always so arrogant and inconsiderate. Instead, he was passionate and playful, always knowing how to make you laugh after crying. Even on your first date, he was romantic and charming, making you blush to yourself every time a compliment slipped past his lips. 

But I guess the honeymoon phase people always warn you about before marriage was real; at least, it was for you and Kenji. 

Once his baseball career started taking off, the fame must’ve gotten to his head, and he forgot about the one woman who had been supporting him from the sidelines all along. You had gone to every game, recorded all his winning homeruns, supported his career even though it meant holding off on pursuing yours. And yet, he repaid you with neglect, with a one-sided marriage.

You held on for a while, convinced that he would come around, that his behavior would change and he would reflect on his actions. But after the one-year anniversary of your marriage arrived and he wasn’t even in town to celebrate with you, that’s when you made your decision. You were done being a second choice. 

You got in contact with a lawyer, gathered divorce papers and waited with bated breath till he got home from his trip. And the moment he walked in the door, you practically shoved the papers in his face, all the emotions you’d kept bottled up for so long suddenly coming out in a volcanic eruption of shouting and sobbing. 

And surprisingly enough, he stayed quiet through the majority of it, just watching with a hollow stare as you unleashed all the frustration you’d been harboring towards him. And without a word, he took the papers from you and fished out a pen from his desk drawer, signing them in silence. 

Maybe he had realized from your onslaught of emotions that you were better off without him, that he was clearly causing you pain, and you’d be happier once he set you free of him. Or maybe he really was just that heartless and figured now was the perfect opportunity to get rid of you. Either way, your stomach seemed to twist into a knot at the way he so casually signed those divorce papers and handed them back to you. 

This was what you had wanted, wasn’t it? You’re the one who had gathered the papers in the first place, you should’ve been happy that he was finally ending it, finally setting you free. And yet, you felt yourself holding back tears at his lack of emotion. He didn’t try to argue, he didn’t plead with you to give him another chance like you had expected him too. He just admitted defeat, giving up on trying to fix your marriage and taking off for Japan two days later. 

He left, leaving you back in America while he returned to his home country to continue baseball there; abandoning his American team in the middle of their journey to the championships. 

He had given you an opportunity to move on, to become the person he always prevented you from being, and so you took it.

You cut all forms of communication, threw out everything of his that he didn’t take when he left, and moved into your own apartment. It was a fresh start, a clean slate, and you finally had the chance to chase after your dream career, just like he had been doing.  

So, you did, and you didn’t give up. You refused to, you owed this to yourself, and you weren’t going to waste any more time pouring effort into someone who didn’t appreciate it. 

So, you worked, tirelessly, anxiously, until the day came when your newest novel finally become a bestseller all around the nation, and you were officially titled a successful author. 

Now it was your turn, to stand in front of a crowd of adoring fans, to sign autographs and attend fan events. It almost reminded you of your ex-husband, how people used to scream his name and cheer for his success. But now they were cheering for you, supporting you like he hadn’t. You almost laughed at the irony of it all. Five years ago, you would’ve never imagined the life you’d made for yourself now, celebrating your fourth bestselling novel in a row and becoming a well-known author like you always dreamed of. 

And yet, looking back, none of this would’ve been possible had you not been set free from the restraints your marriage to Ken Sato had bound you to. Without him and the neglect he subjected you to, you wouldn’t have worked as hard as you did. So really, in a way, you had him to thank for how far you’ve come and all the success you’ve accomplished. Because if he never signed those papers five years ago, you would still be tied down to a one-sided marriage. 

But you weren’t, and thank God for that.

Now you had moved on, and so had he. 

Or so you thought. 

Little did you know, Ken Sato was on a mission, and not as Ultraman this time. After undergoing the change and maturity necessary to become a parent to a kaiju infant, Kenji realized he needed to make things right between the two of you. Even if it had been five years since he last saw you. 

He wasn’t looking to ask you to take him back and rekindle your marriage, though he wouldn’t have minded if that ended up happening. Instead, he simply wanted to apologize for his actions, for being such a crappy husband back then. He had reflected a lot on the subject of your marriage over the past couple years, but, he never reached out in fear of your reaction to seeing him again. 

Although, after avoiding it for long enough, and getting a lecture about taking responsibility from his dad, he finally decided to go through with it and booked a flight back to America. 

He was nervous to say the least, but he knew he couldn’t back out. Even if you screamed and yelled at him, he had to take accountability for his past actions and apologize for the pain he’d caused you, for pushing you to the back burner while he allowed baseball to take priority in his life. 

He’d made peace with himself and his father already, thanks to the help of his adoptive daughter. So now it was time to make peace with you. And as he watched the plane lift off the ground from his window seat, he held his breath, wondering how you would react to seeing him again after so many years. 

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[quartings]

Random Godzilla thoughts:

I've been on a Godzilla binge recently, having watched Monarch Legacy, Godzilla X Kong, Minus One, and Chibi Godzilla just this year and I've had some interesting thoughts on all of them that I hope Godzilla fans can answer!

It's funny how in the American movies, Minus One, and some of the classic movies too, Godzilla still has the origin of being a unique standalone prehistoric monster in the modern day that just gets bigger and irradiated from the atomic testing, as opposed to being an ordinary animal that gets mutated into a kaiju (Which was a misconception I had as a little kid). It's interesting how that specific choice adds an extra layer of needing to suspend disbelief- not necessarily in a bad way though!

Also it's interesting how Godzilla gets his name in-universe between versions, seeing as the real origin for it is so lighthearted and campy, being "Gorilla" + "Kujira" (Japanese for whale) because he was meant to be SO much more of a giant monster than that darned American King Kong, haha. In Minus One it's just what the locals of the Pacific island called it, but in the Monsterverse we still don't actually know where the name comes from. In the Monarch Legacy flashbacks it's just referred to as "the creature" or something, and then in a more recent 1950s flashback, Dr Keiko is already calling it Gojira with no explanation on where the name came from. So as the Monsterverse shows and movies continue, I'll be interested to see if they ever want to explain where the name comes from! In GxK, Skar King and Shimo are named in ancient translated Iwi records (Isn't it WILD that the Iwi named Shimo after the Japanese word for frost?) so maybe Godzilla's name exists in some old carving too, elsewhere in the Monsterverse.

My whole life I've thought the beam of energy Godzilla fires from his mouth was officially called the Atomic Breath. But in Godzilla X Kong, Minus One, AND Chibi Godzilla, it's officially called a Heat Ray. So is "Atomic Breath" just a fanon thing? Because actually it would make a lot of sense- in the back of my mind I always wondered how Godzilla movies rarely talked much about how the mere presence of something as radioactive as Godzilla should make even the un-destroyed parts of cities uninhabitable after an attack (The Monsterverse films get away with it by claiming that many Titans eat "bad" radiation and convert it into "good" radiation). But if the beam is just mostly heat energy with very little radiation, that makes more sense. And even moreso for the versions of Godzilla who actively eat radiation to live, because otherwise why would they just spit it back out all over again?

If I got something wrong here, hardcore Godzilla fans are more than welcome to clown me, but I'd love to hear more discussion on small little details like these that are surprisingly consistent across very different Godzilla projects!

[kaliido-s]

Well, the kaiju ship I ship most is Mothollante, but everyone’s already given their thoughts on that so yeah. Has a lot of the pros of Mothzilla with few of the cons, as well as the wonderful aesthetic of a genetically-engineered abomination and a goddess of nature. There’s also the obligatory puns about flowers and butterflies, and Mothra-based hurt/comfort and fluff which is one of my favorite kaiju fan plots.

Mothzilla’s… alright when handled in a certain way, but it’s a “the ship is fine but why is it everywhere” type of thing. And with the MonsterVerse especially, their relationship is better if it’s platonic. All in all, I don’t really ship it, unless a particular person’s take leans to the “humanity’s sins and nature’s virtues” aspect of both of them.

Gong’s pretty good. Tired old men being tired together.

Rodorah’s pure arson and anarchy and I value it for that, but no way is that dynamic anything approaching healthy. I ship it for the lolz.

I’ve jokingly shipped Legion from Gamera and Destroyah together before. Two big buff arthropod ladies.

Angzilla has the same benefits as Gong, really, but with more Showa craziness. I find Kongzillra to be a funny threesome, esp. because GvK would have been over in ten minutes if Mothra was there to slap some sense into Goji, to calm Kong down, and to alert the humans to Mechagoji/Ghidorah.

2MUTO is the kaiju ship I like second most, it gets points for being the only canon kaiju couple I can think of outside of the two OG Rodans, and also because I just love the MUTOs in general. Fr though, those two bugs were so sweet together, and I do think they had as much if not more chemistry than the human leads. Anyone who says that Femuto would have committed mate cannibalism on Hokmuto can face my wrath. MUTOs are clearly designed to fight, hunt, and live in pairs (therefore it makes no sense for her to kill and eat him), and it’s entirely possible they’re like crocodilians (i.e. female raises the kids and protects the nest, male brings her and the wittle babies food. Babies stay with the parents for several years until they can live on their own, and may stay within the parents’ territory for several more years. But now I’m going on one of my MUTO ecology headcanon rambles again…)

That’s all I can think of for now, have fun with these and have a nice day!

ooh this is a long one

- I think the funny thing about the hurt/comfort fluff is I only really like it with the Heisei Mothra. For some reason, maybe because she starts out as a larva, she always seemed a bit less like a goddess to me and more like a really caring person just fighting for what they love. While I read other Mothras as more closed off and unsure in social situations because of their attachment to world peace, Heisei Mothra feels more sociable and peppy, and thus capable of committed relationships

- continuing that, Mothzilla I have never really been a fan of, and I think Goji and Mothra being friends is far more interesting. They care so much and mean so much to each other, but it’s because they value their friendship, and neither of them have really had a relationship like that before. They started off as a business relationship and got closer over time, and I think their friendship is very sweet.

- Kongzilla is (usually) very relaxed old man yaoi and I like that a lot

- If you read my other previous ask about Rodorah, you’ll know how I feel about it. Very wacky very goofy very arson.

- Y’know what, I totally think Legion could get it. She’s pulled tons of arthropod ladies before.

- Again, relaxed old man yaoi, I like that a lot. For them it’s way more like, they’ve been friends for so long and have only gotten closer over time, and everyone’s wondering whether they’re official or not, and maybe they won’t say it out loud cause they don’t want the attention, but they are.

- I had a pretty brief Kongzillra phase and that was pretty fun. Mostly used for laughs and silly shipping dynamics where there’s no bad blood. They’re a power throuple.

- The MUTOs are so cute to me, the part where they meet each other in Chinatown, call to each other, nuzzle, and sync up their vocalizations when they kiss lives in my head rent free. It’s too bad Godzilla hates straight romance, because they were a very adorable and committed couple. (I also would be super into any MUTO ecology posts if you’re offering)

(this clip. this clip right here. the sound design, the cuteness, chefs kiss.)

[absolutebl]

Not sure if you'll have an opinion on this, but I'm curious. I keep noticing a lot of casting connections between Japanese BL and another Japanese media genre I watch, and in particular one franchise. And I can't tell if it's A Thing or not. Maybe I'm just seeing it because I happen to watch both of these genres (maybe if I was into some other genre I'd see the same kind of overlap?), or for a mundane reason (e.g. maybe shows from both genres recruit actors of a certain sort/level of success?). It seems like more than a coincidence. But if it's not a coincidence, why would this happen?

The genre I'm talking about is tokusatsu shows. My family and I got into kaiju movies, then into Ultraman shows, and through that into other tokusatsu stuff. Around the same time, I got into Kdramas and eventually branched out to stuff from other parts of Asia and into BL. The franchise that most of the tokusatsu overlap happens with is Kamen Rider.

My sample size is small as I'm a recent convert to BLs, which is a weakness for this tentative argument, but I really think this might be noteworthy...maybe? Here's what I've got so far (noting years because the time range is interesting):

Senpai, This Can't Be Love! is full of Kamen Rider alums. I knew both leads (from Saber, 2020, and Ex-Aid, 2016) and their boss (from Ryuki, 2002), then heard from others on here that two other minor characters were on KR shows I haven't seen yet. This is the most extreme example by far and may be skewing my perception.

I knew Takeda Kouhei of Old Fashion Cupcake from Kamen Rider Kiva (2008), where his character is the polar opposite of Nozue (overconfident, flamboyant, girl-crazy). But then I found out he was a regular on Kamen Rider Build (2017) as well.

Less clear-cut and in the opposite direction, Nishijima Hidetoshi was in What Did You Eat Yesterday? (just heard about this quasi-BL from one of your posts) before being the lead in Kamen Rider Black Sun this year. He was also just in Shin Ultraman, the only overlap between Ultraman and the BL world I've noted so far.

At this point anyone reading this is probably picturing me like that meme of a wild-eyed Charlie Day in front of his conspiracy-theory wall collage. But I keep wondering. Is there someone in a studio role responsible for BL who's a huge Kamen Rider fan? A veteran casting director from Toei making a leap to a studio that produces BLs? Or maybe I just have a case of apophenia (unfounded pattern-finding).

Wondering if you might have some insight.

My guess is that it's actually agency stables in play. Talent agencies and casting directors get in each others pockets a lot. So often you'll see cross over actors, sets of actors, like the casting director fielded the agency's team.

Usually this is because the casting director notified the agency of the roles available and the agency also looked into all the sides, extras, etc and basically blanketed the couch with possibilities from thier stable.

So for example, Takara & Amagi are both played by Jpop idols, but while they're form different groups, they share the same talent agency.

To My Star stars Son Woo Hyun & Kim Kang Min are from the same agency and were also both in The Golden Spoon and Tale of the Nine-Tailed.

If you watch Kdramas as well as KBL you'll start to see this a lot with the sides and extras. I think Japan operates similarly. Something like Absolute BL fielded a ton of familiar faces and I think quite a few of them were from the same agency.

If casting has a good working relationship going with an agency, they can just ring them up from set to send someone over real quick if there has been a drop out or a sudden need for an extra. It's a kind of laziness but also the result of long relationships and industry networking. Also actors will travel in packs and get pulled in just because they're hanging around set while their friend is shooting, and they're often friendly because they share an agency.

I wouldn't be surprised if a number of the better KBL lead pairs turn out to be from the same talent agency and to have at least socially known each other before filming. I've never cared enough to look into it, but I would take an educated guess at 50% or so.

It's all about networking in ET.

[thefloatingstone]

Do you have a favorite anime studio or creator

Not particularly. I tend to like individual shows and MAYBE franchises.The most I do is check if a studio who is tackling something I like has a good track record or not.

For instance, the studio behind the new Sailor Moon movies is studio DEEN which would explain why the animation in the Sailor moon movies, despite being MOVIES, looks so clunky and mid-level TV quality. Studio DEEN does not have a great repertoire. Most of their shows on MAL are somewhere in the 6/10 range with some dipping to 5 which is VERY low for MAL.

On the other side, the upcoming anime for Kaiju No. 8 (which is a manga I love) is Production I.G. which has a much better pedigree in terms of quality even if you ignore them doing every Ghost in the Shell ever. Most notably they're behind quite a few animated versions of Ultraman which makes them a good fit for Kaiju.

KyoAni probably has one of the best track record for animation quality in TV animation, even with the extreme loss they recently suffered due to an unhinged fan murdering 30 of their staff. But I am not actually the biggest fan of KyoAni as they tend to focus on Light Novel adaptations. And I don't enjoy the writing style of the kind of Light Novels KyoAni likes to take on as projects.

But the king of animation at the moment is probably studio Trigger, the spiritual successor of Gainax who are set to tackle Dungeon Meshi which means the Dungeon meshi anime is probably gonna be fucking amazing. Trigger's biggest problem is they lack restraint, and need projects that can pull on their reins a big to stop them from going overboard. This is why Edgerunners worked so well for them as it forced them to work within certain parameters.

Bones is a lot like Trigger in terms of the level of quality they put out, but Bones is currently stuck in My hero Academia hell which eats up most of their time and focus. That being said, their work on Mob psycho 100 shows they are still a top contender when it comes to animation quality when given the opportunity.

As for Creators, I'm not a big hanger on of anyone. Usually I just end up noticing patterns between the shows I like where I suddenly realise the same director or writer or storyboarder worked on several shows I like but that's about it. I like Ikuhara for Sailor Moon and Utena, and I enjoyed what I've seen so far of Mawaru Penguindrum, but I don't go out of my way to seek out work specifically by him.

I focus more on individual creators when it comes to manga. And that extends to anime. So if I see a manga author I like has a new anime adaptation coming up, I'll check to see what studio is working on it because I am interested in that manga author's work.

I tend to be this way with music for the most part too, especially growing up. These days yes there are individual bands I like, but for most of my teenage years and even early adult years, I was more interested in individual songs I liked rather than a band or singer.

[kaileeandag]

References in Yi-Kyung’s series

There’s going to be some things referenced in Yi-Kyung’s series that I feel would need to be explained. So, here we go!

Beliefs/Superstition: -Fan Death: many South Koreans believe that if one sleeps with the fan on during the summer with the door closed and without open windows, the fan will steal the sleeping person’s breath, leading to their death. -Writing someone’s name in red ink is taboo, as red ink is meant for the name of someone who is deceased. This is also the case in Japan, where names on tombstones are etched in red. In Korea, writing someone’s name using red ink when that person is still alive means that the writer wishes that the person whose name they wrote down dead. This belief isn’t really that popular anymore, but many still see writing someone who is alive’s name in red ink as very rude. -A shared superstition with China and Japan, the number four is very unlucky. Many elevators in South Korea use the letter F to indicate the 4th floor of a building. The reason why this number is unlucky is that their word for four sounds similar to their word for death, much like Japan. -don’t lie down right after eating in South Korea, otherwise you could turn into a cow! -eat taffy on days when you have a test! Why? Because it’ll make information “stick” in your head after you’ve learned it!

Urban Legends: -Mr. Cuckoo: a man who was sent to one of the worst psychiatric facilities in South Korea, where he was mistreated horribly by a female patient. This led him to hate all women and so when he escaped one day, reports of a man attacking high school girls with an ax began flooding in. It’s said that if you were to walk by an alley and Mr. Cuckoo was there, he would jump out and scream “Cuckoo! Cuckoo! Cuckoo!” Now, if you want to survive your ordeal, repeat the phrase back and run for your life. If he gets close enough to ask “Do you know Mr. Cuckoo?”, reply yes and HAUL ASS OUT OF THERE! -Sack Man: kind of like the Boogeyman, this legend involves a man carrying a straw sack that he puts children in. What does he do? Some say he eats the kids, others say he scolds them before sending them home. Korean parents will use this story as a way to make their kids behave, saying “If you don’t listen to what we say, the Sack Man will get you!”

Folk Culture: -Bulgasari: a legendary Korean creature, it is made up of these animals: a bear, an elephant, a rhino, a tiger and a bull. According to legend, the creature grows taller whenever it consumes metal. It is seen as a warning of material greed. In 1985, South Korean filmmaker Shin Sang-ok was more or less forced to make a film based on the creature, titled Pulgasari. The film was made because Kim Jong-il was a major fan of kaiju movies and was a lifelong admirer of the director, who was kidnapped along with his wife in 1978. Sang-ok and his wife escaped in 1986,while in Europe for a film festival.

Places: -Buk-han: the South Korean term for North Korea. Translates to Northern Han. -Everland: South Korea’s largest amusement park, it is located in Yongin in the Gyeonggi-do province. The park opened in 1976 and at the time of Yi-Kyung’s story, it is the home of her favorite coaster in South Korea, Eagle Fortress. The coaster would shut down for good in 2009.

Terms: -Oppa: big brother, used by girls only. When a boy address his big brother, Hyeong is used instead. -Eomma: mom. Mother in Korean is Eomeoni. -Appa: dad. Father in Korean is Abeoji. -Halmeoni: grandmother. -Harabeoji: grandfather. -Jobumonim: grandparents.

[kronoose]

oc tober day 3 In a cherished memory

Warning this one is a bit sad my dudes

zara sat in her chair in the lab more lost in thougth than paying attention to what he dads were saying about kaijus thinking about when she first met newt a bitter sweet memory

she sat at the memorial for the mutavore attack holding a plush striker eureka close to her chest looking over the names of the victims of the attack stoping at the two she knew well her parents she pulled out a cupcake that may or may not have been stolen "Im ok guys I made it to 10"

She glanced around checking that no one was watching her before all but unhinging her jaw and eating the cupcake in far less bites than she should.

Zara smiled softly and started talking about the orphanage she'd been placed in and how she was working super hard to become a pilot

She glanced around as she felt like she was being watched expecting the familiar officer who was been returning her after each of her escapes to visit her parents but instead being met with a man who was watching with an amused smile.

"you a fan of striker eureka?" Newt asked keeping his distance

"ya I've always loved them they saved my school" Zara smiled Brightly touching each of her fingers to her thumb

Newt smiles softly "ya they're pretty cool gypsy danger was my favorite when she was active"

Zara's smile impossiblely widened "I liked Yancey he seemed cool but not as cool as the Hansen's. did you know they've dropped 11 times and since striker eurekas is the Mach 5 it has mostly been against category 3s "

Newt smiles brightly "how interesting I recently met Raleigh he's ok " he shrugged

"You've met a Jager pilot?!? That's so cool"Zara gasped excitedly her gaze shifts to over newt's shoulder"that's my ride I guess I need to head back" she stands up once again clutching her plush Jager close

Newt glanced back at the officer and gives a small nod before heading off after leaving his offering of two crocheted striker eurekas

Zara walked over to the officer "good afternoon Erica" and the two head back to the orphanage

Zara tuned back into the current day as a cane was tapped against one of the many blackboards of the lab "ya I'm listening" she shakes her head slightly and looked between the two men she now considered her fathers and smiled

Prompt list I'm using

[skunkstripe]

top five horror movies, top five movies in general, top five music genres, top five ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm creatures

ohhhhh shit ! asks in bulk!!

okay ummm top 5 horror movies:

1) bride of re-animator. some of the most impressive practical effects i've ever seen. it's just absolute insanity the whole time. truly the most entertaining thing i've ever watched. no plot only medical malpractice and gay divorce.

2) coraline. stop motion rulesssss i love you stop motionnnn!! and this movie was, at the time of release, the most complex stop motion movie out there. the kind of movie where you'll notice something new every time you watch it. i also have a weakness for stories about doppelgangers and the horror of having a family.

3) us. for many of the same reasons as coraline. has a lot of absolutely jaw dropping moments for me. every time i watch it i see it from a different light. the music rocks. the characters are all so compelling and the actors are doing suchhh a good job playing two roles each.

4) the lighthouse. this movie is bonkers i love it. the atmosphere is phenomenalll everything feels so grimy and worn down. you're never sure what's real and what's imagined. both those guys acted their dicks clean off i really have to hand it to them.

5) this is a tough choice!! if short films are allowed, i'll say jack stauber's opal. i'm also tempted to list hausu or susperia (1977), although i've only seen those movies once each.

top 5 movies in general:

1) bride of re-animator. (see above.)

2) coraline. (see above.)

3) us. (see above.)

4) pacific rim. incredible self confidence demonstrated by this movie. we see the kaiju almost immediately out the gate, there's no waiting around for the plot to start. everything and everyone has a name that is equally as cool as it is ridiculous. characters are all great, kaiju are all great, giant robots are cool as fuck and these ones are literally powered by love like come ON you gotta love it.

5) the nice guys. my favourites take on the buddy cop formula because neither of these guys are cops lmao. when i rewatch i'll usually notice a visual gag i missed previously. there's just a lot going on and i love it. march is a sopping wet beast with a scream only dogs can hear and healy is my transition goal.

top 5 music genres:

i don't think i'm enough of a music expert to make this list tbh! often my favourite songs are ones that combine genres or defy categorization. which is why gorillaz are on my spotify top 5 every single year lmao. but punk music is forever my favourite genre.

top 5 creatures:

1) virginia opossums. i'm biased bc that's my fursona hehehe. they've got 13 nipples in a spiral shape and they eat ticks. everyone clap and cheer for canada's only native marsupial!

2) red pandas. as a wise person once said, they're red, what else could you ask for.

3) giraffes. been thinking about these guys a lot lately as they are truly one of the strangest animals on earth. the most distressing fact i know about them is that they're the only animals born with horns.

4) platypuses. for much the same reason as giraffes. i'm a monotreme fan 4ever. i think god had a bunch of parts left over on the sixth day and said, ah fuck it, and the platypus was born.

5) all the other creatures :) i love you aminals <3

[sinnerxroulette]

A burst of frustrated static crackled through the air, Alastor very much trying to control himself from growing to kaiju size again and try to eat the devil standing before him.

Charlie wouldn't appreciate that. Plus Lucifer could literally tear him to shreds, so-

"A 'wee bit drunk'?! You were three sheets to the wind, my good man! Practically embalmed! And I wish you had acted like it! Instead when I try to have myself a little something on the rocks and a peaceful sit at the bar, I have you suddenly at my side! Gabbing away! First insulting me only to move on to asking odd questions, and finally landing on crying about all sorts of random subjects. And that last bit was while clinging on to me the whole while."

Alastor replied archly, acid practically dripping from his tone at the last bit. He'd tried to get away, but a drunk Lucifer was still a strong Lucifer. So any attempts to shove the guy away had been fruitless. And his ability to shift into shadow and slip away kept getting thwarted; whether some ability of Lucifer's or just a side effect of being around the fallen angel Alastor wasn't sure. He just knew it'd been beyond enraging to not be able to become intangible and escape the cage of Lucifer's deceptively thin arms.

Alastor wasn't a fan of a stranger's touch, it took a lot of familiarity and trust for the stag to accept contact he didn't initiate first. He'd never admit it, but a certain type of panic had begun to start up; the sensation of ants crawling on his skin as the encounter continued. The clinging only lasted a few minutes all in all, but those few minutes had been the longest Alastor had felt in a long while!

His antlers had already started to grow and spike out as a sign of his agitation - a sign that Alastor was about to do something very very ungentlemanly - when Charlie came into the lobby and very much saved the day. She and Husk - who'd been watching in amused horror up to this point - came in then and separated them. Charlie dragging her father to his room and Alastor running away retreating retiring to his radio tower for the night.

"Hey, I may have gotten a weeeee bit drunk, alright? But you can't be mad at me, when you won't even tell me what I did to be sassed at, Mr almighty deer man." Lucifer folds his arms, tapping his foot. Whatever he did, couldn't have been THAT bad. Right?

@sinnerxroulette

[monstersdownthepath]

Demigod Dossier: Velstrac Demagogues, part 1

Pictured: Aroggus, the Abbey-Maker

Lawful Evil Mad Artists of the Shadow Plane

The Complete Book of the Damned, pg. 120~121 Additional information is also present in Adventure Path: Return of the Runelords: The City Outside of Time, pg. 74~79

Our second-ever Demigod Dossier, now fully in-swing! The Velstrac Demagogues are the rulers of the Shadow Plane and all the lives within, though many of said lives within aren’t really fans of them. Natives to the Netherworld find the presence of the Velstrac an annoyance at best and a threat to their lives at worst, and would much prefer if they went back to Hell where they came from, but unfortunately for everyone everywhere they don’t appear too eager to throw themselves into the jaws of the inferno just yet. Instead, they’re busy throwing themselves into the jaws of one another.

The Demagogues represent the pinnacle of a specific subset of the Velstrac’s twisted senses of ‘art’ and ‘perfection,’ either because they’ve mutilated themselves into something wholly unlike anything else that can, did, or could exist, or they’ve pioneered a form of artistry that other Velstrac couldn’t even conceptualize in the first place and gathered a fandom. It takes some very twisted, alien forms of thinking to become a Demagogue and get others rallied behind you, even moreso because the Velstrac themselves are, putting it kindly, completely out of their gourd. When your audience already expects the insane and outlandish, you have to go even further, and many of the fiends you’ll soon see have.

We’ll only be covering four in this initial post, with the rest to be saved for later...

Demagogues view mortals as little more than primal clay to be shaped, and thus see little worth in investing true divine power into them, worshipers receive Boons that are are relatively simple: a trio of spell-like abilities, each of which may be used 1/day. Boons are normally gained slowly, at levels 12, 16, and 20, however entering the Evangelist, Exalted, or Sentinel Prestige Classes can see the Boons gained as early as levels 10, 13, and 16. Note that while they are Lawful Evil fiends originally from Hell, they are not devils, thus you cannot enter the Diabolist Prestige Class to obtain their Boons without DM fiat.

Aroggus, the Abbey-Maker

Demagogue of Possibility, Revenge, and Sanctuary Domains: Evil, Law, Protection, Trickery Subdomains: Deception, Defense, Fear, Tyranny

Obedience: List the names of those who have wronged you until the writing covers a page, then consume the parchment. Benefit: Gain a +4 profane bonus on saving throws to resist compulsion effects.

What a completely normal, sane, and healthy thing to do! As the first of the Demagogues to flee from Hell, Aroggus is EXTREMELY angry at the devils for locking them up in the first place. Angry enough to want revenge on the whole of the diabolic race, as well as the Asura... Angry enough that he hasn’t yet even started getting around to enacting his revenge, instead just constantly thinking about and refining it as if no iteration of suffering is perfect enough to match his fury.

True to form, he wants you to ruminate in your anger rather than doing anything to enact your vengeance, blacking out a page with the names (or just one name) of all who’ve wronged you no matter how petty or insignificant the inconvenience they may have caused. Unfortunately, no two ways about it, you’re going to look insane (in the literal definition of the term) doing this every day, especially if you only have one or two people who’ve wronged you enough to get onto your list. Scrawling their name, front AND back, until the page is filled and then eating it is behavior that will raise eyebrows no matter who you’re adventuring with. Best to keep this one behind closed doors. Make sure you have a glass of activated charcoal after, because all of that ink day after day (unless you write with, I don’t know, berry juice or blood) is going to do amazingly terrible things to your constitution.

The benefit is good. Compulsions are typically Save-Or-Suck effects, so having more Save means less Suck for you later on. It’s useful at any point in your adventure, so I can’t say anything bad about it! My only wish is that it was a little stronger, since some other gods give +4 vs compulsion and charm effects.

Boon 1: Nondetection Boon 2: Forcecage Boon 3: Imprisonment

Nondectection is a good spell for those times when you need to sneak by diviners, hide magic items from scrutiny, avoid the gaze of a Paladin who’s a little too judicious with Detect Evil, or to add another layer of shroud over Invisibility and the like. It’s a spell that’s a pain to prepare every single day, but useful to have when you need it... but you only have one casting of it per day, so using it wisely is paramount. Ironically, it combines well with your own Divination to find out if you’ll even need it later.  More often than not you won’t be using it at all except to idly ward yourself when going into town or diving into a dungeon.

Forcecage is a completely different animal, the offensive and defensive applications of the spell simply mind-blowing, to the point that keeping this to just one paragraph to save space is going to take some herculean effort on my part! So, the basics: Forcecage has two versions, both of which halt all movement through them: A 20ft square of force bars that allow spells, projectiles, and line-of-effect through, and a 10ft cube that blocks line-of-effect and all forms of magic and supernatural abilities. A Forcecage is effectively invincible (having Hardness 30 and 20hp/level) and impossible to move, so anyone trapped inside without the ability to teleport is likely to stay there for the spell’s duration. Also, to put it simply, shoving enemies in the cage is the main point, but if you cannot, a 10ft/20ft square is an enormous roadblock to stop up narrow passages with.

Which leaves Imprisonment, a portable hole you can shove all sorts of problems into, which will likely create new problems down the line if the target had anything you needed on them. I recommend knocking out a foe, stripping them of their valuables, and then shoving them into their baby jail for all eternity! With the Freedom spell being the only means to undo Imprisonment (even Wish and Miracle fail), you’ll have no actual way to undo the spell against any target you cast it on for one or two more levels, if at all (depending on the party composition). Make sure to use it only when the villain has no MacGuffins, or is a powerful recurring threat. Imprisonment works on anything and everything capable of failing the Will save (take note, anyone wanting to fight Kaiju, Great Old Ones, or Spawn of Rovagug), which gets a -4 penalty if you know the target’s name and some facts about its life, so famous villains are even more vulnerable to being thrown into the Eternity Marble! 

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Barravoclair, Lady of the Final Gasp

Demagogue of the Elderly, Fatalistic Insights, Resurrection Domains: Death, Evil, Healing, Law Subdomains: Murder, Restoration, Resurrection, Undead

Obedience: Practice breath control, holding your breath until you nearly pass out. Benefit: Gain a +4 profane bonus on checks to resist drowning and on saves against inhaled poisons.

A hell of a step down in terms of unhealthiness in terms of Aroggus, and significantly less suspicious, too. Breath control is practiced by people of all stripes, from athletes to explorers to simple monks attempting more profound meditation. While ‘nearly passing out’ is skirting an edge most people won’t approach, it’s not exactly as dangerous for you as, say, inhaling water or eating poison every day. Without any materials needed, the Lady of the Final Gasp is one of the simplest and probably the single cheapest Obedience ritual one could ask for! There is a minor caveat in that races who can’t breathe can’t technically do this Obedience at all, but those aren’t the audience Barravoclair wants anyway.

Unfortunately, the benefit is as weak as the Obedience is easy to do. Drowning is unlikely to come up as a danger unless you’re physically dragged into the water by a monster (which means holding your breath likely isn’t an option anyway), and inhaled poisons are the least common poison type in the game. Against the odd Catoblepas or Green Dragon it will come in handy, but it’s protection from injury poison you really need, which the Lady of the Final Gasp doesn’t provide.

Boon 1: Speak With Dead Boon 2: Resurrection Boon 3: Soul Bind

Alright, let’s face it. Some days, you need Speak With Dead to keep the plot running smoothly. Whether your overzealous DPS kills everyone in the room, your Fireball-lobbing Sorcerer kills everyone in the room, or your summoner’s unchained beasts kill everyone in the room, chances are at some point in your career you’re going to save the party a lot of headaches by being able to pull answers from a corpse. Having Speak With Dead available every day will likely not matter 80% of the time (meaning you can typically use it at your leisure just before going to bed), but much like with Water Breathing and spells like Remove Curse and Neutralize Poison, having it for those 20% of times you need it can keep the wheels spinning and stop unneeded side quests.

... And speaking of side quests and things you’ll need once in a blue moon, Resurrection? For free? Even 1/day? With the hefty cost of 10,000gp for the normal spell, even a well-off party will feel the impact every single time they have to use Rez, but the removal of the cost ups the power level of the spell by a margin so enormous that it doesn’t really matter what Boon you get before or after this one; THIS boon rewards worship of Barravoclair enough to justify putting up with her empty benefit. Even without factoring in the ability to raise party members, you can now curry favor with people of all stripes and demand all forms of insane payments for your ability to raise centuries-old dead at no cost but time... or do your work for free and call in favors at a later date. Do note, however, that you’ll also need someone else on standby to remove the negative levels/stat drain caused by the resurrection process.

I said it didn’t matter what the third Boon was and I stand by it. Unlike with the free Rez above, Soul Bind’s enormous cost still makes its use as anything but a once-per-campaign finisher of an annoying enemy irritating and unfeasible. Spell-likes normally require no components, but Soul Bind operates in a gray area of the rules in that its focus component becomes the subject for the spell, meaning that a DM can very easily and very rightly say you DO require the  gemstone whose value must equal or exceed the target’s HD x 1,000. Binding even a simple 5 CR creature requires the tall order of a 5,000gp gemstone, and if you want to use it on a target that’s worthwhile, it gets expensive fast. It’s way cheaper and easier to just hire a Cacodaemon. 

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Fharaas, the Seer in Skin

Demagogue of Experience, Murder, and Patterns Domains: Evil, Knowledge, Law, Repose Subdomains: Ancestors, Fear, Memory, Souls

Obedience: Study the interior of a freshly severed limb. Benefit: You are immune to bleed effects that deal 6 damage or less.

This Obedience is deceptively simple for what its implication is. You’d best get yourself a Sack Of Rats or have access to a lot of disposable prisoners (or the Regenerate spell)! But thankfully, there’s some wiggle room in the wording: ‘freshly severed’ means no cheating and using Gentle Repose on the same arm over and over, but it ALSO means you can carry around a single corpse and slowly slice it apart, as the limbs themselves don’t have to be fresh, just freshly cut off for the purpose of the ritual. Also, you can use the bodies of Undead, Constructs, and any other creature that technically has severable limbs! Though Fharaas, the Seer In Skin, will likely punish you if your ritual doesn’t involve the examination of actual flesh.

You’re going to look really weird, is what I’m saying. At least if someone barges in on you, you can claim you’re inspecting them for something or other. Infection, signs of magic, etc, whatever you can come up with to blunt the blow. You can cover yourself moderately well by being a butcher or a hunter in your day job, as the severed limb doesn’t have to be human, or even sapient (hence why I suggest a Sack Of Rats), letting you freely slice up and examine your kills.

Bleed effects are fairly uncommon in the grand scheme of things but are also a pain in the neck to deal with in the middle of battle, so this giving a +4 bonus aga--wait, sorry, hold on no, this isn’t a bonus to saving throws? Or skill checks to heal bleed? It just... Stops them if they deal 6 or less damage? You don’t even have to make a save?

Okay. Okay, alright. So you’re just immune to bleed, then?

More or less, really. There are very few monsters that deal more than d6 bleed damage with their attacks (be warned that higher-level ones can sometimes stack their bleed!), and this ability also works on the rare but dreaded stat bleed, and off the top of my head there are NO monsters that deal more than a d4 dice in stat bleed damage. My main problem is that it doesn’t reduce the bleed damage you take by 6, so taking even 1 more point of bleed damage makes this ability useless. Still, though it’s fairly narrow, being effectively immune to a dangerous and irritating status ailment at level 3 or so (when bleed is at its most threatening) is well worth taking up butchery. 

Boon 1: Keen Edge Boon 2: Vision Boon 3: Foresight

Keen Edge is a spell you absolutely want to slap onto any vaguely pirate-y or hoity-toity party member you may have, as cutlasses, rapiers, and scimitars all leap from a dangerous 18~20 critical range to a terrifying 15~20, meaning they threaten to critically strike 1 out of every 4 attacks instead of just once every other fight or so. With a duration of 10 min/level, the enchantment will likely last multiple fights even if you only have it 1/day, but unfortunately it refuses to stack with any crit-boosting enchantments or feats the wielder may already possess, lessening its usefulness as your adventure goes on and your martial party members pick up increasingly fancy gear and pad out their collection of feats. Still, it’s useful for when you get it, and will remain useful for several levels after.

Vision is a whole different beast, and a dangerous one at that. It operates as the Legend Lore spell but vastly accelerated, allowing you to scrape the public consciousness for any information it may have on a specific person, place, or thing. I’ve complained about the general niche uses of Legend Lore before, but Vision grants the information in a much shorter time (a single standard action) at the cost of a potential for failure and a slap of fatigue whether you succeed or not. I don’t like 1/days that do nothing on a failure, but since Vision is purely a downtime spell (unless you need to know the boss’ weakness or info on the Evil Doom Artifact right now immediately), it’s not as much of an impediment to lose out on whatever information it could give you. That being said, the DM will likely have ways for you to do whatever plot-relevant research you need anyway, so Vision is more of a way to speed up the process than anything.

Which leaves Foresight, a spell whose main benefit relies intensely on DM cooperation, as I’ve ranted about here. Mechanically it’s fairly unimpressive, but if the DM reads the spell carefully, they should realize it gives whoever you cast it on a 6-second glance into the future at all times. Whatever horrors befall the victim 6 seconds from now should spring into your mind before they happen, making you the best trap radar on the planet, and the spell’s warnings for the best ways to protect yourself will urge the DM to grant you information about the enemy’s capabilities you may never otherwise know... but what do you expect from 9th level magic? It SHOULD be filling you in with details you’d never figure out!

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Inkariax, the White Death

Demagogue of Preservation, Absolute Cold, and Solitude Domains: Evil, Law, Void, Water Subdomains: Fear, Ice, Isolation, Slavery

Obedience: Inventory your collection of hoarded knickknacks, reciting your unique name for each item as you do Benefit: Gain a +4 profane bonus on saving throws to resist effects that would petrify or paralyze you.

God, finally, someone normal. At worst you’ll look like someone with a few obsessive issues, but at least you won’t look like a menace to society as you lay out your, I dunno, marbles or bone dice or dolls or what have you and make note that they’re still there, cooing to them with names only you know. It’s fitting for Inkariax, of all the Demagogues, to have an Obedience that requires no self-harm, physically or psychologically; unlike all the rest, he was born perfect and doesn’t need to chase after it. Instead, he pursues finding perfection in others, freezing and collecting people and items he believes represent perfection in whatever unusual way he desires that day (having perfect posture, or a perfect scream, or a perfect pair of eyes, etc). Much like him, you’re encouraged to expand a collection of whatever you deem perfect and desirable, which you’re often going to do just over the course of normally adventuring. I’ve yet to see a player character that doesn’t start amassing all sorts of junk in their pockets the moment they get a Bag of Holding or similar.

Indeed, you can just pick up whatever catches your fancy, be it stones, sticks, or severed bits of an enemy, though I’m sure Inkariax will ever-so-slowly raise a disapproving eyebrow if you just pick up any old junk. Make sure to curate your collection now and then! Being able to perform this Obedience with anything you happen to gather is especially helpful if you’re ever separated from your collection (always a danger) and need to start again, but note that each item you gain in your collection must have a completely unique name. That’s only really a danger for especially RP-heavy campaigns, but in such campaigns Worship of the White Death isn’t for everyone who just names all their collected bird feathers Jeffery. Start getting in the habit of stretching out your inventory sheet with names for all your items!

The benefit you get from lovingly counting up all your stolen statuettes and dusty books is resistance to two of the worst status effects in the game. While petrification is relatively rare it typically appears in Save-Or-Suck form, which makes protection against it far more valuable than, say, protection against something like the far more common fatigue or exhaustion. Paralysis is an ailment just short of a death sentence by itself, costing the victim their turn at best and their life at worst, so even a +4 between you and that is something you need to cling to with your entire being.

Boon 1: Sleet Storm Boon 2: Sequester Boon 3: Microcosm

Sleet Storm is a very simple spell with a decent number of functions. Its Long range means that any enemy in your line of sight can potentially be a target, letting you lash out easily at ranged enemies or dangerous casters by creating a 40ft-wide and 20ft-tall area of concealing sleet that’s impossible for any vision to pierce (except the rare and niche Snowsight or Fogcutter Lenses). Anyone inside will have to rely on Tremorsense or Blindsense (though the jury’s out on if the splashing of the sleet would confound those, as well) to navigate it, and 40ft of difficult terrain can feel impossible to clamber through when you start right in the middle of it with no idea which way is the way you need to go. It’s one of the strongest vision-blockers in the game due to its immunity to common tactics that thwart lesser spells (Gust of Wind, True Seeing, etc), forcing enemies to either blow their valuable uses of Dispel Magic or suffer for its entire duration. My only complaint is that you only get it 1/day and that it screws over your party just as hard if you use it incorrectly.

Sequester is as niche a use spell as there ever was for players, requiring a bit of forethought about what or who you’d want to hide with it. The target must be willing or inanimate to be affected, so tricking an enemy via Charm or Dominate into accepting the spell can keep them fresh as a daisy for weeks at a time if you ever have a reason to do such a thing. More often than not you’ll use it to conceal items you seriously don’t want seen or detected, such as a Bag of Holding or similar loaded with your collection of knickknacks or emergency supplies, a particular hostage, an NPC you need to keep alive, or your phylactery if you’re a Lich. If you’re especially sadistic, using it on an item someone else needs and throwing it into a well or a hoard of other objects will keep them occupied for a while. If you’re a more martial character, using it to hide your armor is viable, making it seem as though you’re invincible when enemy blows bounce straight off, or even your weapon to confound your enemies who seem to be taking wounds from an unseen item. Your mime routine will be killer, literally! Just... Just don’t drop the thing, because in the heat of battle you’re never going to find it.

Microcosm is one of the best spells you can hurl into a crowd of commoners or a swarm of foes meant to gum you up instead of actually threaten you. Its 30 HD limit will mean it likely will only strike one or two creatures capable of actually threatening you, but it’s brutal even then. The spell is permanent, trapping your victims in an illusory world in which everything goes right for them even as their bodies starve to death in the waking world. Anything with less than 10 HD is automatically affected with no saving throw, the spell easily mopping up mobs, while anything with 11~15 HD escapes automatically after 10 min... per level you have. On a successful save. There’s Save-Or-Suck, and then there’s the immensely rare Save-And-Suck! No wonder Microcosm is ONLY on the Psychic’s list! Anything with more than 16 HD is unaffected if they succeed their save, but all their allies are likely in an everlasting dreamland now. The big issue is that the HD restriction is way tighter than you may think; creatures, especially at higher levels, usually do NOT have HD matching their CR, but if you’re mainly battling level-appropriate Humanoid or Monstrous Humanoid creatures, Microcosm is fairly reliable in such battles, as those foes typically have HD that roughly matches their CR. But if you’re up against, say, Dragons or Outsiders, good luck bud.

Side note: Microcosm and Sequester used in combination make for excellent ways to start your own morbid collection of living creatures, just like your icy master! Just make sure you have some non-Divination means of seeing them, as Sequester blocks even True Sight.

[danwhobrowses]

One Piece Chapter 1021 - Initial Thoughts

Finally, we're going to get our Robin solo fight, it's been a long wait for sure but now it is here

After last week's setup and reveals we've got plenty still left in the tank, so let's get to it

Spoilers for Chapter 1021, Support the Official Release as well

Franky and Senor Pink finally got that drink and talked about Russian in the cover page, even the Bartender was brought to tears

Almost Naked Kaiju Robin (of course she's kept decent by the linings of her kimono) looks to grab and contort Black Maria quickly in this form, since it consumes a lot of stamina to be this big

Maria spots an opening though in that the pain still transfers to Robin's body, so she has a bigger target to do damage

Additionally, Maria is flexible and has poison limbs, paired with the webs entraps Kaiju Robin

The webs also open Kaiju Robin without a defence, and out come Maria's knuckle dusters

After some stiff punches (which Maria isn't holding back on unlike with Sanji when she needed him conscious to call for help), Robin relinquishes the Kaiju

The arms are caught in her web though which apparently are flammable

The Spider face on her lower half (Oda explain pls) can also apparently set things on fire (Oda EXPLAIN PLS)

Arms burned and backed into dodging, Maria gloats at Robin, reasserting her comments about her and Sanji from last chapter

She also tries to bait Brook in, but Brook reminds her not to underestimate a pissed off Robin

Robin flashes back to her Revolutionary Days, as Koala and Sabo want to teach her some attacks - Hack though asserts she can take care of herself

Robin though, happy in their company agrees to let Koala teach her a move, though it's unclear if she learned the Dragon Claw techniques from Sabo

Turns out Robin knows some Fishman Karate too, maybe that's why she wanted to chat with Jimbei so much

Her attack isn't aimed at Maria though, as she tears the roof down to deal with the fire

Ho now...

Whoa jesus, or not jesus quite the opposite

NAKED DEMON KAIJU ROBIN

FULL-ON CHERNABOG HERE

Now Maria feels the fear as the Devil coils around her

That's a lot of limbs that got Clutched

Maria's subordinates have been kept at bay with an Ice Wall too, but they're trying to peer into a small gap to see the outcome

And there it is, Maria felled by Demon Robin, and they've all just lined up to be wasted by Brook

A distant shot of Robin collapsing as Brook tends to her does imply some lingering damage, or loss of clothes, or both

A Mary though...which is weird because Bao Huang controls the Marys, maybe all the other Marys are spying for CP0 - they would definitely move if they think they can grab Robin

Back with Luffy and Caribou has the Niku

Aha Caribou mentioning the boundless storage space for that expectant foreshadowing~

Poor Jean Bart though, he wants to know what's happening to his crew WHILE LUFFY IS EATING, never a good thing Jean

Shinobu though is with Momo from afar advising against their plan

Momo does argue that if he doesn't though, Wano will be done for

Fan Theories were right, Momo's asking her to use her DF to turn him into an adult!

So Robin's fight was great, I was wondering if her title would get a change since she's no longer a child, and it still might since 'Devil Woman' would probably be more fitting now, but turning into a full devil is one hell of a flex

I wonder if there's Haki in that too, though that could just be me being hopeful

That's all the Tobi Roppo done now, well except Drake but he's on our side for now, he's still fighting Apoo too. Plenty of fights are still left; Drake/Apoo, Killer/Hawkins, BM/Kid and Law, Raizo/MegaForehead, Sanji/Queen, Inu/Jack, Kaido/Yamato, plus there's whatever Izo, Kawamatsu, Neko, Perospero, Carrot, Wanda, a rezzed Zoro, King, Marco, Denjiro, Orochi etc. are doing. Plenty of fights to enter the build

I don't hate seeing Momo get a quick age up, especially since his personality won't change, but part of me does feel like it'd be a forced attempt to fit into his father's shadow. Plus being a bigger dragon doesn't mean you should suddenly know how to use your fruit better, unless the plan is to bring more than just Luffy up with him.

But Robin got that valuable W, so that's what counts

[sleepless-rain]

Seijoh’s graduation trip plans

Translator: Leo | Sleepless-rain | Leoppii Editor: Troy  Esaki | Kahluaplusmilk

“Continue on unwaveringly.”

Those were the words that Iwaizumi Hajime had said to Oikawa Tohru, who had stopped to turn back and look at him. It was fall at the time.

“You’re my partner and an utterly amazing setter.”

On this day, Aobajousai High School had lost in the semifinals at the Miyagi representative game of the spring volleyball tournament. And starting from that lost match, the third years were to retire.

Iwaizumi and Oikawa weren’t only the captain and vice-captain of the volleyball club.  They had been together through junior high school and elementary school, more than half of their lives—up until now— was spent together on the courts as partners.

Iwaizumi’s words were blunt, unembellished and held no lies.

“Even if this team changes, that will not change. When the time comes I will take you down.”

Oikawa straightened himself and accepted Iwaizumi’s words of passion and friendship head-on.

“…Bring it on.”

And this story takes place a few months later.

TRANSLATORS NOTE: Please do NOT repost this translation ANYWHERE. If I see the whole thing elsewhere I will stop translating novel chapters and delete this one as well. Sharing small snippets are okay but not the whole thing. Please link back to this tumblr post if you want to share it.

  “I want to eat curry… So how about India?” said Iwaizumi, wiping the sweat off with his arm.

“You serious?”

“The bar is suddenly set way too high.”

Matsukawa Issei and Hanamaki Takahiro grimace, sweat dripping from their chins.

It was followed by, “But I like naan.”

“I totally get you.”

“When you want to eat naan, you drop by the curry restaurant.”

“I don’t get you.”

A stream of consciousness about curry overlapped with one another until Hanamaki cut in, wringing out his towel, “But you know…Hawaii would be good. How about we go snorkeling?”

“That sounds good, ‘specially in this situation. Deciding between curry and the sea, the latter sounds far better,” Matsukawa answered, ceaselessly wiping his sweat and wringing out his towel.

Iwaizumi, who had suggested India clicked his tongue, “Tch.”

It was hot in here.

Actually, rather than hot it was boiling hot. Yearning for the cool blue sea over a curry filled with spices was no surprise.

As to why they were in a highly acclaimed sauna.

                                                            *** 

In their third year of high school, winter.

With no classes to attend and it being a long time since retiring from club activities, the former volleyball club third year members of Aobajousai High School, Iwaizumi, Hanamaki, and Matsukawa were left in a daze, and with so much free time they made their way around to various large bathhouses.

After making a big fuss over the electricity bath* with a waterfall feature* they headed into the sauna together. While sweating, the brainless discussion of “where would you go for your graduation trip? Assuming that money wasn’t an issue” blossomed: a way to occupy their free time.

“But you know I’d like to go to Las Vegas.”

“Because you want to gamble?”

“But it’s only fun if you actually have money.”

“Ah, there it is: the forbidden word,” Matsukawa pointed out in response to Iwaizumi’s frank reply, but he thoughtfully considered an alternative.

“If it isn’t a casino… there isn’t really any other place I’d want to go there. Okay then… hmmm, ah. Pandas. A tour of the panda’s homeland, China.”

“Well, if its pandas,” Hanamaki replied to Matsukawa’s panda suggestion, clapping his hands together. “Did you know there’s a whole tonne of pandas at the Wakayama Zoo? I saw it on TV recently.”

“Wakayama?”

“Oh, I bet you don’t know where Wakayama is, Iwaizumi.”

“Shut up.”

Wincing at Iwaizumi’s lack of affection, Hanamaki pulled himself together: “Anyway, even my towel has gotten hot so I think it’s about time to get out.”

“Same here, I can’t stand it anymore.” Matsukawa stood up, “What about you Iwaizumi?” he asked.

“I’m staying.”

“Okay, don’t push yourself.”

“Cold bath?”

“Cold bath.”

The two friends agreed whilst pushing open the heavy wooden door and exiting.

Left alone in the sauna, Iwaizumi crossed his arms, staring at the thermometer on the wall. There was nothing else to do.

He wasn’t sure how long he stayed like that, sweating buckets until he muttered, “Las Vegas, huh?” before taking his towel and violently wiping his face and his head. “I guess I really am a bit like a kaiju.” He said to himself, standing up and leaving the sauna drenched in sweat and in search of water.

                                                               ***

 After enjoying the baths and the sauna, the three tired boys found themselves in the large tatami room. Lined with tables and sitting cushions the room doubled as both a resting and a dining area.

An old fan swung its neck unsteadily, blowing a breeze in their direction. There seemed to be a TV somewhere in the room, as the sounds of the golf match commentary could be heard faintly. There were people watching the TV with a few beers, people lying down reading the comic books provided, and children playing the games they had brought.

Everyone in this bathhouse resting area was relaxing and doing as they pleased. And as for these three boys, they were testing the limits of their stomachs.

Of course, it didn’t start off as such a vicious scene. It was meant to be a light meal but there was a reason as to why it turned into a bloodthirsty battle.

After getting out of the baths and slipping into the jinbei* resembling pajamas, the three ordered a light meal, curry, and ramen, while resting. The place ran on a self-serve system, where you went to get your food from the counter when the number buzzer you were given went off. However, the pork cutlet curry Matsukawa had ordered still hadn’t been called out.

“You two eat first, or it will get cold and soggy,” Matsukawa, who was lying on the ground reading manga, told Iwaizumi and Hanamaki who had gone and returned with their curry and ramen.

“Then I’ll dig in.”

“Sorry.”

Without holding back the two took their spoons and chopsticks in their hands and began eating.

“I knew it, curry is the best.”

“That’s not even Indian styled curry! You’re okay with that? ”

“Yeah, because it’s curry.”

The boys continued to talk at the table, and everything was still alright. The trouble was yet to come.

Slurping his ramen Hanamaki called out to Iwaizumi beside him, “You were in there for a real long time.”

“Hm?” Iwaizumi responded with the spoon still in his mouth.

“You know, in the sauna.” He replied.

“Oh that. Isn’t that amount of time normal?”

“Are you serious?”

Their conversation ended there. Both of them focusing on the curry and ramen before them. It was just a meaningless conversation however someone reacted unexpectedly.

“Normal, huh…?”

It was Matsukawa, lying on the tatami.

Matsukawa couldn’t let their conversation – Iwaizumi’s “normal” - slip from his ears.

 “‘Normal’ he said. Doesn’t that mean that the two of us that left earlier are weaker than normal?”

 At that moment his buzzer went off beeping.

Matsukawa got up, “Oh, it’s finally done.”

Hanamaki eyed him whilst sipping the ramen broth from his spoon and asked: “Yours is the only one that took so long, what did you order?”

“Me? Pork cutlet curry.”

“Oh, one of those things that take time to fry… wait, that’s not something you eat after getting out of the sauna!? Your stomach must be strong.”

Upon hearing that Matsukawa glanced at Iwaizumi who was drinking water. And as if he were waiting for it, a smug smile crossed his face, “You think so? Having pork cutlet curry is pretty normal.” He taunted, picking up the beeping number buzzer to get his pork cutlet curry, ambling towards the counter. Someone glared at the figure strangely overflowing with confidence.

“‘Normal’… you say?” It was Iwaizumi, spoon in hand. “Normal? Then me eating plain curry means I’m weaker than that?”

The golf commentary from the TV, the manga, the faint breeze blowing intermittently, the curry and ramen, all of it relaxing and warm. This heaven-like peace enveloping the resting and dining area unfolded into a sudden battlefield.  

Iwaizumi stuffed the remainder of his curry into his mouth vigorously before slowly standing up. “I’m going to get extra gyoza,” he said.

Taken aback by the sudden dangerous aura emanating from Iwaizumi, Hanamaki winced “S-sure…”. His hands stopped over his ramen, the atmosphere created by former ace Iwaizumi could have easily been mistaken for the middle of a match.

And soon after Matsukawa returned with his tray of curry.

“Huh, where’s Iwaizumi?”

“Mm? Oh- uh seems like he went to get some gyoza.”

“…I see.”

Seating himself leisurely onto a sitting cushion, Matsukawa took his spoon in his hand and sighed, “Facing off pork cutlet curry with gyoza, pathetic.”

“What? What are you talking about? Both of you have been acting really weird since a while ago! Is this some kind of inside-joke?”

Hanamaki put down his chopsticks without thinking and upon noticing change in Matsukawa’s attitude Iwaizumi had returned with a “hey.” The clear plastic container in his hand contained eight gyoza. On top of that, another box stuffed with 200grams of chicken karaage. Seeing the extra meat, Hanamaki just feigned a smile.

“Hey, I know you went to all the trouble of buying that but I’m full from the ramen, I can’t eat that.”

Iwaizumi didn’t even spare Hanamaki a glance, staring down unblinkingly at Matsukawa who was eating his cutlet leisurely in declaration of war, “All of it is mine.”

Matsukawa stared back, putting down his fork and rising to his feet to accept Iwaizumi’s challenge, “Bring it on.”

“What is it with you guys!? Matsukawa, why are you standing? Sit down!”

The downside of war is that there are always innocents who get dragged in. And without listening to the confused Hanamaki, the pointless battle began.

Thirty minutes had passed. After eating his pork cutlet curry, yakisoba, grilled onigiri, Matsukawa now sat with what he claimed ‘dessert’, slurping down tapioca filled milk tea.

An exhausted Hanamaki asked: “Isn’t tapioca made from some sort of potato, doesn’t that make this more of a food than a drink? Why are you eating little balls of potato after a meal?”

“Because they were selling it.”

“Even if you want to look cool drinking that, you don’t.”

“I’m not trying to look cool.”

“You are! I heard you when you said ‘pathetic’ and all that other stuff. ”

While Hanamaki and Matsukawa were going back and forth, Iwaizumi returned with another plate piled high with freshly made fries.

“Potatoes! More potatoes! Why are you both eating piles of potatoes!? It’s practically another meal! What’s with you two?! My stomach hurts just watching you. I’m begging you both, please stop!”

The bystander Hanamaki had given up and Matsukawa, who was probing for pearls with the end of his straw, and Iwaizumi, who was throwing a handful of fries into his mouth, stopped. They looked at each other and nodded.

“Let stop it here then since you’re insisting.”

“Right.”

“You’re pretty strong.”

“Same to you.”

Hanamaki glanced at the two shaking hands over the good showdown they had had, clutching his stomach and rolling on the tatami groaning, “The damage runs deep…”

Having mercy on Hanamaki, who suddenly gave in, and having come to terms with the power they both held, both of them turned back to the table. Instead of eating at top speed they ate at the pace they pleased, sipping tapioca and munching on fries. This peaceful scene is what you would have called a warriors break.

“I think I ate a bit too much.”

“It’s because we haven’t been exercising recently.”

“I guess so.”

“How about we show our faces at club practice tomorrow?”

“Sure.”

After eating and drinking until they were full, they leant against the wall, satisfied. It was a warm, comforting moment. Taking a hot bath, unwinding in the sauna, eating a good meal, the fan gently carrying a breeze towards them— It was a moment of bliss.

Eyes closed and exhaustion finally settling in, everything was disrupted by music playing loudly through the speakers in the resting area.

“Huh? Seems like something’s starting…” an almost asleep Hanamaki woke up, startled.

“Look at that…!” Eyes wide, he pointed out at the open area outside.

Iwaizumi and Matsukawa stood up to look over.

A low stage had been unknowingly set up, a group of elderly people who had just gotten out of the baths and enjoying a beer gathered around it, microphones held gleefully in their hands. The sound of unknown old men singing enka songs roared through the resting area.

“I didn’t think they’d have karaoke here.”

“I can’t sleep like this.”

“This blows.”

For these three high school boys with little life experience, and it was a little too early to be battling it out in enka songs. Slipping past the old men excited by songs of mountains and waterfalls, death and killing, the three boys shuffled out of the resting and dining area, leaving it all behind.

                                                              ***

Escaping the enka hell the three boys, wearing the indoor slippers, stumbled upon an arcade.

“Oh, they have the alligator game.*”

“Ready for the hunt.”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit cruel to hit their heads?”

“That crane game has a PS4 in it.”

“There’s no way you could win it.”

Familiar sounds and music filled the room. The three wandered aimlessly around the to all the old crane machines until Iwaizumi suddenly called out, “Oh! Let’s play this! Have a showdown!”

In front of the eager Iwaizumi was a punching bag machine. But Matsukawa wrinkled his brow at the effort of it all, “No way, I hate these power type games. You’re going to thrash us anyway Iwaizumi.”

“There’s no winning or losing in punching. It’s to test yourself.”

“You said showdown before.”

It seemed like they were about to break down into another fight but Hanamaki, blue-faced, cut in, “Sorry… but I… the moment I use any force I think I’ll have ramen spewing out of my mouth.”

“Don’t wanna see that.”

“If that’s the case, how about we head home? Since we’re tired.”

It was when the three went to check the time that they saw it.

“Oh.”

Hanamaki pointed to the back of the arcade.

“Damn, air hockey!”

“Huh?”

“Oh, it really is! Air hockey! Air hockey!”

At the back of the arcade was an air hockey machine, old and clunky like the rest of the machines.

“Oh crap! How long has it been since we played air hockey?”

“I haven’t played since junior high!”

“Hurry up, let’s play! How much is it?”

“I won’t lose!”

“Who versus who for the first game?”

Wanting to spew ramen from his mouth, whether someone was going to win or lose, all of that was forgotten as the three hurriedly rushed to stuff one hundred yen into the machine. And thus the first round of the air hockey tournament began.

                                                               ***

 “The bathhouse was unexpectedly interesting.”

“We’ve discovered a great place.”

“Right?”

They had eaten to their heart’s content, played around like children before heading into the baths once again to wash off the sweat. With satisfied faces, they headed home on the free shuttle.

“I didn’t even think it would be this interesting.”

“We spent all our money on the air hockey machine though.”

“We exchanged for so many coins.”

After reminiscing the day using only the words “sick”, “seriously”, and “fun” they eventually quieted down. Whether it was the swaying of the bus, the fatigue from the baths, their full stomachs, or the soft orange light of the setting sun filling the bus that had the three nodding off, no one was sure.

 Staring blankly out the window Iwaizumi mumbled, “... If only he had come.”

Upon hearing those words Hanamaki and Matsukawa’s eyes flew open, despite almost falling asleep.

“Huh, by ‘him’ you mean… Him?”

“If you say ‘him’ there’s no one but him.”

“Him… yeah him…”

The three of them exchanged glances nodding in agreement “Him”, “yeah him.” And bursting out into laugher but it only took a moment before they stopped.

“No, it’s better that he wasn’t here.”

“I guess.”

“It would be pretty wild if he were.”

“But he definitely would have stolen the microphone out of the old lady’s hands.”

“Gotta do a duet I guess.”

“And then he’d get a tonne of candy and mikan.”

“Definitely.”

Right in the middle of their heated talk about ‘him’, the phone in Iwaizumi’s pocket rang out.

“Hm?”

Iwaizumi glanced at the notification, letting out an “ugh” and leaning back, the other two asked what it was and Iwaizumi showed them his phone.

“It’s from him.”

It was a message from him – Oikawa Tohru.

“Really?”

“Hell, he might be hiding in here watching us.”

“Surveying us huh.”

Of course, it would have been unlikely, but perhaps it wasn’t with the person called Oikawa. You could say that he was mysterious, or rather incomprehensible, whichever it was he was inexplicably terrifying.

After looking around the windows and the bus to confirm that Oikawa wasn’t there, Hanamaki let out a sigh, “So what did he say?”

“He just asked ‘Whatcha doing?’ Doesn’t he have anything else to do?”

“Tell him we’re in Las Vegas, send ‘In Las Vegas now’.”

“Idiot.”

“That’s stupid.”

While they bantered they took a photo, bathed in the setting sun, and sent it a message along the lines of “Coming back from Las Vegas with Matsukawa and Hanamaki”. And a reply came back immediately, obviously addressed to all three of them.

“Here we go, ‘ Is this Las Vegas at Naruko Hot springs*?’. Why Naruko hot springs? Is it the kokeshi? ” Hanamaki laughed before his expression changed, “Wait how did he know we went to the baths? Is there a place called Las Vegas in Naruko?”

Both Matsukawa and Iwaizumi replied immediately with serious faces, “Of course not.”

“Oh but hot springs sound good too,” Matsukawa added, stretching in his seat.

“Hot springs, huh…That means table tennis and not air hockey.” As Iwaizumi smirked his phone rang again.

“No fair! I want to go!” came another message from Oikawa.

This time Hanamaki replied, “Air hockey warrior Iwaizumi was seriously something.” and a reply from Oikawa came immediately.

“He said, ‘I’d beat him no sweat’. What are you gonna do Iwaizumi?”

“As if I’d lose.” Iwaizumi replied casually, but his fighting spirit burned deep in his eyes.

“This is going to be serious.”

“Yeah.”

Hanamaki and Matsukawa looked at one another.

Would there really be another round of the air hockey tournament? Who knows?

 The three of them thought about the days ahead of them on the swaying bus.

For the three years of high school, if not the years of elementary school and middle school, the boys that had spent more time bonding with their volleyball teammates than their parents or siblings, were now about to walk different paths. Away from their schools, their hometown.

 “God, I’m getting bus sick,” Matsukawa said blue-faced and Hanamaki laughed.

“You’re so weak… wait I don’t feel so good either.”

“Don’t look down, look outside!” Iwaizumi pointed, putting his phone away in his pocket.

“What are you going to do about Oikawa?” Hanamaki asked, “You still haven’t replied to his ‘I’d beat him no sweat’ comment.”

“Just leave it.”

The other two laughed at the blunt reply.

“Amazing, he’s not even here and he managed to barge in.”

“His presence is too strong.”

“That’s why it’s a good thing he isn’t here with us.”

As they laughed amongst themselves the bus approached the station. They knew it well, this twilight town they always walked through together. The bus winded through, this small journey was almost coming to an end. As each small journey ends, the days slowly pass by. The match ends, retiring from club activities, graduating from high school.

The time to part ways will definitely come, but this won’t be a problem for them. The time spent together, the sweat and tears they shed, all of it is part of their bodies and souls. Along with the things that they built up together, their strength, technique, confidence, and trust, all these things make up their bodies. And each of them will walk a new path to a place they haven’t trekked.

As all roads are connected, although separated, for now, they will surely meet again. And so for the when they meet again so that they can hold their heads high and laugh, they will continue to take on each challenge.

 How about you?

Are you moving forward?

 A motivation that can only be gained from friends pushes them onwards through fatigue. If friends are what keeps one going when they’re apart, then not having them by their sides will be all right.

 “Continue on unwaveringly.”

That’s all they needed.

                                                               ***

  While the three began to head their separate ways home after hopping off the bus, Oikawa was hunched in the corner of the clubroom staring at his phone, “Why did they leave me on read? Damn it!!”

   TRANSLATION NOTES:

Electricity baths: Pretty much a bath that has panels running down the sides that shoot electrical pulses into the water. I’ve been in one and it’s kind of tingly at first but it feels kind of like a massage if you get used to it. It’s not all that common in Japan so even then it’s a sort of novelty to Japanese people.

Waterfall feature: I didn’t know how to translate this but it’s basically a pipe at a height where the hot water comes out. You can sit under it to hit your back and it’s basically like a waterfall/massage.

 Jinbei: Traditional Japanese top and bottoms. The kind you see babies wear to summer festivals (I guess like a two-piece, yukata top and pants). Made out of a thin material and made particularly for hot weather.

 Alligator game: in English, this game is Alligator hunt, but in Japanese, it’s called (ワニワニパニック) waniwani panicky, alligator panic, Matsukawa follows with a “What a panic” to finish Hanamaki’s sentence but I changed it a bit so English readers could get the reference.

Naruko hot springs: One of the most popular hot springs in Miyagi is also known for their wooden dolls, kokeshi. If you ever go to Miyagi, Naruko is beautiful in fall!!

As a small disclaimer:  I have taken some liberties in translation to make the  novel read smoothly. So please don’t quote specific words as canon. that being said I tried my best to stay faithful to the original.  For this reason I will not allow translations into another language using this as the base text. I apologise to anyone who is keen on sharing it in another language but please do so using the original Japanese text.

Anyway, if you enjoyed this chapter please consider supporting Haikyuu and buying a copy of this novel (volume 11) ! I may consider doing more novel translations in the future!

I do have a Ko-fi so if you do feel like it, please donate!

[zillabean]

Okay, #HannibalReunion2024 C2E2 autograph story time! I’ll be doing a lot of gushing so feel free to mute the hashtag (or me, haha) if you don’t want Mads Mikkelsen spam and tiny blue kaiju simpering. 😆

First off, um, I MET MADS MIKKELSEN??? The man, the dilf, the legend??? 🔥🔥🔥 He is every inch as sweet, kind and charming as everyone says he is. Just a really warm, down to earth person, no ego whatsoever. ❤️

I was so nervous to meet him at first and my Fri autograph session was not great. I wished I’d known that the sessions would get calmer and quieter towards the end of the day (they don’t always!) as I would have chosen to go get autos then, instead.

I was in one of the first sessions and the C2E2 staff was just RUSHING us through. 💔 Like BANG BANG BANG. I barely got any interaction with him when I was getting my sigs! 💔 They had him seated behind TWO sets of tables, like a barrier, to keep the fans further away from him!

I said hello to him and gave him one of my gazonga mousepads and a bundle of art prints and charms and he didn’t even look up, was just too busy talking to his manager and the handlers who had all his attention, constantly sliding him stuff to sign. 🥲 No interaction at all. I will admit I was quite crestfallen, especially when he didn’t even see the gifts.

Another handler then scooped up all my gifts and dumped them in a bag before Mads even saw them. 🥲 He (handler) did… pause at the mousepad though, and made a face. He held it up to me and asked “… they sell these?” And I bashfully said, “uhhh I sell them?… 😅” He made another face and then showed the gazongas to Mads, who kind of smirk/smiled. “That’s Hannibal! That’s good.” 🤣 So that made me feel a bit better.

At the very end of the day, I went to find @/Sunnylit and she was in the auto line with @/shaybeenerd and @/LovclyMikkelsen, and the line was much smaller so I went to try my luck again. And it was a much better experience!

I got to actually gush at and chat with him a bit, say hello and tell him we all love him and that I was the one who gave him the “boobies”. (“That’s good!” - Mads, very confused) I thanked him for being so inspirational to all the Fannibals and he said “You guys are a wild and wacky bunch, and we love it. Don’t ever change.” ❤️❤️❤️

(I made another thread for the photo ops but suffice to say by the end of the weekend he’d seen my stupid face enough and I’d chosen the quieter times to get autos that they were much nicer experiences than my first on Friday.)

On Sunday I’d gone back to get his sig for @/jorassicworld, who wanted him to sign my Mads Kitty Cafe commission print I did for her so I just went up there and handed him a print of like … 7 of him as cat men. 😅🐯 All in one picture. He laughed and said something like “Oh, look at that! Hmm, I wonder who will win?…”, and showed it to Ulrich.

I asked him to please leave some room for Hugh too, and he was like “Ohhh, I dunnooo about that…” So I told him he could just eat up all the space if he really wanted to and he smiled and signed. I then asked if I could please take a picture and the handler was like “no” and I said “BUT HE IS SO BEAUTIFUL” and Handler Man said “Well then you’d better get a good look at him now~” 🤣 So I shamelessly faux-stared at him while he signed Joa’s print. He laughed, gave it back to me, I thanked him profusely and he gave me a wink as the handler shooed me out. 😆 (I think I yelled something about seeing him later at photo ops)

At 0 hour I went back to get my final autos and also gave him a copy of the Kitty Cafe print. I asked him if he looked at his gifts and he said something about there being so many it was hard to get through them all. I was like “Don’t you remember the boobies? I gave you the boobies!” And he was like (slaps table) “Oh! That’s right! THE BOOBIES!” 😆 I told him he could use them for his wrist or give them to his wife if he wanted. He grinned and said conspiratorially, “Who knows what I will do with them/use them for~ 😏” (I HOPE HE DOES NOT JUST THROW THEM IN THE TRASH 🥲) … I really wished I’d waited until the last day to give them to him as then I might be able to get a photo of him holding them. 🤣

I asked if he could tell me anything about Dust Bunny that wasn’t dusty or bunnies, he said there was Kung Fu in it. “Flying Kung Fu…?” He told me we’ll see and that we would love it. ❤️ And as it was at the very end of the day, I again begged the handlers if I could please take a photo and they said “no”. So I asked Ulrich.

“… okay, just one.” ❤️ After that Mads gave me a big smile and a fist bump, Handler Man laughed and told me to skedaddle, and I yelled after Mads, “maybe I’ll see you at RDC!!!” and he said “I’ll be there. 😊”

THE SWEETEST DUDE. ❤️ He made me feel completely at ease and talking to him felt so natural after I got over it all. A genuinely awesome human being.

OKAY NOW THAT I’VE RECORDED MY MADS DREAM DIARY, it’s Hugh time! They had him at a much more normal table where it was 1 handler (vs Mads’ THREE 😓) and we could actually go right up to him like NORMAL without a second layer of table to block the way. 🙄

(I think the con ended up forcing Mads into the Featured Guest spot after Josh Brolin cancelled at 0 hour, and they didn’t know how to handle it and that’s why it ended up much more guarded and impersonal for how they treated him and his fans)

Hugh was so friendly, courteous and cordial! His voice is sweet and warm, makes me think of a fuzzy bee. Little bee voice. 🐝 I gave him some art (it was… his head, sorry Hugh, but I didn’t want to subject you to what I usually draw Will Graham doing 🤭) and he graciously accepted it. We didn’t get to chat too much either as there were others in line but he was a total gentleman! 🎩❤️

All in all, both such lovely guys and I am so happy for the experience. ❤️

(…OH ALSO!! 😆 I saw him trying to accept a friendship bracelet from someone, and as he’s sliding it off their wrist it exploded into a bunch of beads and Hugh yelled “OH SHIT” and there was a mad scramble to scoop up all the rolling beads. 🤣)

HANNIBAL REUNION at C2E2 post time! ❤️ I don’t know what all I can say that hasn’t been said already by hundreds of screaming Fannibals but, man, what an absolutely surreal experience. It was just amazing to see Mads and Hugh together again!

Everyone else has already shared much better photos and clip moments but here are a few of mine!

Alas I didn’t capture the hug. I didn’t want to take too many photos as I wanted to experience the moment more than I wanted to see it through the lense of a phone. I wanted to just take it in, and enjoy it. I’m so happy I got to experience it with so many fannibal friends. ❤️

I’ll be making a huge diary/post reblog thread here of my experience!

[kariachi]

Fuck it, it’s been ages since Nix and I put this together and I never went in and actually named fuckers and shit so...

Dragonfly ‘Rogue’s Gallery’

Dr Louis Carel- ‘Mad Mycologist’, Mostly Harmless, Assistants are ‘nippy’, good intentions iffy methods

Unnamed Politician- Subtler threat, mostly socio-legal concern, would have a point about the head eating if not for [TBD]

Unnamed CEO- Surprisingly dangerous, keeps trying to take out charities and social service centers, is gonna get really fucking annoying when they find out about the sound weakness

Crassi- Gula parent, indiscriminate eater, fan of easy meals which tends to mean the same vulnerable civilians Dragonfly is trying to protect, enter territory disputes & family drama, wants themselves a Kevin

Timmy the ‘Tiel- “I'd also suggest something like what the rottmnt fought in the most recent ep: a cute mascot in the public eye say on a tv show or in a park, a moving inanimate thing  that feeds on something abstract that it can't really get where it's normally kept but can easily find or induce if removed from where its kept.” “I'd imagined that Timmy never kill's its victims, just pushes them to feel whatever emotion it feeds on and then just kinda stuffs them inside it to be trapped for as long as possible in that one emotional state. If gotten to in time victims could probably be saved” “Timmy gets loose b/c someone didn't follow instructions properly while taking them to get drycleaned”“Timmy probably gets bigger to hold more victims. Thing go wrong enough and its kaiju time” “... signs around the work place reading "Don't be a Negative Nancy. Timmy is watching" "Be happy, don't worry. Timmy's watching"” “"X days since last incident"management tries to hire the peppiest, smilyiest people possible” “the mascot makes the owners a shitload of money and the pay is damn good for the senior staff. All other positions are 'temporary'”

 Mascot suit gone evil, generally contained but somebody didn’t follow instructions while getting it drycleaned, grows with every victim it captures, induces and feeds off doubt/uncertainty & melancholy, was not expecting 11 ‘I have 3 emotions and one is Food’ Levin

Magpie- art thief, much art such theft, superpower ‘exceptional luck’, always fucking escapes, also shapeshifting (becomes magpie, to the shock of all, or maybe becomes human who knows), do they know who Dragonfly is or just like their work? nobody knows, Category 3 Little Shit

Cousin Mo- unrelenting zombie poacher, just keeps coming the fuck back, regenerates from fucking everything, sells shit off of dangerous critters for profit, more and more elaborate attempts to destroy them or slow them down while waiting for Argit to learn enough necromancy to shut them down, thankfully limited to travel by foot, hitchhiking, and public transport, requests an ever increasing bribe to leave you alone