#maybe I'll do more of those little animation spotlights!

[sharpjay217]

8 Awesome q!BBH animations!

Animatic taking place during QSMP Purgatory! Bad's design in this one is really cool and unique, and it pairs with the animation style to make it feel super dynamic!

Focused on Bad trying to process the grief of loosing Dapper. Awesome freaking art style, genuinely among my Top 10 QSMP animatics! Absolutely love the halo horns design too.

A ton of "Heaven Says" animatics in the QSMP fandom, but I love it! This one uses a different section of the song than most too, and the art style is awesome!

This one's short, but I like it! Even in 30 seconds it manages to cover a lot of the events Bad has been a part of during the QSMP up until the most recent disappearance of the eggs.

I'mma be honest, I don't have much context for Bad and Foolish's vibe in the QSMP, but this animation is fun!

A short Bad and Dapper animatic, centered around the nightmare and afterwards. Beautifully animated!

Another one centered around the nightmare, this time using the original audio! Again, I love these halo horn designs that I’ve seen popping up recently!

This one is also really good, though I think I'm missing the context! The artist did an awesome job of making the scene dramatic!

[sunflowersunite]

Fantastic Beasts rewrite

I recently finished rewatching the third movie and I really really want to rant, but I don't like to be that person. So I'll do you one better, I'll just throw suggestions as to how this series could have been better. feel free to disagree or add your own.

Plot!

Magical animals still have many uses within the magical world, but no rights because we're in the 1920's. Show us how they're trafficked and exploited. Therefore, Newt could keep the spotlight as someone who wants to protect them as the series continues, and not have Dumbledore be protagonist, because he doesn't make for a compelling one all that much.

We already saw how the Quilin detects those who are pure of heart and determines the leader of the magical world. How about the Quilins are disposed of afterwards, for, I don't know, reasons. Superstition or custom. Maybe they make a new pelt for the leader. So Newt has to fight against that, and therefore he becomes more proactive.

Also the blood troth needs to be broken. That should have taken longer. How about only a specific very rare dragon's fire could burn it?? and therefore we use more of Newt's knowledge here??

2. Personal stakes. Unfortunately, there was no conflict between the heroes and the villains. Meaning, if Grindelwald did succeed in conquering the muggle world, none of the MCs would be personally affected. (not even Jacob, he could hide somewhere and he'd be fine, it's not like Grindelwald would look for him specifically). So, here's the deal:

because this is a fantastic beasts series, Newt remains the protagonist. So how about Grindelwald targets a specific magical creature, eg the aforementioned dragon, who is believed to not even be real? But Grindelwald has info that it is in fact real. Therefore he targets Newt, the only magizoologist, and the only one capable and determined enough to find it. He plans on striking Newt with all means necessary, have him running for his life from all governments. Framing him and targeting his animals just to get what he wants.

Also. Grindelwald wants Credence by his side, because of his Obscurial powers (which were hyped up in the first movie but then kinda deflated, unfortunately). It's easy to manipulate Credence, who's never had anyone care for him ever.

except Tina. Tina is canonically the one who Credence felt trust for. They could've become found family and I'll forever be angry about their wasted potential.

How about Grindelwald is aware that Tina is the one who could foil his plans and keep Credence on the good side due to their relationship, so he targets her specifically? He wants her out of the picture in order to manipulate Credence as much as he wants. He wants to kill her.

Tina fights him to save Credence and Newt fights him to save Credence and the animals.

Here! Grindelwald now has personal conflict with the main characters.

More conflict? Sure!

At the end of the third installment, instead of picking Dumbledore the Quilin picks Jacob, who is said throughout the whole movie to be pure of heart. (Let's say its powers work a little differently and it doesn't care whether it's a muggle it's picking because who ever tested it on muggles in the first place anyway?) How about it picks him, and as Grindelwald hates muggles, he now hates Jacob with a searing passion because the Quilin picked him as a ruler of the wizards? (exactly what he's against, mixing wizards and muggles). How about Grindelwald harbours animosity towards Jacob, not because he's a threat but because he symbolises what could beat Grindelwald? (a kind heart, one that both a wizard and a muggle could possess. and due to that common potential for goodness, which highlights that they aren't so different than the muggles, he gets even more passionate in his goal to eradicate them? just saying)

and let's have Queenie move to Grindelwald's side, that's interesting. Maybe they strike a deal when Tina is in grave danger (because as we said, Tina must die for Grindelwald to win). If Queenie joins him, Tina is safe, Grindelwald tells her (he's lying, but Queenie is desperate).

So Queenie has to choose between being with the man she loves and joining the wrong side of history (and possibly dying a monster), but saving her sister in the process.

She chooses the second.

the angst?? Queenie knowing she's doing the wrong thing but it's for the right reasons so now no one can convince her to return to the good side?? Not Tina, not Jacob, not anyone

Maybe she even becomes a spy, leaking Grindelwald's plans and putting herself in danger in the process.

And she tries to convince Credence to go back to the good side even if it's too late for her.

3. For the secondary characters:

Theseus still has power within the British Auror Office. He wants to use that power and counterattack, but for entirely selfish reasons. He hates Grindelwald for Leta's death and puts his own emotions before sensibility and the greater good.

Yusuf was never close with Leta and now he regrets it. He and Theseus both learn to heal together eventually, and Kama gets character development in the process because he felt rather flat.

I want Lally to be there too because I liked her. Maybe Theseus starts to catch feelings for her (am I delusional or did I sense some connection between them? idk) and he feels guilty, because he doesn't want to heal and move on from Leta. He wants to fuel his hatred for Grindelwald because he believes that that is what gives him the will and strength to fight. But eventually he realises that he won't beat him with hate, because Grindelwald is already perfect at hating others. He will beat him with love. (Cheesy but true). Any love. Between the brothers Scamander or the sisters Goldstein or the found family Tina - Credence or Newtina because I love them.

But Lally can do whatever she wants.

Honestly, that sounds pretty rad. I'd watch that movie.

[sparklingpax]

HEADMASTER JUNIORS IN THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY MUSIC VIDEO

!!!!!!!!!!!!! I KNOWWWW I SAW FIRST THING WAKING UP TODAY I LITERALLY FLIPPED TF OUTTT 😭😭😭‼️‼️‼️ LIKE NOT ONE BUT MULTIPLE MASTERFORCE REFERENCES IN 2024.....WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE FR 😭💗💗💞❤️✨‼️🔥🫶✨

wait I'm gonna take fhis opportunity to gush about the video its 1 am im only half awake there will probably be typos sorrY

..

Genuinely would have been ecstatic with just a god ginrai in the bg and I honestly didn't even expect as much but man oh MAN did they give us so much more than that 🥳🥳

oh but lemme say ginrai SLAYEDDD HE LOOKED SO AMAZING AND COOL I was literally squealing "YES GO MY SILLY GOOOO" like the Dork that I am when he was out there doin the exkaiser sword pose w the others 🫶🫶🫶🫶 EEEEEE

and also!!! Let us NOT forget ofc all the other TF series and leaders and characters and such getting their time in the spotlight and the MANY little references to all kinds of stuff everywhere and.....!!!!!! Like I have so much respect for that video 🥹 it's such a detailed, wonderful tribute to everything transformers has been, is, and continues to be. Themes of connections literal and metaphorical and the power and beautythat comes from it. UFFF and Everything was so pretty and wonderful to look at and (⁠ﾉ⁠≧⁠∇⁠≦⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠ ⁠ﾐ⁠ ⁠┻⁠━⁠┻!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Very happy with it <3333

and also Yes I did have the thought It would have been cool to see the Pretenders (😭) but I also understand its probably hard enough to tastefully fit in all thr characters they did (and plus! Masterforce Mentioned At All is such a huge W youre not hearing Complaints from me 🫡) and also y'know what. maybe. maybe that was for the best because I might have simply combusted into fucking flames if they did that. Like you all think I'm annoying about those guys NOW but if I saw them animated all pretty and shape andshiny and sharp like that.........or.GOD if they had put their human forms in there...........I would need to be restrained is all I'll say

AND y'know what too it actually also fuels me with even MORE willpower than I already have to work for and eventually finish this illustration degree, somehow hopefully make it to a position where I too can make masterforce references in 4k except OFFICIAL and also have the opportunity to be insufferable about my blorbo of all time and space <333333 stupid silly ass dream of mine that may never happen but mark my WORDS if I get even the slightest opportunity y'all.....I want to do a masterforce centric project someday. Like a real one. Something for the world to see at large. I want to do something with it I really really feel like I could......,! I would achieve one of my few life goals/dreams fr......

GOSH ok anyway sorry I went on for quite a while there and then started derailing the topic at hand SORRYY 😭😭😭 but yea man I love transformers I love being a fan of this franchise I love how many thousands of characters and all the stories and universes and stuff there is and how crazy and cool it all is and that it's been a part of my life for most of my life and it's the reason I'm an artist and god that video will have me emotional for a long ass time *wails* good NIGHT 😭🫶❤️❤️🫶💖✨‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

(-kuni 🫣)

[angelsandarsenic]

Queen

Uzui Tengen x f!reader pt.3: Straight for the Castle

It took you a month to find the teacher.

Sure, you had known how many mountains there were in Japan, but you hadn’t realized how much work it would be to climb all of them. Every time you had to stop to catch your breath, or stumbled and scraped your hands and knees on the dirt and rocks, you cursed your house. Your family. All those stupid rules. You had run into a couple low level demons—human sized and with the normal amount of limbs; nothing like the beast that had driven you here—the fact that defeating them had been an easier part of the journey was absurd. You felt pathetic with all the trouble you were having. 

But you were grateful, you realized. Passing through towns and small villages, seeing everyone hard at work each day made you think. Normal people didn’t have servants. Normal people probably hid from demons every night in these more rural areas. And on top of that, to have to keep getting food and keep their clothes and tools neat with so little…you felt soft. Weak. From a different world, even. You had never considered any of this beyond distant recognition before. You didn’t have the muscles or lean tone that any of them had. The hands that could properly grip tools and probably didn’t sting so badly getting scraped up. You had hardly known a hard day’s work in your life. 

They didn’t deserve this, you decided. You couldn’t farm, or work with animals, or even sew (but you were doing your best), but you could keep these people safe. You’d be happy to fight demons if it made their lives a little easier. 

You were learning, at least. With each climb, you took fewer and fewer breaks. You learned how to ration your money and supplies. You were down to one good kimono now, and the one you had torn up before. You should have borrowed some of Takeshi’s clothes. Thankfully, you haven’t had to sell the sword yet. 

If you were in a town, you’d offer any help you could give for food or a room. Those times you had slain demons, the afflicted people had offered it freely, so that had helped. The worst part was the mountains themselves. For days on end people would be sparse or completely nonexistent. You were on your last rations now, you’d have to complete your search here quickly. 

That was when you met him. 

It wasn’t the first time you had woken up in the middle of the night. You shivered violently in the cold, the moon like a spotlight above you. 

There was a tension in the air. Maybe you were imagining it, but you had learned to trust your gut by now. You didn't move. The air smelled ever so faintly of coming snow. There was a quiet rustle of grass from somewhere past your head. For the next few moments you laid still, daring whatever was watching you to come out. 

When nothing happened, you leapt to your feet, immediately turning to the source of the last noise. "Who's there?"

No response. Maybe it was an animal? But you didn't believe that. You half wanted to lash out with your sword, but you wouldn't attack if you didn't know what you would be injuring. You sighed. Leaning down to roll your measly sleeping set back up, you announced, "Well, I'll have to move then I suppose. Might as well keep going if I'm awake. I'm sorry if I've trespassed."

 With a wave, you started toward the other side of the small clearing. I can easily double back and find out where this person came from. Perhaps it's the master, finally. This might be a good time, but why would he be out this late?

"Don't sleep out in the open like that again."

You perked up. "Hm?" When you turned, you still couldn't see who had spoken, but you had a pretty good idea where they would be. 

"You could get attacked. Try to go up a tree next time."

"Thanks for the advice, stranger. I don't suppose I could ask for another favor?"

No response. 

"I'm looking for someone. I'm afraid I'm running out of time to find him, so any help would be much appreciated. Is there a master swordsman who lives on this mountain?"

"There's no one like that here." This time, the man's gruff voice came immediately. 

You smiled. A pretty lady's smile is a powerful weapon. "I got some reliable information in town that said he was here. I'll admit, I've been everywhere else, so unless something has happened, I don't see where else he could be." 

"What if I said he was dead?" The voice didn't sound remorseful, or even stubborn. 

"I don't believe that. Unless there's someone else who has a habit of walking such rough terrain in the middle of the night. Aren't you worried about demons, master?"

At last, a figure stepped out of the shadows. "Demons know better than to come through here. I can't say the same about you. Why call me master, you don't know who I am."

"I do now. You should have stayed in the trees."

The man let out an annoyed groan. His hair flopped as he rubbed his face. You couldn't see his features, only a scar through his eye. "Kids these days are so arrogant. Give up girl. You'll find no master here."

"Then I apologize in advance for my rudeness, because I will be following you home." You bowed. "I humbly request your training, master. I promise, you'll find me a dutiful student."

"I said no, brat." You grimaced. Ignore it. 

"Is there anything I can do? I won't give up."

"You'll get tired eventually," the man grumbled to himself, turning away.

You only hummed and went to follow him. If there was anything you were familiar with, it was learning from the sidelines. You could make this work.

You weren't sure when the man actually relented. You suspected it was way back in the beginning; he was just testing me, I'm sure of it. It wasn't long from that morning they met that the master had properly introduced himself. It had been just over a month with him now, and those kinds of random tricks were already common. 

His instruction wasn't exactly consistent, nor was he the disciplined trainer you were expecting, but he was undeniably powerful nonetheless. Besides, any proper instruction was a vast upgrade from before. Hatake was also younger than you were expecting. The grey hair made it hard to tell at first, especially with the way his black mask always covered so much of his face, but it was clear once you saw him move. The man was scarily fast, parrying, blocking and slashing back with moves you barely managed to avoid yourself. 

"The day you can best me, I'll send you to Final Selection", he had said. Thinking about that just made you remember that kid. Tengen. "If you make it within the year, I'll be waiting." So obnoxious. You weren't unfamiliar with facing down expectations. Every time something like this came from a man, it was with an air of amusement, like they were waiting for you to fail. This time however, it truly felt like an expectation. Who the hell was he to expect anything from you!? You weren't doing this for him! You'd be damned if you didn't take your very own Nichirin sword and shove it right in that pompous asshole's face!

The first day you finally managed to make Master Hatake dodge, he stopped completely. Despite that, the older warrior didn't hesitate to disarm you and kick you ferociously away when you went for him again. You hit the tree with a grunt. Still, you stood, adjusting the grip on your sword. Hatake nodded, turned and walked away. 

Um, what?

"That's enough for today. We'll resume tomorrow," he said, as if reading your mind. You didn't understand his behavior sometimes. However, when the two of you did face off again the next day, he had already started making things more difficult. 

I'm making progress!

Living in the master's house was far different from what you used to know. You expected that, of course, and it was better than travelling, absolutely. Still, hauling water buckets, the lack of refined wash supplies, cooking for meals instead of having them ready--it was a huge pain.

You were starting to like it. Some of it. It was...what was the word? Domestic. Pleasantly casual. Even with what should have been a strictly distanced relationship, Master Hatake was already feeling more familiar than anyone you knew. He was accommodating as well, making space for you in the limited area. Getting the kind of food you liked, despite it still being much less fancy than you were used to. It wasn't a bad way to live at all. He had criticisms, and advice, but never tried to stop you from doing things your way if it could be done.

”Y/N,” Hatake called one morning. You looked up. “Every day you bother putting that jewelry in your hair and doing it up that way. Why don’t you ever do a simple ponytail. Or cut it?”

You balked. “Cut my hair?! No way!" You held your dark locks close protectively. "I do this because I want to. It’s important to me, I think it looks pretty.” It wasn't nearly as much as you used to do, and you had sold most of your jewelry, save for a comb and two hair sticks.

Master Hatake frowned. Pretty, you could practically hear him scoff. ”And you’re going to keep wearing that nice kimono? What if it gets damaged?”

”Then I’ll have to buy a new one, I suppose. Like I said, it looks nice, and I want to wear what I like.” You turned back to the mirror with a stubborn pout. “Besides, the material is soft and very breathable, so it’s good for not overheating in the summer.” It wasn't like you hadn't gotten other clothes recently. Usually, you would use a proper training uniform, or at least the outfit that was already damaged. But I digress. 

“Hmm…” You hurried to finish your hair while Hatake stared. “That’s not exactly practical…but fine." You never let it get in the way for training, you were always on time. "In that case, I’ll teach you a maneuver that, if you get good at it, nothing will be able to penetrate your defense. Of course, the downside to this is that you can’t possibly attack at the same time. You have to remain steady and unwavering in your stance, there is no room for doubt. Can you do that?”

Your eyes widened. Nothing will be able to hit me? “Yes! Yes, I can do that.”

Master Hatake had been staring for a while. He seemed deep in contemplation.

”Is everything alright Master? Is it something I’m doing?” You paused to wipe the sweat from your brow. The winter was finally starting to melt, but just barely. The chill was still a lovely cooling factor during work. 

”I’m trying to figure out what to teach you next."

Ah, of course. So far, it had been basic swordsmanship, though you had graduated quickly from that. More advanced swordsmanship after, then starting demon slaying techniques. Master had introduced you to something called Stone Breathing, which was certainly interesting. When he had explained that there were several different kinds of breathing techniques, you had pestered him until he finally agreed to let you learn some flame breathing moves as well. For some reason, those had been far more difficult to get the hang of. You practiced until you mastered them, but Hatake had still convinced you to follow the Stone Breathing path thus far. "You’ve been working hard at the Stone Breathing techniques…but they don’t suit you. Tengen told me in his letter than you were fiery and stubborn. I see it. You’re too aggressive for the quiet sturdiness of stone breathing.

"On the other hand," he continued, "flame doesn't suit you either. You're too...docile. Not quite enough of a temperament. Not willing enough to put yourself out there with such drama, that's why you had so much trouble learning it."

Your nose twitched in irritation. You tried not to grit your teeth, it was an unseemly expression. “Is that a problem?” You asked. That wasn't fair. You had been more than "out there" enough when you were younger. It had just gotten...trained away. Pushed into the box of being the perfect daughter. It wasn't your fault you weren't like that anymore! I swear, if another man—if anyone else tries to tell me I’m too-

“Hm, no. We’ll just have to adapt your techniques. It’s not unusual to derive new breathing styles from the basic ones, in fact it’s quite common. Tengen himself has-“

”Ugh, don’t compare me to him.” There was that kid again. 

Hatake stopped. He raised an eyebrow, but didn’t argue. “Well, like I said, you’ll be making your own breathing style. It will be difficult; are you up to the task?”

Now, you grinned. “Of course!” How was that for flashy?!

Master Hatake had brought you both out to the river this morning. The ice had thawed and grass was already growing from the damp earth. "Y/N, I've been thinking about your breathing style, and I want to show you something," he said. 

The water rippled and splashed over banks, and you could feel the spray just touch your feet. It was so pretty out here. Peaceful. You nodded.

"With any other student like you, I would have directed you to the water breathing style as a secondary option. You are laid back, you 'go with the flow', so to speak. However, I definitely wouldn't call you adaptable, Y/N."

You frowned, looking over to him, but didn't say anything yet. He was going somewhere with this, clearly. 

"I started you in the Stone Breathing style because you're stubborn, like that rock." He pointed to a large boulder breaking the stream in two. "Stone and water don't mix well; it's the difference between finding a new path, and staying firmly in your place. Neither does flame, as we've talked about. So how could it be that you resonate with both?"

"...Is that a rhetorical question? Because I don't know the answer. Adverse circumstances?" You shrugged.

Hatake chuckled. "Indeed. You remind me of the carp in this river."

"What?" 

He pointed again. "Look and see. We're lucky this is the right time of year for them. The blossoming spring, when the fish all migrate to find places to birth new life."

Yes, you could see them. Oh, the koi. We had a koi pond back home... 

Master Hatake glanced at you. "You seem to be deep in thought."

"Yeah..." your voice had gone slightly soft, you couldn't help it. "I'm just thinking that they look better here. More energetic, and the moving water reflects the light of their scales so beautifully." If this was how they were supposed to look, you couldn't imagine putting them in those stale, stagnant waters back home again.

"They do, don't they?" He smiled. "Koi have the innate sense to swim upstream, when all other fish chose the easier routes. They live in the water, but refuse to 'go with the flow' if it doesn't suit them. However hard the water pushes back, however far they have to fight, the koi makes its own path, through the obstacles."

"Oh," your eyes widened, a smile starting to curl your lips. "I think I get it." You covered an unladylike snort with a soft giggle. "You want me to be a fish then?"

"Well, I can't make you do anything." Yet the man's eyes glimmered with something that made your heart warm. He turned back to the pond. "Sit with me. We're taking a day to enjoy the world around us."

You frowned. "What? But we could be training!"

The man shot you a weary look. "You need to learn how to take breaks, kid. You're going to miss the beauty this life offers. Besides, it's rejuvenating. A break once in a while is good for you." When he flopped down into the grass, his dull green hanten splayed around him like wings.

You made a small noise; it still didn't sit quite well with you to be relaxing when you had a goal to get to. Still, you sat where he patted the ground beside him. "I've spent my whole life doing nothing important, I think I've relaxed plenty."

Master Hatake threw a chunk of grass at you. You spluttered in surprise. "Didn't you hear me? Relaxing is important. Your mind and body need breaks if they're going to function at their highest capacity. Now, you know the story of the carp, right?”

“Hm? Something about them being able to climb waterfalls right?”

“That’s part of it. Once upon a time, there was a massive waterfall, guarded at the very top by dragons, and what was known as the Dragon’s Gate. A long, long time ago, many fish, including the koi, attempted to swim to this golden gate. However, not only were they faced with the impossible waterfall, but also eagles, bears, and in some stories the spirits themselves mocked the fish for trying so hard.

“Nonetheless, the fish started swimming. One by one, they all decided that climbing the waterfall was too hard, and dropped back down to safety. The waterfall went on and on, far longer than it should have. Then, even the more determined fish started giving up. Eventually, it was only the one carp that kept swimming. The gods watched it, impressed by its determination, even though it had been swimming for so long. Then at last, after a hundred years, the carp finally reached the top of the waterfall.” 

Your eyes widened. “A hundred years? Really?” That’s crazy…but I suppose it’s only a legend. 

“That’s right. The carp was relentless, so after a hundred years it finally reached its goal, and the gods were in awe. So they rewarded it. The carp leapt out of the river as a brilliant golden dragon.”

“Wow, that’s incredible.”

“Yup. A beautiful creature that’s just as tough. That’s why you remind me of it.”

That’s… your lip trembled and you could feel your face get hot. “Really? Both? Aww master-“

Master Hatake waved his hand and turned away, eyebrows drawing together over his mask. “Alright, alright, don’t get all weepy. Just take after the fish, kid.”

You laughed, letting yourself fall back in the soft grass. “You’re such a tsundere.” 

Still, no one had ever seen you like that before.

Hatake dodged to your right, and you followed the swing. Adjusting your grip and with a step forward, you kept her momentum. Part one; relentless attack. 

The man continued to leap back and you kept pushing, forcing him into the trees. You couldn't afford to hesitate, even for a second. He was far too good at taking advantage of that. Still, your attacks weren't going anywhere anymore. The blue glint of the Nichirin sword clashed with the greenery around them. The master wasn't attacking back, only running from you. Dammit!

Letting go of your sword wasn't an option, or you'd have thrown it by now. This was your weakness--he knew that. Perhaps it was a glaring flaw, but your breathing style largely relied on attacks. But if you drew back and Hatake was a real demon, then he could just ignore you and go attack innocent people. 

You're making this such a pain... "Fourth form--Slashing Waves!" With the swipes of your sword against the air, the trees began to shake around you both. One by one, they split and fell, blocking the man's path and boxing him in. What will you do now?

Almost immediately, the man pivoted. His reaction time was still something you could barely keep up with, and only blocked and deflected the blade coming down at your face in the nick of time. Both swordmans' movements became blurs as you parried and blocked, matching Hatake strike for strike. First form--Indominable Will!

"How long can you keep this up?" The grey haired man taunted.

"As long as I have too," you bit out. They had both certainly made sure of that. Practicing this invulnerable defense move had been the most brutal training to boot. You still had some scars, and that small missing chunk of your hair to grow back. 

"Don't get let your guard down!" As he said this, you caught the blur of his foot moving in your peripheral vision. Sneaky bastard! 

With a hard slash down, you used the effect of the move to boost your jump up, spinning in the air above your opponent. "Third form--Cascade!"

Hatake was ready. With an almost disappointed eyebrow raise, he lifted his arm, letting your swords clash again. The momentum of your plummet was enough to shatter the ground, but the man simply looked bored. Except I knew you would do that. You adjusted your angle slightly and suddenly, went flying past his head, somersaulting to a stop behind him. 

Even with his surprise, the master swordsman was quick to turn, but you were faster. "Unknowing Fire!" 

With a single dash, you had closed the distance. Just before the orange blaze of your sword covered his face, you grinned at the way his eyes had widened. 

You hadn't seen him move his sword, but Hatake took the hit like it was nothing. Save for the deep divots his feet had made skidding back in the earth. Before you could advance again, he raised his hand. "Good. Enough."

You wanted to curse. Of course he was stronger than that, he was stringing you along this whole time. Still, you couldn't stop grinning. That was way better than you used to be. Hatake nodded. "You're ready."

there we go! I didn't want to spend too long on the training arc, but I hope this is still good :)

[huasahyo]

I have read Qiang Jin Jiu and honestly think I'll never recover

(Spoilers ahead!)

Oh god, where to start this? Maybe I should start with the very begging: I didn't understood shit. I just saw a kid being tortured and lots of information. When I felt it was too much, I went after the translated map and OMG that was so helpful! Bless the translators for that. After looking carefully at the map, things started to make sense.

As the story went, before the end of book one I was not very familiar with all the characters. I kept mistaking Hai Liangyi for Hua Siqian lol. But during my reading I started to take some notes and was never confused again. The thing is, this book has A LOT of characters and some of them are introduced early but only become major players later (Yao Wenyu, Hua Xiangyi...)

Even though this huge ensemble would make characters easy to forget, this doesn't happen. The author managed to create likeable and rememberable characters pretty easily??? I fell in love with many of them at first read, even if they didn't show up a lot. And there were characters that got me completely off guard, I wasn't expecting them to be so cool and relevant, BUT THEY WERE (Fei Sheng, Kong Liu)! And the antagonists were also brilliant, I love a good story where everyone has a point and no one is actually evil: People from Biansha had their truths and in a war there are no right sides, Xue Xiuzhuo wanted the best for Dazhou (even though I can't forgive what the did to my baby Yuanzhuo), and Li Jianting??? WHAT A LEGEND! Also, Feng Quan plot twist left me speechless, what an interesting character. Every character was very human (in the good and bad way), everyone had their own goals and beliefs. I actually might do a second post screaming about every character because I have a lot to say about them. (hello hasen my love)

The Plot??? Perfectly done. AND WELL EXPLAINED! I was always a little afraid of reading novels with a lot of politics, but I really dug this one. The problems with grains, provisions, registry, army and BRO THERE WAS EVEN SOME AGRARIAN REFORM SHIT

The way this author write the MOST well written battles I have read, without using any magic... it's just... I never thought I would be so enthusiastic about cannons, rocks and GRAINS.

The conflicts in Zhongbo could be all repetitive, but they weren't at all. Each prefecture that Lanzhou took back had a interesting story.

The war with Biansha was also brilliantly written. The way Amu'er was attacking Dazhou from the inside out and the scorpions with those hammers??? My man was a genius. Sadly, he could never have predicted Bai Cha and her son.

Talking about that, the family relationships are a great point in this. Seeing flashbacks about Lanzhou, Ji Mu, Ji Gang and Hua Pinging made me CRY! They were so happy... And seeing Xiao Chiye with his brother and HIS DAD LIKE... Xiao Fangxu and Ji Gang best daddies. Fei Sheng and Yin Chang too, what a beautiful chapter the one that they talk after Fei Sheng has a fight with Qiao Tianya.

Talking about Qiao Tianya, it was refreshing to see a novel with more LGBT characters. The secondary pairings were great, they didn't steal the spotlight from cezhou, but were very enjoyable (even though THAT happened between Songyu). I just wished we could have seen more Qihua moments and OH GOD KONG LIU AND LUO MU??? That got me truly off guard, wasn't expecting at all. Also, I found really interesting how Lanzhou basically got a LGBT parade following him at the end, that was truly the gayest empire ever. I have so many headcanons here, let me scream them: Xue Xiuzhuo is AroAce, Li Jianting is a non-binary legend and Huo Lingyun a Bi King. Also, Fei Sheng is not straight. Said it.

The little animals in this??? I WAS TERRIFIED WHEN LANG TAO XUE JIN FELL IN THAT HOLE YALL I THOUGHT HE WAS GONNA DIE. But luckily he didn't. Meng, Hunu, Feng Shuang Ta Yi were all the cutest, I need more novels with cats.

THE CHILDREN - Ding Tao, Li Xiong, Xiao Xun and Jiran. They served chaos, humor and cuteness. I really liked whenever they showed up.

THE LADIESSS - If you have read my other posts you know I love some powerful women. This story did not disappoint me in that sense. Hua Hewei had some despicable acts, but she really got everyone on her hands despite never leaving the inner palace, good for her. Hua Xiangyi is a way better version of her aunt, my girl was smart and cared for the people, an amazing woman. QI ZHUYINNN owns my life, I really adored the fact that she was a badass and that she never hated the fact she was born a girl, slay. Bai Cha was really out there helping women that were sold and their children, that is some real sorority there. Lu Yizhi was so kind, loved seeing her interactions with Lanzhou. Li Jianting was everything, her story was one of the saddest and yet she was doing her best to become a ruler. Duo Er'lan was amazingly brave, even more than Hasen, mad respect for her.

And last, but definitely not least, there is cezhou. I have no words to explain how much I adored these two. The way both of them got their own development and had their own private goals and went after them, so good. They are so well written that I wanna scream. The chapters that are focused on Lanzhou's feelings are not big in number, even when he is the main character, his feelings are shown in discreet ways (the handkerchief!) and most of the time we don't know what he is plotting or thinking. But when we take a peek at what's going inside of his heart, it's... astonishing. And I love seeing how he actually cared for the side characters, even though he doesn't show a lot.

And Ce'an kind of caught me off guard, I thought he was going to be a totally different character but he went and delivered

Xiao Chiye was a perfect fit for Lanzhou and Lanzhou was a perfect fit for Xiao Chiye: they were both in similar situations where only them could understand each other's suffering, and after they leave Qudu we see how much of a match made in heaven they are (not just romantically, but strategically).

THE SEXUAL TENSION AT THE BEGINNING YALL... They were scheming/fighting and flirting at the same time. Iconic.

Read this, you won't regret it!

By the way, I started reading the story in December and finished by March, but I completely forgot to post this! College has been frying my brain these days.

Hopefully I will resume my Sha Po Lang reading and come back here to tell my opinions on the book. (Not sure when though.)

See ya!

[chattegeorgiana]

Just wanted to say congratulations on Kaika Sasei. Just read chapter 2 and I'm hooked.

I have to admit it to you, I'm a loyal and devoted sasusaku. But that's not an impediment to read your story, you guys are really talented and you deserve recognition.

What I'm most interested about is your view of Sakura, I noticed the little hint about her promotion and I loved it, I missed moments like those from Kishimoto really.

So my question is, can you indulge me a little? Will you respect some canon events? One of my favorite things is inosakutema, I'm pretty sure you don't follow Boruto but they're an awesome trio! I was hoping you kept that? Haha sorry.

Another thing, one of my favorite things about narusaku (as my brotp of Naruto, otp for you) is their jobs. Hokage is the most important person of Konoha and the Head Medic is the boss of the most important Konoha department. Will you keep it that way? They're the most valuable and important duo, as friends in Boruto (or barely friends?😭) but a couple in Kaika Sasei.

Hope you cover Sakura's clinic too, her job in Cypher Corps too with Shikamaru (another brotp of mine) and Tsunade with Sakura in the clinic's creation. I need Sakura Hiden to get animated.

I'm so hooked about the kunoichis too. What will you do to Ino? Please don't do like Boruto and put her in Sensory she's awfully useless. Maybe follow her father's steps? I always thought she was a nepo but I can't help it because she's Sakura's best friend. Temari the Ambassador is great too. I don't care about Hinata though, Hanabi head of her clan?

I'm so excited to read more of Kaika Sasei💗

Hi there, fellow Sakura fan! :D

Also, like I always said, you guys ship whatever the hell you want to. Just because I don't like the writing because I have certain views and preferences, doesn't mean YOU should do the same.

Plus, as I said, I USED to be a multishipper, and it includes shipping SS too.

But anyway, let's get to the point.

First of all, thank you for your kind words for Kaika Saisei. Glad to see you enjoyed the little nuggets, hahah. I'm trying my best to stay as close as possible to Kishi's writing style. :D

Also lol, don't apologize for asking those questions. Now, I don't think I'll do a 1:1 on the canon events, but there might be some similarities?

I'm not familiar with Ino/Saku/Tema dynamics too in depth, but Ino is Sakura's best friend after all and I've already started writing more on the dynamics of those two in the written version of Kaika.

As for Temari, I also have a Sakura-Temari thing in mind given that there is something specific I want to do with Sakura in Suna, or better said in the whole wide shinobi world, and given that I will go the ShikaTema route, too, you'll probably end-up with a similarity in that sense.

However, I also have an adjacent development that includes logistics so to speaks, with Karin, as well as a certain aspect with Hinata as part of the Hyugas subplot.

I'm trying my best to keep this as original as possible because I've had with people accusing us of copying Boruto, when certain important elements in Boruto have been concepts that were first created by NaruSaku fans, but alas.

As for Naruto & Sakura, OF COURSE I'm going to keep that going on for them. I cannot see them as anything else besides Hokage/Head of the medical department. I like to keep consistency.

As for the clinic thing, well, we as fans of NaruSaku been talking about this idea of clinics for children years before the ending, so I'm going to have that one as well, just under a different route, maybe? I already started this in the written version of Kaika Saisei.

I have 11 chapters of Kaika Saisei written already, the manga is barely catching-up to the written version haha.

As for the kunoichis, I do have certain paths mapped out for them, especially for Sakura, Hinata, Ino, Karin and I have something in mind for Tenten too!

For Temari I admit I didn't give it so much thought because she had her fair share of spotlight that gives her proper treatment, so I focused more on the areas that I thought are lacking.

As for reading more of Kaika, well, there's always the written version if you want to read. Because the translation from written version into manga is quite different from what I've learned.

So it'll take a little while until I get to all the things in manga format that I have already written.

Besides, not even the written version is yet ready lol. I barely have just begun.

Anyway, hope I clarified these things for you.

Thank you for such a thoughtful question and for your interest in Kaika!

All the best, Chatte

[coffeeviolinist]

An Expansion on My Post From Yesterday aka Why Azusa Deserves Better

So yesterday, I made a post saying that I wish Gosho would give Azusa a little more character development because I feel like it's unfair to her that, for as long as she's been in the series (she debuted in episode 152), she hasn't been given much of a personality outside of being a friendly coffee shop girl. In this post, I'll expand a little more on why I feel like Azusa's character has been done a disservice.

Now, before I get started, I want to clarify that I don't think there's anything wrong with her being a friendly coffee shop girl, and I don't mind her in general. She's a kind, sweet woman, which makes her an easy character to like. At the same time, though, I also find it hard to get super attached to her for reasons I'll list below.

Number one, while I like the fact that she's a friendly coffee shop girl, I definitely wish that wasn't the only aspect of her personality that got any sort of major focus. We've seen flashes of Azusa having more to her than that, such as when she rebelled against the police when her brother was framed for murder, but Gosho hasn't done anything to expand on those aspects of her character. I'm not saying she needs to be a CIA spy or another detective or even involved with the BO in any way, but she deserves something more than what she's been given so far.

Another issue I have with Azusa's treatment is how Gosho basically treats her as if she's only semi-more important now because she's coworkers with Amuro. Here's what I mean by that.

Since her debut in episode 152 (1999), Azusa has appeared in the main anime a total of 27 times as of when I'm writing this post. In addition, out of those 27 appearances, 16 of them came after Amuro started working at Poirot with her. From episode 537 to 723, there was a four-year gap in which Azusa didn't appear in the anime at all, not even in the background of an episode. Considering she works literally one floor down from the Mouri detective agency, that seems a little off to me. Surely it wouldn't have been that hard for Gosho to at least acknowledge her existence during those four years.

Actually, if you want to get technical, Azusa has really only appeared in the anime 25 times because, in episodes 866-867, it wasn't even really her. It was Vermouth in disguise.

It also doesn't help that ever since Amuro started working at Poirot, Azusa's character has basically been relegated to being his coworker. Even though she's technically getting more spotlight than she used to, it's almost never really her that's getting the spotlight. It's more like Conan's getting Amuro's help with a case and Azusa just happens to be there. And that's literally all she does most of the time. She's just...there.

But even if Gosho can't think of anything for Azusa to do besides her usual job, then he could at least expand more on her relationships with other people in her life. We know that she has an older brother who she's literally willing to defy the police for, and according to ZTT, she's friends with Eri's assistant. Amuro is not the only important person in her life, but for some reason, whenever she makes an appearance now, it's almost always by virtue of being his coworker.

Maybe I'm reading too much into things, but it's almost as if Gosho doesn't actually care about Azusa even though she's one of the longest-recurring characters in the series. I honestly think that if Amuro hadn't gone to work at Poirot, we would have seen even less of Azusa than we already have.

So when I say I find her character hard to get too attached to, it's not because of anything she's done. It's because of what she hasn't done, or, more accurately, what she hasn't been allowed to do because Gosho won't let her do anything meaningful. Why? Who knows, really? Maybe he just doesn't care enough, maybe he's just terrible at writing female characters in general, or maybe she was supposed to be a self-insert for fans to project themselves onto, and giving her a very basic personality was the easiest way to achieve that. Whatever the case may be, it's very unfair to Azusa. She deserves better than the treatment she's gotten so far.

[princesssarisa]

Fictional character ask: The Great Gonzo from the Muppets franchise

Favorite thing about them: What a shamelessly weird, exuberant, funny daredevil he is, yet how touching he can be in his melancholy moments, which fortunately never last long. He's always been one of my favorite Muppets.

Least favorite thing about them: His occasional habit of emotionally cheating on Camilla by chasing after other creatures. Also, in his '80s Muppet Babies incarnation, he can be too pushy with his crush on Piggy when she clearly doesn't return it.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I can be eccentric.

*I think chickens are nice birds.

*I look good in maroon and purple.

Three things I don't have in common with them:

*I don't like doing daredevil stunts.

*I wouldn't want to date a chicken, or a cow or a pig for that matter.

*I don't have blue fur.

Favorite line:

*From The Muppet Movie:

Gonzo: Well, I want to go to Bombay, India and become a movie star.

Fozzie: You don't go to Bombay to become a movie star! You go where we're going: Hollywood.

Gonzo: Sure, if you want to do it the *easy* way.

*From The Great Muppet Caper:

Gonzo: STOP THE PRESSES!!

News Editor: Why? What happened?

Gonzo: I don't know. I just always wanted to say that.

*From The Muppet Christmas Carol:

Gonzo: ... I know the story of A Christmas Carol like the back of my hand!

Rizzo: Prove it!

Gonzo: Alright. Um… There’s a little mole on my thumb… and a scar on my wrist from when I fell off my bicycle.

*And from Muppet Treasure Island:

Gonzo: It just feels so weird.

Rizzo: You mean that Mr. Arrow's dead?

Gonzo: Yeah, that... and my pants are filled with starfish.

Rizzo: You and your hobbies!

brOTP: Kermit, Rizzo, and in Muppet Babies, Animal.

OTP: Camilla the Chicken.

nOTP: Miss Piggy (fortunately his crush on her is limited to early Muppet Show episodes and the '80s Muppet Babies cartoon) and Big Bird (see below).

Random headcanon: After the Leslie Uggams episode of The Muppet Show, he was very ashamed of having flirted with Big Bird when he learned that the latter is only six years old. But learning that Big Bird is male didn't faze him at all. He's pansexual when it comes to both gender and species.

Unpopular opinion: Unlike some of the old-school Muppet fans whose comments I've read, I don't mind that in the '90s he was pushed more to the forefront of the Muppets while Kermit took more supporting roles for a while. I understand why those fans were annoyed: they loved Gonzo as a supporting Muppet, but they grew up with Kermit as the star of the franchise and they wanted him back in the spotlight. But in the wake of Jim Henson's death, it makes sense that it took some time before everyone felt ready to do Kermit-centered projects again, and during that time, I think Gonzo did a great job with his bigger roles. Maybe I just feel this way because the '90s were my childhood, but I do.

Song I associate with them:

"Jamboree" from The Muppet Show.

"I'm Going to Go Back There Someday" from The Muppet Movie.

"I'll Be Blue for You" from Muppet Babies.

(In this show Camilla is a plush baby chick, his favorite toy, and in this episode he accidentally rips her to shreds doing a dangerous stunt. He sings this sad song while waiting to see if Nanny can repair her.)

Favorite picture of them:

[duhragonball]

GT was obviously terrible, but in keeping with your positivity page, do you think there is something that the series, overall, had something going for it that was genuinely good? Like, an actual good idea, or is it just utterly irredeemable?

I've been saving this ask for last, so I guess we'll make this my final word on GT for the time being. I've got more stuff to cover going forward, and I don't want to get bogged down on old business.

If you're asking if GT could be "fixed" in some way, I think it's possible, but it would take a lot of work and it ultimately wouldn't be worth the effort. Toei would need to rewrite and reanimate just about everything, sort of like how they remade "Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans" in 2010.

The thing is, they improved "Plan", but the finished product still wasn't all that great. They basically took a low quality, hour-long adaptation of a video game story, and turned it into an okay-ish half-hour version in HD. Now imagine Toei doing that thirty-odd times, and that's probably what a "GT redux" would look like. You could tighten up the story, give the supporting characters more spotlight, make the battles more exciting, but in the end you're still retelling this tale that didn't exactly light the world on fire the first time.

And it's easy for fans like us to say "Well, they should take the team that made DBS: Super Hero and have them remake GT." But that would be a major undertaking, and I'd rather see those resources devoted to making something new, not remaking something old. It could be done, but it probably never will, and that's probably for the best.

But what you're really asking is if there's anything genuinely good about GT. When I consider the series in a vacuum, I think the answer is probably "no." There's some screencaps I took throughout this liveblog that look very pleasing. This one of Goten, Trunks, and Palace keeps springing to mind:

There's some others I could point out, and maybe one of these days I'll put together some sort of gallery, but they're mostly few and far between. I find them more enjoyable when they're stripped of the context of the anime they came from.

I also really like the idea of Pan as this feisty 110-year-old lady.

And some of the character designs are pretty cool. Baby right before he gets killed, Bulma's outfit in Episode 2 and 3, and Omega Shenron looks like a big deal, even if he failed to live up to the hype.

But you might have noticed that I'm kind of scraping up little things from the edges of the main story. That's because most of the "best" of GT is a mashup of things culled from better works.

Baby borrows heavily from several other DBZ characters and plotlines. What makes him unique is his dream of "Tuffleizing the universe", but we never get to see what that means or how he feels about it. He just wants everyone to have a "bad guy smirk" like he does all the time.

Super 17 is just Fusion Reborn and the Androids Saga crushed up and poured in a blender. It's especially insulting to me because that's some of my favorite stuff from DBZ, and Toei went out of their way to make a crappy version.

The closest thing GT has to any sort of throughline is the idea that the Dragon Balls are inherently dangerous. The Black Star Balls shows that if they're not made properly, they can blow up entire planets. Then the classic Dragon Balls turn evil, proving that there is no proper way to make safe Dragon Balls. This is a pretty shitty premise for a show with the word "Dragon Ball" in the title. In the finale, Trunks assures Pan that the Dragon Balls will return some day, but why would he want them to return? After all the destruction they've caused, you'd think Trunks would be relieved to be rid of the dumb things.

So what does that leave? The show itself is rotten, and Toei would be foolish to try to repair or remake it. What does it offer to the fandom?

And I think the answer to that is: Inspiration.

Marron is barely in GT at all. I meant to talk about her more, but I was surprised to find that she has even fewer appearances in GT than I remembered. She shows up in the Baby Saga for a couple of episodes, and then she's with Krillin and 18 when 17 attacks them, and that's it. And yet, there's a lot of fans out there making content about teen Marron and/or adult Marron. I don't know a lot about it, since I'm not particularly interested myself, but what does intrigue me is how it had to have started with the version of Marron we see in GT. Fans saw her, wanted more, and made their own version. Sometimes they stick to the GT design, and sometimes they steer clear of it, but it's always a response to the GT portrayal, one way or the other.

I won't lie, I've gotten some ideas from GT in the past, and I've developed a few new ones now that I've rewatched it again. The video games have done a better job presenting Super Saiyan 4 and the main villains than GT itself. A fan could probably write a kick-ass fixit fic about GT. Maybe someone already has. And there's plenty of smaller fics out there, shipping the younger characters, or just giving them the attention they didn't get from the source material.

I mentioned this before, but a lot of Luffa was inspired by my frustration with GT's refusal to give us Super Saiyan Pan or Bulla. Luffa's flash forward 1000 years into the future has a lot of resemblance to Goku's inscrutable presence in Age 890. Pan going from Age 4 to 110 had a lot to do with Keda going from 9 to 99 in my fanfic. The trick is that when I do it, I'm trying to give those moments more dramatic weight, something they sorely lacked in the TV Special and Episode 64. I think the Marron fans and Goten shippers are coming from the same place.

So it's dishonest for anyone to say "Oh, well you borrowed ideas from GT, so that means you actually thought GT was good." No. It's more like salvaging lumber from a collapsed barn and using it to build your own barn. GT is a challenge. You watch it and the show takes all your favorite characters and makes them suck and suck, and it's so disappointing that it basically dares you to do something better. Every time I think about the Shadow Dragons, and how that should have been a slam dunk for Toei, I start to think about how I could do it right. And maybe one of these days I will.

Alan Moore sums it up a lot better than I could, when he gives writers the advice to read bad books for inspiration. There's a lot to be gained from analyzing a bad story, because it helps you understand what went wrong, and how to avoid the same pitfalls in your own work. And I think that goes for bad anime too. That's why I'm here.

And there's always diamonds in the rough, too. GT #43 is one of the worst of the worst. It's just a terribly animated episode, and yet it somehow includes this gorgeous shot of Vegeta. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day. And as Diamond Dallas Page always says: That's not a bad thing. That's a good thing! Bang!

[um-prompts]

62 writing prompts based on my songfic playlist!

enjoy!

Featured: kill the lights set it off • choke i don't know how but they found me • cannibal tally hall • feel better penelope scott • ramblings of a lunatic bears in trees • idk if i'm a boy blue foster • asthma attack noahfinnce

"I'm afraid the spotlight dried you up."

"You make me sick with all the lies that you spill."

"Not even death could stand in the way."

"You never even tried in the first place."

"kill the lights, kill the actor, kill the actress."

"I'll break your pretty face."

"Oh, you clever little things."

"What a precious basket case."

"If I could burn this town, I wouldn't hesitate."

"Bite your tongue and choke yourself to sleep."

"You get everything you want."

"Money always talks to the idiot savants."

"I am the willing victim of a cannibal."

"She rips out my bones just like I'm an animal."

"When I'm feeling like my blood is drained, she calls it a game."

"The wound she leaves is unmistakable."

"I'm not the only one she has come to see."

"They could be the ones to make her believe."

"She's a phantom."

"Please, won't you tear me open wide?"

"I don't wanna feel better."

"No one's ever gonna love me like that again."

"I don't wanna get over you."

"I'd give anything to miss you again."

"I know I'll never know just what to say."

"I'm a sad girl in a dorm room."

"Someone loved me, someone fucking loved me."

"I'd give my life to have a room that feels that small."

"I had a right to die, a right to live, a right to choose, too."

"Can you fucking imagine?"

"I wanna rip the stars to shreds."

"I'm a healthy baby girl who traded sunshine for disease."

"I loved someone I barely knew."

"Lost my sense of home from the words that I've said."

"Maybe I'll just descend to dirt."

"Would anyone listen to this, the ramblings of a lunatic?"

"My mind does play an awful trick."

"I'm running from my emptiness."

"My brain is tired, my stomach's sick."

"Why has constructing sentences become like pulling teeth?"

"Is this carcass even me?"

"Is this catharsis, therapeutic plunge to darkness or elaborating upon my mediocrity?"

"Maybe this is a result of me finally accepting that I'll be alone forever."

"I've never felt more comfortable in the concept of things ending."

"Maybe this writer's block that I've been perceiving is to stop me diving deeply into my internal being."

"All my friends are dying, some faster than the others."

"I'm trying to distract myself from the fears that I've discovered."

"I don't know if I'm a boy."

"I know I wanna be called pretty."

"I am something in the middle."

"I don't know if I'm a reject."

"I know that I've been breathing different when I'm wearing makeup."

"Those stupid words served to protect me."

"I cannot figure out these stupid words."

"Now I know that I'm a reject, my own special kind of loser."

"I am the physical embodiment of everything I never wanted to be."

"I am the prime example of indecision."

"What am I supposed to do when I'm so see-through?"

"I had never thought that life would be like this."

"If living was the equivalent of breathing then maybe I should prepare myself for another asthma attack."

"You think I know myself, well you'd be mostly wrong."

"If lying was a crime then I'd be doing time."

[quickdeaths]

With a small wave of her hand, Rio dismissed the idea. "Maybe I'll just see if one of my classmates can bring some so we don't have to go personally." Miki would probably be pretty teasey about it, but probably he wouldn't be opposed if he was nearby. She decided to send him a text message just to see what he'd say. "It would be more convenient that way, rather than risking getting chewed out by my homeroom teacher for skipping." Wasn't there a nurse in one of the third year classes? Maybe she should look into getting a sleep disorder diagnosis, Rio thought. That could help get teachers off her back.

"I guess they just want everyone to be involved," she murmured in response to Kazuichi's observation about those bit parts. "I think it's nice to be inclusive, but at that point, it almost feels a little like an insult. Like they're being paraded out to be a joke." Tilting her head back and forth, Rio turned it over in her mind. What was the best way to make sure everyone felt part of the team, without making up a useless job? "I think even for a smaller story, there have to be backstage jobs, plus having people go out and tell people to come. That seems better to me than making someone stand around."

Rio herself had been one of those standing nobodies in elementary school. In her case, it was that she couldn't speak at all, so there was no way for her to have any important role. The school had been trying to accommodate her, but at that time, it felt like a spotlight on her situation, a neon sign that said 'this kid has selective mutism, so they can't do anything more.' Given the choice, she would have preferred to help paint sets, or hand out flyers, or even just hold a door for people coming to their seats.

Thinking about it too long brought a faint shiver to her shoulders as Rio brushed off the memory. "Uh, that's not really what I meant, Kaz-senpai," she corrected. Although, when it came to animated movies for kids, they were always better if they had a cute bird companion. As they walked together, she leveled her senpai with a bombastic side eye. Be cool, senpai, she thought. "What I meant was that especially when it comes to small-time things like these, aren't they usually always boy-girl romances?" She shrugged, checking her phone as she got a text back from Miki. "I'm kind of over boy-girl romance stories. It takes a lot to get me invested, so mostly I prefer girl-girl stories."

“Oh. Uh, a black hoodie and sunglasses might help..? Actually no, never mind, that’ll just make them think you’re a suspicious person or something,” the mechanic mused, with furrowed eyebrows, determined to get that takoyaki with the other. It was the ultimate festival dessert! A festival is never complete without it!! In a festive mood, he didn’t give what the other said about how to address people much attention, a mix of being in a hurry and hoping to have it overlooked.

It wasn’t really that big of a deal anyway, right?

Deciding to shoo the worry away from his mind, he happily switched to the lovely thought of watching a romance play. “Those plays usually have a lot of funny stuff happening, right? Like, someone is just standing in the back as a tree or something. I mean, imagine having to stand there with a straight face for almost the whole play… I would burst out laughing.” Or crying, at a sad scene. Okay yeah, he would absolutely suck on a stage, he can’t act for shit. It’s a good thing his old school didn’t have a theater.

“But uh, what do you mean it’s probably not the kind of romance you like…? There’s kinds? Wait no hold on, I know what you mean!!” He wasn’t giving her the chance to answer, hands waving around as fast as he was speaking. “I have a preference for machines romance, too! Like robots falling in love, or cars…” He sighed dreamily at the memory of watching Cars. It was some good shit. Taking another bite from his cotton candy, he hummed joyfully. “…Oh, but yours would probably be for birds, right? Like, uh, I don’t know what the bird version of a furry is. Feathery??”

[loosesodamarble]

💫 New game: associate your mutuals and/or anons with something that fits their vibe! 💫

Sorry for taking so long to answer, anon. Just had... many other things to do. 😅

Also a lot of mutuals that I wanted to tag. Not all of them though because I have... more than I realized?

..........

@cringeyvanillamilk: Steph, gal, I associate you with glasses. I mean you wear glasses but also you're smart and cute, the vibes that glasses give off. That or you can be all cool and push up your glasses while light reflects off them to conceal your eyes as you scheme./j

@kaleidonope: This one's an easy one. Stars. You shine like stars and you have as many ideas as stars in the sky. Also, you're just fascinating, like a sky full of stars just begging to be admired. Finally, I know you just like space/galaxy patterned things. It's hard not to associate you with stars, bud.

@sludgedealer: One of those spotlights for stages. I'm remembering those weird theater days for one. But also, you've stolen the show a few times in the D&D campaigns we've played so that spotlight is deservedly on you! The only discrepancy with the association is that you're as cool as a cucumber while stage lights are scorching hot.

@cryo-visionary: A sketchbook. You have a creative soul. You draw and write so while you could be a notebook, the sketchbook is bigger and I think you have big, bombastic ideas for characters/stories. Let your creativity flow, my dear internet imouto~!

@spindaonateaspoon: A plush animal! Maybe it's because I can only imagine Spindas when I think about you but like... You're funny and supportive and, when need be, a vicious animal ready to call bs when you see it. Also, like a plush, friend shaped.

@loafingdragon: I associate you with a couch. Your blog title is one factor and also the vibes of comfort and just... chilling that couches give me. You of course can be serious and critical and man I love it when you intensely dig into things. But most of the time, you're just vibing.

@nothxkas: You know one of those pointer sticks that teachers use to point to things on a board/screen? I associate you with that. You can go on and on about topics that you're passionate about, like giving an intense lecture (but one I have to read). I don't always respond to the things you say but your mini essays have left such an impression on me.

@thoughtfullyrainynightmare: I associate you with a bookmark. Now I can't physically bookmark your work as I read it but I sorta digitally bookmark by keeping a reblog of your new chapters in my drafts so I remember to read them. I also associate you with knowledge and patience (it takes time to read a book and you take your time with people, don't you ever feel rushed). Also, bookmarks can be simple or fancy and you can either do sweet little oneshots or long, poetic tales of love and strife!

@simpingforthisonedeer: A desk. You are a researcher and a writer and an artist and all those things require desk space! Also, you're not afraid to get serious and put your foot down with people and it gives me the image of being sat across a desk from, like, the principal. You're stern but ultimately well-meaning.

@lyranova: A full tea set. Like CotF with its many families and mysteries, so too does a tea set also have multiple parts to it. Tea sets also make me think of sharing tea with friends. We're not exactly sharing tea when we chat, just next gen oc interaction ideas though.

@marune2: An inkwell. Old timey but gives a vibe of intelligence. Your main ocs (Heinrich and Ida) are intelligent. Also, I get the feeling that you're a fast reader which I tend to associate with intelligence (which probably isn't how intelligence actually works but I'm gonna roll with it). Also, most of your art is in black and white (but when you draw in color that art rocks so hard, seriously! 😍👏💖 I'll stop gushing like a fangirl, sorry./lh), so like black ink on white paper.

@faewraithsworld: A mirror. By sheer coincidence, our ocs and their arcs with their s/os parallel each other. But that's only one reason why I associate you with a mirror. The association also comes with the fact that mirrors can be polished to a shine and you have a bright, shiny personality! Also, mirrors are somewhat associated with beauty and I got the chance to hear your voice once and, well, I thought it was pretty in a welcoming and homey way.

@sailor-muno: A newer mutual so maybe tagging you will help break the ice some more but anyways, Bel, you are a journal. A journal to fill with notes and thoughts and maybe doodles. Full of potential for creativity. Also. Lots and lots and lots of words! You have so much to say, Bel! Also, paper. You've been talking about printing out lots of documents so you are going to be an overstuffed journal soon.

And since I have permission to shout out anons...

Ghost Anon: If you're reading this I want you to know that I associate you with a mug. A mug full of warm, honey ginger tea. You're warm and caring and remind me to take care of myself, which I do with a warm mug of tea.

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Cater Diamond Birthday Boy Personal Story: Part 1

"Happy Birthday"

Part 1 (Part 2) (Part 3)

[Heartslabyul Dorm – Birthday Party Venue]

NRC School Newspaper Special Feature: Interview with the Birthday Boy ～Cater Version～

Happy Birthday.

Cater: Thanks! I'm so happy you're here to celebrate with me, [Yuu]-chan ♪

Your birthday outfit really suits you.

Cater: Right? Right? Everyone's really been saying so. Me too, I really like the white suit.

Cater: I feel great wearing this, 'cause wherever I go, people're falling over backwards to compliment me ♪ I must have walked all around the school today 'cause of that!

Cater: It'd be such a waste to only wear it today, so maybe I'll wear it tomorrow too～

Maybe you shouldn't…

Cater: Ahaha, I'm just kidding. I'm just saying, I really like this outfit!

Do you have any memorable birthday stories?

Cater: Hmm, I wouldn't really call it memorable, but I guess I can talk about my sisters.

Cater: See, I'm the youngest of three siblings. I've got two older sisters.

Cater: Those two get way more hyped than me, and it's supposed to be my birthday～!

Cater: Back when I was little, I'd get squished between the two of them all the time… Ugh, it was so annoying.

Cater: And on top of that, all my birthday gifts were picked by them, so all I got were cute things!

Cater: Things like stuffed animals, dolls, perfume, soap… Basically stuff that didn't really suit your little Cay-kun here…

Cater: Even though I'm the one who's supposed to be in the spotlight, it always felt like my sisters were having waaaaaay more fun with it, y'know!?

Cater: Eh, well, I mean, it's not like they had any bad intentions or anything, and recently, they've been asking me ahead of time what I want, so.

Well, you're in the spotlight today.

Cater: Yeah, yeah! Doesn't matter what anyone says, today, Cay-kun's the star ♪

Cater: I'm gonna make today a super upbeat and lively day, befitting someone like me! I gotta enjoy it to the max ☆

Part 1 (Part 2) (Part 3)

Requested by Anonymous.

[leexsa]

i downloaded iOS 16 and macOS ventura on my phone and macbook respectively, so im here to share about some of the cool stuff!

ios:

the lockscreen is POGGERS, but i still have no idea how to put people in front of the font and stuff. i'll probably figure that out later, but i'm happy with this rn. the font options go from nice and aesthetic to slightly deranged, with weird numbers and all. the widgets were a good idea.

music player!!

the music player has two modes. one more compressed and compact:

and one more bigger zoomed-in version of the album art!

this is a really nice touch for people who are into album art and like seeing them, and the compact method works with those who want to be a little more private about what theyre listening to. theres also a little equaliser on the top right of the progress bar right next to the song title, which i think is pretty neat!

other stuffystuff:

overall, the animations seem a lot more natural, and i really like that. it makes me feel more comfortable using my phone, and it feels as if it's brand new. this just shows how much software affects the experience, and apple outdid themselves this time. although, there are a few slight animation errors that i've already informed them about, so hopefully they do something soon.

the scrolling on the home page is almost the same as iOS15, but instead the dots at the bottom have a search function when the phone is still. i think for small handed people like me would be okay to use it, but i'm not really sure this function is needed since all we can do is just swipe down for spotlight.

but when we DO swipe down, there's a new animation that makes the search button at the bottom of the screen come up to be the search bar itself. pretty cool ngl

the fixed app row at the bottom of the homescreen seems even closer to the edge, either that or my eyes are failing me. there's no battery percentage yet, but hopefully the actually update has it :')

the hold picture thing isn't working for me as for now, but that's maybe bc i'm on an older phone. can beta testers who use newer phones tell me if it works on yours?

the fitness app was a good thing i feel. im always super unmotivated to exercise, so i think seeing the rings themselves can help me force myself to exercise everyday :D

that's all for iOS! onto macOS!

ok first things first, ventura is BIG. like big BIG update. 12gb???? my computer was having a difficult time to download everything, but i eventually got it downloaded. and the biggest thing in this update:

stage manager!

(dont mind the ayato wallpaper thanks 💀)

stage manager actually boosted my productivity in class, a LOT. my moots know that we use our computers a lot in class, and stage manager helped me not only focus, but do my work more efficiently. i used to be a very everything-full-screen person. i would put all of my windows in full screen mode and travelling between them was a little bit torturous. but stage manager somewhat found a middleground for people who love full screen and minimised windows. they made it so that your current window was big enough to feel like it's full screen, but you still have the stage manager at the side for you to switch your windows whenever you want to.

however, it was a little difficult to navigate at first. i kept opening windows that i wasnt supposed to and i had no idea how to group tabs and separate them. hopefully the feedback i gave to apple will allow them to give more direct instructions on how to use the stage manager.

oh. that's pretty much everything. well for me at least, most of the update was an aesthetic upgrade, but self performance could also be boosted! i'm not sure about other features, but these few are the ones that really stuck with me!

[miqojak]

Layers Upon Layers

one: outside layer

[Name:] "Jak." [Hair Style & colour:] "Black and orange. I wear it pulled back and braided." [Eye Color:] "Gold and jade green." [Height:]  "Fuck if I know exactly. Under five fulms." (4'9") [Style:] "Depends on the day. Maybe the hour. Leather and mini-skirts are always a good bet, though. Sometimes a nice suit, sometimes my bike gear, sometimes a little something more form-fitting, elegant and gilded - 'desert chic', I suppose." [Best Physical Feature:] "Definitely my ass...though my legs cut it close, on that one. What do you think?"

two: inner layer

[Fears:] "You ask that and actually expect people to tell you?" (Small/enclosed spaces with no readily available exit, levin, Garleans, people getting too close to her/seeing who she really is) [Guilty Pleasure:] "People feel guilty for what they like? Who's going to judge me, the sheep who can't come up with a single original thought of their own, and feel guilty if they do?" [Biggest Pet Peeve:]  "Biggest...that's tough, actually. Probably blithe optimism, or naivete. People too ignorant, or unwilling to ask questions and look deeper - or those simply unwilling to face hard truths. There can never be any growth if you aren't honest with yourself, after all. Unmotivated slackers. If you have no goals, why are you wasting this star's air?" [Ambition for the Future:] "To be feared and respected in equal measure. I've been pushed around for a long time, and now it's my turn."

three: thoughts

[First Thought When Waking Up:] "Probably...my to-do list for the day? That or wondering what the weather is like, and whether or not I'll be going on my usual morning run or be stuck working out indoors. That or 'Huh, they haven't killed us all yet.'" [What You Think About the Most:] "What my next step is in life - how I want to pursue that power I'm after without compromising who I am...and how the fuck I ended up with someone who actually cares about me in my life while distinctly trying to avoid that type of thing...and why he stuck around. I wonder about the 'why' a lot." [What You Think About Before Bed:] "Depends on the day, and what's happened, and if I'm headed there alone. If I'm not alone, it's probably something to the effect of 'I still can't believe he wants to be here/wants me to be here'. And whether or not I'm alone...there's always the nagging, ugly reminder that Garlemald's towers sit hunched in the sky, ready to end everything for everyone - predator and prey alike. It could be the last night for any of us." [Your Best Quality Is:] "My ass. But other than that...well, I'm honest, and my loyalty can't be bought. I'm not a good person, but I have my own...'code', in a sense, I guess."

four: what’s better

[Single or Group Dates?] "Group dates sound like a punishment. I can barely stand the slack-jawed idiots around me as it is. Though undoubtedly the punishment would be upon the others, considering who my date would be, and the fact that we'd probably spend the time verbally destroying the other couple." [To be Loved or to be Respected?] "Respected. Love without respect is horrifying. I've been there, I've suffered it, and I'm still recovering. But I still...don't know that I believe in love. At least not how most people do, I guess. Love makes people do stupid shit when they believe in it. Respect doesn't. Respect can stand alone, without needing love. Respect has to be earned. There's no claims of 'respect at first sight.' But like I said...love without respect is...ugly. Scary, even." [Beauty or Brains?] "Both, or no deal. Brains are essential, but I can't have a walking pile of dogshit on my arm, now can I?" [Cats or Dogs?] "Neither, I don't do pets - animals are food. But...I suppose I'd say dogs, though you'd probably incorrectly assume cats, based on the fact that I resemble one. But...there's been more 'canines' in my life in the last year or two than I care to recall."

four: do you…

[Lie?] "No. Not unless the situation is dire - my morals don't matter if my life is on the line. Survival comes first always." [Believe in Yourself?] "Much more than I used to. I've accomplished, and survived, more than most could even begin to imagine." [Believe in Love?]  "Not...really? Maybe? Though I'll admit that for all my vehement denial in the past, someone has made me re-examine my emotions in the last half a year or so. I don't think I believe in the sort of 'love' that the general public believes in. I had someone force his fairy tale romance down my throat and do me a lot of harm both physical and mental with those ideals, as he forced me to be someone I wasn't. If adhering to what society expects of love is all that someone cares about - hitting the expected gestures as told in fairy tales? That's about as real as a fever dream. I don't like the word 'love'. Not what it's come to be associated with, and what's expected of you along with it." [Want Someone?] "For the first time in my life...yes. Not that I don't 'have' him as much as I can claim such, but when he's not around, I find that I want him to be. So...yes?"

six: have you ever…

[Been on Stage?] "No? I mean, my organization does run a jazz club, and it's been various theaters before that, and I've...sat on the stage, basked in the spotlight of an empty theater? I prefer to be...less in the actual spotlight, however." [Done Drugs?] "I've only been clean and sober for...maybe a year now? So yeah. I've...done a lot of drugs." [Changed Yourself to Fit In Somewhere?] "I've been a con-artist to put food on the table, but I don't believe in changing who you are to 'fit in.' If you don't fit in...you don't fit in. You are who you are. Being anything else is a lie, and does you a disservice. It's also a pathetic cry for attention - for the other bleating sheep to accept you into their herd. I won't debase myself to 'fit in' with my lessers."

seven: favorite

[Favorite Color:] "Black, white, gold, and red. I don't have just one." [Favorite Food:] "Once more, I don't have just one. I like red meat, I like seafood, and I enjoy rolanberries quite a bit. Of late, I think my current favorite snack is takoyaki though - this fried dough ball with octopus inside...just thinking about it makes my mouth water." [Favorite Game:] "Breaking and entering."

eight: age

[When Your Next Birthday Will Be:] "No idea." [How Old Will You Be?] "No clue. I'm...twenty and four summers, roughly...give or take a couple." [Age You Lost Your Virginity:] "Care to lose yours to one of my knives, here?" [Does Age Matter?]  "Should it? I suppose I'd be a bit baffled to see an old geezer with a hot young thing, but even so...who cares? I haven't exactly had a lot of lovers, but I don't think I ever asked any of them their age. So long as people stay the fuck away from kids, it's a non-issue in my opinion."

nine: in a partner

[Best Personality:] "An unflinching realist who not only faces the truth, but deals it out themselves. Ambition, and the ability to be honest with themselves about who they are." [Best Eye Colour:]  "Who gives a shit? If I find them worthwhile, I'll like their eyes, I assure you." [Best Hair Colour:] "Who's out here checking people off a list because their hair is the wrong color? I mean, after some shit I went through, I might not want to ever see another red-head again, but realistically...who gives a single fuck? I think you're asking the wrong questions here. People often do - too busy dwelling on lust at first sight." [Best Thing to do With a Partner:] "Murder? Crime in general? ...Or a hot bath."

ten: finish the sentence

[I Love…] ...I just told you I don't do love. But...I do love the sun." [I Feel…] everything at once, or nothing at all, it seems." [I Hide…] who I am." [I Miss…] my family." [I Wish…] ...wishes are for simpletons. Actions achieve what you want." Thanks for the tag: @eligos-venator @placesyoucallhome @bek-sc @sundered-souls (I think I found you all who tagged me!)

I am late to this party! Tag yourselves if you want to do it, so I can read your stuff! I feel like most folks have done it, and I'm too brain-dead atm to root around in the bowels of Tumblr to see who hasn't, since I'm many days late! XD

[purplerose244]

Thoughts journal about Season 13!! 💪💪 (1/4)

Phew, I actually made it to the English release without spoilers! 🤩 I do know general things about little plots for the ninja, hopefully nothing major! Finally, the Cole season we've all been waiting for, with Rock Mom and possibly plenty of our Earth baby development! COLE IN THE SPOTLIGHT AT LAST!! 🖤🖤

Well, I know I'll be shooting rainbows from my eyeballs if I see even one Nexo Knights reference! For the rest I don't really know what will happen, I'm curious! 🤔

It's the 6th of July, and here we go!!

GENERAL THOUGHTS

Is it just me or the dialogues sounds better? More built up, funnier, cohesive just like in the earliest seasons of Ninjago? Maybe it's just me but I'm really appreciating 🤷‍♀️

It also doesn't feel that rushed anymore! Which was my biggest problem in Prime Empire really. The episodes seem to me like fragments of a nice movie, not a too long story forced into 11 minutes. I'm very happy with the quality so far, I feel good about this for now! 👍

No matter what season it is, you can count on The Fold to make an AMAZING intro!! Freaking awesome, it was epic and very final battle like 👌👌 I WANT THE FULL VERSION ASAP!!!

SHINTARO

I do appreciate we are not forgetting about the adventures we had until now, it feels like from season 11 forward we are building a new backstory of. But they still show stuff from the very first seasons so I'm happy anyway 😍

Pff, Cole plays Prime Empire right after being trapped in it. And Lloyd joins in! YES!! Maybe there is hope for a season without greenie being traumatized! 👍👍

Also he's doing laundry because I DON'T WANNA DO THE DISHES NO MORE~ 😎

The chicken is back 😂 The constant reference to the movie we are all kinda attached to a this point (well I am, LOOK AT THE LITTLE HAT 💕💕)

Is it me being a "I've rewatched this show way too much" type of fan to feel that Nya saying that Jay using Spinjitzu for chores will get Wu mad might be a reference to how the guys had cleaned the very first Destiny Bounty with that? You think that Wu found out and got crazy mad? That would be kinda cool 😂😂

Okay, poor sensei and all, but he's kinda right 😅 I like Wu, I really do, but Aspheera was a problem kinda because of him, they all going to another dangerous realm could have been dealt a lot better if he hadn't been so on edge and in Prime Empire he freaking got kidnapped by NORMAL PEOPLE. Maybe he is getting old 🤷‍♀️

At last, he has returned...

THE ONE AND ONLY RULER OF NINJAGO, THE POSTMAN!!! 💜💜💜 Was he missing since March of the Oni? I can't remember if he was around for the Aspheera part 🤔

Soooo, not to be that person, but a secret group of royals asking the ninja to meet them in a place that was never open for outsiders before then? Kinda... feels familiar... *SoG flashbacks* 😰

Okay, not the biggest fan of Misako, but her scolding Wu was kinda fun 🤣 Needed to change the animation for her to get a bit of personality apparently 😉

Ah, you left Pixal behind to let her do... chores. Well, if you guys are happy 😒

Ninja babies all excited ❤💚💙🖤🤍💦 Also I'm excited because there is FINALLY a white heart between the emoji! I didn't notice it until now, I just need a gray/maroon heart now 😍

Jay screaming NOT MADE UP cracked me up so much 😂😂 Gosh I love my bluebell

A bit of action scene, nice, nice, also Cole going full buddy mode to save Jay gives me my beautiful Bruise vibes 💙🖤💙🖤

Well hello Brian

Looking good 💕💕 The designs are rocking in season 12 and 13, I cannot tell it enough! Super super cool

Overall nice episode, seemed more nicely focused than usual, I don't know if it's just me. I'm happy anyway 😁

Ooohhhh, so the sails were ripped off by the bats, and they were flying thanks to the soldier guys with wings. It makes sense, I was confused by the trailer, now there's the answer!

IN THE DARK

Okay, Vania introduction, I wonder what kind of princess we will get after last ti-

Vania: I'm such a big fan of you, I was the one that insisted at having you here! 🤩

... besides the fact that she sounds and looks absolutely ADORABLE, I'm kinda with Lloyd about feeling suspicious... because that's exactly how Harumi introduced herself back then 😅 And away it goes, the possibility of Lloyd spending a season without feeling disturbed or traumatized...

Ah, there we go, Cole and Vania. Soft looks, instant attention and... that's it? Idk, Jay and Nya's meeting had that one very awkward color question (💙❤💙❤), Kai literally heard romantic music while looking at Sky (❤🧡❤🧡), Lloyd was being mocked all the way by the guys as he looked at Harumi (💚😰💚😰). This one seems a bit weak? I don't mind it actually, I'm actually a bit curious about how it will develop since it started like this 🤷‍♀️

References to Hiroshi's Labyrinth and the Tournament of Elements, my fangirl heart is happy 😍 Is it too much thinking that the maze was a reference to Shadow of Ronin, since they all went there in the game while in the show only Lloyd was at the Labyrinth? Idk 🤷‍♀️

JAY SAYING COLE IS HIS BEST FRIEND, YES!! YES!! FINALLY, HAVEN'T HEARD IT SINCE SKYBOUND!!! BROTP IS BACK 🖤💙🖤💙 Also Jay confused that Vania is interested in Cole, pff, you clearly don't know the fandom 😂

But it is a bit fishy, does she knows stuff? Now I'm into it...

Lloyd sneaking in, that was creepy 🤣 And ninja like, of course

I kinda like how this is going, Cole straight up saying dude, I just met her, calm down. Like, I do understand green bean and I'm kinda on his side, but still 🤷‍♀️

Cole: I'm not just gonna jump on the lovesick wagon like you weirdos, geez

"It felt like a cloud of warm contentment." I'm gonna use this whenever someone asks me why have I been in my bed all day 😎

I know they all believed Cole was just dreaming the purple guy, but honestly they could have just said "Cole, we had flaming snakes raining on Ninjago a few weeks ago, what are you so worked up about?". But yeah, ROCK MOM FINALLY!!! I wanna know more!! 😍😍😍

Mr Sparkles 😂😂 So cute

Vania is cool for now, she is basically the innocent Harumi without a scarring tragedy from her past changing her into a vengeful villain... yeah 😅

Did Cole notice that she talks a lot and loud, kinda like Jay? Is that why he seemed a bit annoyed? 😂😂

For now they don't seem that annoyingly into each other, they look chill, no major lovesick moment or anything. I like it, I don't know if this ship will be super important or something, but at least I'm happy they are dealing with it in a different way 👍

With all these creatures chained up and a crazy dude making them work, Cole must have one HECK of a flashback from back in Chen's island 😵

Okay, I get the drama, I get the lair which is

Legit cool, with that nice Underworld vibe, but really? A wood door with ropes behind a lava fall? Security measures who? 😂😂

So Skull dude is the bad guy, and has a mask. People with masks means big reveal at some point. I like dudes with masks 😗

Aaaahhh, figures it was too easy being in a literal mine with the power of Earth. They really can't keep their powers for more than five seconds now can they 😂😂

But this seems interesting, is it connected with the burst thing they said in the trailer? Or even Cole's mom? Is this Skull Sorcerer connected to her? I HAVE QUESTIONS PEOPLE!!!

I am legit enjoying this 👌 They are building up questions and I do hope we'll get a good flashback moment with Rock mom... or even finding out if something else happened to her... EXCITED 🤩🤩

So to be the main ninja of a season lately you have to be either without powers (Kai Fire Chapter) or trapped in an unknown place (Zane Ice Chapter and Jay Prime Empire). Cole got them both 😅

IT REALLY IS ROCKY'S SEASON FINALLY 😎😎

WORST RESCUE EVER

Mm, the king is being weird, what's up with this mountain thing? Does he know who the Skull Sorcerer is? QUESTIONS

So Vania keeps being extremely adorable, I think I really like her character 💕 We'll see what will happen with her, how she will interact with the others, especially Lloyd since he seems very suspicious... can't really blame him 😅

Kai ready to argue with a king because one of his friend is in danger, THAT'S MY FLAME BABE ❤❤❤

Okay, the conflict between the two tribes, I read about this in some plots of the season. Not sure how that will play, but

I did laughed at this 😂 Sorry Mole

Okay, seriously, have we not learned anything from letting Kai come up with a plan? The notoriously bad planner Kai? The think before talking Kai? The let's follow the sun because yes Kai? I love him to dead but really, it was meant to go bad right away even if the title wasn't that 😅😅😅

AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO GOT EMOTIONAL AT COLE'S NINJA-GO WHILE DOING SPINJITZU?? 😭😭 They don't say it that much anymore before spinning, it kinda hit my tornado shaped heart 🖤🖤

I expected at least a comment about them being similar to the Skulkin, too bad. Not fundamental though, I'm really enjoying this so far 👍

Well, all of the ninja are trapped now 😅 Is Wu going to come for the rescue? Is Vania? I know they will be separated and will all go on separated quests, and I'm kinda more looking forward to it now. Let's see what happens!! 🤩

THE TWO BLADES

Considering how big of a fan Vania seems to be of the ninja, I bet she had those figures way before this moment 😂

Wooooo, hearing someone addressing Cole as the leader, does this count as a major throwback to pilots and season 1? I would make it count 😍

Okay here Vania does seem into Cole, we'll see how that plays out 🤷‍♀️

Ooooooooohhhhhh, vengestone! This actually make more sense than the last two times they were left without powers 😅 We never actually saw where that material came from, and here there's an actual mine full of it! Very cool, I like this! Big question is, what does Skull dude need all this vengestone for? 🤔🤔

Okay, the legends fits, sounds good enough but... she? SHE?!? WAS THAT ROCK MOM??? She was clearly a ninja and she did spinjitzu!! I didn't even considered the possibility, I only saw Misako, Doubloon and Aspheera knowing Spinjitzu before!! An actual mom?? THAT WOULD BE EPIC!! 🖤

Pff, these tribes are a bunch of idiots, I actually like them 😂 I like them better than the rats of Prime Empire that's for sure, but maybe that's just me 🤔

Aww, this Mino creature is cure! Cole did pretty good with him, does he remind him of Rocky? ☹

Nice, this I was waiting for! Cole and Lloyd together, leaders collaboration 💚🖤💚🖤 It didn't last much, but I think there will be more of it? I HOPE SO!!!

So the blades must be somewhere hidden, if they really have been taken by the Skull Sorcerer. I mean, even in Prime Empire they thought for sure Unagami was Dyer, so I wouldn't jump on it right away 🤔

There we go, the divided team! I knew about Kai and Zane stuck together, I remember stuff not too promising about Nya having to fight for Jay, but I'm honestly really enjoying the season so far! I like the pace and it doesn't seem as rushed as before! I hope we get to some good plot twists and backstories soon!! 🤩🤩