#ngl kind of want to do a poll lol

[fadelbison]

Okay Tony is acting like he’s got this special baby IN THE BAG but not only is babe not pregnant this rape plot isn’t going so well either so like when is the baby even going to come???

WHAT IS THE GESTATIONAL PERIOD IN THIS UNIVERSE???

[mimikittysblog]

Poly! Ateez Texts: Spoiled Edition

Pairing: Poly! Ateez x Fem! Reader

Genre: Fluff, Suggestive

Synopsis: When you have 8 (very successful & rich) boyfriends why would you ever use your own money??

Warnings: Slight MxM, Reader is spoiled even tho she kinda doesn’t want to be (liar), Gets suggestive at the end so ⚠️MNDI⚠️, the things she buys are what I like so apologies if you don’t.

A/N: Finally it’s here! Thank you so much everyone for really loving the series! And for participating in my poll if you did! This will be the last one for a while, I promise it won’t be long, I’ve grown very attached to these. Also like I said in the warnings, the things she buys are thing I like and my style so I really am sorry if you can’t immerse yourself in these ones, this is kind of a self insert ngl lol. Hopefully you can just picture it as things you do like! That’s all from me! Enjoy! Love you all! 🩷

Tagging: @starygw3n @bee-gremlin

.✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ✧.

.✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ✧.

© mimikittysblog 2024

[saddleups]

𝐁𝐄𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 .

★ 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓 . . . 2.8k

★ 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒 . . . drabble , complete. JAMES SUNDERLAND X F!READER !! 18+ SMUT MDNI !!

★ 𝐂𝐖 . . . fighting for dominance (?) . oral ( m and f receive ) . guys its rough . explicit dirty talk . sixty nine lol . p_rn w/o plot.

★ 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 . . .  james  sunderland  has  always  been  a  mystery  to  you.  after  a  long  day  on  the  road  ,  he  suggests  stopping  at  a  rundown  ,  grimy  motel  for  the  night.  the  place  is  far  from  inviting  ,  but  james  is  determined.  its  here  ,  in  this  dirty  old  motel  that  you  finally  uncover  what's  been  lurking  in  that  charming  blonde  head  of  his.

★ 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 . . . i cheated and looked at the poll results earlier ... it gave me a head start considering 58% of y'all yearned for the motel lol . ngl , this is kind of a mess but i am feral.

The drive home had stretched out longer than either of you had expected. James was behind the wheel, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, but you could feel the weight of his exhaustion in his posture. The soft hum of music played in the background as you found yourself studying his profile—the sharp slope of his nose, the strong cut of his jaw, a perfect combination that made his handsomeness almost unfair. It was hard to keep your attraction under control. Your body reacted without permission, a quiet tingling sensation awakening inside you, but you did your best to keep those feelings tucked away. After all, your poker face was never quite as convincing as James’.

He always seemed to keep his emotions locked up, held at arm’s length. Unless he directly told you what he was thinking, it was nearly impossible to read him. You realized you’d been staring too long when he spoke, his voice calm and steady. "Everything alright?"

You quickly snapped your gaze forward, heat rushing to your face. "Y-yeah. Sorry."

"I'm feeling a little tired," he admitted, still focused on the dark stretch of road ahead. "I don't think it's safe for me to keep driving."

"Do you want me to take over? I don't mind," you offered, glancing at him.

James shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "No, no. I know you're tired too. There's a motel up the road," he said, nodding toward it. "We can stop and take a break."

You nodded, relieved. "Yeah, that sounds good."

As James pulled into the motel’s parking lot, he parked the car and turned off the engine. The building ahead was far from luxurious—run-down and worn, with a flickering neon sign that made the whole place look like a relic from a forgotten era. Still, it was a place to rest.

James got out of the car first and came around to open the door for you, a gesture that made you smile despite your surroundings. It was such a small thing, but it felt thoughtful, like a reminder that he always took care of you in these subtle ways. You murmured a quiet "thank you" as you stepped out, appreciating the moment.

He walked with you to the front desk, his hand lightly guiding you. The motel lobby was just as rundown as the outside, with faded wallpaper and an odd smell lingering in the air. You couldn’t help but feel uneasy, inching closer to James as the man behind the desk asked, "What can I do for you?"

"Any room available?" James asked, his voice steady and polite.

The clerk grunted, tapping at an ancient computer before handing over a key. "Room at the end. Number seven."

You gripped James' arm tighter as he accepted the key, your nerves on edge in the seedy atmosphere. He glanced down at you, offering a reassuring look before guiding you out of the lobby and toward the room.

Once inside, you both took in the sight of the small, outdated room. It wasn’t much, but it would do for the night. You set your bag down and turned to you James soft smile. "Not exactly five-star, huh?"

James didn't respond. Instead he firmly shut the door behind him. He turned to face you, his expression unreadable as per usual, however the tension between you two was palpable. Your heart raced as you take a step back, body pressing against the wall.

"What are you doing?" You whisper.

James stepped closer, his gaze boring into yours. "What am I doing?" He sounds almost … irritated?

"After the way you were looking at me before, god. I nearly crashed the car." He huffed a breath. "Like you were begging for me to bend you over." It dawned on you, it wasn't irritation in his demeanor. It was sexual frustration.

Before you could react, James grabbed your waist and pressed his body into yours. His lips crash forming rough, punishing kiss. His hands move up your hips, pulling them closer until there was no space between you two. You felt the restriction on his jeans against your thigh, the thought of the length caused you to gasp in his mouth.

James wasn't letting go. He deepened the kiss, his tongue probing into your mouth with a hunger that left you breathless. His hands slid down to your ass, squeezing hard enough to bruise as he grinds his erection against your thigh. So desperate for a sense of relief.

Your voice trembles as you plead, "P-please…"

But James only pulls back, his eyes dark, "do you want me to stop?"

Tears prickle at the corners of your eyes as you shake your head, your desperation matching his intensity. "No, please don't stop…"

He kisses you roughly, tracing the edge of your mouth with a finger as he groans against your lips. "You're so fucking sexy. I can't stop thinking about you."

Your knees tremble under his touch, completely under his spell. "What are you thinking about?" you ask coyly.

James's hands roam over your body, lifting your shirt to expose your lacy bra underneath. "Your tits, your ass," he growls as his fingers squeeze and knead your breasts. A soft moan escapes from your stained lips. "And how tight and wet your pussy feels around me."

His dirty words sent a jolt of desire through you, and you couldn't believe that such thoughts existed in his pretty head. You weigh your options in this game of seduction and decide to play along.

"But that's not what good boys do, James," you tease, causing his erection to twitch in response. "You're such a dirty boy." The seductive tone in your voice only adds fuel to the fire as James's desire for you intensifies even more.

James's eyes darkened at your words, a low growl rumbling in his chest. "Are you gonna punish me for it," he almost laughs, his voice husky with desire. His hands slid down your sides, gripping your hips tightly as he pressed you harder against the wall.

You gasped as he ground his hips against yours, feeling the hard length of him through his jeans. Your head fell back against the wall, exposing your neck to him. James took full advantage, his lips trailing hot kisses down your throat as his hands roamed your body.

"God, I've wanted this for so long," he breathed against your skin, nipping at your collarbone. "Wanted you for so long."

Your fingers tangled in his hair, tugging gently as pleasure coursed through you. "Then take me," you whispered, your voice breathy with need.

James growled, his eyes flashing with hunger. "I'll show you just how dirty I can be."

In one swift motion, he lifted you up, your legs instinctively wrapping around his waist. He carried you to the bed, tossing you onto the mattress with a bounce. Before you could catch your breath, he was on top of you, his weight pressing you into the creaky motel bed.

His hands were everywhere at once, caressing, squeezing, exploring every inch of your body. You arched into his touch, desperate for more. James's lips trailed hot kisses down your neck, nipping and sucking at the sensitive skin. You knew there would be marks tomorrow, but you couldn't bring yourself to care.

"James," you moaned, your voice a low, commanding whisper as your fingers slid through his hair, tightening your grip with each passing second. His lips traveled down the length of your body, but before he could indulge any further, you yanked him back, asserting control.

With a sharp tug, you pulled his head up, forcing him to meet your gaze. His eyes were wild with desperation, a raw hunger that betrayed his need, but you held him firmly in place, denying him the satisfaction he craved. He was yours to command.

"I told you," your voice cut through the thick tension in the air, "that's not how good boys behave."

His breath hitched, and you felt the shiver run through him. You could see the struggle in his expression—the fight between his desire and the knowledge that you held all the power. He was teetering on the edge, waiting for you to decide his fate.

With a groan of pleasure, you pushed yourself off the bed and stood before him, the alluring picture of innocence undone. Delicate fingers urged James forward, his eyes locked onto yours as he remained on his knees in anticipation. The sound of fabric ripping filled the room as you freed yourself from the confines of your clothes, revealing your supple body to his hungry gaze.

Your hands slipped behind the lace of your panties and gathered the wetness that coated your fingers. You held the sight before him like an offering, a temptation he couldn't resist. "Open your mouth," you commanded softly, and James obeyed without hesitation - hungrily watching as you slipped your fingers between his lips and onto his tongue.

Heart racing, you placed your fingers against James's eager mouth and ordered him to suckle like a baby from your honeyed nectar. His cheeks hollowed out with the effort as he swirled his tongue around yours, lapping up every drop of your essence while sending shivers of delight through your core.

"Good boy," you breathed out, feeling the tension within you mounting unbearably. "Suck harder." And James did - pulling on your fingers with all the desperation of a man lost in desire for you, his tongue flickering wildly against yours as he drank deeply from the wellspring of pleasure that was flowing from between your legs.

As you watched James suckle greedily at your fingers, a warm glow of pleasure spread through your body. You couldn't help but reward his eagerness with a soft "good boy" murmur that made its way into his eager mouth. His tongue flicked against yours in response, as if he understood the praise was for him alone.

Removing your fingers from his mouth a string of saliva connects you both. James , on his knees, scurried forward. His teeth biting the strap of your panties, he slid the lacey number down.

"That's my good boy," you purred, stepping closer to him and running your hands over his shoulders before guiding him towards the rickety bed that creaked under their combined weight. You pushed him gently onto his back, admiring the way he arched under your touch as he allowed himself to be led like a lamb to slaughter.

Kneeling between James's legs, you free him from the confides of his clothing. Freeing his cock from the cage it was trapped in. You ran your tongue along the length of his shaft before taking it into your mouth and sucking greedily on its hardness. His hips bucked up off the mattress in response, demanding more from you as you teased him with short bursts of oral pleasure.

"Fuck, you're so good. I feel like I'm going insane." He groaned.

James reached out to pull at your hair, urging you deeper onto his cock while pleading wordlessly for release. His hands trembled against your skin as he fought for control over himself, but ultimately it was you who held the power in this game… for now.

"You've been such a good boy," you whispered against his throbbing member before pulling back to admire its length one last time. "But I think it's time for your reward."

And with that, you sank back onto James's cock with a satisfied moan, welcoming him into the depths of your mouth. The tip of his hard cock hitting against your throat, meanwhile rings of your lipstick linger along the shaft. Before he can loose himself completely in your game, James returned the motion you shared earlier. With a fistful of your hair, he yanked you from his throbbing member with a guttural groan.

In a fervent nature he situated your body on the dirty mattress. Involuntarily, you find yourself opening your legs wider for him, "James! You're being so bad,"

"Shut the fuck up!" He dejects, running the tip of his cock against your slick cunt. He enters, stretching your walls to their extent. You stretch your legs farther in a feeble attempt to earn more from him.

As you feel James's cock sliding in and out of your tight pussy, you can't help but let out a moan of pleasure at the sensation. Your breasts rise and fall with each thrust of his hips, an erotic sight that drives him even deeper into you. "You're so wet, so filthy." With a growl of possession, James wraps an arm around your waist, pulling your body closer to his as he takes you harder than ever before.

"That's it," you pant in response, arching your back to meet him stroke for stroke. "Fuck me like the dirty little whore that I am." And James does – grinding into you with a ferocity that leaves no doubt about who holds the power here.

Finally reaching his climax, James grits his teeth and buries himself to the hilt inside you one last time before pulling out with a sharp groan of release. His hot seed shooting across your stomach in a powerful eruption that leaves both of you breathless and satiated.

As the two of you lay entangled in each other's sweaty embrace, you rest your head on his chest, tracing circles on his abdomen. The old mattress groans under your combined weight. "You were worth every fucking second," he whispers into your ear, nibbling softly on your lobe. His cock throbs against your thigh, still wet with his essence and aching for another round of pleasure.

"So what's next?" You ask teasingly, arching your back to offer him a glimpse of your slick folds beckoning him forward. "Should we try something different, I can ride you." James responded with a gruff you couldn't discern.

Then he rolls onto his side, propping himself up on one elbow as he drags you into a sixty-nine position. You yelp at the unexpected motion. His depravity, perverted nature was running like a faucet. You lay atop of James his hardened, throbbing cock mere inches from your face. With a trembling hand you reach forward for his length, tasting the juices that were inside you moments ago.

Underneath you, James darts his tongue out to taste you once more while his fingers trace lazy circles around your clit. "Fuck... you're so fucking filthy," he moans against your cunt, licking and sucking at your swollen folds as if they were the most delicious dessert he's ever tasted.

You gasp in response, surrendering your weight on James face, grinding. Completely lost in the pleasure he was providing you. Unable to focus on the task of sucking his cock, your nails dig into his thighs. Sounds of pleasure rip from your throat, uncaring of who can hear the two of you outside the motel door.

"You like that?" He asks teasingly, nipping at your clit before diving back into his feast. "Tell me how much you want it."

"I need... I need you inside me," you moan out, bucking against his tongue as it delves deeper into your soaking wet cunt. The pressure is building again but this time there's no rush – this will be a slow burn toward orgasm after orgasm until you both collapse in a puddle of sweat and satisfaction.

James' demand is like a whip cracking in the air, spurring you into action. With a ravenous hunger for his touch, you hastily position yourself as he commanded. Your legs tremble with anticipation as his hands glide up your thighs, admiring every inch of your body with greed and awe. "Beautiful," he mutters in breathless admiration. A soft smile tugs at your lips, but it quickly turns into a moan as you plunge yourself onto him, feeling his hardness fill you completely. His skillful thrusts hit all the right spots, driving you wild with pleasure. You place your hands on his chest, using them to anchor yourself as your hips move in sync with his, pushing him deeper inside you. His fingers dance over your clit, sending electrifying shockwaves through your entire body.

The symphony of your combined moans fills the room, each one louder than the last as you both lose yourselves in this passionate battle of desire and ecstasy. As your climax approaches, James' name becomes a mantra on your lips. With a final burst of intensity, waves of pleasure crash over you, leaving you trembling and gasping for air. James' release floods inside you, overflowing with primal satisfaction that can only be found in each other's embrace. You slowly dismount and snuggle into his arms, basking in the afterglow of pure bliss. In silence, you both anticipate what new pleasures await in the morning.

[peachysunrize]

Darling! It really seems like you want to write an aegon story, so you can just do that if that’s where your muse is taking you! You don’t HAVE TO follow the results of the poll lol or you can always do aegon next? Or write them at the same time? It just really seems like you were hoping for a different result and I want you to know that you can just choose to write the one that makes you happy and if anyone has a problem with it they can fuck off 🙂

I really wanted to write for Aegon but the idea of not following the results makes me anxious😭 because around 250 votes were made and I loveeee writing for Aemond!!! It just feels like it’s been forever since I last wrote sth for Aegon🥺

But no worries, I’ll get to Aegon later!

Thank you so much for your kind words (ngl you sound really familiar👀) I REALLY APPRECIATE IT THANK YOU🫂🫂🫂

[blorbusshmorbus]

Saltburn dashboard pt2

Fun Fact: Remember that poll in the last one? That decided whether or not this is cannon compliant. :)))

🔄🚲 to-keep-it-real

📚 daily-shakespeare Follow

"The course of true love never did run smooth"

Lysander, act one scene one of A Midsummer night's dream, first performed on the 1st of January, 1605

#felix please I'm sorry #I'm begging you

(1,908 notes)

🔄 💘dump-him

🪽 thiswasamistake Follow

haha love it when you trust someone so much you fall in love with them only to find they've lied to you the whole time

♥️ ophelia-in-love Follow

36 questions the musical core ngl

💘 dump-him Follow

none of those words were in the bible, veneitia <3

(2,007 notes)

🔄 💘dump-him

🚲 to-keep-it-real

Hey guys, liveblogging my spiral into madness rn.

🚲 to-keep-it-real Follow

I miss him.

💘 dump-him Follow

how did you fumble the bag this badly??? you idiot twink

(2 notes)

🔄🐞bug-blog

🚲 to-keep-it-real Follow

I am Dante. this is my inferno

🐞bug-blog Follow

wasps when they get swarmed by bees lol

#but seriously op that sounds awful #if you need someone to talk to I'm here :)

(4 notes)

🔄 🪽thiswasamistake

♥️ ophelia-in-love Follow

I'm lesbiam

🪽 thiswasamistake Follow

I'm so proud of you!!!

#🥳 #🏳️‍🌈 #lesbian pride!!!!

(100 notes)

🔄🚲 to-keep-it-real

🚲 to-keep-it-real Follow

he's in the maze.

🚲 to-keep-it-real

I'm going to talk to him. I don't care what he's doing.

(1 note)

🪽 thiswasamistake Follow

oh god.

(20 notes)

💘 dump-him Follow

@thiswasamistake

felix where are you???? ur mum's getting worried and I don't want to deal with it rn.

(8 notes)

💘 dump-him Follow

also that dumbass twink isn't here either.

#honestly kind of happy that he's not there #hate that bitch

(2,007 notes)

🪽 thiswasamistake Follow

guys I think I might be gay

♥️ ophelia-in-love Follow

WHERE ARE YOU???? MUMS ABOUT TO GET A TUMBLR ACCOUNT TO SEARCH FOR YOU!!!!!

oh also congrats I'm very proud of you :)))

(100 notes)

🔄🪽thiswasamistake

🪽thiswasamistake Follow

@to-keep-it-real

last night was amazing. I'm glad I was with you

🚲 to-keep-it-real Follow

Fr! honestly my back still hurts from sleeping on the grass 🤣

💘 dump-him Follow

bitch be fr.

[majimasleftasscheek]

Sad day being a majima Stan 😭😭😭😭 how the fuck does Yokoyama miss the mark on majima so bad it's insane 😤😡🤯 anyway glad we got you to keep the love alive 🤗 have an egg during these trying times 🥚

DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED skdljagjklsdgSKLJDG

also thankies for the egg 🥺

hi this is Captain CapsLock and I will be in charge of your flight this evening

doesn't understand why the fandom loves a "scary character" THAT'S WHY WE LOVE HIM HE'S A LIL WEIRDO. also he's like not scary whatsoever. like sure theoretically because he's literal yakuza but even in the context of the games? no way he's a total goober are you kidding me

Majima would have nothing to do in the games WHAT DO YOU MEAN JUST REPLACE A CHARACTER WITH MAJIMA INSTEAD YALL KEEP MAKING NEW ONES I DON'T CARE ABOUT YES YAKUZA 6 I'M LOOKING AT YOU AND ANYWAY KIRYU'S UP TO SOME BULLSHIT FOR NO REASON AGAIN GET MAJIMA IN THERE CUZ FUCK IT. ngl it always peeved me off that Kiryu and Saejima were the "pillars of the Tojo Clan" then like wtf was Majima the entire time if not babysitting the whole ass organization. yeah I'm showing favoritism but c'mon jklsdkldkl

no idea what kind of story to tell if Majima has his own game WHAT ABOUT HIS ENTIRE VAGUE ASS LIFE. BROJIMA STORY? IN BETWEEN GAMES STORY? YALL DOING KIRYU'S GAIDEN THING BETWEEN 6/LAD SO WHAT'S THE PROBLEM

surprised Majima is popular THEN WHY DOES HE LITERALLY HAVE AS MUCH MERCH IF NOT MORE THAN KIRYU AND WINS POPULARITY POLLS. FOR A SIDE CHARACTER NO ONE CARES ABOUT HE SURE IS LOVED THAT'S CRAZY. FOR A NOBODY TYPE OF CHARACTER HE SURE IS THE FACE OF THE SERIES VERY OFTEN HUH WEIRD

bruh I knew that stream was gonna piss me off and I was right lmaooo. I already got trauma from being a halo and warhammer fan bro I cannot with this kldskllkd. and here's the thing, I don't want Ichiban's story to be overshadowed by Kiryu's (and by proxy Majima) but also they keep shoehorning them into things while being like okay lol this is the end of it we prommy 🤞

like whoopdidoo what a "send off" for the umpteenth time. I think what hurts most is you can really see how much Ugaki loves voicing Majima and the fact that RGG really wants to leave Majima to the wayside while still putting Kiryu front and center for who knows what reason this time is just hhhhhhhhhh. now of course, this doesn't mean Majima is like, potentially out of the party system all together but if he is? lol okay very cool

I'mma keep making stuff I love cuz bruh I sure as shit ain't getting it from RGG. and like, I'm not naïve. I understand all things come to an end at some point but man I just wish it was satisfactory. maybe it was for other people but not for me. but I also realize I speak from a point of extreme bias. I certainly feel miffed about this more than most but at the end of the day I'm just a silly lil fan shouting at clouds lol so take anything I say with grain of salt

[myfaveisfuckable]

Rants!

Liu Qingge/Zhuzi Lang: Both these dudes are from Scum Villain's Self Saving System, which is a chinese novel by the author MXTX (I cannot remember the full name im sorry).

Liu Qingge is known as a 'war god' and he's, to put it lightly, Fightsexual. Boy's got IQ specifically geared towards getting into and out of fights. He was one of the strongest characters in the story (like, 3rd strongest if you dont count the protagonist's dad who was uhm 'retired' by the start of the story lol). He's also Incredibly Princely Pretty.

Zhuzhi Lang is a half-snake demon with self-esteem issues and can turn into a large snake, and can also probably give Liu Qingge a good fight! ngl I just love Liu Qingge and I ship over half a dozen people with him. Zhuzhi Lang is a top contender though because he's a sweet guy, can totally get into vore, can give Liu Qingge a challenge, and also probably has 2 dicks-

Naruseku: Yeah i can gurantee this is the only submission for them for Some Reason. Because no one ships them. Like i have searched the internet far and wide and turn up with like. Close to literal zero. And here's the thing, this is entirely illogical. They work together in this evil group and their deals are essentially that they're. Unhappy people. At first you think they're just annoying but actually they're annoying snd Extremely Miserable. In silly ways, they are such losers and so cringefail. I could write an essay on both of them individually, but basically i love how their focus isn't on being better people, it is on being happier. Individually.

The show is divided into clear parts of who is the main antagonist at the time which really makes you FEEL how unhappy they each are. They're a group but they're also not bc they choose to be unhappy ad get on each other's nerves about it and that's a prime focus of their characters. Anyway, these two make me insane, they spend a lot of time together during the middle part of the show, bc the first villain is gone so now it's just the two of them and their leader who isn't doing much yet. After this part, one of them, narcistoru, is defeated so he's gone for the time being. But these two, they hate each other SOOOOOOOO much it's insane. This is because Narcistoru is an annoying bitch and Secretoru hates that. And they're both generally insane people with dumb beliefs and issues that they view wrongly. It's just so glorious to see them annoy each other so much. Post Narcistoru's main screen time, he gets his conclusion episode. He escapes from prison and Secretoru is supposed to retrieve him. But like not because they need him, in fact, they absolutely did not care that he was arrested because none of these people give a flying fuck about each other. It's just that he wasn't supposed to be a risk. Secretoru and Narcistoru have a rather petty and hilarious fight. Because you see. Now they don't have to get along. They are not on the same side. So the hostility is really thriving here. In fact, she manages to capture him, and while fighting the pretty cures (magical girls), hensays some annoying shit and she goes "actually i changed my mind" and shoves him off this rock in order for the monster (they always summon one) to fucking kill him. Like she tries to murder him in cold blood soley because he's annoying and this was entirely inevitable actually. She wants that twink obliterated. They don't bring this up again in the finale when they're both in prison. They just. Kind of hang out now. They've reached a level of tolerance.

And you may think "why do you ship this" LOOK. THEIR INTERACTIONS. ARE SO FUNNY. IT'S JUST. A VERY FUN SHIP. BECAUSE THEY'RE HILARIOUS. The hostility is so great and i think it would be neat if they had some t4t hatesex. It would solve nothing. They mske each other so much worse. But it would be very hot. Also secretoru has a general "can you shut the fuck up" attitude towards him. I don't even technically ship it but i ENJOY the ship.

And yet. I am so alone in this which is insane because i definitely expected ship content for them even before i actually wanted it myself.

But no, of course people ship Narcistoru with actual fifteen year olds. Like so much. And there is ZERO content for the ship with the other Actual Adult that he interacts with on a regular basis and who he has a fantastic and entertaining and INTERESTING dynamic with. So basically, i am not just sad, i am also SO SALTY. They are so insanely rarepair despite being an absolute epic duo. Awesome crackship, 10/10, literally comedy

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

L’heure espagnole (Glyndebourne, 1987): Reactions

in honor of the poll i made yesterday and just because we could all use an amuse-bouche once in a while!

tick tock (also what’s the deal with the people pretending to be little wind up toys???)

that’s…kinda creepy ngl

unrelated but this prelude is SO pretty

i hope you don’t fall off the swing

is your uncle escamillo (“savannah that is anachronistic this takes place several decades before carmen” i don’t care)

that was vivid

meet concepción, a charming gaslight/gatekeep/girlboss kind of gal

that makes no sense but okay i guess

actually come to think of it, he and the marschallin would be good buddies

i love her already

tfw you wanted to get some but one of your hubby’s customers is still here

meanwhile, the baritone has no game

“okay maybe i can actually make this work” *proceeds to do so SPECTACULARLY for the remainder of the opera*

gonzalve: *throws off his hat to the assistant*

the assistant: *puts it on*

lol

of course the tenor has to be poetic

“can we stop talking poetry and have you take me now before the other guy comes back”

“no <3”

the CLASSIC sheet on the chair trick

“gonzalve this is NOT the time”

ramiro: *realizes there is a dude under the sheet*

ramiro: “meh”

honestly: unproblematic king

what works, works i guess

a new challenger enters!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

now that’s pretty impressive

legit the stage design is really good

tfw you also decide to hide in a clock

indeed!

Area Baritone Is Gullible And Does Not Understand Women, But In A Charming Way

you’re a dumbass inigo

this score is just delectable

HOW DID HE END UP UPSIDE DOWN

oh so this happens more than just in middle school got it

the “sheath” for your “sword”. hmm.

introvert baby <3

a guy can dream

a weird way to declare your love but okay i guess

i think the word you’re looking for is DELIGHTFUL because that’s what this is

suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuure

rage-dancing is a MOOD

HIS FACE WHEN HE REALIZED HE’S ABOUT TO GET LAID I DIED

i believe you got in the clock of your own free will

okay now leave before the husband comes back

or not (also, not a bad cartwheel)

WHAT DID I TELL YOU

oops

you are also a dumbass

…not for you

free at last

this is an absolute gem of a melody right here

and this is one of the most fun opera ensembles ever

mood

everyone is just so chill with it and honestly i love that

seriously y’all this opera is just SUCH a delight

[cdmagic1408]

CD's Movie Poll #1 Winner

The Road to El Dorado

* fair warning: spoilers ahead *

Kicking off the start of my movie poll/movie watching series is Dreamworks’ The Road to El Dorado!

ngl this film has been on my watchlist for quite a while, and yet I never got around to actually watching it until now! (or rather, not until the other night lol) I’d heard so many great things about it before like the memorable characters, the kind of 2D animation that you really don’t see in Dreamworks films these days, and of course, the music!

I will say that I really enjoyed all three of those things in some ways and others 🤩

Right off the bat, Kevin Kline and Kenneth Branagh have really great chemistry! In fact, I loved their chemistry so much that I wanted to see footage of them recording their lines. so I legit looked up something like “road to el dorado behind the scenes” on youtube as soon as I finished watching the film and found that not only did they do ALL their voice recording sessions together in the same room but they also used plastic swords and playfully had it at each other!! AHHHHHH! so good!! 😂 ⚔️

but yeah they're hilarious! both on screen and behind it. I also just love the fact that both Kevin and Kenneth come from theater backgrounds cause I think that definitely added to how well they portrayed being con men 🎭

Ofc actors aside, some of you probably know this about me already, but I’m a BIG fan of dynamic duos when it comes to media...

I loved the straight man-ness that was Tulio, and he was probably my favorite of the two. I tend to like characters that find comfort in strategy, cause I tend to be that kinda person too. I know sometimes the logical and level-headed ones aren't always funny, entertaining, or the people to root for in the slightest. But Tulio definitely isn't one of them. I found myself chuckling at a good number of things he said and did like not believing in fate simply cause he relies on loaded dice for example, plus his sarcasm, and how much he tried to compose his patience as well

Miguel was great too! It was fun how much he loved the city of El Dorado and just wanted to take it all in, and his endless optimism of course! But he definitely needed more guitar playing scenes! idk there’s something about those characters who just have an instrument to play at the ready for dramatics that’s really humorous for me, it’s almost, if not totally, breaking the fourth wall in a way 😆

I also really enjoyed the Chief, I love how it’s implied that he knew all along Miguel and Tulio were humans and not gods and yet he still liked them and let them stay anyway. that said, it's kind of a shame that the pair didn't stay in el dorado cause there genuinely were people there who adored them when clearly the people of Spain didn’t…heck they didn't seem to have a problem that they weren't actually gods!

and you have to admit, Miguel and Tulio did match the stone art of the gods quite nicely, like the resemblance there was freaky 😳

Chel was great as well, her cleverness and way of sweet talking definitely stood out to me the most about her character, and I also really loved her voice! 😌

and Altivo the horse? I wanna say he was truly Miguel’s companion when compared to Tulio earning the heart of Chel. after all, Miguel was the one who wanted to rescue him and bring him along, and I was genuinely happy when they decided to bring him on their journey cause the horse wasn’t a bad guy, like he not only gave Tulio and Miguel the keys to escape the ship, but he wasn’t spiteful to them or anything. basically what I’m trying to say is he isn’t how Maximus treated Flynn Rider/Eugene Fitzherbert initially, horse to con man

As for the villain? well…this is the first of three times I’m gonna be saying, “I got some Aladdin vibes from this movie" 😅 👉👈 which isn’t completely a bad thing by any means! 

But yeah…I immediately got Jafar vibes the minute Tzekel-Kan came on screen (also I had to look up this name cause I didn’t catch it very well while I was watching this film, I just kept calling him “Priest Guy”)

I mean…the fact that he can do sorcery, on top of serving a sweet kind-hearted ruler, tangling with not just one but two thieves, anybody picking up what I’m putting down? Yeah that’s really all I gotta say about that guy 🤷🏻‍♀️

also I swear to god that Jim Cummings is in literally everything that was 2D-animated in the 1990s-2000s! and he's always gotta play that big tough guy. Again, that also reminded me of Aladdin. but then again the conquistador didn’t really have that big of a role in this, at the very least I just hope he gave T-K what he got coming to him

I guess just to get it out of the way, I was admittedly humming "One Jump Ahead" in the beginning when Tulio and Miguel are getting chased through the city, but that’s all there is in terms of Aladdin similarities the way i see it

lastly in terms of the characters and cast, I gotta give credit to Elton John for being part of it too! I mean who doesn't love a singing narrator? and he and Tim Rice did an awesome job crafting the soundtrack for this film. every song was absolutely BEAUTIFUL 🎶 ✨

Needless to say, the animation was 👌 and the opening sequence was definitely one of my favorites throughout the whole film as well as the expressions and the solid movements of the characters, very well done no question there. oh! and how there were just gold objects of anything from butterflies to apples in el dorado! they didn’t call it the city of gold for nothing! ✨✨✨

but in the end, did it really have go the route of the overall goal is get all the gold by the end only to actually lose most, if not all, of it by the end? I just feel like that plot line is done a lot in movies. tho to be fair, this was made in the 2000s so heck, it probably began that trend. But I’ve found in recent years that when it comes to treasure hunting movies, this exact scenario happens just repeatedly and it’s nothing new. I’d say movies like The Goonies and Uncharted are two that come to mind for me that have this happen...

Now there’s no way I can conclude my thoughts here without saying how AMAZING the “It’s Tough to Be a God” sequence was! I LOVED the “It's Tough to Be a God" sequence from the singing of the two leads to the colors to the everything about it, it was all magnificent! I'd arguably say it was my favorite scene in the whole film! And I'd be lying if I said that Miguel and Tulio’s version hasn't been stuck in my head ever since I watched it, because so help me it HAS and STILL IS and why that version is not on Spotify, I have no clue, but it SHOULD be. Again, props to Elton and Tim for writing this song and the others!!

So overall, I thought El Dorado was a great movie! It was definitely worth the watch! It's not perfect by any means, I'm not even sure it's my favorite Dreamworks film, but it was still very fun and entertaining all the same and I'm really glad that I finally got to see it after all these years! 🤗

[spicybylerpolls]

I remember recently there was an anon who sent in a message here about the finn snl thing and mentioned how Noah hinted at being gay a while before he was comfortable ever coming out, and how it’s not crazy to think finn could be doing the same by posting the bi snl skit. I just saw a clip on my dash from finn’s hot ones episode coming up where they were talking about how guests can take the sauces home and the host jokes that finn can take anything else with him from the studio that he wants and finn says (in a very interesting voice lol if you watched it you know what I mean ) that “chris is coming home with meeee!” and Chris is the name of the creator/producer of hot ones and I googled him and he’s a very cute older guy(like maybe mid to late 30s?)…. so it made me curious…

his another subtle instance of flagging his identity? plz go watch the clip before participating in the poll!

1) yes, it’s clear he’s feeling more comfortable and therefore willing to make those kinds of jokes openly knowing how it might come across

2) nah he’s just having fun it doesn’t mean anything beyond being silly

3) it could go either way. I am not sure but I am a little suspicious ngl

4) It’s not for me to speculate about so I won’t but should he come out in any way I wouldn’t be surprised

5) It’s not for me to speculate and I won’t because I think he’s straight so this is pointless discussion

6) I don’t think anyone should discuss this period either way

Please note that the purpose of this blog is not to be creepy or to make anyone uncomfortable. That's why I created the #spicy byler tag (I will tag all polls with this). If you don't want to see this blog or anything related to it on your feed, please block that tag. Not everyone is comfortable with this sorta stuff, and that's okay.

[two-sides-samecoin]

i totally get if you don't want to talk about it anymore, feel free to delete this if that's the case! but i saw your posts about the st poll thing and i just wanna say that i totally get how you're feeling. i made a few joking posts about it and ended up having some severe anxiety because i thought some crazy people would send me some very unkind things or something :")

i truly don't understand why, when it comes to steve harrington, there will always be a part of this fanbase who will immediately dismiss you. for instance the part of the fandom that does scene analysis and stuff here on tumblr really intrigues me! and i thought of joining it a few times and making a few posts but if you aren't like. 100% dedicated to either byler or something else that they like then you just kind of are seen as a joke. i'm the kind of person who really likes theories and analysis but also really enjoys silly things, and there's like. no room for that with them? idk i think maybe i'm gettinga bit off topic so sorry for that but genuinely i don't understand why we can't just have a favorite character without being attacked senselessly. this whole ordeal has left a major bad taste in my mouth as well :/

It’s cool - I’ll talk about it as I’ve calmed down now a little bit m lol. Also it’s so funny how I was literally on your blog as I got your notification.

Yeah ngl when I also posted that stuff I felt nervous too honestly but also I was just in a little rage mood so that helped into wanting to post it. Also I hope no one sent you anything bad about the posts you made about it.

Yes yes yes! It’s insane to me how it’s always Steve that people will just dismiss you because you like him or just say the most hateful shit. Also like I love all the characters but just post more about Steve which is ironic that these people are doing this considering that some of their blogs talk about mainly their fav characters while they like other characters. And yes yes yes about the analysis stuff like all of the other blogs seem to have a pattern of just being ride or die for some other stuff and like they do intrigue me of the theories and stuff. But somehow they’re the ones who always just end up dissing Steve or people who like him and the majority of them are like heavy byler blogs. So despite it also intriguing me their side of the fandom: it also just like wants me to get away from them. So I totally get what you mean about all of this.

And same like it’s totally normal to want the theories and analysis but also have the silly stuff. Having that balance is perfectly normal and don’t feel bad for going off topic. And yeah same like I genuinely don’t understand what’s so bad about liking Steve that people will attack others for it. idk what they even get out of it at this point. Like it’s not a good look on people and it’s just going to make others have a grudge against them so I honestly don’t even understand what they’re trying to do now. And same yeah it’s just left a whole bad taste in my mouth too because like it was a stupid poll. Hell a poll that other people who don’t watch st could have seen and just picked a character because they were familiar with it or just their finger slipped and they didn’t want to pick who they wanted (I accidentally did this on the poll cuz I thought Steve was the first option so I accidentally hit Mike 💀) . Like just because an option is winning a poll in fandom stuff it doesn’t actually mean much like I said people who don’t know anything about st could have just choosen one that they were most familiar with. A poll doesn’t just stay within a fandom just like a post that’s about a fandom with the characters sometimes doesn’t stay in only the fandom space. It’s just wild to me how this was the only poll that actually had drama like all of the other polls had the word protagonist and no one was going crazy about it at all. But suddenly cuz you add Steve to the mix these people want to create drama like hello hes a main character as this is an ensemble show and he’s literally been on all the posters except for season 1 because he was considered a side character then but now in season 4 he is not a side character at all. Hell even in season 2 he wasn’t considered a side character and was pretty important to the plot. Lol this was a long rant cuz j have a lot to say about it so I’ll shut up now before I go on an even longer rant.

[1d1195]

BESTIE WDYM THE HONEY UPDATE WAS PUERLY SMUT?!?(also can’t believe I missed another poll?!? This is what I get for not being on my phone 😔) I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT SO IT WAS SURPRISING! I’m obviously not mad about it though lol NOW my mind is going crazy be he’s just down bad and I’m so loving it! He’s so😵‍💫 and she was literally about up kill him with going bare.. LIKE GIRL YOU KNOW DEEP DOWN THAT MAN WOULD GIVE YOU ANOTEHR CHILD IF YOU ASKED HAHAHA loved it lol also that “baggage” line :( omg ngl kinda felt sad lol anyways VERY excited to see how this all pans out! I have many questions!! Like does she actually believe that Harry is into her and it wanst just horny man brain talking? WILL HARRY BE MORE OPEN TO EXPRESSING HIS FEELINGS?! WILL SHE?!? Anyways bestie this part was wild and I loved it!

Missing a birthday trope is a very underrated! Like that hurts on so many levels lol it’s also so cute you’ve been hanging out with your baby cousin!! You just radiate being so good with children and actually enjoying it lol oh I LOVE he’s so jealous it just makes me giggle all the time! Oh bestie you did a great job writing it! I think I was also short circuiting bc I like imagined his HANDS(I typically don’t ‘see’ things when I read lol) so I was lowkey losing it too HAHA

Honestly it’s crazy how not having the proper insurance can lead to some having such horrible experiences and causing emotional/mental trauma! Like it’s a whole thing that I could go on about! But it does make me happy that you are able to at least feel not too scared to see the dentist anymore! It’s growth and that’s something to be proud of!

You have mentioned it!! And I don’t blame you for living it bc you basically experienced the whole vibe Twilight of it in real time and honestly bestie I love that for you! And omg those books you’ve mentioned sound so good!!! Currently I have seen a pattern where this era of mine included a lot of murder mystery and poetry?? So weird but some are kinda hitting ngl HAHA but you know I LOVE HEARING ABOUT THINGS YOU LOVE!!!

You truly wouldn’t survive that heat wave Sam, it was so brutal😔 also hope you’ll be able to get your heat compressor fixed!! And I’m sure it looks so cute how you decorated! The way you seem to write about your MC’s having a decorative touch, I’m sure that you have that as well!!

I’m so happy you had a good weekend and a good week!!! I feel like this is a win you needed!

My week started out pretty rough considering one of my dogs was acting a bit off. He’s fine like we took him to the vet and everything I just think he’s kind of sad? Idk but he’s fine now! But also I’ve been busy with adult stuff like calling in for bills/disputes and school stuff(so annoying tbh🙄). BUT I WENT THRIFTING TODAY!!! I got the cutest(in my opinion lol) dresses and a jacket! The dresses are both floor length so I’m debating on whether or not I should make them shorter! Plus one of them is a really pretty black velvet fabric which I was just in awe of! Anyways lol overall I don’t have anything planned like fun wise but I’m okay with that honestly lol I have until the end of the month to relax a bit which is okay!

Hope you have another lovely weekend!! Miss you loads and love you lots Sam!!❤️-💜

Good for you for not being on your phone! I feel like I'm doing too many polls tbh so don't even worry about it!

I'm saving a breeding kink for another one of my Harrys but this one is def going to be up there with him hehehehehe He is so down bad. Just lay him on the floor he's down. You will def see more of the baggage line. I had no idea I was going to get so much feedback on it! I forget how I came up with it in the moment. I just thought it sounded kinda needy and Harry of COURSE meant it and he will carry it, but he just wanted her to stop thinking (guess it worked 🤭) I love your questions so much! I can't wait to see what you think of the next part!

I have another missing bday trope coming up next week. Not as aggressive though. Idk there's just something about it, and making Harry grovel for forgiveness hehehehe

Babies make INTENSE eye contact with me at Target in the checkout line. My bf is so sick of it tbh hahahaha I make friends with every little baby and toddler. I have fairly curly hair (and with the humidity FORGET IT) I look like a frizzy mess but I think that babies don't see curly hair all that often? Idk. they stare at me for so long. Or maybe it's just i have this super friendly, wide open, baby-expressive face. I saw this girl on tik tok say she's not hot but she's cute because a guy won't ask for her phone number at the grocery store, but she will be asked for her phone number so she can babysit. That's probs me to a tee. A baby flirted with me in the ice cream line (idk what else to call it) but he was so adorable asking what flavor I wanted after I asked him and if he loved ice cream (I should probs stop I'm ruining a future story line 🤭)

There is something about Harry Styles' hands I will think about them every day of my life. I'm glad I could help you visualize it 😂

I have so much financial anxiety. I think I need to be studied. Like I wake up thinking about how much money I don't have and how I can't do ANYTHING fun lol

VERY interesting you have murder mystery and poetry! I wouldn't put those two together but I lowkey love that! I can so see that being your vibe though 💕

They fixed it pretty quick but Idk why public buildings WITH CHILDREN are not mandated to have AC. WILD to me. If I were a politician it would be my first decree. I do try to have an aesthetic but I think my aesthetic is a basic white 20-something millennial bitch 😭😭 so idk how aesthetic I really am

Oh no! Your poor puppy :( I'm glad he's fine now. Good to know dogs go through it too 😭 But he didn't deserve that. I got 0% satisfaction contacting financial aid or the bursar office at my college. I wrote on a survey "I want to jump in front of a car anytime I have to talk to financial aid office; they are the least helpful and friendly people I've ever had the PLEASURE of speaking to." I never heard back from my college about it and they never ask me for donations so I feel like that's the key to keep your money in your pocket. I love the sound of your dresses, especially the velvet one that sounds stunning! I'm envisioning a NYE party 😍 I'm a huge maxi dress fan. All my dresses are long. I love them!

I'm hoping to have a good weekend! Miss and love you too!!!!

xoxo

[mommyhot3lbows]

living the delusional life: episode 1: how i would plan our MGP ⭐

truth to be told yes i am still jealous towards other batch that got to have their mgp and all of this couldn't be done due to stupid COVID-19. robbed our high school life forever ngl. like wdym i don't get to have a special prom night after 5-6 years going through hell? and the worse part is the school literally just ignored our batch after what we've contributed to the school. like girl are you serious rn....... anyways this post is basically me relieving my stress so i started organising and making up shit in my head to cope. pls bare with me.

time

the way i imagined who it's going to be done is when all of us were done with our degree and internships (and other names so to speak for other courses) and after all people that are studying abroad to be done and come back to Malaysia.

yes, we're going to be super old but i think it somehow made it better because it's like a reunion which we never had and we're going there by that time most of us have already have our own money and car and shit, so its going to be easier.

place

i was thinking somewhere big, like a big hall or ballroom which looks super fancy. like really nice venues. also i feel like the hotel or place need to be near to the accommodation nearby like lrt and such, to make it easier to get there and stuff. and the hotel doesn't have to be super fancy or what not, it's like you know, like a decent hotel like how you expected a normal room should be? yes, that's the vision.

food

honestly i feel like a serve-on-the-table kind of thing should be the way for dinners, but idk i feel like its somehow better if its like a buffet? where you can take whatever and how many things you'd like. considering we're going to be wearing like dresses and look hot and etc, i don't think we'll be eating much.

at least that's what it is for me, because i never enjoyed formal dinners because i used to handle something at the same time so i never got to enjoy it fully. oh well that's kinda sad LOL. like seriously, i mostly took pictures at the end of the day and eat leftovers from food and drinks that most people have already finished and such. kinda sucked, but yeah, it is what it is i guess.

also the menu should be like not too heavy, i feel like western should be nice but idk malay cuisines should be there too. but if malay food are there it would be like a kenduri fgs lmao....... maybe we should just have both choices. OH AND THE DESSERT NEED TO BE SOMETHING LIKE EITHER SUPER SWEET OR JUST NICE.

dessert i was thinking maybe something like chewy cookies and brownies... cakes are so idk, its like meh... or like a dessert cup, where there's like some cream and maybe some brownies or what not along with some fruits like berries or bananas... it should balance out the sweetness of everything imo.

goodie bags

i remember doing a poll and most of us voted for having the goodie bags as like those brown aesthetic boxes, filled with those paper stuff. and in there wil be like jewelleries or like a necklace or a bracelet with calista's name on it. also maybe some sea salt choc chip cookies in there, some pastries as well. we never really eat candies anymore these days.

oh and maybe like a shawl or shirt or like a tote bag, basically just something calista based. it would be pretty cool to do so.

additional stuff

it would be cool af if there's like a polaroid service, where anybody can just take how many pictures they want and etc but we pay the service provider per hour. i think those type of services exist....

PHOTOBOOTH. VERY VERY VERY IMPORTANT.

games

it would be boring asf without games. i imagined this to be literally just us, without teachers, or parents or kids, literally us. we can act and be how we act normally without caring what other people is thinking.

some of the ideas i had for games are like those typical sleepover games, but we turned it into like a big one for the whole crowd. i think its going to be pretty cool. or maybe like a game related to what we used to be back in hs, so maybe incorporated something from that. like guessing what house they're from (since we'll not remember most people's houses lmao), it sounds tacky and cringe but idk.

theme

something elegant. plain b&w would be dull af. elegant might be the theme for it. instead of colours, we pick the vibe we're into. like formal-elegant-hot-people type of elegant. like old money, and shit. it would be pretty cool to see each and everyone's dresses and outfits.

no rules ofc. this ain't the hs no more (thankfully).

[natsu-tte-noodle]

Thanks Icha for letting me pop in with my own observations |・ω・)づ (Like three days later but that’s how the cookie crumbles I guess lol)

Ngl I have tried to read all the reblogs but my attention span isn’t too good right now so I might be reiterating stuff

In terms of who’s popular and who’s not, I think everything that I could think of has already been said tbh.  Tho I think it’s worth mentioning that with Masumi, at least by my observations, on top of his archetype not being popular here it can also feel like he overcomes the same arc over and over again and then regresses back the moment a joke can call for it.  For that reason he can fall victim to feeling static.

I’d say that the three characters who suffer the most in terms of popularity in the EN fandom OVERALL from what I’ve seen are Tasuku, Hisoka, and Guy.

Tasuku has the problem that most of his major development is very gradual and over the course of event stories, so if you’re only reading the main story and haven’t touched Nocturnality and the like, it’s going to feel like a lukewarm arc at best.  The movie actually does a great job of making him likable with just Act 1 tho!

Hisoka’s problem was that he was kind of just a walking question mark for half of the server’s runtime I think?  Which can be a turn-off for some.  Though tbh I think there’s a disconnect between Hisoka’s popularity as part of [group] and as part of HisoHoma and his popularity by himself, and I’m not sure how big the gap is.  And Guy’s issue was that he was introduced at the very end of Act 2 and then the server closed with really only Die by the Sword to his name in terms of events.  Kumon has the same “one event only” problem (Apartment), but he has the benefit of being introduced earlier and also Hyodo privilege

Overall I’d say Citron is the biggest victim of “the devs have given me nothing to care about” outside of Winter since you have to wait so long to get to anything about him that’s not just a punchline.  I think I even mentioned myself ages ago somewhere that, as the biggest comic relief character, he sometimes does things that don’t make sense even for his own character.  Citron can very much be a “do your own work” kind of character to stan.  And while going full theorist on side characters is one thing, a lot of people are turned off by do your own work characters that by all means shouldn’t be.  Maybe it has something to do with the fear that your whole interpretation will be rendered incorrect at any update.

And while I’m very firmly on the side that it’s not unreasonable for his Japanese to still have mistakes (I myself just accidentally taught my students to say “he likes himself” instead of “he likes” and I’ve been speaking Italian to some extent for 10 years now lol), I do agree that the EXTENT to which he still makes mistakes is a problem, and that there’s been no real sign of improvement in his skills outside of his voiced lines in the plays.

(Tho I do also want to point out the scene in Kniroun where Citron is giving Itaru advice.  He makes mistakes in that conversation, but iirc Itaru doesn’t bother to correct him because he understood what he meant and it wasn’t the time to point it out.  I really like that.  I felt like that’s the best interpretation of his relationship with the language that we’ve seen in canon.  Or at least that I’ve gotten to lol since I’m not caught up with JP yet)

Anyway, fun fact to fully, FULLY articulate just how huge Itaru is in Japan, he won the first anniversary poll.  By 20 million points.  He got 55.8 million points.  Second place, Banri, got 35.9 million.  (Side note I’m still bitter we didn’t even get to find out the results in EN)

I remember the anti-[act 2 character] posts pretty well, though tbh the only part of the Banri slander I remember was the posts on the side of people saying “hey y’all I know some of you are joking but even as a joke it really hurts to see our favorite character hated on so constantly”.  Maybe it’s bc I didn’t join until July 2020 or maybe I just followed the right people, but I’m glad I was able to avoid the “Banri sucks” bad takes for the most part!

I’m curious about if the difference between Banri’s reception and Tenma’s was that Tenma was more obviously going to get development?  Or maybe that Tenma’s came faster?  I’m not sure, both of them start off as complete assholes, but I think Tenma’s assholery might have been more noticeably temporary from the start, where on top of the difference in the main target’s reception, Banri keeps his up long enough for it to still be some people’s only impression of him.  Or maybe his being in Autumn made it more reasonable to believe that’s just how he was gonna be.  Every now and then I still see fics where he never grew out of it

I have never considered Taichi to be an unpopular character, so I’m kind of surprised by that ngl, but it could be about who I follow here.  If we’re being honest the one character whose popularity I can’t get a grasp of is definitely Omi, though.  I can’t tell if he’s super popular, or if his fans are just very active about it.

Also yeah, as a Kazunari stan it’s true that following the incident with his VA, it sort of felt like you weren’t allowed to say anything about him.  I understand the character being tainted for people, but I’m glad that for the most part people were able to disconnect the character from the voice after said voice was officially removed.

Anyway!  I do want to make one clarification about Two-Faced Teacher: the cast was decided by the most popular character from each troupe, not overall.  Tsumugi actually placed 6th, after Sakyo and Masumi.  Of course, that’s Japan’s thoughts in year 1, so at least Masumi would have been nowhere near that high in EN.

In terms of ranking, I think it’s also important to keep in mind that in EN, we knew what events were coming up.  So if a big oshi event was coming up, people may have opted to not participate in the events around it.  Part of what made Sky Pirates considerably easy (tho my sister remembers it being kinda hard) might have been that Into the Night was right after (and ItN was relatively easy for an Itaru event most likely bc Ginji was after that).  I remember banking my sleep schedule during Halloween 2 on the fact that Two-Faced Teacher was next.  I myself was prepared to save up a billion gems for Last Runway

I think that’s all I can think of?  I think this reblog is all over the place but it’s fun to share and discuss this sort of thing!

was having banri thoughts lately just bc like. why not right. and then i suddenly remember u mentioning that some ppl... did not like banri at the start? which is wild to me bc in my mind ive always been ride or die for him. like i love juza so much but i feel like. that doesnt rly oppose liking banris character as well? banri is such fun character drama at the beginning of autumn and then his and itarus dynamic is fun from the start... gosh and the acting in the final bits of the autumn troupe between him and juza! suchhh fun tension. like. idk. it just started making me think like wow. digging thru a3 on my own with mostly the influence of like, just you has probably skewed my opinion of what the common perception of a3 is like. for example in my head winter is the most popular troupe which... it maybe isnt? i feel like recently i saw u mention summer might be the most popular(? this couldve been a dream) and i didnt realize itaru was super popular until like. last month. i mean if i had to pick a character i thought was the most popular i'd pick. misumi.

LKFJDLKFJD god what an ask

yeah i doubt i'm exactly the "common a3 experience" but to be perfectly honest i haven’t really kept tabs on the fandom per se since hh mid-2020 when i started to dig into some tags and saw so much negativity i was just :/ and stopped doing so (the curse to liking rascals </3).

Nowadays my knowledge of the a3 fandom is mostly the people interreacting with me, which already generally means that they vibe with what i post, so it gives me a skewed vision of the fandom like, are we all like that? or are the loud voices that made me go avoid the tag still here yaknow?

More stuff under cut

For Banri, i'll admit i wasn't too hot about him when i started the game, which now i regret so bad because he's my precious little meow meow hands down. He has such a good arc!!!! I know in my case i just had a hard time because i cared for Juza right away and i was still so high on Summer's development i kept comparing Banri to Tenma and going "here's why Tenma is amazing and Banri is cringefail". But it lasted me until a bit before Banri sees the portraits, when he starts to be conflicted, after that i was all, oh wait i like that guy. And then the more content i saw of him the more i loved him and he became my fav Autumn Chara. (so if you want to ramble about him more you’re free to do so because i’m team i adore this guy. please do. you’re so right in what you say of him.)

But so i did expect people to have my experience - hard time in the beginning, then mellowing on him before the end of the Autumn Chapter. And it wasn't the case 😭😭😭😭 At least at the time, the Banri's takes were rancid. Like it was genuinely annoying at a point, you couldn't go anywhere without some Banri bashing fuckery, even after his initial arc, people just. really hated him. My most hated takes were that i saw so many people say Banri would bully Yuki or stuff implying they would have an antagonistic relationship and it's probably why i cling to Into the Night so much, like HELL you're going to twist one of my fav crosstroupe dynamic!!! I legit saw so many things reducing Banri to a menace and a bully, and if not that, talking about how much everyone in the dorm hated him, and it was really driving me insane then.

I remember once making a post about how i was so close to blacklist "Banri" because people didn't filter this bashing with tags so i was just ready to just, not see Banri anymore, but it was breaking my heart. But somehow after this post i got a few people coming back at me about how it annoyed them too and i saw some of those people make their own posts in a more. direct way. and after that i never saw Banri bashing again. My power (< absolutely not, coincidence at best i'm sure).

A lot of Banri bashing i saw back then were from "newcomers" in the sense that it was after the anime aired, and a lot of people were just coming in without knowing about the events. imo i think the events do help giving a better feel to Banri in general so the fact people were fresh from the anime might have skewed things. I remember a friend who was in that case, newcomer and all, only read the main story, didn't like Banri after reading the main story. Then, Main story act 2 came out and while they didn't read the events, they read the main story and they started liking Banri there (because he did develop so much since then)

And as a whole i'd say, by act 2 it must have died out a bit.

There's another chara who gets bashed a lot but. Act 2 stuff 😔. Unfortunately a chara i like a lot so this was my breaking point of "i'm not checking the tags anymore none of you know how to behave". I think it mellowed since then? and i know the chara is popular in the JPN fandom meanwhile.

else i've seen like, Tasuku having very little content from fans and a few people being mean to him when they talked about him, but it was a long time ago and i sure hope it died out. I don't think i'd say he's bashed, more that most folks don't have strong feelings about him and stopped just with a bitter taste over his anger toward Tsumugi in the first winter chap.

Now. About popularity, Winter is DEF NOT the most popular troupe. Pretty sure it plays between Autumn and Summer in term of popularity. That said it's not like any of the troupes are unpopular so any ramblings about each Troupe would be meet with pleased reactions from the fandom, so it is harder to gauge that but yeah.

Troupewise something i noticed is that i think Summer is the most popular in term of GROUP, while Autumn is the most popular in term of Individuals. So a lot of people liked Summer specifically for their dynamic and how each of those charas played out each other more than individually liking each of them, while for Autumn it was, they liked all of them strongly! not specifically for their dynamic, though of course it plays a part, but as individuals. I mention it because i think it was the key difference in rank up in why i think Summer plays were okay to rank up to while Autumn were a nightmare. (that said that can also be "blamed" on "fans gravitate around characters that have elements they have as well" or something which means Autumn fans were more likely to be competitive and stubborn in a way Summer were more mellow.)

Itaru is definitely the most popular character of the whole game, period. It's not even a competition at this point it's so funny. when the EN server was live, anytime Itaru had a rank up card was a bloodbath (< survivor of Kniroun ranking up at 0.2%. Didn't sleep normally for the whole duration of the event it was so much.).

By the end of the server things were dying out a bit but still in general you could get a vague idea of popularity by how wild the rankings could be. For instance the fact Tasuku's ranking was a breeze without even trying was indicative of how he's not that popular.

In general i've noticed, at the time at least, that Winter ranks up were rather easy. I've ranked up for a few of Summer and i didn't see much of a problem otherwise*. Spring was really chill unless Itaru was in rank up. Autumn was THE Bloodbath. There were Autumn Stans organziation all over, the appp SYSTEMATICALLY broke EVERYTIME Autumn was around, it was always much more challenging, so yeah man.

Misumi* is probably the one i'd consider the second most popular character of the game, pretty much.

(*The funny thing is that Misumi got his lead play very early in the server's history, and i know i ranked up for him then and i didn't think it was too hard. In retrospect i'm sure it has more to do with the fact the game didn't have as many people playing it, than it had to do with popularity, so my word on Summer not being a problem is based on weird stats)

A while ago, for the Taiwanese server, there was a special set of cards in term of popularity on this server. Itaru got a SSR, Masumi got a SR, and Misumi got a R.

Masumi is in a weird position because i'd say he's fairly unpopular in the EN server, while he's popular in the JPN and Taiwanese server. Honestly i'm assuming he's especially popular with the teen audience.

AND THE MOST TELLING PART:

The first Cross-troupe's play was involving the most popular character of each troupe, by a poll being made by the JPN server. The leads were Itaru and Banri, then Misumi as a secondary character and Tsumugi as a more support character.

Meaning at the time, this was the order of the 4 most popular characters of the game.

When the mixed troupe event came to the English server, i remember a poll circulating on tumblr and likely twitter as well, trying to see if the EN Server had different favorites. Itaru still came on top, Misumi followed closely afterward. For Autumn, it was Juza and Taichi that were on the top of the Autumn poll, not Banri, and for Winter, i think it was still Tsumugi but Homare was very close behind.

So that was the popularity at least back then, god knows opinions now.

I've seen Homare be extremely popular on tumblr for sure. I have no doubt in Juza's popularity as well.

I saw a lot of Taichi fan going "Taichi is underappreciated" but i saw so many of them i was kinda just thinking "bro i'm pretty sure Taichi is in the popular character squad by now" But i'm also on the other hand as i've once seen a post saying Hisoka was popular and it stunned me a moment going ????? because as a huge Hisoka stan i don't see it???? There's a few devoted fans, and he has a better fanbase in JPN server, but in EN server??? (I'm comparing the last rank up for Hisoka VS the last rank up for Taichi in my mind and i genuinely don't see it for instance) so i also think it's likely i have a "fav blindspot" where i just don't think people are vibing with the charas the way i'm vibing, just. exactly like what i'm talking about with the Taichi stans so.... (that said i also once was tagged in a post that was going "i don't think i've ever seen a Hisoka or Tasuku stan" and a friend just went @ icha come here. Schrodinger Hisoka who's both popular and unpopular depending on who you're asking. And Tasuku IS MY UNDERRATED MEOW MEOW)

I think i recall Tenma being popular for a time, and Yuki is well appreciated by everyone around here. Kazunari has a loud fanbase but i'm pretty sure the seiyuu thing was a huge blow to them and a lot of them got more quiet at the time.

And for what it's worth i do think there's a sizeable portion of the fandom that really like Tsuzuru, but i think it's just, something you get to see a lot when a huge part of the fandom is creatives. And to be completely fair, Clockwork Heart is the one event i had a massive burn out at and didn't pay attention to the rankings at all, so i can't tell if people went really wild about it. And the next Tsuzuru rank up event was literally the last event of the EN server and i'm sure it's not indicative of anything since a lot of folks just didn't want to bother. So unlike the others were i'm using rank up as a gauge of popularity i can't tell how Tsuzuru's might influence his.

SO YEAH that's for what i could pick up BACK THEN, as i remind, i didn't really look deeply into the fandom itself. I'm really good in my corner so it might not actually be indicative of the fandom trends and i'm maybe completely off base.

Then about how, i, personally, don't represent the fandom, unless the fandom changed since then: When i first liveblogged a3, it was when the server was new and no one was on tumblr about it, so i was a little unfiltered from people's opinions. when i came back about a year later to comment on act 2, getting all worked up, and running then into the growing fanbase on this website, is when i started to run into fan takes and everything.

And, let's be clear, i came back because i was crying very hard over Hisoka and Azuma and the full Winter Troupe, and Chikage, so i really came here with my Big Winter Boots only talking about Winter and then Spring.

I ended up getting a feel of what people were talking about a lot at that time, and kinda ended up talking more about what i considered my Underrated Gems.

For instance, i absolutely adore Itaru. I ranked up for him, i've bleed for him, i love the dude. But he's so popular i figured i legit had nothing to say about him that a hundred people wouldn't have been able to say before. So i've mostly didn't really talk about him much despite loving him a LOT because i just didn't think i had anything to say. (now in my current reread i'm doing it so disconnected from what i know of the fandom that i indulged in talking more about how much i like him LMAO)

Meanwhile, there's characters i love that i know the fandom don't talk about much so i end up talking about them more, and it's the case of Tasuku. I wouldn't be surprised Tasuku is really low on most people's popular list. I'm just Not Most People and you're going to hear me ramble about that hunk of a man every few days or so.

I've made my niche in the Winter Troupe appreciation gang and i'm pretty sure by now a lot of other Winter people follow me as a result because i couldn't shut the fuck up, so then my perception of the fanbase gets skewed because i just think of Them ahah.

And there is the fact i adore the rookies, mainly Chikage and Guy, but don't talk about them so much mostly because they came out later in the main story and i've been rereading act 1 so many times instead,,, and didn't talk much about act 2 in case some people managed to save themselves from being spoiled (like you!!)

So my personal perception of a3 is probably not reflecting the whole a3 fanbase really much. God the amount of times i talked my friends's ears off about Winter, that they kinda just humored me without thinking much about it, until they found out one of the More Popular Chara (Itaru, Tenma and the whole Autumn Troupe mostly) and suddenly they're like *twirls hair* heeyy Icha tell us more about a3. It's genuinely so funny to me.

and again i don't know perhaps i'm full of shit, and it's not like i've kept tabs on the fandom recently either!

But that is at least a bit of what i remember in term of popularity and what i can say is that i shouldn't be taken as an example of the fanbase's views in general.

I'm vibing in my corner, and by experience, it usually meant i ended up talking about more niche things, but since i'm disconnected from the fandom i'm pretty sure i still have opinions that are popular opinions. So who knows! not me!

So yeah that's all i can say about the popularity of the a3 fandom. Def not an indication of it by me.

and it must be funny for you since you only really have me as your fandom gateaway because well. *waves at post* yeah.

The more you know!

[slushglow]

okay okay so I’m curious, how would your emo usagi and leo like become official. Is it like they just gradually get closer and they like acknowledge it at some point and have it like that because it’s nice OR do they run around each other until one of them confesses OR do they sit down and talk about it? I really like your word vomit, gives me a good time figure out the characters! (Would it be okay if I write about them?)

okay so i have a silly idea . but it makes me giggle so just hear me out

ngl i still haven't decided who falls first . i think i might make a poll on either twitter or insta and see what everyone else thinks just bc i'm so torn like i could see literally EITHER of them falling first !!! UGH

anyways . so i think at some point in their friendship they r like flirtatious in that "haha i would so marry my best friend fr they're such a catch 🤪✌️" kind of way and it's just one of their inside jokes u know . like leo buys usagi a coffee before visiting him at work and usagi is like "god i could kiss u rn" BAHAHAHA stuff like that u know ???

and they never think anything of it bc it's just natural and some friendships roll like that !!! it was never meant to be that srs for them .

well one day i just imagine leo looking at usagi and like the guy is smiling for once and leo is like . man he has such a nice smile he should do it more often . i would so marry him. wait . OH FUCK . ITS NOT A JOKE ANYMORE !!!! WEE WOO WEE WOO !!!!!!! LMFAO

i imagine leo kind of freaking out at first bc usagi has never seemed to care about that kind of stuff and shows no interest in other people so leo always kinda assumed that usagi just didn't want a relationship ever . they never talked about relationships much and usagi just rolled with the unserious flirtatious jokes and leo's already had his freak out about being gay (or somewhere adjacent) a good while ago and things remained the same between them . but like this changes p much everything !! (except it doesn't but i'll explain that later)

leo actually cannot see himself spending his life with anyone else. he could date other people but usagi is ALWAYS going to be his person and he knows that he's usagi's without even having to ask . it's been that way for yrs at this point . they have seen each other at their worst and their best . like that's his mf HOMIE . but he's scared about how this is going to change their relationship bc he doesn't want to lose one of the best people he's ever met or have their dynamic off kilter so he sits on it for a while, and he's just falling deeper the whole time !!

well little does he know that usagi actually feels the same way, but he's fine if their relationship never goes anywhere . he doesn't think it would change much in the scheme of things but he still doesn't ask leo outright bc he's fine just being friends, but leo is the first person he's ever felt this way about (i hc him as being on the ace/aro spectrum) and he also doesn't want to lose their dynamic but he's not as freaked out bc like i said, he's never cared much for relationship stuff !!! it's not something he ever thought he would get to receive or reciprocate so he just never put it in his priority cards u know ??? but leo is just so endearing that he can't help but be like man . i would be so cool being w this guy for the rest of my life HAHAHA

well one night they're just hanging out like usual i think and leo literally cannot BEAR IT anymore bc he has been sitting on his feelings for so long, but usagi has also never made him feel stupid or like anything he says is weird or anything u know ?? like usagi just GETS HIM and it's always been easy to talk to each other (once they got past the first stages of becoming friends lol) so leo just outright asks "if i asked u to marry me would u actually" and that's not what he meant to say at all but it's already out there and usagi is looking at him and leo is like OH FUCK OH FUCK WHY DID I SAY THAT FUCK PREPARE TO JUMP OFF THIS ROOF AND PORTAL THE FUCK AWAY

and hes just expecting the worst bc usagi is silent for a sec, but then he's just like "yeah. i would." all blunt as hell and leo is like 😦 HOLY SHIT but then usagi is like "but that's a stupid thing to ask considering u haven't even asked me to be ur bf yet idiot" and he's all 🤨🤨 but inside he is . so happy

and leo is so fucking giddy he is smiling like an idiot and he grabs usagi's hands and he's like "my homie in future matrimony lmfao" and usagi LAUGHS bc leo is such a dumbass but he's endearing as fuck and leo is so happy he made usagi laugh bc he can remember a time when the guy barely even smiled and it's just crazy how much they've both changed each other for the better .

and then hes like "no balls u won't kiss me rn" and usagi rolls his eyes bc that's such moronic way to ask for a kiss but he does it anyway and boom . two idiots giggling on a rooftop kissin n shit LOL

and then it's just natural the way they fall into each other and they r still best friends that just happen to kiss and it's like nothing ever changed at all . they're still as close as before and if anything they somehow get CLOSER .

and the rest is history 😎

i'll probably clean this up a little bit one day but i think that's my overall word vomit for how i think it would go . i'm not a huge fan of miscommunication or one sided pining and stuff or them running around being miserable about each other . i just don't see it going that way cause they're already so close u know ?? these dudes deserve to be happy and be able to confide in each other !! they've both already had such shitty things happen to them (usagi's backstory will be explained in the future soonish . leo's is self explanatory LMFAO) so i wanted their get together to be sweet and earnest . LOL

okay lots of word vomit again so sorry HAHAHA

to answer ur other question i don't mind at all !! IN FACT PLSSSS PLS TAG ME IN WHATEVER U WRITE WHEREVER U WRITE IT SO I CAN GO APESHIT AT U HAHAHA

okay i hope this answered all ur questions . also SOOO sorry it took me so long to answer ur ask i had to sit on this for a while bc i wanted to give u a concrete answer . i've always had this scenario in my head for them tho i just needed a way to articulate it clearly lmao . THANKS SO MUCH FOR UR ASK 🥰🥰🥰

[makeste]

but I just feel too tired to be fighting

this is a follow-up post to what I said in my recap the other day about this arc being the Deku Angst arc, as opposed to the Villain Hunt arc or the Deku SIXQUIRKS Exhibition arc. I feel like the fandom discussion tends to focus on the flashier parts of the chapters -- the sexy villains and the new quirk reveals and the Shindous -- each week, and so the quieter emotional beats sometimes get overlooked, especially since the character arc here is playing out in little bits and pieces over time rather than all at once.

this has always been a very reactionary fandom, and there’s a tendency to judge the chapters week to week without ever going back to look at how they all fit into the big picture. so I figured I would try to attempt that, and basically go chapter by chapter here to look at what exactly Horikoshi is setting up and how it all fits together.

so let’s start with the end of chapter 306, which is when the arc officially kicks off. specifically with the very last page:

this is imo one of the best pages Horikoshi has ever drawn. I got the sense that this was a scene he’d had in his mind’s eye for quite a long time, and that he was excited to finally get to this part of the story. it’s extremely effective as both a chapter-ender, and an arc-opener. like, look at this:

it establishes the initial premise of the new arc -- the world is in chaos, and Deku is now seemingly on his own

it leaves the readers with a number of questions. why did Deku leave U.A.?? is he really on his own now?? why does he look so beat-up and exhausted?? what is he up to?? what is the world like now that all these villains have been unleashed and the heroes have been decimated?? and most importantly of all, what the fuck is going to happen next??

it pays homage to some of Horikoshi’s comic book influences -- Batman in particular

it dramatically hits us with that “THE FINAL ACT BEGINS” and lets us know that shit is getting real now

that’s some good shit. so much so that I think people tended to overlook the other notable thing about this page amidst all of the initial excitement and discussion and speculation about where the series was headed. and that is the fact that the final panel in this chapter is NOT the panel of Deku standing above the city. the very last panel, the one that this chapter actually ends on, is instead the close-up of Deku’s face. his face, which is covered in shadow; and his eyes, which have dark circles under them and are prominently missing the usual flecks of light that give him his signature “sunny optimistic shounen protagonist” look.

not to mention this last line here, which is a call back to the very first time we saw the 14-year-old Deku way back in chapter one.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Horikoshi chose to throw this reference in. nor is it a coincidence that THIS is the scene he actually chose to end the chapter on. what this does is show us the drastic shift in Deku’s emotional state of mind, and his attitude towards being a hero. he’s gone from being thrilled and excited to being jaded and exhausted. he’s matured, but at a great cost. it’s always been his dream to be a hero, but “be careful what you wish for” is a popular adage for a reason. and right now he looks the furthest thing from happy.

and this is the emotional beat that Horikoshi chooses to end the chapter on. this is the panel that closes out the War arc, and begins the final act. to me the message could not be clearer -- this arc will be about the exploration of Deku’s character, and his struggle as he tries to live up to the expectations that have been placed on him as the Last Holder of OFA and quite possibly the World’s Only Hope.

it’s a character arc that builds on a lot of the things we’ve already learned about Deku over the course of the series, such as the fact that he is reckless, and that he focuses on others often at the expense of himself. but more importantly, it’s an arc that finally expands on the dark side of what has up until now been a net positive for Deku -- the power of OFA. up until this point, despite its ups and downs, it’s been a boon for Deku overall and has allowed him to pursue his dream. but now we’re finally reaching the point where the monkey’s paw part of the OFA blessing/curse finally starts to come into play. OFA gives Deku more power than he could have ever dreamed of, but it also comes with a built-in destiny that he can’t opt out of whether he likes it or not. AFO is on the loose and out there trying to destroy the world. and now everyone has pinned their hopes on this sixteen-year-old kid, and the question of whether or not the sixteen-year-old kid is ready is apparently not one that anyone feels inclined to ask (possibly because they’re afraid that the answer might be “no”).

he doesn’t have a choice in the matter. he has to do it, because there’s no one else who can. that’s the kind of pressure that is on Deku now.

and on that note, we begin the Deku Angst arc.

chapter 307

this in hindsight was mostly just a set-up chapter to better establish the current state of the BnHA world at large (spoilers: it’s not good), while also providing an answer for one of the big initial questions of the arc -- namely, “what happened to all of those villains that AFO released from Tartarus?” these are important things to touch on, but the pacing could definitely have been better, and the bulk of the chapter was dedicated to providing fanservice to all of the Shindou fans who spammed the most recent popularity poll (which, whatever lol). anyway, so this was the sole chapter thus far with absolutely no Deku development. thankfully the arc picks up from there.

chapter 308

on to the next one! this was the one and only chapter thus far which I think actually qualifies as an “exhibition fight.” this was definitely all about showing off Deku’s current powerset, as well as introducing us to another of the SIXQUIRKS. however, there was Deku development here as well, most notably in this scene:

this is the scene that got a lot of people speculating that this arc was going to focus on Deku hunting down all of the old villains. but I think people got so caught up in that speculation that they overlooked what this scene tells us about Deku’s mindset. and yes, there is new information being revealed here, and it’s not just a rehash of the stuff we already knew. like yes, we know that Deku was shaken up by the recent encounters with Dabi and Tomura, and we know that made him start questioning why villains become villains in the first place, and all that good stuff, and that’s great. however, there are two additional important things that this scene helps establish for us.

the upcoming battle with TomurAFO is weighing heavily on Deku’s mind. this is something that will become a recurring theme in this arc. Deku is thinking about this constantly. the question of what to do when he finally encounters TomurAFO again is knocking incessantly at the back of his mind, and this won’t be the last time it comes up.

Deku is using these villain encounters as test runs. can Tomura be redeemed?? is he just being stupid and naïve?? or is this really something worth attempting?? the interesting thing about this is that Deku’s resolve to save people is usually so strong and unwavering that it’s more than enough to overcome any doubts that he might have. but this time it seems like the repeated objections posed by the Vestiges and Gran Torino have really gotten to him. it’s possible I’m just reading way too much into things, but to me it really feels like Deku’s recent attempts at Talk no Jutsu were meant to do more than just show his growing awareness that the line between heroes and villains is thinner than he once imagined. they’re also serving as trial runs for the real test, when it finally comes. if he can “save” even a villain like Muscular, there’s hope for him being able to save Tomura as well. and so that moment when Muscular rejects him out of hand is all the more disappointing to him, even if it wasn’t really unexpected. basically it wasn’t the answer that he had been hoping for.

aside from those little notes though, like I said, this was unquestionably an exhibition fight first and foremost. which is fine; we needed to establish where Deku is currently in terms of strength, and it was also just fun to see him kick some ass, ngl. in terms of story purpose this chapter was similar to 219, which showed us how Shouto and Katsuki had powered up after getting their provisional licenses. people who don’t care about those characters might argue that these fights weren’t necessary, but as someone who stans all three characters hard, I would disagree! but anyways, moving on.

chapter 309

in contrast to the previous chapter, this chapter focuses more on establishing Deku’s current mental state, as opposed to his physical state. and this is what we learn:

(1) Deku is ~technically~ being shadowed/accompanied by All Might and the Hawksquad (but in practice he’s avoiding them).

(2) it was Deku’s own decision to leave U.A., and he did it because he didn’t want anyone else getting hurt in order to protect him.

and finally, (3) Deku’s game plan is to stop Tomura and All for One before they reach full power.

this last part is very important, because it means there’s a countdown in effect. as far as Deku is concerned, there’s only a finite amount of time before TomurAFO becomes unstoppable. which means that he’s not only under “gotta get stronger” pressure, but time pressure as well. he doesn’t have the luxury of taking his time and training in safety. he’s being rushed now; this is do-or-die.

this chapter is also the first in this arc in which we get to see Deku’s expressions without the hood covering up his face, and what we see is very telling. as previously stated, the light is gone from Deku’s eyes. he keeps his expressions very neutral, and the only time we even see a hint of a smile is when he hugs his mom in the flashback, and it’s clear from the dialogue (“it’s okay, I’ll come home to you”) that he’s doing it for her sake in order to comfort her.

but aside from that, this is very much not the Deku we’ve grown accustomed to. this is the chapter that really establishes his current mental state imo. above all else, he’s afraid that more people will get hurt because of him, and so he’s distancing himself from everyone around him. and he’s also morbidly preoccupied with the inevitability of having to face TomurAFO again, and soon. the chapter ends on the flashback of Gran giving him his cape, and telling Deku that “killing can be another way to save someone.” there’s a lot on this kid’s mind, to say the least.

chapter 310

this chapter opens with a gang of civilians who are trying to open fire on a nice fox lady whose only crime was walking around in the rain at night. Deku intervenes to save her, and it’s the first time in this arc that we see anything close to the “old” Deku, who just wanted to save people with a smile.

but it’s bittersweet, because all the lady can talk about is how scared she was, and how horrible everything is right now. and so Deku, who feels responsible in a lot of ways for everything that’s happened, just feels that much more pressure to somehow make things right again.

there’s also this extra throwaway line which is especially heartbreaking:

“I can’t afford to be around anyone.” fucking ouch. just reinforcing once more how incredibly isolated Deku is right now -- not by choice, but because he feels like it’s not safe to let anyone else get close to him. and so he’s out here running around this dystopian cityscape in the middle of the night in the pouring rain all on his own, and neglecting himself to the point where All Might practically has to force a bento on him.

but does he complain? of course not. because his focus is never on himself. instead, when he settles down to eat, his thoughts immediately drift back to, guess who...

it’s that time pressure once again. “unless I draw out One for All’s full power, I can’t stop any of this.” it’s just nonstop, I have to get stronger, I’m running out of time, I have to do better, and constantly thinking about that inevitable confrontation.

Deku is a thinker, you guys. and when left to his own devices he will overthink, every time. his mind will run in endless loops while he mentally works his way through all of the possibilities. and that’s one of his greatest strengths, don’t get me wrong, but at a time like this it’s also one of his greatest weaknesses. it’s just so fucking easy for him to get stuck in his own head, in his endless rambling thoughts and analyses. and without anyone else there to help distract him, or help him focus, he’s become fixated on his mission, and it’s slowly consuming him.

this, incidentally, is also the chapter in which we finally see Two and Three’s faces, and learn why Two in particular is so reluctant to lend his power to Deku. he appears to be the lone holdout at this point, so stay tuned on that, because I don’t doubt this will wind up being crucial to Deku’s future development, however it winds up playing out.

chapter 311

this chapter flips back to the Hawksquad for the first half, so we get a brief respite from the ongoing Dekuangst. right before we switch back though, we do get confirmation of something we had pretty much already guessed:

like, that much was already apparent based on what we’d seen (the bags under his eyes; the fact that he refused to sit still in any one place for very long even at night), but it’s always nice to get the official confirmation so that people can’t dispute it lol. so yeah, Deku isn’t sleeping much. and not eating much either, if all he’s getting is the occasional bento from Dadmight. so basically not taking care of himself at all, huge shocker there. but this is something that’s important enough to the story that Horikoshi took the time to point it out in the dialogue, in addition to all of the visual clues we’d already gotten.

and just in case we needed to drive that point in any further, this chapter ends with the appearance of Lady Nagant! like yeah, no shit Deku isn’t getting much sleep, what with him having to fend off racist civilians and hired assassins every five fucking minutes. smdh. can he live??

chapter 312

so this is the chapter that properly introduces Lady Nagant, who maaaay or may not be one of the primary antagonists of this arc?? like, it’s really unclear right now tbh, but she gets hyped up by Hawks and AFO, and has a flashback and a mysterious past and a weird trump card (where did you go, Overhaul) and all that good shit, so yeah? one can hope at any rate.

but anyway. so to his credit, Deku’s first thought is to retreat, but he quickly abandons that plan once he figures out Nagant’s location. this is played off like a logical strategic decision at first, but the subsequent chapter quickly makes it clear that Deku’s decision to take the fight to Nagant is less rational than he might have you think.

chapter 313

so yeah. last but not least, the most recent chapter, in which Deku’s real reason for targeting Lady soon becomes apparent:

what’s more, it quickly becomes clear that he miscalculated and probably would have been better off following Hawks’s advice, seeing as he promptly gets himself shot, and subsequently realizes that AFO gave Nagant an extra quirk, something he hadn’t taken into account. but instead of cutting his losses and running at this point, he doubles down instead and not only breaks out Smokescreen, but also the Third’s quirk which he has never even used before.

it’s worth noting that both En and the Third start telling him to chill at this point, and warn him that what he’s attempting is too dangerous. but tbh if they were expecting him to listen, they haven’t been reading the same arc I’ve been reading. once again, Horikoshi makes it clear that Deku has one thing and one thing only on his mind right now.

of course. once again it all comes back to this. hunt down AFO. it doesn’t matter that he’s exhausted. it doesn’t matter that he’s just been shot twice. it doesn’t matter that Hawks, despite knowing what Deku was capable of with his OFA abilities, specifically warned him away from this one person only. it doesn’t matter that even the Vestiges are trying to tell him you’re going too fast and you’re trying to do too much and it’s too dangerous.

he just doesn’t care. long story short, the only thing that matters to Deku right now is tracking down and defeating TomurAFO. and as the person who knows him best once so aptly put it, “he doesn’t take himself into account.” and therein lies the major challenge of this arc.

and so this is where we’re currently at now. and this has been a very long post, but if nothing else, I hope I was able to get this one point across: there is absolutely no way that Deku will be able to defeat TomurAFO as he is now. not a chance in hell. somehow he’s managed the uncommon feat of waging a war of attrition against himself, which is really quite an accomplishment. he’s not taking care of himself, and he’s refusing to listen to sound advice from the people surrounding him, and is trying to skip ahead to the final boss battle before he’s ready, because the guilt and pressure from feeling responsible for the current situation are eating him up. the only way that the world can go back to normal is if he can defeat AFO; therefore he has to do it as soon as possible, because time is running out and everyone is counting on him. this is who Deku is. and this is what inevitably happens when his saving mentality is taken to extremes, and left unchecked.

anyway so to wrap up this post now, I do think this arc is a lot more cohesive than it’s gotten credit for thus far, and Deku is the glue holding it all together. I for one am loving the exploration of his character and all the subtle little angsty touches as we build up to the big moment, whenever it finally comes. just keep in mind though that if his decisions right now seem reckless and short-sighted, it’s because they’re supposed to seem that way, because Deku is not in a good mental state right now. the cracks are finally showing in our perfect protagonist, just like everyone has been wanting this whole time. he is just a kid. he is doing his best. he is trying far too hard to do his best, and it is hurting him so badly, but he doesn’t even realize. this arc is not an endorsement of the Angsty Nomad Hero lifestyle, lol. it’s the exact fucking opposite, and I think it’s being wildly misinterpreted with all of the emphasis on “oh look at that, he mastered another quirk with no effort”, as opposed to “oh look at that, he is shutting down emotionally and is a few more missed nights of sleep away from a complete and total breakdown.”

tl;dr the overarching storyline of this arc is all about Deku slowly falling apart due to his trauma from Jakku, and the subsequent pressure that was put on him by the Vestiges with their whole “GUESS WHAT, YOU’RE THE LAST USER OF OFA, THAT’S RIGHT, IT’S ALL ON YOU BUDDY” pep talk. and mark my words, things are not going to go according to plan. something is going to go terribly wrong here. whether it’s something happening to All Might, or AFO setting up a trap for him, either way Deku is being set up to fail in a major way. unless of course, someone (or a group of someones) manages to intervene first, and possibly stage an intervention or something. it’s what he needs right now, but idk if Horikoshi is going to make it that easy.

anyway, but in other words, the point of this arc is not to show how much stronger Deku has gotten and how he doesn’t even need his friends anymore. it’s the exact opposite -- the point of this arc is to show that Deku needs his friends now more than ever. that in spite of OFA and all of its mystical trappings and fancy SIXQUIRKS, Deku can’t do this alone. he needs his friends. that’s the core message. and right now, we are at the “I can get by on my own” part of the story. and the part we are all waiting for, but which is coming -- I guarantee it is coming, you guys -- is “the thing is, you don’t have to.”

and that shit is going to slap hard you guys. and I for one can’t wait. but until then, enjoy the angst.