#no doubt this is about to be a very significant moment. but i am completely certain champion alder isn’t the final fight of the game lol

[tim-shii]

hi! just found your acc and i just want to say i absolutely adore your work first off. you bring my wife (aventurine) to life beautifully.

saw the as a boyfriend and oh my GOD the part about him getting anxious over reader speaking with ratio? so good. i need jealous pouty aventurine. and honestly might be a bit ooc for ratio but i think he’d encourage it just to get under aventurine’s skin tbh.

up to you though, i’d love for you to write a lil drabble or something of the sorts expanding on this, whatever you have the imagination to write.

that’s all~!

a/n: tysm ?! ure so kind im glad very happy !! that u adore my work 🫶 we have to make sure wife is loved always 🫡 here's jealous aven from this ; @svnarin proofreader !! (she told me to put it here)

cw: bf!aventurine, slight angst

“such lavish proposal. are you certain i am the person who should be hearing that?”

“absolutely. you’re the perfect person i should be consulting about it.”

aventurine is not a jealous person. he’s confident in himself, you had praised him several times of how much of an amazing person he is. jealousy means there’s a lack of trust between the two of you and aventurine doesn’t like that idea at all. he thinks that trust is a significant factor when it comes to relationships. he doesn’t keep secrets and even if he does, he’ll eventually open up to you after some time.

aventurine is a quartz-based gem stone. a stone that brings good fortune and helps you create your own luck. it’s also green. the same green in the monster’s eyes that’s currently chomping down on aventurine. he can’t help it! can he really blame himself when uneasiness swirls in his stomach after seeing you with dr. ratio?

out of everyone he gets jealous of, it just had to be him. veritas ratio. his good friend, veritas. the most logical man aventurine has ever known.

while aventurine is confident in himself, no doubt there’s a part of him that feels inferior to the doctor. the man has radiant violet hair that compliments the tone and structure of his face. he also has a slightly muscular build compared to aventurine’s more slender one. there’s a lot to compare and aventurine isn’t sure if he can even list it all out.

his brows furrowed, eyes dulling as his thoughts consumed him at once. what proposal? what’s that about? and perfect person? he doesn’t understand. are you leaving him? can he really not make you stay? was it something he did? something he said? but he can’t ask you those. because what if instead of an answer, he’ll be greeted with a farewell—

a flick on his forehead snapped him out of the daze. aventurine blinks back, now finding you in front of him.

“i was right. he was sulking.” he hears veritas quip.

“not sulking. more of, in a daze.” your fingers thread through his soft locks, aventurine hums at the affection, absentmindedly leaning his cheek on your palm.

“you give him too much credit. he’s probably wallowing in the sorrows of his mind for no apparent reason.” ratio snickers ever so quietly.

“or he could just be tired and sleep deprived.”

“or he’s jealous. he glares at me any longer, my skin will start withering and rotting.” for a doctor who has more than eight doctoral degrees, he can be quite the drama queen.

“goodbye, doctor. thank you for your opinion, i shall greatly treasure your wise words.” veritas only shook his head before slipping out the door. once he’s left, all your attention shifts to your boyfriend.

aventurine lets you sit atop his lap, gloved hands instantly finding home on your hips. for a moment, you both stare at each other in complete silence.

“spit it out. what’s wrong?” you spoke first.

aventurine sighs. “i didn’t like seeing you with him.” for all his life, lying came easy. with his good looks and charming personality, making people believe whatever he says is child’s play. but aventurine can never lie to you. he doesn’t have the heart to face you once you’ve realized he’s fooled with your thoughts.

you raised a brow in amusement. “so you were jealous?”

“no. i don’t get jealous.” he grumbles. “i just,” aventurine gazes at you with a fond look, an expression so serene and completely enamored. “i’m better looking than him, right?”

blood rushed to his cheeks when he felt your lips on his. his hold moved from your hips to your neck to deepen the kiss, left thumb caressing over your pulse. he chases your lips like an intoxicated man once you pulled away. only to be stopped by you leaning your forehead on his.

“the best looking man in my life and in the whole universe. my most beloved, too.”

“you flatter me.” he grins stupidly before pulling you in for another kiss.

likes and reblogs are appreciated! masterlist

[goldensunset]

again. do i WANT to heed team plasma’s directions. do i want to respond to an invite from the leader of the literal evil team of the game. even if i like him and care about him a lot and do want to talk to him again. we are by no means officially allies and he still has threatened me even if he has also expressed admiration for me. i don’t think i should just waltz into a dangerous remote location to meet him. that is like. a textbook trap. actually what would really be a trap is if they were like ‘we want a peace treaty :)’ or w/e. but they won’t even tell me what it is n wants. whateverrrrr i’m coming anyway my dear bug

ok brycen did step out of the gym and he uncovered that the shadow triad were right there hiding all around us. i suppose this is why i keep my mouth shut before jumping to conclusions lol

[w1ld-wr1t3r]

Ok ok so I'm watching the video again (and again and again), and I am only going more nuts over it.

Because Lando is absolutely beaming the entire time he's talking to Martin, like he knew exactly who he was gonna call from the start, and even if he hates making calls, it's clear that he is overjoyed at getting to speak to Martin, even just for a few minutes in the middle of their crazy schedules.

And in the middle of the conversation, Martin just drops "I love you," and I know some people are comfortable using that phrase in a platonic way, but even then, you don't say it to just anyone. You say it to the people who light up your life, who make you feel whole. Who you want to cherish every moment with, because life is fleeting and you don't want to leave this life knowing that you wasted any time you could've spent with them.

And Lando wastes no time in saying it back, too. And even though he added "bro" at the end, that smile said a lot. He is talking to someone he cares about with his whole heart. I've said it before, whether their bond is platonic or romantic, it's clear that they really mean a lot to each other. But honestly, every time something new happens with them, I can't help but wonder if, at the very least, the lines between platonic and romantic are getting more and more blurred. Or if they haven't been crossed already.

On top of that, something that stood out to me was that everyone else's first thought was to call a family member or significant other. If that was their first impulse, then wouldn't it kind of make sense that whoever Lando chose to call would have the same level of importance to him? And note that he didn't call his parents, or Max F. or any of his other friends or family members. He chose to call Martin.

I'm practically writing a whole entire essay on this, but basically, my point is that out of everyone Lando could've called, he chose to call Martijn. And there is absolutely no doubt that those "I love yous" were completely heartfelt and sincere.

[londonspirit]

Was there ever any doubt that Our Flag Means Death Season 2 wouldn't end in thrilling fashion after taking all of us on a rollercoaster of emotions? Probably not, but show creator David Jenkins and writer John Mahone, who teamed up on the script for the finale episode, seemed distinctly driven to squeeze as many tears out of us watching as possible. With the dynamic between Stede (Rhys Darby) and Ed (Taika Waititi) seemingly fractured as of the season's penultimate installment, it was unclear how — or if — the two men might eventually reconcile, but a new threat to the Republic of Pirates, alongside Ed's realization that maybe he isn't meant to be a fisherman after all, sends the two back into each other's arms, literally.

While some characters are afforded something resembling a happy ending, with Stede and Ed deciding to try their hand at being innkeepers as they watch the Revenge sail off into the sunset under Frenchie's (Joel Fry) command, not every single crew member emerges from the finale battle unscathed, chief among them Ed's first mate and formerly ruthless right-hand Izzy Hands (Con O'Neill), whose parting words to Ed may be the very thing that the former Blackbeard needs to hear in order to fully come to terms with accepting the man inside him all along.

Ahead of the Season 2 finale premiering on Max, Collider had the opportunity to reconnect with Jenkins to discuss some of the episode's biggest moments. Over the course of the interview, which you can read below, Jenkins explains why Izzy's speech is both a eulogy for the character and a statement about the show itself, how the Season 2 premiere and finale bookend each other with those beach scenes, and why he wanted to use that Nina Simone needle drop in particular. He also discusses why the season concludes with a wedding at sea, what the finale sets up for Season 3, and more.

COLLIDER: I feel like my first question, in a completely non-serious way, is: how dare you, and my immediate follow-up is: what gives you the right?

DAVID JENKINS: I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Also, I am God to these creatures! But it was hard. It was a hard decision.

The episode kicks off with a somewhat more lighthearted moment, which is Ed realizing he's not cut out for the fishing life after all. On the heels of Stede and Ed’s big fight in the episode prior, why did it feel important to have Ed humorously have the revelation of, “This isn't what I really want after all?”

JENKINS: Well, I like the idea that Season 1 is about Stede’s midlife crisis, and Season 2 is about Ed's midlife crisis. I like that he had a little prima donna moment where he thought he could go and be a simple man, and then it's revealed that he really isn't a simple man; he’s a complicated, fussy, moody guy. No, he's not gonna be able to catch fish for a living. For him to be told that, “At your heart, you're a pirate. You have to go back and do it,” he doesn't want that to be true, but it was true.

Speaking of characters that have a revelation about themselves, Izzy's speech about piracy, about belonging to something and finding family, feels like the thesis statement of this show. Was that the intention behind it?

JENKINS: When I wrote that, I wanted to give Izzy a proper eulogy for himself. He gives a eulogy for himself, but it felt true writing it. Yeah, this is how he sees piracy, and also that's not how he would have viewed piracy in the first season. He would have viewed it as, “I'm here to dominate you, so you work for the boss.” By the end of his journey in the second season, he sees that they built him a unicorn leg, he learned to whittle, and he mentored Stede. He's learned that, actually, a pirate crew works differently than what he thought and that they are all in it together, and they do this for each other. So it felt right for Izzy’s arc, and it is kind of an overall statement about the show.

It's interesting that you call it a eulogy, because, by the time we get to the scene where we know Izzy's not going to make it, it feels like he's using his last moments for Ed more than himself. He has those final words to Ed of, “They love you for who you are. Just be Ed.” Is that the kind of the thing that Ed needs to hear in the moment — even as he's losing, arguably, someone he's known even longer than Stede and is just as close to on an emotional level?

JENKINS: Well, I like that Izzy gives that to him, and then Izzy also apologizes to him because he says that he fed his darkness and that they were both Blackbeard together — that Blackbeard wasn't just Ed, that they did it together. In a way, it's very much for Ed, that speech. The “we were Blackbeard” is claiming that he is also Blackbeard, that Blackbeard is not just Ed’s creation, and I like that for him, too, because he's worked so hard for that — and then just to say, “You can give it up.” There can never be a Blackbeard again as far as Izzy’s concerned because he's dying, and they did that together.

I wanted to ask you about the Stede/Ed reunion. We get Ed finding Stede's love letter that was written all the way at the beginning, and then also the beach fight/reunion. It's definitely a callback to the dream, but was that always the way that you wanted to bookend the season? Here's the dream and the fantasy, and then this is the real moment that we get to have?

JENKINS: It was nice. I knew that I wanted to have the Republic of Pirates at the beginning and end up with the Republic of Pirates. I think the reunion of it was a nice surprise, but it felt right. And finding the letter in a bottle — if you have a letter in a bottle, it's thrown out somewhere, it has to pop up somewhere, you have to see one of them at some point. But yeah, there's a circular nature to it, and that's why I thought it would be good to use Nina Simone at the beginning and at the end as a callback. This dream in this way did come true, and they made it come true.

When I talked to you at the beginning of the season, you mentioned the Nina Simone needle drop, but couldn't say anything about the significance of it at the time. I talked to [music supervisor] Maggie [Phillips], as well, about the needle drops throughout Season 2, and she said you always had a very clear vision for what song you wanted there. A lot of people know the original, but why did you pick Nina's cover? It strikes a different tone; there's a hopefulness to it in a lot of ways.

JENKINS: Yeah, it's wistful. There's a lovely part that sounds like church bells, which is great for the wedding part of it, and then it's just moving. I love her interpretation of it. It’s wistful, positive, and it felt like the end of the show to me. There's a size to it that, up against these images, I just was like, "Yeah, this would be really good. I want this to be in the show."

I did want to ask you about the wedding because on the heels of Izzy's death, it's bittersweet, but also, it's a sign this crew has become a family, and they can still find happy moments and reasons to celebrate. We’ve seen Black Pete and Lucius reconnect, but also reconcile and navigate through Lucius's problems and have their own, almost parallel trajectory journey as a couple alongside Stede and Ed in a way. Was that something that you always wanted to close the season on, the two of them getting hitched?

JENKINS: Yeah. We knew we wanted a matelotage in the season, which is the real term they had for marrying crew members. And yeah, they've always been in relief to Stede and Ed, and they're a little bit ahead of Stede and Ed in how much they can talk about things. So to have a bunch of family things in the season, like a funeral and a wedding, and have the parents kind of watch the kids sail away, felt right, and all of those things seem to work well together and build on each other.

Speaking of Ed and Stede watching everybody sail off, that was an outcome that was somewhat surprising, I think because where they are, you think maybe they're going to end up sailing off with everybody else.” But no, instead, it's just this sweet, lovely note of them getting to play house for a little while. What inspired that turn for them?

JENKINS: I think that they've come to the point in the relationship where they say, “Yeah, we're gonna give this a try,” and that's where the story really gets interesting. That will-they-or-won't-they is interesting to a point, but the real meat of it is always like, “Can they make the relationship, and can they do better than Anne and Mary?” That's the question that we all ask ourselves when we end up in a serious relationship is: can we make this work, and can we get through the hard times? Then they're both very damaged, and it's gonna be a challenge for them, and that's where the story gets interesting.

I'm not sure you can really tease much for a Season 3, but we talked before about how you have your vision for where you want to take this, and based on what we see at the end of Season 2, the implication is that we're going to have Stede and Ed off together, but is the plan to also continue with the other characters as well in their own places?

JENKINS: Yeah. Frenchie’s in charge of the Revenge, and I think Frenchie's Revenge would be an interesting place to work and an interesting ship to be raided by. Then I think that the Revenge means a lot to Stede, and it would be very hard for him to give it up, and he hasn't had a great track record of that. So I think the odds of them all finding each other again are quite high.

All episodes of Our Flag Means Death Season 2 are available to stream on Max.

[witharacket]

alright, who's down to talk about art and tashi getting engaged?

art asking his grandmother for her ring so he can propose - his grandmother, the only relative he ever mentions. clearly they have a close bond, so this is pretty special.

art being incredibly nervous to ask tashi - beautiful, intimidating tashi, who probably had an inkling that art was going to propose and had to write a list of pros and cons about saying "yes" to art (the pros outweighed the cons).

one of the cons being patrick - because she still loves him and she knows art does too. even if they don't talk anymore, there's still some sense of betrayal.

art wishing he could talk to patrick about it, but knowing that 1.) they don't talk anymore and 2.) he's proposing to patrick's ex-girlfriend so like, weird.

a low-key yet romantic proposal - perhaps a candlelit dinner prepared by art, maybe a walk along the beach - with a stuttering art and a very nervous tashi because her answer (even though not definitive) could change the entire course of their relationship, of her life (think of the list tashi, think of the list!).

tashi admiring the ring, watching it catch in the light, noting the weight of such significance that sits on her finger. art loves his grandmother so much and he gave tashi her wedding ring - the amount of love in one piece of jewelry.

tashi completely engulfing herself in wedding plans - swatches and colors and flowers and venues - because this has to be right. this isn't just any wedding - art donaldson, champion tennis player, is marrying tashi duncan, his well-respected coach. the tennis world will be waiting for their spread in People magazine.

patrick flipping through channels and seeing that art and tashi got engaged. art and tashi got engaged, art and tashi got engaged, art and tashi... art and tashi...

wedding dress shopping, trying on different types of gowns - too frilly, too skimpy - until she finds just the right one and it makes her glow. her mother cries but tashi doesn't, she just fiddles with the engagement ring on her finger.

atlanta - watching art kick ass, cheering him on in the stands. yes, this is the man she is going to marry, this skilled and talented tennis player that loves her. she loves him. she loves him. she loves him.

atlanta - patrick appears. he notices the ring on her finger. "it was his grandmother's." "i miss you". she loves him. she loves him. she loves him.

atlanta - the incredible guilt she feels when she returns to art. she slides into bed next to him - is he sleeping? - but he's awake, because he saw her and patrick. for a brief moment he saw them. he saw patrick - the back of his head, so vivid in his memory. what were they talking about? "are you awake?" but art pretends to sleep.

days leading up to the wedding, both of them riddled with doubt. can they do this? should they do this? they love each other, but there's something missing. what's missing? there shouldn't be anything missing.

they kiss every night before going to bed. art makes tashi breakfast. tashi lays out his clothes. yes, they are in love.

the day of the wedding and everything has to be right. tashi's make-up is perfect, her dress fits like a glove. art nervous at the alter - what if she doesn't show? what if she becomes a runaway bride?

patrick should be standing next to him, should be his best man. should be whispering in his ear that he's going to be so blown when he sees tashi. matching boutonnieres. "i am so happy for you, art."

tashi walking down the aisle. art seeing her in her wedding dress for the first time. he cries. he can't help but cry and cry and cry spontaneously throughout the evening because tashi is just so beautiful and he is just so in love with her.

art excusing himself to use the restroom and locking himself in a stall, clutching at his chest, because patrick should be here. he misses patrick. patrick should be here.

tashi taking a moment to go to the powder room - "just need a moment to freshen up" - and looking at herself in the mirror. now she is mrs. donaldson - legally, under the eyes of god. she loves him. she loves him. she misses patrick. patrick should be here.

their wedding night, when everyone has left and they are alone. mr. and mrs. donaldson. having sex for the first time as husband and wife - it's the same as the sex before, but now somehow it's different. committed, bound, monogamous.

patrick should be here.

life continues on as it should, but there is a dazzling band of diamonds accompanying that vintage ring on tashi's hand. art adorns a simple silver band that he fidgets with when he's nervous. when he does so, he thinks of tashi, hears her voice in his head talking him down from the ledge.

patrick's ring would be gold.

[diakitty]

O!Ciel's real name and why not knowing it matters.

! Spoiler warning !

I want to share a thought that came to me about a year ago. Many fans of the manga "Black Butler" often wonder about the real name of O!Ciel (later, the young master) and put forth various theories on this matter. It sometimes gets to the point where people leave the fandom for a while, returning only to ask about the name reveal, completely losing interest in other, more significant events in the manga. Then I asked myself: do we really need to know his real name?

With this ring on not, I — «Ciel Phantomhive», am the head of the Phantomhive family. (Vol. 1, ch. 2)

In this article I will mainly use screenshots with the official English translation by Yen Press, as it can be challenging to find Japanese ones. Additionally, my knowledge of the Japanese is extremely limited. However, I also consult various Japanese sources and materials available on the internet. I am aware that even the official translation may not always be accurate. Toboso puts a lot of meaning into the text, and some of it may get lost in translation. However, in the context of this topic, there should not be any problems.

First, let's touch on an equally important thing, the very essence of names. Our name is what defines who we are. It represents our identity, our individuality. When you know someone's name, it breaks down barriers and makes the person feel more open and honest. Additionally, there are charactonyms, which are commonly used in the media. Charactonym already provide the viewer or reader with some information about the character and give them a chance to reflect on the character's personality. However, if a character doesn't have a name, it becomes more difficult to read through them. Does this apply to the young master? Let's find out.

(Vol. 13, ch. 62)

From the very beginning the young master hid a lot from us: his controversial motives and a mysterious past that was gradually revealed in the smallest details until it reached a turning point. At that moment, the reader realized that they didn't really know anything about him. It turns out that the younger Phantomhive has been deceiving everyone for a long time, including you.

(Vol. 26, ch. 129)

Why did the young master took his older brother's name after his death?

I've often heard people make the following assumptions:

He was an unloved child and envied his older brother.

To avoid legal issues and to get the inheritance and title right away.

For Ciel's sake.

The first one can be immediately put aside. The assumption that the younger brother was not so loved in the family is refuted by the manga itself, you don't even need to dig far.

(Vol. 26, ch. 133)

My sweet nephews. (Vol 3, ch 10)

The young master was loved no less than Ciel. People often suggest that he is an "unloved younger son", basing their argument on the following frame:

The young master deluding himself, succumbing to the manipulations of the demon. (Vol. 27, ch. 137)

However, no one told him that he was unloved and that they would be upset if he comes back. (Edited. I do believe there was some pressure with the whole heir thing, which planted seeds of doubt in a little child, but overall his family did loved him) He compared himself to Ciel. He looked up to him, but at the same time, he felt inferior and didn't see his own strengths. Instead focusing on his weaknesses. It was precisely because this child was not capable of loving himself that he decided that the (self-proclaimed) "weak spare" should not have survived.

The second assumption also irrelevant, because the young master had no idea of becoming the first heir and taking on the role of the queen's watchdog. He didn't let the fact of not becoming an earl get to him. Instead, he decided on what he wanted to dedicate his future to, aiming to become a worthy younger son that everyone would be proud of.

(Vol. 26, ch. 132)

And the third assumption is the one I personally follow!

(Vol. 28, ch. 140)

The young master suffered a lot during that time time in the cult, which greatly weakened his mental state and worldview, but he wasn't a bad child. He loved his older brother, even more than himself. That's why he decided that only Ciel deserved to be saved. He buried his true self and became Ciel, strong and invincible, the kind of Ciel that his older brother could not become.

(Vol. 27, ch. 137)

And I think that at that moment everything we knew about the young master, his motivation and the name itself began to take on new meanings.

(Vol 2, ch. 8)

The younger brother is gone. He disappeared forever, along with the essence of the real Ciel. Only "Earl Ciel Phantomhive" remains...

〞Earl Ciel Phantomhive〟— is I! (Vol. 28, ch. 147)

...And that's all we need to know.

Will the reveal of the young master's real name affect anything?

...No. It will just ruin all the charm and depth of this story, nothing more. The young master rose to prominence, becoming the owner of the esteemed company «Phantom» and the queen's watchdog. He took on the name Earl Ciel Phantomhive, leaving his past behind. After all, we cannot retrieve what we have lost. I am completely sure that the name will not be revealed, no matter how much some people would want to.

Other characters whose real names we don't know.

It's funny that while going on and off about the name of the young master, everyone seems to forget that there are still many characters in this story whose names we don't know. Without going far, we have Sebastian, Undertaker, most of the circus troupe. Moreover, we don't know if they have names at all. Take Sebastian as an example — he was given a name of the young master's dog. We know that this is not his true name, as he could have served many other people who gave him different names. Do we need to know the specific names? No, it doesn't affect anything. All that matters to us is that he is now Sebastian, the faithful dog of the young master.

I can only believe that the Undertaker's name will be revealed at some point in the future. It may be very significant in the context of his background.

And that's all. While being part of the fandom, I managed to see only one person who, like me, does not consider it necessary to know the young master's birth name. Therefore, I hope that someone else will find my thoughts on this matter interesting. Thank you for reading! (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

[britt-kageryuu]

A video of clips from VTurtles! Streams.

--------------------

Another compilation is uploaded to the Purple_Wyvern channel. Now considered the official VTurtles! Clipper channel.

Title: The Random/Unhinged things the Turtles said!

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

Donnie: It's only Bulletproof until you obtain a higher caliber weapon. Evil Chuckle.

Raph: Dee No!

Donnie: Dee Yes!!! Evil Laughter!!!

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

Mikey: I don't know how well this cooking experiment will work, but as a Great Chef once said "When in doubt add more butter, and if that fails more seasonings!"

Leo and Donnie both raise an eyebrow at this.

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

Shelldon: I totally miss being an only child. I didn't have to share my games with anyone.

River: You accidentally override a save file once, and suddenly you get disowned.

Shelldon: I was almost at 100% completion! That last achievement is impossible!

River: Can't you just continue on a new file?

Shelldon: The achievements are attached to the save file, Brah!!

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

Leo: Why did they make the robots voice so, so, what's the words that I can use on stream!?

Leo let's out a dramatic sigh.

Leo: I would listen to this robot do ASMR! And I don't really like ASMR!

(I will not confirm which robot he's talking about)

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

Raph: It's not that I hate libraries, it's just the last time I went to one... I ate my phone in a moment of panic, because I didn't want the bats to attack me!

Leo: Well I didn't like it because Mandarin took over the kids room and forced me to be his servant!

The visible chat is very confused. Many ?????? What??? WTF???

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

Mikey is trying to catch an enemy that's running away from him.

Mikey: Stay! Still! You! Little! STUPID! MOTHER-!

Raph: MANDARIN DON'T YOU DARE!!!

Leo: Let him swear Red.

Raph: But he's baby! He shouldn't swear!

Mikey: I AM 19 YEARS OLD! I AM NOT BABY!!!!

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

Donnie: Now we just need to add the 5 secret ingredients that I am legally not aloud to tell you, or tell you how to obtain.

Donnie then pours something from a ductape covered container into the mixture.

Donnie: I know I promised to show you how to make this, but I was informed that it would be what legal calls an air quotes 'bad idea' and 'legal nightmare' end air quotes.

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

The brothers are just letting out random turtle sounds though is sounds almost like they're singing a song.

The chat on screen is a mix of confused and amazed.

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

Leo and Donnie are scream singing off key at the top of their lungs.

Raph: Dear Pizza Supreme, please let them lose their voices.

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

Shelldon: Dad you need a significant other.

Donnie: Okay. Enlighten me on why you believe so.

Shelldon: We want someone who can balance you out Dude.

Donnie: Good luck with that. My Type tends to be a bit short tempered, but intelligent.

Shelldon: So we need to find a shorter you, that'll be easy. Infact I know just the-.

Donnie mutes Shelldon before he could continue. Blush emojis in the chat.

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

Raph accidentally dropped a weight on his foot.

Raph: You son of a Goat!

Raph moves to the side to check his foot while muttering about eating the weight.

--------------------

Masterpost

This was just a random thought in my mind while working on a different idea, then grew from there.

And Purple_Wyvern is infact Kendra, being paid extra to do this.

[666writingcafe]

A Deal With Death

This week has proven that the demon brothers are completely hopeless without MC. According to them, things started out okay, but then a couple of them got in a fight, resulting in a significant part of the House of Lamentation getting flooded and everyone having to sleep in the living room.

During their visits, MC makes sure I communicate their exasperation to them, and I can't say I blame them. I mean, I'd expect seven grown men to be able to take care of themselves, but apparently not.

Today's been quiet, though. Other than Barbatos occasionally poking his head in, no one's stopped by their room today. In order to pass the time, I've been telling MC stories about me and my older sister Candy. They're amused for the most part, so hopefully I'm helping them take their mind off their current predicament, even if it's only for a few moments.

Just when I finish recounting one of many traps that have backfired on me, someone softly knocks on the door.

"It's unlocked!" I holler. The door remains shut for about a minute before slowly opening, creaking as it reveals the one brother who has yet to visit MC.

"I have food," Lucifer murmurs, lifting up a to-go bag high enough for me to see. "I wasn't sure what the state of things were, so I brought enough for the three of us."

"I'm surprised your brothers haven't kept you updated," I reply as he walks over and sits in the chair on the other side of MC's bed. He shrugs.

"After the third day, I told them to not tell me anything unless Zephyr woke up." He reaches in the bag and hands me a plastic container and utensils. I'm pleasantly surprised to find it contains stewed zombie dragon liver. It's a fairly popular dish in reaper cuisine.

"I figured you'd like that better than the demon food you've been forced to eat during your stay here," Lucifer explains softly. "I myself am still getting used to it." I take a bite. It's not the best I've ever had, but it's pretty decent. The fact that someone went out of their way to get something I might like is the important thing.

Lucifer pulls out his plastic container and sets the bag off to the side. After a few minutes of silent eating, he states,

"You must think I'm a horrible person." Thankfully, I've swallowed my food before he said that, because I would have choked otherwise.

"No, of course not! Whatever gave you that idea?"

"The fact that I didn't stop through earlier."

"From what I've heard, you've had your hands full." Lucifer sighs.

"That's an understatement."

"So, give yourself a break. I seriously doubt Zephyr's the type of person to give you grief for not showing up sooner."

Exactly. Quit beating yourself up.

His eyes widen as he looks over at MC. Is he able to hear them?

I know you're stressed. This is a very scary situation, and you've had to remain strong for your brothers. Solomon and Barbatos have been working really hard to figure out a way to wake me up, so hopefully we don't have to deal with this much longer.

Lucifer turns away so that I don't see his face, but I still catch him rubbing his eyes.

I'm a little surprised it's taken this long for their mental connection to manifest itself. Then again, MC may have blocked it on purpose in order to avoid suspicion. I know I didn't believe them when they first told me that they were Lucifer's heir to the Ring of Light. It's only after extensive research that I accepted it to be true. For one, there's no one in the Devildom good enough to create a perfect counterfeit of that, and the ring MC gave to me for safekeeping fits every description of it to a tee. And then there's the fact that it glows whenever they expend a lot of magical energy. There's only a handful of rings that link themselves to people that way, the Ring of Light being one of them.

"You okay?" I ask him once he faces me again.

"I'll be fine. I just have a lot on my mind at the moment." He momentarily resumes eating, but just as quickly he stops, staring directly at me.

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Of course. That's part of my job." I've learned long ago to not question people when they request my services, especially if they're in positions of power. "Do we need to step outside?" Lucifer glances over at MC, appearing deep in thought.

"That won't be necessary. Some of it relates to Zephyr, so it wouldn't be right of me to exclude them."

Your secret is safe with me.

He softly smiles, emphasizing just how tired he is. He probably hasn't gotten much sleep, poor thing. I'll have to make him some of my special tea when we're done here.

"It has to do with my sister. I gave up my freedom to ensure that she could live a full human life. It was either that or permanent death, and I love her too much to have her die unnecessarily." He takes off one of his gloves, revealing Diavolo's mark boldly seared on the top of his hand.

"Does it hurt?"

"Sometimes. He hasn't used its power a whole lot. Only to get me to relax when I'm overly agitated, and only after he's exhausted all other options." Interesting. I know plenty of demons that would abuse that kind of power. Then again, the prince hasn't exactly played by those rules, has he?

"But that's neither here nor there," he continues, putting the glove back on. "Initially, I thought that all of Lilith's soul went into her human body, but it appears as though it's split in half."

"That can happen," I tell him. "Magic has a tendency to separate from the soul when it transfers from one body to the next. Sometimes that magic ends up in an object, but most of the time it just kinda floats, waiting for the most compatible soul to latch itself onto."

"Does it have to be a fresh soul?"

"Not necessarily, although that's the most common method of transference."

"Does the soul also have to be floating in the air, or can it be inside someone?"

"There have been times when magical energy enters the soul while it's in a body, but that's very rare."

"But not impossible."

"No, not impossible." Where is he going with this?

"This might seem far-fetched, and maybe my grief is making me see things that aren't really there, but I feel like part of Lilith's soul has made its way inside Zephyr."

Shit, shit, shit. How the fuck am I suppose to dig my way out of this? Solomon told me that Barbatos, Diavolo, and I are the only ones that are allowed to know MC's full backstory. If Lucifer found out the truth...

"Merely asking out of curiosity, what makes you say that?"

"Have you ever seen a demon produce white energy?"

"Well, no, but--"

"And then there's the time where I glanced at Zephyr's face, and they looked exactly like her."

The energy is left over from my days as a human. That was one of the only things the organization couldn't change. I'd have ended up dead otherwise. As for your sister, it probably is your mind playing tricks on you. Grief can be rather cruel sometimes.

Damn. Solomon's never been able to lie that well. I'm not surprised that Lucifer buys it. If I didn't know better, I would have as well.

"You know, one of the last things she ever told me was that someday I'd meet someone that I loved so deeply that I'd be willing to throw everything away for them, and then I'd finally understand how she felt," Lucifer recalls. "At the time, I dismissed it as immature angst, but now I think she was actually telling my future." He takes MC's hand and wraps it with both of his.

"The truth is, I miss you, Zephyr. It's lonely without you around. Please, wake up." Suddenly, MC's surrounded by a bright, white light that forces me to close my eyes. Even then, I can still see it. It lasts slightly longer than a flash would, and I open my eyes just in time to witness MC quickly sitting up, gasping for air.

Taglist: @lost-in-time-wanderer, @fuzztacular, @dianedancer18, @sweetbrier2908, @flare-love, @completelyshatteredbrokenmschf, @thunderlightning351, @l3v1chan, @anxious-chick, @5mary5, @expressionless-fr, @tenkobitch, @interconnectedmatrix

[here-there-were-dragons]

just read the new hatchling skin rules and am having Some Type Of Initial Emotional Reaction and am now writing down said Initial Emotional Reaction uncensored as i currently Strongly Feel A Type Of Way and Require Venting. i cannot word this more politely. i do not have the capability to render this rage into polite borderline corporate-speak for the sake of the damn rules that act like anything short of apologizing for being alive to make up for having even the most constructive understanding friendly criticism or even personal mild non-critical dislike of something like a color or a breed is tantamount to personal targeted hatemail. i cannot wait until i cool into calm bitterness later because if i think about this enough to write about it again i will just go right back to being furious and the fact that everyone ielse who's complaining is focusing entirely on the lolita fashion thing and not on in my opinion the far more significant and offensive part is pissing me off even more. extremely angry unedited ranting ahead

fr having it's own "female presenting nipples" moment right now, not that i'm particularly surprised, they've been a prime example of "conservative protestantism in a lefty-language veneer" for a long while now.

"don't adultify" is such a fucking vague and easily selectively interpreted rule, not to mention insulting for a number of reasons,

but putting that part aside the whole idea of "nothing that suggests that the dragon is an adult in a young body" is. look, i'm not exactly fond of the "adult who looks like an anime schoolgirl" trope myself, but i fail to see how in the absolute FUCK having it be canon in-universe that it is both possible and legal for someone to be forced to stay as a child permanently, is somehow LESS creepy than just saying eternal youth dragons have dwarfism. also, fuck you to anyone with dwarfism apparently i guess?

and "no zombie baby dragons" is just stupid. even fucking minecraft has baby zombies, and microsoft has steadily butchered that game into one of the most t for toddler babymode things on earth this side of cocomelon.

and "no scars on hatchlings" so fuck you to any kids with scars too apparently, even though that's way more common than anyone seems to realize. you hear that, kids? if you're under 18 and have scars your very existence is too obscene for public view. 13+ year olds will be irreparably traumatized if they have to know you exist at all! fuck you disabled kids and fuck you amputee kids and fuck you any kids that have suffered anything ever at all for not appearing as a perfect unspoiled image of conservative christian child-doll innocent purity. flight rising staff says your body and existence is inherently too nsfw to even be acknowledged as existing much less visually seen. everyone knows REAL children don't get damaged at all, and if they do then they're too horrifying and defective at their job of Being A Child Properly to exist in public spaces! how dare ugly things that might make us uncomfortable with their existence by contradicting out ideals about aesthetic moral purity be allowed where good respectable normal people can see them!

i don't say any of these words lightly, and i'm very much not the type to go around calling people whatever-ists and in fact find that kind of thing extremely annoying, useless, reductive, and more or less only ever see it used as a blunt cudgel to shame people into line so they don't question you, and have historically found it especially annoying when people pull out the accusations-of-ism card on fr staff over things that are far more likely just completely understandable (if dubiously competent) issues of certain things simply not occurring to someone on code and design level due to lack of sufficient exposure to the idea, and have always been of the belief of giving them the benefit of doubt (even if often that just means i think they either most likely made an understandable mistake that i would likely also make, or, when i'm feeling less kind, that they're simply not particularly competent rather than actively hostile) so understand how much it means coming from me when i say- flight rising staff, sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, fuck you, you ableist batch of pricks, so far up your own asses with your performative veneer of vaguely lefty-flavored language that you don't realize how fundamentally extremely conservative all of your actual beliefs underlying them are. for every update you make that i approve of there's another that does twice as much damage as the good update fixed (and i'm starting to wonder if you maybe know what you're doing with that too-always batching the fucked up shit on the tail end of some big thing you know people will be excited about, always hiding these controversial moderation changes under something shiny and new, to the point that now i dread any new good update that genuinely seems a step in the right direction and/or is something we've been wanting for awhile because i'm just constantly expecting the knife hidden behind the footnotes afterwards, the fucking "ban tiktok/gay marriage/strip rights from this population/end net neutrality/whatever/ect" clause stapled onto the end of a bill about something entirely unrelated functionally holding a change people want hostage until they allow the fucked up part through. i've been here most of the site's 10+ years and i've seen this sort of thing happen far, far too often.) and every year the shit that gets pulled on the management and moderation end of things makes me more and more almost glad i've never had an income to spend on this, and the fact that apparently the moderation behind every single other petsite in existence is somehow significantly worse fucking astounds me. the only reason i stay around here is because It's Free Dragon Pictures, because it's literally the only actually good petsite game i've ever played and not gotten sick of within a week or so (and really the only good low-energy game i've ever played in general, which i'm increasingly convinced is in spite of it's management), and because somehow, despite all of this shit, i still genuinely love the game itself, because unfortunately by some accident of creation it seems they apparently stumbled purely by coincidence into making an actually good game idea no one else quite has. and after all the fuckery that gets constantly pulled, i refuse to believe the game being good is anything other than, much like many of the of the incidents i think they're unfairly accused of malice and -ism over, an accident.

Disabled children too obscene to fucking exist. fuck you. good to know half the child population's existence requires a trigger warning to even be allowed to be acknowledged as existing to you. good to know if the heart surgery i had when i was 11 had left any visible external scars i would be considered inherently too obscene to exist to you. good to know if the overhealed and benignly potentially cancerous scar on my back from whatever actually happened when i was a toddler (i don't trust either of my parents to ever be accurate about something like that) was in a more visible spot you would demand i have a trigger warning to post selfies online. good to know if any of the shit that's broken me emotionally left visible physical marks you would think it was good and right for me to be forcibly hidden from good normal people's view and considered too taboo for even the slightest discussion without hiding it with makeup and lies, just so i don't make good, lucky, undamaged, normal people uncomfortable, god fucking forbid. should we hide the gays too, since they also make so many people uncomfy? i imagine it won't be long before disabled adults are too obscene for your polite societytm sensibilities too. i've had the feeling for a long time that amputee and disabled skins were living on borrowed time with your rules, kept technically not explicitly dissalowed where all other forms of injury and ""body horror"" are banned simply out of fear of the backlash it would cause to include them, and well. the doomsday clock on that one just got a little bit closer to midnight, huh?

the only reason i wasn't a (physically, visibly, externally) scarred kid was pure sheer fucking luck. the only reason you weren't a physically scarred kid too is pure sheer fucking luck. the only reason you're not some type of disfigured or ugly or amputated or visibly injured or whatnot is pure sheer fucking luck. you're lucky. nothing more. if having to contend with that fact-the fact of how easily it could have gone a different way and there is nothing they would be able to do about it- makes good normal tm people uncomfortable, then well, get the fuck used to it, other people children very much fucking included don't exist to cater to the aesthetic sensibilities of a lucky perfect few. the only thing that separates you from the damaged ones you find too obscene is a bad day and an unlucky hand. and one day, even if you were lucky enough to escape being damaged when you were young, you and i will both be just like them too.

more festival skin winners slots is good. elemental swords sound fun.

[thevampiricnihal]

I cracked and read up to around chapter 15 of Ask-i memnu and I know this is not your main interest, but something that struck me is how modern Bihter and Peyker's relationship is, in the way that it feels like a cliché dynamic now but obviously it wasn't when it was written bc the actual cliché came after. It reminds me of the sisters in Smile or Martha Marcy May Marlene where there's the older sister who suffered more from the family "taint" and dysfunction (Peyker witnesses her dad's collapse, she thinks about being exposed to flirtations/harassment? On the promenades since she was a child etc) but who was also more easily able to leave it behind and now has a "perfect" life and didn't take the little sister with her, and now the little sister is more mired into the dysfunction and damaged and resents that. It kind of moved me to tears when she's like "of course Peyker loves her husband and there's an itty bitty Feridun between them" :( the psychological element of this book is just groundbreaking, obviously Nihal too was exactly as deliciously fucked up as you sold her!

Ah, this makes me so happy!

While my main Aşk-ı Memnu interest is (and probably will always be) Nihal, I am much more interested in and appreciative of Bihter nowadays than I used to be. Bihter is the emotional heart of this book, she is what gives it its pathos. And yes, the author really managed to flesh out a very dysfunctional dynamic between a family of women without spending too many words on it. I will look up the works you mentioned.

Peyker as a character intrigues me. I am glad that you noticed that she was the one who found her collapsing father! A critic pointed that out as the possible reason why Peyker is so adamant on not being like a typical woman of her family, but unfortunately that critic’s name escapes me now.

Little Feridun is also more relevant to me than he perhaps is in the book. He also is the element of the book that comes closest to making me cry in the last chapter, not through anything too significant, but just through calling Bihter “aunt” in a critical moment. I also find it significant that Peyker gives birth to a son (for he is a boy, though the Eva Deverell translation sometimes mixes up his pronouns) when we were informed in the first chapter that Melih Bey Set usually had daughters - it points to Peyker’s complete break from the family traditions. But also I think we are invited to question how much of Peyker’s “happy homemaker” persona is an act. Fascinating stuff.

Yes, the psychological aspect is curiously modern for an 1899-1900 work I think. The secularism of it all, almost everything about the characters’ personalities being tied to their relationships to their parents etc. It doesn’t feel like a 19th century novel sometimes. It feels post-Freud. Also more rudimentary things like the smallness of the families also feel curiously modern to me - in Halit Ziya’s novels no one has more than two children.

Yes, Nihal is deliciously fucked up! I sometimes doubt myself and ask whether I read too much into the actions of a fairly normal tween/teen girl but then I reread it and, no, she is pretty messed up. And increasingly I find the book’s main strength in the contrast between Nihal’s Gothic psychology and Bihter’s more grounded and normal loneliness.

[splatsvilles-fashionista]

Splatoon 3 Version 5.0 Patch Notes Breakdown

Nintendo dropped the patch notes for patch 5.0 just about an hour ago, so let's do what we do and take a look at the changes, which won't take long, because there's not a lot of them this time around.

Starting with the Main Weapon section, three weapons are seeing changes:

Splat Brella and Undercover Brella are getting the same change, a one second/half a second decrease to shield recharge time. A lot of things can tear through Brella shield quite fast in this game, so this lets you get back into the action faster. I don't think it was the first change anyone would have asked for, but it's good all the same.

I also wanna mention that Splat Brella is getting a pretty significant bugfix in this patch, further down in the patch notes:

This change should make the shield more reliable, and couple that with the new buff, and the fantastic new kit, and I think Brella players have a lot to look forward to this patch.

Meanwhile, REEF-LUX's spread has been tightened when tap-firing and at one level of charge. I've seen some people speculate this might be a nerf because it'll reduce its paint, but I doubt it'll change much considering how much of a machine this thing is in the ink department, and I think the fact that it's able to splat more reliably without fully charging is going to be very positive for it.

Moving onto Specials:

Killer Wail is being changed to be more reliable, as it'll do more of the aiming for you, meaning you won't have to keep looking at your targets.

Zipcaster can now attach closer to you than it did previously, and the explosion damage and radius when you land has been increased. This means you'll be able to use it in close-quarters combat almost like a Burst Bomb, and Zipcaster actually has pretty good damage already, so it'll combo a lot more reliably with all of the Main weapons that have it like Stamper and Luna. Keep an eye out on this Special once the patch drops, because it might be kinda scary now.

Finally, Tacticooler is getting a nerf, having the period between when you use it to being able to charge your Special again increased by 2.5 seconds. After all of its buffs, Tacticooler has become a staple of the meta game, and this will reduce the frequency with which its most prominent users, most notably N-Zap and Snipewriter, are able to output them.

On that note, let's take a look at Points For Special changes next:

And hey, would you look at that! N-Zap gets hit with another 10p for its Tacticooler. If you've not been keeping up with competitive play, I think some important context is that N-Zap is almost completely ubiquitous at the moment, because it gets Tacticooler so fast that it can have the buff basically permanently if it doesn't die. This is a very deserved nerf, because frankly it shouldn't ever have been 180p to begin with.

The only other change is the Annaki Nova, which also gets an additional 10p, and I think this one is deserved as well, albeit for different reasons. The Annaki Nova is hardly a competitive allstar, but it's range and ink efficiency means that it can very often just spend entire matches farming Inkjets. Weapons that do nothing but paint the ground and spam Specials are not healthy for the game, they're dull to play and even less fun to play against, and I am happy to see that this seems to be Nintendo's opinion as well.

And that moves us onto the final balance changes, the Abilities:

Tenacity will now charge your Special gauge faster when its active. While we can't tell how much faster it is, it's still an uncomplicated positive change. Tenacity is currently very niche, only really seeing frequent use alongside the Hydra, but now more weapons might gravitate towards it.

And finally, Last-Ditch Effort's maximum effect has been reduced from being equivalent to 8 sub slots of Ink Saver Main, Ink Saver Sub and Ink Recovery (that's 8 for each!!! 24 sub slots total on a single main slot!!!!) to 6. This is one of the most explicitly competitive play-targeted changes they've done in the history of the series, because LDE is incredibly popular for its ability to sustain extended fights over the object. One particular thing worth mentioning is that this change means LDE will no longer be enough to give you two Fizzy Bombs on a full tank (though it'll still do that if you have 1 sub slot of Ink Saver Sub, but don't tell anyone I said that). LDE will still be incredibly good, but this will mean it won't be as much of an uncontested obvious pick for your headgear slot any more.

And that's all of the balance changes! This is a small patch, but while I think they could have done more to buff the weaker main and sub weapons, I still think it's a very good patch. The current meta is actually very healthy and diverse, more than its ever been, so some cautious buffs and a couple of nerfs aimed with laser-like precision are all very good!

But let's go over some cool miscellaneous stuff in the patch notes, as well. It's not just all balances changes, after all.

The Grizzco Dualies have been official confirmed! Additionally, random weapon rotations can now have multiple different Grizzco weapons, and not just the same one each time.

Three new songs are being added, separately from the new Deep Cut banger they revealed last week. These are presumably all tracks by that new band we heard in the reveal trailer, H2Whoa.

If I'm interpreting things correctly, the two Splatfest queues will now have different stages available?

Matchmaking is looking like it'll be a bit more reliable!

Not content with dropping 80 banners and 400 titles on us, we are also getting 160 decorations and 140 stickers! That's a lot of stuff!

And that's all of the fun and/or noteworthy stuff in the patch notes. I think. I bet a lot of people will see this patch as disappointing, thinking it should have changed more things. But change for change's sake is not necessarily a good thing, and when the top-level meta is so healthy and diverse, the last thing you wanna do is violently destabilize it. Nintendo chose to approach the patch with a scalpel, and I'd rather that than a hammer.

[aois-amaterasu-painting]

Uruha blog - MASS era (2020.10 - 2024.01)

Uruha blog 2024.01.14 - "2024"

Seeing the various pieces of information about the earthquake that occurred on the Noto Peninsula on the 1st, and the situations of those affected and the disaster areas, I felt it was not the right time to be posting anything, and as a result, my first blog post of the new year has been delayed to this timing.

I believe that those affected by the disaster are still going through very difficult times, and I extend my heartfelt sympathies to them and pray for a swift recovery.

In 2024, I want to fulfill what I can and should do in order to continue creating music and delivering it to everyone, and to maintain a society that supports such activities.

Although my posts here have gradually decreased, I strongly feel that it is precisely because of these times that I must cherish blogging without forgetting my initial intentions. I will do my best to post a bit more this year, so please stay tuned!

Uruha blog 2023.07.26 - "After finishing the MASS tour"

Since it's been a while since the MASS tour final at Budokan ended, I’d like to take this opportunity to express my feelings.

I feel that sometimes it is important to write on the blog again after a long time, but after all, these are just my ramblings, no more significant than graffiti in a bathroom. So, I hope only those who notice will read it.

As I write this in 2023, we are gradually returning to a state close to our pre-COVID-19 daily life. Reflecting on the MASS tour, it strikes me that it was a project that began under the restrictions and limitations imposed by the pandemic, starting from the album's production period.

Despite all humanity facing equal hardships, I am amazed at how the entire MASS project, from its creation to the final show, seemed to be so dramatically in sync with the world’s transition from restrictions to relaxation. Witnessing the miracle of the crowd being allowed to cheer at Budokan was overwhelmingly moving.

We also suffered during this period, albeit perhaps to a lesser extent than some. We experienced unprecedented cracks in various places. I saw firsthand how quickly and easily what we had built could collapse.

There were moments when I, someone saved by music, doubted the power of my own music.

The sight at the final show shone all the more brightly to me precisely because it followed such a desperate beginning.

Thus, we have reached a turning point with the MASS tour, but each piece of work we’ve created so far is part of the larger framework of the GazettE, and has shaped who I am today—my very “life.” I am determined to connect the experiences we have cultivated up to now to our next work.

No matter how difficult the times, no matter how unreasonable the situations we face, I want to receive and respond to your words and emotions properly, and to continue to support and encourage you with the utmost respect and gratitude.

On the Budokan stage, I could only convey a simplified message, but writing this has made me realize once again that the words I spoke directly at that time are a hundred times more significant and important than any written words. (laugh)

Even so, I believe that this post serves its own purpose, so I wanted to write down my feelings of gratitude to everyone.

Let’s continue walking together toward the sights beyond MASS.

Uruha blog 2023.01.03 - "2023"

Happy New Year.

Looking back on last year, 2022 was a year that passed by in the blink of an eye as we overcame many challenges as a band.

I don't think this is limited to just us, but this past year made me realize how precious each and every live show is, and that we could not have achieved this without the cooperation of all our fans.

The fact that we were able to complete our tours and events last year is thanks to everyone who continued to support us, even under the new normal of wearing masks and being unable to cheer out loud.

I believe that the feeling of moving forward over the past year is shared by more than just me, and I trust that we can reclaim the intense atmosphere and wonderful sights of live shows. I look forward to running through this year with everyone as well!

I hope 2023 will be a wonderful year for all of you. Thank you for your continued support this year.

Uruha blog 2022.07.15 - "COUNT "DECEM" Nakano Sunplaza Hall"

Thank you for the final Nakano performance of the "MASS Tour 01".

I'm happy that we were able to inform everyone about various future activities, including the FC event and "02".

As we move forward into 2022, which is still our 20th anniversary, I hope everyone will witness how this year will unfold and be part of events and tours that everyone can truly enjoy.

This "MASS Tour 01 COUNT DECEM" tour, which concluded in Nakano, was a really good tour for me. I felt a sense of liberation and motivation, and I was able to approach each performance with a clear mind.

Starting with last year's DEMONSTRATION EXPERIMENT tour, I finally felt like we were able to literally embody the entirety of MASS. Each song's potential in live performances captivated me, and with every show on the tour, it became a source of enjoyment and excitement that built up within me.

That’s why today’s Nakano performance was particularly frustrating for me. I felt my own immaturity in not being able to adapt quickly to the unexpected developments, and I deeply regret it. I truly apologize to both my band members and all the fans.

Moreover, during "UGLY," I injured my back, and I apologize again for my awkward performance on stage afterwards.

Ending in such a clumsy and uncool manner at the very end might be typical of me, but I will continue to give my all without giving up, so please continue to support us!

Uruha blog 2022.03.26 - "New beginning…"

I've started Twitter and Instagram.

I hope to liven up our 20th anniversary year even just a little, so please support us!

Twitter▷https://twitter.com/uruha_gazette__

Instagram▷https://www.instagram.com/uruha_thegazette__/

Uruha blog 2022.03.14 - "NEW PICK!!"

We have decided to release the new picks that were specially made for the recent 20th anniversary performance for a limited time.

I wanted to throw them to everyone at the live show as usual, but given the current situation, that's not possible. So for those who usually use picks, please take this opportunity to get one.

These picks now come with a non-slip grip, so I recommend them for those who, like me, have trouble with hand sweat making them slippery!

Uruha blog 2022.03.12 - "Thank you for your hard work."

Thank you for your hard work on the 20th anniversary performance.

Although some time has passed, I still feel the lingering sensation of the live show.

The feeling I experienced at that live show was more pleasant than ever before.

Even without the special emotions tied to the 20th anniversary, the sound during the entire process, from instrument checks to sound checks and rehearsals, resonated comfortably in that space.

In trying to convey that feeling to everyone with all my might, I was able to reaffirm what live performances mean to me, and I also felt a forgotten sense come back to life.

Although it was a live show commemorating our 20th anniversary, it was a precious performance that provided undeniable opportunities for growth in various aspects.

And soon, 'LIVE TOUR 2022 -MASS- / PHASE 01-COUNT “DECEM”' will begin.

The 20th-anniversary live allowed me to refine the fundamental feeling that I want to carry into this tour as well. It was the best!

It’s been a while since our last tour, but let’s rush forward in pursuit of the best sights again!

Uruha blog 2022.01.31 - "Towards the 20th"

Greetings, everyone.

Before we know it, January has flown by. How have you been?

I’ve been steadily preparing for the Yoyogi performance. I believe we’ve put together something that everyone will enjoy. Personally, I’ve been reworking the sound overall, so I’m excited to approach some of our older songs in a slightly different way.

It might be a minor difference from the audience’s perspective, but I hope even those small details will come across.

I can hardly wait to see everyone on the Yoyogi stage in just a little while. Until then, please take care of yourselves.

Uruha blog 2022.01.02 - "2022"

Happy New Year, everyone.

Last year was an important year for the band, as if the hands of a stopped clock had started moving again.

This year, 2022, I hope the clock will not stop again. I want to unleash all the energy that has been building up through live performances with everyone, and I want to savor the milestone of 20 years with all of you. With these various feelings in mind, I plan to start the year running, so I look forward to your continued support throughout this year!

Uruha blog 2021.12.26 - "Tokyo Garden Theater"

As announced at the recent Garden Theater live, our 20th anniversary performance next year has been confirmed for Yoyogi National Gymnasium!

I wasn’t able to convey it very well during the closing moments due to being a bit scattered, but I intended to express how much we have been supported by our fans over the past 20 years.

In my case, I often refer to feedback from fans through emails and letters. By pointing out aspects that I might not notice myself—both the good and the bad—I believe we’ve grown significantly over these 20 years.

I think both I and the band have been shaped by what we’ve built together with our fans, so I want to express my gratitude once again.

I hope that we can continue to support each other and walk this path together without changing.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

Uruha blog 2021.12.23 - "Today, the rescheduled Tokyo performance!"

Good morning.

Today is finally the rescheduled day—the last live show of the year.

Thank you for your support, everyone!

Uruha blog 2021.11.14 - "Rescheduled Performance Confirmed"

Recently, the rescheduled performance at Tokyo Garden Theater has been set for December 23.

We understand that this has caused concern for many, and we appreciate your understanding of the need to reschedule.

We sincerely apologize to those who cannot attend due to the change. We are grateful for the opportunity to perform on stage again before the end of the year and will do our utmost to ensure we are fully prepared. Thank you for your continued support!

Uruha blog 2021.11.01 - "To all our fans"

We regret to inform you of the cancellation of today's scheduled performance at Tokyo Garden Theater.

We deeply apologize for the inconvenience caused to all the fans who were looking forward to the event, those who had to adjust their plans suddenly, and those who had made special arrangements to come from afar.

We promise to do our utmost to return to you all in perfect condition as a band of five and to continue bringing smiles and dreams to everyone as the GazettE.

Once again, we apologize for the concern and inconvenience this may have caused.

Uruha blog 2021.10.19 - "Aichi Arts Center"

Thank you, Nagoya!

Following Osaka, we were able to hold this second performance in Nagoya thanks to everyone's thorough infection prevention measures and cooperation.

As Ruki mentioned multiple times during the MC, I felt a deep sense of gratitude, and standing on that stage didn't feel like an ordinary event; every moment felt like a miracle.

We and all of you are the only ones who can protect this place.

Because of the circumstances we have gone through, this feeling strikes even stronger and deeper in my heart. Even though this tour has fewer shows, each one leaves a profound impact.

There’s only Tokyo left, but feeling the passionate energy in Nagoya today, I want to bring everything we've gained from these two performances to the Tokyo show. So let's make it great together! Thank you!

Uruha blog 2021.09.27 - "Osaka Orix Theater"

The first live show in two years and the opening night at Osaka Orix Theater—great job, everyone!

As all the members mentioned, I was really nervous too. Even with the best preparations, you can't fully grasp the atmosphere and tension of a live show until you're actually there. But that very tension is the proof of our existence that we crave from live performances, which made me feel incredibly alive.

More than anything, I could feel the unspoken emotions, the feelings towards the band, and the overflowing sentiments pouring down on the stage. Even for those who couldn't make it, I'm sure they shared the same feelings without a doubt.

Every single live show from now on feels like a miracle, and today was a precious reminder of that. There's a bit of a break until the next show in Nagoya, so everyone, make sure to recharge. As for me, I'm feeling completely sore the day after the show. Haha.

Uruha blog 2021.09.25 - "To Osaka…"

Tomorrow is finally our first live show in two years.

There's no doubt that we've been eagerly waiting to break the long silence.

So many emotions have swirled within me leading up to this point, and it feels like this journey can't be summed up as just a two-year hiatus.

In times like these, it's essential to simply follow the emotion of "enjoyment," and ultimately, that's where we always end up. I've come to realize that standing on that stage to enjoy myself is a truth for me.

Tomorrow, I want to fully enjoy and cherish the important space we will share together.

Uruha blog 2021.07.26 - "BLINDING HOPE"

We finally announced our live shows.

I fully understand that this announcement is made amidst a whirlwind of overwhelming emotions. Personally, I have no hesitation and am completely focused on the live shows, but I can't ignore the reality that there are many uncertainties when it comes to the current global situation. This reality weighs heavily on me.

In such circumstances, rather than just "believing and moving forward," we've decided to start exploring a new way of conducting live shows with thorough infection prevention measures, guidelines, and self-protection strategies. This approach has led us to make this announcement as our way of "moving forward."

There are still many unclear aspects around the world, with various information causing confusion. Honestly, I can't deny the possibility that I've been swayed by online information, struggling to discern the truth amidst the chaos.

However, what we've truly understood over this approximately year and a half of the pandemic is that we are still supported by our fans and the people around us. This fundamental realization is something that Ruki has thoughtfully detailed on Instagram, so please check it out.

What we can and should do is convey our feelings to the fans. Even if, hypothetically speaking, our existence during this pandemic causes harm, I believe we can be a source of strength to overcome it.

We don't know how the concept of live shows will evolve or where it will head, but as long as our fans continue to support us, we won't stop. This is the only certain thing in this uncertain pandemic, and we want to keep this in mind as we embark on this tour.

Please don't overextend yourselves. Ensure you're in perfect health to fully enjoy the shows.

Hoping that this marks a new beginning...!

Uruha blog 2021.07.25 - "“MASS” Online Event"

Today, we had our first online event in about a month. I was so happy to reconnect with everyone overseas! Did you all enjoy the event?

Thank you for participating in today’s online event. I was worried that I would have the opportunity to interact with everyone overseas after the pandemic, but it was a precious day that I was able to achieve it today. See you next time in live concert, thank you.

Uruha blog 2021.06.21 - "Day 2"

Thank you to everyone who participated in the second day of our online event!

Even though it was the second time, there were still moments where it might have been difficult to grasp the atmosphere. If you were able to enjoy the space even a little, I’m happy about that.

I believe there are still aspects that are developing, but I’m confident that as these types of events become more refined, they will provide even better opportunities to deepen our connection with fans.

Overall, over these two days, what made me happiest was being able to confirm each other's presence through the thoughts and feelings everyone shared with us. I think that’s something we’ve all been looking forward to.

So, to those who participated and to those who couldn't make it this time, your feelings were definitely received!

Thank you very much!!

Uruha blog 2021.06.20 - "First Day"

To everyone who participated in the online autograph session and talk event, thank you for your efforts!

Although it was indirect, I think it was a valuable event where we could communicate with everyone after a long time.

Given the nature of the event, I understand that some of you had to wait a considerable amount of time for your turn to get a signature, and I really appreciate your patience!

Although it was a bit different from our usual events, I hope it became an enjoyable and memorable experience for you. I also know that many of you couldn't participate, but I hope our gratitude reaches all of our supporters. Let's do our best again tomorrow!

Uruha blog 2021.06.10 - "Thank you!"

Thank you all for the messages!

Looking back, it’s hard to believe a whole year has passed since my last birthday.

This past year with COVID-19 felt incredibly long, yet looking back, it also feels short. Maybe it’s because the uncertainty of the future made time feel longer, while the lack of activity made it feel shorter.

However, with the recent release of "MASS," I believe it marks the first step towards escaping this dark era. I truly hope this will be a year where we can move forward and look ahead.

Next year, I hope to be able to deliver an even more positive message than now! I'll do my best.

Thank you!

Uruha blog 2021.05.26 - "DAY-3"

Thank you all for the past three days!

It was great to watch "Dai-Kyu" again after a long time. The last song "UNFINISHED" was pretty intense.

Watching the live footage while reading everyone's comments was so much fun! Haha

During the "MASS" tour, I want to create an even better live experience with everyone!

Today was packed with events: the release day of "MASS," the last day of "YouTube Live," and soon it will be Reita's birthday, making it a very memorable album release day.

I hope we can share this space with everyone again soon. Thank you for the past three days!

Uruha blog 2021.05.25 - "DAY-2"

"Gudon" felt a bit embarrassing. Haha.

Great job, everyone! Tomorrow is finally the release day of "MASS," but don't miss out on "Dai-Kyu" either!!

Uruha blog 2021.05.24 - "YouTube LIVE DAY-1"

"Shikkoku" brought back memories. Great job! See you again tomorrow!

Uruha blog 2021.05.22 - "Today"

Today was the recording day for RADIO JACK, and this time I recorded with Ruki.

And, this year too...

I was celebrated on my birthday!!!!

Wow, I'm so grateful! I also received many birthday messages from everyone.

Even in these times, I am truly grateful to the fans who haven’t forgotten about me.

There is no doubt that your presence is what sustains me in living now.

I really hope the day comes soon when we can hold a live performance.

And, finally, the new album "MASS" is about to be released in just a few days.

I personally believe that music exists to be enjoyed, and I think "MASS" is a work packed with information that stems from the feeling of enjoyment.

However, much of it cannot be explained, and explaining it seems almost meaningless; it provides an impact that both the creators and the listeners feel equally.

What I want to say is that, even we, the creators, are delighted that it turned out to be such an enjoyable work. This might be an arrogant thing to say, but it’s the broad-mindedness of the fans who share this sentiment that saves us, allowing us to celebrate the release of the album "MASS"... In other words, it all comes down to a simple "thank you!"

We are waiting for the day when we can deliver our heartfelt "thank you" to everyone to the fullest. For now, we are just patiently waiting for that moment.

So, please look forward to the new album "MASS."

Uruha blog 2021.01.29

Finally, the time has come...! Let's hope that everything starts moving from here!

Please look forward to it.

Uruha blog 2021.01.02 - "2021"

Happy New Year, everyone.

Last year, we couldn’t say that we were able to see each other enough to say we were in your care in 2020.

I can’t help but hope that this situation will improve, even just a little, this year.

Until the time comes when we can meet at live shows, please take good care of your health, strictly follow infection prevention measures, and let’s all work together to make this a year that won't be defeated by COVID-19.

Thank you for your continued support this year.

Uruha blog 2020.10.28 - "Happy Birthday, Kai!"

I realized that I have stopped updating for over three months.

I apologize... I’ve been focusing a bit on production, but I hope to update with my recent activities as timing permits.

And today is our leader’s birthday, so I decided to make an update.

Once again, happy birthday, Kai.

His leadership and passion for the band have been a great force in overcoming various difficulties the band has faced and he has played a crucial role in supporting and uniting the members.

Without him, the GazettE wouldn’t exist as it does today. With respect to such a wonderful leader.

[the-kr8tor]

WAIT WHAT WHY AM I BEING ARRESTED? THIS IS LIKE THE THIRD TIME- ALSO IM SICK TOO SO Daily Hobie HC! I love the stickbug menace its probably concerning but like he's such a bastard i love him No doubt Hobie's tall, towering almost everyone in the spider society, apart from Miguel of course. Because of this, it isn't surprising that he has a habit of leaning against other people and using them as an armrest in a playful, teasing gesture, commonly with Pavitr and you. Not only does he adore using you as an armrest to hear you get huffy about it, but Hobie never misses a chance to randomly pick you up and relocate you completely, walking off like nothing happened while you've been stunlocked for a few moments. Another mildly irritating and amusing 'habit' of Hobie's, was randomly putting rarely used items on the higher shelves and forget them, so that when they were needed, you both would scramble around before Hobie found it, remembering what he had done. Apart from putting things in high places and looming over everyone, Hobie finds a lot of significant disadvantages to being tall. Even in his own bed, he struggles to stretch out fully and keep his entire body under the blanket, often opting to just curl his top body around you and stretch out his legs. Many times you've woken up and stretched out your own legs to feel his straightened out underneath your feet, with his chest resting against your back and his face in your hair. Even if you point it out, Hobie simply denies it and plays it off as his 'favorite way of cuddling you at night', which was a complete lie, but at least he's somehow comfortable, even if he looks like a shrimp. Another disadvantage which Hobie has to suffer with, is knocking his head on things. Although he's developed a good sense with when to duck, sometimes he'll let his guard slip and end up hitting his head on the frames of doors. Luckily, he has you to soothe the bruises while you giggle away at his overdramatic moping. Yet, despite being very tall and knocking into things almost 24/7, Hobie's footsteps are soft, non exist at times and he always manages to spook anyone by simply just hanging behind the person until they notice. One of his favorite perks of being so tall, is being able to have people hang off his arms while he swings them around, like he was an amusement park ride. Hobie loves sometimes giving flukes to scare the people hanging off, jolting slightly as if he 'lost his balance'. Of course, he wouldn't dare do this trick to little kids, only to his close friends and you. If you liked to do handstands, similarly to Gwen, he'll gladly let you use his arms, knowing you'll be a safe distance from the ground to land on your feet if you dropped. -🐦‍⬛

Okay no jail time for you (for now) get well soon angel!

Daily Hobie HC ❤️❤️❤️

Sameee!!! I saw a huge stickbug on my last vacation and my mind was going "it hobie" the entire time

As someone who has tall ass friends back in hs and college, i know the pain of being an armrest for my gigantic friends. Definitely Hobie would do it just because he sees you quiet and peaceful just standing there so ofc he had to ruin that peace by using you as his personal armrest 😂

Stunlocked HAHAHHAHAHAHAHA WHAT ARE WE AN ELDEN RING ENEMY?!

I'm also a firm believer of shrimp Hobie when he sleeps. Also if he ever gets a bigger and taller bed I'm sure he'd still sleep like a shrimp bc he's so used to it 😆

Him hitting his head on top of doors is 50% his fault bc he always jumps when entering doors so he could slap the wall atop it (you know like how guys do back in gym class? A competition who jumps the highest)

You need to baby proof the edges of tables and counters for Hobie 🤣🤣🤣

Imagine coming home to seeing hobie swinging billie and mona around on his long arms

The perks of having long limbs is so you could catch your partner without worrying if your arms are long enough!

[gamesception]

Sception Reads Cass Cain #34

Robin (1993) #88 - May 2001 Story: Chuck Dixon & Scott Beatty Pencils: Pete Woods, Ink: Andrew Pepoy Letters: Willie Schubert, Colors: Noelle Giddings

Guest appearance again this week. A bit more of a notable one because as far as I know this is officially the first time Cass Cain and Stephanie Brown meet. Kind of more significant in retrospect than in the moment, as they don't exactly hit it off right away, but still.

So the basic setup is that Bruce has decided Stephanie isn't going to just go away and stop doing Spoiler stuff so he might as well take her on officially and train her, a decision spurred on by Tim working more and more on his own & not answering Bruce's calls. When Tim disappeared from the country completely without telling Bruce where he went Bruce turned to Stephanie to check up on him, in the process telling Steph Tim's secret identity, which iirc (my Robin knowledge is limited, I could have this wrong) previously Tim had used as the reason they couldn't be in a relationship. Like "I can't date you, you don't even know who I am, and I can't tell you that even though I want to because it might give away Batman's identity, which isn't my secret to share. Also my life is super dangerous, and Batman doesn't think you're ready, and as much as I like you I have to respect his professional opinion on this"

On the one hand it's dicky of Bruce to not respect Tim's privacy the way Tim respected his, but on the other hand Tim blowing up about it kind of implies that all those things he told steph were excuses, and the real reason he didn't want to date her was that he just wasn't that into her. Or maybe he was, but got mad at her for getting pregnant by someone else after he rejected her and now doesn't want to date her because of that? Did that happen already, or after this? Again, I don't know the details of Robin Lore, but reading just this issue and the previous one for background, Tim is absolutely the one who comes off as worse here between him and Bruce.

So anyway that's what's going on. Cass shows up in all of this when Bruce takes Stephanie to one of his training caves and has Cass demonstrate a training routine that Steph is struggling with.

Which, yeah, I guess this is pretty badass or whatever,

But if this were a real life situation, Cass would have just decapitated like seven dudes. 100% fatality rate for the criminal dummies. You'd think Bruce would be a little less glowing in his praise over that, considering how much of his shitty behavior towards Cass started when he found out she might have (definitely did, but denial is a powerful drug) killed somebody.

Cass gives Steph the cold shoulder. Giving Dixon & Beatty the benefit of the doubt for a moment, this does fit very much into the recent evolution of Cass's character, becoming harder and harsher as she gets more isolated. She also may be picking up on and echoing Batman's lowish opinion of Stephanie as a vigilante / person, even if it has softened enough for the moment that he's willing to train her.

And it sets up for future interactions where Stephanie basically puts in the work to break through Cass's walls, despite her initial frosty attitude, to become the friend Cass needed when when she didn't have any others. The whole arc is honestly pretty touching and really speaks to Stephanie's character, and it isn't possible without this initial attitude from Cass.

....

On the other hand, this plays into an obnoxious trend of the entire bat family being written as incredibly rude and dickish towards Stephanie, in ways that very often feel completely out of character. Even (especially) Tim, her supposed love interest. Even Alfred!

Yes, calling Alfred 'the Butler' is rude, but Alfred was uncharacteristically rude and dismissive to her first in this scene.

And since it so often feels out of character, you get the impression that the people who actually hate Stephanie aren't the characters themselves, but rather the writers and editors at DC. That is eventually undeniably the case, once DiDio is in charge and War Games is happening.

But that's still 3 years away! I had to check, because the way the narrative is treating Stephanie right now, the way all the characters we're supposed to think are in the right here are treating her (Alfred, Tim, not Bruce), feels very much like the build up to War Games, with Stephanie finally getting a chance to shine and getting some respect from bruce, but with the overall narrative implying that's a bad thing somehow and that she isn't worthy, that despite all her work and earnest commitment she's somehow only coasting on hubris and setting herself up fro a fall, one that we as the audience are supposed to find, like, cathartic, or maybe at best tragic but in a cosmically justified sense that she brought on herself.

And it all kind of sucks, because no, she really doesn't deserve any of it. Or rather she hasn't been written to deserve any of it. The differences between her and Bruce's other sundry teen sidekicks and hangers on have overwhelmingly been in how others have been written as treating her, not the things she's been written as doing or in her personality or whatever.

I guess that's a free writer tip for you. If you want the reader to not like a character, write that character as doing or saying or thinking unlikable things, or acting for distasteful motives. Or give that character things they don't deserve or appreciate without having to work for them. Don't make them sweet and put-upon and have them try hard to do the right thing despite coming from a bad place and struggle to earn respect that others get for free only to have it denied to them anyway and then have all your main characters shit on them constantly for no reason or even explicitly for doing things that they all do and get rewarded for.

If you do all that, your readers will end up identifying with the character you want them to dislike and disliking the characters you want them to identify with.

EDIT: oh, I almost forgot, we do get this one cute 'proud papa' moment from Bruce:

Always nice to see those, especially amid all the less positive stuff going on with him and Cass right now.

[blackjackkent]

So. Cazador's body is not where I killed him, which makes sense, because he's a vampire. Which means presumably I missed him turning into a fog cloud and heading back to his sarcophagus.

I was briefly worried about this before I realized that

there's a giant glowing sarcophagus in the center of the ritual area.

"No, no. No healing sleep for you. Wake up!"

Without hesitation, Astarion grabs Cazador by the collar and hurls him from the coffin out onto the stone floor.

"Get your hands off me, worm," Cazador growls - though the effect is a little lost as he is hunched on his knees before Astarion standing over him.

Astarion laughs hoarsely. "I'm not the one in the dirt." Without taking his eyes from Cazador, he leans down, picks up a strange ornate dagger which was resting next to the sarcophagus. Hector parses it at a glance. It is a blade meant for killing vampires - perhaps a safety measure for Cazador, should one of his spawn try to rebel. Within the twisting metal of the blade is a polished stake of wood.

"One last thrust..." Astarion whispers, "and I'll be free of you. I'll never have to fear you again." His voice is unsteady; Hector can hear the decades of pain and exhaustion underlaying it. The realization of a hope of peace that never seemed possible.

And then... a counterpoint against it; the elf's voice hardens suddenly, retreating from the pain into the safer, easier anger, the desire for his own control. "But if I finish the ritual you started, I'll never have to fear anyone. Ever."

From his knees, Cazador laughs - even now not believing Astarion capable of what he is threatening. "You think me a fool?" he says. His high voice is mocking and cold. "That I would allow anyone to usurp me, speak the words, and ascend in my place? The runes I carved into your flesh bind you and all seven thousand souls to the ritual! Complete it and those bearing the scars will be sacrificed - you included." His lips curl maliciously. "You are simply a means to an end. I made you to be consumed."

Astarion surges forward, the tip of the blade pointed at Cazador's heart. "I am SO much more than what you made me," he snaps out. Perhaps the words surprise even him, because he stiffens suddenly, and his eyes flick to Hector, an appeal for support.

"Get over here," he says sharply. "We can do this."

For a long moment, Hector doesn't move. He is torn in so many different directions at present - the desire for Cazador's death, the concern for Astarion, fear for what ascension would do to him, protective instinct towards the spawn in the cells and the antithetical unease at releasing them...

"Didn't you hear him?" he asks slowly, judging that an appeal to Astarion's self-interest is more likely to get anywhere than a plea for sympathy towards the other spawn. "If you complete the ritual, you'll be consumed."

Astarion laughs harshly. "Trust me. I know what I'm doing."

Hector doubts that very much. "You can't finish the ritual," he insists. "You'll kill all those people!"

"If we release them, how many more will they kill?" Astarion demands. "Tens of thousands? Hundreds of thousands?" He shakes his head. "But if I complete the ritual, think of the power I'll have. With me by your side, we can save the city!" His voice lowers, his shoulders hunching again just slightly. "We can save ourselves..."

Hector sighs inwardly. The point about the spawn is, in truth, a significant one - but he is convinced that it is a separate question. Whatever must be done with them has no bearing on the fact that Astarion cannot be allowed to do this - for his own sake. The power would corrupt him. And Hector has traveled alongside him for so long, believed in him for so long; the two of them aren't friends, not really, but they are partners in this whole terrible journey. He knows Astarion is capable of better.

He knows it better than Astarion knows it himself.

[INSIGHT] Look into his eyes - try to see what's driving this.

Narrator: You can see the fear in his eyes - but also the hunger. The thick smell of blood in the air and the promise of power being so close is intoxicating to him. All he can see is the power of the ritual, and the freedom that power brings. The freedom to do anything - to be anything.

Hector draws a slow breath, considering his words carefully before he speaks. Were he a better orator, he is sure he could deliver some stirring speech that might convince Astarion to see all the possibilities that lie outside this one path - that being his own man, indebted not even to his own lust for power, is in the long run far more valuable. But he has no such skill, and so he speaks simply and plainly, answering as best he can what he sees as the true need in Astarion's heart.

[PERSUASION] "I know you think this will set you free," he says quietly, "but it won't. This power will trap you, just like it trapped Cazador."

Astarion flinches, his eyes dropping away from Hector's. For a moment the knife falls to his side. He swallows. "You-- you're right," he mutters. "I can be better than him..."

Hector can see a muscle in his jaw start to tremble as he considers the ramifications of this, the things it means gaining - and the things it means losing. His pale hands turn even paler at the knuckles as he grips the hilt of the blade. "But I'm not above enjoying this," he mutters with sudden ferocity.

Surging forward, he seizes Cazador by the hair. Yanking his head back, he sinks the blade deep into the vampire lord's chest. Black blood spurts out over the knife, over his hands, his bare chest, his face as he stabs again, and again, and again, and again, a roar of fury growing up through him and exploding out of his throat.

Finally he stands, spent and panting and bloodsoaked, over Cazador's tattered body. The vampire lord is dead at last, and Astarion is free. His lips tremble and his chest heaves and blood drips across his skin.

He staggers, sways, sinks to his knees... and sobs...

Hector takes a cautious step forward, then another, until he is standing next to Astarion in the slowly spreading pool of blood. His instinct is to reach out, to lay a hand on the other man's shoulder... but Astarion would not welcome a touch. He never does. So instead Hector just stands there - a silent presence, a reminder that he is not alone.

Gods. Perhaps I will never have the chance to say it aloud, he thinks suddenly. And perhaps you wouldn't welcome it if I did. But I am so proud of you. So proud. I see the courage you showed here. It is not lost on me. And I see how much it cost you...

There are others, too. The other six spawn have been released from their chains and are moving to surround their fallen master.

"Is... is it over?" one of them, a young-looking elven woman, asks nervously. "Is he..."

"Yes..." Astarion whispers hoarsely. Slowly, slowly, he starts pushing himself to his feet. "He's gone."

"What does that mean for us?" another of them asks.

Say nothing.

Hector waits in silence. Should the spawn turn violent, he is ready to respond - exhausted though he feels after the battle with Cazador. But this remains Astarion's conversation to have, not his.

"It means you have a choice," Astarion says, his voice surprisingly quiet and steady. "You can hide here, living in the shadows like parasites... or you can be more than what he made us to be." He shrugs. "You can choose differently, of course, but the consequences are on your head."

"And... what does it mean for them?" the elven woman asks cautiously, jerking her head to indicate the cells in the corridor.

Astarion hesitates - and this time his eyes flick to Hector, a brief flickering moment of uncertainty. "Now that's a better question," he says. "Seven thousand spawn, from ancient conquests to stolen children..."

Narrator: Cazador's staff controlled everything during the ritual. If it controls the cells too, you could decide their fate...

Hector frowns. In truth, he has no idea what the responsible decision is here. He is sure that there is no chance that all seven thousand spawn are self-disciplined enough to restrain themselves to boar and rabbit the way Astarion has. And yet... some of them will, and the idea of condemning them to death or eternal imprisonment, for no greater crime than having been in the wrong place at the wrong time... it feels like a cruelty he cannot sanction.

And he does not want Astarion's new life to begin with such cruelty.

"Let's release them," he mutters. "They deserve the same chance you got."

"And what of the living they'll feast on, should they not prove as admirable as Astarion?" Jaheira adds, equally low, behind him. "They deserve a chance too."

Hector shakes his head. She is, of course, right to point this out-- but he suspects that in truth they are really of the same mind in this - releasing the spawn is dangerous, but leaving them here is unconscionable. There is no right answer; there is only the answer they can live with. He turns his head and looks at Astarion fixedly.

Astarion nods slowly. "The poor wretches in the cells are innocent," he says. "They shouldn't have to suffer just because I--" He stops, swallows tightly before continuing. "--lured them here..."

He leans over, picks up the staff lying on the ground, and turns it in his fingers thoughtfully for a long moment. Then he slams its end down into the ground, and a burst of red light erupts around him, spreading outwards into the cells around them. Hector can hear the sound of voices down the corridor as the freed spawn see their doors opening, one by one.

"They'll need someone to lead them," Astarion goes on quietly - this to the others of his brethren gathered around them. "Take the tunnels into the Underdark. Find somewhere... well, not safe, but less perilous."

"What?" one of the spawn says fearfully. "No, we can't--"

"Just try to keep them out of trouble," Astarion says, with uncharacteristic gentleness, looking around at them all.

There's a long pause, and then nods begin to spread around the small group, and they start to file with weary hope towards the door.

Yes, Hector thinks. Yes... it is best this way. They will be free, and they will help each other to be better than what Cazador would have made them - monsters or sacrifices. And they have the model of Astarion to follow; they have seen him do it successfully before them already. They know it is possible, because of him.

Astarion leans heavily on the staff, wipes absently at a dribble of blood about to drip into his eye. "I think we're done here..." he whispers, and there's a wonder in his voice, and the abject exhaustion of a man who has reached a climax of conflict that has been building for two hundred years.

He doesn't look at Hector, or any of them, just lets the staff clatter heavily to the floor and walks away. "Let's go."

[asherlockstudy]

The “We Dug a Hole” discussion

Yesterday I finished watching the latest Ear Biscuit, in which Rhett and Link explained the creative process behind the video “We Dug A Medium-sized Hole”. I was unsurprisingly interested in this one, in light of my analysis “They Dug a Hole” which I would recommend reading in order for this post to make more sense, and I felt both “vindicated” and perplexed while watching it.

I assumed the podcast would be full of potentially interesting information, which is why I legit kept hand-written notes, which made me feel like a creep, to be honest. But the actual reason I did it was because I knew I wouldn’t have the time (or willpower) to rewatch, so taking notes was the only way to not miss on potentially significant details. I believe it was a good call, despite making me feel like a creep. I will explain later why I emphasise on this unpleasant feeling.

Let’s start by reminding ourselves that, on face value, this is a discussion about an (admittedly entertaining) video in which essentially nothing happens. It’s just a hole in the middle of nowhere and a puppet mole that is accidentally killed. And that’s it.

Throughout the podcast Rhett and Link focus a lot on the creative element of the video, which had me raising my eyebrow more than once. Link seemed very excited, saying he was very interested but also didn’t want to be too concerned about the reception of the video, its risk ( what risk?) and whether people would “get it” (? get what ?). The risk was mentioned multiple times by Link and I found it suspicious because it isn’t exactly the first time they make a lightweight video and save for the excavators rent, it shouldn’t have been too expensive either.

My most “vindication” moment was when Rhett said exactly that while they of course always care about standard success (views etc), this time the success in a traditional sense was not their first thought. So I am humbly adding a small part of my post “They Dug A Hole”.

Please, bear with me. I have trauma after the Sherlock and Game of Thrones fiascos and now every vindication feels like a big deal 😂

Link agrees that the most important thing about this video was “expression”. Like, umm, at first glance, this video feels a little surreal to be meant as a vessel of expression. Should I give Link the benefit of the doubt and believe that he meant expressing the silly, carefree side of life and their comedy? Well no, because then Rhett adds that the content was “soul-driven” and “substantial”! Give me a break, my good gents!

Link then intensifies my suspicions, when he vaguely confesses that he has “certain desired outcomes” from this video but at the same time he tries to separate himself from them and simply celebrate the completion of this project. Since it’s established that the views are not the (most) desired outcome, then what is? Probably some certain response from the viewers? It’s shit like that that I say to myself in order to not feel like a creep.

Link finally acknowledges that all this time they sound too serious for something that is seemingly so shallow or silly. I am thankful to him acknowledging this because I was on the verge of feeling like a jerk for the amount of disbelief I had for them calling this video “expression” and “soul-driven content”. Obviously, my disbelief stands only if you judge the video on face value, but it’s Rhett and Link’s avoidance to discuss the deeper motivation behind the video that will inescapably confuse some viewers as to what can possibly be so very significant about a dirt hole and a dead mole.

Link goes on by saying he was happy they made this video as is, by escaping sensationalism and controversy! At this point, I am sure some of the fans just swallow everything these two say with zero processing inside their brains. Shouldn’t one ask themselves: “Hold on, why is Link talking like they actively tried to avoid making the video sensational and controversial? Are we still talking about a video where they dig a hole and have a last convo with a mole puppet? How was avoiding controversy a success in this case?”. But nobody asks these questions in the YouTube comments, at least not in the open.

Rhett says that they had many concepts for those videos they are about to start on their Rhett and Link channel. Link said the original ideas were like 6-7 but Rhett corrected him saying they were certainly close to 30! But Rhett also considered these ideas very bad as “there was no filter in them”. I guess he meant no filters like hole digging and mole dying allegories huh? However, 30 plans… hmm that shows that the “We dug a hole” video was anything but an one-time silly thing. There was thought behind it and intense planning and apparently it is calculated to be so lightweight.

One thing that perplexed me is that Rhett revealed that the whole hole-digging concept was not theirs (except Rhett dreamed it) but of someone hired for the project. As they go about the technical aspects of the work, I realise how many people were involved in this project. Does this mean that all these people…. know? Can all the crew and all the hired extras possibly know things about Rhett and Link’s privacy and have opinions on how to apparently condition the viewers on it (because that’s what they are trying to do IMO)? This possibility seems crazy. Shouldn’t there be contracts of confidentiality in order to collaborate with Mythical in this case? And Mythical has a LOT of employees and extras. That’s so hard to believe. It seems so very risky. This gave me a serious halt.

But here’s an interesting little moment. Rhett said this extra (whose name I am forgetting) said that he had no source of information or any motive or a reason behind suggesting the concept of “digging a hole”. Even more interestingly, Rhett said he didn’t know and he didn’t care to know whether that was true, he just liked the idea (and had dreamed it too). These are some strong phrases there, if not slightly defensive. “I don’t care to know if there was truly no implication behind his suggestion.” Hmm. You see, “digging a hole” has a very particular meaning and if I am right, what Rhett and Link are trying to do can prove to be very dangerous. But the way the extra excused his suggestion and Rhett chose to ignore the prickles of doubt and concern makes me think that it is something that is not openly discussed with the crew. Probably, Rhett and Link asked an inconsequential concept (to quote Link, who used this word 100 times) from their crew to work on for their own reasons. And the crew understood because they are like a gazillion people and they are not fools. But they do not acknowledge or talk about it openly. I wonder if some very close and powerful people in Mythical openly know, like Stevie and Jenna. It would make sense if these two knew.

Another thing that proves that this is not a brainless random video is that Link says that it is an idea that has many other ideas to explore within it.

This is totally off topic but Link broke my heart when he said they didn’t like the vlogs and wouldn’t like to repeat doing them. They were my favourites! This and the improvising Wheel of Mythicality! What the hell guys?

The next initially perplexing piece of information was that Rhett disclosed the video was unscripted. This seemed to disagree with the theory that the video was exactly an allegory of their story but perhaps what Rhett meant was that no writer of Mythical was involved in the script. The crew was just aware of the very general concept. Rhett and Link prepared on their own what exactly they were going to say without external involvement.

Rhett then says there are certain parts of the video that were predetermined and they are choosing to keep those behind the curtain. Well, for one thing, the ultimate motivation, the aspiration and goal behind this remains veiled. They talked about expression, soul-driven content, big risk but they are not explaining how and why.

But this time Rhett spares us a little and gives a hint. Was the song written before or after the video? Well clearly before but certainly also after the “digging a hole” suggestion. The song was one of the things that were predetermined. Please keep this in mind for later.

Link goes back to something he also said earlier in the podcast. He is somewhat contradicting himself by saying that he doesn’t want people to think when watching this video but to feel. However at the same time he repeats that he tries to not concern himself with whether people get it, and in order to get it, you have to think a bit. This makes me feel that he actually wants people to think about it but he doesn’t want to be disappointed in case they don’t. Or at least I hope so because otherwise I feel like a bloody intruder and that’s so awkward… I am so open about this (on my totally obscure blog, at least) because I genuinely get the feeling that they want to communicate this to people but they don’t know how. I do think that Bleak Creek (this book that’s one of my fave things they have ever done) was another effort of “whoever gets it, gets it”. Anyway…

The whole “feel, don’t think” is also because Link might associate too much thinking with judgement in his mind. He wouldn’t be wrong to fear that. For others, I mean.

And then after all this confusing or thought provoking sequence, Link made it easy for us!

Rhett: We love making scripted stuff.

Link: … Love-making scripted?

Rhett: *mild side-eye to Link*

Link, unhinged: Scripted love-making…..?

There, the answer, in three words.

Then they talked about the mole puppet. Link went on and on for a long time about how the mole is one dirty guy, like really dirty, and with some spicy talk. Perhaps this is confirmation that the mole was an allegory of the shippers, dirty minded and spicy.

This project is the first in a series of many similar projects they will be doing about once a month. Four such videos are already planned for sure. Link said that he is very excited for all but he is most excited for the last one of the already certain ones, which he implied is also the “riskiest”. I guess this will be bolder than the rest. But, also, I have a theory that this whole project is the preparation of a music album. (Link wouldn’t just let Rhett’s solo drop like that now, would he? 😂) Whether they will totally go all in until the end of this video project, I doubt it. But they will certainly be closer to their ultimate objective which is most likely that. Every video will probably include a new song and these songs are meant to be meaningful in that they are the coded narration of their relationship - story which will become an album. I am very excited to see whether this is the case. If there is an album coming, I just hope Hazel will be in there. It’s my favourite song of theirs, it is so haunting, so good, so SERIOUSLY good.

Closing off this giant post with Link’s closing words. There is a genuine risk in what they are trying to do. So, it’s not just any album because they have already made albums and Rhett has also gone solo where the exposure is even harder. So, whether it’s an album or not, it is certainly different in some huge way.

“There is a genuine question where we don’t know what the answer is”

How will it go? How will it be received? What happens next?

“That’s why we’re doing it and then we’re sharing it once we know”

Oh boy. They are sharing the answer? Don’t excitescare me like that. This seems alarmingly like “is it yet yet?”, like it’s THE time. But in typical R&L fashion, usually the thing proves to be far less consequential than it is initially suggested to be.

In any case, whether a music album or something else completely, it is going to be a passion project, more candid, very meaningful to them and thus quite scary to them. But they intend to walk that distance, a distance, whatever that distance is. I can’t wait for it. Hopefully it goes well.