#riri tries reviews

[risingoftime]

WE NEED RIRI WILLIAMS X FEM READER SMUT!! RIRI IS DADDY HONESTY

𝕭𝖊𝖆𝖚𝖙𝖞 & 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕭𝖗𝖆𝖎𝖓 | 𝖗𝖎𝖗𝖎 𝖔 𝖋𝖊𝖒!𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖗

part i | part ii

thank you anon for this request ✧˚ · so sorry for the wait!

synopsis: Riri has always been one step ahead of you. She is always at the top of her class, and you are not too far behind. Each time you think you got something, she’s right there. You’ve finally had enough of the competition and decide to confront her.

word count: 1.8k

warnings: smut, semi public sex, fingering, oral sex, face riding, sub!reader, dom!Riri, light dom sub, swearing, biting, orgasm denial/control.

18+ | minors do not interact

➴ feel free to send me more thots

I glared toward Riri across the library. But, of course, you both were one of the select few who stayed late on campus to study for exams. I tried my hardest to look over the assigned formulas and equations, but her presence was enough to keep me on my toes. Riri’s cornrows were neatly braided and twisted into a low bun, and her baby hair laid on her forehead as she analyzed her textbook. How pathetic can I be? In a secret competition with a person who rarely gives me a second glance. The only time anyone has gotten her attention is if they book her academic services. I’m sure that at this point, I’m the only one in our class who doesn’t have her number saved. But our names have always been next to each other—Hers above and mine below. I wish I knew how she did it. According to MIT gossip, Princess Shuri has even visited her dorms. How the fuck did she manage that?

I didn’t recognize how long I was staring until Riri raised her head for her eyes to meet mine. My heart almost beat out of my chest. Crap, she saw me staring. I quickly averted my eyes to review my messy notes and highlighted textbook. Underactuated robotics has never been my strong suit, and I must study ten times harder to secure my GPA. Although I knew this, I was itching to steal another glance in Riri’s direction. At this point, I’d have to leave and study back at my apartment. I gathered my belongings and placed them in my backpack.

“I hope you’re not leaving because of me.”

There she was, standing in all of her glory. Riri wore her nefarious smirk as she looked down at me. This is the first time she’s spoken to me, and Riri assumes she could intimidate me. I rolled my eyes and reached for my packed tote bag.

“Please, you think that you can make me leave? You’re so full of yourself,” I sighed.

“Well, you have been shooting daggers in my direction since I got here,” Riri said.

Fuck, so she did notice me staring. Riri continuously operated like she never cared for those who shared her surroundings. She is always in and out, only talking with her close friends and customers. Meanwhile, she might as well pay rent in my head for how long she stays in my mind.

“I’ve got a lot on my mind, exams begin tomorrow, and I don’t have time for meaningless conversations,” I stated.

I gestured for her to move out of my way. I couldn’t stand being so close to her for long. If I did, she would notice I was not as calm and collected as I presented myself.

“Hold on, no need to be in such a hurry. You’re in my robotics class. With Professor Winston?” She held my wrist, keeping me in place. I leaned against the desk, a feeble attempt to create space between us.

“Yeah, every Tuesday,” I grumbled.

Riri quietly nodded to herself, “Well, if you’re not too busy, maybe we could compare notes? We’re always the top two in class. It’s not common for me to find someone who could keep up” Riri let out a small laugh, but I didn’t find it funny. Keep up. If only she knew how competitive I indeed could be.

“Yeah, sure, you could let go of my wrist now. I’m not going to run away.”

Riri slowly removed her hand from my wrist to pack her things. She led me toward the private study rooms and opened one for us to enter. We both placed our textbooks and notes on the table, sitting beside each other. Riri explained her study methods and reviewed the nonlinear dynamics of robotic manipulations and motion planning with me. Riri made everything sound so simple and easy to comprehend. The way her brain navigated equations and theories left me speechless.

“It’s getting late. I think we should get going before the library closes,” I said. Truthfully, I didn’t want to leave; I wanted to spend more time learning from Riri. But if I didn’t get going now, I would pay for it later when I got up in the morning for our exam.

“Okay, so what’s your form of payment?” she replied.

“Payment?” I almost yelled at her audacity.

“You didn’t think I just offered my services for free, did you?”

“You never mentioned that I would have to give you something in exchange, and I don’t have any cash. Do you accept other forms of payment? I could always repay the favour.”

“I have something else in mind.” Riri places her hands on my bare thighs, toying with the ends of my mini skirt. My breath hitched at the warmth of her presence. I am paralyzed by the realization that Riri wants her to pay with her body. But why?

“I’ve always wanted to do this from the moment you walked in at the beginning of the semester. You’re the last person I would’ve thought to keep me on my toes. Walking around in these mini skirts, crop tops, and revealing clothing. I’ve wondered how you would,” Riri confessed.

Her calloused fingers went further up my thighs until they disappeared under my skirt, almost brushing against the fabric of my panties. Riri’s eyes met mine, seeking permission to continue. She hadn’t even begun, and I already felt lost for words.

“What do you want me to say?” I asked.

“Tell me you don’t want me to go on, and I won’t, but I won’t forget that you owe me a favour,” she said. Truthfully, I didn’t want her to stop. This is the most attention I’ve received from Riri, and I enjoyed every second. I tentatively shook my head before replying.

“I don’t want you to stop.”

Riri swivelled my chair to face her and used both hands to pull me to the end of my chair. My legs were slightly parted when Riri slid my panties off, pooling at my ankles. She didn’t break eye contact when she traced her finger along my pussy.

“Now be a good girl for me and spread your legs,” she demanded. I nodded and obeyed, giving Riri full access to do as she pleased. I kept my bottom lip tucked between my teeth to silence my gasp as she pushed two fingers inside me. Closing my eyes so I could focus on the feeling of her inside me. I rocked my hips back and forth, matching my pace with Riri.

Riri brushed her lips against mine and whispered, “open your eyes. I want you to watch me fucking you.” I was weak to her commands. A knowing smile appeared across Riri’s face, and her eyes shined mischievously. I watched as she lowered her head to lick and suck my inner thighs. Leaving a kiss on my clit before softly flicking her tongue against the sensitive bud.

“Riri, please,” I moaned.

She hummed against my pussy in response, and her fingers beckoned me forward as each thrust became more profound. Riri’s other hand gripped my waist to grind me against her face. My body moved into a fluid rhythm as Riri guided my movements while she fucked me. My eyes rolled back, and my legs began shaking from the sensation. I inhaled sharply before letting out a slight whine. Riri removed her fingers from me and pulled away.

“Baby, you have to stay quiet, or we’re going to get caught”

“I don't care,” I groaned. At this moment, all that mattered was her and I. I craved her presence and the return of her mouth against my skin. I positioned my pussy closer to her face so she could continue, but she didn’t move from her stance, waiting for me to meet her eyes.

“If you make another sound, I will stop, and you won’t cum” she challenged. Her tone was low and aggressive. I shivered at her response and the thought of Riri having such control over my body. I rolled my lips into a firm line. This wasn’t the time to test her. She took my silence as a yes, praising me softly before roughly inserting her fingers in my entrance. Wet noises filled the study room each time she pulled in and out. Riri was no longer gentle, creating endless friction and sending waves of bliss through my body. Each time I got close to cumming, she slowed to make me last longer. It was torturous.

Riri’s tongue traced circles on my inner thighs, teasing me. She wanted to make me squirm, but I refused to give in. When I didn’t let out even a sigh, her lips rubbed against my folds, covering herself with my juices. I felt myself dripping in anticipation. Riri extended her tongue to part my folds, tasting the liquid running down. My walls clenched around her hand. I am frantic with desire and need, fucking her face and fingers on the edge of my seat. She slipped in and out of my pussy with ease.

I felt myself become light-headed and my vision hazy. I was drowning in lust. Riri made me feel intoxicated. Sparks ignited within me, and I knew I was close. Just as she was about to slow down again, losing rhythm as my climax approached. I growled in protest. Before I could register what I had just done, Riri pulled away to stand up.

“get yourself together and put your panties on,” she said.

Riri grabbed my chin, tilting my head up to kiss me. I could taste myself on her lips and the sinful actions that left me out of breath. She seemed reluctant to pull away, as if she were in a daze.

“I don’t think we’re done yet,” I replied.

“oh, I believe we are babe,” Riri claimed.

I shot a glare toward her while I made myself presentable and cleaned the mess we made. The study room looked as if nothing had happened once I was done. After observing my work, I caught Riri staring at me with a grin.

“can I help you?” I playfully asked.

“No, but you can tomorrow after our exams. You were right; I don’t think we are done just yet. I hope you remember all that I taught you,” she winked.

I couldn’t reply before she turned around to leave the room. Fuck I forgot about our exam. All my mind could remember was Riri kneeling before me, her demands still clear.

[okayto]

Mini-Review: Romantic Killer

Living her best single life, romance is the last thing on Anzu’s mind — until a tiny match-making wizard suddenly turns her life into a clichéd romcom.

Came across a trailer for this and then said, "That's either going to be really good, or really bad." My companion agreed and suggested I test it out and let them know whether it was terrible or not.

Anzu Hoshino is a high schooler with no interest in romance, preferring to spend her free time playing games, eating chocolate, and enjoying the presence of her beloved cat, Momohiki. Unfortunately, when she tries a new game one day, it turns out to be crap, used by a magical creature named Riri as a way to introduce Anzu's new life: due to Japan's declining birthrate, the romantically-uninterested Anzu's life is going to be like a dating sim until she falls in love with someone! And if she doesn't? Say goodbye to Momohiki forever.

Anzu's reaction is understandable.

So, back to my initial hesitancy: "you have to fall in love! Heterosexual relationships are the goal" is obviously a really skeevy theme, and when you're a person who is always happy with aromantic and/or asexual representation in fiction (hi, it's me, I'm a person), it can make you leery. And Anzu can definitely be read as aro/ace, but what's interesting is that you don't have to, the setup is patently absurd and knows it's ridiculous regardless of her orientation.

Some mysterious wizard council decided that a 10th grader needed to be in a romantic relationship or risk losing things she loved. It's compulsory heterosexuality: this character could be aro, ace, aro/ace, gay, or even just a ~15-year-old straight girl who currently has no interest in dating or romance. All of those options are viable, completely normal, and drive home how fucked up the concept of "threaten a teenager so she'll eventually get pregnant" is. (To be clear, the show doesn't dwell on anything beyond "you need to be in a romantic relationship," but even there it's clear that the show recognizes this is a ridiculous proposition.)

Anzu is impossible not to like: she's a happy, healthy teen who really likes what she likes (gaming, chocolate, cats), doesn't care much about what others think but isn't a misanthrope, and her reaction to being told "treat your life like a dating sim or never see your cat again" is to swear revenge on the wizard and do everything in her power to avoid engaging with any of the concocted plots, even as they reach cheap-fiction levels of believability, much to her disgust.

Potential love interest has to move in with her because of Reasons? Time to be Unattractive!

And the thing is, because of Anzu's determination to never get anywhere close to a romantic scenario, the people she meets are able to understand she's a safe person to be around--the first guy she meets, for instance is always having girls ask him out or try to get close--and engage with her without having to worry about hidden motives.

Anzu's determination means she is committed to not putting on a facade, which lets her personality and character shine through. Add to that some Riri-concocted scenarios that force Anzu to spend time with other characters in improbable situations, and what you get is a really, really fun and often-humorous story.

The guys themselves also turn out to be good, fun characters. They get introduced to the plot as obvious love interests, but none of them were conjured out of magic and thus they all have their own reasons to continuing to be around Anzu (although the continual magic contrivances of Riri certainly help them keep their exposure up anyway).

The ironic thing is that Riri's terrible game definitely does enrich Anzu and Kazuki's (potential love interest #1) lives, without question: Anzu gains new friends she enjoys spending time with, Kazuki does too, in a way that he's not been able to enjoy with many people before. The other potential love interests' lives are similarly enriched...but it's never because of romance! Really, this show is a good look at the power of friendship and just community in general.

And while Anzu probably would've been fine if the whole thing had never happened--while she was kinda a loner after-school, there's no evidence that she was harming herself or setting up any future problems (which is, obviously, part of what makes the wizards' scenario so stupid)--Kazuki is a different matter. I don't want to say much because of spoilers, but it's clear early on that he's not just a loner because of his personality, but he's lived through some dark experiences that makes him want to stay away from any kind of relationship talk too.

It's great, and while the story wraps up nicely, I would watch so much more.

Please, I am begging the Powers That Be: give us a season 2 where Anzu and the gang go after the wizard council. Friend hijinks and cartoon violence, it's a match made in heaven. Please.

Verdict

English dub? Yes!

Visuals: Shiny and modern! Except for Riri's game, but that's intentionally bad. Anzu's many faces are very funny as well.

Worth watching? Yes. And I would watch another season, even though the story wrapped up fine. Give me more of this lovely friend group of weirdos who love each other.

Where to watch (USA, as of March 2023): Netflix (sub and dub)

Click my “reviews” tag below or search “mini review” on my blog to find more!

[cinnamonsikwate]

we really need to chill with the ramonda and wakanda criticism, please :( like. i'll be the first to admit that k'uk'ulkan and talokan have had me in a chokehold since i first saw the movie, but i'm not gonna sit here and act like they did nothing wrong. let's not lie to ourselves now — k'uk'ulkan wasn't exactly a paragon of diplomacy when he breached wakanda's borders and started making threats and giving ultimatums.

maybe things could have been alleviated if he and riri had actually managed to talk while in talokan (and we could have had a whole different second half of the movie), but they didn't give us that ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

did nakia have to use lethal force on the guards? i would argue that — from the wakandan point of view — yes, actually (as much as that hurts to say 😭). let's review:

ramonda and the rest of wakanda didn't know that shuri had asked to go to talokan, and k'uk'ulkan didn't clarify that when he met with ramonda (when 454 years old with no one to practice your diplomacy skills with you reach, fuck up any alliance you wish to make you certainly will). it looked like a hostage situation and he was acting like a hostage-taker. he said there was nothing she could do or give to him to convince him to give her daughter back, that he'd kill shuri if ramonda tried anything. to ramonda, that might as well have been a declaration of war [edit: as has been pointed out in the replies, he actually does tell ramonda that shuri asked to be taken to talokan, but ramonda doesn't follow up on this, she just asks him what she can offer in exchange for shuri's return.]

okoye had already warned ramonda that the talokanil were pretty much impossible to take out via conventional methods, i.e., stabbing (and okoye was only trying to kill them bc they were trying to off riri); so ofc nakia was going to go in there armed to the teeth as a precaution

one of the guards literally said, "kill the princess!" when nakia showed up and the other one put a knife to shuri's throat. they weren't exactly innocent. they were warriors as much as every other talokanil, and were prepared to fight to protect talokan just as nakia was to protect shuri — by any means necessary

so. ramonda saw k'uk'ulkan and talokan as a very hostile, active threat to her daughter and her nation, and she took measures as she saw fit. were her actions rational? hmm, no, i'd say not. but let's remember once again that this is a woman who has had to deal with so much loss and grief in less than a decade — her husband, her son (several times!), and now, the possibility of losing her daughter as well is looming. we can cut her some slack for putting her heart first for once!

there are underlying themes of familial love, duty, and loyalty in the movie (english translation of love & loyalty by dbn gogo, sino msolo, kamo mphela, young stunna, and busiswa here. themes of protecting family are also in la vida, laayli' kuxa'ano'one, no digas mi nombre, jele, born again, and pantera). shuri and ramonda to each other, to the memories of t'chaka and t'challa, even to nakia, okoye, and m'baku and vice-versa. k'uk'ulkan and fen to each other, k'uk'ulkan to the talokanil and vice-versa.

Okay, it's like they're going behind our backs, hey

Bring them we're not afraid, hey

We are united as a team, hey

They can't see us apart, hey

Find us at the top, we haven't moved, hey

They tried us and got tired, hey

If it's in a hurry they get left behind, hey

All their sins will beat them

You'll never see me betray my own

And my affairs should always be mine

Indeed, I protect my family

I also have to improve my own

this definitely sounds like a wakandan anthem from the point when shuri is taken, but i'd argue that talokan starts feeling the same after the deaths of the guards — and neither of them would be wrong for that. love, duty, and loyalty are powerful driving forces, for better or for worse, with a weight capable of capsizing rationality.

from the very beginning, k'uk'ulkan was not acting rationally either. he operates on a very cut-and-dried, black-and-white worldview: either wakanda is an ally or an enemy, no room for nuance or negotiation. this viewpoint is, as we know, informed by his people's history and his own experiences with the surface world. he takes extremes with wakanda, cornering them against a rock and a hard place — assured destruction either by talokan's hands or the united nations'. he's acting from a place of love and duty, as ramonda is, but on a markedly larger and less palatable (to put it mildly) scale.

ramonda was put in a very difficult position as a mother and a ruler. it's not fair to solely fault her for the guards' deaths, or for talokan flooding wakanda. again, k'uk'ulkan made a terrible first impression, and that pretty much set the tone for everything else that went down afterwards. (though actually, if we're playing the blame game, let's pass the ball to the colonizers, the real villains anyway lmao. if spain hadn't been fucking around with the world in every direction, we wouldn't have to be here.)

so let's please, please put some respect on queen ramonda's name. it especially boggles the mind to see takes blaming her for "ruining" a ship, or for her own death. 🫠 seryoso ba talaga kayo??? 🥲

[dyrewrites]

More dialogue for a thing I can't write yet

Wherein present-day Lucient learns a new word.

->under cut because long<-

“Treasure, I've been reading reviews for that filthy little book of yours—”

“Terrible idea, my love, as I warned.”

“Yes yes but I had to know—”

“What they think of you?”

“Of course.”

“And?”

“There's a lot of this word, and I don't know what it means, and I can't tell if they're using it kindly or…or if it's an insult.”

“...what's the word?”

“Twink.”

Raucous laughter spills from the next room and Deluca bites his own.

Lucient sighs, “So it's an insult then?”

“Yeah, dad,” Oriana calls from the other room, “is it an insult?”

“You're still grounded this month, young lady, want to make it two?”

“Treasure, please, I even tried to look it up and all I've found were small men in smaller clothes. You know I hate being out of the loop…”

“It's a colloquialism for typically young men who are slender, hairless and um…”

“‘Bottoms’, your mind, treasure. Ever open, why did I bother asking! Bottom? Did they read the same book? Which of us had his face buried in a pillow more often? And ditz, that one I know and [SPOILERS] notwithstanding I am no ditz!”

“Is he mad? He sounds mad.”

“That doesn't sound like homework, Oriana!”

“Your centuries old lover just found out he's a twink, dad, I don't think any homework is getting done today.”

“Who said you could leave your room?”

“But he—”

“Back. To. Your. Room.”

“No, no, wait, my love. Don't send her away. Most of these are from those around her age. Riri, darling, tell me the truth…am I what they say?”

“Lucy, you're more of a diva than a twink. I'm sure most are just projecting.”

“Diva I know, so long as it hasn't changed, and I can live with that one. Has it changed?”

“Doubt it. But I wouldn't worry, they clearly wish they were more like you. And who wouldn't? You're fabulous.”

“Oh, flatterer. Treasure you've raised a terrible manipulator.”

“I'm aware. Riri, homework?”

“But I fixed the—fine.”

“You going to be alright, mon amour?”

“Mm, you keep saying such sweet things I will be. You didn't comment though, amore mio.”

“Hm?”

“On what you think…of what they're calling me?”

“I didn't feel it warranted one, my love. I think you're a force, terrifying and beautiful. What does it matter what anyone else thinks?”

“Now I'm fine.”

“I can't send her away, she's grounded.”

“I can be grounded at Laney's!”

“Damn those ears. No you can't!”

Can't she?

She'll know what we're doing now…too quiet.

So? Has fatherhood extinguished that heat of yours, my sweet…warm…thing.

“Be back by midnight, no sleeping over!”

“Thanks, Lucient!”

“Have fun, darling!”

[b3crew]

REVIEW | "Romantic Killer" - Vol. 2 | B3 - Boston Bastard Brigade

Romantic Killer may have come out of nowhere, but it’s easily shot up to one of my most anticipated reads. Its first volume showcased a plethora of jabs and uppercuts at a genre that desperately needs to take a long look in the mirror at itself. (Its Netflix anime adaptation also shines as one of the best in its genre, a rarity for the streamer to pull off!) Volume Two continues to berate poor Anzu, with a great mixture of comedy and heart.

Soon after Kazuki moves in to her abode, Anzu now has to deal with two other possible love interests. The first is the so-called “childhood friend” Junta, whom Anzu has zero recollection of in her life. Koganei, the rich prince of the school, makes up the other new addition, whose attitude riles up Anzu to the point of wanting to punch him. However, no matter what sort of evasions Anzu tries to pull, the asshole imp magical fairy Riri will do all that they can to make some romance happen.

A lot of the charm in Romantic Killer comes from Anzu’s avoidance of anything romantic. Whether it’s a shojo trope or a dating sim choice, the moments that “magically” fall into Anzu’s lap causes her more anguish than anything else. But no matter what she attempts or whichever cat-themed clothes she puts on, Riri will be there to make sure that Anzu goes along with the plan. All of it, of course, makes the veins in Anzu’s head throb more than her heart should.

But it’s when the series goes a more heartfelt route when we see the narrative pivot into something more meaningful. Anzu is there for Kazuki whenever he’s swamped by girls, with his feelings coming off as a mixture of PTSD and claustrophobia. Junta, a star baseball player, legit has feelings for Anzu, who may actually have played some sort of part in the anti-heroine’s past. As for Koganei, for all of his tsundere-like mannerisms, he finds ways to be grateful to Anzu for teaching him how to act like a normal person should.

Click here to read the rest of the review!

[trulyinspiringmovies]

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is extremely impressive with how it dealt with the impossible situation they were given, even if the movie isn’t perfect.

After the death of T’Challa, Shuri is left to grieve while thinking she failed to save her brother. A year later, Wakanda is threatened by the world for its valuable Vibranium. An outside ship attempts to locate Vibranium outside of Wakanda, underneath the seafloor, using a new Vibranium-detecting machine. This causes the kingdom of Talokan to retaliate and destroy the ship as it’s their Vibranium. Wakanda is blamed for the incident, while Namor, king of Talokan, wants to kill the inventor of the Vibranium-detecting machine.

Before I start my review, I want to talk about my thoughts going into this film. I do not envy Ryan Coogler. He was tasked to do the impossible by making a sequel to a cultural juggernaut while having to address the tragic passing of its main lead. I was one of those people who wanted T’Challa to be recast since I felt that there were more stories to tell with him. I understood that recasting T’Challa would’ve created comparisons and might have even sent a message that Chadwick Boseman was replaceable. However, I still felt that in the long run, recasting the character would’ve been beneficial to the MCU as a whole. With that in mind, I hope whoever is reading this has a better idea of the thoughts I had before going into the movie. Although I wanted the character to be recast, Marvel Studios made the hard choice to make T’Challa’s death cannon. That means I’m going to fairly review this movie for what it is rather than what I wanted it to be. This movie is a tribute to Chadwick Boseman and T’Challa. I feel like the funeral scene was touching. It felt just right and was the proper send-off for the character. I will say though, it felt like some choices in the movie went against honoring the character. For starters, at the end of the first “Black Panther” movie, T’Challa sees the errors of not helping the rest of the world with their advanced technology and tries to take a step forward by extending an olive branch. In this movie, it’s shown that the Wakandans didn’t honor T’Challa’s wishes to be a more open nation and still kept the Vibranium all for themselves. It retroactively diluted the impact of his decision in the first movie. I thought Namor was handled pretty well and I actually really like this interpretation of the character. The inclusion of Mesoamerican history in Namor’s backstory is really fitting and makes the character so much more interesting to me. However, his motivations seemed a little off. In some scenes, he wants his people to stay hidden from the world. In other scenes, he basically wanted to take over the world. I feel like they were trying to give Shuri a villain much like T’Challa’s Killmonger, but didn’t quite hit the mark. The rest of the movie felt overstuffed and made the runtime drag a lot for me. I didn’t know going into the movie that it was 2 hours and 41 minutes long. I started to feel the runtime at the halfway point and genuinely thought the final battle was when Namor attacks Wakanda for the first time. I thought Shuri was going to whip up a new Black Panther suit and Riri Williams would whip up a new Ironheart suit and they would both join the final fight. Instead, Namor arbitrarily gives them another week to decide if they’re going to join or fight them. Riri Williams was also a problem for me. She felt like she was needlessly tacked on to promote her upcoming show and that was definitely not needed in a movie like this. She sticks out like a sore thumb and could’ve easily been replaced with a Wakandan scientist. Then it would’ve made more sense that Shuri wanted to protect them. I do have some big praise for the movie. I love how scenes with Chadwick Boseman were silent. They didn’t need emotional music to fan the emotions in the room. They were already there. The silence from the audience that Chadwick Boseman’s presence demanded was genuinely moving. I will also say that Marvel definitely didn’t skimp on the budget this time around. The CGI looked fantastic throughout the whole movie. There was also a fight scene on a bridge that was extremely tense and had me worried for Okoye. Even with all the problems I had with the film, it’s hard to deny that a lot of thought went into this. The post-credit scene also allows fans who wanted a recast to have a happy compromise. All in all, this movie has its heart in the right place. It has a few missteps here and there and it should’ve just focused on a self-contained story. It’s not a perfect movie, but it’s damn impressive what they were able to do with the impossible hand they were dealt.

★★★★

Watched on November 15th, 2022

[thesmolbutknowingclown]

I posted 573 times in 2022

That's 573 more posts than 2021!

26 posts created (5%)

547 posts reblogged (95%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@celestial-citrus

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I tagged 571 of my posts in 2022

#christianitea - 166 posts

#memes - 149 posts

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Longest Tag: 138 characters

#my great grandparents' house in fl was torn down not too long ago and just the other day me and my sister were reminiscing about the rooms

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

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4 notes - Posted October 7, 2022

#4

'Now I make known to you, brothers, the gospel which I proclaimed as good news to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I proclaimed to you as good news, unless you believed for nothing. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep. After that, He appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. ' 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 https://my.bible.com/bible/3345/1CO.15.1-8

4 notes - Posted August 8, 2022

#3

RB and tag this post with the listening personality y'all got on your Spotify Wrapped. I got the Nomad

11 notes - Posted November 30, 2022

#2

Not me getting emotional while reading John 17 and contemplating how much Jesus loves us, no siree :')

13 notes - Posted November 21, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Anzu: *tries to avoid a romantic encounter*

Riri:

22 notes - Posted November 25, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[alltomevibes]

I posted 804 times in 2022

That's 485 more posts than 2021!

55 posts created (7%)

749 posts reblogged (93%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@themoonisasticker

@letmetellyouaboutmyfeels

@amorcitoeddie

@heretherebedork

@connorswhisk

I tagged 100 of my posts in 2022

#alltomevibes - 36 posts

#arithoughts - 14 posts

#ao3 - 14 posts

#ao3fic - 11 posts

#fanfic - 11 posts

#ao3 link - 8 posts

#not beta read - 7 posts

#go ahead - 7 posts

#bl series - 6 posts

#my school president - 5 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#hyungshik came out of the army like im xclusively only doing roles where my character is quietly but obviously in love with his best friend

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

hands down kinn wears the best suits I've ever seen in a drama. close runner up is fang leng (my girlfriend is an alien) and it's only because he's so "charismatic" that he could wear a trash bag and still have me in a chokehold.

28 notes - Posted July 27, 2022

#4

So. where is the SCOY fanfic?? asking for a friend.

42 notes - Posted April 17, 2022

#3

the way I'm obsessed with cha sunghoon,,,, like, mans had my heart since the FIRST episode. really about to write fanfiction for him & young-seo

42 notes - Posted May 27, 2022

#2

attuma/okeye + shuri/namor + namora/riri demons & angels au!

okeye - as one of Heaven's top generals - is sent on a mission to capture one of hell's most calculating and vicious demon (who also happens to be a general) named attuma.

something is happening in the underworld, with more and more demons popping up in random places and shuri (the top angel/ (Michael ig since this is slightly supernatural based ngl)) is TIRED of it. she sends okeye to earth where attuma is rumoured to be.

and.....

okeye finds attuma with a bunch of kids hanging off of him LAUGHING.

okeye has no clue what's going on, but she instantly is on guard. she doesn't attack first - no that's dumb and a way to get yourself killed.

no, she waits until attuma spots her (who saw her the moment she appeared) and throws down a challenge.

"come with me peacefully or come with me unconscious"

attuma - who is one of the most vicious demons for a reason - is annoyed at this uppity angel who's interrupting his peaceful time. he thinks it's going to be nothing to kill her.

he is wrong and they both come out of that battle bruised with no clear winner. and that's when attuma falls in love.

Yada yada, more things happen, attuma keeps flirting with okeye and being respectful and good with kids (of all ages) yet never loses his intensity, he rocks her world, she rocks his, and shuri comes down from heaven because at this point she's going to have to kill attuma herself because something is scarily different with okeye and she's heard stories about attuma, and namor (Lucifer ig) comes up because shuri! is! here! and the whole demons popping up was him trying to court her because she hasn't been off of his mind since three thousand years ago when she could've killed him in a battle but gave him mercy.

and namora? namora hates angels, would kill anyone who tried to ruin her people, but that girl - the smart girl who hangs around attuma and laughs with - at - him like he couldn't kill her with a twitch of his finger - riri Williams who's all human but has amazing weapons because she was raised in the life but she's always been a little twisted. Oh, namora wants to kill her, wants riri's blood underneath her fingernails and then they fight and namora is being blasted with holy water and now she wants riri underneath her for other reasons.

..... Okay I'm done, who wants to write something like this?👀

(main MAIN couple is okeye/attuma tho)

51 notes - Posted December 31, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I was so nervous when I saw keanu trending on Tumblr, my whole world view almost crumbled😭😭

388 notes - Posted December 22, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[arsnovacadenza]

Unwarranted Yaoi Review- Ashita wa Docchi Da!

This is a review of Ashita wa Docchi Da!, a yaoi manga by Kotetsuko Yamamoto (author of Hontou Yajuu).

Summary:

Kirara is seen as a cute and girly boy by others. However, he wants to be a cool and manly guy! So when two tall and cool boys move in nearby, he starts to follow them around to learn how to be manly. As they grow up together, Kirara realizes that his feelings towards the younger brother, Ken, isn't just simple friendship.

I’ve never reviewed yaoi before because I’m highkey giving up on the genre but I do encounter hidden gems every now and then that are worth sharing.

The best thing about these disaster gays is that both the audience AND the author are aware that they're all dumpster fire-levels of disastrous. And they're all framed as such. 

So, while there ARE moments like forceful kissing or sexual encounters with consent issues, be assured that the manga WILL have discourses about them or at least acknowledge that those moments were initiated out of the casts' unskilled (and frankly, downright unhealthy) approaches to relationships.

The manga doesn't excuse their actions because of their inexperience or age, they do shitty stuff because they have shitty mindsets ( which grew from either from shitty past relationships or a shitty environment) that have yet to change. Oh, there IS character development. But until then, all the bad stuff they've inflicted on others, no matter how unintentional, produces negative consequences and impacts them directly.

The best thing of all? Yamamoto-sensei acknowledges that their characters all have personality flaws and frames their unhealthy behaviors as such. All of the leads' flaws factor in their dynamics and conflicts actually arise from them. The conflict building is well-paced and the characters grow organically. 

The mangaka also does a great job utilizing the characters' delinquent tendencies to portray turbulent relationships involving physical power without making the violence too gratuitous.

[shima-draws]

SO I just finished binging all of Romantic Killer bc it came up in my recommended. And oh my god I loved it so much;;

There’s definitely mixed reviews about it WHICH IS FAIR bc the premise is about a girl named Anzu who isn’t interested in romantic relationships but she then gets pushed into typical dating sim situations with Really Cute Boys in an effort to like. Force her into a relationship. And obv this kinda comes off as arophobic. But the fact that she so stubbornly refuses to partake and tries so hard to veer away from those situations makes it so fucking funny, especially when she rejects the boys with faces like this

And it turns out it’s really just a show about found family and overcoming trauma and developing healthy friendships with people and UGH. UGHHH it’s so good.

I actually adore Riri lmao they’re SUCH a little shit and I very much enjoy insanely chaotic characters like that. And we start off thinking okay wow this person’s kind of an asshole for forcing a girl to get a boyfriend by taking away her cat, her favorite hobby and her favorite snack, but then we find out OH, they’re just a cog in a corporate machine and they don’t really have much of a choice about it. And we slowly see Riri actually gain true affection for Anzu, and see how much they come to care about her as a person rather than just as a test subject, to the point of them actually breaking the rules of their contract just to make sure she’s safe. AND NOT JUST HER. They make sure the people she’s associated with are safe too, even if it risks them getting in Big Trouble with their boss. AND the fact that they canonically go by they/them pronouns but can ALSO transform into a boy or a girl depending on their preference, and they playfully flirt with Anzu in both forms?? It’s so good. Also thinking about the effort that Anzu goes through to make sure Riri gets to stick around;; like even tho she’d never admit it. She’s come to care for them too in some very strange way lol

And Junta;; the fact that Anzu is actually so concerned about him possibly being brainwashed into the position of childhood friend? Like she doesn’t immediately push him away or shut him down, she actually cares about him as a person and wants him to find happiness and wants to get him out of the situation she thinks he’s in. But then she finds out oh wait he actually IS a childhood friend. And he’s such a good boy. I love love LOVE how they handle the love triangle aspect in this, because obviously yes there’s a bit of jealousy, but not enough for things to get petty between him and Kazuki. They actually treat each other with respect and regard each other as friends and are kinda rooting for the other in their own way. Kind of “may the best man win” sort of thing. There’s no toxicity, there’s no classic “fighting over the female love interest” trope, they actually genuinely like each other after a bit of awkwardness enough to feel comfortable with living together and living with Anzu. They’re SO fucking sweet god dammit //shakes fists

(Honestly tho I really wish we got more episodes focused on Junta. Bc he really seemed like more of a background character and made the whole “love triangle” aspect not feel as prominent. Which is fine I guess?? But I felt so bad for him lmao)

And Kazuki 😭 My beloved. My poor sweet boy who deserves the world and everything in it. Just the build up. The subtle hints of his trauma that pop up every now and then. And when it all comes together you’re like oh!! Ohhh. THAT’S why he acts so aloof and cold all the time. THAT’S why he doesn’t like being the center of female attention. THAT’S why he gets distressed at things that, at first, seem so insignificant. THAT’S why he got attached to Anzu so quickly. And I love the way they handle his trauma, how they don’t make it seem any less important or alarming just because he’s a guy. And how Anzu’s there for him through everything 🤧 How she’s the person to pull him out of the darkness, how she stands up for him time and time again, how she just KNOWS when he’s uncomfortable and steps in to protect him. She ends up caring about him so much despite how they were set up to encounter initially. And he cares about her so much too. And I just 🥺 I care them

Also the fact how everyone came to help Kazuki when they found out what was going on. No judgement, no “you’re making this up”, no “isn’t this your fault to begin with?” They all just step in without even hesitating and support him through his trauma and immediately go “Okay we’ve got a problem so here’s our gameplan.” SEE. IT’S REALLY ABOUT THE FOUND FAMILY,

And one of my favorite things. Riri 🤝 Hijiri using their influence and power to protect both Anzu and Kazuki despite the risks to their reputation and social standing

OH AND I wanted to mention. I love that all of the classic romantic tropes i.e. something happening to your cute neighbor’s apartment so that they’re forced to live with you while it gets sorted out--those are generally really cheesy and make huge plot holes and don’t make ANY sense in the narrative. But that’s the thing about RK, they make it funny, yeah your cute boy neighbor’s apartment flooded bc we need him to come live with you. We did it with magic. Yes your childhood friend is living with you now bc we had a weirdo break into your apartment--with magic. So now he feels like he needs to stay with you and protect you. Yes you got hit by a car with a really rich boy inside and now he’s interested in you. We also did this with magic. Everything that would be regarded as a “coincidence” and is a badly written plot point just to push two characters together is actually explained through the hilarious concept of magic and I LOVE that it’s so fucking funny

Honestly this show is really up to interpretation too which I like a lot? Some people think hey yeah, maybe Anzu will end up with someone. Others say you know what the message here is that friendship is the most important thing and sometimes platonic relationships are better than romantic ones. The ending is pretty ambiguous so it could really go in any direction.

Anyway I have so much more to say but. Just watch Romantic Killer it’s really good thanks bye

(Trigger warnings include sexual harassment/assault, stalking, panic attacks/PTSD, and attempted murder, so please take care while watching <3)

[annachum]

My Black Panther 2 reviews ( SPOILER ALERT!!)

. OMFG THE FIGHT SCENES THE TECHNOLOGY THE EMOTION AAAAAAAAAHHHH

. REMEMBRANCE OF TCHALLA AUUUGGHHHH MY HEARRRRTTTTTTTT

. So a number of nations will literally do WHATEVER it takes to get vibranium. Uh.....should we be surprised?! ( Maybe, maybe not. Shocked, but not surprised )

. Is it just me or Namor TRIES to become Shuri's sugar daddy/lover/political alliance ( like Julius Caesar x Cleopatra with Caesar being Cleopatra's 1st great love ) and then shit breaks loose and such?!

. Not sure about the whole Namor x Shuri and Riri x Shuri ships but.....we'll see ( personally I think BOTH ships may have a chance )

. ITS LIKE GAME OF THRONES WITH THE WHOLE WAKANDA VS TALOCAN SITUATION

. 11/10 OF A MOVIE. SUPER AWESOME

. THR COSTUMES. AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH

. I would put this movie as the top 3 of my Fave MCU movies ( aside from Infinity War and Endgame )

🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

[artblooger19moon]

Black Panther WAKANDA FOREVER Review

The movie was amazing, I enjoyed it a lot. There was a moment of silence for T’Challa / Chadwick Boseman in the beginning of the movie and a great send off for him. I really enjoyed both the atmosphere of WAKANDA and Talokan, with the origin story of Namor. The other great nations of the world especially United States wants the vibranium of WAKANDA and the ones they found in the ocean.

Namor wants the help of the people of WAKANDA to find the person who built the machine that finds vibranium so the rest of the world can perish. Shuri & Okoye with the help of Everett Ross they go to find the creator of the machine to discover that it’s Riri Williams, a.k.a. the superhero Ironheart wanting to protect her and they get kidnapped by the people of Talokan. Queen Ramonda sends Nakia to go rescue them causing the start of a war between WAKANDA & Takonga.

Namor and his army attack WAKANDA and they kill Queen Ramonda. Shuri now tries to create a synthetic heart shaped herb to gain the Black Panther powers, Riri makes her IronHeart suit and they make a plan to stop Namor & his army. Shuri becomes the new Black Panther. WAKANDA and Talokan go to war against each other. The battle between Namor and Shuri was awesome. Namor yields and She promises him that Wakanda will protect his people from invaders.

There is a mid credit scene that fans will enjoy

I give this movie 10/10

[b3crew]

REVIEW | "Romantic Killer" - Vol. 1 | B3 - Boston Bastard Brigade 

Picture if you would a cozy situation. You’re in your living room surrounded by video games, chocolates, and your beloved cat. Suddenly, you are transported into a magical world, with a little fairy guy there to be your guild. The dream of living in a fantasy world isekai-styled seems to be in grasp. Then suddenly…the complete opposite happens!

Instead of living a fantasy life, the fairy guy tells you that you’re tasked to fall in love with a guy in an alternate version of the real world. On top of that, all of the things you love — video games, chocolates, cat — will be confiscated until you are forced to complete the task. To make it even harder for you to fail, every single shojo manga trope will be thrown right at you! And with video games, chocolate, cat, and even parents gone, your mission to find love begins.

Welcome to the world of Wataru Momose’s Romantic Killer, the shojo hater’s shojo manga!

The manga’s heroine Anzu is the unlucky individual forced to play by the rules of the magical fairy Riri. Despite his cute exterior, Riri is a class-A prick! On top of taking away everything Anzu loves, Riri will throw any situation at Anzu to make sure she gets herself a man! And no matter how hard she tries to avoid these tropes, Anzu just can’t get past an overpowered fairy like Riri.

Tsukasa is the poor schlep that Anzu is forced to start something with. Despite his popularity at school, Tsukasa has no interest in any of the girls clamoring over him. That makes him the perfect guy for Riri to throw at Anzu’s feet. How the stupid fairy does it, well, it’d be wrong for me to spoil the fun. What I can tell you is stuff happens, and Tsukasa winds up living under Anzu’s roof.

Click here to read the rest of the review!

[theaviskullguy]

Ink and Petals

@dapple-dualies-propaganda here's the au

Tattoo artist! Rider x Florist! Goggles

hope you enjoy!

---------

When was it not busy at Squid ink?

It was one of the top Tattoo Parlors in Inkopolis. and it was also on a pretty busy street. So, it got a lot of customers. Also the fact that one of the artists was a famous turfer.

Rider hadn't formerly retired, but he had eased out of playing Turf Wars. He had found other interests outside of the sport: Theater, art, reviewing old movies online... He still did Turf from time to time, albeit the adult league. He was too old for the more popular teen division.

So, he found a job as a tattoo artist. And he rather loved it. Not only did most of his friends consult him for tattoo advice (from where the best places are to good designs), but he also knew some gossip. One of his regulars had beef with her neighbor because he has a pet raccoon who keeps stealing her trash and Rider could NOT wait to hear more about this story.

Another thing was, well, Rider had seen some shit. From people covered head to toe in tats, to people eagerly wanting their first tattoo, even to shyer folk who wanted one to defy controlling parents or to mark something important.

None of that prepared Rider for the news he got when tattooing one of the customers. More specifically, Gloves.

You see, Gloves had been coming in for the past few days. They had wanted a pretty complicated butterfly tat, so for the last 3 days Rider has been exchanging stories with the resident enby about... pretty much anything.

This is how this exchange happened;

"So you remember Goggles, right?" Gloves asked.

Rider rolled his eyes. "What, you think I'd forget the guy who kept pulling down my pants?"

"Oh ha ha. Anyways, apparently he works at that flower shop now."

"...He what?"

"You heard me!" They said. "I went there yesterday to get something for a project and there was Goggles! He misses you, 'ya know!"

Rider was just. quiet. He hadn't talked to his crush in a while, contact dwindled when Rider stopped doing Turf as much. Never once did he think Goggles would miss him, but that was probably the self hatred talking.

"...I'll think about it." Was all Rider said.

The conversation continued like nothing happen; Gloves saying multiple cursed things and Rider sharing interesting stories he heard on his job. Time flew by and soon, the tattoo was done; a butterfly with the bi colors on one wing and the nb colors on the other. Rider was quite proud of it, and Gloves seemed to like it. They waved, and left the store, humming to themselves.

Rider looked at the clock. His shift ended in just a few minutes. He knew he had no other appointments that day, so he took to watching old recorded matches in his phone.

Those were over a decade ago. Yet he still remembered everything. His favorite part was still learning he won a match by such a small margin. It was just... amazing.

He sighed. Rider missed those battles. But he has to say, he missed his crush a bit more.

He clocked out, saying goodbye to the other employee-Cherry (business relationships were easy to maintain when your coworkers were your siblings), and headed towards the flower shop for more reasons than one.

Army had a performance the next day. And yeah, Rider knew it was romantic, but platonically giving your best friend flowers was always nice. Plus, he wanted an excuse to see Goggles again.

He looked into the shop-the blue inkling was nowhere to be seen, but then again neither was the front desk. So, Rider shrugged and stepped in.

The floral scent was strong, but not overwhelming. Plenty of blossoms lined the stands, along with tags of what the flowers were and what they meant.

Rider looked around, trying to remember which flowers Army liked again, when he heard a familiar, youthful voice.

"Hi! Need any help?"

The inkling turned around. Goggles had definitely changed since Rider last saw him; his tentacles were longer and in an actual bun, for once. His blue eyes still had that clarity, and he still had that goofy smile. Though he didn't seem to recognize Rider.

"Uhh... I'll be fine. I'm just trying to remember what flower my friend likes the most." He said, hoping his accent didn't give him away; there weren't many in Inkopolis with an Australian accent.

But, Goggles didn't seem to notice or care. "Oh, okay!"

Rider internally breathed a sigh of relief. That would have been awkward if Goggles recognized him.

He looked around the shop, before spotting a bouquet of lilies. He knew Army liked lilies. If they weren't his favorite flower, it'd be close enough.

Rider took a few of the bigger ones, and a few white roses for variety, and took them to the counter.

Goggles smiled. "This a special occasion?"

"Not exactly. Just, my friend's doing a performance for a musical and I wanted to get him something for it." Rider explained.

"What musical?" Gogs asked, arranging the flowers with a sheer, white ribbon tying them together.

"Hadestown. He got Eurydice."

"Oh! I went to go see it last night! Army's amazing at that role. He's your friend, right?"

Rider internally panicked, but calmed down after remembering he wasn't Army's only friend. "Yeah. We've been friends for a while now."

"Well, tell him I said hi!" He handed the bouquet to Rider. "On me, alright? It's for a friend anyways!"

Rider nodded. "Thanks, mate."

"You're welcome!"

------

A few weeks went by. Rider occasionally stopped at the flower shop and got flowers for...well, no real reason. He'd use them to add color to his house, or give them to friends. He just wanted an excuse to see Goggles.

He'd talked to the blue inkling a bit more, too. He'd gotten into the business since, well, he really liked flowers, and he wanted a job where he could just...relax! He still did Turf, of course, but the Adult league was more serious than the teen one, and he just wanted to have fun instead of be expected to take a game seriously.

He still didn't recognize Rider. The yellow-green inkling was a bit hurt by this, to be honest.

Though, it was a bit startling when Goggles actually walked into Rider's work. And Rider was assigned to give Goggles his first tattoo: A blue jay on his shoulder, taking off from a branch.

This time, it was Goggles' turn to ask questions as Rider worked.

"Sooo.... you've been coming into my shop for a while and I still don't know your name!" The blue inkling stated. "I mean, you can probably recognize me though!"

Rider shrugged. "Well, who can forget Goggles of the Idiot Blue team?"

Goggles giggled. "You do know me! I still don't know you!!"

"...I can assure you, we've met before that day I got Army flowers." Rider said.

"Ooh! Can I try and guess who you are?"

"Ehh, why not."

"Okay! Umm..." Goggles thought for a moment. "Clams facemask?"

Rider shook his head. "Nope."

"Inkfall?"

"Wrong."

"Eging Jr?"

"Not even close there."

"Stealth Goggles?"

"Getting closer, I'll give you that."

"....Rider?" Goggles asked.

Rider chuckled. "Took you long enough, idiot."

Goggles smiled wide. "I finally found you! Hi Riri!"

"Hey, Gogs. It's been a while."

"Yeah! I'm a bit surprised I didn't recognize you, since we were pretty close!" Goggles stated.

Rider shrugged. "Well, I'm not the most memorable person anyways."

"Riderrrrr don't say that!" Goggles said. "You're still really popular!"

"To some people, maybe. Not everyone."

There was a tense silence, other than the hum of the tattoo needle as it made the drawing.

"....So." Goggles started again. "How's life?"

"It's...well, better than it was." Rider said. "Got my own place, for one. Though it gets a bit lonely.. You?"

"I'm still living in an apartment. I really want a roommate!" Goggles proclaimed. "Maybe we could move in together?"

"..I'll think about it, Gogs. Though it might be fun being your roommate."

"Really? Thanks Rider!" Goggled smiled.

The conversation grew more casual. Rider enjoyed it; turns out Goggles had his fair share of gossip. It was kinda cool.

And as the next few days passed, Rider looked forward to each of those sessions. His crush seemed to go from "this person would be fun to date i think" to "hOLY MOTHER OF THE GODS IM IN L O V E", and it didn't help that during those meetings, Goggles had to be shirtless.

The days turned into weeks and months. Goggles moved in with Rider, and the two became incredibly close friends.

And, it came to a head near valentines day. Goggles' shop was very busy, as expected. Luckily, Squid Ink wasn't as much.

So, on his day off, just before Valentines, Rider headed to the flower shop and got a bouquet of roses. Cliché to confess on Valentines day, Rider knew, but he's a pining gay cut him some slack.

And Rider came home right as Goggles was leaving for his shift. So, that left Rider with a good 3 hours to practice his confession.

"Alright, Rider. This has to be CASUAL. 'Hey, I've liked you for over a decade but just now had the confidence to confess!' No, too creepy sounding. 'Yo, Gogs. I really like you and maybe we could go out to dinner sometimes?' ...Too casual."

....Yeah, this went on for a while.

Rider groaned, collapsing his his bed. "I wish feelings were fucking easier...I should just call Army."

So, he grabbed his phone and selected the contact, Veronica Sawyer Kinnie

"C'mon, Army... pick up."

And not one ring later, "Rider, what is it?"

"...I need romantic help. Please." Rider asked.

"Look, just because I'm married to Aloha, doesn't mean I know how I ended up here."

"Yeah, I kinda know that." He stated. "Still. I really need some help."

Army sighed. "Who is it? It's totally that one person with the raccoon story-"

"Actually, no. It's, um.... It's Goggles."

The octoling on the other end of the line could be heard sighing. "Still a morosexual I see."

"OI! You're the one who married a fuckin himbo!"

".....Touché. Still, there's a difference."

Rider huffed. "Just... give me some advice. I wanna confess to him tomorrow but I've got no idea how. I'm giving him roses, but like, there's gotta be something more I could do, y'know?"

"Have you tried asking Prince?" Army suggested. "He is the one with the obsession with rom coms and romance novels."

"This is his exam period, Army. I'm not about to potentially interrupt a cram session by asking for romantic advice!"

"Fair enough. I'd say...well, just rip off the band aid. Like... 'Hey, Goggles, I really like you and was wondering if you'd like to be my boyfriend.'"

"...Thanks, Arm. I'll, uh, give it a try."

-------

Rider couldn't sleep that well. Mainly out of anticipation.

He was gonna confess to his crush of...over a decade, at least. He didn't fuckin know what was gonna happen!

Like, would Goggles reciprocate? Would he hate Rider after it? WHAT THE FUCK WOULD HAPPEN-

He sighed. He needed to get his mind off this shit.

Rider looked over to his bedside clock: 5AM. 5 hours before his shift. 5 hours to get his shit together and plan for confessing to the world's cutest but also dumbest man later that night.

C'mon, Rider. Think. Army said to rip it off like a band aid, but Goggles might find that a little sudden and out of the blue. He could write a letter and leave it for Goggles when he went to his shift (The flower shop was closed on Valentines day). That would be a safe option.

Rider sat up, and got out a piece of paper and pencil, writing a note.

"Hey, Goggles.

There's something I've been wanting to tell you for a while. I really, really like you. As in, a crush.

I totally get it if you don't like me back, or think I'm weird, but hey, I was wondering if you'd wanna go out to dinner or something. Probably not tonight cause of Valentine's day but maybe tomorrow night or something.

-Rider"

Quickly, he folded it and wrote Goggles' name, putting a little heart sticker on it. It was corny, but hey, Rider had to use up those stickers somehow.

Rider attached it to the roses, and kept it on his desk.

And so, the morning went as normal. He had breakfast, got out of his pjs, put his hair up... the usual.

But as Rider left to go to work, he left the note and rose on the table, and left the house quickly.

During the day, he nearly forgotten all about it; He caught up with the gossip-Apparently the neighbor with the raccoon and the regular were now dating. So that was a nice little end to the story.

Squid Ink wasn't AS busy-probably because it was Valentines day, people were spending it with their lovers, not getting inked up (unless they made the appointment when single)

And it was near the end of Rider's shift when he heard his name mentioned. Probably someone making an appointment before he heard the familiar voice of Goggles going "Okay!!"

The blue inkling walked over to his station. "Hi Ridey!!"

"...Hey, Gogs. Getting another tat?" Rider asked, trying to keep his cool.

Goggles nodded. "Yeah!!!"

"A'ight anything specific in mind or-"

"Can I get just a simple quote one?"

Rider nodded. "Where do you want it?"

Goggles pulled down the collar of his shirt slightly. "Right here, please!"

"Okay. Just try to keep holding that down so I don't mess up.

-----

And so, tattoo conversations ensued.

The quote Goggles had wanted was a simple Pride one, that said "love is love". It was discreet, but a bit of it could be seen poking out if Goggles ever wore a v-neck.

"So, any plans for tonight?" Rider asked, trying to keep things subtle. Maybe Goggles hadn't read the note yet.

The blue inkling nodded. "Kinda! I had mental plans buuuuut nothing serious."

Rider raised an eyebrow. "Who with?"

"..I m-mean, I still have to ask him.." Goggles' face turned a shade of blue, and he averted his gaze.

"....Can I guess who he is?"

"If ya can!"

He smiled. "Does his name have an R in it?" Rider had a guess it was himself, but it wouldn't hurt to check.

Goggles nodded. "Yeah!"

"Got an accent?"

"Yep!!"

"Is he doing your tattoo?"

"....y-yeah?" Goggles sheepishly smiled. "I'm n-not that discreet, am I?"

Rider chuckled, but on the inside he was screeching. "Honestly? I had no clue myself."

"Really? I've been dropping the most obvious hints!"

"...Like what?" Rider asked, now a bit curious.

"Welllll I've been picking movies you like during movie night, I've made sure to get your drink on coffee runs, Oh! And I offered to cook dinner that one time!" Goggles stated.

"...Damn. I'm just oblivious then." The former dynamo user laughed, before turning off the needle. "There. It's all done." Rider held up a mirror for the blue boy.

Goggles' face lit up. "Whoa! It looks amazing!!! Thanks Riri!"

Rider smiled. "You're welcome. Now, uh, ...did you read my note?"

"..Y-yeah, I did. And, um...I like you too Rider!!" The blue man pressed a small, quick kiss to Rider's cheek.

Rider blushed. "S-so, you'll let me t-take you out?"

Goggles nodded. "Yeah!!!"

"I...thanks, Gogs."

"You're welcome Riri!!!"

----------

aAAAAA RUSHED END

but like. hope yall enjoy!

[hugheshugs]

Hi-another curly haired girl here…I use Cantu brand products and it works well with my hair (I got mine at Walmart). Not sure if you’ve tried that brand before.

hihi nommie !!

i havent tried it but i've heard of it and i've also heard some mixed reviews so im glad it works for you :)) i just bought like a honey & yogurt protein powder treatment.. idk why i did that— i saw it online but im reading the package for real now and 🥴 im hoping its like a leave in curl treatment?? its by shea moisture (which i've also heard mixed reviews abt)

- riri <3

[taffystake]

Ironheart #5 Review

Written by: Eve L. Ewing

Art by: Luciano Vecchio

Colors by: Matt Milla

So here we are. The end of Riri’s first story arc as Ironheart. And I am really enjoying the way Eve Ewing is going with this. But will that hold out after this issue? Spoiler: yes. But lets pretend I left that hook and keep on going.

After a quick little overview of Chicago, we arrive at Riri’s garage, the morning after her tussle with Midnight’s Fire where he tried to make her part of the Ten Rings. And while she exchanges some banter with her friend, Xavier, where he tries to get it through her head that she doesn’t need to do everything alone, she gets distracted. She kinda sorta bugged her friend who was kidnapped and started this whole storyline, and it looks like she is going somewhere weird. One invisible flight through the city after Daija and Riri finds herself at the location where all these thieving kids have been going back to.

Busting onto the scene, Riri finds Daija holding a gun on a City Councillor that is running for Governor. He’s been having the devices stolen so he would ahve secrets to sell and a crime wave to campaign against as he is using people he considers “barely kids”, but are already criminals. Snatching Daija’s gun and holding her hostage, mister Councillor taunts Riri for not being a real superhero because doesn’t have powers. Riri responds by spraying him with iron filing-filled jelly and turning him into an electromagnet, trapping him in and against some steel shelving. However, this is when mister Councillor’s mercernary, Midnight’s Fire, appears on the scene to hgelp out his employer.

Repulsor blasting a hole in the wall to get all the kids and Daija out, Riri is soon springing into action against Midnight’s Fire. And while he is still much quicker and flexible than she is, Riri manages to snare him when he leaps into the air after her and blasts him unconscious as he drags them both to the ground. Stuffing mister super ninja in a nearby vault, Riri is soon explaining things to now arriving cops and opens the vault back up to show.....no Midnight’s Fire and just a symbol burned in the back wall. Thankfully, Riri isn’t stupid and has video of the whole thing from her suit.

And then....Daija and Riri wait while the few parents that can pick up their kids, eventually reaching the point where they only have a few kids who live in shelters and whose parents work night shifts. Which is when they do their best to get the kids home themselves, since the numbers are manageable enough for two or three teens to keep watch and take home. A few days later, mister Councilman is arrested due to an anonymous tip and Riri is quick to get out of her house, as she has a lab to go to. Except its not her lab over in M.I.T. but a building she has in Chicago now (Apparently, audio recorders with gps that fit in shoes make a killing as a patent. Never woulda guessed). And she has a few new workers for her secret base: the last five kids that her and Daija personally took home. And she has the place open to them if they need a safe place.

So Riri and her AI get things going well at the new lab when the AI urgently reminds Riri of an appointment she has. And our comic ends as we see Riri and her mother, talking in a church basement with a few other people, as part of a family gun violence support group.

Now, the art. Oh my god, the art. If you want someone to keep an eye out for on comics you want for the art, look for Luciano Vecchio. The character model work, the comic paneling, the motion work, the expressions, the detail work for the little displays Riri produces, it is all just to die for. Hell, best example of the dude’s work is the Midnight’s Fire fight. Midnight’s Fire moves stupid fast, so it is literally shown as him having a few afterimages left behind him to show what he did before he reached his current position. Just...stuff like that. Its amazing.

And overall, this was the way to really get Riri Williams to shine on her own, as her own hero. While I’m okay with the Bendis run that established her, these five issues have done more to establish Riri as a character in my mind with her own vibrant personality than all of the previous issues with her as Iron Man. And it does it all with this little flair, this respect for the roots she was given, and it just makes it so enjoyable to read. If you can, please check this comic out. The entire first issue is a microcosm of this run so far for how cool it is and it will sell you on it all. Trust me.