#shipping I guess? Maybe? I don't fucking know dude.

[a-dauntless-daffodil]

duties of the local hotel manager lesbian, plus one very desperate snake man

Sir Pentious: "PLEAAASSSSSE!!!"

Vaggie: "Ugh.” (reading clipboard) “Not now."

Sir Pentious: "PLEASSSE HELP ME!"

Vaggie: "I'm busy."

Sir Pentious: "PLEASSSSe? I will do anything! I, ah, I will do ALL the THINGSSS!!"

Vaggie: "I'm not giving you dance lessons! Do you know what my job here is?"

Sir Pentious: "YES! You are the expert in the loving of women!!"

Vaggie: "I'm hotel manager, and it's one woman singular-"

Vaggie: "Hostia! Let go!"

Sir Pentious: (clinging to her ankles) "I AM BEGGING YOU!"

Vaggie: "And what did I just say? No!"

Sir Pentious: "Help me, purple female! You're my only hope!!"

Vaggie: "Stop calling me that." (starts walks)

Sir Pentious: (still clinging) (getting dragging) "Forgive me! I will call you anything you want, anything you desssire!"

Vaggie: (glaring) (dragging him) "How 'bout my name."

Sir Pentious: "Your... name??"

Vaggie: "That thing I have that no one other than Charlie ever bothers to use-"

Vaggie: -just like the fucking hotel doormat."

Vaggie: "Alright WHO TRACKED BLOOD AND GUTS IN HERE AGAIN!?"

Charlie: (distant) "Not it!"

Sir Pentious: "I'm alssso innocssssent!"

Vaggie: (at charlie)"I know it wasn't you, sweetie! You like the brushy sound the mat makes too much NOT to use it." (at pentious) "And no shit it wasn't you, Pentious. You don't have legs."

Sir Pentious: "And I alwaysss wipe my tail!"

Charlie: "Speaking of wiping, can we add some more disinfectant to the shopping list? I think I'm about to use all ours up..."

Vaggie: "Sure thing. Use it up on what though?"

Charlie: "We-lll..."

Angel Dust: "Hey don't look at me like that, Cheery'O! Not my fault ya walked in without knocking first!"

Charlie: "Angel." (deep breath) "The library is a common area..."

Angel Dust: "Any common area can be a CUMming area if ya jerk at it hard enough~"

Charlie: "VAGGIEEEE! Disinfectant?!"

Vaggie: "On it." (scribbling on clipboard) "No problem."

Sir Pentious: "SSORDID SSSALASCIOUSS SPIDER! Sssee? Aren't I a better guessst than he isss? Perhapss dessserving of one, ssssmall favor?? I do not befoul the hotel with my bedroom bodily fluidsss!"

Vaggie: "No, you just keep blowing holes in it."

Angel Dust: "Ohhhh! Blowing!"

Sir Pentious: "Aha! Not thiss week I haven't!!!"

Charlie: "Angel, not that I don't appreciate the help but, could you maybe not lounge right on the shelf I'm trying to look through-?"

Vaggie: "Really? No major property damage in seven whole days?"

Angel Dust: "I'm finding the perfect book for ya, Charlie chip. Here, look!"

Sir Pentious: "Oh ah, welll, there might be a sssmall hole sssomewhere.."

Charlie: "...you know Moby Dick is about a whale, right?"

Vaggie: "I guess it's still improvement."

Angel Dust: "And gaaaaaay shit yeah."

Charlie: "I'm kinda looking for a bedtime story..."

Sir Pentious: "Improvement yes exsssactly! Jussst has my DANSSCING could be improved!"

Angel Dust: "Two dudes share a bed an' everything in this and ya share one with Vaggity Fair. Perfect fit, I tell ya."

Vaggie: (groaning) "Not this again...."

Charlie: "...I guess.. she does like nautical things like ships..."

Charlie: ".. hey why are some pages stuck together OH ANGEL DUST EW!"

Angel Dust: "That's a five star review right there ain't it?"

Charlie: "I mean I GUESS so but UGH!"

Vaggie: "Charlie? Content warning for the book- the whale kills Ahab at the end."

Charlie: "He WHAT!? No!"

(thump)

Charlie: "BUT- but they're FRIENDS! BESTIES!"

Vaggie: "Not when your dad isn't reading the story sweetie, sorry."

Charlie: "Nooooooo...!"

Angel Dust: "Eh, nothin' some porn without plot fic can't fix. You can be the whale mermaid, V Gal can be the broody crazy ship captain, an' by the third paragraph someone's getting harpooned reeeeeal good and deeep-"

Charlie: "Stop helping me, please."

Angel Dust: "Nah. I'm too booored. Ya place is booooring, Charlie chip."

Sir Pentious: "I disssagreee! WHOLEHEARTEDLY!"

Charlie: "Thanks, Pen!"

Sir Pentious: "YOU ARE MOSSST WELCOME!"

Sir Pentious: (stares up at vaggie hopefully) (tail wagging)

Vaggie: "Pentious...." (sigh)

Vaggie: "Look. How the fuck do you even expect me to teach you dancing stuff when all you have is a tail? Do I look like I know how to do tail dances?"

Sir Pentious: "I DO NOT KNOW! I have no expertissssse in dancssssing! That issss why I sssso dessssperately require your help, oh wissssse and fearful hotel manager!!"

Vaggie: "Still not my name."

Sir Pentious: "PLEEEEEEEEESE-"

Vaggie: "Hold that thought. TO THE OTHER NON-CHARLIE IDIOTS LIVING HERE! Why won't you use the fucking doormat? What the fuck kind of first impression are you trying to make the hotel have!?"

Husk: (slumped over bar) "If we were aiming for a fucking honest impression, we'd need more blood and shit in this place."

Niffty: "Ooooh~" (puts two bugs and some ice in cocktail shaker and shakes) "Blooood."

Husk: "Case in fucking point you little creep."

Niffty: (GIGGLES)

Sir Pentious: "I! I think thisss isss a fine and upssstanding essstablissshment!!"

Husk: "Then you're a dumbass."

Sir Pentious: (HISS) "Ssslander! I DO NOT EVEN HAVE AN ASSSS!"

Vaggie: "Ignore him. Go back to sleeping off the hangover, Husk. You're still shit company right now."

Husk: (grumbles) (curls up under wing)

Niffty: (drapes washcloth over him and pulls out needle) "Blooood..?"

Vaggie: "No Niffty, whoever did this should deal with it this time. You go, uhhh- go catch and juice some more cockroaches or something-"

Angel Dust: "DID YA SAY JUICY COCK-"

Vaggie: "ROACHES YOU MORON! Bugs! Small unsexy creepy crawlies! And so help me you'd BETTER be unsexily helping Charlie decontaminate the library or I sWEAR-!"

Vaggie: "Wait I know those stupid dancing shoe tracks- maldita sea-!"

Vaggie: "ALASTOR!"

Alastor: (oozing from shadows) "Yeeees~?"

Vaggie: "These your shoe marks?"

Alastor: "Indeed they are! And I am TOUCHED you know me so well!"

Vaggie: "Wipe your feet next time. Or do I need to grab you by the scruff of your neck and rub your face in the mess you've made?"

Alastor: "Oh that won't be necessary my dear, even if you WERE capable of it!"

Vaggie: "So you know how to use a doormat?"

Alastor: "Of course~ I am QUITE skilled-"

Vaggie: "Great. Then wipe your feet."

Alastor: "..Now?"

Vaggie: "Now."

Alastor: "......"

Sir Pentious: (tugging at his pants leg) "Do asss sssshe ssasys, pleasse! I need her in a good mood!"

Alastor: "Hm..."

Alastor: (steps out of each and onto the mat) (whips shoes)

Alastor: "Satisfied?"

Vaggie: "Getting there. Now clean up your mess before Niffty has to."

Alastor: "Oh I wouldn't want to DEPRIVE her! All that fresh blood and viscera? You know how much she adores-"

Vaggie: "Then she can go out and clean the streets of hell in her free time for all I care but in this hotel she is not gonna waste her time picking up after you just because you can't be bothered to show her, or the HOTEL, a little fucking respect. You clean this up. Got it?"

Alastor: "You know, my dear." (shadows looming) "I'm not entirely certain you yourself 'get' wHo you ArE tALkINg TO....."

Sir Pentious: "AHHH!" (cowers behind vaggie) "SSSAVE ME MOTH WOMAN!"

Vaggie: (at alastor) "Ohh. Terrifying."

Vaggie: (at pentious) "Also not my name."

Vaggie: (at charlie) "Charlie!"

Charlie: (distracted) "Listen to Vaggie, Alastor! She's hotel manager for a reason- Oh EW what oh shit-"

(cRASH)

Vaggie: "Babe?"

Charlie: "I'm okay, I'm fine!!! We didn't need that glass cabinet anyway, not after what Angel Dust did all over it yesterday!"

Angel Dust: "SIX TIMES bab-y!"

Vaggie: "I don't want to know." (points at alastor) "You heard her."

Alastor: "I.. did."

Vaggie: "Then get cleaning."

Alastor: (sweeping bow as shadows start cleaning) "My pleasure my dear! Anything to stave off the inevitable FAILURE of this quaint little venture and so prolong your DAILY SUFFERING~"

Vaggie: (checking clipboard) "Uh-huh whatever."

Vaggie: (heads for door) (stops)

Vaggie: "Pentious. Let. GO."

Sir Pentious: "But-! Danssscing???"

Vaggie: "No."

Sir Pentious: (wailing) "Mercy, spear wielder! Take pity on meeeee!!!!!"

Vaggie: "Spear wielder? Seriously? Are you allergic to my name?"

Sir Pentious: "H-how could anyone be have an adverssse reaction to ssssomething sssso marvelousss ass-"

Vaggie: (crosses arms) "Then say it."

Sir Pentious: "Errr..... it???"

Vaggie: "My name."

Sir Pentious: "Oh! OH YESSS your NAME of coursssse!! Which issss lovely, but ah. Ah- that would be too- it would be too INFORMAL! Yesss! I am not worthy!"

Vaggie: "You don't know what my name is do you."

Sir Pentious: "I DO!!! Obviousssly!!"

Vaggie: "Then say it."

Sir Pentious: "Um..."

Vaggie: "Say my name, one time, and I'll pencil you in later for dancing tips."

Sir Pentious: "......that'ssss very.. generoussss... yesss, thank you...."

Sir Pentious: "...Erm...."

Sir Pentious: "....Miss... Morningsstar'ssss mate?"

Husk: (SNORTS)

Alastor: "Well I DO suppose that one COULD say~"

Vaggie: "I'm leaving." (pries pentious off) "Don't follow me."

Sir Pentious: "AH NO! NO I KNOW IT!!! Your name isss- VAGELISS!"

Vaggie: "Charlie? I'm heading out now, okay babe?"

Sir Pentious: "V- VIGILANTY???"

Charlie: "Okay! Love you, kissing you, missing you already! Be safe!!"

Sir Pentious: "VIRGINA! No ah, no wait-"

Vaggie: (blows kiss in charlie's direction) "Love you too sweetie~"

Sir Pentious: "You are VIRGINITY!!!!"

Husk: "HA."

Angel Dust: "Is she?!"

Charlie: "Noooope!"

Vaggie: "My name's a lot less ironic than that. Life didn't shit on me that hard." (heading out the door)

Sir Pentious: "NooooOOOOO!" (wiggling after her)

Sir Pentious: "Sssweet lesssbian, ssspare me! I would be on my kneesss if I had any! SSCION OF SSSSSAPPHO I IMPORE YOU- APHRODITE HASSS SSSTRIKEN ME WITH LONGING FOR A PYROTECHNIC HAZZZARD!!!!"

Vaggie: (stops)

A bug: (scurries by frantically) (pursued by cackling niffy)

Vaggie: "...you know Sappho's stuff?"

Sir Pentious: "Yesss? Ssshe isss, one of the greatessst loversss of women in hissstory! Asss a fellow lover of women, I admire her greatly!!"

Charlie: "Oh my dad- my dad and mom did to!!! Neat!"

Vaggie: "Hmm. I... guess..."

Sir Pentious: (eyes huge) "You, guesssss..?"

Vaggie: "Fine. I'll trade help with the shopping bags for a couple of dance lessons tonight. Fair?"

Sir Pentious: "Yess? YESSS! Mossst fair!" (claps hands) "MINIONS-!"

Vaggie: "No minions. You want the lessons you carry the bags."

Sir Pentious: "Ma'am!" (salutes) "My noodlessssque armsss are at your sssservissce!"

Vaggie: "I guess they're also gonna be what we mainly focus on in dancing."

Sir Pentious: "Oh- isss the bag carrying, for practicess then??"

Vaggie: (flexing shoulders) (wincing) "Uh, sure."

Sir Pentious: "P-practicesss for dipping my dansssce partner, or for getting dipped???"

Vaggie: "Whatever floats your boat. Ship. Whatever."

Sir Pentious: "Then I sssshall do my besst! Anything for HER!!"

Vaggie: "That's the woman-loving spirit."

Sir Pentious: "Ssssweet victory ssshall be mine at lassst! By the way, what ISSS your name?"

Vaggie: "You were close. It's very gay."

Sir Pentious: "You are miss Very Gay???"

Vaggie: "These days? Yeah. I sure am."

[mm-slashing-boy]

Day two of watching Arcane. I'm not sure how many episodes I'll be watching, maybe the whole rest of the first season. We'll see.

⚠️⚠️ SPOILERS FOR THE REST OF SEASON ONE BELOW ⚠️⚠️

Episode four, season one, Happy Progress Day! Oh, my lord. Bro, I feel so bad for Viktor. Like, I know he wasn't trying to take the credit since it was Jayce who discovered it, but imagine being one of the founding fathers of an innovative piece of technology, and nobody ever knew. All they knew about was your partner. DID HEIMERDINGER NOT SAY ANYTHING?? WHAT THE FUCK, THAT WAS YOUR ASSISTANT, DUDE. And, Jinx... Girl, what in the hell? Girl, you're better than this. C'mon.

Update pt. 2; Episode five, season one, Everybody Wants to Be My Enemy. VIKTOR, MY LOVE, MY LITTLE GENIUS. YOU MUST LIVE. DON'T YOU DARE DIE SO EARLY ON. Was very disappointed by the pseudo sex scene that went on between Jayce and Mel. JAYVIK SUPREMACY!! ✊✊ Kinda funny, though, how that scene was going on and constantly shifted to Viktor being angry. Again, I know this was probably done to show a difference in energy between but, like... How do you not see the gay annotations behind that?? Also, Vi and Caitlyn.. Very, very cute. Love to see it. AND IMAGINE DRAGONS LITERALLY GETTING THEIR OWN Arcane OCS IN THE SHOW?? They're my favorite band, and I love that for them.

Update pt. 3; Episode six, season one, When These Walls Come Tumbling Down. "He's like my brother," JAYCE, YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP. THAT IS YOUR LOVER, NOT YOUR BROTHER FROM ANOTHER MOTHER (/hj). Only a few episodes in and they're trying to kill off my OTP. I know they're doing it on purpose because of the one person who hates the ship, but COME ON. LET THEM BREATHE AND BE GAY. Okay, but, real talk? BABY VIKTOR IS SO FUCKING CUTE. HE'S JUST A LITTLE GUY, OH, MY GOD. I normally don't feel (platonic) affection towards child versions of my favorite characters, BUT VIKTOR IS THE EXCEPTION. Jinx got some reflecting to do methinks. AND THEY TOOK VI?? WHAT ABOUT CAITLYN?? HELL NO, BRO.

Update pt. 4; Episode seven, season one, The Boy Savior. VIKTOR, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING, MAN?? DON'T END UP LIKE RIO. Man, oh, man, oh, man. Please, save my mans. Jayce, save your mans. GODDAMN. Ekko looks sick as hell. Love the design choice. And the whole fight he had with Jinx was great.

Update pt. 5; Episode eight, season one, Oil and Water. Caitlyn and Vi had their break-up scene already?? They'll make up, I'm sure of it (let me believe, guys—). VIKTOR, I SWEAR TO GOD, WHAT DID I JUST SAY?? DO 👏 NOT 👏 END 👏 UP 👏 LIKE 👏 RIO. Yes, you can walk and run again, and it's very beautiful, BUT YOU JUST BLEW UP SKY BY ACCIDENT. MAN, WHAT THE FUCK?? Also, Jayce is so hot when he's angry and swinging that hammer around. 🤭🤭 And you gotta cut that creepy shit out, Jinx. People will think you're a pervert. She got the iconic purple eyes now, though!

Update pt. 6; Episode nine, season one, The Monster You Created. This will be the final update for the day. Y'ALL, MY HEART IS FUCKING POUNDING. JINX, DON'T YOU DARE KILL MY VIKTOR AND JAYCE. MY JAYVIK. LET THEM LIVE. I did not expect to cry when Silco died, honestly, but I suppose he grew on me just a little. He was an enjoyable character. The whole "glow in the dark" fight sequence was really cool. I always love when that's done in animations. GUESS I GOTTA WAIT TO START SEASON TWO, THOUGH. FUCK.

[jackabbot]

Mel and Langdon for the ship game?

aww hi v <333

oh, now this one is a tough one. i love their dynamic in any flavours it comes and i definitely see the appeal, but ultimately i'm on the fence to how to answer this lmao

i would say this is one of my casual ships, where i ship it, but not hard enough to do anything about it if that makes sense lmao

1. What made you ship it?

listen. listennn. you don't just give me this human form of a sunbeam and then let her crawl into the heart of this sarcastic impulsive ADHD workaholic drug addict and then expect me to to just go "yeah nah that doesn't sound plausible" lmao

i'm sorry, but the way Frank hadn't just had a room but an entire mansion decorated for Mel in his heart within mere hours of knowing her? are you kidding me??

2. What are your favorite things about the ship?

i guess this is my favourite thing about the show as a whole too, but the way the characters are so goddamn layered gives so much space to play with them and with these two especially because wow.

like, Mel imprinted on Frank so hard, he disappeared for an hour and her entire posture changed!! and on the other end of the equation, Frank has been looking across rooms to make sure he knew where and in what state Mel was at all times, she only had to prove him once that she's up for it and Frank was praising her, openinly showing nothing but awe and care for her and just their physical closeness and how comfortable they are with each other speaks louder than anything i could say here tbh

3. Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

apparently some people think shipping people who are married to another character is somehow treacherous and wRoNg and i'm here to say: it fucking isn't. it's fake. they are barbie dolls. everyone can play with them however they'd like. and more specifically, dude, Frank's wife deserves a break from him 😭

also, no idea if this is unpopular, but i loved Taylor saying that she thinks Mel is asexual, cuz i think it adds another layer to this ship that could be so worth of exploring if people weren't so afraid.

okay, so maybe i'm not that casual about them after all, what of it.

ask me about ships

[daemonizm]

Call me old-fashioned, but I'm firmly convinced the way HOTD actors service their fans is cringe and unprofessional (at least as it comes to ships). To start with, the season 2 press campaign was a veritable feast of queerbaiting and queerphishing. Then, after first 2 episodes aired and everybody saw Alicole jumpscares, O/ivia started to gush over A/icent's "delicious Catholic guilt" which sounded quite icky, to put it mildly. Then she reposted a nsfwi-ish fan art of Rh*enicent's dungeon sex on her Instagram story. Maybe I'm no fun, but I'd be weirded the fuck out id my coworker posted an x-rated picture , featuring fictional characters looking like themselves and me. I bet if O/ivia was a dude, people would have deemed him a creep. But she's a "sex symbol and LGBT+ ally"in question, so if you're grossed out, you're a misogynistic pos and a homophobe. Then there is E*an saying he's a fan of helaemond. In that interview, he wasn't even asked about it! When Ph!a and he were paired together for press, they were basically pulling an E*ma and O/ivia, interacting, grabbing each other's hands and touching each other. I admit they have much better chemistry than E*ma and O/ivia, but what's the point of giving so much attention to a ship that's never gonna become canon (I guess)? Then there is G*yle and her disgusting Instagram story in which she reposted an a/ysmond's fan comment, which was literally like "If they follow the books, she'll be going down on Aemond" with a "biting lip" emoji. Cringe as fuck and yet again, creepy and unprofessional. Worst of all, they're officially using the first two non-canon ships to promote the show, and Daemyra - a canon and main ship- is being sidelined for the sake of R*aenicent (both in press and the show itself). Baela's relationship with Jace is barely there as well, although this tragic romance which has just developing , has so much potential! Even Jace's friendship with Cregan was cut, even if it's pretty important relationship in the book and Starks are loved by the fandom. And Rhaenys and Corlys -yet another canon marriage, is done dirty, although the actors have phenomenal chemistry. I just want to hope they're not turning the A/ys & Aemond story into a beautiful romance. 🤡

Well... double-edged sword hit hotd. Hiring unknown actors has its positives, but as the hotd actors showed, it also has its negatives. Bc they can be completely unprofessional people. And in the series case is not helped by the fact that its showrunners are like amateurs themselves.

Ryan and Hess are like kids. They don't listen to others, they think they know best and on top of that their plans for the series are shifted waveringly all the time. And biased af.

Like you said, actors have cringe and problematics behavior but no one from PR tells them what they are allowed to do and what they are not.

But as for people's reactions to the actors' behavior...people these days are hypocrites who recognize only one correct path to being progressive. Incidentally, in their dictionary progressive = good person. When you disagree with their views (even they don't identify with it, but they have to pretend) you are immediately identified with misogyny, homophobia, racism, etc.

Olivia, a pretty woman in her 30s can do no wrong because that is the current narrative of society. And most importantly people are biased. It's the same with Emma. A non-binary person, even if they show time and time again that they are unprofessional and push their views. You can't criticize them for that bc they are part of lgbt community. This is insane. People should consider whether they are really going in the right direction with this behavior.

Starks, Baela, Jace, Rhaenys and Corlys are victims of what I mentioned above. Victims of biased showrunners. They had cut screen time but there was time for swimming Alicent. Make that make sense. Hotd is no longer about the civil war that destroyed the Targaryens but about two ex-bestfriend/ex-lovers( because that's what they're trying to push on us) and family( Hightowers) who had the misfortune of marrying into a terrible family (Targaryen). Poor team green!

"I just want to hope they're not turning the Alys & Aemond story into a beautiful romance"

Better not get your hopes up. If the actors want it and Ryan and Hess think it will benefit the poor greens then of course it will happen..

No rational person is working on this series.

PS. please excuse my English, I used a translator to help write this 🫣🙏🏻

[mystra-midnight]

Hello again miss Ash!!!

I DID have a different idea, but the 'Lamington' looks like too much fun 😂 so I guess here's an incredibly flattering self description, if it's not too muc trouble of course!!!! And again, I'll never stop saying how good your stuff is!!!! 😘

Let's see...🤔

I'd say I'm incredibly stubborn with a bit of an aggressive personality diametrically opposed to my emotional reservedness and shyness when first met, I have a dark sense of humor and I'm very petty. I can be a touch arrogant but deep down I care about others. I'm very giving and protective of my friends. I can be a bit prickly and have been referred to as moody 😅 [hope that's thorough 😂]

As for fandoms, I like both Supernatural, The Witcher and the X-Men, with no particular preference. I genuinely look forward to what your beautiful mind decides!!!

Vicky, my love, my life, my soul, thank you so so much for your support! And thank you for joining in the celebration; I cannot express to you how much it means to me. <3 <3 <3

I hope you enjoy this sweet treat! Also, tagging your new blog <3 @melpomenes-garden

I ship you with . . . Logan Howlett!

Logan is a man who isn't black and white but shades of grey, yet there can be no mistaking him. He doesn't speak for small talk but to get to the point.

Some people think he's aggressive, and maybe he is, but he doesn't really give a shit. He is who he is --- you know how that saying goes, old dog, new tricks.

He isn't afraid to butt heads with you --- in fact, he'd absolutely give you a run for your money when it comes to stubbornness and aggression. The man is a menace.

"Again," you snapped, chest heaving with heavy pants as you glared at him. Logan was smiling at you, no, not smiling — fucking grinning. God, you wanted to smack that smug expression off his perfect face.

"What's the matter, bub? You tired already?" He taunted, his voice a low rumble, casual like you were sitting at a bar flirting instead of in the Danger Room with sweat dripping from your brow. You clenched your fists, knuckles bruised and aching from the number of times you'd hit him. He'd shrugged off every hit as if it was nothing. You knew he was holding back — you could see it in how he moved. He'd dodge your blows just a little too slow, making it look like you were getting closer when, in actuality, nothing you did made a difference.

"I said again," you barked, feet shifting as you squared off, pulse thrumming in your ears. Every nerve and fibre of your being screamed for a break, but you refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing you quit. Not now. Not when he was pushing every single one of your damn buttons. Logan let out a chuckle, low and lazy. He rolled his shoulders as if sparring with you wasn't anything more than a warm-up.

"You keep glaring at me like that, and I might start thinkin' you don't like me."

You lunged at him, throwing a wild punch, and he quickly sidestepped. His claws were restricted, and his arms were relaxed. Fucking prick. He could have ended the fight in seconds, which was the worst part. Logan was toying with you, pushing you to your limits without breaking a sweat because he enjoyed seeing you flustered. "Logan!" You growled, spinning on your heel to face him again.

His blue eyes narrowed, his grin softening for just a moment before his hand shot out as quick as a flash. He grabbed your wrist mid-punch and twisted you around effortlessly so that your back was pressed against his chest. His grip was firm but not painful.

"You're fightin' angry," he murmured in your ear, his breath warm against your skin. You couldn't fight the shiver that coiled down your spine. That's how you lose."

Despite his gruff exterior and his acting like a surly old man 90% of the time, the dude cares — like a lot.

So if you’re feeling a little shy, he’ll tease you just for the fun of it, just so he can watch the way you get flustered and blush. He finds the difference between the shy you and the extroverted you incredible.

But is someone else teases you, and you don’t like it? If someone else makes you uncomfortable? You can bet your bottom dollar that his scary dog energy is going all the way to eleven. He’s all bite, no bark when it comes to you.

You pressed yourself against the bar, desperate to put some distance between yourself and the stench of liquor on his breath. He doesn't seem to notice. You don't know him, but his presence is suffocating, the heat of his body too close for comfort. His words slurred together as he leaned in, mumbling something about how pretty you looked in your little red dress, and you felt a chill crawl up your spine. The room suddenly felt too small, the crowd a blur of faces too absorbed in their own worlds to notice what was happening.

Instinctively, you curled your fingers around the counter's edge, gripping it tightly as if to ground yourself. His eyes, glazed and unfocused, flickered over you. It was as though you could feel the weight of his stare, the way he was undressing you with his eyes. Your heartbeat quickened, each thump somehow louder than the hum of music, and a familiar sense of panic began to settle it until —

"Hey," a voice cut across, pulling your attention from him and his from you. You could cry at the sight that greeted you — Logan Howlett in his leather jacket and cowboy jeans. He looked angry, fuming, but it didn't worry you. His presence was like a lifeline, his gaze sharp, locked on the man who dared to get too close to you. He flexed his knuckles. "Get lost, bub," he growled, his voice low, rumbling with an unmistakable danger and an unmissable possession.

The stranger flinched but stood his ground, his alcohol-fuel bravado pushing him to challenge someone he didn’t fully understand. Logan could break him oh so easily. “What’s it to you, man?” he asked, words slurred, eyes bleary, and swaying where he stood. You saw Logan’s jaw tightening, a muscle jumping near his temple. He didn’t repeat himself — he didn’t need to. The atmosphere around him screamed danger.

“Last chance,” he warned, and you knew there wouldn’t be another one. The air seemed to crackle with tension. Logan flexed his fingers, claws threatening to unsheathe at any second. His entire body was coiled, every muscle taut, waiting for an excuse. The stranger’s bravado finally cracked. You didn’t need to see his face to know that a flicker of fear spread over his features. He mumbled something before stumbling away, disappearing into the crown with a soured and defeated mood.

As soon as he was gone, Logan shifted his attention to you. His anger was still there, simmering beneath the surface of his skin like wildfires, but it wasn’t directed at you. “You alright, darlin’?” He asked, his voice gruff but with a gentleness reserved only for those he cares about. It makes your heart ache to know you’re among those people.

The weight in your chest lightened at that moment, but your hands continued to tremble—the adrenaline still pumping. You nod, releasing a shaking breath you hadn’t realised you were holding. Logan stepped closer, brushing his hand against your arm. He was familiar — the smell of his cologne, the leather he wore — his mere presence pushing away the fear.

“You don’t gotta worry,” he murmured, his eyes searching yours. “Ain’t nobody gonna hurt you while I’m around.”

And let's say you're feeling extra bratty. Maybe a little mouthy. Or perhaps you've had a bad day, and you're taking it out on him because, let's be honest, Logan can take anything you throw at him. You can rest assured he'd be the one to fuck the attitude out of you.

Logan might be arrogant and cocky, sometimes overbearing and unbearable, but rest assured, he doesn't just talk the talk; he walks the walk. His confidence comes from years of experience, battles fought and won, lovers lost, and a lifetime of experiences.

So when he finally musters up the courage or rather lets go of his hesitations, and he gets you in bed, you can bet your bottom dollar that he's going to keep you there all. night. long.

His hands were warm, one holding both your wrists above your head, pinning them to the mattress. Logan held you there, keeping you spread out like a pagan sacrifice, his actions sacrilegious as he ravages you. All you can do is take him, keening loudly beneath him as his rigid length spears through your still-fluttering walls.

His grip tightened, the rough pads of his finger pressing into your skin as he leaned down, brushing his lips against yours, swallowing your moans. Each ragged breath he takes reverberates through you, matching the rhythm of his hips. You gasped, back arching off the bed as his thrust deepened, his body demanding your submission, pushing you to the brink of delirium.

You felt it building — that familiar pressure between your hips. Your legs shook, thighs trembling, toes curling, spreading wider at his silent command. Logan roamed his free hand possessively over your body as if committing the feel of you to his memory. He traced the swell of your breasts and the curve of your thigh before pulling you closer.

Logan moved with purpose, like a predator savouring its latest kill. The bed creaked beneath the force of him, a testament to his lust.

“Again,” he demanded, and the sound you made in response was lost to the storm brewing outside — rain pelting the windows, thunder rumbling in the distance. He was taunting you, using your words from the sparring match against you. His name escaped your lips in a desperate, breathless plea for mercy, but he only chuckled in response, his lips ghosting over your throat as his teeth grazed your racing pulse.

There was something dangerous in his touch, a wild hunger that threatened to consume you both. And still, you offered yourself to him, mind and body unravelling under his unrelenting control. You felt yourself letting go, a third, no, wait, a fourth orgasm ripping through you, punching the air from your lungs as you came undone beneath him. 

Logan was unrelenting, more beast than man, wild and untamed. But you didn’t mind, not at all. You were content to float in the clouds as he loved you.

—interested in joining? check out the menu and send in your order!

[j4nusz]

AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO SEES THIS!?

Can someone please be a sweetheart and say, WHY THE FUCK DID PEOPLE THINK RANDALL HAD A CRUSH ON JOHNNY???

But let's break it down

Do you hear how he emphasises the word ‘’Boss‘’ in this scene? (I mean you can't hear it because it's a GIF but you know what I mean)

I mean, if someone played that scene from a TV in Antarctica and I was in the Arctic and I could only hear the sound of that TV through a two-can phone then I could say with 101% certainty ‘’That's a manipulator‘’.

Now another scene, the interpretation of which gets a torrent of foam from my mouth

Means...

IS THIS A ‘’SINCERE SMILE‘’ FOR YOU? If so, I guess you haven't seen anything happy (my heartfelt sympathies)

IT'S NOT A SINCERE SMILE

This is how a manipulator rejoices when he sees that his victim trusts him more and more

We had @kiganakaraspberrymonster a conversation about how if it's Charlie Gordon I imagine him as Johnny and I also doubt Johnny has more than 70 IQ, and okey mate corrected me that after all John is a good manipulator, and okey (wow repetition like from the works of Adam M.) dude was good at manipulation but so what if he's a moron anyway?

Now there are two options :

Randall is a telepathic reptilian arch-ruler manipulating the masses like Johnny

Johnny is just fucking naive

(and we're back to what a fake smile Randall makes again, I mean come on the fake flowers in my grandmother's room are more sincere)

And you know what surprises me most about this?

Most of these people are ADULT, I mean I'm not eighteen years old yet, I mean I'm not seventeen years old yet. But I don't know maybe I'm paranoid? (If so, why haven't my two psychologists over the course of 7/8 years diagnose it?)

But what's the funniest thing about it?

I include ship Johnny x Randall in my hed-canon in the form that Johnny is Bi and has a crush on Randall, and Mark's cousin is aromantic and sexually interested only in women

It's over let people not be morons like Johnny and allowing themselves to be manipulated by Raptilians yo

[rei-ismyname]

X-MEN #12 Review

Alien bounty hunters came for Cyclops last issue. We find out why and wrap that up, learn more about Alpha Flight, and Corsair continues to be a useless motherfucker. I suspect this issue and the last were killing time until X-Manhunt next issue - as both are quite skippable. Let's talk about why and discuss the future.

Alpha Flight were indeed jailed during Fall of X, for supporting the mutant members of the team and mutants in general by subverting the sentinel/camps from the inside. Interesting that they're still prisoners and the team is basically a Thunderbolts program. I would have thought that ORCHIS and their laws would be seen in a different light after they tried to extinguish all life on the planet. Maybe they are, but no pardons for Alpha Flight. Shaman is a conscientious objector to this bullshit, and good for him.

Heather is still in a coma so their handler, Agent Arsenault, is the new Vindicator. Nobody respects her though. It's nice to get a follow up on their bittersweet ending in Fall of X, but this book has enough characters that aren't getting much attention. Having Alpha Flight take up half the issue is a choice. I haven't forgotten that Mac joined ORCHIS briefly either.

On to the X-Men! They're in deep shit, with the bounty hunters, aided by Xanto Starblood, having prepared for Cyke, Magik and Juggernaut well enough to neutralize them. He remembers his time teaching at the Hellfire School run by those infuriating child billionaires, especially Quentin and Idie. Dude has really good intelligence on the team, though I guess he'd just have to check Earth media. They've been acting publicly. Quentin and Idie never find out he's here and thus don't comment on him or anything from Wolverine and the X-Men. He's a war criminal, if I remember correctly, but he doesn't seem especially dangerous here.

Turns out they want Scott for the obvious reason - as a way to manipulate Phoenix. I'm not giving myself points for calling it, what else could it be? Interesting phrasing by Starblood here, that Scott is 'one of the few [Earthers] with Galactic importance.' Not sure how true it is, as Earth seems to produce a lot of people who are galactically important. Nova, Star Lord, Adam Warlock, Carol Danvers, Hulkling and Wiccan, the FF, most Avengers and X-Men. Scott is in a unique position as the concubine of a God, but I'm skeptical how well thought out this plan is. Sounds like a good way to get incinerated or upgrade a Phoenix problem to a Dark Phoenix problem. I suppose Thanos rules the galaxy, so dumb ideas reign.

These idiots don't get to enjoy the fruits of their plan for very long though, as they didn't plan for Canadians. Temper has been holding back to avoid burning the rest of the team, but Vindicator and Guardian can bring finesse to that strategy. They can manipulate electromagnetic fields, apparently. I know someone else who used to be able to do that, but for reasons he's on the sidelines and Alpha Flight save the day.

Feels like hanging a lampshade on it, which irks me. 'Can we get Magneto for dinner?' 'We already have Alpha Flight at home.'

The uber capable bounty hunters of last issue are gone. In their place are passive and ignorant chumps that are easily defeated. The Alphans take out one heart chamber, which I assume is vital to ship functions. I zoned out a lot in the Brood saga. Storm would know. Captain Fucko isn't bothered, because there's a second heart chamber. I wonder what happens next.

Extreme Zoologist sounds pretty cool, like a space Steve Irwin or something. I remember Starblood being very proud of his doctorates in Xenobiology, Xenozoology etc. It doesn't really matter, he's a smarmy fuck who's tempting fate by pointing out the single point of failure for the space whale they're on. Psylocke is right where she needs to be to cause that failure and it's not guarded at all. Not a lot of tension here. The good guys identify what they need to do and just do it without difficulty or resistance.

Heart chambers destroyed, prisoners easily retrieved by Magik, Acanti crashes into the snow. Ilyana even has time to throw up a shaka and call them losers (which I love.) Problem solved! A little too easily, but it's the price we pay for 4 intro pages of Alpha Flight and their team dynamics. They weren't narratively necessary, and interestingly the letters page has Brevoort say Mackay really wanted to get Alpha Flight into the book but he said no way. As much as anything Tom Brevoort has to say is worth taking at face value, it's pretty strange.

This was a choice, and we know more about what Alpha Flight wants than we do for Glob, Ben Liu, Xorn, Jennifer Starkey, and Magneto (unless you've read the Infinity Comics and that Avengers issue.) This wide focus at the expense of main characters is a problem several books in From The Ashes have, so I have to assume that editorial wants this. Writers only have so much latitude (though that changes depending on who's in charge) and Mackay/Simone have to work around two crossover events within the first 13 issues. I'll come back to this.

As is standard for anyone not from Earth, they think it's a shithole. It's a shithole with a lot of superpowered individuals, though, as Starblood is faced with when crawling out of the wreckage. Poor space whale. Nice to see heroes side by side (and Guardian) without a single punch thrown at each other. Game over for this bozo, crisis averted. The implication is that this crew of dozens came to Earth at someone else's behest to capture Scott to get at Jean. They failed, of course, but the Phoenix is considered an existential crisis by most space empires, especially the Shi'Ar. I wonder if this will be an ongoing thing. Something for Scott and Jean to talk about, and that's 3 times in 11 issues The Phoenix has been mentioned. It's certainly set up, as so many things are, so as ever we'll see where it goes.

Scott is grateful the drama didn't reach Merle, which definitely tracks. Corsair the useless gets to collect the bounty on the bounty hunters, which is probably a lot of money. Yay for him, I guess. He didn't help even a little bit, I'd even say he was a hindrance. It's not clear whether he's sticking around, but it's not likely. I think it would be very interesting to have Scott's bio dad around when having it out with his fallen adopted father. Cyke thanks Mac and offers to break them out but he refuses.

Oh so now Scott's interested in jailbreaks? What if they have a space weapon? Just as I'm thinking how odd it is that so many people want to stay in prison, Scott gets the news that Xavier has broken out. The X-Men have been dealing with back to back problems since Graymalkin. First the O*N*E visit and then this. Last issue he referred to that event as 'earlier' which suggests it's the same day. That can't be right, can it? Chuck refuses a rescue then breaks himself out <24 hours later. I've never heard anyone use 'earlier' for anything but the same 24 hour period, at least not without a qualifier. I guess it doesn't matter.

Would Scott actually care about that? He was pretty emphatic about not allowing him to be freed on the grounds that his freedom reduces everyone else's. The solicit says the X-Men will fight Storm over Xavier, which sounds silly but I put zero faith in solicits these days. I guess we'll find out what the deal is in the, *sigh* second crossover event in what, 8 months? Less? NYX and X-Force are getting cancelled after issue #10, and it wouldn't surprise me if X-Factor and Phoenix followed. Phoenix is confirmed for issue #11, but the scattershot approach to publishing is bearing fruit. I stopped caring about X-Force (though I love the characters) but NYX has been pretty good. Plenty of potential and trying something new, but 10 issues is not a lot of space to build something sustainable especially when there's 17 other X-books on the shelf. 10 came out last Wednesday alone.

Those books aren't this book, but it's the same hand at the wheel and the lack of faith in books/creators makes me concerned for this one. X-Men has had some great issues but it's also had issues you could skip without missing anything, like this and the last issue. That many of the characters are underdeveloped in favour of seeding new threats each issue and navigating events is a problem for me. If those characters aren't really being used, why are they there? We'll only be able to truly judge in retrospect, but after Raid on Graymalkin's deflating resolution it bodes poorly for X-Manhunt. I know what I want out of the event, and I'm being very cautious with my expectations. I'm sure we'll see friends punching each other, but I'm not holding out for character development or earnest engagement with the recent past. That's fine, I guess. I just prefer a little more ambition from my X-books.

[mamawasatesttube]

I don't know that much about superboy so forgive me if this is a silly question but what's the deal with Magdalene Visaggio?

not a silly question, dw!! if you haven't read many kon comics it probably doesn't look particularly noteworthy but OOF. OOF.

the tl;dr of it: despite being paid to write him once, she also hasn't read kon comics and it really, really, really shows. i'm talking geoff johns levels of flagrant disregard for the existing character - maybe even worse than geoff? which i say only because i know geoff did read sb94 even if he didn't act like it. but that's off topic; this isn't a geoff hatepost. this is a magdalene hate post.

under a cut for length, lets goooo!

so we start out with her canonizing supermartian. already off on the wrong foot - that's a ship out of yja the tv show which is a completely separate continuity from main comics and a completely different kon than main continuity kon. despite supposedly knowing that, she still shoves them into a relationship in main continuity, despite them never having actually interacted on page in main continuity.

she then goes on to characterize kon as angry and entitled and uncaring, and also in high school again. not only does she directly contradict all of his preboot existing characterization (which is important because kon-el never got reset during flashpoint - he was in another universe and thus dodged that bullet. current kon-el is canonically the same kon-el as pre-flashpoint/postcrisis kon-el.), but also she directly contradicts both young justice (2019) and superboy: man of tomorrow, which are in current continuity, leading one to really wonder if she has read a single comic kon appeared in at all. it's also worth noting that the asshole with anger issues characterization is, once again, much truer to the young justice animated tv show than any comic kon.

also worth noting is that the infamous red hair dye streak? well, uh...

yeah..............

on her twitter, she once said something about kon-el not being a good name because it's "still a name someone else gave him", called him "the jason todd of the superfamily", and insisted that the meaning of a trans narrative is "burning down your life and reevaluating your place within it":

kon-el is a name gifted to him to signify his acceptance into his family (superboy (1994) #59) and he was so overjoyed to receive it that he cried. overall, the superfam are very supportive and loving, and introducing strife just to make him run off and live with jinny hex instead of them just because she thinks one can't transition and retain previous relationships is... not it, lol.

her pitch also contained some outrageously egregious christianity bullshit, like villains named "saint", "shepherd", and "savior", as well as direct comparisons between clark and jesus christ. this is... sorry i really just have to say this is Fucking Cringe. i guess the more polite way to put it would be "incredible gauche" (considering the jewish origins of the superfam) but i just can't call it anything else. This Fucking Sucks Dude. i won't even get into the weirdness about genetic bullshit she leans into by introducing kon's "brother" who's also part luthor, part superman, but "luthor-dominant" (lol?) (do you know how genes work even a little bit).

she has quoted the one panel from reign of the supermen where kon says "don't ever call me superboy" a few times, claiming it's the first thing he ever said and no one listened. to me this essentially reads as her going "i've read one of his appearances and i would like to throw out the like 200 issues of character development he had since then in favor of making him my own self-insert to explore MY transition and religious trauma".

basically she doesn't seem to know how to write a story that's not about herself. as a trans person with a positive relationship with my given name (because as a first-gen kid of two diasporic immigrants, it provides an important tie to my family's cultures, to me) and with trans friends who involved their parents in picking new names and so on and so forth, i honestly find it very reductive and white to insist there's only one trans narrative and only one good way for trans characters to be named. i also find her putting her own christian religious trauma into a superfam story off-putting and . well. fucking cringe. i understand and respect that that is her story, but it sure ain't universal and i won't be able to respect her as a writer until it becomes clear she gets that.

[kacievvbbbb]

Idk why I find the fact Mihawk writes Y/N Reader inserts so funny but so true and I have reader inserts blocked on here like I hate them but oh my god so in character for him.

And he does not give a shit. Absolutely go king and getting fantasy dicked down by all the hot guys in one piece world I support! Also him being a sengoku shipper iconic. I was say maybe he thinks about Kuzan but I think he’s out off by his general laziness and apathy and not in a fun apathetic way like Barsolino in a depression way. ( he’s looking in a mirror and does not like it.) but if he learns Dragon used to be a marine and friends with Akainu he’s making the most toxic relationship of them friends to enemies to nemesis type shit.

He’ll write a new book and it will be a sensation and no matter the fact he changed the names everyone with a brain cell will be able to figure out who it’s about.

Sorry this took so long to reply! but

YES YES YES!!! I don't really like self insert stuff either but it's so in-character for him I'm so obsessed.

And yeah it really is just the adventures of reader as they travel across the grand line getting dicked down is definitely one of his most beloved and acclaimed series. Shanks goes hot and cold on that series a lot because while the idea of watching mihawk getting dicked down by another man is very hot Shanks is also a jealous man and he is very jealous of these "fictional" men. He tries to find out if mihawk has ever fucked any of them in real life and maybe 👀.

Also yeah I just threw in the marine thing because I thought it was funny but I'm glad it stuck out! 😂. I don't think he self ships with any of the marines (maybe in his GILF era sengoku or fujitoro) I think because none of the really strong marines appeal to him but he would fuck smoker if he was stronger. and just because I remembered dude and I think it would be so funny imagine if his only self x marine ship is with Ryokugyu (the tree admiral) I think he'd hate him in life but he's not blind. I think this realllllly pisses shanks off because he does not like him and honestly its a bit of a snake eating his own tail because a lot of the reason he doesn't like him is because of Mihawk's fanfiction of him.

I think Mihawk's natural reaction (mostly because it's mine) is to ship Sengoku with Garp but he hates Garp and even the thought of picturing him in that way is enough to make him want to pour his ears to bleach his brain. I think it be funny if during one of his lackadaisical checking out marine headquarters rooms (because realistically who is going to stop him) he stumbles upon and old picture of Garp Sengoku and Tsuru when they were young and he is very intrigued by thetwo hot young men then he notices that one of them is Garp and he almost throws up, the thought wont leave him alone tho.

Also yes i don't think Mihawk actually knows dragon but he has definitely heard of him and being Garps son is enough cause for pettitness in his eyes. Dragon's identity is a little harder to parse out I the books but Akainu's is so fucking obvious. And it is a loved and well-cherished series. Anytime that Mihawk attends a warlord meeting or just genuinely has an unpleasant interaction with akainu (which is every interaction) he puts pen to paper. It'd be funny if this was the most "tame" series though more focused on the fictional romace which confuses dragon and pisses akainu off even more because what? do they think he can't take it? and mihawk is very pleased with himself. he drops a new edition right before he goes to any warlord meeting so he can watch akainu seethe in real time as the new talk of the town takes root (this series specifically is very popular in marine towns)

as for the real life identities. I think he definitely makes it a bit hard not to protect anyone. Still, because he thinks it's fun to make people guess and adds to the mystery so there is definitely a fan club (which Shanks leads) dedicated to putting the clues together on just who all the different men are (shanks needs this for....research purposes 👀) some of them are obvious if you're in the know like the Benn ones or Crocodile while others are just plain obvious because the Red Haired Emperor is definitely shanks like if you know shanks you know its him there is only two people with hair that red. It's not kidd( it does give both kidd and shanks a bit of a reputation of some islands because his book counterpart is infinitely more dashing and "masculine" that shanks' bum and kid's manica energies) and I think he makes the Akianu ones very obvious to anybody that literally even if you've just ever heard of him you know its him just to fuck with him.

[hestzhyen]

Chapter 47 Yaoibachi Posting

Hokazono-sensei really slammed the gas this chapter, man. No search and rescue mini-arc here- just going back to the series' roots by having our good guys slaughter nameless mooks in suits. Excellent decision! But goodness it feels like he's trying to rush through this set-up to get to what he really wants to say this arc. I trust the emotional impact to land so I guess this really is the Kunishige lore/flashback arc since that's where the narrative focus went.

First off, I got the official arc name wrong last post. It's actually The Sword Bearer Assassination Arc. So, uh, maybe don't get too attached to any of the guys Chihiro will be trying to save. Might be difficult though if they're all as endearing as Uruha.

This Fucking Manga, Man

I just can't even this chapter. I CAN'T. I'm sitting here drafting this on Thursday and I'm in awe of the spreads. Cover and color pages? Stunning. Fanservice? Immaculate.

Yes, we got onsen fanservice after all!

Now accepting bets on who Uruha will be shipped with more: his personal guard guy or Kunishige.

Of course it pulls double duty to give us insight into Uruha and, by proxy, Kunishige. I was right on the money about Uruha being a free-spirited dude with a unique perspective last week... but I didn't imagine he'd basically be a wholesome AF version of Sojo. The Kunishige worship from this guy is off the fucking charts (and so are the Hakuri-Chihiro parallels)!

"This blade suits you" from Kunishige is a callback to Hakuri's words to Chihiro in chapter 20. I love it when authors do this shit. Can we infer that Chihiro felt the same level of awe for Hakuri? Probably not, but he did need to hear that affirmation quite badly, so it's still significant.

You don't get to comment on other guys being weirdly obsessive over a Rokuhira on sight like that, Hakuri.

THESE DUMBASS GOOBERS. Poor Chihiro's still collecting weirdos while Hakuri has no self-awareness at all. I'm in tears this is just too good. Hakuri, I love you. You're perfect.

I don't wanna get hyped after just one chapter for something that probably won't be happening. I get just about everything wrong week after week anyway! But I wouldn't mind Chihiro and Hakuri's relationship being compared to and developed through Uruha and Kunishige, just sayin'... Please... Hokazono-sensei went through the trouble of making sure we know that Uruha is obviously meant to parallel Hakuri, so that won't go to waste right?!

TFW the light of your life dies and leaves you behind.

'Cause this feels like a set up... I don't know, man. It's impossible to guess how the story's going to go but I get the sense that Uruha is going to have a lot to teach both of these guys- Hakuri in particular.

Neither Hakuri nor Uruha put a lot of value on their own lives until a Rokuhira showed up to praise them. And they're both freakishly devoted to the image of their savior to the point that they're willing to fight and possibly die for them. So we could be exploring that aspect of Hakuri's mindset as a subplot while the larger machinations swirl around them, since it's a pretty potent character flaw and all. I need Sazanami "defend to the death" Hakuri being convinced to give a shit about himself so, so badly.

Goddamnit, please stop hurting yourself.

Hakuri's also unable to use Isou due to burnout, as expected. Still wondering if the Kamunabi knows he can use two sorcery techniques but I won't hold my breath on getting answers for that. It's not necessary for this to be addressed unless it would cause some kind of friction, after all. And for as much as I would like to see the council's reaction to Hakuri and his circumstances, I don't think it'll be relevant. We'll just have to assume they either don't know his last name or are completely fine with a Sazanami being included in the plans. I wanna be wrong though. I really do.

Contract, Powerscaling, and Naming Conventions

We learned some interesting things this chapter. One, the theory of the Lifelong Contract erasing a Bearer's innate sorcery is confirmed. So if we are ever going to learn what Chihiro's sorcery is, Enten will have to be an exception to the other six swords, or he has two sorceries and the contract only nullifies one. I'm not sold on the second one since Hakuri only overworked the storehouse but is limited using both of his, implying there's a common pool of spirit energy they draw from. Looking forward to more details on how this works!

It also seems that the Bearers weren't tucked away in "safe" locations until Kunishige's death three years ago. So they probably got to live their lives as they wished until the Hishaku ruined things... which would explain how Sushi guy ended up at a restaurant. I feel like each location could have special meaning to each Bearer so hopefully we see more about how and why they ended up where they did.

Hiyuki also wasn't lying about the Kamunabi's forces being spread thin. Just 14 talented sorcerers to defend each Bearer, and even then Uruha would have felt more reassured if Azami or Hiyuki was there.

Nice going, Azami! So we know you're hella strong since Hiyuki's the best fighter in the Kamunabi- the only one in the force who can contend with Kunishige's WMDs (ch. 18). I think a Bearer would know how strong an enchanted blade is, so we can assume that Uruha's assessment of Azami's strength is accurate. Azami can't be sent out on the ground like the rank and file as a higher up now, but I'm highly anticipating him demonstrating that fearsome sorcery of his.

We also got another name! Kuregumo's original bearer was named Misaka (巳坂). This is most probably a family name like Uruha (more on him in a bit). 巳 (mi) means "snake" for wisdom and intelligence and 坂 (saka) means "slope/hill" or "embankment" for steady progress, a peaceful life, security, and/or strength and resilience. We'll definitely learn more about them- it's just a matter of when. The upside of Hokazono-sensei being stingy with names is that we all know to sit up and pay attention when one gets dropped.

We also got Uruha's given name this chapter (Youji [洋児]) and the name of his blade (Kumeyuri [酌揺]). Strange names for a strange fellow, but that's expected of someone whose family name implies a free-spirited nature with a unique outlook I guess. 洋 (you) is a kanji that specifically describes the ocean in an expansive, almost foreign sense. Not just the sea in general, but vast waters extending far away from one's current location. It has a ton of possible interpretations, naturally: courage, ambition, adaptability, limitless possibilities, harmony, inclusiveness... on and on. 児 (ji) means "child" in a straightforward way and carries connotations of joy, hope, and potential. So Uruha Youji [lacquer feather ocean child] is quite the character in his name alone.

Kumeyuri's name doesn't really give us any insights into it's potential abilities or theme, unless Kunishige was drunk (or wanted to be) when he made it. 酌 (kume) is the kanji used for pouring sake and implies generosity, abundance, and celebrating joy. 揺 (yuri) means to shake, sway, or jostle and connotes a sense of energy, playfulness, enthusiasm, and fun. I'm getting a lot of entertainment value trying to imagine how a sword named after a shaky pour of sake works, let me tell you. Somehow it seems very apt for Uruha already though.

Dead Dad Trivia

So Kunishige himself requested to hold on to the blades- it's very certain now that whatever happened during the war changed him into the man we met in chapter 1. Seitei war flashbacks please, I'm dying over here! But keep up the layering and scattering of little details! Don't feed me too fast! Make me wait and get all impatient every week! Torture me-

Curious that many people who seem to have known Kunishige doubted his potential as a father. Whether they see him as a savior or a selfish prick, most of them scoff a the idea of him having a kid. Maybe Kunishige was just a guy with layers like his son, so only those who actually knew him well would believe he could be a decent dad. We saw him goofing off with Shiba and Azami when they were Chihiro's age in chapter 12 so it's not like he was a stoic since birth (he said himself that Chihiro inherited that trait from his mom). We're going to slowly piece together the real Kunishige this arc and I can't wait!

Also a bit odd that few people see the resemblance between Chihiro and Kunishige until Chihiro's passion shines through or they get a good look at how he carries himself. Won't hang my hat on the blood test showing that Kunishige wasn't his bio dad after all, but the groundwork is there if it does. Regardless of what happens, though, it's pretty obvious that Chihiro is Kunishige's son thanks to the ideals he took to heart.

Hishaku Theory

RIP bandanna guy you were too cool to live.

Yeah, "enemies of the state" isn't a term you use for a regular criminal gang, no matter how threatening they are. I'm more convinced than ever that the Hishaku are primarily a political threat to all of Japan (though still very willing to admit that I might be reading too far into things).

Kyora's conversation with an unknown Hishaku member in chapter 22 referred to "dissidents". That's also a very pointed descriptor for people with differing political ideologies, especially ones agitating against the "legitimate" ruling group.

Could Soya come back to finish what his dad started? Meh.

This implies that Kyora and the Sazanami clan were aligned with the Hishaku's goals beyond merely business. The Hishaku probably have sympathizers in and outside of mainstream society, and likely within the Kamunabi itself as well. And then there's the kiku flower -which has strong ties to Imperial imagery- in the vase that's shown up twice now, arraigned alongside other flowers symbolizing deep desire and patience.

So I think the Hishaku lost the war and have been plotting their comeback for a long time now. How does this tie into Chihiro's personal journey beyond the revenge mission? We'll have to see. John Hishaku's goals and methods are shrouded in secrecy right now, so I look forward to learning about why he needed to foster Chihiro's hatred to enact his plans. Cool job making the core plot hook so compelling, author-san!

HakuHiro Brainrot

I have to, I'm sorry. This chapter was a godsend.

Give me an inch and I'll run a thousand miles with these two.

Chihiro acknowledging that Hakuri is special! Feels like a very deliberate reference to the language used in Chapter 33, especially by Tenri. Makes sense since Tenri was a parallel of Chihiro's devotion to his father and his legacy.

"Hakuri- my older brother by a year- is different." would have flowed a little better, but it's a clunky sentence no matter what...

The reference was probably made in order to imply that Chihiro sees Hakuri as a brother (or family in general) via the Tenri connection. However, that won't stop me from shipping them romantically because I'm illiterate as fuck.

ANYWAY.

FOOD IMAGERY WITH HAKURI FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE ICE LADY!!

Hakuri's sharing snacks with Chihiro on the train- he feels so safe with his samurai! And this is the first time we've seen Chihiro accept food since he reluctantly (metaphorically) shared dango with Sojo in chapter 17! He's rejected Shiba's offers, provided one-sidedly for Char, resigned himself to connecting to Sojo to understand him, skipped getting ice cream, and missed the gaming session, but he accepted Hakuri's small gesture...! I'M GOING FERAL

Hakuri is canonically the only character Chihiro's accepted emotional comfort and support from since his dad died. On screen so far, at least.

Hakuri, who was deeply traumatized when he last tried to connect with someone, feels secure enough to do it with Chihiro...

Chihiro, who is only at ease with providing comfort, accepts it for the first time from Hakuri...

The first time we see them exchanging the comfort/security visual metaphor is while they're on their own...

And it's just so casual for them to do this...!

I sounded confident when I called Hakuri the heroine of Kagurabachi in that long-ass post I made a few months ago, but... I was actually right?! Hakuri is Chihiro's first and only emotional safe haven. He's got plot-related utility and can hold his own in a fight, but he's not going to be outshining the likes of Chihiro or Hiyuki any time soon. His faith in Chihiro has been his most valuable contribution to the story- even moreso than awakening to his storehouse ability. The only thing that's missing at this point is the chance of HakuHiro being canon! Seriously!

Alright void... thanks for letting me yap again. Definitely not going to go back to writing fan fiction for the first time in 10+ years because this stupid edgy sword manga broke me. Nope, never, not me...

[aberooski]

What other Yugioh ships do you like?

Only small handful of others really. Mostly ones I've had since I was a kid, I don't really delve much into shipping like I used to, though the ships I do ship I ship hard lolol

I've also only watched DM, GX, and 5Ds so there's that too on the quantity subject.

I've always been a champion of Yugi and Téa, peachshipping champion since day 1 baby I love them, the childhood friends to lovers angle is on of my favorites and I mean, look at Téa's duel with Crump in the virtual world and her and Yugi in that and him giving her his jacket cuz she's cold after that before they find Joey even though he's also freezing his ass off, they're just so sweet with each other 😭

I'm also a fan of Tristan and Serenity, when they're older. Like maybe they get together in their early 20's or something because she definately likes him back, but she's a little young. She's not that much younger than them, but still. When they're both older, super cute together. But also conversely to this......... I'm a massive chaseshipper.... I love Tristan and Duke.... I want them to kiss... I'm just saying, Duke only started showing interest in Serenity after Tristan made it clear he liked her from my recollection. He was just trying to make Tristan jealous and get his attention. That's my delusion and I'm sticking to it. Plus they are always getting pushed together in groups and they've slept up against each other more than once.... I'm so delusional right now it hurts akskksks

And when I was a kid I loved Atem and Mana. I loved the idea of them. It's one that's a really low-key ship for me I don't have any particularly strong opinions or stance about it but I'll probably take it with me to the grave regardless.

I've been screamed at for shipping Yugi and Atem with Téa and Mana and not each other when I never even cared much for that ship anyway I just don't interpret their relationship as romantic, so yeah. That turned me completely off of that ship I just wanna say. Also why I don't really engage with the DM side of the fandom anymore, especially when we're talking about shipping.

I used to be a fan of Joey and Mai as a ship when I was a kid, but not as much these days. I mean, if she wasn't like 10 years older than him, that would be one thing. But she is, so that kinda wrecks it when he's not an adult as well... y'know..? Even then, 10 years is a bit too big of a gap for me regardless haha

--

In GX I really only ship spiritshipping and stormshipping. I mean, Jaden and Jesse was the only ship I really shipped for a while.... then my third eye opened and now Chazz and Atticus have my entire heart and are now my entire creative brand mostly so akskkskslzlzl

I also like the idea of Bastion and Tania, but I feel like I need more information about her before I can commit to shipping them or not. Like... I don't know how old she is, you know? That makes me hesitate a little bit haha

Also shoutout to Nightshroud and SoL!Chazz!!! LaDDshipping you fuckin' hit!

Bonus shoutout to Sheppard and Dorothy, stop it they're so cute!

--

The ship in 5Ds I like the most is Jack and Carly, bar none. Scoopshipping supremacy is my middle name! I shipped them before I even watched then show, dude. I watched it because of them. And they did not disappoint....... until the writers took their relationship out back and shot it by basically pretending it didn't exist in the 2nd half but shhhhhhhhhhhh ignore that!!! The best het ship in the original trilogy of shows argue with the wall.

Also a big fan of Yusei and Akiza, but like with Tristan hilarious cuz Tristan and Yusei are both voiced by Greg Abbey 🤣 I also ship the fuck out of Yusei and Bruno. I have cried thinking about them. Jack and Carly and Yusei and Bruno have made me sob profusely.

Also shoutout to Trudge and Mina! She doesn't deserve him with all her Jack bullshit but dammit love it anyway!

--

So yeah, those are the only ships I personally ship or I guess have shipped in the past *cough* Joey and Mai *cough* . Just a small handful really, like I said. Never been a massive shipper by way of quantity. I latch onto things too hard to have a billion and 1 anyway 😂😂😂

[ruins-of-tragedy]

Thoughts on season two's episode seven to nine of RWBY about to enter the chat... This one had me feeling all sorts of things I really shouldn't sometimes, but that won't stop me.

Season 02, Episode 07: Dance Dance Infiltration

- "There's a point where it bends..."

- I saw at least two guys here with Sun's hair. He is quite the trendsetter it seems...🤌🏻

- Are Peter and Oobleck together? Like, together together? I ship it.

- Ironwood wants to dance. Glynda begrudgingly acquiesces. Huh.

- Jaune and Ruby toast to the socially awkward. Cheers!

- Neptune said no to Weiss? Jaune. Instead of going to the guy who doesn't matter, go to the girl who does. She is sad.

- LoLL! Ruby drank Jaune's punch as a way of mourning another man who fell for the whims of society. 😆

- Thank Gods for Pyrrha! And yes, she is also the girl who matters. Jaune goes after her, YAYYYYYY!

- She looks good. Jaune's suit trimming matches Pyrrha's dress. Cute!

- There is no guy. Jaune needs to wear a dress. NOW.

- Awwww. Pyrrha is so good, people are intimidated by it... She is a nice person in general too. That must add to it though.

- She made friends that will last a lifetime. 🥺💖🤧

- Good Gods. Pyrrha practically confessed her feelings. Jaune, you better step up.

- Neptune and Jaune are talking. Now only Jaune is talking. Scolding, rather.

- Oh my Gods. Neptune can't dance. So he turned Weiss down. This is hilarious!

- I love their bromance though. Jaune truly thinks Neptune is cool. And Neptune is actually trying to be that and appreciates it.

- People would really let go of someone like Weiss without even trying. Huh. Communicate, my dude!

- Neptune actually offering to move aside. Sweet, I guess? Awww! Jaune is growing. Not only giving up on Weiss romantically but providing Neptune with the good advise Pyrrha gave him. 🥺

- "You don't have to look cool all the time." Exactly! I would rather be a loser for and with the person I like, than cool forever without anyone beside me. Being this cool is overrated.

- Good on Jaune. I hope he is going to Pyrrha now.

- Ruby is with Yang, looking down on Blake & Sun and Nora & Ren dancing...

- Penny is here as well! With some groovy moves! NOICE!

- Neptune and Weiss are sitting and talking in the sidelines. Am sure Weiss is happy about it.

- YASSSSSSSS!!! Jaune wore a dress. This is the best. Now ask Pyrrha to the dance... YAYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!! Jaune, my man!!!!

- Flash mob?!!! By Team JNPR!!!! I can't. So good. 🤯

- Jaune has seven sisters?! Cute!!! I hope his mother is still okie though.

- Awwww! Thank you Neptune for giving Jaune the credit. Maybe I have seen too many movies where the guys don't. But this is still nice.

- Ren and Nora's synchronised dancing made my day.

- Cinder is planning to attend a masquerade ball? And needs to be home by midnight. Cinderella has gone bad. Wait. Is she supposed to be inspired from Cinderella?! The name... I can be so daft sometimes.

- Thank Gods for socially awkward folks. Ruby sees Cinder. And Cinder looks hawt... 😳. She should be at the dance with me.

- Ruby goes after her. Of course.

- Listen. I know Cinder is bad. But fucking hell. Why does she have to look so good while doing all this?! One guy down, and I didn't even care. Was busy thanking the Gods for the black whatever she is wearing.

- And she can fight. Well. 😭

- Whoever designed Cinder's costume doesn't want me to have morals anymore. What do you mean her bodysuit has lava-coloured accents?!?!?! 🤯. I want her AND her apparal.

- Cinder is using blades. Guys are going down. I was already down bad, but now am down under.

- You know what's worse than elevator music? Elevator chats.

- Locker launchers are the best. And so is Crescent Rose.

- Cinder stole a scroll and my ethics with it.

- Ironwood's leaving. Hmmm. Mercury and Emerald are good spies. But not great. Ruby's on the way.

- The queen chess piece has been installed in the system. Wonder what that's about. And Ruby's here!

- To hell with heels, Ruby must have thought at least once.

- Cinder and Ruby are playing hide and seek now.

- Battle begins!

- Are you fucking kidding me. Cinder can wield a bow?! She looks so gooooooood doing it. AGHHHHHHHHHHHH.

- Ironwood's here. Ruby is the only one before him. And Cinder has entered the ball. Without the masquerade mask.

- What skincare does this lady use? She can still pass off as a school student somehow. WoWie.

- Neptune's dancing. He isn't bad I think! Or maybe I am worse. The world will never know.

- Cinder still looks good. The fuck.

- Queen has taken over the communications system in Beacon?

- This ending song is nice! Makes me want to dance.

- Cast of RWBY from season one fanart! 💖

Season 02, Episode 08: Field Trip

- "We can't just wait..."

- Ironwood's first name is James?

- Tough room for Ruby. I guess they ARE stressed.

- Glynda is connecting the dots. Same woman Ruby and her fought way back when, broke in again.

- Ahhh. So Cinder was using glass. I was too distracted with the gay panic of it all to notice.

- She used dust to make her clothes more fashionable? And help with fighting too I guess.

- Awww! Ruby is giving them hints that Blake gathered on Torchwick. Southeast hideout go bye-bye.

- Thank you Ozpin for saving Ruby from having to explain how she knows this. Her lie was so apparant.

- Ironwood wants to go in guns blazing. Glynda's really laying into him. So COOOL! Ozpin won't let her continue, but agrees with her points at least.

- The adults are quarreling. Ozpin is handling Ironwood. Team RWBY has been filled in.

- Awwww! Yang and Ruby's dad sent something. Ruby is excited about it. Cute!

- A DOG?!?!? IN A SCROLL?!?!!!

- Zwei. Was sent by mail. This is a thing I guess.

- Blake is hiding. Is it the cat ears? 😆

- Weiss is trying to stay strong. But can't. LoLL! Samesies. Pupper too adorable!

- Zwei wants to be friends with Blake. Awwwwww!!!

- The father is called Tai Yang. And he also sent food for Zwei because he is going out. In that very courier. How big is that scroll?!?

- They are leaving the dog behind. Zwei can open cans? Weiss bid him a heartfelt farewell. Blake ran out like a ninja. Ruby is planning something...

- Of course the dog is accompanying them in a bag. YAYYYYYY!!!

- The uniform Ironwood's students wear looks so bland.

- The bag that has Zwei has been kept with other bags... Should I be worried?

- Mistral students' uniforms remind me of the ones used in Motherland: Fort Salem. The top half at least.

- Huh. Okie, so Atlas' garb doesn't look too bad from the front. Needs a bit more colour though.

- Vacuo has no uniform. Love that for them!

- Vale's uniforms are the best! And their students have many many twins and triplets. 😆

- Team RWBY and Team JNPR are the only ones not in uniform?

- So the war that occurred eighty years ago wasn't only limited to expansion of land but also spread on over as an ideological battle... threatening the very essence of individuality and self-expression? Hmmm.

- Using colours as names to combat slights against fundamental rights is an excellent act of rebellion. Especially against such invisible forms of warfare. Almost a cultural phenomenon, still visible. NOICE. I am really nerding out over how they have managed to condense some huge concepts, which contribute to the overall destruction wreaked during times of strife. Within a SPEECH. 👏🏻

- "...unity - Through diversity." War flashbacks. If you somehow know, you know. And am sorry that's the case. 😂

- Nice words of wisdom from Professor Ozpin.

- So Team RWBY wants to shadow someone in the Southeast. Good idea.

- The mission they were hoping for isn't available to first years. Oooof.

- Ruby wants to mail themselves there. The fuck. How advanced is this service?!

- Ozpin obviously knows what Team RWBY has been up to. He has been keeping tabs... And is now sending them to the exact mission they weren't supposed to avail because they are still first years. Good Gods. He really is shaping up to be a Dumbledore.

- Which Huntsman are they shadowing? The way Ozpin described the guy, sounds like a hardarse.

- Team CFVY is back! This is Velvet's team! I never did figure out her allusion. Hmmm. Velveteen Rabbit? Awwww! Her symbol is patched up by threads heart!

- It took so long for them to get back since there were a lot of Grimm. At least the hunter accompanying them was good. So it all worked out... Ahhh. Am assuming Team RWBY won't have similar luck with the person going with them.

- Yup. Professor Oobleck is the one to be shadowed. They don't look very happy about it. Hmmm. I think people can surprise you. He is prepared at least!

- That tune started out soothing and somber and ended on a cartoon like note. LoLL!

- Velvet fanart! 💖

Season 02, Episode 09: Search and Destroy

- "We are ready!"

- Doctor Oobleck's "I didn't earn this PhD for fun, thank you very much," was too real.

- Nora is experiencing FOMO about world saving missions. And might be a little hungry. The last one is Ren's fault. LoLLL!

- Team JNPR is also going out of town! Maybe they can stumble across Team RWBY? I shall miss them!

- Jaune still thinks Neptune is extremely cool. Cute!

- Sun's hypothesis is, Team RWBY makes the kingdom exciting. And he don't want that no more. 😂. Feels like actually experiencing what the place is like without the danger. Which, fair enough.

- This is goodbye. Awww.

- So Dr. Oobleck isn't the fighting kind of huntsman? Ahhh. That's why they looked so crestfallen. Intellectual huntsman does not engage in battle much. If at all.

- Truffles and Brussels are what he has fought... Okie. But I will give him the survey bit. Those can be brutal.

- Ozpin assigned Oobleck. Dumblin' Dorrie. Wait. So this Doctor is aware of the real reason they are going? Ahhhh. Gotcha.

- History is not only the backbone of society, but also the liver. Probably kidneys as well. According to Oobleck. I can kind of see his point, mayhaps. We never would've known a lot of things are bad for our body without sufficient research that's now history... Oh my Gods. Someone stop the nerd in me.

- One of Vale's greatest failures. Mountain Glen. Things are getting interesting!

- Talk about a Wasteland. TS Eliot would have a field day here.

- Oobleck wanted them to leave their bags behind. Ruby didn't because he hadn't asked them to start listening to him yet. 👏🏻😂🤌🏻

- Listen. The fact that Ruby's argument actually makes sense to Oobleck... He truly is an intellectual. People like these can justify almost anything, if they think about it enough. Holy hell.

- Zwei makes an appearance! Oobleck is overjoyed about it and spinning around with the doggo. Adorable! Ruby has been declared a genius for bringing him along. She is not going to let this go, is she? 😆

- Oi! At least place Zwei on the ground! Oobleck lost all the cool points he had earned.

- Concrete jungle. Hotspot for Grimm activity. Grimm's here now.

- So Grimms are attracted to negative emotions. Kyoukai no Kanata had a similar premise with the Youmu plot. How unpleasant! 😆✨😭 (If you know this show, much kudos! You awesome!)

- Whole pack of Grimm's here now. Zwei is a good pupper! He crouched down to cover his ears... AGHHHHHHHHH! So cute!!!!

- OOOOOOooooooooh! I am loving this comic panel style fight thing they are showing. Yang has entered the arena, begun brawling, and now running full steam ahead. RIP to the Grimm in her way!

- Blake seems to have become a part of the Wild West. The music, the slice and dice. Nice!

- Musketeer Weiss, no sugar all spice, for the Grimm in her path. One shot, many casualties!

- This is war, Ruby is blowing down Grimm and knocking out empty shells. Zwei ran in circles to make a tiny tornado. He had the zoomies! Dash, slash and Grimm splash!

- A lot more fights, tired girls, and Oobleck's just checking over garden delights.

- Yang wants a better mentor. A badarse huntsman in action she can learn from. Doctor's defence is good too I guess. Sometimes romanticising stuff won't really change what needs to be done. This is still an extermination mission. And I do feel, at the end of the day, Team RWBY is already the badass huntswomen in action who are just learning more from this experience. They know how to be huntresses. They now need to learn to be strategic. Oobleck is a good choice for that. Yang's points still have merit. But I feel Oobleck will grow on them. Like a fungus. 😆

- Why we do what we do segment... While they are fighting. This guy is about to pry and get honest answers and psychoanalyse them?

- Yang wants to be a huntress because she is a thrill-seeker who wants to travel around the world and have as many crazy adventures as possible. Helping people along the way is a great bonus. Win-win.

- Weiss has a family legacy of honour to uphold. She considers it her duty.

- Blake knows there's too much wrong in the world to sit around and do nothing. Someone must stop it. Stumped on Oobleck's how though.

- Ruby, who is using Crescent Rose to play with Zwei and his food, seems to be having fun! The rest of the team must set up camp. Her and Zwei and Oobleck are going on a walk.

- Elephant Grimm herd. In the actual jungle. Goliaths. Ooooooh!

- "Not every Grimm is mindless. Or rather, not every Grimm is still mindless." They are like the vultures who supposedly circle around probable prey, waiting for the humans to breed discord amongst themselves and then attack... Am assuming.

- Why is Oobleck a huntsman. Ruby is asking the real questions.

- The mind can have a larger impact. Knowledge is a weapon much more difficult to wield than most traditional ones. Oobleck is trying to impart the same to every student in his class. The wasteland is not only a reminder of the lives that could have been saved, but also an opportunity to learn from past mistakes and become stronger in the future to come.

- He is a huntsman because there's nothing else he would rather be... 🤌🏻

- Luck won't always be around. So you have to keep your wits about you to bring it back. Or just manufacture it. ✨

- Weiss, Yang and Blake don't know why they are where they are. Not really, according to them. Oobleck's question truly be out here giving them existential crises.

- Be so good, you don't even have to psychoanalyse folks. They will do it themselves... 👏🏻😂

- Ruby is taking first watch. Willingly. And was the only one Oobleck didn't ask about her reasons for becoming a huntress. Not that she cares why he didn't.

- Zwei is scared. Ruby tells him, "Don't worry. Things will be better tomorrow."

- I love episodes like this. Am a slut for thought experiments and the ensuing break downs they trigger... Yes, am also a masochist. 😭

- Serious, prepping for battle music. Ooooooh!

- Grimm fanart! 💖

(Edit: Forgot to add this in...

Spoilers are out, being a good samaritan is in. You spoil me, I no longer be a good samaritan to you. Wave wave!)

[nanakibh]

We gotta do everything ourselves...

Earthspark S3 Spoilers Below

Man, idk what other people are feeling, but I'm just going to pretend that there's only one season of Earthspark from now on. I foolishly thought that things could improve after S2. It really feels like the people who are working on ES now have no interest in anything that ES actually was. Maybe it's also corporate meddling. Whatever it is, I hate it.

I guess I'm glad they brought back the Chaos Terrans because it was pretty messed up for them to kill them off. But I don't think they were ever good characters and I would not have missed them.

The Fairmaestro sucks. He just sucks, dude. I can give his first episode a pass because it introduced Isabel and Cosmos, but this second episode was pure filler. Had nothing to do with the overarching plot. They only had seven episodes for S3 and they chose to completely squander some of them. Infuriating.

Speaking of Cosmos, he was just kind of there. I fail to see why they introduced him and then brought him back if they weren't really going to do anything interesting with him.

I think their treatment of Schloder is extremely fucked up. In S2, they brought him back just to use him for a laugh in the shitty Fairmaestro episode, and now they only brought him back for a couple silly scenes again. I'm going to turn into the Joker. He was one of the best human characters on the show. Genuinely one of my favorite characters overall. The way they've ignored him and turned him into a joke AFTER HE WATCHED HIS SISTER DIE is just disrespectful. It's bad writing.

The whole plot with Isabel was.......... It was something. The way she totally evaporated as a character after the reveal sure sucks. I expected there to be some hint that she really did like Robby even if she was just pretending to be human, but nah. Nah, forget about it.

There were a lot of little moments like that where I thought they were going somewhere interesting with something, but then it went nowhere. For instance, I thought that the Terrans might have been messing up the drive-in theater experience for Robby and Isabel on purpose because they were secretly jealous of Robby spending time with someone other than family. But nope! They're all just THAT incompetent now!

Dude, I'm so tired of them making Jawbreaker look like an out-and-out idiot. I'm so tired of them making the others be mean to him for no reason. It feels like the writers actually just... don't like him? Or at least they don't understand him.

My biggest problem is with the treatment of the Decepticons. They literally just... shipped them off to space? Are they just gone now? I honestly want this show to get cancelled at this point, but I'll also be mad if the show officially ends with the Decepticons just leaving.

Remember in S1 when Dot said that there are no bad Decepticons? Remember that great episode with Tarantulas? Remember Hashtag's heartfelt moments with Starscream? ...And now she's literally stabbing him in the back?? I refuse to believe that she would do that. I think there is a very valuable lesson to be made about how maybe it's not worth giving a person another chance after they've betrayed your trust multiple times, but I don't think that's something the writers were thinking about here. It feels like S1 wanted to redeem Starscream. S2/3 does not. The S1 writers wouldn't have given up on him the way the S2 writers have.

It feels like they were totally stumped about what to do with Starscream in this season, so they kept him locked inside the Titan. That's crazy. lmao I wrote a fic where Soundwave suggests that they should look for Skyfire, someone who actually stands a chance of redeeming him. It was just a small part of a much larger megasound fic, but if I can come up with something like that off the top of my head, I don't know why these writers struggled so much. I'm sure that Starscream fans out there have come up with much better plots for him in the ES universe. (I'm going to assume that they were told that they had to keep the Decepticons as villains. Which you can do! While still making them sympathetic like they were in S1! You can do that!)

This is the part of this rant where I feel the need to say that if you liked S1 of ES, you should write whatever kinds of fics you want and ignore S2/3 at your leisure. If you think something sucks, you don't have to acknowledge it. We can fix it ourselves. I truly believe that popular fanon can overwhelm this shitshow. If enough people say "Actually, Starscream WAS redeemed", that can be our reality.

Soundwave is barely a character at this point, which sucks because he's my favorite character. It seems pretty obvious to me that his feelings of betrayal in S1 came from the fact that he was always so loyal to Megatron. The S2/3 writers seem totally uninterested in examining that at all. We got no meaningful interactions between them. Nothing.

S1 Breakdown and S3 Breakdown are different characters. They actually had the audacity to walk back his S1 character development. And for what? He could have joined the Autobots in this season, but nah.

We simply did not need the Quintessons, but if they had to be there, the Decepticons should have been helping the Autobots fight them. Like, I'm pretty sure a natural trajectory from S1 would have included the Autobots rehabilitating the Decepticons and then fighting a common enemy together to further build trust. That feels like the spirit of S1 to me.

I feel like the status of Cybertron's condition is something that should have been completely left a mystery. If they had to reveal anything about it, they should have saved it until the very end where everyone (including the now-reformed Decepticons!) decide that they're going to stay on Earth even if returning to Cybertron is possible.

Idk how to end this. I'm sure that I'll just keep thinking of more things that bothered me.

Edit: Already thought of more. Jesus Christ... I like Prowl. I don't think this was a terrible rendition of him. But I don't think he added anything meaningful to the show. Again, I'm going to assume that they were told that they had to add a new Autobot for the sake of making toys or something. But why are you going to add a character if they don't add anything to the overarching plot? He literally existed just to give us a ship that would be used to get rid of the Decepticons so the writers wouldn't have to worry about what they would do with them during the Quintesson battle. Especially infuriating when you consider what I said about how they should've been helping the Autobots fight them. Like, we saw this in S1... We know that the Decepticons WOULD help in a fight... That wouldn't be out of character for them... God, this shit is so ass.

[thewebcomicsreview]

Woah, it's a hamsteak! Bit early this month, maybe they're splitting it into two parts (Edit: Apparently yes, per a newspost). They've been teasing a big [S] page for a while, probably where the game starts in Meat and The Point is revealed in Candy, and these updates seem like they're getting everyone in position for that. We're now done with the Ship and with DIrk, and we won't see either until the [S] comes, but we still need to pick up the kids and see what Karkat is up to, so I'm expecting this is a setup-heavy update for an [S] page...next month, on 6/12? Let's see.

KARKAT: KEPT YOU WAITING, HUH?

Candy Karkat is blatantly Solid Snake and I'm a bit surprised the old team never had him riff a Snake catchphrase. New team popping that cherry right off. Also, wow, Karkles got swole.

MEENAH: took you long enough bossman KARKAT: I THOUGHT I ASKED YOU TO STOP CALLING ME THAT WHEN WE'RE ALONE. MEENAH: big bossman KARKAT: NOT BETTER. MEENAH: sweetie-pirate KARKAT: BOSSMAN IT IS.

We're just going all-in on the Metal Gear references, but Meenah loses fishpoints for not calling him Big Bass. It's right there, Meenah.

KARKAT: AS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE NOTICED THERE'S AN ESCALATING, LARGE-SCALE MILITARY CONFLICT UNDERWAY;

Is there? I hadn't noticed, because the war is entirely fucking offscreen in HS2, to the point where I'm really unclear on if it's huge open battles (as in the epilogues) or a terrorist insurgency (as implied by Jane's focus on PR, the lack of any on-screen fighting, and even here Karket saying he was blowing up "Crockercorp" supply depots instead of "human" supply depots). "Escalating" is an interesting word, though. I have a theory that Jane and Rose both don't consider any of Earth C's population "Real", and in Jane's mind she's basically just been larping as a bad guy up until her dad died and she got serious, and this is why Jane was seemingly cool with helping Jade raise Yiffy, even though Jade is a commander in the anti-Jane rebel army. Jane's going to just stop being evil on a dime and everyone but Rose and Jane are going to be baffled.

There was a writer commentary where they kept making jokes about doing this, but I guess it's real. Why is the Carapacian naked?

These guys, who are not guaranteed to survive to the end of the update, are already fucking great.

KARKAT: ALRIGHT, COMPANIES 1 THROUGH 3 ARE IN PLACE. KARKAT: 4 THROUGH 6 ARE EN ROUTE.

Is this the first 413 in HS2? I'm surprised they're not using 612, the troll number.

KARKAT: ALSO THIS COVERT-OPS SUIT IS TIGHT AS ALL FUCK. MEENAH: well if its any consolation that may be rough for you but its a pretty great time to be your rear admire-all 38) KARKAT: MUCH OBLIGED.

The ship no one expected!

KARKAT: NOT LIKE DAVE. MEENAH: how you feelin about that

I know Karkat hasn't had a lot of screen time in HS2, and I know they've justified why this is coming up now, but as far as Karkat knows Candy Dave A. Married Jade, and then B. Died fifteen years ago. Has this really not come up in fifteen years?

SOLLUX: there's like a bazillion m0oks swarming ar0und my crib and none 0f the grubereats dudes are accepting orders right n0w. SOLLUX: probably 0n account 0f your inc0nvenient ass war. SOLLUX: could y0u pick me something up? SOLLUX: i'm assuming you're 0n your way.

Is this...the first on-screen interaction between Karkat and Sollux since Cascade in 2011? It was worth the wait.

KARKAT: MAYBE YOU'D GIVE MORE OF A FUCK ABOUT THE REPRODUCTIVE FUTURE OF OUR SPECIES IF ARADIA WAS EVER ACTUALLY THERE LONG ENOUGH FOR YOU TO GET SOME. MEENAH: ohhh snapper KARKAT: ANYWAY YEAH I CAN PROBABLY SWING THAT.

This is maybe the most Karkat interaction ever. He's furious for extremely good reasons, he's constantly insulting his friends, of course he'll swing his A-team war truck by McDonalds on the way to the war zone to get Sollux something. Doesn't even occur to him not to.

KARKAT: AND WE NEVER LET IT GO. LOB 4: Well said, sir! KARKAT: WHAT THE FUCK. KARKAT: HOW LONG HAVE YOU ALL BEEN LISTENING? TER 2: Pretty much since the beginning, sir!

It's cool and thematic that these guys talk in Dave's colors but I'm unbelievably sad they don't have names.

KARKAT: COMMANDERS HARLEY, MARYAM, AND LALONDE ARE INBOUND, AND NOT LONG AFTER THEY GET HERE THINGS ARE GOING TO GET BATSHIT STUPID!

Last time we saw Vrissy, she was seeing Yiffy for the first time. I was expecting an update following up on that before the big everything coming together, but maybe they won't get a chance to talk yet

Because this sure feels like the last page before an [S]

Edit: But it isn't, the news post said another update this month.

[zmediaoutlet]

happy wincest wednesday z! it's very probable you've been asked this already, but, on a chance you haven't: between when you first got into wincest and now, what were the main shifts in your perception of the ship, in things you focus on, in things that give you the most heart palpitations? especially considering that you came in when the show was still about halfway in, iirc! would really love to hear about this <3

aw, bud! gumdrop! ty for thinking of me on the happy holy day <3

and you know, I don't think I have been asked this! It's a really good thing to ponder. My memory is Bad but let me try to cast my mind back to those early days in a sort of compare/contrast exercise and we'll see what shakes out. As you know I started watching spn in ~2011/12ish, and was fully caught up and watching ep by ep as of late s7/beginning of s8, so it is a little different that I binged the first half of the show and took the slow path for the second half. So what did I think initially...

I remember having an out-loud conversation with the bestie once I'd essentially finished s1 that I was surprised I wasn't shipping the brothers. A lot of those early s1 moments didn't get me at all, and I still wouldn't put s1 in my top five seasons. Like -- no chance. It was important getting-to-know-them time and of course there are great individual bits, but I didn't wincest about it at all. I think that took until... s2, maybe even s3. (It was a fast binge at first, admittedly. I think you also know that I watched almost all of s1 in the grips of a literal delirium fever, so I wasn't really grokking it until later.)

I think I really started to like Get Into the wincest once it was getting apocalyptic -- s3/4/5. I mean how could you not. The stakes are never higher than they were then, really. That was the deepest danger and it was such a five-alarm fire of -- oh, this is IT. This is what it means that they're brothers. Back then I liked more of the 'family horror' element, although obv I never went quite as melodrama hbo-spn as the current fashion is, bc I left that behind with like HP fandom in the 2000s, haha -- but still! I read my fair share of "Sam pines and this is why he leaves," my fair share of "Dean's torn up about how his little brother's hot and that's why he basically feel like he deserves to go to hell," you know. etc etc. They still hit in their way but I don't -- like that much anymore, because.......

so I was REALLY into the s6-7 arc, loved it to PIECES. I loved saint!Sam getting his martyr on, the insanity, etc. The first fic series I wrote for this fandom was Physical Graffiti and it was all about that. And I still love it! Still wonderful! Buuuuut I didn't realize, I guess, what delights there were in store for the Carver era, and I didn't realize either that Sera was still working firmly inside the Apocalyptic Model -- obv appropriate for the show, but even if it was all about consequence and messy "what if there's not destiny anymore", it was still very much about the destiny and how firmly tied they were to each other. But then there was --

Carver era! Which was a bumpy ride, haha. But even the first half of s8 was ROUGH to get through (god, those horrible amelia flashbacks, godddd) what became clear was that this was now the Choosing Era, and there's nothing that hornts me up more than Choosing. I love the apocalypse, I love the destiny shit, but it turns out that I love SO MUCH MORE the sense that there are ten thousand thousand other options that characters could be making and yet they nevertheless turn ever inward, because this is what they want after all, and not just what they are forced to have. Dude, that FUCKS. It's so good.

therefore, like, I get palpitations obviously still from things like s1, Sam saying "it's never gonna be like it was" and Dean pathetically going "could be?" Like that's good. Of course. But my established-relationship, adult complication, soulmates-are-made-not-by-fate-but-by-choice heart thrills more (and more every day!) to little things like... in the French Mistake, when Dean half-cautiously says to Sam that his life here isn't so bad, and maybe they could stay, and Sam just shrugs and says "we're not brothers here, man." Or when Sam could absolutely have stayed in Kermit at that shitty motel where Amelia would've waited, but instead he shows up at a cabin and eats bad chili with Dean, even if he's still mad. Or when Dean was a demon, and then had a mark, and Sam at any point could've said -- you know what, we could make a sacrifice play here and save several days, but I wanted you back, and Dean looks at him and then away because -- that's just true. That's a choice, made. Every day.

that's the shit, man. That's all I need.

[beansterpie]

getting to know mutuals!

Thank you for tagging me @marley-manson! <3

what's the origin of your blog title?

based on my irl nickname that I've had since I was a kid, Bean lol.

otp(s) + shipname(s):

I dooon't really understand the... prompt, here, but some ships I like are:

griffguts (berserk), agohiru (eyeshield 21), fitzfool (realm of the elderlings), xiyao (mdzs), superbat (um... DC comics?), jeeves/wooster (jeeves novels), starsky/hutch (starsky & hutch (og 70's show, not the movie)), and many many more lol

favourite colour:

purple, probably, though I also love greens and teals

song stuck in your head:

weirdly, I don't have anything stuck up there atm lol

weirdest habit/trait:

dude idk. a lot of my american friends think I'm weird for drinking my tea black, but no offense that just because they're american.

hobbies:

fandom lol, drawing, writing, reading, very casual media analysis

if you work, what's your profession?

I work with dogs! At a pet boarding facility, specifically.

if you could have any job you wish, what would it be?

Hmmmmm. I mean, I've always had trouble envisioning a dream job ever since I was a kid tbh, so I'm not sure. Something that I find fulfilling and pays well, but beyond that who tf knows. I have been considering applying to a zoo somewhere eventually lol.

something you're good at:

Drawing, writing to an extent, I'm weirdly good at mariokart.

something you hate:

I hate consistently having to clean up after other people lol.

something you collect:

Enamel pins, sort of? I do have a denim jacket with pins on them lol, but I'm very picky about the pins I want to own. I guess earrings, too. Again, very picky. I used to collect like, small things. Little sculptures and toys, miniatures in general. Tbh I think I still would if I felt I had a place to store and properly display them. Select manga series (currently: Berserk (in progress), Vinland Saga (in progress), D.Gray-Man (in progress), and ES21 (I have all of them! but it doesn't count because I bought them all at once on ebay lol))

something you forget:

lol what don't I forget? my brain is full of holes. I've... developed ways to work around my constant forgetfulness, to varying levels of success, but the forgetfulness is very much still there.

what's your love language:

uuhhhhh I mean as far as the ones I find myself doing often, I guess quality time and also acts of service. I like hanging out with people I like, and I'm always happy to, you know, do stuff for them and help out.

favourite movie/show:

I can never answer this fucking question lol. Ok what curretly comes to mind:

Movie - Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds

Show - Black Sails. Also Shogun (an aside, but I keep thinking about a crossover where instead of John Blackthorn, what if Flint was the one who ended up in Japan? I know the century is off but I just think it would be fun)

favourite food:

Curry, maybe...?

favourite animal:

Not to be basic, but cats. Aesthetically, probably caracals.

what were you like as a child:

Mmmm I was kind of timid and a follower when I was really little, but once I got around the 10-ish range I got more confrontational. Always kind of had anger issues, though not usually towards other people so much. I was also a pretty outspoken feminist, if with some flawed theory lol. But I'd call people out publicly if they were being an asshole haha, and I was big on defending my friends, even though I wasn't particularly good at wording things.

favourite subject at school:

Art, English, PE, probably in that order.

least favourite subject:

Lol math, and related subjects like physics. I also had one year of Spanish that made me absolutely miserable. (I had other Spanish classes there were ok, but it was that year specifically that sucked. I dreaded going)

what's your best character trait?

Idk I'm friendly but not pushy, which is a good trait imo lol.

what's your worst character trait?

I'm not very proactive, unfortunately. I'm also extremely forgetful lol, and I think part of that is avoidance.

if you could change any detail of your life right now, what would it be?

Uhhhh have my own place in a different town. Potentially in a different country lol.

if you could travel in time, who would you like to meet?

Honestly I've never cared about meeting historical figures or celebrities or whatever. Potentially family members on my dad's side, but ngl I feel like it would just be depressing.

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tagging: @deabruarenjarraitzaileaya-ha, @spark-so-floss, @damaera, @stuffingprize, @strigidaes, @hawkfawun, @fancymeats, @ofdemonsandangels