#so I'll probably have it at ten people and then see where they'd be from and all

[jellieland]

It's just like them, thinks Martyn, miserably, To want to make these things stick.

He's always been an "act first, weasel your way out of any potential consequences later," kind of guy, so immediate, painful and permanent consequences to his recklessness strike him as unfair, unwarranted, and quite possibly a personal attack.

But, well. Here he still is anyway. What's he going to do about it?

His ankle burns where the baby zombie clawed at it. His legs ache from the dripstone, and the dripstone, and, yes, the dripstone again, and also walking off Mumbo's house and perhaps slightly misjudging his landing.

His ear keeps ringing and most of his right side stings from the creeper that decided, quite rudely, to sneak up on him and then blow up directly in his face about half a second before he could raise his shield. And the gravel later on, that he'd seen falling but still not managed to avoid, hadn't helped with any of that either.

He can feel blood dripping down his back in no less then five separate places, along with his arm, his shoulder, and the side of his head—that last one bled a lot and got onto his bandanna which was pretty annoying, actually—all from his many encounters with what he thinks were probably, at a conservative estimate, about a billion skeletons.

He doesn't quite glare up at the Secret Keeper. The healing they'd given him had been too much of a relief for that; his vision had stopped swimming, that head wound had stopped bleeding so much, and it was significantly less painful to walk. But the look he gives them is certainly glare-adjacent.

"You do know injuries aren't supposed to stick around like this, don't you?" he mutters, bitterly. "I know you like twisting stuff, but this is ridiculous. It's unnatural, is what it is!"

Someone snorts behind him.

He turns, and he sees Cleo. Neat, meticulous stitches are visible across their skin. Martyn hasn't met many people with scars before, but she's one of them.

The only new one is what looks, ironically enough, like a zombie bite on their arm, entirely healed over.

"It's really not that hard to deal with if you're just patient," she says.

"Ah," he says. "Well. That's my problem right there, then, isn't it?"

"It certainly looks like it," they say, amused. They're laughing at him again. He can't even be mad, since all in all, he totally deserves it.

"Yeah, alright," he says, a bit indignant just for the sake of what remains of his pride. "No need to rub it in! I hope you realize that if healing just worked normally, I'd be doing really well, actually."

"Hmm. Right, you do tend to throw yourself off of cliffs, and then try and work out how you'll save yourself on the way down, don't you?" She gives him a knowing look. "But look on the bright side—when you do die, you'll get to be perfectly healthy again for... I give it ten seconds. After that, you'll start making decisions."

"Hey, I'll have you know I went to the Nether for ages, and got out without a scratch on me that I didn't have when I arrived!" he retorts.

"Oh, so you can be careful, you just choose not to be?" They raise a judgemental eyebrow.

"Well... I mean." He half-shrugs, then winces. "I mean. Yeah. Yes. You know this about me."

There is a brief pause. She gives him an unreadable look, eyes catching on the blood seeping through his shirt. "...Yeah. I guess I do."

He glances over at the Secret Keeper again, bold and unmoving against the unnaturally darkened sky.

When he looks back, Cleo is still watching him. "You didn't even bandage those, did you?" they ask, with a touch of what most people would think was disdain. "Let alone stitch them up."

"I mean, no? It's not like it'll do anything, is it?" he asks, taken aback. "The good old 'Powers That Be' want us to bleed, and they want us to keep bleeding! Who am I to argue?"

She narrows her eyes as though she doesn't quite understand his point. "I'm not saying that would fix it. I don't think any of us are going to live long enough for that method of healing to work." They shrug. "Would make it hurt less, though."

Now it's his turn to narrow his eyes. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," she says. "At least, so I've heard. For me, it's mostly about making sure I don't start physically falling apart, because it's really inconvenient when that does start happening."

He nods in acknowledgement. "Well, maybe I'll give it a go if I have the time." It all sounds a bit far-fetched to him. Much better to spend time working towards completing the next secret task he gets, or persuading people to give him the healing they have to spare, rather than losing hours on something that wouldn't actually help him in the long run.

(Maybe it's an echo, maybe it's just who he is, but Martyn's time is precious, and he is not giving it up for something so monotonous. Who would find that interesting?)

"Alright," they say. "If you're sure. But no one else is going to do it for you, you know."

He snorts. "Cleo," he says. "You're funny." She, of all people, should know he's already well aware of that.

"Right," they say, dryly. "Well, unless you want anything else I think I'm done here."

"Nah, not really." he says, then pauses. Frowns.

As unconvinced as he is, she really didn't have to say that to him. She deserves at least something in return.

"I will say," he says delicately, "if that advice really does help. You should probably keep it to yourself. You know. Death game, and all that."

All at once, their expression turns cold. "I think it's my business what I choose to give up, actually," she snaps.

Martyn's eyes briefly flick over to the Secret Keeper. "I mean..."

"No. I meant what I said." They cross their arms. "It's up to other people what they choose to do with it. But what I give them is up to me." She glances at the Secret Keeper, and then back to him. "No one's ever been able to tell me what I owe, or don't owe, to anyone." They smirk, and give him a piercing look. "You know this about me."

"...Yeah," he says. "I guess I do."

There is a short silence.

"Well!" He claps abruptly. "I won't keep you!"

"No, you won't," she says. "I'd best be off. This might come as a surprise, but I do actually have better things to do than hang out around Grian's creepy rock all day."

"Fair, fair." He chuckles, and raises a hand in farewell as they leave. "See you around."

Once she's out of sight, he goes back to staring at the Secret Keeper.

It's quiet.

"They're doing pretty well this time, huh?" he says. "If she keeps going like this, she probably won't get another happy ending, will she."

The air is very still, here. It's as though the place is trapped in night, even when he can see the sun in the sky.

The Secret Keeper does not answer him.

"I know you, though," he says. "You won't let it be all about being careful. That would be boring."

The thought nags at him that Cleo hasn't sounded as though they'd found any of this boring. Surely there had to be more to it than what she'd said? There had to be.

If there wasn't, then what was the point of all this pain?

He shifts, and his shoulder twinges, and he hisses quietly with frustration.

"Things already stuck," he says, unhappily. "They already stayed. I thought that was obvious."

The rock just stands there.

Judgemental. Impartial. It's impressive how it can manage to be both.

Martyn sighs heavily, and winces, and turns away. He looks towards his extremely small, entirely copied base, and a place where the sky is capable of letting in the light.

He pokes gingerly at his head wound. It's shallow, but painful.

"Maybe just this one," he mutters. "Could repurpose my bandanna. Although I guess I should probably wash it first. That would be smart." He wipes at his face. "If I don't then blood's going to start getting in my eyes. But not in a cool way, just in a way where I'll fall in a ravine by accident or something."

Nobody responds. That's ok. He hasn't exactly endeared himself to anyone, recently.

In a game that's even more about trust than usual, there's a part of him that doesn't mind being a lone wolf, as it were. At least for now. Harder to stab someone in the back if you don't let them get behind you, right?

He can make this work. He'll just have to adapt. He's good at that, usually! He just has to find the angle.

After all, he may not be patient, but he is persistent.

And he suspects being a liar will come in handy, for this one.

[ateez-himari]

And if himari dated another idol, what would be the reaction of his members or family members (like hyunjin from skz, since they are Versace ambassadors together, it would be very good to see donatella's reaction) or an older idol/actor like lee taemin, or byeon wooseok/jung hae in

I definitely wasn't expecting this kind of question but it's an interesting one! I can't go through all of the possible alternative love interests but let's go through a few;

Hyunjin (Stray Kids); No one would object to their relationship but they would most definitely be surprised at this pairing as they appear to have a more 'best friends' connection to one another. Donatella would be over the moon that two of the house's ambassadors are dating, she would probably start designing their wedding outfits way before the decision is even made, shower them with gifts, match their outfits at fashion shows, promote collections with them posing together, etc. Himari's brothers would definitely have fun interrogating him after hearing the news - since the two are only one year apart they would be much more strict when it comes to protecting their precious little sister - but would still be very supportive as they have many things in common (and let's be honest they'd make a visually powerful couple)

Jungkook (BTS); This relationship would have surprised absolutely no one in either of their lives as they have been best friends for over eleven years, trusting each other with everything no matter how dark or personal it may be. There would be some slight objection from Yoongi however as despite the fact that his maknae has an amazingly kind heart, he does not see him being able to take care of his younger sister in a more romantic way due to their somewhat similar childish personalities

Older Idols/Actors;

S.Coups - 1995 (Seventeen); Despite the somewhat large age difference between the two, her bandmates and family members would feel rather at peace knowing that she is with someone more than capable of caring for her after the heavy ordeals she has pushed through over the years. Unbeknownst to most people in their lives, they've actually hooked up in the past but have no romantic chemistry - as they stand today they are close and have mostly forgotten what happened back then

Byeon Woo Seok - 1991 (Actor); Hima is twenty three years old now which means that they are ten years apart and this most definitely would spark many questions from the people in her life, along with numerous objections. While it is true that she is capable of making independent decisions, there would be suspicions regarding the actor's intentions with her and pressure from bandmates along with family members would eventually make them break up

Lee Do Hyun - 1995 (Actor); Even viewers adored their chemistry behind the scenes of 'Where We Fall' on which they were co-stars - though it was merely friendship that was over analyzed as she was already dating Mingi at the time - and some of her other idol friends jokingly shipped the two of them. Considering the fact that he seems to be the definition of a gentleman, her parents would plan their wedding the second she would introduce him to them and while her brothers would be slightly on edge about the relationship they would not be able to deny how good of a match he is for their precious sister

Taemin (SHINee); The senior idol has been mentoring her for nearly five years now so he's very far removed from any romantic possibilities, however (hypothetically), if they were to enter a relationship there would be pushback from every single person in her life as there would be questions regarding a possible power abuse. Himari would most likely be encouraged to terminate her contract as record producer with him

If you have any more romantic match alternatives let me know and I'll answer any questions you might have!

[nosebleedsturn]

ten : peach pout

Words: 926

tuesday morning, november 5th, 6 am-8:00 pm

camille's day started very early.

the first thing she did was hit the shower. she shaved her legs, washed, washed and conditioned her hair. got out, blow dried her hair. she painted her nails a light glossy pink color. in the background, she had the nutcracker playing on her tv. she could see it in her vanity mirror while she worked on her makeup. some blush, mascara, concealer, a light foundation, lipgloss.

she had an early practice this morning. and was told to come into the studio stretched and ready to go. nutcracker season was no joke in her studio. cami had only auditioned to be the roll of snowflake, but was ultimately given one more aside from that one, which was the leading dewdrop during the flower waltz. camille's studio's first nutcracker performance takes places on december 17th to honor the day that it originally was performed in st. petersberg, russia.

camille packed her belongings into her duffle bag. her pointe shoes, ballet flats, her skirt, tights, extra leo, balero, pins, needles, thread, bandages, hair pins and clips, two water bottles, a small snack, her ipod and earbuds for the cool down period after practice.

today was going to be a bit different, this was the first time they were going to be practicing and running the shoe altogether, costume, orchestra, and everything. to say t here was a lot of stress was an understatement. she walked up the stairs, staring down at her phone, duffle bag in her hand.

"he's just such a sweetheart." camille stopped, recognizing vega's voice immidiately. he? vega was talking about a boy. "no, i just can't believe you hung out with him,." malerie replied, sounding surprised. "i never thought you'd hang out with a boy alone." cami smiled a bit. vega sounded like she was making progess. it didn't exactly sound like a romantic thing, but hanging out with a boy alone was never something platonic, especially to guys. "with chris of all people." malerie continued. cami froze in shock. her happiness for her friend suddenly clouding. "i just can't believe he initiated it. i always thought he was afraid of me."

vega hung out with chris alone?

cami was happy that vega was finding herself comfortable around chris, it made it easier for cami to like him, but chris initiating it to? what was vega playing at? was she doing all this just to hurt her? although camille hadn't exactly had the confidence to outright tell malerie and vega that she was crushing on chris, but she also wasn't even sure if it was what she herself wanted. like yes, she's slept on face time with his, yes his hoodie is hanging in her closet, yes she's dreamt about a life with him. what they'd name their kids, where they would all live. of course nick and matt wouldn't live far, and vega and malerie would have to live close too, they were her best friends. plus, it sounded like nick and sammy had something going on, and usually wherever sam went, vega wasn't too far behind.

camille's phone begins ringing, her reminder that she needed to go now before she arrived late. cami winced, dashing up the stairs and rounding the corner. "hey." cami waved quickly, speed walking to the door. "hi cami." vega was sitting at the table eating a bowl of cereal. "i'll send you both the link to the tickets tonight after practice. don't wait up for me or anything, i'll probably be home late." neither mal no vega could ignore the deep frown lines and peach gloss that covered camille's pout. it turned suddenly as she smiled at both the girls and then ran down the stairs, opening and slamming the door shut behind her.

vega and malerie looked at each other. that was so abnormal for cami. she didn't even greet both of the girls really. she didn't say her usual half serious-half joking somber titanic-esque goodbye. 'wow' vega mouthed, focusing on her cereal again. sometimes cami got into little moods, typically it was based around a practice going well or not, but she hadn't had practice since thursday, a whole free weekend. malerie went back to washing dishes, vega scrolled through her instagram.

malerie drops a fork in the sink, the loud clanging starttling vega. "what, what, what!" vega shouted, thinking that maybe mal had burnt her hand or cut herself. "do you think cami was listening?" malerie pointed to the set of stairs leading down to camille's room. vega's eyebrows furrowed. "what, no. camille may be a ballerina, but she is no spy. we would have heard her come up the stairs."

malerie turned around, still not feeling secure in vega's response. vega always seemed to lack empathy, at first this realization started mal and cami but eventually they just learned to live with it. now, more than ever, it unsettled malerie how little vega cared.

vega didn't really care simply because she didn't think it was possible for camille to have heard them without saying something. if vega was in cami's position, and had heard the wrong part of the conversation, completely taken out of context, she would have asked a few questions. but vega wasn't camille, and confrontation was never something that camille wanted to do.

so cami stewed in her silence.

N O S E B L E E D S

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

i need to work on making my chapters longer cause i know it's annoying reading a short chapter and watching an ad every ten seconds i'm sorry.

Also just wanted to say thank you for all the support. I’ve always sucked at writing books and being consistent with the updating process but I’ve gotten better I believe so !!

[ratasum]

Just a lil thing about a couple of old men trying to bury the hatchet after one's been "dead" for a decade. Rytlock and Logan talk during the early events of JW. (In Tyria-432, Logan "died" in Arah, only to be rescued by the wizards, taking Zojja's place in SotO.)

"So it is you."

There was no mistaking that voice. It had been a long time since he'd heard it, of course; ten years at least. They'd both grown older, changed in their own ways. Logan folded his arms over his chest as he turned, cocking his head to look up at the charr, who was straightened to tower over him, glaring down with his head turned to one side.

He supposed he couldn't blame him. For all anyone had known all that time, he'd fallen on the battlefield in Arah. The dead shouldn't return to life in any capacity, but hale and whole? He could understand why that would be jarring.

"It's good to see you too, Rytlock."

Rytlock chuffed at that, letting his posture relax, though his scowl didn't ease. He looked over Logan for a moment, then folded his arms as well, expression souring. "Crecia'd said you showed up with these... wizards. Didn't know if I believed her." He took a step closer, sniffing before his muzzle curled. He remembered Rytlock making that expression in Snaff's lab what felt like a lifetime ago, when he'd smelled something particularly foul. The fact he hadn't lashed out was proof enough of how time and recent events had mellowed him, at least a little. "And you didn't think it'd be prudent to tell anyone you were on this side of the dirt?"

Sighing, Logan spread one hand in front of him, the other pushing his hair out of his face. "It's complicated. I would have, but up until very recently, the wizards chose to remain completely separated from the rest of Tyria. They didn't think it would be safe for people to know of their existence at all. And that included their hand in my survival."

"You had people here." Rytlock was damnably hard to get a read on sometimes, but the irritation in his tone was impossible to miss, especially with how his tail lashed. "Probably would've been nice for them to know. Your damn foolishness did a number on them."

And you, was Logan's thought, but he didn't dare say it out loud, instead folding his hands behind his back to speak up. "Believe me, it wasn't for lack of trying. And I did get to see Zojja- she's done well for herself, even after everything she went through. And you as well. Think you're going to make Khan-Ur?"

Rytlock's hackles immediately raised and he chuffed again, hard, tail whipping hard enough Logan swore it would've cracked like a whip if it could have. "Don't change the subject." Growling low in his chest, he readjusted his posture, frowning hard. "...so what now. You're here. Gonna go back with them?"

"Well... yes. I've been asked to take over Mabon's bastion in the wake of his death, but I didn't want to rush because there were people here I wanted to see before then." He could explain why later. "Besides that, while Lady Tahir is dealing with things in the Janthir region, Zojja had suggested reaching out to Eir - and Caithe if she can spare some time from up there - and going to Elona to visit Glint's lair. A pilgrimage, as it were. To lay old hurts to rest. If you're interested."

The charr turned his head away for a moment, scowling as he bared his fangs. But finally he turned back, lifting his shoulders slightly. "Rh. Fine. Only if you plan on telling me what all... that you just said before means. Here you are asking me about the Khan-Ur position while you're doing all that."

Slowly, Logan nodded. "I'll explain everything, to all of you. I mean... Zojja knows, but you, Caithe, Eir... everyone else deserves to know what's coming." After a moment, he offered out a hand, watching Rytlock's face. "It's a start, isn't it?"

"Hmph. I suppose." Freeing one hand from where his arms had still been crossed, Rytlock reached out to grip Logan's wrist in one massive paw, allowing himself a smirk as he felt Logan's own hand grip his wrist. "Don't think I'm gonna let you off easy for disappearing like you did."

"Wouldn't have it any other way, old friend. It's good to be home."

For now.

[panfluidme]

Taken Away Forever

Martin squeezed his eyes shut as he gripped his bleeding stomach. The knife in his side really caused pain to course through every inch of his body and made his face pale and his forehead sweat. He knew he couldn't remove it so he didn't bleed out as fast as he would if it was taken out.

He hated that he was alone. He had always been afraid of dying alone, and that seemed that was going to be the case. Which was absolutely terrifying. He wasn't supposed to die until he and Chris were much older. Not at twenty-four. He still had so much things to do...

Despite the fact they had stabbed him, Martin couldn't bring himself to hate them. He knew that sometimes, desperate people did something they didn't want to do to keep themselves fed, sheltered, or having clothes on their back. Sometimes even to do those things for someone else, usually their child. 

That didn't mean he wasn't scared, because he was so scared. He was so scared of leaving Chris and the rest of the crew. He was scared that he would never get to make things up to Chris, that he wouldn't get to hold his brother again. He was scared that he would never creature adventure again; there were still so many creatures he hadn't seen yet. He was scared that he would never get to see his parents again, never get to tell him that he loved them.

Martin shifted— he didn't know why he did it— and gasped out in pain. Every inch of him just exploded in more pain. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he tried to keep them down. If anyone found him, regardless of who they were, he didn't want to be seen crying over something so... unimportant.

"Fuck, this hurts." Martin wasn't usually one to swear, but it slipped out. It made him feel dirty when he swore, so he had a dislike for it. He didn't care when other people swore (though, he did tease Chris and tell him not to swear whenever he did). 

He reached for his communicator, but found that it was missing from where he normally kept it. He felt around to see if he could find it, to see if it was put somewhere new in the rush of him leaving to get fresh air in the city. But Martin couldn't find it.

Fear built up inside of him. It swirled with anger at the person and himself for the briefest moments before being replaced with regret. He wouldn't get to finish his animal life list. Martin wouldn't get to tell his brother that he loved him one last time.

Martin slowly opened his eyes, the street light blinding him. He has always been more sensitive to light than most people, but it was only amplified by his pain. Sure, the sensitivity was annoying at times, but he had ways to deal with it and it was what it was.

He tensed up when he heard footsteps approaching. He turned his head away and shut his shut, scared that whoever it was would finish him off. That or hurting him more then leave him to die when they saw that he didn't have a wallet or any money on him anymore. He probably did have expensive equipment on him, but the person wouldn't know that.

They put their hand on his chest, a familiar, yet unfamiliar smell coming from them. It was surprisingly comforting. "Deep breaths, hun," the stranger spoke softly. "I'll call an ambulance here soon, just keep breathing. You're doing great."

Martin slowly opened his eyes again. "Who are you?"

"My name is Martha Zacks." She looked familiar somehow, like she could've been related to someone he knew, but he couldn't place it through the pain. "What's your name?"

"Ma-Martin Kratt."

She nodded with a comforting smile. "How long ago were you stabbed, Martin?"

"Ten min-minutes ago."

Martha nodded again and called 911. She answered every question they asked calmly, keeping her jeweled hand on his chest to feel his heart beat. It was slowing, but it was still there. That was all that mattered to her.

"They'll be here in five minutes," she informed after hanging up. "They'd be here sooner, but the hospital isn't very close. Your job is to stay awake and keep breathing. Do you think you can do that for me, hun?"

Martin hesitated before nodding. "I think so..."

He hoped so. There way no way in hell he was going to leave Chris and the Crew like this. Especially without saying any kind of goodbye. They all deserved to have one if he really was coming to his end.

The blond didn't want Chris' last memory of his older brother to be of them fighting. It had been a really nasty one that ended with Chris loudly making the false claim of hating Martin, a statement that Martin knew wasn't true, but still stung to the core. Martin ran off to get some fresh air and cool down.

Which led to this situation. Stabbed and bleeding out in a city, and Martin hated cities, much preferring small towns or  the wilderness. There was a stranger there, so Martin wasn't truly alone, but he still felt alone. Martin wanted his baby brother, to hold Chris close and tell him that everything was going to be okay.

He saw a blinding light at the top of his vision while the rest darkened. Martin was vaguely aware of Martha swearing and saying something else, but his mind blocked it out. He was so very tired...

Chris was reading in his room to help himself calm down. Thirty minutes ago, he and Martin had gotten into an argument over something that really didn't matter. But things had been getting tense around the Tortuga since they had to quarantine while everyone was sick. Martin and him had been stuck in the same room for just over a week. So just the want for the only copy of a power disk caused an explosive fight.

Someone knocked on the door, bringing the brunet out of his book. He scoffed and stomped over to the door, swinging it open. "Not now, Martin," he growled angrily, not bothering to look at who it was.

"I'm not Martin," Aviva said softly. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but for once, Chris was too angry at everything to really care. "Can I come in? It's important."

Chris moved to the side, rolling his eyes. He assumed that she was hear to talk about the fight. "I'm not talking to Martin, nor am I apologizing to him."

Aviva softened and sighed. "Chris... Martin's dead."

His heart stopped beating for a moment, sinking down to his stomach in dread. "He's what?"

"He died ten minutes ago. Martin had been mugged and stabbed. A woman called an ambulance that arrived right after his death. They tried everything they could do to bring him back."

"No. He can't be dead," Chris denied. "He was fine an hour ago! Martin ca-can't be gone." He hid his face in his hands as a sob shook his body. It was such a heartbreaking scene. Not even a minute ago, Chris was so angry, he wanted nothing to do with Martin. Now he was crying and trying to deny his brother's death.

No matter how upset with Martin he was, Chris never wanted him to die. They were best friends. They rarely argued, and when they died, they would take some time to cool off and then talk about things. Which always had cookies and hot chocolate or chocolate milk. That can't be gone forever, it can't have been taken away forever. 

Aviva put her hand on his shoulder. "I know, Chris. I know it hurts. I know you don't want to accept it, but you deserve to know that he's gone. I know he loved you more than anything."

"The last thing I told him was 'I hate you'. I didn't think he was going to die, and I-I didn't mean it. He died thinking I hate him, but I've never ha-hated him."

"I know you didn't." She looked at him in concern then opened her arms. "Do you need a hug?"

He nodded and fell into her arms. He broke down, allowing himself to sob without holding anything back. His role model, his best friend, was made all because he needed to get fresh air after an argument. After an argument with Chris. How was he supposed to ever forgive himself?

Chris felt so foolish and upset at himself. He let a creature power disk that he had wanted take his brother away for the rest of his life.

Part Two

[towersofviolet]

right! (disorganised) doctor who s02e01 thoughts under the cut

story

fun concept for an episode (the ownership of the system being someone with one of those tacky "name a star" certificates)

but a lot of it seemed very hurried, e.g. the scene where she's on the throne. the whole robot revolution thing was confusing and i think we could have done with a little more explaining, especially the ai/al thing. yeah the marriage thing makes sense considering the reveal, but i was scratching my head at it before that

a lot of the story was weak tbh, like they needed 10 more minutes to slow down and take their time with it

mvp of the episode (besides belinda who i'll get to) was polish polish robot. absolute cutie pie

but the doctor dropping the certificate and the robot scooping it up seemed kinda convoluted... tbh i'm not even sure why it was necessary? like belinda had the paper originally, so they could have just had her still have it in her pocket, and the doctor could just drop a hint to get it out. what was the point of the doctor keeping hold of it?

i was curious what they were going to do with ai but they ended up not going that route

biggest eyeroll at the incel thing lmao. like the concept was fine but did they really have to drop it in dialogue?

wish they'd done a bit more with the "every ninth word" thing but i understand why they didn't for the sake of conciseness

doctor

fifteen crying again, which is becoming a bit of a cliché. it was understandable and made sense! but i agree with what i saw someone say: it kinda takes away from the weight of big moments when he's shedding a tear every episode or two

we didn't get much from him this episode, but that makes sense because it's belinda's first episode so it's all about her

did he really just blow the power to an entire hospital 😑

not sure if that was intended as a funny "haha he made a silly choice" thing or if it will be part of his arc this season, like with ten, that he's becoming more and more grandiose and self-important, endangering the people around him. i'm probably just overthinking a throwaway gag tbh

great outfit

gatwa is such a joy on screen

another extended period of time stuck in one place... i definitely got joy to the world vibes from that. is that gonna be a common thing with him? considering fourteen's deal, i'm curious to see where they're going with that (if anywhere at all)

how did he find out about belinda? colour me intrigued 👀

💖 belinda 💖

can't remember the last time i fell in love with a companion this fast. maybe bill??

💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

okay!

"why does it have to be miss" 🏳️‍⚧️🤨?

would love love love her to be non-binary or trans or anything really

THANK you for finally pointing out how creepy it is when the doctor scans ppl without consent! like i kinda got why it was necessary with amy because he didn't want the ganger amy to be suspicious, but it's been a recurring issue for a while

i love medical professionals in the tardis tbh. martha 🤝 rory 🤝 belinda (they would get on so well)

her immediately going to help the patients made me adore her. like it's an alien planet and she's almost DIED and the medicine is different but her first instinct is to help wherever she can. ideal companion instinct 🥹

also, she JUMPED at the chance to sacrifice herself behind the doctor's back lmao. wonder if he's gonna have to keep her on a leash so she doesn't do that every episode. again, love that in a companion (although worries me about whether she'll make it through the season alive)

i don't caaaaaaaare about the mundy flynn thing. companions don't have to be super special ebony darkness dementia raven ways!!!!!!!! just say it's a genetic quirk thing like with gwen and gwyneth and call it a day!

i like how she's not impressed with the doctor's swagger. her whole "how many girls do you say that to" thing (can't remember the exact line) reminded me sooooo much of donna in the runaway bride. yay 💞

other

i seriously could not care less about mrs flood at this point. like it was fun to speculate last season but they didn't even hint at the resolution. why should i keep theorising when i have no reason to think they're going to answer the mystery this season? they've been dangling the keys in front of my face too long i've lost interest lmao

interesting special effects with the timey wimey bit! kinda surreal in a way we haven't really seen before, which i liked

[ramblebramblefun]

"I'll surpass All Might and become the richest hero ever!"

That's what Bakugou Katsuki says, in a world where he grows up alongside one Midoriya Izuku.

In a world entirely devoid of a certain green-haired 'damn nerd', Bakugou Katsuki did not need to say such things out loud.

Everybody already fucking knew it.

Bakugou Katsuki is, was, and always will be number one, top of the charts in any arena he cares to enter, and the stage that he desires to dominate is the same as it ever was and will be, whether or not there’s anyone for him to call Deku.

Bakugou Katsuki goes to the vaunted UA academy, and leaves everyone who meets him there choking on his dust.

Yeah, maybe Freezerburn and a couple of others gave him a run for his money for a minute, but Katsuki has never been anything but a hard worker. Practice, practice, practice turns natural talent into a fortress of steel that no one can crack.

Katsuki will just blast you off the balustrades.

He goes to UA, and he graduates, and he enters the fray that is the hero billboard rankings with a bang he’s pretty sure the whole world heard.

All Might has the good sense to retire before Ground Zero can knock him down, but Endeavour? Katsuki blasts that piece of shit to smithereens.

Not literally. That would be bad PR. The press team gets on his case enough as it is.

Speaking honestly, as Katsuki does, there were probably a few more other heroes in between 'graduation' and 'top of the charts', but Katsuki hadn't bothered to remember any of those extras' names. No fucking point.

The rest of his graduation class had come surging up behind him, after all. Katsuki has only ever associated with the best. Hawks whomst? Gang Orca? Best Jeanist?

Well. Maybe Katsuki did know that last one. Internships had been embarrassing, but, in hindsight, he had, perhaps, learned something there.

Anyway.

Bakugou Katsuki becomes the fucking best, the way everyone always knew he would be. Undisputed number one, that's him. Top of the heap in every way.

The praise comes thick and fast, for every little thing, the way it always has ever since his quirk came in, but it's nothing he hasn't heard since long before conquering All Might's fucking mountain of a molehill and frankly, he's kinda sick of hearing it.

Blah blah blah, Ground Zero is an amazing insert-here, saved twenty people today, same as he did yesterday, and the day before that, yadda yadda we can't wait to see where the youngest number one hero goes from here-

He stops watching the news.

He stops watching the news, and so he's the last to know when a building collapses on top of fucking Uravity.

…

He hates being last. That's all. That's why he doesn't attend the funeral, that's why he-

...

Ururaka Ochako had been a worthwhile opponent in their high school spars. Her thirst for the top had been as great as Katsuki's, and it was a thrill to compete against her.

She'd just opened her own agency. Broke the top ten. Come within spitting distance of-

...

He'd been looking forward to having competition. That's all.

...

Uravity is not the first person from their high school class to die. That would be the four-eyed hypocrite who got himself murdered in first year.

Uravity is not the last to die, either. Next up is Tailman, sniped by some bitch they never catch. There's nothing for Katsuki to blast.

Then Red Riot gets gassed, Grape-face gets squashed flat, and Chargebolt doesn't die, but he does fry himself so badly that he'll never live independently again.

Didn't even win the fight, that moron-

It's like a fucking conspiracy against Katsuki’s graduating class specifically. Like a whole lot of someones had some kind of grudge, because... What? They were too successful? They'd blasted the older pros out of the water, but that was no reason to-

Tsukiyomi's Trigger bust goes wrong next. They send Ground Zero in the morning after, in case Dark Shadow is still active after one hell of an overdose. The twerps had shot the shadow hero chock-full of it in their escape, and, well.

They didn’t escape.

…

Dark Shadow wasn't there, by the way. She was Tokoyami Fumikage's quirk, and Tokoyami Fumikage was dead.

Katsuki doesn't go to his funeral, either.

[arenabreadandbiscuits]

Alright guys I wanna make this post because I'm not mad or anything just feel like it's better being said now versus waiting until the last minute.

This post mentions my commission methods but also what I am and am not okay with writing. Please read and vote at the bottom.

Some kinks I will not write for unless it's a very specific situation. Here's kinks that I will write for no matter what you commission. I'm desperate for funds so I'll take up to ten active commissions at a time as long as they follow my rules and such.

TOPICS MENTIONED BELOW ARE PURELY FOR ADULTS AND SOME ARE DARK IN NATURE. I ONLY TAKE COMMISSIONS FROM ADULTS SO EVERYONE KEEP THAT IN MIND AND READ ON. IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH ANYTHING MENTIONED PLEASE MOVE ON FROM MY ACCOUNT BUT ALSO PLEASE KEEP IT TO YOURSELF.

More info on commissions HERE!

Kinks Available: (not outta pocket)

Daddy/Mommy kink

Breeding/oviposition/eggs

Dom/sub

Spanking/choking/electrocution (depends on context)/ biting/ marking/ claiming

Cock worship or body worship in general

Wings/tail kink

Tentacles

Face riding/thigh riding/riding in general

Cum worship

Pet/Master

Somnophilia aka sleepy sex or sex while sleeping but I only want requests where consistent is known as someone who was sa repeatedly when I was younger.

Yandere/blood kink

Noncon/con noncon

Spurting

Etc, these are just some to name a few that I will write for. There's more I'm sure but when commissioning me mention exactly what you're looking for and we can really discuss it. :3

Big Nono Kinks/Not Available:

I have a history and present of self harm so nothing like that unless certain cases call for aftercare. Ex: person 1 is a sh-er and their partner catches them to stop it or even if they don't catch them in time they are strict for them to not do it again and shows them love and care for the rest of the fic.

Amputation.. ngl someone dmed me earlier asking for this and I was willing to hear it out at first but grew into not wanting anything to do with it especially Cause I think it was going to be purely self indulgent. The ONLY cases I'll let slide by is something like an OC x Valdemar from the Arcana for example. It seems like something they'd be into doing and I really like that character so honestly any commission for Valdemar I'll most likely do. (Not just Valdemar but Vlastomil, Vulgora, Valerius, etc) It's interesting because I'll either be down to do it or I won't, it purely depends on what's being asked so always dm me with everything you think I should know.

Anything to do with feces

Weird 'sibling' or 'family' dynamics. Please don't request incest, my personal sa revolved around that and I'd literally be sick to see anyone ask for it. The only way i'd be okay with it is if they aren't actual family by any means, just people who grew up together. An example of what I would feel okay writing would be something like Toji (jujutsu kaisan) x OC/reader who he found who grew into having feelings for him years after they became an adult. Another example could be Severus Snape x reader who grew similarly. In these cases I'd put more emotions and such into the story to explain the inner workings of their heads when they are around each other. Most stories would probably have angst too because of the morals aspect. It's something else that has to be discussed and talked about nonetheless.

Throw up no matter what.

Anything to do with animals.. please don't. Only things that can slide by are werewolves, sirens, feline hybrids but these beings are conscious which is why I'd write for them just no beastiality. An example that would be okay would be: something like an OC x werewolf Elliot from Stardew Valley where he probably keeps it a big secret and gets worried about anyone finding out and then he can't stop himself from shape shifting on a night of a full moon that he wasn't prepared for and his partner has to be patient with both calming him down and his instincts to mate.

Trying to think of some more because there's definitely more things I wouldn't write for but maybe I'll stop here for now. Like I said DMS are open and if you have questions on what I will and won't write it's always best to ask me there. Our chats will be private unless you wish them not to be just don't be weird please and thank you.

Imma leave this little list here and if I have to add on to it later I most definitely will but those ideas I mentioned earlier in this post are fine to request if anyone wants them I'm just trying to lay ground rules. My stories can be really cute and fluffy to things more dark in nature but always ask to see what's fine and what's not.

Here's a poll for engagement but also don't vote if you have no intention of actually commissioning. Also HERE is my original commissions post that you can check out for more info.

I'm putting this poll up for a week but know you can dm me prior to it being done and after, like I mentioned this poll is for engagement and just some ideas on what I can and will write for others if it's commissioned. Please be over 18 to commission anything sexual from me. I profess in writing smut but as mentioned I do fluff and angst as well.

[goodluckclove]

I'm writing a new thing!! I don't really need advice I'm just excited about starting it. They're gay and one of them's a shapeshifter the other has a culturally engrained fear of shapeshifters given that as defenders of the wilderness/ basically very local gods they tend to fuck up anyone who's in their space. I also dong know how to start books which is an issue my beginnings are always weak. How do I start a book. Do I describe the sheep? He's a shepherd btw which I think is fun because the shapeshifter often takes the form of a wolf or coyote. It's also set in a relatively high fantasy setting (no elves and shit just weird magic and a different landscape) that vaguely corresponds to the late 17 or 1800s (they've got some guns i think, they ride horses and trains might exist). How do I start a book. What do I start with. Where do I start. There's no real solid beginning I've got in mind, just a dude trying to take his sheep over a large area on his own. Help please I do actually need advice

Well you see, Ghostie, everyone knows that the first sentence of a novel is the most important part of the entire story. It has to contain the main character's name - in fact, it has to contain the names of every character in your cast - and it has to provoke intrigue and resolve it in a satisfying way without being a too long and jesus christ i can no longer keep up this bit.

I'm annoyed by people who say you need to have a super profound first line. I mean, they're good when they happen. If you can think of one that's great. But if you can't you aren't fucked right off the gate. If your first line isn't something people will get calligraphed onto canvases to hang on the walls of their boring houses (Is this a thing? Did I just make up a type of person to hate?), it doesn't mean your beginning won't be good.

You want to hook the reader. That's what all the guides say, right? They describe a person picking your book off the proverbial shelf and leafing through the first page to see if it's something they'd be interested in. That's solid, but then some go on to make it seem like you have maybe ten words before they either buy the book or toss it across the room in disgust. I'm not saying this is never true. I'm just saying that, personally, that type of person is probably not someone who'd be interested in me or my stories to begin with.

Usually when I'm considering a new book I'll skim the first few pages and then a bit throughout the middle, just to see if I like the prose. I do not put that much weight in the beginning, but it's always a good sign when the general scene feels purposeful. It doesn't have to be a car chase/diamond heist/sex scene/murder. I read someone somewhere saying that you have to start with something exciting and it took like an hour off my life I was so angry.

Here's one out of a billion angles to tackle this puzzle from - where does the story start for you? What is the inciting incident to the inciting incident? This feels like something easy to answer, but oftentimes what you come up with might feel a little inconsequential.

A beginning scene - like, for instance, a prologue centered around only sheep and coyotes - does not necessarily sound interesting on its own. But in a world where shapeshifters usually take on those forms it both sets up the world and establishes a mood. You can play with how much information you give people in the world.

Using my book as an example because I've been watching my editor @hoard-sweet-hoard react to it in real time, at one point he commented that he didn't know if the Eddie in my initial prologue is the same guy as the Edgar in Chapter One. And I was like yeah man that's the whole goddamned point of the book you tiny little king of fools. I wasn't at all that mean. I made a really good sandwich for dinner so I'm feeling extra rowdy. But the point is that I focused less on the action and more on the feeling it would create in the reader.

With that mindset the action doesn't really matter. If it's mundane it can be comforting, or tiring, or numbing, or eerie, or unnerving. If it's far removed from the world we know it can be fantastical and whimsical and sexy, maybe? I don't know. God that sandwich was good. I'm getting really into bagels lately.

Also, from purely the perspective of a writer, you might think of a better beginning midway into the draft. So you can also go back and make a weak start much stronger. You can skip the beginning entirely if it's really fucking with your life. Come back to it later. Who will stop you? Me? I don't even know how to find you. And if I did, you could easily kill me. You have that vibe and I am very clumsy.

Also also start posting excerpts when you get going because that shit sounds rad as fuck.

My bagel had egg and bacon and a hash brown patty and caramelized onion. Man has done a lot of sin, but it is almost neutralized by the insight we once had to caramelize onions. They have a unique flavor that I can only describe as eating the house of a beloved grandmother? Or maybe just the way that house makes you feel?

Yum.

[nolanhollogay]

❛ That's not funny. ❜

this feels so much longer than it probably is fhfhfg

+

JJ was going to throw up, probably. Nerves weren't really his thing, neither was fear, but as he sat in the back of the Twinkie, he was terrified.

Nova leaned into the front, popping her head next to John B's as he put the van in park. "Bet you ten bucks he says no."

Kie scoffed. "Don't put that into the universe!" She crossed her arms over her chest. "Why are you praying on his downfall?"

"I'm not!" she argued, "I'm just being realistic. Church Boy probably doesn't like him like that."

JJ knew that wasn't true. At least not totally. There was an obvious attraction between him and Edgar. He could tell from the way Edgar called him pet names in a tone that was far too flirty to just be Southern charm. Or the way his eyes lingered on JJ when they spoke. Or the way he blushed all the way to the tips of his ears, when JJ picked fights with him during class. That had to mean something. Didn't it?

"I've changed my mind," he announced, "I'm not asking him out. I'll just be alone forever and whither away as he gets a husband and a really cute dog or something. And then I'll die."

"Dramatic," Kie said.

"No, you got this!" John B exclaimed, turning around to face him. "You've been talking about doing it all week, you can't back out now. You already stole that flower from Mrs. Reynolds." JJ glanced down at the orange and purple lily in his hand. He'd picked it because it reminded him of a night he'd shared with Edgar a few weeks ago.

They'd been sitting outside of the church, because JJ was done fixing the wobbly podium and Edgar was done his homework, and neither of them wanted to go home. They sat there, talking about nothing as the sun set. Edgar was hypnotized by the changing colors of the sky, and JJ was hypnotized by the way they reflected off of his skin.

John B continued, pulling him back to the present. "It doesn't take a genius to see that he likes you. There's no way he'll say no."

JJ nodded, biting the inside of his cheek. He could do this. What was the worst that could happen?

+

It was time. The longest time between classes of the day was happening – the bell between second and third period – and Edgar was at his locker.

JJ's hands were sweating so bad that they felt sticky. Nevertheless, he walked towards him.

Edgar glanced over as he stopped beside him. An easy smile took over his face and JJ's heart started breakdancing. "Hiya, JJ," he said, voice warm. He glanced down at the lily. "What's 'at?"

JJ cleared his throat. "It's for you."

"For me?" His suprise was written on his face, with the cute little wrinkle between his eyebrows. He took it from JJ's outstretched hand, tilting his head up at him in confusion. "Why?"

Oh, fuck, now he actually had to do it. "I have, uh, something to ask you." Edgar nodded. "Would you, um, would you, like.. wanna go out with me? Sometime?"

There was a long moment, where Edgar looked at him, the lily, and the people around them.

JJ squirmed, turning his thumb ring around and around and around, as he waited for a response. He glanced over his shoulder, meeting John B and Pope's eyes. Pope sent him a questioning look and John B gave him two thumbs up.

As he turned back to face Edgar, he met eyes with a few guys from the football team, who were watching with rapt attention. A few of them were snickering, amused by the situation. He bit the inside of his cheek.

Finally, Edgar said, "That's not funny." His voice was cold and hard, like the statues inside of a museum.

Oh no. "I'm not tr–"

Edgar handed him back the flower. "'M not gonna let you make fun a me. Definitely not wit' the same joke as Tommy freakin' Walsh."

Oh fuck. Last year, Tommy Walsh had asked Edgar out in front of everyone, dated him "as a joke" for a month and a half, then dumped him in front of everyone.

"Eds, I'm n–"

He kept his head high, but his voice wobbled as he said, "Thought you were better 'an that, JJ."

Then he turned on his heel and walked down the hallway.

JJ stared down at the lily. "What the fuck just happened?"

+

Edgar wasn't in any of the places JJ thought he'd be. It was their lunch period, and he wasn't in the cafeteria. So, he checked the bathroom closest to the gym that no one used because the lock got stuck if you didn't wiggle it right, and he wasn't there. There was only so many places he could be. He didn't have that many hiding spots.

"JJ? Why aren't you in the cafeteria?"

He glanced over and was face to face with Schmitty walking towards him. "Looking for Edgar. You seen him?" He came to a realization. "Is he eating in your room?"

Schmitty crossed his arms over his chest. "Where he is shouldn't concern you. You should be focused on where you're supposed to be, which is the cafeteria."

"I need to talk to him. It's kinda urgent." He needed to clear the situation up as soon as he could. Edgar could reject him all he wanted, but he had to know that JJ was being sincere. If he still didn't want him after that, then so be it, but he couldn't just sit back and let him think JJ didn't actually like him.

Schmitty's expression softened. "Is this about that nasty rumor I heard about you guys? Something that happened this morning?"

"Yeah. I, uh, asked him out and he got the wrong idea. He thought I was making fun of him."

Schmitty frowned. "Why would he think that?" JJ sent him a knowing look. He definitely knew about the Tommy Walsh ordeal because he had Tommy in his class last year, and he was telling anyone who would listen about his so called prank. "Right. Were you?"

JJ scoffed so hard that it hurt a little. "No! I would never do that. You can think I'm the worst guy alive, but I'd never hurt Edgar."

He didn't know how to explain it, but he had an incredibly intense need to protect him. To shield him from the bad things of the world. He wanted to keep him safe. And also kiss the shit out of him.

Schmitty sent him a thoughtful look, then, quietly said, "He's in the library."

+

He was sitting in the middle of a pair of bookshelves, cradling a Stephen King book, squinting at the pages.

"What ya reading?" JJ asked, tapping his foot against his knee.

Without looking up, he replied, "Misery." He averted his eyes from the page, and he glared when he saw who he was speaking to. "Go away. I ain't speaking to you."

JJ sat beside him, sitting closer than what was probably necessary.

"But I need to talk to you. You ran away before I could explain myself."

Eyes back on the book, he grumbled. "You don't need t'splain yourself. I don't wanna talk to you."

JJ snatched the book from his hands, dog-earing the page, and shoving it in his backpack – right next to the wilted lily.

"I was readin' that, you cretin."

JJ snorted. "Not without your glasses. You're blind as shit."

He huffed but didn't argue.

"You gonna let me talk now?"

Crossing his arms over his chest, he grumbled, "If you must."

JJ laughed. Even when he was being a stubborn jerk, he was so goddamn cute. "Okay, well, for starters, I wasn't making fun of you. I wasn't joking. I was being serious. I want to date you and kiss you and shit."

Edgar rolled his eyes. "Oh, how romantic. I'm swoonin'."

JJ swatted his shoulder, earning a kick to the knee. "I mean it. You're, like, my dream boy or something corny like that. I like you. I like that you pretend that you don't need glasses when we both know you can't see shit. You probably can't even see me right now. I like that you're smart as hell and you don't hide it, even though people are dicks to you about it. I like your smile, and your eyes, and, like, your whole face honestly. And that you're the nicest person in all of Kildare, while also being stubborn as fuck."

As he spoke, Edgar's face went through many expressions. Annoyance, surprise, awe. Now he was looking at JJ with the softest expression that everyone had ever given him. His eyes shone and his cheeks flushed as he smiled shyly.

"Okay," he said, quietly.

JJ wrinkled his nose. "Okay, what?"

He laughed. "Okay, I'll go out with you, dumb dumb."

JJ's brain flooded with endorphins, or endolphins, or whatever the fuck they were called. "Really?" He nodded, smile widening. "Yes!"

His outburst got him shushed by five different people. "Okay, cool, cool, cool. Awesome. Um-" The bell rang, signaling the end of their lunch period.

"I'll meet ya at your locker, and we'll talk 'bout it then, sugar plum," Edgar smiled, obviously amused by his babbling, "Go 'fore you're late."

JJ nodded, stumbling to his feet. "Okay. Yeah, uh, I'll see you then."

Edgar stood as well. "Bye, Jay."

"Bye." JJ almost tripped over his own feet, not wanting to look away as he left.

Edgar laughed. "Turn 'round 'fore ya fall."

He did as instructed, but not before looking back one last time, and waving, just to hear that laugh again.

[lizard-shifter-noms]

Wayward Waters Chapter 18

——————————————————————————

Hello everyone! Chapter 18!

this Story contains Vore, Dont like dont read.

have fun reading!

and as always Reblogs are appreciated! (Also ASK’s are open so feel free to bother me!)

AO3 Link for those that prefer the layout there;

AO3 Wayward waters

——————————————————————————

Walking back inside after this unusual conversation I kept an eye out for anyone really,  be that Robin, Rikaad or any of the Halcyon crew that came with us.

While I did not see Rikaad I did see Robin talking to Ronan,  both rambling about things, 

probably cacti as that was the only common interest I knew they had.

Well nice to see they went along,  Now where were the other two Crew members?

Walking outside into the needlessly perfectionist garden I saw Jamie perch on a fancy looking bench,  digging grooves repeatedly into the wooden backrest.

“Jamie! Akeem! There you are!”

Jamie puffed up worse than a startled pigeon,  claws digging even more into the wood.

“Calm down it's just me, and please don't scratch my face off”

Damn Jamie was really on edge,  well no wonder when the entire island had seemed hostile.

Jamie blinked and then stopped the threat display.

“FUCKING SHIT! If i knew this place was like this i would have stayed home and bothered the other two while working!”

I flinched back a little at the volume, damn they had lungs.

“Uh, well i'm sure Rikaad is about to talk some sense into the people here, might take a while though”

Jamie just scoffed, walking sidewards to perch on Akeem instead.

“Yeah sure, as if that would undo the shit they already did,  also do you really think people like that would just change their mind like that? And so fast? i'll tell you, they don't”

That I knew, I still didn't dare go alone to the town, or had actually been there aside from walking through with multiple people at once.

“I know, but at least some people are trying, so that's good right?”

Jamie just narrowed their eyes for a bit.

“Yeah sure, it's better than nothing, but it shouldn't have to be done in the first place, I hope we leave soon. 

This place sucks, they don't even have the creativity for good insults! Which somehow makes it even more insulting? Aaarhgh!”

Yeah considering Jamie could swear like a, well sailor, it was not really a surprise they'd take bad insults as even more insulting.

“Well, I mean that says more about them than you? Like uh, if they cant even come up with a good insult they really are just stupid, 

and it really shouldn't matter what they say cuz they're wrong anyway”

Jamie just stared unamusedly.

“Nice of you to try and cheer me up, but can it,  i've heard that all before, but yeah it shouldn't matter but it fucking does, and they keep getting more stupid people to believe it as well.

Sure i can deal with one or two stupid people but if ten of those are after me i cant do shit either,  and in the time you manage to explain to one of them why its wrong they get three more from who the fuck even knows where.

Worst of all is that in most places they face no consequences and that makes them feel like they are untouchable, and people like those do not like to have their worldviews challenged, absolutely complacent in their own ignorance to feed their stupid ego!”

It was a good thing that Akeem was made of stone as Jamie's claws scratched over the surface after the outburst.

But yeah, Jamie was right, it did look like that no matter where I went people did the ‘others’ and ‘us’ thing, though the only place I had not seen that was kariba Island, but that was probably mainly thanks to Cassidy and the self aware nature of the citizens.

“Well then i don't what to say, but i do know what it feels like to be the outcast, i still don't dare go near the town,  i'm still afraid someone with a meaningless grudge will just backstab me and leave me bleeding in an alley or something”

Jamie stopped being so puffed up.

“Oh right, you're from the place that build this place, damn that must suck, i guess im just fucking tired of living in fear, in all honest i just want to maul someone, do you want to maul someone?”

While Jamie did have some points I absolutely did NOT want to maul anyone.

“I don't like violence, so id rather not”

Jamie scoffed.

“Well the entire existence of people like that is based on violence! 

They want us dead simply for existing, and then cry when we defend ourselves! But i tell you you have to punch those people right in the face before they start getting more of them to wherever they are so they think twice about bothering you”

Valid advice, to anyone else.

I simply didn't want to hurt people,  but i was sure as hell not gonna argue with Jamie about that now.

“I guess, though i'm not really the punchy type, but i do know people that are, and i have no doubt that Nea would do more than just punch”

I shuddered at the thought of what I heard rumors say about her, apparently she was quite merciless even to the people on her own team.

I was glad that she had decided to like me and not beat me up.

While I spoke Akeem had gently grabbed Jamie's face with his free arm, which somehow actually worked to calm them down?

I would not try that unless absolutely necessary,  Jamie would shred me with those claws.

“I suppose we should all calm down for a bit,  a hot head is not good at decision making”

Jamie bapped their spindly leg on his head.

“I know the only one allowed to get a hot head is you when you're standing too long in the sun, also next time it gets hot enough to do it do you think we can get Yamet to fry some eggs on your abs? 

I'm pretty sure we forgot to put seasoning on them last time”

Of course leave it to them to try and fry eggs on a living statue because why not?

At least Jamie wasn't angry anymore,  well, just less angry there was always some level of anger.

Though to be fair I hadn't even understood half of the things shouted at them.

Jamie hopped down from Akeem’s shoulder,  perching on the bench again instead and grumbling.

“Half of these fucks would piss their pants if they ever met one of the Bigger Zoa’s anyway, not my fucking fault im tiny”

Tiny and filled with rage yes, also again that word,  what the fuck was a Zoa?

“Uh, what IS a Zoa? I've heard someone shout it as we walked here and you just mentioned it again”

Jamie stared at me as if I was an idiot, which to be fair I sometimes was.

“I'M a Zoa dumbass, an Imik technically also? I think? 

Hes Hybrid though, also Nymra is Zoa too”

“That explains nothing”

They stared with a deadpan expression.

“Zoa are the people that have animal traits, whatever those might be, 

So things like Harpies, Avians, nagas and centaurs and so on are all considered Zoa, basically everything that's got a mix of Human and animal traits, I have my bird legs as you can see! 

Imik got his fish scales and gills and Nymra is a Harpy,  well i guess by that logic the fucking Kraken is Zoa as well”

They shrugged at that.

Huh, so Zoa was just a term for the ones with the animal traits? 

“So it's just a word for people with animal traits? 

Is it a mean thing to say or not? Also yeah if those guys had seen the Kraken they would have fainted for sure”

Jamie just tilted their head.

“Eh it's not a slur, not really at least, i guess it depends on how you say it, but then again i've heard people use weird things as slurs”

Yeah I was not about to ask about those.

Before anyone could say anything else Shalimar pelted something at Akeem and yelled, dragging a breathless looking Ronan by the collar.

He did not look like he was getting enough air.

“HEY THERE YOU ARE! The boss guy said he was gonna tell who's the new mayor tomorrow! Who do you think it'll be?”

She skidded to a halt maybe a few inches away from where Jamie was perched, receiving a hefty bap on the head from one of Jamie's spindly bird legs.

“We don't fucking know anyone here, why should we know?”

“I'm not asking you! I'm asking pointy ears here!”

She turned to me, clearly just wanting insider information ahead of time, probably to tease other people.

“What? No idea i don't know anyone here either,  i didn't even know what Rikaad’s plan was coming here, go ask him”

“I already did! He told me to leave! Also my Dad is trying to catch me and send me back onto the ship, don't tell him I was here!”

With that she left, dragging Ronan still with her.

We stared for a few moments at where she disappeared.

“Well Ronan is gonna suffocate like that, if he does i want to be the new captain!”

Jamie proclaimed, standing straighter on the bench.

Oh so Ronan WAS the captain, well just because he owned the boat didn't mean he was good at being a captain,  He got distracted pretty easily.

Akeem grabbed Jamie, their arms trapped at the sides.

“You would not exactly make a good captain either, i say we go and free him before he Does suffocate”

Jamie just huffed but ultimately let the stone man do whatever,  Which in this case was to carry the Bird legged maniac after wherever the clearly hyper Shalimar went to help Ronan not get strangled.

To be fair there wasn't much one could do against the living statue,  even swords couldn't scratch him and he had no problem tossing a full grown man twenty feet like he weighed nothing.

A good thing he was one of the calmer people in this rather hectic place.

“Donovan! Look!”

I turned around as I heard my ginger friend call me over, he was holding a bunch of flowers, ah he was making flower crowns again.

He stopped in front of me, holding up the brightly colored petals.

“They have so many flowers here! And most of them don't grow in Kamerasca! I wish I could bring them all back home!”

“Heh, if you take all of them the people here don't won't have any,  but maybe you can get some seed packets and then try to make them grow back at home?”

“Ohh good idea! Maybe we can take some seeds directly from the plants here! Come help me!”

I let myself be dragged through the overly perfectionistic garden, Robin showing me how to get a few seeds from the plants that did have them this early before searching around the manor to see where all the gardening stuff was kept.

We also did find some beehives in the far back part of the garden, the little fuzzy insects buzzing around and not paying either of us any mind.

Though we still kept a respectful distance to the hives,  really not wanting to be perceived as a sudden threat.

At the end of the day we had a total of maybe ten different flowers,  not a lot but surely at least one would grow in the slightly colder climate of Kamerasca.

We also got called into the manor itself, nobody really deeming it safe to stay outside at night, especially for me considering my pointy ears.

Which was fair, I had seen how people reacted to Jamie,  and if not for the Fae man putting his hat on my head I probably would have things thrown at me as well.

Hopefully he was able to find a name he liked.

Someone shoved us into a room all the way at the other end of the manor where barely anyone else was and I noticed that the ceiling here was pretty high up.

No doubt Rikaad had ordered for me to stay here in case I wanted to shift.

Did I want to shift? The last time I did I attacked a boat and lost a tooth.

The gap still felt weird and I was really glad that I had an extra pair that could replace the lost one.

Still, hopefully that would grow in fast.

I stared out the window for a few minutes before Robin's ginger hair appeared in the way.

“Are you okay? You've been, weird, is anything wrong?”

Well there were quite a few things,  but i also did not want to worry him, especially not before sleep.

“It's just been a very weird week, and i don't like the gap in my teeth,  i think i just need a break from the hectic stuff”

After this was over and we were back home I would definitely go into the forest and stuff my face into moss.

“Does the Ardua part of you not like the ocean?  I mean it is more of a forest creature”

That was also a point, though how far did the Ardua mix with the actual me? I would have to ask Oakley that.

“Honestly? No idea, I'm just glad I know how to swim,  maybe you're right though i do prefer solid ground to a boat by a lot”

On the mainland there was also a lot more space to do things than on the smaller islands here,  not to mention I was not familiar with the environment here.

“I also like Kamerasca more than this,  though they do have interesting plants here”

Suddenly he hugged me tightly, mumbling into my chest.

“I'm so glad you're okay, after you fell off i barely slept, i'm still afraid that i might wake up on the Victory Rose with you gone”

Oh, yeah he did see that pretty up close,  no wonder that haunted his brain.

“Don't worry i'm still here,  and I'm gonna make sure not to fall off again, yeah?”

He just mumbled something unintelligible.

“Want me to be fuzzy?”

He hummed an agreement and I had to pry him off before I could shift, the Ardua form just about fitting comfortably into the room.

Robin was immediately hugging my arm before I had even actually settled down, clinging to my arm as if I could disappear again.

Since he was clinging to my upper arm I couldn't exactly hug him,  so instead I used my head to gently squish him, making him laugh.

“I'm not a pillow!”

I let out a huff and turned my head more,  rapping the ginger with just enough pressure that he couldn't move away but still could shove it at my face.

“You are now!”

As far as I could see of him he had stuck his tongue out at me,  shoving playfully at my face.

“Hahaha, come on! I'll end up drowning in all that fuzz! 

And I managed to avoid that pretty good with water so far!”

Eh, it wasn't that much hair was it? 

I lifted my head regardless and he slid down to the floor in a surprised heap.

Then I immediately put my head down again, trapping him again and he squeaked in joy, now trying to tickle the underside of my jaw.

It was not effective, the opposite really.

Apparently the cat part of this form was more integrated than I had thought, and I ended up purring loudly as Robin continued scritching at the thinner fur of my lower jaw.

He giggled and kept doing it, considering he had admitted in the past to liking the sound that was no wonder.

At some point he had slipped out from under my jaw and was instead shoving at my face again, trying to shove the lip covering the gap where a tooth was missing away.

“Mhh?”

“I just wanna see again, you did have splinters everywhere so I wanna make sure there aren't any, also I wanna take a look at the new tooth!

You did say it was gonna grow back!”

Oh right, though there probably wasn't much to see yet.

“Sure, though i don't know if you can see anything yet,  i'm pretty sure most if not all of the new one are still in my skull”

I let him poke around a bit, and he actually managed to fit his entire arm into the gap, finding that incredibly funny for some reason.

“I bet I could stick my entire head in!”

“Yeah please don't, all my OTHER teeth are still sharp”

He just hummed in acknowledgement and tried to spy the new tooth growing out, to no success.

“Aww i can't see anything, but it kinda reminds me of a window! 

I bet I could look out from inside!”

Of course he would come up with something like that,  but to be fair he'd probably find it funny, and there wasn't really any other opportunity for it anyway as soon as the tooth grew back.

As expected he managed to talk me into it,  to be fair that wasn't exactly a hard feat.

And now he was laying in my mouth,  giggling over the fact he could look out like that.

After a bit I attempted to let him slide out again so he could sleep but he stopped himself by bracing against my remaining teeth.

I stopped tilting my head worried he might get cut,  letting out a confused sound.

“I- uhm, can i- can I sleep inside? Im- im still worried that i might wake up to find you gone, or get another nightmare from when you fell off”

My mind blanked for a millisecond,  though what he said did make some sense, at least regarding him.

Head said in the past he slept better when he wasn't alone,  and considering that after I fell into the water he had the room alone it was no wonder he had gotten nightmares.

Well it really wasn't any inconvenience to me so why not? 

If it made him feel better, strange as it might be might as well.

I gave an affirmative hum and instead of tilting my head even more forward I tilted it backwards,  letting the ginger slide into my throat before gulping strongly.

Swallowing two more times he spilled into my pouch,  immediately turning around and getting comfy.

I myself did pretty much the same,  tucking all limbs close and getting comfy as well on the floor.

“Got what you wanted?”

“Mhm, yeah, thank you, i don't think i’ll have any nightmares like this”

He yawned and slumped over,  the adrenaline from before apparently running out.

“Donovan? Why am I hearing two hearts? Are you okay?”

Oh he noticed that?

Well from where he was it was probably easier to hear.

He should probably explain.

“Oh, yeah, that, remember that I told you Ronan tossed an electric eel at me? Apparently the shock I got from that kick started my second heart somehow? But don't worry I'm okay, I mean two is better than one right?”

There haven been any problems with it aside from the initial confusion, and I was now pretty sure the nausea I had felt was from a concussion.

“Isn't it weird to have both-”

“Yes absolutely, i really wanted to throw up after waking up,  and it took pretty long for my brain to register what it was as well”

It really was weird, but I had gotten used to it pretty quickly, which was also a bit strange but better than feeling awful for longer.

“As long as you're alright, though it does sound funny”

Of course to him it would, though it probably did sound a bit funny seeing as they weren't exactly in tune, whatever function that had.

“I suppose it does? I'm actually kinda glad i don't hear my own organs all the time, id go mad”

Fuck knew if i did id stab my own eardrums.

“Mhm, that would get annoying,  and probably distract from talking to people”

Oh yeah that as well,  and some people were already bad at listening anyway.

I could hear Robin yawing again,  barely holding himself upright at all at this point

“Tired?”

Robin just hummed in agreement, yawning again.

I had to chuckle as the ginger stretched like a cat before settling down again.

Well it was late now, better i'd go to sleep as well.

“Goodnight then, wake me if you need anything”

Robin did not answer, already mostly asleep.

************************************************************************

Robin was glad Donovan had agreed to let him sleep in the pouch, he actually preferred it over having to sleep in a new and unfamiliar place.

And like this he didn't have to worry about Nightmares or Donovan disappearing again, he was literally all around him so there was no way he could manage to leave without Robin.

He twisted around until he got comfy on the warm flesh, feeling Donovan do pretty much the same outside on the floor.

Out of the two of them Robin had probably the better bed right now.

“Got what you wanted?”

Robin looked up at the voice, useless as that was in the darkness, and nobody could see him either anyway.

“Mhm, yeah, thank you, i don't think i’ll have any nightmares like this”

He yawned and laid back against his warm surroundings,  Strangely enough hearing two heartbeats?

“Donovan? Why am I hearing two hearts? Are you okay?”

He could feel the body around him shifting in confusion for a moment.

“Oh, yeah, that, remember that I told you Ronan tossed an electric eel at me? Apparently the shock I got from that kick started my second heart somehow? But don't worry I'm okay, I mean two is better than one right?”

Robin hummed, finding it strange but he was really no stranger to his friend's weird doubled anatomy.

And hey, if both worked now that was better right? 

“Isn't it weird to have both-”

“Yes absolutely, i really wanted to throw up after waking up,  and it took pretty long for my brain to register what it was as well”

Robin let out a laugh, of course it would be weird to suddenly have two working hearts when he'd lived this far with only one.

“As long as you're alright, though it does sound funny”

It really did, the hearts weren't exactly synchronized but both worked to push blood through the giant body around him.

“I suppose it does? I'm actually kinda glad i don't hear my own organs all the time, id go mad”

Robin did have to agree with that,  if he heard his own heartbeat all the time it would get annoying.

“Mhm, that would get annoying,  and probably distract from talking to people” He yawned again, sliding down the damp wall a bit more,  collecting in a heap at what was probably the bottom of the pouch.

“Tired?”

Robin just hummed in agreement,  yawning again and stretching once before curling up again.

He could feel the large body chuckle around him,  the walls slightly moving at the sound.

“Goodnight then, wake me if you need anything”

Robin mumbled something back but he wasn't sure if Donovan had heard it before falling asleep.

************************************************************************

The next time I woke up was by someone kicking at my outstretched paw.

“Oi, Fuzzbrain, get up, you missed breakfast and the bossman is having some sort of speech later to choose the new mayor or whatever”

I blinked blearily at the voice,  seeing Jamie rake their claws through my fur.

Could nobody send someone less chaotic to wake me up? 

First Nea and now this bird legged maniac.

“Mhm, gimme some time to get ready, i'll be out there in a bit”

Jamie shrugged and turned to leave, then turned back and rapidly bapped their clawed leg against my nose before hopping out.

“You ought to close your window at night!”

My head snapped to the, indeed still open, window.

Ah, fuck.

Well as long as it was only Jamie that knew it would probably be okay.

Probably.

Jamie wasn't the sort to go off and tattle,  or had at least enough mind to know what to shut up about.

Well better wake Robin up now,  i couldn't exactly go to that speech like this.

Poking at the pouch I softly called out to the ginger.

“Robin, wake up, Rikaad is doing some speech”

There was mumbling and he turned over, likely blocking his ears.

“That again? You really are not a morning person huh?”

Still, he had to get up, and I had to shift back.

“Come on, i have to shift back and i can't do that with you in there”

There was more mumbling and he seemed to finally wake up,  if slowly so.

“Mhm? What time is it? Why'd you wake me?”

I could feel him sit somewhat upright, still rather groggy though.

“We have to get up, Rikaad is doing a speech or something, 

and i have to shift back to fit through the door”

The door wasn't even half the size of the Ardua form, the room itself just barely big enough for it.

“Mh, okay, what's the thingy about?”

What did Jamie say again? New mayor right?

“Uh i think he's gonna appoint a new mayor, maybe some other things?”

He stretched and shoved a bit at the walls of my pouch.

“Alright, i hope if this is over we can go home soon, or at least go to a beach with nice seashells all of us together”

“eh if Rikaad wont come with i'll just drag him, or we can throw sand at him”

That made him laugh.

“With how fancy things he's wearing, it's gonna take forever to get out!”

“Yeah, speaking of getting out, your turn so brace yourself”

Righting myself as much as I could in the limited space I brought the redhead back up,  letting him slide to the floor where he gave a thumbs up.

Though he still didn't get up,  grabbing one of the discarded pillows and pulling it closer.

I poked at him with a paw, making sure every claw was retracted.

“Come on, we don't want to be late do we?”

“Hmmm fine, s’not warm anymore anyway”

With that he finally stood up, hair sticking out in every direction and making him look like a scraggly cat.

“Go brush your hair while I shift back, yeah?”

He nodded and yawned, walking out to get properly ready while I turned the bracelet gem and shrunk back into a more human size.

There was a mirror on the wall and after checking myself over I found that since I had slept as Ardua there wasn't much to be done.

Practical!

Now to collect Robin and head out for whatever Rikaad was doing.

Jamie really could have given a better explanation than whatever that was.

Eh they probably only halfway listened anyway.

NEXT / PREVIOUS / OVERSIGHT

[whypolar]

Gundam Unicorn OVA 2: The Second Coming of Char

It's time.

Here comes a special boy!

If you don't cheer and clap for him I'll blow this whole building up.

(You can read my previous post here, if you want.)

I was grinning every time Frontal was on screen. I'm so easy. He's perfect.

The music continues to be excellent.

The percussion in Frontal's theme is fucking crazy. I don't even have the vocabulary to describe what is happening here musically, but I like the aggressive synth and that there's a xylophone. Maybe multiple xylophones. Imagine.

I also particularly liked this one track with the chanting vocals before the hostage negotiation-- apparently it's the Sinanju's theme.

The main theme associated with the Unicorn itself keeps getting caught in my head.

The robots remain very cool.

Combat plays out almost beat-for-beat as described in Novel 3, right down to the automatic cockpit functions and Banagher throwing up in his helmet. Gross.

Environments: effectively conveying information.

The backgrounds in this one didn't wow me as consistently as the first one, but that's fine. They're in space. They're on closed ships. They have other, more important things they want you to look at. Sterile corridors communicate information about the setting, even if they're not necessarily exciting.

They do some cool stuff with the lighting on the bridge. I also like that they have an inexplicable vaporwave room to put the civilians in.

I'm pretty sure I have this exact room in my house in Animal Crossing.

After Banagher gets captured we start seeing more variety again, since there are more different places for us to visit.

Those are my big surface-level impressions.

From this point on, there will be novel spoilers up to the equivalent point where this OVA ends (which will include some things that I assume will show up in OVA 3).

One of my favourite background nobodies, Lieutenant Commander Liam. I love that the main thing we know about her is that she's big and constantly side-eyeing her blustering boss.

In terms of novel comparisons, there's a lot more I can potentially talk about in this one than the first.

Judging by these first two, it seems like each OVA covers about 1.5 novels worth of material, which sounds about right to cover all ten in seven episodes.

They swapped a number of scenes around. They've been skipping over a lot of little Vist family stuff that will have to come up later. I don't think that will be a problem. I assume they had two priorities:

Establish key details of Frontal's character, such as his self-identity as a vessel and his ambiguous relationship to Char, in the same OVA where he's introduced

Set up the hook of Banagher getting rescued for OVA 3

They've held off on introducing Martha for now, which is fair. She hasn't really done much by this point, she just exists as a vaguely menacing figure. I assume she'll be in the next one. Please?

They also skipped over Cardeas' memories of Syam arranging to have Cardeas' father killed. If they intend to tell us that later, it will probably be through another character, such as Martha or Syam himself.

Alberto hasn't figured out Banagher is his half-brother yet. Martha is the one who tells him this, so that makes sense. I could see them making that scene Martha's introduction.

Have I mentioned I love Alberto? I really do. I like him even better without a judgmental narrator describing his fatness, so there's an unambiguous point in the anime's favour, lmao.

Banagher

I'm glad they kept the flashback of Banagher's childhood 'training', but disappointed that they cut off the nightmare at the end. I wanted to see how they'd do it.

Caught my not-husband zapping our son so he'll be good at killing people in the psychic death machine when he's older. He does it in the piano tapestry room, to make sure the repressed traumatic memories are as poetic as possible.

We don’t get to hear Banagher's mother confront his father about putting him in the newtype pilot torture simulator, so we miss out on Cardeas' incredible defence of "don’t worry, I'm not using drugs on him in the tests." Father of the year.

In the novel: we hear the fight, it moves on to memories of Banagher leaving home with his mother, and then it eventually degenerates into the horrible withered body of Banagher's dead father grabbing his ankle and trying to make him go to the Gundam. The Gundam is described as a giant bleeding demon that wants to eat him.

It's important to me that a Gundam should always be at least a little monstrous. They should let the Unicorn be evil. As a treat.

At this point, I think anime Banagher comes across as mostly in line with his novel counterpart's characterization. The change in situation means a change in behaviour. Events have forced him to start openly expressing his doubts and fears-- which means the audience can actually know what they are.

There is still one difference that stuck out to me, because they chose to cut a particular scene:

OVA Banagher feels less genuinely attached to his friends.

I don't think this is a worse characterization. It's interesting in its own way. It's just like... a notably different one, imo.

There's a very sweet scene in the novel of him reuniting with Micott and Takuya. They're all overjoyed to see each other again alive. They hug, floating through the air in low gravity. Banagher feels warmth and a sense of belonging, and seriously considers never getting back in the Gundam again. They get so caught up that they end up hitting a wall and getting grabbed by gravity again, so they all collapse and start laughing. Then Audrey comes in, and the moment ends, as Banagher is compelled to go to her instead.

In the anime, they're all at his hospital bedside when he wakes up. Micott directly calls out to him in concern. He totally ignores her and addresses Audrey instead. Bro???

Given that he mostly ignored the other students and stared into space for a lot of the previous OVA, because they cut a lot of their casual school interactions from that one, too, well... Audrey doesn't just feel like Banagher's most powerful connection, but possibly his only real connection.

They also cut Micott being the one who approaches Mackle about Audrey, which makes him decide to look her up. Instead, he recognizes her face on his own. I was surprised by this one, since it felt like they were setting it up, but I guess not.

Audrey / Mineva

Mineva translates flawlessly to the screen. It helps that she's central both to the plot and to our protagonist's motivation. An element of mystery is also already important to her portrayal, so not getting direct glimpses into her thoughts doesn't feel like losing something. Much like last time, we basically know what the protagonist knows, and it works.

This is the best case scenario, but it also gives me less of an excuse to talk about her. Now I have to talk about Riddhe instead. I can't even believe how much I feel the need to talk about Riddhe. I did not think I cared about Riddhe.

And yet.

Riddhe

We find out who he is by the end of this one. Kinda. Depending on how much attention the viewer pays to character surnames, they may have figured it out earlier, or might even still not have grasped exactly what was being implied.

Again: I don't especially care about Riddhe, so I'm hesitant to say I want them spending time on him that could be used elsewhere, but the thing about reading the novels first is that I know his significance to the plot going forward. I'm worried things might end up more frustrating in the long run if they don't do enough with him early on.

When I think about scenes centred on Riddhe from the first 4 novels that I found particularly memorable… a lot of them were removed!

That good luck charm he has? In the novel, he doesn't have that. He has model biplanes, like actual hand-sized toys. In his introductory scene, he's sitting in a cockpit with one and basically zoning out, pretending to make it fly around. He thinks about wanting to be a pilot growing up, and it really gives the distinct impression that he's a bit mad that planes are mostly obsolete and he has to fly in a mobile suit instead. People roast him for being a rich kid playing with his toys.

That's the kind of idiosyncratic and slightly cringe enthusiasm that makes a character feel real to me. I don't even know if it would have been better to keep that in, I just know that I personally would like it.

The little things are what let me engage with him as a specific character, as opposed to an archetype I'm not personally invested in. I'd rather have a more detailed character than a guy who feels like nothing, whether I personally like him or not.

This is how the novel version of Riddhe meeting Banagher played out:

After the battle, Riddhe is feeling survivor's guilt, since they lost a lot of pilots during the battle. He goes to check on his machine. The mechanic inside is one of the older crew members, and he's crying.

When Riddhe tries to speak to him, he turns around and screams at him. He found the airplane model in the cockpit, where Riddhe accidentally left it. He's furious that Riddhe brought a toy onto the battlefield. He tells him to his face that he wasn't taking things seriously, and that's why they got massacred in the battle.

He throws the plane out of the cockpit, Riddhe chases it down as it glides through low gravity, and Banagher ultimately catches it, which is how they meet for the first time.

It's just much meatier than what we got.

I also feel like we've seen less conflict with others and emotions from Riddhe about his family so far. We don't know what his relationship to them is like at all, really. We miss the scene of him biting the bullet and asking his father for help, even though he really doesn't want to, because he believes it might save lives.

Maybe that will feel more present going forward, now that Mineva knows who he is?

Still, it's not like we didn't get any character moments for him. We get a bit of banter between him and other members of the crew. He reacts to stuff. I thought the scene where he confronts Mineva about Zeon and recalls Garma's funeral was very good.

Just... I want him to be interesting enough for me to get something from his arc.

Imagine me pacing around my room and gesticulating wildly for this next part, because I finally get to talk about Full Frontal

This scene. This specific scene is the one I most want to talk about.

First of all, it has Frontal in it. Second, there's a lot of information conveyed in the novel scene that does not make it to the screen at all. Third, the anime makes its own strong visual choices that are entirely original and not drawn from any kind of novel description.

This shot of Frontal's mask is downright fascinating to me. The outside of the mask is pristine and smooth, but the inside has all these gnarled ridges. The lines around the eyes remind me of wrinkles on an old man's face. In-universe, someone decided it was important to make it look like that, where nobody but Frontal himself will see it. Was it designed this way at his request?

This scene in the novel is written from Banagher's perspective. There is no camera, it's just Banagher pointing out whatever he thinks is important to comment on. When they decided how to frame it in the anime, they pulled the camera way back, for all these extreme distance shots in this huge room. Everyone looks so tiny. This is, obviously, an unusual framing for an intimate conversation between three people.

There were so many cool and very deliberate shots in this scene; I'm kind of obsessed with it. The separation of spaces in this massive room and how they kept showing Frontal moving back and forth between them... I wish I could include them all, but tumblr has a 30 image limit per post.

When Frontal is wearing the mask and sitting next to Angelo, he is visually separated from Banagher. When he moves to speak to Banagher, he is then separated from Angelo. This is a sentiment that Angelo expresses in the novel-- that when Banagher was around, Frontal suddenly 'left him out of focus'. This is one of the things that drives Angelo to fixate on Banagher out of jealousy going forward.

Aside from depicting emotional distance between characters and showing off the absurdity of how big the room is, it's possible that the camera choices are meant to evoke another detail from the novels.

There is something very important we learn about Frontal that is conveyed solely through narration, and which has not come up at all yet in the OVA: the way characters describe his appearance, and the emotional response they have to it.

Specifically: Full Frontal looks exactly like Char Aznable, but he doesn't look like a convincing human being.

How does Banagher describe Full Frontal in this scene?

Well:

Is he a human? This was the first impression Banagher had. He could not detect any sense of life from that man, not just from the mask covering his eyes, but also the vibe that he was artificially created. He stared at the masked man who sat on the Mahogany made office table, and seriously thought that it might really be part of the decorations in the room.

The hand under the glove felt rather hard, causing Banagher to remember the first impression of a puppet ...

Perhaps I might not have seen the true appearance of this man? Banagher recalled the beautiful blue eyes, and felt that he was following an illusion ...

He also describes his stare as "machine-like" at one point.

After removing the mask, he describes Frontal's face as handsome and without identifiable flaws. "His cheekbones did not reflect his age" -- he looked younger than expected based on the age of Char Aznable, I think is the implication.

Anyway. The point is, he's good-looking and there's nothing specific anyone can pinpoint that's obviously wrong with him, and yet this is a consistent reaction characters have to meeting him. He doesn't feel real.

Honestly, this is one of my favourite things about Frontal, and it makes me a bit sad that it doesn't translate at all. I'm sure it would be difficult to visually convey-- any attempt runs the risk of looking like an error, or just 'bad'. It could also be they were worried about going too hard with it and making him read like a monster, rather than someone who could plausibly be a charismatic leader.

I get it. I just miss it, man. It's such a good little detail. He'll always be a beautiful creepy puppet to ME.

I love that Angelo's always two seconds from going on the attack. He's like a beautiful fluffy dog that's human-aggressive and keeps biting people. He's Frontal's feral rescue persian cat.

Angelo doesn't go for Banagher a third time in the novel. In that version, these lines are delivered (less violently) by Frontal himself.

The change makes sense. It's in character for Angelo, and it still implies something about Frontal-- he speaks about Banagher sympathetically, but he pretty much just lets Angelo do this, not even chastising him or telling him to stop like the previous two times.

Banagher still falls over in the novel, despite not being physically assaulted. He almost passes out from the horror of realizing he killed someone, and then he spends the entire rest of the scene dissociating and feeling physically ill. Marida and Zinnerman pretty much have to drag him out of there.

The scene with Angelo and Frontal on their own discussing the possibility of an attack on Palau is gayer in the novel. Being inside Angelo's head is always gayer. We might get the full version of this scene in the next one, since they started talking about certain exposition-related things before getting abruptly cut off.

Concluding scenes

I really like this scene with the family. The designs of these characters and how they interact with each other is very endearing. Marida casually holding the little girl upside-down and handing her over to the mother is unbearably cute.

They don't fully explain the logistics of where and how Banagher is being held prisoner, leaving it to you to intuit what the arrangement is. This works just fine for me, but I did wonder if it might throw some people off. Maybe not-- I feel like most UC Gundam stuff I've watched occasionally leaves gaps like this and trusts you to connect the dots on your own.

It's just very different from reading the novel, where it leads you through the whole process of him being kept on the ship, brought to Palau, being taken to see Frontal, etc. It gives a history of Palau as a mining colony, including how and why it was built, why the guy who bought it most recently renamed it Palau, the population size, the dimensions in kilometers... you get the idea. Completely different approach.

Marida.... the next one should have a lot more of Marida, I think. I'm glad. I want more Marida. She's one of my favourites.

Her big scene in this one is a good one with a lot of thematic and emotional weight, but the reordering of scenes did skip over a lot of smaller moments between her and Banagher that I really love-- big fan of her grabbing his face to check his eyes and then telling him about the effects of g-force on the human eyeball.

I'm hoping at least some of those casual interactions make it into the next one. They can be shifted around pretty easily, so long as it's before the attack on Palau begins.

I think that's everything I wanted to go over... either way, I'm done. This post took me a lot longer to edit than the first one.

I can't believe they made me write fifteen paragraphs about Riddhe.

[please-help-this-little-lesbian]

So...remember when I said I was boycotting Dead City? Welllll my dad bought the first season, so I watched it. And Boy oh Boy, Do I have Thoughts

Spoilers Ahead!!!

Note: I'm not going to address the Negan and Maggie of it all because I've long said everything I can about them.

One: What I liked, because believe it or not, I did actually like some things!

The setting! I loved seeing post-apocalyptic New York. It was really fun for me to pick out all the things I recognized.

Ginny. Was it a little annoying that she wouldn't listen to anybody? Sure, but a girl who shows up, clings to Negan like glue, and doesn't say shit? Literally, me. Character of the century.

Speaking of Ginny, I was LIVING for Negan's single dad era. Yes, king abandon your wife and son to take care of some random girl! He was living his best life.

The plot twist with Ginny was INCREDIBLE!! I was not expecting it at ALL. The fact that he killed her dad?? Bro my jaw was on the floor.

I actually liked the Croat and Negan's dynamic! I think it was funky and deliciously homerotic. However, I hate the Croat's character.

Two: What I DIDNT like.

Nothing made ANY sense, and NOTHING was explained. I get that Maggie was in New Babylon to find Negan but why was HE there? Last I checked nobody banished him from the Commonwealth. And where even IS this place? It seemed to be like Pennsylvania, New Jersey but still. Also, how did Maggie know he was there? Did she airtag him?? It made no sense.

The Croat was a TOTAL retcon. He made NO sense in the established canon. Let me explain:

3 a) I get NEGAN being upset that the Croat tortured a girl because his whole thing was no harming kids, but SIMON?? Bro you killed every boy over the age of ten at Oceanside and slaughtered all those garbage people, why are you on a high horse NOW??

3 b) If Negan could recognize that the Croat was too much of a wild card and needed to be dealt with, then why the HELL did he keep Simon around? Because Simon did MUCH worse.

3 c) The girl whom the Croat tortured was a scout from the Kingdom, but this makes NO sense with what we know about them? I believe the deal was as long as they paid proper tribute they'd leave each other alone, this feels like a major violation of this agreement? Like they were probably wondering what the hell happened to her, surely somebody had to address this at some point.

3 d) The Croat mentioned this story where Negan let him Lucille someone from the "river people." I feel like these people have to be Oceanside, but this is a total retcon either way.

I'll admit as a writer it's hard to keep up with details and I've had to change and retcon a couple of things myself in my stories, but surely they can go and make sure that everything in their spinoff that's a continuation of an already established story makes sense with it.

Anyway, I didn't hate it, but tbh my expectations weren't high. I got one (1) scene of evil jester Negan and a hinted promise that he'd come back in season two, and I'm disappointed. But if he DOES come back I'll have to watch I fear.

[destinyc1020]

You want some examples? Check tardisludgate repeatedly wishing for Dune 2 to bomb and celebrating that the strike was going on so that there wouldn't be press with Timmy and Z. One thing is for one of their projects to not be one's personal taste, another thing to wish the project to bomb. We frequently get a bunch of blogs posting anons demanding for Darnell to stop being Zs live-in assistant but we never see that kind of anger asking for Tom to kick Harry out of his house

Regarding Tom's only blogs, the place for that is Instagram where there are many Tom-only pages with tens of thousands of followers. There are even a bunch of Tom y/n imagines accounts where the fan self-inserts in fanfics regarding Tom, many of them extremely smutty

You want some examples? Check tardisludgate repeatedly wishing for Dune 2 to bomb and celebrating that the strike was going on so that there wouldn't be press with Timmy and Z. One thing is for one of their projects to not be one's personal taste, another thing to wish the project to bomb.

I'm sorry girl.... Idk who that is. 😔 But if she wants the Dune movie to fail, then that's her opinion? It's NOT gonna fail lol 😅, but people wanting certain films to fail isn't really anything new. 🤷🏾‍♀️

RE: "Dune: Part 2" Press Maybe she was celebrating about the strikes mainly because she doesn't want to deal with a bunch of Timdaya shippers in her inbox during a Dune 2 press tour with Timmy and Z. 🤷🏾‍♀️ I'll admit, although I was sad about the strikes and all of the promotion for the film I thought we were going to miss out on, part of me was thinking that at least ONE good thing that came out of it was the fact that we wouldn't have to deal with delulu Timdaya shippers lol. 😅 Cuz I'll just tell you....the last press tour ("Dune") was insufferable due to Timdaya shippers. 🙄

Some of you all don't see half the nonsense stuff we have to filter out from our inboxes on our blogs because it doesn't get posted. 😒 IJS...

We frequently get a bunch of blogs posting anons demanding for Darnell to stop being Zs live-in assistant but we never see that kind of anger asking for Tom to kick Harry out of his house

Well, for one thing, Harry is Tom's actual brother. Harry is Tom's flesh and blood. While Darnell is like a brother to Z, he's not her flesh and blood. Also, Darnell is pushing 40 real haaarrrd lol.... Harry is still in his 20's. Maybe if Harry were close to 40 they'd be saying the same thing about him. 🤷🏾‍♀️

Either way, I think it's perfectly fine if Z's assistant lives with her. She's a single woman living in LA in a huge ol' mansion. Like, if she wants to have her whole entire FAMILY living in her house if she wants to, I don't see the problem with it. 🤷🏾‍♀️ Some single women don't feel comfortable living by themselves, and that's okay! She's also someone who's in the public eye, so there's another huge safety concern.

That house is probably so big that Darnell can have his own corner of the house if he wants to. I really don't see the big deal.

But a few blogs here and there mentioning certain things doesn't = the fandom....not even a small percentage imo.

[enderon]

This is another instance of something seeming terrible when I wrote it, but after some time, revisting, it's actually not that bad. A but awkward in some places, but not terrible.

It's the start of a fic that will explore the specifics of Junior and Leo's relationship that does turn smutty, but the smut is for the sake of exploring characters and relationship and I actually put a lot of thought into what Leo, a being with no secual organs who reproduces asexually, might get out of such a relationship. If that interests you and you like this beginning, let me know and I'll see about finishing it.

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

Leo was busy discussing the preparations of an upcoming ritual feast when a handmaiden walked up and cleared her throat to get the spirit's attention. He turned to her, not feeling even an ounce of annoyance, as his duty as master and guardian of Infant Island saw many people needing him all throughout the day, making interruptions like this very common. 

She bowed politely in greeting. “Your grace, you have a visitor.” She gestured towards the entrance, where a small body could be seen leaning up against a wall. 

Minya didn't often come to the worship chamber. While he was thankfully beginning to grow out of his timidness, he had once admitted that the place was so special that he felt wrong being there. Leo had of course assured the child that he was more than welcome in his family's special place, but he still tended to avoid it if he could. So to see him there, wringing his scarf in his hands in his usual nervous fashion, Leo knew it had to be important. 

“Thank you, I'll go handle it.” Turning back to the priest he had just been speaking to, “Go forward with that idea, see what can be done. I'll check in on the progress later, once this issue is handled.” 

All present nodded and bowed once again in respect before heading off to tend to other matters, leaving Leo with the young mutant. 

“Is everything alright Minya?” He made sure to keep his voice soft and kind as he approached the child, kneeling down once close enough so he wasn't towering over him. Not that that was quite as easy these days. 

While still a bit underdeveloped for his age, Minya was shooting up quick, as most mutant children did. At a mere ten years, he was already beginning to match grown humans in height, and would likely surpass them quickly in the next few years. It warmed Leo's heart a bit to remember the scrawny, malnourished little thing he'd been when they'd first found him three years ago, and to see how much he's grown out. 

But it isn’t the time to get overly nostalgic, as Minya turns wide, concerned eyes on him. 

“I'm alright,” he admits, but instead of continuing just bites his lip and looks away. 

He's not saying it, but the specification of his own state, and present concern, is all Leo needs to know what the issue is. 

“Take me to him.” He insists, standing up and following behind as the child quickly begins scurrying off towards some far corner of the island. They travel along the line where the jungle turns into beach, making for faster travel. If he wanted this to be over even faster, Leo could just fly over, but Minya has never enjoyed the process, and he doesn't feel like troubling the child more than he already is. 

As the sound of snarling and smashing begins to reach his ears, Leo can't help the soft, quiet sigh he releases under his breath. While it's been quite a while since the last time this happened, probably the longest since they began, it's still troubling that it's still happening at all. 

Leo knows that recovery can be a slow, steady process, and that it's possible that complete recovery may never be entirely possible, but they've not been doing this long enough for him to come to terms with that. 

They turn a corner when something heavy smashes into the boulder next to them, spraying debris everywhere. It's instinct that brings a brightly colored wing up, shielding himself and Minya from the onslaught. Bringing it back down, he takes in the scene in front of them. 

The clearing is a mess of broken boxes and crumbled rocks, holes and trenches gouged into the ground and boulders shining with claw marks. 

And in the middle stands Godzilla, huffing and snarling, his body tense and a little curled in on himself. A defensive stance, like he's expecting some kind of fight. 

“Goji?” Minya calls out, his voice colored with concern. Leo doesn't like Minya having to see this, and he knows Godzilla likes it even less, but he won't deny his gratefulness of having him there when the man's gaze immediately draws to them. His chest expands as he takes a deep, slow breath, clearly trying to get himself back together in front of them, though still struggling to do so. In these moments he's his own worst enemy, and it will take a bit more to get him back to himself. 

“Thank you for bringing me Minya,” Leo says and rubs his thumb into one of the boy's shoulders soothingly. “Why don't you go into town and play with some of the other children?”

Minya looks uncertain at the idea, looking between the aggravated mutant and the spirit. While bothered by the sight, he was clearly hesitant to leave his guardian behind in such a state. 

“It will be alright, I promise. I'll help him.” With a confident smile, Leo turns the child and pushes him back the way they came, shooing him further when he still stumbled with hesitance. Finally Minya truly began to walk away, allowing Leo to turn back to the matter at hand. 

“Are you good to go, or do you need a bit more time here?” 

Still struggling with himself, with the heavy, heaving breaths, Godzilla seems to think to himself for a moment, though in his state it’s hard to tell if he’s  actually thinking about Leo's question or arguing with himself more. 

[steeklover]

For the ten ships and one character

Stan

Stan/Tolkien

Stan/Kyle

Stan/Wendy|Wendyl

Stan/Tweek

Stan/Cartman

Stan/Kenny

Stan/Michael

Stan/Peter

Stan/Clyde

Stan/Bebe

I am so sorry for responding to this so late, I've been so busy lately but as always, I really appreciate the ask! You seem to know me very well, I love Stan so much, let's ship him with everyone! 😂

Stan/Tweek - Just like Steek is my favorite Tweek ship, it's also my favorite Stan ship. You knew what you were doing by putting Tweek on the list 😏 I love Steek so much, I could talk about them for hours but I'm not going to right now because I don't have the time and I wouldn't really be saying anything that I haven't already said. I just think they'd work well together. Since I got Stan for Tweek in a different ask, I'll post the link to that ask in case you want to read my response but I don't really have anything new to say about them. But this ship is my OTP!

Tweek Ask

Stan/Kenny - I love Stenny! I don’t really know why. I think I just like the idea of Stan and Kenny bonding together while Cartman and Kyle are fighting. They get the cutest art but I don’t see many fan fictions for them. I saw one multi chapter one but the characterization was just really bad (in my opinion of course) so I’ve never really gotten the pleasure of reading a Stenny fic! If anyone has any recommendations then I’d love to hear them, Stenny is my jam!

Stan/Tolkien- I love Stolkien! Again, I don't really know why but I think they could just work together. They're really cute and funny when they're with each other in the show and they get really good fanart. I've never really seen a Stolkien fic that's appealed to me before but anyone has any recommendations then I'd be open to reading them.

Stan/Wendy/Wendyl - The only reason I probably like Stendy is because it's canon. I know that's probably not the best reason to like them but I just can't not like them even though they suck together. Stan x Wendyl is really interesting though, especially since I think Stan is gay. I saw some post on here where it was like "Stan is gay except for Wendy and Kyle is straight except for Stan." Yeah, that person is right. But Stendy gets cute content and I feel like they could work if they were just more mature I guess?

Stan/Pete- I've never seen much Stan x Pete but when it comes to the goth kids, I ship Stan with Pete the most. Once again, I don't really have any ideas for this ship, it's not something I think about a lot or see a lot of but I think it could be cute... or something.

Stan/Kyle- I don't really ship Style, I just prefer them as friends. I don't know if it's because I ship Stan and Kyle with other people or because their relationship has seemed really strained lately, maybe it's both but I'd rather them be friends. They get cute fanart and sometimes good fic concepts though so that's why they're at number 6.

Stan/Clyde - I've never really seen any Stan/Clyde content before, I think I've seen one fanart and a fic I never read but it seems kind of cute. Like jock x jock or dumbass x dumbass or both of course. I can see them both getting bummed out over their girlfriends when they break up with them but at the same time they don't treat them well so maybe they bond over that. Maybe the ship idea came from the fact that their girlfriends are best friends, I feel like I've seen posts where it's like Stan and Clyde becoming friends because of Wendy and Bebe. It's cute but the ship isn’t for me.

Stan/Michael - I've never heard of this before nor do I really like it, it just doesn't appeal to me. Stan x Pete seems much better.

Stan/Cartman- Again, I don't really see the appeal. There's some cute content for the ship but it's just not for me. It's the same thing as Style, I like them as friends, Style just gets way more content than Stanman does so I guess that's why it's higher on the list, I see it more. I really do like Stan and Cartman's relationship though, they do seem like genuine friends (for the most part).

Stan/Bebe- I like them as friends. I don't know why I do, I've never seen any Stan/Bebe or Stan & Bebe content before and I don't have any headcanons for them but I like the idea of them being friends. I do like how Bebe tried to help Stan get back together with Wendy. Maybe it was for Wendy's sake but she did move on pretty quickly so I like to think she gave Stan advice because she actually wanted to help him. Stan is 100% gay in my mind though (except for Wendy but again, I think I like Stendy because it's canon so I can see what the dynamic is like and Heidi because I think Stan x Heidi is cute.) so I don't ship him with any other girls.