#ss: gatherer 1

[slugcatsafari]

previous cycle (3) / next page (4.5)

[retropopcult]

"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is a 1976 song written, composed and performed by Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot to memorialize the sinking of the bulk carrier SS Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. Lightfoot considered this song to be his finest work.

The ballad chronicles the final voyage of the Edmund Fitzgerald as it succumbed to a massive late-season storm and sank in Lake Superior with the loss of all 29 crewmen. Lightfoot drew inspiration from news reports he gathered in the immediate aftermath, particularly "The Cruelest Month", published in Newsweek magazine's November 24, 1975, issue. Lightfoot's passion for sailing on the Great Lakes informs his verses throughout.

The single hit number 1 in his native Canada on November 20, 1976, barely a year after the disaster. In the United States, it reached number 1 on Cashbox 's ranking and number 2 for two weeks in the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

[takosan388]

Splatoon 3 Grand Festival trailer details you might have missed:

1) Arriving at the Grand Festival:

You are greeted by this gate of ink streams flowing down. Pink, Orange, Yellow, Green, Cyan, close to the colors of the rainbow! Also a big sign with the GRAND FESTIVAL logo on top.

"Sometimes when colors clash and mix, you end up with mud. But every now and then you get to see a beautiful rainbow!"

2) Fest duration, day/night cycles, idols outfits.

The fest lasts 72h-starting September 13th (Friday) 01:00 GMT+1 and ending September 16th (Monday) 01:00 GMT +1.

Fridays always have a sunset during events!

We can notice that the idols are wearing their default outfits during the sunset and are in separate stages-split into their groups.

Squid Sisters, Off the Hook, Deep Cut in their original outfits.

Weekends always have nighttime!

In both different stage settings (will go into more detail bellow) the idols are wearing their new special Grand Festival outfits.

Squid Sisters, Off the Hook, Deep Cut in their Grand Festival outfits.

3) Concert stage settings and details

3.1) Sunset/Friday: Setting 1

The shows take place under a big tent with lit up walls!

Squid Sisters, Deep Cut using the same stage setup. (There isn't any footage of Off the Hook using this setup, but we can assume they will use it as well)

The wall projections switch between a diamond-shapped pattern and images of Squids/Octopi.

Projections of the diamond-shapped pattern and the images of Squids/Octopi.

Floating projections of diamond shapes and images of Squids/Octopi appear close to the stage-same as the wall projection at the time.

Floating projections of the diamond shapes and images of the Squids/Octopi.

3.2) Sunset/Friday: Setting 2

It appears to be a different stage setup which is also used during the sunset. It's an outdoors stage facing the new plaza.

Off the Hook, Deep Cut using the same stage setup. (There isn't any footage of the Squid Sisters using this setup, but we can assume they will use it as well)

* * Editor's note* * My guess here is that: a) either one of the two will be used early in the final week and the other one later during the week or b) there's a third stage which we weren't shown, (I got that idea since both setups can only host one group) so that all the idols perform in different stages at the same time. And under some criteria, they switch stages-probably just by going through a loading screen. Or you can choose.

3.3) Saturday

All the idols are wearing their new outfits! They are gathered on one big venue which contains 3 different platforms-one for each group.

Squid Sisters in the center, Off the Hook on the left, Deep Cut on the right.

* * Editor's note * * They can switch positions! Maybe depending on the song, or randomly every time the plaza loads. Or maybe the platforms switch positions by moving counter-clockwise every few minutes. It can be seen in the images bellow:

First image: Middle SS, left OtH, right DC Second image: Middle OtH, left DC, right SS Third image: Middle DC, left SS, right OtH

Stage details:

Depending on which idol is singing, their respective lights on stage turn on. (It's easily noticeable here where you can see Pearl's mouth move as her light is on while Callie and Marie aren't moving their mouths and their lights are off.)

SS: Callie - Magenta, Marie - Lime green

OtH: Pearl - Pink, Marina - Teal

DC: Shiver - Blue, Big Man - Red, Frye - Yellow

The idols on stage with their respective lights shown lit up.

3.4) Sunday

Now or Never Seven join the stage which is a single platform this time! They will be singing a new mix or a brand new song! Also there are stage fire machines and the edges of the wall around the stage is on fire. How cool is that

From left to right they are positioned as: Marina-Callie, Frye-Big Man-Pearl, Shiver-Marie.

Now or Never Seven during their intro.

4) Background decorations/characters

Wide view of an area away from the concert stages.

On the left can be seen posters of Big Man (green), Marie (Pink), Marina (Purple), Shiver (Green), Callie (Pink) all in the artstyle of Splatoon 2 OtH posters.

On the right, the tour bus for Now or Never Seven.

Close to the bus, posters of Shiver (Green), Frye (Green), Big Man (Green) all in the artstyle of Splatoon 2 OtH posters.

Jellyfish made out of paper floating in the sky attached to thin lines.

Boat in gold colour that resembles the wooden dinghy seen in the Grizzco lobby. It contains the giant Statues from the plazas also painted in gold, and some appear to not be completely built.

This band on "Sunset: Setting 2" is from Mahi Mahi Resort! (Thanks @Rachoogian for noticing it)

A poster near the Grand Festival gate that depicts DJ Octavio!!

A very cool security guard standing close to the "Sunset: Setting 1" stage.

5) The logos of the theme, a cool little detail.

Past is supported by the Squid Sisters, from Splatoon 1 and looks one-dimensional.

Present is supported by Off the Hook, from Splatoon 2 and looks two-dimensional.

Future is supported by Deep Cut, from Splatoon 3, and looks three-dimensional.

(These are just my speculations from analysing the trailer-don't take them for granted.) I could go on and on to comment about their outfits but maybe in a future post, this ended up way longer than I expected.

Let me know if I got something wrong or want me to comment on anything that I missed! Or something you didn't know and found out about now!

Thank you for reading and enjoy the Splatfest! くコ:彡 Ｃ:。ミ

[maboroshi-no]

Hamefura LN14 SS (Satoru Yamaguchi's blog)

Series: My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! Story Title: The Foundation Anniversary Party ~Geordo ~ Source: Satoru Yamaguchi’s Blog Synopsis: Geordo's POV of the party in Chapter 1. Translation: maboroshi-no

The Foundation Anniversary Party ~Geordo~

Katarina: Prince Geordo, Happy 9th birthday!

With a whole-face smile, my fiancée Katarina Claes handed me a present.

It had always been the servants who told me "Happy Birthday" and gave me presents from my family, so it was the first time someone had happily handed me a present with such a whole-face smile.

I was bewildered by that strange tingling feeling I had never experienced before and could not respond immediately. In front of me, Katarina happily started speaking.

Katarina: This is a cake from that recently popular confectionary shop, and this is…

Looking at her explaining the presents that she apparently couldn't narrow down to one, I could tell she put all her thoughts into each of them.

Katarina gave me delicious recommended dishes as presents, which was very much like her who liked eating. In front of her many presents, I said…

Geordo: Thank you very much.

After I had sorted my feelings and replied this,

Katarina: Since there are a lot of them, I think you will surely find something you like.

Katarina made a fist and said this with a smile.

Then, just as she said, I found something that I apparently liked, and before long, Katarina would frequently bring it to me.

After having this very nostalgic and happy dream, I woke up.

Today, the Sorcier Foundation Anniversary Party would be held at the castle. Many visitors from inside and outside the country were scheduled to come.

Without any time to bask in that dream, I got ready and perfectly conducted myself as a member of the royal family.

There were many foreign visitors, so the greeting queue was considerably longer than usual. Even so, I put on a smile, looked sideways at my younger twin brother Alan showing a tired face, and interacted with people the same way as always.

After the long greetings ended and my family split up and moved separately, I was immediately surrounded by ladies.

The foreign visiting noble ladies were more assertive than the Sorcier ones, and they really didn't know when to give up.

I wanted to go to my fiancée quickly and was gradually getting more and more irritated even if I didn't show it in my attitude. But then, I saw coming towards me the figure I had eagerly been waiting for. 

I ignored the ladies surrounding me and immediately started walking towards her.

Geordo: Katarina

Now that I had called her, I would smoothly escort her.

Geordo: Since my fiancée has arrived, I shall end our conversation here. 

Taking advantage of the situation, I showed a fabricated smile to the ladies gathered around me.

The usual Sorcier ladies would have pulled back here, but today, there was a tenacious one.

Foreign Lady: Even if she is your fiancée, it is just a political engagement, right? In my country, it is now commonplace to love outside of political marriage and marry after finding true love.

The lady uttered this of all things and stepped forward. While I felt like snickering, I put on the usual smile and told her,

Geordo: Is that so? While there may be some political aspects, I truly love Katarina here from the bottom of my heart, so there should be no problem, right?

When I declared this, as could be expected, no one raised further objection.

Despite declaring so many times that I loved Katarina, many people to this day still uttered such foolish things. I wished those foolish people would understand a little after this statement, but this might be too much to ask of them. 

For some reason, women of this kind only believed whatever suited them. This was how they were, I guess. I could not hold the faintest interest in them.

Geordo: Well then, ladies, I will now excuse myself.

I declared this with a smile and started escorting Katarina away.

Since I had been yearning to see her, escorting Katarina like this would have normally put me in an elated mood, but that was not the case right now.

Because a scene I had seen earlier while greeting the foreign visitors crossed my mind.

At today's party, as a royal, I entered the venue separately from the other nobles and thus moved separately from Katarina.

But despite the large venue, I had an idea where Katarina could be.

Katarina loved to eat, so she was probably heading to the buffet.

When I cast my eyes there, I really spotted her figure relishing food at the buffet and I naturally let out a smile at her delighted face. 

But right after, Katarina was called out by Prince Cezar of Ethenell and I witnessed the two of them talking.

Prince Cezar of Ethenell was most likely interested in Katarina. But as always, Katarina did not notice this sort of thing at all.

I had many rivals to this day because of this charmer Katarina, but Prince Cezar of Ethenell… His composed attitude and political skills gave me the feeling that if he ever became serious, I might be no match for him. 

Just recently, because I was deceived by Jeffrey, my jealousy made me lose control and I kissed Katarina (what's more, passionately) right in front of Prince Cezar, then threatened him.

After that, I came to my senses and felt embarrassed by my mistake. I was feeling awkward during today's greetings but unlike me, Prince Cezar greeted me with no sign of anything dwelling on his mind.

His composure flustered me again.

When we arrived at a room serving as a resting room, I turned to Katarina and immediately started speaking.

Geordo: Earlier, what were you talking about with the Ethenell prince?

Katarina did not answer immediately as she seemed to be thinking of something. While it was not such a long pause, I felt impatient and…

Geordo: Katarina.

After I called her name,

Katarina: Umm, we talked a little about things like how I was feeling. Then, Prince Cezar immediately left to call Keith for me.

…She replied that.

For now, I was relieved by her answer.

Geordo: …I see. I thought he approached her again.

Because I had inadvertently muttered this,

Katarina: Could it be because you were worried about it that you looked different from usual during the greetings?

Katarina asked me this.

I was surprised. I should have been doing it perfectly like always.

Geordo: I… looked different?

Katarina: Yes. Like, you were tired, or not feeling well.

Geordo: I see… I thought I was doing it the same way as always, though.

Katarina: It's okay. The other people didn't seem to have noticed. I could only tell because I have been with you for a long time. I think it is the same with our childhood friends.

Despite what Katarina said, I had been able to put on such a good act that my family, and even my servants since childhood, could not tell when I was unwell. And yet, Katarina, only Katarina always could.

Geordo: I think only you can tell so well.

Katarina: No, that's not…

As Katarina was about to deny it, I raised my index in front of her mouth.

Geordo: Yes, it is. Whenever I am weakened, you always tell me the words I need and come to my side. It is because you are here that I can do my best. That’s why I want you to stay by my side forever, Katarina.　

After I had said this, a blush tinted Katarina's cheeks. This fact made me so happy that I felt like jumping with joy.

While she was my fiancée and I kept telling her my feelings, for some reason, the person herself would not notice them (take them seriously). After spending long years in this strange situation, my feelings had finally reached her, but… she was still barely conscious of me and there were times when she thought she did not have enough charm.

But after reaching so far, she had finally come to blush at my words like this. I felt like my long one-sided love was rewarded just a little.

And that was why I would not…No, could not be satisfied with this. I wanted to have you.

I softly extended my hand to her red-colored cheeks and approached my face.

As I set my aim on her full red lips and moved closer, Katarina seemed to hit upon a realization and put her palm on my forehead. Then,

Katarina: It's hot?! Wait, Prince Geordo, you are extremely hot. You definitely have a fever!

She said this in a loud voice.

Crap. She found out about my fever… And I thought this time for sure, I could fool her into believing it was just a little fatigue. I got careless because Katarina was too cute.

Yes. It was true that I had a fever since morning. But I had been able to do everything with willpower.

I was confident I could get through it without anyone noticing, like always.

Geordo: It is fine.

After I had said this, Katarina…

Katarina: No, this fever is not “fine” at all! You've been like this since the greetings, haven't you? You knew it and you still pushed yourself!

…She pressed me.

Anyhow, I could not deceive her anymore since she had figured so much, so…

Geordo: I was out of sorts a little while ago but I had been like this since I woke up this morning. Still, if it is only this much, I can manage without anyone noticing, so there is no problem.

I said this, but immediately after…

Katarina: There is a problem.

She said it like that. There, I too became just a little bit pissed.

Geordo: I will not cause trouble, so it is fine.

Katarina: No, it is not.

Geordo: I can properly do my work.

I prided myself on having been able to properly do my work until now, and when I asserted this, Katarina's eyebrows shot up.

Katarina: Geez, this is not about work! You're pushing yourself while you're in such a bad state and I can’t help worrying about you!

Katarina's unexpected words left me stunned and speechless.

Katarina: Now, please wait here a little, Prince Geordo. I will contact a suitable party.

Still dumbfounded, I obediently sat on the furnished sofa just as Katarina pressed me to, and then she left the room.

Now left alone, my head finally started to work.

I knew Katarina was worried about me, but after seeing it so clearly on her face and hearing her say it to me like that, I felt a somewhat tingling feeling.

"I would take care of myself by myself." Even though, I had followed this thought and led my life so no one would notice it whenever I was out of sorts… I really had completely changed because of Katarina.

While I was overwhelmed by this tingling feeling, Katarina came back, bringing Jeffrey with her.

Jeffrey: I heard the situation from Lady Katarina. Please don't overwork yourself so much. You have dependable brothers, so you can depend on us as much as you like.、

Because Jeffrey had said this with the face of an older brother, the tingling feelings swelled even more, and…

Geordo: I am not that sick.

When I shortly replied this, Katarina quickly came towards me and touched my forehead again.

Katarina: It is still hot. It is not “fine” at all. You will stop this tough act right now.

Having said this, Katarina now extended her hand to my head.

Katarina: Prince Geordo, your job is now to rest. I will not accept any objection. You must stop being unreasonable and rest properly.

While saying this, she lightly tapped my head.

Geordo: …"unreasonable"…

This was something no one had ever said to me… Somehow, her older person act made me feel complicated feelings.

Jeffrey: That’s right, you will stop being unreasonable and rest like a good boy.

Riding on Katarina's words, Jeffrey said this and grabbed my shoulders.

Jeffrey: Alright, your room is ready so let's go.

Then he dragged me along.

If it were like always, I would absolutely resist but the will to resist didn't rise in me, maybe because of my poor condition, or maybe because of that very indescribable tingling feeling swirling in my chest.

While dragged by Jeffrey, I saw Katarina watching me worriedly, so…

Geordo: Thank you very much.

…I muttered in a low voice.

Because of this complicated feeling where I was somewhat embarrassed and yet happy, I felt my already hot face getting even hotter. 

Katarina: Please have plenty of rest and get well soon!

I could hear from behind Katarina's voice saying this.

Somehow, my face became even hotter.

[lalune9x]

SCTIR Translation - Chapter 400: Sunset (4)

"Your other self said the world would be better off if Sung Hyunje disappeared. What do you think about that?" "What do you think, Han Yoojin-gun?"

Chapter translation under the cut.

Story context: Yoojin met the dungeon version of Sung Hyunje in the preceding chapters and received a prophecy from the Star-Counting Bird about Sung Hyunje's fate.

---

[1:04:55 until sunset]

Three more attacks occurred within about twenty minutes. Almost all the nearby hunters had gathered, but there was still no sign of Noah or Song Taewon. I was starting to get worried. Both of them were experienced S-rank hunters, but there were also SS-rank hunters and monsters here. Although they couldn’t leave their designated areas, making escape easier, there was still a chance that something could have gone wrong.

However, with so little time left before sunset, I couldn’t afford to go searching for them.

"Leave it to us," Yerim insisted.

"Yeah, yeah! We’re really good at running away!" Yoon Yoon chimed in. The Newbie had mentioned in a message that those with teleportation or spatial movement abilities should be fine after sunset, but still...

"Make sure you’re back before sunset. If you’re not, I’ll come looking for you."

"You, Ajussi? That’s too dangerous!" Yerim protested.

"That’s why you need to come back on time. Promise me. Don’t go too far, and stick together. Don’t hesitate to use long-range teleportation if necessary."

The only reason I could send them off was because they had the benefit of long-range teleportation. I’m counting on you, Yoon Yoon.

"I promise. You should go back to the hotel and rest, Ajussi. Make sure you eat something for dinner too," Yerim urged.

"We’ll be back, Captain Kim! Little Kim, let’s check if there are any hamburgers left."

"They’re probably cold by now," Yerim commented as she and Yoon Yoon disappeared into thin air. The two of them seemed to get along quite well. Surely the "great person" Yerim mentioned earlier wasn’t Yoon Yoon from the future, right? Although Yoon Yoon did save countless people, I couldn’t picture him advising Yerim to study hard.

In case Noah or Song Taewon showed up late, I decided to leave a note at the Gangnam Station Exit 1. Of course, it wasn’t going to be in Korean.

"Do you know how to write in French, Sung Hyunje-ssi? I think we should leave a note for Noah in French."

How many hunters out there even knew French? Just writing down the hotel name and some directions should be enough.

"As for Song Taewon, well..."

"There’s a code we use," Sung Hyunje said.

"You have a code?"

Did that mean Sung Hyunje had dragged Director Song through enough trouble that they needed one? Anyway, we left notes in places both of them could find.

"Alright, let’s head to the hotel..." I said.

But the roads were in terrible condition. The motorcycle wasn’t an option.

"Yoohyun, you carry that guy," I said.

"I have two arms," Yoohyun argued.

"I know, but it’d be inconvenient for you. There might still be some hunters lurking around."

Reluctantly, Yoohyun picked up my pre-regression self. My other self, not used to being carried, awkwardly lowered his head in embarrassment. Seeing that made me feel a twinge of self-consciousness. I had gotten way too comfortable with being carried around. Maybe I should start feeling a little embarrassed too.

Although my other self had higher stats, he didn’t have any damage-nullifying items, so Yoohyun took the lead in front of us. Even an S-rank hunter was more vulnerable to attacks from behind. It also helped that Sung Hyunje had combat foresight.

But I wondered, would Grace recognize my other self as a contractor too? It seemed to recognize Yoohyun and Sung Hyunje as the same people.

"Unfortunately, I don’t have many answers," Sung Hyunje, who was holding me, spoke as he picked up on my thoughts.

"It’s been a while since we entered the dungeon. What have you been doing in that time? Where did you end up?"

"As I assumed," Sung Hyunje said with a hint of displeasure. "It seems I was unconscious for quite a while."

"What? But why...?" I began, then stopped as a thought struck me. The dungeon version of Sung Hyunje... That version of him was likely linked to this Sung Hyunje, just like how me and my other self were strongly connected. However, unlike me, the pre-regression Sung Hyunje wasn’t in a normal state.

Bound by the chains of the Crescent Moon, possessing a power so overwhelming that even Young Chaos had been taken aback. Could the current Sung Hyunje have lost consciousness under the weight of that other self? If two identical people existed, and one was vastly stronger... could one end up absorbing or merging with the other?

"Does my partner know something?" Sung Hyunje asked.

"Well, uh… kind of."

"I saw Song Taewon’s grave.”

So, he was there. Sung Hyunje leaped gracefully over a collapsed building. Moving as if gravity didn’t apply to him, he weaved us effortlessly through the rubble.

"The guild building was a wreck, too," he remarked.

"...Did you go inside?" I asked.

"The area was sealed off, wasn’t it?" he replied, his golden eyes looking down at me. The way he looked at me made it clear he already had a pretty good idea of what had happened.

"You must’ve met me there," he said.

"You were pretty insufferable."

Sung Hyunje laughed. "Should I apologize?"

"Your hospitality was terrible, but I’ll let it slide this time."

"To make up for it, I’ll extend you an invitation. You’ll be my first guest, Han Yoojin-gun."

"At your new house? Did the move go well? Not that you had much to bring over."

Since everything had been destroyed… poor fish.

"You probably already figured it out, but this is what I wanted to tell you. All of this," I said.

"I don’t know what you mean," Sung Hyunje replied shamelessly. "As I’m still waiting."

As if he didn’t already know. But maybe this was his way of being considerate. 

I called out to Yoohyun, who was up ahead. "We’ll stop by the supermarket! You go ahead and make sure it’s safe at the hotel!"

"But, hyung..."

"Anything else you need besides ingredients for the seaweed soup?"

My other self in Yoohyun’s arms shook his head, still looking embarrassed. He kept acting like that, so now I was starting to feel embarrassed too. This situation would probably look hilarious to anyone watching.

With Yoohyun and my past self heading to the hotel first, I entered the nearest supermarket with Sung Hyunje. We smashed the locked glass door and stepped into the empty store.

"You’ve never pushed a shopping cart before, have you? Careful, you might get information overload again."

"You think I’ve never bought groceries before?"

Sung Hyunje took the shopping cart I pulled out and pushed it forward. He looked out of place yet somehow also like he was filming a commercial.

"If you’ve ever done groceries, it was probably at a department store, with a VVIP attendant pushing the cart. I can imagine that."

"This might be my first time," he admitted.

"In any world," I added.

He didn’t even have friends or a lover... I should probably be a bit nicer to him. Honestly, who wouldn’t develop a bad personality after being dragged around like that? Even a saint would have their limits.

"Seaweed soup is best with beef. I also like the kind with rice cakes. There was a lady who ran a side dish shop that made amazing beef and rice cake seaweed soup. Do you think she might be the same one who works at the Breaker Guild?"

I grabbed an umbrella to use as a walking stick and headed for the butcher section first. The lights were out, so I was worried the meat might’ve spoiled, but the chill was still seeping out from the coolers. After all, this dungeon hadn’t formed that long ago. Even without power, the fridge would stay cold for a while as long as the door hadn’t been opened.

I picked out the best Korean beef for soup, since it was all free. Maybe I should grab some for grilling too.

"Since it’s all free, even Director Song will eat it, right? Though raw beef might be pushing it."

With so many mouths to feed, all with big appetites, I loaded up the cart with top-grade beef cuts. I wondered if the gas and electricity were still working at the hotel. With Yoohyun and Sung Hyunje there, cooking it shouldn’t be a problem. I also grabbed some lettuce for wraps, garlic since Yerim likes it, mushrooms, and… is there no kimchi here? Also cola—actually no, every hotel room has drinks. While they’re usually not free, right now they would be.

I also grabbed a small bag of rice. Red bean rice would be nice, but it takes too long to soak the beans. At least seaweed soaks quickly. I picked the most expensive one and grabbed some seasonings, just in case the hotel didn’t have any.

"The seafood tank’s still working. Putting abalone in beef soup might be overkill, though. Should I grill it instead? How about a lobster? Director Song likes sashimi, right? But slicing fish for sashimi might be too hard."

"I can easily handle the sashimi."

"Seriously, is there anything you can’t do? Anyway, it’s all free!"

When else would I have the chance to feed Director Song such expensive food? I took out a fresh lobster, then another one. Yerim liked things like this too, though she preferred meat. Noah also liked sashimi, surprisingly. I grabbed some abalone, shrimp, and fish—wait, never mind the fish. I took some vinegar, soy sauce, and wasabi too.

The hotel probably had plenty of fruit for dessert. They likely had meat too, but you never knew the quality. Might as well feed them the best Korean beef while I had the chance. Do they label it properly here?

There was a sudden shout. 

"Thieves in the supermarket! Wait, Han Yoojin? Have you resorted to theft now—"

Bang! A bullet whizzed by, narrowly missing the head of a babbling hunter. Not because I missed, but because he dodged well. Guess he’s of a higher rank.

"You little—"

The hunter who had been cursing stopped in his tracks when he saw the man pushing the shopping cart. The guild leader of Sesung casually pulled a pair of kitchen scissors from a display rack and tossed it at the hunter. Thunk. Thud. Correction, must be a low-rank hunter. Even if an S-Rank throws it, those are still just kitchen scissors.

"My reputation was pretty bad," I said, rifling through the snack aisle. "As you probably guessed, I regressed to the past. I used to be thirty years old!"

"So it’s true," he mused.

"What do you mean, ‘so it’s true’? And you, Sung Hyunje-ssi, you disappeared before the regression. Claimed you were raising sheep in the Alps."

"And Song Taewon-ssi died."

"Yes. You said you saw his grave? It was something you forced into place."

"Was it because of me?" he asked.

"No idea. There must be a connection, but your other self wouldn’t tell me the details. And as for you, you were apparently just waiting for the day the Crescent Moon would take you."

"I see," he said, as if we were talking about someone else entirely. I tossed a snack bag into the cart and looked at him.

"Your other self said the world would be better off if Sung Hyunje disappeared. What do you think about that?"

"What do you think, Han Yoojin-gun?"

"Well..."

No matter who asked, my answer would always be the same. Whether it was Sung Hyunje or anyone else.

"I’m tired of losing people, and I’m not the type to give up easily. ‘Oh, I guess I can’t help it. Let’s part ways here. See you in the afterlife~?’ I don���t think I can say that."

"Even if I say I’m giving up?"

"Then I’d curse at you. What about your S-Rank dignity? Even an F-Rank is fighting hard, so who do you think you are, giving up? If you’re going to do that, hand over your rank to me. Now that I think about it, I’m getting angry. If I collapse first, then you can give up!"

If you’re living well, bragging about being high-rank, then live up to it. I can't stand to see you giving up before I do, if only because it pisses me off.

"Besides, you made me a promise. That you would stay as you are. Your pre-regression self didn’t promise me that, so whatever. But you did. Since we’ve already gotten to this point, you have to see it through with me to the end."

"I wouldn’t dare throw the first stone, out of fear of Han Yoojin-gun."

What stones—oh, does he mean Baduk? The more I looked at his relaxed smile, the more I was reminded of the Sung Hyunje in the collapsed building. I really didn’t want to see him like that again. Tangled up like he’d been caught in a spiderweb… It didn’t suit him at all.

But how could we stop the Crescent Moon? It made sense why the pre-regression Seong Hyunje had lost hope after losing Song Taewon. Was there any escape other than death?

"Was my situation really that pitiful?" Sung Hyunje asked.

"The only person who can kill Sung Hyunje is Director Song Taewon," I replied. I didn’t bring up what had been said about me. It was too vague a prophecy, and I honestly couldn’t see how I could play a part in it. "That’s why you once said you would treat him well. An older version of you from some other world."

"I am treating him well," he said.

Sure you are. We pushed the cart through the checkout without bothering to bag anything. There was too much stuff, so we just wheeled the cart out of the market. The sound of the wheels rolling was oddly cheerful.

"Stop trying to mess around with me. I’ve already been hurt enough," I said.

I gave Sung Hyunje a filtered version of what had happened before the regression.

"I was sincere, you know," he said.

"And I said I don’t need it."

"Even so, it’s not good for the two of you to stay close."

Chains clinked as they lashed out, skewering a hunter who had been sneaking up on us. I thought we’d wiped out most of them, but there were still a few trickling in. I guess it would take a while for mid-rank hunters to reach us on foot.

"Aren’t you already pushing your pre-regression self away, insisting that he’s different from you?" he continued.

"What? No, I’m not."

"It’s instinctual. If you’re the same person, you feel like your place is being threatened. There’s only room for one Han Yoojin."

Two can’t fit in the same spot. If they try, they’ll have to split that spot—either evenly or unevenly. That’s what Sung Hyunje meant.

"To protect Han Yoojin, you need to create a completely new place for one of you. Even if you can live on your own, it’s better to keep your places separate."

"…You’re not just making excuses to take me away, are you? Actually, earlier, you seemed awfully eager to take the other me with you. Are you saying one is enough for you, no matter which it is? You might end up with another business partner."

"I only have one partner," he said.

You sure talk smoothly.

"But I’ll admit, I do want to nurture him. It’s no longer possible with my current partner, so I confess I’m a little excited."

He really does have a hobby of raising people, doesn’t he? Considering Sung Hyunje’s personality, my pre-regression self would definitely spark his curiosity. It’s not every day you get the chance to nurture the same person in a completely different way. Especially someone who already rejected him. Though my other self had turned him down too.

"Oh, the lights are on at the hotel," I observed.

In the increasingly dark street, I could see the lights shining through the lobby’s glass doors. Maybe the Newbie had managed to get the power on. If the others returned safely, it looked like we could spend the night comfortably.

[goodvibes24hrs]

Headcanons I shared on twt that I’d like to share here ☺️ (from 2023 to now):

Margo’s a 3D digital artist, Miles is more traditional, & Hobie likes to tailor his own clothes. They have days where they all occupied a single room and work silently together with music/a movie in the background.

Broke: Jefferson doesn’t like Hobie cuz his laces/punk, Woke: Jefferson likes Hobie cause he reminds him of Aaron.

Jefferson knows what it’s like to live in a tough environment. Does he approve of the things Aaron & Hobie’s done? No. Does he understand it? Yes! And he’ll be damned if he lets Hobie handled it on his own now that he knows about him 😤

And if I said Rio AND Jeff ask about Hobie all the time to Miles?? And if I said they’d tell him to invite him to the rooftop cookouts hM?? And if I said Rio & Jeff were the type of parents to always including any form of family gatherings with Hobie in mind, HMM?!

If Aaron was still alive, he would have loved Hobie.

Manifests in your mind Karl throwing Hobie over his shoulders and spinning him around really fast as they laugh.

Hobie’s the type to hold up & play music from a boombox outside Miles window to serenade him at 3 am. Jefferson from his window telling him to go home, Hobie cranks the boombox louder.

CyberPunkFlower hc: Margo & Hobie both being nervous to meet Miles parents and get surprised when Rio & Jefferson hug them at the front door (Especially from Jefferson who held both of them tightly in his hug) Miles had talked so fondly about his partners to his parents. He even explained how they both helped him escape the SS. Rio & Jefferson loved them before they even walked through their door.

CyberPunkFlower thought: Margo & Hobie being overwhelmed with how opening loving & supporting Miles’ parents are to them. They’ve both had a one to one moment with Rio/Jefferson that solidified that feeling of “You’re always welcomed in our home”. Margo being quick to accept their affection/attention vs Hobie being standoffish cuz he’s not used to this kind of positive adult/parental presents. Over time & some patience he’ll be accepting/used to it.

My singing voice hc for Hobie is Bakar (listen to his song Dracula 🎤👀)

PunkFlower/Morales Family thought: Hobie, bruised/roughed up from a battle, hoppin’ in to Miles universes to relax with him only to realize: 1. He’s not home & 2. Rio’s the only one home. Cut to Rio hovering over to Hobie & being worried about his injuries. Rio tends to his wounds (even after Hobie explains his quick healing). As Rio’s wrapping him up she talks about how much her son speaks so fondly about Hobie. Tell him embarrassing stories about her boy. Fun little conversations that will come back and haunt Miles lol.

GoldenPunkFlowerByte thoughts: Pavitr trying to help Rio in the kitchen, Miles preventing Hobie from stealing bites out of the pots, Margo talking with Jefferson and playing with Billie.

Hobie’s spiderband are the type to give each other tattoos. They give each other a heart tattoo 💙🩷💜💚💛❤️

Hobie’s the type to bring flowers for Rio & Jefferson when he’s taking Miles out on a date.

GoldenPunkFlowerByte: Pavitr, despite his size, is always the big spoon (He will jump if he has to hold Miles & Hobie) My guy loves to bury his face in his partners shoulders. He loves playing with the loose strands of Margo’s hair while she’s coding.

I really like the idea of not only Miles’ family meeting Hobie but also the Morales meeting Hobie’s SpiderBand cuz that’s his family. He grew up homeless & his band means the world to him. Rio & Jefferson would love this goofy bunch of misfits.

Hobie making Rio a dimensional phone cuz she “wanted to call and check up on you & your friends, Flaquito!”

To end it off: Before anyone comes here and says “Hobie’s an adult” pleases read these =

Tho Hobie does not have a confirmed age, he's been described most times as a teenager from 16-17 year old (I see him as 16)

[pinkerthings]

the importance of mike and will simply getting each other (pt 2):

part one here !

I’ve covered the significance of Mileven simply not understanding each other, & now it’s time to talk about their counterpart !

(specifying that nothing in these posts is new or groundbreaking, I’m just covering multiple topics and gathering info in one place !)

season 1:

Episode one begins with the party playing a d&d campaign:

When Mike goes upstairs to talk to his mom, Will discovers he’d rolled a seven, meaning the monster got him in the game. Dustin and Lucas say “Did Mike see it?” to which Will shakes his head no. “Then it doesn’t count!” Lucas replies as they scramble to leave the house.

Dustin and Lucas leave and Mike stands next to Will in the garage. After a moment of quiet, Will tells Mike,

“It was a seven. The roll. It was a seven. The demogorgon, it got me.”

To which Mike responds with:

nothing.

This scene is the first scene we get with Mine and Will alone in the whole show. This scene sets up the entirety of their relationship, telling the audience right off the bat,

“Hey! These two boys are best friends, and they don’t lie to each other!”

First impressions are always important in media, and next we get El and Mike’s first scenes together.

Remember, Mike only found El because he was out with Dustin and Lucas looking for Will.

Now, Mike is sweet to El that first night and next day. But keep in mind that the only reason El spent that first night in Mike’s basement was because Mike didn’t want to get in trouble by his mom, because he had been out looking for Will, something he wasn’t supposed to be doing.

Dustin says, ��I think we should tell your mom,” and Lucas agrees. Mike responds with, “Who’s crazy now?”

Lucas: “How is that crazy?”

Mike: “Because we weren’t supposed to be out tonight, remember?”

Mike makes the plan to have El sleep there for the night, then go around to the front door in the morning so Karen will know what to do with her. Mike wants her to leave in the morning so they can go back to looking for Will.

Remember, the only reason she stayed the night was so the boys didn’t get in trouble for looking for Will.

Mike keeps Eleven around 1. because “bad men” are after her, and Mike does care for her and her safety, and 2. Mike has a feeling Will is alive and El knows how to find him.

They don’t have many interactions in season 1 due to Will being in the upside down, but they reunite at the end of the season and everything is (seemingly) back to normal.

season 2:

Everyone knows season two is byler’s season ! El is living with Hopper, unbeknownst to the boys, and Mike and Will are as close as ever.

Episode 1: The party goes to Palace Arcade and plays Dig Dug. In the midst of this, Will gets a weird feeling and suddenly sees the upside down.

He walks outside slowly and sees the Mind Flayer, followed by one person and one person only: his best friend.

(can’t ss netflix but mike comes out and asks will if he’s okay)

Mike is the only one out of the other three to notice Will is gone and follow him out. He puts his arm around Will and walks him back inside to play Dig Dug.

Later on in episode one, Joyce picks Will up early from school for his appointment with Dr. Owens,

and the camera zooms into Mike and Mike only, saying,

All three boys notice something is off, but Mike is the first to say something about it.

This whole season is meant to showcase the special friendship Mike and Will have. They know each other the best and even the rest of the party knows that.

Episode 2: This episode is an important one. Max joins the party while trick-or-treating and Mike is not on board with the idea.

(sorry for the terrible grimy photos im taking these pics from another screen)

I've noticed when the party split off into groups, it's almost always Mike & Will, Dustin & Lucas, or Lucas & Max. Mike and Will are glued to each other's hip most of the time.

(these photos are so bad im cryin im sorry)

Mike is upset that Will allowed for Max to join them while trick-or-treating, and when Mike hurries ahead of Will, Will almost seems disappointed in himself for disappointing Mike, staring after him like Mike caught him committing atrocities and he feels guilty. lmao poor will, he just wants to make mike happy !

A moment later we have bullies push Will to the ground, resulting in him seeing the upside down & Mind Flayer again, calling for Mike and running to safety.

When Mike finally reaches Will, he exclaims, "Will! I couldn't find you, are you hurt?" indicating that the moment Mike turned around and didn't see Will behind him, he sensed something was off and went looking for him, just like at Palace Arcade.

While the others chase down the stairs, either cussing or verbally confused, Mike is the only one at Will's side asking him if he's okay.

He helps Will up and puts an arm around him again, just like at palace Arcade, and takes him ho--- oh, you thought I was gonna say home? To Will's house? Nope! Mike says he's going to take Will home, and takes him to the Wheeler's basement.

Ladies and gentlemen, how could I make a byler post without including the infamous crazy together scene !?

We have Mike and Will sitting on the couch in the Wheeler's basement, and Will is telling him all about these "visions" he's been having.

He begins describing,

but stops, not knowing how to finish his sentence. But no worries, Mike finishes it for him!

Will then begs Mike to keep it a secret.

Why won't the others understand? Did the other party member not already see a demogorgon? Do they not already know what the upside down is? Will just wants to have something special--a secret only he and Mike know. He knows the others would understand, but doesn't think they'd be of any help. Unlike Mike, whom he trusts completely.

anyways that's all the photos i can fit here so I will cover the rest of s2, 3, & 4 in my next post. byeeee!!!

part 3 here !

[morbidology]

The day before the murder of Jeff Hall, his ten-year-old son, Joseph Hall, proudly displayed a leather belt adorned with an SS emblem to a visitor, stating, "Look what my dad got me." Little did anyone know at that moment that Joseph would be responsible for his father's death the following day.

Jeff dedicated his life to the National Socialist Movement, the nation's largest neo-Nazi party, leading a chapter in Riverside, California. Expressing extremist views, he advocated for a white society, secession, and openly blamed Jews and minorities for his employment challenges despite an economic downturn in the construction industry.

Growing up in an environment of hatred and abuse, it's not surprising that 10-year-old Joseph exhibited volatile behavior. He assaulted his elementary school teachers, embraced white supremacist beliefs, and faced expulsions from several schools. Homeschooled by his racist father, Joseph attended monthly gatherings at home that mixed Nazi propaganda with peculiar party games, witnessing his father impart lessons from "Mein Kampf" and boasting about teaching him to handle firearms.

On May 1, 2011, Joseph retrieved a .357 revolver and fatally shot his father as he slept on the couch. When the police arrived, Jeff was already deceased. Joseph claimed he acted in self-defense, alleging his father's threat to remove fire alarms and set the house ablaze while the family slept. He also expressed frustration with enduring beatings from his father. During the trial, Joseph's defense argued that he was a victim of his father's racist beliefs and abusive upbringing, with his stepmother testifying to frequent beatings over minor issues.

Joseph was found responsible for his father's murder and was confined to a juvenile detention center, eligible for parole at 20 years old. The conviction sparked controversy, with advocates questioning whether a 10-year-old could fully comprehend the consequences of his actions, especially during police interrogations. Despite the grim circumstances, reports from the juvenile detention center indicate that Joseph has made substantial progress through attending classes and therapy.

Remarkably, even the prosecutor who secured his conviction expressed an unexpected attachment, acknowledging Joseph's adherence to rules, expectations, and dignified treatment in the detention center.

[jokertrap-ran]

[Kuroshitsuji Collab] 6★ William T. Spears (MOON) Translation 最終話 生活リズムは乱れなく Final Chapter: Circadian Rhythm, Unaffected

"Whilst unable to find any clues for a way to return home…"

CV: 杉山 紀彰 (Sugiyama Noriaki)

*Yume100 Masterlist *Requested by A. Carina Spears~ *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Name will remain as my normal ( ラン )

Moon Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Final Chapter / Secret Story Normal / Sun + SS

The light of the setting sun paints the brick-paved streets of the city with a tastefully orange hue.

Our inquiries had borne no fruit. Hence, we were now walking the streets in an effort to find a new way to search for clues to return William home.

Man on the Street 1: Oh, hey! If it isn't the reaper guy!

The two men we passed by stopped to strike up a conversation with William.

Man on the Street 2: Did you manage to find any leads on how to get back to your original world?

William: No, not yet. Please do inform me if you have any information whatsoever. It will be of great help.

William: I have to hurry back, for there is a long list of souls waiting to be collected.

Man on the Street 1: Oooh, what funny jokes you tell!

The man roared with laughter, smacking William on the back in jest.

(He seems to have gained popularity while I was away…)

A small chuckle left my lips as I watched him quickly straighten out his slightly rumpled suit.

He instantly glared in my direction.

Ran: I'm glad to see that the investigation's progressing!

I tried to laugh it off, but that didn't seem to help his mood as he still looked as displeased as ever…

William: What little information we've managed to obtain pertains to this country's population, climate, terrain, water quality, the statistics of ore mined…

William: The number of tailors and optical stores, the local gathering place for strays, and… the easy-going personality of the locals here. That about sums it all up.

(Personally, I think that finding out all of that information in such a short time is quite an amazing feat…)

However, the lenses of William’s glasses glinted like the sharp edge of a blade as if contravening my thoughts.

William: That being said, none of the above can be considered as a step in the right direction. Understand?

I hurriedly straightened up in response.

Ran: Yes! I’ve also requested an audience with the king in hopes of broadening the scope of our search.

William fixed me with an appraising look.

Ran: We will surely be able to cover more ground if we manage to enlist the king;’s aid.

William: …Very well.

Although he still looked as stoic as ever, I could tell that the revelation left him slightly stunned.

I smiled, happy that we were still partners.

━━━━━━━∘◦ ✰ ◦∘━━━━━━━  

That night…

The King’s messenger had approached me, informing me that we’d been granted an audience with the King.

(Looks like the king wanted us to know about this as soon as possible…)

Overjoyed to finally be of help to William, I quickly dashed off to inform him.

Ran: William-san?

Knocking on his door, a moment of silence followed before a muffled voice sounded from the other side of the door.

William: …Come in.

I slowly opened the door. And then…

━━━━━━━∘◦ ✰ ◦∘━━━━━━━  

(Wha-?)

William: What brings you here at this hour of the night?

William was already lying in bed.

He had changed into a clean set of pajamas and his hair was no longer styled back. He wasn’t wearing his usual suit, and for some reason, it made my heart race.

Ran: S-Sorry! I didn't know that you were about to turn in for the day.

I quickly turned away, ready to close the door, but William continued speaking as if merely striking up a conversation.

William: Reapers require sleep. Were I to be disturbed, it would no doubt affect my work performance tomorrow.

Ran: Sorry… I just wanted to let you know that our request for an audience with the king got approved as soon as I could.

William: I see. Though, you could have just told me about this tomorrow.

Ran: Right…

I shrunk back at his admonishment.

William: It’s important to get off work on time and get the appropriate amount of sleep required to ensure maximum work efficiency.

William: This is a principle that I strictly adhere to, and under no cost will it be broken.

Ran: I… see?

William: You should get some rest as well. It would be an issue if you were to turn up late again.

I instantly straightened up. His words had hit a sore spot.

Still…

Ran: I won’t be late again, promise!

My answer rang loud and clear — a promise to him, and an oath to myself.

William: But of course. I look forward to working with you, partner.

Ran: …!

━━━━━━━∘◦ ✰ ◦∘━━━━━━━  

Having said so, he closed his eyes.

Ran: …Good night.

I bid him a quiet good night before closing the door behind me on the way out.

(He called me his partner…)

His words warmed my heart.

(I’ll give it my best tomorrow too!)

For some reason, this dreary-looking corridor now looked akin to a bright path to tomorrow despite how dimly-lit it was…

The END

[slugcatsafari]

next cycle (2)

[kerizaret]

H...hey Keri.... Scuffles feet.... How do you draw clothes... Like what is your process for it... You art is always so intricate and smooth and I like it a lot so i figured I'd ask....

Mmmfhjj I'm notnsure if I have a process exactly, but i do always draw the body first (even if very lightly & conceptually) and then the clothes on top of it, and only then i erase the body from underneath to leave just the outfit. I need to get the proportions right and also to see where the body bends and how it's positioned to see where the clothes will fold or where they'll be pulled down

It can be kinda more seen on wips n messy doodles, but I don't post those a lot nor do i take many pics of them either so it's not that visible

You can see either just the body with little elements of clothes for later reference what outfit they have, or you can see the body lineart from under the clothes lineart where it hasn't been erased yet

The whole cloth folds thing is a bit of a "random bullshit go",,, I think I mostly focus on the ends of the sleeves, thr elbow area & the chest when it comes to shirts, and where the legs meet, knees & the very bottom for pants. So the points where the material folds (bc of a bent hand for example), falls down (on the chest & at the bottom of thr material / piece of clothing)

I do try to think about the material too. Is it heavy or light, does it flow down or is it a puffier element? Does it stick to the body or is it loose? All this will produce a little different result. For example here's some of what at least i call a "puffier" sleeve (img 1 emu, img 2 rui) which I make more rounded where it gets "gathered" back up at the end, while a normal sleeve just falls down Naturally (I mean mb they are not the best examples out of my art butbwhateverr as long ss u get The Point /silly)

Other than that just remember to not overdo it with the folds. I do have a more simplistic style so I only focus on the most important ones I think, but still its better less than too many

Also, well, I generally either draw some super random casual clothes (or look up an outfit online), or the outfits the characters have on some cards, official art etc, so it's also looking at the reference / how it looks in the game on the model and all that. Also helps out

That's it really,,, you do always add on your own artstyle spins and it doesn't have to he super extra amazingly accurate,, at some point you just go with whatever feels right at the moment

Hope it helped somehow at least!

[jinhua-shu]

OVERTHINKING, Scaramouche/Wanderer x GN!Reader

PART 1: OVERTHINKING

PART 2: HIS POINT OF VIEW

PART 3: HELPLESS

PART 4: THE AFTER-EFFECT

PART 5: I LOVE YOU DUMMY

It’ll all go down hill if the other party decides that he is not interested in pursuing something further with you. it will all lead to something sad. like you for example, aren’t you overthinking, assuming, being overly anxious of what has happened between the connection with the person whom you’re talking to? Let’s all calmly and sadly face the truth, that not everyone wants to be with us and etc. because, no one bothers to stay even when we’re at our lowest, there would always be that one person whom will just glance and look away at you.  there would always be that one person who will simply, just stop to see what’s happening and walk away. there would be someone who will not care less of what you’re feeling, and simply intentionally ignore you. Leading to whatever feeling you’re feeling.

*  *

It has all begun, when you had enough courage to talk to your crush to show him that you’re interested in him, only for it to backfire.

Scara isn’t really a person who you can keep conversations with, he’d simply brush you away or ignore you, but suddenly he started replying to your messages.

which gave you a bit of hope. but you had also hoped that you did not fall for that stupid shit. Being in the same Group Chats as him made you delusional, whenever he chats you’re there swooning at his cold replies towards your group of friends.

you’d hit the reply button the instant he texts something in the GC, only to be ignored completely, which made you even more determined to gather his attention.

you’ll always go and complain to your friends on why you’re such a cupioromantic or why you’re such a hopeless romantic, in which made them become fed up with your delusions.

“ He has only seen my message! is he that speechless? “ ‘ Yeah, girl he is. ‘ ‘ No doubt he’s trying to think of ways to confess ‘

‘ He’s ignoring you for being a nuisance. ‘ “ ... “ that’s how everyday conversations with your friends go. two are feeding you DELULU and one is fed up and wants you to focus on yourself.

* *

Scara is seen walking down the halls cellular phone on hand, he seems to not be paying attention to where he’s going, ending up him stumbling backwards because he just bumped onto you.

grumpily regaining his footing he glared at the person.

“ Watch where you’re going. “ he spat out continuing to scroll down through his phone, you stood still trying to comprehend the fact that he just talked to you.. before squealing. Scara looked back at you in confusion and waved it off, walking fast paced towards the exit, Scara hummed to himself continuing scrolling through his phone, before stopping at the message notification, he grumbled. it’s you again, that one annoying pest that doesn’t even know how to get the hint. he sighed as he started typing a response, he seems to have an idea in mind.

completely getting carried away, he found that talking to you is quite refreshing. he found solace in your company. he would never admit it but he seemed to have quite a huge interest on you. 

2 weeks has passed, and you’re feeling over the clouds, who would never know? that the SCARAMOUCHE has been talking to you for 2 WEEKS! amazing!

you giggled as you sat on your bed, hugging a penguin plush tightly before sending scara a screenshot of a lyric from a song.

[ Maghihintay ako Hanggang mapasayo ]

[ (translation) I will wait until I’m yours ]

scaramouche scoffs as he simply reacted at the ss you sent and typed a response

“ I need some time to think. “ and sent it to you. you smiled as you stare at his response for more than 2 minutes before sending another message. 

“ Take your time “ 

you smiled happily without knowing the confusion and discomfort that will settle down in your heart the next day.

-------

( Y/N POV )

I woke up feeling giddy, I sat down on my couch as i opened messenger, to check whether he has replied nor seen it.. turns out he hasn’t read it so I spent all of my time, distracting myself by doing my homework and watching movies on Netflix.

bored. i opened my phone to see him online, i checked the conversation whether he has seen it, i shrugged as i find out he still hasn’t read my message.

couple of hours has passed. i am now staring at his icon with a green dot, below his profile. he’s online and he won’t reply? is he that busy?

i gnawed on my nails as i laid down on my bed. i shouldn’t worry too much, he must be doing something and left the tab open.

i sleepily closed my eyes as i fell into a deep slumber. It is the start. of my feelings downfall.

----

waking up completely out of void, feeling like something bad is happening or coming, i sighed as I checked once more, before becoming disappointed. Feeling empty and confused, i am left with my over bearing thoughts that is eating me alive. ‘ Why did he show that he’s interested in me? ‘, ‘ why did he show that he cares for me..? why? only to leave me in the dust. ‘ i shook those thoughts away as i calmed myself down. ‘It’s going to be fine, it has only been 2 days since then, it won’t impact you that much.’ oh how i was completely wrong.

i stayed in my room wondering what could’ve happened if I didn’t fully show him my feelings towards him, if i didn’t really let him know of what i was feeling. 

a bunch of “what if’s” a bunch of “Why’s” but never “ I shouldn’t have. “ 

i sobbed on my pillow feeling distressed, the gnawing pain that’s on my heart, the confusion that’s lingering on my brain. the exasperated breathing that i am doing to inhale oxygen. 

He must be talking to his friends. He must be having fun or playing.. but in all honesty, why should I care, why should i have to endure all of this emotions, all of these feelings, when he’s not even mine.

i shouldn’t have messaged him, i should’ve just admired him from afar and let time make me move on slowly.

why does it have to hurt this bad? you’re not even mine..

why do i have to overthink?.. when you’re not even mine.

[univemma]

I have my problems with the hidden world, like many others. And i just want to gather all my thoughts in one place here because i feel like many agree that the ending itself isnt the problem, but how they did it. For me, personally, they ruined it with the reactions to the dragons leaving. Specifically, the reactions of the dragons.

First, we have Meatlug, who in the past has been shown thay merely HEARING FISHLEGS' VOICE causes her to become overwhelmed with excitement. (RTTE S2E9)

And yet here, she looks like this:

Like?? Not even a frown when she's leaving Fishlegs, who is clearly her favourite person in the world (literally watch ANY HTTYD media and this is made abundantly clear).

Moving on, we have Barf and Belch. Now it can be said that the twins and their dragon don't really have as many emotional dragon-rider moments as the others, but it is still clear that Barf and Belch love their riders. Except here:

The twins look DEVASTATED, meanwhile they (sorry belch is cropped here I couldnt get a ss with both in it) hardly look sad. Barf at least looks a little upset but still, its borderline.

And moving on, to perhaps what angers me the most, Snotlout & Hookfang. These two are easily my fav dragon-rider duo/team, and for many reasons.

Very quickly, allow me to take you back to RTTE S1E13, in which Hookfang goes out of his way to protect "Girl-Hookfang" and her eggs from a Titanwing Monsterous Nightmare when she sends out what Hiccup describes as a "distress signal".

When Snotlout tells Hookfang to choose between him and the dragon, he ultimately chooses defending her. But at the prospect of leaving Snotlout, he looks LIKE THIS:

He looked MISERABLE and even made sad little dragon noises (idk how to describe them im sorry). So,

TELL ME WHY

IN THE HIDDEN WORLD

HE LOOKS LIKE THIS

SNOTLOUT LOOKS LIKE HES LISTENED TO AN ENTIRE MITSKI ALBUM, BROS FUCKING SOBBING SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP.

And Hookfang hardly even looks at him, just kinda gives him a sideways glance. Like

HELLO???! And ONE OF THESE had a lower budget as a TV show AND a lower quality model (which, unrelated, ive seen some people really dislike but I think the show models are great!)

The only one to act somewhat appropriately is Toothless, who warbles and makes his little dragon noises at Hiccup, almost talking with him, they have their big heartfelt moment and their cute hug before he leaves. Because of course they get it, its Hiccup and Toothless.

And yeah i get it that clearly the dragons are sick and tired of hunters and therefore understand the need to leave. But they dont even look sad! Breaks my heart because after three movies, two tv shows and all the specials of the dragons and riders bonding and caring for each other and they don't even get a heartfelt goodbye.

And let us not forget that Snotlout, Fishlegs and the twins, who have been riders since the FIRST MOVIE, and main characters in their own right for years, don't even get a GOODBYE LINE?? LIKE LITERALLY, Astrid and Valka? Absolutely, they deserve it. Gobber? Sure, he hasn't known grump nearly as long but he's been a relevant and important main character as long as the kids. And Eret-

Now, I love Eret. He's cool. He's great. Love a hunter turned rider.

But WHY DID THEY GIVE A LINE TO HIM AND SKULLCRUSHER (approx. 1 year relationship) OVER THE SIX YEARS OF FISHLEGS, RUFF, TUFF AND SNOTLOUT? THEY DONT EVEN GET A "Goodbye." WHAT.

And again thats not me shitting on Eret getting one, its on the others NOT

And this isnt even beginning to mention Valka and Cloudjumper do not START ME on their TWENTY YEAR FRIENDSHIP AND BOND BEING TORN APART IN A ONE MINUTE GOODBYE.

Anyways on a lighter note, the parallel with Hiccup removing his hand from Toothless in a reverse of the first time they touched all those years ago always gets me emotional. My fav part about the ending.

And that's pretty much all I like about it LMAOO

[twilightmalachite]

VS★PRINCESS - Battle Royale 1

Characters: Mao, Subaru

Translator: Mika Enstars

JP Proofreader: 310mc

EN Proofreader: Asia Blossoms

"I know about audition programs~! I’ve never been on one, but I’ve seen those sorts of shows, you know!"

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Spring

Location: Dome Pathway

The next day. On a road near the 4piece venue…

Mao: Ohh, I can see it!

Or well, more like it’s the thing we’ve been looking at for a while now.

The venue’s ridiculously huge, isn’t it? The biggest one we’ve ever been to was the one for the SS, but…

The size of this could probably fit four entire SS venues, huh?

It’s huge to the point you can’t really grasp just how big it is up close. There doesn’t seem to be any windows or anything either, so there’s no way to know what’s going on inside.

…Subaru? Are you listening? At least give me a reply, it feels lonely, you know~?

Subaru: … …

Mao: Are you still sulking? Come on, if I could, I would also have loved to go wild with everyone from Trickstar too.

But y’know, 4piece is a competition between individuals. That’s what the rules say, so we gotta stick to them.

So I’ll be your rival here, just this once.

I’ll get you swiftly eliminated if you let yourself get distracted, so you better prepare yourself, got it~? ♪

Subaru: … …

…Oh, sorry, Sally~! Did you say something? I wasn’t listening!

Mao: Hey, hey, are you seriously alright…? What’s wrong? I remember something about you going to visit your father’s grave yesterday—

Subaru: Yeah. I also met a rather strange kid there, too.

I ended up staying up late talkin’ to him, so I’m a bit sleep deprived… Yaaawn♪

It’s true, your daily rhythm and such gets all out of whack once you’re no longer home, huh?

When I’m at home I gotta do housework for my mom too, so it’d force me to live somewhat of a typical life…

But more importantly. How come it’s only you here? Not tryna say you’re not enough, Sally~, but I wish we could have everyone all together!

Mao: You don’t understand the situation here at all, do you…?

Subaru: If I’m not interested, then I don’t know ‘bout it! Ahahahaha! ☆

Mao: You should try to at least be a little more interested, okay? Apparently this 4piece thing—It’s an unprecedentedly large-scale audition program!

It’s called 4piece—Its official name being THUNDERBOLT CHALLENGE 4piece.

Subaru: Thun-der-boul… Uh, what? I didn’t catch that at all!

Mao: You might have a good ear, but my English pronunciation is kinda…

Anyway, that’s also why everyone calls it 4piece for short, since it’s so long.

Well, at this point in time, I still don’t know exactly what it is, either.

Subaru: I know about audition programs~! I’ve never been on one, but I’ve seen those sorts of shows, you know!

Mao: Oh, so you’re dedicated to your study enough to watch programs that have nothing to do with you?

Subaru: No, nothing like that. Dad first started out on an audition program, so it’s mostly ‘cause of him.

It’s something like a program that gathers up aspiring idols, fledgling idols with no experience being idols at all, and have them compete in things like singing and dancing.

The person who did the best in the competition, in other words, the champion, will get to officially debut as an idol, or something like that?

I guess you could call it a program where they made a bunch of amateurs compete with “their debut as a reward!” I suppose?

But, we’ve already had our debut, haven't we? So what’ll be our reward then? There’s no reason for us to compete against each other, is there?

Mao: It seems like there’s a special prize of some sort. Whatever it is, though, is shrouded in mystery; they’re as secretive as ever with it…

Subaru: 4piece sure is strict about their spoilers, huh.

Mao: Well, people would be able to come up with countermeasures if they preemptively released information about the competition, which wouldn’t be fair.

So I guess they’ve really got no other choice but to approach it like that.

Subaru: That’s true. I don’t really care about whatever the reward is, but I’m sure the people who want it would prepare and train in advance and such.

Mao: People might even try pulling things behind the scenes. Then it’d be even less fair of a competition.

I mean, if that sort of skeevy interference was allowed, then it’d be impossible to win against Tenshouin-senpai or Sakuma-senpai. Doesn’t seem like either of them are participating this time, though.

But, since the disclosing of spoilers like that are thoroughly forbidden, 4piece will probably be purely a competition of one’s abilities as an idol.

Subaru: Ahaha, even with that I doubt I’d be able to win against Tenshouin-senpai or Sakuma-senpai, though~. ♪

If you can’t win against them, then nobody can.

Mao: Well, seeing that’s how it is—

I can’t really say anything for sure, given how shrouded in mystery this whole thing is, but… There’s actually a pretty huge benefit to us participating in 4piece, actually.

Subaru: Huh? What’s that?

[ ☆ ]

← prev | story directory | next →

[sturthepotofmadness]

I got a random idea for a Xenoblade Chronicles 2 au I want to throw out into the world, since I'm not too sure if I'm going to write it or not. There's technically two, but one is more of a Xenoblade 3 au and even then it's even more canon diverge-y than this one, so only the xc2 au for now.

The divergence point is a bit weird, since it would take place before Rex gets pulled into the mission to find Pyra and I'm assuming story salvager ranks works differently compared to gameplay salvager ranks (mainly that story salvager ranks go from E-D-C-B-A-S-SS in order from lowest to highest and the weird extra titles don't exist, just rank letters). Other than that, the only spoilers are the events of chapter 1, the very beginning of chapter 2, and a boss and group from chapter 3. You've been warned if you care about early game spoilers.

Anyways, time to actually talk about the au idea. Also cut after the second paragraph cuz this is long.

So let's say Rex is 14, maybe a few months out from 15 here, he's known within the Argentum salvager community, and being salvager rank C is impressive for someone so young. He's having trouble reaching a higher rank, if only because his only way to protect himself is an old sword he scraped together and getting higher ranks means salvaging at risker points, which means dealing with stronger monsters and needing a better weapon, but he doesn't want to spend what money he has on getting a better weapon.

For some reason, Vandham's Merc Group has an influx of kids that don't want to become mercenaries, so they send a group out to gather people to explain jobs to this group of kids they're taking care of. One of the groups was led by Yew since the Argentum Trade Guild can be a hot mess if you talk to the wrong person by accident and Yew is good at sorting through people. Yew sees the salvager community here and is impressed by how supportive they are of each other.

When Yew talks to one of the salvagers there and he brings up the idea of teaching some kids about salvaging. The salvager asks, "We talking Rex's age, or we talking younger?" Yew asks who Rex is and that just so happens to be the time when Rex pulls into the docks and the salvager points him out. Yew (and the mercs with him) have to process that as the salvager comments that Rex is really damn good to salvaging and probably would have a higher rank if would use his gold on getting a better weapon instead of sending it back to his home town or repairing damage to his hut on Azurda.

Yew's crew decides to speak to Rex once he's free and before he leaves, so continue talking around Argentum. They're... really unimpressed with 97% of the Nopon, with the only ones they aren't unimpressed by being Zuzu (makes those noodles all by himself) and Falala (is a chef wanting to be something greater). However, they can't really ask either of them if they want to speak to said kids because Zuzu can't leave his job due to the popularity and Falala has a full time job.

They see Rex finishing up with the stuff he wanted to do at Argentum and Yew goes over to him. Rex sees him and asks what he's up to and Yew explains he's looking for people to explain to some kids about some jobs they could do and how unimpressed he's been with everyone from Argentum except the salvager and exactly two Nopon too attached to their job. Rex comments "yea that's Nopon for you" and asks if they found what they're looking for. Yew says that one of the other salvagers suggested Rex because Rex is closer to the kid's age and might have their attention more than some random adult. Rex thinks about it, then says that he's willing to do it, but only if it's fine if he brings Gramps along. Yew doesn't know who Gramps is, assumes it's someone important to Rex, and asks if he can speak to this Gramps. Rex drags him off to Azurda, who is Gramps, which Yew has to accept that of course the kid calls this titan something else.

Gramps and Yew talk for a bit before Gramps gives his go ahead and they head off to Uraya.

One travel later and all the merc groups have the people they managed to convince to speak to the kids and meet at Uraya's capital before they all start heading down to Garfont Village. There's 6 people (including Rex) they convinced, but it's better than nothing.

Once they get close to Garfont village, Rex notices a massive spider thing with a golden glow further up the cliff, with the road splitting off there to up there and to Garfont Village. Rex asks about the giant spider thing, some of the mercs look over and promptly go "why the hell is there a giant Elder Arachno with a blade". They get to Garfont Village, throw the volunteers at the kids, then tell Vandham about the spider Rex spotted (and also admitting that they wouldn't have gave a second glance at it if Rex didn't mention it).

Vandham takes some mercs to go demolish the Elder Arachno while the six visitors talk to the kids, though they're clearly only interested in the talks given by Rex and some Driver from either Mor Ardian or Gormott.

Vandham and who he took with him return with the meat, shell, and drops of the Elder Arachno as the last lecture ends. It took so long to kill the spider since it called friends and they wanted all of that meat for rations. The visitors are free to stay for the night before heading back home or just head back now without any help from the mercs. They all decide to stick around and Vandham asks one of the mercs to pull aside who pointed out the spider.

Yew grabs Rex, mentioning the boss wants to speak to him since Rex was the one to point out the spider. Rex is confused but follows as they go over to Vandham. Vandham makes sure Rex is the one who pointed out the spider and Rex is like "yea, i saw something glowing in the distance and i saw it was coming from some sort of spider". Vandham pats his shoulder, thanks Rex for pointing it out before it could become a problem, and drops the Beastly Core Crystal in Rex's hand. Rex is confused but Vandham explained the glow was from a Blade and that's the crystal the Blade went back into and Rex is free to keep it. Rex does decide to hold onto it and Vandham shooes him off after telling him to "awaken it when it glows or do smth with it".

One night and travel time later, Rex is back in Argentum and one of the salvagers ask how the trip was. Rex says all he had to do was explain the basics of salvaging to a group of 6-10 year old kids and he got a core crystal because he pointed out some spider that ended up being dangerous kinda close to the village. The salvager is surprised Rex got gifted a core crystal and asks what he'll do it with. After a moment, Rex says he's going to hold onto it until "it glows", since the village leader mentioned awakening it once it starts glowing. The salvager says that if it does start glowing to do it in Argentum so the other salvagers can see. Rex agrees and they head their ways.

About a week or two later, the core crystal starts glowing again after Rex had to smack some crabs back into the Cloud Sea. He goes back to Argentum to turn in his haul for payment (and paying the dock person) before going over to where the salvagers are meeting up. The salvagers greet Rex and ask if anything interesting happened. He takes out the now glowing core crystal and someone asks if he's gonna try and awaken a blade. Rex thinks for a moment, then says yea. Some Nopon nearby hear that and ask to see Rexrex attempt to awaken blade. Azurda moves to get a better look at the happenings as a group starts forming to watch.

Rex holds the Beastly Core Crystal out and begins to focus on it and attempting to resonate with it. They watch as the crystal begins to glow and, after a burst of light, Rex is holding a special Megalance and Wulfric has appeared in front of him. The crowd is silent as Rex says hi to his blade and Wulfric introduces himself, causing a few members of the crowd to recoil.

Congrats, Rex, you're now a salvager driver before the main plot begins. Rex starts bonding with Wulfric so they can be stronger together and learning how to use the Megalance. He finds it come weirdly naturally to him, but whoever he's sparring with just says that weapons created by a Blade you trust feels more natural than some random wepaon. Wulfric also learns to be "softer" for the lack of a better term so he can calm people if they find him scary. Rex also starts salvaging in more dangerous locations once he feels ready with Wulfric's weapon and he begins getting higher ranks, managing to get to rank A before the main plot finally shows itself.

The only real ideas of how the main story would go once it gets kicked started are:

-the Torna crew being surprised by Wulfric not returning to his core crystal and promptly rampaging on them because Pyra yoinked Rex before he could die,

-Malos and Jin failing miserably to stop Wulfric from wrecking the shipwreck while Nia, Dromarch and Sever try and make sure none of the other people on the shipwreck aren't harmed and get off the wreck,

-Rex and Pyra have a bit of an easier time against Malos thanks to Wulfric wrecking shit but still needing to be saved by Nia and Azurda,

-and Pyra not being able to wake Rex up herself after they crash on Gormott because Wulfric is very protective of his driver that nearly died but is somehow alive thanks to this new blade that randomly decided Rex is now her driver.

Not too sure how much else the story would change, other than they would probably have to come up with something to hide both pieces of green core crystal on Rex and Pyra when they have to disguise Pyra since their original excuse in canon wouldn't work because of Wulfric (... and also Rex being more well known because of the whole salvager driver thing with a high rank).

[putschki1969]

『Wakana Classics 2023 ～Winter Party～』 Promo Visual & Merch Revealed

The promo visual for Wakana's upcoming winter concert has been revealed. (Source) Additionally, infos on the live merchandise can be found HERE. Order the goods in the official Space Craft Online Shop! Check out Wakana's Instagram for some lovely merch introduction!

Instagram post 1 | 2 | 3

『Wakana Classics 2023 ～Winter Party～』 [Date] 2023/12/15 Open 18:00 / Start 18:30 [Venue] Hamarikyu Asahi Hall (Music Hall) [Appearing artists/musicians]  Vocal: Wakana Music director/Piano: Sin Violin: Yuya Yanagihara Cello: Yuki Takahiro FC Exclusive Ticket:  12,000円 Regular Ticket: 9,500円 HP: https://www.bsfuji.tv/wakana_classics/ FC After Event Song Poll (Deadline: 11/30) https://wakana-fc.jp/contents/688413

Appearance: 『Ghibli wo Utau』 Concert Produced by Satoshi Takebe

As expected, Wakana will be participating in the upcoming "Ghibli wo Utau" concert produced by Satoshi Takebe. (Source)

A special concert will be held in March 2024 to celebrate the release of the tribute album. Artists participating in the album will gather to hold a special concert for one night only! Enjoy a variety of famous songs, expressed in new ways by talented artists from all genres and backgrounds.

Title: “Ghibli wo Utau” Concert ~ Produced by Satoshi Takebe Date and time: March 27, 2024; Open 18:00 | Star 19:00 Venue: Tokyo International Forum Hall A Homepage: https://ghibliwoutau-concert.com/ Performers: Leo Ieiri / Yudai Ohno&Sota Hanamura (Da-iCE) / Yu Kishida (Kururi) / GLIM SPAVKY / Shiori Tamai (Momoiro Clover Z) / Little Glee Monster / Wakana (and more) Producer/Music Director: Satoshi Takebe Sponsor: WOWOW / Kyodo Tokyo / Wise Connection / Victor Entertainment Production: WOWOW / Wise Connection / Halftone Music

SS seat ¥13,000 S seat ¥10,000 Wheelchair seat ¥13,000 U-25 seat ¥5,000 ※There might be an official recording of the event FC Advanced Lottery: [Application period] November 24th to December 10th [Results] December 13th to December 15th [Payment] December 13th to December 16th