#suzaku ex

[asleepinawell]

@sntoot and I were 2-manning suzaku ex for the doggo mount and it is possibly my favorite trial in the game now. i already loved the normal version and the ex was even more fun and felt a lot like a dance. just thought i'd share even if most of y'all did it ages ago because it's so pretty and the music slaps and sometimes it's nice to enjoy fun things again vicariously

[compulsivereaderluc]

I was craving Suzaku/Lelouch, so I read their fanfic.

Now I contemplate why I am so masochistic.

[mariagalleriax]

Man fucking Bungou Stray Dogs, how the FUCK am I supposed to explain the plot to anyone anymore.

"This broke ass twink finds out he's a tiger, gets semi-adopted/hired by a band of traumatized ability users (read a book to understand each one), BUT WAIT, there's an EVIL group of ability users with MORE traumatized bisexuals. Uh oh, tiger twink has a rival (they both have daddy issues), wait is that the AMERICANS PLANNING TO BOMB JAPAN WITH A FLYING WHALE??!! Here's the fucking thinker over here (read: Dazai[Ranpo]). Let's take ibuprofen together. Okay Mr. Fitzgerald is gone (not really, you can't get rid of him)- SHIT it's the RUSSIANS!! Who is that rat? It's FYODOR DOSTOEVSKY?! He's ALSO the thinker. NOOO grandpa soukoku don't die!! Shin Soukoku epic montage. Cool, we're safe- JUST KIDDING!! THERE'S A BOOK THAT RE-WRITES SHIT AND THE RAT HAS IT AND THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT! "and I, Lelouch Vi Britanni- I mean Fukuchi Ouchi, will nuke the earth using my vampire army with security clearance from the United Nations. I hope my ex-husband Suzaku Kururugi Fukuzawa Yukichi doesn't try to stop me!"

[tovaicas]

I'M FREE

I'M FINALLY FREE!!!!!!

suzaku EX

[shutupandmakemepizzaroll]

suzaku is so funny. “oh i killed my dad guess i’ll have to commit war crimes and fuck my ex best friend to repent”

[easternmind]

The weird and wonderful history of Kowloon as a digital interactive space - Part II

This article is the continuation of a previous post.

Any comprehensive history of 20th century Hong Kong is not complete without a chapter entirely dedicated to the architectural and urban planning puzzle that was Kowloon Walled City. Quite unlike any other slum in Asia or elsewhere in the world, the extreme conditions under which its inhabitants lived captured the attention of various international journalists and photographers whose reports of this accidental labyrinth, in turn, inspired some of the most remarkable artistic explorations of our time. In this regard, video games did not remain impervious to the powerfully stimulative imagery, as much a reference today as it was when its hardened concrete walls still stood tall.

Kowloon's Gate Suzaku VR - Jetman - 2017

Kowloon's Gate made a most unexpected comeback twenty years after the original episode via the crowdfunded VR project Suzaku developed by Jetman, a studio founded by and composed almost exclusively of ex-SME/Zeque staff. While it is not the remaster many had hoped for, essentially consisting of a walking simulation through some redesigned locations from the original, it does a commendable job in faithfully replicating its instantly recognizable, light-starved alleyways in competent high-definition. It is also the only VR-compatible entry from this list, granting it a degree of uniqueness over its counterparts.

Stranglehold - Midway/Tiger Hill Productions - 2007

Stranglehold is the result of a collaboration with Hong Kong movie director John Woo, developed as a direct sequel to his heroic bloodshed classic Hard Boiled, featuring Chow Yun-fat in the role of detective 'Tequilla' Yuen in his unending confrontations with organized crime. One of the game's most unforgettable levels, Slums of Kowloon, takes place during a particularly rainy day, seemingly in those last days when the zone had been emptied of residents and demolition work was well underway. The visual representation of the quarter is suitably evocative, its buildings in complete state of disrepair, the remnants of local businesses or places of prayer still discernible from under the piles of steel and cement rubble.

Resident Evil 6 - Capcom - 2012

For all its shortcomings, Resident Evil 6 partly succeeds in taking the first two episodes' concept of parallel storylines and realizing it to a much fuller extent. Its choice of different characters translates into entirely different campaigns, locations and playing styles. The very first scene in Chris/Piers' campaign occurs in the fictional Chinese city of Lanshiang, modelled after real-life Hong Kong. The mayhem in the main streets forces the player to take a detour into a location named Poisawan, which bears a striking resemblance to the Kowloon district. Though an unofficial representation, it is among the most skilled replications of the scenery we find in the vast photographic repository of the area. The degree of minutiae with which the district's haphazard electric installation is replicated, alone, suffices to demonstrate a true commitment to authenticity.

Paranormal HK - Ghostpie Studio - 2020

Few would dispute that Kowloon is, itself, naturally conducive to sentiments of dread and anxiety. Paranormal HK is a 2020 made in China production reviving the defunct neighbourhood in a gripping, blood-curdling contemporary ghost story. The player is the cameraman of a paranormal-themed TV show exploring the zone during the evening of the Zhongyuan festival, a scheme suspiciously akin to that of Akira Ueda's 2004 game, Michigan: Report From Hell. As a result of the thorough research work performed by its creators, as well as the impeccable usage of contemporary 3D graphics techniques to achieve accurate lighting conditions, players may momentarily experience the feeling of walking into a photo of the actual city as it existed in the mid eighties.

Sifu - Sloclap - 2022

Notwithstanding of its renaissance during the 128-Bit era, the beat 'em up genre is commonly associated with the arcade games of the late 80s and 90s, the period of time when it flourished and, arguably, reached its zenith. The simplicity of controls and ease of access sufficed to attract players to the arcade cabinet, while the frequently extreme levels of difficulty of advanced levels ensured a steady flow of cash for arcade room owners and game development companies alike. Nevertheless, the genre has but perished and, in many aspects, recent years have indeed elevated it to unforeseeable degrees of complexity. Sifu, by Sloclap, synthesizes the elation of digital hand to hand combat simulation with the real-life complexity of mastering a martial art.

As is the case of previous entries in this list, Sifu makes no admitted reference to Kowloon or Hong Kong. However, the designers left little to the imagination in what pertains to their inspirations when taking on the task of constructing the game's environments. Another notable coincidence stems from the fact that this production was made possibly with the support from a celebrated independent game funding group going by the name Kowloon Nights.

Stray - BlueTwelve Studio - 2022

Stray is one of the most revered independent video games in recent memory, and justifiably so. The long development process yielded many benefits, judging from the consistency and attention to detail that engrossed many an avid player. That the main character is singularly charming feline may have played an equally crucial role. The creators have made no effort to conceal the fact that the notorious Hong Kong district was a pivotal influence to the design of its nameless city. The first indication can be spotted in the game's earliest footage, in which a black cat traverses a street where a particularly conspicuous sign boasted the initials HK. Stray is less concerned with presenting a precise replica of Kowloon than it is about summoning the very essence of its atmosphere. Moreover, in an exquisitely poignant way, its ending lends an entirely new meaning to the term walled city. In the future, robots may well take the place of humans. Invariably, the Walled City is no more. Slitterhead - Bokeh Game Studio - Work in Progress

An sequence of unconscionable mistakes from the part of Sony Computer Entertainment's management galvanized Keiichiro Toyama to part ways with Japan Studio, as it once was, and establish his own game production label. Their debut title, Slitterhead, is described as a grotesque survival horror experience, a genre within which the author moves with matchless ease. Among the few certainties regarding this project is the fact that it will take place prominently - if not exclusively - within the Kowloon City province. A wide variety of aspects included in the preview footage leave the viewer optimistic as to this being one of the most accomplished portrayals of the district ever seen in a video game. Subtle yet telling signs already demonstrate the creator's in-depth knowledge of the quarter's architecture and history. Take, for instance, the suggestive image of the airplane flying mere meters above the top of the buildings. Although the growth of Kowloon was for the most part ungoverned, buildings did not rise above a certain height, even as inhabitants claimed for increased availability of space. This is due to the fact that airplanes landing at the nearby airport would be required to make their descent at relatively low altitude, performing a tight curve as they soared just above the enclave, thus preventing construction from expanding upwards. Another scene shows a child playing on the rooftops of the buildings, which once again is consistent with the documented habits of residents who, starved for sunlight and open space elsewhere within the city limits, had little alternative than to take the stairs all the way to the top.

Warehouse Kawasaki Arcade

I would be remiss not to make some form of allusion to Warehouse Kawasaki, an arcade built to replicate the Walled City with unthinkable detail. Though its ultimate purpose was for visitors to engage in digital entertainment, the venue was scrupulously put together. Point in fact, many of the objects used in the construction of the five floor amusement centre were imported directly from Hong Kong. Like so many other Japanese arcades, it closed its doors in 2019.

In recent years, a rather similar initiative was taken by the Chinese in their attempts to build unique mall spaces. The 文和友 malls in mainland China, found in Changsha, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, attempt to reproduce the walled city aesthetic. Local residents inform me that these are increasingly lacking in foot traffic, for which reason the majority of their stores are closed. Other digital replicas of Kowloon

A number of other videogames set in or deriving inspiration from Kowloon could not be featured in this article. A frequently cited reference in this context is the action/adventure game Fear Effect, one which I emphatically dispute. No doubt remains as to it being located in a futuristic version of Hong Kong, yet I could discern no parallels with the walled city, save for those scattered second-hand visual motifs that were no doubt imported from sci-fi classics such as Blade Runner or Ghost in the Shell.

The Utelek Complex stage of Deus Ex: Makind Divided presents a similar situation, where the overall atmosphere of the futuristic favela bears some resemblance to Kowloon, without meeting the specificity quota that would warrant a more comprehensive exploration.

The 2004 Shout! original Kowloon High-School Chronicle for the PS2 is a unique case, in that it borrows the city's name despite taking place in a massive, Tokyo underground dungeon that is later revealed to be a maze-like Egyptian pyramid. The odd choice of title remains unclear. Shadowrun: Hong Kong game (screenshot above) contains a very direct mention of Kowloon as the place in which an entire episode comes to pass. Another project still in development, Kowloon's Curse (screenshot below), is following the lead of many popular independent horror games in recent memory by using a visual design and structure that elicits memories of the late Playstation/early Dreamcast era. A short prequel episode was made available earlier this year, for free.

Additionally, I refrained from mentioning the Kowloon maps in Call of Duty: Black Ops or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, as I perceive both games to be insufficiently relevant to merit study or contemplation.

A space that refuses to be forgotten

(China rooftop stage from The King of Fighters 2003)

It would be a gross overstatement to claim that Kowloon is a recurring location or level design motif in videogames. The relationship between digital games and the real life ghetto has been one of sporadic references. What makes the subject so engrossing pertains to the quality of the relationship, particularly that of a small cadre from among the titles featured in this article. Kowloon's Gate was one of the most relevant game creations of the 32-Bit era, a game deserving of reverence and cult following inside and outside Japan. Likewise, Shenmue II is the second instalment of a truly ground-breaking and highly advertised series whose production costs alone were unmatched until quite recently.

Moreover, this is an affair that is far from concluded. The unexpectedly high number of allusions to Kowloon in videogames released or revealed just last yet demonstrates that its aesthetic is still very much present in the minds and hearts of artists and designers working in the field. The walled city lives on as a digital demarcation that is certain to resurface time and again in years to come.

[kankuroplease]

manami x kisame?

she's a nice girl she can't be the only single one in the family it's horrible. 😭so I propose ✨Kisame✨she likes men naturally and mature

I mean, he does fit her type, so if he would have lived;

The look Kakashi would give his cousin for dating an ex akatsuki member that can also easily crush her 😑

Megumi would joke that they both got “dangerous lovers”, but Mana has her beat 😆

Michiko would giggle and say if she knew she liked big boys, she could’ve introduced her to some single Akimichis 😏

Michiyo would tell her that that giant blue man(?) is a criminal. Why are her younger sisters into criminals!? 💀

Suzaku and Erika “he’s blue..” 👀👀

Aja would be excited for her if he’s changed his ways ☺️

Botan and Akihito (her older Hoshigaki cousins) would raise a toast to having more Hoshigaki’s in their family 🍻

[seokiloquy]

Wine and Movie Pt 1 - Ushijima Wakatoshi

Au: Regular (timeskip)

Tags/Warnings: GN! Reader, swearing? I can’t remember

Word Count: 2.9k

Pt 1 | Pt 2 | Pt 3

Yawning, you slugged into the gym a few minutes later than planned, and dropped yourself onto the bench next to the coach. Suzaku brushed his goatee, taking his eyes off the gym floor to give you a curious look from the corner of his eye.

“Bad date?” he asked.

“Yep.”

“I’m sorry, Kid. That sucks. You were looking forward to it.”

“Yep.”

He waited, lips pinched together until he couldn’t wait any longer. “What happened?”

“Ugh!” You sunk into the bench, back hunching until you fully curled over your lap. “He was just. So much? Too little? Everything and nothing at all?”

“How… descriptive.”

You groaned again, lifting your head to see the team walk in together with their training gear on and made their way to one of the trainers who was waiting in the centre of the gym to lead their warm-ups. You lowered your voice as they made a large circle, and some of the towering players settled into their spots a couple of steps in front of you.

“Okay, first, we agreed to see a movie. And I thought, ‘sounds good. I love movies; it’ll give us something to discuss afterwards.’ I got to choose the film and, of course, I went with that murder movie, right? He slept through it! And when I asked what he thought, he said ‘it’s no DC cinematic classic.’ So I already wanted to leave, but at that point, we had already gotten to dinner.” You breathed, trying to whisper as you noticed the players glancing over their shoulders to get an ear on what you were saying. “He spent the whole time whining about his ex, who for the record, sounded lovely, and how she didn’t take care of him enough. Honestly, that woman was a saint for putting up with him for more than five hours. He didn’t even listen to a word I said. Gosh, why do I even bother dating men? Do you have a daughter, Coach Suzaku?”

“I do, but she’s got some anger issues and spends most of her time whining. She’s also four, so, ya know.”

You huffed a laugh, earning a pat on the back from the man. “I should just get off dating apps. It‘s done nothing but cause me headaches.”

“I think you need to meet someone the old-fashioned way. You know, I met my wife in college. There was a campus party, and I threw up in the toilet while she was crying in the bathtub.”

You gave him a horrified look. “And she went for that?”

“After laughing at me, ya.”

You chuckled, imagining Suzaku with his arms wrapped around a toilet bowl and acidic chucks falling from his nose, being laughed at by a woman with messy hair and tear-stained cheeks that was curled up in the nearby tub. “She sounds wonderful.”

“Oh, she is. But my point still stands. You need to connect with someone naturally instead of searching for it.”

“I’ll give it a shot.”

“Just don’t drink too much.”

“Haha, I’ll stick with wine.”

You both turned back to the team. 

“Hey, Toshi, face the team. There’s nothing important going on over here.”

Ushijima, who had twisted his spine around while stretching, had his sharp eyes zeroed in on you and the coach and missed the call for him to turn onto the next stretch. His eyes darted back to the team, and he eagerly switched his position to keep up with the rest.

You chuckled. “That’s unusual.”

“It is. But not surprising. He’ll get lost in thought if he gets distracted.”

“Him? Distracted from volleyball?” Ushijima was one of the youngest on the team, having been recruited right before graduating high school, but managed to outrun everyone in terms of focus. Everyone on the team was a volleyball geek. The V league seemed only to recruit those who would dedicate their lives to the sport. But even with the stiff competition, Ushijima had struck you as someone who relied on the sport like a lifeline, not the other way around. He relied on volleyball. Volleyball didn’t rely on him. Any deviation was a distraction from his life path.

“Hard to believe, isn’t it? Can’t be a bad thing, though. He’ll wear himself thin if he spends all his free time practising. Which reminds me, I’m going to have to confiscate the gym key from the youngsters.”

You saw that we pinched his eyes toward Kageyama and Hoshiyumi, who were next to Ushijima’s right.

“Like that will stop them from booking time at a local gym.”

Suzaku kissed his teeth. “You’re right…. It’s better to have them here. Here, where you can watch them.” he slapped your shoulder.

“Seriously? Look. I may like my job, but hanging out in a sweat-filled gym is not my idea of a good time.”

“Better than going on another bad date, though. Right?”

“I guess.”

“Good.” He grinned, looking back at the team. “Toshi! Pay attention.”

Sighing, you watched the three as they spent their time off doing exactly what they’d do if it were their time on. Hoshiumi would throw the ball into the air, Kageyama would toss it, and then Hoshiumi would spike it past Ushijima if he managed, and then they rotated.

“You know, we all have to go to dinner in an hour, right? You should all shower and get dressed.”

Kageyama and Hoshiyumi were vocal in their desire to keep playing, glaring your way as they harrumphed. Ushijima, both as you expected and, to your shock, turned to you with his usual stoic expression and nodded before walking to the showers.

“Did he just?” You looked toward the other two, who mirrored your expression. “Nevermind. Just follow him, you stink, and it's an industry dinner.”

Being the one with the driver's licence and a car, it was you that got to drive the damp-haired men to the venue. Making it just in time, you ushered the three to your teams tables and got them in their seats before the MC of the night began talking. It was a rush, and after getting Kageyama and Hoshiumi onto one table and Ushijima to the other, there wasn’t enough time to run to the back of the room where the rest of the staff was. 

“Welcome, everyone!” the MC started, as you placed a crumpled handkerchief onto Ushijima’s lap. “We are in for a long night, filled with interviews, conversations and food. Staff will be coming around with your orders of food and drink, we ask that you please stay seated until the end of recording and eating. Let’s get this show on the road.”

“Ah shit,” you cursed. The cameras were rolling, and you’d have to run across them or crawl and risk disrupting the event either way. You ducked as the hanging camera swung overhead. 

“Sit here,” Ushijima said in his usual low tone, while pulling out the chair next to him.

“I can’t do that! I’m not a player, people will notice!”

“Not enough people will care.”

“If you saw a stranger sitting with your team, wouldn’t you be a little curious or concerned?”

He didn't answer, looking off for a moment before meeting your eyes. “Sit.”

“Ushijima, you’re as stubborn as a boulder.” You slowly rose to your feet, still hunching as to not get higher than everyone’s heads. “I shouldn’t sit here.”

Taking your hand, gently, by the tips of your fingers, he pulled you down onto the plush chair just as you landed the camera swung back over your head. “Sit.”

“You’re like a toddler.”

“Not a boulder?”

“You can be both.”

“I like the boulder.”

“Fine. A boulder.”

As much as you enjoyed the world of volleyball, you found yourself zoned out as the MC called various coaches and players to the stand. Sadly, you couldn’t converse too much or move anywhere; you were glued to your chair until the first commercial break came. But, just as you were about to sneak away—

“Excuse me, I don’t have your order. Are you in the wrong seat?” A waitress had arrived, dawning a completely black outfit that made her blend into the background.

“I am, I was just about to move to my seat.”

“No, no. I’ll bring your food here, we want everyone to stay where they are until the end. What was your name? I need it so I can find your order.”

You hunched back into the chair, mumbling your name out while fiddling with the table cloth.

“And what would you like to drink?”

“...Red wine?”

“Excellent, I’ll be right back.”

“Great.”

There were a few moments of chatter before Ushijima turned his chair towards you.

“What school did you go to?” He asked.

“Which one? High school or university?”

He paused again, thinking. “Both.”

“Wakutani, then 2 years of Miyagi U.”

“What did you study?”

“Sports science, but I did it really quickly.”

“Hmm.”

Nodding, you waited for a moment before putting out your own question.

“Why are you talking to me? You don’t seem like the type to… idly chat.”

He shrugged with one shoulder. “You seem interesting.”

“Oh.” You blinked at him, fighting down a blush, “I can’t say I’ve been told that before.”

He nodded, “You are interesting. I wanted to talk to you.”

“Thank you,” you choked, trying to find something other than being flustered to focus on. 

“You went to Shiratorizawa right? Did you do anything besides volleyball?”

“No… Not unless my teammates took me somewhere. Tendou liked to get dessert.”

You had no idea who Tendou was, but you nodded along hoping something else would come to mind before you got to stuff your faces with food.

“Do you like desserts?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

“I like hayashi rice,” he offered. “It’s not a dessert though. I have to keep myself healthy.”

“It’s okay to treat yourself now and then, but if you prefer healthy foods anyways, then it’s no big deal.”

“Do you like deserts?”

“Umm, sometimes? I like salty things more I think. I always get popcorn when I go to the movies, chips are too loud.”

“Hmm. You like mysteries right?”

The waitress came back, placing your place of food on the table cloth. You smiled at her quickly before turning back to Ushijima.

“I do. Were you listening to me and Coach talk?”

He paused again, “Maybe.”

You laughed, trying to keep your voice down as the MC returned to the stage. “You’re a little stalker.”

“I’m not little.” He huffed.

“I know, that makes it even funnier.” You took a sip of wine. “Do you have a favourite genre of movie?”

“Hmm. Philosophical?”

“Really? I thought you would’ve said sports.”

“I like those too.”

“Figures. Are there any volleyball ones you like?”

“No. They’re all bad. They don't portray volleyball correctly.”

“Ah, so you watch sports you don’t know anything about because you can’t criticize the specifics but can relate to the characters as athletes.”

Ushijima took a breath before nodding. “Ya. Is there a reason why you like mysteries?”

“I like that they make me think. Make me try to solve a puzzle with the same clues the characters have. Really good ones give you the clues without making them too obvious. There’s a balance.”

“Hmm, would you want to see a movie together sometime? Your pick. Maybe have some wine with it?”

“Trying to ask me out already after having one conversation that doesn’t pertain to your physical health.”

“Um.. Sure?” he didn’t seem sure.

You chuckled, shaking your head and hand, dismissing it, before looking at him with a calm smile. “So, wine and a movie?”

Again he paused, then nodded. “Wine and a movie.”

“He’s like… 25? And asked me out for wine and a movie like he's a 40 year old woman.”

Sara, who sat, draped, across your couch gave you a side eyed look. “You love those things.”

“Yes, I do. But it doesn’t mean I can’t be surprised… and a little bit confused.”

“Well, maybe he likes you.”

“He likes volleyball.”

“And paid enough attention to something outside of volleyball to be able to remember something.”

You stopped your pacing, blinking. “Oh shit, you might be right.”

“Oh look at that, I’m right. Once again!”

“I said might be.” You glared over the armrest.

Sara shrugged. “Same difference. So when is this happening.”

“After practice on Monday… He usually stays behind to do extra drills.”

“Oho, you really got him out of his comfort zone.”

You groaned, dropping onto the couch by Sara’s feet, which she immediately placed in your lap. “Why did I agree to this? How did I end up agreeing to this?”  

“Hey, it’s not a bad thing. He took note of some of your interests, there’s nothing wrong with appreciating the gesture.”

“The bare minimum really.”

“It’s more than most men can say they do.”

Sighing, you stared at your ceiling, hoping to find a clear thought among the white void. Nothing came and you were left with hearing your heart thumping in your ears.

Ushijima’s home, despite being in a luxury apartment not too far from the training grounds, was like walking into a traditional temple. Somehow, he managed to collect and cater his home to a certain design choice through decorations alone.

You stared at some of the photos in his living room wall. There was a lack of family pictures, maybe one or two, but the majority was made up of candid shots of his mid-air, left arm pulled back as he prepped for a spike, or blurry photos that he definitely didn’t take himself.

“That’s Tendou,” Ushijima said, using the rim of a wine glass to point at the red mass in the corner of one of the photos. “He moves too quickly. Every picture he takes is bad.”

You laughed. “Bad or not, you still hang them up.”

“He did it without my permission.”

Raising a brow, you tilted your head his way. “And yet, you haven’t taken them down.”

Ushijima looked away, heading toward the mats and table that were low to the ground. Any other person would have thought he ignored you, but even a short conversation was enough to let you know that he hadn’t. 

“They’re bad photos, but I like them.” He poured the red wine into two glasses, and poured out the chips he had hidden beneath one arm into a bowl. “Hmm, You don’t have to worry about the chips making noise, subtitles are on.”

You smiled. “How considerate. Or are you worried that you won't be able to hear the movie?”

Ushijima just hummed, and sat down on one of the pillows, leaving an invisible invitation on the matching one for you to sit on.

It was your choice of movie, but you had decided on something that hopefully combined both of your interests.

Soul from Pixar.

Combine both of your interests… as little as possible.

Though, to be fair, the movie did have a philosophical side to it, and was about passion, just in music instead of sports. It didn’t have any mystery, which was fine… There’s no reason you had to have your favourite genre included, you had chips and wine.

Not that Ushijima went for the chips at all. More for you. A trade off.

It was odd though. Despite Sara’s claims, it didn’t feel like a date. You both sat on opposite ends of a square table, too far away to think about cuddling up even if there wasn’t a table in your way, sitting silently (as much as the chips would allow) as the movie passed. However, at the odd times you’d glance at Ushijima, you’d see a man, fully wrapped up in the story unfolding in front of him with the lights reflecting in his eyes. Focused, thinking, and certainly not asleep or whining about his ex.

The bag of chips and bowl were completely empty by the time the film ended. Had it not been a monday, the wine would have been too.

As the credits rolled you took your last sip of wine for the night, dipping your head back as the last drop rolled onto your tongue.

“I liked it,” Ushijima said. “I wish I could have seen where 22 went though.”

“Hmm,” you thought aloud, “I think that may be part of the point though. What would have seeing where 22 went served? They found a passion for life, that was the end of their story. At least, the end for this part of it.”

“Ya… It just felt incomplete in a way.”

“Why do you say that?”

Ushijima turned on his pillow, sitting with a straight spine as he faced your slouched posture. You gulped and straighten up.

“There’s so much time that’ll follow that point of the story.”

“Hmm, ya. Well, what do you want to see 22 do?”

“Music? Food maybe.”

You grinned, “I like that idea too. I think food works really well. Maybe a social worker in some way. 22 fell in love with being a person, I feel like it makes sense if they want to help people in some way.”

Ushijima nodded. “Do you want to watch another movie?”

You blinked, glancing at the clock on the wall before thinking it over with a smile, calm as can be. “You know what, sure. You choose this one.”

I don’t know if I should write a second part to this or not… - Bacon

Posted: 26/02/2023

[rosejigglypuff76]

Cookie Run Kimura AU - Earning a Soul Jam 🪴

The Soul Jams in the Cookie Run Kimura AU play a role similar to their appearance in Cookie Run Kingdom! Not just for Ancient Cookies but also Legendary Cookie and Dragon Cookies 🪴

Depending if that cookie is an Ancient, Legendary, Dragon, or something aligned with any of the three, the method of earning a Soul Jam is different. 🌹

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

Earning a Soul Jam

Legendary Cookies 🪴 Cookies that fall under this category are typically given their Soul Jam when they reach 7-years old. It enhances the owner's powers, aiding them with their role as a God/Goddess in Earthbread. This usually includes cookies that were either created by a godly being (Good Witches and/or God/Goddess Cookies) or reincarnated from another Legendary. The only exception to this fact First Cream Biblica, being the first of the Legendary Cookies and being a Good Witch prior to becoming one. She got the Eden Soul Jam the moment she transformed into a cookie.

Dragon Cookies 🔥 Cookies that fall under this category earn their Soul Jam by having a strong bond with another cookie. Specifically with a non-dragon cookie through having a high and genuine friendship with them. Although it can also be genuine on the non-dragon's end, with the dragon themself not needing to feel from there own end. Some dragons have a one-sided relationship (ex; Lychee Lilith) while other dragons have a mutually healthy relationship (ex; Pitaya Suzaku). Longan Dragon Asteroid is the only exception to this, as their own pride caused them to gain a Soul Jam without forming a bond with anyone except themself.

Ancient Cookies 👑 Cookies that fall under this category gain their Soul Jam the moment they've done something extraordinary for the greater good of cookiekind. Ranging from healing many from a vicious plague, to protecting those being attack by dangerous creatures. Because of this, most Ancient Cookies ended up getting their Soul Jam when they're around their Early-20s to Mid-30s. Dark Choco Watanabe and Clover Hayashi are the ones who got their Soul Jams the earliest. The former earned it when he's 13-years old, by risking his life to fight the Licorice Sea and to protect the cookies in his father's kingdom. While the latter earned it sometime after his mother and aunt were declared missing (he was 11-years old at the time), stepping up to the task to be a crowned prince.

Beast Cookies 💎 Cookies that fall under this category have the same method as the Legendary Cookies in terms of gaining their Soul Jam. Although they earn it when they're 15-years old instead of 7-years old. Unfortunately 4/5 of these cookies lost their way at some point, with Fleur De Sel Biblica being physically corrupted against their will. What was left of Fleur De Sel was them being split into two. The physical part becoming Silent Salt Lucifer, and the spiritual/mental part being reincarnated into Sugar Swan Estrada.

Other Cookies 🎀 Cookies that fall under this category are normal cookies who grew a strong bond and eventually married a Legendary/Ancient/Dragon. The method is similar to that of an Ancient Cookie, but a little easier. The cookie doesn't earn the Soul Jam immediately after marriage, but instead need to wait 90 Days until being gifted one. More specifically they ended up proving to retain the genuine amount of trust they have with the one they grew close to in the first place. Surprisingly it was almost a complete success, with many married to a Soul Jam User being true to the one they love. With only two failed cookies, interestingly enough.

Note: Cookies with a Soul Jam can still crumble (die in Cookie Terms), but in one of the two moments. Either their Soul Jam shatters or their light fades away, causing that cookie to immediately crumble.

[marxism-lelouchism]

Can I ask something from Code Geass? What do you think are Lelouch and Suzaku’s greatest personality strengths and weaknesses? Why? What do you love about their dynamic? Sorry if you've answered these questions before.....

i'm delighted you asked! always love talking about these guys :) full response under the read more because i ended up writing an essay lol

i think what makes lelouch and suzaku such compelling characters to me are their contradictions and complexity. i resonated immediately and especially with lelouch's character so i'm obviously biased towards many of his traits but i like how his aloof, intellectual front masks someone who cares deeply, emotionally about the people he loves. he's thoughtful, kind, and has a strong sense of justice (or perhaps more accurately revenge), and yet he's also capable of cold, calculated cruelty. he does everything in the name of a better world for his sister but he never once asks nunnally if she wanted him to lie, deceive, and kill for her. he claims to be a "knight of justice" but his desire to destroy britannia is not rooted in anti-imperialist values but rather the personal injustices he, his sister, and his best friend experienced. (i do think he has some genuine principles, they're just not his primary motivation.) in a story about resisting imperialism and colonialism, he is a white ex-prince whose power is the ability to force people to bend to his will. in many ways, lelouch is still the 10 year old boy whose world was ripped from under him, first with his mother's assassination and his sister's disabling, then with the invasion of japan, and he never grew past that, desperate for a sense of control over his life. his greatest strength is his love for his friends and family, and his greatest weakness is that he forces that love, his own concept of love, onto them. that he recognizes he must die for his loved ones to see a better world—and that he will not see that world with them—speaks to the strength of his resolve and is an incredibly satisfying, and tragic, ending to his character arc.

suzaku, similarly, is a hypocrite. i never disliked his character (unlike many fans who hate him for all the wrong reasons), but it did take me a while to really warm up to him and appreciate his role in the story and as a foil to lelouch. as the son of japan's last prime minister who became a soldier in the force occupying his own country, suzaku's biggest weakness is his stubbornness in clinging onto liberal, reformist ideals of change. it's easy to dismiss this as naivety or ignorance (he is the 17 year old son of a politician, born into an upper class family after all), but i think it's much more interesting to think of suzaku's liberalism as a deeply repressed recognition of how destructive and irredeemable the system he's trying to "change from within" is. i think, deep down, he must know that being a cog in the machine means that the machine will tear him apart—and he wants that. he says he wants the fighting to stop, the war to end (and yes, i also do believe that is a genuine desire to a degree), but what he really wants is to die, a punishment for killing his father and thereby surrendering a whole country to exploitation and degradation. suzaku, too, has a good heart (in any other story he would be the protagonist!), but it's often buried by a tremendous amount of guilt and self-hatred. his character development especially in season 2 is really interesting to watch. he turns some of that hatred outward, onto zero, and in the process he grapples with the question of if he's really much different from that which he hates. whenever i want to be harsh to suzaku i remember he was just a boy when his country was destroyed overnight and that he spent seven, very lonely years growing up in the jaws of a system that certainly did not show him much mercy.

as for what i love about their dynamic...short answer is probably everything LOL. the long answer is that they are really excellent narrative foils to the extent that their relationship, its ups and downs, is the primarily driving force of code geass. i've already mentioned how their contradictions mirror each other and i personally love how their conflict draws out a deeper political question of reform vs revolution. but despite all their differences, they work really well together. they complement each other's strengths, cover for each other's weaknesses, "there's nothing lelouch and i can't do together". there is a deep amount of respect and implicit trust they have for each other. they have their own secret codes and signs! their relationship and its development feels very real, intense, and fleshed out to a degree i don't feel like many other fictional relationships achieve. they go through/put each other through a lot in those 50 episodes. the miscommunication, betrayals, backstabbing, selling out, deception, and yet also genuine friendship, understanding, and reconciliation. it works and feels very believable. they start on opposite sides at the beginning of the story and you can see how they slowly come to understand each other and eventually meet in the middle. taking over the britannian empire to destroy it from within is their final compromise. it's a harebrained (politically implausible in the real world) scheme that only worked because they worked together.

i love how they are the one person who truly understands the other, who has seen the good, bad, and downright reprehensible. there are so many sides to lelouch, and suzaku is the one character who has seen them all. lelouch who thinks of suzaku as "my first friend and worst enemy", and suzaku who thinks of lelouch as "my worst friend and first enemy". there are many reasons why their relationship should be unequal, marred by the obvious power differences between a white colonizer and japanese colonial subject (an imbalance they're quick to recognize in their first meeting when suzaku beats up the trespasser in his home), and yet in their personal relationship, they are equals. lelouch goes through great pains to respect suzaku's free will and avoid using his geass on him, and even when he does geass him, the order isn't to force suzaku to listen to him but instead to live. when they become emperor and knight, it's clear that their relationship isn't one of lord and servant but instead of co-conspirators. "emperor" and "knight" are just roles they're playing. suzaku kneels before lelouch not because he's the emperor's knight but to pay respect to lelouch's resolve. they play many roles throughout the story, classmates, civilian and pilot, terrorist and soldier, emperor and knight, but at the end of the day they are just lelouch and suzaku to each other. despite, or because of, everything they've been through, lelouch still leans on suzaku as he dies and suzaku still sheds tears for him.

[witchail]

making a dumb decision by reading the r2 novel using google translate and learning new things like :

cc and vv's code has their own nature / ability

the novel explanation of r-cells and c-cells.

marianne being bat shit insane, and allowed nunnally and lelouch to be experimented on as infants.

marianne being obsessed with bloodlines of kings and their geass capabilities. she was extremely happy to know lelouch, who was given r-cells, had a very high compatibility in receiving geass and nunnally who was implanted cc-cells had a much stronger 6th-sense.

oh she also wanted her kids to have kids in the future so that the bloodline will be evEN MORE POWERFUL. ( no im not joking marianne definitely WAS OBSESSED but it also links to the mobile game re: code where those "genetic children of lelouch exist. )

marianne was well aware cc did not approved any of these experiments and hid it from her. this caused this two to start drifting apart.

it also explains why cc in the beginning was searching for lelouch, because marianne told her that lelouch has a very high potential in granting both her wish and geass.

and there was a brief exchange on how suzaku came from the kururugi bloodline, who unlike the britannian royal family, possessed the "guardian bloodline". and originally they were connected to the geass order in japan ( ex : renya of darkness ). they aren't compatible with the r-cell and thus cannot receive geass. however, their guardian bloodline is sworn to protect the divine --- and in this case, the code bearers are considered the closest to the divine. this also explains why suzaku has such high physical prowness.

also schneizel lives rent free in marianne's head. that woman absolutely hates him for being a people pleaser.

[mlmshipbracket]

MLM SHIP BRACKET ROUND 2 POLLS!

~ Updated bracket for Round Two is above ~

OFFICIAL POLLS BEGIN TODAY AND will last until Monday, December 11th

Apologies for posting next round so late. Ended up going on a trip with friends and did not have enough time to prepare and post the next polls. Thank you for your patience and enjoy voting in Round Two!

Happy Voting!

INFO

REMINDER: All match-ups were randomly generated using a randomizer to ensure a higher likelihood of randomness as ships were pitted against one another.

Polls posted will include submitted propaganda (with edits for spelling/punctuation). Feel free to include your own propaganda (in the reblogs, comments, tags, or submitted via 'ask') for which ships everyone should vote for and hype up your favorite ship if you want them to win! Feel free to add text, art, or videos to your propaganda as well!

I will continue linking propaganda and ongoing polls so keep an eye out for those throughout the ongoing weeks.

Remember, get those votes in. Reblog, comment, tag. Get as many others to vote and get your favorite ships to Round Three!

VOTING RULES

As I have seen some arguing in previous polls I wanted to clarify:

You can vote to your heart's content!

The ship you vote for can be:

canon or not!

the cutest/most adorable

or just your favorite ship

There is no actual criteria for voting.

Its all who you believe to be the best ship

This is why propaganda is important, to convince others your favorite is the best.

With that out of the way-

Round Two polls are beneath the cut or [Find by Tag]

Round Two Polls!

Side A

1. Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones vs. Astarion Ancunín/Wyll Ravengard

2. Prince Gumball "Gary Prince"/Marshall Lee vs. Gregg Lee/Angus Delaney

3, Dean Winchester/Castiel vs. Legolas Greanleaf/Gimli son of Gloin

4. Luca Paguro/Alberto Scorfano vs. Detective Hunch Curio/Daniel Fucks

Side B

5. Phoenix Wright/Miles Edgeworth vs. Squalo/Tiziano

6. Dream/Hob Gadling vs. Bruno Bucciarati/Leone Abbacchio

7. Ike/Soren vs. Elim Garak/Julian Bashir

8. Lelouch Lamperouge/Suzaku Kururugi vs. Gol D. Roger/Silvers Rayleigh

tag key-

polls- #masterpost, #first mlm ship bracket, #second mlm ship bracket, #third mlm ship bracket, #mlm ship bracket 2023, #mlm ship bracket tournamnet 2023

other-polls- #other tournaments

preliminaries- #thirdprelims

rounds- #thirdr[1-5]. (ex. thirdr1)

propaganda- #propaganda

<<< PREVIOUS ROUND (ROUND 1) POLLS [HERE] >>> NEXT ROUND (ROUND 3) POLLS [HERE] THIRD MLM SHIP BRACKET WINNERS [HERE] MLM SHIP BRACKET MASTERPOST [HERE]

[magz]

Rewatching Code Geass as adult, bc James convince should liveblog

Episode 1 reaction mode:

They already go hard with how imperialism n colonialism dehumanize. N the sorts atrocities happen.

To make message clear, they gonna keep hammer this in, huh.

Gonna be hard word some this tho.

Before - was watch video "we consume fiction wrong" - where main premise that not being able "turn off" brain - make impossible enjoy watch, when "better" analyze afterward

But am just like. Bro, the mecha anime with powers is do this thing right in your face tho.

"The right of kings" being literal symbolic power. That both the brittania empire hold n manufactured (making the power. CC. As experimental weapon.), n Lelouch- an anti-brittania ex-royalty use on side of colonized powers. To force their will onto others.

(Mixed messaging, yet on purpose. Not necessarily good logic but, is trying. Something)

The stripping n changing of names, to take away humanity (japan -> colony 11. Japanese -> elevens.)

Being lie / obscuring things ("am living a lie". Lelouch v brittania -> Lelouch just some guy -> later, his rebellion persona)

Making Brittania a mix of united states, u.k., n europe as a mega-superpower. N making the (u.k. inspired) monarchy, king-focused instead. Marking this series as a fight between major male figures - has already been setup.

The britannia soldier Suzaku from Japan, the anti-britannia rebel Lelouch of Britannia royalty. The whole parallel irony thing already setup.

Though the implications of a rebellion needing a colonizer from a private school, gifted The Right Of Kings (Geass. A word that mean a celtic oath must abide by) - to be able "change anything", is something the series gonna need contend with from now on...

And the alternate magical history being heavily based on U.S. occupation of Japan n E.U., post-WW2, is something am feel complicated about bc inevitably this influence gonna erase irl Japan's role in ww2 (the real life parallel) n they own colonies they had. The current assimilations of indigenous. To instead focus on dualism (twos) with brittania vs colony 11 (japan). Suzaku vs Lelouch. Anime political intrigue with magic n pew pews, that have interesting stuff say but major sacrifices in oversimplification already.

Am only say like. Lil bit of what was think. Cuz rest of thought is tangle words.

The ending theme is so nostalgic rozen maiden.

[dorothygale123]

Raise your hand if you've heard of the 4 Guardian Beasts before. Anyone? If you don't, it's cool. That's what learning is for!

Now, anime fans like myself may be more than a little familiar with these guys as they've shown up in more than a few properties (ex. Fushigi Yuugi) but the concept, like many things in Asian culture, was originally Chinese. Also called the 4 Symbols, the 4 Gods, and the 4 Cardinal Creatures in English, the 4 Guardian Beasts are very popular in East Asia. We'll be calling them by their Chinese name, the Sixiang, because it's much shorter than any of their English titles because it's shorter. Do excuse me if I call the beasts themselves by their Japanese names, as it's what I know them best by.

The Sixiang are an astrological concept, with each one governing a portion of the sky. Each of these 4 sections had 7 constellations consisting of parts of the beast that when looked at together shows the beast as a whole. Pretty different from Greek constellations, huh? Anyways, these 28 total constellations were very important to Chinese cosmology as each one was seen as housing a different part of the Heavens, where the gods did their business. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

Azure Dragon/Canglong/Seiryuu, Guardian of the East

Fun fact: back in ye olden days azure was used to describe a shade of green, so while there are many depictions of Seiryuu as a blue dragon a lot of really ancient art paints him green. Surprisingly, he's associates with the element of wood rather than water. His constellations house the Heavenly Gates and several parts of the Jade Emperor's palace (including the stables where a certain naughty monkey did a stint). He's generally seen as the most important member of the group as a result.

White Tiger/Baihu/Byakko, Guardian of the West

As the name suggests, Byakko is a massive white tiger that rules over all other beasts with a terrifying roar. He's said to be in tune with all 5 elements (water, fire, earth, wood, metal) but is most associated with metal. He carries the 'essence of heroes' and means business. His constellations mostly have to do with the Heavenly army, with the prison, garrison, and granary all falling under his purview.

Vermillion Bird/Zhuque/Duzaku, Guardian of the South

Often confused with a Phoenix, Suzaku is actually a distinct creature. The fact that Eastern and Western Phoenix's are very different in concept doesn't help matters, especially since cultural osmosis has led to the Eastern Phoenix becoming more and more similar to it's Western counterpart. Suzaku himself is very similar to a Western Phoenix, being associated with fire and elixirs of immortality. His constellations are very functional, housing heavenly the wells, wardrobes, kitchens, and other such things.

Black Turtle/Xuanwu/Genbu, Guardian of the North

Now I say turtle, but Genbu is a bit more of a dual creature. Sometimes they're 2 animals, a turtle with a serpent on it's back, and others it's a turtle with a long snake-like neck. Sometimes it goes full chimera and is a turtle with a snake for a tail, head included. No matter which way you slice it though, Genbu is some mix of snake and turtle. Naturally, it gets associated with the element of water. Sometimes it's even credited as once having been the turtle that carried the floating city of Penglai (which I'll get to eventually). Genbu's constellations seem to be wealth-based, as it presides over the temples, treasury, and non-military granary.

Okay, so I know I said 4 beasts, but the Sixiang are sometimes shown with a 5th member that takes it's place in the center of the group. Occasionally it's a yellow dragon to represent the Yellow Emperor, but personally I prefer when it's the qilin/kirin, the Chinese Unicorn. Now it's called a unicorn, but like many Chinese creatures it's a bit of a chimera. With the head of a ram, the hooves of a horse, legs of a wolf, body of a deer, scales of a snake, tail of an ox, and horns of a dragon. Calm and intelligent, it is often seen as a symbol of nobility and scholars. Another fun fact: the Japanese word for giraffe is kirin because of their remarkable resemblance to the mythical beast.

This was a bit of a long one, but I had fun! What about you guys?

Sh*tpost Masterlist

[love-sapphirerose]

Setsuna: Wasted Potential

In the beginning, Setsuna was mostly this black haired hanyo girl version of Sesshomaru but she barely has a character outside of wanting to slay demons and playing the violin.

Parentage

Setsuna never really cared to know about her parents as she told the tree of ages that she doesn't care anything about sesshomaru but suddenly decides to battle kirinmaru for him and she never asked about rin but as soon as she sees her as the tree of ages explains her story she suddenly wants to rescue and have a relationship with her.

2. Rushed Childhood and Recycled Material

In episode 20, setsuna's past after the fire was quickly rushed as people such as raita and futa don't have much of a personality and shiori didn't like she was in the original.

Nothing was original about setsuna's transformation as its just a copy Inuyasha's as both of them were trapped in web by a moth demon who were eventually them in a mindless state and have a weapon that seals it away.

3. No explanations

setsuna's not even interested in finding the Dream Butterfly and majority of the time wants to slay demons with kohaku and the other demon slayers, so why was she following/staying with towa and moroha during the search when she could do anything else.

I really don't understand why setsuna became a demon slayer as she could've done anything else but I think they did that to have a female demon slayer without thinking about kin'u and gyokuto.

4. Rushed Abilities

Shortly after setsuna's revived, she suddenly gets the Yukari no Tachikiri and her quickly mastering it after only using it on the sea snake woman, rion, mayonaka, zero, meidomaru, and kirinmaru for less than the second season.

She also used the Suzaku no Machibuse once for plot device against kirinmaru.

5. Copying

Despite towa inheriting majority of sesshomaru's abilities, setsuna gets copied and pasted memories of his past and progress.

Ex. sesshomaru reviving rin and thinking of the smile she gave him. setsuna saved mei and thinking of how she smiled while thanking her.

sesshomaru mastering the tenseiga in less than one season, setsuna mastering the Yukari no Tachikiri in less than a one season.

like inuyasha, setsuna needing a weapon to seal her demonic side away but not towa.

6. Contrived Powerups

Majority of the time, she wins by using the same two abilities, scourge of swallows and cyclone burst, and screaming and even after battling kyuki and kirinmaru, battles she wasn't able to win, she still does that.

How was it that setsuna inherited the Yukari no Tachikiri instantly and it was all up to her and not sesshomaru to do it.

7. Hanyo

Despite knowing she is a hanyo, setsuna in episode 20 wasn't ashamed of being one but in episodes 2 and 3 she doesn't want others to know and is resentful in being one.

[seikotakai]

some thoughts on that tekken 8 dlc story mode (spoilers)

some more thoughts on that tekken 8 dlc:

>it was nice getting to see some of the side characters actually do something instead of just being stupid joke characters (ex. lidia, eddy, yoshimitsu). especially eddy, he got some justice after that stupid ending in tekken 7.

>also getting to beat up reina as lidia was satisfying too ngl. that's for kazuya, now if only i could beat up kuma too with lidia that would be very nice.

>lars sweetie of course jin saw lots of potential in eddy, we all remember how eddy used to cause so many broken ps1 controllers back in the day. i didn't find eddy to be too rage inducing like most people who played the older games like tekken 3 imo.

>also find it neat how the tekken monks themselves have titles named after famous East Asian deities like Seiryu and Suzaku. I wonder who has the title of Genbu and wears a mask that looks like Genbu?

>yeah, the way the explained heihachi surviving the volcano was stupid. kazuya was literally there to watch heihachi drown in the lava! shouldn't he have noticed some mysterious monk man Seiryu coming to save his dad's ass and then kill him before throwing heihachi into the lava again?

> a better explanation for how heihachi came back to life: uh he didn't lol. remember devil within mode from tekken 5, where jin fights a bunch of heihachi clones at one point? the heihachi in tekken 8 is actually a genetic clone of the real heihachi who died in tekken 7. while kazuya fought heihachi and also attacked New York, the monks sneaks into the labs of either the Mishima Zaibatsu or G Corp to create a Heihachi clone. It also makes sense why Heihachi has "lost his memories", because those memories are not real - he's a clone of a deceased man after all. Or they could just program him to have the real Heihachi's memories (like False Kasumi in DOA5). Heihachi in Tekken 8 being a clone actually kind of makes sense and most importantly, doesn't make Tekken 7 story pointless as Heihachi is still dead Kazuya killed him.

>poor kazuya now has to deal with both Heihachi and Reina. At least he has Jun by his side now I guess.

>also namco when are you going to retcon some aspects of tekken 6 scenario campaign and just say jin kazama got brainwashed by azazel and he had zero control of his actions already?! just like how nina got brainwashed by ogre in tekken 3 or madelyne pryor got brainwashed by sinister in x-men 97. i mean for fucks sake, you can retcon heihachi's motivations in tekken 7 but you can't just retcon jin being a warmonger by saying it was never his fault?(╬≖_≖) that's all i'm asking for. my boy jin got done dirty in tekken 6 .( ╥ω╥ )

overall, i had low expectations for this. but turns i actually ended up enjoying some of the content in Forgotten Echoes. I certainly enjoyed beating up Reina with Lidia lol.