#the background is lacking but eh whatever

[sleepyc63]

are you still out there?

[gingacat]

Updated Miyuu intro

YIPPEE FINALLY!!!

all her info under the cut ^^

Miyuu: Let's do arm wrestling and whoever wins gets to be the Housewarden!!

Ame: Eh........ you know what... you can be the Housewarden, Toshigami.

Personality

Miyuu is always full of energy, running and jumping from one place to another. She's quite athletic and her physical capabilities make up for her lack of magic. Even if she's not the brightest academically wise, she's a handy type of person who's skilled at fixing things or mechanisms.

Miyuu is outspoken, presenting a joyful smile most of the time and brightening the mood of whatever place she's in. She doesn't think too deeply about things, is impulsive and immature, and is easily irritable and childish in some situations. But these are all traits that she tries to hide, since she's embarrassed of them. It's very easy to make her cry or startle her, but Miyuu hates displaying it. She wants people to only see her good side.

She is like a kid or dog who just wants to please people around her, make them proud and receive praise. She likes helping and being useful, but the thing she loves the most is being loved or appreciated.

Background

Miyuu grew up in one of the biggest Shinto shrines of Japan, in Kyoto. She was raised by her father, Sadao, the head priest of the shrine, alongside of the multiple shrine maidens who worked there. Miyuu's parents were divorced and her mother, Haruka, lived with Miyuu's younger half-sister, Saki, in Hokkaido. Miyuu also has an older half-brother who lived with his father in Shibuya.

Her family was spread all over Japan, and some of her relatives even lived in other countries. Miyuu's cousins, for example, lived in countries of Europe, such as Spain or Germany, and her father's side grandparents lived in Australia. Her grandmother is half-Italian, and Miyuu was actually blonde as a kid, but her hair got slightly darker as she got older.

Miyuu always had been the troublemaker type of kid, finding joy in causing mischief everywhere she went. It wasn't out of malice, since she wasn't aware of consequences at all, and her father raised her in a carefree way, allowing Miyuu to make mistakes and learn from them.

The maidens who worked in the shrine were fond of Miyuu and always encouraged her to smile and be happy, as a kid should be. They praised Miyuu and seemed genuinely happy at every achievement of her, showering the girl with their love.

However, Miyuu, being a curious child, decided one day to eavesdrop on the mikos' conversations. She listened to them sighing and complaining about how much trouble Miyuu caused, and how it was tiring and improper to have a "miscreant kid" like that around the shrine.

They complained about how much of a crybaby Miyuu was and how listening to her crying was annoying. They also complained about how insufferable it was every time Miyuu got angry and threw a tantrum.

Miyuu, who thought she was loved by the mikos was heartbroken.

Miyuu ended up feeling like she had no one, no mother, no siblings, no grandparents, no cousins, and Sadao, despite being a kind person, was too troubled by his work and worried about financially providing everything Miyuu needed and maintaining the shrine. She was too shy to bother him with her "stupid" and childish problems.

At school, she was considered a troublemaker for being so carefree and irresponsible, and so most children avoided or made fun of her. She would stand out for not being "completely Japanese" and kids treated her like a freak or a stranger. Even if this made Miyuu upset and hurt, she always did her best not to show.

However, at home, she would cry and beg not to go to school. Miyuu would skip classes a lot and try to avoid school as much as possible, since she believed everyone there hated her and she was unwanted.

When she skipped school, she would willingly help her father with chores, assist him during rituals, clean the shrine and try to be helpful to the mikos, even going as far as cooking and baking for them. She wanted to be useful and appreciated, not a miscreant who was a bother to people.

Just before going to Twisted Wonderland, Miyuu was depressed. It had been two entire weeks that she'd been skipping school, but her class's teacher was demanding for Miyuu to go and talk to her. Sulking and still wearing her miko robes (she was forced by Sadao to leave the shrine and didn't have time to change), when Miyuu saw the girl who used to bully her in front of the school, Miyuu panicked and ran away. Without looking at the street, she got ran over by the black carriage.

Trivia

Miyuu grew a fondness for bugs, still as a kid, after spending an entire afternoon just watching ants. They fascinated Miyuu, who was amazed by how small and cute, yet strong and hardworking the ants were, as well as how they worked really well together. After this, Miyuu started paying more attention to all insects around her and her love for them only grew.

She's secretly fond of cars and a fan of Formula 1. She had the silly dream of being a F1 driver and was a fan of Daniel Ricciardo.

Miyuu got the scars on her face as a 14 year old, when she recklessly jumped in a dog vs cat fight to impede them from killing each other.

Miyuu loves rugby, she finds a lot of joy in being a winger, running as fast as she can and tackling her opponents.

She's scared of reptiles, but mostly snakes and lizards. Miyuu avoids lizards at all costs and if she saw a snake in front of her she would probably start crying out of fear Imao.

Miyuu needs crazy amounts of food to sustain her and always seems to be hungry. Though she burns most of her calories quickly since she's always exercising.

Her favorite food is Japanese fried rice cakes, she can eat a thousand of them and never get enough.

She hates ketchup and her least favorite food would definitely be Napolitan Spaghetti, since it's basically spaghetti with ketchup as the main sauce. (her Italian ancestry is screaming)

Miyuu's worst subject is either Potionology/ Alchemy or both. She would definitely suck at all of the subjects that Crewel teach and would be scared of going to his classes. (She doesn't want to be reprimanded!!!)

Miyuu's voice claim

Her relationships with the characters

Miyuu and Ame!!

template by @/ai-kan1 !

+

tagging @moonyasnow @gimmeurmoneyagh @day-dr3aming

if anyone else wants to be tagged in my posts, pls let me know!!

[befuddledcinnamonroll]

Top 10 Things I Love About the QL Tumblr Community 2023

I'm loving everyone's end of year lists, and decided to make up one of my own.

I haven't been on Tumblr for very long and was originally just lurking. 2023 marks the year where I finally started posting, after I read a take that made me feel compelled to come to a fictional character's defense. (Saengtai, my poor little blorbo).

So in commemoration of my first proper year of active tumblring, I present what I love about this community (in no particular order).

(Side note - Technically I know this is still primarily a BL community, but I like to say QL because I am trying to manifest more lesbians for us.)

1) The Gifmakers

Y'all are a good 70% of the reason I joined Tumblr in the first place. There are so many show moments that I want to relive, but without having to search through videos. Sometimes I want to appreciate the aesthetics. Sometimes I want to remember adorable or goofy moments. Sometimes I just want to see cute boys eating each other's faces. Our gifmakers give all of that to us, with the addition of so much creativity and style.

There's too many amazing ones to mention everyone, but I have to shout out @sparklyeyedhimbo, because the way your brain works makes me so happy.

2) The expertise

The other part of why I joined Tumblr was to learn more about what BLs were out there and what I might be missing. And holy hell. Y'all are putting in the work. Not only lists and resources for finding all kinds of QLs, like these fabulous monthly breakdowns by @gunsatthaphan, but also amazing posts that add additional context, like @absolutebl's incredibly helpful breakdown of Asian honorifics. There is so much research people do, for fun! And then they share it!

3) The meta analysis

I frickin love reading people's takes and analyses on series. I love learning, I love seeing perspectives from people with different cultural backgrounds to my own, it's all so fascinating! There's so much context we can miss due to our own privileges, or lack of knowing about various cultures, or due to whatever bubbles we've been living in. People here are just so smart, and nuanced, and willing to reflect and think about things, and also push back at each other, but generally with respect (except when you call out the dumb shit you see, usually on Twitter or TikTok, where people are being reductive and dumb about gender and sexuality).

And I've seen a few takes where people complain about analyses, and say that the director/production doesn't do everything deliberately, and we're all reading too much into it. To which I say, eh, lighten up. How people connect to and relate to media has relevance beyond what was intended. The point is we get to think and discuss and learn and grow. That doesn't happen if we don't analyze.

Special shout out here to @respectthepetty because colors mean things!

4) The wild theories

The other side of the analysis coin, the clown cars y'all drive around in with the wildest of theories. I have happily climbed into an occasional clown car, and usually I am utterly wrong (*cough* Saifah *cough*). But it's a super fun ride. I love seeing how people's brains work. I love it when y'all are wrong. I love it when y'all are right. It's beautiful.

5) Immediate acceptance

I am one of those people who knows that I have a lot of good qualities, and also, always kind of expect rejection. Blame the childhood bullies, I guess. Anyway, whenever I delve into a new space, I still feel like a total dork that no one will want to talk to. It's kind of a fraught way to move through the world, but I manage.

Anyway, I started posting my thoughts as they came up, and people are just totally cool with it. People even follow me sometimes. Even my silliest thoughts and dumbest jokes get at least a couple likes. It's so validating.

And my very silly joke about gay mafia in Kiseki has over 800 likes. I feel very seen.

6) Mutuals

I still kind of can't believe I have any. This ties in to the dork feeling above, but seriously - they are soooo cooooool. They're smart and awesome and funny, and they somehow find me worth following back, which is baffling yet wonderful. I want to squish their faces and give them many kisses (if they're into that kind of thing).

7) The self-exploration

I really appreciate how it's become more talked about how a lot of people are discovering queerness through BL, because that is so the case for me. I think it's both that I was in a bit of a hetero bubble before, and also that I'm evolving a bit as I age. I had figured out I was demi, and maybe a little bit gay, before getting in to BL, but being in this community, and seeing so many of you share so openly and freely, has made me realize it might be more than a little bit.

Either it was a new realization, or being around y'all has made me more gay. Win win, either way.

8) The weirdness

I'm weird. Y'all are weird. I love it.

9) The thirst

So many in this community are thirsty as fuck, and as someone who is in that same condition, I love that it's not just me. There are not many places where I can freely admit how horny I am as a part of my general existence.

Here? I could post about wanting to lick some random BL actor's face, and it would get a bunch of likes and some tags like #lickable, and it's just not remotely a big deal.

Also the gifmakers understand this, and give us beautiful cuts of our spicy scenes. They are genuinely too good for us.

10) The communal watching experience

There is absolutely nothing like watching along with people in the community. It is so worth the torture of having to wait week to week for new episodes. Seeing the show trend, watching the theories fly fast and furious, or the way everyone collectively loses their minds over particular moments. In a world that can feel very isolating, it's a very warm experience.

So there you go. Thank you all for being you. Here's to another year of QL shenanigans and losing our collective minds!

[eluminium]

WOOO! WE MADE IT LADIES, GENTLEMEN, AND EVERYONE IN BETWEEN AND OUTSIDE! SKIZZ WEEK 2 DAY 7!!! YIPPIE! Can't believe I managed to actually get all the days! Crazy ngl. As your reward, and mine, have some Imp and Skizz being silly and dancing with each other. Is it platonic or romantic? Eh, that's up to your interpretation.

AS ALWAYS BUT DIFFERENT, thank you to @skizzlemanweek for organizing this round of Skizz Week! It was really fun to do! You better go to their blog and look at the other Skizz Week 2 creations when you're done here!

Prompt 7: Free day!

It's not often Skizz finds himself in an environment like this. Specifically, he hasn't been at an off-server party in lord knows how long. He got most of his partying out of his system by the time he was 25, if not even earlier. So excuse him if he's a bit rusty, he's doing his best. His best being standing on the sidelines with a glass of overly fancy strong cider in his hand and watching the whippersnappers have fun on the dance floor. The noise of people having fun and partying is music to his ears, if a bit loud. Above him, beautiful light shows play out in the dark sky to the beat of the generic but still bopping music discs the DJ is playing. The massive and beautifully decorated Decision Dome stands proudly in the background.

He's honestly grateful that they're outside, not just because of the beautiful view but because it keeps the temperature comfortable. Back in his day, they used to party in whatever run-down shack they could find, and those turned into SAUNAS by the end. And they were TIGHT too, which sucked for a guy like him, with his clumsily large wing span. Said wings puff up at the memory and he makes sure to stretch them out just to bask in the fact that he has enough personal space to do that without knocking someone flat on their ass! It may not be fully fair to compare those parties to this one though, considering this isn't just some random party. This is the afterparty of one of the biggest events in the multiverse. MCC. Of course, it would be a bit fancier!

Skizz brings the glass to his lips and takes a tasteful sip. The refreshing taste of pear hits his tastebuds gracefully, hiding the mild but fulfilling taste of popped chorus fruit. The alcohol leaves its familiar burn as he swallows, his eyes wandering back to the dance floor. It's like a little rainbow in there, everyone's color-coordinated outfits blending together into a light show of its own. Various wings, tails, ears, horns, antlers, and other distinguishing features stick out of the crowd, clearly enjoying the opportunity to stretch out as much as Skizz. He can't help but smile, a sappy happiness rising in his chest at the sight. Although that may be the alcohol making him soft.

"Hey man, you thinkin' about something nice?"

Skizz looks to his side and meets a pair of kind chocolate brown eyes and a teasing grin. "Nah, not really Dipple Dop. Just enjoying the moment," he responds, patting the spot next to him. Impulse takes the hint and sits down next to him, a fresh new drink in his clawed grip. His second that night, surprisingly.

"Where's Top? Did he decide to head home with Etho?" Skizz asks when he notices a lack of firey hair anywhere nearby. Impulse takes a sip of his drink before he answers.

"No, he's still here. He got caught in a conversation with Cub about Railroad Rush. They're in the Dome, by the bar, if you're wondering."

"Aha, I see," Skizz responds with a nod. A little bit of pride hits him at the information. Usually, Tango avoids busy social events like the plague. It's nice to hear that he decided to stay a bit longer! As for Etho, there's no convincing him. He dipped as soon as it was socially acceptable. Mysterious as always, although maybe it's because many of the players here are Etho fans. Sounds like his worst nightmare to be stuck in a conversation with people who admire him and are probably drunk. Maybe he should consider not being as awesome then, but Skizz digresses.

Suddenly, a very familiar sound reaches his ears. Specifically, a song. He can't help but snort.

"Oh my god." Impulse says with a surprised and slightly flustered laugh as he also realizes what song they're playing.

It's an oldie, but a goodie. A tune from when they were but naive teenagers. But it's not the song itself that tickles Skizz's funnybone. It's the fact that, with this song, comes a specific dance that was all the rage back then. A partner dance. If you wanted a girlfriend, or a boyfriend back then, this was what you practiced to perfection before you took them to the club.

Oh, he remembers it like it was yesterday! How a soft-faced Impulse timidly approached him and asked him to be his practice dummy for the dance because he wasn't satisfied with just practicing it in front of a mirror and he really wanted to impress this one girl. And of course, a younger Skizz helped him out, after laughing at him for a minute for being such a cheesy romantic. He remembers every attempt, every re-try, and that's impressive because there were a LOT of them. Bless his best friend and his need for perfection.

Skizz meets Impulse's gaze again, and it's clear that he also had the exact same flashback. Skizz can't help but giggle, a giggle that turns into a full-blown laugh as Impulse covers his face with his hand.

"I'm never escaping this! It haunts me!" He exclaims as he takes a deep swig from his drink like a depressed alcoholic detective in a mystery movie.

Skizz has to wipe a tear from his eye with how hard he's laughing. "Come on, dude! You got SO good at it! You were great!"

Impulse gives him a playful glare. "Oh yeah, I got SO good at it, huh?" He shoots back, his voice dripping with salty sarcasm, which causes another bout of cackling from Skizz.

"It's not your fault she was a lesbian! If she wasn't I'm sure you would have had her smitten with your dance skills!" He knows he's rubbing salt in a decades-old closed-up wound but in his defense, it's funny.

Impulse struggles to hold his faux seriousness in the face of a torrent of Skizzleman laughing. "God, I still can't believe I didn't know! I was so in love yet I couldn't figure out something so obvious!" He says with a barely repressed snort.

Skizz's laughing eventually dies back down into giggling. "Come on, you were both still cool with each other after that! No harm, no foul."

"Yeah, except my dignity," Impuse quips in an overly whiney and weepy tone.

Skizz rolls his eyes fondly. "Shut up, man!" He fires back. They both giggle and Skizz takes a gulp of his cider. A comfortable silence settles between them as they both look back to the dance floor. Multiple people have paired up with each other for the song. Others have created some sort of three-people version of the dance. One is even a group of five! Makes sense that the dance has evolved to be more casual as the years have gone by. Now not just couples and potential couples get to enjoy it, but friends too!

However, there is one difference Skizz spots that he's less than impressed by.

"Wow, they kinda suck at this." Impulse dryly comments before Skizz can even say anything. He can't help but laugh at Impulse's uncharacteristically sharp observation. The booze is getting to him for sure.

"What, you think us old farts can do it better?" He pokes back with a raised eyebrow.

Impulse splutters a bit, borderline offended at the mere suggestion. "Yeah, obviously! They don't even know where their feet are!"

Skizz is content to laugh it off at this point. The song is basically over by now, so it's not like they'll get a chance to prove-

The sudden cries of "ENCORE! ENCORE! ENCORE!" force him to reevaluate. Well, that changes things quite drastically!

"You wanna go put your money where your mouth is, Dipple Dop?" He jokingly says, pretty sure he's gonna need more than just that if he wants to convince Impulse of anything. He has to swallow his prejudice when he meets Impulse's gaze one more time. His best friend's face is flushed from the alcohol, and his eyes are a bit glazed over. But even more terrifyingly, he can see that familiar glint of competitiveness in his eyes as well. And if Skizz is honest with himself, he can feel the buzz of his own drink clouding his brain. He's ready to make some questionable decisions.

Impulse doesn't even respond, he simply slams the rest of his drink, places the glass down, and starts walking towards the dance floor, tail whipping back and forth. Skizz quickly slams his own and follows him.

They get there just in time for the encore to start. Impulse lunges to grab Skizz's hands in time so they don't miss the rhythm. Skizz raises an amused eyebrow at his best friend's antics, and he gets an unimpressed look in return. Impulse's slightly scaled hands rub up against Skizz's scarred ones, but it's a feeling Skizz is extremely familiar with. It's like two puzzle pieces fitting together. Then the melody starts, and it's off to the races.

Skizz can't lie and say he isn't impressed by both himself and Impulse's ability to remember the motions. Moving around each other almost feels subconscious, each sway to the left and right perfectly timed. At first, they're both looking down at their feet to make sure they aren't stomping on something important, but they quickly realize they don't need to. Their gazes slowly connect instead, and a dumb goofy smile graces Impulse's face. Skizz feels himself responding with just as stupid of an expression, but he can't help it. It's like he's back in that memory again, except without any teenage awkwardness.

One step left, two steps right, twirl back around, two hands connected reaching for the stars above. It's silly, really. Two middle-aged men dancing in a crowd where the max age is early thirties, to an old love song, with a dance originally meant for wooing potential partners, after competing in the biggest competitive event in the multiverse. But Skizz never cared about useless details like that. He's having fun with his best friend, m'kay? And they're smoking the competition at the same time!

Skizz eventually gets lost in the motions, lost in orbiting around his other half in long-ago practiced steps. For all he cares, the only things that exist to him right now are Impulse, the music, and the ground they're standing on. His best friend's familiar marrone eyes keep his blue ones locked, and the few times their bodies graze each other in the dance it causes a certain softness in Skizz's heart to spike. Impulse's hand in his is solid, but the hold is gentle, casual, despite the energy in their motions. But eventually, the song starts winding down, each step taking them closer to the end. As the singer lets out the final words, and the instruments their final notes, their right hands detach and fly out behind them. At the same time, both their right feet take a step backward. They strike the final pose perfectly.

The song ends, and the new one that plays plunges Skizz right back into reality. Oh my god, he doesn't remember being this tired afterward! He lets go of Impulse's hand to place both his hands on his knees so he can try and regain his breath. Impulse seemingly has the same idea, but he also has the brain cells to grab Skizz by the shoulder and lead them out of the crowd and off the dance floor. They both crash on a nearby bench.

"I am so sweaty dude, holy moly" Impulse exclaims as he wipes his forehead.

"That was fun though, man!" Skizz responds between his huffing. Impulse gives him an acknowledging noise, but not much more.

Suddenly, someone is applauding.

"Wow, didn't know you guys could dance like that!"

Skizz looks up to see Jojo.

"Thanks, Junior Shabado," He says with a kind smile. "What he said," Impulse adds on.

"Maybe next time we have a training session, you could teach me!" She adds on, a slight slur to her words. Skizz has to fight for his life to not start laughing.

"Yeah, I'm sure Impulse would love to pass down the tradition!"

The unexplainable noise that Impulse emits at his suggestion will fuel him for the decades to come.

(What he'll also be fueled by was that someone managed to record them dancing and posted it online. Sober Impulse's flustered but still proud reaction was nothing short of glorious. Because yes, as the comments on the clip point out many times, they really did SLAY the competition.)

[sillygoofyqueer]

Helloooo!!! I HOPE YOU ARE HAVING A LOVELY DAY/NIGHT ❤️💖❤️💖❤️💖

I have a silly question for thee! 😌🪭

In a modern AU, what jobs would your ocs have?

(And dont just say “ahh SMY would still be an assassin! Just a modern one!” YOU SILLY GOOSE 🫵🤨 /silly. I mean like civilian 21 century job! YEAH!)(also feel free to include WQW in on this)

I wrote all of this instead of doing Psychology 🥰����

Shui Muyang:

What do you mean "don't say they wouldn't still be an assassin", of course they wouldn't be an assassin they would own and work in a brewery, because Zui Xian is still the alcohol peak and of course they like making wine and alcohol in general so of course they would work in a brewery because that's still a modern job they would work in a brewery and disappear for a week and then just randomly appear after travelling halfway across the world and going on this random action film-esque adventure just to get this random spice for their new experiment wine project because Zui Xian is an alcohol peak with breweries so in the modern era Shui Muyang would own and work in a brewery where alcohol is brewed, you fucking NUMPTY (/silly/silly)

Wei Qingwei (what do you mean 'you can add him' he literally is my OC who told you otherwise):

Wei Qingwei is probably one of those guys who does literally all sorts of hands on jobs; one day you see him working in a garage, fixing up people's cars and the next day he's carving a table out of wood for your new house, and then the day after that he's forging a decorative sword you're gifting someone for their birthday, and then the day after that he's at your best friend's baby shower, excitedly offering a cute blanket that he knitted for them. He's literally everywhere, like the neighbourhood mascot, you want anything done and someone will always give you his number - he's probably got different flyers depending on what you want done, each carefully designed to bring out the best parts of the craft he's offering on the flyer. Everyone has at least one of each. He's appearing at the local library as well, reading to any children that ask him and then showing up at the orphanages in the area with so many cool handmade toys for the children.

Jiang Qingbai:

I like to think that Jiang Qingbai would be tucked away in some small room, surrounded by books and being hired to research things for people (is that a job? Make it one for her <3), delving deep into whatever topic she has been set that day. She rarely leaves her little room, even when the work day is over, and definitely has to be dragged out by her younger sibling if they want her to do anything. She probably has a background in some form of religion (cult??? Eh, maybe), and the lack of control in what she learned probably spurred on her desire to know things, which is why she's so suited for her job. She doesn't even have to talk to people (not that she can)!!! Give her her little room with books piled everywhere and at least two monitors with her PC so she can do two things at once.

Feng Licheng:

When Feng Licheng isn't assisting his mama in the brewery (mainly because they don't trust him not to blow something up some days), he's likely offering different mini ice skating classes to people. That's right, my baby boy is an ice skater (and a skateboarder) because if you don't think that my always-moving little guy wouldn't want to be doing something that relies entirely on movement, do you even know my guy? He's helping both kids and adults stumble their way around the ice rink every other week, and then teaching any newbies he finds in the skate park whenever he's not doing that. Probably teaches dance as well, because my baby boy has RANGE!

Gao Hongxia:

Gao Hongxia is like Wei Qingwei's apprentice, following him to his jobs and helping him out, learning as she goes - she's better at other things than others, however, like better at doing the forging and the plumbing rather than the knitting and woodwork. She also handles the finances because Wei Qingwei is far too generous with what he charges and she took one look at this and just thought “not on my watch”. Her mother or something hired him and she just watched him be completely underpaid for his practically professional work, before chasing him out and practically begging to be taught everything he knows so that she can stop this kind man from getting severely underpaid because he's too kind and generous to have any higher prices.

Li Anran:

Li Anran is both acting as Jiang Qingbai's assistant and working at a bar when he's not doing that. He's in charge of dealing with possible clients and the “social” side of the business - basically, any client of Jiang Qingbai's has something to say about the “scary assistant” that stares ominously and sometimes even glares (*shudders*) if something that he doesn't like is said, or if the hermit researcher is insulted for not showing up. Hiring Jiang Qingbai is not for those whose egos are too big for their bodies, because the bodyguard assistant will crush them instantly with little more than a stare. Similar things are said about a bartender who never seems to want to be there, but makes literally the best cocktails ever and scares away anyone being creepy, so most people greet him with a smile (even if he doesn't smile back).

[destructivisms]

VERÔNICA DAUMAS

The Boys OC / Human / Private eye / The Boys affiliated

If you ask Verônica Daumas, having an obsession can be weirdly therapeutic. Nights spent awake are moments of deep introspection. Piles and piles of documents, photographs, records are akin to a collection of something simple like, I don't know, bottle caps or pins. The sprawling out of the investigation through the walls of her tiny apartment is simply renewing the decor. Searching for something happening in the background, whatever that is, is having a greater purpose — and who doesn't want that? Who wouldn't miss that?

So when, five years after having abandoned her investigation, Verônica is called back to work by those she used to call a team — why would she say no?

“What did he call you?” “Enxerida do caralho.” “What does it mean?” “Nosy bitch.” “Eh. Can't say he's wrong on that one.”

Verônica Daumas is a Brazilian expat in New York, working under the radar as a private eye for the underworld of the city. Want some information you can't obtain through legal means, to take even less legal measures? Call V. DAUMAS, PRIVATE EYE — “I fuck around, you find out.”

After all, a woman has to make a living after losing everything, several times — whether the schemes in Rio she left behind, or her attempt to get a legit job in New York that burned to the ground (literally), or the team that was disbanded with a tragic conclusion.

Her investigative abilities are what made her a valuable asset; first to Grace Mallory — the promise of a visa, legit documents, and the erasure of her criminal record, led her to join her team to bring down Vought International —, and later to Billy Butcher — when putting the team back together, they couldn't forget their local nosy bitch, could they?

However, her utter lack of loyalty can make Verônica a liability — she won't hesitate to run away, which has been proven time and time again by the amount of things and people in her life she has left behind. Her uncanny ability to get away with things and save her own ass comes at the direct expense of the others' asses.

Of course, she has to reevaluate her loyalties (or lack thereof) when the operations of The Boys become more dangerous than ever, the stakes are higher, and the connections between them are stronger. Maybe she has to stay and face her fucking problems for once instead of running away. Maybe there are people worth staying for.

happy to be finally introducing my oc for the boys, verônica — she's the loml and i have been writing A LOT for her. ship stuff incoming btw hehe i ship her with frenchie and they have been living in my head rent free

[mainstoryarchive]

Kingdom - 66: Stars of the Show

Translator: Creampuffs

Subaru: Yahoo~☆

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

Location: Auditorium

Subaru: Yahoo~☆

Everyone~! Enjoy yourselves today, okay~☆

Hokuto: (…As expected of Akehoshi. He's not nervous in the very least and it looks like he's enjoying himself from the bottom of his heart.)

(He must be really happy to give our performance on stage. Converting even pressure into happiness and pushing forward is Akehoshi's strong point.)

(That's why he's more suited to be the leader. That isn't something to think about now, but…)

(He's facing the audience directly as well. Addressing them, smiling towards them, waving his hands.)

(This is the performance the unit from the student council… AKATSUKI forgot about.)

(AKATSUKI achieves their objectives in an indifferent manner and carries out their specified performance accurately. Without altering anything, whoever their opponent is or whatever kind of stage they perform.)

(That's how they gradually forgot about their audience's existence.)

(Whoever their audience, AKATSUKI has continued to win. Hence their arrogance; they have left out something crucial for us idols.)

(If the audience isn't there, if they aren't enjoying themselves, then even an excellent performance holds no meaning.)

(…I, too, had forgotten that until I received special training from the twins, but…)

(One man's fault is another man's lesson. It's our first time coming up on stage, too. We won't be able to last if we don't use our faces, our presence, to appeal to the audience.)

(Who are we singing to? Akehoshi will be the one to teach us how we should be as idols.)

(Akehoshi is a great guy that can be respected. He'd get full of himself if I told him personally, so I won't, though.)

(Guide us, Trickstar's first star.)

Subaru: …Hm? What is it, Hokke~? Is there something on my face?

Hokuto: No, it's nothing. Go act wildly and freely, Isara and I will back you up.

Mao: Eh, me too? That's why, I keep telling you guys not to drag me into things as you please. Well, I guess I don't mind~

Subaru, who charges towards the front lines, Makoto, who hangs back in the background, and me and Hokuto assisting—that's Trickstar, right~? ♪

Yuta: Ohoo! Next up, we've got the Fantastic Shapeshifting Magician! Isara Mao~♪

Hinata: Each member in Trickstar is a super star! All of them are pioneering figures who will pave the road for the future Yumenosaki Academy—They are dreams themselves ☆

Makoto: They're super fired up, huh?… R-Right! Okay, I'm going to do my best too! So that I don't get left behind, as well!

Yuta: Ah, I almost forgot. Lastly~ Umm, the guy with the glasses!

Hinata: Good luck, Four-eyes~♪ What was your name again? …Oh well, moving on! ☆

Makoto: Ehh, isn't the treatment towards me the only one that's way too sloppy!?

I-I'm Makoto Yuuki! It's a pleasure to be here! I'll do my very best~!

Hokuto: (Yeah, that's right. We need "a character who gets the role of being teased.")

(When everything is perfect… For example, when it's absolutely flawless like AKATSUKI, I have trouble breathing, just watching them.)

(In order to make the audience relax and calm down, we need a character with feigned ignorance, as comic relief.)

(And even if he makes mistakes due to a lack of ability… if the audience realizes that "it can't be helped because that's the character he is," then it becomes his "charm".)

(In fact, I'm sure that he'll be bathing in cheers and will receive a lot of support every time he makes a blunder.)

(While at the back of the line, working hard with all his power, trying to catch up to the other three, the audience will cheer on Yuuki's brave efforts. If we can turn it into something like that then the game is as good as ours.)

(Yuuki isn't the type of guy who would ever betray the audience's expectations, either.)

(Yuuki's surprisingly competitive, so he'll frantically come chasing after us, hot on our heels. He'll come tearing through the cheers and the encouragement,)

(And right after that, I'm sure he'll walk with us, side by side.)

(The twins are amazing… They conveyed our "point of view" to the audience with such a short introduction.)

(More than half of the audience here have never seen us before, but they learnt how to enjoy themselves… and how to relish the taste.)

(The preparations are perfect; they truly have set the table for us.)

(All that's left is to offer them our best dish:)

(Our performance.)

Hinata: Alrighty, we're gonna say "goodbye" here~♪

Yuta: The times we changed your diapers, carried you like babies on our backs, and petted you saying "good boy" are all over now ♪

Hokuto: Right, you can leave the rest to us. You've done a lot for us.

We'll thank you again at a later date. Right now, we'll devote all our energy to the stage right in front of us.

For everyone who has gathered here today, we Trickstar will show them our all.

[ ☆ ]

← prev ❖ all ❖ next →

[lanatusnebula]

I Want To Like Aeolus

I'm going to type "Helios" because I played a fan translated version of the game so I could avoid the eng voice actors. (I refuse to buy anything else Capcom releases related to Megaman because I physically own most of this stuff anyway LOL)

So, so good points about Helios;

he has a cool head on his shoulders (deisgn-wise)

he had model H (my favorite MMZ character is Harpuia and ZX I love Model H big)

I like his face and hair! It's super silly but the more I look at it, the more he reminds me of SOMEONE I can't actually put my finger on. It's funny. And he has... one earring? Hanging off the ear mechanic things? Not sure what to call them... audio enhancement device? Vestibular Enhancement Piece? I wish they got some nerd to official label the reploid/cyborg body parts...

He's pretty neat in that regard, haha!

Model H is super fun in ZX! I enjoyed it in ZX. In ZX it is my favorite! So good on him that he's a biomatch for pocket Harpuia.

--

From here downward i will slander Helios's name and everything he will ever stand for.

nb4, "dude if you dont like him, then ignore his existence like you do with everything else you dont like" bro you dont understand this is a struggle i must endure for the sake of my own completeness (self-torture)

This whole this is biased and abandoned by reason, but I will put on a brave face and embarass myself anyway...! ò 0 ó

Points to touch on;

his design

his writing

his personality

biomatching with Model H

background

moveset

Design

I hate his design so freakin much. He has a sleeveless vest (ok), the weird skin-tight extra padding (sure) a skirt attached to ABSOLUTELY NOTHING (ok) and PANTS (dress pants). Each of these things on a character in the Z series would be like "eh whatever". But looking at how everyone else dresses, I always wondered "what happened HERE???". I'm hoping that it was a mistranslation of the concept art to the official marketed stuff, and they added volume to the skirt when it was supposed to be attached to the torso piece. I just can't mentally comprehend his layers otherwise? Like I'm picturing he and Ciel had the same thing going on, except he has dress pants instead of tights.

I'm more than aware that fashion in the Z/ZX series is a bit unhinged and abnormal. That it might even be lore related or somehow touched on by the fact that every human is a cyborg. Maybe he's a reploid and we can't see it? I'm holding onto the hope that Atlas and Helios are reploids who hide this fact. (Unlikely)

His Writing

Because I am an ugly Harpuia fan, I was expecting more than the game actually gave. This section is my personal gripes that have no real basis for complaints. They are, as a whole, completely unnecessary and ignorable.

Siarnaq has a backstory that is briefly mentioned in his little disk thing. Okay!

Thetis has some sort of motivation that hints that something else could be there, but doesn't have a backstory in in the disk thing. Okay!

Atlas has a backstory that is briefly mentioned in her little disk thing. Okay! (she has been ruined by the fanart in select places and thus she does not exist to me LOL - same with Ashe tbh)

Helios has... a shallower motivation than even Thetis *and* lacks a backstory. I mean, sure I guess? I am biased towards Thetis because I figured for a reploid to have that much of an interest in oceans - something *happened*. It isn't even suggested that anything did happen, it's just... a good set up for me to fart out fandom crap. But Helios... I... man.

Man.

"Everything is imperfect and full of foolish fools I will kill everyone." His personality is so god damn bland. Harpuia was the highlighted guardian for most of the MMZ games and I ended up really enjoying how he evolved and how he struggled in the drama CDs. There was a lot to work with! Part of me thinks, "yes well Fefnir had jack shit going for him and you'd die for him". I DIG HIS DESIGN A REALLY LOT. But THIS GUY I simply struggle with! I want to like him because bootleg model H biomatch but I got nothing to workmwith! And that frustrates me. :(

Bland personality (I like Death the Kid ffs), shit motivation, no background - I know this is grounds for "blank slate, do what you want" but I just don't operate like that for this guy specifically.

His Personality

This section is biased.

Helios's personality doesn't really go beyond "I am a pretentious snob." He has... four lines? Maybe? I can recall four instances of dialogue off the top of my head.

"I don't have time for this lol"

"Fuck you, you imperfect crackhead" (I played as Grey).

"Fuck everyone on this planet for being imperfect."

"Self sacrifice is beautiful for friendship."

Maybe I can work with these? They are not obviously direct quotes, and are obviously played up for the hahateehee, but... I dunno man. It Should be enough to work with but I can't get into mindset of doing something with it.

Biomatching With Model H

This one is a little tricky. I assumed the biometals were either broken, muted somehow, or ditched by whatever personalities lived within them. Model Z kinda suggests to me that it IS the original inside of the biometal, but it's pure speculation based on a few lines.

I understandnthe relations some of the MegaMen have with their biometles, right

Atlas is powerhungry, which can loosely be connected to Fefnir in a very idiot way

Thetis has a "childlike innocence with attached cruelty" that we can poke ourselves in the eyes and say Leviathan had. Also ice water go brr

Siarnaq is a freaky little somethin ninja who is the complete opposite of what we assume Phantom is like based on the extremely limited dialogue he gives us. (but is substantially more to work with than what Helios gives us)

For Helios, we have to accept the "pompous homogeneous ruler mentality" as Harpuia's link. Which I don't get. What is the point of the entire Z series then? Aren't we supposed to look at Harpuia's growth and go "oh he actually is dedicated to his cause but was stuck in some muddy circumstances"? He had pride, absolutely (thinking about his post-repairs in Z3) but it's such a small part of who I thought he was personally? Granted, I did not write the game. I have no say in this; pride could have been his very essence. I just thought it was... justice.

We can say Helios is very much connected to justice - that he feels there is a sense of justice in nuking the flawed beings off this planet. (which is somewhat skewed by the fact that humans get bot'd after a while - what age? 13??? - and are basically cyborgs or robots themselves. So in a sense, they're already leaving behind their imperfect bodies) But... the super secret ending - the fact that he is present AT ALL makes no sense. If the goal is to put an emphasis on human bodies in the future, then... why is Helios present for this? Humans are the epitome of imperfection - we know this. It's blatant. It's why they do these mechanical enhancements to begin with.

Helios can't even commit to a cause right? I know all the MegaMen are exceedingly braindead and that's cool. But at least the others COMMIT to it. Thetis doesn't go "I'm gonna eliminate an entire race for the ocean" and then piss in the sea. Atlas doesn't go "Power is everything." and then break down crying and throwing away her biometal to embrace her weakness. Siarnaq doesnt go "HYPERFOCUSING ON TASK AT HAND" and then hold hands with everyone at the amusement park with a smile. THEY COMMIT.

Helios is stupid. He doesn't commit. Not if that is the truest ending leading up to this ZXC they planned.

His Background

Helios has no background. Okay. That is fine. Thetis doesn't have one either. Two focusing on the present and two focusing on the past.

But what could his background have been? Aristocrat? Poor? Feral child? Living in squalor? No parents? Abusive parents? Was he training to be one of the Sage Trinity? Albert came out of nowhere right? Maybe anyone qualifies - clearly they don't do background checks on anyone.

Maybe he was a sword enthusiast? Maybe the sword plays a part in this? Maybe he idolizes Thomas and felt his methods weren't extreme enough? I feel like the sword is very important to him as a character.

But why didn't they elaborate? They spent so much time making the Floating Islands a Shit Stage and Ouroboros absolutely mind breaking they didn't think to go "maybe we should add a line about his sword that he never actually uses." Are the writers andnstage designers different people? I don't actually know. Might be in the credits. Sure doesn't feel like it in ZXA.

His Moveset

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

why is model zx's reach so short

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[beyblader-observations]

I’m on episode 9 of Beyblade X, and so far it’s not living up to its full potential. Bird is losing every single battle, which theoretically should be leading up to something. He should be slowly getting more and more frustrated by his losses. His friends should be frustrated too. He’s training, but he isn’t training until he’s all beat up like Tyson would. He isn’t devastated when he loses. He’s just like “eh, whatever” about it, which I feel is really not a good quality for a protagonist. He’s not particularly fired up about Beyblading either. He doesn’t have a goal. Why does he want to get to the top of X tower? Just because? At this point, there are two options. One option is that he starts getting better and really learns how to Beyblade, with the help of his friends. The other option, which I think would make the most interesting story, is that after he gets more and more frustrated with losing, he eventually turns to the dark side. Someone comes along offering him great power, and he betrays his friends. He already has a Hell themed Beyblade, after all. I really want this to happen. Because as it stands, there is no real conflict. Or if the conflict is that Bird can’t win a battle, they aren’t presenting it well as a conflict, because it isn’t affecting the characters as it should. Sadly I feel like if the story was going to go in the direction I want, it would already have started tilting that way. In addition, the characters don’t really have incentive to Beyblade, as far as I’ve seen. In the original Beyblade, we would have some sort of backstory and goal for the opponents that we learn about while they’re fighting. I was thinking about how Lee was heartbroken by Rei leaving the White Tigers and wanted to get revenge on Rei for betraying him. We got a character in X who looks similar to Lee, and they don’t give him and his teammates any sort of background during their battle with the main team, aside from learning about the zoo that sponsors them. So far the series is feeling very lacking, but I really hope it picks up. I want emotions and high stakes and for people to have a reason for fighting. I want Bird to feel broken inside and I want that to push him, either to make bad decisions or to get stronger. But I need *something*.

[shiningdesignersreflections]

Chapter 3: Lunar Resonance

Narrated by Jiang Xitong.

Narrator: The video is but one segment in the busy festival preparations. I soon forget clean about it.

Narrator: The most important thing is that there are now only three days left until the exhibition. I'm finally done with everything and can sit back and relax.

Narrator: I pinched my brows, exhausted. I put down my files and picked up some music scores.

Choose either "You should rest" or "Music score?"

If "rest," ...

You: Why don't you get some rest?

Narrator: Others might not understand, but this is actually my way of relaxing.

If "music," ...

You: Is it the score of the song you played during the filming?

Narrator: It's a collection of scores, including the song I played, which was called Crescent Moon.

--

Narrator: I copied all of them from snippets of ancient manuscripts, so a few are still incomplete.

Narrator: For example, I don't know what comes after the lyrics "winter moon by the temple, my sadness is ample."

Narrator: And I suspect that some of the notes in the latter half of Crescent Moon need revision.

Narrator: I love restoring scores to their original state. It's like unwrapping a present, starting a new story.

Colleague: Director Jiang!

Jiang Xitong: ...

Narrator: My colleague came darting in all of a sudden.

Narrator: He didn't even remember to knock.

Colleague: Director Jiang, that moon festival promotional video with you in it is out!

Jiang Xitong: Oh? And?

Colleague: Everyone's loving it!

Colleague: Especially your part. That segment has gone viral already.

Narrator: As little as I care about the film, I'm still happy to hear this.

Narrator: I'm glad people are more interested in learning more about the history of Cloudcrest.

Jiang Xitong: See, that's the true charm of traditional Cloud Empire culture.

Jiang Xitong: Can you send me the video?

Colleague: Of course!

Narrator: I soon receive the link from my colleague.

Narrator: The video's only three minutes? Hm, guess it doesn't need to be that long anyway.

Narrator: The video opened with a lady dancing in a gown under the moon while holding a mystic artifact.

Narrator: Her willowy form dissipated into sparks of light and eventually scattered all over the land.

Narrator: The camera panned to a moon festival celebration held in bustling Cloudcrest.

Narrator: The streets are crowded. Happy families gaze into the sky at the full moon, enjoying the atmosphere.

Narrator: In the background, a flute melody plays. The scene changes, and I see myself playing the flute in the study.

Narrator: "Many songs were themed on the Lunar Goddess. Crescent Moon, the one I just played, for example..."

Narrator: The video ends as soon as I finish the sentence.

Narrator: That's all?

Narrator: ...It's ...lacking.

Narrator: No ancient myths are mentioned, nor our profound and charming traditional culture.

Narrator: As for the reason my segment went viral...

Narrator: "Comment: So gorgeous!"

Narrator: "Repost: Pleeeeease release the full version of the flute performance!"

Jiang Xitong: ...

Choose "That's not what you wanted."

You: That's not what you wanted.

Narrator: Eh, whatever.

Narrator: At least they didn't mention the Lunar Goddess falling in love with a rabbit and stuff like that.

Narrator: I closed the page and meditated for a moment. Then, I opened up the folder for moon festival activities.

Narrator: The editing of the promotional video is certainly problematic, but there are some redeeming parts, too.

Narrator: The music, for example. Perhaps we can hold a seminar on ancient music theory. I can work on that.

Narrator: History is very much like a dream. Only a few pages of records and fragmented songs remain.

Narrator: But with these tunes, the people of a thousand years later may still relive history.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

[puppy-the-uncensored]

You know i'm in deep when I start thinking of Aus, so far I've got two for my newest obsession Something's Wrong With Sunny Day Jack

Or I guess one and a joke timeline/story idea

First up just... Prison. Yep. Why am I in jail with Jack worriedly hovering over my shoulder? Assault and battery >:3 Because if Ian had the Audacity to cheat and come back, my ass would end up in jail. I'd give him a warning to lose my number and get a life and if he ignored it Jack wouldn't even have to get involved. Sadly Ian is rich and I'm broke, so aside from being unabashedly guilty of beating a man in broad daylight his lawyers would no doubt be better lol. Famous last words- He deserved it

Now the meat of this post; The classic Swap au ✨w✨ now we're the ghost haunting the beloved rising star! The angst potential is way too delicious~! Joseph is stressed and doing his best with the Sunny Time Show becoming more popular when he finds a worn cassette tape from a band he's never heard of. After blacking out listening to it and having no memory of what it even sounded like he finds he now has a cute Spector following him around that's trying to talk him into taking care of himself off set... eh it's probably just the stress and lack of sleep getting to him is all.

I'll have to come up with a name for it aside from just 'swap' but I think that'll come as I workshop it. I think MC would be from a small garage band that was trying to make it big but their lead singer (or musician depending on if anyone wants to insert their own persona) was tragically killed in a back alley scuffle after one of their shows. To contrast Joseph I think they'd have had a very positive and optimistic outlook on their success and were excited to grow! They had tough times but had a support system. They just hadn't hit it big yet, the night of their death being their first and last big show, so the band is unfamiliar since it never truly got off the ground. Another thing is that the time difference between the two isn't gonna be massive like ours with Jack, just a couple years. This gives me the idea that Shaun and Ian could still be around from MC's past. Shaun as an old bandmate and maybe Ian could be their obsessive ex that accidentally maybe caused their death? If I add them to the story at all since this is meant to focus on Joseph and his life as part of the Sunny Time Crew. I could have nods to them in the background and keep them minor characters but meaningful. Shaun goes on to get into the movie industry like canon and maybe crosses paths with the studio, MC encouraging this and advocating for his talent. Ian's an actor so them also crossing paths for some kind of collab or just happening to be shooting at the same studio or location could lead to... unpleasant memories surfacing and MC's facade cracking a bit.

Again though the main focus is MC trying to get Joseph to acknowledge them. Since they aren't close they can't reach out or do anything to prove they're real. I can imagine it'd be frustrating and heartbreaking to have a chance to no longer be alone in your torturous afterlife, stuck in a cassette listening to your own songs drift through the void on loop even when you stop singing, only for the only person who can see you to act like you don't exist. He's following his own stardom, something you'd failed to achieve in your short life, and is simultaneously running himself ragged into an early grave. Everything is cold and you can feel your tether to the world just barely hanging on by your own spite and refusal to go back to being alone. After months of holding on by a literal thread, just a whisper away from being sent spiraling back into purgatory, anyone would be a shaken up and willing to do whatever it took to ensure they could stay- even if it meant seducing this asshole that's been ignoring them for months with an innocent saccharine smile. Of course, Nobody would expect to actually start falling for him, but hey- at least now you don't have to act when you're trying to flirt with him! And it's not like you didn't care about his wellbeing before then, you did! The threat of eternal torment by your own voice echoing out into oblivion for the rest of eternity just happens to be a better more traumatizing motivator! I don't plan on making MC a yandere, but they will have some similar tendencies to Jack since they're both in the same situation and traumatized to hell and back (literally). Mc is willing to be whatever Joseph wants or needs- whether that be a best friend, someone to help around the house, or more. So long as they're cared for and get to be a real person, at least to him, they're content (they may just have to get over some feelings first- but they'll be okay! Promise!)

Since Mc is connected to a cassette tape, there's no screen for them to show up on or reach through- so i'm imagining a scene zoomed in on Joseph's face as he's sitting back in a chair with some headphones on and listening to the tape as he reviews a script- only to feel his eyes drooping as a voice sings in his ears. In the background a fuzzy faded person twirls and sings behind him, eyes closed. As he starts to doze off they become more solid, the noise is coming from inside rather than his headphones.

Then with a *thunk!* his head hits the table and the Spector jumps- eyes opening. They're left alone in the shot looking over at him in concern and surprise. The song keeps playing and we see the tape spinning in the reel as off screen they ask if he's okay- only for him to be out cold and the tape stops. The 'ritual'(?) is complete and Joseph is now officially haunted by his new ghostly beau~

[waywardsalt]

the phantom hourglass manga is the one i care about the most out of all of the loz manga and therefore the one i am most willing to rip apart because of its relation to the game, its own problems, and the potential that was lost or thrown away for any reason at all

making this separate than the list of things i liked about the phantom hourglass manga

im not going to be too organized about this; ill go by topic and in each topic go in chronological order through the manga and everything else will probably be all over the place

im not even going to touch the story yet and just go after the art off the bat because i really believe that this manga has the weakest art of all of them. i dont know if its due to some kind of time crunch or a lack of care but its really… im not expecting any of these books to have killer art, but in ph it just feels like there was less effort with inconsistencies in some designs and either very low detail or just absent backgrounds. this feels like a mean-spirited critique since i understand that manga is difficult to create and requires a lot of effort but its just visually… worse than the loz manga that came before or after it.

some specific grievances i have with the art are things like inconsistent designs of some characters (linebeck is hard to draw and i get that but hes just… never totally consistent) and some items like weapons (the shape of bellumbeck’s sword changes during the fight for some reason) and stuff is… left out. the fire temple has basically no layout since link’s just in some flavor of void for the entire blaaz fight. one of the panels with linebeck’s ship shows it from the behind at an angle where you should see the deck but its just not there

his ship is also missing its chimney on the cover art

this is also more of an opinion thing but the way astrid looks almost nothing like her game counterpart is just… it’s a nickpick based on opinion but that is Not The Same Character.

you can absolutely tell a fantastic story with lacking art, but the reason why im criticizing this manga’s art is because its the tenth in a series of manga who, up until this point, has had consistently good art, and then it drops off with weak backgrounds and character inconsistencies.

plus, i really care about how this story is visually portrayed.

the pacing, even with half of the story cut, is also a bit of a problem. as far as i'm aware, this is the only loz manga to have significant chunks of the story cut out, and while it admittedly works well with only half of the story, it fucks with the pacing a bit. specifically, it screws over linebeck's arc, which i'll talk about more in a different section, but it also kind of glosses over the phantom sword and (obviously) loses some possible time for further character exploration and whatever. the cut from the ghost ship right to jolene right to the final boss is, while handled well, kind of abrupt.

obviously, cutting half of the damn story will make what's kept feel a little too fast, but even some of the stuff more original to the manga is paced weirdly or is just... eh.

there's a bit after neri is found where linebeck decides to stop working with link and basically ditches him and this whole thing lasts one to two goddamn pages before everything is patched up and good and... why even include it if you turn the page and oh problem fucking solved. it's even a little out of character for linebeck at that point since a few pages before he's seen getting the sands of time for link and it's... it make sense but it's a really extreme character choice and while it serves its purpose (introducing the idea of linebeck not valuing other people very much and realizing that) it's still extremely brief.

the added stuff with linebeck being a past member of the ghost ship, while fine and interesting at first glance is also a strange choice that doesn't work all that well? it works for characterization and all of that but it makes for a weird situation with linebeck's character motivation where he's a coward and after the ghost ship for the treasure on it, but if he was present on the ghost ship literally as it was fucking gutted then he would know exactly what the danger of the ship is and want to avoid it no matter what. in the game his motivation for going after the ghost ship works because he doesn't know for certain whats on that ship and has never been on it. plus, aside from character backstory and whatever, it doesnt serve much of a purpose. linebeck even makes some comments about the ship's interior and the like but it all amounts to nothing because link never actually goes into the ship anyways. it's just a weird backstory to give linebeck.

the shuffling around (and cutting of one of) the three final bosses is also weird. it makes sense for the story order the manga goes with, but it actually lowers the stakes for the bellumbeck fight (in the game literally everything is on the line but in the manga its just linebeck and they absolutely use that to their advantage but still) and mixing the ghost ship fight and bellum fights make the final encounter really brief and kind of anticlimactic in some way. it's difficult to express, but the order of the final bosses in the game makes bellum a more interesting villain and melds with linebeck's arc in a much more interesting way. it feels like there was a specific reason for that given order and for the manga to just toss that aside means it loses something.

also reserving pretty much an entire chapter for jolene is A Choice to make. there's nothing wrong with using an adaptation to flesh out a character but here you don't learn anything new about jolene she just kind of makes very little sense in her motivations when you give her more screen time but dont change her from wanting to kill linebeck for fucking off but also still liking him maybe. good for you if you like jolene since she got more time here but they did pretty much nothing interesting with her

this is something i figured out while writing this, but the manga actually does Fuck All with the actual hourglass. you could've cut the fucking thing out and it wouldn't have effected the story too much. link never goes into the temple every again and the phantom sword is just. made on request with link having no interaction with it before using it to kill bellum. the only time the phantom hourglass is actually plot relevant aside from link first getting it and then using it to gather sand is when bellum tells link to bring it to the temple and then it's used exactly once to stop time and then it's used as proof that everything happened. oshus says link needs to use it and the sand to break the curse over the temple of the ocean king and then that never actually happens the sand and the hourglass is just used once to stop time once and otherwise it might as well not be in the story it's so weird. it's also implied that oshus needs the sand to restore tetra after he returns to his own true form but they dont say anything about that after he initially mentions it so who cares. oshus also tells link that zuaz will teach him how to defeat bellum. link never meets zuaz and still beats bellum anyways.

it feels like they cut the latter half of the story but forgot that the fucking majority of linebeck's entire goddamn character arc happens in that part of the story. sure, most of the cutscenes and whatever happens in the first part and linebeck does develop a bit in the first part but he doesn't really start to change until after the ghost ship, when you get his letter and his dialogue starts to change slightly to suggest that he's starting to like link more and care about something other than the possibility of treasure. the manga cutting out the latter half of the story but still making linebeck's arc end in similar places makes his arc feel really fast and even abrupt in the manga. he goes from being fully motivated to get treasure and still kind of selfish to caring a lot for link and deciding not to wish for treasure and the time was just NOT put in to make that a smooth transition.

honestly linebeck overall got fucked in the manga more than any other character. his arc was shafted, his characterization is strange and even kind of changed from the game, he's never drawn consistently and doesn't even look great since he seems to be stuck between two styles when he's drawn, he's more shallow and generally a less interesting character, and while most of that is probably a product of having one book to cover ph, it's still a problem.

like with all of the loz manga, the extremely limited amount of space and time the story is given absolutely fucks it over so you really are stuck with telling nothing more than an abridged and seriously inferior version of the story. i dont care how good the original stuff is if it barely qualifies as a good adaptation. the story wasn't told all of the way and none of the game's strengths are kept or expanded upon. you lose the majority of the best character's arc and depth. half of the story was cut. the title item is barely used. it feels like they didn't really care about adapting phantom hourglass and just hashed out a trimmed-down version of the story to fit into 188 pages and while there was some effort put in with a bit of a unique take on linebeck but it just falls flat when everything around it feels like it wasn't given a second thought.

i'm not suggesting that the author's didn't fucking care, i don't know what the process was with this, but it just... it doesnt feel like they actually wanted to earnestly create a good adaptation of this game. i have an altered perspective on all of this because this game is my special interest and something i deeply care about and inspect the little details of and it kinda just sucks that phantom hourglass never got a good adaptation because... this game has some serious potential for a really good extended adaptation.

Unlike the other Zelda games that the other manga cover, the structure of the journey in Phantom Hourglass has an insane amount of space for fleshing out of character, exploration of new concepts or character relationships, or just.. whatever you want. Providing you cover the original story, of course. Off the bat, there's a nebulous amount of travel time between islands, which can be used by authors for character moments and interactions and just little moments that can be used to further themes or concepts. You can use the implied time overseas between islands to have some interactions between Link and Linebeck. Show the three fairies hanging out with each other. Show the whole crew becoming closer to each other as time drags on.

Linebeck's existence and function within Phantom Hourglass alone is so fucking unique and amazingly good for an extended adaptation. In most other Zelda games, the companions are pretty much glued to Link's side and follows him through dungeons, or they're characters locked in a specific place, more or less divorced from Link's quest, but Linebeck is an integral part of the plot, present for every part of it as it advances, and yet he's out doing fuck-all while Link is in dungeons. He's a great excuse for authors to add detail to islands, write new characterization for background characters, or even just give Linebeck his own b-plot running concurrently with the game's normal plot. He's important to the plot and yet doesn't touch the gameplay; he's free to do whatever you want while Link does dungeon stuff. One possible idea I've mentioned before is the idea of, while Link is in the temple of the Ocean King, is to create and explore a possible relationship between Oshus and Linebeck. Scenes of them talking can be used to flesh out Oshus as a character and to add some extra depth to Linebeck and make his arc more interesting to follow.

There is... SO MUCH you can do with Phantom Hourglass if you care enough to do it, and I'm just so frustrated that we got this solid 4/10 of a manga.

[birchandbunnies]

Terrible story ideas

one: A hamlet retelling where the murder is no big deal because eh mom likes my uncle better and it was arranged anyway. But still having to act like he wants revenge and is conflicted about this. And all the real focus is on hamlets girlfriend/boyfriend? drama and whatever chaos R&G cause in the background. (This could be fun I just lack the time and have to many projects.)

two: A guard (sphinx?) that say you can only pass if you answer three riddles but the running gag is it can never remember any riddles. (This can probably make its way into an existing project.)

[fates-end-does-vns]

Kusunoki Mebuki is A Hero: Ch. 1

Here we are, on the home stretch. One last piece of media to close off the franchise. KuMeYu. I'll be honest, I don't have the highest of hopes, after all, it's new characters working in the background of the main story, but still, I'm in it to win it.

Now, this is interesting. It's almost like a more militarized and standardized version of the post fairy hero outfits. Not sure what the deal is. Meanwhile, I can see that one of them has a big shield, and presumably the protagonist just has a fucking sawed-off shotgun. Well, whatever works. Far left is giving me Mami vibes for some reason. Oh, and the numbers. 20, 119? Honestly the aesthetic gives me mass production vibes, if not for the fact that that doesn't make any sense in this non-scifi context.

Hm, this would be... right after S1, then?

32 is a heck of a lot more than any other team in this franchise. Why does the main muscle never get numerical superiority like this?

Oh, so it's a Karin-type scenario? Except unlike Karin she didn't make it on the team.

Well, the title of your LN seems to disagree with you there.

So, I guess its their job to slow down the regeneration of the vertexes, so that the heroes don't have to fight them over and over again back-to-back?

The fact that they have a procedure for doing that means yet another blatant lie from the Taisha. "Only 12" indeed. The bastards knew all along they'd keep regenerating forever.

...gathering? What is... gathering? Seems to me like they gather up themselves just fine. And that would be a bad thing anyway. So what is the real meaning of "gathering"?

Ah, gathering samples. Still, given everything in Hero Chapter, it doesn't seem like it helped at all in the end.

One more thing that the Sentinals lack compared to the heroes, camaraderie. The title character especially seems to despise everyone she's teamed up with.

Oh my, did she literally lose her place to Karin?

Oh. Gin. Then I'm right on the money.

That's exactly why Mebuki lost. Especially since it's Gin's terminal we're talking about. Looks like she needs some growing into being not a selfish ass.

I think that what she's missing is that being a hero isn't like being an Olympic athlete. A hero, above all else, is 'one who saves others'.

Sounds like a certain tsundere's original situation.

Hm, I remember coming across a 'fact' once, someone saying that 'post-Season 2, the normal hero system is discarded and replaced by a system where a large number of girls can play the role of a hero en masse, trading power for numbers'. It turned out to be impossible, but I guess this is where that idea came from before getting distorted.

Hoo boy. I feel like, if she ever runs into post-S1 Karin (a scenerio that would feel kinda cheap in terms of 'secretly this happened offscreen' but eh) it's going to be a disaster.

omg lol

rizz of the fallen."for some reason" indeed. gee mebuki, why'd the Taisha let you have 4 girlfriends

That being said, they probably still have assigned flowers, right? If not here then probably somewhere in the mobile game, yeah?

[aquaburst3]

So according to Vil's new birthday card, his father is magicless and Vil doesn't know who his mother is. I'm not sure how to feel about this. For one, I always imagined his father to be a mage. Him not knowing who is mother is heavily implies that his father at the very least tapped that ran once. Eric's in fantasy Hollywood, so it's possible that he had a fling with a woman or even a one night stand and got her pregnant with Vil, keeping the child for whatever reason. But it does explain why Vil doesn't talk about his mom--she was never in the picture in the first place. Same goes for why he was bullied and looked down at by some in the industry--some of them knew, and the kids might've heard their parents gossiping about that.

Either way, eh…fuck it. I'm ignoring the fact that Eric isn't a mage. In my new worldbuilding, being a mage is the norm, so him lacking any powers wouldn't make much sense. I kept Ace's father magicless since it adds to Ace's background and explains why he treats Addie (my own "Yuu") the way that he does. Keeping Eric magicless wouldn't do any for the story other than muddle up the worldbuilding. Plus, him having shadow powers like I originally imagined is so much cooler. Plus, it's not like I never changed a lot about Vil's background in the first place.

As for the bit about the affair, I'm keeping that in. It explains a bit about Vil's character and makes him even more tragic.

I'm also surprised that Yana was able to add that fact to the game. It's actually pretty dark, especially for a game aimed at teens.

[after-nine-at-the-oasis]

Oop problems with treating Kalu like a peer!

Or rather yk not like a peer

Like smth vs lack of smth I mean

OPE o.o!!

A seizure 😬😬 :(

Aww she looks really upset :((

I mean that's an upsetting thing but yk still xD she looks upset lol

Ope?

Oope 😳😳

Yeah Kalu you're not in charge lol

Like yeah think outside the box but like xdd

Also, discuss things first lol

It was probably heat of the moment bc of like wanting to make them feel better but eh yk whatever

That's the tea 😳😳😬👀 o.o

That's the last of my last thoughts! Now it's time for the. . .

REVIEW

I loved this episode!! I thought it was really enjoyable :D. Obviously I missed the other characters lol, and this did focus a fair amount on Joni, but it is her introduction to be fair :)). I think it balanced it out pretty well :D. And it was super cool to see in general :)). Especially with how respectful Shaun was of her, even from the beginning - he gets it :). Also he's just a nice person lol. And the case, all the little things they fought with, was really interesting :DD!

Now, time for the individual parts :)).

Which will only be the people we saw today xD. And, of course, everyone else as one.

*Deep breath* XD

Jordan, Perez, Asher, Morgan, Andrews, Lim, and as usual Jerome! Oh, and Kalu now! I missed you all 😭😭🥰🥰. This episode was a fun change of pace :D, but I still miss my babeys :')). Morgan got a name drop though lol! Good for her xD. Anyway, yeah, I'm sure they're all doing great at their jobs xD, and I miss them :)). I love them all 🥰🥰🥰❤️❤️.

Lea! We didn't see much of her, but obviously I love how she supported Shaun :D. I also didn't think about people coming to court for them, but it was nice she and Glassman were there :)). Also her conversation with Shaun near the beginning was funny xD. Anyway, even just the little things, like things in the background (not technically in the background but like Shaun feeling her belly if I remember correctly while they were waiting for the jury's decision, and I think holding hands or at least walking together as they walked back in :)) ), they were adorable :'D :)) 🥰🥰. I'm sure Lea was good at her job also, today lol. Anyway! I love her 🥰🥰❤️.

Glassman! Even if he didn't believe in Joni (can't really blame him lol), I'm glad he tried to help Shaun :)). He immediately had him a lawyer and, to be fair, that helped Shaun find his lawyer! Lol xD. Again, it's nice he went to the trial as well :)), and I'm just glad he was there to support Shaun <33 🥰. Also, to give a little background on what's her face, the lawyer lady! Since they've known each other for so long :). We got little snippets of her life, and I thought it was interesting 👀. Plus, it provides two links between the series :D. Series plural lol. Anyway, I'm again sure he was great at his job lol. I love him 🥰❤️❤️.

Park! He was great this episode :D. He was there for Shaun, obviously, even if we didn't see it as much, but he also was good with testifying and all :). Or, well, yk, we didn't see the testifying in the trial, but we saw what he said lol. Also I just think it's adorable that him and Shaun were out for dinner 🥰. Like, they're friends your honor :DD!! Idk I just like it when people are friends 🥰🥰. Especially bc The Good Doctor's found family is a little looser than my other shows lol. We don't get as many out of work or group scenes (or both, especially both xD) often, so I really enjoy it when we do, even if it's just talked about :D. And, Park was out celebrating with them at the end too :)). Anyway, he was great at his job :D (which we did actually see this episode lol, unlike many of the others XD, even if it was technically in him being a Good Samaritan lol) 🥰🥰. I love him <33 ❤️.

Janet! I figured I would include her :). She was a bit harsh, but I don't think she was necessarily unkind :)). Not too much anyway. But she helped Joni when she needed it and she gave her a chance (even if she needed a nudge to do it lol) :DD. I loved her <3 :). And sure, I say that, but it doesn't really carry as much weight as with characters we've had for a while lol. Still, I'll say it :)). She was great at her job, too :)). But yeah, I'm glad she saw a bit more what Joni can do 🥰🥰. I definitely think it would be (when looking up her character's name I saw that it's like a potential spin off and I was like "oh yeahhh" lol) an interesting show :D.

Shaun! He was great this episode :D. I really loved how he respected Joni and her boundaries from the start 🥰🥰. Like I said earlier, he gets it :DD. And he's just kind :). Obviously, he was great at his job this episode (thank goodness lol), even if it was as a Good Samaritan :)), and though he made mistakes and admitted that, they weren't relevant :)). Also for some reason when he was walking down the hall in the beginning after the bathroom is as just like AAHHHH 🥰🥰🥰🥰 WEDDING RING!!!! Idk it just hits me sometimes :'D. Anyway, while we're on the topic, he and Lea were adorable <333. And he and Glassman were good too :). And, again, I really liked the relationship between him and Joni :D. Mutual respect :))). I hope they can be friends :DD. Anyway, he was great this episode 🥰🥰❤️. And yeah, as said in the trial, he's just straight up a good person :'DD. I love him 🥰🥰🥰 <3.

Joni! Yep, she's last :)). Besides Lea and Glassman being interchangeable this one was ranked pretty directly in order of importance/my level of thoughts lol. Anyway! I love her :DD ❤️. I thought she was great! Obviously she has a lot of obstacles, but she also has a lot of skills and talents :)). And I mean, hey, similar to what Shaun said: we all have obstacles :). I really liked that we got to see a bit of her backstory and personal life, too, not just the case. It worked well as an episode still about Shaun, but also with her as a character being introduced, who would be a main character of the other show :). The main character! Anyway, I think it balanced well :DD. But yeah! She was so cool, and I think she's a really interesting character :)). She was great at her job too :DD 🥰. Of course, lol :)). But yeah, I think she's a really cool character and I'm interesting to see where she goes from here <333.

Overall, I really enjoyed this episode! I thought it was a cool crossover/almost crossover, and a good introduction for what will hopefully be the characters of The Good Lawyer :D. Or, two of them anyway. Maybe more of the people we saw a bit of, like the judge or the other lawyer, but eh :). Anyway, the case was really interesting this episode! I'm talking about the medical one, but yk, also the legal one! Legal wise, there were a bunch of small things that were really cool :). Like, to see, to watch unfold and play out :). I just really enjoyed it :D. And again, the change of pace was cool and refreshing (lol is this a water or skin product commercial xD) :)) 🥰. Plus, the interactions between characters were really cool. And for an example of a relationship with only these new characters, I really loved Joni's relationship with her sister :'DD. They're really sweet 🥰🥰. Too bad they're not girlfriends though lol. I'm joking, I'm joking XD. But anyway, they were super cool :). I thought this episode was amazing :DD ❤️❤️!

So yeah! I loved this episode, it was really cool and interesting. Next time looks dramatic! This has been my review of. . .

The Good Doctor, Season 6, Episode 16: The Good Lawyer

I thought it was great! I'm interested to see how everything plays out next episode. I'll be back next week for my review of. . .

The Good Doctor, Season 6, Episode 17: Second Chances and Past Regrets

See you then!