#the bizarre out of touch fandom is such an interesting place to look at confirmation bias and bad faith criticism

[dainobones]

miraculous is one of those special children's shows that can stare the audience in the eye and directly say what the episode is about, and the adult fandom here on tumblr dot com will still cry "how dare he say we should piss on chloe??"

[blitzturtles]

Title: Countdown

Rating: Explicit (Pure PWP)

Fandom: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders (though quite a bit in the future.)

Pairing(s): JotaKak, Minor Jotaro/Kakyoin/Polnareff

Summary: “Interested in adding time to our arrangement?” Kakyoin asks, casually as he sets to testing his latest attempt at a fix. Jotaro bites back another pathetic sound that does more to Kakyoin than he’s willing to let on.

Notes: This fic starts mid-scene and has some (pre-negotiated) voyeurism kink, which is where Polnareff comes in (though his timing is more convenient than planned.)

I was going to do the aftercare scene, but this got long enough on its own. orz

-

Kakyoin is busy looking over a chunk of code that Polnareff had directed him to. Apparently he’s having persistent problems with bugs. The sort where, when one gets resolved, another (one or two, sometimes three) pops up in its place (is there any other kind?), and Polnareff is at his wits’ end. Fortunately, Kakyoin has nothing better to do than to try and isolate the problem for him. Or, well, he doesn’t feel like he has anything better to do. Someone else might disagree.

As if on cue, Jotaro squirms in his lap and lets out a soft whine. It’s a bid on his part to get more. More friction, more contact, more-- anything, really. Desperation drives him to do what he typically wouldn’t, but Kakyoin is hardly moved by the attempt.

“Interested in adding time to our arrangement?” Kakyoin asks, casually as he sets to testing his latest attempt at a fix. Jotaro bites back another pathetic sound that does more to Kakyoin than he’s willing to let on. He grinds his hips up, pressing further into Jotaro. If he doesn’t want to abide by their rules, then Kakyoin is all too happy to provide some incentive. “What did I say about censoring yourself?”

Jotaro sucks in a breath and curls forward, nearly collapsing on the desk in front of them. His fingers grasp at the edges. “Not- ah, not to,” he breathes out, then adds a belated, “Sir.”

Kakyoin takes mercy on him and decides against punishing Jotaro for the nearly forgotten honorific. He’s trying; Kakyoin knows that. Besides, he finds the whole thing rather endearing, from the failed attempts to keep quiet to the stuttered replies. Never mind the flush of Jotaro’s skin. Spread across his shoulders and up his neck, all the way to the tips of his ears. It’s such a lovely color on him. Kakyoin really ought to get this on video one of these days.

The computer pings and rips Kakyoin out of his thoughts. He blinks at the textbox that appears and quickly answers back. No luck, and, no, he can’t chat.

Oh?

Damn Polnareff for being the ever curious sort that really can’t read a room to save his life. And damn himself for his inclination toward the mischievous.

We’re in the middle of something.

He sends the message knowing damn well that Polnareff will follow-up. That he either won’t pick up on the insinuation or won’t care to. The man is nothing if not too curious for his own good, and Kakyoin is in the mood to take advantage of that.

I didn’t realize I was interrupting.

Kakyoin barely catches the amused sound that bubbles in the back of his throat. Jotaro’s too focused on counting the seconds to look at the screen, and he wants to keep it that way for now.

Do you want to see?

There are probably more subtle ways to ask. If nothing else, he could have been much more coy about the whole thing, but his own patience is beginning to wear thin. Jotaro squirms on his lap like Kakyoin can’t feel every little twitch, and he’s not sure how much longer he can hold out. He glances at the clock while Polnareff types and lets out a-- slow and careful, so as to avoid raising suspicion-- relieved breath to see that they have less than five minutes to go.

It would be a privilege.

The formality, and its meaning, aren’t lost on Kakyoin. Polnareff is drooling for it, and Kakyoin wouldn’t mind an opportunity to show off his boy. Beautiful and perfect and on full display. Someone ought to know how good Jotaro is for him. How patient he can be, if offered the right incentive.

“Shit,” Kakyoin sucks in a breath, feigning alarm even as he’s the one to start the camera.

Jotaro’s head snaps up. His eyes glance at the screen, then to Kakyoin, “What?”

“Polnareff’s starting a video chat,” Kakyoin feels more than hears the way Jotaro sucks in a breath and goes tense. For a moment, he thinks he’s mis-stepped, but he knows Jotaro.

“Shit,” Jotaro echoes his earlier sentiment and starts to move. A low moan escapes him as he does, and he falls back into Kakyoin’s lap with a huff of air. He barely managed to lift himself, yet his head falls back against Kakyoin’s shoulder as he lets out a high-pitched whine.

Kakyoin takes the opportunity for what it is and hooks his arm around Jotaro’s middle like a lap bar. He turns his own head to press his lips against Jotaro’s neck in a quick, reassuring kiss, “He knows.”

Jotaro’s eyes snap open, but he doesn’t dare move. Can’t bring himself to check to see if the camera is already on. He’s as bare as the day he came into the world (where Kakyoin is almost completely dressed), and he knows the camera is already set at a downward angle. It only ever works when it’s placed up high, which usually makes it the bane of Kakyoin’s existence. Right now, it’s Jotaro’s.

“Color?” Kakyoin asks, nuzzling into Jotaro’s neck like the bastard he is.

“Green,” Jotaro manages in another gasp when Kakyoin grinds into him. A promise for what’s to come later if he can behave himself. “And fuck you, Noriaki.”

Kakyoin laughs, unable to help it. There’s no heat in Jotaro’s words, and he won’t punish him for it, though he could. It wouldn’t be entirely fair, given-

“Such language.”

Both of their attention snaps to the computer screen then. Polnareff smiles sweetly at them, completely unphased by the sight that greets him. His hair is pulled into a loose ponytail, low at the nape of his neck, and he’s wearing an older t-shirt that indicates that, in combination with his hair, he hasn’t left the house all day. Which means this might very well be the most interesting thing he’s had the opportunity to lay eyes on.

Kakyoin’s little theory only gets further confirmation when Polnareff leans forward and rests his chin in his curled hand.

“Please, feel free to pretend I’m not here.”

“Easier said than done,” Jotaro grumbles under his breath.

Kakyoin isn’t buying the put upon act, not when he can wrap his fingers around Jotaro’s cock and feel how hard he is. Jotaro tries to press into his hand, apparently forgetting the rules once more. “You’re fortunate we have a guest, or that would be another five minutes.”

“Oh?” Polnareff perks up a bit. He ignores the desperate sound that Jotaro makes to ask, “How long has it been?”

“Since you sent the last email. Jotaro was getting a bit restless, and I thought we could both use a reminder,” for Jotaro, one of patience, and, for Kakyoin, one about staying on task. He can’t say that it’s worked out all that well for him, considering how the situation has devolved a tad beyond his initial intentions, but he has a feeling Polnareff won’t mind much if it takes them a while longer yet to work out the bugs in his code.

Polnareff sucks in a breath and whistles, impressed to say the least, “How much longer?”

“Didn’t you say to pretend- fuck,” Jotaro jerks forward out of reflex, and he regrets it immediately. The added separation is like torture. With his nerves already on edge, he can barely stand the lost contact, and sinking back down is damn near fatal. It’s all he can do to hold the desk so tightly that the wound threatens to splinter. One little rush of stand energy. That’s all it would take.

“My apologies,” Kakyoin starts in that sickly sweet tone he gets when he wants someone to know how insincere he is, though it isn’t Polnareff that he’s making his point to. “He’s usually better behaved.”

“Non, it’s been quite awhile,” Polnareff still doesn’t look phased. Jotaro can’t bring himself to look him in the eyes, but it’s unfair how relaxed he is when Jotaro can’t do anything. Not to hide and not to get off. “How much longer?”

Kakyoin takes a peak at the clock again, “Less than two minutes. If he doesn’t push his luck.”

It shouldn’t make his cock twitch, the way they talk about Jotaro like he isn’t there. Watching him like an object. He has no control here. No recourse. And his thoughts are too scattered for any kind of plotting. He wouldn’t, anyway. Because he wants this. Wants so badly to be good for Kakyoin and to do what he’s told. He likes sitting perfectly still while filled completely. It takes him out of his own head, away from the thoughts that race too frequently to be healthy.

“One minute,” Kakyoin says, breaking through the mottled thoughts. He reaches up to mess with the camera, adjusting it until- oh.

Oh.

He points it at their bed, and Jotaro doesn’t need to be fully aware to know what that means. It doesn’t stop him from planting his feet on the floor and preparing himself for what comes next.

Vaguely, he’s aware of the fact that Polnareff and Kakyoin have been talking the whole time. That Polnareff has his commentary and that Jotaro would be completely humiliated if he could process any of what’s said, but he’s too busy anxiously counting down the time until,

“Up.”

Jotaro whines, helpless. He can’t resist the tone Kakyoin gets when he gives an order and leaves no room for misinterpretation or arguments. For a moment, he forgets Polnareff is there, watching. Listening.

“I can’t- I can’t,” he whines even as he tries. And he really does try, but each little bit of Kakyoin that slides out of him leaves behind an emptiness that he can barely breathe around. He’s only vaguely aware of the tendrils that wrap around him, pulling him upward regardless of what he wants. He leans into the touch despite himself.

“Bed,” Kakyoin directs. Whether it’s aimed at Hierophant or Jotaro doesn’t really matter. They make it to the mattress in a tangle. Hierophant has no shame in running the length of Jotaro’s torso and beyond.

“How?” Jotaro breathes when Kakyoin approaches; it’s a bastardized and short winded version of what he’s supposed to ask.

“Head down. I want you on display,” and not only for himself, though Kakyoin isn’t above admiring his work when there’s no one else there. They’ve only ever talked about doing this before. Actually following through is something else entirely, and Kakyoin knows that neither of them will last long. If he can’t offer length, then he sure as hell intends to offer a show.

Jotaro rolls over onto his hands and knees. His thighs shake with the effort. He’s already at the point of exhaustion, but there’s an eagerness to the way he gets into position with his head dropped down into his arms after a moment of situating. He rests on his elbows now, rather than his hands, and his ass is on full display.

Kakyoin retrieves the bottle of lube with Hierophant. He pops the lid open and pours out enough to coat himself. Hierophant takes the opportunity to spread Jotaro open with their tendrils. Polnareff lets out a small gasp that has Kakyoin smirking. No matter who he’s sharing Jotaro with now, the man belongs to him.

“Like what you see?” He asks, knowing the answer already, but he doesn’t mind stroking his own ego. For putting someone so powerful and unrelenting in such a state. For having him in the first place.

“I do,” Polnareff confirms and earns the both of them a whine. Or, perhaps, Jotaro is just losing his patience. “Though Hierophant may beat you to the best part.”

Kakyoin glances back to find his stand sliding one of their tentacles into Jotaro. He watches, mesmerized for a moment, as it fucks into him. He could watch the two until the end of time, if it weren’t for the minor detail that he can feel everything Hierophant does, and he won’t last much longer.

“Enough,” he says and recalls Hierophant.

Jotaro nearly yelps at the sudden loss of contact, but Kakyoin is there immediately, pressing the tip of his cock against Jotaro’s twitching hole. It’s one smooth motion until Kakyoin’s buried deep with a groan, and he damn near loses it right then.

It takes everything in him to hold still long enough to regain some of his composure. He takes several deep breaths and refuses to move until he’s sure he can do so without cumming on the spot. Jotaro tries to press back against him, but there’s not any fight left in his body. He’s easy enough to shove back down into the mattress until Kakyoin’s ready.

He starts his pace slow at first, but it doesn’t last long. He can’t last long, and Jotaro babbles almost ceaselessly into the crook of his elbow after only a few, short minutes.

Kakyoin fumbles for a moment to undo the cock ring that Jotaro’s had on for the better part of the last couple of hours. It doesn’t take him much more than that, a few strokes and stuttering, half-thrusts before Jotaro comes across his own belly with a broken sound. Kakyoin barely outlasts him, buries himself deep and loses himself in the aftershock of Jotaro’s orgasm.

His vision blacks out for a solid few seconds, and all he can do is keep his grasp on Jotaro’s hips as a grounding point. At least until his breathing calms down and the blood stops rushing around so rapidly.

Jotaro’s collapsed into the mattress, too exhausted to be concerned with how he looks now.

Kakyoin takes a moment to appreciate his work anyway.

“I hope you enjoyed the show,” he says after another minute.

Polnareff hasn’t said anything. Not a single word, nor a sound, but the look on his face says it all. “Very much so,” he answers after a beat, “Though I think I’ll leave you two to your privacy now.”

“I’ll catch up with you in a bit,” Kakyoin answers, only halfway serious. He doubts he’ll be working on anything anytime soon. He has a very overdone husband to attend to, and he wouldn’t miss the cuddling for anything.

[alottamoney]

Lisa anon here.You are not a cynic.Two third of the army thinks whatever they see on Tv, whatever bh says is the ultimate truth. This is the most bizarre phenomenon that maybe is as close to a cult as I have seen so far.Even nature documentaries are rearranged for giving suspense and dramatic shots.But an entertainment company that makes money by dancing,singing and putting out reality content wouldn't because they made pinky promise.Okay.

Why Jungkook chose Jimin is simple.Why Jimin filled the gap that taekook apparently left out is even simpler.It is because 1. Jimin wanted to. 2. There was an opportunity for career growth. Jimin is a clout chaser.If being bff with a goat would get him to the peak, you would see everywhere "Jimin bff with goat". In early years of bts Tae was popular.He hung out with Tae.Then he was teamed with Taekook.Then from 2017 when Tae fell out of favour with bh,Jimin was with JK.A lot can be said regarding Jimin's primary goal and how it changed with each era, how his ambition changed, and it really deserves a post on its own. Him always putting bts first no matter what,ride or die,shows he can't separate himself from bts to the point that he doesn't want other members to do it too.He will stand against them if they moved against BTS.He has mentioned he cut off close friends because they were speaking bad about the member/s.In early 2018 he and JK publicly teamed up to peer pressure Tae I think because Tae was really reconsidering renewing his contract.He knew if Tae goes,JK will go too.At the outset of that year that was supposed to happen.Tae wanted to leave.No one had any major problem.But when Kookie wanted to leave that was when everyone went mental.Only Suga supported them unconditionally.The texts that only the two got.Jin mentioned Kookie would stay in his room all day in 2018 and shut himself in.Tae left the house in 2018 February.JK has lived with Tae from 2011.I think I don't need to emphasize how big of a shock that was to JK.He grasped at anything to cope.He completely changed his persona.He was on medication probably.I say this because this sudden surge of confidence,chanting this mantra of I love myself,I am happy over and over again, these were completely,and I mean completely opposite of JK up until even January 2018.Jimin actually listened to him at that time.He in the beginning helped Tae get to JK in 2016.After that due to bh interference, jimin and JK became bff more than Vmin.That period wasn't the problem.The problem started in 2018 when V realized Jimin was tending to his interest first and JK was embroiled in it.Jikook had a symbiotic relationship without knowing.

Jungkook wants Tae like he is oxygen and this is not funny.He really can't think straight if they are not close anymore.He has found a father,lover,brother,mentor everything in Tae and this dependence got a reality check when Tae moved out.He tried to fill that with Jimin's affection for a time.He really tried moving away from that emotional dependence.This is complete conjecture but I think JK spilled secrets to Jimin that he shouldn't have about Tae and taekook because that's how introverts roll.When they are close with someone that's where all their secrets go.That's why I think it's not a Jimin problem.He is an independent agent working for his goal with whatever resource is available to him.It is a jungkook problem.If Jimin is not there to listen to him, he will look for other distractions.He needs to fill up that gaping void where Tae resides during good times.

I agree taekook is not the sort to discuss.People came in too late in the fandom.Taekook have done a lot of early relationship courting behavior in 2013- 2014 when they were very young.After 2015 they were not in the stage of figuring out if they liked each other.They knew they liked each other since 2015.People are wrong when they try to find signs of liking in 2020.They are over and done with all of that now they have hit the boring phase but they keep it exciting nevertheless.

I want to mention something interesting.There is a lot of talk about how JK's stare at Tae is not special because he stares at everyone.But this is the only pair where one involved(Tae) gestures the other(JK) to look away and stop looking.This has happened multiple times.Snowwhite Tae behind the scene,before spine breaker mv shooting,in one of the US interviews with Hoseok in between.

The memories 2020 segment that I described,and the almost kissing scene should confirm to people that Jimin does things to his own end.No he is not coming in between taekook.But he was mocking Tae. Taekook cannot act that way in public.If Jimin still did that gimmick, that means it's nothing serious to him.Which is tremendously insensitive to the lgbt causes.Knowing Tae didn't like it,he raised his brow AT TAE like saying 'What are you gonna do?'.Members are going to invite him to their wedding like 'wish you could come but you are so busy don't you have that thing on that very day so unfortunate we know you will be with us in spirit bye'. No wonder they are estranged from him.And Kookie acted like my dog when she hears 'bath time'.Pretend you are not here. Jungkook is thinking he is performing the sacred duty of holding bts together.He doesn't want them to suffer because of taekook.He doesn't want members to fight.He prioritizes bts over his own relationship because he does not want to be seen selfish.But..old habits die hard. I wouldn't have paid any extra attention to that mock kissing attempt if I hadn't seen the aftermath of it in a video at least 3 or 4 months ago.Tae was really angry in that shoot.While singing he and Jimin touched head while sitting and JK came jumping and separated them.In that video it was seen as JK getting jealous of Vmin but V doesn't hide his angry face.The whole time JK was looking at Tae.In todays's dropped memories in bts, Tae ignored JK when he was trying to catch up with him on the same day.

I have seen kookie trying fanservice with members but they are not jimin.They respect Tae.They are older and don't see why they need to do these things specially when they are getting into the next phase of their life :serious relationships. You think they see Kookie and thank him for saving bts?They see a child who is desperately trying to hold onto his favourite toy even if it means destroying himself in the process.I think JK has already started seeing how respect in relationships work by observing the members relationships.You think they are gonna let Jimin climb all up on their gf while their gf act like a statue?JK in his weverse said he doesn't think about the past,his focus is always to the future.His ego wouldn't be able to cope if he did.

There are a lot of secrets within that group.They want to stay truthful but it is not what happens.Tae and bh, their relationship is key to uncovering all of the favouring that Jimin got in the successive years.In this festa he said he believed about himself "I can make my own way". Jimin's insecurity is so deep rooted, anything to cover that up. RM said in the same festa he stopped believing that people are inherently good.

You have a nice weekend.

Lisa anon,

“Cult” would be an accurate description. "Pinky promise" lol it wouldn't be so bizarre if I didn't see adults say such naïve things.

My confusion arises because I started with the assumption that Jimin didn't have an agenda. I guess if you look at it that way both BH and Jimin's own desire for visibility could have played into it but I also think Jikook did have a genuine bond, a bond that changed from the early years independent from company and shippers narratives but Jungkook's relationship with the rest remained the same from whatever we can see. That part I don't understand. I could be wrong about this but there was quite a bit of Jikook even in the earlier content so the company always had plans for them but it didn't morph into it's current form the until 2017.

May I ask why you think Tae was the only one to move out? Couldn't they all afford their own places by then? I wasn't in the fandom back then so the personality shift in Jungkook isn't as clear to me as it would be to someone who was closely watching them in real time. Interesting thing about the staring you brought up there. Anti-Taekookers have made it their mission to convince everyone that Taekook isn't special and never was. Even if they paint him as someone who ignores Tae, I am of the opinion that Jungkook can be a bit (very) intense. So, I am somewhat in agreement with the "wanting Tae like oxygen" sentiment lol. I can definitely see them disagreeing over their friends, living arrangements and loyalty to the band but none interestingly enough seems to lead them to reconsider the whole relationship thing. If you take into account their environment and the things they have to deal with daily, the only reason they lasted so long is that one or both of them really want this unless they feed off the drama of it all.

That memories 2020 Jikook clip was quite something, I'll need more time to piece it all together but yes, it looked awkward. Some things may be obvious to us but until Jungkook himself says or does something it'll just be "Taekookers making Jimin the villain of their kdrama" type responses. The new trend is to say that Tae is the one who makes Jungkook uncomfortable whenever Jungkook doesn't respond when Tae interacts with him. It's a losing battle and I'm not interested in convincing anyone if they refuse to see.

I think the accusation against Jungkook was that he increased fanservice with the other members for attention. After the 2019 scandals Jungkook seems to have this parallel image of being the black sheep of BTS, the intentions behind his actions are over-analyzed. He’s painted as this two-faced, opportunistic person who would throw anyone under the bus for his image and solo career, using his bandmates to queerbait unsuspecting fans, and so on. Jungkook doesn’t help his case the way handles certain things which makes me think he really is unaware of how the fandom perceives him or Taekook. That would explain a lot actually and it makes sense I’d probably avoid this fandom and filter content too.

I’m probably going to annoy you but I don’t take Festa content at face value either. BTS definitely have a lot to hide, I’m impressed by how they managed to stay unscathed so far. I feel we won’t get the truth from them any time  soon. They have more reasons to be careful and they’ve become too significant for Koreans to let anything happen to them. So, only a huge scandal will take them down.

You too have a nice weekend. 💜

[officialotakudome]

New Post has been published on Otaku Dome | The Latest News In Anime, Manga, Gaming, And More

New Post has been published on https://otakudome.com/diamond-is-unbreakable-part-2-blu-ray-review/

Diamond is Unbreakable Part 2 Blu-Ray Review

There’s a stand wielding serial killer on the loose in the once peaceful town of Morioh. Jotaro Kujo on behalf of the Speedwagon Foundation works with local Josuke Higashikata and his friends to find the deadly Yoshikage Kira as he makes his move on the small Japanese town in a string of deaths with a unique M/O.  

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable is a 2016 shounen anime series, it is produced by David Productions and licensed by Viz Media. It is currently available on DVD and Blu-Ray in English.

Editor’s Note: A review copy of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable Part 2 was provided by Viz Media in support of this review. Near complete to complete spoilers for Part 4 of the manga &  2012 anime adaption of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure may be present within this review. You can read our full review of Part 4’s anime adaptation here.

Teenage Josuke Higashikata is forced into the Joestars’ bizarre world after meeting his much older nephew Jotaro Kujo.

Josuke Higashikata was once a normal teenage boy until he came to realize that he is apart of the Joestar family. Illegitimate son to Joseph Joestar, Josuke under the guidance of his older big brother figure nephew Jotaro Kujo learns about his stand Crazy Diamond which has the power to repair and heal anything it touches though it’s limited in the fact that it can’t heal it’s wielder. After getting revenge on the man responsible for his uncle’s death Jotaro meets Koichi & Okuyasu who help him defeat a wanna be rocker stand wielder only to learn that a dangerous serial killer has been hiding in the shadows. This killer; a man named Yoshikage Kira has also unlocked the power of his stand “Bites the Dust” which completely obliterates anything he touches once activated. Having killed one of their friends Josuke and the others make it their mission to end him.

Having escaped near capture Kira successfully infiltrates another man’s life however it comes with a new set of thorns in his side.

THE GOOD: In the last Diamond is Unbreakable set we left Josuke and co. going up against remote stand Red-Hot Chili Pepper. After killing Okuyasu’s brother he and the former attempt to stop his continuous creation of stand wielders with the legendary stand creating arrow that has become a staple in the JoJo lore. Following his defeat the previously careful Yoshikage Kira killed in the shadows, but once he unlocked his stand “Bites the Dust” it was as if a switch went off and a curse was placed on him. When he kills a member of the Morioh Joestar clan through a chance meeting he’s faced with a hurricane of problems from the group out looking for revenge. The Joestars corner Kira and after nearly being defeated he’s able to escape and take over a work colleague’s identity which makes finding him impossible for Josuke and co. With things quieting down on the Kira front he continues his peaceful existence while trying to fight his killer instincts. This is naturally unsuccessful for him and the murders spring back up alerting the Joestars and getting them back on Kira’s trail. Meanwhile the son of the man whose life Kira stole Hayato, begins to suspect that his father had his identity stolen and after a series of events is able to confirm his theory only for Kira to hold him hostage with Bites the Dust. Feeling trapped Hayato struggles to find a way to give his findings on Kira to Josuke and the others after coming into contact with Rohan. After successfully gaining the attention of Josuke and the others Kira is forced to cancel the active Bites the Dust he has on Hayato in order to protect himself & this gives Josuke confirmation of Kira’s new identity. A battle ensues and Okuyasu is nearly killed by Bites the Dust, but his recovery helps Josuke and Jotaro defeat Kira who is killed by an ambulance rushing to the scene of the explosions. Kira is dragged to hell in the spirit world after meeting the spirit of Reimi and her dog Arnold two of his first victims that befriended the Joestars. With Kira brought to justice she and Arnold are able to move onto the after life and Josuke, Joseph, and Jotaro go their separate ways.

Josuke and his friends must evolve as stand wielders in order to defeat Yoshikage Kira.

As I’m fairly new to the JoJo I’ve noticed several things. The memes and referencing is literally everywhere, and the fandom is rather divided on part 4. On one hand most agree that it’s cool seeing Jotaro again on the other Josuke feels like an unlikable protagonist compared to the other Joestars due to his lack motivation and desires. This obviously changes with the death of his grandfather at the hands of a stand user and people gradually warm up to his character. Noticeably on the Western side of the fandom Josuke seemed as though he was an instant hit. In set 2 Josuke’s budding character development continues following Kira’s murder of one of his friends. The JoJo franchise is known for powerful character development throughout each arc it’s just a bit strange that most of Josuke’s comes from murder and a man with a pompadour that saved him. Josuke aside development of characters is stronger elsewhere like Okuyasu & Kira for example. The action & animation is some of the best in franchise history.

The simple life sought out by the murderous Yoshikage Kira is threatened.

THE BAD: Josuke’s likability is a slow build, but ultimately works. Some of the plot does get a tad bit repetitive with the whole “someone we know was killed, revenge time!” deal.

Morioh’s Jojo family comes together to defeat Yoshikage Kira after he kills a friend.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: Diamond is Unbreakable is another excellent entry into the JoJo franchise. While the lead does tend to lack in interest at times, it’s a footnoted flaw compared to an otherwise complete anime package. Otaku Dome gives Diamond is Unbreakable Set 2 Blu-Ray an 0 out of 100.

[shidoukanae]

Mystery Masterpost 2.18

Full Masterpost: here

Previous Masterpost: here

This episode...was GREAT. For the first time in awhile I actually cared about the duel and what was happening. With the last few duels it’s more about just going through the motions to get to an objective. With this duel, it’s about needing to win from both sides, with stakes and actions and WORDS that actually make the duel exciting and not just monster after monster. Of course, this is merely my opinion but you have to admit this episode was well-done and pretty entertaining in of itself.

Now, regardless, I’ll move on to the mysteries themselves:

-For one, we now know that Ai is NOT involved with Yusaku’s past ten years ago. If we can assume that Akira learned the full truth about what happened, his words then suggest that Ai has no part in anything that went on when Yusaku was child. However, this begs the question of, at this point, how do the Ai’s fit into the plot? Akira’s questions of how the Ai fits into anything (and his seeming musing on whether or not it having free will) kind of makes me wonder if the show is subtly hinting that Ai is somehow involved in the plot but just not in the way we initially assumed...???

-Okay, so, I’m gonna say one word right here about Kusanagi and the picture below:

Bullshit. 

Kusanagi claims in this picture that he was unaware of SOL Technologies involvement in the incident of ten years past, seeming startled and surprised when Zaizen announces this. However, take a look at what he says back in episode 6:

He knew from the beginning that SOL Technologies was involved.

So, why is he suddenly claiming innocence of that fact to the audience now? Why is he acting so surprised and startled? He had been suspicious from the very start that SOL Tech was behind Yusaku’s lost memories and his own brother gone missing. Yet, here he seems completely out of whack with that fact, not even claiming “Oh, I knew it all along. I WAS right, it IS SOL who destroyed both my life and Yusaku’s”. At this point, either the writers forgot what they said in episode 6 or, as I suspect, there’s something more to Kusanagi. And, while I’m fully aware that I should be more dismissive of it because Kusanagi hasn’t truly done anything wrong yet, let’s look at something also quite peculiar about episode 7 in regards to Aoi Zaizen herself:

Look at the above picture - what is Aoi holding in episode 7? A teddy bear, right? Well, look at what she’s holding in episode 18:

As pointed out to me by @mitsi-her​ Aoi’s holding a Evilswarm Mandragora in this episode but, yet, in episode six this is clearly either contradicted or made ambiguous as Aoi, shown at nearly the same age in both images, holds a teddy bear not a creepy ass monster doll. I’d like to inquire if this suggests, for Akira, the possibility of implanted memories in his mind? If he loved his sister so much and clung onto these memories with such cherish, why does his mind seem to mess up such a simple fact as to what kind of toy Aoi is holding? And, assuming we say everything is A-Okay with Akira’s memory, when and why did Aoi switch out her mandrake for a teddy bear? Or, is it possible that said teddy bear is still the mandrake but merely “transformed” in episode 7 because we’re only seeing Akira’s memories while in episode 18, since Blue Angel’s also a witness to the “memories” Akira is talking about, we see more of the flaws in Akira’s memories vs what Aoi remembers?

Either way, the way both episode 6 and 7 seem to contradict episode 18 with both Aoi’s, Akira’s and Shoichi’s recollection is strange and fascinating to say the least. Why change certain facts of the show, why make things strange and bizarre and surreal in a show revolving around finding the truth at the heart of the mystery? There’s something definitely more to the three aforementioned characters and I’m interested to see what exactly we have in store for them.

-Ema. This episode has kept her rather sidelined this entire time but there’s something almost peculiar about her every time she appears. For example, when she says “I knew this would happen”-

-it’s almost like she’s able to predict things amazingly well ahead of time to know that whatever they found would force Akira to duel Playmaker in the end. And for someone who seems not to know what was in that data, it seems like she already well-predicted that whatever they found out would lead Akira to try and protect Playmaker’s innocence in the end which is odd because, accordinly beforehand, she didn’t know the extent of the damage SOL did.

What’s more, when Akira starts talking about his parents and how he lost them, we don’t get to see Ema’s expression. Her back is to the camera so there’s no way to tell how she feels about such an explanation. We don’t get to see if she feels remorse or surprise for the story Akira is telling or if she’s even amused that he’s trying to catch Playmaker off-guard with “feels”. Instead, we have this shot of her back which suggests nothing about what she’s experiencing while Playmaker, on the other hand, looks a bit distraught. It makes her character almost more “suspicious” in some way, more “callous” and “uncaring” and rather cold-hearted for what is happening. In a way, it almost makes me question what type of relationship Ema has to Akira, especially since, as this episode kind of confirmed, they weren’t childhood friends like some of the fandom has suspected.

^ In this scene too, it’s almost suggested that Ema realizes that, if Akira falls, it’s possible that, at some point, Blue Angel will come to his aide. She doesn’t seem to show signs of knowing Blue Angel is in the vicinity but boy oh boy does she suggest that she’s highly aware of that fact. And, judging by her cunning intuition from the past few episodes, she is indeed aware that Blue Angel is watching from somewhere. 

It makes me realize that, in some way, Ema has something that she’s hiding, a special ability or something that might be associated with why she has elf ears and why her history and past is so shrouded in secrecy. Who exactly is Ema Bessho? Why does she suggest she knows things, that there’s something more to her and why does the show hide any trace of her past from us? There’s something more to her here, just like there is to everyone else in this show...

-The word future here is used twice within two sentences that, in a way, loosely connect to each other. When Yusaku talks about betting his future, it’s interesting how the word “future” repeats itself with the Link circuit chant:

In a way, I feel like this is either awkward placement or, better yet, a really brilliant way of foreshadowing and pointing out that the idea of link circuits are connected to a “future” and maybe (as hinted in past episodes) “parallel” worlds. This is merely an observation but the way Yusaku says these two lines side by side makes me think there’s something more to what’s going on here than these words simply just being lines of dialogue.

-Also, when Yusaku and Shoichi sync up in their words, that in itself is very eerie. There’s been a theory going around that these two are potentially brothers and I’m definitely getting that kind of vibe from the way both Playmaker and Shoichi suddenly snap at Akira’s want to protect Yusaku. In a way, it almost seems that they’re connected and I certainly wonder if they are and just don’t realize it themselves because the way the show is phrasing and timing their words is almost too coincidental...

-Now, Blue Angel again. I find it rather interesting how she reacts to Akira’s line of “oh, if a stranger kidnapped my sister I don’t know how I’d feel”. She seems to recollect something here but, as to what that is it is uncertain. It certainly seems like she knows what Akira is talking about, like she’s recognized something from her memories but, whatever it is she doesn’t show the audience. This makes it almost certain that Aoi was possibly involved in what was happening ten years ago and that, strangely enough, she knows something more that she hasn’t revealed to her brother as of yet...

-And, speaking of Akira, there were times with him that makes me squint my eyes and wonder about him because there’s something happening with him here that’s almost...odd, I guess? Like, look at the below image:

Throughout the entire duel, Akira has been serious and rather sympathetic to Playmaker’s trauma, playing cool in his duel against Playmaker and trying to talk him down. However, in this image above it almost seems like he’s amused by Playmaker’s desperation to duel him. His face reads as haughty, arrogant, but also reads, in a way, brainwashed. The half-lidded eyes, the kind of weird smile, it’s almost out-of-place for the entirety of Akira’s character this whole episode. And, yes, I know he isn’t brainwashed but that frame right there gives off a sort of amused and out-of-touch vibe to me that contrasts heavily with the down-to-earth conversations and the pleading he has with Playmaker throughout the entirety of this episode.

What’s even more interesting is that, every time he gets damaged (which we see only once this episode and again in the preview), there’s blue light and electricity that occurs on his body like a “glitch” of some sort. This is rather odd and intriguing as Playmaker never seems to suffer from this effect throughout their duel. The fact that Akira is wincing suggests that he’s actually feeling pain from such a blow which is all the more alarming because this is a virtual duel, not a real one.  (Lol nvm. The same thing happens to Playmaker and Blue Angel too. This is what happens when I rush through a masterpost, kids, without checking through the episode or paying attention to last episode’s happenings regarding this occurrence. Thanks to @the-yugioh-theorist and @sharauril for pointing this out to me :D.)

Unless he were an AI or whatever, such phenomenons shouldn’t be occurring with him and it also makes Ema’s previous words all the more concerning when you realize she’s suggesting that, if Playmaker does something to make Akira fall then it’s going to be Blue Angel who will fight against Playmaker in place of her brother. Even if Akira tells Playmaker everything, if Akira falls then there’s no doubt Blue Angel won’t let him leave without some sort of payback. Almost certainly, if things go terrible for Akira, then there’s gonna be a whole lot of hell to pay on Yusaku’s part.

[head-and-heart]

My Calgary Expo Experience

Okay guys so I’m still kind of dying. Today (probably yesterday by the time this goes up) was kind of amazing and I can’t believe that I met Bob Morley BUT I’M GOING TO ATTEMPT TO SHARE THE AWESOMENESS WITH YOU ALL.

Apparently recap posts about cons are a thing and I still can’t believe that I actually have reason to write one!!

I only decided to go on the Sunday because I could fit in the photo op, autograph signing, and panel all in one day so I felt that it was a good option, so I don’t know much about anything that happened on any of the other days.

It was sooo incredible. Bob is just ... wow. 

He just has the most adorable personality. And we all probably know this because you don’t need to meet him to be able to tell but he really does. As my friend who was with me likes to say, he’s all “soft and squish” hahahaha.

I was so so so nervous when we first walked into the autograph line (which was not very long at all because we came on the last day, and we also came early) and we were, like, two feet away from him because the line looped around. It was so weird. I still can’t believe that I was that close to him, let alone actually TALKED to him, and TOUCHED him. 

Also I’m about 99% sure that I saw Robyn from the Afictionados podcast in the line ahead of me because she has a very distinctive voice and I heard her mention Unity Days but I was too shy to talk to her and I wasn’t 100% it was her until later but anyway SHOUTOUT TO ROBYN IF YOU’RE READING THIS WHICH YOU PROBABLY AREN’T BUT IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT YOU ARE JUST KNOW THAT I REALLY LIKE YOUR PODCAST AND I'M REALLY AWKWARD SO I DIDN’T TELL YOU IN PERSON

anyway ..

Bob is just amazing because he was out in front of his table instead of behind it like basically all the other guests. It was really neat, he’s very interactive with the fans and likes to be very personal with everyone. He shook everyone’s hand that came to get an autograph and introduced himself (AS IF I DON’T KNOW WHO YOU ARE) and asked how we were doing and he was just so polite and cute and ugghh. I’ve never been to a con before but my friend was telling me how usually the autograph signing is very quick and they get you in and out of there very fast but Bob was so sweet and generous and took his time with everyone, actually attempting to have a real conversation with the fans. 

The people before us were taking a video of him which is prohibited apparently and the security guy there was getting mad at them but Bob was like “oh, I don’t mind ...” and he looked kind of uncomfortable (about the security guy, not the fans). 

He shaved his beard the night before and my friend was hEARTBROKEN because she LOVED it, haha. I think he looks nice either way, but I kind of prefer him cleanshaven so I was happy. HE PLAYS WITH HIS HAIR SO MUCH. And I swear that boy has an entire closet dedicated just to his various hats, its like every time I saw him he was wearing a different one.

My friend was a little starstruck so I ended up doing a lot of the conversation, but honestly I barely processed most of what he was saying. I mentioned that Zach talked about filming a movie with him at a recent con and asked him if he could share a little bit about it. He laughed and said that he was surprised Zach had said anything because they were supposed to be secretive about it so he didn’t really say anything more than what I already knew. He talked about how he was going to be filming in Malaysia pretty soon (which I already knew cause i’m extra lol) and how he hadn’t spent a whole lot of time prepping for the role so he needed to do some of that beforehand. It was fine that he couldn’t say much about it though because I was mostly just trying to keep the conversation going so I didn’t spontaneously combust and/or faint in his arms ... you know, the usual.

My friend was dressed up as Season 2 Octavia (with the warpaint) and I had a really crappy cosplay of Season 1 Clarke going on hahahaha. Basically I couldn’t find a jacket (and i have no idea how to make one) so I just had like the shirt and the watch and the hair and stuff so it wasn’t anything special. Most people probably thought I wasn’t dressed up at all. When I walked up to Bob he went “WOW that’s a big watch” cause my wrists are really tiny I guess haha. I don’t really know if he knew if I was Clarke or not. 

He started both of our autographs with “Dearest [name]” instead of just “Dear” or writing only our names, which I thought was adorable. It’s such a Bob thing to do - or at least something I would expect from him. He also put two x’s at the end.

I didn’t end up getting anything special signed because I couldn’t think of anything super creative, so I just chose one of their prints instead. They were nice though. 

When he saw my friend’s print that she’d chosen he went “wow I was so tan” and I kind of laughed because he’s still really tan and his skin is so nice haha, but meanwhile I’m white as hell and can’t tan for the life of me

Then we both took photos with him. I always see people talking about Bob smelling really nice and I was like “okay” because I don’t tend to talk about how people smell BUT HE ACTUALLY DOES OKAY. lol I know that seems weird, I don’t know how to describe the smell but its a thing, guys, all right?

Afterwards we looked around a bit at the convention and waited to head to Bob’s panel at 12:00. I ran into a few friends who I haven’t seen in awhile which was kind of nice. It was super packed. There were a lot more people who showed up to see Bob than I was expecting, but it was nice to see so many people coming together. :) The panel was 45 minutes but it went by soooooooo fast. The moderator kept asking Bob to expand on his questions basically, which ended up eating up a lot of time so I didn’t get to ask the question about Jasper and Bellamy that I wanted to, which was kind of disappointing. 

I was being so extra though, waving my hand in the hair and everything, trying to get her attention. I made eye contact with Bob because he saw me but then the woman picked someone else and it was really sad lol. I raised my hand EVERY SINGLE TIME. But I was ignored. 

*sigh*

NEXT TIME.

They were really strict about there being no videos so I couldn’t really get any, which is unfortunate, and I wasn’t close enough to get very good quality photos so I won’t post any of them here. If you have any questions about some things people are spreading about the panel or want confirmation about some stuff Bob said, just hit me up and I’ll hopefully clear some things for you because I know that the truth often gets skewed a little at conventions. Its like the fandom is playing a little game of telephone, except online.

Bob is soooo cute and endearing and funny, so I really enjoyed the panel. I know a lot of people have been posting about stuff that Bob but I’ll point out the stuff I remember anyway

Someone asked Bob was his favourite episode/scene was and Bob said that his favourite episode is yet to air, and that it really delves into Bellamy’s “psyche”, which he liked, so I’m super excited to see that. I do wonder if he’s referring to 4x10, actually, since the promo seems pretty Bellamy heavy and it’s written by Aaron who tends to write Bellamy pretty well, I think. We’ll see!

There’s a video of the Bellarke question going around which, to be perfectly honest, isn’t much different from anything else that he’s said. He apparently ~ doesn’t know ~ if they’ll go the romantic path but he believes that they have a very “special relationship” that is deeper than any romance. It’s not in the video that I’ve seen going around but he also said that Bellamy and Clarke have a certain understanding and honesty which he believes is definitely a good place to start to build a relationship on, if they were planning on going that route.

He said something that I really haven’t seen talked about at all, but both I and my friend thought was a little odd when we heard it. I think the question was asking what scenes with Bellamy were most difficult or something like that but he said "the romantic side I find very hard to play”, which I thought was kind of interesting because Bellamy hasn’t really had any romantic partners besides Gina very very briefly. Idk if that’s who he was referring to? *side eyes emoji* Take it with a grain of salt in any case.

Bob joked about how Bellamy gets beat up so often because he’s “been told that [Bob] sells hits really well” lol. He also said that he maybe takes punches a little too well because when Octavia was beating him up in 3x10 he got too into it and accidentally fell through the wall of the set and broke it.

The moderator pointed out that it’s remarkable how well some characters have recovered from being impaled and he made a cheeky little comment about how “it’s science guys!” because we all know just how accurate the science on this show is hahaha

Someone asked Bob how he and Bellamy are similar and he responded by saying that he was loyal to his family and that the similarities “start and finish there”. He talked about how Bellamy is so much more aggressive than he is and how he wouldn’t go around killing people. The moderator then asked him if he thought he would ever be capable of doing something like that and Bob went “NOOOOOOOO! I don’t have that in me, its ACTING!”. He sounded so offended, it was really funny, especially since Bob is so cute and pure so it just sounded bizarre when she asked that.

Apparently during the scene where Pike sentences Kane to death Mike Beach and Henry Ian Cusick had a solid 15 minute argument about whose side Bellamy should be on and Bob just decided to leave the room after awhile. Bob was just like “okay I’m just going to walk out and you two can decide which one of you is my dad”.

Bob enjoys doing fight scenes “because its always kind of exciting to feel like you’re tough, even though you’re not” (he laughed after he said that) and he also enjoyed doing the Bellamy speeches because he thought that they felt cool and kind of empowering to feel like you have the power to actually influence someone else, since there aren’t many opportunities for that in real life.

Since he likes fight scenes, he joked about how he always would ask “can’t I at least try and put up a fight”  and he also said that Bellamy tends to take more beatings than he gives now because Bellamy feels like he deserves to be beaten up for what he’s done.

In the scene where he found out that Octavia “died” apparently Bob went full out and was banging his head against the bars and actually got a cut all along his forehead because he was so into it.

He was asked if it ever hurt his vocal cords to talk so low in Bellamy’s voice and he joked that it’s painful when he has to scream all the time at such a low octave. He also talked about why Bellamy’s voice was so low, because he was really hungover when they shot the Pilot and when he saw the video he went back and was really surprised and he just kind of had to roll with it from there on out. I’ve heard that story before but it was cool to hear Bob talk about it in person.

I know we all love to talk about the drastic difference in pitch between Bellamy and Bob’s voice but I’m telling you that its something else to hear it in person instead of just in a video. The change is SO dramatic.

One time when Bellamy had to do a big speech in Season 1, Bob had a really bad cold and he couldn’t speak properly so he was kind of screeching and messing up and he said it was really “embarassing” and so frustrating that he actually started to cry. The whole crowd went “aWWWWWwwwWWWWW” when he said that and he was like “yeah, yeah, I know, I know” all bashful and it was really cute.

He talked about how he would rather be judged for his “content” versus his physique and he said “maybe its not even me to feel that way” which made me sad, and then he said that he now recognizes that being judged for his appearance comes with the job sometimes.

Bob says that he likes polarizing the audience but that some people on social media can’t seem to separate him from Bellamy and he joked about all these people who meet him and are just like “I hate your character but, you know, you’re okay” and I was honestly like WHO DO I HAVE TO FIGHT COME AT ME

If he could bring back anyone he said he would bring back Pike and someone yelled “WHYYYY????” and Bob talked about how he caused lots of chaos and whatnot which was interesting, to which the mod was like “they already have enough chaos” and then Bob responded with “what’s wrong with a little chaos?” and I died. nOT like that’s one of the most iconic lines of Season 1 or anything ..

He also said he thought bringing Finn back would be interesting because “his moral compass is very different from Clarke and Bellamy’s” 

When he was a kid he wanted to be a stuntman and he would bite into ceramic plates because he thought that’s what they did, lol. Bob just went, “SO stupid” after he described it haha

I CAN’T BELIEVE I FORGOT. He joked a ton about his hair and how the apocalypse is great for the characters’ hair. He talked about how the hair team is great and how Bellamy has “great hair game” in Season 4, but that all seems to change after Bob finishes filming and he doesn’t really do anything with it. He's very self-deprecating

Bob says that when he struggles in getting into Bellamy’s headspace a lot of the time he just starts thinking about lunch because that’s what Mike Beach told him to do, hahahahaha. He also talked about how there’s “a lot of stupid stuff” going around in Bellamy’s head a lot of the time.

He said that he likes to do rock climbing, but a lot of the time he just ends up playing video games instead.

He finds Octavia and Bellamy’s storyline together this season “heartbreaking”.

He says his scenes with Eliza are “always really great” because they’re very “emotional” and he gets to cry lol

Apparently Bob is like one of two people who actually knows how to drive the rover because its stick shift and its “impossible”.

One girl that was picked said “sorry” and Bob was like “what are you apologizing for?” and the moderator was like “it’s the Canadian way” or something along those lines but the girl was just like “cause I’m so awkward” and the whole time i was thinking girl SAME i feel you

Bob says playing Bellamy has changed his real voice. He thinks his voice has “dropped down because of it” even when he’s not playing Bellamy.

Bob said that one of his friends tried to get him to compete in a smashbrothers competition and he went but he said it was really intense so he was like “no, no, no, I’m going to stay home and be the king of my own house”

Bob doesn’t like sitting behind the table when signing autographs because he “feels weird” about it and enjoys interacting with fans because he feels that social media is really “devoid of connection” and he’s “just a normal person” like the rest of us, which was sweet. <3

Bob says that “I’m very loving but I’m very pragmatic” when referring to Bellamy (not himself)

Bob loves Bellamy soo much and he is super protective of him (like us!). He says that when people don’t like Bellamy sometimes he’s just like “oh well let’s talk about this, maybe I can talk you around” but it doesn’t usually work haha

He said that he went to a play in Australia because William Mcinnes, who he really loves, was in it but he didn’t know what it was about and it turned out be about IVF treatment lol and he was like “yeah that was kinda weird [...] maybe I should have read the plot first ...”

After the panel we looked around at all the merchandise but there was barely anything for The 100, which wasn’t all that surprising. I honestly didn’t expect to find anything, but we stumbled completely by accident onto this jewelry stand and we saw one necklace for The 100 and started freaking out because we couldn’t find any The 100 merch ANYWHERE and the lady heard us and told us that she sold stuff at Unity Days so she’d designed an entire jewelry line for The 100 and showed us her collection.

It was so awesome. She makes all these neat little themed charm bracelets for all shows, so there was one for Lost, and OUAT and Supernatural and all that, which was nice but she had a whole COLLECTION for The 100, with themed bracelets for almost all the individual characters. I remember seeing something similar online, maybe even the same ones, and had told my friend earlier that I thought they were cool.

I DEFINITELY wasn’t expecting to actually find them. 

My friend bought the Bellamy one and I bought the Raven one, because I personally thought that the Raven one was more true to the character than the other one (but they were both really cute!). I’m not one for fandom merch so it was kind of exciting for me to buy something. 

Here’s a pic of my Raven bracelet: 

And here’s my friends Bellamy bracelet:

Later we went to go get our photo ops with Bob, which we did individually. It was very fast-paced so we didn’t get to spend much time with him or anything but I was actually surprisingly relaxed and calm the second time I saw him? Idk he’s just so humble and down-to-earth and he really makes you feel comfortable around him, so I wasn’t nearly as nervous as I was earlier. 

When he saw my friend and I he was just like “hello again” and I thought it was cute that he remembered us, after meeting hundreds of individual people!

I just took a regular photo with him, no special poses or anything, because I felt weird asking for anything different. But to be honest I wish that I asked him for a hug, because I saw a girl go before us who did and her photo ended up looking REALLY good and now I’m super jealous, dammit. 

NEXT TIME. 

(I feel like I’m making a lot of promises to myself in this post, hmmmmmm)

Anyways, after we got the photo he turned to me and said “thank you!” and I was just thinking WHY ARE YOU THANKING ME??? YOU JUST MADE MY ENTIRE EXISTENCE, THANK YOU!

So that was my experience seeing Bob. I’m so far from over it and just looking at the pictures makes me feel all light and happy. He’s such a great person and you can tell that he’s not just putting an act or a show for the benefit of his fans, he’s truly genuine! 

Now I know what people mean when they talk about how after they meet some of the cast, they just want to do it again the next day. I’ve got the con fever, I want to go to another one so bad (but of course I’m infinitely grateful that I got to see him in person at all, because it was such an incredible experience)! Bob is so sweet and adorable and KIND (like I’ve reiterated half a million times) and deserves everything amazing in the world, I don’t know make the rules, k?

And there’s just something so ... amazing about cons. No one there is judging you, everyone there is a shameless nerd as well, haha, and its such a safe space for fans to go and meet celebrities, guests, and each other. Whenever my friend and I saw anyone wearing The 100 merch or cosplaying as someone from The 100, we always got so excited. Because there are ACTUAL REAL PHYSICAL people in front of us who are just as obsessed as we are, and you don’t get that connection through TV. Everyone is so friendly and accepting, complimenting each other’s costumes and whatnot. The community is just amazing. 

Here’s hoping that I get to experience this again, and that any of you who haven’t yet get to as well! Everyone deserves to go to a con and have as much fun as I did. :)

Not sure if I’m going to post my photos with him because I’m really weird about posting photos of myself on the internet. I guess I’m just paranoid that someone I know will stumble across it, or my fandom days will come back to haunt me in twenty years or so and someone will pull up my photograph and my account with my dramatic ass screaming about Bellarke and Bellamy Blake and all that and judge me for the rest of my life. We’ll see. Maybe BFSN??

I’ll consider it. ;)

[manascoundrel]

Trophy- Chapter 5

by Yarking Fandom: Dragon Age (general) Summery: Two troubled children meet at the Minrathous Circle. One is a magister’s heir, groomed to be the blood mage general of Seheron, without fear or mercy. Hopefully, that will keep people from noticing how very much an elf he is. The other is last born, least loved and most of his emotions involve academics and cadavers. They love each other, even if they’re not terribly good at it. Warnings for this chapter: implied auditory hallucinations AO3: here

The assembly of apprentices in the large, lofted lecture hall was intimidating. Tertius was a shy child, made doubly so by his father's insistence that he speak only when necessary (to the enchanters, or when asked a direct question by another student). In the sea of children surrounding him, all of them chattering away to their neighbors, he felt distinctly lonesome, and for not the first time today he wished that he was home, wrapped up in a blanket and reading with his mama.

The thought left him sullen, looking at the tips of his shoes while they waited for the speaker to arrive.

After too long a time, a woman approached the speaking podium at the front of the hall, face aligned with the shining fuscia crystal mounted at the podium head. When she spoke, her words reverberated throughout the entire room, mana residue from the projection enchantment dusting the air invisibly around them."If you would all be silent, we can begin," she said, sternly. The chatter quickly grew to a murmur and then just the sounds of robes shuffling and someone coughing from the other side of the room. No one wanted to be the first to fail to follow directions. Tertius wondered if everyone who attended was given the same speech by their mother or father or nannies about how important it was to behave and reflect well on their family, or if the obedience came naturally to them in a way that Tertius hopelessly struggled with, despite best efforts.

The speaker continued. "Thank you. Now, classes from here on will be divided into smaller groups that you will be assigned to by your Dorm Master for the next five years. After that point, your classes will be assigned based on your capabilities, availability, and personal preference, in that order. The Minrathous Circle is filled with examples of excellence, and our great Imperium's strength lies in our commitment to the meritocracy and honoring the best among us with the responsibility to lead. Exceptions will not be made for those who do not earn a position. I suggest you work hard to make sure and take advantage of this spectacular opportunity and resources around you and rise to each of your individual potentials."

Tertius glanced away from the speaker, distracted by the movement out of the corner of his eye. A few of the apprentices had already lost interest and were whispering to each other, while one apprentice a bit further down was bouncing on her heels in boredom. Tertius focused back on the speaker, scoffing to himself. Those apprentices wouldn't be much competition if they couldn't even get through this without getting distracted. He had endured longer lectures from his nanny for eating with his elbows on the table.

While Tertius prided himself for being a particularly disciplined five-year-old, the speaker paused to let her words sink in. Then, she began again with a lighter tone. "Today is a very special day for you all, however. Our head of Formari research has finished assessing the staves that have-"

The speaker paused again, waiting for the sudden burst of excitement that manifested in gasp, squeals and more chatter to die down before continuing. She seemed to expect the children's wildness, as she was smiling as she continued, "Has finished assessing the staves that have been commissioned and submitted for some of our students. Those without a personal staff submitted will be assigned one by our Formari senior enchanters. Senior enchanters, please raise your hands."

A handful of mages arranged in a line along the side of the room raised their hands, looking welcoming out at the new faces.

Tertius froze.

One's first staff was special. An honor. It was a symbol of becoming part of something important, of being worthwhile. His brothers' first staves were kept in their estate's library, mounted alongside a collection of their family's history of first staves and decorated with other family accolades. Tertius had often stood in front of them, admiring the craft and wishing with a fluttering heart that he had one of his own.

It only occurred to him now that he might not get anything special here. He was born third, neither heir to the Danarius house nor next in line. Tertius looked at the ground, keeping still so that his tears might remained walled over his eyes instead of spilling over and the speaker called name after name to retrieve their staff. He tried not to be preemptively disappointed. The Circle assigned staves were perfectly serviceable, with a entirely adequate foci embedded in their plain, smooth wood. It was really just looks that made a commissioned staff different than any other. It didn't matter.

"Gaius Tertius Danarius?" she called, and Tertius came to life as if shocked. He slipped between the rows of apprentices and scurried down the aisle at the side of the audience, directed gently by one of the speaker's assistance towards the row of children already called.

Tertius swallowed, craning to look past the row to where one of the Formari enchanters handed a beautifully carved staff with a silvery swan to one young mage that cooed as it was placed in her hands. Beyond, he saw the scarce few apprentices who hadn't be deemed worthy of a personal staff, holding the common-looking staves against their chest abashedly. Tertius could feel his heart in his chest, knew that's where he was going. Knew it.

Finally, the apprentice before him was granted his staff (a lovely mahogany thing with gems set in its head) and Tertius stepped forward. He braced himself, jaw tight and lip wibbling.

But the enchanter did not send him swiftly away.

"Gaius Tertius Danarius, yes?" the enchanter confirmed, reading over his list carefully. Tertius nodded once, still stiff and waiting. The enchanted smiled and turned, reaching out for a staff as he spoke. "Congratulations."

Tertius stared. The enchanter presented him with a staff- a beautiful thing. The wood was stunning white and gently carved with smooth, rolling waves that patterned out from its grip as if rippling, whorling up to the head of the staff, where it's foggy glass foci peeked out from the carved wood. Curled atop that were three intricate snakes, their scales rendered beautifully in pearl and lines of gold with sparkling peridot glinting at their eyes.

Tertius ached. It was magnificent. Better than he could have ever dreamed, and the tears spilled over at once as he reached for it. When his fingers closed around the cold leather wrap of the grip, Tertius held his breath.

He felt at once constricted, a pressure pushing around him that made it harder to breath. The sound of rushing wind roared in his ears and dissolved into momentary voices, a whole cacophony competing to speak over each other, and the silence. But, no, not silence. The distant, indistinct whispers susurrating from strange places, past the walls and below the floors.

Tertius looked at the audience out of the corner of his eyes, thinking for a moment the bizarre sound had come from them. They were the only people present, after all, but there was nothing that seemed to account for the sudden deafening rush and lingering impossible whispers that floated in the air the same as the mana residue of before. He looked down at the staff, wondering at the shining peridots as they seemed to wink at him.

"Run along, Apprentice Danarius," the Formari enchanter urged. "We have a lot of students to get through today."

Tertius scurried as he was told, momentarily setting aside the unexplainable phenomenon so as to not be impolite. As soon as he reached the other children who had already received their staves, most of them bragging and comparing the personal touches, some of them fawning over other's, Tertius inspected his more closely.

There didn't seem to be anything wrong with his staff. It was as glamorous and exquisite as he had initially thought. No cracks, no chips. Not even fingerprints on the pearlescent surface of the snakes' twining bodies. No sign at all that it had been tampered with. A new, unexpected fear rose up in Tertius at how unexplainable it is, spurred by how distracting and uncanny the murmurs fell on his ears.

He should tell someone. Should he tell someone? What if the problem was with him, some new fault hidden inside of him to be brought out with a touch of magic. Tertius swallowed, wincing as he held his beautiful staff away from him just a little. He couldn't tell anyone. He wasn't even supposed to talk to anyone unless it was very important. He could manage this fine. It was just some voices. They weren't even loud anymore.

The remaining ceremony passed slowly, Tertius starting occasionally when a voice whispered almost intelligibly, sounding as if someone was whispering right in his ear. He lacked the focus as much as the undisciplined children he had just earlier scoffed at by the time the speaker made her closing statements, and her words were lost beyond Tertius' own spiraling thoughts.

As soon as Tertius and the other children were finally lead back to the dormitories, Tertius shuffled silently to his bed and placed his staff on the blanket beside him, resting the ornate head on his pillow revrently.

The whispers quieted further, nothing more than a soft hush that could be mistaken for a light draft.

While the other children entertained themselves for the rest of the evening proudly parading their staves, Tertius slid off the bed and to his trunk tucked beneath him. He rummaged through the contents, pulling out books and clothes and a case of charcoal before he found a blanket. His yellow blanket.

That sight of it made his sad, and his throat tight.

Tertius pulled it from his trunk slowly, laying out out on his bed over the staff and carefully wrapped it in the blanket, swaddling it like a baby. The voices grew quieter still, lowering to near silence. As he slid the staff beneath his bed alongside the re-packed trunk, Tertius resolved to learn something more.

--

The library, as it turned out, had a few books on staves. If you considered "a few" to be an entire section, several dozen massive tomes lined up with thick, intimidating spines and words too long for him to ever hope to pronounce. He had managed to ask one of the librarian's assistants to help him find the section to begin with, but after he had ushered Tertius to one of the tall bookshelves and explained with a sweeping gesture that "anything in this row" would be pertinent, the assistant had left, and Tertius didn't feel confident in summoning him back for more help. Not only because he worried about speaking too much with the complication of his stutter, but also in concern at revealing to a stranger the sudden whispers plaguing him.

The advent of the youngest apprentices getting their first staff just the other day gave him an excuse to want to learn more, even made him look like he had initiative, which his papa would have liked, Tertius would like to think, but he didn't want to press his luck too far and arouse suspicion. While he didn't know what exactly the cause of the voices were, he instinctively suspected that it was something he'd want to know about himself before anyone else did.

That was something of a running theme when you were from a magister's house.

As for the whispers, they remained distant, but more obvious in the library, when there was little ambient sound to distract from their presence. They no longer disturbed Tertius as they did yesterday when the strangeness was new and unexpected, but it still forced him to read the names of the books out loud to himself to be able to focus on what they said. The voices weren't as great a distraction to his own thoughts as they had been either, but it would take some time still to get used to.

None of the books seemed particularly more relevant to his predicament than any other, so he finally settled on one to pick by the shade of the book's cover and how nice the font on its spine looked. He pulled a green-spined book with golden lettering from the shelf and grunted when it fell into his hands, nearly tipping him over. It was a bit heavier than expected.

Tertius carried it over to the open study desks lining the edges of the library and let the book thump heavily against the surface. On either side, the sparse students dotting down the row of desks in either direction looked up from their books scathingly at the noise, and Tertius bowed in apology, bashful. Still, he slipped into the seat (feet dangling from the height of the chair meant for older students) and peeled the pages open, the flapping and crinkle of the old paper sounding loud.

When he looked down at the page, he panicked. For a moment, Tertius had thought that whatever strange event had occurred yesterday when he was granted his staff had stolen his ability to read as well, as when he looked down on the page the text was wholly gibberish. He scanned the page and finally relaxed when he picked out a few smaller words he recognized and could read, and realized his problem was just a matter of the book being too advanced for him. Most of the words on the page were long concepts he hadn't yet heard of, and though he managed to sound out a few of the longer words just to prove to himself he was capable of doing so, it seemed like his "pick whatever book looked the nicest" strategy wasn't a reliable way of finding something helpful.

Tertius huffed, heaved the book back off the desk and tottered precariously with it back to the section on staves to put it back and try again.

This cycle continued for three, four, five more books before Tertius found one that was more his speed. It was thinner, newer and a bit less impressive than some of the more interesting looking books, but it approached the subject simply, explaining even the most simple concepts patiently.

Tertius began reading voraciously, mumbling the words under his breath as his did to focus over the constant murmur of voices that drove him there to begin with. It was slow going. He could read well enough, but the book was still more difficult than he was used to. The pages turned at a frustratingly slow pace. When Tertius finally shook his head and arched his back to stretch out the ache of sitting for too long, he had only managed a few chapters of the book, far from even halfway. He was usually done with books by now.

Tertius stood, discouraged by how little progress he had made and even more so by the complete lack of anything relevant found so far. He decided to take a break and get a sip of the conjured water provided near the library's door. As he walked, he took solace at least in knowing that his stutter had hardly cropped up at all when he was just reading to himself. Perhaps he could get better at it by practicing like this? He knew he was to take classes with a tutor to fix how he spoke, but didn't know when those were to begin, and though he was shy and liked the quiet and peace of reading and drawing by himself, he still missed the option of talking to the other apprentices if the opportunity arose.

Tertius was heading back to his desk and book when he passed by one of the other student's abandoned desks, its owner probably off to get another book or refill his inkwell or something like that. It normally wouldn't concern Tertius, but as he passed by, the color and lines of the books illustration drew his attention and at once enthralled him.

It was a picture of a cat, but Tertius didn't recognize it as such initially. The illustration was expertly done, and the silhouette of the animal was clear, but as Tertius approached the book closer, lured by the colors (reds, pinks, blues) he didn't expect to see, he saw the form filled with strange shapes. Lines pointed to the unusual blocks of color, labeling things (stomach, intestines, heart) and Tertius was instantly enamored.

The whispers, he realized, had gone quiet.

Shyly, glancing around and prepared for the book's owner to come and shoo him away, Tertius furtively slipped into the desk's chair. He had never seen a picture of inside something like that before. It never even occurred to him that there were something inside people, even if he knew intellectually of blood, bones and where his tummy was from when it was upset. But it had always just been.

Seeing it now, before him, laid out... it was pretty. His fingers brushed the page lightly.

"Excuse me?"

Tertius started, stumbling out of the chair and a few paces away to give the older student her desk and room back. She looked down at him. Not mad. Not annoyed. A flat, amused expression, one that didn't quite chase Tertius away.

He looked at the illustration in the book and then back up to the student, want swelling up in him keenly. He wasn't supposed to speak. He's not supposed to. He's…

"Like what you see?" she asked, sounding playful.

Tertius' eyes widened in surprise before he nodded emphatically, raising to his toes and bouncing in excitement. He gave a high-pitched squeak from his throat in the affirmation.

"There are other anatomy references in the fourth row. You wanna grow up to be a healer too?"

A healer? Tertius stopped himself from laughing out of politeness. Healing was not a beloved profession in the imperium, perhaps because so many of the magisters used blood magic like his papa, and there were no easier way to tell if someone had been casting with blood than trying to heal them with magic. The two disciplines didn’t play nice together.

"I-" he began, and stopped himself so swiftly his little teeth clicked together. The bashfulness returned as his words left, and his hands curled over his chest meekly.

"Ah, I see!" the apprentice suddenly said, sounding triumphant. She reached forward and Tertius froze as her hand got close, but she only grabbed his hand, his fingernails blackened with charcoal messily. "You're an artist. Well, that's something, I guess. I had to take painting lessons. It was so boring, but I guess it's not for everyone."

She released his hand and he brought it back to his chest, cradling it as if it had been scalded, and scowled behind in loose, scraggly hair. She didn't seem to notice or care, attention returning back to the book with the picture in it, and Tertius sulked away.

It was only then did Tertius truly notice the whisper's retreat to nothingness, appreciating the peace and quiet with a sigh. He had no luck finding any useful information on the dry, unforgiving manuals, but there had to be some reason the whispers had left him. Tentatively, he counted out the rows until he reached the fourth.

His finger rested on the top of one spine that read "Anatomy of the Modern Equine". Equine meant horse. He liked horses. He liked the color and mystery of squiggles and lumps of colors that were apparently inside people. He slid the book out, opening it there on the floor before bothering to drag it back to the study desk and flipped through the pages.

Text, text and more boring text, and he was prepared to give up when he reached a page of a skeleton, illustrated carefully and lovingly there across two pages. This whispers were utterly silent, and in their place a curious alertness, and excitement that matched his own. Amazing. Was there more?

He flipped forward, pausing at every page with a closer look at bones in certain parts of the body, how the legs were shaped and the mesmerizing pattern of the ribs and bones in the back.

"Lum-bar v-... vertebrae," he managed, his stutter only a small snag. He kept turning pages, eyes sparkling in delight when he was introduced to an diagram with partial musculature.

--

It was far past dark when the spell was lifted, Tertius sitting in the aisle of the bookshelves and blinking against the dimness that made reading difficult. Hours later, and the slew of books he had pulled out cluttering the row. He stretched, rubbing his eyes, and chalked the entire endeavour up as a resounding success.

The whispers hadn't bothered him all evening.